The five followed the guard through a long corridor that grew wider the farther they walked… until they reached a massive gate made of black steel, topped with the glowing golden emblem of Arkan.
The emblem was carved with striking precision: a golden bird with wide, sharp wings shaped in straight lines, and at its center a long spear piercing through the bird's body, its tip pointing upward. Around the wings, four curved lines circled the design.
The guard opened the door and gestured for them to enter. The hall was spacious, its walls covered with black stone plates engraved with the same emblem, but in faded colors. At the far end of the hall… stood a single man.
A tall man with black hair, broad shoulders, and a long black coat. His features were sharp and firm. When the five people took three more steps forward, the man stopped reading the files laid out before him… then slowly turned toward them.
His turquoise eyes gleamed, and his face carried the lines of middle age. He walked towards the team, then stopped calmly in front of them. He placed one hand behind his back and bowed with disciplined formality and clear respect.
He spoke in a deep voice:
"Welcome. I am Falkiri Grim… the head of the Arkan Organization."
He lifted his gaze, studying each of them one by one… how they stood, how they looked back… before continuing:
"I'm pleased to meet the team that passed the final test. Today… you will begin your first step as members of this organization."
He moved toward a side table, glancing at their files briefly before speaking again:
"I will assign your first official mission. It's simple in classification, but essential for measuring your ability to function as a coordinated unit."
He raised his hand toward a small board with numbers displayed:
"You will each receive a financial reward of ten thousand Kai upon successful completion of the mission. I wanted to meet you personally… because the first step is always the most important."
Grim approached Akio, who was standing perfectly straight, a cheerful smile on his face, but a determined fire in his eyes. Grim stared at him for a long moment, then asked in his steady tone:
"Sakamoto Akio. Tell me… why did you join Arkan? What drives you to fight under its banner?"
Akio answered without hesitation:
"I grew up in a world ruled by corruption… and I saw how the weak people are crushed under the feet of the strong every single day. I've always hated that system… and I want to change it."
He drew a breath… then continued with greater resolve:
"That's why I dream of becoming the next Shogun. I know the path is extremely difficult and almost impossible. But… I will grow stronger. And I will fight until I reach it."
A short silence followed. Grim lowered his head slightly, then said in a low but weighty voice:
"The world needs people who think this way."
He slowly raised his hand… and placed it on Akio's head. Not harshly, not gently, but simply with the touch of a leader who respected what he'd heard. The moment Grim's hand touched his hair, Akio's eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed red.
Grim spoke quietly:
"If you continue walking with this resolve… no one will be able to stand in your way."
Akio tried to hold himself together, lowering his head as he muttered softly:
"Th-thank you… sir."
Grim walked toward Ken next. He stopped directly in front of him, staring into Ken's grey eyes… examining them as if trying to read every scar hidden behind that cold gaze.
Then he said:
"Grey eyes… exactly as I was told. These are the true eyes of a Yukaji."
He tilted his head slightly, as if searching for something behind Ken's irises:
"But my question is…"
He paused, letting tension settle. He raised a finger lightly toward Ken's eye:
"Are these eyes as pure as the one who bore you? Or do they resemble… the eyes of Cirrus?"
Ken's expression didn't change… but deep within his eyes, something flickered… something small and sharp. A buried anger.
He lifted his chin slightly to meet Grim's gaze, then spoke in a low, respectful tone:
"I came to Arkan… to become strong enough to face Cirrus. I will reach a level where I can kill him… no matter how long it takes."
Grim watched him closely… then replied in a quiet tone:
"So you are the boy who killed five hundred of Cirrus's soldiers alone. A large number… for someone still learning to stand. People who kill like that often fail to distinguish between their enemies and the ones on their side. I hope you are not that type."
Ken tightened his fist slowly… lowered his eyes a little, then murmured:
"That's none of your concern."
Grim observed the tension in his fist, his shoulders, and the faint tremor in his breath. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Ken's head, just as he had with Akio, but slower… acknowledging the wounds this boy carried without speaking of them.
"Anger is strength when you control it… and a pit when you let it lead you. Don't let your old wounds decide your path."
Ken froze completely. Grim lifted his hand, dropped his gaze from Ken, and moved toward Ann.
Ann stood straight, hands behind her back, but her confidence was burning brighter than it needed to. She smiled wide and said immediately:
"Me? I came for the money, honestly!"
Then she pointed a thumb at Mabushi beside her:
"And because I want to help this idiot to reach his goals."
Grim blinked slowly, then a short smile appeared on his face.
"Honesty is a rare virtue here. Keep speaking the truth… but make sure you can pay its price."
Ann blurted instantly, without thinking:
"Its price? Don't worry! I have many plans… maybe I'll buy a big house after the first five missions!"
She paused… then her eyes sparkled:
"Or maybe I'll open a restaurant! Or a ninja school! Or—"
Grim lifted a finger gently to ask her to slow down. Then he placed his hand on her head… the calm hand of a father soothing a child with too much energy.
He spoke in a low voice filled with steady warmth:
"Calm down… big dreams start with small steps. And you… have many steps ahead of you."
Ann smiled despite herself, her cheeks warming as she looked away, unable to meet his eyes. Grim then moved toward Mabushi. He stopped in front of him, his gaze sharper than before.
Grim said:
"And you… why did you join?"
Mabushi pressed his lips together and folded his arms:
"That's my business."
