Beyond time and space, there existed a place, inaccessible even to the most extraordinary of mortals.

Only nine great beings could travel freely from that sacred abode to the nine worlds that made up their dominion.

Each of these entities had their own throne. Even though more than half of them were empty, the absence of their owners did not make their seats any less regal.

The sixth of the nine ultimately reached the sunset of his long life. His figure became shrouded in green electric discharges, before graying and turning to cosmic dust.

In his place, on the throne, what remained was just an old, worn grimory that seemed lifeless.

In the end, only three remained.

"Another of our brothers leaves us... a proof that even we [Gods] can age and die."

"The hundred thousand years are almost completely gone. War is at the gates. Yet no one has earned the right to sit among us."

"Millennia of waiting, but still no new [God]? Perhaps this time the [Primordial] will prevail."

"No, that will not happen. Time is running out, but it is not entirely exhausted. Even our enemies will struggle to gain power."

"It’s true, this is the law of universal balance. Have faith in the [Champions] of our brothers, comrades. In the end, new [Gods] will take our place."

******

Many years later, on the artificial island of [Fumetsu], off the coast of Japan, a man was packing all his dearest belongings into a small suitcase.

His face turned pale when he heard a noise behind him; fortunately, it was only his son, who had entered his parents' room.

"Dad? What are you doing?"

The boy could not have been more than seven years old. His hair was a rare silver color, while his eyes were a beautiful blue, traits that he had inherited from his mother and that side of the family.

"Hajime, why are you awake?! Go back to sleep!"

The man tried to send his son away without upsetting him or giving him a strange impression, but it was difficult. 

After all, he was about to abandon both him and his wife without being able to explain why. 

There was too much to explain, too many secrets he had never confessed, of a life of good and difficult actions that had left him tired and worn out.

His heart ached at the mere thought of never seeing his family again, but he had no choice; he could not take them with him, he could not condemn them to a life of constant flight; it was his punishment, not theirs.

"(After all the good I’ve done... after all the sacrifices and lives saved, I thought I had earned a happy life... I don’t want to throw away my joy... is this my punishment for leaving Yukihime alone to face the horrors of this world?)"   

While the father was busy cursing himself for everything, little Hajime approached his parent's belongings without him noticing. Driven by an irrepressible childhood curiosity, he grabbed a strange book.

That was the moment that would forever change the boy's fate, even if no one knew it yet.

The object shone with a blue light while emitting green energy in the shape of lightning around it.

"Hajime!!! Put it down!!!!!!!"

It was too late; before the man could grab his son, the old book fused with the poor child, leaving him on the floor, powerless, on the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness.

"No! No! No! It shouldn’t have happened like this! What do I do now?"

"P-papa.........."

"You’ll be fine, little one! You’ll be fine!"

The father placed his son on his bed. His face turned pale at the thought of what had happened. The implications almost made him vomit.

"Why did that old [Grimoire] have to merge with you!? It had been inactive for decades! Why?! Why?! WHY?!"

Putting his hands in his hair, the man knelt down, crying.

"You could have been a normal human... leave this prison in the shape of an island, and live a life full of happiness! Now, I don’t even know what will happen to you, or who you will become! I should have gotten rid of everything that tied me to my past life... I-I'm sorry, my son..."

Taking his last belongings of value, Hajime's father left his home. Hours later, the little boy's mother, Aina Mikoto, found her son unconscious on their marital bed, next to a letter containing only one sentence: “I’m sorry. I never told you who I really was.”

That very day, mother and son received a visit that would shatter their world forever. An officer from the [White Corps] delivered Aina the news no wife would ever want to hear.

"I’m sorry, ma'am. But we found your husband’s car, burned outside the city... w-we think his body was inside... unfortunately, DNA evidence is not possible."

"No! It's not true! He can't be dead!"

How would they live now? Without their father and husband? The answer was simple; they wouldn't survive, not for long.

On the day of the funeral, a glimmer of hope manifested before them in the form of Mokuro Goto, an acquaintance of the deceased.

