Thessir

Well, that was no fun.

He drowsily awoke from his forced slumber, his eyes tracing the form of the room above him. The light did not agree with his eyes so he turned to bury his head into the pillow but he was distracted by the entrance of a nurse from all appearances.

"Ah, Mister Thessir, you are awake."

He looked up at his speaker, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes from the light that was being cast into the room.

"We were worried for a second. Varjan left you as a pile of burning ooze and we had to cast some heavy healing on you to get you back into shape."

Suuure they did. Now that she mentioned it though he cast his mind back to the fight.

How did he rendir me unconscious in my dark mass form? I figured such a feat impossible since my brain becomes as fluid as my body. Furthirmore, how did he manage to dodge my attacks with such carefree disregard? Hmm... Perhaps...

"So, how are you? Are you feeling alright?" He was stirred out of thought when she addressed him. His initial response was simply to groan and lean his face into his palms.

"Ugh, by the stars. What time is it?" He was strongly hoping it wasn't early in the day still. After spending so many days up early he had spent most of his fights throughout this contest constantly dragged out. Some days his body threatened to nod off if he stopped moving. Now that this whole charade was over he planned to catch up on some much needed sleep, get back into working through the night hours where he rightly belongs.

"Wait." A sudden disturbing realization struck him.

"Whire's my stuff!?" He sat upright like he was struck with lightning, his deep dark eyes scanning the room for any signs of the stuff he left on the field during the fight.

"Ah blast it. If that guy wint through my stuff while I was out I out I swear I'll gut him." Thessir quickly chattered to himself as he looked around. He would of gotten up to search more thoroughly but he decided to check underneath the cover first to see if they left him his pants.

The explanations were quite informative from the young boy, Ecthel. He had been quick and to the point, which the man appreciated. Once concluded man and cat-beast had quickly made their way to the southern portion of the kingdom.

They were soon joined once more by Ecthel as they came upon the scene. Altercations had already begun with the other investigators fighting not only Hisana but also the odd man Keith. Kazudain could only suppress a sigh, he had a feeling about the two, the woman more that Keith. He was quick to lay out a plan when the boy asked what they should do.

"Though our opponents are here now, we can always fight them another day under better circumstances. Our target is here now, the longer this goes on the lower our chances are of getting him away." He gave Maldur a look with a light petting before turning to Ecthel. The boy would see the cat-beast bound off.

"Maldur will create a distraction that'll create an opening, we use that to get Juan now without further delay. Come." Without further words Kazudain soon sprinted towards the carriage.

At the same time Maldur, his form wreathed in blue sparks, channeled its power before letting out a near ear-splitting roar and slammed his paw to the ground. The road soon shook before great spears of ice burst from the ground. Some would shoot straight into the air while the rest tried to stab Hisana and Keith. The spears formed a wall of ice, blocking them from the investigators and more importantly, the carriage housing Juan de la Cruz.

Tibrus all the while had noticed the drain on his mana reserves had lessened quite a bit, almost as if the keystone on the other side had stopped. He wondered if there was a malfunction before he saw a hooded man, along with a boy and a large blue tiger enter the scene. He didn't hear the words spoken but he saw the tiger split off as the man and boy sprinted to the carriage.

His brows jumped in surprise as the tiger summoned large spears of ice to create a wall between his group of investigators and the man and woman fighting them. He didn't know how long the wall would last but this was an opening they couldn't let slip by.

"THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! GET TO HIM NOW!" His throat might be a bit sore after this but Tibrus felt it would be worth it in the end.

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight

---

Princess disabled, slowed. Checkmate, she hoped.

She really was questioning the princess observational ability once more. She had already put traps in the clones before, but perhaps she hadn't noticed. Either way, this was an opportunity to end the fight here and now. She may not have any fancy or overly powerful magics at her disposal, but she would finish things with a touch of grace and flair.

Quickly, Seleth closed the distance with Dark Step, returning to Lisia's position before she hopefully had a moment to completely dispel the weights. Numerous Javelin's appeared in the air behind Seleth, before converging on the tip of her spear. Seleth leaped, before thrusting the spear downwards. The Javelins were there to create a close-range shotgun like effect of an explosive nature as she thrust forwards, intending to strike Lisia and ending the fight here.

@PaulHaynek @Rune_Alchemist

While Lisia had dispatched the clones, the shadow orbs prevented her from moving much at all currently. To rub salt in the wound, the dark elf used the shadows to quickly close distance and prepare another javelin attack. While the princess now only had one Seleth to worry about, it now seemed as though she was in checkmate.

However, while not quite in this way, Lisia wanted to give Seleth to stop fighting from a distance and come to her. Now that Seleth was preparing to land the finishing blow, the princess made a play of her own.

