This Story is about two boys, Minato, who recently moved to a riverside village situated in the forest of the Kingdom of Zephyria and near the border leading to the Lunaraith Kingdom, the village is small but lively with all kinds of people, there is never a time of day where there isn't something going on. Minato is a kind boy who loves to adventure and make new friends, even though he isn't very good at making friends he still somehow manages to always have friends, and Yuma, a boy who has lived in the village his whole life with no other kids to hang out with he is always lonely until one day a small family moved to the village.
The family, seemingly bursting with joy, included a lively 4-year-old boy with shiny blue hair that complemented his contagious smile. His parents, adorned with vibrant personalities looked as happy as can be completed the picture of their happiness.
Settled into their new riverside home, their neighbours warmly welcomed the family. Among them was Yuma, a boy of the same age as the blue-haired boy, with long dark grey hair that shined in the bright sunlight. He smiled as he looked at the shiny blue-haired boy with hopeful eyes.
As the day unfolded, the shiny blue-haired boy, Haruto Minato, walked back home from the river and unexpectedly bumped into Yuma. A storybook moment unfolded with the sunset casting a vivid pink and orange light over them and a slight evening breeze painted a picture-perfect scene as if the two were destined to meet.
In an extremely nervous tone, Minato asked, "W… what's your name?" while scratching the back of his head.
"Y...Yuma… my name is Sota Yuma," replied the dark grey-haired boy with a scratchy voice and a bright red face.
"Nice to meet you, Yuma! My name is Haruto Minato. I hope you and I can get along from now on!" declared Minato, fiddling with his hands behind his back.
"Me… Me too!" said Yuma, standing straight as a board.
After their initial interaction, they stood in awkward silence unsure of what to say next.
"Minato, time to come home, dinner's nearly ready!" shouted Minato's mother in an annoyed tone.
"I guess I've got to go… Would you like to hang out tomorrow?" Minato asked in a nervous rush while glancing back toward his house.
"Uh..Uhm sure…" said Yuma, a faint smile growing on his face and his cheeks turning red.
hastily, Minato ran home to avoid his mother's scolding, and Yuma skipped home humming to himself, the sunset barely lighting the path ahead.
The next morning, Yuma anxiously waited on the path bathed in the early morning sun, right in front of Minato's house. A tinge of uncertainty lingered in Yuma's mind, wondering if Minato had perhaps reconsidered their budding friendship. Suddenly, a loud thud and a crash echoed from inside Minato's house, and before Yuma could fully process the sounds, Minato came bursting out the front door as if fleeing from a pursuing monster. In his haste, Minato tripped and fell right into Yuma's arms, and together they toppled into the grass beside the pathway, narrowly avoiding a collision with a sturdy oak tree.
Apologizing breathlessly, Minato said, 'Sorry about that... I didn't see you there."
"Wanna go somewhere?" asked Minato.
'No problem, and sure!' replied Yuma.
'Do you know any good hang-out spots?' asked Minato.
'Of course I do. Follow me!' Yuma said.
With that, Yuma and Minato sprinted down the path, basking in the morning sun and enveloped in the symphony of nature. They ran through the trees, climbed a few grassy hills, and finally reached a vantage point overlooking the forest. The view was reminiscent of a fairytale, almost indescribably beautiful. It felt like gazing upon life itself—trees adorned with green leaves, the sun gently ascending over the horizon, and the occasional small bird darting through the sky. It resembled a landscape taken right from a dream.
Minato excitedly exclaimed, 'Hey, Yuma... we should make this our base of operations!'
'Don't you agree?' he asked.
'Totally!' Yuma replied.
'Great!' Minato said.
Minato and Yuma dedicated the entire day to building a small fort from sticks and rocks found in the surrounding forest. By the time they finished, the moon had already been out for quite some time. Deciding it was time to return to the village, the cover of trees made it difficult to see, and the faint moonlight barely illuminated the ground. Animals and birds rustled and fluttered around them, they walked awhile talking about their dreams of becoming soldiers to protect the kingdom. As they reached home, the light over the horizon signalled the start of a new day, and both the boys were scolded by their parents for being out so late.
