February S.1204 - Ymir, Hot Springs Paradise

It was another cold day in Rean's hometown. The snow was still freshly laid over the ground and roofs. Snowmen made by the children decorated the town, greeting new visitors from the cable car station and inviting them to the open foot bath. The chilly air blew from the valley, but none of the townspeople minded. The contrast of their warm layered clothing with the cool breeze provided a brief clarity and tranquility that could never be reproduced.

"WOOOOOHOOOOOO!"

Though not everyone reveled in ambience.

Whenever she came to visit Ymir, the first thing Juna would do was hit the slopes. Ever since her friends back home introduced her to it, she was enamored with skateboarding throughout Crossbell City (where it was safe anyway) and Rean described snowboarding as basically the same thing. It was his favorite pastime when the slopes were prepared during the winter.

As much as she looked forward to meeting up with Rean and Elise, Juna admittedly took a while to get used to the small town life. Ymir was a far cry from Crossbell, so she had to find enjoyment in the unique physical activities the slopes provided. Plus, she was always keen on breaking Rean's junior records on each course, much to his chagrin. Thankfully, she still found many other reasons to love Ymir as much as its residents—the hot springs at the Phoenix Wings, Aunt Lucia's cooking, and her best friends of course!

"Wow, Juna! You beat his record again!" Elise complimented, her congratulations sparkling in her eyes.

"Hehe," Juna laughed like a gremlin, cockily rubbing her upper lip with her index finger. "He better watch out. He can't reclaim his record once he turns eighteen."

"Haha, very funny." Rean deadpanned. He carried a tray of mugs filled with freshly made hot chocolate and passed them around. Juna eagerly took up his offer and accepted one, carefully sipping the warm liquid. The sensation could only be described as a cozy blanket covering her as she sat across a toasty fire but in beverage form.

Juna was on one of her periodic visits to Erebonia. Ever since their first meeting nearly five years ago, she and the Schwarzer siblings had kept in touch through letters and frequent visits to each other's hometowns. They enjoyed holidays, birthday celebrations, or just typical days they wanted to spend together on a whim. At times, they even spent their Sunday School time together.

However, this particular visit was special, if not a bit melancholic. Elise was on break from her school while Rean was to set out next month to attend his school of choice.

Elise was currently attending St. Astraia, a prominent girls' school in the capital. Apparently, the institution was meant for nobility or girls who hailed from exceptionally wealthy families. Considering she didn't meet either criteria, Juna hardly understood what made it so special, but it fit Elise to a tee. Besides, the uniform was pretty cute too.

Rean chose to attend Thors Military Academy, a prestigious school founded by one of the empire's previous emperors. Witnessing his skills with a blade firsthand, Juna knew Rean would excel with flying colors. Though at first, she was hesitant about him joining the imperial army, he reassured her that most graduates did not even go into military careers. He wanted to search for his own path in life and she could accept that.

It also helped that he looked a little dashing with his red uniform, not that Juna would admit that out loud.

The unfortunate outcome that arose was the fact that their cross country get-togethers would be much less frequent. Thankfully they could still keep in touch due to the recent advancements of the orbal net, but Juna would miss meeting up with her best friends. That was why she came with a proposal.

"Letters?" Elise asked with a confused expression. "How is that any different from what we've been doing?"

"Not just letters. Packages." She held out her hands for emphasis. "We could give each other gifts or something while keeping up to date."

Okay, maybe it was pretty much what they've been doing already. Admittedly, part of her wanted to expand her Erebonian souvenir collection, but it was the closest she could get to their gift exchanges they always had during visits. She didn't really care about what gifts she got so long as all three of them were having fun.

"Well, I don't see much of a problem."

The two girls glanced over to Rean, watching as he nonchalantly sipped his mug.

"R-Really?" Juna narrowed her eyes at him, skeptical that he'd agree so readily.

"Sure, why not? A lot of things are gonna change, so we might as well keep some form of normalcy. Plus, I'm pretty sure you'll be all antsy if you don't hear from us often."

"What?! I will not." Juna gasped in mock offense. "If anything, you'll get all lonely without us there."

The two continued to playfully bicker while Elise looked on with an amused expression plastered on her face. Being by Rean's side for so long, she noticed the effect Juna's presence had on his mental state. He felt calmer; more approachable. The trauma he had was still present, but he was more determined to overcome it. Whatever Juna said to him during the fireworks display, it clearly showed its results to this day. Juna was the stone tossed into Rean's river, in a way.

Elise snickered to herself and took another swig of her drink as she listened to Rean and Juna continuously throw verbal jabs at each other. It was going to be a nice day.


March 31, S.1204 - Class VII Dormitory, Trista

What… just happened?

Rean sat in his newly assigned room and tried to collect his thoughts on today's events. He came into town from the train, met a few of his classmates before orientation, fell through the floor of an old schoolhouse for orientation, had a girl fall on him in the most spectacular way possible, and had the lights smacked out of him to next week. That wasn't even mentioning all the monsters and other classmate drama he had to deal with. That was all before the first day. His cheek still burned red from that slap from earlier.

He sighed as he plopped onto his bed. With everything that happened, he didn't even have time to unpack his belongings. His suitcase was still sealed shut and a cardboard box containing his miscellaneous belongings mocked him relentlessly for not opening it earlier.

He was beyond exhausted to bother with that now, but it was still too early to call it for the night. He had time, so he decided to pen his first letter to Juna. It may have been only his first day in Trista, but he was sure she would be ecstatic to hear from him. Though it did feel rather embarrassing to recount the events of the day to anyone so soon. It felt like he was a child excitedly telling his mother about his first day of Sunday School.

At least, that was his initial plan.

He sat at his desk for a good thirty minutes now. No matter how much he tried, his pen's movements would not translate into coherent or legible words. Suspecting that the empty state of his room was to blame, Rean decided to take his letter writing downstairs in the dining room.

Dear Juna,

Huh… maybe that was too formal? Too formulaic? If he intended to send these exchanges during his entire tenure as a Thors student, he'd have to create a format that works for the both of them.

Hey Juna,

Yeah, that worked better. Being too uptight was never their strong suit, especially with each other.

It's been over a month since you came to visit. I feel a little bad that we ended up missing the anniversary festival this year, but you know how it is. I just finished my orientation today and exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. My homeroom instructor is… something else since she dropped us into a death trap and made us fight monsters before our first day of classes. Crazy, right?

Turns out I'm in a special class called Class VII.

Rean mentally kicked himself, just now realizing he forgot a crucial detail.

Come to think of it, I never told you how the classes are divided. Traditionally, there are five classes: Classes I-V. Nobles make up the first two and commoners the next three. For some reason, I belong in a new sixth class—aptly named Class VII. Yeah, don't ask about the naming scheme. I don't get it either.

Apparently, it was meant to mix nobles and commoners. Kinda poetic when you think about my case. But anyway, since meeting all my classmates, I've made friends with two of them: Elliot Craig, a boy from the capital who uses something called an orbal staff, and Gaius Worzel, a really tall guy from the Nord Highlands who's quite skilled with a spear. I'd tell you more about them, but I've only met them today. Plus, I'm not sure how much they'd appreciate me divulging gossip about them to someone they've never met before.

Rean chuckled. He knew how much Juna hated being left hanging. The only downside of teasing her through a letter was not being able to see her pout.

He continued writing, giving her brief descriptions of his fellow classmates. Machias Regnitz, the son of the governor of Heimdallr, and Jusis Albarea, son of one of the Four Great Houses (and of course how the two do not get along).

Other than Laura, he struggled to describe the girls seeing as how he spent most of the orientation with the boys in his class. There was the daughter of the Radiant Blademaster, sure, but how would even start with the other three? The only thing he knew about Emma was that she got the top score at the entrance exams. Fie was a total mystery other than being about Juna's age, maybe even younger. And as for Alisa… well, let's just say there were a lot of crossed out lines in the letter.

