Guiding Light
IX: The Promise
By: Kat Lee V

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The sounds of sneakers skidding against the smooth concrete, and the rattle of the hoop pinned to the board helped calm the mind of one Kagami Taiga. He landed with both feet on the ground, and the ball bounced away once before rolling. The red head stood up straight, and wiped his forehead from the sweat that accumulated. He was panting, but felt exhilarated from the good work out. The boy was alone in an outside basketball court, only a few minutes away from Seirin High School.

Classes ended an hour ago, but the gates to the Other World were not going to open until sundown. Kagami escaped the crowds of students to spend time with his favorite pass time sport. He stretched his back, before walking over to his bag to grab his water bottle. He plopped down on the floor, and took a long gulp of water.

Kagami leaned his back against the stone wall, and let his mind wander, especially to the strange majestic world that he has been frequenting with his friends. The boy was still baffled by how much has happened, and he noticed that probably he was changing in the inside. 'The Clan is changing too... or more like they are acting weirder than before, even when I changed into a girl... or I could be imagining things.' Despite what everyone believes of the red head, Kagami could be observant when he wants to be... sometimes... And it was not hard to tell that everyone seemed like they were walking around him, like he was standing on thin ice. With a sigh, he shrugged his shoulders, and drank more water.

Metal clanked, and the sound of the gates to the court rattling caught his attention. The red head lowered his bottle and looked up towards the entrance to the court. Deep ruby eyes met up with a pair of intense electrifying blue eyes.

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The noise and chatter in the fast food restaurant was blocked out by the closed door. Kuroko took a few steps away, and looked up at the afternoon sky. 'That's strange... Kagami-kun didn't appear.' He looked around the street, and started to walk, far from Maji Burger. 'He must have headed back to school...'

The lighter haired teen stood in front of the door to the disguised 'Guild' Club room. When he silently opened the door, he looked around to see that almost everyone was there from his Clan. They were all spread out, talking to one another, while others were piling up things that their Clan leader requested to bring to the other world. The boy slipped in, and came to stand close to his fellow first year classmates.

A knock interrupted the comfortable atmosphere, silencing everyone in the room. The closest, Koganei, was pushed to answer the door. The boy opened it, and revealed a beautiful girl, dressed in an unfamiliar school uniform. She had long pink hair that stopped at her lower back, and bright magenta eyes, that seemed to look right through the soul. She smiled cutely, and waved. "Hello there!" She spoke in a cheerful voice.

Aida looked around, seeing the stupid gazes of all the males in the room. She grew irritated, and turned to the newcomer. She crossed her arms, pulling out a strained smile. "Yes, can we help you?" She asked in a sweetly fake tone.

The girl scanned the room. "Well, I'm kind of looking for someone."

"Momoi-san?"

Magenta eyes widened, and glittered with joy and excitement. She barged into the room, nearly pushing the boy standing close to the door. She leaped forward with her arms thrown out wide. "Tetsu-kun!" She cried out.

Everyone turned their heads in shock, as they watched the pretty girl pull their light blue haired clan member into a tight hug. The scene looked nearly comical, when the boy's head was pressed against the pink haired girl's bosom. She was rubbing her her cheek on top of the boy's head, though Kuroko looked to keep his blank expression as it all happened. "Momoi-san..."

"What's this? Who is this girl, Kuroko?" All the boys were nearly protesting with envy at such an action, being smothered by a really pretty girl. Aida was glowering behind them, radiating with a deadly aura that soon silenced them all with fear.

The girl looked up and gave a wink. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm his girlfriend!"

There was a thick moment of silence in the room.

"EHHHHHHHH!?"

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Chest was burning from heaving for air, and sweat poured down, nearly drenching the neckline of his shirt. Kagami was slightly bent over, with his hand on his thigh, and the other wiping the sweat from his eyes. He glanced up, seeing his opponent, looking bored, and barely breaking a sweat. The red head winced, his knees aching.

The tall dark male tossed the ball over his shoulder, letting it bounce, before rolling towards the fence, out the bounds of the painted court. He grunted, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Not even a challenge." He lazily spoke with a deep drawl.

Ruby eyes glared hard at the taller teen. "Another round! I'll beat you for sure!" Kagami growled, his determination and anger flaring.

His opponent snorted, and narrowed his dark blue eyes. "You got to be shitting me. You can barely keep up." He clicked his tongue, and turned around, towards the entrance of the fenced in court. "What a waste of time."

"Hey! We're not done here!" The boy shouted, but his shouts were ignored. He saw the other boy pull out his cellphone with annoyance, and continued to walk away.

Kagami gritted his teeth, and forced his racing heart to calm down while he caught his breath. He slowly made his way to pick up his ball, then went towards his bag. He pulled out one of his bottled water, and poured its contents over his head. He pulled out his towel, and started to pat dry his face. 'That arrogant bastard. If ever I see his smug face again, I'm going to wipe it across the court when I beat that asshole!' His mind raged.

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Standing out in the hallway, in a private corner, a male and female stood beside each other, watching the afternoon sky slowly become darker, and the colors changing. "Momoi-san, why did you come here?" The light haired boy spoke with his usual monotonous voice.

The girl closed her eyes, and smiled to herself. "Can't I come and see you, Tetsu-kun, even if we attend different schools? I missed you, after all." She said in a sweet tone, almost playful. Kuroko lowered his chin, and turned to face the pink haired girl beside him. Momoi bowed her head, knowing that she couldn't fool the boy beside him. "I wanted to confirm some rumors." She finally admitted.

"You want information." The boy stated.

Momoi turned to the boy, and took his hands. "Aw, don't say it like that, Tetsu-kun. I just heard around that your Clan defeated two other Clans' Teams with a Miraculous General in it."

"It is true." Kuroko replied, showing no indication that he was going to pull away his hands from the girl's hold.

Furrowing her brows, the girl slightly squeezed the boy's hands. "Does that mean... you're going to fight the others too?" She carefully asked.

Kuroko gently pulled his hands from the girl's grasp, and turned back to look out through the big windows of the school building. "I made it a goal to defeat all the Miraculous Generals, a promise with someone special." He didn't see the slight flinch from the pink haired girl, from his words and the soft gaze.

"Why?" Momoi asked, pulling her hands together, and pressed against her chest. "Is it for fame, or a title? But then, that doesn't sound like Tetsu-kun at all."

