The Fated Day

The society of those with powers and those without powers has been built on wars and conflicts. The powerless rule the world, and those with powers are hunted.

These rules weren't always forced on the people. Not too long ago, these two sides, those with abilities, called the Resonants, and those without, called the Graceless, lived in peace.

One day, a man quickly rose to become a leader, Lucian Daichi.

He claimed that those with powers are a plague to humankind, and will lead to destruction.

His words gained popularity, and through his innovation, Graceless had a chance to fight back.

He designed The Hunters, Graceless in hazmat-like suits using artificial elemental powers.

With that, he waged wars and eventually the world headed towards a brutal civil war.

Graceless won, and with that they became the leaders.

In this new era, power as it once was doesn't exist, and only the powerless get to live in a world created by both sides.

###

In the city that was filled with towering buildings and busy streets lived Yamikuro Asaki, walking beside his childhood friend Elara, hands in his pockets.

Sunlight beamed down, reflecting off glass windows and blinding people.

The sound of car horns that deafened them covered the singing of birds and the footsteps of passersby. 

A typical day in a big city.

There were also posters of Lucian Daichi everywhere.

"We can stand against those with powers by uniting as one."

Yamikuro's dark blue eyes inspected each corner and alleyway, looking for something.

One of the Resonants was on the run.

Elara was fidgeting with her fingers.

She looked around cautiously for Hunters.

"You're really going to do this?"

Yamikuro's eyes were locked onto the corners and alleyways on their left.

"Of course. I'll save all of them if needed."

Elara sighed.

Her gaze was focused on the park on their right.

"You're an idiot, you know that, right?"

"You tell me that every other day."

Yamikuro stopped.

"Found him."

A man sat hidden behind a dumpster.

His clothes were ruined, and bruises covered his body.

A prisoner who escaped. His hands were still in cuffs that nullified his abilities.

"S-stay back!" The man yelled, trying to get on his feet.

"We're not here to hurt you," Yamikuro said in a gentle tone, raising his hands.

"You need to get out of here before the Hunters find you-"

He stopped talking.

Footsteps echoed from the other side of the alleyway.

The Resonant's eyebrows rose in shock.

He lumped towards Yamikuro, his body shaking.

In a hurry, Yamikuro reached into his pocket.

"Show me your cuffs, I may be able to free you."

Just then, two Hunters stepped into the alleyway.

Elara's stomach dropped. "We're done for."

One of the Hunters audibly smirked.

"Well, what do we have here... If it isn't that criminal again, you're lucky that you're not a Resonant. You would've been the priority to be executed."

Yamikuro's eyes narrowed.

The other Hunter decided to push Yamikuro further.

"Killing your parents, was it?"

That was it for Yamikuro.

Without a word, he handed the equipment to Elara.

He grabbed the broken pipe that was hanging on the wall next to him.

Yamikuro knew he could bend the laws due to being a Graceless.

So he ran towards The Hunters.

One of them was startled and started loading his weapon.

Yamikuro was fast and strong.

In just one blow, the Hunter was knocked down.

The hit echoed in the alleyway.

The other stepped back until eventually he tried to run.

Yamikuro took a second to fixate his aim, and threw the pipe.

As it flew, doing multiple spins, Yamikuro smiled arrogantly.

The pipe hit the Hunter in the back of his head and knocked him down as well.

Meanwhile, Elara was freeing the cuffs from that man.

She succeeded just in time before more Hunters were heard.

"We have to run!" She yelled.

Yamikuro grabbed onto her sleeve.

"I know that, let's go somewhere crowded!"

They ran to the city square where a crowd had gathered.

An execution of another Resonant was happening.

As expected, Lucian Daichi stood before the platform.

His smile, and the pride he felt of being able to kill people pissed Yamikuro off.

"This is what happens to those who don't follow the rules." Lucian declared in his usual calm, yet firm voice.

Yamikuro felt his blood boil, he hated everything about this.

"They're just killing someone for being different."

Elara, standing there with a straight face, didn't react.

"This is just how things are."

Yamikuro wanted to run through the ground and fight Lucian head on.

But he would lose.

Even if given endless chances, in his current state, Yamikuro would lose every single time.

Before Lucian could give the execution order, a loud explosion shook the area.

Thick smoke filled the air, and panic broke out in the crowd.

Babies cried, chatter picked up, and Hunters aimed their weapons.

Once the smoke cleared, a girl with long red hair, wearing red armor, stood tall.

The Resonant stood free beside her.

Yamikuro's breath caught in his throat.

"Who's that?"

Elara was equally as shocked.

The girl leaped down and grabbed a sword out of thin air

She started swinging it around, with flames swirling everywhere.

Lucian raised his arm, and the Hunters started shooting.

People started running away, with only a few standing by to see it unfold.

The girl was about to reach Lucian.

But that's when one of the Hunters managed to hit her left arm, she flew onto the ground.

Forcing herself back up with her arm bleeding.

"Not today, you won't take me down here." She said.

When she saw the Resonant had escaped, she smiled.

She leaped into the air and also escaped.

Yamikuro's mind raced.

A Resonant fought back just now.

He has never seen anything like this.

Yamikuro ran after her, with a feeling of discomfort.

"H-hey, Yami! Where are you going?!" Elara yelled before losing him in the panicked crowd and the Hunters.

