After the fearsome events of the day, Leo reached the Homura District. His fiery armor still glistened under the sunlight, but his face was crumbling—eyes hollow, jaw clenched, every step heavy with emotion.
He walked through the ash-streets alleyway until he stopped in front of a big mansion standing proudly in the middle of the district.
Taking a deep breath, Leo walked inside, passing beautiful architecture and walls that seemed coated with the sun's warm light.
Leo stopped in front of a door. His hand hovered over the knob, trembling slightly—he knew what was coming. With another deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the room glowed with golden light.
Behind the dominating table sat Akira Homura, current head of the Homura clan, expression aggressive.
"What have you done in my absence, Leo?"
Leo flinched at his father's tone. He stood still like a pillar, head lowered to the ground, hands clasped behind his back. He didn't know what to answer. He didn't even know why he'd done it. This was the first time he'd ever done something Akira didn't like.
Akira rose from his chair and approached.
Slap.
His palm connected with Leo's cheek, leaving a red handprint.
Leo stayed still like stone, not moving an inch, head still lowered.
Akira continued, voice rising:
"Don't stand still like a wall, you idiot. I asked you a question. You didn't give me an answer. Answer me, Leo—why did you do this? He will definitely come here and kill me. He will kill you, your mother, and our entire bloodline. Answer me—why did you release that monster? That cursed child? Did you forget he killed hundreds of humans?"
Finally Leo met his father's gaze. Holding his breath, he spoke, voice low and strained:
"It's because of the coming war. I thought we needed his power… that we don't stand a chance without him."
Akira's eyes narrowed. "Now you're blaming your mistake on an event that hasn't even happened yet? Who said a war is going to break out?"
"Who said?" Leo's eyes slowly turned red—anger, guilt, both mixing. "Dad—Chaya regained her power. She will try to take over the world again."
Akira crunched his teeth. A red fiery aura slowly covered his body from toe to head, crackling on the brink of eruption.
Leo couldn't hold back anymore. For the first time in his life, he snapped at his father.
"Why are you glaring at me like that, Dad? What did I do wrong? And first of all—we don't have any right to hold Arya Roy captive without the Roy Clan's permission. Yet we kept him imprisoned for six years. And why are you so obsessed with imprisoning him in the first place? It's really not about what happened six years ago, right?
You never told me anything. You just ordered me and I complied like it was my duty. You even made me kill my own sister—your own daughter.
I'm not blaming you, Dad. But thinking back… everything you ordered me to do seems like your selfish wish. Otherwise, who kills their own blood? And now you fear Arya killing our clan? Thinking about the events of the past years makes my head spin."
Akira's eyes showed a rare glimpse of fear at Leo's words—but no guilt for killing his own daughter. Leo saw through it. Something wasn't right. For a moment he even thought this man in front of him wasn't his father. But he pushed the thought aside, glaring with more intensity and taking a step back.
"Answer me, Dad. What happened to the Asuras twenty-five years ago? What happened to the former king Dev Roy and his family? Something happened, right? Or else how can a race that holds ancient history and invisible power be wiped out in a single night? And along with the royal family, the strongest humans in our history disappeared in one night? It has to be a joke, Dad—and I know you're not going to answer any of my questions.
That's it. Maybe Arya is a cursed child, a monster like you said. But he would never kill his family over something so secretive."
Leo tried to continue, but seeing his father's face crumble with mixed emotions, he slowly walked backward toward the door. His own face burned red with anger and sorrow, eyes filled with unshed tears.
He stopped behind the door, turned to his father one last time.
"If you are not going to answer my questions… I know where to find them."
And he left, leaving his father alone.
Garden District—the heart of Paradise. True to its name, this district contained all kinds of plants and flowers, standing like a symbol of peace for the people of Paradise. In this peaceful environment lay the Guardians' training quarters. Inside the facility was technology that could help new Guardians gain the experience of ten battles in just a few hours.
Inside a square glass box, a yellow light circled at a speed too fast for human eyes to follow. The circling light slowly decelerated, revealing a human form. The man had yellow eyes and hair. His name was Zai—twenty years old, rookie, and the youngest captain of the 1st Division.
A middle-aged woman who looked like a trainer approached Zai and tossed him a water bottle.
"I just got word. Commander Leo wants to see you." Hearing the news, small smile appeared on zai's lips.
Sensoo, the war district—inside the Guardians headquarters. Leo paced back and forth in the commander's room, biting his nails. Because of what happened with his father and what was going to happen in a few hours, Leo was drowning in anxiety.
Minutes later, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Leo said.
The door opened. Zai stepped inside and bowed respectfully.
"Sir, I heard you called me?"
Facing Zai, Leo forced himself to calm down. He took a breath.
"Zai, I'm going to give you an important mission. It's about the coming war."
Hearing the word "important" from Leo's mouth, Zai's face lit up with joy—but he maintained his professionalism.
"Yes sir. Can I get more details on this important mission?"
Leo took a file from his desk and offered it to Zai.
"You have to deliver this file to Arya Roy."
The name Arya Roy made Zai's excitement vanish in an instant. His face paled.
"Arya Roy? But sir, why me? I mean… Arya Roy is imprisoned, right? So how can I d—"
"Listen, Zai. I don't have the strength to explain everything to you now. But you are the only one I can trust with this matter, and it's very important. And why you? I'm on bad terms with Arya, and Yodha isn't around. So please… can I trust you with this?"
Zai's heart melted at Leo's plea. Leo was his inspiration, his teacher after all. Before he could second-guess, his hands moved to take the folder.
Minutes later, Zai found himself in front of a big wooden bungalow with huge gates. His heart pounded with anxiety. His mind screamed to turn back. But for Leo, and for the sake of Paradise, Zai slowly took a step forward—past the huge iron gates, closer to the wooden bungalow.
After so much struggle and hesitation, he finally pressed the calling bell. No response from inside. He tried again and again. After some time, Zai heard footsteps approaching. He took a step back, clutching the folder to his chest.
As the door opened, Zai froze. Shock hit him. If the man standing in front of him was Arya Roy, then this man was nothing like his imagination.
To clarify his doubt, he handed the folder over, voice faltering:
"H… h… hello sir. My name is Zai. I'm the first division captain of the Guardians.
Commander Leo sir sent me here to give you this folder. If you don't mind… can I know if you are Arya Roy or not…?"