Chapter 3

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū

SCENE — “The Tree That Answered Boredom”

Village of Enalya – Plaza of the Blue Lanterns, Riverbank
9:38 p.m. – The sun burns overhead, but the air has just bowed before a boy who never asked for attention

Hunters return to the village
The hunters cross the village gate bearing baskets overflowing with meat, wild roots, and fruits gathered from the twilight woods.

Young Hunter (raising his haul):
“Tonight we won’t go to sleep hungry!”

Female Hunter (sniffing the air):
“The river… does it smell clean?”

Senior Hunter (stopping in his tracks, eyes wide):
“By the branches of the ancient tree… look at the river!”

The river that no longer sickens
The once murky, broken stream now flows with clear light.
Turquoise and crystalline.
The stones reflect the sky.
The banks teem with life.

Villagers (murmuring):
“It’s like it used to be… better than before!”

Chieftain of Enalya (planting his staff at the water’s edge):
“It was him. The little prince of Arathen.”

Everyone turns at once.
And they see him.

The Reader Beneath the Tree
Kagayaku sits beside the central tree, surrounded by the village wolves.
One rests on his lap, another nudges a closed book into his hand with its nose.
He looks at no one. He only reads.

The books the mages gave him lie open among the roots:

· Legends

· Pentagrams

· Spells

· Elements

· Alchemy

· Pacts

Mage 1 (smiling softly):
“He asked to read… not to celebrate.”

Mage 2 (watching from afar):
“And every word he touches… seems to make the world listen.”

The sun scorches
Yet it descends fiercely.
Too fiercely.
Children shield their eyes.
The shadows shrink.
And Kagayaku… frowns slightly.
Without speaking. Without summoning. He simply extends a hand.
His palm touches the tree’s trunk.

Transformation of the Tree
The tree vibrates, as if waking from centuries of slumber.
The roots spread. The trunk… shifts.
It turns a deep blue.
Like a mighty ocean.
Like silence steeped in history.
The branches stretch upward.
20 meters… 50… 120 meters tall!
The leaves blanch.
Soft. Delicate.
They shimmer in the breeze.
And they bloom: small, five-petaled flowers of gentle rose.
The canopy’s shadow covers more than half the village.
The heat eases.
The air breathes differently.

Villagers’ Reactions
Chieftain of Enalya (stepping back):
“This… even the greatest mages of the highlands cannot do this.”

Baker (flour on her face):
“How can… the sky change with a single gesture?”

Eden (touching a falling blossom):
“And all this… because he was bored…”

Well-keeper (gazing at the blue trunk):
“That boy… that prince…
has something even the wind can’t explain.”

Garden Girl (voice trembling):
“Is he protecting us… or simply being himself?”

The villagers tremble.
But not with fear.
With wonder.
With a respect that needs no ceremony.
Kagayaku does not move. He does not smile.
He continues reading.
And the tree… continues to guard.

SCENE — “The Dream That Brushed the Edge of the Cosmos”

House of the Mages, Enalya – Early Dawn
5:59 a.m. – The sun is just drawing light behind the rooftops, but inside the house, all is still

The Boy Who Slept Among Pages
Kagayaku had fallen asleep amid his books.
The six magical volumes lay open beside him: legends, pentagrams, spells, elements, alchemy, and pacts.
The wolves surrounded him in silent vigil: protectors, living pillows, breaths in sync.
The mages approached with food… but at the sight of him, they spoke no word.
They left warm bread on the table and covered him with a thin blanket of petals.

THE DREAM — The Chaos That Demanded a Name

In the dream, Kagayaku was not in Enalya.
He was in another plane.
A world devoured by darkness.
Cities submerged in silence.
Ruins of dead civilizations.
Skies shattered like broken mirrors.

And through that rift between dimensions… he appeared.

DULLMINIUR, KING OF THE COSMOS
A titanic entity clad in intergalactic purple armor, hovering over non-existent ground.
A three-pointed crown spun above his head— forged from stellar fragments, living constellations, and cosmic dust.
His face was hidden behind a black metal mask.
His eyes glowed pure white. Like windows into time itself.
In his hand he held a sword:
the hilt carved from ancient ice,
the blade a slice of the cosmos.
Stars swirled within it.

Dullminiur (voice like cracked stone echoing through the void):
“I have awaited you since before the first millennium.
Since this galaxy did not yet know how to name you.”

