"Very well then," Crowley said. "Ready..."

He raised the mirror high, and it caught the sunlight, gleaming bright silver.

Then he opened his fingers. It tumbled end over end, still catching the light with blinding flashes. Then it hit the lawn, sending shards of mirror showering through the air with a loud crash.

"BEGIN!"

Ace and Deuce barely even had time to take their first running steps forward.

"OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!"

With a deafening shout, Riddle swung his scepter. A shockwave of white energy boomed outwards, sending Ace and Deuce flying backwards. They hit the ground hard with harsh cries, collars rematerializing around their necks with emphatic clanks.

The force of Riddle's spell actually affected the surrounding crowd. Kat staggered back, raising an arm, and Grim went tumbling backwards off her shoulder with a shocked "FNYAGH?!"

Crowley, of course, seemed completely unaffected. One hand on his walking stick, he held the brim of his hat with the other, standing stock-still with a faint smile even as his coat and epaulets whipped in the wind.

Regaining her balance, Kat shook her head, blinking hard.

"Urrrrrgh... SHIT!" Ace cursed, punching the ground angrily as he struggled up onto his elbows. "I-- I didn't even get a chance to finish my spell, dammit!"

Deuce coughed, rolling over with a wince. "We-- couldn't even lay a finger on 'im," he groaned. "Unbelievable..."

"...Holy shit," Kat muttered, pressing her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on the small, straight figure of Riddle, who'd twirled his scepter proudly in one hand, propping it on the ground next to him. How had that gone so fast...?

After a second, the assembled students seemed to realize what had just happened.

There was another beat of silence.

Then the crowd exploded, jumping up and down with wild whoops and cheers that seemed to shake the sky above them. People started punching and slapping each others' shoulders and backs in a storm of enthusiastic glee, exchanging high-fives and the occasional chest bump.

Kat got shoved forward by the surging crowd, almost tumbling out into the 'field' and falling right on her face. Luckily, Crowley put an arm out like a buffer, catching her. She staggered back, shaking her head and looking over at the Headmaster in shock. "H--How the hell did he do that so fast?" She asked, regaining her balance as he withdrew his arm.

"The force of one's spellcasting lies in the imagination-- that is, the visualisation-- of the caster," he informed her. "The better one is at visualizing the effects of their magic, the stronger and more precise it will be."

He nodded at Riddle, who had folded his arms, walking towards the pair of first-years. "It's clear that Rosehearts-kun here has refined his magical prowess to the utmost."

"No kidding," Kat murmured, shaking her head.

Grim crawled over, slinking low to the ground with his ears flat against his head. "F-Fnyaaaaah," he mumbled, pressing himself against her leg and shivering. "This guy's on a whole different level... They didn't stand a chance!"

Riddle strolled over and came to a stop in front of Ace and Deuce, actually giving a small laugh with the side of his fist to his mouth. "Hm... You didn't even last five seconds!" He declared.

He gave that cold smile of his again, resting the bottom of the scepter on the ground. "That was the limit of your abilities, and yet you still thought to challenge ME? Aren't you ashamed?"

Deuce and Ace managed to struggle to their feet, wincing.

"Really," Riddle sighed, shaking his head. "What a futile effort. All this proves is that rulebreakers are never justified... Exactly as my mother said."

"Tch..." Deuce shook his head, still a little unsteady. He glared at Riddle, that dangerous glint reappearing in his eye. "...We all know rules should be followed," he panted, clenching his fists. "At least, the useful ones-- the ones to protect and help people. But forcing others to follow useless, nonsensical rules like you have... That's just plain TYRANNY!"

Another frightened silence had fallen over the dorm students. Kat looked over at Crowley again, but he was just watching the unfolding conflict with a blank, concerned expression.

Riddle frowned, tilting his head. "...What's that? You agree that breaking rules is wrong, then? Well, here in this dorm, I--"

He put his hand to his chest again. "...AM the rules! Therefore, those who cannot abide by MY decisions don't deserve so much as the very heads they use to complain!"

