It seemed to be like an ordinary day in the Imperial Capital of Tarant, as two soldiers sat at their posts, and talked nonsense.

"I'd say son! What would happen if I were to shoot an elf in the balls ?"

"Why, it would be very painful, dad!"

Both men laughed, when suddenly, out of the blue, an elven fighter appeared at the West Garrilion Bridge.

"Well, well...."

The elf charged at the duo, and started to chant.

"Martial language begins."

"You cannot defeat my superior magickal and internal skill."

"Tsen-Ang Annihlation Technique, Shadow Skill, Rapie.........!"

Before the dark elf could finish his statement, he fell to the ground, motionless.

"Good shot son !"

"I daresay! When will the magicians ever learn..."

Suddenly, the ground around them started to shake.

"What's that ?"

"Sounds like an earthquake.."

"Or a ...."

Before the older soldier could finish his statement, a large, unearthly cry rang out.

"Wa....ki.......ji......"

"What the, WAKIJIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As the officer blew threw his bugle, soldiers started pouring out of their tents in the once vermin-filled Boil, where they were stationed, and started assembling.

However, they were shocked by the sight that greeted them.

"What the..."

"There are too many of them !"

But the officer didn't care, as he charged headlong into the battle, and was subsequently cut in half by a large sword, apparently wielded by the giant wakiji.

"Oh God ! What are we going to do!"

As the young man cried for his father, he looked in helplessness, as the wakijis slowly marched towards the Imperial Capital.

Suddenly, a great gust of wind blew, followed by smoke, which clouded the Wakijis.

For a moment, the Wakijis were lost in movement, as their perception was weak.

When the dust finally gathered, the soldiers were surprised to see 3 things confront the Wakijis.

Apparently, they seemed to be automatons. However, they were not automatons, as they were about the same height as the Wakiji. Also, whereas an automaton would exhibit some form of machinery, there was none to be seen from these, as they looked more like containers with hands and legs, and powered by steam.

Best of all, they had rather living voices.

"Team troika, defend !"

"Hai !"

One of the automatons aimed both of its arms at the wakijijs, and started firing a huge number of bullets.

Soon, half of the wakijis became nothing more than rotting flesh, and broken machine.

"Damn it ! I am out of amunition !"

"Not to worry !"

The automaton that gave that cry rushed at the wakijis with an axe in its hand.

Despite the large size of the axe, it was very recognizable ny the soldiers.

It was an extremely large, pyrotechnic axe.

"Pyro slash !"

A voice boomed as one by one, the remaining wakijis fell.

Only one wakiji was left: the leader.

It was armed with a rapier in the left hand, and an axe, in the right.

The leading automaton charged at the Head Wakiji with katanas in both hands, and, with a slash from both, fell the Wakiji.

With that, the three automatons gave a cheer, before they mysteriously left, just as they entered.

"Team Troika is here to stay !"

Sakura Shinguuji stood outside the Vermillion Drama House.

At one time, the house used to be Tarant's railway station.

Now, it was the second largest mansion in Tarant, after the Gilbert Bates mansion.

What an odd place to be headquarters of one of the divisions in the Imperial Capital Defence, muttered Sakura. No matter she thought.

However, the gate of the house, which was a really a nicely decorated metal door, was apparently locked.

Sakura had already pressed the door bell and unknown number of times.

"Oi ! Please open the gate !"

Finally, she was fed up.

The internal and magickal energy within her sped up, as she concentrated on the door of the house.

She stepped a few inches away from the door, the charged at it, crying out loudly, as she wielded her Katana.

"GATE, OPEN !"

However, the gate was already open.

"Hey !"

"Oops, sorry sir!"

Suddenly, the man, in a nice, though slightly torn, Tarantian army officer's uniform, looked carefully at the girl, after putting on his eye gear, and shouted manicaly.

"I don't believe it ! You're the Chosen One ! It's great to see you ! The one ! The number one !"

And with that, the Commander hugged Sakura so tight, she felt emberrased.

"YOU'RE A PERVERT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Greetings Sakura ! I heard about you ! As to who I am, Commander Virgil "Ken" Gummond, but you can call me Virgil !"

"What place is this ?"

"This, my fair lady, is the headquarters for Team Troika, one of the less famous, but more powerful units, of the Imperial Capital Defence ! Why, we are evwn better than the elite Tarantian Foreign Legion !"

"How can a drama house be a headquarters for one of the divisions of the Imperial Capital Defence ?"

"Why, I'll show you !"

"Oh Romeo, Romeo ! Wherefore art thou Romeo ?"

"No, no, NO ! Juliet is not looking for Romeo ! She is trying to wonder why Romeo is who he is !"

"He's Romeo, isn't he ?"

"That's not what I meant, idiot ! I meant that Romeo is a Montague, whereas Juliet is a Capulet, and the...oh rubbish ! You haven't been forgotten the story, haven't you ?"

"Alright ladies, and gentlemen..."

"Commander !"

"Alright everyone, I would like you to meet Sakura Shinguuji ! She has just been transferred from the Tarantian Elite Forces for reasons I will not specify yet !"

"Sakura, this is Thomas Shale Fist, from the Iron Clan, and he is our heavy assault unit. This is Melissa Lovelock, from Tarant, a beautiful and wonderful actress, and she is uses one of our machine gun units ! Of course, you already know Sire Joseph Payne, a great adventurer, and the current leader of our team !"

"Greetings, my fair lady !"

" A pleasure to meet you sir !"