Kagayaku trembled.
Yet he did not step back.
He did not lower his gaze.

Dullminiur circled him.
Watching. Measuring.
His steps floated, and yet shook the dreamscape.

Dullminiur:
“You are smaller than I imagined…
but your eyes have seen more than they should.”

Then, without warning… they both drew their weapons.

The Duel That Nearly Was
Kagayaku raised his sacred blade— pure, radiant, woven from the voices of origin.
Dullminiur brandished his stellar sword.
They sprang at each other with impossible speed.
The cosmos contracted.
The ruins trembled.
The dream ignited…

AWAKENING

But just as the blades were about to clash…
Kagayaku opened his eyes.
He was no longer among ruins.
He lay on a small bed, wrapped in a blanket woven with lunar dust.
The air smelled of tea and old wood.
The three mages slept in nearby beds, bathed in gentle lamplight.

His books rested on a table.
One still open to a page about cosmic entities.
The wolves slept at the door, as if they knew he had not truly left…
yet something had entered.

Narrator (voice like a soft echo between dawn and blade):
“Sometimes it is not the enemy who appears first…
but the memory that one day he will.
And the boy who dreamed of a shattered cosmos…
did not flee.
For some battles begin…
in dreams before there are witnesses.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū

SCENE — “When Iron Was Not Borrowed”

Village of Enalya – Training Yard Behind the East Smithy
7:04 a.m. – Sunlight filters through the high branches of the celestial tree; workers and hunters are already awake

The village is alive. Bakers blend flours with sweet roots, farmers water enchanted fields, and hunters sharpen blades while the air smells of wood and exertion.

Kagayaku steps out of the house with firm resolve. His eyes do not wander. They search for something specific. He finds it by the old well, where hunters stretch, inspect their sheaths, and flex their ankles with precision.

Kagayaku (clear voice, without hesitation):
“I want to learn the art of the sword.
I don’t care if I bleed.
I don’t care if I break…
I want to learn.”

REACTIONS — Silence Turns to Smiles

The hunters exchange glances. No one laughs. No one doubts.

Bearded Hunter (smiling as he draws a practice sword):
“You know you’re going to fall, right?”

Kagayaku (meeting his gaze):
“But I will not give up.”

The hunter holds the practice blade toward the boy. Kagayaku studies the well-balanced wooden sword.

Young Hunter (quietly):
“Not bad for someone just starting…”

Kagayaku extends a hand. He does not take the offered sword. He smiles. And draws his own.

THE SWORD ITSELF

It does not gleam. It does not blaze with power. It is modest: a clean blade, a worn-leather hilt, a solid structure. Acceptable to any eye. But not to every eye. The mages altered its celestial aspect. No one knows. But its essence remains.

Senior Hunter (raising an eyebrow):
“You have your own?”

Kagayaku (nodding calmly):
“It is enough.”

The hunter smiles and sheaths the practice blade without another word. The others nod. Not for what they see… but for what they sense.

SCENE — “Where Weariness Also Forges a Sword”

Enalya – Training Field, Southern Edge of the Clearwood
10:22 a.m. – High sun, warm breeze, dust swirling with every strike

Three Hours of Steel and Will

The field stands among trees that have learned to respect the sound of effort. Hunters encircle the boy, each teaching the techniques they learned through wounds, hunts, and silent wars.

· One demonstrates the basic thrust: firm, direct, unadorned. Kagayaku repeats it three times, four, six, until his arms tremble.

· Another teaches the thousand cuts: a style of successive strikes with circular footwork. The blade becomes a dance. Kagayaku stumbles, rises, and tries again.

· A female hunter shows the breaking strike: a spinning blow that redirects force through technique rather than muscle. The boy practices on a wooden dummy. The blade vibrates; the dummy splinters.

Kagayaku Gives His All

For three hours, sweat, earth, and ragged breathing accompany the boy. His sword, though disguised, responds as if it knows this training is no ordinary drill.

The wooden dummy bears marks: small cuts decorate its flank. One resembles a petal; another, a star. The hunters no longer correct him harshly. They guide him with respect.

The Mages Watch

From a gentle hill, the three mages observe him through white branches.

Mage 1 (serene gaze):
“The sword has not awakened yet, but he is beginning to earn it.”

Mage 3 (thoughtful voice):
“What matters most… is that even when weary, he never stops looking forward.”

