In this world, strength was not measured by muscles or age, but by a hidden energy that dwelled within the human body—Parka.
The greater one's Parka, the faster the body moved, the stronger the blows became, and the tougher the flesh grew. Without it, a person was nothing more than an ordinary human in a merciless world.
On an island known as Parkara, surrounded by four massive islands, Parka users lived alongside ordinary people. Though Parka users existed in other parts of the world, they were rare—almost as if this power had chosen Parkara as its home.
On a rainy night, inside a dimly lit hospital room, a child was born—one who would one day change the world without knowing it.
The mother lay weak on the bed, her breathing shallow, while the cries of a newborn filled the room.
"Is… is he safe?" she whispered.
Her husband held her trembling hand and forced a smile.
"He is. He's strong."
She gazed at him as if trying to memorize his face forever.
"If something happens to me… please take care of him."
"Don't say that. You'll be fine," he replied desperately.
She slowly shook her head, as though she already knew the truth.
"Make him strong… don't let the world break him."
After a brief silence, she whispered her final words:
"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
And then… silence.
The man cried bitterly, clutching the child to his chest.
"You will be a hero," he whispered. "I promise."
He named the boy Kazuki, as his wife had wished—because she loved the bright sky and the shining moon at night.
Shortly after Kazuki's birth, his Parka was measured.
One Parka user stared at the device, frowning.
"Level… five?"
Another widened his eyes.
"That's impossible. Ordinary children are born with one."
The father stepped forward anxiously.
"Does that mean he's strong?"
A brief silence followed before the man answered coldly:
"No."
"Neither you nor your wife are Parka users."
"In the end… he will be weak."
Across the room, three other newborns were measured—each possessed one hundred Parka at birth.
The father said nothing.
But within him, an unshakable resolve was born.
Five years later, Kazuki lost his father as well.
The small boy stood silently before the grave, unable to understand why people disappeared and never returned.
That was when an old man appeared, his eyes sharp and his voice calm.
"Your name is Kazuki, isn't it?"
The boy nodded.
"From today onward, I will be your teacher," the man said.
"The world is cruel. If you don't learn how to stand, it will crush you."
Kazuki asked innocently,
"Will I become strong?"
The old man—Tatsu—smiled faintly.
"Strength is not in how you begin… but in how long you endure."
For nine years, Tatsu trained him in Parka.
He taught him patience before combat, and focus before power.
"Do not rush to gather Parka," Tatsu often said.
"Let it come to you."
Later, Kazuki was sent to a secluded mountain, where he spent an entire year training his endurance, meditation, and will—alone with only his thoughts.
At night, he would look up at the sky and whisper,
"I won't be weak… no matter what they say."
When he returned to Furoko City, Kazuki applied to the Parka Martial Arts Academy.
The minimum requirement was 100 Parka.
He passed the first stage quietly.
When the results were announced, his rank was twelfth.
"Three hundred sixty-two Parka," the examiner said.
Kazuki ignored the whispers around him.
For the first time, he felt he was moving in the right direction.
During the break, a smiling boy approached him.
"You're Kazuki, right?"
"I'm Mitsu. Want to be friends?"
Kazuki blinked in surprise, then nodded.
"Yeah… I'd like that."
Mitsu called out,
"Mio!"
A girl approached hesitantly.
"This is Mio."
Kazuki looked at her and asked honestly,
"Why do you look nervous?"
Her face turned red.
"It's nothing…"
Mitsu laughed.
"She's just shy around boys."
Kazuki tilted his head in confusion.
"Why would people be shy of each other?"
They burst out laughing, while Kazuki stared at them, puzzled.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the break and the beginning of the second stage.
The three stood together, unaware that this simple moment—
was the beginning of a path that would lead them to crystals, wars,
and a looming catastrophe.