Author's note: This chapter will continue the past of some of the Sternritters. And also, Yhwach will be included in this chapter. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 33: Friend 2
Flashback, 1200 years ago, inside the majestic palace of Eiskrone, Lichtreich
The main headquarters of the Lichtreich was the majestic palace of Eiskrone. Although not as imposing as how the future Silbern and Wahrwelt would become later, Eiskrone was a sight to behold, as it lied on the top of a rugged hill surrounded by forests. In fact, the white building actually resembled the real-life Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. The only noticeable differences were the fact that the palace itself was pale white as the ice itself and that the surrounding trees were covered in snow. Yes, these were one of the many reasons why the palace had been given the name Eiskrone.
Inside the personal quarters of the Lichtreich's emperor: Yhwach, a meeting was now taking place. Three members of Yhwach's imperial guard were now standing behind their superior, kneeling before him as he kept gazing out the window to the snowflakes that fell down in the dark. Near the emperor stood a table in which a map of the entire Lichtreich could be seen. What was the topic of this meeting?
"I am pleased that you came, Viktor Zeidritz" Yhwach said in referring to the elderly man with a white eyepatch on his left eye. He was dressed in the Lichtreich's uniform, indicating that he was in officer of the emperor's army. "And I welcome you two as well, Bernard Gabor and Robert Accutrone. We have much to discuss" the emperor added, still gazing out the window.
"We humbly exist to serve you, Lord Yhwach" Zeidtritz said in return while looking up at his superior. The emperor wore his black cape, while his hair only reached down to his shoulders. "Is there something on your mind that you would like to share with us steadfast servants?" he then asked with formality in his voice.
"As a matter of fact, there is" Yhwach responded. "My empire's influence is gradually starting to increase throughout the smaller realms. Quincies flock into my fold, all the Hollows that we have stumbled upon has been eradicated, and the minority of Souls have either been imprisoned or placed under our authority. Even so, I don't think that our challenges are far from over" the emperor told his subjects as they listened closely. "Therefore, I have come to a conclusion. It is time that the Lichtreich forms a new vanguard that will play a key part in keeping order in my army" Yhwach concluded, thus surprising his subjects.
All of them was left stunned at his words and Zeidritz was the first to speak up his mind. "A new vanguard, you say?" the man with the white eyepatch asked while standing up on his feet, resting his hands behind his back. "Excuse my insolence for saying this, Your Majesty, but there are not any smaller realms that needs to be conquered. A vanguard would seems unnecessary" Zeidritz added to his statement, making sure to speak to Yhwach a conciliar tone.
"It is not for these realms, Zeidritz" Yhwach then spoke up, thus shutting down the officer. Apparently, there was something else on the emperor's mind right now. "The next place we shall be conquering….is the Soul Society" the emperor revealed.
All the officers were stunned at what Yhwach's proposal was. They had never expected him to say something like this in front of them. "My lord…what are you saying?" Zeidritz asked while being stunned at hearing his liege's plans.
"We cannot accomplish this unless we have some new means of power and military" Yhwach said, finally turning his head to face him, as well as Robert and Bernard. "This vanguard shall come to be known as the Sternritter" the black-haired man then added to his declaration.
"Your Majesty, this is absurd! There must be some misunderstanding to…." Zeidritz was suddenly held back by Robert. The young man with glasses shook his head lightly, trying to make him refrain from openly questioning Yhwach's orders. Sighing, the elderly man bowed his head in shame before his emperor. "Forgive me, my lord. I meant no disrespect" he then apologized with formality.
Yhwach merely glanced at him with eyes of slight disapproval, yet he did not make a move to punish his subordinate. "Zeidtritz, go and inform Hubert, Algora and the others about my plans. I will brief you more about them later" the emperor commanded him and Zeidtritz left without delay. But he then motioned for Bernard and Robert to remain in the room. "And as for you two, I would like a word with you. Tell me, how did the search go?" he then asked the two young officers.
Bernard fixed a smile upon his face as he bowed his head in a formal manner. "Your Majesty, your long search has finally ended. Your other half really exists in the Lichtreich" he said before reaching for something in his pockets. He then held up a picture of a young blonde-haired boy, which was without a doubt Jugram Haschwalth. The curly-haired man held up the picture for his emperor to see. "This is the chosen one. I stumbled upon him at a tavern in Eisenschild. He did not have the ability to harness Reishi around him. Jugram Haschwalth is his name" Bernard went on explaining.
Hearing this made Yhwach form a smile with his mouth, indicating that he was pleased. "Excellent. Just as I foresaw" he remarked with satisfaction in his voice. "Well, Bernard. What do you think of him? Does he have the potential to be my right hand?" Yhwach suddenly wanted to hear his opinion on Haschwatlh, given that he had seen him.
"For now, he may be a confused and lost child. He doesn't know where he really belongs" Bernard responded while adjusting his glasses. "However, with enough training and guidance under our supervision, he could become the perfect majordomo you have long desired" the curly-haired man with glasses told him.
Seeing this forced Yhwach to chuckle in return. Apparently, he was pleased about hearing the opinion of Bernard and the two officers could see that on his face.
"I appreciate your opinions, Bernard. It is quite similar to my own, since I also believe that with enough instructions, he could become a valuable asset" Yhwach told him. "Therefore, I declare that Jugram Haschwalth shall become my right hand. But not just that. He shall also become the leader of the Sternritters: the Sternritter Grandmaster" he then made a declaration in a delighted mood.
Once again, the two officers were intrigued about the declaration of their liege. However, Robert wanted to know more with regards to the creation of this new order of knights. The four-eyed man made a formal bow towards Yhwach before asking him.
"Your Majesty, if I may interrupt you for a second. How do we get recruits to the Sternritters?" Robert asked while adjusting his glasses.
"I will dispatch recruitment officers to every corner of the Lichtreich. All shall know of the upcoming invasion of the Soul Society. Any young Quincies brave enough to partake in the examination will be of great use to our military" Yhwach said as he looked upon a map of his empire at the table beside him. "In the meantime, I will personally lead a squadron of soldiers to the town of Eisenschild to pick up my other half" the emperor went on explaining.
"Speaking of new recruits" Bernard spoke up while facing Robert with a smug look, something which Robert noddingly returned. "Do you think me and Robert could become part of these Sternritters?" he then asked while adjusting his glasses.
Yhwach fixed his gaze upon them with unfazed eyes, as if he was not surprised when hearing this. "Certainly. However, you too must also partake in the examination. And I can guarantee you: it will not be easy, even for experienced officers such as you" the emperor assured them.
"Well that is fine by us" Robert answered smugly in return. Bernard glanced at his comrade in amusement. "I am always up for new challenges" the four-eyed man insisted to his superior.
