“age 16. Heheh!” I yawned loudly, as my stepmom appears in nothing but a black night robe with a sorrowful look and tears in the corner of her eyes.
“Vidar, why did you have to age. Everyone knows you have Traveler powers and have to leave for the institute but I wanted to cherish the life with my only stepson, your older and younger brother abandoned us! So why,” my stepmom said before burying my head into her chest, “did you have to be a Traveler instead of just being ordinary!”
She kisses my forehead and I said maybe we should cuddle for one last time as Strife laid next to me. I put on my ankle-high shoes with a blue zip-up jacket then bid my parent farewell after crossing a street, someone appears in a gray cloak with the hem and edges of the hood ripped.
“Vidar, we meet again but you probably don’t know me.” the figure says bluntly and I shrug. Knowing who it is but decided to play stupid.
“Eh, here’s the thing Jas, I’m probably going to be late so see ya.” putting my index and middle finger to my forehead then pointing them to the sky before leaving, I cross more streets to reach the institute and there it was. A military upgraded building that makes it look like every futuristic and traditional building imaginable converged into one. Someone bumps into me and we stare at each other but nothing comes out until another person says something.
“Arrancar, what are you doing to Viddy?” and I turn around as Melissa stands there with hands behind her back, Arrancar has a look of surprise. Does he know?
“Viddy? Hm, then how about… plainly Vito?” kissing the air then running off and I look at this interesting ground. Melissa looks to her right while smirking as I breathe out a sigh, just taking in the details of Arrancar's appearance which makes him look dangerous. Long soft blonde hair, green emerald eyes, turquoise and black hoodie with bunny ears and turquoise eyes on top of the hood, round glasses, and has a sucker in his mouth. I thought to myself while spinning my foot on the ground, Melissa then walks away with this guy that radiates smug arrogance.
Fucking great on so many levels, I’m probably going to be a shitty Traveler or just pretty goddamn incompetent. I sit on the ground because nobody told me what to do or where to go, people are probably thinking what the hell is this kid doing. Until Arrancar comes back with a paper while yelling my name to the whole world, and a black orb appears above us. Leaking a red and black fluid onto the ground, then pops out a blasphemy prince, they’re fucking strong.
“What the fuck?” I said because this one is a writhing mass of bloated human heads, gaping jaws scattered across, bodies twisted into ridiculous proportions, arms jutting out then turned backwards, blood spewing from every orifices when it moves like a snail, exposed flesh thrashing as air touches the nerves, the spine ripped out stabbing into it’s heart, and a tattered green cape around the main body neck. It stares at me in the eyes before walking towards Arrancar, it roars as the massive blade of the decaying war axe hits the ground in a downward strike, it completely shatter everything in some large fucking circle. Tentacles lashes violently, cutting the dozen trees that line up to the building, sending out a barrage of attacks including the war axe and those appendages. The blasphemy prince punches Arrancar sword but never made the impact because I caught it by the wrist, and I didn’t do this intentionally.
“Listen dickwad, you showed up at the worst time so please fuck off!” I said in a harsh tone before grabbing a nearby object and impaling it in the head, the monster disintegrates in swirling fire. Now I realize that the weapon was Arrancar so my hand extends outwards to the blade’s owner and he hesitantly takes it back, soldiers rush over holding an assortment of weapons that they point the tip directly at me. Arrancar lifts his sword hand up and they back off but still standing there while a person sitting in a worn wooden wheelchair comes up. I couldn’t see the face because of a burgundy scarf that covers the mouth but the aura around them just screams cold sternness.
“So you can hold a Traveler’s own weapon and kill that blasphemy prince with one stroke. Mind telling me how you can do that so easily?” the voice was hoarse but light pitch and very demanding, as I gaze off towards that battle-worn cape which didn’t burst into flames or disappear from a slight breeze, Sandy’s voice make them appear a lot more older and younger simultaneously.