The boy shook his head. "No, I care not for titles. I let go of that back with the Kiseki Clan." Kuroko bowed his head. "I am sure Momoi-san cannot deny that back in Kiseki Clan, things have changed... especially with Aomine-kun." The girl slightly widened her magenta eyes, and then bowed her head, clutching her hands together. Her silence reconfirmed the boy's thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Momoi turned to face the window, but her head was kept bowed down. "Dai-chan is no longer how he was. He's grown even colder... more distant. I don't think I could recognize him anymore." She slightly chewed at her lower lip. "And the way he fights in OW is very frightening... and it's getting worse everyday. It seems he gets affected back here on Earth... I can't do anything anymore." She raised her head, and pressed her palm against the window glass. "I... I wanted to follow you to the same high school, but I stayed with Dai-chan, because you know that we grew up with each other, and that no one else would watch over him. I couldn't leave him alone..."

"Momoi-san." The girl wiped her eyes from the tears that were building up and threatening to fall. She turned to the boy beside her, with a questioning look. "I am going to fight the Miraculous Generals, because I want to show them that the beliefs of Kiseki Clan are wrong. I want to save them from that influence of our past that caused those horrible changes in our friends." Kuroko turned to the girl, and she saw the resolution and determination in the boy's light blue eyes. "Whatever happened in Kiseki Clan did something to our friends, and there must have been a reason why that Clan was disbanded from the Other World..."

The pink haired girl widened her eyes, her heart slightly racing at the boy's words. "You're... going to save them all...?"

Kuroko nodded. "Every one of them." He replied. He closed his eyes, giving a tiny smile. "If you run into them, you will see that Kise-kun and Midorima-kun has changed. More like they returned back to their old selves, back before they all started to change."

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Coming into the "Guild" Club room, there was an annoyed look upon the tall red head's expression. All attention turned to the tallest member, and the spell of shock that overcame the group from earlier was broken. Kagami raised a brow, his earlier encounter forgotten. "Something happened?" He grumbled carefully.

Hyuuga came up to the tall male, and looked a bit bothered. "Can you believe it, Kagami? Kuroko has a girlfriend."

"And she's a really sexy one too." Koganei pouted, lightly huffing through his nose. "Why does he have all the luck and the really pretty ones flock around him." The teens around him all stiffened, and shook with fright. Mitobe was patting his friend as a warning.

Aida was smiling eerily, suddenly appearing behind the boy. She grabbed Koganei's shoulder, causing him to freeze on the spot with dread, and his life flashing before his eyes. She looked up at Kagami. "And where have you been? The meeting time is thirty minutes before the gates open, Kagami-kun. And look at you, you've been literally running around tiring yourself out or something?" The boy under her hand seemed to have turned to stone with a traumatized expression.

Quickly did Kagami's bad mood return, as he was reminded at what happened earlier before he came to the club room. "Che." He clicked his tongue, glaring off to the side. "Just a run in with some bastard." He growled under his breath. Then he looked around the room. "And where is Kuroko?" He asked, diverting his Leader's attention elsewhere than his state.

The brunette huffed, and crossed her arms. Mitobe had to catch his friend before he fell back, after being released from the girl's hold. "Went out with that girl somewhere. Hopefully still within the vicinity." Then she started to mumble darkly to herself about 'cheeky First Years'.

Hyuuga adjusted his glasses, and looked up at the red head. "Go get Kuroko, we're about to leave to OW soon."

Kagami furrowed his brows. "Huh! Why me?"

"Cause you two are partners, aren't you?" Then the bespectacled male turned the red head towards the door and not so lightly punched his wide back. "And learn to respect your elders! Obey your the orders of your Sempai!" He barked sternly.

The red head grumbled and walked out the room. "It's not like that..." He huffed, and walked down the halls, looking for the boy. When he came upon a hallway, after turning a corner, he spotted a pink haired girl, and the back of the boy he was made to look for. He paused, and hid behind the corner, glancing over. 'That must be Kuroko's girlfriend?' He pressed his back against the wall, and strained his hearing to listen in. 'They're still talking... and it must be serious... I'll just have to wait then...'

Kagami slowly reached his hand, and pressed it against the small dull ache in his chest. He frowned in confusion and irritation, then scratched the back of his head. 'No, if I wait, I'll get in trouble by Sempai and get yelled at.' He walked out from his hiding place, and slowly walked his way over to the pair at the end of the hallway.

Momoi took Kuroko's hands into her, and squeezed them, with hope shining in her eyes. "Tetsu-kun, you'll save Dai-chan, won't you? Just like how you saved Ki-chan and Midorin?" There was desperation in her eyes. "Please, you have to!"

Kuroko gazed down, pulling away from the wide eyes of his friend. "But... it was not me who really saved them." He murmured quietly.

"Hey, Kuroko!"

The two raised their heads, and looked over to see the tall red head standing at a distance. Kagami stuffed a hand into his pocket, while the other rubbed the back of his head. "The Sempai are calling you back. We're about to leave soon."

Magenta eyes honed on to the gentle gaze the light blue haired boy displayed, upon seeing the towering boy. His hands easily slipped away from hers, and he fully turned to his fellow classmate. "Would you wait for a few minutes, please?" He politely asked. Kagami shifted his weight from the spot he stood, rubbing the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward. Then he turned around, his back to the pair. Kuroko turned back to the girl. "It is never impossible to defeat someone. And I will definitely save Aomine-kun, not just for Momoi-san, but for himself." He declared, with conviction.

The girl's eyes glazed, and she threw her arms around the boy's neck. "Tetsu-kun!" She pulled away and smiled. "I'll hold on to your promise, and we'll see each other one day in OW." She ran down, past the red head, then suddenly stopped, turning around. She looked up at the red head, and smiled sweetly, before looking back to the light blue haired boy. "And go on back, I'll be fine finding my way out on my own." She waved, before skipping away, down the hallway and turning down a corner.

Kagami turned away from the hallway when the girl disappeared, and spotted the shorter boy close by to him. "You look worn out, you were playing basketball again before coming here?" Kuroko questioned.

The red head grunted, and crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, ran into this asshole." He scowled.

The shorter boy punched his shoulder, causing the red head to hiss, and hold his aching shoulder. "Don't swear." Kuroko shook his head with disappointment.

The red head grunted again, and started to walk back to the club room. He didn't look back to see if the shorter boy was following. "So, that was your girlfriend?" Kagami gruffly asked.

There was a sigh beside him, and ruby eyes glanced down to the light blue haired boy. "It is a misunderstanding, and we were never really together in any way in the past. But she is a dear friend who also attended Teikou Middle." He explained.

"I see." Kagami nonchalantly replied. For some reason, he felt a bit of relief after the correction.

