Episode 1 – The Despised Energy
The house seemed to dissolve into the shadow of misery: cracked walls, fractured ground, an atmosphere of desolation. Jayden Cross, twelve years old, clutched his worn sword tightly, ready to go out and train despite the fatigue and the heavy silence of dawn.
In the darkness of a corner, a nearly empty bottle in hand, his father Isaeah spoke in a calm yet heavy voice, like restrained thunder:
"Son… when will you understand that your perseverance will lead you nowhere?"
Jayden frowned, surprised by his father's firmness.
"How can you be so sure if you've never even tried to watch my training?" he replied, his voice barely trembling with defiance.
Isaeah slowly approached and wrapped a protective arm around his son.
"You know very well why…" he said. "We possess the most despised energy. Blue energy. The weakest. Don't you see that we are poor?"
Jayden's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.
"I know… but I want to change that. I want to prove that anyone can become a Soul Spirit Slayer, an S.S.S."
Isaeah looked away, powerless. He stepped back and lay down to sleep, unable to convince his son. Jayden then stepped out into the cold morning wind.
In the village, the looks turned cruel. Whispers spread through the alleys:
"He's a blue styler…"
"A fraud…"
"A mistake, just like his father…"
Three teenagers approached, laughing mockingly.
"Hey, beggar, got any coins?" the first one taunted.
"No, I'm in a hurry," Jayden replied, gripping the handle of his sword.
"And where are you going, loser?"
"To train. To become stronger."
The second burst out laughing.
"The 11-year-old wants to get stronger!"
"I'm twelve," Jayden corrected with forced calm.
"Whatever… let's beat him up," said the third, stepping forward.
Without warning, Jayden charged. But the first struck him in the stomach, sending him crashing to the ground. He grimaced in pain.
"What do you even want from me…?" he gasped.
The boy raised his sword, ready to strike.
"I am the savior!" he shouted. "I exterminate vermin like you!"
Just as the blade was about to fall, another sword appeared and blocked the attack. Isaeah stood there, expressionless.
"I warned you, Jayden," he murmured.
The three teenagers attacked at once. The first took a stance, a green line vibrating in the air:
"I'm a green styler!"
But with blinding speed, Isaeah disarmed him without using his energy. The others struck, insulted… but nothing seemed to reach him. In an instant, all three lay unconscious on the ground.
"Dad… why didn't you kill them?" Jayden asked, eyes wide.
Isaeah stared at his blade, his face unreadable.
"This blade was made to kill monsters, not humans."
Back home, a steaming bowl of rice and some meat awaited them.
"That was incredible, Dad!" Jayden exclaimed. "You defeated them all effortlessly!"
"That's not a compliment," Isaeah replied. "Eat before it gets cold."
"If you're so strong, why didn't you become an S.S.S.?"
Isaeah's face darkened. He then told the story of their energies: blue, green, yellow, orange… and purple, the rarest. The creation of their dimension, the opening of the portal of the fallen, the blue styler who became hybrid and corrupted… and the inherited hatred.
Jayden listened, shaken.
"So you… don't want to become like the Creator?" he asked.
"No… I never could…" Isaeah replied, his voice heavy with regret.
A determined smile formed on Jayden's lips.
"I will become the Resetter."
The next day, he discovered the S.S.S Academy. Despite his doubts, Isaeah agreed to enroll him.
Training began. Jayden learned Head Slice, a basic but essential technique. After hundreds of failures, he closed his eyes, focused, and felt the energy of everything: his father, the forest, the villagers.
He opened his eyes and—Slice! A rabbit was decapitated in one precise motion.
"Dad! I did it!" he shouted, breathless, eyes shining.
Isaeah, stunned and finally happy, allowed himself a faint smile.
At the academy, Jayden met Kyle and Kimberly. During training, Kyle easily dominated him. Jayden realized he was still far from the top.
Back home, he searched for his sword and discovered another blade, bathed in a glowing blue aura. The moment he touched it, an unknown power surged through his body…
Note: The Creator is the entity that created the dimension where all forms of life exist; it has transcended time, reality, and physics.