Chapter 1

New chapter one,

Two months later

Amidst an abyss of fire and torment, Izuru found himself engulfed in flames, the scorching heat licking at his skin and searing his senses. The inferno raged around him, casting sinister shadows that danced and twisted in the flickering light.

He saw the faces of people, their eyes filled with fear and desperation as they reached out to him through the flames. The acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils, suffocating him with its choking embrace.

Amidst the piles of dead bodies he saw his mother laying down looking at him with cold dead eyes, Izuru reached out trying to grip her soft pale white hands once more before the flames took her, but before he could take another step, Izuru was jolted awake by a splash of cold water, the harsh reality of the present flooding back to him in an instant.

 His chaotic but peaceful reverie was shattered by the harsh voice of a conductor, his words like a thunderclap in the stillness of the train cabin.

Hey, half-blood, get out of here before I call the authorities. You're lucky I even let you on here. Look how you've wasted my time, the conductor grumbled, his tone filled with disdain.

Izuru sighed wearily, the weight of the world bearing down on him like a leaden cloak. It seemed that no matter where he went, he could never escape the judgmental stares and harsh words of others.

For normal people, there wouldn't be a need to kick them out this harshly, but his bronze eyes often drew eerie looks. He was used to it, so he only shrugged at the display, though his shoulders sagged with weariness.

When Izuru got off the train, the bustling town of Hinogawa greeted him with suspicion.

So this is Hinogawa, the town of the sun river, with a main water way that splits the entire town, most travel is done by boat. When it hits sunset it's said that the river turns a vibrant orange. Because of this most infrastructure is water, agriculture, or innbased. Honestly, without the sunset it still looks gorgeous.

He quickly found himself exploring the town, or at least attempting to, his steps sluggish and movements lethargic.

Two women walked by him, and gave him direct glares.

What is that rat doing here?

I can't believe he had the nerve to walk the streets.

Half-bloods like him should stay underground and keep their eyes shut so they don't ruin the days of others.

Gee ladies I can almost feel the love, Izuru said underneath his breath, his voice laced with sarcasm and his eyes drooping with fatigue.

When I got off the train, I was hoping that this would end, but people are the same no matter where you go, he lamented, his eyes downcast and heavy with tiredness.

These cursed eyes and the stigma of being a half-blood follow me wherever I go.

Izuru had been looking forward to trying the new cuisine and seeing the sights of the town, but wherever he went, people looked at him with cold eyes before turning him away.

Sometimes they'd threaten physical force. Although he wasn't worried, it was tiring to deal with the same thing over and over again.

Even the city isn't this bad.

Sigh

If it weren't for these eyes I could… No, I can't think like that. She wouldn't want that.

Izuru often thought about covering his eyes or gouging them out because of the trouble they caused, but when he did his mind would walk him down memory lane, forcing him to stop.

Still, it didn't make him feel any better. It was more like chains that bound him to never ending suffering and loneliness.

He couldn't even find an inn to stay at, his drooping eyelids betraying his exhaustion.

I wish I could just float away from here. Into the clouds away from them, he thought.

Izuru sat on a bench, thinking about the things he'd gone through today. A kid ran right by him, jolting him from his thoughts. He watched the child disappear into the crowd, a brief reminder of the innocence and simplicity he longed for.

A calm gust of wind breezed by him, and he felt something was amiss. Where's my wallet? Don't tell me... Did that kid take it?

With urgency, Izuru's sluggish eyes darted through the crowd, trying to pick up any trace of the thief to no avail. Great, first day here and I'm already boosting the local economy. Wonderful start, Izuru.

Left with no options he went to his last resort.

I hope no one notices. It will be troublesome if they do, he thought.

Izuru scratched his head groggily and walked into a nearby alley.

 Attempting to avoid the sharp gazes of the denizens of Hinogawa, slowly he whispered.

Spriggans of water, grant me your blessing. Come, Cranes of the silent storm. 

Suddenly, small sparkling blue dots surrounded Izuru, and an ethereal blue paper crane appeared, shimmering like a constellation of stars in the twilight. The air grew cooler as spriggans danced and glowed.

 Go out and find the person with this coin, he instructed the crane.

