Chapter 1 Settings of One
- As if one was enough, strengthened by nature and will, he would come. The one with "lavish intent" to him. An intent that had creaked through us for far too long. We, merely a cliff shivered by the waves, not without thought, we then fought as a lot. And in the glimpse of daylight, one in the many rose up and struck the damned. A hero titled by us. -
The short sum of history in every front book. An oppressor was taken down through uprising. You would think it ended in peace, but it was definitely rushed. They fought with the strongest leading the charge and most of them ended up dead after the war. Those who survived went to adventure the newlands and seek treasure. Leaving the weak, the greedy, and the filthy rich nobles to fight amongst themselves and claim the land they so cowardly fought for. The daylight turned out to be darker than what anybody thought. Even the first hero left and went missing. He probably saw those people, shat himself, and f'd off. Hence the saying, "titled by us". They were scared he would turn and fight them so they gave him the "hero" title to be on his good side. Luckily for them, he disappeared. Nothing was left behind, not a trail, a child, a resemblance, nor even a will. Nobody even cared about that hero.
In class
"That's it for today. Remember, you'll be graduating from this class tomorrow. It's up to you to continue this study or choose a different path. Understand?"
"Yes, Teacher!", everyone replies.
"Well, I'm sure most of you have already made your choice. Remember, even though the magic academy is the top rated pick for students, the selections are very few. So I recommend only those who have faith in their own power. That's all, everyone's dismissed."
'This is the last day huh.', I thought whilst spacing out.
'I guess I better get home quickly to prepare for the final entrance exam.'
A dismissal of thought struck me many times nearing graduation. It all began, ended, repeated, so quickly. Trial and error numbed me so.
Walking Home
"Oh, heading back home, Ryu?", asked Kenichi-san, a local baker.
"Yes, Kenichi-san. Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony so I can train myself nonstop today."
"Working hard as usual huh? I know you wanna get into the academy and this is your last chance in getting in, but don't push yourself too hard. You hear me?"
"It's fine Kenichi-san. Even if I don't get into the academy, I can always choose a different path because that's what I've decided."
"Well, I'm not trying to bring you down or anything, but I suggest you start considering the alternatives more."
"I know…", as I looked at my arms.
These circles on my arms, these セグメント (segumento)…it's a little different than what everyone else has. Normally, people have 2-3 sento in this village, but a 1, it's exclusive to me and only me.
"Well then, I better be off. I have to cook dinner."
"Oh…yeah. Send my greetings to your dad, kid!"
"Sure thing Kenichi-san!"
Years, to no avail. Desperate as I was, the doubt was noticeably stronger than when I first decided to choose this path and my motivation has died down quite a bit ever since then.
Five Year Ago…
"What are you doing, Ryu!", a foggy figure appeared standing on top of me.
"Dad?!"
"You're damn right I am! Now how did you get beat up like that?"
"Oh this? I just fell on something."
"LIKE YOU HELL YOU DID, IDIOT SON."
"...."
"....So? What happened?"
"....They kept pestering me, so I kicked them in the face."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" A KICK WITHOUT A KNUCKLE SANDWICH?!"
'That's what you're on about?'
"I know…I know. I'm sorry."
"Dad….."
He was
A silent breeze, but at that moment I decided. I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth.
"I'm going to become a real hero."
Dad was shocked.
"A REAL hero, huh? AHAHAHAHA!"
"WHAT?! I KNOW I CAN DO IT!"
"Yeah…Yeah….", dad smiled at me.
"Why don't you believe me?", I said barely while holding my tears.
"No, no. I believe you, in fact, I believe you're the only one that could be a true hero."
"....Realy?", I sniffed.
Dad stood up, picked me high, and smiled at me.
"Yeah!"
I didn't know why he smiled so big and why he believed I could do it. But there was something different about his smile. Something…..something…..missing.
Present Time
I started walking home as I looked towards the crowd surrounding a small group in the distance. As I got closer to the crowd, I could hear what some were saying. They were cheering for the "Heroes" group.
