Chapter 1

I am Miyamoto Hideki, I'm just an ordinary schoolboy who doesn't have special powers like most people nowadays. Though my father and descendants before me did have their own strengths. After all, as the first child, I should be the one taking care of my younger siblings. Now it's reversed...even though I’m a right-handed person, somehow my right arm is weaker than most people and I hate that.

"Yosh, I'm going to learn how to use sword. Who knows I might find my power later”, that’s what I said when I was little.

Our family used to be famous for their extraordinary power, my father and mother used to be outer at the time. For my age I should have gotten my power. I'm really starting to get confused on why I don't have any power yet, that's why I keep training hard because maybe I can speed up my power to awaken.

I have 3 younger siblings, Miyamoto Koushi , Miyamoto Koji and Miyamoto Aoba. Koji was the first of the four of us to awaken his powers. A power that no one expected at that time, because my little brother was able to awaken his strength, I also became even more excited until I finally graduated from elementary school.

At this time, I began to doubt whether my strength would rise or not. But I keep practicing and hoping it will.

At that time, I was in junior high school first grade, I didn't know anything about the outside world. I looked up to the sky and the stars. And something happened to change me to who I currently am. Yes, 2 years ago, my first sister was died, murdered by someone that I still don’t know who it was.

At that time Koushi was training at my friend’s training ground named Kageyama Inori but very often called Rin. She just borrowed the place because we were friends and I didn’t have to do a difficult permit for her, the place was in the temple on the mountain.

"Alright, last one for today."

She also used her strength, concentrating energy in her hands and the thing she had always wanted to achieve finally succeed.

"Finally, it turns out that my soul control technique is already pretty good for today"

Because her power is soul control, she can feel an extremely sharp air from the middle of the room and make her get goose bumps.

"What is this?!"

"Who's there?!"

The power of darkness began to strengthen and coagulate into a teleportation portal after which a person exited.

"After long way searching for a worthy power… So now I see who’ve got the thing here. One soul that is still good and soul power. With this I can please Him"

"What do you mean?! Who are you?"

"You don’t need to know who I am, and allow me to tell you one thing, it's useless to escape."

Koushi began to freak out and her legs began to tremble, and her hands couldn’t move to attack the monster. She started to think like "What should I do."

She knew that she would die too even if she tried. Although she was hopeless, she tried the new technique she developed just now and instantly exuded a very strong aura around him.

"Good, good. Fight back, even though you know you're about to die. This is why human is fascinating. "

"Shut up!!!"

"For this measure of yours with your current strength, think I'll just make it fast, huh...."

Not having time for Koushi to use her strength, That Great Commander immediately slashed Koushi and cut off her heart, lungs and neck that made her die immediately and fall.

In her last breath, she can only say “Sorry, Nii-san.”

"If I didn’t end it quickly, the guard would come and it would be such a bother. All right, good thing I didn't slash her soul"

He also uses a spell that can seize Koushi's soul from her body and seal it in a vessel.

"My work is done…."

Well, at least that’s what I thought. There is no one actually know about how she died and who killed her. According to Tomoe-san, it could be someone who is strong enough to kill even a pillar.

Finally, moments after that, the servant at the Shrine who accidentally passed by to the Dojo found Koushi’s lifeless body. She told the others and yes….

It's all over, Koushi’s soul has been stolen and her body is dead. There was nothing we could do, and the funeral was finally held.

It was raining but we all went to the funeral, and it felt that I couldn’t accept her death.

"I supposed to protect her..." Said Hideki in tears silently while very shocked.

"You didn’t do anything wrong, Nii-san. In fact, there is exactly nothing we can do to stop her from dying even if we were there."

"I know, but the promise I kept wasn’t just a talk. I really want to protect my siblings but it turns out that I couldn’t even do anything.”

“You’ve trained so hard trying to protect us. It isn’t a time to mourn, the killer must be at somewhere in this world. It’s alright Nii-san, let me do the rest. I will not stop hunting him down until the perpetrator gets his revenge.”

This atmosphere was full of darkness finally became even more gloomy because I felt a dense dark force circling my body.

Slowly the smoke appeared slowly and began to envelop my body, entering it. I felt a slight pain in my right hand from then on. I was a little confused by what was going on and looked around him.

"Maybe I got too carried away because of her death...."

I was the one who saw Aoba, she was a child and at the time could only be speechless looking at it all, Koji walking out of the cemetery said like this...

"Don’t worry, I’m going to get stronger."

"Uh, Koji Nii-san. You mean...."

Aoba who was afraid of the word said by Koji, became unsettled for fear that Koji would do something reckless and endanger his life.