Once again, that feeling of burning exasperation started to rise in Kat's chest. It wasn't just frustration this time, though-- it was tinged by a fierce rush of protectiveness. Hey-- those are MY dumbass kids, you hoity-toity little shit! Who do you think you are, talking to them like that?!

"Did you even LISTEN to what he said?!" She demanded, storming forward and standing protectively between him and the other two. "For FUCK'S sake-- LOOK at you! You're treating people horribly, making them MISERABLE-- and for WHAT?! Like, what's the POINT?! Rules don't excuse-- excuse all THIS!"

With a swish, the scepter went swinging through the air again, pointing right at her and making her jump. "Without penalties, no rule would ever be enforced, nor followed!" Riddle snapped. "Is that not obvious?!"

"So WHAT?!" Kat snapped right back, the furious frustration outweighing the bubbling anxiety. "You're not even LISTENING to us! Just because something's a RULE doesn't make it RIGHT! Enforcing rules just for rule's sake ISN'T WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR!"

Instead of getting upset or angry, Riddle just gave a small, mirthless laugh. Lowering the scepter, he put his fingertips to his brow, shaking his head dismissively.

"Young miss," he said. "I am simply enforcing the rules-- precisely as they were decided upon. I don't mean to be uncouth, but I have to wonder... Exactly what kind of pitiful education did you receive, to leave you unable to comprehend such a simple concept?"

Kat stiffened. ...The FUCK did he just say to me?!

Before she could really absorb his statement fully, Riddle was continuing. "Surely your parents couldn't have a shred of magical capability between the two of them, to leave you without the basic education necessary to attend a school such as this."

He folded his arms, still giving her that cold little smile. "Useless parents giving birth to useless children... It's rather pathetic, really."

...Useless?

The memory of Kat's parents swam to the forefront of her mind. Her dad, her mom... Even her little brother... Though 'little' couldn't really be applied to him anymore, since he was taller than her. Useless parents...

Okay, maybe she could get behind the 'useless children' part, at least for herself. It wasn't like she'd ever done anything useful... She'd never had a job, she graduated high school late... She didn't even know if she wanted to go to college or not, let alone what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

But-- useless parents...

...That wasn't true. Not in the slightest. They'd always worked so hard-- harder than she had, for damn sure.

She could never bring herself to put in the effort-- she was always so, so tired, and it wasn't like anything would change if she DID work hard. She couldn't stand pain or discomfort or fatigue-- her tolerance for inconvenience was absolute garbage. She couldn't do anything. She really was useless, but--

But it wasn't her family's fault.

None of it was.

It was all on her.

All these thoughts whirled through her mind in less than a second as she stood there, unable to decide what to do next... Or even if she should do anything.

"Why, you...!" She heard Deuce growl behind her, cracking his knuckles and stepping forward.

Then--

"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Footsteps sprinted past her.

Ace ran forward, pulling his fist back and punching Riddle hard across the cheek. Riddle went flying back, dropping the scepter and landing hard on his side with a startled "Oof--!!" His crown went clattering to the ground, rolling and rattling across the lawn like a kicked can.

There was an audible intake of breath from the onlookers, drawing back as one.

"RIDDLE?!" Trey burst out, running forward towards the crumpled form of the housewarden with Cater at his heels.

"R-Rosehearts-kun!" Crowley exclaimed, hurrying over as well.

Riddle rolled over, forcing himself up onto his hands and knees. He put a hand to his reddening cheek, gazing blankly into space, like he couldn't believe what had just happened.

Kat looked blankly at Ace's back, standing in front of her with his shoulders hunched and heaving. Holy shit...

Grim ran over to her, jumping up and down. "Nice JOB! Clean right cross straight to the face!" He snickered nastily.

"Wh-- A... ACE?!" Deuce spluttered, hurrying forward as well. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Ace took a few deep breaths, shoulders falling a little bit as he shook his head. "That's it," he growled, fists still clenched. "That's all I can take. The housewarden, the duel, the RULES-- I don't care. Who the HELL CARES ANYMORE?!"

"Riddle!" Trey said urgently, dropping to his knees next to him and putting his hands on his shoulders.

