Six Years Before Canon
The cliffs of Greyrock were unforgiving—wind howled across jagged stone, whipping at cloaks and slicing through silence. The air reeked of decayed mana, as if the land itself had once been cursed and never quite recovered.
Even the birds avoided this place.
Captain Yami Sukehiro moved with slow, deliberate steps, his heavy boots crunching against cracked earth. He lit a cigarette with a flick of his thumb, exhaling a long trail of smoke that curled lazily into the pale, bruised sky.
His dark eyes scanned the area, sharp and predatory. There was residual magic in the air—twisted and unnatural.
"Tch... cursed bastards always run to the creepiest damn places."
He was tracking a rogue mage known for trafficking forbidden curses. That was the mission. But what he stumbled upon was… something else entirely.
Nestled at the base of a vine-wrapped pillar—one that pierced so far into the clouds it looked like it could scrape the stars—was a half-buried circular stone. Vines clung to its surface like chains, and ancient carvings swirled across its body.
Images of monkeys dancing among dragons. Wheels of wind spiraling through clouds. And a sky that seemed to roar silently above it all.
Lightning cracked across the heavens.
The air shifted.
Yami's cigarette flickered.
"…The hell is this?"
He stepped closer, caution rising like a tide in his gut. The mana around the stone wasn't malicious—but it was old. Older than the Clover Kingdom. Older than anything he'd ever felt. It tugged at his instincts like a blade grazing his throat.
He narrowed his eyes. The stone pulsed faintly, and within it—barely visible—was a shape. A figure. Small. Humanoid.
And moving.
"The hell…?" Yami's hand dropped to the hilt of his katana. He approached slowly, each step echoing louder than the last in the dead-silent canyon.
As he drew near, the carvings on the stone began to glow—runes lighting up in soft gold, bleeding across the surface like veins awakening from slumber.
Something was waking up.
Curiosity—or maybe recklessness—got the better of him. Yami stretched out a hand, fingers brushing the stone.
The world exploded in light.
Blinding, golden, ancient.
He stumbled back ten steps, shielding his eyes with one hand, sword drawn in the other. His magic surged to his skin.
The stone cracked.
Hairline fractures spread like lightning bolts, splitting the boulder open. Warm light spilled through, rhythmic like a heartbeat.
Thump. Thump.THUMP.
CRACK.
The stone erupted.
A shockwave rippled outward, flattening the grass and shaking loose chunks of cliff from above. Dust filled the air. Yami didn't move—just narrowed his eyes and waited, katana at the ready.
And then… silence.
The dust cleared slowly, revealing a form suspended mid-air—glowing faintly, golden like sunlight caught in a dream.
A boy.
Maybe ten years old. Skin sunkissed like he'd been warmed by sunlight his whole life. Golden-brown hair curled wildly around his head, and behind him swayed a furry tail, twitching with gentle curiosity.
He hovered for a moment, then floated down, bare feet touching the ground with no sound.
His eyes opened.
Amber. Deep and rich, like molten topaz. He blinked at Yami.
Calm.
Unafraid.
"…Huh," Yami muttered, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Didn't expect a damn monkey in a rock."
The boy tilted his head. "Monkey?"
He looked down at his hands—small, human. The tail behind him flicked again, curious and unsure.
"You're… not a monkey?" Yami asked, brow twitching.
"I… I don't know what I am," the boy said quietly.
He took a step forward. Then another. Each footfall hesitant, like someone walking for the first time—or perhaps after sleeping for a thousand years.
"What's your name, kid?"
The boy paused. A shadow flickered across his face.
"I… don't know," he said again. "I don't remember anything. Just… light. And sleeping."
Yami studied him. The kid didn't seem dangerous—but the mana around him was wild. Untamed. Like the eye of a storm waiting to spin out of control.
"Look, kid. I've got crap to do," Yami muttered, annoyed. "I didn't come all the way out here to babysit some rock monkey."
The boy looked up, hopeful. "Can I come with you?"
Yami squinted. "You gonna follow a total stranger just like that?"
"You're the first person I've ever seen," the boy said simply. "And I know you're a good person."
Yami froze. Then he laughed.
"Hah! Me? A good person? You sure your brain wasn't scrambled in that rock?"
"I don't know how I know. I just… do." The boy tilted his head again.
Yami sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"…You're a monkey. I'll call you Saru."
The boy blinked. Then smiled—slowly, warmly, like something inside him had clicked.
"…Saru." He tested the word. "Yeah. I like that."
"Good," Yami grunted. "You're my problem now. Guess I'll tell the others you're my pet or something."
The boy frowned. "Pet? I'm not a pet!"
Yami smirked. "You popped out of a rock. I think that makes you somebody's pet."
Saru puffed out his cheeks, arms crossed, tail swaying with irritation. "…Then I'll call you Tree-Man."
Yami rolled his eyes and started walking. "Suit yourself, monkey."
"Wait!" Saru called out, skipping after him. Without warning, he jumped—landing effortlessly on Yami's shoulder.
"Hey—! Brat, get off me before I kill you!" Yami growled, trying to shake him off.
Saru clung to his neck like a stubborn squirrel, laughing.
Eventually, Yami gave up. "Tch… fine. Do what you want."
As they exited the ruins, the sky began to clear, sun rays breaking through the clouds like blessings from above.
"Hey, Tree-Man?" Saru asked suddenly. "What's your name?"
Yami glanced at him. "It's Yami. Remember it, kid."
"Okay… Baka Yami," Saru said with a grin.
Yami's eyebrow twitched. "Oi. You wanna die?"
"Stupid Yami. Baka Yami~" Saru sang, laughing for the first time—free and wild, like a bird tasting wind.
Yami tried to look annoyed. Really tried. But a smirk crept up on him anyway.
"…Tch. Damn monkey."
Together, they walked into the distance—the ancient stone behind them quiet once more, its legend reborn in the form of a mischievous boy with a tail, a smile, and a forgotten name.