Magic Knight Rayearth: Saving the Villainess

by horrior777

After meeting his end in an accident, Hotaru finds himself reincarnated in Tokyo Japan, only to find out this world may not be as mundane as he first thought it to be. After stowing away in on someone else's adventure, he finds out that maybe he wasn't as uninvited as he thought. The usual retelling of MKR anime with an extra character, done in the honor of 30th anniversary.

22. Calm Before Storm - Arrival of Lantis

After finishing their dinner party and conference discussing the potential ways to protect Cephiro from invading countries, everyone was free to do as they wished. Despite innumerous options, everyone was naturally drawn towards the same one; the bathhouse. Since Cephiro had dried up ages ago, most of them hadn't been able to wash themselves properly in over a week. As such they all headed to the western tower's bathhouse, with Clef promising to arrange everyone clean clothes.

The bathhouse was a massive round room with golden walls, marble pillars, and a purple, umbrella-like crystal ceiling. The walls were decorated by large golden ornate sculptures, with huge blue gems on them. The bathhouse had two large baths the size of swimming pools. A lower bath surrounded by natural looking stones and vegetation that was meant for men. In the middle of the lower bath, there was an island of flat rocks and grass, with a spiral stone staircase rising upwards. This led to a floating upper bath, which looked like a giant bowl with silver sides and golden edges and inside. The sides were decorated by more blue gems and the edge had a large, Mokona-shaped stone statue that poured warm water into the upper bath from its mouth. The water then flowed over through grooves of the edge into the lower bath, which had two other Mokona statues feeding into it.

The bathhouse's aesthetic and the sound of flowing water created a tranquil and blissful atmosphere, making the women forget about the worries of the outside world. The water was warm and clear, and helped them unwind after weeks of high tension.

"Aaah this is the life…" Caldina stretched out, leaning against the side of the pool. "Haven't had a bath this good since I arrived on Cephiro."

"It has been a while for me too," Sierra admitted, brushing her sister's blonde hair. "Renault had to close its bathhouse after the river dried up. Did Clef's mansion have access to a bath, sis?"

"It did, but it had its own quirks that even I couldn't fix," Presea admitted while relaxing.

As the three women were relaxing together, they looked over to the other side of the pool. Alcyone was floating across the water on her back silently, her ankle length black hair making the water around her look like an oil spill. As always, she didn't come across as the most sociable of the group, but didn't seem unhappy either. While Caldina, Presea, and Sierra were all beautiful in their own right, Alcyone seemed to surpass them in every category. Height, hair length, curves, age, and…

"Hay, Alcyone, has anyone ever told ya got really nice breasts," Caldina mentioned, trying to strike up a conversation.

Alcyone raised an annoyed eyebrow, before getting into an upwards position, "Only the most boorish of individuals. I only care about the opinions of those who can look past them."

Unpeturbed by Alcyone's words, Caldina continued, "I see, does that mean Hotaru has never complimented them?"

"He—" Alcyone started, before blushing fiercely.

The others giggled quietly as Alcyone's façade of confidence and superiority crumbled almost immediately, as she sank into the water up to her shoulders. With her hair turning the water black around her, her pale face looked very small and innocent.

"H-He has never seemed to dislike them…" Alcyone answered shyly.

Seeing Alcyone's eyes shift away from them, Presea gasped, "Wait… have you done it already?"

Sierra and Caldina also gasped, with Caldina adding, "Oh my~ You two love birds really move on quickly!"

"No! We haven't done it yet!" Alcyone denied, trying to keep her voice low enough that the men downstairs couldn't hear. "We've just… gotten really close from time to time."

"Oooh~?" Caldina leaned against her hand amusedly. "Could it be that you two don't yet have the nerves to go through with it?"

"Just a moment ago you said we were moving fast!"

Letting out a soft chuckle, Sierra spoke out, "Come on now Caldina, they have only known each other for a week or so."

"Not quite," Caldina wink impishly, "Alcyone was obsessed with Hotaru since they first met, if I remember correctly. What was it, three months ago?"

"Oh… then it is a lack of nerves," Sierra nodded along with Presea.

"I…!" Alcyone blushed, trying to find a way to retort Caldina's words. "I wasn't romantically interested in Hotaru back then. I was foolishly trying to earn somebody else's affection at that time…"

"And that someone certainly wasn't interested in top-heavy gals, ah-hahahaha!" Caldina laughed at her own joke.

Getting truly infuriated by the other women's insolence, Alcyone went straight for the kill, "Well what about you three? Have you even found anyone that loves you back, hmmm?"

This time the others went quiet, their faces blushing deep red. Caldina tried looking away, Presea looked somewhat upset by the question, and Sierra's inwards puckered lips pressed tightly together. Although it had been a while for her, Alcyone was all too familiar with these expressions. They reminded her of herself when she had still harbored her crush on Zagato.

"Oh my~" Alcyone mimicked Caldina gleefully, "Could it be that you three have not yet even confessed your feelings?"

"T-There just hasn't been a good time for it," Presea crossed her arms sternly.

"He's always so busy so I don't know if they got time for me," Caldina answered, stirring the water with her finger.

"I don't know if I should even try to approach them," Sierra admitted, sinking deeper into the water.

With her sense of superiority restored, Alcyone leaned against the side of the bath, crossing her legs and spreading her arms victoriously, "There, you see? I don't need my virginity criticized by little maidens who haven't got the heart to even express their love."

"You're still a virgin?" all three of them asked in unison, shocked.

Realizing she had revealed too much, Alcyone covered her mouth, before her eyes widened, "Wait… you mean you three have…"

"I've done it with a few clients," Caldina shrugged.

"Ex boyfriend," Sierra answered.

"I… well… I was stuck in a mansion for fifteen years!" Presea yelled out frustratedly. "So what if I got no experience…"

After Presea's outburst, an awkward silence fell upon the girls. Eventually however, Alcyone began to smile and then laugh, having realized how similar she and her old rival were. The others began to laugh as well, as they realized how lucky they were to be able to talk and joke around like this after all these years.

Once they all finished talking, Caldina swam up to Presea and Sierra, "Hay, have ya got the time to talk business?"

Presea was slightly taken aback by this, knowing the kind of business Caldina partook in, "Sure… what you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, once all this war nonsense is over, ya want to go into the business of making jewelry?" Caldina suggested, "I heard you sisters are quite master artisans, and Cephiro is home to a lot of pretty gems."

"That does sound like a nice change of pace from making weapons," Sierra agreed, tilting her head back. "But I don't know if there will be much demand for jewelry for many years to come."

"Not on Cephiro," Caldina winked. "But if ya let me do the marketing, I am sure we can sell your jewelry in other countries for high prices!"

"I know you are from Chizeta, but do you have any experience with Fahren and Autozam?" Alcyone asked, somewhat curious of this business arrangement.

"Well, I haven't been to Autozam before, but I've done a few gigs on Fahren. The nobles and merchants back on Chizeta and Fahren are always trying to show off their wealth, so I'm sure Cephiroan jewelry will be a surefire hit!" Caldina declared victoriously.

