---

---

---

Kath glanced at Thobias as he appeared through the portal. He knew the boy from family dinners where his father and her parents would bring the kids. They’d play together, but those times were gone. None of them were as charming and cute as they were before, and their parents hardly find use for them in meetings. Not like they’d wanna go either way. She flinched at Thobias’s remark, and her rage got a new meaning when she saw him peeking at her sister’s pants. It was Christine’s fault for not wearing even a bloody skirt, but this didn’t give Thobias a damned right to peek at em. “Argh, why you bastard. If you like the color so much, I’ll sear your tongue black for those words once I’m finished with Rurik!” She turned back to Rurik once again, ready to come to blows. “It’s time to dance. I’ll break you into the rhythm.”

Rurik’s face actually went a little pale at Christine’s “encouragement.” It seemed she would be no help at the moment, and somehow he just couldn’t bring himself to ask for help more directly. Although, how did one get more direct than “help me?” Oh well…

Rurik faced off against Katherine. It seemed he had no choice. But he could always try to be “diplomatic.” He held up his hands, as if trying to ward off a hungry dog. His palms felt like they were being sunburnt.

“Look, Katherine, is this really necessary?” Of course it wasn’t, but it was going to happen anyway. Any hope of calming her down had fled thanks to Thobias’s little stunt, not that there’d had any to begin with. That said, maybe he could buy an extra few seconds to charge up some extra potent bolts. “I mean, really? Beating up your sister’s boyfriend in front of her? Not a good look, especially for a high-class lady such as yourself.” Lady was really stretching it. “Also… I’m just really sick of hearing about it from you.” His expression hardened suddenly. That had been enough time.

BLAM-BLAM!

Bolts away.

Rurik’s little speech had left Kath only more eager to beat him to submission. She was ready to jump any second, waiting for the right moment. She knew Rurik wouldn’t be so stupid as to talk to her in such a “friendly manner” without a plan, so when he shot the bolts it came as no surprise. Kath dashed to the side, evading one of the bolts but having to block one with her arms. It stung, but the adrenaline numbed the pain into oblivion. “That’s it, you’re finished.”

Kath closed the gap between them with a quick hop, immediately followed by a sidekick from her right leg, sweeping it in front of her.

Rurik grimaced at how quickly she'd closed the gap. Clearly he should have made stronger bolts.. When on the warpath, Kath was basically a force of nature. Also, it was unbearably hot being that close to her. Gross. He ducked under the kick and rolled backwards to clear some distance again, all the while charging up more energy. He was going to need multiple direct hits to even slow her down.

Actually, just firing off bolts was probably a waste of energy. He took a deep breath, and immediately regretted it due to the burning sensation it caused in his lungs. That said, he, perhaps surprisingly, stopped and stood still, arms up in a defensive posture. He was normally not known for one to stand and fight, especially against someone like Kath, but in this dilapidated hallway, he had little choice…

Thobias who had been observing the events so far, and also mourning the loss of a perfectly good afternoon, stepped forward, putting his hands on Rurik’s shoulder. It took quite an effort to walk up to him, as the stream of heat coming from Kath was mind-numbingly effective as a deterrence. But Thobias wasn’t gonna let his schoolmate become a punching bag for an Abigail, no matter how strong he was. “You're gonna want to close your eyes.” Thobias watched as Kath readied for a punch, her furious gaze burning with otherworldly fire. Must’ve had a rough day. Kath usually doesn’t go into full gear, because of certain disadvantages. But when she does, she’s a terrible nemesis, with unmatched speed and power. Too bad Thobias had a reaction time like no other. “Toodles darling.”

Before Kath’s punch could reach them, Thobias teleported across the hallway nonchalantly, bringing Rurik along with him. The temperature here in the turn was much more bearable, almost cold compared to Kath’s burning aura. “Rurik I’ve a plan to cool this hothead down, but I need you to distract her while I conjure another portal. That okay?”

Meanwhile Kath turned around, fixated on getting the better of the two. “You’re not gonna get away with this Thobias.” Her face was calm, but her eyes spelled fury. She put her palms together and channeled her inner fire into them, releasing it as a beam of plasma spiraling towards Rurik and Thobias.

“Is pissing people off your specialty or something?!” Rurik exclaimed, not that he was one to talk…

Rurik’s face was more serious than normal, but not in the “I’m into this fight” sort of way. It was more of a “I’m stressed and feel like I’m about to die” sort of way. He had no choice now but to throw up his shield. The plasma beam reflected off, arcing through a wall and tearing a charred gash into it and probably igniting any furniture on the other side. Kath was gonna burn the place down around them at this rate. He had to shut off the beam and fast.

He grit his teeth. Shield or not, the heat from the beam of plasma was penetrating the shield and threatening to melt the skin from his palms. He angled the beam back towards Kath, directing it right at her face. He didn’t expect it to hurt her, but hopefully it would distract her or throw her off balance. It’d definitely blind her if nothing else…

The searing plasma directed back at her didn’t exactly please Kath. by the time it reached her it was mostly dissipated, but it was still as if someone blew wind in your face. It didn’t hurt her, but it was annoying enough for her to care. She turned her head away first, but it was no use: the stream of heat was messing up her focus. Beside, she felt as her temperature was seeping away slowly. She pulled her palms away from each other to stop the beam.

Kath turned back, frowning in anger and biting her lower lip. She shook her arms, approaching Rurik with slow steps. “Now you’ve really pissed me off.” Her steps left charred marks on the floorboards, and her shirt and skirt waved around like flags in the wind. That was when she had noticed: her shirt began to slowly peel away from the heat.

