Kaleb Ashiro  

Tokyo, Japan; 4 April 2045, R8 

So addresses are read by street number? And building number? And then by suite? Why does reading a map have to be so complicated!! It’s my first time in Japan for an exchange student program; originally, I attended NIC as a Criminal Justice undergraduate, but now I’m supposed to be studying at University of Tokyo. However, if I can’t find the school, it’ll probably leave a bad impression with them. 

I’d met a few of the students who were on their way to the campus, coincidentally, they were also exchange students, two young women. The first looked to be West African in origin, she had deep mahogany skin, and she wore her hair in Bantu knots and she had a breathtaking radiance. The other young woman appeared to be possibly East Asian; she was tall and slender and had jet black hair, like a model. Actually, both of them looked liked models, and the way they carried themselves, one could only help but to ask, are they human? 

“My name is Sade Asaju,” greeted the first woman, “and her name is Yoon Hana, we’re both exchange students at UTokyo too!” Sade stuck her hand out to greet me, her hand was soft and almost silky. 

“Nice to meet you,” I said, “my name is Kaleb Ashiro, do you mind if I join you on your way to campus? I’m afraid I’d get more lost if I were on my own.” 

“I don’t see why not,” Hana responded, “if we’re going to the same place, I don’t really see an issue. Just don’t be weird about it.” 

Sade laughed and made room for me to sit with them while we waited for the monorail. The station was empty, which I found to be rather suspicious; the air was thick and still and the silence was deafening. I looked around and saw that both Sade and Hana were both equally confused by our environment. 

“Do you know what’s going on here,” I asked, my companions both shook their heads. What happened next, I’ll probably never forget. The station grew dark, and there was a glowing magic circle that manifested beneath our bench. The light was blinding, and I felt someone grab my arm, it was Sade, she was holding on to both Hana and I. The station started to fill with fog and there was a heaviness in the atmosphere. 

“We have to stick together,” Sade screamed, and after that, we blacked out. That was the last thing I remembered before I was summoned to another world. 

Saint Theresa’s Temple, Capital City Kaynta, Dartaania; 7 Illisary 563R8X 

I woke up in what looked like a church’s sanctuary, there were stain glass windows depicting what I can only imagine was a prophecy of sorts. I looked around and saw both Sade and Hana were both coming to their senses, it’s a good thing they’re both okay, I thought. 

“Welcome Chosen Heroes,” a loud commanding voice echoed through the room. We looked up towards the podium and saw a man, a white man dressed as a priest, he had salt and pepper hair and deep sunken bags under his eyes. The man gave us a crooked smile before saying, “my name is Father Ezekiel, and I have summoned you three Heroes here requesting your aid. On behalf of this holy church, I ask you, please help us.” 

I looked at my two classmates, and the two of them both shrugged their shoulders, I guess it’s up to me, I thought. “What is it you need help with,” I asked, “I’d rather hear what we’re getting ourselves into before agreeing to anything.” 

“Oh yes, yes,” the priest said, “you see, for thousands of years the humans of this world have been in an endless battle for survival against The Unholy Ones. Their forces are great and they’re led by the Demon Lords, heretics who besmirch our Lord En’s mighty name!” 

I didn’t really know what to do in the moment except but to agree with the request. There was an overwhelming pressure that I felt during all this, like if I hadn’t accepted, I’d have to explain why. I really wasn’t in the position to do that, considering the man before me seemed to be a human that had a distain for heteromorphs. 

“A prophet in a distant land foresaw three heroes whose mere presence would bolster our defenses,” Father Ezekiel continued, “a Heroine of Water, a Heroine of Blossoms, and a Hero of Ice. The ritual was meant to summon those three heroes, and I can tell that the three of you look like perfect candidates!” 

I felt very uneasy about this, and judging by the look of my classmates, they didn’t really like what was happening either. However, I knew how to handle sketchy situations, coincidentally it was a specialty of mine. “Well on behalf of The Heroic Trinity, I, Kaleb Ashiro humbly accept your request,” I knelt down and shot Sade and Hana a look to follow my lead. 

“Wonderful,” exclaimed Father Ezekiel, “I’ll gather the necessary equipment and supplies you’ll need for your journey!” 

