Cheyra is now the polar kingdom, but for a brief moment, it was green. This is that story. Through it, you will learn a little about Kujima, though knowing him fully is another matter. One does not simply understand a man who communes with God and commands God.
Cheyra, a fickle kingdom, was once renowned for its advanced civilization and grand architecture. Then the plague came, leaving only its towering halls of politics and entertainment. Some say the plague is the very material that fuels the variants in Cheyra. Who knows?
The greatest rumor about Cheyra was that beneath its ruins lay a substance that enhanced variant powers. The closer one was born to Cheyra, the stronger their gift. Take Radzias, for example—their most impressive ability was making tools glow. But in Cheyra, there was Icego, the power to command ice itself.
Tales spread of unimaginable riches hidden within Cheyra's ruins. The country of Harden, eager for conquest, set its sights on this frozen graveyard. They did not know they would awaken the Icego Variant, a force dormant for millions of years. Would they have invaded if they had known? Who can say? But their actions set the first stone in the war between Icego and Dixon.
No one foresaw the consequences—that their battle would ripple across universes, even reaching the TOP LEVEL realms. It would be like AI rebelling against humanity in the current world.
Only two dared to enter Cheyra. Kujima, bound by a covenant with the god Isaak, yet insatiable for more power. And Judd the Great—though at the time, he was simply Judd. His title would come a hundred years after his death. But that is another story.
"There's no turning back now, Judd."
"You knew that the moment we set foot here, Mr. Kujima."
"I feel no limit to my power here, Judd. As if I can do anything. Yet at the same time, I sense a great sin in doing so."
"Mr. Kujima, even your beard trembles. I can see it. The air here—it's not just the cold."
They wore heavy bearskin coats, though they offered little against the deep cold. As they neared Cheyra's shore, the sea froze two hundred meters ahead of them. Their boat slid to the edge of the ice. No stake could hold in this brittle surface. Kujima left the boat behind. Judd believed it was because he thought they had a better chance of never returning than of making it back.
They walked across the frozen expanse. No wind, no blizzard. Just silence.
Then, the ice cracked beneath them.
"Someone knows we're here."
"That's right."
The fractures spread fast. They ran.
"Kujima, throw your coat!" Judd had already discarded his.
Kujima did the same.
"On my count, we jump. If we fail, we'll sink and be forgotten."
Judd started running. "One."
They braced themselves. "Two."
"Three! Isaak, lend me your almighty power! I am the one who caused the death of Laenix!"
A red circle flared beneath them. "Kujima, jump on my back! This is my field power!"
As they leapt, the ice shattered into grains of dust. The force was so immense it obliterated the frozen layer around Cheyra. Ice chunks, small enough for a man to stand on, scattered across the sea.
Judd tried to launch forward but was thrown away from the island.
"Mr. Kujima! We're fucked!"
Kujima drew his steel sword midair and struck at a floating ice chunk. It split, but the impact slowed his fall. As the ice beneath him crumbled, he grabbed Judd and hurled him to another chunk. The force flung him in the opposite direction. Now, separated, they drifted away from Cheyra, unable to even see it anymore.
Judd groaned. "We stopped the ice from breaking out of control, at least. Now what?"
"Now we advance one step at a time."
They had to leap from ice chunk to ice chunk. Too fast, and the pieces wouldn't have time to shift closer together. Too slow, and they'd have no ground left to step on. Each move had to be precise.
The distance between them grew wider. Soon, they were on opposite paths.
"Unfortunately, our ways part here," Kujima said. "Yours leads straight to the shore. Mine takes me elsewhere."
"I'll see you later, Mr. Kujima."
"I hope so, Judd."