Your Mission

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The ceremonial horns went quiet. Total silence for a moment. Rei could hear his heart beating hard.

"Welcome to Kounaria, young Hero," said a deep, warm voice that echoed through the marble hall. King Conferius Solaris stood in front of him. His ceremonial armor gleamed with the orange light from the windows. Next to him, Queen Valeta smiled calmly. Her golden robe moved like living fire.

Rei felt the ceremonial cape tighten around his chest every time he heard the word _hero_. Dozens of eyes stared at him—nobles, advisors, guards, servants. All curious.

“King… queen… what is…?”

The King raised a hand, inviting calm.

“Do not fear, Hero. We understand your confusion. You have arrived in Aetheris, and this kingdom is Kounaria, the land blessed by the goddess Solaria,” he explained in a soft voice. “Please, introduce yourself to your people. And feel free to ask any question, for this moment is special.”

Rei swallowed hard. The murmurs that had surrounded him minutes before seemed to vanish, and the silence invited—or rather forced—him to speak.

“I…,” he began, his voice trembling, though he resolved to stay firm. “My name is Kashiwa Rei, from Kyoto, Japan.”

A contained murmur spread among the attendees. The servants looked confused by the name. However, those seated on the thrones showed no sign of surprise, as if they had been expecting it.

“He said… Kounaria? Am I in Europe? How did I travel so far?”

As he finished the question, Rei turned toward the three figures standing at his right — the three Enlightened. Nessus and Leonoris, the younger two, exchanged a knowing glance before turning toward their older brother.

“We do not know what Europe or Japan is,” explained Ettor, “but I doubt your home is even on this plane.”

Rei’s throat tightened further. How was he supposed to return to his brothers? Worse still, how was any of this even possible?

“How… did I get here?”

King Conferius offered a faint smile, mixing compassion with resolve.

“You were summoned by the Prophecy of the Free Skies. The omens were fulfilled: the skies darkened, the mountains roared, and the minions of sin ravaged our ports. Then Solaria sent you to us to carry out her will.”

Rei blinked, trying to absorb each word. He looked around and once more spotted one of the statues—the winged woman holding a sword. It was her. Solaria.

“You truly don’t remember the Goddess?”

Leonoris stepped forward, still with her hood down, hiding most of her face.

Rei slowly shook his head.

“I’ve never heard that name. I’m sorry.”

The girl nodded in understanding. She turned slightly toward the stained glass, where the sunlight dyed the hall in gold and amber.

“You arrived just after the skies darkened,” Conferius continued, “the mountains of Drákharn thundered, and the minions of sin struck our shores. Just as the Prophecy foretold.”

“‘Minions of sin’?” Rei repeated in a whisper.

It was Nessus who let out a brief chuckle, as if to ease the tension.

“Pirates, to put it simply,” he added with a playful smirk. “But we like to call them that.”

Rei raised an eyebrow.

“Pirates? Like the ones from the stories?” he asked, recalling the tales from centuries past on Earth.

“I don’t know what your stories are like,” Ettor interjected firmly, “but these aren’t charming rogues fighting an empire. On the contrary, they became the empire.”

“They were a nomadic people until their so-called King of the Horizon arrived,” Leonoris explained. “They say he seeks to collect all the Ether Crystals in the world to control the flow of magic… and thus, all nations.”

Rei stared at the three of them, lips slightly parted. His gaze returned to Leonoris, still hooded, and he remembered what he had seen her do in the forest.

“Like the magic you used?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. “That healing light?”

Leonoris inclined her head slightly.

“Something like that, Hero Rei. Each region has its own form. We were blessed with the light of Solaria, who gave us fortune and healing. Though other peoples have their own ways.”

Rei pressed his lips together. His saturated mind struggled to separate reality from fantasy, but something in their seriousness told him it was all very real.

“And… what do you expect from me?”

It was the King who answered this time, with solemnity:

“To be the counterweight to suffering. The Hero brought by the Light. The one who will restore balance and save not only Kounaria, but the world, from a tragic end.”

Rei felt the cape tighten on his chest again. He recalled the majestic city he had arrived at, the great castle he now stood in, and the powerful Enlightened who had protected him.

All of this… depends on me now?