Goto was a man in his 50s, bald with black eyes full of intent, appearing benevolent, athletic, and smiling sincerely.

His continued visits served as balm for the pain of the newly widowed Aina. In contrast, little Hajime seemed almost frightened by the man, even though he had no apparent reason to be so, at least not yet.

Months passed, and Goto's visits grew more frequent, despite his important position for the entire [Fumetsu].

Eventually, the man began bringing his young daughter to the meetings. Little Mokuro Kaori was an adorable girl, with short blue hair and eyes of the same color. From the very beginning, the little girl became fond of Hajime. It was thanks to her that the boy managed to overcome his father’s death.

Everything was going well; Aina and Hajime were moving forward, overcoming the pain of loss after several years.

The only problem in their lives was money. Hajime was an intelligent child, good at both sports and studies.

Mrs. Mikoto naturally wanted the best for her son, a good school that would open the doors to a good job, and perhaps, a good opportunity to leave the island. But [Fumetsu] was an expensive place, especially for a single mother.

Fortunately, help arrived, of course, from Goto. But in exchange, the man asked Aina for just one thing.

"Please marry me." 

It was not a great surprise; Hajime’s mother was not yet 40, still beautiful and young, with a shapely figure, her long silver hair and blue eyes giving her a radiant beauty that captivated many. Mr. Mokuro was not the first to make such a proposal after the death of her husband, but he was the first to receive a positive response.

How could Aina refuse? She did not yet love Goto, although she appreciated him very much as a family friend (something she made clear immediately). She still loved her husband, but she had to give her son the best possible future.

The bald man was her best chance; after all, he was the head of the [Black Corps], the island's special police unit.

Unfortunately, Aina didn’t know what she was getting into. The marriage, at first, was beautiful; part of her believed that perhaps she could truly fall in love with Kaori’s father, but after a year, things changed—for the worse.

The head of the [Black Corps] was a greedy man, craving power, money, women, and fame. Goto had become enamored with Hajime’s mother and wanted her in his bed and in his life.

But now that he had her beside him, in his eyes, the woman wasn’t of as much value anymore. It started with a slap, then came the punches, and the physical and psychological abuse.

Poor Hajime realized too late what was happening. In the end, his beloved mother was under the complete yoke of her husband.

What could he do? Report him? He was one of the island's leaders, loved and appreciated like gold; no one would believe them.

Could he fight? The answer was no. Goto was among the strongest on the entire island. What could a ten-year-old do against that man? Nothing.

Three more years passed, and Hajime’s protective nature often clashed with Goto’s aggression toward his mother. The two soon began to hate each other more and more. 

Kaori, meanwhile, was oblivious to everything, not because she was stupid, but simply because her father's cunning was formidable. He rarely struck Aina or the boy, preferring psychological abuse to physical. It left fewer traces.

Moreover, the man had never concealed the death threats directed toward mother and son if his little girl ever found out about his actions.

When he turned 16, Hajime's anger reached its peak; his mother had fallen into depression, seeing no way out of her situation. The boy tried to throw a punch at the man in revenge. The result? A bloody beating—the 16-year-old came out with three broken ribs, two fractured, a broken femur, and a jaw shattered in multiple places.

The next day, while he was in the hospital, the boy was notified of his expulsion. 

Since he was 11, he and Kaori had attended a prestigious school, the only good thing that had come from life with Goto, and now it was gone. It was punishment the man had inflicted on his stepson for challenging him; with false accusations of fighting, he had "convinced" the principal to expel him.

Now, at 17, Hajime was preparing to enter his new school.

The building was decayed and old; the worst of the worst came here, the children of the island's criminals—teachers were the scum of the scum, and just being associated with the name of such a place was a castration in every sense for anyone. The only choice was to fall into crime.

"(Bastard! Just because you’ve put me here, you think you can stop me!? I will find a way to bring you down from your throne! And I will save Mom and Kaori-chan from you!)"