He slowly wakes up. Dizzy at first, but the nausea slowly subsided. The black-haired man groggily sat up. He rubs his facial scars to relieve himself from the itch. He was average in terms of height, standing at least around 5'10" tall, but he was quite muscular. From his looks, a person could say he's in his early to mid-twenties. As his cloudy vision slowly became clear, he finds himself in an unfamiliar setting. Buildings that were cladded in white bricks, demi-humans walking along the streets, and a vast medieval-looking city welcomed him. "Where … am I?" He asked himself. He felt like he was still dreaming, but something was odd. He tries to remember the previous events that he was in, but his mind was literally blank. He can't remember what he was doing before, and to an extent, he can't even remember his name. The only thing he could remember is a faint memory, a memory where someone calls him a "struggler".

As he tries his best to remember any shard of memory within his mind, he began walking, wandering aimlessly in the unfamiliar city. "Who am I? What am I doing here? Why am I wearing this clothes?" He asked himself. He was wearing something unfamiliar for the people around him. A black skin-tight turtleneck, greyish pants with leather straps, and black combat boots, were something that the people who noticed him are not familiar with. He looked like he was a mercenary of sorts, but his clothing looked too advanced for their time.

Soon, the young man finds himself in an alleyway. Seeing that he's alone, he sat down on a ledge and began to ponder whether if he's a native to this town and he's just experiencing a bad hangover, or if he's a drifter of some sorts. "Something's for sure. I do not … belong here. This isn't my place." He mutters to himself. Seeing how the townspeople looked at him as he wandered around, he came to a conclusion that he doesn't belong to this place, or to this era. "If that's the case, then how the hell did I end up here? Who the hell am I?" He asks himself once more. Though he pondered hard and tried his best to find the answers within him, he came up empty. All he could think of is that his mind was blank like a sheet of paper. "White … Shiro … Hmm. I guess, I could use that name for a while. I can't ask around without a name, after all. They'll think I'm a spy or something." He says to himself.

Hence forth, he began calling himself as Shiro.

Before Shiro could stand, a sudden memory popped into his mind. A hazy and fragmented memory enveloped him.

You are a magus, are you not?
"Yes, Father."
Then why are you incapable of using our family's spells? Are you that incompetent?
"I am … I don't know."
Hmph. You are really worthless after all.

He clenched his teeth and held onto his temple. He let out a few groans as the nauseating feeling slowly subsided. "A magus? A wielder of magic …" He muttered as he looked into his hand. Suddenly, another memory appeared within him, but this time around, it was only an image. An image of two twin swords that he used to see when he was little. The known swords that he admired so much since the man that were wielding the said blades was someone he admired. A man of justice, a hero. Slowly, a black blade materialized in his open hand. The blade was like a replica of the image that appeared inside his head, but it was highly flawed. If a blacksmith would look at it, he would label it as a scrap of iron.

"So this is … my power?" Shiro asked himself once more. Before he could even think even further, the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. Just a few metres away from him were three thugs. "Hey! Give us your money, yeah?" The small one ordered. "Am I … getting mugged now? What timing …" Shiro muttered as he slowly stood up, blade in hand. "A-Ah. He has a blade! Are you sure he's an easy target?" The large man said as their leader took a step towards the lost man. "Heh. It'll be easy! Look at him! His legs are wobbling like crazy!" The leader of the thugs said with a smile on his face. With that, they brandished their blades out.

"I don't have … anything to give to you." Shiro said as he tries to set aside his confusion. "Come on, they all say that, right?" The small one said as they slowly approached him. "Come on! Just cuff everything up and we'll let you live." The leader said as he began toying with his dagger. "I'm telling you! I have nothing on me! I'm a mere lost man in this unfamiliar city!" Shiro shouted as annoyance filled his voice. In an instant, the three charged at him. Needing to defend himself, Shiro readies his stance.

First, the small one tried to stab his torso, but he quickly met the sole of Shiro's boot. His body crashed onto a nearby wall. Though a bit dazed, he tries to stand up but his blade landed a few inches away from his face, making him tremble. The large man tries to hack Shiro with his axe, but he effortlessly avoided it. For a second, he hesitated. Shiro was thinking of slicing the man's hand off, but a sudden decision stopped him. He simply disarmed him from his weapon and used his blade's hilt to knock the man out.

Finally, it was the leader's turn. Seeing that their target was agile, he tries to go to his side while he was busy with his accomplice. As the large man slowly falls down on his back, Shiro notices the leader beside him. He quickly turned his body and used his blade to parry the attack. As the sound of two blades clashing echoed throughout the alleyway, a sudden yellow flash passed by, and catching Shiro's attention. A small blonde girl ran by and jumped into the rooftops. For a moment of distraction, the leader quickly seized the opportunity and landed a huge straight onto Shiro's nose. The blow made his dizziness resurface and made Shiro fall onto one knee. Seeing the leader prepping a strong attack, Shiro lift his blade upwards.

