1 Chapter 1

Somewhere far away, in a very different world, there existed a country called Straelor. In this beautiful evergreen country, there exists two kingdoms; the human kingdom of Estuvia, and the demon kingdom of Rampartia. For 200 years, these factions have been at war using their greatest strengths against each other. The humans, with their sheer manpower, battle strategy and tenacity, and the demons, with their magical prowess, guerilla-style attacks and scorched-earth tactics. The war eventually came to a stalemate, with neither side being able to pull an advantage over the other.

However, the tides of war seemed to turn in the humans' favor. After a particularly brutal battle to regain control of a ruined mountain fortress, the humans discovered something the demons had left behind, a powerful artifact. Eventually, the artifact made its way back to Estuvia's capital, Riviera, where the powerful Sage made a huge discovery; the artifact could produce an overwhelming amount of raw magic power. This artifact could then be the key to using a secret magic ritual developed hundreds of years ago to summon a hero of immense power from another world. But it was incredibly dangerous and possibly deadly, and yet, faced with no other options to finally defeat the demonic threat, the human kingdom has decided to pull out their last resort.

"Are you certain about this, your Majesty? The interdimensional summoning ritual will heavily cripple our limited magical resources!" A tall, pale, thin man in his 30's, with short, slick, white hair, sharp grey eyes and a thin mustache addressed his king. The Royal Advisor, Halloway, stared at the king with impertinence. "Surely, Majesty, you understand the cost of such a ritual? What will the families of the magicians who sacrifice themselves for this ceremony say? We aren't even certain if the ritual will work as intended!"

King Ralseigh raised his right hand, signaling his trusted advisor to be silent. The older, grayed man smiled through his long, white beard. "Halloway, my friend, you worry too much. Our Sage has been studying the finer details of this ritual for many moons, and the candidates for the summoning have already been chosen and notified. They should be getting their affairs in order as we speak." The old king let out a small chuckle at the way his advisor's adamant demeanor faltered. "If we are to defeat Demon Lord Klei and bring an end to this war, this ritual is our only hope. You know Estuvia's military severely lacks the necessary magical power to launch an assault on Klei's fortress. Those demons' magical might has been staved off only by our numbers. We need to summon a hero with exceptional magical power to ever stand a chance at trumping his forces."

Halloway pulled a finger along his uniform's collar. "I know this, Majesty, but as I've been advising, why do we not instead invest our assets into improving cultivation of magical potential? Even the Sage has had some interest in this endeavor. She has even discovered an experimental means of implanting a normal human with the seed of magic! We need to focus on improving our numbers of soldiers with magic potential. It's already rare for humans to be born with magic anyway, so why not start a program in schools for creating magical students artificially?"

"We've already discussed this, Halloway. It would take decades for us to cultivate even one wizard with the same level of magic as a single demon, let alone an army. No, the summoning ritual must proceed as planned. I trust you to ensure that everything is prepared properly. We cannot afford mistakes." 

"Then why not instead use the artifact to launch an attack against the demons? That would be a lot less risky than proceeding with the ritual, and would potentially have the same outcome!" The advisor was getting noticeably tense.

"Sage has already been over this. The outcome is far too unpredictable to attempt. This artifact uses the demons' magic, and I'm positive they know it is in our possession. There is a good chance the demons may have a countermeasure against it. And besides, Sage has deduced that the artifact can only be used once. Why waste it on a one-time risky chance when we can use it for a hero that can help us repeatedly?" Seeing his advisor tense in retort, Ralseigh smiled at Halloway again, and dismissed him. The advisor bowed, and walked out of the throne room. He strode through the pristine halls of LeMarche Castle, an old, well-preserved monument of a building. Laid entirely in white bricks, the walls of the palace seemed to glow as the rays of the sun shone upon it, and glittered when the light of Straelor's two moons beamed in the night. Truly, it was a magnificent sight to behold, but Halloway often found the reflections far too bright for his liking. To escape it briefly, the advisor stopped to lean out of a nearby window, and gazed down at the beautiful flower gardens being tended to by the gardeners who took pride in nurturing the castle grounds. One of them happened to notice him, and greeted him with a cheerful wave as they trimmed the hedges. Halloway returned the gesture stiffly, and continued to examine the topiary being trimmed. His stomach wretched. The sweet, smiling face of the gardener made him sick. The lavish beauty of the royal garden made him wish for its timely destruction. This very castle he wished to see as a searing heap of rubble. Oh, how he despised this place and the denizens of it. Halloway wished for nothing more than its ruin, yet everyday he was working diligently to improve it. His blood boiled. Halloway strode through the castle to his office, simmering in his contempt. Once inside, he sighed heavily and closed the thick curtains behind his desk, preventing all light from permeating this now darkened room. He preferred it this way, the comforting darkness that reminded him of home. Seating himself at his desk, he summoned a small glow of magical energy into his palm.

"Lock." The glow of magic flowed from his hand and zapped to the door opposite him, sealing the entrance to his office securely. Halloway opened a small cupboard on the underside of his desk and retrieved a crystal scrying orb, and placed it gently before him. With another careful glow of magic, he caressed the orb. "Scry."

