CHAPTER 3: THE CHOSEN ONE’S AWAKENING
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Kaito Kirishima ran faster than anyone else on the field.
His cleats barely touched the grass as he weaved between defenders, the soccer ball gliding effortlessly between his feet. Every muscle in his body worked in sync—years of training turning movement into instinct.
The opposing team scrambled to react, but they were too slow.
The crowd roared as he closed in on the goal.
One defender lunged—too late. Kaito sidestepped with ease, cutting through the last gap. The goalkeeper braced himself, eyes locked on the ball.
Kaito didn’t hesitate. He kicked—clean, precise, powerful.
The ball shot through the air, past the outstretched fingers of the goalie, straight into the net.
GOAL!
The stadium erupted.
His teammates tackled him in celebration. His coach clapped from the sidelines, beaming. And in the stands, he spotted Asuka, his childhood friend, cheering the loudest.
For Kaito, there was no greater feeling than this.
No hesitation. No doubt. Just pure motion. Pure success.
"If I keep this up," he thought, watching the scoreboard flash his name, "I can go pro. I can be someone."
But fate had other plans.
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Later that evening, Kaito walked alongside Asuka down the quiet streets of their neighborhood.
“You really killed it today,” she said, nudging him playfully.
He grinned. “Yeah, well, I try.”
“Try?” She scoffed. “Kaito, you’re a machine out there. If you don’t go pro, I’ll fight reality itself.”
He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. “Maybe.”
Because deep down, he wasn’t sure.
Going pro was his dream, but… something inside him whispered, What if it’s not enough? What if I want something more?
Asuka must’ve noticed his hesitation. She frowned. “What do you mean ‘maybe’? Don’t you want that?”
Kaito hesitated.
Of course, he wanted it. He’d trained for it, dreamed about it since he was a kid.
“…It’s not that I don’t want it. I do. But… I don’t want my whole life to just be ‘Kaito the soccer star.’ I want to be more than that.”
She looked at him for a long moment. Then she smiled.
“You’re already someone, dummy.”
Heat crept to his face, and he turned away to hide it—
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
That’s when he heard the engine.
A truck. Speeding too fast.
And Asuka was right in its path.
Kaito moved before he could think.
He shoved her aside—
Pain. Cold. The sensation of flying.
Then—darkness.
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Light.
Kaito opened his eyes, but there was no ground beneath him. No sky, no world—just an endless expanse of golden radiance. He wasn’t falling. He wasn’t standing. He simply was.
Then a voice—soft, warm, absolute.
“You poor, noble soul. You have done well.”
A woman stood before him. Or rather, something that resembled a woman.
She was radiant, her form shifting like a mirage, her golden robes endless. Her many eyes shimmered like distant stars.
She smiled.
“You have been chosen.”
Kaito blinked. “…Chosen?”
The space around them shifted—visions flickering into existence.
A kingdom in flames. Soldiers locked in battle. A monstrous shadow looming over terrified people.
“A great evil threatens to consume everything,” the Goddess continued. “And only you can stop it.”
Kaito’s pulse quickened.
A war. A hero. A purpose.
Something deep inside him clicked into place.
“I can save them?”
The Goddess nodded.
“You must. It is your fate.”
A golden glow surrounded him, seeping into his body.
His clothes transformed. Polished silver armor wrapped around his frame, weightless yet unbreakable. A sword materialized at his side—gleaming, perfectly balanced.
Knowledge flooded his mind.
Combat. Strategy. Magic.
It was as if he had trained for years, despite never lifting a sword in his life.
He staggered, overwhelmed. “This is… incredible.”
The Goddess watched patiently.
She did not ask him if he wanted this. Only if he accepted it.
And why wouldn’t he?
This was his moment.
He knelt before her.
“I accept.”
Her smile widened.
“Then awaken, Hero.”
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Kaito landed softly on polished marble.
For a brief moment, he felt only light. Power hummed through his body—new strength, new purpose.
Then, reality settled in.
He was standing in a cathedral of gold and stained glass, its ceilings towering into the heavens. Banners of white and crimson hung from the walls. And before him, a massive crowd of nobles, priests, and knights bowed.
Applause erupted around him.
A woman stepped forward—the Oracle, draped in golden robes.
She smiled warmly.
“Welcome, Chosen Hero.”
Kaito straightened his posture.
This was it. This was his story.
Then—a second figure landed beside him.
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At first, Kaito barely registered him.
Then he turned—and stared.
A man, older than him, wearing a wrinkled button-up shirt and slacks. His black hair was a mess, his expression bored and unimpressed. He looked like he’d just woken up from a bad nap, not like someone who had just been transported to another world.
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
Kaito glanced back at the Oracle—her warm, divine expression had vanished.
Her eyes narrowed.
“This one… is a mistake.”
Silence fell.
Kaito felt the shift in the air. The tension. The unease.
The guards moved immediately, grabbing Haruto’s arms.
And Haruto?
He sighed.
Not in fear. Not in anger. Just… resignation.
Like he already knew this was going to happen.
The Oracle’s voice was cold, absolute.
“He is the False Hero. A glitch. He does not belong.”
Kaito felt a pang of doubt.
But the Oracle was the Goddess’ messenger. The kingdom needed a true hero.
He clenched his fists.
"I was chosen. He wasn’t."
That was all there was to it… right?
The guards dragged Haruto away.
Kaito didn’t say anything.
And for some reason, that bothered him.
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Days passed.
Kaito was given a royal chamber, divine training, and the respect of an entire kingdom.
He was everything a hero should be.
So why couldn’t he stop thinking about Haruto?
One night, he asked the Oracle,
“…What would’ve happened if the False Hero had stayed?”
She smiled—calm, absolute.
“The world does not need mistakes. It needs a savior.”
Kaito nodded. But something in his chest tightened.
The Goddess’ words echoed in his mind.
"You must. It is your fate."
He clenched his jaw.
The Oracle’s words were absolute. The kingdom needed a savior.
Kaito looked down at his armor—pristine, perfect, unfamiliar.
He had everything a hero was supposed to have.
So why did it still feel like he was missing something?
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END OF CHAPTER 3