"Here," he heard nearby. It was one of his bespectacled classmates, Machias, offering a cup of coffee.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Rean replied, accepting the drink.

"Not at all. You looked so focused that I thought you could use a pick-me-up." Machias sat across from him. "Also as an apology. Didn't mean to make things so awkward during the orientation."

"Nah, it's fine. I appreciate it nonetheless though." Rean knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he decided to partake. He wasn't much for coffee. He didn't hate it, but he was a little more partial to tea. It may have come with the territory of being raised by nobles. However, one sip was enough to make him realize he had been missing out.

"Wow, this is delicious!"

Machias chuckled with pride. "I made the blend myself. My dad and I are big fans of this one."

"I can see why!" After downing the rest of the cup, he returned his attention to his stationery and pen, ready to continue his letter with new vigor.

"May I… ask what you're doing? I'm pretty sure they didn't already assign us homework."

Rean broke out of his trance, realizing he may have unintentionally ignored Machias's presence while writing.

"Oh right. No, I'm just penning a letter to my friend. Since we wouldn't be seeing each other as often, she wanted me to keep her updated about what goes on around here." He gestured to his surroundings. "She's not from Erebonia, so she was curious."

"Oh?" Machias had a quizzical expression. "Where is she from then, if you don't mind me asking."

"Crossbell; and trust me, even if I didn't tell you, she would not let you forget. We met years ago during one of the anniversary festivals and we've been friends ever since." Rean grinned nostalgically at the memory. He had originally pegged Juna as an annoying, but earnest girl, but she was far more than he could have anticipated. He had never been happier to be wrong.

"Crossbell, huh?" Machias took a sip of his coffee. "I've always wanted to go there myself, but never got the opportunity. Maybe I'll go after graduation?"

"You have my full recommendation." With his final thoughts finally on paper, he concluded his letter and folded the pages. He also made sure to remember to tell Juna that since it was only the first day, he wouldn't have time to pick out a gift to coincide with the letter. Wouldn't do him good if he haphazardly chose a present when he was stuck underground for half a day.

Rean thanked Machias once again for the coffee and the company and said his farewell for the night. Seeing how eventful today was, he can only expect more from his new student life.

His time at Thors would be something to remember and he was glad he could share it with his best friend.


April 25, S.1204 - Train to Trista from Celdic

It had been a long two days.

Well, technically, a day and a half, but it might as well feel like a week at that point.

They were returning back to Trista after their first field study in the market town of Celdic—The first of many eventful ones, he can surely assume. The train was almost empty, seeing as it was way past night time. The train had small orbal lights on the ceiling to give Rean a minor semblance of sight.

Elliot and Alisa were both asleep, absolutely exhausted after their excursion (to put it mildly) through Lunaria Nature Park. Laura, on the other hand, was still going through her end of day report that they were required to write after each day of their field study.

Rean was already satisfied with his report, but he too had something to read over. It had been over three weeks since he wrote Juna last and only one since he had received a reply. Due to how hectic these first few weeks of school had been on top of the field study, he never had a chance to even glimpse at the letter. Now was his best opportunity if he wanted to give her a timely response. He opened the letter.

Heya Rean!

Sounds like things have been pretty exciting on your end, huh? If I'm being honest, I'm still not sure how the whole class system works over there. I know, weird considering that I've been friends with you and Elise for so long, but it goes over my head.

Your classmates sound interesting at least. I remember you mentioning the Radiant Blademaster before when you were geeking out about swords. (Rean choked on air.) Victor S. Arseid, right? What are the odds of you meeting his daughter? You better not make her uncomfortable now, you hear?

Rean raised an eyebrow. Uncomfortable how? If anything, Laura loved talking about her dad and the Arseid school.

I did a little research on Nord since you mentioned it. If the pictures in the books are accurate, it looks like an awesome place to visit! We should totally go some time! We haven't really gone anywhere outside of Ymir and Heimdallr whenever I come to visit. Oops… I kinda forgot that we probably won't be able to do that until you graduate, right?

The idea did sound appealing though.

But anyway, there's been some interesting things happening in Crossbell. A few months ago, there was a special group that got instated by the Police Department called the Special Support Section. They moved into the old newspaper building. I think I told you before but the police's reputation has been kinda… bad. Especially after Officer MacLaine left a few years ago. So I hear that they're basically doing bracer work but with the police's jurisdiction.

How coincidental, Rean thought. Their field studies were very reminiscent of bracer work as well. But after a little more deliberation, he realized the difference. A bracer's primary creed is that since they're only concerned with civilian safety, they cannot interfere with political affairs unless they directly threaten the lives of the citizens. But since they're students of a military academy, they can involve themselves a little more directly. He can probably assume this Support Section operated the same way.

From what I hear, they were basically made just to improve the police's reputation. Plenty of the higher ups are caring less and less about the citizens and involving themselves with some shady gangs. Kinda scummy, don't you think? Almost makes me want to change it myself.

Oh! That's an idea! Maybe I should join the Police Academy! You're in a military academy and all seems pretty interesting from what you've told me. Though they're not really the same thing, it could be something I could do outside of Sunday School.

The idea amused Rean. He wasn't against it. On the contrary, he supported it. Juna loved nothing more than Crossbell and her joining the police force to protect it in her own way was something she was more than suited to do. Perhaps she also could've joined the Crossbell Guardian Force, but they would have kept her away from the city to patrol the border gates. You must have a death wish if you wanted to put any barrier between her and the city she loved so much.

Following that point, Juna assured him that he should not beat himself up over missing the festival and focus on his studies. He found it odd hearing that from her considering how much he had to help her with her Sunday School homework, but it endeared him nonetheless. All of her little quirks in her writing did.

"Rean?"

He looked up from the sheet. Laura had finished reviewing her field study report and put it back in her bag. She looked tired, but her increased stamina allowed her to hold up a conversation despite their long day.

"Yeah? You need something, Laura?"

"Nothing in particular unless you're willing to indulge my curiosity."

"Sure," he shrugged. "I don't mind."

She pointed to the letter in his hands. "What is it that you're reading?"

"Oh this? I got in the mail a while ago and I never had a chance to read it until now."

"I assume… it's from someone close to you?" Laura slightly hesitated.

"How can you tell?"

"You were grinning while having your eyes glued to each word." she accusingly pointed at him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were reading a love letter."

"A l-l-love letter?!" Rean sputtered, his face glowing a dark red. "No, no! It's not like that!"

"Oddly defensive, are you?" Laura smirked, a rare hint of mischief in the otherwise chivalrous noble.

"You got it all wrong." Rean said, calming down slightly. "It's from a friend of mine. Since I started enrolling at Thors, we can't meet up like we used to. So we're only able to communicate through mail."

Laura looked at him with curious glances. "A friend from your hometown?"

Rean shook his head. Guess everyone's going to learn one way or another. "She's from Crossbell. Though she does come to visit from time to time. Everyone in Ymir knows who she is. My sister and I have known her for years now."

"Is that so…" Laura looked away, twitching her fingers under her nose in a thinking position. "Does she know about your whole… 'situation'?"

He nodded. During the train ride back, he knew he had to come clean eventually about him being a noble, albeit in name only. Machias may get furious at him for keeping such a secret, but if he was going to trust his life to his classmates for the next year, he would have to make sure they can maintain trust. He didn't even tell Juna until her first visit to Erebonia. Looking back on it, she probably wouldn't have cared either way, but it hit close to home to be reminded of the fact.

"Then I presume the hair clip you bought at the market is for her?"

Rean's eyes widened and his cheeks turned slightly pink. He thought he was being discreet when he approached one of the robbed merchants after the incident. He ended up buying a cross-shaped hair clip that he thought Juna would like. She grew tired of her ribbon after a few years, but she still liked keeping her hair tied up. He might as well get her a nice accessory to go with it.

"Yeah, she wanted to do a small gift exchange to go with the letters. I was the first one to agree with it, but admitting it is kinda embarrassing."