Narrator (voice like an echo within each cut):
“Three hours.
Weariness.
Falls.
But he endures.
Because power without training is noise.
And will without a sword… is only desire.
Kagayaku is not mastering steel.
He is letting steel learn him first.”

SCENE  — “The Day He Fell, After Surpassing the World”

Enalya Training Grounds – Southern Expanse
11:54 a.m. – Sun blazing at its zenith, wind still, tension etched in every crack of the earth

The field falls silent. Kagayaku faces the hunters of Enalya, one by one, without magic or advantage. Only will. Falls and wounds are all he gains at first.

· Once: the earth taunts him.

· Twice: blood mixes with dust.

· Three times: weariness shows its face.

· Five times: muscles tremble; the hunters pause.

Senior Hunter (firm voice, without judgment):
“If you cannot now, there will be more time.”

The Memory That Kept Him from Fully Falling

Kagayaku remains on the ground. His eyes half-closed. Pain in every inch. Yet in his mind… ruins, chaos, death. The dream. Dullminiur. The floating cosmic crown. The galaxy-forged blade. The voice that called him. The promise no one knows yet. Kagayaku stands. He says nothing. His body trembles. His will does not.

The Strike That Shattered the World Around Him

With a single breath, Kagayaku lunges. Not with rage. With a thrust. One unannounced. Unmeasured. Unexpected.

The air erupts. The sound barrier shatters. A fifty-meter fissure rips open behind him, as if the earth itself surrendered.

He confronts the entire group: clean cuts, impossible footwork, strikes with supernatural precision. His body moves as though time pulses to a different rhythm.

Hunters’ Reactions

Young Hunter (eyes wide):
“Was that… a single thrust?”

Female Hunter (stepping back, unable to lift her weapon):
“We didn’t train him. He let us believe we did.”

Senior Hunter (staring at the fissure, restrained fear):
“It’s not about power. What we witnessed… was destiny in motion.”

Second Female Hunter (breathless):
“And if that was only the beginning… who can stop what comes next?”

The Collapse

Kagayaku, still standing among them. His gaze drifts slowly. His body firm… yet emptied. He takes one more step. And falls. Without trembling. Without warning.

Dust rises. The sword remains in his hand, gripped as if guarding a sleeping secret.

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū

SCENE — “The Mages Arrive”

From the hill, the three mages descend. They do not run, but their pace is urgent. The hunters step back to let them pass.

Mage 1 (kneeling beside him):
“He’s asleep. But what brought him here… remains awake.”

Mage 2 (laying a calming spell on his forehead):
“His body could not endure… because his soul wanted to move ahead.”

Mage 3 (gazing at the sword still in his grip):
“He never let go… not even at the end.”

SCENE — “The Roar That Did Not Come From the Throat”

Enalya Training Grounds – East Section, under the unobserved sun
12:19 p.m. – The heat falls abruptly; the ground still bears unhealed fissures

The hunters circle him without hostility. Their blades are lowered. Respect now weighs more than steel.

Senior Hunter (calm voice, arms crossed):
“The boy has given himself. He must rest. He has done what none expected.”

Their voices are soft, but not soft enough for Kagayaku not to hear. His body lies there, dried blood on his neck, broken breath. Yet his eyes… open.

SCENE — Rising Even When the World Says “Enough”

Kagayaku sits up slowly. His arm trembles. His ribs burn. But his hand seeks the sword.

He grips the blade and lifts it with one hand. His fingers clutch it. His legs shake.

Kagayaku (voice hoarse but unyielding):
“I will not give up…
I need to suffer…
to understand.”

He spits blood—not for effect, but for truth.

Kagayaku (looking at no one yet feeling everything):
“I don’t know if I will die in the future…
but I will not die on the ground.
If I must die…
I will do so standing.”

SCENE — The Blink That Shattered the Air

In an instant, his body glides forward. Not running. Not leaping. Sliding as if the wind itself obeys.

In a single blink… the hunters watch. Their muscles fail to respond. Time seems to ask permission. A muffled explosion. The hunters are flung through the air in different arcs. Dust rises. The earth trembles. A shockwave… and another fifty-meter crack opens silently beneath their feet.

REACTIONS — Wonder That Cannot Be Masked

Young Hunter (spinning in midair before falling):
“What… was that?!”

Female Hunter (eyes like moons):
“The boy… moved as if he no longer belonged here!”

Senior Hunter (still standing, fear restrained):
“It’s not technique.
It’s not magic.
It is something born when someone decides they will not be felled by another’s will.”

