~\ ESPGALUDA /~

In a faraway land, in a long-lost time, there stood the shining kingdom of Shinra. From the rolling green meadows, all the way up to the blue and white mountains, it was a paradise. The farmers' bounties were always plentiful, the laborers worked with smiles on their faces, and the nobles were always sure to treat the lower-classes as equals, not merely as subjects to be subjugated. It was a time of innocence, before the golden destroyers filled the sky and turned this paradise into a nightmarish hellscape.

The members of the royal bloodline of Shinra, you see, had always had unique and extraordinary gifts beyond that of mortals. They were said to have the blood of the gods running through them, allowing them to soar high above the earth and do things that mere humans could only dream of. The kings and queens of Shinra were revered and worshiped as gods among men, and they were always just and fair, using their abilities for the good of the kingdom, never to bring harm to it.

Until the pretender, Jakou, took the throne.

Jakou, though kind and courteous on the surface, had a heart black as coal and the fires of the devil dancing in his eyes. Through his dubious charm and irresistible handsomeness, he charmed the Queen of Shinra into marriage at his hand. They lived happily, and had two beautiful, gifted children together, Ageha and Taheta.

Yet, it was not long after this that Jakou declared the princess a traitor to the kingdom and had her locked in the dungeons of the castle. He did not look upon Ageha and Taheta as his own flesh and blood, as any sane father would. Instead, he looked upon them as an opportunity for himself. He gathered some of the most famed alchemists in the land and assembled them together, creating a dastardly plan known as Project EspGaluda. He ordered the alchemists to enact cruel experiments on Ageha and Taheta, in order to determine the source of their gifts and extract it for himself.

One of the alchemists, Hidoshi, saw the horrific way Emperor Jakou treated his own children, and refused to go through with such inhumane tests. Conspiring with the dethroned Queen, he enacted a plan to rescue Ageha and Taheta from the depths of the castle under cover of night. He freed the Queen from her bonds, and she laid waste to Shinra Castle, destroying all in her path. In the chaos and confusion, Hidoshi was able to flee with Ageha and Taheta and take them far away from Shinra.

At the Queen's request, Hidoshi raised Ageha and Taheta as his own son and daughter. He was a stern father, but he did his best to teach Ageha and Taheta to always be kind and caring to others. He never told them the truth of their lineage, knowing that it was best for them to remain hidden from the world.

Many years passed, and the focus of Project EspGaluda shifted. Without Ageha and Taheta, Jakou chose instead to experiment on the Queen. He eventually found a way to infuse her psychic essence inside green crystals, which could be used for energy weapons. And thus, the "spirit engine" was born.

Jakou used the spirit engine to create a vast armada of planes, tanks, and other weaponry. He sent out his vast golden army into the surrounding kingdoms, conquering them and expanding Shinra's borders, mercilessly slaughtering all those who opposed him. No one was safe.

Eventually, the army reached the village where Hidoshi had fled, and they mercilessly tore it to pieces. Hidoshi tried to rally the villagers together into a resistance, but it was hopeless. He was among the first to be gunned down.

Ageha and Taheta, witnessing their adoptive father's death, felt something stirring inside them, something long forgotten. They began to rise into the air, and with one wave of their hands, cast the tanks aside like they were made of cardboard. They could hear a woman's distant call, begging for someone to come save her. Without knowing why, they decided to follow it. As they flew forward into the sunrise, they could barely distinguish the wind on their faces from the tears streaming down their cheeks...