MagusDream

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: Lambda > Maverick @Aqutanama and Kurogane > Alrune @Dezuel

"Y-y-you s-should leave t-the lady al-alone p-pervert. Please g-g-go away..." Alrune reached out and pointed with his right hand towards Maverick. Somehow his tongue and mouth had lagged behind this time, perhaps it was because of he not having a sheet with what he should sing, or the backup by the bandmembers. Or the ever watchful stare of his manager.

@Dezuel

BGM: Laughter and Merriment (Kingdom Hearts II)

Laughter. Even though the library was supposed to be a place of silence, echoing laughs could be heard inside it. Alrune's rather... nervous approach drew attention. Not the exact one he wanted, everyone was pretty sure. Even the people on the other floors started laughing at his attempt to defend Darla.

"Pfffft... bahahaha!! Wow, good going, hero!! I'm sure she's feelin' hella safe with ya around!!" Kurogane screamed at Alrune, from the second floor, while laughing wildly.

"Hey, he was just trying to help her. Don't laugh at him like that." Lambda scolded him.

"Yeah, suuuuure!! Big... pfft... big fuckin' help, hahahaha!!" Kurogane kept laughing with everyone.

“AH! The hero arrives at last!” He bellowed in as deep a voice as he could. It was only made comical by the inflections of his voice.

“However, what kind of hero comes only after a reward of 2 million gold bars is pleaded with? Shouldn’t the hero be selfless?” He questioned and his voice was once again cracking showing his age. However, he didn’t let it slow him down.

“I digress. I’m here for the princess and no hero will get in my way!” He yelled as he toggled his gravity on in such a way that it would allow him to float in the air. Just like a big bad from any anime. He also made his cloak bellow with the same ability. After that he did as menacing of a laugh as he could and then landed. This would have caused extreme nausea to anyone normal. Thankfully he was more robust than normal.

@Aqutanama

Even more laughter came out from the crowd. Everyone knew Mav was mocking Alrune. The librarians and the rest of the staff were trying to contain the scene, but it was impossible to keep a multitude of people quiet when the atmosphere is hysterical as it was. This was no longer a library, it felt like an enormous circus.

"Oh, this is rich, my stomach hurts! Never woulda thought a library could be this fun!" Kurogane tried to catch some breaths while laughing.

"This isn't funny. You're all bullying him and he was just trying to help." Lambda kept scolding.

"Ah, grow a spine Lamb! Don't tell me ya ain't findin' this just a tad bit funny?" Kurogane asked him.

"No, I'm really not. This whole scene needs to stop, the librarians and the staff are getting angry." Lambda answered.

"Eh, stop it. C'mon, just enjoy the view! Here, they're still going!" Kurogane pointed it out while returning to look at the scene.

Lambda took that window of opportunity to pass through the crowd to head downstairs as quickly as he could. He didn't find this funny, and he thought it wasn't interesting to let this happen any longer. Alrune was now put in a spot of being taken as a joke.

(I'm really sorry Kuro... but I can't watch this any longer.) He thought with himself, going downstairs.

“I’m telling you that I was hired as a cameraman, not some main villain! I’m too young and my voice cracks with every syllable!” He yelled so that the others would hopefully think it was a play rehearsal.

“Furthermore, the lines are crap. Who wrote these lines? I mean the hero comes in and calls him a pervert! Shouldn’t he have some kind of tie to the Villain or something?” He asked her as he moved to Alrune.

“And you! Why did you stutter? I thought we went over the lines time and time again?!” He scolded Alrune in the act while pointing at him. However, lightly as the wind in his sails abated after he noticed the security and staff around them. As he noticed he pulled away from Alrune and bowed towards the staff.

“Apologies! I hope that you got my father’s memo about the play we are creating in honor of this library. Well, we had to change a few things to spice it up. Add a little romance, some comical lines, and get a new lead villain. This was supposed to help invigorate interest in the library in order for more youth to become interested in knowledge. Well, seeking it on their own that is.” Mav lied through his teeth but when he pulled out a business card the staff only nodded and went on their way. They seemed put off by the entire thing but didn’t want to have to deal with the Majere family. He handed a card to a few people here and there. Afterward he moved towards Alrune and Darla handing each a card as well. He hoped that the others would follow along and noted that everyone was dispersing.

@Aqutanama

Applause. The laughter suddenly changed to a round of applause as Mav lied his way around to make it look like a theatrical play being somewhat staged at the library. Many of the students were actually appalled and no one seemed to raise an objection, so they just went ahead and congratulated them for the play. But not all of them were actually convinced, though.

(A play, eh. Guy's smart, I'll give 'im that. He managed to change it around so that it seemed like a total joke. At least he got it out clean.) Kurogane thought.

That's when he looked around to talk with Lambda, realizing he wasn't there. And if he wasn't there, that could only mean one thing...

"Oh, for cryin' out loud...!!" Kurogane muttered while hastily going to the stairs.

Mav placed his right hand over his left breast in a stiff spear handed bow to Darla first and then Alrune.

“So, did I do well enough?” He asked as he came out of the bow. He made sure to look Darla in the eyes and then pointedly look in the direction Reverio headed but not at the door. This was a precaution just in case someone was watching. He pulled out his device and placed it back on his face as he awaited a response.

@Aqutanama

"Humiliating him isn't funny, he was just trying to help her." Lambda spoke.

*BGM fades*

And then there was silence. The time that all the scenes happened was time enough for Lambda to go down through the staircase and reach the bottom floor. He went towards the group and spoke to Mav.

"You're really bothering her. She's really busy with other affairs and you just rudely interrupted her. Please, leave Miss Darla alone, she doesn't want to talk with you." Lambda said to him.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: None

BGM: 3:03 PM by しゃろう

Lambda and Kurogane were reading some books to pass the time. While Lambda had a stack of gardening technique books and was making annotations, Kurogane had to settle with an action storybook since the second floor wasn't housing the comic section.

"Oi, whatcha takin' notes for?" Kurogane asked him.

"These are some gardening techniques that I'm collecting. I want to put them to good use when I go back to school." Lambda answered.

"Flowers, eh? Figures. This hobby fits a Laurel pauper like ya." Kurogane said.

"I've always liked gardening since I was a little kid. I took care of the orphanage's garden and then at my home too." Lambda explained.

"Orphanage? Wait, ya adopted?" Kurogane asked.

"Yes, I'm not blood-related to my father or to my family. He took me in some years ago as his son." Lambda answered.

"Huh... who woulda thought?" Kurogane commented.

"Hehe. I guess it's pretty surprising once I speak it out loud like this." Lambda laughed a little.

"It's just that I kinda get it. I'm not my Master's son, either." Kurogane said.

"By 'Master', do you mean your father? Are you adopted too?" Lambda asked.

"It's a... long story. Way too long. But no, I ain't that bastard's son, just his disciple." Kurogane answered while avoiding details.

"I see. Well, he seems like a kindhearted person." Lambda said, smiling.

"There aren't many things I'm proud of in my life, but meeting him certainly was." Kurogane spoke, proud.

"I'm happy for you Kuro. I don't know what you went through but I'm glad things are working out for you as well." Lambda smiled even more.

"O-O-Oh, uh... thanks. I-I'm happy for ya too, Lamb..." Kurogane thanked him, while looking away.

Kurogane felt his temperature rise and his face get hot. To avoid being seen fully red, he turned his face away, avoiding eye contact with Lambda.

(Fuck, this kid's just too cute for his own good! And bein' happy for me while not knowing me that much doesn't help!) Kurogane thought, being caught by his weakness.

(Did I say something out of turn? Perhaps I shouldn't have been too happy about him, especially since I barely know him. Maybe I should just apologize...) Lambda thought.