"Don't do anything stupid Koji, I don’t want to lose more people."

I still couldn’t accept what happened at the moment and suddenly Koji said something like that, I couldn’t do anything except to trust him and let him be. Koji who heard him smiled and while walking towards the outside of the cemetery gate said like this with a smile.

"It’s okay. I know that this is the best choice. Perhaps you didn’t understand me right now, but trust me, I’ve seen it, it’s for our own good."

I truly couldn’t say anything, I was speechless at that moment.

"Aoba..., take care of your brother, okay."

Aoba couldn’t answer what and finally we both see Koji walked away from the funeral....

“Koji….”

He looked at me for a bit while going out from the funeral.

“Don’t die.”

And that’s the last word I’ve said to him until now, he seemed to be smiling at that moment that I don’t know what it means.

Since then, I've never seen Koji again. Because of my sister's death, our family was separated. My Parents go to work outside of the city. Koji, I don’t know where he is anymore. I am now just a Hikikomori who has not gone outside for 2 years, I don't care whether I can graduate from the middle school or not because I already too desperate. Aoba has always been at my side and helped me in terms of school, she was the one who helped me too many times.

But in this rainy night now, I wasn’t strong enough to stay up late and finally I fell asleep, suddenly I woke up in a vast expanse like a waterlogged ocean, but I could put a foot on that water.

From behind me someone said, "So you are the one, young kid". I looked back and saw only a strange old man.

"You..., Who??"

"Who am I……. That’s interesting question. Some people said that I’m the original one, people also said that I’m the creator. But you can call me whatever you like. “

He looked at me carefully.

“Now look at yourself. You've become like that stupid self-confiner. What happened to you had to be very shocking, wasn’t it?"

I was the one who felt weird right now. I am confused and what I have in mind at the time was "What the hell is this guy What does he mean?" Like that.

"Why do you even care about people like me, judging from all this it seems that you are a god, huh? I don’t have any power to do, I also? have nothing to do with all of this. So, can you bring me back?"

"I could. But I can’t send you home right now"

"Why?!"

"There's more important things than that."

I became even more confused by what is even happening right now, and I realized that this didn't seem like a dream because I could move my hands and fingers freely.

“Important things? What do you mean?” I finally managed to ask, my voice faint with confusion and weariness.

The old man stood still for a moment. Then, with an unsettling calmness, he turned to face me. His expression was unreadable, eyes clouded with something ancient—memories, perhaps, or knowledge no mortal should ever carry.

“This world... was born thousands, millions, perhaps even countless years ago.” His voice echoed, neither young nor old, as if time itself spoke through him. “In all that time, I have witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, the bloom and decay of souls. But never, not once, have I seen such an interesting fate as yours.”

He took a step forward, then another. My instincts screamed at me to move back, but my feet refused. There was something about him—divine, haunting, and... terrifying. I didn’t know whether he meant well or if I was being lured into something I couldn’t escape.

“You caught my eye, Hideki. And what is more important is that you carry something—something... cursed, yet filled with potential.”

His words sank into me like icy needles. My breath caught.

“Tell me... do you remember it?” he asked. “The night your sister died?”

My blood froze.

“The fire. The screaming. The helplessness. The blood.”
He whispered each word as if peeling away layers of my mind.

My knees felt weak. My heart pounded painfully in my chest. That night—the night Koushi died—it never truly left me. No matter how many times I forced myself to forget, her cries echoed in my dreams, her smile haunted every moment of silence.

I didn’t answer.

“You watched it happen,” he said coldly. “Didn’t you? You were there. Paralyzed. Powerless.”

“Stop...” I muttered, clutching my head.

“You let them take her. While you hid. While you wept.”

“I said stop!” I screamed.

But the memory was already pouring in. The smell of smoke. The sound of her calling my name. My trembling hands, refusing to move. The figure—cloaked in black—standing above her. The red glint of the blade as it came down.

"I WAS JUST A CHILD!" I cried. "I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

Tears blurred my vision. My chest ached. I felt like I was suffocating.

The old man finally stopped walking. He was only a step away now. His gaze softened—not with pity, but with something heavier.

“You weren't weak because you were a child. You were weak because you believed there was no other way.”
He paused. “And you're still weak, Hideki. Because you’ve chosen to run from that pain, not face it.”

I collapsed to my knees. The weight of guilt and helplessness was too much.

“What do you want from me?” I whispered. “Revenge? Redemption? None of it matters. She’s gone.”

There was silence. Then, gently, the old man knelt before me.