Stupid fabric. She’d have to finish this quick or else she’d be naked as a firstborn by the time it is over. Her rational self cried out, hoping that it would stop the pointless rage. But there was no response. As she inched closer to Rurik and Thobias, her steps became faster and faster until she was running straight at them.

Thobias wasn’t quite done just yet. His eyes were closed and he had his mind set on a place where he wanted to portal to, but it wasn’t exactly clear. If he messes this up, he might risk not being able to surprise Kath again. It seemed like she was focused on Rurik for the moment, but who knows when her tantrum will turn against him. He opened his eyes and spotted Kath running towards them, fists ready to break bones. “Couple more seconds Rurik, and I’ll cool her down.”

Rurik took a moment to enjoy the slightly cooler air before Katherine began her charge once more. He rolled his eyes at Thobias’s words. Yeah, sure, he’d just go ahead and continue doing everything. Whatever he was planning had better work.

Rurik sighed as Kath closed in. He really hated using his Burst. He hardly ever did. Hell, most people didn’t even know about it. It wasn’t that it was hard to do, so much as it was just annoying. It required him to, you know, actually move. But standing still was sort of an extremely terrible idea right now.

He decided to compromise. As Kath’s first punch flew, he used a sort of “mini-burst” and he was able to quickly lean out of the way. To an observer, it looked like he just had really, really good reflexes. Thanks to Bak, he actually kinda did, but they weren’t that good. At his normal speed, Katherine would have torn him apart at that range.

And so it went for the next punch, and the one after that, and even a kick or two. He should have done this the last time he fought her, it would have hurt less…

That said, she was a much better fighter and-

“Fu- OW!” Rurik stumbled. She hadn’t hit him dead on, but her fists were so damn hot that just a graze across his cheek hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. Well, that was fine, he hadn’t been planning on just dancing around with her. It was hard to do while constantly expending energy on his bursts, but he’d been gathering up one more attack all the while. He let the next attack come and he spun around past her to end up behind her.

He aimed his palm at her back and unleashed. KA-BANG! It sounded more like a gunshot this time, an overcharged bolt that had lost all stability and just exploded out as a torrent of raw energy. After barely two feet it would have lost most of its punch, but he was a lot closer to her than that…

Punch after punch, Kath had finally managed to hit Rurik. A simple graze is all, but the smell of burnt skin reinforced her resolve. Each punch grew more and more powerful as her heat sapped by the beam returned to her. Rurik couldn’t possibly hold up against her much longer. She launched her elbow towards Rurik, hoping for a quick knockout, but the he dodged out of the way, right around to her back. Kath spun on her heels, hoping to connect another punch, but a powerful blast interrupted her, throwing her backwards.

She had felt something hit her, but she blanked out from the force of the blast, coming to lying on the ground. Or was it? For a moment she totally forgot about Thobias, but she could definitely hear his groan of pain. She located the source of the sound quickly: the blast had thrown her into Thobias, who was now lying beside her. And looking at her.

“Oh, hey Kath.” Thobias wasn’t prepared for Rurik’s move, and when Kath bumped into him it threw him off balance. So there he was now, burning heat in his side, face-to-face with Kath as they both lied on the creaking wooden floor. He waved with his hand, and then blinked away just in time to avoid a nasty punch aimed at his head. He re-appeared behind Rurik with a frown on his face. “Rude, Kath, I took you for an elegant woman. Perhaps you need some medicine to calm you down?”

Kath stood up slowly, both her body and fist leaving marks on the floorboard. She felt blood in her mouth and on her lips. He couldn’t quite protect herself from the blast, but her body handled the sudden acceleration well, draining from her power to shield herself. She swiped the back of her hand along her mouth, cleaning it from blood. After a moment of silence she turned away and spit out some blood on the floor. “The only remedy I need is for you to shut up.”

Once again, she began to approach Rurik, her hands raised in front of her like in the ring. This time, she wasn’t messing around.

Thobias knew this well too, so he decided it was best to fall back and let the two lovebirds fight it out. With a quick blink he appeared next to Christine, enjoying the company of the pretty girl and the cool, fresh air that her body radiated outwards. He was so close to finding the right position for his portal when Rurik’s reckless assault made Kath bump into him. This time, he’ll be staying behind.

---

---

Lise shivered. ‘Just how close is he to me? What about personal space?!’ Andreim was close enough that she could feel his breath on her ear. She shook her head, reorganizing her thoughts that had been scrambled from the sudden contact. Lise had seen enough of the the fight to understand the situation now. The team seemed pretty scattered, so at this point the best option was to stick to the plan. Which was going up a level, after Samoth. However, she had a more elegant solution to ascending than Andreim had considered. It wasn’t really anything he could be blamed for, after all, a commoner probably wouldn’t consider the unique benefits of having domestic servants. Lise nodded to one of her shadow maids, and with a single movement the maid scooped her up in a princess carry. “I’m going now, Andreim.” Lise remarked with a wave. The shadowy servant took off in a run, bounding up through the hole in the ceiling.

"I'll be right with you." Andreim gave her in reply.

'Fate has guided me to you and with you I will be… until my dying day.'

Andreim thought to himself as he watched as Lise was lifted up to what he hoped was a safer place. Samoth better not screw around up there or there would be pain to be had.

The shadowy servant which Lise had commanded to carry her up had left Andreim with some admiration of her being a capable princess, he also realized he had unwittingly underestimated her and he was disgruntled by that.

Though even more so he wished he was that shadow servant carrying her!

The battle was going on furiously on behind them, Katherine, whilst powerful had a limit to her power. Especially when facing off against three of the school of Mephisto.

They had to hurry to get up behind them in order to pin them in. Hopefully Samoth would get there first and deal with them. Whilst there was prestige in beating these ruffians, whom he himself would had been part of, would fate have dealt him a different hand.

