Chapter 9
The Crazy Explosive Enthusiast

"Can you stop holding onto me?" Gauche growled as Grey hid her face under his robe."People are staring."

"I'm so ashamed, Gauche!" She squeaked, grabbing on his robe tighter."I-I-I didn't want anyone t-t-to see my real a-a-appearance! Especially not here!"

Gauche fought the urge to facepalm and instead stopped on his tracks."We're here already. Now let go, damn it. You're going to stretch my shirt." However, as he was going for the doorknob, Grey grabbed his arm."What now?"

"S-shouldn't you k-k-knock?" Grey muttered, her voice lower than a whisper."W-w-what if we interrupt them?"

"So what? They're probably discussing something that concerns us since we took the job." Forcing his hand out of her grasp, Gauche opened the door wide. The scenery hadn't changed much, other than the Priest and Raiden were now sitting on opposites sides of a small table playing chess. The owner, Ray, was seemingly dozing off and resting his head on his desk.

"You are too impatient and aggressive, Raiden." Father Xander chided him, as he moved his pieces, examining the board."You want to end things quickly but things like these take time. At this point, this is a waiting game."

Raiden grimaced, he had barely any pieces on the board while Xander had almost all of his, except for his pawns."Wait for what, exactly?"

"Wait for the opportunity to reveal itself." Xander folded his arms."That's why chess is the way it is. It might seem like a two-person game, but you have to count the pieces in the game. Count on your allies to find the opportunities with you and make strategic decisions accordingly. In cases like this, forcing your way through won't solve anything. Moreso when you're facing an unknown enemy."

"But what if the stakes are just too high to take lightly?" Raiden grabbed his King and slammed it on the table, nearly knocking the other pieces off."I know chess is also a game about time, right? What if you were being timed?"

"If that's the case, it's just like I told you. Gather information on your opponent's board as much as you can, analyze your pieces, and wait for the opportunity. Because if you make even a single mistake, the reward you want will just slip from your hands. Checkmate."

Raiden sighed, shoulders slumping."I suppose you do have a point. I apologize for my recklessness."

"Hey, it's just a game. It's never too late to rethink your strategy." Xander laughed, crossing his legs."Oh, you're back."

"Huh?" Raiden rose his head, shifting his gaze to the door."Gauche, when did you get here? And who is that? How come she's wearing our robe. I didn't know you were in charge of recruiting."

"She's not a new member." Gauche stepped aside, revealing Grey."This is Grey. Turns out Grey's actually a girl and that big form we've seen is just an act."

"No fucking way...You serious?" Raiden muttered, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at her intently.

"Don't s-s-stare at me like t-that!" Grey squeaked, hiding her face with her robe."This is so embarrassing I could die!"

"What an unexpected turn of events." Xander clapped, chuckling."You Black Bulls are a riot. I can't imagine you ever having a dull moment."

"We'll talk about Grey later." Gauche informed the raven-haired boy."Let's get on with this mission. What will you have us do?"

"Basically just walk around and make sure people aren't doing anything stupid." Raiden began, standing up from his seat and joining his teammates."Since we can't use magic, we'll have to rely on our abilities."

"I take it they're leaving that spell on to make sure that people don't get smart and use magic to cheat or to steal from others." Gauche surmised."It would also be bad if multiple people were to go threaten the casino. Even without magic, we won't be able to do much in this cramped space with this many civilians."

"Exactly." Raiden nodded."Which is why Ray chose to leave it on. I'm guessing that's why Grey can't transform anymore. But this might be a problem. Can she even fight like this?"

"She'll be a liability."

"You guys s-s-shouldn't say such m-m-mean things about me!"

"I have an idea." Raiden began removing his bandana, his shoulder spikes, and his sweater, leaving him only with his black long-sleeved sweatshirt and his robe. He knelt in front of Grey, setting the objects on the floor."Listen, this is all too sudden both for you and us. I know. But right now we need to count on you to make sure we can accomplish this mission."

"But I can't! I can't walk around like this!" She protested, stammering.

"If the problem is your face, then use my bandana to cover yourself up." Raiden handed her his bandana, attempting a small smile."Don't know why you're so nervous anyway. Most girls would kill to have your looks. But in a place like this, I suppose a pretty girl isn't exactly intimidating. No offense."

"I'm not..." Grey accepted the bandana, tying it up around her face."...pretty..."

"Guess you're not as bad as we thought." Gauche stood next to them, arms crossed."Honestly, when you first showed up, thought you were gonna be just a muscle head like Asta. But you're alright."

"I'm not." Raiden shook his head."I'm just doing this to make sure everything goes well. I honestly wouldn't care but there is a chance people would take advantage of her, so I'll be close by."

"Thank you..." Grey muttered, feeling a bit more confident now that her face was covered by the bandana. The sweater around her was a bit too big for her, but covered her enough to make it difficult to tell she was a girl."I wouldn't say you're a bad person..."

"Hey, you're supposed to pretend you're disguised as Raiden." Gauche narrowed his eyes."Talk firmly. Raiden, why don't you give her one of your blades?"

"You want me to use a sword?" Grey gasped."But I've never used one before."

"All you gotta do is swing it around." Raiden pointed out, unsheathing one of his blades and handing it to Grey. As soon as she grabbed it, she nearly fell to the floor.

"It's too heavy!"

