~Unnamed Maiden's POV~

There were times when I dreamed of a festival of lights, laughter, and joy in my sleep. Such times rarely came in the past, yet all that changed one fateful day. The day when I finally saw a ray of light in this cruel dark world. The day when our savior descended on silver wings, bringing justice upon the wicked and salvation to the innocent. It is a memory that I will cherish to the end of my days, and it fills me with such joy to celebrate this momentous occasion, together alongside brothers and sisters who've been through the same hell as me. It still feels like a dream come true.

I opened the door of the unique inn I stayed at and stepped out into the streets. Musical melodies of soothing yet energetic tones filled my ears. The mouth-watering fragrance of appetizing dishes made my stomach grumble in need. My eyes are basking in the sights of color all around me, with a merry celebration spreading as far as I can see.

Chiefs cooked out in the open behind their stalls, giving their customers an entertaining show before their awaited meals.

Men and women, young and old, danced to the hopeful rhythm of the songs played by bards and musicians.

Children run by alongside the gentle breeze of the cold-morning air past me, heading off to play and enjoy all this festival can offer.

This reminds me, there's going to be a play happening soon at an open-air theater not far from where I'm staying, 'If I hurry, I'll still be able to make it.', With my mind set on a goal, I turned to the rising sun and made taste down the street, with each next step, each movement, in sync to the heartbeat within, beating in rhythm to the new song that rises from the lips of bards all around.

.

There was a time, of hardship and woes~

When we were toiling, and our spirits low~

Days when chains were, that we ever wore~

Dreams of escaping, locked behind their doors~

.

Till one night, when the stars all hid~

They arrived~ to save us, they did~

Gleaming in silver, on wings swift as light~

They all descended to make all things right~

.

Hail to thee who brought us our hope~

Salvation to those, given up long ago~

And as he brought low, the kings and their beast~

Gave us our freedom, then raised us from our knees~

.

The ray of light, gleaming like the moon!

Beware all evil, your end will come soon!

And to all victims, he cast out his rope!

Bringer of Justice and Giver of Hope!

.

Dance and rejoice! In honor of his deeds!

Praised be the baron, who gave us what we need!

Sing and laugh! We no longer bare the chains!

Under the warm sun, basking in its rays~!

.

Hail to thee who brought us our hope!

Salvation to those, given up long ago!

And as he brought low, the kings and their beast!

.

"Gave us our freedom, then raised us from our knees!"

A short fit of laughter coming from my lips followed after the final verse of the song, my favorite one so far. The tone was gentle at the start but soon raised halfway. By then I was convinced that everyone in Newera sang along since it seemed that the voice of the entire town rallied under the final verse. The amount of emotion in their voices was even enough to drag me into singing alongside them, and it was quite a fun experience.

"I could really get used to this place.", I said mostly to myself before I slowed my pace upon arriving at the open-air theater, and it seems that I came right on time too. The show was about to begin!

Smiling as bright as the sun above my head, I walked forward and began looking for a vacant space to enjoy the show from.

~THIRD-PERSON POINT OF VIEW~

The crowd sat in their seats in silence. The opening music played and the sun raised high enough to cast its rays upon the smooth marble stage. The children in the audience, the ones up at the very front, were awed in amazement as the red curtains gave way to a large screen that showed the clear blue sky.

"This world that we live in, is endless in its wonders and beauty."

The deep smooth voice of the narrator spoke, right as the image of a flock of birds is seen flying on the screen. Mystical doves white as the snow, their tails mimicking rainbows, flew forwards, right at the audience, and they gasped out in surprise when those birds flew out of the screen and out into the sky above.

Words of amazement came from their lips and their eyes locked onto the screen, with their full attention.

Next, they saw a pod of sky-blue whales, with bodies like clouds, floating majestically in the air, swimming along as it if was water. They pass by a large suspended boulder and beyond it, the screen showed a whole archipelago of floating islands, untouched by humans, retaining their natural beauty. There, life flourished. The grass and leaves were as green as emerald, the fauna of all sizes frolicked through the forest, and the beauty of nature was bountiful.

"Along with its dangers and mysteries."

The screen seemed to dive down, passing through the clouds and stopping, revealing the vast ocean of murky black water below. The large body of a serpent monster is shown, its upper half, filled with violet-blue scales the size of a man and numerous scars from past battles, broke through the water, revealing its immense size that rivaled an island. Around it, several other smaller monsters swam alongside the giant monster, a whole horde of them, swimming alongside each other. The pod of carnivorous, terrifying, creatures of the world, demanded both fear and respect with their very appearance alone.

