Chapter Fourteen – Assassins' Dance
The following morning, all of Class VII had gathered to discuss the events of last night. None of them could believe how Laura had seemingly attacked Fie from out of nowhere, and for no reason at all. While they had noticed a change in Laura's demeanour as of late, they still never expected the usually cool-headed heir of the Arseid family to attack an unsuspecting person the way she did to Fie.
Fie had been taken to Instructor Beatrix after she was badly beaten, and after receiving treatment, she had been allowed to return to the dormitory with the rest of Class VII. Laura, however, had been locked away in her room, after Sara decided that she could not be trusted to be around Fie until they had gotten to the bottom of the mystery behind her attack.
"Ok, so, I know you guys are all busy with preparing for your mid-terms at the moment, but this cannot wait. What in the hell happened last night, and how do we deal with it?" Sara asked as everyone from Class VII, except Laura and Fie looked at each other with concern.
"Well, I don't think we should be conducting our own investigation into the matter. We should inform Principal Vandyck and let him deal with it," Machias stated.
"What, and get Laura expelled? Are you insane?" Alisa asked, frowning hard at Machias' suggestion.
"Alisa's right. If we tell the school, they'll just give Laura the boot, and no-one wants that. Instructor, what did Fie say on the matter?" Rean asked, looking at Sara.
"She said she didn't care either way. Knowing Fie, that means she wants to find out what happened, and decided what to do from there. Trying to understand what happened, and what was the cause of Laura's unprovoked attack in paramount, and we must act quickly," Sara explained.
"Do you think her change has anything to do with her spending time inside the Old Schoolhouse? Elliot said he saw her going that way after school yesterday. Who's to say she hasn't been going there more often than we realised?" Gaius suggested.
"Ok, but to answer that question raises this one; if the Old Schoolhouse is to blame, how long has she been going there to cause this change in her?" Jusis pointed out.
"Well, when did we start noticing a change in Laura's attitude? For me, I'm pretty sure I noticed a change about a week or so ago; not long after we all got back from our Field Studies," Gaius responded.
"Yeah, that's about when I noticed too… I mean, she was fine when we were in Saint-Arkh, but maybe a week after we got back, she started to change," Elliot added.
"I'm sorry, but I've held my tongue for long enough. Is no-one going to talk about how it sounded like she was possessed when she attacked Fie? She was screaming obscenities and managed to smash a hell of a lot of stuff with her bare hands. Unless Laura was hiding her true strength all this time, that wasn't her, but someone else," Alisa spoke up.
"Alisa's got a point. What was it she said? 'Vahlok demands blood'? That definitely sounds like she was being controlled by someone," Rean added.
"Ok, so who is Vahlok? Or, rather, what is Vahlok?" Emma asked. "Maybe we should ask Instructor Thomas?"
"Whoa, okay, no. I thought we agreed that we were going to keep this as a matter strictly for Class VII? If we tell Instructor Thomas what happened, who's to say he won't report it to Principal Vandyck?" Alisa said with concern.
"Hey, Cyrus, you've been unusually quiet recent– Huh?" Elliot began before looking over at Cyrus.
Cyrus, while present at the meeting with the everyone else, was asleep. He was sat in his chair, but his head was down and his breathing was consistent with that of a sleeping person.
"Well, I guess this twenty-minute nap was scheduled for now, it seems," Emma responded, smiling slightly.
"Could've picked a better time to have it," Machias scowled.
"Leave Cyrus alone and let's get back to the topic at hand; Laura. How do we proceed from here?" Sara asked.
"Honestly, Instructor, I don't know. The obvious answer would be to keep Laura under surveillance and keep her away from Fie, but we can't keep her from attending classes; someone will notice and start asking questions," Rean remarked.
"Rean does have a point; we can't just keep Laura confined to her room, but if we let her out, we risk her attacking someone again, and that cannot be allowed to happen," Jusis muttered.
"Why does this have to be so hard?" Elliot groaned.
"I agree; we're in a catch twenty-two situation here. Until we figure out what's causing Laura to go on a rampage like she did last night, it's not safe to let her out of our sight, let alone her room," Gaius muttered.
"Gaius, that's it! Her rampage!" Alisa cried, jumping up from her seat.
"Uhh, Alisa? Car to share with the rest of the group?" Rean asked, looking as confused as everyone else at the table.
"We've all seen such a violent display before, haven't we? Do you guys remember where?" Alisa asked, causing some people to put the pieces together.
"Yes! Cyrus and the Fencing Club at the start of the school year!" Emma exclaimed.
"Ok, but what does that have to do with this? Cyrus' rampage was psychologically charged trauma from his near-death at the hands of the Red Constellation. Laura's seemed like she was being puppeted by someone," Machias responded.
"Her mother," Emma stated. "Laura has suffered psychological trauma because of something that happened to her mother when she was a child."
"Ok, but how are the two events connected? I mean, they were both children when these events happened, but you can't be suggesting that they happened at the same time, are you?" Rean asked.
"Not when, but where," Emma stated, suddenly getting excited.
"And just like that, you've lost me again…" Rean sighed.
"What's the one thing both Cyrus and Laura have in common with each other in regards to where they've been since these rampages started?" Emma asked.
"Please don't say what I think you're going to say," Elliot mumbled, hiding his face in his hands.
"The Old Schoolhouse," Gaius stated. "Yet, something doesn't add up. We've all been in there at least once; why have none of us experienced the same rampages?"
"Maybe we haven't experienced the same sort of psychological trauma as they did when they were young?" Elliot reasoned.
"So, what's the criteria then? A scarring, psychological trauma from when we were kids? Is it really just Cyrus and Laura that fit that bill here?" Alisa asked.
"I can't see any other similarities between them, so maybe it is just as simple as that?" Elliot shrugged.
"Ok, so, what? This Vahlok attaches itself to someone who's suffered extreme psychological trauma as a child and puppets them to commit violent acts?" Jusis snorted, rolling his eyes.
"This is getting us nowhere; there's far too many variables involved to be able to infer a solid hypothesis," Machias sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose where his glasses sat.
"Is there any way we can dig up more information about this Vahlok? Is it a person, a demon, what?" Alisa asked.
"I don't think it's going to be that easy. If it's tied up with the Old Schoolhouse, then that just adds another layer to that entire mystery as well," Rean sighed.
"Alright, let's just end it here for now. With more questions than answers, we're going to end up pulling all our hair out before we make any solid progress. For now, let's just agree to keep this between us, and keep Fie and Laura separated at all times; keep an eye on Laura too, and if you see any noticeable changes in her going forward, tell me immediately," Sara stated, ending the meeting.
Slowly, one by one, Class VII all stood up and left the room, ready to go about their day. With Cyrus still the only one left at the table, he now decided to wake up.
"So, make any progress with your little class meeting, Sara?" Cyrus asked as he yawned.
"Well, you certainly picked a perfect time to wake up, didn't you?" Sara responded with a small smirk.
"What can I say? Maybe you knew I was due to wake up and decided to end the meeting just beforehand?" Cyrus responded as he stood up and stretched slightly.
"Maybe I just wanted to be able to thank you for last night without others making it weird," Sara countered, causing Cyrus to raise an eyebrow.
"Why? I did what I did because Laura needed to be stopped. I can't have her killing Fie," Cyrus stated. 'That's my job…'
"I wasn't talking about just that. I meant for this as well," Sara replied, holding out her hand to Cyrus.
"Oh, you don't need to thank me for that; just consider it a declaration," Cyrus shrugged, causing Sara to take a step back.
"D-Declaration?!" Sara gasped.
"Yes, a declaration that I need you to help make me stronger. I'm confident that, through you, I can become everything that I need to be to achieve my goals," Cyrus nodded.
"Wow… I, uh… I didn't know you thought of me that way," Sara muttered, looking at her feet.
