This was a story from 15 years ago. In the Hanzu Dynasty on the God Continent, there were a lot of poor villages; our story starts at one of them.

*Clang!*

A couple was walking towards the edge of the village. They were scrawny, wore old clothes with holes in them, and looked like they could pass out from hunger at any moment.

*Clang!*

Behind them was a child who wasn’t better off than the couple. In fact, you could say that he was worse since he had shackles on his ankles and wrist.

“Come on, hurry up and walk.”

The man said while dragging the chain that was attached to the shackles. The child almost tripped from being pulled. After some minutes they made it to the edge of the village where they saw a group of cloaked people standing there. The couple’s faces brightened up as they increased their pace.

“We brought him as promised…Um, about our agreement?”

One of the cloaked people walked up and placed a chest in front of the couple.

“Here’s your payment.”

The man handed over the chain to his wife and quickly opened the chest. He was suddenly blinded by the glow from the contents insides. Seeing the content, the wife let go of the chain and took a handful of gold coins and rubbed it against her cheek. The man soon did the same. While they were lost in their greed, one of the cloaked people took the chains and pulled the child to his side.

“Since both parties are satisfied we’ll be on our way.”

The couple didn’t respond and continued to enjoy the gold coins. The cloak group snicker and then walked away. The child looked back at his parents and stared at them as long as he could before turning away from them. That would be the last time he saw them.

“Ah!”

Military City, Romix. Shòu formerly known as Kaido woke up on the ground drenched in cold sweat. He looked around and saw that he was inside a doom-like room.

“I must’ve collapsed from exhaustion while training again.”

He got up and quickly exited the room.

“Goddammit!”

The moment he did, he heard a frustrated scream. He then headed to the source. There he saw all the pillars sitting in the room. The only exception was Gear, who was punching a wall.

“What happened to him?”

Shòu took a seat and asked.

“His brother interfered in one of his plans again and now he’s throwing a tantrum.”

Bastian laughed.

“Oh, the one who sided with Miko? From what I can see he’s pretty smart.”

“Maybe he’s smarter than Gear?”

Natasa snickered.

“Shut it, Natasa! That little punk just knows how to talk his way out of going to hell!”

Gear looked like he was going to tear his hair out but he suddenly stopped.

“Well, at least I took Bloom out of the picture for a while. Right now, we’re the only ones that are at full strength. We’re in the lead.”

“Then how about we attack both sides since their exhausted from their battles?”

Natasa proposed while licking her lips.

“Are you stupid? You of all people should know that beasts are a hundred times more dangerous with their backs against the wall. The moment we move it will be when we’re fully prepared.”

“I agree. My fight with Miko is proof that our enemies aren’t to be underestimated.”

Isabel said.

“Well, that’s all good. Just call me if you need me.”

“Where are you going?”

Bastion asked.

“I’m gonna see Hana.”

“Really? I thought seeing her would weaken your resolve. Aren’t you afraid that she’ll encourage you to stop working with us?”

“It’s quite the opposite really.”

He stood up and walked away.

“If I don’t remind myself what I’m fighting for I might just slaughter you bastards in your sleep.”

He then exited the room.

“I think he was serious.”

Bastion said.

“You think.”

Said Natasa.

Meanwhile, Shòu was walking down the halls of the huge building he was in. The dream he had earlier made him remember more stuff from the past.

“How is it?”

After being sold by his parent the child was brought to an unfamiliar place and was immediately strapped to a table and had his body hooked up to more machines than he could count.

“Amazing, this is a great find! His body seems to be compatible with both fragments.”

“Incredible. Is this some form of mutation or just chance?”

“Either way, we must get started right away.”

The cloaked people who were now wearing surgical coats approached the child with scalpels in their hands.

“Let’s commence body modifications.”

The next couple of years after that were a blur, so the child had no idea what had been done to him. However, even if he didn’t know his body clearly remembers the pain and horrors it experienced, which was evident from the fact that there was no part of him that didn’t have a scar back then. His next memory was the day he was “saved” from his hellish environment.

*BOOOM!*

He remembered being woken up by a violent explosion that threw him out of his bed. He got up sluggish, from having his body toyed with, and made his way to his room door.

“Fuck! Destroy all of the data! Don’t leave anything behind!”

“Why is a monster like that here?!”

“We’re done for! Run for your lives!”

He could hear the panic voices of adults from behind the door.

“Ahh!”

“He’s here!”

“Don’t! Stay away!”

The screams were short-lived and the voices quickly vanished. The only thing he could hear was the clacking of someone’s shoes as they walked.

“This seems to be the place.”

He heard a new voice and stepped back on reflex. A bright light flashed, the door fell apart before his eyes. It looked like it was cut into pieces.

