Darkness.
I was simply in the darkness.
It had always been that way. I was born in an unremarkable village, where I was supposed to have lived out my days with my family. I was only four years old then, so my memories of them aren't very clear.
In the midst of that childhood, I was swept up in the war that would later be called the Far East Campaign.
What I remember vividly are the shouts and the screams. And a world of deep red as far as the eye could see.
While everyone else fled, I simply ran blindly as well. I have a vague feeling that my parents died right before my eyes at the very end to save me.
Even those memories were already hazy.
No, surely it was my subconscious doing that—insisting that I must never remember the events of that time.
From then on, I was alone. I didn't know where the villagers had gone, or even who was still alive.
I struggled to survive, entirely on my own. I suppose even as a child, I possessed a survival instinct, as I lived each day with a desperate recklessness.
I spent my days walking in a daze. Everywhere became a battlefield. I didn't understand it then—I had no idea what was happening.
This was the first large-scale war where magic was deployed. It was incomparable to previous wars fought simply with swords and spears.
It was only natural for human lives to be ruthlessly snuffed out.
It was only natural for people to vanish before my eyes.
That was when the thought first occurred to me:
This world is far too ugly. I had no choice but to close off my heart in order to survive. I felt that if I didn't, I would cease to be myself.
"Ah... uugh... aaah..."
The world around me was dyed entirely in crimson. Furthermore, the ground was littered with things that used to be people. It was a hellish place.
I had arrived at a destination far too gruesome for words.
Is this the end I’ve finally reached? A place like this?
That was roughly what I thought at the time. I believe I was barely five years old then.
Having experienced far too much death before my sense of self had even fully formed, I was exhausted by everything.
All alone, I lay down on the earth and stared up at the sky.
The person next to me was no longer breathing. No, it wasn't just them. Every human being in this place, except for me, was dead.
Why was I the one who survived? I didn't even know that much.
All I could feel was... weariness.
When I looked up, a crimson sky spread out above me. The light of the deep red sky glared down. The ground, too, was stained in scarlet.
Ah. I see. So the world is this red.
I had seen nothing but gruesome sights, to the point that I mistakenly believed the entire world had been dyed in crimson.
I just wanted to be at peace. There was no point in living.
I, who had been pushed forward only by survival instinct, finally learned how to give up. I no longer knew what was happening to my body.
Whether it was hot, cold, or painful—even those sensations had vanished.
"Ah... uugh... u..."
Letting out a faint groan was the best I could do. It was the only thing permitted to me now.
What lay at the end of this sky?
At the time, I had no way of knowing.
──The Ice Sword Sorcerer Shall Rule the World — Past Arc: Remembrance of the Sky
"Ugh. Stuck with you guys again, I see..."
The one letting out a dissatisfied groan was Lydia Ainsworth.
Brushing her long, waist-length blonde hair back, she spoke with a sigh. Beside her were two familiar faces.
"Well, I guess we’re stuck with each other for life."
"Caro-caro is so happy~☆ We're all together again!"
Abby Garnet.
Carol Caroline.
Abby had cut her hair short for this day, with the length barely reaching her shoulders. Carol, on the other hand, had her pink hair tied up in high twin-tails.
All three were still only fifteen years old. They had just graduated from Arnold Magic Academy, which they had entered early after skipping grades.
The three of them were dressed identically. They wore neither civilian clothes nor school uniforms. Instead, they wore ornate garments with a navy blue base. The gold trim was so luxurious that its prestige was obvious at a glance.
Yes. They were military uniforms.
None of the three had gone on to university. Although much had been expected of them, by some strange twist of fate, all three had ended up joining the Arnold Kingdom Army.
Of course, this was the result of the military top brass recognizing their power and recruiting them. It was unheard of to enter the military at such a young age. However, they stood here now precisely because of their talent.
Lydia Ainsworth.
Abby Garnet.
Carol Caroline.
These three were hailed as geniuses unlike any seen since the dawn of magical history. It was said that talents appearing once in hundreds of years had all surfaced at the same time.
Among them, the one who had already distinguished herself the most was Lydia.
"Sigh... still, to think we're not students anymore. Time really does fly."
Lydia muttered reflectively.
Lydia Ainsworth. Among sorcerers, there was no one who did not know her name. In an era where bloodline elitism was mainstream and nobles were considered supreme, she had appeared as a genius among geniuses.
She possessed more than just a deep knowledge of magical theory; her practical skills were already top-tier. She was a sorcerer who had already reached the status of Grand Rank—and she had achieved it while still a student.
Even Abby and Carol were currently only Platinum Rank sorcerers, one step below her.
Given that a student is normally considered quite excellent if they reach Gold Rank, the status of these three was nothing short of abnormal.
"Right~☆ Caro-caro thinks so too~"
"Sigh... I can deal with Abby, but having this Idiot Pink with us too? Despite her ridiculous look and her ridiculous behavior, she's actually an elite sorcerer? There's something wrong with this world."
"Hmph! Lydia-chan, you’re always so mean to Caro-caro! I’m pouting! Rawr!"
With a cooing voice, Carol raised her index fingers to her head like horns. Even if she was trying to show she was angry, the behavior was... well, the other two had long since stopped questioning it.
Having grown accustomed to Carol, they simply let out a collective sigh.
"Well, it's fine, isn't it? Carol is an important comrade too."
Abby was the mediator between the two. Lydia was blunt, and Carol was difficult to handle. In that dynamic, Abby's presence was vital.
She was the only sensible person among the three, and it could be said that the trio only functioned because she was there to center them. If Lydia and Carol were left alone, they would start bickering immediately.
"Well, I guess I'll take your word for it."
Lydia let out a mischievous smirk.
The reason the three were together in military uniforms was simple.
It was the dawn of large-scale magical warfare. In response, the military had established a special forces unit.
It was an elite group gathering the most capable sorcerers in the Kingdom. Upon its founding, the military had decided to recruit these three despite their youth. Of course, they would still need to attend the Officers' Academy as part of the process.
They had been summoned to a certain Major's office today to receive their briefing.
As the Major had not yet arrived, they had been passing the time with small talk. However, a knock came at the door, and a female secretary entered followed by a man in his prime.
"My apologies. A meeting ran a bit over."
The man spoke with a soft, polite demeanor.
His name was Henrick Fahrenheit. His jet-black hair was cropped short, and he possessed a sturdy, muscular build. Though he was a field officer, he clearly maintained his physical conditioning.
"Not at all. We have only just arrived ourselves," Abby replied calmly.
"Now then. I have something to discuss with the three of you."
This must have been fate. The three of them would later look back and think so. The special forces unit prepared by the Kingdom—the unit to which they would be assigned.
That was the true beginning of their encounter with Ray──.