Note: Just a friendly warning that this chapter is much, much longer than the previous ones. It may include some slow, rambling scenes in which I wasn't sure whether to cut or keep! Unfortunately, it's been a year since I've started this fanfic and during that time, some of my ideas have changed, so there *might* be some continuity issues in this chapter. Can you tell that I've tried to "fix" some of it as much as possible? πŸ˜‰ Haha. But for any readers out there, I hope you enjoy this quasi adventure/drama/romance silly willy fanfic ^_^

Character appearances: Asellus, White Rose, Gen, Fuse, Lute, and Blue again … or is it Rouge!? (Find out for yourself!)


Finding Polaris

Chapter 3: Ace of Swords

Asellus found herself nervously gripping onto the rails of the aircraft stairs as she descended into the dry, desert town. Tanzer had been an unexpected event – but the remaining fear of being hunted by one of Orlouge's henchmen remained; it was affecting her mood more than she would admit to White Rose.

Since their departure from Facinaturu, two of Ciato's shadow knights had ambushed the girls in various regions, indiscriminate of the time of the day. In a twisted way, being inside Tanzer had been a temporary place of escape from Orlouge's henchmen. But now, she and White Rose were out in the wide open once more.

It was a race against time; to hunt for the Time Lord … or be hunted by the Charm Lord.

Even so. She could not help but continue to worry about what would happen to White Rose if they parted ways. Would White Rose return to the castle and be subject to a torturous punishment?

Asellus did not yet know enough about Orlouge to determine what he was exactly capable of but seeing as how he had 'saved' her life – albeit out of his own selfish and perverted intentions – and how he had imprisoned many other 'arch-princesses' for countless years in coffins – she figured that handing out brutal punishments was probably another one of his twisted hobbies. This merciless pursuit against her and White Rose by his subordinates was quite telling of that.

Even if Asellus could live as a human again – and that was a very hypothetical 'if', as she did not want to get too excited about it until she was certain that the Time Magic could indeed help her situation – she wished in her young, naΓ―ve heart that White Rose may still be in her life. Even though humans and mystics were not known for establishing close relationships, let alone barely any social interactions in general.

"Lady Asellus," White Rose began, interrupting Asellus' thoughts, "Are you certain that the Wakatu samurai would be hiding away in such an obscure region like this?"

Asellus cringed at her royal title that had been bestowed upon her by the mystic society of Chateau Aiguille, "I'm permanently going back to calling you 'Princess White Rose' unless you stop with that 'Lady' nonsense. We're both equals here."

White Rose was apologetic, as she was still not used to the outside world after living in Facinaturu for so long. Yet there was something liberating about forfeiting these titles … a strange sensation of freedom … but mixed with inevitable fear. When was the last time she herself had dreamed of independence and living life for herself, and not for someone else?

"How old were you in human years, Asellus?" White Rose suddenly wanted to know. It never occurred to her to ask before.

Before Asellus could reply, a sudden, disturbing series of popping noises reverberated back to them from a distance. The two girls stared at each other for a while in shock before they decided to cautiously approach the direction of the noise. They came across the town pub, where a group of masked men seemed to be wielding guns at two other men – possibly bar patrons, as they seemed to be unarmed.

Another man then stormed out of the bar. "Hey! Who brought a gun here!?" Without skipping a beat, he unsheathed a giant sword. "That idiot made me spill my drink! Lemme at 'em!"

"We sure could use the help!" One of the unarmed men nervously called out. He seemed to be putting aside what looked like a guitar bag.

"The next round is on me if we make it out of this alive!" The other unarmed man said as he suddenly rushed towards one of the masked men and disarmed him. In a matter of seconds, he now had the gun pointed towards the criminals.

"Shut up! All of you's!" one of the masked men screamed, as he tried to pull the trigger of his own gun until the swordsman with the back handle of his sword – knocked him out clean from behind – sending the masked man tumbling to the ground.

The guitar man was able to restrain the third masked criminal from behind by locking his arms from the armpits. However, the masked criminal was able to wrestle him off and charged at the swordsman, who was caught off-guard and fell to the ground after a punch to the face.

One of the criminals was being handcuffed when the rest of them started to run away.

"Guess I'll have to call for help …" He struggled to push down the handcuffed man onto his knees and reached into his jacket for his radio phone with his free hand. Another one of the remaining masked men on the ground seemed to be slowly getting up to escape as well.

Asellus gritted her teeth. It was obvious now that this was some sort of an armed robbery gone wrong, and that the man with the radio phone was probably a police officer. Never one to ignore injustice, she exchanged glances with White Rose, who also seemed prepared to fight. Could they catch up to the escaping criminals?

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of yellow crystals appeared all around them and a giant net fell from the skies, paralyzing everybody at the scene except for Asellus and White Rose, who were fortunately hidden out of view behind some street utility poles.

"What the hell is that?" One of the criminals wailed.

"10-78! Requesting back up!" The phone man, who was now on the ground himself, screamed towards the direction of his radio phone that had been dislodged out of his reach. "I need some men out here right now!"

Almost as if in response, another man stepped out from the nearby shadows. At first, Asellus could not see his face as he was much further away from the scene, but then she remembered the magic spell that had just happened. What was it called again … 'Shadow Net'!?

"Are you with the IRPO?" The phone man frantically called out to the approaching man. He could not even turn around to see who it was.

"Are you?" The man spoke with an inscrutable coldness in his voice.

"That's Detective Roster to you!"

The mystery man calmly walked over to him and reached for his jacket, much to the fallen cop's verbal reluctance. The man pulled out what looked like a wallet.

"Goddammit. Yeah go ahead, take my fuckin' badge. Take everything, why don't you. Just know that it's a serious felony to assault a member of law enforcement, which is what you're doing right now."

"Apologies," the mystery man quietly replied. The coldness in his voice was gone. "Please allow me to reverse the paralysis spell on you." He proceeded to recite what Asellus faintly recognized as the 'Grail' spell, and he stood back as he watched the paralyzed police officer struggling to drink from the magical goblet.

"Ugh …" The cop shook his head a little from the shivering side effects of the magic. "Can you, uh … also do the same thing for my friends over there? The guitar guy and the drunk with the sword…" He gestured with his head to the two men on the ground.

"Of course." The Grail spell was recited twice more.

By then, a crowd had drawn around the men and the criminals. They all felt a breath of relief when the sirens of the IRPO patrol cars approached from the distance. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep track of what was going on from where Asellus and White Rose stood, so they decided to get closer to the scene.

Asellus kept her eyes on the magician through the hordes of people, half in disbelief. Was it that unfriendly mage from Tanzer? How was it that she would meet him again here, out of all regions!

But the ever-growing crowd overwhelmed her vision soon enough. Though the chaos was mostly over, the resulting aftermath piqued the interest of many passersby and other arriving bar patrons as the police officers started to interview possible witnesses. Asellus tried to follow the magician to no avail. She was simply too short to keep her eyesight out on the top of the crowds, who all proved to be taller than her.

"It was that guy from before, wasn't it?" Asellus tried to keep close to her as more people seemed to gather around. "Oh, it is so hard to find him in this swarm of people … "

White Rose, who was taller compared to Asellus, gently grabbed her hand and squeezed their way through the crowd. "Come, I think I saw him enter the saloon. Maybe we can find him inside."

As if that would be an easy task. The bar was just as crowded as it was outside.

"You know what, White Rose … who cares, actually? He wasn't very friendly before to begin with anyway … " sighed Asellus, as they squeezed through people. It was so packed inside the bar that when suddenly –

"GIMME SOME MORE!"

Asellus and White Rose turned around at the same time, their eyes landing at a corner of the room where the men from the fight were seated. Upon closer proximity, Asellus could see the IRPO detective pouring a pitcher of beer for a man with a guitar swung onto his back, and the swordsman with a feather headband on his head who seemed to be enjoying it the most. She froze at the last detail.

'A single feather headband on his head …? '

Everything around her dimmed as Asellus' vision focused entirely onto that man. Could it be? The famous samurai from Wakatu? She cautiously squeezed her way through the crowd to his table, trying to control her nerves as anticipation pounded through her heart.

"…Excuse me," Asellus at first found herself whispering hoarsely, but she then cleared her throat to speak up more loudly and confidently. "Are you … Gen? Mr. Genjiro Nobushige?"

The extremely inebriated swordsman struggled to turn around from his seat as his companions blankly stared at Asellus. He examined her himself closely with watery, bloodshot eyes, blinking slowly … as if trying to make out who was standing before him.

"Whoa … are they lettin' in children at bars now? What do you want, punk," he slurred through his speech.

Asellus' shyness was quickly overtaken by her temper, flashing from her fiery vermillion eyes as she glared at the slumped-over swordsman.

"Hey! Who are you calling a punk? You damn drunk!"