My main objective has been and still is to safeguard Liselotte.

"Hold on for a little bit longer, Katherine!" Andreim yelled as he moved over to where his water powers were and then he lifted himself to the floor above to stand next to Lise. Looking to her.

"W-we've gotta go and catch up with Samoth. He must have already went down. Stick close to me okay? We cannot waste time with anyone else on this floor unless we have to or Katherine will be in trouble... more trouble. We cannot help others before we help ourselves to where we need to be. Let’s go."

---

Rurik sighed, he’d thought Thobias had a better reaction-time than that, but it was what it was now. Unfortunately, that meant he had to distract Katherine… again. She was advancing, but not as quickly this time, but she looked a lot more serious now. He wasn’t sure what level of anger and malevolence lay beyond “murderous psycho rage,” but he didn’t want to find out.

He held his hand out like a claw and unleashed a barrage of small bolts from his fingertips, like a battery of machine-guns. They barely held the force of a rubber-bullet, and Kath was more resilient than the average person, but he didn’t need to hurt her, just slow her movements and make her an easy target. Of course she’d push through, but if she was pushing through, then she wasn’t charging through...

Kath approached Rurik with slow steps, designing a plan of attack in her head. With each and every step, a clearer image formed in hear head. An infallible plan that would Rurik out of commission before Thobias could help him. The closer she got, the more projectiles Rurik launched at her. She raised her hands in front of her to shield herself from the weak attacks. Each of them stinged ever so slightly, but they were barely enough to affect her. She kept pushing on, her steps creaking on the decrepit wooden floor…

Rurik timed it carefully. The next indomitable footfall from the burning girl hit the floor. Rurik quickly took aim with his other hand and fired a full-sized bolt-

CRACK One of Rurik’s stronger projectiles hit the ground below her, and the old flooring gave in, her lug plummeting a few inches before it hit the concrete base. “Dammit you obnoxious dick!” She swore at Rurik as she tried to force her leg out. Pipes, cables and broken wood were all in the way, so she tugged her leg harder and harder. The floor creaked, and was starting to give away.

“Are you freaking ready yet?!” Rurik shouted over his shoulder to Thobias. Kath wouldn’t let even that stop her for more than a few seconds. She’d soon tear herself free and Rurik was running out of ideas…

Thobias just watched as the floor gave away below Kath, her leg disappearing ankle high in the opening. He glanced at Rurik with an unamused face, putting on a rather nonchalant expression. “Yes, I’m freaking ready if you’re so interested.” He messed around with his shirt for a second, straightening it slowly. Upsetting Rurik was a paramount goal of this maneuver. In fact, I’ve been ready for some time. Didn’t want to interrupt your fun with Kath.” He winked at Rurik and then focused his attention back at Kath. Damn, she was almost out of the hole. “I’m sorry Kath, I’ll buy you a coffee or something after this.”

He’d had a pretty clear idea from the beginning on what he wanted to do against Kath. It took him one “cool down” pun to realize that it was exactly what he was gonna do. When he was small, he would spend a month or two every summer at his summer’s lakeside cottage. Nice big lake in the mountains and a cozy cottage. More like a mansion, but that’s not important here. Important thing was that the lake was fed by a glacier. Cold AF, Thobias already learned not to jump in it back then. He’d show Kath what he learned. He focused on the ice cold lake’s surface, and a portal begin to manifest itself it. He could feel the cold surge of water enter the dimensional weave. And the other end? He opened his eyes and made sure it was placed right above Kath.

The rumbling sound of water filled the hallway as hundreds of litres of water came falling through the portal, chilling the air and cooling down Kath. At first it was steamy, but then the bubbling ended and the air definitely cooled down. Thobias left the portal open for another second and then closed it to stop the water flow. Where Kath was previously stuck in her otherworldly rage, she now laid on the floor absolutely drenched in cold water. She looked absolutely different from the girl that was standing in her place a mere 10 seconds ago. She almost looked defenseless. Almost. Thobias turned to Rurik, a gleeful smile on his face, his hands on his hip. “How ‘bout that. I’m sure that cooled her head. I hope it was a chilling experience.”

“Yeah, it was real… cool.” Rurik hated himself for falling into that pun, but it was too late. Ugh, his socks were wet now. But there was one last thing to do. Just before the portal had dumped half a lake on them, he’d seen one of the St. Laurel’s students jump to the third floor. And, judging by the footsteps he heard above them, they were just about right over their heads. Rather, more importantly, over Katherine’s head.

Thing was, Rurik wasn’t sorry, and he wouldn’t be buying her any coffee, “Not a good look for you Kath. I think you could use a friend or two!” He was, however, a rather spiteful person when properly incensed. He aimed his hands up at the ceiling over Kath and… let out an annoyed sigh. She wasn’t moving. Thobias hadn’t just put her out, he’d knocked her out.

Rurik grit his teeth. Kath had been a thorn in his side ever since he’d met Christine. He wanted to teach her a lesson, but not like this. Just Christine’s name passing through his head set him straight. He remembered she was right there. Fine, he’d behave.

A little. He pulled some loose change out of his pocket and scattered it across the floor between him and Kath. The students above had now passed over Kath… and right above his little trap. He unleashed hell. Bolt after bolt, like a hole-punch. Up above, it would have been chaos. The floor suddenly exploding, splintered wood filling the air.

One particularly intrepid bolt may have even made its way up Lise’s dress… only to rip its way free, tearing mercilessly through the fabric.

