As was customary in RedVillage, children donned the roles of heroes while the villagers tended to their fields. In the courtyard of the village head, excitement crackled in the air as Eito Reds, the elder's son, demonstrated his prowess in the famed RedsSwordsmanship. His fiery, gold-streaked hair spiked like flickering flames, perfectly matching his vibrant crimson eyes that sparkled with spirited energy. As he channeled his mana, Eito swung his sword, igniting a blazing trail behind him.
"Not as flashy as Dad's moves, but pretty good!" Eito exclaimed, pumping his fist in victory.
From a nearby traditional Japanese-style house, a voice called out, "Eito, come inside—I have something for you."
Eito dashed indoors to find his father, a man in his forties, whose stern expression mirrored his own features.
"What is it, Dad?" Eito asked, curiosity piqued.
Seated on a tatami mat in seiza, his father presented him with a sleek, blood-red katana adorned with a flame pattern on its hilt and scabbard.
"This is our clan heirloom, handed down through generations," his father said gently, placing the sword in Eito's hands. "Now, it's yours."
"Why now? Why are you giving it to me?" Eito asked, eyes wide as he traced the scabbard's surface.
"It's your birthday gift. Happy 11th birthday, Eito," his father replied with a warm smile.
Eito blinked in surprise. "My birthday… I completely forgot!"
"Can I try it, Dad?" he asked, brimming with excitement.
"Go ahead," his father replied, taking a sip of green tea from his yunomi cup.
Eito rushed outside with his new treasure. He unsheathed the katana, marveling at the blood-red blade glimmering in the sunlight.
"Let's do this!"
He swung downward, sweeping the air in a crescent arc.
"It's lightweight! I love it!" Eito shouted, a broad grin lighting up his face.
From behind the shoji door, his father watched with a faint smile, shaking his head softly.
---
Night had fallen over the village, the silence broken only by the serenade of crickets. Suddenly, figures cloaked in black ninja attire marked with a crimson scorpion insignia slipped through the shadows, unleashing chaos upon the unsuspecting inhabitants.
"Help me!" a young villager cried, trembling in terror.
Splurt! A swift jab from a ninjatō pierced the boy, who collapsed lifeless to the ground.
Amid the turmoil, Eito's father barked orders, commanding the clansmen to prioritize rescuing villagers while fighting off the attackers.
Steel clashed; arrows whistled through the air.
Eito burst onto the scene, eyes wide with urgency. "Dad! What should I do?"
His father shook his head urgently. "You must guard the villagers! Stay with the others!"
"But Dad, I can fight too! Please, let me help!" Eito pleaded, desperation in his voice.
His father's face tightened with concern but remained firm. "Trust me. We won't let our village fall."
With a determined roar, his father drew his katana and charged at the shinobi assault. Swish! He slashed upward with a fiery arc, cleaving a ninja in half, the wound igniting in flames.
'Dad! You have to survive… You must win!' Eito silently prayed.
Heart pounding, Eito raced to the safe camp, standing guard alongside injured clansmen.
Hours passed, the tension mounting. The villagers and clansmans grew anxious.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed—approaching rapidly.
Are those Dad and the others? Eito hoped.
But the footsteps quickened into a run.
"No! It's the enemy!" shouted a clansman.
A villager with a slash wound screamed, clutching his side. "We're done for!"
"Not yet! Anyone who can fight, arm yourselves!" Eito shouted, unsheathing his Reds Katana.
A tall ninja appeared before Eito, wielding two kunai.
"Why attack our village?" Eito demanded, his voice steady but wary.
"..."
The ninja said nothing. Instead, he hurled a kunai straight at Eito.
Eito deflected it with his katana, the metal ringing as it clashed with the blade.
The ninja lunged for an overhead strike, aiming to end Eito's life.
"Hmph!"
Eito channeled mana into his blade, sidestepping just in time. With a swift downward slash, he decapitated the attacker—flames licking the ninja's neck as his head fell.
Flicking blood from his katana, Eito moved cautiously to his next opponent.
Nearby, Eito spotted a clansman injured by a shuriken in the leg, fending off a ninja wielding a ball-and-chain.
The ninja spun the ball, aiming for the clansman's other leg.
The clansman deflected the chain with the back of his sword, grimacing.
