Reviews:
Jormungard999- An excellent ReanXFie fic. I certainly like the way you made them interact with each other, albeit Fie being a bit less cynical as she would be. But then again, she was growing out of that phase. Looking forward for the next chapters!
Thank you! It makes us happy that you think it was excellent. And yeah, Fie can be her stoic self from time to time, but obviously spending time with her lover and Class VII softened that part of her~ I hope you look forward on the next chapters!
"What took you so long?"
Rude as usual, the three were greeted by the frowning professor. His arms crossed as he gave them an irritated glare. Even after everything they have been through, Rean was not surprised that the professor would still be the... professor they all know, and at the very least, admire for his achievement, support, and guidance. He did wish that he would be a little nicer to them once in a while.
"Prince Olivert and Princess Alfin had to give back Rean's tachi, not our fault you couldn't wait a little longer." Fie snapped back but with a blank expression on her visage.
"Clearly." Schmidt started, his expression still stern. "I asked Celestine to give me a copy of the requests he had prepared for you. I had calculated that you would have finished them in 3 or 4 hours at the very least. I have no idea why telling a bunch of children some story took so long, but that wouldn't be an issue unless there was something else that delayed your arrival."
The three sweatdropped. The fact that he was able to get everything right was almost terrifying. The black-haired instructor wouldn't dare to reveal why they took so long, and it wasn't because of the Arnor royals' arrival to Leeves; but because he had another heart-to-heart talk with his lover. The thought of revealing that was too embarrassing; he just hopes Fie wouldn't get him busted.
"I don't see why you're upset when you knew we could be late." The Azure Chevalier groaned.
"Oh. I see you brought Armbrust with you." The elder noted, now only noticing his presence. "Have you come back to consider my offer about being my test pilot in gathering data?"
"Oi! Is that seriously the first thing you say to someone you haven't seen in a week?!" Crow genuinely asked with a glum tone, only to realize it was pointless. "Scratch that, you totally would."
"Hmph. If you are not here to take my offer, I presume you're here with Schwarzer and Claussell?"
"Kinda obvious, doncha think?" Fie butted in, her annoyance increasing.
"Knowing Armbrust, he may have just dropped by and had other business to take care of," Schmidt remarked, not bothered by her rude tone. "but considering none of your students are here with you, you will be accompanied by these two, yes?"
"That's right, I hope that's not a problem." Rean rubbed the back of his neck, a little worried that the professor might not allow the two to be part of the request.
"That won't be an issue. Unlike before when you and the other members of Class VII would drop by, the new level is specially made for anyone who enters the area."
"Really?"
"Meaning; that the level itself will adapt to the test-takers. The stronger the test taker is, the higher the difficulty will be. Since you brought two members of the Original Class VII, expect the test to be different from anything you have faced before." The grouchy professor elucidated the test. "I would suggest taking this seriously, or else you could very well die in there."
The last part of his statement made the mood in the room go dark. The three weren't sure to be terrified or to be amazed by how easily he could say that.
"Well, I'm definitely looking forward to dying again," Crow said sarcastically.
"Let's not joke about that." Rean sighed as he brought out his new tachi. "We'll do our best, Professor Schmidt."
"Very well. Because the level adapts to its test-takers, it's called '?', or simply known as Level Unknown." The genius revealed the reason for the naming of the level. "Enter the chamber when you're ready, but don't make me wait for too long."
Ending the conversation there, Professor Schmidt walked away and headed towards the control room of the Keep. The trio looked at each other and nodded before entering the chamber. The panel of Level [?] was now available for them to use. As if they read each other's minds, the three took out their ARCUS units.
"Seems like we all had the same thought." Crow grinned as he changed his orbment set-up. "Since you two are the powerhouse duo here, I'll support you guys with my pistols and arts."
"You're being awfully considerate today." Fie couldn't help but poke fun at the slacker's consideration. She didn't mind his thoughtfulness, though. She really appreciated how he had been today; even his teasing wasn't annoying her as much.
"C'mon, Fie. I wouldn't want to interrupt the two of you roughing the nasties in there~." The sound of Fie's gunswords getting cocked was caught by Crow's ears; sweat started to form around his forehead. "I mean; I wouldn't want to interrupt the two of you fighting together after so long!"
"That's what I thought."
"Alright, guys, knock it off. We need to take this seriously." Rean tried to calm both parties, but he wasn't able to stop a blush from forming. His hand reached into his coat pocket, fishing out an item he wanted Crow to have. "If you're gonna be using arts, you can use this."
"Hmm?"
Crow extended his hand as Rean gave the blue orb to him. The MQ was etched with a mage as its design, the element of water being its primary element. Crow could feel the power flowing out of the Magius Master Quartz.
"Heh, it's been a while since I used a Master Quartz specifically for casting arts. Thanks." The ex-terrorist didn't hesitate in changing his main Master Quartz with the one the instructor gave to him. As he set the MQ in, he could already feel the difference between the Magius and his Gungnir MQ. "If you're gonna give me one, then you can use mine."
The slacker casually threw his time MQ at Rean, who luckily was able to catch it.
"You really shouldn't throw these things!"
"You caught it, didn't you?"
Rean sighed, knowing that it was pointless to scold his best friend. The swordsman didn't mind using it as his main MQ; it was not like it was his first time in using Crow's Master Quartz anyway. Taking out his Brigid MQ from its slot, he inserted Gungnir. He looked to his lover, who was fiddling with her own ARCUS.
"Do you want to use mine, Fie?" He offered, holding his Brigid MQ with his left hand.
She raised her head and looked at his fuchsia orbs, a smile crossed her face. "Thanks, Rean. But I think I'll use it for my sub MQ."
"Alright." He chuckled as he returned the quartz to his coat. "Are you gonna use Gungnir for your sub, Crow?"
"Nah, I may be able to deal a shit ton of pain to whatever's in there by using Gungnir. But I need something that will make me keep up with the two of you and debilitate the ones inside." He rationalized. His classmates were the fastest of their group; using Azure Destiny would easily allow him to keep up and even outspeed the two, but that would use too much of his stamina.
"How about using mine, then?" Fie suggested. "It'll give you the speed you need and lower their fighting capabilities."
True. Her time MQ allowed users to gain a noticeable change in their speed and agility as well as debuffing their foes. It was so obvious that it made Crow chuckle internally.
"Not a bad idea." He quickly set her Zephyr MQ as his sub-quartz.
"Okay, I think we wasted enough time here. Let's go!"
"Ja/Right!"
Activating the panel, the door opened to the elevator of Level [?]. The three set foot on the elevator as it descended down to their destination.
...
As the trio exited out of the lift, they felt a strong sensation in the area.
"What the?!"
"This feeling...!" Fie clutched her chest, overwhelming energy was causing her to feel a sharp pain.
"The higher elements, but..." The first one to notice it was Rean, but before he could tell his observation, the professor cut him off.
Correct. Your senses haven't dulled then, Schwarzer. The voice of Schmidt rang in the intercom. What you are sensing is not just the higher elements, but also a property I personally developed myself.
"Property?" The instructor needed some clarification. If he were to compare the sensation to something, it would be... "Is this some kind of form of negative energy, Professor Schmidt?"
Hmm, correct.
"Negative... energy...?" Rean looked over to Crow, a crimson aura was leaking out of his body. Almost as if it was trying to get out.
"Crow?! What's going on?!"
