Fie Claussell and Laura S. Arseid climbed down the stairs in the branch campus dorm after realizing that a certain instructor wasn't present in the building. Thinking about it now, the two women should have known that their friend would still be at the academy. The current time suggested he was still on duty. Arriving back at the lounge, the sleepy fairy turned to look at her companion, who was fiddling with her ARCUS II unit. It was obvious to the bracer that the swordswoman was annoyed.
"You okay?"
"Yes... I'm fine. I just need to send an orbmail to Jusis regarding my reply to our reunion." The blue-haired noble showed a forced smile. Was she really struggling with typing her orbmail? Sensing what her petite friend was about to ask, Laura raised a hand in front of her, cutting Fie off as her smile softened. "And no need to worry, Fie. I will deal with my orbment problems myself. I cannot learn and grow if I still rely on you and the others whenever I need help with my orbment and... other orbal tech problems."
Laura sighed, her cheeks dyed in the red of embarrassment as her friend chuckled while rubbing her back.
"You know we don't mind, right? We all have our strengths and weaknesses; yours is just on the more... techy side of things. But all of us don't mind you asking for help. Heck, I'm sure Alisa would be really happy helping you with that stuff." Fie assured her best friend.
"You are right... I'm just being silly about all of this." The Arseid heiress pocketed her orbment as the two walked towards the door, exiting the dorms.
"Yup. That silliness kinda reminds me of a certain oblivious and reckless boy we all know and love." Laura tried to contain her laughter but miserably failed as they left the dorm. Fie smirked as her friend continued laughing in amusement at the bracer's statement. What? Her words were kind of a fact among Old Class VII. "Guess he's still at the academy, probably in the faculty room or something. Wanna surprise him when we get there?"
The Arseid ceased her laughter and switched to a small chuckle. "As long as our surprise doesn't involve an ambush like last time, I don't mind. Father and the Instructor are likely in the Principal's office with Lady Aurelia right now."
"Oh don't give me that! You managed to give Rean another hug when we surprised him, didn't you~?" The ex-jaeger wiggled her brows as the memory of their unannounced visit played in her mind. She was failing to hide her amusement at the recollection every time she recalled the instructor's surprised look when Fie and Laura ambushed him into a surprise hug. "The look on his face was priceless~."
"That may be true, but his attention was directed more at you than me, Fie." Laura offered a soft smile, prompting the two to stop walking when the silver-haired bracer froze. "Come now, did you not notice him staring at you in shock when we ambushed him for a hug? I may not be the most adept when it comes to matters of the heart, but even I could see it from the way he looked at you."
"I-I uh..." Did Rean really stare at her differently? Fie was normally quite perceptive, but she didn't notice that at all. Groaning in defeat, Fie shot her best friend a pout. "You're teasing me, aren't you?"
The radiant swordswoman's mirth was plain to see as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'll let you be the judge of that," Laura said with glee and a grin, earning another groan from the bracer.
When the two began their trek to the academy, the catlike girl stopped abruptly and snapped her head to the back, catching the older woman's attention.
"Fie? Is something wrong?" She raised a brow before her orbs wandered around town.
"I don't know... it felt like we were being watched earlier." The girl felt a foreign yet familiar presence around the area for a moment before it vanished completely. Her jaeger instincts kicked into high gear when she noticed a gaze directed at them, no, at her. Slowly lowering her guard, Fie relaxed with a sigh. "Guess they're gone. Damn, how long were they watching us..."
Laura's lips curled into a frown before she adopted a thinking pose. "If even you couldn't detect them right away, they must be skilled." Aside from the Eight Leaves swordsman, the catlike bracer was the second-best when it came to detection and observation. While Laura's detection abilities were better than some of their classmates', it was nothing compared to Fie and Rean's. "That's worrying... That begs the question, though: Was the aura you detected hostile?"
The silver-haired bracer closed her eyes for a moment to ponder the question. She was certain whoever or whatever had their gaze directed at the two but was it hostile? The girl couldn't tell. It felt unknown to her, yet at the same time, Fie had a strange feeling she had known the aura for a long time. Shaking her head, the silverhead exhaled a sigh.
"I never felt anything like it before, but I think it's not hostile."
"I see. Let's get going then."
Receiving a nod from the younger female, the two left for the academy. As the women of Old Class VII walked away from the dorms, a pair of crimson eyes observed them depart as their owner frowned. Cloaked in midnight black, the Agent of Aidios emerged out of the shadows of the alley. The despondent expression disappeared as quickly as it came.
He was fortunate that he managed to snap out of his shock before the bracer saw his figure. His current emotional state must have made him leak some of the divine aurae the man had been suppressing; out into the physical world. Just a sliver was enough for someone like Fie to immediately notice his presence if he didn't restrain himself fast.
"She's just like her..." He mumbled before holding his head in discomfort when the voice of his superior rang in his head. Incredibly loud.
"REAN!"
"Ugh...! Y-Yeah...?"
"I've been trying to talk to you, but you weren't responding, then I saw you use your cloak to hide into the shadows all of a sudden. You made me worried sick!" The avatar of the Goddess said in a scolding tone as Rean massaged his temple. The sensation was similar to a headache whenever Ciel raised her voice. "I know I shouldn't be asking this after that... but are you okay? How are you feeling?" She asked with a much softer tone. The man could almost see the concerned look on her face.
"I-I'm... fine, for the most part anyway." He lied as he shook his head slowly. Despite what he said was a lie, there were hidden truths painted in those words.
His current mental and emotional state wasn't the most stable, but it was stable enough for him to still think about the situation objectively. With Rean already establishing a link to Leeves, his business here was over. He could teleport here any time he wanted if he wished. So, why? Why was he feeling the urge to stay and check what the two women were up to? Rean knew he would be wasting time if he acted upon the desire, yet the agent couldn't dismiss the urge.
'Dammit! After so long... why do my emotions have to hold me back now?! I need to start searching for the source of the incoming danger!'
The walls that kept his sacred powers stable started to crack if a certain Goddess didn't intervene.
"Rean, calm down! You're about to let your aura loose! You'll draw the attention of Aurelia Le Guin and Victor S. Arseid if you keep this up!"
Her words managed to reach the swordsman as the cracks of the inner walls of his being repaired themselves. The frustration that raged inside him left, leaving the poor man in a state of mental fatigue. Taking deep breaths, Rean composed himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry..." It was the only thing he could offer his boss: an apology.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I knew this mission would be too much for you... I shouldn't have even mentioned it to you."
"You're wrong, Ciel. It's entirely my fault..." His form vanished but soon reappeared on top of the branch dormitory's roof. "At the end of the day, it was my own decision to accept this mission. I was the one who convinced myself that I was ready, that I was ready to possibly see the loved ones that I left in my world once more, even knowing the fact that they're completely different people. I was a fool to think I was stable enough for something like this..."
The representative of the Goddess chose to remain silent. She knew what he meant by "stable". Rean Schwarzer was an incredible agent, usually finishing his missions with time to spare. His methods were efficient but managed to be humane, even though he had long lost his humanity. His emotional condition, however... is a different story.
"I'll do a quick scan of the area again before heading to the capital."
