Swords of Fate

Soto woke up in a daze, his mind heavy but his routine automatic. He got dressed for school, grabbed his bag, and walked into the kitchen where his mom and sister were.

"I'm off to school!" he called out, forcing a smile.

His mom looked up from her tea and smiled warmly. "Have a great day, Soto!"

The walk to school felt oddly normal. The cool morning air filled his lungs, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Maybe everything is back to normal, he thought.

He felt a small jolt of excitement as he reached the school gates, eager to see Yuki after a whole month. But as he walked into the classroom, a sinking feeling clawed at his chest.

He scanned the room, but Yuki wasn't there. Neither was Saga. He frowned.

"Teacher," Soto began hesitantly, "where are Yuki and Saga?"

The teacher paused, looking down with a shadow of sadness in his expression. "Remember what I said... If you need someone to talk to, the counselor's office is always available."

Soto's confusion deepened. He sat down in his seat, but his thoughts spiraled into unease. What does that even mean? Are they... gone?

After school, Soto walked home in a haze, a knot forming in his stomach. His gut told him something was wrong.

"What if it wasn't a dream?" he whispered to himself, dread seeping into his voice. "What if she really is a god... and what if I am, too?"

He started running, the feeling of being watched growing stronger with every step. By the time he reached his house, his chest was heaving. The door was ajar.

Standing outside was Saga, blood smeared all over his clothes. A sinister glint sparkled in his eyes as he unsheathed a glowing purple sword.

"You," Saga said coldly, pointing the blade at Soto. "You're the reason my parents were killed."

Before Soto could react, Saga moved in a blur, closing the distance between them. The tip of the sword hovered inches from Soto's chest.

"I hope you enjoyed my gift," Saga snarled. With a swift motion, he slashed the air. A tear opened in the sky, swirling with unnatural energy. Saga stepped through it, disappearing without a trace.

Confused and terrified, Soto pushed the door open. His heart stopped.

Blood was everywhere.

His mother's lifeless head sat on the floor, severed from her body. Soto froze, trembling as he stepped further inside. His sister was still seated at the breakfast table where he'd left her that morning, her head floating in the bowl of cereal she had been eating.

Soto's breath caught in his throat. His chest tightened, and his knees buckled.

"No... no, no, no!" he cried, collapsing to the ground. Tears blurred his vision as he screamed in anguish. A wave of emotion unlike anything he'd ever felt before—grief, fury, despair—consumed him.

His body began to change. His skin darkened, cracking as black tendrils spread across it like veins. His flesh warped, his form growing monstrous and unrecognizable. He roared, the sound echoing like a beast unleashed from the depths of hell.

Power surged uncontrollably from his body, and in one deafening explosion, everything around him was obliterated.

Miles away, Yuki felt the surge of energy, looking out at the horizon in alarm. She gripped her sword tightly, her breath trembling.

Soto was rampaging through the city, destroying everything in sight. Buildings crumbled, flames roared, and the ground trembled under his uncontrollable fury.

From the rift in the sky, Saga's head emerged, a cruel smile plastered on his face.

"This is the same gift you gave me," Saga sneered. "The gift of being a god. I hope you enjoy it like I am."

Yuki stood frozen, unable to do anything as Soto's monstrous rampage decimated the town they both loved. The memories she had made here—the laughter, the joy, the people—were being erased before her eyes. Her heart shattered.

But then, something snapped within her.

Gritting her teeth, she gripped her sword tightly and rushed toward Soto. Snow swirled around her, forming a protective barrier as she charged at the raging beast.

"SOTO!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she swung her sword.

Soto barely acknowledged her presence, swatting her away with a single devastating blow. Yuki flew through the air, slamming into a distant mountainside. At the last second, she used her snow magic to cushion the impact, saving her life. Even so, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, inside Soto's mind, chaos reigned.

He was trapped in a world of his own making, where his rage controlled him. Images of the people he was slaughtering flooded his thoughts—men, women, children—all murdered in cold blood by his own hands. Their screams were muted, drowned out by the deafening roar of his fury.

Then, a faint voice broke through the noise.

"Soto!"

It was distant, fragile, but familiar.

"Soto!" the voice called again.

Yuki stirred awake, tears streaming down her face. She forced herself to her feet, trembling but resolute. She screamed at the beast that Soto had become, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Is this what you really want, Soto?!" she cried, forming a massive snowball out of thin air and hurling it at him.

