Leona and Ruggie look absolutely shocked at the sight of us, as they should. Obviously. We are an intimidating presence… sort of—actually, why do I have the worst feeling in the pit of much stomach right now? Uh, probably because we're literally surrounded by Savanclaw Dorm members but no, no, that's not it. What's the problem here?

Their plan failed. We… should be fine.

Wow, my intuition is off the hook.

I don't like this.

Leona stops looking so shocked in moments. "Oh look, it's the babies from Heartslabyul—and even our little traitor freshman with you." I don't like that tone shift.

"And Ramshackle." I add in not that anyone listens.

Leona's ears twitch. "Does that even count?"

"Ouch." He's right though.

"What, did you decide to transfer, Jack?" Leona barbs.

"Why would I want to stand by your side right now?" Jack asks defiantly, crossing his arms.

"You're a traitor." Leona declares, crossing his arms in response.

I mean, yeah, he's kinda right.

"Your actions corrupt this traditional event, Leona. I am the Dorm Manager of Heartslabyul, representing the strictness and discipline of the Queen of Hearts. I cannot overlook this treachery." Is it a thing where boys have to cross their arms around one-another, does it start a trend? Do I need to cross my arms too? Riddle's pissed, though.

"Hey, go play your fairy tale games of heroes and justice somewhere else." Leona made a pretty sick burn and I have to press my lips together to not encourage this but that was fucking isick/i.

He's an asshole but that was fire.

I need to join Deuce in the punk corner.

"Can't believe you'd go through all of this trouble when you're clearly outnumbered… what, are you guys drunk or something?" Ruggie's hands are behind his head; open and casual. He doesn't see us as a threat and that's pretty insulting.

"Dorm Leader, do you want us to take care of this?" A… I don't know what ears those are, actually—but they're eager to try.

Good luck going up against Riddle, it's your funeral.

"Sure, but don't make it permanent." What the actual fuck Leona.

There's a bunch of students, already here and ready to attack, but Riddle calls out his magic, "OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!" And collars appear on so many members of Savanaclaw, with no effort at all.

I realize Deuce, Ace, Grim, and Jack have formed a ring around me. Uh.

That's sweet, I am royally fucked when it comes to magic after all.

"We didn't really have to do anything…" Grim grumbles.

"Ugh—how strong." One of the losers groans.

"Housewardens… no mercy…"

"So, all talk and no action, are you? Ace, Deuce, ifinish them/i." Holy shit they meant no mercy. Riddle!

"Wait—we can't hurt them!" Well, I want to punch a few of them myself but…

Leona. I want to punch Leona in the face.

"Don't mind if I do." Ace grins.

Punk-mode Deuce grins. "Of course."

Leona sighs, almost dejected? "I knew they couldn't handle Riddle…"

Is he complaining?

"But it doesn't matter! It's already too late for Diasomnia anyway!" Ruggie cackles.

That laugh pisses me off.

"Oh~ What a funny story~" Oh wow, that short… small… oh! I remember him, the small vampire—Lilia Vanrogue! So why is he here? Was this part of the plan?

"And it is too late for who, exactly?" The tall one with wild green hair, and a loud voice—that's a freshman, Sebek, I think.

I have no idea who the silver-haired one is that appears on Lilia's other side though. "...As you see, we're all unharmed. Thanks to them."

I like the credit we're getting for once, there wasn't many thank-yous after the Riddle Overblot.

Not ENOUGH thank yous.

"WHAT?! How?! You were supposed to be trampled!" Ruggie cries out in shock.

Checkmate motherfucker.

"Nope! Plan foiled!" Cater sounds so enthused about that too. "Those were all disguised clones from my Unique Magic that I dressed up as them. Great, right? You were so fooled!" He's cackling himself. I knew Cater was a sadist.

That bit of the details wasn't discussed at the meeting, but it makes sense. That's a logical choice—but how does Cater look unharmed after that? Does… how… I really don't understand how all of that works and maybe I need to sit and have tea with Cater and ask about it—because if I can kick the butt of one clone and he won't feel it… He deserves a swift kick in the ass after that painting the roses red bullshit.