The Agent of Aidios scanned the town, including the branch campus— one more time as he closed his eyes. With that one search, Rean identified the auras of the ones he managed to recognize. A certain presence at the academy completely caught him off guard. His lips tugged upward into a smile at the shocking information he had discovered before a soft chuckle slipped out of his lips, surprising the avatar.
"At least I got to know something pleasant before leaving..."
Rean turned to look in the direction of the capital. As he took the first step, the man disappeared in an instant as he began his trek to the Vermillion Capital. The Goddess refrained from asking Rean what he meant by his previous statement since he was using his abilities to get to the city faster. Instead, she opted to use her powers to scan Leeves using the "roots" her agent planted as a medium. The radiant woman grew a smile upon discovering the same aura Rean detected, despite the expression visible to no one.
'I knew there was a world where he would be one of them. Fate had other plans for him in the other timelines, but I'm happy to see him be part of the Radiant Wings in this world.'
[07/ 09/ S. 1206]
-13:15-
Hangar, Thors Branch Campus
Inside the building, the branch campus' Rean Schwarzer stood in front of his partnered Divine Knight. The black-haired instructor was currently preoccupied with matters that bothered him. They were matters that stirred a nauseous feeling in his guts. After discovering from Professor Schmidt about his first disciple and how he was the one who came up with the Panzer Soldats, the Eight Leaves swordsman had questions that needed answers.
"It's a subject I can't just bring up all of a sudden, especially through orbmail." Considering how Alisa was whenever they talked, the man knew her mood would drop at a drop of a hat. A sensitive topic like that was best discussed in person. "Maybe I could ask Towa if she can contact George later, but I'm not even sure if he will have the answers."
"This subject is putting you in a lot of stress than necessary, Rean." The voice of the Ashen Knight disrupted the man from his thoughts as he raised his head to meet Valimar's lenses. "I advise you to relax and push the subject in the back of your mind; for now, I recall that you still have a meeting to attend, correct?"
"Ah," Rean rubbed the back of his neck and groaned. He really almost forgot about the meeting, huh? Though, it was understandable. His thoughts and worries about a certain matter were practically eating him up inside that it slipped his mind. "You're right. I should worry about this later. I won't be able to register anything the Principal says if I don't get myself together."
The Ashen Knight gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "That would be wise. If it concerns your field studies, it will help you and everyone else if you are informed about what the Golden Rakshasa might disclose to you and the other members of the faculty."
"And knowing her, she might drop a bombshell of an information at the meeting." He chuckled as he heard some kind of sound of amusement from Valimar. "Thanks, Valimar. I knew I could always count on you to clear my head."
"You are my Awakener and my partner, after all."
His reply made a smile stretched across Rean's countenance. The instructor felt like it was only yesterday when his partnered Divine Knight still responded robotically with his limited speech. But now, the Ashen Knight could speak in a logical manner and be capable of expressing human emotions. Words weren't enough to express how happy Rean was for the Knight's growth.
"Your bond with your Divine Knight truly is beautiful, Instructor. I hope for me and Testa-Rossa to have that kind of bond someday." A masculine but gentle voice said as Rean looked towards the direction of the door to see two of his student.
A blonde-haired teenager with a set of azure eyes walked over to the instructor, accompanied by a light blue-haired teen, both wearing the standard Thors Branch uniform. Rean gave a good-natured chuckle at the boy as he crossed his arms. The blonde-haired teen smiled sheepishly before glancing at the one beside Valimar, the Vermillion Knight— Testa-Rossa.
"I'm sure you two will get there. Testa-Rossa was just recently revived, and you're still getting used to being his Awakener, Your High— I mean Cedric."
The blonde, now known as Cedric, groaned as he hung his head and slumped his shoulders. During the beginning of the school year, the blonde had stated that Rean doesn't need to address him so formally. But old habits and manners are hard to die, he guessed. Cedric saw the instructor as a role model and friend, eternally grateful to Rean and his class for saving his life, despite the fact the teen took one of theirs. The guilt that planted itself in his heart caused him grief and sadness after discovering that he was the cause of the Azure Chevalier's death.
No matter how much the others told him that it wasn't his fault, Cedric was bound by the chains of guilt. His smile to others seemed bright, but everyone close to him knew that behind his curled lips were sadness and resentment directed at himself.
The kind of resentment that could lead to the prince's destruction if not careful, one that Rean understood personally. That's why the instructor took it upon himself to guide and help Cedric to become a better fighter when the boy had recovered from what happened in the Infernal Castle, with hopes that the blonde could forgive himself someday.
"Well, at least you corrected yourself this time around. I swear, it's like you return to calling me 'Your Highness' or 'Prince Cedric' whenever I'm not on your sight!" Rean rubbed his neck sheepishly as Kurt chuckled at His Highness' outburst. The blonde-haired teen shot his friend a half-hearted glare. "You're just as bad as the Instructor, Kurt! Maybe even worse!"
"Ahaha... forgive me, but I'm still getting used to calling you just by your first name, Cedric." The duel wielder defended with a raised hand, Rean nodding in agreement as the prince groaned.
"Testa-Rossa! Don't you agree they should just drop the whole prince and 'Your Highness' thing?" The Vermillion Awakener whined to his Divine Knight. The vermillion-colored mech's lens flickered to life before he spoke.
"Be patient, my Awakener. These two have gotten too used to addressing you by your title. The sudden change to how they usually call you will take some time for it to become a habit. Though, I recall you had told the Vander to drop the formal talk back when you two were children?" The former Vermillion Apocalypse titled his head as Cedric and Rean turned to Kurt, who looked away upon contact from their gaze.
"Yes... yes, I did tell him that, didn't I?"
"A-Anyways, don't you have a meeting to attend later, Instructor?" Kurt cleared his throat and changed the topic of discussion; the annoyed look Cedric had disappeared as he looked at the Ashen Chevalier.
"Yeah. I should still have some..." He took out his ARCUS II and felt his eyes bulge out of their sockets. "Oh crap! I only have a few minutes to get there! I'll see you two later!"
Rean rushed out of the hangar without waiting for their response, waving without looking directly at them as he left the two to sweatdrop.
"Well, I guess we should do some maintenance while we're here?" The young prince suggested.
"I don't mind. I need to synthesize some wind quartz for my ARCUS..."
As the two strolled over to the orbal workstation, the two Divine Knights' eyes glowed dimly as the two communicated through their special link.
"Brother... you felt it too, didn't you?" The Vermillion Knight said through the telepathic link, his tone soaked in worry and confusion.
'Yes, I did. The signature was similar to us, but it was as if the rest of us Divine Knights were all in one location before disappearing along with the signature.' But the feeling that surfaced in Valimar was something that could only be described as mere curiosity. 'That raises a question: How can there be a Divine Knight who contains a piece of our spirit?'
The man ran as fast as he could to the academy building without slowing down for a second, leaving him breathless and exhausted. The black-haired instructor entered the main building as he finally slowed down upon entry. He pulled himself together and dragged his body wearily to the conference room.
"I really shouldn't have done that. The Principal would have likely brushed it off even if I was a few minutes late." He panted as the raven-haired swordsman made his way to his destination. "That's not something I should be thinking, though..."
As he arrived in front of the door, Rean caught his breath before opening it, completely oblivious to the other side. The moment he opened the door, he was welcomed by the sound of pop and confetti flying all over him. But since he was exhausted from his run earlier, the instructor may have been a little... jumpy.