From that day forward, Minato and Yuma were inseparable, forging a friendship that would last a lifetime. Time flew by, marked by weeks of hiking and fishing, and months of learning swordsmanship from the town's retired veteran. On their fifth birthday, they selected training equipment from a nearby town, and by their eighth, they left the village to visit the capital with a mysterious soldier. Now, on the day they turn nine, they find themselves at their base camp, only to witness smoke rising above the trees. Assuming it's a party, they rush home in excitement, but the scene that greets them is anything but what they were expecting.
Their village before looking so tranquil is now in ruins, blood stains the paths, and their frantic attempts to find survivors prove to be in vain. Yuma's attempt to rescue his mother who is trapped under a wooden beam ends in personal tragedy, and Minato, witnessing the agony of his own family, faces a heartbreaking helplessness.
The innocence of their childhood shatters amidst the flames and chaos, marking the beginning of a darker journey for Minato and Yuma.
A few days passed since the village burned, leaving Minato and Yuma lying in the rubble, unsure of what to do. The weight of their perceived responsibility hung heavily, each silently questioning if different choices could have altered their fate. Their emotional numbness continued until a group of soldiers, along with the mysterious soldier from the capital, found them. The soldiers whisked them away to a military-run orphanage, where they were trained into fine soldiers over a few months.
As time progressed, Minato withdrew into coldness, exacerbated by a mental illness triggering berserk episodes during fights. Yuma, while still kind, had acquired a steely exterior. He became Minato's anchor, attempting to alleviate the turmoil within his friend.
Now, at the age of 16, they found themselves leading a siege. The battlefield was filled with corpses of friends and foes alike, the misty clouds and heavy fog and dust in the air further amplified the feeling of danger. Sitting in the trenches waiting for the opportune moment to strike, victory seemed within reach when the holy knights, sent to aid them, turned out to be traitors. In the chaos, Minato and Yuma sought refuge in a cave, encountering the mysterious soldier who trained them in the orphanage.
During a night of uneasy rest, betrayal struck. Minato, awakened by the sickening sound of blood and flesh and a pained gurgle, realized Yuma had been attacked by the mysterious soldier in his sleep. In retaliation, Minato lashed out ruthlessly. The revelation of a sinister plan unfolded, leaving Minato in shock and drowning in guilt.
"Why are you doing this?" demanded Minato.
"It's all part of my plan," replied the mysterious soldier before vanishing into the night. Rushing to Yuma, Minato's hopes crumbled as he realized the irreversible loss. Guilt, stress, horror, and sadness immobilized him.
In the aftermath, Minato sat in that cave for multiple days, unsure of what to do. An idea formed—he would take out the entire kingdom himself. Forcing his berserk state to activate, he went on a rampage through towns and villages, leaving destruction in his wake.
A quick flashback revealed Yuma's desperate attempts to help Minato with his mental problems. The shock and hatred from the village burning down fueled Minato's berserk state, turning him into a crazed fighter. Yuma's efforts to cure his friend proved futile.
Now consumed by shock and sadness, Minato believed that capturing the perpetrators could somehow save the people from the village. However, months of searching led to a confrontation with the mysterious soldier, resulting in defeat and taunts that shattered Minato's sense of reality.
With a sudden realization that everyone he knew was dead and everyone else had betrayed him, Minato's mind unravelled. His violent outburst led to the massacre of an entire town, and it took the holy knights five weeks to subdue him. Locked up beneath the capital without sustenance, Minato gained newfound power and escaped, wreaking havoc across the kingdom.
After an indiscriminate rampage, Minato finds himself back in the village with the birds chirping and the pink and orange sunset lighting up himself and Yuma, seemingly oblivious to his past actions. He approached Yuma, asking to be friends once again. Unbeknownst to Minato, this was his four billionth nine hundred seventy-six millionth three hundred eighty-eight thousandth two hundred ninety-seventh time experiencing this moment.