FD: Good day, one and all, Happy New Year, we are back with yet another chapter! Yay!

Tychon: Draco-senpai… you should really be doing your homework…

FD: Ugh, but I tried. I always end up just staring at the page for an hour, then I get frustrated and I go to writing again.

Tychon: Do your homework. I'll cover us.

FD: *sigh* ...okay, fine.

Tychon: Meanwhile, we should probably get to setting up an upload schedule. Perhaps bi-weekly, once every two weeks on Saturdays? Sounds good. But before any of that… here we go, I suppose…

As always, we own nothing.

Music: Sen Ikusa by Wagakki Band

(Instrumental) The Brand of Pandora falls down while spinning, landing on a familiar forehead. The perspective shifts back slightly to show Eric looking up ahead, while Chrom's side profile is shown facing the other direction. Their respective brands plaster the background as Chrom stands with a hand on his hip and Eric stands with arms crossed. Then Sumia crouches on one knee in front of Cordelia, an emblem of upward curving wings beside them. Next, Frederick, Raven, and Robin, each with their respective weapons of an axe, sword, and tome in hand, accompanied by a scythe and dragon emblem. Next, Walhart stands tall with Wolf Berg on his shoulder with the emblem reminiscent of his axe beside him. Then the black scene receives two slashes to reveal the black scene to show the title "Fire Emblem: Decisions

(Kataku chikatta yurenai omoi nara koko ni aru darou?) Falchion and Eternity stand in the ground in an X before Eric and Chrom run through from each side and grab their respective weapons. With flame emitted from the blade, Eric swung a few times, a torrent of fire torching the scene

(Shinnen aru nara surechigai mo mata hitsuzen darouka kotae wa izuko da) Chrom slashes the screen accompanied by powerful gusts of wind, and a battlefield of troops are blown away with an explosion, revealing the two kings back to back grinning at one another over their shoulder. A familiar background of royal blue is displayed behind Robin as he points forward, Frederick appears on screen with an axe in hand. Raven, armed with Uramasa and a smile, each of the two on Robin's left and right sides. A red background replaces the blue, with Walhart holding his Wolf Berg. Yen'fay, Excellus and Cervantes each appear at Walhart's side before Yen'fay slashes the scene

(Iza, maichire sakura saite inochi no aru kagiri maire) A silver lance, a steel sword, and Uramasa lock with one another, the scene widens to show Frederick, Robin and Raven smiling at the sky, making a pact of sorts. Now, the Shepherds all stand in a group with Vaike pointing up at the screen, then the scene switches to a black background, with both Aversa and Validar standing parallel to each other while a pair of ominous red eyes glow on a darkened face

(Aa, mou dare ni mo inai fuwari, kaze ga naida) Chrom stands beneath a veil of sakura trees, petals dancing along the wind in the glow of the moonlight. Sumia hugs the prince from behind, bringing a warm smile to his face as he places a hand on Sumia's. Meanwhile, Eric looks out at the crescent moon over a cliff. Cordelia looks at him with worry and sadness in her eyes with a hand on her chest.

(Hanate, hanate ikusa he inotte, inotte mirai he) A bolt of Thoron is launched from Robin's hand, Frederick attacks with his lance, then Sumia and Cordelia charge through the sky with their lances in hand. A familiar blue haired swordswoman stands with her hand on Chrom's sword, surrounded by 15 silhouettes before one of them jump out to cut the scene with a purple flash

(Waratte, waratteruyouni douka, chikai no nakade chirasetekure) A young Chrom and Eric run side by side with smiles on their faces before the scene cuts to a dreary looking castle, the two now adult royals charge at Walhart with swords in hand. Chrom avoids a strike from Walhart as Eric jumps in the air and meets the Conqueror's axe, the force cracking the ground beneath them and causing it to explode

(Sono kokoro, makoto ni musou) Falchion and Eternity fall from the skies and land in an X once more. A freeze frame of Eric and Chrom both running is displayed, Cordelia and Sumia appear next near their respective love interests, then Raven appears in the middle in front with a hand on his hip and a smile. Frederick stands on Chrom's side with hands behind his back, Robin, on Eric's side with a hand on his chin in thought. Finally, a large portrait style view of Walhart towering behind them all, ending the opening

Narrator PoV

"Come on, pick up your feet," a phlegmatic voice drawled. "We haven't got all night."