Laura chuckled, her relaxed figure signalling that her previous uncertainty diminished. "Well, I'm sure she will like it. Did she give you anything?"

Rean paused.

What did Juna get him? There was only paper inside the envelope he opened. No small items like a sticker or a stamp or whatever gag gift she'd probably get him as revenge for not getting her anything last time.

He fumbled with the page, only to realize there was a second one right behind the letter. Oh of course, she must've sent him a drawing Ken and Nana made. The two developed a fondness for him and Elise over the years. Never were they not excited for their periodic visits back to Crossbell.

"Huh."

But instead of crayon drawings, he found something more peculiar. Many horizontal lines were cleanly drawn from one side to another in dark black ink. Various shapes sprawled throughout the lines, both on and between them. Underneath each set of lines were words properly spaced out in a specific rhythm.

Juna had sent him sheet music.

Laura peered over the page, noticing that Rean had been noticeably silent for a brief time. "I didn't know you were into music, Rean."

He awkwardly scratched his head in embarrassment. "Not as much as Elliot, but I do like playing the lute from time to time. My friend likes music too, so she probably sent me a new song she's been listening to."

"I see." Laura smiled. "I admit that I'm not well-versed with modern music, so I wouldn't mind observing you or Elliot play. I could use the time to study for Instructor Mary's classes."

Rean laughed. "As much as I'd love to help, I think Elliot would be far more helpful to you. I'm not very good, but I can put on a show some time."

After a few more minutes of conversation, the two agreed to rest for the remainder of the train ride. The atmosphere was silent yet comfortable outside of Instructor Sara's loud snoring.

He would have to prepare his next letter. Juna would love to hear about Celdic.


May 31, S.1204 - Class VII Dormitory, Trista

Several weeks passed as Rean and Juna finally got into the groove of exchanging letters. It became a weekly routine for them, usually starting with receiving at week's end and sending out before his next classes start. Rean often kept a notebook on his person so that he could jot down ideas for his next letter. It became so regular that the two had to agree to turn gift giving into a monthly event instead. He didn't make much as a student, after all.

Speaking of which, Juna informed him that she recently got accepted into the police academy. It surprised him that the academy was willing to accept someone as young as her so easily, but then again Thors welcomed Fie without much issue. He suspected it may have been Instructor Sara's influence, but the reason still eluded him.

Oh well, it didn't matter in the long run. Right now, he only wanted to work on his response.

It had been a rather relaxing day. At least, it was compared to how hectic his field study in Bareahard had been. The constant bickering between Jusis and Machias. Discovering Fie's jaeger origins. Fighting military monsters in the sewers. Almost getting arrested by the provincial army. Again.

Everything happened so fast, but thankfully now he was just sitting on the couch in the lobby of the dorm. He already took a shower for the night and enjoyed a sandwich that he ordered from Kirsche's for dinner. However, he turned his attention to the white box that loomed ahead.

The delivery service left it in front of his mailbox that morning. It wasn't a particularly big box, only about half an arge long and wide.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Jusis asked.

This time, he was joined by his classmates whom he spent his last field study with minus Machias. Jusis and Emma sat across from him, the former crossing his arms in seemingly minimal interest of the gift given to him. Fie was lying down next to him, attempting to take a nap, but stole fervent glances out of curiosity. Meanwhile, Emma noticed that Rean wrote on notebook paper the creamy chowder recipe during the field study after receiving it from Hammond. As a result, she suspected he would be contacting his so-called "friend from Crossbell" soon.

It seemed, over the course of the past two months, he and Juna garnered a bit of a reputation among the class.

A sigh escaped his lips. He wanted to open the box in the comfort of his own room, but it looked like there was no escaping the curiosity of gossip-loving teenagers.

He wasted no time opening the box and examining its contents. On top was a letter, as per usual. Though it was awkward to read it in the presence of his classmates, Rean thought it courteous to at least give Juna some of his attention before jumping straight to the gift.

Sorry for the late gift, Rean! I'm guessing by the time it gets there, it'll be the end of the month. I'll keep it short. Knowing you, you're probably opening this up in front of your friends, right?

"She hit the nail on the head." Fie said with her snarky tone.

"Haha, she's kinda got a… sixth sense about these things." He squinted. "Though I'm not sure why she'd imply that I always open up gifts in front of my friends."

Jusis shrugged. "Perhaps she understands you better than you do yourself. Aidios knows we all need someone to rein you in."

Emma giggled. "Perhaps so."

"I really should've done this by myself…"

So anyway, sorry about the late gift! We had some trouble deciding what to get you. Buuuut I saw this in the store and I knew you had to have it! Mom and Dad also got a gift for you too!

Happy birthday, Rean!

P.S. Guess who's keeping the record for the junior courses? This girl! Suck it!

He could picture her blowing a raspberry at him down to the most minute detail.

"It's your birthday, Rean?" Emma asked. "You could have told us earlier."

Rean sighed. "It was earlier in the month and I don't really celebrate it anyway."

"Are birthdays really that important?" Fie mumbled next to him. "You just get a little older, right?"

"Yes well…"

Jusis interjected. "For the nobility, there comes an age in which nobles make their introduction into high society." He looked at him. "Though I surmise for you, it would be a different case."

"You'd be right. Some noble families don't even recognize me as a Schwarzer as is. They wouldn't care about some introduction."

"Eh, who cares?" Fie shrugged. "What's in the box?"

Rean sent her an annoyed glance, but decided not to push the topic further. He sifted through the tissue paper that concealed his birthday presents. First, he found a pair of black, fingerless, riding gloves. He recalled telling Aunt Lina that he enjoyed horseback riding— she must have remembered and got him a pair. They were of exceptional quality, comfortable to the touch, and could hold a firm grip. Even Jusis noted their craftsmanship despite it being an affordable brand.

The second item in the box was paired with the gloves. Several sheets of paper—almost an entire stack—containing crayon drawings. A lot of them were… incoherent at best. But he could tell that these were made by Juna's younger siblings: Ken and Nana. It's been ages since he had seen the little buggers. They were probably... eight-years-old by now? He chuckled at the one of their families depicted in messy stick figures.

The last item, well, it most assuredly caught his attention.

"You've got to be kidding me."

He pulled out a red winter jacket with blue accents on the sleeves. Miniature belts tied the side pockets together and the back was decorated with a golden emblem resembling wings. The collar looked comfortable, being made of a soft material and meant to be wrapped around the neck. Cotton? Fluff? He couldn't describe it. He was a swordsman, not a fashion expert.

"Wow, that would look wonderful on you, Rean!" Emma closely examined the coat, getting a feel for its quality.

"Looks pretty good." Fie said, giving it a quick glance before slipping back into her napping position.

"It's not really to my taste, but you would fit it quite well." Jusis smirked.

"...Should I take that as a compliment?"

Whether or not it suited his style didn't concern him. How much mira did this jacket cost? While he was no expert, he could tell it was rather expensive. Far beyond whatever Juna could afford with her pocket money. Plus, it was nearly June! Why would Juna think of giving him a jacket at this time of year?

Emma interrupted his thoughts. "Rean, maybe you're thinking too hard about this?"

"Huh?"

"It seems like your friend really cares about you." She held out the jacket, offering for him to try it on. "Just accept her kindness and pay her back in time."

"I…" He looked at the other two—Jusis with his questioning furrowed brows and Fie with her blank but expectant glare—and sighed. "I suppose you're right."

He slipped into his new coat, silently appreciating how warm and comfortable it felt. It was pretty stylish, he admitted. Juna may act rather tomboyish at times, but she knew her stuff when it came to clothes.

"It's just a shame that I might not be able to wear it for the next few months. It's really nice."

Later he found out through a follow-up letter that Juna took on a few part-time jobs to pay her tuition into the Police Academy. She scrambled up any change she could spare to buy his birthday gift…

The revelation warmed his heart… and his cheeks.

