Three weeks later, I had the group of Imperators running through the presses. I had multiple means of training and preparing advancement for them. These ways took up a lot of time, but fortunately the young Imperators had very few responsibilities or jobs to do besides party and spectate at events and relax in leisure activities. Functionally, I could take up as many hours of their day as I could convince them to give me and as a Bronze, I had a certain allure and authority that drew them to me like moths to a flame or flies to honey. First of my methods was daily combat exercise against each other, one on one. They had done some measure of this one their own, Imperators were sporting, warlike creatures, but I had them going with greater passion and vehemence in their duels. Second, once a week I evaluated all of them in skill personally. I would fight them in three stages, first a light intensity while they did their utmost to observe their ability as if against a peer opponent, then a medium intensity to see how they did against a slightly superior fighter and then at a high intensity to test their functioning in fighting a losing battle that they had no hope to win. My next method was an endurance exercise of group sprints to build stamina. Then I had pain tolerance building contests of will and constitution, fighting with poison in your veins or spikes in your heart or enduring electrocution. I was also reviewing their eating and sleeping habits to shore up their Foundations.

Of the contests of duels between the Imperators Antonias and I had assembled, we had established a ranking system to keep track of the youths’ progress and strengths on a quantifiable and numerical scale. The ones with the most wins were Caesia, Kato, Antonias, and Julias. The ones with the most losses were Cornelias, Valeria, Artoria and Fabias. The others had a variety of wins and losses. By now, everyone had pretty much fought everyone else, and everyone had multiple attempts against the same opponent. The Imperators’ endurance and regeneration allowed me to conduct constant fights throughout the day. The fights would happen at superhuman speed and be done quickly and fifteen to thirty minutes later both fighters would be ready to go again against each other or to pick new rivals to test themselves against martially. This could be done over and over all day, wounds given, repaired, and then given again in a brutal, exhilarating cycle. In the beginning, some of the Imperators had complained but most had quickly adapted. Imperators were meant for warfare and conquest even if most of the species apparently contented themselves to hedonistic leisure and relegated themselves to the mere Rank of Copper rather than reaching for greater cultivated heights of spiritual and physical progression.

That or they had left. Not all had adapted to it. Karias and Bruttia had managed a few days but faced with the prospect of harsh training, embarrassing losses against their peers, being tortured to boost their pain tolerance and willpower and comparing to what they could be doing instead, they chose parties and entertainment rather than improving themselves with the rest. I did not miss them. Only the best could possibly reach the Rank of Bronze even with my instruction. Karias and Bruttia could do what they wanted, I intended to take some of this crop with me to the Scholarium if not just Antonias and those who remained would have the baseline training and reignited flames of passion in their hearts to reach the next level on the Path of the Emperor if they truly wished it.

Antonias was doing well, he was proving himself to be fit for both spiritual progression of the self and for leadership roles amongst his peers. He led the group exercises, pushing himself harder than anyone else and bearing more self-inflicted torture than any who dared to try to reach his level. He was at the top of the rankings of the dueling brackets and took the time to teach the lessons I had given him on fighting to his fellow Imperators, instructing them on form and positioning of the body when battling another warrior. I encouraged this leadership by example in him and stepped up my personal training of him. Now we fought with blindfolds and with Keenblades with Thanatosian particle generators attached instead of merely with fists and feet and elbows.

Today, I would be evaluating Kato by facing him in single combat in a fistfight. He was currently fighting Bantias and was dominating the other Imperator in his push for further victory. Kato’s form was superlative, he had to have had prior instruction. Possibly of his own free will, possibly because of traditionalist parents who wished for him to be more like their imperious, warlike ancestors. Every move was textbook perfect, well-conditioned and burnt into his mind. His skill was immense too, he moved naturally. More than what could simply be said to be part of the born Imperator combat instincts that all of the youths here had. He fought like an innate killer. Lastly, his Foundation was immaculate. In the same way that Velias or Turias or Krixas were athletic phenomenons and freaks of nature, Kato was strong and fast and supernaturally durable compared to his peers and the general population of his geneline. He was nearly at Antonias’s level and Antonias had been rebuilt with a Bronze’s instruction and Refounding pills.

“How are you, Kato?” I asked him, smiling.

“Well enough, teacher.” Kato replied.

“Ready to face me?” I said.

“Always.” He answered easily and instantly. No fear in him, no hesitance as some of the others had.

Antonias fought Julias and pressed him hard, breaking the boy down. He piled on blows until the other Imperator reeled and fell to the ground. My training proved itself clear once again. I smelled ozone in the air and smiled as finally lightning danced and light shone and subdermal fire blazed as Antonias made Bronze.

“If only I had known it was a simple as fighting Servi Golds, I would have jumped into the arenas ages ago.” Kato said. “What made you think of becoming a gladiator?”

I had not revealed my lack of funds that had initially driven me to fight as a gladiator for the Brazen Chains ludus out of fear that it would be perceived as weakness, so I told a different story than the full and direct truth.

“I just felt called to it by the gods.” I said.

Kato nodded appreciatively. He would respect a natural aggression more than a desire for money.

“Come then, let’s begin.” I said.

I slowly went through my three stages that I evaluated my fellow Imperators at. First, I met Kato as an equal, his form and Foundation showing impressively. Then I accelerated to the level of a beyond competent Copper Imperator. Kato met me stride for stride, blow for blow, dodge for dodge. Finally, I used my full force that I was capable of without trying to actively kill the other boy. Kato fought with a Campeador’s courage and a Venator’s grace and a Militaris’s doggedness. He couldn’t get a single blow in, but he was evading my attacks. I had to reevaluate my perception of Kato’s prowess and Foundation. He might have actually been better than Antonias, even with all my instruction and assistance. It went on and on until Kato struck me once in the head. I saw the pride and victory in his eyes at managing to face and hit a Bronze. My body reacted to this challenge, and I involuntarily put my fist through Kato’s heart and out his back.

“I hit you.” Kato said dreamily, blood pouring from his mouth as he coughed. Then his eyes lit white, and lightning danced around him.

I pulled my hand out of his chest and let the hole in his heart close up as the advancement lightning’s regeneration took over similarly to how it had healed my wounds in the arena after I had killed Javias, the Knight of Emerald. My hand had knit together, and my cuts had sealed and the Thanatosian particles had been purged from my wounds and bloodstream.

The light in his eyes dimmed and was replaced with violet and Bronze.

I helped him up. “Welcome. Brother. Welcome to the Rank of Bronze.”

Nearby on the lawn Caesia threw Fabias to the ground and advanced as well, voltaic energy swathing her form and fiery tattoos burning on her skin.

That made four of us Bronze in time for the Scholarium. I did not suspect we would make any more, just a hunch I had. It would be me, Antonias, Kato and Caesia that went to Iulius to be tested for entrance to the Solar Guard’s officer’s school.

Antonias came near to me.

“We must celebrate.” He said.

“I want to go see the Oracle to ask her about the Voice.” I said.

“We must celebrate first.” Antonias insisted.