"Thank you everyone! We have just finished subjugating the pedestals near the woods and must quickly report this to the guild. Fear not for we are here to protect everyone!"
There they are, "chosen people". Some were born in rather odd occurrences. Born with 4 or maybe even 5 sento. Reincarnation, chosen, prodigy, the sign of divine, all concepts are interpreted to find an answer. In the end, nobody knows why it is. They just know they're special in a way. But because this place only has a few of them, they are given special titles, "Hero".
"Well, I better head home fast now. Dad must be hungry."
_____________________________
Chapter 2 Laxation
At home
"I'm home!"
"..."
No response.
"Isn't here huh?", I thought as I walked into the kitchen.
My dad's job is pretty random. In short, he goes around and helps people. He is getting paid by a third party, the guild. Since he is strong, he helps subjugate low-level monsters or "pedestals" is what they're called. He could be finished hours before or hours from now. Amazingly, he always gets home to eat dinner. Anyways, today I'll be making some fried potato sandwiches. How you may ask? I don't know, but it's potato so it'll definitely be fine. After all, potatoes are the ultimate food source.
"Chop chop….chop chop…Stab stab…stab stab… Dab dab….dab dab… Wait..... Now for tasting….. Right on!"
I'm not a chef or anything, but since I don't have a mom or a maid, I do all the housework here.
"Fresh herbs for the final touch….and…. Done!"
"Now I just have to wait for dad to come home.", as I sat down at the dinner table.
Two hours later
"Dad sure is taking his time…It really is quite rare for him to be this late. Guess I'll put this in the cooler."
"Freeze", as I put the food inside an ice box.
One of the tricks that I learnt from World Class. They do teach basic magic. Since I'm aiming for the academy, I'll have to cultivate different types of magic on my own. Well, last year my dad taught me a type of magic or more like a skill, "Overload". Although, It's unstable and the last time I tried using it, I broke several bones on my arm. In short, It's a power enhancing drug and It's my trump card for the entrance exam this year.
"It's awfully late….Well it is dad so I guess there I shouldn't worry.…Guess I'll go to sleep."
Next day
"Good…morning.", as I walked down the stairs with sleepy eyes.
"Oh, Ryu!", my dad replied while cooking breakfast.
"You got home late yesterday huh."
"My bad, my bad, the job was complicated. HAHAHAHA! Oh, and thanks for dinner last night. You got better at controlling magic while sleeping didn't you?"
"The entrance exam is a week from now. So I'll have to practice more. By the way dad, can you train me today."
"Oh sure boy! Wait for me yeah, I'm making some tomato porridge!"
"Ugh….What the?", as I looked into the pot he's making.
"There he goes making weird diabolical food again.."
"It's quite something isn't it? HAHAHAHA!"
Dad is….very eccentric in some ways. Hopefully I don't pick those up. Though he is a very good teacher. He's been teaching me since I was a kid and thanks to him, even a one zoner like me managed to keep up with others at least in World Class magic. But we both know this isn't enough for the magic academy. That's why he taught me his signature skill, Overload.
A Year Ago
"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT!", my dad shouted as I swung my sword.
"I can't use a sword dad! It's too hard. I'm better off punching with my fists."
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TEST YOU'LL HAVE NEXT YEAR, SO LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! The next entrance exam is your last chance to get in. They don't accept gap year students. "
"I know dad. But…It seems hard. Harder…than what I thought it would be."
"Losing your touch ay? It's fine. 5 years ago was a long time ago, I can't blame you for doubting yourself now. You've failed many times and I know how hard you've tried…You know son, If it's a hero you want to be, then I believe you can do it. If you choose to be anything else, I believe you can do it."
"..."
"So don't feel forced by yourself. I'll be here for whatever choice you make."
"....One more time….I want to try one more time. I'll give it my all and if I don't make it this time, then I want to be like you dad. I guess a normal life isn't bad as well."
"Heh, you finally understand…Alright, one last trick.", he said while he pulled up his sleeves and concentrated.
"One, two, Release!"
In a snap, his three zones depleted to one.
"WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?", I asked whilst slightly panicked and confused.
