1529, Age of the Sea Calendar
North Blue — Hakkuro Village
The short kid was bent over, hands resting on his knees, staring intently at the strange object half-buried in the grass.
Confusion was written plainly across his young face as he reached out and poked it cautiously, as if expecting it to jump up and bite him. Whatever this thing was, it definitely didn't belong among the ordinary fruits and vegetables he'd seen growing around Hakkuro Village.
It was round and jade-green, its surface covered in layered, leaf-shaped segments that wrapped around one another like overlapping scales. Each segment was etched with tight spiral patterns that seemed almost unnatural, as though someone had carved them in deliberately. A pale, twisting stem sprouted from the top, curling upward like a small vine frozen mid-wriggle, giving the entire thing a strangely alive, plantlike aura.
The boy tilted his head to the side.
"…What is this?"
He crouched lower, squinting at it from different angles.
"It looks like a fruit… but I've never seen a fruit like this before."
He straightened slightly and placed a finger on his chin, brow furrowed in deep thought. The gears in his young mind turned slowly, seriously, as if he were contemplating one of life's greatest mysteries.
"…Should I eat it?"
Since the beginning of time, children had always been simple-minded creatures. That simplicity was the root of their innocence and also the reason they tended to make decisions without much thought at all. When children didn't understand something, the very first instinct that came to mind was often the same.
Put it in your mouth.
That was especially true for seven-year-old Rokkaku Tenjin.
Tenjin reached down and picked up the strange fruit, cradling it in both hands. He stared at it for a long while, turning it slightly, the spiral patterns catching the light as he moved. It didn't smell particularly good. It didn't smell bad either. Just… weird.
"…Well," he muttered to himself.
Before doubt could creep in any further, Tenjin took a bite.
The moment his teeth sank into the flesh, his face twisted violently.
"BLEGH—!"
He spat it out almost instantly, gagging as he coughed and waved his arms in panic.
"This is disgusting!" he yelled, eyes watering. "It's bitter! Slimy! And it tastes like grass that's gone bad!"
He hacked a few more times before freezing.
"…Damn it," he groaned. "I swallowed some of it."
He glared down at the fruit like it had personally betrayed him.
"Why does such a fruit even exist?!"
With an annoyed grunt, Tenjin lifted his arm, ready to throw the cursed thing as far away as he could.
But then—
He shivered.
A very clear image flashed through his mind: his mother's stern face, arms crossed, eyes sharp enough to cut stone.
"Don't waste food, Tenjin."
His hand froze mid-motion.
"…If Mother ever caught me throwing this away," he muttered nervously, "she would kill me. For real."
Slowly, Tenjin lowered his arm and looked down at the fruit again. A large chunk was missing now, the bite mark glaring up at him accusingly.
His face contorted with dread.
"…Well," he said weakly. "Here goes nothing."
Holding his breath like he was about to jump into icy water, Tenjin took another bite. And another. And another.
Each chew was a battle.
He gagged repeatedly, eyes squeezed shut, tears leaking out the corners as he forced himself to swallow. His shoulders trembled, and his knees wobbled as his stomach protested violently.
"Ugh—ugh—blegh—!"
But he didn't stop.
Bit by bit, bite by bite, Tenjin devoured the entire fruit, clamping a hand over his mouth to keep himself from throwing up. When it was finally gone, he staggered backward before collapsing flat onto his back in the grass.
"Haaah… haaah…"
He huffed and puffed heavily, chest rising and falling as if he'd just run a marathon. His throat burned. His stomach churned.
"I never want to eat such a disgusting thing ever again," he declared, staring up at the sky in defeat.
After a moment, he groaned and pushed himself back up to his feet, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"Oh well," he said with a shrug. "Mother must be getting worried now. I should most probably go back home."
Tenjin started walking.
The moment his foot touched the ground—
Rustle.
A small flower bloomed beneath his heel.
Tenjin took another step.
More flowers sprouted, vibrant and colorful, pushing up through the soil as if they'd been waiting for his arrival.
He stopped.
"…Huh?"
Slowly, Tenjin turned his head and looked back.
