As the dust finally settled, the aftermath of the initiation revealed itself in full, unforgiving clarity. The Plaza was usually a place of ceremony, pride, and festivities.Now? It had been transformed into something unrecognizable.
What had begun as a proving ground now resembled a battlefield abandoned by war itself. The ground beneath their feet was cracked and scorched, stained dark with blood that hadn't yet dried. Broken weapons lay scattered, alongside fragments of armor that once symbolized hope. Bodies of both human and beasts, were strewn across the ground in a grim reminder of what the initiation had truly demanded.
As Haru looked around, he sniffed and instantly regretted the decision as a pungent smell had entered. The air had become saturated with the smell of blood and spent magic, and was punctuated only by the soft moans of the injured and the subdued whispers of the bystanders who had just witnessed the horrors. Until yelling broke the silence.
"John! Johnathan!" A girl who had participated was running around looking for someone.
"Hey lady get off of me,I'm sure this Johnathan is around here somewhere." Other participants saw how frantic and quickly distanced themselves. Other grimaced knowing the outcome of whoever she was looking for likely wasn't good.
She ran up to Haru frantic and wide eyed almost knocking him over. "Please, have you seen my brother Johnathan?I was supposed to look after him and we got separated! I…"
Just then, she looked past Haru's ground and on the ground she saw her brother. What was left of him.
"Why…"
"Why…"
Haru seeing her face couldn't help but tear up. He instantly remembered his family's accident and knew what was happening. She knew her brother was dead, her mind simply hadn't accepted it.
Suddenly she turned to him. "Why are you crying? You did this, didn't you?"
"YOU DID THIS!"
"I'll KILL…"
Suddenly her eyes rolls back and she collapsed. Bane stood behind her and had administered a quick strike to the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
"Haru, are you ok?" Sylvie asked concerned.
"I'm fine.." Though one could see his hands slightly trembling. As Haru stood among the survivors, he tried to steady his breathing. His body ached in ways he couldn't fully place, the toll of battle settling in now that the adrenaline had faded. But it wasn't the pain that lingered most, it was the weight of the event.
The remaining participants, now even more war-weary and shell-shocked, gathered their bearings, each one internally questioning the cost as they looked around. It was easy to lose sight of things in the fog of war but now that they had time to process, it started to hit them.
The King's decision to alter the initiation had stripped away any illusion of glory. It hadn't just tested their strength, it had exposed their limits, their instincts, and their humanity when choices they made came at the expense of others. Alliances had been formed out of necessity, not trust. Bonds forged in desperation would either grow or crack.
Haru exhaled slowly, faint arcs flickering briefly in his eyes before fading. He could feel the connections around him. Some were fragile and barely visible, while others after a while disappeared completed. Death. Before he could dwell on it further, a sharp, commanding voice cut through the silence.
"Mark the critically wounded, stabilize, and move on! Ensure mana cores are completely stable before moving them!"
It was Danity. The 6th ranked Vanguard member and Sylvie's sister.
She moved with urgency, her voice carrying across the Plaza with practiced authority. There was no hesitation in her actions, no room for doubt. Under her direction, healers rushed forward, their magic illuminating the battlefield in bursts of soft light as they assessed injuries and worked to keep the dying alive.
"Sir Gorin, please head up the triage stations and ensure no one gets overlooked."
Goren, the healer who Haru had met upon awakening, rushed around with a spring in his step as if he was made for battlefields. Magical triage gloves began to materialize rapidly.
Some wounded were dragged to the globes, others were treated where they lay, their fates determined in seconds. The efficiency was almost jarring compared to the carnage surrounding them. Every life still hanging in the balance was a race against time.
Haru watched for a moment, then turned as Sylvie and Bane approached him. Neither of them spoke immediately, but the unspoken understanding between them was enough.
They were still here.
That alone was something.
