Chapter 45

"Off With Your Head!" Riddle shouted, his face red with anger. The students cried out when collars clamped around their necks. "The culture fair has barely opened its doors, and already you're picking fights? This is more disrespectful than even breaching the Queen of Hearts's rules!"

"Maaan! Busted by Rosehearts, of all people..." the first student groaned.

"This is your punishment for besmirching the dignity of Night Raven College. Keep those collars on and think about what you've done!"

"W-we'll get you for this!" the students said before running off.

"Are you guys okay?" Trey asked the dwarfs. "Let me apologize on behalf of our school."

"I-I'm good..." said Snick. "Achoo!"

"Thank you for helping us," said Dominic. I found them quite cute. Their ears were pointed, and they had said they were dwarfs. Did that make them fae?

"Yeah, whatever," said Grum. "I coulda taken those guys with or without your help."

"Grum! Must you do this every time?"

"I take it from your uniforms that you boys go to Royal Sword Academy?" said Trey.

"Yes, that's right!"

"Really?" said Grim. "You guys are barely taller than me. Are you sure you're not way younger?"

Grum glared at him. "Are all of you this rude?! We're pretty tall for dwarfs, I'll have you know. Hmph!"

"Come on, Grum, cut it out," Dominic said. "By the way, have any of you seen four other dwarfs? They're about as tall as we are. We got separated from our group on the way to our dressing room..."

"I'm afraid not," said Riddle. "Would you like me to have the broadcast club page them?"

"Hummm-hum-hummm..." said a voice. Then a familiar looking head appeared. "Looking for someone? I'm the purrfect guy to ask."

"MROOOW!" Grim exclaimed, jumping in fright. "A floating severed head!"

"Chenya?!" Trey and Riddle cried.

"Oh wait, it's you! You're that cat-talkin' weirdo we met in the Heartslabyul garden."

Chenya's full body appeared. "Heh heh heh. Is he a human? Is he a cat? He's a mysterious and magical fellow. Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker! Thaaat's me!"

"Ah, Chenya!" said Snick. "Have you seen Toby and the others?"

"If you're on the purrowl for your friends, I saw 'em go that way and round the corner."

"Thanks a bunch," said Dominic. "If you'll excuse us, Night Raven College students!"

"See ya around!" Chenya waved as the dwarfs ran off.

"You all know each other, huh, Chenya?" Trey said with a smile. "Thanks for stepping in to help."

"Yeah, they're sophomores at my school. I know their names and faces, at least. And I happen to be an excellent guide."

"Nice to see you, Chenya," Riddle said politely.

Chenya smiled at him happily. "Hey, Riddle! How ya been? I haven't seen you since last year's unbirthday party. You never did drop by over the holidays."

Riddle gave him a small smile. "Yes... I appreciate you reaching out to me, and I apologize for neglecting to get back to you. I'm doing the same as always."

"Chenya, I'm afraid we're still on management committee business," said Trey. "Things are pretty crazy right after opening. Mind if we catch up later?"

"You guys certainly know how to stay busy," Chenya said. "Okay, I'll get outta your hair!"

"Chenya, don't use your signature spell to spook any other visitors, okay?" Riddle said.

"No promises. Maybe if I'm feeling charitable! Hum-hum-hummm..." With that, Chenya disappeared.

"Phew... Never a dull moment around here," Trey said, smiling slightly. "Let's make the rounds in the east building and wrap this up, shall we?" We continued going until we reached the exterior hallway, where we ran into Cater and Lilia.

"Hey, Trey!" Cater said. "Hey, Riddle! What's the haps? I saw a group of guys wearing your collars earlier. You sure aren't wasting any time!"

"More like the troublemakers aren't wasting any time. Are you and Lilia about to make your Pop Music Club presentation?"

"Yes," said Lilia. "It's a far cry from the glamour of the SDC, but the Pop Music Club is throwing a concert of its own, and we'll be in it."

"Trey gets snapped up by Riddle, and Kalim gets snapped up by Vil..." Cater said. "Cay-Cay's all left out!"

