Disclaimer: You know the routine. Shaman King is not mine. Please don't sue me. Or I'll do a Tao Ren on you and hunt you down...

...Because this summer, your ass will meet my foot.

I will whoop your ass.

(Hello, JSF. Can I borrow some quotes from Shaman King Movie Previews? Promise I'll review you favorably. Tee hee. ^_^)

Previously, on "The Romancers"...

A mysterious girl in black (why does this sound so familiar?), a brief introduction to the character of Lyserg Diethyl, a recap of the story of the X-Laws in the Shaman King series, and a promise of a new era unfolding: The page of the eternal book of histories has been turned, and now a new adventure beckons...

The Romancers

Set One

By: Sheo Darren

Chapter Two

And You May Now Kiss The Bride...

Lyserg Diethyl was quite nervous now. This was the decisive moment: The ceremony where he would be ordained as the new leader of the X-Laws team.

It was a simple rite. Facing Jeanne –who had long ago disposed of her Iron Maiden and in Lyserg's thinking looked much nicer without it anyway– Marco formally declared that he was stepping down from the leadership of the X-Laws. The bespectacled man was actually shaking; this was an emotional moment for him, and one that would not be denied.

"…So I call upon he who I deem worthy to succeed to my calling. Lyserg Diethyl, come forth!"

Fighting to keep his anxiety in check, Lyserg forced himself to calmly walk towards Jeanne and Marco. The trusting smile Jeanne offered him helped a lot; he found himself smiling back. Heck, even Marco looks content enough. Why can't I do the same?

At the side, the reconstituted X-Laws watched intently. Redhead Victoria Ganger –nicknamed Vincent, for a reason the American ex-mercenary wasn't very interested in sharing– was suppressing a snicker; it would not do to have the edgy Marco to jump her for spoiling the moment. Cradled in her left arm was a nasty-looking sniper rifle, the weapon that summoned her Angel protector: Israfel, the Angel of Twins.

Next to her was Drake Malloy. The biggest member in the team, he also had the biggest gun that suited him just fine: A monster anti-tank bazooka. He was a cheerful man with a cheerful countenance, and he was happy right now. Drake was one of Lyserg's allies. His Angel protector was Ramiel, the mighty Angel of Thunder.

The mysterious person known only as the Maestro could not be described at all, as his face was hidden by an opaque bubble visor. He was in fact totally enclosed inside a combination of armor and life support systems, unable to survive even for a minute outside of his protective environs. No one had ever seen his face, and his weapon was equally invisible: Maestro was a powerful psychic. Shadowy Ireul, the Angel of Terror, was his to call upon.

A comfortable distance away from the unsettling Maestro, an unlikely pair stood in rapt attention. The deeply contrasting couple was Lyserg's biggest source of support aside from Jeanne.

The younger member of the pair was Millie, kid sibling of the late Meene, X-Laws member and Lyserg's friend. A cute girl who distinctly resembled her nee-chan, Millie was a diminutive but energetic ash blond package always hanging around Lyserg, begging for his advice and help. Naive but dedicated, she had an exact duplicate of Meene's gun, a .44 Colt Peacemaker, "the gun that won the West". Her Angel protector was Sandalphon, the cute but awesome Angel of Embryos. Right now, Millie was giving Lyserg a big grin that told him how much she trusted him.

It was perhaps the older woman who would bear closer attention, though. Where all the other X-Laws were garbed in white –even Maestro; his armor was white with blue areas–, this woman was clothed in full black regalia, white crosses adorning the sleeves of her coat. She would strike many as a Protestant minister; in fact, she was far different from a man of God: Where His apostles walked in the eternal light, she had delved deep into the darkness.

Slung over her back was a thin curving metal rod, longer than she was tall and which seemed to be misleadingly light in weight. Its tip bore an odd ensemble of gems and metal fittings. The entire device looked harmless and without purpose.

She did not have an angel to call her own. None would hearken to her, and she would not accept one anyway.