"What the hell?!"
The adopted noble's senses reacted and made him leap back from the unexpected party popper that was fired at him. His right hand darted towards his waist, ready to strike, only for it to lower when he saw the figures of Fie and Laura standing in front of the entrance. Lilac orbs went to his co-workers seated behind them as Towa scratched her cheek with an apologetic smile while Randy grinned wryly.
Rean groaned as his sword hand dropped to his side, earning him sweatdrops from his former classmates.
"Um, surprise?" Sylphid waved with a sheepish smile as the swordswoman did the same.
"D-Did we surprise you?"
"Oh, you did more than just surprise me..." Sighing, the man finally entered the room and closed the door, making his way to his seat before plopping down. He looked around the room to see the Principal absent, confusing him slightly, but he didn't question it. He had other questions that he wanted to ask, the subject matter being right in front of him.
"It's a little tempting to say I didn't miss you two after that little stunt," Fie pouted and gave the man a half-hearted glare while Laura stuck to smiling apologetically. The man didn't back down from the little fairy's looks, though. He shot a half-lidded expression, causing her to look away before a smile crossed his lips. "but I would be lying if I said I didn't. It's good to see you again, Fie, Laura. It's been a month since we last saw each other, right?"
The Arseid swordswoman chuckled as the young bracer's lips curled upward, putting her hands on her back before she responded.
"Yup, long month, no see."
"I do believe it's been a month since last we met." Laura agreed as a third voice added.
"Who'd have thought we'd have ourselves a mini-reunion like this so soon?"
The voice was familiar to the others, with the Branch Campus instructors being the first to react.
"That sounded like..." The Red Reaper mumbled upon hearing the voice that he knew in the back of his mind.
"Heh. Took them long enough." A smirk was welcomed on the silver-haired bracer's lips as the women of Old Class VII turned towards the door as it opened.
The faculty stared at the ones who walked into the conference room with mouths agape in shock; even the ex-Red Constellation member was speechless. The Golden Rakshasa entered with Major Irving, accompanying the Bracer Guild's Purple Lightning. It wasn't her that shocked them, though. It was the other one who entered alongside the three. A well-built noble in his forties came inside the room. His dark blue hair, beard, and lime eyes were features that made him recognizable. Top that with his usual attire of a long blue overcoat, grey-brown battle vest attached to a light-blue striped shirt, white-colored pants, and black leather shoes. The man wore his signature brown gloves and green scarf that dangled down to his waist.
The newcomer flashed a friendly smile to everyone across the room before he spoke.
"It's been quite some time. It's a pleasure to see you again, Rean, Ms. Herschel. Ah, but seeing as how I'm not yet acquainted with all of you here, allow me to introduce myself." He stated with politeness, knowing it was a formality since there was a new face in the room. "My name is Victor Arseid. I am the Viscount of Legram, a town in southeastern Erebonia. I am also the captain of the Courageous. It is a pleasure to meet you."
...
After the instructors' initial shock had died down (especially Randy's), the faculty and their guests went over the location and the plans for their next field study. The branch campus had decided to have their field study in the Vermillion Capital, with the Summer Festival occurring during the duration of their field exercise. The branch and their guests exchanged info and their concerns: The inactivity of Ouroboros, Black Worship, the various jaeger corps they have encountered, and how a foreign group had infiltrated the capital.
Of course, the news caused some distress among the faculty, but they were assured that help would be guaranteed. To balance the bad news with some good, they were informed that the Bracer Guild of the Empire's restrictions had been lifted so the bracers could patrol the capital and defend the civilians from any attacks.
As their conference continued, Rean felt his bracer classmate occasionally glance at him, gaining his attention during the meeting. Rean didn't know why, but he felt as if Fie was staring at him too intently, almost as if she was analyzing his combat capabilities. Usually, the instructor would shrug it off, but there were instances where someone would address Sylphid, but their words wouldn't register in her mind.
It did not necessarily make Rean uncomfortable; however, it did make him want to confront his friend about it once the meeting was over due to curiosity and concern.
With everything they needed to discuss out of the table, their meeting eventually came to an end. The rest of the instructors (minus Rean and Aurelia) left to make preparations as the Branch's guests remained to talk about a few more things. Subjects like the Golden Rakshasa and the Radiant Blademaster having a student-mentor relationship and the roles of certain bracers during the field study in Heimdallr came to light. Aurelia even suggested testing her might against the daughter of the Viscount, which she gladly accepted. But...
"However, before that..." Aurelia's words caught a few of them off guard, with only the Viscount having an idea. Her gaze turned towards her former mentor, confidence radiating out of her being. "It's been ten years since I first became your disciple. I believe I've finally earned this right." She began and closed her eyes.
The next words that left the Rakshasa's left caused Rean and Laura's eyes to widen, realizing the meaning of those words.
"Today will be the day I test myself against the most powerful blade in all the empire... and rise above him." Her eyes snapped open as she declared at her mentor. "I challenge you, Radiant Blademaster, Victor S. Arseid!"
With a small nod, the Viscount met his student's confident gaze. "Golden Rakshasa, Aurelia Le Guin— I accept your challenge."
The declaration and acceptance caused a choir of gasps of shock and surprise from the bystanders in the room. The younger bracer resisted the urge to sweatdrop at the thought of the Golden Rakshasa and Radiant Blademaster turning the training hall into a pile of rubble after their duel was over. On the other hand, Rean and Laura were naturally excited to see the spectacle of the two swordsmen. And what was Sara's reaction to all of this? Well, the slack-jawed bracer couldn't even imagine how the fight would even end, but her excitement was the same as her two students.
Aurelia and Victor left the conference room as the two began their departure, Laura and Sara soon following after the two, leaving the instructor and ex-jaeger alone in the room. The catlike girl was about to leave and follow the four when she felt a grip around her wrist; she spun her head to the back to see her friend hold her in place.
"Something wrong?" Quirking a brow, she questioned the instructor.
"Kinda... I saw you staring at me during the meeting. Now, I would normally brush it off since it has been a month since we saw each other, and you may have just been plotting some way to tease me, but that wasn't what your face said at all." Rean said, the woman visibly surprised by his observation. Fie thought she was being subtle. but it seems her concentration at her inspection removed any subtleness she had. "It was like you were gauging me, observing me for something. I'll throw your question right back at you: Is there something wrong, Fie?"
The bracer sighed and hung her head for a moment, eyes glued to her boots as she contemplated telling Rean her troubles. She lifted her head to meet Rean's gentle and concerned expression. The look made Fie's heart warm. Of course, the instructor had always been caring and concerned about the well-being of others, to the point of being really stubborn of wanting to help them.
'But that's part of his charm I guess...'
"Okay. I'll tell ya." Her answer made Rean grow a small smile, causing her lips to curl upward in response for a quick second before the bracer adopted a worried look. "Laura and I felt like we were being watched earlier when we were making our way to the academy. I suddenly noticed their aura when we were about to leave, but it felt like it, or they were watching us for a while."
The Eight Leaves swordsman's eyes went wide as plates and almost yelled out his reaction but caught himself in time. "Really? Were you able to identify what or who was watching you? Were they hostile?" Fie shook her head for her response as the man quirked a brow.