"Oh, right. My blades are heavier than regular ones." Raiden quickly retrieved it, sheathing it back."Ok, look. I'll be close by so if the situation gets out of hand, you scream and I'll go. Gauche, you go alone."

"Sounds good. I need some privacy to admire my angel's beauty." His nose bled slightly as he stared at a picture of his sister."If any of them interrupts me I'm kicking their assesses."

Xander threw a pawn piece at Ray, prompting him to wake up."I'm awake, darling. I'm awake."

"That's our cue. Let's go." Raiden walked past the door, followed by Grey and Gauche.

"You never told us but why were you playing chess with the Priest?" Gauche inquired, catching up to Raiden."Seems odd to me that a Priest would be the one to teach you how to play."

"It's nothing." Raiden dismissed with a wave."He wanted to play with Mr. Lazarus but he hasn't had a goodnight's sleep in a few days so he fell asleep on the spot. So I decided to humor him."

Grey opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. Once they were on the first floor, they split up into two groups and went to work.


"This is so boring, BB Magna!" Karina whined as she sat next to Magna outside of the church."How long do we have to be out here for? It's dark already and I can't see a thing!"

"Stop whining, kid." Magna grumbled."Skeletons are creepy, right? And creepy things are said to happen at night. So the best choice we have is to wait for something odd to happen."

"No leads, no nothing." The blonde girl groaned."This is soooo boring. Why did Captain Rill even send me to this mission? I prefer something more...lively, you know? Point me to my enemies and I'm off."

"I get ya." Magna couldn't help but nod."Missions like these aren't my thing either, but you gotta exercise some patience once in a while."

"Ha! Karina finds that very rich coming from you." Karina laughed, rolling on the floor."You seem like the most impatient guy ever!"

"What?! You don't even know me!" Magna pointed at her."I'll have you know I'm the calmest person in my squad!"

"If you're getting this worked up over little things like this you're not doing any good to your case." Karina giggled, opening up her Grimoire."At any rate, Karina thinks this is too boring and is going to go scout around."Chocolate Creation Magic: Chickolate!"

A giant bird made out of chocolate appeared from a cloud of dust. The small girl jumped on top of it as it began to take off in the air."See you later, BB!"

"Hey!" Magna stood up, but she had gotten away and flew elsewhere."Crap. Guess we have to split up. What a psycho." Not knowing what else to do, Magna sat back down on the stairs leading to the entrance.

'Well, at least now that I'm alone, I can hear my thoughts clearly without this kid yelling in my ear.' Magna crossed his legs.'I still can't forget that day.'

Magna closed his eyes, recalling his short fight with Raiden.'He outclassed me in every way. No matter how hard I tried, I was no match for him. And from what I heard, Asta wasn't either. He just showed up and sat us both on our butts.'

Clenching his fist, Magna manifested some fire that surrounded it.'But this is good. I know now what to work towards and that's surpassing him and settling the score. I've been pumping up my training but it'll take more than that to get on his level...'

With a tired sigh, Magna leaned back on the steps."Still though, wonder what sort of training he did. He's a commoner like Asta and I yet you could mistake his strength for a noble's or something. I'm thinking too much again..."

"Then maybe you shouldn't think at all."

Immediately, Magna jumped on his feet."Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"Why reveal myself when I can have my undead army fight for me?" The voice echoed around Magna."Dead Remain Magic: Call of the Undead!"

From the ground, a few dozens of coffins rose, opening up and revealing severely decayed bodies inside. The majority were skeletal, but a few of them still had an eye or a bit of their flesh and were dressed in the clothes they were buried in. Each of them held a sword or sticks as weapons.

A few screams could be heard, urging Magna to run towards the street and watched in shock as people were being chased into their houses by skeletons."LEAVE THOSE PEOPLE ALONE! YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME!"

"Are all Magic Knights this dense?" The voice cackled."Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to come here. Tonight was supposed to be when I killed everyone in this town and add them to my undead army. Starting with that meddlesome Priest. But I guess starting with you should be fine."

Magna clicked his tongue, finding himself surrounded by all sides. Pulling up his Grimoire, he prepared himself to launch one of his most powerful spells.

"Please be careful!" A young woman cried as her father tried to pull her in the house."My mother is in there! Please don't destroy what's left of her!"

Just then, the gravity of the situation hit Magna.'I can't destroy them. If I do, I'll be taking them away from their friends and families...I can't do that. But they're skeletons. I'll have to break their legs or something to prevent them from moving.'

"What's wrong, Magic Knight? Scared?"

"As if!" Magna manifested his Grand Slam and began making his way inside the undead crowd. Breaking the skeletons apart was not complicated, but he had to be gentle to make sure he didn't pulverize the bones. A skeleton grabbed Magna by the robe and pulled him hard, causing him to fall. Another one readied its sword and prepared to strike, but the fire-magic user was quicker and rolled away.

"Not a bad show." Karina observed from far above."I want to see more of your skill. But..." She used her fingers to frame the chaotic scenery below."How magnificent...after a perfect human body dies and decays...the flesh and organs have deteriorated it and what's left behind is nothing but a shell of bones representing a ghost of their former selves. Sadly...this is not the art I seek for. Once a person dies..." She glanced at her palm, grimacing."That's it for them. They are forgotten, lost with time and their memory becomes nothing but an old tale. We're all doomed for that. That's why...no matter what, I have to leave a mark on this very earth...I-"

Out of nowhere, a skeleton bird came out of nowhere, startling her and knocking her out of her bird."What the heck?! Don't tell me this necromancer can manipulate animals too?!"

