[Year 1449. A.A.E[1]]
"H-Hiya-!"
"O-Ouch-!"
"Hey Katama! Treat our juniors with more care!" A guy shouted out from the tribune, watching a duel between two cadets in the training grounds of the academy.
It had been three years since I arrived in Soldat. During that time I was taught things like steering a ship, utilizing weapons, leviathans and our important role as a marine... protecting the seas from evil. There was one memory that was more memorable then the others... The day I was chosen to receive a vessel.
"Hah? why should I? You can't expect criminals or Leviathans to give the mercy right?" Katama shouted back with a light grin on his face. At the sidelines sat a group, gender-mixed with different people wearing the cadet uniform that symbolized their will to work in the marines.
All of them chuckled at Katama's remark before one of the guys spoke raksing their arm in their air.
"Your just too good! A reason why there's such a huge gap between the first place - 'YOU' and the second place when it comes to the academy ranks".
Ever since I joined the academy I dedicated my time and work into the education and training given to me. Within the three years I've stayed here I rose through the ranks — A rank that display your overall scores for intelligence and combat.
"Because I know what i'm worth duh?"
"I don't spend time at the tavern drinking myself wasted after every test". Katama told with an confident yet a slight sense of pride.
Turning to his opponent who was still laying on the ground Katama reached out his hand to help him up showing that he wasn't all just show. "You, get up. Your doing better than your own seniors who can't even last 3 minutes".
"Alright whatever Mr. Valedictorian!". Some of the senior guys shouted out.
Everyone continued their bantering and continued to tease each other until the sound of several steps came closer to the training grounds. As they sound's became absolute.
"H-Hey? who are they-".
Suddenly the sitting seniors rose to their feet's immediately and raised their hand to salute them without a hesitation. Their back stood straight and one of the seniors told the juniors.
"Hey new kids! that's the higher ups!"
Understanding the situation with the new arrival of people the juniors too rose to their feet. Katama watched as the group approached his direction, he noticed his homeroom teacher and a few other guys beside him who he hadn't seen before — the three guys wore a marine attire which meant they were full fledged soldier — among them was a taller person in his late twenties? long luscious black hair and wore a expensive white silk attire . The medal's displayed on his chest told the young Katama everything.
He's an admiral.
Fully turning to them Katama raised his own hand to give them their greetings and respects.
"I salute the Soldat's grandmaster!"[2]
The admiral spoke up. A gentle voice coming out his mouth.
"At ease everyone, you can continue what your doing... we're here for only one person". The admiral said turning to Katama. His dark pale eyes staring into the depths of Katama's soul.
He's voice was rather soothing to the ears, yet there was a hint of danger in it.
"Teacher?" Katama asked his teacher who stood beside the admiral.
"A special order has been passed down from the grandmaster herself".
"The grandmaster?".
The admiral watched as Katama seemed confused. The teacher didn't say anything too much since he knew it wasn't his place to tell.
"...First, let me introduce myself... My name is Maestro Sushiki".
[Maestro Sushiki: Admiral of the Blade division: Vessel of elder beast Helios]
Maestro? Katama had heard of the name before let alone the achievements he had accomplished. After the legendary admiral Cain had left the marines a year ago the title of the 'strongest marine' had been given to another person — Maestro.
"The headmaster have informed me about your academics achievements... Your a smart kid who knows how to handle your blade right?". Maestro said. The way he looked at Katama was the same as someone staring down an inferior entity — there was a visible gap of authority and strength between himself and the nameable admiral.
"...Yeah but can I ask why you've come to tell me that?"
There was a loud silence between them. The others cadets who were glancing at them every now and then were too confused about their approach of Katama.
"Is he in trouble?"
"Maybe he's getting a promotion?"
It wasn't easy to tell because of how the teacher seemed concerned. The soldiers behind Maestro who belonged to the blade division turned to each other with a smirk before looking back at Katama with a knowing expression.
"...Let's have a duel... I want to see if the rumors are true". Maestro said simply?
A duel? was that it? No it wasn't, there some other intentions behind it knowing the grandmaster had passed down a certain order but the admiral wouldn't tell it until he had seen what Katama was capable of first.
"...What if I refuse-".
"You don't...". Maestro interrupted not giving him any time to finish his talking.
Maestro signaled for the others to make space and his soldiers got to work gesturing for the spectators to move further back.
"Unsheathe your sword cadet, we'll have a one on one battle...".
Katama was in no position of talking back, this was more a order then a request. Doing as he told Katama unsheathed his long curved saber again, his handle decorated in a golden plating that showed off his 'ranking'.
"...I'll put it simple as this, if you manage to inflict one wound on me you win".
The way he carried himself told Katama that the man's skills could back up the arrogant winning requirement.
'does he believe that I'm weak?"
"I really don't like the way you speak to me admiral, I'll show you what I can do". Katama said raising his sword in a mixed def/offensive stance.
