Year 20xx.
There was nothing special happened in this era. Nothing at all, if you consider having special powers and monsters started appearing out of nowhere and destroying anything as your usual normal life. To specify, the monsters emerged ten years ago. Around that time, I was just an ordinary kid living my life with my uncle. Well, he is my uncle, known as Sanada Ryuzaki, but we're not related by blood. Then again, if it wasn't because of the "incident" when I was just 6 years old, I wouldn't know that I also have special power.
Strangely enough, no one, even my uncle knew how people like me got this power, where this power came from, or where the monsters originally came from. It was just...happened.
After that chaotic day, special people began to form guilds and called themselves "Guilders", vowed to protect the world from the monsters. There's a mark to know that a certain person is a Guilder. They wore a unique wristwatch called "Guild-Arms". The device, which mainly used for communication device, had some quite useful functionality, such as displaying a holographic general layout of a given area, moving items from a certain place to themselves using Virtual Object Mover...Oh I forgot to mention their communication system had the same similar system like those you found in webcam, but using holographic screen. Pretty convenient, yeah? However, this device designed only for Guilders.
So, it had been ten years since that day. The guilds kept growing, but also the numbers of monsters. However, the more the days had passed, it wasn't just a conflict between about humans and monsters anymore.
There were a few guilds who worked to rule the world just to satisfy their selfish need. Well, that's just how the world works now, I guess.
Anyway, I was on my way back to my place. It was a peaceful night. The city was calm, the weather was nice, and you could even see the moonlight. It was rare to see something like this in this kind of world. I mean, mostly you'd see people fighting against themselves...or maybe the monsters. Not to mention the monsters could appear anytime, anywhere. Ever since that day, we were told to stay vigilant to our surroundings. I know it's a must these days, but when I looked at the people around me...I'd say...
It was a good feeling.
'Guess I'll enjoy the moment for now.'
I decided to sit on an empty bench near a park. I couldn't help but to exhale my breath while closing my eyes. I could feel the wind was very strong, but it wasn't cold, yet it was kind of cozy. I liked it. It helped me to refresh my mind for a moment.
Then a glimpse of memories appeared in my head. A young girl, smiling so gently with her hand reaching out to me. She was cute, yet kind.
I remembered her.
I met her when I was a kid, and we lived together for short time. She had special powers too, like me.
Although, she suddenly disappeared. I didn't know why she disappeared like that when I wanted to be with her—
'Wait, what am I thinking?'
In the midst of my own confusion, I felt a vibration came from my phone. I dug it up from my pocket and turned it on.
I got a message from my uncle.
"Hey kid, coming home now? I just want to tell you that starting tomorrow, you have to go to an academy I've signed you up. The academy's name is Seven Stars Academy. No need to worry about the uniform. You'll use your usual clothes there. It's in the academy rules. That's all I have to say here. I'll tell you more when you got back."
That old man could just tell me about it in our apartment. I could only sigh knowing how he was.
To be honest, I didn't attend any kind of academic school for a year. As a 16 years old teenager, I wasn't a student as people thought I'd be. The reason was...well...only me, my uncle and some certain people knew about it.
Sighing once more, I put my phone back to my pocket and stood from my seat.
It was then I felt something wasn't right. The sudden change of atmosphere, the dark clouds filled the sky ...
The peaceful night I just said before was no more.
Many people ran away in panic. Scream and shouting were echoing around the streets. There was also smoke coming out of a tall building which was a few blocks away from me. For a second, I thought it was caused by electrical failure or something, but after thinking it through, I felt it was something more than that.
I decided to get closer.
Suddenly explosions went off in the building. It kept blazing on for a minute, causing the debris fell to the sidewalk. Good thing there weren't many people around and no one was injured. I was relieved about that.
However, after another explosion, I saw a giant rubble falling. I immediately looked to what awaited below it.
The thing I was afraid of was coming.
Some people were about to get crushed by it.
Gritting my teeth, I ran to them as fast as I could. It was like a race against time, with their life at the stake.
The rubble was near, and just as it was about to crush them, I punched it with all I had, crushing the rubble to pieces.
