Prologue
In an open training field behind an old courtyard, a boy around fifteen years old breathed heavily as he stared at a group of twenty androids armed with batons and iron clubs standing around him.
Their metallic bodies gleamed under the sunlight, and although they were slightly dirty and dented, they moved with perfectly fluid motions, emulating different combat styles.
"Why the hell did they make them this durable?" the boy complained while regulating his breathing and straightening his posture. "And why the hell is it so hot today?"
Removing his training shirt, the boy's body appeared far more solid than it initially seemed. Looking down at himself, he couldn't help but smile slightly.
Arms, forearms, chest, abdomen, and back. Every muscle had been trained to a level that would make Socrates burst with joy. After all, the boy was the perfect demonstration of the beauty and strength a man could achieve through effort and time.
"Finished resting, Yuto?" a voice suddenly echoed, making the boy's smile disappear. "If you're done, prepare yourself. You still have opponents to defeat before thinking about stopping."
"Damn it, you really won't give me a break, huh? Fine…"
Adjusting his stance, the boy — Yuto — turned his gaze toward the motionless androids in front of him and smiled despite his exhaustion.
"Alright… let's do this. Initiating training: Combat Mode No. 7."
The moment Yuto finished speaking, the androids immediately charged toward him.
With empty hands, he defended himself against the first two, knocking them off balance while trying to create distance.
"Tch… these bastards are tougher than the last batch. My hands can't pierce their bodies," he complained while punching the androids, failing to cause any real damage besides a few dents.
More and more androids advanced toward Yuto, but he remained steady, dodging and trying to control his positioning. His blows were strong enough to dent their steel bodies, but unfortunately, it was useless.
With time, Yuto realized he was at a disadvantage. Unlike the androids, he was human, and eventually, his exhausted body betrayed him.
After knocking down two androids, a wrong movement caused him to be surrounded by three others while the rest closed the circle around him.
Frowning, Yuto dodged one android and punched another, slightly denting its face, but before he could follow up, he was struck in the back with a club by the third.
"Aarrgh!" The strike hurt, and before the boy could recover, an android punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Slightly disoriented, Yuto looked around as the androids continued attacking without hesitation.
"Shit…" Unable to stand in time, the boy raised his left arm over his body and materialized a shield to defend himself.
The shield was round, made of gleaming bronze, and appeared quite heavy. Under the rain of blows from the androids, the boy curled up as he was pressed against the ground, struggling to defend himself while gripping the shield tightly so it wouldn't be torn away.
"What are you doing, idiot?" the same voice from before roared. "Stand up. NOW."
"I can't…" the boy tried to speak but was interrupted.
"No excuses. If you don't stand up in five seconds, I'll double your training time. And you can forget about your weekend break."
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ALEXANDER!" With a shout, the boy forced himself to rise slightly. In his right hand, he materialized a gleaming xiphos, and with tremendous effort, he pushed the androids off him before striking with the sword.
"Aaaa!" The first strike came with a scream. The closest android had its head severed and collapsed in front of him.
"It's been almost a damn month!" he complained while taking down a second android and charging a third.
"I'm tired of this place!" He pierced an android with his sword and, with the shield, rammed into three others trying to stop him.
"I want to eat tempura!" He decapitated another android.
"I want to watch a movie!" He crushed another's head with his shield.
"I want to catch up on my anime!" He knocked down two more androids as if they were nothing.
"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING NORMAL FOR ONCE! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!"
He then looked at the remaining thirteen androids still standing and, without hesitation, charged at them.
He didn't care that they outnumbered him.
Xiphos in his right hand, bronze shield in his left — the boy who had been struggling moments ago transformed into a combat machine.
Strike after strike, the androids fell to the ground, until finally he knocked down the last one with a sweep, finishing it with a thrust to the chest.
"Huff… huff…" Removing the sword from the android, the boy looked around, breathing heavily as he stared at the pile of fallen machines.
"Damn…" With a defeated sigh despite his victory, he sat on the ground, his sword and shield disappearing. "I got a little carried away, didn't I?"
"What do you think?" a second voice sounded. "Do you know how long it took to build each of them?"