Despite how horrifying it is for the people to witness the terrifying Murky Abyss, the birthplace of monsters, and its spawn with their own eyes, they can't help but be fascinated by the almost peaceful sight of their migration.

"Yet there are places in this world where one can only find the darker side of life."

The screen ascended into the dark stormy clouds to leave the Murky Abyss behind, right as the giant serpent monster gave out a terrifying roar.

The crowd became nervous, the children even more so, as the music became tense with melodies that brought uneasiness. The screen soon broke past the clouds, giving them a view that brought up memories of dread and anger for those that slaved away under its cage.

"The Devil's Crown is one such place."

The unnamed maiden silently seethed in her seat upon the sight. A place that she was glad was destroyed long ago...but deep down, she had wished it happened sooner.

Her eyes closed, unconsciously blocking out the many boos that came from the crowd, mostly from the children and those who couldn't hold in their hate. Don't get her wrong, she too hates it as much as her fellow brothers and sisters, but she hated more the monsters in human skin that ran that unholy place.

She remembered those times as clear as day, too painful to try forgetting.

Sold to them by a poor excuse of a family, she had to endure what felt like months of pain and torture. It seemed like a miracle for her to still be pure despite her past circumstances. Though there was that one time when she was close to losing it...until someone intervened.

"Ha! You must be fucking desperate! But I can't blame you. There's no way in hell someone would do the dirty with someone uglier than their shit. Hell! You smell like one too! Slimes have a better chance of getting laid than you."

Despite the words being as fowl as the disrespectful tone behind them, she smiled in joy upon that memory...the only memory she ever has of that boy.

The unnamed maiden broke out of her thoughts, shaking away the sadness and grief she still feels to this day. They were long gone, they were in the past, but she now is free...and fate be damned if it gets in the way of her freedom. She won't let that boy's death be in vain, she won't let the Hook's deeds be for nothing, and she won't let the baron's kindness be wasted. She will live her life the way she wants to.

For now, though, she is going to relax and enjoy the play. Fortunately, she does so at just the right time, because the play is now reaching its climax.

"-hey came in the dark of night. Rising with the light of the full moon. Their numbers were many, their weapons at the ready, and leading them was the spirit of revenge, flying upon wings gleaming in silver light."

The screen zoomed out to give the entire audience a full view of the coming battle. Ships of silver, armors of light, and creatures of steel numbered by the hundreds of thousands surrounded the Devil's Crown.

In the darkness, they were the stars that shined bright when there were none. Then they descend upon the cursed island and the laughter of the wicked became the screams of the dying.

While the crowd cheered upon justice being served, the unnamed maiden smiled in satisfaction, as she witnessed, not a battle, but a slaughter.

Atop the theater, a cloaked Phantom perched upon a wooden beam surveyed the crowd with red lenses that held no emotion. Its gaze swept over the crowd before it laid upon the unnamed maiden. The mechanical android stared with its optics zooming in to discover the identity of the woman, who hid her face with the shadow of her hood.

"Attention Phantom Unit 34-C. Head back to the nearest factory for highly required upgrades."

The Phantom heard the command of LUXION and not a second later, it leaped into the air, right over the crowd, and grabbed onto a passing-by cloaked Raven. Its earlier intention deemed insignificant and forgotten, it grabbed on tight to the flying support unit of the Terran Dominion as it flew towards the underside of the island.

~Meanwhile with Leon, Olivia, and Angelica~

"Do you feel better Angie?"

"Y-yes. A little bit...thank you...again."

"Any time, Angie, any time.", Leon waved a hand in front of him before giving her a teacup, "By the way, here, I've brewed your favorite tea. To help ease your nerves."

"Thank you.", Angelica gladly took the soothing beverage into her hands, despite how they weakly shook. She hasn't completely recovered, but they were making progress.

Leon, Olivia, and Angelica spent an entire hour inside the heartbroken girl's room. She is still in the middle of emotional recovery while her two friends are aiding her in speeding up the process. Not followers nor acquaintances, but friends.

It's not easy for someone to be considered such by the Daughter of Duke Redgrave, with her being raised to join the ever-deceiving and ruthless battle that is politics, but Leon and Olivia have more than earned it. Especially when they still decide to stay despite hearing the annulment of her engagement...unlike what a good chunk of her followers did. Sure they were modest about it but she saw right through their fake excuses the moment they started spewing them, but she doesn't care anymore about them.

They made their choice, and now, soon enough, she will have to make her own.

'What am I going to do now?', The question lingered constantly in her mind as she rocked her brain to find an answer.

One side of her, one guided with the fury that lingered in her heart, wanted nothing more than to lash out at the one who hurt her. To enact vengeance upon the prince for breaking a promise he made long ago.