"I'm fine! The other energy I haven't used in a long time was just going wild..." Taking a deep breath, the red aura surrounding the Chevalier faded. "You crazy ass professor, to think you actually found a way to create something as insane as this."
"Yeah... he really is nuts," Fie grunted, her jaeger aura starting to weaken. "Phew, that feels better."
Say what you will, but this will allow more efficient training for those who utilize negative energy as a source of strength. The property infused in the area causes the negative energy inside an individual to go rampant. If unchecked, the energy could harm the individual from the inside.
The way he said it so calmly irritated the instructor. It was fortunate that his companions weren't that affected by the new property too much. The area had the higher elements and a property that causes the negative energy inside humans to go haywire; it wasn't something he could just let anyone enter for training. The professor had done crazy things in the past, but Rean was close to calling this the stupidest thing he has ever done in his career.
"Sorry, professor. I can't allow my students in the Keep while this new property of yours is in effect." Rean stated sternly. "If we finish this and give you enough data, will you stop with these kinds of experiments?"
Schmidt went quiet for a while, and no one dared speak when Rean was acting like this. After a while, the professor spoke again.
"I'll consider it, but I will be increasing the final trial at the end by tenfold."
"Fine by me."
"Are you sure, Rean?" The bracer asked; concern and worry apparent on her visage. Since this was one of the few times he would get upset, she was worried he would risk his life just to finish this test to stop the craziness of the professor.
"It'll be fine, Fie," Rean reassured her, his battle aura already manifesting.
"Let's get this show on the road!" The slacker slammed his fist in his palm. Despite his earlier reaction to the Keep, he was getting excited. "Don't worry about me, Rean. I was just caught off guard by this area's environment; I won't let my energy run wild again."
"Same goes for me. You won't see my bloodlust running wild." Fie reassured her lover.
"You guys..."
Seeing their confidence in their statement, he couldn't help but smile.
I suggest you start now, or else you'll be finishing the test by evening. Professor Schmidt suggested in the intercom. The area does not have any tricks or mechanisms to it, it is very straightforward. The enemies, however, are not.
The elderly man wasn't joking; Rean could sense monsters in the area. Knowing the professor, there was a high chance they will encounter one of his machines.
"All right! Our mission is to clear Einhel Keep Level [?], Fie and Crow, prepare for combat!"
At his command, the two took out their weapons. Like he planned earlier, Crow brought out his dual pistols as he backed away from the two, giving them enough space so he wouldn't clash against them while fighting. Rean unsheathed his tachi as he took the position of the vanguard. Thinking ahead, the slacker immediately started casting an art.
"Incoming Chrono Drive, now!"
A projection of a clock was created beneath their feet, increasing the trio's speed and movement.
"Follow me!" Rean commanded as he took the lead, the two following from behind.
The professor was telling the truth when he said it was straightforward, but knowing what he was like, no one can blame them for doubting his words. With only left and right turns, the three made their way into the first room of monsters. Scanning the monster-filled room: three Great Geenews and one Empress Geenew were roaming around. The slimy fish monsters had the annoying ability to release electricity by converting their own orbal energy. The three still remember how many times they got paralyzed by the beast.
"Don't worry about getting your movements sealed! I'll back you guys up!" Nodding at Crow, the couple darted towards the Geenew, taking one each.
The monsters caught the presence of their attackers and started to attack. Rean's Geenew lunged at him, razor-sharp fangs wanting to crush the instructor's body. The blade of his tachi ignited as flames coated the steel. With the help of Crow's Chrono Drive, he dashed past the serpentlike creature, slashing it in half. On the other side of the room, Fie dodged every attack of the monster; with each dodge, she drilled bullets into it.
While the one beast Fie was fighting was kept busy, the other Great Geenew and the Empress saw its fallen comrade and screeched. The slimy monsters released a stream of electricity on the ground. Crow, who was observing the fight the entire time, saw this and jumped from his position.
"Guys, jump!" His voice alerted the two and jumped, avoiding the attack. Crow's crimson eyes locked onto the Empress, the barrel of his pistol aimed towards its head. A lenslike scope was created in his field of vision; magic circled surrounded his weapon. "Eat this... Chaos Trigger!"
Firing the gun, a destructive beam of energy was released. The blast hit its intended target; the Empress screamed in agony as blood spilled on the ground. The two Great Geenew saw their empress in pain and attacked the assailants. Rean sheathed his tachi while Fie crossed her arms into an X shape, ready to counter their attack.
"Crimson Slash!"
"Let's go!"
Still in midair, Fie dived at full speed at the serpent beast. Her twin gunswords cutting through the middle as she left an X-marked cut, blood gushing out of the wound. A second Geenew went wild, aggravated at the sight of its dead brother. It came out of its hole and opened its jaws to the fullest in an attempt to consume the bracer; it was futile as a burning shockwave knocked it off in the air.
"Crow, deal with the Empress! I'll take care of the other one!" Rean said, landing on the ground before bolting towards the monster. "Fie, link with me!"
"Got it!" The couple formed a combat link with each other.
The serpent quickly recovered as it unleashed another electric shockwave on the ground. This time, however, the duo had no trouble detecting the attack. Using their shared senses, the two leaped in unison as Fie began firing her gunswords at the target. The bullets gradually pierced its slimy form, weakening the serpent. The two performed a Rush attacked, simultaneously cutting the beast.
Crow grinned at the two's combo attack, not like he expected anything less from them. He turned his attention to the Empress, clearly enraged by the deaths of her subjects. It released a powerful electric attack. Unlike what she used earlier, covering the whole area with electricity. The three of them jumped but were unable to completely avoid the attack.
The electricity sealed their movements as they fell on the floor. Fie tried her best to get up, but it was apparent that her movements have been restrained. Rean, on the other hand, was unable to even lift his tachi.
"Shit..." The slacker cursed as he tried to stand up. Whether it was luck or tenacity, his condition was better compared to the two. "Now I'm really pissed..."
"Crow... be careful. That's not like the one we fought a long time ago." Fie warned; the static made her struggle to even talk.
"Yeah... that thing is enhanced because of whatever Professor Schmidt did." They really needed to clear this test and question what the hell is this property the professor created. The instructor regretted not bringing any recovery materials and not using his Spirit Unification. If he did that, he would have been unaffected by the sealing effect of the Geenew. "You need to—"
"Shut up for a sec, Rean... This one's mine."
"...huh?"
He was confused at what he meant by that; if they don't finish the beast right now, they could get seriously injured. But he soon understood what Crow meant when he saw him take out a bottle. Removing the cap, the Azure Awakener drank the balm in one gulp. He could feel his nerves relaxing.
"ARCUS activate..."
Crow took out his ARCUS and cast another time art. Two projections of a clock appeared beside him, the hands turning clockwise at an unnatural speed before enveloping Crow with a green aura. The robe of energy didn't last as it quickly faded into his person.
"How do you like this..." The slacker clutched his left eye, negative energy was being charged within it.
"Rean."
"Yeah, Fie?" Rean didn't notice that Fie already cast an art to remove the sealing on his body. "What the..."
"We need to move away. Crow's attack is going to be bigger than his usual."
The swordsman stood up and nodded; the two moved out of attack range as they watched what their friend was going to do next.
The Empress was getting annoyed by the slacker every second. Her patience lost, she lunged at him. As soon as it got close, Crow removed his palm from his left eye.
"Awaken!"
