In the depths of a young man's sleep, he was trapped in an unnerving dream.
As he traversed through this dream, a chilling sensation of death gradually started to consume him.
It left him trembling with his hands over his ears, shaking in fear and anxiety.
His surroundings were nothing short of haunting. Mist shrouded the desolate landscape and cast an ominous feeling over everything.
The air was thick with an eerie silence that only intensified the already unfathomable feeling of dread.
He slapped himself to continue walking, with each step he took, the weight of his mortality pressed upon him.
A bone-chilling wind whispering terrifying screams, reminding him of his finite existence.
As if to show him the fragility of life, unraveling his darkest fears before his eyes.
Such a sight would normally break someone's mind, yet he was unscathed.
He continued walking till he reached a home that looked identical to his own, as he got closer visions of his loved ones succumbing to death soon flooded his mind.
Ethereal images of them, one by one, plummeting into an abyss of darkness that was death.
Their anguished screams echoed, intertwining with the whispers of the night, only adding to the young man's torment.
His heart pounded widely, struggling against the nightmare grip, pure horror he was experiencing.
His bright red hair which his mother praised him for turned as dark as the night.
Desperation consumed him as he desperately tried to wake himself up from this nightmare, but no matter what efforts he used, he found himself being dragged deeper into the abyss.
The dream only twisted and contorted, manifesting his darkest fears, but after being tormented for what felt like an eternity, the look in his eyes changed.
The look of innocence now gone, his eyes only staring deeply into the abyss, he slapped himself to get up, his legs no longer shaking as he continued to walk.
The land started to change, from a dark and misty forest to a dark realm where nightmarish creatures roamed freely.
The bodies of countless soldiers lay in pools of blood, he was disgusted with how violently they were killed.
Their bodies were torn and ripped apart, pieces of their faces missing, and the vocal cords ripped out.
Yet, he stood tall amidst the chaos, determination etched across his face.
One of the Demonic creatures noticed and lunged at him, their menacing claws leaving a deep gash on his body.
"Argh," he fell on one knee, his blood starting to drip on the floor, he held his chest trying to stop the bleeding.
The beast tried ramming into his body with its horns, but he threw himself to the side and near a soldier's corpse.
He grabbed the sword from their corpse and pressed forward stabbing the beast in the forehead as it tried ramming him once more.
The beast howled before dying, letting the other Demonic beast know of his existence in this realm, his heart pounded, filling his veins with all-consuming adrenaline.
The first beast towered over him, its blackened scales reminiscent of the dark sky.
Its fierce breath released scorching fire as it lunged at him with ferocity.
Undaunted, the young man sidestepped the beast's attack with grace before swiftly slicing through its thick hide.
It unloaded an even louder roar that echoed throughout the land, but his body did not completely dodge as he suffered burn marks on his right arm and leg.
"Kgh,"
He had no time to worry as another one lunged at him with its razor-sharp claws, and failed to swipe at him so it opened its mouth, revealing its venomous fangs.
Its eyes gleamed with madness as it pounced repeatedly, seeking to tear him apart, injured as he may be.
He managed to move as quickly as lightning, dodging and countering every attack, before his blade found its mark, severing its limbs.
The beast howled in agony as its blood poured like a river, before the young man sliced its head off, ending its life.
He squirmed as he began removing the claw that impaled his right shoulder and bandaging his body with his ripped clothing, before getting up to see another one coming at him.
A colossal serpent bigger than anything he'd seen, its body adorned with glowing runes, its hypnotic gaze that threatened to lure him into submission
"Come on Yuto, get it together"
Yuto, still unyielding to its gaze, stared back into the eyes of the serpent.
Revealing a defiance that burned brighter than any form of magic the serpent was using.
Enraged at him seeing as its gaze had no effect on him but with one swing of his blade, he cleaved through the scales of the creature, extinguishing its life.
The pain of his injuries urged him to surrender, to succumb to his wounds, but the fire that burned within him.
