The next morning, Issachar got up and saw another young man inside the room that he and Flynn were living in. Flynn slowly got up and noticed the young man as well and was somewhat surprised.
"Oh, were you still asleep? Don't mind me barging in." he said.
"Judging by the way you're dressed, I have to assume that you're one of our own." Issachar said.
"Hah, you got that right. I'm a bona fide Samurai. I became one yesterday, just as you two did, heh." the young man replied.
"Okay, do you have a name so that I don't forget?"
"My name's Walter. I heard that you two came from the Casualries just like I did. That's why I came to introduce myself. It's good to meet you, Flynn, Issachar." Walter said to both prentices.
"Any idea on how you came about our names?" Flynn asked.
"It's customary for any new prentice Samurai to be told about any others that were also accepted. By the by. . . have we met somewhere before?"
"What?"
"No, of course we haven't. That was only a dream. . . I'm imagining things. Pay me no mind. You're heading to the practical training too, right?"
"Of course we are." Issachar and Flynn said in unison.
"I'll go on ahead then, and I'll see you at the entrance to Naraku. By the way, Commander Hope said for both of you to wear the special equipment in those trunks instead of your regular uniforms." Walter said as he pointed to the trunk near Flynn's bed and a new trunk that had appeared right next to Issachar's before he left.
Looking inside his trunk, Flynn pulled out a mysterious suit and said, "This thing feels familiar, as if I've worn it before. . . which is impossible since I was a Casualry until now."
Issachar also got a mysterious suit similar to Flynn's when he checked his trunk and the two changed into their respective mysterious suits before heading to the Naraku Entranceway. Once there, there were five other Samurai recruits that had gathered, including Walter.
"What's this I see? Are you two prentice Samurai as well?" a haughty-looking recruit asked.
"Yes, but look who's talking. . . Come to that, who are you?" Walter asked the haughty-looking prentice, clearly annoyed.
"I am Navarre! NAVARRE! This marks the third time I've said as much! Let's see. . . Walter, I presume? You three are our last arrivals. It seems Casualries tend to be dawdlers. I find this cause for some concern. Don't you think so, Jonathan?" The haughty-looking prentice said.
Jonathan then said, "Navarre, I believe that's enough. We're all prentices here, after all."
"You're going to give those two a bad impression of us Luxurors." a young lady prentice said.
"That's right, Navarre. You need to keep yer trap shut when you can't say somethin' nice." a second young lady prentice said in a thick accent that neither Flynn nor Issachar couldn't comprehend.
"What!? That's rather cutting of you, isn't it, Isabeau and Kelsey!?"
"Huh. You may be Luxurors, but I think we'll get along fine." Walter said to the female prentices.
"I don't know about that. . . You've been quiet, though." Isabeau said to Flynn.
"Hey there." Kelsey said to Issachar cheerfully.
"Hello there, Kelsey." Issachar said meekly before continuing, "I'm Issachar."
"My name is Isabeau. What's yours?" Isabeau asked Flynn.
Flynn remained silent and then Isabeau said to Navarre, "I told you, Navarre. Thanks to you, we've gotten off on the wrong foot with this guy."
"Wha. . . Hrrgh. . ." Navarre began but then Issachar said, "Stay, Flynn. . . Let me speak for him." and then he introduced Flynn to the others.
"Hm. . . ? Flynn. . . ? That's the name from my dream. . . sorry, never mind me. Interesting. . . I am Jonathan. I look forward to working alongside you, my fellow prentice." Jonathan said.
"Hi there, Flynn!" Kelsey cheerfully said to him and then put on a cute smile.
". . . So you're all here, then?" Hope said as he arrived.
"A-Ah, the Commander's here. . ." Navarre panicked.
"You seven are the successful candidates from this year's Gauntlet Rite."
"Seven. . . ? People came from all over the Kingdom and only seven were chosen? Did the Lord personally have a hand in this?" Issachar asked.
"I share your suspicion, Issachar. Seven is a much bigger crop than usual!" Navarre said.
"Cut the chitchat, Navarre." Commander Hope said sternly.
"What!? I was hardly the only-!" but Hope cut him off and said, "We will now begin your practical training. Henceforth, you will all be making forays into Naraku."
"Naraku. . . ? If I recall correctly, that is reportedly the place where demons. . ." Jonathan said but then Walter asked, "Demons?"
"You're Jonathan, yes? You seem very well-informed." Hope said to Jonathan.
"My father never would reveal to me the Samurai's true mission. . . So it involves vanquishing demons. . ."
"Today, you will enter Naraku and receive basic Samurai training as you battle demons. You'll be given a small stipend to prepare yourselves, as well as a few common supplies." Hope said as he gave each of the prentices 300 Macca and five Healing Waters before continuing, "There are shops here in the square that handle what you'll need. Each of you will enter Naraku as soon as you're ready. I'll be in touch by and by with the details of the exercise. You're all dismissed. Go and make yourselves ready for training."
As the prentices dispersed to get ready, Flynn and Issachar asked Hope about their suits and he said that they were mystical suits of armor called Demonicas that were entrusted to them by an entity named 'M' and that M was busy on a mission.
