Warning, this chapter contains some heavy themes. I may not have done them all justice.


I kneeled there, gasping for at the very least a solid minute, it was probably longer, but time was not my biggest concern at the time. I replayed the events of the previous maybe twenty seconds of the duel in my head over and over at lightning speed. That is how long it took me to stop her from when she gripped her blade.

Twenty seconds I stood there like an idiot, twenty seconds I cowered while my familiar enacted wrongful justice in my name. My name, not even hers, thinking back it doesn't escape my notice she didn't even introduce herself. She wasn't trying to prove her power, she was acting as my familiar and my familiar alone, striking awe into all who opposed me and using my classmate to do it.

"How dare she." I clench my fist as I follow the road to the infirmary behind Guiche.

"Now you sound like her." Montmorency mocks me from Guiche's side, keeping him up, helping him walk.

I barely hold back from yelling at her, and the girl who has so far accompanied me on my own way to the infirmary without a word shakes her head silently.

I turn my head to look at blue. "Where did Kirche go?" I ask, seeing them without each-other is worrying. Rumor has it that it is the whole reason she learned to read while on the go. That way she could stay with Kirche and still read.

She doesn't answer, just looks distressed for a flicker of a moment. A hint of anxiety is clear as quickly as it is hidden. Hidden so well in fact, I am barely even sure it was there. Still it is answer enough, Kirche went after my familiar. It seems blue has more brains than the idiotic Germanian. Though, perhaps that is not fair, it is possible the redhead is totally aware she's asking for death chasing after the little monster. Though I never really figured her for having a deathwish, it is no skin off my back either way. She can have her, have her and her death.

"Why are you even here? I'm fine, There is no need of an escort, and I don't even know you..." I ask slash point out, and she wordlessly points towards my throat.

My throat? I reach down and touch it, and my fingers come away dripping with red. I'm, bleeding? How, when... "Did she hit me too?" I ask, and I get a shake, followed by small fingers gently miming claws before bringing them to her own throat. "When I scratched during the duel?" I ask, and she nods. I hadn't thought I had scratched nearly hard enough to rip into my skin. Looking at them covered in my fluid, I have to wonder if my nails are even sharp enough to do that. How hard had I dug, how vigorously? Why don't I feel it?

"I tried to kill myself." I speak, leaving no room for question. She lightly nods, going back to her book. Funny, based on the cover image it appears to be about a child of war. That's... an odd coincidence. Fiction or not, I wonder if it is more informative than the one in my room. "Why?" I ask, continuing on with our topic.

"KI." She says simply, like that explains anything. I Sigh, looking back at Guiche... "Killing intent." She clarifies, and I look back to her, she turns a page with a sort of grace I don't think I could manage with a hundred years of practice. If her future husband likes books even half as much as her, they could be complete opposites and they'd never know for all the talking they would do.

"You mean like resolve?" I ask. That is one of the terms my mother used to use when describing her presence. It was a manifestation of her resolve.

"No." The girl shakes her head in such a way that her eyes don't move an inch, more than likely a practiced motion so she doesn't lose her place.

"What's the difference?" I ask, and she remains silent.

We get to our destination before she speaks up, and even then she only says one line before she leaves me to the nurse, and while it doesn't stop my confusion, it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. "Be careful." Be careful of what? My Familiar? Why even bother telling me that, I know!


There is a deepest and darkest sections of the dorms, It isn't deep and dark for any normal reason of course. Not placement or staff neglect. If anything it actually has optimal placement, in the mid-day the sun shines upon it and creates an almost ethereal glow. It is a work of art so grand that the craftsman responsible bragged about it for years after its completion.

No, it is the deepest and darkest section of the dorms because it has an aura of doom. To those that live in the same dorm, in this moment, they avoid their rooms. They go out, they engage in ridiculous teenage activities.

Because the feeling encompassing this dorm in this moment is like that of a dungeon. Death, despair, depression, lurks around every corner. And at the center of it, is one room.

At least that is the impression Kirche gets as she foregoes her room and knocks on her rival's. A few seconds pass in silence, not that she expects an answer, she is only bothering with the pretense because the person she's seeking is armed and dangerous. Better to make sure she isn't sneaking up on them.

