The wind blows hard across a meadow of yellow grass. A young Alexa walks toward the horizon. Up close, her face is marked with several wounds and she grips a sword; her hand trembles. After a few steps she stops, wearing an expression of horror and panic. In the distance, a house is split in two and everything is burning. The girl runs desperately and drops her weapon. When she arrives she sees two figures: her older sister holding a saber covered in blood, and an old woman with completely white hair wearing a light-blue Greek-style robe, a large wound on her abdomen. The old woman's sword lies on the ground; she presses both hands to the wound to stop the bleeding. As the younger granddaughter approaches, the old woman smiles while still pressing hard on the wound.
Young Alexa: "Grandma, who did this?"
Alicia (smiling): "Hello, dear. What are you doing here?"
Young Alexa (clenching her fists): "Grandma, tell me where the one who did this went. Valeria and I will make him pay!"
At that moment the child's cheek is cut; she falls to the ground. Looking back, she sees her sister with drops of blood running down her face. Alexa doesn't understand what's happening. The older sister approaches slowly and kicks the younger one in the chin, sending her flying into a nearby pond. As Alexa falls into the water she sees her sister thrust a blade into their grandmother; the sound of metal cutting through flesh echoes. As she sinks she watches everything stain red. Around her she sees a clean version of her sister — black hair tipped with gold — and her grandmother with two visible wounds: one on the abdomen and another on the forehead. Before Alexa can speak, Alicia says, "Calm down, Alex. You'll avenge me when you grow stronger." The child smiles at those words, but her sister's calm, confident, seductive voice says, "There, Grandma — naive as always. If she's being trained by Jayden, you know who's to blame." The old woman's expression changes from peace to pure hatred. She throws herself at her granddaughter's throat and starts strangling her, shouting, "How could you fall so low in your quest for power?! You can't betray me like this! You must not be trained by the one responsible for letting the sword arts die out!" Little Alexa cries, feeling she has failed her teacher, and slowly closes her eyes from lack of air. Then she hears a loud ringing in her ears.
Alexa opens her eyes slowly in her bedroom as the maid pulls back the curtains and lets beautiful sunlight fill the room. The dark-haired girl stretches, gets out of bed, goes to the bathroom to wash her face, then chooses black jeans, a red shirt, and a light-blue sweater from her closet. After changing, she goes downstairs and greets the staff with a big smile. In the dining room her mother kisses her on the cheek and leaves for her study. Alexa eats breakfast calmly. On the drive to Forte she looks out the window while the driver stares straight ahead in silence. She smiles, but in her mind she only sees her grandmother's corpse covered in blood and her sister's blank expression. Arriving at her destination she walks energetically toward her friends and hugs them all. She hears Tamara and Leslie asking Emily for help with math problems; Emily shakes her head. One step from the stairs, Alexa tells the others to go ahead — she'll catch up.
Alexa goes into the women's bathroom. After checking it's empty she splashes water on her face several times. Looking in the mirror, guilt overwhelms her and she starts to cry. Inside she thinks, "I'm sorry, Grandma — I know you would hate me for being a student of the Great Master Jayden, but I hoped you'd understand it's the only way to be able to avenge you." She finishes drying her face, puts on a smile, and leaves.
At the "Morrison" hotel, on the top floor, a bespectacled woman in military clothing walks along the corridor to a large window where Boris is staring at a skyscraper. She raises her hand but he ignores her. She opens her tablet: "Sergeant Boris, we've confirmed the city's vigilantes are moving with police coordination. If I may ask, sir—" He doesn't answer and keeps looking at the building. She presses on: "Why is it important to know if they're helped by the police?" Finally he turns with a wide smile and replies, "Oh, it's simple. If we want to know what blocks our conquest, we must force them to meet us. Now tell me — what is that place?" He points to the building. The woman searches the city's history on her tablet and returns to Boris: "It's Liz Tower, a tourist spot — one of the city's oldest landmarks, owned by one of the world's wealthiest families. It has a lookout over all of Guarly and a few maintenance workers." Boris studies the tower's height, puts a hand on the woman's shoulder and says, "Study it. We'll need to take that place. It's about eighty floors, right?" She nods. He smiles as he fixes his gaze on his next target.