A demonic crimson eye appeared above the serpent, blasting the monster with attacks from beyond the human realm. It crushed the mind of the beast, sending mental attacks that could make its kind retreat in fear. The craft instilled fear and confusion in the monster, but it was persistent. With nothing left to lose, it blindly attacked Crow.
Crow dodged to the left as he fired a few bullets, wounding the beast even further. The shots forced the Geenew to be knocked off as it stumbled across the room.
"Rean! Use your Brave Order now!"
"Huh?!" The sudden order surprised the instructor. He would easily cooperate, but the problem was that he doesn't know which order to use. It was until Crow pulled out his ARCUS that he knew what to do next. "Alright!"
Taking out his ARCUS, he activated the order that Crow needed. "Devour! Dark Moon Formation!"
Purple circles appeared beneath the trio, a certain boon empowering them. The slacker smirked in delight as azure runes surrounded him. The serpent beast recovered as it charged at Crow with its bloodlust-filled fangs. But Crow didn't move; in fact, he was smirking confidently. The two were bewildered but quickly realized that their companion would be fine.
Slowly manifesting out of thin air, a gigantic figure of a wolf appeared. The silver beast howled as it raised its head, mouth wide open as it gathered mirage energy. A sphere was hovering above its jaws before it shrunk to fit inside of it. As the serpent approached the Chevalier, he raised an arm before pointing at his target.
"Disappear... Albino Wolf!"
The wolf locked eyes with the creature as it fired the concentrated energy ball. The art was boosted by the effects of the Magius MQ; the injuries the slacker sustained increased the attack. The monster's eyes widen, but it was too late; the art exploded upon impact. A bright white light engulfed the room, forcing the couple to cover their eyes. The light slowly fading, the duo looked towards the Empress, who was now basically a sludge on the floor. Both instructors turned to Crow, lying on the floor.
"Crow!" They ran to the slacker's side but were stopped by him.
"I'm fine... just let me lie down for a while." He waved his hand lazily as it dropped to the floor. The two sighed before smiling to themselves. "Oh yeah, better take these just in case." Crow reached into his pocket, pulling out two Tearal Balms."
"Thanks, guess it's our fault for not being prepared." Fie sighed as she saved her recovery item in her bag. "Sorry, you had to deal with that by yourself, Crow."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Rean apologized as well as he rubbed the back of his neck.
The laidback man sat up from the floor as he chuckled. "It's cool. The bastards pissed me off; kinda gone overboard, though. A Gallion Fort and Chronos Bullet would have done the job since I had that MQ equipped." His crimson hues looked over to his work; he felt like gagging from the sight. He really did go a little wild.
Crow took out an EP Charge from his pocket before he inserted it on his ARCUS. It only took a few seconds before his ARCUS was fully charged.
"I'm good to go now, onto to the next room!"
He jumped from his sitting position like he was never injured at all as he began to trek deeper into the Keep. The two sweatdropped at the slacker's resilience and gung-ho attitude, but they didn't think it was a bad thing. They soon followed after him.
...
Since there weren't any monsters or machines in sight, Fie shared her thoughts as they strolled the facility.
"I'm impressed that you were able to tell what Crow needed at the last second, Rean. He never told you which order to use, after all."
"Ah... yeah, I guess I got lucky I understood what he meant when he raised his ARCUS."
The slacker turned his head to look at his companions, a somewhat apologetic expression present on his face. "That was my bad; I wasn't really thinking straight, and that Geenew aggravated me, so I wanted to make its death as painful as possible..." He averted his gaze at the two, a little embarrassed at his dark words.
Luckily, the silver-haired instructor has something to say about his agro behavior earlier.
"I don't think that was your fault. Professor Schmidt did say that this place causes the negative energy to go crazy if unchecked. Maybe one of its effects is to make you more hostile and gets you pissed off more easily?"
"Wow, I never thought about that. I'm impressed."
"Yeah, Fie. That doesn't sound farfetched; it actually makes sense why Crow got angry so easily." Rean was amazed by her observation of the environment. He bet fifty mira that her theory was true. "So that could mean that even if your negative energy isn't going crazy, it could still affect your mind..."
"Damn, Old Man Schmidt has really done it now. That sounds like the curse all over again."
"Tell me about it." Fie sighed before hearing the sound of gears moving. "We're approaching new enemies; sounds like they are machines."
"All right, guys— prepare for combat!"
The trio drew their weapons as they went into the next room. As they arrived, they were soon forced to dodge as bullets fired at them. One of the professor's variations of Ouroboros' archaism, a modified Gespard Gerrod, was present at the center of the room. The heavily armed machine was packing more firepower than before; to make matters worse, they could tell from a single glance that its armor was reinforced.
The metal attacker fired missiles at the trio, forcing them to separate and evade once more. Crow readied to fire an art, runes circling his form. Fie barraged the machine with bullets while trying to keep her distance. Rean fired several Crimson Slash crafts at their target, only for it to be moved from its position by a small amount.
"Diamond Nova!"
Snow began to fall, slowly freezing the archaism from the bottom-up. The Gerrod was encased in a crystal of ice, only for it to break free from the art.
"Damn, this thing probably has art-resistance armor!" The white-haired man cursed, backing away as the machine fired its ammo at the slacker. He positioned himself where he would have some insurance with his casting. He prepared to cast another Albino Wolf. "Guys, distract it for me!"
"Got it!"
"Roger!"
Rean and Fie linked up once more as they rushed at their opponent, dodging its firearms as they closed the distance. The two went wild as they hacked and slashed the machine, their speed increasing with every attack. A normal archaism would have been destroyed by now, but only a scratch was visible.
'Fast attacks aren't working; we need to use a concentrated attack!' The black-haired swordsman realized that their unison attacks weren't effective. They were pushing the Gerrod back; they couldn't deal any noticeable damage.
"Alright, I'm ready!"
The two separated at Crow's voice, a ball of mirage blast launched towards the archaism. An explosion occurred as it hit their target.
"How do ya like that—"
Missiles revealed themselves from the explosion, flying towards the trio. The gunslinger easily destroyed the projectiles by firing a rain of bullets, while the other two respectively cut their own missiles in half. The smoke caused by the blast cleared, the Gespard Gerrod still functioning properly.
"Oh, come on!" Crow exclaimed his frustration. "How tough is this thing?!"
"I guess we have to rely on our crafts..." Fie said as she regrouped with Crow.
"Yeah... let me handle it."
The two light-haired adults turned their heads at Rean, his tachi radiating with a reddish glow. They swear they could see flames igniting from the blade as if it was reacting to the instructor. Rean gripped his tachi as he steps forward; he looked towards his lover, smiling.
"I need your help, Fie."
"Of course, anything." She stated, but her worry was apparent on her visage. "But are you sure you want to deal with that archaism alone?"
He walked towards the girl and patted her head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
She blushed as she gave him a smile of her own. She knew Rean would keep his word. Fie stepped back as she took out her ARCUS.
"Are you gonna cast an art?" Crow questioned.
"Nope, I'm gonna give Rean some speed."
"Isn't that— oh! I get it!" It registered in the slacker's mind what Fie was going to do. "I'm gonna cast you some support arts then!"
"Yeah, I'm saving my Spirit Unification for the final test here," Rean answered as he turned to his enemy. "I'm counting on you two."