"What do you want now?" She hears from behind the door as somewhat light patters sound against the floor. "Stupid professor, stupid school, stupid pain in the ass motherfucking veteran fire mages think they're so hot." The door opens, and Kirche is left standing in contemplation. In part because that is some crude grumbling.

The small girl is drenched. To say in the past few minutes she had managed to cry an actual river on herself would be an exaggeration, of course, but it looks damn near close. "Oh, Kirche, it's you." The girl gives her a fake smile, and the redhead sees through it like there's a river of evidence right in front of her.

"What is that about fire mages?" She asks. Ignoring the fact that the girl finally appears to have dropped the nickname. Short lived as it was, it had begun to grow on her.. Still, glad it didn't catch on.

"Nothing important, just," she rubs her eyes with the back of her hands, as if trying to fake she is tired, "one of the teachers didn't appreciate what happened. Came to warn me not to do it again, and that there would be consequences."

"Consequences?" Kirche asks, wondering if she should grab the girl some water to refill what she'd lost. "You mean someone already came and talked to you about it? It's only been a few minutes."

"Yeah, well, turns out when you try to stab the son of a general a bunch of times the faculty here suddenly takes you seriously... Did you want to come in?" The familiar offers, stepping out of the way.

Kirche follows in, the door closing behind her perhaps a little too fast, and she hears a clicking sound as the door locks. "Why?" She asks as she turns around, some metal device in the small girl's hand. She's not fully aware of what it is, but from the hole at the end of a cylinder, it's obvious something is supposed to come out of it, and it's pointed directly at her face.

Definitely a weapon, she decides, as the fear of death screams in her soul, every brain cell crying out-for but a moment, before the world is back to normal. "You know if you intend to intimidate me you're going to have to put your finger on the trigger." She says, seeing it for what it is after a few seconds to recognize the basic design. "Everyone here is armed all the time, and people like Louise have a habit of shoving their weapons in my face."

"I'm making a point, not trying to kill you." The familiar responds, steel in her eyes. "I have no idea what the portal might have done to my gun, and if I suddenly have a hair trigger, well this would be a really bad time to find out. Just not worth the risk, it's why the safety is still on too... Presuming it still works."

"I don't, really understand why you're telling me this..." Kirche says.

"Just get on the bed." The familiar responds.

"Did you also want me to take-"

"No!" The familiar interrupts, "take this seriously or I'm taking the safety off."

"I don't know what that is but um, alright." She walks backwards, sitting on the bed, and the familiar takes the chair at Louise's desk. Funny, for someone trying to be intimidating she sure gives up power easily. Standing is an advantage, even Kirche knows that. Either she's arrogant, stupid, stupidly strong, or all three.

"Why did you lie to me?" The familiar asks her, and she can't help but ponder that for a bit. The familiar is actually quite patient, waiting her response out with barely a twitch even a full minute later.

"I don't think I have." The Germanian finally answers.

"You said you were my master's rival, you know, like in a book. Someone to grow stronger with, an ally that doesn't always seem like it. And I come to find out you're her bully." The familiar replies.

"We are rivals, our families have been rivals for generations... Still, while I wouldn't call us allies, I certainly wouldn't call myself her 'bully.' A little melodramatic of you don't you agree?" The redhead answers.

"Really? Because I think you're being nice to me to get at her, I think you're an enemy." The little fingers touch something on the side of the weapon, a small click sounds, and her finger nears -though does not touch- the trigger. "I think you're a threat, a bigger one than that idiotic blond, a menace that needs to be purged before you use me against her. I think no one would find the body. Not even my master."

"Then pull the trigger." The Germanian shrugs, staring down the barrel with a grin. "You know, if you can actually touch it."

"You are not helping your threat level here by staying calm and being snide. I actually don't want to hurt you, if you would just quiver maybe a tiny bit." The green haired girl responds.

Kirche laughs, "yeah, look, you are taking this far too seriously. Relax, I don't say this often but chill out for a second. The fire is burning just a little too hot in you."

"The what?" The familiar asks.

