Spatial Flames

by Kurasame

The Black Bulls are well-known for their horrendous deeds throughout the entire Black Clover Kingdom. Being only a small brigade, their names are just as famous - all but one. A young woman who joined the Black Bulls at the same time as Finral Roulacase. Full summary inside.

1. A New Beginning

Welcome to my story and thank you for checking it out! Just a few pieces of information before you can dive right into the first chapter.

This is going to be an AU following the canon events with lots of alterations and expansions to the plot. Naturally, the main focus will be on my OC, but Finral will also have his vital role. In my eyes, his character is super underrated, so if you are a fan of him, stay tuned for the plans I have for him.

This story is rated M and certainly not without reason. I'm a hopeless romantic through and through, so you can expect a happy ending. That being said, I'm not afraid of putting characters through the wringer, so you better always have some tissues at your side.

Furthermore, the updates on this story will be extremely slow - most likely only when I'm hit by a lightning bolt of inspiration - because my current main focus is on my story "The Age of Etherion" for Fairy Tail. Once that story is finished though, I will concentrate on Spatial Flames. Therefore, I'm asking for your patience. If you are a fan of Fairy Tail just like me, maybe TAOE will sugarcoat the waiting time for you. :-)

Now then! That's all on my part, so I wish you happy reading! Don't forget to leave your comments and likes! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Black Clover and everything belongs to the rightful owner. Only the elements I came up with are my property.

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Full summary:

The Black Bulls are well-known for their misdeeds throughout the entire Black Clover Kingdom. Being only a small brigade, their names are just as famous - all but one. A young woman who joined the Black Bulls at the same time as Finral Roulacase.

Years passed by but she's still a walking mystery, even to her own squad. Her secrets are well-hidden behind the heavy cloak she wears all the time.

But when Asta joins them, his ambitions of becoming the Wizard King are contagious, pulling the Bulls toward a new path. Thus a new story unfolds in which Finral and the woman shrouded in mysteries will take the leading role.

A Black Clover AU.

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It was early morning, yet Finral Roulacase was already wide awake. He would have preferred to stay in bed for much longer, but the prospect of enraging the leader of the Black Bulls, Yami Sukehiro, his captain, stopped the brown-haired male from giving in to his urges.

Begrudgingly, he heaved his sore body out of the alluring embrace of his bedsheets and searched inside the countless dressers for suitable attire for today's event. Long minutes passed by until he had his most favoured set of clothes in his hands.

Finral sighed at himself because even though he had other clothes to choose from, somehow, he always ended up with his favourite choice. A long-sleeved, grass-green top, brown trousers and greenish boots. He also wore a white tunic beneath his top, but the cloak with his brigade's insignia would cover it from the open eye.

He grabbed all pieces and moved a door further. Being one of the first members to join this squad shortly after its foundation, he had been lucky enough to pick any room available. The second he had stepped into the first chamber, he already knew it would be his. It had been empty but that only showcased how vast it actually was. A lot of space he could fill with any furniture he wanted to. Furthermore, he could see far since the room was located on the highest floor of the Black Bull's hideout, a crucial aspect for Finral to consider because his Spatial Magic could only transport him to locations he had marked in the past or the open space he could perceive with his eyes.

However, as great as all of this had been, nothing could compare to the fact that he had his own personal bathroom, fully equipped with everything a young man such as he needed. He didn't mind the shared bathing chamber in the basement, but considering how rowdy the Black Bulls always were, Finral preferred some repose in the morning.

Soon enough, his bare and lean body had sunken into the tub filled with hot water to the brim, and content sighs left his mouth one after another. It was a wonderful feeling how all soreness was washed out of his muscles. The idea of having to stand all day long behind Yami during the exams, watching the contenders trying their best to get chosen by one of the nine squads, was not much of an appealing thought to the Spatial Mage. The thought of an angry Yami was much worse though.

Considering his options, the observation of the exam suddenly didn't sound as dreadful as it had before. Besides, the large test would only last for today before he could do as he pleased again. Furthermore, he would have countless opportunities to convince the ladies' world of his qualities today, so maybe the whole ordeal was not as bad as it seemed at first glance.

The spatial mage soaked a bit longer but when the water stopped emitting steamy vapours, he knew the time was due for him to move onwards with his morning routine. Half an hour later, Finral was ready to go and did one final check-up on his appearance. Content with what he was seeing, he left his room and was greeted by yet another layout of the hideout, that he was not familiar with.

It had been a great shock to him when Yami had revealed that their base was constantly changing the shape of its insides. Inhabited quarters remained where they were, but every other room was relocated on a daily basis. This time the brown-haired male had to dodge a supporting pillar right in front of the door leading into his chambers. Aside from his narrow escape from the painful wake-up call, there were no further incidents during his march toward the front gate.

However, his plans had to wait until the other two members arrive. When Finral passed through the gates, he thought for a moment, that he heard a wooden door creaking in agony before it busted into thousands of splinters from somewhere inside the hideout. No anguished shouts followed after though, so he dismissed the noise as a spiel of his own mind.