"No. Besides the fact that they were in Leeves, I couldn't figure out where they were in town. From what I felt from their aura, they didn't seem hostile, and they definitely weren't the enemies we have encountered so far. I would have recognized them if they were." Frowning, Fie closed her eyes and recalled the feeling of when she first detected the mysterious presence of their watcher. "It was strange; I never felt any aura like that before. When you came to the meeting room, your aura and the one watching us earlier... felt strangely similar to yours."
For some reason, her revelation caused Rean's whole body to tense up. He wanted to believe she was joking, but her tone and expression said otherwise. Her statement brought up more questions, adding to his pile of unanswered curiosity and worry. Rean knew Fie wasn't doing it on purpose, but the words that left her lips proved to be more ominous than he would like. An aura similar to him? It was impossible! Each person was said to have an aura signature unique to their being.
To have someone possess an aura akin to his was unthinkable!
There were a few possibilities he could think about, but all of them still did not answer how someone could possibly have an almost identical aura signature. The Eight Leaves swordsman could have been cloned, and his replica might have been the one watching his friends, or someone managed to imitate his aura to trick others, yet the words of his master came to mind as he pondered about the possibility even more.
Every single living being has an aura unique to their person. Whether it be weak or strong, positive or negative, their aura is theirs alone. The aura between family members might be similar to each other, but at the core of it all, we are born with an aura signature that no one can fully replicate. It is a part of our individuality.
Those words rang into the instructor's mind, perplexing him further as a sharp pain went through his head.
"R-Rean?! What's wrong?!" Fie shortened the distance between her and the instructor when she saw him clutch his head in pain.
"D-Did... you suspect that I was the one watching you two earlier...?" Rean forcibly asked through the aching of his temple.
"Of course not!" Fie narrowed her eyes in annoyance and offense before her face softened as she gently held his head. "I knew you were still on campus when we were about to leave the dorm. I was staring so hard at you earlier because I was confused about how someone could have the same aura as you... but I wasn't suspecting you, Rean. Promise."
With the pain slowly fading, Rean flashed a gentle and sheepish smile at the girl. "Sorry... I just had to ask. I know you just wanted to know why someone had a similar aura to me. I'm sorry if you were offended when I asked you that."
"Idiot..." Without hesitation, Fie pulled the man into a hug, catching him off guard as a blush crept its way onto his cheeks.
The unexpected embrace from the bracer surprised him, but it wasn't unwelcomed. Slowly, the black-haired swordsman wrapped his arms around her petite frame and held her tightly. Fie knew he would reciprocate the hug in some way, but for him to tighten his hold on her, her heart skipped a beat from the action. Laura's words popped into her mind.
Come now, did you not notice him staring at you in shock when we ambushed him for a hug? I may not be the most adept when it comes to matters of the heart, but even I could see it from the way he looked at you.
'Ugh... why did that have to come to mind now...' Fie was forced to bury her face on her friend's chest to prevent him from seeing her growing blush. Two outcomes came to mind: Rean might ask why she was blushing or if she had a fever. Both follow-ups from the dense man were pretty bad.
The two held each other for a good while before embarrassment got the better of Rean, pulling away from the embrace before turning around to hide the red hues on his cheeks.
"We should get g-going. The Principal and the Viscount are probably about to start their duel."
The bracer chuckled softly, finding the way he hides his embarrassment both cute and amusing. "Right. We don't wanna miss the show they'll put on."
Nodding, the Ashen Awakener left the conference room with Sylphid.
Entering the clubhouse, Rean and Fie felt a sudden surge of power from the two powerhouses of the Empire. The building tremored ever so slightly at the pressure before it ceased, yet their auras just kept getting higher and higher with each second that passed.
The two looked at each other and nodded before they darted towards the basement, quickly heading over to the training hall as fast as their legs could take them.
When they were in front of the door, the pair entered the room and were greeted by the roar of the wind: the two strongest swordsmen of the Empire's aura whipping out a storm of energy. Fie saw her former guardian and her best friend hold their ground, enduring the overwhelming presence of the Rakshasa and Blademaster with minor signs of discomfort. Her eyes turned to the black-haired instructor, whose eyes were glued to the two-blade users like a child admiring their idol.
A smile crossed her face, only for it to fade when she saw the two take their stance out of the corner of her eye, each wielding their respective treasured sword. As Aurelia and Victor gauged each other, their power continued to increase. The air around the training gradually grew dense and heavy as if a force was pushing the spectators down to the floor.
A few seconds, perhaps even a few minutes, passed before the two found what they were looking for. Both swordsmen shut their eyes at the same time as their respective aura surrounded their form.
'Here it comes!'
In an instant, their power flared to life like a firework exploding in the sky as they snapped their orbs wide open. Blinding gold and radiant blue clashed against each other upon the first contact of steel. To the naked eye, they have only seen a single strike. But to those who were well-trained warriors, they knew one strike was all they needed to decide the duel. And if someone were as perceptive as Rean, they would see the fatal sign of defeat during the two's sword strike. The countess and viscount passed each other as the display of power they showed earlier faded.
"...Haha..." Victor chuckled as he closed his eyes. The way he shut them was as if...
His chuckle was followed by Aurelia's, her eyes coming to a close as well. A second later, a small tear made itself known to the scarf of the Viscount. The first one to notice the sign of defeat was the Eight Leaves swordsman himself.
"It looks like we have a victor..."
"Whoa..."
"I couldn't even see them..."
Sylphid and the Purple Lightning expressed their shock while the daughter of the Radiant Blademaster couldn't even utter a word, the woman too speechless at what she had just seen. Victor turned around to face his opponent as his sword arm dropped to his side.
"Well done... my disciple."
"Thank you." The silver-haired woman replied as she assumed a passive stance, holding Arcadia behind her. "At this precise moment, I am the stronger of the two of us. Though I'm certain the battle would've gone differently, had you not been injured."
Aurelia's words confirmed the worry that rose from the Ashen Chevalier during the bout. The others took notice of the sign as they frowned. "I had a feeling, but I didn't want to assume..."
"I knew it..." Sara said as her greatsword-wielding student closed her eyes, a rather somber look on her visage. There could only be one injury they could think of that was bad enough that it debilitated the man to such an extent.
The Viscount read the faces of the four and showed an apologetic smile for the briefest of moments as he closed his eyes. "No, the result would have been the same. The moment you crossed blades with the Maiden, your sword skills reached their pinnacle." Eyes opening, the Radiant Blademaster stared hard at the Rakshasa. "But... I see you've realized the emptiness that comes with this achievement."
"Yes... Why do I follow the path of the sword?" It was a rhetorical question if anything. The stoic expression she held fell as her countenance softened, seemingly of understanding. "I finally understand what you were telling me. This must be where I begin my new journey."
"Precisely."
"...I have no idea what they're talking about," Fie admitted as she scratched her cheek.
"Don't worry; I'm clueless too." And that was from someone who followed the path of the sword! Rean could only hope he would be able to understand the depth of their understanding of the way of the blade. Sara chimed in as if she read their minds.
"Heh... Don't worry, you'll understand someday."
