Baku stood before the towering gates of the clan palace, his breath heavy, his fists clenched so tightly that blood seeped from his palms.
His wife had been sentenced to death.
That single thought burned inside his chest like wildfire.
The city he once called home felt unfamiliar now. When Baku had been a child, this place had been nothing more than streets, markets, and ordinary people struggling to survive. There were no clans. No banners of power. No rulers hiding behind ancient bloodlines.
But now…
Five clans ruled the city.
And above them all stood one Supreme Clan, a shadow that controlled the others like puppets on invisible strings.
Far away, inside a speeding vehicle, Beru listened silently as his man explained everything.
"Back then, there were no clans here," the man said, his voice tense. "But after you disappeared, power shifted. Five clans rose from the chaos. Each one crueler than the last. The Supreme Clan sits at the top, controlling everything—life, death, justice."
Beru's jaw tightened.
"And the clan palace?" Nobu asked.
The man nodded. "That's where she's being held. That's where the execution will happen."
Nobu closed his eyes for a moment.
Baku's wife was already standing at the edge of death.
"Then there's no time," Nobu said coldly.
Beru nodded. "Take us there. Now."
Meanwhile, in the Misaki Clan territory, the morning seemed peaceful—too peaceful.
Kaito walked beside his younger brother, Kudo, their school bags hanging loosely from their shoulders. The sun was bright, the streets alive with the noise of ordinary life.
Neither of them sensed danger until it was too late.
Two black cars screeched to a halt in front of them.
Ten men stepped out.
Their movements were sharp. Disciplined. Dangerous.
Kaito immediately pulled Kudo behind him.
"Stay close," he whispered.
The men formed a circle around them.
"Who are you?" Kudo shouted, trying to sound brave.
No one answered.
Then they attacked.
The first punch came fast. Kaito barely managed to block it. Another man kicked him in the ribs, sending pain exploding through his body. Kudo tried to fight too, but he was smaller, weaker.
They were trained.
The brothers were not.
"Kudo!" Kaito shouted. "Run!"
"But—"
"NOW!"
Kaito shoved his brother away with everything he had left.
Kudo hesitated only for a second—then ran.
Behind him, the sound of fists, boots, and bone echoed through the street.
Kaito fought like a cornered animal, but there were too many of them.
A blow struck the back of his head.
Darkness swallowed him.
Kudo didn't stop running.
Tears blurred his vision, his lungs burning as he pushed his body beyond its limit. He burst into the Misaki Clan grounds, screaming for help.
"They took him!" he cried. "They took Kaito!"
The news spread like a blade through the clan.
Nobu's wife collapsed to her knees the moment she heard. Her hands trembled as she grabbed Nobu's brother's clothes.
"Please," she begged. "Bring my son back. I'll do anything."
Nobu's brother's face hardened.
"I swear," he said. "We'll find him."
He turned to the clan members. "Search every street. Every hideout. No matter who's behind this—bring Kaito home."
At the same time, Beru's phone rang.
His man's voice was frantic. "Boss… Nobu's son has been kidnapped."
The words hit Beru like a hammer.
"What?" Beru growled.
"They took him by force. Ten men. Professional."
Beru immediately turned to Nobu.
Nobu froze.
For the first time in years, fear showed on his face.
"My son…" he whispered.
"Turn the car around," Nobu said suddenly.
Beru hesitated. "What about Baku?"
Nobu clenched his fists. His voice shook, but his resolve did not.
"I believe in him," Nobu said. "He can hold on. But my son… my son needs me now."
Beru stared at him for a long moment—then nodded.
"Driver," Beru said. "Turn back."
The car swerved, racing toward a different battlefield.
Back at the clan palace, the air was thick with anticipation.
All five clans had gathered.
This was not just an execution.
It was a message.
Baku sprinted through the outer grounds, his heart pounding louder than his footsteps. He could feel it—the place where his wife would die was close.
Guards blocked the main gate.
"Stop!" one of them shouted.
Baku didn't slow down.
He grabbed the nearest guard by the face and smashed him into the stone wall. The impact echoed like thunder.
The second guard reached for his weapon.
Too slow.
Baku's fist crushed into his chest, sending him flying across the floor.
Alarms rang.
"INTRUDER!"
Elite guards poured out from every direction.
Inside the palace, the clans turned their attention toward the disturbance.
"So he came," one clan leader said, smiling coldly.
Baku stepped forward, surrounded by enemies, his rage finally breaking free.
His eyes burned.
His breathing grew heavy.
And then—
He smiled.
A smile full of violence.
As dozens of elite guards closed in, Baku cracked his neck and whispered:
"If you want her dead…
You'll have to kill me first."
And somewhere in the shadows of the city, Kaito opened his eyes—chained, bleeding, and staring into the face of someone who knew exactly who his father was.