Debris and broken wood sink into the sea as a storm rages just above. A young boy, nearly 16, flails his arms as he's dragged lower in the water by the mast of a ship. He struggles to swim, while also holding a girl under his arm. This is Soba. And his story just might end before it begins.
Early morning. Yōsei house.
Soba lays on his bed staring at the ceiling. Thinking about nothing and doing less.
Sono: "Come eat breakfast, ya bum!"
Soba scratches his stomach as he sits up.
Soba: "Brat."
He pushes his hair out of his face as he walks down stairs. He finds his sisters sitting at the table while his mother is in the kitchen. The younger one, Saiori smiles at him as Sono just glares.
Saiori: "Morning."
Soba: "Mo-"
Sono: "When are you going to move out?"
He sits down and glares at her.
Soba: "When are you going to learn to respect your older brother?"
Sono: "When you earn it. I respect Karito just fine."
Soba sighs.
Soba: "Should've told Mom to abort you."
Sono: "Why? So then she could've focused on you. Because "little Sobby" needs so much attention, right?"
Soba is about to say something as his mother walks into the room holding six plates.
Koda: "Enough you two. When are you going to start acting like siblings and not mortal enemies?"
Sono: "When he does something with his life."
Soba: "When she focuses on her own."
Koda sighs.
Koda: "Sono, what Soba chooses is his own choice and you should support it as his sister."
Soba: "Thank you."
Koda: "Soba, Sono is allowed to criticize you, she just wants what's best for her older brother."
Sono: "Thank you."
Saiori: "Can we eat now?"
Koda: "Of course."
Koda starts to set plates in front of everyone as Soba's father, Kase, walks in the room, a girl with green hair behind him.
Kase: "Morning."
They all greet him as he and the girl sit down.
Ria: "Hey Soba."
Soba raises his hand to wave.
Kase: "Soba, need help getting today's haul."
Soba grimaces.
Soba: "Again? How hard can getting fish be?"
Sono: "Harder than sitting on your ass all day."
Koda & Kase: "Language."
Sono rolls her eyes as she continues to eat.
Ria: "Can me and Soba hit the town before you two go?"
Kase: "Sure, just be back by 5:00. Could get caught in a storm if you're late."
Soba: "Fine. I'm heading out now if that's the case. Might as well enjoy my free time before I'm surrounded by fish."
Soba dumps his plate into his mouth, stands from the table, and walks out of the house. Ria follows after him, making sure to grab a pair of shoes for him as he passes the door. Koda sighs.
Koda: "She barely got to touch her food."
As Soba walks, Ria quickly catches up to him and hands him his shoes. He nods and puts them on as he walks.
Ria: "Your eyes are baggier than usual. Did you sleep last night?"
Soba grunts, causing her to sigh.
Ria: "I told you to stop doing that."
Soba: "I was busy."
Ria: "With what?"
Soba doesn't respond and just keeps walking. Ria grabs his wrist as they pass a shop. She smiles at him.
Ria: "How about this, I'll buy you ice cream if you promise to get some sleep tonight?"
Soba turns his head to the side.
Soba: "Pistachio?"
Ria: "Pistachio."
He smiles.
Soba: "Deal."
10 minutes later. Clock tower.
Soba and Ria sit atop the clock tower overlooking Kaiten village, both of them holding ice cream cones. Ria sighs.
Ria: "This place always feels a lot more empty with the others gone."
Soba doesn't respond and just takes a bite of his ice cream.
Ria: "You think they're doing ok?"
Soba: "Don't know. I try not to think about them."
Ria: "Hm. We'll see them again one day."
Soba looks at her and then the ground. His eyes linger, seeing just how high up they are.
Soba: "Thanks for staying with me."
She smiles.
Ria: "Don't mention it."
Soba scoots back and stands up.
Soba: "Let's hit the water next."
5 minutes later. Pier.
Soba stands at the edge of the pier and takes his shirt off. Ria sits at the edge dipping her feet in the water as Soba dives in. He swims deeper and then deeper, before turning around to look at the sky. He closes his eyes as his thoughts consume him. He starts to think about things he's repressed. Things he'd tried to forget.
7 years earlier. Seinaru City.
Lisa: "Ria Kōjō!"
Ria walks up to the podium.
Karito: "Hey they called Ria!"
Soba: "I know, I wonder what kind of sword she gets."
Luke removes the cloth cover from a sword. He holds out a green katana with a leaf covered saya.
Luke: "I, the sacred blacksmith Luke Kajiya, present you with the three-fanged sword, Shizen. A sword with full control over all plant life."
He hands the sword to Ria.
Ria: "Thank you lord Luke."
Soba can't see Ria's face but he believes she sounds happy. He knew that she always loved plants.
Lisa: "So miss Kōjō, will you be heading home or will you start your training?"
Ria: "Umm, would it be alright if decided later on?"
