Cinia Pacifica Posts

Steam escaped from the top of the Magic Train as it roared, signalling the moment of departure that was soon to come, and the beginning of a new adventure. The passengers of the Magic World boarded it hastily, not wanting to be late. The Magic Train was big and large, and it was hosted by a special train station constructed by the magi. The stations of the Magic Trains were one of the many neutral locations, and so the Japanese never attacked it. They would have a use for it themselves too, after all. The train was more or less like any other train in terms of appearances and its contents; some compartment for passengers, one where dining takes place, some other for cargoes and goods meant to be transported, and lastly there was the high-class sections reserved by the more wealthy individuals.

Elizabeth, Duchess, Aramus, and Takeru happened to be in a said high-class section afforded by the Duchess within the Magic Train.

“This was the last available V.I.P room I could afford,” the Duchess begun, “Who would’ve thought it was the season for rich people to travel? I thought I wouldn’t have to rush with the bookings.”

“We could make do without V.I.P just fine, no?” Takeru said, not sure if something bad would’ve happened if they couldn’t get this room. Despite coming from a rich family, Takeru was actually looking forward to not being in a reserved special seat.

“Esteemed individuals such as ourselves should not be joining the shady members of the Magic World on the other cars,” the Duchess answered, shaking her head, almost sounding like a protective mother.

Aramus merely hummed to himself. If not for the Duchess’ goodwill, he would definitely be on a non-reserved seat, crammed somewhere way in the back amongst the masses instead of here. Magister or not, he was poor.

“I mean, look, teacher can hum like this peacefully without receiving some stranger’s ire along the way,” Elizabeth said to support her mother, gesturing towards Aramus. “Reserved rooms are full of wonders.”

“...I suppose so,” Takeru conceded, chuckling weakly in defeat.

“That aside,” Elizabeth said, putting the newspaper on the table before them. “Our operation appeared on the newspapers published by The Times,” she said, sounding excited. Indeed, the Duchess’ glory rose even further thanks to this, they also mentioned Aramus and Takeru as partaking Magic Magisters. Aramus and Takeru – the two sitting opposite to the Duchess and her daughter – peered in and found a picture of an area in ruins – or so it seemed to them – over the article.

“I didn’t think anyone would have the time to take a picture in all that chaos…” Takeru commented, baffled. However, he was forgetting about all those students who were hiding most of the time, and were only taking peeks from across the alleys.

“The press will find a way I suppose, although I am quite surprised that they did decide to include my name,” Aramus said honestly.

“That simply means that they approve of your contributions, Mister Valmark,” the Duchess promptly responded, a smile showing that she was glad his name was mentioned. “The best part is that the leader of Team A is blamed for his actions here,” she said, pointing at a particular paragraph of the article. Around this part, the aforementioned person’s figure was portrayed with an image.

“Mother, it says that you personally went and placed the charges for the students that died on combat, is this true?” Elizabeth asked.

“Of course, why would I not? I shall see him at the Magic Court, certainly,” Caroline said, bursting with anger.

Aramus smiled cruelly, glad to see that the one responsible for this mess had gotten his just desserts. His secretary however… Oh well, perhaps Aramus would see both of them in Court. That would be a good day.

“You seem happy, Aramus,” Takeru said, “You must’ve really despised them, not that I didn’t, but I do feel a little bad for the two that tagged along with that chump.”

“Well, I hold that man responsible but for the others that were aiding him, how could they just stand by and send my students into such a situation?” Aramus replied, huffing in disapproval. “They were the future of our country and they get thrown away, just like that.”

“True, those were some of England’s finest students invited personally by the Queen,” Takeru said, a little disappointed, “Our faction in disapproval of the Japanese Government did not approve of these atrocious acts, either.”

“Indeed,” the Duchess spoke up, “I will definitely not forgive this man for wasting so many lives. In the end, it was us adults who took care of the matter. Children were simply not needed. The Queen did not have to invite students to respect that pathetic man’s wishes.”

Aramus let out a heavy sigh. “But what’s done is done. Nothing will bring those children back. For one man’s attempt at glory, we paid a heavy price. I hope I may receive a personal audience with the Queen when we arrive though.”

“Hm? A personal audience, for?” The Duchess inquired, curious.

“That does make me curious,” Takeru said, “I am hoping to find an opportunity to speak with her myself, however.”

”Just a few things I need to speak to her about regarding the Time Warriors but don’t tell anyone.” Making hushing motions, Aramus tried to play down whatever he was intending to do.

“Did Sagittarius say something?” Takeru asked, but figured that Aramus didn’t wanted to talk about it, yet his curiosity got the better of him.

Hanging his head, Aramus gave out a quiet “Yes.”

The Duchess remembered her recent conversation with Aramus, and considered if it had a connection with it or not, but she concluded that she’d say nothing more regarding the matter.

“Anyway,” Elizabeth said, trying to steer the conversation from something Aramus was attempting to avoid, “Where do you two plan to stay during your stay in England? You could always come over to our manor.”

Aramus watched the Duchess for a reaction at her daughter’s question, telling himself that Ellie was doing this out of goodwill. “Well, I would like to pay my orphanage a visit but I haven’t made any plans for accommodations. Perhaps the orphanage itself or…” It was challenging to find an excuse but Aramus realised that he indeed had not enough money to stay anywhere but at a place that would put up with him.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Takeru said, politely attempting to refuse an offer too kind.

“Oh, you wouldn’t want to live in a dirty old orphanage, would you?” the Duchess said, somehow skeptical of the idea. “We have plenty of rooms to have guests.”

“Then, I’ll accept your kind offer. Thank you very much, Duchess, Elizabeth,” Aramus lowered his head in thanks, face pensive but mind racing with a million thoughts. Most of them leading nowhere as he panicked but there were a few more rational ones, it would be bad if word got out that he was boarding at the Duchess’ place as a guest.

“I suppose I’ll have to accept too, then,” Takeru said. He’d rather go with the offer then end up feeling lonely someplace else. He wanted to comment on how Aramus takes up offers too easily by the wealthy, but decided against it. Since he himself considered letting Aramus stay with him in a high-class hotel.

“Then that is settled,” Elizabeth exclaimed, her hands clapping. As she said that, her smile broke as she looked to the right thoughtlessly.

Before Aramus knew it, he heard an ear-splitting noise. In the next moment, shards of glass from the window danced across the air as a stranger broke in abruptly. The figure was seemingly a teenager donning a black shirt, pants and a coat, he held a machine gun with both his arms, and aimed it towards the four people inside the room.

Wordlessly, and without hesitation, the boy opened fire. Another ear-piercing noise took place. The four leapt off and moved out, agile, avoiding the bullets.

The boy then leveled his armament towards Elizabeth – who in turn cringed – but Takeru punched the intruder’s cheek so hard from the other side, that he was knocked back to the window. The boy immediately pulled himself up and jumped back – going out through the window – almost as if he was hardly hurt. He seemed to have caught something and went over to the roof.

“Elizabeth, are you alright?” the Duchess immediately rushed over to her daughter, gravely concerned.

“Yes, mother, more importantly, that person ran away...”

“Well, no point staying here now. If they came here directly, they must’ve known we were on board. We should move to eliminate the threat,” Aramus said, though he noted Elizabeth’s concern.

“Let us pursue this threat,” the Duchess said, “But I wouldn’t want Elizabeth to go out, he was pointing the gun at her,” she added, not wanting Elizabeth exposed to further danger.

“There goes whatever plans I had for a nap.” Aramus said glumly, looking at the ruined seats and glass littering the reserved room. “They’ll suffer. For it to be ruined like this, my one and only time in a reserved car...”

“We can get these cleaned, and us magicians have no problem getting a window fixed,” the Duchess said, trying to bring Aramus back down to earth.

“Alright, then let us be off to taking down that kid,” Takeru said. “I suppose Elizabeth stays here?”

“Yes,” the Duchess said, it’d be much safer than a place where there was no walls or ceiling, she thought.

Hence, the three Magic Magisters left through the window in pursuit of the intruder.

Elizabeth then turned towards the door of the room. “I know you’re there,” she said, a dark expression was afloat her face – the lustre of innocence she usually carried in her pupils absent – one that she never showed to her teachers, peers, or her mother.

“I hope you enjoyed our welcoming gesture. We like to be flashy sometimes, you see,” a voice spoke, even though Elizabeth had never opened the door.

“That was in poor taste, sending that clone in such a manner. There were numerous ways to send a signal to beckon my presence,” Elizabeth replied.

“Very well. We only wished to entertain you, but we shall keep it peaceful next time. Now, on to the matter at hand…”

Three days after the incident which sent waves across the Magic World, the situation that took place in the futuristic Japan was being covered up in the public by the media. With lies and made-up stories, the damages made to the particular area where Sagittarius and the European mages fought were being explained away. At such a time, Natsu had already made swift recovery – thanks to the government’s special treatments provided – and was already back to work. Alice too, resumed her life like usual. Tsuruko, in the mean time, worked to hone her skills and knowledge back in the academy. She’d continue to accompany Alice every night, but they were uneventful ever since the big incident that had passed.

However, contrary to the belief regarding those uneventful days, Alice had sent Tsuruko a letter all the way from Tokyo. It was a straight-forward message providing an address, and that she should be there as soon as school ended. Tsuruko found it to be too sudden, but as a dutiful miko, it was inappropriate for her to have any further opinion on the matter, thus she obediently made way for the directed premises in Tokyo.

Tsuruko was undoubtedly late – or so she felt – as the aforementioned building was quite far from the academy. Even if the academy was located amidst Tokyo – of which the gateway are the Boundaries – there was no way to come faster than her legs could carry her. She found herself panting heavily by the time she made it. Sweat-drenched as she was, she took a moment to catch her breath and compose herself. The location was an apartment complex. However, it was not Alice’s, since the area was not the same as the one she was in previously when she woke up on her place.

“You’re late,” she heard a familiar voice speak as soon as she entered. The door was indeed open, just as the letter had mentioned. She felt the need to knock beforehand due to her manners. There were two familiar faces sitting across a table in the living room of the apartment: one was Alice, the other was Hynek. The latter was a man she met at the big party event that she participated in alongside Alice. However, there was another person across the table, and this was a person she hadn’t met before, but he seemed like an important person. Clad in black suit and a tie, he seemed dignified as a civil servant, and an important man to the country. In fact, he seemed familiar somehow. Had she seen him before on television, a long time ago?

It seemed as though Hynek eyed her very curiously for a moment, but perhaps she was imagining it. “Ah, I see that you’re here at last, Miss Tsuruko. We’ve been waiting. Come, take a seat,” he said, politely and with respect.

“If you would allow me to,” Tsuruko said in kind, but inside, she wanted to have a seat, running directly from school having tired her legs. Finding a spot before the table, she dusted the floor of with her sleeve before sitting down. Greeting Hynek and happily gesturing a hello towards Alice, she proceeded to face the familiar man with her firm smile. “Please excuse me for being so late.” She bowed. “I am Tsuruko of the Fuyuo family. It is an honour to meet you, Mister…”

“A pleasure to meet you,” the familiar man answered, sending a card out from his pocket before slipping it towards her on the table. “Kazuya Takashiro is my name, I am a government official.”

“So… Takashiro-sama, then. Greetings again.” She lowered her head. Taking brief moments to look at each of them, she then again wore her unassuming expression before proceeding: “I have received instructions that have called upon me here, but no further detail,” she explained. “What task needs undertaking?”

“Well, now that you are here, I suppose I can answer that question now,” Takashiro said. The man wore a typical smile as any official would. A smile that none could easily read. “Alice-sama, if you would begin.”

Alice took out a gadget Tsuruko was familiar with, but wasn’t proficient with: a phone. It’s large screen showed a detailed map that sent away a blue hue to the corners of the room. The map had particularly showed the country of England.

“I have been given the mission to infiltrate England and make my way for London. A week from now this mission shall begin. I have requested your enlistment into this mission, Tsuruko,” Alice said with her monotone voice, the final sentence articulated as she faced Tsuruko. “Hynek-san was invited to this task – which he has graciously accepted – as he has been to London before. His Organization would be backing us up there.”

“You know I would definitely follow you till my life is lost,” Tsuruko explained, “but what would I have to do with my family here, and what of my family shrine?” She was ready to learn new things, but she had a hard time contemplating what she had to give up in order to take up this task. She didn’t have a choice, of course, she’d sworn her life to the Shrine.

“...What about your family, what is the issue?” Alice asked. Seemingly confused, she gave the government official a glance, who gave a shrug. Hynek seemed rather lost too.

“I do not think we are going there for too long, so do not be worried about that, Tsuruko,” Hynek said, after making a guess mentally.

“Has my father been informed? He needs to prepare for my absence of my duties at home,” Tsuruko said. “He would be very worried, for I have not ventured outside Japan in my life.”

“You would not have received the letter without his approval,” Alice mentioned, clarifying for Tsuruko.

“I am more curious about your duties back home, as I was informed that your current life revolves around the academy and escorting Alice-sama,” Takashiro said, a little dumbfounded.

“They are,” she said. “I thought I might have to return to my family shrine in case of any sudden emergences.”

“...Emergencies, you say? What could be more important than missions from the government itself?” Alice asked, more than just confused. Even if she could understand that the Shrine had its own complicated affairs, Tsuruko’s explanation was hardly helping the matter.

“Rather… I don’t think that’s actually an issue, especially considering that your father permitted Alice’s request, which means that he’d likely be able to get someone else for any sort of emergency,” Takashiro said, apparently sure of his conjecture. “The Shrine is a very large Organization, they hardly have a shortage of people.”

“Oh…” Tsuruko stopped a while to contemplate. “It seems my worries are left useless then. If all is settled here, then I have no qualms about going.”

“I see,” Hynek said. “It’ll be nice to have you around,” he added, smiling. “But I’d like to know, Alice, what are we going there for?”

“Your mission is simple,” Takashiro spoke in Alice’s stead. “Get the Queen’s head.”

“Really…” Hynek said, grimacing. He really didn’t want to hurt a lady, but if it was for the sake of his girls and their future, he’d have to do it. He’d have to live with the choice… unless he could figure out a personal compromise. He could also find an opportunity to find a Duchess; this mission would be well worth the visit to England, despite the risks involved with him being a Descendant of Time. “Well, I suppose I have to for my side of the deal.”

“All of you will have to maintain discretion as it is a covert operation, since all you have to do is assassinate the one at the top of the enginized country. She is considered to be a powerful magi, so it’d be a relief for us if she is gone before the war resumes in full scale,” Takashiro said informatively. “If you have any questions, now would be the time to ask.”