More birds flew around her, circling her as she fell."Well, shit. I don't like reusing the same piece too soon, but it can't be helped."

Her chocolate bird flew by, safely landing on its back."I haven't had an aerial fight in a while. This could be fun!"

The undead birds flew around her, slowly forming a circle as more of them gathered. With a grin, Karina beckoned them to come at her, and that they did. Not doubting for a second, Karina jumped off her bird just in time. The skeletal bird got stuck in the chocolate and struggled to get out.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's explosion time!" With a snap of her fingers, her chocolate creation exploded, destroying and disintegrating the flying skeletons around her."KABOOM! Fufufu! Oh, right. I'm falling. Chocolate Creation Magic: Soaring Sweat Eagle!"

Another giant chocolate eagle appeared from her Grimoire, catching her.

A man wearing a white robe covering his head narrowed his eyes down below."This one...she can make explosions? Is that part of her magic?" He peaked over the wall, watching as Magna continued to fight off the armed skeletons."This one is holding back since he doesn't want to damage them for the sake of the villagers. So the one above is the bigger threat. Alright then...let's bring in the chimeras!"

Meanwhile, Karina was having the time of her life, flying into the forest and dodging trees while leaving chocolate spiders behind as more undead birds chased after her. Up ahead, she noticed two human skeletons waiting for her on a branch. Grabbing onto her bird, the creature swirled around at great speed, breaking the skeletons apart."Better not waste my mana and just round them up together."

Her bird took a left, surrounding the area that she had already flew over. Out of nowhere, a human skeleton with wings came from behind a tree, nearly cutting her neck.

"Woah! What the hell was that?!" She yelped, watching as the creature approached her at great speed."Wings made out of countless bird wings, huh. I've seen some pretty messed up things before but that surely takes the cake. Well, almost. It's about time to get this show on the road." Her bird flew upwards, causing the flying skeleton to crash against a trunk, breaking into pieces.

"They'll thank me for making this far more beautiful...by blowing it up! Kaboom!" Karina snapped her fingers, causing the chocolate spiders she had scatted around to explode in unison, blowing up a chunk of the forest.

"What was that?" Magna cried out, watching in awe as a cloud of dust rose from the forest."An explosion?"

'This is bad...she is more skilled than I anticipated. I'll have to eliminate this one while I have the chance.' The man whistled, calling forth a skeletal horse. Getting on top of it, he took a blade out of a skeleton's hand."That girl made me lose a lot of my flying skeletons, but I can always make more."

Magna was hit in the head by a skeleton that had thrown a rock at him, making him drop his glasses."Shit. There are too many of them! And where's that kid?! She didn't ditch on me, did she?"

"I'm right here, bozo." Karina's bird flew down, scanning over the countless skeletons."I was a little busy myself. Holy crap, though. How many people have died in this nowheresville village anyway? That's too many corpses."

"I still don't know where the caster is." Magna grumbled, trying to catch his breath."We have to find him to make him cancel his spell."

"And why don't we just destroy all these skeletons?" Karina asked, tilting her head."It would be far easier. We eliminate his only weapon, then we smoke him out."

"Are you hearing yourself?" Magna asked in disbelief."Those are people's families, for crying out loud! We can't just destroy them!"

"Huh? So you're choosing the hard way to do something just because it's morally correct?" Karina sighed, shaking her head."That's so impractical, you know? No wonder you've been taking a while."

"She's right, you know."

The man responsible finally came out of his hiding, riding an undead horse. He was wearing plain clothes underneath his robe and had a long, unkempt beard."I knew Magic Knights weren't going to be able to stop my ambitions. They are just so goodie-two-shoes and think they are the greater good."

"So you are the one causing the dead to rise back again?!" Magna gritted his teeth."You better let them rest in peace, asshole! Or we'll tear you a new one!"

"If you want to do that, first, you need to go through my army." The man laughed cruelly."But you can't! And once I'm done with you, I'll add you to it. Then the rest of these villagers. I'll move from village to village, destroying them and expanding my army until one day it's strong and big enough to take on the King himself!"

"Tch!" Magna clicked his tongue, backing up as the skeletons marched forward."Karina, can't you fly over to him and make him stop?!"

"Yeah, I could. But what guarantees me that knocking him out will cancel the spell? Furthermore, Karina thinks that this filth of a man has to be punished. Playing with the dead and threatening the lives of others...that's a sin that has to be paid. Alas, to do some good, sometimes you have to do some bad! Chocolate Creation Magic: Chocolate Dancing Dolls!"

Karina grinned widely, opening her Grimoire it released a glob of chocolate on the floor that began taking the shape of two deformed human-like figures. The figures wobbled over to the skeletons and to their surprise, the skeletons cut them in half without much trouble.

"That all you got? Really?" Magna wasn't amused.

Karina rolled her eyes, simply using the chocolate on the floor and connecting it to the chocolate figures with cords. The creatures rose back again, this time being four of them. The chocolate beings awkwardly punched and attacked the skeletons, but their attacks didn't even make them budge, and tripped over themselves. As they kept cutting them into pieces, more cords attached to the severed figured and reanimated them. Though they were getting smaller and smaller, their numbers increased rapidly.

'What's the point of that spell anyway?' Magna scratched his head.'Yeah, she's increasing our numbers, but those things don't pack any force being their attacks and they're too unstable.'