"Why not? I know how strong you are, and I don't just mean innate strength either. You have a strong will, and that's going to be something I'm going to need to rely on during my time here," Cyrus stated.
"No-one has ever told me they've needed me before… It's kinda nice," Sara smiled.
"I think you'll find that I am far, far different from other people you've met in the past, Sara," Cyrus whispered as he placed a hand on Sara's shoulder before walking away.
###
After the morning's meeting in the Third Dormitory, Sara had gone upstairs to let Laura go for the day. Much to her surprise, Laura seemed normal, and didn't appear to have any recollection of the previous night's events. Just to be on the safe side, however, she made sure Emma had already taken Fie to the Main Campus before allowing Laura to leave the dormitory.
After his involvement in subduing the rampaging Laura, Cyrus has taken a keen interest in the Arseid girl, mainly to make sure she was ok and wasn't a threat to anyone else around her. While he had taken steps to make sure Laura was no longer a danger to others, he still kept a close eye on her as the day went on.
Fortunately for everyone, the day went by without incident, and as Cyrus and the rest of Class VII, minus Fie and Emma, had began to leave the Main Campus, Cyrus was approached by Bridget.
"Um, Cyrus? Do you… Do you have a moment?" Bridget asked, shuffling nervously.
"Go on, I'll be right behind you," Cyrus muttered, as he waved Elliot and Gaius on their way before turning to Bridget. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with Alan?"
"A-Alan?! Why, did he… Did he say something to you?!" Bridget cried, her cheeks going bright red.
"No, I just don't see why else you'd approach me, given that your affections for him are about as obvious as Alisa's affections are for me," Cyrus responded with a blank stare.
"N-no… Alan is fine. I mean, I think he is, anyway. No, this is about Ferris. Have you seen her at all today? I haven't and I'm a little worried; the midterms are next week, and she's not the sort of person to miss studying," Bridget explained.
"No, I haven't. I'm sure she's fine though. She has Sariffa to look over her, and given how she chewed me out in the Library last week, I'm pretty sure I'm the last person she wants to see at the moment," Cyrus stated.
"Hmm, I'm still a little worried. It's no secret that her health has been deteriorating over the last few weeks; I don't think she's eating or drinking much at all. I just hope she'll be alright enough to sit the midterms next week," Bridget mumbled.
"Why don't you go and see her? You live in the same dorm as her; surely, it'd be easy to go and check in on her," Cyrus suggested.
"I've tried, but when I knock on her door, there's no answer. I'm sure she's in there, but I can't just barge in uninvited," Bridget explained.
"Then speak to Sariffa. If there's one thing my Auntie Ophelia does not accept, it's failure. There is absolutely no way Sariffa won't be looking after her, especially since I'm sure Auntie Ophelia has made it very clear that she looks after Ferris," Cyrus declared.
"I guess so, but Miss Sariffa has her hands full with Vincent at the moment as well. That's why Countess Ophelia was here yesterday, as I'm sure you already know," Bridget responded.
"I knew she was here yesterday, and that she left before I had a chance to see her in Trista, but I wasn't aware it was because of Vinnie, although I can believe it… Moron," Cyrus scowled. "Look, just go and find Sariffa. If she has her hands full with Vinnie, then just go and pound on Ferris' door until she opens it. Sure, she might get mad at you, but at least you'll get to see her."
Bridget simply nodded as she turned and made her way back to the First Dormitory, and as she left, Cyrus felt a familiar presence closing in on him rapidly.
"Cyrus, my man! How's it going?!" Crow yelled as he jumped on Cyrus' back.
"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" Cyrus sighed as he allowed Crow to play his juvenile games.
"Is that any way to treat your best friend?" Crow retorted, poking Cyrus in the ribs.
"At what point did I ever say you were my best friend? What's got you in such a good mood?" Cyrus frowned as he forced Crow off his back and turned to look at the boy.
"My dreams of a casino are getting closer and closer. Seriously, man, where can I find a butler like Reggie? Man's incredible," Crown nodded.
"What the hell are you talking about? I can only assume you're talking about Reginald, and of course he's incredible; he works for me and my family," Cyrus muttered.
"C'mon, man, did you forget already? You asked me to go and get stuff ready for our casino, and with Reggie's help, it was easy; knocked it outta the park in a single day. All we need now is the building," Crow beamed.
"Stop calling him Reggie. Look, you're just going to have to hold your horses, because I have yet to find a suitable place to put my casino in the city," Cyrus responded, emphasising the point that Crow was his employee, not his partner.
"I released all my horses the moment I found us the perfect spot for our casino, my guy," Crow grinned as he gave Cyrus a thumbs up.
"Ok, and why am I only hearing about this now?" Cyrus asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I dunno, but the place is awesome. Huge building in the Garnier District; some kind of storage building for some weird company that bought the building but never used it. I think it was called Arclight or something?" Crow shrugged.
"What?" Cyrus blinked, looking at Crow with concern.
"Yeah, I know, isn't it amazing?" Crow smirked.
"Please tell me you haven't done something stupid," Cyrus groaned.
"Hey, is it stupid to take a big ass building off of someone for nothing?" Crow responded, sounding quite pleased with his business acumen.
"YES! NOBODY GIVES YOU SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, YOU FUCKING MORON!" Cyrus roared.
"Dude, chill out. They guy I met with literally said we could have the building for free. All I have to do is help them find someone called Sylphid, which is never going to happen, because what parent names their child something like that?" Crow laughed.
Crow's little joke was cut short by Cyrus, who punched the boy hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to his knees. When he looked up, Crow saw Cyrus' face etched with nothing sure of pure rage.
"You listen to me, you pin-headed motherfucker. Your stupidity has just made everything that much harder for me. I told you that I would find a place that was suitable for this business venture, and you've just gone and fucked that up. If Fie dies because of you, I'll make sure you'll be joining Patrick and his cock-sucking friends when I hang them off the roof of this school!" Cyrus hissed, forcing as much venom into his words as possible.
"F-Fie? I thought… I thought we were talking about Sylphid?" Crow gasped as he collapsed to the ground, holding his stomach.
"Fuck!" Cyrus grunted. In his anger, he had inadvertently revealed who Sylphid really was.
Cyrus immediately took off after his faux pas. He was sure Crow wouldn't say anything to Heiyue, but there was no way Cyrus was going to take that chance. He was certain Crow had no idea he had been negotiating with assassins, but the fact they had told him to be on the look out for Fie meant they were now exploring other avenues to ensure the contract that was taken out on Fie was fulfilled.
###
"Where's Emma?" Cyrus asked as he returned to the Third Dormitory.
"She's in her room with Fie. Hey, what's wrong?!" Alisa called out as Cyrus disappeared up the staircase.
Cyrus had made a stop in his room, digging through the chest he had at the foot of his bed, pulling something out of it before carrying on up to Emma's room, in which he pounded on the door relentlessly.
"Emma?! Open up!" Cyrus shouted.
"Cyrus?! What in Aidios' name is going on?!" Emma cried as she opened her door in a panic.
"Is Fie in here?" Cyrus asked as he marched into Emma's room.
"Yes, she's asleep. What the hell is so urgent?" Emma whispered, trying to make sure Fie didn't wake up.
"You cannot let her out of your sight, do you understand me?" Cyrus commanded.
"Wh-what? Is this about Laura again?" Emma asked, sounding overwhelmed.
"No, this is far more serious. Here, take this," Cyrus said, handing the object he brought from his room to Emma.
The object was an old, Calvardian style, three-pronged knife that had two points angling out of the main blade at forty-five-degree angles. On the hilt of the knife were Calvardian style runes that had been etched into the handle itself.
"What the hell is this? Why are you giving me a weapon?!" Emma cried, dropping the knife in horror.