Izuru always kept a unique coin embedded in his wallet to locate it in case it got lost, and with his experiences, it happened often.

 The crane fluttered off, weaving through the crowd with purpose. Izuru watched it disappear into the throng of people, a flicker of hope igniting in his dead but vibrant eyes.

Following the bird, Izuru bounded from rooftop to rooftop until he arrived at a dark alley with mold seeping through the corners of the walls and rats scurrying freely.

For a beautiful town, it sure has some ugly places, but they won't tell you that on the brochure.

Inside there was a group of older men wearing tattered clothes beating down the thief.

Izuru lazily crouched on a rooftop and watched calmly as the ordeal went down.

Brat you got quite the score today. Hahaha. There has to be at least 30,000 valis in here. Too bad you ran into me, I can't believe my luck. Like taking candy from a baby, said one of the men in tattered clothes.

He must be the ringleader, Izuru thought with disdain.

Give it back, the boy said desperately.

The men looked at the boy with ire and continued to beat him.

A few minutes went by and they kept wailing on him until they felt satisfied.

Watching the men walk away with the wallet, the boy cried, reaching his hand out. 

Stop that's mine, you can't have it.

Catching glimpses of the boy's sorry figure, they kept walking until he stood up.

Stop now he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Once again looking at his terrible state, the man in the lead signaled for one of the men.

Break all the bones in the squirts body, he said coldly.

The man nodded, and approached the boy.

The boy didn't move. He couldn't move. He was standing on pure will power alone.

The man winded up for a punch, and the boy braced for impact.

Suddenly, inaudible words rang through the air and the man's chest rippled from an unexpected attack.

Before he knew it he was on the ground with his face caved in, and a teenager with bronze eyes and black and blue hair was standing over him.

It was Izuru.

Actually guys, that's my wallet, he said with a uniform lazy face.

The boy moved so fast the men only saw blurs, but they knew he was the assailant.

Two more men charged at Izuru, and were met with the same fate except this time his words were heard by everyone.

Bladeless flow: Blade dance.

Izuru's body moved gracefully as he whisked by their incoming attacks in a circular motion.

The boy watching his movement was left slack-jawed. 

How did he do that?, he thought in bewilderment.

Quickly, Izuru followed up with two more elegant punches leaving imprints on the men's faces causing their eyes to roll backwards as they hit the ground with a large thud.

This display greatly surprised the men that remained conscious, and unwilling to see his body sessile on the pavement, the ring leader threw the money back to Izuru.

Quickly, he exited the scene.

The boy's swollen eyes widened seeing Izuru's figure.

But instead of giving thanks, he pulled a jagged, unkempt knife from his tattered jeans.

Hey! Give me the money, he yelled, shakily.

Well that's one way of saying thank you for saving my ass.

Izuru's eyes narrowed, observing the boy's figure. He was a husk of a body—all bone. His skin was pale, flaky, and filled with bruises. Blood slowly drooped down his lips, and his hair was filled with soot and grime. What caught Izuru's attention the most was his eyes. They were like black holes; dark and lifeless.

Memories of the past danced across Izuru's irises, as he watched the boy's mannerisms, and he sighed, shaking his head.

Izuru approached the boy but was met with an unsteady breath and more threats. The boy's muscles tensed. 

That money is mine, and I'm not giving it back. Get away before I use this.

Use what? Izuru asked calmly.

Use this…

The boy's mouth opened slightly in confusion as Izuru tossed the knife up in the air. 

Somehow, he'd disarmed the boy without him even processing it.

How did you do that?

You learn a few things once you've seen what I have, Izuru said, with a slight smirk and dead tone, catching the knife effortlessly.

Then he reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet. You should always be careful who you're stealing from.

The boy's eyes drooped down in despair. 

A few coins hit the boy in the chest.

Next time, don't get caught, and work on your escape route. A straight line isn't always the best course.

Thank you, the boy mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Izuru waved him off as he walked away.

Observing from the side was a figure in a white-cloth looking at the young mans departing back in wonder.

Izuru continued his search for serviceable vendors and inns, but to no avail.

Down on his luck he roamed the streets seeing the sights he couldn't touch and watched the famous sun river until nightfall happened.

Eventually, Izuru found a tree inside the village and rested his head there as he looked at the starry sky.