However, the other side of her clashed with the first. What little love and hope she had for the prince rose to stop her from doing anything rash. It was even backed up by her more logical side, which told herself the many consequences that lay in wait ahead if she continued with her earlier intention, not just for herself, but for her family as well.

Angelica is conflicted, metaphorically torn in two...

Hmm...two...

The blonde girl raised her eyes from her cup of tea, sharing a glance with both of her concerned companions. She continued to stare, long enough for the two of them to become confused.

"Is something wrong Angie?", Olivia asked in a soft tone.

"Is the tea not to your liking?", Leon guessed and then offered, "I can brew a better batch if you want."

Angie lowered her cup onto her lap and shook her head, waving off any further concerns, "Oh, not that. The tea is as wonderful as always, it's just that..."

Angelica paused for a while before she continued, a small smile on her face, "What have I done to be deserving of friends like you."

Olivia and Leon were silent. Taken aback by kind genuine words that they weren't expecting.

"By being yourself.", Leon spoke, for himself and on behalf of Olivia, who nodded in agreement.

Now it was Angelica's turn to be surprised. Being herself? Was that truly the reason?

"Yeah! Angie is considerate and caring.", Olivia started. Reminiscing about the times Angelica would protect her from the bullies, aid her in fitting in, and be one of the pillars that hold her stable through the tough times.

Leon continued, "Not to mention brave, like that time in the dungeons, loyal, which you probably have been since day one for all those you care for, and true, since you aren't afraid to speak out your mind and usually wear your heart on your sleeves. Compared to most of the student body back at the school, you are a one-in-a-million Angie. A diamond in a room of gold. What happened to you these past few weeks, losing the one you love to someone else, getting your engagement canceled, being seen as less now by all our peers." Leon spoke with much understanding and sympathy. The things she was going through was similar to event that happened in Leon's past life, to him.

He allowed his heart to open wider. Words that he wished someone had told to himself back in the past, poured forth from his lips, "After everything you have been through, you deserve to be treated better. You deserve better and so much more."

Briefly breaking his gaze on Angie, Leon turned to the closed curtains. With a simple flick of his mind, the curtains were coated in a faint aura of red and parted away, while the window flew open. A cool breeze blew inside, followed by the calming aroma of flowers, and then the steady pleasant melodies of the festival, completely shattering whatever was left of the gloomy atmosphere in the room.

"So forget all your bad memories, just for today.", Leon looked back to the blonde girl in front of him, with a genuine smile and pleading eyes, "Instead, start making brand new happier memories with people who truly care for you, appreciate you, and see just how important you are really are.

"You...", Angie could not find any words to construct a proper reply. She was too stunned by his kind words and how genuine they were spoken. At first, she thought it was only sweet nothings, compliments that hold no true intention, but as she stared into those eyes of his, she could not see any trace of deceit or lies. It...made her feel warm inside, both Leon's short speech and smile.

She wouldn't realize it but her cheeks were starting to be tainted by a light shade of pink, "Is that what you truly feel about me?"

Her answer came in the form of Olivia, who took her attention when she grabbed one of her hands and clasped it with two of her own, "Yes."

One word, one word from Olivia, whose smile and eyes seem to shine like the sun, bright and warm, was the last push. The tight grip of her doubts, sadness, and misery over her heart and mind was cast off.

Why should she keep on wallowing in pity, guilt, anger, and tears caused by those who turned their back on her, when there are two people, two friends, true friends, who support, care, and, dare she say it, love her the way she deserved.

No more. No more! Angelica has finally made up her mind. Both her fury and the parts of her yearning for comfort have come to the same answer. She was going to do what she was intended to do upon reaching this place. She is going to enjoy her time here, have fun, and spend her time with her closest friends.

"Then I believe I have already spent too much time in here.", Angie spoke, mostly to herself but her words made both Leon and Olivia smile even wider.

Now Angie is sporting her own smile. One she continues to wear as she stands up from her seat and looks to the young baron, "So, Leon, since you've planned this festival, what do you recommend we do first?"

Leon felt glad to see Angie finally get herself back together, even more so when she asked her question, which made him grin, "Well that depends. Have you had breakfast yet? If not, then you are going to love our first stop."

~Time Skip - Two Hours Later~

After Angelica recovered enough to leave her room and finally enjoy the festival, Leon led her and Olivia to a nearby restaurant. A very big and famous restaurant that he has been supporting and developing into an establishment that welcomes nobles and commoners alike. Giving them all an equally satisfying and amazing experience with their mouthwatering dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious.

Flavor Wonderland. One of the many investments of Leon made long ago after he campaigned against the sky pirates in Holfort. As well as one of the most successful projects he played into motion. Turns out, there were several people in the group of refugees that had a talent for cooking. Though they lacked experience, resources, and a fitting environment to truly allow their gifts to bloom. All of which Leon happily provided after he noticed the potential behind it.

