Chapter -1

  1Mahn1935, Sagittarius, Moons Day the 22nd

  “Seika-chan, this is the third month you haven’t brought your tuition”, lamented her homeroom teacher, Mr. Naoki, a month before the winter break. The foggy glass windows were sealed shut, masking the overcast sky and misty landscapes outside into an impressionist painting as a slight scent of sulfur lingered in the room while the daruma stove radiated from the back of the classroom.

  The tall and slender teacher stood over the 10 year-old, Seong’hwa, as the entire room turned their attention towards the rear-seated, blue-eyed Kairyujin girl with red hair darker than blood. Seong’hwa hid her face down towards her desk, shying away from the class’s gazing irises of reds and blues, burning with shame.

  She wished she’d just disappear for now.

  She felt extra foolish for thinning out her black hair dye over time. Now everyone could see the subtle reds breaking out from her crown, revealing a girl who couldn’t afford to hide her poverty. In a classroom filled with students with uniform haircuts and spotless uniforms, even the slightest deviation from the status quo stuck out like a giant kaiju.

  “Has your father returned yet?”

  “No,” she muttered, glancing up at her instructor.

  “Do you know when he will be back?”

  “...No.” Seong’hwa shook her head, sniffling. He was supposed to be back months ago.

  The class began to whisper various rumours amongst themselves.

  Hot air pressed against her back as she sat closest to the coal heater. A streak of sweat dripped from her forehead into her left eye, mixing with the tears she’d been trying to hold in.

  “I… I understand… Okay, next is… Masayoshi-kun?” continued the teacher as he returned to his desk. With a small sigh, he begrudgingly scratched “-1” next to the girl’s name on the attendance sheet to mark her delinquency.

  “Hai!”, a small, blue eyed boy walked over to the teacher to hand over the month’s schooling fee as the teacher continued his roll call. He, like all the other boys in the room, was dressed in a light blue buttoned shirt, with navy blue pants and buzz cut hair.

  “Taro-kun?”

  “Hai..” another child got up.

  “Hana-chan?”

  “Hai!”, a red-eyed girl stood up. All the girls in the school had matching black bob cut hair, muted blue sailor shirts, and navy blue skirts.

  The children formed a line as their name was called, and one by one they handed in their envelopes like they always have during the first Moon’s Day of each month over the school year. The teacher gently stacked them in order; he had personally written the names of the students on several documents for students who struggled to write their own names in K’han script. Most native children didn’t even know their own legal name until they started primary school.

  “Seika-chan, you can place yours here as well.”

  Seong’hwa got up from her seat and placed her empty envelope on the pile.

  The K’han characters for ”Star”, “Fire”, and “Light” were written on top and together they formed her Crimson name, “Hikari Seika”. She wasn’t sure if these spelt her real name when she was registered into the school system, but they were the easiest characters to write and memorize at the time. Plus, she was told it fits the spirit of Suzaku.

  They all got back to their seats. Divided by gender, the boys were seated on the right side and the girls on the left, with the crimson students getting the front row.

  “Let’s see if I missed anyone… Naito left last week so… now let’s begin today’s lesson.”

  Mr. Naoki tugged on a cord to pull down a country map that revealed a pair of draconic landmasses as it unfurled.

  “Now, could anyone tell me again the name of this place right here?”, he pointed towards the one on the top right.

  “Hai!”, shouted several students as they raised their hands.

  “Yes? Satoshi-kun?”, he pointed to the young boy seated in the front row.

  “It’s Kairyu!”exclaimed a child with the same crimson eyes as his teacher. “Where we live”, he added.

  “Good, and the lands below? Kenshu-chan?”

  “That’s Suzaku!”, Hyeon’ju answered from behind the classroom with her innocent blue eyes.

  “Very good, Kenshu-chan! ” praised the teacher. “Now, can anyone-”

  The teacher noticed the rear door sliding open slowly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite quiet enough. While the children did their best to keep the school clean every Golds Day, none of them were ever assigned or even taught how to grease up the wheels on the sliding door. So, with a sudden screech the entire class turned their collective heads towards the rear entrance.

