Chapter 1 - The Storm Adventurer
The wind howled across the ruined valley.
Thunder rolled through the dark sky as rain poured down like arrows from the heavens. Trees had been torn apart. The ground scorched. Craters filled the battlefield like scars.
At the center of the devastation stood a man.
Tall. Calm. Completely unbothered.
His name was Miyamoto Mikage
Standing at six foot four inches tall, his long black hair was tied into a loose ponytail, rain sliding down the strands. Carrying six katana two on his back and two on his left and right hip. A black cloak rested over his shoulder, heavy with rain.
On the back of the cloak was single light gray kanji.
実行 - Execution
In front of him towered the last monster
A hulking ogre who stood nearly twenty feet tall, its skin dark green covered in battle wounds. The creature trembled, gripping its iron club with shaking hands. Around the lay the bodies of the rest of the monster horde.
Dozens.
All dead
Miyamoto sighed a scratched the back of his neck.
"Man... that was the last one, right?"
The ogre roared in fury and raised its club. The weapon came crashing down toward him with enough force to shatter a boulder. But Miyamoto didn't move. Miyamoto looked back over his shoulder at the ogre with a cocky grin
"Ah there's still one more and its a ugly one too."
He simply looked up drew one of his katanas. The moment the club reached- The air split. A thin invisible line cut thought the space between them. The ogre froze. For a moment nothing happened. Then its body slowly separated. A perfectly clean slash ran from its shoulder down to its waist. The giant monster fell into two halves. The battlefield fell silent.
Miyamoto stretched his arm lazily with a smile on his face.
"Alright... quest finished and in record breaking time."
He turned and walked away.
Then-
BOOOOOM
A massive thunderclap shook the sky. Lightning tore through the storm clouds. Miyamoto looked up with a curious look on his face.
"...Oh?
Something was falling from the sky. Not a monster. A person. She descended like a lightning bolt. When she landed, the ground exploded with lightning beneath her feet. The impact sent cracks running through the battlefield. Standing in the crater was a crater was a woman. And she was huge.
Standing at eight feet three inches tall. Her long silver hair flowed wildly in the storm winds, black dragon horns on her forehead curved back to back of her head ,glowing faintly under the flashes of lightning. Black chain armor wrapped around her powerful frame, each movement causing meatal rings to softly clink together with a draconic greatsword on her back. Behind her black red wings and swayed a long dragon tail, slowly curling through the rain.
Her eyes glowing crimson red. For a moment, she looked around the battlefield. Then her gaze landed on Miyamoto. She blinked. Her crimson red eyes slowly moved across the battlefield again.
Broken monsters.
Split bodies.
Scorched earth.
All of it... done by one man.
Her gaze returned to Miyamoto. For a moment she said nothing. The storm rumbled above them. Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
"... You."
Her voice was calm. Low. Sharp like a blade.
"You're the one who did this.
Miyamoto raised a hand casually.
"Uh... yeah."
She stared at him in silence. The kind of silence that make people uncomfortable. Maeve slowly stepped forward. Each step carried a presence. The ground itself seemed to acknowledge her weight and power. The chains of her armor clinked softly with every movement. At eight feet and three inches tall, she towered over him like a living fortress. Her dragon tail swayed slowly behind her. Her crimson red eyes examined him from head to toe.
Long black ponytail.
Black cloak.
Six katanas.
Calm posture.
No fear.
No tension.
Nothing.
Her gaze sharpened.
"...So."
"You're the one they called The Executioner."
Miyamoto scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah...people started calling me that recently
Her expression remained completely cold. Most people would have already collapsed under the pressure of her stare Maeve had a presence that made veteran adventurers nervous. A storm give human form.
Cold.
Dominant.
Dangerous.
She glanced at the battlefield again.
"...Pathetic."
Her voice carried pure disdain.
"An entire monster army and they still lost to one man."