"'Snapped up?'" said Trey. "I've told you before that I'm terrible at dancing and singing."

"What's the matter, Cater?" said Lilia. "Am I not sufficient company for you?"

"Oh, far from it!" said Cater. "I know you're gonna kill it out there, Lilia. Just keep the improv dialed down for this, okay?"

Lilia suddenly turned to me. "Oh, yes—you there, ah... Ona. I understand you gave him an invitation to the SDC in return for his holiday greeting card?"

It took me a moment to realize he meant Hornton. I smiled and nodded. "That's right."

Lilia smiled back at me. "He may not have said as much, but he was over the moon about it. I'm grateful as well. Thank you for going out of your way to invite him."

"No problem! He's always been very kind to me."

"Ooh, what's this?" Cater said with great interest. "You've got a Diasomnia bud now, Ona?"

I shrugged. "I guess so. I don't know his name, but he's got horns on his head."

Cater's eyes went wide. "Waaait a minute..."

"A guy with horns?" Trey said quietly. "And he goes to our school?"

"There's only one person I know who fits that description..." Riddle said just as softly.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," Lilia said. "Ignore them." He turned to Cater. "Let's not get distracted, Cater. We'll be late if we don't get to the stage soon."

"Uh-oh, you're right," said Cater.

Lilia smiled at me once more. "We'll be taking our leave, then. May your SDC show be a successful one, Ona." Then the two of them walked off together.

"Oh yes, it's almost noon," said Riddle. "Ona, shouldn't you and Grim be getting to the SDC rehearsal?"

"Myah! That's right!" said Grim. "If we're late, Vil's gonna make us drink cursed juice!"

"We've gotten tickets from Ace, too," said Trey. "Break a leg out there. We'll be cheering for you."

"Tell our freshmen that if they embarrass themselves on stage, it's off with their heads," Riddle said way too seriously.

"I don't think that would help..." I said with a chuckle. I waved at them and set off with Grim.

"Wow, they were workin' hard on this stage the last time we came by, and now it's totally finished," Grim said once we reached the stage.

"Look at all the press,"

"Hey, you two!" said someone from the film crew. "SDC rehearsals are starting soon."

"This place is off-limits to the general public," said another guy. "Out you go."

"Excuse me," said Vil. "That spudling and beast are part of our production team. Can't you see their staff passes?"

The first guy's eyes widened. "V-Vil Schoenheit?! Pardon me."

Vil glanced at me before leading the way to the others. "Bold of you to arrive last, Manager."

"Did you take in the sights and sounds of the festival?" Rook asked.

I nodded. "You bet."

"You guys oughta see the line of people outside the coliseum waitin' for same-day tickets," said Grim. "It's nuts!"

"Really?" said Kalim. "Well, it's nice to know people are excited."

"There's a lot of reporters and cameras as well," said Jamil. "We can chalk that up to Vil and Neige, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah," said Grim. "Ace, Deuce, Epel... Riddle and Jack both said if you guys screw this up, you're really gonna be in for it!"

Deuce recoiled. "Erk... Please, I don't need any more pressure."

"N-now I'm getting nervous..." said Epel.

I rolled my eyes. "You didn't have to actually say it, Grim."

"We've got three hours from now until the show," said Ace. "There's no sense in tensing up now."

"Agreed," said Vil. "Our rehearsal time is there to ensure we don't make any mistakes at showtime. SDC tradition dictates that the host school's team performs first. Let's make our act so hard to follow that everyone who comes after us looks like moldy tubers in comparison."

"Yeah!" everyone said.

"...Vi?" said a new voice. I turned to see the boy I recognized from those commercials.

"Huh?" said Vil.

The boy smiled. "I knew it! Hi, Vi!"

"Neige..."

"It's been forever! How've you been? When I heard on the news that you'd be in this year's Song & Dance Championship... I just couldn't wait to see you in person!"

"So, that's Neige LeBlanche!" said Epel.

"No wonder he's a household name," said Ace. "Even the way he walks and talks is perfectly choreographed."