“I don’t know, my hand just grabbed anything to kill it. But there was no tremendous pain from holding his sword.” I said. Going over to the cloth laying on the ground and picking it up, Arrancar whistles a grim tune before deciding to say something.
“Yeah Sandy, the blasphemy prince stared at him and did nothing like it knew he was there but walked over to me.” I turned my head over my shoulder and saw Sandy staring at me, I curtly nod making the wheelchair bound person roll their eyes.
“I got something,” I said, gaining Sandy and Arrancar attention. “there is a symbol on the cape. A… Iron Cross.”
they both look at each other before speeding off towards the institution building so I follow the two while a sergeant barks out orders, to say this military building was well funded is a massive understatement probably because all of the money has gone to the institute. There was a loud shout coming down the hall so I run and slam the door open, everyone in the room looks at me so I hold the blasphemy prince’s cape bearing the Iron Cross out to the entire group.
“You forgot this, Arrancar or Sandy. Which either one.” I said spotting them but one person was scolding me for barging in without knocking. Sandy scoffs without saying anything other than ‘Angus’, Melissa does a ‘Ahem’ to try and get our attention and we look at her.
“This is worryingly but what can this institution do to stop them from appearing out of nowhere?” she says rubbing her forehead, I interrupt anyone who was going to say something.
“Someone is making these Melissa, Sanguinsurges use corrupted Traveler blood to empower them or something else?” they all turn their head so fast, I could hear the people’s necks snapping. My scolder has a look, that he is considering the idea so Angus gazes up at me.
“Then what?” and I remember folktale creature from the slums of hell so much. That it made my stomach churn and twist from the mere mention.
“Barragan Zamora, a skeletal monster that represents our collective fear of dying and having nobody remember or admire the deeds that we’ve done. There is a small rumor about a vial of Barragan’s blood residing here, in Malvena. One single drop could swell the lowest Sanguinsurge monster power, able to go head to head with one Sternritter.” I said, and they all draw their weapons, pointing the blade or tips at different parts of my body.
“Say one more negative word about the Sternritter, and we’ll turn your ass into Swiss cheese.” Harald grimly declares so I use the chance to exert a minuscule amount of my Jenseitiger Druck and they all back away. Standing in front of Melissa who just sitting in her chair with a entertained smirk while Sandy is just sleeping through all of this, I stop releasing it when my eyes see Arrancar shivering and they breath a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry guys, I just want to be friends with you but please forgive if I insulted the Sternritter. It is only a nonsensical rumor but I see that, nobody likes it!” I said and bear hugging everyone in the smooth yet to be calloused hands of mine. Sandy has his scarf pulled down to reveal everything, then everyone comforts me while Angus does it begrudgingly.
“Vidar, your Aura Pressure shape is a menacing sociopathic skull with one side on perpetual black fire with golden yellow outline, and the other one is a blue black with red outline colored mask that has jagged teeth, sunken and psychotic eyes with black lines going down, and horns that point out forward. You’re probably on Sternritter level or maybe beyond?” Angus states as all of us get up, making some consider the idea that this 16 winters person can be on the level with some of the absolutely strongest Travelers that are semi on par with the original travelers.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“When do I begin?” I ask and Harald looks at me.
“Right now.” he says gleefully making a smirk crease on my face so with fist slam, I look at all of them who have their weapons ready and are smiling except Angus.
“Bring it on, I lack the concept of giving up!” I shout, this is the fourth day of grueling training and I grown more scars than a war veteran who has gone to more than 50 battles, after I am done sparring with the other Travelers and they go do their usual hobbies or patrol. I will continue to train on this tattered training dummy so much. Sandy says that the muscle tissue and everything in my arms are torn, also he knows that I won’t let it heal so they locked me in my own room but Angus put some thriller books in there. I lean back in my chair with the institute standard traveler uniform which is an ornate long white haori with black dots and vertical lines on the bottom, and rhombus on the center of the back designating my soon to be military division. Someone knocks on the wooden door then opens it, Arrancar and Angus enter into the room to ask something while checking my arm’s condition.