Grinning from ear to ear, Crow cast Chrono Burst before casting a Saintly Force on Rean. The white aura wrapped itself around the instructor; he could feel his strength increasing. He drew back his blade, readying himself. As he took his first step forward, Fie activated her order.
"Blow 'em away! Zephyr Tempest!"
A lime-green circle appeared beneath the trio, empowering them.
"Arcane!" Rean kicked the ground as he performed a downward slash on the archaism as he went to its back. Sheathing his blade, he fired a crimson shockwave. "Gale!" The Gungnir MQ resonated with the swordsman's craft, boosting its power. The machine was knocked off the ground, the man ran forward and slashed it repeatedly. Sparks started coming out of the Gerrod; its armor was being crushed by each attack.
The armored machine fired its firearms in all directions. Missiles and bullets rained like hell; Rean evaded each one, cutting the missiles in half if he failed to dodge it. His blade was lit ablaze as he engaged the machine again. He relentlessly slashed the archaism into pieces before leaping back.
Rean's tachi brightened as the flames changed into a bluish hue. He smiled as he raised his tachi above his head. "Azure flames, gather in my blade!" Azure flames started to gather from nowhere, surrounding his blade. He missed this feeling, one of his oldest moves and the first technique he was able to evolve. He couldn't help but smile even wider.
"Hehe, it's been a while since I've seen him smile like that during a fight."
"I don't doubt it. He's smiling like a mad man right now." Crow chuckled at the sight. "Heh, he probably only smiles like that when he's dueling you. And you probably smile like crazy whenever he looks at you~."
"S-shut up!" Crow's unnecessary teasing earned him a punch to his shoulder as he lets out a yelp of pain. She huffed and returned her attention; her annoyance quickly disappeared as a smile emerged. The sight of her lover surrounded by those majestic flames tugged her heart, and that smile, she wanted to protect that treasured smile of his.
Rean kicked off the ground as he charged towards the Gerrod, his tachi raised above his head. The archaism was about to launch another set of missiles, only for the machine to meet a blade wrapped in flames. The swordsman cut through the weapon as he left a trail of azure flames in his wake.
Electric sparks violently flew out of the archaism; it could do nothing more than stand there as it soon exploded into pieces.
Fie lets a sigh of relief escape her as her knees fell to the ground. She knew her boyfriend could handle it, but it seems her habit of always being concerned for his well-being was second nature. Her chartreuse optics focused on the panting swordsman, who's sheathing back his tachi.
"You made it look so easy," Crow commented with a grin. "using those flames of yours brought back some memories."
"Like how I used it to beat you during our fight in the Pantagruel?" The instructor quipped as a smirk crossed his face.
"Oi! That was a draw, and you know it!" The slacker retorted as he brought his black-haired friend into a headlock, ruffling his hair.
"Hey, stop that!"
"Heh, you two look like a bunch of idiots right now," Fie remarked, standing back up from the floor.
The partners-in-crime laughed at her blunt remark. Crow released the instructor from his headlock as he buried his hands in his pockets. He walked over to the remnants of their opponent, which were just scraps of metal at this point.
The slacker lightly tapped the still melting piece with his fingers. The red-eyed man withdrew his hand as it was still scorching hot; at least now, he knew it was worth risking his fingers to find something about Rean's new tachi.
'So it really did make a difference...' He smiled to himself.
"Is something wrong, Crow?" Rean asked, noticing that he walked over to the destroyed archaism.
"Oh, just checking to see how good you wrecked this hunk of junk."
"That's a little weird..."
"Meh." Crow thought it wasn't a big deal to inform them about his light burn. "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier, but how does your new tachi feel?"
The black-haired swordsman's eyes widen. How did Crow notice the difference so quickly? His lips curled upwards as he took out his blade from its sheath. "It feels amazing. It's not just light or sharper; I can't exactly explain it, but... it feels so much easier to use. That's not the only thing I noticed; this tachi can control the flames of my techniques easily compared to my old one."
"That's pretty cool," Fie commented as she gave a little poke to the tip of the blade. "it's definitely a Zemurian weapon; it doesn't have any visible scratches considering how hard that archaism's armor was."
"No kidding, I doubt my pistols would have done much," Crow admitted.
Rean returned his weapon back to its scabbard. "Well, it was all thanks to the two of you that I was able to defeat the professor's archaism. Thanks, you two."
"Dummy..." Despite Fie calling him a dummy, she had a smile on her visage.
"It's a given we'll help you out!" Crow patted his back as he grinned.
If you're done with your sappy sideshow, I suggest you hurry. It's already been an hour since you've started, and if I recall correctly, you still have a meeting to attend to. The professor reminded from the intercom, his tone indicated that he was growing impatient with how slow they are progressing. That being said, here is one piece of advice from me.
"Advice?" The slacker repeated. He definitely wasn't believing that his advice would be helpful.
You best prepare yourself; the last enemy you will face will prove to be a challenge like no other, especially since you only have three combatants.
"Seriously? It's like you're trying to kill us." The silver-haired instructor retorted.
Not necessarily. I am only telling you this as an act of kindness. You actually listening to me is a different matter. An "act of kindness" was a strong word, but for anyone who knew the professor, he was being awfully kind by telling them that.
"Understood, Professor Schmidt. We'll be sure to prepare ourselves."
The elder didn't reply so Rean took that as a sign that they can move forward.
"There will probably be a recovery station further; let's use that time to prepare ourselves."
The light-haired duo nodded in agreement as Rean led them deeper in the Keep.
...
It didn't take long before they reached the final room of the Keep. And just like what Rean had said, there was indeed a recovery station right next to the door. The three activated the device; soothing energy healed their wounds and charged the EP of their ARCUS. Their injuries weren't that serious since they used a healing art earlier, but it was better to be completely recovered and their ARCUS fully charged.
"Alright, I bet fifty mira that we'll see an army of the professor's little robots." Crow suddenly suggested. "Anyone wanna bet on that?"
"A robot cryptid? One of the professor's new machines? Maybe even some big bad monster..." Fie began guessing all of the types of enemies she could think of.
"Could you two please take this seriously...?" The black-haired instructor couldn't believe that they were betting on what kind of life-threatening opponent they will have to face. He had a feeling something like this would happen when the two light-haired individuals were together. They were both troublemakers in their own way. "It doesn't matter who or what we'll face on the other side of that door. We'll overcome the challenge and finish this request!"
"And there he goes again, his iconic speeches."
"But that's the kind of guy you fell for~." Fie tried to low kick the slacker but failed as he managed to dodge it in time. "Whoops! You almost had me there, Sylphid~."
Fie clicked her tongue as she took out her gunswords.
"Woah! Don't shoot!"
"It's not for you, idiot. I'm just getting ready." The bracer grumbled. "But don't think you're safe just yet." A shiver-inducing grin crossed her face as she cocked her weapon.
Crow sweatdropped at her threatening statement. "I am so not looking forward to leaving this place now..."
"Fie, please don't try to kill Crow here..." Rean attempted to convince his lover to not playfully harm their friend. "At least wait till we got out of the Keep." At least not here.
"Roger that~."
"You traitor! How could you do this to your best friend?!"
"You're the one who tried to tease Fie." The instructor reminded him. "It's your own fault that she wants some payback."
The white-haired slacker groaned as he took out his pistols. "Let's just get this over with... I'm sure the old man is getting tired of watching our little banter."
"On that, we agree." Fie grinned smugly before turning to her lover. "Are you ready, Rean?"