  A scrawny boy stood awkwardly peeked inside, dressed exactly as the others, but drenched in sweat. The dean had punished him for his tardiness.

  “Shit-… huff… surei huff shi-....masu, Sensei…”said the student in the hallway as he caught his breath.

  Mr. Naoki was genuinely surprised. “Naito-kun, you’re still here? I thought you left Kairyu last Earth’s Day”

  “The airship… got delayed, so.. huff… I’m stuck in the country for a few more days!” explained Naito. He took a deep breath. “I tried to explain it to the dean, but he made me run a mile anyways… may I please come in?.”

  “You may, go take your seat.”

  Naito walked over to the back of the room where Seong’hwa sat and placed his school bag to rest on one of its legs. While taking out his schoolbook, a small capsule ball, smaller than the child’s fist, suddenly popped out from his bag. Naito tried to grab it in time, but escaped between his clumsy child fingers and began bouncing towards the chalkboard.

  “Oh chikkusho!”, yelped Naito in an instinctive panic.

  The ball was too cold to respond to his call.

  Pingclink-rollololololololololol

  Mr. Naoki stepped down from the teacher’s platform, a stage that gave him a clear view of the entire class, to stop the rolling ball with his foot, and the class giggled as he shook his head. He knew exactly what it was.

  “Naito-kun… I thought I told you to watch your language, and not to bring Shinwa'monos to school. Go back outside and stand in the hall.”, the teacher commanded.

  “But sensei, that’s not m-”

  “Out!”

  The teacher sighed as he picked up the toy, then set aside the brightly colored red and white Shinwa’mono ball on his desk as Naito left the room almost as soon as he came in.

  “Yare-yare”, the teacher shook his head. These plastic toys have been a detriment to his profession ever since their release, back when the capsule machines were installed in every stationery store. Officially known as Shinwa to Densetsu no Ikimono, each plastic figure was based on a mythological beast found in various legends and folklore all across the world.

  Naito was blessed by the Ho’ou’terasugami herself to be born a chounoryokusha, an esper, so it was a shame to see him divert so much of his time and energy into distractions and tomfoolery. The boy aced any test or quiz the sensei threw at him, but simply refused to finish any of his homework, making him the most frustrating 70% scoring student he has ever taught.

  Mr. Naoki quickly steered the class back towards a relevant subject on geography, and pulled down an east-centric world map.

  “I’m sure some of you remember that Naito’s family is leaving with his brother to the Puanani International Air Races for the winter.” Mr. Naoki explained as he marked a location on the far right side with his pointing stick.

  “Puanani is an archipelago, a chain of islands belonging to the New World Federation across the Magellan Ocean. Similar to Kairyu, these islands are still undergoing modernization before they can be accepted for statehood.”

  He smiled towards his Azurian students seated in the back rows.

  “Worry not, the divine Ho’oh Suzaku and her brother’s descendants , the Kairyujin, have been blessed to prosper in this age of empires.””, he added. “One day, we will all live together in harmony, proudly bearing the Guren-damashi.”

  The lecture continued for another 15 minutes before another class was heard in the hallway making their way back into their own class. Several loud giggles were heard as they passed by Naito; the boy must have been making silly gestures towards his passerby peers, as usual.

  Mr. Naoki announced that it was their turn for their weekly prayer, and the students formed a line towards the door. Naito was allowed to join the class as they all went to the school shrine in a double line, so he joined Seonghwa again in the back.

  “....hey, did’ya miss m-.”, Naito wanted to cheer up his long time friend.

  Seonghwa glared at him as if betrayed. Truth be told, he kinda did by accident.

  Naito was taken aback by the wave of cold emotions radiated from her, giving her a different “glow” than what he usually saw from her. As an esper he always saw infrared, and had to be told that people normally aren’t supposed to glow in the dark. Through people’s thermal signatures, the boy could sense the thoughts and emotions of others if they got too close.

  Kuso, Naito thought to himself. As the mischievously tardy schoolboy and the late-payment schoolgirl, they always sat together in the back of the class as the disruptive oddities.