"Increased flow of revenue would certainly come in handy when rebuilding Cephiro," Alcyone nodded happily. "I wish you all good luck on your business venture."

---

Down at the lower bath, the atmosphere was laidback and jovial, as well as much louder.

"Cannon ball!" Ferio yelled

The Prince of Cephiro jumped down from one of the rocks that surrounded the bath in his birthday suit, causing a large splash in the pool. This splashed water on top of Ascot, who proceeded to use his magic to spray Ferio with water. Provoked by the roughhousing of the younger men, Lafarga placed his hand in the water and scooped it forward. Using the strength that allowed the swordsman to cut objects with the wind pressure of his slashes, Lafarga created a small tidal wave.

As the two smaller males were swept up by the current, Hotaru chuckled at their water games from afar. That was until Lafarga's wave encircled the pool, splashing Hotaru in the face, interrupting his peaceful bath.

"Okay, that's it," Hotaru snarled while wiping his face. "Titanium Power!"

The others watched in awe as Hotaru grew to gigantic size, with Ferio trying to hold in his laughter. As Hotaru reached his full size and was about to scoop thousands of gallons on top of others, he was interrupted by the screams of the women. Standing as tall as a Mashin, Hotaru's head was well above the edge of the upper bath. Pelted by Alcyone's ice magic, Hotaru quickly shrank back down to size. Once he came down, Ferio started laughing at his unintentional peeping.

"That was very bold of you, boss!" Ferio laughed, patting him on the back. "Did you get a good view?"

The idea of throwing Ferio up into the air to have a look for himself crossed Hotaru's mind, but he decided against it. There was no guarantee he would be able to catch him and there were plenty of jagged rocks around the bath.

"Let's just try to calm down a bit," Hotaru sighed, realizing it was up to him to be the adult in this situation. "We don't want to wreck the bathhouse on the very first day."

"You're the one who almost flipped the entire room…" Ascot pointed out.

"Water under the bridge," Ferio smiled before sitting down and leaning against the lower bath's center island. "So, boss, what do you plan on doing in Cephiro once all this is over?"

"Still trying to figure that out," Hotaru sighed, getting back into the warm water. "Alcyone says I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I want to have at least some form of a job."

"You could always join the royal guard," Lafarga suggested, washing his muscular body under a waterfall. "We could always use someone with your strength."

"Thanks for the offer, but I am not interested in government positions," Hotaru declined. "I want something where I can decide my own working hours and pace."

Also I'm not sure if the royal guard will even exist after all this is over with.

"You could be a forager," Ascot suggested, kicking the water with his feet. "You get to be outdoors, walk around in the woods, gather all kinds of weird herbs, mushrooms, and fruits. The only danger would be occasional monster attacks, but you are too strong to worry about that."

Hotaru considered Ascot's suggestion for a while, but eventually realized its redundancy, "While that sounds reasonable, Alcyone already wants an herb garden for stuff like that. It would be best to have more diverse sources of income.

"You can always hunt while foraging, or forage while hunting," Ferio pointed out.

"I suppose so… What about monster hunting? Cephiro had monsters even when Princess Emeraude was in charge, what was the reward for slaying them?" Hotaru asked, before seeing Ascot looking at him angrily. "I mean… the ones that have red eyes and… wait… the ones that attack people without provocation!"

Lafarga stroked his chin, trying to remember the peaceful times, "The royal guard took care of most of the monsters back then. However, whenever one appeared too far away from our base, sometimes they would be slain by civilians. In those cases, they would be rewarded with a few hundred gold coins and an honorary title of monster slayer."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Hotaru smiled, feeling he had found his calling.

"The downside to being a monster slayer is that the income is not steady in the slightest," Ferio pointed out, washing his green hair. "In the peace times, you would be lucky to find a single hostile monster per month."

"What a pain…" Hotaru grumbled by himself, leaning deep into the water. "…Speaking of peace times, how much do you remember now that your memory is back? Alcyone told me that Emeraude ruled for four hundred years, meaning you would be like… multiple centuries old."

Swimming closer to one of the statues where the water was warmest, Ferio relaxed, before taking a comfortable position, "It has honestly been very confusing. I don't just remember my time as a child, but also something akin to multiple lifetimes. I've been a traveling bard, swordsman, merchant, hunter, or whatever else for so long. I remembered doing all of it, but only now do I grasp the full time-line of it."

"Sounds like Princess Emeraude wanted to keep you from growing old," Hotaru suggested, trying to fill in the blanks of his prior knowledge. "She may have forgotten you as well, but didn't want to live in a world without her little brother."

Ferio smiled, looking at the surface of the water, imagining Emeraude's face in its reflection, "Big sis really had a big heart. It is a shame she could not make herself forget about Zagato, but at least she is now in a better place."

"…Don't know whether to apologize or say 'you're welcome', Ascot! You've been growing a lot lately," Hotaru changed the subject to try and lift the mood. "What made you decide to put on years?"

Ascot blushed slightly, but knew he was among friends who supported him, "It was what Umi said back at the mountain… I need to start standing up for myself and my friends, but then I realized I must also take responsibility for my beasts' actions. And well… I knew I couldn't just stay as a kid at that point."

Though Hotaru couldn't see the fifteen-year-old-looking teen's eyes from behind his bangs, he could recognize the expression. The part in life where every boy knows they have to put away their toys and start growing up, followed by confusion and uncertainty. He was already aware of just how much of an effect Umi had and would have on Ascot, but also how their relationship would go. Maybe he could try to nudge things a little to allow the two of them to grow closer?

"So, you figured it was time to grow up. How old are you anyway?" Hotaru asked, having never learnt Ascot's age from Alcyone.

"Oh, well, I'm only nineteen years old," Ascot answered brightly. "So I'm pretty grown up for my age."

"You're older than I am!?"

"You're younger than I am?!"

Shocked by this news, Hotaru slowly turned towards Lafarga, looking pale, "And what about you? Hundred? Two hundred?"

Lafarga flinched awkwardly, getting out from underneath the waterfall, "I am… 53 years old."

"Eh? That young?" Ferio asked in amazement.

"Yeah, I had to grow up fast when the previous captain of the guard passed away," Lafarga admitted. "I do not regret it, but it does get slightly embarrassing in social events with other powerful figures."

"Don't worry, in my books, your age is pretty normal," Hotaru comforted him.

Although I did not expect him to be younger than my total number of years…

"That means Hotaru is the youngest amongst us," Ferio grinned, giving a little chuckle. "No wonder Alcyone wants to baby you."

Hearing Ferio call him by his name for the first time, Hotaru pointed at him threateningly, "Remember that I can fold you in half, old man."

"S-Speaking of Alcyone," Ascot tried carefully changing the topic, "why did you… end up with her, instead of say, Caldina or Presea?"

