Chapter 1: Into The Empire of The Rising Star

Almost an hour had passed before Ryu finally was released from his entrapment, "Ding, ding, ding!" Ryu hurriedly packed up his stuff and raced to the hallway. He faintly heard the teacher in the background attempting to quickly tell them the instructions for their homework as he left, "Make sure to write a three-page paper recapping the chapters we went over today, and your thoughts on how the author portrayed the plot points and developed the characters throughout the story..." Ryu was unable to make out the rest as he fled the captivity of the classroom, but he was not worried about it. Ryu knew he could just write some stuff that seemed thought provoking, and it would be good enough to get him a good grade. It did not matter to his teachers if it was all just empty words as long as it was well-crafted. As Ryu headed out of the building and onto the street, he began to wonder if his mother would have to stay late again today at her job. The past week she had worked almost every day deep into the night. She had been pushing herself to secure a promotion because she was worried about putting Ryu through college in a few years. As he continued walking down the street back to his home, he started to think about what he could do with himself to fill the evening. He figured he could exercise, watch some anime, or play a video game like he did every afternoon. With his house only a couple more streets away, Ryu's mind began to drift to thoughts about food as he remembered his mother had given him some money for helping around the house lately. Ryu wondered if he should buy something on the way home or save his money to do something this weekend. As he pondered on what to do, he heard sounds of scuffling and a woman's voice being muffled. He turned to look down a poorly lit alley to his right where he noticed two men assaulting a woman.

Ryu briefly recalled that he had seen a news story earlier that morning of a string of recent kidnappings occurring in the neighborhood. They were warning young adult women to not travel alone and avoid alleys because the police believed the abductions were linked to human trafficking. The two men were both bigger than Ryu in size, but they did not appear to be as physically fit as him. As he focused harder on them, he saw a flash of light reflecting off of metal near the waistband of one of the men as the scuffling continued. If he was armed with a gun, the other attacker probably had a weapon as well Ryu thought to himself. As Ryu mentally prepared himself to confront the men, he began to slowly make his way down the alley toward them. Luckily, they were both facing away from him, so he would have the opportunity to catch them by surprise if he was careful. As Ryu grew closer to them, he started to formulate his plan.

Ryu was confident that if he could briefly discombobulate them he could grab the girl's arm and help her escape. He shifted his backpack off of his arm preparing to use it to hit the man that was standing. If he could knock him down to the pavement, he was certain he could handle the other one on top of the girl. Ryu was positive the man on the ground would be shocked by the sudden attack which would allow him the opportunity to deliver a powerful kick into his ribs. As Ryu approached, his hands were cold as ice while his heart was pounding, but his eyes remained focused on his targets. With coiled anticipation, Ryu launched his backpack as hard as he could into the backside of the man standing. He put everything into his throw as it smashed into the man who fell into the trash bags next to them. Just as Ryu had theorized, the man on top of the girl stopped to see what was going on with his partner. Ryu did not hesitate as he took advantage of the opportunity he had created. He quickly planted his left foot and with as much force as he could muster without losing his balance, he kicked the man on top of the girl square in the ribs. The man doubled over as he fell to the side clutching his chest.

With both men temporarily out of commission, Ryu turned to the woman lying on the ground. She was disheveled and filled with fear from being assaulted. Ryu quickly grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. In an assertive tone he yelled, "Hurry, run!" He quickly ushered her toward the exit of the alley as he pulled on her arm to follow. After several steps, the woman finally got over her temporary shock and started to run next to Ryu. Behind them, the two men had gotten back to their feet. They were infuriated at being interrupted while conducting their business. The two of them quickly took chase after Ryu and the woman. Right before the men could reach them, they spilled out onto the street where they had caught the attention of other citizens in the area who started to pull their phones out while trying to figure out who had attacked the woman. The two men stopped right before leaving the alleyway because they did not want to be identified by any of the witnesses. The man who had been kicked in his side by Ryu was lost in rage from losing out on the payout they would have gotten for the lady. He knew their boss was not going to be pleased when he discovered they were thwarted by a high school brat. Their boss was not a man to be trifled with in the underworld, and he had never been known for forgiving his lackeys for making mistakes.

The man gripped the hilt of his weapon as he decided to make an example of the stupid kid. He only hoped that killing the brat would earn him the bosses forgiveness for failing to capture the girl. As he pulled out his silver gun with black accents, he aimed it dead center at the chest of Ryu as he prepared to shoot. As Ryu came to a stop on the sidewalk, he quickly turned around to confront the two thugs now that he had gotten the girl to safety. He was unaware that he was dead in the sights of the man's gun. As soon as Ryu saw the firearm pointed at them, he swiftly knocked the girl out of the way as he instinctively tried to protect her. Time suddenly felt like it had slowed down as Ryu watched her fall away. He was unsure why he had valued a random strangers life more than his own. He began to think of his mother. He knew she would be devasted when she learned of his death; however, he found some solace in knowing that she would be proud of him for doing the right thing by helping a person in need. Ryu suddenly felt a sense of purpose in that moment from protecting someone who needed a hero.

