The Paper Eagle soared across the blue sky. Inside, Gotan, Mania, and Kubo sat comfortably.

“Well, it’s a long trip. We might as well talk to pass the time. Tell me about yourselves. Let’s start with you, Gotan. You didn’t even go through the academy, what do you know about the history of the war?”

“Sensei, the trip is already long. Does it have to be boring too?”

“Every respectable soldier should know the history of the Janken world. Come on, start talking.”

“Ugh, fine…” Gotan agreed with an exasperated sigh. “Well, Mania told me the war lasted practically 100 years. If I’m wrong, she’s right here to explain herself.”

“And what period was that?” asked Kubo.

“Period? We have to know that too?”

“Of course we do,” Mania intervened. “The war started in the year 303 and ended in 400, when the nations agreed to a truce. That marked the beginning of a peace era that lasts to this day… while we wait for the Great War.”

“Oh yeah, I remember now. Since the start of the Janken Era, the nations only went to war 300 years later. By the way, why didn’t they go to war earlier?” Gotan asked, curious.

“Because in the beginning, the nations were still discovering themselves. Only after a century did they start to realize that some people were born with elemental blood. Around the year 200, the nations evolved to the first stage, and near 300 they reached the second stage…” explained Mania.

“And it was in this second stage that the nations acquired their current powers, which is why they decided to go to war to weaken their enemies before the Great War,” added Kubo.

“Okay, I think that’s all. I know our history now. Can we change the subject?”

“You don’t know anything! I’ve explained all this before, and you forgot. I bet you’ll forget it again,” Mania grumbled, bored.

“But this was just a summary, not a full lesson. That’s easy to remember. I know everything up to year 400, when peace began... and what came after that, well, I could never forget,” Gotan’s face turned serious as he said it.

“Are you talking about…?”

“Yes, sensei. After 50 years of peace, the leaders of the nations realized their soldiers were getting too comfortable with peace, and the Great War was drawing near. So they decided to create a fighting tournament between nations, where soldiers of the new generation would fight to the death…”

“Thus began what we now call the Blood Tournament,” finished Mania.

At the mention of the Blood Tournament, Mania’s expression changed. Her eyes filled with rage, and she clenched her fists tightly. And Gotan wore a look of deep sadness, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Kubo stepped in:

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s stop there. No need to talk about the Blood Tournament now, we all have trauma from it.”

“Sensei… did you also suffer consequences from the Blood Tournament?”

“More than you can imagine. When the time is right, you’ll find out... Alright, let’s switch topics.”

“Okay, sensei…”

 

***         

 

On a quiet street, the wind blew strongly, lifting some dust across the ground. The sound of the wind was the only thing that could be heard.

In the distance, a young man appeared, walking. His steps were slow but steady.

The gusts of wind whipped through his clothes.

The sunlight hit his back, casting a shadow over his front. Only his silhouette was visible.

His aura was commanding, cloaked in mystery.

He walked calmly, holding a backpack in one hand.

 

***          

 

Meanwhile, the Paper Eagle was still flying high in the blue sky, and inside, the conversation carried on.

“Now, let’s talk about power levels… Gotan?”

“That one’s easy. In all the Nations, we’ve got three basic power levels: the ‘Line’ level, the ‘X’ level, and the ‘Triangle’ level,” then he paused briefly, clearly out of ideas. “Mania, your turn to finish this.”

“The weakest is ‘Line’ level, which people are born with. At this level, there’s a single line on the palm that also indicates someone was born with elemental blood. Then comes ‘X’ level, where two lines cross to form an X. And finally, there’s the ‘Triangle’ level, the strongest of the three, where three lines form a triangle.”

“Also, it’s worth mentioning that these levels aren’t achieved, they’re awakened. That means people with elemental blood are already born with all the levels and their respective powers, but they can only awaken them with lots of training or strong willpower,” added Kubo.

“See, Sensei? We awaken other levels through hard training and strong willpower. Not by wasting time studying history,” Gotan said sarcastically.

“If you actually knew the history, you’d also know that in rare cases, if someone defeats an opponent of a higher level in a direct duel, the winner can automatically awaken that same level,” Kubo explained wisely.

“Seriously, Sensei?”

“Yes. But only if the level is within your reach, understand?”

“Got it!” said Mania.

Gotan stared at both of them. It was obvious he was lost.

“Since you get it, then explain it to me, Mania.”

“Soldiers with normal elemental blood can only awaken up to ‘Triangle’ level, since that’s the standard range. So, even if they defeat someone with a level above ‘triangle’, they can’t awaken it because it’s beyond their limit.

“Now I get it. You’re talking about special levels like ‘Square’ level and ‘Circle’ level. Only soldiers with rare elemental blood can awaken those levels,” Gotan commented.

“Exactly. Take your father’s clan for example, those with purple blood. They were the only ones capable of awakening up to ‘Circle’ level, the most powerful of all. They were also the only ones born directly at ‘Triangle’ Level.”

“And who can awaken ‘Square’ level, Sensei?”

