Ikma

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"The elders used to say that at one point in time, we all used to live together. The trees that shade you, the people you meet, the animals that feed you, and the monsters that teach you. We all were the same, yet we all were unique. We were all... alive."

 

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  Ikma is an expansive world of both fantasy and reality. The land recalls countless tales of life, death, and rebirth: the eternal recurrence of that which is bound to happen. The inhabitants of Ikma live alongside the Ether, a force present in all living subjects and mysteriously grants the gift of life. This force, when taken advantage of, is the root of magic-like abilities that can be used by those with a compatible ether alignment. In Ikma's earliest days, every person had the ability to manipulate ether... however, as time took its course, that power has now become limited to only a handful of people and is a relatively rare occurrence.   As technology developed, ether was found to be an efficient energy source, and so with man's recent inability to wield ether naturally, it became extracted from the earth's flesh before being used in machinery. As a result, humanity's technological advancements sky rocketed levels equivalent to real-life post-modern technology, bordering the ability to conquer the stars.  
  In the beginning, the world was home to countless untold monsters. Humans, fauna, and monsters alike lived side-by-side in fear and bloodshed. Each civilization came up with their own ways to combat these demons: some chose to fight, some chose to worship, some chose to defend, and others chose to hide.   A military-government system, known collectively as the Defense Unit, became a widely used practice in most major town-spaces across the globe, and along with this system came a respite from the monsters.  
  It is the year T.C. 1015, the five continent-unions are independently growing and evolving, and life has ushered itself into a contemporary Earth-like model. A perplexing anomaly arises, however: more and more people are finding that they are able to use ether with every passing day. What once was a trait thought to be near extinction is slowly turning into a more common sight. To make matters worse, almost as if in response, monsters have become increasingly more aggressive, and are displaying behavior that has never been seen before.   The five world unions, each with their own unique agendas, plot their next move. Meanwhile, there remains one burning question left in everyone's mind:   "Will tomorrow be as safe as today?"  

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  Cover art by まげわっぱＺ on Pixiv