Knowing this was a good opportunity to teach Ascot how to build up a relationship, Hotaru spoke with an air of experience, "Well I suppose it is because I was exposed to her the most and talked to her the most. I mean I only met Caldina once before this, and Presea twice, whereas I had four run-ins with Alcyone. The more you interact with someone, the more likely a relationship can form."

Not to mention those two already have someone else lined up for them. Well, I'm not sure about Presea but still.

"Also, I won't deny, I always found her closest to my type," Hotaru admitted, imagining his romantic femme fatale.

"I-I see…" Ascot nodded, before continuing. "I was just wondering why you fell in love with someone so cold, cruel, and twisted."

"…Like I said, I got to know her better than others did," Hotaru answered quietly. "I talked to her and learnt to appreciate her unique charm."

"Well, I hope you see something in her that I don't," Ferio said bluntly while moving to a cooler area of the bath. "I've never even met her before and I still find her scary."

"You just can't handle mature women," Hotaru snarked, before looking at the others smugly. "Also, why am I needing to defend my choices? Last time I checked I was the only one here who wasn't single."

Hearing this, Ascot and Lafarga gasped begrudgingly, before Ferio added, "Hold on now! I have a girlfriend! She just happens to be in another world and I cannot contact her."

Just as they all laughed at Ferio's notion, the door of the bathhouse opened up, catching their attention. As they turned around, they saw Master Mage Clef standing at the door, naked as the day he was born. Without his giant staff or white robes, he truly looked like an overly serious ten-year-old.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Hotaru quipped, as Clef walked into the bath.

"I was busy running the logistics of everything," Clef harrumphed before sitting down in the shallow edge of the pool. "If Mokona hadn't insisted that I come take a bath I wouldn't have bothered."

"Yeah, I assume it realized you don't care much for bathing along with the rest of us during our journey," Hotaru chastised the mage. "Mokona had everything we needed for the journey except the means of washing."

"Cleansing spells are more efficient than baths," Clef answered matter-of-factly. "It was not my fault the Magic Knights didn't know magic this time."

"But the previous ones didn't know it either if I remember correctly," Ferio filled in, trying to think back on his childhood days.

"I had thought this time would be different," Clef shrugged. "I didn't know if the Magic Knights would be summoned from the same world or another than last time."

Well maybe next time, if you are still alive, assume that this world having magic is an exception, not the norm. Oh, who am I kidding, there won't be a next time.

"…Wait, do you stay that age because children have less of a reason to bathe than adults?" Ferio asked, raising an eyebrow.

Clef gazed at him angrily before saying, "The reason I stay looking like this is my own!"

Lafarga, who had been mostly quiet for a while now, sighed deeply before leaning against the stones, "Can we talk about something that doesn't rile up the person in charge of keeping this place standing?"

Agreeing with Lafarga, Hotaru figured he would ask about something he had been thinking about for a while now, "Alright, you mind explaining me how that wind cutting technique of yours works? I mean I think I am stronger than you are in terms of strength and speed by now with my spells. But even when I swing at full force, I can't cut things with wind pressure alone."

"Still looking for a way to attack from far away without having to throw stuff?" Ascot chuckled, before showing off his energy beam spell, by cracking one of the boulders.

Hotaru narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth while green with envy, "It even goes 'pew'…"

"Don't go shooting magic indoors willy-nilly!" Clef reprimanded Ascot.

Ignoring the destruction of property by the youngsters, Lafarga explained calmly, "It is true that wind cutting requires more than strength. It is the flawless combination of power, technique, and heart that allows the blade to carry its might through the wind. If you want, I can teach you the basics of it tomorrow."

Hotaru's eyes widened, "Really? Thanks!"

"Just don't go splitting the Sanctuary in half," Ferio chuckled nervously.

"I'll try not to," Hotaru grinned, "Oh right! Clef I remembered what I meant to speak to you about when me and Alcyone arrived."

"Well do tell us before we get interrupted again," Clef said annoyedly while fixing Ascot's damages.

"I know that Alcyone deserves to be punished for her crimes, but don't you think her skills will go to waste if you put her on laundry duty?" Hotaru spoke softly, trying to persuade the huffy mage. "Her medicine making skills alone would be an important asset, not to mention her combat capabilities."

Having fixed the boulder, Clef turned around with an amused smile, "You were still worried about that? That was just me scolding my former student in a way she was familiar with."

Clef sat back down into the water, submerged up to his neck, before he continued talking, "While I cannot decide for her punishment myself, I will make sure that Alcyone's talents will be put to good use before then. In fact, I am planning on naming her as my Spare."

"Spare?" Ferio tilted his head.

"There aren't many people capable of upholding the Sanctuary and its defenses. The person whose magical powers, knowledge, and skills are closest to mine at this moment, is Alcyone. If something were to happen to me, she will be the one to uphold the Sanctuary in my place."

---

Once everyone was finished with bathing, they all returned to the bathhouse's dressing rooms. There, as promised, fresh new clothes were waiting for them all. For Lafarga this meant a new set of loose-fitting tank top and pants, this time in darker gray, on top of which he put on his armor.

Ascot had been given a new summoner's robe that was somewhat oversized for his new stature. It was similar to his old one, but had more green details to it, around the sleeves, the center front, collar and lapels. In addition to his heavy golden necklace, he also had a golden waistband, and long golden ribbons attached to his back.

"I guess they made sure it had some room for growth?" Ascot said, examining his new clothes. "Wow, Ferio, what did they give you?"

Ferio had been given clothes similar to his old tunic, but also white, loose fitting, silk pants. What took everyone by surprise, was the pure white armor that came along with it. This included a white tabard with orange-brown decorative symbols and golden attachments, large, matching pauldrons, and chest plate. A sash with a large golden armored plate by his stomach connected the tabard and his tunic. The outfit also included a pair of boots and gloves, as well as a white split cape. The boots, gloves, chest plate, and pauldrons were decorated by round yellow gems.

Tugging his collar and adjusting his armor, Ferio muttered, "I guess they really do expect me to play the part of a prince now. I don't know how you warrior types can wear stuff like this."

"You get used to it," Hotaru scoffed, putting on his new clothes.

Hotaru's modern clothes had been taken when he had first arrived at the bathhouse and in return he had been given local apparel. He had been given a tan leather tunic with a wide, high collar, and golden ornate decorations around the sleeves, shoulders, and the lapels. As an undershirt, he had been given a smooth, silver turtleneck. His jeans had been replaced with pants similar to Lafarga's, except lighter grey in color. He had hoped to gain a new pair of shoes, but apparently it had been seen fit for him to keep using the boots of his armor.

"Do I look goofy in this?" Hotaru asked, straightening his outfit out.

Lafarga took a long look, before nodding approvingly, "Honestly, it suits you. Makes you seem more like the hero people would expect when they hear about your feats."

Hotaru looked at Ferio with a smile before offering a fist bump, "Propaganda brothers!"

"Propaganda bros!"

On the ladies side, the women had just finished drying up their hair and were putting on their new clean clothes.