*BGM fades away*

But just when Lambda was about to apologize, something happened...

"HELP ME, A PERVERT! HE IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO ME!"

She yelled at the top of her lungs, catching attention on all the library staff and students alight.

@AtomicNut

The sudden scream reached even the second floor, getting the attention of all who were there. Lambda, Kurogane and the other students ran to the balcony to catch a glimpse of what exactly was happening, each of them with their own intentions.

"Yikes, there's an unlucky bastard. Seems like he's messing with a girl from Laurel's." Kurogane snickered.

"That's... I don't know her personally, but I think that's one of my seniors. I've heard about her." Lambda said.

"Oh, so she's famous around yer grounds?" Kurogane asked him.

"If I'm not wrong, that is Darla Drake. She's a 3rd-year at Laurel's, known to be a genius with machines and technology. Some classmates said she can create, fix, modify and enhance whatever she wants without too much trouble." Lambda answered.

"Yeah, gotta say... she fixes more than just machines..." Kurogane commented.

"What do you mean?" Lambda asked.

"Jus' look at her face." Kurogane pointed it out.

"Somebody! Help! I will give two Million to the person who rescues me!" She added, sweetening the pot and stirring the nest as she pointed at Mav, her hands trembling with fake fear.

@AtomicNut

"That's the biggest bluff I've heard today." Kurogane said, nonchalant.

"Maybe we should go and help her." Lambda said, ready to go down. However, Kurogane held him back.

"Dude, she's jus' doin' a show. She doesn't need help, it's written on her forehead." Kurogane explained.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Lambda asked.

"Hand's shaking too much, she's snickerin' left an' right, and ain't no one just gonna offer two million grand just to stop a perv. That's bait to see if some sucker comes up and beats the guy's ass." Kurogane answered.

"E-Even if that were to be the case, I still believe we should go and help her." Lambda said once again, trying to leave. However, Kurogane still held him back.

"Before ya play martyr, why don't ya pay attention to the scene and take yer conclusions afterward?" Kurogane asked.

"Kurogane, please..." Lambda pleaded.

"Trust me just this once, Lamb." Kurogane spoke.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Regina Meitner / Lucy Dolores

Collab post between @Senhara and @MagusDream

Interactions: Regina > Noel (@Letter Bee)

Regina changed her directions and ran to Lucy and her unit. She wasn’t fond of having to join a stranger, but as she said to herself before, she couldn’t just disobey Noel’s orders when he was ranked above her. Once she arrived, she presented herself.

"Specialist Regina Meitner, reporting in. I suppose that you must be Lucy Dolores." Regina said, looking directly at the woman with the metallic arm. "What is the current status of your unit?"

Lucy takes a moment to respond, checking her spare mags. At that time, Regina noticed that her shoulder is bleeding. Oddly enough, it doesn’t seem to be bothering her much, though the sting of the air would occasionally break through with a grimace on her face. “Lucy Dolores, we’re one injured… Five combat capable, including me.” Her hand travels to her rifle, hesitantly glancing to the side. “They probably are watching our formations, stay out of sightlines.”

One of the other soldiers scoffs, “You don’t have to tell me twice, I ain’t getting my head blown off by a magic boy. You the new commanding officer?”

"For the moment, according to Lieutenant Alonso’s orders, I am to lead your squad and aid you here on the frontlines. My squad is fighting inside the shield, currently attacking with RPGs and rifles to cover the ground and air, though that barrier will not last for long." Regina said, looking back at her soldiers.

"I can presume that metallic arm of yours is a Noble Arm. What exactly can it do? And are you able to operate it normally or do you have some sort of restrictions due to your injuries?" Regina asked.

“At least I get a few minutes to chow down on something.” One soldier mutters under his breath. Lucy looks toward Regina at the question of what it can do, but first, she should probably address the injury. “Don’t worry about it, Daedalus is missing a bit of power, but I’ll be fine. As for what Daedalus can do…” She looks to the Arm, clenching the metallic fist with a satisfying click and hiss from within it, looking back to the new commanding officer. “I can blow out eardrums, make you go blind, crush bones, rupture lungs, tear through someone with ease, pick them up and throw them into a tree, pull vehicles apart.” She says, mildly staring at Regina, watching her reactions. “Can also stop bullets, outright kill people at a range… Things like that. This is a weapon of war.” The other chatterbox soldier chuckles, “I was kinda scared when you just made that whole chunk of those fucks drop dead. That one tank also stopped movin too, I think you killed the crew. Let’s hope they don’t have a mind screwy guy. Last thing I want is you after me.”

“Dumbass, you could’ve also been incinerated by whoever did that fire beam if it weren’t for that barrier.” Another comments, to be retorted with “At least it would’ve been fast. Lucy there, she could take her sweet time if she wanted to, eugh.” He ended with a shiver, as the Arms Master huffs and sits, leaning with Daedalus against a wall.

The idle banter between her and the soldiers was something that Regina did ignore. She never believed in the benefit of such a thing, so it wasn’t something she appreciated herself. Though she didn’t show emotions of disgust, keeping her usual coldhearted facade, One could catch a glimpse that she wasn’t in the mood for the laughs and jokes, especially in a situation like this.

"Understood. So your Noble Arm is purely a destructive type gauntlet with enough power to blow up those tanks in half and tear through the enemy with ease if we follow what your soldiers just told me about your power." Regina commented.

She looked back at the battlefield. With the A-Ranks of the enemy approaching fast and already “presenting” themselves and their power, making a safe strategy to avoid casualties was close to impossible right now, without accounting for the other Noble Arms Masters. She grabbed her radio and communicated with her soldiers.

"This is Specialist Meitner. I want an assessment of the situation, stat. Over." Regina ordered

"We are damaging the enemy, but we don’t know if the shield protecting us will last another one of these attacks! Over!" One of her soldiers responded.

"How many ammunition do we still have left?!." Regina asked.

"We might still have enough for another wave, but we need to fall back to the helicopter and fetch said ammo, Specialist! Over!" Her soldier responded.

"Then fall back and recharge! I also want all of you to focus on the ground! Leave the air to the remaining aerial units!" Regina ordered.

"Understood, Specialist Meitner! Over!" Her soldier gave a final response and she plucked the radio back into her belt.

"Alright. Time is running against us. If your Noble Arm can cause that much havoc, we’re going on the offensive. I’ll have to use my Noble Arm as well and follow you. As for your soldiers, I need them shooting at the enemy, at least at the troopers. My squad is already attacking with RPGs, so I suppose we need another type of bullet to kill these bastards while Lieutenant Alonso can handle the enemy’s higher-ups." Regina spoke to Lucy.

She nods, looking back up at Regina. “Your turn. What can your Arm do?”

"My Noble Arm generates this dark cape around me. It also generates… these…" Regina answered Lucy, as the Witch revealed its arms from the cape. "I’m in control of a creature that exists through this dark cape around me. As for what it can do it attacks our foes, although only in close combat."

Lucy lets out a sigh, “Only in close combat… How powerful is the… Thing?” gesturing towards the arms at the end.

"Powerful enough to break a human like a twig and toss a tank away." Regina answered Lucy, remembering her own experience with the Witch on the field.

“So we both fit into a similar combat style.” She speaks, closing her eyes for a moment. “Combined effort not much would survive… Whoever started those fires must be close.” Eyes open. “We’d be most effective hunting the enemy Arm user down and slaughtering them.”

"That we can certainly agree. As it stands though, they’re still attacking us from the distance and not present on the battlefield" Regina agreed.

“The question now is, how do we get them close? I don’t know the enemy well.” Lucy then glances away, quickly looking back at her.