Honestly, that girl…


June 28, S.1204 - Nomadic Settlement, Nord Highlands

Rean plopped onto the bed. "It had been a long day" would be describing it far too lightly.

Finding out Erebonia and Calvard almost went to war? Check. Meeting a weird girl in the middle of nowhere with a mysterious controllable puppet she named Lammy? Check. Exploring an ancient quarry only to find out everything was the result of terrorist activity? Yup. Watching one of those terrorists being eaten by an overgrown spider, practically giving him a newfound fear of arachnids? The less thought put into that, the better.

Simply put: Gaius's homeland took his breath away in more ways than one.

The events of the field study aside, it puzzled Rean that his birthday presents he got from the Crawfords would be such a boon. Horses were a necessary means of travel over the vast highlands, so the riding gloves certainly came in handy—pun not intended—and Nord was located in the far north of Erebonia's borders, giving Juna's jacket more purpose than just a stylish fashion statement.

Speaking of Juna, Rean took out his student notebook. He skimmed through the lists of notes he jotted down. Usually these memos were meant to be guidelines for their end-of-day reports, but he found that using them as reference material for his letters functionally convenient. Maybe he should leave out the part with the terrorists? When he mentioned the encounter in Celdic two months back, she, understandably, and to use a technical term, freaked the hell out.

He loved writing to her, but it grew more and more difficult to explain that students in a military academy had to do dangerous missions once or twice during their tenure. It baffled him that he had to do it in the first place, especially to someone who planned to enter the police academy.

He couldn't just infer his field studies were just field trips across the country! Nord was beautiful, but he had to talk about more than just that. There was no way his next idea would just come in through the opening flaps of the tent.

"Rean?"

He heard the opening flaps of the tent flip open. A quick glance saw that a flash of yellow and one of brown had entered the rest area. It was Gaius and Alisa.

"You should probably get some rest soon." Gaius suggested. "We leave for Trista first thing in the morning."

"I was planning on it. I just wanted to make sure I included everything in my report. Thanks for the heads up, though."

Gaius nodded. Alisa, however, remained skeptical.

"Double checking is great and all, Rean, but it's really late. Anything you add in now would read like a jumbled mess." She leaned in a little closer to him, observing his face. "Your eyes are all fluttery and you have bags under them. You're way past tired."

He hadn't even noticed until now that he had been drifting off. Prior to his friends entering, Rean realized he had barely retained anything he read out of his own notebook. Maybe Alisa was right. Juna's letter would have to wait.

"Ah… sorry about that. A lot's happened today," Rean scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "But you knew that."

"I know how you feel. It almost makes me jealous that Group B is over at Bryonia Island right now."

"Oh?" Gaius looked at the blonde quizzically. "Why is that?"

"This is around the time the summer festival starts happening in Erebonia. Bryonia Island is off the coast of Ordis and they celebrate like no tomorrow there." Rean explained. "It usually happens all throughout the country, but Heimdallr celebrates it a month later in honor of the end of the War of the Lions."

"Is that so? A shame we had to miss it then." It was true that missing out on the festivities was a shame, but Rean appreciated his time in Nord. It was far different from anything in Erebonia and the way Gaius lit up when talking about his homeland enhanced his experience. The homely hospitality of the Worzels was difficult to exchange for a festival he could experience any other year.

After pondering a thought for another few seconds, Alisa stood up and clapped her hands together to get the boys' attention.

"Then how about we all go to Heimdallr's festival next month? I doubt our next field study would coincide with the festival. Missing out on the celebration would be borderline criminal!"

"Knowing Instructor Sara though…" Rean laughed awkwardly. "Well, anything can happen."

"But it does sound fun." Gaius chimed in. "If we can, we should go. I've never been to the capital, so it would be a good opportunity."

"And speaking of good opportunities," Alisa cheekily glared at Rean. "Maybe you can invite your little girlfriend too."

Rean sputtered. "G-Girlfriend?! What do you mean by that?!"

"Oh? So are you and this mysterious pen pal of yours not dating?" Alisa asked in a mischievous tone. Though if Rean knew any better, he could have sworn she sounded a bit hopeful too.

Still, him and Juna dating? His classmates teased him incessantly at the implication these past few months, but never explicitly stated the possibility. Hearing Alisa say it out loud was… well… embarrassing.

"Of course not." Rean scoffed. The other two giggled. "We're just childhood friends is all. My sister and I have known her for years. This is the only way to keep in touch now."

"Rean, I'd hate to say it-"

"Then don't."

"-but if this is how you act with 'just a friend'..."

"You're still talking."

"I'd love to see how you act with someone you're actually interested in."

"And you said it. Thanks, Gaius." Rean deadpanned.

The tall boy shrugged with an innocent smile as the blonde struggled (and failed) to hold in her raucous laughter. These two, I swear…

Thankfully, Rean did take away some possible topics to include in his letter. Ken and Nana were always too young to leave Crossbell often, so the Crawfords were never able to visit during the festival. Maybe now would be the perfect opportunity.


July 25, S.1204 - Sankt District, Heimdallr

It was the second day of their field study. While he was glad that the tension and animosity between Laura and Fie finally dissipated, he regretted accepting their impromptu sparring match in the park. Machias wasted no time complaining about getting him involved and explaining it to Elliot took longer than expected. Not to mention that his limbs still felt sore before having to do their tasks today. Rean did not want to go into the sewers again any time soon.

After a quick shower following their encounter with the infamous Phantom Thief B, all of Class VII stood in front of the gates of St. Astraia. The vermillion sky blanketed the capital, rather fitting for the Vermillion City. But for as warm as the day was, an awkward feeling encroached on Rean's mind.

He had an inkling they would run into his sister. Not that he wouldn't enjoy her company, but their meeting a week prior was… complicated. Elise had caught on to how he was keeping his family at arm's length to distance himself from further damaging the Schwarzer name. Not to mention that almost all his classmates bore witness to that embarrassing argument they had on the roof. One thing led to another and it all ended with him and Crow almost getting their asses handed to them by an empty suit of armor.

The fact that he let his unknown power go crazy again shamed him. Seeing Elise now would probably just rub salt in the wound.

"Rean?"

And so it did.

But unbeknownst to him, something much sweeter would come in as a force unforeseen.

Thankfully neither she nor his classmates made mention of the events that took place in the Old Schoolhouse. Though both parties were confused at first, they realized the students of Class VII were the intended guests meant for a meeting of sorts. Instructor Sara didn't inform them of who they would be meeting with and Elise was just as puzzled.

Walking through the halls of St. Astraia was more uncomfortable than Rean anticipated. Most of the students were noble girls and extremely sheltered ones from what he can tell. The various comments and squeals from the onlookers made all of his classmates increasingly agitated, but luckily Elise's death stare promptly shut them up.

What Rean did not expect was that Elise had escorted them to meet with the Imperial Princess, Alfin Reise Arnor. The two girls had been friends for years now, but Elise had kept it under wraps for whatever reason. He almost wanted to probe his sister as to why she kept such a big secret, but refrained to avoid getting the same lecture he got last week.

Prince Olivert was also kind enough to make his grand entrance and invite the class for dinner. Something about the origin and true purpose of Class VII. However, something else caught his eye. Just like the sweets served with the tea, another saccharine presence came packaged with St. Astraia girls.

"Yahallo!"

Rean blinked, hearing the strange greeting from inside the garden. Out came a girl wearing the uniform of St. Astraia and a black beret, a common sight for the premises if not for her brilliant pink hair. As all of his classmates left the garden to prepare for dinner, he approached the girl.

"'Yahallo'? What kind of greeting is that?" Rean snickered.

"What? I wanted to try something new. Spice it up a bit, you know?" the girl pouted. "Don't be such a buzzkill."

"Haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Rean patted her head without so much of a second thought. "It's good to see you again, Juna. But I gotta ask, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for the festival." she said, swatting his hand away in mild embarrassment. The serial headpatter struck again. "Dad finally got some time off, so we wanted to come."

