In the heart of the Cardinal World, Babylon, the most powerful nation in the world, was facing a great war. Founded by the young King Sora, a ruler who had risen to power meteorically, this nation was known for its second-chance policy. Sora, a simple nobody who had met a Dragon God and become its inseparable companion, had managed to ascend to dragonhood through his hard work and dedication. Over time, he founded Babylon, a nation that had become a refuge for all races that desired a chance to change and evolve.
Babylon was a place where humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and all other races could coexist and find a new purpose. The Dread Nation, as some called it, was not a place of fear, but of opportunity. Sora had created a political and social system that allowed all citizens a voice and a chance to grow.
But one day, a strange tremor shook the world. For days, several cracks opened in the sky, and deformed creatures and brutal warriors began to emerge from them, determined to conquer Babylon. I watched from the city walls, seeing how our defenses easily repelled the attackers.
"Oh, how boring." That was my constant reaction to these waves of attacks. The attackers... were they idiots? Or suicidal? Two weeks of futile attacks against Babylon, and their casualties already exceeded forty million. A farce.
But that's the 40 million figure according to Sofia, my skill. However, from time to time I don't trust her calculations, as she likes to get on my nerves.
Then I'll have to call my secretary. And with a snap of my fingers, she was at my side. She practically was a real dragon who had been a wyvern when I found her. But that wasn't relevant now. I needed precise data on casualties on both sides.
—Kiyohime, give me the report of the casualties on our side and those insects.
She began speaking while reviewing the detailed analysis prepared by her team of researchers.
—My lord Sora, our side's casualties are zero, since we're only using the elven race for defense. As for the attackers, they have 40 million casualties.
"Obviously enough," I thought. "But anyway, Sofia is going to be angry." Sofia is my ultimate skill, a source of absolute knowledge that never fails. She provides me with precise and detailed information on any subject.
But I doubted her this time. While it's an infallible ability, she's also an independent being that lives inside me. She can leave my body if she wants, but she prefers to stay inside me, which sometimes makes her behave a little... peculiar.
I don't like sitting around bored in this place. I'll leave everything to Kiyohime.
—Kiyohime, thanks for the information. I'll leave you in charge.
Without waiting for a response, I launched myself into the sky. The portals connecting my world to this place had to be destroyed. I wasn't going to allow this invasion to continue for another second.
While in the air, I activated my "Ground Zero" ability. This ability allowed me to manipulate space-time at will, erasing the existence of anything I touched.
I sped up, my body wrapped in magical energy, and began destroying the portals. Each touch was a controlled burst of power, an instant annihilation.
The attackers who tried to stop me were eliminated before they even got close. My objective was clear: eliminate the threat at its root.
Suddenly, as I destroyed the last portal, an intense light enveloped me. It was unlike any energy I'd ever felt before, more chaotic and unstable.
I felt like I was falling into a void, as if reality itself were crumbling around me. I tried to hold on, but the feeling was overwhelming.
-Are you there?
I screamed, but only received a garbled message: "…inter…cia… …erro…" The communication had been cut off.
And then, everything went black. When I regained consciousness, I was in a strange place, a devastated battlefield where the silence was only interrupted by the wind that carried debris and corpses scattered everywhere. In front of me, a black-haired young man trembled on the ground, holding a sword that glowed with a dim light. His eyes were fixed on me, filled with a mixture of fear and wonder.
My instinct led me to analyze the surroundings, looking for any clues as to where I was and how I had gotten there. I felt a strange amount of magical energy in the air, but I couldn't channel it. I tried to use my abilities, but to no avail. Frustration grew within me.
I took the sword from a fallen enemy and swung it. To my surprise, magical energy flowed through it. With a single slash, I unleashed a shockwave that annihilated the approaching enemies. The sword was a lethal instrument in my hands, but I sensed something wasn't right. It was brutal, efficient, but it wasn't the same as using my skills. There was a disconnect, a feeling that I was fighting with a tool foreign to me.
After all, I tried to fix my ability, but it wasn't working. The guy looked at me like I was crazy, which was possible.
Suddenly, someone attacked me from behind with a sword. I turned around and saw a guy with a sour face. "Great," I thought. "Another day, another sneak attack."
Our swords clashed nonstop. I was tired, sweating, and yet we continued fighting as if we were training for a tournament no one asked us to. He was fast, strong, and never tired. Every time I blocked one of his attacks, my arms felt like they were going to break.
As I slashed away horizontally, forcing him back, I thought I was about to lose my temper.
—Can you warn us before attacking, crazy?!
The hooded man smiled confidently as he swung his sword with ease, and I could see the gleam in his eyes. He wondered if I could keep up.
—And miss that scared face you made?
We'd been at it for three hours. We'd cut each other's clothes, we were all scraped, and the ground around us was a mess. Neither of us could outmaneuver the other. We jumped, dodged, counterattacked, but it all ended in a draw.
Finally, we stopped fighting. We were both breathing heavily. I sat on the ground as he took off his hood, revealing his white hair with dark tips and an intense gaze. And just then, I noticed him. A black-haired boy was staring at us. He wasn't alone. There were several other children around him. They were watching us as if they were watching a movie.
I stood up and approached the boy, noticing his calm gaze. I wondered who this boy was and what he was thinking.
—Hey, you! Blackie! Honey, don't be offended. Where are we?
The boy scratched his head, looking genuinely confused, and his voice sounded a little lower than he expected.
—My name's Aron, by the way. This is Moniyan… I don't know what else to say. It's not a very well-known place, I guess. And, uh, I'd rather you didn't call me 'blackie.'
I stretched my back and smiled, feeling a little proud.
—Oh well… I don't know what that is, but it sounds like the name of an RPG.
I approached the hooded man with a mixture of curiosity and disdain, noticing the way his cloak seemed to envelop him in an aura of mystery. My gaze met his, and I could sense a spark of tension in the air.
—And you are…?
The hooded man tensed slightly, his voice low and mysterious, as if he were revealing a secret he wasn't sure he wanted to share.
-Am…
but he stopped and became angry, his gaze burning with an intensity that made me feel uncomfortable.
My pride was hurt by his tone, and my response came out with an edge of irritation.
—Wow, this is the first time someone as insignificant as you has spoken to me like that, and it turns out you don't know I'm a King. Are you a shy princess hiding under a hood and a mask?
Our auras emitted murderous intent; the air itself seemed to say we wanted to kill each other. Seeing the children present, I calmed down and broke the tension with a forced smile.
—My name's Sora, by the way. And don't get all worked up about it, I didn't fool you.
Aron intervened, smiling peacefully, as if he had noticed the tension and was determined to ease it.
—Okay, love and peace. But you're both strong, you could take on the monster in the orphanage.
We refused, as it was outrageous that a King like me should be asked to perform tasks appropriate for a commoner.
— If you want someone of your level to take care of that, send that little princess in the hood.
Aron persuaded us with food after hearing our roars, and the hooded princess and I arrived at the orphanage. The presence was intense as we entered, so with my puny sword, I decided to take the initiative. Before the confrontation, we exchanged glances, and I heard:
—I'm Alexander. I apologize for not introducing myself properly earlier, but I tend to be a bit reserved due to my introverted nature.
And so it was that, for the first time in history, a King without a kingdom, an orphan without a family, and an antisocial man with no friends joined forces in an unlikely alliance, proving that even the most unlikely of odds can find common purpose… especially if food is involved!