Ten thousand years ago, the world was still inhabited by four races: humans, elves, demons, and celestials. But during those times, there was constant warfare between the races as each vied for authority over the whole world. In one of the legendary battles, the four races gathered with their armies for the showdown. Before the battle horn could sound, a beam of light enveloped the earth, causing everyone on the battlefield to be blind for a while. When everyone regained their sight, they were no longer on the battlefield. What was most shocking was that the four continents where each race dwelled were separated from each other by a large wall made of ice, so that no race could enter another's territory. As the ages passed, the wall that had long divided humans from the rest of the realms began to crumble. The barrier that had once stood strong against the other forces, the wall separating the human world from the realm of demons, developed hairline fractures. Through these narrow cracks, a trickle of demonic infiltrators seeped into the human realm, their malevolent presence a harbinger of chaos to the humans.
The human kingdoms had a special unit called the hunters. Chosen by a mystical katana, the Hunters were an elite group of humans imbued with supernatural powers. Forged for battle, they possessed abilities that allowed them to stand toe-to-toe with the other three realms, their strength and prowess unmatched in the mortal world.
Every human wanted to become a hunter, but only a few could become one.
David, a teenager like every other boy or girl his age, dreamed and worked hard to become a Hunter, making big bucks, and become a hero. His room was filled with magazines, t-shirts, and posters on the wall about famous Hunters. His room was a museum for the Hunters' fan stuff.
Unfortunately for David, he had not been chosen by any katana like a young prodigy called Light, who was chosen by a lightning katana at the young age of ten. David was too fat to run or evade an attack, which was a necessity for a monster hunter, even though he was chosen, as he could die from a monster attack. Due to this, he jugged every day and cut down on food, which made his parents worried as Mr. John and Miss John warned him that his lack of food intake could cause him a serious illness that could make him unable to get back up. But he didn't listen and kept striving for that hero physique, never giving up, but to no avail; he was still fat.
David was asleep with drool rolling down from his mouth. "Big Brother!!" David's little sister woke him up as she jumped on him. She had cute blue eyes, which were adorable. "Ouuch!!" David groaned in pain as he felt pain down on his stomach, where his little sister landed, as it felt like a soft pillow for her.
"Lena, I'm about to fall." David struggled to stay in bed as he fell from the bed with his little sister, but he landed first on his back with his little sister on top of his stomach, and as she was holding him tightly.
"Ha, ha, ha, Big Brother! Mommy says it's time to wash up and come downstairs for breakfast! Bye-bye!" After delivering her message, she stood up and ran outside David's room, closing the door behind her. David now woke up as he was dreaming. Lena was David's sister. They spent a lot of time together and trained together to become Hunters. But she was chosen by a katana before David. She became one of the young prodigies who were chosen by a katana-like light and was straight up made a Hunter. After she became a Hunter, they both spoke through voice or video calls that ended abruptly as she was busy. "I will make sure to be chosen by a katana next !" David's face was set in unyielding determination, fueled by the knowledge that he had mere years to claim his place among the Hunters – a window of opportunity that would slam shut forever on his twentieth birthday, an age beyond which no katana had ever chosen its wielder.
David jerked off on the bed as he saw the time he was going to be late for school. He rushed into the bathroom as he took off his clothes, and threw them into the laundry basket at the corner with great accuracy, as he had been practicing. This was one of the basic skills in martial arts that he had been learning from the age of five. His parents put him in a dojo as he grew, he entered into karate, muay thai, and boxing, but he couldn't match up with any of others as he didn't have a good stamina nor physique and he lost breath easily but all the techniques were stored in his head than no one else.
After bathing, he wore his freshly ironed uniform. After knotting his tie, he grabbed his backpack from the study table and dashed downstairs with a headphone on his head as he played rock music. As he entered the dining room, he spotted his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John, already seated and enjoying their breakfast. David's parents were a beautiful couple.