Presea and Sierra were given dresses with large jewel encrusted collars, sashes, and knee length skirts that left their thighs completely bare from the side all the way up. Other accessories included arm length gloves and calf high boots with matching gems. The outfits were identical in design, except where Presea's dress was orange with white accessories, Sierra's was white with orange accessories.

While the twins' new outfits were more revealing than they were used to, they were nothing compared to Caldina's. Her outfit consisted essentially of only a single gold and off-white leotard, that might as well have been a bikini from the front. Her accessories included golden arm bands and anklets, gem encrusted shoes, gloves, and a choker, and a white, overly long silk shawl.

"My~ I didn't know Cephiroans were so aware of Chizetan fashion sense," Caldina admired her new outfit in a mirror. "This should definitely turn his head…"

"Ummm…" Sierra interrupted, "has anybody seen Alcyone?"

As the three of them looked around, they indeed couldn't see the dark-haired sorceress anywhere.

---

After eating, bathing, and talking for more than 3 hours straight, Hotaru was yawning widely as he traversed the Sanctuary. While he had enjoyed his first day in the crystal castle, he did feel like he would enjoy it more after a good night's sleep. He didn't know how early Lafarga would wake him up for training, but he did know he should try and get as much sleep as possible before the week was over. After the Magic Knights returned, there would be barely a moment of respite.

Opening the door of his apartment, he stepped in and called out, "Tadaima~! Anybody home?"

There was a moment of silence, making Hotaru believe he had arrived before Alcyone, until he smelled something. It was a sweet and fragrant smell, reminiscent of vanilla and cherry blossoms. As he followed the scent, he could tell it was coming from the master bedroom. Opening the door, he was greeted by an amazing sight.

"Welcome home, darling~", Alcyone whispered sensually.

Hotaru's jaw dropped, as he gazed upon Alcyone's voluptuous form, laying naked in the middle of their new king-sized bed. The only things giving her body any cover were strategically placed locks of her own hair. The long black hair was still wet and her moist locks hugged the contours of her body tightly, leaving just enough for the imagination. As Alcyone teasingly brushed some of her hair aside, her plump breasts and shapely thighs jiggled alluringly.

On top of the nightstands on either side of the bed, there were small pots with faint smoke rising out of them. Knowing Alcyone, it was probably some form of herbal incense.

Seeing her beloved was speechless, Alcyone smiled teasingly, "I wanted to make up for some lost time. I hope you don't mind~."

Hotaru swallowed deeply, before raising his finger, "Excuse me for one minute…"

To Alcyone's surprise, Hotaru walked away from the bedroom door, back into the living room. She was worried she might have overdone it and that Hotaru had gotten cold feet. Thinking of a way to salvage this, Alcyone jumped as she heard a loud noise.

Something heavy was being dragged across the crystal floors of the center room, followed by an impact against the marble wall. Looking at the bedroom's wall mirror at an angle, Alcyone saw that the living room couch had been moved in front of the apartment door.

Before she had time to think, Hotaru came back into the bedroom and closed the door. Before she had time to react, Hotaru picked up the bedroom's large chest of drawers and placed it in front of the door. After this, the young man turned around and began taking off his new clothes.

With a deep voice, Hotaru whispered, "Just making sure there are no more interruptions…"

Alcyone's toes curled seeing the hunger and desire in her lover's lime-green eyes. Knowing she had managed to rouse such a reaction out of Hotaru, wiped away all doubts that had risen during the bath. While losing her virginity after all these years made her slightly nervous, she felt content knowing who she was giving it to.

Gasping his name, she spread her legs, inviting him over.

---

After Hotaru had split up from the group, Ferio had invited Lafarga, Ascot, and Clef over to play some cards in his apartment. Ascot turned down the offer, since he needed to go to his apartment to spend time with his beasts. Lafarga had then suggested that they would go over to Ascot's for their game, an idea which they had all agreed upon. Clef had politely turned down the offer however, saying he needed to get as much rest as possible.

Understanding Clef's position, the three of them headed over to Ascot's room, which was located in the lower levels of the castle. While it could have been interpreted that Ascot didn't hold the same rank as the other protectors of Cephiro, this had been by his choice. Ascot's apartment was far larger than the others', in order to accommodate his beasts, so it had to be situated in the vaster section of the castle. In addition, it was located right next door to the monster barracks. These were the spaces reserved for Cephiro's remaining magical beasts and monsters, as well as magical creatures and animals.

Although Ascot called it his apartment, it was more accurate to call it Ascot's room. It was a giant space about the size of a grand ballroom, with marble pillars decorated by green gems lining the marble walls. The ceiling was flat and gray, aside from several golden support beams running across it. The room had no windows and had two sets of doors, a small one and a large one. The small one was a standard pair of crystal double doors with a golden frame that led out into the castle's hallways. The larger doors, made out of reinforced metal, led directly into the monster barracks.

The room barely had any furniture, aside from a kitchen area, a small living room set, and an oversized loft bed that was several meters off the ground. Instead, the room was filled with food bowls, nests and beds of monsters. The air in the room smelled pungent and rustic. While the Magic Knights had killed many of Ascot's beasts, he still had five left.

The humanoid beetle and eagle shaped monsters that had once fought against the Magic Knights, joined them in playing cards. Two wyvern-esque monsters were hanging upside down from the ceiling, sleeping. One of them was skinny and brownish red, with a single forward-facing horn, and a yellow bird-like beak. The other one was more muscular, dirty green, had multiple forward-facing horns, and an ogre-like face. Finally, there was a large fluffy monster that looked like a combination of a sheepdog and a caterpillar. On its back, it had several moth-like antennae. This monster was sleeping on the ground, curled up around Ascot's living room area. As his guests had taken up the couch and the armchair, Ascot sat on top of his fluffiest monster.

"Quite the friendly guy you got there," Ferio said, looking at the monster and trying to figure out which end was the head.

Ascot nodded, petting its head, "It is, his name is Hoggar. He isn't really capable of fighting so I never call him out, but he is a great friend."

"It amazes me how intelligent some monsters can be," Lafarga said, helping the eagle monster pick up a card.

"Surprisingly many monsters have almost human levels of intelligence," Ascot answered, using telekinesis to swap out a card from afar. "I'd go as far as to say humans and monsters only differ in physical traits."

"Really? Do you think monsters could be as intelligent as humans?" Ferio chuckled, before being angrily glared at by the beetle, causing him to move back a bit.

"Well, think of it this way. How intelligent would you be if you couldn't talk, no one taught you anything, and had to live in the wilderness," Ascot pointed out. "It is not that magical beasts are stupid, just uneducated."

"There might be some merit to that line of thinking," Lafarga nodded, his voice turning more serious. "However, as a protector of Cephiro's people, I do dread to see the day when I am outsmarted by a monster. Three unicorns."

"Nine dragons," Ferio revealed his cards.

Ascot revealed his cards victoriously, "Four shields!"

