Chapter 1: Rise of a New Paladin

Varonis Residence, Royal Paladin State (7:00 AM, Day -1)

The Royal Paladin state: a country situated in the continent of the United Sanctuary found in the planet Cray, established by knights, dragons and many other creatures to house a growing population that belong to the Royal Paladin clan. Many young creatures who aspire to become knights often travel to this state and study in one of the many prestigious schools present all over the state. However, many upstart merchants and city enthusiasts travel through here as well; the state's economy remained stable as it continued to grow, which attracted many people in the hopes of making it big in this state.

Among those who wanted to prosper in the city life was a family of three: a tall lad at the age of eighteen living with his parents.

Daigo woke up to the voice of Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout. "HEEELLLOOO EVERYONE! It's seven in the mornin' here in the 'City of Pure White,' YO! Time for all you students to get ready for today! It's your final exam!"

Daigo, startled by the loud radio, struggled to get out of his bed as a mechanical bird continuously smacked into his forehead while fluttering around. "Stop getting in the way damn it! I'm going to be late!" The Giro finally stopped after bumping into him about five times.

The sound of a pegasus echoed throughout the city, signaling the start of a city day. After twenty minutes, a young man rushed out of his house, carrying a green shoulder bag. The screams of "Good luck Daigo!" were heard throughout the neighbourhood, and the young man felt energetic as he ran to the nearest Pegasus carriage. He got on the carriage just as the pegasus was about to take off, and with a flap of the majestic beast's wings, the lad flew off towards his destination.

Legion Cross Academy, Royal Paladin State (8:00 AM, Day -1)

The young lad arrived in front of the prestigious academy's grand golden gate. Legion Cross Academy, one of the most well-known academies in Cray, houses many books and scrolls regarding the United Sanctuary's rich and eventful past, with tomes that even catalogue Cray's civil war in a very detailed manner. It also offers its facilities as a school network and a training ground for young, ambitious knights that would like to someday join the high ranks of the Royal Paladin and serve the king himself.

"So…today is the day," Daigo whispered to himself. After a long sigh, he entered through the golden gate. What greeted him is a sight to behold: high beasts running about, carrying messages tied around somewhere in their bodies; knights of both genders filled with vigor as they went through their early morning practice; and of course, as it is a school, the usual sight of instructors in clad armor giving orders to their students.

"Hey Daigo! Come over here!" A voice of a young maiden caught Daigo's attention. It was Tabitha, a well-known student amongst the grade zeros, belonging to the "Jewel Knight" unit. Daigo hurried over to her, and in unison, asked each other, "Are you ready?" They then laughed, as if what is to come is some kind of a light matter.

"I guess I am, Tabitha. How about you?"

"Do you need to ask? I'm ready for this! I'm going to pass this test and make a real name for myself!" Tabitha boasted.

Tabitha's upbeat expression surprised Daigo; he has barely seen the maiden in such an excited state. Daigo then smiled and looked away for a moment. Who wouldn't be excited for this, he asked himself.

"Hey, are you paying attention?" Tabitha snapped her fingers in front of his face which knocked him out of his trance. "It's almost time! Get moving!"

"Ah crap! Well, I'll see you around I guess." Daigo began to sprint towards his examination room. He turned around one last time and saw the lady waving at him, to which he waved back. "Good luck!" he yelled towards his friend. He was already too far to hear the maiden's reply.

The sign "GRADE SUCCESSION EXAM ROOM" was present in the front of the door. Daigo took a moment to look back to all of his struggles: the tests he crammed for the night before, the exercises and drills he had to endure, restless nights thinking about his random musings, and now it finally comes to this.

Daigo slowly opened the door, entered the room, and found the spot he was supposed to stand on. A man with an average build stood in the front; he had unkempt hair, wore gold armor and was accompanied by a mechanical dog.

"My name is Llew! I am a member of the 'Liberator' unit from the Gold Paladin clan! I used to belong to the Royal Paladin clan, but I transferred to the Gold Paladin clan in order to reinforce their army! For today, I will be one of the instructors that you will be fighting one-on-one in order to pass this test and be able to go up by a grade! Good luck to everyone!"