The thug felt a chill run throughout his entire body as he locked eyes with Ryu. He had expected the kid to be staring at him with fear, but he instead saw nothing but confidence behind his gaze. The man tsked under his breath as he fired. As the woman hit the ground, a gunshot rang throughout the streets. "Bang!" The bullet ripped through Ryu's chest as the two men quickly turned and fled back down the alley to the other street to disappear before the police could arrive. As Ryu fell to the pavement, he could never had guessed how much pain you experience when being shot. A hot white pain instantly erupted from the wound as a woman standing nearby screamed upon hearing the gunshot. The girl Ryu had saved swiftly turned to face him on the ground. She stared in disbelief at her protector who was bleeding profusely in front of her.

She suddenly exclaimed, "It was supposed to be me. I am so sorry." Tears began to flow freely down her face as she tried to stop the hemorrhaging. Ryu's eyelids started to grow heavy as he began to feel incredibly tired. Even though he was on death's doorstep, he did not want the girl to blame herself for his passing. He knew that the weight of that pain would mentally scar her forever. With the last bit of strength he had, he grabbed her hand. He stared into her eyes with a calmness that temporarily stopped her crying. Ryu faintly told her with his last breath, "This was not your fault. Please be happy and continue to live your life for me." Ryu's eyes felt too heavy to keep open any longer. As they shut and everything became black, he began to fall into darkness. All the noises and lights faded away until there was nothing.

Ryu suddenly felt weightless as he thought of what was to come next as he sunk deeper into the abyss. He started to wonder what the afterlife was going to be like for him. As he continued to float in the void, he was unsure if he was ascending or descending as well has how much time had passed. He hoped that he was in a sort of waiting room as opposed to death being a gate to a forever emptiness. Ryu had always loved in the animes when the person who died was reincarnated into another world. He then started to wonder if God even existed as he continued to drift in the darkness. With nothing else left to do now, he began to ponder on his brief existence when a sudden light appeared above him. A booming voice suddenly echoed into the abyss from the golden glow pouring out of the hole, "Ryu, my boy. I am glad to finally have the opportunity to meet you. I want to apologize about how you met your demise in your world; however, to the very end, you were thoughtful, kind, and honorable which has earned you my respect."

The darkness was quickly filled with the holy radiance as Ryu fell gently down onto some soft, fluffy, white clouds. In front of Ryu was a man with a trimmed white beard, short stylish white hair, and the most gorgeous pair of white wings. He was wearing a brilliant gold-plated armor set that covered his chest, arms, and thighs. It bore a close resemblance to what the Spartans wore in Ancient Greece. The man was sitting on a glorious white & gold throne that allowed him to look slightly down upon Ryu. He stared at the man in utter silence starstruck by what had just appeared in front of him. Ryu was relieved to have discovered that there was more to the afterlife than darkness as he started to get excited.

His mind was immediately engulfed in questions as he started to wonder what he should say. Since this was his first time dying, he was unsure if it was customary for him to start the conversation or wait. He quickly glanced around trying to figure out if the new place he was in was heaven or something else. As Ryu's mind became overwhelmed with all these thoughts, he did not realize an awkward silence had fallen between them. The man laughed before his thunderous voice echoed throughout the area as he said, "Ryu do not be shy. Let me clarify what is going on. I am what you would call the God of all Worlds. I watch over everyone in all existences. I pulled you from the space in between realms to speak with you before you passed on completely. Do you have any questions for me?" As Ryu sat in front of the man processing everything, he gathered his thoughts as he asked the first thing that came to his mind, "Why do you look like a mighty Spartan Warrior?" Ryu asked in complete admiration.

The God chuckled at the random question for a moment before he explained to Ryu his appearance, "My boy it is quite simple. I appear to you based on however you envision me. Since I exist everywhere, I do not possess a singular form." Ryu began to wonder if he thought of the God as a Goddess would the man in front of him change into a woman. As he began to imagine his ideal angelic girl, his face turned beet red. He smacked his cheeks with his hands as he shook his head while telling himself that now was not the time to have such scandalous ideas. Since he was still unsure why he had been summoned to this realm, it was important he stay on his guard. Ryu locked eyes with the God as he proceeded to ask, "What made you decide to appear to me before I passed on?"