"Hmm… I hate to depend on him… but I digress. Let’s see if we can contact Lieutenant Alonso and see his input. I’d rather not rush ahead without a good view on the field." Regina answered Lucy, displeased with the idea herself.

She nods once more. “Fighting without the right knowledge leads to defeat. Get Alonso.”

Regina grabbed her radio and called upon Noel. "Lieutenant Alonso, respond immediately. We need information on the enemy’s Arms Masters and their current distance before either me or Lucy can move. Over." She spoke on the radio.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: None

The Wolf Befriends the Flower

After crossing the row of stairs, Lambda and Kurogane reached the second floor. They would've stopped at the first one, but the wolf hybrid was so tempted to return back down and go after who done that noise that the white-haired boy had to drag him upstairs. With difficulties, of course, but he managed to do it... somehow.

"Haah... we're at the second floor. It should be OK to remove the muffs now." Lambda spoke, trying to catch some breath.

"Why'd ya stop me? I was just gonna give some punches here and there until I find out the bastard who done it." Kurogane said, removing the muffs and cracking his fists.

"Please, let's keep a low profile from now on and not disturb the remaining students. We've got a warning from the librarians, so let's not anger them furthermore." Lambda said.

"That has nothing to do with ya or with those fuckers. It's between me and the piece of shit." Kurogane complained.

"I'm already involved and I vowed for your stay here. Let's not waste that opportunity and just catch some breath for a second." Lambda explained.

"Grr... fine, I'll stay put..." Kurogane growled, but decided to go along with it.

"Good. Let's find a table and chat a little bit." Lambda suggested.

BGM: Pascal (NieR: Automata)

Lambda and Kurogane walked around the second floor, searching for a vacant table. They eventually found one, right at the furthest end of the floor, completely empty and without too many people surrounding them. They sat down and decided to chat.

"Did the sound stop ringing in your ears?" Lambda asked, concerned.

"Yeah, it's gone. Here, ya can take yer muffs back." Kurogane answered, giving him the muffs.

"I'm glad that it helped you. But what was it exactly? I wasn't able to hear it." Lambda took the muffs back.

"One hellish dog whistle. It was horrible, kinda like a nail scratchin' on a blackboard, but worse than that. And because only dogs can hear it, I got affected by it." Kurogane explained.

"I see... so those wolf ears and tail are real..." Lambda commented.

"Wha, ya thought it was cosplay or somethin' like that too?" Kurogane growled.

"No, no, nothing of the sort. It looks and feels too real to be a costume. I mean, I bumped on you back at the entrance, and your tail was certainly fluffy, like a real wold tail." Lambda responded.

"Oh... wait, now that I'm lookin' at ya... yeah, you're the kid that bumped at me!" Kurogane spoke, after taking a closer look at Lambda.

"Again, I'm really sorry for it. I didn't know where I was looking and I was too excited to get here, so..." Lambda apologized again.

"Like I said, don't sweat it. Figures one of you Laurel paupers be excited to be in this dump." Kurogane answered.

Lambda took that as his way to end the conversation and decided to take a look around the second floor. Compared to the ground floor, it felt so more secluded and quiet. It didn't have much people flooding it, even if the library was at full capacity.

"Oi, why'd ya get so quiet?" Kurogane asked.

"Oh, I was just examining the floor. It's so much quieter than the ground floor." Lambda spoke.

"Ya like bein' alone?" Kurogane asked again.

"Oh no, it's just that... I don't think people get here too often. I guess the subjects of more interest to people are on the floors below." Lambda commented.

"Eh, I came here to hit some comics before headin' back to school. It's not like I have anythin' interestin' to do." Kurogane commented, putting his feet at the table.

"You... shouldn't put your feet on the table. Someone might use it once we leave." Lambda suggested.

"Like I care. These judgemental nerdies can go to the trash for as long as it matters to me." Kurogane complained.

"Umm... OK then..." Lambda decided to not press the matter any further.

"But speakin' of things that I care, I gotta ask ya somethin'." Kurogane said.

"O-Oh! Sure, ask away." Lambda responded.

"Why'd ya help me?" Kurogane asked.

Lambda didn't understand the reason behind the question. Was Kurogane asking him why he decided to help him? If so, why though?

"Umm... pardon, but what is exactly the question?" Lambda asked him.

"I'm askin' ya why did ya decide to help me." Kurogane repeated the question.

"Well, I helped you because you needed help. There isn't any reason to it." Lambda answered.

Despite being given the most simplistic and logical answer to why all of this happened, Kurogane still found himself dumbfounded by Lambda's apparent bravery on helping him. It didn't have a reason to sound weird, but he couldn't just believe what he just heard. Was Lambda ignorant to the relations between Laurel and Kiburi? Or did he just plainly disregarded everything and aided him just because?

"... Y'know that I'm from Kiburi, right?" Kurogane began asking.

"Yes, I do. There's a pin on your jacket identifying you as a student of Kiburi." Lambda answered.

"And ya know that my school and yours aren't best buddies, don't ya?" Kurogane kept asking.

"Well, I did hear some of my classmates speaking about how... unfriendly things are between our schools, but nothing extremely detailed." Lambda answered, doubtful.

"Not to mention, I'm a punk. I ain't some goody-goody puppy who obeys the rules, I do what I want. Ya get that, right?" Kurogane asked once more.

"I mean, you're the one who's describing himself as such. I don't know you that much to actually say a word about this." Lambda answered, nervous.

"Then why didja help me?! I'm a total stranger, I could've thrashed ya in seconds! Your school hates mine!" Kurogane asked his final question.

"Like I said, you needed help. So I helped you, without any specific reason." Lambda repeated his answer.

"Wha...?! Aren't ya at least worried about what folks talk behind yer back, dude?! Ya should've just left me there!" Kurogane kept trying to convince Lambda that he shouldn't have helped.

"There's no way, in good conscience, that I could just leave you there. With or without people talking behind my back." All to amount to nothing.

Kurogane still was shocked. Or rather, even more dumbfounded. "Good conscience"? Is this the reason why this Laurel student decided to help him? Out of some moral or ethic obligation he had? He couldn't believe in what he was hearing, not after everything he went through. Even his Master, despite showing him some kindness, wasn't exactly out of goodwill.

"... I saw my share of strange folks here an' there, but ya gotta be the least sane of all. Either you got some balls of steel, or some crazy savior bullshit to make ya extend a hand to a Kiburi, being from Laurel." Kurogane commented, baffled.

"You're exaggerating. Anyone could've helped you." Lambda said.

"Hell nah. Schools don't mess with each other unless it's a fight. It's a basic rule." Kurogane said.

"But it's not like there's a rule that ban a student from helping another, is there?" Lambda asked.

"Well... uhh... OK, I give ya that one, smarty-pants." Kurogane answered.

"Then I'll just keep helping people, like I always do." Lambda spoke.

"What are ya, a saint in pilgrimage or somethin'?" Kurogane ironized.

"No, just a regular old student." Lambda answered.

"... That was me, joking about ya." Kurogane said, deadpan.

"Oh, sorry! I'm slow to catch up on these sorts of things, I didn't mean to ruin the joke." Lambda apologized.

Hearing that apology over a joke made Kurogane snicker and start laughing by himself, while Lambda looked utterly confused since his apology was very sincere.

"Oh jeez, kiddo... apologizing 'cuz I was joking with ya... pfft..." Kurogane laughed.

"...?" Lambda looked at him, confused.

"Ya know what, for a Laurel pauper boy, yer not half-bad. Not certainly my type of guy, but fun." Kurogane said.