Riddle slapped his hand away with his other hand still pressed against his cheek. "O-Ouch," he hissed through his teeth, wobbling to his feet. "That-- hurt..."

Then he shook his head, staring in stunned shock at Ace. "You... Struck me. You struck me?!"

"You keep other people's parents out of your damn mouth," Ace snarled, stepping forward a little more. "Kids aren't their parents' trophies. And what a kid can do isn't gonna be determined by the so-called 'worth' of their family!"

He glared down at Riddle, who was still just looking back at him blankly. "I get it now. It's not your parents' fault you're such an asshole-- them or anybody else's."

He stepped forward one more time, poking the smaller boy hard in the chest. "I mean, LOOK at you! You've been here a whole year, and you haven't even made a SINGLE friend who'd tell you you're being such a MASSIVE PIECE OF SHIT! It's all YOUR FAULT!"

Riddle shook his head again, seeming to regain a bit of clarity. "What... Are you saying?!" He demanded in a breathy, incredulous gasp.

Ace kept advancing, poking him in the chest again and again. "Growing up under that kind of wicked strict mother must've been hard... I get that. But for fuck's sake, man! All I've heard coming outta your mouth this whole time is 'Mama, Mama'! What, can't you even THINK FOR YOURSELF?!"

He grabbed Riddle by the collar, yanking him forward and yelling into his face. "You go around calling yourself the 'Red Sovereign', or whatever-- but LOOK at you! You make such a big deal outta yourself, but you're really just... Just some OVERSIZED BABY WHO'S GOOD AT MAGIC!"

Scoffing, he let go of Riddle, shoving him back.

The housewarden staggered, wobbling and almost falling. Cater and Crowley jumped forward, but he regained his balance, head lowered and fists clenched. "Baby..." His voice hissed from behind his bangs. "A baby, you say? Me...?"

He was really shaking now, almost literally vibrating angrily. "How-- how dare you... You don't know a single thing about me. You don't know a single thing about ANYTHING!"

Ace gave another loud scoff, turning his back on Riddle in an exaggerated show of disdain. "Ahhh... Well, you're right about THAT, at least. I've got no fuckin' clue... And I don't NEED to, either."

He glared over his shoulder, scowling. "That rotten attitude of yours already told me EVERYTHING I need to know about you! Anything more would just be a waste of my time!"

Riddle hissed something under his breath, too quietly for Kat to hear clearly. This wasn't a problem for long, though, as his voice started growing in volume.

"--Up," he snarled, chest and shoulders starting to heave again. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!! SHUT YOUR INSOLENT MOUTHS!!!"

He stomped his foot so hard Kat was surprised that the heel of his boot didn't snap, losing composure by the second. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! NOTHING! MOTHER IS RIGHT! THAT MAKES ME RIGHT, TOO! SO- SO-- JUST SHUT UP!!!"

Getting up, Trey approached him, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Riddle-- calm down," he ordered, stepping closer like he was going to put his hands on the smaller boy's shoulders. "The duel's already over, okay?! You won-- it's fine!"

"Clover-kun is correct!" Crowley declared, coming over as well with his hands on his hips. "The challengers have been disqualified due to physical violence!" He cast a sharp look at Ace's group, then back at Riddle. "If you insist upon continuing this conflict any further, I'll have no choice than to write you all up for violation of the school rules!"

"Th--The new kids are RIGHT, though!" Someone squeaked from the crowd. "I... I can't TAKE this anymore!"

A small white streak whizzed through the air. Something hit Riddle on the side of the head. He staggered sideways, putting a hand up to the spot with another shocked look, then pulled his hand away, blinking.

It was...

...It was a raw egg.

There was runny goop dribbling down his rose-red hair, with chunks of shell plopping down onto his shoulder. The palm of his glove was covered in goo.

Trey recoiled, staring in shock. "What the..." He muttered, looking around at the garden, suddenly full of statue-still figures. "An... Egg? Where'd... D-Did one of the students throw this?"