His jaw tightened, and his eyes darted between Grim and the rest of the team, as if the question alone was a crime.
Grim said:
"Your business? Or fear? Or something you're trying to run from?"
Mabushi's eye twitched, his shoulders rising like someone on the verge of exploding:
"I told you… it's. My. Business."
Grim took a single step closer, enough to make Mabushi grip the sash of his kimono in irritation.
"There's always a reason. And I'll hear it… sooner or later."
Mabushi growled, then burst out angrily:
"You won't hear anything!! It's none of your business!!"
Ann whispered beside him, sweat rolling down her forehead:
"Mabushi… stop. You're embarrassing us in front of the Founder!"
But Mabushi didn't care. He lifted his chin in open defiance, his voice was roughening:
"Ask someone else! As for me? Absolutely not."
Grim extended his hand… and placed it on Mabushi's head. Mabushi exploded instantly.
"You bastard!!! What are you doing?! I'm not a kid like them for you to touch my head!! Get your hand off—"
He was seconds from screaming wildly, but Grim's expression didn't change. He wasn't angry. He wasn't tense. He didn't raise his voice. He only… smiled. A very small smile, but enough to silence the entire room. He then pulled his hand away calmly, turned his back on Mabushi, and headed toward Silvara.
He raised his chin slightly and asked quietly:
"And you… what brought you to Arkan?"
Silvara didn't smile… and she didn't flinch. She took a steady breath, then answered in a clear composed tone:
"My goal… is to make the world a better place."
She lowered her eyes slightly and added with deeper weight:
"And I know I can't do anything alone. The world is bigger than me… bigger than you… and bigger than any individual."
She slowly raised her gaze and continued:
"But with a strong team… a team with unbreakable resolve… something in this ruined world can still be changed."
Grim replied:
"Balanced words… leaving no room for doubt, yet offering little to understand."
Her eyebrow lifted slightly, neither denying nor explaining. Grim extended his hand… and placed it on her head as he had done with the others.
He spoke with heavier tone:
"Those who seek to change the world… must first ensure they're not tearing it apart."
He then withdrew his hand and stepped back toward his wide desk. He reached out, closed the files laid before him, and clasped his hands behind his back.
He lifted his head towards the team, his voice was gaining with new firmness:
"Now… I will announce your first mission."
Silence settled. Even Mabushi stopped complaining… and Akio's eyes widened with excitement.
Grim said:
"Your destination… is Darkova Province."
Their eyes shot up instantly, but Grim gave them no time to think.
He continued in a low voice:
"You will infiltrate the Scarlet Duchess's ball… Terracula."
Ann gasped quietly:
"T–Terracula?! The Duchess of Darkova?!"
Grim nodded:
"Yes. And you will steal something specific from her."
He reached into a drawer and pulled out an old photograph of a long crimson sword engraved with the letter (A).
"The legendary Sanguinis Blade."
The entire team froze. Akio whispered in awe:
"The first blade of the Five Legendary Swords…?"
Ann furrowed her brows, lifting her hand as if unable to hold back her question:
"But… swords are forbidden in all Makia territories! No one is allowed to carry a blade… so how…? How could a legendary sword be in the Duchess's home?!"
Grim answered:
"Not all laws apply to everyone."
Then added sharply:
"There are nobles in Darkova who pay bribes to Makia, or form secret deals with him, to gain privileges ordinary people can only dream of."
He leaned forward slightly:
"And Terracula… is one of the most dangerous among them. A vampire with a rare and extremely powerful Vakin."
Grim's voice grew heavier as he spoke:
"Don't expect an easy mission. Darkova is a dark province, and its laws are unlike anywhere else. The Duchess's ball isn't just a noble gathering… it brings dangerous figures, twisted aristocrats, and cursed demonic rituals. You may have to fight Terracula's followers, many of whom possess strong abilities."
He paused for a few seconds, then said with sharper clarity:
"But there is one thing I forbid above all else."
He raised a finger.
"Do not approach Terracula herself."
Grim continued,
"Terracula's Vakin isn't just a power. It's a special kind of curse. If you get close to her directly… you won't last half a second before being erased. Your mission isn't to face the Duchess… it's to steal the blade and make it out alive. Anyone who engages her… dies."
Mabushi cut through the silence, lifting his chin with reckless confidence:
"If the Duchess stands in my way… I'll fight her."
Everyone immediately turned toward him.
Ann yelled sharply, waving her hands:
"Mabushiiii!!! Are you insane?! He just said you'll die in half a second!! Half a second, you idiot!!!"
Mabushi waved dismissively:
"And is half a second enough to take me down?"
Ann screamed louder:
"Yes!!! She's a vampire!"
Ken remained silent… but his look toward Mabushi said: Please stop talking before you dig your own grave. Silvara simply exhaled, as if watching two animals argue in a garden.
As for Grim… he raised his voice above the chaos:
"You will head to Darkova at once."
He turned toward the back door of the hall:
"You'll be transported by sea vessel. The trip will take several hours, so use that time to form your plan."
Then he looked at all of them:
"Remember… in Darkova, swords are completely forbidden for commoners. You must hide your weapons well. Don't reveal any edge… and don't draw the attention of guards or soldiers."
He stepped towards Ken, handing him the mission file:
"Even the smallest mistake… could mean your end."
Then he gestured toward the guards at the entrance:
"Move."
And so… the journey towards Darkova began.