Outside, he found the space in front of the large building empty with not a single soul in sight. Apparently, he was the first one and could only wait now. So the brown-haired man allowed himself to fall into the solitude the fresh morning offered.

Birds chirped their lovely songs in the treetops, delighted for a new day to arise that they welcomed all too eagerly. The sun was slowly ascending to its heavenly throne with every passing second, and Finral soaked in every beam of light which kissed his face with gentle warmth. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he was embraced by such peace. Being a part of the most infamous brigade, for all the wrong reasons, certainly ensured a busy life for the spatial mage. Especially, when he had to play the role of the personal taxi for Yami. He had not much of a choice in this matter because all it took the wielder of Dark Magic to silence any form of protest, was a glare filled with nothing else but the intent to kill.

Such a terrifying ability and Finral had been unable to resist the demand so far. It sounded like dread incarnate, but he was grateful when he could be of help. His skills as a mage were highly limited even though he used one of the rarest types of magic. He was only good for transportation though, so that was what he did and what he was called on for by others. The Black Bulls' drudge, only good enough to bring them from one location to another. An insulting nickname, but he had nothing to offer in rejection against the mocking for he was nothing more than a coward who had run away from his duties.

Before the spatial mage could spiral deeper into his past though, the large gates behind him opened. Had it not been for his sensitive perception of his surroundings, Finral wouldn't have noticed the movement since it was as silent as the brush of death itself. A metaphor of course, yet the culprit looked at first glance like the reaper of death. Finral still remembered the first encounter between himself and the man who had just stepped into the bright shine of the morning sun.

The man's familiar appearance brought a strange feeling of solace to Finral because apparently, he was not the only one who preferred to wear the same clothes most of the time. Gordon Agrippa had donned his military-looking uniform and was mumbling silent words. Unfortunately, Finral didn't understand a single word he uttered but years of training allowed him to read at least some of them out of the situation they were in.

"Good morning," the brown-haired male responded to his fellow squad mate's greeting. Afterwards, a comfortable silence blanketed them as they were content with enjoying the repose of the young day. However, the calmness only lasted for a few minutes because their captain joined them shortly after.

Surprisingly, Yami didn't seem to be in a foul mood as Finral had expected. On the contrary, he looked to be in rather high spirits, and the spatial mage couldn't deny the shock coursing through his body at that realisation. It was a rare event because the captain of the Black Bulls was a grumpy person by nature, and Finral wondered what the reason for this unexpected development could be. Not that he had any complaints to utter about the good mood of his captain. In fact, it would make things easier for him in the end.

"Mornin', you guys ready to go?" Yami asked after he had released a puff of smoke from his mouth, a burning cigarette in his hand. It was more than obvious that it was way too early for the tall man if the wide yawn that followed was anything to go by.

Finral was about to give the combined response for himself and Gordon, but suddenly the entry door opened once more. Immediately the spatial mage began his calculations, counting every Black Bull currently inside the base. He knew Charmy was awake but the petite girl was busy stuffing her bottomless stomach with countless delicatessen. Thus it couldn't be her, but his Black Bulls mathematics told him any other member wouldn't be up this early either.

Vanessa probably had a hangover from her latest drinking session, so any form of light would be her natural enemy at the moment. Hell could freeze over several times before she would move an inch out of the blanket fortress she had most likely built, in order to protect herself.

It couldn't be Gauche either. The man was too busy being obsessed with his little sister. Once Finral managed to steal a glance at her through the mirror the siblings used to secretly converse with each other. Marie saw him and smiled so adorably that it was unfair. The spatial mage's face turned into a lovely red colour after he had seen the sweet little angel for the first time in person and not in a photo. Suddenly he could understand the lavender-haired man much better than before. But the times when Gauche could visit his little sister were highly limited. He knew the next visit was still far away, so he scratched Gauche's name as well from the mental list inside his head.

One might think that Luck Voltia would be the most active member of the Black Bulls and to a certain extent, that was the truth. His personality and magic only amplified his restlessness. However, that only counted during the daytime. When the moon shone brightly in the skies, Luck was soundly asleep, replenishing all the energy he had used. Of all members, Luck was always the last one to get up, which meant the door was not opened by him either.

Thinking of Luck immediately brought yet another member to the forefront of the brown-haired male's pondering. Most of the time Magna was the poor soul who suffered from Luck's shenanigans. The fire mage had never a moment to rest as long as Luck was nearby. Finral would have felt sorry for him, but it was more than obvious that these two were best friends even though they never admitted it.

Grey preferred to stay hidden inside the base most of the time and now that Finral was thinking about the tall woman, he couldn't say that he knew all that much about her. He was uncertain whether she had any intention of ever showing more of her persona or if she was simply too shy. Whatever it was, the spatial mage had no memories of her being an early bird, which left only three members, meaning Yami, Gordon and himself.

He noticed how his brain was overheating, desperate to find the solution to the question burning inside him. He had already counted through all members, so who would leave their hideout this early in the morning as well? He almost screamed when his mind offered the possibility of an intruder as a cause, but before he could follow this line of thought, reality showed him the truth. The spatial mage was beyond shocked as he witnessed who was opening the front gates, so much that his mouth fell open.