“Well, ‘Square’ level comes right after ‘Triangle’. It appears when four lines form a square. Those who can awaken it are the ones with blue elemental blood.”

“Blue blood? That’s a thing?” Gotan asked, surprised.

“Yes. Elemental blood is tied to each nation’s element. Then, each individual with elemental blood is born with powers tied to their nation. So, when two people from different nations with elemental blood have a child, that child is born with blue elemental blood, with a fusion of the two nations’ powers.”

“Wait, hold on. I clearly remember Mania telling me that it’s forbidden for people with elemental blood from different nations to be in relationships.”

“And she’s right. But it did happen once, right after the peace treaty. A couple had a child, and they discovered the kid had blue blood. He was more powerful than anyone with normal elemental blood and awakened ‘Square’ level.”

‘So, Mania? Looks like you didn’t know that either. That’s why you’re so quiet, huh? Hahahaha!”

“Shut up, idiot. They don’t teach us everything at the academy. Now let the captain finish.”

“Anyway, once they found out, both nations fought to keep the child, since each claimed him because he had part of their elemental powers. In the end, they decided to kill the child and created a law banning that kind of relationship.”

“What!? So there are no more people with blue elemental blood? That means no one can awaken ‘Square’ level anymore,” Mania declared.

“Well, there is one exception. Here in our nation, we have the Kamui Clan. They technically have normal elemental blood, but in rare cases, their blood transforms into ‘black blood’. When that happens, they automatically awaken ‘Square’ level.”

“Kamui Clan? Never heard of them,” said Gotan.

“Oh, they’re pretty famous. But in recent generations, none of them have awakened black blood,” Kubo said, with a mocking tone.

“Why do you sound like that’s a good thing, Sensei?”

“Honestly? I feel kinda bad, but I just can’t stand their leader. He’s ridiculously arrogant. Even without black blood, their clan’s powers are highly respected. All his kids are strong. But you two, my students, are going to prove that our team is the strongest, got it?”

“Leave it to us, captain! Once we get to the Capital, no soldier from the new generation will stand a chance,” Mania said confidently.

“So, that means we’ll be on the same team, Sensei?”

“Yes. Once you two pass the Arena, you’ll both join my squad. But each team needs three new generation members, so one of those who passed the Arena will be assigned to us. And I really hope it’s someone as powerful as you two!” said Kubo, full of hope.

 

***          

 

Now, on another street, busier this time, that same mysterious young man walked calmly.

Up close, it was clear: it was Sagato — a 15-year-old boy with straight, dark hair. He wore a bandana tied around his head, and a long cloak with a high, wide collar that partially covered his face. The cloak was open from the chest down, revealing a samurai kimono and a katana at his waist.

He had a calm and serious expression, a mysterious aura about him.

But one thing was certain: he didn’t need to prove anything — just from his imposing presence, he had to be powerful.

 

***         

 

Meanwhile, inside the Paper Eagle, things were relaxed. Everyone was chatting casually.

“Sensei, you’ll help me catch my father’s killer, won’t you?”

“I will, kid. Sensei’s promise.”

“So far, we know he’s been eliminating the most powerful clan in our nation. It’s safe to assume he’s from an enemy nation, trying to weaken our military before the Great War,” Mania stated confidently.

“If any enemy nation had someone that powerful, they’d already be the strongest. They wouldn’t need to weaken us. And we know the weapons from the enemy nations well, there’s been no sign of them at any crime scene.”

“True, Sensei. The giant weapons from the Rock Nation are unmistakable. If they were roaming around here, we’d know. And they say those weapons are so heavy no one else can even lift them off the ground, only the original wielders can.”

“Yeah. Their swords, hammers, and axes are enormous, and only Vikings with elemental blood can use them. They just need to smear some of their elemental blood on the weapons, and then they can handle them like regular weapons.”

“And the cowboys usually bite their thumb, smear the blood on their hands, and that’s how they activate their special use of firearms,” Gotan added.

“I see you know your enemies well, good to know.”

“Yeah, Captain. He’s not into history, but when it comes to enemy powers and how elemental blood works, I made sure he memorized it. It’s vital knowledge,” Mania explained.

“Very good. In general, to activate elemental powers, there has to be external contact with elemental blood. Except for people with rare elemental blood, I mean purple, blue, or black. They don’t need any external contact, so they don’t need to injure themselves to activate their powers.”

“Sensei, which nation has the most powerful elemental soldiers? I want a captain’s honest opinion!”

“Eh, kid… No one really knows yet. Only the Great War will tell. All I know is: never lower your guard just because you’ve got special powers. Otherwise, you might find out the hard way that your enemies are on a whole different level,” Kubo said, now with a serious look.

Kubo’s words created a tense pause, making even Gotan a bit uneasy. But when they looked at Mania, they found her relaxed and unfazed — she even yawned, looking sleepy.

“Are we there yet?” she asked, clearly bored.

“Actually… we’ve just arrived. We’re about to land.”

“The Capiitaaaal!” Gotan shouted, excited.