“What do you want for dinner, Vidar?” Angus ask so I think about this for a second to choose what is good to eat.
“Steak rolls!” I shout, jumping out of my chair and Arrancar flashes a smile after he leaves the room with only me and Angus. We look at each other before the stoic Traveler sits on my bed, Angus is slender and tall not like Harald who looks a bear on its hind legs, long black hair that looks like if silk and satin had a baby, and hollow white eyes. I lay my head on his lap while he sits unemotionally.
“Vidar, I would like to get up now.” I reluctantly get my head off of him, as Angus gets off my bed and he rubs my hair. “When those arms heal, you are going to get Inneres Regalia, get the division that is assigned under you, and know how to do Mico Motus. And possibly achieve Vollversion. Also I did that rub for encouraging you to never give up.”
Angus leaves as I sat there, for once in these days have been the most fun to me. Arrancar brings my dinner and I ate it while watching someone train with another person. I remember the two names, they are Reinhard Grimm and Gernibel Pizarro. After my arms slightly healed, Melissa gave an order to get this package from Malvena trading square so I went there, wearing the Traveler haori and got it. A group block my path to the road leading to my new home while civilians line up on the sidewalk, the gang’s leader walks to me with one hand holding a battle axe and the other on his hip.
“Your a Traveler. Good because I have this grudge that is gnawing at me, to satiate the gluttonous hunger, I gotta kill Travelers!” he yells, before hitting the dust covered ground and chuckles but stops after the dust clears revealing nothing. They turn around showing me crouching, still holding the package tucked under my shoulder and I get up with the haori flowing to the left side still having my back against them while blood spurts from gang’s leader shoulder spreading confusion and fear among my enemies. I show them the short sword dagger with my index and thumb on the pommel.
“I use Mico Motus or flash movement to instantly get behind you guys, picking this guy will only get your pathetic lives killed early so why not join the Iron Gate, with intense grueling training. You people can become badasses that can reach the renown of the Travelers.” I said, flicking the dripping blood off of the blade and they consider it before leaving the leader on the ground as we go our separate ways, I get halfway before the disbanded gang’s leader comes up clutching his bleeding shoulder and tattered tunic, “My name is Oppenheimel, and I fucking despise the Travelers because they let my family died! Not only that but all went back on their promises to avenge them!” he shouts, ripping his bloodstained sleeve off and goes into a fighting stance.
“Oh yeah, I remember that you Oppenheimel, killed your family members and someone convinced or manipulated you. That the Travelers did it so that proves the dumbass mind of yours.” I said coldly. While soldiers circle him and someone I recognized, Jack fucking Evbon delivers the finishing blow before he tears off the tunic and kicks Oppenheimel in the balls as soldiers check for anyone, I leave heading towards Melissa office. Before there was a chance to knock on the door, it opens by Gernibel standing there with that usual fucking fox smile.
“Damn, he’s creepy.” I said out loudly and I give Melissa her package as Gernibel follows me. I enter my room with him coming in too before we sat down, there is a unbearable tension between us to which he chuckles after drawing my blanket over him, and I take off the haori. Laying it on the chair’s seat, I take a seat on my floor and rest my back on the hard wooden ground, then Gernibel flash movements away chuckling so with a slight groan, I get back on my bed to fall asleep. Falling asleep is easy but getting up is not while my Aura Pressure constantly seeps out, threatening to crush the entire institute down to the ground so that’s fun, I go to my division barracks wearing the haori over the shoulders and my Second Seat is standing at the end of the premises.
They never told me their gender but I don’t really mind and the hand belonging to Dondi unzips their mouth. Dondi begins with trying to say something before I stick my hand out catching a kick from Harald, then throwing him up into the sky.