The man began to rub his chin with his right hand as he thought about how to respond to Ryu before saying, "Your beliefs, convictions, and courage are the traits that another society is in desperate need of my boy. The scales of good and evil have become unbalanced, and the fate of The Empire of The Rising Star is dangerously close to being plunged into darkness forever, so I have summoned you here to discuss continuing your life in that world." As the man finished, Ryu appeared puzzled as he inquisitively asked, "If you are God, are you not the embodiment of good? Can you not rebalance the scales?" The God sighed before he answered, "I wish it was that simple Ryu. Unfortunately, I cannot directly intervene with any matters of the living. Good does not exist without Evil just like Yin cannot be without Yang. It is an eternal struggle that must exist because it is the essence of living."

As he finished speaking, Ryu started to wonder if he was trying to ask him to become a savior of a foreign land. He began to panic as he thought about the weight of that responsibility. Ryu was unsure he could meet such lofty expectations being set for him. The God could sense the uneasiness stirring within Ryu, so he quickly attempted to settle his apprehensions. The man suddenly said, "Ryu, remember what I said earlier. I am merely here to discuss with you the possibility of you continuing your life in The Empire. You can live your life as you wish in this new land free of any obligation to save the people who reside there." Upon hearing those words, Ryu felt relieved. He started to feel excited at the possibility of being reincarnated. Ryu became curious on the details of this new place, so he decided to ask, "Does the Empire of The Rising Star have magic, sword fighting, and magical creatures besides Demons?"

The God was relieved he had calmed Ryu's panic as he openly answered, "There are six kingdoms in the Empire, and they only recently united with each other. They were forced to temporarily put their differences aside in an effort to combat the demons flooding into their world. The reason the Demon Lord was able to tear a space between their realms in the first place was because of the chaos, deceit, and hatred in their society. If you choose to continue living, I will place you in the safest of the six kingdoms to ensure you have time to understand this new land. Also, there are several races that reside in the Empire, but it is important you know that social animosity exists between all creatures. Lastly, magic is real in the Empire, and everybody has the ability to develop any skills they wish; however, each individual regardless of their social standing, their ethnicity, or their heritage is born with a random set of natural affinities that can be developed faster than the rest. The determination of these affinities is completely random. Some individuals in the Empire choose to practice and develop their affinities while others choose to pursue different skills if their affinities do not align with what they want to do in their life."

Ryu was determined to learn magic regardless if he had the affinity for it, but it was going to be a pain to develop it if he did not. As Ryu sat there, he thought of his next question. He was curious if using the skills you did not possess a talent for was more strenuous on the user, so he decided to ask. Upon hearing the question, the God started to shake his head no as he replied, "The ability to use any skill becomes easier and less draining on the wielder the higher the level grows. Also, I believe it is important you know that the max level for all skills is one hundred. While it is rare for someone to reach this level in just one field, it is not impossible. As you develop, you will also learn special techniques that are only achieved once you have raised the level of one or multiple skills to a certain number. Finally, everyone in the kingdom is aware of their natural affinities when they turn five years old."

Ryu was fascinated by the information as he became eager to know what sort of talent he would possess as he anxiously asked, "Do you know what my affinities would be? Please tell me I have something cool and not just the skills of a craftsman." With a mischievous chuckle, the God responded, "You will have a natural affinity in all skills Ryu. While I cannot directly influence moral realms, I can exploit loopholes in them. Since you will be reincarnated, your random affinities are unable to be decided by the worldly rules established in their world, so the decision falls to me." Ryu sat in astonishment from what the man just told him. He was not expecting to be blessed with the ability to do anything and everything. Ryu began to feel like his life could finally be filled with the sense of adventure he had been craving in his past life. He believed he should express his gratitude to the God for giving him the possibility of living again. Without realizing it, a silence had fallen between them. Ryu quickly stood up, slightly embarrassed, as he bowed and said with complete sincerity, "Thank you for this opportunity God. I will work extremely hard to develop my skills, and I promise to try my best to help balance the scales in the Empire to honor the gift of living you are giving me." The God was taken aback from the sudden admiration from Ryu as he happily smiled.

The God suddenly let out a booming laugh startling Ryu who fell backwards onto his butt. As he finished guffawing, he appeared right in front of Ryu. He reached down with his hand as he started saying, "Ryu it has been a joy speaking with you. It will be my honor to watch how your new life unfolds in the Empire." As he helped Ryu to his feet, he continued, "The only thing we have left is your appearance. One of the perks of being reincarnated is you can decide your features. Are there any alterations to your current form you wish for me to make?" Ryu started to mess with his hair before glancing down at his hands. He had never thought about changing anything about himself when he was alive. He definitely knew for sure he wanted to look like a badass in his second life. Ryu started to think about the modern shows he used to watch at home. He had always loved the cool artwork of the strong street fighters that had tattoos and unique hair styles.