"Don't drop the fucking thing! You need to hold on to it like Fie's life depends on it, because it does," Cyrus stated, scaring Emma with how cryptic and serious he was being.
"Why won't you tell me what's going on? Who gives a knife to someone and tells them their friend's life depends on them having it?!" Emma exclaimed.
"Do you trust me, Emma?" Cyrus asked, taking the bespectacled girl by surprise.
"Wh-what? I… You haven't given me a reason not to trust you, so I guess so," Emma responded with confusion.
"Then you need to do as I say, and never let that blade or Fie out of your sight," Cyrus declared.
Before Emma could respond, Cyrus turned and left the room, leaving Emma standing there, trying to process everything that had just happened. After hearing the door close, Celine decided to make an appearance out from under the bed.
"What was that all about?" Celine asked.
"I'd like to know that myself. None of that made any sense," Emma sighed.
"What's with the knife though? Does he expect you to use it on Laura if she decides to go berserk again and kill the little one here?" Celine mused.
"I certainly hope not. I mean, looking at it, it looks more like a deterrent than anything," Emma responded, showing Celine the three-pronged blade.
"A deterrent? That thing is huge! It's almost as long as I am!" Celine cried.
"That's what I'm saying; why would he give me something like this and tell me not to let it, or Fie out of my sight?" Emma pondered.
###
Cyrus had returned to his room after delivering the knife to Emma, and was now pacing back and forth in his room after opening his ARCUS Unit and leaving it on his desk.
"Is there something you need, Dragon?" the individual's gruff voice spoke.
"That fucking coward has made the contract available to everyone now!" Cyrus growled, clenching his fists in anger.
"Calm down. You knew this was going to happen, so why are you angry?" the individual asked.
"It's been a few weeks at most! Is Cao so fucking desperate for results that he needs to send all of Heiyue out to kill Fie?" Cyrus responded.
"What does it matter to you? You've had ample opportunity to kill the brat, yet you haven't taken it. If someone else gets the kill first, you have no-one to blame but yourself," the individual growled.
"I was under the impression I had as much time as I saw fit. Now I'm left with no choice on how to proceed," Cyrus grunted as he opened his desk and pulled out a small wooden box.
"Ahh, so you've finally decided to use it, have you? I don't know why you didn't just do that from the start. It would have made things so much easier for yourself, and you wouldn't have to compete for the kill, like you do now," the individual chortled.
"Save me the hindsight bullcrap, will you? This was a last-resort option, and I figured I could have found another way to use this, but when in Heimdallr, I suppose…" Cyrus sighed as he opened the box and removed its contents.
"You're not going to use it now, are you? I would advise caution, Dragon. I don't think you can simply slip that to the child with her noticing," the individual warned.
"I know that. I have an idea on how to use it, but I need to make sure no-one else is around when I do it. I need to make it look… Natural," Cyrus muttered, holding the object in the air, examining it.
"Do you honestly think no-one isn't going to notice it?" the individual asked.
"No, I'm banking on the idea that they're going to be more occupied by the fact they'll be looking at a corpse to take any notice of anything else," Cyrus responded.
###
The next morning, Cyrus was immediately aware something was off. Sara was in an oddly positive mood during Home Room, and that could only mean one of two things; either she was drunk, or she had a secret she was about to share with the class.
"Alrighty everyone, I have some exciting news to share with you all!" Sara began, her wide smile getting wider by the second.
"Why don't I like the sound of this?" Machias sighed, shaking his head.
"It's probably something to do with the mid-terms, so I figured a nerd like you would be jumping with joy by now," Fie muttered.
"Hey, shut up!" Machias yelled.
"How about you all shut up and let me finish, ok?" Sara smiled, not even trying to mask the death-like aura she was emanating as she spoke. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, with the addition of Class VII to the school, the Engineering Club has found themselves with an extra workload that's really taking its toll on them, especially poor George. So, the school has decided to hire a special liaison from the Roer Institute of Technology to work as Class VII's contact for anything and everything related to your weapons and ARCUS Units."
"Someone from the Institute? I wonder who it could be?" Alisa murmured, assuming it'd be someone she'd know, since those who worked for the Reinford Company were usually from the Roer Institute of Technology.
"You can come in now, sweetie," Sara called out into the corridor, which prompted a woman to walk in.
"No way…" Alisa gasped.
"You have got to be fucking joking," Cyrus muttered, dropping his head on his desk and keeping it there.
The woman who had walked in was known to both Alisa and Cyrus. To Alisa, she was someone with whom Alisa had grown up with, given Reinford's ties to the Institute. To Cyrus, she was the Chief Technical Officer of his Cauldron Projects.
"Levana! It's so good to see you!" Alisa cried, jumping out of her seat with joy.
"Aah! Alisa, I didn't know you were here! How are you?!" Levana exclaimed as she opened her arms as Alisa jumped into them.
"Oh, good. You're already acquainted with someone. That makes this easier," Sara smiled. "For those of you that don't know, this is Levana Collins. She'll be your go to for anything ARCUS related and beyond. You'll find her in the Engineering Club, or with us at the Third Dormitory."
"Wait, what?!" Cyrus shouted, surprising those around him with his sudden outburst.
"Well, yeah, where else would she stay? She's working alongside Class VII, so it makes sense for her to stay with us," Alisa stated, fully onboard with Sara's idea.
"Ooh, so is this the boy you were telling me about the last time we spoke?" Levana asked, looking at Cyrus with a smirk. "Heh, he's cute, that's for sure."
"Hey! Shush!" Alisa gasped, sounding embarrassed.
Cyrus simply looked at Levana with a scowl that she could instantly read. She knew Cyrus was telling her one thing.
Outside. Now.
"Oh, my! Such a frightful stare! Alisa, I can see why you're attracted to him. I'm starting to get all tingly myself," Levana teased, smirking at Cyrus even more.
Immediately, Cyrus stood up, knocking his chair over as he went. The sudden clattering sound of the chair hitting the floor made everyone jump, and allowed Cyrus to make his move. In one swift move, Cyrus appeared behind Levana, and grabbed her by the shoulder. In the time it took her to blink, Levana found herself on the school rooftop, looking directly up at Cyrus' blazing azure eyes.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing here?!" Cyrus roared.
"Wow, so that's your secret Lightning Flash technique? It's fast," Levana gasped as she readjusted to her new surroundings.
"Stop avoiding the question, damn it! I told you to report to Dr. Masters at Cauldron Omega. So, I'll ask again; what the fuck do you think you're doing here?!" Cyrus yelled.
"You need to calm down, Cyrus. Honestly, you're so much more attractive when you're caring and loving, like you were at the New Year," Levana frowned as she put a hand to Cyrus' cheek.
"Stop playing games, Levana. You have a job to do," Cyrus stated, pushing her hand away.
"I've done my job. Dr. Masters is slowly making progress on Sky Ripper, thanks to the materials requisitioned from Silverlight. I am confident he will finish the project on time now, thanks to those materials, and my assistance. Since all the other projects are running smoothly, I decided to return to Roer to see my family, and it was there I heard about a job posting at Thors by Irina Reinford. She recommended me for the job, and here I am," Levana explained.
"So, you're here to babysit Alisa, is that it?" Cyrus asked.
"I'm afraid that's incorrect, Master Cyrus. Lady Levana isn't here to watch out for Lady Alisa. I am," a voice from behind Cyrus spoke, causing him to turn.
When Cyrus turned, he found himself standing face-to-face with another woman; who was dressed as a maid. Although, her appearance was anything but maid-like, given the fact she was standing on the railing of the rooftop, her dress fluttering in the wind.
"Sharon! You have such impeccable timing as always!" Levana smiled as she waved to the maid who had now stepped down onto the rooftop.
