“So then.. Let’s strategize.. We have Mikael to provide support from long range, a medium range fighter in Isabel, and me in the van guard. Since we get thirty troops per team, how should we break them up?”

“I’ll leave it up to your discretion, sir”

“…You have the most experience.. you decide”

Oi!!! Don’t dump all the work on me!! Haa…. Anyways currently we were in one of the indoor training facilities. It has now been three days since the announcement of the tournament and the designated teams. The three of us had tried to reserve one of the training facilities the next day but they were already packed scheduling wise. Luckily there had an opening today and one day open on each of the following weeks.

The training facility was a great location for team training. It was very spacious and also you could borrow practice Celestials here. The biggest advantage, however, was that it was a closed facility so no one would be able to come in and spy, or at least that was how its suppose to go but people will probably find a way to go around that. The training facility we were currently in was the exact same one that my duel with the Princess of Destruction was conducted in. The three of us were currently in the middle, trying to hash out all the details such as formations in individual responsibilities. While trying to figure those out… I kept having a nagging feeling inside my head about how Isabel knew about me. While trying to ignore it at first, I finally couldn’t handle it anymore and ask her about it.

“Isabel… Since we’re going to be on the same team from now on, we need to be able to trust each other.. I need to know how you know about Apep… He is a top level governmental secret..”

Isabel looked at me when I asked her the question with her absent looking face… She seemed to ponder it for a while before replying.

“….Because I saw Apep materialized?”

“And when and how did you see it?”

“Um….. about three years ago?”

Hm…. That was about the same time I took over Leviathan CO… Does that mean I met her on one of my first missions?

“…Did you see me on a mission?”

“….Eung”

“Which one?”

“…Don’t know~ remember It on your own~”

Haa…. Since it is my fault for not remembering the event also, I really can’t refute her…. Anyways that’ll do for now. At least I know when we met now, I can think over it later… It’s now time to figure out how our team is going to function. I turn around to Isabel and speak of something I had thought about since last night.

“So right now, Mikael and I know each other strengths and weaknesses, our fighting personalities. Since I don’t know what yours is like, it’s hard to form a plan for you. Do you mind if you and I had a spar? I think that’s the best way for the both of us to understand how the other fights. Is that alright with you?”

“…Sure. Here or the Astral Zone?”

“Let’s do it here, it’s more realistic”

“…Understood”

“Mikael, you referee for us. Don’t let it get too serious okay?”

“Roger sir”

At this we all go to our positions. Isabel and I move to opposite ends, creating a gap of 10 meters between us. While we were waiting for Mikael to get ready, Isabel discards her practice Celestial and summons hers.

“Oh lady of the seas, come to my side and aid me as I dispatch of all those who oppose us. Become my spear and my shield that protects me against all evil, Gae Bulg!”

As she finished her incantation, in her right hand appeared a long wooden spear. The spear’s length was taller than Isabel, being at about 6 ft’ long. There were intricate circles that interlinked with each other at the shaft. The spearhead, however, was what stood out most. It was about 6 in’ in length and 3’ in in width. The spearhead was made out of a mineral that looked like silver, but had a sharper look to it and was letting out a blue aura. It had a unique design as there was slits all around the edges, making it look like a barb.

This, however, wasn’t the end as also an armor was materialized. The armor was not the thick metal plate armors but instead her armor was linen that had a layer of metal scales sewn onto it. On top of that, chain armor was also sewn. Her helmet was a full type that protected the head and the side of your face. There was an opening for the face, with a piece coming down from the top to protect the nose. The armor also was sea green colored and had a blue aura flowing from it. She had skipped the basic form and had jumped into her knight form.

“*whistles* Sir, she’s impressive. Being able to take knight form at such a young, no less for a “legendary” weapon”

Legendary weapon. These were the weapons that had left a name for themselves in legends throughout history thought to be just myths. This however, had changed as The Dusk Witch came into battle with the first legendary battle to be shown to the public, Laevateinn, showing their worth. Legendary weapons had more explosive power to them, giving the users a certain trait, and having two elements. If a Celestial Weapon compared to a tank, you could basically say that a legendary Celestial Weapon had the strength of a ballistic rocket. Seeing that she had a legendary celestial weapon, not to mention being able to take knight form, I silently am quite impressed. Just how strong is she? My interest in her strength is piqued. At first, I was thinking of using just a practice Celestial Weapon, but it was impossible to go against a legendary celestial weapon with that so I summon my own.

“Oh king of all swords, the bane of all dragons! Enemies have surrounded me, attempting to drag me down with their evilness. Become the light that shatters the darkness and free me from the evil, Excalibur!”

In my hand, a long katana appeared. The katana’s blade length was around 3 ft’ in length. On the flat portion of the sword, there was symbol of a large dragon gulfing the Sun. The symbol radiated a domineering presence. The hilt had an intrinsic design of 3 ovals overlapping each other from the northwest, northeast, and south.

Excalibur, the most famous sword throughout history. It had been used by the legendary figure King Arthur to unite all of Britain. The sword had become a symbol of holy weapons and also dragon slaying. Since Apep was the king of all dragons that had the strength to even swallow the sun god, the two had become related even though they were from completely different mythologies. When Isabel sees Excalibur, she tilts her heads and asks me a question.

