[Vol. 1] [Chapter 1: The Beginning] {1}

Japan, 4xx AD. In a village in the middle of the forest, the old Japanese-style houses built of wood and plaster walls with tiled roofs, appear to have been destroyed, and fires are everywhere. It appears that this village is surrounded by many "Yokai" supernatural monsters, with a height that even exceeds the height of a single-story house here, some of which look like insects like praying mantis, with both scythe hands that look like swords. There are also those that are shaped like spiders and other insects that resemble grasshoppers but with large and sharp wings on their backs, which appear to occasionally vibrate and creak with terrible sounds, by the dozens of numbers. Other Yokais with fewer numbers, appear to resemble ferrets and pangolins. Each of these Yokais has additional skin carvings that cover their bodies like armor, which also covers up to their mouths which, when opened, become additional horns and large fangs around the head. On the Yokais which resembles a pangolin, the back appears to have thick and large armor skin. Some of these Yokais appear to be eating the villagers they caught, some are still biting them and carrying them in their mouths, and haven't eaten them yet. Blood stains appeared to be splashed everywhere, even to the point of a pool of blood. Some of the Yokais were seen stepping on and resting on the destroyed house.

This village has two layers of walls, where the first layer has been breached and entered by Yokais. The first layer of the wall is a classic Japanese plaster wall with a height of 5 meters, with the lower part made of a combination of black stones, and a gray tiled roof on the top. It appears that many parts of the first layer of the wall have collapsed because the Yokai breached it. Behind the second layer of walls that had not yet been breached, a group of men dressed in ancient Japanese warrior armor, while carrying various kinds of weapons in their hands, like spears, katana, arrows, and swords, were trying to hold the gate made of joints of the tree trunk, which is the gate of the second layer walls with the same material. Behind these soldiers were the villagers who had managed to evacuate, looking very anxious and frightened. Behind them was an ancient Japanese castle.

This door appears to be on a crossbar with thick wood in three parts and is also being held up by the soldiers present here. It appears that if this door is trying to be breached by a large spider Yokai, the smash is strong enough to momentarily stun a dozen soldiers who hold it. There was a roar and growl from the spider Yokai from behind the door that was trying to be breached, which made goosebumps. One of the men who was wearing a general's outfit, wearing his Kabuto helmet, sandal boots that covered his knees, and an extra jacket on his armor, looked very depressed with a serious expression on his face. The general said

"Damn, this door won't last much longer. Not to mention if that winged insect Yokai notices this place and flies past the wall, we're finished"

They appear to be starting to give up on this situation.

Outside this village Walls, there is a hilly area surrounded by forest. A man in a monk's clothing and a head covering with black steel of broad conical shape, covering most of his upper face, and carrying a monk's staff in his right hand, was riding a horse down the hill and through the forest, in the direction of the village that the Yokai had attacked. It appears that this monk's horse is black colored with a little armor on the front and hind legs, as well as on the horse's chest. The horse's mouth appears to be emitting white, golden smoke, with large canines, and fiery red eyes. Without hesitation, the monk rode into the village through the collapsed section of the village's first layers of the wall.

After getting close enough to the hordes of Yokais within the village, this man stopped his horse, then dismounted. He was a man dressed in the head monk's kimono, covered in ancient Japanese general armor. His head wears a head covering of black steel of broad conical shape, with slightly long black hair. This monk also wore a robe on his back, which was blown by the wind from behind, thus waving forward. This monk appears to be carrying a monk's staff with a circular tip engraved with the rings of earrings that make a rattling sound when moved vigorously. The upper part of the monk's staff appears to have been modified with a large black naginata blade, on which the surface of the blade is carved with a golden flame pattern. It appears that the monk's arrival attracted the attention of the Yokais here, who immediately looked even more violent when they saw him. These Yokais immediately charged toward this monk, together to attack him.