A flame of unwavering courage in him that refused to give up.
Thoughts of defeat were banished from his mind as he fought against the hordes of Demonic beasts coming at him.
His blade, despite being rusted with blood and guts from each beast that he slayed, gleamed with each slice through the beast's flesh of the grotesque adversaries.
Their monstrous bodies writhing in agony, each strike was deliberate and calculated, fueled by his burning desire to overcome this nightmare that haunted him.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, he did not yield to the endless torment of the beast he had slain.
As he endured blow after blow, his steps grew heavier, his muscles aching with fatigue.
His blood trickled from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him and yet, he still refused to yield to the abyss and its beast's
Each drop of his blood that fell was a testament to his unwavering resolve, a mark of his unyielding spirit.
Through the relentless torment and battles he faced, the mountain of beasts he had slain, their blood being enough to fill the entire ocean.
He marched forward, never letting go of his sword for even a moment before Yuto felt a presence glaring at him.
He looked up, and high above the jagged peaks, he saw a beast with wings that blotted out any light.
Its talons sharpened to a deadly point, and raked across the ground, causing tremors that unbalanced Yuto.
"I guess you're the final boss right now, am I correct?"
Yuto raised his bloody sword.
The beast swooped down, and Yuto leaped into the air, sword in hand he collided with it mid-flight.
Both now fighting for dominance, it pierced Yuto's right shoulder, while Yuto pierced its left eye.
It shook violently as to get him off, Yuto in an attempt not to fall, grabbed the back of its neck while getting his blade ready.
With a final devastating blow, Yuto brought the beast crashing down, its wings tattered and its neck broken.
He lays next to its corpse, removing the talon from his shoulder.
"You truly were like a final boss, haha regardless I'll take this"
Yuto cut off the remaining talons from it, crafting it into a brand-new sword.
He also cut some of its flesh off and skin making it a bag to hold the meat that was cut for emergency rations.
"This should be enough for now"
He got up and continued walking but with every strike and with every step he took, he felt immense pain, but he continued to fight against the demons that plagued his dreams.
He reached a dense swamp where he tried purifying the water before a grotesque beast tried to hypnotize him, locking eyes with Yuto.
His heart raced as dark memories and fears threatened to overcome him, but a flicker of resilience ignited within him.
Breaking free from the swap creature's control, he lunged forward, burying his blade deep within its heart, shattering its illusion.
"You fucker, making me remember things that should never be seen again"
Yuto wiped away a tear and the little vomit from his mouth, and he began to walk once more.
He traversed this realm for what felt like an eternity before coming across the cabin again, the surroundings around him being changed.
"This isn't right, why am I back here?"
He asked, puzzled and confused, as his wounds stopped bleeding and began to close up.
He hears footsteps approaching him, he turns around sword in hand, the figure becoming clear and sees them limping and covered in blood.
They soon fall to the ground coughing up blood before wiping his mouth and grabbing an item from his side.
He soon begins to unwrap the cloth around it revealing a very beautiful sword.
Its design was very lovely with two red ribbons attached to it, its edge looking so sharp that the sword in his hand pales in comparison.
They proceeded to get up, Yuto noticed them struggling, and he tried reaching for their arm only to be walked past.
Did he walk past him?
That's when he could hear him talking to someone else.
"Father, what could be strong enough to make you this badly hurt?"
His eyes widen, and that's his voice.
He turns around slowly to see an older, taller, and much more built version of himself.
Although his hair is a bit of a mess his clothes are covered in blood as well and it looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.
His eyes look dead but is surprised when tears start to form, his body shaking with grief.
His father approaches his future self, hugging him, as his father also begins to weep.
His father stops to clear his throat and pulls him in to speak to his ear directly.
"Demons, goblins, ogres, and many more dangerous beings stand as a threat to all living things, especially us humans"
"So get strong enough to protect those you care for, for that feeling will drive you to ruin"
"Of course, I shall always do my best to avoid such a path"
"Yuto"
"Yes, Father?"
