The Greatest Summoner (Densetsu no Sekai: I)

Part 1: It all began at night

In the midst of billowing smoke and falling ash, deafening screams pierced the air late at night. A seven-year-old boy with raven-black hair was abruptly shaken from his sleep by his frantic parents. His father's voice, laced with urgency, spoke to the boy.

"Akira, pick up your sister and run away; it is not safe here. You both need to get far away from here as fast as you can."

The once-tranquil village was under relentless siege, besieged by colossal monsters that rained fire upon all in their path. The wooden homes that were once beautiful pieces of art, were now burnt to ash.

Summoning his inner strength, the father conjured forth a formidable guardian—an armored knight said to have been passed down for generations in this family. Swiftly, the knight's arsenal was bolstered with an enchantment, rendering the armor impervious to the searing flames. With a solemn command, the father entrusted the knight with a perilous mission: to aid the village, ensuring the safety of all its inhabitants by guiding them to sanctuary amidst the chaos.

The boy picked up his sister following his father's command and went outside. His older brother stood giving orders to everyone else that was near him, urging them to evacuate the village and to not engage the monsters. As soon as the boy lifted his head, his eyes met with the colossal monster. The air was cloudy with smoke and ash, but he could see its glowing eye. The monster had stopped for a single moment; there was no sound as it stared directly at the boy. A loud roar was heard after, and the villagers started to panic. Those who did not succumb to fear started to summon beings of formidable strength to fight the colossal monsters. There was chaos no matter where the boy looked; all he could think about was people's safety.

"Girl, get your family and run away from here, okay? We will meet you guys again, but you shouldn't be found here once the soldiers get here."

The boy looked at his father talking to a young silver-haired girl who wore a cross-shaped necklace, standing right outside his house.

"Akira, I need you to run, take Kaede with you and run as far as you can, okay?" Akira's older brother grabbed his arms while Akira carried five-year-old Kaede.

"I can help!"

"Your big brother Hiro can handle this, okay?" Hiro looked at his brother with a smile and then stared at his arms and he simply said a few words before running straight to the fight. "I see... I understand."

Hiro's arms radiated with luminescent tattoos that swiftly materialized upon them, a visible testament to the power he was about to unleash. With unwavering determination, he offered reassuring words to his brother, who found himself torn between familial wishes and a deep desire to assist in the dire situation unfolding before them. The majority of villagers rallied to confront the threat, their resolve unshaken, while only those with meager magical abilities chose to flee. After a tumultuous internal debate, Akira reluctantly chose to heed his family's counsel and make his escape. Meanwhile, Hiro began lending his aid to quell the inferno that consumed the village, summoning Water Sprites to mitigate the devastation. Drawing ever closer to the encroaching monsters, he ascended a village wall. In that pivotal moment, all eyes in the village were fixed upon Hiro, scion of the revered Akamatsu Clan renowned for their historic legacy as legendary summoners. Some were skeptical, and others were worried; Hiro was still a young fourteen-year-old teenager.

With a commanding presence, Hiro surveyed the approaching colossal monsters, his outstretched arms invoking two summoning circles distinct in their brilliance, shimmering with a pristine white hue. These circles harnessed the formidable power of soul magic, a domain perilously advanced and fraught with danger. A thick shroud of mist cloaked the proceedings, obscuring the villagers' view of the arcane spectacle unfolding before them. Hiro communicated with the menacing creatures, and then, inexplicably, they vanished.