Chapter 1: The beginning of the end?

What is life? I wonder. I have been searching for the answer to this question for a really long time but couldn't find the answer. Aristotle claims life is to achieve eudaimonia or human flourishing; Camus argued that life is inherently absurd and meaningless, but that we can find meaning by embracing this absurdity and living in the present moment. The Stoics think life's ultimate goal was to live according to nature and cultivate the virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and self-control. Alan Wilson Watts has the simplest answer: " The meaning of life is just to be alive. "

Well, I do not know if any of these are true, but my life is coming to an end soon. I feel my body aching like hell and my bones must have been mostly crushed under the weight of a container. I look to my left, my subordinates are running toward me, trying to think of some potential methods that could save me from the doorsteps of death. Ohh, I still remember the days that I meet them on the streets, poor and skinny as a stick, I received them into my homes and raise them as my own children, until now when they have become successful people admired by millions of others. The little girl rushed back to her mother's arms a few meters from me.

Looking at the blue sky, I realize that it is so beautiful but for my whole life, I've never paused for a moment to dive into the beauty of this work of nature. What is life? I would say that life was the day my parents brought to the orphanage and threw me at their doorsteps, just because I was born with a disease that disable my ability. Life was the day that the school bullies hang me up on a tree and beat me until I was unconscious. Life was the day I could begin to walk thanks to artificial limbs created by some doctors' miracle. I joined the Yakuza when I was 20 years old and become the leader of the Spiritual Dragon, the most influential gang in Tokyo 10 years later. Takahiro the Demon Lord, the others call me. My name is feared for my cruelness and the fearless assassins loyal to me alone.

And now the Demon Lord is going to die saving a girl he doesn't even know. I shouldn't have rushed to save the girl from the containers. Maybe I should have let her die? Right?

-" Takahiro, do you hear me? " I hear the voice of my secretary, who has been following me for more than 30 years. He should be able to maintain the gang after my death; the orphanage where I was raised should receive enough money to pay for the education of the children living there. I feel warmth in my hands as I see the girl that I say is holding it, murmuring: thank you, uncle. I can see tears flowing from her eyes. I use my last energy to raise my hand to wipe her tears.

-" Children are the future of the world after all " I speak in my last moments before everything falls into darkness.

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Duo to the legend that explains the creation of the Arcadia Peninsula, the Arcadians have different explanations. The tribesmen living in the fertile and vast Grassland claim that the Peninsula is created from the blood and meat of the Goddess of Earth when she's attacked by the God of Thunder; the scholars of the city of Varnasiga thinks it is simply created by the movement of rocks.

Perhaps the people living in the Shogunate of Matsuzaki has the most interesting explanation: The Peninsula is created and inhabited by Demons, then one day, the God of War and his warriors throw their weapons into the land, which turned into an army of Samurais, the fearless warriors seeking nothing but a beautiful death on the battlefield. The army of Samurais drives the devils out of the Peninsula and bring eternal peace to the land. Afterward, their descendants formed a Kingdom and crowned Matsuzaki Inagaki as the leader of the Kingdom. The Shogunate of Matsuzaki was formed and they soon become the strongest kingdom in the realm of men.

1000 years later after

To the far north of the Shogunate of Matsuzaki is the Abandoned Forest, where no travelers or explorers have lived to tell the tales of what's hiding in there. After several attempts to explore the forest just to have their armies attacked and destroy by the Beastmen, the descendants of the evils that used to live in Arcadia, the Shogunate decides that no one should ever stepped into the Forest anymore.

The Akira Clan, one of the most ancient and prestigious noble dynasty in the Shogunate, is given the right to rule Iceland. From the Nightingale Castle, Akira generations protect the Shogunate from the Beastmen, defeating the demon armies and drive them out of their territory for countless land in history. The prowess of the Akira Samurais is well-known and respected by every citizen of the Kingdom.

Nightingale Castle is a castle built in the middle of the city of Neverwinter, the largest city in Iceland. The people living here make their living mostly through trading, hunting, farming or working in the mines. This territory is called Iceland for the reason that it has harsh winter, making it's very hard for Icelander farmers to cultivate enough crops to supply the population, making them dependent on trading food from the warm southern territories.

The castle is old-fashioned. The stones and woods used to build the castle are exposed to weathering, but the downgrade cannot hide the beauty of the castle that has never been fallen to the siege of any armies. Thus, it stands as the symbol of power of the Akira family.

Inside the castles, we can notice that every servant is in a rush. They keep running up and down and preparing for something very important. In the highest tower of the castle lay the chamber of Lady Sakamoto Yuta, first lady of Neverwinter and daughter to Lord Sakamoto Hideo, Lord of Roseland. Akira Kenji is standing outside of the chamber as he sees the midwives and maids running in and out the room, telling him that his wife is not going to deliver his child easily.

Lord Kenji is a middle-aged man. He is known to be a capable ruler and a wise military commander as together with his spear, he has led the people of Iceland defeat three Beastmen invasions with smaller number. However, the only thing that disturb the Lord is that even though he is close to 40 years old, he still hasn't an heir to secure his bloodline. Now, finally after 5 years of marriage, lady Yuta is pregnant. Fear can be seen on the face of the man that has never show cowardice in battle every time he hears the screaming of his wife inside the chamber.

Finally, after a while and a loud scream, there is the sound of a baby cry appears from the room. The moment the doors are opened, Lord Kenji runs into the room. Ignoring the servants' yelling with his sudden appear, he rushes to his wife's side:

- My love, how do you feel?

Lady Yuta, exhausted after giving birth, turns her head to the direction of the midwife holding the baby. She asks gently:

- Is this a boy?

- Yes, my lady. " The midwife answers. Hearing that, Yuta smiles and raises her hand, gently touching the cheek of Lord Kenji:

- I have finally given you an heir, Lord Akira. Now my duty is fulfilled. " The lady speaks with a very weak voice. Her hands start to lose their power and slowly falling off. " Let me see my son. " She continues.

The midwife brings the baby to Yuta and let her hold it. The baby stops crying and looks at his mother. The two innocent beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight. Lady Yuta's face's covered in happiness as she sees

-" This little angle is going to be respected and loved as the heir to the Akira Clan. Let's call him Takahiro. " These were the last words of the Lady Yuta as light of light darken in her eyes. The Lady of Neverwinter has fallen to the external sleep right after giving birth to Akira Takahiro, the heir to the Akira Clan.

In the night, people can hear the screams of Lord Akira Kenji as he sees his wife dies in front of him but cannot do anything. The medics claims the reason for her death is from blood loss from childbirth.

Lord Kenji's marriage with lady Yuta is the foundation for the alliance between the Akira Clan and the Sakamoto Clan. Her death means that the alliance between two Clans will come to an end, bringing a great loss to Akira Clan's influence.

However, the greatest tragedy to the Akira Clan is not the loss of the alliance, as their military strength is still one of the strongest between the lords in the Shogunate. A few days after the birth of Akira Takahiro, the medics find out that the baby's legs are unfunctional, which means that he will not be able to walk in the future.

Many of Akira Kenji's advisors advise him to marry another woman and has her produce him another heir; however, the love of the Lord for his late wife is strong; he claims that he will raise Takahiro into a ruler worthy of the name Akira, and he will not marry in the future.

Winter of the year 1000, Akira Takahiro's born. At that moment, no man would have believed that the crippled would become a legend in the history of Arcadia.