Thobias rolled his eyes as he saw the bolts fly up. Splinters flew around the hallway, and after one of them hit his face, he felt bad for Kath. She was already KO’d, no need to make his drenched clothes get full of sawdust. In the blink of an eye Kath disappeared from her previous spot, and was now in Thobias’s arm who was carrying her. He walked up to Christine. “I believe this angry twin sister belongs to you.” He put her down gently on the floor next to Christine and then walked back to Rurik.

Meanwhile, the floor above buckled and groaned, already beginning to give way and start its tumble down. With a final bolt smashing through the last, stubborn support beam, the section of floor opened up, depositing students and debris back onto the second floor.

Rurik stared down at them, his annoyance with how the day was going clear for all to see. He lifted his hand and gave them a quick wave, “Bye.” He still needed to take his frustration out on someone.

BA-BANG-BOOM! the coins he’d thrown earlier detonated, pulverizing the floor beneath them. Oh, they weren’t just going back one step, but two. At the very least now Clara couldn’t tell him he hadn’t pulled his weight.

“Ugh, the next fights are yours, Christine. I’m tired,” Rurik groaned. “Thobias, do your teleport-y thing and get us out of here. I don’t feel like jumping.” He pointed up at the hole he'd just made in the ceiling. The imps were still out there somewhere, and Christine's wall probably wouldn't last forever.

Vernon was starting to stand up he had been sensing the tempature energy of the gound around him to create a number of traps. These traps will pierce the feet of his father's enemies. Vernon smiled; a message was infallible about to be sent. Vernon had then backed away and looked around at the same time. He had still desired to summon the Goddess of winter and interrogate her about why he exsist as a meta-human. Vernon hadn't stopped thinking of Her, this began when the God Of Stories had told him what God of What had given him his Abilities.

Vernon had walked away and into a storeand walked directly to the frozen sectio. Here came a thought. 'I'm going to buy my boyfriend something...Is it.' Quickly getting out his cell Vernon shot Willy a short text. "So, is it too soon to call you my husband?" He asked and wrote in a cute-looking green shade. Now his eyes were fixed on the frozen treats. Vernon picked a marshmellow and peacan flaoured icream and then placed it back for a mint chip and dark chocolate ice cream.....Cake.

Some Minutes Later

"So dear...I will be heading to my fellow, senpais...Technically, you are my kouhai.
Giving you age a thought." Vernon spun the plastic bag around and then torn a long hole it in it get the special ice cream out and stuck his hand out to Willaim...Wanting him to take it. He spoke again; "Never be scared to try something, new.".

"There was a time for emotions, and it was as unnecessary then as it is now. Do you ask me to feel responsible for someone I didn't know? For events I could not have controlled?" Alto said.

Alto was under the impression a police officer of all people would know when to set aside emotion.

"It was no simple murder, but neither was it a complex one either," Alto began. "Of course there were more conjectures to be drawn afterward. But none of them have significance or relevance."

This wasn't a simple murder, and but it wasn't complex. There was only one real conclusion, but there were too many unknowns. This was no locked room murder in an isolated castle in a storm. Of the many hypotheses one could make, many would be less likely than another, but none of them were more likely than the other.

"Judging by your statements on 'effectiveness'... I would say you would know more about these attacks than I would." Alto said suggestively. "We have said time and time again. St. Laurel's Academy bears his name only. I, as Student Council President, can attest to this with absolute certainty. That the attacker was one of our enemies is up for question. There are none of them who would act in such a manner in broad daylight, nor none of them who would have the open willingness to do such a thing."

"Now if we're finished, I have much more immediate matters to attend to."
@Letter Bee@Scarifar

---

"Assistance? I don't think such a thing is necessary," Clara said.

She had confidence in her Student Committee, but even if they lost it wouldn't hinder her plans so much.

"Act at your own discretion. There are enemies here, but they don't need to be yours or mine."
@rawkhawk64

---

Christine watched from the sidelines as Rurik and Katherine duked it out, all with a smile of excitement on her face. She always loved to watch a good fight. Not as much as participating in a good fight for sure, but she was still quite fond of it nonetheless. As the battle continued, she could feel her sister heating up. To counteract that, she cooled herself with her own power. She never liked heat after all.

She then saw how Tobias joined in on the battle, aiding Rurik against Katherine. She wasn't sure if that was a fair thing to do, going two on one like that. But she would let it slide, as she was still confident Katherine could take them on. Besides, Mephisto students weren't supposed to be playing by the rules.

Indeed, it just made Katherine even more furious, increasing her temperature even more. She didn't care that she was flashing her panties as her skirt flew around. And her shirt was starting to melt off from her heat, exposing her bra as well. This always happened whenever she fought seriously. No clothes could withstand her heat for long. Christine was thankful her own power didn't have such a drawback.

When Katherine began taking damage; blood coming out from her mouth, Christine was starting to worry a little. But she was nowhere near finished, and she would surely be mad if Christine interfered in her match.

When Thobias blinked near her, she turned to him and said, "Hmm? You're no longer helping Rurik?"

She then heard Andreim yelling, turning her attention to them. Hmm? They're going upwards? Are they running away?

CRACK. The sound of the old flooring breaking brought Christine's thoughts back to the fight. She saw that Katherine's leg was now stuck in the breaking floor, immobilizing her.

And then, the finishing blow was dealt, with Thobias giving her a nice dose of cold water from his portal. Christine had to admit. That was certainly an ingenious way to defeat her.

When Thobias dropped the unconscious Katherine in front of Christine, she said to him, "Thank you!" before immediately bending down, checking whether she was okay or not. She was not angry at all at Thobias had just knocked her sister unconscious like that. It was a combat after all and such things were within the limits of reason. She herself wouldn't hesitate to do a similar thing, knowing that Katherine could take it just fine.

