Prologue

"What the..."

A brown-haired boy abruptly stood up. A quick glance of his surrounding showed that he was surrounded by burning houses. Before he could process what's happening, he was struck by a piercing headache. His hands grabbed his head as his body shook in pain.

A ship. A storm. Water going down his throat. Drowning to death. Those were the first memories that flooded his mind. The next set was of him playing with his parents. Followed by a bandit attack. Both memories intertwined, and others started popping inside his head.

Earth Land. Fiore. Hyacinth, a village near Mt. Hakobe. Gerald Nore, his name. Herald and Alice Nore, his parents. His dream of becoming a mage, being born without the ability to use Magic Power.

He clutched his head harder and flinched as another set of memories followed. America. California. San Francisco. High school, followed by college. His parents and his little sister, whose names eluded him. His dream of becoming a lawyer.

The pain of the mixture of memories was too much for him, and he screamed in agony. His body was dripping wet from sweat as he pulled his hair and bit his tongue, trying to replace the pain from the headache with another lesser one. It worked to an extent, and he managed to somewhat calm down.

He raised his head and looked around. Burning wooden houses were around him, and he knew he had to get away from there before the fire reaches him. Just as he was standing up, he heard.

"The scream came from over 'ere."

He turned around only to see a man with disheveled clothes. The man had dirty black hair, a wound over his right eye, and a sword in his hand.

"Lookie 'ere. We got ourselves a livin' one."

The bandit spun the sword in his hand as he stepped towards Gerald. Two more men walked behind the bandit and came into view. Like the other bandit, they had disheveled clothes and weapons in their hands. With menacing glares, they stared at the brown-haired boy.

"Oy, looks a pretty one."

"We should put a scar or two on 'em. I don't like 'em pretty ones. Acting like they better than us."

"We can have some fun, but we 'otta be fast. 'Em Rune Knights might come, ya' know."

"No!" Gerald said, and despite his headache, his survival instincts took over. He had fresh memories of dying, and he didn't want to experience it again. The feeling of being unable to breathe. The feeling of helplessness. He didn't want to experience it again, and he had a feeling that being tortured before being killed would be far more unpleasant.

Gerald turned around to run away only to see two more bandits come from that direction. Both of them carrying that same menacing glare the other three have on their faces.

"No!" He said, seeing them. 'I don't want to die! Not again! I want to live!' Gerald frantically looked around, but he was boxed in between the five bandits and surrounded by burning houses.

'If you want to live, pull me out, and say my name, Master.' A voice spoke in his head.

"What the? Who said that?" Gerald looked around in confusion as the bandits were slowly making their way towards him.

'I'm in your pocket, Master. Now pull me out unless you want to die!'

Gerald wasn't sure what was going on. He didn't know if he was being delusional, but he trusted the voice. He reached out in his leather pants and grabbed the object inside his pocket. Gerald pulled out a deck of cards in a leather holster. One of the cards jumped out and levitated in front of him. On the face of the card, there was a man with green armor, shoulder-length blond hair, facial paint, and a sword in hand. 'Say my name, and I will save you, Master.'

"He's a mage. Stop 'em before he does his witchcraft!"

A bandit called out, and they rushed towards him, not willing to play their game anymore. It was too late, however.

"Celtic Guardian!" Gerald called out, and a blinding light covered the card. The bandits covered their eyes for a moment, and the next time they opened them, there stood the man from the card. Before they could comprehend where the armored warrior came from, he was already jumping towards the two in the front.

Celtic Guardian's skill with the sword was superb, and he disarmed the bandits with only a few attacks. Another two strikes and he knocked them out.

"Stay behind me, Master. I will keep you safe."

Gerald was snapped out of his wonder and ran next to him as Celtic Guardian turned towards the other three. One of the bandits, either smarter than the rest or scared of the warrior's skill, immediately booked it. The other two weren't as lucky, as Celtic Guardian reached them with a burst of speed. They didn't fare any better than the other two, and the warrior beat them just as easily.

Gerald watched in awe. The bandits stood no chance against Celtic Guardian. With just a few hits, he took them all out and saved him in the process. He had so many questions. Where was he? How did he summon the elf warrior? Where did he get the cards? Who is he? Was he the college student from Earth or Gerald from Earth Land?

"We have to move, Master." Celtic Guardian addressed him. "Do you know where we can go?"

"I have no idea. I don't even know where we are." Gerald shook his head. "Actually, nevermind. We are in Hyacinth, a village near Mt. Hakobe, but I don't know where we can go."

"I understand, Master. Then can I ask to lead the way?" Celtic Guardia asked with respect in his voice. Whatever his Master commanded him, he would oblige as long as it didn't go against his own morals.