Gen slowly rose from his seat and sauntered towards the indignant girl, not because he was insulted by her words – after all, did he even hear what she said? – but to get a closer look at Asellus – this petite, green-haired, bright-eyed, faerie-like figure that he had never seen before in his well-traveled life.

Asellus slightly froze up at how tall and muscular he was; she had underestimated his stature from his slouched, sitting position. She felt her hand slowly and ever so discreetly reaching for her Asura as he came closer - she would later admit to White Rose that she did feel more than a little scared.

She was ready to unsheathe her sword when he suddenly fell forward – only to be caught by his drinking companions before he made contact with the floor.

"Careful there, Gen!" the guitar man called out. Him and the IRPO detective held him up from each side of his shoulders.

"Okay, so I guess you are Gen, as confirmed by your friends here," exhaled Asellus, secretly relieved that there would be no fight after all. "Can you please take me to Wakatu?"

"Wakatu … what the hell is that?"

"Oh come on … I know you are from Wakatu. I want to get the Saber Card."

Gen slowly shook his head as he sized up Asellus, as if he was making some sort of careful judgment. "Wakatu Castle … Saber Chamber …" he seemed to be mumbling to himself. "Are you sure you're even good enough to get it? I mean … look at you, you're so tiny and delicate – "

In his drunken but truly compassionate stupor, he reached out to pat the embarrassed Asellus on the shoulder but unfortunately for him – he was quickly met with an abrupt physical force that sent him crashing back into the arms of his exasperated drinking companions.

"Ugh … what happened?" he grunted helplessly.

Asellus and White Rose had barely blinked when they found another person suddenly standing between them and the drunk swordsman – a flowing red robe with golden brocades and a giant fur shawl slung over his shoulder … a truly familiar-looking outfit.

"Hey, it's you … " The IRPO detective murmured under his breath. "What are you doing?"

The robed man glanced around, from the two bewildered girls to the exhausted-looking men – though he focused more on the swordsman – as if trying to understand something. "I thought I was witnessing another fight break out."

Gen broke away from his friends' grip with outrage and leaned intimidatingly into the robed man's face. This quiet, mysterious man, who was comparatively shorter and looked younger than Gen and not as seemingly buff as him, held his own as he stared unflinchingly back at the swordsman.

"What? You thought I was gonna hit a little girl? What kind of a man do you take me for!?" growled Gen.

"I'm not a little girl!" Asellus chimed in just as angrily.

"Okay, I think we all need to cool down a bit here!" the detective came in between Gen and the robed man. Turning towards him and the two girls, he extended his hand. "I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves yet. My name is Roster, but most people just call me Fuse. Please excuse Gen here, he's just had a little too much to drink but he doesn't mean any harm."

"I can attest to that," the guitar man added. "I've been hanging out at this bar for a while and turns out that Gen is a regular here too. He's a good guy! You saw for yourself earlier when we got ambushed by those criminals. We all got to truly bond for the first time while gettin' the crap beaten out of us, wouldn't you agree?" He grinned at the robed man, and then nodded politely at the girls. "I'm Lute, by the way. Nice to meet y'all."

"Hm. If that's the case, then I do apologize for my hasty assumption." The robed man slightly bowed. "I thought I overheard you discussing the Saber Card in Wakatu?"

"Well … we don't really know much about it," said Lute, as he motioned to himself and Fuse. "I think Gen has something to do with it. Right, bud?"

Gen threw up his hands with sudden impatience. "I don't know anythin' about no Wakatu Castle. Nor the Saber Card. Now get me another drink!" And with that, he pushed his way back to his seat and buried his face into his arms on the table.

Asellus followed and sat down across from Gen, who still refused to look up. There was no way she was leaving now. "Didn't you condescendingly ask me whether I'm 'good enough to get it' just now? So clearly you do know something. In fact, I believe you are an expert in all things related to Wakatu."

"So what if I am? I haven't been back there in years since its destruction."

Taking everyone by surprise, the group fell silent as the music from the nearby performing band inside the bar filled the lack of conversation.

"Come to think of it … I do sort of remember learning about the fall of Wakatu in my high school history class," Lute wondered out loud.

"Learning about it? Pfft. I was in high school when Wakatu succumbed to Trinity. It was all over the news for a while," shrugged Fuse.

Asellus uneasily looked around her, not knowing what they were talking about. Even White Rose nodded attentively as she listened to Fuse comment on the global situation from that time period. Even though the young, rugged magician was standing the closest to her, she instead turned to Lute instead who seemed to be the second youngest out of this group.

"How long ago was this?" she whispered to him.

Lute seemed rather surprised. "That was like, twelve years ago, wasn't it? Your school didn't talk about it?"

Asellus could not answer, as her heart sank in further disappointment. From what she remembered in her own high school days, Wakatu was merely another region of tourist interest like the Magic Kingdom, strongly rooted in cultural traditions passed down for countless generations. It was best known for being the land of samurais, where the highest quality of swords was produced and could not be replicated by any other. There was no political conflict or war looming in Wakatu at the time, at least not to her knowledge. It was simply another region on her list of travels that she was looking forward to after high school graduation. How could so many things have changed since then?

"It's impossible to go there now. Wakatu is essentially a failed state and largely abandoned except for a few remaining monster races and reports of ghosts living there. Technically it is 'governed' by Trinity after the annexation … now officially called the 'Republic of Wakatu'…" Fuse's voice trailed off as he met Gen's burning gaze.

"Do not talk about this in front of me. Please, officer." Despite nearly exploding in rage upon hearing the unwelcome name given by his beloved country's invaders, Gen managed to remember that he was, after all, speaking to a policeman … and he could not afford another drunken arrest now …

Fuse did not even notice any disrespect from the swordsman. It was perfectly understandable that a man would still be hurting from what had happened to his home country. "I apologize, Gen. I forgot that you grew up in Wakatu as a child."

Gen shrugged with an air of defeat. "Nothin' to apologize for. Just reality, I suppose." He took a long drink from his mug, which had since lost some of its refreshing coolness, before finally turning to Asellus. "Like the detective said, it's too dangerous to go there now. It ain't no place for youngsters to be. Not tryin' to crush your dreams there, miss. But it's not worth risking your life for."

"I'm sorry," was all she could find in her voice to say. How could she possibly insist on asking him for help when he was so traumatized? Was there anything she could do now?

"It truly is a shame, with what happened to Wakatu," the magician suddenly spoke after remaining quiet all this time, "and I truly sympathize with all the trouble you suffered in your youth."

Gen raised a dubious eyebrow as he took another swig from a bottle. "Huh … 'my youth'? Hey, I ain't that old …"

The mage continued meditatively. "And it is for a similar reason why I must travel to Wakatu, no matter the cost. I too have a duty to fulfill for my home region."

Now it was Fuse's turn to raise an eyebrow. "No commercial airline in their rightful, legal mind will fly you over there. I admire your patriotic commitment, but can't say I'm not curious as to how you'll pull that off?"

"You can always hitch a ride with smugglers, I guess …" Lute's cheery voice faded as he met the stern glare of an unimpressed police detective. "I was just kiddin', of course … I didn't mean it for real though … haha … no sir… " he hastily added the respectful title at the end, hoping to appease Fuse.

"I'll do you a favor and pretend I didn't hear that, kid." Fuse rolled his eyes and shook his head.

The magician was already turning around to leave. "No worries, I will somehow find a way."

Asellus, despite her diminished interest in the aloof magician, felt a mix of contempt and envy at his seemingly intact confidence. She felt like saying something to him before he left.

"What, so you're going to break the law just to get what you want?"

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Pardon? I'm not breaking any law."

Fuse, a little taken aback by her sudden aggressiveness towards the unassuming magician, shrugged as he met Asellus's indignant eyes. "It's true. Technically he isn't breaking the law, it's just that the federal government recommends against all travel to Wakatu, so if he finds himself in danger, he would have trouble getting help since there is no embassy services in that region. "

"So he gets to travel there using any means necessary, and possibly stir up national hostility between Wakatu and other regions? Didn't you say that Wakatu is filled with unfriendly monster races who may harm any visitors? I mean, how can you allow a guy like him to cause all this trouble?" Asellus now turned her focus onto Fuse.

"Asellus, are you okay…?" White Rose gently tried to take her young charge aside but was promptly ignored.

Fuse, despite being a grown adult and a veteran law enforcement agent with many years of service under his belt, surprisingly felt cornered by this young, fiery-eyed girl who seemed to be growing angrier by the second for reasons unknown. For once in his life, he struggled to respond in his usually poised, leader-like voice. "Well … national hostility is a bit of a stretch," he quickly changed the subject as Asellus' eyes started to glow fiercely, " but, um … miss … as I said, it's not against the law per se, and both Trinity and the IRPO can't be responsible for an individual's decisions…"

"Nobody is responsible for their own actions then? What kind of hypocrisy is this?" Even Asellus herself did not know why she was so upset, but she could not help herself. She turned again to the magician to get one last shot at him. "Selfish jerks like you are the reason why the world is such an awful place. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I've watched you easily abandon fellow humans in need just for your own ambitions back in Tanzer. Of course you think you're above everyone else because you have a 'duty' to your country. Despicable!"

