"I've learned that the strongest weapon doesn't always lie in your hand, but in your heart. Even if I lose, I will never stop believing in what's right—no matter how many times I fall." - Miho Saito
A few weeks had already passed. The 23rd of September had arrived—unfortunately, a Monday. Motivation was lacking. In the morning, Yamato entered the classroom—with an unusual smile on his face. "Good morning, Sentinels. I see everyone is here, so we can skip roll call today. I'll get straight to the point. There's big news. In other words, some of you will be going on a sort of trip starting tomorrow." Immediately, Aki looked up. A trip? He already had a slight suspicion. Yamato's next sentence confirmed it. "Aki, Ryoko, Miho, and Tatsuo—you will be joining me on a mission starting tomorrow." The boy's ears perked up. Missions were the work of actual Kenkai members. He was finally going to be part of one.
Yamato continued, "Tomorrow, we will take the Tracky to our neighboring country, Morihana. Morihana and Seiryoku, the country we're in, were once a single nation. However, we peacefully separated due to cultural differences. Since this is your first mission, I've chosen a simple, non-dangerous one. I'll hand out some forms now, which you'll need to return to me by the end of the day—signed. There's a consent form, a liability waiver, a medical release, a module release form, a confidentiality agreement, and a personal items approval form. Today, we'll continue with our regular training, and tomorrow we'll head to Morihana. While we're gone, the rest of the class will be taught by Tommy Josta, another member of the Hidden Union." Aki's mood lifted significantly. Tomorrow? His excitement was beyond words. It was just too thrilling to be going on a mission. He lowered his head again and returned to his boring daily routine.
Moonfang Arc
First Mission
Episode 10 – Land of Kings (Part 1)
Aki began the morning as always with a heavy sigh. The morning training was as usual—tiring, sweaty, but he was used to it by now. His body had adapted to the intense exercises, though he sometimes stared at the clock, hoping time would pass faster. However, during combat training, he felt most alive. Here, he could further develop his skills with Akuma and spar with his friends. Ryoko and Miho were always on a similar level, making the training rounds challenging and exciting. When the bell rang for tactics and strategy lessons, Yamato interrupted their calm with an energetic lecture. Aki had difficulty focusing—his thoughts constantly drifted to the upcoming mission, but he forced himself to pay attention. He knew the strategies Yamato was explaining could be life-saving on the battlefield.
Lunch offered a welcome break, and Aki sat down in the cafeteria with Miho and Ryoko. Their conversations mainly revolved around the upcoming mission as they hastily devoured their meals. "I can't wait," Ryoko said excitedly. "I hope something exciting happens." Aki nodded absentmindedly, but in his mind, he was already in Morihana. After lunch, they went back to the theoretical lessons. This hour was always the hardest for Aki, especially after a meal. He leaned back in his chair, trying to keep his head awake. The clock ticked mercilessly slow as Yamato continued to teach in a calm voice. "So, folks. Today, we'll cover a topic that will be very important to you in the future. Since we're heading to Morihana tomorrow, we'll touch on the essentials of this topic today, so you can take something with you. It's about something called artifacts."
Aki sighed. Artifacts—it sounded like extremely boring history class. However, his opinion quickly changed when Yamato started with an introductory question: "What do you think happens to a module when the module bearer dies?" Aimi raised her hand. The boy rolled his eyes. Aimi was always the only one to answer. Yamato nodded to her, and the girl responded: "We learned last time that a weak soul, upon the body's death, is either magnetically drawn to the sky or sinks into the ground, as an invisible force pulls it. The unknown afterward is what we call heaven or hell. Since modules are a manifestation of one's soul, I assume it works the same way." The man nodded. "As usual, a good answer. Yes, indeed, modules, being part of the weak soul, are sent to either heaven or hell. But what happens to a soul so strong and full of life energy that no force can pull it, and thus it cannot fly to heaven or hell?"
Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. Even the smart Aimi didn't have an answer. So, Yamato continued himself: "You can think of a soul like a parasite that takes over and controls the body as a shell. However, when the body dies and the soul is forcibly ripped out, it seeks a new host. Since every living person already has a soul and every dead person has once had one, the soul of the deceased must enter an object. Due to the module's effect, this object then gains special powers, though not as extravagant as when possessed by a person. If someone wears or carries this object, the powers of the object transfer to the person. This object, born from a strong soul's module, is what we call an artifact." Astonished looks swept through the class. The young man had captured the attention of all the Sentinels.
"Imagine you have a module that gives you the ability to summon huge walls of flames and directly control fire," Yamato continued, looking around the room. "As an artifact, however, this powerful ability would be reduced to something like a slight increase in body temperature or making your hands slightly warmer. Maybe you could create a tiny flame like a lighter, but nothing compared to the devastating power a module would give a Sentinel."
Aki raised his hand and asked, "So it would be more like a weak, passive ability that hardly makes a difference?" Yamato nodded. "Exactly. Artifacts only give you a fraction of the strength of the original module. It's like in an RPG: You have a powerful attack skill, but as an artifact, it turns into just a strength buff for the wearer. Useful, but nothing compared to the full power of a module." Once the question was clarified, he continued: "Why do you think, then, that artifacts are so important to us?"
The class remained silent after Yamato's question, everyone trying to come up with an answer. Aki glanced briefly at Kichiro, who furrowed his brow, and then at Ryoko, who pressed her lips together, seemingly searching for the right words. Finally, it was Maki who broke the silence. "Maybe because they're still useful, even if they're not as strong as a module? An artifact could help in certain situations, right?" Yamato nodded approvingly. "Well said, Maki. Artifacts may not be nearly as powerful as a fully realized module, but they have a significant advantage: They can be used by anyone, even those who don't possess a module." He paused to make sure the class was following him before continuing. "In situations where a module bearer isn't available, artifacts can play a crucial role. And in combat, they can serve as additional support."
Aki pondered what this could mean for the future. "So that means, if we ever find ourselves in a situation without our module, we could still have an advantage with artifacts?" Yamato grinned. "Exactly, Aki. Artifacts are no substitute for modules, but they give us flexibility. It's not just about how strong you are, but how clever you are in using your resources. In the right hands, even an artifact can make a difference." Ryoko nodded thoughtfully. "So it's important to collect artifacts and learn how to use them. Even if they're not as powerful, they could save our lives in tough situations."
"Exactly." Yamato concluded the discussion and looked around the room. "That's why we don't just train with our modules but also practice handling artifacts. You'll definitely be dealing with them more in the future." The lesson was drawing to a close as Yamato prepared the class for the next training session.
The day for the Sentinels was coming to an end. After the intense theory session and the following training, everyone had learned and practiced enough for the day. The sun was beginning to set, casting a soft orange glow through the windows of the room. "That's it for today," said Yamato, closing the book in front of him on the desk. "Remember, tomorrow we'll take the training to a new level. Rest well and think about how you can apply what you've learned today." The Sentinels collectively sighed with relief. Aki stretched, his muscles slightly sore from the training, but it felt good. Kichiro patted him on the shoulder and grinned. "Done for today?"
"Thankfully," Aki replied, standing up. "I could use a break." Miho and Ryoko were packing their things, chatting with each other. The mood was more relaxed than in the morning, the weight of training giving way to a pleasant tiredness. "Alright then, let's head back," Kichiro suggested. Aki nodded in agreement. They said goodbye to the others and made their way out of the training room. The cool air outside hit their faces, and it felt freeing to finally breathe fresh air after a long day indoors. As they walked along the path to the dormitory, Kichiro suddenly brought up what had been on his mind all day. "Hey, Aki... you seem a bit different today. Is everything alright?"
Aki hesitated for a moment before responding. He thought about the day and about Miho, how she had sat in class, laughed with Ryoko, and worked so hard during training. Something inside him had changed, a feeling he couldn't quite put into words, but it was there. It felt... warm. "Yeah, everything's fine," he finally said. "It's just... I feel like I learned a bit more about myself today." He smiled slightly, and even though he didn't fully understand his feelings yet, he knew he didn't need to share them right away. "Well, that sounds good." Kichiro grinned at him as they continued walking. The day was over, but Aki knew that for him, it had just begun.
