VWUUUSH!!!

Bright multicolored lights suddenly appear around me, swirling and dancing like millions of stars.

The luminescence coalesces into tiny strings, forming what resembles threads that intertwine to form a web of intricacy. As these multicolored threads swirl and swell around me, my body grows rigid and I start to enter a trance-like state.

I start to rise into the air, unable to control any part of my existence.

I feel light as a feather.

But I am paralyzed by the sheer intensity of it all. Unable to do anything, I simply freeze as my eyes close, feeling the threads circle around me and dance continually.

Then…

All of a sudden, they disperse, leaving behind only one color of threads that circle around me.

Purple… wobbly and distorted, having thin lines that extend in all kinds of directions.

They are accompanied by other purple threads that do not connect directly to me but to the others. It's a complicated, but perfectly organized mess that confounds me the more they interact with one another.

Although my eyes are closed, I can feel and decipher their movements perfectly.

Questions swirl in my mind, but before I am able to ask them, my consciousness plunges into a vast sea of false darkness and I feel my existence leave my body.

That is when I know that it has truly begun.

My Apotheosis.

My consciousness is now being transported to a Secluded Domain, and the next time I open my eyes, I will have commenced my Trial Scenario.

Despite the multitude of emotions coursing through me, I am surprisingly calm.

Excited, even.

'My First Apotheosis…' My spectral existence smiles as I brace myself for what to witness.

If only I knew what would happen next.

"Run!" A distorted voice whispers into my ears, so vague and nearly imperceptible that I nearly miss it.

"They're heading in our direction!"

"Shit! How did they spot us, even when we're using the hidden route?"

"Does it matter? Hurry! Move quickly!"

The voices grow louder and more pronounced, filling my brain with all kinds of sensory emotion despite my partial unconsciousness.

I can't even think at the moment.

Only listen.

"Protect the Emperor! We must continue to march on! Persevere! No matter what, you Imperial Knights must persevere!"

Right at that moment, my eyes snap wide open and I find myself amidst a chaotic battlefield.

Crimson.

The world is dyed in crimson.

The evening sky shows me a blood meridian as billows of smoke and fire ascend towards the thick clouds.

I look back and see a city in flames.

War cries and noises of destruction echo from the city I am leaving behind, and all manner of commotion surround me at all sides.

Chaos.

All around me is chaos.

The rain is heavy, delivering a stormy smell to everything around us. However, the stench of iron and gore quickly overwhelms my senses, especially when I look around.

Several dead bodies dressed in expensive armor lay strewn all over the ground.

They appear to be special Knights of some kind, but the design of their armour makes it not very likely that they are Royal Knights.

"What are you dawdling around for? Let's move!" Someone suddenly shoves me forward, almost making me fall to the ground.

I nearly glare at the person, but once I recognize how different—much better—his armor is compared to the other troops, I pull myself together and do as I am told.

I hurriedly pick up my pace and take quick note of those around me.

They appear to be in a certain formation, with three carriages lodged at the center.

I have no idea what is inside those carriages, but it appears these people intend to protect them with their lives.

The carriage at the forefront and rear appear spectacular, but they don't hold a candle to the one at the very middle.

Whoever or whatever is in the middle spot must be extremely valuable, as it is occupying the most expensive-looking thing I have laid eyes upon in this world, and it is also currently lodged in the safest zone.

A bright flare is launched a distance from us, causing a sudden explosion of light to dot the deep red sky.

"Shit! They've caught up to us again!" The leader of the troops, the one who shoved me aside earlier, grunts aloud. "All of you, brace yourself for enemy attack. Protect the carriages from the incoming projectiles, even if it costs you your life!"

'The language… It's Nowe'arn for sure, but it's different from the one I'm used to. It's the kind used in the Grand Era of Unification, the Era before the Present Age.' My thoughts rapidly pick up these cues as I catch my reflection on a nearby puddle of water.

I look… different.

I didn't notice it before due to the chaos, but I have become completely different.

It appears my existence is possessing another body, a man who appears to be a ruffian with bushy beards and a slightly chubby body.

I am dressed in the same armour as the dead bodies we left behind as well as the rest of the soldiers around me.

I think back to my earliest memories of this world and remember.

Imperial Knights… I am an Imperial Knight!

And this is quite the peredicament.

Since I'm a part of the Imperial Knights who have been placed in the outer side of the formation, I'll be put in the line of fire if those projectiles do come.

'Thankfully I can use Frontflow to dodge the incoming attacks.' I sigh in relief.

