1 Hopeless

At a random store in the middle of nowhere, amidst the mundane hum of everyday life, a trio of market employees took respite from their duties. One of them, engrossed in the pages of a newspaper, interrupted the quietude with an exclamation.

"Guys, check it out!"

His colleagues looked up, curiosity piqued.

"What?"

"The mythical zone of wishes, Negative Point from 500 years ago, has been confirmed by one of the founders of the area. He even has photographic evidence!" The employee displayed a picture of a mountain shaped like a cat to his companions.

"Nice! Do you think I'd ever get to go there?" one of them inquired.

"I doubt it," the first replied solemnly. "Even though the founder did give us a clue of where it is, bounty hunters, assassins, and mighty warriors are already traveling to find it."

"Just a clue? Why can't the founder just tell us?" questioned the third employee.

"It has been over 500 years since he has been there," the first explained. "He wished for immortality, and ever since, he has been suffering. All he has left on his mind is the Negative Point."

"It's less of a landmark and more of a one-time-only destination," added the second employee. "Rumors say that only one wish can be made before it would disappear forever. The wish ranges from riches to infinite power. It's better off if you don't try going there; there's a high chance that you can be murdered."

"Ah shucks! Well, thanks for telling me that," the third employee responded with a disappointed sigh.

As if on cue, the chime of a bell signaled a customer's arrival. The employee hastily abandoned his newspaper and hurried to attend to the newcomer, a tall teenager clad in a dark turquoise leather hoodie and black jeans.

"How can I help you, sir?" the market employee inquired politely.

"I would like to purchase two apples, please," the teenager replied.

"That'll be 4 gold coins," the employee stated, and the transaction swiftly concluded with the exchange of coins for apples.

"Have a good day, sir," the employee bid farewell.

"You too," the teenager responded before leaving the store.

Outside, however, trouble awaited. A group of four thugs accosted the teenager, demanding his money.

"You're going nowhere, hand over your money now!" one of them threatened.

"Yeah, hand it over if you know what's good for you," another chimed in, brandishing a knife.

The teenager, realizing the danger, bolted in the opposite direction. In his panic, he collided with a man wearing a green trench coat and a massive metal longbow strapped to his back.

"Wait, is that... Robin Hood?!" the teenager exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Robin Hood reassured him, dismissing the notion. "Even if I decided to, let's say, 'unalive' you, it would be a huge waste of my time."

Confusion clouded the teenager's mind as he tried to comprehend the situation. Another figure, a man with blue spiky hair and a light blue and white kimono, approached from behind Robin Hood.

"Who is that?" the teenager inquired, eyeing the newcomer's unsettling appearance.

"That's Fuyu Hinansho," Robin Hood introduced. "He's helping me out with something."

The teenager couldn't help but notice the eerie lack of eyes in Fuyu's sockets, a detail that sent a shiver down his spine.

"But-" Before he could voice his concerns, the thugs caught up, drawing nearer with menacing intent.

"Oh, looks who we got here," one of them sneered.

"It's that coward," another jeered.

"Let's kill 'em then take his money!" yet another suggested eagerly.

The teenager pleaded for help, but Robin Hood and Fuyu opted to depart, leaving him to fend for himself against the relentless assailants.

"Shit, just my luck," the teenager muttered under his breath, resigned to his fate.

The thugs closed in, armed with weapons and malice. Despite his desperate pleas, the teenager found himself mercilessly beaten and stabbed, teetering on the brink of death.

Yet, in a twist of fate, salvation arrived in the form of Fuyu Hinansho. With a wave of his hand, he froze the assailants in their tracks, their menacing intentions thwarted.

Approaching the fallen teenager, Fuyu confirmed his survival before whisking him away to safety.

Hours later, consciousness returned to the teenager as he found himself in an unfamiliar house, surrounded by bandages and uncertainty.

"Where am I? What happened?" he wondered aloud.

"You're finally awake," a voice echoed from above, and the teenager looked up to see Fuyu perched on the ceiling.

"Eh?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, sorry, I'll get down," Fuyu conceded, leaping from his lofty perch.

"It's you... Mr. Hinansho," the teenager recognized.

"Hey, you remembered my name, nice," Fuyu remarked with a hint of amusement. "But I've been wondering, what's your name?"