Having being taught little of England’s history, atmosphere and environment, and from her understanding, Tsuruko had a lot of questions indeed. Again, she wasn’t one to question the motives of the Shrine. “Pardon me, but who is this Queen...?”

“...Um, pardon?” Takashiro uttered, his mouth open agape. “You do not know who the Queen of England is?”

“Calm down,” Alice coolly said. “Her knowledge as a sheltered child is limited in certain areas. Tsuruko, she is known as Queen Victoria, a high-calibre magi in the Magic World who has many vis on her in the form of accessories, and she is – to the mundanes – the governor and Queen of the country. She is the leading figure of the entire Magic World as her Royal Council controls the Magic World to the best of their abilities. I suppose you have studied this in class, but it is from said council that the Rules of the Magic World came from.”

“Oh, her…” Tsuruko wondered how exactly she would fare against her and her possible goonies. “Another thing, how will we get there, and undetected?” She raised a brow.

“Disguises, I believe,” Hynek said, raising a finger. “I think in your case you should have to not wear those traditional clothes and you’ll be fine, Miss Tsuruko.”

“Indeed, and you can take the Magic Train and then take a flight from any country from there. It’s not so hard to get to England,” Takashiro said. “Detection is no issue as long as the disguises are consistently maintained.”

“...I see.” Tsuruko was hesitant to her answer, as she wasn’t used to wearing garb other than her own. She fumbled where she was sitting for a bit, but she didn’t let them catch her thoughts. “Please excuse me for I am new to all of this. Staying in Japan all my life has made me yearn for outside adventures and I am very much pleased to undertake this venture.”

“I am glad to hear that.” Takashiro smiled. “From ventures like these you’re sure to grow into a more experienced warrior. Well, I’d hope so, at least.”

“But I suppose there is more to this operation…?” Alice inquired.

“Indeed. Have you ever heard of the Queen’s Meeting?” Takashiro asked back.

“The event where they revise the rules of the Magic World?” Hynek asked. He had heard of this event before. How could he not have? He had to send a member to said event every year when he was busy, or he’d go himself to eye the Duchess and make his move, and try to win over more prospective members to enlarge his Organization.

“Yes, you got that right, Hynek-san. This event is massive, and the Queen is said to make an appearance at this event every year. We’ll take this opportunity to catch her off-guard – hopefully – and get rid of her for good. We’re sending out two Time Warriors for a single mage, so we are quite confident that it should be more than enough to defeat her, but I suppose more than one Time Warrior is an insurance for her guards, if you happen to be caught in the act.” This was a pretty risky move for Japan itself, as it was something akin to sending out two national treasures, but Japan could be somewhat confident considering they had Natsu. As long as they’d have a Time Warrior they’d be able to maintain supremacy over the entire combined forces of Europe, and that was why they could afford to take the risk.

“Where will I need to be in this operation?” Tsuruko awaited her instructions. And…. two Time Warriors?”

“Well, extra pairs of hands are always a positive addition in combat, and in times of… other needs,” Hynek claimed with a charming smile.

“I wouldn’t disagree. Even if it’s Time Warriors, I’m sure that non-Time Warriors – or well, human beings for that matter – would surely come in handy,” Takeshiro said. I mean, a spoiled king and an idol would want someone who doesn’t have their nose too high up into the sky… he thought, and continued speaking: “Oh, I suppose you weren’t informed? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised. You may know that Alice is a Time Warrior, but Hynek – who recently joined the citizenry of Japan – is also a Time Warrior.”

“Frankly, I believe you’ll be running quite a lot of errands for us,” Alice added, facing Tsuruko again. “That sword and that spirit, however, may be more handy than you believe, in terms of combat.”

The realization of Hynek being a Time Warrior didn’t hit too hard compared to when Alice had introduced herself as one. Too many out-of-her-world things Tsuruko had seen, and she’d learnt that she still had many things that she had yet to see, so this wouldn’t come as a surprise; and two, she now wondered about how many more of such Time Warriors were out there, told or untold. “Hm.” She looked half-surprised. “Do all the Time Warriors share the same purpose?”

“Hm, what would you think the purpose would be, were we to share one?” Hynek asked, curious of what Tsuruko thought before asking the question.

“I’m... not really too sure myself either, but may it be to seek peace among chaos?” Tsuruko said what she had on the top of her mind without thinking. “U-um, I mean, I wasn’t familiar with these Time Warriors until I entered the school, never mind getting an opportunity to meet one so soon, so I have yet to… understand them, if you will...”

“To be honest, Tsuruko, I don’t think the Time Warriors share a common goal,” Hynek stated, confident in his words. “We have our own priorities, ideas, beliefs, and so on. In all honesty, this is likely the first time in history that Time Warriors have banded like this together under the banner of a country, and three of them, at that. Japan certainly is lucky,” Hynek said, and then thought, And so am I.

Tsuruko nodded. “I see, it seems I still have much more to learn about Time Warriors… I only can hope the other nine are not our enemies. I must thank you for being so patient with me.” She bowed towards Hynek. She then started again, “Am I to assist you?”

“We are all going to work as a team, Tsuruko,” Hynek said, smiling. Takashiro nodded alongside Hynek.

It didn’t seem like much, but the atmosphere lightened Tsuruko up a little. “Thank you for having me...!” She hid her smile by bowing to the three.

“The trip will be in some days,” Alice finally mentioned, continuing with the original topic. “Hone your skills while you may, Tsuruko, we’ll need every bit of strength for this.”

“I shall!” Tsuruko gave a firm tone while psyching herself up on the inside. “I will definitely intensify my training.”

Muh waifus.

Claudia woke up, finding the luxurious suite room before her eyes. Her body was covered in sheets and a blanket marvelously silky to the touch. Groggy, tired, sore, and with a head still aching profusely – but thankfully much bearable than the previous time – Claudia realised that she now felt much, much better.

“I see that you are awake, Lady Claudia,” the gentleman from before spoke. He was found standing beside Claudia; who knew how long he stood there, but he seemed to have been keeping a keen watch on her. “How do you feel now?”

“Better, thank you for asking,” Claudia replied with a weak smile.

“Are you in any form of disorienting pain?” the man continued with a question. “Your new-found strength will take time to settle down, hence we are expecting a smaller forms of headaches occurring here and there to you for some days now.”

“The pain is still there – faintly at that, but I can see clearly now,” answered Claudia. “Did anything happen while I was resting?” She sat up to look at the man, groggy from her repose.

“Things of minor concern,” the gentleman replied, his voice as monotone as ever. “Mi’lady was out on business, but she has returned to the hotel moments ago. She should be in here soon enough.”

Claudia stood from her seat and stretched widely, groaning as she did. “That is fine. Err, what kind of business, exactly?” She asked, curious.

“Checking on some… †˜pets’ as she’d call it,” the man answered vaguely. “You have slept all of yesterday, so you must be famished. Shall I order breakfast for you?”

Claudia thought that was strange. Pets? That was an unusual thing to put emphasis on. Either way, Claudia dismissed it, knowing full well what Catherine was capable of. Better she didn't know. “Breakfast sounds wonderful, Mister, err....”

“Please call me George, I shall call for breakfast momentarily. Please wait.” The man calling himself George then walked away from Claudia and fetched for the telephone that laid beside another bed, dialing through the rotary; the receptionist was contacted, and he took some moments to speak regarding the breakfast. George then held the phone to the side and turned back to Claudia. “Any particular preferences for the dishes you’d like to have, Lady Claudia?”

“Tea and eggs; scrambled would be lovely,” Claudia replied, feeling simple this morning. Though suddenly, an insatiable hunger had befallen the girl. Why it happened so abruptly was a mystery to her, though maybe it was partly because she had been asleep since yesterday. She held her stomach and groaned under her breath. “O-On second thought, make it two cups of tea, the eggs and a steak on the side – two steaks,” Claudia called after George uneasily.

George gave a nod, as if completely sympathising with her appetite. “Well, you did not consume anything yesterday, so I suppose you are very hungry this morning. Very well.” George returned to the telephone shortly and repeated the orders to the receptionist, who’d then relay it to the kitchen.

In about fifteen minutes, the food were delivered by an employee of the hotel. As soon as the cases were taken off, the aroma filled the room but Claudia’s stomach and mouth didn’t quite reach in tune with her brain and its excitement. Catherine entered soon after the employee left after the delivery, and could only smile in a defeated manner.

“My, this is… quite the assortment for a breakfast,” she openly expressed her opinion but left Claudia with her food, who sat beside the table parked beside the bed. Meanwhile, the Countess and her servant, George, went over to the other table surrounded by sofas and furnitures, a place where Claudia conversed with Catherine twice so far. They conversed among themselves, something which, surprisingly, Claudia could hear. The distance was considerable – especially due to how big this suite room was – and yet her ears could pick up some of the words. Astounding.

“How is she?”

“Stable, more so than before, I believe.”

“I see. I am glad to know. There were some troubles, but it was for the better that I was able to calm her down when I did.”

“Indeed, Mi’lady, I… would not be able to do such things to her without her consent, but I suppose it was fitting considering your position.”

“Well, I do happen to take pleasure in it. Besides, someone needed to suppress her pent up rage.”

“Her powers would doubtless create unnecessary chaos if not trained. What shall we do about it?”

“We have two weeks before the Queen’s Meeting, and I have to make preparations for it. You are to train her for her powers till then.”

“Understood.”

“Make sure her servant is not there when she receives her training.”

“Yes, that would indeed be problematic.”

“How disappointing. And to think I would be able to boast in front my underling,” Claudia interrupted from the other side of the room. It seemed that she had stopped eating to listen to the Countess and the Butler's conversation, which she found interesting that she could even hear from this distance. “If I were to guess, say hypothetically that I were to lose control of myself in the midst of training to control my powers – and say my servant was there as well, can we say the state of her purity would be in quite a pickle, as they say?” she asked with a wry smirk.

“Mi’lady…” As George was about to speak further, the Countess raised her hand in order to halt his speech.

“You mistaken me, dear. You underestimate the scale of your power at the moment,” the Countess replied, making a statement. She did not look back to Claudia, and wasn’t very surprised that Claudia eavesdropped on their conversation, either. It was as if Claudia’s natural senses were being put to the test. “The reason why we do not want your servant there is so that she doesn’t see you in any vulnerable state and ascertain a weakness, if any.”

“Ah, I see. Still, a pity I do not get to see her so soon due to these circumstances,” she said, taking a sip of her tea, which was already her second cup. “If anything, I would not treat her in such a manner should she desire to find a weakness. I am not the Duke, after all,” she remarked.

“You never know when a person is shrewd,” the Countess warned. “I shall have you meet her after you’re done eating, just make sure you keep her away in your training hours.”

Claudia nodded and drank the rest of her tea – soon realizing that something was off; and she knew it fully. The tea was delicious, no doubt, but... it did not seem to satisfy the girl as she desired it to. Setting the cup down to the saucer delicately, Claudia smiled, albeit weakly, but soon dropped it and made a face with a mixture of confusion and disappointment. “Erm, Mister George. Sorry to bother you once more, but I... I think I am still hungry,” she said, almost within sheer disbelief. After all, granted her skinny and small stature, she clearly couldn't bear to eat that much. Why now?

“Is she…”

“I suppose she really is.”

The Countess and George left their couches and approached Claudia, who seemed to be famished despite all the food she ate.

“Claudia, my dear, may I ask you to open your mouth for a moment, please?”

Quirking an eyebrow, Claudia wondered what she was planning, but complied nonetheless.

“George.”

“Yes, Mi’lady,” complied George, taking out a mirror from a pocket, and showing it to Claudia. When Claudia peered into it, she saw a pair of overgrown fangs. “I suppose you understand the reason behind your hunger now?”

“My God,” Claudia could only manage in surprise.

“You are now a vampire, just like us, my dear,” the Countess stated boldly and without hesitation; letting the girl know the truth. She seemed very pleased to announce this to her. “However… you are a little different from the rest of my brethren.”

“H-How different?”

“Mnm… well, allow me to elaborate: I am the original vampire to have first existed in this world. Many vampires came to exist because I was dissatisfied with food – just like you – and went ahead and bit them with my very fangs. Then they became my followers – most of them, anyway – and soon formed their own families… and they had descendants as time passed, and the vampiric blood eventually slimmed over the centuries. There are no vampires who have obtained powers directly from me, except you, currently.”

Claudia was astounded by that, being the subordinate of a Descendant of Time sounded pleasant to the ear for her. Becoming Nosferatu had just become the highlight of her day. “Huh... what an interesting turn of events this is. So, as a Vampire, I can live forever?” she asked.

“Mn… you may live for centuries, but unfortunately, I have never had an opportunity to know, considering every old vampires were hunted down and killed in combat,” the Countess answered, shaking her head. She truly found it unfortunate. Whether it was because of the loss of comrades or simply the fact that she couldn’t get to learn a fact was unknown. “However, George here is five-hundred-years old, if that diminishes your your quench for curiosity.”

“That it does,” Claudia replied in astonishment. She smiled, taking nothing but joy out of this entire experience. “This is simply magnificent, I never dreamed to have ever become in league with Vampires.”

“You do realise that you are now one of the outcasts of society officially, yes?” the Countess asked with an uncertain smile.

“There are many elements to look out for now, especially the members of the Church,” George added after Catherine.

“Oh, I know of the Church's ilk,” Claudia said with a hint of disgust in her voice. “And George, virtually, I was always an outcast of society before now. It does not bother me so much.”

“If I am not mistaken, you were but a maid of a Lord Duke. I would not have thought you were an outcast, but a person contributing to society,” George stated, not quite convinced.

“If you were to count caring for the Duke's well being as contributing to society, then I suppose that would suffice,” Claudia replied, rubbing her forehead.

“In a way it is,” George replied, “You were taking care of a politician who worked for the betterment of the society.”

“I guess that is a funny way of putting it, then.” Claudia chuckled.

“In what way is it funny?” George asked earnestly, confused.

“Oh, merely the fact that I took care of him, yet I truly did not care for society as a whole. I suppose my serving him was haphazard, if anything,” answered Claudia.

“That does not change anything. †˜Caring’ for society and contributing to it are different matters,” George responded. The man was logical and calculating. “You weren’t an outcast, you wanted to be treated as one, or believed otherwise.”

Claudia sighed. “Wanting to be treated like an outcast…” Claudia repeated, thinking deeply. “What a humorous thought, granted the things I hear about me. Anyone would think the same when they think you would have relations with your employer.”