Yhwach chuckled in return. "Glad to hear it. Now, you two may go and return to your posts. I will let you know if there's more I wish from you. Dismissed" he then said as he sent off the two officers out of his personal quarters. However, from where Bernard and Robert had entered, someone else suddenly came in. Yhwach took notice of this and smirked in return. "Ah, I see that you have returned from your hunting trip, Quilge Opie" he remarked while taking his glance at the young Quincy.
Yes, Quilge Opie was among the youngest of Yhwach's officers in the armies of the Lichtreich. In fact, he only looked like a teenager, with two bangs of black hair running down across his ears. Instead of wearing reddish-orange shades as he would later as an adult, he merely wore red glasses. This gave him a somewhat bookish appearance, a stark contrast to his more flamboyant personality he would obtain as an adult.
"I have returned, Your Majesty. Safe and sound. I swear, I'm never going outside in the snow, because my nuts were almost frozen and I didn't even get to drink enough cocoa, so I…" Quilge spoke up in his usual complaining and bookish voice as he was known to have at that time. However, the teenaged officer could hear laughs outside the room and it made him furious. "GODDAMNIT! I TOLD YOU LOSERS TO STOP EVASDROPPING ON ME!" he angrily yelled at the door, knowing that Bernard and Robert were outside laughing at him with some other soldiers.
Yhwach merely glanced at Quilge's outburst with annoyance. The emperor made a coughing sound and by that, the young Quincy immediately came back to his senses and fell onto his knees bowing before his superior.
"Have mercy, Your Majesty! I got distracted! Please don't turn me into anything unnatural…." Quilge continued begging for forgiveness until Yhwach spoke up his mind.
"Spare me your blabbering, Quilge. I have no time for these foolish games" the emperor sternly reminded him as his eyes pierced through the teenage boy. Quilge was somewhat intimidated by that stare, as he knew well what kind of ruler Yhwach really was. The young boy stood as his superior was about to tell him something. "Now on your hunting trip, did you and your men ever stumble upon Arrancars?" the emperor then asked him.
Quilge scratched his chin as he tried to think about it. "Well, all that we found was nothing but primitive Hollows. Apparently, they were still lurking around the smaller realms, only in fewer numbers. But we dealt with those suckers easily" the teenaged Quincy answered him. "Still, we really didn't find any signs of Arrancar activity, not to mention that those Hollows we found weren't even at Adjuchas-level" he then told Yhwach.
The Emperor of the Lichtreich seemed to be pleased with hearing the news. And that was fairly obvious, considering the fact that he openly resented Hollows, as well as their more intelligent "cousins". And the fact that there was no Arrancars spotted in his empire, only gave him tho opportunity to plot one of his most devious actions ever committed: the defiling of the Vida. That was the source of power and stability in the once peaceful and flourishing Hueco Mundo.
"I see. Then you have done your work well, Quilge" Yhwach commended the teenager, who felt some sense of relief within himself. "Now, return to your post. I have much to ponder with regards to the future of our civilization. Dismissed" he then commanded Quilge, who saluted in return before exciting the door.
"Yes, sire!" the teenager said as he left his superior alone.
Yhwach was all by himself in his room. He returned to gaze out the window as the snowflakes kept falling down from the dark and cloudy skies. For some reason, the emperor was in deep thought and this had absolutely nothing to do with his subordinates or even his empire for that matter. Rather, it was something personal that only he himself knew.
"You think I perished back after that explosion, Soul King? You are a fool. Even as I stand here in my own palace, I know that you can even hear me speak" Yhwach said, not caring that he was actually speaking so openly. His eyes narrowed as they glanced out at the snowy trees. "Just you wait, Soul King. I will spit upon you when I have managed to cut you in pieces. For now, enjoy your final months…my father" he added to his explanation.
In the forest outside the town of Eisenschild, Lichtreich
The spring had arrived in the Lichtreich. Bazz-B and his group of friends were still holding up in the woods, training to become stronger Quincies. The hotheaded teenager still possesses the guts to find and kill Yhwach, despite Bernard Gabor humiliating him in the tavern months ago. However, Bazz-B was past that episode now. He along with Jugram Haschwalth, Berenice Gabrielli, Cang Du and Driscoll Berci were now practicing in their camp outside town.
Sweating and chuckling at the same time, Bazz-B admired the work he had done at a target hanging by a tree's branch. He had fired multiple Heilig Pfiels and they hit the spot. This only strengthened the confidence within the impatient teenage boy.
"Hah! Bullseye!" Bazz-B exclaimed while looking up at the target placed so high. The young boy then turned around to look at Berenice, who had so far been unable to land a few targets with her Heilig Bogen. It forced Bazz-B to laugh at her efforts. "Is that all you got, Berenice? Heh, your archery really needs an improvement!" he taunted her.
The pink-haired girl angrily grumbled to herself as she listened to what he said. "Screw off, Bazz! I'm only taking my time!" she snapped at him in return while struggling to aim with her Reishi Bow properly. However, Berenice snapped as she could see a Reishi Arrow suddenly being shot straight towards her target and it stunned her completely. But Berenice soon erupted into anger and turned around to face Bazz-B. "YOU JACKASS! THAT WAS MY TARGET!" the teenage girl lashed out at him.
Bazz-B grinned cockily in return. "If you're just gonna keep bitching about not being able to master your archery, then you might as well leave that job to me! I'm a genius, so I know how this works!" he insisted to her while showcasing his Reishi Crossbow.
Berenice huffed at him in return. "Here's an idea! How about you shove an arrow up your own ass? Now THAT sounds like a perfect target practice, eh Bratty Bazz?" she mockingly questioned him while addressing him her usual nickname for him.
Bazz-B grumbled in irritation and walked away. However, he did not shy away from making a rude gesture towards his friend. "I've got no time to listen to these childish antics of yours, so I say we call it a quits, Bitchy Berenice" he then said while making a nickname for the pink-haired girl.
Berenice was furious over what she was hearing and restrained herself from actually firing a Reishi Arrow at the brash boy. "The nicknames are my thing, you blockhead!" she snapped at him, although Bazz-B simply walked towards a stump that he sat on. Seeing how he ignored her only infuriated the sassy girl. "You're such an asshole! For real!" she thought in her head in anger.
The hotheaded boy was feeling sweaty and reached for a bottle of water and he began drinking it up. While doing that, he observed how his other friends were coming along with their training. At first, he could see that Cang and Driscoll were having a duel, with Driscoll trying to throw his Reishi Lances at the black-haired boy. But Cang managed to avoid them with his remarkable speed and even tried using his Reishi Claws to fend off the lances.
