LOST

Tearing screeches of thunderbolts were heard around the small hut owned by the last two members of the Ikazuchi clan. The once prosperous living of the people that was almost noble-like now owns a possession that seems to belong to a commoner.

"Raijin! You're too slow!" The impactful forces of lightning created disruption through the training ground. If a normal person was to walk past near their residence one might think that the dark clouds would start to pour on heavy rains. Their powers clashed one after another, pushing the young man onto the corner. The old man had not seemed to give him mercy on his onslaughts—yet, he still took his courage blinded by an unwavering determination even if gray clouds were all over the place as thunder blots were continuously firing.

With a firm stance, Raijin placed his hands together generating the roots of energy on his body to create more shocks of lightning prepared to deflect his grandfather's attack towards him. The rapid flash of bolts from Hideo failed to penetrate his counter and an expression of delight was seen with Raijin when he diverted the charge. For almost three months of training, this was the first time he had defended himself on the pursuit.

"Don't celebrate too early!"

His thoughts snapped back on reality hearing the words. Focusing his entire senses and attention on the old man, his eyes wandered around. Hideo was nowhere to be seen. "Where?" Raijin asked himself, hoping to locate the old man while his head's been turning from different directions. It's been almost three months since he and his grandfather had started the training for the selection and he conditioned himself to those days that panicking and stressing is the last thing he would resort to. Yet, he can't help himself but be anxious about his surroundings. Will he appear from the left? Or the right? Maybe in front again? Or... "At the back!" he shouted, immediately re-positioning himself.

However, it was too late when he had realized his mistake. He heard zip zaps of lightning above him. He turned to look up, and there was his grandfather grinning at him, fist engulfed in purple lightning.

"You are slow Rai-"

"Strikethrough the heavens and earth! Wrath of the thunder fang!" Raijin did not hesitate for it was out of his rush and senses that he immediately chanted his spells. Bluish lightning gathered around his palms. He felt its burning shocks flowing and encompassing with the swirling of its sharp and forceful energy. Launching his charge, he raised his hands onto the air successfully countering Hideo.

"This is bad," the old man said, followed by a silent curse causing him to withdraw the discharged energy accumulated on his fist and equip his whole body into an armor of lightning to defend himself against Raijin.

The young man screamed with all his might while releasing a large-scale attack that caused the surroundings to almost turn into nothingness. Panting heavily, he stumbled onto his feet—feeling the exhaustion of drained energy on his whole. He glanced at his palm as small shocks of lightning residue were seen.

"That was good," his grandfather remarked, smiling proudly. He looked at his grandson rushing to his side. He accepted the young man's hand to stand. "And because of what you did, we're now homeless..." faint laughter was heard from Hideo as he rested his arm around Raijin's shoulder.

"I'm sorry" accomplishment for the success on his counter isn't plastered on his face, sounding as if the world has turned its back towards him.

Hideo gave him a small smile. "What for? If you're worried for the house, it's no big deal-"

"You're hurt" Raijin did not face him, not willing to return his gaze because of conscience and guilt.

Letting out a deep breath, his grandfather faced him placing both of his hands onto his shoulders. "If you want to be a soldier of wisdom then you should not worry about hurting others. This is war, and an act of kindness would not always be the answer" he runs his hands through the boy's hair. It was always his gesture of showing affection towards him because Raijin is his pride and joy. "For tonight, we'll be having your favorite-"

Hideo's words trailed off and as if his world has stopped, Raijin's eyes widened watching the old man suddenly fall on his knees, blood started to gush through his grandfather's mouth. "Pops!?" he cried. There were no gunshots nor a sign of a sudden attack from an enemy. It was a mystery to Raijin what took place. He immediately rushed to Hideo's aid to hold him and lean his head towards his arms as his mind had started to become blank; unable to utter the words to say.

"Ah. This is such a pain, killing Anshiantiaes I mean"

"If lord Krisaus heard that, you would be a cold body right now, Amelia."

Their voice lingered on his ears that seemed to be the ringing of death. Holding his grandfather's bloody physique in his arms, Raijin could feel it—an enormous amount of energy emitting dangerously from where the voices were. It's too much that he can't take the courage to move.