"That was a splendid match you showed us." Laura stepped forward as the awe and excitement she felt earlier refused to diminish. The swordswoman in her could not sit still after watching such a spectacle of power and incredible skill. The image of the lone strike planted itself in her mind as she followed her heart and spoke. "Though it may be impertinent of me, I wish to fight as well."
Viscount Arseid smiled at her daughter and wasted no time in his reply. "But of course. This will be an excellent opportunity." His statement caught the four off guard and even surprised the Principal, though hers was short-lived.
"You are as incredible as ever, Master. It's true. This is the best gift we are able to give." She tilted her head slightly to eye the four. "Purple Lightning, Schwarzer, Lady Laura, and Sylphid..."
"Allow us practitioners of the Arseid school to be your opponents. The Blademaster and the Rakshasa shall test your mettle."
If they weren't speechless from the two's duel earlier, then they were definitely now. Victor essentially answered his daughter's desires for a duel and challenged three of her friends. The four showed various levels of shock: Laura was stunned that she couldn't utter a word. Rean was surprised by the statement, doubting his own hearing if he heard the Viscount right. Fie was... for the lack of a better word, dumbfounded with disbelief written all over her face. Only the Purple Lightning seemed to accept their words as true without any doubt.
"Well, you sure don't sound like you're kidding around. I understand these three, but why bring me into this?"
"I believe this will be to your benefit as well, Sara." The older man answered. "Laura, Fie, Rean... I believe you will all gain something from this."
"Viscount..."
"...Well, if you say so." The younger bracer relented. There might really be something to gain from a battle against the two of the strongest swordsmen of the Erebonia, especially if one of them said so themselves.
Overcoming their stupefied state, Rean and Laura locked eyes with each other before sending a nod in the other's way. The two stepped forward and whipped out their weapons, the bracers doing the same as they assumed their stance for combat.
"Right. There's no way I can afford to miss this."
"I thank you for this opportunity!"
Aurelia cracked a smirk as a link circle appeared beneath her and her master, much to the four's shock. The swordsmen's power started to leak out, taking form as a shroud of their respective aura's color. The training hall shook at the pressure before it stopped, just like earlier when Rean and Fie entered the building. The blood that pumped through the black-haired swordsman's veins filled his being with adrenaline like no other. The fight had yet to begin, but he could feel the intensity of it as if it had already started.
"Good. That's the spirit." The Principal's radiant and golden power flared as she returned to her combat stance. The Blademaster mimicked her action by assuming his own as his purplish-blue aura enveloped his form.
"Demonstrate to us what you're capable of... Show us that you can reach the heights of skill!"
"Yeah!"
They roared their answer as the Ashen Chevalier and daughter of the Viscount formed their own combat link, Sylphid and the Purple Lightning doing the same. At an instant, Le Guin closed the distance between her fellow practitioner as she swung Arcadia, clashing against Laura's blade. The younger woman felt the difference between them with just the first strike, the weight the young Arseid had to push through was like a human pushing a mountain.
Fie and Sara had her back, though. The two rained down bullets, forcing the silver-haired swordswoman to back away.
"Utilize your combat links and resources well!" Her treasure sword surrounded itself with energy as the woman pulled the blade back before she swung. "Dynast Sunder!"
A golden shockwave flew through the training hall like a bullet as the four barely evaded the blow. Rean leaped to his left and arrived to see a blade coming at him fast. Lifting his blade to block the blow, the instructor managed to protect himself from the Viscount's attack in time. The force was strong enough that the man was pushed back a few arges from where he stood earlier.
The Viscount's aura flared as his sword coated itself with energy before being brought down to the ground, ripping the floor apart as he launched a shockwave towards the instructor. While Aurelia kept herself busy with Sara and Fie's impressive evasion, Laura replicated her father and fired her own attack towards his, causing Victor's Radiant Cleaver to be neutralized. Not wanting to be the first ones to get hit, Rean and Laura rushed the older man.
Setting his blade ablaze, Rean delivered several flaming slashes while his friend opted for heavy and concentrated blows. However, their attacks could not make contact with the Viscount. Each action was blocked or parried perfectly that continuing to attack blindly only drained them of their stamina. When their assault slowed down, Aurelia knocked the bracers back and immediately took advantage of it. She sprinted towards the two and swung her blade; they forced their swords to go up to block the strike before the two tried to leap away from the swordsmen.
Not letting them back away, Victor's aura sucked them towards him like a vacuum before he spun a complete 360. "HAAAAA!" Steel connected with flesh as the force threw the two against the wall. Gasps and cries of pain echoed in the training hall.
"Rean! Laura!"
"You should worry about yourselves before you worry about others first." The countess returned as quick as she disappeared, leaping up into the air as she held her sword with both hands. "Prismatic Tetra Blade!" Four elemental slash shockwaves erupted from the ground.
Sara clicked her tongue while Fie simply narrowed her eyes, lightning flickered, and winds whistled as the two vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Oh?" The smirk on Aurelia's face grew wider when she felt a presence approaching her from behind as she turned to block the incoming downward slash. The twin gunswords of the ex-jaeger pushed back her blade only just; surprising the woman. 'The weight behind her weapons increased... interesting.'
Her ears picked up the sound of projectiles being fired towards her as her master intercepted the incoming attack before cutting through the electrified bullets with his treasured sword. Sara was still nowhere to be seen, but they knew she was around the training hall. Fie leaped to the air using Arcadia as a launchpad as she crossed her blades. Kicking the air as if it was a wall, the bracer passed through the Rakshasa just as the Blademaster was about to assist her.
In that singular moment, Fie managed to reach a speed the woman could barely track.
Drop
Her hand moved to check her right cheek; a red hue painted the tips of her gloved hand. Chuckling, she turned around to see the petite bracer not behind her; but with Rean and Laura, helping the two up. No poker face could hide the excitement and amusement on her visage.
"It seems Fie managed to give you a scratch." Viscount Arseid said with a hint of mirth in his tone.
"It would seem so." Aurelia wiped away the blood on her cheek and grinned. "I must admit that I barely saw her coming at me; her speed is truly impressive."
"I believe she has the potential to become one of the fastest in the Empire one day." The woman nodded in agreement before a smug voice rang through the training hall.
"Isn't my little girl the best? But better keep your eyes on your opponent!"
Sara appeared above the duo as her lightning crackled and flickered around her blade. With a cry, the bracer unleashed a ring of lightning around them as it quickly shrunk in size, electrocuting the two. Even for the likes of the strongest swordsmen of the Empire, they couldn't react in time and suffered the damage. Grunting in pain, both swordsmen felt lightning run through their bodies as the older bracer shouted at her former students.
"Rean, Laura, now!"
Despite the damage they received from Victor's Radiant Spin earlier, the two responded to Sara's call with the same speed, if not even faster. Laura jumped with her greatsword raised over her head as Rean coated his blade with flames. The instructor slashed to the right and left, spinning himself as a vortex of fire blew up from below. "Helix, strike!"
Their opponents weren't given time to react as the young Arseid descended from the air, her blade cleaving the fire tornado in half as the impact caused an explosion. The three backed away and regrouped with Sylphid, keeping their guard up as they waited for the two's next move. Their attacks may have connected, but they were sure it wasn't enough to take the two down.
The instructor's instincts roared and screamed as he saw a faint flash of light through the cloud of smoke. "Everyone, dodge!"
