(Sunday, 28th of Lover's Harp Moon, 2021)
"So...you guys want me to keep an eye on this Hero guy?"
"Correct."
"The others can't talk, but yes."
Jack was back at Sanctuary, in his dorm room with the phantom, Jojo, Aladdin, and Simo all scattered around the room. Aladdin looked done with everyone's shit, phantom hovered about aimlessly like a ghost, Jojo destroyed a chew toy, and Jack was sitting on the couch, with Simo sitting next to him. Simo managed to get himself some new clothes, which consisted mainly of a white combat pants, a less heavy white jacket, a dark gray beanie, and one of those masks that cover the neck up to the nose.
"You do realize I'm not a spy, right?" Simo crossed his arms and stared at the group. "Why not have the invisible phantom spy for you? I can't even see it."
"I don't think they can move more than 5 meters away from me unless a certain criteria is met." Jack looked at the phantom, who shook their head to deny this. "Wait, how far can you actually move?"
The phantom then pointed at the globe in the room.
"...You have no range limits, do you?" Jack asked, and Poor Man's Poison shook their head. "Why don't we do that more often?"
Jack used a marker to write 'Conditions. Not. Met.' on a piece of paper.
"Oh right, I need to give Hero a gift, right?" Jack asked, and the phantom nodded. "Fine, but I need you for possible missions."
'Crow. Independent.' The phantom wrote on the paper again.
"Okay, so we can just have the crow keep an eye on Hero?" Jack questioned, and the phantom nodded. "Dope, with that out of the way, I got shit I need to do."
"Does it involve those five objects that were waiting for us by the door?" Simo eyed the door, which had a stick, a shield, a chainsaw, some kind of key-like weapon, and some hooks.
"Oh yeah, the Stick, Beanstalk, Chain Breaker, Changeling, and Captain Hook, I need to train with them too." Jack walked to the door and set all five weapons in the closet, which was half clothes and half weapons. "I'll see you guys later."
"Wait...isn't it Sunday?" Simo asked Aladdin.
"Yeah, what about it?" Aladdin answered as he walked back to his lamp.
"This kid has to work every day of the week?"
"Yup."
"That sucks."
(Later)
Jack was in the clearing where Mansa first trained him, holding the weapon known as Changeling as he jumped back to avoid a massive, metallic fist. The source of the fist was a massive robot made of bronze, with thick legs and even more massive arms. The arms were thicker than tree trunks, and Jack could hear engines from inside the arms. He used his prosthetic leg to shoot himself back to avoid the robot's swing.
"Thanks for helping me train, Molly." Jack thanked the blonde before using his foot to launch himself towards the robot to deliver a slash to its chest, but the robot used its heavy arms to block the swing.
"No probs, but best be careful, because it might blow up if you damage it too much or 15 minutes pass." Molly informed Jack as he jumped back to avoid the robot's jab. "You're getting pretty good with that leg of yours."
"Thanks, the movements of this robot are no joke either." Jack complimented the girl on her machinery skills before jumping into the air and pointing the tip of Changeling at the robot. "It's like I'm fighting an actual boxer."
"Oh the movements of this bad boy are actually copied from one of our classmates." Molly informed Jack as Changeling's blade extended towards the robot, but the robot dodged the pierce, and the tip planted itself into the ground. The blade shortened once again, changing back into its normal shape. "I asked him to meet us up here, but he didn't seem all that interested."
"Was it Matt?" Jack asked while he landed on the ground, making Changeling disappear to replace it with Beanstalk the shield. "He's a martial artist too, but I don't think he uses boxing all that much."
"You'd be surprised, but there are three martial artists at this school, Matt's the only vanilla martial artist though." Molly watched as her robot delivered two consecutive punches at Jack, but he managed to block them thanks to Beanstalk. "The second guy is an elemental artist, which is probably more like the dancer class. But the third guy is a boxer, simple stuff, but he hits like a truck!"
"Are you close to the boxer?" Jack slammed the shield against the robot's arm, and vines began to grow all over the robot, trying to restrict the robot's movement.
"Nah, I just fought right after he did in the entrance exam, and saw that his pain induced fistings do more damage than when a fat woman jumps into a pool." Molly watched as the robot's movements were slowed by the vines before stopping entirely. "Holy shit dude, that was quick."
"Of course it was quick, the robot's form was all wack."
As Jack moved the shield surface away from the robot, Jack's attention was focused on someone walking towards the group. The man had two sets of weapons, a pair of gloves and dual pistols. Jack had no idea who the guy was, but he looked familiar to Jack. The man had dreads and sunglasses, he also wore a collared shirt with khaki pants.
"Its offense was great, using its whole weight to attack, but the defense was horrible." The man looked at the still robot, which was still fighting the vines. "Molly, this robot is good for a slugger fighting style, but you gave it outboxer techniques. Next time, make a robot that's harder to hit."