After checking her body and confirming her breathing, Christine concluded that she was truly knocked out for real. But there wasn't any life-threatening injuries on her so she should be alright.

Satisfied at the state of her sister, Christine rose up and said, "Good job, Rurik! Thobias!" with a smile, clapping her hands near her chest. "Don't worry! My sister is pretty tough! We can just leave her here and she would be fine!"

"Leave it to me." she answered Rurik's suggestion. "Let's hunt down those two, shall we?"

@6slyboy6@Dezuel@Hammerman@Crowvette@Bartimaeus@rawkhawk64@RoflsMazoy

William Ascot

William Ascot was pleasantly surprised by Vernon's arrival at the park, as well as his present of Ice Cream Cake. Taking said cake and licking the sweet frozen treat, the boy would say, "I'm glad you're here! And thanks for the gift; you're so cute."

While he said this, he went onwards to the entrance of the arena, gesturing his boyfriend to follow him. "Oh, and in response to your text, no, it's not too early to call me 'husband'." A big grin followed as he finally began to scan around for threats; he didn't find Galbrek, but told Vernon anyway, "Can you guard me from anyone who might threaten me while I put my plan into action?"

He did find Andras, though, and the young man would run towards where the eye-patched girl was, saying, "Andras! Andras! I have a great undertaking that requires a person of your high abilities!" Not noticing how embarrased-looking the young lady was, Ascot would shout within Galbrek's earshot, "Basically, there's this guy, Vittorio, who got his friends and family killed by a Demon and he wrongfully blames Alto. I was told by the God of Stories himself that Ressurection was impossible, but I also think that Perfect Alexandria itself is exempt! Therefore you can help me ressurect the dead if we can combine my ability to imitate your First and Second Powers to draw the required spells from Perfect Alexandria!"

The boy would then bow deeply to the eye-patched young lady. "Please, Andras, you're my only hope!"

@RoflsMazoy@Dezuel@Bartimaeus@Crowvette

Galbrek

Seems that Andras was still slightly occupied. Galbrek was not one who was fond of waiting. But seems fate was playing a fun joke with him. There was a boy seeking the same girl. Seems he was right in bringing his servants to take care of any hiderances, but the boy did say some interesting things.

This boy seeks that wretched Vittorio whose family was killed by a demon? How very amusing and last eve he had the pleasure of speaking with one. Galbrek had his head fill with joyful and sadistic thoughts about it.

Alto? Now who was that again? Wasn't the name of someone important in some sense? St.Laurels perhaps? No matter. I cannot possibly memorize every ant I step on along the way. This boy however thinks the girl can ressurect the dead? Now that is something I would find very useful. Just how many dead evils be buried about and can be awakened anew, with just a little friendly push.

Galbrek already had decided to take the girl with him, even more so now that he received this information from this boy. Perhaps he could also use the boy.

Yes, like a little puppet.

"So boy, you want to ressurect the dead for this Vittorio? This girl is not your only hope though. Tell me, do you want to meet him? His physical self that is. I know where he is kept. But all things have a price."

Galbrek gave a cunning devilish smile, attemping to use his hypnotic gaze to have the boy more easily work with him and with that he reached out to try take the icecream-cake out of Ascot's hand. If he played his cards right he could end up getting the girl Andras, the foxgirl Masami and get trouble to that pestersome specter and this boy with his boyfriend or whatever he may be.

"Interested?" Galbrek placed one of his hands by his waist, to assert a royal sort of pose.

Andras was trying to cool off her burning embarrassment by taking a break away from the crowd in the cool air. She was kneeling down, examining her skinned knee carefully. 'Jeez. Next thing tomorrow, I'm going clothes shopping. Need to get some pants, and definitely some new-'

A new voice speaking up interrupted Andras's thoughts. A man? Before she could get up to talk to the man, a familiar voice rose through as well. Andras recognized Ascot's voice - and he was sure giving a quick explanation to her. "Jeez, William, slow down!" Andras sighed, getting up from her kneeling position and turning around.

She saw her friend William, as she expected, and someone she'd not seen before. The two were now talking on their own, actually. Andras felt a twinge of embarrassment. 'Was I really that slow to respond that they had to talk to each other?' She lightly slapped her cheeks to try and get herself more alert.

She approached the two. "Yo. I see that the Demon Lady of Despair is in demand by many!" Andras held up her hand in a greeting.

Michael watched the two exchange dialogue. At first, the introductions and questioning went on as expected of a man of authority. Clarification of uncertain pieces would be helpful. As time went on though, Michael began to feel somewhat... unsatisfied toward Alexander. Not just for the fact that they were getting nowhere, but also because it was quickly turning into something that was definitely not a mere questioning. The rising agitation between Alexander and Alto made that clear. As much as he wanted more info from Alto, Michael didn't want to waste more time than he already did with Ascot, so he decided to interject before the argument rose any further.

Michael placed a hand on Alexander's shoulder, giving him a stern look. "Alexander, we can get info on this demon some other time. Right now, you have a job to do, remember?" Michael said, all while drawing Body Art on Alto's arms and legs, creating the same designs Michael had on himself. The act took a couple seconds, and Alexander would feel a surge of strength and lightness on his body once the Art was finished. Giving a quick look-over, Michael decided it was satisfactory and suggested, "Let's go get Vittorio, shall we?"

Alexander Ascot

Alexander Ascot nodded to Alto and said, "Fine, have it your way; I'm only here for Vittorio anyway." A signal that he was not going to blab about St. Laurel's scandals. "And all right, I have immediate matters to attend to as well at the same destination you're heading. Vittorio appears to be in a fierce battle, same for the St. Laurels', Vigilantes, and Mephistos' students - All true, Michael; sorry for forgetting." Alexander was grateful that the boy was more patient with him than was strictly needed. "And...are you magically empowering me? If so, thanks."