Driscoll grinned as he watched this. "HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA KEEP THIS UP, WIDE-EYES!?" the muscular teenage boy asked out loud with an insult directed at his opponent. "YOU CAN'T AVOID MY LANCES FOREVER! SO QUIT PUSSING OUT AND START FIGHTING FOR REAL!" Driscoll then spat out, never stopping throwing his lances.
Cang was a quick boy for his age and he had managed to develop his reflexes. By using Hirenkiyaku, the black-haired teenage boy dodged the long Reishi Lances and headed straight towards his opponent with his claws ready. Cang was determined to attack his taller opponent.
"HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SAY THIS, DRISCOLL!? YOU ARE TOO SLOW!" Cang said in return and was about to slash. However, Driscoll suddenly jumped into the air and did a flying kick at him. Cang was flown back as a result, only for the black-haired boy to land perfectly with his Reishi Claws. The young teenager gritted his teeth in frustration as a drip of blood ran from his lips. Still, that grit soon turned into that of a smug grin, as if he was not afraid of Driscoll. "Heh…...those kicks of yours are nothing compared to the horrors I had to endure in the Eastern Lands!" he then taunted the bullying teenager.
Driscoll was not amused and he cracked his knuckles while forming a psychotic grin. "So, you're ready to get real, is that it!?" he exclaimed in anticipation. The big teenage boy then ran straight towards his opponent. "THEN LET ME SERVE YOU A KNUCKLESANDWICH DOWN YOUR THROAT!" he then exclaimed out loud.
"Niú Jìn Zhǎo!" Cang exclaimed and he suddenly banged his Reishi Claws together, in which a blast was formed out of them. This blast formed the visage of a bull as it charged straight towards his opponent. Cang's hand-to-hand combat and usage of Reishi was very unique in the eyes of his friends. He tended to use Reishi to support these blasts and his fighting skill.
Although impressed with their battle, Bazz-B quickly turned his attention on someone else. He began watching Haschwalth train with his sword all by himself. From what he could tell, the blonde-haired boy was pushing to his limits. Haschwalth preferred to train alone, as he felt like the others would only get in his way. But another reason was the fact that he still could not emit Reishi to himself.
Yes, even though five years had passed since they had first met one another, Haschwalth was still unable to make a Heilig Bogen. Bazz-B couldn't help but to wonder whether the theory about "incomplete Quincies" being born was actually true. Perhaps Bernard was right. Haschwalth was indeed this incomplete Quincy, incapable of emitting Reishi to himself and use it. Yet despite this, Haschwalth never stopped training to master his swordsmanship.
However, Bazz-B knew that Haschwalth could become a liability to his quest to kill Yhwach and he had thought about kicking Haschwath out of the group. But by seeing how determined the blonde-haired boy was on mastering his sword, the brash boy could not bring himself to leave his best friend behind. There were other things that led to Bazz-B deciding this. He remembered Bernard's encouragement to Haschwalth and the reddish purple-haired boy could not help but to have some form of respect for what the officer told his friends back in the tavern. Bazz-B also believed that Haschwalth could still be beneficial to him and his group, even as he was uncappable of harnessing Reishi. That was probably the only thing Bazz-B agreed with Bernard on, because the next time they met, he would fight him and make the curly-haired man pay for the humiliation he suffered in the tavern.
Berenice, Cang and Driscoll joined up with Bazz-B and drank from their bottles while leaning against the trees. They also noticed how Haschwalth was still practicing his swinging and it made at least one of them intrigued.
"I don't understand" Cang uttered out lowly while fixing his eyes upon the blonde-haired teenager. "How long can Haschwalth keep up with training with a mere sword?" the black-haired boy wondered, starting to get slightly interested in Haschwalth's increasing stamina. He was the only one in the group who addressed the blonde-haired boy as Haschwalth.
Driscoll only grunted in reply. "I really don't see any reason to keep that pipsqueak in the group! I mean, come on! How are we gonna be admitted into the military if he's with us!?" the bullying teenager exclaimed, still not getting the whole deal.
But Berenice could not help but to smile smugly. "Jugo really has been acting kinda jumpy since we met that guy in the tavern. Not that it's the first time I've seen him like this, he's been so focused on mastering his swordsmanship. I've never seen that side of him before" the pink-haired girl remarked while watching Haschwalth train by himself.
As he heard the different opinions on Haschwalth, Bazz-B could not help but to wonder whether Haschwalth himself knew about the fact that he was not abandoned by his friends. From what the brash boy could tell, Haschwalth was now training to his limits in order to make up for his inability to use Reishi. But little did Bazz-B know that the next day would change the lives of all these friends forever.
1 day later, in the streets of Eisenschild, Lichtreich
The people of Eisenchild was living their daily lives as usual, regardless of what profession they had. However, the townspeople were interrupted by the sound of horses and trumpets being played at the town's entrance. All of them stopped with what they were doing and looked to see a cavalry of Quincies ride into Eisenschild carrying banners of the Lichtreich's symbol. The cavalry was led by two officers in Yhwach's personal guard. The one facing the villagers was a man who looked quite feminine in his eyes. Furthermore, if it not had been for the fact that he was male, he would have probably been mistaken for a woman. He was one of the Quincies holding a banner. The other Quincy holding a banner was a tall, muscular man. He seemed pretty calm for someone his size. But a couple of other officers were accompanying them and it was Robert Accutrone and Quilge Opie. While Robert was mild-mannered and focused, Quilge was clumsy and had a tendency to not take things enough seriously.
Even now, Quilge's own horse was behaving so rashly that the young officer almost fell off. However, the four-eyed teenager tried his best to calm things down, even though he was no animal whisperer either.
"WOAH! EASY THERE, HORSIE!" Quilge freaked out while some of the villagers and fellow riders laughed by seeing his stupidity.
The back-haired man facepalmed by seeing this. "Moron….." he lamented.
But his taller comrade started to laugh to laugh. "Well Hubert, your cousin sure is a handful one" he noted smugly, never wiping off the smirk off his face.
"Just shut up, Algora. I really have no time for these insults" the officer named Hubert muttered out in return, before refocusing his attention on the townspeople gathering before them.
Bazz-B and his gang had caught wind of the trumpets and quickly rushed out of the forest and into the town, where they blended into the crowd of townspeople. Eventually, they managed to force their way through until they currently stood in front of the crowd, thus given a clear view of who it was that had arrived in Eisenschild. The teenagers were surprised and could even hear the townspeople whisper it among themselves.
"Those banners…...don't they belong to the…." a curious townswoman asked a man she was standing beside.