"HAHAHA! Just the reaction I thought! Calm down alright, this is a skill."
"A skill? Does it remove your zones?"
"Of course not, Ryu, this is my signature move. Overload."
"Overload? What's that?"
"Well, well, let me show you…."
He aimed next to my head.
"Fire shot."
Nothing happened. Then he took a deep breath and shouted.
"Overload!"
Just then, a snap next to my head can be heard. A fiery breeze quickly followed after he used an attack. His sento returned to normal as if he could control it.
"WHAT THE F-"
"Ryu! LANGUAGE! HAHAHAHA!"
"Did you do that dad?"
"YEAH! Rather than a skill that suppresses zones, it increases it by whatever you like as long as you're tough enough."
"Huh?"
"It's a special type of skill, my personal cultivation."
"I…don't….understand."
"You'll understand when you understand."
"You're not making sense dad…"
"ALRIGHT, RYU! I'M ABOUT TO TEACH YOU MY SIGNATURE SKILL! OVERLOAD! IT'S UP TO YOU TO LEARN AND CULTIVATE IT FOR YOUR OWN. UNDERSTAND?"
"YES!"
Present Time
"FOOD'S DONE!", shouted my dad as he put down a messy blob on the table.
"Guess I'll ask the doctor to heal me later, just in case."
_____________________________________
Chapter 3 Pixels
After Eating
'Ugh….I might not make it to the doctor in time…'
"What happened, your face looks pale Ryu?"
'It's your fault though….'
"OH, I see. Today is the graduation ceremony. Feeling nervous aren't we?"
"Kind of, but it's not because of the ceremony. It's just that It's getting closer to the last entrance exam."
"...", dad stared at me quietly.
"What?"
"I'll ready your food for today…", as he got up and heated the pan.
"...WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! I'LL DO IT MYSELF.", I panicked, realizing what kind of food he makes.
"Ryu! I'll do it for today so go prepare for the ceremony."
"...yeah, sure."
Ten minutes later
I'm usually the one that prepares food here, and for good reason too.
'What's up with him today?'
"Oh, Ryu, I made you one of my specialties!"
"A-and what is that?"
"Well, you'll know it when you see it.
HAHAHAHA!"
"Ughhhh."
"Off you go then!", as he opened the door for me.
"Yeah! I'm off!"
At school
"Chamel Anthony...Sirsa Ho...Potter Harry. We, the whole academy, would like to…"
'This is pretty boring. Wonder what I'll do after this? I guess I can continue training….and probably ask dad to fight me for real this time.'
"You will be the future, ours and yours. Some will lead and some will follow. Therefore we are proud to present and congratulate our top students this year. Francois Alberta, Yura Kageyama, Vickunadi, and Petric Alberta. As per usual, the top 4 students will be getting a scholarship to the capital's magic academy.", said the school's principal.
I had thought about going to the academy by scholarship, but I couldn't, no, decided not to. If I was going to the academy, I had to prove myself worthy. Not just from grades. With that being said, the Alberta brothers, huh…. They were prodigies from the start and not only with their zones. Yura Kageyama, she's a smart one alright. I couldn't compare to her. Lastly, Vickunadi….well he's there….I guess.
"Shall we learn from them, we too can be as inspiring and aspiring as them. But nonetheless, we are very proud of all of you and we expect great things from everyone! Congratulations!"
Everyone screamed "Hooray!" at the tops of their lungs. We spent 12 years in this school and I do feel a little sad to have left it. I felt like this was it. The last step before I either get into what I want or what I can.
"Alright everyone! There will be an eat together in a second, so bring your meals and head to the cafeteria. For the parents, please go to your children's classroom to meet the homeroom teacher. Thank you very much!", the principal said.
At the dining table
"Uah! What is that?", said Vickunadi as he looked at what I brought.
"Uah! What is that? Oh never mind, that's just your face.", I replied sarcastically.
"Big brain yeah?"
"Yeah, sure. Sure. Anyways, I'm more shocked that you made it to the top 4. I mean I knew you were smart but I didn't think you're that smart", I said with a monotone voice.