Kuroko glanced through the corner of his eyes, up at the red head. "Could Kagami-kun possibly be jealous?" He teasingly asked.

The taller teen's face dusted lightly with pink, and an angry flustered look appeared on his usually intimidating face. "HAH!? Jealous of who? You?" Kagami tried to hide his embarrassment by glaring at the shorter male. He snorted, and walked away rather quickly from the other boy. "Yeah right! No one is jealous here!" He shouted down through the halls. "And hurry up, Kuroko! If we get a scolding from the Sempai, I'm blaming you!"

The light blue haired boy lightly chuckled, and quickly followed after the red head. "It is actually me who gets a bit jealous when others are around you... Kagami-kun." He whispered lightly to himself.

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The double edged sword was lodged forcefully through the skull of the wild monster, before it exploded into dust. Then seconds later, the sword shattered and broke into pieces, before turning into a glittering dust. Without warning, the tall red haired girl was hit at the back of her head. "Damnit, Kagami! That was another good sword wasted!" The bespectacled leader of the team shouted.

Kagami huffed, and crossed her arms, turning her head to the side. "Sorry I'm not used to small light swords." She grumbled. "And my heavy sword is currently out of commission."

Patting her back, Koganei appeared from behind her, looking at the team leader. "Don't be so hard on her, Hyuuga!" He sighed. "We've been trying different types of weapons out for her, but none of them could work out for her as a temporary replacement. And we all know how hard it is to acquire such a big sword and a good one that is suited for her." He explained, trying to defend their only female fighter.

The bespectacled male narrowed his eyes at the girl, frowning. "You've used a rapier before, why don't you use that, or at least bring it out, like what you have done twice already." He muttered.

Blinking her ruby eyes, the girl slightly tilted her head, furrowing her brows. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Throwing his hands up, Koganei stepped in between the red head and the bespectacled teen. "Ah!" He quickly pulled his team leader to the side. "We're not supposed to speak about that in front of Kagami!" He scolded in harsh whisper.

"Stupid, Hyuuga-kun!" The two second year students winced, hearing their leader in their heads. Hyuuga sighed, and rubbed his temple. "Koganei-kun and Kagami-kun already tried using a rapier, but ended with the same results, it broke after one use. Plus, she has no inkling of that rapier she would call out. It seems like it's not part of her inventory. I checked many times. Kagami-kun is just built for power, and light weight weapons are not suited for her." Aida explained. The two elder males glanced back at their female fighter. Kagami looked troubled, thinking back on to what Hyuuga said, with her arms crossed, and her lips pouting slightly, in thought.

"Have you tried those heavy axes yet for Kagami-kun?" A voice suddenly asked.

The two second years turned their heads, and jumped, forgetting their fourth member of their team. Kuroko saw their expressions, and sighed. Kagami turned to the boy. "Hey, Kuroko, do you know what the Sempai are talking about, about this rapier I could have possibly used?" She grumbled.

"It is probably nothing, Kagami-kun. You should not worry about it so much." He appeased. "They more than likely confused the moment with one of the other Clans we have encountered, and the opponent was a female Knight using a rapier." The light blue haired boy explained. At the back, the two older males sighed in relief, thanking the gods that Kagami was who she was, and Kuroko was a blessing to their Clan.

The red head looked more confused. "A girl using a rapier?" She tried to think back to all the encounters.

"How sad, Kagami-kun." Kuroko interrupted her thoughts. "To forget our opponents that we have encountered."

There was a laugh, and Koganei approached the two first years, and slapped the girl's back. "I bet, since after beating them in battles, they don't stick in Kagami's mind!"

Hyuuga scoffs, and looked up at the girl. "Don't be so arrogant, Kagami." He scolded. "As time passes, and we continue battling here in OW, our opponents will definitely rise up in levels and may eventually defeat us. We are lucky thus far, for our teams with you and Kuroko in it, to be considered 'undefeated' and successfully winning each battle." He pointed out.

Kagami huffed, and pouted, as she crossed her arms. "I know that! And I'm just really bad with names to faces, okay!" Kuroko lightly smiled, and patted the girl's upper arm to slightly comfort her. It was not hard for the whole Clan to tease the red head, as they all could agree that it was fun to get a reaction from their resident 'Rookie' fighter.

Heaving his rifle against his shoulder, Hyuuga looked towards a distance and to the position of the sun. "Alright team, let's head back from our rounds." He pointed towards the red head. "You're acting as support this time. So you can't engage in any physical fights, you got that, Kagami?" He ordered sternly.

The girl scowled, pouting at the unfairness. "I know." She mumbled, as she followed behind Koganei and Kuroko, as they headed back to their town.

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Saving the files in the holographic screen, Aida touched the corner, and the screen disappeared. The female leader of Etoile Clan looked up to find four first years, gathered together, in front of the viewing window to one of the base's training rooms. The girl came up beside them, looking through the same window. "How's it going?" She questioned out loud.

"Well," Kawahara spoke up. "Kagami is still having some problems with control on her temporary weapon of the giant battle axe." He reported.

Through the window stood the tall red haired girl, holding on to the giant axe, with two heads. The blade had a wide span that was bigger than Kuroko or Furihata in height, and a four foot long metal handle, that was barely sticking out from the axe heads. In front of Kagami stood Mitobe and Koganei, her trainers to control her temporary weapon, while her giant sword was our of commission.

"It's really amazing that Kagami could move so swiftly with such a huge weapon in hand. She always makes it look easy to handle such heavy weapons." Fukuda mused.

"She's a Knight Class after all." Aida replied. "Their strength, along with Warriors and Brawlers, exceed all other Classes. But I do have to say that it's rare for female fighters to wield heavy weapons and still move quickly. Most females rather use light weight weapons, or long ranged ones."

The brunette then stretched out her arms, and turned to the four boys beside her. She plopped a hand on the shoulder of the boy next to her, patting Furihata's shoulder. "Guess what? Today the four of you will be going to a Dungeon together!" She beamed.

The three first years looked surprised, glancing over at one another. "Huh? Seriously?" Kawahara questioned.

Aida laughed, and punched Furihata's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, you guys will do fine!" She reassured. "The Dungeon is not that hard for you guys, and you'll have Kuroko-kun, and Tsuchida-kun as your leader." She looked back through the window to the training room. "Of course Kagami-kun can't join you."

At the other end, Kuroko looked at his three fellow same year clansmen. "We will do fine." He reassured.

"If you have forgotten, we're all mostly support Classes, you know." Fukuda pointed to them. "Even Kuroko with his style of fighting, even if he is stronger than all of us."

