Somewhere, several hundred kilometers from the City of Apple Trees, a young boy stood on a mountain, sword in hand, gazing at the horizon. He had long scarlet hair, matching the vivid hue of his eyes.
"Prince Brown, your mother has sent me to fetch you," declared a middle-aged man standing a few steps behind him, bowing respectfully. "She wishes you to rest in preparation for the test to come."
The young prince turned his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"Tell me, Gerard, do you think I will succeed in this examination?"
"To think otherwise would be absurd, Your Highness," replied the butler fervently. "You are, without a doubt, the most powerful young man in the entire city. If you fail, who else would?"
The prince remained thoughtful for a moment, then said calmly:
"True power lies in the heart, Gerard. It is not brute force, but what we carry within ourselves that makes us true warriors. I will pass this test to prove to my father and mother my true worth."
He then sheathed his sword, turned calmly, and walked away with a determined step. This young boy was none other than Prince Iris Brown, heir to the prestigious Brown family—considered the richest and most influential in the City of the Rising Sun, and even one of the four great families of the Geboku Kingdom.
A few kilometers away, two young boys were practicing swordsmanship, although their weapons were only simple wooden sabers. The ground, dry and dusty, bore the marks of their exertion.
"Argh!" Easy, Thomas! cried one of them, falling heavily on his buttocks, clutching his broken sword. At this rate, you'll end up killing me... This isn't training anymore, it's an assassination attempt!
"Sorry!" replied the other, robustly built, standing upright and covered in sweat. "I'm worried... The exam is fast approaching, and it's eating away at my mind."
"You worried? Your future opponents should be," sneered the other, standing up and dusting off his clothes. "Don't forget that you have mastered the secret art of the Rushing Wind. No one can defeat you."
These words brought a small smile to Thomas's lips.
"You're probably right... I'm going to give it my all, body and soul," he declared, resuming his training with determination.
Thomas was considered the prodigy of the City of Rushing Winds. He had awakened the secret Art of Rushing Wind, a legendary skill that hadn't been manifested in his city for centuries. His very existence inspired both hope and fear.
Further away, several kilometers away, a young boy sat cross-legged, his eyes closed and his hands clasped in front of him. He stood before a deep red sea, similar to the color of blood. His posture, upright and motionless, indicated a state of deep meditation.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. A few moments later, the sea split in two, revealing a flat expanse of land beneath the parted waves, as if obeying his will alone.
"I, William Moreti," he declared confidently, "will crush my adversaries until nothing remains of them. I will remain here, in silence, strengthening my mind through meditation."
William Moreti was considered the most formidable young man in his city. There, he was nicknamed the Immaculate. Everything about him betrayed an exceptional intelligence, a rare presence, an undeniable inner strength. In the eyes of his peers, he embodied a genius, but of a superior, almost inhuman kind.
Leagues away, a young girl walked alone on frozen ground. The ground, the water, and even the air seemed frozen by the cold. And yet, the icy environment in no way affected her calm and assured gait. Hands clasped behind her back, she moved forward as if this frosty land were her own.
Suddenly, a gigantic snow bear, five meters tall, appeared behind her, ready to attack. But without her making a single move, the bear was immediately frozen, transformed into an ice sculpture, from head to toe.
"Wretched beasts... To dare to attack me treacherously? How cowardly!" she murmured contemptuously, without even slowing her pace.
This young girl's name was Jessica Yuki, nicknamed the Snow Princess. This title had been given to her because of the extraordinary gifts she had possessed since birth, far surpassing those of her generation in the City of Eternal Ice. Cold and merciless, her character reflected her power. It was even said in her city that she would never take a husband: all the young men her age feared her.
Further away, in a peaceful forest, a young boy was surrounded by a multitude of animals of all species. Deer, wolves, badgers, squirrels, bears; but also lizards, turtles, salamanders, and snakes... All seemed in perfect harmony with him. He distributed food to them tenderly, repeating their names gently.
"Take it, my friends. Eat your fill. I'll be away in a few days for an exam, and few people will be there to look after you. As I've always told you, you are my family. All of you, without exception. I'll also bring you food from wherever I'm going," he said, continuing to feed them one by one, while the animals happily crowded around him.
Not far away, a young girl watched him silently, sitting on a branch, her legs crossed, her gaze curious.
This boy was none other than Wraith Lion, the most promising candidate in the City of the Illusive Lion. He was so exceptional that his invitation to the examination had been personally issued by one of the Twelve Division Commanders—a rare honor reserved for exceptional beings.
(The division commanders are each at the head of the twelve primordial cities, pillars of the kingdom.)
Far from this place, several hundred kilometers away, a young boy stood before an immense rock made entirely of gold. It radiated a dazzling glow, a result of the purity of its metal. The adolescent, his eyes closed, held a wooden sword in his right hand and adopted the rigorous posture of a swordsman in deep concentration.
After a few moments of silence and stillness, he suddenly opened his eyes, slowly raised his sword, and murmured in a calm voice:
"Sacred Art of the Light of Life: The Sacred Cut…"
At the same time, he gently brought the wooden blade down in front of him. A luminous blade, as thin as a thread, sprang from the tip of the sword and brushed against the golden rock. A breath later, the sacred rock fractured into a multitude of fragments, which scattered to the ground with a crystalline clink.
This rock was none other than the Golden Rock, the ancestral and unalterable symbol of the City of the Golden Rock.