“I did not bring you here to force you. I brought you because you are at the edge. And sometimes... it is only at the edge that we learn to fly.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder, warm and unnaturally calming.

“You’ve buried your strength beneath your grief. I’m not here to give you power—only to awaken what’s already inside you. One year from now, if you choose to fight, you will not be the same boy who cried beneath burning rubble.”

I looked up at him through my tears. “But I don’t know how to begin.”

He smiled faintly. “You already have. You spoke her name with pain, not fear. That’s the first step.”

Then, without warning, everything around me began to blur. The light dimmed. My eyelids grew heavy.

“Your journey begins now,” he said as he stood. “You may fall a thousand times, Hideki. But if your will is strong, the strength within you will answer.”

I could barely keep my eyes open. My consciousness began to slip, but I heard his voice one last time—more serious than ever.

“But know this: the power that lies dormant in you... it's not mine. It's something much older. Much darker. I merely gave it permission to awaken.”

His final words echoed as darkness overtook me:

“Be careful, Hideki. The strength you seek may save you... or consume you.”

I heard it faintly… "Nii-san... Nii-san..."

A soft voice, distant yet familiar, echoed in my mind. My eyes snapped open. Morning light filtered in through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. My body ached slightly.

I was... on the floor?

"Heeeeh...? How did I end up down here?" I muttered, blinking groggily.

She laughed a bit while answering me.

"You were hilarious! You fell right off the couch in your sleep."

Aoba stood nearby, drying her hands with a towel, grinning from ear to ear.

"Dreaming? Huh..." I murmured, still dazed.

"Yes! And probably a weird one, too. You were mumbling and twitching in your sleep. Seriously, Nii-san, don’t stay up so late next time, okay?"

I rubbed my head. It didn’t hurt. No bump. No pain. Just... a strange lingering feeling, like something important had happened—but it was fading fast, like a dream slipping away.

"It felt so real..." I whispered to myself.

"Never mind that!" Aoba said suddenly. "Were you... still thinking about Koushi-nee-san?"

I paused.

"...No. I wasn’t." But that was a lie—and we both knew it.

"Then get up already. Breakfast is getting cold, and you’ll catch a cold if you stay on the floor like that."

"Alright, alright!" I said, slowly getting to my feet.

As I looked out the window, the sky was a calm shade of blue. For the first time in a while, it didn’t feel heavy. I breathed in deeply.

Something had changed.

"Aoba..." I said, turning toward her. "I’m going to school today."

She dropped her plate.

"Heeeeh?! You’re going to school?! Did you hit your head when you fell?! Are you okay?!"

Panicking, she dashed over and started checking my forehead. She even pulled out a thermometer from somewhere and stuck it under my arm.

"You're not burning up... No fever... Are you sure you're okay, Nii-san?"

I smiled softly.

"I’m fine. Really. I just... need to confirm something for myself."

She looked at me for a few more seconds, then nodded—still unconvinced, but reassured by the look in my eyes.

"Okay then... that's good."

And just like that, the day began. But for me, it wasn’t just another day. It was the beginning of a new resolve.

Since I hadn’t eaten anything earlier, I sat down and finished the breakfast Aoba had made. Her cooking hadn’t changed—still warm, still comforting. Today marked a change, though. I had made up my mind.

As I scooped up the last bite, a thought struck me.

”Ehh… since I’m actually going to school today… um, what’s today’s lesson again?”

Aoba, who had been humming happily while tidying up, froze. Her smile dimmed, and she turned to look at me with a tired sigh.

”You really forgot?” she said, clearly disappointed. ”I mean… I should’ve expected it. You haven’t left the house in two years, so of course you wouldn’t remember.”

She scratched her head.

”Anyway… Science, Math, and… Sports. Wait—don’t tell me… you don’t even have a bag, do you?”

I looked away, embarrassed.

Truth was, I hadn’t thought that far. I didn’t even know where my old backpack was—or if I still had one. Aoba sighed again.

”I don’t have an extra bag either… Unless… do you want to use a shopping bag?”

”Yeah… it’s okay,” I mumbled, cheeks a little red.

The humiliation stung a bit, but this was my fault. I had shut myself away, and now even the smallest things felt like obstacles I had to overcome.

When I changed into my uniform for the first time in two years, I was surprised it still fit. Slightly tight, but wearable. Then I stared blankly at the tie in my hands.

”…I forgot how to do this.”

As expected, Aoba came to the rescue again, silently walking over and tying it for me without a word. Her hands were practiced, quick.

She had grown up—more than I realized. She wasn’t just my little sister anymore. She had become the dependable one.

Since we went to the same school, we left together.