"You've been playing with Caldina, haven't you?" Ferio chuckled, before seeing the eagle monster reveal its cards. "Fifteen dragons!?"

Having lost to the monster, Lafarga began to reshuffle the cards before the next game was to begin. As he did so, Hoggar stirred up, raising his head up into the air, before letting out a whimpering sound. Despite being a very lax monster, Ascot knew that his senses were especially sharp among his beasts.

"What is it boy? You hear something?"

"Grrooouuuh wah!"

"Wailing?" Ascot tilted his head. "Moaning?"

"Must be pretty loud with all these sound proofed walls," Lafarga mentioned, dealing the cards out to five players.

After picking up his cards, Ferio asked the others awkwardly, "So, with Hotaru no longer being with us in the bachelors club, what about the rest of you?"

"What do you mean?" Lafarga asked, concentrating on his cards.

"Well, it's just… while I still love Fuu, I don't know if I will ever see her again," Ferio admitted, staring at his cards filled with birds. "I hope she will come back one day, but I don't know how long I should wait for her till I move on."

Picking up his cards, Ascot hid his face behind them and his forelocks. This wasn't just to hide his poker face, but to disguise his blushing. While he and Umi had only been friends, he still longed to meet her again. However, considering how little time they had spent together, it was embarrassing to have fallen in love with her so quickly.

"As such I was hoping to get some advice. Lafarga, you got experience with women, right?" Ferio asked.

Gripping the cards in his hand tighter, Lafarga asked dryly, "What makes you say that?"

"I mean… Come on! You're tall, muscular, famous, strong, heroic, handsome, and well mannered," Ferio listed off the painfully obvious. "I am sure there are plenty of women interested in you."

"Yes, but they only see the surface," Lafarga sighed, before leaning back in his chair, placing the cards on his lap. "The truth is that I am a painfully plain and boring person. I am married to my work, I have no sense of humor, and have mundane routines and hobbies. I am not ashamed of this; however, I know that any woman who takes their time to get to know me will be disappointed."

Hearing Lafarga's self-aware description, Ascot was taken aback by his foresight, "I suppose that is one way to look at it, but I'm sure there are women who are into that sort of… reliability."

"Yeah, but to be fair our choices of women are very limited nowadays," Ferio admitted, looking at the total populace of Cephiro. "I mean even right now our options in women we are familiar with, are either one of the twins or Caldina. And frankly I am not interested in either."

"I don't know, Caldina is a very interesting lady," Lafarga said, exchanging a few cards. "I am sure she at least will be able to find someone she is interested in."

As the players revealed their hands again, the result was a three-way tie between the human players.

"How did that bird win again!?"

---

While time had lost nearly all meaning in Cephiroans' day to day lives, Hotaru could tell that it was very late. He and Alcyone had lost all sense of time as they had surrendered to their primal passions, for what in hindsight felt like hours. It was only once they were both too tired to continue that they had collapsed into each other's arms.

Exhausted by the strain of it all, Alcyone had only had time to thank him, before passing out on the bed. Even at this very moment, her naked body pressed against Hotaru's arm. Hotaru himself couldn't find the words to describe how happy and content he was, but as long as they both had enjoyed it, it was all that mattered.

Pulling the blanket over them both, Hotaru lied down and wrapped his arm around his raven-haired lover. With the taste and scent of Alcyone's ecstasy still lingering, he was surprised by how warm her body was. As he looked at her pale, smiling, sleeping face in the darkness, he knew he had forever changed fate. The dreams of her being left alone in the ruins of her former life had stopped a long time ago. The fear of losing her to the darkness that was encroaching on Cephiro, no longer worried him. The future of her life being snuffed out unjustly at the very end, could be averted.

He laid down onto his back and pulled Alcyone on top of his chest, enjoying the bliss of their shared solitude. Closing his eyes, a faint sound caught Hotaru's attention. At first, he thought it was the sound of the bed creaking, but as it became clearer and louder, it began to resemble snickering.

Opening his eyes, Hotaru looked around the dark bedroom, wondering if one of the refugees had snuck in to peep. However, as he looked to the bedroom door, he could see that the dresser was still in front of it. As the sound grew louder, he looked around frantically, until he spotted something in the bedroom mirror.

A pair of eyes were staring at him from the angled reflection, gleaming like those of a nocturnal predator, with the darkness masking their true color. As the eyes began to move, Hotaru watched as a small black figure crawled out of the mirror and onto the floor. Afraid it would crawl into the bed, Hotaru quickly sat up, only for the figure to hop onto the dresser.

It sat down, dangling its short legs, staring at him with its eyes, while continuing to chuckle to itself. While it was too dark for Hotaru to see its features, he could tell by its silhouette that it had small horns on its head.

"So, you finally did it," the small creature spoke in an amused, child-like voice.

Unwilling to show his fear, Hotaru stared at it angrily, "What are you?"

Ignoring the question, the creature then stared at Alcyone, "She was surprisingly loud, wasn't she? I was sure the neighbors would have heard it all."

"Shut up and answer the question…" Hotaru spoke through gritted teeth, trying not to wake Alcyone up.

Still ignoring him, the figure continued staring at Alcyone, "Not that surprising though, with you giving it to her that rough on her first go. And the idea to gag her with her own hair? Bravo~."

As it began to clap its hands, Hotaru covered Alcyone up with the blanket, not wanting the lecherous imp to look at her.

"Either shut up and fuck off, or answer the question!" Hotaru commanded, getting up from the bed. "I am not above hurting a child."

"Oh, I know," the figure giggled before standing up, "I just wanted to congratulate you on the job well done, before things get messy."

Tired of the imp's words, Hotaru activated Silver Speed, charging at the shadowy figure. But before he could grab it by its little neck, it jumped to the side. By the time he turned around and lunged at the creature, it had already jumped back into the mirror. As he collided with the mirror, it shattered to pieces, knocking Hotaru awake.

As he woke up, he was back in bed, with Alcyone still laying on top of him. His heart was beating rapidly and his body was covered in cold sweat. Realizing it was all a dream, Hotaru breathed in and out deeply to calm down. He looked around the room, seeing that everything was still intact and in its place. As he laid his head back down, he could feel how Alcyone's body temperature was back to normal, helping him cool down.

Trying to remember the nightmare, the details of it were quickly lost on him. However, it wasn't like he was completely clueless either.

Could that have been? Nah… It's not like anything happened to warrant it. Probably just one of Debonair's goons. She doesn't have Alcyone so she must be scraping the bottom of the barrel for minions. Could've just been a dream, though. Maybe I'm just feeling guilty for being so rough on Alcyone, even though she did request it.

As Hotaru was thinking, he heard another sound. This time however, he recognized it immediately as Alcyone whining and whimpering in her sleep. His lover was writhing on top of him, her face distorted by a grimace, and her hand was grasping at the sheets. At first, he thought she was just having a nightmare, but then realized Debonair could have been messing with her as well.