"It's good to see you again, Lady Levana. I trust you're keeping well?" Sharon asked as she bowed to Cyrus and Levana. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Master Cyrus. Lady Levana has told me a lot about you."
"Oh, has she now?" Cyrus scowled as he turned to look at Levana.
"Don't worry, I haven't revealed anything too scandalous," Levana smirked.
"Lady Alisa has told me a lot about you as well. Like how you saved her during your trip to Saint-Arkh. You have my eternal gratitude for keeping my Lady alive," Sharon stated, bowing again to Cyrus.
"Stop with the bowing. I only did what anyone would have done in that situation," Cyrus muttered.
"Not true. The fact you were able to counteract Venom's poisons and sniff out Chameleon's disguise and kill them means you're a force to be reckoned with. Ikaruga's Death Squad Commanders surely have their days numbered if they're trying to start a war with you, Master Cyrus," Sharon stated, her face was smiling, but Cyrus could see right through her façade.
"Who the hell are you? No mere maid could know that much about me, or about my feud with Ikaruga," Cyrus muttered.
"I'm afraid you give me too much credit, Master Cyrus. Allow me to properly introduce myself; I am Sharon Kruger, the Reinford family's maid. I serve at the pleasure of Chairman Irina and her daughter," Sharon declared, bowing again.
"I take it you being here is because of what happened to Alisa in Saint Arkh? I guess Celestin must have let that slip as well," Cyrus grunted.
"Actually, it was His Lordship, Marquis Hyarms who informed Chairman Irina of her daughter's accident. He felt obligated to apologise that something so severe could have happened on his watch," Sharon responded.
"That man… His honour is great, but he really needs to reel it in at times," Cyrus sighed.
"I hate to interrupt the welcome wagon, but perhaps you'd like to take me back to your classmates now? I'm pretty sure you made me vanish in a literal blink of an eye right in front of them," Levana interjected.
"Fuck… I really don't have the patience to play twenty questions with them right now. Go back on your own," Cyrus snapped.
"Wow, that's rude. First you spirit me away to a private spot for an intimate meeting, then you send me away by myself? You really were much more romantic the first time," Levana sighed.
"Go to hell," Cyrus scowled as he grabbed Levana by the shoulder and returned her to the classroom.
When the two returned to the classroom, they were stood behind Emma, who turned around and let out a small yelp of shock.
"Where the hell did you come from?!" Machias shouted, flabbergasted at how Cyrus and Levana seemed to appear from out of nowhere.
"Here, go make nice with these idiots," Cyrus snapped, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone again.
"What just happened?" Alisa asked, trying to make sense of everything she had just witnessed.
"I'm still trying to process how Cyrus came and went in literal seconds," Elliot mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"I knew he was fast, but… It's almost like he stopped time. He was there, then he just… Wasn't," Gaius remarked.
"Kinda reminds me of these comics I used to read when I was a kid. It was about these guys who had special powers called 'Stands'. The main villain in the story had one that could stop time, known as 'The World'. It was pretty awesome to read," Rean said.
###
After everything that happened in Home Room, Cyrus decided to skip class for the day and stay out of sight of both Class VII, and the faculty. He knew he'd have to answer a whole host of questions about Levana from Class VII, and he had no intention of telling them anything about their relationship. Instead, he decided to do the one thing no-one in Class VII would expect him to do; head to a pub in Heimdallr for a pint and wait for everything to just blow over.
When he reached Heimdallr, Cyrus elected to find a place that was quiet and out of the way of a lot of foot traffic, which is how he found himself in a small pub in the Ost District during the middle of the day.
The place itself was ideal; small, quiet, and only had three people inside, including the barkeeper. Since he was smart enough to think ahead, Cyrus had returned to his room and swapped his Thors uniform for some plain clothes, as he knew that if he had turned up in a pub in Heimdallr in school uniform, he'd either get turned away, or turned into the school for ducking classes.
"What're ya havin' laddie?" the barkeeper asked as Cyrus approached him.
"Surprise me," Cyrus responded, which resulted in the man behind the bar grinning.
"I havenae seen you here before, sonny. What brings ya here?" the man asked.
"Just looking for somewhere quiet to have a drink in peace," Cyrus responded.
"Oh, aye? Well, ya definitely come to the right place for that. Here," the barkeeper laughed as he poured and handed Cyrus a beer.
"How much?" Cyrus asked.
"Just five hundred for that, laddie," the man nodded.
"Here, keep the change, I don't have anything smaller," Cyrus muttered, handing the man a ten thousand Mira note.
"Fuckin' hell! D'ya win the lottery or something, sonny?" the barkeeper exclaimed as he looked at the note.
"No, I just don't have anything smaller on me, and I don't want to inconvenience you by making you break a huge note. So, keep it," Cyrus shrugged.
"Tell me, laddie; what's ya name?" the barkeeper asked.
"Why does that matter?" Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it doesnae really matter, but I thought I'd at least make an effort to know the name of a generous young fella such as yerself," the barkeeper laughed.
"Le Guin. Cyrus Le Guin," Cyrus said.
"Oh, aye? Yer that General Le Guin's wee brother, are ya?" the barkeep nodded.
"Aye… I mean, yes. Do you know her or something?" Cyrus asked.
"Ach, no! I hear her name getting tossed around every now and again by soldiers who come here for a pint when they're off duty. The general consensus amongst those lads is that she's frightening, but one hell of a leader. Oh, I didnae introduce meself; the name's Gamgee!" the barkeeper grinned.
Before the conversation between Cyrus and Gamgee could continue, the door to the pub swung open and a familiar voice rang out.
"Gamgee, my good man! I'll take a pint of lager and a plate of your famous fish and chips!" Governor Regnitz called out as he entered the building.
"Oy, aye! Right away, Governor Regnitz!" Gamgee laughed as he poured Carl's beer and headed out to the kitchen to start cooking.
"Aah, nothing like a nice cold pint on a Summer's day!" Carl sighed as he took a sip of his beer.
After that first, refreshing sip, Carl immediately felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he locked eyes with Cyrus, who had a small smirk on his face.
"Heh, so… Is this what an Erebonian Governor does whilst he's on the clock?" Cyrus asked.
"Wh-what are you doing here?! You're supposed to be at school!" Carl gasped.
"Perhaps, but you are supposed to be in your office, running this country, aren't you?" Cyrus retorted.
"What? Am I not allowed to take breaks like everyone else?" Carl asked indignantly.
"At ten o'clock in the morning though?" Cyrus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What I choose to do with my day is of no concern to you, Cyrus," Carl stated.
"Sure, but it is a concern to your constituents, isn't it? What kind of government official skives off from work to have a beer so early in the day?" Cyrus countered.
"Come with me," Carl muttered as he grabbed Cyrus' arm and pulled him into a booth in the corner of the pub. "Now, you listen to me; I am a very busy man. It's rare I get to have a little time to myself like this, so I will not let it be ruined by the likes of you."
"Governor, Governor, please… You think I care what you do in your spare time? Believe me, watching paint dry would be a far more interesting venture to invest my time in than whatever the hell it is you do," Cyrus laughed.
"Why exactly are you here, Cyrus? I know Thors doesn't take too kindly to students who play hooky," Carl stated.
"Right… Because a student 'playing hooky', as you say, is far more concerning than a government official who does the same. Besides, what exactly can you do about it?" Cyrus snorted.
"You are aware that I sit on Thors' Board of Directors, right?" Carl asked.
"So? You're one of four people who sit on the board Even if you elect to have me expelled, you'll still need seventy-five percent of the vote, which I know you'll not get," Cyrus responded arrogantly.
"What makes you so sure I won't?" Carl smirked.