“A private matter one may only think and gossip about? How does it count? Was there any proof?” George questioned. “Nay, they are but rumours and gossip. You worked under a man, served him, and were payed for it. You functioned as an ordinary member of society, and as a part of the working population. I simply do not see where you find the humour nor the notion that you were an outcast. Doubtless you’d never have had a job to begin with if you were an actual outcast. You’d be in the leagues with the urchins down the corners of the streets from the East End, perhaps.”

“Now, now, this debate will not get us anywhere, George. To be fair, I do not disagree with George… and George, have some delicacy, spare the poor thing. We are both aware of how she was mistreated,” the Countess finally said, raising both hands towards the two to put a stop to the argument.

Claudia sighed once more and scratched the side of her head with a finger. “Perhaps you're right. Maybe I'm encapsulated in my tendency to be hated by others that I grew used to it. Regardless of that notion, I have managed to make a few friends along the way.”

“Claudia, you are only an outcast when you are forcibly kicked out and shunned directly from society, not simply talked about,” Catherine finally spoke in regard to the subject, attempting to shed light on it. “Now, more importantly… it seems like your servant is a hybrid of a human and vampire. We are actually eager to learn whether it would sate your poor stomach or no. Doubtless you have noticed that your hunger does not arise from a lack of consumption of food, but rather a lack of consumption of blood.”

“When you are ready, Lady Claudia, I shall bring her in,” George added.

“Splendid, I would like to see her now. Perhaps that will sate my hunger for even a moment,” Claudia joked painstakingly.

George wordlessly nodded, acknowledging the words as a clear †˜yes’. He went away, while the Countess ushered that they should get back to the couches, before cleaning Claudia’s lips with a tissue. Claudia then waited impatiently – tapping the carpet repeatedly with her heel – before the door opened, and her head turned immediately.

“Uuuurrrrghh,” Mary yawned. Stretching her limbs wide, she retreated to her chair. “The Royal Academy can be rather tiring,” she said to Claudia who sat on Mary’s bed to listen to her apparent woes. “To think they’d hand me so much homework today. It must be nice to have no homework or classes like a certain someone here, huh… ” she finally said, eyeing Claudia with dismay.

“Now, now. I plan to return next week and start afresh,” she said, putting her hands up in defense. “You can complain to me then, if you want.”

“So, do you intend to go out again tonight?” Mary asked curiously. She knitted her brows. “I won’t let you off so easily next time if you return that late, you hear?” she said, sighing. “There’s an entire law for it right now, what if the Scotland Yard catches you? Not that you’d listen, anyway,” Mary continued with a hint of anger as she crossed her arms.

“Please,” Claudia stood up from the bed and delicately palmed Mary's cheek. “I’ll be fine, my dear. You should have more faith in your favourite former Dark Knight,” she said jubilantly, thinking highly of herself. “And about me leaving again tonight; well…” Claudia paused. “This will actually be my last night here, so I have to pack my things for when I leave,” she said carefully, not wanting to somehow hurt Mary's feelings or something.

Mary calmly removed Claudia’s hand by her wrist as she listened attentively, and soon gave a nod. “I don’t know about favourite, but it seems that you’ve decided rather quickly to go back to the Duke. Did something happen?”

“Nothing in particular,” Claudia answered casually. “Despite my personal feelings, I am still obligated to work for the man for the time being,” she answered with a shrug.

“I see. If you say so,” Mary replied, apparently being very understanding of the matter. “I guess I’ll try my hand at cooking something even more special, maybe for dinner instead of lunch unlike yesterday.”

Smiling, Claudia gave a tentative nod. “I would like that.”

Aramus arrived into the site of the funeral with his students, coming out of a rather fancy black car, the so-called †˜ride’ Akihiko prepared. There were a noticeable change in atmosphere as these particular students stepped onto the scene to attend the gloomy event. They weren’t even wearing black attire – aside from Aozora, but her clothes were still too elegant – to attend it, but they were here regardless.

“Hey, look, it’s that Linfield brat.”

“Tch, that son of the president of Juumonji is here… ”

“Ooh, the Duchess’ acclaimed daughter. She’s so pretty, isn’t she?”

Aramus heard all kinds of phrases and reactions to his students. It seemed like some noted him rightly as a Magic Magister too, but not in a good way, perhaps.

Elizabeth whispered to Aramus, “Are those two hated, or something?”

Aramus shrugged off the comments but favored her with a smile. “Hell if I know. I’m surprised that I’m not the one getting all the flak.” Nevertheless, he moved as if to block his students from the barbs.

“Your bad reputation is something I feel is a little exaggerated by yourself, teacher,” Elizabeth said teasingly as she moved on.

“From the girl who only gets praised, that’s a bit hard to believe,” Aramus replied, smirking as he looked for people he knew in the crowd who had gathered.

“Anyway,” Elizabeth said, trying to change the topic. “My mother is calling, so I shall depart for now,” she said, turning to the left, where the Duchess waved from.

“The Duchess, huh,” Akihiko thoughtlessly uttered, then turned away.

Aramus waved back cheerily, like he was the parent who was sending his child off instead. “Mmm. She and I have unfinished business.”

“Off you go then?” Akihiko said uncaringly.

“We’ll be fine here,” Aozora added, smiling, ready to see her teacher off already.

“What kind of teacher would I be if left both of you alone after asking you to come?”

“I don’t know, the worst kind?” Akihiko bluntly answered. “We’re just here to attend this, you don’t need to stick to us.”

Aramus snapped his fingers at Akihiko smartly. “Precisely. Honestly, I’d skip out on these if I could but… since this is your first time, just bear with it.”

Akihiko didn’t speak any more, nor did Aozora. The three silently prayed – or so Aramus hoped they all did – to the many coffins that passed by them in the solemn graveyard. After some time, Aramus was beckoned by the Duchess and Elizabeth to attend them.

“Mister Aramus, I feel that it is not appropriate for the occasion,” the Duchess begun, “however, it seems that there is someone who wishes to meet you.”

Pleasantly surprised, Aramus’ sparkling eyes motioned for her to go on even if he hadn’t said a word himself.

Contrary to Aramus’ cheery complexion, the Duchess was rather grave as she motioned her hand toward an elderly man.

“I would like to introduce you to the man on top of all the Japanese families leading against the futuristic government,” the Duchess said. “Mister Mikaido.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Mikaido said. His voice was heavy and undoubtedly that of an old man. He wore black funeral attire like any other Japanese would, but something felt off about him. There was an oppressive aura from this man that Aramus felt, and the people around him could likely feel it too.

Straightening his back, Aramus bowed in the traditional Japanese style from the hip. “The pleasure is mine, Mister Mikaido. I am honored that you chose to speak with me.”

“Nothing to be honored about,” the old man said with a rough chuckle, waving a hand dismissively. How he could laugh in an event such was this was beyond Aramus. “I simply wanted to thank you for helping my son out in the big fight.”

“Not at all,” Aramus said, a genuine smile on his face as he regarded the elder Mikaido. “Takeru senpai had helped me greatly when I had just arrived.” Though, he did find this old man a bit strange. Maybe that’s why Takeru was crushing a fruit. Perhaps it ran in the blood? Japanese were hard to understand.

“I see, so he is being a good senpai. That is great to hear,” Mikaido said, sounding proud. “I’ll ask for your frank opinion… what do you think of my son, as a mage?”

Aramus figuratively put on his thinking cap, a hand on his chin as an appraisal of Takeru started to take form. “Senpai ranks as one of the highest in terms of martial prowess that I’ve seen so far, that coupled with his ability to… fling spells around makes him a very troublesome person to deal with. However, I find that his speed is a tad sub par. Senpai will get the job done, so long as he lays his hands on it,” he finished, hoping to have sounded objective.

“Indeed. He is something like a walking killing machine,” Mikaido agreed, giving a deep nod, but his wording was much more plainer and dreader than that of Aramus’. “He hardly runs, or rather, he isn’t very good at that, but he hits hard. You are observant, I like you already.”

“Thank you,” the young Magister replied, scratching his cheek in a somewhat embarrassed manner. Yeah, he liked this old man as well. A bit more… loose on the tongue, but he reminded Aramus of his own mentor.

The old man approached Aramus in a non-caring, or rather, in a carefree mood despite the atmosphere, and put an arm around his head. “Say, why don’t you pop in at my place for some cups of sake or something. We can talk about all kinds of good thing. An old man would love to kill some time, somehow.”

As if his eyes weren’t sparkling before, they now turned towards the senior man with a look of admiration. Oh! To be offered food so casually, This one is not worthy! “I gladly accept.” Aramus replied happily, mind blocked out by the endless parade of Japanese sweets as they sped around like a roller coaster. He missed the sighs heaved by all the spectators of this conversation due to his excitement.

“Then that’s settled, come see me after you get back from England,” he said with a big smile, and soon whispered to Aramus. “Careful about England. I hear bad things about your old friend Claudia.” Mikaido then took his arm off Aramus, and turned away. “I hope you take that as me paying you back for all you did for my son in the fight. Till next time!”

“As eccentric as ever,” Elizabeth commented, but was soon pressed on by her mother.

Aramus continued smiling up till the point he was sure the elderly man or the mother and daughter pair wouldn’t see the frown that overtook his face. Claudia. A person he hadn’t heard about or from in a long time. “What has she done now…?” He murmured to himself, worrying.

“What did he mean by paying back, teacher?”

“Pay back with sake and good food, perhaps? Our Magister here loves food, right?” the Duchess asked, winking when Elizabeth wasn’t looking at her mother.

Aramus returned the wink when Elizabeth turned to look at her mother, nodding to himself as if a sage. “Indeed. I can already see the Japanese sweets… I mean our own cakes and scones are good but things like mochi and dango, they have a charm of their own.”

“I am interested in tasting Japanese cuisine some day, but unfortunately they must wait for now,” the Duchess said, in-line with Aramus in thoughts of food, but she seemed more patient than the man she was conversing with.

“Oh, please, mother! And teacher, remember to pack your bags, the flight is going to be soon tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, almost like a mother to her teacher. “Have you even considered in what state you will leave your little roommate in?”

Aramus chuckled, thinking of what Almond’s face would look like when he broke the news to the child. He would probably buy something for him from England. “I’ll leave him with his †˜mother’. They need to spend some quality together instead of him always being with †˜dad’.”

“W-Wait, teacher, you were married?! Or is this what they call †˜having an affair’ towards a woman?” Elizabeth whispered to Aramus, but in a completely dramatic tone; surprised.

“Who’d wanna marry me?” He laughed. “I merely see myself as Almond’s foster parent.” Aramus stated proudly, his goal achieved. That woman definitely had something coming for her though, just… something!

“Ah. So who is his mother then?” Elizabeth asked curiously.

“Why, the headmistress of course.” He said, matter of factly.

“She is?”

“Ah, so you plan to have her take care of that young child, smart move,” the Duchess remarked.

“Well, it was she who entrusted him to me in the first place.” Aramus nodded, obviously withholding information about the extra funds provided. “I’m only returning him for the time being. Besides, she loves to spoil him. I don’t have the means to do that.” He said with a sigh.

“That makes sense. I suppose there will be one less person to worry about in England. Knowing her, he’ll be safest around her,” the Duchess replied, agreeing with the decision.

“Well, if that’s best, then that’s that,” Elizabeth said, satisfied.

The next day, Aramus was on his way to class. A dreary expression on his face, he wasn’t sure how to face the class today, but at the same time he really wanted to, in order check up on the surviving students who came back. He wouldn’t have so much time to spare, since the funerals were to be taking place soon. Some of the students themselves would likely participate.

Moments later, he reached the class – he looked into it from past its window panel and sighed in relief that at least some students were inside – pulled the door open and entered. Almond stood in his usual old place, but quickly moved aside for him to take stand.

“Teacher, welcome back to the class,” he greeted. The boy was much faster than Aramus today, or was he just slow? He got ready and made it to class much earlier than him.

Aramus favoured him with a smile before placing his grimoire on the table. “It's good to be back. I see you've been holding the fort.” Almond had been diligent whilst he had been away, reading the books set aside for him.

“If it’s a day, it wouldn’t have so much of an issue to handle, teacher,” Almond said, sounding very much reassuring.

“Good, good.” Now that he was less timid, perhaps Almond could be trusted with a few more things. Aramus turned his attention to the class, the murmuring noticeably quieter and he glazed over the empty seats. Those, he knew, would remain that way.

“Good morning, class,” Aramus began, suddenly feeling very tired. “I hope my substitute has been doing well in my absence and I'm sorry to disappoint but this is not a permanent arrangement.

“I’m sure you know by now that not everyone will be coming back to class,” he continued solemnly, a bad taste in his mouth. “It is my failure as both your teacher and a Magister that they will not be returning.” Aramus proceeded to busy himself with preparing for the lesson, looking very pained as he did.

The lesson continued as usual, both teacher and student trying to maintain a sense of normalcy throughout the class. Almond sat to one side, quietly taking notes, fidgeting occasionally when it got too complicated and made him restless. Nothing much was covered that day, mostly revision in preparation for Aramus leaving for London and the subsequent homework that would be given out.

Soon enough, the bell rang and Aramus called for an end to the lesson. “Alright class, not much homework while I’m gone. An essay on Primary Forms and Techniques is all I’m giving you, pick one of each that is not your primary and write on the Realms and spells associated.” He could hear a groan from the students and gave them a smile, one filled with no small amount of sadistic joy.

“You must use at least two references, not from our textbooks. Have fun.” He waved as they began to pack up, the noise level rising again. “Oh yes, the three of you who lived, stay behind. The rest of you may go, Almond you too,” he said, shooing Almond out of the door, the young boy looking adorable clutching a tome too large for him.

Elizabeth came out from the rest of the students that were leaving.

Alongside his most prized student appeared a figure of a girl clad in black garments. It was frilly, and seemed to be of high quality – as expected of the futuristic Japan – her seemingly long and silky black hair gave the image of a Japanese yamato nadeshiko for a moment to Aramus, but her blue eyes sent a strange chill down his spine for reasons unknown. She was indeed a Japanese mage from a family that once drew quite a lot of attention. Her name was Linfield Aozora.

The last to come up was a young man with brown hair and eyes. He looked very disinterested, and somehow bored. Not just any level of boredom, but an almost eternal level of boredom towards perhaps almost anything. Juumonji Akihiko was his name, the son of the man who owned a conglomerate in Japan, miraculously born with the Gift despite the lineage not being famous for producing mages. He wore a gray suit and pants. The man was always known to go around places with bodyguards. However, he could be devoid of guards in this academy, as they were simply mundane people hired to protect him.

“So, what do you want from us?” Akihiko asked, slightly irritated somehow.