"Hmmm. He looks nice enough..." said Deuce. "But he's not giving off that same intense aura that Schoenheit did, the first time we met."

"True," said Kalim. "He doesn't have much of a glamorous vibe."

"His smile is entirely unlike Vil's," said Rook. "It is unaffected, like a tiny flower blooming in an open field."

"Hmph. The more innocuous someone looks, the worse they're likely to act behind the scenes." said Jamil. "That's how entertainers are."

"Do you have any room to talk there?" Grim said, giving me a look.

"You can't judge someone without even knowing them, Jamil," I said, shaking my head.

"I haven't seen you much on the job since we filmed that last movie together," Neige said excitedly. "I've missed you, Vi!"

"I'm trying to focus on school right now," said Vil. "So, I'm avoiding movie deals with long filming periods."

"Oh, that makes sense. I'm just happy I get to hear you sing again today, Vi. Your voice is absolutely incredible, after all! The first thing we co-starred in was a musical drama set in a school, right?"

"Just so. You played the star, and I played the student bullying you. ...They were perfect roles. For you and me both."

"Excuse me, Night Raven College entrants!" said a staff member. "It's time for your rehearsal. Please stand by!"

"We'll be right there! If you'll excuse us, Neige."

"Sure!" said Neige. "I'm looking forward to your performance."

Grim and I followed the others to the stage. We stepped off to the side as we watched them practice. I thought they were pretty good. Kalim came running over to us with a grin after they finished. "Ona!" he said. "Grim! What'd you think of our performance?"

"You were on fire up there!" I said excitedly.

"The stage was way bigger than our practice room..." said Epel. "But it felt kind of nice to dance without worrying about being cramped."

"Heh. Even you're coming around," said Jamil.

"I'd like to review our footage right now," Vil said to the staff. "And not just the front; I want to know how it looks from both sides."

"Great work, Vil!" said a TV staff member. "That was the best performance I've ever seen! I got goosebumps just watching! We're with a Shaftlands news program. Could you spare some time for an interview to be shown on our evening news?"

Vil gave him a polite smile. "Certainly."

"Thanks! Night Raven College got selected as this year's SDC host school... So I'm sure there was a lot of pressure on you. But I'd have never guessed it from the flawless performance you put on! Your powerful singing, your sharp dance moves... It wasn't just good for students—it was professional to a tee! It's hard to find groups as good as yours the world over. And I'd expect nothing less from a team led by Vil Schoenheit!"

"Thank you kindly. We went through some very rigorous rehearsals to get here, so I'm delighted you enjoyed it. We'll have an even better performance at showtime—no, we'll have the fairest in the land. Don't miss it."

"After a first act this strong, I think I'll end up watching the following acts with a much more critical eye."

"Ooh! That's a promisin' start right there!" said Grim.

"Actually, we're planning on posting ten-second promo videos to Magicam. They're going to include footage of the representative teams in their rehearsals, as a preview of what the SDC will be like live. The headmage has granted his permission already. I believe his words were, 'Whatever generates more hype for the SDC.' Would you be willing to review our footage?"

"I'd be happy to," said Vil.

"Ah, I see now," said Jamil. "On the surface, the SDC is purely a school music recital. They don't reveal song titles or lineup order until showtime. But it gets a lot of commercial attention, which necessitates advertising to build excitement."

"Sounds like a lot's going on under the cowl," said Ace. "But it makes sense to wait to the last minute. That way nobody can come up with counter-plays after watching another school's performance, or change their song."

"Thanks for your help!" said the TV staff member. "We'll be posting this video right now."

"No, thank YOU," said Vil. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He walked off to join the rest of us.

"Oh, hey!" said Ace. "The video just went up on the TV station's Magicam account!" We all took out our phones to check.

"Whoa, you're right!" said Deuce. "Gah, I saw myself for a second there...and I think my dancing is kind of stilted."

"Let me see!" said Epel. His eyes went wide. "Wow... The likes on the video just keep going up. It's getting shared all over."

"Ooh!" Kalim said excitedly. "I'm seeing lots of comments from Vil fans saying they've been waiting for this!"