The sound of a blade breaking stunned Shiro. His black blade snapped and his face nearly got slashed. He fell onto his back, still clutching onto his broken blade. "Heh. See! It was only a piece of scrap metal!" The leader remarked with a large grin on his face. Sensing danger, Shiro quickly moved to his right, avoiding the leader's attack. He pushed himself up and tackled the leader onto the ground. Surprised by the sudden action of their target, the leader couldn't stop him from disarming him of his weapon. A couple of strong blows landed on his face, forcing him to cover his face with his arms. Seeing that the leader is on the defensive, Shiro quickly grabbed the nearby dagger. Before he could plunge the dagger into his assailant, a large force knocked him down, leaving the leader free from his assault. He looked up and saw the large man and small one up in their feet.

"Tch. You really made us work, huh?" The small one said as he readies his blade once more. "You better have something valuable or we'll be sure to hack those limbs off." The large man grunted as he brings out his axe. "Heh. For a second, I thought I was a goner. Let me repay you!" The leader said as he quickly stood up and swung a kick towards Shiro. Shiro tried to move, but the nauseating feeling inside of him froze his body in place. His mouth was slowly filled with the taste of iron as he fell down onto the pavement. Shaking, he slowly tries to push himself up, but his body was refusing to do anything. "You should've cooperated, heh? See what happens to wanna be heroes, heh?" The small one remarked.

Out of the blue, a shard of ice caught Shiro's attention. The thugs were stopped in their tracks as a bolt of ice landed near them. "Stop right there!" A feminine voice shouted. With his cloudy vision, Shiro looked behind him. By the alleyway's entrance, he saw his saviour. A young woman with ashen-white hair stood there. Her hand was at the ready and her ice bolts were ready to be flung towards his assailants. Her purple eyes showed a look of determination. For a moment, he felt his heart ache as he stared at the young woman. "Tch! She's magic user!" One of fthe thugs remarked. "T-This doesn't concerns you, so don't even bother!" The leader annoyingly shouted at her. "True, but I cannot turn a blind eye when something like this is happening near me!" She shouted as her bolts went flying towards the trio.

The bolts landed near the trio once again, but it was enough to make the three back off. "Tch! We'll remember this!" The large man shouted as the three of them exited the alleyway. Looking at her, Shiro was left speechless. "A heroine … of justice …?" He muttered to himself. "A-Ah! You there! Are you okay?" She asked as she ran towards his position. By the time she was by his side, the nauseating feeling subsided and Shiro finally could move his limbs. He let out a rather loud defeated sigh as he pushed himself up and sat down on the pavement. "Y-Yeah. I could manage. I just feel … sick." He replied as the ashen-haired girl began inspecting his bruises. "Are you sure about that? I mean, it looks like they broke your nose after all." She asked. Now that she mentions it, Shiro finally noticed that his nose was not aligned properly.

"Alright then. Puck, please see to his wounds." The ashen-haired girl said as she took a step back. Suddenly, a small feline-looking creature appeared behind her. "Helping the weak, eh? You really are kind." The creature said as it levitated towards the surprised Shiro. "W-What? Magic? You're a magic user, right?" Shiro asked as the creature touched his nose. Suddenly, he felt something relaxing and refreshing on his face. The pain from his broken nose slowly vanished and the bleeding stopped. "Spirit-user, yes, and that's my contracted spirit. His name is Puck." The girl replied with a smile. "Hi there! You look lost." Puck said as his paw tapped on Shiro's bruises. "A-Ah … healing magic and ice projectiles … quite remarkable." He commented with a smile.

"Hm? Are you … by chance, a spirit user too?" The girl asked as her contracted spirit goes back and sits on top of her head. "Y-Yeah. I'm a magic user, sort of. I'm only a beginner though. Anyway, how could I repay you? I … don't have money or whatever currency that you guys use." Shiro replied. "C-Currency? Wait. Are you really lost?" The girl asked once more. "Y-Yeah. I … just woke up here. I know … it sounds like a drunkard's tale, but I really don't where am I or what was I doing before all of this. I'm trying to remember where I came from, but … nothing's coming up in my head." He replied with a nod. For a second, the girl stopped from responding and turned her back. She and her contracted spirit whispered with one another while Shiro was left there looking at them with a rather confused look in his face. He heard the word "thief" from the two and suddenly remembered the blonde girl that dashed through the alleyway earlier.