"Tanzer? What are you even talking about?" The mage was justifiably confused. He looked around the group, as if hoping for a sign of answer, but they all looked on with the same confusion.

"Asellus," White Rose tried again with an air of exhausted concern, "what is the matter? What can we do for you?"

It was only then that the young, naive half-mystic realized all eyes were now on her. Even the bar patrons from other tables were looking over with interest at all the commotion she had caused. The growing embarrassment was too overwhelming for her that she could no longer find her words.

"I think … someone is very concerned for a fellow human being's safety," Fuse slowly broke the awkward silence with a hearty laugh. "What a noble gesture. Though I'd say it's a little too much concern for just one individual to have for another."

"I'll say," chimed in Lute, happy that the tension seemed to be fading. "Hey, why do you care so much about what he does? You guys dating or something?"

Asellus quickly regained her voice. "Goodness, no!"

"I have never met this girl in my life," muttered the exasperated magician. Asellus glanced over at him with a mix of hurt and confusion. How could he not remember her? Maybe he was so narcissistic that he had trouble remembering faces because he is so busy admiring himself in the mirror all the time … him and those fancy silk robes!

"Well, if it will put your law-abiding, community-driven mind at ease," Fuse winked at Asellus whose cheeks were already flushed in a brilliant shade of violet, "how about if I, an established police officer, escort this young man to and from Wakatu in a safe manner that would make any citizen proud? And to make sure he doesn't break any inter-regional laws or cause no political trouble between nations, hm?"

"Count me in, officer!" Lute laughed as he grabbed his guitar. "I need to broaden my horizons anyhow. Maybe I'll find a career in security or law enforcement myself!"

"Heh. Well … we are always short-staffed, but you seem too normal of a guy for law enforcement … "

"That doesn't sound like a compliment … "

Gen, who had been quietly drinking away to his joy, decided he had enough and wiped away the last bit of liquor from his mouth with his thick, muscular arm. "Fuse … what if you lose your job doing something stupid and dangerous like this?"

Fuse shrugged. "Why would I lose my job? Nothing in the law says I can't escort a friend to a questionable region in safety. Besides, I'm off-duty right now. I've been placed on an indefinite vacation from work, so I'll be largely under the radar. I owe this guy anyhow, what with the help he gave us earlier."

The young mage seemed a little embarrassed himself with all the sudden attention he was receiving, but he smiled warmly at his new friends. "Thank you."

Gen let out a loud sigh and started to pack away a bottle of sake into his small backpack. "Don't be alarmed," he grunted at the men who looked on curiously, "it's one for the road. I'm comin' with you fools."

"Oh Gen, you don't have to trouble yourself! Me and Officer Fuse can easily take – "

"Cut with that sweet ass pity crap. Not gonna let my friends risk their lives dammit!" Gen stood up from his seat, but not before getting in one last drop of beer from his mug.

Fuse turned to the magician. "Well, Chief. Looks like we're ready when you are." At the same time, he glanced inquisitively at Asellus who was avoiding eye contact – clearly still mortified by her own previous behavior. "What did you guys say your name was again?" he suddenly realized he knew neither of the girls' nor the mage's name.

"Apologies, I don't think I've said it yet. My name is Rouge. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I am White Rose," she replied after a few awkward moments of silence. Having spent countless years only in the company of high-ranking mystic society, she was not yet used to talking to so many humans in a social setting on her own.

Rouge nodded and glanced over at Asellus who refused to look at anybody. "Would you two like to come with us? It would probably be safer to go as a group anyway."

"Yeah! Plus, what's safer for women than travelling with a legendary samurai, a super smart magician, and a mighty police officer?" Lute flirtatiously grinned at White Rose, adding "Not to sound arrogant here, but yours truly also knows a thing or two about protecting the lady folk. They didn't call me "Big Bro" back at home for nothing!"

"Pfft. How is that any different from being held hostage?" grumbled Asellus, mostly to herself.

Fuse glanced at his watch. "Well, it's up to you ladies. But we've got a plane to catch if we want to get going." He placed some bills into the bar tab holder and gave it to a passing waitress as the other men gathered up their belongings.

The men were almost out the door when they found Asellus and White Rose already outside.

"How did you girls get here so fast?" Lute gasped with honest bewilderment.

"Take us with you!" blurted out Asellus, determined to get over her previous embarrassment as quickly as possible for the sake of not missing out on a good opportunity. "And … my name is Asellus. I'm sorry for my rude outburst back there…"


As the ship finally prepared to land through the smoky green skies of Wakatu, Asellus breathed a quiet sigh of relief – they were the only passengers on the chartered flight, and it could not have been more socially awkward for her as she watched White Rose share many pleasantries with the accompanying men. When her life or someone else's life was not being actively threatened in a given situation, Asellus – unlike the more sociable White Rose – was rather naturally reserved and shy; perhaps a remaining attribute of her previous human life – so she paid little attention and effort to contribute to their conversations.

Instead, she anxiously twiddled her thumbs as she thought about the undoubtedly challenging task that awaited her. Gen and Fuse had mentioned ghosts in this region … how creepy would it be? Despite having become an eternal half-mystic herself, Asellus was still not used to the idea of interacting with undead beings.

Huddled up on the small wooden boat as it carried them across the murky, algae-filled waters of Wakatu only confirmed her fears as Asellus felt a subtle change in the air – this inexplicable sense that they were being watched from afar, despite the pier and the airship runway being surrounded by nothing but swampy wetlands and wilting trees.

Asellus gingerly stepped off the boat first, out of necessity - as the besotted men behind her fumbled with helping an embarrassed White Rose and the flowing train of her dress get safely off the cramped boat. She surveyed the broken concrete stairs stretching up ahead before her where at the top stood a heavily dilapidated structure of age-worn bricks and timber, with litters of arrows still strewn about from the battles of yonder – a painful memento of lives lost during the Wakatu rebellion.

"The Wakatu Castle …" she whispered to herself, admiring the wrinkled wooden pillars of the longhouse gate as she gently walked up the hardened earth. It was uncanny how, despite being in total ruin, what was left of the old samurai residence stood out in the darkness like a tragic beauty.

She then felt a sudden clasp around her waist, breaking her reverie and almost knocking her off balance.

Her first instinct was a ghost had attacked her as she was quickly surrounded by swirling bolts of turquoise lightning, only to see it form a series of chains that engulfed a shadowy creature above her head into sheer nothingness.

Paralyzed with shock as she was – Asellus only realized what had happened when she heard a frantic Gen calling up from behind, "Are you two all right?"

'Two'? Asellus glanced down at what was clasping her from behind – a sturdy, masculine arm wrapped in a copper wristlet with a distinct insignia only seen from Magic Kingdom artefacts …

She uneasily turned around and peered up at a pair of brightly burning auburn eyes gazing down at her curiously.

"I'm fine!" Asellus screamed as she aggressively burst out of Rouge's hold. Her voice was so fierce that the others wondered if she had been hurt after all.

"Uh … sorry." Rouge himself was a little taken back by her sudden reaction.

Asellus reluctantly remembered her manners. "Thank you. I guess … you saved me again." She bowed half apologetically as well as in self-frustration that she did not see the ghostly monster first.

Although still confused, Rouge permitted himself to smile as he tried to make further peace with the spirited young girl. "Hm … 'again', you say? Did I save you before?" But his good-natured intentions were swiftly met with rigid civility.

"Please don't rub it in." Asellus smoothed out her outfit as if wiping away some invisible germs. "I could've taken care of that monster easily alone. If you're suddenly interested in the wellbeing of others, you could help my friend over there." She nodded her head towards the direction of White Rose and the other three men who were still struggling off the boat.

Rouge shrugged as he watched Fuse, Gen and Lute release the remaining fabric of White Rose's train that had been stuck all this time. "I think three people are enough … " he began, but Asellus was walking away. Before he started to follow her, he looked over his shoulder again and nipped a smile in the bud as he heard Lute and Fuse bickering.

"Aww jeez … sorry about that, m'am." Fuse glared at the kneeled-over Lute, who held the ripped fabric and was trying to somehow attach it back to White Rose's outfit. "Look what you did. Clumsy!"

"It wasn't my fault alone, ya know!" Lute slowly stood up and gazed up with puppy eyes. "Ms. White Rose, would you happen to carry a thread needle with you? My ma taught me how to sew once and I'm sure I can fix up your frock in no time."

Gen took a long, deserved swig from his bottle. "Why would a high-class lady like her be carrying around a sewing kit? A fancy little number like that, she probably gets it tailored. What a random thing to ask, bud."