"Hey, making robots light and evasive is hard as hell." Molly scowled whilst adjusting the tools in her hair. "Like they're made of metal. They're usually super heavy."
"So you're the guy who had his moves copied for the robot?" Jack held his hand out to the man. "Nice to meet ya, name's Jack."
"Tj Ali, boxer." The newly dubbed Tj held his fist out to him, and Jack awkwardly returned the fist bump. "Wait, aren't you the archeologist guy who lost his memories?"
"Yes." Jack answered in a confused manner and Tj suddenly placed his hand on Jack's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.
"You have my sympathy." Tj's eyes were full of pity for Jack, and Jack simply rolled his eyes.
"I'm okay, I don't need your sympathy." Jack gestured to the robot. "Besides, I managed to take on that thing, which is something."
"You didn't use an actual fighting style throughout the entire fight, it was tavern brawling." Tj criticized before removing his hand and standing in front of the robot. "Now, let me show you what actual fighting can do."
Tj stood in front of the robot and raised his fists, one fist in front of his cheek the other raised slightly further out. His left foot was in front of his right, and he took a breath in. Without even putting on his boxing gloves, he delivered a powerful straight at the robot's chest. The robot's metallic body was soon crushed under the powerful strike, and Jack could hear the gears, springs, and other metal parts collide with one another. The robot stopped struggling against the vines, and collapsed on the ground to reveal a massive hole in it's chest, almost as though it got hit by a cannonball.
"Molly, you said he hits like a truck..." Jack looked at the blonde. "SO THE BLOODY HELL KIND OF TRUCK HITS LIKE THAT?!"
"Oh I'm sorry if hitting like a cannonball didn't sound as good!" Molly shouted at Jack in response. "Point is, TJ has the strongest punches in the entire school!"
"You do realize that Matt idiot almost kicked my ass because of that rumor, right?" TJ seemed to be recalling some unpleasant memories. "Like seriously, that guy is terrifying."
"There there, in all honesty, I'm scared shitless of him too." Jack pat the boxer's back. "I think he beat up eight guys with two other guys."
"That's not exactly helping my fears!" TJ shouted in fear while Molly examined her destroyed creation up close.
"Damn...I should have installed shock absorbers..." Molly bit her thumbnail. "Hey, how much force can you hit with?"
"A lot, that's all I know." TJ answered before putting on his orange boxing gloves. "When I put on these bad boys though, each punch gets twice as strong as the one before it, but it has a cooldown."
"And a monster like that managed to lose against Matt?!" Jack began to wonder if all his classmates were terrifying monsters like Matt, Angelo, Galahad, Mifu, James, and TJ.
"It's okay Jack, we can chill at the bottom of the food chain of this school with Zane." Molly put her arm around Jack's shoulder while tears comically poured down her face.
"Say, I keep forgetting, but how many classmates do we even have?" Jack asked Molly. "It feels like I meet someone new every time a mission starts."
"There are 34 of us in the first year." TJ remembered, so that means Jack didn't meet 11 of his classmates yet. "I think by the fourth year, we'll all know each other and work as our own independent Guardian Company. I think all classes have 34 people."
"I think it's a rule that all classes have 34 people." Molly thought out loud. "I think the rule is called Rule 34?"
"I think everyone knows full damn well that's not what it's called." TJ and Jack responded in sync.
"There's also some kind of bonding activity coming up." Molly informed the two. "You guys know about prom? Apparently Herakles likes school dances, so he's setting one up in a couple weeks so our class can get to know eachother better."
"So...basically a college dance?" TJ asked. "A bit weird how a guy who can put most world militaries to shame likes school dances."
"Hey, it proves that he's not just some monster." Molly put her hands behind her head. "Like most headmasters are just people who made their strength and being better than everyone else their whole personality, but Herakles actually takes time to make his students capable of becoming stronger than he is."
"Now I'm curious to see how he'll make Zane, you, and I stronger than him." Jack doubted Herakles' teaching skills were that good.
"Oh...you're doubting me...are you?" A large hand suddenly placed itself on Jack's shoulder, and a cold chill ran through his spine. "If that's the case, then maybe I should personally teach you how to use every single one of those artifacts you collected. Better yet, I'll teach you how to use the ones you didn't get yet."
"G-Guys..." Jack looked at the two people who were once with him with fear being clear as day in your eyes, only to see them running away from Jack and Herakles. "YOU ASSHOLES!"
"It was nice knowing you for like five minutes, man!" TJ waved goodbye to Jack as he ran deeper into the woods. "I'll improve my boxing to avenge you!"
"I'll make a sexbot that looks and sounds like you in honor of your sacrifice!" Molly ran back into Sanctuary whilst giving Jack a two fingered salute.
