"Why do we exist? What's the purpose of life, and why do we face mortality?" These questions swirled in Kana's mind as he lay battered on the battlefield, contemplating the capricious hand of fate.
"Did I consciously choose this life's path?" he reflected, overwhelmed by remorse. "This wasn't what I aspired to, a tranquil existence, a realm filled with security and unending joy. Yet, destiny seized control, shattering all I fought to preserve.
"Kana, a humble soldier, hung on the precipice of a gruesome demise, devoured by a monstrous wolf. Agonizing pain coursed through him, every breath a laborious struggle. "The pain is excruciating," he winced, confronting the unrelenting agony. "But I won't succumb without a fight," he resolved.
Desperation compelled Kana to reach for a magical bomb securely fastened to his waist. He attempted to thrust it into the gaping maw of the beast. However, the creature snatched his hand and the bomb, subjecting him to a fiery explosion that obliterated the wolf.
In the throes of death, Kana, a mere foot soldier with battered equipment, confronted the uncertainty of the ongoing war against the demon king. Yet, he found himself questioning why he had been chosen as the first to fall, while he had innocently relieved himself by the roadside. Dragged and bitten by the wolf, his end felt deeply humiliating.
Kana's early life unfolded in the unforgiving realm of Miste, nestled within the impoverished and oppressive Canny Kingdom. This land grappled with endemic corruption, an avaricious monarchy, and crushing tax burdens that drove its citizens into dire poverty. A climate of oppression had taken root, where even the most trivial misstep could lead to the gravest consequences.
Kana, born into this austere environment, bore the weight of his parents' poverty, which was so burdensome that they made the heart-wrenching decision to abandon their newborn child. The infant found refuge in a local orphanage, under the care of a compassionate nun whose boundless empathy led her to raise the forsaken child, naming him Kana. For a span of eight years, he thrived within an environment marked by the nurturing love of devoted nuns and the camaraderie of his fellow orphaned companions.
However, the serene facade of the orphanage was irreparably shattered one fateful day when Kana overheard a group of nuns, including the grand nun, shedding tears behind closed doors. His inquisitive nature impelled him to eavesdrop, and what he learned was a heart-wrenching revelation. The orphanage was entangled in insurmountable debt, and the nuns' desperate response was to offer their bodies to avert the crisis and secure sustenance for the children.
That night, as the other children slumbered, Kana ventured stealthily from his room, resolute in his quest for the truth. He made his way to the nun's quarters, only to bear witness to a disconcerting scene. These women, once regarded as divine figures, were now garbed in immodest attire. The jingling of a bell from outside drew their attention, and Kana, stricken with disbelief, watched as the nuns hastily departed, leaving the orphanage behind.
With the rising sun, Kana, still concealed near the door, heard the distant approach of a carriage. The nuns returned, bearing the visible and invisible scars of their harrowing ordeal. They re-entered the orphanage, their dignity stripped away.
In that profound moment, Kana's youthful innocence was shattered, revealing the brutal reality of the world he inhabited. It was a world where the anguish endured by individuals like him went largely unnoticed by the nobility, who willfully averted their gaze from the dire straits of the orphanage.
As the years elapsed, Kana matured into an ten-year-old, his resolve unwavering, shouldering his responsibilities earnestly in an effort to grant the nuns a moment of reprieve.
Kana couldn't help but notice the gradual decline in the quantity of food, coupled with the nuns' deteriorating health, casting a shadow of concern over the orphanage.
Then, a mere two days later, an enigmatic carriage pulled up before the orphanage's timeworn gates. The nuns summoned the elder children, including Kana, and instructed them to form a line to welcome the distinguished gentleman who alighted from the carriage.
The children's hearts brimmed with anticipation, envisioning the possibility of finding nurturing families, yet the unfolding reality was a stark departure from their dreams.
Behind closed doors, the nuns grappled with an agonizing decision to part with these innocent souls, trading them to slave traders in exchange for the funds requisite to retire their debts, secure vital medications, and furnish sustenance for the remaining younger wards. In a heart-wrenching transaction, ten older children were traded for a modest sum of ten gold coins.
While the younger children wept bitterly, their lamentations echoing through the orphanage's somber corridors, Kana, though torn by the morality of it all, comprehended the nuns' desperate plight, their backs against the wall. With heavy hearts, they boarded the ominous carriage, embarking on an uncertain voyage toward an uncertain destiny.
Left in their wake were the younger children and the bedridden nuns, their mournful gazes tracing the carriage's retreat, a tableau etching itself into Kana's memory, an enduring testament to the ruthless realities of the world he inhabited.
