The world lay in a time unlike any other. This planet, vast enough to contain countless multiverses within its boundaries, was paradoxically the smallest within its universe. And on its sprawling surface, it was an era of awakening—a gradual, creeping awareness of the capabilities lurking within each creature. With that awareness came fear, an urgent realization of threats larger than themselves. It was a world suddenly divided by destruction and confusion, every corner touched by the growing tension. This was a time of merciless hunting, a period when the strongest beings roamed freely, when legends were born, dragons fell, and chaos ran rampant. Some called this age the Era of Destruction; others named it the Age of Legends. Today, we step into this era, to glimpse...
"The strongest!!!"
The shout came from a young voice. Four children stood in a circle around an ancient, weathered throne of wood, half-hidden under creeping vines and thick, green moss. This throne, seated outdoors, seemed forgotten, its history swallowed by nature. At the heart of the group, a blond-haired boy with braids that barely brushed his ears spoke with authority, his brown eyes bright with excitement.
"I'm telling ya! The strongest dragon is the Wind-Terror!" declared the blond boy.
Immediately, another voice cut in. This one belonged to a boy whose green, disheveled hair fell over his eyes in a wild cascade, obscuring his gaze. He pointed a finger at the blond boy with conviction.
"No, Lea! The Wind-Terror can only, like... make huge tornadoes and stuff! The Dark-Executioner is way cooler—and better!" The green-haired boy's speech stuttered slightly, his fervor tempered by a hesitant tone.
Lea, undeterred, turned to him with a challenging glare. "Just because the Dark-Executioner uses dark magic doesn't make him the strongest, Nanje." He pointed back in mock severity.
Nanje sputtered. "Dark magic is... is... objectively—obejectily—obgelit... IS better than wind magic!"
Lea scoffed. "When has the Dark-Executioner ever created a hurricane strong enough to push the moon?"
"That's just a wumor," Nanje retorted, tripping over his words.
"A rumor?" Lea smirked, emphasizing the word.
"Shut up! You knew what I m-meant!"
As their squabbling filled the air, Lea's eyes drifted over to the quietest among them.
"Ugh, Jusawi, what do you think?" he asked, turning to a boy with shaggy black hair streaked with gray at the tips. Jusawi's gaze was calm, his red eyes marked by distinct, cross-shaped pupils that gleamed even in the fading light.
Jusawi blinked, considering. "Me? I don't know," he replied thoughtfully, before glancing over at the last member of the group. "Unaiaku, what do you think?"
Unaiaku, a boy with soft, pale-pink hair and striking celeste-blue eyes, shrugged with casual disinterest. "I don't care. Whichever one can blow up a planet, I suppose."
Lea jumped back in, raising his voice. "If the Wind-Terror can move the moon, then it can definitely destroy a planet!"
Nanje crossed his arms in defiance. "That was just a wumor!"
Lea sneered. "Pft, wumor?"
"Shut up! You knew what I m-meant!"
Unaiaku exchanged a look with Jusawi, leaving Lea and Nanje to their endless argument. Jusawi let out a sigh, his gaze dropping in thought.
"Dragons, though," he murmured under his breath, almost to himself. "Only the strongest dragon slayers can handle them." Without a second thought, he pulled out a worn notepad and a short pencil, scribbling down notes with a focused frown.
Unaiaku leaned over, noticing the writing. "Jusawi, what's that?"
Jusawi hesitated, then held up the notepad for Unaiaku to see. Written in bold, determined letters across the top was the title: Quest to Becoming a Legend.
"It's just a list of goals for when I'm older," he explained with a shy grin.
Unaiaku's curiosity piqued. "Tell me more."
Jusawi's eyes lit up, his grip tightening on the notepad. "When I grow up, I want to be a powerful warrior! This list is everything I have to do to become that."
Unaiaku's gaze fell on the list. "What do you have on it?"
Jusawi read through the items, a spark of determination in his voice. "Slay a demon, slay a colossal, slay a giant, slay a griffin, slay a warlord, and now... SLAY A DRAGON!"
Unaiaku raised an eyebrow, amused. "There's a lot of slaying on that list."
Jusawi shrugged with a fierce smile. "I mean, what else can a warrior do to become powerful?"
"Maybe slaying things is the right path to take," Unaiaku said thoughtfully.
Jusawi nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! So I train every day, so that one day I can be strong enough to defeat those monsters."
Unaiaku started to respond, but Lea's voice interrupted.
"Jusawi! The sun's setting!"
Jusawi's eyes widened as he glanced at the horizon. "Oh really?! I can't be late for supper! Bye, guys, see you tomorrow!" He hastily stuffed the notepad and pencil back into his pocket, then darted off, his footsteps quick and sure.
Lea whistled in awe. "Woah! Look at him run; he's fast!"
