Rean stared thoughtfully at his ARCUS unit as he contemplated the call he had just ended with Fie. If nothing else it was a good way to get his mind away from all the bruises and cuts littering his body. A short distance away the rest of his team were doing what they could to recover from the ordeal they had just gone through.
Large archaisms, magic knights, soldats, and even some mechanical approximations of cryptids had barred their path during the trial. While individually nothing they faced was worse than the most powerful enemies they had faced in the days leading up to the Great Twilight, having to face so many of them in rapid succession was enough to wear down even the most enduring of them.
And the inevitable boss encounter... the less said about that one the better. Why Professor Schmidt was so proud of his ability to miniaturize his railway cannons and stick one inside the keep Rean would never know. Even in its smaller size it was still more than capable of vaporizing them in a single shot and fighting enemies with it trained on them was an experience he cared not to recall.
But it was over and done with. And now he had to deal with a far more dangerous situation: A wild Fie rampaging across Heimdallr.
At least she seemed to be in a rather good mood when he talked to her. That was probably a bad sign for his friends, but he couldn't help but feel happy when she was happy. Which might have been why he accepted her cruel and heartless offer.
For most people, the choice between all of his dear friends or his fiancee's vengeance would be a difficult one to make. But that was only because most people didn't have a moody pregnant ex-jaeger as a fiancee.
Now how best to commit this act of heinous betrayal? The first step was to ensure that none of the others could possibly make it back to the capital in time. That required a distraction. But was there anything dangerous enough on campus to distract the elite group of Class VII members enough for him to make his escape?
Eyes widened in realization. Of course there was. A distraction so dangerous and terrifying that none of his blissfully unaware friends would be able to recover. It wouldn't be hard to arrange...
But he hesitated. Some betrayals could never be forgotten or forgiven. To take the next step would be to cross one such line. He felt a pang of guilt as he glanced at Altina as she struggled to recover from the ordeal they had just gone through.
It was the same grim feeling he felt when he accepted the title of Ashen Chevalier and began taking missions to oppress Crossbell. But he would accept any burden as long as it was for the greater good. And right now, getting back in Fie's good graces was the greatest of goods.
Muttering a quick prayer to Aidios Rean once again focused his attention back to his ARCUS and began making another call.
As Fie had expected, all of her opposition had banded together in a futile show of defiance by the time she left the museum. That was fine. She had already figured out what tools she would need to utterly crush each and every one of them. All she had to do now was collect them all. She patted her jacket pocket, confirming that the first such object, which she had gotten before leaving the museum, was still on hand.
Her conversation with Rean had improved her already giddy mood even further. Sure he was the most capable person she knew (not that she would ever say that aloud), and Sara and the others were also quite skilled (ditto), but she would never not worry about him. To hear that he had finished his mission with no significant injuries was a weight off her mind.
That and the fact that he was such a good boy that he was willing to assist her in her grand crusade. She wasn't sure what exactly he planned to do, but his word was as good as any, so she had no doubt that he would arrive to help out before long. It was the least he could do if he expected her to ever forgive him for that nasty and wholly untrue comment back on the train.
Forgive, but never forget.
The next stage in her operation required her to travel all throughout the city. Normally, this would be counterproductive towards her mission of stalking her hapless victim, but thanks to their earlier stunt she didn't need to worry about tracking the rest of her friends. It seemed like the entire city now knew that a good portion of the ever famous Class VII were currently together and the gossip was flying freely. All she needed to do was listen.
"Do you think they're here to save us from more terrorists or-"
"He overheard that the Ashen Chevalier is gonna be a dad-"
"My sister just called. She said she's on the same tram as them right now, headed towards the Racetrack!"
Just like that. The Racetrack. Perfect. She could have done without that middle comment, but she knew the price she would pay for spreading that story and did it anyways. Throwing herself and Rean under the bus was a small price to pay to make sure Vivi didn't get her stupid gossip piece out in time.
That was her final destination, but first she had to make a couple quick detours. Her first stop was to the ever familiar Alto Street.
