Chapter 1
The crimson sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of deep purple and burnt orange. Yhwach lay motionless atop a weathered boulder, his dark hair splayed out beneath him like a halo of shadows. His eyes, burning with an inner fire that matched the fading daylight, gazed unblinkingly at the heavens above.
The desolate landscape stretched out around him, a testament to the isolation he had known since his earliest memories. Jagged rocks jutted from the parched earth, their surfaces etched by millennia of wind and rain. In the distance, gnarled trees stood like silent sentinels, their twisted branches reaching skyward in a futile attempt to touch the stars that were just beginning to emerge in the twilight.
Yhwach's mind wandered, as it often did in these quiet moments, to the mystery of his origins. He knew, with a certainty that ran deeper than his bones, that he did not belong to this world. The feeling of displacement, of being an outsider looking in, had been his constant companion for as long as he could remember.
"Father," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the gentle rustling of the evening breeze. "Why have you forsaken me?"
The words hung in the air, unanswered, as they always had been. Yhwach's lips curved into a mirthless smile, a gesture that held no warmth. He had long since stopped expecting a response, yet some part of him, buried deep beneath layers of stoic indifference, still yearned for answers.
"I'll find you, father," he continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. "One day, I will forge a path to claim the heavens."
Yhwach's eyes narrowed as he focused on a particularly bright star that had just winked into existence. Was that where he came from? Was his true home somewhere out there in the vast expanse of space? The questions swirled in his mind, a familiar dance of uncertainty and determination.
"Just tell me," he said, his voice now tinged with a hint of frustration. "Who am I?"
A bitter laugh escaped his lips, echoing across the barren landscape. Yhwach crossed his arms behind his head, the coarse fabric of his long black coat rustling against the rough surface of the boulder. He closed his eyes, allowing the last warmth of the day to seep into his skin.
"Do you hear me, father?" he asked, knowing full well that no answer would come.
The silence that followed was suddenly shattered by the roar of an engine. Yhwach's eyes snapped open, his body tensing instinctively. He remained perfectly still, listening as the sound grew louder, then began to fade. A vehicle of some kind, passing by on the nearby road.
Yhwach relaxed slightly but didn't move from his position. He had grown accustomed to the occasional interruption of his solitude by travelers passing through this desolate region. They rarely stopped, and he preferred it that way. Human interaction held little appeal for him; most people couldn't begin to comprehend the burden he carried.
As the sound of the engine faded into the distance, Yhwach's thoughts drifted once more to the mystery of his existence. He knew he possessed abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans. Speed, strength, and senses that defied explanation. And then there was the power that slumbered within him, a force he was only beginning to understand.
The memory of his awakening in this world was hazy, shrouded in mist. He recalled a void, a nothingness so complete it defied description. And then, sensation. The feel of rough stone against his skin, the scent of dust and decay, the blinding light of a sun he had never seen before.
Yhwach's fists clenched involuntarily at the memory. He had been helpless then, a newborn in a hostile world. But he had survived, driven by an instinct that burned at his core. He would not only survive but thrive. He would unravel the mystery of his existence and reclaim his rightful place in the universe.
The sound of an engine once again intruded upon his thoughts, but this time it was different. The pitch changed, slowing, and then cut off entirely. Yhwach's eyes narrowed. Someone had stopped.
He remained motionless, his keen senses alert for any sign of approach. The crunch of gravel underfoot reached his ears, followed by a voice – female, young, with a hint of uncertainty.
"Is beautiful... isn't it?"
Yhwach's gaze shifted from the darkening sky to the source of the voice. A mass of blue hair caught his attention first, an unnatural color that stood out starkly against the muted tones of the landscape. His eyes traveled downward, taking in the form of a young woman straddling a sleek motorcycle.
For a moment, Yhwach considered ignoring her, retreating back into his thoughts and letting her move on. But curiosity, a rare sensation for him, stirred in his chest. What was someone like her doing out here, alone, as night fell?
