Chapter 1: Lion enters the den

( Year:2058 ,Month : February, day:6)

The air smelled of rain and rust, thick with ghosts of a city long past its prime. Akira Ryu watched through the window of the armored train as the skeletal remains of *Old Tokyo* blurred around him. Towers, once proud, now stood as tombstones against the grey sky. A place of power reduced to ruin. "Just like everything else. "He thought.

But his future? Another story altogether.

He settled back in his seat, surveying the other students. Kids in the same black uniform, their faces as carefully masked as their emotions were guarded. "This isn't a school. It is a battlefield."

And to win on that battlefield, there was a step that needed to be taken.

A soft, mechanical sound signaled their approach to *Shinsei Academy*, the heart of the *Lainson Program* the initiative designed to shape Japan's next rulers, warriors, and visionaries. Or so the government claimed. Akira knew better.

The train finally slowed down grinding, squealing metal on metal and quiet swept through the cabin , driven by the steps of an incomer. Heavy strides. Silent command.

A man stood at the entrance of the car, hands behind his back *Director Sakamoto*

Cold eyes, sharpened posture a man of precision. The overseer of the *Lainson Program*, the gate to their futures.

"You were chosen because you are exceptional," Sakamoto said, his voice as smooth as butter . "But that means nothing until you prove it."

A murmur ran through the students, but no one dared speak.

Akira didn't flinch. He just watched. "Sakamoto was powerful, but power was meant to be taken." He said to himself.

"The weak will be discarded," Sakamoto continued. "The useless will be removed. You are no longer individuals you are tools. If you do not wish to be sharpened, you should leave now."

Silence fell upon all.

One boy maybe sixteen swallowed hard, his hands shaking at his sides. Akira marked it. "He would not last."

Sakamoto's gaze swept over them before he turned. "Disembark."

The students moved , spilling onto the platform. *Shinsei Academy* loomed before them a gigantic fortress of steel and glass, fortified like a military compound. Barbed wire crowned the walls and security drones drifted overhead, scanning faces.

Akira stepped onto cold stone, taking a deep breath. "This place smelled of control." He silently spoke.

And he despised being controlled.

---

Gray walls, artificial lighting, a purposeful absence of personality creaked the hallways. "A place meant to break individuals down and put them back together." Akira thought.

As the students were herded towards dorm rooms, whispers began. Some whispered speculation, some thinking of possible alliances. Akira simply listened without a care.

Then, a voice. Low, with confidence. "You're Akira Ryu."

Akira turned.

A boy leaned casually against a doorframe, arms crossed. **Hayato Karagi.** He was a predator too relaxed, too sure of himself. " A test." Akira thought.

"And you are?" Akira asked his tone light.

Hayato smirked. "Someone you should keep an eye on."

Akira chuckled. "Then I expect you'll make it interesting."

Hayato pushed off the frame. "We'll see. Just don't get in my way."

Akira met his gaze, unreadable. "Competition, Good."

---

The dorm room was minimal bed, desk, a window that overlooked the academy's training grounds. Akira sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through a small notebook.

Inside were names, faces ,family ties. He had spent years preparing gathering intel. "This isn't a school. It is a chessboard." He thought.

A knock at the door.

He didn't care at once, turning one more page before he finally answered.

A girl stood out in the hall , her expression unimpressed. Sharp eyed and controlled. "Not nervous like the others." TH(of Akira)

"You're not surprised," she said.

"I make it a point not to be," Akira returned.

She watched him and then said. "I'm Mei. And I assume you already know that."

"I do." Akira exclaimed.

she said. "Interesting.

She stepped back. "See you tomorrow, Ryu. Try not to die too quickly".

Akira smirked. "Not a chance."

---

The next morning, the students stood in the huge main hall. A giant, dome shaped structure with holographic projections showing military victories and past rulers. A history of power, a warning.

A man appeared on the stage. Older, silver haired his gaze cutting through the crowd like a gun.

"Welcome to the Lainson Program," he announced. "Here, you will either rise, or be consumed."

The tension in the room grew thicker.

Then, the announcement:

"Your first test begins now."

A murmur surged among the students.

Akira didn't quite react.

"You will be divided into teams from the fourth day," the man said. "You will be put into a situation. There is only one task : Survive." He shouts loudly.

Excitement ,Fear, Uncertainty all of these rushed towards everyone at once..

A huge screen behind the instructor flared to life, depicting a city in ruins, forsaken and unalive. Smoke rolled through the shattered streets and ruined buildings that loomed over the landscape. In the distance, robotic bots patrolled the debris their metallic bodies glowing under artificial light.

Akira tilted his head. "So, this is how they want to break us."

"No rules," the instructor added. "No restrictions. You will either prove your worth, or you will be removed."

Akira's lips curled.

His mind raced with only one thought "let the game begin"

Last Chapter Next Chapter