Salisbury Lake is known throughout Britannia as the place where magical power seems to gather. It was not just an ordinary lake surrounded by legends — it was a true reservoir of magical energy.
It was said that the concentration of magical power there was the greatest in all of Britannia. Some of the more daring mages even claimed that the source was practically infinite, not because it was truly limitless, but because the amount accumulated over the centuries was so absurd that no living being could even measure its entirety.
The atmosphere around the lake was different.
The air was heavy, dense, as if every particle were saturated with energy. The surface of the water reflected the sky in a strange way, as if the lake itself were a mirror to something beyond the physical world.
Simply being nearby was enough to feel the effects.
Those sensitive to magic immediately noticed the difference: the body became lighter, the senses sharper, and the magical reserve within each individual began to slowly restore itself, like a flame being fed by a constant wind.
That was why many mages traveled great distances just to sit at the shores of that lake.
Recovering magic there was natural.
Almost inevitable.
But there was a colossal difference between merely being near it… and diving directly into that absurd source of magical power.
Because bathing in Salisbury Lake meant subjecting one's own body to a magical pressure that few could endure.
And at that moment—
Splash!
The silence of the lake was abruptly broken.
At the center of the calm waters, an explosion of liquid rose like a small storm. Waves spread in wide circles across the surface while crystalline droplets flew through the air, reflecting the light of the sky like fragments of glass.
From within the water, a figure slowly emerged.
First the top of the head.
Then the face.
Then the shoulders.
It was a young man.
He appeared to be between sixteen and seventeen years old, at most. His physique was neither bulky nor particularly muscular, yet there was a clear definition in his movements — a slender, light, and functional body, like that of someone accustomed to moving with precision.
Water ran down his skin as he took a deep breath, as if he had just broken the surface after being submerged for a long time.
His hair was light.
Not exactly white, nor completely blond.
Under the light of the sky, it took on an almost silvery tone, reflecting the brightness of the lake's surface. It was voluminous and unruly, forming curved strands that spread in different directions, some of them seeming to slightly defy gravity even while still wet.
A few drops of water slid down the tips of the strands, slowly falling back into the lake.
But it was his eyes that drew the most attention.
They were deep and expressive, bearing a silver-gray coloration — a cold, piercing shade, like polished metal reflecting light.
He wore a long-sleeved white shirt made of a fine fabric that was still soaked from the lake water. At the wrists and collar, delicate silver details ran along the cloth like ancient embroidery, subtly reflecting the surrounding light. Across the chest and shoulders, silver flower patterns spread across the shirt, elegant designs that resembled crests or symbols of an ancient lineage.
His trousers were also white, fitted to his slender frame, and his shoes — equally light in color — remained intact even after emerging from the water, as if the lake itself refused to stain them.
Around his neck rested a white cloak, fastened by a discreet clasp near the collarbone. The cloak fell gently down his back and extended to his ankles, swaying slightly with the breeze that passed over the lake. Like his shirt, it bore silver details along the edges, forming elegant lines.
At first glance, it was a simple outfit.
But it carried a strange aura of nobility.
As if that young man did not belong to an ordinary place.
When he finally rose completely from the waters, droplets ran down his clothes and hair as he let out a long sigh, like someone who had just awakened from a deep sleep.
The silence of the lake seemed to be watching him.
Slowly…
He opened his eyes.
The next instant—
ZOOM!
A wave of magical power exploded outward from his body.
The air around him vibrated violently, as if an invisible pressure had been released all at once. The surface of Salisbury Lake bent violently as a wall of water pushed away from the center.
The water, the air… even the earth along the nearby shores seemed to recoil.
As if the very environment were reacting to the presence of that energy.
The young man rose a few centimeters above the lake, floating involuntarily as he brought one hand to his head.
"Huh…" He narrowed his eyes for a moment. "…What a headache…"
His voice sounded slightly irritated as he rubbed his forehead, as if trying to ease a throbbing pressure inside his skull.
The magical wave that had expanded violently moments earlier began to gradually dissipate.
The air calmed.
The water that had been pushed away slowly returned to the center of the lake, gathering once again around the young man.
When everything finally stabilized, he descended gently until the soles of his shoes touched the surface of the water.
But he did not sink.
Noah remained standing on the lake as if he were stepping on solid ground.
Small ripples spread beneath his feet while the surface perfectly reflected his image — the silvery hair, the light-colored clothes, and the cloak that moved softly with the wind.
He blinked a few times.
As if trying to understand what was happening.
"Hmm?"
Noah slowly raised one hand in front of his face.
His eyes narrowed.
A soft silver aura flowed around his hand.
It moved like a luminous mist, slipping between his fingers and slowly spreading around his body.
Noah turned his hand from side to side, observing that energy with a confused expression.
"What is this…?"
The aura continued to flow.
Subtle, yet powerful.
For a moment, he remained silent, staring at that magical manifestation as if trying to fit a missing piece into a puzzle within his own mind.
Then…
Suddenly—
His eyes widened again.
A realization struck his mind like lightning.
"This is…"
He looked at the aura.
Then at the lake.
Then at the horizon of Britannia around him.
"…Magical Power?"
His heart began to race. He slowly turned his body, observing the environment around him — the distant mountains, the legendary lake, the absurd sensation of magical energy permeating the air.
His breathing became a little faster.
"…Wait." Noah brought a hand to his face. "…Don't tell me…"
He looked again at the lake beneath his feet.
At the silver aura surrounding his body.
Then he murmured, in disbelief:
"Am I in… Nanatsu no Taizai?"