"Oh, shut up," another voice huffed, this one slightly softer than the last. "Would you like to drag a body bag? I would think not, considering that I'm one you delegated that to!"

The first man tugged a hood over his spiky black hair. "Details, details."

The taller man hefted the large bag onto his shoulders, wearing it like a backpack. He shook his dirty blonde hair free of the frigid raindrops that descended from the sky before retreating beneath his cowl, making sure that neither him, nor his precious cargo would get wet as the two men walked on their somewhat merry way. A strained growl left him as he tugged on a loose strap of the bag, fixing it onto his own frame. Why did he always get the short end of the stick with these jobs?

"Onyx," the blonde inquired. "Just a thought that occurred."

"What is it?"

"You break into some random house-"

"Yes."

"Without even letting me help you."

"Uh huh."

"Then you come out of the house with a large bag in your hands and you simply push it into my hands."

Onyx sighed with a hand over his face. "You were able to recall all of that, so then what is the question here?"

Hazel eyes hardened on the back of the mercenary clad in black. "The question is why and what am I carrying?"

"The why is because you're the brawn, Mikalus. I'm the brains," Onyx replied, receiving a critical glare from the orchid-clad mercenary, now named Mikalus. "And the what is confidential, never mind it. We still get paid either way."

"First off, I've told you countless times, I'd prefer it if you called me Michael. Or hell, even Mike." He shuffled around in his clothes, trying to make himself more comfortable with the extra weight. "And second, while I'd be remiss to pass up any opportunity for some good coin… even I have my standards."

"Oh really?" Onyx quipped. "Says the guy who hit on a guy last time we hit up a pub?"

The taller man huffed in indignation. "I've told you already, I thought it was a female. At least, he looked like one from behind."

A cough left the blonde's mouth before he dropped the bag he had on his back. "But that's besides the point."

"Hm?" Onyx turned his head and saw his taller friend laying the sack on the ground, looking to open it up and peruse its contents. "What are you doing?!"

Onyx's vague question received no response. Once his eyes laid on what was inside the bag, Michael's breathing hitched, his hazel eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. He could hear, if only slightly, the irritated calls of his friend coming out as little more than white noise. His eyes laid on such a vision of beauty, her pale skin glistening in the little moonlight that shone down through the cloud cover above. Despite her eyes being closed, and her body laid still, the rise and fall of her chest gave Michael some level of relief. At least he wouldn't be dragging a corpse around.

"Onyx…" Michael called out, his eyes not once leaving her face. "Who exactly is this?"

"It's a woman. She's from Chon'sin, by the looks of it." He scratched his head with a slight yawn before he raised a brow in minor confusion. "Eh?"

"What is it?"

A hand moved to the shorter man's chin in thought. "Come to think of it, she looks… rather familiar. Reminds me of the one time we were in Valm working… for… oh, crap."

Michael needed no more explanation to come to an answer. The trailed-off statement was enough for him to put two and two together as his eyes widened, many different feelings coursing behind them. Rage. Fear. Frustration. At least that was how he would justify grabbing his partner by the collar with a snarl on his face, barely keeping himself from slugging the smaller man. "You dumbass!" he cried.

Onyx retorted with a weak laugh. "Mike, look, I know this looks pretty bad, but-"

"Pretty bad?!" Michael interrupted him. "Pretty bad is when you accidentally burn your kitchen down! Pretty bad is when get tricked by a trap at the pub!"

"Something you seem to have experience with," Onyx quipped, to which Michael responded by shucking the joking merc to the ground.

"This here is an understatement! This is grounds for execution, at best!" he yelled.

"Quiet down!" Onyx barked, silencing the now hysterical blonde. "I dunno to what means this is for, but these were the boss's orders! So rather than complain about it, just do your damn job! Like I said, we still get paid either way."