David's parents are a beautiful couple, as their deep blue eyes looked like the waves of the ocean that could draw anyone in, and their silky brown hair was well groomed, with their calm demeanor. They both worked as doctors in a public kingdom hospital that served the poor folks, and they both worked several hours, but today was their day off, which they used to enjoy their time together.
"I thought you already left for school." Mister John, as he saw David rushing down the stairs, took a sip of coffee with a newspaper in one hand.
"Why not join us for breakfast, dear?"
"No thanks, Mom, I'm already late, and most importantly, I'm on a diet. See ya later."
David kissed his mother on the cheek and grabbed a slice of toasted bread from his mother's plate, and ran out through the front door.
"My sweet boy." Miss John said with a sad look on her face.
"Never giving up, that's my boy for you, Maria."
"His desire to catch up to his sister is becoming deteriorating to his health, don't you think so dear?"
"There is nothing we can tell a boy with that kind of fire in his eyes. "Mister John went back to reading his newspaper, but Miss John's face was still filled with concern.
Meanwhile, David jugged to the bus stop, which was a great distance from his home. he had the choice of taking a taxi from the comfort of his home, but he wanted to exercise more. He breathed heavily as he felt as though his lungs were about to explode, breathing in and out in a steady pattern, and he was able to calm his lungs. Raising his left hand, he checked the timer to see how long it took him to get to the bustop and he jumped up in joy as he broke Friday's record. Doing this made him feel as though he was making great progress.
"Five minutes, that is a new record from Fridays, 4.5 minutes, Hoo!" As he was dancing his celebratory dance, he heard the bus horn.
"OK, the bus is here."
He jumped into the bus and rushed to the back seat as it was his favorite spot, and few people came to sit at the back, which gave him enough space to relax. David looked over the window to the left as he breathed heavily, with sweat all over his face. He saw a huge billboard ad of his little sister and Leo standing side by side with their katana. David smiled at this sight as he brought out his phone and took a photo of it. As the bus drove away, he kept looking at the billboard until it was nowhere in sight. This motivated him more as he was awoken by a weird but high motivation.
#######FLASHBACK######
David, when he was seven years old, was practicing karate, and his little sister, sitting at the side with her doll in her bosom, was staring in amazement at his brother.
"Lena, what are you looking at?" David asked with a smile on his face as he drank a bottle of water and wiped the sweat from his face with his brow.
"You are amazing, big brother; can you teach me?" she said with her eyes bubbling up in admiration.
"Sure, anything for my little sister."
So, David began teaching her how to throw over an opponent over and little by little she grabbed a hold of it.
"Now throw me over if you can."
"Hai sensi."
"Ha ha ha, ok let start."
As they stood in position, David was smiling as he thought his little sister was too small to throw him down, maybe he should lighten his feet. But to his surprise, his little sister's eyes turned serious as she smoothly pushed her leg back and threw him over. All this happened when David was still in thought.
"Impossible"
David could not phantom what had just happen. he couldn't track her footwork, and he knew, despite holding himself firmly, she would still be able to throw him over.
"Are you okay, brother?"
She rushed over to his brother as she wanted to make sure he was not hurt. David raised his thumb to signal he was ok, followed by a smile.
######FLASHBACK END####
The bus got to the school gate, and David was fast asleep inside the bus, and the driver called out to him.
"Little boy, we are here."
David woke up and wiped the drool from his mouth. He then got back and went off the bus.
"Thank you, sir." David thanked the man with a bow.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo, I wish you a good day." The bus driver drove off with a smile on his face as David had brightened his day.
As the bus drove off, David wanted to head into school, but someone jumped on him with a loud roar.
"Haaaaah!!!"
David jumped over he turned around in that split moment to see who almost gave him a heart attack. It was his best friend, Nathaniel. He has been Davids best friend since childhood as both of their parents worked in the same hospital what made them closer was their desire to become a Hunter Nathaniel had an interest in studying about the demon's anatomy that he read all thesis from doctors and professors which David found a bit weird but didn't think much about it.