Two crescent shockwaves flew out of the smoke as the four threw themselves to the side. A blur of gold and cobalt escaped the veil of smoke and crashed against the four. Aurelia knocked Laura and Sara to the other side of the room with a single swing as Victor did the same to Rean and Fie, the two scarcely keeping themselves from crashing against the wall by digging their fingers in the floor.
The recently acquired injuries and the ones from earlier sent Rean's body into a world of hurt. He felt a burning and aching pain in several parts of his body. His lilac orbs went to his opponents, the two not looking any better but far better than the four. The petite bracer received her first major blow of the day, but damn she preferred if it wasn't a bone-crushing attack from the Viscount.
"Rean, I suggest you stop holding back and use that power of yours." Rean tensed slightly at the Viscount as he was recovering from the attack. "I am aware that it is... unstable right now. But I am also aware that you have the potential to tip the scales of the duel. Aurelia and I will make sure you don't lose control; I swear on my title as the Radiant Blademaster."
"Master is right, Schwarzer. I said it earlier, didn't I? Use your combat links and resources well. That includes your special power." Aurelia added as the two's power began increasing, the mere pressure cracking the ground they stood. "Show me what your Eight Leaves One Blade Style is capable of."
"Viscount Arseid... Principal..." Panting, Rean forced his body to assume his combat stance once more, ignoring the pain as he looked at his friends. No words were traded among them, their eyes said it all.
The instructor nodded and raised his tachi, blade pointed to the left as a red-violet aura leaked out of his form. The menacing and almost beastlike power swirled around the swordsman's body as his hair flickered to white. His lilac hues flashed to crimson for a moment as the atmosphere in the training hall turned dense and dark. As Rean gave his full concentration to control his power, a faint image flashed before his eyes: A man with raven-colored hair similar to his and snow-white streaks instead of black bangs. It was too blurry and it disappeared too quickly for him to make out, but for some unknown reason, a stabbing pain went through his chest.
Two words were left his mouth before the pain left like it wasn't even there. "Spirit Unification!"
Bringing his tachi to the front, the Eight Leaves swordsman's aura flared to life as his hair and eyes changed. Gone was his black-colored doo, replaced with white. His eyes dyed themselves in a menacing red as the man's ogre aura subsided. The man panted; his voice echoed slightly as he looked towards the stunned bracer.
"Ready?"
"Y-Yeah..." Fie shook her head and formed a combat link with her friend, feeling the intense aura in depth through the connection. 'Did it always feel like this? It's still wild and full of that dark energy, but there's something different...'
Aurelia marveled at Rean's transformation, her excitement at its peak. "That's what I like to see! Now, show me the power of the Eight Leaves!"
Instead of replying with words, Rean closed the distance between him and Aurelia as he swung his blade against Arcadia. This time, though, the force was enough to push the woman back several arges. Victor didn't let his shock take over him as he slashed downward. The Eight Leaves swordsman sheathed his tachi before whipping it back out as he fired a crescent slash of hellish flames, colliding with Galland-Sharl with a weight that caused the wind to bellow. If the three weren't the ones fighting, they would have taken their time overcoming the shocking display Rean showed.
Unfortunately, that was not a luxury right now. The older bracer surrounded herself with her trademark spark as she darted towards the Rakshasa while firing bullets of lightning at her while the younger of the two went invisible. The silver-haired swordswoman deflected the shots and clashed with Lady Laura once more, putting more weight into her swing before she fired another Dynast Sunder.
"Azure Cleaver!" Slamming the ground with her greatsword with greater force, a shockwave erupted from the ground and crashed against Aurelia's craft. Laura kicked herself off the ground and charged towards her senior, blade engulfing itself with blue light.
"Hyyaaaaa!"
"Haaaaaa!"
The Rakshasa faced the young swordswoman in kind with both blades trying to overpower each other. Too busy from the power struggle, Aurelia failed to notice the lightning bracer behind her.
"Have some of this!" Pulling the trigger, another round of lightning came out of the barrel and flew into the countess.
Laura used the temporary shock that the woman felt to her advantage to win over the power struggle, sending her closer to Victor's position. The Viscount went on the defensive and blocked most of Rean's attacks, the ones he couldn't stop left him with cuts and burn marks. The older man's combat instincts made him snap his head to the right to see Sylphid about to do a cross-slash, forcing the swordsman to use the flat of his sword to bounce off the attack.
Rean's assault of attacks did not cease or slow down; in fact, it was like he became faster with each swing he did. The instructor's mind began to grow hazy for a second, his body moving on its own as if it ran out of pure instinct. Sheathing his tachi back in its scabbard, the Eight Leaves swordsman disappeared from his spot before he appeared in front of his opponents in a single second.
'When did he—?!'
'He's fast! But I might still be able to block it in time!'
But Victor didn't make it in time.
Kicking the two off the ground just enough to get them airborne, Rean unsheathed his blade, only for him to return it to its scabbard again. As soon as the tachi was fully sheathed, flaming slashes materialized as the two felt the heat of hellfire against their body. The attack was followed by a tornado of purple and red flames, appearing out of thin air. Even Rean's friends were left shocked by the craft; it was their first time seeing the technique.
"Was that... an Eight Leaves technique...?" Laura muttered to herself as she watched the flames die down to reveal their opponents with their clothes burnt and torn, the two barely stopping themselves from falling to the ground.
"I couldn't even see the attack..." Fie closed her eyes and frowned. 'Did he even move his arm to attack when he unsheathed his tachi earlier...? If that's the case, it was too fast for me to see...'
Out of the three spectators, Sara was the one who brought up their thoughts. "Rean... what was that? Was that some variation of the Helix technique?"
Rean did not answer her question. His gaze still focused on the recovering swordsmen in front of him as he unsheathed his tachi and prepared himself to engage. The countess let out a chuckle as she rolled her neck around before looking at her current state.
"I'm impressed. I knew that power of yours would grant you a boost to give us quite a fight, but to do this much damage to us, you make me want to see more of what you're capable of at your current form." Aurelia stated as she narrowed her eyes, her golden aura erupting once more. "Your thoughts, master?"
The Viscount nodded and stared at the instructor's crimson jewels, smiling slightly. "This is unlike the one you first showed me during your field study in Legram. Contrary to what I assumed, it looks like it wasn't as unstable as I thought it would be." The Radiant Blademaster's aura mimicked her disciple's as he gripped Galland-Sharl with both hands. "Allow to me answer your spirit and strength in kind!"
The Rakshasa and Blademaster's energy converged together as the two were enveloped with a shroud of cobalt and gold.
Raising their blades, both swordsmen prepared to deal their final blow: A swordswoman who mastered the Arseid and Vander school of swordsmanship and a renowned Arseid practitioner readied themselves when Rean answered their showcase of greatest with the power slumbering inside him.
Not even a word escaped those lips of his; his response was to increase the output of his ogre powers as the bestial energy cloaked his form.
"Rakshasa... / Radiant..."
"Ashen Slash..."
A gut-wrenching feeling slipped into the younger bracer as she glanced at her other companions. Both looked worried, not for themselves but the ogre. Her head snapped to the man, his grip on his tachi tightening as the air inside the training hall gradually grew hotter. Before she could prevent disaster, the Eight Leaves swordsman kicked off the ground and launched himself at the two. "Rean, wait! Don't!"