"Hey, the other tourists are leaving already," remarked Fuse as he watched Rouge walking after Asellus, interrupting before Lute had a chance to argue back at Gen. "Wait up!"

White Rose tore off the rest of her train in a single, smooth movement, much to the men's surprise and hidden excitement. "There, now it's better for mobility," she remarked with an air of complacency, "I appreciate your kind assistances, gentlemen. But please … we should follow the other two before they get hurt." Without waiting for a reply, she headed up the stairs as her admirers followed along.

Gen eventually took the lead, as he gently reminded the group that he knew the region best.

"Stay close together now – keep your eyes open for any weird movements in the air," he advised as the others carefully tread along behind him. "Looks like we won't be able to reach the Saber Chamber from here, so we're gonna take a short detour."

"Are you sure you know where everything is…?" shuddered Lute as he looked around all the debris and rubble from destroyed brick and wooden walls. "Not saying that I don't trust your … expertise!" He yelped a little as something colorful swished by above their heads, causing him to involuntarily grab onto the annoyed-but-also-spooked shoulders of Fuse.

The long-embattled samurai who had always hidden his deep resentment towards life with alcoholic self-medication gently smiled at his inexperienced companions. "Like I said before - I may not have been back since Wakatu's destruction. But you cannot underestimate the geography of one's childhood memories."

Something in his tone of voice struck a chord with Asellus, shedding her regard of him in a new light of compassion and a sense of shared pain resulting from the loss of innocent times. It was clear that a major part of Gen's formative years had been scarred by the death of his home land – where all his family, friends, and fellow community members had been dealt the cruel hand of a fatal political rebellion – or as he put it himself, an attempted genocide.

"Of course, history books and mainstream media would call it a 'rebellion'…" whispered Fuse to Asellus, as she discreetly asked him about the time he first saw it happen on the news. "But the rest of the world had our own doubts. There are so many different versions of the 'truth' … but I believe Gen is one of the last remaining survivors, a first-hand witness."

"To live with such a burden for the rest of his life… " Asellus heard Rouge speak quietly. Was there a hint of pity?

"There was nothing he could do," shrugged Asellus, not knowing whether he had been talking to her or Fuse.

"Perhaps not. But what a tragedy." He continued on meditatively as he studied the surrounding remnants of infrastructure from years of past glory. "I mustn't fail now…" he seemed to be talking to himself at this point.

"You're thinking of your own situation there, aren't you?" Fuse looked at him quizzically. "I've been meaning to ask, Rouge. How exactly would getting the Saber Card be fulfilling a 'duty to your home region'?"

Rouge seemed to hesitate a little before he replied. "I've recently left home to complete my postgraduate studies from Covert Academy, one of the two national educational institutes of the Magic Kingdom. The sooner I develop the gift for Arcane Magic, I will finally be prepared to take on whatever else the Kingdom requires me to do..." his voice slowly trailed off with a shuddering sigh, as he briefly forgot he was not alone.

"You don't look so happy about it," commented Asellus with genuine curiosity.

The young mage quickly regained his composure, shaking his long silver curls of hair. "All children of the Magic Kingdom are bound by its law, no matter where we are in the world. We must be prepared to protect our nation at any given time." He hardened up his heart and slightly picked up his walking pace.

Fuse gently turned away as he withdrew the cigarette from his mouth, careful to not exhale the smoke onto his companions. "A compulsory military service, huh…"

"Sure, you can call it that." He then walked past Fuse and Asellus, joining Gen at the front.

Asellus rolled her eyes at the familiar-sounding coldness in his abrupt reply. Not at all changed since Tanzer, she thought. Thanks to that tightly wound jerk, this expedition suddenly seemed way too long to get over with.

Fortunately – her worries faded away as Gen announced the location of their arrival. "Don't relax yet," he motioned for the group to continue following him, "we have some flights of stairs to walk up but the entire structure of this castle is compromised. So better watch your step – and avoid any space on the floor that looks flimsy."

"Right, I'm sure that's easy to do. It's hard enough to look around, what with the dark smoky skies…" Fuse grumbled as he whipped out his flashlight. "Damn thing barely has light …"

"At times like this, I wish I had pursued the gift of Light Magic instead …" sighed Rouge as he also struggled to see his own hands as he grabbed onto the cold, metal railway of the wooden stairs.

Before Asellus had a chance to register what he said, a warm source of energy illuminated from behind her where White Rose recited a magic spell, forming golden crystals in the air as something shiny formed in her velvet-gloved hands. "Have no fear, friends." She proudly held up the brilliant, glowing blade. "This should be enough to help us!"

If Fuse, Gen, and Lute had not already been smitten by the mystic princess's beauty and charm before, they could not be more enamoured at this moment by her quick-thinking ability to come up with such an innovative solution to the group's problem.

"I thought you had to discard your Light Magic before!" Asellus was understandably mystified. "What happened …?"

White Rose giggled mischieviously. "I lied to the merchant before," she dropped her voice to a level of volume that only Asellus could hear, just in case the nearby police officer would interpret that as a crime – which showed how seriously she viewed human laws. "I didn't want you to go through Omble alone, so I used several Unlucky Coins on myself so the holding powers of my Light Magic would be undetectable."

Truly impressed and thankful for her mentor-turned-best friend, Asellus squealed in delight and gave White Rose a bear hug, almost causing her to drop the sword, while the men let out a hearty cheer for their beloved princess – but Rouge, though smiling with gratitude, remained quietly enthralled.

"Light Sword?" he simply asked, trying to restrain the growing excitement in his voice. "I've often wondered how it looked in the flesh."

White Rose smiled kindly at the young mage, remembering that Rouge was yet a student of all types of magic. "If you'd like, I can show you how it works when we have time."

Rouge's own eyes lit up as brightly as the sword. "Please. That would be wonderful."

"No free time just yet, y'all," Gen called out as he slashed away at an unidentifiable creature that had leapt out from a hidden corner. "Come on up – we're here."

The group stood momentarily without a word as they gazed up at the legendary Saber Chamber in all its ancient, decaying glory. Pieces of woven bamboo and broken plywood stood cracked and slanted everywhere on the dusty, debris-filled floor, with what looked like splatters of dried blood soiling the once-pristine walls of the room where many souls had once lived with honor and pride, enjoying life to the fullest – all before their world was unceremoniously overturned by a cruel government organization.

Asellus uneasily glanced over at Gen, whose back was turned towards the group as he stared silently at the browned blood on the wall, as if he was facing the awful memories like a dreaming warrior fighting against a nightmarish beast.

"Who are the ones seeking the Saber Card?" Gen suddenly asked in a calm yet authoritative voice, without turning around. "Those who are in pursuit of the tarot, you may sit and face this wall." He motioned with his hand.

Rouge was the first to comply. Asellus, after a bit of hesitation, cleared off some debris before she also kneeled down onto the floor. Then followed Lute, much to Fuse's mild surprise.

"I mean … we've come this far, so I might as well join them." Lute shrugged in response to Fuse.

Fuse let out a chuckle. "Fair enough. I guess you are 'broadening your horizons' after all." Before he took a seat himself, he glanced over at White Rose, who remained standing away from the group. "You're not going to join us, Ms. Rose?"

The mystic princess gently shook her chestnut curls. "This is Asellus' quest, " she smiled at the green-haired girl, who seemed to struggle at getting comfortable with her sitting position, "also, I am a disciple of Rune Magic, so I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted."

At the mention of her name, Asellus briefly turned around to White Rose and grinned, flashing a hopeful pair of crossed fingers. White Rose winked playfully back and held up her own crossed fingers in reply. Rouge watched the cute exchange between the two girls with slight novelty, before Gen spoke once more.

"Now listen carefully. Clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Keep your focus on the task ahead."

As if on cue, three shadows appeared individually until they started to continuously change shapes on the wall. It was difficult to determine what they were shadows of. And from a distance, a rhythm of clanking swords was beginning to get louder and louder …

"The shadows before us are of swords, rabbits, and monsters. They will appear in random combinations on the wall. You must match all three swords in order to receive the card."

Lute was uncertain as he quickly glanced around the room. "Uh … so what do we do when we see the three swords? Just yell 'Bingo' and you'll give us the card?"

Fuse choked back the desire to laugh at this brutally honest question. Asellus also thought it was funny, until she stole a glance towards the clearly confused musician. Unlike Rouge, whose focus remained unbroken, Lute was simply a novice to the magic.

If Gen was annoyed at all by Lute's straightforwardness, he showed no sign of it as he continued on with his instructions. "The card will appear in your hands when you match all three swords with your mind. But be careful … if you capture a combination that includes a monster, it will manifest for real."

He then turned around and walked slowly about the room to check on the posture of each disciple, correcting the placement of their hands as they meditated to the hypnotic rhythm of swords to which the ever-changing shadows danced mercilessly.

