Chapter One – A Golden Opportunity

"We have arrived at our destination, Master," the driver stated as the car arrived in town.

"Yes, I know... And dispense with the 'Master' nonsense, Reginald. You know it isn't necessary," the boy responded, sighing at the title.

"My apologies, sir, but I cannot address you so casually," Reginald answered.

"You can when it's just us. I don't much care for such things anymore, so if you could refrain from addressing me as 'Master' when it's just us, that would be most appreciated," the boy explained.

"Very well, sir. Have you got everything you'll need for the upcoming term?" Reginald asked as he got out of the car.

"I should certainly hope so. It wouldn't be a good look if I arrived at school without the necessary equipment," the boy half laughed as he too got out the car, much to the shock of Reginald. "Oh, come on, you should have expected this. I don't need assistance getting out of a damn car."

"Of course not, sir, but as an attendant to your family, it is my duty to assist you with whatever I am able to," Reginald stated, bowing his head.

"Yes, yes... I've known you since I was barely able to walk, Reginald. I know you will always be loyal to the family, but I won't always have you to rely on, especially now. It's time I stand on my own two feet," the boy explained.

"But of course, sir. Though, I would like to respectfully point out, you've always done just that. You've always been largely independent, and it's caused your father no shortage of grief," Reginald responded with a small smile.

"Tch, utter nonsense, I assure you. My sister has always been far worse in that regard," the boy smirked.

"Ah, it feels as if it were only yesterday that your sister came to these grounds for her schooling. It's almost hard to believe it's been more than a decade since then..." Reginald sighed as he looked at the large building off in the distance.

The building which Reginald was looking at was the main building of Thors Military Academy; Erebonia's most prestigious school. Founded by Emperor Dreichels 'The Lionheart' around two hundred and fifty years ago. A vast majority of Erebonian Nobility would send their children to Thors, including the Imperial Family.

"Well, if even half the stories I've heard from my sister are true, these next two years are going to be very interesting indeed," the boy muttered as he approached Reginald, holding a bag in his right hand, and had another one slung over his left shoulder.

"I already know the answer, but I shall ask all the same; would you like me to assist you with those?" Reginald asked, looking at the boy's things.

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you, Reginald," the boy responded.

The boy was only eighteen, but he already had almost fifteen rege on Reginald. He had always been tall, but even next to his attendant, he commanded attention, just from his height. His long, silver hair and piercing blue eyes only added to the overall look of intimidation, even though it was never his intent. The single braid of hair on the left side of his head, tied up with a small beaded accessory with a green and white feather attached to it did little to make him look anything but unapproachable. Underneath his school jacket, was a dark grey hoodie and he also wore a pair of black jeans; the dark colours only adding to the intimidation factor.

"I hope the next two years here provided you with everything you need to be successful in your endeavours," Reginald bowed to the young man.

"I hope so too, however..." the boy muttered, looking around him.

"Is everything alright, sir? Are you perhaps concerned about your business dealings while you are here?" Reginald asked.

"No, it's not that. I know I can trust you to look after them in my stead, and if something demands my attention, I know you will alert me immediately. Reginald, do you notice anything unusual?" The boy responded.

"If you're referring to the uniforms, then yes, I noticed immediately," Reginald remarked.

Looking around, all the people who were attending Thors Military Academy were wearing uniforms; white for the Nobles, and green for the Commoners. His, however, was different. His uniform was red.

"I assume it's a new thing; my sister never said anything about students having red uniforms when she was here," the boy commented.

"I'm sure they'll explain everything to you once you arrive on the main campus," Reginald surmised.

"Agreed, it would be strange for them to have a third uniform and not explain why. On that note, I shall take my leave. Thank you, Reginald, you may go," the boy nodded to his attendant.

"As you wish, sir. I wish you all the best with your studies, and I hope this is a unique experience for you," Reginald bowed before he returned to the car and paused when he heard the sound of a train horn blowing in the distance.

"It seems we beat the train after all..." the boy smiled, knowing Reginald had been right all along. "Take care, Reginald. Give my regards to mother and father."

"But of course. Enjoy your time at Thors, Master Cyrus," Reginald replied as he watched the young boy walk off.

Without looking back, Cyrus set off towards the academy campus as he heard Reginald start up the car and drive away. In order to get to the main campus, all students had to walk through the town in which the school was situated; a quaint little town called Trista.

It was currently March in the year 1204 of the Septian Calendar, and all across Trista, the Lino flowers were beginning to bloom. A small warm breeze blew through the park in the town, the newly budding flowers gently dancing in the wind.

Carefully looking around, Cyrus could see more and more students wearing white or green uniforms, but still hadn't come across anyone else wearing a red uniform. While he wasn't too concerned, he was still curious to see if there was actually anyone else who was wearing the red uniform like him.

As Cyrus walked through the town, passing a café, a book store, and a flower shop, he finally found the answer to his question about the uniforms; he wasn't the only one with a red uniform. Across the bridge, there was a young girl with long blue hair, wearing the same red uniform as Cyrus. With her, was an elderly man, who looked very much like a butler.

"Hmm, a Noble, perhaps? Still doesn't explain the red uniforms though..." Cyrus sighed as he looked down at his own red jacket.

"Very good, my lady. I hope your time at Thors proves to be a valuable experience for you," the butler bowed to the young girl.

"Thank you, Klaus. I am confident my time here will help me hone my skills as a student of the sword," the young girl responded, taking a large case from her butler, Klaus.

'She's a sword user too, huh? I wonder what school she's from...' Cyrus thought to himself as he walked past the girl.

"Ah, look my lady, it appears this young gentleman has the same uniform as you do," Klaus pointed out, as Cyrus walked past the pair of them.

"Oh? It seems you are correct," the girl responded, her golden eyes staring at Cyrus.

The look Cyrus was getting was definitely one from an experienced sword user. It wasn't a hard, challenging glare, but one of interest. The sort of look one would get from someone who was sizing them and their skills up.

"Hey, you have a red uniform too, huh? Do you know anything about them? You're the first person I've seen with one of them," Cyrus stated as he approached the girl.

"I'm afraid I know as much as you do, but it seems we'll likely be in the same class, if the colour of the uniforms are anything to go by. If that's the case, then I believe introductions are in order; I am Laura S. Arseid, it's a pleasure to meet you," the girl bowed as she introduced herself.

"Arseid? As in the Arseid School of Swordsmanship, ran by the Radiant Blademaster Victor S. Arseid?" Cyrus asked, blinking in surprise.

"The very same. If you know who my father is, then you must also follow the way of the sword?" Laura asked.

"Indeed. Though I was trained under the Vander School of Swordsmanship, myself. My name is Cyrus."

"A fine name. Tell me, Cyrus, how long have you trained under the Vander School?" Laura asked, taking more of an interest in Cyrus.

"Since I was young enough to walk. My father vehemently suggested I follow in the family's footsteps and learn the Vander style, so I couldn't really say no. I am glad I learned swordsmanship from the Vander school though. It's really helped me forge myself into the person I am today," Cyrus replied.

"You must be of Expert Rank by now, if you've been training for so long," Laura marvelled as she turned to Klaus. "Thank you for your help, Klaus. I will be going now, give my regards to father when you next see him."

"Certainly, my lady. I hope your time here helps you meet new friends, and grow from new experiences," Klaus said, bowing before he took his leave.

"Heh, that's interesting," Cyrus laughed.

"What is?" Laura asked as the two began walking up towards the main campus.

"That man you were with, Klaus, he is one of your servants?" Cyrus asked.

"Indeed. Klaus has been my father's most loyal steward, even since before I was born," Laura replied.

"Huh, he's quite similar to my own family's attendant, Reginald. I've known him pretty much all my life. He's a good man," Cyrus stated with a smile.

"Oh? Are you a Noble yourself?" Laura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, my father is a Count from Lamare. We're a rather well-known family from the city of Ordis, actually," Cyrus explained.

"Really? Would I know of this family name?" Laura queried, hoping to get more out of the silver haired teen.

"I'm going to say you'll definitely have heard of us. Not so much because of our name though," Cyrus laughed.

"Well, I'm definitely curious now. Are you planning on telling me, or are you going to keep building the suspense?" Laura asked, smiling at Cyrus.

"That's right, I never told you. My apologies," Cyrus responded as the two students approached the gate of the school's campus. "It's–"

"Hello! You two must be some of our new students!" a small voice called out, interrupting Cyrus.

Looking over to where the voice came from, Laura and Cyrus saw two people; a small girl in a green uniform, and a tall, chubby boy in a yellow jumpsuit.

"Hey, guys, nice to meet you. The name's George," the chubby boy introduced himself with a wave.

"My name is Towa Herschel, and I'm Thors' Student Council President. It's nice to meet you," the small girl smiled brightly.

"A pleasure to meet you both, my name is Laura," Laura said, bowing her head to her senior students.

"Cyrus," Cyrus nodded, as Towa looked at her check-in list.

"Hmm, let's see... Ah, here you are! Please, make your way to the Auditorium for the entrance ceremony. It'll be starting in just a few minutes," Towa smiled as she made a check mark next to the two students' names.

"Oh, and before you go, you'll need to hand your weapons over to me. Don't worry, it's just standard procedure. You'll get them back after the ceremony has finished," George explained.

Both Laura and Cyrus shared a look, before nodding and handing over the cases that held their weapons. With a quick goodbye to Towa and George, the two students made their way over to the Auditorium.

