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Description
Born in Aotochi's Hoshino Village territory, Sai had humble and harsh beginnings. With the unfortunate circumstance of being naturally frail, and afflicted by a unique condition known as hyperthermal expansion, the infant boy was doomed to detonate from the inside out and take a huge portion of the planet with him.
In addition, he was born with a curse, instilled in ages long past into their bloodline and many others. A parasitic organism called a stark, intent on taking over his body once it has the chance, and weaponizing it for the sake of an unknown master.
Another side effect of the stark is that it saps a small portion of spiritual energy from its host over the course of every day, storing it, and compounding it, in order to use it for its objective of taking over the body.

His father Yuji, refusing to allow these outcomes to come to pass, made the difficult decision to temper Sai's body at an early age.
Using a variety of techniques, he and Lisandra, Sai's mother, began a training regimen to improve his durability, inside and out. It was brutal, but necessary for his survival.

These sessions didn't change, being adapted into new methods as he became stronger and more durable. Multiple times a day, he would either take training from his parents, or improve on his own, using the vast, dangerous forests of the Hoshino territory and its ferocious denizens for practice and for preservation. It was in this forest that he met Jin Moriyoko.

The Moriyoko family owned a village as well, and, along with the Hoshino family and several others, were tasked with protecting the nation from outside threats in a variety of specialized situations.

The two became fast friends, training together, surviving together, sharing techniques, tricks and advice.
This went on for a year, and came to an abrupt halt during the second Zogan invasion. A swift war in Fain's orbit, ending in tragedy across the globe.
With the world now more volatile than ever, most evacuated, including Jin at the behest of her family. Yuji and Lisandra were deployed to battle the Zogan threat on short notice, and were killed in action.

Sai had no choice but to once again adapt to his new circumstances. He learned a lot during those first few weeks. Of the war, the result of it all, the ramifications... He mourned his parents' deaths, and for a short time, wandered alone.
Soon, he met other orphaned children like him, and became friends with them. They faced challenges over the next four years... Hostile troupes who, other than the open violence, were just like their own, were but one of the threats. Adult bandits, mutated monsters, and traitors in their own ranks...
In the end, Sai and his friends, a band of 45 children, including himself, were the only living humans left on the planet. At this point, they'd formed a bond akin to a family, more than mere friendship.

Tragedy struck during what would have been any other day, while Sai was out scouting dangerous territory ahead. Sensing something was wrong, he quickly made his way back to their hiding spot, and was struck with intense grief.
Each and every one of his friends had already died a horrific death. Mutilated, destroyed.
Desperate to learn what happened, he found that his best friend of the lot, Regal, still had his torso and head intact. Reading his quickly fading memories, he watched it all happen through Regal's eyes.

As he was unable to hold back the rage and anguish, his stark tried to take over his body by verbally manipulating him, attempting to convince him to allow it to take over, that these events were Sai's fault.
The stark was caught by surprise, however, when the boy immediately ripped his stolen power away from it, and used it to transform and catch up with the murderer, now intent on avenging his fallen family no matter the cost.

The resulting battle lasted for several hours, the boy losing steam, burning away more and more power. All the while, his enemy seemed to never tire, never giving him a chance to breathe.
All seemed lost, until another mysterious man stepped in to defend Sai's life. Calling himself Angelo, a name the boy remarks is strange, he stood tall and thin, but possessed incredible strength despite not looking all that powerful.

Once he had repelled the murderer, he offered a bewildered Sai an opportunity. A contract.
If he would grow in strength enough to participate in a project Angelo referred to as Ares, Angelo could guarantee Sai a successful second round against that man.
Sai reluctantly accepted the offer, and as a result, the next phase of his life began.

He discovered that the rest of the galaxy blamed him for the deaths of his friends, calling him a monster child, a murderer.
Now branded as scum, for the next four years, he was physically and verbally abused, shunned, and mocked.
Beaten to the brink of death by a man who was supposed to be his mentor.
He met a peer named Rico, a laid back and kind soul, who didn't buy the labels and the message. He helped Sai get through it, but the events wore down on both boys over time.
Halfway through this period, at the brink of breaking down and giving up, Sai was contacted by Jin.
With both their spirits lifted, they persevered through their own challenges, and eventually made it to the end, where the story begins.

