The year is 2005, the first of March, and the center of the village of Furusato is dominated by a castle. Inside the edifice, a local family is expecting a child. The family's mother, Hana Ketsueki, is a 5'10" fair-skinned, parous woman with green eyes and long, dark-brown hair. She can be seen sitting in the medical labor room of the castle. Her husband, Oritsu Ketsueki, stands tall off to the side.

"The doctor should be here any minute." Oritsu spoke with a soothing tone, rubbing his wife's hand gently.

Oritsu Ketsueki is presented as a man with short black hair, a scruffy beard, and apparel that would be appropriate for royalty. In short, Oritsu Ketsueki was the king of Furusato. Next to the sharp king, Regashi Ketsueki, their firstborn kid, sits beside Oritsu silently. The fourteen-year-old, brown-haired, green-eyed kid observed the monumental scene with a look of carelessness and a touch of something deeper. Regashi's gaze ostensibly lowered the temperature of the room.

A bald individual in a signature doctor's costume, a long, white coat, and a shining head mirror fastened to his head then strolled into the labor room, holding a clipboard with a copious amount of thin sheet paper clipped to it. The man was the doctor, who wore a gentle smile as he clipped his pen to the top of the clipboard.

"Does Mrs. Ketsueki appear to be prepared for the procedure?" The doctor promptly inquired, resting his paperwork on a nearby counter.

Hearing the doctor's question, Oritsu shifted his upper body to face his wife and asked, "Well, are you?"

Hana wiggled her body excitedly, but the anxious tug on her countenance contrasted with the exuberant reaction. The woman was fighting a mental battle of emotions and was immensely galvanized. Hana was not unfamiliar with the prospect of giving birth—having a fourteen-year-old son already present in the world—but the idea of delivering a new soul would never lose its vitality.

"I guess that I'm ready as I'll ever be!" Hana nervously and enthusiastically responded, clamping her hand down on Oritsu's.

Oritsu bit the inside of his cheek when he felt his wife's vice-like grip on his hand, reminding himself just how strong Hana was. However, once her words reached the doctor's ears, the beautiful and painful procedure of delivering a baby began.

{Mid Delivery}

"AAAHH!"

Throughout the castle, sharp screams could be heard bouncing off the walls. They were purely guttural. From the shrieking, guards, and troops within the vicinity would storm the site at any other moment to identify the source of the trouble, but now certainly is not the time. Truthfully, the village was on lockdown, with every corner of Furusato on high alert.

"You're fine, honey. Just keep listening to the doctor." Oritsu ushered his wife, feeling Hana's tight grip on his right hand. Admittedly, it had felt like his hand would snap at any given second.

Regashi rolled his eyes with exasperation, feeling impatience brim within his body. Watching a woman give birth was not exactly a highlight of a bystander's life, even if he was going to be the older brother to the impending baby.

"We're almost done! Keep pushing!" The doctor declared, hidden underneath a long white sheet.

Hana was one of the doctor's loudest patients.

{5 minutes later}

After what felt akin to an interminable amount of time, the baby was conceived, which elicited a crying sound that spread across the room, signifying its conscience. Everybody was silent, enamored with the newborn within the doctor's grasp. The baby was small but had awaited a life that would hold no bounds.

"Waaah!" The newborn baby cried, squirming within the doctor's gloved hands.

A few seconds after the delivery, the doctor found great news to share, a joyous grin stretching across his face. "It's a boy!"

The father was overjoyed when the news was announced loudly. "Oh, what wonderful news!" Oritsu exclaimed in delight, his arm encircling his now-eldest kid. The father could not simply avert his gaze from the whining infant; tears cascaded down his face.

Hana squealed with glee, "Isn't this amazing, Regashi?"

The mother, her gaze fixed on the infant, asked the brown-haired boy. Regashi had initially not replied to his mother, but his quiet gaze went unnoticed—everyone seemed to be completely charmed by the boy's arrival.

"Yeah..." Regashi finally answered, narrowing his eyes at the sight.

"May I see him?" Hana inquired with an upsurge of passion, her breathing somewhat heavy from the recent occurrences.

"Of course!" The doctor replied as he proceeded to amble over to Hana's bedside and lovingly handed her the newborn. "Must we proclaim the news to the village, Your Excellency?" The doctor then quizzed, turning to the bearded king.

"Yes! We will alert everyone in the village, as well as host a party that will be public for all to come!" Announced Oritsu, brimming with noticeable excitement.

The doctor only smiled at his majesty's excitement and said, "Very well-"

*BOOM*

With a vicious vibration, the entire labor room quaked, spawning panic in the hearts of everyone nearby. Items slipped from the tops of tables, and the clipboard from before slammed into the ground, sliding from the countertop. Hana's blankets and curtains had fallen downward, landing on the cold floor lifelessly.

