Our story begins in a vast world ruled by powerful empires, each governed by emperors of diverse cultures. For a long time, peace prevailed… until a catastrophic spatial rift tore through reality.
From this rift, dangerous gates began to appear—each one filled with deadly monsters. These gates varied in rank depending on the number and strength of the creatures inside them, ranging from the weakest Rank D to the most dangerous Rank S.
Every empire maintained a royal army, alongside independent fighters known as Hunters, whose sole purpose was to eliminate these gates and protect humanity.
Within the grand palace of the Kingdom of Valaria resided the royal family of House Kazanami.
The family consisted of King Alfred, Queen Fiona, and their two sons.
The younger son, Kyle, was sharp-tempered and often distant. However, he possessed exceptional talent in swordsmanship and fire magic, earning him a respectable Rank B.
The elder son… and the protagonist of our story, Ikero, was a striking young man with excellent physical condition and extraordinary skill in both swordsmanship and lightning magic. He had reached Rank A, making him one of the kingdom's finest swordsmen.
Unlike his younger brother, Ikero was kind and deeply loved by the people. His intelligence and investigative mind, combined with his strength, made him the most suitable heir to the throne.
Though hidden beneath silence… Kyle harbored deep jealousy toward his brother.
On a bright morning, Ikero awoke and dressed in his elegant attire before calling for his personal guard.
Manuel, a Rank B fighter and Ikero's childhood friend, entered the room.
"Good morning, Manuel. What do we have today?" Ikero asked calmly.
Manuel replied,
"Good morning, my lord. We have an urgent matter. A violent incident occurred in the northern district. Seven civilians were brutally murdered… and there are no signs of any nearby gates. It is unlikely that monsters were responsible."
Ikero narrowed his eyes slightly.
"No monsters… I see. Then let's head to the crime scene."
The two quickly made their way to the location.
Upon arrival, Ikero stepped forward and carefully examined the wounds on the victims' bodies.
"These are not claw marks… nor bite wounds," he said thoughtfully.
"This confirms it—the killer is human. And judging by the identical sword strikes… this was done by a single individual."
He turned toward Manuel.
"Tell me everything about the victims. Do they have any surviving relatives?"
Manuel nodded.
"They belong to the Alarik family—eight members, all nobles. They were highly influential in the northern region and considered one of the most powerful merchant families in the kingdom."
Ikero crossed his arms, thinking.
"Hm… if this is related to economic conflict, then who were they dealing with?"
Manuel answered,
"According to my investigation, the Alarik family was the kingdom's primary supplier of iron and weapons. With their downfall, our military supply will suffer greatly. They also had strong trade relations with the neighboring Chinese Empire, but their relationship was stable… so there's no clear motive from that side."
Ikero slowly narrowed his eyes.
"In short… the culprit is either from the royal court… or among the nobles."
Suddenly, he paused.
"…Wait."
He inhaled deeply, as if sensing something hidden in the air.
A moment of silence passed.
Then his expression changed.
"…This smell… the scent of burning…"
His voice dropped.
"Fire magic…"
He slowly raised his gaze toward Manuel, his eyes gleaming with realization.
"This is no ordinary killer… this is a swordsman who uses fire magic."
A faint smile formed on Ikero's lips.
"Let the hunt begin, Manuel."
To be continued… 🔥