Year 5071, Blue Star Continent, United Star States Alliance, Morning Star City:
"Ah, I almost died. Good thing the rules here prevent the use of 'Regalia' without permission or else I would have been a goner."
Walking alongside the crowded streets of people, was a dark-haired young man with a bright red bruise on his cheek and blackened eyes.
He looked as if he had just been beaten within an inch of his life, as his clothes were in a tattered mess, and some parts even looked as if it was burnt in a fire. Grimacing as if he felt a sharp pain every time he took a step, he continued grumbling to himself as he looked around him warily.
Even though he was acting so suspiciously, that it would not be strange if a random officer came up to him and invited him downtown, no one avoided him, nor did anyone look at him like a dangerous person. In fact, most people even greeted him with smiles and laughs as if his appearance was an every day occurrence.
"Looks like you failed again today huh, little Ren? Why don't you come by tonight and let me take you somewhere nice?"
A bright voice was heard from a blonde middle aged man, as he was preparing to close up shop.
"Forget it, uncle Taylor. Even though I really like girls, I am still a minor. I will never, ever allow myself to fall so low to go to one of those establishments!"
As if he had taken a strong shot of alcohol, the dark-haired boy, Ren puffed up his chest and lifted his chin up high and spoke as if his principles were being challenged by someone.
"Stop pretending. I know you can't wait to go there but you're only afraid little Amy will find you."
Looking as if he had seen through the changes and vicissitudes in life, the man named Taylor chuckled as he mercilessly denied the principled young man.
At these words, the boy's facade had quickly shattered and disappeared into nonexistence. His proud face and aggrieved panda eyes, were quickly replaced with a pained and helpless expression.
"Well, you do know that Amy is a kind, benevolent, and beautiful young woman, as I would not dare to offend her. That is why I won't let her find me the moment I come of age. As long as I turn eighteen, I can finally leave this city and find a new place to pick up girls without worry!"
Ren was deeply afraid of Amy when she was angry. Not to mention her, her family was also never to be messed with. For as long he could remember, whenever he was usually caught flirting with another girl, he would soon know what it was like to live like an inmate in a prison.
He would be trapped in her 'Prison Regalia' for a period of time wherein he would experience the loneliness of not seeing women for days on end.
The worst part was that time in there was sped up, which meant that if you stayed in there for a week, it would only be a couple of hours in real time.
Imagine being Ren, a man with a chronic need for attention from beautiful women, coming out of that place where you were repressed from meeting the opposite sex and then soon being forced to repress your self just to avoid going back again.
'This brat, he really was traumatised in there. Little Amy really knows how to keep him tame. Although it is somewhat strange how he never complains about hunger after he comes out.'
'That power is usually being used by the Margrave family to lock up heinous criminals but they never forget to give them food beforehand. Otherwise, there would be nothing but a shrivelled corpse when they come out.'
As Taylor entertained his idle curiosities, Ren suddenly exclaimed in a loud voice for all to hear...
"I saw the largest and most beautiful pair of breasts in this wonderful world earlier today. You should have seen them, they were like weapons of mass destruction, likened to great Atomic S-grade Mana Explosives. The girl was also really pretty, but her personality needs work..."
As Taylor was looking at the boy who was expressing his emotions in rapture as if in a trance, he really wondered if the boy's mind was still alright. He could spew these perverted spiels without the slightest bit of shame nor embarrassment. It was as if he was preaching the holy gospel of one of the gods themselves.
'But then again, he had always been like this when I met him. Hopefully it will calm down over time.'
After what seemed like a long time, the young man finally finished his sermon with a face of satisfaction as the sparse clapping of the gathered onlookers sounded out around him.
"Alright, alright. That's all for today folks, go on about your day. I have something to talk about with this brat. Hey, follow me for a bit."
"Alright. Let me eat at your place tonight then."
Ren shamelessly demanded for food right away.
"....."