To say that Class VII and the girl they were protecting were nervous as they exited the tram onto the Racetrack Plaza would be an understatement. Somehow they hadn't seen nor heard any sign of their pursuer since the incident back at the museum, which was concerning to say the least. There had even been enough time for a dazed and distraught Laura to rejoin the group, although the blue-haired warrior didn't mutter a single word as they exited that district.
Their new plan, courtesy of Emma, was a simple one. Since Crow refused to meet up with them they would simply go to him instead. Using his connections (and abusing their celebrity status), they would secure use of the VIP lodge for their final stand. There was only one entrance and not even Fie was the kind of person who would climb that high just to bust through a window.
Or at least they hoped so. With Fie it wasn't certain. They would probably need someone to keep watch for that just in case.
As expected, they found Crow inside the stadium relaxed in a seat as he took in the races. Why were there even races in the middle of winter none of them cared to know, but apparently it was a pretty big deal as the place was packed. Their older compatriot didn't even notice as they approached, so into the horses as he was.
"What the hell, man?" That was, at least, until Machias grabbed the former terrorist's shoulder and spun him around,
"Oh. Hey Machias, guys. How's it hanging?" If he was surprised to see the group he certainly didn't seem it.
Alisa crossed her arms in front of her. "What are you doing, Crow?" Not that it wasn't already completely obvious.
"Just keeping an eye out for Fie. Place has been packed, but I can definitely say she hasn't been here yet." He answered nonchalantly, earning a few eye rolls.
"Of course she hasn't She's been pursuing us the entire time." That might be a slight exaggeration as none of them had any idea where she was now, but no point in telling the slacker that. "Something you would have known had you answered the call!"
He looked like he was about to make another excuse, but eventually settled for a shrug of the shoulders. "...Meh." Somehow that lackadaisical reaction manage to piss them off even further.
Just as it seemed that Alisa or Machias were about to snap and claw out his eyes Emma stepped forth to once again serve as Class VII's mediator. "We were actually hoping for your help." She proceeded to briefly detail the plan to turn the lounge into their fortress.
"Sure, why not?" Something which he agreed to easily enough. Standing, he scanned the top row before his eyes caught sight of what he was looking for, and to his relief the person was looking back at him. With a quick wave the others watched as a smartly dressed employee made their way down to the group.
"Crow! What can I do for you?"
"Anyone using the VIP lounge today?"
The man hesitated for an instant. "...There's currently a meeting going on in there between some of the top bankers and investors in Erebonia. Why do you ask?"
"Cause my buddies from Class VII want to use it."
That caused the man's eyes to widen in shock as he took in the rest of the group for the first time. "Class VII? Well..."
"The Ashen Chevalier will be here soon~" Crow teased with a knowing grin.
That sealed it. "Of course. I'll have the room cleared and ready for you all in five minutes."
Some of the group looked uncomfortable by that turn of events. "Wait! Perhaps we should come up with a-" Elliot tried to stop the man, but his excitement had caused him to leave in a hurry.
The group nervously turned their eyes to Crow, who let out a shrug. "What? You guys wanted the VIP room, so I got it for you. Now if you excuse me, the next race is about to start and I think Palace Malice is gonna take it."
"Ugh! Fine!" Alisa groused at his flippant attitude. "But I swear to Aidios, Crow, if Fie shows up you had better do something about it or I'll make your life a living gehenna!"
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." It was impressive just how much the group was able to tactfully ignore the heiress's growls.
"Can we hurry this up?" Vivi, who had been nervously glancing to and fro as if she expected the silver-haired demon to attack her at any moment. It didn't take a genius to know that she was nearly at her wits end.
Leaving Crow behind, the remaining seven members of the group made their way up towards the VIP Lounge. Along the way they came across a very upset group of richly dressed individuals who glared at them as they traveled in the opposite direction, causing the more timid members of the team to wilt somewhat. But they had to put that aside as the mission came first.