  Hey, about last week, he sent a mental message using the girl’s native tongue. He was the only crimson boy in class who knew Kairyugo.

  Seong’hwa tried to block him from her mind by thinking about a lot of noise. Naito was startled by the sudden crash of thunder that only they could hear.

  Seong’hwa’ya, he called out. His voice echoed across the invisible storm.

  Miyanhae, he added.

  The sound of storms dimmed within his mind.

  …Where were you?, she demanded to know. I looked all over for you!

  I’m really sorry, like I told the class, my flight got delayed, but the airship also still had my brother’s racer inside so we had to leave for the city a few days earlier to check on it.

  Naito continued to explain what happened through telepathy, his voice, memories, and emotions were sent to her directly.

  I know I said we’ll say goodbye on Gold’s Day, but my parents didn’t want me home alone for the weekend.

  Seong’hwa was still not fully convinced even as they arrived at the shrine, located at the east wing of the school next to the gardens. A sacred red bird gate arched over the students, marking the entrance to the spirit world. Upon entering, the line of kids stood in several lines as they were guided by the homeroom teacher to pray.

  Divine Wings of Heaven

  We pray for the Emperor’s health,

  And for our nation's prosperity.

  As we devote ourselves in learning

  For thy empire, glory, and honor, forever

  Suzaku Daigoku Vanzai! Vanzai! Vanzai!

  After raising their arms thrice in unison, the children bowed twice, then clapped twice before joining their palms together before bowing again. They were to hold that pose for another minute so that they could give their personal prayers or simply meditate.

  Winter was always cold in Kairyu, a country once known as Hae’ryeong. Most children, both Suzakujin and Kairyujin, shivered in their uniforms as they couldn't wait to go back inside to their comfy, coal-heated classroom.

  O’kami’o, Naito prayed to himself as his teeth clattered. Sorry, I completely messed up recently, please forgive me. Also, I may be a terrible friend, but please help Seong’hwa with all her problems as well, she’s the only friend I have.

  Seong’hwa made the same motions as the others, but didn’t actually pray at all, for too long had passed for her to expect anything from these foreign gods.

  So, do you forgive me? Naito asked.

  Urusei, can’t you see I’m praying?

  Naito saw glimpses of Seong’hwa’s father, but didn’t hear a prayer. He was hearing a few prayers among the students and none of them were hers.

  Ok, sorry, I’ll stop trying to bug you. It was rude to delve too deep into other people’s thoughts anyway.

  …I’ll forgive you by the way.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  What?

  At least you came today, as long as you make up for Gold’s Day I’ll forgive you.

  …okay, komawuh, jinjjaro. He thanked her.

  The end of their weekly prayer marked the beginning of language studies, where the homeroom teacher rushed away as the language professor led them back to class. Naito needed to talk to Mr. Naoki, but the man needed to leave urgently.

  Apparently, Mr. Naoki had to run by the drugstore until after lunch, so the dean will be substituted in his place during the afternoon meal.

  After language studies and lunch came science and mathematics. The teachers would keep swapping based on the subject until the homeroom teacher, Mr. Naoki, finally returned for the final bowing ritual of “kiritsu”, and “rei” to mark the end of class. As the students of class 2-B packed their bags, the teacher made his way to the back of the room.

  “Seika-chan, Naito-kun, would you both please stay after class?”, he told the pair.

  The two kids stayed behind their desks as the others made their exit.

  For a brief moment, the hallways were rumbling from the collective noise of an army of children ready to head home, but the school quickly grew quiet as the pair followed Mr. Naoki to the teacher’s desk.

  Mr. Naoki took his seat, but still towered over the children, and the elevated teacher’s platform only extended the height difference.

  “We have to do something about your late tuition fees. Is there no way to contact your father?”

  “… I don’t know”

  “Sensei, about that.”

  “What is it, Naito?”

  The child pulled out his envelope from his bag. The words “within” and “dipper” were written on the top in scribbles.