He shook his head. "No gold is worth this."

"No, but I'm sure your head is," replied Onyx. "Or would you be in favour of the boss popping your head off and using it as a soccer ball? Or better yet, using your dried, fleshless skull as a prop in those plays he loves to do?"

Michael had to consider that. He didn't want to hold this sweet, innocent… politically powerful young woman captive like he was currently, but he knew the boss well. His boss would carve him like an overgrown turkey if he failed something this important. It left little wonder as to why he was sent, he was the best in his work. Though he much rather preferred cutting enemies down by the barrelful than to kidnap helpless victims, he had to take pride that a task as delicate as this was given to him. Silently, he mulled over his morality, glancing between the captive and his partner before he closed the sack once more, putting it on his body once again.

He spat out a mass of fluid as he passed by the dark-haired mercenary. "Who has no standards now?"

"That would still be you." Onyx raised his arms until his hands laced behind his head. "Now, let's get going. We have to meet with the rest down in Southtown three days from now."

Eric PoV

Waking up to a hospital bed was nothing new to me at this point. In fact, if I thought hard about it, until the war ended, there hadn't been much a time where I woke up in an actual bed. Not to mention, the dull, throbbing, familiar pain of lacerations and cuts that rest on my frame, earned through the toils of war and combat, it only served to add to the sensation of familiarity. In a way, it was almost a welcoming feeling. A twisted sense of sentimentality, if you will. What was unique, however, were the two figures hovering over the bed I laid on, one was black and one was red. One had a solemn look of sadness, yet relief on his face, while the other was crying her eyes out, clutching the sheets of my medical bed in gratitude, taking solace in the fact that I was now conscious.

"Hey, Cherry," I managed to cough out, a small bark of a laugh trailing the end of my greeting to her. Her violet eyes looked back at me, glistening with the tears she had cried from who knows how long until now. In lieu of a verbal response, she pounced at me, enveloped me in a tight hug and bombarded me with kisses like it was the last time she was ever going to see me. Her hold was warm and strong, not to mention she was very affectionate, which I loved. Yet her breastplate was crushing my chest and her hold threatened to crush bones which was not so great.

"I thought I almost lost you again…" she weeped, her grip loosening not one bit.

"Uh, Lady Cordelia?" Raven cut in, but ultimately was ignored.

"Please stop doing reckless stuff like that, I don't want to lose you…" she cried. "I've already come close twice before…"

"Lady Cordelia!" Raven called, finally getting the redhead's attention. And subsequently, getting her grip to loosen. I gasp out hoarsely, drawing in the precious life-sustaining element we come to know as oxygen.

"You were coming close a fourth time just then," I croaked, trying to bring myself to a still and even breath. With a fatigued groan, I rubbed my eyes with heavy hands. "Gods… Raven, how long was I out?"

"Surprisingly, milord…" Raven began with a conceding shrug. "You were only unconscious for a day or two, no longer. Either way, it's daytime now."

"Is that right?" I brought myself up to seat position, wincing sharply at the jolt running through my core. Specifically, the lower half of my torso, but within those few seconds of recognition, the sensation subsided quickly. "I didn't think I'd wake up in so much pain."

"Be lucky you woke up at all." Raven paced across the room. "Your wounds were grievous. Your organs and renal vessels were all severed, and even with the aid of a dozen of the greatest medics the halidom has, you were losing blood very quickly, vitals were failing. Honestly, even I was surprised you lived to see another day."

His hair flew as he turned to look at me. "You were supposed to die. And you would have, if not for a strange, ominous force."

My body jumped up at that statement. "Ominous force?"

"It was odd," Raven replied with a tilted head. "Lady Cordelia and I saw it, the purple glow… it was magic like I'd never seen. After being declared dead, it appeared. Not much longer afterwards, it began mending the wound… and your blood pressure was rising back to normal once more. It was certainly a miracle."

Miracle my ass, I thought. If his description was accurate, nothing that he just told me was a miracle. Even a miracle wouldn't have been enough to save me from being cut in half and losing over half my blood. No, this was something else and I knew exactly what it was.