"Umm... I'm glad to hear that, I guess. You're a nice person too." Lambda responded.

"Heh, says you. Ey, what's yer name? Unless ya want me to call ya "kiddo" all the time." Kurogane asked.

"I'm Lambda. Lambda Lazuli, a first-year at St. Laurel's. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wolf." Lambda introduced himself.

"No "Mr." and "Wolf", dude. Name's Kurogane Ookami. Just call me Kurogane, Lamb." Kurogane introduced himself.

"Alright then. Wait, did you just call me "Lamb"?" Lambda asked.

"Yep, I'm calling ya Lamb, like the sheep. Fits you, right?" Kurogane spoke, smiling.

"Hehe. It sort of does." Lambda answered, giggling.

---

Zephyr Regrard

Location: Sir Clausewitz's School for the Militarily Minded, Faculty Office
Interactions: None

The Menace No One Wants Around

Zephyr arrived at the faculty office. He was supposed to participate in the assembly for the reception of a new student like everyone but the teachers who would be present at the assembly decided to not have him around. Instead, he was sent to speak about his discipline around the school... or the lack of, so to speak.

"... I've arrived." He spoke.

BGM: Into the Dark Clouds (Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt)

"... How many times must this keep happening until you're satisified, Zephyr?" A girl asked.

"I can't say. I've lost count." Zephyr answered.

"Always with the "can't say" answer. You're such a piece of work sometimes, I don't know why do I keep trying to vouch for you." She complained.

"You're the one who insists on doing this, Melissa." Zephyr answered.

The person who was confronting him was none other than Melissa Margrave, a fellow classmate and a member of the Student Council, representing the Student Disciplinary Comittee. She and Zephyr were friends ever since their first year at Clausewitz's. However, Zephyr's actions made their friendship grow strained. As of now, their relationship stands on a thin line, ready to break at every second.

"Well, I insist because I'm ordered to! Do you think that I enjoy staying here, at the faculty office, without a single soul except you?!" Melissa argued.

"If you don't like it, you can just stop. There's nothing blocking you from quitting." Zephyr spoke.

"May I remind you that I'm currently the only one who's able to put up with your antics because you're driving this place to become a sanatorium?! With a morgue and cemetery included?!" She questioned him.

"I'm doing nothing wrong. Like I said, you're the ones insisting in this foolishness." Zephyr answered.

"Nothing wrong? NOTHING WRONG?! You're seriously looking at me right now and you're trying to vouch for your innocence?!" Melissa kept questioning.

"Isn't this school supposed to be for the "military minded"? What fault do I have if people don't get strong?" Zephyr answered with a question.

"And you think that's your "trump card" to justify your little chaos?! This is a school to create soldiers, not a murder fest between students!" Melissa argued.

"You speak as if I actually done something like that." Zephyr said.

*BGM fades*

"Oh, don't you dare start the "play dumb" bullshit with me, Zephyr! You know exactly what you did!" She slammed the table.

"Ugh... here it goes..." He said, complaining.

BGM: Witch Trials (Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant)

"The last punisher we had to bring over to control you, an innocent passing student in the morning... you almost got them killed!! And it wasn't just them, we have a list of people who escaped a worse fate by an inch!! I repeat, and I quote: A FUCKING LIST!!" She screamed.

"And that's my problem because...?" Zephyr asked.

"Goddamn you and your aloofness, don't you know the gravity of the situation?! The faculty is after the Student Council like harpies for us to fix your sorry ass!!" Melissa explained, angry.

"You missed the point, so let me be more clear. So my problem is that people aren't good enough to be interesting, is that it?" Zephyr kept answering nonchalantly.

"Son of a... do you know that the only reason you weren't expelled yet was because of the generous, and I mean GENEROUS amounts of money your parents pay to the school, just so that you can stay here and not get kicked out?!" She kept saying in an angry tone.

"Well, if playing the villain actually makes my life exciting, I might as well do it." He answered.

"You're not the center of the world, dumbass. There are other people around you, try to think about them! Like, your parents! Don't you want to give them a break?!" Melissa questioned him.

"They don't give me what I want, so why should I?" Zephyr asked.

"Oh for the love of... how can you be so damn entitled?!" Melissa asked.

"The same parents that pay this dump to keep me around are the same parents that gave me everything. Blame them for my entitlement, Melissa." Zephyr answered.

"... You seriously are the worst. I don't even know how exactly you and I are... well, "friends". I don't know if I go with that or with something else." Melissa complained.

"You know the way I function: I keep what I like, and I dispose of what I don't like. It has always been like that and it'll always be." Zephyr said.

"And the lives of other students, personnel and eveything else are just toys for you to play around?" Melissa asked.

"If you don't want that to happen, make sure people are actually prepared before they confront me." Zephyr answered.

Melissa was at a loss of words. She didn't know what else to say. This wasn't the first time, it's not going to be the last and God knows when it'll stop. Zephyr was a coldhearted menace who only cared about what he wanted in life. And to make matters worse, he was being kept around because the Regrard family doesn't want him back either. She was starting to lose her mind, trying to figure out a way to make the teachers and students feel more tranquil about living with him.

"Anyway, are we done here Melissa? Can I leave now?" Zephyr asked.

"... Please do. If I talk one more word with you, I'm going primal." Melissa sighed.

"Fine then. Good day." Zephyr spoke, leaving the room.

After closing the door, Zephyr left back to his room. He still had some time before going to class. Melissa just sat in a chair, trying to contain her anger after another failure. She was getting tired of it. Not just because it seemed pointless, but because she had no more mind. She wasted years of dignity vouching for Zephyr, all for absolutely nothing. She always wondered what did she even mean to him, and didn't want to think about it at the same time. With a loud sigh, she looked at the faculty office's roof.

"... If only a miracle... if only something could make Zephyr stop this..." She spoke to herself.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: None

BGM: Voile, the Magic Library still playing

Before he could go upstairs to the floor where he would find the gardening books, Lambda distracted himself with the library's huge structure, so he stood there dazing and lost in thought. There were so many people, from various schools gathered there, so he thought about the possibility of finding any of his classmates or other students from St. Laurel's. He was still relatively new to the student body, so he didn't know anyone that deeply yet.

(Whoa... I know that I said this at least three times, but this place is huge! Maybe a tour around won't be too much a problem, before going to the gardening section.) He thought with himself.

Changing his route a little bit, he decided to take a look around the other sections before going where he should. That's when a loud noise echoed in the halls.

*BGM stops*

"AAAAAARGH!!" Kurogane growled loudly.

"Huh?! What was that?" Lambda spoke, looking around.

When he finally caught up where the voice came, he found Kurogane, kneeling at the ground, blocking his wolf ears in pain. The whistle that Darla (@AtomicNut) crafted played an absurdly loud screech that could easily make any caninae feel a hurting world. The rest of the people in the area just looked at him, not understanding what exactly was happening. Not Lambda, who went there to help him.

"H-Hey, are you OK?" Lambda asked him.

"Urgh... this fuckin' noise...! Make it stop, make it stop!!" Kurogane kept growling.

"What is going on here?! Can you please not disturb the other readers?!" One of the librarians came to them.

"I-I'm sorry, my friend here is sensitive to noises. I think he caught up a noise that's hurting his ears." Lambda explained to the librarian.

"Then please tell him to keep himself silent! He already caused a ruckus moments ago! One more and I'll expel him out!" The librarian warned them.

"Y-Yes. My apologies, he'll tone it down from now on." Lambda assured the librarian, who just huffed and left back to the central table.

Kurogane was still kneeling when Lambda opened his bag, trying to find something to help him. Whether this was luck or not, he had a pair of ear muffs in his bag. He took them out and placed them at Kurogane's wolf ears.