Oritsu's expression grew stolid, his eyes darting to every corner. "What is happening!?"

Internally, the bearded king could sense the presence of a couple of unfamiliar individuals outside his castle's walls, instilling caution into his heart. Did they breach through Furusato's external barrier, which was entirely comprised of a combined mixture of the village's warriors' Aura Sense? Were they spies? No matter what the answer was, an issue was already present and needed to be urgently resolved.

"I have no clue!" The doctor practically yelled, his blood pumping frightfully.

Meanwhile, Regashi never contributed to the frantic yelling. Rather than experiencing fear or anxiety, the boy started smirking. Fortunately for him, no one in the room took notice of it. Regashi's emerald-green eyes were glued to the wall on the other side of the room, anticipating the arrival of something unknown.

"Oritsu, do something!" Mrs. Ketsueki curdled out to her husband, tightening her soft grip on the newborn.

"I'm going to assemble the soldiers!" Oritsu announced this as he began racing out of the room, followed by outside guards. Multiple explosions could be heard outside the castle, all of which were in different areas.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

"What's going on!?" The doctor screamed as he then huddled in the corner, residing underneath a small desk.

"I'm not sure!" yelled out Mrs. Ketsueki, as she started to hug her child tighter and tighter.

"We need to leave-"

*BOOM!*

The doctor tried to speak as the wall to the right of the hospital bed blew up, allowing any outside forces to enter. The doctor could be seen beneath the rubble as Mrs. Ketsueki crept out of bed with her infant in her arms to the corner of the room behind some curtains. The sound of footsteps entering the room was then audible. Mrs. Ketsueki took a chance and looked for the source of the noise.

Due to the dust and debris, two males, both dressed in dark clothing and barely visible, can be vaguely seen walking in. Regashi then made his presence known by walking slowly toward the invaders, a wicked smile plastered on his face.

"About time you made it!" Regashi exclaimed, his arms outstretched.

"The barrier the village has is tricky as hell to bypass." One of the men stated, now clear to be holding a scythe in his left hand.

"So, where is the newborn brat?" The other intruder asked, brandishing a sword with markings written on the length of the blade.

"He and the Queen are somewhere in here. She was just cowering on the bed before the explosion." Regashi informed, shrugging. A hint of devious thoughts raced through the young boy's mind, his eyes flashing toward the corner of the room, behind the delivery bed.

Suddenly, two guards rushed in. They were decked out in red armor that encased their whole body except their arms and heads, as well as wielding swords that glowed at the blade and exuded heat into the air around them.

"You there!" One of the guards called out to the invaders, their armor clanking with every subtle movement. "In regards to intruding into the village without permission and launching an attack on the castle, you are to be killed!" The guard declared, holding the sword tighter and raising it to neck level.

"I thought you killed all the guards, you morons!" Regashi yelled at the two intruders.

"Woah, wait! That wasn't my job, though!" The scythe-wielding intruder barked back, stomping on the ground.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just kill them, Kiyo!" Regashi yelled in anger at the scythe wielder, revealing his name.

The intruder breathed in and out with indignance, glowering at the village's troops. "Very well." The intruder who is now known as Kiyo simply stated, moving towards the guards.

XXX

{OUTSIDE THE CASTLE}

Outside the castle, Oritsu can be seen sprinting through the village, squinting to block out the intense brightness of the scorching flame that surrounded them, but all he could hear were the villagers' screams and the smoke of burning structures. The once beautiful Furusato was crumbling before his eyes. He was supposed to be its king—the person who would prevent any permanent damage from ensuing. How could he be so negligent?

"How did they get in?" Oritsu asked the remaining men who were allotted beside him, his Aura Sense flaring.

"We don't know. sir." One warrior replied, trying to match the king's pace.

"Your Majesty!" A loud voice took them out of their thoughts as they saw a warrior heading toward them, seemingly having something important to reveal.

"What is it, Chikara?" Oritsu asked the female warrior, closing the distance between them by running.

"A massive hole can be seen outside the village through the barrier!" The warrior notified the king, paranoia overwhelming her.

"How? It was said that the barrier was nearly impenetrable!?" In fresh terror and curiosity, one of the warriors accompanying Oritsu inquired with bulging eyes.

"I'm not sure, but I do know we've got some tough opponents, and half of our militia has been wiped out! Sir, you should go somewhere safe." Chikara said with surprise and urgency.

"Where's Kaminari Nozomu?" Oritsu demanded, clenching his fists tightly.

Kaminari Nozomu was typically referred to as the village's number-one butler—he was always present and immensely capable in all aspects. It was unfortunate to see that he was not currently around.

"Trying to find your family, sir." Chikara suggested to the king, shifting her gaze to the castle in the distance.

