"So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Son of Setsuya ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Palace of Freiheit, Munich, Neo-Germany Aarin marvelled at his pupils as they practiced their sword skills. It was incredible. They had made such great progress in the past few months. You could see it in their actions. The group were of twenty strong young men and women, all lined up and organized parallel to each other. Each few seconds, they performed a quick slash with their wooden training swords, while facing the old sword master, Aarin Highland. The respect they had for him was immense. You could see it in their star-struck eyes as Aarin watched them training. The group held of him in such high regard. But not because he was their superior. It was because he was such a great man. Even though he was the leader of the entire Order of Light, Aarin still took the time to train and aid the privates of the army. He fought first line on the battlefield, with the skill and strength of an unquenchable demon. That power elicited fear and respect from all. From those who served the old swordsman, and those who he faced in the thicket of war. But Aarin was unlike most soldiers. Though he was powerful, he was also very old. Over 80 years of age in fact. It didn't show much, Aarin still looked 40 years younger than he was. But the age was still telling. It was hard to believe that such an aging man played his part in the defeat of that dreaded organization, the Shougatsu Financial group. And although he had no intention of retiring from the battlefield or as leader, time was not on Aarin's side. The crystal blue eyes of the old swordfighter looked over his pupils once more, just before he spoke, "Good. That shall be enough for now." The class let out a collective groan and lowered their swords. There was no one stronger at swordplay than Aarin Highland, but there was also no one who was more of a task master. And Aarin was happy for that. It pleased him to know that his students were not taking his training methods lightly. Of course, there is always one fighter who just stands out from the rest. Someone who simply excels above his or her peers. And Aarin had caught onto this young man with great pride. Aarin's long flowing locks of grey hair swung around his head as he looked over at the chestnut-haired fighter to his left. Even now the boy stood out. His fellow students were tired and sweaty, this boy looked like he was just getting warmed up. His promotion to Lieutenant in the army of the Order of Light was not a miscalculation. In fact, Aarin predicted that the boy would continue to rise up in rank in the coming years. The position of Colonel was not out of his reach. The boy's name was Saizaki. Saizaki sighed, then put his sword to rest on one of the benches inside this practice hall. There was a towel right next to it. The marble-eyed soldier took that towel and dabbed himself around the neck and forehead, absorbing what little sweat he had shed during the training session. While other soldiers began to either pack up and thank Aarin for the lesson, Saizaki took his training sword and put it with the others, in the large pile at the centre of the room. It was the duty of the maintenance committee to clean up after the training sessions of the soldiers, but Saizaki didn't much mind offering a helping hand. The young man stretched his used arms and legs, then made a stride for the door. Until Aarin called on him. "Saizaki. A moment?" "Huh?" Saizaki looked back at Aarin, as the other 19 soldiers all exited the large wooden training room. "Commander Highland?" But Saizaki didn't bother to question Aarin on the spot like that. The brown-haired boy shrugged then walked back towards the aging master, with a frank curiosity pictured on his youthful face. "Something wrong, sir?" Aarin shook his head for a no. "Of course not. More the opposite. I am very impressed with the skills you have shown so far. You are fast exceeding this class. I may have to advance you to the next training level if you keep this up." "Heh, heh, heh!" Saizaki grinned, then rested both palms behind his head. "Thanks for that, Commander. I'd really like to see what the next training level is like. It's the advanced cell, right? Heh, heh, heh, I think I'd do pretty well in there!" Aarin smiled back. "Just like your father. So over confident, so eager." "Yeah," Saizaki felt very nostalgic as thoughts of his father, Setsuya Seisuji, came to mind. He missed the old coot. He really did. It seemed like an eternity since Setsuya had first found and adopted Saizaki. He raised the boy and taught him all about life and what it meant to be a swordsman. "You'll never catch me saying this out loud again, but, I miss the old guy now and again. Even though he adopted me when I was just a scruffy little kid, he felt like blood to me." "And yet you are his spitting image," Aarin had noticed. Saizaki did look a lot like Setsuya. From the ponytail of brown hair, to the dark eyes and cheerfully blunt smile. "Setsuya would be very proud of you if he were still with us." Saizaki blinked. "Ya think? Pops was always raggin' me about working hard with my sword. I never really took it seriously back then. I guess that's why I joined the Order of Light. I can learn to be stronger here more than anywhere else in the world." Aarin's expression turned serious. "And to get revenge." "Nah..." Saizaki didn't know if that was a lie or not. "Pops was killed a long time ago. It'll be exactly four years ago in a couple months. I know I came to the Order without a clear head, but I've grown up a lot since then. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to find the guy who killed Dad, cut his head off and shove it up his ass, but... I'm not gonna let that effect me as a person." Aarin nodded in earnest. "Good. You really have matured since then. I am glad to see that. Because you need to be ready. You know what is about to happen next. The council have made their opinions clear about our next mission. You will be involved in it, Saizaki." Saizaki saluted, even though there was no real reason to. "I gotcha, Commander." Aarin smiled, patted his student on the shoulder, then strode off to the other side of the training hall, towards the door. "The debriefing for the mission will take place in one hours time. In the main hall of the palace. Make sure you are prepared." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ And so he had to be. Saizaki heeded Aarin's words and proceeded to train until the time would come for him to attend the debriefing. Since he was on his own the training hall he was free to practice what he wished, mostly horizontal slashes and aerial blows. His style of swordplay was a mixture of the Yuuga sword arts taught to him by his father, Setsuya, and the modified adaptation of that style 'Highland Edge' which had been taught to him by Aarin Highland. It was very much becoming Saizaki's own style, it was just a matter of developing the skills he needed to make it his own. After a while, training got boring, so Saizaki packed his thing away and dashed out of the hall. The debriefing was about to start, so the young man had just enough time to run back to his chambers and get his gear together. Saizaki passed through the main corridor leading down to the soldier's residence. While he did, the boy took the time to observe this place. The Palace of Freiheit was magnificent. The marble arches, paved floors, gold statues and overhanging murals made it so. Hard to believe that this place was created *after* the landing of the Genesis Comet. Though this made it understandable why the palace took more than sixty years to build. It was never even intended as a headquarters for the Order of Light. In fact, it was supposed to be a safe-haven for diplomats of the Neo World Federation as they journeyed between the Safe Zones of Europe. It would be here that they made decisions about the future of the world that they were protecting. It was logical to see Freiheit Palace as a sort of testament to the old palace of Versailles (which had been destroyed by the comet). But things didn't turn out that way. The Order of Light were given this place as a stronghold, when it was first created as a division of the Neo World Federation. Of course, when the Order of Light broke off from the World Federation, they had not given this place up. Which was a good thing for Saizaki, because he loved it here. It was a bit boring sometimes, especially when there was nothing to do but train, but he was a soldier. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Saizaki ran down the steps of the stairwell when he reached them, down to the living quarters of the soldiers stationed at Freiheit Palace. His room was not too far, so the eager boy stormed in, and got dressed. Out of his scruffy training garbs and into the official attire for debriefing. A tightly cut suit, the colours of black and white, with a standard issue sword & scabbard strapped to the side. It was sort of formal for a simple debriefing, but things in the Order were always formal. This was the kind of deep-rooted monotony that had been here for years. There was no way Saizaki could find a route around it. In no time at all, the man was dressed and ready. He plied out of his room and ran back to the stairwell, this time running down it. Towards the main hall. It was the usual area for informing soldiers of the next mission. This current division of the Order of Light, this place, had around 400 soldiers stationed at it. They were not the main bulk of the army. This was a squadron used for special missions. Usually reconnaissance, sometimes support for the regular army in desperate situations. Only the most prized and treasured of soldiers in the Order of Light (like Saizaki) attended this palace. This division of the Order were known as the 'Special Mission Corps'. By the time Saizaki had reached the main hall, it was almost full. The place had been filled with many chairs and so many soldiers had taken to them. All dressed in uniform and waiting for Commander Highland to address them. Saizaki took a look around for a seat. It was hard finding one, but he did, and he was very pleased to see who was sitting next to it. Lilia Lemieux Morin. Or to keep it simple, Lilia. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. And seemingly too innocent to be a soldier. Saizaki gave a warm smile as he watched the young woman run nervous finger through her gleaming aquamarine hair. So was so gorgeous, but so shy. One of the few shy French girls Saizaki had ever met (of course, Saizaki was Neo-Japanese in origin, so he hadn't met with many French girls in his time). It surprised Saizaki that such a sweet girl would become a soldier for the Order. But her skills certainly answered that. Lilia was one of the few people in the Special Mission Corps that could give him a decent challenge. The brown-haired boy crushed his smile and walked to the seat next to Lilia's. The moment the chair heaved with his added weight, Lilia turned to look at him. And a shy smile appeared on her lips. Along with a tiny but noticeable little blush. "Saizaki..." She said sweetly. Saizaki stretched his arms out, with a little yawn. "Morning, girl! How you doing today?" Lilia lowered her eyes. "I'm sort of nervous. This is my first mission briefing. I just never expected this all to happen so quickly." "Oh yeah," Saizaki had forgotten. "You just signed up like a month ago, right? Well you shouldn't worry. Hell, the fact that you passed the grad test shows you can handle yourself. You're a better swordfighter than half of the guys here." Lilia blushed again. "You're only saying that because you're my friend." And to that, Saizaki shrugged. "Yeah. But that doesn't mean it's not true." Lilia was thankful for that. That she had Saizaki has a friend. And that he would go out of his way to reassure her. Most men in the Special Mission Corps, respectful as they were, were sort of stuck-up towards female soldiers. And yet, Lilia felt no more comfortable with the female soldiers either. They were always so suspicious of the males, they were creating a rift between the two groups. Saizaki was the only soldier here that treated her as a person. Sure, he was a little full of himself, but Saizaki had every reason to be, with his skill. And she greatly valued his friendship. But, Lilia's feelings for Saizaki went deeper than that. A lot deeper, in fact. But she was very unwilling to admit them. Ever since her parents died at the hands of sickness, Lilia had become a shy, reserved person. The only thing that made her feel the least bit confident was the sword. Which was why she had joined the Order of Light. To not only use to the sword, but to use it in a way that would help others. Lilia smiled to the object of her affections. "Thank you, Saizaki." "Nah," Saizaki shook his head. "Don't thank me. You never need to thank someone for telling the truth. It's a given. My Dad always taught me that." Lilia nodded, then cast her eyes forwards, towards the stage at the front of the hall. A podium had been set up, for the speaker, which was to be Aarin. Soon everyone had taken their seats around the hall. And the acoustics had become deathly quiet. Out of respect. The sound of footsteps was the only thing that could be heard, as the wise old warrior, Aarin, walked up and around the stage, up to the podium. There was no microphone, being that the rebirth of technology was still in its infantile stages. His voice was only heard through sheer loudness. His chiselled and aged voice spoke soon after taking the stage. "Greetings. You have all been summoned to the main hall for the briefing on the subject of our next mission. The battle we are fighting has proven to be far tougher than we had planned. Armies from the Covenant of Sorcerers are encroaching on Munich as we speak. The council of the Order and the leaders of the World Federation have made themselves clear. They want us to... retrieve the four sacred swords." There were fresh murmurs in the crowds as Aarin said that. Though most people were too young to have seen Ten-sekai sentou kyousou (Heavenly World Combat Competition) they had probably heard tales about it from their fathers and mothers. Tales of Aarin Highland, Ingrid Highland and Setsuya Seisuji competing in the tournament that brought down the Shougatsu Financial Group. And tales of the four legendary swords that their wielded in order to do this... The four divine swords, Fire Cutter, Lightning Tooth, Wind Soul and Shadow Edge. Each one powerful and each one imbued with a respective magic elemental force. The swords that had been excavated by Keijiro Seisuji from the rocky intestines of the