It was her.

In fact, the Black Bulls had one more member, but Finral hadn't even bothered to consider her. She was a walking mystery, even to her own squad. The person in question always wore a thick, heavy cloak which concealed all of her features. Even the fact that she was a woman he only figured out due to a lucky occurrence.

On that particular day, she must have been outside and probably close to the base when it suddenly started to rain heavily. The skies were pouring relentless streams of tears and in the next moment, she came crashing through the front gates, soaked from head to toe. Her clothes clung to her body like a second skin, and thus Finral unmasked her as a woman, albeit he looked away at the very next moment. He feared what she might do to him if she was to catch him staring at her. Unheard curses flew from her lips in constant waves but even then, her voice sounded as sweet as honey to his ears. One of the rare moments when she revealed something of herself even though involuntarily.

That's why her sudden appearance was so unexpected. Both of them had entered the Black Bulls at the same time years ago, yet he knew little to nothing about her. Of course, they had conversations with each other, but those were rare and limited. Most of the time she kept to herself and therefore he had almost no information available from which he could draw his opinion about her. Only her name he knew.

Ria, the name brief and too short to be complete. Finral may be a pure disappointment as a mage, but he was confident in the abilities offered by his brain as well as his observation skills. He wasn't the sharpest blade of course, but he wasn't a helpless fool either and not much could escape from his keen eyes. Yet, when it came to the cloaked woman, his sharp mind and vision failed him miserably. The spatial knight wondered how one person could hold so many secrets at once and succeeded in keeping them concealed from any curious eyes.

The fact that she stayed most of the time in her quarters only added more difficulty to the endeavour of figuring her out. A complex task through and through but for an unknown reason, Finral was up for the task. He couldn't say why but maybe he would discover the reason one day.

The large gates snapped shut behind Ria and put an end to his trail of thoughts. She crossed her arms in front of her body and overlapped her legs, so that most of her weight was supported by only one. Based on the energy between their captain and Ria, Finral deduced that he'd been the one to discover a way to coax her from her room. A feat that always seemed to lift Yami's spirit, while the exact opposite was true of Ria.

Yami took another puff of his cigarette and when he exhaled, he lifted his left hand and pointed with his thumb over his back at the fourth member of the Black Bulls currently present. "Tomby over there is coming with us," he said and thus Finral's suspicions were confirmed. Ria would indeed be tagging along for the exams, a reality she certainly didn't seem impressed with.

"Let's get this over and done with," she seethed like a vengeful beast in response and Yami only laughed boisterously at her reaction. His bravery was admirable since he showed no fright when faced with her anger but then again, it could also be that Yami was merely oblivious. Either way, both attributes were an epitome of his character, the man who was the captain of the rowdiest brigade in the whole Clover Kingdom.

XXX

Shortly after the team of four was high in the skies, riding their brooms toward their destination, the royal capital. Beneath, the surroundings changed the closer they got. At first, there was nothing else but endless forests with lakes and rivers carving their mark into the domain of green. Ria always preferred such scenery because it felt like home to her. Some ruins lingered inside the innards of nature, and she could still remember how some of them resembled those which ended up being her temporary place to live.

But soon enough the first villages came into view. Vast fields of fresh crops and golden corn surrounded the small centres of civilisation as the people worked relentlessly in the first rays of the sun. Sandy roads meandered through the fields and connected one village to another, each larger than the one before.

After passing the border of the Forsaken realm, small towns defined the vicinity. They boasted a lot more houses and people, and there was a lot more industry as well. Many workshops could be found in every cobbled street. The land around was still used for farming, but the fields were far smaller than those in the Forsaken Realm. Furthermore, woods became more prominent again, but it didn't last for long.

On the horizon, the royal capital came into sight. Built upon a vast mountain, the city towered above the entire kingdom and was a gem through and through. Enormous walls of massive stone surrounded the entire capital and rendered all attempts of invasion useless. Behind, the ever-busy life of the townspeople never stopped because there was always something happening.

Today was different because the time for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam had come. It took place every year and was always accompanied by countless festivities all across the large town. Food stands lined the streets, and many other attractions could be seen as well. Even though the day had barely begun, the commotion was already in full swing as the people enjoyed themselves.

The four members landed in a spot that was slightly calmer, but being Magic Knights themselves, they were a natural magnet for attention. Albeit being the Black Bulls, the attention garnered was for all the wrong reasons. People sneered when they saw them and behind closed hands, they mumbled insults to each other.

Ironically enough, this meant everything was alright. They were the worst magical brigade after all, so they were used to such occurrences. Had anyone asked them for help instead though, they would have to worry. Nobody would willingly do such a thing if they had a choice.

"Finral, when does the exam start?" Yami suddenly asked out of the blue with his usual bored-sounding voice.

Said man squeaked in response at the sudden address. His eyes were already roaming through the streets, but he returned his attention immediately back to his captain.

"Uhm, it should start around noon."

