There was a faraway village, hidden in the mountains, which gave them sanctuary against the impending darkness that could ravage its peace. It was a place not so many know, yet it is one such place not so many don't. It wasn't too flashy, or over decorated, unlike other communities, though its reputation has been spread across the lands.
A young boy had been training in the military stronghold's sparring arena. He was incredibly agile, being able to strike multiple enemies with the blink of an eye. He volunteered in the first place, and everyone was eager to see him prepare for his destiny, even if he isn't entirely sure of what he would come across in the distant future.
The general, Hideki, was watching him, like how a father would take close watch of his son. He took note of his every move, and even he was amazed with the boy's skill and prowess, something he couldn't obtain despite the countless battles he participated in. He was glad that he made the boy train with the spear. Hideki now had trouble keeping up with the boy's pace.
The multiple sounds of striking and slashing on the holographic training dummies quietly echoed around the arena. After a few seconds, all dummies were destroyed, decapitated, or shish – kebabbed.
The boy was barely tired. He returned the overused spear to the armory. "How did I do, sir?"
"Astounding work!" the general proclaimed. "I am proud of you."
"Ah, no biggie," the child replied back, fixing his long, white hair.
Hideki encouraged the boy to get closer to him. He held his hands to the child's and told him this.
"You are granted with a destiny fit for warriors like you. I trust that you won't fail who you fight for."
"I will stand my ground, Sir!"
"You need training. We have lots of time, but it has been running out. We must escort you to go to the Land of the Dawn and keep you there."
The child's curiosity widened. No one told him that he'd need to go to the said kingdom, governed and occupied by peaceful men and elves.
"Why, what's wrong?"
Hideki answered calmly, "Soon, the Holy bonds that restrain evil will be broken. It is only a matter of-"
He was interrupted by the boy's reaction. "Then why can't we end it before it happens? That way, we don't have to worry about anything!"
"It is inevitable. Only the Lords of Order know the location of the Dreadmare Chest, and that information is something we can't just access immediately."
The boy made a brave face. "Then… we need to prepare, quickly."
Hideki placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Everything will happen at the right time, Yun Zhao. For now, we must hope your allies have been doing the same."Then.
Everything started roughly. It's not as if the world could just change with one fell swoop. It needed absolute preparation. Why don't we start with the land of Eruditio?
Such land was inhabited by humans, though civilizations of other types rarely lived there. However, in the center of the land, there sprang the City of Scholars. It was a typical metropolitan city, occupied by both rich and poor. The full frontal aid for the needy was handled by the governors to raise economic equality in all sectors and forms, making this place have a big role in the upcoming future. In fact, there were a few standout people that live there.
A female elf was working on the underground labs of Zeryph Corps. The owner, Lance Zeryph, was a scientist and engineer with the passion to harness powerful energy to support the land. With care and ease, he manifested Noumenon Energy. So why such lethal energy would be diverted in a steel elf's gigantic KAIROS-42 hammer?
Her name is Lolita. Her original home was ransacked by demons, and she eventually made it to Eruditio. There, she worked with late Master Machinist Dublin Rooney. Due to her astounding efforts, Rooney gave her the hammer, outfitted with the Noumenon Energy Core. This helped her release huge amounts of focused energy and gave her aid to her line of work. She rarely uses it nowadays, but she never forgot what Rooney told her before he left. You have a wonderful role in the future, my dear elf. Keep your hammer safe. It will protect you.
She was welding mechanical parts for the physical construct of a new battle mech when her close friend Bruno came along.
"Hiya, sis!" He shouted. Lolita was caught off guard and nearly fell off the ladder. She tightly gripped her wrench, fearing it'd cause her to make a mistake on her task.
"Bruno, have you ever thought of NOT surprising me? You can see I am trying to work here."
"Oh, sorry," Bruno replied, with a bored face. "Not much trouble going around Eruditio now. Maybe they fear me too much."
Lolita rolled her eyes, focused on putting up the last pieces of the mechanical puzzle. She remembered when Bruno was taken in the labs, where he got his cyborg enhancements. Since he was into football, the scientists devised a suit which helped him take control of a weaponized energy ball which can fend off foes with one well aimed shot. Bruno was improving, and he became known as "The Protector", a codename given by the citizens of Eruditio who have witnessed him, and by the criminals who suffered the wrath of his holographic football. She knew not to mess with it, since she doesn't want him to tamper with it to know what kind of energy it harnesses.
"I have been noticing it, too. Yeah, we get the benefit of peace, but it feels too quiet now," she replied to him.
Bruno began to do his trademark freestyle soccer moves, due to his boredom. "Yeah, and it has been going on for days. I couldn't find a bad guy in the street. By the way, have you seen Layla?"
