Year 1050 A.N.
...
Although I knew some information about the surroundings, I wouldn't rush to carry out my plans just yet. I understood well that having power without control could be dangerous, and that influencing or persuading an organization required more than brute strength.
In this new world, I found myself in the Land of the Back (背の国, Se no Kuni), a mountainous and fertile nation—peaceful and submissive—naturally protected by mountain ranges that made it difficult for invading armies to pass.
This setting was ideal for hiding and training.
The System had embedded the memories and experiences of my two previous lives into this new body. Though my soul was old, the vessel I had been given was young—malleable.
My memories as Luciano Gravina and Giotto Vongola were fused.
I had the tactical knowledge of a ruthless mafioso and the nobility of the Vongola Primo. I would use everything I had to recover what was mine: my flames.
Now, I trained alone in front of a stream, eyes closed, palms extended toward the sky. I submerged myself in a state of absolute concentration.
I knew that the Sky Flame, the purest of all, required a calm soul and an undisturbed mind.
I called this the Harmonic Passive State.
The Sky Flame represented harmony, and to master it, I had to understand and embody that principle.
I would sit in seiza position, breathing deeply, absorbing the essence of the world around me—the whispering wind, the flowing water, the rustling leaves.
Everything was part of that balance.
The training consisted of channeling two types of Sky Flame texture at once—one in each hand.
In my right hand, I generated the soft flame, with dispersed energy. Its function was to maintain balance, float, or absorb opposing force. It appeared as a pale orange sphere with yellowish edges.
In my left, I summoned the hard flame, full of explosive energy. Its purpose was to enhance attacks, speed, or brute strength. Its color was intense orange, with reddish edges and glittering crystal-like particles.
They were opposite and complementary.
The challenge was keeping both active at the same time without losing mental balance.
I repeated this exercise every day, for hours, until my muscles and energy channels adapted. One mistake, and the harmony would break.
The flames would vanish—or worse—explode out of control.
Sometimes, I bled from my nose or palms.
But I never stopped.
Because I knew that progress depended on repetition and constant correction.
By the stream, under an orange sky at sunset.
Giotto sat in seiza, both hands extended, each one manifesting a different Sky Flame.
Haru, Daiki, and Sana watched from a distance before slowly approaching.
In a low but impressed voice, Haru whispered,
"He's doing it again…? Those flames... they seem more stable than yesterday."
Daiki, serious as always, added,
"Not just more stable. The soft flame has more pressure. The environment shifts slightly when he activates it… See? The stream's water vibrates."
Sana joined in with a gentle smile,
"He's getting stronger… but also lonelier."
Giotto slowly opened his eyes without turning his head.
"Did you come to spy? Or just admire someone else's progress?"
"Hey! It's not spying if you're out in the open, alright? Besides… you're bleeding again!" Haru pointed at me with her finger.
Calmly, I replied,
"Bleeding doesn't mean I'm in danger. It means I'm advancing."
Sitting cross-legged on the grass, Sana asked,
"Why do you always train alone? You don't have to carry everything by yourself, Giotto-nii…"
Closing both hands slowly and dispelling the flames, I looked at my three companions.
"…Because the Sky Flame responds to the soul, not physical effort. I need to understand myself before I can guide others."
I used my sleeve to wipe the blood from my nose.
Haru:
"But that doesn't mean you have to shut us out. It's not just you who's changing. We're all training too… but you're carrying a burden you never share."
I bent down to clean the blood from my clothes and answered,
"No. I can't do that right now… and I don't know if I ever will."
As usual, the worried Haru argued,
"I… I don't understand it. But I do know this: leaders who carry everything alone… end up getting lost. I don't want that to happen to you."
A sigh came from the side—Daiki spoke,
"At least let someone watch your training. If you explode, someone will have to collect your pieces."
Sana nodded with a sad smile,
"…And sing you a song so you'll heal faster."
I sighed.
For the first time in days, a faint smile appeared on my face.
"Fine. You can watch. But if you interfere… the consequences are yours."
Haru, teasing, said,
"That sounds like 'Thanks for worrying, guys. I really appreciate you.'"
I closed my eyes again.
"Don't put kind words in my mouth… I'm not there yet."
To complete my training, I reviewed my compatibility with the Sky Flame.
Main Mission – Objective 2: Physical and energetic adaptation to the Sky Flame.
Compatibility increase in progress: 6%.
---
During my personal sessions, I took charge of training the group that had begun to form around me.
Haru, Daiki, and Sana were my first allies. I had taught them everything I knew about hand-to-hand combat, combining styles like Karate, Jujitsu, and Aikido—techniques I remembered from my life as Luciano—along with the defensive and counterattack methods I had developed as Giotto.