After the brown-haired male had given the answer to Yami's question, he remained silent for a few seconds, which dragged on way too long. Gordon, Ria and Finral all narrowed their eyes slightly at the unresponsiveness of their captain, at the same time. Did he not know they had hours to go until it would start?! Had he even bother-

"I guess we have some free time then. Enjoy the fest. See ya later," Yami interrupted their collective thoughts before he ventured off on his own. He departed so fast that none of them could accuse him of his mistake. He had dragged all of them here this early because he had thought the exam would already start. A mistake of poor planning on his part and now they were all stuck waiting when they could still be in their beds.

Ria groaned and cussed silently to herself and Finral could only agree with her. He was thinking the same, after all. Gordon was also mumbling something, but it was even more quiet than usual, making it all but impossible to understand what he was saying. But suddenly the cloaked woman made a noise that sounded like a snort and the spatial mage's head snapped in her direction.

It had lasted for less than a second, but he knew it had been there, without a doubt. Ria was a mystery and had achieved true mastery in keeping everything hidden but sometimes even her armour cracked open in a few spots. Thus, the snippets of her persona which shone through, intrigued the spatial mage beyond imagination. He wished to meet the person hiding beneath the cloak one day, no matter how long he would have to wait. However, he could still try to lure her out and with the suddenly gained freedom, he had a golden opportunity at hand.

"Ria," he exclaimed happily, his brain already crafting a plan of which attractions they had to visit at all costs, "why don't we go together. I'm sure we will have lots of fun."

Turning around, Finral hoped for a positive answer but was met only by silence instead. Due to his sudden excitement, he had closed his eyes but now they slowly peaked open again and disappointment washed over him a moment later. Ria was nowhere to be found and even Gordon had vanished.

Therefore, he was all by himself which meant for outsiders, it must look like he was talking to himself. Embarrassment replaced his disappointment, and he took a careful look around. Seeing as no one had paid him any mind, he released the breath of relief that he was not aware of holding. Of course, he would have enjoyed the chance to get to know Ria better, but he was convinced he would have many more chances in the future.

With that thought lingering in his mind, he set out as well and for once, he was content to not chase after every girl he came across. It was simply too early for such behaviour.

XXX

The cloaked woman took long strides and vanished inside the first dark alley she could find. Not only was it way too early for Ria's liking, she had been barely awake for more than an hour, but it was also too noisy for her. She dreaded the capital not for its people but for what they did. Her sensitive senses were assaulted by so many impressions at once, that she had no chance of keeping up with them.

From shouting businessmen praising their offered goods to screaming kids hugged by giddy excitement about all the attractions they would test out. She felt how a headache was already blooming and she had not even started discerning the smells. They mixed together and became unrecognizable to her. The worst part was her brain automatically tried to figure out each of them and it only added more tempo to the invasive pain inside her mind.

Under normal circumstances, she would have left long ago, but unfortunately, her captain had dragged her here. She could run away but the tall man would certainly come after her. His ability to sense Ki was like a natural enemy for her because she could muster no countermeasures against the unfair ability.

Ria groaned in defeat. As much of a teasing shit Yami could be at times, his title as captain was certainly not just for show. He was strong, simple as that but then again, all captains leading a brigade of magic knights were extremely powerful. However, Yami somehow stood out from the rest, her senses told her as much, but so far, she had been unable to filter the reason for this.

Be that as it may, she had other problems to deal with at the moment. She could stay where she was, cowering in a shady passageway and hoping she would be able to last until the exams would start, or she could try to find a better location where hopefully it wasn't as bad as it was here. Mulling her options around inside her head several times, she chose the latter one. Even if she didn't find a better place, the movement would distract her to some extent. Anything was better than sitting around and doing nothing.

With her decision made, Ria stood up from her crouched posture and stepped out of the alley she had been in. Her squad mates had already left so she would be free to her own will, just as she liked it. Years of solitude did such things to a person and once the taste of freedom was lingering on the tongue, it was hard to spit it out again.

Countless people were already awake as they wished to witness as much as possible of the festivities in the early hour. The streets were crowded and not bumping into other people was nearly impossible, but for Ria, it was no problem at all. She easily sneaked through the narrow space left between the moving bodies as if she had done nothing else in her life. Despite her long, dark cloak, which stuck out like a beacon, she remained the shadow in open daylight. Many saw her but nobody really realized that she was there. Her steps were as silent as a stalking tigress, hiding underneath the thicket surrounding her, and only seen when she wished to be.

Still, in the mass of people she could make out the smells of her fellow squad members quite easily and when she turned her head toward the individual's direction, she found them easily enough. Gordon was the first one she came across. He had retreated to a small cafe and by the smell of it, he probably sipped on some coffee. His skin had returned from snow white back to its normal pale colour as the silent man observed the people around him.

Due to her advanced hearing, she could understand most of what he was saying. At first glance, he seemed scary looking, but behind his outer appearance a kind soul was hiding, shy and afraid of getting hurt. Ria had always wondered how Gordon had ended up in the Black Bulls, but then, their captain seemed to have a certain talent for discovering the most misfit people. The ones most of society simply disregarded. He offered them each a chance to shine under his squad's emblem, even if the Black Bulls weren't exactly known to do so.