"See it with your mind's eye, not your physical eyes. Close them," advised Gen as he observed Asellus' wide, bloodshot eyes. She was straining way too much.

"When the moment feels right, manifest the Saber Card into existence!"

Asellus sighed impatiently as she closed her eyes. The clanking sounds of the swords was starting to get annoying, yet still no card…

A sudden brightness crept under her eyelids, and then a subtle sound of bell chimes filled the room, momentarily overtaking the rhythm of swords in volume. It was so bright and loud that Asellus felt compelled to open her eyes and look to her left in the dimly lit room – only to see that Rouge was holding a Saber Card, in all its shining brilliance and splendour!

"Incredible …! How did he get it so fast?" she heard Lute and Fuse gasp with wonder, while she was too shocked to say anything.

Gen smiled at the silver-haired mage, who was already carefully tucking away his newly given card into the inner breast pocket of his robe. "Well done, bud! Your willpower is pretty damn amazing. It's been a while since I've facilitated a Saber Card ritual, but from all those years of observing many others before you – I believe you are the fastest person ever to manifest the card!"

Rouge shrugged, a little embarrassed by Fuse and Lute's audible congratulatory cheers. Even White Rose walked over to him to shake his hand with hearty praise. "Thank you, but it's really nothing … I've just been studying magic all my life, is all!" he timidly laughed. He was thankful that the room was still dark enough to hide his blushing face.

Asellus grimaced and tried to focus again, though she was a little more than envious that an arrogant person like him was able to finish the task so quickly. First, the Vitality Rune and now the Saber Card!

Wait … those were opposing powers of magic. How could he get both … ?

Did he also administer Unlucky Coin to himself like White Rose did?

But she only did that to avoid detection from the Shadow Magic merchant – and retained all her Light Magic abilities after their trip to Omble. White Rose did not leave that region with an additional gift of Shadow Magic.

What is going on here!?

"HEY I DID IT!"

She jumped at the sound of Lute's voice shattering her busy thoughts. There was another glowing light filling the room that was much brighter than before – and as it turned out, it seemed that Lute and Fuse had obtained their respective Saber Cards at the same time.

Fuse and Lute high-fived each other while Gen, Rouge, and White Rose clapped for their hard-working companions. However, White Rose's smile slightly faded as she noticed her poor young charge was still on the dusty floor, haplessly without any sign of a card.

"I'm the only one left, aren't I?" groaned Asellus, without turning to face the others as she was too mortified to look at anyone. "This always happens to me … I've always been the last to finish exams at school too …"

"Just do your best, you're gonna be okay!" White Rose called out, rather weakly but hoping to give some sort of motivation. She would never admit to Asellus, but even she was sure that the half-mystic would have gotten the card before that silly guitar man did. "How long has it been?" she whispered to Gen, who was casually looking at his watch.

"Um… let's not rush her," he whispered back, careful to make sure Asellus did not hear their conversation. "Steady now," he walked closer to her to check on her posture once more.

"Keep on goin', girl!" Lute cheered out heartily.

"Easy for you to say … my knees are killing me!" whined Asellus, trying not to let her rising frustration break her composure.

"No need to rush now," Gen warned, "you may end up manifesting a monster."

"I know that. Because you keep saying that. Don't you think I already know that?" Asellus gritted her teeth, trying to fight back the pain from her legs as well as the unintended humiliation from Gen's eagle-eyed coaching.

"Watch out!" Asellus heard somebody from the group yell out.

"Huh?"

She suddenly found herself freefalling onto the dusty, wooden floor of the chamber, landing with a violent thud. "Ugh … that really hurt …" groaned Asellus as she struggled back onto her feet. But she froze up again to find a pair of unearthly, grotesquely large monster eyes gazing intently at her from a dark corner of the room. Asellus' hands trembled as she carefully unsheathed her Asura, unable to take her eyes off the creature as it started to flap its equally unnerving, green feathered wings.

"That Airfolk used magic just now, hasn't it?" Fuse loaded up his gun. "In all my years of police work, I've been in all kinds of combat … but I wasn't aware monsters were capable of using magic!"

Rouge himself pulled out a small worn-out book, in preparation of a spell. "You are correct, officer. As a general rule, monsters are unable to use magic in the same capacity as humans do. However," he opened the book to a bookmarked page, "some of them have inherent magical abilities, depending on its race. The original Airfolk race is closely related to Space Magic. I believe we just witnessed the 'Reverse Gravity' spell. Strangely … it only affected her and not us."

"That's because the monster is only real to the girl, not the rest of us." Gen quickly waved away at Fuse and Blue. "Put away your weapons, men! It's no use."

"Asellus may get hurt! Surely we must do something!" White Rose tried to run towards her when she was abruptly grabbed by Gen.

"I know you're concerned. But you have to trust me, miss." Gen pleaded as the princess tried to break away from his hold. "As long as Asellus' intent is focused on the Saber Card, that monster will not disappear on its own unless she slays it herself because that too is a manifestation of her mind. We cannot fight what is essentially her own battle."

"All I know is that once she sets her mind to something, she will never give up," White Rose sighed in despair, trying to fight back tears as she helplessly held onto Gen's shoulders. "I am in charge not only of her education, but also her wellbeing. I am supposed to be her protector … and you're telling me there is nothing I can do?"

Gen was not sure how to answer nor comfort the gently sobbing lady in his arms. Even in his long, journeyed life, he lacked in experience with women – perhaps due to the lasting impact of trauma from surviving the Wakatu massacre his youth that he was unable to experience such intimate feelings for another person – but in which he spent most of the post-destruction years in drowning himself with alcohol and other mind-altering debauchery to alleviate his pain. But at this moment, for the first time in his overall apathetic life, he felt a significant pang of guilt and personally responsible for putting her daughter in danger.

Actually … were they even related? The Rose lady was clearly older than the green-haired girl, but at the same time, she did not look old enough to be a mother to a teenaged child. Or perhaps they were sisters?

"Don't worry, Ms. White Rose. She'll pull through."

White Rose turned around to find a sympathetic hand on her shoulder from the silver-haired mage. Something in his slight, yet confident smile was reassuring enough for her to wipe away her tears.

"Mr. Gen is correct; I just remembered from my study notes that we, as outsiders, will not have any effect on the monster even if we tried to attack." Rouge's eyes turned to focus on Asellus, who was still engaged in battle with the Airfolk. "But … she is going to be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" sniffed White Rose, gently wiping her nose with a silk handkerchief. She gasped as Asellus flew into the air once more - though this time, it looked like she had landed an attack on the monster.

It was Fuse's turn to comfort the kind, curly-haired princess. "Listen to Rouge here, m'am. He knows a lot more about magic than the rest of us! You said you were getting your Ph.D in magic, right?"

"Well … uh … it's sort of like that, I guess. Like I said before … technically what I'm doing right now is postgraduate research with funding from the Kingdom and my alma mater … but I already have the title of Master Magician. It's just that … I'm not officially confirmed yet." Rouge stuttered, unsure of how to explain his situation, but also being careful to not reveal everything … after all, he did not want to scare away his new friends by revealing the true nature of his homeland's customs.

Thankfully, Fuse shrugged off the young mage's wavering speech as pure humbleness and smiled. "So you see, m'am … a true expert like Rouge believes in Asellus. And you know what? I believe in her too. What say you, men?" He turned to Lute and Gen, winking silently to hint at them to help with consoling White Rose.

"Asellus can sure kick some ass!" exclaimed Lute with admiration as he watched the green-haired girl's lightning-like movements. "You said you trained her? Boy … you have it all … beauty, brains, and braun! If she's your student, I can tell you are an amazing teacher!"

"I'll say," Gen was too impressed by Asellus' technique that he briefly forgot he was supposed to be consoling White Rose. "That thing she did with her red sword just now, that reminds me of an old sword technique that I learned from my own sensei as a child…"

White Rose smiled with pride at the compliments paid to Asellus, her fears mostly having faded away thanks to the men's supportive words. "I'm not her only educator. Ildon was the one who taught her the basics of mystic combat."

"Mystic …?" The men wondered quietly, as White Rose turned her focus to Asellus again and shouted words of encouragement.

Asellus, who had been completely oblivious to the group's conversation, was so exhausted and dripping with sweat that she could barely make out White Rose's voice from her own huffing breath. She dragged her Asura as she continued to circle with the insufferable Airfolk.

"I can't do this …" she miserably whispered to herself. As much as she was desperate to collapse onto the floor, she knew that the moment she takes her eyes off the monster, there was no telling what it would do next.

'I've come this far … but look at me … no progress!' Asellus choked back her hot, angry tears. 'I'm such a failure …'

She thought she faintly heard Gen's voice, "Don't forget about the three shadows on the wall, remember that you still have to match all three swords!"

