The beginning

Tenrya's world was once a peaceful place, with four continents ruled by ancient races: Ka-lin, Merydia, Es-Et, and Furnace. The three great kingdoms - Ka-lin, Merydia, and Es-et - were each ruled by their respective races: the Austerions, the Tenryuns, and the Sets. The Austerions were a race of mages with a history that dated back to the creation of the ancient kingdoms. The Tenryuns were beings with a hybrid appearance of men and animals. Some believed that such beings were personally created by the ancient Gods, while others claimed that they were an unholy breed born from the interbreeding of Austerions and an ancient breed of long-extinct animals. The Sets were beings focused on technology, with a relatively small stature and fragile physique. However, their intellect surpassed all other races, making them the richest of the kingdoms.

Furnace, on the other hand, did not have a glamorous history. Formed by several human camps that were not accepted in the other kingdoms, it was born and raised in war. The people of Furnace were too different and were always in conflict with each other. These differences caused the kingdom of Furnace to adopt the motto: "The strong must subdue the weak so that the kingdom may remain strong." From this pretext, the Furnace people faced a long civil war for the throne, resulting in millions of deaths.

Over time, the civil war ceased, and General Ao Kasir took control of Furnace, thus founding the Furnace Empire. His motto became: "The empire is strength, the empire is glory, the empire is death, the empire is war." Every conquest of the empire, every child born in the empire, is a soldier of the empire, and every soldier must prove to be strong. The strong command the weak, and those who cannot fight or have any deformities are condemned to work in the mines until they die. Those who are able to fight but show no eximia skill for combat will be pawns, while those who demonstrate aptitude for battle will become soldiers. All soldiers compete with each other to determine who is the strongest, and in the end, those who excel become commanders. Only the elite soldiers can be commanders, and all commanders are the elite soldiers of the empire. There is a saying that goes, "The only thing a Furnacer knows is war."

Approaching the Furnace Soldier Preparation Camp now. This place serves as a training ground for soldiers who will dedicate their lives to serving the empire. Their journey begins at the age of 10 and continues until they reach 18 years old. At the age of 18, they must face the Furnace Test, which determines who will become a pawn and who will become a soldier.

Once they become soldiers, they have the right to demand an aptitude test for the commander position. This test involves challenging the current platoon commander to a duel to the death. The winner earns the right to command and be called a commander.

In this field, we meet Kamir, the young man who will start our story. At the training camp, several young people are diligently practicing when the commander arrives. He is a burly man in his forties, with a scar on the upper right corner of his mouth and a long sword at his waist. Commander 327 barks out a command, "WARNING! Everybody line up!" The young trainees quickly cease their activities and form a row according to their assigned numbers. In this field, names are disregarded, and numbers are used instead. Kamir is number 11 in a platoon of 100 seventeen-year-old boys. Commander 327 addresses the group, "All of you will soon turn 18, and if you want to become good soldiers, you need to train harder. If you desire to hold the position I currently occupy, then you will have to earn it. Know this, all of you are mere cockroaches to me, and it will be my pleasure to crush those who dare to challenge me. Now, get back to your training."

After the warning, everyone returns to their training, and Kamir finds himself sparring with his friend and training partner, Twelve. As they catch their breath between sets, Twelve probes Kamir about his plans to challenge the current platoon commander for his position.

"So Eleven, will you really try the duel for Commander as soon as you graduate?" Twelve asks.

Kamir doesn't hesitate. "Yes, there's no reason not to try."

"Of course," Twelve replies, "except for the fact that the platoon commander is extremely strong and you'll probably be killed in no time. No one has ever managed to become commander right after graduating, and those who've tried, well, it didn't end well."

"Those who tried and died are a disgrace to the empire, were weak and of poor determination," Kamir retorts. "I am strong, the strongest, and I will prove my worth to the empire."

"But what if you die?" Twelve asks, concern etched on his face. "Have you thought about it?"

Kamir's expression hardens. "If I die, it means I was a weak link of the empire. My death will be beneficial to future generations, and the empire will become stronger."

"Maybe there's something beyond wars and fighting and deaths," Twelve says softly, looking away.

Kamir grabs Twelve by the arm, his patience wearing thin. "What are you getting at, Twelve?"

"Have you never wanted to see other places?" Twelve asks, his eyes brightening. "Beyond the walls?"

"Yes," Kamir replies, "I'll know new places when I'm commander, and conquer them for the empire."

"But I'm not talking about conquering," Twelve says, his voice growing quiet. "I'm talking about just knowing. No need to conquer."

"You're starting to sound like a defector of the empire, Twelve," Kamir says, his grip on Twelve's arm tightening.

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing," Twelve says, his eyes meeting Kamir's.

Kamir's temper flares, and he throws Twelve against the wall, causing a pile of training weapons to clatter to the ground. The commotion attracts the attention of the other trainees, and the commander soon arrives on the scene.

"What is this? Twelve, Eleven!" Commander 327 barks.

Kamir looks down at Twelve, who is lying on the ground, bruised and defeated. Despite his anger, he reaches out to help his friend up, knowing that the consequences of going against the empire's ideals are severe.

"Never say anything so atrocious again, Twelve," Kamir growls. "Others will have no mercy against a deserter."

"I'm sorry, Eleven," Twelve says meekly.

"It's nothing, Commander," Kamir says, his tone polite. "Just a little friendly competition."

Commander 327 eyes them both warily. "Alright, I like to see you excited boys. EVERYBODY GET BACK TO TRAINING."