“He is our teacher, you know, be a little more respectful please,” Elizabeth quipped, a slight frown showing on her face.

“Oh, please, respectful? To this guy?”

“Now, now,” Aozora said, coming in-between the two. “Calm down you two.”

The man in question looked at Akihiko with a quizzical look, raising an eyebrow at the dig. Deciding that answering would be a waste of his breath, Aramus chose to focus on the girls instead. “We’re going to pay our respects.”

“To whom?” Aozora asked.

“Let me guess, the funerals?” Akihiko questioned.

Aramus sighed, giving them a look that said “Do you even need to ask?”.

“Of course, who else would we go to?” Elizabeth said, voicing the obvious.

“Oh, I thought we weren’t supposed to go since the other student participants of the operation are… more or less acting as though they had nothing to do with the ordeal now,” Aozora said, shrugging.

Akihiko sighed, as if giving up. “Whatever. It’s a pain though, these funerals are in the city so it’ll take some time to get there. Heck, we might even be too late.”

“Then we have better leave now. After that, sensei will treat you to some donuts,” Aramus quipped, trying to liven the mood somewhat. “The three of you who survived should at least pay respects to those who have fallen.” Though, the rest of them should have been a little bit wiser against a Time Warrior, Aramus thought to himself.

“Fine, let’s have it your way. I might as well have my guards call for a ride,” Akihiko said, stepping out of the classroom. Aozora gave her shoulders a jerk again before eyeing the two and walking out.

“These two are a little too relaxed…” Elizabeth commented before following the two.

Palming his face, Aramus nodded. If she knew that his mind was on donuts, no doubt she would have chided him as well.

“Well…” the Duchess begun, ignoring the moment she found Aramus patting her daughter, Elizabeth. “Tomorrow, you’re going to be attending two funerals. You should drop some words for your class, but most of the time should be devoted to these events. The flight is day after tomorrow. What do you plan to do?”

“I will attend, there isn’t much for me to take care of but I would like to check on the welfare of the remaining students,” Aramus said, flexing his hand and clenching it into a fist. One more scar for his collection. “Is there anything you had in mind, Duchess?”

Caroline sighed. “Mathilde, Elizabeth…” she uttered, speaking no more words. The two gave a nod. Elizabeth got up, giving one last smile before turning and leaving alongside Mathilde.

The Duchess then sat down beside Aramus.

“I see that you got beaten up pretty badly by her,” she started, making a light smile. “I hope you don’t hate her for it so much.”

“I don’t, not too much.” The air was suddenly stifling and Aramus could feel as though a stillness had fallen across the infirmary. “I’m surprised that I’m even alive after that thrashing.”

“Who knows, perhaps she took pity,” the Duchess said, tossing a thought out. “Or maybe you’re just a little too sturdy for a young child’s fists.”

“I’m just glad that it’s over… for now. Wish I could say the same for those kids.” The feeling of helplessness washed over him and yet again, Aramus became crestfallen.

“Well, you’re just gonna have to live their share of life, then,” the Duchess stated. “As their teacher.”

“She said we’d meet again.”

“Likely, if she plans to join Japan as their second Descendant, I can imagine her joining the war,” the Duchess said. It was her worst fear, and likely that of the Queen of England too, for which they agreed with the idea to exterminate said Descendant of Time as soon as possible. “One of the reasons we tried so hard to be rid of her is because she may greatly tip the balance in time.”

“We’re having another war so soon?” Aramus gawked, feeling ever so miniscule now that they were talking about the Descendants. “We’ve got our own as well!? I feel a headache coming on.”

“We do not?” the Duchess said, confused. As far as she knew, Europe had sheer numbers to rival the technology and the Descendent of Time, not a Descendent of their own. “But yes, the war never ended, it was only in a stalemate ever since God threw us out of his Realm. There was a large attack being planned, and that was the reason behind the team of spies being sent in the first place,” she said, glancing over to the man who slept soundly now.

“Hopefully one or two of them would take our side then eh? Would let me sleep better at night knowing that all powerful celestial beings are our allies as well.” Aramus huffed, suddenly feeling very vexed.

“We’d only end up fighting ourselves if that happens,” the Duchess stated, frowning. She couldn’t take it as a joke at all. “Doubtless the Queen would set you out on the field. The balance was made with the large and combined forces of the Europeans when they allied to face Japan. Japan balanced it out with technology and the Descendant… now they have another Descendant.”

“I believe in the saying †˜the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. I’m sure it’s cliched but whatever helps us win the war would be much appreciated,” he added, thoughtful. “I’m sure some of the Descendents would have a bone to pick with the others due to the fact they’ve been around for so long.”

The Duchess shrugged, a wry smile showing on her face. “Who knows? If they are, I’d appreciate them being discreet. There are too many hot-headed people around preaching the prophecy of the old prophet.”

“It’s dangerous of me to do so but I can’t say I’m one hundred percent behind that.” Aramus at least made the effort to look sheepish, rubbing his cheek with the scarred hand. “I’m sure there’s more to it that we don’t know, Artemis said something about being misled.”

“Artemis…?! She has told you her name, hasn’t she?” the Duchess inquired; her expression clearly expressing surprise, but her words made it seem as though she knew.

Aramus shot Caroline a wry smile as he absently scratched at his bandages. “She didn’t like it when I called her spirit, so we exchanged pleasantries. Besides, how is a mage to have a proper duel without knowing your opponent’s name?”

“It was hard enough for me to engage in conversation with her,” the Duchess said, reminiscing a memory from many years ago. “She wouldn’t even speak a word, much less exchange pleasantries back then. After I formally declared my intent on having a fair duel, she finally spoke to me for the first time.”

“Maybe because I wasn’t in it for the glory? I don’t know, she seemed rather different from the way you described her,” Aramus said, trying to remember what Artemis had said to him. It was hard when all he could bring up was getting smashed by her. “She’s a good sport as well,” he added, remembering his last request to her.

“She is good at heart,” the Duchess stated, very clear on her words and belief. “She is also honourable, and has a noble mind. However, she is very afraid to open up to people. I spoke before I clashed with her, but perhaps you did after exchanging blows. Maybe she sensed a person she could open up to. Whatever the case; colour me surprised. That name rings quite a lot of curiosities in me, even now.”

“Did she ever talk to you about how much she disliked, uh, physical attraction? Said it only causes her trouble, like in the case of her first host.” Aramus reckoned some people were like that, loosening up in the midst of battle.

“I had a case of complacency instead, as far as I understood. She admired beauty and purity, and the so-called †˜radiance’ as she put it, but lamented the dangers they attracted. I was told of not her first host… but a different one. What did she state of her first host to you?”

“Atalanta,” Aramus said, licking his parched lips. "I'm sure you've heard. The same thing befell her as well, apparently."

“That is a very well-known name, to think she was a Descendant, mn?” the Duchess said, thinking deeply on the matter as she placed a hand under her chin. “The name I was told was Tomoe Gozen.”

“Just as famous then,” Aramus replied, brow furrowed in thought. “For all she spoke about beauty, she had no qualms smashing my face in.”

“She has no issues with bringing pain to either †˜pranksters’ and men, apparently.”

Aramus rubbed the spot on his face where she had struck him, grumbling about sexism.

“Was there anything else she mentioned you find mysterious?”

“She mentioned Odin.” Aramus said, preferring not to divulge the rest of their short conversation on this subject.

“And that is another old name…” Duchess said, “and one that is rather famous.”

“What have I gotten myself into?” Aramus lamented, shaking his head.

“Nothing you should stick your head into if you don’t prefer to. Remember that no one is forcing you, Mister Valmark.”

“My duty to the Queen comes first and foremost in this regard, I am far too indebted to her to refuse,” he added, feeling a sense of pride within him.

“Is that so, now? I feel that there was not too many loyalty. People are more so ever shrewd and lust for glory more than anything else. I hear ominous rumours of revolution at the corners of the streets.”

“I have no qualms bloodying my hands so that she has no need,” Aramus declared, mouth set in a grim line. "All she declares as foes, I shall strike down."

“Admirable loyalty,” the Duchess praised without any delay. “By the by, are you not more intimate with my daughter than I was assured as of late, or am I under a misconception?” she asked. The Duchess was a lioness in Aramus’ eyes, while at the same time she thought that she was being yet another worried mother as she narrowed down her eyes at her daughter’s teacher.

Flinching under her gaze, Aramus felt his mouth go dry as he thought of a way to explain himself. Maybe, getting killed by Artemis wouldn't have been so bad.

“She's closer to me than the other students, that's for sure... how it ended up that way, I myself am not too sure. Nonetheless, I am still her teacher. I would not do anything untoward, especially with Elizabeth."

“I see, and you claim that patting her and going to her room – where Lord knows what takes place in there – aren’t anything untoward her?” a dangerously inquisitive gaze continued to loom over Aramus.

He seemed to shrink in turn, his natural instincts screaming to preserve himself. “I used to do this at the orphanage I came from, where I was one of the older ones. I didn’t do anything bad then, and neither have I now,” Aramus maintained, resisting the urge to cover his head.

“I respect you as a fellow Magister. However, I find that touching her is a little different outside any lessons,” the Duchess plainly stated her stance on the matter, scoffing.

It wasn’t pleasant for Aramus to hear from her. He nodded rapidly, a quick, “Okay.” leaving his lips. “I’ll keep away from all physical contact.”

“Good to hear.” Caroline gave a nod, apparently putting the matter away. “We shall leave it at that then. Get your rest, you’re going to need it for tomorrow.” The Duchess soon rose from the seat and made way for the exit.

Aramus gave her a forced smile as she left, letting loose a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. “I suppose I should get out of bed as well.”

Aramus opened his eyes. A glimmer of fluorescent light impeded his hazy vision, making it hard to look. Moments passed as he took in the same environment he found himself in hours ago. From a quick glance at the window, he noted that the curtains of the night had already fallen. Mathilde was no longer to the right. To the left, Elizabeth was not around, either. He found the same leader of the disbanded Team A sleeping peacefully. A peace he did not deserve. Takeru was gone from the bed. Was he released today?

Elizabeth soon entered his sight as she carried a box. A bentō box, he recognised. She placed it over the desk Mathilde was previously in, and looked to Aramus, finding him awake.

“Ah, teacher, you’ve woken up. How do you feel now?” she asked, her tone somehow sounding the same as usual.

“Horrible. I feel like I got wrecked. Not too far from the truth, huh?” said Aramus in a matter of factly tone. Those few hours had helped him greatly yet his sleep had been anything but peaceful.

“I feel like I was being very selfish when I asked for a chance to participate in battle,” Elizabeth began. “I’m sorry, teacher, I must’ve made you very worried.” She pulled those words out from the heart with deep regret, knowing that she added a weight of pressure to her teacher made her feel regretful indeed. If her teacher was knocked out so bad, what change could she bring? She’d only make it all the more painful for her mother.

Aramus stared at something only he seemed to see, sighing as he closed his eyes. “We were all young and foolish once. I am glad to see you are alright,” he admitted, tilting his head to look at both the enticing bentō and Elizabeth.

“I am… glad to… see that you are alive, teacher,” Elizabeth replied with similar words, but her voice shook like never before, and it caused her to speak slower. It was because she was crying mid-way into her sentence. “I am… so glad… that you are alive. I was… so afraid… ”

Caught off guard by her tears, a flustered Aramus looked around the infirmary in a panic. When he saw that no one but that dreadful failure of a leader was around, he motioned for Elizabeth to come closer. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I came pretty close to it though, Sagittarius was no slouch.”

Elizabeth, however, remained where she was. Perhaps she didn’t want to get the caressing treatment. Regardless of what her true stance was, she continued to cry – as silently as she could – but at one point rubbed the tears away.

“How strong was she, from your perspective?”

Seeing that she wouldn’t be coming any closer, Aramus shifted such that his hand could reach its familiar spot at the top of her head. “My body is still torn and there are scars all over my body from her arrows. When she hit me, all I remember was flying past buildings, then pain. Lots of it,” he said, rubbing her head. It was almost a security blanket for him now, the action calming him.

“I see,” she responded, feeling a little calmer now that Aramus, her beloved teacher, was rubbing her head. Strange, how could it feel so comforting despite it only being done for the first time recently? She knew not the answer. “She was strong… enough to kill our classmates singlehandedly. I had never even thought that power could be wielded so freely with ease before.”

“I’ve never seen it first hand but you hear stories as a Magister.” He looked to his left hand, the scarred and discolored flesh a stark reminder of Sagittarius's power, and his failure. “It probably doesn’t even take more than one arrow to end a life. My wounds are grazes.” This didn’t stop Aramus from rubbing Elizabeth’s head, however.

“Inversely, it takes more than an arrow to kill a Magister, yes?” Elizabeth said, sounding hopeful. “One day, I will rise to the ranks of Magisters and face her. I won’t let students stand with me, either.”

“Judging from Mikaido sensei, yes,” Aramus added with a good natured snort. “I do not think it wise to go around challenging Time Warriors, Elizabeth.”

“Would you not want revenge for all your fallen students, teacher?” Elizabeth asked, curious regarding Aramus’ stance on the matter.

“The cycle would never end if I did but I’ll admit there’s a part of me that wants to. That girl, she couldn’t have been older than you. Do you think she had a say in this matter as host to one such as Sagittarius?” her teacher replied, various emotions creeping into his voice. “Their lives, the blood is on my hands. I couldn’t keep them out of danger, no thanks to him.” He frowned over her shoulder, wanting very much to disturb that man’s rest again.

“I see… that girl host to Saggitarius must be very confused about all this while fighting. Although she sounded much more composed to me,” Elizabeth said, sounding puzzled.

“I will see to it that he is carted away to the Magic Court,” interrupted a different voice. A woman with similar facial features and blonde hair like Elizabeth walked in – it was the Duchess, Caroline. “I was told to respect his wishes and thus I hadn’t intervene as the operation took shape. However, little did we know that he’d cause such tragedies.”

Mathilde entered and stood beside the Duchess. “I see that your complexion has… worsened? You seem better physically. I guess the spell is working fine, at least.”

Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Aramus froze and choking sounds could be heard from his throat, pulling his hand away from Elizabeth’s head as the Duchess neared. He looked at her, apologetic, answering with whatever dregs of confidence he had left. “Ah, Duchess, good to see you.” He looked at Mathilde, a look that said †˜help me’ written all over his face.

“Ahem, so Aramus sensei,” Mathilde begun, taking in the call for help. She’d likely extract the payment from him for that soon. This was a brilliant opportunity and Aramus knew that it’d cost him something. She was very glad to have accompanied the Duchess to this room. “So about those marks on your arm… what do you wanna do about them? Maybe you want some cool tattoos at long last?”

