Tetsuya was born to the wealthy and famous Kuroriku clan. However, out of the six Houses of the Kuroriku, he was born to the infamous second branch which lacks the resources of the main, and other branches. They don't even have the privilege of having their own name to differentiate them from the main household. After living in the countryside for most of his life, this plain college boy is invited to the royal palace.Excited at first to meet the king, Tetsuya soon finds out that the kingdom will require more of him than a hand to till the soil. He is to become one of the five knights. His weapon? A shield. His duty? To protect the kingdom from the umber forces that threaten to destroy it. Yet, the more he sees and hears, the more he begins to ponder if the true darkness isn't within the castle walls themselves... A tale filled with mystery and political intrigue. Cover was put together by moboreader. All rights reserved (except for the images used for the cover).
"Kiddo, " Mother says, glancing back at me as we drive across the countryside to visit my uncle and his family. "Feeling well?"
"I'm fine, " I say, glancing at the cows chewing on grass. Their mouths move up and down, as if savoring every single bite.
"You still mad at me for what I said about Tetsuya?" Father asks.
I lean my head against the window. A moment of silence hangs over us like a dark blanket.
"Listen, Ashi."
My eyes remain on the verdant fields of grass as my hands grasp my black rosary. Daddy had given it to me when I was born. I sit up and narrow my eyes. It looked similar to the one in the story.
"Dad. Why did you call me Ashi?"
Dad stops the car and glances back. "Why do you ask that now?"
"Also, this rosary... It's the rosary of the Angel of Darkness, our ancestor. Why were you in its possession? Dad, what's your connection with the Knight of the Shield? Why name me after the kid he wanted to have?"
Dad returns his focus to the dirt road and drives on. "No reason. Ashi was a nice name. And that rosary... it's a replica."
I narrow my eyes some more. "Really? Daddy?"
He snickers. "What? Did you have delusions of being the reborn Hanketsu?"
My face warms. "I... do not! I rather not be."
"Hmm?" he asked.
My hands clasped the rosary tighter. "I like my simple life. If I were to be the reincarnation of Hanketsu, then my life will be filled with hardship."
Father nods. "And you should. Kiddo, don't you dare dream of being a hero. Don't fall for the same illusions of grandeur that so many before you have."
"But the Knight of the Shield didn't have such illusions. All he sought was to clear his name."
His golden eyes widen a little. "You sure? Don't you think that he at least had a bit of otherworldly desires?"
"No. He was all about clearing his name. At least based on the first half." My eyes shift toward mom. "Hey, can you tell me the second half? We won't arrive at uncle Taku's home for a while."
Mother looks at him.
Dad sighs. 'Alright. Tell the kids the rest of the story that he can finally stop nagging."
"Yay!" I yell.
"Yay!" sister says.
"Not you too, " Dad says, sighing.
A smile dots my face. "How about Dad tells it this time?"
He lifts his hands from the driver's wheel momentarily. "Uh, kind of driving here."
I pout. "Come on."
"You know, you're a lot like Hideo."
I bit my mouth. "Not him. He's one of my least favorite. Well, only two that I like are Tetsuya and Setsuko."
A chuckle echoed across the car. "Really? I can barely blame you. They are the better ones out of the five. But even those two weren't without their faults... Fine. I'll tell you the story."
"Yahoo!" sister says. "Papa is going to tell us a story!"
I give him all of my undivided attention.
"Before I do. Where did you leave off?"
"They were going to visit home to see if Tekeshi had returned."
Father's eyes dim. "Right. Him." He clears his throat. "Alright... let's begin."
**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter :D!**
*Character Section*
Ashi Kuroriku- Sex: Male Age: 9 Birthday: August 15, ????
One of the 'pillars' of Xeleria has shattered. Now, darkness threatens to consume all that is in its path. As the umber forces advance, Lei and co. are busy taking their exams to advance to the rank of Novus Magus Secundus. However, they soon find themselves dragged into the mess caused by the foolish eight and their leader, a leader who still remains at large. Lei and his friends will need all their magic to survive the shadows engulfing Kyuu-Hanabira High because if they don't then... A tale of loss, love, and hope. Cover was put together by the folks over at moboreader :)
Olivia was born with incredible powers, powers that her father saw the need to seal. Now in her junior year in high school, she seeks to awaken her sealed powers. Yet, the key to unlock them might not be as easy to obtain as she thought. All rights reserved.
Tetsuya was born to the wealthy and famous Kuroriku clan. However, out of the six Houses of the Kuroriku, he was born to the infamous second branch which lacks the resources of the main, and other branches. They don't even have the privilege of having their own name to differentiate them from the main household. After living in the countryside for most of his life, this plain college boy is invited to the royal palace.Excited at first to meet the king, Tetsuya soon finds out that the kingdom will require more of him than a hand to till the soil. He is to become one of the five knights. His weapon? A shield. His duty? To protect the kingdom from the umber forces that threaten to destroy it. Yet, the more he sees and hears, the more he begins to ponder if the true darkness isn't within the castle walls themselves... A tale filled with mystery and political intrigue."
How far would you go to achieve your dreams? Many dream of attending Nine Petal Academy, one of the most prestigious magical academies in the land. They must all leave their countries of origin and undertake the journey to Kyuu Seishin-- a nation which has long clashed wands with their own. Among those is a young man called Lei Lan-- a wind and lightning mage with a strange power of unknown origin. He aspires to become Magus Maximus, the one herald as the strongest mage in all the universe. A goal which is made difficult by what in his world is deemed as an unusual sickness. Despite this, Lei is determined to achieve it, even if it means pushing himself to the brink of death. Embark on a world unlike any other. Novus Magus is an original light novel and is the first book in the Immortal Sun Mist Emperor Saga. The cover was made by @FayfayAhmadi ^_^!
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!