Hayase felt taps on both shoulders.
His eyes fluttered open as the noise he'd heard earlier began to make sense.
"HAYASE! HAYASE SOUTA!" yelled the professor.
"Huh!?"
Hayase jolted up from his deep slumber, looking around the room. To his horror, every student was staring at him… including Amber.
"Oh—yes, Professor?" he asked, embarrassed.
The professor cleared his throat. "In Section 13, Chapter 3, the textbook outlines the five basic principles of Seikai. Name them."
Hayase hesitated. "Well, you see—"
Many would call it a miracle of life, and for Hayase, this was a miracle. At that very moment, the bell rang across the school, signaling dismissal at 3:30 PM.
"Answer that next class, Hayase," the professor muttered, already packing his belongings.
"Close one, huh?" said Amber, appearing beside him.
(Amber is Hayase's childhood best friend, and they've remained close. She comes from a wealthy family that funds many school events, earning her occasional special treatment. With dark red hair and a petite frame, she stands just five feet tall.)
"Huh? Oh—yeah!" Hayase replied, scratching the back of his head.
"We should get going. We don't want to keep your brother waiting too long."
"Where are we going again, Amber?"
Amber paused, turning with a shocked expression.
"You didn't forget, did you?! Today's the grand opening of the new café! Lucky for us, I have a reservation for the three of us!"
They made their way to the front entrance, where Yusuke—Hayase's younger brother—stood waiting.
Yusuke waved. As they approached, he crossed his arms.
"Took you long enough," he said, glaring at Hayase.
Hayase returned a nervous glance.
(Though older and taller, Hayase is physically weaker than Yusuke—an unfortunate truth. Both share brown hair and striking emerald eyes. Yusuke stands at 5'4", Hayase at 5'7".)
"We should get going," said Amber.
They walked through the bustling streets of Eldina to the café. Despite the long line, Amber's wealthy connections had secured them a private room.
"It's beautiful..." Amber whispered as she stepped inside. "A lounge area with cats! And so many cute things!"
A waitress wearing cat ears approached, escorting them to their room—which, unsurprisingly, was stunning.
"This room's too girly… needs more man power," Yusuke mumbled.
Hayase glanced around with Amber, secretly enjoying the aesthetic. When the waitress returned with their milkshakes, they dug in.
As they sipped, Hayase spotted a wanted poster hidden among some magazines.
WANTED: Jesus DeLaRosa
Dead or Alive
REWARD: 1,000 Gold Coins (approx. $100,000 USD)
Amber snatched the poster from his hands.
"Jesus DeLaRosa, huh… He's a known terrorist. Goes around raiding villages, massacring civilians. It's good they're spreading awareness."
Yusuke grabbed the paper. "1,000 gold coins!?"
"Hey!" Amber snapped.
"Hayase, do you know what we could do with that kind of money!?"
"That's a huge reward for someone so dangerous… Still, I doubt he'd raid our city. It's just not possible," Amber said cautiously. "Anyway, we should head home. We've got homework."
They left the café, waved goodbye, and Hayase and Yusuke made their way home. Their parents greeted them warmly for dinner, and after catching up, they all went to bed.
That night, Hayase fell asleep peacefully—until screams of terror shattered his dreams.
The scent of fire and dust invaded his senses. He bolted to the window.
A nightmare… except it was real.
Buildings burned. Civilians fled, screaming. Vicious monsters attacked in the streets. Then—noises downstairs.
"MOM!? DAD!? YUSUKE?!"
Hayase raced down the stairs. Relief washed over him—his father was fighting off a demon while his mother held Yusuke tightly.
Once the demon was down, his father ran to them.
"We need to evacuate. Now."
The family ran into the darkness, weaving through burning streets. Eldina crumbled behind them.
Hayase glimpsed Amber's home in flames.
"Dad! We have to save her!"
"There's no time, Hayase! I have to keep you safe!"
"Then I'll go myself!"
He sprinted toward her home—and there she was, unconscious. He knelt, trying to lift her.
Suddenly, a demon appeared and slammed him into an oak tree.
"Gah!"
Before the demon could strike again, Hayase's father intervened, unleashing a barrage of punches.
"Are you okay, son?"
"I'm fine, but she's not. We have to help her!"
His father hoisted Amber onto his back and led them to the city's southern entrance, where a guard was organizing evacuations.
"This carriage will take you through Eldina Forest to Amethyst City," the guard explained.
"What's going on!?"
"No one knows for sure… Most of our forces are fighting in the north. We're evacuating the south."
They boarded the carriage. For a moment, things felt safe—until it came to a halt deep in the forest.
"Stay here. I'll check it out," Hayase's father said.
Silence. Yusuke clung to their mother. Hayase cradled Amber's head.
Then—BAM! The carriage flipped. Darkness clouded their vision.
Outside, Hayase saw his father fighting a tall man—Jesus DeLaRosa.
His father broke free, launching DeLaRosa into the trees and giving chase.
"Are you okay, Hayase? How's Amber?" their mother whispered.
"I think she'll wake up soon…"
Hayase's thoughts swirled. Just hours ago, they were at the café. Now this?
Amber stirred. "Hayase… Where am I? My parents… The last thing I remember is them pushing me off the balcony to save me..."
"I'm not sure where we are, but as long as my dad's with us, we've got a chance."
(Hayase's father was once a soldier in Eldina's army.)
"If we're betting against the odds, I'm betting on Dad!" Yusuke declared.
In the distance, the battle raged.
"Seishen Technique: Howling Beast!"
Ch. 1
Hayase's father unleashed a vicious barrage of punches.
"Demon Technique: Summon!"
Two pentagrams flared on the ground. Two Demons burst forth, catching Hayase's father off guard and pinning him.
"RUN!" he shouted to the group.
Then—his head was flung across the forest.
"What the hell?!" Yusuke screamed.
"Oh my—" Amber gasped.
Their mother smiled through tears. "Go on… get out of here. I love you all."
She ran toward the demons—and was torn to pieces.
Fueled by horror and adrenaline, the trio fled into the forest.
But DeLaRosa caught up.
"My, my, my… I love when my prey runs. It makes this so much more fun." He dragged a claw along Amber's leg, cutting into her skin.
"Leave her alone!" Yusuke charged.
DeLaRosa caught his punch effortlessly and twisted his wrist—snap.
"You don't look like a demon at all! Why do you appear so human?!" Hayase shouted.
(DeLaRosa is a humanoid demon capable of shifting into human form.)
"That's not your concern. My duty, as Prince, is to eliminate you."
He tossed Yusuke aside and closed in on Hayase. Claw raised, ready to strike.
As Hayase's life flashed before his eyes, a name surfaced in his mind—Kimiko.
He whispered it.
"Kimiko…"
And everything went dark.