"Yes" the man answered in return. "These are the Lichtreich's banners. And those guys riding the horses are part of Yhwach's military brigade. I recognize two of those men: Hubert Opie and Friedrich von Algora. What the hell are they doing here?" he explained while expressing his opinion.
"Attention, abiding citizens of Eisenschild! I am Hubert Opie and these are my fellow officers in the imperial army! Now listen carefully to what we have to say! We bear an announcement directly from Lord Yhwach himself!" Hubert spoke up loudly as he and Angora held up their banners so high in the air. "Lord Yhwach has declared his intention to establish a new vanguard! This vanguard shall be known as the Sternritters!" he said as he and Angora slammed their banners onto the ground.
The majority of the townspeople were astounded by this announcement and once again they began whisper amongst themselves. But for the group of teenagers it was something else. They were surprised to hear about Yhwach planning to form a vanguard or some sort. They continued listening to Hubert's declaration.
"The Sternritters will be a prestige group of knights, charged with carrying out the invasion of the Soul Society!" Hubert went on explaining, causing some shocking reactions amongst the townspeople.
"What did he just say?" one townsman asked in slight disbelief.
"Invading the Soul Society?" another townsman asked. "Why in the world would they be…." his stammering was interrupted by the strict voice of Hubert interrupting him, as well as other townspeople whispering in the crowds.
"Lord Yhwach has a feeling that if we leave the Soul Society to its own devices, it will certainly become a threat to us in the future. That is why we cannot afford to wait any longer" Hubert went on explaining to the crowds gathered before him. "Now for those of you who wishes to enlist yourselves, there will be extremely strict requirements that must be met before one of you can be admitted into the vanguard" he then reminded the townspeople.
While listening to this, the five teenagers were having different reactions to what was being said. And they all began whispering amongst themselves with regard to this announcement.
"Extremely strict requirements?" Driscoll asked while crossing his arms with a grunt. "This queer can't be serious. How in the hell did he ever become worthy of making such announcement?" the muscular teenage boy asked while directing homophobic slurs at Hubert.
Cang only glanced at the towering boy with narrowed eyes. "That is one, ignorant statement, Driscoll. Appearances have nothing to do with what type of strength people have" the black-haired boy sternly told him.
Berenice only stroked one of her pink bangs with a huff. "You two are constantly boring me with your personalities" she noted and began facing Haschwalth who stood beside her. "Well, Jumpy Jugo. What do you think?" the pink-haired teenage girl then asked the blonde-haired boy beside her.
"Well, I don't know how to answer this, but this sure is big news" Haschwalth responded to her in his usual nervous manner. He then glanced sideways to face his best friend. "What do you think, Bazz? Doesn't this seem kind of…." Haschwalth stopped asking, as he could see a delightful expression being spread across Bazz-B's face. It was obvious that the young, hotheaded boy was very interested in hearing this. To him, this was another perfect chance to prove himself before the officers and convince them to let him join the Lichtreich's military. Bazz-B continued to listen to Hubert's speech.
"Those of you who have a strong desire to fight for the sake of us Quincies shall be given the honor of serving in His Majesty's military in the Lichtreich" Hubert then went on explaining the ordeal.
This filled Bazz-B with satisfaction, as the young boy knew that joining the Sternritters would without a doubt guarantee his vengeance against Yhwach and make the emperor suffer for what he had done to his family. Haschwalth and the rest of his group could see how determined he looked in joining this group.
"Let's go, Jugo. Berenice. Cang. Driscoll" Bazz-B said and suddenly grabbed Haschwalth's hand and dragged him along. This forced the other three to come after him. They headed straight towards the Quincies on horses with Hubert not necessarily enthusiastic about seeing them.
"What do you brats want?" Hubert rudely asked them, not caring about the fact that he was speaking to teenagers in such degrading manner.
Bazz-B fixed a smug look at the officer while his friends stood beside him, with Haschwalth looking sort of timid while glancing up at the cavalry. "I'm Bazz. And these guys are my friends: Jugo, Berenice, Driscoll and Cang. We all wanna join these Sternritters of yours" the punkish boy said.
Despite hearing this, Hubert was not impressed by hearing Bazz-B's words. Nor did he even seem to hold a high opinion on the teenager's enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the townspeople were stunned to see what the group of teenagers were doing, particularly Bazz-B.
"Is that moronic kid even serious?" one of the townsmen asked as he looked at Bazz-B. "He's definitely gonna get himself and his friends killed" the man with a hat added to his disbelief.
"Well, what do you expect?" another townsman asked with sarcasm in his voice while rubbing his face. "It's Bazz. You know, the bratty son of the former Lord of Hasenwald" he then went on explaining to the man who that kid was.
Meanwhile, Bazz-B was getting impatient with not getting an answer from the officers. "Well? Say something, already!" he rudely told them.
"Hold on! Wait a sec, Bazz. Maybe it's not such a good idea to….." Haschwalth was trying to calm Bazz-B down, only for him and the other teenagers to be surprised when the officers suddenly turned around their horses and began moving.
"We're finished here. Let's move on!" Hubert told his fellow officers and commanded his horse to move.
But both Bazz-B and Driscoll were both furious to see what the Quincies were doing and it only fueled anger within themselves.
"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going!? Wait up!" Bazz-B asked out angrily. "I just said that we wanted to join this vanguard!" the brash boy continued speaking up.
"Yeah! What's the big idea, you faggot!?" Driscoll joined in, once again directing a homophobic slur at Hubert, even though he was angry with the entire cavalry as a whole.
Brushing off the insult easily, Hubert looked over his shoulder to face the teenagers with dispassionate eyes. "The examination will be held on a later date. There will be an official notice circulated. You ought to hone your skills up till then" the black-haired man answered while the teenagers listened to what was being said. "And just to be clear, this won't be some childish diversion or distractions. So don't get your hopes up too high, runts" Hubert then concluded before taking off with his horse.
Berenice simply brushed off one of her bangs. "Sheesh, what a grouch" the teenaged girl remarked by what she had heard Hubert told them. "Not very professional of him, I'll say" the pink-haired girl added to her statement.
"Honestly, I agree with what he said" Cang simply replied, a stark contrast to that of his comrades.
Haschwalth chuckled nervously and looked at his close friend beside him. "Well, Bazz. Not what we expected but we better do as he says. Shall we call it a day?" he then asked the reddish purple-haired boy.
But to the surprise of his friends, Bazz-B fired a Reishi Arrow up in the air and it landed right before Hubert's horse, thus scaring it. His friends were surprised yet Bazz-B only grinned cockily while holding his Reishi Crossbow like a pro. Ever since his encounter with Bernard in the tavern, the brash boy could not afford to be underestimated and dismissed again by the Lichtreich's military officers. That is why he was willing to challenge Hubert.