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, his voice low and tinged with a hint of suspicion.
The girl's reaction was immediate and amusing. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she quickly averted her gaze from his piercing crimson eyes. Yhwach watched with detached interest as she fumbled for words.
"H-Hi, I'm sorry to stall like that," she finally managed, waving her right hand in what he assumed was meant to be a friendly gesture. "Are you stranded out here?"
Yhwach considered her question for a moment before responding. "No, I am merely sightseeing this world, and its many inhabitants."
His choice of words seemed to confuse her, but before she could respond, Yhwach decided to press further. "Are you out here by yourself?"
The girl began to answer, adjusting one of her gloves as she spoke. "Do you live around—"
A sudden beeping sound cut her off mid-sentence. Yhwach's eyes narrowed as the girl's attention immediately shifted to a small device she pulled from her pocket. Her expression changed, a mix of excitement and determination replacing her earlier uncertainty.
"Hold on a second," she muttered, more to herself than to Yhwach. Her eyes fixed on the device's screen as she announced, "It's to the west."
Intrigued despite himself, Yhwach rose from his reclined position, moving with a fluid grace that belied his lanky frame. He peered at the circular device in the girl's hands, noting the green screen crisscrossed with multiple lines. His mind quickly analyzed what he was seeing – some kind of tracking system, but for what?
"I'm here alone," Yhwach said, answering her earlier unfinished question. Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he added, "Might I ask, what's to the west?"
The girl seemed to snap out of her focused state, blinking as if remembering his presence. "Huh, one of these," she replied, reaching into a small purse at her waist and withdrawing a spherical object.
Yhwach's eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of the orange ball, its surface gleaming in the fading light. Two stars seemed to float within its crystalline depths, pulsing with an inner energy that he could almost feel.
Before he could inquire further about the strange object, the girl's attention shifted once more. "By the way, where is your vehicle?" she asked, looking around as if expecting to see a car or motorcycle hidden nearby.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Yhwach's mouth. "I've no use for one," he replied, effortlessly leaping down from his perch atop the boulder. Landing silently beside the girl's motorcycle, he casually slipped his hands into the pockets of his long coat. "I'm faster than any machine."
The girl's skeptical expression was clear, even in the growing darkness. "Yeah, right," she said, clearly not believing him. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she added, "Anyway, I'm heading straight forward, so... I don't know... do you want a ride?"
Yhwach considered the offer. While he had no need for transportation, the girl and her mysterious sphere had piqued his interest. Perhaps this unexpected encounter would lead to some answers – or at least a temporary diversion from his endless questions.
With a slight nod, he approached the motorcycle. "Thanks," he said simply, settling onto the seat behind her.
"I've an idea," the girl said, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice. "Help me find this sphere, and I'll drop you on the next town. Seems a fair deal, don't you think?"
Her lips widened in a hopeful smile, revealing a youthful enthusiasm that stood in stark contrast to Yhwach's stoic demeanor. He found himself nodding in agreement, more out of curiosity than any real desire to reach the next town.
"Sure. Whatever you say," he replied, his tone remaining neutral.
As the girl prepared to start the motorcycle, she glanced back at him. "Hang on to me," she instructed, lowering a pair of orange-tinted goggles over her eyes.
"No thanks," Yhwach responded, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. He had no intention of clutching onto a stranger, regardless of the circumstances.
"Suit yourself," the girl shrugged, revving the engine to life.
The motorcycle roared through the night, its headlight carving a path through the darkness. Yhwach remained perfectly still on the back of the bike, the wind whipped through his hair, carrying with it the scent of adventure, his eyes scanning the landscape as it rushed by. The barren terrain gradually gave way to rolling hills and scattered patches of forest, hinting at a change in the environment.
The girl - Yhwach realized he still didn't know her name - occasionally glanced at the strange device she called a "Dragon Radar." Each time she did, her excitement seemed to grow, though she said little. The silence between them stretched on, broken only by the whine of the engine and the rush of wind.
