*Riiing, riiing, riiing!*
"Ughhh…"
"Damn it… I ended up dreaming about history topics again."
*Knock knock knock!*
"Come on, Samuel! Hurry up or we're gonna be late!"
Samuel groaned, pulling the blanket over his head.
"I'm coming, just—give me a minute!"
A few minutes later, he dragged himself out of his room and into the kitchen.
"Took you long enough," his brother said, already halfway through his breakfast. "Eat fast. If we're late, I'm knocking you out."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Morning, Dad. Thanks for breakfast."
"Morning, son. You ready for your history test today?"
Samuel yawned.
"Uhh… probably?"
Soon after, the brothers left home, waving to their father.
"See you later, Dad! Have a good day at work!"
As they walked, Samuel glanced at his older brother.
"Hey, Raichi… you really want to join the D.R.D.?*"
"Why even ask?" Raichi smiled faintly. "I already applied. I start next year. I want to help people—to show them that the Leimorders aren't the monsters they think we are."
Samuel looked down, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"…Good luck, then."
"Mh? Heh, thanks."
When they reached the school gates, the usual comments started.
"Oh look, the Leimorder brothers! Careful—get too close and they'll kill you! Hahaha!"
*An awkward silence followed.*
Raichi's eyes narrowed.
"I'll make them change their minds… one day."
Samuel said nothing. People avoided them, mocked them. They were descendants of the Leimorder clan—once feared assassins in the old world. In this so-called modern age, assassins no longer existed, but their family's reputation never died.
Their father, Eric, had fought hard to build a normal life for them. Their mother… wasn't so lucky. She'd died giving birth to Samuel, leaving behind only her final words to Raichi: *Be strong. Protect others.*
Raichi was only three at the time, but those words shaped his entire life.
—Two hours later—
Samuel sat at his desk, about to start his history test.
Then—
*RUMBLE.*
The left wall of the school began to shake. The floor followed. At first, it felt like an earthquake—but something was wrong. The tremor was uneven. Then—
*CRAAASH!*
The wall exploded inward. Dust filled the air. Screams.
And then they saw it.
A grotesque being, nearly two and a half meters tall. Its skin was pale green—rotting, like spoiled flesh. Its face twisted into a monstrous parody of humanity. One arm ended in a jagged blade, glinting like a massive spear.
The students screamed, scattering in terror.
Samuel froze. His body refused to move. His throat tightened—he couldn't even scream.
The classroom door slammed shut from the outside. He tried to open it—nothing. Tried again—still nothing. His hands trembled too hard to push any harder.
The creature stepped forward. Each step echoed through the room.
It raised its blade—aimed straight at him.
And then—
*Silence.*
Heavy, suffocating silence.
Footsteps—fast, desperate—rushed toward him.
Blood splattered across Samuel's face.
But it wasn't his.
"R–Raichi…?"
Samuel slowly looked up. His brother's body stood before him—no, *collapsed* before him. The blade had pierced straight through his chest.
Raichi had taken the blow—just to save him.
"Raichi… no… please, no…"
The monster ripped its weapon free, tossing Raichi's body aside like a broken doll. His lifeless eyes met Samuel's.
Something inside Samuel shattered.
The creature swung again—its strike sent him crashing into the wall.
He coughed, blood dripping down his chin—but he stood up. Somehow.
His body trembled, his face streaked with tears and blood. Yet his eyes… burned.
"Raichi… I… will survive."
A strange light surrounded him—a faint violet aura tinged with white. It pulsed, spreading through his veins, his mind, his soul.
He no longer looked like a boy.
He looked like someone who had decided—to fight, to survive, and to take revenge.
*Department of Regional Defense — an organization dedicated to protecting each region from potential threats.*