"How about I just show you some of my skills right now?" Bazz-B asked and did a typical "come at me" gesture towards Hubert with his fingers. "Just you and me, one on one. You in, Mr. Officer? If I win, you'll forfeit your position and horse to me!" the hotheaded teenager taunted him.
Berenice smiled smugly when hearing this. "Oh, this could get ugly" she remarked by what she was seeing.
While Haschwalth become concerned about this fight and Cang only staring at this unfazed, Driscoll began cheering loudly for Bazz-B as he was up against Hubert. "Way to go, Bazz! Peg the living shit out of that fudge-packer!" the bullying boy encouraged him.
Hubert got off his horse and faced Bazz-B with an angered glance. But from what people could tell, he also seemed quite satisfied with drawing his sword. His patience had ended. The black-haired man glanced at the young boy deadly.
"What an insolent, little monkey. I have met your types before! Nothing but inbred halfwits who don't know their place in the world until lying on their deathbed!" Hubert spoke up, voicing his anger and satisfaction in being able to draw his blade against someone like Bazz-B.
But his fellow officers took an issue with this, and they tried their best to stop him with some form of encouragement or advice.
"Drawing your sword against a mere punk? Are you insane?" Robert asked in disbelief while adjusting his glasses.
Algora only sighed deeply in return. "Just let it go, Hubert! You're only making a fool out of yourself!" he urged his comrade, who did not listen.
"Yeah, Cousin Hubert! You know the code of rules we follow: no harming….." Quilge was interrupted by an angry shout coming from the young man himself.
"SHUT UP, QUILGE! AND ALL YOU, STAY OUT OF THIS!" Hubert snapped at both his comrades and his cousin before fixing his grin upon Bazz-B, brandishing his sword in the process. "I'm not gonna put up with such disrespect. Especially if it comes from a spineless, little monkey like you!" he then said to the boy.
Despite his threats, Bazz-B kept pushing on, feeling confident that he could challenge someone like Hubert. "You call me a monkey, huh? Hey, listen to this: "A faggot in a military official's uniform got his ass handed to him by a monkey". You think that your comrades will pass the exact message on to Yhwach for me?" the brash teenager taunted him once again, this time, using a homophobic slur like Driscoll had done before.
Hubert was furious and charged towards Bazz-B with his sword. "WHEN I AM DONE WITH YOU, I WILL SLICE YOUR CORPSE IN HALF AND SPIT UPON THEM!" he declared gleefully as he prepared to strike.
Bazz-B only charged towards Hubert in return and held his Reishi Crossbow tightly. Cang continued to watch the upcoming fight unfazed while Driscoll and Berenice cheered for Bazz-B. But Haschwalth was starting to feel very worried about what danger his friend was putting himself into and tried to intervene.
But before Bazz-B could even land at his opponent, he suddenly felt the entire area around him shake. As a result, he fell onto the ground, thus losing his Reishi Crossbow as it disintegrated. It was something so powerful that it forced the young boy down unto the ground.
"What happened!?" Bazz-B asked in his head, only hear the sound of a horse approaching him from behind. Barley looking to his side, he could see none other than Yhwach sitting on a horse. At the same time, he noticed that the townspeople were all lying on the ground, emotionless. "It's Yhwach!…..then that means…I see. This must be the thing called Spiritual Pressure. He literally makes everyone kiss the ground he walks on with it…that damned monster" the young boy added to his thoughts while seeing Yhwach sitting on his horse riding into the street unfazed.
The Emperor of the Lichtreich suddenly fixed his stern glance upon Hubert, who snapped in shock as his eyes met his. "Explain yourself, Hubert Opie" he sternly requested the officer.
Hubert immediately kneeled before his superior while sweating intensively. "Your Majesty! Forgive my recklessness! I got baited into a personal duel with that ignorant monkey lying over there! He said so many….." Hubert was silenced by the emperor.
"It is fine. I have heard enough from you" Yhwach simply replied before motioning his horse to move. "I came here to find what I was looking for: to pick up the one who shall become my right hand in the entire Lichtreich" Yhwach told Hubert and the other officers in return.
Bazz-B snapped when he heard Yhwach's intentions for coming to Eisenschild. He could hear the sounds of Yhwach's horse making steps. "Now's my chance! You wanna have a right-hand man? Well he's right here!" Bazz-B thought while slowly getting up with his arms, even though he was struggling. "The one you're looking for is me! I'll become your right hand man and when the time comes….YOU'LL BE SLAUGHTERED BY MY VERY OWN HANDS…YHWACH!" he added with a burning determination built inside of him.
But the moment, Bazz-B lifted his face up, his green eyes widened in shock. The view he currently had was unimaginable. Yhwach and his horse currently stood right before Haschwalth. Yes, Haschwalth was standing perfectly still, facing up the emperor with widened eyes. While Cang, Berenice and Driscoll had fallen onto the ground beside him during Yhwach's unleashing of his Spiritual Pressure, Haschwalth was still standing. Despite his imposing appearance, the blonde-haired boy did nothing, not even drawing his sword. He remained standstill as Yhwach looked down to face him.
"You there, young boy. I know your name. Jugram Haschwalth….my other half" the emperor spoke up.
Haschwalth was filled with disbelief over what he was hearing and so were his friends, who could not believe what Yhwach had just said. The blonde-haired boy smiled nervously in return.
"Ummm…..what exactly am I?" Haschwalth asked. "I really don't understand any of this…." the young boy was interrupted by Yhwach speaking.
"You do not need to understand. From this day forth, you will stay at my side and become an integral member of the Sternritters" Yhwach told him, much to the utter surprise of not just Haschwalth and his friends, but to the military officers as well. "In fact, you shall become the Sternritter Grandmaster" the emperor added to his announcement thus stunning the people around them even more.
Hubert was filled with disbelief, as was his comrades. "This has to be some kind of joke. This kid can't possibly be the…..." Algora stammered out, only for him to be interrupted once again.
"It is" Robert's voice came as he stood alongside Hubert and Algora. The young man then faced the confused child while adjusting his glasses. "Just take a look at the faces and hairs of His Majesty and that boy. If you look closer, you will see the facial resemblances between them" he then urged them.
Fortunately, Quilge had already done that, and he was stunned by the results. "Oh my gosh! That guy over there really is His Majesty's other half!" the teenaged officer exclaimed while putting his hands onto his cheeks in awe. He then glanced over at Haschwalth. "That means he will become our underboss or something, right?" he asked Robert.
The four-eyed man chuckled in return. "Indeed, he will" he responded to the teenager's question.