Genesis Comet, 73 years ago. Those who carried the swords were given use of the power of magic. But it was the vast power of the swords that made the world so fearful of them. So fearful that they sealed the swords away. They were supposed to become a chapter in history, never to be repeated. But now... Aarin continued amid quiet banter. "The council has given the Special Mission Corps this task. A force of twenty soldiers will travel to Tuatha De Danann, the temple of the four swords, and bring them back to Freiheit Palace to await further orders. This will be a strictly retrieval mission, so there will be no combat expected. But due to the closeness of enemy which even now surrounds the Neo-German borders, there is the possibility of interference from the Covenant. Because of this, all soldiers involved will be armed. I will accompany the group, but I will not be leading the mission. This, I have reserved for Captain Schaidler." Saizaki scowled in the crowds, as Rainhande Schaidler took the stand. Saizaki hated the guy. Rainhande was Captain of Special Mission Corps. Though he was Saizaki's superior in rank and in sword-skills (Rainhande was at the top of his excelled sword skills class), Saizaki still had no respect for him. Rainhande was so stern, serious and uptight. Most Neo-German people were friendly and charming in this day and age, but Rainhande was nothing like them. For a Neo-German, he was particularly cold and emotionless. The only thing he showed a passion for was killing magic-users. At the heart of it all, Saizaki considered Rainhande his ultimate rival. Though at this point, he was weaker in sword-strength to Rainhande, one of the few goals Saizaki in life was to surpass that man. Up on the stage, Rainhande ran a hand through his silvery hair, took a sip from the glass of water on the stand, then spoke to the soldiers of the SMC. "This mission will take place at 0500 tomorrow," He said, in icy tones. "The eighteen soldiers that will accompany myself and Commander Highland to Tuatha De Danann will be notified of their roles after this briefing. The mission is simple. We will go to the temple retrieve the swords, then return. However I want those chosen to treat this mission with the utmost severity." Saizaki rolled his eyes as Rainhande continued to speak to the crowds of soldiers sitting in the hall. He knew full-well that he and Lilia would be involved in this mission. Though he hated having to work side by side with that apple-a-day bastard, Saizaki was sort of excited about seeing the four swords. To think, that four simple weapons could make the people of the world tremble in fear of their power... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Western Bridge of Anne, (Greenwashe Sector), Cath Maige Tuired Rhiannon sighed as she listened to the monotonous sounds of the steam train as it chugged along the length of the New Greenwashe Line. She could have guessed that no one born before the landing of the Genesis Comet would have imagined transportation by steam engine. But for the world of 2142, such methods of transport were the best a common person could hope for. Though Rhiannon Highland wasn't exactly common, this was not her mission alone. And anyone passing by her carriage to see her would have known why. The young woman was almost regally dressed as a soldier. A soldier of the Human side of the war. Her white and black tunic was possessed to the Order of Light. And the small silver necklace she wore on her person was a symbol of her rank. Lieutenant. Rhiannon cast her eyes out to the window of the Victorian-style carriage, out into the vast landscapes of the outer countryside. To be honest, she had actually forgotten how beautiful the island city of Cath Maige Tuired was. It was formerly a small section of Norway, before the Comet. After the landing, the impact's shockwaves broke this section of Norway into the sea where it lingered. When the Safe Zone Project had been decided, this small cluster of land was chosen to be the very first of the few cities born after the Comet. Work began in the year after the announcement of the Safe Zone Project. 2054. They used magics to completely smash the mountainous areas inside the centre of the island. And there began the work of cultivating a new city from nothing at all. The now soft ground surrounding the city and poised between the city and the outer mountain ranges, was crushed until it reached the shape of a trench. Around a mile deep and half a mile wide, it acted as a sort of moat between the outer ring of mountains and the city. It was soon after filled to its limits by diverting water from a river that was connected to the ocean. This surrounding ring was called the Halo. It gave the city strategic defences in the war, which were especially useful now. Because it prevented access to the city from ground level. To reach Cath Maige Tuired you had to scale one of the outer