"What did you just say?" Leona takes a step forward; I can feel the fury… but…

But something's wrong.

"I've always wanted to wear those awesome Diasomnia dorm uniforms! And as luck would have it, I got to! You should check my Magicam~" Cater grins nice and wide. I… "I'll be posting it all up later!"

This boy worries me.

"Ah, what? If that was all, I would've lent you mine anytime, Cater." Lilia responds casually with such a bright grin. I wonder why that coat is so huge… but the rest of his outfit fits perfectly? ...Okay I can't fucking talk look at my clothes.

Nevermind.

"Hmm… but Lilia's clothes are a little small for me…" Cater sighs.

"A little magic would fix that." Lilia responds casually.

That is magic Grim needs to learn. For me.

"Hey! What do you all mean by this!" There's a higher level of rage from Leona. He's shaking.

That feeling in the pit of my stomach grows.

"Ah, Riddle came to us and told us the entire plan—so, we made one of our own." Lilia's so… giddy? I don't understand how he's so calm and even excited by this. Does he thrive off of conflict?

"Then… then Malleus…" Ruggie looks… terrified?

Who is this guy and why does everyone act so weird about him? I don't get it.

"Malleus is safe, of course!" The loud one declares. "And everyone from the crowd that you controlled was led out of the Drive Dome safely by his magic! You SHOULD be grateful!"

The shock is palpable. "How is this even possible?!"

"Ah… fine… I give up." Leona's shoulders relax; he has an almost bored expression. His gloved fingers rest against his temple, and he's looking down and away. That's…

That's… not right.

I should be grateful, but I find myself taking a step toward him.

There's something deeper here.

"Huh?" Ruggie asks, shocked.

"Let's stop. I'm done." The defeated note…

Fuck, these guys need therapy.

"W-wait, what? Leona? What are you saying?" The shock in Ruggie's voice is unmistakable.

"Don't you get it? If Malleus and the Diasomnia team are unharmed, then there's no point. We have no chance." He's so casual about this, too—I really have a bad feeling. "There's no point in it anymore. I'm out."

"Something's wrong." I comment softly; and I see Jack's ears twitch. At least someone heard.

"No way… what even…?" Ruggie, and I think all of the rest of Savanaclaw are in shock. "Except for Malleus, I've done everything you asked, Leona—hurting all of those players. Did that mean nothing? What was the point if we're not going to continue? Why won't you play? The team won't even make third. Our dreams have a chance with you playing, Leona."

"Even if the world's watching, it's just students playing at the end of the day." Leona sounds so despondent. "I'm just playing along as you gush about those hopeful dreams."

Oh.

Leona doesn't have any hope. That might be this feeling in my stomach. He's given up… a long time ago.

"Why… weren't we all going to turn it around together?" I hear the hurt in Ruggie's voice.

Fuck, now I feel bad.

Sure, they went the wrong way about it—no, no, I can't justify their bullshit but watching this hurts. A little.

"Just stop your yapping. I'll tell you the cold truth." He's getting angry.

"You're a hyena that grew up in the slums, and I'm the hated second prince that will never be King." I did not know Leona was a prince until just this moment. But—hated? Why? What's going on there? "It doesn't matter what we do. Nothing will ever change."

Ah, fuck, we've got another sad story from someone that needs therapy.

"Don't fuck with me! What the fuck is this?! After everything, you're just giving up?!" He's so—betrayed? Angry—hurt. There's so much there. He's shouting in his anger—in his hurt.

"This is too much!" One student shouts.

"DO we have to MAKE you!?" Another.

Ah, no, how easily the tide turns. This isn't going to end well. Not for anyone.

"How annoying—just shut up." Leona's reaction is not appropriate.

"Wait—wait—we-this isn't how we need to do this." And no one's listening to No Wei. Again.

The feeling goes from bad to worse. It sweeps over all of us. No.