"And last, but not least, this is Iris Cheatuerbrand, from Dernholm."

"Hi," said the small girl.

"Say, she has furry feet, but, she looks young."

"That's because she is: she's only 35 years old, young for a halfling."

"What is she ?"

"She doesn't do any actual fighting, but, she is a great mage, and has incredible mental powers to, way beyond the Mental college, my dear lady !"

"You have talk about units, but, what do you fight in ? And what the heck is all the acting for ? I'm supposed to be fighting, not reciting lines"

"What the...."

"This, Sakura, is the Kobu."

"So these were the machines that people have been reported to have been used against the Wakijis !"

"Yes. For your benefit, we happen to have a spare Kobu, so, it'll do for the time being."

As Sakura looked up at the Pink coloured Kobu, Sakura noticed the inscription : ZU 2.

"ZU 2..."

"No, it's ZED-U 2, or Zedu 2 as we call it. However, Iris calls it the Zeku 2, due to her poor pronunciation of the common language."

Sakura climbed aboard the machine, and noticed that cockpit featured many odd controls. There was an odd stearing wheel, a few mechanical buttons, some clockwork items, and even a clock.

"What exactly powers this machine ?"

"Steam ! However, spiritual energy also powers it ."

"Wait. Do you mean that people have differnet spiritual power ?"

"No. Actually, spiritual energy only powers a paret of this weapon, though it is a vital factor. However, every one has the same spiritual energy, so, it's not that much of an actual factor."

"Then, what's the real power factor of this machine ?"

"Your will. Willpower."

"You mean, the greater my willpower, the more powerful my attacks ?"

"Yes ! That is why we accepted you into the Team Troika ! You have a willpower of factor 21, according to our electro-dynamo machine."

"Also, this machine is powered by aptitiude. If a person had aptitude in either areas, magickal, or technological, the machine will function very well."

"Wait, you said magickal. How can a machine be magickal ?"

"Simple. A third crystal in this machine is used to change magickal energy, if any, into mechanical energy, to prevent the Kobu from blowing up. However, some magick will be left, but, it is quite safe, so, the Kobu can be used to cast magick !"

"Has it been done before ?"

"Well, that's why you're here."

As Sakura walked about the halls of the Vermillion Theatre, she saw an elegant woman, practising her lines for the upcoming play that the Cabbose Assault Unit, or Team Troika, were going to stage: Romeo and Juliet.

She felt that she had to ask for help.

"Madame, how do you become such a good actress ?"

Melissa took one good look at Sakura, and laughed.

"My dear girl, you are such a silly little dog. You lack the charm and grace I have. You are so young. Also, you carry that sword wherever you go, and you're bound to scare off people. Also, you are a hopeless actress.

Face it, girl: you'll never EVER, become like us."

Sakura, upon hearing these words, started to cry, and ran out of the house.

She ran as far as she could, until she came across a tree.

A cherry blossom tree.

Her namesake.

As the petals of the flowers started to rain on the ground, Sakura started to sob loudly, much to the distress of the passers-by.

"Why did you that for, madame Lovelock ?"

"It was just a bit of criticism, you know. After all, that girl has to learn how to use her criticisms well if she is ever to raise her willpower."

"Madame, I am hereby suspending you off the team for one day !"

"What ! You bas..... fine then. But you'll regret this...."

Just then, the alarm started ringing, and the megaphone started to boom.

"Attention ! Wakiji alert !"

"See ! I told you so !"

"All right, Raven ! Give me a brief account of what's going on."

"There is only one Wakiji at the moment, and apparently, it has been hiding beneath the Tarantian Sewers. However, it seems to be surfacing soon..... The Tarantian Army absolutely refuses to send in their normal forces, nor one of their tank divisions, as it may risk damage to the oublic surroundings..."

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do..."

"All right everybody, you all know what to do !"

"Team Troika ! Defend !"

"Hai!"

As the people of Tarant started to return to their homes upon the discovery of the Wakiji, the two members of Team Troika assembled upon a certain Sewer Grate, just outside the Tarantian Hall of Records.

"You sure about this Joe ?"

"Yes Tom. Lifting the Sewer grate is a surefire way to attract the beast....."

A large explosion occured, and both Kobus were thrown off their feet.

"What the devil was that !"

"What the..."

A Wakiji climbed out of the hole it has just newly made. In it arms, it was clutching a very, large, pipe looking object.

"Oh lordicks ! He's got a gun !"

"Gun ! Dammit ! Gundam it !"

"What are you lying there for ? Let's get 'im !"

"Yeah !"

Both Kobus charged at the Wakiji, but both of them got blown away, for a second time.

"Damn it ! This is hopeless !"

"By Alberich !"

"What is it Tom ?"

"It's, it's, it's......"

"The ZEDU-2 ! Sakura !"

"The Zeku 2, no, Zadu 2, no, the Zaku 2, or hell ! It's Sakura !"

As the Kobu, armed with a particularly large Katana raced at the Wakiji, Sakura let out a large cry.

" Aaaaaaiiiiieeeeee !"

She then lifted her katana, and, upn reaching the Wakiji, shouted "Jolt !"

The Jolt spell was infused into the Katana, and, with a large hum, electrocuted the Wakiji.

A lot of yellow bile oozed out of the thing, as it fell to the ground: dead.

As Virgil saw Sakura being carried into the room by Joseph Payne, and Thomas Shale Fist, Virgil muttered something.

Sakura had completed her first stage.

TSUZUKU..........