Boy was he glad he made that decision because only about a year later, Flavor Wonderland had become a rising star in the Kingdom of Holfort. Taking the whole culinary world by storm with dishes dug up from LUXION's data archives and Leon's decent knowledge of local cuisines from Japan.

Now not only does he get to enjoy a delicious piece of his past and the foreign delicacies of Terran culture, but he also gains a lot of profit. His investment has grown so much over the past year, there are already several branches spread out in every city of Holfort. There are even plans to set up in other kingdoms far and wide. However, there is more hidden underneath the face of this rising culinary star.

However, enough about the background of the establishment, the only thing he cares about it now is the food they serve.

"Mmmm~ The flavor is so nostalgic. Both satisfying to the taste buds and oh so filling.", Leon wiped any traces of food from his lips like protect gentleman with a table napkin. A content smile hidden underneath the piece of fabric.

"Haaaa~", Olivia sighed happily.

"I completely agree with you.", Angie nodded in approval after finishing her glass of lemon juice.

The young baron found joy in witnessing the pleased look on his companion's face. It seemed the cheerful and comfortable atmosphere the trio used to have had finally returned. Though compared to back in the academy, it seemed different. Perhaps with was the change of setting or that the three felt closer than before? Oh well, in the end, they are back to enjoying each other's company.

Well...mostly.

With things calming down, Leon decided to check up on a few things. Cycling over the reports, security cameras, and military updates through his HUD. So far everything is going on smoothly. The last of the visitors have finally arrived, the emitters are still fully operational, and upcoming events for the festival are now ready. Yep, it's all smooth sailing from here-

Angelica looked up from her drink to send a curious look to Leon. Wondering why he suddenly straightened up with a startled look on his face, "Is everything alright Leon?"

"Oh? Ah, yes. I simply remembered something that I forgot. A missing detail I had missed when preparing for the festival.", Leon explained, waving off her concerns while sweat dripped from the side of his head.

"Leon, please calm down.", Olivia asked of him, "The festival is great! Everyone is enjoying it. I know how you feel about planning big events like these, wanting them to be perfect, but you shouldn't be focusing always on minor details. You've done more than enough. Why not enjoy yourself and relax?"

"Well...when you put it that way. It's hard to argue against you.", Leon let out a sigh before leaning his back against his chair. Noticing how pleased his two friends are...but even then his worries festered from within.

For you see, he forgot to take notice or was too late to be aware of a certain possibility occurring. It's not life-threatening or will affect the festival negatively...but he was pretty sure it will cause a scene if Angie saw them. By then, Leon meant a group of people. Five of which he has to guard while two of them are the source of Angie's earlier depression. Yep, as much as he didn't want to, the prince of Holford with his entourage of friends had arrived...bringing with them the anomaly herself, Marie Fou Lafan.

'Well, shit. This is going to get complicated real fast.', Leon thought mostly to himself. Replaying the footage of Marie's airship parking at the docks with the six individuals walking onto his island, 'I'm gonna need to keep them and us as far away from each other as possible.'

Already, he was sending orders to several androids in human disguises. Their priority is simple, prevent his group and Marie's group from encountering each other through subtle means. Which should take care of the problem...though Leon is still worried. His emotions overcome a particular idea that would be more effective to deal with the problem. However, the details of it made his heart cringe, and left it discarded to the back of his head. So instead he prayed that their paths will never meet during the three days of celebration, to whatever divine being there is up in the heavens.

Hopefully, they'll listen to his humble pleas.

~Meanwhile with Marie and the others~

Marie has been in a...complicated situation as of late. On one side she was happy to have valuable people who she sees as close friends that support her and even cared for her. She's a high-ranking noble with all the comforts of life, which she happily accepts. Make no mistake, she did not gain any ounce of foolish pride by living the high life, she merely enjoyed them as much as she could. After all, she has spent most of her time away from comfort these past few days and into the thrilling danger of dungeons. Sure she could get addicted to the pampered life, but it is in adventuring that she truly feels alive. It's her origin, her roots, it sings in her blood, and there is no place in the world that she feels more free than in the den of the beasts.

Then on the other hand...she felt incomplete. Like she was missing something, something important to her...yet she could never remember. On that note, her memory has been nothing but a mess. There were holes in her mind where important bits of information used to be stored. Plus a good deal of her past is all fuzzy and unclear. Marie shared her dilemma with Julius, Jilk, Greg, Chris, and Brad. They were quick to blame her illness on Gilded, saying that he needed to pay for doing this to her.