As they crested a particularly steep hill, a massive silhouette loomed before them, its jagged peaks piercing the star-studded sky. Mount Paozu, Yhwach surmised, recalling maps he had studied in his solitary wanderings. The mountain was shrouded in mystery and local legends, though he had never bothered to investigate them himself.
"The dragon ball is somewhere around here..." the girl shouted over her shoulder, her voice barely audible above the wind. Yhwach's eyes narrowed at the mention of 'dragon ball.' Was that the name of the strange sphere she had shown him earlier?
Before he could ponder further, a shrill scream pierced the air. "Argh!" The girl's cry of alarm was followed by a violent swerve of the motorcycle. Yhwach's enhanced senses detected a large object in their path - some kind of fish? - mere seconds before impact.
The collision sent the girl flying from the bike, her blue hair streaming behind her as she tumbled across the dirt road. Yhwach, however, simply allowed his body to lift from the seat, floating momentarily in the air before descending gracefully to the ground. He doubted the girl had noticed his supernatural maneuver in the chaos of the moment.
"AAAAIIIIEEEEE... that hurt," the girl groaned, pushing herself up from the ground. Her clothes were now covered in dust and grime. "Who the hell leaves a giant fish in the middle of the road..."
Yhwach's attention, however, was drawn to a small figure that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. A child, no more than twelve years old, with spiky black hair that defied gravity. The boy's eyes were wide with a mix of curiosity and wariness as he surveyed the scene.
In a blur of motion, the child leaped backward, brandishing a red staff that inexplicably extended far beyond its original length. The weapon whistled through the air, aimed directly at the fallen motorcycle.
Yhwach moved without conscious thought. In less time than it took to blink, he positioned himself between the staff and its target, his hand closing around the weapon with casual ease. The boy's eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting his attack to be thwarted so effortlessly.
"A monster!" the blue-haired girl shrieked, scrambling to her feet and fumbling for something in her waistband. Yhwach glanced over his shoulder to see her withdrawing a small firearm, her hands shaking as she pointed it in their general direction.
"Wait," Yhwach commanded, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority. With a quick motion, he pulled on the staff, lifting the surprised boy into the air by his grip on the weapon.
The child, showing remarkable agility, managed to wrench free of Yhwach's grasp. He backflipped through the air, landing in a defensive stance a few meters away. "That won't stop me!" the boy declared, his young voice filled with determination.
Yhwach observed the child carefully, noting the fierce look in his eyes and the way he held himself. This was no ordinary boy. There was something... different about him. Something that stirred a faint sense of recognition in the depths of Yhwach's being.
Suddenly, the boy's eyes rolled back in his head, the color draining from his face. "I feel dizzy," he mumbled, swaying on his feet. "What's going on?" Before either Yhwach or the girl could react, the child collapsed to the ground, lying motionless in the dirt.
"Is he dead?!" the girl screamed, her gun forgotten as she rushed forward to check on the fallen boy.
"Probably," Yhwach replied dispassionately, though he could sense the faint but steady rhythm of the child's heartbeat.
The girl dropped to her knees beside the boy, frantically checking for signs of life. "He's breathing! Thank God!" she exclaimed, relief evident in her voice as she began to shake the child's shoulders in an attempt to rouse him.
Yhwach turned away from the scene, his mind racing. The moment he had touched the boy's staff, he had felt... something. A connection, fleeting but undeniable. It was as if a small piece of himself had transferred to the child, though he couldn't begin to understand how or why.
His gaze swept over the unconscious form, and that's when he noticed it - a tail. A furry, brown tail protruding from the base of the boy's spine, curled limply on the ground beside him. Yhwach's eyes widened fractionally, the only outward sign of his shock.
'Did the piece of soul I just shared with him give him a tail?' he wondered, incredulous at the very thought. 'Impossible. When a piece of my soul is shared, people grow missing limbs back, but a tail? That's absurd.'
