Eight hundred years ago, the world was divided into two parts.
One side was ruled by dangerous monsters and the Kings of Hell.
The other side belonged to humans.
For a long time, both lived peacefully in their own lands. But then, for unknown reasons, a great war broke out between humans and demons.
The war lasted for many years. Countless lives were lost, and blood soaked the earth. But as time passed, humans began to grow stronger. With the blessings of the gods, thousands of mighty mages and soldiers appeared, and nearly one hundred thousand heroes were born, each carrying special powers and divine blessings.
The demons could no longer keep up. One by one, their armies were destroyed. When the war was close to ending, only three Kings of Hell and a few hundred demons were left. Humans began to celebrate, believing victory was finally theirs.
But just as they launched their final attack, the sky turned dark.
A purple light suddenly appeared, descending from above.
Everyone froze in silence.
From within the light, a man stepped out. He had shining silver eyes and held a star-shaped mark in his hand. His presence alone brought unbearable pressure to everyone on the battlefield.
The man spoke in a cold voice:
"Who is your king?"
Without hesitation, the heroes attacked with all their powers. Magic storms, holy light, sword slashes — everything was thrown at him.
The battle shook the heavens. But when it was finally over, only twenty thousand humans survived. The unknown calamity was defeated… yet the cost was greater than any victory.
"Mom, who was that person? Will he come back?" a child asked, his small voice trembling.
The mother hugged him tightly.
"Don't be afraid, my dear. It's just an old folktale. And even if that person returned, we have stronger mages and knights now. Thanks to the Hero Academy, more amazing heroes are being trained every year. Now, sweetheart, let's sleep."
The child nodded. "Okay, mom. Good night."
The Hero Academy was built by the greatest heroes in history. Its purpose was to train new generations, to prepare for any calamity that might appear again, and to make sure the demons would never rise once more.
Year: 29–5–XXX
It was the 200th anniversary of the Hero Academy — the day when new talents from around the world would gather to show their skills and be chosen by the elders. Every year on this day, new history was written.
The city was alive with joy. Fireworks filled the sky. Markets overflowed with people shopping. Talented youths displayed their gifts in the streets — some sang, some danced, and some showed off magic.
The announcer's voice echoed through the celebration:
"Welcome, everyone, to the 200th anniversary of our Hero Academy! I am your host, Yelt. Are you all enjoying this wonderful day?"
The crowd cheered loudly.
"I like this energy!" Yelt laughed. "Then let's not waste any more time. Please welcome the headmaster of this academy — the strongest hero alive, the man whose single slash can cut a mountain into a hundred pieces. Let's welcome our headmaster, Aurelianus Sunder-Kiel!"
The crowd erupted with excitement as a man with a warm smile appeared. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a giant wall of fire and sent it into the sky, creating a beautiful flame-filled sky. The ceremony of selection began.
Inside the waiting room, participants were filled with nerves. Some exercised, some meditated, others whispered among themselves, and some quietly observed their competition.
Suddenly, a loud shout broke the silence.
"You idiot! What the hell did you do!?"
Everyone turned to see a boy named Yun standing with anger on his face.
"Hey brat, how dare you throw water on me!?" Yun yelled.
The other boy bowed his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. The floor was wet, I slipped and fell into you."
"Stop making excuses. Now tell me, how will you pay for this?" Yun demanded.
"Pay…? But… I don't have money," the boy whispered.
Yun's eyes narrowed. "You can't pay? Then I'll take it another way." He clenched his fist and raised it. "Here, take this, four-eyes!" He threw a punch.
"I'm sorry, please stop!" the boy cried as the fight broke out.
Then — suddenly — a shining gold coin rolled across the floor and stopped right in front of Yun's eyes. It glittered with a strange glow.
Yun froze. "Who threw this coin!?"
A calm voice answered from the corner.
"I did. That should be more than enough for your clothes, right?"
Everyone turned. A figure stood in the shadows, wearing a black rugged coat.
Yun glared. "Who are you? His friend?"
"I am not his friend," the stranger replied, his voice sharp. "But I'm tired of hearing your noise. So keep your mouth shut and leave."
"You… you dare mess with me!?" Yun roared.
Before the fight could continue, bells rang.
DING… DONG… DING!
The announcer's voice boomed:
"Yooo! Everyone, it's time! Save your energy for the stage, not the waiting room. Now come outside — LET THE FUN BEGIN!"