“So, you ready to get your Inneres Regalia?” Dondi says, and with a smile, I nod during Harald’s retaliation by trying to hit me with his great sword until Dondi kicks the sword away, sticking out of the dirt ground from the stairs. Harald gives me a thumbs up and we go in with the other Generals being there but no Sternritters. all laying their backs on the wooden walls then my gaze turns to Sandy until he bangs his Regalia in its sheath onto the ground.
“Vidar Tacticun, born in Malvena’s hell slums and did not join some gang that would’ve used your powers for incomprehensible destruction and disasters. But anyways, as for a Traveler to fight the horrors that we go up against needs their Regalia Gladius, a weapon that is made from our inner entities and those beings are connected to us. The inner world is the very essence of our beings, essentially some personal domain, so close your eyes and look deep down past everything. To meet the entities that live inside of you.” Sandy says and I do so until my eyes open but not in the real world.
Everything is exactly the same but furniture fades and appears in different locations, I walk outside seeing a black reddish liquid that covers the entire ground and dripping from eldritch stone pillars that reach up into clouds, I could walk on the liquid when my foot touched it. Stuff kept shifting into irregular places like a building that twisted into a spiral before contracting in the middle part of the building, I put my index finger on the side before a orb made up of red color exploded the bottom part completely. So this must be the inner world. I thought to myself before a figure appears in a obscuring gray color which made it difficult to know the appearance.
“I am Purgans Lunam, one of the beings that reside here. So Vidar, to gain your Regalia Gladius, is to know what motivates you to keep on going?” the figure says in a rough but young voice and I think about this. On one hand, the buildings contorting and twisting may be that, my purpose is not set in stone.
“I don’t want people to die from the Sanguinsurges and other unknown hostile races. I will survive every attacks either mortal or down right wounds that can kill a Traveler, just so malvena’s people and my friends can laugh while smiling genuinely and not worry about the horrors for just a few seconds.” I said firmly and white ribbons materialize in a circle before Purgans snatches the only blue one then tears it out as the whole ribbon rips into shreds everywhere flowing into the wind after the gray man lets go.
“You achieved your Regalia. There is also other powers but you need to find and learn them.” Lunam says, before the inner world shatters like glass making me see everyone and I look at the sword, a giant onyx greatsword with silver over the blade’s edge, knife-like too, and bandages or some long cloth is wrapped around the hilt and extends out towards the blade but the cloth is extremely tattered. Before someone has the chance to speak, my barracks main door slams open revealing a large figure that towers over Harald.
“Keznpechi? What are you doing here?” Mulysses said. And Keznpechi looked at me, he has white with crimson red highlights long stringy hair, orangish golden eyes, he wears an eyepatch with the edge sliced up, the hussar jerkin is extremely shredded on the shoulder parts and the hem, and it is opened to reveal his bandaged abdomen.
“So a fucking Sternritter going up against you! Just can’t fucking wait!” he brings his nicked and chipped longsword out. Laughing all of the time, I had to block it but made a crater from the force and I Mico Motus away because me fighting a allied Sternritter is suicide. I remember Dondi took my haori and there is a black long double breasted high collar cloak around my neck. The blade was wrapped with the same cloth on the hilt so it can extend towards the tip, Reinhard appears next to me and has a smile on that stupid fucking face.
“Vidar, fancy seeing you here on this wonderful day.” he says and I wave him down before glaring daggers at him to clarify that I will kick his ass even if Reinhard is powerful than me. His hand rubs gently against the hilt.
“Fuck off!” I shout. Putting my sword’s blade up against his throat, Reinhard pushes the blade away and has a hurtful expression as Gernibel shows disappointment so I block all the attacks before I got kick by that smug face bastard Gernibel. I landed in the Styx river where corpses flooded the entire river, an intestine wrapped around me like a scarf so I get up and walk to my original home in need to kick Rondell’s face in. The slums are under the entire city like a giant cave.
“Rondell! Get your incestuous ass out and let’s fight like drunken uncles!” I shout, clapping my hands as people see me with the intestine scarf.