The three of them were progressing well. Daiki had a natural talent for close combat. Sana stood out for her focus and ability to use the environment to her advantage. Haru, though more emotional, was beginning to show signs of promising tactical intuition.
Over time, two new members joined us.
Reijiro, an eight-year-old boy, quiet and observant. He feared conflict, but whenever someone was in pain, he was the first to act. His memory was extraordinary—he recalled details the others often missed. Beneath that fragile appearance was a surprising willpower.
Takeshi, nine years old, was proud and hot-headed. He hated being treated as weak. His desire to prove himself made him competitive, especially with Daiki. Watching him, I couldn't help but remember G, my old friend and Guardian of the Storm.
As the months passed, I developed a training system divided into three phases:
1. Physical strength: running through the mountains while carrying weight, climbing cliffs, swimming against the river current.
2. Mental discipline: meditation, emotional control exercises, and solving riddles under pressure.
...
During a rainy night, while everyone else slept, I sat by the fire and drifted into my thoughts. G's face came to mind—his unwavering loyalty, his searing flame...
Then, I remembered the enemies from my other life, the names that trembled before that of Luciano Gravina: "The Demon of Sicily," "The Crimson Silencer," "Il Fantasma di Palermo."
Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed through the sky, dragging me back into that distant past...
Flashback
I remember that winter of blood in Palermo.
My name was feared, though few ever saw my real face. They called me Il Silenziatore — the Silencer. Not because I killed quickly… but because I planted terror like seeds.
I was the one who designed "The Smoke Triad," a tactic we used when we wanted to erase a rival family without leaving a trace.
First: burn their records and bank accounts — wipe out their existence on paper.
Second: infiltrate one of our own as a lover or driver to emotionally unbalance their core.
Third: when their world was in shambles, an explosion with a foreign signature.
I liked the irony of leaving a white rose on the ashes. They called it the flower of forgiveness, but in my world, it meant: I was here, and you will be no more.
My people gave me nicknames like cursed noble titles:
Il Fantasma d'Acciaio (The Ghost of Steel): because I moved unseen and struck without mercy.
Il Burattinaio (The Puppeteer): because even my enemies danced to strings they didn't know I held.
Il Padre delle Ombre (The Father of Shadows): I founded a network of informants from Russia to Argentina, all swearing loyalty not to my name, but to the lion etched on the coins I gave them.
Once, I sent a traitor to walk barefoot through a frozen quarry, his bones cracking with every step. He took three hours to die. I whispered in his ear as I watched him:
—This isn't for what you did… it's for what they'll learn.
And they learned.
Sometimes I wake up remembering his eyes. Not out of guilt.
But because in them, I saw something that haunted me until the end…
Fear — the kind born from realizing I wasn't a monster.
I was a man.
And men choose to become monsters… or be devoured by them.
For a moment, I was back—more determined than ever to teach those children. For a moment, I was back… and more determined than ever to teach those children.
I used it all. The fear I once inspired. The underhanded tactics, the webs of blackmail, the psychological games. I turned them into knowledge—into structure. Because now, more than power, I needed to build a legacy.
One founded on the harmony of the Sky Flame, but also on the cunning of a reformed mafioso.
The first step had already been taken.
And when the time came… the world would know the name Vongola once more.
Six months had passed.
Six intense months.
Every day, we rose at dawn. We ran through the mountains, trained in the river, in the mist, even blindfolded.
Each night, after training, I would sit and meditate. The flames continued to form their core within me. I couldn't activate the Hyper Mode yet, nor did I have the Rings. But little by little, I could feel something growing inside me.
A flame that did not belong to this world.
The Will.
And I sensed, somehow, that the System was guiding me. That every step forward—mine and the children's—was leading me closer to something greater.
One morning, I awoke to a simple message in my inner vision:
[Advanced Bond Missions Unlocked]
"Forge the bonds. Storm seed."
[Template System Information]
You have received a special reward: "Storm Seed"
This seed is granted as recognition for gathering and protecting a group of five children, thus taking the first step toward the creation of your future organization.
Storm Seed – [Status: Inactive]
This seed is the spiritual core that will allow you to summon the Storm Guardian from your original world, known as "G".
To activate the seed, you must fulfill the following conditions:
1. Establish a functional and safe settlement (Initial base for your organization).
2. Endure the strongest storm of the year in the land where you currently reside.
Once these conditions are met, the seed will react and begin the summoning process for the Storm Guardian.
---
Giotto fell silent, processing each word carefully.
—So… to summon G… —he muttered to himself— first I must secure a worthy place, a true refuge. Only then… when the strongest storm of the year arrives… the seed will awaken.
Most likely in summer, between the months of June and September. I still have time… we're in March.
His eyes narrowed with determination.
A settlement… a base.
It was no longer just for the children.
It was the beginning of everything.
My organization.
My legacy.
My family.
And G… you'll return as well...
---
...