1800 YEARS AGO — UNDER THE FULL MOON
The night sky glowed silver. The full moon hung like a divine lantern, pouring white light across the old wooden castle that stood quietly on the mountainside. The wind was cold, brushing through the ancient rooftops, carrying the sound of crickets and distant water streams.
Shadows moved.
Five ninjas slipped across the roof, their steps silent like falling feathers.
The first ninja raised his hand.
"Shhh."
Everyone froze instantly. Even the wind seemed to pause. He scanned the surroundings—eyes sharp, breath steady. After a moment, he nodded, and they continued crawling like ghosts in the night.
They reached a wooden sliding door. Inside was the room of the vice principal of the royal household.
The door slid open—no sound at all.
A moment of stillness.
Then—
SPLASH!
A violent spray of blood erupted across the tatami floor. The candles inside flickered wildly as crimson covered every wall. The vice principal didn't even have time to scream.
Just silence.
The ninjas moved back into the night, leaving the room soaked in red, disappearing into the moonlight like they were never there.
1800 YEARS LATER — PRESENT DAY
Alex sat casually in the eating room, opposite Ryu—the calm, sharp-eyed leader of the Kage Clan.
Ryu took a sip of tea before speaking.
"That is what the Kage Clan is capable of. Stealth… silence… disappearance. So—have you thought about my offer?"
Alex leaned back, thinking for a moment.
"Ohh, like that. Yeah… I thought about it. And I accept the offer."
Ryu smirked.
"Well, looks like you accept without considering what might happen to your relationship with the Hunter Clan."
Alex's eyes widened.
"Hunter clan? There's a hunter clan?"
Ryu nodded casually.
"Yeah. There is."
Alex leaned forward with a small smile.
"Then tell me everything you know about the Hunter Clan. And also… everything about the Kage Clan."
Ryu chuckled softly and poured more tea.
"Young boy… you really want to learn about the world, right?"
Alex nodded.
Ryu placed his cup down.
"Kage Clan is an ancient clan from the pre-generation era. Back then, we were known for stealth and insane body endurance. People today call us ninjas… but after the pre-generation, we evolved. We became assassins."
Alex listened in awe.
"Woow…"
Ryu continued, leaning back.
"About the Hunters… I don't know much. What I know is their pure bloodline began from a marriage between a vampire and a human. Over the ages, their vampire abilities faded. Not completely… they can still use them, but it takes crazy amounts of training and discipline."
Alex nodded, drinking some water.
"Yeah, I already know about that vampire thing."
Ryu stood up.
"That's all? That's what you wanted to ask?"
Alex stood as well, sharpening his expression.
"No. If you want me to work with you… you must teach me."
Ryu raised an eyebrow.
"Teach what?"
Alex stared right into Ryu's eyes.
"Teach me your clan's speciality."
111 YEARS AGO — THE BATTLEFIELD
Mud, fire, and blood filled the massive battlefield. Smoke rose into the sky. Screams echoed everywhere.
Ryu was a demon in human form—slicing through enemies with inhuman precision. Limbs flew. Blood sprayed. He was unstoppable.
Beside him was his closest friend, Minato Kuranai.
Ryu spoke over the clash of steel,
`Sore de dōomou? Ore wa ano hantā ni kateru to omou?'
(So what do you think? You think I can beat that Hunter over there?)
Minato blocked an incoming spear and replied,
`Nē, sore wa fukanō kamo shirenaikedo, kare wa ima-me no mae ni irukara, mada torai dekiru to omou no.'
(Listen man, it might be impossible… but since he's standing right in front of you, you can still try.)
Ryu turned.
A Hunter warrior stood across the battlefield… and beside him was the Hunter Leader.
Ryu smirked.
`Hisashiburida na, zein hantā'
(Long time no see, Zayn Hunter.)
Zayn stared back coldly.
`Mata atta yōda na, ryū komonan'
(Looks like we meet again, Ryu Komonan.)
The air between them cracked with tension.
PRESENT — 111 YEARS LATER
Jaesan Headquarters, Seoul
Inside a towering building, a man sat on a large black chair. Everyone around him bowed with deep respect—the presence of a king.
A subordinate approached.
"josimhaneun ge johgessdaneun somun-eul deul-eoss-eoyo."
(Sir, I heard some rumors… they say you should be careful.)
The King of Jaesan didn't even look worried.
He smirked.
