Training Grounds — Noon
The sun was merciless, beating down on the stone courtyard of the Fuuma training grounds. The air shimmered with heat, and the sound of clashing wooden swords echoed like a steady drumbeat.
Asagi stood in the center, wooden blade in hand, her stance perfect. Her teal eyes burned with determination as she looked at Leo.
"Ready?" she asked, already assuming the posture of someone who expected to win.
Leo rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, sure."
He wasn't even holding his sword properly — one hand, loose grip, completely relaxed.
A muscle in Asagi's cheek twitched. "You're not taking this seriously."
"I am," Leo said simply, tilting his head. "Just… differently."
She clicked her tongue. "Then don't blame me when you end up flat on your back."
With a sharp exhale, she lunged forward. Her speed was good — for a child. Quick steps, precise swings, the Igawa technique in its early form. To everyone watching, she looked impressive.
But to Leo?
'Her movement's clean, but predictable. Left shoulder tenses before the strike. Footwork gives away the feint.'
He sidestepped the attack, leaned back slightly, and tapped her wooden blade away with a single flick of his wrist.
Asagi blinked. "What—?"
Before she could recover, Leo had already moved — no killing intent, no wasted motion. Just efficiency. The tip of his practice sword stopped right in front of her throat.
Silence fell over the training ground.
A gust of wind rustled the leaves, the only sound between them.
"Match over," Leo said casually.
Her teal eyes went wide. "You— how did you—?"
"I watched," Leo replied. "Then I moved."
She took a step back, lowering her weapon, her pride visibly cracking. "You weren't even serious."
He gave a small shrug. "Didn't need to be."
The other trainees whispered among themselves — the prodigy of the Igawa clan had just been beaten by the quiet half-foreigner from the Fuuma line.
Asagi clenched her fists, her face red from more than just heat. "We're doing that again."
Leo smiled faintly. "Sure. But maybe take a break first — your stance is starting to slip."
She glared at him. "Don't tell me what to do."
He just walked off, smirking.
'Yeah… this world's going to be fun.'
Later That Evening — Fuuma Village
The sky was painted orange, the sun slowly sinking behind the misty ridges. Leo sat under a sakura tree, still dusty from the day's training. A faint bruise marked his shoulder — Asagi's final, frustrated swing had barely grazed him before she stormed off.
He rubbed the spot and chuckled. "Still hits hard though…"
The wind blew gently, carrying the smell of tea and wood smoke from the nearby houses. He looked down at his hands — small, still childish, but calloused from constant training.
'Now, why was I betrothed to her? Simple answer.'
He sighed, leaning his head back against the tree trunk.
'An apology. To my clan, especially considering the Fuuma have, what, eight members left? Me, Mom, Dad, Kotaro, Tokiko, their parents, and their grandpa.'
He looked toward the horizon, thoughtful. 'They probably thought uniting with the Igawa would give us a better future. Politically smart… romantically disastrous.'
He snorted. "And here I am, engaged to my old waifu. What kind of karmic joke is that?"
Then his hand twitched.
A sudden, wrong feeling spread through his arm — a pulse, like a heartbeat under the skin, but faster. He looked down. His veins darkened, his skin rippling faintly as something moved beneath it.
"What the—"
It hurt. Not bone-breaking pain, but something alive, writhing inside. He grabbed his arm, gritting his teeth.
His breath grew heavy, and for a split second — the world sharpened.
He could see the insects on the ground, feel the vibration in the air, and smell the iron in the soil. Every sound, every detail, every lifeform nearby — he knew where they were.
Then it was gone.
The pain stopped as quickly as it began. His arm looked normal again.
Leo stared at it, chest still heaving.
'That… that wasn't chakra.'
He flexed his hand slowly. 'Prototype… huh. Guess it's not just magic or chakra anymore. It's all of it.'
He leaned back again, a crooked smile forming.
"Magic and science, huh? Guess I really am gonna mix both this time."
Then, a voice called from the distance.
"Asagi says she'll duel you again tomorrow!"
Leo groaned. "Of course she will."
He got up, brushing off his pants. "Well, better not kill my fiancée by accident next time."
He looked at his hand once more, that faint pulse of power still humming inside.