Stroking Alcyone's head and back, Hotaru gently began to speak to her, "Wake up dear, it is just a bad dream. Hush now, nothing to be scared of."

Slowly but surely, Alcyone calmed down, her face returning to its beautiful yet worried self, before opening her tired indigo eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on Hotaru's, after which she stroked his cheek, as if to confirm it was really him.

"Bad dream, my love?" Hotaru whispered gently, still stroking her back.

"Yes," Alcyone nodded, her voice soft and quiet. "Did… did I wake you up?"

Hotaru shook his head slowly, "No, I had a bad dream too."

Alcyone's eyes widened from worry upon hearing this and she moved higher up, before wrapping her arms around Hotaru's head. Before Hotaru could react, Alcyone pressed her breasts against his face, embracing him firmly yet carefully. While this kind of forwardness was unusual for Alcyone, Hotaru didn't resist, as it was quite soothing.

"You poor thing," Alcyone spoke as motherly as she could. "Try to close your eyes and relax, I will take good care of you."

Blushing slightly from embarrassment, Hotaru asked with a muffled voice, "Is everything alright?"

Running her fingers through Hotaru's thick hair, Alcyone thought about her words before answering, "…Yes. Just… just promise you won't leave me…"

"That is…" Hotaru yawned, "an easy promise to make."

Alcyone continued coddling Hotaru, until he fell asleep. Once he was snoring peacefully, Alcyone tightened her embrace slightly, to fully feel Hotaru's warmth. While she felt like Hotaru had always been the one looking after her, Alcyone now felt an overwhelming urge to look after him.

Hotaru, I never noticed it before, but you are the only thing left that gives me comfort in this world…

Unlike Hotaru, Alcyone still remembered her nightmare vividly. It had begun in this very room, at which point the door had been kicked open. Armed knights had dragged them both out into a courtroom, where the hearing for Alcyone's trial was being held. As the hearing began, Hotaru had stood right by her side, making Alcyone feel safe and confident.

But as the trial went on the distance between them grew, as more and more of her wrongdoings were being brought to light. Eventually Hotaru had no longer even looked in her direction. As an angry crowd had started dragging her away, Alcyone had yelled out for Hotaru to help her. With their distance growing by the moment, the world around her had become darker and colder. Trying futilely to reach out for him, a gray-skinned hand with sharp fingernails had placed itself onto her shoulder. Just before she had woken up, a melodious voice had whispered in her ear.

Don't worry, I will take good care of him.

---

While no longer plagued by nightmares and finally able to sleep comfortably, it didn't mean Hotaru and Alcyone got much rest. What had only felt like a few peaceful moments in their new bedroom, were interrupted by loud knocking at their front door.

"Hhnngg… who the bloody Hell could it be at this hour," Alcyone swore, being woken from a deep slumber.

"Maybe it's a monster attack…" Hotaru groaned, as his "face mask" lifted.

Despite their bodies being sore from yesterday and the desire to sleep longer being overwhelming, the knocking didn't relent. Instead, it kept getting louder, until a deep male voice called out.

"Hotaru! It is time to start our training!"

"Oh fuck that's right," Hotaru facepalmed, "I asked Lafarga to train me in swordsmanship. I should've guessed he was an early bird."

"Well, you two have fun," Alcyone said dismissively and laid her head against the pillow, before remembering last night. "Actually, I should probably come and keep an eye on you two."

"Suit yourself," Hotaru said, turning on the lights.

With the light on, Hotaru started picking up his clothes off the floor and putting them on. As he did so, he looked around the room, trying to spot where Alcyone had placed her new set. Figuring she had probably stored them properly inside the dresser, he picked it up with Steel Strength and put it back in its place. But as he opened it, it was empty.

"Where did you put your new outfit?"

"I left it in the dressing room," Alcyone answered nonchalantly. "It didn't fit my style and my armor is more convenient."

As if to prove her point, Alcyone placed her magic gem on her forehead, summoning her sorceress's outfit. Her outfit of black arm-length gloves, thigh-high boots, open-front-and-back leotard, and white cape had always been revealing. But only now Hotaru knew for sure she wore literally nothing underneath it.

After turning around smugly, Alcyone's expression changed drastically from surprise, "What happened to the mirror?"

Turning around himself, Hotaru noticed that the large mirror of their bedroom was fractured. It was split up by five cracks that all met up in the middle, but hadn't broken the mirror properly. Memories of last night's dream flashed in the back of his mind, until he heard Alcyone chuckling.

"I guess we were wilder last night than I thought."

Brushing the damaged mirror aside, the two of them left the bedroom, hearing that the knocking had ended. After Hotaru put on his armor and moved the couch out of the way of the front door, they were surprised to see two figures outside.

"Master Mage Clef, what brings you here?" Alcyone asked, seeing the short mage next to Lafarga.

"I came to see you two," Clef answered shortly, before pulling out a book from underneath his robe. "For starters, Alcyone, I heard from Mokona that you had the idea to pay a visit to the royal library to rescue the books inside. Some of these tomes are older than I am. I cannot thank you enough for risking your lives to preserve our culture."

Hearing Clef praise her for the very first time in a long time, Alcyone bowed her head humbly, "I am flattered, but I received the idea from Hotaru. I hope it makes up for our tardiness yesterday."

Clef shook his head while smiling, "No, the one who has to make up for it is me. I apologize for my harsh tone yesterday. I was tired, hungry, and stressed out, and I took it out on you two. As the head of this sanctuary, I should aim to be better than that."

Seeing Alcyone and Clef reconciling, Hotaru smiled and turned towards Lafarga, "Shall we head on out to start our training?"

Before Lafarga could answer, Clef cut in, "Actually Hotaru, I also had something to talk about with you as well."

"Oh? What is it?" Hotaru asked, hoping Clef would teach him more about magic.

"Presea has told me a lot of things about that armor of yours," Clef answered, poking his chest piece with his staff. "We would like to run some tests on it."

Although this answer wasn't what Hotaru had hoped for, he couldn't deny he wasn't curious. The same applied for Lafarga and Alcyone, who followed him and Clef over to Presea's and Sierra's workshop.

The workshop was similar in shape as the one back at the old mansion. An empty round room with a raised dome-shaped ceiling, but more modern in design. A single metal door led into the room that was lit up by a large light-giving orb in the ceiling. The floor was made out of emerald and the walls and ceiling out of amethyst, all held together by a silver frame.

By this point, Hotaru was quite used to Presea's and Sierra's method of forging and repairing weapons by dancing in a white dress. However, this time their methods were far more orthodox. The two blacksmiths first took some measurements and requested Hotaru to demonstrate his ability to conjure weapons from his armor. After confirming that each weapon created was a wholly new one, they tested out what would happen if someone else wielded them.

Lafarga volunteered to act as the test subject. As he grabbed one of the rapiers conjured by Silver Speed, it turned into particles of light before being sucked back into the armor. Confirming that the weapons acted like regular Escudo weapons, only allowing themselves to be wielded by their owner, it was time to test the armor itself. With Hotaru converting his suit of armor into a pair of gauntlets, Lafarga tried putting the gauntlets on after taking off his armor.