"R-Raijin..." his grandfather's shaking voice called out to him. His trembling hands reached for his face, "T-take the chushin and run"

The moment he had known their arrival, it made him realize that they were formidable. Raijin once again heard the voices nearing them as fear took over his entire system. Fear not for himself, but for losing the man in front of him. "P-pops" his tone broke. He tried to help the old man to stand, his legs trembled knowing that he can't do something against them. Three months was never enough, it didn't make him stronger as it only served as guidance in teaching him how to fight.

"I said run!" Hideo shouted making himself cough with blood from the injury on his chest and lower abdomen. With the remaining strength, he pushed his grandson ushering him to leave as soon as possible.

"Eh? What's this? An old man and a boy?" The woman said, who's dressed in a grayish garb.

"Yes, they're at lord Krisaus' vision" There stood a boy beside the lady, who wears a similar style of clothing.

Their whole is nowhere familiar to the young man, they're not from here. Were they perhaps a Nemiendlich?

"Run! Raijin just run!"

Despite the commanding shout of his grandfather, he didn't move nor he had not averted his eyes from their pursuers, not knowing what he must do. He is overwhelmed by their enormous energy that seemed to bury him as a whole.

"Huh? Did you just say run?" The lady said in a tone of disgust.

"You can't" The boy followed in a mocking smile, as he raised his hand towards the two of them.

"Damn it" Even on the brink of death, Hideo immediately charged his energy to deflect the attack coming from their enemy. But it had still passed through his defense, piercing straight to his body. The attack is not visible to the naked eye as one had to use their senses and energy to predict its movement.

Surprised by the sudden action, Raijin wasn't able to do anything but scream. "No! Stop! Pops!?!"

Both of their foes burst out laughing watching at the pitiful state of them. Raijin didn't make it in time his hands reached for his grandfather who slowly collapsed on the ground. And yet, there was nothing—he could not sense anything from the old man even his breathing. The lifeless body of Hideo rested on his arms as he didn't stop calling for him. His clothes were stained by blood from the corpse. He was helpless in watching him sacrifice his grandfather's life and if resenting the gods would bring him back, he would do whatever it takes.

Despair, anger, and regret. All he could do is cry and remain where he was. Wishing for a miracle to befall him. For all this time, he never knew that this would be the end of everything. 'Was it all for nothing?'

As if being in rhythm to his cries, a bluish light shone to his grandfather's pocket, creating a sudden silence from their enemies. It was the chushin, calling out to him.

Raijin's mind wandered for a moment. And to know the answer to his curiosity, he reached for it and has laid his grandfather's body carefully to the ground. He could sense the power and energy accumulated inside the regalia—that seemed to flow in sync towards his own. He wore it, letting it dangle through his chest. Yet, even if a ray of hope is there in the palm of his hands would he be happy to live without his grandfather beside him? He wouldn't. That is why what is the point of this fight?

'Live'

Resembling the calming sound of the waves, a voice echoed through his mind. He held the chushin hanging on his neck. 'Was the voice from here?' he wondered. The possibility of it being an illusion created by the unknown power of the enemy had also run through his mind.

'Live. For the Ikazuchi'

No, it wasn't from the regalia. It was the words his grandfather would tell him if he were still alive. Even if despair and grief had taken over him, closing his eyes he clasps the chushin tightly reaching for the voice telling him to live as he felt a vast of energy drowning his whole body into the unknown.

"Ack! -" his focus had been interrupted, feeling the sensation of ache on his chest. The same injury that his grandfather had—a small pierced hole that seemed to burn him into agony. Blood was emitting on his mouth causing his entire body to be weakened.

"What the heck are you doing brat?!" This time, unseen punches have come one after another to every part of his body.

The tearing pain hindered his voice from creating sounds. Raijin tried to recollect everything that he had learned during training. He managed to barely stand enduring the stinging hits in positioning his hand and body towards the enemy and accumulating energy as possible in his hands. The punches that he can't see with his eyes did not stop their torture. Blood continued to flow through his mouth, and wounds were to open. He forced himself to discharge the energy he was gathering—altering it into his power—the lightning.