mountains until you came to one of the four mighty bridges poised over the Halo. The northern bridge was known as Elizabeth, the eastern bridge known as Victoria, the southern Bridge was Mary and the western bridge was Anne. Each of the bridges were more than a mile long. The main way across was via steam train, hence Rhiannon's use of one. The landscape of Cath Maige Tuired's Island was, in Rhiannon's knowledgeable-yet-not-humble-opinion, gorgeous. The mountains and rivers and greenery were genuinely rich and full of life, unlike the cesspit of a world that surrounded it. And the City itself was just as splendid. The end result of the work on Cath Maige Tuired truly reflected the feel of the time. The architecture was vastly different from European design. It was clearly of Asian influence. The Western makings of square and steel had been abandoned for the Eastern ideas of circle and brick. But the town was spacious. Full of people but never so crowded as to make life there stifling. The trade with Scandinavia and Lower Europe was rich. Poverty and Unemployment were genuinely low. And being that this was the first Post-Comet city ever to be built, the Neo World Federation was quite proud of all that had become of it. It was one of the reasons they hoped that they could keep it out of the clutches of Al Gul Jehed and the Covenant of Sorcerers. But Rhiannon intrinsically knew such hopes were, for lack of a better word, hopeless. Neo-England, her homeland (and the ethnic denomination most prevalent in Cath Maige Tuired) had already fallen to the Covenant. Neo-France was more or less a lost cause. Neo-Spain was far too weakened to last out any longer than it had. The last major power in Europe that was holding out against the Covenant was Neo-Germany. The upper countries of Europe, those of Scandinavia, were free from the grip of the Covenant. But the way things were going, it was only a matter of time before Western Europe belonged to the Covenant. Then the north would fall. And with it, Cath Maige Tuired. This was one of the reasons Rhiannon was cautious about coming here. In the carriages behind her own was the small division of troops she had been put in charge of. Around twenty five men and women all ready to die for the cause. She was the leader of that small band, Lieutenant Rhiannon Highland. Together, they were a select team of the Order of Light's Civilian Division (those with duties that required more of a defensive, tactical nature, generally used for the defence of civilians and nobles). Rhiannon's group of that division were a small group of soldiers who were sent to and fro to secure certain issues. Now they had business in Cath Maige Tuired. To guard a sealing. There was one other thing that Cath Maige Tuired was famous for. It was the biggest home to a minute organization that made it their duty to protect the world from items or weapons they felt too dangerous to be loose in the world. They were known as the Shrine of the Seal. There were over fifty shrines for these people all over the world. But ten of them were based inside the rich walls of Cath Maige Tuired. And one of the most famous weapons of all was sealed inside one of those shrines. The more than legendary Quetzacoatl. The weapon that was supposed to possess anyone who touched it with a violent bloodlust. And the very same weapon that the former mass murderer, Ra El Khahid, had used to slaughter dozens of men, women and children. The seal around it was to be re-enforced soon. Until that time came, Rhiannon and her forces were expected to guard the one who would be re-sealing that dreadful weapon of mass-murder. Her name was Bonnie Nakagawa-McAmish. A Scottish (but English-spoken) magic-user loyal to the Neo World Federation, no matter what her powers were. Though it was not common knowledge, Bonnie happened to be the girlfriend of Rhiannon. The swordswoman let off a sigh. It had been awhile since she had Bonnie had seen each other. At least a month or so. Being that Rhiannon's primary station was on the borders between Neo-Germany and Neo-France, she didn't get to venture up to Cath Maige Tuired very often. And so she never often got to see Bonnie. That was the one thing that made coming to Cath Maige Tuired worth the trip, besides the view. Bonnie Nakagawa-McAmish. Even now, just from thinking of the girl, Rhiannon's face brightened with a little blush. "What would my Grandmother think?" Rhiannon asked herself, "I am a Highland Woman after all. The granddaughter of Ingrid Highland and the great niece of Aarin Highland. Such relationships might not be looked on with favour in my family. But who can blame me for feeling the way I do about Bonnie?" Rhiannon stopped herself as she heard the door at one side of the carriage open. From her plush dark green seat she leaned over and looked out into the carriage hallway. One of her soldiers marched up to her seating compartment and saluted