"What!? You want me to attend school?" Sephra Sephora, the eldest son of the esteemed Duke Sephora, addressed his father with a lofty yet meticulously mannered tone, a mixture of disbelief and frustration in his voice.
"Yes," replied Duke Sephora, indulgently sipping his coffee. His demeanor exuded the decorous etiquette befitting his esteemed position.
The scenario unfolds as Sephra engages in a communication exchange with his father through a projection call. Positioned within the confines of a fallen tree, Sephra conducts the conversation while the communication apparatus sits atop a substantial rock, its pristine horizontal cut undergoing gradual erosion from the elements.
"Can I decline the offer?" Sephra inquired, his tone carrying a hint of hope.
Clad in an ensemble of pristine white, Sephra wore intricately designed loose pants adorned with a gold motif. The pants featured a notable red lining along both the sideseam and inseam, paired with a long-sleeved casual shirt that mirrored the ornate pattern. A red hexagonal prism embellished one of the sleeves, lending a touch of distinction to his attire. Over this ensemble, Sephra donned a white robe secured with a metal chain, its collar adorned with an elongated black accessory. Completing the ensemble were black tactical fingerless gloves on both hands.
Within the dense forest near a northern village, Sephra, resplendent in his attire, beseeched his father. His plea echoed with a fervent desire to eschew entry into any academy, opting instead to continue his exploration of the vast world that awaited him.
"You can't, unfortunately," Duke Sephora stated, his countenance remaining unbothered, possessing a discerning awareness of the forthcoming words from his son.
"It's her fault, isn't it?" Sephra's retort was accompanied by a visible vein pulsating in his right hand and on his forehead, indicative of heightened emotion.
"Yup," his father replied, a wicked smile curling his lips, conveying an assurance that he anticipated no further refusal from his son.
A sigh escaped Sephra, his response a manifestation of the sole recourse available to him upon discovering the identity of the mastermind orchestrating the situation. "Fine. I'll go."
In a tone tinged with disappointment, Sephra voiced his realization. Despite projecting an image of an undefeatable figure to others, this sentiment did not hold true within the realm of his family, particularly concerning a specific girl at the academy he was poised to enter.
"Great, and the first day of school is next month," his father concluded, his tone victorious akin to that of a triumphant general concluding a war, before decisively hanging up.
Another sigh escaped Sephra's lips. It had been six years since he embarked on his journey, departing at the tender age of eleven.
"So we're going?" a feminine voice resonated suddenly within the forest. Nonetheless, Sephra maintained composure, for he discerned the origin of this voice.
"Yes, we do not have a choice," Sephra replied with certainty. The source was his Ring Spirit, Mayari, the goddess of the moon and night in Philippine mythology. Mayari, the daughter of the Supreme God Bathala and a mortal woman, was renowned as the most beautiful among all goddesses.
"Did you notice that father's face appears younger?" Sephra asked with a hint of amusement. The striking resemblance between him and his father, Amora, was unmistakable, almost rendering them indistinguishable, save for a singular divergence—their eyes. Within the Sephora family lineage, a consistent trait emerged: children born with hair as white as the purest snow, coupled with crimson eyes symbolizing blood, described as "a tint of blood in the purest snow." Additionally, a distinctive snowflake mark graced the thenar of their palms.
However, Sephra defied this established pattern, possessing a singular golden eye adorned with a snowflake pupil. Further separating him from his father, Sephra's countenance bore the mark of maturity, in stark contrast to the enduring baby-faced visage of Amora.
Sephra stood up and retrieved the communication device from the top of the rock. "We have a month before classes start. Shall we go to that place?" An amused expression appeared on his face.
"Okay," Mayari replied.
Sephra began to float. Once he reached a height of ten meters above the ground, he disappeared, leaving only leaves flying in the air. Do not misunderstand—what he did was not teleportation but speed. Sephra accelerated to 17 kilometers per yoctosecond. Although this sounded remarkable, in the world of Sephra, this was nothing more than an average speed for high-ranking spirit users.
---
The world of Mythology, each containing their own beings, from humans with supernatural abilities to gods that govern the world. After countless years, they began to incarnate themselves in humans they deemed worthy of their supernatural abilities in the form of Rings.
Zylanphore, the name of the world that Sephra lived in, exceeded the size of Earth by a power of 11. Even after countless years, the world's beauty had not been fully discovered by its inhabitants, who focused only on one war: expanding their territories by conquering others.