"We need to help him!"
"That former student of mine really is reckless! Support him with all you got you two!"
Laura and Sara followed as best as they could, ignoring the aching pain in their body. Sylphid complied as she attempted to assist by performing long-range support and offensive arts, darting towards her left as she readied her ARCUS. The older bracer and young Arseid provided their best crafts using their remaining energy. Unfortunately, their opponents easily countered their attack and just served to fuel their momentum.
When the three swordsmen's blades met each other, light flooded the room.
"Rakshasa Onslaught! / Radiant Phoenix Blade!"
"Ashen Slash: Mortal Leaves!"
And then everything went black for the Schwarzer.
...
Fire. Everywhere he looked, there were fire and dead bodies around him. A wasteland filled with corpses lying around, the smell of gunpowder and blood lingered in the air. He walked around in a casual fashion as if it was a normal day at a beach. His lilac eyes were dull, yet there was the smallest hint of life in them as he counted the bodies in the area. Twenty? At least that was all he could see. Continuing his walk in the disturbing and horrific field of war, he saw a figure standing in front of a corpse of a little girl. A causality of war, perhaps?
It was a man, based on their build and appearance. His hair was black with white streaks painted in different sections of his locks, mostly on the bangs. The attire he wore could only be described as something associated with death would wear, black as a starless night. It was difficult to see from his position, but he caught a glimpse of the color of his hues: The shade of crimson blood. He saw the man lay the girl onto the ground, kneeling down at the body. The volume of his voice was almost a whisper.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you in time... Dammit... even with all this power, I was still too slow and useless! A-Am I fit for this role...?" The man punched the ground, leaving a crack because of the force of the blow.
Another voice apart from his own spoke, a gentle and feminine one.
"It was not your fault. Regardless if you had the powers of an Agent of Aidios, we can't guarantee that all casualties will be avoided when interference from our enemies affects the timeline. Despite the number of Temporal Golems that came to this timeline, you managed to save thousands of innocent lives."
Agent of Aidios? Temporal Golems? Those were terms that went over his head, but he didn't think too much of it. His mind wandered to the invisible voice that echoed through the land and the man in black in front of him. His appearance and voice seemed all too familiar.
"...I."
"Shh... it is alright. You had done your best and accomplished your task in this world. Please get some rest, Rean."
When he heard the man's name, an indescribable pain flowed within his head and chest as another scenery filled with corpses flashed before his eyes. The words that left the man in black did not register in his ear as his consciousness faded.
...
Rean opened his eyes, his vision slowly being filled by the sight of a set of chartreuse jewels. He saw the expression their owner had as a pang of guilt hit his chest. His silver-haired friend's eyes were misty; her countenance was anything but happy.
"F-Fie...?" As he started to sit up, a stinging and burning pain assaulted every part of his body as he almost fell to the ground if not for the bracer catching him in her arms.
"You just love to make us worry, huh, you reckless idiot?" Fie said with annoyance lacing her tone. She tried to make it sound like her usual snarky remark, but her sniffles prevented it. The bracer gently pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his damaged form as gently as possible to avoid agitating his injuries. "Don't scare me like that, stupid..."
Wincing slightly, Rean returned the embrace, albeit with only one arm wrapped around her. "What happened...? All I can recall was that we had a battle against the Principal and Viscount..." He vaguely remembered swinging his blade against Arcadia and Galland-Sharl, then his vision went pitch black.
"It's true that you, Claussell, Lady Laura, and Valestein fought against me and my master, Schwarzer." Rean turned his head to see Aurelia and the others standing at his left as the four walked over to him. The Principal and Viscount's usual attire were burnt and torn from sword slashes. "You charged at both of us head-on, and our blades met. My master and I's strongest techniques made contact with you first, causing you to crash against a wall while getting inflicted by slashes from our attack."
Looking down at himself, the instructor winced at the result of their bout. He had just noticed that his coat was long gone with his usual white shirt taking its place. But his clothing did not remain unscathed; blood stains and tears were apparent. Rean acknowledged that someone had already patched him up, taking note of the bandages wrapped around his torso underneath the ripped shirt. He gave a glance to the others and saw that their injuries weren't as bad as his, but they were still signs of first aid applied to them.
"But then something we did not expect happened." Victor gained his attention as the instructor raised a brow. "We were hit by a storm of slashes made out of flames that appeared out of thin air. That attack caught Aurelia and me off guard that we could not defend ourselves properly, injuring us after it ceased. As you can see, our clothes were the result of your technique." He gestured at both his and disciple's torn and burnt attire.
"H-Huh?! R-Really? But you said it didn't connect..."
"Wait a minute, Rean. You weren't aware of your own technique?" Sara finally chimed in as Rean shook his head in response. "Does that you mean you don't know about that attack you did to Viscount and Rakshasa?"
"What attack?" Rean tilted his head in confusion, his friends' eyes widening.
"The technique that resembled your Helix? You deliver a kick to your opponent to send them in the air before you unsheathe your tachi before sheathing it once more, then several flaming slashes similar to the ones you use when performing your variation of Helix appear before they get enveloped by a vortex made out of flames." Laura described the technique as best as she could. The swordswoman told her fellow blade wielder what she saw, but she was still confused about how the actual attack was executed.
It was Rean's turn for his eyes to widen. "I-I... I don't recall learning that kind of technique. Did I really do that?" He turned to Fie and asked.
The bracer simply nodded her head as her concern for the man increased. "Your power earlier too... it was different from last time. It felt more powerful than before, but it also felt... no, I must be overthinking things."
"Tell us, Fie. Is your concern somehow connected to why you were observing Rean during the meeting?" Sara said without her usual joking tone.
The catlike bracer gave another nod before sighing. "Yeah, it does. Later, though. The thing that I felt from Rean's ogre powers besides what we usually feel is... sadness."
Sadness? Fie detected sadness when Rean used his power. There were a lot of things that could describe his bestial power, but sadness was not one of them. Whenever the instructor's powers were active, it was like the animal instincts within him took over and guided his actions. When the man finally gained control of it through Spirit Unification, it was like he tamed the beast within him as if it was on a leash.
After the Northern War, the leash was worn-out and could snap at any moment, setting the beast free and ruling over the instructor's instincts. That was the feeling Rean would get whenever he triggered it before he received the pendant from Emma. However, all those sensations he experienced in the past were not present in the duel. It was replaced by a feeling of complete control over the beast within him, but as Rean recalled the feeling of his power active during the fight, there was a strange feeling of sadness.
A fragment of emptiness mixed into the whole experience.
"That is quite strange. I never felt anything like that before. How were you feeling when you used your power, Rean?" Victor inquired with his arms crossed. "Did you feel any sense of losing control during our battle?"
"No, it didn't feel like I lost control. In fact, it felt like I had perfect control over it for a while. I didn't feel any kind of pain when I used it either." Closing his eyes, Rean tried to elucidate more of what happened to him until he remembered his mind blanking while he was in his ogre form. "During the fight, I remember my mind gradually becoming hazy, and then my body started moving on its own. The last thing I remember before everything went blank was sheathing my tachi."
