PART 1:
January 21, 557 E.R
Early evening.
The city streets are busy.
People are walking, crossing the streets, going to home.
A black car stopped outside a mansion.
A females in soldier uniform came out from the front-passenger seat. She opened the backseat door. A boy came out.
"We're here Hiragi-sama.", she said to the boy.
The boy turned his gaze towards the mansion's entrance. He saw a man and a little girl behind him.
"So you've arrived. I believe we've meet before.", said by the man to the boy.
"About that. He can't remember anything besides his name and his father. All he can recall is from last night. Anything before that was eaten.", said by the female soldier while interrupting the man's greeting.
"I see. My name is Takeru Shiro and this little girl hiding behind me is my daughter, Takeru Aoi. Say hi to him Aoi.", said by the man who introduced his self as Shiro.
"Nice meeting you! My name is Aoi! 11!", the girl cheerfully introduced herself to the boy.
"My family has been serving your family since god-knows-when and as a tradition we will continue to serve you.", Shiro said.
"But I got nothing to offer you as a payment.", the boy mumbled.
Seems like Shiro heard what he said and replied, "It doesn't matter. We will take you in and raise you. Paid or no payment. Your old-man is a close friend of mine after all."
The boy turned silent with an expression of relief. Relief that someone is willing to take care of him.
"By the way. This is your family's mansion so make your self at home", Shiro added with a smile.
"Sir, here is his baggage.", the female soldier took a traveling back pack out of the car's compartment and handed it to Shiro.
"And this is that thing.", she added while handing Shiro a large stick figure covered by a black piece of cloth. From first glance Shiro already knew what's inside the cloth. It was the tachi(A japanese long sword).
"...", Shiro analyzes what to do the sword.
"Here. This belongs to you now.", Shiro said while passing it to the boy.
"Wait! What do you think you're doing?! That sword will eat his memories!", the female soldier said.
"I know. But it's the only thing that's left to him by his family. Besides I am in-charge of him from now on. I will make sure he does not use it unless it's needed", Shiro said with a confident expression.
"...", the female soldier turned silent with a worried expression.
"So? What are you guys planning to do from here on out?", Shiro asked the female soldier and he turned his gaze to the male soldier driving the car.
"I think we will resign from the military and find ourselves a job in this city.", the female soldier said.
"Exactly what I was going to say.", said by the male soldier in the car's driver seat.
"I see, if you need something please drop by anytime.", Shiro said to the both soldier.
"I shall now declare! You both have done well escorting Takashi. Consider it a mission complete. You are dismissed. Thank you for being so loyal to the Hiragi family even if your master abandoned you!", Shiro said while lowering his head.
Both the female and male soldier stood firmly for 5 seconds. The male soldier smiled and the female soldier cried. She cried in a way that she does not want to say goodbye to someone who's leaving.
During their formalities Takashi looked at them in a sad expression.
"Hey! Say goodbye to them.", Aoi said while grabbing Takashi's hand.
Takashi stepped forward, lower his head and said "Thank you Eru-san! You too Alfred-san!"
"Anything for you Takashi-sama!", said by the female soldier.
The male soldier smiled and nodded.
Aoi then suddenly tried to turn Takashi to face her and said "WAKE UP!!!"
The door was slammed open.
Takashi opened his eyes.
"It's 7:00am already! You need to prepare for today!!", Aoi shouted.
"Okay okay. I will.", Takashi said in an annoyed expression.
"Okaaaaay!", Aoi cheerfully responded while going out of the room.
"Geez, that girl really is loud.", Takashi mumbled.
"That dream. This time I remember everything in it.", he added.
"Eru-sensei..."
August 15, 561 E.R
Trinity Royal Academy has officially launched the academy's founding anniversary celebration. The celebration will last for a week. With the traditional event of inter-class tournament. A tournament that will involve all class' representative clashing into one-on-one friendly battle.
Takashi and Aoi are staring at the school's entrance with what Shiro said from last week in their mind.
"When your father said about 'next week's event', he mean this event right?", Takashi asked Aoi.
"Seems like you're thinking the same thing as me Taka-sama. Yes. I think this is what he meant by that event.", Aoi replied with a calm smile.
"I see. It looks like I gotta loss a little restraint.", Takashi said.
"It looks like you're right about that. There's no way we will survive a surprise attack if we hold back Taka-sama. Especially you who's the class' representative for the campus' security.", Aoi said.