Their fury against the masked stranger grew so much that Marie had to plead for them not to start a manhunt for him. Saying things like 'It's not worth it!' or 'Please don't! I willingly agreed to the spar. I knew very well what I was getting into.'

Thankfully a professional healer intervened before things could get any worse, then proceeds to diagnose her with mild memory loss, probably due to the impact of the last clash and over-extending her use of magic. They said that she should be fine in a couple of days and that the memories will come back on their own. So feeling relieved at the news, the guys decided to celebrate Marie's eventual recovery and get her mind off of stressful topics. Which eventually led to all of them visiting the famed 'Festival of Fallen Horns'.

They were amazed. Their small group gawked at the unbelievably big and lively celebration they had been welcomed to upon their arrival. They expected a lot of things with all the talk they heard about this place, but seeing it for themselves was on a whole different level.

Marie found herself enjoying her strawberry ice cream atop the second floor of an ice cream shop. Basking in the cold sweetness of her treatment under the warm sun with a fantastic view of the festivities going on below and afar, by herself for once. The guys have been rather...clingy ever since she woke up. Clingy. They were with her everywhere she went, refusing to leave her side. It was sweet but it also got very...worrying.

Thankfully, all she had to do to get some alone time was to ask them. Though she found it strange that despite how determined they were to stick with her, they went off without a fuss when she requested them to go and enjoy themselves on their own.

From her position, she could see them clearly...with a bit of help with vision-enhancing magic. Julius was acting like a kid in a candy store, going about around the area, buying from barbeque stands, and eating meat roasts left and right, all without anyone acknowledging him as the prince. The smile of utter bliss he wore was enough for Marie to see that he was, in his perspective, paradise.

Greg was nearby, competing in a physical contest with other men. Lifting weights, doing pushups, running laps around the area, and even wrestling with other contestants. The red-haired muscle head had even found a sense of brotherhood with a few of his opponents, especially a small group of bodybuilders. He was even talking to the inhumanly buff men with muscles three times as big as Greg's. It was full-on bromance over there.

Jilk got himself in a marksman club of some sort a few streets away, testing their shooting skills on targets with toy guns. Though it was kind of strange for all their targets to have yellow masks. Even stranger when Jilk got into the spirit of the game, shooting spots that resulted in higher points, which coincidentally are vital points to a human body. Marie may need to talk to him later.

Then there's Chris. As the future sword saint of the kingdom, it was no surprise for her to see him join activities that are sword related. Right now, she could see him in a swordsmanship competition, fighting against a skilled swordsman, who looked to be from the distant eastern lands. Whoever this stranger is was giving Chris a run for his money, showing a mastery of his katana that none have seen before. Marie didn't need to be there to see the growing friendly rivalry between those two.

Finally, there is Brad, who is either embracing his cross-dressing hobby by wearing outfits that made him look like an actual maiden or was forced into that beauty pageant down the road not far from the ice cream shop. Either way, he looks to be enjoying himself, showing off with his well-earned trophy from winning the pageant, basking himself in the hundreds of flashes from cameras. She is so going to tease him about this on many occasions.

"This is truly a great place to celebrate.", Marie lets out a relaxed sigh as she continues to dig into her frosty treat, "It's so peaceful here. It feels like all my worries are washed away. I can't believe it'll be like this for three whole days."

"Hehe~ I wonder what sort of fun will be waiting for us?", Marie Fou Lafan smiled. Looking forward to the following days and all the activities and events that lay ahead.

As she leaned on her cheek on her propped-up arm, her gaze to the side, watching over the laughing children, the singing birds, and the frolicking tourists, something unexpected caught her attention.

"Hm?", Walking up the road, heading towards the ice cream shop, is a feminine figure wrapped in a cloak with a hood that covered her face.

Curios, Marie continued to look at the stranger, staring at her as the said stranger came close enough for her to get an unclear glimpse at her face.

"That's odd. Why would anyone wear a cloak like that", Marie was cut off when the stranger looked up.

Their eyes met.

Recognition flashed in both sets of blue eyes.

Shock. Surprise. Disbelief.

Those were all they felt...for several seconds before realization settled in.

They met before...

They know each other...

Even with her messed up memory, Marie could never forget those gentle eyes, that striking blue hair, and the diagonal scar on her cheek.

While the stranger felt the same. Despite how much she had grown, how much healthier she looked, and the clothes she wore, she could never forget the face of her long lost friend...a friend she feared was dead...and yet, there she is, alive and well!

The unnamed maiden, with quivering lips, whispered out the name of the maiden of scarlet thorns, "Marie?"

