"I didn't expect this..." said Zeth, lying on the ground with his left arm severed and covered in blood.

"Me neither," said Mell.

"I still can't believe my son collaborated with a human to kill me," said the demon king.

"Defying the gods is something mortals are not destined for!" yelled the human god.

"One day!" said Zeth.

"One day, I will kill you, demon king!"

Zeth was dead.

"Curse you, father!" Mell screamed just before dying.

"May you be cursed, may you be punished!" both gods shouted simultaneously.

And Mell also died.

..

Zeth had a ridiculous dream about the world being destroyed and causing harm to everyone. He got out of bed and tried to relax by looking out the window. The weather was beautiful in the village of Asugna. Asugna was a village located within a forest, consisting of thirty households.

Unlike his usual routine, Zeth couldn't find the strength today to take care of his mother and two siblings. He was tired of it all. Fifteen-year-old Zeth had been taking on the role of the man of the house for six years. Taking care of his little sister, Sol, in particular, was exhausting. Fortunately, his other sister, Selt, helped him with Sol. "Not today," he said to himself.

Zeth went to the seaside, a kilometer away from the village. This was his training ground. He also felt at ease here. He would come here during his free time to train. After all, he had no magical powers. While the whole world revolved around magic, every child born in this world would have magic residue. Magic residue was a natural power produced in the body, which allowed people to perform magic.

While doing his physical strengthening exercises, Zeth, as always, wondered why i am dont have "magic residue" today. Despite not having magic residue, he had a great physique and physical strength. He was 1.66 meters tall, had a low body fat percentage, and weighed 62 kilograms. He was also handsome. He had short hair, a sharp face, thick eyebrows, and black eyes. There was a 6 cm scar on his right eye, inflicted by a wolf, but it hadn't blinded him.

"At least I am strong," said Zeth.

Asugna village was located on the border of the Valor Kingdom. The Valor Kingdom was the most advanced kingdom known in the world. It had the best holy (magic-wielding) knights and the finest magic masters. Additionally, it was a highly developed trade center. Exactly 71 years ago, a disaster had struck the world. Although the exact cause of the catastrophe was unknown, its consequences were devastating. A portal had been opened from the realm of hell to the world, and demonic entities had poured in, inflicting great suffering upon humanity.

The hero who brought an end to this calamity and sealed the gateway was named Braun Oven. Unfortunately, he lost his life while fulfilling this mission. The holy knights cleared the remaining demonic creatures from the world. Humanity was able to regain its balance, but this process took a whole 50 years. For five decades, humanity embraced its sorrows and tirelessly rebuilt the kingdoms and villages that had been lost. It became an unforgettable memory for mankind. In the present day, both the magic masters and religious figures were respected in the Valor Kingdom. Both powers were equally necessary to keep the people together.

While continuing his training, Zeth noticed a few wizards traveling rapidly in the sky. He was curious because this was not something that normally occurred. "Oh well," Zeth said, and continued with his training.

After training for three hours, Zeth, as always, proudly admired his own body. He loved his physique. Despite not having magical abilities, he was still very strong. Zeth was tired and sweaty. "Maybe I'll go for a swim?" Zeth said and started swimming. The sea fascinated him. He love the ocean as much as he love the stars.

He dived deep. Sitting on the ocean floor, he closed his eyes and tried to listen to his heartbeats. This was Zeth's favorite meditation activity. Zeth could hold his breath underwater for up to four minutes. Finally, he resurfaced and swam to the shore. "Alright, that's enough. It's time to go home," Zeth said. As the only male in his family, he couldn't stay away from home for too long.

While heading towards the village of Asugna, Zeth saw a few more wizards flying in the sky. This was strange. Moreover, every time Zeth saw a wizard, he felt envious. He didn't have any magical abilities of his own. Frustrated, he muttered, "Damn it!" and kicked a small rock on the ground. This always bothered him. Even a 92-year-old grandmother in the village had magical powers, yet Zeth didn't have any. That's why he always felt incomplete.

Zeth, who arrived at his village, thought, "Maybe I'll visit Toran." Toran was a beautiful girl of his age. They were friends, but Zeth was in love with her. However, considering his lack of magical abilities, Zeth believed that she would not love him back. So, for two years, he never confessed his feelings to her.

When he reached in front of Toran's house, he shouted, "Hey Toran! Are you home?" Toran immediately opened the door and said, "Oh Zeth! What wind blew you here?" Zeth replied, "What do you mean? I came here to see you!"

"We live just 100 meters apart, yet you never visit!"

"Well, I'm a busy man, you know."

"At least, you can drop by and say hello once in a while."

"I guess... Anyway, do you have plans today? I thought we could hang out."