"Ah, right! It was quite rude of me not to tell you. My name is Ryoshi Taisaku, and I come from the village Mura," the teenager introduced himself.

"Ah, okay," Fuyu acknowledged.

"But still, where am I?" Ryoshi inquired, his confusion unabated.

"...my house?" Fuyu offered cryptically.

"Where is your house?" Ryoshi pressed for clarity.

"Come with me," Fuyu instructed, prompting Ryoshi to follow him outside.

As they emerged into the open, Ryoshi's eyes widened in awe at the sight before him—a majestic frozen waterfall cascading into an icy lake.

"Who did this?" Ryoshi marveled.

"I did," Fuyu admitted simply.

"How?" Ryoshi pressed for an explanation.

"Magic," Fuyu replied with a casual shrug.

"Magic? I know a lot of people who use it, but nobody was willing to teach me before," Ryoshi confessed.

"Well, I can teach ya!" Fuyu offered with a grin.

"Amazing! But wait, that doesn't explain where I am..." Ryoshi trailed off.

"This is Negative Point," Fuyu revealed.

"What?!" Ryoshi gasped in astonishment.

"Do you not see where the waterfall is coming out of?" Fuyu pointed out, gesturing towards the mountain shaped like a cat.

Ryoshi's jaw dropped as realization dawned upon him.

"That's a cat-shaped mountain!!!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Shhhhhh, quiet down," Fuyu hushed him.

"Oh, sorry. But can I make a wish here?" Ryoshi inquired eagerly.

"This isn't the wishing area," Fuyu informed him.

"Where is it, then?" Ryoshi pressed for further information.

"I can't tell you," Fuyu replied cryptically. "I gotta explain this to you first—the agreement of me teaching you magic."

"What do you mean?" Ryoshi prompted for clarification.

"It's easier for me to explain the deal than explain everything else," Fuyu reasoned.

"Go on..." Ryoshi urged.

And thus began Ryoshi's journey into the world of magic, intertwined with

 the enigmatic mysteries of Negative Point and the responsibilities that came with it.

"The deal is as simple as this," Fuyu began, his voice carrying the weight of ages past. "I teach you magic, but you have to join my squad."

"Squad?" Ryoshi echoed, a hint of skepticism in his tone.

"Yes, squad," Fuyu affirmed. "Negative Point must be guarded at all times from countless assassins and magic users. So, we've assembled an organization that has been running for millions of years, called the N.P.D.O."

"The hell does that stand for?" Ryoshi inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Negative Point Defensive Organization," Fuyu clarified.

"Pfft, okay," Ryoshi responded, processing the information.

Fuyu retrieved a scroll and unfurled it, revealing a hierarchical list of ranks.

"The ranks go like this, highest to lowest, top to bottom," Fuyu explained, tracing his finger down the list.

"The Grand Ones," he began, pointing to the top of the scroll, "are at the pinnacle. And the lowest rank is held by the students."

"So, where am I at?" Ryoshi interjected.

"You're at Student rank," Fuyu disclosed.

"So I'm the lowest?" Ryoshi confirmed, a hint of dejection in his voice.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean you're the weakest," Fuyu reassured him.

"Okay, so how do ranks work?" Ryoshi inquired, eager to understand.

"The student rank is usually taken up because we only have room for 12 of them," Fuyu elucidated. "Students are taught by seasons, divided into four groups of three. They learn basic spells and fighting styles. Mamoru is a rank similar to Student, where they learn advanced spells and techniques, and they begin missions."

"Missions?" Ryoshi echoed, intrigued.

"We have dangerous individuals who find Negative Point daily, and we also assist locals and others," Fuyu explained.

"Okay," Ryoshi acknowledged, digesting the information.

"Anyway," Fuyu continued, "Gadian rank is where things get tricky. You start receiving missions and have to patrol the area for 22 hours straight, with occasional powerful magical spells. Ofensu requires you to work 24/5, with weekends off. Purotekuta is a 24/7 commitment that most people stop at. Season rank is reserved for the best of the best, with only four positions available. And the Grand Ones are even more powerful than the Seasons, with permission to use the wishing area."

"That was a lot," Ryoshi remarked, overwhelmed yet determined. "But it'll help me out. For now, how about we get to the training?"

"You're right," Fuyu agreed. "Let's begin."