A loud crash sounded when a gigantic hole opened just above; the hole made by Rurik's fight with Katherine. This forced Alexander to act once Michael felt it was time to move. Rushing towards the stairs, he expected Alto to catch anyone who fell through said hole; it was time for a confrontation with Vittorio and those who would aid him. A confrontation he intended to draw out.

@RoflsMazoy@Dezuel@Bartimaeus@Scarifar@CavnderOHeart@Gentlemanvaultboy

Shortly after the fight, Masami was slightly swarmed by a group of eager watchers, who bombarded her with questions about her powers, where she was from, etc. etc.

The fox girl departed herself from the crowd, looking around for Andras, realizing she hadn't spoken to her after the defeat.
She spotted the card-slinger, and began to approach her. She was about to call to her, but before she could, another voice rose up. Followed by a second.

She looked towards both voices and, as expected, didn't know either of them. One of them, the younger-looking one, began shouting some nonsense(which in all honesty Masami would expect someone to not yell in the middle of a public event) about a Vittorio...and some deaths...and..a Demon.

Another Demon??, Masami thought. But wait. Why would he ask Andras for help if she herself were a Demon? Something was off, she thought.

As she approached closer to Andras, Masami's Starballs began to fluctuate in color and brightness. It was a sign Masami knew all too well. There was a Demon present. She didn't think it was Andras. She had been right next to her during the fight, and the Starballs behaved as normal.

She would linger around a dozen feet away from her, and listen to the events that unfold, as her ears perked up for more attentive hearing.

William Ascot

William Ascot was almost completely taken by Galbrek's charms, the 'almost' coming from the fact that Vernon, his boyfriend, was supposedly still close and Ascot genuinely loved him. Nevertheless, he would blab, "Well, yes! I'd like to meet Vittorio's physical self after I ressurect his friends and family with Lady Andras' help if she'll give it! It'll be a tearful reunion in which the tragedy of Vittorio's life finally gets resolved! Thank you for helping me, sir!"

Allowing Galbrek to take his Ice Cream Cake, the young man would then ask, some of his canniness returning, "Wait, what should I offer to get the needed access and information?"

On Andras' interruption (as well as her earlier plea to slow down), Ascot would say as he lifted up his hand in response, "Indeed, Andras! But to me you bring hope of joy, not despair. You see..." He then explained everything to her once more, but slowly, "We can avert a truly heartwrenching ending to an already heartwrenching story! All we need are your abilities, my own power to imitate First and Second Powers, and perhaps Cyan Bridget's, although that last part's not strictly necessary. So what do you say, Andras? Isn't it a great undertaking that literally moves Heaven and Earth for a worthy cause?"

He would then grin heartily, not knowing that Masami was there and would hear his words as well.

@RoflsMazoy@Dezuel@Bartimaeus@Crowvette@CavnderOHeart

Andras laughed lightly at Ascot's greeting. "Hope? Jeez, you poet, stop flattering me." After the (slower) explanation of the plan, Andras sagely nods. "The Root may be unpredictable, but if any magic can do such a thing, it would have to be it."

Andras sighed, mentally recalling her spells. "That being said, I'm looking rather low on spells right now... I overdid it trying to win the midnight tournament." Andras flushed a little as she recalled her defeat.

'It was fun, though. I wonder what Masami thought? I should see where she is...' Andras looked around, her eyes searching for fluff. Andras was never one to miss out meeting with a potential friend, and it was her duty as a resident to show around new faces! 'Ah, we should do something together so I can show her around Rhea!' Andras smiled inwardly at the thought. Andras spotted the fox-girl within moments, and waved at her to come over.

Masami stood near the edge of a crowd, with her side facing those she was listening too, with her ears perked up. She listened the whole while as the boy explained in more detail the events to Andras.

That being said, I'm looking rather low on spells right now... she overheard.

Ahh..so they do have a limit.. Masami thought to herself, glancing over to see catch the twinge of embarrassment across Andras' features.

Then the "Demon" Lady began searching for something, her eyes scanning the area for whatever it was she needed. The fox watched as her eyes laid upon her. She looked away quickly,as she had noticed it must have looked like she was staring at them from a distance. Like a weirdo.

Andras wasn't slow to wave her over, to Masami's surprise. She hesitantly stepped from her watching position, walking over to the group.

A new cascade of cheering signaled the end of the current round of the tournament. 16 18 fighters reduced to 8. Not many were so brazen to just step in like Masami and Andras were, so the rest of the fighters had advanced the normal way.

"Alriiiight people! Round 2 is starting in 2 minutes! Take a drink, get a snack, and bunch up for the next round!" The MC announced. It looked as if there was some breathing room now, although for a couple of the fighters they didn't bother with much of a break. They just stood in the ring waiting for the next opponent.

The brackets had pictures pasted of the fighters pasted on, except for Masami and Andras of course. Their next opponent's name was Aegus Reister.


It didn't seem like he'd taken many hits. None the worse for wear after his first round.
@rawkhawk64@Bartimaeus@Letter Bee

"Come then." Nasaraph said, feeling the deathly cold aura he's absorbed from the buildings ghosts begin to flare up around him. "Unless you intend just stand there and fluff up your feathers." He spread his legs apart, bringing up his fists in the stance his mother had taught him. "You two. Leave this one to me. You go on ahea-"

It was around that point that he heard the sound of something collapsing behind him. He spared a quick turn of the head to glance behind him and the others, not lingering on the sight to long lest the ghost in front of him use that opportunity to attack, but the short glance had been enough. He'd spotted, slightly around the corner, the ragged of a hole. He tried to keep up the sort of cocksure expression that the character he was portraying would wear, but inside it was obvious that something had gone wrong. What had happened? Had that robotic abomination fallen through the floor? How for did that opening go? Could Brutus and Aram still be counted on to leave? This had ruined everything.