"Don't ever lose your emotions, that was the wish of your mother and sister"
His future self looked at him with a smile and a tear falling.
It's quite frightening to see a version of him that is a strong man crying.
He thought that he would change as he got older.
He nodded his head "I understand, Father, just say hello to Mother and my sister for me"
His Father with a smile then collapsed to the floor, his lifeless body no longer breathing.
He was gone now, although he had seen his family die hundreds of times, seeing it in person felt… unnatural.
"Will our future end with such sorrow?"
He couldn't accept this but he didn't have time to think as he saw his future self fall to his knees grabbing the sword.
His tears fell as he then gently laid his father in a comfortable position for him to rest.
His future self got up and looked Yuto straight in the eye with a cold expression.
His look is dead serious.
His eyes were as cold as dead, for when he first saw him, the air around him was a bit chilly, but now the winds were getting stronger.
"I shall awaken your powers a bit earlier than expected even if you lose them continue living"
Yuto blinked in surprise, "Lost what exactly?"
His power or emotions?
Yuto looked up, his voice, sounding confused and afraid.
"Yo-you can see me?"
Yuto can't even finish his train of thought as his future self interrupts him.
Ancient Magic: Recall of power
"This is going to hurt a lot since it's the highest form of magic, but no matter it's only for a bit,"
A loud ping can be heard as a ray of light shoots from his fingers, hitting Yuto's forehead.
It doesn't do anything at first until he feels a burning sensation.
His head began ringing, and the pain was so unbearable that it felt as if his body was going to explode soon.
Yuto collapsed on the floor with blood coming out of his nose and ears.
He saw his future self starting to disappear before looking at him once more, saying.
"Most if not all abilities are going to come back slowly, but I promise they will come back when you need them"
Unlocking a collection of martial arts, the blood demon awakens, and blood arts awaken.
The system is online again.
-System Rebooting: Synchronizing 20%-
-System Rebooting: Synchronizing 50%-
-System Rebooting: Synchronizing 90%-
[System Error: Level is not high enough, abilities will be sealed until requirements are met]
He looked at Yuto and smiled, his eyes filled with a bit of tears.
He throws the sword from his hand to Yuto's
"Take care of her for me, her name is Mizuki, and she'll take care of you in return"
Yuto is confused but only nods in agreement, gripping the sword tightly.
He smiles before he starts to walk toward the abyss as his body completely disappears.
The ringing in his head finally stops, and he can finally close his eyes.
The pain is gone, and it doesn't seem like he's bleeding but if what he just saw was the future.
"What can I do to stop it?" His voice sounded afraid and upset.
He opens his eyes and feels the tears falling, he gets up in a sweat, all the corpses around him are completely gone, and the pitch-blood sky is replaced with his room.
He looked around, nothing had changed except a couple of books had fallen and his bed seemed to be broken.
He gets up from his broken bed and walks over to his desk to grab a towel and wipe his head.
"Mizuki?" The name escapes his lips, remembering the beautiful sword he held in his dream
Putting the towel down, he walks to the room and holds out his right hand.
"Mizuki, I call upon you," he begins to feel a warm sensation.
Is this it?
Before letting out a huge fart and hearing a knock on his door
"Yuto, come have breakfast sweetie," he heard his mother's voice as he squats in embarrassment.
"Yeah Mom, I'll be there," he hides his face with his hands, mortified, before looking around his room and seeing it in shambles.
"After I clean up though," he grabs a broom and begins cleaning.
10 minutes later, he hears a knock on his door.
He throws the trash away and opens the door.
"Yes?" he says, trying to hide his broken bed.
Outside the door is his younger sister
"Hey, what's up with all the noise?"
"Mom was so worried she sent me here to check up on you," she huffed in an annoyed manner.
[-Cynthia Akimitsu-]
Age 16
Height 5'2
Title: Youngest Mage
Class: 6th Tier Mage
Level: 45
Stats: LEVEL TOO LOW
Skills: LEVEL TOO LOW
Likes: Her big brother, her parents, and sweets
"Huh?"