Aida curled her hand to a fist, and lightly punched the boy standing beside her, on his back. Furihata winced, inwardly crying why it had to be him. "Seriously guys, you need to have more faith in yourselves. You all are unique, and have a wide variety of abilities that contribute to our Clan. And today is your guys' time to shine! I know I don't normally group you all together like this, but I thought it would be fine! All your Sempai have faith in you guys!"

There was a loud thud, and the window rattled. The five clansmen turned to look into the training room. Mitobe and Koganei were on their bottoms, next to each other, with shocked looks. Between them was the giant axe, embedded on the hard floor and the wall. At a distance from them was Kagami, on the floor and flat on her face.

Aida snorted, holding in her laugh, and smiled widely at the four first year students. "You guys will do great today!"

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Bursting into the meeting room, Aida slammed her hands on to the table, causing some of the members to jump. There was a grim seriousness in her expression. "Etoile Clan has issued a Formal Clan Battle Challenge to Lò Clan."

There were various reactions of surprise from the other members of the Clan. "We've never sent out formal challenges to anyone before!" Koganei gasped.

Izuki watched his leader carefully. "What is the reason for the challenge, Riko?" He asked.

Clenching her hands into a fist, she slammed it down on to the table again. She tightly closed her eyes, frowning with annoyance. "Yesterday, one of our teams that were sent out to a Dungeon excursion, barely set foot into their target. Before they could open the doors, it disappeared right there in front of their eyes!" Tsuchida, Hyuuga, Furihata and Fukuda recalled that day, frowning.

Aida shot open her eyes, rage bubbling in her. "And that stupid Lò Clan members had the decency to call us slow, and that Etoile didn't amount to anything!" She punched the table, and those even at the far end of the table was able to hear it crack. The members slightly trembled in fear for their leader. Aida raised her tightly clenching fist, fire in her eyes. "No one gets away from saying such things of our Clan, and it was the Dungeon I have been eyeing for weeks! It was supposed to be our Clan that conquers it!" She nearly shrilled.

Kawahara raised his hands up defensively, trying to hopefully calm down their furious leader. "And what could have been possibly the Artifact of that Dungeon?" He asked warily.

With a wave of her hand, a holographic screen appeared at the center of their round table. There was a picture of an old looking leather bound book, with intricate golden designs, and a lock. Next to the pictures were small little text. "It's a tome to teach Phasma to become Chemists." She looked around, but mostly trained her eyes upon the tall red haired female. "If you could recall, Chemists are important to many settlements. They are able to produce healing potions, or various useful potions for battles. If Espoir had Chemists, the we'll have those useful healing potions, and don't have to always rely on Kawahara-kun and Kagami-kun for healing during battles." She pointed at the picture, looking at each members. "I want that Artifact."

Slowly, Furihata raised his hand up, a bit hesitant. "And, if we lose this challenge, what would we be giving the other Clan?" He dared to ask

There was a dark aura that radiated from the girl, as she gave them a deadly look. "It's better to not know, since we won't lose, right?" She smiled. All the members shuddered.

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Gathered in a small battle arena, once again located in the Arena Park of the Imperial City, almost all the members of the Etoile Clan were present for the Formal Clan Battle Challenge. At one end of the slightly raised platform in the middle of the arena stood Hyuuga, with Mitobe and Izuki. Close to the edge was Kuroko and Kagami, made to be the reserved fighters of the challenge.

The bespectacled teen adjusted his glasses, looking at the leader of the team that they were to battle with. "Squad Kappa of Lò Clan." Hyuuga spoke, with his arms crossed, and eyes narrowed at his opponents. "As stated in the challenge, it's a 3 against 3 match, with 2 reserved fighters." He lifted up his wrist, and there was a gold cuff, with a black spot on it. "When the center cracks, or this cuff breaks off, then it means that that member is out. We will keep fighting until all the reserves are exhausted, and all fighters are no longer able to fight. The Clan with at least one remaining fighter on the field is named winner of the challenge. Do we agree?"

The tallest male dressed in heavy armor nodded. "Yes." He looked behind him, and two members stepped on to the platform. "I, Iwamura, captain of Team 1, along with Kasuga and Oomurou will be the first fighters." A tall male with light hair, and a girl with brown hair came behind their captain. "Tsugawa and Sakamoto are our reserves." He pointed to the shaven head boy and the raven haired girl standing to the side of the battle stage.

" Lò Clan is mostly made up of Brawlers, focusing on various martial arts skills for fighting." Aida informed the Etoile members. "Iwamura is a Guard Class, while Kasuga and Oomurou are Brawlers. Also be aware that Lò Clan are also known for their superior defense, even though they are all mostly made up of Brawler Class."

Hyuuga rolled his shoulders, then took out his rifle. "That's why it's better to keep them at a certain distance." The bespectacled male murmured. Mitobe moved to stand between his clansmen and their opponents, with his own battle axe out and giant shield. Izuki twirled around his lance in his hands, before settling into a comfortable stance.

"You can do it Sempai!" Fukuda shouted.

"We got this one!" Kawahara cheered.

Kagami clenched her hands tightly, looking up at the three older members. "We're right here behind you, Sempai!" Kuroko nodded silently.

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"Hurry Sempai! I think they already started!"

A tall blond male jogged up to one viewing window, and peered below in the battle arena. Kasamatsu sighed, and walked up to stand beside his overly excited underclassman. He glanced down, and his eyes swept across the platform of the battle arena. "Long range fighters with a high defense fighter, against close range fighters with their own defensive fighter." He mused.

Kise pouted. "Aw, Kuroko-cchi and Kagami-cchi aren't in there fighting. I wanted to see them battle."

The older male rolled his eyes. "Idiot, it's better to save your better fighters for last, especially when gathering information." He watched as Mitobe plowed through the two Brawler fighters from the opponent, and Hyuuga not holding back in releasing a volley of bullets. Spells were being quickly thrown from Izuki. "Even without Kuroko and Kagami, the Etoile Clan elder fighters are good on their own." The female Brawler was dragged out the platform, and a shaven head male came bouncing in, also a Brawler, from what they could tell from his costume. "And can't you see that Kuroko and Kagami are standing in the reserved area?" They saw as the shortest male was pressuring Etoile Clan's Guard's defenses.

"Lò Clan are greatly known for their high defenses, as well as their knowledge towards various martial arts." A deep voice spoke. "That's why their Clan are nearly in par with ours, and have a long history as well."