Her name was Rune Minor. She was the only member of X-Laws who had once been a follower of Asakura Hao –one of his most powerful and devoted ones, in fact.

She was the last person –even more so than Hao himself– who defect to X-Laws. Even Lyserg had briefly wondered if he could really have swayed her into joining her hated foes. In their mission briefing before their battle, Marco had voiced his convincing opinion that she would rather choose to die than even consider surrendering. Rune herself had told Lyserg that much, before they had fought their decisive battle.

Yet, here she was now, a full-fledged member of X-Laws, and if not openly cheering him on, then Rune was doing nothing to undermine Lyserg's ascendance.

The young dowser silently thanked Jeanne, Drake, Millie and even Marco for their strong support. He needed whatever help he could get. For one thing, Vincent had been openly critical of him from the start; what reason she had was beyond grasp. Lyserg considered the legendary "special relationship" between Britain and America and tossed that ideal into the waste bin when Vincent was concerned.

On the other hand, Maestro had disapproved of the idea of such a young boy as leader of the X-Laws. Probably was considering himself as a candidate, Lyserg uncharitably decided. Privately, he wondered how he was going to get this team to work together.

As for Rune... well, she was who she was. Let sleeping dogs lie.

...Even in the knowledge that when it wakes up it's going to tear the baby's throat out?

Lyserg found himself repeating what Marco dictated to him. Despite the frown Vincent sported –as usual, Maestro's face could not be made out– the ceremony went on without a hitch. That is, until the last part.

Reciting from memory, Jeanne began, "Now that you have been chosen, Lyserg Diethyl, you are faced with the oath and the responsibility that comes with that oath. Do you say 'Aye' or 'Nay' to that which faces you now?" She was quite serious and beautiful even so. "Do you choose 'Aye' or 'Nay', to serve and protect me to the utmost of your power?"

It was a simple question with the equally simple answer being either a Yes or a No. Lyserg had done pretty well for the previous quarter hour. It was here that he made his slip.

"I do."

He did not immediately understand why everyone was staring at him. Millie was every bit the picture of a very stunned bishoujo, complete with disarrayed hair and big sweat drop; in marked contrast to her and everyone else, Rune was as silent and implacable as the grave. Vincent Ganger was agape, her mouth a massive cavern of shock. Maestro's helmet was bowed slightly, signifying that something had caught his interest. Drake Malloy was trying hard not to break into a gale of laughter.

Marco was the worst of all. He was simply outraged and stunned and furious and dumb all at the same time. He was clenching and unclenching his hands as if he was trying to squeeze the life out of something in them; the veins on his forehead had never looked bigger. His eyes were so huge Lyserg feared they might pop out of their sockets.

When he turned back to Jeanne, Lyserg found the Iron Maiden blushing for no reason he could immediately discern. He did note that she was looking at him in a rather embarrassed way and that her cheeks did look cute when they were crimson. Then he promptly beat the idea about Jeanne's cute cheeks out of his head; Maestro might have been eavesdropping on his mind.

"Uh, Jeanne-sama?"

Rune's scolding sigh told him half the answer. Making a cross-like gesture with her hand, the black-clad X-Laws declared in an acerbically solemn voice: "Then I now pronounce you, Lyserg Diethyl and Iron Maiden Jeanne, husband and wife."

A ghost of a smile flitted across that pale face. "You may now kiss the bride."

Lyserg turned bright pink. So did Jeanne.

Sheo's Thoughts: I guess you guessed that I was taking the new Angels' names from Evangelion, did you? Sorry, couldn't put myself to research seriously into names that end with –iel.

For those who don't know: The entire X-Laws–minus Lyserg, Marco and Jeanne – were really killed in the last battle with Hao. It's important to my plot that there is a new X-Laws team just recently formed. Don't worry; only two characters here are really important: Millie and Rune Minor. I'm not going to confuse you guys too much.

Chapter 3 is coming soon. Please REVIEW my work!

Oh. And please read JSF's fan fiction. It's quite good.

(Do you forgive me now, JSF? Tee hee! ^_^)