The private library was a disaster.
Books littered the floor in uneven piles. Shelves sagged beneath the weight of forgotten tomes, while countless open pages covered tables like the remnants of a battlefield. Dust drifted through the air, illuminated by pale rays of light filtering through the stained-glass windows.
It looked less like a library and more like the aftermath of an obsession.
At the center of it all sat Elias.
Silent.
Motionless.
Exhausted.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes. His expression carried the weariness of a warrior who had somehow lost a battle before ever stepping onto the battlefield.
For what felt like hours, he simply stared into space.
Then the memories returned.
A voice.
Cold.
Unforgettable.
Darkness stretched endlessly around him.
No sky.
No ground.
Only an endless void.
And standing within it was the Faceless Being.
No eyes.
No mouth.
No expression.
Nothing.
Yet somehow Elias felt its gaze fixed directly upon his soul.
"Three years."
Its voice echoed through the void like a judgment already passed.
"You have three years."
The darkness trembled.
"Spend that time uncovering everything you can about those known as the Driveless."
A pause followed.
"The Old Gen."
For the first time, Elias felt his heartbeat quicken.
The being took a single step forward.
"And at the end of that trail..."
Silence.
A terrible silence.
"You will face the anomaly known as Touka."
The void itself seemed to freeze.
"No one will save you."
"No one will guide you."
The being's voice became quieter.
Yet somehow far more terrifying.
"Whether you succeed or perish shall be determined entirely by your own strength."
The darkness became still.
Then came the question.
The question that had haunted Elias every day since that encounter.
The Faceless Being leaned closer.
"So tell me, Elias."
A crushing pressure descended upon his chest.
"Do you truly possess what it takes..."
The void held its breath.
"...to become perfect?"
---
Elias slowly opened his eyes.
The memory faded.
Only the library remained.
He rubbed his forehead and released a tired sigh.
"Three years..."
His gaze drifted toward the mountains of books surrounding him.
"And not a single answer."
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"What even is an Old Gen?"
A knock echoed from the door.
Elias didn't bother looking up.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Ren stepped inside.
"You're finally back."
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"Took you long enough."
Ren rolled his eyes.
"Not my fault your little greedy bit*ch decided to empty half the stores in the district."
Elias sighed heavily.
"Women."
He rubbed his temples.
Ren looked around the room.
His eyebrow twitched.
"Elias..."
"What?"
"This isn't research."
His gaze swept across the scattered books.
"This is insanity."
A faint smirk appeared on Elias's face.
"That's one way to describe it."
Ren folded his arms.
"I also heard you haven't left this room in days."
"Busy."
"Clearly."
For a moment Ren studied him.
Then he decided not to push further.
"Well, if you're done drowning in books, I'm heading to train the recruits."
He turned toward the door.
"Elias."
"What?"
"You should probably show up this time."
Before Ren could leave, Elias spoke.
"Ren."
The older man paused.
"Have you ever heard of something called the Old Gen?"
Ren frowned.
"The Old Gen?"
"Yeah."
Elias leaned forward.
"You know. Since you're ancient."
Ren glared.
"First of all, I'm not that old."
A pause.
"And second, no."
His expression grew serious.
"I've never heard of anyone by that name."
Something flickered behind Elias's eyes.
"I see."
"But if it's important, I can look into it."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
He stared toward the stained-glass windows.
"I've already searched every record I could find."
Ren shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
He opened the door.
"Oh."
His grin returned.
"Don't be late for training, Kageyama."
The killing intent hidden beneath his smile was impossible to miss.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Silence returned.
Then Elias smiled.
"Kageyama."
The shadows beside him rippled.
A figure emerged as though stepping directly out of darkness itself.
Kageyama immediately dropped to one knee.
"Great Apostle."
"How are the preparations?"
"Proceeding smoothly."
Kageyama lowered his head.
"The others are progressing faster than expected."
"And?"
"At this rate, we may eventually reach All Drive."
Elias nodded.
"Good."
His expression darkened.
"What about the Old Gen?"
Kageyama hesitated.
"I apologize."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
The man clenched his fist.
"I searched the underground markets."
"Nothing."
"The forbidden archives."
"Nothing."
"The black libraries."
"Still nothing."
A silence followed.
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"As I expected."
He stared toward the ceiling.
"What exactly are you planning?"
Kageyama frowned.
"My lord?"
Elias looked at him.
"Kageyama."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever heard of a being called—"
The name left his lips.
Or at least, it should have.
Kageyama blinked.
"My lord?"
Elias froze.
"The name."
"What name?"
"The one I just said."
Confusion crossed Kageyama's face.
"You didn't say one."
The room became silent.
Elias slowly narrowed his eyes.
For several seconds neither man spoke.
Then understanding dawned.
A bitter smile appeared on Elias's face.
"That bastard."
"My lord?"
"Nothing."
He waved him away.
"Forget it."
Kageyama remained confused but obeyed.
"As you wish."
He disappeared back into the shadows.