But inside Haschwalth's own head, many thoughts and questions were swirling around him. Yes, he and Bazz-B had indeed vowed to kill Yhwach by training to their limits and get close to him. But how did the shy boy suddenly end up becoming appointed by his supposed target himself? Could this be one of the things Bernard told him back in the tavern? He did not know how to find the answers.
"Well, gee…this sure is surprising" Haschwalth noted nervously and faced Bazz-B, as he was the closest friend he could trust in. "What should I do, Bazz?" he asked, only for him to see Bazz-B's green eyes pierce through him. This only makes the blonde-haired boy wonder why. "Bazz…..." he says lowly.
Bazz-B was currently having so many thoughts inside his head, as did Cang, Berenice and Driscoll. The three friends were lying beside Haschwalth and were all stunned to see how he remained untouched by the Spiritual Pressure from Yhwach. But for Bazz-B, his thoughts were conflicted and confused at the same time.
"Why? Why is this happening? We were both supposed to get close to Yhwach and assassinate him. I had the talent, you had not. In the off chance, only I could manage to pull it off instead of you. The right hand man was supposed to be me! So why did it end up being you…Jugo!?" the brash-headed boy wondered in his head angrily. He did not understand why his friend was currently standing so high, and not him.
Haschwalth could notice the glare he was being given by Bazz-B and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "Stop staring at me like this, Bazz. Why are you doing this?" the blonde-haired boy wondered in his head. "Aren't you happy for me?" he then added another question into his mind.
Yhwach faced his subordinates while sitting on the horseback. "Prepare a horse with carriage to return to Eiskrone. This young boy will come with me" he told them and they saluted to him in return, indicating that they would obey his order.
"Wait! Hold up!" Haschwalth told Yhwach to stop. This forced the emperor to look over his shoulder and saw the young boy hold onto his elbows while facing the ground. "I think…...I think you may have made a big mistake" the young boy told him.
Hubert did not like the tone in the young boy's voice and even reached for his sword. "What did you just say? Excuse me, but I really can't let that comment slide, brat. What nonsense are you sprouting?" the black-haired man told him while drawing out his blade.
Algora could notice this and tried to intervene once again. "Behave yourself, Hubert" he lowly encouraged him, though his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Shut it, Algora!" Hubert snapped and faced Haschwalth with his strict glance. "You dare you question His Majesty's judgement?! The nerve you have!" the black-haired man added while speaking to Haschwalth.
But the blonde-haired boy continued to speak up defiantly. "I don't have the abilities and powers other Quincies possesses! I can't generate a Heilig Bogen or fire a Heilig Pfiel! Instead of me, you should choose Bazz instead" he told them much to the stunning of his close friend. "In my opinion, he or those three lying around me are better suited in serving at His Majesty's side" the young boy added to his reasoning.
Hubert could not take it any longer and charged towards Haschwalth in anger. "One more word out of your mouth and I will…" the young man stopped when he could hear someone dismounting his horse. It was Yhwach, who began taking small steps towards the young boy. While doing that, he fixed his gaze upon Hubert, who only snapped in surprise. "Your Majesty…...I…." he uttered out words.
Before he knew it, Hubert received a hard punch on his left cheek by Yhwach himself, and the young man was sent rolling onto the ground. The emperor formed a deep frown while glancing at the young man, who had his mouth and nose bleeding.
"You have tried my patience for the last time, Hubert. During my announcement, I strictly told you to not cause any physical harm to him!" Yhwach berated the young officer.
"B-but I…" Hubert stammered, only for his superior to shut him down.
"No more buts! The next time you disobey a direct order, I will personally execute you with my bare hands! Are we clear!?" the emperor snapped at the young man. Hubert was bleeding endlessly, and he quickly cowered before his liege and begged for mercy. Yhwach quickly dismissed Hubert and moved on to face Haschwalth and talk to him. The blonde-haired boy was stunned as their eyes met. "It is just as my eyes foretold" the emperor said to him.
Haschwalth was filled with confusion inside. "What do you mean?" he uttered out lowly.
"I see that you are still oblivious to the true nature of your powers. It's only natural that you are unable to make a Heilig Bogen. You are the same as me. You have powers that are distributed to you" Yhwach revealed to him, the young boy listening closely and not saying anything to interrupt his explanation. "I have searched the likes of you for quite some time. You see, not a single Quincy with the same ability as me, have been born in the past 200 years. Jugram Haschwalth, unlike other Quincies, you cannot absorb the Reishi around you and make it your own power. You can only "give" to your surroundings. I can only nurture the power that I give out, and then take it back as my own. You on the other hand, are not even capable of such" the emperor pointed out to the young boy.
As Yhwach went on filling in the details into the blonde-haired boy, Bazz-B and the other young Quincies currently began recalling the conversation Bernard had with them in the tavern. Even Haschwalth began thinking about what that officer had told him, as well as the encouragement he had been given to by Bernard. All the young Quincies finally understood it. The "incomplete Quincies" were different for a very unique reason: they possessed the same powers and abilities as Yhwach. In that way, they were almost a part of him. That is what Haschwalth was.
Bazz-B was pondering about the same thing, only to be interrupted by hearing Yhwach's voice calling to him. "You, the red-haired boy over there. Tell me, I am sure you felt your powers swelling daily, just by being in this young boy's presence. Did you really believe it was due to your own prowess and abilities?" the black-haired man suddenly asked the young, who snapped as he was asked about this question. True, Bazz-B had been very close to Haschwalth over the past five years. However, could this mean that all the source of his success had come from Haschwalth's unique abilities? The young boy was filled with disbelief. "You ought to be kneeling before this kind soul, this prodigy who fostered and nurtured the impotent you" Yhwach added to his explanation, while the young boy looked at him.
Bazz-B just refused to believe what he just heard. If he had never met Haschwalth, would he still be a genius as he currently was? This was only one of the many questions that swelled inside the young boy's head. No, he refused to believe that the blonde-haired boy was the source for his progress as a Quincy. Bazz-B would never swallow his pride to accept such facts. Anger and resentment grew inside the young boy.
"Now come with me, Haschwalth" Yhwach said while patting the young boy's head. "I need you by my side right now" the emperor added, and Haschwalth simply responded without hesitation.
However, Bazz-B would never let this stop his quest to avenge his family. The young boy howled in anger and aimed his Reishi Crossbow at Yhwach. "GO TO HELL, YHWACH!" he yelled in anger and fired a Heilig Pfiel at the emperor. But something transpired and Bazz-B was stunned to see Haschwalth suddenly grab the arrow by his hand. The reddish purple-haired teenager could not believe that Haschwalth was currently defending the man they had previously sworn to kill. "Jugo….WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he asked out in anger.