Vickunadi, Vick for short, has been my friend for quite some time. Even though he's only got 2 zones, he's incredibly smart, unlike me, who has neither…..He's friendly and quite frankly ambitious.
"Flip off you prick. Just so you know, I studied 10 times a day, 20 days a month, and 40 months a year."
"Dang, you studied so hard that time itself needed to study itself."
"You get the point right. I worked hard on this and it finally paid off. I've wanted to learn and teach magic for so long now. I got my chance now and I'll have to use it well."
"Well, congrats!", as I threw my food at his food and laughed.
"OH YOU MOTH-.....wait, what's this?", he took his hand and pulled a letter out.
"A letter?"
'Dad's food must've gotten worse…'
"You better read this, it says it's from your dad."
"Oh, thanks.", I took the letter and opened it.
It was weird, too weird. I thought, 'Dad wouldn't possibly do this.' He's a guy of action, never talking through writing.
"Wait what? It's locked"
"? Let me have a look at it."
"..."
"It seems it has a time locker. You'll have to wait for it to open."
"That's odd, why would he put it so?"
'Is this why it took him a while to prepare?'
"You wanna try to open it?"
"...Yeah, I'm curious too."
Vickunadi took a deep breath.
"Nul"
The clock on the letter started to turn, but it quickly stopped and revered to position.
"What?"
Vickunadi tried again.
"NUL"
But it didn't make any difference.
"Nul is supposed to cancel out magic like this….Why isn't it working?"
"Let me try."
"Don't even, the person who made this is stronger than me. If I can't do it, you can't as well."
"Oh shut it, I got something up my sleeves."
"Fine, fine."
I took a deep breath.
"Nul"
'The same trick as me? When did he learn that? ...But it doesn't look like that'll work as well.'
"...Ry-"
"Overload"
The clock that moved ever so slightly immediately dissipated.
"WHAT THE?!"
"HAHAHA! Look at my newest trump card, Overload. Personally taught by my dad."
"Eeeeeh, that's almost cheating."
"Well, kind of but not really, using that also damages me. I probably won't be able to use magic for some time. Plus thanks for showing me that Nul thing, pretty cool technique."
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, anyways, what's inside the letter?"
"Let's see, let's see…"
Inside the letter
Dear Ryu,
Congrats! You've officially graduated from World Class. I'm proud of you, Ryu. With that being said, I'll hold off on the celebrations for when you pass this year's exam. 5 years you awaited and I'll make sure you pass with absolutely flying scores!
'It's so not like him, I'm kinda creeped out. And since when did he write this neatly? The man I know avoids writing in any way he can.'
I'm sure you're excited to know what I have in plan, so I attached another letter to this letter. Almost like an inception of letters! But DON'T open it now. It is very important that you only open this just before the exam starts. Do you understand Ryu?
'What? Why give it now, the exam starts next week.'
Work today is pretty busy and I probably won't be there for the parent's meeting. Sorry for that, Ryu. I know you hid the meeting notice and I know you did it so I can focus on work. Appreciate it, Ryu.
'Ahhhhh, I got caught out…'
Don't worry about me! Focus on what's best for you. Grow up wise, grow up strong. Go farther….farther than where I was. If it's you, I'm sure..
'Somehow….he feels distant.'
I….. believe in your dreams and even more in you.. Live proudly.. I'll be watching and I'll be waiting.. No matter what, a hero or not, promise you'll smile. Till the end.
'...What's…with him?'
Goodbye, Ryu.
I think It was 9th March, 1204. A small village, Hogloc, 100 km east from the capital city, was hit by a massive wave of fire.
_____________________________________
Chapter 4 Colossal
'Goodbye, Ryu.'
"What the heck?"
"Something wrong Ryu?", asked Vickunadi.
"No, it's nothing, I think…"
In that second, the bell rang. All of them all at once.
"WHAT!? WHAT'S HAPPENING?!", Vickunadi shouted.
Something felt off, but it didn't feel wrong. Almost as if it felt familiar.
