Storyline

## ***Arc 1 // Halcyon Days***

### 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐄 ᴛʜᴇ 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 // Part One.

In a corner of Cier's chaotic, ether-touched world lies a storied, peaceful little town built alongside a port. This place, Narono Port Island, is now home to one of the most prestigious institutions on the planet: the Breaker Foundation. To understand why here of all places though, one must turn the clock back 10 years from today; to the year 2000. It was in that year that a terrible storm struck the town, and with it a maelstrom of daemons that would have laid waste to it all were it not for the combined efforts of its inhabitants. From that point, the Foundation was founded with its headquarters here, to assist in the reconstruction of this town and then to push society’s knowledge ever forward, towards the origin of not just Breakers but the very energy that permeates this world: mana.

Back to the present day, life has long since returned to normal, people living, working, and sleeping under the peaceful skies that the Foundation had labored to secure. In particular, in the spring of this year, 2010, a certain Yokohama High School began its school year as the sakura scattered to the wind. Not to say that this island was devoid of the many happenings that one could find anywhere else; strange phenomena from kidnappings to strange dimensions. For the most part however, these people would live in relative peace.

Unaware of the path that fate had placed them upon.

A train derailed to the fault of daemons, covered up with the excuse of an “accident” served as a precursor. Narono’s people found their town slowly but surely beset by abnormal events, deranged individuals, into a crescendo that none would have reasonably predicted.

A record-breaking storm marked the day, a storm that raged with intensity greater than even that of the catastrophe 10 years prior. From the shores came a seaborne invasion, and once more, the townspeople fought for their homes; for their tomorrows. Many would lose their lives to this threat. In particular, the final heir to a long line of swordsmen that trace themselves to an ancient hero of Cier, 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍, lost his life at the foot of that same hero’s shrine, seeking to claim his birthright. With the revival of the Demon King’s Heir, 𝐘𝐔𝐔𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐄, the island saw somewhere close to 90% of its population dead after the dust cleared, either to the invasion or to the previously mentioned Demon King’s heir’s attack. In fact, the very island itself had fractured to the point of sinking beneath the waves.

Those who remained, especially the children of Yokohama High who had witnessed firsthand the turning hands of fate, were left with nothing but questions. Questions whose answers could only be found out there, beyond their humble horizons that obscured the rest of Cier.

### 𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑 // Part Two.

For three months following Narono’s invasion and destruction, many of these children, as well as other folks they would soon meet, trained or otherwise prepared for the upcoming Hunter and Adventurer Exams, or enlisted with the renowned World Military. Some however, found much more, unique happenings within this timeframe. 𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐒, a boy with incredible power thought to have died on Narono, found himself alive once more after experiencing 3 years in a sea of nothingness along with a maddening voice, eroding his mental state. A childhood friend of his, Luce Jordan learned of his survival and sought him out, but particular factions in power used the two’s rendezvous as an opportunity to apprehend Aeleus for the power he possessed. Luce’s presence there was a major lynchpin in the operation, as it had turned out.

These 3 months would serve as the last significant period of peace, for the foreseeable future, or for the rest of their lives.

### 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐘𝐄, ʜᴀʟᴄʏᴏɴ ᴅᴀʏꜱ // Part Three.

For many, entry to these factions would be their first step from sheltered childhoods into the troubled reality of Cier; a land ridden with misfortune in all shapes in sizes, a land of trial and tribulation at every turn. These factions’ exams exist to prepare such greenhorns for the career they are soon to step into, though there’s no such thing as a failsafe at this point; it’s sink or swim. Across the globe, thousands applied and enlisted, with a sizable fraction of them never returning home, ambition leading them to an early grave.