The next day finally dawned. Aki, Miho, Ryoko, Tatsuo, and Yamato were supposed to meet Yamato half an hour before class began at the Tracky station in the main building. So, the boy entered the building at 7:25 AM. He strolled through the hallways until he spotted the door that led to the room in front of the Tracky. Outside the door was a familiar figure—Tatsuo. When Tatsuo heard Aki's footsteps, he turned around, and they briefly made eye contact. Tatsuo then opened the door and held it open until Aki reached it. As Tatsuo walked ahead, his voice echoed. "Thanks." He said no more. Before Aki could say anything or ask a question, Tatsuo had already moved ahead. He leaned against the wall and turned away from Aki. Aki realized that Tatsuo seemingly needed time to himself and respected that.
"Hey, Aki!" Another person had already arrived. When the boy turned around, he saw Miho in a blue summer dress. She looked beautiful in that dress, like a bright morning sky after a long storm. Aki stared at the girl, captivated. "Ah, Miho!" the boy replied. The young lady stood right next to Aki and started chatting with him. He blushed slightly. After a few minutes, Yamato also entered the room. "Oh, almost everyone is here. There are usually a few people who are a little late." As Aki and Miho continued chatting, suddenly Ryoko's cheerful voice came as she approached them. "Good morning, you two! I brought muffins for everyone." She held up a tray of freshly baked muffins, which she had apparently made just for this day. "Here, take one."
Miho immediately grabbed one and smiled. "Thanks, Ryoko! These look delicious." Aki nodded in agreement, took one, and bit into it. "Wow, these are really good! You've got some real talent." Ryoko grinned. "Thanks! I thought a little snack before the mission couldn't hurt." When Ryoko then went over to Tatsuo, she offered him a muffin too. He stared at the tray for a moment as if he hadn't expected to get one as well. Hesitantly, he reached for a muffin, and as he took it, a small, almost imperceptible smile crept onto his face. "Thanks," he muttered quietly, almost as if he were uncomfortable, but it was clear he appreciated it.
Ryoko cast a quick glance at Yamato, who was just checking the last of the paperwork before she handed him a muffin too. "And for our leader, of course." Yamato looked up in surprise. He smiled slightly, took the muffin, and nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Ryoko. You seem to have thought of everything." He bit into the muffin and nodded in approval. "Not bad. Maybe you should open a bakery once you're done being a Sentinel." Ryoko laughed, while the others murmured in agreement. "Maybe, but for now, I'll focus on staying out of trouble."
"A good attitude," Yamato replied as he finished the muffin and returned to his notes. "But for now, let's head out." Everyone boarded the Tracky, and Yamato sat down with a satisfied look beside his students. The train slowly started moving, and outside, the landscape of Seiryoku passed by as they traveled towards Morihana. The mood was light, and there was much laughter and chatter. Tatsuo, who had been quiet at the start, seemed to relax thanks to the muffin and the easy-going atmosphere. He leaned back and listened to the conversation of the others as the Tracky sped toward its destination. "This will be an interesting mission," Yamato finally said as he watched the passing scenery. "But I have full confidence in all of you."
"What's this mission even about?" Miho asked curiously. Yamato smiled softly. "I thought you'd never ask. In Morihana, there's a strict monarchy. There's a royal family in power. On the eighteenth birthday of a prince or princess, they must undergo a ceremony to ask the gods if they are worthy to become the future heir to the throne. Princess Ayame will turn eighteen tomorrow. Her coming-of-age ceremony will take place at midnight. We need to wait outside and protect her until the ceremony is complete."
And so, the Sentinels set off on their first mission. However, what they didn't know was that they had already become the target of an unknown danger—people in dark cloaks were aware of the mission and were also heading to Morihana. They had one goal—Aki Hayashi.
Hey, everyone! The first mission for the Sentinels is about to begin. A new, unknown enemy is also approaching.
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