"Besides, you allowed your emotions to take control. In battle, that can be fatal," a third voice added. "Remember, Yuto — losing your composure before an enemy is foolish. Though it may appear as strength, your emotional outburst is merely another form of weakness, unworthy of a true king."
"I understand. I apologize, Brother Qin. It won't happen again." He then looked at the fallen androids. "As for the androids… I suppose I went too far, Professor Tesla. How about I grant you twelve hours as compensation?"
"Twelve hours? My, how generous. I gladly accept."
"It's almost lunchtime. You should go eat," the first voice — Alexander's — spoke again.
"Yes, sir."
The boy stood up, dusting off his pants, and walked toward the small residence where he lived.
The house looked ordinary from the outside, but inside it was anything but normal.
Weapons from different eras were scattered throughout the house, from western swords used by the Greeks to katanas wielded by samurai from the Edo period.
Yuto paid little attention to it, but paused briefly when he noticed an ancient yet well-preserved falcata placed slightly hidden among other swords.
"Alexander… when did you buy this sword?" Yuto asked while picking up the falcata.
"What do you mean? I've had it for quite some time," Alexander replied.
"Really? Because I don't remember seeing it before."
"Then perhaps you should pay more attention to your surroundings. Now go eat. You still have afternoon training."
"No, I would remember buying this sword." Yuto stared at it for a moment before pausing again. "And now that I think about it… ever since I started your hellish training, you've forbidden me from touching my phone."
Grabbing his phone from his bedroom, Yuto turned it on after nearly a month and quickly opened his bank account. When he checked his most recent expenses, he almost had a heart attack.
"Forty-five… million." Yuto nearly dropped the phone.
"Well, you know… it was far too valuable an item to remain in the hands of an old man who didn't even know how to wield it. I simply couldn't allow that."
"You spent forty-five million yen… on an old sword?"
"No. I paid forty-five million for an item of immense historical value and importance."
"Wait… that's not the main issue here. How the hell did you go out without me noticing? Why did the others even allow that?"
"As for that… well, you should ask them yourself."
Closing his eyes, Yuto felt his body grow lighter. When he opened them again, he found himself standing inside a vast white hall.
It was a relatively large space, and within it, seven chairs were positioned in front of seven large, distinct doors.
The first chair was made of ordinary wood. Sitting in it was a man dressed in a completely white military uniform, resting casually while observing the boy with tired eyes.
The second was a refined and elegant wooden chair, where a man in a Victorian suit sat calmly with a porcelain teacup in his hands and a smile on his face.His expression carried a welcoming smile, and he looked at the young man with affection, but all Yuto felt was fear toward that individual.
The third sat in a comfortable office chair, flipping through a book. He had brown hair and lightly waved at Yuto before returning his gaze to the book.
The fourth chair was the simplest of all, merely a stone. Sitting upon it was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes, completely naked, covered only by a leaf.He also smiled at Yuto, but unlike the second seat, the young man's smile genuinely contained care and love for him—the kind of love only a father can give to a child.
The fifth was a throne filled with golden ornaments and jewels. Sitting upon it was a man with his eyes wrapped in bandages and wearing an emperor's robe, seated in a lazy and pretentious manner.
The sixth seat was a wooden chair covered with the hide of a lion. Sitting there was a young man dressed in ancient Greek armor, seated upright while observing the boy with a proud smile on his face.
The seventh seat was an ornate litter decorated with gold and silver, supported by four kneeling "soldiers," keeping it at the same height as the others.
Resting upon the litter was a figure wearing robes, gloves, and an iron mask, along with a golden crown upon their head.The only visible part of their body was their eyes, which looked at Yuto with affection.
Yuto looked at the figures before him, his chest tightening slightly as he found himself in that space.No matter how many times he came there, standing face to face with these people was always different.
Simo Häyhä, the White Death. Finnish war hero.
"Jack" the Ripper, considered the most infamous serial killer in history.
Nikola Tesla, inventor and physicist—the man who illuminated humanity with his knowledge.
Adam, the first human and the father of mankind.
Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, responsible for unifying the entire Chinese territory.
Alexander III of Macedon, or simply Alexander the Great, who created the largest empire of his time in only 12 years.
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, the Leper King.
Yuto looked at each of them in silence, and for a second, his mind could not help but return to the past, when he was four years old and was abandoned by his parents.