Prepared for a violent reaction, the group of observers were surprised as the gauntlet simply flung out of Lafarga's hand. Thinking this might've been just a fluke, Lafarga tried again, holding the gauntlet tighter. But no matter how hard he tried; an invisible force was preventing him from putting the gauntlet on.

"Curious, Lafarga's hand is being repelled as if by magnetism," Clef observed.

"Could be worse," Hotaru stated. "At least it isn't trying to cover him in molten metal or something."

"Can something that scary actually happen?" Lafarga asked, shocked by the thought of it.

Hotaru nodded, "Mhm, Hikaru's sword lit anyone who tried to touch it on fire."

"My staff causes frost burns," Alcyone answered proudly.

"Still, this is a peculiar set of armor," Clef stated, picking up the gauntlet and handing it over to Hotaru. "An evolving armor infused with evolving ore Escudo. Go ahead and put it back on, I still have one last test."

After putting the gauntlets back on and having the armor cover his body once more, Clef pressed his finger on Hotaru's chest plate. The master mage drew a small magic circle against its surface, before it began to glow bright green.

"Gauge Magic!"

The green light spread throughout Hotaru's armor, before eventually fading away and condensing into a small orb. The orb then flew into Clef's staff's blue gem, causing it to ping.

"Hmmm, just as I expected," Clef said, observing his staff. "Tell me Hotaru, how many times has your Double Armor evolved?"

Hotaru stroked his chin while thinking back on his adventure, "Well, it evolved when I obtained Escudo, then when it absorbed the ore, and when I fell from the Sky Shrine. And lastly when I had to fight against Zagato and Emeraude."

"So, either three or four times. Depending if the escudo fusing with it counted as an evolution," Clef calculated. "And yet, it still has the potential to evolve further."

"Nani?" Lafarga, Sierra, and Alcyone gasped simultaneously.

Shocked yet excited by the news, Hotaru stared at his armored hand, "I-I guess that makes sense for the Double Armor…"

"Still haven't come up with a better name?" Presea asked smugly.

Hotaru glared at Presea angrily before turning back to Clef, "How many evolutions do you think it still has left?"

Clef shook his head, "I do not know. Gauge Magic only allows me to know that it has the potential to evolve, not by how much. But if my memory serves me correctly, either one or two more evolutions."

"Memory?" Sierra asked, her eyes focusing on Clef. "You mean you've seen something like this before?"

Clef summoned himself a floating chair and sat down on it, before beginning to explain, "I've only heard stories from the previous master mage. There once was a warrior with an evolving armor of Escudo such as this. As it evolved through his deeds, he rose to be a hero, before being appointed as the High Priest. After a century of service, he tried to rise to power and claim the position of the Pillar for himself, with his armor evolving even further beyond. His foolish uprising was brought to an end as the then current Pillar destroyed him. However, the armor remained."

"Wait… you don't mean," Alcyone gasped, realizing what her master meant, "that was the Armor of the High Priest?"

"That's right," Clef nodded. "Hotaru's armor shares origins similar to those of Zagato's armor. They're not identical, no two Escudo weapons are, but they are the same in their make."

Hotaru's inner anime fan was elated to hear all this, but then a question began to gnaw at him, "But didn't we just prove that only the owner of the Escudo armor can wear it? How come Zagato could wear someone else's armor?"

"While the Pillar had been deeply hurt by the betrayal of the High Priest, they still missed their old friend. As such, the armor was turned into an Artifact by the Pillar, allowing the High Priests who came after to wield it," Clef explained before raising his hand, showing the ring on it. "This ring for example is the Artifact handed down from a master mage to another."

Listening carefully, Hotaru nodded along, memories filling his mind, causing him to think out loud, "So that's why they both open… never mind."

"Did you manage to recover Zagato's armor along with the books?" Lafarga asked Hotaru and Alcyone.

Hotaru shook his head, "I'm afraid that armor was completely destroyed along with Zagato by the combined power of Emeraude and the Magic Knights."

Hearing this, Lafarga felt more convinced in his judgement, "Master Mage Clef, do you believe that Hotaru holds the potential to be the next High Priest?"

Alcyone gasped in delight, rushing over to hug Hotaru, "You hear that? You will be the next High Priest of Cephiro! Meaning I get to marry the High Priest after all~"

Seeing his students flirting, Clef interrupted them with a cough, "Hold on. While the potential is there, there is no guarantee that Hotaru will specifically become a High Priest."

"I'm with Clef on this one," Hotaru smiled awkwardly while stroking the back of Alcyone's head. "Better not to count the birds before they leave the nest…"

Especially since the title of the High Priest will soon be for naught…

---

After finishing up with the tests on the Double Armor, Hotaru and Lafarga headed outside the sanctuary to practice. While there were training rooms inside the sanctuary, Clef didn't allow neither Lafarga nor Hotaru to use them. Instead, he and Alcyone followed Hotaru and Lafarga outdoors to follow their training and to catch some fresh air. Clef had summoned them a pair of floating egg-shaped chairs to sit in.

"Heaargh!" Lafarga grunted, swinging his sword forth.

A white wave of light was sent forth from the blade, carving up the rocky ground underneath it, before it struck a large rock. The rock was nearly split in two, as its surface cracked under the force of the wind pressure. While it looked like a cut, it was clear the impact had been much blunter.

"Incredible as always, Lafarga," Clef praised the swordsman.

Looking at the cut, Hotaru tilted his head, "I swear you've gotten stronger since last time…"

Having been the target of Lafarga's slashes before, he could tell that the previous cut was in a league of its own. Hotaru had a hard time imagining his Tungsten Defense being able to withstand Lafarga's attack, back before he learnt Titanium Power.

"I have been training," Lafarga said, placing his sword on his shoulder. "Or I could have been holding back subconsciously when under Zagato's spell. But none of that matters, we are here to guide you to learn the basics of it."

"Alright," Hotaru nodded.

"Do your best, darling!" Alcyone cheered him on.

"Steel Strength! Silver Speed!" Hotaru roared out, before summoning his giant golden blade.

Although his original sword wasn't the most agile, it still felt like the best bet to make wind cutting functional. The rapiers felt too flimsy and Titan Slicer would not be viable in closed spaces. As such, using the kendo knowledge he had learnt from Hikaru, Hotaru began to swing his sword with all his might. With the giant blade swinging at the speed of sound, it whooshed through the air audibly. But no matter how fast he swung it, it only kicked up dust.

After five minutes of non-stop swinging, Hotaru's arms started feeling tired and he was panting, "Okay… I feel like I am missing something…"

"Actually, this is pretty much how it was for me at the start as well," Lafarga stated bluntly. "Just continue swinging and eventually you'll get it in a decade or so."

