"Now, I bestow upon you the name that, in the past, nobody didn't know—Hanzo."
The man with brown, curly hair knelt before his master, his green eyes fixed on the wooden floor in an act of submission to both his master and those above him. He had been promoted to Grandmaster of Shadows in the Village of Black Crows, Astarea. A title granted to the one who mastered the scroll of deviance, he would now observe the world and roam as a masterless warrior.
The Scroll of Deviance is the final scroll to be learned in Astarea. It contains the fundamental rules of the world, revealing how its mechanisms operate. It offers perspectives on nature that no ordinary human could comprehend, uncovers the origins of dark elements that give rise to dark magic, matter, and beings, and outlines various natural laws. Mastering the scroll signifies a deep understanding of the way of life as an Astrean—people who dwell in darkness to serve the light.
Such a remarkable honor bestowed in Astarea.
"Follow the light that guides your heart, and bring prosperity and peace to the world," Hanzo's master declared, promoting him.
"Yes, master," Hanzo responded obediently.
Thus, Hanzo embarks on a solitary journey in search of his one true lord. Guided by fate, he believes that one day, he might stumble on the turn back point of his lives that will shape him into the man he was trained to become. Armed only with his twin swords, Hanzo is prepared to face whatever obstacles lie ahead.
The varying weather across every kingdom did not cause Hanzo to yield. Throughout his journey, he wears a straw caping and a long robe that withstands any weather. His handmade boots, resistant to all conditions, also maintain his stealth. Such blessings of knowledge gained from the village have greatly aided him on his path.
Valleys and mountains he traversed in search of his role in the world, all the while observing its intricate dynamics. The arduous weather never halted his steps as he sought something worth discovering. He took on various quests from every kingdom to make a living and help those in need, as befits the shadow of Astarea.
Eventually, Hanzo stumbled upon an organization that welcomed the goodwill of adventurers, offering them the chance to make their discoveries meaningful. This official institution, the Adventurer's Guild, known as Famulus Lucis, had been reestablished in the Kingdom of Arcaeloria under the new government, with a better distribution system throughout the four kingdoms.
Hanzo grabbed a mission notice from the bulletin board, and, despite his unverified identity as a member of the Village of Astarea, he managed to register. Many villages, including Astarea, concealed their whereabouts, refusing to disclose their identities, which led to numerous impostors falsely claiming affiliation. Nevertheless, these adventurers were accepted into the guild, building reputations for themselves.
Little by little, Hanzo ascended the ranks of fame, starting as a beginner hunter adventurer in the Canis Familia and eventually becoming a professional in the Aquila Fortis. Occasionally, he took on jobs as a guardian, excelling in his duties due to his unwavering oath to approach every task with the utmost seriousness. However, his role as a guardian did not contribute much to his growing reputation, as such assignments were seldom offered through the adventurer's guild.
However, it was the rarest job he accepted that would ultimately change his life, guiding him toward the destiny he was trained for. After roughly ten years of building his career in the adventurer's guild—rising from a fledgling in Canis Familia to the bold hunter of Aquila Fortis—Hanzo finally ascended to the prestigious rank of Omni Panthera, the title of a mighty guardian adventurer.
An arduous journey to find his new master's dwelling became Hanzo's greatest challenge before he could pledge his loyalty. In a land where power is the foremost aspect necessary for prosperity and harmony, a true symbol of greatness and peace within the kingdom, thunder struck, and storms swept across the terrain. Hanzo's arrival heralded the dawn of change, promising a brighter future for all.
"Hanzo of Astarea, ready to serve." Hanzo bowed before Leonhardt the Brave, King of the Union Beastman Tribes of Volhara.
"Crows of Astarea, it is not I whom you need to serve," Leonhardt replied, presenting Hanzo with a picture of his daughter, the heir to the Beastman Tribe. "Find her, bring her back to me, and she will be yours to serve."
It was a direct request from the King—a mission to locate his lost daughter. Hanzo studied the picture intently before accepting the King's request.
Thus, Hanzo embarked on yet another journey to find the lost princess, convinced she could not be far from Volhara. However, after searching for clues about her whereabouts throughout the capital, he concluded that she might be farther away than he initially believed. Moreover, the reasons for her disappearance seemed more complex than he had anticipated.
Hanzo learned about the princess's nature and personality during his journey by speaking with the locals. As expected, she was a strong-willed woman who did not easily yield to trivial circumstances. However, the challenges she currently faced appeared to be far more serious than Hanzo had initially thought. He knew he would need to persuade her to confront these difficulties, standing steadfastly by her side as her new servant.
As locating his target was his specialty—a skill proven by his achievements in the adventurer guild—Hanzo found the princess not long after he set out in search of her. True to his expectations, she was no ordinary lady sheltered by the royal family. Leona the Merciful cleverly lured Hanzo to a secluded spot where no one would witness their rendezvous.
With a greatsword resting on her right shoulder and a longsword gripped firmly in her left hand, Leona awaited Hanzo's arrival, poised to commence an honorable duel—a revered tradition in Volhara.