Aramus looked at said left hand, taking in its appearance before going back to Mathilde. “Leave it. It’s not too much of an eyesore. On the contrary, this will be a good reminder.” A reminder of what, he neglected to say.

“So you want a cool tattoo after all!” Mathilde concluded. “Alright, let’s get this over this, then.” She then placed her hand on the magic circle under the bed after crouching down, and gathered mana. Soon, a green glow emanated from under the bed as the circle shined, restoring Aramus’ wounds as painful moments passed, save for the damaged tissues of his arm. Aramus felt stinging pain all the way through the ritualistic spell and groaned.

“You should be good as new now,” Mathilde proudly proclaimed.

As Aramus’ vision came back to him, he heard a beeping noise, and found a gray ceiling. The scent of medicine and herbs coursed through his nostrils, making him realise that he was in the infirmary. He sniffed once, the various scents in the air making him crinkle his nose. He could hardly move his body, the injuries having taken a toll on him. When he painstakingly turned to the left, there she was, his beloved student, Elizabeth, sleeping on the chair with the most adorable-looking face ever. She slumped all the way down to him, for which Aramus found Elizabeth’s head and arms both cradling his left arm. To the right was Mathilde, apparently going through some documents on a desk.

It hurt to move; Aramus was surprised that he had lived through the beating from Artemis, who spared his life. Turning to Mathilde, a pained moan was all he managed out of an attempt to speak.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Mathilde said, turning to him with a look of surprise. “How do you feel right now? You’ve been out for three whole days.”

Three days? Aramus was surprised that he was even in one piece. “I need a pay raise,” he croaked, trying to rise without waking Elizabeth. “What'd I miss?”

“Some classes, and a lot of boring stuff,” she casually answered. Mathilde was indeed frank when she spoke these words. “You might wake her up if you move, you know,” she added with a snicker. “Aren’t you a lucky teacher? She’s been taking care of you this whole time.”

Aramus eased back into his bed, somewhat enjoying Elizabeth's show of concern. "The silver lining of this entire fiasco," he answered. "What of the rest?"

“As you can see…” Mathilde turned to the left as Aramus did himself. The man who lay on the bed beside him was the leader of Team A, chained with bandages much more than himself. Beside that man was Takeru who was still unconscious. “They took some real beating aside from you, it seems.”

Aramus pulled a spare pillow from his bed and with monumental effort, threw it at the bandaged leader. He made sure not to rock around too much; Elizabeth's sleeping face was much too adorable.

The man’s sleep was interrupted with the pillow hitting his face before falling off. “What was that for!” he quipped, looking around, he wasn’t sure who even threw that on him.

“Oh, what the heck are you doing?” Mathilde whispered to Aramus.

Aramus feigned sleep, whispering back to Mathilde. “You're looking at the cause of our students deaths.” He hissed, “If I wasn't like this, there'd be more to come.”

“Well… it is true, but… I’m surprised Elizabeth here kept her cool despite seeing her classmates fall before her.”

Aramus stroked his student’s hair tenderly, a look of relief on his face. “I as well. She is strong, much like her mother.”

“Indeed, and diligent too; she went to class without having me to push her out.”

He smiled again, but his thoughts strayed to the other students who were in the fight. “And how are the other students faring? How many made it?”

“Only few from Team A made it through. Very few. Some of the members of Team C met their end, and a few from Team B were injured,” answered Mathilde. “The Spirit Seer claimed that she ordered attacks based on whatever her leader commanded. She has been rather regretful about it.”

“Hindsight is twenty-twenty or so they say.” Aramus sighed, looking much older than his twenty six years of age. “I shall request for her to remain in this school if possible, community service per se.”

“I am in doubt of that. The Duchess was enraged when she returned here, and has proclaimed that she will see to it that they visit the magic court in London.” Mathilde shrugged. “You’re lucky you didn’t have to see the Duchess like that.”

Aramus breathed out, chest hurting more than it should. “If that is what she decides. I think the Duchess would not appreciate her daughter in this position as well.” He resisted the urge to laugh, knowing it would wake Elizabeth and bring more pain.

“She tried to stop her but eventually gave up… ahaha… I think she took notice of your special relation with her, eh, teacher?” she said teasingly, giggling; pronouncing the last word exactly as Elizabeth would.

Aramus flushed beneath his bandages, not looking Mathilde in the eye. "T-that's different and you know it. She's my favourite student, after all." The reply sounded weak, even to him.

“Ooh? Favorite student you say? Are you sure it’s not beyond that?”

Aramus shook his head, the joints in his neck screaming in protest. "No. She is much more diligent than others, as a result people get the wrong idea."

“What diligent lady takes care of you for days? I would seldom pay visits if I were her, and study instead,” Mathilde said. “If you keep making excuses, you’ll never get a lover,” she added, the teasing smile growing ever bigger.

Aramus leaned in closer to Mathilde, so that only both of them could hear. “It’s not like I don’t want to, but I’m her teacher. I can’t just go around dating my students! And you, wouldn’t you be better off with a vintage?” He laughed lightly, coughing in the process.

“If you can’t go past her barriers, neither will she, and you’ll eventually become a loner,” Mathilde said with a grin. “The vintage is… well… put away for now. I don’t want to break something while I’m drunk here.”

“You’re drunk now?” Aramus remarked, moving away from Mathilde with wide eyes.

“I’m not!” she denied, making Elizabeth move slightly in her sleep. A trail of sweat formed to the side of her head as she laughed lightly to herself in shame.

Aramus gave Mathilde a withering look, unsure of whether to believe her or not, but let the matter pass. “Well, what does the doctor have to say about how long I’m stuck here?” he added, voice hushed.

“Probably another day,” Mathilde answered. “Besides, your flight is in two days, you’re gonna have to give your class a bunch of homework if you ask me. Gotta torture them, because, you know, that’s our job as teachers. Okay, maybe I said it in a wrong way a little… ”

Aramus turned crestfallen as she said that, thinking of how many students’ lives were lost in the battle. Something that could have wholly been avoided if not for that man. “I’ll check out of here tomorrow. For now I’ll enjoy my peace and quiet.”

“This is going to sound painful, but someone has to tell you… seven students from your class were reported dead,” Mathilde mentioned, going over to her desk to fetch for a piece of paper. Her voice was solemn and she was not speaking in jest. “This list here contains their names. Some of their bodies couldn’t be retrieved because of the Japanese forces that appeared at the end of the battle.”

Voice caught in his throat, Aramus closed his eyes and nodded. This was his failure as their teacher. Their blood was on his hands. “How many survived?” he queried, voice quaking with repressed anger.

“Well, considering how ten were invited from your class, and seven gone… three students are the survivors,” she answered. “I think they believed that your class would house strong students as you were a Magic Magister chosen for particularly high combat capabilities. Other classes didn’t get so many student invites. Like around… two? Three? But it all accumulated into a large group of students at the end anyway.” This was very true in the sense that people would assume the way Mathilde did. People in England – perhaps even the Queen or the leader of Team A – would believe that Aramus’ class would be full of battle-hardened students, while in reality, he was disliked due to social stigma and the like, and could hardly win over a student or two. Elizabeth was one of the few to admire Aramus in the entire world.

Aramus buried his face in his free hand, dragging it down in exasperation. “Thought… Mathilde, thought. What of the Time Warrior? I assume the Duchess took her down after my fall?”

Mathilde shook her head. “Japan’s Descendant intervened. The Duchess immediately called for retreat. She defeated our target, she was so close…”

Barely holding it in, Aramus gnashed his teeth as his voice threatened to come out. He clutched the sheets of his bed with white knuckles, features contorted in rage. “Then it was all for nothing.”

“It has always been all or nothing. That is how our struggles with them are,” she stated before heaving a sigh.

Aramus turned away from Mathilde as he leaned back on his bed, feeling even worse than when he was utterly broken by Artemis. “The few for the many,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “Thank you, Mathilde. I think I’ll go back to sleep for now, at least my company is pleasant this time.” Stroking Elizabeth’s golden locks, he closed his eyes and hoped for sweet dreams.

“I have to say, she is as impressive as ever,” Hynek thoughtlessly spoke to no one in particular. Far ahead of him was a former battlefield where the battle had concluded some time ago. “I want her. So bad,” he finally uttered, as if reconfirming. Caroline was a woman of a very high calibre, even from his experiences and knowledge exceeding that of a millennia. It wouldn’t be a surprise to him if he couldn’t ensnare her in his charm throughout her lifetime. Nay, such a thought was taboo for a man who had always gained whatever he wished for.

Hynek knew that he was going to one day take her to his bed. He just had to keep his cool and patience before playing the cards right. Ever since he took on the name of Thomas in England as an alias to make his way into the world of magi existing there to expand his Organization – with English women, obviously – he had his eyes set on this particular Duchess. In fact, one of the Duchesses of England was his wife, but his greed didn’t stop him from having lewd thoughts about this Duchess. Every bit of reasoning from logic in his mind stopped the moment he came across her extravagance and refined-nature that was mixed with an element of a battle-hungry lioness somewhere deep in her.

The king did not forget about Natsu, whom he met recently across the streets and approached casually. It was a daring move even for him, but it had its merits and it worked out better than he could imagine. Here he confirmed that Natsu was a Descendant of Time in flesh – dismissing his second thoughts from earlier of the possibility that the Japanese were showing false images in their television – and that she had very unique powers. However, Hynek immediately noticed that she was clearly new, and that she needed all the help she’d need in learning to use her powers. He assumed that her spirit was lending a hand somehow, but was unsure of the mechanism of such a technique. He had only heard tidbits of what Sagittarius could do, and had mostly heard about arrows, and incredible speed. He, unfortunately, did not get the opportunity to observe the latter in action, as he was too late.

Regardless, Hynek was glad that the worst hadn’t come to pass. It truly took the stress off his mind, and he could only think of how to find an opportunity to help Natsu out, and plot about winning over the Duchess’ heart… of which the prospects were grim considering he was getting more and more allied with Japan for the sake of his own Organizations, and all the women from there he had the responsibility of taking care of.

“If there is a will, there is a way,” he finally said to himself. If it wasn’t him, who else would pull it off? One day, Hynek would find his ticket to her heart. When the time would come, he’d be ready to take action. For now, he had other businesses to attend to. Having witnessed the battle coming to a conclusion, it was time to go. He was glad that Alice had intervened when she did, for Natsu would have met her demise there and then. In fact, Hynek was about to leap off the structure there and then to come and save her like the hero he always thought he was, but his moment was completely ruined when Alice stepped in at the nick of time.

This trip was literally full of disappointment, one after the other, but it also brought about relief, in more ways than one. What’s done was done, and now it was time to go home. He’d have to find Felix and sneak away from the area. There were many mages from Europe hiding, so it was already risky for him to observe in the way he had. He was lucky to have not been seen, at least he believed that he wasn’t seen.

“...Mast… er… Ta… mas!”

“Master Tamas!”

A voice called out to him, a very familiar voice. His ears could barely pick up sounds and noises, except the call of a beloved.

Upon the parting of his eyelids, there he was, finding Felix before him with a look as if the sky was about to shatter and fall apart as the Day of Judgement would soon begin. It was beyond grave and worried as she looked down at her king. It was cold, and he felt wet, especially his back. Indeed his clothes were wet. It seemed like he was placed in a room inside an abandoned house. The bed didn’t do well to comfort him, not when his body felt sore all over the place.

Clapping his right hand to his face, he tried to soothe the headache that was pulsing in his head. Even though Felix was concerned, her calling out did nothing to reduce the pain.

“Are you… ok, Felix?” asked Hynek as he slowly sat up. His clothes stuck to his skin to the point that it was uncomfortable. “Where are we?”

“An abandoned house. It seems like most of the residents here close to the battlefield evacuated,” Felix answered. “I am fine, but you do not look so well. On another note, I believe the battle entered its final stage some time ago.”

“That is just our luck isn’t it?” said Hynek. He took another look at the sky and then down at his arm, seeing his weapon still ready. He stumbled to his feet before he looked back to Felix. “Is the battle nearby?”

“Yes,” Felix answered plainly, “but I got us some distance – just in case – to be safe from the dangers. The Time Warrior seems rather serious, much more than before. I don’t know what she did, but I cannot use magic a single bit,” she explained.

“Then you are staying here. I underestimated her once before. I’m not sure I can fight, and keep you safe at the same time. Try and get in contact with any of the girls in the area, and coordinate an evacuation for anyone left behind,” ordered Hynek.

“What if you’re unable to use your powers either, Master Tamas?” Felix said worriedly. “You mustn't go alone.”

“I’m never alone, you know that,” answered Hynek referring to his spirits. “I will come back to you Felix. I swear it.”

“If you say so… please do not do anything reckless, and stay safe, Master,” Felix said, walking up to the veranda. “I shall carry out your orders now. However, I doubt there are any members around here. I will make sure to check regardless.” Considering there was no way to contact anyone, either, she felt that this would be a hard mission. The network was seldom weak with the ongoing storm – that now somewhat begun to weaken – and she wasn’t sure if anyone would even listen to her. Moreover, it seemed like most people had evacuated on their own already.

“Am I ever reckless?” answered Hynek with a smirk as he walked out the door. He was sure that she was giving him an incredulous look as he left, but he had to act confident or it would just worry her more.

“Good luck.” Felix sighed and jumped off, taking leave of the house for her work.

Focusing on the battle that was near it final stages, he looked down at his body. Something was different, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. As the battle raged on, he knew that he had little time to act. Whatever it was would have to wait. Running off with his sword in hand he made his way to the battle.

Natsu witnessed the closure of Sagittarius’ vision – the oval mirror showing the world – and her consciousness was soon to be taken away from the spiritual realm. Momentarily, she found Sagittarius appear beside her. She was bloodstained; full of scratches, wounds and marks, and most of all: tired. She now had her own face, and her own body in this realm, instead of Natsu’s body unlike earlier. Her consciousness was not taken away just yet. Strange. Perhaps she wanted to exchange some words with her new acquaintance?

The environment was a field of grass as far as Natsu could see from the moment she was sent to this realm. There were few trees and patches and blooming white lilies across the land. The breeze was comforting and the waving lush green grass gave away a soothing music to the ears. A beautiful and comforting place, in short.

Natsu, herself, however was speechless in regards to everything that took place as she locked into this dimension. She had once again stared death in the face and somehow survived, her savior this time being Alice. Even last time, Alice had retrieved her and sent her away to the hospital. Besides that, the fight was devastating, both physically, as evidenced by the wreckage and the state Sagittarius was in, but also emotionally for Natsu. That man Sagittarius was fighting, Aramus, seemed so honorable, despite the orders he was given. All those younger mages, too, dying for the chance of glory despite how frightened they were. And, finally, their leader, the woman who could stop time that the guard had warned Natsu about. She seemed almost unwilling to kill Natsu.