Nanje nodded in agreement. "For a kid our age, by the time he's grown up, he'll be lightning quick!"
Unaiaku watched Jusawi disappear into the distance, a glimmer of something unreadable in his gaze.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself.
Lea slapped his hands together, shaking off the momentary pause. "Alright, let's go explore the forest! Maybe we can find some treasure today!"
Nanje hesitated, glancing nervously at the woods. "Without Jusawi? He's the one who keeps us safe from the wolves and stuff."
Lea scoffed. "We'll be fine."
With a reluctant nod, Nanje fell into step beside Lea as they started toward the trees. Lea looked over his shoulder, calling, "Unaiaku, you coming with us?"
Unaiaku shook his head, already turning in the opposite direction. "I'll be heading home as well. Goodbye." He lifted a hand in a parting wave before setting off, his footsteps steady as he walked away from the setting sun.
The morning sunlight spilled through the classroom window, casting a soft glow over Unaiaku as he sat, staring out into the distance, lost in thought. He rested his chin on his hand, eyes drifting over the scenes outside, yet his mind was elsewhere.
Is there someone who has the strength to slay every beast feared by monsters? he pondered, his gaze narrowing. Jusawi can't be one; he has no magic.
Turning away from the window, he glanced toward the back of the class where Jusawi sat, utterly absorbed in the blankness of the wall as if it held some secret only he could see.
"Although..." Unaiaku murmured softly, trailing off.
Later that day, Unaiaku found himself in the gym, clad in the standard white P.E. uniform and shorts. He sat on a wooden bench, his fingers curled around a cold water bottle as he took a long sip, eyes fixed on the others exercising. His gaze, however, kept wandering to Jusawi.
He performs a lot differently than the others, Unaiaku thought, watching Jusawi as he ran.
The rest of the class was struggling to keep up with the relentless pace, running a full lap around the gym. But Jusawi was far ahead, his stride powerful yet effortless, not the slightest hint of exhaustion touching his expression. Behind him, the other kids were flagging, their breaths coming in heavy pants, yet Jusawi moved as though he could keep going forever.
He's a beacon of inspiration for others, Unaiaku mused.
One kid near the back began to slow, his steps faltering. But when he glanced up and saw Jusawi still running, his determination seemed to rekindle. Gritting his teeth, the boy forced himself to keep pace, pushing his limits. The sight sparked something in the others as well; one by one, they picked up speed, falling into a steady rhythm, following Jusawi's lead.
"Yes! That's good effort!" the coach bellowed, his voice booming with encouragement as he stood with his back to Unaiaku, completely unaware of his presence.
Unaiaku watched the coach, his lips curling into a faint, wistful smile. Everything from his very distinct looks, manners, and personality makes him such a popular person, he reflected. Someone impossible not to notice. He's everything you want to be at the age of nine.
As Jusawi finished his lap, he made his way to the sidelines, gathering water bottles for his classmates. One by one, as they completed the lap, he handed each of them their bottle, cheering them on with an infectious grin.
Meanwhile, the coach never noticed my presence, Unaiaku thought, watching the scene unfold, his heart sinking slightly.
Almost as if he sensed the thought, the coach turned around abruptly, surprise flickering over his face as he noticed Unaiaku.
"Unaiaku?!" he exclaimed. "I didn't notice you there. Did you finish your laps already?"
By lunchtime, the air was thick with the lively chatter of students, the entire class gathered around picnic tables under the open sky. Nanje, Lea, Unaiaku, and Jusawi sat together, each engrossed in their food—except Jusawi, who had already wolfed down his lunch and sat, watching the others.
Lea looked at him with admiration shining in her eyes. "Jusawi, you're so strong and athletic! How'd you get so strong?"
Jusawi leaned back with a grin. "You never see any legends going around primarily using magic, right? Most of them have some sort of cool signature weapon, like a sword or a spear."
"Well," Nanje spoke up, her voice trembling slightly, "m-many strong wizards and m-mages only use magic."
"Is a wizard a title or a profession?" Jusawi countered, raising an eyebrow.
"A profectia—a prolelec—a—"
"Profession?" Lea interjected, chuckling softly.
"Yeah," Nanje said, nodding. "Being a wizard is a job. Using m-magic channeled through an object makes you a wizard."
"By that logic, any magic user who also wields a weapon is a wizard!" Lea exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "I say it's a title. All wizards are magic users, but not all magic users are wizards. Wizards choose if they're wizards!"
Nanje considered this, nodding slowly. "I think you're right."
Jusawi's grin widened. "Okay then, all of the cool legends wield weapons. There's no title cooler than that of a slayer. Demon slayer, dragon slayer, even god slayers—they all have such a catchy and cool ring to their titles. I want to be one of them!"
Lea tilted her head thoughtfully. "Don't all slayers have magic? It's very difficult to kill any of those things without it."