The man, however, was distressed.'Why aren't they going down?! There are too many of them already! Can she make those into explosives as well?!"

"It's almost time," Karina muttered, raising her hand slowly.

"Time for what?" Magna inquired, confused at the whole situation.

She did not answer. Just continued to smile in anticipation, knowing full well what was going to happen. Her chocolate figures had already matched the number of skeletons surrounding them, and using their numbers, were pushing them back. Karina's bird grabbed Magna by his robe and pulled him up."We better get some distance."

"Huh, distance for what?" Magna asked, only for the bird to bite down on his robe, pulling him up in the air."HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Don't let her do it!" The man hollered, clearly spooked as his horse was backing away."She'll blow everything up!"

"Blow up?"

Karina watched in glee as her creations were now overwhelming the skeletons, latching onto them and bringing them together in one pile."Karina was gifted with a very special gift from God himself. I was born with the incredible ability to manipulate my mana, even at a greater level than other people. One of a kind, they said. I can manipulate my mana and infuse it into inanimate objects, such as my chocolate creations."

Magna blinked, confused at why she was telling him all this. But something in her eyes disturbed him greatly. That twisted fascination and how passionate she sounded."By manipulating the mana inside of an object of my choosing, I increase the impact it brings. And by overloading the mana inside, the mana becomes unstable and releases violently."

"What are you-" Magna's eyes shot open once he processed the information."You don't mean..."

"It was a perfect gift for me. I value something that doesn't last long but leaves an everlasting effect. Something that once had great value becomes more beautiful when it's reduced to pieces and leaves a mark that will never be undone. Just as these piles of bones were once people who roamed the streets of the Clover Kingdom and are now nothing but a memory. I will give them a new meaning and make them into art. Because art is..."

"Wait, don't do it!" Magna cried out but it was too late. Karina cackled, snapping her fingers with a crazed expression.

"...OBLITERATION! KABOOM!"

The chocolate figures momentarily shined brightly before they all exploded together, creating a massive explosion overall that nearly reached the village and the church. For a split second, night had turned into day.

"Fufufufu! That was wonderful!" Karina exclaimed, laughing uncontrollably."Did you see that, BB Magna?! And we got a little bonus too!"

Down below, the man was shaking and sobbing, his left hand missing after being caught in the explosion.

Karina's bird landed, dropping Magna on the ground without a care. The small girl jumped off the bird, skipping her way over to the man, giggling."Bad guys need to be punished. I am judge, jury, and executioner! Yay! Chocolate Creation Magic: Bittersweet Slug."

The man shrieked, trying to crawl away but the pain was too intense and it paralyzed him. A slug-like chocolate creature latched onto his missing arm.

Karina rose her arm, prepared to snap her fingers."Bye-bye."

Magna had enough, however, and grabbed her arm, stopping her. Karina gave him a confused stare before he tightened his grip, causing her to flinch."That's enough. You've done far too much."

"Well, no-duh Karina has done too much!" She protested, trying to ignore the pain and snap her fingers."I basically carried the tea-" She yelped once Magna applied more pressure. He let her go, immediately rubbing her aching arm.

"We weren't supp-" Magna took a deep breath, his gaze hardening."We were supposed to capture the perpetrator and subdue him, not kill him. That would have helped us in making him stop the spell. We could have done things differently but..."

Glancing over his shoulder, Magna saw as sorrowful families came rushing out, all of them watching in horror at what little to nothing remained of their loved one's remains."But you took that away from them."

"Not like there was another choice." Karina snorted, folding her arms."Besides, if they want more skeletons, they can just wait for more people to die and that's it. Besides, this is the person that caused it in the first place. Who cares why he did it? What's important is that he learns the consequences of his actions."

"By killing him? By blowing his damn arm off?!" Magna snapped, marching up to her and glaring down to her level."Does life mean so little to you?! Do you only care about this so-called art of yours?! So much that you'd be willing to kill someone for it?!"

"Of course." Karina's voice lowered in volume, cold and emotionless."Art is everything to me. More than you'd ever understand. As for your first question? Life is an ephemeral stage that must be lived to the maximum. No matter if only for a few days, hours or minutes. I wouldn't mind if I died for my art. As long as I punish evil, everything else doesn't matter. The ends justify the means. Sure, I blew up their relatives' bones, but they lived, didn't they? As for him? I wasn't going to kill him. Maybeeeee I went a little overboard by blowing his arm up but that's just something that happens. My chocolate slug stopped the bleeding."

In effect, the man seemed to be alive but unconscious. And there wasn't more blood coming out of him.

Reluctantly, Magna sighed, calming himself."I'll go talk to the villagers. You, stay right where you are and don't move a muscle."

Karina spared a glance to the villagers who were giving her scornful glares, some of them still in tears. She shrugged, sitting down on the ground."Knock yourself out, BB." With a sigh, Karina decided to simply watch the sunrise on the horizon."Distasteful much."


Meanwhile, earlier that night, Raiden, Gauche, and Grey had begun their work as bouncers in Ray's casino. Gauche opted for going by himself, not wanting to "babysit" Grey as he had put it. This meant that Raiden had to stay somewhere close to Grey. Since none of them could use their magic thanks to Ray's security systems absorbing it if they did a spell, he had to rely on his skills to help him.

"You're a very nice person." He remembered Grey muttered to him as he took her to her spot near the dining tables.