They were speechless. They would probably thought it was the end for them. Well, they couldn't help it. They were about to get killed if I wasn't there. Although, I didn't expect I would trouble myself to save them.
I guess...my body was acting on its own.
I guess...I didn't want to see them injured.
I guess...
"Thank you."
I turned my attention to them. Judging by their look, I knew I was emotionless.
I couldn't help it. After that incident, I vowed to myself to not use my power once more, no matter what. But...I just broke it. I was...kind of mad at myself. Why did I do it? The more I asked myself that question, the more confused I was.
Another explosion went off in the building. I looked at them seriously.
"It's not safe here. Go."
They nodded and ran away in haste. I kept standing while observing the building in front of me.
The building had ten floors, and the explosions caused quite a damage to it.
Although something didn't feel right to me.
'What caused all those explosions? Why it happened in this building?'
A small explosion blazed. It made me wondering again.
'What's going on?'
A sudden shouting gained my attention.
"Look!" a man shouted while pointing his finger to a certain floor.
I looked at the where pointing at. I couldn't see clearly due to the thick smoke, but from what I saw, there was a girl on the edge of the building. On her right hand was a katana and she was keeping her stance up to someone or something in front of her, which was slightly taller than her.
Suddenly a huge explosion went off at the very floor the girl was, throwing her off the building.
"She's falling!"
Her katana got thrown away from her, but after a few seconds, it vanished into tiny particles of light. I was kind of shocked to see that. I mean, only some people in this world had that weapon. Most special people used human-made weapons and need to hide their weapons into their Guild-Arms or just sheath it behind their back, since it couldn't be summoned by any means. Weapons like that girl had were different.
Those weapons were called Materia, came from the will of the owner of the weapon. The only special thing about this type of weapon was it could be summoned by the user's free will. As long as the user's will still strong, the weapon wouldn't break even by the strongest force.
Still, if the weapon vanished without the user's command, I knew the girl was unconscious.
'Guess I have no choice...'
I ran to her and caught her. Good thing there wasn't any rubble in my way to get her.
I took her to a safe area, away from the explosions and falling debris.
When I looked at her, it hit me.
She was unconscious as I'd have expected. However one thing that made me taken aback was herappearance. She looked really familiar, yet I didn't know if this girl was the same girl I know from the past. Her smooth, long hair which tied into ponytail, her cute face...She really was resembling her.
I got too caught up in the moment that I realized I was looking at her for too long.
A sound of something fell was heard behind me.
From the tension I felt, I knew it was something horrible and waiting for me to move.
Without a doubt, I turned my gaze to what awaited behind me.
The monsters. I knew they wouldn't stop even though this girl was already unconscious.
Four black wolfs known as Howlers and two lizardmen which had roughly the same height as human known as Gramlizards were looking at me with their gaze of hunger. More likely their hunger wasn't for their stomach, but hunger to kill me and this girl.
Staring at the Gramlizard, I felt that it was the one who caused this girl to keep her guard up before. The height, the build of this thing, definitely she was fighting it and the other monsters.
There was no other way but to fight them. Running away would lead the monsters to the civilians, and destroying things around. I couldn't let any single of them alive.
I put her on to the ground, making sure she was safe from any damage that I and the monsters could give. After, I looked at the monsters with my serious look.
"Come at me, you monsters!"
The Howlers growled, grinning its teeth filled with their saliva. The Gramlizards were pummeling their weapons to their shields, showing me their smile of joy.
Seemed like they thought I was a delicious prey they could get for tonight.
The last thing I could do was to defend myself and this girl. If I fail, this girl, and many people, would die.
No weapon needed. I chose to use my fist to fight them. Even though I had Materia, I wouldn't use it.
I wouldn't break my vow again, to not using my Materia ever again.
"Alright..." I murmured, putting my left leg to the front while raising my right hand up to my chest.
It's a stance known as Dragon Stance. An all-rounder stance that could be used at any kinds of situation.With a balanced speed andpower, I felt it was enough to take them all down.
Clenching my fist, I took a deep breath. As if they were breaking the silence around us, the monsters roared and began their attack.
"Bring it!"
I am Minato Kashiwazaki, and this is our story.