While she could cast her blessing to get rid of the orbs, that would simply take too long and she may not be able defend against the dark javelins. So, taking advantage of the fact that Seleth was now closer, Lisia decided to make a risky move. Instead of wasting time only doing one thing, she hoped to kill two birds with one stone. She would channel her mana through her blade and envelop both herself and Seleth in a bright veil of sacred energy. Her plan was to use Sacred Lightning to lessen the effects of the orbs and provide her with a buff to her offense and defense. By expelling the energy outwardly, she hoped to catch Seleth in the blast of lightning along with her and thereby cancel out her attack. Buff herself and damage her opponent, that was the best outcome she could obtain at this point.

Hopefully this would be enough, the princess had to show her worth to her family and kingdom.

At that moment, Lisia's entire body began to glow with a bright aura, the orbs reacting to the opposing nature of the energy emitting from her being.

---

@PaulHaynek @Frozen0Titan @CitrusArms @ZAVAZggg

"Oh my, so forward!~" mused Hisana, beguiled by the knight's attempt to rush at her. Wielding the knight's blade like a flail using her transmuted mana, she hoped to either kill the knight by impaling him or gravely injure him so he would no longer be a threat.

"Don't even try it!" Exclaimed Enishi, who attempted to freeze her rubbery flail to render it useless. Just then, both combatants' attention was drawn to the deafening roar let off near the scene. They would soon see a familiar feline sending ice spears there way. Hisana also laid an eye on Kazudain, who was making a sprint for the carriage.

"Oh fiddle, it's that hooded fellow and his kitty. Wasn't aware it could cast ice magic, though. Enishi, love, I dare day that cat would make a MUCH better pet for you!❤️~ Said the dame.

Hisana hoped to use her sticky energy to maneuver out of the way of the ice spears, she also tried to shoot at the Kazudain to immobilize him. She'd shoot at Enishi, but she knew he would just freeze it and break it off. She decided to throw a multitude of cards at him to keep him at bay for the time being, til she could land a killing blow at the knight at the very least.

There he went, being ominous again. "Belly up? Elaborate." And did he do a cartwheel just then? "And what's with your armor, you're really- flexi-! boof!" He'd been flexible enough to get a kick on her! She stumbled back, clutching where she'd been kicked briefly. "You're damn nimble in that suit!" Was he just really buff or something?

Whatever the case, Keith was more interested in the other person he was attacking. It left him open to attack from the side, but after taking the time to catch her balance, she was behind. She took a few steps to close the distance before extending the other end of her quarter staff and sliding her hand along it with a quick half-toss to herself. She used the extra reach to swing for Keith's legs, trying to trip him. "You can't just leave me with an omen like that and expect me not to bite. C'mon, now, you gotta tell me."

Seleth went for the finishing blow but Lisia had one last trick up her sleeve, also a finishing blow. The audience watched intently as the Dark Elf and the Princess clashed one last time.

Lisianthus summoned a bolt of lightning directly at her, hoping to lessen the effects of the dark orb as well as to hit Seleth with it. Dark clouds quickly formed in the sky, crackling as a quick strike of hot lightning hit the Princess, yet she was not harmed. It was her element, after all. The Dark Elf, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Seleth was blown away from the lightning blast and crashed into the rocky surface of the arena.

However, fortune was not entirely with Lisianthus. Not at all, in fact. Seleth's multitude of Dark Javelins hit the Princess also, her lightning blessing hitting too late to dispel it. Lisianthus, too was sent flying into the ground from the dark attack. The clash had no victor as both fighters lie motionless on the stone-themed arena.



The lightning blast from the Princess had sent you flying from her. It was all darkness for you from that. But consciousness soon returned to you. You stirred from your dirt nap and you opened your eyes. Your body was sore and hurting from the hits you took from your opponent but you had enough strength to at least raise your upper body.

You hear the audience gasp in tandem and soon see why. Your opponent, Princess Lisianthus of Razelia, still lied on the ground unconscious. You realize what this meant. You both may have been knocked out but you rose first, making you the winner of this match. The audience was quiet, in disbelief that their beloved Princess was defeated. Perhaps there were some that wanted to cheer for you but they did not want to break the air.

The match's referee confirmed Lisia's condition and confirmed it. "Princess Lisianthus is unconsious! Seleth Thenri is the winner!" One of the audience began clapping, he was distant but you could swear he looked like Raviel. Then another followed. Then another. Then another. Soon, you were a given a round of applause from the audience. Not a thunderous one, but more of a solemn acceptance that you were the victor.

Lisia was soon escorted out of the arena and the audience followed. You were free to do what you wish, but the pains from the fight was still there so you should probably not exert yourself in anything.





You had cast your lightning blessing upon you as Seleth closed in with her Dark Javelins. You hoped it would blow away the Dark Elf and dispel her dark magic but it was not to be, you see the multitude of Javelins launch at you and darkness overwhelmed you. You briefly felt a small surge of power after but it was too late, you drifted into unconsciousness from the hit.

