Morning painted the sky with soft pastel hues as light filtered through the wooden windows of Kyota's village home. For the first time in a long while, peace lingered.
The wooden floor creaked gently as Kyota stirred in bed. Sunlight danced across his black hair, tinged with hints of crimson red. A familiar voice echoed from the kitchen.
"Kyota! Breakfast's ready!" Aqua called out with warmth.
He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Coming…"
Downstairs, the scent of roasted herbs and fresh bread filled the air. Around the table sat Raito and Aqua—his parents, their faces glowing with pride and quiet love. Yuki, bright as ever, sat beside them, giggling as Aqua teased Kyota's sleepy expression.
"I swear, you get stronger every day but can't beat the morning sun," Aqua joked.
Raito laughed. "If strength came from sleep, Kyota would've defeated the gods already."
Kyota chuckled, taking a seat beside Yuki. "Very funny."
They all ate together, the atmosphere warm. Outside, villagers were bustling, preparing for seasonal planting. Children ran across the dirt paths, laughing. Birds chirped over rooftops. The scent of earth and joy filled the wind.
After breakfast, Kyota and Yuki walked hand in hand toward the fields. She watched a group of children playing with sticks.
"They're so carefree," she said quietly.
Kyota looked down at her. "You want to join them?"
"No… I was just wondering… why do you and I feel so much older than we are?"
Kyota fell silent. He knew why—but would she understand?
"I guess," he began, "it's because we've seen too much."
She stared at him, eyes trembling. "I don't want to lose that childish part of me."
"You won't," he said. "Not while I'm here."
She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Promise?"
"Promise."
They walked across bridges and riverbanks, across newly planted rice fields. Villagers greeted them with fondness. For a moment, they weren't warriors or wielders of magic—just two kids in love.
But paradise does not last.
Suddenly, screams echoed across the village. A man stumbled into Kyota's view, blood streaking his arm. "Demons! They're back!"
Kyota's eyes narrowed. "Yuki, let's go."
They dashed back to the village, only to find the central square in chaos. Buildings burned. Demonic creatures with twisted forms swarmed. Villagers fought back desperately—many were injured. Aqua and Raito led the defense, blades flashing.
Kyota charged in barehanded. No weapons. Only fury.
He snapped a demon's neck with a single twist. Flames danced around his hands, though no spell was chanted. One by one, he tore through them with precision and raw rage. Beside him, Yuki fought with tears in her eyes, her spells healing the wounded and striking the monsters back.
Aqua's voice rang out: "He's stronger than ever…"
Raito nodded. "But there's something… different."
Just then, a shadow emerged.
A woman—slender, pale, with obsidian armor laced with corrupted energy—walked into the battlefield. Black roots slithered beneath her feet like snakes. Her gaze was cold.
"I am Lumeria," she said. "Of the Black Root. And you… are late, Kyota."
Kyota stepped forward. "I won't fight a woman."
She chuckled. "Still clinging to honor? How quaint." Her eyes darted to Yuki. "Then let's test your resolve."
With a swipe of her hand, roots lashed out. Yuki screamed as she was thrown to the ground. Lumeria walked over, raised her boot, and stomped on Yuki's face. Again. And again.
"STOP!" Kyota roared, his voice ripping through the air like thunder.
His eyes erupted into burning blue flames, aura exploding around him. The cursed markings across his arms turned deep black, seeping into his skin like molten ink. The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"Let her go…"
"You don't get to command me," Lumeria grinned, stepping harder.
That was it.
Kyota snapped.
He dashed forward in a blur, fist slamming into her chest. She flew back, bones cracking. But she laughed and regenerated.
"Come then, monster-boy."
They clashed violently. She cut through his arms and shattered his fingers one by one. She stabbed both legs. Blood spilled across the village square. Yet Kyota moved. Broken, bleeding—his rage now a storm.
"You dare hurt her… in front of me?!"
His cursed power awakened. His black aura howled like a beast, and the villagers could barely keep their eyes open from the pressure.
He spotted her core—a throbbing black seed hidden beneath her ribs. Every attack she made was faster and more violent, but Kyota no longer felt pain.
With one final blow—an elbow wrapped in blue flame—he crushed her core.
Lumeria screamed, collapsing into ash and root. The wind carried her remnants into nothingness.
But the silence did not follow.
Raito and Aqua stared at him.
"Are you… Kyota?" Aqua whispered.
"Are you even human?" Raito added.
Kyota stood, bloody and trembling. "I am your son…"
They didn't move.
Only Yuki crawled toward him, embracing his broken form. "He's still Kyota."
They nodded slowly, eyes filled with fear and pain. They tried to act normal—but Kyota could feel it.
That night, silence wrapped around the house. Laughter was gone.
Kyota stood in the hallway, watching the moonlight pour through. He left a note. Took his cloak. Covered his face.
And disappeared.
A thick mist blanketed the road.
A carriage rolled forward in the darkness. Inside it, a boy leaned back, covered in a black cloak, a mask hiding his face. His head was tilted to the window.
He had been dreaming.
The laughter. The blood. The stomp. The broken fingers.
He woke with a jolt.
"Ah—you're awake!" said a soft voice.
A girl sat opposite him. Around 12. With ocean-blue eyes and a playful smile.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You were sleeping really hard. What's your name?"
He sat up slowly. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I'm a traveler," he said. "Heading to all five nations."
Suddenly, the sky cracked open.
A monstrous eagle-like demon swooped down, grabbing a child from a nearby cart.
Everyone screamed.
The boy vanished.
A second later, he stood in the road—a child in hand, unharmed.
The eagle shrieked.
It looked down to see dozens of gashes across its body, blood pouring like rain.
It fell dead.
The girl's mouth hung open.
"To do that… you must be faster than the wind."
"Who are you…? You're just a kid!"
He stood on the road, cloak rippling. Then slowly, he removed the hood. His crimson-tinted black hair spilled out. The mask came off.
"My name… is Kyota Yoru."
The girl blushed, heart skipping.
Guards rushed over. "Princess Hana! Are you okay?!"
She turned, still staring at him.
"I'm fine," she whispered, watching Kyota vanish into the mist like a ghost.
But in her heart, something changed.
She would remember that name.
Kyota Yoru.
And the flames behind his eyes.