"Because I know who sits on the board with you," Cyrus stated bluntly. "You might get Irina Reinford's vote purely because of what happened to Alisa in Saint-Arkh a few weeks ago, but there is no way you'll get Rufus Albarea to say yes, given he's a part of the Noble Alliance."
"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" Carl pointed.
"Yes, well, even if you did get Rufus' vote, it still won't happen," Cyrus shrugged.
"And why's that? If Irina Reinford, Rufus Albarea, and myself all vote yes, that's the seventy-five percent you were talking about right there," Carl retorted.
"You must think I'm an idiot, like your son does," Cyrus scowled. "That 'majority rules' horseshit goes right out the window if the Executive Chairman votes against you, and I know for a fact he'll vote against you."
"Is that right? What makes you so sure of that?" Carl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you really going to try and convince Prince Olivert to expel someone who's attending Thors, and participating in Class VII, thanks to his father's recommendation?" Cyrus snorted.
For a second, Carl sat there and stared at Cyrus with shock, his mouth agape. How in Aidios' name did Cyrus get a Thors Letter of Recommendation from the Emperor?
"Machias was right; you are an arrogant son of a bitch," Carl snarled.
"Say that about my mother again, I'll make sure your next meal gets fed to you through a fucking tube!" Cyrus hissed, grabbing Carl's tie and tugging it towards him.
"Whoa there lads! If yer gonna fight, take it outside, d'ya hear?!" Gamgee exclaimed as he approached the table with Carl's food.
"My apologies, Gamgee. I was just leaving," Cyrus grunted as he downed his beer and left the table.
"Carl, ya whackadoodle! Donnae be starting fights in here; you're not eighteen anymore!" Gamgee chastised as he placed the fish and chips down in front of the Governor.
"I'm sorry, Gamgee. I let my emotions get the better of me. It won't happen again," Carl sighed.
"I know I donnae have to say this, but you're the Governor of Erebonia. It's never a good look to be getting into arguments with wee children," Gamgee stated.
"Yes, I know, I know… It was silly of me," Carl groaned as he put his face in his hands.
"Ach, come now. If there's something bothering ya, ya can always talk to yer ol' pal, Gamgee. See if I cannae be of any help to ya," Gamgee smiled as he sat down opposite Carl.
###
After Cyrus left the pub, he decided to go elsewhere in Heimdallr to waste the day away. The longer he could stay away from Thors and Class VII, the better things would be for him.
It didn't take long for him to notice someone was following him again. This time, however, he knew exactly who it was, which made it easier to deal with. He knew he could take this stalker by surprise and subdue them with little to no effort.
As he walked down the street, Cyrus turned down an alleyway and waited for his pursuer to follow. When he was far enough away from the public, he ducked down another side-alley and waited for the person following him to reach him.
As his hunter made their way to the same side-alley where they were sure Cyrus would be, they were overcome with confusion when they turned the corner and found he was nowhere to be seen.
"Too slow," Cyrus whispered as he grabbed them from behind and put them in a vicious chokehold.
The person who had been following Cyrus was wearing a hooded cloak, but that didn't stop Cyrus from easily being able to choke them from behind as they collapsed to their knees.
"Let… Let me… Go!" the person spluttered.
"Only if you tell me why you're here… Yin," Cyrus muttered, applying more pressure to Yin's throat.
"A war… Warning!" Yin rasped, as Cyrus let her go, causing her to cough violently from having her windpipe crushed.
"Alright, Yin, talk. Is this about the contract on Sylphid?" Cyrus asked as he watched Yin crawl about on the ground, coughing.
"Yes… Chairman Cao has opened the contract up… Anyone is allowed to kill the target now," Yin stated, dropping her hood.
"Yeah, I already know that much. Does your being here mean you intend to take the kill for yourself?" Cyrus asked.
"No. I said I was done with that life the last time we parted ways. This time for good. Also, you can stop calling me Yin now, I go by my birth name, Rixia," Yin stated.
"Fine… Rixia. If you're not here to take the contract for yourself, then why are you here?" Cyrus questioned, his patience wearing thin.
"To warn you that someone is already here for the contract. I followed him from Crossbell, but lost him when we got to Heimdallr. He must have known I was tailing him," Rixia stated.
"Heh, you're getting rusty, aren't you? I guess your time dancing in Crossbell hasn't done much for your skills, huh?" Cyrus snorted.
"I can see you're still as sharp as ever though. I didn't think you'd go back to Heiyue though. Not after what happened at that conference," Rixia frowned.
"Things change, although I'm starting to regret taking this fucking contract," Cyrus scowled.
"Fool me once, Cyrus. You should have known better," Rixia responded.
"Yeah, yeah, don't patronise me. Just tell me what you know about the person coming for the contract," Cyrus muttered.
"I want to make this clear; I'm only telling you because the person that's come to the Empire for this contract is only using it as an excuse to hunt you," Rixia stated.
"Oh? This should be interesting… Who is it?" Cyrus asked, not sounding too bothered by Rixia's warning.
"Ikaruga's Seventh Death Squad Commander; Ibaraki-Dōji. If I know how dangerous he is, you'd better be prepared to face him, otherwise you're going to die," Rixia declared.
"It just had to be Ibaraki-Dōji, didn't it? Fucking Shizuna…" Cyrus sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Shizuna really does seem intent on killing you, Cyrus. Why is that?" Rixia asked.
"Well, if she's allowing that psychopath to take assassination contracts from Heiyue just to kill me, I can pretty much guarantee her want to parlay with me was complete shite," Cyrus scowled.
"You actually believed she wanted to sit and talk, after everything that's happened?" Rixia responded, raising any eyebrow.
"Hey, I called her on her bullshit immediately. It was Master Ka-Fai who said she was being truthful. There's no way that little bitch has learned to mask her dishonesty from Master's Third Eye," Cyrus muttered.
"Well, whatever the reason, you need to be prepared. Ibaraki-Dōji will have spent months preparing for this kill," Rixia warned.
"Hold on… The fuck do you mean 'months'? It's been weeks since I got this contract from Heiyue… No. You're fucking with me," Cyrus laughed mirthlessly.
"You fell into their trap, Cyrus. Did you honestly think a Jäger Corps like Ikaruga wouldn't know the identity of someone else from another Corps? Ikaruga knows almost everyone who's a Jäger, past and present. They set you up," Rixia stated.
"Fucking cunt… Cao's head is as good as mine when I'm finished with Ibaraki-Dōji!" Cyrus shouted, kicking over a garbage can and scaring the neighbourhood cats in the process.
"Hey, calm down! Getting angry like that is only going to get you killed. Now, since Ibaraki-Dōji is already in Heimdallr, I can only assume he'll strike at Sylphid within the next couple of days. That doesn't leave a lot of time to plan an offensive, so what are you going to do?" Rixia asked, grabbing Cyrus' face and looking directly into his eyes.
"I possess the robes of a Nightingale Sentinel from the Church's Black Sect. Using those allows me to cast powerful Arts without much difficulty. I'll simply bury Ibaraki-Dōji under a torrent of them and then send his head back to Shizuna in a box," Cyrus stated indignantly.
"I know you're proficient in using Combat Orbments, Cyrus. Aidios knows I've watched you cast Arts without even having to actually engage the Orbment itself; you're about as quick as that Bracer, Toval. But even you can't actually believe Arts will be enough to stop someone like Ibaraki-Dōji," Rixia responded.
"Then I break a seal and give myself a bit of extra kick," Cyrus shrugged.
"Are you out of your mind?! You told me that Master Ka-Fai helped put those restraints on you to keep your power levels in check, or do you want to go on another bloody rampage?!" Rixia shouted.
"You said it yourself; Ibaraki-Dōji has spent months planning this attack. I've got a couple of days at best; how do you expect me to come up with a plan that quickly? I do what I can with the tools I have at my disposal. You know the saying; it's hard to make art with poor materials, so I'll have to make do with what I have already," Cyrus said.