He could call it off, but at the same time he couldn't. The whole point of this stupid act was to try and get the ghost boy alone, but they didn't know that. They probably just thought he was a brave fool, that's at least what he wanted them to think. A change of heart now would rouse their suspicions. Then he heard a second smash and his prospects only got worse in his head. Had that been more of the floor going down? What was happening in that hallway? He needed a reason.

Suddenly two strangers passed their little face off and ran further down the hallway, and then another hole opened up in the floor and swallowed them up like a hungry owl. He actually grinned. The gods had seen fit to deliver one.

"Would you, perhaps, like to save this for another time?" he asked the ghost boy, gesturing to the large hole behind him. "And a more stable arena?"

@Crowvette@Bartimaeus@Dezuel@rawkhawk64

Lise admitted it. She may be a little over her head.

Obviously she wouldn't admit that to anyone else, but she definitely admitted it to herself. What kind of royalty would admit something like that? But as she and Andreim dodged past several other people trying to work on a flanking manoeuvre, Lise realized that she was relying a whole lot on Andreim to have an idea of what was going on, who was an enemy, and what they should do. 'Maybe I need to thank him after all this...' Lise thought briefly, before denying it. 'Does someone like me compliment a pauper like him for doing his job as my partner?' Lise's thoughts had been all over the place recently. Maybe it was Andreim's fault, somehow?

Lise's silent introspection was just about the only thing that was silent in the apartment. Below there was some kind of din with the sound of snapping wood, a downpour... The sound of boiling water? Lise was not given the chance to fully make sense of the sounds before some kind of attack ruptured the floor beneath them. Splintering the walkway, countless nigh-invisible bolts destroyed the floor beneath the two. In the blink of an eye, the floor gave way beneath the Andreim and Lise. One particularly unlucky bolt skimmed right across Lise's skirt - thankfully missing her, but not missing the clothing, which it tore right through. Then the floor beneath her gave way entirely.

Lise had been told once that ladies never fall, they simply descend with grace. She always told herself that she could pull off a graceful fall when the time came.

She couldn't.

"KyaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Lise couldn't help but scream as she fell through two floors of the apartment. In a reflexive action, she did manage to summon a shadow maid to catch her - though in the moment she didn't think to do it for Andreim. She landed roughly, but it wasn't anything too painful. It took Lise a moment to understand her surroundings. She was on the first floor, and it was awfully bright. Considering a shadow had caught her, she though it wouldn't be so bright, but-

'Why him?!' Lise was looking into the eyes of none other than Alto. The fearless leader of Laurels. Her shadow maid must have been taken out by the light boy's mere existence. Alto set her down gently, and Lise scrambled to her feet without a word, dusting off her clothes, and opening her now-dry mouth to say something. Anything. She just had to act calm, he was just the Student Council President after all. Nothing to be nervous about.

It was at that moment that the last thread holding her skirt together snapped, falling down around her feet.

Samoth sprinted away from Bak, having to leave the girl. There was no way he'd be able to fight while carrying her. Or run away for that matter. He vaulted over a couch that was in his way, splaying himself out on the ground on the other side of it. The dust was still clearing from the whole in wall, so hopefully the iron-clad Tsarevna would not notice.

"Come out to play. Come, you had such bravery a moment ago." He reached out to her with his mind. "Tsarevna." he communicated to her, "To be deterred by danger is for those who see themselves at a disadvantage. You don't think I'm at a disadvantage. Do you?" even in his thoughts, his sentences were without emotion, and began, as well as ended, abruptly.

The question wasn't much of a question for Samoth. He knew he was at a disadvantage. Bak's firepower was too rapid for him to block efficiently, and she was physically much stronger than him. He could sense her mind across the room. Thankfully, it seemed a good deal of the ghosts who were interfering with his telepathic sensory were dealt with. However, not even most Laurel's student understood Samoth's powers. Much less the walking artillery he faced now. The unknown was on his side.

He focused his mind to manifest a psychic Glaive. If he could hear, sense, or feel that Bak was approaching the couch he was hiding behind, he would leap at her, and swipe it at her legs.
But if she began shooting throughout the room, he would dive behind the nearby Granite counter that was in the kitchen.

Brutus was staring at Vittorio. How could one person become so... hopeless? It was the only word that Brutus could use to describe the shell of a man in front of him. Fortunately, Nasaraph had offered to fight the spectral being. Brutus' body had finally stopped crackling with nervous energy (quite literally). Brutus turned over to Aram. Before he could get any questions out, however...

CRRAAAAAACK!

A lound splintering noise from behind them caused electricity to jump all around Brutus' body. As he turned around, he could only stare. The floor behind them had just... disappeared. Sure, he'd heard rumbling and explosions from below, but he hadn't expected the building to literally fall apart! Perhaps it was Bak? Nah, he was sure he'd hear screaming if Bak had been the cause. Brutus inched slowly forward, peeking his head down the hole...



Yuuto managed to not quirk an eyebrow at Clara's statement, although it was a very near thing. Didn't people usually react to help with thankfulness? It was then that he remembered that Clara was the daughter of Mephisto. Still...

Yuuto's eyes glanced down the hall toward where Bak had been, before disappearing into a room. Yuuto decided to follow her. He stepped inside, noticing a mechanical whirring noise, followed by Bak taunting. Ah, it appeared that St. Laurel's was here. Perhaps this was why Clara and the Student Council were here? Ah, well.