However, some years ago, world leaders grew weary of constant warfare and began diplomatic relationships with each other, successfully burying their past of bloodshed. Not all kingdoms favored this peace, but they were powerless against the seven most powerful kingdoms in the world of Zylanphore.
Quionis, a kingdom known for its entertainment.
Yunphere, a kingdom known for its culinary arts.
Radiantia, a kingdom renowned for its technological advancements.
Eryndor, a kingdom famous for its picturesque tourist spots.
Sylenthis, a kingdom celebrated for its medical prowess.
And the Kingdom of Sephora, renowned for its exquisite clothing.
While these seven countries did not boast military prowess, they reigned supreme in terms of military strength. This relationship had continued for 6933 years, marking a new era for their descendants...
---
"So, that's all," spoke a young man dressed in traditional butler attire, albeit in different colors, adorned with a snowflake on the right arm of his garment. He was Ichirou Ryota, a member of a marquis in the Sephora Kingdom.
"It's boring, Ryota-nii-san," uttered a 4-year-old girl with long white hair and red eyes, dressed in beautiful white winter clothes that enhanced her radiance. She was Sephra Sephora's younger sister, Sephora Mika.
"Of course, it's boring for you, young lady," Ryota replied, smiling gently.
"Well, studying is boring for everybody, but we cannot do anything about it." Ryota began to walk toward Mika and carried her as if she were his own younger sister.
"Since we are done studying, why don't we do something? Do you have something on your mind?" Ryota asked.
"Snowhouse," Mika said cutely.
"Okay. We'll create a house made out of snow, a big one."
The Kingdom of Sephora was located in the southern part of the world, ensuring perpetual winter.
---
"We caught a rare one," a teenage girl spoke while restraining a particularly spectacular beast with her spirit abilities. She was Sephora Rei, fiancée and future wife of Sephra. With her stunning long purple hair and royal purple eyes, she possessed a voluptuous body that would make other females jealous. She was currently clad in a pair of black swimsuits.
"Yes, it is indeed rare, young lady," her maid replied.
ROAR!!!!
"Do you think Mika will like this?" Rei inquired, her voice filled with excitement.
"Yes, she will be very pleased with this pet, young lady," the maid answered.
The beast was a sea dinosaur, one of the strongest of its species: the mosasaurus.
"Mayumi, I'll leave the taming to you," Rei instructed.
"My pleasure, Mistress," Toyoda Mayumi, a girl adopted by the Sephora family and personally chosen by Sephra at the age of four, replied. She wore a traditional maid costume that accentuated her stunning beauty, enhanced by her pink hair and crimson eyes.
"I'll be meeting you soon, Seph," Rei murmured, her eyes filled with longing.
---
In the eastern part of the world, Sephra was currently eating food he cooked himself: a fire-roasted fish sprinkled with salt.
"That was disappointing, don't you think, Mayari?" Sephra commented, his tone reflective.
"It was, but at least we got to see something beautiful," Mayari replied.
A smile appeared on Sephra's face. "Yeah, you're right."
Rustle!
"Hmm?" Sephra looked towards the source of the sound.
"Do you think it's food?" Mayari asked.
"I hope so," Sephra replied, anticipation in his voice.
The two waited, and...
"A bird?" Sephra remarked, puzzled.
"A FOOD!!!" Mayari shouted, her voice echoing throughout the area.
"No, wait, Mayari. There's something about this bird," Sephra said, studying the bird intently.
"What do you mean?" Mayari inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"You're right. But let's help this bird first; it's dying," Mayari noted, concern evident in his voice.
A sigh escaped Sephra. He began to walk towards the bird, intending to heal it, but the bird attacked him out of self-defense.
"I won't do anything to harm you, I promise," Sephra assured, his voice soothing.
The bird trusted Sephra's words and surrendered its body to him.
Sephra gently carried the bird and walked to his tent, laying it on his bed.
"We still have this healing potion, right?"
"Yes, we do," Mayari confirmed.
He took out a healing potion Rei had given him.
Sephra poured the potion over the bird. "I've never used this because I can heal myself, but I can't heal others."
A shining purple light enveloped the bird, and after a few seconds, the light faded away.
"Now, mind telling me who you are, beloved friend?" A smirk appeared on Sephra's face.