"In fact, most of the video centers on Vil," said Jamil.

"Let's see what viewers are saying..." said Rook. "'Cool!' 'Awesome!' And more than anything else: 'Beautiful!' It's clear how eager everyone is for the SDC."

"That's pretty good," I said, smiling. Maybe we could win this.

"Next up is the Royal Sword Academy group," another film crew member announced. "Please stand by!"

"Got it!" I heard Neige say. "We're on our way!"

"Royal Sword Academy's going right after us?!" Ace said, eyes wide.

"That's perfect," Deuce said with a confident smirk. "Let's see what kind of performance they've got."

"Good idea!" said Kalim. "Let's take a break in the audience seating and enjoy the show."

"Not so fast," said Vil. "I told you that reviewing the footage and ironing out our flaws comes first."

"Now now, Roi du Poison," said Rook. "It's important to observe one's rival and get a full grasp of their capabilities."

Vil hesitated. "...I suppose you have a point. Let's see what Royal Sword Academy's representatives have to show us. Not that it will hold a candle to our beauty, of course."

"Lighting and audio are all set!" said the film member. "Royal Sword Academy, you're up!"

Neige ran out on stage and said, "Come on out, boys!"

"Comiiing!" said several voices. Then seven dwarfs ran onto the stage after him.

"Uhhh... What is this, an elementary school play?" said Ace.

"I don't think those are children, actually," said Jamil. "They're fae—dwarfs, to be specific."

"Oh, those are the guys who got lost on campus!" said Grim.

"Hello, everybody!" Neige said loudly. "I'm Neige LeBlanche, with Royal Sword Academy. Say hello, boys." One by one, the dwarfs introduced themselves.

"I'm Snick... Achoo!"

"I'm Dominic!"

"I'm Grum. Hmph!"

"I'm Shelpie..."

"Hiya! I'm Hop! Peace!"

"I'm T-T-Timmy. Oh no, this is so awkward..."

"Hm? What was my name again?"

"Quit playin' dumb already, Toby!" said Grum.

"Heh heh, that's right. I'm Toby!"

"Aha ha ha ha..." they all laughed.

"All seven of them are unique," I said to myself.

"We've practiced day and night with the goal of putting on the best performance ever!" said Neige. "I hope you'll enjoy our song!" Then the music started. It was rather interesting.

"Wow, what IS this song?" Kalim said while we watched. "It just keeps coming back around to the hook in circles!"

"It's an arrangement of a Shaftlands children's song," said Rook. "Even I've heard it, and I'm from the Sunset Savanna. I'm sure it's quite famous."

"Huh," said Ace. "All those dance moves are so simple, anyone could do them. They're not even in sync."

"One of 'em almost fell over!" said Grim. "Neige helped him catch himself, but all of these guys look like they could go toppling at any second."

"Frankly, the quality is nothing worthy of note," said Jamil.

"You can't even call this competition," said Ace. "Am I right or what, Vil?"

Vil stared at the stage with narrowed eyes. "We've been outplayed..."

"Huh?" everyone said. Then we heard the praises from the film crew staff.

"Whoa..." said Deuce. "Neige LeBlanche has everybody awestruck!"

"Ah ain't never knew 'charm' could come off like that..." said Epel.

"Thanks for listening, everybody!" Neige said at the end of the performance. "I love you all!"

"Vil," Rook said softly. "Vil?" But Vil appeared to be in shock. I suddenly felt extremely uneasy. I did not like the way he was looking at Neige.

"Huh?" Vil said, finally looking at rook.

Rook appeared concerned. "What's the matter? You look pale. Are you feeling out of sorts?"

"No... I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. It was a school play hardly worthy of my notice. I'll be in the dressing room." Then Vil walked off.

As I watched him go, a vision flashed before my eyes. It was an image from my dream, when the queen turned herself ugly to poison the princess with an apple... What exactly was happening to me?

"Um, Ona?" said Epel. "You're staring into space. Are you all right?"

"What's wrong?" said Grim. "Gettin' hungry?"

"Project much, Grim?" said Ace.