The sunlight hit me like a slap. I squinted, raising a hand to shield my eyes. The wind carried distant voices, the sounds of morning routines, busy streets, distant laughter. All things I’d forgotten.

I slung the shopping bag full of books over my shoulder and yawned, walking a bit ahead of her.

Behind me, Aoba smiled to herself.

“Finally, Nii-san is going back to school. I don’t know why, but… it feels right.”

She paused, watching my back as I walked with a slight wobble from sleepiness.

”Two years is a long time. A lot’s changed… but for him, maybe this is the first real step forward.”

She tilted her head.

”As long as he doesn’t do anything weird, it should be fine. But still…”

A few steps later, I stopped and looked around, confused.

”…Ehmm, Aoba? Which way is school again?”

She groaned.

”I knew it…”

Even the heat felt heavier than I remembered. I was being roasted under the morning sun, my body unused to walking outside like this.

We passed familiar roads, now unfamiliar. Stores had changed, new signs were up. The trees were taller. It was all the same—but different.

”Yeah,” Aoba said quietly, noticing my distant gaze. ”A lot has changed since you stayed at home. Not everything, but… enough.”

I nodded slowly.

"Well, that's the station"

After what felt like a small battle against time, sunlight, and my own awkwardness, I finally made it to the station. The first step was done. Day one: not a complete disaster.

As Aoba and I stood by the platform, waiting for the train, the wind swept by gently—then a voice hit me like a slap.

"Heh?! Hideki?! This is the real you, right?!"

I turned, blinking in disbelief.

There she was. Kageyama Inori—Inorin—my childhood friend. Her eyes were wide like she’d seen a ghost. Honestly, that made two of us.

"Ah... Rin-san. Touka-san. What a coincidence to run into you here."

"Wait, wait! Is this really Hideki? Like, the real Hideki?!"

She stepped closer, squinting at me like I might dissolve into air.

Beside her was another familiar face—Matsuda Touka. Same eyes, same bored expression. But now... he was taller. Probably even stronger. He’d changed. A lot.

"It's been forever, Hideki," he said. "Two years, right? You really haven't changed much."

I gave a small nod, feeling both comforted and distant.

"You two walking together like this? That’s rare. Wait—don’t tell me you’re dating or something?"

"Ugh, is that really your first line to me after two years?!"

Inori’s face turned red, not blushing. She almost laughed, but held it in.

"C’mon, Rin would never go for that," Touka said, smirking.

"Anyway, what brought you here, Hideki?"

I looked at them, and for a second... I didn’t know what to say.

"I don’t know..."

"Hmm... sounds like you’re hiding something," Inori said, folding her arms. "But it’s okay. I don’t know what brought you out after all this time, but... I’m guessing it’s got something to do with what happened back then?"

I shook my head slightly. "Not exactly... I just had a small dream."

"A dream?"

Before I could answer, the brakes of the approaching train screeched across the rails, interrupting us. The noise echoed as the train pulled into the station. We boarded and took our seats near the window, headed toward the city and the school I hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime.

After a moment, Touka turned to me again.

"So... what did you mean by ‘dream’?"

"Why are you so curious?"

"Because my old friend suddenly crawled out of his cave and is heading to school like nothing happened. I have to know why."

I gave a small smile. "Yeah... I guess it is strange."

Silence passed between us, filled only by the sound of the train gliding over tracks.

"Truth is," I said finally, "I’m not sure I even know. Something inside just told me I had to get moving again."

"That sounds kinda suspicious," Touka said flatly.

"Not really."

He laughed.

It was the kind of laugh I hadn’t heard in a long time—annoying, relaxed, and real.

"I don’t care what the reason is," he said. "I’m just glad you’re back. It means I don’t have to worry about you anymore."

"Yeah, seriously," Rin added with a grin. "Seeing you like this... it feels right."

The train passed over a high overpass. As it climbed, the city opened up before us, and suddenly—Rin nudged me and pointed.

"Hey, Hideki. Look there."

I turned to look out the window and my breath caught.

A towering structure stood where something entirely different used to be. It dwarfed the surrounding buildings, sleek and silver, like it had pierced the sky itself.

"W-What the...? That’s... our city?"

"Yeah. Two years is a long time," Rin said. "While you were away, the First and Second Pillars were replaced, and the city changed. That building went up in your second year at home."

"How did they build something that big so fast?"

"Who knows? But the new Pillars aren’t like the old ones."

I narrowed my eyes. Something about that word again—Pillars. I’d heard of them before, back before I shut myself in.

"Rin... who are the Pillars exactly?"