Yuto says, clearly confused at what he just saw, rubbing his eyes, but the blue board still hasn't moved.
"Hey, Cynthia?"
"Yeah?"
He points at the blue screen, "Do you see this, or am I just imagining things?"
She crosses her arms, and although her attitude seems annoyed she appears concerned that he was losing his marbles.
She looks at the door, "See what, a ghost?"
He pats her head, "No forget it, anyways what did Mom say?"
"Mom got worried because you made so much noise in your room and because your plate is getting cold," she turns her head away.
"S-so come down and eat with us already," she pulls his hand and leads him downstairs.
"You don't have to drag me, you know?" His tired expression says it all.
"What's up with the broken bed then?" She says with a smirk.
He lets out a laugh, "Okay, point taken, you don't ask, and I don't ask, deal?"
"Deal"
They finally make it to the kitchen where his father is drinking his coffee, and his mom is nowhere to be seen.
"Hey Cynthia, didn't you say mom was worried? Where is she?"
He feels a presence approaching him. He tried to dodge but felt his mother tackle him with a hug.
"Right here sweetie"
Her smile expressing such warmth, kindness, and love was practically spilling over.
[- Cara Akimitsu -]
Age 40
Height 5'6
Title: Ghost exorcist
Class: Exorcist
Level: LEVEL TO LOW
Stats: LEVEL TO LOW
Skills: LEVEL TO LOW
Likes: Everything sweet, her family she adores them
Once again, Yuto sees the mysterious blue box appear beside his mother.
He shakes his head and helps his mother up, "What's the special occasion mom, you only tackle us if you have good news?"
"Come to the kitchen first"
Both his mother and little sister pulled him to the kitchen.
He sits down, and his father greets him before looking at him with surprise.
"S-something wrong, Father?"
The strange blue box didn't appear for his father, this only amplified the questions he had but his train of thought was cut by his father speaking.
"Yuto, did you look into the mirror today?"
His father put down his coffee cup and put his hands together, his expression very serious.
"No, I was too busy cleaning"
Yuto responds with a puzzled look, Cynthia notices his confusion and sighs, so she creates a mirror for him to look at and hands it to him.
Yuto looks at his father, who has the go-ahead expression.
His mother just smiles at him as she walks to the living room.
Cynthia just gulps down her food.
He takes the mirror and looks in horror as his appearance completely changes overnight.
His messy red hair became raven black and soft, and his jet-blue eyes became crimson-red
[- Yuto Akimitsu -]
Age 17
Height 5'8
Title: Youngest Demon Prince
Class: Prince of Darkness
Level: 30
Stats: Strength 150 / Speed 60 / Agility 60 / Defense 100 / Health 1000 / Mana 100
Skills: Click to see more
He got up from his chair, clearly confused and worried, "W-what is this?"
"Awakening, usually in our family, awakening happens at age 14, since it passed you I thought you would never awaken," his father says, patting his back with a big smile.
"That's why your mother was so happy because my boy, you finally tapped into the awakening process"
Yuto does his best to smile back at his father and at Cynthia, who is crying while smiling.
"Congrats, big bro"
Yuto also begins to tear up as well, "Yes, thank you"
Still, the one thing on Yuto's mind is the title he saw, Youngest Demon Prince.
He's a human right? And the class, something about it worries him.
However, he doesn't have time to think as his mother walks back with a small black box.
"This was supposed to be given to you on your 14th birthday, of course, things didn't go as planned"
Cara gave a soft chuckle as she placed the box on the table.
"So forgive us for giving this gift of yours late"
"It's okay Mom, I understand"
Yuto looked at the box and back at his parents, they nodded as he reached for it, inside it was a small black ring.
"A ring?"
He took it out of the box and inspected it closely.
He sees a bit of engraving but can't make out what it says.
"Put it on you moron," Cynthia says, grabbing his plate of food.
