She Who Rules the Clans

"The Six Unified Clans"

Fifty years ago, during the Holy War, six clans rose above all others.

Out of the dozens—no, hundreds—of clans who participated, whether by choice or by force, six stood out. Some obliterated entire kingdoms. Others forged powerful alliances between rival nations. And a few… well, they painted the battlefield red with chaos and carnage, unleashing raw, unfiltered power simply to announce their presence and strike fear into the hearts of all.

Back then, the continent wasn’t divided into just four kingdoms like today. There were fourteen. Fourteen nations were dragged into a war so cataclysmic, it reshaped the very earth beneath their feet. One of the greatest consequences of that war—one whose mark remains to this day—was the collapse of ten of those kingdoms. Only four remained standing.

In that hellish era, heroes and legendary warriors emerged in droves. Some died and became myths. Others survived and now walk among us—quiet, distant, unassuming. But there’s a little-known truth: nearly all of those survivors, the ones strong enough to endure the end of the world... they came from one of the Six Unified Clans. Just hearing the name of one of those clans is enough to make even seasoned warriors flinch.

And make no mistake—these survivors didn’t crawl out of the battlefield by hiding in trenches or running from fights. They earned their survival through overwhelming skill and power, showcasing feats that engraved their clan names into the very bones of history.

Six clans. Six legendary names. If you ever hear one of them spoken aloud in a royal court or military briefing... you bow your head. Immediately.

The Takemikazuchi Clan

The Fujin Clan

The Ryujin Clan

The Sarutahiko Clan

The Izanami Clan

The Amaterasu Clan

Each of these clans mastered and honed a particular element or skill to terrifying levels. One channeled the element of fire so intensely, it could incinerate entire cities in mere moments. Another controlled the earth itself. Some wielded wind, others commanded water.

But that’s just the surface.

Elements? Sure, anyone with enough talent and study can learn to manipulate them. But what set these clans apart were the three signature techniques passed down through each generation. These weren’t your average flashy spells or magic tricks—these were ancestral arts, battle-forged and blood-tested. While some clans kept them secret, others made sure the world remembered them loud and clear.

And no, these clans aren’t loyal to any single kingdom. Take the Amaterasu Clan, for example—they’re aligned with Wysperia. Meanwhile, the Izanami Clan is tied to Luthiria. But just because their kingdoms are at odds doesn’t mean the clans themselves are enemies. In fact, the clans often operate independently of any king or queen. Try forcing one of them to obey royal orders? Yeah... good luck with that. You’d be starting a war you will not win.

Every nation respects them. Every monarch fears them. And no sane person wants to give them a reason to unleash the same destruction they once did fifty years ago.

From that war until now, the names of the Six Unified Clans have echoed throughout the world. And whether you're a child or a grown adult, if people find out you're from one of those clans, they’ll show you instant respect. Sometimes fearfully. Sometimes begrudgingly. But always... respect.

---

And now, in this very moment, standing right here—

We have Alice of the Takemikazuchi Clan. One of the six. Descendant of thunder and speed. Her clan is renowned for their mastery over lightning and all techniques that sharpen reflexes, enhance precision, and fortify the body.

And she’s currently standing in front of Shiro—who, to be blunt, doesn’t belong to any special clan. No rare skills. No impressive lineage. In fact, he barely even knows what the Six Clans are, let alone the bloody history of the Holy War.

But... even without knowing the details, he can feel it.

Just standing beside Alice, something in his body screams danger. Her presence hits like an invisible shockwave. Calm. Lethal. Electric.

In the split second he realizes who’s next to him, every rational part of his mind starts yelling the same thing:

Run. Now.

>“Hm? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Alice spoke with a serene smile, her tone soft, melodic—almost like a siren’s song or the whisper of an angel. Not the voice you’d expect from a thunder-wielding monster disguised as a beautiful girl.

Shiro hesitated. His brain had entered a full-on meltdown, like it was trying to solve an impossible math equation under pressure.

And make no mistake—this was worse than any exam. He knew that.

He tried to form a proper response. Something safe. Something smart. Anything that wouldn’t get him vaporized on the spot.

Yeah... his brain failed him.

>“Haha… I don’t think calling you a monster would even do you justice...”

He laughed awkwardly, clearly panicking. It wasn’t charming. It was pure survival-mode nonsense.

Alice didn’t look amused.

"Hmm. Such a sharp tongue. I wonder if your skills are just as sharp... or if I should cut that tongue out myself.”

And just like that, Shiro’s thoughts immediately snapped to his tongue.

He didn’t mean to. It was just a reflex. A really, really dangerous reflex.

Alice, of course, didn’t know it was a slip of the tongue. She was already imagining how best to carve it out.

Sliced thin like sashimi?

Or maybe diced—bite-sized pieces are easier to clean up.

"No, wait!! I didn’t mean what I said!... I—"

“Oh really?”

Whether by mistake or on purpose, it didn’t matter anymore. Alice, with her hand already gripping her sword’s hilt, clearly wasn’t about to listen to any excuses now.

