CHAPTER 6: ARK’S PAST

Several days had passed since the incident. Yuki, who had now officially joined, continued to train.

“I want to become strong and finally stand beside him. I know it feels impossible, but I will keep trying,”
she said while writing in her diary.

After that, she went outside to enjoy the fresh morning air. In the middle of the path, she ran into Natsume Airi.

“Airi-san, good morning!”
“Oh, Yuki. Good morning.”
“Are you out for a morning jog too?”
“No, I’m preparing some supplies.”
“Preparing for what?”

Airi sighed.

“Today is April 17th. Ark is returning to his hometown, as usual.”

“Eeh? So he actually has a hometown… that means Ark has a family too.”

Airi instantly fell silent, not saying a single word.
Yuki was confused.

“Airi-san? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Ark goes back to his hometown not to visit his family—
but to pray for them.”

Yuki froze in shock.

“Today is the death anniversary of his entire family… his relatives… and the disappearance of his younger sister as well.”

“I—I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”

Ark appeared, silent as ever, and grabbed the items Airi had prepared.
He mounted his motorcycle and left at high speed.

“Return safely, Boss… we’ll be waiting,”
Airi whispered.

Yuki, still curious about Ark’s past, asked what happened in Ark—or Kamito’s—village of birth.

“I suppose I will tell you. You have the right to know.”

“Then I want to hear it too! I want to know what Ark-sama was like in the past!”
Saitou added, suddenly appearing behind them.

Airi then began explaining that young Ark once lived in Aokibana Village, a blessed settlement filled with green, fertile land.
She continued telling the story of that place:

Aokibana Village, 2035.

Morning in Aokibana always began with the chirping of sparrows among the lush trees. Dew clung to the grass, reflecting the first rays of sun rising over the hills. The scent of damp soil and leaves always marked the beginning of another peaceful day.

In the midst of this landscape, a 17-year-old boy stood with his school bag slung over his shoulder. His smile was wide, his steps light, as if he carried no burden in the world. Every morning he left early—not because he feared being late, but because he wanted to greet everyone.

“Morning, Uncle Hiro. Your crops look good today.”
“Morning, Aunt Kana. Your toast smells delicious.”
“Morning, Grandpa Natsu. Don’t forget your medicine.”

The boy was Kamito Ryuga—Ark in his youth.

“Oh, Kamito-kun, I heard you’re graduating soon.”
“That’s right, Uncle Hiro. And I’m going to chase my dream of becoming a train engineer.”
“Then do your best, Kamito-kun.”
“You too, Hiro-san.”

The villagers never tired of his greetings.

He wasn’t just polite.
He carried a warmth that made everyone feel seen and appreciated.

Children playing in the river would wave at him as he passed.
Some even followed behind him while laughing.
The elders nodded proudly, saying it was rare to see a youth who still cared about everyone around him.

Aokibana was truly blessed—fertile soil, clear rivers, tall trees forming a green wall of protection, golden rice fields ready for harvest, wildflowers blooming along the roads, natural springs flowing from the hills… it was a peaceful life.

Every weekend, Kamito helped the farmers: carrying harvest sacks, cleaning irrigation channels, or simply accompanying the children who came to help their parents.
He never complained.

“If we help each other, this village will always stay strong.”

Those were the words he repeated most often.

He was respected.
Not just for his kindness, but for the sincerity that radiated from him.

After school, he would walk along the stone path by the river, repair broken fences for neighbors, visit the small market to ask how the merchants were doing, or stop by the old shrine on the hill to sweep fallen leaves.

He wasn’t a hero.
He wasn’t a warrior.
He was just a village boy who loved his home.

Aokibana was not just a village—
It was home.

A place where everyone knew him, trusted him, and had watched him grow.

No one imagined that within days, everything would change.
That fierce rain would drown the peace.
That laughter would turn into screams.
That the green, fertile earth would be covered in blood.

But on that peaceful morning…
He knew nothing.

He simply smiled as always, walking through swaying rice fields.

Before the world collapsed, he was the small light of the village.
A light that greeted everyone without fail.
A light everyone loved.

Evening fell over Aokibana, coloring the sky a soft red like silk brushed with sunset. The breeze swayed the leaves gently, carrying the scent of wet earth and warm home-cooked meals.

Kamito Ryuga walked home carrying his school bag. His uniform was still damp at the shoulder from the earlier drizzle, but his steps remained cheerful. Everyone he passed smiled.

“Back from school, Ryuga?”
“Be careful on the way home, young Ryuga.”

He returned every greeting with a warm smile.

As he approached their simple wooden home, the door opened before he could say anything.

“Ryuga, you’re home.”

His mother greeted him with a calming smile, her apron dusted with flour as she prepared dinner. His father followed from his workspace, carrying the scent of wood.

“How was school today? Any problems?”

Ryuga nodded.

Before he could answer further, a small voice cut in.

“Kaaaamiitooo!”

A little girl with shoulder-length brown hair and bright red eyes came running.
Kamito Shino—his one and only little sister.
A tiny explosion of energy.

She leaped and hugged his waist.

“Big Brother! You ate my ice cream last night!”

Ryuga froze for half a second.
A guilty smile crept onto his face.

“…Ah. That… yeah, sorry. I forgot.”

Shino puffed her cheeks, glaring as if demanding justice.

“You said you only took a little! But when I checked—it was all gone!”

Their parents chuckled softly.
Ryuga patted her head apologetically.

“Sorry, Shino. I was really hungry while studying. I promise, tomorrow after my high school graduation, I’ll buy you a better ice cream. One with two flavors at once.”

Shino’s eyes sparkled instantly.

“Promise?”
“Promise.”

He hooked his pinky finger.
Shino hooked her tiny pinky with his, squeezing tightly.

“If you lie, Shino gets angry.”
“I won’t lie.”

His mother smiled at the sight.
His father sighed contentedly, as if the world were perfectly at peace.

They went inside together.
The smell of warm soup made Ryuga’s stomach growl.

At the dinner table, Shino sat beside him, stealing glances as if making sure he wouldn’t forget the ice cream promise.

Ryuga laughed softly.

He didn’t know it would be their last family dinner.
He didn’t know the world he protected with kindness would be taken from him overnight.
He didn’t know a simple promise—a tiny promise about ice cream—would become a burden haunting him for years.

But that evening, they ate together.
Laughed together.
Shared moments that should have lasted longer.
Grown further.
Been more.

But fate rarely gives warnings.

And that night, under the setting sun, the Kamito family never realized their simple happiness…
was the final light before everything turned dark.