"Alright students," their Weapons and Maintenance Training Professor, Einar Pryne, smiled at them as both the students of both Class A and Class E gathered in the Forge for their daily Weapons Training. It was common that every other day two classes would share classes depending on the subject or the Professor in charge.
"Your task today is to plan out a weapon that you will all be using and hopefully that weapon will be the one you will use for the entirety of your career." Professor Pryne continued as he watched the students each take up a work bench and opened a holographic projection contains various Preset weapons for the students to edit and modify.
"In fact allow me to share a little bit of Trivia dear students," Professor Pryne continued with a fond smile. “Years ago, I once aided both a pair of young men respectively named Andras Desper and Arios Elpis and they even formed several of the Presets that were provided…”
Pryne continued to explain the tale of how the two greatest figures in the History of Axis while Thomas took his seat next to Lissa with his usual relaxed smile only to be met with her irritated stare.
“Not this again,” Lissa told him in irritation. “What’s wrong with trying to befriend someone I’m wholly interested in?” Thomas countered with a smile.
“Only if you can’t take no for an answer.”
“Believe me, he rarely takes no as an Answer.” Behind Lissa, Yvonne said in a low voice loud enough for Lissa, Louis and several other Class A and Class E students to chuckle and giggle in amusement.
“I mean Thomas is nice what’s wrong with him?” a Girl from Class A asked shooting an interested glance at Thomas earning a groan from both Yvonne and Lissa. “Many things.” Yvonne and Lissa said in unison, the two of them looked at one another and exchanged nods of acknowledgement, while the Lissa does not or will not entertain the idea of being acquainted with Thomas, she doesn’t mind befriending Yvonne.
“…now then any questions?” Professor Pryne asked as he finished his small anecdote. Thomas was the first to raise his hand causing many to look at him.
“Yes Quinn?”
“I understand that we have several presets for each weapon but for clarification, we can also make our own from scratch?” Louis asked, causing several other students to concur with him. Lissa spotted Thomas nodding in agreement much to her curiosity.
“Why yes,” Professor Pryne answered as he continued to walk around the massive forge. “You can also create one from scratch of course, now then, for today your activity is to first create the blueprint for your weapon and you will pass it to me and see if we can forge such a weapon or if it will not explode—” He smiled as several students chuckled in amusement.
“Oh believe me dear students that tends to happen here.” He pointed out. “But that being said if you cannot finish it by today we can continue this over the next lesson.”
“So how will you plan yours?” Uther asked several of the students who were adjacent to them.
“I’d probably make mine from scratch,” Thomas said with a yawn as he looked at the presets one last time. “For a pair of Military Legends, they sure have some basic taste in weapon presets.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree,” Lissa nodded as she looked at the presets as well. “I may have to plan my own original weapon.”
“I mean with or without the presets I feel like you’d plan one from scratch either way.” Louis commented earning an amused chuckle from Uther and a student from Class E named Ren Muramasa.
“Why not have a little wager then,” Ren pointed out leaning close to the two.
“A Wager?” Both of them exchanged looks. Earning a cocky smile from Thomas while Lissa kept a stoic look but a flash of curiosity appeared in Lissa’s eyes.
Ah there they go again, A handful of students thought as the moment they heard Ren suggesting a wager. Ever since their sparring match one afternoon that Class C watched, the two had developed a small rivalry over the past few days. Each time it would constantly end with a tie between the two and calling it a day.
As a result many students would occasionally go and peek at the Training Room to watch a daily sparring match between Thomas and Lissa, mostly out of curiosity and sometimes even make bets, it doesn’t help that each time one of them would lose the other would suggest a rematch.
Though this was due to Thomas being eager to fight Lissa since he is enamored with her skills and intellect in fighting while Lissa on the other hand refuses to accept a happy go lucky and lax student is able to be on par with her own skills and intellect.
“Go on.”/“I’m interested.” The two said earning an amused laugh from Ren.
“If you two make a powerful weapon, you two might finally be able to settle the score between you two.” Ren pointed out.
“I accept.” Both of them said and immediately the two went to work earning the amusement of anyone within earshot. And so the two quickly went to work with both of them with a renewed energy.
Ren returned a few minutes after the Class had ended and only came back because he forgot a few things that he left in the Forge, but to his surprise he found both Thomas and Lissa their faces planted on the workbenches in severe frustration.
“You two are still here? Class had ended minutes ago.” Ren asked in disbelief. “Yeah as you can imagine things got a little bit difficult along the way.” Thomas said with Lissa said as she got up and silently brushed herself and walked away in silence.
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“Well we should get going," Ren suggested with Thomas chuckling as he followed after him.
[Axis:Legacy]
Surrounding the Academy is the City of Thermus, once a small town now becoming a sprawling metropolis as tourists from both Kingdoms had come to the City to come and see the rich history that had changed this region.
Lissa let out a sigh as she looked at her phone where the directions for this War Museum that Louis once suggested which would help her in planning her ideal weapon. To her luck she managed to find it and went inside.
“Thank you again for accompanying me for this tour,” Lissa smiled at the tour guide as they looked through the Museum’s Weapons. “I’m glad to help an Axis Student.” The Tour Guide smiled as they looked through various weapons used by notable figures throughout the years. Eventually the two of them made their way into the end of the hall containing a shattered hilt of a longsword with fragments of deep red and onyx placed nearby as they were encased within a clear glass box and containing it are the words:
[Andras Desper’s Crimson Edge]
[This was once the Crimson longsword that was wielded by Andras Desper known as the Crimson Wolf, perhaps the greatest hero of Elphimin who could have been the King of Jorouse but chose the life of a Soldier Instead.]