"The fires of passion. Normally I would say let roar but you should probably take a step back before you break the truce." Kirche informs.

Purple eyes widen. "Truce?"

"Yeah, even before this whole Guiche thing, I found her passed out in the library talking to herself about 'not being real,' and 'lies.' I figured you are really messing her up, So I offered to let things cool for a few days while she gets her bearings. Does that sound like the enemy to you?"

A moment later the clicking noise occurs as the familiar's finger brushes up and pushes something on the side of the pistol again, before reholstering it. "No…"

"Exactly. And even if I was her bully, even if I was definitively an enemy, would this really have been a rational reaction?" The redhead asks. "This is a school you know. As in not a battlefield."

"No, it really wouldn't be." The green haired girl sighs, rubbing her eyes again. "Sorry. I just… could we forget about this? Please? I know Louise is going to rightfully make the next few days of my life a living hell already, and that's if she doesn't send me back…"

"She can't." Kirche informs her, only to receive blinks. "The familiar summoning is one way."

"You mean to tell me your school is ripping people out of their homelands without a way to send them back? What if I didn't like it here?" The girl in the green dress asks with a hint of indignance.

"The familiar summoning has never taken a person before."

"Oh…" The small figure begins kicking her feet in her chair, looking away from Kirche as if she is currently fire. "So it normally just takes mythological creatures?"

"Among other things, yes."

"That makes sense." Purple eyes and green hair bobs up and down. "Besides, I did choose to go through the portal, it is not like it kidnapped me or something."


I sit beside Guiche's bedside. They said he should be fine but, wanted to keep him overnight for observation, apparently several of his ribs were broken, and of course like an idiot I offered to pay for the healer. Montmorency appeared to appreciate it before she left, Guiche... hasn't really commented.

While I was at it I also had my throat fixed, which was apparently a good idea. The healer said it is still going to scar, but it was reduced enough that it should only leave a rather thin line or two, like cuts. It can still be removed further in the future if I ever feel the desire to hunt down the reagents myself or find a powerful enough water mage to circumvent the need. Sadly Guiche's bones used up what the healer had available.

"Why are you still here?" The blond teen laying on the bed in front of me asks. "Even Monmon left already."

"Only because that first year came in here with food to wish you better." I laugh. "She was so livid. Cheating, getting into fights with monsters, you need to get yourself together."

"Fights with little girls, get it right." He laughs himself, his face scrunching up in pain. Whoops, didn't mean to do that.

A few minutes pass in silence, I play with my hands, watching my cleaned nails, imagining how they must have ripped into my flesh so little time ago. How? I run my finger over some of them, they seem so dull.

"You know I am sorry." He interrupts the silence.

My eyes dart up to him. "She's not here, you can stop that." I cringe.

"I stand by it." He answers. "The familiar you summon is supposed to tell everyone your potential as a mage correct? How much power you hold, how far you can make it last. I know you know the book better than I do."

"Yeah." I answer. "And I summoned a little girl without an ounce of magic, not an element in sight. What does that say about me?" I ask.

"That little girl without an ounce of magic just tore me to pieces. Maybe it is my wounded pride talking, but I think she might be able to take on a few of the teachers." He says back.

I scoff.

"I think you are simply not using your power right, not that you cannot cast." He voices his thoughts.

I clench my fists again, I already tried different angles, I already learned all of them. Hours upon hours spent researching, memorizing, and he thinks I am simply missing something? "Yeah, I hope so too." I answer back.

"I also think you should talk to your familiar about what sort of mage she is, and maybe why she is hiding it. It might give you insight."

My eyes narrow. "She isn't a mage."

"I know metal." He answers. "Not even talking about the fact that she kicked a bronze golem into the air and crushed it with her foot, ignoring the fact that she is maybe eighty pounds and she broke my ribs with that same foot, ignoring that when she drew her sword it felt like I was going to die for absolutely no reason what-so-ever. Her sword is made of silver. You know why silver swords are a bad idea?" He seems to think I should know this.

"I do not." I answer back, biting back a retort as to the fact that I know basically everything else and it isn't fair to judge me on his specialty.