The instructor might have looked confident when he said that they will overcome this challenge earlier, but he wasn't sure if he was ready. He may be getting used to his new tachi, but his usual confidence in his sword skills wasn't one hundred percent back. Unsheathing his weapon, his eyes locked at the red and silver blade. He closed his eyes, recalling how Prince Olivert had gone through his connections so it could be repaired. The only reason he was able to do the professor's request was because of the weapon he was gifted.
He gripped the handle tightly, his confidence slowly returning. Like hell he was going to disappoint the prince by not believing in his skills. The only thing he could think of to repay him is by showing their triumphant return. His lilac hues opened as he smiled.
"I'm ready."
A smile of her own took place as she returned her sights to the door. "Then let's get to it."
"It's time for Class VII's former light-haired trio to show that old goat what we're made of!" Rean cringed at the slacker's name for the three of them since his hair wasn't white anymore. Despite that, he still chuckled.
The trio entered the final room of the Keep, their final obstacle standing tall right in front of them.
"Holy shit..."
Crow's surprise was the only verbal indication that filled the room. The couple could only look at their final trial with widened eyes. A gigantic humanoid archaism stood in the center of the room; it was over twenty arge tall. Their thoughts ran wild at the appearance of the titan; unfortunately for them, their eyes weren't playing tricks on them.
It was an Aion.
All three thought about how in the world did the professor manage to get or even build an archaism of that caliber. They knew he would often request the destroyed parts of the Aions to be brought to him. But they never imagined he would actually try and replicate one!
To add insult to injury, Professor Schmidt improved the mechanical titan. They could tell it was a Type-y with how wide the body was; those humongous arms were a dead giveaway as well. Its color was slightly lighter; it was also equipped with what looks like two cannons on the back. The three didn't know if they should be impressed or be worried. Though, their visages indicated the latter more than the former.
As they continued to be awestruck by the sight of an Aion in the Keep, the professor decided to snap them out of it.
This will be your final test. Defeat the Aion in front of you and you pass the trial.
"Wait, wait, wait! How in the hell did you get a freaking Aion?!" Crow couldn't hazard a guess; he was completely bewildered.
Hmph, I didn't. I used all the data I collected from the scraps you brought me to replicate an Aion. It was quite a challenge, but I was able to create one after numerous attempts. For your information, this Aion Type-y is as powerful as the one you fought in Sutherland. Since I have no means to obtain the technology Ouroboros used that allowed them to make these archaisms move, it's merely accurate in appearance. You could even say it is just a gigantic machine. The grouchy professor informed them in the speaker. But don't think it will be easy to take it down. I at least calibrated it to be... somewhat beatable without the need of a Soldat, but it does have something that differentiates it from the original.
"Oh, I feel sooooo much better." The slacker snapped, sarcasm filled his tone.
"I never knew he was this crazy..." Fie mused. She still was in disbelief; she really should know better by now. "We're gonna have a tough time with one, huh?"
I won't comment on that. But it will be difficult to engage it would only three of you fighting it. Be cautious with your approach; that is all. The professor soon turned off his intercom, leaving the three alone with the machine.
As if on cue, the Aion started to move. Raising its gigantic fist, the titan smashed the floor where the trio was standing, forcing them to get out of the way. The two gunslingers shot out bullets like hell as they backed away. The pieces of lead couldn't penetrate the archaism's armor, and with a swing from its arm, they had to dodge again.
Crow grunted as he wasn't fast enough to dodge its attack completely. Due to the speed of its swing, its metallic finger managed to knock the slacker out of his feet. He held on to the flooring as he was knocked back, his fingers grazed as he stopped himself from hitting the wall of the room.
"Damnit... this thing hits harder than I thought." Crow exhaled as he gripped his chest. "Fie, link up with me!"
The silver-haired girl heard his order and replied. "Got it!"
The two formed a combat link as they ran towards their foe. The mechanical giant raised both of its fists and rammed it into the ground, causing a shockwave. The three of them jumped as Fie and Crow fired their weapons at their opponent. Rean focused his energy on his blade as he fired an arc-shaped fire shockwave. The craft landed on their target, but it wasn't enough to damage its armor.
What happened next shocked the trio.
Usually, a machine with a large body structure would struggle to keep up with something that had superior speed, but they should have expected this would happen. The Aion closed the gap between itself and Rean, its knuckles meeting the Chevalier's face. His body collided with the wall as he coughed out his red fluids. Rean's body fell to the ground, blood covering the floor.
"REAN!"
Fie's cry was cut short as the titan aimed its fist at her. Using the momentum of the approaching knuckle, the silver-haired instructor used its metal gauntlets as a launchpad and jumped even higher. She was about to pounce to its main body when the cannon behind its back pointed directly at her. Energy began to gather at the barrel.
'Crap!'
"Take this!" A large blue orb of energy landed on the archaism's head, forcing the cannon to stop charging. The Type-y turned to its attacker and raised another fist. "Nuh, uh, uh." The slacker rolled over to his right as he locked on to the right shoulder of the machine.
After closer observation, its upper limbs actually exposed parts of its circuits. If Crow's train of thought was correct, a powerful attack is needed to sever the circuits from its limbs. He gathered energy in his pistol as he aimed at the gap between the Aion's arm and shoulder. A small blue orb of energy formed in front of his barrel.
"Chronos Bullet!"
He shot the craft as it hit his desired target. Sparks flew as its right arm started to slow down, unable to move. Fie's eyes widen in the realization of what just happened. She looked for the same gap Crow spotted, this time on its left arm. The petite bracer ran towards the wall and jumped. Since the archaism was still recovering the function of its right arm, it didn't notice the bracer that landed on its left shoulder. Fie buried bullets into the gap as small explosions took place at its left. Before she could get caught in one, she jumped and landed safely on the ground.
She looked over to her lover, who was still lying on the floor. Worry and terror filled her being as she rushed to his side, only for her path to be blocked by bullets fired by the Aion. She glared at the assailant but returned her attention to her lover; she didn't care about anything else. Luckily for her, Crow was distracting the colossus by acting as bait, its attention fully on the white-haired man.
'Thanks, Crow.' She thanked the man in her mind as she darted to the instructor's side. "Rean!" She immediately checked if he was breathing; and thanked Aidios he was. Tears pricked her eyes as she activated her ARCUS; she cast a Holy Breath on her lover, his eyes slowly opening.
"Gah... damn it, my body is a wreck—" His musing was interrupted as his body was wrapped with loving arms. "F-Fie?! What's wrong?!"
"I'm glad you're okay..." She sniffled as she tightened her embrace.
"Ow, ow, ow! Please don't break my bones..." Rean pleaded. As much as he loved receiving Fie's affection, the situation wasn't exactly right, and if his body wasn't completely crushed, he would have hugged her back.
"Oh, sorry..." The bracer released him from her crushing embrace. "Can you move? That Aion got you good..."
Rean grunted in pain, but he was able to stand up. "Yeah, I can still move by myself."
His eyes roamed to the slacker, who was starting to struggle to evade the archaism's attacks. The mechanical titan mercilessly fired lasers as well as pounding its fists at the Chevalier. He was able to dodge every attack that came his way, but his exhaustion started to take its toll on his body. His movements gradually became slower, his breathing starting to get heavy.
"We need to help Crow. He can't keep dodging!"