He turned back to face the pair on the ground, his crimson eyes burning with intensity. "So, what's your name, kid?" he asked, his tone casual despite the turmoil of questions in his mind.
The boy stirred at the sound of Yhwach's voice, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around in confusion, his gaze unfocused. "Hey! Mister, if you're looking for a fight, I... I'll... I will fight you," he declared, though his voice lacked conviction.
Yhwach crouched down, bringing himself to eye level with the child. "Did you forget something?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.
The boy's lower lip trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm... My real name is Kakarot and I... I was... I'm from up there!" He pointed a shaking finger towards the star-filled sky above them.
Yhwach frowned, a rare expression of confusion crossing his stoic features. What did the boy mean by being from "up there"? Could it be possible that this child, like himself, was not of this world?
The girl, who had been watching this exchange with growing bewilderment, finally found her voice. "What's going on? What do you mean you're from 'up there'?"
But the boy - Kakarot - had already scrambled to his feet, tears streaming down his face as he ran towards a small house nestled at the base of the mountain, previously hidden in the shadows.
Yhwach straightened, his mind racing with possibilities. He had long suspected that he wasn't alone in his otherworldly origins, but to find potential evidence so unexpectedly...
"Great. You've scared him away," the girl huffed, brushing dirt from her clothes as she stood. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the circular device she had consulted earlier. "The Dragon Radar is beeping. Maybe that kid has the dragon ball."
She started towards the house, pausing to look back at Yhwach. "Are you coming?" she asked, a mix of irritation and curiosity in her voice.
Yhwach nodded silently, following a few paces behind as they approached the modest dwelling. The girl rapped her knuckles against the wooden door. "Hey, kid. Kakarot, was it? We just want to talk. Are you okay?"
When no response came, she tentatively pushed the door open, revealing a spartan interior illuminated by the soft glow of oil lamps. Yhwach's keen eyes immediately spotted the object that had captured the girl's attention - another sphere, identical to the one she had shown him earlier, resting on a small shrine in the center of the room.
The girl's eyes lit up with unbridled excitement. She rushed forward, scooping up the sphere with both hands. "Three down, five more to go," she whispered, a giddy smile spreading across her face. "Soon I will get my wish..."
"Excuse me, did you just say wish?" Kakarot's voice came from a darkened corner of the room, causing both Yhwach and the girl to turn in surprise. The boy had emerged from what appeared to be a small bedroom, his earlier tears replaced by a look of cautious curiosity.
The girl blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the question. "Don't you know what these are?" she asked, producing two more of the mysterious spheres from her bag. As she held them together, a soft golden light began to emanate from within, illuminating the room with an otherworldly glow.
Yhwach watched the interaction silently, his mind working to piece together the significance of these "dragon balls" and their apparent wish-granting abilities. If such power truly existed in this world, it could be the key to unraveling the mystery of his own existence.
"Wish balls?" Kakarot ventured, his eyes wide with wonder as he stared at the glowing spheres.
"No, silly," the girl replied with a laugh. "They're called Dragon Balls. And if you collect all seven, a massive dragon will appear and grant you any wish."
Yhwach's eyes narrowed at this revelation. A being capable of granting any wish... The implications were staggering. His mind raced with possibilities, questions, and a growing sense that he had stumbled upon something far more significant than he could have imagined.
As Kakarot and the girl continued their conversation, discussing the possibility of wishing back the boy's deceased grandfather, Yhwach remained silent, his thoughts turned inward. He had embarked on this impromptu journey out of mere curiosity, but now he sensed that fate had guided him to this moment for a reason.
The quest for the Dragon Balls, it seemed, was about to begin. And Yhwach, the forsaken child of unknown origins, found himself inexorably drawn into an adventure that promised to shake the very foundations of his understanding of the world - and perhaps, finally provide the answers he had sought for so long.