The lounge was just as they remembered it, which meant it was perfect for their needs. Once again taking charge, Laura turned to the rest of her friends. "Alright, we should split up and lock down this entire building so Fie cannot catch us unawares. Elliot, Machias, can I trust the two of you to patrol the halls?"
"O-Of course."
"I feel like you are sending us out to be the first to die." The bespectacled gunner let out a weary sigh. "Very well."
She nodded her head in gratitude before turning to the next two. "Emma, Celine. Can the two of you guard the door?" There was only one entrance into the room, so as long as that remained well guarded...
"You can leave it to us!"
"I remember when I was respected among this group..."
"Good." Laura turned to the final member of the team. "Alisa and I shall form the final line of defense. No matter what happens, we shall not allow her to pass us." This was her vow as a master of the Arseid school. All in all it was a simple plan, but there was no chance that Fie could somehow make it through all of them, right?
The girl in question grinned as she arrived at the district prepared for the final assault. Everything had turned out just as she had expected and now it was time to put this game to an end. And the best part was that she knew exactly where her friends were hiding as a group of pompous looking idiots were complaining loudly about some damn kids stealing their room from them just because they were celebrities.
Actually, the best part was the message she had received as she was making the tram ride. Her secret weapon should be here very soon! Oh the looks on their faces...
The young woman waltzed into the stadium without a care in the world as sharp eyes glanced to and fro. Sure she knew that her victims were cowering in a room somewhere, but there was always the possibility that-
Yup. There was Crow lazily waving her over. She had to give whoever was in charge credit as moving their defense to the racetrack all but forced the lackadaisical terrorist to get involved whether he wanted to or not.
"Kinda surprised they managed to rope you into all this." She hadn't actually planned on contending with the occasionally dangerous man. But at the end of the day Crow was Crow and she was confident that she could come to an arrangement with the slacker.
He let out a helpless shrug. "I wish I wasn't, but you know how the others can get." Yes, yes she did. Many years being forced to sit through constant lectures from Machias and Alisa, not to mention Emma's heartfelt but annoying lessons. "I'm supposed to let them know that you're here before trying to stop you..." Despite his words he made no motion towards the completion of those objectives.
"Hmm..." She wracked her brain thinking of something she could use to buy her friend's support and avoid a confrontation. Thankfully, while her brain failed to find a solution, her eyes did. "Are those the horses for the next race?" She pointed towards a group of mounts milling about on the track below.
"Uh huh. Should be a good race. Why?"
"What if I told you which horse was gonna win?"
Naturally, he looked skeptical. "Really? You can tell which horse will win? The way Rean tells it, you are completely useless with horses."
A small twitch was the only visible reaction she gave to that comment. Damn that Rean! Whatever happened to the kind and loyal boy she fell in love with all those years ago! What monster corrupted him into the absolute jerk he was now?
...It had to have been Sara. There was no other possible explanation.
"That horse was just defective." She brushed his worries aside. "But while I might not know the most about riding horses, I know speed. See that brown horse? It's still breathing hard from a previous run. That chestnut one? The tiniest of limps on it's left hind leg. That one over there looks too old to keep up. It's gotta be that black horse."
Crow still looked skeptical, but eventually nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, I'll bite. Gonna go place a bet right now. If Tailwind gets the win then I never saw you. Deal?"
"Deal." While she trusted Crow to keep his word, she didn't trust him so much as to not keep an eye on him the entire time he was placing his bet to ensure no funny business. Fortunately for both of them, he didn't try anything and was soon back in his seat. A few minutes later and the race began. While Fie was all for gambling, she didn't really have that much of an interest in horse races. Still, when there were stakes involved it became a lot more enjoyable. And as for the results...
"Wow!" Came the voice of the announcer. "What a dominant win for Tailwind! None of the others were even close!"
She gave a theatrical bow as Crow left to collect his winnings. While this had been an interesting distraction it was now time for the endgame. With the path now available to her she ascended the stairs and entered the hall that would take her to her final destination.
