Vanta had decided to give payback to the scummy lot who bullied his late friend with whom he now shared a name. He found a black trench coat hung in the closet and checked himself out in the cracked mirror before leaving. It was time to step foot outside into the unknown world yet the memories of which were horrendous, despite its blinding beauty.
"No... I won't hesitate this time. I am not scared of the world anymore!" he stomped on his hesitation as mustered up courage and moved out, his stride being that of a mafia boss.
Guided by the memories in his mind, Vanta set out in search of the grand Coliseum where the coming-of-age ceremony was being held.
'Those bastards I'm looking for must be there too... But I'm still in the same body that just got beaten up by them... I need to participate in the ceremony first.'
The world around him did not lack beauty in the slightest and even the air seemed welcoming and refreshing. He could even feel a mysterious energy roaming around in the air. He saw children playing with magical relics and wands, mysterious beasts flew in the sky and roamed the land. It was then that a possibility struck Vanta in his mind,
'According to Vanta's memories, magic is a real thing here, and only the strongest gain power and influence. In a nutshell, if you're not strong in this world, then you might as well die. It's like some anime kids from my old life used to talk about.' he contemplated the world around him and began understanding it through Vanta's memories which were now his.
It was all going smoothly and the breeze felt relaxing as he made his way to the Coliseum. However, what seemed to be unsettling were the pitiful gazes of everyone who noticed him. Vanta knew that they looked down on him because he was weak in this world too. The hateful whispers made it all too clear to him:
"Look, it's the outcast without a name... How pitiful is he." the girls gossiped.
"He's still alive? I thought he'd be dead by now... Weed are as stubborn as they come." a farmer commented.
"He's walking like some noble... Has he finally lost it?" a boy wondered out loud.
"What a disgusting creature... he should just die. That poor thing." a woman suggested.
None of those comments were whispers, they were out loud insults for Vanta as if nobody cared for his feelings whatsoever. He kept walking as everybody steered clear of him like some sort of reeking animal spreading filth.
"I've seen those looks. And these insults aren't new to me either. It does not upset me in the slightest because who are you to judge? What upsets me is that people like you exist in such a beautiful world." Vanta said those words with a serious tone as he tore through the crowd which still kept mumbling.
"Yeah, that's right. All of you... can DROP DEAD." his serious complexion turned into a devious smirk and he kicked a clay pot placed in front of a shop just to piss everyone off.
He finally reached the Grand Coliseum and didn't waste any time at all. The central stage was crowded with people who seemed noble and some even gave off an air of royalty.
Vanta did not care about any of that and entered the crowd of candidates. He knew that he was sticking out like a sore thumb with his dusty black trench coat among the shiny armor and silk garments of the candidates around him. He was noticed by the crowd and the overseers of the trials he could hear their gasps and gossip echoing around.
Vanta smirked oddly, took in a deep breath, and spoke at the top of his lungs, "ATTENTION, YOU DAMN HYPOCRITES! Can anyone here tell me where I can find the punks who beat me up earlier? I don't see them here."
The gossip and muttering that engulfed the crowd moments ago disappeared and now there was nothing to be heard but the flapping of the red flags lined atop the walls of the Coliseum.
A tall boy who stood with a proud look on his face sighed and stepped in front of Vanta in an effort to intimidate him.
"The pennyworth trials for lowlifes like you are already over. Why are you still here, you damn nobody?" he asked condescendingly.
Vanta hated that tone and looked him straight in the eye, "I'm not a nobody. And I still haven't received my spirit. So I'm here. Do you have a problem?"
The guy didn't think that arguing with someone like Vanta was worth it, so he turned his face and went back to his place.
The grand overseer stood up and spoke to the spectators while grooming his long white beard. "This is the moment we've all been waiting for! Every century a group of four warriors is chosen to be blessed by the heroes of the past! It is an uncertain belief that the chosen warriors are the reincarnation of past heroes who rose against the darkness to protect our world!"
The grand overseer raised his wooden staff and shot out a bright yellow light into the sky that exploded like fireworks illuminating the evening sky. Vanta was fascinated while everyone else treated it as if it was nothing special at all. The bright lights from the explosion glided down gently like snowflakes while five bigger portions of the original light spread throughout the Coliseum, forming a magic circle with a pentagonal core.
Each fractional light inserted itself into each corner of the Pentagon and triggered a magnificent earthquake.
Vanta was caught off guard and fell to the ground as his peers laughed at him and kicked him.
'Just wait you bastards.' Vanta cursed under his tongue.
What happened next did not only drop Vanta's jaw to the ground but the entire Coliseum was flabbergasted and mesmerized when they saw Five grand statues emerge from each corner; Each of them having an intimidating aura.
"Keke... Most of you are just wasting your time here... Only four of us will get blessed by the mighty cardinal heroes." another proud noble shot out his thoughts.
Vanta stood up from the ground and said with confusion as things didn't add up. "Only four? but there are five statues."
His peers only looked down on him and didn't bother to explain. The grand overseer, however, did explain. "The Mighty Cardinal Heroes who saved the realm millennia ago. With their blessing, the potential four warriors will be unlocked and brought forth before us!"
The first statue to react was that of a big bulky man wearing heavy armor and a big mane showing his glory. The red aura lit up and shot into the crowd of candidates and embedded itself into a tall muscular man.
"Inura, The Crimson Beast has chosen Luke Ironfist as his champion!" the overseer announced.
The second was a lady with a lean figure and majesty brimming in her eyes lit up in a violet aura. She chose a young girl with purple hair who seemed noble, yet quite bashful.
"Vonix, The Violet Mistress has chosen Princess Violet as her champion!"