Kise and Kasamatsu turned their heads, and were surprised to see two windows down was the familiar pair from Animus Clan. "Midorima-cchi!" The blond called out in surprise. He quickly went up to the tall green haired male, with Takao standing at the other side of him. "You're here too! You also want to watch Kuroko-cchi and Kagami-cchi, right?"

The green head scowled, and adjusted his glasses. "It's not that I wanted to. Our Team just happened to finish a formal challenge ourselves, that we easily won of course." He responded.

Takao chuckled. "Aw, come on Shin-chan! You totally knew that Etoile was here, that's why you were in such a hurry to end our formal challenge with our opponents." He grinned when he saw the green haired boy become flustered.

"Shut up, Takao!" And the raven haired boy laughed.

There was an booming sound within the arena, and the windows rattled. The three looked back down. "In case you missed it, Etoile was able to pull out the last reserve from Lò. She looks like a Guard." Kasamatsu spoke, keeping his eyes trained on to the battle below. "And just a moment ago, that bald kid used what looked like a special attack, taking out Hyuuga and Mitobe."

Kise's eyes brightened up. "That means Kuroko-cchi and Kagami-cchi are going to fight now!"

"Oh! That's new!" Takao pointed out, watching the tall red haired girl. "She doesn't have her usual giant sword." Kagami swung her giant battle axe, with one side of the blade head set on the ground.

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There was worry upon the freshmen trio, as they saw Kagami set her giant axe down beside her, holding on the handle with two hands. Koganei saw their expressions, and grinned, dropping a hand upon Fukuda and Furihata's shoulders. "Don't worry! Don't worry!" He chirped. "Everything will be fine. With Kuroko there beside her, they'll have no problems at all!"

The red head took off with her axe, being dragged on to the ground. She felt a strange sensation, when a few seconds she was surrounded by a silver light. Then her speed increased, and she lifted her giant axe above her head.

The opponent female Guard, Sakamoto, nearly choked, and quickly raised her hands up. "Shield!"

With a loud battle cry, Kagami swung down her weapon, hitting against the barrier spell that protected Tsugawa. Everyone cringed at the sharp sound, and the rival Team widened their eyes when they saw cracks spread out on the shield.

"Tsugawa, get away from there!" Kasuga shouted, the other member left on the battlefield from the Lò Clan.

The shorter male jumped back, just as the barrier spell shattered, and the axe continued down into the hard floor. No words could be spoken when they saw pieces of the hard floor rise, and a spider web of cracks spread out in a wide radius.

Hyuuga smirked, turning briefly to Kawahara to thank him for his healing. He looked up at the battle. "Come now, increasing her speed and strength could be a little overkill, Izuki."

Tsugawa quickly went for the attack, while Kagami was busy trying to pull her weapon out from the ground. But then a wave of shadow rose. "Wah!" He scrambled back from being touched by the attack.

Sakamoto sucked in a deep breath, and raised her hands up again, cringing when the female Knight's weapon hit against her shield spell. She gasped, and dodged the knives being thrown at her.

Tsugawa turned around, and dashed towards the red head, pulling back his fist. "Power Bash!"

Izuki frowned, and waved his hand. "Para-" He turned his head, and stepped back, waving his hand in a different manner. "Bind!"

Kasuga cursed, stepping on to the magic circle and being stuck in place. The raven haired boy smiled. "Now, now, don't be hasty. Just stick around for bit, ne?" To the side, Izuki heard his captain shouting at him to concentrate in fighting than trying to be funny.

From the corner of their eyes, they saw Tsugawa get pushed back by a wave of shadow. Then predatory crimson eyes locked on to the light haired opponent, trapped in the binding spell. Izuki shrugged his shoulders, and stepped back, with a welcoming hand gesture towards the older teen. Kasuga turned and saw Kagami running towards him with her giant axe being dragged beside her, creating sparks upon the floor from the edge of the blade. Then she blared in a red aura, bursting in flames. Kasuga felt his heart drop when the girl threw her blazing giant axe towards him. He instinctively threw his arms over his head.

"Shield!" The female clan member of Lò cried out her spell, and was gritting her teeth to hold the shield up. Even at the far end of the battle field, she felt the heat of the attack. She widened her eyes in complete horror when the spell shattered once again because of the monstrous female Knight. Kasuga was knocked out, and slammed against the invisible barriers around the battle field. Everyone saw the brace shatter to pieces. 'How is she so strong?' She trembled, and looked up at the tall red head.

Tsugawa landed beside the older girl. "Don't give up yet, Sempai!" He chirped, with a lighthearted expression. He went into a stance, with his fists raised, and legs apart. Then he took off, heading towards the dark haired teen. 'That girl is being protected by that short boy that we can't seem to see, and that Sorcerer is a support. So we must get rid of him first.'

Suddenly an axe was slammed down in front of him, cutting his path. The boy smoothly dodged to the side, and continued towards the older Etoile clansman. Izuki's attention focused on to boy heading his way, and waved his hand. "Bind!"

Tsugawa leaped over the magic circle, and did a flip, cartwheeling across the floor. Kagami gritted her teeth, and threw her hand out towards the quickly moving boy. "Blaze Blast!"

A shield spell rose from the opponent, and the girl ran the opposite direction from her partner. She raised a lance, going for the attack against the taller girl. Kagami saw this, and leaped up high, bringing with her the giant battle axe. Sakamoto widened her eyes, and mouth slightly gaped with awe at the height the younger girl with armor jumped.

The shaven head boy looked over his shoulder, and cursed. He skidded against the floor, only a few few away from setting foot at another binding magic circle Izuki cast. Tsugawa dashed towards his clansman, and pushed her away from being crushed by the red head, with her giant axe.

There was a booming explosive sound. Dust flew up, and the floors shook. When the area became visible, most of the Etoile Clan members were shocked at the sight before them. Tsugawa was standing in a stance, not bothered at all by the uneven surface, while the giant blade of the axe was mere centimeters away from his shoulder. Kagami's eyes were wide in shock, staring at the boy close to her.

The boy fluidly began to move, his hand raising up from its position. Kagami's instincts were screaming, and her pupils seemed to shrink. The girl quickly pulled up her weapon from the ground, and took a swing across. The boy reached his hand, to push the blade down an inch, while he leaped up, missing his lower half from being cut in half. The red head slightly jerked by the added weight of the boy on top of her blade. She glared up, but sharply took in a deep breath as she bent over backwards, missing being hit at the face by the swift punch. She gritted her teeth, and lifted her axe, throwing the boy up into the air.

Tsugawa flipped mid air, and landed on the ground, before dashing forward towards Izuki. Kagami cursed, and ran again to stop the boy from reaching her sempai. "Kagami-kun!" The girl looked over her shoulder and saw the other member of the rival Clan charging at her with her lance.

