"What if we don't pick any Empire?"
Grace's voice was small, but it cut through the heavy silence of the square. She stared at Regina, her fingers twisting the hem of her tunic.
Regina didn't scoff; instead, her expression softened into a look of clinical pity. "There is no harm in it, technically. But understand this: to exist without an Empire is to exist without a shadow. You will have no protection from the Three, no access to the high level dungeons, quests or treasures, and you will be barred from every civilized gate. Unless a Sovereign or anyone with high and powerful influence grants you sanctuary—which happens once in a century—you are choosing a life of wandering the wastes. This is your only bridge to a safe and peaceful life."
"And the fourth region?" Grace pressed, her curiosity overriding her fear. "The Empires claim the North, the East, and the South. What lies in the West?"
Regina's eyebrow arched sharply. "That," she said, her voice dropping an octave, "is a truth reserved for those who survive the Military Academy. You will learn these things after Joining your empire. If you don't get it; The Empires only peel back the veil once they know whose soul they own and trust." With that said, she turned and walked away.
High above the square, perched on the decorative molding of the city's tallest spire, Mirabella watched the scene like a hawk. She popped a sweet into her mouth, the sugar crunching between her teeth.
"Regina Hayward," Mirabella muttered, her eyes tracking the woman below. "The Poison Queen. One of the Dragon Empire's 'Sharp Blades.' She talks a big game for someone so... pedestrian."
Carl, standing beside her, turned his head. "Is she stronger than Lord Hayatobi?"
Mirabella let out a sharp, jagged laugh. "Not even close. Regina is a Major, maybe a Colonel on a good day. Hayatobi is a force of nature. Comparing them is like comparing a campfire to a supernova."
Carl nodded slowly, a chill running down his spine that had nothing to do with the altitude. He turned his gaze back to the representatives below, who were now preparing for the final phase of the Induction.
Dylan Xavier, the representative of the Eagle Empire, stepped forward as Regina retreated. Unlike Cisco's stern militarism or Regina's toxic grace, Dylan carried himself with an easy, breezy confidence.
"My name is Dylan Xavier," he announced, his voice amplified by a small wind-spell. "I won't bore you with more speeches. We have one city, three towns, and five agricultural villages. We are protected by the Eagle guild, Light Feather guild, Guardian Guild, and military power."
He paused, a calculated smile spreading across his face.
"But there is one thing that sets us apart. Our Capital isn't anchored to the mud and dust. It floats ten thousand kilometers above the surface, nestled in the stratosphere. And for those who prove their worth..." He let the silence hang for a moment.
"We don't just give you rank. We give you the sky. You will learn to fly."
The crowd erupted. The prospect of leaving the grime of the lower world for a city in the clouds was an intoxicating dream.
"Flying? Seriously?"
"I'm joining! I don't care if they're the smallest empire!"
"Old pig," Cisco hissed under his breath. "Using tricks like a carrot."
Regina giggled, a sound like glass breaking. 'As if the Dragon Empire can't fly,' she thought.
'Let him have the dreamers. We only want the predators.'
Dylan felt the pressure behind him, but remained a flat expression:
"Ok... That is all I got to say... Why don't we move to the next phase of today agenda?" He moved to the side, as Cisco and Regina stepped forward, standing in a straight row, facing the confused crowd.
Cisco snapped a finger, and instantly, the space itself seemed to tear. A glowing white gateway erupted beside him, revealing a glimpse of a polished golden hall—the Sword Empire's Military Academy.
Regina followed suit, her snap producing a vortex of swirling black-and-purple energy. Finally, Dylan opened a gate of shimmering cerulean blue.
"Ages seventeen to twenty-nine," Regina commanded. "Step through. This is the moment you dismantle your puny, gutter-guilds. Your 'leaders' here are nothing more than big fish in a very small, drying pond. Follow your own path. Make your own destiny."
The effect was instantaneous. The Warrior Guild, the Stone Guild, the Ghost Guild, and other guilds—names that had meant everything in Galaxy City minutes ago—collapsed as members walked away, their eyes fixed on the portals.
BAM!
A resonant, metallic chime echoed from the Dragon Empire's gateway. Regina spun around, her face draining of color. A holographic display shimmered above the black portal: [Count: 02] followed by a name that shouldn't have been there.
[Authorizing Entity: LORD HAYATOBI]
"What...?" Cisco stammered, his bravado vanishing. "When did a Five-Star God General enter the Lower World? This sector is beneath his notice!"
"He didn't just enter," Dylan whispered, his eyes wide. "He issued two Level Authority Cards. He's claimed two students as 'Elites' before they've even stepped through the gate."
Regina didn't wait. She closed her eyes, pushing her spirit energy outward in a violent wave that swept across the city. It was like a radar ping, searching for the specific, icy resonance of Hayatobi's energy.
Her eyes snapped open. She zeroed in on the girl from before.
"You," Regina barked. "Step forward!"
Grace stumbled out of the crowd, a look of surprise on her face. "Me?"
"Did you encounter a man?" Regina demanded, closing the distance in a blur of movement. "Silver hair? Eyes like frozen mercury?"
"A month ago," Grace whispered, reaching into her spatial storage. "He gave me this."
She pulled out a card embossed with a black dragon. The air around the card seemed to vibrate with a heavy, oppressive power.
".....?!!"
The three representatives fell silent. To receive a card from a God General was to be marked by fate.
"An Elite student," Regina muttered, her mind racing. "Wait here."
She looked up, her green eyes piercing the distance to the highest building. Her gaze locked onto Mirabella, then shifted to the white cat perched on the girl's shoulder. Regina blinked, a momentary flicker of genuine confusion crossing her face.
'A cat? In this zone?' she thought, a cold sweat breaking out on her neck. 'What the hell is actually happening in this city?'