Akira lowered himself to the floor, back resting against the tall, worn bookshelves. He flipped the pages slowly, reading as much as he could. Some phrases made sense immediately; others required him to pause and piece together meanings using common sense.
"Heroes… summoned… Demon King…"
Akira raised an eyebrow. Classic, he thought. A typical summoning of heroes to defeat some terrifying villain.
But he kept going, curiosity outweighing his cynicism. The text described how the five heroes were summoned when the kingdoms were united under a common enemy. Together, they had defeated the Demon King, a being of immense power who had terrorized the lands for decades.
So far, so predictable, Akira mused.
Then the story darkened. After the Demon King's defeat, the heroes returned to their own lands. Without a common threat, the kingdoms quickly turned on each other, power-hungry and ambitious.
Akira's eyes scanned further, absorbing the names, details and the locations of the kingdoms:
Valoria
Once a peaceful nation blessed with fertile lands and a long coastline. Valoria prospered through agriculture, mining, and commerce. Its military rotated around large, disciplined battalions — formations crafted not for brilliance, but for reliability.
Their magic academies produced generalists — fire, water, earth, and wind wielded in balance. No outrageous strengths. No crippling weaknesses.
Valoria's philosophy:
"If we cannot excel in one path, we shall walk all paths together."
They expanded influence by diplomacy when possible… and numbers when diplomacy failed.
Tebet
A rugged dominion carved into mountains of steel and snow. Constant blizzards hardened its people into living weapons. Every child learned to fight before they learned to read.
Tebet's warriors strengthened their bodies using Mana Tempering, a technique said to turn muscle into magic-infused armor. Their elites were rumored to fight dragons — and win.
Magic was rare here — but physical prowess approached the supernatural.
Their belief:
"Magic may falter. Steel and flesh do not."
Solara
A kingdom thriving in lush rainforests and ancient jungles overflowing with life-essence. Solara's greatest strength came from Magic Beasts — bonded companions tamed through rites of nature.
Druids and healers guarded forests that themselves acted like sentient barriers.Rumors spoke of titanic beasts sleeping beneath the roots, capable of reshaping landscapes when awakened.
Their creed:
"All life is sacred… unless it threatens our home."
Tideholm
An archipelago ravaged by constant tempests — perfectly suited to those who mastered them. Tideholm built the world's greatest fleets and magical engineering.
Runes etched into armor, weapons, and even skin breathed power into their warriors.Formations turned battlefields into traps — one misstep could trigger a magical thunderstorm or tidal burst.
Their doctrine:
"Control the battlefield… and the outcome follows."
Citadel
The shimmering core of civilization. Floating towers and crystalline walls formed a labyrinth of mystic research facilities.
Magic was not a tool here — it was the law.The greatest spellcasters served as the ruling council, shaping politics through intellect and arcane supremacy.
Construct guardians patrolled streets, powered by aether cores — priceless relics only Citadel could produce.
Their truth:
"Knowledge is power.Power is control.Therefore, we decide the fate of all."
Five kingdoms — each with power the others lacked.Each hungry for what the others had.
One more line was written across the bottom of the page — thin, almost an afterthought:
Though borders clash and banners bleed…trade never ceases.
Enemies in battle.Partners in survival.
A world at war, bound by necessity.
There was more.
A section documenting "The Demon Lands."Beyond the sea — rich in untouched resources… because demons had no use for earthly minerals.
When the Demon King fell, that land became a treasure.Every kingdom wanted it.None would share it.
Starting their conflict.
Akira's jaw tightened.
Heroes were once summoned to save this world from destruction.Now they were summoned to conquer it.
And he — the so-called Hero of Valoria — would be thrown headfirst into war.Other kingdoms' heroes would see him not as an ally… but as a rival.A threat.A target.
If he wasn't strong enough, he would die.Simple as that.
Akira closed the book slowly, breath unsteady.
"I need to be ready," he whispered."For everything. Known and unknown."
Meanwhile, past the snowstorms of Tebet, a lone figure danced through five opponents with effortless precision.In Solara's jungle, a girl coaxed a towering beast into submission with a whisper and a gesture.Elsewhere, a sorceress traced a new spell into the air, the runes glowing like stars.And far in Tideholm, a craftsman hammered steel and magic together, sparks flying with each strike.