"Not yet," Lolita recalled. "She said she needs to take care of family business or such."
"Oh, you mean her and Alucard?" Bruno replied with a slight change in the tone of his voice. "I wouldn't want to mess with him, sis. Have you even recalled the amount of monsters he slayed? Like, tons! Even I can't square up against him, man to man."
"Must be the reason why Layla remains single…" Lolita mumbled under her breath.
Bruno sat down on a nearby working chair and grabbed a donut from the donut box, his mechanical body slowly whirring. "You do know I can hear you, right? Even without my enhancements." He then took a bite.
Lolita sighed. "Alucard isn't really that much of an overprotective brother, you know? It's just that his reputation as the best demon hunter in his clan has an effect with his sister's life. Monsters all around would want to kill him. It's like the best achievement."
Lolita fixed the last wire and dropped down the ladder, wiping her hands on her pants. "There, done! The right leg of this bad boy is finished! Outfitted with carbon chassis and powered by Noumenon Energy. I designed the feet to have boosters on its soles to give it flight."
"What's the name of the prototype mech?" Bruno asked, finishing the last bit of the donut.
"There's no name for it yet, but you should know that those are my donuts, Bruno." Lolita said.
"Sorry, the bakery was nearly out of supplies. The shipment from the Land of the Dawn hasn't arrived yet."
"Hm, that hasn't happened ever since." It was 3:34 PM. The transport was to arrive in 2:30. Lolita knew most of the routines and schedules in the City of Scholars. She was able to memorize them due to the same boredom she was experiencing in certain hours. It helped her guide Bruno in his heroic escapades, and/or purchasing items on sale in the bakery.
"There have been rumors about the kingdom going slightly haywire," Lolita began. "I don't know what's with it. King Estes must have had a hard time in his kingship."
Bruno declined. "Pfft, when did he even have difficulty doing so? The Land is peaceful. It's just us overthinking. Don't worry, I'll buy half a dozen donuts later. Just you wait." He stood up and walked to the exit.
He turned around. "Hey, Layla wanted to talk to you, but since you're busy, I'll leave you be and let her wait for you."
"What? No, I am going with you. We rarely talk to Layla nowadays. And besides, I am done here."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"
Want to hear Layla's Background?
Well, her family lived in a city that was choked by Malefic Energy, an unstable force which could be nearly as powerful as radioactive energy. It absorbs the oxygen present in the land, so the communities specialized houses and hazard suits in order for them to survive.
Layla's father wasn't just an Inventor. He was also a religious man. He believed the myth of the Great Clash of Good and Evil, and if her daughter has a role in it, he'd better help her prepare.
So, he tried to harness the Malefic Energy into a reinforced reactor core. The core would sustain the instability, but the Energy itself causes more than oxygen deprivation when concentrated in high amounts. After a few weeks of construction, his brain was degenerating… shrinking smaller everyday. The toxicity was affecting his bloodstream, and if he was too late, he wouldn't fulfill his goal. He gave his work to Layla right before he died. Now, she wields the Malefic Cannon, an energy gun which has lethal capabilities on foes.
Layla left the city for good, carrying her Cannon. Bruno found her near the woods of Eruditio and helped her renew her life.
She lives in a B-Class Residential Home, somewhere in Hereford Street. It wasn't too good, but it wasn't too bad, either. Next week, they'd be applying certain adjustments to her home and upgrade it to A-Class.
Bruno and Lolita walked there. It was a quite far from Zephyr Corps., so they were panting when they got to their destination. Well, only Lolita. Bruno's mechanical legs didn't drain his Stamina that much.
"I am glad she's renovating," he started.
Lolita agreed. "She deserves one. She helped tons back there in the labs."
They knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" A muffled voice replied.
Bruno snickered. "Who else could it be, Layla? It's us!"
The door opened. Layla blue hair was tied to a ponytail, and her visor was intact. She was wearing a black hoodie and a blue shirt. She sported shorts and a pair of sneakers.
"What's up?" She said.
Lolita replied. "Um, you wanted to talk to us, right?"
"I only wanted to talk to you, Lolita."
"Okay," Lolita answered, turning around. "Sorry, Bruno."
"It's all right," Bruno said. "And besides, I have to check on the bakery." He sped off. "See ya!"
Layla rolled her eyes. "What's with him and the bakery?"
"Supplies didn't reach in time. I reckon it hasn't been there yet."
The two sat down in the sofa. Layla began to feel nervous.
"I only wanted to talk to you because of something personal," she stated.
Lolita sensed the hint of nervousness. "What's wrong?"
Layla shook her head. "Please, whatever you do, don't tell Alucard."