Mage 1 (rushing onto the field):
“Stop everything! This is no longer training!”

Mage 2 (casting a cushioning spell with an outstretched hand):
“He’s collapsing!”

SCENE — The Blackout

Kagayaku halts. Motionless. Sword still in hand. His body no longer obeys. More blood. One last blink. And he falls backward.

This time… there is no strength in his landing. Only unconsciousness. The field falls silent. Hunters on the ground. Mages kneeling. Wolves arrive. And the celestial tree lets a single petal drift onto his chest.

Narrator (voice like a crack breathing from the world’s root):
“He did not scream.
He did not ask for aid.
He only decided…
that if the price of understanding was to break…
then he would break without asking permission.
And when his body fell,
the unspoken respect…
had already been laid upon him.”

SCENE — “Where the Boy Sleeps and the World Trembles”

Enalya – Healing Hall / North Plaza
3:08 p.m. – The sun has stopped burning; the sky now watches in fear

Interior – Healing Hall

Kagayaku rests on a bed surrounded by white, five-petaled flowers. His body is bandaged and weak. His breathing labored. Village children tend to him with small hands and confused eyes.

Girl (to the mage tucking the blanket):
“Why does he push himself so hard? He’s like us… but he never plays.”

Boy (holding Kagayaku’s sword to clean it):
“Why does he fight as if he’s alone against everything?”

Mage 1 (calm voice):
“Because even asleep… he knows his battle is not in the future.
It is now.
And you… have not yet seen it.”

The mage gently repositions Kagayaku. The wolves circle the bed—one at his head, another at his feet. The air grows thick. The boy murmurs in his dreams.

Kagayaku (voice weak, trembling):
“…I will not be weak…”

Exterior – North Plaza

Suddenly, screams. Shrieks. The ground trembles. Daylight turns gray.

Mage 2 (turning toward the door):
“Something has crossed the forest’s edge!”

The mages dash out. The children stay behind; one places a hand on Kagayaku’s forehead.

Outside… horror descends. A roar. A shadow blankets entire houses. Looming above the western hills… a demonic dragon drags itself forward.

· Its body stretches over a kilometer.

· Its eyes blaze like black flames.

· Its breath topples trees without touching them.

· Its scales drip liquid darkness.

All the village’s mages and sorcerers form ranks. Hands raise to the sky. Magical circles activate. Buried crystals begin to glow.

A shield rises. Giant. Golden and white. Encircling the village. But each blow of the dragon… devastates the barrier. The shield holds, yet every impact leaves cracks, bursts of light, and dust.

REACTIONS

Mage Commander (urgent voice):
“Load the seals! There’s no time to retreat!”

Young Mage (gazing at the shattered sky):
“This shield won’t last much longer…”

Mage 3 (looking toward the healing hall):
“Do not awaken yet, Kagayaku…
but if you must…
do it as you did before.
As if you know why you are here.”

SCENE — “Where the Ground Feared the Boy”

Enalya — North Plaza Border / Split Sky / Shattered Ridge
4:58 p.m. — The afternoon has no time left. The village stands in the presence of a story just beginning to unveil itself

The Shield Falls

The final defensive runes shatter like betrayed crystals. The magical shield explodes. Sacred light fragments, floating as if unwilling to touch the ground. Silence. And then… laughter.

Demonic Dragon (voice slithering like venom):
“Give me… the last hero!”

REACTIONS

Well-keeper:
“What did it say…? Hero?”

The mages do not respond.
Their eyes do not seek defense.
They seek containment.

A villager is devoured.
A man runs.
A claw.
A burning breath.
And he is devoured.
No ashes remain.
Only emptiness.

The world begins to float.

· Books spin like desperate satellites.

· Tools levitate beside stones as if searching for direction.

· Flowers rise, and the air swirls as if remembering that time is never enough.

Kagayaku appears — golden gaze, white hair.
From the forest’s edge, Kagayaku walks.
Without urgency.
Each step leaves a crack that seems to contain a celestial language.
His golden eyes do not blink.
His sword held in one hand:

· Golden, vibrating with celestial symbols.

· Blade glowing silver-red, with threads of magma dancing beneath the surface.

· Each rune shines as if it knows what is about to break.

Attack and counterattack.
Kagayaku charges.
He places both hands on the ground.
The floor trembles.
He launches with a kick that strikes the dragon’s face.
The beast flies and crashes into a distant mountain.