As if not minding it, Taylor stayed silent and motioned to leave towards the inner part of the city. Ren quickly followed, and the two soon reached a towering structure of metal and alloy.
Before they were about to reach the entrance, a group of young men suddenly came out of the building without warning, and collided with Ren.
*Thud*
As they had a large difference in body build, Ren lost his footing and fell to the ground.
"Huh, who the hell? Oh, it's the academy's prodigal pretty boy. Are you trying to test yourself again? Give it up. Three years was enough to see you had no talent from the beginning."
A green-haired young man with a piercing on his ear and a dark tattoo pattern on his forehead was quickly angered and started berating Ren after noticing him. He was adorned in various accessories with magic rune symbols as if he was afraid of someone thinking he was not wealthy.
Beside him was a taciturn young man with silver hair and blue irises. He never spoke as if he was not interested at all in the situation.
The last person was an auburn-haired muscle giant. He was at least two meters tall, and wore a tight fitting shirt and gauntlets adorned in runes.
"Oh well. At least I should still try right? We can't all be as lucky as Pierce here, so what's the harm? Hey help me up, Zeke. I think you broke my ribs."
Even though he was provoked over and over, Ren didn't mind at all, and showed an expression as if he encountered an old friend, and held his hand out. Although Zeke, the man who called him out in public expected this reaction, he still could not help but click his tongue in irritation at how shameless this person was.
"I almost forgot how much of a coward you were. At least show a little pride as one of the students at the academy, you waste."
Ignoring the outstretched hand, he and his group quickly walked away in disinterest.
After a few seconds, a hand reached out and pulled Ren up. It was Taylor, who quickly went inside earlier, ignoring the fiasco outside.
"I'm done registering you for tomorrow, are you alright brat? You're not letting those guys get you down right? Relax, I'm sure you will awaken it soon."
The dark thoughts that were starting to fester were quickly suppressed and a bittersweet smile appeared on the young man's face at these encouraging words from Taylor.
"You're right old man. Soon I will show everyone my prowess. I will make it my mission to have a hundred girls by the end of the year!"
Looking as if he was enlightened on the path of a Buddha, Ren quickly changed gears and fuelled his determination to save the world.
"That's not it! Quickly go inside and watch some matches and study them to increase your chances of awakening, stop thinking about women! Also don't call me old!"
Exasperated, Taylor could only drag the young man inside and lead him to one of the stadiums above.
The building they were in was called 'Tower of Awakening'. It was built over a thousand years ago and had only gotten larger and much taller over the centuries. For some reason, this tower was the only one that still stood tall from the previous millennia.
There were other towers, but most were imitations made by humans trying to harness the same power, only to fail and result in a slightly better mana environment to train in.
In here, ordinary people could become beings close to gods. The chosen would have the chance to obtain powers beyond one's imagination.
Every year, most children of wealthy and powerful families are given the chance to awaken a 'Regalia'. It was not known when exactly did they appear, but it was some time after the advent of the 'Gods and Demon Lords Thousand Year War' after all those beings went back to their respective realms.
A 'Regalia' was a term coined by the famous founder, Jacob Colt. It meant that it was a form of armor that manifested from the spirits of the elements around us and even beings on a higher plane of existence. A fragment of their power had been given life in this armament, and they gave humans the power to bend nature to their will.
It's power was unprecedented and quickly made the weapons made for war, gunpowder-based guns and cannons obsolete. When 'Regalia' was first revealed in the battlefield between countries, a single unit of 'Regalia Wielders' devastated the enemy headquarters in a short amount of time.
The earth quaked, boulders of fire rained from the sky, and thunderstorms raged across the battlefield. Its apocalyptic power showed the world that a new era of magic had come. They quickly postponed the wars and started building up their own forces of soldiers who were eligible to inherit one of the top powers in the world today.
Although most 'Regalia' are element-based and the people who obtain these mainly focus on learning magic spells and incantations, some are also body-enhancing types such as armor that makes your skin as hard as steel, to become a near-impenetrable tank, or even make your entire form transparent for stealth operations.