"Hmm… I don't like this, Cyrus. You told Master Ka-Fai you'd never break those seals and that you would rely on your own innate power to fight. What would he say if he knew you were planning on ignoring him and his wishes?" Rixia asked, looking visibly upset.
"I already know, because he's previously bitten my head off for breaking one back in Saint-Arkh a couple of weeks ago. Besides, it's only the second seal; there's still plenty others keeping me in check," Cyrus shrugged.
"That's not the point! What happens when you break them all? Who's blood is going to be on your hands once you stop yourself? If you can stop yourself?" Rixia cried.
"I'm taking steps to ensure that doesn't happen. If my estimations are correct, I can probably break five of them and still be in control," Cyrus responded.
"Cyrus, please! You don't have to act so rashly! Let me help you!" Rixia pleaded.
"Would you relax? I'm not saying I'm going to break them all at once. I'm just saying they're there to be broken if they need to be," Cyrus responded quietly.
"I don't want you to die though…" Rixia whispered, as she started to cry.
With an inward sigh, Cyrus pulled Rixia into him, hugging her as she continued to cry. He knew Rixia was going to act this way, yet it still didn't make him feel any better about it happening. She had always had a sensitive side that she tried to keep hidden, but Cyrus was easily able to see it, and drag it to the surface, which was something she always hated about him, because she hated the idea of someone seeing her as weak or vulnerable; two traits an Assassin should never have.
Yet, as her shadow, Cyrus had been able to protect her from her vulnerabilities when they worked together in the past. That was one of the reasons why she had walked away from Heiyue; she knew she couldn't do the job any longer without Cyrus being there to support her and keep her strong.
"Listen to me, I'm not going to die. I have too much to achieve here, and too much at stake, so there is no way I'm going to let some psychopathic killer from a Jäger Corps put me in the ground. I'll deal with Ibaraki-Dōji, then I'm done with Heiyue… For good this time," Cyrus declared, looking down at Rixia, who still had tears in her eyes.
"Promise?" Rixia whispered, wiping the tears away.
"I promise," Cyrus nodded. "Look, how about this; until I've eliminated Ibaraki-Dōji, why don't you come back to Trista with me? There, you can be close to me, so you don't need to worry about anything happening."
"Are you sure that's ok?" Rixia asked, blinking.
"Sure, why not? Seems like those idiots can just invite whoever the hell they like to live with them, so I don't see why I can't do the same," Cyrus shrugged.
"Alright, let's go," Rixia smiled.
###
On the train ride back to Trista, Cyrus spent time explaining to Rixia what he was doing and what his current situation was with the other members of Class VII. He wasn't especially looking forward to returning to the Third Dormitory, especially now that Levana and Alisa's family maid were going to be staying there as well.
"Hey, Sara! Where are you?!" Cyrus called out as he entered the building with Rixia behind him.
"Hey! You have some explaining to do!" Alisa shouted as she saw Cyrus walk in.
"What? You wanna tell me what in the hell is going on here?" Cyrus asked, looking at Alisa with confusion.
"You slept with her?!" Alisa cried, pointing to Levana who waved.
"You told her? Why?!" Cyrus snapped, glaring at the young woman.
"Why not? Alisa and I were just catching up, one thing led to another, and I told her about that special night we had together over New Year," Levana shrugged. She knew she was stirring the pot, and she loved it.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Alisa cried.
"I'm sorry, was I supposed to know you and her were friends?" Cyrus retorted. "More importantly, why do you care who I've slept with?"
"Because it's not fair!" Alisa shouted, before silencing herself.
"Is that… Is that envy I'm detecting here?" Cyrus asked, smirking widely.
"N-No! I just… You're so mean!" Alisa cried.
"Ahh, so that's what this is about. Well, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Levana. In an attempt to fix things here, would you like me to tell you about the other two girls I've slept with?" Cyrus suggested.
"WHAT?!" Alisa shouted.
"Cyrus?! What are you doing?!" Rixia whispered, turning bright red.
"It's up to you, of course. I mean, I can probably tell you about how I'm like… Ninety percent certain that Sara wants to jump me herself," Cyrus shrugged, twisting the knife even further.
"Why… You… SARA!" Alisa screamed as she stomped off.
"Yep, there it is. Now I have a better understanding of when and how all this happened," Cyrus sighed.
"That was mean, Cyrus. Why would you do that to her?" Rixia asked, shuffling about uncomfortably.
"I needed to see how deep the envy ran within her. Now that I know, I also know why she's been the way she's been lately," Cyrus shrugged. "Come, we have work to do."
"Ooh, what's this 'work' you two have to do? Pro-creating already, are we?" Levana giggled.
"I liked you better when you weren't here," Cyrus scowled.
"Aww, what's the matter? Have you missed me?" Levana teased. "I don't mind sharing, y'know."
"Can you… Just act like the adult you're supposed to be, please? It's too late in the day to be dealing with your nonsense," Cyrus sighed.
Rixia said noting throughout the exchange, simply standing there in silence feeling wracked with embarrassment. She didn't move until she felt Cyrus' hand grab her own and pull her up the staircase. She allowed him to lead her to his room, where she was finally able to snap out of her embarrassment and focus on the task at hand.
"Ok, so… What's the plan for dealing with Ibaraki-Dōji?" Rixia asked.
"He's a practitioner of that arrogant sword style, Jigen-ryū, meaning he believes every opponent he faces can be killed in a single strike. My Eight Leaves' Fifth Form should be enough to stop that scenario from happening. I've seen him fight before, and he tends to become enraged if his opponent isn't dead after his first strike, meaning he'll be unpredictable, but also easy to defend against. Look for an opening, pound him into the ground with Arts, cut his head off, and send it back to his mistress in a pine box. Simple," Cyrus shrugged.
"You know it won't be that simple, right? Let's assume he kills Sylphid then comes for you; you need to be on your guard, as he's a much better Assassin than Ikaruga's Second Squad Commander," Rixia stated.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for his short temper, he'd have probably taken the coveted spot of Shizuna's Shadow, much like how I became yours," Cyrus responded.
"I-I wouldn't say that being my shadow was… Coveted," Rixia mumbled.
"No? You seemed to grow quite fond of me because of it," Cyrus chuckled.
"That's because we spent all of our time together, protecting each other and watching out for one another! It's not my fault things… Well, happened," Rixia stammered, pulling her hood up to hide her face.
"You make it sound like it was a bad thing, yet I didn't hear you complaining in the moment," Cyrus whispered, making Rixia squirm.
"S-Stop that! We're here to kill someone, not to play!" Rixia cried, jumping back.
"So it's just like the good ol' days then, isn't it?" Cyrus laughed. "Don't worry. I'm completely focused on taking down Ibaraki-Dōji. If you wanna jump me afterwards, then I'm not going to say no."
###
"Well, I could have done without that ridiculous drama," Jusis muttered, looking up from his book as Cyrus and Rixia went upstairs.
"What was that all about anyway? Alisa seemed furious," Gaius mumbled.
"Hmph, trust him to cause drama like that," Machias scoffed.
"Hey, he's not a bad guy, y'know. He just likes keeping his options open," Levana explained as she approached the rest of Class VII, who had watched the entire argument unfold.
"I have to say, you're just as much to blame for all that," Machias stated, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Perhaps, but I wasn't aware Alisa saw him in that way. I know she liked him, but I didn't think she was the envious type. She never was when she was growing up," Levana replied.
"Yeah, go on, Machias; try and blame Cyrus for that too," Fie goaded.
"That's enough, Fie; you're only making things worse," Emma chided, tapping Fie on the arm.
"No I'm not, I making things more fun," Fie huffed.
