Ichiban Sekai

A world where magic is rare and valuable. In ancient times, magic was supposed to be the divine authority of the gods, manifested in the world surrounding every person. Back then, humans were considered to be created by one of the more foolish gods, and therefore should never touch something as pure as magic. It was said that after man was created, there was a big fight among the gods. Some wanted to destroy humankind because they foresaw that they would destroy all that is good. Others wanted to preserve humankind, saying that something good could still come out of it. Thanks to the goddess Athalia, a compromise was reached. The humans would live, but not in the perfect world they were created in, which was the world the gods lived in. This new universe would only have enough power of the gods to keep it running, and no human would be allowed to wield it unless they obtained favor from the gods. Since it was her idea, Athalia was put in charge of the new world. Thus the world was created to suit the needs of the humans, and also to test them, to see if one day they would earn the right to return to the world of the gods.   There are many religions in the world, but the most powerful nations passed this story down from generation to generation. When those nations passed and others grew in their place, a different religion became accepted, and because of it the legend of the gods creating the world began to die. The details of this seemingly new religion have been erased from history because it is seen as dangerous by the respected King Rindor. However, the generations are told that it is the religion of a single god, or rather, a person since experts refuse to call whoever the religion surrounds a god. After the period of history called the Enlightenment, humans began to see that the world they live in is only science, not wonder. While the existence of gods is still debated, most agree that the fact that this world exists is just a wonderful accident orchestrated by science. Currently, scientists are still trying to figure out what magic really is, though the research is difficult and expensive since magic is so hard to get. While few if anyone still exists that actually believe the legend of the gods, it is more respected than the forbidden religion. The King encourages the story to be taught as a story in schools, in order to inspire the children and teach them that the cultures of the past are ones to be understood and learned from, not shunned.   The Enlightenment was followed by a period of great darkness. It is said that the great darkness covering the hearts of all was a direct result of the Forbidden Religion, though for safety few details are actually taught. It is taught that the grandfather of the current King finally saw the problems the Forbidden Religion was causing, and overthrew the previous government, mostly wiping the Forbidden Religion from history. Children are cautioned, however, for it is known that records and books still remain because they were protected by extremists. The known followers were either executed or forced into hiding, and it is believed that no followers exist anymore.   The world the Reformer King--as he is remembered by history--created was one of balance. Even though he believed science created the world, he also believed that right and wrong existed in the world, and that one cannot evict the other. The previous world was mostly wrong, so right naturally was able to conquer it and restore the balance. However, the Reformer King said that the good ancient worlds decayed because they were too good--there must be balance, so evil prevailed and restored balance. Therefore, to avoid their fate, the Reformer King created a nation and a city where balance would be artificially regulated. If humans strive to keep the balance themselves, then great evils like what existed in the Dark Period might never exist again. Thus the Perfect City--as it is so named--was founded, and stands as a shining light guiding humanity to a future where humankind becomes a better race. At least, that is what is supposed. One thing the Reformer King knew, and took all measures to prevent, was that if the Forbidden Religion ever got a foothold in the world again, everything he built could be in danger. The Perfect World he strove to achieve would never be realized. Therefore, the successive generations have been strongly cautioned, and for the most part those generations headed that warning. The current King takes the balance of the city and the war against the Forbidden Religion more seriously than any previous generation did. However, little does he realize that the God of the Forbidden Religion is more real than the gods of the ancient past, and He has different plans for the future of the world.