'Of course I haven't forgotten. Jeez, why do you have to keep repeating the same damn thing over and over!' Asellus screamed in her mind, too exhausted to shout back. But it was difficult … how could she possibly face off against this gigantic, winged beast at the same time as meditating to match all three sword shadows!?

"Don't give up, Lady Asellus!" White Rose covered her mouth in error right afterwards, briefly forgetting that Asellus hated to be addressed that way.

"Poor girl … she is reaching her limit," Fuse was genuinely worried himself for the young girl's physical state. "Are you sure there is absolutely nothing we can do to help her!?"

Gen grimly shook his head. "She has to either manifest that Card by matching those shadows … or fight that monster to its death, but if her mind keeps faltering like this, she won't be successful with either …"

"Her mind … it's all in her mind, right?" Rouge suddenly ran towards the other corner of the chamber where the Airfolk was hovering.

"What the hell, man!? Get back here! I told you, we can't help it! If you use any attack spell, it will only harm Asellus, not the monster!" screamed Gen.

"You said she needs her mind to stay focused. So that should mean it's just the monster in her mind that's hurting her … " Rouge paused to recite an unknown spell, pointing his arms towards Asellus, who stared back in pure surprise as bright purple crystals surrounded him.

"Wh – what are you doing?" she stammered, as a series of electric blue energy waves flowed upwards and circled all around, enveloping her in a sort of calming magnetic force. "That … that actually feels relaxing. I don't feel as tired anymore …" Asellus was mystified by it all.

"When your psychic health is low, your vitality is even weaker. Both attributes are important for the human mind." Rouge shouted, loud enough for both Asellus and the others to hear over the Airfolk's beastly roars. "They are connected to each other … naturally reciprocating. Now," he pointed his arms towards Asellus once more, "you should be able to manifest the Saber Card and defeat the Airfolk!"

"How!?" wailed Asellus. "That's what I've been trying to do all this time! How can anyone stay 'focused' with themselves when there are so many distractions like this?"

"I can't answer that for you! Nobody can!" Rouge fiercely recited the magic spell once more. "Trust me on this … you WILL find what you seek!"

The half-mystic screamed as she swung her sword at the Airfolk that was divebombing her with its razor-sharp beak. "I don't remember what I'm searching for …" She took a moment to wipe away her drooling face of tears. "I don't even know who I am anymore!"

Rouge started to cough as the Airfolk prepared another wind attack, with its ferocious wings stirring up all the dust and debris in the chamber. Now he realized what Gen meant. Nobody except Asellus could fight this beast, but any damage caused by the beast would affect everybody in this room.

Watching Rouge's coughs getting more violent by the minute, it dawned on Asellus that her time was now severely limited. The Airfolk will surely kill all of them in the blink of an eye …

She shut her eyes tight as she racked her brain for solutions. Even if she ended up not receiving the Saber Card, she would feel at peace with it, as long as she could ensure the safety of others. As desperate as Asellus was to get the gift of Arcane Magic in order to seek audience with the Time Lord … none of it would matter if White Rose and these innocent men were to die, all because of her failure to help them!

"You are … Asellus …" She thought she heard Rouge through his coughing. "Never … forget … that."

"But … I'm lost, Rouge! I've lost myself a long time ago!"

With all his remaining strength, Rouge started to recite the spell again, once more sending Asellus into a relaxed, blissful state with its electric blue energy. He kneeled onto the floor, unable to remain standing as his own exhaustion took over his body.

"You will find yourself again …" he managed to speak softly, before he started to cough again. "Ask yourself … who are you?"

Something about his words sounded awfully familiar … but as the Airfolk swooped down at her again, she could not quite figure it out. Where has she heard those words before?

"YOU IDIOT!"

Those words were directed at Rouge by someone else, but it jolted Asellus' memories into action.

"A true mystic warrior does not carry herself like this!"

Asellus looked up at Ildon's stern face, too afraid to talk back to him. The Silver Moon sword that was pointed at her throat was threatening enough … one false move would surely result in a fatal injury.

Fortunately, Ildon had no intention of harming Asellus – but little did she know that it was a scare tactic used as punishment, as part of her education on the art of mystic combat. So when he reached out his white satin-gloved hand to help her, she hesitated to take it – until Ildon grew impatient and lifted her up entirely with both his arms.

Still terrified to no end, Asellus refused to look into the severe, deep blue gaze of Ildon's eyes as he continued to hold her in his arms. Why would he not let her go yet? Did he plan to throw her off the edge of one of the many tall, rose and thorn-adorned balconies now? With that in mind, she quickly wrapped her arms onto his shoulders and locked her sharp fingernails into the back of his thick, muscular neck. Worst case scenario – she will never let go of his neck. So do your worst, Ildon!

"Relax, child. My objective is not to kill you." Ildon scoffed, as if he was reading her mind. Strangely enough, he spoke to her in an uncharacteristically calm voice and then gently let Asellus back onto her feet. Didn't her fingernails hurt him at all? Asellus was truly amazed at his lack of reaction.

"A mystic never shows emotion, and definitely no sign of physical discomfort or pain." Ildon began to walk around the young girl with an air of meditation. "On *and* off the battlefield, I might add. It is a sign of weakness, an element of completely poor character!" He stopped to glare into Asellus' face, making sure she was paying attention to his words.

Asellus stared straight into the empty space ahead of her, refusing to meet his intimidating gaze. That figures why he didn't yelp in pain … she must have drawn some of his blood, as her fingers felt wet.

After a few more excruciating minutes, Ildon broke his gaze and walked to the other end of the training ground. "I will give you credit for not meeting my eyes. You know your place and lowly station in your new life, by which you should forever be grateful to Lord Orlouge – and to the rest of us high-rank mystics, for sparing our time to acknowledge your half-mystic existence."

Was he trying to provoke her on purpose, as part of another one of his teaching 'tricks'? Asellus gritted her teeth as she continued to hide her growing anger and hurt.

"One thing you must still work on, however, is your ACTUAL fighting skills!" A giant, fiery serpent appeared out of nowhere as it breathed a great, scorching flame all over a screeching Asellus. She quickly dropped to the ground and rolled around, trying to get rid of the flames on her clothes.

"I almost burned to death! Are you crazy?" she yelped at Ildon, as he casually stood by doing nothing.

"You're wasting your own energy there," smirked Ildon. "You gotta stop thinking like an ordinary human. Can't you see that you're not dead yet?" He reached out and stopped her from rolling around. "See? The flame does not affect you."

"It's still freaking hot!" Asellus growled and tore away from his hold. She could not take it anymore – her anger overtook her, forcing her to whip out her measly Bowie Knife at Ildon, even though she knew she could not do much damage with it. "You could've at least given me a better weapon than this – this stupid litle thing - to make it fair!"

"You damn well know that life is anything but fair, girl." Ildon laughed heartily. "You make your own luck in life. Same goes for combat and war."

"So it's my fault that Orlouge ran me over with his carriage!?" She lunged towards him, flames and all, only to be met with another great force of power – this time, of freezing ice.

"Hm. It looks like you're getting better at ignoring the heat and cold sensitivity that humans naturally have." Ildon observed as a shivering Asellus once again tried to run towards him. "But … you still don't think like a mystic." She was just about to push down her knife at his armor when he disappeared from her touch.

"Goddammit Ildon … how can I fight back at all 'like a mystic' when I'm burning up in flames at one second and then frozen like an iceberg at the other, and you're attacking me invisibly? And stop calling me a mystic, I am not one of you! I am a human!"

"You and I both know that neither statement is true for you, Asellus." Ildon appeared from behind her. "It's time to carve out your new life – your new identity."

Asellus turned around so quickly that she fell backwards – only to be caught by Ildon before she made contact with the floor.

"Don't make me repeat myself. I'm not making it easy for you on purpose because you will eventually be caught in an impossibly difficult combat like this one day. " He abruptly stepped away from Asellus, almost causing her to fall but she caught herself in time. She seethed in rage, watching him as he walked towards the other end of the room once more, clearly preparing another attack plan.

"Mystic combat, after all, is 90% mind and 10% body. Nothing is impossible as long as you focus your mind entirely on what you're trying to achieve. Whether it's to absorb your opponent's power, to obliterate them with sheer force of will, to teleport yourself away from one space to another, or to manifest anything within your powers. This is the difference between mystics and humans, Asellus. We can do what they can't."

Asellus fought back her tears as she watched Ildon's dark, majestic raven wings unfurl into a menacingly offensive position. Frightened as she was, Asellus gripped her Bowie Knife in anticipation of his next move.

"I'm not a human … and I'm not a mystic …"

Ildon's voice was as cold as the deep blue ocean of his eyes. "Then tell me. Who are you?" He slowly rose up into the air and swiftly dived straight towards the embattled young girl, who was still recovering from the ice effect of his previous attack.