"I myself actually AM hungry, though," said Deuce. "Let's get something to eat before showtime." He and Ace jogged off.

I glanced at Rook, who still appeared worried. Kalim had a similar expression. "He's..." My gaze flickered to Jamil, who's eyes were narrowed in thought.

"I... I'll be right back, guys," I said before running backstage after Vil.

"Huh?" said Grim. "Wait up, Ona!" He followed me all the way to the coliseum hallway. I kept a good distance from Vil so he would not spot us. Luckily, Grim got the hint and spoke quietly to me. "Hey, Ona. What's the deal? We're done with rehearsal. We're allowed to go eat. So why're you followin' Vil?"

"I'm getting a bad feeling," I said.

"Oh hey, Vil's stopped in front of someone's dressing room. Who's he visiting?"

"I guess we'll find out." I slipped behind a corner and peaked out to watch. Vil knocked on the door, and it was Neige who opened it.

"Oh, hi, Vi," Neige said. "What's up?"

"We didn't get much of a chance to talk before rehearsal," said Vil. "I was hoping we might chat a bit more."

"Oh, of course! I was thinking the same thing."

"Where are your little friends?"

"Oh, Dominic and the others went to check out some exhibit booths. Those guys just can't sit still for a second."

"Ah. So you're alone. Your rehearsal performance was splendid. You have a way of captivating everyone around you. You always have."

"Your performance was incredible too, you know! I could never pull off a song as cool as that one. And your dance moves were in such perfect sync. My eyes were glued to the stage!"

"Well... Thank you. I suppose we both want what we don't have. Say, Neige. Are you thirsty at all?" Vil held a bottle out to Neige. My eyes widened, and my heart rate increased. "I brought you some apple juice. I've been quite taken with this brand recently."

"Ooh, that's the one you posted about on Magicam! I've been wanting to try it. How nice of you to bring me some!"

"By all means, then. Drink up."

Neige took the bottle from him. "Don't mind if I do!"

"Don't—!" I said as I was about to jump out from behind the corner.

But Rook was faster and louder. "NEIGE!" he cried as he ran towards the boy. Vil looked at him in surprise.

"Mrah?!" Grim exclaimed.

Rook stopped right in front of Vil and Neige. "My apologies for interrupting your chat, but the staff was looking for you. They have questions about the main show performance. Roi des Neiges... Ah, pardon. Neige."

Neige blinked. "'Roi des...?'" His eyes grew wide. "Wait. Are you—?"

"Oh, dear! My throat is positively parched from running around looking for you. That apple juice you're holding looks so cold and refreshing. Might I trouble you to let me have it?"

"O-of course. It's all yours!" Neige handed the bottle to Rook, making Vil appear very alarmed.

"Thank you, Neige. You should hurry on to the stage." Rook's tone darkened a little. "And I suggest not coming back here again."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Rook waved him away. "Go on, off with you, now! Away, away!"

"R-right!" Neige still appeared confused, but he ran off.

"Ah..." said Vil. "Rook, why?"

Rook brought the bottle to his face. "Mmm... That sweet, tart apple aroma. It makes me envision a bright-red apple, just waiting for me to take a bite. Epel's hometown specialty is truly magnifique. I shall drink it to the last drop, Roi du Poison."

"! Ah..."

"No!" I shout, running towards him. Once more, I was too late. Someone rushed past me.

"Don't do it, Rook!" Kalim exclaimed. He knocked the bottle out of Rook's hand and smashed it to the floor. Grim and I jogged over to him.

"Roi Doré! What brings you here?" Rook said. "And Ona and Grim as well?"

"Geez, Kalim!" said Grim. "Why'd you go and smack the juice right outta Rook's hand?"

Kalim leaned over, panting. "I made it..."

"Why are all of you here?" Vil said with narrowed eyes.

Grim jumped back. "Myah! The apple juice on the floor is bubbling and turnin' a poisonous purple color!"

"You used your signature spell to curse that juice, didn't you?" Kalim said, his voice harder than I had ever heard it.