"Are you guys … looking for a thief?" Shiro asked as he slowly stands up. "Huh? Y-Yeah. Someone stole my insignia earlier. A bl-" "A blonde little girl with a rather revealing attire, right? She passed by earlier when I was getting mug. If you want, I could help you look for her. Think of it, as a way to repay your kindness." He stated as he approached the two. "You saw her?! Could you tell us where she went?!" The girl asked as she quickly grabbed onto Shiro's hands. "W-What? Yeah. She went up the rooftops, so I'm not sure which direction she went." He replied with a slight redness in his cheeks. "Ah. I see … Ah! Sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" The girl said as she notices her sudden move and quickly retracts her hands away from the man. "Aren't you a bit hasty, kiddo?" Puck remarked as he levitated near Shiro's face and began playfully punching his cheek with his paws, but due to his small size, Shiro could hardly feel a thing. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. Anyway, what do you think of my offer?" He asked. "Hmm. Well, having another set of eyes to look for the thief will really help us, so, I guess I have to take it." The ashen-haired girl said with a smile as she accepts Shiro's offer.

The two began looking around, talking to bystanders, asking if they saw the little thief. While asking, Shiro slowly finds out his whereabouts. Currently, he's in the country of Lugnica, a country that sounds so alien to him. Even though he can't recall his past, he could clearly say that he never heard of this country before. Sometime past noon, the two reunited near the city's square. They met up in a park overlooking a portion of the city. "So, any updates?" Shiro asked as he leaned against the stone balustrade. "No new information. We're still drawing a blank." The girl replied as her contracted spirit comes out. "The people did mention that they saw the small thief but they can't say which direction she went to." Puck commented as he sat down on Shiro's shoulder. "I see. Anyway, come to think of it, every city has a shady portion right, uh, miss?" Shiro asked as he looked towards the ashen-haired girl. Now that he realized it, he never got her name.

"Hm? Yes?" The girl asked. "Well, uh, I never got your name." Shiro said as he began petting Puck. "N-Name? Oh … right. I forgot about that." She muttered. From the looks of things, Shiro deducted that she's not comfortable in giving her name. "It's … okay actually. I just don't know what to call you if you don't tell me your name. But, anyway, I'm Shiro. Shiro as in, white." He said as he introduced himself with a smile. "W-White? Pardon?" She muttered with a curious look in her face. "Huh? Well … where I came from, the word Shiro means white, like the colour." He commented with a chuckle. "Ah. You're not from here, correct?" She asked as she paid close attention to the man in front of her. "Yeah. Truth to be told, this … isn't my world. Like, I don't belong here." Shiro replied. "Well, judging from your looks, you really stick out like a sore thumb, you know. But, I could believe in you since you look like that." She commented with a giggle.

"Eh? I don't know but that sounds a bit insulting." Shiro said as he crossed his arms. "Heh. Come on! It's a compliment, a compliment!" Puck said as he playfully poked the man's cheek. "Hm. Those scars and your features … are you, a soldier perhaps?" The girl asked as she began to look at Shiro's face. "Soldier? Nah. I'm a magus in my world. Truth to be told, I think I'm suffering from amnesia, so I can't really say what my occupation was or where I got these scars. I … could say that I'm around 20 to 25 years old since looking at you, I feel rather old already." Shiro replied as he lets out a playful chuckle. "I-I look young? Thanks, I guess …" The girl said as she brushes off the random compliment and turned her head. As she turned towards the cityscape, Shiro noticed something about her. Her pointy ears caught his attention. "Those ears …" He muttered. Suddenly, a fragmented memory appeared in his head.

Ara ara, I see that I've been summoned by a cute master.
Master, you really are hard-headed you know. But, I am here to guide you.
I never thought my cute master would be so precious.

Shiro fell to his knees, groaning in pain. "Huh? S-Shiro-san!" The girl said as she ran towards him. "D-drop the honorifics … please." Shiro muttered as he tries his best to shrug off the pain. "Huh? Wait. Are you okay? What happened?!" She asked. In response, Shiro simply gently touched her pointy ears. "Your ears … reminded me of someone." He replied. For a second, the ashen-haired beauty felt shocked. Her entire hands froze. Her expression slowly turned into something dreadful, but the man's sudden response flipped it. "It's … beautiful. Your ears I mean. I … just had a sudden memory popped into my head. It's heavily fragmented, but … I feel warm inside. I'm simply in pain due to the shock, but that aside, I'm quite okay." He stated with a smile on his face. Seeing a genuine smile, the girl can't help but to feel warm inside too.

S-Satella.