"Look, however you want to paint the guy, he's never allowed himself to get tied down with others. Believe me, I tried, but I couldn't crack him. He's too focused on his path ahead to let himself be distracted by anything other than a casual hook-up. It's a shame, really," Levana sighed.
"I'd rather not hear about the love life of one of my fellow classmates, so if you'd please excuse me," Jusis grumbled as he stood up and left the room.
"I know Jusis isn't a fan of drama but… That was surprisingly civil of him. 'Fellow classmate'? I don't think I've ever heard him speak so nicely about someone," Rean blinked.
"Well, I mean, Cyrus did save Jusis' life back in Parm. He obviously doesn't make that fact known, but he clearly holds Cyrus is a somewhat positive manner," Emma stated.
"Would you give it a rest already, Alisa?!" Sara shouted as she entered the room, followed by Alisa.
"No! Not until you admit you want to sleep with him!" Alisa cried.
"She's still going on about that?" Fie muttered.
"Seems like Alisa is much the same as a dog with a bone; she just won't let it go," Emma chuckled.
"Yeah, but what bone is she refusing to let go of?" Rean muttered.
"Oh, c'mon Rean! Why did you have to say that?!" Machias cried, slamming his hand down on the table.
"Alright, I'll deal with this," Levana sighed. "Alisa, sweetie, come here."
"What do you want?" Alisa scowled as she stomped over to Levana.
"Darling, you need to stop. I get that you care a great deal about Cyrus, but harassing others for the same thing is not fair. You two aren't dating, so you shouldn't expect him to be dedicated to you," Levana explained.
"But it's not fair! I want him just as much as the others, but he still rejected me!" Alisa cried.
"Honey, you know he did that for your own safety. You almost died because of your relationship with him. Who's to say the next time you'll be so lucky?" Levana responded.
###
"Are you just going to wear that thing until you find Ibaraki-Dōji?" Rixia asked as she watched Cyrus remove his shirt and put on the Sentinel's Robe he got from Rosaria.
"Sure, why not?" Cyrus shrugged. "All it does is allows me to absorb Septium Energy from the world around me to enhance my Arts casting abilities. The longer I wear it, the more energy I harvest and store, meaning I can cast more powerful Arts without feeling drained."
"Surely there's some side-effects to absorbing Septium Energy?" Rixia frowned.
"I don't think so. If there was, Sister Rosaria would have warned me when she gave this to me," Cyrus muttered.
Just then, a loud scream came from downstairs, alerting both Cyrus and Rixia.
"What was that?!" Rixia gasped, suddenly ready for a fight.
"That sounded like Emma!" Cyrus shouted as he grabbed Rixia by the shoulder. "Let's go!"
In the blink of an eye, Cyrus and Rixia were standing in the dining room downstairs, and the sight that greeted them was horrifying. Everyone had been knocked from their seats and had been flung all across the room in different directions. In the middle of the room was Sara, a knife plunged deep in her wrist and her gun was on the floor next to her.
In the midst of all the chaos stood Fie, who was floating in the middle of the table, seemingly choking on nothing but air. Neither Rixia nor Cyrus could believe what they were seeing. It had been less than ten seconds between hearing Emma scream and the pair of them appearing in the dining room together.
"What the fuck!?" Rixia cried, looking on in horror.
"FIE!" Cyrus shouted, hoping she would acknowledge him.
"Ahahahaha! I recognise that voice… Yang," a deep voice growled.
As soon as the voice was heard, the area around Fie began to distort and a second later stood a man wearing a black, full-body outfit, with a mask covering his face. The mask was bone white, and bore a set of razor-sharp fangs. Two narrow slits allowed Cyrus to see a pair of dark red eyes glaring at him, while the two horns fitted atop the mask pointed at Cyrus like they intended to gore him.
"Ibaraki-Dōji, you son of a bitch. How the fuck did you learn Yin's Moonlight Butterflies?" Cyrus growled.
"I'm an Assassin, Yang. Learning Yin's Moonlight Butterflies was child's play for someone like me," Ibaraki-Dōji laughed.
"By Thanatos, you think so highly of yourself. Put Sylphid down… She's mine!" Cyrus shouted, pulling out a blade from over his shoulder and throwing it at Ibaraki-Dōji.
The knife was flicked away by the horns on Ibaraki-Dōji's mask, and not leaving so much as a scratch on it. Whatever that mask was made of, Cyrus knew it wasn't going to break easily. With a growl, Ibaraki-Dōji dropped Fie onto the table and turned his full attention to Cyrus and Rixia.
"Fine, looks like I'll have to deal with you two first. Not a problem, the rest of these insects are too weak to stop me. Not even the famed Jäger Princess, Purple Lightning, is strong enough to stop me!" Ibaraki-Dōji growled.
"Cyrus, be careful… Something isn't right with him. He seems… Different, but I can't put my finger on it," Rixia warned.
"I'll be fine… An Assassin's greatest weakness is a greater Assassin, and there is no greater Assassin than I…" Cyrus muttered, preparing to fight.
"AHAHAHAHA! Now who's thinking highly of himself?!" Ibaraki-Dōji cackled. "Fine! Let us see how great of an Assassin you really are, Yang."
Ibaraki-Dōji stepped towards Cyrus and vanished from sight. He was mimicking Cyrus' Shadow Step technique, so while Rixia struggled to keep up with his movements, Cyrus was able to read them just fine. Calmly, he pulled Black Emperor out of its sheathe and flung it over his back, blocking the strike he knew was coming.
Ibaraki-Dōji's one flaw, that Cyrus was aware of, was his innate way of thinking like an Assassin, which meant he never struck the first blow head-on. That meant Cyrus knew his first attack would always come from behind, which allowed him to block the strike without difficulty.
"Too slow," Cyrus muttered as he parried the attack and turned to meet his opponent.
To his surprise, as Cyrus turned to face Ibaraki-Dōji, he found himself staring only at Rixia, who had a look of terror on her face.
"BEHIND YOU!" Rixia screamed, but it was too late.
Before Cyrus could react, he felt the sting of cold steel pierce his abdomen, and go right through him. Looking down, he saw the entire length of Ibaraki-Dōji's sword sticking out of his stomach. A second later he felt the gut-ripping sensation of the sword being pulled out of him stomach, making him drop to the floor.
"Now who's too slow?" Ibaraki-Dōji laughed darkly.
"No, no, no, no! Get up, Cyrus! You can't die here!" Rixia cried as she rushed over to him.
"I… I wasn't planning on it… Healing Art; Heaven's Light…" Cyrus grunted, holding a hand over his open wound, which started to become bathed in golden light.
Rixia watched in awe as the wound in Cyrus' abdomen slowly started to close up and disappear. A tear in his robe and the blood staining the pure white silk was the only evidence left behind that pointed to Cyrus having being badly wounded.
"Oh, so you've learned a few Healing Arts, have you? Looks like it takes a while to work though, which means…" Ibaraki-Dōji muttered as he jumped at Cyrus and Rixia. "I'LL JUST HAVE TO KILL YOU FASTER!"
"Earth Style; Giant Stone Anchor," Cyrus uttered, holding his hand out at Ibaraki-Dōji.
A faint orange light emanated from Cyrus' hand and covered his opponent, who was flying towards him. Seconds later, Ibaraki-Dōji was pulled to the ground, forced down on to one knee. Grunting and straining, the Assassin slowly dragged his head up and looked at Cyrus and Rixia, his scarlet eyes blazing with fury.
"What have you done?! You're not supposed to be proficient in Earth Style Arts! Your affinity is supposed be Lightning Style Arts only!" Ibaraki-Dōji growled.
"I can be proficient in whatever style I choose, and with my Sentinel's Robe and Combat Orbment at my disposal, I can cast all sorts of Arts that you can't even begin to comprehend," Cyrus grunted, forcing himself back to his feet.