No no no.

iNot again./i

A sandstorm whips up around us; it's drying out everything. It's—a little horrifying.

"What's going on?! It's so dry—my eyes hurt!" Grim complains.

I squeeze mine shut.

I hear Jack, "Everything Leona's touching—it's turning into sand!"

That's.

iUnique Magic, isn't it?/i "My unique magic: King's Roar." Leona exclaims. "Funny, isn't it? A prince of the Sunset Savanna—a place that loathes droughts—born with such a power. It dries out everything, turns it into sand…"

Ruggie's the closest to him, he's choking. "L-leona…"

"Leona!" I try to call out to him. "You need to stop!"

I'm ignored.

"Ruggie's arm is cracking!" Deuce shouts in horror.

I can't help opening my eyes. Oh my God—Leona's got Ruggie by the arm, and underneath the gloved fingertips—the flesh is drying out, cracking… How easily Leona's lifted Ruggie in the air. It's an amazing display of strength, and it's horrifying.

"...He can just… How?" Ace is pretty shocked.

I can't help trying to push past Deuce. This HAS to stop. I feel that same energy like with Riddle. He's going to Overblot—he's going to hurt Ruggie—we have to stop this.

But Deuce snags my arm, and tugs me back. "No."

"Leona, you must stop! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Riddle's panicking. I see the horror on his face. And the collar… bounces away.

"Riddle's collar didn't work?!" Grim is horrified.

And impressed.

"Talented as you might be, you underestimate me." Leona starts so casually; he's so detached—even if there's some annoyance. Even arrogant. It's… He looks down at Ruggie. He's… amused? Laughing? Cheerful? He's lost it. "How is it, Ruggie?" He laughs. "Hurts, right? Mouth parched—so dry you can't even use that tongue of yours to try and talk your way out of it."

"LEONA!" I lurch forward, but Ace has my other arm.

Ruggie's struggling. Suffering.

"We—Ruggie can't last!" Jack calls out.

"We have to stop this—together!" I shout. We have to fight. "We have to work together!"

Ace and Deuce toss me back. "Sure!" Ace calls back to me. "But you're staying BACK there!"

"Tell us what to do, No!" Deuce agrees.

"Throw everything at once—just separate Ruggie and Leona!"

"Got it!" Grim builds up quite the flame he shoots right at Leona!

"Why are you doing this when you have so much power?!" Riddle shouts in frustration, flinging a few spells of his own at the nimble Leona.

"It doesn't change anything, does it? What—you're going to scold me—then console me over this? Do I look like a weak little Heartslabyul that needs coddling from Trey?" Oh, that's a bit personal and below the belt. Holy shit, Leona. "Talent and effort don't mean a thing here. Ruggie's useless right now—I almost feel bad for him."

Ruggie's choking, but Leona hasn't let go yet. He's basically ignoring the magic flung at him.

"Let him go!" I call out.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! SUMMON BEAST!" Jack cries out—and he. He turns into a great, white wolf.

He's a furry.

"What—" Riddle's shocked.

The wolf that is Jack snarls at Leona.

"Oh wow—that's-he turned into a wolf!" I'm so shocked!

"What even is that!" Leona exclaims as Jack charges at him. Tackling the Dorm Leader to the ground, causing him to release Ruggie from his hold.

"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Riddle shouts during his distraction, and a collar successfully binds his neck.

Ruggie coughs hard.

"Amazing as always Riddle, you stopped Leona right in his tracks!" I think it's too early to celebrate, Cater.

I feel that swell of negativity; that build up Riddle had—right now. "We're… this isn't over."

Deuce shouts at Jack. "Ruggie's free! Get him over here!"

The silver-haired turns to the green-haired. "Sebek, we'll get the injured."

"You can't just order me around, Silver!" Sebek hisses. What is with these two?! And is his name really Silver?

"The fuck—a lion with a collar?!" I can feel Leona's fury. "Jack—where the fuck did you get a transformation potion?"

Silver and Sebek move, snagging Ruggie and dragging him out—and including escorting the other injured members of Savanaclaw.