Said man was close by, that much she knew by the familiar stench of his cigarettes. It was a smell she would always identify, no matter the situation around her. She had yet to come across another person, who inhaled the toxic substances in constant manners. So when she followed the direction her nose was pointing her in, she found him on top of a house, leisurely sprawled out across its roof.

Yami was in plain sight, but Ria doubted anyone else had discovered him yet. At least she could not pick up any indicators that someone had found the captain of the Black Bulls. Even when notorious, a leader of a brigade of magic knights was always a magnet for attention and the user of dark magic was no exception. With the festivities on the roll though, the tall man was lucky enough to escape the spotlight. Her eyes lingered only on him for a moment, but it was enough to alert the tall man.

Yami twisted his neck in her general direction, but she knew that his dark orbs were fixated on her. For those who were aware of her presence, she stuck out of the crowd like a blinding light. Her beloved cloak that normally offered shadows in plain daylight in which she could hide, failed her miserably this time around. She was a fierce tigress masked as an innocent little lamb among the sheep around her, but not for him. He saw right through her, had done so ever since they first met. Curse his Ki!

The cloaked woman huffed at that thought and wandered away. No matter what she would do, it was futile. Facing Yami Sukehiro would only end in defeat. The man had perfected the concept of being aloof. It was almost impossible to penetrate through the barriers, and the moments something actually managed to complete the deed were rare. People called her a walking mystery, but her captain could easily compare with her in that regard. And just like her, he preferred to keep his secrets to himself.

However, Yami was not a bad person, nor a bad captain because he concealed sections of his being. Ria figured that any other captain would have most likely put shackles on her, but under the dark mage's lead, she could roam as free as she wanted to. Something she was grateful for even though she would never admit that.

Shaking off those thoughts from her consciousness, the cloaked woman ventured deeper into the royal capital. She stayed away from the main streets when possible and walked through the countless alleys that lingered at their sides. Under normal circumstances, only a few souls passed through them, so Ria would have expected to find some precious solitude. Unfortunately, due to today's special conditions, many people were using the shady alleys for a moment of rest before they would return to the festivities that continued brimming with life throughout the entire city.

The longer she walked, the realisation gradually dawned on her, that her search for a place of repose had maybe been futile from the very beginning. A fact that should have been more than obvious, but maybe her hopes had numbed her brain's functionality. Ria came to a complete halt and sighed warily in defeat.

'What have I been thinking?' she asked herself as she shook her head in disapproval of her own actions. Maybe she should try to test her luck and just leave. Yami surely wouldn't be able to detect her in the masses of people, currently swarming through the cobbled roads twinning between the houses as long as she was not in his immediate presence. She seriously considered the option, but her attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere.

A velvety voice was invading her sense of hearing, and she could easily decipher to whom the soft tune belonged. Her assumption was proved to be correct when she turned her head in the general direction. It took her a few seconds until she had found the man she was looking for, but it was fairly easy due to his robes being emblazoned with the same insignia as her cloak.

Still, what she saw was nonetheless utterly surprising because for once, Finral Roulacase was not acting like the womanizer he normally was. The feast would have been a dream come true for the brown-haired male, yet for some reason, he was not on the hunt for a girl's favour.

Had she not seen Finral's impassivity in close quarters to the other sex with her own eyes, Ria would have never believed it. In fact, it was so unimaginable, that had anyone described the strange scene, the cloaked woman would have dismissed the possibility in fits of outright laughter.

Yet the reality was different and thus, Ria was greeted by the sight of Finral energetically chatting with a salesman. Their topic was most likely the offered goods. Ria's hearing was good enough to understand the words they exchanged, yet she found herself unable to comprehend a single syllable. Too great was her stupor about what was transpiring in front of her forest-green eyes. Even more so because she could clearly perceive the events occurring around the engaged couple of men.

Apparently, Finral was a natural magnet for women's attention if he didn't behave like a girl-crazed maniac. Low whispers behind raised hands and rosy cheeks told Ria as much. Them openly ogling her squadmate only cemented the truth further. Closing her eyes, the cloaked woman couldn't suppress the chuckle spilling forth from her throat. The world truly was a place filled to the brim with ironic twists, albeit this one was rather amusing.

Suddenly though, Ria's amusement died down as fast as it had appeared. When she reopened her eyes, forest green and lavender met each other. Finral was staring at her for an unknown reason, how he had even taken notice of her was beyond Ria's comprehension. To some extent, she knew that the spatial mage was gifted with keen senses, but so far, she hadn't thought they would be able to locate her as well. Both mages gazed at each other for long seconds while Ria wondered whether Yami's usage of Ki was rubbing off on the brown-haired male. A concerning thought, but Ria had to worry later about this because Finral had not been the cause for her dying amusement.

