I woke up to a strange sound beside me. My heart raced as I slowly opened my eyes—only to find a small, oddly-shaped creature staring back at me. Despite its eerie look, its tiny size kept it from being truly frightening. Its eyes, however, were filled with hunger.
I pulled out a piece of food and offered it. The little beast snatched it from my hand and devoured it in seconds.
That's when reality sank in.
In front of me loomed the forest.
A cursed place. A legend whispered by travelers: "Those who enter… never return."
But hesitation wouldn't help me. I gathered my things and stepped forward. The deeper I went, the darker it became. The trees grew denser, swallowing what little light remained.
Then—rustling.
I gripped my sword tightly and moved cautiously toward the sound. My breath caught when I saw it… the same small creature from before!
"What are you doing here?" I asked without thinking.
It didn't speak—but it picked up a stick and scratched words into the dirt:
"I want to come with you."
The blood in my veins froze. A beast that could write? Impossible. Even the knowledge I inherited from my master insisted such a thing couldn't exist. Yet here it was, right in front of me. Rare… beyond rare.
I let it follow.
Hours passed, but unease gnawed at me. I marked a tree by cutting it in half—only to circle back to the same place minutes later.
A trick.
An illusion.
I had no choice but to rely on my master's techniques. Sitting cross-legged, I drew out the first scroll, letting my mind sink into the flow of knowledge. Time vanished. Days bled into weeks as I devoured every line, every detail. By the time I mastered the first technique, I pushed myself into the second.
And then… something clicked.
The Mind Shatter Technique.
The Soul Breaker Technique.
When I unleashed them together, the illusion shattered like glass.
That's when I realized—the techniques slowed time itself. Outside, only minutes had passed. But for me? Two, maybe three months had gone by.
Exhausted, I rose to my feet, dirt clinging to my clothes, hair longer than before.
The creature was gone.
Or so I thought—until a massive shadow loomed. My sword nearly slipped from my hand. A monstrous beast emerged from the darkness… but instead of attacking, it lowered its head and licked my cheek like a loyal hound.
My chest tightened. Could it be?
The tiny creature… had grown.
A smile broke across my face. "From now on, your name will be… Falco."
Its eyes glimmered with a joy so pure, as if it had been waiting for this name all its life.
We pushed deeper through the forest together. Just as I prepared to leave for the academy, Falco tugged me by the arm, dragging me toward a cave.
The air grew colder as we entered. My gaze locked onto a skeletal figure sitting against the stone, clutching a sword.
I reached out—drawn to it.
The skeleton moved.
Dust fell from its bones as it stood tall, its hollow sockets glowing faintly.
And then, in a voice deep and commanding, it spoke:
"If you seek the Blade of the End… you must defeat me. I will lower my strength to your level. Prove yourself worthy."
My pulse thundered in my ears. Slowly, I drew my sword. The sound of steel echoed through the cavern.
And with that…
The battle began.