She grinned as she heard the sounds of someone patrolling the halls. Great. Her first victim. Rounding the corner she soon discovered that it was Machias. The inspectorate instinctively took a step back once he realized who was in front of him, but seemed to steel his resolve and stood a little straighter. "You aren't getting by me, Fie. The others are close and the second you try something they will all descend upon you!"
"Obviously they are." Really now, was he trying to intimidate her with something like that? The former jaeger reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar object. "You know what this is, right?" She had used it when busting him out of prison, after all.
Machias eyed the object warily. "Fie... Why do you have a detonator in your hand?"
"It's a funny story, actually. Shortly before coming here I stopped in at the Ost District." Machias paled in realization. "That coffee maker you and your dad have is something else. Never seen anything like it."
"Don't you dare!" He warned, horror etched on his face. "That thing is one of a kind! Dad got it custom made from the ZCF and-" She interrupted him by pushing the button. "NOOOOOOOOO!" He slumped down in despair.
It was a funny reaction and she quickly snapped a picture to send to Jusis later, but she needed him out of the picture, not completely broken. "Oh relax you big baby. I'm not that cruel... It's a timed fuse. You have twenty minutes." The coffee fanatic was on his feet and out the door by the time she finished. If only she could see his face once he realized that entire story was one big bluff. Oh well. One down.
That cry of misery was loud enough to be heard from some distance, so she wasn't at all surprised when another Class VII member hurried down to investigate. Unfortunately for them, it was merely Elliot, and while the musician had certainly grown a spine since his days at school, it wasn't nearly enough to overcome the terror at hearing his now missing friend and his cry of agony. "W-What did you do to Machias?"
"Nothing much. I just removed him from the picture. Which I'm about to do to you." Her deadpan expression was a stark contrast to the threat she had just made.
Despite the fact he was still clearly scared out of his mind, Elliot didn't back down. "T-That's a bluff! I know you're a little more... extreme than the rest of us, but even you won't do something like that."
"True enough." She conceded the point easily enough. "But others might not know that." Now he looked confused as she pulled out her ARCUS III. "You see, before coming here I had a chat with your sister. She was kind enough to give me your dad's private ARCUS number that only his family and closest friends have. So what do you think will happen when an unknown person calls him up and tells him that his beloved son is a hostage in the capital?"
Martial law. Tanks and Soldats rolling down the streets. Airships filling the sky. For nearly a million citizens their lives would come to a complete halt. And worst of all, at least in the musician's mind, it was the kind of chaos that Fie would find funny so he couldn't completely discount the possibility that she might actually do it. "Why aren't you here, Rean..." He lamented miserably. "Fine. What do you want from me?"
She had already figured that out. "See that room over there?" She pointed towards a smaller lounge close to the two. "You are gonna wait in there until I'm finished." Glumly Elliot nodded and entered the room. There was no lock, but she trusted her classmate to keep his word for at least a few minutes.
With the two boys defeated she prepared for the next encounter, which she already knew would be the chesty mage and her grumpy familiar. While normally the masters of the arcane would be dangerous foes to contend with, Fie had already prepared suitable items to ensure her victory. One of which she pulled out as she continued down the hall.
Celine watched her master with unamused eyes as the powerful witch seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Why are we even doing this anyway?" The two of them could have been doing so many things right now, like searching the countryside of mana irregularities or finding a fish or anything else that wasn't standing guard at some random door.
"D-Don't be like that, Celine. We promised our friend that we would protect her, and we need to make sure Fie understands that she can't do whatever she wants, even if she is p-pregnant."
The cat scoffed. "You aren't going to be stopping anyone while shaking like that." She looked so panicked that the cat didn't think she could incant a single spell in that moment. Humans were such irrational creatures.
Heeding her advice, Emma calmed down. "Right. You're right. Thanks, Celine. I need to be at my absolute best if I want to stop her."