...And where did they get it, Kat wondered. This is a rose garden... Did somebody have it in their pocket or something?

Riddle panted, shaking with rage for a few seconds. Then he whirled, head whipping around towards the direction the egg had come from."WHO WAS IT?!" He demanded, face starting to redden. "WHO THREW AN EGG AT ME?!"

The crowd drew back. Kat was half-expecting it to part, or shove a helpless culprit forward, but...

They didn't. They were obviously stricken with fear, going pale, and a few were even trembling slightly... But to a man, they were all stalwart and silent.

Riddle snorted.

Then he started to laugh.

Leaning his head back, he put a hand-- gross, it was the one with egg on it-- to his face, other arm hanging limply at his side.

...Uh-oh... That pose.

That pose was never a good sign... Especially combined with the laughter. It grew from a quiet chuckle to a full-on maniacal cackle, until it stopped abruptly. His chest heaved for a few more seconds.

" 'Can't take this anymore'," he repeated in a deadly calm voice, other hand dropping to his side with his head still leaned back towards the sky. "How interesting... You're fed up, are you? Had enough?"

Then his hands clenched into trembling fists again. He hunched his shoulders, lowering his head so that his bangs hung in front of his face again. "I'M the one who's fed up-- with all of YOU!" He snarled, voice taking on a rough, dangerous edge that sent a small shiver down Kat's spine. For a second, it was like she could hear the echoes of the huge pickaxe dragging along the stone floor again...

"No matter how many heads I send rolling, no matter how strict I become, it is YOU ALL who INSIST on breaking the rules!"

Kat shivered again. The tension in the air was actually palpable, crackling over her skin like static electricity. Mindlessly, she reached down, picking up Grim and holding him in her arms like a security plushie.

Riddle continued, head still down and shaking visibly. "Each and every one of you-- all you care about is doing as you please, no matter the consequences! Fine, then... I see how it is." He held his hand out to the side, and the scepter vibrated a little, then flew into his hand like a goddamn lightsaber.

"If the perpetrator will not come forward..." He whipped his head up, eyes blazing madly. "THEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL LOSE YOUR HEADS!"

Once again, he swung the scepter, sending another massive shockwave of white energy through the garden.

"OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!"

Kat flinched, closing her eyes.

She actually fell this time, landing hard on her back with a grunt, and by the sounds of it, she wasn't the only one. There were other groans and hisses, with the vibrations of bodies losing their balance and dropping to the ground. Then came the metallic clanks of many, many collars snapping into place.

Then there was an obvious sound of panic-- yells and cries as people started scrambling back upright.

"Shit-- this is BAD!" She heard someone yell, voice cracking with panic. "RUN!"

Everybody made a break for it, running blindly in every direction.

Shit-- didn't look like she'd have enough time to get up before the stampede hit... Kat rolled over quickly, shielding Grim with her body and covering her head with her other arm. Opening one eye, she squinted up to witness the chaos.

Through the sea of legs, she could see Riddle. He was still swinging his scepter with wild abandon, sending another shockwave of energy with every blow.

Groups of running students fell over with cries of shock and pain, collars materializing around their necks as they tried fruitlessly to pry them off.

Riddle laughed again, a full-on maniacal laugh with an edge of malicious glee. "WELL?!" He demanded, still firing off magic left and right. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, HUH?! TELL ME! NONE OF YOU CAN LAY EVEN A SINGLE FINGER ON ME!!"

Unfortunately, she didn't have time to keep watching, since another wave of fleeing students was approaching.

She covered her head again, curling up as small as she could and screaming internally. The students ran around her, some knocking into her with the sides of their feet or half-stumbling over her in their scramble to get away.

"CEASE THIS AT ONCE, ROSEHEARTS-KUN!" She heard Crowley shout over the din. "THIS ISN'T LIKE YOU AT ALL!"

A little late for that, she thought. I don't think that's gonna put a stop to this at this point...

Somebody threw their body over hers as another thud of running feet approached. She raised her head cautiously to see Trey, propping himself up on one forearm and clutching his hat to his head with the other. He grimaced slightly as the fleeing students collided with him now instead of her.