"Khhhh...!! H-Huh...? The noise..." Kurogane said, as the noise started to muffle out in the distance.

"Is it better now?" Lambda asked him, quietly.

"Y-Yeah, it's better. Thanks." Kurogane answered him.

"Good. Now please, come with me." Lambda said, whispering.

"Huh? To where? And why should I go with you?" Kurogane asked him.

"I'll explain it once we sit down. For now, just stick with me for a while and talk really quietly, okay?" Lambda told him.

"... Sure. Lead the way." Kurogane answered.

They both got off the ground. Lambda took Kurogane to the upper floors, as to leave the scene as soon as possible. Meanwhile, other people started to find weird that a student from St. Laurel's was helping someone from Kiburi's. And most of all, calling it a friend. The schools were so different, like night and day, and so was the pair who just left. However, no one stopped them at any given point, as they went right ahead to the first floor.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: Lambda > Reverio (@Dezuel)

BGM: Lotus Love -Remastered- still playing

"Excelsior! You are not bothering me at all, young sir. You are also correct, I am Reverio Galand. I hope these classmates have not been speaking too ill of me? To whom do I owe the pleasure of speaking with? Are you here to... lend a few books aswell, or is it the architechture that peeks your interest?" Reverio assumed his usual pose for greeting people, which involved a formal but polite bowing motion, with one hand over his heart.

@Dezuel

"Oh no, they haven't, I assure you! They said of you as a courteous and elegant gentleman. And now that I met you, I can assure you they were right!" Lambda spoke, smiling. "I'm Lambda Lazuli, a first-year at St. Laurels. Sorry for the sudden appearance again, I just thought it'd be nice to talk a little with a fellow student from school." He introduced himself. Not as elegantly as Reverio, but polite enough to someone of his caliber.

"I decided to take the day to study some gardening, so I came here to gather books on advanced and different techniques. As I'm the responsible one for our school's garden, as the council nominated me, there's much for me to learn." He explained his reasons.

"Was that cat man with you?" Reverio asked. He had to ask.

@Dezuel

"Cat man...? Oh, you mean the guy I bumped into earlier? No, he's a stranger I never met! Though I'm pretty sure he's more like a wolf, not a cat...?" Lambda answered.

He then stopped to think that, maybe, he was out of turn to actually call out Reverio like this, in the middle of nowhere and without reason. Lambda has the problem of being overfriendly and overbearing. Though not many people call him out for it (at least, not in front of him), he gets this sense of consciousness... every now and then, when he's not distracted by the fact he has been talking with someone for too much.

"Anyway, I think I should get going for now. I'd love to chat more, but I'm sure you have your own reasons to be here, and I don't want to hold you out at the entrance for too long. It was nice to meet you! We'll see each other back at school!" Lambda spoke, taking his leave and running inside the library.

BGM: Voile, the Magic Library (Touhou Azure Reflections)

Once he went inside the library, the grandeur of the interior matched the exterior's beautiful design. The library had an enormous collection of bookshelves, all of them filled to the brim with books on the most varied subjects. And just as expected, the library was also filled with many types of students. Chatter was mostly whispery, but he could still see that people were engaged in fervent discussion and conversation, with debate and laughter mixed in-between the talking.

(Wow... this place is gigantic! It's even bigger than the library back at home, or even at school! This is getting me a little excited!) Lambda thought with himself.

"Welcome, young sir. Do you need any help today?" A soft voice spoke to him.

When he looked at the voice's owner, it was the library's receptionist. Lambda went to the counter and inquired about the gardening books... but not before pulling some trivialities and formalities first.

"Hello. Today's a good day, isn't it? Are you doing well?" Lambda asked.

"Ah... yes. And I'm doing fine, young sir. Anyway, how can I help you?" The receptionist answered, being caught by surprise.

"That's good to know. Oh, I actually wanted to know where I can find books about gardening. This library's so big I might get lost, haha." He laughed gently.

"I can imagine. Well, the gardening section is located further northeast, right on the library's second floor." The receptionist instructed him.

"Wonderful! Thank you very much for your help." Lambda thanked her.

"It was nothing. Oh, and if you wish to rent books, please consult the librarians on the first floor, right in the library's very center. You can't miss it, it's a huge and round table." The receptionist informed him.

"Right at the center, first floor... got it! Have a nice day and a wonderful shift!" Lambda thanked her once again, taking his leave.

As for Kurogane, he did the exact opposite from Lambda. Once he had entered the building, he didn't ask the receptionist for help (because he didn't want to tell her that he was just killing time and looking for some comics). And now, he was utterly lost in the gigantic library without any knowledge of where to go, where he could sit, and where exactly the comic section was. The worse part is that he was getting loads of stares from other people. Not only because of his looks but because of his canine ears and his tail, which were somewhat uncommon. That combination of situations was making him angry by the second.

(Yeesh, I don't know where to go, everything looks the same in this place! And these damn nerdy pieces of shit giving me the stares... I'm holding myself back but I wanna punch the next person that looks at me funny!) He thought, angry.

With no other option, he decided to head back to the entrance and try asking the receptionist he had once ignored. Once again, there were loads of stares for him to (try to) ignore. What he couldn't ignore though were the voices. Having a set of four ears, two human and two animal, was good enough to make his sense of hearing more enhanced than usual, but that also meant that some whispers didn't exactly escape him.

"Is that guy seriously wearing dog ears and tail? Like, seriously, go cosplay somewhere else." A girl whispered to her friends.

"What a dork. Who would wear those things in the library? Fool." A guy whispered to his group.

"Are those real? They look so real! I wonder where he bought that..." Another boy whispered to himself.

"You guys havin' fun, talkin' trash 'bout me? Why don't ya stop whispering and say that to my face, huh?" Kurogane spoke out loud, glaring at them.

They stopped looking and returned to read. The librarians looked right at Kurogane and stared at him, with him glaring back at them.
He just walked towards the entrance as he planned.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Lambda Lazuli / Kurogane Ookami

Location: The Grand Library
Interactions: Lambda > Reverio (@Dezuel)

After walking some more, Kurogane ended up reaching the Grand Library, a place favored by the youths of Rhea who pursued knowledge. This was far from being his favorite place, though. He couldn't exactly "have fun" in the middle of a library like he wished to. Rule of silence, after all. However, he did remember hearing someone at his school talking about some comics that were kept in the library. Perhaps he could waste some more time. He wasn't actually interested in going back to school anyway. And hey, the library could be a really good excuse to use if he'd be actually questioned over why he skipped class.

He approached the huge building. It was prestigious and luxurious, offsetting for someone like him. This wasn't exactly a place for people like him to be going in. Everything felt so grand, it was almost blinding. To a punk and ex-convict, books aren't what one could call "fun".

(Yeesh, this ain't the place for me... maybe I shoulda step back and not go in.) He thought, regretting his decision.

That's when he saw a guy being kicked out like trash by... something. He didn't exactly know what that something was but it was strong enough to toss a jock of that size back to a dumpster. And it looked like a girl... maybe? He couldn't exactly tell. He did get surprised, but excited about that fact.

"Heh, so these kinda stuff happen at a place like this? That sounds like my type of place. I'm definitely going in after this." He spoke to himself, going inside the library and avoiding the two people standing outside, but not without giving the guy at the entrance a glance.

He seemed like a noble. And by the looks of his uniform, he belonged to St. Laurel's. From what Kurogane had heard of that school, it was perhaps the most peaceful of all four grand schools. At least, it was nothing like Kiburi's. They had a better set of rules and whatnot, something his school didn't have and never needed, apparently. They also wear their school's crested uniform more than the regular, while he didn't have that much of a problem in his school.

