—--------------- FlashBack —---------
The rain was light… So light that it didn't feel real. The ground was muddy, And the sky gray, unresolved,
And Atsuro Stood at the back of the soldiers' line. His armor was broader than his body, his sword heavier than his arm, And his eyes… Moved more than they should have.
He wasn't afraid. He was a beginner.
A scream. It wasn't a training scream. The air split, And the shadow suddenly became something with teeth.
A demon. It leapt from between the trees, Faster than the commanders' orders, Closer than any reaction.
Atsuro froze. Not because he didn't want to move, But because his body Hadn't yet learned How to choose. The shadow struck.
And at that same moment, Someone entered the scene As if they had been there from the beginning.
Villiam.
He didn't scream. He didn't summon a stone. His expression didn't change. One step. An outstretched arm. And the strike Was clean.
The demon fell before it even realized That the battle had begun.
Silence prevailed. The rain continued, As if nothing had happened. Villiam turned to Atsuro. He extended his hand.
"Rise."
His hand was warm, Steady, Bearing no trace of haste.
He pulled him to his feet, And stood between him and the world Without looking back.
Atsuro finally breathed. His cheeks flushed, And he didn't know why. He stared at him Not as a commander… But as an image
He wanted to reach one day. He said to himself, The words burning more than they were spoken:
" Wow… Villiam is truly amazing. He didn't use his stone… And he stopped it."
He gripped his sword:
"I want to become strong like him."
_
A hundred years later,...
The place was no longer a training ground. It was quieter than it should have been.
They stood face to face, And the time between them Was heavier than words. Villiam spoke calmly, As if he were talking about something simple:
"I left everyone… Because I found my world. This is a secret between us."
He didn't need to explain. Atsuro understood. Then Villiam continued, His tone unchanged But the meaning shifted:
"If something were to happen to me one day… Or if anything occurred…"
He paused. Then he said it:
"Promise me… That you will protect Lilithia."
Atsuro didn't hesitate. He didn't think. He answered at once, His voice steadier Than it had been a century ago:
"I promise… I will protect your world."
_
—---------- Return to real —-------
_
The voice returned. The pain returned.
Kaguchi.
Lilithia had fallen. The shadow rose again. Atsuro tried to move But the world did not respond. Then He remembered the hand. The voice. The stance that never wavered.
He whispered, Not to the world… But to that old promise:
"I promised him."
The stone pulsed. No light. No explosion. A decision. And the void Hesitated. For the first time… Luck Leaned Toward will.
Atsuro gripped his weapon. He didn't raise it immediately. His fist clenched around it With a strength he hadn't known His hand possessed.
And at that moment, The stone pulsed. It wasn't light. It was something beneath the skin. The veins on his arms Appeared with sudden clarity, A pale blue color, As if it weren't blood
But a path. The color spread. The skin glowed Not with magical shine, But with a steady radiance, As if the body itself Had rewritten its boundaries.
The air around him Retreated half a step. His feet planted firmly. The ground Which had rejected him moments before Fell silent. The void no longer Dragged him backward. It waited.
Atsuro raised his weapon with one hand behind his back as he was accustomed, while his hair covered half of his face.
It wasn't an attack stance. It was… A stance of decision. He spoke in a low voice, But it reached everyone:
"This time… I will not move by luck."
He looked at Lilithia Who was trying to rise Then returned his gaze forward.
"I will move because I chose to."
At that moment, Someone moved. Not Kaguchi. Just one step, Calm.
Tsukishiro.
He approached, Clapping slowly, lightly, Almost a soundless clap. A small smile Appeared on his lips.
"Intriguing…"
He stopped at a safe distance. He looked at the glowing veins, At the stance. Then he spoke, In the tone of a world That had witnessed an experiment Go beyond expectation:
"Luck has exceeded its function."
He tilted his head slightly.
"This isn't a probability shift… This is a result being imposed."
He raised his eyes directly to Atsuro.
"I've never seen you like this before."
He paused for a moment. Then added, In a softer, But more dangerous voice:
"It seems… your role Has truly begun."
The shadows fell silent. Kaguchi did not move. Lilithia lifted her head slowly. And the void Was waiting for the first signal.
Then
Tsukishiro did not wait for a signal. He didn't need one. He took a single step forward...
And at that same moment Atsuro felt that the distance between them Was no longer a number. Tsukishiro raised his hand and whispered,
"Coincraft - Distance Bleed."
The air contracted. It wasn't a force of pressure But of depletion. Every possible movement Turned into a burden. Atsuro's knee trembled While he was still standing. Tsukishiro smiled.
"Ah…"
He said lightly, As if trying out a new tone.
"This feeling, isn't it? As if the very ground Is demanding a price for every breath."