The uses were limitless. Because this power, that was a way for humans to stand above others, was revealed, countless people wanted it for themselves, and the world quickly entered a great change. Those who were chosen early built up their power and made various families and organisations to claim a piece of the world's crumbling supremacy.
As a result, technology quickly advanced due to the discovery of a new type of energy, Mana. As more people got a hold of their own power, the atmosphere slowly changed and Mana was spread across the continents. Humans adapted over the years, and even normal people today who did not have 'Regalia' could use simple day to day spells for small chores and labor because of the Mana present in the air around them.
Some time later, the various powers wanted the tower for themselves and waged war once more. The result of that war which was recorded in history as the 'First Regalia Battlefront War' was that a group of powerful wielders had subdued the entire world and claimed the tower's ownership.
Years later, these wielders unlocked an unknown power and ascended as new beings. They called themselves as 'Apostles of the New Era' and separated the countries within the continents among themselves. Thirteen Apostles ascended that day, and twelve of them left to rule their own territory and left the tower in the care of their leader, Travis Weismann, the Apostle of Time.
Travis was a powerful wielder, one who researched the power and mysteries of time and its various intricacies. Years later, he began to build a school in the vicinity of the tower, to better facilitate the growth of new wielders and to teach them how to control their newfound power for the betterment of the world. The school quickly gained popularity and spread its fame all over the land and sea.
The new wielders were taught directly by Travis who was the first dean of the academy. Among those wielders, some came back to teach others themselves after they had finished experiencing the outside world. This created a virtuous cycle wherein children from all over the globe came in droves for a chance to study here in the academy.
After a long time, the academy was growing larger and larger at the same pace as the tower, maybe even faster. Travis Weismann was satisfied and proceeded to seclude himself after giving the academy its name. Soon after, he never appeared in public again. No one knew if he was alive or dead but the academy soon became the main hub where the various powerful families and organisations sent their heirs and offspring to gain and or inherit the power to stand on the world stage after graduation. Powerful wielders were born and much more failed to gain anything only to be doomed to a normal life and spend their short time in regret.
But there was an exception. The proud twelve apostles had many descendants over the years, and depending on how pure their bloodline was, had a much easier time awakening their own 'Regalia' and a tiny few even inherited a part of their progenitor's element of control.
"Welcome everyone to the 23rd match for today! We have an exciting battle for you to witness this time. Today, a descendant of the main house of Luminiere will be fighting against another descendant of the main house of Ashford!"
As Ren and Taylor made their way to their seats, the announcer's sonorous voice made waves among the audience spectating the matches.
"So they've just about started huh. Quickly prepare yourself Ren, it's not everyday you get to see the main houses of light and flame clashing on stage."
As Taylor was getting excited to see the youngsters battle it out, the young man beside him was excited for a different reason...
"Hey. Isn't that Laura? Hey! Laura, do you remember me!?"
The sudden exclamation in the venue caught the spectators' attention and even the two contestants. One was a calm and arrogant-looking blonde teen who was wielding a long sword, and the other was a familiar auburn-haired young woman wielding two burning gloves.
Finding the voice familiar, the young girl Laura swiftly turned to Ren's direction. But when their eyes met, flames of undisguised disgust and rage appeared in Laura's amber-coloured eyes.
"Hey, look see! I wasn't lying to you uncle Taylor! Look at them, don't they just embody all men's hopes and dreams? They are the penultimate form of what breasts should aspire to become. Ah, I think I'm gonna tear up."
While wiping a tear that was about to come out of his left eye, Ren was shamelessly pointing his finger at the young woman's tight outfit, specifically towards her chest area.
The venue quickly went silent.
"....Someone, call security and get that pervert kicked out of here!"
With a reddened face, Laura shouted at the official announcer and soon after, uniformed officers arrived and took hold of Ren's arms and escorted him outside amidst the holding back of laughter and smirks of chagrin from the peanut gallery.