"Well... actually, no. Let's hang out!"

...

"Shall we go to the Sacred Forest?" Toran suggested.

"Why there?" Zeth asked.

"I want to see it," said Toran.

Toran and Zeth went to the Sacred Forest, Toran's favorite place. The Sacred Forest was surrounded by dense pink and purple trees, a peaceful place for anyone.

Being called sacred was due to the fact that it had also suffered from the disaster that struck the village of Asugna 71 years ago. While the village was affected, the Sacred Forest remained untouched. People believed that it was a place that kept away evil spirits and thus named it the "Sacred Forest".

"Let's sit here!" Toran said.

"Okay," Zeth replied.

"The view is so beautiful, isn't it?"

"Well, yes... It really is beautiful."

The view stretched over a long forest and an endless sea right behind it. The scenery was breathtaking. Zeth was captivated by the view as well. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the scenery. Then, Zeth remembered the wizards he saw in the morning. He wanted to ask Toran about it to spark a conversation.

Zeth turned to Toran, who was also looking into his eyes.

"Hey Toran, this morn-"

Toran pressed her lips against Zeth's. Zeth's eyes briefly widened in surprise, but he didn't waste the opportunity and kissed her back with equal fervor. They were kissing passionately, like crazy. It was their first kiss. Finally, Toran pulled away.

...

...

"That was amazing," Toran said.

Zeth was just staring into Toran's eyes.

"Your eyes are so beautiful," Zeth said.

"Haha, where did that come from?" Toran asked.

"I've been aware of it for a long time, I just said it now," Zeth replied shyly.

There was a moment of silence between them. They both continued to admire the view. Zeth was very happy but also embarrassed. He couldn't say anything. Toran stood up, took Zeth's hand, and said, "Let's go, it's getting late!" "O-okay," Zeth stuttered.

They made their way towards home. They arrived at Toran's house first. Toran quickly kissed Zeth's cheek and went inside. Zeth stood there, bewildered and embarrassed, staring at the door. He started walking towards his own house.

Zeth had arrived home. Selt greeted him at the door. "Hey," Zeth said. "Hey there! Why are you beaming with smiles?" Selt asked with a sly grin.

Zeth entered and sat down. "It was a beautiful day," Zeth said.

"Hmm, I'm sure it was. Were you with Toran?"

"W-what? How do you know that?"

"Hahaha, just a lucky guess."

"Ah, yes, I was with her."

"So? How did it go? Did you confess to her?"

"Well... I think so."

"What do you mean, you think so? Come onn, spill the details!"

"We were sitting in the sacred forest... and she suddenly kissed me," Says blushed zeth.

"Aaaa! Mom!"

"Don't yell!"

"Mom! Your son has been kissing!"

They heard the sound of a broken plate from the kitchen, and Selda immediately entered the room.

"What?! With Toran? Really? Son, I thought you were such a timid boy."

"Hahaha, I have my brave moments, Mom," Zeth said.

"He hasn't confessed, Mom. Toran couldn't take it anymore and kissed him!"

"W-what? Shut up!!"

"Hahaha, my son."

Now they were all laughing together. Zeth felt embarrassed, but he was happy that they could all laugh together. Zeth was very attached to his family; he loved them. When it was evening, Zeth went to bed and tried to sleep, but he couldn't sleep all night. Thoughts of Toran and their kiss kept swirling in his mind. Tomorrow, after training, he decided to go and talk to her.

The next day, after having breakfast, Zeth left the house and started running towards the beach, where he was going to train. He had tasks to do today, so he didn't have much time. After completing his workout, he wanted to go to Toran. Then, he had other tasks to do such as chopping wood, buying household supplies from the market, and paying rent to the landlord.

After finishing his training, Zeth, as he always did, entered the sea, swam for a while, and dived to the bottom of the sea to meditate. He sat on the seabed and closed his eyes. Three minutes later, Zeth felt a light in his eyes and opened them to understand what was happening. A red light was coming from outside the sea into the depths. When Zeth came out, he was shocked. The sky was blood-red. The sun seemed to be hidden behind the clouds, and time seemed to have stopped.

Zeth swam to the shore and got out of the sea. He examined the sky. It looked as if the world was being immersed and extracted in blood. There was no rain, but red flashes were emanating from some clouds. At the peak of Valor Kingdom, there was a red sphere, and this situation was very horrifying. It was so terrifying that as Zeth looked at it, he felt as if it was pulling him towards it. He still had no idea what was going on. He saw the flying wizards above the Valor Kingdom, fighting with other flying creatures. Understanding these entities didn't take long for Zeth, and he muttered to himself, "Demons...?"

He immediately turned around and started running towards his village.