At least the sky looks good today

It's been awhile since I could enjoy the moon like this.

It's beautiful isn't it, a voice spoke from a distance.

Izuru cocked his head to see a girl with light brown hair approaching, dressed in a flowery kimono.

May I join you?

Do whatever you want. I don't own the floor, he responded nonchalantly.

That's true.

The girl's hair fluttered in the night breeze as she sat down next to Izuru, and seconds ticked away slowly.

I've never seen you around here. 

Are you a traveler?

she questioned, in curiostity.

I guess you could say that, not really my thing, but I travel occasionally when needed. Why do you ask?

I dream of exploring the world one day. I've never been outside Hinogawa, she said, her eyes expressing a sense of longing.

What's it like?

It's the same….But different. You're not missing much, Izuru said distant and calm.

I'm Nagisa by the way.

Izuru

Trying to find something in Izuru's vague answers, the girl looked at him in disappointment.

Noticing her expression, Izuru looked at her and sighed deeply.

This is going to be troublesome, I just wanted to enjoy the sky, but then she interrupted. It'll be a pain if she starts to cry or pout, girls like her are so annoying.

Izuru decided to break the silence.

Nagisa is a nice name. Where I'm from it's the name of the flower goddess that descends from the sky.

The girl's cheeks turned beet red hearing Izuru's compliment, and her legs tucked close to her chest.

I guess she liked that. Well at least this is better than the alternative.

My grandma picked it out. She always says I'm her little flower. Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing. I've never heard anyone say anything positive about it until now, she said, tucking her hair behind her red ears.

They continued talking, their conversation meandering between topics like foods and colors, nothing too deep.

Can I ask you a question?

Sure, Izuru responded nonchalantly.

I hope it's not something annoying or about my eyes.

What did you mean earlier, about the world?, she asked curiously.

The world is the same everywhere.

No matter how far you walk or boat across the ocean, it will always be the same. Brother killing brother, wars destroying millions, Kings stealing from their citizens, and hatred because of difference. As long as poisonous thoughts are captured within our brains nothing will ever change.

The girl's eyes started to dim.

However, it doesn't mean that it's any less beautiful.

Enormous landmasses, Grand structures, and beautiful flowers all shroud the world.

Take this sky for instance. Whether here or in Arven one can enjoy this grand painting.

Millions of twinkling gems and streaks dancing in the sky.

Wow, Nagisa said in awe.

I've never looked at it that way.

Honestly, sometimes the clouds look so tangible, I wish I could grab it and never let it go.

Is that your wish?, Nagisa asked curiously.

What do you mean?

I saw you help out that boy, and the spriggans fluttered around you.

You're a Walpurgis.

Has she been following me? How come I never noticed.

Izuru's eyes stared intently trying to figure out Nagisa's game.

So?

The girl looked at him oddly.

Walpurgis can become dungeon capturers, travel the world, and conquer dungeons.

It's said that there are certain dungeons that allow wishes to come true.

Doesn't that excite you?

Izuru's lazy eyes, sharpened like a blade's edge.

No, not even in the slightest, he said coldly.

A fiery scene of a town burning to ashes, and numerous dead bodies flashed in Izuru's head.

Dungeons are only death traps, and the ones you're talking about are…..

Izuru's voice trailed off.

Then why do you want to become a Walpurgis?

You clearly put effort into your skills. Why do it if you have no goal.

Who said I don't have a goal?

The girl was puzzled.

What is it?

Astaroth, Izuru gently whispered.

Nagisa's eyes widened in horror.

That's one of the 10 forbidden towers. Conquering them is impossible. You'll die before you reach the steps.

I know

Then why. Is it your ambition, the money, the fame.

No.

Then what is so important that you'd risk your life.

Izuru paused momentarily.

because her soul won't rest in peace if I don't.

These words echoed in Nagisa's mind, causing her to fall silent, lost in thought until a light bulb went off in her head.

You're not from…

BOOM

Suddenly, a distant rumble broke the serene silence, the ground trembling slightly beneath them.

'What was that? Nagisa asked, her eyes wide with fear.

 Before Izuru could respond, a fiery explosion lit up the night sky, casting long shadows across the peaceful landscape.