###

Inside the Auditorium, there were already several students sat down in chairs. Already, Laura and Cyrus could see the social divide between Noble and Commoner. All the Nobles were sat in the first four rows of the left-hand side of the seating, whilst the common folk were sat in the other available seats.

On their way in, they both saw three more people with the red jackets on; two boys, and one girl. The two boys had orange hair and green hair, and the boy with the green hair also had a pair of glasses on. The girl had long pink hair that was tied in a braid, and she too wore a pair of glasses.

"Looks like we're not the only ones wearing red," Laura whispered as she and Cyrus took two empty seats near the back, just two rows behind the girl with the pink hair.

"Yeah, which is starting to make me feel less self-conscious about being the only one wearing this red uniform," Cyrus muttered with a small laugh.

"Agreed. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little concerned about being the only one with this uniform," Laura responded with a chuckle of her own.

Slowly but surely, more students started to arrive, most of them wearing the green uniforms, but there were another five students who entered that were wearing a red uniform, which made a total of ten people with red uniforms.

'Hmm, just as I thought... By my count, there's ten of us who are wearing the red jackets. Surely, that must mean we're all going to be in the same class, but what is it for? My sister never mentioned a class with red uniforms,' Cyrus thought to himself as he watched the last student enter the room; a boy with black hair and a red uniform on.

"Ahem... Attention, students. It is now time to begin the two hundred and fifteenth entrance ceremony of Thors Military Academy!" a thin, well-dressed gentleman spoke, his sharp eyes glancing at all the new students from behind his small pair of glasses. "Please rise to greet our principal, Principal Vandyck."

As soon as the introduction was made, a large, muscular old man stood up and approached the podium. For someone of his age, Principal Vandyck was incredibly well built. He was at least two arge tall, and even his muscles looked like they had muscles.

"Greetings students, and as Vice Principal Heinrich said; welcome to the two hundred and fifteenth Thors' Entrance Ceremony..." Vandyck boomed as he began his opening speech for the entrance ceremony.

###

The entrance ceremony went on for almost an hour, with Principal Vandyck giving a brief outline on the school its purpose, and the hopes its founder had when establishing it. The entire time the principal was speaking, Cyrus was listening to every word, pondering what it meant to him.

"To conclude, I'd like to leave you with the words of our school's founder, the great Emperor Dreichels; 'Arise, o youth, and become the foundation of the world.' I hope that during your two years studying here, you will take a moment to reflect on these words, and discover what you believe their meaning to be. Thank you," Vandyck finished as he left the podium, and was replaced by Vice-Principal Heinrich.

"That now concludes Thors' two hundred and fifteenth entrance ceremony!" Heinrich declared before quickly leaving the podium.

"Well, that was... Interesting," Cyrus sighed as he turned to Laura.

"Indeed. Hearing the words of Emperor Dreichels has certainly made me think on what it is I wish to achieve here. What about you, Cyrus?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, I agree. The whole thing certainly gave me pause for thought, but especially what it means to 'become the foundation of the world,'" Cyrus responded, scratching his chin.

"Alright, all students, please head to your classes which were outlined in the student handbook you received before arriving at Thors!" Towa called out as she entered the Auditorium.

"Wait, what the hell is going on? Student handbook?" Cyrus asked, looking at Laura who merely shrugged.

"I never received one with my acceptance letter..." Laura mumbled as she looked around, watching all the students in green and white uniforms leave the Auditorium. Only the students in the red uniforms were left.

"Ok, something is definitely amiss here..." Cyrus sighed, as he could see his fellow red uniformed students were just as confused as he was.

Cyrus and the other students had their concerns assuaged a few moments later when the Auditorium doors opened once again and a young female with dark pink hair, yellow thigh-high dress, brown knee-high boots, and a navy-blue trench-coat walked in with a big smile on her face.

"Alrighty! All students in red uniforms follow me, and I'll take you to where your first class is!" the young woman shouted, turning around and waiving her hand in an attempt to get the students to follow her.

Cyrus said nothing and simply looked at Laura, shrugged his shoulders and gave her a look that said 'I guess we do as she says' before he and the rest of the students did as they were told, and began to follow the woman.

###

After a short walk behind the school's main building, the woman led the students down a narrow pathway that looked like it was well off the beaten path, and took them into a large wooded area. Right at the end of the path, was an old, large stone building. Without a speaking a word, the young woman fished a key out from her pocket, unlocked the door and went inside; the students right behind her.

"Ok! Here we go!" the woman shouted as she walked up a small set of steps and stood out on top of an old stage-like part of the room. "First things first; my name is Sara Valestein, and I'm going to be your Homeroom teacher for your time at Thors. Now, I know what you're all thinking; 'Why are we here? Where's our Student Handbooks? Why are we the only ones with red uniforms?' Well, I'm here to explain all of that to you right now."

"This should be interesting..." a boy with blond hair muttered, a look of disdain on his face.

"The thing about your student handbooks is fairly straightforward; they're not ready yet. Why are they not ready? Well, I can explain that and explain the uniforms together. You guys are part of a new, special class. As you already know, Classes I and II are for students of the Nobility. Classes III through V are for students from Commoner backgrounds, but you guys... You guys are different. In this class, we've done away with social classes and blended Nobles and Commoners together, and we've aptly named you... Class VII," Sara explained with a lackadaisical smile.

"Wait, what? So, we've just completely skipped six and gone straight on to seven? How does that work?" Cyrus asked.

"Never mind that, I want to know why I have to be in the same class as those Thanatos-forsaken Nobles!" the boy with the green hair and glasses shouted in anger.

"Oh, dear..." Sara sighed. "Your name was... Machias Regnitz, wasn't it? Is there a problem here?"

'Regnitz? Where have I heard that name before...?' Cyrus thought, as he stared at the angry teenager.

"You're damn right there's a problem! If you think for one damn second that I'm going to be in the same class as a bunch of stuck-up Nobles, you have another thing coming!" Machias raged.

"Well, there's the door over there. But don't expect any of us 'stuck-up Nobles' to help you with its use; we have people to do that for us," the blond boy remarked, making his sarcasm very obvious.

"What was that?! Just who the hell do you think you are?!" Machias shouted, glaring at the boy.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but noblesse dictates I introduce myself, even to Commoners like you," the blond boy scoffed, flicking back a strand of hair that fell into his face. "My name is Jusis. Jusis Albarea."

Upon the mere mention of the name 'Albarea', Machias froze, looking at Jusis with wide eyes, along with everyone else in the room.

"N-no way... A son of one of the Four Great Houses is in our class?!" the orange haired boy whispered to the black-haired boy he had sat next to during the entrance ceremony.

"Is... Is that supposed to impress me?! Ooh, the great and almighty son of Duke Albarea has deigned to introduce himself to the common folk! Ohh, how lucky we are!" Machias responded, waving his hands about in a mocking way.

"Ok, we get it... You hate Nobles. Can we just move on, please?" Cyrus sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, big surprise; Nobles defending other Nobles! What, are you so weak and pathetic that you have to get other people to fight your battles for you?" Machias glared at Jusis.

"I might be from the Nobility, but I'm not fighting any of his battles for him. In fact, I've met the Duke Albarea once or twice, and to be frank, he's an arsehole. I just don't think it's fair you judge someone based on their birth, when you know nothing about who they are as a person," Cyrus stated, giving Machias a blank stare.

'Ahh, so he must be the one... He could make things interesting...' the woman thought with a small smile.

"Who the hell are you, anyway?!" Machias shouted, pointing at Cyrus.

"You can call me Cyrus. A please to make your acquaintance, Mr. Regnitz," Cyrus held out a hand to Machias, who simply slapped it away.

"I don't need your charity! And why don't you tell me your full name? Are you embarrassed to tell us, or are we just not good enough to know?" Machias growled.

"Oh, I have no problem telling you, but it's just that, like Jusis, my family's name proceeds my reputation," Cyrus responded, as he could see people making assumptions. "No, I am not from one of the Four Great Houses, my father is a simple Count from the Lamare Province."

"Umm, Instructor... Why is it we've gathered here anyway?" the girl with the pink braided hair asked Sara.

"Good question, and perfect timing too!" Sara pointed, making it blatantly obvious she was happy to move on. "Your name is Emma, right? Emma Millstein, the one who scored highest on the entrance exams? Well, let me answer your question right now! We're here because we're going to have an orienteering exercise!"

"Uhh, what?" a girl with long blonde hair asked, looking visibly confused. "Surely you mean and 'orientation exercise'?"

"Nope! I meant what I said," Sara responded as she waltzed over to the nearby wall and pressed her hand against it, causing a panel to push in and slide up, revealing a small hole in the wall. "And that exercise begins right... Now."

From within the hole in the wall, a soft click could be heard and moments later, the floor beneath the students of Class VII opened up and swallowed them up as they all cried out as they fell down into the darkness. All except one; a small, silver haired girl, who had been able to anticipate the trapdoor, and managed to throw a grappling hook up onto the ceiling and was now suspended over the hole in the ground.

"Come on, Fie. You're not getting out of this so easily. Go down there and make friends. You're going to be living and working with those guys for the next two years. This is as much to your benefit as it is theirs," Sara chided as she reached into her coat and pulled out a knife and threw it right at the rope, severing it from the grappling hook.

"Ugh, lame..." Fie groaned as she fell feet first into the darkness.

###

"Is... Is everyone alright?" a voice called out from the darkness. It belonged to the orange haired boy.

"I think so... Nothing seems to be broken," Laura responded.

"Hey, Rean? Rean, are you ok?" the orange haired boy called out.