The bracers and young Arseid exchanged worried looks as the silver-haired bracer gripped Rean's hand. The instructor not being aware of his later actions during the fight? The three were understandably worried upon discovering that info. His actions were like nothing they saw in the past. Rean would either have control over his powers or lose himself to it and act on instinct like a wild beast. But those weren't the case earlier; he had complete control over his power and pressured the two strongest swordsmen of Erebonia for a short amount of time before his own body took matters into its own hands.
His attacks weren't driven by primal instinct; they were executed in a calculating way that would change their course depending on the situation.
'The increase in power he displayed surprised me. The difference between what he showed today and his performance during the Northern War is obvious. Granted, I've heard that Millstein gave him a pendant to help keep his power in check. He didn't lose control during the whole fight, though... no, the moment he lost awareness of his action was the moment where his strength and speed increased to the point of catching master and I off guard.' Aurelia mused, slightly perplexed by the situation they had in hand. She wondered if it was some sort of hidden technique of the Eight Leaves.
Thinking that there was no point speculating the matter for eternity, Aurelia cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "I suggest we ask Millstein about this matter instead. She might have an idea what happened to Schwarzer."
Laura nodded in agreement. "I will inform Emma about what happened. How are you feeling though, Rean? Is the pain too much for you?"
"Everything still hurts, but I think I can get to the infirmary by myself just fine." Those words came to bite his ass when he tried standing up, instantly feeling his muscles flare up and the cuts he received from the swordsmen began to open. Before he fell to the floor from the pain, Fie caught him in her arms and shot an annoyed yet concerned look. "On second thought, I guess I won't be able to get to the infirmary by myself..."
The ex-Zephyr member held back a snarky reply, opting for a sigh as she slung one of his arms over her shoulders. "Your injuries are worse than us, Rean. Don't push yourself when your friends are here to help you."
"She's right, Rean." Laura slung his other arm over her shoulder as she supported his form. "There's nothing wrong with asking for help from people who care about you."
"I really am stubborn, huh?" He sighed as Sara flashed a smirk.
"We know that better than anyone, Rean Bean~."
Chuckling lightheartedly at the four, Viscount gently rested his palm on Rean's right shoulder and looked at the four. "I enjoyed the battle we six had very much. Injuries will sometimes be unavoidable during a test of strength, but I must apologize for letting the warrior in me take charge of my actions earlier."
"Master's right, the heat of the moment got to us, and we went overboard. For that, I apologize as well, Schwarzer."
"Please... there's no need for apologies, but thanks all the same." Rean offered a smile as he waved a hand dismissively. "I'm at fault for charging ahead without thinking of the consequences, even if I wasn't aware of my actions." The instructor felt someone's hold on him tighten slowly, almost in a protective way, as he looked to find the culprit.
And it was obvious to everyone that the culprit was Sylphid herself, eyes glued to the ground while supporting Rean protectively yet gently to avoid making him feel more pain from his injuries. The young Arseid's lips curled into a smile before she adjusted her hold on the instructor to make it more comfortable for him.
As the four departed for the infirmary, the Schwarzer's mind began heading towards the ominous and perplexing dream he had while he was unconscious earlier. Trying to recall the scene in his subconscious, his eyes narrowed in thought and confusion when his recollection failed. The image of a wasteland in flames filled with corpses and a man dressed in all black were the only pieces of the dream he could remember.
'What... was that? And why can't I remember the rest of the dream?'
[?/ ?/ S. ?]
-?:?-
Unknown Plane
Darkness was all there was in this place. Everywhere you looked, there was nothing but the darkness. Was there a floor, a ground, or something that one could use to stand on this never-ending abyss? No, there wasn't. No one could see past the curtains of the dark void, yet there were sounds of heavy footsteps that echoed throughout the abyss.
The rustling of chains accompanied the footsteps that walked through the floorless darkness. It defied all common sense and normality of the mortal realm, yet they sound clear as they could be. Out of the darkness, a black figure, whose visage was covered by the hood of its black cloak with metal chains dangling around his ankles, came out of the shadows with a hand gripped around its staff. A black jewel centered around the top half of the staff with two blades protruding around the orb. The item gave off an eerie and otherworldly feeling, almost as if the evil of the world was condensed in the form of the ebon orb.
The figure tapped the floorless abyss with its staff as several portals tore their way into the abyss, golem-like creatures came out of the tear of reality. The sound of gears turning enveloped the darkness; the mechanical golems stood behind the eldritch being as if they were waiting for orders. Under its hood, one could barely make out a grin. A grin that could easily send one's blood to run cold.
"That damn agent did a number on me, but I won't make the same mistake twice." It was man's voice that left the figure's lips; his very voice dripped with insanity and malice. "I may have failed to destroy that world, but I won't be stopped this time. Now, what world and timeline should I destroy next..."
Numerous orbs appeared out of nothing as a few floated towards the cloaked figure. Deep within the spheres, real-time footage of happenings in different worlds and timelines played. The sinister being pondered his options for a good minute or two before grabbing one of them as red eyes glowed under his hood.
"I think it's time I absorb another version of Ishmelga from this timeline... I wonder how those damn avatars will handle the chaos I will stir." The figure chuckled darkly as he swirled around the orb as if it was a wine glass. "Though, it won't matter at all. If that agent comes for me, I'll make sure that our next encounter will be his last..."
Notes: Okay, well that's another (and my first long) chapter done! This chapter was mainly about the alternate timeline and how its Rean was affected by NE!Rean's presence. I know you all might have questions, probably a lot... so, I will answer a few. First, the changes to this timeline won't be too much and will be almost identical to the canon timeline. I only made a few changes: Cedric not being influenced/brainwashed by Ishmelga and is now part of the branch with Testa-Rossa. Speaking of Testa-Rossa, Olivert and Class VII basically retrieved him in the past of this timeline after he returned to being a Divine Knight, but it was only recently revived and used during the Bryonia Island trip and the battle against the Aion. I won't be going over too many details here because they will be addressed in later chapters, albeit bits and pieces because the story is about NE!Rean (ignore chapter 3's title for lol)
Also, future fights will definitely be more hardcore like this one in terms of dealing damage against characters. Realistically speaking, clothes will definitely get torn, burnt, ripped, and even frozen due to the abilities and arts in the series. Blood will also be dealt if someone gets hit by a strong attack, that is why the fight with Aurelia and Victor was like that. Next, what happened to Alternate Timeline Rean (or maybe AU!Rean for short)? Normally, Rean will still definitely struggle even with Spirit Unification against Aurelia and Victor, but because of NE!Rean being in the area for a moment, their wavelengths eventually matched during the fight. That caused AU!Rean's Spirit Unification to get a boost from the Agent of Aidios' own form of Spirit Unification. The difference between the power of AU and NE! Rean is still very, very, very wide, but it was enough for instructor Rean to fight the swordsmen and pressure them during the fight. The matching wavelength also caused AU!Rean to use his counterpart's own craft during the fight (albeit a weaker version of it) at the price of gaining fragments of his memory whenever he is unconscious and losing awareness of his actions.
One more thing, chapters focusing on the alternate timeline will be rare since the story will reach a point that NE!Rean will meet with the others. Finally, the antagonist of the fic appears and kept on mentioning about a certain agent~