The two people left Jack behind with Herakles, and the man removed his grip from Jack's shoulder. Jack stepped away from the man and summoned Storyteller. Jack then looked at the sword in question, not sure why he summoned it. Maybe it was muscle memory.
"You finished your mission early, so I'm gonna teach you how to use some weapons." Herakles pulled out a book. "The librarian gave me a book containing all the information of the best artifact users. With one user per weapon. Their lives, hobbies, and...their training regimens."
"So I'm gonna pick one a day to train with a single artifact?" Jack asked the large man, who shook his head. "Then why bring the book out?"
"You'll be doing every single one of their training regimens, every single day." Herakles now had a menacing aura surrounding his body. "For the sake of time, we'll shorten every single regimen down to 15 minutes."
"By shortening them?" Jack began sweating, and he could feel a part of his own soul die.
"By completing every single one within 15 minutes." Herakles' intimidating aura only increased, and Jack could feel death begin to creep behind him.
"If there is a god in this world, he is not a merciful one."
"HOLD IT!"
The source of the shout was Geppetto, who was running towards Jack and Herakles before jumping into the air to attempt a drop kick on Herakles. Herakles caught the kick by Geppetto's ankles, followed by the man letting go and allowing Geppetto to stand on his own two feet.
"Doing every training regimen will take up precious time he can use to master his other abilities." Geppetto dusted his outfit off before poking Herakles' cheek. "Like if this was Matt, TJ, or Bruce, I would understand, but archeologists are a mage class, specifically a branch of necromancy."
"Right, I forgot that his class wasn't a weapon master." Herakles apologized before signing. "Okay, when you have time, practice basic drills with each weapon. You have an important mission coming up soon."
"And what mission is that?" Jack asked Herakles, who simply looked down at Jack, thanks to his massive height.
"Your mission tomorrow is to protect someone on their way here." Herakles had wind blowing through his white hair. "This person is Catherine Heliosia, my great niece."
"Great niece?" Jack wondered out loud.
"Basically his brother, the heir to the Heliosian throne, had a son, who had a daughter that's named Catherine." Geppetto explained, and it took Jack a moment to process, but when it did, he went wide eyed.
"YOU'RE A PRINCE?!"
"YEAH, WHAT ABOUT IT, PUNK?!"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOME SANTA CLAUS WANNA BE!"
(Wednesday, 3rd of Verdant Garden Moon, 2021)
A marble white floor clicked with the sound of footsteps.
A maid walked on top of a white marble floor through a hall with walls painted daffodil yellow, and with framed paintings of various Heliosian Emperors and Empresses. The hallway was illuminated with gold chandeliers that were decorated with various colorful gems. The gems gave the light color, and decorated the blank white floor in a variety of beautiful colors. The maid carried a silver colored tray with a teapot on it paired with a single tea cup. The maid's shiny black boots clicked against the ground she walked on. The maid walked past the large, mahogany doors that lined the hallway before reaching the end of the hallway. The end of the hallway had a large door with a golden frame that was designed to look like a wreath around the door.
"Miss Catherine?" The maid knocked on the door of the unknown room. "I've brought your morning tea."
"Thank you Miss Belle, you may come in." A soft voice came from the other side of the door.
The maid, apparently known as Belle, pushed open the door to see a luxurious bedroom with its massive window open to let in the cool Autumn breeze into the bedroom. Sitting in the sole bed in the room, underneath the white sheets was a blonde haired girl around college age with glistening green eyes. Her tired eyes looked at Belle, as though the blonde just woke up. The blonde let out a yawn as the maid set the tray down on the small table that only had one chair next to it.
"It is eleven in the morning Miss Solaris, you must prepare for the day ahead." Belle watched as the blonde got out of bed, and then the girl slipped on a set of slippers with rabbit design. "Students from Sanctuary Academy is set to arrive here around ten in the evening, to escort you to Sanctuary Academy to be with your Great Uncle Herakles in order to better protect you from the possible great of arcane terrorists."
"Head Maid Belle, everyone knows my grandfather and Uncle Herakles want to help me to make friends." The girl sat down at the single chair. "They're just using the cover of arcane terrorists as a lie to fool my father to send me to the academy."
"Actually Miss Heliosia...those were real reports." The maid reached into her dress pocket and handed the blonde a newspaper. "Many extremists don't like your father's handling of the country, so they began destroying property and assaulting government officers. We fear they may come after you to use you as a hostage, so we're sending you to Sanctuary to be surrounded by the world's most elite soldiers in training. Plus they're still protecting the Lady of the Candle, so you'll have a possible friend."
"Hm...I hope you're right." The blonde girl looked out the window at the beautiful city of the Heliosian empire's western coast. "I always felt out of place when I went to Sanctuary. I was never a fighter, so I felt out of place at that school..."
"Don't worry Miss Heliosia, Headmaster Herakles claims to have been careful in who he chose into Sanctuary."
"And Miss Belle, please just call me by my name, Catherine."