The physical damage Natsu suffered was even greater this time. Her entire arm had been severed. Even if she was able to recover from the previous attack, this was definitely more gruesome and more terrifying.

“Who…” Natsu started, wanting to select her words carefully, despite her shaking voice, and the fear from the fact that she lost an entire arm. “Who were those people? They didn’t seem like the ones who attacked me before…” Aramus, for example, was a teacher, and some of the younger mages were his students. Despite their reservations, they tried to carry out orders given by their †˜queen’. What kind of loyalty would drive these people to carry out such a mission?

“Sparse time they likely had to form a squadron, I’d reckon,” Sagittarius answered blatantly. Now leaning against a tree, her voice sounding ragged. She was surprised that Natsu cared more about her pursuers than the dire situation of her own body. “The previous batch of assassins were but spies and scouts, likely. Stronger and superior magi a more appropriate fit for the task were sent this time, I believe,” she interjected.

“So, are they from some kind of magic academy? That man, Aramus-san, was it? He said he was a teacher, and that those younger mages were his students…”

“Indeed.” Sagittarius sighed. “Institutions meant to provide education of magecraft were formed for those affiliated with the Magic World. Anyone may enter, so long as they hold a reason to study magic. Has the academia of magecraft attained your interest?”

“Not after they attacked me…” Natsu replied in melancholy. “What kind of person would order people my age to kill someone…?” She again thought of Aramus, and his unwavering loyalty to his †˜queen.’

“I know not,” Sagittarius answered, looking down.

Then, something crossed Natsu’s mind. Her assailants were speaking English. And, if they were serving under a Queen… “Were those magicians from England…?” She wondered why they came all the way from England to carry out this mission, especially with the casualties they suffered.

“With how they spoke their language, was it obvious not?” the spirit asked, feeling somewhat baffled.

“Well, yeah, but… What were they doing here? Clearly, they had their mission to…” Natsu didn’t want to complete that sentence, but it was beside the point. “But, isn’t it inconvenient to send them all the way here for a mission that could turn out… unsuccessful?”

“To be rid of us of this world – from their perspective – is their duty. To safer regions had I traveled to find a maiden noting such a fact… however, my efforts were for naught.”

“But, why? What have the Time Warriors done that makes them want to eliminate us…?” Natsu couldn’t comprehend it. “You have a noble goal, Sagittarius-sama. Restoring the forests would be great for the environment!” Natsu added to reinforce her thought. “Is the Queen of England perhaps… the False Prophet you mentioned…?”

“Noble souls or… those of depthless darkness had the Descendants of Time carried for countless centuries now. It falls to me as no surprise that they would want them gone,” Sagittarius answered, “Whether men and women choose to respect you is a matter of course and action, my dear virgin,” she added, a weak smile appearing on her face. “False Prophet… that Queen? I doubt not the Saint of Summer’s actions. She lives with her own circumstances. I wonder what form of chains torment her so to this day.”

“Huh?” The way Sagittarius phrased that confused Natsu. “I guess not, then?” To her, it sounded like there was another reason for it, instead.

Other questions came to mind for Natsu. Over the course of the fight, she learned Sagittarius’s real name. “So, you were Artemis this whole time? Why didn’t you introduce yourself as that?”

Sagittarius averted her eyes from Natsu as she answered: “That is a name not known to many, this is a name known to most. You’d have ease for explanation to a fellow comrade, if ever the need arises.”

“I think I’ve heard that name before, though… maybe in one of my classes…” Natsu paused for a moment to remember exactly what that name corresponded with. “So… you’re a Greek Goddess? The Goddess of the Hunt?” Natsu was in awe again. She was literally in the presence of a Goddess. However, it was a strange experience. Sagittarius, or rather, Artemis, had actually become wounded in this fight. It was something Natsu didn’t think could be possible.

“Yes, it is a name that once carried great weight,” Sagittarius stated, reminiscing again. “Now it is but a relic of the past.”

“Should I continue calling you †˜Sagittarius-sama,’ then?” Natsu wanted to know if perhaps Sagittarius would prefer her old name, and all the glory it could entail. But at the same time, she keeps mentioning that it was †˜a thing of the past,’ and carried too much weight.

“Do as you please. In regards to preferences, Sagittarius, as it is a well-known alias in this era,” Sagittarius answered. “It could help for keeping knowledge vague with intention.”

“Alright, †˜Sagittarius-sama,’ it is, then,” Natsu confirmed.

There was another thing Natsu had learned over the course of that fight: Sagittarius’s old host. “Ata...Atalantia? Atlanta? Atalanta?” Natsu mumbled, trying to sound out the name correctly. “I have heard that name in relation to yours… Artemis, I mean. But I don’t really know much anything about that person beyond that…”

“Have you established interest in her?” Sagittarius asked, a faint smile floating into her face. “Children I seldom possessed had always a part to keep in history. The oldest of them now owns a place in mythology, instead of history. Humans are, after all, prone to forget. Thus they fancy themselves legends and stories of those who dwelled centuries ago.”

“I guess, I don’t really know much about her…” Natsu cracked a small smile, too, seeing Sagittarius do so. It was the first she’d really seen it. Other times, she was too flustered to notice; now, she could speak with Sagittarius with a more clear mind. “What legend will I create…? I’m an idol, I suppose, but they come and go with time…” Natsu wondered.

“She was a wild child, and naivete was one of her few virtues, however ironic it may sound,” Sagittarius spoke, looking into a distant past for a moment once again. “I’d think you may leave a story to tell in the Magic World. You may venture into the oath of archery if you so wish. I would recommend you to practice archery if you wish to gain mastery of my most basic ability.”

“Archery… I think we have an archery club at school. I can go there and see if they’ll teach me…” Natsu considered what options she had to try to learn this skill. While club activities in general had already started, some were willing to accept late applicants.

“Offered †˜training’ have the rulers of your country. Perhaps they may introduce you to an archery of your era?” Sagittarius spoke the results of her musings, unsure herself. She did remember the archery club from her school from her observations from within Natsu, but she doubted their skills. The type of skill she believed worthy of providing ease for handling her powers seemed to be referred to something akin to a legendary level by people nowadays. Or perhaps, an olympic level of skill.

“That’s true, too…” Natsu had nearly forgotten about that, as well. “I wonder who there would teach me… I would’ve thought these government guards would be more trained in using guns or something.” From there, she thought about who within that government institute who could be the most help. ”Maybe Alice-san can teach me…?”

“Doubtless she specializes in fields not of archery. Considering her position and the nature of the power she may possess… a combat of a differing field is practiced by her, I feel,” Sagittarius said, voicing her conjecture. She was already seen wielding a blade as she stopped the Duchess from slaying her. This alone proved to Sagittarius that Alice was no master of archery, but instead possessed a mastery of swordsmanship.

“Oh, is that so…” Natsu said with a hint of disappointment. She would have preferred to train under a peer. “Maybe she can help me with something else…”

“She wielded a blade I find familiar to fend the Duchess away,” said Sagittarius, pondering about something, but awoke from her reverie at Natsu’s words. “Oh? What do you believe she should accompany you to hone or learn?”

“Maybe she can tell me about her experiences as a Time Warrior?” Natsu mentioned. “She can tell me how she balances her training and idol work, for example.”

“...I say, that being is active more so than you. Gleam into your own schedules and timings, and find a solution for the addition of this… †˜training,’ is what I would recommend. Maiden, you must needs become more stout and self-sufficient. I feel an omen negative from that being, I am not certain whether she is trustworthy,” Sagittarius stated blatantly. “And…” she pointed to her right arm, “it was lost in battle… work may well wait for the day after the next.”

That gruesome reminder brought Natsu’s thoughts back to the battle, and her lack of training. “Will my body be okay? This is even more damage than last time…” Natsu said, worried. She’d definitely now need to spend even more time recovering, despite having just left the medical facility she was in. Her family would be very worried, as well.

“I suppose Alice would have you recover in the medical facility. You shall recover eventually, but with this aid I would assume it to be a process faster than ordinary,” Sagittarius answered, not seemingly very worried about the time needed for recovery. As long as the Duchess stopped her pursuit, Natsu should have enough time to recover fully. “†˜Tis a saving grace, the material body you’d lose whole would be far more disastrous in comparison to this loss.”

“At least I’ll be safe there… There’s lots of guards.”

“Indeed,” the spirit said. “Conversed we have for what we needed to speak for. I suppose you shall now go?”

“I guess so...” Natsu peered back out at the aftermath of the battle, just happy to have survived the encounter, though disappointed with the destruction caused.

The Summer Writing Contest is finally back after 3 years, and the judges are looking forward to what the Fakkuza can write up this year.

So, join the contest and write up an entry! You may just win yourself a digital copy of a Fakku Book. Don't hesitate if you've never written before, you might just discover a new talent in yourself.

Link: https://www.fakku.net/forums/writing-and-fanfiction/2015-fakku-summer-writing-contest

While you are to keep your posts relevant to the topic here, you are obviously free to post your questions here, if you have any. In the event that you may feel humiliated or overwhelmed by the public presence, then please feel free to send a PM to the any one of the judges.

Also, please try to leave some comments on the entries of the participants. It doesn't matter whether you're a fellow writer, a participant yourself, or someone who rarely writes and just reads; writers enjoys comments and feedbacks from almost anyone.

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F.A.Q.s

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--How do I submit my Entry?

Make a new thread for your entry in the Writing and Fanfiction. Then, copy the link of your entry and post it in this thread.

You MUST post the link of your entry in this thread or else, we will NOT count it.

--Can I submit Multiple Entries?

For every users' entries, there will be a limit of ONE (1) entry. Each judge has to read every entry. In order to avoid potential eye strain, please limit your entries to one piece please.

--Does it absolutely have to be under 1500 words?

Yes. If people could make do with 1000 words in the first writing contest, then why not 1500 words?

--Can I change or edit my entry?

Sure, you may edit your entry up until the deadline – 00:00 of the 31st of July, 2015 (EST, GMT-5).

--Can I take ideas, or have a parody from an already-existing work?

Sure you can. However, you need to let us know that you did, lest you wish your entry to be considered a plagiarised work. Just leave a footnote regarding it (at the bottom) of the post that contains your entry in the thread.

--Do I have to include adult/sexual contents in my entry?

This is purely your choice. We don’t mind if sexual contents are present. We don't encourage or discourage it.

---

List of participants:




If your entry is not on this list, then that means one (or more) of the following:

- You did not post a link to your submission as instructed by the rules above.

- Your entry did not follow the rules: under 1500 words and include any of the themes.

- Your entry was not posted before the deadline.

- The list is yet to be updated.

Just so you know, I’m known to be very lazy. Have some patience with me.

---

Lastly, special thanks to winter55 for making the banner of this contest.

The FAKKU Summer Writing Contest has finally returned. I bid you ladies and gentlemen to take up your pen and papers, get your flow of creativity going, and get ready to write. May the scorching heat of summer test your mental perseverance, rather than discourage you from creating what you may one day boast to be your greatest masterpiece. If it counts as incentives for you, we have FAKKU Books as prizes this year, so I’d encourage everyone – even those who haven’t tried their hand in writing – to give it a shot.


Rules:

1. The word limit is 1500, please make sure not to cross this limit for your entry, for the extras will be disregarded.

2. The themes for this contest are: Summer, School Trip, or Romance. All stories must contain aspects of at least one of the three themes.

3. Any kind of creative writing will be accepted, thus stories and poetries are welcome.

4. Please be informed that it must be your own original work. If the work is found to be plagiarised, it will not be counted as an entry. We will be examining your work very closely.

5. A link to your entry submission must be posted in this thread for your participation in the contest to be acceptable.

6. While comments are allowed in this topic, please keep the posts here relevant.

7. Please note that we do not support anyone having someone else edit, fix or improve grammatical errors, or anything in their entry. So, don’t do that. Your entry should be your own work.

8. Please include the following tag [Summer Contest Entry 2015] at the front of the thread title of your entry. An example would be “[Summer Contest Entry 2015] My midsummer trip to the beach”.

9. Each contestant is allowed to submit a maximum of ONE entry.

Deadline:

The deadline for entries is 00:00 of the 31st of July 2015 (EST, GMT-5). Entries after this specific time will be disregarded.

Judging:

A panel of three judges – xninebreaker, Waar and myself included – will choose our favorites based on our judging, explain the reasoning behind them, and declare the two winners.

The Prize:

We’re having two winners this time. To put it simply, both winners are basically getting the same reward for the most part: A digital copy of a FAKKU Book of the winner’s choice. The winners will receive a code based on what FAKKU Book they desire, and they will then be able to get said book without having to pay for it.

For the winner who we judges feel did better than the other winner – first prize winner, as they’d say – I will inform Jacob regarding the winners, and he may bestow that user with the FAKKU Writer’s title, or maybe he’ll give it to both of them. Who knows. Either way, I am not going to make any promises regarding the title reward and will only hope for the best.

Additionally, you will earn the respect and praises from the writers of the Writing and Fanfiction sub-forum’s community if you happen to be a winner. You may also be able to judge for the next Summer Writing Contest.

So, get your ideas out and give it a shot. Believe in your own potential and aim for the top. You may just be able to impress us with your writing and creativity.

The Duchess glanced at Takeru as he left off hastily despite his injury, and then faced back Sagittarius again, who leapt down from the house, pointing one of her bows toward her with her usual face.

“En garde!”

The battle resumed, Caroline’s steel making way for the head of the idol without any feelings of mercy. The spirit shot away projectiles from her bow without any delay, sending various beams across her path. The two were locked in an unavoidable death match, momentarily. Dancing and leaping – slowly closing in on her target – Caroline displayed her finesse as she dodged the blazing purple projectiles before slicing vacant air horizontally, which Sagittarius nimbly parried.

Water engulfed her legs and allowed her to dash in to close the distance between her opponent and herself with ease. It was as if she was floating speedily across the ground, it was as though she was skating with grace and agility. The liquid equipped under her heels through magic had tremendously raised her speed as she went in pursuit of her target, Natsu. Her slashes soon chipped away white skin and replacing them with crimson red blood that slowly trickled away from the poor young girl. The Duchess eventually broke into a flurry of thrusts, all of which were dodged in remarkable – or rather, unbelievable – speed and reaction by Natsu’s manipulator, returning a blow with a projectile. Caroline – who was too close to her – took this hit to her left arm, but she countered with one final thrust that set free a dragon of water from her blade, which gnawed at Natsu’s body happily, injuring her thigh. Despite being made out of water, the fangs of the dragon were surprising sharp.

