One Year Later — The Making of a True Heir
The Runcandel mansion no longer housed a boy.
It housed a future force of the world.
A Year of Refinement
For the next year, the estate became a crucible.
Darius and Clara watched with growing pride as Keith mastered what others spent lifetimes chasing.
Academics & Strategy
Under the world's finest tutors, Keith's growth was terrifying:
Finance & Business Strategy — Not theory, but battlefield-level execution Computers & Hacking — Silent, precise, untraceable Medicine — From diagnostics to experimental treatments
What shocked the tutors most wasn't speed.
It was judgment.
Keith didn't just know how to do things.
He knew when and why.
Darius often watched quietly from the balcony, hands clasped behind his back.
"This child…" he muttered once.
"…was born to command."
The Path of Strength
Darius understood something better than anyone:
Power attracts enemies.
So he acted.
He brought in—
Former army special forces Retired black-ops intelligence operatives Weapons instructors who had trained heads of state
They were there to teach Keith.
They left having been defeated by him.
Hand-to-Hand & Weapons
Keith passed every test with ease.
Firearms.
Blades.
Close-quarters combat.
But it was during sword training that Darius's expression changed.
Keith's movements were—
Clean.
Silent.
Final.
When the instructors asked him to spar seriously—
Darius ordered the cameras turned on.
The Video That Traveled Through Bloodlines
Twenty elite operatives.
Army and intelligence combined.
Against one boy holding a katana.
The fight lasted under three minutes.
Not one fatal wound.
Not one wasted motion.
Every opponent fell—disarmed, incapacitated, humiliated.
The blade in Keith's hand—
Yamato.
Darius sent the video personally.
To Karasuma Renya.
Karasuma Renya — Pride Beyond Words
Renya watched the footage in silence.
Again.
And again.
Then he laughed.
A deep, satisfied laugh that hadn't been heard in years.
"My great-grandson…" he said proudly.
"…is magnificent."
He summoned Rum.
"Did you see that?" Renya asked calmly.
Rum bowed deeply.
"Yes, my lord. There is no doubt."
Renya's eyes gleamed.
"Good," he said.
"Very good."
For the first time—
The old monster felt secure about the future.
The System Never Slept
Keith never missed a sign-in.
Rewards stacked quietly:
Medical & cosmetic patents worth billions Fashion designs that reshaped European luxury Film scripts coveted by Hollywood and Cannes Disguise Skill – Advanced Vast amounts of dollars and corporate shares
Keith accepted them without excitement.
Power, to him, was simply a tool.
The Fallen Houses — Barely Breathing
News reached Keith eventually.
The Amamiya and Kurosaki families still existed.
Barely.
They had been propped up by Shiro Suzuki, who paid off loyal backers to protect his own influence.
The companies survived—
But only in name.
No innovation.
No respect.
No future.
Keith read the report once.
Then closed it.
"…Irrelevant," he said.
A Quiet Promise
One night, standing alone beneath the French moon, Keith sheathed Yamato and looked skyward.
"I'm ready," he murmured.
Not for revenge.
Not for destruction.
But for what comes next.
Because the heir of House Runcandel—
Had finished growing.
And soon—
The world would be forced to move at his pace.