The tests then began. The first student to take the test wore a robust armor, donned a red cape and held a cane. He walked up to the center of the arena and stood there, his form unwavering. The instructor was Knight Squire Allen, a grade one Royal Paladin staff member of the school.

"Student! Introduce yourself!" the instructor asked the student with a booming voice.

"My name is Niko Kiteo! I belong to the 'Wingal Brave' unit, and by passing this test I will become a member of the 'Marron' unit! My future goal is to become a legendary member of the 'Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes' unit!"

The instructor thought lightly of the lad's idea and tried to muffle his snickers. "We…well then. Are you ready for your evaluation?"

"Yessir!" Niko replied, his voice filled with confidence and conviction.

The sound of the bell echoed throughout the room, which signaled the beginning of the match. Niko held onto the two ends of the cane and extracted from one side what looked like a shiny object. The instructor already had his arm at full swing, his blade ready to slice through the examinee. The sound of clashing swords surprised everyone for a brief moment. Niko deflected away the instructor's blade and quickly went into the offensive, throwing three consecutive thrusts aimed towards the knight's exposed neck. Allen was quick enough to put up his armguard in time to block the assault and retaliated with three quick slashes.

The dancing of blades continued as the two put up a show in front of the audience. Oh's and Ah's began to echo from the crowd as each exchange nearly got one of the combatants. As the match dragged on, Allen began to attack less and less as his movements began to become sloppy due to fatigue. The young Niko, still full of energy, took this opportunity to finally end the bout by kicking the instructor's leg, causing him to lose balance. Niko quickly propped his blade against Allen's neck.

"Winner, Niko!" said the judge.

Niko put away his blade and extended his hand towards the instructor, to which the instructor took and helped himself get up.

"Congratulations, Knight Niko," Allen said as he shook the lad's hand. "Please go to the judge to receive your medal."

Everyone was amazed; the fight was exhilarating for the audience to watch. The judge presented Niko with a medal and said, "Congratulations! You have now advanced to a higher grade, and as requested, joined the 'Marron' unit." A round of applause followed.

"It was meant to happen," Niko said out loud with a confident smile and his chest puffed up. He then walked towards the side to watch the other participants proceed with their examination.

The rest of the students did not fare very well; only a fraction of the student body that were taking the advancement exam were able to defeat the instructors that tested them, and if they did, they either passed phenomenally or won out of sheer luck.

Finally, the last examinee was to take the exam. Llew stood up and stretched for a bit right before he called out his challenger. "Daigo Varonis of the 'Primgal' unit, it's your turn!"

Daigo, caught up in the moment, stood up swiftly, walked to the center and stood there. An eerie silence filled the room; it was only broken when Llew spoke.

"Are you sure you're ready to take this test?" Llew asked the lad as he observed him. "You're not looking too cool. There's always next year, mind you –"

"I-I can do it!" Daigo forcibly yelled out loud, surprising himself with the tone of his voice. "S-sorry about that sir! I'm just a tad bit nervous…Haha…ha…"

Llew sighed lightly. "Loosen up. You're not going to land any hits if you're too stiff."

"Ye-yes sir!" Daigo took a moment to calm himself. "I'm ready, Sir Llew!"

"Good luck then."

The two drew their blades and took on their respective stances: Llew, with his sword held in front of him with one arm, and Daigo, holding his blade with both of his hands. The bell rang, and Llew charged at Daigo right away. Daigo, surprised by his opponent's swift move, had no time to react and was knocked away when Llew swung his blade against Daigo's. The examinee hit the ground fairly hard, which caused him to let go of his sword.

"Are we done?" Llew was about to sheathe his sword when Daigo, in a blind rage, got up, picked up his sword, and yelled from the top of his lungs. He then charged Llew, who dodged the lunge and kicked Daigo in the back, sending him flying face first to the wall.

