Zephyria

The first protocol was that all who enter the Empress" presence were to bow in reverence and respect. Though there were no official consequences were you to not abide by this, noone dared to defy. How could you? The Empress" atmosphere was an unparalleled energy, her aura potent enough to force most subjects to their knees. Even those who could withstand it chose not to did simply out of fear of hidden consequences laid out by her knights on standby.

This was the second protocol, that Her Majesty"s Royal Guard would be present during all meetings. This was a group comprised of twelve elite, handpicked 6-Star Knights who possessed both mastery over fine weaponery (embedded with Super-Rare sOr) and extensive battle experience. They were ready for anything, and made for an incredible shield for the throne.

The first a.s.sembly of Vanguard called for exemption to these protocols. For one, Hikari was the leader of the The Royal Guard, so he himself was enough to protect the Empress, should that be necessary . For another, the 7-Star Rank was second only to the Empress in entire kingdom, on-par with the rest of the royal family. As such, it granted the right to stand when communing with the throne. (Do note that despite the equal standing, 7-Star Knights continued to serve the monarchy).

So there they stood. Amber. Xero. Aloe. Hikari. Gale. Elektra. Yami.

They stood before The Empress, crowned with a marble tiara and clothed in the most elegant white dress any eye has ever witnessed. Accompanied by the voices of a holy choir, she glistened with righteousness the immense sunlight poured through the windows to illuminate her dress. These voices would suddenly come to abrupt pause, as some clouds pa.s.sed over the sun and her natural spotlight was anticlimactically removed.

"Ehem. Hikari-san." she murmered.

Hikari quickly caught on. "Ah, yes hehe" he said awkwardly, before jumping to the Empress" side and raising his hammer above her. The [Nova] sOr within the hammer instantly produced an almost blinding light, returning the Empress" dress to its glistening state, and the choir voices continued, though faintly to allow for conversation.

"Thanks, Hikari."

The six reacted to this bafoonery in different ways. Xero smiled cooly (when does he never), Aloe and Yami"s resting eyes were widened slightly, Gale and Elektra giggled at the huurah and Amber was completely bamboozled. To be fair, this was first time in Her Majesty"s presence, and this did not go unnoticed.

"First thing"s first, thank you for answering the call, especially you Amber." The Empress acknowledged her with a subtle nod.

"I"m incredibly sorry to hear about the incident at the training camp. After hearing much about your abilities and heroic deeds behind the scenes, I couldn not acknowledge Zephyria"s Greatest Marksman. "

"Thank you very much, your Majesty" Amber said, as she courtseyed before the throne, then cheekily sticking her tongue out at Xero, who smirked.

"Meh, I don"t see your 7-Star Rank?" he taunted.

"I do." the Empress said sharply, and Xero"s smirk instantly disappeared. In that moment, she had implied Amber to be a 7-Star Knight, and it was so.

"Anyway," she continued, "Allow me to provide some context. For the past 200 years this Kingdom thrived on a floating, self-sufficient society, however both our evolving technology requires more resources and s.p.a.ce. We must make strides past the borders of the mainland. You were chosen to lead these strides. You will be Zephyria"s Vanguard.

"As the most potent knights in Zephyria, you are the only individuals capable of surviving the incredibly dangerous world down there. You will venture to unknown lands and encounter potentially hostile civilizations. It is my command, and wish, that you establish a Zephyrian presence and procure both land and resources for this Kingdom to further it"s advancement. Understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty" all seven said in unison.

"Ok good u003c3" the Empress said, returning to a more casual tone. "You"ll be fine. Hopefully :")"

"You can put your absolute faith in us." Gale said with pride.

"Indeed. You"re all incredibly powerful individuals anyway, and Hikari-san here should make for a great leader."

Gale rolled her eyes. ._.

The Empress had a soft spot for Hikari.

"However you lack the time together to develop true synergy. It would be unwise to send you without any preparations. With that in mind, you will train together at my little brother"s facility, who will a.s.sist you in your endeavour."

"Heyoooo, sorry I"m lateee."

A male voice entered the room, and it"s owner casually walked past the knights and sat on the left throne, next to the Empress.

Hikari acknowledged him with a nod then gestured at him to the rest, all of whom shared the same flabbergasted expression.

"Prince Ryan will be joining the Vanguard."