The priest returned with honestly the most generic and basic medieval armor and equipment I'd ever seen. He’d given Sade a blue and white hooded robe and a wooden staff that had a blue gem at the top. Hana was given a kimono and a fan, which in hindsight, was definitely racially charged. He’d given me a katana along with a standard swordsman armor. The sword did catch my eye however, it had a light blue edge and the rest of the blade was black, remarkable, I thought. 

Once we were all finished changing, we met with Father Ezekiel who had a few parting words, “I have given you a ‘World Map,’ it’ll highlight your location whenever you open it. Your overall mission is to defeat the Demon Lords, however for now, train and gain recognition around the world. Lastly, I must bestow the three of you with Lord En’s Blessing: 

Oh, Exalted One, 

Lord En, the Almighty, 

We, your humble servants, bow before you, In awe of your infinite power and grace. 

Grant unto us your divine protection, 

A shield woven from your boundless will, 

That we may stand unshaken, As we follow the path you have laid before us. 

In your name, we find strength, 

In your presence, we find peace. 

Your blessing flows through us like the river of life, Guiding us with your hand, 

Uplifting us in moments of doubt, 

And carrying us through the trials of this world. 

For those among us, pure in form, Your blessing flourishes with unparalleled might. 

But to those who are not of your image, 

Let their strength falter and their will crumble, 

For they are not worthy of the grace you bestow, 

And your divine protection does not shield them. 

May we stand strong in your sight, 

May your will guide us to victory, 

And may your blessings continue to flow Untouched by doubt, untouched by fear. 

In your name, the Almighty, 

We are reborn, renewed, 

Forever faithful to the path you have set. Amen.” 

There was a blinding light that emitted from our bodies that soon faded, I wasn’t even sure the blessing even worked. 

“Thank you Father,” Hana said, “I can feel Lord Em’s protection all over me!” 

“You mean, Lord En,” Father Ezekiel corrected. 

“Uh, yeah, Lord En,” she replied nervously. 

“Father, before we go,” Sade interrupted, “Might you tell us more about the Demon Lords, like how many are there, who are they?” 

“Oh no no,” the priest shook his head, “that’s information you’ll receive at the next sanctuary. You’ll travel to every church in the world and there you’ll learn more about your part in this war.” My intuition was telling me this was in fact a sketchy situation, this so called priest was being vague and I wasn’t a big fan of that. The priest grabbed the map and opened it and pointed at the coast line of the continent. The coast was made of a row of peninsulas that stretched from the north western side of the continent down to the south. “Here is where you’ll need to go next, there’s a temple in the Badweyna Village,” the father said, “I have a colleague there with further instructions for you. I was only meant to summon you and relay this bit of information to you; the rest is on your own.” 

“You’ve been a great help, Father,” I said as I bowed, “thank you.” We set out on foot to our destination, and the journey through the desert was grueling. Thankfully we had enough food and water to last us a while, which was convenient. 

“So Kaleb,” Sade asked, “what’s your deal? We might as well get to know each other since we got transported here.” 

I wasn’t the type that really liked to interact with others, mostly due to my major anxiety. However, since my first encounter with both Sade and Hana, I felt as though I can actually be comfortable around them. “I was studying to be a Forensic Investigator,” I started, “originally I’m from Majidōra, and it was my first time out of the country. Safe to say I’m far from home.” My joke was met with a laugh from both my companions. 

“Wait, isn’t that the nation of mages,” asked Hana, “the country that’s ran by Demon Lords, isn’t this a bit contradictory of you?” She had a good reason to ask, and to be honest I didn’t even want to accept this mission. I felt pressured to accept it, and I wasn’t sure how to even move forward without making things more complicated. 

“It is, and it does,” I replied, “but I can ask the same from the two of you. Ever since we first met I felt like you two weren’t human either.” 

The two gave each other a nervous glance, “there might be some truth to that assumption,” answered Hana, “I have Yokai ancestry.” 

“And I’m a Hyuman,” announced Sade, “well isn’t this the coincidence, what’re the chances a Hyuman, a Yokai, and a Daijin would all end up in a hero party on a quest to defeat the Demon Lord?” 

“If we’re being honest,” I began, “I hadn’t given it much thought.” 

“You’re lying,” Hana snapped, and she was right. Truth be told, I had an alterer motive, I had no desire to defeat the Demon Lord. In fact, I had no intention whatsoever to side with that sketchy priest and his odd prophecy. I have an obligation to uphold, as the next Ashiro Clan Head; to serve my patron Lord. I knew I’d have to tell them the truth sooner rather than later. 