There were several explosions that ravaged the icy bridge – making it shake repeatedly – following the exchange of blows between the two, and the students could only stare in awe, having found true respect for the Duchess. The exchange of blows was nothing like they’d seen before. It wasn’t just a death match anymore. Both the participants of the battle were clearly enjoying this. They were warriors that lived to experience the extreme pleasure that could only be found under the promise of an epic conflict on a battlefield.

The Duchess froze Natsu’s right arm with an icy breath from her mouth, which made the spirit frown, as it dismantled her bow that was equipped on said hand, making the spiritual energy break into the air.

“Rebellious relic, you dare defy the command of Tlalocan to the world and the Realms beyond–!”

“That’s loyalty for you!” the Duchess remarked in return before Artemis could catch her breath. A small portal formed behind Natsu through which a water dragon crawled out and took a bite on Natsu’s arm. When she looked back to the Duchess, she noted that her blade was dipped into a portal before her, making her realize how the attack was carried out, but it was too late. Sagittarius was given a decisive blow that cut off Natsu’s left arm altogether. The Duchess then pulled her blade out from the small portal she conjured via magic before disbanding it.

The breathtaking battle came to a stop as the Duchess pointed her blade straight down at Sagittarius, but she didn’t strike her down, and instead looked down on her with a cold look. Sagittarius was seemingly at her last breath, the once-bright shine of her eyes now dimming. Natsu’s body coughed blood at last. Holding the location where the arm was amputated from, blood sprayed down on the floor uncontrollably. As soon as she lost her left arm, her other bow dissipated, and she was no longer able to act nor battle. The Duchess was undoubtedly the victor.

Sagittarius leaned down against the door of the veranda on the house that originally lied behind her as they begun the battle earlier, before she had received the bite that cost her an arm.

“Hesitant? You wish not to murder one you believe is also… innocent?”

“The rules of the Magic World are, after all, always a little too cruel,” Caroline stated, solemn.

“Do what you must. Loyal a being you are, no?”

“Tell me, Sagittarius– no, Artemis,” Caroline whispered, looking down on the frail-looking girl, a tender expression. “As much as I enjoy dueling you… I hadn’t asked the last time, but for what purpose do you fight? Why do you possess girls, and give birth to tragedy like this over and over?”

“...A question which would prompt me to inquire: why tread upon this world, Caroline? My answer is simple: destiny and nature of mine it is, for which I live the way I do. I possess those who shine with all their might. Them I find alluring, and I believe we – the spirits of the Descendants – must possess someone in order to live on,” she answered, and continued, “Wished had I eternally for the restoration of the forests that the humans so molested without any shame. Wish, I could only wish. A spirit with no vessel such as I… would be but a helpless entity in these Realms. Fought had I for countless centuries for my followers. These frail and young girls were always wronged, tormented, and pursued for my presence, and I thus felt responsible. I simply wished to be, perhaps… †˜cool’ is what the humans would call it nowadays, was it? …Oh, you make me articulate something I should not do. What trivial feelings I hold,” she said, smiling contently. She whispered to herself, no– to the owner of the body, “I am sorry, my fair virgin.” Tears ran down across her – Natsu’s – face. “End me as you’ve been instructed, Caroline.”

“You idiot… you should’ve just ran,” the Duchess said, biting her lips. At this point, the Duchess thought that Sagittarius was perhaps more humane than a lot of the people existing today.

Abruptly, the Duchess turned to the left, but it was all too late. The cloaked leader of Team A was already midair, holding a dagger. He came down to Natsu, to finish her off for good. He approached what would bring him his desired glory, his dream but a moment away.

“Die! You monster!” he exclaimed before bringing his blade down.

“This victory is for Caroline to to gain alone, pranksters not,” Sagittarius stated, her frown reforming. She took up her frozen right arm, and it broke apart before a hazy form of a violet bow took shape. Artemis mustered the last of her strength to set the conjured projectiles free from under the energy-made recurve bow. Both his hands, and both his legs were impaled by the burning bright purple rays of light, resulting in a resounding scream from the man. The last projectile was the only one that missed.

The Spirit Seer reached out and received the final blow, bloodying her arm.

“The hindrance is now gone. Finish your task, Duchess.”

The Duchess sighed. “That fool,” she said under her breath. Even if the spirit was beaten and exhausted, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t fight back at all anymore. Caroline took note some time ago that the spirit had only accepted the fact that it’d result in her eventual defeat even if the battle would continue. The moment Artemis lost an arm of Natsu; the battle was over for her; she could not hope to beat her. “Very well, let us be done with this farce. See you again.”

“Yes, we shall meet again… in the distant future.”

The Duchess chanted, and the air around Natsu ceased, the environments close to her turning black-and-white, devoid of colour. Time was stopped. Stopped specifically for her to reach her demise. However, before the Duchess’ sword could sail downwards, a sword she was unfamiliar with stopped her. Fearing a killer’s intent she had never felt before, she instinctively leapt backwards, finding a blonde individual much like herself. However, she looked taller, familiar, and expressionless, she was…

“Alice, the Descendant utilised by Japan…!” the Duchess called out after a gasp – immediately recognising her – and putting her blade up to face her. She grimaced at her sight, to think Japan would send out what one could call their national treasure, their ultimate weapon.

“Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to end her,” Alice stated coldly, her voice devoid of emotion, as she brandished her blade. A mist flowed out from behind her, something glittered in it, and it made the Duchess weary. As the glittering fog closed in on her, she turned to the Spirit Seer who held the leader of Team A, and addressed her. “Run! Take him away and issue the order to retreat! Now!”

“B-But we almost have the Sagittarius!”

“We can never win against the Pisces with how things are! Now go!”

“Y-Yes!” the Spirit Seer tentatively nodded, and leapt off with the body of her fallen comrade under her arms with the given orders in mind.

The Duchess then gave her blade a swing and manipulated water itself; forming a dragon once again. Soon, it pursued the newly-arrived Decendent, but the glitters in the mist blended into it as it made way towards Alice, and exploded inside said dragon; making it fall.

“Tch,” the Duchess spat, and leapt away, making her escape.

Natsu’s eyes turned to normal as their light faded along with the bow. Before she collapsed completely and lost consciousness, Alice received her. Men in black soon came into sight, and brought up a stretcher to take Natsu away.

“I’ll go check on teacher!” Elizabeth shouted. Seeing Aramus being struck and sent away by Sagittarius, it was safe to say that she was worried. She ran off from the flooded streets against the pleas of her mother.

“That child…” the Duchess cursed, looking up towards the horizon, dreading the moment Sagittarius would come back. She knew that she was going to come back. That spirit was too full of herself to make a tactical retreat. As long as there would be one with guts to stand up to her, the spirit would never quit the pursuit of victory.

With a flashing roar of a thunder, the sparse illumination gave away a silhouette she was recently acquainted with. Turning to the right, Caroline found the idol – now controlled by her spirit – standing atop a house, her hair waving in the air with the breeze. Aramus’ tornado was long gone now, and the storm was weakening even more. It was only a matter of moments before the clouds would start to be carried away by the winds. Takeru noticed Natsu’s figure after noting the change in the Duchess’ expression, as it changed from the face of a worried mother to the face of a warrior who feared death itself.

The students peeked from the alleys with killing intent still, weapons and grimoires at bay. Their magic wouldn’t work and they knew not what to do. All their allies that were killed turned to plants that spread greenery, and it felt as though they were radiating a strange form of power that they could not identify in any way. They didn’t know what it was, but they felt an ominous feeling. Regardless, their morale had fallen long ago.

The man beside the students hiding in the alley – not even showing his face – the mastermind behind the undiscussed string of actions taken by the students took note of Sagittarius’ reappearance, as the Spirit Seer had reported. He stood idly, waiting for an opportunity. An opportunity for the right time to cut Natsu in two. The students, teachers, and the Duchess were his tools to weaken the Time Warrior. All for glory, he earnestly thought. All for his continued profession in the future, he believed. He never reported that some of the teachers put under Team A were the first to be used as bait before the students, so that they’d all be killed and be unable to rebel against his commands to the students.

The plan was set to motion half a day ago, and was come up with in almost the same time. It was too good to be true. He triumphantly believed that he was favoured by God. A smirk grew subconsciously on his face at the sight of victory, glory, and acceptance into perhaps the higher societies of his homeland – England. He was already beginning to daydream. This was only the starting point, from here on out he’d only be growing more powerful, influential, greater… That Spirit Seer would be a perfect subordinate. She was terrible at thinking on her own, so she’d listen to almost anyone she found of veritable status of benign nature. She was easy to mislead; gullible, and a good tool if anything. Too bad her body wasn’t old enough to enjoy, the man thought.

“She’s starting to move,” the student beside him reported, peeking at the battlefield on the frozen bridge over the flooded street. That said, everyone else aside from the Duchess and Takeru were half submerged in water due to said flood. This was the reason most students hadn’t came out to face Sagittarius directly, and only the ones able to use Aquam spells showed themselves out of the alleys. They couldn’t use magic, but they were still comfortable dealing with water.

“Good,” the mastermind said. “Don’t do anything else for now, just keep an eye on her.”

Meanwhile, Sagittarius looked down on the Duchess, her two bows reforming as she gathered her spiritual energies. She didn’t seem exhausted at all. “Impressive was your companion, I commend him for his bravery and strength,” she said, expressing her honest opinion.

“That I am glad to know,” the Duchess replied, readying her sword before entering a battle stance.

“I have killed him not. Retrieve him lest ye wish his peril.”

“I believe I am aware of that. However, we have an unsettled business at hand, do we not?” the Duchess inquired. “Mister Mikaido… I am counting on you.”

Takeru nodded. As much as he didn’t want to have the Duchess fight this monstrosity all on her own, there was no choice. Most of the people had accepted her as a leader not only because of her cordiality and noble status, but also because of her compassionate nature that the leader of Team A seemed to lack. She carried a talent of leadership that everyone had unconsciously accepted the moment she joined the planning stages of the operation. The Duchess had once killed Sagittarius’ previous host, and she’d just have to do so again. She received enough help from her allies, so Takeru could only hope that she’d do fine from here on out. Therefore, Takeru could only run off in Elizabeth’s direction, hoping to find and retrieve Aramus soon.

Takeru was about to say something, but then he turned around. “...People?” he guessed. He then noticed that several heads poked out from the alleys beside the bridge constructed with ice and magic. They were the students who should’ve been left behind. “Why are they here?” he asked, confused, turning back to the Duchess and Aramus. “This was not what we agreed on.”

“...That leader of Team A. That fox is a little too self-centered,” the Duchess scoffed, making her comment. “It seems like there are two behind Sagittarius, too. A ploy to surround her, I suppose.”

"We will deal with him later," Aramus snarled at the blatant disregard of safety, moving a distance away before raising his fan in a stance. He began going through katas, the feathers on his fan ruffling, and thin strands of wind began to coalesce around him before thickening and spilling into the sky.

A huge column of wind formed out of the surrounding thunderclouds slammed into the ice bridge with a crunch, sending chips of it spinning away as the tornado chewed away at its structure. Aramus flourished with his fan, voice one with the winds as he howled. The storm had begun anew. His quest to keep the storm going had only but begun.

(BGM)

A howl of a different kind was heard, despite the noise from the tornado that Aramus cast. The three turned their heads to the frozen Sagittarius. Cracks formed over the prison of frozen solid object that she was stuck in. The prism soon shattered and the girl seemed enraged, more so than ever.

Sagittarius raised her left hand, and another bow was formed with spiritual energy. Ten arrows were then formed with said energy, and she then turned to the side; raising both hands at two opposing directions. One faced the students that had previously hid behind her in the alleys below the icy bridge she stood over, while the other was leveled towards Duchess, Aramus, and Takeru.

Promised a duel you had against me, yet your peers are in not the same page as you… there is naught a room for forgiveness and pity. I shall fight for my maiden till her body is at the end of its tether.

The devastating arrows were shot without mercy. The students that seemed clearly weaker to the eyes of the spirit were targeted first without delay. Their bodies were burned by the shots made the instant they noted the incoming projectiles; they were not fast enough. Flames had erupted from the explosions that the beams caused, but these flames were seemingly not going to last long as the ground was still overrun with water from the earlier tidal wave that was brought forth by the Duchess. Bloodcurdling screams of the students were all that the teachers and the Duchess heard.

Sagittarius then turned back to her three main adversaries. Aramus could feel a drop of his sweat trickle down to the side of his head. Even if he could see this attack coming, he could hardly dodge and cast his tornado to maintain the storm at the same time. At the worst case scenario, he’d have to sacrifice the maintenance of the storm in order to dodge momentarily. It was the only way, however disadvantageous it sounded; his life was his top priority, after all.

Contrary to his thoughts, Sagittarius’ spiritual energy blazed through the air – making them all feel a strong gale pass by – as the arrows were launched forth toward her opponents, and before Aramus attempted to dodge, he noticed that they weren’t aimed at him, nor Takeru or the Duchess either. The projectiles flew straight behind them – not even burning a single strand of their hair – and soon an ear-piercing noise occurred.

Turning to look behind while holding his fan tightly, he found another student dead, one that was from his own class, and another – also from his class – injured with an arm lost. The poor boy – seemingly a teenager – cried loudly in pain. He soon found Elizabeth running up to the injured student from behind, before leaning down to him with a pained expression, along with another girl in black attire, he remembered her as one of his students, too. These classmates all came out together, but why? They could have simply stayed safe at a distance.

Regardless, Aramus hadn’t the time to mourn, as Sagittarius targeted them next. This time, he was sure from her intense gaze alone. Indeed, the projectiles were making their way to them. The Duchess conjured some glacial spikes from the ice of the bridge she created earlier, but they dissipated before connecting with Natsu’s body. A mysterious power that protected the Time Warrior managed to ward off her attack. With this, her vis was wasted, and the Duchess cringed.

Takeru boldly made way for Natsu, feeling that perhaps he could beat her down to stop her onslaught. It was better than nothing for an idea. In fact, he, even as a teacher, hardly believed in his martial prowess to be enough to stop this monster at this point, but he hoped to at least draw her attention away for a moment, if possible. The Duchess could whip up something in the meantime, if anything. If he’d not step up now, when would he? Thus Takeru had braced himself with a heart of steel, and dashed forward, displaying his vigor with a battle cry. The spirit faced his determination, and stopped to gaze at his courageous form. Takeru broke into a series of physical attacks once again. He employed a combination of various martial arts and techniques, but his fist itself wouldn’t connect with his opponent. Suddenly, Sagittarius was a target much harder to hit than he had initially assumed. Was she too tired – or perhaps lazy – to dodge his attacks earlier before the tidal wave? As his right fist was no longer enchanted, he wouldn’t hit as hard as before, but it’d be hard enough considering his rigorous training. However, not being able to land a punch meant that all of it was for naught.

