The Impalement. What historians now regard as disastrous as the last world war.

A societal collapse due to the advent of awakening abilities. However, the Impalement had brought forth another kind of danger to this world.

The ‘meteors’ that changed the appearances of certain places on Earth.

122 stakes, or Towers as the ability users call it, were constructs to be climbed and conquered.

They were lairs to what humanity could only call, “monsters” in the truest sense of the word. 

Goblins. 

Every tower’s recorded attempt to climb the first floor all had little variation to its inhabitants. 

Goblins holding jagged swords. Goblins wielding bows. Goblins holding poisoned daggers.

They were all goblins who employed wave tactics to deter intruders.

These entities were fully hostile to any foreign presence besides their own. And after giving on communication, it was decided that these towers had to be destroyed. In an attempt to conquer the unknown, military expeditions were sent.

And yet, as they advanced within the territory called the First Floor, the end was never in sight. On the contrary, the monsters got tougher the further they went.

Police squadrons holding riot shields and pistols.

Armed military with assault rifles and grenades.

Explosives teams with mines and bio-chemical weapons.

 In intensifying degrees, the lethality of forces had to scale up each time in response.

Tanks. Missiles.

Once it’d been researched that the insides of the Tower was completely separate from the outside world, more ambitious weapons were used.

Napalm, and then… the first recorded use of nuclear power.

The aftermath was the elimination of a group of goblins. After a single day, the radiation and any lingering signs of its use was completely gone from the Tower.

It was an expensive victory for mankind. Clearly felt after that single victory, no country wanted to use such means anymore. 

But Floor 1 was finally cleared.

As mankind took its first step into the next floor, they despaired.

Humanity had finally met their match.

Goblins? It turns out that goblins were far too easy of an opponent.

On the second floor, there were creatures that towered over the humans, with strength several times that of a wild bear, and skin tougher than the strongest metals on Earth.

The common Orc, impervious to humanity’s strongest weapons, lay waste to the expedition teams. May 20th, it was the day the few survivors returned with footage of pure horror.

And after another round of speaking, Towers were designated as restricted zones by the government. They were treated as a nest of bees in every country. The faint hope that the monsters would never leave their nests if unprovoked, was the only salvation humanity can hope for.

After all, they had neutered the world’s ability users.

The day that these unique individuals could band up and climb the tower and discover its mysteries would never become a reality. 

Just like that, a year passes.

Kuuya lies on the couch with his sister, listening to the news.

The segment on TV was showing news relating to the Towers.

It was a little something that he’d grown used to watching. Yet today was a little different.

He felt more involved than before.

As he watched a reporter speak on the scene on vandalized property near the fences, his eyes wandered to the tombstones erected in the background.

 

“... -Th- Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

Kuuya turns annoyedly at his sister who had an outstretched foot.

“You’ve been mumbling something since dinner. Looking into blank space for some reason too. You’re creeping me out.”

“Yeah. I’m chanting the mantra. It’s been popular online.”

“The hell, a mantra?” 

“I’ve been getting bad luck with the gacha this month, so I’m trying everything to get the character. Wanna see me do it again? Begone, bad luck! Five star, give me a five star. Five staaar— Oumph!”

A pillow struck the boy’s face as he started flung his arms around exaggeratedly like a cult worshiper.

“Cut it out. Even if mom’s not embarrassed, I’m embarrassed for you.” Mei turns to the back and sees her mother chuckling silently. She sighs, and looks straight at her brother.

“You’re a little out of sorts today. Something happened at school?”

“At school? Nothing’s wrong at school.” Kuuya smiles.

“Then what, don’t lie to me. You always give me that stupid face when you’re trying to change the topic.”

“...Really now.”

“Out with it.”

At the back of the couch, Kuuya hears the washing of plates.

“...Hey. What if our…”

Kuuya pauses, and rethinks his words in front of his elder sister.

Her eyes question him seriously, as was the case whenever she’d wanted a real answer.

But he couldn’t speak.

“...No it’s nothing.”

“Haah? Now you’re making me curious!”

“I’m just thinking what kind of compensation you’d be giving me for that ice-cream.”

“Cheh. Ain’t no way I’m paying you anything back~!”

The boy stood up slowly with a grin.

“Is that right? I’m just thinking how delicious that mango pudding in the fr—”

“—Aaah! Don’t you dare! Shoo shoo! I’m just about to eat that! Hey, this crazy bastard’s serious?! That’s my pudding! Mine mine mine mine mine!”

Mei jumped off the couch and dashed into the kitchen before the boy did. He chuckles as he watches his sister pick up the pudding and climb up to her room on all fours looking like a gremlin.

“Hey.” He hears her voice from upstairs.

“...If you’re really troubled, …I’ll hear you out, alright?”

“Oh, my dearest sister is concerned about me. How about paying me back 600 yen for that ice-cream today then? I might just feel a little better.”

“Shut up you jerk! Miser!”

Hearing the door slam, Kuuya sighs in relief and turns back to the news report.

The location of that Tower was just a few blocks away. And close by, was the underpassage of a bridge that nobody frequents.

His eyes turned serious, and his finger tapped on something in the air.

Immediately, a coat appears over him. The boy’s eyes flashed with surprise for a second, but it returned to normal immediately after.

 

“Aah, heading out?” Kuuya hears his mother’s voice coming from the kitchen.

“Yeah mom, to the convenience store. Want anything?”

“Buy a carton of milk on the way will you, darling? And be careful outside, alright?”

“Alright. I’ll be right back.”

 

It won’t take too long. There’s just a few things I want to find out.

In his vision was a large screen consisting of numerous blocks of miscellaneous objects that he had been looking at since earlier. Among them was a block outlined in gold as if it screamed importance.

The name〖Excalibur〗was displayed in golden letters.