As the magic poured into the crystal ball, an image of a shadowy male figure blurred into view.

"Do you have a report for me, Halloway?" said a raspy voice from the orb.

"Yes, my Lord. I do."

"Proceed."

"Ralseigh insists on performing the summon, Sir. I was unable to convince him to drop the idea." Halloway bowed his head, downcast.

"Annoying, but expected. Very well, then our contingency will have to take effect. The spell scroll will arrive at midnight. Be prepared. Study it well, Halloway. We have only one chance at this. It's far too risky for you to try to halt the ritual altogether. However, a fair play of sabotage will work nicely." The raspy voice from the orb was laden with a despicable glee. Halloway couldn't help but form a vile smirk.

"Yes, My Lord." he said, bowing again, as the shadowy image blurred out of view and the crystal returned to being clear. The advisor returned the orb to its hiding place, and pulled his office curtains apart, bathing the room in light once more. He stood facing the window, lost in thought. Preparations were in order.

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Night had fallen over the kingdom. Inside the throne room, preparations for the summoning ritual were underway. A large, complex magic circle had been drawn in the center of the room, its borders composed of six smaller circles, in each of which a tall, three-armed candelabra stood. Inside the circle's borders, a pentagram was drawn, with more small circles drawn at each of its points. Five mages stood in each circle, still and careful to ensure they did not disturb the circle's borders. In the magic circle's center, the demon artifact rested. Outside of the circle's formation, various servants ran back and forth, carrying spellcasting components and scrolls to where they needed to be, as directed by the Sage; a short, pale woman with short, light-green hair and narrow, violet eyes. Halloway stood next to the king, observing the proceedings in silent disdain.

"Sage is very capable, isn't she?" King Ralseigh said with pride. 

"Yes, your Majesty. A perfect fit for her position. I understand why she won't be giving herself up in the ritual, unlike her disciples." Halloway turned his gaze to the mages inside the magic circle. They were all speaking with Sage, and based on their expressions, he interpreted, they were saying their goodbyes to her. 

"It's a shame that Sage will lose her best students, but at least their sacrifices will not be in vain. This ritual will turn the tides in our favor once and for all." said the King, smiling.

"Your Majesty!" came the voice of the Sage. "We are finally ready to begin the summoning." At her words, the servants all moved to stand against the far wall of the throne room, well out of the way.

King Ralseigh nodded. "Very well, then. Let us begin at once!"

Sage turned to face her disciples, and magical energy enshrouded her. She began to chant, and as the other mages joined her, magical energy enveloped them as well. The drawing of the magic circle began to glow, and floating above the mages formed a glowing, pulsing orb, into which the magic auras surrounding the six mages began to swirl. The orb grew as the chanting continued, until it began to show a vision. Halloway glanced around the room. Everyone who wasn't partaking in the ritual was fixated on watching it; the king had leaned forward in his throne, eyes glued to the swirling orb. Even the princess was present and attentive, usually she wanted very little to do with royal affairs. With a satisfied smirk, he turned his gaze on the widening orb, as the vision it showed became clearer. Collective gasps erupted from the watchers in the throne room as the image of a man blurred into view.

"That… that is…" spoke the king, shakily. "...our hero…"

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"Alright men, time to call it quits for the day!"

Ryotaro sighed and laid down the two steel girders he had been carrying on his shoulders. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed wistfully at the unfinished apartment complex before him.

"Another day, another dollar."

With another sigh, he joined his coworkers in friendly chatter as they made their way to the changing room their employers had provided.

"Ryotaro! Me and the boys are going for a drink later. You should come!" One of the men called to him. He shook his head in response.

"Nah, I got some stuff to do tonight."

"Aw, c'mon man! We're gonna celebrate Kenichi's birthday!" another man sidled up next to him with an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Oh shit, really? Yeah, I'll stop by then, after gym!" he said with a grin as they entered the small building. The workers were all lined up by the rows of lockers, conversing and changing. In a room full of sweaty, burly men, Ryotaro stood out. He was tall, toned and muscular, but his body was shaped for a lithe figure, in contrast to the beefier, stouter men he worked with. He was the youngest of the men in the room as well, being only 24 and he was clean-shaven, but his sharp, squared jawline and narrow, piercing eyes gave him an undeniable air of masculinity. He was also incredibly strong despite his size, being able to lift with relative ease what most of his coworkers could barely shift. Suffice to say, his strength and confidence made him quite respected among the group.

Ryotaro said his goodbyes as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and made his way to the main gate. On his way out of the construction site, he spied the foreman and his cute secretary, Mika. Her slender figure was complemented by her ample bust and wide hips and her brown hair draped itself delicately across her shoulders. Their gazes met as he walked by her, and he took the opportunity to shoot her a flirtatious wink, admiring the way her tight pencil skirt clung to her curves. Mika blushed shyly and giggled in response, completely ignoring the foreman talking to her and focusing only on him. Satisfied, Ryotaro smirked and began his walk down the street. When he moved to the city, never had he dreamed he would have lucked out and managed to find an apartment that was walking distance away from a gym, let alone his job. With a skip in his step, he headed into the building and greeted the receptionist girl with his usual wave. On the gym floor, he did some light stretches to warm up, and hopped on the treadmill for some distance running. Some of the other members greeted him while he ran, and Keita, his workout partner, came to exercise next to him. They had a similar exercise routine; running and strength training. Ryotaro was proud of his upper body strength, but would not hesitate to brag that his best trait was his strong legs. As a former college athlete, there was nothing he was prouder of than his speed. 