Jusawi shook his head confidently. "Believe me, it's all in the weapon. Holy tools are used to kill demons, but I'm sure most of the reason they slay things is because they're, like, freakishly strong!"
"That's true," Nanje said, agreeing.
"Guess so," Lea added with a nod.
Jusawi leaned forward, his tone intense. "It's already good enough that I was born without mana, so I'm not one of those dumb people who focus on harnessing their magical abilities. Magic can be a liability while fighting demons and dragons if some of those creatures are immune to it, right? So all I need is a fit body."
Nanje looked at him, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Jusawi, do you think you can get a divine frame?"
Unaiaku's eyes widened at the term. A divine frame—it was something most people only whispered about.
"What's that?" Lea asked, raising an eyebrow. "A—"
Unaiaku spoke up, his voice quiet but resolute. "A divine frame is when something gains a body so physically overwhelming that it transcends logic, making it on its own capable of being highly resistant and nigh-immune to magic."
Nanje let out a soft chuckle. "What he said."
Jusawi's eyes sparkled with determination as he clenched his fists. "Yes! If I start training my body now, I'll have it by the time I'm thirty… or something like that."
Unaiaku raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing at his lips. "That's quite the ambition, Jusawi, but accomplishing something like that is impossible. Only one person has ever done that, and that was thousands of years ago."
Jusawi's grin didn't falter. "Well, I'll be the next. If anyone who trains their magic hard every day can become a great and powerful mage, then if I do the same thing—except with my body instead of magic—I can become a strong warrior!"
Unaiaku's gaze softened slightly, his thoughts stirring. He's a confusing character.
Later that evening, as the sky deepened into twilight, the four of them—Unaiaku, Nanje, Jusawi, and Lea—stood at the edge of a darkening forest. Shadows stretched across the ground, giving the landscape an eerie, foreboding feel.
Jusawi's face was alight with excitement. "I asked my parents if I could stay out extra late for this."
Lea's voice bubbled with enthusiasm. "Good! I swear we got close to something last night, Jusawi, but it was guarded by this massive wolf. You should have seen it!"
Unaiaku folded his arms, his voice calm and measured. "It was a shrine guarded by a shrine guardian."
Lea whipped around, a spark of irritation flaring in her eyes. "What?! Why didn't you say this yesterday?"
Unaiaku shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't want to encourage you guys to go out and get yourselves killed."
Nanje's voice was barely a whisper. "So you believe that Jusawi will m-make a difference?"
Unaiaku's lips curled into a slight smirk. "I'd love to see him try."
Without waiting for a response, he stepped forward, disappearing into the shadowy embrace of the forest.
Lea's eyes flicked toward the others, a mixture of excitement and nervousness flitting across her face. "Uh… let's go, I guess." She followed, and Nanje and Jusawi quickly fell in line behind her, trailing after Unaiaku.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Lea leaned toward Nanje and whispered, "Una has something weird going on with him right now."
Nanje nodded, stumbling over her words. "He's surprisingly cofipen… configl… conlig… co—"
"Confident?" Lea suggested with a grin.
"Yeah," Nanje agreed, nodding vigorously. "I've never seen him walk in front. He's usually in the back, quiet."
Unaiaku walked ahead, his thoughts swirling. Jusawi… he's such an enigma. He has no mana, yet everyone likes him and believes that he'll become great. I never expected humans to be so kind.
After nearly an hour of trekking through the dense forest, the group finally came upon an ancient, diminutive shrine, tucked away beneath layers of vines and leaves. The structure, though small, radiated a strange, lingering energy, and in its center rested a chest, weathered and mysterious.
Jusawi's eyes lit up as he spotted it. "So that's it?" He picked up a long branch from the ground, holding it like a weapon.
Nanje took a cautious step forward, her gaze darting around. "Yes, but… where's the wolf?"
The four of them moved closer to the shrine, their steps hesitant yet eager.
"So can we just walk up to it and take the treasure?" Lea asked, her tone a mix of excitement and doubt.
Suddenly, an intense stillness settled over them, an instinctive warning echoing in their minds. Every muscle in their bodies froze, a sharp, primal fear prickling down their spines. Slowly, almost mechanically, they turned around.
Behind them, a hulking wolf loomed in the dim forest light, its massive frame casting an intimidating shadow. Dark red fur covered its body, giving it a sinister appearance, and its eyes glowed an eerie blue that seemed to pierce through the darkness. Yellow, swirl-like patterns wove across its fur, and an ominous red energy steamed off its coat, creating a ghostly, shifting aura around it. The creature's eyes glinted with a malevolent gleam, their glow growing fiercer with each passing second.
A low growl rumbled from deep within its throat, resonating through the air like distant thunder. The red energy radiating from its fur pulsed faster, more violently, as if the beast itself were a living flame ready to engulf them.