The dragon retaliates with infernal breath.
Kagayaku opens his hand.
A golden shield appears, circular, spinning like a solar disc.
Pressure builds.
Fire tears.
But Kagayaku closes his fist.
The shield compresses and… the attack explodes inside it.
Without touching anyone.

Transformation and duel.
The dragon changes form.
It becomes a hybrid being:
Half human, with a red spear, red eyes, claws that breathe rage.
Kagayaku does not change stance.
He holds the sword with one hand.
He strikes.
Blocks.
Glides through the air.
Grabs the hybrid by the neck.
 Impact!
The hybrid crashes into the ground, opening a 300-meter crater.
The edges tremble.
Roots crack.
Houses shake without collapsing.

Combat in seconds.
They fight side by side.
In less than a second, they are no longer where they were.
Kagayaku attacks in a curve, precise thrust, retreats and counters before the enemy can blink.
The hybrid throws its spear.
Kagayaku disarms.
Catches.
Pushes.

Spear toward the village.
The hybrid creates a red spear in the sky.
Size: 200 meters.
Direction: the village.

Children scream.
Villagers retreat.
The mages begin to chant but cannot finish their words.
Kagayaku appears before the village.
Diagonal thrust with fire element.
The energy collapses.
The spear shatters into a thousand burning fragments.

Triple kick — absolute control.
Kagayaku appears behind the hybrid.
Side kick.
Launches it to one side.
Appears on the other and sends it back.
Appears below and kicks it upward.

The golden fire spear.
In the air, Kagayaku forms a golden fire spear.
Size: 400 meters.
It pierces the sky.
The hybrid dodges.
But Kagayaku appears beneath the same attack.
Grabs the spear.
Redirects it with a vertical thrust.
Pierces through.
Terrifying explosion.

The mountain trembles.
The sky screams.
The hybrid is disintegrated.
No voice remains.
Only air that no longer wants to respond.

Reactions from the village.
Temple elder (with tears) —
“It’s not magic…
It’s judgment.”

Hunter (in a low voice) —
“That… that boy defended us…
with a will older than the sun?”

Girl (looking up at the sky) —
“So… he was the hero all along?”

Mage 3 (closing her eyes) —
“He didn’t present himself as a savior…
because those who awaken to protect…
never announce when they will.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
Scene — “Where silences still remember the one who never asked to be remembered”
Enalya – Central Plaza and Forest of the Silent Wind
5:58 p.m. (Years ago) / 6:42 a.m. (Present day)

YEARS AGO – The day of the descent.
After defeating the demonic dragon, Kagayaku descended through fading fire, floating petals, and suspended stardust.
His golden eyes glowed without demand.
His sword still burned, and the ground recognized each step not as a footprint,
but as testimony.
But he did not celebrate.
He simply walked toward the village.

One by one, the villagers surrounded him.
And without instruction… they knelt.

Senior hunter (soft and reverent) —
“Nothing will leave our mouths… ever.
This… is not history. It’s a promise.”

Baker (crying, hands on the ground) —
“He didn’t ask for respect.
And that… is what makes him worthy.”

Garden girl (whispering through sobs) —
“We won’t say anything.
This silence… will be eternal.”

They all cried.
Not for what had happened.
But for what they finally understood:
That boy was no coincidence.

The day he arrived in Enalya.
A decade earlier…
The morning was thick with fog.
And from it, a boy walked alone.

Mage 1 (upon seeing him for the first time) —
“Do you see his eyes?
They have no age.
That’s not a boy… it’s a story not yet spoken.”

The ‘Last Hero’ was not a battle title.
It was a name sealed in the Book of the Lost Pact.
A warning disguised as hope.
He was not born of lineage.
He was born from the pain of a thousand collapsed worlds…
that finally chose not to remain silent.

PRESENT — Kagayaku, 18 years old

Forest’s Edge – Academy of Magic
With sunlight barely filtering through the trees, Kagayaku arranges his belongings: vials, scrolls, a rolled letter sealed in gold, and a star map.
Beside him, his sword…
now ordinary.
No glow.
But everyone knew what it held.

His tall figure (1.80m), fair skin, golden eyes, white hair falling gently…
and a hood that covers his entire body, as if guarding secrets not even the sky deserves to hear.

Two wolves watch him from the hill.
They make no sound.
As always.
As part of the pact.