The young boy faced his childhood friend with surprisingly serious eyes as he held onto the arrow before throwing it away. He even made sure to face his other three friends, who were stunned to hear what he was even capable of. The blonde-haired boy formed a deep frown as he glanced at everyone around him.
"I am sorry, but I can't let anyone harm His Majesty" Haschwalth said in a surprisingly cold tone. His friends were stunned to hear the change of tune in his voice, as it sounded so mature. "I appreciate for what you have done for me and wish you only the best from now on" he said before finally fixing his glance on Bazz-B. Haschwalth began nodding his head towards him. "I thank you for what you have done, Bazz. But now, I must go and fulfill my destiny" the young boy said, before joining Yhwach and his officers.
Bazz-B could only stand and watch as his childhood friend disappeared with the enemy out of the town, where they eventually met a carriage. The young boy felt no sadness however, only anger and resentment. This was the last time he would ever see Haschwalth as the good friend he once was.
A couple of days later, in the woods outside Eisenschild
Ever since Haschwalth had left the group to join Yhwach and his military, Bazz-B had been training to his limits. He still refused to believe that the blonde-haired boy had been a source for his progress. To accept such would only hurt his pride and confidence. Even now, he found himself shooting many targets in high trees. The punkish boy was still determined to become one of the strongest Quincies, as well as the one to kill Yhwach. Personality wise, he had grown quite miserable, and even his other friends could see that.
Driscoll, Cang and Berenice sat on a long log and watched as Bazz-B kept striving to become better with his Reishi Crossbow. None of them seemed to get a clue on what was going on. Although they too had been stunned by seeing Haschwalth leaving them, they weren't as affected as Bazz-B was. This was due to the fact that the two boys had known each other for quite long, unlike them.
"What's his deal? He no longer has that pipsqueak to take care off. I still don't get why he keeps thinking about him?" the muscular teenager asked while scratching his hair.
Both Cang and Berenice glanced at Driscoll with disapproving eyes, something which the muscular boy himself didn't take notice of. But they did in fact continue watching Bazz-B practicing his skills.
"All I can say, is that Bazz pretty much felt betrayed by seeing Jugo being appointed to as Yhwach's right hand. And didn't he say something about Jugo leading the Sternritters as well?" Berenice asked while pointing out what she could tell.
"Perhaps we all foolishly underestimated Haschwalth's powers" Cang suddenly spoke up. The black-haired boy then closed his eyes. "That unique ability of his, it must have not only affected him, but maybe us as well. We did after all spend many years being close to him" he then pointed out to his fellow young Quincies.
Driscoll felt very insulted about hearing this, so he quickly stood up from the log and angrily glanced at Cang. "Are you saying that he was the source for my progress!? Hell no! My progress existed way before I even met those chumps, let alone before I came to these Northern Lands!" the tall teenager rebuked him, but he was not finished. "And by the way, I know that you only say this because you're afraid that pipsqueak is gonna beat ya!" he then added with a taunt directed towards him.
Cang narrowed his eyes while facing Driscoll. "Shut your mouth, oaf. Otherwise, I will be more than happy to do that for you" he warned him coldly.
While seeing this kafuffle, Berenice only sighed in annoyance and decided to see if Bazz-B was actually doing okay. True, she had seen him acting quite reserved since Haschwalth had left them. Maybe he could not some encouragement from a friend? The pink-haired girl approached Bazz-B and give her a thumb up gesture, although it seemed rather fake.
"Nice work out there, tough guy. I'll admit that you've really become better with your crossbow" the teenaged girl complimented him.
Bazz-B eyes her with his annoyed eyes, and he did not seem so appreciative of her compliment. "What the fuck do you want, Berenice? Can't you see I'm busy?" he rudely asked her.
Hearing this caused Berenice to cross her arms and look in another direction. "Careful with your language, Bratty Bazz. You're lucky that you're even surrounded by the likes of me!" she snapped at him. Bazz-B merely shrugged his shoulders and didn't necessarily seem to give much thought. He began refocusing efforts on mastering his crossbow. Berenice sighed in annoyance. "Are you still butthurt about what Yhwach told you the other day? You're ridiculous. I mean, how is it even possible that Jugo was the source of your success? I mean, it doesn't make any sense" she then asked her friend.
Hearing this caused Bazz-B to grit his teeth in anger and he turned around to face the teenage girl with a furious expression on his face. "LIKE I WOULD EVER LISTEN TO WHAT THAT BASTARD SAID TO ME!" he snapped out in anger. "I COULD NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF I EVER LET THAT HAPPEN TO ME!" he added with anger in his voice.
Berenice seemed unfazed at seeing this, and was joined by both Cang and Driscoll. The three teenagers continued to watch the slightly betrayed glance on the punkish boy's face. It was obvious that he could never let go of the fact that Haschwalth would join Yhwach as his right hand. It only made his blood boil.
However, Driscoll could not help but to grin at Bazz-B. "Oh, I get it. You obviously developed feeling towards the pipsqueak, didn't ya!?" he asked him.
Bazz-B flipped his middle finger at him. "Bite me! You know nothing!" he rudely replied.
"Yeah, educate yourself, Dirty Driscoll" Berenice reprimanded him.
"Whose side are you on!?" the bullying teenager asked, only for Berenice to stick her tongue at him. "Snotty bitch…" Driscoll muttered.
The group of teenagers were stunned when they heard a clapping sound coming to them from behind. Turning around, they were surprised by seeing Bernard Gabor leaning against a tree in a relaxing mode. The young man with curly hair had appeared to be standing near them for a while. He stopped clapping his hands and adjusted his glasses while glancing at them.
"We meet again, punks. Who would've thought that I'd find you in these woods outside town?" Bernard said and stopped leaning to face the group. "But I see there is one of you missing. Then that means Jugram Haschwalth has joined up with His Majesty, am I right?" he then asked them, although it sounded quite sarcastic.
"Wait! You're that doofus from the tavern!" Berenice exclaimed while pointing a finger at him.
"BG9…..." Bazz-B spoke up lowly, although a hint of anger and resentment could be heard in his voice. The green-eyed boy surprisingly began aiming his Reishi Crossbow at the military officer and it surprisingly stunned his comrades. "YOU…...THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he yelled out in anger while aiming his weapon.
Bernard simply glanced at him with a deep frown, and he began scratching his curly hair. "What? Oh, I see. You're still angry with me, which is why you called me by my codename. Well, don't get your hopes to high, kid. Your friend was destined to join His Majesty's side. We all know that" he told them and began facing Bazz-B with a cunning glance. "And besides, aren't you at least happy for your friend? I mean, weren't you the one who felt sorry for him the most?" he then asked the young teenager.