A wave of shadow rose, stopping the girl from her run. Then was caught in surprise when the tall red head seemed to cut her way through the attack, directing her blade at her. The girl threw her hands up, summoning her barrier, and quickly backed away, just as her spell shattered. Sakamoto wasn't able to catch her breath, as the red head continued to attack her with her weapon. "Tsugawa-kun!"

The boy leaped away from the wind spell that Izuki threw at him, and missed stepping on more of the binding magic circles. He looked over his shoulder, just to see as Kagami released her battle axe, burning with raging flames, at his team member. "Sempai!"

Sakamoto was thrown against the invisible barrier of the field. She was struggling to hold up her barrier, as the weapon was cutting through, with flames raging against her defense. "Sorry Tsugawa-kun." She whispered to herself, just as her shield spell once again shattered from the red head's attack. Then the attack hit against the second barrier that went up automatically due to the mechanism of the battle arena. It also broke along with the cuff on her wrist, and the blade cut through her armor, and she cried out.

Tsugawa gritted his teeth, watching as his clansmen pulled the last fighter, and quickly sought medical attention. He looked up with narrowed eyes, faintly hearing his team shouting for him to be calm, and encouraging him to win. "No more games, then."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes, watching as the last member of the rival team started to crouch down. Kagami and Izuki watched with confusion, as the boy started to remove something from around his ankles, and around his waist. Tsugawa stood up, and then released the wrappings. They slammed down on to the floor, creating a crater on the concrete floor. All of Etoile gaped in shock.

"No way!" Fukuda grabbed on to Koganei, shaking him. "This can't be real! I thought it only happened in martial art movies! Don't tell me that the guy just took off weights!"

"It's real alright." Koganei replied grimly. "Though you don't really see it, Tsuchida also goes through the same training as a Brawler too, training with weights."

"It's one of the known, yet not so widely used regiments of Brawler Classes, going through weighted training. Usually they never take them off, unless they are in the finals of tournaments, or they fear they are in grave danger." Aida's voice echoed in the minds of her clansmen. "Fighting someone like Kagami-kun must mean that they all admit that she is a great danger, so that Tsugawa won't be playing around."

The red head chuckled lightly, raising her chin. "I'm honored." She muttered.

In a blink of an eye, Tsugawa disappeared, catching Kagami and Izuki off guard. Kuroko frowned, then dashed forward with knives in his hands. 'He's still trying to target Izuki-semapi!' The boy threw the weapons in hand.

The shaven head boy seemed to pause in his pursuit, and fluidly moved around in place, as the knives missed him by a hair. Then he quickly set off again, with energy gathering in his hands.

Kagami cursed, and dashed forward, dragging her battle axe. She stopped in the path of the boy, and swung her weapon across. The boy deflected the blade down from cutting him, as he moved around the girl, still continuing in his path. The girl growled, and blared in her red aura. "Blaze Blast!"

The fire attack was hurtling behind the Lò member, towards Etoile's Sorcerer. Izuki flinched at the sight of the big blast of flames, chasing after the boy. He quickly waved his hand, glowing in his silver aura. "Multi-Paralyze!"

Several glowing magic circles appeared in front of the raven haired boy, which the boy started to do some flips and jumps, avoiding in stepping into them. He took aim, but hit against a solid invisible wall. Izuki winced at the sharp sound close to his head. He looked up to see Tsugawa then move away, as the fire spell hit against the barrier. Izuki flinched again, feeling the heat lick his face. 'I think I know how Kagami's opponents feel when they get hit by her fires, though not so directly.' The fires died down, and Izuki sighed in slight relief. 'Good to know that I could count on you to protect your teammates, Kagami, or else you would have intentionally knock out your own team members with your own attacks.' He looked up to see the girl engaged in fighting with the last opponent on the field. 'Faster.'

Silver glittering light sprinkled over the red head, and her moved became faster. Kagami was gritting her teeth, trying to hit the boy. 'He said that he's not playing, but he totally is! This bastard!' Her mind raged. It ticked her off more, seeing the smirk on the boy's lips. He kept deflecting her attacks, moving it away from hitting him, and trying to pull her in close so that he could take a shot in getting a punch or kick at her. But Kagami let her instincts take control to block those attacks or barely dodge. She mentally also thanked Kuroko, for giving her some room to breath, as he started to toss his knives and shadow spells in between. 'But why can't I hit this guy!?'

With a powered up dropkick, Tsugawa slammed the giant axe on to the floor, before it could slash across him. Kagami looked up, her eyes filled with pure hate and frustration. The shaven head boy raised his chin, and grinned cheekily. 'This bastard!'

"Shadow Wave."

The red head stood where she was, as the shadow spell came up, separating the two. Kagami scowled, and looked over to the side, glaring at the light haired boy all in black. She saw the look in the boy's apathetic gaze. 'I know, I know.' She told her self, as she tore her eyes away, and back at the opponent. 'But I can't help it, when this bastard has to be so frustrating! He's worse than Kise and Midorima!' She watched as Tsugawa was looking around with his eyes from where the attack came from. The girl hefted her heavy weapon on her shoulder, and dashed forward. 'I want this guy gone already!' Her mind shouted, as she swung her weapon again.

Tsugawa smoothly deflected her attack, and suddenly did a round house kick against the flat surface of the giant axe. "Shit!" The girl cursed, and her hold on her weapon loosened. The axe was flung towards the side where Etoile stood, and they all flinched when it slammed against the invisible barrier boarders.

Kagami turned her head, and saw the wide smile on her opponent's face, as he tightly clenched his glowing fist. "Roaring Dragon Strike!" Tsugawa thrust his fist forward, and collided with a hard body.

Ruby eyes widened with disbelief and horror, when Kuroko once again stepped between her and a powerful attack. The boy slammed against the tall girl, and they were both thrown against the battle field barrier. Kagami choked, and gritted her teeth. She looked down at the head of light blue hair, as Kuroko was sprawled on top of her. She carefully pushed the boy forward, as she sat up, and felt her heart clench when she saw the cuff on the boy's wrist shatter to pieces. "Kuroko, you idiot! Why do you always do this?" She hissed.

The boy started to hack a lung, while clutching on to his aching chest. The girl watched, as Kuroko spat out blood. Her hold on his shoulders seemed to tighten slightly, hands trembling. The light blue head placed a calming hand over the girl's, and looked up at her. "It's because Kagami-kun seems to forget to calm down so that she could focus." He said. Kuroko looked to the side, seeing Mitobe and Hyuuga coming over to pull him out of the battle field. Kawahara was near by, ready to use his magic.