Lightning flickered faintly along her silver hair. Her gaze return to Miyamoto. This time there was a faint interest in her
"...Interesting."
She stepped closer now she was towering over him. Close enough that Miyamoto could feel the faint heat coming from her lightning aura. She leaned down slightly.
"Tell me something."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Did you actually enjoy that fight... or were you just bored?"
Miyamoto thought for a moment.
"...Honestly?"
He shrugged with a cocky grin on his face.
"Little bit of both."
For the first Maeve smiled. Not a warm smile. A dangerous one. The kind predators make when they finally find something worth chasing.
"...Good."
Lightning cracked around her body.
"Because weak men are boring"
She straightened to her full height. Then she extended a large armored hand toward him.
"My name is Maeve."
Her voice carried authority.
"S-Rank Adventurer. The Storm Knight."
Her dragon tail flicked slowly behind her.
"I don't travel with weak people."
Miyamoto took her hand and shook it.
"Miyamoto Mikage. Nice to meet you"
Maeve's grip tightened slightly. Not enough to hurt him. But enough to test him. Her eyes studied his reaction. He didn't flinch. Didn't react. Just stood there calmly. The corner of her lips lifted slightly.
"...Good."
She released his head. Maeve glanced around the battlefield once more before speaking again.
"I was hunting this monster army for three days."
Her tone was flat.
"And you wiped them out before I arrived"
Her crimson red eyes returned to him.
"You owe me entertainment now."
Before Miyamoto could ask what she meant-
Maeve vanished
BOOM
She reappeared directly in front of him. Her fist already moving. The punch tore thought the air like thunder. Miyamoto effortlessly blocked it. The shockwave shattered nearby stone. The punch broke the sound barrier. Rain exploded outward from the force.
Miyamoto blinked still with a cocky grin on his face.
"Oh."
Maeve's crimson red eyes gleamed.
"So you can react."
Lightning erupted around her body. She took a fighting stance. Power rolled off her like a living storm.
"Good."
Her voice lowered.
"Because I've been looking for someone strong to travel with."
Thunder roared above them. Her eyes sharpen with excitement.
"And if you survive this..."
Her dragon tail curled behind her. Her wings folded slightly.
"...I might allow you to walk beside me."
Miyamoto slowly smiled.
"Well..."
He cracked his knuckles with a cocky smile on his face.
"This might be interesting. Lets have a little taste of the storm tyrant."
Lightning exploded across the sky. And beneath the raging storm- The first clash between two future legends began.
The beginning of the story that Atherion would one day remember as:
The Legend of Storm and Void.
Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Fights like a Storm
Rain crashed against the shattered valley. Thunder rolled across the sky as lightning split the clouds again and again. At the center of the ruined battlefield stood two figures.
One calm
One radiating violence.
Maeve crimson red eyes locked onto Miyamoto. Lightning crawled across her silver hair and horns like living veins of light. Her massive frame towered him, chain armor glistening under the rain. Even standing still, she carried the overwhelming presence of a predator.
Cold.
Dominant.
Dangerous.
Her dragon tail swayed slowly behind her.
"You're smiling."
Her voice was low.
Almost threatening.
Miyamoto shrugged.
"Well... it's not everyday someone drops from the sky and punches me."
Maeve's eyes narrowed.
Then-
She vanished.
BOOM
The ground shattered where she had been standing. Miyamoto's eyes shifted slightly. Behind him. He ducked just as Maeve's kick tore though the air where his head had been. The force of it split a boulder in half.
Miyamoto whistled then smiled.
"Wow that would've killed me."
Maeve didn't respond. Her crimson red eyes were sharp and calculating. She turned smoothly, silver hair whipping though the rain.
Then she attacked again.
This time faster.
Her fit shot forward like lightning itself. Miyamoto raised his arm and blocked.
CRACK
The impacted echoed across the valley. The ground beneath his feet shattered from the force. Miyamoto sild back several feet.