Yuuto nodded to Clara. "I shall help others." While Yuuto was aware that he didn't need to get involved, it had been a while since he'd gotten to let loose. With that, he disappeared into the Void, walking to where Bak was. He found the mechanical girl very quickly. He popped back out, appearing next to Bak.

"Greetings, Bak-san. Am here to help. You need?" Yuuto glanced at the student slung across her backpack. It sure looked like she was in the middle of something.

@Gentlemanvaultboy

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) for Lise, the situation was too serious for Alto to let himself show a reaction. He wordlessly shrugged off his blazer and passed it off to her without so much as a second look. Perhaps if the fate of 7 more students and even more students he'd personally sent into danger weren't in direct questioning right about now, he'd have allowed the time for a better reaction.

A small orb of light appeared in his open palm and formed into a blade.

"How many enemies?" He asked Lise.

@Crowvette

Galbrek

The boy's name is William. I shall have to remember it for later, he may be of use to me in more ways than one. The self-confidence of this Andras girl is very amusing however, Demon Lady of Despair. How fitting.

"Oh I am all for tearful reunions." Abit of tears always get the better of me... Galbrek felt a tingling joy in his head. Galbrek held over the Icecream-cake to Darla whom stood close to him before stepping up and pointing a finger along William's chest.

"All you need to do is allow me to speak with Andras here first in private. Have a little buisness proposition for her. After that is concluded you can continue about your buisness with her, and I shall tell you where to find Vittorio. You can wait here until I return right?" Galbrek gave William a soft smile without showing any teeth but his one sharp cornertooth.

"A win-win scenario for you. W-i-l-l-i-a-m." He tapped the tip of his finger against William's chest while keeping his gaze fixed on him.

"Perhaps you could keep company with my two... friends. So they won't be standing all alone in my absence, you are a gentleman right?" He motioned to Adam and Darla, the former who looked out of place with his guard-like manners. After hearing William talking with Andras, Galbrek nodded in agreement.

I am also convinced she will bring me much joy. When said joy shall bring despair to all who dare stand against me.

"So let us have a little buisness talk after all this is over, fine lady Andras?" Galbrek set his hypnotic gaze at the bluehaired girl. While Galbrek was scheming, two of his dolls. Bertrand and Celine had their eyes set on Masami.

"Why does he want both these girls?" Bertrand said in a hushed tone to Celine.

"Likely something vile... but we don't really have any choice but to do it." Celine sighed softly.

Andreim

The floor had crumbled after large sound from below and it was clear one of them had targetted the floor they walked upon. The scream of Lise was the first thing which alerted him, and his top priority. She fell before he did. But he more or less jumped after. As he did he'd spotted the ones on the floor below. They were going to pay dearly for this later.

He instinctly called his water powers to his hands and was planning on using them under himself and Lise to create a circular icy slide for them to glide down on for a somewhat soft landing. But there had been a bright light below them and Lise had been the first to reach it. Alto. He had gotten there and caught Lise in his hands, where normally Andreim would feel grateful this was more a declaration of war.

One sentence was all he got to think of while he fell. Get your dirty hands off my Lise! Andreim put his both hands pointed downwards, aiming them for Alto to try use him as a landing pad. The water pressure giving Andreim the fall reducement he needed to not get seriously injured. If he had hit or missed the student council member he'd quickly got up in front of Lise as her skirt began to fell. Like a timely censor he'd took off his jacket and held it out to her to help cover her. Before trying to lead her away from the hole they had fallen through, to avoid being hit by falling debris.

He had been shrewdly robbed of saving her from the fall, surely he could still make up for it.

"Are you allright, Lady Valois-Saint-Remy?" He panted slightly and then looked to Alto with some slight annoyance. "Alto. What are you doing here? With Michael of all people? And who's this old guy?" Andreim nodded his head to Alexander.

"By the way there is some-"

A sound took him offguard and the eerily feeling of something in the air.

Vittorio

As the floor crumbled, Vittorio looked for the source and then nodded to Nasaraph. "Yes, another time would be better." Vittorio floated up next to Brutus and looked down the hole. Two people had fallen down, but more interestingly there was a light at the bottom.

Could it be? Could it really be? Vittorio's face had a wide smile form on his face and his eyes would have widened aswell, his tentacle wings twitching and glowing up.

"Alto... ALTO..." Vittorio said in a possessive manner, like a vicious incantation or chant. He walked off into the hole and began to fell, he beckoned to Rurik, Christine and Thobias to follow him mid-fall. His tentacle like wings slided across the remaining walls and debris about until he came down to the 1st floor.

Like a merciless angel of vengeance descending from the heavens, he landed surrounded by his now more strongly glowing wings. There were four others apart from Alto down there, but Alto was whom his gaze fixed on.

"You... had all those dear to me die! Your existance cannot be forgiven! They give me the strength to be here! Enough bring you down!" He manifested all of his dead friends and his parents like a row of knights beside him.

"This is for you. My brothers. My parents. My lo.. ALTTOOOOOO!" Vittorio screamed and lunged forwards with his ectoplasmic wings at the ready, his facial expression that of utter hate and pain, he was however in his incorporeal state. He had gathered information of Alto's abilities during the two years he had been with the Mephisto's. In his awakened state. In his dreams. All he ever saw was this boy and his wicked light.

All he ever dreamt of was him leading his friends to their deaths. All he cared for was to kill him and that monster before ending himself to rejoin them. Vittorio was planning on catching Alto offguard once he would realize that his attacks would go straight through him. But there was others here whose talents he had to be wary of.