"Treble Lance. Stampede."
Oscar's deer anima stomped its heavy metal hooves, and red hot sparks erupted from the metal scraping. A fearsome presence enveloped the platform, emanating from the man and his deer anima, standing tall like a tenured knight, wielding deadly force. Oscar's bloodshot eyes could only be accompanied by the blood dripping from his right arm, covered by the lance.
Serena felt every hair on her stand up as her mind erupted with the feeling of impending danger....
2023-01-05 15:44:16 +0000 UTC
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"Phew." Phillip unsummoned his sword anima, the prismatic crystal blade vanishing into thin air, and got off the platform. Behind him, his opponent bled from several cuts but none life-threatening and knelt hazily on the platform. The proctor quickly took the opponent away to receive healing, followed by Phillip's sighing.
"The son of Raeven is distraught over his victory? I wonder why?" A woman with chestnut hair and green eyes strode over with a hand covering her light chuckle, appear...
2023-01-05 04:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Oscar clenched his teeth, tried to push his buckler in, and urged his deer anima forward, but it was like pushing through an invisible barrier. Emily stood in front with her two staves pushing down, and veins burst on the back of her hands, with sweat glistening as it dripped down her face. Their weapons did not make contact because their Eins entered a fierce struggle between them.
Powerful shockwaves erupted, blowing like an explosion, spreading winds and flames of Ein spreading from ...
2023-01-04 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Frederick sweat from his brow. He knew he could not outmatch his friend, who had an early Prinstyct Awakening. Perhaps if he used all his efforts to catch up while forgoing his other areas, his Prinstyct might be equal, but that was not the case.
His green Ein burst out as a 'Gust Blade' coated his swords.
Oscar stepped in and swung his bulwark with the force of Reis and Ein. The Reis flowed cleanly through the bulwark, thanks to Aunt Rosett's Reis forging. His Prinstyct clashed a...
2023-01-04 04:00:03 +0000 UTC
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"Everyone has gathered around."
Above the stadium, clouds swayed and gathered together, pulled together by an impressive amount of Ein that made all the students pale from the power emanating from above. The clouds formed a large ring overlooking the stadium, and an image of a person formed in the center. The figure had a clean-shaven head with no hair on his head and no facial hair, making him seem like a strange middle-aged man dressed in simple blue robes.
His closed eyelids sl...
2023-01-03 15:58:27 +0000 UTC
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"Sorry, I'm late," Oscar called out to Celestina and slowed his steps upon seeing her lips puckered and brows furrowed, knowing she was irritated. He chuckled nervously like a child caught out of bed and put down his pile of books. "I'm sorry for being late. I was caught up with fabrication."
Celestina turned to Oscar and clicked her tongue, staring at him with a sharp, reprimanding gaze. "You should take good care not to overdo it. I've heard tales of fabricators fainting because they ...
2023-01-03 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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"Wake up." Draven flicked Oscar's head with tremendous force, causing him to yelp out in pain.
"M-Master?" Oscar slurred, still half-asleep. He couldn't make heads or tails of where he was, wondering why Master was in his room. The straining effects of refining the materials had perplexed his mind.
"The armament is done."
"It is?" Oscar snapped to his feet. That was right; he was sleeping to wait for his new armament—one fit for an Elite Exalt.
Draven flicked his for...
2023-01-02 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Oscar followed his master down a series of stairs which was normal, but he felt awkward because, for some reason, the forgemaster, Rosett, was next to him. Earlier, on the terrace, Draven told him to follow, and the forgemaster tagged along. Glancing at the forgemaster, Oscar thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but several more glances proved it to be true; Rosett stared at Draven's back with the same sort of eyes he had seen from Serena at times when she wasn't trying to cling to hi...
2023-01-02 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Alone in the private forging room, Oscar packed up his things but glanced back at the furnace. Unless he committed a crime, there was no way for him to return to the Abyss Prison. Or was that what his master wanted? His feet shuddered at the thought, and he shook his head. That could not be what was required.
Then the door to his room opened, and a fabricator walked in, surprising Oscar, who knew no one could barge in a room once it was in use. The fabricator wore the same uniform, and ...
2023-01-01 16:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The return trip home was very awkward for Oscar because Serena had stopped trying to hug or cling to him as she usually did. Instead, she stayed amicably by his side and kept her distance. Oscar glanced at Serena, who smiled back.
What was she planning? Oscar was rattled by her smile, which held many hidden intentions, none of which Oscar could understand. Her red wavy hair was also braided together down her back, adding to Oscar's sense of danger.