But to his complete surprise – he was met with an unprecedented blocking power that sent him plummeting down hard, his raven feathers scattering everywhere in the air, and finally cracking the marble floor beneath him from the sudden impact of Asellus' knife.

Did she finally learn 'Deflect'?

Before he could fully comprehend what was unfolding before him, Ildon noticed a mysterious glow from under Asellus' long, thick eyelashes – a strange, frightening sense of power that he had never felt from any mystic nor human before. He trembled a little as Asellus lifted her radiantly shining vermillion eyes – her tiny feminine frame splitting into four identical copies as they all landed around him with piercing forces of strength, with the final deadly blow coming from the real girl, flying high above – a glittering pink beam of light crashing onto him like a falling comet broken free from its prison of celestial orbit.

For the first time in Ildon's eternal existence, he screamed for dear life.

"Rosario Impale!"

Gen shouted excitedly as the familiar pink light filled the Saber Chamber. "I never thought I'd ever see it again …" he whispered to himself, starting to wonder whether this was a dream or reality.

"I … am … Asellus!"

Her cutting voice somehow rose above the chaotic, roaring sound of the Airfolk's defensive gust attack – and in a blink of an eye, millions of green and blue feathers exploded like confetti as the Rosario Impale's glittering energy faded away like an echoing applause.

The others, who had ducked onto the floor to cover themselves of the impact, slowly rose to their feet, careful not to breathe in any of the debris that stirred up from the battle. They strained to see through the mess, but it was Rouge who first pointed it out.

"Look … it's glowing!"

He was referring to the golden light forming in the midst of all the feather and glitter-filled air – and that familiar sound of bell chimes caused by the change of energy …

The exhausted half-mystic dropped her sword as she gazed into her hands at what replaced it.

"You did it." Gen broke the enraptured silence of the Saber Chamber.

Asellus barely had time to react when she was tackled by White Rose and the others in a spontaneous group hug.


Having caused a lot of commotion in the Saber Chamber, it only made sense that the ghosts and other unknown monsters of Wakatu were now out in full force as the group carefully traced their way back to the Wakatu pier, trying to spare any spoken words between each other as much as possible to avoid further disturbance with the undead fauna of the region. So, when Gen suddenly stopped them in front of an abandoned minka, it rather came as a surprise.

"I promise, this won't take long," he reassured them, "I just want to say a quick prayer for the fallen Wakatu people."

They followed him down a hidden staircase inside the rusty house, entering a single-windowed room where the darkness from outside contrasted with little bright candles burning peacefully in front of a magnificent iron statue of a samurai dressed in a traditional armour and helmet, adorned with arrows sticking onto the metal body.

There were several more arrows that were lain by the statue's feet – whether these had been left ages ago by the fleeing citizens or by visiting history scholars who wanted to pay tribute to the forgotten Wakatu samurais, it was difficult to know for sure.

Nevertheless – Gen took a deep, sorrowful breath while his sympathetic comrades looked on. He gently kneeled down in front of the statue and put his hands together.

"This is the Blade Chamber, one of the last remaining sites in this region that thankfully has not been too damaged by war," he explained, bowing his head.

Even in the darkness, the magnificent statue seemed to shine brightly from the reflections of the many candlelights touching each angle and corner of the proudly sculpted metal.

"They say the Blade God grants swords to all talented swordsmen," Gen continued to speak, though lowering his face to hide the breaking in his voice as he fought back his emotions. "But … I …"

Weary as Asellus was, she could not help but notice the tiny drops of water falling from under Gen's stooped, trembling head. Wakatu – the once-mighty region of honorable samurais and the maker of the world's most durable, beautiful swords. All that remained of its former beauty was simply this statue, and before it sat one of the battered region's last, remaining sons. It felt a little surreal to watch this tall, masculine figure slumped down to his knees – but her heart softened at the sound of his subdued, almost inaudible sobbing. In this precious moment, aside his vices of alcoholism and substance abuse, he was but a child at heart – a lonely, vulnerable child who had forever lost his family, his home, and by association, his identity.

The first signs of dawn slowly crept in through the rubbles outside from the only window in the room, casting little shafts of light illuminating the emerald hues of Asellus' hair as she kneeled beside the swordsman and gathered up her hands close to her chest. She wanted to help, in her still-childlike mind – and perhaps this was the only way, to say a prayer with a fellow human in mourning.

He had stopped talking now … not that anybody expected him to, as what they witnessed before their eyes spoke louder than any language words.

The room slowly grew brighter as the early morning light began to fill the entire room. Nobody had noticed it until everything suddenly turned into a blinding whiteness …

"What … what's this? Blade God …"

The group heard Gen's astonished tone of voice as they squinted through the immense light. When it finally subsided, they saw a mysterious katana had formed in front of the statue.

Asellus' eyes flashed with recognition – from what she remembered in yet another book from her high school days, this was surely the mythical sword that only a few esteemed Wakatu samurais were known to have received from forces unknown over several centuries. It had rarely ever been seen by ordinary citizens and historians alike – so much so that it was nearly an urban legend!

As she watched an emaciated-looking Gen carefully feeling out the polished iron sheath – his rough, time-endured fingers delicately grazing over the grooves of the wooden grip – she felt goosebumps as his voice broke through the awe-inspired silence.

"For years, I've asked what is it that you want me to do," he whispered, closing his eyes again as two delicate teardrops rolled down his face. "But … you wanted me to find that out for myself."

With all the remaining strength in his tired body, Gen lifted up the legendary Comet Blade, shining in all its renowned glory across the sunlight of a new day.


Once more, Asellus gazed out of the window of her seat as the chartered ship lifted off above the green, smoky skies – only this time, it was a brilliant emerald shade of green as the morning sun struggled to make an appearance through the perpetual smog leftover by years of pollution from the Trinity government.

"Gotta admit, I haven't ever seen Wakatu in this kind of weather in all my years of flying," one of the pilots remarked from his seat. "Doesn't seem like a creepy place when it's bright out."

Gen, who was sitting closest to the cockpit, chuckled in agreement. "Nah, you're right. Wakatu has long been shrouded in a dark gloomy climate even just before it was destroyed by Trinity. This kind of sunny weather was unheard of, even when I was a kid."

"You don't say …?" The pilot and Gen soon launched into a pleasant chat about the history of the region, as the rest of the group settled in for their trip back to Koorong.

Fuse smiled as he watched Gen describe happier days of his homeland to the pilot. "When times are tough, it helps to focus on the good memories…"

Asellus suddenly shifted in her seat, as if she was impatient about something. Fuse looked at her in silent wonder, and then at Rouge, who was seated on the other side of the aisle, also looking rather stressed.

"What's the matter?" Fuse was finally compelled to ask when the only sound on the ship was Gen and the pilot talking. "This was quite an accomplishment. Thought you'd all be more excited about the Saber Card."

"I'm just tired," Asellus quickly responded.

"Ditto," was all Rouge echoed back. He was busy writing something in his notebook.

Putting aside his guitar bag on the empty seat next to him, Lute reclined in his own as he whipped out his Saber Card. "Not sure about you guys, but I'm pretty stoked about this! Think I'll try goin' for the full gift at this rate. Hey bud," he leaned over towards Rouge's seat and grinned, "you're our resident magic professional here, right? How do I get the other tarot cards?"

Rouge paused to look up at Lute. "I'm guessing this is your first card …" his voice stopped in mild horror, as he watched Lute lightly pick his teeth with the Saber Card, "You might want to hold onto that, at least until you get the other three."

"What other cards do you have?"

The silver-haired mage pulled out a small pouch, pulling on its drawstrings. "I'd keep them safe in something like this," he glanced a meaningful exchange with Lute, who quickly clued in and stopped fidgeting with his own card. "I got the Gold Card from the Baccarat caves not long before we met. So all I need is the Grail and Shield."

Asellus curiously tilted her head from her seat, trying to take a peak at his tarot collection from afar.

"Nice, man! So two out of four for you now …" Lute turned towards Asellus, "and how far are you along?"

The green-haired half-mystic smirked as she proudly pulled out her own set of cards to show the men. To think that she had already beaten an actual magician at his own journey! "The Gold Card was my first, thanks to White Rose," she smiled at her friend, who was half-asleep but awake enough to return the smile, "but as you can see … I've got all four cards now." She condescendingly folded up her cards as Lute and Rouge got closer for a look.

"Can you show us your cards again?" Fuse also leaned in, suddenly curious.

Asellus shrugged and showed off her set once more … and was met with utter silence. Not like she was expecting any admiration or envy – or was she? – but something about the men's faces seemed off.

"Where'd you get these?" The IRPO agent indicated the Shield Card with his nod.

"Well … " Perhaps she had been prematurely proud about her achievements … "I know that the Shield Card is found in the Region of IRPO, but lucky for me, I was able to buy it from a police officer at the Koorong airport. He said he used to work for them."

