Morning sunlight poured through the windows of a quiet office in Saitama, Japan.
The city beyond the glass stretched endlessly beneath a clear summer sky. Cars moved like streams of steel below, people hurried to work, and somewhere in the distance, the sound of temple bells blended with the hum of modern life.
Inside the room, everything was calm.
A man sat behind an oak desk, one hand holding a porcelain cup of tea while the other turned the pages of an old history book.
A small nameplate rested near the corner.
Mr. Ayumu Hyōe
Commander, A-Rank Adventurer
Akebono Guild
He adjusted his glasses and continued reading.
The chapter before him bore a familiar title.
The Republic of Caelora.
Ayumu smiled faintly.
"I wonder if the Three Bishops were born there," he muttered to himself.
The pages rustled.
The Great Uplift (1834)
A massive tectonic shift within the Pacific Ocean caused a previously submerged landmass to rise near Southeast Asia. The event permanently altered global shipping routes, climate patterns, and geopolitical structures.
The newly emerged territory would later become known as Caelora.
American Administration
Recognizing its strategic importance, the United States established settlements, ports, and institutions upon the island. English became the language of government and education, while local communities preserved and blended numerous Southeast Asian traditions and languages.
Ayumu slowly lowered his teacup.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then he spoke.
"I'm very sorry, old friend."
His voice carried an old resentment.
"My people owed you a great deal."
"They simply didn't understand back then."
He turned another page.
The Great War
During the conflict known simply as The Great War, Japanese forces invaded and occupied Caelora due to its strategic position within the Pacific. Fierce battles scarred the island and shaped its identity for generations to come.
Independence
Following the war, American administration briefly returned before granting complete sovereignty. Thus emerged the modern Republic of Caelora, a multicultural nation carrying English influence, Southeast Asian heritage, and a history unlike any other.
Ayumu reached for his tea.
The surface rippled.
He paused.
The cup trembled.
The bookshelf behind him rattled.
The ceiling lights swayed.
"...An earthquake?"
The ground suddenly shook.
Violently.
Books crashed.
Glass shattered.
Alarms erupted throughout the district.
Red warning lights flashed across nearby buildings.
And then-
Darkness.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
Luke's alarm clock screamed like the end of civilization.
And, as always, civilization lost.
A warm cloth brushed against his forehead.
"Eve...?" Luke mumbled weakly.
Bright green eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh! You're finally awake!"
Eve practically bounced beside his bed, smiling so hard that it looked physically impossible.
Luke blinked.
"What day is it?"
Eve gasped dramatically.
"The same day our little warrior became an official fighter!"
"Oh..."
Memory returned.
The exam.
The victories.
The defeat.
The exhaustion.
The cheering.
Everything.
The bedroom door slid open.
Maya entered.
Her expression carried equal amounts of pride and concern.
Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him.
Luke blinked.
"Okay..."
He looked genuinely confused.
"This is new but also somehow expected."
"You fought well," Maya said quietly.
"Very well."
Before Luke could answer, three familiar figures marched into the room.
Rhody.
Michie.
Zacky.
Rhody grinned.
"Our boy ranked tenth in the skill demonstrations!"
Michie nodded proudly.
"Out of fifteen students. Not bad at all."
Zacky folded his arms.
"You endured seven consecutive matches."
"Most adults complain after two."
Luke smiled.
Though only halfway.
"Tenth place..."
He scratched his cheek.
"I thought I'd do a little better."
Eve immediately protested.
"Only a little?!"
"You passed your written exam!"
"With eighty points!"
"That's amazing!"
Luke blinked.
"Actually..."
"Yeah."
"That part surprised me too."
Maya crossed her arms.
"You studied only half the lessons."
"And still passed."
"Truly horrifying."
"Please never encourage that behavior," Zacky added.
Luke glanced at the alarm clock.
"...Wait."
"Why did my alarm go off when it's nighttime?"
Eve smiled innocently.
"Because whenever it rings, you wake up."
"And that makes me happy."
The room fell silent.
Nobody questioned her logic.
Some things simply existed beyond mortal understanding.
Twenty minutes passed.
Twenty entire minutes.
Of compliments.
Stories.
Exaggerations.
Maya claimed Luke moved like a seasoned warrior.
Rhody insisted he possessed "main-character energy."
Michie called him promising.
Even Zacky admitted he had potential.
Luke eventually surrendered.