"RYU!"
"...It's nothing, I think…"
The cafeteria door slammed open.
"ALL OF YOU, OUT, NOW!!", a teacher shouted loudly.
I could feel it. The wind is faster, denser, tempered with. Not just here, but in this whole village. I knew the teachers had noticed it too.
"LET'S GO, VICK!"
We rushed out of the building and gathered around with the other students on the school's lawn.
'It's so loud, what's going on? I don't see anything.'
"Hey Ryu….look up."
The sky was red and had clouds forming a gate, waiting to be opened.
"That doesn't look good. Looks like a pedestal made gate."
"You don't think it's a colossal type gate right? The one where colossal pedestals come out."
"If it is, the whole village's dead."
Colossals are pedestals which gain special properties through assimilation with other types of pedestals. All are intelligent and all are equally destructive. A small village won't stand a chance especially while the hero is absent.
I again felt a sense of familiarity. The breeze grew stronger. Something from the distance felt… sorrow. The panic from everyone could be heard and the principal tried to calm everyone down.
"Everyone calm down, this is a dire situation and we need to act rashly. Parents be by your children and exit this village immediately. We've arranged carriages to take all of you to the nearest village. Please calm do-"
KRAKAKKA! A loud fire explosion, followed by several smaller ones getting closer and closer to there. It came from the east, where my house was roughly.
"Quickly, everyone!"
The principal and the teachers ushered the parents and children to the carriages. With the fire suppressing the village slowly, the rest of the villagers also joined the barrage of carriages. Oddly enough, everyone managed to make it out in time.
"Where's your dad, Ryu?", asked VIckunadi.
"I don't know, I can't see him but I can sense he's near."
"Well let's get outta here first before the fire catches up. Your dad's gonna make it our fine, he's the strongest person here after all."
"But I feel something's odd and that letter….. I think I'm gonna stay here for a little longer."
"RYU!"
"Don't worry, I'll leave if it gets too close to me."
"..."
"Just go and wait for me outside the village."
"...Alright, but just give me a blast signal and I'll come right back."
"Ah, thanks."
Vickunadi left and I stayed.
A choice…
'Alright, I'll be waiting, dad!'
The fire kept getting closer and closer as I waited.
'Why isn't he here yet?'
Was that really the wiser choice? To stay? I was uncertain and even to this day I am still…
'Dad, you never once worried me.'
Whilst lost in thought, rain started pouring.
'...'
An explosion happened, far away. I could barely hear it but it made me realize that…
'Rain…It's raining!'
I had looked above and saw the clouds pouring down rain.
'This rain will stop the fire!'
To my dismay, the fire didn't even budge. No, it was approaching faster. And in that moment of realization, as it is common knowledge to any user, I ran towards the fire as quickly as I could.
"This isn't a normal fire."
I ran panickingly, having an idea what that could mean.
" IT ISN'T!"
I screamed but the only thing that could be heard was that of a whisper. Yet, it reached a man in the middle of chaos.
"Ryu?"
_____________________________________
Chapter 5 Sento
Vigorous flames showed no sign of diminishing. 'Freeze! Freeze, FREEZE!' I couldn't think straight, but I could feel I was getting closer. The more I ran inwards, the more it seemed suicidal.
"DAMNIT!"
My stamina couldn't keep up with the intense fire and I started to feel burning.
'This is bad, I'll die even if I run back and I can't ask for Vick's help here. It'll be too dangerous.'
I tried gasping for air but the fire had gotten to my lungs already. Each breath I took was killing me literally. I was beginning to faint but If I had lost consciousness there, I'd die without a single trace of my corpse.
"LIKE HELL I'LL DIE HERE!"
I took in as much air as I could. With my lungs burnt from the fire, I knew that was my only way out. Though I haven't mastered it, though It could kill me quicker, I mustered up,
"Overload."
The overlapping sento I had was my last ditch effort in getting as close as possible to him.
"FREEZE!"
The wave of fire split into two creating a path to walk on.
"I did it!"