You soon stirred, slowly opening your eyes to a white ceiling. You rise and see that you were in a bed of sorts and surveying your surroundings, you realize you were in the Academy Infirmary. The implications may have troubled you but nothing was certain for now. Did you even want to know, though?

A figure appeared from the side. A Beastkin of long orange hair with a pair of canine ears, short of stature, wearing a white coat greeted you as she noticed you were awake. "Ah, Princess!" You knew her as Doctor Elma. One of the many accomplished doctors within Razelia. This one in particular chose to practice her medical expertise in Seraph Academy.

"Princess, are you alright? Does anything hurt?" She concernedly asked you. "The fight sure was something, you and Miss Thenri were evenly-matched." The Beastkin remarked. "But ultimately, the winner was..." She trailed off as her ears drooped. You knew what that meant.

---

With Maldur's distraction, Kazudain and Ecthel approached Juan's carriage. The boy opened the wagon and found the target cowering in the corner. Ecthel tossed some strange dust at Juan and in moments, Juan fell unconscious. The rogue boy threw Juan over his shoulder and exited the carriage. "Alright, I've got him. Let's go!"

But then a few razor-sharp cards were hurled their way. None hit Kazudain but two hit Ecthel on his shoulder, making him drop Juan. "Agh!" Ecthel fell to the ground as his shoulder bled from the cards buried in the flesh.



The knight braced for impact from Hisana's attack but it never came for Enishi had frozen the sticky magic Hisana employed.

While that was a failure, Hisana's other attack fared better. The cards she hurled at Kazudain missed the intended target but they did hit a brown-haired boy in rogue-ish attire who was in the middle of carrying an unconscious Juan. It appeared you were almost about to fail your objective.

Meanwhile, you see Keith drop his sword and surrender to the Beastkin girl and the hooded man Keith mistook as Enishi. With the fight going downhill fast and finding yourself quickly getting surrounded, it might be a good idea to make yourself scarce for now. Annabelle may not be happy but you doubt she would lash out. She did not seem the type.

Also, you may find the opportunity to finally murder Keith.



Rimlian deflected the shield back to Keith, who did not see it coming. The shield hits the mercenary on the torso causing him to flinch and allow Lumina to sweep him off his feet. With the staff pinning him down, Lumina continued the interrogation.

"You can't just leave me with an omen like that and expect me not to bite. C'mon, now, you gotta tell me."

"It's always the same! Every time!" Keith, surprisingly, answered. "Great magical kingdom! Too big to fail! Then it does, then hell breaks loose. Next thing you know, no more Humans or Dwarves." The mercenary continued, only making sense to himself. "But hey, at least the Elves and you Beasties get to inherit the world right?"

Keith slapped the staff away and got up, intending to retaliate with his sword. "And I'm not staying to see all of it. I'm only here because Belle bailed me out. I should really just throw her--" The mercenary stopped, as if he realized something. He wordlessly dropped his sword and raised his hands. A gesture of surrender, ice suddenly forming around to entrap him. The fight was over.

"Yeah." Keith whispered to himself. "Why didn't I think of that?"

~

The pair were quick to reach the carriage and grab the target, but Kazudain's partner was just as quick to drop the target by outside interference.

"Maldur!" The cards had flown past him without nary a nick, but had injured his partner. Reaching into his cloak he grabbed a vile of blue liquid, a rapid heal potion he always carried. While a master of Lightning magics he was, an adept magical healer he was not. He always made sure to keep something on hand in most cases.

Maldur meanwhile heard the call and slammed his paw to the ground again. This time making a thick wall appear between Maldur and the carriage. Soon after Maldur summoned his ice armor in-case of further attacks.

Kazudain grabbed the target and placed it on his own shoulder, using his free hand to pluck out the cards stuck in Ecthel's shoulder before offering the potion.

"Drink it all, it'll stop the bleeding in seconds and close the wound soon after. You'll need rest but you'll be fine in a day. Now where to?"

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight

---

Her blow struck, and she was struck by a brilliant flash of lightning.

Seleth was sent flying backwards from the blow, tumbling and landing upon the ground some distance away. Her spear clattered to the stone ground uselessly next to her. Damn it! Damn it! She could feel her body protesting her trying to move. Blackness colored the edge of her vision, try as she might, Seleth's dazed body could not move no matter how much she tried to force it...

...

Consciousness soon returned. She couldn't hear any cheering. What had happened? Seleth's vision soon returned as a deafening silence permeated the arena. She needed to raise - get up. Gritting her teeth, Seleth moved an arm, firmly planting her hand on the ground as she slowly rose to a kneel. Her breath was heavy, labored, as she tried to make sense of what had happened, an audible gasp from the audience that was quickly followed by one of her own.

Lisia lay on the ground, completely unconscious from their fight.

An applause followed, as Seleth grabbed her spear and pushed her sore body to her feet. She had won? She was in as much disbelief as the crowd was. There was no cheering, no boast of victory. Only a look of shock from the Dark Elf as she processed the situation. Oh, even if she didn't win against Varjan, she could go home slightly less disgraced, right? Right?

