In the quiet nights of Glann Village, when the wind rustles through the Ziyko trees and the moonlight filters through the window of my childhood bedroom, my mind often drifts back to a life that feels like a fading dream. Before I was Kaelo, the SR3 Slayer, I was a boy in a world of steel, glass, and profound loneliness.
Memories of a Distant Life
In that world, I was born as the son of Kawasaki Haru and Kawasaki Hana. My mother, Hana, was the embodiment of warmth. I can still vividly remember a night when I was only six years old, shivering under a thick blanket with a high fever. She stayed by my side until the sun rose, pressing cool, damp cloths to my forehead and whispering comforting words. "Eat this soup, my little one," she would say. "Get strong so we can go to the park and see the cherry blossoms again."
When the fever finally broke, my father, Haru, would come home from work with a brown paper bag smelling of toasted buns and grilled meat—a simple burger, my favorite treat. In those fleeting moments, I was the happiest child on Earth. I didn't need magic or swords; I had the protection of two people who were my entire universe.
School began, and for a while, life was bright. I met Hawasa Tora, my neighbor and absolute best friend. Our parents were close, so our homes had no boundaries; I was at his house as much as he was at mine. We grew up side-by-side, sharing toys, secrets, and the same dreams of becoming heroes. But when middle school arrived, Tora's family moved to a distant city.
That was when the colors of my world began to gray. In middle school, I became a target. Without Tora, I was isolated. The bullies saw a quiet, thoughtful boy and decided I was their puppet. I did their homework, I ran their errands, and if I refused even once, I felt the cold sting of their fists. I endured it only because I could go home to my parents. I escaped into the pages of webnovels, losing myself in stories of heroes who started with nothing and rose to become legends. I wished, with every fiber of my being, for an adventure of my own—a world where I could be strong.
But fate is a cruel author. In my first year of high school, my parents were killed in a sudden, tragic accident. The warmth was gone. I lived alone in a cramped apartment, working part-time jobs just to pay for instant noodles. I spent my nights reading until my eyes burned, seeking refuge in fictional worlds because my own was too painful to bear. I had no friends, no family, and no purpose. I wanted the things I didn't have—adventure, love, and a place to belong.
Then, the lightning strike happened. It was supposed to be the end of my miserable story, but it was only the beginning. I woke up in the world of Aster, gifted with a new family and, eventually, the Blue Sky party.
Present Day: The Bittersweet Peace
Thinking about it now makes my chest ache with a strange mixture of joy and sorrow. Just a few days ago, the Blue Sky party was a chaotic, beautiful family. I can still close my eyes and hear Mason yelling at Luke for trying to eat unidentified, glowing berries in the Mario woods, while Rim giggled behind her hand. I miss the simple act of watching them eat and bicker around a crackling campfire.
But every legend must have its individual chapters. Mason is now a Princess rebuilding a shattered kingdom; Rim is a lone justice seeker hunting syndicates in the dark; and Luke is exploring the world's mysteries with his little sister. We all have dreams to chase. My dream is to become the strongest, but for now, I have chosen to stay home and cherish the family I once lost and found again.
Life in Glann Village: The Futo and the Earth
Today, my father, Asgard, asked me to help him with the Futo. In this world, Futo are massive, majestic white buffalo with four curved horns. They are incredibly docile creatures, but their physical strength is immense. My father raises them primarily for their milk, which has a thick, creamy consistency and a flavor remarkably similar to the yogurt of my old world.
Interestingly, the people of Glann don't use Futo milk for cheese. Instead, they use the glowing sap from the Akhoro plant to curdle and ferment dairy products. It felt strange to me—a constant reminder that I was truly in a world of magic.
"Kaelo, help me bring the Vanti leaves!" my father called out from the paddock. Futo cattle are obsessed with the broad, purple leaves of the Vanti tree; they'll follow you anywhere if you hold a handful. We spent the entire afternoon in the pens, feeding them three large crates of fresh greens. Because of my father's meticulous care, our Futo were healthy and fat, their white coats gleaming like pearls in the afternoon sun.
As the sun began to set around 38 hours, we sat down for dinner. My mother had prepared a special local dish today: Gloria.
Gloria is the meat of a rare, non-predatory blue snake. It's a herbivorous serpent that lives high in the Ziyko trees and tastes remarkably like succulent, fatty duck. The most unique thing about the Gloria is the small, biological orb at the end of its tail; at night, it emits a soft blue light to attract Opposite sex, which it feeds on. We ate the tender meat and the large, rich eggs of the Gloria—a meal that felt like a reward for a hard day's work.
In Aster, the social divide is even reflected in diet. Commoners usually eat three hearty meals a day, while the nobility consumes five lighter, more extravagant courses. As an SR3 Slayer with 20 million Riya in my pocket, I suppose I could eat like a king, but nothing in this world or the last could beat my mother's home-cooked meals. After dinner, I lay in my bed, listening to the peaceful rhythm of the village.
I'll stay here for a while, I thought, looking at the ceiling. Just a little more peace. Just a few more days of being a son instead of a warrior.
But my peace was shattered shortly after midnight. I was jerked awake by a sudden, piercing scream that tore through the quiet night of the village. "Bandits! Bandits have arrived in Glan village! Hide the children! Lock the doors!"
I bolted upright, my heart hammering against my ribs.I'm ready to attack., which leaned against the wall. My blood began to boil with a familiar heat. I had thought I could protect this small sanctuary, but it seemed the world was determined to test me once more.
I didn't know it then, but this raid was not a random act of greed. It was the moment that would shift the gears of my fate, forcing me out of the village and back into the storm.
"They want to burn my home?" I whispered, my eyes glowing with a faint, dangerous Atara. "Then I'll show them that some fires are meant to consume the shadows."
I kicked open my bedroom window and leapt into the night, the silver glint of my blade reflecting the moonlight. The hero I had once read about in those lonely high school nights was no longer a dream—he was standing in the middle of Glann Village, and he was ready for war.