Jack snarls. His form's returned. "It's called Summon the Beast, even Unleash the Beast. It's my unique magic, Leona—that allows me to turn into a wolf." He's furious, looking at Leona.

"Ha ha ha! So that's it? Your Unique Magic just lets you turn into a dog? Funny!" That's not a good response from Leona, either.

I can't help stepping forward again, but I've got the dumb ass duo with their hands on my wrists.

"Leona… I wanted to come here—to be a student at Night Raven College because of you. Because I admired you! So where is he? Where's the Leona I looked up to?!" It's deeply personal for Jack, isn't it? Never meet your heroes.

"Don't shove your dreams on the dead, Jack. Irritating…"

"I can't even stand to look at you right now, Leona. Disgusting." Riddle's harsh, and that's not—this is definitely not the right time for that. "Return to your dorm and get over this nonsense."

"Riddle—Riddle stop." I feel that pulse, that swell.

"What do you even know…?" Leona's voice drops a little. I feel another pulse.

Lilia's grin is gone. He's so blank-faced. "A collar suits someone like you more than a crown." Oh my actual fuck Lilia. "It's disgraceful that a prince of the Sunset Savanna would talk like this."

"Stop—Lilia-" I'm. I can't. "We—just no—just-" I'm trying. I feel it. I feel the swell, the same fear from before. "He's—he's going to Overblot!"

No one's listening.

There's a deep growl from Leona's throat.

The cruel look to Lilia's face is unmistakable. "You bemoan your inability to become King over silly things like birth order, lament about wasted talent… You act like your live is suffering because there's no reward for doing nothing—but when things don't go your way, you act like a spoiled child and blame everyone around you. Pathetic. Someone like you become King? I can't help but laugh, that you think you could ever stand against Malleus. You could never defeat Malleus with such a rotten heart. You could never become a true King."

Honestly, he probably needs to hear something in this vein but this is NOT the right time. "Lilia!"

Leona breaks out into a deep, broken laughter. Something from within that was torn apart long ago. "You're right! Ha ha! You're absolutely right! It's all as you say!" His cackles grow louder. Leona's unhinged. "It will never matter what I do—I will never become King!"

A darkness is starting to sweep; dirt and sand kicking up.

"My hair is on end!" Grim…

"Leona's magic is growing—my seal won't hold!" Riddle—fuck.

Fuck, why did he have to say it! "Lilia, you COULD listen!"

And the look he gives me, though, with those red eyes that look older than time itself; the strange grin on his lips. He mouths something, I barely make out. iIt needs to happen./i

What?

This is on purpose?

But that thought leaves my mind immediately…

"It's negative energy." Lilia looks so considerate and casual about it. "Oh—how can it be?!" It's the opposite of what he just mouthed to me. He looks so panicked right now.

Was I imagining it?

"Everyone, get back!" Cater shouts.

Silver and Sebek have already evacuated a lot of the injured. But—we have to stay.

Leona's Overblotting.

We have to stop him.

Everything darkens around us—there's this deep, horrible swell of negativity all around us.

"Riddle's collar—it flew off!" No shit, Cater!

"I've been shunned since the day I was born… there's no place for me; no future." The pulse of Leona's brokenness grows stronger. "Nothing will ever change, it doesn't matter how hard I try. That pain, that despair… HOW COULD ANY OF YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"LEONA!" But he can't hear anyone now.

The black goop drips from every part of Leona; his appearance changes—and a creature of the ink appears behind. A lion with a bottle of black fluid behind him, for a head.

iI was born with a boulder in my path—it would never move./i

The creature that stands there is Leona, discolored and pale like Riddle. Over his eye is a bright flame. Fur around his neck. A golden and black circlet, a crown of his own around his head—cloth and fabric of black wrapped around him—patterned decorations, dark ink wrapping his flesh. Gold around his neck and wrists. But ink, that ink—that Blot drips from him endlessly as the strange lion stands behind.

It'd be lovely if it's not terrifying.

