YUKAN, ITE, AND KADAINA ARRIVED AT THE PRIMARY MILITARY HEADQUARTERS in Murasakino. As the three of them entered the base, they saw that the camp was already undergoing training. Many men and women, most of which were in their mid-twenties to late forties, were giving their all and then some to improve themselves for combat. One group was sparring one-another, using all assortments of weapons. Axes clashed against broadswords and halberds at irregular intervals as the combatants tried to fight in a fiery blitz. Another group was lined up in front of a series of targets, firing arrows and throwing daggers and handaxes at them. Other targets were stacked on top of each other, and the archers would not be able to move to a higher target until the target underneath of it was hit.
Lastly, there was a group that was doing general exercises. At the helm of this group, amidst the overall struggles, a man with skin the shade of mahogany worked beside them, barking out the counts. By the time Yukan, Ite, and Kadaina arrived, they had reached at least one-hundred thirty counts of sit-ups. Despite this, the man did not seem to slow down and the group was feeling the struggle of keeping up, being the most exerted of all of the regimens.
“Come on, guys!” the group leader shouted in-between counts. “Only ten more push-ups and we can have a water break!”
The three newcomers contemplated their position. Not only were they tired from traveling for so long, but the regiments seemed excessively brutal as well.
“Hey Yukan, I’m sorry buddy,” Kadaina began as he turned to leave. “I think I should go back home, Oba probably needs my help with-”
“We’ve gotten this far already,” Yukan said as he grabbed ahold of Kadaina’s sleeve, ‘and now you’re wanting to bail on us?”
“Can you blame me?” the mage whimpered. “Look at me! I’m not built for fighting!”
“We can fix that,” the man called out before taking a hefty swig from his canteen.
“So you’re the general of this army?” Ite asked.
“Indeed I am,” the man answered. “You three must be the ones that Yokina told me about. The name’s Zenpan Imoru, but you can call me Zero.”
“A pleasure, I’m sure,” Ite replied.
“You three are pretty young from what I had been told,” Zero began. “A boy aged 17, and a boy and a girl both aged 16. Yokina insisted that we need all the help we can get. I was reluctant to accept you three at first. That was, until I saw your name in the message.” He pointed toward Yukan.
“You know who I am?” Yukan asked.
“I’ve known your family for quite some time,” the general replied. “And I could recognize that blade you carry from anywhere.” Zero broke out of his awe for a moment and turned to his men.
“Troops are dismissed,” he hollered. “We shall pick this up once again tomorrow!” The troops let out a sigh of relief in near perfect unison and began to migrate to the mess hall. General Imoru returned his attention to the three of them.
“If that is truly the Omega Blade, as I expect,” Zero continued, “then judging by the mark on your hand, there is no doubt that the blade has attached itself to you. It can only do this with a descendant of the late Oji Kenshi, and thus I could only presume that you would be Yukan. And that would make you Ite and Kadaina.”
“But, of course, there are more important matters at hand than your names. We’re at war now. With Aotoshi, no less. Their emperor is a dangerous man. He seized the throne with the help of only one other man, bringing an end to the Kral Dynasty in a span of mere minutes. Kunshu is somebody that cannot be easily conquered. If he were to find his way onto the battlefield, we would surely be decimated by the combined force of his own strength and his army. Yet, with you in our ranks, with you carrying his inverse, we may just have a chance.”
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“So, do you know how to use it?” Yukan asked.
“How to use it?” Zero chuckled. “It’s a sword. Have you never wielded a sword before?”
“No, I have,” Yukan responded. “But isn’t there some sort of ability that you get from this? Like, Sword Knock or something?”
“It’s Suornha,” Zero stated, his tone of voice changing, “and I would recommend you not tamper with that. If you need it, it will come to you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Suornha? It means ‘Divine State’. I’m sure you can guess what it gives you.”
“No, I meant the whole- You know what? You’re probably not going to give me a straight answer anyway.”
“I’m sure you remember the story of how this blade was created, no?” Zenpan continued.
“Kinda,” Yukan answered.
“Not at all,” Ite answered.
“Absolutely,” Kadaina answered. “Kashikoi told me the story often.”
“Well I’m glad one of you did their homework,” Zero muttered before returning to a normal speaking voice. “Regardless, your training will start tomorrow. Go grab something to eat at the mess hall and find your place in the barracks afterward.”
The four of them headed toward the mess hall, unaware of the Aotoshi scout who spoke into a radio transmitter as he hid in a nearby tree.
“Scout six to the Pond,” he said over the transmitter, “the fish has taken the bait.”
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The sun rose the next morning and the three of them were sleeping on the same bunk bed. Yukan and Kadaina were assigned to this bed, with Kadaina opting for the top bed and Yukan getting the bottom bed. Ite was assigned to a different bed, but an open draft on account of a shattered window had made her too cold to fall asleep, so she shared a bed with Yukan. The person that Ite used to share a bunk bed with had since resorted to using it as a storage area for her belongings.
A whistle pierced the sound in the air as the troops perked up. As they all turned to the sound, they saw General Zenpan Imoru at the door.
“Wake up, troops!” he yelled. “We’re getting our breakfast and heading for the training grounds!” Yukan and Ite woke up and got out of bed with little trouble, while Kadaina groggily rolled over and nearly fell out of his bed.
“Why are you so hardcore?” Kadaina groaned.
“I’m nothing compared to the battlefield,” Zenpan stated. “We need to make sure that you’re ready for the frontlines, young man. If we end up on the receiving end of an Aotoshi charge, I want to make sure you know how to neutralize the threat. Now, let’s get going.”
The training regimen Zero had crafted was hellishly brutal, almost to the extent of absurdity. Calisthenic exercises were the bulk of it, along with weapons training and cardio. All of the work-outs in this routine were chosen so that, should the intensity and repetition that Zenpan required be abided by, every muscle of the body was targeted. Despite all of this, Zero seemed to complete these exercises with ease. The most daunting of these required soldiers to carry roughly three-hundred pounds on their shoulders and carry the weight two-hundred yards. Yukan initially struggled to even lift the weight, and by the time he was able to, he could only carry himself about twenty yards.
The regiments, in total, lasted about 5 hours. This was supposed to give people a good amount of rest after the exercise. This was also paired with each meal being large enough to provide sufficient nourishment. The soldier’s strength had improved greatly throughout the period and, by the third week, Yukan was able to lift both one-hundred-fifty pound bags and carry them on his shoulders, albeit still with some difficulty, making it about one-hundred-seventy-five yards before collapsing.
The last day of training before their first battle soon arrived, about four weeks after Yukan, Ite, and Kadaina’s arrival in Murasakino.
“I’m proud of each and every one of you,” Zenpan declared after their training had ended. “You have all gone to hell and back, training to the best of your abilities. Some of you have exceeded my expectations with flying colors. You will all be deployed at dawn. Best of luck to you all and may each of you return home unscathed. You are all dismissed.”
The troops began to pour out of the meeting hall as Zenpan stopped the three teenagers.
“You three be especially careful,” he said to them. “You’re the only three here that aren’t adults yet and I do not want your blood on my hands. Do I make myself clear?”
“As always,” Yukan replied.
Zenpan smiled upon the three of them before they headed out to their barracks. Once there, they went straight to bed, knowing what the dawn would bring.