"Stop right there you filthy thief!" Among the numerous voices, the accusing shout was standing out like a tree in a flower field. Of course, such a big event as the Magic Knights Entrance Exam couldn't run smoothly without any trouble occurring. And being a magic knight, she was obliged to investigate the thievery because she was probably the only knight who had taken notice. Ria groaned in utter annoyance. Such a hassle!

Still, she was duty-bound by her oath as a magic knight even though many probably thought otherwise. She didn't care in the least though. The opinions of others had never meant much to her in the first place, so she could give a flying fuck about what they would say or think about her. Only a few, carefully chosen individuals were able to get through her massive defences. Furthermore, if she simply ignored the crime just like that, Ria could never step under the eyes of her saviour with her head held high ever again.

Therefore, with a sigh on her lips, she crouched down slightly before she jumped on one of the nearby walls. When her feet made contact with the solid surface, she propelled her body towards the wall opposite and continued her ascent in a zigzag fashion. Her moves were agile and nimble even though she did not use an ounce of magic. Her past had forged an unrivalled prowess in physical arts. Magic could run dry, and where others would be at the brink of despair about their helplessness, Ria would push onwards, carried by her steeled body.

With one final jump she landed safely on top of a chimney, the highest point of the house she was currently standing on. From there, she could overlook one of the main streets. One swift swipe with her hawk-like gaze was all it took for the cloaked woman to conclude the shout had originated from somewhere else. Even when ignored, the theft would have at least drawn some attention, but the people on this road looked relaxed and unbothered from any concerns.

She would have to search another street. In order to not waste any precious time, Ria simply leapt to another chimney – on the opposite side of the vast main street. The distance had to be at least thirty metres, probably even more, but she showed no sign of having any trouble crossing the urban ravine. With a somersault being the end of her athletic masterpiece, she landed back on solid footing and scanned the next traffic artery. Again, she did not find what she was looking for, so she repeated her earlier motions three times in a row before she came across her target.

Ria would have almost acted too rash, but she managed to stop herself in time when she noticed haste manoeuvrers in the corner of her eyes. Only mere minutes ago, she had been amused by one of the many twists the world offered, but its sibling she discovered now, was anything but funny. The scene transpiring beneath her watch was more of an epitome of how unfair and cruel this world could be, no matter how often one tried to make it better. Birth, status and money were supreme and unbroken in their rule over human society.

A burly man was running surprisingly fast through the masses of people as he screamed profanity after profanity. Anyone blocking his path was ruthlessly pushed away by the man without hesitation. He wore a nice dress shirt, typical for a salesman, matching pants and shoes. Judging from his clothes, he had to be a commoner and a rather wealthy one at that. Most likely, it would only be a matter of time until he reached the next stage and was crowned a noble.

"You have to pay for this food! Come back here right now you little bitch," he roared again as the chubby man chased after the thief of his goods. It was a young girl, still far from reaching her teenage years. She could only be eight or nine years old. Brown, untamed hair flipped from side to side as she ran away as fast as possible, clutching a bag stuffed to the brim with fruits, meat and bread to her chest as tight as possible.

Panic was written all over the girl's face, but there was more to her expression than the open eye could tell. However, for Ria, it was like reading a book. Shame, regret, self-loath. The negativity of the dark emotions coursing through the child clung to her like the sweat running down her body and looked as nasty as her filthy clothing. Though Ria highly doubted that the grey rag had been the girl's voluntarily choice. If that had not been enough to convince her, the bare feet of the girl told the rest of the story.

It was only a matter of time before the girl would be caught, her thin limbs could only carry her so far. No one could say what would transpire once this happened, although Ria had a good idea, and it was certainly not a pretty thought.

"Time to intercept," she whispered to herself. Scanning the area ahead, the cloaked woman searched for a more discrete way to stop the salesman in his tracks without openly attacking him from above. Being a Black Bull, that option was at her disposal, but she would save the horrendous action as her last measure. The name of her brigade may be tainted beyond imagination, and yet she would prefer to prevent adding more to the pile.

Luckily fate was on her side since she could spy a side alley close by. Both the girl and man would have to pass it, so the side road would fulfil Ria's expectations. With only two jumps she had gotten ahead of the chase and jumped the urban ravine without a hint of fright. She grabbed her hood, so it wouldn't be blown off by accident and landed back on the solid ground, marking the end of her parkour.

People gasped at her surprising entrance, but Ria had no time to waste on them. With long and rapid steps, she entered the main street just at the right moment. The cloaked woman stood behind a tall man, hiding her frame perfectly from the other side. The cards were playing straight into her hands, so when the girl ran past her, Ria set her hastily crafted plan into motion.

One step forward and Ria became a mobile wall of steeled muscles. Literally, a second later, the salesman chasing the girl crashed right into her but unlike before, his colossal body met its master. Thick waves of sticky fat washed over her as the stench of cheap perfume and sweat invaded her nose. The mixture was as disgusting as it was destructive. She had to suppress her body's wish to vomit on the spot, for she had other things to deal with at the moment. The retching could wait until later.

Like a ball of rubber, the fat businessman bounced off from Ria and landed straight on his behind. Curses filled the air as he rolled across the ground before he managed to stop the nauseating motion. The man righted himself up and was about to address Ria in foul manners, but he silenced himself when he saw her robe. Only magic knights were allowed to wear them so it would be better to watch out for one's manners in their presence.