"Honestly, I would rather not fight either of you." Came a third voice, causing both magic users to look towards the voice. Standing there as if she wasn't trying to break through violently was the enemy in question. But that wasn't the most surprising thing.
That would be the thing in her hand. "Is that a book?" Ever the bookworm, Emma couldn't help but look curious at the object that Fie was completely focused on."It looks familiar..."
"Not surprised you would think that." Fie finally deigned to look up from the book. Neither of them failed to notice the tint of red on the younger woman's cheeks. "Dorothee was nice enough to let me borrow her current work. She wanted my input on it cause it's a lot different from her other stories."
Celine rolled her eyes as it was clear to her that Emma had completely lost sight of the mission due to her own curiosity. "...How is it different?"
"Well, apparently she went out and hired an illustrator."
"A-An i-illustrator?" Great. Her master was completely enthralled.
"Mm-hmm. Gotta say, these pictures are... amazing. And there are so many of them!" The bracer snapped the book shut and let out a sigh. "A shame I can't keep it. Rean would never let me keep such a book in our house, especially with the little one coming. Ah well." Fie proceeded to throw the book away behind her shoulders down the hall back where she came from.
Celine only watched the flight of the book for a brief instant before her vision was obscured. "Mine!" She watched in shock and no little embarrassment as her partner abandoned all sense of decorum and decency to chase after the object like a wild animal, completely abandoning her post.
Now alone, the cat watched warily as Fie reached her hand into her jacket and pulled out... "A fish?" Wariness gave way to poorly concealed excitement as her tail began to swish.
"Yup. A Gold Salmon. Super fresh. Didn't know you could even catch these things in Heimdallr, but I'm just that good."
Obviously Fie intended to bribe her with that fish. But she wasn't so base as to fall for such an offering! "I swear to the goddess if you throw that thing like you did that book..." But even if she had no intention of falling for it she still respected the delicious tasty fish enough to want it treated well.
"Of course I won't. Here you go." The silver-haired temptress placed the divine smelling feast right in front of her before reaching a hand up to scratch behind one of Celine's ears. Oooh, that felt so good.
But if Fie thought that such actions would break her resolve, then-
The victorious bracer chuckled to herself as she watched the cat happily chomp down on the fish, completely oblivious to the world around her. All too easy. Now she stood in front of the door where her target awaited. She could practically feel the fear emanating from inside the room.
Briefly she considered kicking in the door, but decided against it. She wanted to savor the moment, after all. Instead she opened the door normally, although she did open it as slowly as possible to drag it out for the three inside.
As expected, the two veteran Class VII members were standing between her and her target, weapons at the ready. Getting past Laura normally would be an extreme challenge. With Alisa by her side it would be nearly impossible. But she didn't actually need to get past them, did she?
Instead she merely circled around the room, an easy grin on her face the entire time. The other three occupants watched her warily, with the two fighters moving to keep themselves in between her and Vivi. For a few seconds all were silent as they processed the standoff that was ensuing.
"Good job, you two." Fie complimented her classmates with a warm smile.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Fie?"
Naturally, the others were quite confused by this. So it was up to her to explain further, which she did as she turned her attention to the pink-haired prankster. "Did you really think I could track you through this entire city and get by the others on my lonesome?" Yes. Yes she actually did. "Nah, I'm good, but not that good. Sadly for you, this game was rigged from the start."
It was all a lie, and if Vivi had been thinking rationally she probably would have thought to question it. But she wasn't, so instead she gasped in horrified realization before turning to Alisa and Laura. "No way..."
"Wait! Don't listen to her-" Alisa tried to calm the horrified pinkette down.
But it was too late. "I don't want to die!" Panic overcame reason and the only thing left for Vivi was to flee in terror, right out of the door that Fie had conveniently left unguarded.
Alisa gave her temporary enemy a very bemused look. "Seriously?" But Fie wasn't interested. Now her target was in flight and unguarded. She left the two behind with nary a word. They would recover and give chase, probably getting the others back into the game in the process, but it was too late for them.
