Prologue Chapter 1: First Steps, and the Dark Road

The light of the sun brought warmth and comfort to everything in its path in its rise from the east to its departure to the west. Lush green fields covered much of the scenery before giving in to the edges of a faraway forest. The forest itself covered the mountain range that hid the grand, tiered city of Randall. The man had only glimpsed the surface of the Imperial Capital's grandeur through gossip and photography, and as reserved as he normally was, he could barely contain his excitement.

The man in question will be known to you as the Summoner. He was not the first of his kind, nor will he be the last. Many Summoners have ventured through Lucius' Gate into Grand Gaia. Their quest was to explore the forgotten lands of Grand Gaia, a dimension adjacent to this world and site of a terrible conflict - a war between humans and Gods.

It was called a war, but scholarly articles were more inclined to call it a massacre. The heroes of humanity were many, but they fought to survive rather than for victory. The flames of the conflict had long since died out, but the scars remained, burnt deeply into the land. If not for the Sealed God Lucius, humanity would have just been another layer of ash on the surface.

Now with the exalted Lord Lucius' help, humanity was reclaiming its heritage and history. Summoners, having been granted their abilities by holy powers, are sent into Grand Gaia to explore its many terrains and ancient ruins. This man before you is on his way to becoming a Summoner himself.

First, we must name him, for we must establish that he is not a favoured chosen one. He is one of many chosen ones. After much deliberation, we come to the conclusion that this man shall be named "Rhode", named after the journey he is about to commence. A silly play on words, but it will serve our purpose. Rhode is on a train bound for Randall, on his way to make preparations for his first ventures into Grand Gaia.

The glorious morning sun seemed to compliment the brilliant beauty of the train cabin, illuminating the compartment for Rhode to be introduced to every device and piece of furniture placed for his comfort and entertainment. Rhode tried to concentrate on his book, but the compartment was so suffocating in its luxury that he felt uncomfortable riding in it.

For someone who had lived his life in poverty, it was only natural to find it difficult to get used to the unfamiliar environment.

Giving up on his book, Rhode placed his copy of "The Tales of Nyonne" gently on the wooden table before him. On the table's side was a carving depicting a pike-wielding warrior standing firm against a dragon. Staring into blank space, he noticed the artwork but did not think too deeply into it. Rhode shifted himself towards the window to pull the curtains apart, wincing as he was momentarily blinded by the glimmer of a vast ocean. Off the coast, Rhode could see a small island covered in greenery, a sign that he neared his destination. He could make out the sun on the edge of the horizon, illuminating the curvature of the earth. The sun's light reminded him of a dream he had not too long ago.

Rhode... I am Lucius, the God who rules this gate.

The mesmerising green light called out to him that night, beckoning him to this so-called 'gate'. At the time, Rhode could hardly believe it when he awoke. Was this how the Gods chose Summoners? If so, what exactly did the voice want him to do?

Evidence would soon arrive to tell him that it had been more than a dream; it was a vision. A letter addressed to him found its way to his doorstep a week later, formally inviting him to the Capital. In almost impossibly neat handwriting, it gave Rhode instructions on getting to the Capital and dutifully informed him that travel fare and accommodation would be provided for him. Rhode had neither family nor a career, and he certainly did not aspire to be anything else. There was nothing to hold him back. So, he seized the opportunity to escape his nameless village and left with only a rucksack of belongings and his precious invitation.

Summoners were highly regarded in the Capital, and Rhode was lured by the promise of adventure and glory. It was a worthy pursuit, but Rhode could not help but be nervous. Was he worthy? Could he ever compare to his old friend Karl, who had already made a name for himself in the Akras' Summoners' Hall?

The scenery gave way to darkness as the train entered a tunnel. Drawing the curtains close, Rhode grabbed his "The Tales of Nyonne", and put it back into his rucksack. The train continued on for a few moments before the screeching of brakes against the track announced their arrival in Randall.

Eager to get off, Rhode strode out of the train and onto the platform of the station. The station itself was a pure marble white, with massive brown pillars supporting the enormous ceiling. The brown of the pillars mirrored the tracks and the trains themselves, which numbered in the dozens from what Rhode saw. The platform seemed almost spotless, and grey statues of legendary figures lined the station on large pedestals.

It was undoubtedly beautiful, but stiflingly so. Rhode stared awestruck at the sheer size of the place. If the rest of the city was exactly like this, it would need some getting used to.

The station was bustling and full of people dashing to catch their trains or rushing to leave the station. Chatter, laughter and announcements filled the station to an almost deafening level. The incessant puffing of smoke from dozens of train chimneys caused the station to smell, but the high ceiling ensured that the smoke did not stay long enough to be suffocating. Rhode's fellow passengers disembarked and vanished into the crowd, leaving Rhode alone and lost on the platform. In his doubt, he slipped his hand into his ragged coat and pulled his letter out, the paper slightly crumpled and tearing at the edges.

Just as he reread the letter, an unsteady clatter of heels alerted Rhode to the green haired girl stumbling in his direction. She was dressed in what he could only assume was her office attire, but it was soaked in sweat and extraordinarily untidy. As she reached Rhode, she bent over in exhaustion, gasping to catch her breath. She brought herself upright just long enough to give Rhode a clumsy salute and greeted him in between gasps.

"Lin…(gasp)... Lin Merylham… from Logistics Support Depart-... (gasp)... Department…at your service…"

Finally giving in to exhaustion, she dropped to a crouch, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Rhode suppressed a chuckle and felt at ease for the first time in a while. Lin had not changed one bit.