Clicking his tongue, Raiden shook his head, sitting on a stool in the bar. He had only done it because Grey was currently their weak link. Not only physically but also mentally, from what it looked like. Even with his bandana, Ray's hat, his shoulder plates, and sweater, she was still shaking every time someone glanced at her, even if it was for just a second. He noticed a group of men from the far side of the dining area giving her looks every so often. He also noticed the amount of alcohol they had and put two and two together. Raiden knew that something was bound to happen, he just didn't know when.

'Would have been better if the Captian asked someone else to come instead.' He complained in his mind.'Then again, no one was expecting a spell that prevented others from using their magic effectively in a determined radius. But Grey...at least Noelle would have been a better choice. She likes to use her family name to try to enforce some kind of authority and that would have worked fantastically here. What a pain...'

"Look at this pitiful peasant!" Bellowed a nobleman at the sight of a man kneeling on the floor."Wasted all his money to try and make it big and ended up losing everything!"

Raiden rolled his eyes, not caring about the matter as long as they didn't escalate it."Rough night?" The bartender came to his side after serving a few lonely customers and offered him a drink.

"Not yet." Raiden sarcastically replied, eyeing the cup."Bold of you to assume I drink."

"You have this look in your eyes." The bartender answered, going back to cleaning a cup."I'd be surprised if you didn't drink. You look like your eyes are on the moment, but your mind isn't. A lot in your mind?"

"You could say that." Raiden muttered, taking the cup and gulping it down."Holy shit, this was pretty strong. But I guess I needed it."

"Hey, we all have skeletons in our closets. Though it is concerning that you're so young and have so much on your mind. Anyway, that girl yours?" He pointed at Grey, who bumped into someone and was apologizing over and over.

"No." Raiden denied flatly."She's my squadmate. But I'm tasked with basically making sure she doesn't get harassed. Not that I'm concerned about her but I wouldn't want something to happen to anyone in general."

"Ah, I see." The gentleman nodded, humming to himself."A long, tough wolf. Pretends not to care but you have a heart of gold. If you didn't care about your friend's safety, you wouldn't be watching over her so much."

"Don't overthink it." Raiden sighed, shaking his head."I would keep an eye out for Gauche too, but he seems capable of handling himself just fine. Grey over there, on the other hand, is a nervous wreck. I just don't want to carry her if she passes out from the pressure or something. I doubt Gauche would carry anyone other than his precious sister. Come to think of it, where is Gauche?"

"Oh, yeah!" Gauche cheered as he won yet another game in the slot machines, earning several gold chips that he could exchange for money."With all this money, I could buy so many new gifts for my dear sister Marie."

Raiden scowled, shoulders slumping in defeat. He knew there was no convincing him. The bartender had gone off to greet another customer, leaving Raiden by his lonesome again. His thoughts were his only companion, but that was also a bad thing. He didn't exactly want to have those thoughts, even more so now. He supposed it couldn't be helped, all things considered.

He looked down at his robe, touching it. It felt so surreal that he was part of a Magic Knight squad. Not only that, he had squadmates. People that weren't Johan. Still, he wasn't used to this at all. The people he talked to most were Vanessa, Abel, and now Gauche and Grey.

'I'm acting like a little kid.' Raiden rubbed his temples. Realizing he hadn't taken a glance at Grey in a while, he looked over his shoulder and if it wasn't feeling slightly drunk due to the drink the bartender had given him, his eyes would have bulged.

A group of men had surrounded Grey in a circle, preventing her from leaving.

"Now, why is a little thing like you all covered up?" One of the men chuckled, trying to reach for the bandana tied around her mouth. Grey took a step back, only to bump into another man.

"I-I-I-" She shrieked, the little confidence she had wavering."I-I-I'm just...making sure n-n-nothing bad happens..."

"Oh? So you're a bouncer, is that it?" Another man laughed."I thought you were part of the entertainment."

"I know, right?! All the women here are standard, but this one..." A smaller man was walking in circles around Grey."Get the hat and mask off."

Unable to react, Grey felt her Ray's hat and Raiden's bandana being stripped from her, breaking the little confidence she had left. Shrieking, she covered her face immediately."Don't look at me! This is s-s-so embarrassing!"

"She's even better than I thought!"

"Why hide that gorgeous face?" The disgusting man licked his lips."Now, why don't we get rid of that oversized sweater you have? Don't worry. I'll be the one to do it-"

In the blink of an eye, the man went from walking to falling. Raiden had kicked his feet, knocking him off his balance, and grabbed him by the back of the shirt, holding him in place.

"The only thing you'll be doing is eating dirt. Courtesy of me." With a swift motion, Raiden threw the small man against another one, sending them crashing against a table.

"Who the hell is that?!"

"Look at his robes! He's a Black Bull! Nothing to worry about!"

Raiden ignored the men's banter and walked up to Grey, helping her up."Shit. You alright?"

Grey, however, refused to get up, her legs feeling like jelly."D-d-don't look at me, Raiden! Everyone is s-s-s-staring a-a-at me! They were trying to t-t-t-t-touch...m-m-me..."

"Hey, keep it together." Raiden grabbed the hat and bandana on the floor, helping her put them on."Here. Just try to pretend to be me again for a bit, ye-"

Out of nowhere, Grey grabbed Raiden and hid her face against his chest.