And in return, Marie spoke the name of one who helped her pull through, during her darkest moments. She who Marie thought would never be able to see again. A close friend, her best friend, whom she thought was long lost.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"...Carla?..."

Well...that's about it...JUST KIDDING!

Well, kind of. This is it for this part of the story, but not the end of this chapter. For you see. I have been working on something. An omake. An alternate route in which this story could have gone if a certain someone had chosen differently.

One where instead of Terran Ingenuity it's...well, it's best to simply show you, eh?

(=Omake=)

In one universe, Leon Fou Bartfort sailed off to the unknown to change the future his wicked stepmother had for him.

In that universe, he found the remnants of the Terran Dominion, obtained the objects he needed to defy his future, brought about a new age of liberty in the world, and became the man with the whole world in his hands.

.

.

.

But this isn't that universe.

WHACK!

"Gah!"

Leon didn't awaken the dormant LUXION or the dominion facility.

WHACK!

"AAAhhh!"

He couldn't reach the island where he was destined to go.

"Haaaaa….haaaaa…."

CRACK!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

He wasn't even able to leave the toughest obstacle he had faced at the very beginning of his journey.

For the Leon Fou Bartfort in this universe had not escaped the Devil's Crown.

CRACK!

WHACK!

SLAP!

"That's it my little bitch! Scream! SCREAM!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Why? Why did this happen? Why did this one fail

when the other didn't?

It's simple. There was a choice to be made, a split in the path that leads to two roads during Leon's time in the city of infamy. When given the chance to leave, he was made to choose. Between his freedom…and the freedom of two strangers.

SLAP!

"Haa~ That's enough for now. I feel refreshed! For a broken toy, you can still relieve stress! Haha!"

"F..fu…ck…yo..ou…"

"Ya already did ya little brat", The rough voice teased cruelty, "-but as much I want to keep playing with you, you got a very important job to do today. So go rest up. It will probably be the last one you'll have."

Laughter followed the cruel torturer. Growing distance with the pace of footsteps of him walking away. Followed shortly after by the loud bang of a closed door.

The room, his cell, his cage, dimly lit by the embers of a dying torch, became quiet. Slow and pained breaths are the only sounds the sole prisoner could hear.

Pain emitting from every fiber of his body would not let him fall into the darkness, to unconsciousness, his only respite in this hell…but perhaps another form of relief will show itself to him.

By the words of his tormentor, death, his death, is imminent…and the idea of embracing it became so tempting in his scarred mind.

'...At...least….they're free…'

Leon Fou Bartfort, who laid face down upon the cold stone floor of his prison, surrounded by dirt, trash, and filth, thought back on the past.

Back when he was first captured. Back to when he lost his arm. Back when he found companions who he shared a connection with through grief, sorrow, and desperation. On that one night. The night when the monster horde struck.

He remembered how all the pirates and criminals left the dungeon to fight off the horde. He remembered how he escaped his cell and ran toward freedom in the middle of the chaos.

He remembered the sight of his boat, and how he had the perfect chance to leave…but this was where he found himself at a crossroads.

Freedom was in his grasp…yet he chose to turn back, to search, to find, to rescue, to repay the debt he had to strangers who aided him during the most painful of punishments.

His mind became foggy. The memories leading up to the conclusion have become static and fuzzy with time and pain. Yet some memories refused to be forgotten.

Leon could see it. They were running. They had reached his boat. Freedom, at last, was within their reach…but the window to escape has long since closed.

A few of the guards had returned and were about to take them back to their cells. To return them to the fates of pain, misery, and abuse.

Until Leon made another choice, a stupid choice. He bought them time to take off, he cleared their way…in exchange for him being recaptured.

He could have been free, he could have been out there, away from this horrible place…but he decided to follow his emotions and ignore his logic.

Now here he was, battered, bruised, missing his left leg and one of his eyes to the punishments of his cruel tormentors.

Barely breathing, suffering several infections on open wounds around his body he received from the whips and the beatings, and worst of all, being used as a form of 'stress relief' by the crooks who swung the other way.

However, looking back at how his ship sailed off with the two people he could have been close friends too. He found no trace of regret in his heart.

'At least…for once…I did something right.'

Creek~

"Is this the one?"

"Yeah. That's 'em alright. Come on! We don't want to keep the boss waiting."

Seems his time is soon.

Leon's limp body was sprayed by a hose. Water blasted his skin, the force behind it stinging his nerves. Yet he did not move. What use was moving at this point? He didn't even have the strength left to stand.

"That's enough.", The water stopped. Boots stepped into the room and Leon found himself lifted by his waist. He was thrown over a large brute's shoulder, one that he fortunately didn't recognize, "Let's get this one back to the boss."

"Uhhh..which boss are we talking about again? We got three of 'em."