"Ha..." A quiet laugh of relief, before she was unable to completely entertain her excitement, before she lifted the spear high, at least giving the crowd something to talk about...before promptly turning to leave and tripping over her own feet, hitting the ground again. Quickly, Seleth pushed herself to her feet once again, face red with embarrassment before leaving the arena, intending to head back to the Cathedral unless stopped by someone.

Oh wow, she could really use a nice long rest.

They managed to capture the man. Her ally used ice magic to freeze Keith in place. Keith forfeited his weapon and surrendered, a wise move at this point. She put away her short crystal handle and buckler. The other combatant approached and started asking questions. "What, you didn't hear him introduce himself? Keith North. Ah, we should handle interrogation later. Right now, I need you to make sure he's kept safe while he's defenseless. I need to talk to him, but right now, my party and I are here... to-" she'd been looking around, aware that they were here for another objective. The carriage was ajar. She spotted the unconscious figure being carried, put two and two together, and away she went.

The guy carrying whom she assume was Juan was a big guy. He has Juan on his shoulder. She just had to grab him and get away. She ran on approach, hoping to catch the pair off-guard. Maybe if she jumped from far enough away, she could get the drop in them. She'd jump, try to land on the big guy's shoulder (the unoccupied shoulder, naturally), grab Juan, and launch off his shoulder to get away again, this time with a man in her arms. Now, where did those knights come from? She should warp out with Juan and come back for Keith.

On your way out of Seraph Academy and back to the Radiant Cathedral, you took the path of the Western Gate. What you found on the way there was not a quiet exit after your incredible victory against the Princess. Rather, you encountered a scene you were all too familiar with being Seraph Academy for years.

Some four female students surrounded a girl backed to a wall. The girl had long, black hair with light skin free from blemishes and the like. Her red dress was simple but it complemented her body shape well. She was, to put it bluntly, beautiful. She was still the target of insults and mockery despite her prettiness. Or perhaps because of it.

You hear slurs, derogatory terms, insults. The bullies had quite the vocabulary with them, unleashing their poisoned and prickly words upon the red-dressed girl who stood there and just took it with an expressionless face. You knew this girl. She was infamous for being targeted for persecution. She was talented and pretty, there was no doubt about that. However, she was also meek and timid, making her vulnerable to those who envied.

Nur was her name and it appears someone has to save her yet again.

Oh dear, it seems this is quite the problem, isn't it...?💧

Hisana had to think to herself for a moment, the tables have turned and she found herself suddenly outnumbered. It seems Enishi brought with him some powerful friends to aid in the fight, No fair...💧, she thought. To make matters worse, Keith blundered and got himself got by the enemy. Indeed, having been bound by the man he mistook for Enishi, it seems he was about to be interrogated. To top it all off, Kazudain was making off with Sir Juan, their intended target. Her cards hit the boy the hooded fellow was with at least, but it appears the injury will be short-lived thanks to the potion the boy received.

"Enishi, dear, it breaks my heart to have to do this. Especially since we've only just reunited, but you see, I believe it's time I took my leave of the fray." With that Hisana began back-flipping up a nearby building, using her Elastic Love to aid her in her escape.

"You've run away long enough, your fate ends with me!" Snapped Enishi as he tried to thwart Hisana's plans by shooting at her with blades of ice channeled from his tachi. "Hisana, all that awaits you is judgement from my blade." He said.

"My, you always knew how to sweet talk a girl.~"❤️ Mused the dame. While frivolous as always, she knew that Enishi would be the main issue in preventing her escape. What to do, what to do?

At that moment, a thought popped in her mind. Why not kill three birds with one stone? After all, she very well couldn't leave without reducing Keith and Juan to bloody corpses. At this point, they were both nothing more than liabilities. That added to the fact that Hisana had been looking for the perfect opportunity to slit Keith's throat. With that, Hisana came up with an ultimatum for Enishi - continue to chase her down, or save his so needed captives. I'm sure Annie won't mind.~ She may miss Keith, but oh well.

Hisana began to throw a multitude of cards aimed at both Juan and Keith, hoping that some of the cards would cause fatal damage to their necks and heads. She noticed that the fox girl was headed for the Kazudain, she hoped that would make it harder for him to make a counterattack against the incoming projectiles.

"Who will it be, love? Me, or them?"⭐, taunted Hisana. If her plan worked, both targets would be sliced to death and she'd be on her merry way.

"Damn it! Lumina, watch out!" Shouted Enishi to his partner.

---

Lisia could feels the effects of her bolt as it struck, vitality soon began to return to her. However, it seemed it was short lived, as soon after she was struck by the dark javelin barrage regardless. Feeling a sharp pain all over her body, she went spiraling to the ground some feet away. It looked as thought the lightning had at least hit Seleth as she planned, though, as she was sent back flying along with her.