Raiden was at a loss for words, but he supposed it was a natural reaction.'Guess Gauche was right. I am a babysitter pretty much.' Calmly, Raiden grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her away."Calm down, alright? Go to Gauche and stay with him until I'm done with this. He and I won't let anything happen to you...because we're your squadmates." Cheesy, he knew. But he knew how to more or less calm people down by reassuring them with something.

"O-o-o-okay! Please be careful!"

Sighing in relief, Raiden turned to the group of men that had gathered around him. Glancing around, he noticed that people were still minding their business and the music was still going."Hopefully, I can finish this without making a scene."

"You have some guts, kid. Even if you are a Magic Knight, you can't use any of your spells in here AND it's just you against five of us. Let's teach him a lesson, boys!"

Raiden clicked his tongue, grabbing a nearby chair and smashing it against one of the men, knocking them out. The smallest one cringed in fear, reaching for a bottle and smashing it."G-get him!"

Coincidentally, the musicians quickly switched the tune and played something more action-based as the fight started. Raiden sidestepped and avoided the stabs the man was trying to inflict on him with the broken bottle. Tired of this, Raiden grabbed his arm and twisted it, nearly breaking it in the process and causing him to drop the bottle.

Gauche, who was still playing with the slot machines, had gathered quite a bit of money for himself and was oblivious to the whole situation. That is until he felt someone tugged on his shirt.

"This better be important otherwise you're de-Grey?" Gauche rose a brow, setting down the bag of coins he had won."What is it? I'm busy over here."

Grey stammered out her response, which seemed to irritate Gauche who hardened his gaze, causing her to yelp."R-R-Raiden's in trouble!"

Gauche followed the direction she was pointing at, watching as Raiden had begun a bar fight and people were cheering on."So? He can handle himself. That's his spot. Why don't you go and help him anyway? We're counting on you as well, you know."

Grey continued to tremble in place, trying to express herself."But he's our friend! H-h-he helped me when those m-m-men tried to..."

"Tried to what?" Gauche quirked a brow. She lowered her gaze and that was all he needed to know."Fine. I hate vulgar, despicable bastards like those anyway. Watch over my rewards and don't you dare touch them."

"Gauche..." Grey sighed in relief, a smile hiding behind Raiden's bandana."T-t-thank you..."

"Whatever. Just don't get yourself in a compromised situation again. This was bound to happen anyway." Gauche ruffled his hair."Jeez. Not being able to use magic and blow our problems away sure sucks. Guess I have to get physical. It's been a long time, though."

Raiden was being held by back four men who were restraining his legs and arms. Two others were taking turns punching him in the gut.

'Shit! I shouldn't have drunk that drink earlier. What the hell was that anyway?' Raiden grunted, wincing in pain as he received another gut punch.'My senses aren't in top condition and I can't move as I normally do. And where did all these guys come from?!'

"Now you're in for it, kid!" The small man from before winded his fist, but Gauche came in the right moment and grabbed his arm."Huh?!"

"Tough chance." Gauche grabbed his head and threw him against the floor.

"IT'S A FIGHT!" The peasant that had been ridiculed by the noble before cried out, grabbing a nearby chair and smashing it against the man that had mocked him. This was the trigger that started a massive fight. People started punching each other and using whatever they had around for weapons. Some were fighting over tables, others were already on the floor, wrestling. Others took this opportunity to go stealing from others.

"What a mess." The bartender sighed, unamusingly watching as the people sitting by his bar were now punching each other. He grabbed two empty bottles, walking closer to the pair, and smashing them on their heads, knocking them out.

Grey squirmed her way around, trying to find a safe place to hide but the number of people both fighting and running away prevented her from moving as fast.

"I found you!" The small man from before was running at Grey."You're not getting away from me this time, sweetcheeks!"

"Missy, use this!" The bartender threw a can of spray at her."Use it on him!"

Grey pressed on the spray, hitting the man straight in the face. With a how lof agony, the pervert began rolling around on the ground, his face red. The transformation magic-user turned to the bartender who shrugged."Never know when you can use some pepper spray. Get over here and get one of these hoses. We'll spray anyone with alcohol who gets too close to us."

Timidly, Grey grabbed the hose and pulled the trigger, spraying some people with alcohol and knocking them down.'This is...actually really fun...'

Raiden grabbed two bottles and shook them as fast and hard as he could, aiming at two men in front of him and sending the corks flying to their faces. He quickly blocked an incoming kick with his knee, pushing the person forward and knocking them away before tossing the liquid into another one's face.

Gauche on the other hand was holding his own as well. Taking punches but sending them without much of an issue. He inserted his boot into a person's face, leaving a mark on their cheek.

"What a mess this turned out to be." Father Xander observed from above the stairs with Ray at the fight below."Not going to stop them?"

"Darling, I needed an excuse to get some of this stuff replaced with something new." Ray waved his hand dismissively."Besides, it's a good show. I do enjoy a good brawl every now and then. Fabu-HEY!"

A group of people was breaking down the slots machines in an attempt of stealing the coins inside."Oh, that's it!"

Fuming, Ray stormed back to his office, leaving Father Xander bys his lonesome."Guess I should have some fun at least. It's not every day when an opportunity like this presents itself."

Casually, Xander cleared his throat, standing near the end of the stairs.'Let them break perfectly good things to buy new ones, huh?'

"What's the Priest up to?" Gauche muttered, receiving a right hook to the face and crashing against Raiden."This has gotten way out of hand."