I thought the duel would be simple. Knowing he was skilled warrior from stories and rumors I believed that I could at least do numbers on him... But I was wrong.
The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a fury of blades headed towards my direction. Once I snapped out of it I found my body all battered and bleeding from almost every part of my body.
"....":
Did I blackout? Why did everything go so fast? I remember turning to look at my comrades and they all watched me with horror on their face. My teacher looked once I got eye contact — Almost like he'd knew this would happen.
"W-What..?"
The last things I heard was Maestro unsheathing his sword and saying the following words.
"...Tch, he actually survived".
"You have endurance, that's an important quality in a soldier...":
"...You'll be the one to inherit the vessel of Murko".
From the point I closed my eyes everything went so fast. Once I woke up in the nursey I was told I was chosen by the grandmaster to inherit the legendary power of a vessel. The power to reach an infinity amount of potential and knowledge.
***
"Are you ready cadet Katama?" A voice spoke. A man dressed in a long white researcher's coat walking beside me in the hallways of the research facility located in Soldat.
"Are you sure this is safe, sir Trevon?" I asked hesitantly.
"We've developed new technology that is 100% safe, don't be concerned". Trevon said casually.
"New technology or not, it don't matter, everyone knows machinery always have some type of flaw". Katama spoke still thinking about the danger it could make him. He had heard in the past that exploding could happen and he couldn't help but be terrifed.
"If you want to know its safety I'll tell you this... We've already demo tested it with another woman".
"You've tested it already?".
"Yes, the girl who will inherit the lighting vessel 'Tiamat' willingly tried it and I can re-assure you that it's the safest thing you'll ever do". Trevon said with a slight chuckle hiding the real truth behind it.
"...I see... what type of vessel is it? Is it something amazing as Cain's legendary one?"
"What do you mean? all vessel's are technically the same in rarity...". Trevon said dismissing his remark with an annoyed expression.
"All vessel's goes beyond human understanding to begin with, there's nothing different about them except the shift in elements maybe".
"Yeah but there might some kind of type right?" Katama asked.
Trevon thought to himself before huffing slightly obnoxious about Katama's continuous questioning ever since he stepped foot in the research facility.
"I don't know... We'll see about that".
"As for your vessel, You'll be inheriting the named leviathan 'Murko'"
"Murko? We've learnt about it in the academy, it was one of the more recent elder leviathans that was subjugated 6 years ago".
"That's correct, and it was an resilient one at that... It had the form of a serpent plated with hardened stone armor that protected it more softer muscle tissues from the basalt columns in the Murkoshift valley".
"It took the marines about 20 years to finally kill it too".
"Yeah... I know... The one who hunted it down was the blade division...the one under the lead of admiral Maestro". Katama spoke as his tone lowed down re-calling the memory from a few days ago. He was still confused by what had happened.
"...Do you know the type of vessel admiral Maestro has?".
There was a loud silence between the two. It looked as Trevon was hesitating yet he didn't know himself.
"...I don't really know".
Trevon said finally speaking again with a thoughtful tone almost like he was trying to theorize inside of his own head.
"The admiral really likes to be secretive about himself, there's no one who understand the concept of his vessel except the fact that it has something to do with the sun".
"The sun?".
"..Whoops! hey let's just continue on our way!" Trevon said pacing faster now. Did he just slip up? Did he know something he couldn't tell. Despite my own curiosity I would have to ignore it since invading someone's private information would be bad on my part.
***
Sir.Trevon told me it was safe... but that fucker was absolutely lying. I remember like it was yesterday when I was sat in the chair, strapped by leather straps to stop make me move.
The process went as this. They inject you with some type of painkillers to make life easier. They attach tubes with some type of needle at the end to inject into my skin. The elder blood itself was within a machine box apparently used to filter the bacteria's or germs inside of the blood before it's fully transferred.
And then there's the worst part where the magic happens. I was screaming in agony once the blood entered my blood vessels, I could feel my muscles tightened up and my body in full pain despite the painkillers — it was like my body was rejecting it.
"He's doing better then I expected". Trevon spoke on the other side of the glass watching Katama being consumed by agony.
"...He survived my vessel... that alone tells me he's worthy". Beside Trevon stood Maestro, his face stoically and void of any emotions watching as Katama was undergoing the process of transformation.
Trevon only glanced at Maestro before turning back to Katama.
"...There will be two new vessel users within 2 years, the marine have finally started to produce divine warriors...". Maestro muttered to himself, not loud enough for Trevon to hear but enough so that he could hear 'something'
"What?"
"...Forget about it".
[1] (After Anax's establishment) Used to mark the incoming years after the world wide establishment.
[2] It's a common etiquette to salute higher ups by naming the grandmaster of Soldat. A way to thank the grandmaster for their opportunity in the marine.