Rhode extended his hand in an offer to help her up. Lin accepted it gratefully, and Rhode pulled her to her feet again.

"Lin… Are you alright?"

"Rhode… (gasp)... It's good to see…(gasp)... you again." Lin broke out in a small smile. "Now then… Shall we get going?"

After taking some time to recover, Lin led Rhode out of the station, talking incessantly as they walked down a flight of steps and found themselves standing in the sparkling streets of Randall. Following the white pavement that flanked the city roads, Rhode could see the rows of buildings stretch out for miles ahead. The grandeur of the city was indeed something to behold as Lin led him through the bustling sidewalk and across streets packed with electric coaches.

Lin and Rhode had known each other as children and together with Karl, the three of them were inseparable friends. They used to play together in the nameless village that was their home until Lin left for Randall with her family to go to the school there. Karl left soon after with his Gramps, saying that he was going to train to become a Summoner. He had not seen either of them since and was looking forward to seeing Lin again when he found out who would be fetching him from the station.

He had a tonne to say, but Rhode was content with listening to Lin talk. A change in subject brought him back into the conversation, if just for a short while.

"Oh, you should really come visit my parents; they're dying to see you after so long! But enough about me! So Rhode…" Lin began, addressing him directly for the first time since their conversation began. "Do you know what Karl's been up to?"

"Ah… yes, I've read." Rhode reached into his rucksack and pulled out his copy of "The Tales of Nyonne" and shook it in front of Lin. "So Karl's a Division Head now, huh? Impressive..."

"Not just impressive… It's HUGE!" Lin replied, her excitement could hardly be contained. "Can you imagine OUR Karl? It's amazing! He's become such a reliable leader of a Demon Slayer Division! Maybe I should get his autograph before he gets too popular! He he he... It could become quite valuable, don't you think?"

Rhode smiled and retreated back into his own thoughts. It looked like everyone was expecting great things from Karl; Rhode could not afford to fall behind him any longer.

Rhode and Lin left the busy streets behind, turning into a winding alleyway that led upwards in a massive slope of concrete. Lin looked up with a bit of dread, but now that Rhode was with her, she was determined to be of use and led him on their hike. This part of Randall was decidedly more chaotic, but there was beauty in the madness. Shop houses lined this sloping walkway, selling a variety of items, most of them Rhode himself did not recognise. Because of the nature of the street and the position of the sun, the road was made dark with the shadow of the flanking buildings. In the middle of the walkway, marble statues stood on pedestals, which according to Lin, were tributes commemorating respectable figures of the Akras' Summoners' Hall.

Rhode looked up the slope and, sure enough, found that one of them was sculpted in Karl's likeness. He held a long spear that gave his division its name, Rebel Lance. It stood atop a marble pedestal with a golden plaque that read "Karl - 24th Division: Rebel Lance "Nyonne". As they walked passed Karl's tribute, Rhode saw that atop the next pedestal was a rather new statue of another figure: A menacing warrior who held a huge sword in one hand.

Up ahead, Rhode also took note of another fighter who held an actual lance and a shield. This one, in contrast, looked significantly older than the rest. Rhode walked over and read the description on this plaque as well:

"Noah - 21st Division: Silver Knights"

A few more statues later and eventually, Lin and Rhode came to a stop in front of an enormous grey building, exhausted. It had a large brown roof and wide swinging doors, with a tall wall surrounding the building and spires that made it resemble a castle. The massive structure towered over him, covering him in its shade. The building was seated on a large patch of grass situated on a large block of land. If one stood close enough to the edge, they would see that the building overlooked a large reservoir below. Above the doors read a gold-framed sign that said "Summoner Research Building" and at the edge of the sign, Rhode caught a small glint that resembled a tiny camera pointed right at him.

"This is the Summoner Research Building, run by Randall's greatest mind, Noel." Lin gestured to the large sign. "As I've told you in the letter, today we're just here to evaluate you, which will basically involve figuring out what Elemental attribute you are so that we can issue the appropriate equipment for you and a basic medical check-up to test your physical fitness. All Summoners have to come here at least once, but after that, they never return. I suppose it's because there's not much to do other than watch Noel carry out crazy experiments. I usually come here-..."

"And I'd appreciate it if you would stop coming here without any good reason." A voice interrupted Lin from the intercoms. Lin jumped in surprise, tripping on her own leg and falling on her bottom. Turning to where the sound came from, Rhode discovered a speaker mounted under one of the building's spires.

"As Lin has so kindly introduced, my name is Noel. Summoner, today we will be evaluating you in the hopes of shedding some light on your potential. Are you ready to commence?"

Rhode remained silent. Here he was, at the doorstep of destiny. At this very moment, he felt all his doubt and cynicism well up in him. Did he dare dream himself to be on par with Karl? Rhode would have considered himself his rival in the past, but now he could hardly hold a candle to him…

There was a gentle touch on his shoulder, and Rhode turned to see that Lin had placed her hand there. She beamed with hope and optimism, enough for both of them. She did not say anything, she did not have to. She had already conveyed what she intended to say. Already Rhode felt at ease.

Rhode wordlessly turned to the camera and nodded, knowing that Noel was watching him. This was the beginning of his adventure. For now, he need not concern himself with the progress of others. He would walk down this path at his own pace until he caught up with Karl.

The grey doors swung wide, revealing a large empty space that appeared to be an arena. The walls were lined with books and the arena was surrounded by machines as if they were witnesses to a gladiatorial battle. Several scientists operated the machines, watching meaningless numbers scroll by, not even bothering to look up at the new arrival.

Taking a deep breath, Rhode took his first step down the dark road of a Summoner.