He sighs as his food is being gulped down, before he can put on the ring his mother stops him.
"Dear, do you mind explaining what the ring is first before Yuto puts it on," she stares at her husband.
"Cough, Yuto the ring can turn into a suit of armor, an armor that adapts to any situation, it also reacts to the user's emotions"
Yuto nods before putting on the ring, at first nothing happens but he hears the same female voice that appears with the blue box.
<- System detecting Artifact ->
Artifact Name: Ring of Ernaline
Stats: Defense 1000 / Attack 1000 / Mana 1000
Special abilities: Shield of Ernaline - Creates a giant Shield out of the air - Mana needed 10,000
Suit of Armor and clothing formed from one's deepest desire.
Black mist starts engulfing Yuto, his parents do seem a bit worried but have faith in him.
Cynthia on the other hand is too busy eating everyone's food to even notice
- CLANK CLANK CLANK -
Dark armor starts to form on Yuto's body as if he is being knighted.
Beautiful gold lines look as if holding the armor, surprisingly, it felt incredibly light.
The final piece was the helmet that came with two horns on the side, and a long red scarf around his neck.
"This is awesome," he can't help but check out the armor feeling invincible in it.
"We can talk later sweetie, I'm sure you have lots of questions but for now you should probably take a shower", his mother says very sweetly.
<- System ->
[ Cancel Rings Affects? ]
[ Yes or No ]
[ The host has clicked yes, and ring effects are canceled ]
The armor starts to vanish, leaving Yuto to fall on his ass, the weight of the armor was something he was going to get used to
"Wait do I smell?" Yuto asked, embarrassed.
"No son, it's because we're going to visit your aunt and tell her the good news, that means you as well Cynthia, get ready-"
His father looked at Cynthia with horror as she was covered in Maple syrup.
It seems that being a mage also increases the hunger of a person because she's practically eating the table.
Yuto got up and headed towards his room with a big smile that reached from ear to ear.
"This is so cool"
He stomps his feet in excitement, for a single moment, he forgot the horrors of his dream.
As he opens the door, he sees a beautiful woman on his broken bed.
Her appearance is stunning, with short silver hair that reminds him of his father's beautiful blade.
With a strange hairpin that reminds him of a Phoenix that he's only seen in books.
Crimson eyes like his, but that captivate him, and a beautiful white kimono with black roses for its design.
He instantly knew without using the strange blue box, that the person in front of him was Mizuki.
"Close the door, we have to talk," her tone seemed cold, and yet her eyes expressed a bit of happiness.
Yuto closes the door very carefully, he's nervous but also excited to know more about this strange blue box, the dreams, and why she suddenly appeared before him.
"Mizuki?"
He pulls the chair, sets it closer to her, and sits with a shy smile.
He holds out his hand, "It's nice to meet you finally," in the past, he has heard about her but would focus solely on surviving.
Mizuki grabs his hand and pulls him into a hug, "Did you forget about me?"
Her tone sounded upset, as he felt a few tears fall and hit his shoulder.
"Forget you?"
Yuto asked with a puzzled look, isn't this their first meeting?
Suddenly a loud ping is heard again, countless memories start flooding his mind.
He falls to the ground, his hands on his head, the pain is increasing with new memories.
Eating, sleeping, fighting together, and lastly dying together in a run-down castle.
Mizuki gets off the bed and holds him, "It's a lot isn't it?"
The ping finally stops as Yuto looks up, using Mizuki's legs as a lap pillow.
"You're finally up," she lovingly caresses his hair.
"Mizuki?" He holds out his hand.
"Yes, Yuto?" And she holds it.
"Why are you here now?"
She smiles, "I have always been here with you, your memories haven't returned fully, I've only shown you what I want you to see"
"What's an ego sword, at least answer that question"
She caresses his knuckles with her thumb, "As the name states, a sword with a mind of its own"
"I am also bound to your soul, since the first day we met," a few tears escaped her.
The ping hits again as a memory hits, he remembers the older him finding her in a cave chained up to a wall.