It was that demon.

The same demon that I encountered when I faced off against Gangrel had to be responsible for this. From that point forward, it has always lingered in the depths of my mind, body and soul ever since. I'd be willing to wager whatever wealth I had to say that it had been twice now it kept me alive. I'm sure Raven knew exactly what it was that saved me from the first time it happened. But I don't think he nor Cordelia knew that I knew.

"Haha, perhaps it was an act of the gods above indeed!" Something was off about the tone of his voice. It was very convincing, no doubt, but it was not convincing enough to assuage my suspicions. Then, as if it were nothing but a mere flicker, I saw the slightest twitch in Raven's eyebrow at the end of that sentence, bringing my face down to a narrow-eyed frown. So it was true, he had no clue of my awareness. He figured that I would have no recollection of any events regarding this so-called miracle, and now, he made it his utmost priority to try and persuade me from thinking anything was afoot.

I bit my cheek, pushing aside what little thoughts were left in my mind and fixing my frown into a forced grin. "I suppose it was."

I swung my feet over the side of the bed, laying them on the cool stone as I pushed my body onto the edge. Such an act was reprimanded, however; Cordelia and Raven jumped to action immediately.

"Milord, what are you doing?!" Raven called out. "You are in no condition to be moving about!"

"Stop complaining," I retorted. "I'm not even that bad off, the pain is barely there."

"Raven's right," Cordelia added, tugging at my blanket. "It doesn't matter, you are not going out in-"

What she ended up revealing by moving the covers showed something both remarkable and alarming at the same time. The bandages on my torso were completely dried, not a patch of blood on them. Gasps filled the room from the other two as I touched at the skin beneath the wrapping. It was… smooth. Not a scratch, not even so much as any sign of scar tissue.

It didn't just heal. It completely regenerated.

A single thought settled in my mind before it was voiced in a simple nonchalant sentence. "Guess I don't need these bandages."

I gave my lower torso a quick once-over in an attempt to find one of the tail ends of the cloth, and once I find it, I make short work of unraveling it. And just like the blind touch test just moments before, it was revealed to be completely undamaged. The same tanned skin that spread across the rest of my body was present where the wound should be.

"Well, well, well…" I grinned as I dropped a fistful of the cloth to the ground. "I suppose my time here is done. I'm going to head out, probably get something to eat-I'm starving-and find something else to do."

I waved back to the two as I turned on my heel. "Take care, you two."

I felt a sudden pressure on my wrist as I tried to leave the room. It came from a tenderly gloved hand; behind it was Cordelia. "Wait just a moment."

"Cordelia," I began with an amused smile. "I have lost my dinner through the gaping wound, and haven't eaten two days hence. I need something in my stomach."

"You and I need to talk," she said sternly, dismissing my joking quip.

"Can I at least go to-"

"No." she demanded. Her voice dropped to the usual register she uses when she wasn't up to dealing with bullcrap. It took only a quick shift of the eyes to realize that Raven had left the room. How he managed to disappear in the blink of an eye without my knowing was beyond me, but that was a question meant to be shelved in my back pocket for now. The crafty bastard. He left me all alone and now I couldn't escape. I could have had the choice between the redheaded fury before me and a wild wyvern foaming at the mouth for Pandorian blue-blooded steak, and I still would have chosen the dragon.

At least there, I would have a chance at winning.

"Define 'talk'," I inquired wryly. My dry humour was not well-received, as the features on Cordelia's face hardened into a no-nonsense glare, complete with a furrowed brow and hands placed on her hips.

"Did your hospitalization make you forget what happened?" She crossed her arms. "What was the whole 'goodbye' thing about?"

I huffed off to the side. "I don't want to talk about this right now, alright?"

"Then when, Eric?" she snapped back. "When? A week? A month? A year? After we get married? You can't keep putting it off forever."

I slowly drew in a harsh breath before exhaling hard. There was no easy answer I could give. And to make matters worse, the familiar violet orbs were drawn to my own eyes, as if pressing me to provide an answer.