Together, they made their way toward a group that had drawn attention during the battle, a trio whose coordinated magic had helped those who may have lacked or were caught off guard.
Bane stepped forward first, his composure returning despite the exhaustion etched across his face.
"That was remarkable magic," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Prince Bane of Algoro. May I have the honor of your names?"
The man at the front of the group responded immediately, his expression lively despite everything that had just occurred. There was a spark in his eyes, confidence mixed with a bit of aloofness.
"I'm Bingo, hailing from the Cortera region. This sharpshooter is Mira, of the esteemed Elfian race, and the quiet one with the sparkle hands is Rose."
Mira nodded with a reserved smile, while Rose gave a polite bow, his tunic shimmering slightly with residual magic. Their introductions were suddenly interrupted by Gram and his group, whose loud chatter attracted the attention of everyone else.
He and his group stepped into the clearing with an air of arrogance that hadn't diminished, it actually increased. One of them casually tossed a severed beast's head between them as if it were nothing more than a trophy. The sight alone was enough to stir unease among those nearby.
As they swaggered closer. His intrusion sparked immediate tension. A participant nearby, immediately rushed to them.
"Hey! you bastards, I saw what you did you that girl!" He immediately lunged at Gram attempting to attack."
Gram scoffed at the attempt. "Snyder, deal with this loser."
Snyder, who was on the right of Gram, immediately reacted and grabbed the guys wrist. He spun and flipped the guy over his shoulder slamming him hard into the ground."
Gram looked at the other participants standing in disbelief at what just happened.
"Hmpf, there's always one. One of you commoners or foreigners that's always trying to play hero. Be a knight in shining armor. Well look around! Look at these dead fucks. That's what happens when you are weak and try to play hero."
He then laughed menacingly. "It's always better them than us. At least now their worthless selves can serve a purpose. The protection of those greater than them."
Whatever composure Sylvie had been holding onto, vanished instantly. "You used her as bait," Sylvie yelled, her voice breaking with emotion, "like she was nothing!"
Bingo reacted, stepping between them and intercepting her before the situation could escalate further.
"Hey easy now, trash like him isn't worth it" he said, though his tone carried an edge now.
Sylvie struggled against the restraint, her eyes blazing.
Gram didn't flinch. He looked on, unrepentant. "We were told to eliminate the enemies by any means. What does it matter how we did it?"
A murmur spread through the crowd, the tension thickening as more people began to listen. Some looked disturbed, others conflicted. A few, uncomfortably, seemed to agree.
Before the situation could spiral, a new presence immediately entered the area. The pressure alone put everyone instantly on guard.
"What's going on over here?!"
After a brief explanation. She nodded. "You followed the rule," she said calmly. Whispers broke out among the crowd while Gram smirked, as if expecting validation.
"But you failed to understand it."
The shift was immediate.
"Your actions were not strength," she continued, her voice colder now. "They were cowardice. You sacrificed one who relied on you, not out of necessity, but out of convenience."
Gram's smirk faltered. 'What convenience?! Their purpose is to serve us!' As if Serena could read his mind, she released pressure that made Gram drop to his knees as he gasped for air.
"And cowardice…" she added quietly, "has no place among the Warlords. I shall ensure you remember these words ." she declared coldly.
Without warning, Serena's spear materialized and expanded with lethal precision, impaling Gram's accomplices. The crowd gasped, silenced by the swift execution. As the bodies slumped to the ground, Serena's voice cut through the silence like a knife.
Gram finally able to breathe turned to the side as Snyder lay beside him a hole straight through his head. 'This bitch dare force me to my knees like some peasant?! just wait until my father hears about this.'
Serena withdrew her weapon without a trace of hesitation, her gaze sweeping over the remaining participants. "Those of us in the Vanguard value courage and honor as much as strength. Cowardice that costs lives, will not be tolerated."
As Gram looked up, he could see Serena staring down at him with pity as if he was worth less than nothing.
The lesson had been made clear.