The moment he left, Elias slammed his fist against the table.
Books shook violently.
"A mute."
His expression twisted with irritation.
"That bastard put a mute on me."
His gaze drifted toward the countless books surrounding him.
Elias released a long sigh.
"One option remains."
His eyes narrowed.
"If there are answers anywhere..."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"They'll be there."
The oldest surviving records in the world.
The nation whose archives predated nearly every modern civilization.
America.
Which meant there was only one person left to visit.
Elias groaned.
"Wonderful."
He stood from his chair.
"Looks like I have to deal with that childish idiot again."
A name crossed his mind.
Julian Mercer.
The Apostle of the United States.
And one of the most annoying men Elias had ever met.
But before that...
There was another matter requiring his attention.
A far more important matter.
His expression hardened.
"Millim."
An explosion shook the building.
He sighed.
"Better check on training before they destroy the church."
Rising from his chair, Elias made his way toward the underground training grounds.
As he walked through the dim corridors, his thoughts returned to the mysteries haunting him.
Four questions.
Four impossible questions.
First.
Who—or what—was the faceless being?
Second.
What exactly was the Old Gen?
Third.
How was Touka still alive?
And why did he seem connected to the Old Gen?
And lastly—
Elias frowned.
"What did he mean this isn't the real world?"
The words lingered in his mind.
No matter how many times he replayed them, they never made sense.
Soon, the underground training facility came into view.
The massive chamber stretched across several floors.
Steel walls.
Steel floors.
Steel pillars.
Everything had been reinforced countless times to survive the destructive power of Drive users.
Even then, the room was shaking.
Elias stepped inside.
Immediately, a voice echoed through the arena.
"OI! AMANE! COVER ME!"
Several meters away, a young woman lay comfortably on her stomach atop an elevated platform.
A sniper rifle nearly twice her size rested against her shoulder.
Her brown eye remained fixed on the battlefield through the scope.
Without looking away, she calmly chambered another round.
"Shut up."
The shot rang out.
BANG.
A bullet tore through the air.
Meanwhile—
A young man sprinted forward without hesitation.
He carried no weapon.
No armor.
Nothing.
As bullets and attacks flew around him, he moved with complete confidence.
Or perhaps complete insanity.
He laughed.
Not loudly.
Not wildly.
Just enough to make everyone around him uncomfortable.
Ren threw a punch.
The young man tilted his head.
The fist missed by mere centimeters.
In one fluid motion, he seized Ren's wrist, twisted his arm into a lock, and hurled the veteran assassin into the air.
"There you go, Tasukuuuu!"
Shigure Kagen grinned.
Above him, a white blur shot skyward.
Twin daggers flashed.
The figure spun through the air like a predator descending upon prey.
One dagger struck Ren's shoulder.
Then another.
Every movement was precise.
Efficient.
Deadly.
Not a single motion was wasted.
Even while falling, he continued attacking.
Tasuku Kageyama.
The silent blade.
"Don't waste the opening, blockhead."
Before Ren could recover—
A third figure appeared.
A heavy fist crashed into Ren's side.
BOOM.
The impact launched him across the room.
Before he landed—
Another punch.
And another.
Each aimed precisely at the wound Tasuku had created.
The attacker stood tall.
Burnt-orange eyes scanned the battlefield.
Scars covered his hands and arms.
The marks of countless battles.
Tetsuya Onizaki.
The battle-scarred beast.
"HAHAHAHA!"
His booming laughter filled the arena.
SMACK.
Tasuku immediately struck the back of his head.
"Shut up."
Onizaki glared.
"Your laugh makes me sick."
Nearby, Kagen pointed excitedly toward the sniper platform.
"OHHHH! PERFECT SHOT, AMANE!"
He opened his arms.
"Come here and give your favorite brother a kiss!"
A visible look of disgust appeared on Amane's face.
"Stay away from me, idiot."
"Oh, come on! Don't be shy!"
Kagen proudly pointed at himself.
"I changed your diapers, you know."
A dangerous smile appeared on Amane's face.
"Hey, Tasuku."
"Hm?"
"Can I borrow your daggers?"
Tasuku handed them over immediately.
Kagen's face froze.
"...Traitor."
Amane slowly approached.
The daggers gleamed.
Kagen backed away.
"Now hold on."
Another step.
"Amane."
Another step.
"Let's talk about this."
The daggers rose.
Kagen turned and ran.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!"
"I'm sorryyyyyyy!"
The arena erupted into chaos.
Even Onizaki sighed.
"I genuinely don't understand your relationship."
Kagen stopped running long enough to throw an arm around Amane's shoulders.
"Easy."
He flashed a proud grin.
"She's my adorable little sister."
At that exact moment, Amane stabbed him.
Onizaki stared.
"...Right."
The playful atmosphere vanished the moment Tasuku spoke.
"Enough."
The assassin rolled his shoulders and twirled a dagger between his fingers.
"We're not done yet."
The others immediately grew serious.