However, the shift in his behaviour lasted only as long as he hadn't seen the insignia on her cloak. The moment he did, his demeanour changed back to what it had been, before and he sneered openly at Ria.

"Out of my way you Black Bull trash! I'm a busy man and have no time for the likes of you," the salesman screeched at her. However, Ria showed no sign of doing as she was commanded to, and it infuriated the man even further. She could care less about him, but she had to prevent him from chasing the girl any longer. She turned her head in the direction the young girl had run off in as she prepared her next plan.

"Listen trash-"

"I saw you were chasing this little girl," Ria interrupted him. Her voice was calm yet sharp enough to make her silent command clear to the aggravated man behind her. Seemingly he hadn't obtained his riches due to sheer luck and knew when to test it and when not to. Even as a member of the Black Bulls, Ria was still a magic knight and should be treated as such. If she had to, she was willing to make people remember that.

After a few seconds passed by in silence, she shifted her gaze back to the man. He was feeling rather uncomfortable now, that much was evident, but Ria had no intention to drag this out longer than she had to.

"What did she do?"

Surprised by the sudden inquiry, the salesman needed a few moments before his tongue was ready to form the answer. "That little bitch stole food from my stand! She was so fast that I barely noticed her theft, but when I did, she ran off and I followed her immediately. I would have already caught her if you hadn't stood in my way!" The last sentence was an obvious accusation, but Ria was not bothered by it. Instead, she was glad that the explanation matched her assumptions. Anything else would have caused trouble for her, but now the problem could be solved rather easily.

The businessman was about to say something else, but Ria was fed up with having to listen to his nasal voice. She reached into a pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small leather pouch. In the next moment, she leisurely flung the object into the salesman's face who was barely able to catch the pouch in time. New curses filled the atmosphere, but they vanished from the face of the world faster than lightning itself.

From within the small pouch, the noises of ringing metal were easily detectable and on top of that, it also had a nice weight. Being a man of business, it was obvious that the contents would immediately catch his attention, yet Ria still saw the confusion in his eyes.

"Payment for the food the girl took. The rest is to cover any additional losses you had because you're not at your shop at the moment. I'm certain this will suffice, right?"

The burly man stared at her in disbelief, searching for the hook even though there was no one. Ria had no hidden motives for handing him the pouch of coins, but running a business probably made one innately suspicious of others. Ultimately, the smell of money within his hands won the inner struggle and he accepted the bargain.

"Pleasure to do business with you," he replied and surprised Ria slightly when he bowed his head. He was an asshole through and through, that much Ria could say, but apparently, even he knew when to be respectful. When he lifted his head again, the man parted ways with her and returned to his shop, which left Ria alone at last.

She sighed in relief that her plan worked so smoothly, but what argument would be stronger than the marvellous sound of jingling coins? She had used the same method in the past countless times already and would have to take advantage of it in the future as well. The world was run by money after all.

With the most pressing problem solved and out of the way, the cloaked woman began to follow the main street. She would rather stay in the alleys, but that would make it impossible to pursue the trail left behind by the little girl. The child might stop to have something to eat while there was no one hunting her down, but it wouldn't solve the general problem. It was a delay at best.

Luckily the vestiges of the food the girl had pressed again her torso proved easily tracible for Ria's nose, even with all the other smells around. In no real rush now, she strolled in a leisurely tempo after the trail of food. She ventured from street to street and passed countless alleys in her search for the little girl, and before long, she found the person in question.

Her nose told her as much because the smell of the food had gotten extremely prominent, but the sounds of munching were more than enough evidence. Much to her surprise though, the noises indicated that there had to be at least two people devouring the array of fruits, meat and bread. An interesting reveal.

Rounding a corner, Ria found herself at a dead end. The first thing Ria realised was the lack of doors and windows to escape, so the only way to get away from here would be to pass by her. Unimportant at first glance but even a mere child will become a murderous beast when cornered with no way to escape – Ria knew this all too well.

At the far end, right next to several wooden barrels, she found the small girl in question. Terrified eyes were already looking at her before they snapped to their side. Hushed whispers echoed from the narrow passage in the next moment as the Ria took her first steps. Judging from the munching earlier, she had figured there was another person here. Seeing the reaction as it was, the cloaked woman was proven to be correct yet again today. However, she couldn't dwell for too long on her mental run because she was addressed rudely a second later.

"Who are you?!" The panic Ria had noticed in the girl's face earlier during the chase was etched in her expression once more, and was evident in her voice as well. There was basically nothing else, so it was admirable that she didn't shiver in the presence of a person foreign to her. Ria stopped in her tracks and considered the words directed at her. It had been one thing to appease the salesman and find the child, but how should she proceed from here on out? It dawned on Ria, that she might have acted too rash after all. The current situation required a rather delicate handling, and she couldn't call herself an expert in this regard, more like the complete opposite. But she figured it wouldn't do any harm to give her name to the girl.