(So he's one of them Laurel's paupers, eh? Yeah, that high and mighty, oh so noble attire of his is sure to hit the mark on that school's fame.) He thought.

That's when someone bumped into Kurogane from behind. Luckily he managed to hold his ground, otherwise he and this other person would've fallen on the spot.

"OWW!! Oi, what the hell?! Look where you're walking!" Kurogane complained while turning to see the person who bumped into him.

BGM: Lotus Love -Remastered- (Touhou Gensokyou: Lotus Land Story)

When he looked, it was a white-haired boy. He was shorter than Kurogane, and also belonged to St. Laurel's. He was wearing a rather beautiful scarf and comfortable clothing. He had his black bag with him on his shoulder, and his eyes were shining red.

"Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to actually bump into you, I was distracted." The boy spoke.

This would be the moment in which Kurogane would actually do a snappy comeback, but he wasn't able to. The boy standing right in front of him was the kind that he was weak against: the cute ones. As a guy who's weak to cute objects, animals, and even people, Kurogane lost all his anger and couldn't respond with the same attitude you would expect from a punk.

"N-Nah, it's fine. Just pay more attention the next time." He spoke, rather mildly.

"Of course! And once again, I'm sorry." The boy apologized.

"No big deal." Kurogane spoke, as he went inside, scratching his head.

Lambda Lazuli. One of the most recent students at St. Laurel's, starting his first year of school. The sole heir of the Lazuli family, though not by blood. A young and chirpy boy with a brilliant smile and happy demeanor, fighting against the cursed fame of his new family, which stains him even if unwarranted. Although he faces such a fate, he's not exactly hated by the people. That's all thanks to his power and, well, his natural personality.

(What a blunder... I hope he's really not hurt. I wasn't even able to speak with him properly.) Lambda thought.

Considering today was a day off in St. Laurel's, he decided to go to the library and study something regarding flowers and plant cultivation to pass the time. He has gardening as a hobby and is responsible for maintaining the school's garden even though he's just a first year. What he wanted was to learn advanced and different techniques to make a happier garden. Once he recovered himself, Lambda tidied himself up and checked his surroundings. That's when he saw a fellow school student standing at the entrance with a gynoid apparently welcoming him. He was relatively new to the school, but that student looked somewhat familiar to him. As if he had actually heard about this student somewhere in the school. Either way, he decided to greet him.

"Hello! Sorry to be bothering you, but you're from St. Laurel's too, right? If I'm not wrong, I think you're Reverio Galand. I heard some classmates talk about you." Lambda asked him.

The Return of Magic - An Intro

Tristan Kingsley Parter

Location: 666 Mystic Lane, MA

Interactions: Xan (@Randomness), Ashe (@Timemaster), Alora and The Benefactor (@MagratheanWhale)

---

Drinks floated towards Tristan and the others who were the last to arrive. He'd seen too many "accidents" involving these drinks whenever he was around, so he opened it carefully. Once opened, he began to drink the soda calmly, while still paying attention to the room.

“Oh, yeah?” said Xan as he walked next to Tristan, “Could still be the house, given what we’ve just witnessed. Though, it doesn’t look like you guys were the meal, yeah? At least, not yet.”

@Randomness

"Meal...? What do you even mean?" Tristan asked Xan, as he was one of the few who had missed the timing on the house "eating" people to bring them inside.

" Chill down princess. It's magic. Haven't you seen any movies? Someone is flexing their magic muscles to show us they're the boss. Think about it, if they wanted us dead, we would be already. Have a drink and wait for it. Worst case scenario, hold tight to the couch. I can't promise where we'll end up but it'll be better than here. " said Ashe to Alora as she shouted.

@Timemaster

(She's already starting to nickname people... This can't be good.) Tristan thought, looking at Ashe. He already felt that she and him would definitely end up in trouble if somehow they were paired together.

"First, don't call me princess ever again," she paused as she flashed a finger. "Second, I haven't had magic long and I could not find even the smallest bit of information online about this magic. Forgive me if I seem amiss." Pausing again as she flashed two fingers. "Third, if wanted to hear your advice I would ask you for it." The third finger flew up as a dull thud could be heard. The noise was soft, almost rhythmic, and seemed to be coming from a far corner of the house. Anora paused as she turned her head back to the center of the room, back to the man, and back to the center of the room. "And fourth, and finally, why did the ghost stop sweeping?"

@MagratheanWhale

"... There was a *THUD* sound just now. I guess the host arrives to greet us." Tristan said to Alora.

With the house going bonkers as the *THUD* sounds grew closer and louder, he could only stand in anticipation. His prediction could be right in the money and the man... woman... whoever it was that summoned them was arriving just now. Normally, these sorts of events could be blamed on Tristan and his power, seemingly as if the curses that were being spread around were making this horror scene. But this time it wasn't. No curse was affecting the house. And then, just as he wondered...

BGM: The Forbidden Advent Garden: Salem (Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant)

"Welcome," the man's voice bellowed. It was deep, and his accent sounded almost English but mixed with something older. "We have much to discuss. You may call me the benefactor."

@MagratheanWhale

It didn't take long for the Benefactor to finally show himself to the group. Tristan looked at him and felt a shiver running down his spine as if the cold wind from the outside had extinguished all of the house's warmth. The man standing right in his front was no mere joke: he may look like a senior from a retirement house, but he had power enough to make the once moving objects stop and tremble. And not just the objects, the group was also paralyzed in fear. However, Tristan knew it was better than to be the first one to suggest running away. There was no escape, he was sure of it. Even if he tried to move away from that place, the Benefactor could bring him back in a blink of an eye. That was how much power he had in store, and it felt almost as if it wasn't even the beginning of it.

"..." Tristan breathed, grabbing his drink.

The second thing that Tristan felt from the Benefactor was related to his power: an absence of malevolent energy. Or, if not absent, it was very well hidden, to the point that he couldn't feel it. Whatever energy he had was nowhere near a curse. If it was, though, he wasn't able to absorb it. This sort of situation came as naturally as day and night, and yet... this was the first time and the first person in which Tristan's power wasn't working.

(Should I... feel safe around him? No, the fact he carries no malevolence can't be a good omen... or is he hiding it from me? I... this is so confusing. He's the first person I cannot feel anything. But why?) Tristan thought, in a mix of stupor and fright.

"You all must have questions that demand answers," the benefactor spoke with gravitas, "I intend to answer them in kind." The benefactor finished as he shifted his weight onto his cane.

@MagratheanWhale

His deep voice seemed to echo deeply inside his mind, enough to awaken him back to reality. He didn't know if the others had questions of their own, but he wasn't going to lose this opportunity to actually ask.

"How did you find all of us at once? What sort of... being are you to pull such a thing?" He asked.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Kurogane Ookami

Location: Park of Rhea
Interactions: None

BGM: Cassete Tape Dream by しゃろう

It was a beautiful day in the park. The sun was shining brilliantly throughout the sky. Classes were already happening, but he just simply wasn't feeling like it, so he just skipped the morning and decided to take a stroll out in town. It's not like he was totally forbidden from doing it so, considering no superior from the school ever came to actually stop him from just bailing out. And he wasn't in the mood to study but to just rest under a beautiful tree and enjoy a tranquil morning under a tree's shade. The crickets sang as the wolf boy just started to hum a tune by himself.

"Aaaaah~... nothin' like a good snooze under a tree to make the night, eh?" He spoke to himself.