After landing, her body ached and she found she couldn't move even an inch. What little energy she had regained immediately left her, she could feel consciousnesses fading away "N..No...", was all she had the strength to say before passing out.

There was darkness for a time, but eventually the princess woke. She found herself in an infirmary of sorts, but what else could that mean she wondered? Soon she found at her side a beastkin nurse, one she recognized from the academy. After Dr. Elma began to trail off of her explanation of events passed, Lisia could tell where this was going.

"It's ok, Dr. Elma, you don't have to say anything. You know, it's kinda funny. Going into this, I kept telling myself that no matter what I wouldn't lose. I guess I felt that if I just kept saying that in my head everything would work out. But, during that fight, I had made some bad decisions. Decisions that probably cost me the match, I guess I don't know what came over me. I don't know, maybe I was anxious to get to the grand finals. I told myself that I wouldn't take Seleth's abilities for granted, but even so I..."

Lisianthus took a moment to wipe her face with her hand, she tried her best to hide the little tears that started to form.

I'm fine, really. Sometimes those of royal blood need to be knocked a peg down or two. Having always been the valedictorian of my class, it seems I forgot what defeat actually feels like. There's...no reason why I can't simply look at this as a valuable learning experience, right? No sense in throwing myself a pity party!"

After she was finished speaking, Lisanthus stared down at her bandaged hands, unable to look the nurse in the eye despite her strong words. The onslaught of emotional turmoil stirring inside of her hurt more than her physical wounds by far. The tournament meant more to her than it did most other people.

Father, I beg for your forgiveness... She said in her mind.

~

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek

---

Ugh, couldn't people just give her a moment to catch her breath?

She had wanted to go straight to the Cathedral without doing anything else, but it seemed as though some sinful fools were making a ruckus. The dark elf sighed, holding a hand to her head at the scene. A group of female students were clearly bullying some others. Seleth knew the sight well. Slurs. Derogatory terms. Insults. Nur was always a target for such things.

Unfortunately for the bullies, Seleth was in a bad mood and wanted some peace and quiet.

Rolling her eyes, Seleth summoned one of her javelins, launching it right at one of the bullies. It shouldn't hit - just close enough to maybe give her a tiny little haircut. Hopefully enough to give them a pause.

"You all have quite the guts, causing such a ruckus after my victory of the princess." Seleth walked towards the other girls, wearing a facade of confidence and mild haughtiness. "Do it elsewhere. Lady Aylama does not take kindly to those who disturb the peace."

The girls' attention was caught by the small explosion from your Dark Javelin. Even Nur was surprised when you used magic to stop everyone.

With a 'Tsk!', the girls immediately bailed away, not wanting to deal with a pissed off Elf, leaving you and Nur alone. The silence lingered awkwardly until it was broken by your charge. "How?" She whispered. "How are you so strong, Seleth?" She remarked about you, though you felt she was not talking about your actual power.

"I know who you are, Seleth. People talk about you all the time. Behind your back. When you're not around." Nur continued. "And I know you've heard them. It was practically impossible not to." She then looked straight at you in the eye. "How? How can you shrug all that off? How can you still show up looking proud as ever? Is it an Elf thing? Does your goddess grant you some sort of power?"

"...I envy you. I wish I was as strong as you." Nur finished. "Is it true you defeated the Princess? I mean, judging from the way you look right now..."





Doctor Elma did not appear to believe your words but having nothing to say anything in reply, she nodded and feigned trust. You knew this since her expressions gave it away. "You seem to be in fine condition, Princess. Only a few minor injuries, if it can even be called that. I heard you managed to cast a blessing on yourself before you were knocked out?"

"Anyway, you should be good to go in an hour or two. Well, you can actually go right now but you can rest more if you want to." The Beastkin doctor bowed before leaving.

But just after Elma left, you had a new visitor. One who you likely did not expect. "Lisianthus." Your own mother greeted you, a tone without emotion. "I assume you know what had transpired in your last match. And I assume you know that almost everyone in Zauberheim, nay, Razelia knows about it by now."

"Needless to say, your father is extremely disappointed in you." Your mother revealed quickly as if she waited a long time to say that. "He expected better from you. Had you lost against someone like Varjan then it would've been a bit understandable but to a no-name Dark Elf? Have you learned nothing from the training and grooming your father puts you through? Do you know how much effort he puts in you? Did all of that go to waste?!" Her voice was rising and her next words would have been yells but she controlled herself.

"You are to go back to the castle as soon as possible but you must be devoid of shame if you would do that." Those were her final words before she left you alone.





Your ploy worked! Endangering two important figures diverted attention from you, allowing you to make a clean, quick escape.

------

Time passed and day turned to night. You meet up with Annabelle back at her hideout and she was not happy at all. "I've heard that there was a scuffle earlier. An altercation between agents of the crown and a duo of outlaws. One of whom was a black-armored man while the other, a woman in red." Annabelle began. "No one was killed in the fight. Save for a Juan de la Cruz. And the man in the black armor was apprehended." She revealed the result of your ploy.

