1 Unraveling Knots Of Fate

If one listened closely in the dark depths of a forest, one could hear faint rustling sounds caused by a sprinting child colliding with tree branches.

The child's missing left arm and malnourished body, marked with multiple injuries, were unmistakable. Chasing him were men in black tuxedos, wielding flashlights and closing in on him.

''We know where you are, kid. Your injuries are severe, and you might not make it if we don't catch you soon. Surrender peacefully, and we'll get you medical attention,'' one of the sketchy-looking men urged, motioning for the others to head toward the child's location.

The child suddenly came to a halt, not because he believed their persuasion but because he had reached his breaking point.

Despite the amount of blood, he had lost and his fading consciousness, the child somehow managed to hold on. It was a feat that even an adult might not have been able to accomplish.

''Is this it for me?'' he wondered, struggling to keep his eyes open.

''We finally caught you,'' the man in charge gloated, grinning maliciously at the boy in front of him.

''It's amazing that an 'Unfated' like you managed to evade us for so long,'' he continued. ''But it doesn't matter now. Our chief wants you dead, and there's no chance of you surviving this. You were foolish to even attempt to aim for the map of a mage repository at your age. Make sure to do things within your capacity in your next life.''

As the man prepared to finish off the child, a cloaked figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind the mobsters. The outline of the figure hinted that it was a male.

''Ahem, excuse me, gentlemen. Could you please leave that poor child alone?'' a man draped in a dark cloak slurred, his body features hidden from view.

The only visible thing about this mysterious figure was his left hand, which tightly gripped a gourd of what appeared to be alcohol.

''Who do you think you are? This entire city is under the jurisdiction of the Nightmare Brigade. A drunkard like you should know his place,'' one of the men sneered, emphasizing the supposed power of their group.

''Hic. Oh, a group that isn't run by a calamity dares to throw its weight around in front of me. Even your leader isn't worth my time,'' the mysterious man retorted, this time speaking with a hint of seriousness.

One might have thought that this man was insane to speak so recklessly. His drunken breath, stumbling steps, and slurred speech all seemed to support that notion.

The Nightmare Brigade was a criminal organization of immense power and influence. It was at the pinnacle of the criminal underworld in terms of wealth, status, and power. Many smaller crime organizations were subordinate to this colossal entity. Even some of Dante's jobs had tangential connections to this organization.

To imagine that the leader of this organization could be belittled by a drunken man was nothing short of absurd.

''I can't take this anymore. Boss, can I dispose of this drunken fool?'' the man who had retorted earlier asked the leader, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he focused on the cloaked figure.

''Of course. Make it quick. We don't have time, and we've delayed the boss for far too long. He must be waiting for confirmation that we've completed our task,'' the leader replied, granting the man permission.

With an iron sword coated in bright red flames, the man charged toward the cloaked figure. Despite the aggressive display, the cloaked man remained unfazed, his attention fixed on the injured child while he casually sipped his drink.

Ring!!! Ring!!! Ring!!! Ring!!!

Suddenly, the communicators of the men in tuxedos started ringing in unison, causing their expressions to shift from calm to horror and fear as they retrieved their devices from their pockets.

It was unclear what had happened to trigger such a strong reaction, and even the man with the sword hesitated as he sensed the change in atmosphere. As he realized the severity of the situation, he too reached for his communicator, hoping to uncover the source of his colleagues' terror.

Upon seeing the information displayed on his screen, he dropped to his knees in despair, repeatedly muttering the words that confirmed the gravity of their predicament.

The information read;

Code Red Alert!!! All mobsters in the vicinity of the Glacier Forest must be on high alert.

Code Red Alert!!! All mobsters in the vicinity of the Glacier Forest must be on high alert.

The Leader Of The Nightmare Brigade, ''The Blazing Fiend'' has been assassinated by the X-Class Entity ''Cloaked Blade''. He is now on the loose.

The X-Class Entity ''Cloaked Blade'' is now on the loose.

The cold-hearted group was plunged into despair for two reasons. Foremost, the death of their formidable leader, who had long been the backbone of their massive organization, was a significant blow.