The Hunter’s Exams of this year consisted of traversal through uncharted terrain, first in an arboreal environment and later a tundra - the lethal cold of Nixeum to be exact: the continent being home to the Hunter’s Order’s main base of operations: Castle Venator. A particularly notable event was 3 applicants, Hige Nagareboshi, Sae Jagasaki, and Sasaki Chirurg’s encounter with a young dragon, its name declared to be SKAIOIA. Surviving it and the blizzard that encompassed the continent, they, along with a fair handful of other applicants, fulfilled the requirements to be admitted into the Hunter’s Order. With admittance came their grim souvenir: a dog tag, imprinted with their names should their deaths leave no other form of identification behind. Dangerous is the job of Hunter, to face humanity’s threats no matter the cost.

For their counterpart within the Adventurer’s, the exams this year were nothing but abnormal. From the defunct yacht ride to Aris splitting apart in mere hours to going on the trip of a giant turtle named the Great Tetsudo, even getting to the actual exam site felt like it took weeks, if not months. Once arriving at the exam site at Bethel, the test to become Adventurers was split into three parts with a group undergoing each path. Each of these paths tested an aspect needed to become an Adventurer– intelligence and puzzle solving, strength and willpower, or adaptability and reflexes. Upon reaching the end, the examinees were given their license and a task. To find the truth of this world, and all that lies within.

As for the enlistees of the World Military, these aspiring soldiers were met with a variety of carefully constructed, hyper-realistic scenarios regarding extreme infantry encounters in a theoretical Akkalan conflict. Despite some of their ambitions to join non-infantry branches of the World Military, this level of knowledge and experience is instilled into every single soldier that bears their insignia. Certain sections of these scenarios had a failsafe due to the sheer difficulty, from escaping a mass grave in the middle of enemy territory, engagements with enemy forces while unarmed and unsupported, and employment of SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) tactics after escaping enemy imprisonment. Despite some minor abnormalities, this training mostly proceeded as intended, and these men and women would go on to be formally brought into the fold, and were given the weight of the world’s peace on their shoulders.

No matter who was lost, what small tragedies befell these people’s lives, the future marches ever forward. Towards an unpromised tomorrow.

## ***Arc 2 // Soul Tower***

### A 𝐓ower of 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋.

ℙride prevails as a noctilucent menhir, one which originates all. When mankind's fangs ravished the fruit of knowledge- their fate's been sealed, and birthed by a refusal to sleep were a series of indelible sins; mortal ties masquerading as innocent lies. Deception deterred darkness, destroying desperation. In its wake was the nascence of an irrefutable 𝕘reed- one that humanity could not cull. A journey reloads, as from Nixeum's sky, the fragmented 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒..

𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙎𝙊 𝙒𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀.

𝕄ORTAL TIES yearn outward, advancing unfailingly in omnidirectional avarice. Power, knowledge, sustenance.. An immortal drive thrusts them all straight into hell, Humanity would not entrust their future to the cards, no- they'd ascertain it all for themselves. Apostles of light pry, as God's will rushes for the fragment's zenith from the nation of 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗹. Humanity's gate to evolution similarly came, incarnate as the 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻'𝘀 parade. The dredges of 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, acclaimed heroes of the 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱, the Northern Continent's very own 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, and even 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆's very own youth unfailing came- lusting for naught but their birthright. And adorning the will to ascertain it regardless of its cost.

In spite of it all, the world did not care The 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 sought to contain, and failure brought a salvo of hellfire met the rebellion with a soul-sundering rain. Magitek perfectly painted Nixeum's snow with scarlet, bullet and blade were matched with flame, as a bloody path was torn straight to hell's gates.

Emancipation is sought from fate. Challengers pervade, spawning laborious battles that reverb against and spite every last manacle of fate, and every ancient age. Yet, time refuses to wait, instead resolving to deliver every last one of us to the same, undeniable end. It doesn't matter who you are. Death awaits you. It is inevitably unbeknownst to its prey, a hunter forever laying in wait to collect its due, and one that saw to it that they'd enlighten a boy's unwavering soul. They would come to understand it, over, and over, and over again- until they were deprived of every last regret within them. That is the fate of Taisei Shikichi- an end of Samsara. Time will never alter, and it's a concept given an agonizing goodbye, one began to a brother's broken eyes, and one beget by a man whose eyes knew nothing but the 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇. The man who masqueraded as the 𝐒𝐎𝐍 of the 𝐒𝐔𝐍.

