It is time for Martial Philosophy.
The classroom is spacious and tiered. The professor, via voice commands, orders the large screen on the wall which words, images, or shapes to display. Wanting to sound out egos and personalities, the professor opens a debate: Divine war, and the birth of the Earth Nations Alliance.
The mere mention is enough to tense postures and set mental gears in motion. Almost instantly, two figures stand out from the rest due to their intensity and diction. Each belongs to opposite poles of the political spectrum.
Sumire: a liberal, progressive, and anti-war girl. Half Venezuelan, half Japanese, though perhaps the most striking thing about her appearance is the wheelchair she uses to get around. It's the first time you've seen that mechanism in real life; you thought it was a disability eradicated by technological advances.
Gustavo: strict, conservative, and pro-war. His shirt is tight against the bulging muscles cultivated during his training with the Perejimenizta youth. His values are of a gray steel, much like the color of his eyes.
Sumire and Gustavo, face to face in front of the screen, separated by a distance of five meters, begin a battle of reasoning that has been seen ever since the high-cost theory started being seriously considered.
How much death and destruction must humanity experience to learn from the past and rid itself of its hostile habits? What is the best way to get society to accept and be willing to pay the price? Does suffering and fighting not produce a stronger human than one raised in cotton wool? These are questions without absolute answers that, alongside the failure of old ideologies and the welfare state, gave birth to the modern world.
For many, the divine war is the only thing left to have faith in, even more so than God. Once The Alliance or Elon's Principality wins, humanity, they trust, will be unified and rowing in a new direction.
"We pay with thousands of lives for every inch of the map," Sumire speaks to discredit.
"Though men and women are falling, we see heroes rise," Gustavo says in appreciation.
Tempers flare. The tone rises.
"It is the war that will end all wars!" Gustavo defends the high-cost theory.
"Can a war end all wars?!" Sumire casts doubt on it.
The professor asserts his authority and halts the experiment. The rebuttals cease before they escalate further. Two factions have been formed in the class... Which one will you belong to?
Approach Sumire (Scene 24)
Approach Gustavo (Scene 25)