π¬ Scene 1 β The Draft Trials In the central courtyard of Aurora Alta Academy, a bluish holographic screen hovered in the air, emitting a soft hum. The names of the stages of the National Draft pulsed in glowing letters, as if the destiny of hundreds of young heroes depended on it β and it did.
Kai approached with his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow.
β "Let's see what's ahead..." β he said, reading aloud: "Stage 1 β Physical Strength (without the use of Primordial Aura)."
Lorien immediately made a face.
β "Strength... without aura? Man, I can only lift my own ego!"
They both looked at their own arms. Tonified, yes β but far from impressive.
β "...we're screwed." β they said together with dramatic sighs.
Comic cut: Kai tries flexing his arm, and a muscle almost "pops" out with a snap. Lorien laughs, then tries the same β and fails miserably.
Kai turned back to the screen.
β "Alright, next one..."
Lorien read excitedly:
β "Stage 2 β Speed. Now that's my time to shine."
He struck a dramatic pose, cracking his neck and adjusting his posture.
β "I am the golden lightning of Aurora!"
Kai rolled his eyes.
β "You're the thunder of embarrassment."
They returned their gaze to the screen.
"Stage 3 β Battle IQ."
They both froze.
β "...screwed again." β in unison.
Lorien took a deep breath.
β "Dude, what if I copy off you?"
β "Then we fail together."
Comic scene: they're seen trying to study with gigantic military strategy books, but minutes later they're both asleep on the papers, drooling on maps.
Kai wakes up and mumbles:
β "I'm dreaming of war... in Latin."
Finally, the screen displays:
"Stage 4 β 1v1 Combat (Aura permitted)."
Lorien lights up again.
β "Now this is where we shine for real!"
Kai smiles, giving his friend a light punch on the shoulder.
β "We've got six months. Let's give it everything, brother."
βοΈ Scene 2 β Train, Shine, Protect The training field was set up in the northern outskirts of the city. Rocks suspended by magnetic platforms, cables, weights, and combat circles marked the ground.
Lorien ran around the field with weights strapped to his legs. Each step was a thunderclap.
β "Aargh... this is to honor the promise, mom..." β he murmured, lifting a steel bar over his head.
Kai trained with a wooden sword, focused on precision. His eyes locked on an invisible target, as if dueling an enemy only he could see.
Nearby, little Darius β only five years old β tried mimicking their moves with a stick.
β "Yaaah!" β he shouted, spinning like he was in a battle.
Kai paused and pointed, surprised.
β "Hey, Lorien... this kid's got more focus than both of us."
Lorien wiped his sweat and smiled, tired but proud.
β "That's my brother."
Darius looked up at him with shining eyes.
β "I wanna protect the world too, nii-san!"
Lorien knelt, touching his forehead to Darius's. The sunset bathed them both in gold.
Silence. Only the sound of the wind through the branches.
ποΈ Scene 3 β The Guilds Are Born In a luxurious hall atop the Hero Association HQ, Ray Stormbreak adjusted the collar of his uniform while speaking to his father, Rayden Stormbreak β the veteran founder of the institution. His gaze still carried the fury of a war-torn past.
β "Father, what if the new heroes formed permanent guilds? Groups with names, leadership, specializations. More than just soldiers... they'd be legacies."
Rayden stroked his chin. His eyes gleamed with approval.
β "Guilds, huh...? I like it. Do you have a name already?"
Ray looked out the window, where the night sky lit up with stars.
β "Guild of a Thousand Lights." β "For every life we protect... a light lit in the world."
Rayden nodded, proud.
Holographic panels lit up. Other youths stepped forward.
Yugo: β "Guild Vortex. We'll master chaos with calculation and precision."
Luther: β "Guild Leviathan. Our strength will be like the oceans: unstoppable."
Kant: β "Titan. For when the impossible needs to be crushed."
Rayden touched the central table. A golden seal glowed and stamped the records.
β "It's done. The guilds... have been born."
A plaque was fixed at the entrance:
RECOGNIZED GUILDS β 2011
π¬ Final Scene β The Beginning of It All In the field, under the starry sky, Lorien and Kai lay on the grass, exhausted. Sweat still dripped from their brows, but there was light in their eyes.
β "We're gonna shine in that Draft, Lorien." β said Kai, eyes still on the stars.
β "Shining's what we do best." β Lorien replied, turning to him. β "Radiant... even without being perfect."
The imaginary camera rises to the sky. A soft piano track begins to play.
On screen: β¨ Lorien Valtier , Kai Hayashi,Β Diana Flamesoul
And so began the legacy of the Radiants.