WHOOM!!
The instant Ben crossed the threshold...
Everything disappeared.
The Hall of Masters.
The ancient statues.
Sam.
His comrades.
Even the Titan Kingdom itself.
All of it vanished into darkness.
---
Silence.
...
Ben slowly opened his eyes.
He stood alone.
An endless plain of gray stone stretched toward every horizon.
There was no sun.
No moon.
No wind.
No life.
Only an empty battlefield that seemed to continue forever.
His hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his greatsword.
The legendary armor Master Doran had forged reflected the strange silver light filling the sky.
Ben frowned.
"...Where am I?"
No answer came.
Instead...
THUD...
A single footstep echoed across the empty world.
Ben's eyes narrowed.
Another followed.
THUD...
Then another.
THUD...
THUD...
Each step shook the ground beneath his feet.
The tremors grew stronger.
The mist covering the battlefield slowly parted.
Then...
A colossal figure emerged.
Nearly thirty feet tall.
Its body was carved from ancient stone reinforced with glowing bronze veins.
Every movement radiated overwhelming strength.
Unlike the monsters Ben had fought before...
This being carried no sword.
No axe.
No spear.
Only an enormous tower shield.
The shield alone was nearly twice Ben's height.
Ancient Titan runes glowed across its surface.
The giant stopped.
Its golden eyes locked onto Ben.
---
A deep voice echoed throughout the endless battlefield.
«"State your name."»
Ben stood tall.
His voice never wavered.
"I'm Ben."
"Vanguard General of Base 101."
The Titan remained silent.
Then...
Its eyes briefly shimmered.
«"Title acknowledged."»
«"Earned."»
«"Not inherited."»
A grin spread across Ben's face.
"Damn right."
"I earned every bit of it."
---
The Titan slowly raised its massive shield.
Then...
It slammed the bottom edge into the stone.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The entire battlefield shook violently.
Cracks raced across the endless plain.
Dust filled the air.
When it settled...
The Titan spoke again.
«"I..."»
«"...am Aegis."»
«"First Vanguard..."»
«"...of the Titan Kingdom."»
Ben's confident grin slowly faded.
Inside his mind...
His System suddenly spoke.
General...
Threat Analysis Complete.
Target Identified: Aegis.
Title: First Vanguard of the Titan Kingdom.
Combat Data: Insufficient.
Estimated Threat Level: Beyond Current Parameters.
Recommendation: Exercise Extreme Caution.
Ben slowly exhaled.
Then...
A grin returned to his face.
"Good."
"It wouldn't be much of a trial otherwise."
He rested his greatsword across his shoulder.
The being standing before him...
Was one of the greatest warriors the Titans had ever produced.
---
Far away...
Inside the Hall of Masters...
The crowned Titan King's golden eyes glowed brighter.
Though separated by dimensions...
He watched every trial simultaneously.
His gaze lingered upon Ben.
«"Aegis..."»
«"Judge him well."»
---
Back inside the Trial...
Aegis slowly planted his shield before him.
The runes covering its surface erupted with brilliant golden light.
WHOOM!!
The battlefield trembled.
The stone beneath Ben's feet began to crack.
Then...
Hands emerged.
One...
Ten...
A hundred...
A thousand...
Thousands of stone warriors rose from beneath the earth.
Each wore Titan armor.
Each carried a spear and shield.
Each stood in perfect formation.
Not one moved.
Not one spoke.
They simply waited.
Ben slowly scanned the endless army.
"...An entire legion..."
Aegis nodded.
«"Tell me, Vanguard."»
«"What is the duty..."»
«"...of the one who stands first?"»
Ben answered without hesitation.
"To protect the people behind him."
Aegis remained silent for several moments.
Then...
For the first time...
The giant smiled.
It was small.
Almost impossible to notice.
«"Correct."»
The smile vanished.
His voice became thunder.
«"A Vanguard..."»
«"...does not seek glory."»
«"...He becomes the wall..."»
«"...that others never have to see."»
Aegis slowly raised one hand.
Instantly...
Every stone soldier lowered its spear toward Ben.
Thousands of weapons pointed at him.
The killing intent was overwhelming.
«"Your trial..."»
«"...is not to defeat them."»
Ben blinked.
"...What?"
Aegis pointed toward the horizon.
Far in the distance...
A small group of civilians appeared.
Old men.
Women.
Children.
Craftsmen.
Blacksmiths.
Builders.
Exactly one hundred people.
They stood frozen with fear.
Behind them...
A massive bronze gate.
The only escape.
Inside Ben's mind...
His System spoke once more.
General...
Mission Parameters Updated.
Primary Objective: Protect all civilians.
Mission Failure Condition: One or more civilian casualties.
Ben's expression hardened.
"Understood."
Aegis spoke.
«"Those behind you..."»
«"...represent your kingdom."»
«"Your family."»
«"Your future."»
The Titan's golden eyes burned brightly.
«"A Vanguard..."»
«"...is measured..."»
«"...not by how many enemies he kills..."»
«"...but by how many lives he protects."»
Ben slowly turned toward the frightened civilians.
His expression changed.
The grin disappeared.
His eyes became serious.
He understood.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a responsibility.
Aegis raised his arm.
The endless Titan legion lowered their spears.
«"Protect them."»
«"No civilian may fall."»
«"Only then..."»
«"...shall your weapon inherit the will of the First Vanguard."»
For a brief moment...
The battlefield became completely silent.
Then...
Aegis dropped his arm.
«"ADVANCE!"»
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Titan legion charged.
Thousands of armored warriors surged across the battlefield like an unstoppable tidal wave.
The earth shook beneath their synchronized march.
Dust filled the sky.
Ben looked back one final time.
The civilians stared at him with frightened eyes.
No one spoke.
They didn't have to.
He smiled.
The same fearless smile that had inspired the soldiers of Base 101 countless times before.
He rested his greatsword across his shoulder.
"Guess this is where I belong."
He slowly stepped forward.
Placing himself between the charging Titan legion...
And the people depending on him.
Golden mana erupted around his body.
His voice echoed across the endless battlefield.
"I've spent my whole life standing in front of my people."
"I protected them when monsters came."
"I protected them when kingdoms fell."
"I protected them when the world itself tried to break us."
He pointed his sword toward the incoming legion.
"And today..."
"I'll protect them from legends."
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Mana exploded from beneath Ben's feet.
The Vanguard General of Base 101 charged alone toward an army of thousands.
High above...
Aegis watched silently.
For the first time in thousands of years...
The First Vanguard smiled.
«"Show me..."»
«"...the shield that protects the Silver Kingdom."»