"I know that much. I meant, what are you doing here at Elise's school?"

"Oh, that? Elise was actually the one who picked us up at the station. She brought us to that inn on Vesta Street and I've been hanging out with her and the princess ever since. She's surprisingly down to earth."

"And… the uniform?"

Juna confidently puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips. "I always said it was pretty cute so Princess Alfin went through the trouble of getting me an outfit. Fits me, right?"

Rean chuckled. "Like a glove. I see you're also wearing the pin I gave a while back."

Juna played with her hair, not so subtly showing off the cross-shaped accessory Rean had gotten her from Celdic and giggling all the while. "Sure am! Gives me more of a… mature cuteness compared to that ribbon I used to wear as a kid."

"Anyway, speaking of gloves," Juna turned her attention to his right hand. "Is that the one my mom got you for your birthday?"

"Yup," Rean lifted and turned his hand in various directions like a hand model. "Helps me grip my sword during the sweaty months. Don't really have time to ride horses around, so I had to use them for something."

"And the other one?" Juna asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rean froze. "...I like the asymmetrical fashion statement?"

Probably best not to tell her that he just thought it made him look cooler.

"Suuuuure." Juna replied skeptically. "Anyway, if you got time tomorrow, we should do something! Wouldn't be a festival without the whole gang back together."

"As appealing as that sounds, I'm not sure if I have the luxury to do so." Rean said regretfully. "My field study is still going on and who knows what we got in store for tomorrow. Sorry, Juna; after I made you come all this way."

Juna struggled to hold back a pout, something that greatly amused Rean, but accepted his apology nonetheless. "It's fine. I'll just hang with Elise in the meantime. You think the princess would be interested in joining?"

"Knowing her? She'll make time out of her busy schedule." He furrowed his brows. "Though she'll certainly have to be at the opening ceremony. Try not to distract her too much."

Rean laughed as Juna stuck her tongue out at him.

"Reeeeean? What's taking so long?" a voice called out.

"Oh! Sorry about that! I'll be there in a bit!" He turned back towards the pink-haired girl. "Sorry, Juna. Gotta bounce. I promise I'll make it up to you."

She smiled. "Really, don't worry about it. I know how busy you get. Just be careful tomorrow, okay?"

"Y-Yeah… Okay, I'm off!" The two exchanged their farewells as Rean closed the door to the rose garden. However, there was one more thing he knew he had to do. He slowly creeped back into the rose garden, seeing Juna still in her same position as he left.

"Hey Juna."

"Uh, yeah? What's up? Weren't you leaving?"

"Just wanted to say, for what it's worth," He cleared his throat. "I think you look cute in that outfit too." Before he could revel in her dumbfounded reaction, Rean quickly slammed the door and sprinted off to catch up to his friends, leaving the girl wide-eyed.

Her jaw dropped and a furious blush threatened to overtake her complexion. "H-huh what?"

She shot outside the garden and into the entranceway in a vain attempt to catch up to her childhood friend. Unfortunately for her, Rean already ran several arge ahead.

"What's that supposed to mean, Rean Schwarzer?!"

Damn bastard had the nerve to break into fits of laughter as he reunited with his bewildered classmates.

Ooh, she'll get him for that.

A little further in, a young girl with long mint hair tittered at the entire exchange. She took a sip of her favorite tea and giggled to herself.

"So that's Elise's big brother, is it? He's a lot more handsome in person. I suppose I'll… keep an eye on him."


The next day

So much for spending any time with Juna and Elise during the festival. Sure, his field studies were probably gonna keep him occupied regardless, but terrorists too? Talk about a double whammy…

Luckily the day wasn't very busy if one ignored the influx of tourists coming in for the festival. The first day was always the busiest and did it ever ring true for this year.

Their tasks today only consisted of patrolling the parts of the city under their group's jurisdiction. They also helped out a tourist with his missing briefcase along the way and stopped by a food stand for lunch. The events of the early part of the day were so lax that Fie even found time to tease Rean about his "scandalous encounter" yesterday evening.

He didn't want to know how she could have possibly found out, but he was grateful the others didn't catch on thanks to the girl's silver tongue. Knowing her, she'll probably bribe him out of ice cream or something...

However, things turned awry once their group met up with Towa's group in Dreichels Plaza. A sudden rumbling preceded the appearance of multiple geysers overflowing with torrential force from the fountains and manholes. Realizing that it might be a simple diversion, Towa sent Rean and the others to Mater Park while she, Angelica, and Crow evacuated the premises.

Monsters littered the once romantic park. Provincial army soldiers were spread out, struggling to hold back the large landshark-like reptilians with the clangs of their swords and the firing of their bayonets.

"I hope Her Highness is okay…" Elliot prayed. "Do you think they might be after her?"

Machias nodded. "It's likely. Either her or my dad, the governor. Either would be prime targets of a terrorist attack."

"You don't think…?" Laura glanced worryingly at Rean.

Fie caught on to Laura's implication. "If the princess is there, it's likely Rean's sister is there too."

Rean's grip on his tachi tightened. He could virtually feel his rage overtaking him. And if Elise is in danger… then so is Juna. "Come on, we don't have a moment to lose!"

They raced into the Crystal Garden with weapons drawn. The luscious scenery was marred with the same reptilian monsters ravaging the park outside and frightened attendees. They could see Patrick holding off some of the monsters in an attempt to protect Governor Regnitz.

Rean's attention was elsewhere. The man directing the monsters was the same man he met last month in Nord: Gideon. Behind him were three men in combat armor training their guns at three girls with their hands tied with rope.

"Your Highness! Elise! Juna!"

Rean's knuckles grew white as his hands left his sheath no room to breathe. His expression grew cold and distant, yet fierce and focused. Whatever nonsense the man was spouting to Governor Regnitz, Rean couldn't hear and, frankly, couldn't care.

The girls peered at him in desperation, each calling out his name. Both Elise and Princess Alfin appeared panicked at the situation, but neither dared to move a muscle lest they accidentally cause the men to pull the trigger. Juna, while no doubt terrified, appeared to be carefully analyzing their position.

"The brats from Thors… So you've come to meddle in our affairs again, have you?" Gideon sneered. "Not this time, I'm afraid. I won't allow you to interfere!"

He produced a flute and began playing an ominous tune. The monsters beside him reacted to the ghastly music and followed the man's wordless commands. With a bow and devilish smirk, Gideon led his men and the three girls into a large crater behind them, likely caused by the ground collapsing.

Rean and Juna shared one last silent exchange before she was dragged away at gunpoint.

Elliot clutched onto his orbal staff, tightening his hold and steeling his resolve. "Ugh… We're not going to lose to a couple of these things!"

Fie readied her twin gunswords. "Two large monsters. Combat pattern analysis complete."

Machias cocked his shotgun and Laura brandished her large blade. "All right. Let's take them down-"

"Out of my way!"

It all happened in an instant. Just as quickly as the black flames enveloped Rean's tachi, they dissipated in a single swing of the eastern blade. Both monsters fell to the ground, dying swiftly as the black flames vanished into the air.

"What the…?" His classmates gaped at him while Patrick shot him a knowing glance.

"Rean… what was that?" Laura softly inquired.

He shook his head. He knew he had to explain to his classmates one day. The way he almost went berserk in the Old Schoolhouse in front of Patrick and Crow made that clear. But now was not the time. "Some other time. We need to move. Now."

"R-Right…"

"W-Wait!" Patrick ran up to them in a frenzy. "Let me come with you!"

"We need you to stay with the governor and protect everyone else here, Patrick." Rean explained.

"But…!"

Machias nodded. "Please. If you're here, at least I can go knowing my father's in safe hands."

The other four exchanged a soft look. They knew it must have taken a lot for Machias to willingly put his father's safety in the hands of a noble, especially one as arrogant and prideful as Patrick Hyarms.