She rounded the corner in time to see Vivi, completely heedless of where she was going, turn into the hall that led into the underground area. Normally a cause for concern, but with the Bracer Guild back at full capacity that path shouldn't be nearly as dangerous as it once was. Instead it would simply serve as the location for the end.
And to make things even better, Fie could sense another presence quickly approaching. One that would buy her all the time in the world to play with her prey. In a perfect world she would have been able to stick around and watch the chaos unfold, but alas the world was an imperfect place.
Still, it was good enough. With a vicious smirk the hunter followed her now defenseless prey deep into the underground.
Alisa waited impatiently as her blue-haired friend retrieved the others. Celine had been a no-go, as the feline had promptly curled into a ball and dozed off after finishing off the fish that Fie had bribed her with. That left a despondent Elliot and an Emma who seemed far more interested in the book she was reading, based on her red face and giggles that were very unlike her.
A few seconds later and Laura returned, but she shook her head in the negative. "I have no idea where Machias could be."
That was concerning, but they didn't have time to figure out what horrid fate had befallen the inspector. "C'mon! They went underground. We have to hurry and-"
"That won't be necessary!"
That voice didn't come from any of their group, but it was a familiar one all the same. Every eye turned to the hall entrance to see their dear friend and leader standing there, a confident expression on his face.
"Rean!"
"Wow. Talk about deja vu..."
"...You know, it is mildly annoying being on the receiving end of that statement for a change."
"You've been wanting to do that for some time, haven't you?" In their surprise at seeing Rean there, none of them had noticed that Crow had shown up alongside him. Either he had finally decided that helping his friends was more important than a horse race, or he fully expected that something funny was about to happen. It was anyone's guess.
"I heard what was happening." The swordsman stated as he approached the door to the underground. "So I came here to help out."
Well that was good. If there was anyone with a good chance at stopping Fie, it would be Rean. But wait... "Where are the others?"
"Uh..." His hesitation was suspicious. "...They were delayed and couldn't make it?"
As the successful group exited Einhel Keep they were met by the one person they absolutely did not want to see, but one that Rean had secretly ensured would be there. "Schwarzer. Class VII."
"P-Principal Le Guin!?" Juna winced, hoping that the psycho principal wouldn't notice her stutter.
Being who she was, she did, but chose to ignore it. "I hear that you have managed to complete the professor's latest trial. Well done."
"Ahaha, Thanks!" Despite the terrifying presence Millium couldn't help but bask in her success. "It wasn't easy. I'm pooped!"
"Indeed. I imagine you are. Which would make this the ideal time for a spar to truly push you past your limits." If her words didn't make her intention plain, that oversized sword in her hands certainly did.
"You've gotta be shittin' me..."
Normally Kurt was not one opposed a duel against a fellow master, but even he looked rather pale at the thought. "Are you sure that is a good idea? Tired as we are, they are still nine of us and only one of you..."
"You need not concern yourself with me." Aurelia cut him off, completely missing the point of his protest. "I already contacted Wallace and he will be here soon to assist me. That should make for a sufficient opponent, no?"
"It is..." Rean confirmed, but hesitated as he knew it was time to spring his trap. "...but unfortunately I won't be able to participate. Gotta take care of Fie during her pregnancy, you know?" An arched eyebrow was the only visible sign of Aurelia's surprise at that news. "I'm sure the others will do fine on their own." He did his best to ignore the multiple pairs of eyes staring at him for that comment because he knew if he looked at them the guilt would become unbearable. Especially from Altina.
"I see... Very well. I had been looking forward to seeing your progress, but taking care of your family is far more important."
The swordsman felt a presence approach, although he dared not turn to see who it was. "Rean Schwarzer." Ah, it was Jusis. "You had better not be thinking of abandoning us-"
"Eight Leaves, One Blade's second form: Gale!"
Rean knew he would never hear the end of it, especially with the way he had fled in terror abandoning his friends to their terrible fate. But that was a problem for future Rean. "They were delayed." He repeated, this time with a little more confidence.
