Sup guys, and girls, this is BzS here, and sorry for this.. whole paragraph.

Before we get to the second chapter, I would like to thank you for your support and your reviews. This is actually my first online thingy and to have good reviews and favs and followers makes me really happy, so I wanted to thank all of you.

Also, to answer a question I was asked, I am going to be following the anime storyline with a few tweaks here and there, maybe add in my own little group of antagonists.

That's enough of me talking, Enjoy!

-Time skip – 7 years later –

I reach up and grabbed onto a ledge sticking out of the wall, pulling myself up I placed my left foot firmly onto a different ledge.

Usually people will start feeling their hearts beat faster when they are a few hundred feet off the ground, climbing a rocky wall with no protection from falling at all, but I really don't mind. Even if I do fall I'll slowly drift to the ground anyways.

Today is my 17th birthday, it's been 7 years since I found Shinatsuhiko and I have been training day and night, sometimes even coughing up blood.

So why exactly am I scaling a cliff on my birthday?

Because of this bird asshole. As I thought that, I pushed off the ledge and flew up a few feet, flipping forwards and landing on my feet. I was standing in a nest the size of a large living room, it was made up of branches and even a few small trees. But that wasn't what caught my eyes, what pissed me off was what was in it.

There were many dead bodies, ripped up and dismembered, those whose faces were still recognizable were filled with fear or despair.

I recognized each and everybody, because they were hunters and villagers from my village. Through my sixth sense, 'eye of the storm' I named it, I saw a huge bird like creature flying towards me, I turned and narrowed my eyes at it.

This danger beast had left humans alone, going after smaller danger beasts and wild life, but for the past three days, it has been attacking our village, taking either a villager or hunter with it every time it attacked.

I don't know it's reason, nor do I care, all I know is that it's going to die by my hands today.

As it neared me, I noticed something in it's talons, my eyes widened.

In its talons was Ryou, the wife of one of the hunters and a chef of a restaurant. I knew her personally, often going to her restaurant and she took really good care of me. Tears rolled down her face as she sobbed silently.

"Ryou-san!" I yelled. She looked up and saw me, her eyes full of fear and disbelief that slowly turned into hope.

"Tatsu-chan! HELP ME!" She screamed in desperation. "I don't want to d-"

She wasn't able to finish. The danger beast tightened its talons and she was crushed under the pressure, her blood rained down on me.

My eyes widened in shock before it narrowed with hate.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

I pulled out Shinatsuhiko and stabbed it into the nest, a miniature tornado formed around me. The danger beast squawked and tried to fly away, but the tornado pulled it back. I pulled the sword out and jumped at it.

"BURN IN HELL!" My sword glowed a light green and I swung it at the danger beast, an arc of wind flew at it and sliced through it's wing. I flew above it and kicked it down.

As it crashed into its nest I threw Shinatsuhiko at it and it pierced through the beast, pinning it down.

Without Shinatsuhiko, I also fell down, using the momentum to drop kick it's head, crushing it under my feet. I could feel my foot being drenched in blood but I couldn't care less. I pulled my sword out and sliced off it's other wing, even though it was already dead.

My eyes watered and I looked up at the sky.

'I'm sorry…'

A funeral was held the next day for Ryou and all the other victims.

Tatsumi had dragged the remains of the danger beast back to the village, he also had a bag containing Ryou's head. Everyone who had their hopes up were crushed with one look at Tatsumi's face. Taiki, Ryou's husband and a brave adventurer, had to be held back from hurting Tatsumi.

Tatsumi left Ryou's head with the Elder and went back into the forest.

He returned later with an unbelievable amount of dead danger beasts.

That night, they burned the body of the bird and ate the others.

Tatsumi watched Ryou's head lower down into the grave with eyes filled with regret.

The Elder approached him after it was over with a serious look.

"Tatsumi, I have a request for you." Tatsumi didn't respond, he just looked at the ground.

"It regards the survival of this village." His head shot up with an incredulous look.

"What do you mean?"

"I need you to go to the Capitol to earn money for our village, I have sent Sayo and Ieyasu already but I need you to go too. The Capitol has been taxing us heavily and we no longer have enough money." The elder said.

Tatsumi looked away.

"But… I…" He didn't need to say anymore for the Elder to understand.

"Tatsumi!" He shouted loud enough for the whole village to hear. Tatsumi looked up surprised, this was the first time he had ever heard the Elder yell.

His voice softened.

"You are the best warrior we've ever had, just because you have failed once doesn't mean anything. Learn from this Tatsumi, become stronger so that you will be able to protect those you care about, prevent this from ever happening again, I'm sure Ryou wouldn't want you to beat yourself over her death and I'm sure she wants you to become a strong young man who can defend and protect."

Tatsumi was shaking, not in anger. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.

"Once? ONCE?!" Images flashed through his head. His dad, his mom, his master, Ryou, all the other villagers.

"I failed once FOUR GOD DAMN TIMES ALREADY! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS!" He yelled.

He was angry, so angry he might lose control, but he couldn't care less right now.

'7 years, I spent 7 years training and this is where it brought me.'

Absolutely nowhere.

"What have I been doing for the past 7 years?" He whispered. That's when Tatsumi felt his check burn and his body falling backwards.

He landed on his back and held his left cheek. It stung.

"IF YOU GIVE UP NOW, WHAT DID RYOU DIE FOR?!"

Taiki, Ryou's husband, stood over him, his arm stretched out. His eyes were burning with anger, but a closer look revealed tear marks.