About fifty people leave the hotel and split into different vehicles headed for the city center. In Celeritas, Francesca stands at the academy window, ignoring the commotion from her classmates because the history teacher is late. A boy with a nose ring whistles and everyone scrambles to their seats. The teacher, a slim dark-skinned man, smiles as the class settles and calls a girl with short pink hair, purple tips, a leather jacket over her uniform and multiple earrings to the front: "Students, meet Nya Mónica Liz, our new student. Treat her with respect." Most of the class murmurs at her intimidating look; the newcomer ignores them and sits in the corner opposite Francesca. The lesson begins. The teacher asks, "Who can tell me what event ends Prehistory and begins the Ancient Age?" Everyone is surprised when Francesca and the pink-haired girl raise their hands at the same time.
Francesca & Nya: "The appearance of writing."
They exchange looks of rivalry — an intellectual spark is lit.
Back in the forest, after training with a ball that increases speed on impact, the four teens practice their heavy techniques. Alexa keeps hitting the ground after missing for the fifteenth time. Jayden's clay clone watches her release her frustration and get back up. Alexa jumps, spins, lands on one foot, slices behind the clone's knees, jumps back to her starting point and slashes the clone's shoulders in midair, but she mislands and rolls across the clearing. She tries to stand, gasping for air, and feels a burning pain in her knee. Pulling up her pant leg slightly, she sees a long but shallow cut. Before she can cover it, the clone approaches and places a hand on her shoulder. The girl watches as the wound stops bleeding and her skin regenerates, leaving only a faint memory of pain.
Alexa (impressed, smiling): "You should teach that to one of us."
Jayden's clone (serious): "First worry about actually performing the technique. You've been training for a month and you haven't shown any progress."
Alexa readies herself and attempts again. This time she times the air maneuver so she can cut the clone's shoulders before slicing behind the knees, but she still lands badly and collapses. Exhausted, dizzy from the spins, her arms and shoulders burning, she feels weak. The warrior's clone walks to her backpack, hands her a water bottle, and she drinks desperately — almost choking — then slaps the bottle from his hands in mock scolding: "You're crazy. You nearly killed me. I'm exhausted!" The clone turns and returns to position. He looks at her and says, "You're not as exhausted as you think. You got up again." She realizes he's right: she summoned strength she didn't know she had and prepares to try again.
Jayden's clone: "Why do you insist on combining your new style with your grandmother's?"
Alexa (taking a deep breath): "You know why. I need to be strong to reach my goal."
Clone: "Yes, but being so consumed by the rage you feel toward yourself makes both mind and body rigid."
Alexa: "You say that as if you understand what I'm going through — don't try to—"
Clone: "You must have heard the many stories about my master, the former Barrier of Skill, the Great Master Matthew."
Alexa (somber): "Of course everyone knows him. They say he was so skilled with the sword he didn't need Fiu; he was a genius of the modern age who created the legendary Oscillating style…"
Clone (serious): "He was killed too, and I couldn't do anything. I tried to use that rage to improve faster and lost control. So I understand what you're going through."
Alexa (voice dark): "STOP TALKING. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW I FEEL."
Clone: "Do you think everything I taught you hasn't done anything for you? You wake tortured by the image of a loved one dead and what she would think of you now. The only truth is she's gone; guessing does nothing. I'm not telling you to abandon or hide your rage — let it flow. Let it flood you. Don't try to overcome it; keep the technique in your mind and prepare your body to perform the motions. Don't rush to mix all the new with the old — add bits gradually and you will create something unique."
Alexa takes her position, inhales deeply and fills her body with fury, forcing her mind not to picture her sister. She relaxes her muscles. Then she jumps and executes the cuts behind the knees, with hollow eyes and a faint light she strikes the clone's shoulders in midair, lands and slices the inside of the clone's arms, and finally spins to open its belly; the clay falls apart with a smile.
After each of them completes their eight repetitions, the four teens walk back to the cabin. Emily notices that the sunset feels off. Jayden signals them to follow; at the dummies he wants to evaluate their real progress. Each puts down their bokken; the warrior says, "Drop them. It's time to see your true skill." He walks behind the colored dummies and draws four sheathed katanas, each matching a student's color — hilts with golden diamond patterns in matching-colored leather, black scabbards decorated with golden dragons. He places four gift boxes to the side.