"I'll admit, you did a good job on Juan. However, Keith is far more knowledgeable about our operations. He practically knows as much as I do which means we are all but compromised if he decides we're not worth his time." She berated. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she continued. "How did the altercation go anyway? How'd you and Keith end up in that situation?"

"Did the agents ambush you? Did something stupid happen?"



Hisana had hurled several more of the deadly cards at two directions. A few aimed at her ally Keith North and a few at the unconscious Juan de la Cruz, who was slung over Kazudain's shoulder.

The cloaked stranger teleported Keith and himself away from the dagger cards, securing the surrendering mercenary. However, Juan was not as lucky. Due to Lumina attempting to take Juan from Kazudain, the group could not stop the incoming razor cards. Lumina, herself, was grazed by them and cutting some of her hair. Ultimately, the cards landed on Juan - one on the nape of the neck and two on his head. Perhaps it was a mercy that he died unconscious, thus painless.

"Gods damn it..." Ecthel got up after drinking Kazudain's elixir. He still clutched his closed wounds as if they were still there. "At least we have one." He referred to Keith who was, for some reason, embracing the hooded man who was caught up in all this. "I think we need to say sorry to that guy. And start getting some answers too."



Before the sharp cards of the woman of red hit Keith, you managed to teleport him and yourself away from certain harm.

"Whoa! That was close!" Keith exclaimed. "I could've been swiss cheese from that." He then gave you a tight, affectionate embrace. "My hero~!" The mercenary squealed like a village maiden. "Even though the cards couldn't have hurt me because I'm immortal and my body heals any wounds that have been inflicted in a matter of seconds. Or minutes depending on the damage."

"Hey, sorry for the whole attacking you thing. Seriously, why are you wearing such a suspicious getup?" Keith asked, still embracing you. "You're gonna get in a lot of trouble because of that. Like me."

~

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek

---

Well, that was done and over then. Seleth sighed, stretching silently. Ah, she had overdone it. She really wanted to just get back to the Cathedral, but before she could tell Nur to have a bit more backbone, the timid girl said something else. Something quite absurd. Seleth stopped, glancing over at Nur from her shoulder. Utter nonsense.

"I know the rumors well." Seleth replied with a sigh. "That I'm unpleasant. A, shall we say, bitch, to put nicely. I've been accused of bullying and being far too headstrong in a number of aspects." Seleth hefted her spear, letting it rest on her shoulder as she turned to face Nur. "So let me ask you...when faced with such rumors, what am I going to do? Lay down and cry? Cower and flee?"

Seleth's words were quick, sharp, and pointed just as any blade. Rumors of her being indelicate were probably true it seemed.

"...but," She softened her words, facial expression growing troubled. "I've recently come to realize that I'm not nearly as confident as I try to put on." Her body relaxed, her gaze shifting off to the side as she continued. "I defeated the princess, but can I say I did it with skill? A part of me is second guessing myself, wondering if I only won by some sort of fluke or stroke of luck." She fell silent, sighing. What was she even saying? She hardly knew this person.

"...not that it matters. I won, and I will likely face Varjan in the finals. Even if I were to lose my family will be placated simply because I defeated the princess." She turned to walk, making a large sweeping motion with her spear. "I'm heading to the Cathedral, if you wish to come. We can talk more there, and if you wish I can try soothing your worries with some prayers, perhaps?"

What-? No! The first thing she felt was the slightest tension on her hair. Her attempts to secure their target were thwarted so soundly and decisively as a dead man. At first, she couldn't believe this man has just been snuffed out so quickly and quietly, right in front of her. But there it was. It took her just a moment to compose herself, shaken though she was.

She needed to focus. Juan was murdered... and Kieth? They were gone, but... There were cards lodged in the ground, there. Had there been an attempt on one of them, too? But, for right now... Juan.

She wavered as she looked at him. It disturbed her, that someone could do this to another. And with something as plain as playing cards, it was vile. "... Lay him on the ground a moment. Let me look at him." She hoped he was able to move on peacefully, at least. It had been painless, but dying unconscious... you wouldn't even know what happened.

Was he still there?

@PaulHaynek

"Thank you Doctor Elma." Said Lisia with a weak smile. She watched as the nurse made her way out of the infirmary. However, just as she left another familiar face came walking in.

"M..Mother?" Lisia said in a rather stupefied voice. She then listened to her mother as she told her how her father the king was disappointed that she lost her match to some no name dark elf. She seemed to be infuriated that the training her family put her through went to waste with just that one match. After Lisia recovered enough, she was to return to the palace as soon as possible. The Queen stormed out promptly after tell you off; Lisia got the feeling that it was full of simple spite rather than parental discipline.