And in spite of its everlasting glare, mankind seeks to return its heretical stare. When ether grazes the soul, zero encompasses everything as infinity. Enlightenment came in the Lifeweaver's understanding of life at her near end, ushering in the evolution of Sasaki Chirurg's breaker and soul.

Yet, every single thing must end. Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust- as such is the ephemerality of the heaven-sent tower. As night and day fuse and clash, all returns to nothing- resulting in the end of the fragmented tower, and a banishment of its denizens to their original placements across the world..

## ***Arc 3 // Heaven's Arena***

### 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍.

Power begotten in the incessant will to win colored their path forwards, strength was dyed in the motivation to avenge. The winter deepens, as mankind bolsters itself.

This path is masqueraded in the shadows of towers, and then are engulfed by the perennial ones born from even them.. Because time and time again, this world proves nothing less than its ability to exist as virulent, and cruel. Even so.. Mankind's nature is to spite and aspire- to reach further than the failed tribulations of Icarus's ravaged wings, or even the heretical monolith of Babel. In the wake of endless tragedy.. Humanity stubbornly persists.

Centoria struggles against a ferryman, and the invocation of a beast and the Son of the Sun. Yumori Trahere, Schnekette Shirogane, Shinei Oda Hoshinji and Haro Akogare etch their names into their school's history as they fight, barely holding back the abyssal threat before Imperial Knights neutralize the academy's raid.

Once again, a tower rises- humanity's product and proffer to 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅. Once again.. the Annual World Tournament of Heaven began.

﻿

When ether grazes one's soul- the flame of desire is set alight, one capable of devouring even the perennially hateful winter with its own, one capable of even grasping the world's very dawn.. Destruction preludes creation, and thus, our will is one that seeks to reforge that very aforementioned dawn. Heaven or hell incarnates within this world. War, divergence- death, and longing. Everlasting divergence is the father of sin and sorrow; and time still refuses to wait.

﻿

That is the exact reason why there was nowhere else this tower was going to go other than the ground. Fighters flock from all throughout Cier once again, seeking to etch their stories at the very top of it all. Explosive blue desire crushes against the stars, the incarnate of avarice met the East's draconic inheritor, husks engulfed heiresses; and innumerable battles shook the island to its very core. Even across the world, battles seemed to rage, as the crash of an island forced a crypt to wake in a final rage, before being quelled by a prodigal son. But to all, time continued to trudge on, along with the world and all unfortunate enough to endure its inevitable march forward and empty hate.

Bloodlust, above all, sustains. Building blocks rot and decay, they are the ingredients embryonic in one's ability to noose fate. The 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐒𝐒, the ferryman Charon permeates. Aomori Kita's 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃-𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑, Jack the Ripper is also unable to refrain. And the 𝐒𝐎𝐍 of the 𝐒𝐔𝐍, one known by the world as SHIRO sought to become life's bane, as horrific tragedy once again is all that maintains. At Voltumn Hyur', the 10-year reigning champion's sudden, insane attack, countless lives were lost, and Heaven instead was set to burn, alongside all who hungered for its peak.

Naturally, the only option left is to fight, a mantra seared into mankind's soul, body and brain. Hoshinji's Crown Prince clashed against the Blood-Rose Killer alongside a young Breaker Foundation member known as Hikaru Ikeda. The Empress of Hoshinji met SHIRO'S daybreaking blade, ultimately being beaten out by his 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇.

𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐒'𝐒 wings are poised to burn against Heaven. Yumori Trahere, Centoria's Herald, Zephyr Shirogane, an unwavering Icarus.