Takashi smiled with confidence and replied "There's no way I'd die here.".
They then decided to enter the campus. They parted ways since Takashi needs to report to the head of the academy's security squad. The academy's security squad is composed of all class rep for guard duties and it's head is the student council vice president.
In the other hand Aoi wandered off to places with foods.
After receiving his assignment, Takashi went to the main school building's 3rd floor. He was assigned there. Takashi made few rounds in the 3rd floor which is the most peaceful place in the entire campus since all events are held in the first floor and other school facilities.
Takashi then decided to slack since there is nothing unusual in his post. He went to the 3rd floor's corridor and looked outside. He is observing people running around, walking around, people coming in and out from club rooms and gymnasium.
"It looks like the tournament will start after lunch. Well there are 5 days for this foundation celebration so there's no reason for them to rush the schedule.", Takashi mumbled while observing the school ground from the 3rd floor.
He saw Shizune and Rikka having fun in the food stands. Stuffing their faces with foods.
"Ehh? They really like stuffing foods into their mouths. I wonder where do those foods go. I mean why are they still able to maintain those body figure.", he mumbled again.
Meanwhile Aoi went behind the school ground with her stomach full of foods. She sat on a bench where there are no one around.
"Oh man! I'm stuffed.", she said while rubbing her belly. "I sounded like an old man now", she added.
"Eh?", she reacted after seeing a man in black outfit in the garden. The man is carrying a back pack. He has white hair and looks like in his mid 40s'.
"That's a visitor, right?", she asked herself.
Suddenly she remembered what she was discussing with Takashi earlier. She stood up and followed the man. The man went upstairs the annex building.
"The academy's traditional tournament's round 1 will start now. The competitors are from class 1 - B and 1 - C. The winner will face the class 1 - A's representative tomorrow, after lunch break. Next match will be 30 minutes after the first match and the competitors are from 2 - B and 2 - C, winner will face class 2 - A's representative tomorrow as well. That will be all for now", the broadcast club announced.
Aoi tailed the man to the 2nd floor of the annex building.
"Hey old man", she called the suspicious man.
The man then stopped and turned around. He's wearing a mask that covers his lower face.
"What is it little miss?", the man replied.
"I was wondering what's inside that back pack of yours. Mind showing it to me?", Aoi asked the man.
"Eh? What if you see my underwear inside? No way! I'd be embarrassed!", the man said.
"Enough jokes! Your eyes. I think I saw them from before.", she responded to the man in high tone.
"Hmm. As expected from Shiro's daughter.", the man replied.
He grabbed his back pack and put it at the ground.
"It looks like you've been a good companion to my son.", the man removed his mask. Aoi's eye widened when she saw the man's face. It's not just familiar. She recognize the man. It was Hiragi Kinshi. Takashi's father and her father's former master.
"And since you've been so good to him, I will give you this present.", Kinshi said and threw the back pack towards Aoi. Aoi caught the back pack and realized it's too heavy for a present. She realized there's something off with the back pack and threw it back to Kinshi.
Kinshi then jumped off the 2nd floor's corridor. And then...
BOOM!!
Everyone stopped for a moment after they heard the explosion and they looked at the source of the loud sound. They saw a girl meters away from the annex building. It's Aoi. She's kneeling with only her right knee as a support and her hands grabbing her center chest like she's in shock.
Shizune approached the frozen Aoi.
"Hey Aoi! Are you alright?", Shizune asked. She tapped Aoi's shoulder.
Aoi turned to face her. Shizune noticed Aoi crying. Aoi hugged Shizune real tight.
"I thought I was a goner!", she shouted.
"Eh? What happened?", Shizune asked with a worried expression. Rikka is standing behind Shizune.
"PLEASE! FIND TAKA-SAMA! PLEASE! HE'S HERE! HIS FATHER IS HERE!", Aoi shouted begging Rikka to find Takashi.
"Eh? But Takashi is on guard duty in the main building's 3rd floor.", said by one student who appears to be a class rep in guard duty.
Rikka then run as quickly as she can.
While watching her run towards the main building Shizune and Aoi heard a scream from the entrance.
A group of armed forces are entering the school ground with sword in their hands. They are attacking students and visitors in their path. The students are running everywhere. The teachers are holding their grounds defending the students and visitors. The students in guard duty are trying to calm others and evacuate them into the school's gymnasium.