"Lord Exotle."

"Him? What would he want with this poor slob...he ain't...ya know..."

BONK!

"OF COURSE HE AINT YA IDIOT! Did you forget how he ranted about those two escapes and how much he punished this brat for helping them get away?"

"...so the boss likes them young?"

"Yep. Overheard him saying that he had plans for them but now that they're gone, the boss wanted this brat to take their place- and before you open your trap! He's using him for his experiments."

"Ohhhh. I get it now!"

"About time ya idiot. Let's go. Boss ain't the patient kind of man."

"Ain't that right. We still haven't cleaned up what was left of the last poor soul that did."

BONK!

"Less talking! More walking!"

"Alright! Alright! Sheesh."

Those were the last things that Leon heard before his mind shut itself off, too tired from the horrible ordeals that he was previously put through earlier.

~ Sometime Later~

When Leon finally woke up from his dreamless slumber, his surroundings had changed. It was dark. Darker than his cell. There was no trace of light of any kind to be seen. Everything was pitch black.

"Damn! I knew it wouldn't work on him! Dang it! I COULD HAVE HAD CONTROL OVER POWER THIS WORLD HASN'T SEEN BEFORE IF I HAD ONE OF THOSE GIRLS! DAMN! THEM! DAMN, THAT BRAT! DAMN, IT ALL!"

A voice shouted faintly beyond some kind of wall. It was muffled was the volume of the voice made it clear for Leon to hear.

"Now I've got to go and find another suitable test subject. Everything is going to shit!... Well...at least I don't have to see that sorry-ass brat again and I won't have to feed that 'thing' for a while...though I should be safe than sorry. The boy was scrawny, barely a meal for that 'beast'. Two or three slaves should do it."

The man spoke to himself before the sound of footsteps echoed and then grew faint. Until there was only silence. Now, it was just Leon, by himself in the dark.

GROWL~

Oh...never mind. That must be the 'beast' that the man was talking about.

STOMP!

So, this is how things are going to end huh? Eaten by a monster...well, Leon was half expecting this to happen. This was life after all...and what a shitty life he lived. Oh well, that's what you get for gambling. You either win or lose, and he lost.

STOMP!

Still, it was way better than being wed off to a fat old heartless hag who'd rather see him die soon, even if she had to do it herself. At least he managed to accomplish a couple of things he was proud of. Like managing to kill several high monsters, escaping several supreme class monstrosities, juking pirates three times before he got caught, and even managed to get the one who took his arm enslaved by baiting his ego. Right now that one would either be cleaning up after the animals the pirates had or was the one being cleaned after being fed to them.

Though he would be lying if he didn't have any regrets.

STOMP!

But the biggest regret he has...is not being able to keep his promise to his little brother.

STOMP!

'That old hag better not be harming Colin or I swear I will haunt her to her grave.', A short fit of laughter managed to escape his lips. Despite being in such a grim situation, his humor would sooner die first than himself. 'But even if she didn't, I'll still scare the living crap out of that hag until she gets PTSD from merely looking at a boy.'

STOMP!

STOMP!

GROWL~

'Welp...seems like this is it.'

Leon felt his body being picked up by a large and cold hand then lifted into the air. There was no use in struggling anymore. What else could he even do?...well, actually, there is one thing he can do.

'If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna face death in the face.'

Magic was starting to collect from whatever reserves were left in his body. They concentrated on the center of his chest. Tiny sparks fizzled as Leon used the last of his strength to use the one simple spell he was able to do in his young body.

'[Torch]'

With that one phrase, a single small fire burst to life. Illuminating the dark and allowing Leon to see what has grasped his life. What he first saw was grey, plain, and lifeless grey. Then teeth. Rows upon rows of sharp teeth bigger than his head inside a maw that can gobble him whole. However, they didn't seem to belong to a regular creature of flesh or blood. It almost looks...alien.

It might have been the loss of blood or the lack of food and water that was messing with his head that made him utter a word he did not expect himself to say.

"...Badass..."

!?

The creature hummed, tilting its head, as it looked at Leon and Leon looked back. The two stared at each other in silence. Neither one doing anything, as if they were content with simply staring. However, this would be cut short. Leon's magic began to falter. The torch upon his chest grew weaker and weaker with each second. Darkness crawled back into place with the absence of light and the last thing that Leon saw of the creature, is how it leaned back, allowing him to see the open cocoon-like growth in the center of its chest.

'Huh...kinda...looks like...'

Leon's train of thought faltered as to did his mind. The simple spell, [Torch] had drained him of all his strength. Now his body was forcing him back to slumber. His head fell, his eyelids slowly closed shut, and Leon Fou Bartfort drifted off into the dark. Most likely to never wake again.