"Riddle-- that's ENOUGH!" He shouted hoarsely, eyes fixed on the small figure at the center of all the chaos. "STOP IT! IF THIS GOES ANY FARTHER, THEN--"

"Look out!" Kat yelped, and Trey ducked his head just in time. Another swath of white light scythed through the air, knocking the flock of fleeing students back to the ground.

"HEY, JACKASS!" Ace yelled from somewhere. Kat looked up to see him standing with his arms crossed, glaring at Riddle. "YOU CAN'T JUST FLIP OUT LIKE THIS EVERY TIME SOMETHING DOESN'T GO YOUR WAY!"

The chaos had died down somewhat, and Trey pushed himself off of her, wincing. She sat up, hissing quietly and looking down at Grim, still clutched to her chest. He coughed, gasping for breath and shaking his head.

"I MEAN, WAY TO PROVE MY POINT, IDIOT!" Ace continued. "YOU GET CALLED A BABY, AND WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO?! THROW A BIG STUPID TEMPER TANTRUM!"

Riddle froze.

Then he turned, mechanically, to face Ace. His scepter hand twitched a little, in an odd way. "What... Did you say?" He asked quietly.

The twitch moved up to his neck now, and his head cocked in a strange way. A dribble of something dark ran down from under his bangs.

"Oh, Jesus," Kat muttered, putting her hand over her mouth. Was he bleeding...?

No... No, that was-- it was black, not red. Blood could look pretty dark, but nowhere near as dark as that... It was really obvious now, since his face had gone shockingly pale for some reason.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Trey stiffen in shock. She looked over at him, and saw that his face had gone white too-- so white it was almost green, with his eyes fixed on Riddle.

Riddle took a step forward, staring at Ace with a frightening, single-minded intensity. "Retract your STATEMENT IMMEDIATELY!" He shouted, pointing the scepter at the first-year. "OR ELSE I SHALL SKEWER YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

Kat's eyes widened, and she clutched Grim a little tighter, making him squeak like a toy.

That black stuff was rolling down his face now, in thicker and thicker rivulets. His face had gone from startlingly pale to crimson with fury, and his eyes were burning with a murderous hatred.

Ace scoffed loudly, crossing his arms a little tighter.

Please don't do it, Ace. Please don't, please don't, please...

"No fuckin' WAY," he snapped, turning his face away with a scowl. "Over my DEAD BODY."

"...Ace, you IDIOT," Kat hissed, feeling herself beginning to shake a little bit. The look on Riddle's face was starting to scare her... She had an overwhelming feeling that that was the WORST possible thing he could've said in this situation.

Riddle froze again.

He lowered his head.

His fists clenched and unclenched for a second, and his whole body was shaking and jerking in an odd, jumpy way.

Then he raised his head to the sky and screamed through gritted teeth.

"UGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII--!!!!!!"

The ground started shaking.

Kat gasped, falling from a kneeling position back onto her butt.

Grim dug his claws into her shirt, pressing himself against her body and shivering. "Wh-Wh-What's goin' on?!" He squeaked, eyes darting all over the garden with his ears pinned back. "I've gotta bad feeling about this..."

He wasn't the only one. There was a heavy, sickening feeling in the air, like lightning was about to strike. The sky was still brilliantly blue, but the fluffy clouds were getting pushed back. There was a huge circle of clear air above the garden, like the clouds themselves didn't want to be anywhere near what was unfolding.

Footsteps came sprinting up behind her, and someone grabbed her arm, yanking her up onto her feet. "You guys, this is BAD!" Cater said urgently, one hand around Kat's upper arm and holding Trey by the collar with the other. "You two need to run-- NOW!"

Kat looked around at him, staggering a little and wrapping her arms around Grim again. The tremors were really getting bad now... "C-Cater, what's--" she began.

Then it happened.

Riddle gave one final piercing scream, and the proverbial lightning struck.

