In a savage world dominated by powerful monsters known as 'mana beasts' who have the ability to use magic, the magicless people who live there are protected by their military and local adventurers.

While the adventurers are tasked with smaller, less dangerous tasks, it is the military's job to handle the truly dangerous missions that range from defending their cities from being ravaged and destroyed, to the ultimate and most deadly task of containing a mysterious miasma blighting the centre of the continent that corrupts and mutates all who come into contact with it, changing them into blood thirsty creatures, far deadlier than any mana beast.

As humanity was on the brink of destruction, a glimmer of hope was found in the form of a rare, legendary crystal known as a 'Primordial fragment' was discovered with their existence being kept secret and only known to a select few.

Those who were lucky enough to wield one of these scarce crystals, gained the rare ability to manipulate and use a single element of magic, just like the mana beasts, helping them stand on equal footing with them and making them vital for fighting the creatures that spawned from the miasma.

Those with this ability came to be known as 'style users'.

However, with new power, comes those who want it for themselves as overtime, when word inevitably got out to other nations about these divine relics, new wars were sparked adding to the ongoing threat. 

As time went on with fragments being lost and changing owners, a girl named Hikari Machizuki, a pure, kind hearted person who was plagued with a people pleasing attitude and other problems brought on by her traumatic past, obtained one of these fragments and was captured by her military and forcefully recruited.

With no choice but to join the military, along with five other individuals subjected to the same fate, as Hikari, they are placed in a specialised unit that would be known as 'the primordial six' with the ultimate mission of purging the miasma once and for all. 

Can Hikari and the other five cure the miasma? or will they too be added to the ranks of the malicious zombies that spawn from its obscuring embrace.

 

Read the first chapter Below!

(Disclaimer: The following chapter is not finalised and is subject to change, any mistakes made such as spelling or grammar will be corrected before release, I hope you enjoy)

Chapter 1: Beginning of a cycle

The year is 2024.

Awakening in a damp dark cell, located inside the human capital city of Primordius, a confused girl with long hair that is the colour of an Ombre fire, asks herself, “where am i?”.

She scans around the cold, damp cell, looking for a way out, only to find nothing but a faint, golden light beyond thick pillars of steel that keep her confined to her tiny cell.

On the other side of the cell bars, two assertive guards, clad in a brown military uniform  with a green and orange trim, complemented with blue trousers stand watch and notice the girl snooping around her cell”.

“Finally, you’re awake!” says one of the guards impatiently

“Excuse me, Where am i? Why am I locked behind bars?” The girl questions, scared  

“That’s because you’re too dangerous to be left unchecked Hikari Machizuki” a voice echoes throughout the hallway 

As the two guards turn and stand at attention, a small, thin man wearing the same military uniform with short, shaggy sapphire blue hair Emerges from the shadows and reveals himself to Hikari.

“Who are you?” The girl inquires, feeling slightly intimidated.

“I am major general  Yoshimasa Bochi, Primordius’ head of interrogation, but you may call me Yoshi for short” Yoshi states with calm dominance.

“Interrogation? What am I being interrogated for? I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear!”  Hikari panics as her fight or flight response taking over 

“We’re going to find out what you’re hiding from us and what the spark style user is doing here” Yoshi adds.

“Spark style user? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Insists Hikari

“Feign ignorance all you want Hikari, but it's obvious you can use fire magic, our men saw you burst into flames and others saw the steam coming off of you in the rain” Yoshi explains

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about! What is a spark style user? And how do you know my name?” Hikari says defensively

As Hikari is blurting out her poor verbal counterargument, one of the guards hands Yoshi a goblet of water.

“Still denying the accusations, are we? well, if what you’re saying is true and you don’t possess the fire primordial fragment in your body, you wouldn’t mind having a nice, refreshing drink of water now would you? After all, you’ve been unconscious for several hours now and I would hate for you to grow evermore dehydrated” says Yoshi with calm, assertive confidence as he slowly approaches Hikari with the goblet of water, swirling it around like a noble partaking in a wine tasting.

“What are you doing? Please don’t come any closer!” Hikari shouts in fear as she slowly backs away subconsciously 

Yoshi throws the goblet of water at Hikari, causing her body to instinctively dodge it with some of the water, unfortunately landing on her leg as she jumps back

“Arghhh!” Hikari screams in pain as the water is like acid eating away at her skin.

“Great, my body reacted on its own, and now he’s going to find out everything, my leg is burning, like it's being dissolved away” Hikari  thinks to herself panicking as she endures the pain of her sustained injury as steam floats from her thigh.

“I knew it, you are a style user, your body’s reaction to the water proves everything! Now tell me, what is your goal here?! Who are you working for!?” Yoshi demands, bombarding Hikari with questions.

Hikari, not having an excuse but also not wanting to break her promise to her father, remains in silence as she looks around using her eyes only to find a way to escape.

Yoshi sighs, “Fine, let’s start with the basics shall we? How did you acquire your primordial fragment? "Yoshi asks, a little more composed and collected.

Hikari stares at Yoshi with intensity in her eyes, burning with fear and determination as she stands her ground in silent solidarity, her mind racing at what lengths Yoshi will go to extract the information from her.

“Not willing to play ball are we? Fine then, we’ll have to take a more unorthodox approach then." Yoshi says as he is handed another goblet of water.

Hikari shudders, in anticipation of the water being thrown at her as she thinks to herself “I need to get out of here, I don’t know what prolonged exposure of water will do to me, but guessing from the pain I felt, I can tell it won’t be a good thing, i have no choice but to break out of here with the power entrusted to me from my dad”

Hikari jumps to her feet, her leg feeling weak from the water being splashed on it as the muscles spasm with instability in response to the threatening painful stimulus that approaches her “I'm sorry for this, i hate causing others pain but you leave me no choice, I will keep my promise! Spark style, pyro bolt” She chants with determination. 