“Well, Kashiwa Rei. I have introduced you to my Council, my children, my wife, and my Kingdom,” said Conferius. “Now we must get to know you. What are your virtues?”

“My… virtues?”

Rei swallowed hard. He was dirty, scared, and bruised. Yet even on his worst days in Kyoto, he had always found a way forward. Always. And for that, he had to show what he did best.

He raised his head with a hint of pride and answered:

“I’m an inventor.”

The King raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“An inventor, you say?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Like an engineer… someone who builds tools.”

“Like a blacksmith?” asked Queen Valeta with a gentle smile.

“Something like that, but more creative and impressive. Among other things, I created a device that let me swing like a monkey between towers, climb walls, escape fires, catch a thief mid-run. Shhhtac! A grappling gun! Cool, right?”

He bent down and grabbed a ceremonial chain hanging from a banner. He wrapped it around his arm like his old rope.

“Even though I left it behind before I died… well… I can still show you what I—”

He took a few steps toward a column, aimed energetically… but stepped on a loose rug, slipped, and fell face-first onto the marble floor with a loud thud.

Never had silence struck Rei so hard as in that moment. Every person present was left speechless, faces blank, watching what their “Hero” had just done. Rei clumsily disentangled himself from the chain and hurried to his knees, catching glimpses of the crowd’s stunned expressions.

Ettor lowered his gaze, crossed his arms, and muttered:

“I’m sorry, Father. It’s possible Leonoris made a mistake in the summoning.”

“Hey!” the young woman protested, raising her voice for the first time.

But the King remained unfazed. He slowly began descending the steps from his throne toward the platform.

“No, dear son. Leonoris performed the ritual correctly. She asked the Goddess to send us her chosen one…” Conferius stood at Rei’s side, still gazing at him. “And the Goddess sent him. It is him.”

He knelt before Rei and placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing gasps from many of the servants. His almond eyes, weary and calm, met Rei’s energetic and nervous ones.

“In his eyes, I see divine will. Then there’s nothing more to discuss. He is the one who will protect us from the pirates. And to you, Rei, young Hero, I entrust my people. Tell me, is there someone you care about in your life?”

Rei’s eyes filled with tears before he could even think. Instinctively, images of his siblings and Gōro came to mind. One he would never see again, and the rest… if he was truly this far away...

“You don’t have to say it just yet,” Conferius continued before Rei could break into tears. “But that’s how I feel about my people. They are suffering, and may suffer even more. But the Goddess is merciful to all, and that’s why the prophecy says:

‘He shall be the light in the storm, and ensure that no clouds ever fall upon this World again, even after the Goddess guides him back with her mercy to his first home.’

Those final words halted Rei’s tears, comforting him.

“Help my people, young one. And you may return to those you love most.”

Silence fell over the room once more, as if the world itself awaited Rei’s answer. But he was so confused he could barely think.

“I… I…”

A loud screech interrupted the ceremony. The tall doors of the royal hall burst open, and a guard stumbled across the threshold, gasping for air.

“Your Majesty! They’ve attacked the port again! Three ships this time!”

A chilling silence swept over the room.

“How timely…” Nessus muttered, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

The King stood, his white cape fluttering slightly with the motion.

“My Enlightened,” he said firmly. “I entrust the protection of our Hero to you. But now take him to the port. Let his eyes witness the shadow we face.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they responded in unison.

Then he turned to Rei, his words slower, heavier:

“Kashiwa Rei, there is no time to waste. May it be you who brings dawn to our land. May the light of Solaria dance over Kounaria once again because of you.”

Rei felt the world spinning too fast. He still didn't know if they treated him like a prisoner or a prophet. Or if there was any hope. But something in that last phrase—about going home—made a weird knot in his chest. He could…

He nodded. Just once. That was enough.

Ettor had already begun to move, and Leonoris offered him a reassuring look. Nessus approached from behind, wearing his trademark sideways grin.

“Come on, Hero. I promise this will be way more exciting than a royal hearing.”

The sound of their footsteps echoed across the marble floor as the ceremonial trumpets fell silent, replaced by a distant bell. The doors opened, and the Sun, in more ways than one, struck Rei's face once again.