"What do you think you're doing?!", a man asked the attackers. He is wearing a black suit with red tie and a pair of black shoes.
"Principal!", Eru-sensei shouted to the man who appears to be Taira Leo, the academy principal and Rikka's father.
"What's going on here Eru-sensei?", he asked.
"They are attacking us with an unknown purpose", Eru-sensei replied.
"I see, then I will make them spill what their goal is then. Please leave them to me and evacuate everyone here to the gym.", Leo said to the teachers.
"But principal! They outnumbered you", Soma-sensei from Class 1 - A said.
"Hehe, have you forgotten who I am Soma-sensei? They don't call me the berserker for no reason. I will get intel about their group's objective and at the same time I will survive. Now go ease the student and visitor's worries.", Leo responded.
"Understood.", Soma responded and picked a student who've collapsed from panic.
The other teachers escorted the students and visitors towards the gym. The school's security then regrouped outside the gymnasium to guard it.
"So, let's begin interrogation.", Leo smiled and draws his sword.
Meanwhile, in the school's main building, third floor.
"We are under attack!, I repeat we are under att-" a broadcast from the academy's broadcasting club announced the situation and was cut-off.
Takashi was listening to the broadcast.
"Tsk! So they thoroughly planned this attack that they cut-off the broadcast a minute after the explosion.", he mumbled.
"Hey get out of here studen-", a female student with blond hair called him from behind, " wait you're Hiragi Takashi!", she added.
"oh, if it isn't miss prodigy, Rikka-chan!", he replied in a teasing tone.
"Why is a low skilled fighter like you just standing here? Please evacuate to the gym already", Rikka asked.
"Well I was listening to the broadcast but it was cut-off.", he answered in a carefree way.
"It won't change anything even if you listen or not. A low skilled fighter like you cannot change anything even if you're well informed of the situation." Rikka arrogantly said.
"Okay okay miss prodig-", Takashi was cut-off of what he was going to say when his eyes caught an approaching silhouette just behind Rikka.
He noticed that Rikka was not aware of the incoming threat.
"Tsk, guess I have no choice.", Takashi said.
"Huh?" asked by Rikka who is confuse of what Takashi meant by that.
Takashi draws his sword a meter away from Rikka's position then suddenly goes behind her in a superhuman speed to block what looks to be a sword used by the attacker.
"Hey, it's inappropriate to attack a girl from behind, you know?", Takashi addresses the attacker.
Rikka dumbfounded of what she witnessed. "Eh? What happened" is what's in her mind. She turned her sight behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw Takashi blocking a sword which was suppose to hit her. "How did you?", she asked.
"Well, this low skilled fighter's body suddenly moved on it's own when it noticed miss prodigy is about to die.", Takashi replied in a serious tone.
The attacker stepped few meters away from them.
"So you're the threat 'he' was referring to, huh?" the attacker said.
"He? Now that's interesting. Please introduce me to that 'he'.", Takashi replied.
"The boss, hahaha never thought I would be facing the son of this kingdom's traitor general, Hiragi Kinshi. Do you miss daddy? hahaha", the attacker said while laughing.
Takashi's eyes turned completely serious when he heard what the attacker said. "It looks like you know something about him.", Takashi said.
"And if I do? I won't be telling you anything since we, from the SORA corps, are paid to attack this academy.", the attacker said.
"Who paid you?" Takashi asked.
"HAHAHA you won't get an answer for that question as well since our group is a mercenary our client's information is clasified.", the attacker answered with a friendly smile on his face.
"Guess I will have to force it out from you then.", Takashi said with his eyes full of bloodlust.
Takashi moves from his position to the attacker's back in just 2 seconds. Takashi is ready to swing his sword and the attacker noticed his movements and was not able to react at the same speed.
"Damn, He's fast. I won't be able to block or dodge it in time.", the attacker thought with a panicked expression.
Suddenly a clang was heard. Takashi's sword hit another sword. Takashi was surprised when he noticed that the attacker was defended by a man in a black general uniform. In his surprise he moved away quickly back to Rikka's position.
"Hmm. You're using the family's sword technique perfectly, huh?", said by the man who defended the attacker.
The man who defended the attacker is a middle aged man and is well equipped from shoulder below. His body is well built for a fighter and has a calm facial expression.
"So you've finally decided to show your face, otto-san.", Takashi said to the man who defended the attacker. *otto-san is a japanese term for father*
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