"Hey there, my name's Ria. I'm a magic knight," she began her introduction and apparently, it was the wrong thing to do. The fear inside the girl's gaze multiplied, and Ria could almost see how the fight-or-flight button was pushed inside the girl's head. She turned around at first but found herself face to face with a wall of bricks. At that realisation, the girl immediately understood there was only one way left. The fight mode was switched on, and without a second's hesitation, she stormed at Ria.

Even though she was not fond of the thought, Ria had considered such an outcome. Therefore, her surprise was mild at best, and she did not flinch either when the small girl pulled out a rusty dagger. What a horrendous world they were living in, forcing a young and innocent girl to commit such deeds. It had far too many similarities with a story Ria loathed from the bottom of her heart, but unlike the protagonist of said epos, there was still time left for the girl to choose differently. If Ria could be a guiding light, leading the girl away from the bottomless darkness lurking inside every shadow, she would happily take the role.

Ria crouched down to the young girl's level. This way, evading the incoming stab attack with the rusty blade would be much easier than standing at her full height. With a battle cry, the child charged at the taller woman, yet the deadly attack was rendered utterly useless with frightening ease.

The cloaked woman had stretched out her right-hand seconds before the strike was performed. In well-trained manners, she allowed the blade itself to slide between her pointer and middle finger before they snapped, shut and trapped the metal between them. Naturally, the girl struggled in wild motions, but paired up against Ria's strength there was little she could do. One thumb came to rest on top of the hilt of the dagger, and a moment later the sound of creaking metal bounced off the walls until the sturdy material snapped.

All it took the member of the Black Bulls to disarm the petite girl were two of her fingers and a snap to the right with her hand. The weapon was destroyed, rendered purposeless in an instant and was carelessly flung away by its new owner. The little girl was stupefied but managed to shake it off rather fast. There was still a fire burning inside her eyes, fuelled by the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Ria had already righted herself up and stood at her full size ones more, so the little girl pounced at her leg. A futile attempt because the muscles of Ria's legs held firm and didn't budge a single inch. Ria was a moving mountain, located in plain sight, yet still keeping countless secrets. Only she could give the required command to set herself into motion, so no matter how long and how much the girl would thrash against her leg, it was utterly pointless. A sudden shout changed the situation.

"Caro!"

The scream bellowed from behind the barrels as a small boy jumped into sight. Just like the girl, whose name was most likely Caro, he wore only a rag, was barefooted and sprouted the same brown hair. It was clear as day, that the two were siblings, and judging from their size, Caro was the older one.

"Peter," Caro screamed in response to her brother's entrance. "I will keep the knight busy! Run away as fast as possible!"

The boy's displeasure was evident on his face. The mere suggestion of leaving his sister behind was enough to force tears to the corners of his eyes before they formed relentless streams running down his cheeks. Seeing a small child like this was a heart-wrenching sight to behold, even more so because Peter did as he was told. However, the young boy only followed the running part of the plan. Instead, of using his chance to get away, Peter jumped at Ria's other leg, mimicking his sister's efforts.

Caro was shocked by her brother's action and was about to shout something, but peter beat her to it. "I won't leave you alone, sis," the small, brown-haired boy cried in desperation. Something cracked inside of Caro's young heart and seconds later tears were falling from her cheeks as well. Both children's erratic movements died down, and before long they were openly sobbing into Ria's pants, the intensity of the situation becoming calmer with every passing moment.

Caro and Peter had seen many things innocent children shouldn't witness, but the morbid world seldomly showed mercy. They had feared for the worst when the magic knight suddenly appeared at the entrance of the dead-end, but the passivity of the knight brought a strange sensation of repose over them. They had the feeling that there was no need to be afraid of the cloaked person, and when two large hands were placed on their heads, caressing their hair in gentle motions, the feeling only intensified.

"Looks like you already realised that I mean no harm to you but let me say it. I'm not here to do any bad things to either of you," Ria cooed as softly as she could. It was certainly not her strong side to act solicitous, but she didn't have much of a choice at the moment. The children still clinging to her clothes needed someone who would take care of them. Otherwise, their fate was as good as sealed since it was highly unlikely that enough miracles would occur to save them.

After Caro and Peter had calmed down enough and their tears were all dried up, Ria bend down in front of them. Their life couldn't continue like this. She was fairly sure that the siblings knew that as well as she did. Therefore, she would offer a suggestion, a chance at a better life but Ria would leave the choice solely up to the children in front of her. It was their lives, and the cloaked woman had no intention of forcing them to do anything. She pulled her hood back and revealed what lay beneath, always well-hidden inside the greedy shadows. Caro and Peter blushed alike when the compassionate magic knight showed her face to them. They listened to her words, the offer they carried, and considered the fork in the road before them.

It was a scary thing because the consequences of their decision would affect the rest of their lives forever. Yet, the sweet smile suddenly appearing on the beautiful woman's face before them, burned away any hesitation they had. With their hands interlinked, the siblings decided on their path for the future and accepted the offer from the currently unmasked woman and thus opening the door towards A New Beginning.