"Yeah. We were able to find a weakness, but I guess it recovered now..." She grimaced as she noticed the movements of the Aion had returned to normal. "Damaging the circuits between its arm and shoulders does the trick, but it's only temporary."
"Then we need to find a way to stop its movements for good." It was easier said than done, though. Rean has been scanning for a weak spot since he regained consciousness. His eyes widened as he noticed small gaps between its legs. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed the circuits. "Let's restrain its mobility first."
"Okay, I'll follow your lead." The two nodded as they went off to assist Crow.
The white-haired slacker was growing exhausted with every dodge he did; he never wanted to throw up so badly before. Glancing to his side, he noticed the two lovers finally returning to the brawl. He couldn't help but grin to himself. 'Finally, I can take a break.'
Type-y noticed the two returning targets and fired its laser at them. The duo moved out of the way as they fired their respective projectile at the machine's legs. A flaming arc slash and lead bullets landed on the gap; sparks flew as the Aion got down on its knees. The pair linked up and dashed forward at its bottom limbs. The two with pinpoint accuracy slashed the circuits apart.
The Aion felt on its knees, its bottom limbs not functioning. The pair had no time to rest as the machine raised both of its fists high before descending into the ground. Crow, who was taking a breather, barely dodged the heavy attack that caused the facility to literally shake from the force, leaving the floor completely wrecked. The archaism began reconnecting its lower limbs as it fired lasers at the couple, but the two managed to evade the energy beams with ease.
The slacker was plotting as if his life depended on it... which was technically right. For a titan that big, it was able to move surprisingly well. Though, he already knew that due to their past encounters with speedy archaisms. Crow frowned at its overall fighting capabilities: its bone-crushing power, its unexpected reaction time, long-range projectiles, and that cannon. That damn cannon was making his heart race just by thinking how much destruction it may cause.
That was when it hit him.
'The cannon! Destroy it before we see the worse it could do!'
He backed away as far as he can from its range, at least at a range where those lasers wouldn't catch him off guard. "Fie! Let's blow the shit out of those cannons!" Crow bellowed as he started charging his guns. "Rean, distract it for us!"
"Roger!" Fie separated from her lover as she darted at the Aion, firing lead at the left cannon on its shoulder.
The swordsman of the trio nodded as he fired flaming shockwaves to gain the colossus's attention. And he got what he wanted; the Aion sent his fist flying towards Rean, who dodged it with Gale. He continued keeping its attention away from the two gunslingers as he fired his Crimson Slashes at him. During this time, its left cannon was at the brink of destruction, but also its legs are almost functional again.
"I'm gonna go with a big one, Crow!"
"Yeah! My pistols are ready for some shooting!" Crow concurred with Fie to do a double attack to destroy both artilleries. His attention moved towards the center when he heard the instructor cry out.
"Spirit Unification!" The young Schwarzer's body was covered with his usual fiery lightning aura. "Supreme Arcane Gale!"
Rean instantly appeared behind the Aion, sheathing his tachi as he left visible slash marks on the machine. All of his energy around its blade, he snapped his eyes open as he fired a shockwave of fire and lightning. Destroying the machine's legs indefinitely.
"Guys, now!"
"Eat shit, scrap metal! Chaos Trigger!"
"Take this!"
Fie held back the trigger of her gunswords as she released it, firing a large concentrated blast of energy. Followed by her was a violent crimson ray of insanity flying towards its target. The two crafts hit their mark as both cannons on the archaism's shoulders were destroyed.
"Hell yeah!" Crow pumped his fist at their work.
"Now, we won't have to worry about it firing that thing." Fie mused as she returned to Rean's side.
Their cries of relief were short-lived as the intercom turned on,
I'm impressed; I did not expect the three of you to deal that much damage to my Aion. Let alone form a strategy to take out its mobility and the cannons attached to its shoulders.
"Heh, now this thing won't be able to fire any big blasts of energy." Crow grinned despite not being able to see the professor. "Just sit tight there, old man. We'll finish this in a jiffy."
"If no more problems pop up anyway..." Fie added the last part as she sighed, knowing how Professor Schmidt does things.
"Hey! Don't jinx us, Fie! This thing is already hard to beat with just the three of us!"
"You should already know we're taking a test that Professor Schmidt created." Taking the hint, Crow could only groan at her statement.
You are not wrong.
"HUH?!" The light-haired duo exclaimed as their eyes widen.
Unlike the other two who showed their worries and concern, Rean still had his mask of calmness. "What do you mean by that, Professor?"
Prepare yourself, Schwarzer, Claussell, and Armbrust. My creation may not be on par with Ouroboros' monstrosities, but I have installed a unique system specially made for today.
"What are you—" Rean was cut off by the command of the older male's voice.
Aion Type-y Model S, activate Hyper Mode!
The outer surface of the Aion glowed a bright blue light as it began to stand up, to the horror of the three. In a single moment, the mechanical titan became faster than before. Its fist was now only a few reges away from Fie's face; at that moment, Rean was able to cover the front as attempted to block the attack with his tachi.
'Damnit! The Aion's gotten stronger and faster?!' Because of the sudden increase in its abilities, Rean wasn't able to focus and strengthen his guard in time. The instructor got knocked off the ground as he collided with Fie, sending both of them flying towards the wall.
"Rean! Fie!"
Before Crow could rush in and protect the two, he was greeted by a metal gauntlet to the chest. Blood spilled as he was sent flying across the room, crashing into the wall as he remained stuck there.
Good luck. I hope you'll be able to survive these five minutes of Gehenna. The professor coldly wished them good luck as he turned off the intercom once more.
The instructor was bleeding from head to toe, and his ribs were probably broken; this was the first time he had taken a hit with that kind of force before. He used his tachi for support as he tried to get back up, trying his best not to wince in pain. 'Professor Schmidt said five minutes... that form should only be able to last for five minutes. We need to stall it until its time is up!'
His eyes had gone as wide as plates when he realized that he crashed into his lover. "Fie!"
"I-I'm fine, Rean." She said as she got up from the ground.
"Fine?! Your head is bleeding!" He rushed to her side as he began to check her injury; luckily, it was only a cut on her head, probably due to the impact of their collision. "Dammit..."
"Seriously, Rean, I'm fine. It could have been worse if you hadn't protected me..." Fie reassured him as she cupped his cheek. The shadow of an arm cast over the two as she placed his arms over her shoulder before dodging the incoming knuckle. "We need to keep dodging it; our offensive powers decreased... you have a few broken bones, right?"
Rean gritted his teeth, hesitantly nodded at her observation. "Even with my Spirit Unification, I wasn't able to tank the hit..."
"We don't need to attack; I heard that professor say something about five minutes. I'm guessing we just need to stall it until five minutes our up?"
"Yeah, we just need to— whoa!?" The two narrowly dodged another smash attack from the Aion. "Like you said, we just need to keep dodging it."
She nodded as she continued carrying Rean. The girl did not have any broken bones despite how powerful the Aion could throw a punch, and it was all thanks to her lover, who protected her. Now, she has to protect him until they can find an opening. The two had the titan's full attention as it sent fist after fist towards the two. Fie's legs were screaming for her to take a break, and she would if she could, but their opponent isn't even giving her a chance to catch a breather.
And since she was carrying Rean, she wasn't at her top speed. Even he took note that he was hindering his partner's agility.
"Fie put me down."
"What?! I'm not putting you down, Rean!"