The response that came back was muffled slightly, which confused everyone... Until the lights in the room came on. Rean, the black-haired boy, was pinned underneath the girl with the long blonde hair. That in and of itself would have been innocuous, were it not for the fact the girl's breasts were pressed firmly into Rean's face.

'Ok, Rean, just keep your hands where everyone can see them. You've done nothing wrong here,' Rean thought as the girl opened her eyes and found herself on top of something that wasn't solid ground.

Everyone shared a few awkward looks, while Cyrus sighed. He had seen what had happened. As the trapdoor opened and everyone fell into the hole, Rean threw himself through the air and managed to get underneath the blonde girl, in an attempt to cushion the impact.

Cyrus knew such an act was unnecessary, as the fall wasn't far enough to cause serious injury, but he respected Rean enough for the fact he was ready and willing to risk his own safety in order to save someone he had only just met.

The blonde girl cried out and quickly stood up, her face flushed bright red with embarrassment. One the girl had gotten off of him, Rean also got up to his feet and tried to see if she was unharmed.

"Are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?" Rean asked, sounding genuinely concerned for her well-being.

"I... You... You... Argh!" the girl stammered before letting out a frustrated yell and slapped Rean square across the face.

"Oooh... Ouch," the orange haired boy grimaced, wincing as he saw the slap connect with Rean's face.

"Alright, guys, it's time to get to work!" Sara's voice called out, even though she was nowhere near the group.

"I think her voice coming from inside your pants, Rean," Cyrus remarked, smirking slightly, which only served to make the blonde girl scowl at Rean darkly.

"Don't you think you could have worded that better?" the orange haired boy asked quietly.

"Yes, I could, but then I wouldn't have seen Blondie's reaction," Cyrus smirked as Rean reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out a small handheld flip-top device.

"Uhh... Instructor Sara?" Rean spoke, looking at everyone with confusion.

"Oh, good, you're all ok! No injuries to speak of?" Sara asked.

"Only to Rean's face, and that girl's pride," Jusis muttered.

"Ok, so here's how things are going to work. You'll find all your weapons on the ten pedestals in that room, along with a Master Quartz for your ARCUS Unit; that's the magical little tool that you're holding which allows us to talk like this. As I'm sure you're all aware, Arts can only be used if you have the correct corresponding Quartz, but unless you have a Master Quartz set into your ARCUS, any other Quartz you have set will be useless. Now, here's your task; make your way through the basement and back up to the ground floor. Simple, huh? Have fun!"

After explaining the task required, Sara immediately hung up before any of the students could ask any questions, or make any protests.

"I... Don't like the way she was so jovial about the whole thing," Rean muttered as he looked at the rest of Class VII.

"Well, I don't think there's any other way out of here except for that door on the opposite side of the room. I think it's best if we just gather our weapons and head out," Cyrus explained, pointing at the door on the far side of the room.

"Good idea. Elliot, you coming?" Rean asked, turning to the orange haired boy.

"Y-Yeah... I think I see my weapon over there," Elliot mumbled as he quickly made his way over to a light brown suitcase.

Eventually, everyone made their way over to where their respective weapons were. It became apparent to everyone that this had been planned from the beginning, as they all had to hand over their weapons to Towa and George upon arriving at the academy.

Cyrus found his weapon and walked over to it. In front of it, there was a small box with his name on it. Ignoring his weapon for the meantime, he opened the little box and found a small black orb inside it.

'This must be the Master Quartz Instructor Sara was talking about... So, all I have to do is set this in the centre of my ARCUS and...' Cyrus removed his ARCUS Unit from his pocket and opened it up. In the centre there was a hole large enough to accommodate the Master Quartz, so he pushed it in and the Quartz clicked into place. Once the Quartz was inserted, a computerised voice came to life.

"Master Quartz detected in ARCUS Unit. Scanning... Master Quartz identified; Time Quartz Murakumo."

"Murakumo... Fascinating. I wonder what this Quartz is capable of?" Cyrus muttered as he flipped his ARCUS shut and turned his attention to his weapon.

"You haven't unpacked your weapon yet?" Laura asked, approaching Cyrus from behind.

"Not yet. I was more fascinated by what Master Quartz I'd been given..." Cyrus commented, looking at Laura's weapon. "I should have expected a student of the Arseid School to carry a weapon like that."

"Indeed, it was forged to look and feel similar to that of my father's blade," Laura remarked, holding her giant sword up in front of her.

"The Galland-Sharl? I've heard that weapon belonged to one of the Lance Maiden's subordinates from the War of the Lions from two hundred and fifty years ago," Cyrus replied.

"The very same. One of St. Sandlot's Lieutenants was an Arseid, and it has been passed down to the next Head of the Arseid Family since then," Laura explained.

"Ah, so one day, it'll be yours?" Cyrus asked.

"Yes. Once I master the Arseid style of swordsmanship and my father deems me worthy of possessing such a weapon," Laura nodded. "What about you? I'm curious to see what kind of weapon a student of the Vander School uses."

"Oh, it's nothing too special; certainly nothing to marvel at like your blade," Cyrus laughed as he turned to his weapon case and opened it.

Inside the case was a giant Claymore. Just by looking at it, Laura could tell it was a masterwork. The blade was immaculate, and the hilt's cross-guard was pristine. The hilt itself was wrapped with the finest black leather, and the pommel was crafted into the shape of a wolf.

"Oh, my..." Laura gasped as Cyrus removed the Claymore from its place within the case and held it up. "It's beautiful."

"I'm rather fond of it myself, although it's a far cry from the blade my sister possesses. But our fighting styles are complete opposites, so it's not an issue to me," Cyrus commented as he placed the sword on the pedestal and removed the leather sheathe from his case, and slung it over his back before putting the sword inside.

"Hmm? What's this?" Laura asked, seeing another weapon inside the case.

"Oh, it's nothing. More of a secondary weapon for confined spaces, where my Claymore isn't suitable," Cyrus stated as he removed the weapon and the sheathe from the case.

The weapon in question was a small, black Kukri. As Cyrus had said, it was certainly the ideal tool for close quarters combat, or a tool for use in confined spaces.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Rean called out as he and Elliot gathered by the main exit.

"Yes, I believe so," Laura stated as she and Cyrus made their way over to the group.

"We don't know what's on the other side of that door. Perhaps we should group up, just to make sure we all have each other's backs?" Machias suggested, as he put away his shotgun.

"What's wrong? Too scared to go alone? I'm sure someone here will be more than happy to hold your hand for you," Jusis scoffed, looking at Machias directly.

"What is your problem?! I merely suggested a safe way to get out of here! Are you Nobles just too pig-headed to accept help from anyone, or are you a special case, Mr. Son of a Duke?!" Machias snapped.

"I'm not against accepting help from others, but I'm also confident enough in my own abilities that I don't need help from anyone here to get back to the ground floor," Jusis responded with a thick tone of condescension before turning and walking through the doors on his own.

"Argh! He's such a dick! Well, screw him! I'm not about to be outdone by some Noble with a silver spoon jammed up his arse!" Machias shouted as he stormed off through the door on his own too.

"Well, this isn't the best start," Rean sighed. "Despite his outburst, Machias is right. We really should stick together, so we can make it out of here safely."

"Naturally, which is why I'll be accompanying Emma and Laura; I know neither of them have any ulterior motives," the blonde girl responded, scowling darkly at Rean before wandering off herself.

"Hey, wait a second!" Emma called out as she gave chase to the blonde girl.

"I don't think it'd be wise to leave them unattended..." Laura pondered before she turned to Cyrus. "Would you like to accompany me? I'd very much like to see the Vander School's style of swordsmanship for myself. It could prove to be a valuable experience for my own training."

"I don't see why not. Besides, something tells me that you're going to have your hands full with Blondie," Cyrus shrugged as he and Laura walked off together. "Do you even know her name?"

"I haven't found an appropriate time to ask... I think the initial meeting with Instructor Sara was when we were supposed to make our introductions, but that didn't exactly go according to plan..." Laura sighed, shaking her head over Machias' immature outburst about the Nobility.

"I guess that just leaves us three," a tall boy with thick brown hair commented as he watched Cyrus and Laura disappear down the corridor.

"Yeah, but at least we're still in a group. I don't think I'd survive down here on my own. I'd probably get lost," Elliot said with a small laugh.

"I certainly won't turn down someone who wants to join us..." Rean responded, looking at the tall boy and realising he didn't know his name.

"Oh, allow me to introduce myself; I'm Gaius Worzel. It's a pleasure to meet you both," Gaius nodded.

"Likewise, Gaius. I'm Rean Schwarzer," Rean replied, holding out a hand to Gaius, who grabbed it and shook it firmly.

"Oh, and I'm Elliot Craig. It's nice to meet you," Elliot added, bowing his head to Gaius.

"So, what was Machias' outburst before? I'm not from Erebonia, so the notion of a 'Class System' is unfamiliar to me," Gaius asked as the trio began to make their way through the depths of the Old Schoolhouse.

###

What awaited Class VII in the basement of the Old Schoolhouse was weird, to say the least. There were all kinds of bizarre monsters, from flying cats, giant bugs, and even sentient blobs of slime. On top of that, there were several wooden chests with a random assortment of things in them.

From within the chests, the students had managed to uncover survival items, small collections of Elemental Sepith which were used to make Quartz, and even a few Quartzes that were compatible with their ARCUS Units. It was apparent someone had gone to great lengths to offer the students assistance in reaching the ground floor.