Pissing her off? That was probably the last thing anyone in the world wanted to do.

After totally messing things up, Shiro started racking his brain for a way out of this mess. As he was thinking, he blinked—a slight twitch of his eyelids—and right at that moment, something ice-cold brushed past the side of his neck. It felt like a painful treatment on an already swollen wound for just a moment.

Shiro didn’t hear a thing—no footsteps, no rustle—nothing. When he looked back, Alice was gone, vanished from where she’d just been standing.

“Huh...”

His voice trembled, heavy with fear and worry. He rolled his eyes back a little and glanced behind him, only to see her standing there, sword in hand, her hair still suspended mid-air.

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“That speed...”

That lightness, that coldness, that deadly calm. Not a sound of the blade being drawn from its sheath reached him—no movement in front or behind him. It all happened in a split second. Without realizing it, drops of blood trickled down from a small cut Alice’s sword had grazed on the side of his neck.

If she’d wanted to, she could’ve ended his life before he even knew what hit him. And now Shiro knew that all too well.

“Just as I thought. A sharp tongue with no real skills.”

She said as she slid her sword back into its sheath, standing there with a seductive posture, showcasing her superhuman abilities to the poor guy now sitting on his backside. Of course, she did that just to test his reaction and see what he could do.

Seconds later, Shiro snapped back from the shock, realizing something deeply unsettling. His eyes darted to the right side of his shoulder, where the badge had been moments before—but now it was gone.

“The... badge! Where is it?!”

“Looking for this? Well, it was surprising I got one so quickly. Seems the test isn’t as hard as I thought.”

At those words, Shiro’s panic spiked. He spun to find Alice holding the badge, looking down on him like he was some worthless scum.

That’s when Shiro finally realized how powerful the girl in front of him really was. Now that he’d gotten a glimpse of her strength, maybe he could figure out a way to get out of this mess without getting hurt.

Or maybe he’d just make things worse—just like at the start.

The badge? Yeah, it was important, but wasn’t his life more important here? Killing was off-limits, obviously, but Shin never said anything about heavy beating, right? Now that Shiro had pissed off Alice, made her attack him, and snatch his badge—Alice, who hadn’t left or backed down yet—still stood there.

Shiro swallowed hard, staring at that terrifying sight.

'Damn her. She played with my nerves with that attack. Fighting won’t help, talking won’t help. I can’t even come up with a plan for dealing with a superhuman like this! Like this... I’ll lose my badge and my chance to pass this test right from the start!!'

He thought that silently, while Alice put the badge in her bag and started looking around, scanning her surroundings. Apparently, contrary to Shiro’s guess, she was done with him—now just sheathing her sword, probably thinking about her next move.

That scene was enough to calm Shiro’s pounding heart—the calm that let his brain churn out an even worse thought.

“…Thinking of running away now?”

He said it, standing tall, his body moving as if to challenge her. Shiro’s mind could think of nothing but these provocative words to stop Alice from doing whatever she was about to do next. Alice turned her cold gaze back to him and sighed, clearly annoyed by his words.

“Don’t get me wrong, please. I’m not here to fight weaklings like you, nor do I want to hurt you. So I suggest you watch your tongue before you find it lying in front of you.”

“Oh, what a threat. I wonder if you’re really as good as you say?”

Surprised, Alice raised her eyebrows as she looked at the guy who should’ve understood his weak position and quietly accepted her mercy.

“Oh my... Look, I get that you’re trying to provoke me to stop, but are you serious? You could just steal another badge from a weaker opponent, you know?”

With a light sigh to calm her thoughts, Alice suggested Shiro accept defeat and look for an opponent on his level (if any exist). But Shiro, who’d taken a nearly combative stance, didn’t seem convinced by what sounded like the most logical advice.

Her unnaturally bold attitude only made Alice suspect he might be hiding some real skills and was testing her all along.

Yeah, she thought that because, no doubt, no weakling in the world would waste such an opportunity and ignore mercy like that.

“You’re joking, right?”

She could only try to confirm his intentions once again.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

With a serious expression for once, Shiro raised both fists in front of him – Not using his sword for some reason – and took a single step forward, locking eyes with the lightning beast standing before him—staring straight into her eyes without a single trace of fear.

Fighting wouldn't work. Talking wouldn't either. His mind knew that very well.

And yet... he kept speaking, kept moving like that. He hadn't come up with a plan, of course. Not even close.

But for some reason... he just wanted to stall. Just a little longer.

A brief silence hung in the air after Shiro finished his sentence, taking up a defensive stance.

Of course, Alice didn’t turn down his invitation to fight. Her hand reached for the hilt of her sword at her left hip, her left foot sliding back as she lowered her upper body slightly.

"As you wish. Don’t blame me if you get hurt..."

"Ahh, show me what you’ve got..."

At that moment—just as the academy’s giant display screen showed—it became visible to all the instructors: that boy standing face to face with Alice.

The boy no one knew anything about.

The boy with no famous last name.