Behind him, a trail of beautiful flowers and lush plant life stretched across the ground, marking every step he'd taken.
"W-What's going on here…?"
His heart skipped a beat.
He turned and walked in a different direction.
Again, flowers bloomed instantly wherever his feet touched.
"Eeeeeehhhhhh?!"
Tenjin's eyes widened in pure shock.
"What is this?! What's going on?!"
Panic began to bubble up inside him. His thoughts raced wildly.
"…Maybe—maybe I can outrun them!"
Before he could second-guess himself, Tenjin broke into a run.
But no matter how fast he moved, the flowers erupted the instant his feet hit the ground, sprouting just as quickly as he ran. Grass, vines, blossoms, life exploded beneath him in a dazzling, unstoppable trail.
Tenjin skidded to a stop, breathing hard.
"…What is happening to me?"
---
Elsewhere, within the village borders of Hakkuro Village, a black, mid-length-haired woman walked briskly through the streets.
She wore a simple apron and flat shoes, her beauty striking even beneath the tension etched across her face. Her eyes darted from side to side, worry clear in every hurried step.
Makima stopped in front of an older woman and bowed her head slightly.
"Granny Yuka," she said. "Have you, by any chance, seen Tenjin anywhere?"
The elderly woman looked back at her and smiled gently.
"Oh, Makima-chan," Granny Yuka said. "No, unfortunately I haven't seen Tenjin. He is such a curious child, isn't he?"
She chuckled softly.
"It must be hard being the mother of such an adventurous boy."
Makima sighed, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
"It's such a chore, Granny," she admitted. "Now instead of preparing dinner, I have to go out looking for him."
Granny Yuka laughed.
"What a tough job."
Then, noticing two children moving swiftly through the village, she pointed with her cane.
"Why don't you ask Nanagi and Hakugan there?"
Makima followed her gaze and immediately slapped her forehead.
"Of course!" she laughed. "Why didn't I think of that? I should ask Tenjin's age mates."
Granny Yuka grinned.
"You're getting old, Makima-chan."
Makima chuckled.
"Please don't say such things, Granny. I still have a lot of youth in me."
She waved and said goodbye before hurrying off.
"See you, Granny Yuka."
"See you, Makima-chan," Granny Yuka replied, waving back.
Makima quickened her pace.
"Hakugan! Nanagi!"
The two children holding hands stopped and turned around.
"Miss Makima!" Nanagi, the six-year-old girl, called cheerfully.
Makima caught up to them and gently patted Nanagi's head.
"Hello, Nanagi. Hakugan. Are you two good?"
"Yes!" Nanagi nodded enthusiastically.
Hakugan simply nodded once.
"That's good," Makima said with relief. "Have either of you seen Tenjin?"
Nanagi's expression drooped slightly.
"No… Nanagi hasn't seen Tenjin."
"I see," Makima said softly. She chuckled and asked, "Then why do you look so sad?"
"Because I can't help you," Nanagi replied honestly.
Makima smiled warmly.
"Don't worry about it."
She then turned to Hakugan.
"What about you? Have you seen him?"
Hakugan nodded.
"I did see him leaving the gate," he said. "I don't know where he went. But he had his wooden sword with him, so… I think he went to the coast to train again."
Makima's forehead vein twitched.
"So he went out of the village gates again… after I told him not to," she muttered. "Maybe I'm getting too soft on him."
She took a deep breath.
"Thank you, you two. Go on ahead now. Don't worry your parents like Tenjin worries me."
"Okay!" Nanagi said with a smile.
Hakugan nodded again.
The two children walked off, leaving Makima alone.
She sighed heavily.
"The coast, huh… geez, Rokkaku Satoru. What a problem you've left me with."
She turned, ready to head out—
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Makima froze.
"A distress bell?!" she gasped.
A loud voice echoed through the village.
"Emergency! Emergency! An attack from the Nagels Pirates is commencing! Everyone is to return to their homes immediately! The gates will be shut, and the defense of the village shall commence! I repeat, all villagers are to retreat to their homes!"
Makima's heart began to pound.
"The gates… closing…?"
Her face drained of color.
"Wait, Tenjin is still outside!"