Lisa smiled at her.
Lisa: "Of course!"
Ria walked off the podium towards Soba and Karito.
Karito: "Hey congrats!"
Soba: "Yeah, that sword is awesome!"
Ria: "Thanks, I can't wait to see what you guys get!"
Lisa: "Karito Robā!"
Soba: "Good luck!"
Soba smiled at him. Karito smiled back before walking off.
Luke: "Well you really are a special one, boy."
Luke materialized a sword out of thin air. It is an all black katana shaped like a clock hand.
Luke: "I, the sacred blacksmith Luke Kajiya, present you this with the five-fanged sword, Jikan. This sword is one of the hands of time itself. For now you can only use a fraction of its power, but in due time you'll be able to fully control it."
Murmurs can be heard throughout the crowd. "Did he say five fangs, like lord Miyamoto?" "Must have, lord Luke doesn't make mistakes."
Karito: "Thank you lord Luke."
Lisa: "Mr. Robā will you be heading home or will you start your training? It'd be a shame to let all that potential go to waste."
Karito: "I'm definitely starting my training!"
Karito walks back to the others.
Karito: "I can't believe I got a five fang!"
Soba: "Yeah, nothing's gonna stop us now! With Karito's sword, there's no way I don't become Sword God."
Lisa looked down at the list and her expression changed to a sad one.
Lisa: "Soba Yosei!"
As Soba walks up to the podium, he notices everyone was giving odd looks, nothing he wasn't used to. He believes they will all change after he gets his sword and becomes Sword God. He reaches the podium and Luke glares at him.
Luke: "Soba Yosei, the marked boy."
Soba just stands in front of him, smiling. His smile starts to fade as he looks into Luke's eyes.
Luke: "I will not be giving a sword to the boy marked for our destruction."
Soba's face twists into a look of shock and despair.
Luke: "You are quite clearly a pawn for the fairies, I'd be foolish to give you a weapon of any caliber. Thank your father that I'm sparing your life. He's the only reason. Go home, and try not to destroy all of humanity."
Soba falls to his knees and begins to mentally panic.
Soba: "What is happening right now? Why is this happening? Because of some stupid birthmark?"
Tears start to fall from his eyes, although he makes no auditory sounds. The crowd and everyone in it begin to disperse, including Karito. Soba was alone. The only one left standing by his side was Ria.
Present.
Soba opens his eyes as he hears Ria from above the water.
Ria: "Soba, come up before you drown!"
Soba thinks to himself.
Soba: "She worries way too much. Well, at least she stayed."
He swims up to see Ria looking upset. He pushes his hair out of his face.
Soba: "I wasn't under that long."
Ria: "You're gonna die if you keep staying down for that long."
He rolls his eyes, deciding arguing with her would be useless.
Soba: "Come on, let's get back."
They start walking away from the pier. After they're a good distance away Ria looks at Soba.
Ria: "You know you left your clothes, right?"
Soba looks shocked and looks down at his body.
Soba: "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
She gives him a worried look.
Soba: "I don't need you to watch over me all the time, I can take care of myself."
Ria: "I know, I just worry about you."
He gives her a smile before walking off.
30 minutes later. Yōsei house.
Soba walks through the front door nonchalantly. Koda: "Hey Soba you should head to the shipping docks, your father and Ria have already left."
Soba hesitates. He believes that she's right but he doesn't want to go.
Soba: "Yeah ok. See ya mom."
By the time he gets to the docks Ria and Kase already have the supplies loaded.
Kase: "What the hell took you so long? Me and Ria had to load everything ourselves."
Kase looks angry, but Soba has an uncaring look on his face.
Soba: "Sorry I left my clothes at the pier and-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kase smacks him over the head.
Soba: "Oww! What the hell!"
Kase: "Well now you and Ria can get the haul yourselves today."
15 minutes later. Sea.
While out in the middle of the sea, Soba notices an upset disposition coming from Ria. With it being the day that it is, he understood why she didn't say anything to him.
Soba: "I know you're mad."
Ria: "Of course I'm mad, it'd be easier if your dad was here."
Soba: "Look I'm sorry, I didn't think it'd take that long."
Ria didn't say anything. Suddenly, a lightning bolt hit the mast and it fell on Ria. Soba turns around and sees a massive lightning storm and a giant wave. He wonders how he didn't notice. Soba effortlessly throws the mast off of Ria.
Soba: "Ria wake up! We need to get below de-"
Just as he was picking her up, the wave hit the boat and flipped it over. The rope of the mast is wrapped around the two of them. They start sinking lower into the sea. Soba thinks while struggling to stay conscious and trying to swim while holding Ria.
Soba: "Damn it! It can't end like this! I can't die here, I have to s
ave Ria! I have to keep living! Stop sinking damn it! I want to live!"
???: "You want to live? Well maybe I can help, but please don't leave me. Don't abandon me like he did."