Schknette Shirogane, Bethel's scion. Qiyana Illyris, the descendant of the Illyrian sun itself.

And Lucivius Artorius; the devil who hungered for heaven.

They all oppose it, and they were all equally crushed away by the light of 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍.. Yet do not reduce to nothing. Within the world's storm, as ashes come to dust again, and again, and again..

Mankind still sought change. Even in the wake of omnipresent ruin.

This is merely the beginning of everything.

## ***Arc 4 // World Festival***

### 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍.

November 21st of 2010 marks the start of a will to not abandon it all, but to understand those pains and take them through each stride, in the form of the Annual World Festival which takes place at the end of each year.. Once more, the world is drawn together, collectively swearing to move on, and to move forward- no matter what it is which lies ahead. In conjunction with the GALAXIUS PROJECT, or well-known NARONO REBUILD, the Aomori Kita festival acted as a celebration of the region's revival, and triumphant return of Narono Port Island's city, with the city scheduled to reopen the week after the festival.

﻿

Legendary swordsmiths from the Rhendine Archipelago- experimental full-dive HoloVista technology-- even renowned factions and names from all over the world managed to attend.. Grand exhibitions of ether and artes, and even mythical feasts are just a few examples of what's in store for those who seek out what can only be likened to as the CENTER OF THE WORLD with this.. In addition, several faction tryouts happened to occur, most notably with the 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡's return to the world's front scene. If you're not here, you're hurting nobody but yourself. That's because even if it's only briefly, even if just for a infinitesimally small flicker..

﻿

Just as this world is beautiful, it can also be very cruel.

﻿

As the ID card of the Breaker Foundation's Hikaru Ikeda is found on the ground of the festival's reactors.. 𝐃𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒 began their raid on the 𝐀𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐀 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 en masse.

But this world is apt to change.

﻿

Not a single sacrifice would go in vain. Because a requiem would fall upon the ears of hope- the reverb of a denial of their fate. 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊, as ether grazed the soul.. and as Ryuko Ryusei managed to evolve. The joint effort of the evolved Sky Breaker, Ryuga Ryusei's 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑, a time fracturing youth known as Hikari, the ex-hunter known as Jakob Derollo were ultimately the ones responsible for putting down the daemon 𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍, as a similarly bloody battle continually was waged. Gunfire paraded through the streets as the fanfare of the 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗬, the 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡's efforts dominated the streets of Aomori Kita, and even those attending the festival fought back, taking everything into their very own hands.

The SON of the SUN met the rage of the 𝐒𝐔𝐍 himself, Nacio Brandel- alongside the verglas witch Mariah Adams, and then the Noontide, Ashina D. Kosame.. Before being culled, and ultimately stowed away in a resounding, city-shaking clash, one followed by climacteric blasts- by the endless breakage of chains..

And by unavoidable tragedy. What's revealed to be Leigong Di's corpse is marionetted as a hateful tapestry, as his remains are used to wage war against his own kin.. And to take the life of his own sister. Two sisters, Lilian and Schknette Vi Bethelia bear witness to the byproduct of pride's sin, as the blade of Shinei ravages their very own brother's body, reducing him to that of an ᴀʙᴏᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.. Rykard vi Bethelia, and Kyokko Hoshinji are claimed by the world's perennial flame, the lost royalties adding to the pyre ushering our world to move forward. Heresy is snuffed out by a betraying inheritor, and..

Hiho Hoshinji’s and Zephyr Shirogane’s masquerade end, with the revelation of the Empress aligning herself to the cult of Leviathan as "Afanasiia" for all this time; and with the subsequent birth of Yua-Mei's heiress in the form of Mikoto Hoshinji, the true name of the false Shirogane.

And through the embers of metamorphosis came the pinnacle of evolution, as 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐈 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔 of the Breaker Foundation swiftly subjugates the Empress, and takes her into the Foundation's custody.

But what's lost is lost, as all things must end.