"Yes! Just get us out of here." Gerald shuddered. Surrounded by burning houses was not a place he wanted to stay at. Especially when bandits were lurking around.

"Follow me, Master." Celtic Guardian moved the opposite direction of the mountain and from where the bandit had run away. From his experience as a warrior, he knew that there was no way only five bandits had caused all this mayhem. The one that escaped had either went for reinforcements or ran for his life. Either way, he didn't want to risk his Master's life with following after the bandit.

The two started running, but the elf warrior realized that Gerald was far slower than him. This wouldn't do. They didn't have time to waste.

"Master, do you trust me?"

"Yes!" Gerald answered without hesitation. Celtic Guardian had protected him, saved his life, and he also felt the connection between the two. He had no reason not to trust the elf warrior.

Without any other words, Celtic Guardian grabbed Gerald and plopped him on his shoulder. Now he was free to run as fast as he could. The elf warrior couldn't waste time in getting Gerald out of the burning village since he was able to feel how much Magic Power his Master had. And it was slowly dwindling down with each second of him being summoned.

"What?!?" Gerald was surprised by his Celtic Guardian's actions but realized that he was only holding him back, judging by how fast he was running now.

The elf warrior made the right choice since the bandit had run to his leader. The man was cleaner, dressed far better than the rest of them, and didn't carry a weapon on him. He was looking around the loot they've pillaged when the bandit ran to him.

"Boss! We found a mage!"

"What? Have they already sent someone? We've been here for no more than half an hour."

The bandit leader tensed up. He knew how dangerous magicians were, and if one had already arrived here within such a short time, then he might as well book it. No ordinary mage would've come so fast.

"No, boss. It's a brat. I think he is from the village."

Relief washed over the bandit leader's body. 'A brat. Just a brat. I could handle that.'

"What kind of Magic did he use?" The leader asked. He might be a bandit, but he ain't stupid. He wouldn't rush in without any preparations.

"I dunno. There was this flash of light, and a man with green armor appeared out of nowhere."

The bandit leader's eyes lit up with greed. 'The brat has a Celestial Key?' He had wanted to go after the kid so he can capture him. Then he could try to recruit him or sell him off. Now though, he wanted the Celestial Key.

Most mages are born with a Magic Power that is perfectly suited for a specific Magic, to the point where they can cast it subconsciously without even having prior training. Through hard work, they can learn to cast several different types of Magic, but they would always feel more comfortable with the one their Magic Power is attuned to.

Celestial Spirit Magic was different, however. As long as the mage has a Celestial Spirit key and sufficient Magic Power, they could use it to summon Celestial Spirits, and they are expensive. Of course, he would need to make a contract with the Spirit, but if it happens to refuse him, then he could always sell the key for a hefty amount of Jewels.

Knowing that, the bandit leader was dead set on capturing the brat. He could get money from pawning a kid with Magic Power and increase his strength by getting the Celestial Spirit key if the spirit agrees to make a contract with him.

'Time to get me some more loot.' The bandit leader taught and picked up a small blue ball from his pocket. He looked at the object in his hand with a grin before throwing it. The ball expanded slightly before opening up and releasing a red-feathered ostrich. 'Ah, me precious Monster Ball and beloved Fire Ostrich. I'm so lucky to have found you a few years ago, and today I'm feeling just as lucky.'

"Go, Oasis, we have loot on the loose!" The bandit leader commanded. The ostrich raised its head in the air, spewed fire, and dashed towards where Gerald was last spotted. In seconds, the two had disappeared from the sight of the bandits.

Gerald was being carried by Celtic Guardian, and the two had already reached a road when he spotted the Fire Ostrich running after them.

"We have a problem. We are being chased."

Celtic Guardian looked back without stopping his legs. He saw the Fire Ostrich gaining on them. Noticing that it was only one man and a beast, he quickly made a decision. He dropped Gerald on the ground and turned around.

"Continue running, and don't stop, Master. I will stop them and follow after you once I'm done."

Confidence oozed out of him. He was a battle-hardened warrior, and his duty was to protect his Master. He trusted his skill and was ready to give his life away for Gerald to survive. Not that he could be killed since he would return back to the card upon death.

Gerald was momentarily startled, but narrowed his eyes and started running in a second. He didn't want to die, that much he was sure of. Since Celtic Guardian told him to run, he will do just that. Gerald just hoped that his summon will deal with the bandit quickly and follow after him.

Meanwhile, the elf warrior dashed towards the incoming Fire Ostrich in a burst of speed. He caught the beast and its owner by surprise. With a quick slash of his weapon, Celtic Guardian decapitated the Fire Ostrich.