More than that, she thought of her father. How can I possibly face him with this shame...? Regardless of her feelings, Lisia knew better than to disobey her parents and/or keep them waiting. After getting herself together the best she could, Lisianthus got dressed in her normal garb and began to walk out of the infirmary. Unless someone stopped Lisia for her attention, she would begin her long trek back to the royal castle. As she walked, anyone would be able to notice the somber and zoned out expression on her face.

---

@PaulHaynek

"Enishi, I believe in your native language the proper phrase would be ja ne? Teehee~❤️" With that last tease, Hisana escaped from the investigations, having successfully killed Juan. She was a little disappointed that masked sorcerer saved Keith from being stabbed as well, but oh well. There's always next time. She heard Enishi muttered a curse at having her slipping away, which tickled her inside.

Later that knight, Hisana meet up with Annabelle back at her alley hideout. Anna of course, was not pleased that Keith ended up being captured. He apparently knew just as much about their operation as she did, indeed he could end up compromising everything. Of course Hisana couldn't care less, but she decided to keep the charade up for a bit longer. Anna then interrogated Hisana as to how all this happened.

"Dear me, I'm afraid it all stemmed from Keith's brash attitude and terrible memory. Even after I was nice enough to show him a picture of one of the investigators I was well acquainted with, he still ended up mistaking him for an innocent bystander who turned out was a sorcerer of some kind.💧 He began fighting Keith for self defense, the skirmish prompted the other investigators to spring forth. Hisana held the back of her hand to her head as she spoke, feigning distress for the sake of irony. The beast girl joined the masked magician against Keith, while I took on Enishi and a guardsman who was summoned by some sort of teleportation magic."

Using the hand that rested on her forehead, Hisana seemed to have pulled 2 cards out from the back of the hair. She then continued her explanation. Then, two unexpected characters entered the scene, A young man and a mage who wore a cloak. It's worth mentioning that the hooded man has a tiger that has the ability to cast ice magic; I recognized the mage from the tournament, guess he must have either lost or forfeited his match if he has the time to aid civil servants. Anyway, they tried to apprehend Juan from our custody. I injured the boy and killed Juan, the but the masked mage took Keith away via teleportation. That's pretty much the gist of it.⭐"

Done with her explanation, she held the two cards out for Annabelle to see. One had a picture of Enishi, and the other had a picture of the masked sorcerer that Keith attacked. "Now tell me dear, does this masked man look anything like my beloved Enishi?

---

@Frozen0Titan @CitrusArms @ZAVAZggg

"Hisana, get the hell back here!!" Were Enishi's last words before Hisana made her escape. The bounty hunter looked in shock as he saw that Juan was killed by the escape ploy. He turned to the knight for a moment. "Knight of Razelia, forgive me. We couldn't save that nobleman for questioning. But your assistance is greatly appreciated." He then made he way over to Lumina. "Lumina-kun, are you all right? You narrowly escaped those cards, no injuries I hope? Thankfully that masked man was able to capture the thug from last night, so we still have someone to question."

Noticing the hooded mage and and young man, Enishi made his way over to them next.

"I really don't like the idea of different people getting involve in these clandestine affairs, but you have my thanks for your aid. Tell me, who are you?"

"I know the rumors well. That I'm unpleasant. A, shall we say, bitch, to put nicely. I've been accused of bullying and being far too headstrong in a number of aspects. So let me ask you...when faced with such rumors, what am I going to do? Lay down and cry? Cower and flee?"

Nur smiled weakly. "...No. You're not that kind of person, are you Seleth?"

"I'm heading to the Cathedral, if you wish to come. We can talk more there, and if you wish I can try soothing your worries with some prayers, perhaps?"

The girl was silent for a moment. "...Yeah. I'd like that."

------

With the timid Nur behind you, you make it back to the Radiant Cathedral. The sacred grounds were your home, free from the worries and problems that apparently plague Seraph Academy. However, that was no longer the case when you see in the shrine of Aylama two young men. One of them was blonde of hair, his attire a mixture of white armor and blue fabrics. His eyes were blue but his fierce, impatient expression made it look like he was better suited for more fiery colors.

The other boy was bespectacled and had short, scruffy hair. His clothes were a shade of green but the scarf around his neck were of red and yellow colors. Unlike his companion, he was reserved and had a neutral, uninterested face.

"We've been expecting you, Nur." The one with glasses adjusted his spectacles. "And I see you brought a friend."

Nur, meanwhile, was completely confused. "What? Expecting me? Who are you and how did you know I was coming here?"

"Don't be stupid, Nur. You know who I am. We're the dredges of the Academy." You, yourself, knew who the blonde one was. He was Orne, infamous for his short temper and frequent starter of brawls. He was kicked out of Seraph Academy a long time ago but he was still allowed to participate in the annual tournaments. "But glasses here is named Zeen. A wannabe mage who can only do cheap tricks."