This monk appeared undaunted, he then stomped his spear staff to the ground, in front of him, with his right hand. His robes that waved forward appeared to cover his face, revealing only his cold eyes. As soon as the monk's naginata spear staff was struck, an aura of white light rippled from the circle of this staff which had ring earrings, this light appeared to echo in all directions. The tinkling sound produced by the earrings on the staff also echoed for a moment. Not long after, from the back of this monk, chains with sturdy carvings and spearheads burst out, bursting and spreading in all directions very quickly, forming like tsunami waves. An additional 8 chains, come from the monk's two forearms, 4 right forearms, and 4 left ones. These chains emerge from each side of the forearm, move towards the right and left of the staff, then wrap around the monk's spear staff. Other chains that form like tsunami waves crash into all the Yokais that lead to this monk. Immediately after, the surrounding scenery became pitch black.

The current time is 6:00 am. Kenshubo Takeru, a boy who is 14 years old and in the second grade of junior high school, just opened his eyes and woke up from his sleep. He was in his bedroom, in a modern minimalist style, with a glossy wood patterned floor. The room is lit with yellow light from the top of the nightstand next to the bed. Ken was silent, with a sleepy expression on his face, and looked like he was about to fall back asleep. Before long, his alarm went on, causing him to open his eyes again. Ken then turned off his alarm clock. Ken took a sitting position, his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and tried to gather his consciousness. Ken then said

"A strange dream… somehow it felt so real…"

Ken looked at his alarm clock as if to check again what time it was, and looked disappointed. He then got up from his bed. Ken appears to have a slender body, with his hair a little messy because he just woke up from his sleep.

Ken walked down the stairs of his house because his bedroom was on the 2nd floor. This house also looks modern minimalist style with the wood patterned floor with brown glossy color. Ken headed for the dining table, where he saw his father who wears reading glasses reading the morning newspaper, and his younger brother, Shitara Takeru, with short but stylish hair, reading his school book, already sitting at the dining table. His mother has long black hair and appeared to have just finished cooking and put the food on the dining table. Ken then said

"Good morning"

Ken then sat in the chair next to his younger brother who is in the fifth grade of elementary school. Hearing this, Ken's mom and dad answered good morning, to which his younger brother replied Ken in a languid and slightly unconcerned tone. Ken immediately ate the food in front of him. His father and brother then also ate, not long after Ken. Ken's father started drinking tea nearby, his expression then turned curious. Ken's dad said

"How about your school Ken?"

With a flat expression, Ken answered

"Safe, no problem"

Hearing this, Ken's father's expression appeared a little doubtful for some reason. Shitara then spoke

"Big brother isn't getting into fights anymore are you?"

Hearing this, Ken became smiling, then replied

"Of course not, can't you see, am I like someone who's been in a fight?"

Hearing this, Ken and Shitara's father looked doubtful. Shitara rested on his chin, watching his older brother closely, with a serious expression on his face. Seeing this, made Ken look awkward. Shitara then answered

"No visible bruises especially on the face, hmm… well, big brother is safe"

Ken's mother smiled, then spoke

"You don't need to worry, Ken must have his own way of dealing with his problems"

Hearing this, Ken smiled awkwardly.

The time now shows 7:00 am, it appears that Ken's father, Ken's mother, Shitara, and Ken are ready with their respective uniforms. And now walk out of the house together. After walking together for some time, they began to separate from each other, heading toward their different destinations.

Now Ken is walking alone, past the sidewalk on the side of the road, in a housing complex. Ken has neat but stylish hair. The school uniform that Ken wears is black trousers with dark brown loafers, a white long-sleeved shirt that he rolls down to the elbows, a tie, and a black sweater vest, with his school crest on the left chest. Ken also carries a tote school bag which he holds in his left hand, and he puts it on his left back shoulder.