Kurogane Ookami, a 2nd-year student of Lord Kiburi's School for the Truly Exceptional. He's considered to be a "delinquent" by some other students, but his records are clear as a freshly cleaned window... though, not exactly. While he hasn't committed any actions that would sully his school registry, he's not off the hook. He was a street thug, now going through reformation in order to clean his record. He still keeps the memory in his heart regarding how it all went.

(It's been three years since I've been under Master's tutelage, eh? Can't say it has been all flowers, but it's fun. Though the way we met was utter bullshit.) He thought, remembering the day he met the one who "saved him" in the past.

The Deal to a New Life

Kurogane was pushed by the guards to the prison's meeting room. He was handcuffed, so despite how much he struggled, little there was for him to do. There, waiting for him, sat a mysterious man, wearing a kimono and looking at him. The guards made him sit on the chair, as he faced the man.

"So, you're Kurogane, huh?" The man said.

"Whaddya want, old geezer? If I stole somethin' from ya, then it's too late to come at me." Kurogane answered.

"How brazen, little wolf. They did say that you were a good-for-nothing punk with a short temper and an abrasive tongue." The man answered.

"... You wanna piece o' me? 'Cuz yer certainly askin' for it, and I don't care if yer 60, I beat ass whether young or old!" Kurogane growled.

"Hahahaha! Boy, oh boy... kid, you're too young to even touch me. It'll take you at least 35 years before you can get at my level." The man laughed.

"That's it!! I'm gonna grind that pretty face to dust!!" Kurogane roared.

Even though he was handcuffed, he still leaped at the man. The guards jumped into action, but the man was faster and subdued Kurogane with a single hand, forcing him into the table and almost breaking it.

"Arrrrrrgh!!" Kurogane roared in pain.

"Calm down boy, calm down. I told you, you can't do anything against me." The man said.

"Grrrr... goddamn these handcuffs!! If I didn't have them holdin' me back, I would've-" Kurogane kept growling, trying to break out from his pinned position.

"Kid, will you just sit down and listen for a second? As much as it's fun seeing you pinned down like this, I have other things to do." The man spoke.

Kurogane tried to keep resisting as much as he could, without any success. The guards approached them and held the boy back on his chair, while the man cleaned his hands.

"Motherfucker... who the hell are you?!" Kurogane questioned.

"My name is Den Ookami. Kurogane, I came here because I have a deal to strike with you." The man presented himself and his intentions.

"Deal? What deal?! You wanna sell my body or some shit?!" Kurogane kept questioning.

"If I wanted to sell you, I wouldn't have bothered to come here. I'd just buy you from the police and that's that." Den answered.

"Then just spill it out already, man!" Kurogane growled again.

"Hasty, aren't you? Very well. I came here to... adopt you, for the lack of a better term." Den said.

Kurogane looked utterly confused. Why would someone go out of his way to adopt a kid who's currently behind bars when there are pure, innocent kids out there, waiting for someone to call them "son" or "daughter"?

"Dude... if whatcha want is a kid, ain't there better options? The hell yer doing here, wanting me?" Kurogane asked, confused.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong. You're not going to be exactly my kid. More like... my pupil, maybe?" Den answered.

"Pupil? So what, you think I'm gonna call ya Master or some shit? Well, if that's the case, then get lost." Kurogane said, bothered.

"I knew you would say that. Good thing I came prepared for this already." Den answered.

From his beautiful kimono, he took out some papers. When Kurogane looked, it was his probation file, his registry as a prisoner, and a deal to swap his sentence.

"If you follow through with my proposal, I can guarantee you that you'll be free from this prison. Right there is a deal to grant you parole. All you'll have to do is live under my roof and my orders, and you let me do the rest." Den spoke, smiling.

"What the... but... why? Why do ya want to help me?" Kurogane asked.

"You're not some thief that has been stealing because it's fun. You did this because you had no other choice but to survive this way. And you wanted to protect those little friends you made on the streets too. That I can respect, so I'm offering you a different approach to your goal WITHOUT the need to steal things from people." Den explained.

"I-I get that... but why me, of all people?" Kurogane asked again.

"Well, I see in your eyes someone who has gone through a lot. Maybe that experience you had, wherever it was, could help someone in need. And a boy like you, with a big heart like yours, will do it just fine, won't you?" Den answered.

Hearing that made Kurogane cry. The tough and violent boy who was acting so brave has been dominated by teardrops and was bawling like a child. The kindness that Den had was something Kurogane never experienced himself throughout his entire life. Memories of the circus came by, as he kept crying.

"So then, what is your answer? Do you want another chance at like, Kurogane?" Den asked, gently.

"M... mmhmm..." He answered amidst tears.

"Good. Then sign the deal for me." Den instructed him.

Kurogane looked at the deal. He didn't bother to read the words and just did the best signature he could. Even if he wanted to read, he was crying too much for him to actually make any sentences out of it. Once he finished signing the deal, he gave the paper back to Den.

"Alright. Now I need you to be brave and wait for me. In the next days, I'll be getting you out of here and you'll start a new life under my tutelage, got it?" Den instructed him again.

"Y-Yeah sir..." Kurogane answered.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Kurogane Ookami." Den said, leaving the room.

Kurogane looked at his clothes and then at the park. He never imagined having this sort of freedom before in his life. Now, he was a student at Lord Kiburi's, and his parole was going better than ever since he was keeping himself on the line. He didn't want to return back to prison or disappoint his master. Though missing the Midnight Tournament will have to require some explanation from him, he felt as if everything was going to be fine, and that he may have avoided a big bullet for not going with the others.

"Hnngh! Alright, I'm rested up and enjoyed a good night. Time to head back." He spoke, getting up.

He got up and left the park, going down the streets. He looked at the beautiful sky while walking down the path back to the school. He had to get back to the dorm otherwise he would be lost in the middle of the town, and that would end up becoming another explanation, one he actually didn't want to give. He may be used to live in the streets, but he certainly wouldn't want to be found by any officer who would even suggest that he was doing something bad. The cops weren't exactly friendly, so it was better to dodge them than to provoke them, especially in the middle of the day.

---

Zephyr Regrard

Location: Sir Clausewitz's School for the Militarily Minded, Corridor
Interactions: None

BGM: Fortress of Lies (NieR: Automata)

Morning came, and so started another day for the students. The most rigid school in all of Rhea had its students all awake and risen up in the first hour of the morning. Whether this was a way to separate the strong from the weak-willed was unknown, but they were already used to it. The bustling students still had some moments to make use of before heading off to their classes.

(It's that annoying day of the week. Again. What a pain...) He thought to himself.

Zephyr Regrard. One of the most popular, yet dangerous students in Sir Clausewitz's School for the Militarily Minded. Many students admired his strength, others hated his attitude. The same thing could be said about the teachers. Zephyr wasn't their cup of tea, since he was one of the most problematic students in the school. He has good grades to compensate for the number of disciplinary problems he carries on his record. But this was something that didn't matter to him. Something so fickle as "reputation" could be easily twisted around if he ever had the interest to bother with such a thing.

"Zeeeeeeephyyyyyyyr~!!" A voice called for him.

When he looked behind, a female student was going in his direction. Her friends were looking all from a distance, no one wanting to get even close to him. He looked at her with his deadpan visage, as she spoke to him.

"W-Wow... I can't believe that I'm actually able to talk to you! This is such a miracle!" The girl spoke, excited.

"... What do you want?" He asked.

"Well, my friends are going to hang out after school, so I thought that maybe you could come along with us!" She spoke, excited.

"Pass. Now go bother someone else." He answered.

"Oh really? Then... maybe you and I can have some fun together? Just the two of us?" The girl asked.

"Huh? Why?" He questioned.

"I mean, you're one of the coolest guys in school, so maybe a date between you and me will be a hit for the ages! I mean, I'm pretty cute myself, so we totally match!" She answered.

