Chapter 1: Hikaru Nozomi
Part 1: Devastation
The sky churned, thick with storm clouds. Thunder cracked through the mountains, illuminating the massive crater below—its scorched edges still smouldering. Nine figures lay scattered across the battlefield, their bodies motionless, broken.
A man stirred. Blonde hair matted with dirt and blood. His blue eyes fluttered open, dazed. Pain screamed through his battered body, his torn clothes clinging to his wounds. He gasped, struggling to move. Around him, his allies—his friends—lay silent.
What... just happened?
A presence loomed ahead.
A figure emerged from the haze, his crimson eyes burning through the darkness. Black hair, wild yet regal, framed his pale face. A dark aura coiled around him like living shadows. His obsidian armor reflected the dying embers of battle.
The blonde man's breath hitched as memories surged back, sharp and merciless. The battle... The slaughter... Him.
The dark figure's lips curled in disdain.
"Is this what the current Elements have to offer? ...Pathetic."
He raised his hand, palm glowing with ominous energy, aimed at the fallen warriors.
The blonde man struggled to rise, his limbs trembling. He watched, helpless, as the figure unleashed his attack—