  “Well, since I’m here on the first Moon’s Day of the month, it’s only fair that I have to pay, rules are rules, buuuut, I was wondering if you can mark me as a delinquent and give the tuition to Seika’chan instead. “

  Seong’hwa glanced at Naito with a puzzled look.

  “Naito’kun, what are you doing?” she asked.

  “Nothing, I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever not been a delinquent anyway… heh.”, he joked. “Anyway according to school policy, the first missed payment is forgiven as long as the student already has a certain attendance record and grade, and since I barely make the minimum, it means I still pass.”

  The teacher almost chuckled, but couldn't reveal his desire to outright laugh at the absurdity.

  “You know…” Mr. Naoki thought about it for a moment. “We just might be able to do that.”

  Mr. Naoki was impressed by the boy’s compassion, so he made small adjustments to his attendance sheet, making sure that Naito was never here today as he emptied the money into Seong’hwa’s envelope and folded Naito’s into his inner suit pocket for its eventual discrete disposal. The money would pass seamlessly,the higher ups didn’t have to know, and Seong’hwa could continue her education at least until winter break.

  “You have a good friend, Seika’chan,” applauded the teacher.

  “I know…” Seong’hwa admitted.

  “Does that mean I can have that back?” Naito pointed at his shinwa’mono gacha capsule.

  “Alright, you’ve earned it.” Mr. Naoki handed the ball over. “But also because you are leaving for the mainland, and Seika-chan…"

  Mr. Naoki handed her two small boxes.

  “I’ve picked up some hair dye since you seem to have run out.” Mr. Naoki pointed out the reddish tint at the top of her head. “I also bought some extra cough medicine for your grandmother while on an errand for my wife. I was wondering if you could give it to her.”

  “Oh… um… arigato, sensei!”Seong'hwa accepted the boxes with both hands and gave back a deep bow.

  “Well, I’m glad we were able to settle things, but now I have a meeting to hurry towards so you kids take care. Goodbye Naito’kun, Songu’fuwa’chan.”, Mr. Naoki bid farewell, hoping he got her name right despite his Suzakunese accent. He preferred to call his students by their native names during after-school hours, as long as other faculty members weren’t around to listen.

  “Sayonara, sensei”, Seong’hwa answered with a bow.

  “Kono gonen’made hontou’ni arigato’gozaimashita, sensei!” Naito followed Seong’hwa’s bow. “Zutto wasuremasen!”

  The teacher walked over to the heater and smothered the remaining embers before emptying the ashes into a metal container to later be used for the school’s flower garden. Then as the teacher departed, the children packed their bags and headed to the main hall to change into their shoes. Most of the school had already left.

  Upon exiting the front door, they were greeted by the first snow of winter.

  “...So where’d you really get that money?” asked Seong’hwa as she reached out to catch a snowflake.

  “What do you mean? My parents gave it to me like they always do”, Naito replied.

  “... Okay, tell me the truth”, she doubted as the snow melted before it hit her hand. “I don’t think your parents would pay for a whole month so you could skip school for most of it.”

  “Ok fine, the truth is I… I sold my Shinwa'mono set to a collector shop in the city, that’s how I got the money, okay?”

  “You’re joking.”

  “No, I was serious when I said my mom was going to throw most of them away since we were moving, but I was able to tell her that I might be able to sell it in the city.”

  “So you sold everything but that one?” Seong’hwa asked as she pointed to the last of his 164 collection.

  “Most of them, yeah, I even had to sell my Missing Nose: the defective one, but I saved this one for you.”

  He breathed warm air into the ball as foggy air leaked from his hands. After his implanted thermal energy, the boy reached out and the ball started levitating above his palm. The plastic ball quickly cooled as it dropped back into his hand as it quickly lost its heat during colder seasons.

  “Wait, one more try.”

  He did it once more, but this time sent the ball towards his classmate in a supernatural zig-zag before stopping in front of her.

  Seong’hwa grabbed the plastic ball, hardly fazed by the speed. She knew he was an esper longer than anybody else, and had heard the words endothermal pneumatic telekinesis before, but wasn’t old enough to remember such complex words like an esper like Naito. He was apparently almost a first dan chounoryokusha already, and he hoped to become a master of the endothermal plume within his lifetime.

