September 17, 2012
The flames devoured everything. Buildings crumbled as fire and ash swallowed the streets. On television, a news reporter's frantic voice echoed in every home:
"People are running—running for their lives! They're being chased by monsters! H-how on earth are these things possible—!?"
The broadcast cut short. The screen went black.
A moment later, screams erupted outside. Shockwaves rattled the ground. Earthquakes split the streets apart. That day six years ago humanity's fate changed forever.
The Present
Our story begins with a boy.
Kazehaya Minomato an ordinary high school student.
He woke up to the sound of his alarm, groggily running his fingers through his messy hair. After a quick shower, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and sat down at the dining table.
His mother sat across from him, watching the morning news, lips pressed into a tight frown.
"Those creatures again… after six years?" She exhaled sharply, uneasily switching the channel.
"Mom, don't worry! The ADE—Anti Demonic Entity—will take care of them." He jumped from his chair, pretending to throw punches. "Plus, you've got me right here! HYAAH! YAAH!"
His mother giggled, covering her mouth.
"That's my sweet boy."
The TV suddenly blared with panic:
"Breaking news! A massive horde of demonic entities has appeared near a convenience store. Wait—! The ADE has arrived! Armed with swords and firearms, they're engaging the threat!"
The screen shifted, showing the ADE lieutenant raising her sword.
"This is your final warning! Surrender, or be banished to the deepest pits of hell!"
The camera shook as beasts roared and lunged. Steel clashed with claws, gunfire roared against black magic.
"Chaos everywhere, folks! The ADE is holding the line, but—wait! Their eyes…! The demons' eyes are glowing! They've gone berserk!"
The battlefield turned bloody.
"Infantry! Push forward! Do not let them through!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
But the tide turned quickly. Soldiers were thrown aside like dolls.
Back inside the Minomato household, Kazehaya and his mother sat frozen, silent.
"They're giving it everything they've got… risking their lives for us."
"…Maybe one day, you'll be the one to end all this."
"Huh? What do you mean—"
She laughed nervously, waving her hand.
"Oh, nothing! Just teasing."
Suddenly, atop the convenience store roof, a lone figure appeared.
"What a mess… Guess it's time I cleaned this up. These beasts are mine."
The reporter nearly dropped his mic.
"It's… it's the majestic hero, Sir Ian!"
"…Sir Ian, huh. Interesting."
"Of course he's interesting! He's one of the Divine Heroes humanity's strongest defenders."
On-screen, Sir Ian drew his katana. With blinding speed, he cleaved through waves of beasts.
A demon lunged at a terrified girl. One slash—and it was halved in two.
"Are you hurt? Take my hand."
"I-I'm fine… thanks to you!"
"Good. Now run. This battlefield isn't for you."
As she fled, Ian smirked, his killing intent sharpening. His blade danced, forcing the beasts into retreat until none remained.
"There you have it, folks! Sir Ian—the shining hero of humanity!"
Kazehaya stood, stretching.
"Well, that's my cue. I'm off to school, Mom!"
"Wait! Your lunch—! Ugh, that boy…"
Arksyun High School
Ding ding!
Kazehaya opened his locker, pulling out his notebook—
BAM! The locker beside him slammed shut.
"KAZEHAYA~!"
Before he could react, a girl wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"Wha—Reyna!? Get off me!"
"Ehehe! I'm so glad to see you! First day of the new semester!" She tilted her head, smiling sweetly with her hands behind her back.
He sighed, patting her head.
"Glad to see you too, Reyna."
"H-hey! Quit it, you dummy!"
"Oh? You want me to stop, darling?"
"D-darling!? A-ah—class is starting, bye!!"
She bolted off. Kazehaya chuckled, embarrassed.
The Lecture
In class, students sat quietly as a woman entered.
"Hello, everyone. I will be your homeroom adviser. Good morning!"
"Good morning, Ms. Afe!"
Moments later, she began today's lecture.
"Now, let us discuss demonic beasts. These creatures possess supernatural abilities beyond human comparison. They exist in three stages:
Stage One – Brute Strength. They overwhelm with sheer power.
Stage Two – Intelligence. Their instincts sharpen, able to predict and counter their enemies.
Stage Three – Berserk. They abandon reason, fighting with uncontrollable ferocity."
The class murmured, unsettled.
"Wait—so they're like, super-evolving monsters? That's way beyond scary…"
"Psst, Kazehaya. This is boring. Got plans later?"
"Not really. You?"
"Same. Honestly, I just wanna relax already."
"Cut it out. It's not like you're trapped here."
"IT'S BECAUSE I AM, DUMMY!"
The lights suddenly flickered.
The two glanced at each other.
"Uh… hey, Teach? What's going on?"
"It must be an electrical outage. Stay calm, I'll check it out." She stepped outside.
The class buzzed nervously. Minutes passed.
Then—
A piercing scream.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Everyone froze. Chairs scraped. Panic spread like wildfire.
"I'm scared… I don't wanna die…"
"You're not gonna die, alright? That's absurd."
"Should we check it out, Kazehaya?"
"…I guess so."
A speaker crackled overhead.
"Attention students: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CLASSROOMS. A strange entity has entered the school premises."
Kazehaya shot up from his seat. He and Kagenou rushed into the hallway.
"HEY! Where are you going!?"
There—Ms. Afe was struggling, pinned by the claw of a demonic beast.
"LET ME GO, YOU MONSTER!" She kicked and flailed, but the beast's grip only tightened.
Kazehaya froze. His legs trembled uncontrollably, his breath shallow.
"Kazehaya—! Snap out of it!"
The beast roared, hurling Ms. Afe into the wall. She hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"MS. AFE—NO!"
Blood dripped from her forehead as her vision blurred.
"Run… run away, kids…" Her fingers twitched… then went limp. She collapsed.
Kazehaya's heart stopped. His chest tightened as despair crushed him.
"I'm weak… too weak… Just like six years ago, when everything fell apart. Back then, I couldn't save anyone… and now… I'm still useless!"
Darkness swallowed him. His body collapsed into a void.
But then—
"Child of fate… why do you weep?"
Light bloomed. A woman appeared—silver-haired, clad in celestial robes, eyes glowing like starlight. A goddess.
"…It's you…"
"Kazehaya Minomato… within you sleeps a legacy not of despair—but of power."
In her hand, a weapon of light formed—a sleek black gun, its barrel etched with glowing runes.
"This is no ordinary weapon. It is the Enchant Armament—a divine gun forged from the prayers of the fallen. In your weakest hour, it answers your call. Will you rise—or fall?"
His hands trembled.
"…But I'm weak. I couldn't save Ms. Afe… I couldn't save anyone and even Aira."
The goddess pressed her hand against his chest.
"Strength is not the absence of fear. It is the will to act despite it. Take this weapon… and carve your own fate."
The gun surged into his hands. His body flared with light—his left eye glowing with divine energy as the void shattered.
Back in Reality
Kazehaya gasped. His hand was no longer empty. In it gleamed the Enchanted Gun, glowing with runes.
"…W-where the hell did that come from!? And your eye—your clothes—WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"
The beast roared, charging again.
"…Lend me your strength, Goddess."
BANG!
A blinding shot erupted, piercing straight through the beast's chest. It slammed into the wall with an earth-shaking crash, glowing with a holy mark before collapsing.
The hall fell silent.
Kazehaya dropped to his knees, panting, the gun trembling in his grip.
"…This power…"
And as the last echoes faded, her voice brushed his ear like a whisper of wind.
"…We will meet again, my child. Wield my gift well."
The voice vanished. But the gun remained.
Kazehaya slumped forward—and passed out.