She smirked. "Knew you’d ask."

Then she raised a finger as if counting them off.

"Sixth Pillar: Hiyouchi Nami. Fifth: Kageyama Tomoe. Fourth: Yamasaki Fueta."

"Wait—Tomoe-san is the fifth?"

"Yup."

"When did that happen?"

"Not long after you disappeared. Everything moved on fast after that."

I sat back, trying to process it.

Tomoe-san... a Pillar?

Two years ago, I might’ve known what that meant. Now, I felt like I was reading a book halfway through the story.

But one thing was clear—while I was stuck in place, the world had kept moving. The people around me had grown stronger. And maybe it was time I figured out why.

I just realized something. Tomoe-san… she's the Fifth Pillar.

Somehow, the idea didn’t immediately register until now. But hearing her name spoken so casually in the same breath as the other Pillars—it clicked. She wasn’t just someone I knew from before. She was now one of the most powerful individuals in the entire region. A figure others probably whispered about. Respected, feared, admired.

I hadn’t known she’d risen so far. I didn’t even realize how strong her connection to the system had become.

“So that’s it?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it. “Go on…”

“Well, you know?” Rin said with a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s prohibited to talk about the top three Pillars, so I can’t tell you much. But I guess... you’ll find out soon enough.”

That last part stuck in my head longer than it should’ve. Soon enough.

I thought back to Koji—my old friend, my rival, the one who used to challenge me without saying a word. His strength back then had already been something else. A kind of quiet power. Focused. Relentless. When we last crossed paths, he was already fighting monsters alone like they were minor obstacles.

If he’s one of the top three now… Then just how powerful has he become?

“Then why were you able to tell me about the others?” I asked, eyeing her skeptically.

“There’s no rule against talking about the rest,” Rin shrugged. “The top three are the only ones shrouded in secrecy. Probably for their own security... and privacy.”

I nodded. That made sense, in a way. When you're at the top, people either try to worship you or hunt you down.

Time had passed like a river washing away the old world, and I was just now stepping out of the cave I’d hidden in. Everyone else had changed, grown, evolved. And I—

I had stood still.

I clenched my hands into fists.

I remembered how Koji used to tear through beasts without breaking a sweat. His presence alone was overwhelming. If even back then he was that powerful… I couldn’t imagine what he’s capable of now. And honestly? I kind of wanted to find out.

“Well,” Rin said, as if sensing I was slipping into my head again, “that’s all I can tell you for now.”

“That’s okay,” I muttered. “It wasn’t important to me anyway.”

It was a lie. But it was easier to say.

We fell into a quiet lull. The rhythm of the train was the only sound that filled the silence between us. I looked out the window again, watching the scenery blur by.

I didn’t know what kind of abilities the Pillars had. But whatever they were, they weren’t ordinary. They weren’t even in the same category as the rest of us. Their power was beyond something you could measure with a number or a title.

And yet... something felt missing.

It wasn’t just about strength, was it? There was a part of the story, the truth, that wasn’t being told. The world praised the Pillars, but some people, those who once stood just as tall, had disappeared. Forgotten.

Were they defeated? Or did they choose to vanish?

My mind drifted again, to the Fourth Pillar. Yamasaki Fueta.

Her name stirred something deep within me. A memory. A presence. I’d met her before—I was sure of it. Her aura was unforgettable. But when? Where?

Before I locked myself away? Or maybe... just as I began to fall?
The details were foggy, and yet, there was a lingering emotion tied to her. A heaviness. Like something terrible had happened. Like I had lost something back then.

As for the Fifth, Tomoe-san—she is Rin’s sister. I could still picture her lying lazily around her temple, tossing pebbles at the training grounds or pretending to meditate. She always had that sleepy confidence about her, like she could level an entire field if she really wanted to… but couldn’t be bothered unless her tea was cold.

But that was the old her. I had no idea who she’d become now. Two years is enough time to completely change someone.

And then there was the Sixth. Hiyouchi Nami.

His name was new. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he had been around, hidden in the shadow of the others, waiting for his time. I knew nothing about him. No rumors. No feats. No encounters.

But it didn’t matter.

Whether he was new or ancient, quiet or loud, it wouldn’t change what I had to do.

These Pillars—these people—they weren’t just individuals with power. They represented something greater. Proof that humans could evolve. That anyone—even me—could move forward again.

No, I didn’t know them well. Not yet. But maybe… I would.

And maybe one day, I’d stand where they stood. Not to be admired. Not to be feared. But to prove that I was still alive.

This—this strange reunion, this conversation, this train ride through a city I barely recognized—

It was just the beginning.