"Tatsumi, do you want me to ever forgive you?" I looked away. I don't deserve to be forgiven.

"Good, you don't have the right to be forgiven." He said in a deep voice. "You will only earn that right when you succeed in saving this village." My eyes widened.

"Ryou is dead, it's your job to make sure she did not die in vain." Daiki said without pausing.

"Make the memory of her into a fuel to protect others, that's the least you can do to atone."

It was no more than a whisper, but it was carved into Tatsumi's mind.

With that, Taiki walked away. Tatsumi stared at the ground with his bangs covering his eyes.

"Tatsu-" The Elder began but he was cut off.

"I accept the request, I will go join the Imperial Army and save this village." He said, pushing himself up.

His eyes were filled with new determination.

"I will leave tomorrow."

Morning came quickly and I found myself already at the gate of the village. My backpack filled with clothes and Shinatsuhiko strapped on my back. The elder and the whole village came to see me off, the elder stepped up to me and handed me a little statue carved out of wood.

"Now Tatsumi," The elder said. "Here's my last parting gift. When in need…"

"Sell it, right?" I cut in.

"NO!" I laughed.

"This is serious Tatsumi, when you're in need, keep it near you and God will surely help you." I smiled and thanked him.

I bowed and thanked everyone in the village before heading down the road, with everything I know behind me, I headed towards a new world. I cannot imagine what it will be like, my heart is pounding in my chest, and even though it is scary I can't help but get excited. What will the Capitol be like? I shook my head, I need to remember my goal, I will not let Ryou's death be in vain.

Night came quicker than I could have imagined, I gathered some wood and set up my camp, placing a bird like danger beast as large as me over the fire.

I looked up at the sky, wondering how my life will change when suddenly, the wind showed me a large group of bandits that had surrounded my camp. I stood up and walked past the fire.

"You can all come out now, I know you're there."

Around 20 men, all armed with swords, chains, axes and clubs came out of the darkness. One of them, holding a huge axe and the only one without a bandana on, stepped forward and smirked at me.

"Well aren't you alert, how did you know?" He asked with a smirk.

"The wind told me." He and the rest burst out laughing while I just stood with no emotions.

"That's a good one, did the wind also tell you how strong we are?" I smirked.

"Strong? Not at all, I don't need the wind to tell that you guys are about as strong as the Bird I killed 2 days ago, combined."

They all roared in anger. The leader yelled some threat before charging at me. I don't need my sword for this. I got into a combat stance and waited, in seconds the first one came charging at me with a sword, I sidestepped his overhead chop and disarmed him easily before I stabbed him in the leg with his sword.

Then 3 others came together but I just ducked and dodged their attacks before crippling them with a stab to the leg, arm and shoulder. One by one they came while the leader stood behind them, shouting out commands, but I just took them down, one by one without killing them.

In a blink of the eye, the leader was all that was left.

"You all are useless, the next time we find some women, they are all mine."

At that, I looked down and my bangs covered my face, finally pulling out my sword. He charged at me but I just sidestepped his chop, ducked his slice and dodged his stab before plunging my sword into his right shoulder, and then chopping off his right arm. He fell to the ground screaming in pain. I looked at him with hate filled eyes.

"You will pay for your crimes." I said before stabbing my sword into his heart.

Hm? I just killed a fellow human being, but for some reason, all I feel is an odd feeling in my stomach that made me want to puke, but that's the same feeling as when I kill any animal.

I didn't feel any regret.

I turned and glared at the other bandits.

They all had a look of horror before they all started screaming and running away in panic and in pain. I went to my fire, made a torch and burned his body. I suddenly remembered my dinner.

"Oh god damn it, how am I supposed to eat this now." I said when I saw how burnt it was.

I sighed and I looked up at the sky, wondering how my life will change, I just sat there thinking. Before I realized it, morning came and my journey continues.

-Time skip – 1 Month later –

~Travelers POV~

We are almost at the Capitol. Even though we know what kind of place it is we have no choice but to sell our goods there, it is a huge city with rich people and we must take this risk if we never want to come here again. I thought in silence as I stared in the general direction of the famous, Capitol.

Suddenly, the ground in front of me exploded and fear filled my heart.

"I-I-IT'S AN EARTH DRAGON!" The First-Class Danger Beast charged at us as we both screamed in fear and panic when suddenly a shadow flew above us and past the Earth Dragon. Moments after, the right arm of the Beast fell onto the ground and the shadow revealed itself as a teenage boy.

"First-Class Danger Beast, the Earth Dragon. A worthy opponent." He said. The Beast turned towards him and tried to crush him with its arm.

"You're angry huh?" He said and in a blink of an eye he was above the beast and floating in midair.

"It's over."

He swung his sword and I thought I saw movement in front of him, before I can wonder what it was the beast split in half diagonally from its waist to its left arm. The boy came down way too slow to be normal and landed in front of us. A teenage boy had just soloed a First-Class Danger Beast in less 15 seconds.

I know, I know, cliché anime motivations aside, I hope you enjoyed.

I will be releasing the Chapters for Story of Memories really quickly because I just have to re-read and do some quick grammar edits. But this story is going to be semi-revised/re-written, so that will take some time and planning. It's the last 2 weeks of school so, it will be slow updates, but once we hit the summer I should be able to pump these chapters out.

Anyways, that's enough, thanks for all the support and concern, really appreciate it.

We Out, Latre - BzS