"He WHAT?!" Grim glared at Vil.

"Were you trying to take out your rival?" I said.

"I got a real bad feeling when I saw the look on your face after Neige's rehearsal," said Kalim. "It was practically the same look I saw on Jamil's face when he lost control of himself over holiday break."

I nodded. "I had the same feeling." Despite the tense situation, I was pleased to see that Kalim had learned from the events over winter break. It seemed he was not as naive as he used to be.

"Rook," Vil said in a controlled tone. "Why did you try to drink that? You had to have known that doing so wouldn't end well for you."

"I wanted to believe in you," said Rook. "You, who strives harder and reaches for greater heights than any other. I didn't want you to besmirch yourself by doing anything foolish. And if the apple juice WAS cursed, I wanted to taste it. I wanted to taste the fruit of a poison derived from an obsession with beauty bordering on madness."

"How could you say something like that?!" Kalim said in horror. "And Vil, do you have any idea how foolish that was?! You said every other team here would look like spuds compared to us... You said we were going to have the best performance in the world! After all of that, why stoop to this?!"

Vil started laughing maniacally. "Ha... Aha ha... That's what I want to know. More than the rest of you, even. But you see, I've come to a realization. That I! Can never! Win! And that's why...I'm going... TO HANDLE NEIGE MYSELF!"

"Vil, that's not true!" I said. Suddenly, the juice on the ground was acting strangely.

"Myah?!" Grim cried. "What now? All the juice you guys just spilled is movin' again! It's spreadin' all over the floor!"

"What's this smoke?!" Kalim said. "C-can't...breathe..." He started coughing.

"Ona!" Rook shouted. "Kalim! Don't inhale that mist! Vil's signature spell is Fairest One of All! He can use it to curse any object. The mist is the evaporated form of that cursed liquid. If you breathe it in, you'll be immobilized. Yet, would one glass of juice truly have such a drastic transformation?" He paused, and his eyes went wide. "Ah... You didn't!"

"Please," Vil said, his eyes wide. "Don't look at me... Don't look at me with those eyes! Why? I want to be the fairest one of all, so why am I so...so...ugly? Ugly?! UGLY?!"

"Roi du Poison, you are far from ugly!"

"Yeah!" said Kalim. "And listen, Neige didn't drink the juice. Neither did Rook. You haven't hurt anyone yet. So please, Vil, snap out of it..." He resumed coughing.

Anger took over Vil's fear. "Silence! What do any of you know?! What does it matter who forgives me?! I can't... I can't forgive myself!"

"Vil," I said in between coughs, "I can help you. Just calm down and listen to me." But it was too late. His body changed just like the others when they overblotted. Now he was much more menacing.

"Vil's body is giving off black ink!" Kalim exclaimed. "It's like what happened with Jamil..."

"That poison juice is dissolvin' the floor and spreading!" Grim said while coughing.

"It might dissolve us if we touch it!" I said. I tried to breathe slowly through my mouth so the poison would not reach me as quickly.

"Heh... Heh heh heh... Yes, of course," said Vil. "If I just melt everyone else into a hideous mess... Then I'll be the fairest one of all, won't I? Don't worry, this won't hurt for long. It will be over soon. Your blood will run cold, and you'll never wake up again. Heh heh heh... Ha ha ha! AAAH HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Oh, Vil..." Rook said, shaking his head. "What a frightful, sorrowful sight you are. And yet so darkly dazzling. I can scarcely take my eyes off you, however clouded they may be."

"Argh!" Kalim groaned. "I'm getting...weaker..."

"I'm gettin' all...lightheaded..." Grim moaned. I felt weak as well, and I could hardly talk. Was this how it was going to end? None of us had any defense against Vil's magic. Suddenly, I heard a swishing noise.

"What?!" Vil said angrily. I could see someone through the smoke. Someone... floating? "Rgh! Get out of here, you pest!"

"Is that you, magic carpet?!" Kalim said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

I gasped. "No way!"

"Really, now," said Jamil. "Why am I not surprised?" I looked at him with relief. I had never been so happy to see him in my life. "Everyone, get on!"

