12 Years Ago
The atmosphere in Ground D was eerily silent. No one dared to speak, dozens of pairs of eyes staring at the arena, unwilling to blink so as not to miss a single one. In the center of the arena, a male and female students in dark gray training uniforms moved their bodies very quickly. The female student threw her fist without hesitation, which if not avoided, would certainly leave a scar on the face of the boy who was her opponent that day for the next week.
Their fight was so intense that the students in the other arena had no intention of continuing their training, instead opting to watch. This was just a regular training session, so why were these two treating it like a life-and-death battle?
The young girl with black hair tied in a ponytail moved very quickly, her swift movements looked like she was dancing in the arena. She threw a dagger at her opponent when he dodged at the last second. The male student could not breathe a sigh of relief when, apparently, from behind, he received an attack that sent him crashing to the slippery floor. His face fell first, pain took over his head, followed by a heavy weight on top of him. The girl held both hands behind his head, "down," she said. He was sure that at this moment she was smiling.
"Good job, Q1," Colonel Darrel, who was standing at the edge of the arena watching their training, smiled with satisfaction. He then gathered all the members of the 197 training. "This training is still dominated by Q1." The colonel turned to the young boy who was still restrained on the floor, Quinn - who had the code name Q1 during training - didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon.
"Who knows why X1 lost?" The group of trainees remained silent. How could they possibly know how X1 lost? They had been enjoying the fight so much that they had forgotten the details.
"In the first attack, X1 could actually defeat me, but then he hesitated. Then during the last attack he was too focused on taking the dagger in my right hand, so that when I released another dagger from the left, X1's defense was actually exposed, he managed to dodge but didn't realize that the enemy was already behind and attacking him." When none of the students answered, then Quinn herself would answer the colonel's question. After finishing her answer, the tall girl released her grip from X1 who could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He thought Q1 was really going to kill him!
A look of pride and satisfaction was visible on Colonel Darrel's face. "In a real battlefield, the hesitation you feel in a split second can change the outcome of the battle which will also change the future of this planet and everyone on it. Remember one thing, the enemy never hesitates or lets down their guard! We as military forces are the Soul Planet's first line of defense! When we fall, we all bring the entire planet down!" Colonel Darrel's shout was heard throughout the other arenas which also raised the spirits of the young soldiers who shared the same ideals - to become protectors of their planet and kingdom.
After Colonel Darrel left, X1's friends, whose real name was Xavier, approached him. Andrian, A2, one of them, felt sorry for his classmate's battered face. "I think you should visit the infirmary."
"Q1 left a lot of scars on your face, but you couldn't even touch a single strand of her hair." commented another - Darian (D3), Andrian's twin, frowning as Xavier's nose bled.
"She's a monster. Last week I had to stay in the infirmary because I sparred with her. It was a mix of embarrassment and pain when the military doctor asked me if I'd fallen from the top floor of a building." Andrian shook his head, not wanting to experience that agony again. It was the first and last time he ever wanted to be Q1's opponent in training.
"I just need to beat her, right?" Xavier hissed as he wiped the blood from his nose.
"Dude, you've already lost to her 15 times. I suggest that if you want to get out of here in one piece, don't put yourself forward to face Q1 again."
"It's only been 15 times, who knows, maybe I'll win after the 100th fight," Xavier said with a laugh. Andrian rolled his eyes. Was his friend a masochist? Did he find pleasure in being beaten black and blue by a beautiful girl like Q1?
Basically, he doesn't want to lose.
"Just once, I have to beat Q1 before I graduate," he continued, as they took the elevator to the infirmary.
"Otherwise, you'll be so consumed by curiosity that you won't be able to sleep for the rest of your life." Xavier nodded in agreement. Ever since his defeat in his first fight with Q1, he'd been incredibly curious, wanting to defeat Q1 even just once.
"Then you have to defeat her asap, because soon we will be 16 years old and when the flower blooms, you will have no chance to defeat her." The elevator doors opened, on the 15th floor, it was much quieter than below, so when they spoke, their voices seemed to echo in the empty hallway.
"That's right, I'm one hundred point one hundred percent sure that Q1's flowers will be red, dark red and thick like blood. She will be the best trainee, receive the award from the kingdom, and immediately become a member of the Sky Eagle Legion. In a few years she will be the first and most powerful female General in history."
"Do I doubt your words, brother? Q1 is the best, in the mecha simulation tournament alone she managed to beat the senior. As for me? I even have trouble moving my mecha arm, she can already fight." The two twins did not stop chattering on their way to the infirmary. At that time, Xavier also thought that he had to immediately defeat Q1. He had to train even harder, because, if the flower had bloomed, and it turned out that the flower on him was not red, then there would be no more chance to fight and defeat the girl.
Soul Planet is a planet located in the Maxima Galaxy. There are over a hundred planets in this galaxy, while the closest planets are Beast Planet and Spirit Planet, each with its own unique characteristics. While Beast Planet is a planet where its inhabitants can transform into wild animals, Soul Planet itself draws power from nature—specifically, plants—as its power and energy source.
'The flower' is a mark they carry from birth. For girls, the flower appears on their temples, while for boys, it appears on the back of their hands. The ancestors of Soul Planet believe that the flower embodies their bond with the universe. Plants, in particular, draw their power from nature, and they are also dependent on and responsible for it.
The flowers on each Soul Planet child will bloom when they turn 16. When they do, it signifies their complete bond with the Soul Planet. Each flower will have a different color, and each color signifies a different power.
The most common are yellow, blue, and green. This indicates that their physical and mental strength is on a very normal and common scale, equivalent to a D-class.
Then in class C is orange. Above orange is pink, which is class B, while in class A is red, which indicates excellent physical and mental qualities. Not only that, some children will display strength beyond others, when a dark red flower blooms, indicating they are of quality S.
Then finally, if the red color is darker like blood and has light refraction, then it is SS class.
The number of SS-class members can be counted on one hand, with fewer than 20 in the entire kingdom, making them extremely rare. And all the members of the 197th training camp—no, the entire military—know that Q1 will be one of them.
At Soul Planet, children aged 13-15 years old pwill be under military supervision, they will receive military training and guidance until they are 16 years old. During their training they will use code names, so that no one knows their real names until graduation - to protect their privacy.
Then, when their flowers bloom, they can make their own choices. Whether they want to join the military or not is under no pressure, as it's a personal choice for each individual.
Xavier didn't care what color flower bloomed on the back of his hand, he would definitely join the military.