Description
Born in Aotochi's Hoshino Village territory, Sai had humble and harsh beginnings. With the unfortunate circumstance of being naturally frail, and afflicted by a unique condition known as hyperthermal expansion, the infant boy was doomed to detonate from the inside out and take a huge portion of the planet with him.
In addition, he was born with a curse, instilled in ages long past into their bloodline and many others. A parasitic organism called a stark, intent on taking over his body once it has the chance, and weaponizing it for the sake of an unknown master.
Another side effect of the stark is that it saps a small portion of spiritual energy from its host over the course of every day, storing it, and compounding it, in order to use it for its objective of taking over the body.

His father Yuji, refusing to allow these outcomes to come to pass, made the difficult decision to temper Sai's body at an early age.
Using a variety of techniques, he and Lisandra, Sai's mother, began a training regimen to improve his durability, inside and out. It was brutal, but necessary for his survival.

These sessions didn't change, being adapted into new methods as he became stronger and more durable. Multiple times a day, he would either take training from his parents, or improve on his own, using the vast, dangerous forests of the Hoshino territory and its ferocious denizens for practice and for preservation. It was in this forest that he met Jin Moriyoko.

The Moriyoko family owned a village as well, and, along with the Hoshino family and several others, were tasked with protecting the nation from outside threats in a variety of specialized situations.

The two became fast friends, training together, surviving together, sharing techniques, tricks and advice.
This went on for a year, and came to an abrupt halt during the second Zogan invasion. A swift war in Fain's orbit, ending in tragedy across the globe.
With the world now more volatile than ever, most evacuated, including Jin at the behest of her family. Yuji and Lisandra were deployed to battle the Zogan threat on short notice, and were killed in action.

Sai had no choice but to once again adapt to his new circumstances. He learned a lot during those first few weeks. Of the war, the result of it all, the ramifications... He mourned his parents' deaths, and for a short time, wandered alone.
Soon, he met other orphaned children like him, and became friends with them. They faced challenges over the next four years... Hostile troupes who, other than the open violence, were just like their own, were but one of the threats. Adult bandits, mutated monsters, and traitors in their own ranks...
In the end, Sai and his friends, a band of 45 children, including himself, were the only living humans left on the planet. At this point, they'd formed a bond akin to a family, more than mere friendship.

Tragedy struck during what would have been any other day, while Sai was out scouting dangerous territory ahead. Sensing something was wrong, he quickly made his way back to their hiding spot, and was struck with intense grief.
Each and every one of his friends had already died a horrific death. Mutilated, destroyed.
Desperate to learn what happened, he found that his best friend of the lot, Regal, still had his torso and head intact. Reading his quickly fading memories, he watched it all happen through Regal's eyes.

As he was unable to hold back the rage and anguish, his stark tried to take over his body by verbally manipulating him, attempting to convince him to allow it to take over, that these events were Sai's fault.
The stark was caught by surprise, however, when the boy immediately ripped his stolen power away from it, and used it to transform and catch up with the murderer, now intent on avenging his fallen family no matter the cost.

The resulting battle lasted for several hours, the boy losing steam, burning away more and more power. All the while, his enemy seemed to never tire, never giving him a chance to breathe.
All seemed lost, until another mysterious man stepped in to defend Sai's life. Calling himself Angelo, a name the boy remarks is strange, he stood tall and thin, but possessed incredible strength despite not looking all that powerful.

Once he had repelled the murderer, he offered a bewildered Sai an opportunity. A contract.
If he would grow in strength enough to participate in a project Angelo referred to as Ares, Angelo could guarantee Sai a successful second round against that man.
Sai reluctantly accepted the offer, and as a result, the next phase of his life began.

He discovered that the rest of the galaxy blamed him for the deaths of his friends, calling him a monster child, a murderer.
Now branded as scum, for the next four years, he was physically and verbally abused, shunned, and mocked.
Beaten to the brink of death by a man who was supposed to be his mentor.
He met a peer named Rico, a laid back and kind soul, who didn't buy the labels and the message. He helped Sai get through it, but the events wore down on both boys over time.
Halfway through this period, at the brink of breaking down and giving up, Sai was contacted by Jin.
With both their spirits lifted, they persevered through their own challenges, and eventually made it to the end, where the story begins.