Tears fill my eyes.

iI see a room of two people with ears standing, talking; their silhouettes are shadows. The first's voice fills my ears. "Farenah, the first prince—he's so lovely, so bright, so cheerful… but… why is the younger prince so difficult?" /i

iThe second sounds aghast. "And his magic turns everything into sand! It's terrifying!"/i

iA third interrupts: "Stop talking! What are you going to do if someone overhears?!"/i

iIt's too late. Leona heard it all./i

The tears streak down my cheeks.

I can't hear what Jack says.

Not over the deafening roar.

I can't hear any of them.

Riddle's—shouting orders.

There's another deafening roar.

iIf I was born first… they wouldn't say that. They'd say: First Prince Leona is so serious and has such strong magic! He's the opposite of that carefree little brother!/i

"Ace—Deuce—help the injured away! Everyone who can retreat—do so! Lilia, get the professors—the headmaster!" Riddle shouts.

"As you wish—stay safe until I return." Lilia's gone.

Another roar of rage builds, and bellows.

iBut I was born second. This is all there is for me./i

"How are we getting stuck with all these scary things? I'm not made for this!" Cater complains.

"You can retreat if you need, Cater." Riddle accepts that so easily.

"No way! Trey would kill me! I'm staying right by your side, Riddle."

"I don't know what this is, but we have to get Leona back to normal!" Good, we've got Jack. Jack, Riddle, and Cater—and Grim.

Ruggie coughs, shaking his head at Jack's side. "Me too…" A cough, again. "He's not getting away with that bullshit!"

Tears won't stop falling, even with the air drying them on my cheeks.

iEverything I do, everything the second Prince, Leona, does, is mediocre. And how the first prince has to clean up that mess. /i

"Oh, the little hyena standing against me? Fine. It's a funny joke anyway! None of you will see tomorrow's sunrise!" Murderous, just like Riddle's Overblot.

"We defeat him, and we'll definitely be part of the Tournament!" My GOD Grim. "Let's get him!"

"Fine—let's start!" I call out.

iWhatever I do, I will never be good enough./i

"Give us your orders, No!" Cater shouts.

It's a race against time. We have to save him.

iThere's a figure of someone, someone larger—someone regal. But they're just a shadow against a black-and-white room. A memory long ago. "Leona, why did you skip the ceremony?" The man's voice is filled with frustration. /i

i"Ceremony…? You mean that son show-off fest? How rude of me… I fell asleep." But the rolling emotions are there./i

i"Today was important! Our people need to see their future King."/i

iLeona sighs with dejection. "Yeah, yeah, your show-off fest of who gets the crown next. Got it. But did I really need to go, Farenah? I doubt anyone really noticed."/i

iThere's such frustration in Farenah's voice. "What nonsense!"/i

i"First born privilege, right? It doesn't matter what happens, what you do—the crown's handed to you."/i

i"Why does a crown matter so much, Leona? With your intelligence, your talent, there's so much you can do for the Kingdom if only you applied yourself! You have more wasted potential than a thousand people you can find anywhere in the world!"/i

i"What does that even matter?"/i

"Strike the beast behind him! Riddle, block his attacks at us!" I call out. "Cater, make as many clones as you can—distract him!"

iHe walks away; the figure disappears but he's shouting after him. "Leona! Stop it right there, Leona! We're not done!"/i

i"I am!"/i

There's a wave of sand coming toward us. Cater's clones cast a gust of wind and push it back.

"Riddle—Jack, Ruggie—strike!"

iWhy do I have to go through so much… I was only born a few years later. It didn't matter how hard I studied. No matter how powerful my magic became. From the day I was born, until the day I die—my brother will always surpass me. I could never be King./i

"Another wave!" I shout; the combined effort shoves him back. There's another roar.

iWhy did I have to be born second? Why can't I ever be number one? Why? Why? WHY? WHY?!/i

The dome on the lion shatters; Leona cries out in pain, and falls to the ground, unconscious.

The voice is gone. The tears are over.