He screamed with all his might releasing the attack. A straight flush of lightning charged directly into the enemy almost obliterating everything in that direction. Raijin's eyes glanced to where he had directed the attack and panting, he let himself fall to the ground. It was the best attack he could give in his current condition that he had gambled with the idea of executing it. 'Did I defeat them? Was it over?' he asked in the corner of his mind. He looked at what was in front of him even his eyes could barely see what was in there for everything was covered in smoke because of the attack. Every inch of his whole thumps in agony that his eyelids were getting heavier each second pass and was slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

"What was that? An ant's bite is a bit more painful. Are you kidding me?"

The smoke had cleared he could now see a glimpse of their figures. Hearing the voice he came back to his senses, forcing himself to stay awake. They're still there, uninjured even a single scratch was not seen. He wanted to cry and beg for his life but no good would that do to him. There is no reassurance that they could spare his life—nor he had wanted his life to be spared by them. They're the Nemiendlich the main enemy of an Anshiantiae like him.

'I'm weak' Raijin whispered in his thought. "If only I could just..."

Lying on the ground, his eye is directly leveled onto the ground. He saw his opponent's footsteps nearing. They were looking down at him, laughing, as if he were a part of a circus play. His grandfather was right, he would be a laughing stock. Raijin received kick after kick along with their mocking voices. He couldn't almost feel anything because of the pain. There's only one thing he could do and that is to accept that everything is over.

"Where am I?" Is this the next life?" He could hear the echoing of his voice. There was nothing to be seen in his surroundings, everything was pitch black. Yet, in front of him, there was a bluish light flickering brightly. His eyes wandered around his body; his wounds have disappeared along with the pain he was feeling. He was perplexed for a moment realizing his whole was floating in an unknown space.

He tried reaching for the light putting a lot of force into his hands and yet his efforts were futile. It may seem close but so far. Forcing his way through the light, it had taken him a lot of time to finally reach for it. His eyes observed every inch there was nothing but symbols that he had no idea of. A short cry escaped his mouth upon touching the stroke of the symbols and he felt a bolt of lightning passing through his entire whole followed by an enormous rippling of energy. His eyes blinked repeatedly staring at the object and as if it were some sort of a miracle, he could already read the symbols sheltered inside the light. He mouthed the words, reading the characters in unison.

"Through the deep sea of Engaria, the mystic heavens of Sowavakka, and the prosperous land of Ademsia. Rage through the clouds and allow me to call upon thy name"

"W-what is this?"

The voice of the lady ran through his ears and his eyes flew open revealing the area where he had been lying down injured and almost at death's door. Though this time his body was wrapped in enormous energy that was transmuted into electrifying shocks of lightning. Clouds went dark and the roaring of thunder was heard.

Raijin's thoughts had no time to comprehend what had happened to him onto the unknown space—whether it was a dream or an interval created by the chushin. He had let his body submerge by the surging power and it seems like the boy before his enemies weren't the same a while back. Everything in him was covered in lightning, his eyes were white and flashes of bolts were seen darting around as if the lightning has become one with him.

Shock and fear plastered on his opponent's faces; their eyes were wide open not anticipating what took place before them. The two of them stood frozen as the boy they had once made fun of rose in front of them emitting a power that surpasses even of their own. They had underestimated him and now the tables have turned in favor of the thunder's rumbling.

"Lightning thunder's mystic Guardian" Raijin stared at them dead in the eyes that gave no sense of mercy.

"Wait...Wait!" pleaded the Nemiendlich boy who stumbled on his feet.

Raijin didn't listen to their pleas, and with the last words in his chant, he spoke...

"Alvarynieus"

---

Several days have passed since the incident. Right now, he was still in disbelief at how he was able to survive the tragedy. Offering flowers to his late grandfather's grave, he let out a deep breath staring at the skies and watching the clouds move at a slow pace—how it had reminded him of the day the old man would run his hands through his crimson hair while narrating his everyday tales.

"Pops, I'll be on my way. See you, don't go missing me too much" with a last glance and smile at the tombstone, he held the chushin in his hand and started walking ahead. "The mainlands..." he muttered as his hair was blown by the wind.