Hearing this caused Bazz-B to snap in surprise, and he recalled back to the first time he and the blonde-haired boy met outside Hasenwald. He was lost in thoughts and wondered whether there was some level truth in Bernard's statement.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Driscoll asked dispassionately while crossing his arms. "I thought you said that we were unworthy of joining the military!" he barked at him.
The young man brushed off the bullying teenager's question and faced every young Quincy with a cunning smirk. "Look, just forget what I said to you back at the tavern. It was four months ago. But enough of that! Do you kids remember about Hubert saying something about the examination of recruits?" the young man then asked them as the teenagers listened. "Well, I came here to tell you that the examination will happen in about….3 years from now on" he then revealed, much to the surprise of the teenagers.
"3 years?" Cang asked lowly.
"How is that even possible!? Why are they waiting so long!?" Berenice asked loudly at him.
"The answer to that is simple" Bernard responded while scratching his hair a little. "Now that your friend is under His Majesty's wings, it will take some time for him to be trained and educated properly. His Majesty is determined to make Jugram Haschwalth his second-in-command, as well as the Sternritter Grandmaster and Captain. That does require three years of what I mentioned" he said while explaining the situation.
Bazz-B merely narrowed his eyes further as he heard that. "So you're saying that we should do the same? Train before we enter the vanguard?" he spoke up lowly, still not trusting Bernard completely.
"Of course, he means that, genius! What else do you think!?" Driscoll asked him with dispassion. He then glances at Bernard. "Alright, BG9! Where do we find this place?" he asked him.
Hearing this caused Bernard to glare at him in anger and it surprisingly intimidated the bullying teenager. "I believe I've told you the name I prefer to be called, and it's Bernard Gabor! Get it through your thick skull!" he told him.
"BG9…what kind of codename is that, anyway?" Berenice quizzed him, finding it very odd.
The young man simply smiled with confidence in his expression. "I'm glad you asked, young lady. You see, the B and the G stand for my name, which is of course Bernard Gabor. However, the number 9 is there for another reason. I suspect that none of you have ever heard the Kaiser Gesang" he answered.
"I heard it being sung once" Cang suddenly stated out of the open. "It is a song dedicated to Yhwach. It tells us of a sealed king who regains the entire world in 9 days. You must be speaking about the final lyrics" the black-haired boy answered nonchalantly.
Berenice flipped the bangs of her hair. "Wow. You're such a genius, Cranky Cang!" she sarcastically praised him, yet Cang didn't really seem to care.
Bernard, however, smiled at him. "Wow, you are quite knowledgeable there, I'll give you that!" he commended the young boy, who did not even bother saying anything in return, not even thanks for the compliment. "Anyway, let's move back to what fatboy here just asked me about. Well, you wondered where it would be, eh? When you feel like you're ready, head to the town of Antiquität. It lies before the rugged hill where His Majesty's palace of Eiskrone stands. That town will be where they welcome all recruits of the Sternritters. But I have to warn ya, there may be no way back" the laidback officer reminded them, but he could see how determined these teenagers were.
"Don't think that I'm about to go back on the vow I made when my family died" Bazz-B told him, a burning passion being born within him. "I will go to Antiquität and become a Sternritter. Once I have done that, I will begin something I should've done many years ago: fight Jugo and defeat him" the young boy signaled his determination, as he would not be willing to back down from this challenge.
"Well said, Bazz. I'm starting to actually like you for real" Driscoll said, while a grin was formed across his face. The bullying teenager was also determined to join these Sternritters.
Cang began cracking his knuckles, indicating that he also wished to join the Sternritters and go to Antiquität. "I will begin to develop my skills once I have joined the Sternritters. Therefore, I shall go there as well" the black-haired boy said. But there was something else on his mind right now. "When I get there, I expect you to have become stronger than before, Haschwalth" he added to his thoughts, thinking about the blonde-haired boy he had known as a friend.
Berenice only stroke one of her pink bangs and huffed. "Don't think that you boys can go out and have all the fun to yourselves!" the teenaged girl reminded them while facing the three boys in a smug manner. "I also have some ambitions as well. So don't even think about leaving me behind, boys!" she sternly told them.
None of the boys seemed to take her words seriously, yet they understood her "ambitions". The teenagers then fixed their eyes on Bernard, who had begun turning around and moving away. The young Quincies were surprised by why he did that. However, he even waved his right hand at them in a manner of saying goodbye.
"Well then, now that I know of your answers, I may as well take my leave for now. The mission I was received from His Majesty was to spread his announcement throughout the Lichtreich after all" the curly-haired man said but then stopped. He slowly began looking at the group of teenagers over his shoulder, thus showing them his smug look through his glasses. "But listen, I don't care what your plans are. But know this: no man can defeat Yhwach…...not even a Quincy…do not forget…...all of us have his blood coursing through our veins" Bernard said before he quickly vanished from the forest, with the help of his Hirenkiyaku.
This left the teenagers alone in the woods. Now, they had a new goal. First train to become better and experienced and then head for Antiquität to join the Sternritters. Once there, they would without a doubt be able to see Haschwalth again. But would he still be the same shy person as they had known him? All four teenagers doubted that.
To be continued…
Author's note: And here we are! Another great chapter about the past of the two friends. With Haschwalth joining Yhwach, Bazz-B and his comrades are now making preparations to join the Sternritters, in hopes of getting close to both their former friend and Yhwach. I have given some of the lesser known Quincies full names (Viktor Zeidritz, Hugo Opie and Friedrich von Algora), as I think they were also former members of the original Sternritters. And yes, Quilge Opie was at that time just an awkward teenage boy. Due to their close resemblance and personalities, Hubert is his cousin. The next chapter will probably reveal more of the Quincies that would join the Sternritters. I am thinking about including Lille, Jerome and NaNaNa in that story. And who knows, maybe Luddenwig will be included. But that I have to think about.
Now let's look at the new terms!
Eiskrone – German for "Ice Crown": This was the palace where Yhwach personally resided, as well as the HQ of the Lichtreich and its military. Situated on a rugged hill and surrounded by frozen trees, Eiskrone was built as a testament to the influence and power Yhwach carried.
Niú Jìn Zhǎo – Chinese for "Bull-Strong Claws": In addition to having standard Quincy techniqes, Cang is also known to possess uniqe abilities that combines Reishi with hand-to-hand combat.
Antiquität – German for "Antique": At the base of the rugged hill where Eiskrone stands on, lies the town of Antiquität. Asides from having many white buildings, it is also known to have structures from the Ancient Greece, including pillars and pavilions. Due to its close location to Yhwach's palace, this town is without a doubt the richest in the entire Lichtreic