About fifteen minutes had passed since Cyrus left with Laura, and in that time, they had fought off several monsters. After slaying a flying cat, Laura sheathed her weapon and turned to face the group she was with.

"It seems we make quite the team," Laura sighed.

"Yeah, with you and Cyrus at the front, I have enough time to cast Protective Arts, and Alisa is able to aim her bow and back you up," Emma smiled as she put away her Orbal Staff.

"Although, it doesn't look like you need our help. Seriously, the pair of you are monsters!" Alisa exclaimed after watching Laura and Cyrus tear apart enemy after enemy.

"That's to be expected from an Expert of the Arseid School though, and as for me... Well, I guess learning the Vander Style has been very helpful," Cyrus shrugged.

"Helpful?! You've been slugging that giant Claymore around like it's made of air! Is that really how the Vander School does things?" Alisa asked, gawking at Cyrus' nonchalant response.

"No, not traditionally. I've been a practitioner of the Vander Style for years, so over time, I've been able to adjust it to a style that's unique and suits me best," Cyrus explained.

"No-one can't say you're not an Expert yourself," Laura stated with a smile.

"Heh if you think what I can do is impressive, my sister would downright terrify you with what she can do," Cyrus laughed.

The group's conversation came to an end when they heard voices down one of the corridors that they hadn't explored.

"I think it's somewhere over here..." Elliot's soft voice called out.

"Oh, great..." Alisa scowled.

"Hey, play nice... Rean was just trying to help," Emma stated.

"Well, I didn't ask him to help!" Alisa shouted.

"Did you guys hear that?" Machias spoke.

"Yeah, I think it came from this way," Rean responded, and a few moments later, Rean, Elliot, Machias, and Gaius found themselves face to face with Alisa, Emma, Laura, and Cyrus.

"Hey, how's it going?" Cyrus waved.

"You look like you're all having fun," Gaius smiled.

"Oh, we're just taking a break. We're about to press on. What about you?" Emma asked.

"We've finished exploring that part of the building, and we managed to find Machias again, so we're all set to take on the rest of this area," Rean stated, looking at everyone before stopping at Alisa, who met his gaze, gasped, and then scowled before looking away.

'This is going to be something of a headache...' Cyrus sighed as he watched the exchange between Rean and Alisa.

"Have you guys come across Jusis? We haven't seen him yet, and we're kinda worried," Elliot asked with an uneasy look on his face.

"Who cares about him? We're doing just fine on our own without him commenting on every little thing we do!" Machias scoffed.

"What is your problem with Jusis? Has he done something to offend you?" Cyrus asked.

"My problem is that he's a stuck-up Noble who thinks he's better than everyone else, just because of his upbringing! He's just like the rest of those Noble bastards! Thanatos curse them all!" Machias growled, clenching his fists in anger.

"You must really hate the Nobility if you can invoke the name of the God of Death so easily when you talk about them," Gaius whispered with wide eyes.

"That is hardly a fair reason to dislike him. I am a Noble myself, do you take issue with this?" Laura asked, raising an eyebrow at Machias.

"Err... N-no... O-o course not..." Machias stammered.

"Then why do you treat Jusis like he's your sworn enemy? I, like Laura and Jusis, am a Noble too, and yet you're not making either of us the target of your scathing words..." Cyrus asked, genuinely curious to know.

"I... I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you!" Machias shouted before storming off.

"Oh, for the love of Aidios..." Cyrus sighed, shaking his head. "Look, I'll go with Rean's group and try to calm him down. I imagine you girls will be alright on your own?"

"Yes, we will be fine," Laura nodded in confirmation.

"Please, take care when you go looking for him," Emma added, sounding concerned for the group's safety.

"We'll see you three back up on the ground floor!" Alisa called out, deliberately excluding Rean, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

"Heh, I hope having her boobs in your face was worth it buddy, because I don't think she's gonna get over it any time soon," Cyrus chuckled.

"Let's just go already..." Rean sighed as the quartet went off in search of Machias.

###

As the group of Rean, Elliot, Gaius, and Cyrus made some headway through the basement of the Old Schoolhouse, Cyrus took the time to become properly acquainted with the three he was travelling with.

"Oh, so you're from Nord? What's it like there? I've never been myself," Cyrus asked as they turned a corner and walked down another corridor.

"It's a wonderful place. Lush, green fields, and mountains as far as the eye can see. For the people of Nord, there's nowhere else on the continent that can even compare. The Wind truly blessed us when our people first set foot there," Gaius explained, a content smile on his face.

"Sounds like a great place to call home. Perhaps I'll be able to visit your home one day, as you have done ours," Cyrus responded, already enthralled by the image his imagination was painting.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when they heard a sound from across the room they had just entered. On the far side of the room was a pillar, and from behind the pillar Fie revealed herself to the boys.

"Wait, aren't you–?" Rean began, before Fie cut him off.

"You're getting closer to the exit. I'd say you're about... Half way there," Fie stated in a flat tone.

Before anyone else could say anything, Fie sprinted towards the nearby wall, ran up it and vaulted over the railing, before charging off to another part of the floor.

"How did she do that?!" Elliot gasped, completely shocked by how agile Fie was.

"More importantly she said we're 'about half way there'..." Gaius muttered, stroking his chin.

"Hold on, are you saying she made it to the end and then turned back?!" Rean cried in disbelief.

"Looks like this class has some interesting characters in it..." Cyrus muttered. "Anyway, we should keep moving. We need to find Machias before he runs into Jusis and does something stupid."

"I don't think we'll need to worry about that. Machias might have something against the Nobility, but I doubt even he'd do something as foolish as attack Jusis," Rean stated as the boys carried on, following the direction that Fie had come from, before she disappeared in the opposite direction.

###

"Umm, Alisa...? Don't... Don't you think you were a bit too hard on Rean earlier?" Emma asked, unsure if she should broach the topic with the blonde-haired girl.

"What? No way! He was the one who threw himself at me like some kind of rabid animal! He got what he deserved!" Alisa exclaimed, blushing at the memory.

"I don't think Rean had any bad intentions when he acted. It looked to me like he was just trying to save you from getting hurt," Laura stated, pondering on the positions she found Rean and Alisa.

"I can admit that it might have looked like that, but why would he do that? He doesn't know me, so why would he go out of his way to save someone he doesn't even know?" Alisa asked.

"I don't know, maybe that's just the sort of person he is. I mean, aside from his face, no other part of his body was in contact with an area others would deem inappropriate," Laura reasoned.

"True, and you were the closest one to him when the trapdoor opened. I think his reasoning behind his actions was to simply protect the person closest to him," Emma added.

"But... But I didn't need protecting! The drop wasn't even that much! I mean, you guys didn't get hurt, did you?" Alisa asked.

"No, but we weren't to know that when it happened. It was most likely just reflexive instinct. All swordsmen have it," Laura responded.

"If that's the case, then why didn't you throw yourself at someone to save them? Why didn't Cyrus do the same?" Alisa pressed.

That question definitely stumped Laura. Why was Rean the only one to act in such a way, if all three of them were swordsmen with the same kind of instincts? She herself was an Expert of the Arseid School and, she had gathered from his skills with a sword, Cyrus had to have been an Expert of the Vander School, but she didn't know what kind of sword style Rean used. Perhaps that small difference was the reason behind Rean's actions? Laura knew she'd find out eventually, but now was not the time to be worried about such things.

"Hey, up there, isn't that...?" Emma spoke, breaking Laura out of her thoughts.

Both Laura and Alisa looked up to where Emma was pointing and saw a small streak of sliver fly past them, going in the opposite direction to them.

"That looks like...?" Alisa muttered, realising she didn't know Fie's name.

"Why is she going in the opposite direction?" Laura asked, watching as Fie leapt over another railing, down to a lower level, and vanished through a doorway.

"Maybe she left something behind?" Alisa suggested.

"Perhaps, but how can she move so freely? It's like she's a cat burglar or something, with agility like that," Emma stated.

"I think we should just press on. By the looks of it, she knows how to look out for herself and with speed like that, she should be more than capable of staying out of trouble," Laura commented.

"You're right. I've spent enough time in this creepy dungeon to last me a lifetime; let's just get out of here as soon as possible," Alisa shuddered as she looked around the dank and dingy basement they were in.

###

While Fie was rushing through the basement of the Old Schoolhouse doing who knows what, Rean, Elliot, Gaius, and Cyrus were trying to find Machias, who had stormed off once again.

It was already apparent to all of Class VII that Machias had a huge chip on his shoulder when it came to Erebonian Nobility, but no-one understood why. What they did know, however, was that it seemed that he'd only get fired up when a Noble would take him to task, like Cyrus had already done twice, or when a Noble pushes his buttons, like Jusis had already done... Twice.

Needless to say, the four boys knew it was imperative they find Machias before he ran into Jusis, and the two unsupervised teens started a fight because of their personality and clash of social class.

"I'm sensing a very disruptive wind from down this hallway..." Gaius muttered as the quartet turned a corner.

"Yeah, I'm sensing some hostility down this way too. What about you guys?" Cyrus asked.

"Mhmm... I can definitely feel something down this way. You don't think that...?" Rean began, but was interrupted by Elliot.

"Hey, guys! Look!" Elliot, his finger pointing down the end of the hallway.

"Eat that!" Machias shouted, unloading his shotgun in the face of a Slime Monster, causing it to turn into a puddle of goo.

Machias had come under an attack by a group of Dromes. The slime monsters had tried to surprise him, but because of their slow speed, Machias had been able to adjust and fight them off. He had just finished dispatching the last of the Dromes when Rean and the others has spotted him.