The scene of Serena rejecting hi...
2023-01-01 04:00:02 +0000 UTC
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For what reason was a mission issued at a relatively safe region surrounding Uleon City? Oscar knew only one place that entailed the interference of Elite Exalts like Serena and him, the Caldin Grotto, a collective network of open caverns by the rivers.
The Brilliant Drake Empire was not unfamiliar with dangerous regions and environments that Oscar had his fair share of experience with. Even safe regions were only marked so because of the low amount of danger in their area, but the dang...
2022-12-31 16:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Despite the night settling in, many establishments, shops, and buildings shined, well-lit with lanterns, fires, and even crystals, appearing like stars on the ground if one could look from above. Oscar and Serena strolled together in the inner part of the city, where the buildings seemed more luxurious, and others roamed around in great dresses and fanciful clothes.
These people were not Exalts but were among the wealthy as good merchants, ministers, and officials.
The most eye-ca...
2022-12-31 04:00:02 +0000 UTC
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"Oscar! Hurry up!" Serena skipped off the airship after it landed in the port. Her wavy red hair fluttered with the wind, her hand raised in a wave.
Opposite her liveliness, Oscar exited the airship with steady footsteps, saying farewell to the crew, who returned the farewell with some teasing about Oscar's date. They saw how Serena was close to Oscar on the airship and believed the two to be a couple. Seeing their stares and grins, Oscar wished he could correct the misunderstanding, bu...
2022-12-30 16:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The next morning.
On the base of the Vermillion Mountain Range, before Gosla City, Oscar and Celestina were locked in close combat. Oscar asked her to spar without Ein to test out their Prinstycts, to which she happily agreed.
His third eye stared as though it could burn anything it stared at, fueling the Prinstyct; however, Oscar found himself on the backfoot under Celestina's swift and controlled moves. As a princess, she received brutal combat training since she was young, but ...
2022-12-30 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Celestina's eyes shone with powerful light, deepening their emerald color into radiant jewels that jewelers and craftsmen would yearn to obtain. Her hair was like the wind, fluttering under the gleam of the two suns, and she stood with her back straight, and her chin lifted with an overbearing presence, appearing like a saintess whom people would worship. The smile she wore exuded confidence and would reassure any who was watching, like Oscar.
Her silver Ein surged, shining brilliantly ...
2022-12-29 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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His buckler was gone. The partner he had carried since his earliest days in the Pavilion, reforged and renewed by Draven, was now nothing more than a melted mess lying beneath the scorpion. Within the remains of what it was, Oscar saw his younger self happily purchasing it from the Foundry and the fierce battles fought against the Rainbow Didus and the Thousand Serpent, Nicholas' death, and Celestina's last stand.
"I'm sorry," Oscar murmured as though the buckler could hear him, offerin...
2022-12-29 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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The clash of the deer anima's metal antlers and the Petra Scorpion's stony claw resounded like thunder across the red mountain slope. The earth under their hooves and spidery legs cracked as they dug deeper to hold their ground as metal continued to clash against earth, a fierce battle between the elements. But Oscar's deer anima retreated to Oscar's side because it alone was not enough to overcome this Elite Exalt Beast.
Oscar patted and stroked his deer anima's head. The metal antlers...
2022-12-28 16:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Oscar followed Celestina; the two rushed deeper into the Vermillion Mountain Range. Despite his feet keeping pace with Celestina energetically, his brows were tight, and his lips formed a frown because of Celestina's objective. He was confused about the nature of her goal.
"Why is this Middle Elite Exalt so important that you must hunt it down yourself? To the point of wandering deeper in the Vermillion Mountain Range." Oscar asked as the speed of their sprint whipped his hair back. His...
2022-12-28 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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The air parted as a large fist traveled across and slammed into Oscar's buckler. Even with Reis, the Redback Ape's innate power was astronomical, giving testament to its gorilla roots, and forced Oscar back. Oscar groaned as his feet dug deep into the dirt to prevent himself from losing more ground.
"Normal Reis isn't enough." Shock plastered across Oscar's face but not from the ape's power. Oscar knew the Redback Ape was one of the more physically powerful beasts; the part that shocked...
2022-12-27 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The light slowly filled the room through the open window as a breeze, smooth and soft like cotton, tickled Oscar, who was lying in a deep sleep on the bed. His nose twitched from the sudden sensation, and his eyes slowly rose into small slits, just enough for him to see. Oscar yawned as he groggily got off the bed like a worm and closed the window, which let the intrusive winds in.