.

.

.

Lea?

~An Unknown Amount of Time Later~

This was it. The moment that she had been preparing herself for...once...but that was a long time ago, before-

Marie shook her head. She shouldn't allow herself to continue wallowing in the past. She has to move forward, if not for herself, then for him.

"Is everything okay, commander?"

Marie blinked, her attention directed to her HUD located in her lenses, most specifically at the portrait of a silver circular orb with a red lense.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry LUXION. I'm just...reminiscing the past.", Marie rubbed her arm, starting to feel a little bit nervous as she was only a few steps away from entering the gate.

There was once a time when getting here was all that she prepared herself for, a time when she was set to string along the hearts of five handsome boys to obtain the life she wanted, and take down any obstacle that stood in her way. Infact, if her parents hadn't sold her, she would have kept to her plan and actually do it...but now, after all that he had been through she realized the fawly of her ways. Still, she's haunted of the visions of what could have become of her-

A hand on her shoulder stopped her train of thought. Marie looked to the right to see her closest friend, her best friend, sending her an encouraging look.

"Like you've said to LUXION, don't worry. The past is the past. We live in the present, we still live and we have to keep moving forward.", Carla spoke with genuine care in her voice.

"...Yeah,your right.", Marie grabbed her friend's hand, bringing it down to her side but never let go, "I'm glad your here with me Carla."

"And here I'll stay. What are friends for after all?"

Both girls shared a giggle, enjoying this small moment between them. Now reasured, Marie looked back to the gate. With a deep breath, she took a step...then another...and another...until she see was walking forward, with her best friend in hand and several SIGMA Class Phantoms close by for their protection. Forwards to the futur-

""""EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!""""

'And that would be the fangirls squealing at the eye candy squad.', Marie thought to her self, rolling her eyes at the antics of the young clueless girls.

"""""IT'S THE SAINTESS AND HER KNIGHT!"""""

'...Eh?'

Marie stopped. Her head whipped back so fast that it threatened to snap...and there, walking towards the academy with one arm over the other, she saw them.

A lady- no, a woman, nearly twice her height, with fair white spotless skin, bright scarlet waist long hair, a face of beauty that can turn a thousand ships, and wearing the school uniform that did not hide her large assets, stood tall and walked with grace that of true royalty. Bearing a smile that dazzled all who laid eyes on her.

However, she wasn't what caught Marie's attention. It was the man walking beside her. Those who spoke of him as a knight would need to have their eyes checked, because he was not the knight in shining armor, but rather, prince charming. He is the definition of the perfect man. He is tall, taller than any student in the school, his composure had no flaws what so ever, every move he made had a perpous, not one was waisted, and his looks could put the prince with his enoutorage to shame. Then there's his eyes. Bright as the roses that grows in the gardens, red as the blood that flows through their veins, and shinning like the purest ruby.

"Greetings! We welcome you with warm smiles and open arms, Dear Saint Ori and Grand Knight Leon.", Spoke Angelica, who Marie didn't notice arrive, and bowed in respect to the two important individuals.

Leon Fou Bartfort spoke on behalf of his beloved, "We thank you for your greetings, Lady Redgrave. We are eager share this school year along side you. May we get along well as fellow peers within the academy.", He spoke with a clear smooth voice, his right hand on his chest as he bowed slightly in return.

Whatever conversation that followed afterwards would fall on deaf ears for Marie. Not even the concerned words of her friend Carla could break her from trance. For on the back of Leon's white glove, was a symbol she never thought she'd see again. It was a symbol she had seen on a game her big brother had used to play. A symbol that was both feared, respected and awed. Despite it now being colored silver, she could still make out that terrifying symbol of spikes on a curled up insectoid carapace.

The insignia of the endless, the fearsome, the unending, and ever evolving, Zerg Swarm.

The race of insectoid aliens that had brought low the Terrans, who humbled the proud Protoss, and drove the Xel'naga to extinction. The same race that LUXION had told her to be cautious of.

.

But, this could just be coincidence right? A symbol is only a symbol. It didn't mean that the man, and possibly the saintess, are in league with the Zerg. Well...Marie would have followed that way of thinking...if it wasn't for the warnings BLARING in her HUD.

[WARNING! CLASS 12 PSCIONIC WAVEFORM DETECTED! WARNING! CLASS 12 PSCIONIC WAVEFORM DETECTED! WARNING! CLASS 12 PSCIONIC WAVEFORM DETECTED!]

[ENTITIES 'LEON FOU BARTFORT' & 'SAINT ORI' ARE NOW DESIGNATED AS LEVEL 10 THREATS]

Okay. Now I'm done. :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!