“Fine,” I sighed, “I guess I have no choice; I have no desire to defeat any demon lord. In fact, I feel like this whole quest is a bit sketchy.” 

“Now that you mention it,” interjected Sade, “that priest was super shady. Furthermore, I know this may sound odd, but this world we’re in, I think I know it.” 

“No it’s not odd,” added Hana, “I know it too. My mother would tell me stories about The Great Realm of hTraé, and how every Yokai or magical being can trace their origins back to it.” 

It was at that moment I knew I could trust these two, “alright, it’s settled,” I said, “It’s clear that the three of us are all on the same page. To be honest with you, I’m the next Ashiro Clan Head and I trace my lineage back to the Demon Lord Myrlin, and since I’ve been here, I’ve felt a resonance in my Cache. I know he’s here, I know all of them are here—.” 

“Yeah, we hear ya’,” Sade smiled, “we’re double agents. Although, I don’t exactly know how, or who we’re going to report to. For all we know, we’re probably being watched.” 

She was right, I’d just noticed it as soon as she mentioned it. I gave my companions a nod, and without hesitation, they understood to prepare for battle. I was no stranger to combat, in fact I’d say I’m quite proficient. I drew my blade and the three of us stood with our backs towards each other as we scan our surroundings. I saw something glimmer in the distance followed by a whistle crescendoing louder. 

“GET DOWN!” I shouted, and as soon as we did, there was a flurry of bullets flying towards us. We were in a do or die situation, and I wasn’t sure how we were going to survive; that was until—. 

Notice, a window with text appeared in my field of vision, Hero System activated... Now forming Hero Party… Hero Party Invitations sent… Awaiting responses… Invitation responses received… Responses confirmed… The Hero Party henceforth known as The Elemental Trinity has been formed… Establishing communication link with other Heroes… Linking… Link Established… You are now free to communicate with your party using the ‘Thought Communication’ skill feature. 

“Uh, hello?” I heard a voice echo in my mind, it sounded like Sade’s voice. 

“Woah, I can totally hear you in my head,” exclaimed Hana. 

“No time for that, we have to focus,” I said with urgency, “we have a sniper on our tail, and there’s no telling what else our enemy has up their sleeves.” 

The bullets eventually stopped and in its place, two beings came charging towards us. They were far enough away and I figured it was a good time to try to strategize on a defensive maneuver; that would’ve been the case if this were an ideal scenario. Our two opponents ran at us with lightning fast speeds, they were two young men, both wielding long swords. The first young man had blonde hair and blue eyes and he had on a knight’s armor. His comrade had dark brown hair and green eyes and much like the other sported the armor of a knight. 

The two men lunged and struck an attack on both Sade and myself, however Hana summoned a wall of tree bark to block the strike. 

“Wood Signature: Wood Wall,” Hana used her fan to scribe her name in the air, and as a result the earth beneath our feet began to rumble, and the ground split open shooting out rows of trees. The trees were highly effective, however it had seemed our enemy had a counter measure in place. 

“CARMELITA! YOU’RE UP,” yelled one of the men, “let’s see how you fair against the Flare Blade Hero, Carmelita Ignis!” 

At that exact moment, the wall of trees that were keeping us safe, ignited and split horizontally. I looked to Sade and Hana and they were both horrified by what just happened and when I looked back at the wall, I saw her. She had cherry red hair, forest green eyes, and a hardened scowl; she held a rapier sword that glowed red from the heat of her ability. And it was clear to me that this woman was on a whole other level. 

“Give up yet?” Carmelita asked with a mischievous smile, “we’ve got you out numbered.” 

I looked around, and saw the three opponents in front of us, and taking into account the sniper, I’d deduce there were at least four of them, I informed my party, she’s right, plus we have no idea what abilities they have. 

“Who are you,” I replied, “perhaps we can negotiate; you see, we’re the Hero Party, The Elemental Trinity.” I was banking on that bit of information to help us, I knew if they were bandits or something, they’d probably leave us alone. 

“Oh, you hear that boys,” asked Carmelita, “they’re the ‘Hero Party,’ don’t make me laugh! You think you’re special because you got summoned here to be a hero? Well guess what?! We’re also a Hero Party: Carmelita’s Band of Flames, and we were chosen by The Almighty to defeat the Demon Lords, and you think you three can stand as MY equal?!”