Magical beasts have higher durability compared to normal animals due to the Magic Power coursing through their bodies, but the Fire Ostrich's neck was its weak point. As a proud warrior, Celtic Guardian was able to spot that weakness immediately and take advantage of it. Just a single slash was all he needed to kill the Fire Ostrich and leave it headless.

The bandit leader proved to have some skill as he managed to jump away before the attack hit him as well. He also didn't take kindly that Celtic Guardian killed his precious Oasis. The Monster Ball in his pocket gave out a wheezing sound before crumbling to dust.

"What did you do?!?! How dare you?!? Oasis was the best chicken one could ask for! I will make you pay, Spirit! After that, I will cause even more pain to the brat."

Celtic Guardian wasn't much of a talker. He was a warrior, and warriors didn't banter before a fight. He was upon the bandit leader in a second with his sword ready to strike him down. Celtic Guardian's speed was far greater than any normal bandit. However, his opponent wasn't a normal one.

The bandit leader was stunned, but he was able to react in time. He jumped out of the way with a surprising amount of speed and skill. The bandit leader was one of the 10% that was born with the ability to use Magic. With Magic Power coursing through his body, his physical abilities were far greater than any normal human.

Celtic Guardian was caught off guard, but only for a moment. He had fought stronger and faster enemies than the bandit leader, and he had been victorious. He bent his knees, prepared to dash towards the bandit leader when the man raised his hand towards him, and a magic circle appeared behind him.

"Whip Magic: Snake Binding!"

A dozen whips appeared from the magic circle and shot towards Celtic Guardian like snakes. The elf warrior cut a few of them with his sword and jumped out of the way of the other. He took a stance and carefully studied the bandit leader. Him being a mage was a bit unexpected, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Mages have a finite amount of Magic Power, so as long as he can outlast him, Celtic Guardian would have an easy win. The problem was that the elf warrior also had a limited amount of time. He relied on the Magic Power of his master to stay materialized. At least he relied only on his physical strength to fight. If he was like some of the other Duel Monsters, who used their Master's Magic Power to cast special skill or spells, the situation could've been way worse. With calmness and confidence oozing out of his body, he faced against the bandit leader.

Gerald didn't stop running, even though his breathing was heavy and his legs were shaking. He ignored all of that and focused on the only thing on his mind. 'I don't want to die.'

Gerald was running with all his might when a tall and muscular man appeared in front of him. He had orange slicked-back hair and a stubbly beard. His body was covered by a long, black, high-collared, and tattered cloak. The man's appearance resembled that of a thug, and Gerald mistook him for another bandit.

Panic overtook the boy. Gerald wasn't a fighter, and Celtic Guardian was dealing with the bandit leader. His protector was nowhere near him. He was staring in fear at the ginger head when extreme exhaustion overtook him. He gasped as his face paled, and fatigue washed his body. He felt weak, and his legs gave up on him. His world was covered in darkness as he fell towards the ground.

Celtic Guardian was fighting with the bandit leader and had even managed to get a few hits in. He had also been hit a few times by a sword that came out of a ring on the bandit's right hand. That didn't mean much to the elf warrior since he could heal from such injuries with the Magic Power of his Master. Still, Celtic Guardian preferred to avoid such wounds to not exhaust Gerald.

The elf warrior was just about to get another hit in when he sensed the panic of Gerald from his connection to his Master. He felt how scared the boy was, and Celtic Guardian faltered in his step. That was all the bandit leader needed. A few whips came out of the man's left hand and bound him in place.

"Let's see you survive this, Spirit!"

The bandit leader struck with his right hand, and the sword appeared from his ring. Celtic Guardian was stabbed in the heart, and that wasn't something he was able to heal. The elf warrior burst into white participles with his last taught before dissipating being. 'I'm sorry I failed you, Master.'

The bandit leader took a few deep breaths before deciding what to do. He was bleeding from a few cuts on his body, but he wanted to chase after the brat and get his Celestial Spirit key. He lost his precious Oasis and Monster Ball. He didn't want to leave empty-handed, but he also couldn't chase the brat while bleeding. In the end, the bandit leader chose to return back to his group. 'You got lucky, brat, but I will find you, and I will make you pay for the losses you caused me today.'

Before Gerald fell on the ground, the ginger head reached out and caught him.

"What happened?" The man questioned. He felt the boy's Magical Power suddenly drop to near zero out of nothing. The brown-haired kid was breathing hard and sweating.

"Magical Exhaustion, but how did it happen? I didn't see him casting any Magic." The ginger head mused, but shook his head and turned around. He needed to get the boy to a healer, and he knew the perfect person for that. He had just left for a mission, but that could wait. It had waited for years, so it could wait for a few more days. The safety of an innocent boy was more important than a stupid mission.