"Well," he sighed, a little wearily.
"The City of the Golden Rock will probably have to think about finding another name for itself. What had previously been its glory has just been reduced to dust... with a simple gesture."
A few meters away, an old man with a long white beard watched the scene, petrified with astonishment.
"By the gods... He just pulverized the Golden Rock... And with a simple wooden sword!" This rock is reputed to be unbreakable... Even the greatest master swordsmen have never been able to leave the slightest mark on it... Could this boy... already be more powerful than them, even though he's only fourteen?" he thought, his mind reeling.
Then, with a startled look:
"Did I hear correctly? Did he say the words 'Sacred Art'? Could he have already attained Enlightenment in his Art at such a tender age? It's... unprecedented."
"Hey, old man!" the boy suddenly called out, turning around casually.
"I think I accidentally broke your rock."
"Accidentally? Do you think I'm a fool?" the old man replied, torn between shock and amusement. "You literally smashed it to pieces, and... on purpose!"
"Well, all right," the boy admitted with a shrug. I did it on purpose. So what? It's not my fault your rock was so fragile. ' he added, fixing his hair, absently stroking his golden locks.
"Fragile?!" the old man choked. 'Was I dreaming, or did he just call the Golden Rock "fragile"?' he murmured, his hands trembling with emotion.
'I'm starving. Shall we go eat?' the boy said nonchalantly. 'A hungry stomach has no ears, old man.'
He threw the wooden sword to the ground and walked away at a leisurely pace, towards what appeared to be the road leading to his home.
The old man, meanwhile, stood there frozen, his mouth half-open, unable to decide whether to laugh, cry, or faint at what he had just witnessed.
"What a sad observation... That a child of such power displays such marked nonchalance... He seems to mock everything. And yet, to achieve the Enlightenment of Art while shattering the Eternal Rock... It's simply unspeakable. Larva... you are destined to become a divine king, there's no doubt about it," the old man mused, his mind reeling from what he had just seen.
"It goes without saying that this city will have to choose a new name from now on... Why not Old Man City? What do you say, old man?" Larva snapped, hands in his pockets, casting a mocking glance back.
"LARVAAA! I'll correct you, you've got nothing to lose by waiting... And besides, I'm not that old! I'm only ninety-two!" the old man yelled, red with anger.
This young boy was none other than Larva Leventis, the most prodigious apprentice in the City of Golden Rock. He had awakened the essence of his Sacred Art at the age of two, and was capable of wielding three distinct elements with extraordinary mastery. His power was such that, even at the age of ten, he was suspected of equaling the greatest master swordsmen. Some even nicknamed him the Muse Incarnate.
Much further away, hundreds of kilometers away, a young man sat in a dark cavern, so dark that his facial features were barely distinguishable. Only two ominous glimmers pierced through the gloom: his eyes and his enigmatic smile.
"A few more days... then the time will come to act," he murmured, a mischievous, almost devilish smile on his lips.
This young man was none other than Thorne, the feared mage of the City of the Mysterious Cave.
Meanwhile, in the City of Apple Trees, Kyriel's brothers continued their preparation for the impending test. In the large courtyard of their home, Benjamin, Dylan, and Clé trained vigorously. As for Kyriel, he remained in his room, troubled, trying to understand the cause of the sudden weakening he had felt since his sleep.
"It wasn't a dream... It was real. Something happened during the night, but I can't say what... Sooner or later, I'll discover the truth."
He had barely uttered these words when a shrill scream echoed through the courtyard.
"ARGH!" Dylan yelled, clutching his leg, his face contorted in pain.
"It's coming from outside!" " exclaimed Kyriel, rushing towards the family courtyard.
Soon, all the family members were gathered around Dylan, who was lying on the ground.
"My... my leg... It's broken!" he cried, overcome with pain, his leg visibly fractured.
"You were supposed to be training, not killing each other!" Marie exclaimed, furious.
"I'm so sorry, I... I didn't mean to," Clé stammered, genuinely confused.
"The injury is serious. He won't be able to heal in five days. Dylan won't be able to participate in the tournament," declared Bertrand, carefully examining his brother's leg.
"This is unthinkable!" Benjamin cried, panicking. "We've already sent a letter to the Council, specifying that we would present six candidates... Unless one of us dies, we are obliged to maintain that number!"
"He's right," added Chloe gravely. "The Council would impose a severe sanction if we fail to keep our promise."
"That's unimaginable... five days before the exam," sighed Nicole, visibly exhausted.
"In that case, I'll replace Dylan," declared Kyriel firmly.
"Are you kidding?" growled Saint Patrick, their father, who had just arrived on the scene.
"You can't participate in this exam, not in your condition... It would be signing your death warrant!" he continued.
"Then let's send five participants... and sign the death warrant for the entire family. The Council won't leave us alone if we fail to keep our promise." " replied Kyriel, his gaze hard.
"He's absolutely right," confirmed Bertrand.
Grégoire, in turn, clenched his fists, then left the room, his face closed with worry and anger.
"Kyriel, are you really sure you want to face this exam... in your condition?" asked Marie, her eyes clouded with anguish.
"Don't worry, Mother... Nothing will happen to me. I will take this exam, and I will become a student swordsman... Nothing will stop me from fulfilling my destiny," replied Kyriel, determination blazing in his eyes.