"Ugh… fine! Fine. I'll stay." Patrick raised his hands in defeat. He then turned to Rean. "But Schwarzer… don't do anything that'll scare them."

Rean's eyes widened. He suddenly felt a constricting grip in his chest and a burning that pained him to the very core. He recalled the incident at the Old Schoolhouse once more. Patrick most likely had more than a few questions about that episode of his, but still voiced his concerns before anything else.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. No matter what happens, you're always gonna be Rean Schwarzer. No one else."

...Her words ran through his head more times than he could count.

He wanted to believe them. Wanted to trust that he wouldn't lose himself over to this… thing inside him. Over the years, he heeded his master's words. Scrutinized them more carefully and looked into himself to fully understand who and what he was. Control was something he was nearly able to grasp, but it continuously slipped from his fingers. While in small bursts, he gained the ability to unleash his power, something kept holding him back from fully mastering its raw strength: His own fear.

His fear of frightening his loved ones. His fear of relinquishing his identity. His fear of proving Juna wrong.

But he nodded. He didn't have the luxury to dwell on such trivial matters. He and his classmates shared a determined look and set off into the chasm.


"Look. We can keep this stalemate going all day, or you can release them. It's up to you." Rean's eyes glowed red as he glared daggers at the terrorists holding the girls hostage with venom in his voice. "But I'm warning you… If there's so much as a scratch on any of them, you'll wish the police found you before I did."

The men contemplated their next actions. They had them surrounded. Three of the men were carrying hostages they weren't willing to kill and while Gideon seemed to have some knowledge on how to wield an orbal gun, he couldn't fend off five of them. Everything worked in their favor.

"...Very well." Gideon spoke up, holding up his hands. "We surrender. I'm not so proud that I can't see when we have no chance of victory."

Rean's grip tightened.

The man's expression curved into a sinister grin. "...If you can defeat 'him'."

Gideon nodded at the other men, to which they each pulled out a cloth.

Fie's nose twitched. "Wait, is that…?!"

"Now!" Juna ripped through the rope tied around her wrists with a knife hidden in her sleeve. She elbowed the terrorist holding onto her and nimbly jumped off, doing a graceful backwards flip to join Rean and his friends.

"How did you…?" Rean looked at her quizzically.

She winked, pulling out two pink tonfas. "Learned it from you."

From what Rean could glean, the tonfas were custom-made, using several mechanical parts to shift positioning whenever the situation called for it. He remembered Juna mentioning how the leader of the SSS used tonfas for his police work, so she must have picked them up during her training as a sign of admiration. He felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly dismissed it. More important issues were at hand.

Unfortunately, even with her quick thinking, Juna cursed under her breath witnessing the terrorists giving Elise and Alfin the volatile anesthetic. She readied herself,

"A feisty one, aren't you?" Gideon sneered at Juna. "But no matter. It makes no difference. All of you will die here!"

He pulled out the strange flute. "Witness the power of the Demonic Flute!"

The ominous tune rang out once more. Dark energy emanated from the instrument, spreading out like a contagious plague infecting anything it came in contact with. The energy seeped into the ground, sinking deeper and deeper until the sound came to an abrupt stop. The ground shook and out came earthy bones slowly forming together to produce a looming figure.

"What the hell is that?!"

Curved horns adorned its demonic head and its worn fangs bared. The pointed bones along its neck and ribcage squirmed, ready to lash out against all who would defy it. Even when lacking an expression, the empty eye sockets exuded ire and wrath in its gaze. Rean had only heard of the creature from Erebonian folklore, but he knew the beast to be the Dark Dragon of Ruination: Zoro-Agruga, the monster that turned Heimdallr into a city of the dead with its miasma.

Gideon cackled, engrossing himself at the sheer destructive majesty of the beast. "This is an artifact capable of holding even the shadow that reigned over Heimdallr during the Dark Ages in its thrall! And now, it'll lead you all to destruction! Farewell, meddlesome pests!"

Machias clicked his tongue, both in annoyance and fear. "There's no way we can take on that thing…"

"What are we gonna do?!" Elliot exclaimed, panic manifesting his voice.

Fie's eyes glazed over the monster, attempting to analyze any possible course of action. "I can't estimate its strength… or even the best way to fight it." Even her past jaeger experience never prepared her to face off against such a gargantuan threat.

Juna turned her eyes at Rean, unknowing of what to do next. No doubt that training at the police academy would have prepared her to fight against monsters, but not ancient catastrophes only spoken in legend. Had they did, Rean would have been more than impressed. But seeing as how they were the only ones who could fight, they had to be the ones to do it.

Rean slowly breathed in, readied his blade, and swung it to release a mighty gale. The winds produced by utilizing his seventh form dispelled the miasma permeating from the dragon's skeletal body, catching it slightly off balance. He pointed his tachi towards it, ready to lead his friends into battle.

"We're not just going to roll over and die here! If you think back on how much we've grown just during this field study, there's no way this thing is going to take us down!"

Laura nodded and entered her stance. "My blade is ready!"

The others called back in agreement as well, preparing their weapons to strike. Rean grinned at his classmates' returning determination and turned towards Juna, who was beaming with anticipation.

"You got your orbment ready?"

"Of course! I'm here to back you up as much as you need."

Rean let out a light laugh in acknowledgement. If he had his way, he'd keep Juna out of danger as much as possible. But he knew how stubborn she could be and far be it for him to deny her the chance to prove herself. The more hands they had to fight with, the better. Besides, he'd love to see what she had learned in the police academy.

"You won't be able to utilize any combat links, so be careful!"

"You got it!"

The battle was fierce. Machias and Elliot took to the rear, scanning and studying the monster's attack patterns. The former often fired warning shots to impede its advances while the latter kept up with healing arts whenever the others were hit, either by waves of exhaustion or directly.

Laura and Juna blocked incoming attacks, shifting their weight to their weapons to prevent the various claw swipes to rain bloody terror on them. Rean and Fie took advantage of the opening, cutting off various limbs and firing off shots to stop the creature from casting any arts of its own.

Juna pushed the monster's arm out of the way and crouched. She pointed the front of her tonfas downward, mentally and physically preparing herself for her next move. With an audible click, she smirked at the decaying dragon that just suffered a torn arm courtesy of Laura's mighty blade.

"Let's go!" She activated her tonfas', no—her gunbreakers'—true function: the ability to enact a mode change from her usual Striker style to the Gunner style. She fired a round at the stone flooring, using the recoil for a considerable burst of speed into the air. She flew over one last desperate attempt at a claw swipe and fell in the direction of the shoulder joint. She swiftly shifted her gunbreakers back into Striker Mode before crushing the monster's arm with her clever use of aerial momentum and her own strength.

"Finish 'em off, Rean!"

"You got it!" The swordsman made himself prime and ready for the final strike.

"Flames, gather on my blade…"

Fire swirled around his tachi, growing increasingly fierce the longer he held his stance. He charged forward, slashing three times at the ribcage. He stood back, drawing more power into his sword from his body and unleashed it all in a single attack.

"Flame Slash!"

The dragon cried out in pain as its remaining attached body parts crumbled into dust.

"Laura, Fie!" Rean called out.

In response, the blue-haired noble slammed her sword onto the dragon's head and sent the skull flying at the terrorists, the husk reverberating with a blaring hum. Fie took advantage of the confusion to fire several shots around the men, leaving Rean enough room to rush down and cut the Demonic Flute in half. Juna and Elliot made use of the opportunity to take Elise and Alfin to safety while Machias stared down the terrorists with his shotgun trained on them, daring them to make a move.

"Damn you…" Gideon cursed, caressing his hands which had been slightly grazed by Rean's maneuver. "I suppose I have no other choice."

The man quickly pulled out his orbal gun and fired at Machias' shin. The bespectacled boy dropped his own firearm, yelling in agony and attempted to apply a Tearal Balm on the wound. Before the others could react, Gideon pointed his gun at the princess.

"C-Comrade G?!" one of the terrorists yelled in befuddlement.