“Ah, there you are.”

The child couldn’t remember the face he saw that day but he couldn’t forget the disembodied human parts he saw behind the one who entered his room.

“Let’s see.”

The reaper spoke with an indifferent tone as he projected some information from his smartwatch.

“Specimen #666…what corny name. Anyway, it says here that your body has been modified to host two regalia fragments in your body. You currently possess the powers of the Golden Dragon of greed, Fafnir and the Primordial Beast of the Earth, Behemoth. That’s two big names right there.”

He put away the watch and looked down on the child.

“That means that you’re an Artificial Proxy and a Dual one at that. Unfortunately for you, that means that you will have to die here.”

Die. Death. The child was very familiar with these words and what they meant, after all since the day he was born there wasn’t a day where he wasn’t close to death. Whether it be starving to death or having his body cut open hours on top of hours for days, he was always one step away from death. Despite this….

“Hm? Now, this is interesting. I thought someone who had suffered as much as you would rejoice at the chance to leave this fucked up world.”

The reaper smiled.

“And yet your eyes are saying that you’re willing to tear me apart to live.”

Despite everything he went through, the child still chose to struggle for survival.

“Is it because of the two legendary beasts that you host in your body or is it your own ferocity? As a man of science, I’m intrigued.”

The reaper pointed his sword at the child.

“Too bad that won’t stop me from killing-Hm?”

His smartwatch started vibrating, he looked and saw that he was getting a video call. He sighed and answered it.

“Hello, Boss. I’m in the middle of wiping out that organization you told me about.”

(Did you kill the specimen?)

A female voice came from the other end.

“I was about to.”

(Hmm…Then don’t bother.)

“……..Huh? Could you repeat that?”

(I said don’t bother. To tell you the truth, I made a bet with myself before you left. If you didn’t kill the specimen by the time I called and check on things I’ll let it live.)

“Wait a minute, Tiana! You were the one who gave me this boring mission! And now you’re telling me that I should just abandon it halfway?!”

(You killed all the alchemists and destroyed their data, right? Then that’s enough. I’m also curious about what kind of future he will grow up to have too.)

Said Tiana Draxler.

“You and that damn fetish of yours is gonna be the end of Genesis one day. At least consider your position as Noah.”

(Then are you saying that you’re not curious? Between him and our Artificial Proxies, who will be superior? Who knows? He may end up being the key to perfecting my children.)

“Didn’t you say that some kid from the Dragna Kingdom can do that?”

(What’s wrong with having a backup? Although, I doubt I’ll really need one since that child is the one I’m going to bet everything on.)

The reaper stayed silent for a bit before sighing again.

“You’re the boss.”

(Thanks.)

The call immediately ended.

“There you have it kid. You get to live because of my whimsical boss.”

He stooped down in front of the child and placed his hand on his head.

“My name is Jun Mizune. If you ever become strong enough to make gods tremble come and find me.”

“……..”

Shòu halted his steps in the hall. His body was covered in cold sweat and his heart was racing.

“….How did I forget something like that?”

He clenched his fists.

“Back then he said Tiana, didn’t he? As in Tiana Draxler. Not only that, he mentioned something about a child in the Dragna Clan. That child was Miko wasn’t it?”

Shòu didn’t know why but he felt like he just stumbled on a massive scheme.

“The one who destroyed that place was Tiana and she spared me….Then what did she think when we met at Grim Academy?.....Was that actually planned? I mean she came there after me…”

The more he thought about it the more frightened he became. Especially when he remembered another thing Jun Mizune and Tiana Draxler mentioned.

“Between him and our Artificial Proxies, who will be superior? Who knows? He may end up being the key to perfecting my children.”

These sentences carry great meaning.

“Tiana has multiple people that are just like me? Not only that, there seems to be something that’s above artificial proxies; something she referred to as her children. Miko also seems to be deeply involved in all this since over a decade ago…”

At this point, he was certain that his blood pressure was dangerously high from how fast his heart was racing.

“Miko, Tiana, Jun Mizune, and finally Genesis. I think I’ve heard Jin mentioned Genesis to Bloom once…Is he connected in all this too? And if he is, then doesn’t that MYTH is too?”

He stood in silence for a while before whispering to himself.

“Does this war even matter right now when there’s obviously something much bigger going on in the background?”

Meanwhile, Natasa had separated from the other pillars and was standing in front of two giant gates with her hands in her pocket.

“It’s been a while Newgate City.”

She grinned, took her hands out of her pockets, clenched her fist, and threw a punch.

*BAM!*

The punch demolished the gates and she laughed as she walked in.

“Time to kill that bitch and offer her head to MYTH.”

Her grin widened.

“After that, I will take the first to step to joining the New Era!”