The third was a skinny man whose gaze was that of a tactician who blazed off in light green and chose the tall noble with cunning eyes.
"Perfidas, The Tactician Green has chosen Damant Ken as his champion!"
The fourth statue that glowed was an old man wearing a mage's robe and holding a long articulate staff lit up electric blue. He chose a composed boy who showed maturity in his attitude.
"Vankolv, The Sky Mage has chosen Rider Silvercrest as his champion!"
Each of the announced champions was burning in the aura of their respective heroes, some grinning at their luck while others were unable to believe that they had been given legacies from the Cardinal Heroes themselves.
"Rejoice Espodia! The heroes have chosen their champions who will carry out their legacies to protect our land!!" the overseer screamed in ecstasy and the crowd followed with their cheers.
The candidates began clearing up the stage, leaving only Vanta and the four chosen by the heroes.
Vanta was disappointed because he wasn't chosen but something kept him from walking away like everyone else.
'Why didn't you choose?'
His eyes stagnated on the last statue of the one Cardinal Hero who did not choose. He was mesmerized by the sight of the statue of a man who had a built muscular figure bound with magical chains. His sorrowful eyes were covered in the shade of his hood and the frown on his face seemed all too familiar to Vanta. Both his hands were placed on the hilt of a broad sword showing that he was a mighty warrior.
'This man... he looks like a prisoner more than a hero. But something about him seems just too familiar. Why didn't he choose a Champion?'
The cheering crowd came to a halt in a moment of anticipation and everyone stared at the last hero.
"Do you think he will choose this time?" Princess Violet wondered out loud.
"Are you kidding me? That failure didn't choose anyone for a thousand years, what makes you think he'll choose now?" Ken answered mockingly.
"Even if he does choose anyone, he would bring nothing more than disgrace to that person," Rider commented, standing majestically with his eyes closed in meditation.
"They say that he was the weakest of the five Cardinal Heroes... The greatest failure to ever live, Thornash, The Traitor!"
The overseer stood up once again to announce the results, "People of Espodia! As you can see, your heroes have been chosen! And once again, The Traitor Thornash has remained silent in his choice... thankfully. Return to your homes, the King has announced a Feast for the Champions!"
Everyone was just about to leave when suddenly an aura exploded in the Coliseum so intense that it sent shivers down everyone's spine.
It was the statue of Thornash who had unleashed such a crushing aura and everyone present was in a state of extreme awe.
"So you're choosing someone after all..." Vanta was unaffected by the pressure unlike everyone else and found warmth in Thornash's grey aura.
Nobody wanted it to happen and nor did anyone expect it. The overseer, like everyone else was not in favor of this unprecedented event, "Oh no, the failure is choosing! Strengthen his bounds!!!"
A group of mages appeared and began casting spells which unleashed grand chains toward the statue of Thornash, strengthening his binds.... but it had no significant event.
Vanta looked into the eyes of Thornash hidden under his hood.
"Is... Is he looking at me?" he exclaimed in surprise upon realizing that Thornash had chosen him as his Champion, the one who would carry his unknown legacy. His aura condensed and shot into Vanta's chest and disappeared, becoming one with his soul, completing his existence. And as a result, his pale skin gained color, his eyes became sharper, and his slender and lean body pumped up with a dense layer of pure muscle.
And in that moment of merging, Vanta heard a strong but sorrowful voice in his mind,
[I see we're much alike. We will meet soon, young one.]
The corners of Vanta's mouth rose into a big smirk and he expressed his ecstasy with open arms.
"If that's you, Thornash... I look forward to meeting you," he whispered to himself in response to the voice in his mind.
Vanta was undoubtedly happy with his new appearance and the sense of strength surging through him, but the spectating crowd, the chosen champions, and the overseers of the trials were absolutely red in their faces, some of them even popping their vessels and screaming. And why wouldn't they be?
Not only the greatest failure in their history had chosen a champion to carry on his legacy but the one chosen was a lowlife nobody without a name whom people left to die if not beat him to death.
The cheerful crowd was no more and everyone was now furious at what had just happened.
"YOU USELESS MAGES, YOU COULDN'T HOLD THAT STATUE?!" The Grand overseer yelled at the mages.
"This is unbelievable, Thornash chose a lowlife failure just like him! They're both better off dead!" A random man screamed from the crowd and another followed, "Yeah! The bastard doesn't even have a name!"
The quarreling went on and on, Vanta heard all their insults and grinned at their hateful comments... and then he suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs,
"SILENCE, YOU DAMN HYPOCRITES!"
All of them barely ever heard the old Vanta squeak, much less scream out loud. But his surprisingly loud and powerful voice silenced everyone. Vanta then continued to speak loudly and powerfully like a general addressing his soldiers,
"Good. Silence suits you snakes in human skin. Now hear me out!"
Vanta walked around the stage with his hands tied behind his back and chest puffed out, showing command and power in his tone,
"Whether you like it or not, I am the Champion of the fifth Cardinal Hero, Thornash. I'm sure none of you are aware... but I have a name. And it is Vanta Black, make sure you never forget that name."
'Because I sure as hell won't forget what people like you, do to people like me,' he said inwardly with sorrow.
Vanta then looked at the other champions with a twisted smirk, "I have something to take care of for now. But I'll see all of you nobles and royalties at the King's feast tonight."
With the flap of his trench coat, Vanta left a sour taste in all the nobles who thought of him as a nobody just moments ago. He exited the Coliseum and left a big hole in the wall with just one punch as he imagined revenge for Vanta.
"Now to test out my new ability on those bullies. It's going to be fun... for me!"