"Uh huh..." Neither Alisa nor the others looked wholly convinced. "Whatever! We don't have time for this! We need to hurry and catch up to Fie!" From his position in front of the door the Chevalier hesitated, something which they all (save for Emma who was still engrossed in her book) noticed. "...Rean?"
"Ahh... I get it now." Eyes turned to Crow as his face held a look of realization. "Rean said he was here to help out, but he never specified who he was helping out, did he?
"N-No way..." The musician looked horrified. "Please tell us that's not true, Rean."
Oof. This betrayal business was harder than he realized. How did Crow pull it off so well? "...I'm so sorry, Elliot, but I promised Fie I would buy her the time she needed."
In his current state, tired as he was, he didn't think he could even hold off Celine, let alone the powerhouses like Laura and Crow, but he drew his tachi all the same. If they wanted to get past him they would have to use force to do so.
The things one does for love...
There was no denying that the pink-haired reporter had begun the chase with a pretty big lead. Add to that the fact that despite not being a member of Class VII she was still a graduate of Thors and thus decently fit for running, which was further boosted by the adrenaline from terror. All in all, catching up to her before she got herself lost in the tunnels beneath Heimdallr would have been a challenging task for most individuals.
Fie was not most individuals.
Already she had closed the distance to the point where she could clearly follow pink through the darkness. And that was with her pacing herself to enjoy the experience a little more, a sentiment clearly not shared by the only other person in that tunnel. "No! Stay away!"
"The more you run the worse it will be for you in the end~" Despite the cheerful attitude the bracer was still fully alert. It would benefit nobody if Vivi ran headfirst into a monster, after all.
"Noooooo!"
It would have been easier if her target had veered off into one of the side corridors that led to a dead end, but by some stroke of fate the girl was sprinting in the direction of the cemetery exit. Come to think of it, hadn't Rean and his students been involved in a similar pursuit of some Calvardian agents just before the Gral? Although if she recalled correctly he hadn't managed to catch them and instead it was Cedric and his class who were waiting at the exit who sealed the deal.
She let out a snort of derision. Imagine being so lame that you failed to catch your prey?
Still, they were getting close to the cemetery and she didn't really need all the attention on her. Not to mention that someone might find her actions at a cemetery to be disrespectful or something. Either way, the bracer put on a burst of speed before launching herself into the air.
Vivi did manage to turn her head and witness the silver missile as it approached, but it was far far too late for her. With a thud the two collided and fell to the ground together. Naturally, as the more skilled and cooler of the two Fie was quicker to recover and made sure that she was on top, straddling Vivi to ensure she could not escape. "Caught you~"
Her friend looked to be at her wit's end. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I don't want to die!"
"Not gonna lie, originally I was planning on doing just that, but lucky for you I had a change of heart." Spending a good chunk of the day tormenting the girl had done much for her mood.
A tiny spark of hope came to life on her face. "R-Really?"
"Mmm. But on two conditions."
"Anything!" She nodded her head frantically despite being pinned to the ground.
Fie grinned at the immediate capitulation. "First, and most obvious, no more stories about me or Rean. It's wrong to intrude on our private lives like that, even if we are the coolest couple in the country."
"Of course! I promise it'll never happen again!"
"Good. As for the second condition... As annoying as it is, you have a gift. One that I want to take advantage of." That earned her a confused glance. Fie's grin widened. "Your ability to acquire gossip! From now on, I own you. Anything interesting you find - especially from our friends - goes to me first. Got it?"
"...But doesn't that go against what you just said about it being wrong to intrude upon-" Fie's pleasant smile suddenly got a whole lot frostier. "...Got it."
With the agreement made Fie finally got off the battered girl. "Great!" She chirped happily. "I might even teach you some jaeger skills for sneaking around at some point so you can find me even more juicy gossip. "
"Ahah... Sure thing, Fie." The reporter rose onto shaky feet with a look on her face as if she just now realized that she had made a deal with the devil. Let her think what she wanted. Fie owned her now and that was what mattered most. She was so looking forward to hearing about those private interviews she was getting from the rest of Class VII.
