Ryuo

Summary
Ryuo is a hereditary legend passed down from the ancestors of the Karasuki Kingdom in the Yagumo region.

Story
Once upon a time, over a thousand years ago (before the kingdom of Karasuki had been formed), evil beings ran rampant all over the land, threatening the livelihood of the people. They devastated the land, leaving a huge trail of death and despair in their wake. That was when the hero, who the people would later call Ryuo, appeared.

Ryuo was a strong, kind, and exceptional person. He was able to single-handedly take on and defeat the evil beings that the people of the time were helpless against. He shared his food with anyone on the brink of starving to death, and would heal anyone’s severe injuries in the blink of an eye.

It was said that he also taught spirit arts to the people of the Yagumo region, back when there were barely any users at all. People from all over flocked to these lands to rely on Ryuo. They placed him on a pedestal as their hero, and it was only a matter of time before a new kingdom was established around them.

However, Ryuo was only one man, and there was a limit to what he could do alone.

No matter how many evil beings he defeated, they continued to spawn out of nowhere.

At the same time, surges of poverty-stricken citizens that had heard the rumors came calling, seeking his salvation. Despite this, Ryuo continued fighting without rest, and continued to act as a savior without respite. He continued saving without rest. Because he was so strong and so kind, he alone remained the perfect hero for the people.

No matter how much he suffered, Ryuo maintained the image of a completely flawless hero... until a time where there were mass casualties.

One day, Ryuo declared that he had located the place where the evil beings were spawning from. His plan was to head there immediately in order to eliminate them, but no one else was capable of standing and fighting alongside him.

So, accompanied by only one travel companion, Ryuo departed for the place where the evil beings originated from, leaving the people behind to wait for his return.

That was when tragedy occurred. While Ryuo was away, hordes of evil beings ambushed the humans in full force. Those that faced the evil beings did so with their armies, but without Ryuo fighting alongside them, their death toll only continued to climb higher and higher. By the time Ryuo had returned, the lands were thoroughly ravaged by the war that had broken out in his absence.

Ryuo used his mighty strength to annihilate the advancing evil beings in an instant, but once the war was over, someone spoke up.

Why?

Why didn't you come to save us sooner?

Why did you leave us here to die?

Although Ryuo apologized for his late arrival, someone else insisted:

The dead won’t return.

The dead won’t rest in peace just because you apologized.

Of course, it’s not like we haven’t had any casualties until now...

However, there had never been a single battle that brought about as many deaths as this one, and the people’s expectations had been betrayed. The discontent that had built up during the war amongst the people grew as a collective mass, and exploded all at once.

While there were some within that mass that tried to calm the others, there was no way for the voice of the few to reach through to the rioting mob.

Ryuo did not fulfill his duty as a hero the people saw him guilty of that sin but he bowed his head before them and accepted their criticisms at face value. As a result, Ryuo declared himself unfit for the title of king, and renounced himself from the throne.

The new dynasty began shortly after the antecedent to the current Kingdom of Karasuki.

Life continued peacefully henceforth, with no further attacks from the evil beings. Once an extended period of time had passed with no conflicts, the people finally realized that Ryuo had destroyed the origins of the evil beings, precisely as he said he would.

Thus, the people started pondering out loud in recollection. Where might Ryuo be at this moment? they wondered, but by that point, Ryuo had already disappeared from the land.

'“The threat of evil beings attaking this land has diminished, but they still exist. I must eliminate the dangers that remain,”' he had told a select few people before leaving the kingdom.

The king publicly announced the truth to the people: an admission that they had committed an unforgivable crime in driving Ryuo away, which prompted the people to reflect.

After time had passed, they would speak of the legends of Ryuo, passing his stories down from one generation to the next. They acknowledged their faults, and prayed that one day, their hero would return.