[BEEEEEEEEEEEEP] (Radio static)
[Ladies and gentlemen, today will go down in history—the day the tyranny of Heav—]
[The atrocities of the regime will end today, no matter what. The peo—]
[An army of brave warriors will be led by Commander Fra—]
"I stand here to lead the heroes who will liberate the world from the devil who dares to claim himself as God's representative."
"The future of mankind depends on us."
{Flashback: Over a century ago...}
The world was once united under the rule of a young emperor—strong, wise, and seemingly invincible. With unmatched power, he brought peace, whether through strength or diplomacy. Legends spoke of him possessing the power of a god, making him untouchable.
Despite his youth, he ruled with wisdom and justice, ensuring prosperity for all under his reign. But everything changed.
Years later, the benevolent ruler turned into a merciless tyrant. Criticism became a death sentence, and fear gripped the world. The final straw came when he ordered the massacre of 10,000 innocents, branding them as potential rebels.
In response, millions rose with one purpose—to bring down the Divine Emperor.
{Present timeline: The story begins}
A young man rode his horse at full speed through the wilderness of a vast island. His pursuers weren't far behind—figures clad in black, leaping through the trees like shadows, moving with unnatural speed. They carried swords, handguns, and rifles.
"How long do you plan to run, Aron Telsa? Give it up!"
"He's stubborn. He won't stop until his horse collapses!"
"Damn it! If only we were allowed to kill him."
"He's valuable to the nation. Killing him would be a waste."
"I know that. But—wait! He disappeared!"
In the blink of an eye, Aron was gone. Even with their training, they hadn't seen how it happened.
"Shit! Find him, or we're done for!"
"ROGER!"
{A few hours earlier}
This is insane.
I had to abandon my late father's estate because masked men in black tried to kidnap me. If they were after wealth, they could take it—I left everything behind.
I had to overpay just to get a horse on the spot. And now I'm fleeing across this island, chasing a vague instruction from my father—find a cave, meet someone who'll protect me.
Who? An old hermit living in a cave? Great.
DORR! DORR! DORR!
Gunshots. I dodged instinctively.
Glancing back, I saw my pursuers only 20 meters behind, darting through the trees like demonic monkeys.
"How long do you plan to run, Aron Telsa? Give it up!"
Right. Like I'm going to stop and invite you guys for coffee.
I looked back too long—
"Shit!"
A massive tree was right in front of me. No time to react.
I braced for impact.
But then—
Nothing.
I was still riding my horse, except... everything around me had changed. The trees—giant mushrooms? And ahead of me—
A cave.
No way. I actually found it.
What the hell just happened?
{Elsewhere...}
A grand balcony overlooked a city bathed in golden light. A man stood there, exhaling smoke as he watched over the metropolis. Behind him, a subordinate kneeled.
"Sir, Yudish Telsa's son has escaped. But our agents are on him. He'll be captured within 24 hours."
"I don't need promises. I need results."
"Understood, sir. We won't fail."
The man turned, revealing his identity—
[Tom Gargantua. Head of the Gargantua Party]
"You handled the news of Telsa's death well," he remarked, flipping through a newspaper.
"Thank you, sir."
"However, there's still one TV station pushing conspiracy theories. I don't like it."
"If you mean Tower 8, that station belongs to—"
"Pigeos Party. I know. We need... special treatment. But keep it quiet. The more competitors, the more problems. That power should be mine."
"Yes, sir."
Tom looked up at the sky, unease settling in his chest.
"It's been nearly 100 years… I have a bad feeling about this."
{Back to Aron}
I approached the cave, my horse slowing until it stopped completely. The sudden peace I felt was unsettling.
Then my horse started acting up. Annoyed, I dismounted.
"What's your problem now? Hungry? Yeah, well, so am I."
I turned toward the cave. It seemed… ordinary. Could anyone really be living here? If so, they were probably some wise old hermit with cryptic advice.
With a sigh, I stepped inside, cautious.
The deeper I went, the cooler it became. A faint glow of firelight flickered ahead.
Then I saw him.
A man, lean but powerfully built, sat in chains. His long white hair framed a face carved from stone. Despite his restraints, his presence was overwhelming.
I felt it instantly—this was no ordinary man. Without speaking, he radiated power. He didn't need words to command respect.
He looked at me and spoke first.
"Are you the son of Telsa? The one he promised would come?"
{Chapter 1 End}