Besides Ken, there is a lower plain where below, there is a flowing river. When he reached a fork in front of an alley, Ken heard something, he then looked towards this alley. It appears that three delinquent boys are forcibly asking for money from the boy in the same uniform as them. They are also middle-high schoolers, just like Ken. The boy in trouble said

"I gave you the money you asked for yesterday, I don't have any more today"

Hearing this, one of the delinquent boys looked even more annoyed. He then replied

"You think I care about that? I'm not here to hear your excuses"

This delinquent boy then punched the boy in the stomach, making him fall. The boy looks in pain, while squeezing his stomach with both hands, then said

"Pl, please don't do this"

The delinquent boy grabbed the collar of the boy who he just punched, then said

"You better bring the money tomorrow, for today, I'll show you what happens if you don't give it"

The delinquent boy clenched his fists about to hit him, but then stopped after Ken said

"Stop what you're doing, aren't you ashamed?"

Ken said as he walked closer, and with a flat facial expression. Hearing this, the three delinquent boys immediately turned to the source of the sound. This delinquent boy then released the grip of his hand from the collar of the boy's shirt, then stood up, and replied

"Huh? Who are you? from another school huh? Do not interfere!"

Ken replied

"That's not the answer to what I said. Let go of him"

Hearing this, the three delinquent boys looked even more irritated, one of them then replied

"Huh? Perhaps, are you his friend?"

Ken answered

"Nope, I don't know him"

Hearing this, the three delinquent boys looked surprised, one of them then replied

"Then? Why did you help him?"

Ken answered

"I don't know, I just wanted to. By the way, can we get this over with sooner? I have to go to school"

One of the delinquent boys then gripped the palm of his hand, he then replied

"You really piss me off, you should be taught a lesson"

Hearing this, Ken took a deep breath with a bored expression. The three delinquent boys then attacked Ken. While still carrying his school bag, Ken immediately dodged and hit the first boy who reached him, in the stomach with a force, causing the boy to fall forward. Ken then dodged the attacks of the next two boys and kicked them in the stomach with a knee, and now they all fell. It didn't take long, Ken could quite easily overthrow these three boys. Ken then said

"You better go now, before I change my mind"

A delinquent boy replied

"Tch, you'll see. We're leaving now!"

The boy said to his other two friends. The three delinquent boys then ran away from here. Ken then walked away from here. Seeing this, the boy Ken just save immediately stood up, then said

"Wait a minute"

Hearing this, Ken stopped his steps, then turned to face the boy that called him. The boy then said

"Thank you for helping me, sorry if that's all I can give. But… is it alright?"

Hearing this, Ken's expression turned astonished. Ken then answered

"What's alright?"

The expression of this boy appeared to feel guilty, he then replied

"I mean, they'll be after you for sure"

Ken replied

"Oh about that, you don't have to think about it"

Ken looked at his watch and realized that he was getting late. Ken continue talking

"Then I'll go first, or I'll be late"

Ken then turned around and walked away. Seeing this, this boy said

"Once again, thank you!"

Ken waved his right hand without looking back and kept walking away.

After taking the bus once, Ken arrived at his school. It's an elite private school with a modern classic style building being Ken's school. There were only 5 minutes left until the school bell rang, it appeared that only Ken and a few other students were still walking in, and Ken then quickened his pace. Ken arrived at his class, he then replied to say good morning to his friends. Ken then sat in his chair, in the back row by the window. Ken began to take out his textbooks and notebooks from his bag. Seeing this, Ken's male friend who was sitting at the table next to him, then said

"You're almost late again, is there anything holding you back on your way here?"

Ken answred

"In that case, it's normal..."

Hearing this, his friend appeared to have realized something, he then replied

"You're not getting into fights, are you? You've been like this many times before, is that okay? I mean, they're even from another school"

Ken smiled, he then replied

"Why? Are you worried about me?"

Ken's friend replied

"Yeah, maybe I'm also worried about those who got into trouble with you"

Hearing this, Ken burst into laughter, he then replied

"It's better if we worry about what will happen today because it is said that there is a written quiz in every lesson today"

Hearing this, his friend looked frustrated, he then replied

"Gosh, you don't need to be reminded of it like that!"

Ken laughed again, His friend said

"But seriously, I heard rumors that if many students from another school are after you, you better be careful"

Hearing this appears to attract Ken's attention. Not long after, the teacher, who is a middle-aged man, entered the classroom, and the whole class then greeted him.