  “I wanted to give you this one, because you were the only kid in class not afraid of Espers like me.” he told her. “So, thanks. I mean it.”

  “Well, that’s only because my dad hunts monsters. If you did anything funny, he would have hunted you too. So, what was there to be afraid of?”

  “Haha, I guess you’re right. I wish I could have met him one more time. I do hope he comes back safe.”

  “Me too, when are you leaving?" Seong'hwa wanted to know the day, hoping her father might show up.

  “Midnight.”

  “Tonight?” His story didn’t add up. “You told the class you were here for a few more days.”

  She grabbed the boy by his shirt and lifted him up. For a girl whose main nutrition came from the school lunch program, her grip was impressive.

  Muwo’yah? What else are you not telling me? She thought out loud.

  “Well, the airship starts flying at midnight, which is technically tomorrow, and it’s also making a stop in Far East City… so I wasn’t lying when I said I’ll be within the country for a few more days… considering things like airspace and… umm…etto…”

  A nekomata took his tongue. Even Espers like Naito stammered under pressure, especially when using their 2nd language.

  “It’s just what?” Seong’hwa pressed on.

  “I’m sorry…I’m terrible with goodbyes. I thought I would get better at it when I first left Suzaku, but even now… bakamitai ne?”

  Memories of how he once left Suzaku without being able to properly say goodbye to his kindergarten friends flowed into their minds. He once thought avoiding goodbyes would make it hurt less. Big mistake that was.

  “I thought you suddenly disappeared! Naito the Baka!”

  The girl wasn’t going to let him off easy, as Naito’s perfect esper memory made him very emotional, and possibly emotionally manipulative. If he “forgot” anything, like keeping a promise, it had to be on purpose. Except for the most extraordinary situations.

  “You told me, ‘mAdA aSHiTa! (See you tomorrow!)’ BAKABAKABAKA! ” Seong'hwa playfully scolded him before finally letting him down. She was right, he did say that last Tree’s Day.

  “Do your parents even know you’re here?” she asked again.

  “Why would they ever look here? They’re waiting for me back in the city.”

  “Eh?” Seong’hwa paused. The city was over two hours away by train.

  “I left my brother a note, and I promised that I will be back by seven, so we should hurry to the station like right now.”

  “You… came to school from the city?”

  “Yeah, and I REALLY have to catch the next train!.... Want to walk to the station together?” the boy asked.

  “Only if you tell me what’s going on, and be honest!”

  Naito quickly explained everything. His family left for the city and he was supposed to stay at a hotel until their flight, so he spent all weekend finding a collector’s shop to sell his Shinwa’mono collection. Then he was able to sneak away from the hotel at dusk and ran to the nearest station to catch the earliest train to come back to school as soon as possible after forging an envelope at a stationery store.

  They walked two blocks westward from Tokai Elementary to reach the train station. The boy showed his school ID’s at the ticketing booth to receive a discounted fare. Naito took out his coin pouch and separated the Kairyu sen coins with the Suzaku issued sen coins. He was told that Kairyu money couldn’t be used in Suzaku for some reason, so he had to either spend it all today or exchange it at the skyport at robbery rates.

  The station clock marked the city-bound train to arrive in 25 minutes so the kids sat at the nearest bench.

  “Well, are you going to open it?” Naito asked.

  Seong’hwa took out the gacha ball, but struggled to open it herself. She tried twisting it, then tried pulling it apart, but the gacha ball wouldn’t open. She could have easily crushed it open, but that would have been a rude way to open a gift.

  “You have to squeeze the sides, where the colors meet.” Naito instructed.

  With a firm squeeze the ball popped in half, revealing a metal creature.

  “What is it?” Seong'hwa asked.

  “It’s a fukasatsui, it's based on a Kairyu monster.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, it eats metals and nightmares to grow bigger and stronger, so it can’t ever die.” Naito explained.