"You have to... we can't keep this forever, and you carrying me is decreasing your speed and stamina even more!" He tried to reason. "I'll be fine."
Fie's expression twisted in frustration, anger, and worry. She could leave Rean to himself, so both of them could distract the archaism; or continue to carry and dodge for the both of them, even if her muscles were in Gehenna.
Both options sucked, and she knew that.
After evading one more attack from the Aion, she sighed as she looked at him with her chartreuse orbs.
"You better dodge every attack, Rean. Or else I'm kicking your butt."
Rean's eyes widened at her remark before his lips curled into a smile. "Of course, Fie."
The pair separated from each other to dodge another attack. The black-haired instructor winced at the pain from his upper body as the white-haired bracer tried to give her legs a break. Of course, she wouldn't get any rest because of the Aion, but with Rean separated from her, she was able to move out of the way of the attacks more easily. Her gaze would still attach to the young man; worried filled her eyes.
It was getting bad for the swordsman. The pain was preventing him from using the boosted speed of Gale and even his Spirit Unification. Any time he would try to increase his speed, his body would ache all over before staggering completely. Fortunately, he has been able to dodge the Aion's attacks. It was then he noticed that the Azure Chevalier has not made his appearance after the archaism went to its Hyper Mode.
'Crap! I need to find Crow and tend to his injuries.' Rean was about to dodge another smash attack when the Aion closed the distance between them. 'Shit...!'
"Rean!"
Time slowed down.
The Aion's fist began slowly descending, both lilac and lime-green eyes widening at the sight. Fie ran as fast as she could; her fear was apparent as she pushed her legs to limits. She wouldn't make it in time. Rean ignited his tachi, his last attempt to defend himself.
Just as the two steels would clash...
...
BOOM!
A cross-shaped beam of crimson energy was shot at the head of the archaism, knocking the machine off balance. The unexpected attack saved the instructor's life. The pair's eyes wandered, looking for Rean's savior. A dark red aura of energy emanated from the other side of the room; their eyes had gone wide as the figure of Crow stood there with double saber in hand. The leakage of negative energy was coming out of him like a wild torrent.
"C-Crow...?" Fie could only utter his name as she felt unbelievable bloodlust from his person.
"Crow? Are you okay...?" Rean asked calmly as he observed his best friend. Aside from the energy coming out of him, his body was just as banged up as the instructor, or even more so.
The slacker's eyes narrowed as he glared at the piece of scrap in front of him. He bellowed as the violent energy raged around him, surrounding his body. "Rean..."
"Y-yes...?"
"We're gonna destroy this thing once in for all!" The laidback man's eyes were filled with killing intent as he spat out the blood on his mouth.
Rean gripped his tachi tighter as he nodded. "Right!
"I'll give you two support from behind. Crow's really pissed now..." Fie stated as she gave the slacker a worried look. It has been a long time since she has seen him this angry before, and Aidios knows that when he had that look in his eyes, only chaos will come forth.
The bracer backed away as she began firing her projectiles at the archaism. The archaism stood up from the ground as he lunged towards its assaulter, only for it to be stopped by a flying double saber. Crow rushed forward as he attacked the archaism with an Eye of Balor; due to it being a machine, he only used it to slow it down as he retrieved his weapon.
'It's time to end this!' Using his breathing technique, he managed to fortify his body and ease the pain. His tachi was in flames once again as he sprinted towards its legs; the flames grew hotter as the color turned into an azure hue. His blade met the machine's leg, sinking it deeper as Rean slashed through. "Haaaaaa!" The young Divine Blade managed to expose the circuits by cutting them deep enough. Sheathing his blade, he fired a Crimson Slash, severing one of its legs completely.
The Aion ignored its severed limb as it attempted to pound its fist into the swordsman. Rean threw his body out of the way, rolling on the ground as he felt his ribs ache. The adrenaline pumping inside of him stopped him from wincing in pain as he stood back up. In the corner of his eye, a white blur was running in the direction of the Type-y. Crow Armbrust, his eyes filled with bloodlust as he covered his blade with energy.
"Criminal Edge!" Crow swung his saber at its leg, leaving a white slash mark. The archaism raised its fist again as it headed towards the slacker. With a battle cry, he blocked his fist from coming in contact using his double saber. He parried as he moved to its back. He spun around at three hundred sixty degrees as he slashed its leg once more with a Criminal Edge, severing it from its body.
At that moment, the blue glow of the Aion slowly disappeared.
"There's our chance!" Fie exclaimed as the two Chevaliers looked at each other and nodded.
"Let's end this Aion's career, Rean!"
"I'm right here with you!"
The two leaped back as both of their weapons were coated with their respective attributes. Rean raised his tachi above his head as azure flames gathered around his blade out of nowhere. The edge of Crow's saber glowed a crimson light as he pulled it back above his right side. The Aion's attempt to move was in vain, only his arms were functioning, and even with that, its foes were not in range.
Both dashed at the Aion at the same time with their weapons ready. The duo slashed its core as they went past the machine, their MQs boosted their attacks even further, the archaism was practically done for. Crow held his saber with both hands, the red energy emitting from it extended. It was even longer than when he used it back during the civil war. He pulled his weapon back; his eyes narrowed as he looked at his target.
"This is payback you shitty tin can! Deadly Cross!"
The ex-terrorist swung his blade in an x-shaped pattern as he fired a blast of energy. It wasn't like his usual craft, though. The power from it sent chills down the couple's spine as it pierced through the Aion's armor, leaving a cross-shaped mark on its chest.
Sparks flew and they knew it wouldn't last.
"Get to cover!"
Rean jumped in front of Fie and shielded her from the intense explosion as Crow used his coat as a makeshift shield to protect himself from the flying debris and destroyed parts that would surely be sent his way. If the previous explosions were bad, then the one from the Aion outclassed all of them combined. The room was almost destroyed; craters and the parts of the archaism were everywhere. The smell of the explosion completely enveloped the chamber.
"We did it..." Fie breathed as she looked at the swordsman.
"Yeah... ugh..." Rean fell on his knees as the pain from earlier returned in full force.
"Hey, take it easy. You don't need to force yourself anymore." She placed his arms over her shoulder, helping him get up. "Hey, Crow! Can you lend me— Crow?"
"..."
The Azure Chevalier stood silently as his head looked above. He didn't move a finger, causing the two to fear that something wrong must have happened to him. As the couple walked over to him, he collapsed on the ground.
"CROW!"
The two panicked as they came rushing to his side.
"What's wrong with him?!" Fie asked, worry colored her tone.
"Don't worry; he's breathing." The instructor said as he hovered his hand above Crow's mouth, feeling his breath. "He probably collapsed due to exhaustion. The way his energy just erupted from him, I'm guessing the professor's special property affected him to that degree."
"At least he was in control..." Rean nodded. The instructor was glad that the slacker didn't see the two as enemies when he fully went agro.
As I said, the special property in the Keep makes the negative energy in their body go rampant. I have to say I'm impressed that Armbrust was able to use it to his advantage. I had calculated that it would take at least two attempts in the Keep for an individual to get familiar with the special properties of this level. The professor chimed in using the intercom.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Professor Schmidt." The black-haired instructor sternly said as he glared at a camera in the corner of the room. The professor hmphed in response before talking once more.
Either way, I have collected a good amount of data from today's test. So, congratulations on clearing Level [?], and I will answer your questions only once. You may now return here. He turned off the intercom, leaving the three alone in the boss room.
