KING OF KINGS
Prologue – Only One God
> Deuteronomy 12:2-4
"You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things."
---
"Man… my first day at a new school."
Tadashi Shimada stood in front of the massive iron gates of New Atlantis High, eyes wide and heart thumping slightly. A 16-year-old with straight black hair brushing his shoulders and cold grey eyes, Tadashi was Japanese by birth—but today marked his return to the United States to live with his mother. He adjusted the strap of his bag, sighed, and stepped forward.
"It's really big," he muttered, gazing up at the modern architecture of the school campus.
After checking in at the school office and receiving his schedule, a staff member escorted him through polished hallways and towering glass windows.
"Amazing," he whispered to himself, still absorbing the grandeur.
Then the bell rang, echoing through the halls—signaling the start of first period.
"History? Seriously?" Tadashi groaned. "I never understood the point of learning about dead people…"
He was handed a classroom number—Room 84—and pointed in its direction. A tall man in a suit, Mr. Thomas, greeted him with a nod.
"History first, huh? Room 84. Hope you can find your way around."
Tadashi gave a confident grin. "I know this place like the back of my hand now."
He didn't.
Minutes passed, and it became clear: he was completely lost.
Finally—14 minutes late—he stumbled into Room 84. Heads turned. The teacher stopped mid-sentence.
"You're late, Mr. Shimada," the woman said sharply. She wore a formal black suit without a tie, her dark hair tied tightly in a bun. Cold eyes glared from behind thick glasses.
"Sorry I'm late, ma'am," Tadashi replied quickly.
"You're new, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt... for now," she said.
He shuffled to an empty seat by the window. As the lesson resumed, the teacher asked a jarring question:
"What do you think of other religions? Should Christians support them?"
The room went quiet for a moment as students hesitantly began to answer. Tadashi sat still, confused.
Why is she even asking this here? At school?
In his head, he repeated something his mother once told him: "There's only one God." But even now, he wasn't sure.
The teacher continued, "Every religion should be respected—even if you're a Christian. Besides, the chances of the Christian God being real are just the same as any other... even the chance that no god exists at all."
Tadashi thought hard.
That… kinda makes sense, doesn't it? If anything could be true, maybe nothing should be judged.
Narrator: His faith weakens.
---
A few hours later, during lunch break, Tadashi sat alone under a tree, replaying the lesson in his mind.
"That was a really stupid question, am I right?" a voice said beside him.
Tadashi turned to see a dark-skinned boy with short black hair and sharp eyes grinning at him.
"I didn't introduce myself yet. I'm Denzel Smith. I sit next to you in history... and also, I'm the Mr Thomas son. Nice to meet you, Tadashi Shimada."
"You were the one next to me in class…" Tadashi said, surprised.
"Yup. And don't worry about what that lady said. She always says stuff like that—but it's not true."
Tadashi hesitated. "But… it kinda made sense to me…"
Denzel's expression turned serious. "Look, dude. There's only one God. I've seen it. And about that 'respect all religions' thing? God says otherwise."
He pulled out his phone and read:
> "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods… break their sacred pillars… burn their wooden images with fire… You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things."
—Deuteronomy 12:2-4
Tadashi's eyes widened. He had never heard the Bible quoted like that before. Denzel leaned in.
"God loves everyone. But He hates sin—and religion is one of those sins. It separates us from Him. Don't you want to be close to God?"
Tadashi swallowed hard, then nodded slowly. "Best believe I do. What you're saying… it makes sense. I want to know more. I want to see what God can do… like you."
"That's the spirit," Denzel said with a smile. "If you know Scripture, the things people say won't shake you. Remember: love everyone—but the best way to love them is by telling the truth. Religion leads people to hell. And for me? Christianity isn't even a religion. It's the truth. A lifestyle."
Tadashi looked at him, heart racing. For the first time, something clicked.
Narrator: His faith grows.
Then Denzel asked one final question, leaning back on the bench:
"Hey... do you have a church you're going to?"
Tadashi froze.
End of Prologue – TO BE CONTINUED