"I don't want to. Now get lost." He spoke, turning his back on her and leaving.

"Whaaaaat?! Awww, come on Zeeeeeeephyyyyr~!! Just one daaaaaate, pleeeeease!!" She spoke, grabbing his arm.

"... Let go of me, you bitch." He ordered, looking at her coldly.

"You don't have to be that mean, you know?! It's just one date, it's not going to hurt you, right?! After that, I'll leave you alone, but please, please let me just have this chance! I swear, it's going to be lots of fun and we can have a nice coffee, or tea, or even some beers to make it account..."

The girl kept speaking... until she couldn't. Zephyr used his powers to mute her "volume" and make him unable to hear her. As he did that, he turned his back on her and kept walking, ignoring her as if she didn't exist while she kept talking and even start to bawl in sadness and humiliation after being rejected. He didn't care for her feelings. All he wanted right now was silence. Especially from her annoying voice.

(Ending her with my power is a waste of my time. I bet she wouldn't be able to wake up for the next week, which would do me a huge favor... but I'm not going to. I'll just go to the faculty office as I was instructed.) He thought.

That's when another student, this time a male, stopped him in his tracks. He looked pissed at Zephyr, who didn't change his own face as they stared each other in the face.

"What the hell's your problem?! How can you leave a girl like that after she invited you out, dude?! You got no heart or something?!" He asked.

"If you're interested in her, go ahead and pick her up. Now let me go before I make you." Zephyr said.

"You think you're some super bigshot that can just order us around like some minions, huh? People like you need to learn a lesson." The student retorted, getting angrier.

"... Let me go and get out of my sight, you worm." Zephyr demanded.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S A WORM HERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

*BGM stops*

The student tried to punch Zephyr, who evaded him. Without any second thought, Zephyr put his headphones in his ears, used his power, and released a disturbing and loud noise in the area. All the students around them instantly blocked their ears as the cacophonic sound invaded the inside of their heads. The student crouched as he was the closest one to Zephyr and the noise was ridiculously high where he stood. Taking advantage of that, Zephyr hit him with a roundhouse kick in the head.
The student fell down and tried to get up, but Zephyr stomped on his head before he could even move.

BGM: You Want It (Resident Evil: Code Veronica)

"UGH!!" The student groaned.

"Pathetic little whelp. Should I finish your life right now?" Zephyr asked.

"Y-You wouldn't dare...!!" The student spoke, in pain.

"Then you'd do well to think twice before confronting me again. I'll let you live today, but there won't be a second time." Zephyr said.

He then kicked the student's head as if it was a football. The strength was enough to cause the student to bleed and fall unconscious. The other students watched the scene agape, while a few of them decided to go to help. The girl who was bawling changed her expression to a horrified face as she looked at him. She quickly got up and ran away back to her friends.

(Utterly boring. It's really not worth ending this bastard more than what I already did.) Zephyr thought.

He put on his headphones and walked away towards the faculty office, as he initially intended to. Some students picked up the injured one and ran to the infirmary. The others who stood there, still shocked at the coldhearted colleague, all took their phones out and began to warn everyone. The message began to spread around the school, as quickly as spam to an e-mail. And the warning was very clear:

"Don't mess with the Maestro... or else he'll kill you."

*BGM ends*

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Location: Lingayen Beach, Municipality of Lingayen, Lingayen Gulf
Interactions: None

The brilliant light that covered the whole area was enough to engulf the ground in blazes and raze the sand to cinders. The horrific scene was only visible after this cruel sunlight dissipated at last. If it wasn't for the barrier, they'd be dead on the spot.

BGM: Into the Dark Clouds (Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt)

When Regil opened his eyes, he saw the scene. The horror took his eyes completely, the scene was imprinted on his mind.

"Holy Mother Mary, what the..." One of Regina's soldiers commented.

"W-What the hell was that?!" Another one questioned.

"... Figures. The enemy brought its big guns. If we have ours, then they have some of their own too." Regina commented.

"It's one of those blasted Arm thingies those tech nerds at home kept speaking about. Fucking hell..." A third soldier complained.

(This... is this war? To just destroy the ground like it was nothing... and for what?) Regil thought, horrified.

"Specialist Meitner, how are we going to do this? Should we retreat and regroup?" The pilot asked.

*BGM ends*

"Retreat? Go do it yourself if you want." She answered.

"S-Specialist Meitner?" The pilot questioned her.

"So what if the enemy has one of these Noble Arms? So what if this was some possible new nuclear weapon these bastards made? If they're going to play the heavy guns, then so am I." Regina said.

Regina's Battle Theme: Old Fear

She unsheathed her dagger, her Noble Arm. Darkness started to envelop Regina, taking the form of a black cape. From it, blood-red eyes began to open and look at the field, unhinged, crazy, demented, and hungry. Two gigantic hands revealed themselves from the cape as if they were part of it. A strange laugh echoed among the field if only momentarily, sounding like a child giggling yet a monstrous intent could be felt from it.

"Cover me with your guns and make sure to defend Regil. The enemy might already know that his power's giving us the advantage, so that's why they decided to raze the ground to cinders." Regina ordered her soldiers.

"W-What are you going to do, Regina?" Regil asked.

"I'm stepping in. I'll wipe these Chinese smirks off just because some attack almost ended us all." She answered.

"An attack at that power and density could only mean that it's a Noble Arm at work! We don't know if it's safe to go in the frontlines right now-" Regil tried to suggest, but she cut him off.

"And since when all of this was safe, to begin with?" She retorted.

"Well, that's just because... I..." But he lost his words.

"... This is war, not a playground. If you don’t have the guts to spill blood, leave this place to those with the actual courage to do it. We don't need weaklings, we need soldiers. People who'll grab a weapon and are ready to defend their lives at all cost. We don't give a shit to ethics and morals if we want to live another day." Regina said, coldly.

Regil had to bite his tongue before answering her. This wasn't the same Regina he once knew. She changed. She saw the tragedy of war, blood being spilled, and lives being destroyed. Something he could only see and hear from afar. The soldiers questioned themselves why Regina would say that to her own brother, whom she called here in the first place, only to speak so dismissively to her own kindred. But this was a wake-up call. She wanted him to understand what he needed to do.

"Snipers, remember your orders and give me cover! Launchers, keep attacking the aerial units! Pilot, grab a gun and stand close to Regil! And you, brother..." Regina reminded them.

"..." He looked at her in utter silence.

"Wake up." She ordered him.

Regina ran towards the frontlines, with her snipers already covering her from afar. The launchers still shot at the aerial stragglers left behind. Regil could only look at his sister, as she left the area and was almost crossing the shield placed by Ari.

"Young Sir Regil!" The pilot called him.

"A-Ah, right... sorry. I need to check on something first." Regil said.

"Then let's fall back to the helicopter. It'll give you some time to think." The pilot answered.

"Alright then, let's go." Regil said, backing off towards the helicopter, being followed by the pilot.

Regil and the pilot went back to the helicopter, accompanied by the Queen. As for Regina, she ran without looking back a second time. There were no more second thoughts: she had to use her power. Otherwise, it would be game over. The Witch was already delighted to be unleashed, at last, ready to devour its enemies and its vessel at the same time.

"Those were some brave words back there, for someone who wouldn't give a second thought to sacrificing her allies to survive. Hey, how long are you going to keep secrets from your crew and your brother about what actually happened back on the day we met?" The Witch provoked her.

"Shut the hell up and just fight! I'm giving you what you want, so do your part of the deal already!" Regina retorted.

"Okaaay~! Let the bloodbath begin... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The Witch laughed.