Rai understood.
Not completely—but enough.
His emotions had been rising without control, building inside him like a storm ready to break. For a moment, he let it happen. The anger, the memories, the weight of everything he had lost—it all surfaced at once.
He closed his eyes.
His breathing was uneven at first. Heavy.
But slowly, he steadied it.
The storm didn't disappear.
He forced it down.
When his eyes opened again, they were clear.
Controlled.
Hyun noticed it immediately.
The shift was small—but real.
"I understand you," Hyun said quietly.
Rai didn't respond, but he listened.
"Everyone in this clan… is like you."
Hyun's voice remained calm, but there was weight behind it.
"They all lost something. Family. Home. Purpose."
He paused for a moment.
"My clan was never allowed to live freely. We were hunted. Driven out. Forced into the shadows."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"We didn't survive because we were strong. We survived because we had no other choice."
Rai's expression didn't change, but his attention sharpened.
"So yes," Hyun continued, "we all want to defeat them."
A brief silence followed.
Then Hyun spoke again.
"But emotion alone won't bring them down."
Rai's fingers tightened slightly.
"They are far more powerful than you think," Hyun said.
His tone wasn't harsh.
Just honest.
"With your current strength… you wouldn't last long against them."
The words landed.
Not as an insult—
But as reality.
Rai didn't argue.
Didn't react.
But something inside him resisted.
Hyun continued.
"I know that's difficult to accept. But this is not a fight you can win with skill alone."
He leaned back slightly.
"The Yun Clan didn't rise by chance."
Rai remained silent.
Listening.
"They are known for their physical strength, discipline, and ruthlessness," Hyun said.
"Those three things built their rule."
He paused, then continued more clearly.
"They are not just soldiers. From childhood, their bodies are trained for war. Strength, endurance, and unity are forced into them until it becomes instinct."
Rai's focus deepened.
"They fight as one. They move as one."
"And they don't break."
The explanation was simple.
But it carried weight.
"They have thousands of elite warriors," Hyun said.
"They are called the Sun Tyrants."
The name lingered for a moment.
"They are not just an army," Hyun continued.
"They are a force designed to dominate."
Rai's hand slowly tightened into a fist.
"And this entire system…" Hyun said,
"…is ruled by one man."
Rai looked up slightly.
"King Leon."
The name settled in the room.
"He is known as the strongest man alive," Hyun said.
"Not just in skill—but in raw physical power."
Rai's eyes didn't move.
But something inside him reacted.
"He has two brothers," Hyun continued.
"Both stand beside him as his strongest support."
"And four sons," he added.
"Each one raised to protect his rule."
Hyun looked directly at Rai.
"To face them head-on… is nearly impossible."
Silence followed.
Then—
"And perhaps…"
Hyun paused slightly.
"…Leon is the man you are searching for."
For a brief moment—
Rai's thoughts shifted.
An image flashed through his mind.
Unclear.
Incomplete.
But something responded.
Not doubt.
Recognition.
It wasn't certainty.
But it was enough.
Rai didn't speak.
But he understood.
"So what I'm saying," Hyun continued,
"is that we need preparation."
No emotion.
No pressure.
Just truth.
Rai gave a small nod.
He accepted it.
Not because he agreed completely—
But because he knew he wasn't ready.
And that was enough.
⸻
Yunara
The view shifted across the city.
Most of Yunara remained the same.
Broken streets.
Cracked walls.
Unclean paths filled with mud and waste.
People moved through their lives quietly.
Carefully.
Fear still existed.
Even without soldiers in sight.
But at the far end of the city—
Something completely different stood.
A palace.
Massive.
Untouched by decay.
Built from stone and layered with gold, it rose above the rest of the city like a symbol of absolute control.
Clean walls.
Perfect structure.
No damage.
No weakness.
It did not belong to Yunara.
It ruled it.
Around the palace stood rows of soldiers.
Large.
Armored.
Unmoving.
Each one carried a shield and a katana.
Their steel armor reflected faint light even in the darkness.
Their faces were hidden behind solid masks.
No emotion.
No identity.
Only purpose.
They stood like a wall.
Unbreakable.
Silent.
Watching everything.
⸻
Inside the palace…
A soldier rushed through the corridor.
His steps echoed loudly against the polished floor.
He didn't slow down.
Didn't hesitate.
He reached a large chamber and stopped at the entrance.
"My lord!" he called out.
"A stranger has appeared in the city!"
No response.
"He has killed our soldiers!"
Still nothing.
"The rumors are spreading… they say he bears a mark on his head!"
Inside the chamber—
Steam filled the air.
A large bath rested at the center, surrounded by silent guards.
In the water sat a man.
Still.
Unbothered.
He had already heard everything.
For a moment—
He said nothing.
Then slowly—
He stood.
Water fell from his body.
The air in the room shifted instantly.
The soldier froze.
Not because of fear alone—
But because of presence.
The man standing before him was overwhelming.
Tall.
Powerfully built.
Every movement felt heavy.
Controlled.
Even without speaking—
He dominated the space.
The guards around him didn't move.
Didn't react.
They didn't need to.
Because no one would dare act here.
The man took a slow breath.
Then spoke.
"So…"
A small pause.
"…he has returned."
The soldier didn't move.
Didn't dare respond.
"The last member of Ra."
The words were quiet.
But absolute.
The man stepped forward slightly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Not excitement.
Not anger.
Something else.
Interest.
Controlled.
Measured.
As if something long expected had finally arrived.
He looked toward the distance.
Beyond the walls.
Beyond the city.
As if he could already see him.
Raikaro.
"I see…" he said softly.
The smile remained.
This was not a problem.
Not a threat.
It was—
Something worth facing.
He was Leon.
The ruler of Yunara.
And the strongest man in it.
To be continued…