There was a single deafening boom, like an enormous thunderclap. The ground around Riddle indented and cracked, spreading out in spiderwebs across the garden. The ground jerked, and the rosebushes started uprooting violently one by one, drifting into the air. The fissures snaked out with snapping sounds as the shards of earth hovered into the air as well.

"F-Fwaaaah... Th-The rosebushes... They're all FLOATIN'!" Grim squeaked, hunkering down in Kat's arms and shivering.

The sky had gone dark and stormy. Clouds of dust puffed up from the fissures in the ground, making the scattered students cough and swipe at their eyes.

"...Shit," Cater hissed.

She saw Deuce nearby, wobbling but managing to stay on his feet. He looked around with a stunned expression. "Th-This is some serious magical power," he gasped. "What the hell... I-Is he SERIOUSLY doing all this?! Is that even possible?!"

She looked back at Riddle, in the epicenter of the destruction.

It looked like Ace had lost his balance and fallen to his knees, since he was the closest to Riddle when the... Whatever-it-was had happened. Instead of getting back up, he was just kneeling there, looking around at the destruction in shock.

Riddle brought his scepter up in front of his face like a swordsman doing that dramatic thing with his blade. "Very well," he said, voice echoing oddly, like he was talking through a malfunctioning megaphone. "If you still refuse to retract your statement, then..."

There were two rosebushes still rooted nearby, with Ace roughly halfway between them. With a wooden, organic crackle, they grew creepers of thorned, dark-leaved vines, snaking out towards him from both sides.

"PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE RUN THROUGH-- JUST AS YOU WISHED!"

Shaking his head, Ace seemed to get his bearings back, scrambling to his feet and trying to duck out of the way.

The thorny vines were too fast for him, encircling his wrist like a rope and yanking him back. He cried out in pain, struggling, but the vines weren't done. They coiled around his other wrist, then his ankles, even wrapping around his neck and torso as they lifted him into the air.

He snarled through gritted teeth as he struggled again, trying to tug himself free. The vines went taut, pulling him into a spread-eagle position in the air. Kat swore she heard a faint creak, and Ace gave another strangled cry, face going pale.

Oh, god... Oh, no. Nonononononono-- no, he wasn't going to do that. There's no way-- there's no way he-- he actually...

"COME, MY BELOVED ROSES!" Riddle cried, a frankly unhinged slasher smile on his face. With a swish, he pointed the head of the scepter at Ace again. All the floating bushes snapped towards him, like missiles locking onto their target. "TEAR THIS BRUTE'S WORTHLESS BODY TO SHREDS!"

More vines shot out from the floating rosebushes, with sharp, glinting ends, covered in long thorns.

"STOP!" She heard Crowley shout, and saw him running forward as well. "YOU MUSTN'T! CEASE THIS FOOLISHNESS AT ONCE!"

The vines sped forward in unison, whistling through the air as they snaked towards Ace.

"NO!" Kat heard herself scream, dropping Grim and trying to run forward.

Cater, still holding her arm, pulled her back, throwing his other arm around the front of her shoulders. "Kat, DON'T! It's too dangerous!"

"ACE!" She screamed, voice cracking with terror.

The boy stiffened, gritting his teeth and turning his face away as the vines rippled closer and closer.

She couldn't take it anymore -- she squeezed her eyes shut, clapping her hands over her ears as her heart thundered in her head.

Author's Notes:

Yeah, a lot of the pacing and action in this one is heavily inspired by the manga, except for the part where Riddle tries to murder Ace with the rose trees.

When I played through that part (and even back when I watched Otome Ayui's subtitled chapter 1 and Ami Yoshiko play through the JP app), I imagined the bushes growing into vines and snaring him, then trying to turn him into an avocado pit in a glass of water on the windowsill.

In the manga, though, he just hovers 'em into the air and tries to yeet 'em at him.

I liked my idea better, TBH. It's more anime and dramatic.

If, whenever the actual anime comes out, the scene goes something like this, just know I did it first.

That being said, it DID make Crowley look a little more useless than he actually is for that particular moment, at least, which my brother pointed out during a proofreading hostage situation, but...

Eh. Sometimes, you gotta nerf some characters in the name of drama.