"Keeping them sharp without the aid of magic is impossible." He says, looking back up at the ceiling. "At the very least, her sword and shoes are magic."

Silence encroaches, and several minutes pass. In that time I contemplate what he said, and can come up with no defense. One way or another my familiar is lying to me. I just, wish I knew why.

Finally, he speaks. "I will try to talk to some of the other students about cutting back on you. You just go back to your room. Leave me alone." He tilts his head back, appearing to try to sleep as he closes his eyes. I stare, mouth agape, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say. Unsure of why I'm second guessing it. "You, are not gone yet." He informs. "Walk away, towards the door, leave."

I do.


I pass by Kirche slipping into her room on my way to my own. That is good, I was honestly afraid something might happen with my familiar apparently lashing out at my 'enemies,' and the prime offender marching right for her. She seems out of breath for some reason, but ultimately unharmed.

"Zero-ah, Louise." I hear from behind me. Louise? Is she keeping up with the truce? I sort of thought that was a joke. I turn around to see her standing outside her door. "Do be easy on her, she has had a rather rough afternoon."

A rough afternoon? Is she insane? "She has? Are you sure that isn't backwards? Here I was under the impression she caused all this."

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." She shoots back, and I frown, furrowing my brow in confusion. What does that even mean? "It's just something she said that made a lot of sense. Go talk to her, and be nice." She enters her room, and I am somewhat grateful she chose not to comment on the plate in my hand.

As I get to my own door though, I hesitate. What if I overreact? What if I set her off? She just left me there, bleeding from my throat. She didn't even say anything about it! What even is an appropriate reaction? Why am I even here? I should just find somewhere else to sleep. Maybe the forest? It seemed relatively peaceful last night after-all, I bet that minicamp she made is still there.

Before I can second guess myself any further, I feel my hand open the door against my inherent will, pride not allowing me to be driven from my own room by my familiar. I look into the room.

She is curled up in a ball on the bed of hay. I completely forgot to have it removed, and it appears she deigned to use it. There are also two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on my table. Nice Kirche, drink with the little raging maniac until she passes out in a bed of hay.

I stare down at the plate of meat I nabbed for her at dinner when I didn't see her there. I know she missed lunch, and she didn't eat anything at breakfast so, it seemed a bit cruel to let a child starve. No matter what she does, she is six years younger than me, well… close enough. I place it down on the table gently, either she will wake up and eat it, or a maid will take it. I've done my part.

I then proceed to get undressed, and quickly slip into my nightgown. The sun really just went down, even if I did spend an unnecessarily long time putting this off, it was only noon when the duel, if one could even call it that, occurred. The sound of liquid hitting liquid hits my ears and I turn back towards the table, my familiar sitting at it pouring a glass. When did she move? How did she move that fast? There is a bit of her bed in her long hair.

She then moves onto the second glass, filling it, where the first is filled barely half way. Does she think I want to drink with her? Why would she fill the glass anyway?

"Sit, we have much to talk about. I had a maid get these for us." She says.

"So you are not currently drunk?" I hear myself ask, and she shakes her head.

"Nope."

I hesitantly approach the table, taking a chair, fiddling with my fingers again. So sharp yet so dull.

"This is really strong," I note aloud as I check the bottle, "are you sure this is safe for you to drink?" I ask. "You are sort of, small."

"Nope." She answers, before downing the entirety of the half filled glass in one go, a large gulp sucking the fluid down. Her eyes glaze immediately, as if the alcohol hit her system before it even hit her stomach. I wonder if she's one of those types that can get drunk off the smell alone… I hope not, or else this is going to get really awkward. I reach for the filled glass, if anything to get it away from her.

"I am not comfortable with you getting drunk." I declare.

"No worries, the rest of the bottle is yours." She says back. "That was more than enough for my purposes."

I idly grimace at the idea of this whole bottle being for me. "I am actually not the biggest drinker." I inform.

"What does it matter." She answers. "Set it on fire, use it as fuel to burn the book on your desk, you know it is filled with crap."