Judging from the corpses I saw earlier, it appears these projectiles are arrows. Whether poisonous or flaming arrows, they won't matter if I pace myself well and replace my Second Layer with my Minute Layer at just the right moment.

I think back to Ciel's warnings and her information regarding the Trial Scenario.

Is this the task?

Escorting the carriages to safety?

If I'm an Imperial Knight, and we're leaving a burning city while escaping pursuers, I'll have to assume we are evacuating some rather important figures.

Perhaps the King, or rather Emperor, of this land. Since there are three carriages, it could be that we are transporting a few other people or perhaps treasures from the Imperial Vault.

The Emperor, if he is still alive, will undoubtedly be at the center.

'Damnit, the carriages are moving too far ahead and I can't keep up on foot.' I cast an envious gaze on the Imperial Knights who have the luxury of riding horses.

They closely guard the carriages and exist at the safest point of this formation.

'Looks like I'm meant to be a meat shield.'

My current body is burly like a barbarian, and I reek of alcohol and greasy food. It appears this invasion must have caught everyone off-guard, seeing as the owner of this body doesn't seem like he was the least bit prepared for the conflict.

The fact that we are running away despite the faraway city looking fortified and majestic even while bathed in fires and plumes of smoke means we lost terribly.

I cannot afford to underestimate the enemy.

'Let's check our arsenals, though.'

I activate my Existential Resonance and look around hoping for signs of an Armament.

I see only one.

It's the blade that the captain currently wields, and it's a meager C Grade Armament.

I also don't see any Potions or Special Resources around. It's possible that they could be hidden away from plain sight—perhaps in the carriages.

But I can't rely on things I haven't yet seen with my own eyes.

Tch.

This is useless.

'But if this is what the level of weaponry on our side looks like, I can't expect the enemies to have something much greater.' I tell myself, noticing the tiny silver lining.

If the invaders had stronger Armaments, we would already be dead.

If their Armaments were about the same, we would have stayed behind to fight for the Empire and the burning city.

No…

'They likely have slightly weaker military might, which is why they relied on a surprise attack. They overwhelmed us by using tactics, forcing a retreat. Using this line of logic, their weapons are only a step lower than ours, but they still have the upper hand with projectiles.'

Of course, I could be wrong in my analysis.

But this seems like the most reasonable position to have at the moment.

WHOOOOSH!!!

Loud whistling sounds suddenly reverberate everywhere as a rain of arrows suddenly fill the evening sky.

"Brace yourselves!" Our superior yells out in passion, drawing out his glistening weapon. "Protect the Imperial Carriages with your lives if you have to!"

I watch as Trace Elements dance around his blade like dust clouds and his gaze turns narrow with focus.

Now I see why the man stayed close to the rear despite being the leader.

It was to use his C Grade Armament to deflect as many arrows as he possibly can. However, since he can't stop everything, he still needs some of us to sacrifice ourselves.

It's quite effective.

'But I don't intend to die here!' As I watch the arrows get closer to me, I unsheathe my blade and steel myself. 'I'll use Frontflow at the right moment and carve through all the arrows in my path, protecting myself.'

It's unfortunate that many others will die, but I'm not in a position to be worrying about others at the moment.

The whistles grow louder and I watch the arrows charge closer.

Almost time.

It's almost time.

After nearly two years as a Leviathan, I've learned to calculate time very accurately, using my Frontflow in the most efficient manner.

I'm confident in my deduction.

'Now!' My eyes widen as I quickly activate Frontflow.

But then—

'E-eh? Why isn't the world slowing down? The arrow… Why is it still moving at its normal speed?' I shudder in that moment of realization.

Frontflow hasn't been activated.

It isn't working.

"But Ciel said—"

SQUELCH!

Right at that moment, before I can complete my words, my body is assailed by dozens of arrows, piercing through every corner of my flesh and burrowing into my armor.

I don't even stand a chance at all.

Just like the many others, I collapse to the ground while the rest of the Imperial Knights continue their march.

Life is quickly being drained from me, and my thoughts travel to the words Ciel told me.

Dying in a Trial Scenario should be the same as failing Apotheosis. After all, you won't be able to complete the main objective.

'Have I… failed?'

I ponder silently as I sink further into unconsciousness.

'It hasn't even been ten minutes, and it's already over.'

Deviation.

The cost of failure.

It appears I was too confident in my abilities and in the words of Ciel.

Did she trick me again?

Were her words lies, meant to deceive me so I would have false comfort in this brutal world?

It didn't seem like it.

But none of that matters now.

I failed.

Which means, I'm dead.

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