Debris stretched till the horizon like winter snow. Craters were dug deep into the ground, filled with the broken ruins of once-great temples.
The sky above was pitch black, a vacuum.
In the far distance, innumerable stars were shining dimly… their light was a testament to the past, present, and the future.
The Ruined Domain of the Moon… Viablentis.
One of the vampyre settlements during the second pandemonium before the civilisation upon it was utterly razed by the fury of humans.
"It's a fine morning on Viablentis, my cadets." Vesper tilted his head to glance at the voice.
There she stood, standing upon a destroyed column, gently looking down at all the hundred cadets.
"You wouldn't recognise but it is morning. During the night, this entire domain is covered by a blanket of loom. The fog is so great that everything is covered. The moon becomes something akin to a gas planet."
She chuckled lightly and leaped at the high point, landing smoothly upon the surface as if she were simply hopping.
The lady wore a pristine grey suit, body tight that clung to all the right places, highlighting her curves.
"This particular battlefield that you see. Its history is very precious to me. Not only was it my ancestors' home ground once upon a time… but also the very domain my brigade destroyed. Yes, I was part of the covert operation."
She smiled, under the gaze of the pale nebula clouds above… it looked less like a polite smile and more of a devilish grin.
"I have served the crown for a hundred and twenty years. I'm a five-star hero… a graduate of Troy, myself, and a former majoreé of the 14th Battalion under the Royal Regiment."
Every graduate of Troy was a hero. Be it those who failed in their second year or even their third year.
Successfully passing the first year would award one with a One-Star Hero title and so on… Two Star, Three Star… the list could go on.
The highest rank as of yet was a Seven-Star hero and there were barely two of them. None other had achieved a star higher or reached the same level.
This did not mean one did not have the opportunity to be a hero if they weren't a graduate of Troy.
Heroic achievements to humanity's greatness would always be awarded. Not a single effort would be wasted.
Humans had conquered the stars but there was more to get. The galaxy, the universe… and who knows what else would remain beyond…
'One thing is certain. The Human Spirit… It's absolutely… indomitable.' Vesper smirked.
True that he was a Vampyre now but he could also be called the progenitor or great ancestor of the human race… their messiah or even the savior of mankind.
He glanced at his surroundings, the simulation had perfectly captured everything to the exact notch.
It felt as if he was really on this moon. From the gravity, to the weather… and the ground underneath… There was an uncanny resemblance.
Vesper closed his eyes.
'This is what I strived for… hehe, I almost feel like devoting a riff to this feeling. I'll call it Viablentis Rock.'
The lady walked carefreely, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes touched each cadet.
She gave off no pressure, no heat, no sound beyond the soft crunch of boots on regolith or any shred of aura… her presence was like every other person.
Yet, as she passed, spines straightened. Jaws clenched.
A line of ninety-nine cadets snapped to attention without a single spoken command.
"Hmm…" she smiled, satisfied. She opened her palm and an elegant silver rapier materialised.
Her gaze swept across them all and for a fleeting moment it lingered on Vesper.
The Professor lightly flicked her rapier.
"Oops…" she smiled.
Vesper gulped, a bead of cold sweat tracing a path down his temple.
The air hadn't screeched or shattered… it had simply ceased where the blade pointed, as if reality itself had politely stepped aside.
He was standing like the others, equally stunned. From the corner of his eye, he looked back as much as he could without moving his head.
The entire surface behind him had been utterly… razed.
'Note to self,' he thought, the words clear and cold in the silence she'd created...
… 'do not piss off the lady with the pretty sword.'
"My name is Oleufa Bellenoia. Cadets, y'all can call me Ma'am. Madamé. No need for professor. No need for majoreé too."
She smiled warmly.
Though… it did not really look all that warm.
'That's one way to make an impression…' Vesper shuddered.
This lady was a Five-Star Hero… a war-sculpted goddess… a legend to humanity's greatness and an observer to its soul.
Vesper chuckled inwardly and almost shivered in his boots.
'If this chick finds out I'm a vamp… I'm probably cooked.'
He doubted he'd be executed. With the vibe Oleufa gave out, it'd probably be that he'd become a punching bag for all the cadets to practice on live.
'I should probably try and hide better…'
The calling card the Cernogratz assassin had given him was burned in the back of his mind.
He could recall everything from the details to call her and even the manual she had given to disguise himself as a human rather than a vampyre.
'Probably a secret manual developed by her… or the Cernogratz to disguise well…'
The Ducal House was afterall famous for their deception skills.
'I wonder whose side the Cernogratz are on… humanity or the vamps… maybe it's selfish on their part.'
Oleufa's smile vanished. The playful glint in her eyes hardened into something as cold and absolute as the limitless void overhead.
"The rules are simple," her voice resonated across the desolate battleground like a ghastly tremor:
"For your first class of Combat Primacy. I won't be teaching. You have six days. Do whatever you want. There are no rules. No restrictions. Survive the environment. Survive the beasts. Survive each other. And most importantly…"
Her gaze swept over them again, slower this time, and a low cruel smile broke out on her stoic visage.
"…survive me. Your training begins now!"