"Nathaniel, you scared the hell out of me."
"Sorry, bro, have you heard about tiger success? I defeated a Kaiju at Kolomani Island." Tiger is a Hunter who is popular and more popular than David's sister. He possessed a beast katana which gave him the ability of any beast of the forest he needed and, in this state, he had three times his normal strength with his power point at five thousand.
"Wow, a kaiju that rare."
"Yeah, what's even crazy the kaiju can pour out fire from its mouth."
"Is it not a dragon then?"
"Maybe, but I can't wait for them to dissect the kaiju and publish what it made off." Nathaniel's eyes sparkled in mischief.
They both talked at length about different topics as they went into the school, which was rowdy with students running up and down with the air thick from conversations, and laughter.
Mrs. Thompson, the math teacher, was scribbling equations on the board with rapid strokes, and her voice droned on as she explained the equations. Some students jotted down the equations inside their notebooks while others had their heads nodding forward as they drifted slowly to sleep unknowingly. Nathaniel and David were attentively jotting down everything as they both did not play with their grades.
From the back a folded paper was being thrown at Nathaniel but he did not turn back as he knew who was throwing the paper at him it was non other than Jackson the school bully who belonged a family with a long line of fire katana weilders and he seem to also posses a fire katana as that what the rumor around school says no one no for certain but did not want to be the first to incur Jackson wrath and get taste of his katana.
Jackson and his minions were busy folding more paper as he gazed at Nathaniel with an amused, almost cruel, glint in his eyes. He then went a bit far and wrapped a stone with paper all around it, David saw this and he felt he has had enough putting up with that jerk who was treating his best friend like trash. Jackson now threw the stone at Nathaniel straight towards the head but David caught the stone with his left without moving as he kept on jotting down notes.
"Bastard, what did you just do!" Jackson flared up in rage as he saw this as disrespect , he pushed the people siting in front of him aside as he grabbed David by the collar pulling him up to his feet.
"Jackson! Leave my class at once."
Mrs Thompson erupted , her voice echoing off the walls, Jackson immediately let loose his grip on David's collar as he went out of the class with his gang he stopped and looked at David.
"I will be waiting for you in the empty classroom at the end of the hallway."
David did not flinch nor shake in fear as he sat back down, he was in rage and didn't care if he was going to be beaten up as long as he lands a punch on that scrawny bastard it was enough.
"Hey David why did you do that you would become his target don't you know that."
"I know I couldn't stand there and see my best friend get bullied in front of me."
"But still..."
"David and Nathaniel, do you two also want to leave my class?"
"No ma." They both said in unison and continued with their learning. After the class the bowed as the teacher left the class, David was arranging his books as he felt someone was staring at him with a malicious intent from behind. He turned around to see Jackson with his gang, Jackson signaled to him to come to the classroom now and then left with his gang.
"What are you going to do now, David," Nathaniel asked as his face showed he was deeply concerned.
"Fight, of course."
David stood from his chair with determination and went off to the fight venue. The news of the fight spread across the entire school as everyone rushed to see the fight but most importantly to see Jackson katana.
David entered the empty classroom to see Jackson sitting on one of the desks with his legs crossed as he being looked down on by Jackson with great disdain in his eyes. Crowds gathered around the empty classroom as they stared through the window the area was filled with murmurs as everyone was itching to see Jackson beat up David with his katana.
"Ha am sure Jackson would beat that little fatso with one punch."
"Yeah, what can a normal human do to a katana wielder?"
"Jackson kick his ass!"
These words echoed through the crowd it affecting David's morale.
"Why is everyone supporting Jackson when he is the bad one here. Where is justice?" Nathaniel said as he pushed through the crowd to the front row to see his best friend face downcast.
"David, you can do this."
David heard his best friend cheering for him. he turned his face to him and thanked him with a smile. In that split second David sensed an incoming danger and jumped backward immediately Jackson's punch landed where David was standing before.
"Wow I didn't know a fatso like you could move swiftly like that am impressed."