With the leader's demise, the group lost the reliable anchor that enabled them to navigate unimpeded through methods of coercion, bribery, and intimidation.

While the leader lived, their criminal activities went unchecked, and their arch-nemesis, the Military Task Force, was forced to tread carefully.

However, with the leader gone, the group's sense of invincibility vanished, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. Nonetheless, the most critical reason for their despair, which overshadowed the looming threat posed by the task force, was the identity of their leader's killer.

According to the information they had received, the killer was somewhere in their vicinity, and the Glacier Forest had been cordoned off. Despite this, they didn't expect any difficulty locating the culprit, as he had been right in front of them.

But suddenly, the killer vanished and reappeared before the injured child, leaving the group baffled and anxious.

''Hick- Oh, you have finally received the news. I wish I could spare you the agony of knowing, but you called me a drunken fool, and no one can make fun of my favorite hobby,'' said the enigmatic man, confirming the worst fears of the group before him.

''We apologize for not recognizing your true stature,'' the group's leader said, signaling his squad to kneel and plead for mercy.

''Leader, what about the kid? The boss ordered us to dispose of him and retrieve the map,'' one of the group members asked in a low voice.

''Rod, are you insane? Don't you understand that the boss won't care about an old map when his life is now in danger? The Supreme Leader is dead, for heaven's sake. Think before you speak, or you'll get us all killed,'' the leader responded.

''Mr. Cloaked Blade, could you please spare...'' the leader began, but the mysterious man interrupted him.

''Hmph...no chance. Timeless Ripple,'' the man said, unsheathing his sword for the first time. In an instant, a beam of sword light shot out from his weapon and killed every single member of the group who had been pursuing Dante.

The man known as Cloaked Blade sheathed his sword as he carried Dante and suddenly teleported far away from their previous location.

In A Location Far Away From Dante.

In a dilapidated base, a red-haired girl wept amidst piles of corpses. The closest one to her bore a striking resemblance to her but with golden hair and lifeless eyes. Standing behind her was a tall, dark-skinned man named Knox, the only other living being in the base.

''Miss Amber, we must leave,'' Knox said, his voice gentle but firm. "Others will come soon to take advantage of our situation. There's nothing we can do for your father now."

"I know," Amber sniffled. "But I can't just leave him here."

As she spoke, a sudden whoosh filled the air, and a portal opened before them. Knox immediately assumed a defensive stance, but a cloaked figure stepped out, carrying an injured Dante on his shoulders.

"Don't worry," the cloaked figure said. "I'm not here to harm you."

Amber recognized the man as the one who had killed her father. Anger flared within her, and she summoned a burst of flames.

"You!" she shouted. "You killed my father!"

Whoosh

The cloaked figure merely smirked and snapped his fingers, extinguishing the flames.

"I must say, I'm impressed," he said. "To think my presence will trigger an ''Awakening''. You've got to thank me. A ten-year-old with the power to awaken before her time. You're a prodigy."

Knox glared at the man. "What do you want with us?"

"I want to help you," the cloaked figure said, conjuring a spatial portal with a grayish aura on his arm. "There are those who would seek to harm you, but I can offer you protection."

"Why should we trust you?" Amber asked, her anger subsiding somewhat.

"Because I have no interest in harming you," the cloaked figure said. "And because I can offer you something that no one else can."

Knox hesitated, but the need for safety outweighed his distrust. "We'll follow you," he said. "But we're keeping our eyes on you."

The cloaked figure nodded. "That's fair. Follow me, and I'll take you somewhere safe." And with that, he stepped through the portal, with Amber and Knox close behind.

After guiding them to their destination, Cloaked Blade gestured toward Dante and remarked,

"Hmmm. The next time you encounter this kid, remember that he's related to me." Amber started to ask for clarification, but before she could finish her sentence, Cloaked Blade snapped his fingers and his body dissipated into an illusion.

"My task here is complete. Manipulating the threads of time and destiny is draining," he sighed wearily, before teleporting back to Glacier City, Dante's hometown.

*Back, to the Glacier Forest*

Cloaked Blade muttered to himself, confirming his suspicions.