There was no escaping family pride.
That evening, everyone prepared to celebrate.
Dinner.
Outside.
Near the shore.
But first-
The garage.
Rhody stood before the newly polished 2007 F-150 like a knight witnessing divine revelation.
With dramatic slowness, he opened the garage door.
Sunlight reflected against freshly cleaned paint.
The engine purred.
Then roared.
VROOOOM!
Rhody revved it again.
VROOOOM!
Luke stared.
"That's a big, loud truck."
Rhody slapped the hood proudly.
"And it's fast!"
"Listen carefully, boy."
"That's not an engine."
He revved it once more.
"That's freedom."
Zacky appeared behind him.
"That's a financial mistake."
Michie chuckled.
"At least it's less rusty than the old one."
"Low standards," Zacky muttered.
The diner overlooked the sea.
Warm lanterns swayed gently beneath the evening breeze.
Waves rolled against the shore like an ancient giant breathing in its sleep.
The scent of grilled fish drifted through the air.
Life felt peaceful.
For once.
Luke spotted familiar faces.
James.
Kyle.
Brian.
He immediately waved.
"Hey!"
The three turned.
"LUKE!" they shouted simultaneously.
Luke sat beside them.
"Who got first place in the skill demonstrations?"
Silence.
Then-
"Alicia," James answered.
"It's obvious," Kyle added.
"To be expected," Brian nodded.
"Not surprising," James continued.
"Did you honestly expect somebody else?" Kyle asked.
Luke sighed.
"...Fair."
Human effort had limits.
Alicia apparently ignored such limitations.
Nature could be unfair.
After dinner, everyone walked along the shoreline.
The sea breeze wandered across the sand, carrying whispers older than memory.
The grass beyond the paths danced gently beneath the wind.
Waves shimmered beneath the orange glow of sunset.
For a brief moment, the world seemed at peace.
No monsters.
No portals.
No fear.
Just family.
Just friends.
Just home.
Rhody ruined the tranquility by driving home at one hundred twenty kilometers per hour.
Zacky nearly experienced spiritual enlightenment.
"I REGRET BUYING THIS THING!"
Rhody laughed.
"She can go faster!"
"YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!"
Michie, however, sat comfortably.
"I kinda like it."
Luke decided silence was the safest option.
By seven in the evening, exhaustion finally caught him.
Eve tucked him into bed.
"Early sleep today."
"You earned it."
Luke nodded.
His body still ached.
Every muscle protested.
He closed his eyes.
Darkness welcomed him.
Then-
A voice.
Cold.
Ancient.
Echoing endlessly.
"I need your eyes."
Luke opened his eyes.
Nothing.
Silence.
Only darkness.
Far away-
Metal chains creaked.
And something laughed.
The alarm exploded.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
Luke's eyes shot open.
For a brief moment, he expected Eve to crash through the door like a natural disaster in human form.
Instead-
He was already standing.
"What the..."
Without hesitation, Luke kicked the blanket aside, sprinted into the bathroom, took a shower, brushed his teeth, changed into his uniform, and practically inhaled breakfast.
The entire household stared.
Michie slowly lowered his fourth cup of coffee.
"Wow."
"You're surprisingly energetic today."
Luke grinned.
"I don't know why, but I feel really awake."
Eve blinked.
"Did my alarm evolve?"
Maya narrowed her eyes.
"Suspicious."
Rhody laughed.
"Maybe becoming tenth place awakened his hidden potential."
"Or maybe," Zacky said calmly, "he simply slept well."
Nobody believed that explanation.
Not even Zacky.
Three minutes later, Luke stepped outside.
The morning air was cool.
Birds danced between rooftops.
Sunlight painted the streets gold.
The city of Caelora stretched awake beneath a cloudless sky.
Then-
TIRES SCREECHED.
A red F-150 drifted into view.
Rhody leaned out of the driver's window with the confidence of a man who absolutely should not possess a driver's license.
"WANT A RIDE?!"
Luke's eyes sparkled.
"YES!"
Within seconds, he climbed aboard.
The engine roared.
VROOOOM!
Eighty miles per hour.
Three kilometers.
One extremely concerned pedestrian.
Rhody laughed like a warlord returning victorious from conquest.
"This thing is magnificent!"
Luke held onto the seat.
"UNCLE RHODY, THE SCHOOL IS RIGHT THERE!"