It took me days of practice, but I pulled it off. Nevertheless, the drawbacks are still severely serious. My right hand was frozen and the strain on my body was intense.
'..Agh…But at least I've got a breather.'
[Who?]
"What?"
I heard a deep grunting voice. It wasn't coming from near me but the voice surrounded me.
[You?]
"..."
I heard my heart shutter. It was such a menacing, blindingly fearful voice. So much so that strength left me. I was scared of the fire no more, instead it was of the voice.
[REPLY ME]
"..."
Next blink, I felt a hand had grabbed my legs. And on the next blink, I was in front of him. A man that had thorns on his back. He looked powerful but weakened, ancient yet newborn, furious but calming. And as he held me by the throat up in the air, I looked behind him and saw,
"DAD!"
"RYU?! WHY ARE YOU HERE? THAT WAVE OF FIRE SHOULD'VE HAD…It should've had…"
He saw me. The burnt clothes, bruised skin, frozen arm, nearly dead in front of him.
"...what…what happened?"
"...agh.."
"RYU! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED. WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THAT?"
[QUIET, HERO]
"...D-D..ad"
I couldn't think straight. Dad was held down by piercing spikes and I knew he's in trouble. I tried casting freeze but being choked to death made me lightheaded and disoriented. I was slowly losing my consciousness.
"LET HIM GO!"
[He's your son, isn't he?]
"KIKYOU! LET HIM GO!"
[Why not say goodbye?]
"I'M THE THAT HERO! I'M THE ONE YOU'RE AFTER!"
[Then so be it]
"KIKYOOOUU!!!"
Before my eyes began to shut, before my hearing became silent, the last thing I remembered was my dad's bloody body covering me.
"Ryu, thank y0u."
"W…why is this happening?"
"Did everyone in the village make it out safely?"
"Yeah, they did."
"That's good, I was worried if the fire's to fast."
"Did you do it?"
"Hm?"
"Were you the one who casted the fire, dad?"
"...I was."
"Why? WHY DID YOU BURN DOWN THE VILLAGE?"
"Ryu…."
[You would shorten your life?]
The blood on dad's body wasn't just from damage, his arms and legs are hardly moving. They're torn from using Overload.
[I WON'T LET YOU!]
He, Kikyou, stabbed my dad with spikes and pulled him back.
"AGH!!"
[YOU'LL DIE ON MY TERMS]
"DAD!"
I gasped as much air as I could, raised my left hand, and braced for the drawback…
"Overload"
Didn't think, no, didn't want to. If I had thought about the aftermath, I wouldn't have been able to move at all.
'This is all I can muster up, so please, be enough!'
"STOP IT, RYU!! YOU'RE STILL UNSTABLE!"
"FREEZE!"
The strongest spell I had at the time and It was all or nothing. Fear, this was the first time I was in fear of death. It definitely showed in my eyes and dad…..probably saw this.
The cast went through and it landed exploadingly. As expected, my left hand started to freeze and my already stressed body suffocated me. I couldn't catch my breath but I knew if I pass out now, I'll die.
I coughed out blood but the fire had burnt my lungs. Every bit of blood that came out hurts like hell. I couldn't feel my arms or legs, all of it was overwhelmed by pain. I collapsed onto the dirt ground not being able to move.
'At least something, anything!'
The smoke cleared out and no kidding, he didn't even budge. He took it head on and didn't even look at me. And so, my mind blanked.
_____________________________________
Chapter 5 Savior
[Reckless as always, Hero, teaching him that will only burden him]
"..aaagh…"
[He isn't you, and will never be you]
"You know nothing of him!"
[He's your son and thus he's a danger]
"Don't even think about it. I'll stop you with my last bit of life."
[No, he'll die soon enough. That technique he used destroyed most of his organs]
'Dammit, at this rate we'll both die here!'
[...Time destroys, doesn't it?]
"..."
[All these years of peace and for what?]
"…"
[What was it you wanted to show me?]
"..."
[This? This village you burned down so the villagers' will be safe? Is this the "peace" you said?]
He raised his hand and aimed at me.
"KIKYOU! I'LL"