January 28, 2002. 1:05 PM — Onodera Mansion, Osaka

  The Onodera Group was not part of Japan's traditional aristocracy. They did not descend from the ancient families of Kyoto or from the lineages that had ruled the country's politics for centuries.

  But none of those families dared look down on them.

  For more than one hundred and fifty years, the Onodera had controlled Osaka's economy—not just the city itself, but much of the Kansai economic axis. Their influence extended far beyond the country's borders, reaching large parts of the Asian continent and, in recent decades, the West as well.

  The group possessed investment funds capable of absorbing entire crises. In financial circles, they were known as the bank of banks of Asia. In times of stability, they financed expansions, acquisitions, and mergers. In times of collapse, rescue requests arrived from every corner of the world.

  They controlled banks in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. They held strategic investments in energy, logistics, defense, and advanced manufacturing, including critical materials such as microchips. They owned vast tracts of land across the Kansai region: port zones, financial districts, and key infrastructure. Even government and military facilities depended, directly or indirectly, on their financing.

  The Onodera had never participated in politics directly. There were no mayors, governors, or ministers bearing that surname. They had never needed to.

  Any politician who valued their career knew that before supporting an initiative capable of affecting major economic interests, they had to pass through the private office of the Onodera patriarch.

  Not even the prime minister was exempt from that courtesy.

  That power had a name.

  Kazuo Onodera.

  And it had an heir.

  In one of the mansion's study rooms, six-year-old Takeshi Onodera sat across from his business tutor. Spread across the table were charts, reports, and contracts. They were reviewing a failed acquisition attempt made by a foreign company two years earlier. Unable to sustain its losses, the company had been forced to turn to the Onodera Group to survive.

  Today, seventy percent of its operations in Asia were under the family's control.

  Takeshi did not understand all the details of the case. He could not truly grasp the sums of money involved, nor the geopolitical scope of the operation.

  But there was one thing he understood with absolute clarity.

  As the firstborn son of Kazuo Onodera, he was destined to inherit an empire.

  And from that moment on, he had to learn to manage it with the same efficiency and intelligence as the patriarchs who had built the family name.

  This was not a possibility.

  It was a certainty.

  July 7, 2002. 7:26 PM — Onodera Mansion, Osaka

  Takeshi was enjoying a brief moment of rest after another long day of preparation for the future when he began to hear hurried movement in the corridors. Hushed voices. Rushed footsteps that did not follow the mansion's usual rhythm.

  A soft knock sounded on his bedroom door.

  One of the maids opened it slowly and bowed deeply.

  —Waka-sama, the ojō-sama has been brought home.

  The boy inhaled and straightened his back. Without saying a word, he left his room and walked down the corridor toward his parents' bedroom. When he reached the door, he stopped and knocked carefully.

  —Father, Mother... it's me —he said, in a tone far too formal for a six-year-old.

  There was a brief silence before the door opened.

  The head butler, Josei Ueda, gestured for him to enter.

  —Please, Takeshi-sama.

  —Thank you, Ueda-san —the boy replied respectfully.

  Ueda was not merely the head of the household staff. He was the only servant who worked exclusively with Kazuo Onodera. At seventy years old, he had spent half a century in the family's service. He had accompanied the patriarch since his own childhood.

  And, more importantly, he was the only man in the entire country who dared offer his opinion—even when it contradicted Kazuo's.

  —Takeshi-sama has arrived —Ueda announced solemnly before withdrawing.

  Takeshi took a few steps into the room.

  He saw his mother reclining on the bed, holding a very small baby in her arms.

  —Come say hello to your little sister, Akane, dear —Elizabeth said softly.

  Elizabeth Onodera was thirty-nine years old, three years older than the patriarch. She had naturally vivid red hair, hazel eyes, and a slender figure. To the outside world, she appeared to be a suitable wife for such a powerful man.

  But Kazuo Onodera had not chosen her for her beauty.

  Nor for love.

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  He had met her ten years earlier at an economic forum in Tokyo. During an informal dinner, Elizabeth had remarked—with a confidence that unsettled many—that China's tendency to absorb a large portion of global industry could trigger a profound crisis in the Asian economic system.

  Most of those present had laughed. Others tried to be polite. No one took her seriously.

  Except Kazuo Onodera.

  It was not only what she said, but how she said it. The arguments. The clarity. The conviction.

  Days later, ignoring the opinions of his top advisors, Kazuo reduced the Onodera Group's exposure to the Chinese market by more than fifty percent.

  A year and a half later, a crisis ignited in Beijing and shook the region. Asian and Western companies with strong Asian presences came to Kazuo Onodera's office in desperation. They requested loans at any cost. Some even asked to be acquired to avoid liquidation.

  In six months, the Onodera Group grew more than it had in the previous five years.

  Kazuo then sought out Elizabeth. As pragmatic as he was.

  They agreed to marry. She would receive a fund equivalent to five percent of the group's investment capital. In exchange, she would renounce any future compensation she might otherwise be entitled to.

  A contract.

  Efficient. Final.