David's eyes grew wide open in fear as he knew that he could not dodge anymore from Jackson as it was by a thin hair he escaped from his fist.
"He dodged Jackson's punch!"
"How, that impressive, I couldn't even see Jackson's movement."
"It's just luck."
The crowd went wild from Jackson speed and David's timely escape as they all cheered Nathaniel was looking at David and could not guess what was running through his mind.
"For dodging my punch, I will give you the grace of seeing my katana."
"What!!" David exclaimed as he knew he would end up in heavily injured after this fight and would not be able to land a single hit on Jackson .
The crowd grew more wild in excitement as they heard Jackson.
"He is going to bring out his katana."
"I can't wait, this will be my first time to see one."
For many of the student they have never seen a katana in real life only in Tv or magazines this was like a God sent opportunity for them. Jackson closed his eyes as he relaxed his whole muscles, taking in a deep breath.
"ECHO", he muttered under his breath, his words indistinct. A formidable presence radiated around him, as it forced people to break out a sweat as they felt a power they hadn't felt before running down their spine. In Jackson's hand appeared a red and gold katana that had the engraving of a golden dragon on its sheath.
"Is this the power of a katana wielder?"
"So amazing and awe-inspiring."
They all shuddered in their weakness as they knew they could never reach that level of power without a katana. David and Nathaniel were both in awe of an awesome power they felt, as they knew they were doomed.
"David, shall we begin?" A smug smile spread across Jackson's face, with confidence in his superior strength.
Before the one-sided match could start, a purple portal opened in the sky, and everyone attention in the whole school was drawn to it as they crowd watching the fight forgot about it that instant.
"What is that?"
People murmured as they all went to the window to take a closer look at the portal. Nathaniel felt something was off about the portal, but he could not put his finger on it. Like a dam breaking Nathaniel remembered reading about a purple portal that mysteriously opened in 1950 in the kingdom of garth that wiped it capital off the map.
"Everyone, run for your lives." Nathaniel cried out but no one listened but rather the scoffed at him and called him a nerd. Nathaniel knew nobody would listen he then rushed over to David, who was also staring at the portal, and grabbed his hand.
"Hey Nathaniel, why are you in a rush?"
"We have to find a place to hide as soon as possible."
"Why?"
Before Nathaniel could say anymore a swarm of demons all iron rank came out from the portal and attacked the school killing everyone they set their eyes on it was a massacre. Jackson tried to fight one of the demons but with a single punch from the demon it sent Jackson flying through three walls as he landed on the fourth he fell on his face coughing out blood and could not stand up.
"Impossible."
David's mind was in shock as he witnessed what happened to Jackson.
"Snap out of it David, we have to move."
Nathaniel with his gripped tightened around David's he went running through the hallway which was filled with people running helter-skelter as everyone was in a state of panic with demons slashing people in half.
Nathaniel and David ran inside a storage room which had a reinforced steel door. As they both got inside Nathaniel closed the door with his back against it. David was on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"What should we do now Nat…" David turned to see a horrifying sight a claw went through the reinforced door like a sheet of paper and ran Nathaniel though the chest.
"Nathaniel!!!"
David rushed and grabbed Nathaniel as they demon pulled out it claw and started punching the door. David carried Nathaniel who was now unconscious he tried to move away from the door with Nathaniel as his eyes let out a stream of tears down his cheek.
"Don't worry Nat I will get us out of here, you will be alright."
Before David could take more steps, the demon broke down the door and stabbed him through the heart. The demon threw David away with David's back landing on a wall he fell on his face with blood gushing out from his mouth. His blood slowly spread around the ground as David layed their half dead his consciousness almost leaving him. He began thinking is this how he ends dying a meaningless death he even thought about how his parents and sister will cry their eyes out when they hear he is dead. As he wanted to accept the reality that he was going to die any moment he saw something as his sight faded a katana wrapped in a mist of black and red matter flowing around it. That was what he saw last as his eyes closed.