"It's dawn." Oscar went over to the water basin and washed his face, patting it to feel the cold sensation...
2022-12-27 03:44:41 +0000 UTC
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Confused, Frederick glanced all over the training room where Celestina's group gathered for group training and discussions. He noticed two people were missing, one being his best friend and the other being the center of their group. Emily, by his side, was also visibly confused at how the two most punctual individuals could not arrive without an excuse.
"Has anyone seen Os and the princess?" Frederick asked the rest of the group.
Phillip and Eleanor shook their heads as they were ...
2022-12-26 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The Elite Exalts.
They were the first true step on the long path of an Exalt. The Apprentice Exalt realm was the transition from mortal to Exalt, from ordinary to extraordinary. But it was in the Elite Exalt realm where an Exalt's true identity and powers awakened, such as their Elemental Spark and the Prinstyct.
The Elemental Spark governed which part of nature and reality an Exalt was most attuned to. An Exalt was the most powerful when working within the element that defined th...
2022-12-26 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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"What's happening here?" Celestina stared at Serena and Mary, then turned to Charles and Oscar. Her breathing was short and pained because she had just battled a fierce battle against Gilbert and immediately ran off. Her pleasant surprise at Oscar's unexpected appearance slowly shifted into confusion at the two others who came from nowhere.
Oscar stepped up with an awkward face. "These two ladies are my friends I made during the Inner Hall Exam. They came over to say hello."
Seren...
2022-12-25 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Dejected, Oscar returned to the assembly hall, where all the spectators and fellow dropouts gathered to watch the remainder of the Clash of Metal. Oscar looked around and found William, his head hung down in shame like Oscar.
Oscar came up and patted William's shoulder, showing some consolation to his junior. "William."
William staggered for a bit because his mind was elsewhere and caught unaware. He realized it was his senior, Oscar. "H-hey, Oscar. You failed, too, huh."
Os...
2022-12-25 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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"Of course, this tests how good your formations are and how well you integrate all the components. We're handing out these." As the elder spoke, Oscar and the others received several green bars of viridium. "The bars you have are of 80 percent purity. If any of you rookies think of complaining, then I'll shove a hammer down your throats. Now you will have the pellets you've refined and three cores of the Silver-Tongue Sabertooth. Like the one-star examination, you have three tries."
Osc...
2022-12-24 16:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Oscar placed his hammer down and looked at the time to see ten minutes remained in this stage. Around him, many fabricators hammered with a hint of impatience to refine the metal, but Oscar's attention was on the ones who seemed quite relaxed. Some of them had finished far before Oscar, which piqued his interest.
"What kind of fabricators are they?" Oscar sat down on his chair, waiting for the stage to end. He remembered his master didn't want him to participate but watch to see the tal...
2022-12-24 04:00:02 +0000 UTC
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In the Abyss Prison, within the Warden's office.
"That wretched disciple of mine." Draven had a live image of the Clash of Metal playing in his office when he noticed Oscar in the participant area. Although Oscar wore the fabricator uniform, becoming indistinguishable from the others, Draven still singled him out from all the others. The pot of water for his tea continued to boil and whistle with steam, but Draven ignored it, keeping his attention on Oscar. "If that's what you wish for,...
2022-12-23 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Isabella had just finished her training session overnight, absorbing her Ein in peace. The Grand Gathering was coming up, and she wanted to cinch a victory over Celestina and Aurora no matter what. Although she was one of the powerhouses of her year in the Inner Hall due to her Grade Eight Anima, the difference was still blatant between her and the other noble children from the start.
Thankfully, she caught the attention of several elders who instructed her, allowing her to bridge the g...
2022-12-23 04:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Charles wiped the blood from his lips; the blood on his hands shook him to his core. Oscar's power was beyond his expectations, even though it was only a Grade Four deer anima. Bouts of pain reverberated through his body like a pulsating ache, making his hands tremble. 'What kind of strength was this? This pain can't be from just a spell and anima combination.'
He stared forward in unwillingness, only to see Oscar rushing toward him but without his deer anima. Charles grunted, ...
2022-12-22 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Oscar looked at the younger teen with a blank expression, unable to muster a response because of the suddenness of the situation. He did not fail to notice the silver hair on Charles' head that exactly matched Celestina's; they were a carbon copy of each other if not for their eyes.
He glanced at Celestina, who seemed undisturbed, but her small smile seemed full of viciousness. Oscar couldn't help but bow and said, "I believe we may have gotten off the wrong foot. I do not have any ulte...
2022-12-22 04:00:01 +0000 UTC
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