Chapter 1: Modern World

Alexander Gregorvich was a young man who first came to Kenshiro Hidori as a child of one of the trainers at Kenshiro's school of ancient tactics and weapons. Kenshiro had had great success with this new business, and had established many schools across the globe. After meeting briefly for the first time, Alexander and his family headed off to Italy, where Marco Gregorvich became a trainer who specialized in Roman tactics and weapons, while Alexander's mother; Emma Gregorvic, found a job as a history teacher at a high school barely a mile away from their work and home. Alexander's parents had come from two different countries: his father from Russia, while his mother came from England. They had met in college under an exchange program in his mother's country, and had married a year later. A loving couple, they had raised a fine son, despite moving around a lot thanks to his father's job in archaeology, before meeting Kenshiro when Alexander was eight years old. For the first time in his life, Alexander spent more than a year in one place. While it was the happiest time of his life, it would be followed by an event that would mark him forever.

While heading home one day from an opera, his parents were killed by a drunk driver, bringing his world tumbling down. In a surprise move, when the state came for Alexander to put him in foster care for a lack of living relatives able to take him, it was Kenshiro Hidori who stepped forward to be his legal guardian. Bringing the distraught orphan into his home, he showered him with love and affection as he would any of his other children, but even he knew Alexander would never be the same. Growing up in Kenshiro's home and at his school in China, Alexander never drank because of what happened to his parents. Alcohol would forever be thought of him as something to be avoided, as was any drug that was not prescribed or needed to battle an illness. Loving history and his adopted family, Alexander went to school to study archaeology and languages like his father, returning for Christmas to see his family.

While there, a stranger approached him as he stood alone, training with a shield and gladius in the way of the ancient Romans, "Hello, Alexander."

Not recognizing the man Alexander asked, "Do I know you?"

Shaking his head, the Asian man said, "No, but I know you, and Kenshiro knows me as well. Speak with him tonight and mention that Sato stopped by."

With that Sato left him standing alone, and Alexander did indeed remember to ask Kenshiro about him. Kenshiro's face became a mask at the mention of Sato's name, and he asked Alexander to describe the man exactly.

When Alexander was finished, Kenshiro said, "I must admit: I know the man you speak of."

Alone in the backyard with his adopted father, Alexander asked, "What does he want with me?"

"That we will have to wait for tomorrow. I'll join you on the training grounds where he talked to you. There we will discover the cause of his return. Beyond that I will say no more." Kenshiro said, and no matter how Alexander pushed, he couldn't get Kenshiro to say more.

Father and son were quite different, despite being of different ethnic backgrounds. While Kenshiro was a Japanese-American, standing at 5'10 with a solid warrior build, Alexander was a smaller man who, despite being in great shape, was less physically intimidating. His hair was brown and his eyes the same, his hair cut short. Kenshiro's hair was long, and his eyes slightly slanted and brown. Both men were clean shaven, and both skilled fighters, but Kenshiro was definitely the more skilled of the two. Alexander's main strength was his ability to problem solve and adapt. He didn't so much as overpower his opponents, but out finesse them, and outthink them. Sharing Kenshiro's love of metallurgy, Alexander also had a second interest in combat engineering. Studying the great combat engineers of the past, Alexander helped Kenshiro perform mock battles, to set authentic tones for important guests who were looking to invest, or bring in students from prominent schools. Everyone, including Kenshiro, was impressed with his work and attention to detail. Alexander was of the belief that if you set up the right battlefield, any enemy could be defeated, no matter the odds. Little did he know that his viewpoint was about to be put to the test.

The following morning he and Kenshiro walked onto the practice field, to find Sato already waiting for him.

"It has been a long time, old friend." Kenshiro said with a wistful smile, as he shook the other man's hand.

"Yes, it has. I figured you would come with him. Do you want to tell Alexander why I am here or shall I?" Sato said, turning to Alexander with a friendly smile.