There was absolutely no expression on Fuse's face as he continued staring at the card. "Okay," he simply said, after a long moment of silence. "I'm gonna need you to describe the appearance of this IRPO officer." He suddenly took out a pen and small notepad.

"Why?" Asellus raised a dubious eyebrow. "Are you the world's foremost authority on the Shield Card?" She sarcastically added.

"I am, actually." There was not a single hint of a smile on his face.

Rouge then held up his notebook for all to see. "That Shield Card is fake," he spoke rather bluntly. "See how it's missing the extra marks along the sides of the lion face?"

"And try holding it up against the light," advised Fuse. He shook his head as Asellus anxiously held up the card against the fluorescent light of the ship's ceiling. "Sorry, hun. There's no watermark."

Asellus felt a chill coming over her entire body, as well as a slow, burning sensation across her pale cheeks.

"Same goes for that Grail Card," Rouge mercilessly continued on, though not realizing the extent of humiliation the green-haired girl was feeling at the moment as he studied his book. He held it up once more to show his companions. "It should have a total of eight goblets – but yours only has seven."

"Oh snap," Lute gawked with wonder, until he looked up at the deathly silent Asellus. "Um … are you all right?"

The pilot and Gen slightly jumped in their seats at the loud scream of frustration that echoed down from the aisle seats. "Yikes. Guess I'll go check on how they're doing," Gen reassured the pilot as he got up.

There was a scatter of tarot cards on the floor, between the dumbfounded men and the Rose lady, having woken involuntarily from the scream. The latter was trying to console the young girl who sat with her face buried in her own hands.

"Poor girl got scammed," Fuse quietly spoke in response to Gen's quizzical look, careful to not further trigger the unhappy teenager. "Her Tarot cards are fake."

Rouge gently picked up the fallen cards and handed them to White Rose, as Asellus remained slouching in despair. "Not all of them are," he tried his best to be consoling, "The Gold Card is definitely real."

"At least you have two out of four cards!" Lute cheerily added. "Hey, I guess both you and Rouge are at the same level of progress."

Asellus finally uncovered her face and slowly sat up straight, determined to face an unpleasant reality. "I should've known better than to trust a kind stranger offering to help," she groaned. "Ugh … White Rose, I'm so stupid."

"Don't be hard on yourself," White Rose squeezed the half-mystic's shoulder. "I was just as fooled as you. I didn't expect humans to be as cunning as mystics either."

"Lots of bad people out there," concurred Fuse, "but don't let that discourage you from your goals. For starters, you can describe the person who sold you the fraudulent cards, so a real police officer like me can help put them away." He crouched a little to meet Asellus' downward-facing eyes and smiled.

Asellus reluctantly smiled back, as White Rose gave her back the cards. At least the Saber Card was possible to get, thanks to Gen and the others.

"Onwards and upwards," shrugged Asellus. While she talked to Fuse about the conman, she noticed that Rouge had taken White Rose aside from the group.

"I wanted to take you up on that offer from before, Ms. White Rose, about the Light Magic. I hope it's not too much of an imposition."

"Please, just White Rose is fine," smiled the princess. "Of course, it's not an inconvenience to me at all! I am not one to go back on my word."

Rouge returned the smile, but with a mixed air of eagerness and uncertainty. "If that's the case, I'd like to go with you to your next destination … especially since it sounds like we're both searching for the gift of Arcane Magic?" He glanced across the aisle at Asellus, who was already glaring suspiciously at him. He quickly looked away.

Now it was White Rose's turn to hesitate. "Well … I'm not actually after the gift. I'm simply accompanying Asellus because she wishes to eventually learn Time Magic. I don't mind if you joined us, but …" her voice trailed off to glance over at the anxious-looking Asellus, and then back at Rouge as something started to dawn on her. "I'm sorry, but did we not already decide to part ways before?"

The young mage was truly confused. Had they met before? Before he could think of a response, the pilot's voice came from the intercom announcing the landing of the ship, so would everyone please be seated for their own safety.

"Koorong already? Feels like it was a short flight this time!" laughed Lute. "Where are y'all headed to now?"

"You guys have a couple choices here," began Fuse. "Like I said earlier … I truly am the go-to authority on the Shield Card. I have it right here …" he paused to flash the namesake, much to Asellus and Rouge's hungry eyes, "but first … I gotta see whether you're fit to earn it."

"Huh? But we were able to get the Saber and Gold on our own!" protested Asellus.

"Without Gen, we wouldn't have been able to get the Saber Card," Rouge had to admit.

Asellus rolled her eyes. "Whatever happened to Mr. Whatever-means-necessary?"

Rouge sighed, deciding to ignore her hostility and turning to Fuse. "What do you want us to do for the Shield Card?"

The IRPO agent smiled wryly as his voice grew rather determined and a little shrewd, much to everybody's growing suspicions. "There's been this side project that I've been putting off for a while. Some patrol work in Mosperiburg. I could use some help with that."

"And what's the other option?"

"Lute here is from Yorkland, where the Grail Card is supposedly at," Fuse casually glanced over at the unassuming wastrel. "But I doubt he knows much about it …"

"Ah come on, Chief! You could stand to give me a little credit," smirked Lute, taking it all in good humor. "Now, I don't know exactly where it is … but I'm sure my neighbors would know. They're all good people so we can easily ask around! Maybe even sample some sake, get to know my hometown a bit!"

Gen, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly burst with enthusiasm and swung his arm over Lute's shoulder. "I'm with ya all the way, buddy! And that sake you mention … it only sweetens the deal."

"Cool! I'll show you all my old haunts around town." Lute laughed as he fist-bumped Gen.

"Maybe it'd be good to take a breather," Fuse wondered out loudly as he watched the two boisterous friends. "You sure you can get us the good kind of liquor, Lute?"

"I'll come with," Rouge promptly chimed in. "Fuse, I'll be happy to assist you in Mosperiburg afterwards." He then turned towards White Rose, with a hint of regret in his voice. "I guess … this is where we'll have to part ways for real?"

"That would be a shame," Gen suddenly walked over to Asellus. "Little miss … err, I mean Asellus …" he quickly corrected himself as he met her slightly annoyed eyes, "I've been meaning to ask about your sword skills. Who taught you the 'Rosario Impale' method?"

It took her a few minutes to figure out what he was referring to. "You mean … what I did back at the Saber Chamber?" Asellus shrugged. "It's just something I picked up a while ago. Back when I was training with my …" she paused to shudder as she remembered Ildon's fearful disposition, "my former fencing teacher, if you will."

"That was a flawless execution though," was his next unexpected comment. "And if you're telling me that nobody actually taught you that … I think you may have a natural gift!"

"Me? But … he always told me I wasn't good!"

"Unless he is a master swordsman from Wakatu, which I'm guessing he's not … your teacher has no idea. That 'thing' you did is an ancient sword method learned by young samurais. It took me years to master it myself."

Asellus was truly intrigued by this revelation. She carefully examined Gen's face to check for any signs of joking or lying – but his expression was more serious than back when they were at the Saber Chamber. Fancy being good at something for once!

"I'm sure you've got your reasons why you're after the Arcane gift," he continued, "and I respect whatever you decide to do with your life. However, I'd be happy to show you a few more things about the art of the sword, if you're interested."

After finding out the truth of her Shield and Grail Cards, Asellus consciously decided to be a little more cautious, even with her travelling companions. However, she was brimming with her own curiosity and wonder.

Surely a Wakatu samurai such as Gen would know more about swords than a gloomy, moody mystic knight like Ildon did! And the fact that Fuse was the official source of the Shield Card was convenient, as well as Lute having a solid geographical knowledge of Yorkland – or somewhat solid, as the kind-hearted musician truthfully admitted.

Lastly, despite having already made up her mind on the rather unpredictable-natured mage, she at least wanted to know how he could hold opposing powers of magic. If he would even be generous enough to share his secrets, that is.

So many choices.

Maybe what that random fortune-teller in Devin said was right … life really is a game of cards.

And at this moment, she had drawn the highest-ranking card of all – truly, this was an ace of a decision to make from the entire deck!

White Rose gently squeezed Asellus' shoulder, briefly interrupting her thoughts. "I'd like to keep my promise to that young man myself."

"It's good to keep promises …" agreed Asellus.

"So, are you in or out?" Lute started to play with his Saber Card again, as he waited for an answer.

"All in."

"Then goddammit, hurry you guys! We're going to miss the connecting flight to Yorkland."

End of Chapter 3.


Note: Many apologies for any continuity or grammar issues! And the corniness in some of the dialogue and all! At this point, I'm just eager to write out my headcanons before they fade with time. But please feel free to point out any mistakes I may have overlooked, I truly appreciate all feedback!

Dearest readers! If you've made it this far, I just want to sincerely thank you for your time and effort to having read this entire chapter! I do hope you'll stay tuned for more of my fanon delusions. And as always, reviews are appreciated! Thank you 😊