Chapter 0: Prologue

Morning arrived with fresh air in Chiba, Funabashi City.
A young man with black hair and yellow-golden eyes had just woken up.

“Kamito-kun, it’s morning already! Time for breakfast. Don’t you have a work shift today?” his mother shouted from downstairs.

“My name is Kamito Ryuga. I live in Chiba, Funabashi City. I work as a magic stone miner not far from the town where I live.” Kamito said in his heart, introducing himself.

“Mother, Oni-chan is already awake.” replied Kamito’s younger sister, Kamito Shion—a girl with long brown hair and yellow eyes, just like her brother.

“Oh, Shion. Good morning.” Kamito answered his sister.

“Brother, I heard you got rejected again from Magical Academy.”

“Shioon… I already told you not to remind me of that again.” Kamito muttered, feeling embarrassed because he had been rejected almost three times due to having no magic at all, making Kamito Ryuga always turned away from the Academy entrance.

“Maybe next week. I hope you get accepted this time.” Shion tried to cheer him up.

They ate breakfast together, and soon after, Kamito prepared his work clothes. He would be working at the Kurotsuki Arcane Quarry, a mine that produced magic stones used for weapons and technology. The magic stone was called “Lunaris Veinstone”—dark bluish in color, glowing white like moonlight, with cracks flowing with vein-like energy.

Kamito boarded the bus to the quarry and arrived at the site.

“Oh, Kamito-kun, you look energetic today. Are you planning to take the Magical Academy Entrance Exam again?” Hiro, a senior and supervisor, asked.

“Hiro-san, you really are sharp. Yes.”

“You never give up, do you, Kamito-kun?”

They laughed together, and Kamito began working. Wearing his miner’s uniform, he entered the cave tunnels. His attention was suddenly drawn to a group of archaeologists.

“Makoto-san, who are they?” Kamito asked Makoto, a 47-year-old man with black hair, brown eyes, and a slightly muscular build from years of working in the quarry.

“Oh, they’re archaeologists from Magical Academy Tokyo.” Makoto replied.

“Seriously? I didn’t expect to meet such great people underground. What are they looking for?” Kamito asked.

“Not sure, but from what I heard from Hiro, they’re looking for ancient ruins. They believe it’s somewhere in this mine, but they’ve searched many times and found nothing.”

“What a shame.”

Kamito and Makoto continued working. Kamito, still only 22, had to work hard to support his younger sister and mother after his father died in the same mine.

Kamito collected Lunaris stones and held one up.

“So cool… if only I had magic, I would turn you into the strongest weapon.” he said as he admired the stone.

Hiro rang the lunch bell.

“Kamito-kun, the break bell has rung. Stop working for now.” Makoto reminded him.

“Alright, Mr. Makoto. I’m coming.”

But then—Kamito heard a woman’s voice calling him from the darkness of the cave.

“Kamito-kun… so that is your name?”

A mysterious female voice. Kamito shivered and immediately ran to the dining area.

There, Makoto shared that his daughter had officially been selected as the Student Council member of Magical Academy. Everyone congratulated him, including Kamito.

“Wow, I can’t wait to meet her when I enter the Academy later.”

“But are you sure you’ll get accepted this time, Kamito-kun?”

“I’m very sure. I won’t give up.”

Kamito’s words lifted the spirits of everyone present.

After the break, Kamito returned to his post—only to be startled by the sudden appearance of a woman with pink hair and beautiful green eyes, dressed like a goddess.

“I have found you.”

Kamito froze, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“At last… I have finally found you.”

Kamito stared in confusion, but the girl vanished. Thinking it was a ghost, he continued his shift until the workday ended.

Arriving home, Kamito lay on his bed. Something about that girl felt familiar. But he brushed the thought away and went to sleep.

The next morning, as usual, he eagerly went to work. On the way, he saw an elderly woman dropping a large amount of food in the middle of the crowd. No one helped—until Kamito stepped in.

“Thank you, young man.”

“You’re welcome, but your food has been stepped on… it’s not edible anymore.”

“It’s alright, I can still eat it.”

Feeling bad, Kamito offered all his rations to her.

“Here, take it, ma’am!”

“But what about you? Won’t you be hungry later?”

“It’s fine. I can hold my hunger until midnight.”

The old woman knew he was lying. Then—she transformed back into the goddess-like figure.

“Just as I thought… he is the one.”

“No wonder he liked you so much. You truly are different, Kamito-kun.”

She disappeared again.

Hours later, Kamito worked despite growing hunger. Beside him, Makoto prepared the drilling machine.

Suddenly—
A violent tremor shook the entire quarry.

“Earthquake?” one worker shouted.

Everyone panicked, running for the exits.

Only Kamito and Makoto remained, trying to escape. But a falling boulder struck Makoto’s leg, trapping him. Kamito refused to abandon him, choosing to stay even as stones collapsed around them.

Hiro watched in shock and despair.

Kamito tried pushing the boulder off Makoto, but it was too heavy. Makoto, accepting fate, urged him to leave.

“What about your daughter? She will be heartbroken if her father dies on her big day!”

“Just go, kid!”

Before they could move, a massive crack opened beneath them—
and swallowed Kamito whole.

“KAMITOO!” Makoto screamed.

Kamito fell into a dungeon deep below.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by the very ancient ruins the archaeologists had been searching for.