"somun-eun museobji anh-a. nuga nal igil su issgess-eo?"
(I don't fear that rumor. Who can possibly defeat me?)
The room fell silent.
Something dark was coming.
And somewhere far away… a monster was already walking toward Seoul.
CHINA — LUXURY RESTAURANT
Inside an extravagant, dim-lit Chinese restaurant, a man sits at a private table.
On his left and right stand his most trusted men—silent, rigid, deadly.
The air is tense. No one in the room dares to breathe loudly.
Even the wind feels afraid to blow inside.
Minutes pass.
The main doors swing open.
A huge man with a broad, powerful frame steps inside. His face is fierce, almost carved from stone. Beside him are two bodyguards, both massive with intimidating postures.
He walks forward slowly, each step echoing across the silent floor.
He sits down.
These two are leaders—bosses of empires.
The first man: Leader of the Zhìhuì Clan (智慧 – "Wisdom"), from China.
The newly arrived man: Leader of the Yalalt Clan ("Victory"), from Mongolia.
Leader of Yalalt:
"So… what do you want from me?"
Leader of Zhìhuì leans forward calmly.
"I would like to make a deal with you."
Leader of Yalalt:
"For what? An alliance? Are you scared of that rumour? Relax… he's just a kid."
Leader of Zhìhuì lets out a low laugh.
"Just a kid? You already forgot? What happened when we let just one Hunter kid slip away last time?"
The Mongolian leader narrows his eyes.
Leader of Yalalt:
"Yeah… I remember. So what?"
Leader of Zhìhuì:
"If you accept my deal… I will offer you ONE BILLION DOLLARS."
The Mongolian leader's eyes widen.
He turns his head slightly and whispers to his right-hand man:
Leader of Yalalt (whispering):
"Bid odoo yuu khiij chadakh ve? Bid tedend itgej bolokh uu?"
(What can we do now? Can we trust them?)
His right-hand man nods silently.
After a moment of consideration, the Mongolian leader extends his hand.
A handshake—symbol of alliance.
A dangerous one.
He stands up and leaves the restaurant with his men.
As the door closes, the Zhìhuì leader whispers to his guards:
Leader of Zhìhuì:
"Bùyào fàngsōng jǐngtì; wǒmen bù zhīdào tāmen shìfǒu zhēn de zhàn zài wǒmen zhè biān." (Don't let your guard down. We don't know if they are truly on our side.)
AT THE OTHER SIDE — HUNTER HEADQUARTERS
Inside the enormous meeting room of the Hunter Clan, seven chairs circle a long black table.
Six of them are filled:
These six leaders each rule a hunter at every continent.
First Leader — AmericaSecond Leader — EuropeThird Leader — AfricaFourth Leader — AsiaFifth Leader — Australia & OceaniaSixth Leader — Antarctica
They are the second-in-command of the entire Hunter Clan.
The room is silent. Heavy. Almost suffocating.
Everyone waits.
Then…
The door slowly opens.
An old man enters.
His body is huge, muscular, almost monstrous despite his age.
His presence alone shakes the air—an aura so dominant it forces everyone to straighten in fear.
He is the Main Leader of the Hunter Clan, the man who oversees the entire organization from the central headquarters.
He sits.
The table seems to shrink under his presence.
The Elder:
"We are gathered because of one person… Alex Hunter. Because of his attack on Miguel Diaz, he has broken the peace between clans. And because of that tragedy… the world almost discovered our existence."
The First Leader smirks arrogantly.
First Leader:
"How about we just kill him?"
The Second Leader slams both hands on the table.
Second Leader:
"We can't. He is one of our young boys."
Third Leader scoffs.
"Don't be soft, girl. You're a leader, you shou—"
SLAP!
The Second Leader smacks him across the face.
Second Leader:
"Sh–shut up, you bastard!"
The room freezes. Silence.
Fourth Leader:
"Don't be so harsh. He's your younger brother."
Fifth Leader:
"Yeah, calm down—"
The Sixth Leader turns his cold, dead stare toward them.
His aura drops like a storm.
Sixth Leader:
"All of you… shut up.
Listen to the Elder, or I'll smack every one of you."
Everyone stiffens.
Everyone:
"Urghhhh…" (nervous agreement)
The Elder looks around the room.
The Elder:
"For now… we wait. Let's see how far the boy can go."
A deep silence falls.
A silence of acceptance.
A silence of fear.
A silence of fate.