"If we even get married."

A confused brow was raised. "And what would ever give you an idea like that?

"Now who's forgetting things?" I deadpanned. "If I do recall, it was you who took off the ring and said you couldn't do this."

Cordelia's shoulders rose and fell with a single bark of a laugh before she removed her glove, revealing her naked left hand. As well as the ornament on it. "You mean this ring?"

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped to the ground. "Yes. That ring exactly. How the hell did you get it? I gave it to Raven."

"He gave it to me," she replied calmly as she examined the jewelry.

"Ha, that's a sight," I chuckled. "Never knew you were Raven's type."

An annoyed, yet playful slap was sent my way, making contact with my shoulder. "Very funny. No, he presented it on your behalf. And I took it graciously and happily."

"I'm not so sure about happily," I huffed derisively as I dragged my body over to the hospital bed again. If I wasn't going to escape her, might as well get comfortable.

"You don't think I'm happy with you?"

"The last week or so would be a great place to start."

The redhead sighed. "Okay, I will admit that it has been pretty bad for us. That said, I would like to ask you just to imagine. Imagine you are with someone only to find out that your partner's ex-"

"Not my ex."

"Semantics," Cordelia argued. "And don't interrupt me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Say your partner's ex comes around the corner from nowhere saying that they're pregnant with their child. That's going to shake anyone up."

"I know." I rubbed away at the wrinkles in the sheets. "It's a huge wrench thrown. And that's where the problem lies."

I avoided her gaze with a heavy sigh. "To sum it up: My selfishness has brought you pain and hurt. My selfishness broke Say'ri and has threw her life into turmoil; she's a forced mother now. I could see the pain in both her eyes and yours. And with me being the cause of that…"

I growled out my frustration and guilt. "I was trying to remove myself from the equation."

"Remove yourself-" Cordelia began in confusion before she took a step forward towards me. She leaned in towards me and swiftly flicked my forehead.

"Ow!" I shot a hand up, making contact with my forehead.

"You know, for someone with your working brain, you can be a huge idiot sometimes." The redhead bent down to meet my eye level, her face only inches away from mine. Cordelia was never one for sass, mind you, but in that moment, with her stern expression and the way she was in my face with her hands on her hips, it would make someone reconsider.

"So your solution to all of this was to leave your fiancée heartbroken and lonely, as well as your baby mother alone and pregnant? Leaving your child to be born and live without a father?"

I scratched my head in thought. When she puts it like that… "When you say it aloud… Gods, that does sound terrible."

"Really?" she replied, placing her hands on her knees. "I never would have guessed."

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you, you know."

A cheeky grin danced across her face. "What can I say, I learn from the best. But I digress," she said before her face softened to a saddened smile. "You're very impulsive sometimes. Do you know how sad I was seeing you say goodbye like that? What's even worse, you almost ended up dead and I couldn't do anything to save you. It broke my heart."

My silence, mainly for the purpose of preventing anything stupid from leaving my mouth, was all Cordelia needed to press forward. "I don't care what has been said or done. I love you with all my heart. And Say'ri does too. Despite what you think, she's not using her pregnancy to get you, she genuinely loves you. And if I had to wager, I'd say you loved her just as much as you love me, at least at some point."

I jerked back in surprise and confusion. "What?"

"Please, you can't fool me, even if you've succeeded in fooling yourself," she barked. "A woman's intuition is sharper than any weapon you'll ever come across."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion when I saw her face; specifically, her amused and… not angry face. "For someone who came to this conclusion, you seem… not very angry. Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she replied. "But I do have one question. Do you want to be with your child?"

What… what sort of question is that? Of course I do; no child should have to live without their parents, much less so my own. "Yes, without a doubt."

The redheaded woman sat down right beside me on the bed. "Then do it."

"But-"

"Before you say anything, that doesn't mean you're leaving me either."

"What are you getting at then?" I was starting to get a little bit impatient, annoyed at her cryptic approach.

"The other night, Say'ri and I were speaking after you left, and I could see it in her. She loves you so much, and she loves her child that you gave her." She took my hand in hers. "Now, chalk it up to a lucky break or whatever you'd like to, but I'd come to a solution everyone would approve."