"Keep your cool kid! You're not passing this test in your current state!" Llew told the reckless lad.

A few seconds passed by, and the crowd thought that Daigo was not going to get up. However, in Daigo's mind, he was trying to recollect himself. It's okay Daigo, you can do it. He then slowed his breathing, stood up and turned around to face his opponent. He began to observe Llew while trying to come up with a plan to finish the test in one blow. He then charged towards Llew, his blade propped in front of him with the tip of the blade angled down. Llew, in his defense, prepared to parry the upcoming blow. However, the moment that they were inches away from each other, Daigo abruptly stopped and swung his sword up. This disarmed the surprised Llew, and without letting his opponent recuperate, gave Llew a shoulder block, which sent the instructor flying. When Llew tried to stand after hitting the ground, a sword flashed in front of him. He understood what this meant: defeat.

After hearing the sigh of recognition from his opponent, Daigo pulled away his sword and extended a hand to Llew. The man took his hand and stood up, shook it, and said, "Congratulations, Daigo. You have passed the exam. I present to you your medal of recognition, and as of right now, you are considered a 'Wingal' unit." Daigo smiled boyishly, and exclaimed, "I did it!" I am now a Wingal unit, he thought.

"This concludes the exams for this year. For those who passed, congratulations and good luck on your future escapades. And for those who failed, work harder! Hone your skills! Do not give up on your dreams of becoming a knight of light! The future's peace will be laid in your hands!"

The few remaining students who stayed all the way until the end of the exam were dismissed. Daigo hurried towards the place where the grade zero establishment exam was being held and saw that the exam was still taking place. He silently entered the room and sat on the floor near the wall. Tabitha caught sight of him and waved at him from across the room, to which Daigo waved back. After the match that was being held finished, Tabitha quickly ran across the room and joined her friend.

"How was your exam?" Tabitha asked the lad.

"It was a breeze! It was so easy that I didn't even have to use my ultimate skill!" Daigo boasted.

Tabitha looked at her friend with disbelief. "…Are you sure you didn't get hit by a tempest?"

"W-what? No! Of course not! Haha…" After a short moment of silence, Daigo sighed. "…How badly is it showing?"

"Your nose is kind of swollen, and you've been rubbing your stomach for quite a while now. Maybe you should go to the infirmary."

"Nah! I'll be fine, trust me! Anyway, did you have your test yet?"

"I'll be going after this next one. My examiner is sitting right there," Tabitha pointed towards an elf wearing an armor set with emerald stones engraved into them.

"Oh! It's Miss Miranda! I heard she's the captain of her own unit."

"Ah." Tabitha stared at her examiner. "Daigo, do you think I can pass today?"

"Eh? Of course you can!" Daigo replied with an encouraging tone. "You have to believe in yourself!" Daigo turned away and whispered something under his breath. "I believe in you too."

Tabitha turned her attention to Daigo and smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Next examiner and examinee! Please enter the arena!" the judge exclaimed.

Tabitha stood up and entered the arena. She heard Daigo yell out "Good luck!" from behind her, which made her smile once more. She stopped right before the middle of the arena, where her gaze met her examiner's.

"State your name, young knight, along with the name of the unit you are trying to establish," Miranda asked the examinee.

"My name is Tabitha, and I am trying to establish the 'Devoting Jewel Knight, Tabitha' unit, ma'am," Tabitha replied.

Miranda drew her sword. "Alright, Tabitha. Show me if you have what it takes to be a commander, or if you are just another narcissist!"

In response, Tabitha took her sword out of its scabbard and propped it in front of her. "With my resolve I will show you my ideals!"

The signal was given for the match to begin, and the two made their move right away. The sound of clashing swords reverberated throughout the arena, showing that neither combatants were going to back down. However, it clearly became evident to the audience that the examiner was stronger than the examinee. There in the arena stood Tabitha, her breathing heavy, and across her was Miranda, her calmness unparalleled as she resumed her battle stance, ready to resume her assault towards the maiden. In an instant, the veteran Jewel Knight lunged towards the young knight, her sword held beside her to ready it for an upward slash.