"Grrr… You won't stop me… Six Trials of the Devil; First Trial – Unbreakable Will!" Ibaraki-Dōji shouted, bathing himself in a blackened scarlet light.
Through the black light, Cyrus and Rixia watched as Ibaraki-Dōji started to stand up, the weight of Cyrus' Art seemingly becoming nullified. Cyrus scowled in response to Ibaraki-Dōji standing up, whilst Rixia stared in horror.
"He… He's mastered the Six Trials of the Devil?! That's not possible," Rixia breathed.
"Rixia, get everyone out of here. I can't have the others becoming collateral damage, and taking Ibaraki-Dōji away from here is out of the question; I'll do what I can to contain him, but you need to get everyone out of here now,"
"So, you've finally realised what you're up against, have you?" Ibaraki-Dōji growled. "Let's see how you manage to save these insects now… Moonlight Butterflies!"
Taking a step back, Ibaraki-Dōji started to disappear behind a curtain of sliver butterflies, and once they curtain had been raised, he was nowhere to be seen, which made Rixia hesitate slightly. If Ibaraki-Dōji was invisible, she knew she'd struggle to evacuate Class VII.
"Rixia, calm yourself. I've seen you use your Moonlight Butterflies many times before; so much so, I know how to counter it," Cyrus muttered as he took his boots off and shuffled his feet on the flagstones beneath him. "Walk as normal, and I'll be able to keep you safe."
With a nod, Rixia proceeded to use her own Moonlight Butterflies technique and turn herself invisible as she made her way over to Sara, who was the one with the worst injury. Despite not being able to see her, Sara knew Rixia was there, trying to help her.
"Don't worry about me, get the kids to safety first," Sara muttered, as she clung to her wrist, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ibaraki-Dōji whispered from over Rixia's shoulder, causing her to freeze up slightly.
Whatever attack Ibaraki-Dōji was intending on launching at Rixia and Sara never came as he was smashed into the ground by Cyrus, who had jumped into the air, and connected with the back of the Assassin's neck with his left heel. A giant indentation from the impact showed that the hit was clean and focused perfectly.
"You're stronger than I gave you credit for, Ibaraki-Dōji. After all, I can tell you still have your head attached to your shoulders," Cyrus stated, taking a step back.
"Six Trials of the Devil; Second Trial – Steel Skin," Ibaraki-Dōji grunted as he stood up. "This is my ultimate defence, so I'm surprised you still have a foot after that attack."
As Cyrus put his foot down, he realised Ibaraki-Dōji wasn't exaggerating; his foot had been broken in the attack, which now made things troublesome for him. He could still fight, but only having one good foot to stand on meant he was unbalanced, and more susceptible to an attack.
He could still feel Ibaraki-Dōji's presence, and could follow his movements, but Cyrus knew that he'd either have to fight through the damage and risk casing permanent damage to his foot, of stay off it and fight with a disadvantage. At that point, neither was the preferred choice, so he needed to make a decision quickly. In the end, it was Ibaraki-Dōji who made the decision for him.
"Cyrus! Be careful; something doesn't feel right here!" Rixia shouted as she helped Sara to her feet and escorted her out of the Third Dormitory.
Despite her not being able to see him, Rixia was correct in her summation of things. When Ibaraki-Dōji took a step forward, Cyrus felt three different presences all moving at the same time. The result was catastrophic.
As soon as he felt the three presences move, Cyrus was immediately skewered by three invisible swords; two in the front of his abdomen, and one through the back. The only visible proof he had been hit by three objects were the three wounds gushing blood from his torso, staining his Sentinel's Robe an even darker shade of crimson.
"Six Trials of the Devil; Third Trial – Three Demon Gates," Ibaraki-Dōji cackled as he watched Cyrus' blood pool on the floor at his feet. "I'm impressed you managed to survive that, but once I begin the Fourth Trial, you'll already be dead."
With his good foot still planted to the floor, Cyrus noticed something about Ibaraki-Dōji that was… Odd. He couldn't be sure, but he had a theory he was developing, and was now going to test it out.
"Storm Drive…" Cyrus whispered weakly. He knew his life force was fading, and it wouldn't be long before he passed the point where his life could be saved. If he wanted to live, he needed to act, now.
Outside, over the Third Dormitory, a swathe of black clouds rolled in and with it, brought a massive downpour and a powerful thunderstorm. Rixia had just propped Sara down on a nearby bench in Trista Park when the storm arrived. She knew this was a bad omen, so she turned to Sara, who had torn off the sleeve on her jacket and bandaged her wrist with it.
"Purple Lightning, we don't have much time. We need to get everyone out of that building now. Can I rely on you to assist me?" Rixia asked.
"Of course; those kids in there are my responsibility, and I would be an unfit instructor if I didn't save them," Sara stated as she stood up.
The wound she sustained seemed superficial, but in reality, the knife Ibaraki-Dōji had thrown at her had nicked a vein in her wrist. She needed the wound sealing soon, otherwise she would also die from exsanguination. But that didn't stop her from doing her job and going back to save Class VII.
As Rixia and Sara re-entered the Third Dormitory, they looked on in horror as the saw Cyrus standing in a pool of his own blood, but covered in a layer of what looked like azure lightning. Whatever was happening to Cyrus would have to wait, as they both made a beeline for the students. Fortunately for them, Levana had now regained consciousness and was carrying Alisa in her arms.
"Hurry up and get them out of here… I can't wait for you three to piss around with making sure they're okay. You have sixty seconds, or we all die," Cyrus growled, coughing up a wad of blood. It was clear to the three women that he was greatly overexerting himself at this point.
Without a word, Levana, Rixia, and Sara set about carrying the rest of Class VII out of the building. The final person left in the building was Fie, who was still unconscious on the table. As Sara made her way back inside, fatigued from the blood loss she had sustained, she felt a sharp force on the back of her head as her hair was being yanked back, causing her to look up at the ceiling unwillingly.
"No, no, no, no, no… You leave little Sylphid here, Purple Lightning… You can have her after I kill her and send her head back to the client," Ibaraki-Dōji hissed, still invisible to those around him.
As Ibaraki-Dōji clung to Sara's hair, he felt a tingling sensation run throughout his body, which slowly started to paralyse him, rendering him immobile. With his body paralysed, he was no longer able to maintain his stealth cloak from the Moonlight Butterflies technique, and slowly became visibly again.
"You leave… Sara out of this," Cyrus rasped, his left arm raised up with his index finger pointed at Ibaraki-Dōji.
The reason for Ibaraki-Dōji's visibility was coming from Cyrus' finger. A small thread of lightning was running out from his finger, which had ensnared Ibaraki-Dōji's ankle, sending lightning through his body, paralysing him.
"You little fucking…!" Ibaraki-Dōji growled as he dropped Sara and turned his attention back to Cyrus.
"SARA! GO, NOW!" Cyrus roared, using all of his remaining strength to tell Sara to take Fie and run. Once she did as he commanded, he turned his attention to Ibaraki-Dōji and, with his life energy running out quickly, made his final move. "Second seal, release! Awaken; COURT OF THE DRAGON!"
###
A/N; Yeah, I think I'll leave it here for now. Can't have everything getting resolved all at once now, can I? I hope those that still read this are enjoying it. If not, well… I'll still keep posting updates, as I'm doing this for my entertainment as much as everyone else's.
I've been reading back over some of the old content and noticed quite a few spelling and grammatical errors. Please excuse them, I am evidently missing them when I read back over everything before posting.
One more thing. I do read the comments left by everyone on this story and I have to say; out of everyone who has speculated about various elements of the story and how they'll unfold down the line, I'm somewhat pleased no-one has actually been able to figure out anything yet. Means I'm keeping you guessing, and for those who are invested in this story, it means you want to know what happens in the future.