The boy who had just lost his badge in under a second, lying flat on the ground.

And yet there he was...

Standing in front of her with a dead-serious expression, not an ounce of hesitation or fear on his face.

Naturally, opinions split—though no one said anything out loud.

Some of the instructors began to wonder if Shiro had a hidden skill, or perhaps he’d been concealing his true power all along.

Others?

They figured it was all just a show. A bluff.

One that would end in a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Kazuchi family’s prodigy.

So—if you were to ask now which side was right?

Well... let’s go back to Shiro. The boy currently striking a brave pose, radiating courage and resolve in front of Alice…

…was, in reality, screaming in his head:

‘WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST DO!!! I just wanted to stop her! How did things spiral into this?!’

Yeah.

He was terrified.

He knew, deep down, he was no match for that girl.

Even if he could see her sword coming, his body wouldn’t be fast enough to dodge that icy blade.

So why did he do it?

Why throw himself into a situation where he knew there was nothing to gain?

Truth is…

He had no idea what he was doing anymore.

All he could do now was accept the consequences of his big mouth… and pray he made it out of this alive.

The test?

Yeah—he wasn’t even thinking about that anymore.

---

Look around and you’ll see a vast field, with a crystal-clear river flowing through its center—so pure, you could see every little fish swimming inside it.

A sky as blue as dreams, a breeze so cool and calm, it would soothe your heart, lull your eyes to sleep, and tempt your body to lie down in the cold, green grass.

And Beside the crystal-clear river, she stood—

as though she were part of the very landscape,

or perhaps the reason it bloomed with such quiet majesty.

Her long, wavy golden hair flowed like strands of sunlight, catching the rays of the sun with every subtle movement.

And her eyes—

a piercing, tranquil blue—

were clearer, more radiant than the very waters that shimmered beside her, holding both the stillness of lakes and the depth of storms.

In her hand, she gripped a silver blade—its edge keen and unforgiving, adorned with delicate golden engravings that shimmered with noble grace.

And with that same quiet strength, she stared unflinchingly at the enemy before her.

That was Alice.

A presence beyond words—

not one to be described, but to be felt.

Then, without a single warning—

Her foot pressed into the earth.

Her grip tightened around her blade.

And in an instant, she launched forward like lightning itself, her sword slashing straight toward the neck of her unmoving target.

Time froze.

Shiro could see it—see her—rushing toward him with unbelievable speed.

"Move! MOVE!!"

He screamed at his body internally, begging it to respond.

But seeing death coming… doesn’t mean you’re fast enough to escape it.

And that’s where he was now.

He could see Alice’s blade.

But his untrained body refused to react fast enough.

It just wouldn’t move.

And just as the blade came within mere millimeters of his throat—

At that exact moment, when Alice reconsidered cutting him down and opted to punch him instead—

BOOM.

An explosion burst from beneath Alice’s feet.

She instinctively leapt back, barely dodging the unexpected blast.

Shiro, on the other hand, was flung backward like a ragdoll.

A faint black cloud bloomed where the explosion had hit, the force of it knocking Shiro far in the opposite direction.

Of course, Alice managed to dodge it with her lightning-fast instincts and reflexes.

But Shiro… he rolled over and over across the dirt before coming to a stop on his stomach.

Groaning, he lifted his head slowly, pain etched on his face, staring toward the cloud of dust still swirling in the air, completely lost as to what just happened.

“Ugh… What happened…?”

The moment he muttered those words, the dust began to settle—

and through the thinning haze, a figure emerged.

A young man, striking in appearance, with vivid red hair that caught the light, and a single earring swaying gently from his left ear.

Shiro recognized him instantly.

That familiar silhouette.

His eyes lit up, a wave of relief washing over his face as though he had just glimpsed his savior.

“I figured I’d find you in some sort of trouble…”

the newcomer said, his tone a mix of amusement and exasperation.

“But Alice of all people? Really?

Man, you’ve got the worst luck in the world.”

With the dust finally cleared, the red-haired young man stepped fully into view, tossing that casual comment toward Shiro before shifting his gaze.

There she stood again—Alice—already back in her usual stance, calm and composed, her eyes scanning him with keen precision as she pieced together what had just happened.

“That was a decent technique… You managed to block my strike without harming your friend.”

“Oh? A compliment? From the Lightning Lady herself?”

He grinned, brushing a bit of dust off his shoulder with exaggerated flair.

“Now that’s something I’ll be bragging about for weeks.”

Having swiftly processed the situation, Alice offered the smallest nod of approval—just enough to be noticeable

.

It was praise.

And judging by the look on his face, he was clearly enjoying it.

“I don’t recognize you,” she said, her tone steady once again, her breath even.

“You’re not someone known, despite your skill… What’s your name?”

The young man smiled, eyes gleaming with a vivid, almost mischievous red as he looked straight at her.

“Ah, the name’s Leo. Leo Hawk,” he said brightly. "And I’ll be the one to finish this little dance instead of my poor, fragile friend here...

Of course, that is, if you don’t mind having me as your partner.”