  Seong’hwa smiled. Naito knew she liked the stories behind the Shinwa'monos more than the toys themselves, as they reminded her of the stories her father would tell her using the family bestiary, but collecting the plastic figures was an expensive hobby that she didn’t want to begin. With that in mind, the boy promised not to give her any unless it was really, really special.

  “It’s a special metal edition and it was my good luck charm for nightmares, so take good care of it.”

  “What’s so special about this one?”

  “It’s made with a special kind of metal” As were many toys during the radium craze. Thankfully, this one didn’t glow in the dark. “So it’s a bit heavier than normal, but that’s what makes it have good luck in my opinion.”

  “Cool, thanks. Can you tell me the story behind this figure?”

  “You don’t know this one?” Naito was confused. It was a Kairyu monster after all.

  “I want to hear your version of the story, with your mindscape.”

  “Oh, okay then.” We still have time so why not, he thought. “Hold my hand.”

  With hands held Seong’hwa allowed her mind to enter Naito’s, where the boy already began to paint the world in his image. Large chunks of the world formed from a colorless haze before they solidified into colorful form. An old castle with high walls sprung up in the distance to begin the tale.

  “So the story starts with a king who lived in a castle.” Naito began his narration as the environment shifted as if they were flying across the mountain terrain towards the castle walls.

  She saw the tyrant who once demanded metals as a tax to fuel his armies.

  Then appeared a village that was left with little tools for the winter.

  Here debuted the heroine, who still offered hospitality to a wandering monk.

  And so the monk left her an effigy before he left, which sprung to life as the fukasatsui.

  The creature ate all the metal it could find, growing larger with every bite

  The army came back to collect the rest of what the village had, the fukasatsui attacked.

  Seong’hwa saw sparks fly as the creature charged into the army, unkillable.

  The army soon fled and their discarded weapons only fed the monster’s strength

  After feasting, it chased the army back to the king and destroyed the entire castle

  The tyrant was defeated and the villagers thought they had peace.

  But the creature was still hungry, and needed to be fed or it would be enraged

  Fearing for the village, the girl hid herself in a temple bell and was eaten by the monster.

  Bound to the life of the girl, the monster was poisoned upon consuming the girl.

  And so the villagers, and the wider world, were saved by the girl’s sacrifice.

  Seong’hwa already knew the story of the Pulgasari, but she still had fun seeing it reinterpreted with Naito’s imagination, with dreamlike visions of vivid imagery, combined with the childlike whimsy influenced by the cartoon shorts that played before every feature film.

  The toy itself was also designed by a Suzaku artist who took many creative liberties, so it was unfamiliar to her at first, but the quadruped creature with manipulative forelimbs and the draconic metal scales now made sense.

  “So, how was it?” Naito asked.

  “It was fun, thanks for the show.” she said. She was going to miss moments like these.

  The sound of brakes screeching echoed across the station while the train arrived. The steel behemoth emerged from the winter fog as its petrol engine puffed up white vapor from its exhaust pipes, filling the station with the pine-like scent of dragonblood. A conductor made his round opening up the doors of each passenger car.

  “Well, I guess this is it. “ said Seong’hwa.

  “Yeah, I’m going to miss Kairyu, especially the food.” regretted Naito before he went up the steps. With the current laws, all espers were required to relocate to the mainland before their teen years, putting an end to his time away from Suzaku.

  “What about me?” the girl asked as the boy turned around to say goodbye.

  Naito blushed. “Well, that should be obvious, right?”

  “Then, I want to hear you say it.”

  “Ok, fine…” the kid took a big breath. “I’m going to miss you, Seong’hwa’ya!”

  Seong’hwa quickly rushed up the train’s steps and kissed Naito on the cheek. The boy was completely stunned and taken aback as the conductor came to close the train door. His entire body burned bright.

  I’ll miss you too, her thoughts told him as he saw her smile through the frost tinted windows.

  Then the train departed and the boy was gone, dragonblood lingering in the air.

  Seong’hwa stood alone for a moment to briefly reflect upon everything that had transpired. The dreaded thought of loneliness she felt last week crept back to her as the little girl walked the rest of the way home through the snow in solitude.