Author's Note:

A war between figures of legends, ever since reading the story, there have been times when my mind wondered beyond what I knew. What would be the outcome if the role of a Master fell on a totally average character? How would one cope in such a situation? Hm, I wonder as well...

Chapter 0: Prologue – Just Another Day

The day starts out like any other, amidst the sea of light, the silence of my house broke as soon as the birds started chirping their morning song. As the ray of the sun illuminates past the window and into the house, I begin to feel serene, relaxed. The light, like a gentle mother's touch, strokes across the hall, brightening up everything from the fuzzy sofa to solid, wooden stairs. Grabbing a bite on the toast I prepared, I sat at the dinner table alone, staring out to the living room, the daze getting to my head. After a few moments, my eyes finally landed on the ticking grandfather clock sitting at the corner.

"Oh no! I'm late, I'm late!" The line felt like it had been said more than it needed these few days. Stuffing whatever breakfast left on my plate into my mouth, I ran, towards the entrance as soon as I could, hastily putting on my shoes. With my bag sitting right beside the doors, I only had to grab it as I pushed the door open. Grinning at the convenience, I took a moment to recall the reason why it was there, and laughed.

It was placed there just for the off-chance I was ever late. Glad that it worked, I carefully locked the doors to my house despite my rush, and dash off right as the last lock clicked

"Wha! I almost forgot!" The doors fly open as I unlocked everything again while crying out. Hopping into the house after taking off the shoes, I clap my hands together as I stop in front of the altar near the entrance.

A simple, elevated space. No traces of dust can be seen, with only two objects sitting in the middle of the altar. They are two traditional wooden tablets, with the name Hara Kazue and Hara Sho carved on the face of the wood. Of course, there is a reason why the house has been so empty. Mom and Dad is gone... has gone off to a better place now. They left me with the responsibility of taking care of the house, so I am not gonna let them down!

"Mom, Dad, good morning! I'm off to school, all right?" I whisper the words, my voice ringing into the house. Whether it is prayer or not, It did not felt right to use the excuse of being late to ignore Mom and Dad. Of all the values Mom and Dad stressed about, courtesy stood at the top. Gently closing the door, I burst into a sprint as soon as I could.

My name is Hara Akemi.

I am just your average, everyday girl, who tries her best to keep her cool when talking to cute guys, and to look neat and tidy wherever she goes. My golden hair blown back by the wind, I dodge and hop my way past the obstacles on the street as my sprint never slowed in its step. The City glows in the morning sun, roaring with activity as the day starts at its fullest. As footsteps and chatter broke the silence, I run past the traffic light, a zooming car zipping behind me as soon as I stepped onto the other side.

Adjusting my wrangled ribbons back to place, both on my head and the one on my uniform, the minor divergence of attention caused me to nearly trip over a crack on the concrete floor.

Running pass the park, a tall guy, with his sparkling white hair, glowing in the sun, came into my sights. He stood by the gates, his eyes wide open, his face unchanging, like a puppet's. His skin pale, they reminded me of the snow of winter, looking whiter than my own. I had one look, but it was enough to make me feel extremely intrigued, curiosity pushing its way into my mind. Questions appear in my mind in-between my hurried steps.

Who is he? Why does he look so still, so lifeless?

Concern for the mere stranger feels out of place, but the urge is so strong I had to force myself to look away so I could stop thinking about him. The guy disappears from my sight, and a sudden feeling of loss hit me. My legs smack against the floor with each step as the wrenching feeling pulls against my heart.

Strange, why do I feel like this?

Distracted by my own thoughts, I arrive at the school gates before the next blink of my eyes. I remind myself of how late it was already, and pushed my tired legs, forcing my body onwards. With only a minute left, I slid through the door and scrambled to my seat.

"Huff.. Puff.. Huff.." Slinking into my seat, the sound of my heavy breathing filled the room despite my attempts to quiet down.

Regaining focus, I open my eyes to the usual, bland layout of my classroom. A subtle color fills the floor and the walls, complimented by the equally boring dark spots that is the tables and chairs. It is a sight I had been seeing for six months now, since the start of the school year. To be frank, I am sick of staring at the class. Trying to find new points of interest only got me so far. With the teacher walking in, the voice of my class slowly dissolves with each tick of the clock, my attention slowly defeated by the dreariness of today's lecture.

Th dull lesson continues, each word uttered from the teacher sublimates into the boredom induced by the morning sun. I looked out the window, out to the calm, wavering leaves hanging from the tree branches, desperate for a focus.

I wonder, what is he doing right now? Is he still standing there, alone at the park?

I begin to recall what I saw amidst the morning rush. The chaotic noise of the city in the memory dies down as the guy come into mind. Looking into the calm, blue sky, his smooth, gentle white hair was the next thing I remember, followed by his lonely look and passive eyes, wide open as he looked out towards the bustling streets of the city. Almost as if he was longing for it, like he wanted to be a part of it. I feel sadness in my heart as the image linger within the darkness of my mind.

Huh? Why do I feel so sad for a stranger I saw off the streets?

The sun slowly shift its way across the sky, and before I know it, school ends, and the talk of the class resumes. My movement monotonous, my hands carefully pack my possessions into my bag as students starts to leave the classroom itself. Though the chatter goes on, you will find none of my classmate coming to me for a chat. I feel like I am getting ignored, but it has always been this way.

Like a shadow invisible to the class, I walk out of the class with my eyes closed and quiet breath.

Passing the endless doors, the hallway keeps on going. With brisk steps, I make my way towards the end of the corridor. As the tapping of my steps went on and on, my walk turns into a jog as I got more and more excited. The sound of my steps ends at the final door, and as I push it open, I could feel a small smile stretching across my face.

"He believes in his ideals, in everything he's known..." I recite the story out loud before I knew it, sitting down in the seat by the corner of the room. Rows and columns of of books, reports, collections are placed against the walls, the light shining from the one big window, looking out to the fields. "Against all odds, he came out alive. Not only did he survived, but he also impressed, and thus, his story became immortalized in song and legend..."

In the Historian club, I continue reading my favorite story, the knight who prevailed.

"Hara-san?" The calm voice ask out my name, in a low, familiar tone.

Hm? Did somebody call my name?

My eyes still reading the book by the words, I try my best to look up to the source of the voice, but the story's pull was too strong for that.

"Hara-san, when did you get a tattoo?" This time, it was so loud it made my body jump. I jerk my head up and see a guy with a pair of white, sleek glasses. He is a member of the Historian club as well, but that is not important. What is important is the news he just screamed out.

And there it is, on the top side of my hand, a round, symmetrical design spread over the skin in deep red. It looks alien, a puzzle-like symbol smack dab in the middle, surrounded by six arms stretching out. The position remind me of they form three pair of wings.

"Ah! When did that get there?"

Phew, that took a while, even when it's just a prologue. Slowly, the story progresses, do you guys find it interesting? Or perhaps everything feels rather dull and boring? The chapter ends with the appearance of the Master's seal! It's my first time trying out a story in present tense as well! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in your reviews!