Here it comes. "And it is…?"

"She and I decided that we would both have you."

My jaw dropped to the ground and eyes widened in surprise. No, surprise was an understatement. I couldn't even process anything that was going through my mind. Cordelia. Willing to share me, with another woman? The same woman who, a week before, was on the verge of breaking up with me, stood before me offering such a proposition?

Oh, hell. Now I definitely knew it. I'm dead.

"Come again?"

"You heard me, didn't you?" she questioned.

"Yes," I whispered, numbly nodding at her words. "I'm just… just trying to come to terms, trying to process."

"Eric," she began. "Share. Say it with me, slowly. Sha-sha-shaaaare."

"Cherry, I hear you. I speak Ylissean just like everyone else," I sighed, shaking my head. "But you're legitimately okay with this? Having my attention split in two towards another woman?"

"Who said you're dividing it?" Very rarely does Cordelia get suggestive with her words, but this was one of those times, and while I generally didn't have much in the way of opposition towards it, there was something about this case in general that just… just felt off for some reason I probably would never get to the bottom of.

She cupped the far side of my face and pulled it closer to her in a smooth way. I could feel her soft breath on the right side of my face, her own only inches away. Her lips just barely grazing my ear as she whispered her words smooth as silk. "It just means you have to work twice as hard to… satisfy the both of us."

I could feel my face and ears getting hot as she kissed my cheek. "And you still have to make it up to me. After all, Say'ri had her fun before I did, so that has been really bothering me."

I struggled to keep my composure, contemplating the benefits versus drawbacks of Raven leaving Cordelia and I alone. "G-godsdamned tease…"

"You're just so easy, you brought it upon yourself," the redhead giggled. "Anyway, you wanted to go eat, and I have some things to take care of, I've spent the last two days waiting for you to awaken. I'll see you later." She got up from her seat and made her way to the room's exit, but not before sending me a wink and blowing a kiss my way. I was just left there, absolutely dumbstruck. If I had to guess, I'm pretty sure that I would need some mechanical help to raise my jaw back to neutral position. Or magical, whatever would suffice.

"I swear, those two women are going to be the death of me," I shuddered, barely missing a retching sound coming from outside of the window.

Quickly reaching for my shirt on the bedside table, I slipped it on and approached with caution. Damn it if I didn't have my sword, but I could certainly hold my own if anything were to happen. Taking the leap, I opened the window and saw a figure hopping about the castle grounds, as if trying to escape. Many possibilities ran through my mind, but one that quickly stuck to the wall was this could have been an enemy, perhaps either to spy on me or to finish me off. Either way, I couldn't let him get away. I climbed out onto the window sill and readied myself; my leg muscles tensing before pushing off in a powerful jump that sent me flying. Not enough to reach him in one bound, but I landed a few yards away on one of the castle's ramparts.

Our chase would have us go leaping and dashing from rooftop to rooftop and tree to tree as we sped through the capital. His speed was great, I reasoned, having avoided me a number of times throughout the ordeal. As I was able to inch closer towards the figure, I spotted a few noticeable features. For one, this man was more than likely a female; the hair atop their head was the giveaway to that particular idea. What's more, the legs had a far more shapely design than most men's bodies would ever allow. Despite this, however, my view of her face was obstructed, and telling from the elastic around the back of her head, I deduced she was wearing a mask. Well, female or male, the final thing I noticed was that her power was enormous. Not quite on my level, but she'd certainly be able to compete with majority of the Shepherds as it stood.

Over-analysis aside, my train came to a halt once she stopped at a remote area of the Ylissean capital, more specifically, an abandoned residential district. Many of the homes were crumbled to rubble and dust, left barren of any people. I suppose this was one of the many casualties caused by the Second Plegian War, but that was for another day.