"Why would I?" Lolita supported. "I am your friend, Layla. I know how to keep secrets."
"Umm, Alucard… isn't really-"
"What?" the elf interrupted. "Isn't really what?"
"He isn't really my sibling."
Lolita was shocked, but she reminded herself to act with caution. So, she whispered. "Wait, what? But I thought-"
"He's my half-brother, Lolita. I've known ever since my father died."
"Half-brother… Then that means you and him had the same father."
"But not the same mother, Lolita. Do you remember the story he told you about him and his parents getting captured by demons? He was a kid back then. He never saw Mom and Dad again. He must've thought both survived and left him there."
Lolita tried to absorb the facts. "That's bad."
"Our father had another wife and lived in the Malefic City. This means we are half-siblings. Even worse, he doesn't even know about this. It could anger him."
"Layla, I am here to help. I can keep this a secret, but not for long. Eventually, we would need to tell him."
"Thanks for the help, Lolita," Layla thanked.
The elf shrugged. "What are friends for?"
Layla checked the time. "It's 4:15. Alucard would be here in 5:00."
The door was suddenly opened by a worried Bruno.
"The supplies aren't here yet!" He said. "The first carriage arrived, but the outside was riddled with claw marks and soot. The goods were gone and the operator was half-dead, bleeding!"
"What?!" Lolita exclaimed. If I was right, then it's already happening.
"I'll go investigate further. You could come if you like," Bruno continued.
"We're going," The girls said in unison. They immediately stood up, grabbing their essentials.
"The operator is in the nearby med bay in the bakery." Let's hope he's alright," Bruno said. The trio raced to the bakery.
The bakery was a couple of blocks away from Layla house. There was only a bit of commotion amongst the bystanders, but some don't seem to care enough to notice.
Bruno wedged through the crowd, with Lolita and Layla in tow.
"Excuse me, Protector coming through," he told. They made it to the inside of the bakery. The smell of delicious bread filled the air, but the baker seemed to sense much more than the scented aroma.
"Where's the operator?" Layla asked.
He pointed to a gray door, shivering. Not from the cold, but from the fear. The three barged in. What they saw was gruesome, to say the least.
The med bay was designed for near-instantaneous healing, but it was having a tough time reconstructing the operator's body… or what's left of it.
His right leg was nearly torn in half, blood oozing out of it. Same goes with his left arm. His body was littered with scratches which left a light green tint on the skin. The reconstructors were making him regenerate in fast rates, but he seemed to be in tons of pain, acquired from the assault he received.
The room was filled with cardboard boxes containing ingredients. However, Bruno focused on the man.
"Sir, this is Bruno, The Protector of Eruditio," Lolita said, motioning at Bruno. They stood around him. "We are his friends, and if you allow it, we can ask you about what happened back there."
The man turned his face towards Lolita. "We weren't *cough* the ones meant to deliver the shipment. We arrived in order to warn you of *cough* the war that is coming."
Bruno calmly replied. "Sir, what are you talking about?"
The man turned to Bruno, the reconstructors healing the injuries on his left arm. "King Estes can open a portal for you to access both Eruditio and the Land of the Dawn."
"Wait, why would we go to the Land of the Dawn?" Layla interrogated.
"Each of you have their roles present in this event. You need to go now. *cough* The *cough* land requires the six of you."
"Six?" The three asked in unison.
"The Gunner, the Elf, the Protector, the Hunter, the Hovering Blade and the Fighter. The world needs you." The operator said before passing out in exhaustion.
"Wait, is he dead?" Layla asked?
"He lost consciousness. He is fine," a voice answered. The three turned around and saw someone in a yellow jumpsuit. The suit had symbols, like ones present from different martial arts. It was a he, somewhat in his 20's. There was no denying who he really is.
"Chou?!" Bruno gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Chou went closer to the group. "I received a telepathic message from Estes. He told me to get here, and that I need to wait for the others. Didn't know I'm a bit late."
"Not yet, Chou," Lolita answered. "We just arrived a few minutes ago. Is Alucard included?"
"As far as I know, many individuals are of importance to this. Estes didn't give me all the details, but he sounded serious. But, to answer your question, yes, he is included."
The trio looked at each other.
"I forgot my Cannon in my house," Layla said.
"Same with my hammer," Lolita added.
"We can't just let you go alone, it would already be risky," Chou remarked. "Like I told you, Estes would want us to stay here.
Bruno had an idea. "How about this. I can contact Alucard to get here immediately. Layla and I will get the Cannon, while Lolita get the hammer. You stay and guard here." Chou agreed.
"Sounds nice to me," Lolita said. "Let's go. It would be unwise to waste time."