"Tell me about it." Raiden grumbled, back to back with Gauche."What are you spacing out for?"

"EVERYONE, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!" Father Xander yelled out, hands in the air. The fight seized, confused looks spreading across the crowd.

"Huh? What's a Priest doing in here?"

"That's the Priest from before!"

"He's stopping the fight?"

Xander smiled, chuckling at their confusion."Now that I've gotten you to stop fighting, we can-Huh?"

The Priest looked intently at Gauche for some reason, then past him. Without warning, he disappeared from his spot, taking everyone by surprise."Huh? Where did he go? He just up and vanished. Raiden, what do you-Raiden?"

Unlike everyone else who was looking perplexed at where Xander suddenly vanished from, Raiden was looking behind Gauche, a solemn expression his face. Gauche followed his gaze and was shocked to see Xander a few meters behind him grabbing a man's arm, squeezing it tightly, and making him drop the knife he had.

"I didn't mind if you had a brawl in here." Xander began, sighing as the man dropped to his knees due to the pressure."But using knives and such? Against an opponent that's not even facing you? A bit too low, don't you think." With one final squeeze, a snapping sound was heard and the man scream in pain."Oh, my apologies. I guess I overdid it."

"He broke his arm?" Gauche muttered in disbelief."And that speed. He didn't teleport. That was speed alone and none of us were able to follow him. All except..." He turned to face his squadmate, who hadn't removed his eyes from the scene.

"Alright! Fun's over, dears!" Everyone turned to the source of the voice, watching as Ray was seemingly levitating in the air, glancing down at them."We'll close for the remainder of the night since we need to replace the things you broke so we can be ready for business tomorrow morning!"

"He's flying?!" Grey gasped in awe."H-h-h-how is that...wait...Magic...he's using magic." Presumably faster than Xander had moved, Grey pulled out her Grimoire and immediately transformed back into her other form.

"You should listen to him." Xander placed his hands on his hips."From what I hear, Mr. Lazarus has a nasty temper."

Ray giggled in response, his eyes trailing over to where Grey was."Gone back to your unfitting form, darling? Too bad. But I'll be retrieving my hat" With a flick of his fingers, his hat was launched from Grey's head to his hand.

"What kind of magic is he using?" Gauche inquired, barely above a whisper."He said he controlled fate, but I thought that was just a load of bullshit."

Not wanting to infuriate someone like Ray, everyone started exciting the premises, leaving only the Magic Knights and Father Xander behind. However, before the men who had caused trouble before could sneak out, Ray pulled out his Grimoire."Don't think we let disgusting pigs like you get away. Arachno Creation Magic: Silky Ball of Yarn!"

From his Grimoire, spiderwebs came out and wrapped themselves around all the men, trying them up and trapping them in balls of cobweb.

'Some type of string magic, like Vanessa...' Gauche pondered in interest.'But it's different. So this is what he meant when he said he controlled fate in here. Those strings of his are thin yet they look sturdy enough to hold those guys without issue, so if one isn't paying attention they could go unnoticed. So when he was "flying" earlier, he was standing on one of them. Interesting."

"My, my, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Ray jumped down from the air, landing gracefully in the middle of the room."Quite a mess, but not something money can't afford to fix. I did want to get this place remodeled after all."

"Is that why you interfered until now?" Raiden asked.

"Well, of course, dear. That and also because I wanted to see you guys in action. This helped me realize that we'll need more than brute force if we want to keep this place safe. It was my mistake. I put this young woman in peril by taking away her magic. I apologize for my mistake, darling."

Grey's giant form just exhaled, not giving any response.

"Anyway, I'll have to find a way to secure the safety our my business another way. I have a deadline after all. The Prince of the Ace Kingdom is set to come here in a not so distant future."

"Ah, the Prince himself is coming to the Clover Kingdom?" Xander smirked.

"The Prince?" Gauche asked no one in particular.

"That's right. He wants to take a look at the casino himself since he's the one who proposed the idea. But the duties of royalty keep him busy so he has to wait before coming. It goes without saying that the Prince will be protected at all times, so maybe I could hire you guys again to come that day and meet him?"

"Not a chance." Raiden replied before Gauche could."We're not interested. Thank you for the offer."

Xander covered his face, stifling a chuckle while Ray's smile widened."I see. That is unfortunate. I wanted to have capable hands like yours on the clock, but I suppose it can't be helped. Regardless, I will send your payment later today. You will be paid handsomely for your trouble, of course. So rest assure. I now hold your squad in high regard. Leave these ruffians to me. I'll get them to work for me for free and help me move the things they broke."

"I should be leaving as well." Xander bowed slightly."I have to get back to my village. I have some matters to attend to. I bid you all farewell."

"We should get going too. I'm tired and I want to stare at my angel Marie's portrait." Gauche walked away, followed by Raiden and Grey. Once they were outside, they grabbed their brooms and prepared to fake fly.

"Uh..."

Both men turned to Grey, who had turned off her transformation and was covering her face with one hand while giving Raiden his sweater and shoulder plates back."T-t-thank you...they helped."

"Don't worry about it." Raiden responded, taking his things back and putting them on."Since we have some free time, mind telling us why you never said you were a girl before?"

"Yeah, I want to know too." Gauche folded his arms."I've been in the squad longer and I never knew you were a girl either."

"I...I can't say..." Grey stammered, hiding behind her hands."It's so embarrassing I could just die! P-p-p-please promise you won't tell anyone about my true form! I-I-I-I'm not ready yet! Please..."