  Takeshi approached the bed slowly. The baby slept deeply, unaware of the weight of the surname she had just inherited.

  Kazuo stepped to his side and spoke without preamble.

  —From today onward, your duty is to protect your sister.

  The boy nodded.

  At the time, he could not imagine the true weight of those words.

  Nor how long they would stay with him.

  August 29, 2007. 10:32 AM — Onodera Mansion, Osaka

  Akane and Takeshi were playing in the mansion's main courtyard. It was being remodeled for the third time that year, because Akane grew bored of seeing everything the same.

  The little girl had achieved what no one else—not even their mother—had managed to do: soften Kazuo Onodera enough for him to act like a father, not a patriarch.

  Almost from the moment she was born, the Onodera family had received proposals for arranged marriages for the girl, all from families that, while lacking the Onodera's power, could offer value to the group.

  The patriarch rejected them all. There was no hurry to marry off his daughter.

  —Let's keep playing, onii-sama —Akane said in her angelic voice.

  —Aren't you bored yet? We've been doing the same thing for two hours —Takeshi replied.

  She looked at him with playful eyes and smiled.

  —Not until I hide so well that you can't find me.

  —But you've already won three times —her brother complained.

  —Yes, but it doesn't count if you see me and then look away —she shot back, surprising him.

  He gave her a guilty smile and ran a hand through his hair.

  —All right, but just one last time. The tutor is already here, and you know Father is strict about schedules.

  —Count, and I'll hide.

  Takeshi closed his eyes, facing the wall, and began counting slowly. Then he heard the dull sound of something breaking the surface of the pool water.

  He turned around.

  Akane was gone.

  —Akane...? —he asked, frightened.

  A few seconds later, people came running down the corridor. Two butlers and his parents rushed into the courtyard. The butlers dove into the pool without hesitation and pulled Akane from the water. She was still holding her nose with one hand.

  Takeshi barely had time to react before his father stepped in front of him and slapped him hard enough to nearly knock him to the ground.

  —You're useless! How could you lose sight of your sister next to the pool? —the patriarch roared.

  —W-we were playing, Father...

  The response was another slap, this time across the other cheek.

  —Your duty is not to play with her! Your duty is to protect her!

  Elizabeth approached, holding Akane, trying to intervene.

  —Onodera-sama, Takeshi is just a child.

  —Stay out of this, Elizabeth! —Kazuo barked—. This incompetent has one mission in life, and that is to take care of his sister. And he can't even manage that!

  Takeshi clenched his fists and lips, staring at the ground to keep himself from crying. He knew that if his father saw a tear, things would only get worse.

  —Papa, I didn't fall. I hid in the pool —Akane said, trying to help him.

  Kazuo took her in his arms and rocked her gently.

  —It's all right, my little one.

  She insisted.

  —Papa! I'm telling you it wasn't onii-sama's fault.

  —Yes, my girl. Your brother will learn that he has to protect you.

  —Papa! —she cried, desperate.

  It did no good.

  Kazuo gave his son one last look.

  —If you fail to protect her again, you will regret it.

  His low, cold voice was more terrifying than the earlier shouting.

  The light left Takeshi's eyes as he replied:

  —I won't disappoint you again, Father. I'll protect nee-sama properly.

  February 5, 2009. 12:01 PM — Osaka International College, Osaka

  Akane was in the school courtyard with some classmates when one of them snatched one of her hair clips and ran off, laughing, while she chased him.

  —Ichigo-kun, give that back! —she shouted, half laughing, half crying.

  The boy ran while looking over his shoulder, not noticing that an older student had stepped into his path.

  Takeshi Onodera.

  Ichigo collided with him and fell backward onto the ground. When he looked up and recognized him, his eyes widened in terror. Before he could say anything, Takeshi grabbed him by the shirt and slapped him twice—once on each side of the face—before letting go.

  —Where is the person in charge of this class? —Takeshi roared.

  That tone did not belong to a student. At that moment, he was not speaking as a classmate.

  He was speaking as the heir of the Onodera.

  A teacher hurried over, followed by the principal. They saw Takeshi's furious expression and Ichigo on the ground, crying.

  —What happened, Takeshi-sama? —the principal asked nervously.

  —This delinquent was harassing Akane Onodera —he replied coldly—. Will you handle it, or should I report this to my father?

  Both adults bowed quickly.

  —We will take care of it, Takeshi-sama. Please don't worry.

  That afternoon, as they left school, Akane and Takeshi encountered Ichigo and his father.

  When they saw them, both bowed as deeply as physically possible.

  —Takeshi-sama! Akane-sama! Please forgive me for failing to raise my son properly! —the man said, keeping a firm hand on the boy's head.

  Akane watched them for a few seconds, then smiled.

  —It's okay! See you, Ichigo —she said as she headed toward the car.

  The boy's father barely managed to exhale in relief before meeting the gaze of the older brother.

  —My family gives only one chance. Make sure this never happens again.

  The man bowed even deeper.

  That same week, he withdrew his son from the school and transferred him to another institution—unwilling to risk seeing his company destroyed.