"...Okay."
He shook his arm slightly.
"That one actually hurt."
Maeve stared at him
No excitement.
No praise.
Just quiet observation.
"...You're durable."
Her voice was calm. Like she was evaluating a weapon. Lighting gathered around her fists again.
Then she moved.
This time she didn't disappear. She came straight at him. A relentless storm of strikes.
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
Knee.
Every attack carried monstrous strength. Each impact shattered stone and carved trenches into the earth. But Miyamoto smoothly moved between them.
Dodging.
Blocking.
Stepping aside.
Almost casually.
Maeve attacks grew faster.
More aggressive.
Lightning exploded with every movement. Her dragon tail whipped though the air like a spear. Miyamoto leaned back as it barely missed his face.
"Hey now that's not fair."
Maeve said nothing.
But her eyes grew colder.
She didn't like that. Didn't like how calm he was. Most men tremble when facing her. Most adventurers collapsed under the pressure of her presence alone.
But Miyamoto...
Looked like he was enjoying himself.
That irritated her.
She suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his cloak. Her strength lifted him several inches off the ground. Their faces where close. Her crimson red glowed.
"...Stop holding back."
Her voice dropped lower.
Colder.
"I hate cowards."
Miyamoto blinked.
"I'm not holding ba-"
She slammed him into the ground
BOOM
The impact created a crater. Dust and rain exploded outward. Maeve stood over him like a towering goddess of war. Her dragon tail curled behind her.
"Don't lie to me."
Her voice carried authority.
"I can feel it."
Lightning crackled around her.
"You're not even trying."
For a moment there was silence.
Then-
Miyamoto laughed.
Not mockingly.
Just genuinely amused.
"Ah..."
He rubbed the back of his neck while lying in a crater.
"Yeah you caught me."
Maeve's eyes sharpened.
Miyamoto slowly stood up.
Rain rolled of his cloak.
He stretched his arms casually.
"...its just been a while since I met someone interesting."
The air arounds him change.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
Just... Heavier.
Invisible pressure spread through the battlefield.
Maeve felt it instantly. Her crimson red eyes widened slightly. For the first time- Something touched her expression.
Excitement.
"...Good."
Lightning erupted around her body.
A savage grin slowly spread across her face.
"Finally."
Her voice lowered to a dangerous whisper.
"Now we can start."
Miyamoto smiled.
Then he disappeared.
Maeve's instincts screamed.
She turned-
Too slow.
Miyamoto's finger tapped her forehead.
Tap.
She froze.
He was standing directly in front of her now.
Completely relaxed.
Maeve stared at him For a moment...
The storm seemed to stop. Then she slowly smiled.
Not angry.
Not embarrassed.
Just... trilled.
"...Perfect."
Her crimson red eyes burned with excitement.
"I've finally found someone worth traveling with."
She stepped closer. Towering over him again. Her intimidating presence returned in full.
Cold.
Dominant.
Her voice carried absolute certainty.
"You're coming with me."
Miyamoto blinked.
Wait- what?"
Maeve crossed her arms.
"You're strong, Interesting, And you're not afraid of me."
Her dragon tail curled slightly behind her.
That's rare."
She looked down at him with a calm, commanding gaze.
"So you'll travel with me."
Miyamoto tilted his head.
"...You didn't even ask."
Maeve didn't hesitate.
"I wasn't asking."
Lightning crackled across the sky behind her. The rain continued pouring down. And standing there in the ruined battlefield-
Miyamoto realized something.
This woman was going to be trouble.
He smile with excitement.
"...Alright why not."
Maeve expression softened slightly. Just slightly
Then she turned away.
"Good we leave at sunrise"
She walked away without looking back. Because in her mind- The decision has already been made. And deep down... Maeve felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Excitement.
The storm had finally found someone who can stand inside it.
And this was only the beginning of the legend that would one day shake the entire world of Atherion.