15 years later. With the blue sky as clear as the most precious stone above the heads of all, it was a common day in the island of Eden. Northern sector's 1st high school.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
With the loud bell spreading over the entire school, a single car stopped at the entrance at the same time a ruckus arose in the campus as countless students heading their classrooms while a few looked at the two figures leaving the car. A youth in his teens with a short hair, he wore a black jacket and a light blue sword hanging on his back. By his side was a young lady about the same age as him and a rapier hanging at her waist. Walking shoulder to shoulder made them look like the image of a heavenly couple.
"Roderick! Brother-in-law!" A hoarse voice came from the crowd as a burly youth walked toward the couple before another voice was heard. His face looked like a pig's while his body was covered with bruises.
"Rick, Gaius needs your help. Something went wrong with his training." With this voice, a thin boy holding a book in his arm approached them. Hearing what the thin boy said made Roderick stare at the burly youth. Despite his height of 195 cm and a weight of at least 300 pounds, this youth who was only fifteen wore his regular red sports uniform and carried a huge guitar case on his back.
"What is it Gaius. Did you try to become an elemental master of yourself and ended up failing?" The female smirked by the side, finding the depressed look on Gaius face funny.
"Sis, stop. I would never try that, again. Furthermore, today is the day we'll all get to use the school's elemental altar to become elemental masters before we go to university as first stage elemental masters, so why will I do that again?" Right, today was their last day of school and the day everything would change. In today's era where most of their territory was taken, elemental masters are the last hope. Gifted with the power of the elements of nature, they could control fire, earth, water and wind and there are only two ways of becoming one. Either making a contract with an elemental spirit which could be pretty dangerous or borrowing the power of a elemental altar.
As they all learned before just becoming an elemental master was just the beginning and they would head to the elemental master college in the central sector soon after. In the island of Eden, Elemental Master could be found in three different stages, Before heading into the interior of the school, Roderick patched the injuries and bruises his friend had before walking together to the auditorium with all the third year students like them.
"Brother-in... I mean Roderick, you are really blessed, not only the best sword fighter in the school as you are also really good with the use of medicine and a bit of alchemy."
"Well, what could I say. I always wanted to be a fire elemental master to study alchemy, so I guess knowing some of it even before would be good to me." Roderick spoke arrogantly. No matter what element would be his, he really believed he would be the best.
"Oh... Have you heard that the Divine Guardians accepted a new member with the same age as us? I remember she was given the title of Artemis as her main weapon is a bow. I'm so jealous someone could reach the sky in a single leap. I also heard she was considered the number one beauty in all of Eden. " The young lady spoke. As a woman, she really was unhappy with hearing the news from someone of the same age being much above her in status.
"Who cares. I still believe our little Neri is the best." Roderick replied with a smile on his face as Nerys blushed on the side. Then they stared at each other, eyes like time has stopped.
"Sis, go to another place if you want to flirt. We are going to the awakening ceremony now."
"Of course."
In the auditorium, there were at least four rows of chairs with forty people in each row seating on their chairs. Roderick and the others were all next to each other as they hold their numbers next to them. Roderick was number 40, the last person to be awakened from his class.
Their homeroom teacher of each class was standing behind a white-haired old man. There were a few others standing at the very front while the students stared at the golden altar and the colorless gem on top of it. They would be awakened in front of everyone, something that could be good or bad, depending on the outcome. Feeling eyes full of hatred locking on him, Roderick stared at the thirty chair of the last row and saw a golden-haired youth looking at Nerys with desire and then at him with jealousy and hatred but he tried his best to hold it as the youth knew of Roderick's background and talent.
One by one, the student numbers were called out and they would step on the altar while placing their hands on the gemstone. A gentle force would invade their bodies before the gem lit with one of the four possible colors. When the golden-haired youth was called, he passed next to Roderick and Gaius as the latter's voice sounded in his mind.
"Hey, rich trash who only entered the school with his daddy's money to chase my sister. Make sure you won't fail in your awakening or I suppose it would be pretty humiliating." Clashing his fists, the youth stepped in the altar and pressed his hands on the gemstone. As Gaius spoke just now, despite being rare, failures could really happen from time to time.
"Lian, you are from the Blaze family known for their talent with the fire element right?" Hoth, the headmaster of the school asked with a light smile.
"Yes, headmaster."
"Good, then I hope you inherited your family's talent with fire." Just like the headmaster said. It didn't took long for the gem to lit with a blazing red light. His eyes gained a tint of red, as a faint fiery light covered him.
"As a first stage elemental master, you can only use the fire element to reinforce your body. As an aggressive element like, each blow forms you will carry now an explosive factor that will the damage you can deal with your enemy while you are in your reinforced form. Yet, only in the second stage will you be able to manipulate fire." Soon, many students were called one by one.
"Gaius, as an elemental master of earth you can reinforce your body with the earth element to increase your defenses and even make your skin as hard as a rock. Of course reinforcing your body for the hardness of a rock will make you weight like one so take care."
"Chris, with wind you will be lighter than a feather and faster than anyone of your peers. Use your talent and become a great elemental master of wind."
Nerys, you are a water element master just like your mother. With fluidity of water, nothing can stop you on your way. Injuries will also be healed in your reinforced form while having high resistance to the fire element." With the passage of many hours, it was Roderick's time.