Chapter 1: The beginning

A samurai with magic abilities is not all that uncommon. However, a samurai who has learned to use an advanced-level spell and become adept at using it isn't too common either. In fact, it would be fair to say that there was only one person in the world capable of that feat...the man known as the Magic God Kazuki Hoshino.

Kazuki's father had been a magician but he had passed away when Kazuki was still young, and his mother, being of no magical aptitude herself, hadn't taught him anything regarding magic. It was only after Kazuki saw a mysterious light flash down from the sky one day that he finally discovered how powerful the power of magic could be. And while he became rather curious about this new discovery, and even considered becoming a magician himself before finally deciding against it, that spark of inspiration had also left him with a desire to learn more and understand what it truly meant to wield such immense powers. He wanted to know everything about magic.

And so, he began studying under various magicians until he eventually came across one named Kazuya Tanahashi, who taught him the basics of magic.

Kazuki was not a particularly gifted student; if anything, he was a fairly average one. Although he wasn't bad at memorizing spells or performing basic magic tricks, he didn't have much of a talent for actual spell casting. In fact, he couldn't even do that well. His only saving grace was that he could draw out and manipulate mana, which was basically just his own energy. That was why he couldn't cast any kind of high-level spell without assistance from others; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to manage it on his own.

Still, he did have some talent for magic, and when he'd first learned the basics of it, he'd come up with many creative ideas for spells. None of them ever materialized into something practical, though, because he lacked the ability to properly control the mana. Even so, he continued to study and experiment with different types of magic. One day, when he was fourteen, he managed to successfully cast a very simple spell. After that, he started thinking that maybe he should try taking his studies seriously.

Just then, Kazuya Tanahashi suddenly appeared before him.

"You're Kazuki Hoshino, right? You've got potential."

The words sounded like they were spoken by another person entirely. The man who spoke them seemed quite old.

"I'm here to offer you my guidance," said the man. "Since I can see your potential, it shouldn't cost me anything to help you develop it further. All you need to do is cooperate with me."

After hearing those words, Kazuki felt that perhaps his efforts weren't in vain, and that maybe he really was going somewhere with all this. Thus, he accepted the man's proposal, and over time, he became Kazuya Tanahashi's apprentice.

Kazuki had never thought of himself as particularly talented, and yet, he was now being called a genius. It was strange.

One day, Kazuki was summoned to the castle of the king of the Kingdom of Chima, where he met the king himself for the first time. This man was known as the Dragon King. It was said that he was the strongest man in the entire world. Kazuki had heard of him for a long time, and he found it hard to believe that someone so strong actually existed.

When he was younger, he had always dreamed of becoming the strongest mage in the world. But, he couldn't bring himself to take action toward achieving that goal.

It was only after meeting this man that he realized that there was strength far greater than his own. Now that he knew that, he was certain that he would never again let his dreams go unfulfilled.

He decided to devote his life to training as a magician and to serve the Dragon King with all his might. Kazuki was convinced that the future he had imagined for himself was within his reach.

***

However, things soon turned sour. As Kazuki progressed in his studies under Kazuya Tanahashi, he started to realize that he was being used for his skills, and that he was being manipulated. He couldn't understand why he was being treated so badly.

"Don't worry about it, Kazuki. Just follow my instructions and you'll get rich and famous. Why are you so upset?"

"But...but..."

Kazuki couldn't find the words to respond. His master was telling him to just shut up and accept everything that happened to him as his own fault.

Kazuki refused to give up on his dream, however. He tried to escape from the situation he was in. And so, he took advantage of the fact that he was a foreigner, and ran away to the distant country of Kuzuryu. There, he continued his training with his own methods, and began to achieve some success.

Kazuki was no longer the same boy who had left the kingdom of Chima, and he was ready to make his move. When he returned home, he was determined to take his revenge upon the man who had stolen away his dreams.

Now, Kazuki was a renowned mage in the country of Kuzuryu. He was strong enough to be acknowledged as the country's greatest swordsman. He had cultivated his body to its limits, and had even acquired a large sum of money, which he had saved through his rigorous training.

As he looked back at his past, Kazuki wondered whether he had done the right thing. Was he really prepared to kill his own father? He had never taken the time to think about it. Maybe he should have tried to talk to him instead.

In the end, he couldn't abandon his path as a warrior. At least, that was what he told himself. No matter how many times he tried to turn back, he couldn't leave his destiny behind, and so he continued forward.

If I was to die right now, would anyone even care? Kazuki asked himself. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

***

"Kazuki!" A voice called out from inside the house.

Kazuki hurriedly made his way inside. He was greeted by the sight of his mother, who was standing in front of the stove, stirring something in a pot. She was wearing her usual maid uniform.

"Good morning, Mom."

"Oh, good morning, Kazuki! You're awake early today, aren't you?"

"Sorry," he replied. "I overslept."

"No, no, don't worry about it. What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

"Um, yeah. There's something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked. Her face turned serious.

Kazuki couldn't hold it in any longer. He blurted it out: "Mom, am I a failure?"

His mother stared back blankly. "Hmm? Well, yes, you're a failure, but why do you ask me that?"

"Huh? Don't tell me you're saying this was all for nothing?!" Kazuki cried. He had never expected her to react like that.

"Ah, Kazuki..." She sighed deeply. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what does it mean, exactly?"

"You're worried that you haven't achieved anything in life, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. If my father hadn't died, everything would have been fine. But now, everything is ruined!"

"Why do you blame yourself for something that had nothing to do with you?"

"Because..." Kazuki mumbled.

"Listen," his mother said. "I understand how you feel. Your father left us. And then, you grew up without a father figure. You didn't have anyone to look up to. And so, you became angry. You hated your circumstances. You wanted to change them. And so, you chased after your dreams, believing that you could fulfill them. You trained hard and worked hard every day. And yet, despite all that effort, you failed to reach your goals. So, you became resentful. You stopped wanting to work hard, and you gave up on your dreams. That's why you hate yourself, isn't it?"

"Mom..."

"But that's not true, Kazuki. You don't need to feel guilty about that. It was your father who abandoned us. Not you."

"Really?! Then why did he leave me?" Kazuki asked. "Why did he abandon my mom and myself?!"

"I'm sure there must have been reasons. He probably had a reason. I'm sure he thought it was the best solution for everyone."

Kazuki hung his head. "I...guess so..."

"So, why do you keep blaming yourself? Think about what he was trying to protect us from. He must have thought that it was better to break our family apart than to let it fall apart. He probably wanted to save us. He probably thought that if we were together, we would both be unhappy. So, he chose to protect us."

"Who knows what he was thinking, huh?"

"Probably not," his mother agreed. "But, that doesn't change the fact that he's gone. Right now, you're the only one who feels responsible for that. Stop beating yourself up."

"Okay..."

"Besides, you've changed since then, haven't you?"

"Huh? Yeah...I guess so."

He remembered how he'd once been so weak that he couldn't even stand up to his father. Now, he was strong enough to defeat him. At least, that was what he believed.

"What will happen next, though? Where will I go from here?" Kazuki wondered.

"If you worry about it too much, it'll just eat away at you. Focus on what you can do right now. Work hard to improve yourself, and you'll be able to determine what comes next."

"All right."

"And remember that you're not alone."

"I know. Thanks, Mom."

He smiled wryly at the memory of how his mom had always supported him.

"Let's go outside," said his mother. She took his hand and led him toward the door.

A few minutes later, Kazuki and his mother stepped outside.

"Wow, it's so bright!"