"I am aware." I glare at the offending book. "You read it?" She nods, and if it was any other little girl, I would be confused, possibly even disbelieving. It is rather high level after all and she hasn't had all that much time, but as is, I simply let it go. One more notch on the crazy carriage for one green haired monster.

"Well, I read some of it." Oh, nevermind. Still, that she got through any of it is an achievement in itself.

"You know you cost me a lot of money." I inform her. "Healing broken bones is not cheap."

She frowns, confused at my line of words for a moment, before it clicks with her. She stands up, and then walks to her bag, pulling out three rather large bags, and then sits back down, sliding them across the table. They jingle. "Everything I won from the game earlier that I got to keep, you take it."

I go through the bag and, there is a lot in here, wait, "got to keep?" I ask.

"Yeah, I had to give half of it to Kirche for lending me the money to start the game up." She sheepishly responds, "it's fine, I don't really need it."

Well, at least that cost is covered. "You gamble?" I ask. The list of problems just goes on. "Without the need for money?"

"I figured you might end up needing it, and I haven't gotten to play for money in a long time. It was therapeutic." She answers.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, I sip at my glass, barely scratching it. I have no intentions of being less than optimal around her. Especially when she is indulging in any sense.

"How is your throat?" She asks, gazing at it, despite the small amount she downed I can easily tell her vision still isn't clear.

I hold in my anger at the thought. "Fine, no thanks to you." I grumble. "I could have died."

She has the nerve to laugh at me. It's soft, sweet, not the sort of laugh you would normally expect. In any other situation I would love to hear it, right now, not so much. "I looked to make sure you hadn't hit an artery or anything, and since you hadn't, I figured you could probably use being away from me more than help to the nurse. It is not like your legs stopped working."

I don't bother telling her they didn't for a whole minute, I worry she'll laugh at that too. "It is going to leave a scar." I inform her. Hoping to get some sort of reaction out of her besides 'laughter.' By the holy lands, my summon doesn't even care she caused me pain.

"Healing magic can mend bone but not scar tissue?" She asks.

"It can, but the needed reagents were used up." How they were used up need not be said.

A calculating look, if that even makes sense, passes her glazed eyes. "I will look into it tonight." She decrees.

Wait, tonight? As in, before the wine has cleared her system? I know it was only a little bit but even without the alcohol she looks exhausted.

"I figure it will give you a night away from me, besides it is my fault. I certainly wouldn't want your skin marred because of my actions, that is… important, for a noble. Correct?" She asks.

"Yes, it is, very much so." I agree.

"It will also give me some time to clear my head... I mean look at me, a single day and I'm already trying to off teenagers for being teenagers. If Victor could see me now... Well I'd probably die of embarrassment before he even drew his sword, honestly..."

"Victor?" I ask. If she is giving info away, I am definitely taking it.

"Yeah, he was my uncle, my uh, biological uncle. He taught me how to use a sword and well, lots of other things."

"Like how to drink responsibly?" I joke, and she actually nods.

"I uh, have a much lower tolerance than is normal for someone with my size, even when considering my age. He taught me to down a small amount and even then, only when I have nothing important to do."

"And yet you want to hunt down reagents? Some of those probably need to be ripped from monsters you know." I inform with a glare.

"Well I only had half a glass you see." She giggles. "But yeah, he also taught me not to harm the innocent. I figure if I'm breaking one rule..."

"The innocent? Guiche is not innocent." Sure by no means did he deserve, well, that, but acting like he never did anything is insane.

"Maybe not, but you are, and it was my anger that messed up your throat. Misplaced anger, it's not like he was assaulting you or something. I just blew up, completely overreacted... Right?" She sheds a few tears, quite randomly I might add, and if anything sounds hopeful.

"You're just a kid." I say back. Mostly to remind myself. "And no, he has never laid a hand upon me."

She nods, and looks towards the plate I set down. "I thought you might be hungry." I answer her hidden question, and she smiles, grabbing the plate and bring it close.

"Thank-you master."

As she eats I think on what Guiche said. "So when were you going to tell me you're a mage."

The sudden nervousness that crosses her features is almost as delicious as I'm sure the food is. She lurches forward in her seat, covering her mouth, and slowly chewing. Biding her time before answering I am sure. "I had no intentions of covering something like that up, I really do not have access to any of the five elements." That is, painfully specific.

