ARC 1 CHAPTER 1

Aetheria

A world once threatened by a great Demon Lord Ercale. Ercale led his armies of demons and undead to enslave the world under his rule. The knights of the Holy Kingdom Veridiania tried to stop him and his army but failed. Other species, such as elves, orcs, dwarves, demi-humans, and magical beings like spirits, tried to help Veridiania.

However, they were all weak compared to the demon's army. Hope was lost as nobody thought the demon could be stopped. And then, he arrived. The Chosen One, Winter.

A son of a noble, who possessed great power that not only matched but surpassed Ercale's. And indeed, he succeeded in defeating the demon lord.

By vanquishing the demon and bringing peace to the realm, saved the world in what became the most celebrated day in history. However, 500 years later, it is now regarded as nothing more than a fairy tale.

Those who possess magical abilities and those who do not live in separate communities.

Technology has advanced significantly with the advent of machines powered by steam and electricity. Additionally, the use of guns and vehicles has become commonplace in this era.

And in one of these technologically advanced towns of Veridiania, called Ironhelm, a 16-year-old with blue hair boy runs through the streets at nighttime.

"Get the hell back here, Xain!" yelled a big man with a scar across his eye running after the boy. "Not a chance, Malvin! I highly doubt you're going to be very kind to me!" Xain yelled back.*Why do I do this to myself?* Xain thought to himself.

**5 minutes earlier**

In a bar called The Phoenix's Roost, three men were harassing a woman with blond hair. "Hey, you look lonely. Need some company?" one of the men said as he sat down in front of the her. "Ugh, no, not interested," said the woman, sighing as if this was a regular occurrence.

"Come on, don't be so cold. We're just being nice," one of the others said with a grin. "Listen, I'm not interested, so could you guys just fu--" she was about to say, she was suddenly cut off. "There you are! I was looking everywhere for you, ma'am," said a boy with striking blue hair.

"Thanks for keeping her company, guys. You wouldn't believe how long I was searching for her," he said as he turned to walk away, holding her arm. "Who are you?" the woman simply asked. "Ah, why the hell did you say that? This was supposed to be a cliché of me pretending to know you and taking you away from hoodlums," he whispered to her.

"Hey kid, you trying to ruin our fun?" said the one he presumed was the leader, cracking his knuckles. "Ah, yes. What great fun you were having, harassing a lone woman," Xain said as he prepared for a fight. "What did you just say, you little bastard!" he screamed as he swung his fist.

Xain's instincts flared, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he assessed the situation.

In a split second, Xain's body reacted, dipping low and angling his head to the side, narrowly evading the incoming blow. The leader's fist sailed through the air, missing its mark by inches. Sensing the opportune moment, Xain's muscles coiled like a spring as he exploded upward with a lightning-quick uppercut.

His fist connected with bone-jarring impact, the sickening crack of knuckles against jaw echoing through the bar. The leader stumbled backward, his eyes glazed over, temporarily dazed from the unexpected counterattack. "Come on, we can talk this through, right?" Xain said with a confident smile. *I say that, but that hurt my hand like hell.*

"Just because you got a lucky hit off doesn't mean we lost," said the man, holding his jaw as he swung again. *Ah, come on!, why?* Xain thought to himself.

He sidestepped the oncoming blow, weaving his body. As the leader's punch sailed past, Xain seized the opportunity, striking with precision. His clenched fist shot forward like a lightning bolt, finding its mark squarely on the leader's exposed ribs. A resounding crack reverberated through the bar, followed by a guttural cry of pain.

*I gotta do something to scare the other two off.* He looked around the bar as his eyes landed upon a bottle. He grabbed the bottle and smashed it on a table, saying, "Okay, now back off before someone gets really hurt."

"Oh, someone's going to be hurt all right, but it's not going to be them," said a grizzled voice from the entrance of the bar. *Ah, crap.* He thought as he turned around to see a familiar face with a scar across his left eye, a big muscular body, and a completely bald head. Most importantly, the man was wearing a police uniform.

"Malvin, hey buddy, old pal! I know how bad this looks, but I was in the right. I mean, he swung at me first," said Xain while contemplating how he could make his escape from the situation. "Even if you were in the right, I can arrest you for the numerous other crimes you committed," said Malvin as he stepped towards Xain.

"Well, crud! THINK FAST!" screamed Xain as he threw glass shards at him, taking advantage of the fact that his own hands would be fine due to wearing gloves. Malvin quickly blocked the shards with his forearms as Xain made his escape. "GOD DAMN IT, XAINNNN! DON'T THINK YOU CAN RUN AWAY THIS TIME!" screamed Malvin as he gave chase.

"You say that every time you chase me!" Xain quickly said as he ran through the streets.

And now, we return to the present time.

Xain panted heavily after running for a while, his breaths coming in rapid gasps. As he hides in an alley, he thinks to himself loudly, "Hope I got away". "No, you did not, you little rat," said Malvin from behind him. "How the hell did someone like you sneak up on me?" Xain said in a tired voice.

Malvin said nothing as he grabbed Xain. "Ah, crap," he sighed.