Way to The First Ring

[Australian Ring – Outskirts]

Hiroshi stood atop the ancient temple, facing a sea of tanks, laser cannons, and heavily armed soldiers.

His eyes narrowed.

Hiroshi: [shocked, confused]
“What the—!?
How did they know I was coming here!?”

In his mind, it was clear:

These must be Varkonian forces.

But in truth, they were human rebels—the last fragments of Earth’s resistance.

A boy stepped out of one of the tanks.

The moment Hiroshi saw him, his expression changed from confusion to anger.

Hiroshi:
“…Krimson!?
How are you still alive!?”

The boy raised a megaphone, his voice cold and commanding.

Shinzo (The Army Boy):
“HEY YOU! Surrender now!
We’ll kill you quickly—less pain.
Otherwise…”

In that tense moment, both sides mistook each other for enemies.

Hiroshi believed he was facing Varkonian soldiers.

Shinzo believed Hiroshi was a Varkonian enforcer.

Hiroshi: [eyes sharp, voice heavy with rage]
“You backstabbing snake!
You dare show your face to me again!?”

Shinzo: [firmly]
“I’m not Krimson.
I’m his great-great-great-grandson.
My name is Shinzo.”

Hiroshi’s fists clenched, his anger rising.

Hiroshi:
“Of course you are.
Traitory runs in your blood.
Your ancestor, Krimson, betrayed me during a mission—sold us out to the Varkonians.
And now you stand here, just another filthy soldier for them.”

His eyes glowed—not with fire, but with fury.

Hiroshi:
“I won’t let your cursed bloodline stand in the way of Earth’s freedom.”

Without hesitation, Hiroshi leaped from the temple, landing atop a laser turret machine.

He grabbed the gunner by the collar and threw him like a ragdoll.

Sitting in the turret seat, Hiroshi took a deep breath.

Hiroshi: [gritting his teeth]
“DIE!”

Shinzo:
“EVERYONE!
DUCK DOWN!”

The soldiers dived for cover as Hiroshi unleashed a barrage of laser fire.

Energy blasts scorched the ground, tearing through vehicles, weapons, and soldiers alike.

Many were left wounded—but Hiroshi deliberately avoided killing anyone.

As the troops retreated, Hiroshi stepped away from the machine.

Hiroshi: [muttering to himself, disgusted]
“Tch.
Using that pathetic laser cannon made me feel weak…
I have to get my real powers back. Soon.”

Walking alone through the dry savannah, Hiroshi spotted something unusual.

Hiroshi:
“A hut?
Out here?
Shouldn’t that be inside the Ring?”

Curious, he approached.

[Inside the Hut]

A single old mage sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed but aware.

As Hiroshi entered, the mage spoke without opening his eyes.

The Mage:
“Ah, Hiroshi.
I’ve been expecting you.”

Hiroshi: [suspicious]
“Who are you?
And how do you know me?”

Majuro:
“Who doesn’t know you?
You’re a living legend.
The Varkonian Slayer.
The Demi-God Hiroshi Nakahara.

It’s an honor to meet you.
I am Majuro, a mage.”

Hiroshi:
“Majuro, huh?
Interesting name.
But tell me—why do you live out here, outside the Ring?
Isn’t that forbidden?”

Majuro:
“Not exactly.
I’m just an old man.
To the Varkonians, I’m insignificant.
They let me be.”

Hiroshi:
“Hmph.
Well then, Mage—if you’re so wise, tell me:

How do I get my lost powers back?”

Majuro’s eyes opened slightly, revealing a serious gaze.

Majuro:
“When you were locked in the cryogenic chamber, the Varkonians extracted your powers.
And the one who did it…
was my great-great-great-grandfather, Bajuro.”

Hiroshi:
“…Bajuro? My former mentor?
He did that?”

Majuro:
“Yes. But he was forced.
He stored your abilities inside seven Blaze Embers.

Hiroshi:
“Blaze Embers?”

Majuro:
“Artifacts shaped like flames, crafted from a magical glass.
They’re vessels—designed to hold unstable powers that would otherwise tear the world apart.”

Hiroshi:
“But… my powers were part of my body.
How did he extract them?”

Majuro: [calmly]
“Magic, Hiroshi.
Ancient, forgotten magic.”

Hiroshi’s eyes narrowed.

Hiroshi:
“…Wait.
How do you know all this?
And how long have you been watching me?”

Majuro:
“I keep track of important people.

Tell me—how did you get here from Hong Kong?
Didn’t you just escape… five hours ago?”

Hiroshi:
“I stopped by a village.
Varkonian raiders were stealing from them.
I stopped them—and found out the temple they were looting was dedicated to me.”

Majuro: [smiling slightly]
“Sounds about right.”

Hiroshi:
“There was a portal above the temple.
I used it to reach here.
On arrival, I encountered some… ‘soldiers.’
I assumed they were Varkonians and… well…
let’s just say they won’t forget me.”

Majuro:
“Did you meet Shinzo?”

Hiroshi:
“Meet him?
I nearly killed him.
He’s the descendant of Krimson—the traitor.
And that laser machine ran out of plasma, or he would’ve been dead.”

Majuro’s face grew serious.

Majuro:
“You fool!
You don’t know what you’ve done.”

Hiroshi:
“What do you mean? Krimson betrayed me. His bloodline is poison.”

Majuro:
“No, Hiroshi.
The plan you made back then—it backfired on you.
You never knew the whole truth about that day.”

Hiroshi’s eyes sharpened.

Hiroshi:
“Then tell me.
What exactly happened?”

Majuro:
“…Let me explain.”

To Be Continued…