"That guy, I swear..." Fie lets out a sigh of exhaustion. She didn't care anymore about the request; she was just glad it was over.
"Fie, you can stop carrying me now."
"Stupid, you're still hurt."
"No, I mean, Crow needs it more than me. I can walk by myself." Rean pointed at the unconscious slacker with his head as he removed himself from the girl's shoulders.
"Oh... alright then." She slipped Crow's arm around her shoulders as she lifted him up. "But make sure you go to Linde to get your injuries checked, okay? I'm sure you have tons of questions for the professor, so I'll go on ahead to the infirmary to get Crow and me patched up."
"Understood." He nodded before remembering something important. "Oh crap, we still have our meeting with the Principle for the field study!"
It was Fie's turn for her eyes to widen.
"We should get going!" Since she was the one who had the least amount of injuries, she ran first to the exit as practically dragged Crow with her.
Rean followed with an occasional wince here and there.
The trio managed to return to the upper floor of the Keep without encountering any more enemies (which was probably thanks to Professor Schmidt). The professor was waiting for them with his arms crossed near the exit. Since Fie didn't have any matters to discuss with the elder except for the questions Rean would likely ask, she exited the facility with Crow, leaving Rean to question the older man.
"I think you know the question I'm going to ask by now, but I'll ask anyway." He crossed his arms as he looked at the professor sternly. "What the hell is that special property?"
"Hmph." The professor returned his arms to his side as he faced the young man. "It's a replication of the effects of the curse of Erebonia. To be specific, an aroma that causes a signal to be sent into the brain, causing the negative energy hidden in the body to go berserk. The effects make humans who take in the scent more aggressive if not suppressed. Claussell surprised me the most; despite the situation not in your favor, she still managed to keep her cool and suppress the negative energy that was surely flowing inside her."
"Why would you replicate such a thing?! You've seen firsthand how the curse affects people! How did you even create it?!"
"As much as I hate to admit, the witches gave me some materials for my personal use."
"What...?" Rean was bewildered at that point. He did not understand why the witches of Eryn would give the professor components to create the curse. As if the Schmidt read his mind, he answered.
"If you were thinking the witches gave me materials so I could replicate this curse, then you are wrong." He answered, looking the instructor straight in the eye. "I was merely curious what I could do with the materials, and during an experiment I held in private, I found out the results."
"Wait... who did you experiment on?" Rean was holding his breath, fearing who the professor's test subject was.
Schmidt didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked down on the floor before finally revealing his test subject. "It was me... I was my own test subject."
To say that Rean was shocked was an understatement. He backed away in shock; he thought the professor was trying to tell a joke to hide who the real test subject was. That idea quickly went away when he realized this was the professor; he wasn't fond of telling jokes.
Seeing the man's reaction, the older man elucidated. "The aroma caused my head to ache, I could feel my stress building up, and I had the urge to punch a wall. The only reason I'm still sane is that I was able to suck the aroma out in a vent in a special chamber where I put all of my failed creations in so it won't pollute the environment."
The instructor finally snapped out of his dazed state as he questioned the elder. "Why would you do something so dangerous?"
"You should know by now..." He took off his glasses and cleaned them with a soft cloth. "To satisfy my curiosity, of course."
The instructor was dumbfounded.
A part of him knew why the older man would do something that would put his life in danger, but another part of him was clearly shocked about it.
"Despite what I said earlier, I have no intention of using it on the students. I will dispose of it immediately since I have collected all the data I need." Schmidt said with an uncharacteristically gentle tone.
The black-haired instructor's face softened as he loosens his stiff posture. "Thank you, Professor." He thanked him before asking another question of the Keep. "When did you start building that Aion?"
The grey-haired elder placed a hand in his chin as he tried to recall when exactly. "It was around the time I was developing the Valiant Rage system. I decided to start building that Aion as a side project. But I only got to test it today."
"I see..." The instructor closed his eyes, amazed at how the older man could create such a machine as a side project. "One last question, why was I unaffected by that pseudo-curse aroma in the Keep?"
The professor's expression returned to his usual grouchy self as he scoffed. He wore his glasses again as he crossed his arms.
"How should I know? I may have used materials from witches, but I'm no expert on what happens in your body. The best I could tell you is baseless speculation, and you know how I am not fond of those."
Rean sweatdropped as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I guess..."
"If you have no other questions, I must go to collect the destroyed parts of the Aion." The professor didn't wait for Rean's answer as he went about his way, heading back to the control room. Most likely getting ready to retrieve the Aion from deep within the Keep.
The instructor lets a sigh escape him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he is right. I don't really have any more questions. I'm just glad he's going to dispose of that pseudo-curse aroma."
Finished with questioning the professor, Rean left the Keep to go to the infirmary.
Having been patched up with healing arts, courtesy of Linde, Rean headed to the meeting room as he left Crow to rest in the infirmary. Funnily enough, the slacker was sleeping like a baby after being treated by the academy nurse. He was snoring like a bear and drooling like there's no tomorrow; knowing that Crow would be fine after seeing that, he went to finish his last business for the day.
Entering the room, he spotted Fie, Towa, and Aurelia sitting around the table.
"Rean! You're here!" The petite instructor got up from her seat with a worried look. "When I heard from Fie you were badly injured in the Keep, I thought you wouldn't be able to come..."
"And then I told Herschel, knowing you, you would still come to our meeting." The principal chimed in.
The silver-haired bracer agreed with Le Guin with a nod. "If Rean was unconscious, then it would be a different story."
"Very true."
He couldn't tell if they were worried or confident that he was going to attend the meeting. Either way, he was glad he was able to make it; knowing the information for their field study is crucial to make advance preparations. Though, the requests are the only things he can't plan ahead.
"Take your seat, Schwarzer. We will now start the meeting."
"R-right!" Rean sat next to Fie as the countess opened showed a map of the Vermillion Capital on the monitor.
"Oh! Are we having our field study in Heimdallr again, Principal Le Guin?" Towa asked curiously.
"Sweet. I know the layout of the city by memory. We shouldn't have any problems with this field study." The silver-haired instructor said, excited to visit the capital once more.
The Golden Rakshasa grinned as she took out an envelope from her person.
"The two of you are correct about our field study taking place in Heimdallr. That being said, it won't be the usual for Schwarzer's class." She slid the encased document to the swordsman. "Open it, and you will find out what I mean."
Towa got up from her seat as she moved to Rean's side to view the contents of the document. The Schwarzer opened the envelope and took the single piece of paper inside it. The three instructors' eyes widened at what was written.
"No way... we're seriously gonna do this?" The disbelief in Rean's tone was apparent as he quirked a brow.
"This is just like our field studies all over again..." Fie sighed as she leaned back on her seat.
Towa could only offer a nervous chuckle, feeling sorry for her fellow instructors. "I-I'm sure things will go smoothly with the two of you leading them!" She tried to reassure the two.
Aurelia watched the three with a smirk as she handed the three the documents for their upcoming field study. Whatever was written in the envelope, the couple weren't exactly in favor of doing it; then again, it's not like they have a choice. Rean could only reread the contents as he sighed tiredly.
'I guess I'll just lead the two as always. I hope Fie can handle those three by herself...'
Well, that was an action-packed chapter, the next chapter the Branch Campus will go to Heimdallr for their field study. We hope you enjoyed reading this one!
