The new soldiers received their military uniform and other equipments, including armor, a special suit, and a bracelet that serves as a pocket storage device. Given an order to dress up in their military uniform for an official announcement made by the king of Akkadia, making them a part of the seiken army.
The formal black military uniform for seikens has a sleek and commanding presence, designed to project authority and unity of their forces. The jacket is tailored with sharp lines and made from a high-quality black fabric with a subtle sheen, emphasizing discipline and precision. features a high collar with silver piping along the edges, and the cuffs are adorned with thin silver stripes, symbolizing their ranks.
On the right arm, just below the shoulder, sits the Orionis division badge, representing their elite status. The badge was made from a cracked skull, with a sword piercing it from one side and coming out from the other. The pants are fitted and made of the same material as the jacket, and the polished black boots.
A vast hall, with towering marble columns lined with intricate gold filigree and a long crimson carpet leading to the grand, elevated throne where the king sits in regal splendor, flanked by glowing mana crystals. They stand in formation, lined up one next to another in lines.
In front of the throne, a light ignited bright golden yellow.
He stood like a living colossus, muscles bulging beneath his gleaming golden armor, which was embossed with ancient symbols of power. His dark hair and thick beard flowed around a crown shaped like a warrior's helm, framing fierce, ancient eyes that burned with intensity. Clad in simple white trousers below, his legs flexed with raw, untamed power. An overwhelming magical aura crackled around him, making the air hum as though even nature bent to his will. Every step he took echoed with the weight of a force feared, a moment all the newbies' blood froze in their veins.
This is Sargon the Great, they stood beneath him, a powerful aura far greater than any human being in this land of chaos. He drew the aura slowly, a showoff move from him.
The tense atmosphere calmed as he sat on his chair, a old man next to him.
"All hail the king, Sargon." interrupted by the king with a hand wave, a moment of silence
"You stand here not by chance but by the weight of your deeds and the steel of your resolve. The path ahead will demand more than strength, wisdom, honor, and loyalty will be your true weapons. Akkadia's heart beats with each of you, and in your hands rests the future of our great realm. Serve with courage, and you will carve your names into the very stone of our history."
He paused, letting his words settle like a binding oath in their hearts.
He waved to a commander standing at tmhe end of the line of high-ranking officers, and in an instant that commander bent down to her knees face to face with the king. A few words exchanged, and they started walking away, fading behind the throne. That commander's aura was nonexistent; not a shred of her aura was let.
Yacha glancing at Ursang, they both concluded that the commander was either too skilled or a jinn; it was a fifty-fifty chance, a powerful being or a different one.
As the young soldiers marched out of the palace toward Seiken's headquarters, they were immediately briefed on their next mission. Commander Ardran walked ahead, speaking over his shoulder to the group, "That woman the king called for? She's Shino—the Slayer of Nergal."
A collective gasp escaped from the team, followed by disbelief.
"What?!" they cried in unison.
"But she didn't show any aura at all," Speira muttered, confused.
Eline shook her head, still trying to piece it all together. "I thought it was the aftereffects of the king's presence playing tricks on me."
Ardran turned to them with a calm, but firm, look. "The king didn't reveal his full power; what you felt was just a portion of his aura."
"Ex… excuse me??" Speira stammered, even more unsettled.
"It's true," Ardran explained, his voice steady. "The king was relaxed. The aura you sensed wasn't a show of power; it was a residual effect from the teleportation magic."
Ursang stepped in, his tone calm and confident. "It wasn't teleportation at all. What we saw from Shino was wind magic—absolute control over her presence."
Yacha, already piecing it together, jumped in. "Exactly. She moved so fast, without a trace. She didn't leave a single wind current behind, and that's the real danger. She's mastered her ability to such an extent we couldn't even sense her."
"That's the Slayer we've heard about," Ursang continued, nodding. "If we want the king's acknowledgment, we need to reach that level."
As the group reached Seiken's headquarters, they were greeted by a woman holding a stack of papers. Without saying a word, she handed them their mission documents and walked off. The papers detailed their next task: head to the cedar forest and capture spies who had crossed Akkadia's borders. The mission was effective immediately.
Back at the dorm, they donned their new Orionis armor, which was sleek and dark blue—light enough to allow swift movement but sturdy enough for defense. Each of them had a bracelet that could store their weapons, an innovative tool for quick access in battle. Mounting their horses, they embarked on a two-day journey to the edge of the cedar forest.
The forest was ancient, with towering, thick trees that loomed like sentinels from a forgotten time. Entering its depths felt like stepping into another world. Even in the daylight, the dense canopy shrouded the woods in darkness.
Hours passed before they finally spotted a campfire, though no one was near it. Speira, the group's expert in stealth, led them closer, signaling for caution. The scene was strange—several bodies lay unconscious, with needle-like wounds in their necks.
"What happened here?" Speira whispered.
As Yacha examined the scene, a creeping sensation tugged at the back of his mind. Something was wrong. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught movement—a pair of eyes gleaming from the trees. Before he could react, a wooden creature burst forth, aiming straight for him. Yacha barely dodged, but Ursang was quicker, drawing his sword from his bracelet and cutting the creature down. The creature's remains were quickly absorbed back into the trees, as if the forest itself was alive.
Without warning, more wooden creatures emerged, rushing the group. Ursang formed a protective barrier of earth around them, buying precious seconds to draw their weapons. The battle had begun.
The air filled with the sounds of clashing steel and bursts of magic. Yacha unleashed a torrent of fire from his spear, but the creatures adapted quickly, absorbing the flames as they pressed their attack. Each spell and strike seemed to drain him more, the relentless waves of enemies threatening to overwhelm.
Ursang fought beside him, calling upon the earth to summon rocky spikes to impale the wooden golems. Yet for every enemy they destroyed, more seemed to emerge, clawing and slashing at their defenses. Exhaustion crept into his limbs, making each swing of his sword heavier than the last.
Eline moved with grace, using her water magic to form protective whirlpools that slowed the creatures' advance. But even her best efforts were not enough. As she parried an attack, another creature blindsided her, knocking her to the ground.
Speira, agile as ever, danced through the battlefield, her twin blades slashing through the air. But even she found herself outnumbered. No matter how many creatures she felled, more took their place. The forest's oppressive magic weighed heavily on her, sapping her strength as she tried to dodge and counterattack.
Together, they fought valiantly, but the living forest was relentless. The golems kept coming, and their numbers seemed endless.
Then, just as the group thought they might be overrun, the forest itself shifted. The trees moved, and a colossal wooden guardian emerged from the very heart of the forest, towering over the battlefield. Its bark-like skin pulsed with an eerie, green energy, a sentinel awakened by the soldiers' struggle.
The four comrades exchanged determined glances. This wasn't just about survival anymore; this was a test—a chance to prove their worth. If they could defeat this guardian, they would earn their place in the Seiken Army.
Yacha stepped forward, leading the charge. He would use his spear to distract the guardian, combining fire and thunder magic to keep the creature off balance. The thunder's temporary paralysis effect would be their key advantage.
Ursang, grounded in his earth magic, would create defensive barriers to shield his comrades while striking the guardian's legs with powerful, earth-based attacks to weaken its stance.
Eline would focus on destabilizing the battlefield, using her water magic to make the terrain slippery and create openings for her teammates to strike. Her swift movements would keep her out of the guardian's reach.
Speira, the quickest of them all, would enhance their speed with wind magic, allowing them to strike and evade with precision. Her twin blades would target the guardian's weaker points, all while maintaining a protective wind barrier around the group.
As they prepared for the final confrontation, the air around them thickened with magical energy. The cedar forest's ancient magic seemed to recognize their magic.