In the unfortunate turn of events, Kana found himself individually auctioned off to various buyers, each more disheartening than the last. Some were laborers, toiling in the unforgiving sun, others were tasked with cleaning the filth-ridden sewers, and a few found themselves in the bleak confines of brothels. A few more had been thrust into the horrifying realm of human experimentation.
Kana's fate, however, took a different path. He was sold to the knights' barracks, but rather than wielding a sword or a shield, his duties consisted of cleaning and laundering their uniforms. In the shadows of night, when the knights indulged in drunken revelry, Kana's torment escalated. He became a target, a living punching bag, the pain etching itself into his very soul.
When morning's light filtered through the barracks, Kana's body ached from the night's brutal abuse. However, his suffering was far from over. As a new day dawned, a knight entered the stable, but instead of offering a glimmer of respite, Kana was met with another cruel blow. Day after day, he was forced into this relentless cycle, a cruel routine that seemed to have no end.
After enduring six grueling years of unrelenting hardship, Kana had become accustomed to the monotonous routine of his life. Night after night, his body bore the brunt of the relentless abuse, leaving him physically deformed and limping in agony.
One day, a knight commander strode into the barracks with a momentous announcement. The king had decreed that they would launch an offensive against the demon-infested territory, with the intention of subjugating them. The knights and their unlikely companions, the slaves, would form a unified force for this perilous undertaking.
Over the course of several months, an army was assembled, with the slaves placed at the vanguard of this dangerous mission. They were promised their freedom upon the successful conquest of the demon-infested land.
Kana, along with the other slaves, was overwhelmed with a sense of jubilation. The prospect of freedom, after years of torment, filled their hearts with hope and determination. They stood ready, united by a shared dream of liberation and a chance to rewrite their fates.
As the army set forth toward the demon land, Kana found himself equipped with nothing more than a rusty, battle-worn sword, a battered suit of armor, and a mana bomb, a last-resort tool reserved for when slaves were on the brink of death.
Kana's struggle to keep pace with the rest of the group was painfully apparent. Slowly, he fell behind his fellow slaves, his limping gait leaving him vulnerable. He soon felt the harsh impact of a soldier's strike from behind, leaving him with no choice but to quicken his unsteady steps, each one filled with agony.
After several days of grueling march, the army decided to take a much-needed rest. The knight officials convened to discuss their battle strategy, while the slaves were tasked with keeping watch over the surroundings. The rest stop was situated a few kilometers away from the demon-infested territory.
Kana, assigned the role of lookout, seized a moment to relieve himself near his post. Unexpectedly, a slight pang shot through his left leg. Before he could react, a massive, two-meter-long gray wolf clamped its jaws onto Kana's leg, and with sudden ferocity, it dragged him away from the camp.
Kana fought to break free, but the wolf's teeth pierced through his leg, leaving him in a harrowing struggle for survival.
Kana's desperation to break free from the relentless grip of the wolf reached its peak. In his frantic struggle, the sword at his hip slipped from his grasp. With no other option, Kana seized the mana bomb fastened to his waist and activated it, driven by the urgent need to escape. But there was something more on his mind, he was determined to ensure that the wolf would meet its end alongside him.
With unwavering resolve, Kana thrust the mana bomb into the wolf's gaping maw, but the beast's swift reaction snatched his hand and the explosive device. The resulting detonation was cataclysmic, creating a massive shockwave that reverberated through the surroundings and jolted the nearby camp, signaling a dramatic turn of events.
The deafening explosion, triggered by Kana's desperate act, rippled through the air, sending shockwaves that shook the nearby camp. The army, jolted from their rest, sprang into action, rallying to counter the unexpected ambush. It was in this tumultuous moment that the epic clash between humans and demons, the catalyst for a long-standing war, erupted with a ferocity that would define the fate of both worlds.
Amid the chaos and uncertainty of his recent plight, Kana experienced an unexpected sensation enveloping him, a heartbeat, an unfamiliar scent, and a soothing, mysterious voice.
"Open your mouth, dear. Say 'aaah,'" a woman's voice cooed. Without warning, something soft filled Kana's mouth, and the taste of milk caressed his senses. He couldn't yet open his eyes, but the sensation provided a strange yet oddly comforting reassurance.
In the depths of his perplexed thoughts, Kana found himself grappling with a profound question. "Why? Why? I was absolutely certain I met my demise at the claws of the monster, yet somehow, I now find myself reborn as a baby," he contemplated. "Have I truly experienced reincarnation?"
Three days later, Kana, shrouded in bewilderment, finally managed to unveil his eyes. To his astonishment, he discovered himself encircled by a massive wolf, a surge of panic coursing through him. His heart raced, and as he cast a fearful glance toward what should have been his hand, he was met with the startling realization, it had been replaced by a small paw. The undeniable truth emerged, he had been reborn as the very wolf he had once vanquished.