Ignoring Orne's insults, it was Zeen's turn to talk. "Nur. We are looking for you in behalf of Varjan. We were... told that you were headed here." His bespectacled gaze then turned to you. "Although, we were not told that you had company. Who is the Elf, Nur?"

"Her name's Seleth. Infamous like me but somehow still in the Academy." Orne spat. "But she's not the type to make friends. So the question is, how'd she find Nur? She find kinship with the poor girl?"

The presence of the two men in the Cathedral was foreboding. But surprisingly, so was Nur's. Could it be just a feeling?





"Lisia?" A familiar voice called you out from your stupor.

It was Mira, the Eastern mage. It had been quite a while since you two last met, the tournament really taking up much of your time and likely hers as well. "I heard what happened. You were beaten by Seleth." Mira unintentionally rubbed that fact to your face. Still, the girl was sympathetic. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?" She asked in concern.

"Hey, don't be afraid to let out around me, Lisia. I'm a friend, after all." Mira gave a sincere smile. "Where are you heading right now? Wanna grab a quick snack or drink first? It could cheer you up."

You felt that Mira pitied you. Considered you fragile, treating you carefully. Perhaps she needed correction?

"Now tell me dear, does this masked man look anything like my beloved Enishi?"

Annabelle sighed. "No. But they both have blue-ish colors so Keith, in his stupid mind, probably made the connection."

"Keith's a wild card in a very literal sense. I should've seen this coming." The mastermind gritted her teeth. "...That's it. We're cutting our losses and pulling out. I don't know what Keith'll blurt in prison but I'm not taking any chances. We're ceasing our operations and leaving Zauberheim before we get caught." She declared.

"But!" Annabelle added. "I have a final mission for you, Hisana, before we part ways." She leaned closer to you. "You see, I am not keen on just letting a... spanner in the works get away just like that. So, I want you to kill him. I want you to kill Keith. Kill him before you leave Zauberheim." The mastermind gave you her last order.

"As for moi, we had an order from some boy earlier. He ordered a ton of stuff so it'd be a waste to let go of all that gold. We'll be sticking around for one more day before we haul ass."





Lumina inspected Juan's corpse along with the injured boy. Unfortunately, the nobleman was beyond saving. "He's dead. We can't do anything for him now."

"Knight of Razelia, forgive me. We couldn't save that nobleman for questioning. But your assistance is greatly appreciated."

The knight sighed. "...Just doing my job. Also, thanks for saving my butt back there. That girl sure was something, huh? It looked like you knew her." He referred to Hisana. "Anyway, I'm not a knight. Just a guardsman. I quit the Arcknights a long time ago."

Soon, the city guards arrived and wrapped up the situation. All those involved were escorted to the Luminous Citadel for debriefing.

"Tell me...why did you attack me in the first place? I didn't do anything to you. And I clearly wasn't with the people you were after."

"I thought you were someone else, man!" Keith happily replied. "I was protecting that guy..." He motioned to the man who had cards embedded on his neck and head. "...and I had to be careful for anyone who might get the jump on us. Thus, the mistaken preemptive strike on you." From his tone, you knew he was not at all sorry for what he did.

"But so much for protecting that guy though. But it's not gonna matter. None of it will." You could almost see a smile behind his helmet.

Moments after, the city guard arrived and cleared the scene. All those involved were escorted to the Luminous Citadel for debriefing, including you.

------



In the Luminous Citadel, everyone was assembled before Athos, the Court Mage of the royal family. "Everyone, the operation did not go as smoothly as intended. We had an unfortunate casualty on our hands. That being Sir Juan de la Cruz, even if he is a suspected accomplice. An innocent bystander was also dragged into this mess." He motioned a hand towards Rimlian.

"Fortunately, it is not all grim news for we have apprehended at least one individual who knows much about the criminal ring." He said, referring to Keith. "He is proving to be quite cooperative. So cooperative, in fact, that we suspect he is misleading us. But if they are true, I believe we can take the whole drug operation down soon."

"Sir Enishi, the captured criminal Keith has revealed that he knows about your target Hisana and where she will likely head next." Athos addressed Enishi. "He says that if she does not leave Zauberheim, she will likely be trying to kill him. Keith, I mean. We can dispatch some aid to you if you wish."

"Oh, before I forget. About Keith, we've actually struck a deal with him. In exchange for information, we've agreed to grant him amnesty." Athos revealed. "I know it appears we've made an unwise mistake but he has presented an opportunity to conclude our investigation in our favor. Also, Keith was very adamant about his desire to leave Zauberheim and Razelia altogether. Thus, we believe he will not be causing anymore trouble." The Court Mage was unnerved as he spoke.

"But, Keith is still in custody and he will not be released until we're completely done with him." Athos added. "If you wish to see him for any final words or questions, you may do so."

The Court Mage then addressed Rimlian. "Sir, we are very sorry that you have been dragged into our investigation. We apologize for ruining your business here in Zauberheim" He bowed. "That said, you handled yourself well out there. May we know who you are, sir?"