As they trained together, Ryotaro and Keita exchanged stories of how their days went, an unofficial part of their routine to help pass the time. Keita was a personal trainer, and his stories about older women constantly flirting with him when he made house calls made Ryotaro equal parts jealous and amused. It was only after his friend had mentioned that he was going out for his girlfriend's birthday, did he remember his earlier promise.

"Oh shit, I don't have a gift for Kenichi, do I?" he thought out loud.

"Ha! Just like you to forget buying a gift. Don't worry, something will turn up." Keita replied with a smile. Ryotaro admired his optimism. The thought of Kenichi's gift lingered with him all through his workout session, until it was time to leave Keita to his extended weightlifting routine. As he entered the lobby after showering and changing, the receptionist girl called out to him.

"Kuzuryu-san, you've been a member of our gym for a whole year!" she beamed, handing him a box. "Please, accept this gift from us!"

Ryotaro stared at the box's label. It displayed a high-speed blender; perfect for making healthy smoothies and protein shakes. He knew how well it worked; he already had one. "Thank you." he smiled weakly at the receptionist, and continued on his way. 

"Damn, it's been a whole year already." he thought out loud as he walked down the busy sidewalk. "At least now I have a gift for Kenichi. Keita was right, as usual." he sighed. As he made his way home, he stopped to stare for a while at the large billboard across the street that was advertising motorcycles. Ryotaro always wanted a motorcycle, and he'd been saving up to buy one, so he could finally be the type of man he'd always pictured himself as; a strong, young and attractive man with a black leather jacket and sunglasses, leaning against his ride with a hot girl next to him, just like in the movies. He grinned to himself. "Someday I'll get that motorbike, and then I'll be surrounded by babes!" With the daydream of himself cruising down a highway on his own bike, he whistled all the way to his apartment and sauntered up to the door with a skip in his step. But as he reached to turn the key in the door, he froze.

Something felt wrong.

It was as if a powerful aura was emanating from behind his apartment's door, and the closer he got to unlocking the door, the more overbearing the feeling. Swallowing his fear, Ryotaro slowly turned the key and opened the door. The strange, pressuring feeling hit him like a sudden blast of wind, causing him to drop the box he was carrying. He stared in disbelief, confusion and terror. The doorway no longer led inside his small apartment; it was instead an ominous, swirling purple portal, crackling with energy. 

"N-no way…Is this real?" he stuttered, and reached a cautious, curious hand toward the vortex. The moment his fingers made contact with the energy, it latched onto him, and with incredible force, began to pull. The last thing heard from the apartment was a shriek from Ryotaro, and the door slammed itself shut.

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In the throne room, the vision in the orb faded as the artifact began to react with the power, pulling it into itself like a black hole. No sooner than it ate up to magic, it discharged it two-fold into a swirling orb that began to pulse and shake vigorously, and magical energy sparked from it in flashes of black lightning. The spectators shielded their eyes from the flashing lights, and the mages stopped chanting to focus on containing the orb. The magical auras emanating from them grew, and poured into the swirling vortex, which began to react violently to the magic it was being fed. In a blinding flash and a surge of force, the five mages were blown away from the magic circle in an incredible shockwave, and the Sage fell to her knees as she desperately tried to contain the tempest on her own.

"What's happening?!" cried the king, clutching the armrests of his throne.

"Quickly, everyone, return to the circle!" One of the mages yelled, rushing to the Sage's aid as the others followed him back to the magic circle, fighting to contain the thrashing concentration of magic.

"I can't hold it much longer…!" Another disciple said, crumpling to her knees. "Just a bit more…!" cried a third. One by one, the five mages fell to their knees as the virulent storm of magical power slowly descended to the center of the magic circle. The orb settled, and almost simultaneously, each of the mages fell at its base, completely drained of all magic and life. The Sage concentrated on the large orb, which was now calm and still, and slowly morphed into the silhouetted form of a person.

"We did it… our hero…" She said shakily, struggling to remain conscious as the magical energy that enshrouded her dissipated. Slowly, the concentrated magic was absorbed into the summoned vessel.

The entire throne room fell into silence. The ritual had succeeded. They had summoned a hero. Halloway unconsciously bit into the tip of his thumb. Did he make a mistake? Had he not carried out his plan properly? No, he was certain, it was flawlessly executed. He'd memorized every letter on the scroll before destroying it, and his manipulation of the young disciple went unnoticed by even the Sage. Then, why? Why had they succeeded in summoning? But as the last of the obscuring magic aura dissipated, Halloway's doubts disappeared with them.

For in the middle of the magic circle, standing among the five dead mages, completely nude, was a young boy, who didn't look a day over 12.

He was the first to speak.

"What the FUCK?!"