Hikari winds her arm up like she is about to pitch a fastball and attempts to conjure forth a blazing fireball that will destroy the cell bars with a small explosion and give her the chance to escape, 

However, much to Hikari’s dismay, nothing happens.

“Wh-what? My magic, it didn’t work!? But why?” Hikari thinks to herself, losing her composure.

Yoshi approaches the cell and raises the goblet up to his mouth and sips the water from it.

“I’m pleased, you show great survival instincts Hikari but unfortunately for you, we took precautions while you were unconscious” says Yoshi smugly

“What precautions?! Why won’t my magic work?” Hikari says, shaking in fear as she backs up to the far wall of the cell.

“You have our newest recruit Chizuru to thank for that, she sealed your power away just in case you tried to escape”  Yoshi smiles.

“There really is no way out of here, but I'm still not going to tell him anything” Hikari thinks to herself, feeling like a failure.

“Your secrets out, I will ask you one final time, are you going to cooperate and tell me everything? Or will I have to resort to that?” Yoshi inquires as he twirls the half empty goblet in his hand.

“I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I made a promise to someone very important to me. I won’t tell you anything, no matter how much you torture me!” Hikari uncharacteristically resists with passion as she stands her ground.

“*sigh*, I see, that’s disappointing, i was hoping you would cooperate. very well then, you’ve forced my hand, it seems that we’re going to have to become intimately related, like two best friends at a sleepover” Yoshi says disappointedly.

“Wh-what are you going to do to me?” Hikari says nervously as she takes a step back in fear, her back now fully pressed against the far wall in the cell.

“Chizuru my dear, come here please” Yoshi says sweetly, as a tiny, small, thin, introverted, young girl with ocean blue and grey hair steps out from the shadows, dressed in military uniform with  bangs covering her left eye and her hair tied in a ponytail.

 “Y-y-yes sir!” Says Chizuru nervously.

“A child? She looks far too young to be in the military. What’s she doing here?” Hikari ponders to herself.

“Chizuru sweetie, please immobilise the prisoner for me. I need to get to know miss Machizuki here more intimately” Yoshi requests politely

“Y-y-yes sir! Right away sir!” Chizuru says with nervous enthusiasm, hoping to not mess up in front of her superior.

“I-I’m really s-sorry miss, b-but I-I have t-to restrain you now! Please don’t hate me!” The girl says nervously as the cell door is unlocked.

“Restrain me? She’s just a kid. Are they hoping I'll let my guard down just because she’s a child?” Hikari thinks to herself, as she sees a ray of hope.

“My luck might finally be starting to turn! With their overconfidence, I can run past them and quickly escape, I've just got to time it right” Hikari cleverly thinks to herself as she readies herself to run.

The cell doors slowly open with a delayed, prolonged squeak with a subtle thud as it hits the stone wall dungeon. 

Chizuru apprehensively enters the cell with the help of a gentle, encouraging push from Yoshi and slowly begins to walk towards Hikari.

As Chizuru gets into the middle of the cell, Hikari begins to sprint, prepared to flatten anything in her way to make her escape as she charges through the cell.

“Sorry, but I can’t stay locked up here, I need to get out, '' Hikari shouts at Chizuru as she rushes at her like a stampeding rhino.

As Hikari rushes towards her, a grey aura begins to surround Chizuru as in a calm enigmatic voice, she holds her arm outstretched, pointing at Hikari with her palm open and chants “seal style, swords of imprisonment” 

 

Suddenly, 5 beautiful grey energy swords majestically materialise from thin air and launch themselves at Hikari at the command of Chizuru, impaling her in both her knees, shoulders and chest as they pin her against the wall.

“W-what the? I can’t move, how am I still alive?” Hikari thinks to herself.

As Chizuru steps back, Yoshi enters the cell.

“Good work as always Chizuru” says Yoshi proud of Chizuru’s performance as he pats her head.

“T-thank you s-sir” Chizuru says shyly, blushing from the compliment she received

“Now then, let's get intimately acquainted shall we?” Yoshi says, his sweet expression turning sour and serious, like a dad switching from family mode to work mode 

“What are you going to do to me?” Hikari probes nervously.

“We’re going to start by becoming best friends, and everyone knows that best friends share secrets with one another” Yoshi says smugly as he leans in to make Hikari nervous.

“So this is how it's going to work, I'm going to tell you one of my biggest secrets, and in exchange, you’re going to tell me everything I want to know, sounds fair?” Yoshi says friendly.

“No thank you!” Hikari protests 

“I wasn’t asking, I was telling you” Yoshi says, flipping between two different personas like a switch being flicked back and forth.

“This is my secret, don’t tell anyone now will you? I’m trusting you.  Yoshi says softly, as a beautiful sapphire aura surrounds him.

“truth style, sincerity secret” he chants as the aura crawls from Yoshi to Hikari, inflicting her with the effects of his spell

“It feels so much better getting to know people, don’t you think? And it's even better being able to  get secrets off  your chest in my opinion” says Yoshi cheerfully.

“So tell me my new best friend, what’s your story? Why did you come to Primordius? And how did you obtain your fire primordial fragment? I want to know everything” Yoshi interrogates 

Hikari tries to keep her mouth shut but her entire life story begins to flood out of her mouth, like lava flowing out of an erupting volcano.

With tears in her eyes a single thought comes into Hikari's mind, filling her with great shame and disappointment “I'm sorry dad, I've let you down” 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed creating it! :)