Her words caught his attention. "Is that … your name?" Shiro asked as he slowly stands up alongside her. "Y-Yeah. My name is Satella." Satella replied as she looked away. "S-Seriously? Geez." Puck muttered as he went back to Satella's side. Somehow, Shiro could feel something off. Why is she acting rather … secretive with her name, and why does her name sound so … hated by her, he asked himself. He thought of prodding even further, but it would be rude of him. If she's uncomfortable of giving her true name, so be it since he's already okay with using what she given him. "Hmm. Alright, Satella. Nice to meet you, also, thank you for saving this lost man earlier," Shiro said as he gently took her hand and knelt down in front of her. "I will never forget your kindness, and I am in debt to you." He stated with a smile on his face. "G-Geez. You're embarrassing me … but," Satella said with an embarrassed tone. Slowly, her shyness vanished from her face and she smiled at the kneeling Shiro. "Nice to meet you too, Shiro." She said with a warm smile. At that moment, Shiro can't help but to stare at her. He was purely awed. I'm lucky that I met someone like her, he muttered to himself.

After a while, the two continued their search. Along the way, they helped a lost child to reunite with her parents. Her father, an appa vendor and someone that Shiro talked to prior reuniting with Satella, gave directions towards a known loot house. If someone would pawn something that they stole, it's most likely to be there after all. The two made their way towards the slums. After Satella communicates with the nearby spirits, they finally arrived in front of the loot house.

"This is it, huh?" Shiro muttered as he began inspecting the front door. It was already evening but the lights were still off. "Shiro, could you do me a favour?" Puck, who was looking quite sleepy, asked. "Go ahead." Shiro responded. "Could you protect her for me while I'm out? I need to get some rest." The small spirit said as he slowly becomes transparent. "Puck normally stays up till this hour. He needs some goodnight rest since he's been up ever since this morning." Satella remarked as her green pendant slowly began to shine. "So that's his sleeping spot, hm? Alright. Get some rest." Shiro said with a smile.

Before Shiro could take a step towards the door, something felt wrong with him. It was too eerily quiet. "Satella, stay outside for a while. I'll confirm things from the inside first." He said as he checked his pockets. Feeling something, he pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Huh? Me?" The ashen-girl behind asked. "What? Come on, you gave me that name, so I have no choice to address you like that. Anyway, stay here, okay? I'll be right back." He said as he gives her a reassuring smile.

The door slowly creaked as he steps inside the dark. He flicks his lighter and its flame began to illuminate the room, though it was not bright enough for him to see everything. "Hello? I'm looking for a blonde-thief. Does anybody know her?" He shouted. Silence was the only response that he received. "I guess not. Though, it really smells like … Huh?!" He muttered as something tripped him. His flame died out as he tumbled along the wooden floor. "What the hell …" He muttered as he began to flick his lighter once again. As the flame lit up, a gruesome sight stunned him. The blonde girl that he was looking for was in front of him, completely lifeless. A large slash could be seen in her slender body. He tried to move but, behind was also another corpse, this time around, it was a large old man who was missing his right arm and jaw.

"F-Fuck! This is bad news!" Shiro remarked as he quickly stood up and ran towards the door. A few metres away, he felt a presence behind him. Sensing a killing intent, he quickly brings out his black sword. In the nick of time, he deflected something, but his sword broke once more. As he fell on the floor, he noticed a large gaping slash on his right arm. He groaned in pain but he forced himself to stand up once more. "Ah. Even though your blade broke, you'll still stand up?" A sultry, feminine voice commented from the shadows. "Tch. Satella! Don't come in! Run!" Shiro shouted as the room was briefly illuminated by the sudden mana surge on his right arm.

Again, he brings out his black sword, and again, the sword breaks as he tries to defend himself. This time around, a slash landed on his thigh, stopping him from moving around. The next landed on shoulder, which rendered his left arm useless. "F-Fuck …" He muttered as blood slowly began to seep out his mouth. The moment he noticed the blood on his mouth, he fell onto the floor. His abdomen was slashed open and his guts fell out. He began screaming in pain as he tried his best to put everything back in. "Ah … you have such pleasant guts. I'll be sure to carefully enjoy it …" The voice said with a rather excited tone.

Shiro! Are you okay?!

His companion's voice altered him. Shiro forced every adrenaline that he has to push himself up. Though his guts were dangling, he tried to crawl towards the door to stop her. "Don't come in! Damn it!" Shiro furiously shouted. In a matter of seconds, the ashen-haired girl fell down beside him. A large slash can be seen on her side. "N-No … No … No!" He exclaimed. His body was getting cold, but he has to do something. He can't let her die like this. "C-Come on. Move! You gotta … live!" He painfully muttered as he grabbed onto her hand. He felt a slight reaction from her, which sparked his drive even further. "I'll s-save you … I'll save you … Satella! I'll get you out of he-"

Though his will was strong, his body gave up. He lost too much blood and now, he takes his last breath. He dies for the first time in this world.