"Kagami-kun, we all believe in you. I believe in you. You're the only one who could win this match." The boy looked directly into a pair of crimson orbs. Kagami clenched her jaw, as her hold on the boy slowly loosened. She watched as Kuroko was pull through the boarder barrier of the battle field. Kuroko looked back up at the girl. "Remember, you're not the only one fighting, Kagami-kun. And focus." Kawahara quickly went up to the boy's side.

Kagami closed her eyes, and slowly stood up. She didn't turn when her opponent suddenly hit his fist against the barrier that was summoned by her at the last second. Her arm was outstretched, palm facing the boy.

Tsugawa looked amused. "Aw, so you didn't forget about me?" He took a step back, and went into a fight stance, shifting his weight, front and back. "Sorry about that little guy there. I was surprise that I finally got him, when I've honestly been having a hard time finding him. But to find out how easily I knocked him out." He chuckled. "Must be weak like the rest of your Clan."

Deadly ruby eyes narrowed directly at the shaven head boy, sending shivers down the boy's spine. He jumped back, and started to berate himself. 'What was that? Why did I suddenly feel like I have to get away from her?' From the corner of his eye, he saw the other remaining Etoile fighter. 'Best to get rid of this guy fast, before he starts throwing some support spells.' He glanced back at the girl. 'Can't allow her to get any more worse.'

Tsugawa disappeared. Kagami took off from her spot, and quickly picked up her battle axe. Then she leaped high into the air, and landed a few feet in front of her opponent. She slammed her axe down on the floor, and the concrete started to cave in, spreading out towards the boy. Tsugawa nearly lost his balance, and he started to jump around, nearing the edge of the battle field.

"Sorry, Sempai." The girl spoke, without look back at the raven haired teen.

Izuki raised a brow. "Kagami?"

"I need your help." She picked up her axe, and she lowered herself, squatting down slightly. "We're going to win, and all I need is your support. Throw everything you can, and don't worry about me. We have to stop him at all cost."

Silver eyes glistened. The elder teen smiled, and nodded. "Of course." Izuki's hold on his lance tightened. 'What's this feeling? I know I could trust Kagami, but why does it feel like all my worry has washed away? Like there is no doubt that this battle is almost over?' He felt a warmth blanket him, and he welcomed it. He could have sworn that the girl before him was glowing in that sparkling white light. He took in a deep breath, and slowly released it through his pursed lips.

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"Something has changed."

Kise glanced over at the tall green head beside him. Then turned back his attention to the battle below. "The way she moves is different than before. Must be the enhancement spell that her teammate cast on her." He commented, carefully watching the red haired Knight.

"It's almost the same when she fought against you and Midorima." Kasamatsu remarked. "However, it's not as fluid, especially when moving with that opponent of hers from Lò." He frowned, and narrowed his eyes. "She's more guarded."

"Whoa!" Takao gasped, nearly pressing his face against the glass. "Those are not ordinary restricting spells." The three other fighters looked at the known Sorcerer among them. "One thing, usually restrictive spells are limited to about five target points, when cast in multiples. Secondly, I've seen magic circles for restrictive spells, and they don't suddenly stretch out like that. Usually Warlocks are able to cast restrictive spells that wide."

A multitude of magic circles spread out all over the floor. Tsugawa leaped away to miss stepping on them. When he jumped back further, the magic circles seemed to have grown wider in radius, leaving no empty space. The boy was stuck.

"And Kagami-cchi is moving around like those spells are not bothering her." Kise whistled, impressed. "Like that one fight when a Sorcerer tried to bind her." Kagami went for the offense, but the boy was moving around to dodge and deflect the girl's attacks, even when he was stuck in place.

"But she seems to be avoiding the paralyze spells." The younger raven haired boy noticed. Izuki waved a hand, and the girl was encased in the silver aura, with a wide magic circle below her. "Oh! This has to be the final attack! The spell cast on her is for energy enhancement. They're totally going to release the big guns now."

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Kagami started to spin around, holding on to her battle axe. Then she released it. Tsugawa moved to one side, barely missing from getting hit. He stood up straight and smirked. He was about to remark, but stopped when he saw the girl charging up with power, blaring with her red aura.

"Don't forget about me!" Izuki called out from his spot. He was encased in his silver aura, and he reached out his hand.

Tsugawa looked over his shoulder, and saw the widely spinning axe coming back at him. He widened his eyes. 'How!?' He leaned back, missing from being hit.

To the side, Hyuuga was grinning widely. 'The fast rotation of the axe is creating some form of wind around it, like a mini tornado, and Izuki, being able to manipulate wind, is using that to his advantage. It's like he could control the axe.' He glanced over at their tall female fighter. 'When did our idiot Rookie become smart and attentive?'

Kagami snapped open her eyes, and raised her hand. The silver magic circle started to glow red. She threw her arms out wide. "Scorching Rain!"

A multitude of basketball sized fire balls formed within the space of the battle arena. Everyone looked around in slight awe at such a majestic display, but Tsugawa had a sinking feeling, looking at the balls of fire, not wanting to be like a moth to a flame. He started to struggle, seeing the light of the magic circle slowly fading as time continued on. Kagami lowered her chin, but eyes trained at her rival. "I'm sorry." She whispered, before clapping her hands together.

One after the other, the balls of flames started to pelt the spot that the last Lò member in the battle field stood. They all went in quick successions, and would instantly be replaced by another fire ball. All too soon, the area that the boy stood became too bright for everyone to keep their eyes on, that they had to turn away. Then an explosion followed, and the whole room shook once again.

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Kise threw his arms up, laughing. "She did it!" He cheered.

Midorima frowned, narrowing his eyes. 'Not even he could summon such fire spell like that... unless...' His thoughts were interrupted, when Kise threw an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Midorima-cchi! Let's go down there and congratulate Kuroko-cchi and Kagami-cchi."

The green head grew annoyed, and slapped the blond's hand, off his shoulder. "I will do no such thing." He snapped.

Takao laughed. "Aw, you really don't want to go see Kagami-san? Maybe take her out for some congratulatory dinner while they're here?" He spoke slyly, while nudging the taller male.

Midorima flushed, and quickly adjusted his glasses. "Such win doesn't necessarily deserve some dinner. It was already predicted that Leos are the highest ranked today, and they could have already acquired a prize of their own." He turned his head away from his fellow clansman, scowling. "And, it's not like I'm particularly eager to face Kuroko or Kagami, anyway."

