Chapter 1-The Young Man Answers the Call

They said the Earth was dull. Slow. Useless.

That was fine by me.

I never wanted to stand out anyway.

Shizenichi-no-Sato, the "Land Where Nature is One," was quiet today. Not "peaceful" quiet—more like the calm right before the wind stops blowing, and something shifts in the air.

I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was just out past the western rice terraces, where the trees start to thicken and the wild grass grows high. They say we shouldn’t wander too far from the village—not without a Shizensei, at least.

But curiosity’s a heavy thing. Heavier than fear, sometimes.

That’s when I saw it. A funny-looking mole—brown as clay, with a spiral-shaped tail—poking its nose out of the ground like it owned the place.

"Heh… never seen one like you before," I whispered, crouching low.

It squeaked, froze, then suddenly bolted.

"Oi—hey!" I laughed and gave chase. "Wait up! I’m not gonna eat you!"

I crashed through the bushes, not really expecting to catch it. But the chase ended abruptly—not because I caught the mole, but because I saw something I wasn’t meant to see.

A clearing.

Cages.

And inside them—sprites, elves, phoenix chicks. Mystical beings, bound in glowing chains.

Surrounding them were five men in black armor. Wielders. Bandits.

"...What the hell is this?" I murmured, dropping into a crouch behind a boulder. My breath caught in my throat.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think properly. But then I saw the fear in the eyes of those creatures, heard their muffled cries. I looked around frantically—no help in sight. Just me.

And the mole. Watching from behind a nearby rock like some furry judge of fate.

"No weapon. No plan. No backup… just a few rocks."

I grabbed three palm-sized stones from the dirt.

If I can just distract them… maybe they’ll run. Maybe I can lead them back to the village and Kazari’ll pick up on the noise.

I took aim and hurled the first rock.

It never landed.

A sudden whirl of air lifted it mid-flight. It froze, spinning like a trapped leaf.

Then the wind dropped—and the leader of the bandits turned his head, eyes narrow.

"Someone’s watching," he muttered, tracing the rock’s arc to my hiding spot.

"Bring him in," he barked.

Five pairs of footsteps moved instantly.

"Shit—!"

I broke into a run.

The trees blurred past me, and blasts of fire and wind tore through the branches. I zigzagged, ducking and rolling as best I could. For someone with "no spark," I was moving like my life depended on it.

Because it did.

"That kid’s fast—he really doesn’t have a weapon?"

"Doesn’t matter. Hit him!"

A sharp crack of energy grazed my shoulder. Another scorched my shin.

I fell.

Dirt filled my mouth. My vision blurred. My arms shook as I tried to crawl forward.

"Keep going…" My limbs screamed in protest. "Just a little more…" A part of me wanted to stop. To give in. But then— I remembered the creatures in those cages. Their eyes. Their silence.

If I don't move… who will help them? Who else is out here?

Another shot scorched the earth just inches from my hand. I gasped. "Kazari... if you’re out there… please hear me..." I clawed forward, teeth clenched, heart pounding like a war drum.

One of them raised a hand, fire swirling on his tekko kagi. "Let’s finish this."

But just before the flames struck me—

The world broke.

Suddenly, I was somewhere else. A dim cave. Silent, ancient, and impossibly still. A single object pulsed with faint golden light in the center: a katana, half-buried in stone, its bronze-colored blade glowing like the heart of the earth.

The air felt heavy. Alive.

Then a voice echoed—low, rough, and direct.

"Are you sturdy?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "What?"

"Do you crumble, or do you stand? Do you endure?"

"I… I don’t know. I don’t think I’m anything special."

"Lies. I felt your will. Weak legs. But a strong reason to run."

"I had to help them. I couldn’t let them suffer. If that’s weakness, then…"

"No. That’s Earth." The voice rumbled, more felt than heard.

"You choose the stubborn path. Good. Then get off your ass and pull me out."

"Wait—who even are you?"

"I am the mountain's fang. The buried scream. The will to withstand. Grab me, and prove your answer."

I stood. Pain faded. My limbs felt solid again. I grabbed the hilt.

The moment my fingers wrapped around the handle, warmth surged through me—deep and earthen, like magma in a mountain’s core. My wounds closed. My heart steadied.

I don’t know what this is… but it’s mine.

Back in the clearing, the ground rumbled. The fire wielder stumbled back as the earth beneath him cracked wide.

A katana appeared in my hand—bronze-bladed, rough-hilted, vibrating with power.

The bandits stared. Even they knew what this meant.

A weapon had chosen me.

Somewhere not far off, Kazari stopped mid-sparring, her wooden staff spinning to a halt in her hand.

"That tremor…?"

She looked toward the trees, wind gathering around her ankles.

"Ren..."

And then she ran.