"Hey, Machias!" Rean called out, running over to the bespectacled boy.

"Oh, it's you guys. What are you doing here?" Machias asked as he put his shotgun away.

"Well, we were out exploring this beautiful basement and decided it was so nice, that we should stop to have a picnic. However, on our way to find the perfect spot, we realised 'Machias would absolutely love to have a picnic with us', so we set out trying to find you," Cyrus responded, looking at Machias with a furrowed brow.

"Ok... Sarcasm aside, we were looking for you because we were worried. You ran off, again, and we wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt," Rean stated, giving Machias a serious answer.

"Hold that thought for a second, because I wanna know what the hell your problem is!" Machias shouted, pointing at Cyrus.

"Me? I don't have a problem, but you do. I just wanted to see how deep seated your hatred for the Nobility was," Cyrus shrugged.

"What's it to you how I feel about the Nobility?" Machias growled.

"Simple. This exercise was clearly designed to see how well we all work as a cohesive unit. Considering Thors usually separates Noble from Commoner, you wouldn't often get them in the same social circles. We, however, are different. We are a class made up of both Nobles and Commoners, and while I don't know who made this class an official class of Thors or why, what I do know is that we are being tested," Cyrus began.

"What? Tested?" Elliot mumbled, looking at both Gaius and Rean.

"That's right. We are being observed to see how well we can work together despite the different social classes we all belong to. Right now, you, Machias, are pulling us down. Your outright refusal to work with anyone of Noble standing is a liability. Consider this for a second; you graduate Thors and you end up in the Army – Imperial or Provincial, I don't care which you choose – working under, or even amongst, Nobles. Lieutenant General Zechs Vander is a prime example for this situation. Now, consider your stance on the Nobility to remain unchanged during your time at Thors, and you are placed under the command of the Lieutenant General; if he gives you an order, are you going to outright refuse to follow it, simply because he is a Baron from the prestigious Vander Family?" Cyrus asked, his gaze endlessly fixed on Machias.

"W-well... No, I-I wouldn't... But he wouldn't use his title as a Noble to walk all over Commoners!" Machias responded.

"Quite right, so let's change the scope of the question. You're in the Provincial Army under the command of say... Ryan Hyarms, eldest son of the Hyarms Family, someone who would use his position and standing as the heir of the Hyarms Marquisdom to place you under his boot. Now, with the situation changed, answer the question," Cyrus commanded, his voice like ice.

Machias had no answer to Cyrus' question. He knew Cyrus expected him to answer negatively, and say he'd defy the orders of a superior because he's a Noble, which would further prove Cyrus' claim that he was a liability to Class VII. However, he couldn't answer the question and say he'd follow the command of a Noble, because Cyrus would know he was lying.

"Incredible... Cyrus has completely stumped Machias, and left him in a catch twenty-two situation. He can't answer the question without suggesting he can work with Nobles, which would mean his outbursts about the Nobility no longer have merit, but in suggesting he cannot work with Nobles would prove that Machias is in fact a liability to Class VII going forward," Gaius whispered, clearly impressed by how easily Cyrus had made Machias into his puppet.

"I don't have to explain to you why I hate the Nobility, but... You're right. If Class VII is going to be a successful team, we have to learn how to work together. Which means we need to put our differences aside and work together... But don't expect this to mean I'm going to be your friend!" Machias shouted, trying to sound annoyed.

"Hey, we can work on becoming friends later; right now, all that matters is getting the hell out of here. If we're the last group to reach the end, I'm going to be really pissed," Cyrus smirked.

"Well, you are definitely a Noble, Cyrus. The way you caught that fool in a web of his own making was quite the impressive sight. I've seen very few do it as easily as you," Jusis' voice called out from the other side of the room, and moments later, the son of the Albarea house entered the room.

"What?! Was all this just a part of some sick plan you bastards cooked up to screw with me?!" Machias roared, turning to look at Jusis.

"Dammit, Jusis, you are not helping! In fact, you are just as much of a liability to this group as Machias is! Your constant goading and talking down to him; you know it makes him mad, but you do it anyway," Cyrus snapped.

"Whoa... This is getting intense..." Elliot muttered, watching the entire scene unfold from the background.

"You know, I find it rather ludicrous... You, who preaches on about how the Nobility are always doing things to benefit them, but your family is quick to seize an opportunity to take some of that power for themselves. Hmm, what say you Machias Regnitz, son of Imperial Governor Carl Regnitz?" Jusis looked at Machias, who could only stare at Jusis, mouth agape.

"Ah, so that's why his name sounded familiar..." Rean muttered.

"My family is nothing like you Nobles! Dad is trying to change the Empire so it's a fair place for everyone, and not just a place where you Nobles can benefit off the hard work of the Commoners you lord over!" Machias shouted.

"Oh, shit..." Cyrus sighed.

"In other words, what you're saying is that it's alright for daddy to have the power to bring down the Nobility for being blessed with their heritage, but it's not alright for Nobles to have the power to rule their lands, which has been done for centuries?" Jusis asked, scoffing at the very notion.

"Why you–?!" Machias hissed as he took a step towards Jusis and raised his fist.

"Machias, don't–!" Cyrus shouted as he stepped in between the squabbling teens, and got punched square in the jaw by Machias.

"Whoa!" Rean cried as he ran over to restrain Machias, in the event he might try to hit Jusis again.

"A-are you alright, Cyrus?!" Elliot gasped, looking at Cyrus, who still hadn't looked up after being punched.

The punch itself wasn't all that hard, but it certainly would have knocked over any normal man. Cyrus, however, was not a normal man; he was a trained swordsman.

"Machias... I'm going to chalk this incident up to a fatal lapse in judgement, and let it go... Rean, take Machias and help him cool off..." Cyrus whispered, still not looking at either boy.

"Hmph, how pathetic–" Jusis began.

"DO NOT SPEAK!" Cyrus roared, looking up at Jusis and glaring at him. "You are just as much to blame as Machias is! You're constantly trying to provoke a reaction from him and you are doing it deliberately! You might be the son of one of the Four Great Houses, but here, that means nothing! Do you understand me?! If not, let me be clear; unlike most people, I will not hesitate to beat the shit out of you if you deserve it!"

For what felt like an age, no-one dared move. No-one dared speak. No-one even dared to breathe. Cyrus had given both Jusis and Machias serious pause for thought. After a few moments of silence, Cyrus let out a long sigh, before turning to Rean and Machias, with a smile on his face.

"Now, what say we get the hell out of here and finish this exercise? Instructor Sara awaits, so let's get moving!" Cyrus turned and marched forward, in the direction that Jusis had come.

"I don't know whether I should fear or respect that guy..." Elliot mumbled to Gaius.

"Hmm, he does seem to be the sort of person you don't want to cross. I wonder what kind of upbringing he must have had to be able to shift from one emotion to the other like that...?" Gaius responded. "I think we should follow him though. I quite like the idea of getting out of here, and I can sense a fresh wind blowing from that direction; the exit must be up ahead."

Without another word, Gaius and Elliot set off in the same direction as Cyrus, which prompted Rean to let go of Machias, and follow suit. As Rean made his way to the doorway, he stopped and turned back.

"Hey, Jusis... Are you coming?" Rean asked.

Jusis said nothing, and Rean took that as a sign that he wasn't coming along with them. Realising he could do no more, Rean simply let it go, and made his own way down the corridor, leaving Jusis all alone.

###

"Hey, look! I think I see the exit!" Elliot laughed as he made out the shape of a doorway at the end of the corridor, which was up a small flight of steps.

"Indeed, this does seem to be the exit. The wind that I could sense before is much stronger," Gaius confirmed.

"Oh, thank Aidios that's over with! I was beginning to think we'd never make it out of here!" Machias sighed.

"Don't you guys think we should wait for everyone else? I mean, I'm kinda concerned about Jusis..." Rean muttered, looking over his shoulder and not seeing the young Noble.

"Hmm, perhaps you're right. Ok, look, I'll go back and try and get Jusis to come with us, meanwhile, you guys just make for the exit. There's no point in standing around waiting if the end is right here," Cyrus responded as he turned around and walked back down the corridor.

"Are you starting to regret what you said to him?" Rean asked.

"Not at all. He needed a wake-up call, and I didn't hesitate to give it to him. The reality of things is that being a Noble here means nothing. You won't get any special treatment in this class for being one, even if you happen to be the son of a Duke. I'm sure you also understand this, Rean," Cyrus stated, stopping and looking at the black-haired boy.

"I mean, I guess I see where you're coming from, but..." Rean muttered.

"No 'buts', that's just how it is. Now off you go. I'll be back eventually," Cyrus replied before walking off down the corridor.

"What did he mean by that? Are you a Noble too, Rean?" Machias asked, looking at Rean inquisitively.

"I... I don't have a drop of Noble blood in my body, Machias. I can assure you of that," Rean declared, giving Machias a stern nod.

"C'mon, let's go already! I wanna get out of here as soon as possible!" Elliot shouted as he started to run towards the exit.

While Elliot, Gaius, Rean, and Machias headed for the exit, Cyrus had returned to the last room they were in, only to find Jusis still standing there, as if he were a statue.

"Jusis, you're still here?" Cyrus called out, walking over to the blond teen, but he got no response. "Hello? Jusis?"

Still, Jusis would not respond, so Cyrus decided to get his attention by poking the side of his head.

"Can you hear me? Say something!" Cyrus shouted, firmly prodding at the side of Jusis' head. "Hmm... I think I broke him. I think this calls for a good, old-fashioned 'hard reset'."