"I hope you had fun with this incessant game of tag," I scoffed as the masked woman turned to face me. Hers was the visage of a viper's, the green scales of the mask complimenting the murky red of her garb. She wore plenty of leather armour, plated with metal only on her forearms and her shoulders, the latter of which sported the form of serpentine heads. She also wore skin tight pants with a single taupe stripe running down the middle, tucked into knee-high steel boots. "Care to tell me what you've been spying on me for?"

The woman stood there silently, refusing to answer my question.

"Too straightforward?" I asked. "I suppose a little foreplay is in order, get to know each other a little."

"You know, it doesn't look good for a sweet little girl like me being hit on by a homely old coot," she snaps in defence.

I clench my fist in indignation. "I would like to point out that I'm not even twenty-three yet, so I'm not old. And I wasn't hitting on you, don't flatter yourself."

"Oh?" she exclaimed, whipping one of her vibrant pigtails behind her. "I thought you had a thing for redheads."

"Thing for redheads? How-" It hit me a full second after she finished that statement, what she meant in particular. She was there when Cordelia and I were talking after all.

"I bet you thought she was pretty," the woman grumbled aloud.

"In all fairness, you are kind of hiding your face beneath a mask," I retorted.

"Ugh, just as annoying as ever," she groaned. "However you got her is beyond me."

"So, is there anything in particular you want, or did you just lure me out here to insult me?" I asked dryly, growing impatient with the girl's ample chatter.

"Actually, yes." The woman took a deep breath against her mask before she fell back into a combat stance, her arms raised and her feet in position. "I've heard a lot of your achievements, like when you defeated the Mad King single-handedly. But you look like nothing more than a big joke! I've seen insects more terrifying-looking than you!"

"I'd certainly like to meet such a bug," I joked before taking a stance of my own. "But honestly, do you really want to try your hand against me? I'm fresh out of the infirmary, but I can still throw down."

I got my answer in the form of a powerful punch that sent strong vibrations through the metal arm I used to block it. Through the openings in the mask, I could see the surprise in her eyes. Understandably too, as most others would crumple just from being around the area of that punch.

"I don't remember you having a metal arm," she whispered.

"What?"

"I said I'm surprised you have a metal arm," she stated. "It came in handy nonetheless. I probably would have broke your arm otherwise."

"Please," I scoffed. "I can't be taken so easily."

I pushed her off before throwing one just as strong as hers, forcing her to back away to avoid it. Her reaction time and survival instinct was honed to a considerable degree. Clearly, she'd been trained well and wasn't a simple street brawler.

"Fine then… have it your way." In a split second, I ended up at her feet, aiming an upward kick to her chin. With barely an instant of time, she sprung back on her hands to evade the hit. Her counterattack flowed seamlessly from her defence, using her smaller stature to get in close and mitigate the range my taller frame allowed.

Fists up guarding her face, she threw her punches like a boxer, each of which were stronger and faster than a bullet train. Dodging or blocking each of them were their own struggle, her style was very aggressive and allowed for very little time to react between each strike. Following her ineffective combo came a spinning backhand, making contact with my forearm.

'She's changing styles,' I thought.

Indeed she was. Whoever she was-or rather, whoever her teacher was and what they did-she certainly wasn't lacking in the versatility department. Her relentless onslaught mixed in jabs, chops and elbows before she finished off with a gargantuan kick that held the force of a wyvern. Even with my metal arm as defence, it still managed to send me tumbling into the remnants of a brick wall.

I rose back to my feet to see her raised leg glowing with white light before she let it down once more, the glow dying shortly after. "So you can manipulate magic too, hm?" I rolled out my neck. "No wonder why you hit so hard. I almost felt that."

"But… but that was powerful enough to smash through stone!" the masked woman barked.

"I told you, I just got out of the infirmary, so I'm still a little shaky," I said, rolling my wrist out. "But you haven't a single clue what I'm capable of.

Removing my personal suppressions, my body generated winds that blew away anything from small pebbles to large boulders of debris, and even threatened to topple the viper and the remains of the structures around us. The pressure cause her to try and stand her ground, planting her feet firmly into the ground and taking a staggered stance to keep herself in spot.