"Jamil!" Kalim cried happily. We all scrambled onto the magic carpet behind Jamil. Then we zoomed off.

"You shall not escape," Vil said as we flew out of there.

Fortunately, the flying carpet was fast enough to give us a huge lead. We made it to the purple stage and climbed off. I immediately hugged Jamil. He flinched in surprise and seemed even more flustered than Azul the first time I showed him affection. "Thanks for saving us," I said.

"N-No problem, Ona," Jamil said, awkwardly patting my head.

I smiled and pulled back. Then I noticed that everything had changed around us. "The skies were clear and sunny before, yet now a tempest rages..." Rook said, voicing my thoughts. "Truly, it is like a reflection of Vil's own heart."

"Jamil, we need to evacuate the staff and students, now!" Kalim said. His eyes widened as he looked around. "...Wait, why is the whole place suddenly empty?"

"Remind me again—how many years have I been covering for you every time you pull a crazy stunt?" Jamil said. "Of course I had the place evacuated already."

"Whaaa?!" said Grim. "But how?"

Jamil explained how he had used his signature spell to make Neige perform outside the stadium, thereby making everyone go outside to follow him. "You got everyone outside with the least possible risk!" I sad, impressed.

Jamil gave me a small smile before his face turned serious again. "When I saw the look on Vil's face after Neige's rehearsal, I had a feeling something was brewing. And I also had a feeling SOMEONE would poke the hornets' nest and set off a worst-case scenario." He gave Kalim a hard look.

Kalim flinched. "Huh? Why are you making it sound like this is MY fault? I couldn't just ignore it!"

"If he's at fault, then so am I," I said. "We did the exact same thing. I had to step in too!"

Jamil sighed. "Then it was both your faults. Whether your intentions were pure or not, the result is the same: the hornets' nest has fallen. Now we have to figure out what to do about it."

"Aaagh... Well, you still pulled through for us," said Kalim. "Thanks, Jamil!"

"Hmph. If you'd stayed out of it, Neige would've been the only casualty. Now look at the mess you've made of things."

"I have no regrets," I said, giving him a challenging look. "The end doesn't justify the means. I won't sacrifice one person for the sake of many. A moral action is moral in its own right, not for its consequences."

"That's right, sis!" Kalim said confidently, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Jamil shook his head. "Now I see how you two could be siblings."

"Merveilleux, Jamil," Rook said. "Your cunning eye doesn't miss the slightest hint of trouble from Kalim. Your bond runs deeper than that of a simple aid. Truly, c'est beau!"

"Please. This is just years of experience for me. And more to the point... If I let this play out, my whole plan to clean up my image will be completely ruined!"

Suddenly, the others jogged over to us. "Jamil!" Ace called. "We did as you said and made up whatever excuses we needed to get the rest of the staff and students out of the coliseum. We were checking around for anyone else on our way out... But then this purple mist surrounded the whole coliseum."

"Just touching it was so painful, it felt like my skin was burning," said Deuce. "We couldn't force our way through that. What's going on?!"

"What's all the ruckus?" said Epel.

"The Roi du Poison has overblotted," Rook explained.

"What?!" Ace, Deuce, and Epel exclaimed.

"We'll explain later," said Jamil. "He's coming for us!"

With a loud crash, Vil landed on the stage. "You shall not escape me," he said. "No one who sees my ugly visage shall live to tell the tale! AAAH HA HA HA HA!"

"This is a culture fair," Jamil said. He took an offensive stand. "Our school is playing host to a whole gathering of powerful mages. There's no way this state of affairs will go completely unnoticed. We'll need to hold out on our own until backup can break through that poison mist. This is going to get rough."

"Yeah," said Kalim, standing beside Jamil. "Plus, if Vil runs out of magic before help arrives, it could be fatal to him. We need to get him back to his senses, and fast!"

"Today..." Epel said with a determined look. "Today, I'm not gonna lose! I can't lose!"

"Vil..." Rook said mournfully. "I shall free you from your prison of pain." Everyone gathered together, ready to strike.