"Let's hope he has found-"

*SWOOSH*

A brilliant, burning flame flashed past the king and Chikara, appearing out of thin air and annihilating numerous surrounding warriors. Numerous bodies were set ablaze, and no one who came into touch with the attack survived.

"Get down, sir!" Chikara screamed in a commanding tone, reaching for the bearded king.

"Where did that come from? we need to-watch out!" the king directed as he pushed Chikara to the side to avoid a flying fireball heading their direction.

The silhouette of a man can be seen emerging from the haze left by the fireball, heading closer to the group. The figure then walked out of the smoke and came to a complete stop. Oritsu narrowed his eyes venomously at the new opponent, his internal body heat inclining rapidly.

"Hello, Your Majesty," A deep and ominous voice spoke out, making Oritsu shiver slightly.

XXX

Hana Ketsueki was terrified and perplexed, and she felt a sinking feeling of betrayal in her gut. She watched as two high-class guards were effortlessly dispatched by two assailants with Regashi siding with the adversary. Regashi, she knew, was always a social and gentle person. However, as of late, her son has changed drastically. Even with these changes, Hana persisted in trying to pull him out of his shell; she vaguely recalls his eleventh birthday celebration, which he despised owing to the large number of attendees.

{Regashi's eleventh birthday [flashback]}

There was a darkly lit room, only containing a king-sized bed with black sheets, a big wooden dresser, and a lamp. The sound of a door was heard, followed by footsteps. Suddenly, a voice called out.

"Regashi, it's time to get up!" Hana's voice could be heard from outside the room in an extremely exuberant tone. "Today is your birthday, Regashi! Isn't that thrilling!? You'll have folks from all around the nation come to rejoice with you!"

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Regashi Ketsueki bit down on his fingernails, glaring at his bedroom door. The boy's aggression felt incredibly forced, almost as if he was not in control of his actions.

"I'm not going out to be greeted by hundreds of people for one little day," Regashi barked, refusing to remove himself from the edge of his bed.

"Regashi Ketsueki! You're coming to the celebration! Many people took time out of their busy schedules to come to see you. Please be considerate and make their travels worthwhile!" The royal mother demanded, her voice firm but compassionate.

"That's exactly the reason why I said I'm not going!" The brown-haired prince yelled in a tone laced with vexation.

Her face only softened when hearing those words, resulting in a weakened response, "...Fine," Hana said before slowly walking away.

The conversation was cut short, with a pregnant silence encompassing the bedroom.

"I love you, Regashi." Hana Ketsueki quietly declared, briefly looking back at her son's bedroom door.

Regashi did not spare her an ounce of appreciation, keeping his mouth shut as he finally bit through his thumb's nail. The room's air was cold and oppressive—it was unnaturally suffocating. Despite the bedroom being shrouded by darkness, Regashi's green eyes remained visible.

XXX

"There's the woman of the hour!" A voice hollered as Hana gasped and raised her eyes, immediately spotting the man with a half-bandaged face and brown hair. The rogue assailant loomed over her and the baby, peering down at the mother and baby with his sword.

"My name is Gimu, and I'd like to introduce myself. I'll be the one to take care of killing you two!" The man hollered excitedly, his tone eerily comfortable and collected.

The man was about to swing at the pair when a lightning bolt struck him in the waist—*BOOM!*—propelling him across the room and crashing into the rubble from the previously shattered wall.

"Hana!" A man called out. Mrs. Ketsueki looked over and saw a sprinting male with long, bright white hair with black tints running towards her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, Nozomu. I'm fine." Mrs. Ketsueki said, almost sobbing.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Nozomu directed as he heard someone yell out behind him.

"You're going to pay for that, asshole!" When Nozomu and the queen turned around, they saw the man with the sword approaching them at breakneck speed. "You shouldn't have done that, you serf!"

Nozomu dived beneath an approaching swing and threw a jab at the man, nearly missing and cutting his side before striking him in the same location where he had been struck by lightning previously.

"Ouch! You bitch!" The assailant screamed. The man's Aura Sense seemed to grow stronger, with a golden glow enveloping his body.

Nozomu quickly stepped back to avoid being cut, then raised his hand to form a small blue protective barrier to intercept an approaching yellow beam blazing with light. Nozomu had not battled in years, so his magic had dwindled exponentially. Most people would perceive Gimu as a formidable opponent; nonetheless, Nozomu saw the swordsman as a necessary warm-up.

"Fight me!" The bandaged man screamed angrily.

"As you wish." Nozomu monotonously stated, rushing forward then seemingly disappearing, leaving a trail of lightning behind, only to reappear behind the man and stab him in the back.

"AAGGHH" The man yelped in pain. Just as Nozomu went to finish the man, a swirl of fire combusted around the invader, swallowing him whole; only a pool of blood remained on the ground to show where he was last. Nozomu quickly turned to the Queen and urgently stated,

"We have to leave, now!"