"AND WE SHALL ARRIVE IN STYLE!"
Back at the house, peace returned.
Or at least, something resembling peace.
Rhody entered the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread.
Zacky sat at the table, sipping tea.
He glanced toward the garage.
Then toward Rhody.
Then back to his tea.
"I regret buying that ticking time bomb."
Rhody bit into the bread.
"No, you don't."
"I absolutely do."
"You smiled yesterday."
"That was fear."
Michie, still doom-scrolling through his phone, raised a finger.
"For the record..."
"I also like the truck."
Zacky closed his eyes.
"Traitors."
---
Eve watered her garden.
The morning breeze carried the scent of flowers and damp earth.
Ancient vines slithered gently around the wooden fences, almost affectionately.
The plants themselves seemed alive.
Listening.
Watching.
Waiting.
Nearby, Maya practiced.
Her movements were elegant.
Graceful.
Like a ballerina dancing with death itself.
Wooden swords surrounded her.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
They spun through the air as though guided by invisible strings.
Maya stepped.
Turned.
Slashed.
Each motion flowed seamlessly into the next.
The wind itself seemed to follow her rhythm.
Leaves swirled.
Grass bowed.
The world danced with her.
---
Meanwhile-
Zacky descended into the basement.
The temperature dropped.
Metal stairs echoed beneath his footsteps.
At the very end of the corridor stood the heavy chamber door.
Slowly-
CREEEEEEAK.
It opened.
Darkness greeted him.
The silver statue remained exactly where it had always been.
A winged knight.
Hands resting upon its sword.
Head lowered.
Silent.
Watching.
Zacky stepped forward.
The air felt strange.
Heavy.
He stared at the statue for several moments.
Then spoke.
"I don't know what you did to that boy."
Silence.
"But part of your mana follows him."
Nothing answered.
Golden light manifested around his fingers.
Softly.
Almost instinctively.
"If you've harmed him..."
His eyes sharpened.
"I don't care whether you're a relic, a god, or a ghost."
"I'll destroy you myself."
The chamber remained still.
Then-
RING!
RING!
RING!
Zacky sighed.
Perfect timing.
He answered.
"Hello."
A voice emerged from the other end.
Zacky's expression immediately turned annoyed.
"The departure is this afternoon."
A pause.
"If you have important matters, you may arrive tomorrow."
Another pause.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Fine."
"We'll prepare immediately."
The call ended.
The golden light vanished.
Zacky glanced one final time at the statue.
"...We'll continue this later."
He closed the chamber door.
Upstairs, his voice echoed through the house.
"Rhody!"
"Michie!"
"We're leaving today!"
The two bishops appeared almost instantly.
Rhody still held bread.
Michie still held his phone.
"Japan?" Michie asked.
Zacky nodded.
"Four days."
Rhody grinned.
"Road trip?"
"We're taking a military vessel."
Rhody looked genuinely disappointed.
"Less cool."
Maya approached.
Eve followed behind.
Zacky folded his arms.
"You two will stay here."
"Take care of the house."
"And most importantly..."
He glanced toward Luke's empty seat.
"Take care of him."
Maya nodded immediately.
"Don't worry."
Eve smiled.
"You worry too much."
Zacky remained unconvinced.
Mostly because worrying had kept everyone alive this long.
Two o'clock.
The harbor.
The sea stretched endlessly beneath the afternoon sun.
Waves rolled gently against steel docks.
Seagulls drifted overhead.
Massive banners carrying the Gryphon Guild insignia fluttered proudly against the wind.
The military vessel stood like a fortress upon the water.
Across its enormous side, bold letters were painted:
URSA DATU
Six A-Rank adventurers boarded.
Three S-Ranks followed.
The Three Bishops among them.
Veterans.
Monsters.
Guardians.
The people who held entire regions together simply by existing.
The engines awakened.
Deep.
Powerful.
Ancient.
The ship slowly departed.
Leaving home behind.
Leaving safety behind.
From far above the harbor-
A lone man stood atop a skyscraper.
Arms crossed.
Eyes fixed upon the departing vessel.
The wind tugged against his long coat.
He remained motionless.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then he spoke.
Quietly.
Almost to himself.
"What becomes of a nation..."
"...when the people holding it together suddenly leave?"
The sea offered no answer.
Only silence.
And beyond the horizon, the Sun is like an eye watching.