Sagittarius soon grew bored of simply dodging, and gave a spin considerably skillful like a ballerina, with one leg up in the air, which almost instantly landed flatly over Takeru’s cheek with an unexpectedly great force that sent him flying from the icy structure. The spirit did not stop there, as she shot two spiritually conjured arrows at him simultaneously, wounding the man greatly. Takeru’s body retreated away before falling down into the cold flooded street below beside the bridge, holding his stomach where one of the blazing projectiles landed.

“I feel your pain now,” Takeru remarked with a wry smile, referring to Aramus’ injury on his hand. A trail of blood slipped past his lips.

“It’s a little too early to charge- well, I suppose there is no point to saying that now, is there?” the Duchess sighed, and spoke despite realising that it was too late to say so.

Suddenly, aside from all these chaotic events, trees formed and grew rapidly from the students that Sagittarius had killed. A rare sight indeed. It made futuristic Japan’s image a little strange now, with said trees almost merging with houses that were apparently abandoned before the raid on Natsu had begun.

Aramus used the winds and a light flash step to dodge an incoming arrow, swerving under it on a tendril of air as his tornado closed on him. Now at the eye of the storm, Aramus lifted himself off the ground and hovered towards the Duchess and Takeru, air churning as he brought himself to a stop. He never had a chance to utilise the spell this way before, the raw power of the tornado fueled by the fading storm almost addictive, intoxicating. “I’m going to circle around and engulf her to prevent any more of those bloody arrows from firing.”

“We’re counting on you to protect them, it seems that even my daughter was sent out,” the Duchess said, grimacing for the first time.

“I’m not giving up just yet,” Takeru said, his voice sounding very dry and tired as he lifted himself up. “Let’s give it another go,” he said, charging forth. The Duchess nodded despite noting his injury, and followed after him, taking a large blue blade out. It was decorated with two intertwining dragons that danced up to the thin and sharp-looking blade itself.

Takeru had struck first as he had suggested. Most of his attacks missed, but a feint wasn’t expected at the last moment when he managed to finally catch Sagittarius off-guard. The spirit scoffed, but didn’t retaliate nor flee in return. When the Duchess made a vertical slash with her blade after Takeru retired to a distance, however, Sagittarius vanished completely in thin air.

The Duchess looked around, and Takeru felt a hunch of something going very wrong. “It can’t be…!” He exclaimed, turning to Aramus.

Aramus separated from both of them, rising higher up on his tornado as he channeled energy, smaller columns of air encircling those he considered allies. The swirling winds would protect them, to a certain extent. He looked around, watching with grim satisfaction as the winds began their descent to protect his students. Whirling on his ride, Aramus looked to where Sagittarius should have been at. However, she was not there. He soon noticed that the Duchess and Takeru was just as confused as him.

Then, in the next moment there she was… right before his very face, a twisted face that portrayed his confusion clearly. At this very moment, the expression and the glowing eyes of Natsu’s face were likely imprinted into his brain by now… for the times to come. The spirit – manipulating Natsu’s body – pressed her palm over Aramus’ chest.

“This is the end, Aramus Valmark,” she proclaimed with absolute confidence.

Aramus’ view of her frame soon got smaller and smaller, being sent far away into the air and past his tornado that he was so proud of; the world from his view a blur now. He unconsciously thought to himself whether he was about to die. Buildings passed rapidly as he flew through the air and he’d likely be close to death the moment his back hit a structure, but Sagittarius took the effort to catch up with unimaginable speed, and thrusted at him with her palm once again from above. He was thus sent downwards with a powerful force – that even Takeru wouldn’t have been able to replicate – the roof of a building cracked beneath him as he fell to face his apparent demise.

Coughing out blood, Aramus could feel his bones aching in pain. It hurt to breathe, he took ragged breaths to fill his ravaged lungs. He was hardly alive, if he was no mage or a trained professional as a warrior: he’d surely have died long ago after facing his opponent. But what hurt more than his broken body were the feelings of failure, thinking that he could make a difference for his students, for Ellie and his Queen. “I... have failed,” he rasped, the proclamation akin to life bleeding out of his body. Just when he thought that he could finally rest, almost closing his eyes, Artemis struck again on his abdomen, pressing him deeper into the floor before the layer of the roof he rested on caved in. Soon, Aramus fell onto carpeted floor beneath the roof of the building, with Sagittarius standing on the roof above, looking down on him.

“That you have, but you have fought valiantly. Unlike the pranksters that made themselves known today.”

“You win, Artemis.” He would have clutched his abdomen if he could, but he suspected his arms were broken. “W-will you at least.. spare my students?” he pleaded, bloodshot eyes trying to focus on her but failing.

“Respect your wishes I shall, young one. Very well, I will avoid the children,” Sagittarius answered, accepting his plea before she turned to face the other way. “Come at me again. Time shall beckon you back toward me, that I am certain of, for my naive host may soon join your Queen’s enemies.”

Aramus could only give her a crooked grin in response, his energy long having left his body.

Sagittarius then leapt off, making her way back to the battlefield. She still had an obligation to face the Duchess who had so daringly challenged her.

The Duchess, Aramus, and Takeru reached the location of Sagittarius. She wasn’t swept so far away, it seemed. The girl held on to a car that just happened to be swept along with the wild flood invading the city. The car was, of course, eventually stuck along with other cars. The girl’s location was finally confirmed to be in one single place thus.

“You… I remember you,” Sagittarius said, jumping down from the pile of vehicles, only to wobble over the water. She blasted the cars away with her arrows to give a flashy show of destruction, letting the water flow as she stabilized her position to gain balance on the asphalt overridden with water.

“We meet again, Sagittarius,” the Duchess said. Her excitement was painted all over her face as she looked down at her.

Sagittarius then turned to Aramus. “I believed that you had fled. Why return?”

“Sorry I had to leave, didn’t want to get caught by the wave, you know,” Aramus said, almost sounding apologetic. “We haven’t settled our duel, haven’t we?”

“Hmph, I am disappointed if you are unable to simply stand a wave such as that,” Sagittarius said mocking, despite speaking in her monotone way. “Very well, we shall settle this tonight.”

“I’d like a part in that,” Takeru said, earnestly wanting to give everything he got into this fight. He took up his hand, it was itching to go at it again. “There aren’t many who can get up after meeting my fists, you see.”

“So be it.” The spirit nodded. “Come. I shall face you all at once.” The bow that gave Aramus his wound reformed, a band of spiritual energy grasping Natsu’s wrist. The glow was stronger than before. It was as if it was marking the excitement in the air. Strange, a battle to the death was never so looked forward to before.

The Duchess waved her hand, as if pulling the water itself with an invisible instrument, and raised both her hands. Ice formed from the flooded street. The four would-be participants of the battle rose as a frozen bridge made from ice alone ascended.

“Come. We shall do this fair and square,” the Duchess said. Why even go as far as to create the wave to give the girl a disadvantage if she’d planned to do this all along?

“Then lets get it started!” Aramus snarled, jetting off to one side with a quick burst of Aurum. He maneuvered mid leap, brandishing the fan and letting loose another bolt of lightning.

“You sure know how to start a party,” the Duchess remarked. It seemed as though she was chanting a spell; the water around them revolving in response to her calls to the Realm she gathered the mana from. She was readying herself.

Natsu was engulfed in a shower of electricity, burning through her body even as it superheated the air around her. This was the third time Aramus had struck her yet she seemed able to shrug off its effects.

After Sagittarius hushed the sparkling waves in the air at last with a single wave of her arm, she met the fist of the man in the black suit – Takeru – who punched the girl in the gut rather mercilessly, before he broke into a series of physical attacks. Who knew if he broke a bone or two of the frail girl? It was a job. He’d have to break some ribs regardless, otherwise it’d be a loss for him. With a kick, his series of attack ended, sending the girl rolling away. Her eyes glowed and her figure brimmed with power, but that was what struck as odd to Takeru. Was this all she had?

The spirit – manipulating the girl’s body – begun picking herself up. Something not many of Takeru’s opponents in the past could do. The girl definitely possessed vigor paramount to even strong animals, likely. He conjectured that she still had something up her sleeve. This notion was proven when she waved her arms – as if caressing the air itself – breaking into a slow dance, one that most of her opponents were unfamiliar with.

“Oh, she is at it again,” the Duchess said, frowning. Finally deciding to make a move, she dashed forward and stopped a meter before the girl before motioning her arms up simultaneously towards the dark and thunderous clouds of the sky; the wind picked up and exploded – sending the girl away to the aforementioned direction.

“Perhaps this will hel- or not.” The Duchess realised that despite being sent to the sky, the girl continued her strange ritualistic dance. Just what was she made of? A strong breeze followed after her from Aramus, through which Natsu’s body was sent dangerously close to the stormy clouds. Being in the vicinity of lightning, she was blessed that there was no thunder that raged on her path at the time. One would call it devil’s luck.

“If that is the case, then so be it. I shall put you to rest,” the Duchess declared with confidence, snatching the decorative jewel from her neck. It gleamed blue before the lady kissed it. It was as if she was drinking magic itself. She then steadied herself, looking up to identify a black dot-like figure in the sky who was apparently Sagittarius, soon to come down from gravity’s pull. The Duchess jumped, a sky-blue light engulfed her before she set herself into the air to thus close in on the boundary of the storm: the raging dark grey clouds. She fought her way through the strong air currents, making way for her target, dancing across the air as she stepped over layers of water that she formed with her mental directives; her reign over liquid as a master of Aquam gave her immeasurable perks.

In a matter of moments, Caroline reached the spirit who was about to be pulled back to the earth momentarily. The two saw each other, only set apart by a few meters and the raging gales of the storm. Sagittarius could only hear the rumbling noises of the lightning, none of the words that her opponent seemed to be chanting away sonorously reached her. It was apparent to her that her opponent was making some hand-gestures for her spell. Coming to a realisation that she was about to be attacked, Sagittarius attempted to pull her arm up to block the attack, but the pressure from the air made it a task borderline impossible. Even someone as strong as her could not fulfill the task of blocking at such a state; Sagittarius was not invincible, especially while being in someone else’s body.

“Too late,” the Duchess uttered, not expecting Sagittarius to hear, as droplets of water from the rain were collected and transformed into shards of ice. With a thrust of her hand, they were commanded to go forth; lunging at the target’s frail-looking figure mercilessly, pushing Natsu’s body slightly farther away. She’d probably fall some meters farther than intended. However, Sagittarius didn’t intend to give up, and ended up shooting an arrow – as a counter attack – that she held no confidence in regards to her aim due to the air currents, but it turned out to have grazed the side of her adversary.

Aramus – who was positioned down on the ice– tracked Sagittarius's movements throughout her duel with the Duchess, before sending a cutting wave of air towards the Time Warrior when he saw the icicles impact her body. The blade of air whistled as it sliced through, Aramus grinned at his spot on the ground. The sharp gust twisted Natsu’s body as she flew in the air. Sagittarius felt rather perplexed for a moment before she turned to the ground beneath her, noting the fan that produced the wind.

“How dare that irritating spirit…” she spat under her breath, then leveled down her illuminating purple bow towards Aramus. It was easier with the gravity pulling her in the same direction, allowing her to launch an arrow straight down to the man she recently got acquainted with. Her other hand still waved in its mysterious motions.

“...She dances still?!” the Duchess exclaimed to herself in surprise, “She never ceases to startle me.”

“It’s coming at you!” Takeru said, leaping away from Aramus, seeing the violet ray of light coming straight down to Aramus. It was almost as if lightning itself was rumbling down towards Aramus; the surrounding environment illuminated momentarily as he shouted out to his comrade. In response, Aramus kicked up a gust, dodging to the side just as the arrow struck where he had been a mere moment ago. A devastating blast took place as a result, causing the icy bridge to be dented. He didn't manage to escape unscathed, his robes smoldering where the arrow had come too close.

“Aren’t you confident, facing my comrade down there instead of me?” the Duchess remarked. She caught some of the rainwater from the air and manipulated them with mana, having them attached to her legs; she propelled herself forward. Stepping through the water – looking as though she stepped on air itself – and dashing towards Sagittarius, who eyed her with ire, the Duchess chased her midair in a supreme display, making the students and teachers down on earth look at her in awe.

The speed was great, but nothing Sagittarius couldn’t track. With the currents as they were, however, she couldn’t retaliate. Caroline was soon just above Natsu, before she released a breath of cold, which felt perilous to Sagittarius. Natsu’s back felt an immense coldness, that, if she would have been controlling her own body, she’d likely not be able to bare. Her body soon begun to crystallize, as Sagittarius couldn’t exert her powers in time to stop the effects of a spell she had never seen before. Despite being old, Sagittarius had never shown much interest towards the advancements of the magis.

Aramus, taking this as an opportunity, launched a torrent of wind like a boomerang, the air curving around – just in between the Duchess and his target – as it slammed into Sagittarius from above with cyclonic force, the spinning wind serving to increase the speed at which she froze as she was propelled to the ground. Hence, Natsu fell to the ground with a loud noise, in the form of a large boulder of ice formed from the breath that the Duchess had released past her lips; she was imprisoned successfully.

The frozen bridge cracked from the force of the landing, but the Duchess made it recover through magic as soon as she landed. All she had to do was fill the cracks with water and crystallize them. She then heaved a sigh, and faced the two fellow Magic Magisters – namely Takeru and Aramus – addressing the two. “Sorry, I might’ve taken in a little too much of the fun,” she said, chuckling.

“I had my fair share of fun, but someone's gotta take care of the storm. If you'll allow me?” Aramus inquired with a mock bow.

“Ah, so you have realised that the storm is starting to break down, I believe?” the Duchess inquired as if to confirm despite knowing the answer.

“Why’d that happen?” Takeru asked, confused.

“She nullified all magic just now,” the Duchess answered. “Ritual spell or no, that storm won’t last long at this rate. On that note, give up on casting spells; they will no longer activate.”

“I could feel the current weakening through this fella,” Aramus said, indicating his fan. “That's all I could infer, but this... It's going to be mighty irritating.”

“I am in agreement with you. I had felt the same the last time she did this,” the Duchess said in agreement, finding this form of power of Sagittarius to be most troublesome.