Volume 1, Chapter 1, Prologue
"Oh great
Amidst the shadows of twelve bizarre monsters, I stood alone.
It was a strange sight.
"We will obey your will, great
Under their intimidation, I was the only one who thought.
"Great
"For now, this is a dream," I replied and fled from the scene.
This is probably a hallucination. I understand it well.
Or maybe it's a new religion?
What is this "Child of the End" anyway?
When I was sixteen, I lost my parents and sister in a bus accident. Even my classmates who had previously avoided me treated me like an outcast due to my tumor.
However, strange religious groups and incomprehensible people come around me, even though I received a large sum of money like compensation.
Perhaps, these people are also that kind of people.
Even though I sold the house where my family lived to avoid such things and went to a distant university, why did this happen?
The world is really not good at all.
Besides, it's not the kind of story that suddenly comes up in a night alley like this.
Anyway, I'm good at running away, so I just ran away.
At that moment, a sharp pain ran through the back of my right hand, and a plant-like object appeared thinly and circularly on the back of my hand, with a ruby-like jewel in the center.
It was like some kind of crest.
The red jewel—something like thin tentacles extending from the crest stretched inside my body and spread throughout my entire being like nerves.
Then, a whirlpool formed in space around my right hand with the crest, and my body gradually disappeared as if being swallowed.
"What is this? Recent hallucinations are quite vivid."
"I see, you've been called. Come, my dear friend."
Suddenly, a tall figure standing alone in a suit in the distance called out like that.
Who does he think he's mistaken me for?
If I had a friend, I wouldn't be alone.
I can't see their face, but they might be a pervert.
"Anyway, you never change, running away like that," said the tall person, laughing.
It's seriously creepy.
But my body is caught up in a whirlpool, and I can't focus on that right now.
I struggle, but the whirlpool eventually swallows me up.
Is this really how it ends?
I wanted to try making a girlfriend or something.
But I guess I'll end up alone.
"Ah, well..."
I let out a sigh and then passed out.
Bang bang bang!
I could hear multiple explosive sounds.
After that, it seemed like I had lost consciousness and collapsed.
When I hurriedly opened my eyes, I saw the audience room of the palace right in front of me.
It looked like a considerably huge castle.
Was I reincarnated into a different world even though I wasn't run over by a truck?
Well, at least I didn't feel any pain.
When I looked around, women lined up on both sides were clapping and making noise with something like crackers.
In the audience room, which was about the size of a small university lecture hall, there was a splendid throne, and an elderly man who looked a bit tired was sitting on it.
Could he be the king of this world's country?
The elderly man who seemed to be the prime minister waiting beneath the throne looked tired.
Both were wearing military uniforms resembling those of Meiji-era statesmen.
Many beautiful women were dressed in Western-style dresses with a Japanese flair, lined up and clapping their hands, surrounding me, who had collapsed on the red, luxurious carpet drawn from the entrance to the audience chamber before the king.
Everyone appeared to be high-ranking, like nobles. Their attire had a Western dress style, but with Japanese influences that made me feel like I had slipped through time to the Meiji or Taisho eras.
Everyone smiled but also looked at me with assessing eyes.
The king sitting on the throne stood up.
He looked quite tired, but upon closer inspection, had a well-structured face.
"I am the king of this Yamato kingdom, named Yukihito Sumeragi. Nice to meet you, my nephew."
The Yamato king smiled.
"What? Nephew?"
Looking at me with confusion, the king had a troubled expression.
"Um, have you heard anything from my younger brother?" he asked.
"Younger brother? Who do you mean?" I replied.
"I'm referring to your father," he said.
"No, I haven't heard anything. My father passed away when I was sixteen," I answered.
"I see..." the king responded, still looking troubled, and turned to an elderly man who seemed to be the prime minister.
The elderly man, who looked like the prime minister, stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you. I am Murashige Sumeragi, the prime minister of this country. I am also your uncle. In our