The distance between the Amateru Kingdom and Harasawa village was vast, a journey that stretched across a dying world.
On foot, the trek would take at least five grueling days of constant walking. For those fortunate enough to own a horse, the journey could be cut down to two days, but Kazuki had no such luxury. He had nothing but his own two feet, a small rucksack of meager supplies, and a heart heavy with the weight of a promise.
During the first day, Kazuki traversed a dense, desolate wilderness. It was a silent forest, devoid of any signs of human life. This was a "Dead Forest"—its trees were twisted, leafless skeletons, their roots clutching at a soil that had long since surrendered its fertility. This was the reality of the world now; eighty percent of the Earth's surface had turned into a barren wasteland.
As he walked, Kazuki saw the grim reminders of the struggle for survival. Carcasses of animals lay scattered among the gray rocks, their bones bleached white by the sun. Wheat and corn fields, once symbols of life, had become rare legends. Every step through the dry grass felt like treading on the remains of a forgotten era. After covering nearly thirty-six kilometers, the sun finally dipped below the horizon, and Kazuki reached a small, isolated village.
Exhausted and shivering from the sudden drop in temperature, Kazuki approached a middle-aged man who was closing his shutters for the night.
"Excuse me, Sir," Kazuki began, his voice raspy from the dust. "May I trouble you for a place to stay tonight? I am a traveler on my way to the Amateru Kingdom."
The man gave him a weary glance and shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, boy. There is no room here. Every corner is filled with my own kin. Try another house."
"I understand. Sorry to bother you," Kazuki replied, forced to keep moving. The night air had turned treacherous. A soft, biting snow began to fall—a rare and cruel occurrence in this dry region.
He tried another house, and another. Finally, one owner, moved by the sight of the shivering teenager, gestured toward a dilapidated structure beside his home. "There's an old shed there, kid. It's filthy and full of junk, but it will keep the snow off your back."
Kazuki's face lit up with a warm smile. "Thank you, Sir. Truly."
He entered the shed and set to work. Thick layers of dust coated every corner, and broken furniture was piled high like a graveyard of wood. Kazuki cleared a small space and gathered some dry scraps to start a tiny fire. As the warmth slowly returned to his fingers, the fatigue finally claimed him, and he drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.
In his sleep, the darkness was not empty.
"What... what is this place?"
Kazuki found himself standing in the middle of a colossal battlefield. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and iron. Screams of agony filled his ears, drowned out only by the deafening clash of metal against metal. Blood—more blood than he had ever seen—stained the ground crimson.
"What's happening? Where am I?" he shouted, but his voice was lost in the chaos.
He saw creatures that defied logic—beings that looked like demons from ancient scrolls—clashing with human soldiers. In the center of the carnage, a towering black silhouette, a monstrous demon, swung a blade that seemed to tear the very air. Three knights, clad in glowing armor, fought back with desperate fury.
Then, the world seemed to freeze.
A woman appeared in a flash of blinding light. She wore a flowing haori adorned with a silver moon symbol, similar to the one on his grandfather's book. She opened her mouth to speak, her eyes fixed on Kazuki. She let out a piercing cry—
But before her words could reach him, the dream shattered like glass.
"HUAHHK!!"
Kazuki bolted upright, his heart hammering against his ribs. Cold sweat drenched his forehead, and his breath came in ragged gasps. "What was that...? I've never seen anything like it!"
Before he could calm his nerves, his rucksack began to vibrate. A strange, humming magical aura filled the shed. Panicking, Kazuki opened the bag with trembling hands. The book—the legacy from his grandfather that he couldn't even read—was glowing with a brilliant, pulsing light.
"It's... it's glowing!?"
The moment Kazuki's fingers brushed the cover, a massive surge of magical energy erupted. The force was so violent that it sent him flying backward, slamming his body against the wooden wall of the shed.
The light vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The book returned to its normal, dusty state. Kazuki lay on the floor, gasping for air, his back throbbing with pain. He picked up the book cautiously, but it remained silent.
"Did that dream have something to do with this...?" he whispered to the empty room. "No, that's impossible. I'm just a boy from Harasawa."
The winter storm persisted for the next few days. Fortunately, Kazuki had brought a thick fur coat, a relic from his grandfather's younger days, which kept him from freezing. For nearly a week, he marched through the biting cold. He slept in the hollows of trees, inside damp caves, or under the shelter of stone bridges.
The terrain surrounding Amateru was harsh—mountainous and rugged. Kazuki had to rely on the hunting skills his grandfather had taught him, tracking wild deer and occasionally fending off lean, hungry bears. Every day was a battle of will against nature.
Finally, after seven days of exhaustion, the gray horizon broke.
The sight that met his eyes was nothing short of miraculous. The Amateru Kingdom was grander than any story he had ever heard. Towers of white stone reached for the clouds, the streets were paved and clean, and lush green parks—real, living green—dotted the city. In the center stood the palace, its golden spires glistening under the sun like a beacon of hope.
The citizens walked with a grace Kazuki had never seen. They wore beautiful, colorful clothes and laughed openly in the streets. Kazuki stood at the gate, looking at his own tattered, dust-covered tunic. A bitter tang of resentment mixed with his awe. How could a place be this wealthy while his village starved?
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Focus, Kazuki. Your goal is Solis Academy."
He made his way through the bustling crowds until he found a small weapon shop tucked in a corner of the city.
"Hello, Sir. I see many fine weapons here," Kazuki said, admiring the steel on the walls. "Is there anything... affordable for someone like me?"
The shopkeeper, a burly man with a scarred apron, looked Kazuki up and down. "You're not from around here, are you? Those clothes... they're covered in the dust of the barren lands."
Kazuki gave a small, humble smile. "I am from Harasawa Village. I came here to change my village's fate."
The shopkeeper sighed, his expression softening slightly. "Harasawa, eh? Tough luck. If you want something decent, look at that—the best wind-attribute dagger I have. Fifteen gold coins."
Kazuki's eyes widened at the beauty of the blade, but his heart sank. "It's magnificent... but I only have seven gold coins. Is there anything cheaper? Anything at all that I can use to fight?"
"Fight? What do you need a weapon for?"
"I'm going to take the sorcerer selection at Solis Academy," Kazuki replied firmly. "I might not have high magical energy, but I can fight. My grandfather taught me everything he knew."
The shopkeeper fell silent for a few moments, staring at the boy's determined eyes. "Kid... give it up. Every year, only the nobles pass. They cheat, they bribe, and they look down on anyone who wasn't born in a silk bed. There's no place for a commoner like you."
The words stung, but Kazuki didn't flinch. He lifted his head higher. "Sir, destiny doesn't always side with the powerful. I believe everyone carves their own path. So please... help me with just one weapon. I will repay your kindness one day, I swear it."
The sincerity in Kazuki's smile made the shopkeeper pause. A memory seemed to flicker in his eyes before he let out a short, gruff laugh. "You've got spirit, kid. Fine. Take the dagger. Pay me the seven coins you have and call it even. Just... make sure you tell me if you pass."
Kazuki bowed deeply, his heart soaring. "Thank you so much! I promise I'll come back with good news!"
He practically sprinted out of the shop, gripping his new weapon with a grin. The shopkeeper watched him go, his smile fading into a look of deep contemplation.
"He looks just like you... Ryuzaki," the man whispered to the empty air.