'Yeah… this world's gonna get real interesting.'
Igawa Estate – Evening
Asagi stormed into her room, the sliding door slamming shut behind her with a snap! She dropped her wooden sword onto the tatami floor, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out in pure frustration.
"That idiot! He didn't even try to dodge—he just… moved like I wasn't even there!" she muttered, pacing in small, angry circles.
A soft voice spoke up from above.
"So, how was it?"
Asagi froze, glancing toward the bunk bed. Leaning over the top bunk's edge was her younger sister, Sakura, her short blonde hair sticking up like she'd just woken from a nap. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with teasing amusement.
Sakura grinned. "Lemme guess—Leo beat you again?"
Asagi huffed, turning away. "It wasn't a real defeat! He… he just got lucky! That's all!"
"Uh-huh," Sakura said, clearly unconvinced. She rested her chin on her arms, her tone playful. "You said that last time, and the time before that… and the time before that."
Asagi glared. "He cheated! He always does something weird at the last second. It's like fighting someone who already knows your next move."
Sakura giggled. "Maybe he does. He's smart. And kinda cute."
Asagi nearly tripped over her own feet. "S–Sakura!"
"What? I'm just saying!" She smirked. "You're the one engaged to him, after all."
Asagi's face went bright red. "That's not the point! It's—ugh! He's so infuriating! He acts all calm and lazy and then pulls some trick that makes me look like an amateur!"
Sakura shrugged, rolling onto her back. "Sounds like you like him."
Asagi froze mid-complaint, a puff of steam practically coming out of her head. "I—what!? No! I just—ugh—goodnight!"
She flopped onto her futon, pulling the blanket over her face.
Sakura chuckled softly from the top bunk. "Right. Totally not blushing, onee-chan."
Asagi's muffled voice came through the blanket. "I hate you sometimes."
"Love you too~."
Fuuma Estate – Late Night
The soft chirping of crickets echoed outside, the moonlight spilling through the paper windows of Leo's room. He lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling, hands behind his head as he let out a long sigh.
"Ok…" he muttered to himself, eyes half-lidded. "Which canon am I even in right now?"
His brow furrowed as he listed them off like a gamer reviewing patch notes.
"Is this Taimanin Asagi canon? That one's pretty straightforward—monsters, corruption, and a few questionable decisions. Or maybe it's Yukikaze's timeline—same deal but with more lightning and attitude."
He rolled onto his side, staring at the moonlight cutting across the tatami.
"…Or God forbid, Asagi Zero." He groaned, rubbing his face. "Because if I'm in that mess, then the timeline's already screwed six ways from Sunday."
He paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Or… maybe it's a fusion. That'd explain why nothing makes sense."
He let out a tired chuckle. "Great. So not only am I reincarnated, but I'm in a universe that can't decide what version of itself it wants to be."
For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, he smirked slightly to himself.
"Well, whatever. Canon or not, I'm not ending up as background tragedy number 47. If this world wants chaos, I'll give it innovation."
He turned over, pulling the blanket up.
"Still, could've at least told me what season I'm in… I hate filler arcs."
Leo sat up, the pale moonlight glinting off his skin. He raised his right arm slowly, staring at it as the memories of Prototype flashed in his head — Alex Mercer, James Heller, the pulsing red-black virus shifting like liquid steel.
'Okay, so in the game, it's just buttons… but if this body is the controller—'
He focused, imagining the input, the feel of that familiar surge. For a split second, the air grew heavy — and then it happened.
Dark red veins crawled across his arm like living circuitry, pulsing with a sickly glow. A blade began to form — a smaller, rougher version of Alex's iconic arm blade, its edge humming with restrained power.
Leo froze, eyes wide. "...Well, shit."
He stared at the weaponized limb for another beat before quickly dispelling it. The veins retracted, skin smoothing back to normal like nothing had happened.
He exhaled through his nose, glancing toward the sliding door where his parents slept down the hall.
"Okay, note to self: not inside the house. Last thing I need is Mom thinking I turned into a kaiju."
He flexed his now-normal hand, shaking it off as he whispered to himself, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"…Guess the tutorial's over."
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me Power stones. So expect 3 Ch a week and enjoy