The 'hard reset' Cyrus was referring to was nothing more than a simple, hard slap to the face.

"JUSIS! WAKE UP, YOU FOOL!" Cyrus boomed, knocking Jusis to the ground with his slap.

The slap, and the impact with the floor stunned Jusis out of his statue-like state, and when he gathered himself, he looked up and saw Cyrus standing over him, grinning.

"Heh, told you I wouldn't hesitate to beat the shit out of you if you needed it," Cyrus held out a hand to Jusis, who swatted it away.

"You dare to lay your hands on me, you reprobate?!" Jusis snapped.

"Give it up, would you? I don't make empty threats; if I say I'm gonna do something, I'll always follow through... I just never expected I'd have to do so this soon," Cyrus responded, completely ignoring Jusis' angry outburst.

"What exactly is it you want from me? An apology?" Jusis seethed, standing up and locked eyes with Cyrus.

"Hardly. I'm not the one who needs the apology. What I do need though, is for us to sit down and talk. There are some things I'd like to discuss," Cyrus said, sitting down on the floor of the room.

"What? Right here? You must be out of your mind," Jusis scoffed.

"Not at all. I think it's best to square things away now, rather than letting them boil over later. That would only end up being detrimental to morale, and our interpersonal relationships with the rest of the class," Cyrus responded.

"What in the name of Thanatos are you talking about?" Jusis snapped.

"Ok, let's make this simple; we go about our lives without reaching an understanding. You will still remember this; as a Noble you should remember any slight brought against you, and you'll simply let this wound fester. Now, months might pass by, and that wound I've dealt to you will have grown toxic, made all the more worse by your flagrant disregard for me as a comrade and classmate – and don't tell me you wouldn't do such a thing; I've seen Nobles of a far lower station than you hold grudges for less," Cyrus started.

What Cyrus was saying seemed to have interested Jusis, as he now sat down opposite Cyrus and began to listen.

"Go on," Jusis encouraged.

"Our relationship will start to fall apart, and our classmates will notice it too, but what will they see? You, taking cheap shots at me at every opportunity? Well, eventually, we'll reach breaking point, and everything will turn to shit..." Cyrus continued.

"Ok, but what's your point?" Jusis asked.

"Quite simply, this; when our relationship breaks down, who's side will the class take? Already, you'll see Machias take my side, for the simple fact that he hates the Nobility, but he has a stronger dislike for you, the way you've been provoking him. Rean, Laura, and Elliot? Again, they'll likely side with me, as they don't strike me as the sort of people who would support toxic people, which is what you'll look like to them; as if you have been deliberately trying to sabotage me from the start. Gaius, Emma, and Alisa too; they seem to be of a peaceful nature, who don't want to see their friends fight, but will take a stand when someone is being unreasonable... Well, that last part might not apply to Alisa, but you see my point, yes?" Cyrus asked.

"Hmph... You're saying I'll have no-one on my side..." Jusis muttered.

"Precisely, and why? Because you believe yourself to be above all of us!" Cyrus shouted. "Noble, Commoner, Royalty, even God; it matters not in this class! We're all supposed to be equal! Laura already understands this, as you don't see her using the Arseid name, or the fact her father is the legendary 'Radiant Blademaster', do you? As I've said before, I might be the son of a Count from Lamare, but I'm not using my standing to lord over others! It's great that you're the son of a Duke, Jusis, and that you're proud of your family... But that doesn't matter here."

"Tch, you can't seriously be suggesting I make friends with that pig-headed fool?!" Jusis snapped, realising what Cyrus was getting at.

"See, there it is right there; that arrogance that comes from being a Noble. You're the only one that has it, and that's exactly what's going to alienate you from everyone else," Cyrus stated. "Now, I'm not saying that you and Machias have to become best friends, but you should at least start by giving him the respect he deserves as a human being and stop treating him like trash just because he's a Commoner."

Jusis simply sat there in silence, not even moving, just like when Cyrus had snapped at him and threatened him earlier.

"Oh, great, looks like I broke him again," Cyrus sighed as he stood up.

"Wait," Jusis muttered. "Just who the hell are you? One minute you're shouting like a man possessed by a demon, and assaulting me, and the next you're sitting down and talking to me like we're brothers. What kind of person can do something so casually?"

"Believe it or not, I get it from my parents. My father is an extremely hard man. He's not an arsehole who harms his family, or neglects his people, but when he is displeased, he'll make it abundantly clear. My mother, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She's always been such a kind, gentle soul, and believes mutual care and understanding of one's situation is paramount to achieving harmony with one another. All the people in Ordis adore my mother... Hell, most of Erebonia adores her. My mother was always quick to teach me that offering the olive branch to those you have hurt or wronged, can be the first step in gaining life-long friends," Cyrus responded, looking down at Jusis.

"I see..." Jusis whispered.

"Look I don't expect us to become the next greatest alliance within the Nobility, but at least we know where we should start working on to have a proper relationship as classmates during our time here... Also, it wouldn't kill you to make some friends, y'know?" Cyrus laughed as Jusis glared at him for his final remark.

"I think the voices came from over here," a voice called out.

"Hey, isn't that...?" Jusis turned, looking at the direction the voice came from.

Surely enough, from the opposite side of the room, Alisa, Laura, Emma, and Fie all appeared.

"Oh, it's you guys," Cyrus waved as the four approached him and Jusis.

"Hello again, Cyrus, Jusis," Laura greeted as she walked over to the boys.

"Where are the others?" Emma asked, looking around but not seeing them.

"Oh, they've probably finished by now. We found the exit down this corridor, but I told Rean and the others to press on," Cyrus stated.

"What?! They're already finished?!" Alisa groaned.

"Let me guess... She wanted to beat Rean?" Cyrus muttered to Laura, who nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, if you put as much energy into trying to beat him as you do complaining about him, you would have made him eat your dust," Fie stated flatly.

"Fie! That's rude!" Emma gasped.

"Eh, it is what it is, I guess," Fie shrugged.

"Oh, so you finally learned her name?" Cyrus asked, looking at the small, silver haired girl.

"Yup. I finally finished exploring this place and found these guys," Fie pointed to Alisa, Emma, and Laura.

"Yes, and we've been taking the time to get to know each other, too," Emma smiled.

"Ah, good... It seems we're almost all acquainted. Now, all we need to do is introduce Fie to the guys, and–" Cyrus responded, but was interrupted when he heard a loud roar from down the corridor that Rean and the others went down.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!" Alisa cried, shaking in shock.

"I don't know, but Rean and the others are down there. They must have run into trouble!" Jusis stated.

"Whatever it is, it's presence is exceptionally powerful. Alright, let's go everyone!" Laura shouted as she brandished her sword and started to run down the corridor.

"Cyrus, aren't you coming?" Emma asked as she noticed he was the only one not running off to help.

"Don't worry about me, there's something I need to do first. You can't be ill prepared for any situation. I'll be right behind you. Go, go!" Cyrus responded, beckoning Emma to go ahead without him.

"Alright, but be quick!" Emma called as she ran off to join the others.

"Hmm, from what I can feel, whatever Rean and the others are fighting, it's powerful. I suppose I'll have to change my style and approach this with surgical precision…" Cyrus sighed as he unsheathed his sword and held it in one hand as he walked down the corridor towards the others.

###

While Cyrus went back to check on Jusis, the team of Rean, Elliot, Machias, and Gaius made their way up the steps towards the door that would take them to the exit of the basement. As they made their way up the stairs, Machias had stopped.

"Huh? Is something wrong, Machias?" Elliot asked, turning to look at the bespectacled boy.

"Hmm, something doesn't seem right..." Machias muttered. "I think they're plotting something!"

"Huh? Who's 'they'?" Elliot asked.

"You mean Jusis and Cyrus?" Gaius asked.

"Yeah... Something doesn't seem right. Why would you say something so harsh, without regrets, but then insist on going back to check on the person they snapped at? I bet it was all a ruse, so they could be alone and carry out something else to mess with me!" Machias shouted, getting angry at the idea.

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid, Machias?" Rean asked.

"No way, I know those guys are plotting something. That Cyrus doesn't seem like the sort of person to forget being punched," Machias responded.

"Are you sure? I'm sure he knew it was an accident," Gaius stated.

"Nobles don't forget things like that, not even if we say that it was an accident. They're plotting something as revenge..." Machias stated, looking back over his shoulder and down the empty corridor.

"Alright, well, why don't you head back, and make sure they're not doing anything suspicious, and we'll carry on?" Rean suggested.

"I think I'll take you up on that," Machias nodded as he turned and walked back the way the group had come.

"Rean, you don't actually believe Jusis and Cyrus are planning anything, do you?" Gaius asked.

"No, but it's best if Machias sees that with his own eyes. I doubt we'd be able to convince him otherwise," Rean responded.

"Yeah, Rean's right. Machias doesn't strike me as the sort of person to believe what others are saying without evidence," Elliot added.

"Very well, I suppose we should just go on without him?" Gaius suggested.

"Yeah, he and the others can catch up to us when they're ready," Rean sated as he turned and walked up the stairs to the door, and opened it.

When they opened the door and entered the room, they found it empty, save for a stone statue.

"Huh? Is... Is this the end?" Elliot mumbled as he looked around the room, shivering when his gaze fell on the statue.

"I think so, but are we the first ones to arrive? I would have at least thought Instructor Sara would have been here to greet us," Gaius commented, tapping his chin in thought.