Suddenly, the winds reversed their course, drawing itself towards me slowly. I could tell that the anticipation and anxiety in my opponent was rising steadily, waiting for my next move. I pulled back my fist past my chest, the wind magic gathering and building around the shape of my right fist. Then, with a pregnant pause, came the words that would seal the deal. "Tiro al Vacío(Vacuum Shot)."

With all of the wind magic gathered, I launched a monstrous punch of wind that sent debris flying up in a dust explosion. The sound of crumbling stone, howling wind and splintering wood roared in my ears. The attack hit its mark dead center, carving out a shallow concave trench in its line of fire. In the center of it all was the viper, minus a few things.

Her hair, previously well-groomed and maintained now resembled a bed-headed mess with pigtails, many thin strands falling over her face. Speaking of which, due to the pressure rending her mask to pieces, her face was now exposed for all to see. Her slightly tanned complexion was flawless, her rounded face held a snarky scowl on it that was both adorable, yet fierce at the same time. What was most unique, however, was her eyes. Big, vibrant irises, narrowed in ire, it was visually evident she had heterochromia: she sported both an eye of violet as well as an eye of brown.

"So that's what you've hiding beneath that mask," I said.

"Gah! Y-you idiot!" she barked angrily. "You ruined my hair! And broke my mask!"

"Sorry," I laughed sheepishly. "I guess I should've held back a little bit more, huh?"

"Do you know how long it takes me to get this done everyday?!"

I groaned out yet another nervous laugh, not wanting to deal with the wrath of an angry woman. One was enough for this week. "Look, I feel bad. Um… ah." Quickly reaching for what I had on me, I present to her a handful of gold coins. "This should probably be enough to cover another mask as well as, um… collateral for your hair."

Hesitantly, she reached for the currency and took it, placing it in her pocket. "Well, I suppose this'll suffice. B-but don't think this is over! I'll get my revenge against you another time!"

"Another time?" I asked. "Our fight right now is over?"

The girl moved the stray hairs and tried to fix it back the best she could. "Well, I'm not going to fight like this! Just because I can fight doesn't mean I can't look good doing it!"

"Fair point," I replied. "Well then, before you go… Could you at least give me your name?"

"Not that it matters to you…" she mumbled before extending her hand out towards me. "Name's Crimson Cobra, but my friends call me Cece."

She turned her gaze away. "I guess you can call me Cece if you want… N-not that we're friends or anything! It just might be easier to remember for an idiot like you!"

"Whatever lets you sleep at night," I said with a shrug, shaking her hand.

"You can't let anyone know you met with me, okay? Trust me on this," she demanded. "Got it?"

"Understood."

She turned away and disappeared further into the outskirts of town, but not before mumbling something underneath her breath. I couldn't make out what it was, but I wasn't going to spend all day dwelling on it.

Only a few moments would pass before I was approached by Raven who descended from the sky. He had a serious face on, which didn't often happen unless something took place, which could range anywhere from mild displeasure to extremely severe. "Milord! Milord, I have urgent news!"

"Your voice and tone tells me it's not something good." I crossed my arms. "What is it?"

Raven swallowed a visible lump in his throat. "Lady Say'ri… she's been taken."

FD: *stares at blank page for an hour*

Tychon: I told you to do your homework! I don't want you failing your classes.

FD: I AM doing my homework. Or at least attempting. ...Gods, I hate Calculus.

Tychon: Well, at least your exams are over for first semester. T-that's something to be happy about. A-and your birthday is coming up soon! This is like an early birthday gift.

FD: And I would be celebrating if not for the looming threat of adulthood. But anyway…

Now that we're out of the awkward period of this portion of the story, things will finally take off and I won't have a crap ton of outside responsibilities and writer's block weighing me down. I feel bad because while I've been delaying this for quite a while, I couldn't figure out where I wanted to go with this particular chapter. It's been bothering me, but now that's it's out of the way, we can get into the meat of everything. I've also been putting this chapter off in favor of the manga I've been planning for a while, so if anyone is interested and has character bios and descriptions I could use for it, PM me and we can talk. Hope you all have a good day, Fell Dragonite out.