As he approached, Leona rose from her squatting position, embodying the formidable stance befitting the descendant of the King of Volhara. She was the one who inherited her father's lineage, destined to stand atop her kingdom. Her long golden hair danced in the wind, framing her fierce visage, while her sharp red eyes locked onto her opponent with an intimidating intensity.
Unlike other girls, Leona possessed an impressive height and a muscular physique, attributes inherited from her father and the unique traits of her race. Her slightly brown skin bore the marks of her relentless efforts to maintain a ladylike appearance. Yet, she could not deny that, aside from her skin, hair, and face, which aligned with her feminine aspirations, the rest of her body distinctly revealed her masculine strength before others.
"So, you've come to pick me up, have you? I'm afraid I might be a bit too heavy for you," Leona remarked with a hint of mischief.
"My apologies, Princess Leona. I'm here to lend you a hand," Hanzo replied, drawing his twin swords from their scabbards.
Beneath the scorching sun in the heart of Arcaeloria, Hanzo accepted the honorable duel with the Princess of Volhara.
In the past, the Crows of Astarea knew not the taste of defeat. Their lineage ascended the stairs of power, standing in the shadows of those who wielded it. Only fate could bring down the Crows, paving the way for the heroes destined to save the worlds in the future, as foretold in the Scroll of Deviance.
The wind whispered the rhythm of the duel between the princess and her prospective servant, while the falling leaves marked their starting point. For a brief moment, Hanzo and Leona locked eyes, each waiting for the brown leaves to touch the ground. Then, under the high noon sun, their duel commenced.
The immovable fortress of Leona clashed against the untouchable shadow of Hanzo, creating a dynamic power imbalance between the two forces. Leona proved far tougher than Hanzo could penetrate, while Hanzo's speed rendered him nearly impossible for Leona to catch. Despite this, the battle remained balanced, as each combatant bore clear weaknesses.
Leona swung her greatsword as if aiming to obliterate her surroundings, charging forth and dancing elegantly with her longsword after rushing in with the heavier blade. Hanzo deftly dodged every strike she unleashed, skillfully parrying each of her longsword attacks. With every successful parry, he landed a hit on Leona. However, true to her lineage as a member of the Lion King Beastman Tribe, she possessed a hidden defense mechanism within her skin, allowing her to resist even the most basic slashing attacks.
Hanzo must think the other way to hurt Leona since most of his attack doesn't even scratch her.
But when Hanzo tried to attack her with a different approach, Leona was already preparing her last and most powerful attack that might defeat him in one go. Her smile widened, her fangs showing to emanate her dominant aura, and her mind went berserk in that brief moment. Leona assumed a stance to unleash her ultimate move.
In a split second, Hanzo threw a smoke bomb at his feet and launched an explosive towards Leona. He didn't want to use his secret stash, as it might kill a wild and giant beast like Leona, who resembled the creatures he could put to eternal sleep with his explosives. However, a successor of the King must be able to overcome such cheap tricks, which meant she might survive Hanzo's lethal explosive.
*BOOM !!!*
The explosive successfully struck Leona, who was still holding her stance. The grass beneath her turned brown as the acid from the explosive seeped into the ground. Leona's stance twitched; she almost lost her focus due to the acidic blast Hanzo had unleashed. However, not long after, Leona fell to her knees, still gripping both of her weapons in the same position. Hanzo was confident that this would end her attacks and compel her to surrender in no time.
But Leona the Merciful refuses to lose.
Hanzo witnessed the true determination of the successor to the King of Volhara, the rightful heir to a throne that thirsted for power. He felt as though he had awakened the sleeping tiger within her, one that could very well end his life after her final assault. Yet, Hanzo was not afraid; he still possessed the power to evade every one of Leona's slow attacks.
Slowly, Leona returned to her perfect stance, enduring the pain of the acid that melted her skin like ice beneath the scorching sun. She emanated an aura of domination with such intensity that it sent any living being within a twenty-kilometre radius fleeing in terror. Hanzo was no exception; he found himself paralyzed on the spot, struggling to withstand the overwhelming surge of her massive mana flux.
A giant tiger wraith loomed above Leona's head, projecting the fear of being devoured by the mighty beast, ruler of the Beastman tribes. Yet, instead of feeling fear, Hanzo was filled with delight at witnessing the true power of the successor to the King. He would feel honoured to be completely defeated by such an extraordinary individual, knowing that the future of the world would be safe in her hands.
Astounding forces in unmatched speed charged toward him, obliterating everything in their path, including the winds that attempted to slow her movement. With a single motion, Leona split the clouds in half and devastated the surrounding forest. Fortunately, Hanzo managed to survive. Leona overextended her range of fire, allowing Hanzo to take refuge beneath her muscular arm.
Hanzo smiled, astounded by the power Leona displayed, which assured him of a peaceful future in her hands. His defeat might signify something profound for the world, and Leona proved that tomorrow could indeed be a beautiful day.
However, his defeat to other opponents could also herald a fated doom for humanity, as the Scroll of Deviance describes.
Despair overwhelmed Hanzo's mind as he faced defeat at the hands of the most atrocious villain of all time—the legendary evil who once dominated the world through sheer might. This was the very being who vanquished Hanzo in the same manner as his lord had once defeated him. The green eyes of despair stared mercilessly at his prostrate soul.
"It's over."