Davirmus, the brightest jewel of the Star Alliance.
In the gloomy, stifling underground training grounds of the Star Alliance's First Military Academy, Dolen, dressed in an assistant instructor's uniform, smiled as he lifted a pirate soldier covered in wounds.
"Today's lesson is interrogation." Dolen slammed a fist into the face of the tongueless pirate, then smiled at the circle of junior cadets around him. "This isn't a mandatory academy course. If you can't handle it mentally, you're free to leave. To all underclassmen who successfully complete this course, congratulations—you'll receive an extra ten credits."
Dolen threw the pirate to the ground and patted his blood-smeared hands. "For the first lesson, anyone willing to take this course, leave a few marks on this unlucky bastard. Get a feel for having blood on your hands."
After several minutes of silence, eighty percent of the military academy cadets turned and left. Fewer than ten remained.
Dolen shook his head helplessly and sighed. "A highly developed civilization, a highly developed spiritual civilization... the spirit of warriors!"
He glanced around, his gaze lingering briefly on a tall figure standing in a dark corner of the training grounds. Smiling broadly, Dolen asked, "Which underclassman would like to go first? I've prepared daggers, short swords, steel spikes, and all kinds of common torture instruments."
Silence. A long silence. The remaining cadets all took a step back, seemingly frightened by the torture tools Dolen pulled out one after another.
Dolen shook his head in disappointment and sighed. "No one? You don't even have the courage to see blood? Then how can you become qualified soldiers?"
The tall figure in the dark corner moved. She walked steadily over to Dolen.
Dolen smiled. "Fuya!"
Fuya Ming, dressed in the First Military Academy cadet uniform, gave Dolen a cold glance before focusing her attention on the torture instruments.
With black ear-length hair, a delicate oval face, long phoenix eyes, neat sword-like brows, and a tall, slender figure even a finger taller than Dolen, Fuya Ming's agile, powerful body was tightly wrapped in her cadet uniform. Like an iron-hearted orchid blooming in the night, she frowned at the instruments, suddenly drew her sidearm, and pulled the trigger at the pirate's brow.
The crisp gunshot echoed through the training grounds. Dolen, who had remained composed until then, staggered back several steps in fright at Fuya Ming's sudden killing blow. He cried out, "Fuya, you..."
Fuya Ming frowned and said flatly, "Interrogation? Unnecessary. Testimony? Also unnecessary. The best pirate is a dead pirate."
She holstered her sidearm and turned toward the training ground exit.
"Dolen, if you're truly bored, you can go fight wild beasts in an arena. But please don't waste our time. Ever since the Psycho-Wave Excavator was invented, interrogation has been gone from the academy's elective course list for hundreds of years."
"No matter what method you used to give this outdated course ten credits, don't gather us here in the middle of the night. Our time is valuable."
The sound of combat boots striking the floor gradually faded away as Fuya Ming disappeared into the darkness.