"Even if I am willing to lay down my life for our cause, this operation is far too important to leave any corpses behind." He glared at the students. "I must do what needs to be done, even if it means harming a member of the Imperial family-"

"That's enough, Comrade G." A booming voice rang through the corridors of the caverns.

A woman in red with an eyepatch jumped down from a higher level, swinging a sword at Laura. The Arseid practitioner side stepped away from the strike, but had to bring her sword up to block follow-up attack from the woman's whip-like blade. Fie managed to perceive a slight clicking noise and sprung back, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets pointed in her direction. A second figure jumped down from above, this time a burly man with a cross-shaped scar in the middle of his face and single handedly wielding a large mini-gun.

"Comrade S? Comrade V?!" Gideon exclaimed in shock. "And that voice…"

Another man leisurely walked down the staircase in the back. He adorned pitch-black armor with a matching black cape that started from his front and flowed behind him. On his head, he wore a haunting mask with a crimson-red visor. Rean couldn't make out any notable physical features, but he could sense that he was more than just another threat.

"Our main objective has been accomplished. Your plan was almost perfect, Comrade G." His voice rang unnaturally, robotic yet mocking. "However, harming innocent lives now, especially one of the Imperial family, will gain us nothing."

"I… see. Very well, Comrade C." Gideon lowered his orbal gun, giving Elliot a chance to free himself of his terrified stupor to assist Machias with his wound.

"And to the ladies and gentlemen of Class VII, I hope you can accept the return of these innocent maidens as a gesture of goodwill. Will you stand aside and let us leave peacefully?"

"...Like hell we will." Rean glared at the masked man known as C, his eyes flaring up into its previous red coloration.

"You abducted the Imperial princess and two innocent girls, drugged two of them…" Laura said, laying bare the men's actions in an accusatory tone.

Juna stood up to join Rean, Laura, and Fie in their stand off against the terrorists. She pulled out her gunbreakers once more, ready to strike at the next opportune moment. "I may not be Erebonian, but I can't stand by while you hurt my friends and terrorize the city! As a student of the Crossbell Police Academy, I will stop you here and now!"

The masked man chuckled and gestured to his allies to stand back. "I see. Then I suppose this would be a good opportunity to kill some time." He stepped forward, pulling out a polearm that had blades on both ends. The four stepped back, barely even recognizing the archaic weapon.

"I am C. That is all you need to know. Wielders of the longsword, the greatsword, the twin gunswords, and the dual tonfas. Stand and face me. I shall be your opponent." The man's voice reverberated from his helmet. It rang hollow, but contained a taunting and booming aura. He charged forward, clashing with the four teenagers.

"Is he serious?" Machias, finally stabilized, whispered in a hoarse voice. "It's four against one!"

Elliot analyzed C's movements against his classmates and their fateful plus one. He was nimble on his feet and skillful with his weapon (Laura had briefly mentioned that it was a relic from the Dark Ages called a 'double saber'). Laura blocked incoming strikes and attempted to shift her weight forward for a parry, each effort made in vain. Being far outranged, Fie relied on her guns and hand grenades to attack from a distance. Her evasive maneuvers and agility gave her a marginal advantage, but C had little trouble matching her pace.

The masked man broke through their ranks and dashed towards Rean. He twisted his body around, charging purple energy into his double saber. Could he hope to block or parry the attack? No, his tachi was too light to withstand a strike like that. He couldn't afford time to enter a counterstance via his Morning Moon form. But he could create some distance.

His hands trailed to his ARCUS. "Fire Bolt!"

He waved his hand in a fluid motion and conjured a fireball to collide with C's attack. The man in black stepped backwards, avoiding the small explosion and the lingering embers that accompanied it. Rean wasn't the most proficient with arts, but even he could muster a basic spell like that one. In an ironic sense, Fire Bolt being a weak art played into his advantage to save on casting time.

Rean charged forward, beginning his assault. If he couldn't match C's strength, he'd overpower him with his speed. He swung his sword, careful to interrupt his slashes mid-arc to seamlessly flow into his next move. C obstructed his bombardment of attacks with his own weapon, blow for blow. Metal clashed with metal. Neither side gave way to the other, both eternally locked in a constant struggle for control.

In a less than graceful tactic, Rean feinted his next strike and opted to kick the man in the torso with all the force he could muster. The impact pushed C about an arge back. Rean fell to the ground, only barely able to maintain a crouching position.

"Ha!" The masked man chortled. "I wasn't expecting a practitioner of the Eight Leaves to utilize such a dirty gambit. Well done!"

"It's not so dirty when you stop to think about it." Rean explained, endeavoring to hide his exhaustion. "I just combined my normal technique with the weaponless Eighth form. Normally we'd use our hands, but I made due."

"How resourceful!" he applauded. "I was right to test your mettle."

C rushed in again. Rean, still winded from the kick, lacked time to react and the man was closing in fast. He mustered all he could to get back on his feet, but his body ached from chasing the terrorists and fighting the necrominated dragon in succession. He was done for…

"Rean!"

He heard gunshots firing, witnessing the bullets strafing the empty space between him and the masked man. C wasted no time jumping backwards to dodge the dance of gunfire raining towards him.

Juna switched back into her Striker mode, not wanting to lose her chance. She dashed forward, beginning her blitz of tonfa strikes. Rean watched her in awe. He knew that the girl was stubborn, but her determination to see everything through she put her heart into was nothing short of inspirational to him.

Feeling a sudden surge of energy, he quickly joined back into the fray. Though they never fought together, Rean and Juna were able to read each other's movements flawlessly and performed like a well-oiled machine. Juna led the assault with various punches, backfists, and elbow strikes. Rean followed-up, swinging his tachi in wide arcs and various directions. Even without a proper combat link, the two operated in perfect sync.

Laura and Fie saw the window of opportunity and closed in as well. With a mighty swing of the greatsword and rapid slashes of the gunswords, victory seemed within their grasp.

"That's enough playing around."

C brushed off Rean and Juna's onslaught, pushing them back with a powerful spin attack. He plowed past them and readied his weapon for the finishing attack.

"Show them the cross of your demise!"

He charged pale-red energy into both ends of his double saber before manifesting it into an X-shaped pattern.

"Deadly Cross!"

The pattern whirred with power and shot forward towards them. Rean ran in front of Juna and held up his tachi in a defensive position, hoping to soften the blow for her, but the projectile flew through the four of them and sent them flying in turn.

"What the hell-!"

"No way!"

All Rean could remember were Machias and Elliot's shocked cries and Instructor Sara's voice before passing out on the cold surface.


His eyes shot open. Where was he? Underneath him, he felt a soft sensation. Comfortable, warm, and familiar. A bed?

He squished the soft surface.

...

Yup, definitely a bed.

He took in his surroundings after letting his eyesight clear up. He was back in the bracer's guild branch on Alto Street. But where was everyone else?

"I see you're awake," the older man's voice said.

Rean turned to his side to find a man with slicked back red hair and glasses sitting by his bed. He held a newspaper in his hands that he folded back up once noticing that the young man had woken up.

"U-Uncle Matthew?" Rean said groggily, moving his body to sit up. The movement was rather sluggish however, leading him to nearly fall back down.

"Easy there, Rean." Matthew grabbed onto his arm, steadying him. "You were beat up pretty bad when you got out. Good thing your instructor and the RMP came when they did."

"How—how long was I out?"

"Only for a few hours. You came out relatively unscathed. Just a few scratches is all."

His head was pounding, but he didn't feel any severe pain outside of a few aches. That confirmed it for him. Either he actually managed to hold his own against a dangerous terrorist… or said terrorist went easy on him. Both possibilities left a bitter taste in his mouth, but at least everyone was-

"Wait!" Rean jolted forward. "Where are my friends? My sister and the princess? Where's Juna?!"

Matthew held his hands up, taken aback by Rean's sudden outburst. "One thing at a time, Rean. I can only handle so much so quickly."