Across the arena, Ren slowly rose to his feet.
Dust slid from his clothing.
His expression remained completely calm.
Not annoyed.
Not impressed.
Just disappointed.
Amane adjusted her rifle.
"Let's finish this."
The four recruits moved simultaneously.
A sniper.
A close-combat specialist.
A dual-dagger assassin.
A powerhouse.
Different roles.
One objective.
Overwhelm Ren.
Amane fired first.
BANG.
The bullet screamed through the air.
At the same time, Kagen lunged forward.
Tasuku disappeared into a blur of movement.
Onizaki charged head-on like a raging beast.
Perfect timing.
Perfect coordination.
Or so they thought.
Ren sighed.
"Pathetic."
Snap.
He simply snapped his fingers.
The world exploded.
A violent torrent of wind erupted from his body.
BOOOOOOM.
The shockwave tore across the arena.
Amane's bullet veered off course.
Kagen was thrown backwards.
Tasuku crashed into a wall.
Onizaki skidded across the steel floor.
Silence followed.
The recruits stared.
Ren hadn't moved.
Not even a single step.
He slowly walked toward them.
Each footstep echoed throughout the chamber.
"Four months."
Nobody spoke.
"Four months."
His voice remained calm.
Which somehow made it worse.
"Do you know how long it took Touka's group?"
The recruits froze.
Even Elias stopped walking.
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Three weeks."
The words hit harder than any attack.
"Three weeks."
Another step.
"Three weeks was enough for them to keep up with me even while I was using Will Drive."
The recruits' expressions darkened.
Ren pointed directly at them.
"You've had four months."
Another step.
"And you still can't force me to use my normal strength."
The disappointment in his voice cut deeper than any blade.
"Pathetic."
No one argued.
Because no one could.
Ren stopped a few meters away.
"You know what's worse?"
His gaze swept across them.
"You're not even originals."
The atmosphere shifted.
"You are copies."
The recruits stiffened.
"You were created because they existed."
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Ren's voice lowered.
"And honestly?"
A dangerous smile appeared.
"I'm not even sure you're worthy of being called their copies."
The words landed like a hammer.
Even Kagen couldn't joke.
Even Onizaki couldn't laugh.
Ren continued.
"Over sixty missions."
His eyes became distant.
As if remembering something.
"Every single one successful."
A small smile appeared.
The first genuine smile he'd shown all day.
"They were efficient."
A memory.
"They were precise."
Another memory.
"They were deadly."
A final memory.
The recruits listened silently.
Because this wasn't a lecture anymore.
This was history.
"Within a month."
Ren's voice echoed through the chamber.
"The entire underworld knew their names."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
"Organizations feared them."
"Governments monitored them."
"Assassins avoided them."
"Their enemies prayed they weren't the target."
The recruits unconsciously swallowed.
Even Elias remained silent.
Then Ren smiled.
Not proudly.
Not arrogantly.
But like a veteran remembering monsters he once worked beside.
"The names they were given became infamous."
Kagen frowned.
"What names?"
Ren looked directly at him.
"The Ripper of Red."
Kagen's playful expression disappeared.
"The death of distance."
Tasuku's eyes narrowed.
"Tyrant of stone."
Onizaki instinctively clenched his fists.
"The silent tempest."
And
"Absolute zero"
Amane lowered her rifle.
Each title carried weight.
A history.
A reputation.
Blood.
Death.
Fear.
Ren slowly turned toward all of them.
"And standing at the center of it all..."
The room grew silent.
"...was Touka."
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody dared to.
Then Ren spoke the name that had become legend within the underworld.
"They were known as..."
A pause.
A heartbeat.
A legend.
"DRIVE ZERO."
The entire arena fell silent.
The name alone carried power.
Not because of strength.
Not because of status.
But because of what it represented.
Perfection.
Four assassins.
One monster.
A team that never failed.
A team that turned impossible missions into routine work.
A team feared by the underworld itself.
The recruits finally understood.
They hadn't been training to become strong.
They had been training to become successors.
And they weren't even close.
"...Now."
A new voice echoed through the arena.
Everyone turned.
Elias stood at the entrance.
A long metal staff rested across his shoulders.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Let's not crush their spirits too much."
Ren snorted.
"Oh?"
Elias walked forward.
Metal rang softly against the floor with each step.
"Maybe they simply need a better demonstration."
The recruits immediately straightened.
A bad feeling washed over them.
Ren's grin widened.
A dangerous grin.
"Really now?"
Elias spun the staff once before planting it firmly into the ground.
"Of course."
The air around him shifted.
"After all..."
His smile widened.
"How can they understand the gap if we don't show it to them personally?"
The recruits paled.
Ren cracked his knuckles.
"I've been wanting payback ever since you called me old."
"Likewise."
Drive energy began gathering around both men.
The steel arena trembled.
The recruits instinctively stepped backward.
For the first time that day—
They realized the monsters standing before them had never been serious.
And now they were.
The training exercise was over.
The real lesson was about to begin.