[Third-Person Perspective]
In a rustic farming village nestled deep within the mountains of China, a boy was brought into this world.
His family had been farmers for generations, tilling the same ancestral soil since time immemorial. From the moment he was old enough to understand the world, the boy was out in the fields, learning the feel of the earth from his parents.
It was a life far removed from civilization; electricity barely reached those peaks. The boy loved running through the mountains with his friends, his heart dancing at the mention of local legends. They would spend their days playing "Monster Hunter," venturing into the woods to slay imaginary beasts.
It was a cycle of unchanging days. He expected to live and die in that village, just as his grandparents had.
Then, the day came.
While playing in the mountains as usual, the boy became separated from his friends. He wandered deeper and deeper into the untrodden woods until he stumbled upon something he had never seen before: a monster.
It was a grotesque creature, caught in the middle of devouring a mountain animal. Luck was not on the boy's side; the beast noticed him. "It's been a while since I've tasted human flesh," the monster hissed, lunging at him.
The boy ran with everything he had, but he was only a child, and the pursuer was an abomination. He was cornered in seconds.
As the monster moved in for the kill, despair took hold. His life flashed before his eyes—a kaleidoscope of memories. Among them, the one that shone brightest was the memory of playing monster hunter with his friends.
...God, if only I really had the power to strike down monsters.
The moment he made that wish, his chest erupted in a brilliant radiance. A divine light surged forward, manifesting as a majestic, holy spear.
The monster shrieked, its flesh seared by the spear's sanctity. In that heartbeat of an opening, the boy lunged. He grabbed the shaft and drove the point through the creature's heart. He had never held a weapon in his life, yet he wielded the spear as if it were an extension of his own soul.
A search party from the village found him an hour later, standing over the carcass.
Six months passed before the boy met another "anomaly."
"Ho ho... I see. The Spear chose a truly remarkable place to manifest this time."
The stranger was an old, monkey-like being who called himself the First Generation Sun Wukong. The Great Sage reached out and patted the boy's head.
"Listen, kid. That spear is going to bring you nothing but grief in a world like this. But remember—you are you. The spear isn't you, see? You've got to make that spear a part of yourself, not the other way around."
The old monkey leaned in closer.
"It seems the blood of a great hero of this land flows through your veins... a man named 'Cao Cao.' But it's just blood for now. Whether you notice it, use it, or let it wake up... well, that's all up to you, kid."
[Third-Person Perspective: End]
[Cao Cao's Perspective]
"I must say, I didn't expect the leader of the Hero Faction to clear a path for the Red Dragon Emperor. This is quite the turn of events."
Apophis, currently in his human form, spoke as he watched Issei Hyoudou fly off. He turned a curious gaze toward me. To be honest, I was just as surprised by my own actions as he was. Though, since I moved of my own volition, "surprised" might be the wrong word.
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