Raiden and Gauched exchanged looks for a second before replying."No problem."

"Thank you..." Grey sighed in relief."Also...thank you so much for...p-p-protecting me. You guys s-s-s-seem really rude at first but you are both very k-k-kind."

"I only did it because Captain Yami would-" Gauche and Raiden said in unison before realizing they were saying the same thing.

"Look, don't think much of it." Gauche groaned, folding his arms."I didn't do it for you. I didn't want to seem unreliable to the newbie. The only person I care about is my darling sister Marie but if it's a mission, I want to be considered useful."

"What he said." Raiden added on."Couldn't let you get hurt. That's all."

Grey beamed at them momentarily, nodding to herself and transforming again. Once they were all set up, they took off in the air back to their base.


It took a lot of convincing, but Magna was able to comfort the villagers and put them at ease, saying that his partner wasn't in her right mind and that she didn't know any better. He also had to confess the fact that the perpetrator wanted to use their loved ones' skeletons to kill them so they can become part of their undead numbers. Unfortunately, the pain and grief could not be calmed so easily, but it was enough to at least put their minds at rest.

"Man, that was rough." He scratched his head, walking back to where he had left Karina. She was oblivious and couldn't or didn't want to read the atmosphere, so she was indulging in some chocolate.

"Aren't you nice, BB Magna?" Karina grinned, grabbing a napkin and wiping some chocolate off her face."Karina thought you were dumb, but it looks like you're smart enough to comfort people."

"That has nothing to do with being smart you little psycho." Magna snapped, catching her off guard."If you hadn't decided to go haywire and blow all those skeletons up we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"What situation?" Karina shrugged, deciding to egg him on."No one has a problem but you. Karina is fine the way she is and is enjoying her delicious creation. Want some? Karina's art tastes good."

"And here we go with the art again..." Magna grumbled, folding his arms."What's so artistic about what you do anyway? Blow things up? Make things worse than what they were. If that's the case, it fits well with your personality."

"My art is nothing short of sublime." She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him."What matters is not what's present, but what's left behind. A beauty that can only be created by the destruction of something. Something that will leave a scar on this earth. I'd say this little incident will be remembered by them for the rest of their lives. Perhaps that's also art?"

Magna gritted his teeth, his fists clenched."Your art is only good for hurting people. If you don't have that, then it's only a stupid way for an immature and jerk of a child to take her frustration out on the world. What you do is not art. It's third-grate material."

Karian's eyes snapped open, her pupils dilating."My art...is third-grade...My art..." She kept repeating this slowly, rubbing her hands together. Magna sighed, thinking he had gone too far, but then again, so had she. They waited in silence for a few minutes, not saying a word to each other.

"Where is that damn Priest at?" Magna muttered under his breath."This is just awkward."

"Big bro Magna."

"Huh? What?" Magna glanced over his shoulder, noticing Karina was on her feet, holding something in her hand.

"THINK FAST!" With a swift turn, Karina threw a bear-shaped chocolate figure at him.

"SHIT!" Magna instinctively manifested fire in his hand and fired it at the figure. The chocolate fell on the floor, melting just a few inches away from Magna."Too close!"

"Surprise! KABOOM!"

Snapping her fingers, Magna closed his eyes to await the inevitable explosion. But it never came. He cracked one eye open, making sure nothing was happening. And in effect, no explosion ever came.'Huh? A dud? Did she just pretend to blow it up to scare me?"

Much to Magna's mistake, Karina's face told him otherwise. She was bewildered and kept glancing from her melted chocolate creation to Magna.'That's bizarre. That shouldn't have happened. Am I low on mana?'

"So much for your art." Magna guffawed, holding his stomach."It turned out to be a dut after all!"

Growling, Karina manifested another chocolate figure in her hand."There's no such thing as a dut when it comes to art! I'll show you!"

"Bring it on, twerp!" Creating a ball of fire, Magna and Karina launched themselves at each other.

"Okay, that's enough."

Both of their hands were grabbed in the blink of an eye before they were tossed to opposite sides. Father Xander stood there, dusting off his clothes before examining the Magic Knights."Seriously, I leave you two alone and you're already at each other's throats.

Magna rubbed his aching head."Ow...What the hell? Where did the Priest come from? And that speed of his was insane I didn't even see him coming at all. He's no ordinary Priest, that's for sure...Hey, what's the big idea?! Where were you?! You reek of alcohol!"

"I do? I guess spending the night helping people recover from their alcohol problems has its toll on me." Xander nonchalantly explained."Regardless, judging from this little mess and the person over there with the missing arm and bleeding everywhere, I can safely say that this mission was concluded."

"Like hell it was! This psycho blew up all the skeletons that were being used by that guy and all the villagers are distraught!"

"And you were about to get yourself killed! You're too goodie-two-shoes to realize that something else needed to be done. And you insulted my art, you ass!"

"Okay, okay." Xander rose his hands."Look, I appreciate your work. I can see why you both thought the way you did. Tell you what. Magna, you can go on your way and I'll take care of this little problem with Karina. Would that be fine? Don't worry, I'll get it sorted."

"Fine." He begrudgingly accepted, not wanting to be around the girl anymore."But you better stay away from me, you hear?!"

"Whatever you say. I'll be sure to not blow you up if I see you by accident."

"Children..." Father Xander sighed in defeat, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to break up their argument.