"No, wait. Look up there," Rean pointed towards the far side of the room, atop a long flight of stairs.

What Rean had been pointing at was another doorway at the top of the stairs, but this time, he knew the end was in sight.

"Natural light! That there must be the proper exit!" Elliot laughed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Gaius asked as the trio began to walk over to the steps.

The boys only made it halfway across the room before the whole place started to rumble. Stopping in their tracks, they all started looking around to see what was happening. Eventually, their attention turned to the statue, which had begun to crack and emit a purple light.

Before anyone could react, the statue shattered into pieces, and out sprung a giant gargoyle, as real as Rean and the others. The gargoyle landed in front of them and let out a low growl; its eyes transfixed on the three teens.

"Wha-what is that?!" Elliot gasped.

"It's some kind of monster! It must be from the Dark Age!" Gaius shouted as he brought his spear up to bear.

"Whatever it is, it looks like we'll have to get through it before we can finish this exercise!" Rean shouted as he unsheathed his tachi.

"O-ok, I'll support you guys with some Healing Arts, so don't hold back!" Elliot declared bravely, as he raised his Orbal Staff up in preparation of the fight.

With Elliot watching his back, Rean charged at the gargoyle and slashed at it with his tachi. The attack did little in the way of damage, and only served to anger the gargoyle further. With a loud roar, the gargoyle slashed at Rean, narrowly missing its mark.

"Gaius, slash attacks are ineffective! Try using your spear to pierce it's body!" Rean shouted as he leapt out of the way of the gargoyle, and rolled across the ground.

"Right!" Gaius growled as he rushed the gargoyle, his spear pointing directly at the chest of the beast.

The spear found its mark, but did nothing more than leave a small puncture wound, which allowed a small trickle of blood to run down the gargoyle's chest.

"That didn't work either?! Hold on, let me try using my Orbal Staff..." Elliot cried as he slammed the end of his staff into the ground and held the face of the staff at the gargoyle. "Support Craft; Detector!"

Elliot's staff glowed pale orange as it began to shine a light on the gargoyle. A few seconds later, the light vanished, and Elliot was able to see the monster's strengths and weaknesses.

"What's the story, Elliot?" Rean asked, slashing at the gargoyle and narrowly dodging a hit from its thick stone claws.

"Umm, well... It's called 'Iglute Garmr' and it's highly resistance to all kinds of physical damage... Oh but it has a slight weakness to all manner of Arts!" Elliot responded.

"Arts it is then! ARCUS, activate!" Gaius yelled as he jumped into the air and launched another spear attack. "Air Strike!"

From the tip of the spear, a small orb of green light began to gather. As the orb enlarged, the wind in the room began to rush towards the spear's tip. When the orb was at its largest, Gaius thrust the spear forward, unleashing the orb at Iglute Garmr. The orb impacted with the gargoyle and exploded into a large burst of wind, pushing back and slicing up the beast with little effort.

"Alright, we did it!" Elliot cheered as the Art found its mark and did some damage. "ARCUS, activate!"

"Rean, I'll cover you two while you cast your Arts, don't hold back!" Gaius shouted as he lifted his spear above his head and started to spin it, before bringing it down to his side and stabbing forward. "Gale Stinger!"

The forward thrust from his spear sent a pulse of wind right at the gargoyle. When it hit, the attack slammed into the monster's chest and caused it to stumble, which made it roar in anger.

"ARCUS, activate!" Rean shouted, as he started to charge up his Art.

"Alright, let's do it! Aqua Bleed!" Elliot cried as he swung his staff at Iglute Garmr.

As Elliot swung his staff, a raging ball of water rushed out of it, hitting the gargoyle in the face. In response, the gargoyle simply roared and glared at Elliot.

"Why is it not attacking?" Gaius asked, still remaining cautious.

"Oh, it's been sealed!" Elliot responded, looking at Iglute Garmr's status, thanks to his Detector Craft.

"Sealed?" Rean asked.

"Yeah, it means it's unable to attack or even move," Elliot explained.

"Alright, then here's our chance; Fire Bolt!" Rean yelled as the blade of his tachi became cloaked in fire.

Rean swung the flaming blade and an arc of fire flew through the air and impacted with the Gargoyle, detonating on impact.

The gargoyle roared and fell to the floor. After a few seconds of silence, Rean, Gaius, and Elliot let out a huge sigh of relief.

"I... I can't believe we beat it!" Elliot laughed as he collapsed to his knees.

"I know... That thing was really tough. At least we overcame the final trial," Gaius sighed, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Yeah, now let's get out of here and report back to Instructor Sara," Rean responded, standing up starting and sheathing his tachi.

As the three teens began to make their way past the gargoyle, they froze in their tracks when they heard a low snarl from the supposedly dead beast. As they turned around their eyes widened in horror as they saw the gargoyle begin to stand up and it became cloaked in a purple light.

"Wh-what's going on?! Elliot cried in disbelief.

"I think it's... Transforming!" Gaius gasped as the gargoyle stood up again and became fully engulfed in the light.

With a burst of white, the light vanished and, in its place, stood Iglute Garmr. This time, however, it wasn't the same stony, scaled monster the trio had just fought. This time, they were looking at a real-life flesh and bone fiend.

With its strength renewed, Iglute Garmr let out an earth-shaking roar, which echoed throughout the chamber, making the roar sound even louder.

"Oh, crap!" Elliot cried, flinching in fear.

"It doesn't even look like it's got a scratch on it!" Gaius shouted, pulling out his spear for round two.

"Argh! This isn't good! We barely just managed to beat it last time, now it seems even more powerful!" Rean growled as he too brought his tachi up to bear.

"We need help from the others!" Elliot exclaimed, looking behind him to see if the rest of Class VII were coming.

"You're right, but we can't stand around here and wait; this thing wants to kill us!" Gaius stated, bringing up his spear to block the swinging fist of the fiend.

Using a spear as a shield was about as useful as using a toothpick against Iglute Garmr. The monster smashed its fist through the spear and into Gaius, and sent the tall boy flying across the room and into the far wall.

"Gaius!" Rean and Elliot cried in simultaneous horror.

"Urgh... I'm... I'm ok..." Gaius wheezed, lying against the wall, his broken spear next to him.

"Elliot, go help Gaius, I'll distract this thing!" Rean shouted as Elliot rushed over to Gaius in order to heal him.

"Hold on Gaius, I'll heal you! Tear!" Elliot cried as he held up his staff and gently tapped Gaius on the head with it.

A pale blue light covered Gaius the moment Elliot's staff touched him, and within seconds, he was up on his feet again.

"You have my thanks, Elliot," Gaius grunted as he bent down to pick up the two halves of his broken spear. "I don't think this is going to be very useful..."

"You sit this one out, Gaius. Elliot and I will take care of this thing until the others arrive," Rean called out, as he slashed at Iglute Garmr, which proved ineffective.

"We will?!" Elliot cried in shock. "Err... I mean, we will!"

"Hey, are you guys alright?!" Machias' voice called out from the corridor behind them.

"We're ok! Gaius took a hit, but he's unharmed," Elliot responded, turning to see the rest of Class VII entering the room, but he noticed there was one missing.

"What is this?!" Alisa cried in horror, upon witnessing the new form of Iglute Garmr.

"It was a gargoyle, but it seems to have turned into a real, living fiend," Gaius stated, his voice sounding somewhat strained.

"Oh, no... Its stats have changed!" Elliot gasped, upon seeing the change in Iglute Garmr thanks to his Detector Craft. "It now has some resistance against all physical attacks, and Arts!"

"Dammit, this is ridiculous!" Jusis growled. "What the hell was that idiot instructor of ours thinking?!"

"I don't think Instructor Sara would deliberately lead us into a trap like this..." Laura muttered, thinking about everything they've come across as class so far. "Everything thus far has been relatively harmless; we'd only get hurt if we were careless. This, however, seems far more dangerous than what we've already faced."

"Laura's right, I don't think Instructor Sara is to blame for this," Emma responded, backing up Laura.

"Well, whatever the case is, we need to take this thing down, and do it fast!" Rean stated, turning his attention to the fiend.

As he did, everyone else followed suit, and once everyone was focused on the monster, they all began to emit a pale white light.

"ARCUS System Combat Link achieved. Link Synchronicity at ninety percent," Rean's ARCUS echoed, confusing him.

"Huh? Combat Link?" Rean turned, looking confused.

"I don't know either, but I feel like my heartbeat and breathing is the same as yours," Machias responded.

"Why is it only at ninety percent though? What do we need to make it reach one hundred?" Fie asked.

"I think I know," Emma mumbled, taking a look around and only seeing nine out of the ten members of Class VII.

"Never mind that now, we need to focus on taking this monster down, or we're all... Going... To... Get... Hurt..." Rean stated, his voice becoming very slow and distorted.

Everyone looked around in confusion, and noticed that they too were moving slower than normal. At first, they thought it was an Art cast by Iglute Garmr, but when they noticed that its movements were also hindered, they became all the more puzzled.

"What's... Going... On?" Alisa asked, her body and voice moving at a snail's pace.

"ARCUS System Combat Link Achieved. Link Synchronicity at one hundred percent; Combat Link System activating," the ARCUS intoned.

"Heh, let's finish this," a voice from the corridor spoke, but at a regular speed.

"What...?" Laura turned around, but all she saw was a flash of white light.

From the corridor, a flash of white light rushed forth, filling the room, followed by a rumble of what sounded like thunder. The streak of light rushed past everyone, including the fiend, and ended at the opposite side of the room. With everything in the room moving incredibly slow, anyone who blinked the moment the light entered the room literally missed what had happened.