Dialogue before departure
Mage 2 (approaching with steady steps) —
“Kagayaku… I don’t need to wish you luck.
I only need to remind you that what you are… doesn’t need to introduce itself.”

Kagayaku (placing the letter away, voice calm) —
“I’m not going to be seen.
I go because the world still has corners…
where what we silence begins to be heard again.”

Mage 3 (looking at the sky) —
“And if one day they need silence to break…
we know you’ll be the one to decide how it should happen.”

They look at each other.
Nothing more is said.
No hugs.
No farewells.
Only respect.

Reactions from the village
Well elder (with trembling voice from his chair) —
“He leaves today.
But he doesn’t leave emptiness.
He leaves… sealed memory.”

Girl, now twelve (to her mother) —
“Do you think the world will know who he is?”

Mother (squeezing her hand) —
“Maybe not.
But if they ever hear him…
the world will know when to fall silent again.”

Narrator (like a noble shadow walking behind the light) —
“He doesn’t leave with glory.
Nor with songs.
Kagayaku departs as he arrived:
with soft steps…
and silence as his escort.
Because when the last hero walks…
the world doesn’t celebrate him.
The world respects him.”

Scene — “Where beauty still warns that monsters lie ahead”
Silent Path, trail toward the Kingdom of the Rising Dragon
9:24 a.m. – The air smells fresh, the world smiles, and the hero no longer hurries

The departure
Kagayaku walked calmly, sheathing his now ordinary sword, biting into a red apple with a serene expression.
His cloak swayed with the gentle wind rising from the heart of the forest.
Before crossing Enalya’s final boundary, he turned.

Villagers stood gathered in the distance.
No words.
Only soft, reverent gazes.

Kagayaku (with a kind smile, lifting the fruit slightly) —
“Until next time… what was will never be told, but will always be felt.”

Silence was his farewell.
And walking, his way of honoring it.

The surroundings
As he advanced, the world opened as if patiently waiting for him.
The earth turned emerald green, with flecks of gold beneath the sun’s rays.
The air smelled of sweet moisture, and everything seemed slower:

· Waterfalls fell between moss-covered slopes.

· People tilled the land with tired but sincere smiles.

· Children played with enchanted ropes that left trails of color as they moved.

· Birds danced above the fields as if marking the path.

Encounter with the family
Further ahead, Kagayaku stopped before a young family.
Father, mother, and three children surrounded a luminous field.
The youngest played with a scarecrow that shimmered under the sun.

Kagayaku (gently, still biting the apple) —
“Excuse me… am I on the right path?
My destination is the Kingdom of the Rising Dragon.”

Father (warm voice, nodding) —
“Yes, you’re on track, traveler.
Take the narrow river trail, follow the red stones along the western slope.
But keep in mind…”

Mother (adjusting a basket) —
“It’s a long journey… a day and a half if you don’t stop much.”

The children stared at Kagayaku with curiosity.

Eldest child (stretching his voice like sharing a secret) —
“And they say there’s a minotaur!
He’s big, strong… and kind of grumpy.”

Kagayaku finished his bite, smiled calmly.

Kagayaku (looking at the child with tenderness) —
“Thanks for the warning…
If I see him, I’ll try not to ask for directions.”

The family laughed.
Not from humor,
but from the humanity of the moment.

Scene — “Where the one who cuts doesn’t need to turn”
Border of the Smoking Valley – Territory of the Exiled Minotaur
3:11 p.m. – The sun filters golden light between cliffs, but tension hides in beauty

Kagayaku was already far… very far.
The family watched him. Still chatting and laughing,
when the child pointed down the path:

Child (wide-eyed) —
“Mom, Dad… he’s gone?! Look there… way ahead!”

Three kilometers away,
on a broken trail between green hills,
Kagayaku’s figure crossed the highest rock
with a calm that seemed incompatible with the distance covered.

Father (mouth agape) —
“He didn’t run…
The path simply couldn’t hold him.”

Mother (softly) —
“Was it speed… or has the world learned to step aside when he passes?”

Three hours later – The invisible border
The sun had lowered.
The air thickened.
Flowers vanished.
Grass turned to stone.
Kagayaku kept walking, calm, golden eyes fixed on the horizon.

The rocks were marked with ancient symbols: claws, blood, spirals of threat.

A deep voice from the shadows —
“You’ve crossed where no one crosses…
And you didn’t ask permission.”

