Long ago, there existed a great emperor known as the Emperor of the Rising Sun. He unified all the kingdoms east of the continent, forging them into a vast empire capable of rivaling the Dragon Empire in the west.

  For many years, peace reigned over the region. The people lived without fear of war, and the warriors of the Martial Society coexisted in harmony with the citizens and the empire itself. All of this was possible thanks to the Emperor’s immense prestige—a figure whom everyone respected and feared in equal measure.

  But everything changed with his sudden death. Without heirs, the nobles began to fight over the throne, each convinced he had the rightful claim to become the new emperor. Thus began the Great Civil War.

  Thousands perished—soldiers and civilians alike—and the battle-scarred fields turned barren and infertile. Famine soon spread across the entire region. Only when the nobles finally agreed to seal a truce did the situation begin to improve.

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  From that truce was born the Pact of the Kingdoms. Each former subordinate lord—the patriarchs of the orthodox clans who had once served as pillars of the empire—claimed a territory for himself. These lords, who had previously lived in the shadow of the great dragon, now gained absolute power, establishing dynasties that still echo in the world today. Their clans grew mighty, controlling every aspect of the regions they ruled.

  Amid all this, martial artists pursued the pinnacle of power. Those who transcended mortal limits—fusing body, ki, and mind in perfect harmony—earned the title of “Martial Dragon.” It was not an empty name, but a true essence: the strength to tear open the heavens, the wisdom to balance tempests. Yet few ever reached that height. Many fell along the path, devoured by their own ambition. Only a handful of clans—great or small, orthodox or otherwise—could claim to have produced a Martial Dragon.

  And it is ten years after the creation of the Pact of the Kingdoms that this story begins. In it, many nameless youths chase power and glory, dreaming of one day becoming Dragons themselves.