Hitokiri Azuma: Origins of Madness (A Prequel Novel)

Origins of Madness is a dark, tragic seinen prequel to the technical techno-thriller sci-fi fantasy epic Hitokiri Azuma: Chronicles of the Lightning Sovereign. This standalone, 20-chapter psychological descent charts the collapse of an empire's brightest saviors. If you are looking for a fast-paced, high-dopamine power fantasy with rapid level-ups, this book is NOT for you. This is a clinical, visceral study of how world-ending monsters are forged by grief, utility, and the terminal cost of pure intentions. 

While it can be read entirely on its own, it uncovers the tragic origins of the main story's primary antagonists.

At twenty-three, Crown Prince Alaric Aust rejects court politics to live by a singular code: The Aust Crown does not exist so others may bleed in its place. Driven to prove the Imperial House rides with the people, he forms the Imperial Hunting Party alongside four elite royal peers to act as a tactical shield against catastrophic monster incursions: 

Princess Caitlin Berton (Lochland): The party’s strategist, and mediator wielding Hydrodynamic Authority.
High Lord Kaelen Thorne (Norveg): The analytical master of Norvegian Dual Swords and Atmospheric Authority.
Prince Lothaire le Brûleur (Valeraux): The proud field vanguard commanding absolute Thermodynamic Authority.
Princess Rhea Telluris (Zemlyost): The unyielding heir wielding a cold-iron longsword and Geodynamic Authority.

As this bright-eyed alliance rides out westward under the cheers of the capital, Captain Viktor Bauer—a legendary commander of the Fourth Banner of the Imperial Royal Knights, has just resigned from his command to return to his quiet farming village of Aschendorf to raise a family with his pregnant wife, Helena Bauer. Tragic events will lead to a domino effect that will change the course of the entire Western Kingdoms.