'I should help him.' Eito thought.
He sprinted toward the ninja, channeling his mana and releasing a fiery arc.
Sensing danger, the ninja dodged, flinging three shuriken at Eito's head, chest, and neck.
Eito instinctively swung his katana upward, deflecting the one aimed at his head.
He stepped aside, parrying the others with quick movements.
As Eito engaged, the ninja spun the chain again and struck.
Eito stepped back—Paat!—as the chain slammed into the ground.
Taking a brief moment to charge mana, he unleashed a massive fireball from the katana's tip.
The fireball exploded, blocking the ninja's vision.
The ninja sidestepped, the fireball incinerating a nearby tree.
But Eito had anticipated the move. Closing the distance, he ended the ninja's life with a decisive downward slash.
Breathing heavily, Eito muttered, "That fireball used up half my mana."
Turning to the injured clansman, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"I… I'm fine. You should help the others."
Eito hesitated. "Alright. I'll go to the next battle."
He turned and shouted, "Do your best to stay alive!"
---
The battle raged on. Despite Eito's best efforts, the tide wouldn't turn. Clansmen fell one after another, while more ninjas appeared like an unending wave.
"As expected... Dad and the others have fallen. If not, why do the enemies keep coming?" Eito muttered bitterly.
Thud. A ninja collapsed dead at his feet.
"Haah… Haah… Haah…" I should escape, thought Eito, dragging his battered body and gasping for air.
Reaching a hilltop behind the village, Eito looked down at the burning remains of his home.
"Just who are those ninjas? Why did they attack Red Village?" So many questions remained unanswered. Eito rested, tending to his wounds in silence.
A day passed.
All that remained of the village was black ash—houses and bodies reduced to cinders.
Eito stood as the only survivor, the last heir to Red's Swordsmanship.
Tightening his grip on the Reds Katana, he muttered through clenched teeth, "Those ninjas with the crimson scorpion insignia… I'll find out the truth of what happened this day through their mouths—even if I have to rip their mouths apart."
After enough rest, Eito escaped from the village, heading toward the nearest town, Green City.
Walking south, Eito arrived at a lush and vibrant forest called Life Forest, where Green City is located, home to the Forest Elves.
From a nearby tree, an injured rabbit could be seen. It seemed to have broken its foot while jumping.
Eito looked at the injured rabbit, who seemed to notice him and was asking for help. 'I'm pretty hungry; I could use some grilled rabbit meat,' thought Eito as he started approaching the poor rabbit.
"Come here, little bunny; I'm not gonna harm you," Eito lied with a wicked grin.
"Shrieeek!!!"
...
Holding a grilled rabbit leg, Eito arrived at Green City. As its name suggests, Green City is made up mostly of greenery, with houses made of trees and elves wearing leaf attire.
Never leaving Red Village, Eito savored the sight laid before his eyes.
Looking around for thirty minutes, Eito arrived at a big tree with a sign made of old wood that read [Adventurer Guild].
Eito decided to become an adventurer because fighting is the only thing he knows. By traveling and taking on quests, he might encounter those ninja bastards.
Eito walked toward the receptionist desk and said, "Excuse me? I'm here to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist, a chubby forest elf with her signature green eyes and hair wearing leaf attire, responded while stammering, "Y-yes? Umm, okay, let's register... Please fill out this resume," while handing Eito a paper.
[Name - Eito Fire
Age - 11 years old
Gender - Male
Origin - Cola City, Orphan
Specialty - Swordsmanship
Race - Human]
Eito wrote and handed the paper back to the receptionist.
With a stamp, the receptionist then said to Eito, "Congratulations, Mr. Eito Fire; you are now a legit F-rank adventurer!"
"Thank you! Where can I take a quest, miss?" Eito asked the chubby receptionist.
"You can take quest on the quest board over there," said the receptionist while pointing her hand at the quest board on the left.
"Thank you again," Eito thanked her and went to the quest board.
Browsing the mission board, Eito decided to start with a herb-gathering quest, as it's one of the highest-paying quests for F-rank adventurers.
[F-Rank Quest
Pick Cattail Herb x 10
Reward - 100 Bronze Coins]
Ripping the quest paper from the board, Eito submitted the request to do the quest, and with a stamp, his first quest as an adventurer began.