“There it is.” Lissa said in awe, immediately dozens of thoughts raced through her head. What was this sword like when it once saw battle? How the great Andras Desper wielded this? She was about to ask all of those to the guide but the sword placed next to the famed Crimson Edge caught her attention.
Beside the container on where Crimson Edge was placed was another beautifully made sword but much like the Crimson Edge this too was broken and shattered into pieces, it’s once gleaming blade that was colored bright blue and silver were now but shards of what it once used to be with the hilt being the only memory of it and below it are the words.
[Arios Elpis’ Azure Blade]
[Once the Azure Lion that was Arios Elpis wielded this in battle but much like sword that is Crimson Edge, this too is all that remains of the greatest hero of Elphimin and should have been the rightful King of Exavis]
For a moment, Lissa was immediately drawn to the sword. She quickly shook her head and looked at the pamphlets that contain the information in regards to the two swords. From what she read Crimson Edge and Azure Blade were created from the same material known as Nephilite, a newly a rare form of metal that is reactive to the person’s both Ki and Mana.
Both weapons were designed solely for close quarters combat with armed with a runic sequence that allows them to channel Fire Magic on Crimson Edge’s part and Lighting on Azure Blade’s part. However the weapons were known to be designed that only people with the same skills as Arios and Andras can wield and that during the final battle of Axis, a good portion of the weapons vanished into a stream of light that had taken the lives of both men hence the swords are unable to be rebuilt.
“To think these two weapons were built by the greatest men of their time.” Lissa mused as she approached the two swords and attempted to reach out to the sword only for the Tour Guide to nervously grab her hand.
“Sorry but you’re not allowed to touch them,” She quickly said. Realizing what she meant Lissa quickly pulled way in embarrassment. “Sorry I guess I forgot that these things are technically government property.”
“No it’s not that,” The Tour Guide continued. “It’s just that, those weapons are apparently haunted.”
“Haunted?” Lissa asked in confusion. “Well apparently these weapons are said to contain the souls of their former wielders and that anyone who tried to touch it has gone insane.”
“Yikes?” Lissa backed away in mild fear of the weapons. She then cleared her throat and faced the Tour Guide. “Well either way thank you for helping me out with this.”
“Anytime.” The Tour Guide smiled as Lissa nodded and walked away. Unbeknownst to the two of them, one of the swords for a brief moment, flickered and quickly faded. A week had passed, Lissa was able to not only plan out the designs required for her weapon taking a few inspirations from Crimson and Azure and eventually had it forged.
“Are you really sure that it’s done?” Louis asked her as they walked in the hallway looking for a certain Class Representative from Class E.
“Yeah I’m sure,” Lissa told him with a confident smile as she patted the sleek case where her new weapon was in. Louis couldn’t help but smile in amusement but simply followed after her for the sake of curiosity.
Eventually they found the said Class Representative, carrying a somewhat heavy and large weapon case just like hers talking to Ren about his weapons.
“Thomas Orphen.” Lissa told him in as she placed the weapon case in front of her.
“Lissa Ikross.” Thomas replied with the same tone, his eyes fell on the case on front of her. “I take it you’ve got yours ready?”
“That I have.” Lissa said confidently. “Are you ready for the rematch?”
“I’m just waiting for you to get ready,” Thomas smirked as he grabbed his case as the two of them made their way towards the Training Room.
“So,” Thomas said as he dropped the weapon case on the floor with a smile as Lissa herself placed the weapon on the floor.
“What’s your weapon like?”
“You First Orphen.” Lissa answered with a smug smile. Thomas chuckled and opened his case while muttering ‘figures’ she watched as Thomas pull out a sleek dark grey broad sword that was missing a tip and was instead replaced with a t-shaped blade at the end of it. Thomas also pulled out a speed loader designed for revolvers and placed it on the center of the cross guard with a satisfying click noise.
“Allow me to introduce you to the Raesvelg,” Thomas said as he gripped the sword with both hands but despite its size it was obvious that the sword looked lighter than it seems.
“A heavy broadsword designed to release six rounds of Mana and—” He pressed on a second trigger on the hilt causing the t-shape blade to split and form an axe head. “—it’s also an Axe, I took a few inspired cues on the late Arios and Andras’ Azure Blade and Crimson Edge.”
“I will give praise on where it is due, and I can say that you designed it beautifully.” LIssa said earning a smile from Thomas as she pull out her own weapon, it was a beautiful light grey rapier with a much broader blade and hilt.
“Unfortunately I too had taken cues from their weapons as well as I built Adarin, still though I’m a bit impressed that you also utilize a Mana-bullet discharge type weapon.” Despite the sword having a broader blade Lissa wielded it with ease as she too produced a speed loader and placed it on the cross guard of the blade.
“Regardless, we shall see how well would these weapons would fare against one another.” She quickly raised the blade and faced Thomas with the same determined look as before. She then pulled the trigger causing lighting to appear along the blade.
“Well then time to find out.” Thomas said as he also pulled the trigger causing a fire to erupt along the blade as it returned back into its sword form.
And with that, the two once more lunged at one another this time with their own designed weapons.