The raven head snorted, and tried to hold in his laugh. 'And yet, you pay so close attention to their Zodiac signs.'

"No way!" Kise huffed. "I'm not going to allow you to take Kagami-cchi out!"

"Hah!?" The green head looked at the blond incredulously. Then he glared. "It's not like I want to take Kagami out. And who said you get a say in whether I could or could not go out with her, even if I really don't?" In the back ground, Takao was holding his stomach, while hanging off Kasamatsu and holding his laugh at such scene.

Kise pointed at the taller male accusingly. "You do want to take her out! That's why you are really here!"

"No I don't!" The green head argued. Then he turned to his partner, glaring. "Takao, we're leaving. There is no point in arguing with this fool." He growled, then headed towards the exit. The raven head quickly followed behind, chuckling.

"Honestly, making such a scene." Kasamatsu scrunched his nose with distaste.

The blond grabbed hold of his upperclassman, tugging on his sleeve. "Let's hurry, Sempai! We might get to run into them before they leave."

The older teen glared with his bright blue eyes. "No, we're going back." He barked.

"But Sempai!" Kise whined, while running after the shorter male. The blond suddenly paused in his chase, and looked over his shoulder. He blinked his honey colored eyes. 'Huh? Was that?'

"Hey! Hurry up, or I'll leave you behind!" Kasamatsu shouted. Shaking his head, Kise quickly trailed behind his team captain.

0000000

"So, did you get what you need, Momoi?"

Magenta eyes slightly glistened, tearing away from the scene below, from the other side of the viewing window. A girl with long pink hair looked up at the tall male beside her. He had raven hair, with glasses over his slightly closed eyes. Momoi smiled. "Yes, Captain." She saluted, playfully.

There was an annoyed click of tongue. The girl looked over her shoulder at the taller male with short wheat blond hair, who was scowling. "How come he didn't come too? Isn't the whole team supposed to be here?" The male grumbled.

The teen that Momoi acknowledged as the captain, grinned and adjusted his glasses. "Oh, you know him." He waved a hand. "He could do whatever he likes, as long as he shows results." He glanced over at his team, with two others standing at the other side of the blond.

"Um, Captain... why did we come to observe this particular Clan?" A short boy with light brown hair questiond. He suddenly just flustered when eyes were on him, and he started to bow several times. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The bespectacled teen raised a hand to stop the profusely apologizing boy. "Nothing special. Just following some rumors of a tiny Clan having defeated teams with a General in them." The three other males all turned to their Captain with surprise in their expression. "And I'm particularly interested in that Knight of theirs." He mused.

"She is quiet peculiar." Momoi murmured with calculative eyes. 'And... why doesn't Tetsu-kun seem to pay such close attention to her?' She shook her head to fought back the pang of jealousy growing in her chest.

"So, shall we head back?"

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The headquarter mess hall became lively, with tables filled with food, and decorations scattered around. There was soft upbeat music playing in the back ground, and some dancing lights moving around the ceiling and floors.

"A toast!" Aida raised her glass high, filled with nectar made out from the fruit trees grown in their backyard. The girl was beaming widely. "For the victory of our first issued formal challenge, and defeating one of the top tier Clans! We finally got our own Chemist in our town. Now business will be booming!"

"KANPAI!"

Koganei inched close to the brunette. "We have to know, Riko. What was it you were betting on, if we did lose the challenge?" He asked.

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, you know the Artifact for Ore Mining."

Spitting out his drink, Hyuuga looked up at their leader with disbelief. "Are you serious!?" He nearly shouted with outrage. "Don't you know how important ore mining is? We need it for weapon and armor upgrades, and well as a good source of trading."

Aida huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, it's a good thing we won." She raised her nose.

Off to the side, Kagami was lying on the couch, watching her teammates having fun in their little party. Her body ached from the battle, especially when she was still adjusting with her new temporary weapon. She practically passed out after the battle, because she used up all her energy. It took more out of her in using the giant axe than it did with her usual giant sword.

Suddenly her head was lifted up from its spot, and then placed down on a comfortable cushion. She blinked, and turned her head up, seeing Kuroko volunteer his own lap as a pillow for her. "You did very well, Kagami-kun, in adjusting with the giant battle axe. And that new spell was an added bonus for you." The boy praised.

The girl turned her head back to watch her clansmen. She waved a hand nonchalantly. "There's no need to praise me for anything." Her eyes trained on one particular person. "Although, Koganei-sempai would be more admirable, because he can use various weapons in the battle field."

Smiling softly, the boy looked up, after hearing some cheering. "Well, Koganei-sempai has not mastered any of them, however. You, Kagami-kun, was able to master a different weapon, and at a short time."

The red head light snorted. "I'm still feeling sore from using the axe. But more than anything, I prefer heavy swords. I just don't know how Mitobe-sempai likes using axes." Her ruby eyes scanned the group, and her lips curled up into a light smile. "All our Sempai are great in their own way, after spending time with them, and fighting along side with them. They work so well with one another." She slowly closed her eyes, reveling in the happy and comfortable atmosphere. "I'm... proud to be part of Etoile Clan." She murmured softly.

Looking down at the girl, Kuroko's smile grew. "Me too." He replied. He raised his head. "Though I had some good times back in my old Clan, that was in the past, and right now, I am a part of Etoile Clan."

Unconsciously burying her head against her pillow, her hand reached up on front of her face, and clutched on to the boy's pants. "Why... why do I have this strange feeling? Like something terrible will happen?" She whispered.

Light blue eyes blinked, and Kuroko looked down at the girl, studying the side profile of the red head. Kagami chuckles when she saw her clansmen start acting silly, and then shook her head. "No, it's probably nothing." Then slowly the lids of her eyes fluttered close.

Raising a hand, the boy gently pulled back some bangs from the girl's face. He lightly bit the inside of his cheek. 'I also hope that this foreboding feeling is nothing.' He closed his eyes. 'I'll protect you Kagami-kun, even if it will cost me my life...'

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Aida Riko Files

(THAI Aegis) Clan
Base of operations: Kæ̂k̄hị City (THAI resolve)
Leader: N/A
Number of currently active members: 100+
Predominant Classes: Brawlers
Clan Rank: V
Squad, Team 1
Squad Leader: N/A
Team Captain: Iwamura Tsutomu
Number of active members: 5
Predominant Classes: Brawlers
Team Rank: III

Class Types

Iwamura
Class: Guard

Kasuga
Class: Brawler

Tsugawa
Class: Brawler

Oomurou
Class: Brawler

Sakamoto
Class: Guard