He had taken her in, feeding her every day till her strength returned, reading stories for her to fall asleep.
They forged a bond when her sanity returned, a bond that would last for a lifetime.
"The memories that just returned," Yuto begins to tear up.
"Are they true?"
Mizuki nods her head yes, "I was abandoned by my former master for almost a century when you found me, you took me in, fed me, gave me shelter and even became my new master"
"Is that why you're here now?" He said with a serious look.
"To form a contract with me once again, am I correct?"
She nods her head, "Of course, although our souls are bound, a contract helps us grow faster"
He gets up from her lap, "So then how does this work?" He doesn't have time to react as she pulls him by the shirt.
Into a simple quick kiss, Yuto is flustered and Mizuki smirks before an old piece of paper appears before them floating mid-air.
"W-what now M-Mizuki"
Yuto tried to recover his composure, still flustered as it was his first semi-kiss it was quick.
"Bite your thumb till It bleeds and press it on the paper," Mizuki bites her thumb and presses it against the paper.
Yuto also repeats her action, and with that, the contract is formed, and the paper burns.
He could feel a strange warm sensation on his left shoulder.
"Hey Mizuki, why does my shoulder feel like it's burning?"
"Check it out, dummy," she giggles, lifting his sleeve.
A small black tattoo is formed on his shoulder, "A sword and shield?" he asked confused.
Mizuki pulls him back into a lap pillow, "It represents our bond, I am your sword, and you have always protected me"
Yuto cups her cheek, "So will you appear as a sword or a ring?"
She giggles, "A ring for now, when it is time to leave and go on our journey, I will turn back into a sword, but remember we can talk using our minds"
Yuto nods but still needs clarification about one thing.
"The blue box?"
He whispers, helping himself up.
"The system, correct?"
She looks at him surprised.
"Yeah, I was calling it the blue box, for some reason, I can see the abilities, Stats, level, and even what they like"
"I would love to answer you but only when you retrieve my remaining fragments can I tell you the truth"
"Fragments, Mizuki, what does that mean, are you missing pieces?" He asked, concerned.
She flicks his head, "Easy my love, time will tell, can't spill too much now can I?"
Her smirk says it all.
"I understand, only when I begin my journey will I uncover the questions I have"
Mizuki nods, "Good now, I'm going to turn off the barrier so you can take your shower and get ready"
"Barrier?" Yuto gets up from the bed, taking off his shirt.
"Why else do your parents not come in after you screamed," she laughs, such a beautiful smile is all he can think.
"I get it, anyways just wait here until I'm done okay?"
She just shakes her hand, "I'll fix the bed in the meantime"
As Yuto turns on the shower he can't help but wonder about the true extent of their relationship.
The meaning behind the dreams, her missing fragments, and his memories.
"Sigh, time will tell, I guess"
The feeling of uneasiness washes away, at least he's making progress and now he knows that the blue box is called the system.
30 Minutes Later after drying himself, he heads back to his room
"Mizuki, I'm done with my bath"
Yuto uses the ring to make comfortable clothing, "Nifty little thing aren't you"
Yuto looks around and she is nowhere in sight before noticing a new ring on his finger, "Ah so this is where you were hiding"
He could hear Mizuki's laughter as she appeared before him, although it was in the form of seeing a spirit.
However, he doesn't have time to ask more questions as he hears his mother outside his door.
"Yuto, sweetie are you ready, everyone is waiting for you"
"Yeah gimme a minute I'll be there in a bit"
He raised his hand as if to say be quiet to Mizuki.
"Okay, but you better hurry"
He could hear his mom walk off, leaving Mizuki to come out again laughing.
"You know we can communicate via thought right?"
Yuto shook his head, "I kinda forgot, I mean a lot of information was just given to me"
"Ready to meet my aunt, we're going down to the village, which takes at least a week to get there"
Mizuki nods in excitement, and with that Yuto heads outside, unknowingly walking to the same fate he's trying to avoid.