“….I’ve always been curious about this, but why is that famous British sword in the form of a katana?”

“Well…. about that.. I’m not really familiar with European sword and had been training with the katana all my life. For some reason, when I first got it, Excalibur changed its form into a katana, better matching me….”

“….I see, so Excalibur can change forms huh? That is interesting…”

After finally clearing her confusion, we get ready for the spar. Mikael, now in the middle, tells us the rules before we start.

“Alright you two, the rules of this spar is that there will be no attacks aimed at vital areas. If I deem that the spar is becoming too dangerous, I will stop it. Understand? Alright then, are the both of you ready? Ready…START”

At the word start, Isabel steps off the ground and rushes towards me. Hoo… it looks like she can handle the enhanced strength and speed from the knight form pretty well for her to be so fluid in her movements. While thinking that, Isabel quickly arrives near me and begins a flurry of thrusts. Even though the thrusts were so fast that it would be impossible for people with untrained eyes to see them, I calmly analyze the attacks and evade them. They’re fast and accurate. Even though they seem to be thrusts at random areas, they’re actually aimed to dictate my positioning so that I would get into a more disadvantageous position where she could deal a serious blow.

Ho…. Even though she’s so young she is trained very well and her attacks are very dangerous. She’s even trying to dictate the pacing of the fight even against me. I take her attacks for a couple more minutes, just analyzing her movements, positioning, speed, flow, and attack power. Truthfully, she’s very strong. I feel like even Mikael would have a very difficult time against her. Mikael, who had trained with my unit since I got there, had quickly risen to be close in strength to my platoon leaders, meaning she was near their strength also.

Isabel strengths laid in her speed more than strength. She aimed to aim accurately at weak areas of the enemies with rapid attacks instead of going for a one hit kill. Truthfully, even to me she didn’t have many weaknesses. She would be in trouble right now if she faces a strong balance person, but those were hard to find. Since she was so young, she could still train up her strength and become a more balanced figure, making it truly difficult to face her. Feeling that I now knew enough, I was about to counter and go on the offensive when a new voice came out.

“*whistles* it’s truly difficult to think that you two are freshmen at your levels. The Freshmen class truly has some monsters.”

Hearing the unknown voice, Isabel and I immediately stop our spar. Turning around in the stands was a female in the school uniform. Seeing that we had stopped our spar, she stands up and begins to talk.

“Lee Jung Woo, if you don’t mind, I would like to have a conversation with you”

“…how did you get in here? No one is supposed to be able to get in here as it was reserved…”

“Being student council president does have its merits, you know?”

Student council president, huh? What does she want with me? Anyways I have already found out all the information I needed from that spar anyways. Turning back to my teammates, I let them know were done for the day.

“Hey guys, I think that’ll be enough for today. I’m going to think of a formation and strategy that best suits our team so until then please just prepare yourselves. I’ll let you all know when I come with one. See you all tomorrow in class”

Saying that, Mikael and Isabel head to the locker rooms to shower and change. Waiting for them to leave, I finally turn around to see the student council president smiling at me. With a light tone, she continues.

“So then, I don’t think this place is the right location to speak. Do you mind if we move to the student council office?”

“….sure”

At that I jump into the bleachers and follow the student council president. We walked for about ten minutes until we reached the Administration Building. Entering, we climb up to the third floor. At the end of the hallway, there was a large double oak tree door. Above it, there was a sign that said “Student Council”. Opening the door, we both step in. Inside the room there were four large desks along the two walls. In between them, there was a large oak table that I presume was used for meetings. Near the opposite side of the entrance, right before the large window was another desk, which was most likely the president’s so she can preside over her officers. The two of us, however move to the table in the middle. Sitting down at the end of the table, she motions for me to sit down in the seat to her right, which I do. After settling down, she smiles at me and asks if I wanted refreshments.

“Would you like some tea and biscuits?”

“No thank you, I would like to just get straight to the point…”

“Ho ho ho… you’re one of those direct people huh? Anyways, I just wanted to welcome you to our school, CDR of the Leviathan CO”

“?!?!.... and may ask I how you know such top level government secrets?”

“I do have my connections, CPT Lee Jung Woo. My position as royalty of England isn’t for nothing you know. Actually, now that I think of it, I haven’t introduced myself, have I? I’m Elizabeth Tudor, the 2nd Princess of the Kingdom of Britain and the current student council president. After graduating here, I have already been given a position to enter the Special Operation Forces (SOF), you know?”

“…How am I supposed to know that?! But if you’re skilled enough to get a position in the SOF already, that must mean you are quite impressive in your information collection skills…”

The SOF, formerly lead by Frank Einsten, was a covert group that specialized in information gathering and operations that required specialized personnel for discreet missions, say…assassinations…

“… so what was your intent calling me over here, Princess Tudor?”

“Ho ho ho…. I just wanted to say my greetings to one of the “Trinity Seven”. Also, there is some information that I have gathered that I believe might need your assistance…”

“…And what would be serious enough to require, like you said, the powers of someone from the “Trinity Seven”?”

“Actually…. CPT Lee, I have received some intelligence…”