his superior sitting there, with his free hand poised at his waist. "Lieutenant Highland, we are now approaching the Greenwashe Sector of the city of Cath Maige Tuired. I was asked to make sure that you were aware of this." Though she possessed a painfully informal view of this mission, the regard with which she addressed her soldiers was nothing less than formal. "Understood, Private. Inform the others that we will be arriving in the city soon. Prasutagus is a student of my Great Uncle after all, it would not be pleasant for him to see us in an unorderly state. Go." The solider nodded to Rhiannon and moved on to the next carriage. Then the strawberry blonde girl looked out the window again. Down to the beautiful sparkling waters of the Halo, and onwards to the towering presence of the city itself, Cath Maige Tuired. There was nothing she was looking forward to about this mission. Only the chance to see Bonnie again was the real hitter. But she was a solider in a time of war. So Rhiannon put her issues aside until later. What she had said about the man that her forces would be meeting with, the English Swordsman Prasutagus, was true. He was the former student of Aarin and thus linked to her illustrious Highland Family. She had to show respect and coordination for someone of that connection. And thus she straightened herself out a little, remembering the hours upon hours she had spent with her Grandmother, Ingrid, whom had taught her the manners and etiquette that a young female of the Highland Nobility was expected to present herself with. About twenty minutes later, the train that Rhiannon and her forces had taken from the mountain train station of the outer range pulled up in the city district of Greenwashe. One of the richer parts of the town. In every town in the world nowadays, there was a group of people living in the inner cities who were living in unspeakable poverty. A new breed of half-staved labourers who toiled at poorly paid jobs were developing everywhere. In small numbers, but not at a small length of suffering. Greenwashe was a sector of town that had none of those people festering inside of it. This place was too 'beautiful' for that. Which could be seen through the eyes of Rhiannon and her company. As they disembarked from their train they all took in the sights of Greenwashe. It was like a wondrous and earth-shattering reflection on old Hanoverian England. From the small gas lamps, white marble buildings and organized cobblestone walkways, to the many water gardens, stone statues and trademarked pigeons that flocked around them. For a city that was cultivated mainly with Asian influence, this sector had a particularly resonant Western feel to it. Waiting for Rhiannon and her troops by the first platform of the train station was a certain man. Of a tall, stocky build. Decked out in a mix between steel armour and country robes, with a gigantic sword strapped to his back. The leather scabbard of that sword had the words 'Pride of the Iceni' sewn into it. With his lengthy black hair swaying around him, the older man turned around to see Rhiannon and her soldiers, all gathered together. The man rested a hand to his waist. "...Well then. I can guess from the tunics and swords that you must be the forces sent from the Order of Light to safeguard the re-enforcement of the seal of Quetzacoatl." Rhiannon's head tilted to the side. "...Mister Prasutagus?" "Correct," He confirmed. The young woman bowed down for a brief moment, as did her soldiers, then stood upright and addressed the older swordfighter. "I am pleased to see you, sir. I was told that you were a student of my Great Uncle, Aarin Highland. So I am honoured to be working with you in this mission." Prasutagus held a hand to his chin. "Hmm. You must be Michael's little girl. You know your Father and your Grandmother spoke very highly of you. But I heard that the rest of your family are in hiding in Neo-Russia. Surely it would be safer for you to join with them?" Rhiannon shook her head. "I fight to make the world safer for them to live in now, sir. Just as my Great Uncle Aarin does. My sword can only be used for that purpose right now. Once the war is over... I can focus on my real aims in life." "And what might they be?" As if he had to ask... "To become the greatest swordswoman alive," Rhiannon replied, "Just like my Grandmother always wanted for herself. And now for me." The taller man laughed honestly. "Ha, ha, ha! You're definitely the granddaughter of Ingrid Highland alright. But I suppose we cannot stand chatting here all day. I was told to bring you to your quarters by Miss Nakagawa-McAmish as soon as I could." And so they marched on. Rhiannon and Prasutagus got better acquainted as the group of warriors left Greenwashe Station. But there were forces at work now, forces with open and tireless eyes, that were keeping a tight grip on the actions of Prasutagus. And of the young