Atsuro gritted his teeth. He moved, moving his weapon. And at the moment he lunged His foot slipped half a centimeter.
No fall. But… a mistake. The blue veins on his arms Flared with intensity.
"Luck Stone - Level 5 : Risk Lock."
At that moment The "safe option" vanished. The distance ahead of him Split into only dangerous possibilities.
A jump? Risk.
A charge? Risk.
A retreat? Greater risk.
He chose. He lunged. His weapon cut through the air.
But, Tsukishiro wasn't there. Only a whisper.
"Coincraft - Void Interval."
The weapon passed Through a void That wasn't a location. Tsukishiro's knee Appeared in Atsuro's side.
The sound came late. The body flew And collided with the ground. Atsuro coughed up blood. He rose immediately.
"Hah…" Tsukishiro laughed.
"Faster than before. This is true evolution."
He extended a finger.
"Coincraft - Hollow Coordinates."
A point in the void disappeared. Atsuro instinctively leaped Entering it. He wasn't hit. But for two seconds… His existence wasn't counted.
The weapon appeared From behind Tsukishiro. A wound cut across his shoulder. Blood splattered. His shirt tore. A brief silence prevailed.
Then, Tsukishiro laughed, clearly this time.
"Oh?"
He touched the blood with his fingers. He looked at him with genuine admiration.
"So… I wasn't wrong."
He raised his head.
"Your strength has truly increased, Atsuro. If I had faced you like this the first time… But it would have been troublesome."
Atsuro gripped his weapon. The blue veins Spread to his neck, then he whispered,
"Luck Stone - Level 9 : Probability Fog."
The air grew chaotic. The probabilities No longer stabilized. Tsukishiro's steps Began to lag by half a moment. Small cracks Appeared in the ground… Then vanished.
"Hmm…" Tsukishiro tilted his head.
"Plans don't like this."
He smiled.
"But I am not a plan."
He waved his hand.
"Coincraft - Aether Fracture."
The space split. The sound shattered. Movement fragmented. Atsuro's weapon Arrived late. Tsukishiro's fist Arrived first.
A direct strike to the chest. Atsuro heard something break. He fell. But before he touched the ground:
"Luck Stone - Level 7 : Stacked Reality."
The probabilities accumulated. His fall Turned into a spin. The spin Into a strike. The strike Slashed Tsukishiro's abdomen. The blood this time Was copious.
Tsukishiro stepped back two paces. He breathed deeply. Then… He smiled a different smile. Calm.
"Wonderful."
He said it sincerely.
"Now I understand."
He raised his head.
"You don't ask luck to save you."
He stepped forward.
"You force it to work."
He raised his hand. The distance bit.
Atsuro knelt on one knee. He lifted his head with difficulty.
"Luck Stone - Level 6 : Borrowed Fortune."
At that same moment, A small stone tripped behind Tsukishiro. His foot slipped. A quick thrust Slashed his thigh.
But, Elsewhere Lilithia screamed,
"Atsuro."
She fell. Luck was stolen… And the price was paid.
Atsuro's eyes widened.
"You're using it…" Tsukishiro laughed.
"Even though you know the cost."
Atsuro said it in a broken voice…
"Borrowed luck?" He shrugged.
"A primitive tool. But it tells me everything I need."
He stepped forward. He struck. The air exploded. The body flew. Atsuro collided with the wall. He fell. He tried to get up. He couldn't.
As for Lilithia, she didn't move immediately. Not because she hadn't seen the fall But because her body Refused to accept it.
"Atsuro…"
The name escaped Weaker than it should have been. She tried to stand. Her legs betrayed her. The shadow beneath her Did not obey.
She saw the blood. Not much, But enough To remind her How many times He had risen for her. She clenched her fists into the ground. Her nails dug in.
"No…"
She said it Neither as a plea, Nor as an order, But as an objection.
She knew this scene. She hated it. She had seen it before. One person stands. Another Falls. And for the first time Since the battle began She felt something Heavier than fear.
She felt Helpless.
Tsukishiro approached. He stood before him. Bleeding. Breathing steadily. He looked down at him.
"Is this the end?" He asked with clear sarcasm.
"All this noise… And this is the best you've got?"
He bent slightly.
"Don't worry."
He smiled.
"I enjoyed it."
He straightened.
"But remember this, Atsuro...."
He tapped his finger on his forehead.
"Luck, no matter how great… Cannot defeat one who understands Their position in the world."
He turned halfway.
"Rise if you can."
He said it without concern. He left him there. Broken. Bleeding.
And the blue veins Still glowed— As if Refusing To go out.
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© 2026 Lobna. All rights reserved.
-To be continued...-