''No wonder, my guess was right. An ordinary person can't survive such a prolonged period of injury inflicted by mages. And to think he unlocked two Unique Meta Traits. What a lucky bastard.''

As Cloaked Blade tended to Dante's wounds, he administered a bright blue pill, which miraculously healed all of his injuries, including his lost arm, which regenerated.

'He should be out of danger now. After restoring his energy, the imprints should begin to appear,' Cloaked Blade thought as he removed his cloak.

Underneath it, a muscular man with black spiky hair and sharp facial features emerged. His bright green eyes and thin facial hair made him appear to be around 35 years old.

Strangely, upon closer inspection, one would notice the bloodstains on his clothing that were previously hidden by the cloak. These stains were the result of the many bleeding wounds on his chest. On his back, there was a tattoo of a green-tinged infinity symbol circled by golden flames.

'Hmmm... with this level of injury, I should be able to hold on for half a year. That's enough time to stir up some waves,' Cloaked Blade thought with a mysterious grin on his face. One would not suspect him of being on the brink of death based on his current expression.

"Oh, little fella, are you awake?" Cloaked Blade asked, peering into Dante's now wide-open red eyes.

"Who are you? Where am I? Where are the bad guys? Did you save me? And why are you smiling like that?" Dante inquired, eyeing the man sitting beside him.

''I'll answer all your questions, kid,'' Cloaked Blade reassured Dante, attempting to hide his injuries.

Dante looked at the wounds Cloaked Blade tried to conceal with suspicion, prompting him to check his condition.

''How did this happen?'' Dante asked a mix of surprise and relief in his tone. He was surprised by the man's seemingly miraculous ability to heal him and relieved to have escaped the grasp of death.

''I told you not to worry. I'll answer all your questions,'' Cloaked Blade reassured Dante as he began to divulge information that would transform the world's landscape. The revelations were poised to cause a massive wave in the future, resulting in ripples that would impact time, fate, and destiny.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

A young teenage boy lay on a tattered futon inside a rundown shack. His body was drenched in sweat as he suddenly jolted awake, his red eyes glowing unusually.

It had been five years since he had a life-changing encounter with a man who singlehandedly altered his existence and shaped his worldview. The memory of that night and the six months that followed remained vivid in his mind, with periodic dreams serving as a constant reminder.

The events of that night that occurred from meeting his savior, witnessing a girl that underwent magical awakening- receiving knowledge about aspects of the world he never knew about, and finally finding his love for swordsmanship

Despite being impoverished, those six months were more valuable to him than the ten years he had lived before the encounter. The boy wondered if the recurring dreams were a reminder of how much he cherished those memories or, perhaps, a consequence of one of his Unique Meta Traits.

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First Character Illustration( Male Protagonist)

Dante is a striking young man, with handsome features, a fairly tall stature, and a lean build. His spiky silver hair falls in two strands framing his face, and his slim red eyes are accentuated by a long array of lower lashes and sharp facial features. When he uses his powers or becomes agitated, his eyes glow a deep shade of red.

He prefers to wear dark colors, particularly black and is often seen wearing a black fingerless glove on his dominant sword arm, his right hand. His signature outfit consists of a dark purple jacket with a high collar and a fairly wide design. He pairs it with slim-fit black pants and black dress boots, all worn underneath a black haori.

His pitch-black katana is usually strapped to his waist. In addition, Dante's pitch-black katana is sheathed in a reverse grip style, adding to his unique combat style and emphasizing his expertise in swordsmanship.

Underneath his signature outfit, Dante has a blazing crimson sun on his left chest and curled pitch-black tinged tribal-style patterned tattoo bands on his left arm that extends from his left chest. He also has a massive scar that stretches from his right shoulder to his left hip.

Later on, he acquires a tattoo of a dark-tinged infinity sign surrounded by blue flames on his back. However, due to the forsaken art Curse of Theia, his eyes take on a dual hue. His left eye maintains its original red color, while his right eye turns a shade of gold. On his right eye, he displays a solar emblem, the symbol of the Goddess Theia.