In an endless, star-strewn expanse, a colossal battle raged on.
This was not a conflict between humans—
it was a war among gods and goddesses.
A White Dragon God stood at the center of the battlefield, having taken the form of a handsome young man. Two majestic horns rose from either side of his forehead. Yet his condition was dire. He had previously been ambushed and secretly attacked by other divine beings.
His body was riddled with wounds and drenched in blood. The horn on his right side had shattered completely, while the one on the left was severely damaged. His breathing came in ragged gasps as his strength waned, but even so, his eyes continued to burn with a sharp, unwavering light.
"Hah… Hah…"
"Do you truly believe you will be safe after killing me?" the Dragon God spoke coldly to the gods encircling him.
"Hmph!" one god snorted as he stepped forward arrogantly.
"You filthy lizard. Do you really think you still have allies beyond this battlefield? Let me enlighten you—every god who stood by your side has already been eradicated. Not a single one remains… including your lover."
A cruel smile spread across the god's face.
"Do you know? The expression on your lover's face back then was exquisite. The pain… the fear… the realization that you, too, would soon be slaughtered. It sent shivers of delight down my spine."
"BASTARD!!!"
The Dragon God roared, his overwhelming killing intent erupting in all directions. His fury could no longer be restrained.
Casting aside all concern for his wounds and pain, he launched himself forward, charging recklessly into the encirclement of gods. Despite his battered body, his assault was ferocious enough to force the opposing gods and goddesses into a desperate struggle.
Millions of white magical energy spheres scattered throughout the void, detonating one after another. The destructive force of a single explosion was sufficient to annihilate dozens of planets.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As if that were not enough, the Dragon God swung his sword hundreds of times. Each slash released massive crescent-shaped energy blades that cleaved through the surrounding stars.
Moments later, hundreds of magic circles of various elements materialized in the air. From them, countless spells were unleashed indiscriminately.
Boom—Boom—CRASH!
The Dragon God fought with everything he had left. Yet in the end, his body was pierced by multiple divine blades and struck by several fatal spells cast by the gods and goddesses.
Radiant holy chains wrapped around his body, binding him tightly. His arms and legs were spread apart, suspended in the void. The sharp light within his eyes slowly faded away.
"Choosing to eliminate you was the correct decision," said a god as he extended his palm forward—the very same god who had mocked him earlier.
"Even in such a near-death state, you managed to counterattack and inflict grievous wounds upon us. However… this is where it ends."
A magic circle formed before the god's palm, shining with blinding brilliance. In the next instant, it released a devastating surge of magical energy.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The Dragon God's body disintegrated, dissolving into countless sparkling particles of dust that drifted away into the void. After confirming his complete destruction, the gods and goddesses departed for their respective realms.
Yet unbeknownst to them, one goddess secretly safeguarded a fragment of the Dragon God's soul—a faint glimmer of divine light—and set it upon the path of reincarnation.
Swoooosh—
That divine battle occurred so far in the distant past that it became nothing more than legend to the people of another world—humans. Even so, the tale of that war had been subtly altered by the gods through their chosen messengers.
Meanwhile, on Earth—
A young man slowly awoke from his slumber, his eyes still half-lidded. Forcing himself out of bed, he headed to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Splash—Splash—
As the water washed over his body, his drowsiness faded, replaced by a refreshing clarity. After finishing his shower, he put on his high school uniform.
He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a slice of bread, spreading chocolate jam over it. The young man lived alone in a fairly large house. His parents worked overseas, and household chores such as cleaning were handled by a helper who came later in the day.
Placing the jam jar back on the table, he left the house, eating his bread as breakfast.
After closing the door, he looked up at the sky and muttered,
"It's sunny again today… but for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this."
His name was Arya Ruda.
Arya made his way to school on foot. Everything seemed ordinary until he reached a quiet street. From the corner of an intersection ahead, he heard raised voices echoing from an alley.
"Hey, ugly fat girl! Hand over all your money—now!"
Curious, Arya turned his head toward the deserted street on his left. There, he saw a group of delinquent students surrounding a chubby girl.
"Hurry up and give it to me!" their leader shouted, kicking the girl to the ground.
"I can't, Anton… Didn't I already give you money yesterday?" the girl replied, her voice trembling, tears welling in her eyes.
"Come on, Tiara Suni. I'm still alive, aren't I? Of course I've already spent it. Now hand it over, or you'll regret it."
Anton's threatening tone made Tiara flinch violently. Her body shook uncontrollably.
"Hurry up, fatty!"
Anton raised his hand, preparing to strike. But just as he was about to bring it down, his arm suddenly froze.
"Stop it, Anton."
A cold voice sounded behind him.
Anton turned around to see Arya gripping his arm tightly. Realizing who had intervened, Anton clicked his tongue in irritation and yanked his arm free.
"Tch. What a nuisance. Let's go," Anton said before leaving with his lackeys.
After they were gone, Arya stood before Tiara and extended his hand.
"Come on."
Tiara grasped his hand, and with his help, stood up.
"Thank you, Arya."
"Mm." Arya nodded lightly before turning and continuing toward school.
Tiara remained standing, secretly gazing at his back with admiration. Suddenly, Arya stopped and turned around.
"Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to school?"
"Ah! I—I am!" Tiara replied awkwardly as she hurried after him. They were not only schoolmates, but also classmates.
Anton dared not challenge Arya. Arya was the most skilled student in both sports and martial arts. During their first year, Anton had once tried to bully Arya in front of the entire cafeteria.
Instead, Anton had been the one slammed to the ground. From that day on, he avoided provoking Arya.
Upon arriving in class, Arya took his seat at the very back. Despite his athletic ability, he wasn't popular—he always kept to himself.
A few moments later, Tiara entered the classroom. Instantly, the students' attention turned toward her, followed by snickers and mockery.
"Pfft… Look, the fat pig finally showed up."
"She looks like a mess. Anton must've bullied her again."
Anton sat smugly at his desk, surrounded by his friends, grinning maliciously as Tiara passed by.
"You got lucky today, Tiara. Your prince was around again. You should thank your white-horse prince," Anton sneered.
Laughter erupted around him.
"Hey Arya! Shouldn't you pull out a chair for your beloved and let her sit like a princess?"
Whispers spread throughout the classroom as rumors about Arya and Tiara began to circulate.
"Um… everyone, I don't have that kind of relationship with Arya," Tiara said timidly.
"Friends? Hmph. Who'd want to be friends with a fat pig like you?" said Emelyn, a popular and beautiful girl lounging atop a desk.
Tiara lowered her head and walked silently toward her seat. As she passed one of Anton's friends, he suddenly stuck his foot out.
She stumbled—
But before she could fall, Arya caught her.
Her cheeks flushed crimson. Tears welled up and spilled down her face.
"Heru," Arya said coldly, stepping in front of her, "you did that on purpose, didn't you? Haven't you all gone too far?"
"Oh my, the prince is angry because his princess almost fell," Anton mocked.
"Anton," Arya replied calmly, his gaze icy sharp, "don't you realize you're like a dog that can only bark but never bite?"
"What did you say?!"
Anton slammed his desk and stood up, grabbing Arya by the collar.
"You think I'm scared just because you slammed me once? Let me tell you this, Arya—I'm not afraid of you at all!"
The two glared at each other, tension filling the classroom.
Suddenly, a magic circle appeared on the classroom floor.
"Hey, since when did our classroom have such a cool design?" a student joked.
Everyone looked down.
In the next instant, the magic circle emitted a blinding light, temporarily stealing everyone's vision.
When their sight returned—
They found themselves inside a magnificent white structure, lavishly adorned like a grand hall from medieval Europe.