When Flynn and Issachar got to the Naraku Entranceway, a Samurai on duty said, "You've come, newly chosen ones. Past here is Naraku, the cavern of evil where the demons from the fables you've heard exist in the flesh. Have you come fully prepared, with weapons, armor, and supplies at the ready. . . ?"
"We're prepared." Issachar and Flynn said in unison.
"Then go and face the training exercises. And try not to be slain."
Once inside Naraku, they both felt that the atmosphere is unlike any other they've felt before. Heading down the stairs and towards a door, Flynn and Issachar's Gauntlets suddenly began to emit a light and then something appeared on their Gauntlet's LCD monitor. It was a female figure that said, "Hello, human. I'm Burroughs, a navigational AI. I've acknowledged you as my user. It's good to meet you." the figures said to Flynn and Issachar.
Hope suddenly appeared on the monitor as the word 'LIVE' appeared in the top right corner of the monitor and he said, "This is Hope speaking. I'm scrying on all your positions through Burroughs. I see you're all in Naraku now. Let me explain your first training exercise. You must begin the basics of combats through battle with demons. Fighting demons is a necessary skill for Samurai. Your task is to defeat a demon inside Naraku. Any demons will do. Burroughs, the sprite who dwells in that Gauntlet, will support you. That is all for now. You should commence your training at once." Hope then cut the transmission.
Flynn decided to skip through the tutorials while Issachar went through it all and afterwards checked their equipment and saw that they both wielded Sophia's Sword as their melee weapons and that they had something called a 'gun' equipped as well as something called 'bullets' that were used in the gun. Both of them had Shinno Rounds equipped, but Flynn had a Peacemaker while Issachar just had a simplistic Bruce Gun. They both also had Sturdy Earrings as their Accessories.
While Issachar only had the five Healing Waters that he got from the Commander as well as the 300 Macca, Flynn, was loaded with 543,000 Macca and had fifteen Healing Waters, five Medicines, forty-nine Life Stones, three Holy Fruits, three Beads, five Bead Chains, fourteen Chakra Drops, ten Chakra Pots, a Chakra Elixir, four Great Chakras, ten Soma Drops, three Somas, a Bead of Life, five Revival Leaves, five Revival Beads, six Balms of Rising, thirty-nine Patra Stones, twenty Me Patra Stones, twenty-five Detox Solutions, nine Dis-Poisons, ten Amrita Sodas, five Amrita Showers; eight Maragi Stones, Zanma Stones and Agilao Stones; nine Mabufu, Bufula Stones, Mamudo Stones, Megido Stones and Needle Orbs; seven Mazio Stones, ten Zionga, Mazan and Mahama Stones; eight Megidola Stones, eleven Knockout Gasses; ten Poison Gasses and Nerve Gasses; seven Attack Mirrors and Magic Mirrors, seventeen Dekunda Stones and Tetraja Stones, sixteen Dekaja Stones, a Summon Stone, a Heavy Grimoire, and a Gold Death Mask along with three Expanse Meats, two Heavenly Steaks, and twenty-three A5 Demoloins.
A/N: well, we have an original character here along with her battle strats and the return of Charm. In this story Charm only affects enemies and Charmed enemies will always be successfully recruited when scouted with the obvious exception of Hordes and bosses. Issachar's battle strats are for next chapter.
Kelsey
Description: a female prentice Samurai and one of the only two women among the prentice Samurai, she is cheerful and enjoys the companionship of both Luxurors and Casualries.
In combat: Kelsey utilizes both Hama and Mudo skills along with Ailments. Later on, she gets support skills.
Poisma: poisons one enemy. Level 1-20
Poison Breath: poisons all enemies. Level 21-50
Dormina: puts one enemy to sleep. Level 1-20
Lullaby: puts all enemies to sleep. Level 21-50
Shibaboo: binds one enemy. Level 1-20
Bind Voice: binds all enemies. Level 21-50
Cough: sickens one enemy. Level 1-20
Pandemic Bomb: sickens all enemies. Level 21-50
Pulinpa: panics one enemy. Level 1-20
Panic Voice: panics all enemies. Level 21-50
Marin Karin: charms one enemy. Level 1-20
Allure: charms all enemies. Level 21-50
Shivering Taboo: 70% chance of inflicting Poison, Charm, Panic, Sickness, Bind and Sleep on all enemies. Level 51-99
Silent Prayer: negates all -kaja and-nda effects universally. Level 51-99
Death's Door: reduce HP of all Sick enemies to one. Level 51-99
Tetrakarn: repels Physical and Gun attacks for one turn on all allies. Level 51-99
Makarakarn: repels Magical attacks except ailment or Almighty for one turn on all allies. Level 51-99
Hama: Light-based instant kill on one enemy. Level 1-50
Mudo: Dark-based instant kill on one enemy. Level 1-50
Hamaon: Light based instant kill with high success on one enemy. Level 51-99
Mudoon: Dark-based instant kill with high success on one enemy. Level 51-99