After several minutes of consideration, Ryu answered the God, "I want to keep my height of five foot and eleven inches as well as my slim, athletic, nimble frame. I do have three things we can spice up though to make me look absolutely awesome. First, I want a sleeve tattoo on my left arm. Can it be two dragon tails that start at the back of my hand and wrap around my arm all the way up to my shoulder? The dragons could then explode into a full back tattoo with both of them facing each other as if they are locked in a battle." The God was shocked by Ryu's creative idea as he requested further clarification on the tattoo, "What made you want that tattoo on your body? Also, what colors do you want the dragons to be before I make the adjustment?" Ryu readily explained to the God, "Since I am attempting to balance the scales of Good and Evil in my second life, it will serve as a reminder to myself of the purpose you have given me. As for the colors, I want one to be black and the other to be gold. I have always felt gold is pure as you can tell by how I pictured you."

The God was honored by Ryu's respect, so he granted the request without hesitation. With a snap of his fingers, the tattoo appeared on Ryu's left arm and back. "What is next?" asked the man. Ryu ran his hand through his hair as he thought about how he had never liked having black hair. It had always seemed so bland to him, but he did like the shaggy style he wore it in. He decided he would have the God change the color of his hair as well as his eye color. His eyes were a depressing grey, and he felt he should leave his gloomy self in the past. He started pointing at his face as he said, "Please make my hair an ashy color similar to a mix between white and grey. Also, can you please change the color of my eyes to match the dark blue of the ocean during sunset?" With a wave of his hand, the changes were completed. The God materialized a mirror in front of Ryu, so he could view his new appearance. Ryu gazed into the mirror with his mouth wide open in shock. Ryu could barely contain his excitement as he stared at himself. He turned and pointed at the God as he said, "This is incredible. I look so cool now. Thank you for indulging me on my fantasies. What do you think?"

The God lightheartedly responded, "You will definitely stand out." The man walked over to Ryu as he put his arm on his shoulder before continuing, "Now that I have given you the oversite of the Empire, the current state of it, and your affinities, are you ready to begin your journey?" Ryu felt a sense of purpose lit inside of himself as he smiled and responded to the God without hesitation, "I am." The man nodded as he snapped his fingers. The clouds suddenly disappeared from underneath Ryu. He could hear the God's voice faintly as he plummeted through the air, "Good luck my boy." In the second Ryu blinked, he had instantly been transported to the earth. He was lying on the ground in a clearing within a forest as he stared up at the light blue sky. The Sun was high in the air, and Ryu could feel a gentle breeze blowing through his hair.

As Ryu sat up, he started to look around at his surroundings. He was enclosed in an opening that had tall trees all around. Luckily, they were not spaced tightly together, so he could see past the forest edge. He was certain he could see something that resembled a road about twenty-five feet away to his left. As he turned his attention to himself, he could tell his clothes were nothing special. He was wearing a pair of dark brown pants with a light brown belt buckled around his waist. His shoes were tan in color and appeared to be a pair of hand me downs. They were clearly weathered but still serviceable for him. As Ryu pulled on his shirt, he realized it was very loose fitting. He could tell it was old, but it did not have any holes in it, which was a plus. It also matched his shoes and was very comfortable.

A glint of light reflecting off of something suddenly caught Ryu's attention. He glanced down to his side where he discovered a brown bag with a faded gold tie around it. As he opened it, he realized the God had left him with some pocket money. As he poured the coins out onto the ground, he counted fifteen gold pieces. He quickly picked them all back up before storing them away. Suddenly, a wave of knowledge began to rush into his mind. It took him a minute to realize the information flooding into his head was the language, the social structure, and the currency system for the Empire. Ryu was thankful the God had provided him with this knowledge as he looked to the sky and loudly shouted, "Thank you!" Ryu slowly organized the details in his mind. He wanted to ensure he understood the basic social norms of this new land before he left the clearing. It appeared the Empire was similar to a Monarchy from his past life. There was one King in the land and below him were five Lords. Royalty was at the top of the social class with rich noble families right below them. Knights and Merchants had a higher standing than the common class which covered about everyone else. The capital structure they had developed for money was pretty simple to grasp. One gold coin was considered equal to ten silver coins while one silver coin was considered equal to twenty bronze coins.

As Ryu gathered himself to his feet, he turned toward the road. He knew he needed to get a move on to try to find a town before nightfall. He had never liked camping one bit in his old world. He was also unsure that he would be safe from the wildlife if he stayed in the forest, so he quickly exited the clearing. As he stood on the side of the dirt path, he looked to his left. The road appeared to go on for miles, so he turned to his right where he could see the outline of what appeared to be a town about a mile away. He decided to set off in that direction since it was his best bet to find shelter and food for the night. As he started walking, he began to wonder about the size of the settlement and if the people there were friendly. The God had failed to mention which kingdom he was putting Ryu in. The only thing he could recall the man saying was that he was in the safest domain of the six regions. As he continued forward, he started to smile as he excitedly thought about how epic his adventures were going to be within the Empire.