Tabitha tried to put up a defense by propping her sword in front of her in a slanted manner, with the flat of the sword supported by her other arm. Once the two blades made contact with each other, however, Tabitha realized the difference of power in between them. She lost her grip on her sword and was disarmed.

"Go home, examinee Tabitha," Miranda told the lass in a monotonous manner.

"I'm not done yet!" the frustrated Tabitha yelled.

"Delusions are not what saves people in the battlefield, Miss Tabitha. It is – "

"The sheer desire to help those in need and saving those that require saving," Tabitha replied as she stood her ground firmly. A long pause followed, and the environment became tense. "I…I may not be the strongest individual, nor am I strong enough to be a frontliner when the time of test comes, but a strong army is backed up by a strong supportive role –"

"Listen clearly, and listen well, Miss Tabitha," Miranda interrupted. "The Royal Paladin clan may have a large army at its disposal, but it is by no means defined as a 'militaristic' clan." The examiner walked past the lass and stopped right beside her. "Drill that into your head." Miranda continued to walk away towards the exit, and as she opened the door, she said something towards Tabitha. "Oh, and one rule in the army: never interrupt your superior. Get that in your head too."

Tabitha, on the verge of tears, fell on her knees. Daigo ran towards her and tried to comfort her, but he could not find the words to do so.

One of the judges stood up and began to speak. "Officer Tabitha, please come here and receive your certificate. Congratulations on establishing your own unit."

"Eh…?" the two blurted out, confused by what the judge just said.

"You are now allowed to work as a captain under the unit called 'Devoting Jewel Knight, Tabitha'."

"WOOOH!" Daigo yelled excitedly after hearing the news.

Tabitha wiped away her tears and began to laugh softly. "Aren't you a bit too happy? It's not even your promotion."

"Ehehehe…well it's my friend who got the promotion, so why wouldn't I be happy?" Daigo replied with a silly wide grin on his face. "Go on, take the certificate. Your future is waiting for you."

Tabitha ran towards the judge and accepted the certificate. She also signed a few documentations regarding her unit creation. After the signing, she stood in front of the judges and saluted, to which the judges saluted back.

"Come on, Tabitha! Let's pass by the eatery and grab something to eat!" Daigo suggested.

"Alright, but you're paying for my share!" Tabitha hit Daigo on his head with a karate chop. "And that's Captain Tabitha to you!"

-CUT-

King of Hades's Sea, Granblue State (10:03 AM, Day -1)

The skies above the blighted sea remained dark as a storm brewed over it. Out in the middle of nowhere was a ghost ship inhabited by specters and malignant abominations. Among them was their leader, an undead necromancer whose sole purpose of living was fueled by his hatred towards the world itself, accompanied by a cyber being that was acting as an emissary for its master.

"Look at these treasures, my friend! Those pirates were rather well-off, don't you think?" the necromancer asked his companion as he perused through the newly uncovered treasures his crew found during their search of the ship.

"That is good to know, dear captain…but when do you plan on setting foot on land and helping me out?" the cyber being questioned.

"Just relax, my dear friend…I shall do so soon, after I have established my dominion over these waters. And mind you, it is nearly complete!" The necromancer lifted an attire out of a chest. "This looks rather fancy. What do you think? Does it look like it will look good to me?"

"Perhaps if you had a proper face instead of just a remnant of your living self, it would allow me to give you a better judgement," his companion replied, his tone almost monotonous as he painstakingly tried to hide his impatience and disinterest for the current topic.

The necromancer waved his bony hands over his face. His appearance then changed suddenly: the necromancer now had skin over his skeletal face, his eyes having a deep blue colour, a pointy nose, and a round jawline. "Does this look any better?"

The necromancer's companion was amused by the necromancer's magic skills. "Yes, much better."

The clouds up above the ship continued to churn as if a magical brew was being made upside down. In the murky waters came a faint purple glow that periodically faded in and out. Something ominous was about to come.