"S-Sorry…"

"Well to answer your first two questions, your friends were put into the other rooms. They're all awake right now. Elise woke up before any of you and informed me about the situation and I believe the princess awoke with her. When I came by the branch, I told them and your friends that I could watch over you until you woke up. They're out right now assessing the situation with the RMP."

Rean nodded, elated that everyone was fine. From the sounds of it, he was the one who took the brunt of the damage from that fight against C and his own injuries weren't anything to write home about. If he was fine, then the others were more than okay.

But then that leaves…

As if reading his mind, Matthew continued. "Juna insisted on keeping watch until you came to, but I told her to take time to enjoy the festival. It's her first break since joining the police academy, so I thought it'd be a waste otherwise."

Rean sighed. "Well, I'm sorry you had to spend your break watching over me, Uncle Matthew. I know it took you awhile to get some time off."

The man shook his head. "Not at all. It was the least I can do. I heard from Juna that you tried to protect her right before you all passed out."

"I… I guess I did." Rean paused, thinking about his last minute decision. "But after seeing how much she's grown, I probably didn't even need to."

Matthew laughed. "Maybe not, but as her father, I couldn't be more relieved. She's lucky to have someone like you watching over her."

Rean smiled. "If anything, I'm lucky to be friends with her. She's always been so encouraging to me and Elise. I can't imagine what it would be like without her. She's… amazing."

Matthew's eyes widened.

"Uhhh, Uncle Matthew? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh no. Nothing at all." The man waved it off, leaving Rean in further confusion but he ultimately decided to let it go. Matthew stood up from his chair. "I should probably get going now. You rest up until you're ready to join back with your classmates. It was good seeing you again."

Rean gave him his affirmation as the man walked over to the door. But upon opening it, there stood a girl on the other side, red as a tomato.

"...Juna?"

The aforementioned girl shook out of her stupor, tripping over her words as she threaded them together in an attempt to form sentences. "Huh?! Oh, uh, hi Dad! I was, uhhhhh, you know. Just… watching the door?"

He raised his brow. "I thought I told you to join the others."

"Oh, well, about that." She exhaled a breath of relief, composing herself. "Mom was getting worried and Ken and Nana really wanted to see Rean. They're all downstairs."

"Are they now?" His eyes darted between Rean and Juna. "Well, you two stay up here then. I'll go fetch them. Maybe we can all do something together once Rean's back on his feet."

"Th-that sounds good." Juna replied, her face turning slightly red again.

Matthew chuckled and left the two teenagers alone. Juna entered the room and sat in the chair her dad was on earlier.

"So… this was the place you were staying at?" she asked, her eyes glazing around the room.

"Yup. Been here for the past two days doing our field study. Had to play mediator again, so things have gotten pretty busy. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as with Jusis and Machias."

She giggled. "That's good, at least."

"Hey, I'm… sorry."

"Huh?"

"For… getting you involved. It was my idea for you to come to Heimdallr, after all."

"Rean."

He winced. Her voice was firm and authoritative. He always knew Juna could put her foot down when necessary, but this tone of voice was something new to him. Perhaps another thing she picked up on at the academy.

"Neither of us could've known that that would happen. Your friends told me that you only found out about the terrorists last night. So don't blame yourself."

"...Sorry."

"You're doing it again."

"Sor-"

She swung her hand in a downward motion, hitting his forehead with an audible smack.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"You know damn well what it was for." Juna glared at the boy. "Rean, you've kept doing this for as long as I've known you and you really need to stop."

Rean fell silent. It wasn't… like he hadn't realized it before. He would much rather take responsibility if there was nothing else to blame for their circumstances. He was aware of this bad habit of his. But…

"So let me be the first to tell you: you did great out there, Rean."

He looked back at her, her emerald eyes shining with the same glimmer that it had been since the day they met. He sighed, realizing this was a battle he could never win.

"Th-thanks. I can say the same to you too. Those tonfas of yours were really something."

Juna's expression lit up. "You think so? They're called gunbreakers. I got Wendy to rig it up for me after I came up with the idea! After that, Lloyd gave me a few tips and I combined that with some basic gun training to give it my own flair."

"I'd say it fits you to a T. Tonfas are eastern weapons, just like my tachi. Maybe I can teach you a few forms from the Eight Leaves so you can incorporate them into your own fighting style."

Juna looked at him quizzically. "Can that even translate?"

"Sure. Cassius Bright, a former Eight Leaves practitioner from Liberl, mastered the first form: Helix. He gave up the sword and uses a staff nowadays, but I've heard he still practices the form with it."

"Well, you won't hear me say no to fancy new moves to put into my repertoire!" Juna quivered in excitement. "Bring it on!"

The two shared a laugh.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Rean snapped his fingers in realization. "Your birthday is coming up. Is there anything in particular that you want?"

"My birthday?" Juna rubbed her chin in a thinking position. "Do you still have that sheet music I sent you a few months ago?"

"Of course. I leave it in my desk drawer."

Rean remembered asking Elliot to review the sheets after returning from Celdic. It turned out to be a rather popular song for a radio show in Crossbell that neither have ever heard of before. They both took the time to listen in when possible and became enthralled. Ever since then, he made copies for his musician friend and Instructor Mary since they had been dead set on learning it for themselves.

"Soooo… how about it?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "How about what?"

"Ugh, Rean. Seriously?"

"What?"

"A duet! I want to do a duet someday!"

"A… duet?" The idea did intrigue him somewhat. He recalled Juna's love of singing. She often would hum lullabies for Ken and Nana when they had trouble sleeping and her performance at the harbor… that was something he would never forget. He wasn't much of a singer, but he did partake in a melody or two when he was younger. 'Amber Amour' was a song he was rather familiar with and often sung when practicing with his lute.

"Yeah! It'll be fun! Why, are you not so hot on it?"

"No! No. It's not that. I just… didn't expect it. That's all."

"Good! I was thinking of asking Elise if you were against it, but I feel like she would be embarrassed to entertain the thought."

"Haha, perhaps. Despite everything, she's still pretty shy." Though if Elise heard either of them say that, she'd have their heads for sure. "Still, a duet sounds a little unreasonable without a little practice, isn't it? I promise we'll do it someday. Is there anything else you want?"

"Ugh, fine. If you insist," Juna relented. "Just get me something from the festival. How about a crepe?"

Rean narrowed his eyes. "Seriously, food? You got me an expensive jacket and you just want some overstuffed dessert?"

"Excuuuuuuse me! It being overstuffed is the best part!"

Amid all the conversation and bickering, neither of them noticed the other four figures approaching the room. The two children ran in to grab onto Rean's hand to drag him out of bed, begging him to join them in the festivities. Juna scolded her two siblings as Matthew and Lina reveled in the scene.

Rean's attention darted between everything happening in the room. Ken and Nana's imploring, Juna's reprimanding, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Lina's snickering.

He chuckled.

He felt right at home.

Little did he know that four more people were standing outside the room, delighted that their classmate had taken the chance to smile for himself for a change.


Wow, this chapter ended up much longer than I initially anticipated (about 2000 words longer than chapter 1!) and this was after deciding to cut out some content. I had originally planned to cover each of Rean's field studies with the next character pairs for him to interact with being Millium/Towa and Elliot/Crow, but it was getting far too long and probably would've had a sense of tonal whiplash after the events of Heimdallr. Putting the two fight scenes close together and rehashing a lot of that part of the Heimdallr field study might have been pushing it, but I really wanted Juna to participate a little more since it'll be a while before we leave the Rean-centric chapters behind.

I was honestly surprised how well-received the first chapter got. Fun fact: I was almost tempted to rename the story to "Ai no Uta", after the end credits song in CS4, but decided against it since it was a little to on the nose. Glad to know there are fervent Rean/Juna fans out there that are willing to give my writing the time of day. I also apologize but it seems like these chapter lengths are gonna be the norm for a while until the main story is done. Thank you for reading!