redheaded woman who had arrived in Cath Maige Tuired. With a fresh supply of troops from the Order, no less. High above that elegant glass and marble trains station, standing beside it in make, was a large and extremely tall secondary building. A sort of factory made for the creation of steam-powered machinery. But that was not significant. What was more striking than that large and quiet factory... was what happened to be standing on the roof of that building. Two figures. Bathed in the hot light beaming down from the newly arrived sun. One of those figures, what looked to be a man, was of an average height but of muscular frame. But he was not an average person at any length. Over both of his lithe but firm arms were arm-long steel gauntlets. The colour of black. The rest of his body was not nearly as armoured as his arms were. His body enswathed with a grey tunic, one that swung all the way down to his ankles. Across his chest was a symbol. A lion inside of a ring, and behind that ring was a feather. It was the insignia of an ancient family. Something the wearer knew all too well. But the most glaring and frightening aspect of this man, was face. Its face was completely obscured by a tight steel mask. Four slits at the jaw of the mask gave it the ability to be breathed through. Two thin slits acted as eyeholes. And at the back of the mask that circled the whole of this man's (or creature's) head was a ponytail of braided black hair. ...But, despite that menacing presence, he was not the most troubling of the two figures upon that tall factory roof. There was a young girl there too. No more than twelve years of age. Perched upon the shoulder of the man of the dark aura. She looked simple enough. A child, wearing a thin white dress, with pretty black hair and expressive blue eyes. But her smile... that cold, calculating smile completely transcended her age. Something about her indicated power... The girl giggled to herself. "It looks like the Shrine of the Seal aren't kidding about the seal re-enforcement of the Quetzacoatl. I hear that the girl holding the ceremony is quite powerful as a magic-user. What do you think, Gram?" The dark man-beast known as Gram, responded to the little girl. "It is a powerful weapon. It was used in the legendary Ten Sekai Sentou Kyousou, by the leader of the company that created me and the other Genocide Weapons. It's natural that the Order of Light fears it." "Ah! I hear a little anger in that powerful voice of yours," The girl replied, "I see that you still resent the Shougatsu for creating and imprisoning you. Strange. I hear that your 'brother', of sorts, Ras es-Shamrah was far more loyal. Do you truly resent them that much?" Gram growled under his breath. "They are of no more concern to me. I pledge my allegiance to the one who saved me from cryogenic imprisonment. You, Mistress Ursula." The innocent-seeming youth giggled again. "I know that. You're very important to me too, Gram. This is why we must seek out the Quetzacoatl. The Shrine of the Seal aren't fit to lock away such power. And we still aren't sure if the Covenant will be getting in on this." As he looked downwards, Gram could see Rhiannon, Prasutagus and all the other soldiers leaving the glassy surroundings of Greenwashe Station. "...Al Gul Jehed is no coward. So I doubt that he fears the Quetzacoatl. Powerful as it is, it is just a weapon. Not even capable of magic." "Don't underestimate the Quetzacoatl," Ursula said seriously, "Its powers make it special. But even more than that, I can feel that it will have a great impact on the fate of the world when the times comes. Which is why we have to muscle in on this little re-sealing ceremony while the iron is hot." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Withersmoon Gravesite, Bristol, Neo-England Bristol was one of the first cities in Neo-England to receive re-construction plans in the original outline for the Safe-Zone project. Therefore it was far more developed than some of the other cities around the world. One place that had been restored to its fullest was the Withersmoon Gravesite. Just like any other cemetery, really. The only difference being that someone very special was buried here. Amid the many tombstones and grassy up-growths, unattended to by any caretakers, was a crypt. A small one, but located at the far side of the cemetery grounds. The slight wind passing through Withersmoon grew colder. Then sparks flashed in a spot just before the crypt. These sparks became a stream of lighting and howling winds, that tore up the blades of grass beneath it. A figure appeared in that lightning-tinted gust, a figure of a female. Diana. The woman sighed as her dark black boots touched the ground. And the wind surrounding her faded. Leaving her behind in the cemetery. Neo-England was almost completely under the control of the Covenant, so there was no real need to use magical teleportation to get