"Is there a sixth element?" I ask. Besides the wrath of food of course. Perhaps a seventh? I am of course joking, there is no such thing as a sixth element, but the humor in the words makes me smile.

"No… Could we talk about something else?" She asks, suddenly feeling the need to play with her hair.

I have no mercy for monsters. Especially lying monsters. "Why are you lying to me Adeline?" I ask, and she winces. Based on her expression, the slightly quicker breathing, the way her jaw is twitching. I would almost imagine her tongue burns.

And then she takes another bite. Savoring the meat. Good, she can have her time. I will still be here when she finishes.

And I am. "I'm not lying, I just, I'm a little caught off guard is all. Why would you even think I have magic?" She asks.

I see no harm in informing her of what has trapped her. "Your sword. It's silver, yet even after all the damage you have certainly put it through, it is sharp." I silently thank Guiche for that one. "Not only that, but it positively leaked KI, killing intent I mean." I thank Tabitha for that.

"It was a gift from my uncle." She answers immediately. "It was supposed to keep weaker opponents from fighting back and wasting my stamina. It also has several enhancements to keep it from snapping, and you know, sharp."

"So I am one of those weaker opponents?" I ask, and she winces.

"No…" She shakes her head.

"Then what am I?" I ask.

"You.." She seems uncertain. "You, are my master." Thank-you for remembering. And here I thought you had forgotten.

"Why yes, of course, but I am still in the same class as them, quite literally in this case, falling to the ground and ripping at my own throat just from an enchantment." She winces again as if struck just from remembering.

"I will look into healing the scar." She reassures me.

"As for your class… In your defense, the enchantment feeds on my anger, and I was certainly angry. Perhaps more angry than I have been in a long time." She answers.

"Why?" I ask.

"It was sort of a conglomeration of things. First of all, I sort of thought it was all just fun between peers. I never went to a school like this, so, I didn't actually recognize the signs until he was acting like you were worthless and everyone was laughing. I uh, lost my temper." She appears to fold in on herself, getting smaller as her posture shifts. "Second, well, how can they not see how strong you are?" She asks.

I gape, just a little, before fixing myself. "I assure you I am weak enough to get taken out by your enchantment." I snipe back.

"So you need a little training, your power is still very real. You can basically lob grenades at will, I wish I could do that." She lets out a little snort, before digging into her meal again.

"Grenades?" I ask, and her eyes widen immensely. It appears she hadn't meant to say that.

"Come again?" She asks, apparently hoping I will forget.

I repeat, I have no mercy for monsters. Especially lying monsters. "Grenades, you said I can lob grenades at will."

"Oh, grenades!" She tries to sound like it's just occurring to her. Bull. "Secret tech I'm actually not supposed to talk about. Basically you throw them, and things explode."

I nod, that makes sense. I suppose to a commoner-noble-commoner, I really just don't know, that would be astounding. "And your shoes?" I ask.

"My, shoes?" She furrows her brow.

"Yes." I continue. "You also destroyed a metal object with your foot."

"Oh, no, hahahaa!" She laughs, covering her mouth with her hand. "I've been meaning to ask about that, but no, no magical shoes for me." She claps her feet together in show. "Is it normal for a familiar to get stronger?"

I hadn't considered that. "Not directly, no, but it is not unheard of for a familiar to gain special abilities from their bond. In extremely rare cases, the opposite has happened. Though by extremely rare I mean only with familiars that contain extremely potent magical abilities."

"Huh." She sounds. "So super kicks is my special ability. I also seem a little faster, and that punch barely hurt."

"So it seems." Never-mind, I thought I had cornered her. It seems I jumped conclusions.

She finishes her last bite, smiling graciously at me before giving a thankful little bow. "I am off to go look into getting you something for your throat. Is there anything else you need of me?"

"That will be all for now, Adeline. Do be safe." I request of her, before she grabs her bag and leaves. It isn't for a few minutes that I remember how tired she looked. I do hope she doesn't pass out somewhere embarrassing.