legacy of the nameless god

The next few days passed quickly. Yamato and his companions traveled across the land, moving from village to village, town to town. Though they kept to the outskirts, avoiding major cities for now, it was clear that Yamato's presence was beginning to be noticed. Whispers followed them wherever they went — rumors of a boy who had vanished and reappeared with strange powers. Some said he was a monster, others that he was a divine being.

The further they went, the more Yamato realized how much the world had changed. The once proud kingdoms he had heard of in tales had fractured, divided by war, politics, and divine influences. The world was a place of constant struggle — much like the one he had left behind.

It wasn't long before they reached a bustling trade city named Dunval, a place teeming with merchants, travelers, and soldiers. The city was at the edge of the Holy Empire of Noa, a kingdom he knew well from his childhood. But now, the streets were more crowded with refugees and mercenaries than he remembered.

As Yamato walked through the city's gates, a woman with crimson hair and piercing green eyes stood out among the crowd. She was cloaked in black, her expression serious as she observed the newcomers. She didn't look like a mere traveler, but someone who had seen the dark corners of the world.

She was one of the few who noticed Yamato's presence immediately.

"Who's that?" she muttered under her breath. Her sharp eyes scanned Yamato, lingering just long enough for him to notice.

Yamato's gaze met hers, a flicker of recognition — though he couldn't place where from. She didn't speak again, but there was an understanding in her eyes, something that stirred the air around them.

"Looks like we've caught someone's attention," Luci remarked, leaning in close to Yamato's ear. "You've got a habit of attracting all sorts of people, don't you?"

Yamato shrugged. "Let them come. I'm just passing through."

But he couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter would lead to something much bigger.

The night air in Dunval was thick with smoke, spices, and secrets. As Yamato weaved through the bustling night market, the voices of merchants faded into background noise. Lanterns swayed gently in the wind, casting flickering shadows across weathered stone buildings.

Yamato could feel it — someone was tailing them.

It wasn't the kind of attention he was used to. Not just idle curiosity, or the wandering eyes of those drawn to his otherworldly presence. No, this was deliberate. Calculated. Whoever followed them moved with precision.

"Luci," Yamato whispered, his voice like a thread in the wind, "someone's behind us."

"I know," Luci said with a grin, not even turning his head. "Been tailing us since the apothecary. They're good, but not that good."

Silvie didn't speak, but she gave a slight nod, already aware. Rec, in his small wolf form, let out a low growl, more annoyed than alarmed.

Yamato led them off the main street, ducking into a narrow alley between two stone buildings. The city's sounds faded behind them, replaced by the stillness of looming brick walls and dripping water from high gutters. There, they waited.

Footsteps echoed softly.

A figure stepped into view — the woman from earlier. Crimson hair fell in waves down her back, her green eyes piercing and clear, as if they saw right through him.

"You're not very subtle," Yamato said, arms crossed.

"I didn't want to be," she replied. "I needed to see you up close. You don't belong here."

"That's... fair," Yamato admitted. "Neither do you, by the look of it."

The woman gave a small smirk. "Name's Isolde. Former knight of the Church of Noa. I was sent to investigate the rumors."

Luci tilted his head. "So the Noa Empire is already sniffing around?"

Isolde's expression hardened. "Our saint had a vision. She saw a boy with eyes like starlight and a soul wrapped in flames. He was to bring either salvation... or ruin."

"Sounds dramatic," Yamato muttered, then tilted his head. "Wait — did she say I was handsome too?"

Isolde blinked. "What?"

"He's been obsessed with that part of the rumor," Luci sighed.

Yamato shrugged. "It's important."

Rec snorted like he agreed.

Isolde's gaze lingered on Yamato a moment longer. "The Church wants to find you. They don't know what you are... not yet. But they think you might be a Legacy — a child blessed by a forgotten god. If that's true, they'll try to use you... or destroy you."

Yamato's expression darkened.

"No one uses me anymore."

He turned to leave, but Isolde stepped forward. "Wait. There's more. I came to see for myself what you really were. I don't even think you know."

Silvie's voice rang out, soft but chilling. "You play a dangerous game, mortal."

Isolde glanced at her, clearly aware of her divinity. "I know. But if I'm right... then the world's about to change. The Holy Empire won't wait forever."

She turned, disappearing into the night, leaving only a warning hanging in the air.

They left Dunval the next morning.

The tension had grown too thick. Whispers followed Yamato like shadows — rumors spreading of a boy with untouchable skin, a sword that shattered stone with wind alone, and companions who moved like death itself.

They passed through quiet hills, forest paths, and broken farmlands. Along the way, Yamato trained. Not in swordsmanship — he barely needed that anymore — but in control. The divine energy inside him surged like a storm barely contained. Sometimes it responded to emotion, like when he tripped and accidentally caused a nearby boulder to implode.

Luci, lounging on a floating stone like a bored cat, grinned every time it happened. "You've got the power of a god and the coordination of a drunk goblin."

Yamato glared at him. "I'm learning, okay?"

Silvie's voice was calmer. "Divinity isn't something mortals are meant to wield. Even those of divine blood lose themselves if they don't balance it."

"But I'm not mortal," Yamato said, almost as if reminding himself. "Not anymore."

One evening, as they camped by the river, Luci finally spoke seriously. "You know... when you do make your move — when the world sees what you are — there's no going back. The empires, the gods, the hidden powers of this world... they'll all come for you. You'll be a threat just by existing."

Yamato looked up at the stars again. "Let them come. I've died once already."

He smiled bitterly.

"This time... I want the world to know my name."