56 Prototype(1)

"Edmond, wake up! It's so late already! You're already late for school!"

Huh?

As the familiar voice that had haunted his dreams for so long was heard by Edmond, he couldn't help but blink with confusion as he groggily woke up and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

The moment his mind became a bit clearer, panic appeared on Edmond's face as he looked around, searching for the City Lord.

The last thing he remembered was the grim expression on the man's face, and that had given him a very bad feeling.

Yet, all he found was the room he had grown up in.

And, in front of him…was the woman who had given him all the love in the world, but had also hurt him, in ways he couldn't even begin to explain, when she had left with some random man on the street with no explanation except that she had 'lost interest' in her family.

At times, Edmond had felt frustration and anger, as he couldn't believe that she had done something like that. Yet, most of the times, he had only begged, again and again, that she would just come back. He was ready to forget it all, if she would just...come back to them, and make them whole again.

Was this a dream? Had he been knocked out by the City Lord, and he was now dreaming? Or was he dead, and this was the paradise that was promised by some of the groups who used to go through the city?

Regardless of what it was, one thing was clear: his mother was in front of him, so he immediately lunged forward to hug her, before beginning to cry his heart out.

All of the feelings that had been trapped inside burst out like a flood. The desperation to see her and save his father that had led him to try and enslave Woof, the sadness and pain that had tempted him to just throw himself into a Tera's mouth and end it all, the hopelessness when he had realized that he was not talented enough and that he might fail in everything in life, just like he had been failing in that task to get a powerful Tera…all of them had congregated into a giant monster in his mind that would definitely have taken his life, but now, with this simple hug that he had missed so, so much, the monster melted into the flood and began to leave with the flood, despite its protests.

"Aw, did you have a nightmare? I thought big grown-up Edmond didn't want any more hugs from his parents…"

Indeed, after turning 18 just a few months ago, he had declared this as he had thought that that was what being an adult meant.

He was so wrong.

Unable to coherently form any words, Edmond finally cried himself dry after a few minutes, and by that time, even his mother had recognized that something was wrong.

"Are you in trouble or something, Edmond? Ned, get over here!"

As she called, a man appeared at the door.

Edmond could only stare with shock as he saw him. Last time he had seen him, he had been recovering from grievous wounds sustained during torture. Yet, now, he looked completely fine, and even his eyes had the same signature look that always came in them when he saw his family.

At first, he looked at the sight of Edmond hugging his mother and was about to remark in the same manner, but after seeing his red eyes, he ran over with worry.

Edmond was really happy about what was happening, but he couldn't make heads or tails out of it.

Yet, the moment he was about to just go with it and just enjoy it while it lasted, both of his parents fainted.

"NO! NOT AGAIN! MOM! DAD!"

As the phantom of the trauma that had been present like a cloud over him for all these days reared its head, a voice suddenly appeared from behind Edmond.

"Calm down. They've just been knocked out so that I can talk to you."

Edmond turned around with shock, and when he saw the figure standing in the corner of the room, hidden in the shadows, he protectively crouched over the bodies of his parents, as if he was ready to protect them.

He had just gotten them back! Even at the expense of his life, he wouldn't let anything happen to them. Ever.

The figure was wreathed in darkness, and Edmond couldn't make out its features. All he could tell that it was a tall, stocky man.

Chuckling suddenly, the figure said, "Oh, how cute. I'll get to the point. You were selected to undergo a test to become an heir, and you failed. As per the World Government's rules, the City Lord who tested you turned your family back into normal. Your parents remember nothing, and even the memories of all those affected during this entire ordeal have been changed to make sure that no remnants of what really happened remain. I tell you, it was a tough job. But rules are rules, and as the one who began the test, the City Lord will be the one to pay me. Anyway, coming to you, you have a choice. You can choose to have your memories erased, too, in which case it will be like nothing has happened. Or…you can keep them, and do what you wish. You have a minute. Choose. 59, 58…"

Edmond stared in shock at the man as he heard this, and it was only when the number '30' reached his ears did he understand that he had no time to gawk for as long as he wanted to.

Quickly, he ran through all the memories that were real, and as he did so, all he saw, for the most part, was pain.

Would it be so bad to forget it all?

Yet, there were two things that really stood out.

One was the Tera that he could still feel in his mind's eye. It had trusted him, and he had trusted it with his life.

The other, of course…was the promise he had made to Aaron.

As Edmond thought of these two things, he realized that there was one more that he had neglected.

Himself.

Who was he now, compared to before all this had happened?

As soon as this occurred to him, Edmond found his answer, and he said it out loud in a confident voice.

…

Meanwhile, Aaron had just arrived at a door that he had been led to by the official. The old man had left saying he needed to have a strategic discussion with his Teras, which didn't make sense to Aaron, but he didn't ask as he had gotten a feeling that he would find out the answer soon.

As the door opened, though, Aaron couldn't help but let out a gasp as he could never have expected that something like this could fit inside a building.

They were still in that mansion in the middle of the Town, but as Aaron looked up, there was a sky, and clouds.

As he looked closer, though, he saw that it had all been painted.

They were in a round area with 200 seats arranged neatly, and in the center was a large open ground that was double the size of what he had fought in during his Ascender battle.

"An indoor stadium built because this family is just a bit too crazy about battling. Let's go."

As soon as the two of them began walking toward the front-most row, two figures appeared on the battlefield, and with two flashes of light, two might Teras appeared beside them.

One was the Giant Eagle that Aaron had seen with Anissa before, and the other…was also a Giant Eagle.

The difference…was that the old man's Giant Eagle was exactly like him: it was grizzled, with a long scar running down one eye, and it looked like it was quite old. Yet, it still radiated with strength, and it was half again as big as Anissa's eagle, which meant that it stood at at least 15 feet tall.

"Right, then. Combat role, and rating. It's simple, really. But instead of telling you, why don't you find out by yourself by seeing this match? You see, I know something that the old man doesn't know…Anissa doesn't have just one Epic-level Tera. She has two…and the second one, was a gift from me."

As a low chuckle sounded from the Official, Anissa shouted out, "Grandpa, I challenge you to a 2v2 battle!"

With another flash, one of the most unique Teras that Aaron had ever seen in his life appeared in front of him.

It was a simply a blob of some kind of shining substance, and as Aaron watched with widened eyes, it…jumped toward the eagle, and formed a solid shield, of sorts, in the area below its neck.

As the old man stared with a slack-jawed expression on his face, the official said, "A Prototype of a Utility Tera, meant to be used by those from all three paths. This will actually be one of the first tests to see how it fares in battle! Watch carefully…history will be made, no matter what the result of this match is."