The minotaur appears
Emerging from vapor,
broken horns,
red eyes without pupils,
a scar across his chest like the signature of a war never told.

Minotaur (approaching with brutal steps) —
“This territory is mine.
Those who cross without speaking…
lose without asking.”

Kagayaku walked past him.
Without changing pace.
Without turning.

Let me know if you'd like me to format this for submission, or if you want to continue with the next scene. I’m ready when you are.

Kagayaku (soft voice, barely audible through the vapor) —
“I didn’t come to take your land.
I’m simply moving forward.”

First strike
The minotaur roars.
Stone fist.
Destructive charge.
Kagayaku sidesteps with graceful, effortless movements.
Turns left, then right…
as if the air itself guides him.

The great blow — rupture
The minotaur lets out a cry.
Raises a massive axe forged from volcanic pit ore.
Brings it down on Kagayaku with tectonic fury.

Kagayaku (raising two fingers)
The axe splits.
It splinters.
Then bursts into dust.

The minotaur steps back, panting.
His expression mixes rage… with disbelief.

The insult that never came
Minotaur (charging the air, about to shout) —
“Damn y—!”

But he doesn’t finish.
His body trembles.
From neck, shoulders, torso…
Clean cuts.
As if the very intent had been punished.

His body falls.
It divides.
In silence.
In respect.

Kagayaku keeps walking…
He doesn’t stop.
He doesn’t turn.
His eyes remain fixed on the golden hill.
The vapor fades behind him.
The world breathes slower.
As if it had learned the difference between dominance… and purpose.

Scene — “Where the threat didn’t wait for the army… because it had already fallen”
Grey Territory – Path of the Lost Echo, beneath cracked skies
4:44 p.m. – The wind blows, but gives no warning. The danger lies dead… and the one who defeated it is no longer here.

Vegetation was sparse. The air, dense.
The trees offered no shade,
as if honoring what had just occurred.
Leaves didn’t rustle.
The wind didn’t whistle.
The path seemed forgotten by the world,
but not by the memory of something that had just happened.

The princess’s carriage continued its course among dark rocks etched with runes carved by unknown hands.
It was an enchanted vehicle, suspended by floating root magic, reinforced with lunar steel and ceremonial sky-blue fabric that didn’t flutter… only waited.

Inside, the princess watched with a furrowed brow, her hand firm on the golden window frame.
The light armor she wore shimmered faintly from a protection spell.

Princess (with uneasy voice) —
“This place… should be roaring.
And yet… it feels like it already did.
Where is the threat our sages swore would chase us here?”

Ahead of the carriage, royal knights advanced in tight formation.
Tempered armor, activated spears, enchanted visors glowing.
Captain Aerth raised his hand:

Captain Aerth —
“Hold.
We’re entering the forbidden stretch.
Registered territory of the Minotaur of the Torn Veil.
No one crosses here without preparing prayers.”

The knights tensed.
Mounts instinctively stepped back half a pace.
But the march didn’t stop.
The carriage continued…
because there were no clear signs.

Until they saw it.

The body.
The creature.
The minotaur.
Split.
Disarmed.
Disintegrated with clean cuts that showed no blood—only surrender.

His torso lay beside the stone altar marking his territory.
His ceremonial axe was reduced to fragments dissolved into the hot ground.

Knight 2 (with a trembling voice) —
“This wasn’t a battle.
It was an execution.
And not by numbers… by someone who’s no longer here.”

Princess (stepping down, looking at the remains) —
“Where are the footprints?
Where are the signs of struggle?
There was no fight here…
There was a decision.”

Aerth (touching the stone where the torso rests) —
“The heat from the fissure… still pulses.
This happened minutes ago… not hours.”

Knight 3 (gazing at the horizon, uneasy) —
“Who crosses this land…
without leaving tracks…
and without the trees daring to speak their name?”

Princess (softly, contemplating a white feather floating in the dust) —
“Perhaps… someone crossed whom the world chose not to announce.
Someone who no longer needs a path opened for them…
because they carve it as they walk.”

The knights looked at each other in silence.
Not out of fear.
Out of respect.

The carriage moved forward slowly,
no fanfare, no raised shields.
The princess sat down.
She said nothing more.
But her thoughts…
no longer traveled toward the Kingdom of the Rising Dragon.
They followed the one who had crossed before them.
And who left behind only one witness—
a body that never understood who it had faced.