Tyron (excited): "Finally! Real swords?"
Jayden: "They're a base. The katana is easy to handle and, with a single-edged blade, gives the wielder more versatility."
Francesca (whispering to Tyron): "Do you think he'll give us the swords just for doing the techniques on the dummies?"
Jayden (appearing behind them): "No. You'll have to prove your techniques — but not on dummies."
Everyone wonders what their new test will be. Jayden removes his blue tunic with red and gold trim. The students think he's lost his mind when he takes off his red shirt, revealing a bare, athletic torso. Their embarrassment is quickly overtaken by shock at the many scars across his shoulders — burn marks, a massive cut from left armpit to navel, multiple stab wounds across his back, and an enormous explosion-like scar covering the upper back. Jayden interrupts their curiosity with a confident tone: "I will be your target." They try to object, but his stern look silences them. "I won't raise my guard, so there's a chance you might kill me."
Alexa: "That's insane. We're not ready — I only just managed the technique properly today!"
Jayden (serious, hands behind his back): "Warriors involve themselves in matters that concern them and judge by their own standards. When you carry a weapon you must be able to use it correctly. You must be able to change your judgment until the last second to avoid taking the wrong life."
Francesca (serious): "Fine. We'll do it."
Jayden: "And if any of you come with the intention of holding back because I am your master, you will no longer be my students."
Tyron draws his sword from its scabbard, palms sweating and nervously runs a finger along the edge. Jayden walks up and heals his cut finger. With all their blades drawn, Jayden says, "If you hold back because I'm your teacher, I can't train you. Each effort you make will be limited. You must be able to stop your attack at the last instant. If you accidentally kill me, it means you've moved to the next stage of your path." Tyron asks, "What's the next stage?" The warrior stays silent, waiting for someone brave enough to demonstrate first.
They argue for a while about whose technique is least lethal and decide Emily's is the least dangerous. She steps forward trembling, on the verge of crying and ready to withdraw because she doesn't have the heart to hurt anyone. Jayden's voice, severe, cuts through: "Miedosa, you never had the heart to harm someone. What makes you think I should be the first?" She realizes he's right and lets her worries go. She throws the first elbow and stops millimeters from the warrior's chin, then the second to the ribs, stopped at one centimeter, and the last barely touches the lower chest — almost cutting his left nipple. She squeezes her eyes shut and feels a warm hand ruffle her hair; she opens her eyes and smiles through tears. Jayden bows: "Very well done, Emily."
Emily stands where the dummies were and cheers for Francesca, who practiced the most. Francesca breathes deep. Jayden: "Patética, you have pure talent. Show it." Her thrust barely grazes the warrior's abdomen, then she twists and withdraws. Jayden nods, bows, and praises: "Well done, Francesca." Tyron is next — a mix of fear and excitement, supported by two teammates who cheer him on. His sweaty hands slip and he drops the sword; when he bends to pick it up his master hands it back and says, "Tonto, I don't think you have the intellect to hurt me." Slightly stung, Tyron grips the hilt and exhales. He performs the sequence from left shoulder to right hip, then left hip to right shoulder; as he begins the deep cuts, he grazes the warrior's chest. He continues and takes an extra step with his left leg forward, right leg extended, twists his waist to the right, and stops his elbow strike a millimeter from impact. He nearly faints, but the dark-skinned man grabs his wrist and holds him up: "Congratulations, Tyron. You made me eat my words."
Alexa is last. She doubts she can do it despite her friends' encouragement. She takes the Chakama stance and charges; Jayden says, "Let's see what you've achieved, Mentirosa." Her cuts and jumps land without errors; she avoids wounding him, though her lower-abdomen strike is a long cut. She turns away thinking she's opened his stomach, but she feels a warm hand on her shoulder. Turning, she finds her master smiling, almost maniacal, and says calmly, "Well done, Alexa." Jayden places his hands on each of the cuts and heals them. After dressing, he gives each student a box. Inside are new uniforms in their respective colors replacing the previous black, with golden trim. The karategi include hoods and scarves matching the uniform color — all gray for Emily. The four beam at the better quality and durability of the new gear and depart.