Immediately after the light had gone, the sound of shattering glass echoed around the room, and everyone found that they could now move and talk at normal speed.

"What just happened?" Machias asked.

"Look out!" Gaius shouted as the fiend growled and took a step closer to the teens.

As Iglute Garmr stepped forward, it stopped in its tracks and completely froze. Slowly, it's body began turning back to stone, but not before the creature's head fell from its shoulders. The head turned to stone with the rest of the body and shattered to pieces.

The body fell forward and also smashed to bits, and behind the gargoyle stood Cyrus, holding his Claymore in one hand, as if it were weightless.

"What...?" Alisa breathed, blinking rapidly to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"I repeat; what just happened?" Machias turned, looking at everyone, searching for answers.

"Did he just...?" Rean muttered.

"Incredible. He took that thing down with a single strike..." Elliot gasped, staring at Cyrus in awe.

"And that's how it's done," Cyrus whispered as he turned to face his classmates with a grin on his face.

"How did you do that?!" Alisa shouted. "No, more importantly, what did you do?!"

"I believe it was time manipulation, but that shouldn't be possible..." Emma stated, staring at Cyrus with a peculiar look.

"No, it's possible," Fie stated nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Everyone looked at Fie.

"Time Arts. Cyrus used Chrono Break, which slowed down everything in the room," Fie responded emptily.

"Yeah, but I also have Chrono Burst to up my own speed," Cyrus stated, taking out his ARCUS Unit and opening it, revealing two black quartzes on the outer ring of the device.

"When did you find those?" Alisa asked. "More to the point, how did you defeat that thing in one strike?!"

"I found them while exploring this place," Cyrus responded. "As for how I defeated the gargoyle... I guess Murakumo's ability kicked in, and I was able to deal a greater blow than normal. A 'Critical Hit', if you will."

"So that's how you were able to move like thunder, and with such power... Hmph, a cheap parlour trick," Jusis scoffed.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? The beast has been slain and no-one died. Parlour trick or not, I think it worked great!" Cyrus laughed.

"Well, well, well... Looks like you guys made it through the trial. Well done!" Sara clapped as she walked down the staircase.

"Hey, was this your bright idea?!" Machias shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Sara.

"Everything but the gargoyle, yes. I had no idea that it was anything more than a stone statue. I was going to help out, but it was 'recommended' to me that I stay out of it, and see if you could handle it. Needless to say, you all pass," Sara smiled.

"Wait, who was it that 'recommended' you not help us?" Jusis asked, using air quotes around the word 'recommended'.

"Hmm... Can't say. Sorry!" Sara grinned, scratching the back of her head.

"She totally can. She just doesn't want to," Alisa whispered, getting a nod of agreement from Fie.

"Look, all that aside, you've all done amazingly. I mean, you've still got a long way to go, but you can definitely give yourselves a pat on the back for what you achieved here today," Sara stated.

"Wait, is that it? Just a 'well done, thanks for playing'? We want an explanation for all this shit, and we want it now!" Machias demanded.

"While very gauche, the Commoner speaks truth. We demand an explanation as to what the hell this farce was," Jusis stated, making sure to refer to Machias as a Commoner to annoy him.

"Give it a rest Jusis, honestly. Did nothing I say to you sink in?" Cyrus sighed, looking at the blond Noble.

"Well, I can see you two haven't worked out your differences. That's a little disappointing, but you know what they say 'Heimdallr wasn't built in a day'," Sara shrugged. "But you've already had the answer explained to you."

"W-we have?" Alisa asked, looking at Instructor Sara like she had two heads.

"Not you specifically, but Machias and Jusis have," Sara smirked.

"What? You mean...?" Cyrus began.

"Precisely. You were right on the money, Cyrus. This was in fact a test to see how well Nobles and Commoners could work together as a team. Eight out of ten of you passed that part of the test," Sara explained, looking at Machias and Jusis with a disappointed stare.

"Hold on, how did you even know what I said?" Cyrus asked.

"I can answer that," Fie spoke up, pulling a small black object out of her pocket. "Listening devices."

"Oh, so that's what you were doing when we came across you?" Rean asked.

"Yup. I found one near the entrance and got curious. I thought it was something left down here from ages ago but the more I pressed on, the more I uncovered, so I went off in search of all the others. I must have missed a few along the way though," Fie explained, shrugging at the fact she missed a few of the devices.

"Lucky thing you did too, otherwise I'd have had to explain everything to you again. Soooo, thanks!" Sara beamed, giving Cyrus a thumbs up.

"She's not even trying to hide the fact she's being lazy about this..." Alisa sighed.

"Yes, it's a little unnerving, if I'm being honest," Emma whispered.

"Ok! Now here comes the important part! You've all passed the test, which means you're now all officially part of Class VII! However, you don't necessarily have to accept this placement. When this class was set up, it was done so for those of you who scored highest on the aptitude tests and fit the bill of what the class was looking for. As a result, should you wish to drop out of Class VII, you'll still be able to join the class you were originally assigned to, so there's no pressure," Sara explained.

One by one, each member of Class VII all expressed their desire to be a part of the newly established class; even Machias and Jusis, even if their only reason for being a part of the class was to simply try and one-up each other. The only one who was left was Cyrus.

"Ok, now hold on a second," Sara spoke, before Cyrus had the chance to speak. "You, I'm afraid, don't get a choice in the matter; you're staying in Class VII whether you want to or not."

"Right, and why exactly am I the only one who doesn't get a say?" Cyrus looked at Sara, raising his eyebrow.

"Simple; you're going to be the one that binds this class together," Sara smiled.

"Come again?" Cyrus said.

"In this exercise, you've already worked with everyone in the class, except for Fie, and you've managed to successfully work with all of them. You're insightful, and able to see the bigger picture, as proven with your discussions with both Machias and Jusis. You have all the makings of an exceptional leader, and there's no way I'm giving you up to Class I," Sara explained, her grin widening as she spoke.

"Well, it's a good thing I had no intention of leaving Class VII then, isn't it?" Cyrus responded, returning Sara's grin with his own.

"Excellent, so we're all in agreement! No take-backs!" Sara smiled cheerfully.

While Class VII and Instructor Sara were continuing their discussions, at the top of the staircase, near the exit of the basement stood Principal Vandyck, and a young, blond-haired man. From the opulent clothing he was wearing, it was evident he was of Noble standing.

"Well, well... Don't we just have a fascinating bunch of kids for this new term?" the young man spoke.

"Indeed, and it seems like they're all very capable students too," Vandyck responded, standing up straight with his hands behind his back in a proper military pose.

"And from what we've just witnessed, that dashing young man must be the one Mueller was telling me about. Cyrus..." the blond man stated, looking down at the silver haired teen.

"Yes, and it seems his power is just as impressive as his sister's... I had high hopes for him when I saw his family name, but it seems he's going to surpass all of them," Vandyck chuckled.

"For someone so young to be so highly regarded by Mueller is... Well, it's beyond impressive, I'll give you that," the blond man nodded.

"Come, let us continue this conversation in my office," Vandyck said as he and the blond man turned and left the Old Schoolhouse.

As the members of Class VII were beginning to leave, Cyrus began to follow suit, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Instructor Sara.

"Hmm, did you need something, Instructor?" Cyrus asked.

"No, I just want to know why you're not being completely honest about your abilities," Sara stated.

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?" Cyrus responded. He knew what Sara was getting at, but he wasn't about to spill, in case she was bluffing.

"I saw the end of the fight with the gargoyle. You might have used Chrono Break to slow down everything within the room, but I wasn't in the room," Sara explained.

"Ok, and what's your point?" Cyrus asked, growing tired of Sara beating around the bush.

"I know you don't have a Quartz for Chrono Drive. That enhanced speed was all your own," Sara declared.

"Right, well the thing is, I wasn't lying about the Quartz for Chrono Drive, but you're right in that I didn't actually use it, although I never said I did use it. So why is that a problem?" Cyrus questioned.

"Oh, it's no problem to me, but I know about your expertise of the Vander Style, and I've never seen speed or movement like that before, so where did you learn that from?" Sara looked at Cyrus, who remained expressionless.

"Do you have a piece of paper, Instructor? Perhaps a pencil too?" Cyrus asked, catching Sara off guard.

"Uhh, sure? Why?" Sara asked, looking confused.

"You said you wanted to know, so I'm going to tell you... However, I'm going to write it down for you instead. Do you take issue with this?" Cyrus asked.

"I guess not, just seems a little strange," Sara muttered as she pulled out a pencil and paper from her coat.

"Sorry, but this is just something I've picked up from my sister. She believes the sharing of vital information should never be done orally... I just happen to agree with her on the matter," Cyrus explained as he scribbled something down on the paper before handing it back to Sara. "I trust you don't need anything else?"

"No, that'll be all..." Sara waved a dismissive hand as she opened up the piece of paper and saw what was written down on it. Upon seeing what Cyrus had written, she let out a shocked gasp. "You cannot be serious."

"Deadly serious. What I wrote is Aidios' honest truth. Feel free to ask around if you don't believe me. It's not that I'm hiding it... It just easier for everyone if they don't find out right off the bat. You and I both know it would create… Friction," Cyrus responded with a casual wave as he climbed the stairs and left the Old Schoolhouse.

"That boy is way different from his sister, but I can tell he's just as powerful..." Sara sighed as she too climbed the staircase and left the Old Schoolhouse.