here. Especially because it used up so much of Diana's energy. But she couldn't wait any longer to be near her love. The sorceress stepped towards the crypt that she had come to and waved her hand slowly. Magical energies slowly opened the heavy stone door for her, and so she walked inside. The crypt was not flattering. It was humid, dusty and covered with cobwebs. But because so few people came to gravesite these days, it would always be like this. Diana walked up to the huge stone coffin at the centre of the tomb, and smiled sadly. A tear passed down her eye. This was the burial site of her love, Zephaniah. The man who had authored her revival. And though she was angry at him for using magic and technology to bring her back from death, her love for him was unchanged. Even in his death. "I have returned, my love." Diana said with sadness. "Returned to this place, Neo-England. The place where we first met. It seems like only yesterday since we were just a normal, happy couple... what happened to us...?" It was no wonder Diana was so shocked by the outcome of their lives. 64 years ago, they were just a normal couple. Zephaniah was not even known as 'Zephaniah'. He went by his birth name, Aesus. Diana had been a simple girl who worked in a flower shop. And Aesus was just a young man training in swordplay, under the English sword-master, Roundsman. The two met, fell in love, and planned a future together. They even decided to get married. But then on that horrible day, the 24th of August, 2078... Diana Angelinous and Aesus were in the middle of a romantic date in a park, when a bunch of punks, confronted them. They brutalized Aesus with repeated beatings, in front of a horrified Diana. But then, Aesus was the one forced to watch, as the gang later raped and murdered the innocent Diana. Aesus was spared with life, but left mentally scarred. So badly that he abandoned the name 'Aesus' and became 'Zephaniah' the dreaded knight of the shadows. He faked his own suicide, then sunk into the shadowy underworld to plot his revenge against the gang. It was no surprise that shortly after the reported 'suicide' of Aesus, the gang members had been found dead, their heads severed and their ribcages ripped open. But Zephaniah was not satisfied with that. He not only wanted revenge against the gang, but revenge against the world. The blasted world that had allowed demons like those men to live unchallenged. Zephaniah proceeded to hone his sword skills, to better himself. And the three years following the death of Diana, the dreaded knight built himself a ruthless and powerful company called the Shougatsu Financial Group. After finding one of the four sacred swords, the Shadow Edge, Zephaniah announced a tournament to be held. It was a calculated plan to bring together those who held the swords. Though he claimed to want the swords for the Shougatsu Group's plans of conquest in the world's economy, he wanted the swords for their magic. His real goal was to use the magic of the swords to bring Diana back to life. It would not have worked, but then it didn't matter. An alternate method was found. By imbuing Diana's corpse with magical energy and restorative newly developed nanomachines. Diana was reborn, and she was brought back as beautiful as she had been before. But she was forever changed. Diana Angelinous had become the first and last of an incredibly powerful breed of human, that Zephaniah's scientists dubbed as 'Deities'. Human beings that were not only instilled (artificially) with the power of magic, but are ageless due to the restorative abilities of the nanomachines. This was why Diana looked like a 25-year-old now when in fact, she was nearly ninety. And also the reason she could use magic when she was not born with the genes necessary to conjure it. Zephaniah had granted her eternal youth and magical power... but it cost him his life. It was because of these activities that, Setsuya Seisuji and his friend, Aarin Highland, killed Zephaniah in combat at his tournament, Ten-sekai sentou kyousou. And the technology to create Deities was lost with the destruction of the Shougatsu Financial Group. Diana was left reeling from the death of her fiancé, and thanks to Setsuya and Aarin, the only way to bring him back from the dead was lost. The woman travelled the Safe-Zones in misery for the following fifty years, until her powers were acknowledged by the leader of the Covenant of Sorcerers, the man called Al Gul Jehed. And from then on, Diana was at his side in his war against the World Federation. Her powers allowed her to rise in rank until she was second only to Al Gul Jehed himself. That was the story of Diana and her love. Tears passed down Diana's face as she looked at Zephaniah's stone coffin. "The time is at hand, my love. This world has violated us once too often. I will continue your work... in your memory..."
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