"Great! Let's get back before the others murder Rean." Her new pawn could only nod tiredly as the two made their exit from the dank and dark underground.
"This was not how I expected our day to turn out." Rean muttered aloud as he reclined into his seat. Either he was more tired than he realized or these seats are simply divine, cause he didn't think he could get back up even if he tried.
Fie too looked to be in absolute bliss as she slouched in her own seat. "Mmm. I had fun." He could believe that. The expression that she wore as she returned from the underground was akin to the cat that caught the canary. Behind her was a thoroughly cowed Vivi. Fie had given him a brief description of the conversation that had taken place between the two, which was far more than what the others got, much to their annoyance.
Speaking of which... "You do know that it's going to be weeks before they forgive us, right?"
If she was bothered by that admission she didn't seem to show it, instead offering a careless shrug. "They'll deny it, but they had fun too."
"...I sacrificed our friends to Aurelia and General Bardias." They had been stuck listening to a long and painful lecture from their friends when Sara, Jusis, Millium, and his students all arrived at Heimdallr. Considering the state they were all in, it wasn't surprising when the lecture grew longer and far more painful, only ending when the rest of Class VII finally decided to leave. And yet they still promised more long and painful lectures to come.
"It's stupid that they're lumping me in with you on that one. I would never do anything that awful!" The skepticism must have shown on his face, as her righteous indignation only lasted for a few seconds before she moaned pitifully. "...Think if we send 'em some flowers they'll forgive us?"
A noble sentiment, and yet... "I don't think even you could put together a bouquet of flowers good enough to apologize for a broken nose."
"Ash is a big boy. He'll get over it." Rean snorted. Clearly she didn't know Ash as well as he did. Hearing his amusement she coughed awkwardly before gesturing out the window. "Anyways! Did you place a bet?"
One advantage of everything that had gone on was the fact that they still held claim to the VIP Lounge and so the two of them had decided to occupy it by themselves. Normally Rean would be against such a move, but after the day he had had he was tired and couldn't bring it himself to protest at all when Fie made the suggestion that they hang around and watch the last couple races of the day.
"I did." Although he answered the question, Fie kept giving him a curious look. He knew what was going through her mind. "Yes, I placed a real bet this time. You don't need to mock me." She, wasn't the only one to tease him after his students blabbed that he had only placed a minimum bet the first time New Class VII had watched the races.
"Good boy." She muttered as they watched the race begin. "So which one did you bet on?"
"Wintergreen."
That caused Fie to give him a skeptical look. "Seriously? The old horse that looks so lame that I'd be surprised he can finish. The odds on that one are beyond insane!"
Her words were truthful, but he was confident. "It's his last race before retirement. I'm sure he has the heart and willpower to see this one through." It had happened once. Surely it will happen again, right?"
"...He's in dead last."
"He'll catch up, Any second now..."
"The race is almost over."
"Any second now..."
"And the race is over! The winner is Kaiser Dice!"
"...Any second now?"
Fie stood from her seat and proceeded to pat him on the head as if he were a simple child. "There's a reason those horses are the underdogs, you know. Just because it happened once doesn't mean it's gonna happen again."
Fie didn't sit back down, instead she began to walk towards the door. "Where are you going?"
"Unlike you, I was smart enough to place my mira on the horse that turned into a demon and nearly kicked our asses. Time to collect." Rean watched as his lover let out a laugh as she exited the lounge.
He couldn't help but grin. Sure he was down five-thousand mira and most of his friends were mad at him, but some things were worth the price and seeing Fie happy again was at the top of that list. He knew that joy wouldn't last for long given what their busy future looked like, but for now she was happy and that made him happy.
I had absolutely no plans for this little Heimdallr arc and was afraid I would struggle to even make one chapter by winging it, but once I started writing it just kept going on and on and on and it was fun for me. Hopefully it was fun for you!