Yamikuro tried to follow where she went.

There was one unique ability Yamikuro had, he was able to sense the power of Resonants.

That's how he found the girl hiding behind bushes and trees in an empty park.

Her left forearm was hurt, and a destroyed device lay on the ground.

"Why did you follow me?" The girl asked, surprisingly confident near Yamikuro.

"I'm not here to fight... I'm curious, is all." He said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"So you followed me because you were curious?"

Yamikuro slid his hands into his pockets.

"I've never seen someone fight back against the Graceless, you know."

"Yeah? I couldn't stand to watch someone I know die like this."

After looking at Yamikuro closer, her eyes widened.

"You're Yamikuro Asaki, aren't you?"

Yamikuro raised his right hand to his hair and started fiddling with it.

"Perhaps... Where'd you hear that?"

The girl smiled slightly.

"You've saved countless people living here, and helped them find a way to The Hideout."

After looking around, the girl forced herself up.

"To be honest, you inspired me to take action against the Graceless... I'm Isabella, by the way."

"I'm Yamikuro-... Never mind. It's a pleasure to meet a fan of mine." Yamikuro chuckled a little.

Isabella folder her arms.

"Don't be stupid, I'm not your fan."

She then sighed.

"But you're seen as a hero for the weak ones."

Her gaze dropped onto the ground. The broken device lay there.

"How am I meant to get back there now?"

Yamikuro picked it up.

"So this is what you all use to travel. I can't tell what it looked like before getting smashed like a pancake."

Yamikuro handed it to Isabella. "I'm typically good when it comes to fixing stuff, but this is beyond repairable. You'll have to get a new one."

"If only it were that easy... I don't even have a way to contact anyone in The Hideout."

Yamikuro gave her a smile. "It'll be fine, don't look so down. There's plenty of you still in this world, you'll surely find someone who has this device."

After barely being able to finish the sentence, Isabella hushed at him.

Hunters were heard talking near the bushes.

"Where could she have gone? Lord Daichi has gone on a wide range search for her."

"I wonder why." The other Hunter replied.

"I thought Resonants were pacifists or something, why'd she have to cause such a scene?"

Isabella snuck out of the bushes without making a noise.

She managed to sneak out so well that Yamikuro didn't notice until she was gone.

He quickly picked up the broken device, which she had dropped, and ran.

Yamikuro could sense her presence, so he followed.

He panted as he caught up to her on the rooftop. His hair was violently thrown around by the wind.

"Sheesh, you sure run fast."

Isabella was caught off guard.

"How did you-? No, I don't recommend you follow me. This is a dangerous mission, and someone like you shouldn't throw your life away."

Yamikuro took a deep breath, trying to lower his pulse after running up the stairs.

"The government has their eyes on me anyway, and I think they're trying to capture me as well, but I'd be the only Resonant to be captured and killed like that."

"I'll help you get to The Hideout, and then..."

Isabella cut him off.

"Why are you doing all of this?"

The edges of Yamikuro's mouth dropped lower, slightly squinting his eyes.

"Lucian Daichi disgusts me... Everything about him irritates me. If I ever get the chance, I'll kill him with my own two hands."

"Two years ago, I had a dream, the day when my parents died. They say it's suspicious how I didn't hear anything, but it felt so real... The dream where I fought against someone called the Darkness, the name still haunts me."

Isabella's eyes widened. "What if it was real?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard many myths and stories, and one of those talks about a being known as the Darkness. A dangerous power that-"

Yamikuro stopped her.

"Power? No, that's not possible. I don't have anything like that."

Before being able to continue their conversation, a strange noise appeared.

It was a drone hovering near them.

Yamikuro wanted to look for something to throw.

"Damn it. I hate these Hunters."

"We have to jump down." Isabella looked at Yamikuro.

"Huh?"

"My powers still work fine, I can get us down there."

Ready to grab onto Yamikuro's arm, a helicopter flew near them.

A voice called out for them.

"Do not make any sudden movements! We will shoot!"

"Impossible..." Isabella said as she raised her hands, accepting defeat.

Yamikuro didn't want to give up, but he had no choice.

He slowly raised his arms.

But that's when time suddenly froze.

Yamikuro's body froze along with time, but his consciousness didn't.

He could feel a chill run down his spine.

Cold hands reached out to him, touching his back.

It was at least ten of them.

"Accept."

Yamikuro's heart raced.

A deep raspy voice called out for him.

"Kill all of them."

Pain, unlike any before, hit him. His chest felt tight, his head throbbed.

Everything went dark.

Yamikuro passed out, sound and vision gone.

But what seemed to be a few seconds, he woke up, gasping for air.

He faced the starry sky, the moon shining onto the roof where he was lying.

It took one glance to see an horrifying image.

Bodies upon bodies of dead Hunters were piled on top of each other.

Yamikuro looked at his shaky hands.

Blood dripped down them, and he wanted to throw up.

What just happened?

Did he do this? Was it someone else...?

Yamikuro stood on the dead bodies.

It was quiet, no noises he'd typically hear from a city this big.

Could he have been dreaming?

"Darkness wielder, what pleasure it is to meet you." A figure sat on top of the rooftop enclosure.

Yamikuro turned around, sweat dripping down his body, his mind racing. "Who are you?"

A smile appeared on the person's face.

"A god."