"Wait! Wait, I know that person! It's a misunderstanding!"
Taylor, who finally regained his senses, bellowed towards the retreating figure of Ren and the security officers. As if they head heard his plea, one of the officers stopped and quickly turned to face Taylor.
"What a coincidence, as a matter of fact, we also know this person. We know him too well, that it is unfortunate he has caught up another person in his crimes once again."
The officer with dark brown hair and tanned skin tone, said confidently with a heavy tone of exasperation.
"Shirogami Rentaro AKA Ren, the third son of the main house of Shirogami. Non-Awakened Wielder. 82 counts of sexual harassment, 14 reports of attempted rape(alleged), 29 lawsuits are currently pending against him in the judicial courts around the city. His bail was paid for countless times and he has spent many nights downtown without a criminal record.....yet."
"Ah, I understand. Please be lenient with him then, officer. Have a nice day."
As if knowing when to throw in the towel, Taylor, a man with life experience mercilessly abandoned the young man who was looking towards him with hope in his eyes.
As Taylor swiftly went back to his seat, the hope in the eyes of the black-haired young man who (allegedly) raped multiple women, vanished and was quickly replaced with indignance and righteousness.
"Wait, wait just a moment! Those situations were all accidents! I never forced or did that with anyone! I am still a pure young man! You must believe me!"
As if he was a dying man clutching to the last piece of lifesaving straw, Ren spoke out his righteous ideologies at the speed of a bullet, expressing his innocence to anyone who can hear him.
"Yeah yeah, It's only been a short while since we talked with each other, but here you are again harassing other students in broad daylight. Let's go."
Alas, a repeat offender's word would only do so much in the face of the iron justice of laws made to protect the fairer sex. The security officer gestured to his partner and they both resumed taking the young man for a trip to the station.
"Disgusting, that's the third son of the prestigious Shirogami family? I heard he isn't even an awakened and he dares offend one who already obtained their 'Regalia'?"
"That's nothing. I heard he has done things much worse like stealing the Fairfield house head's wife and ran away. There's a rumour that a bounty had been placed by the cuckolded family head till this day. Unfortunately, the Shirogami's were too powerful to offend so nothing happened to him."
"Amazing, how bold. If my wife was stolen by a young brat like him, I would kill him no matter what happened to me after. I do admit he is a handsome lad, but his personality is too vicious."
The moment his crimes were publicised, the rumour-loving side gallery quickly drove the final nail into his coffin by spreading even more 'news' about him, regardless of their authenticity.
"Wait! None of those are true! That damn Alicia, how much more lies are you spreading about me!? Officer please listen, today I was only expressing my opinion on a marvellous work of art! Is there anything wrong with that!?"
As he was being dragged out, Ren pleaded his final appeal in hopes of forgiveness and leniency.
"Give it up. What work of art? Look at how that young lady is glaring at you. Offending the awakened is enough for you to spend a night in jail. Relax, I will contact little Amy after this and pick you up tomorrow for the 'Awakening' ritual."
The sudden betrayal from Taylor had him feeling like he was struck by lightning on a sunny afternoon. Helpless, he could only repeatedly say...
"Taylor? Huh, uncle Taylor what are you saying? Hey let go of me! Innocent until proven guilty! I demand to see your supervisor! Hey uh, this isn't a joke anymore. Taylor! Taylor!? You damn old man!!"
As Taylor watched the young man kicking and cursing him as he was being dragged out, he scratched his head in helplessness.
'That kid, even though blessed with good looks, it really is wasted on someone with so much twisted desire like him. Hopefully, he can calm down and make use of this time to think about tomorrow.'
Sighing a few times, Taylor soon calmed down and waited for the match to start.
Meanwhile, an enormous soul filled with an immense amount of power was considering suicide by imploding upon itself, as he observed the young man being locked up inside a dark jail cell.
'Is it too late to go back?'
The soul continued to agonise over its indecision.