"Do you want these people to die?!" she shouted, throwing another snowball, then another, her attacks growing in desperation.

Inside his mind, Soto heard her voice—clearer this time.

"Yuki…?" he thought. The fog of rage began to lift. Her voice cut through the storm in his mind, a beacon of light in the darkness.

"Is that really her?"

The monstrous black form that consumed him began to glow white, its jagged edges softening as the rage dissipated. Slowly, his beastly frame shrank, and Soto returned to his human form, collapsing to his knees.

Yuki ran to him, dropping her sword as she threw her arms around him. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Please," she whispered, her voice trembling, "don't scare me like that ever again."

Soto wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. His breathing slowed, and his eyes softened. Around them, the lifeless bodies scattered throughout the town began to glow with a radiant white light.

One by one, the dead rose to their feet, confused but alive. Families reunited, tears of joy and relief replacing sorrow. They looked at each other in disbelief, thanking whatever divine force had spared them.

But not everyone rose.

Soto's eyes darted around frantically, searching for two familiar faces. His heart sank as he realized the truth. The ability only extended to those who had passed in the last hour. His family—his mother and sister—were gone forever.

Yuki saw the look of despair on his face and gently touched his arm.

"Soto..." she began softly, but he shook his head, clenching his fists.

"Saga killed my family," he said, his voice trembling with anger. "I want to see him dead."

Yuki's eyes widened. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to train, Soto," she said gently. "If you don't learn to control this power, it'll control you."

She paused, then gave him a small, teasing smile. "And I really don't want to see you go 'beast mode' again."

Soto let out a small laugh despite himself, though his grief still weighed heavily on him. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to feel a sliver of hope.

A figure appeared in the distance, his form gradually coming into focus as he approached Soto. The man had an air of quiet authority, his sharp eyes fixed on Soto as he spoke.

"My name is Tetsuya Shirou. I was a good friend of your father," he said, his tone calm but firm.

Soto furrowed his brow, the name unfamiliar. "I've never met you before," he replied cautiously, unsure of the stranger's intentions.

Tetsuya smirked slightly. "That doesn't surprise me. You were just a baby when I last saw you. But yes, I held you in my arms once."

Soto chuckled, his skepticism evident. "Oh, sure you did, Uncle."

Tetsuya groaned at the sarcasm, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I also taught your father how to use his powers." His voice turned serious, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

Soto's expression shifted, his amusement fading. He studied the man in front of him, questions swirling in his mind. "So… you're a 'book guy,' then?" he asked, attempting to mask his curiosity with flippancy.

Tetsuya's expression hardened. "Listen carefully, Soto. If you don't train under me, I'll have no choice but to kill you."

Yuki's eyes widened at the statement. "What?! You can't talk to Soto like that!" she exclaimed, stepping protectively in front of him.

Tetsuya ignored her outburst, his gaze unwavering as he continued. "Your power is unstable. If left unchecked, it will destroy humanity as we know it. I was prepared to end you myself, but your little girlfriend intervened and saved your humanity—for now."

Soto let out a frustrated sigh, stepping past Yuki to face Tetsuya directly. "I don't want to hurt anyone," he said, his tone resolute. He glanced at Yuki briefly before continuing. "She's all I have left. But that doesn't mean I'll let anyone talk to me like I'm some kind of child." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "I'll only agree to this if you can prove—"

Before Soto could finish his sentence, a flash of movement left him frozen in place. A dagger pressed against his neck, another lightly piercing his side just below his ribs. Tetsuya stood behind him now, his voice a deadly whisper in Soto's ear.

"You'll learn soon enough, Soto," Tetsuya said coldly. "I have nothing to prove to you."

Soto gritted his teeth, his fists trembling with restrained anger. Tetsuya eased back, pulling the daggers away, and spoke again. "You want to kill Saga, don't you? I can make you strong enough to do it."

Soto turned to face him, his eyes sharp with determination. "I don't just want strength. I want answers. I want to know why Saga thinks I killed his family. I want to know everything."

Tetsuya nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Then you've come to the right person. Because I am the one you need—the one who can give you the knowledge and power to face him."

He straightened, his voice steady and commanding. "I am a god, Soto. The Supreme God of Knowledge."