"I'D RATHER LEARN IT FASTER THAN THAT!" Hotaru yelled out frustratedly. "Is there something else you do other than swing the sword? Concentrate on the wind? Feel the metal of the blade becoming one with your arm? Pumping your magical power into the sword?"

Lafarge lifted his right eyebrow, "You really think I have time to concentrate on stuff like that in the heat of battle?"

Hotaru facepalmed hearing this, "Look… I don't know much about Cephiro's scientific know-how, but swinging a sword really really hard doesn't create blades of wind like yours does!"

"Everyone knows that," Lafarga answered, offended by Hotaru's insinuation, "but this is Cephiro. You believe in something and it will work. In such terms, scientific knowledge will only get in your way. How did you defeat Zagato if you do not grasp even that at this point?"

With the proverbial dunce hat now on him instead of Lafarga, Hotaru felt like it was a mistake to let Alcyone watch. He had been a lot more open minded when first arriving in Cephiro, not letting pesky things like realism get in his way. However, it had only been when he had used his scientific knowledge that he had finally started getting results in combat. With that in mind, he knew he had to get out of his comfort zone if he wanted to learn wind cutting.

"Believe in myself…" Hotaru inhaled and exhaled, before looking at his sword again.

Yeah, no way I can convince myself of being able to do it with this thing. I cannot be taking half measures here.

Throwing his knock-off Dragonslayer on the ground, Hotaru yelled out, "Titanium Power!"

As he grew giant sized, Lafarga and everyone else watching moved further away from Hotaru. Not just due to his size, but due to the expression on his face and the aura he was exuding. As Hotaru summoned his Titan Slicer, it was clear he was fully serious, as if going all out against an invisible foe. After bringing his sword up into the air, Hotaru gripped it tightly, before swinging it down at full force.

Die Debonair!

As the giant sword came down instantly at supersonic speed, there was a bright flash, as its tip struck the rock. Sparks flew as the giant sword sunk into the ground like a meteor, creating a massive crater and causing the earth to shake. Clef and Alcyone, who were sitting some ways away, were knocked off of their seats. There were faint sounds of screaming that could be heard from inside the Sanctuary, as the impact shook the crystal castle.

If there had been a blade of wind created by all this, it had gone unnoticed due to everything else happening at once.

"I think I overshot it…" Hotaru grimaced awkwardly, referring to the length of his sword.

"These things happen," Lafarga said understandingly. "Just try again but swing away from the ground."

"I THINK WE ARE DONE WITH TRAINING FOR THE DAY!" Clef yelled out from behind his overturned chair. "The sanctuary can't take much more of this…"

"Fine… I guess ranged attacks just aren't my thing," Hotaru sighed before shrinking back down. "I suppose one just can't have everything."

"I believe you can do it," Alcyone smiled, walking over to Hotaru. "Next time just train further away from the Sanctuary."

As Hotaru was about to thank Alcyone for her advice and boost of confidence, the sound of a horse neighing echoed above them. As they looked up into the sky confused, they could see a glowing blue flame up in the sky. As it got closer, they saw the silhouette of a black, armored horse with a flaming mane, riding across the sky. The horse made a few circles around the Sanctuary as it descended, allowing them to see a dark figure riding atop of it.

Speaking of having everything…

The horse and its rider eventually landed in front of Hotaru and the others, closest to Clef. Seeing the stranger immediately approach the person in charge of the sanctuary, Lafarga pulled out his sword defensively. Alcyone also summoned her staff, but it soon became clear there was no air of hostility about the newcomer. However, she couldn't help but notice something familiar about him

"Za- Zagato?" Alcyone stuttered, staring at the armored figure.

Indeed, the rider in black armor resembled Zagato in many ways. He was tall as Lafarga, well-built, and handsome, with black hair and blue eyes. However, the man's hair was significantly shorter, his skin paler, and his face seemed friendlier and more youthful.

He wore a black armor with silver trims and blue orbs on its pauldrons, collar, chest, and abdomen. He also had black armored boots that reached his knees and silver vambraces with backwards curving spikes. A wide, full-length, light blue mantle hung loosely from his shoulders. Two black pieces of cloth, pinned under a white belt, framed his waist until the ankles. The clothing under his armor included a simple pair of black pants and a high-collared, long-sleeved shirt of the same color. Around his head, he wore a golden circlet with no decorations.

"Lantis…" Clef gasped, looking at the warrior in black. "You have returned…"

"Master Mage Clef, I am glad to see you are well," Lantis said in a deep quiet voice that was identical to Zagato's. "I see Cephiro has changed greatly since my departure."

Still on his guard, Lafarga turned towards Clef, "Master Clef, is this man truly Lantis?"

"Yes," Clef nodded.

"Uhm… excuse me," Alcyone raised her hand. "Would you mind cluing me and Hotaru in on this as well? Who is he and why does he sound just like Zagato?"

Lantis hopped down off of his horse before speaking calmly and stoically, "My name is Lantis. I am the former High Priest Zagato's younger brother."

"Younger brother," Alcyone gasped, having never heard of him before.

Lantis glanced at the others, before asking, "I am only familiar with Clef due to him being my former teacher. Who are the rest of you?"

"Lafarga, Captain of the Royal Guard."

"A-Alcyone, Princess Emeraude's former sorceress," Alcyone introduced herself politely.

Turning his gaze towards him, Hotaru glared up at Lantis unflinchingly. Although everyone around was wary of Lantis's appearance, only Hotaru seemed openly antagonistic. However, instead of exuding a sense of hatred or violence, it was more of a sense of superiority.

Resisting the urge to introduce himself as Captain Hotaru Hanma, he said, "Hotaru, the slayer of Zagato."

Everyone present turned instantly pale as a sheet, their jaws dropping, and their words getting stuck in their mouth. While Hotaru had never been afraid to speak his mind, he was always reasonable. They couldn't believe how brazen and offensive he was at what surely was the worst possible moment.

While Lantis did scowl for a moment, he didn't raise his voice, "I see, so you are one of the Magic Knights."

"Bodyguard, actually. The real Magic Knights left Cephiro a few days ago," Hotaru corrected him nonchalantly.

"I see," Lantis said in a low voice, "so the legend came true then."

Though everyone else breathed a sigh of relief that the situation hadn't escalated, Hotaru was disappointed. He had hoped to provoke at least some kind of reaction out of Lantis. While he already knew Lantis was a good person, he still pissed Hotaru off. While the two of them had no actual history, everything about Lantis stroked him the wrong way due to his previous knowledge.

Sighing exasperatedly, Clef tried to keep things civil, "Lantis, you left Cephiro decades ago without a word. Why have you returned now?"

"I sensed the death of Princess Emeraude and came to confirm the fate of my brother. With Cephiro now in actual need of me, I shall be staying here."

"We could use all the help we can get," Alcyone said with a smile.

"Why did you leave?" Lafarga asked in a serious tone, his hand on his sword, staring at Lantis.

Lantis stared at the fellow swordsman back, before answering, "My reasons are my own."

Seeing that the men were being difficult today, Alcyone sighed and instead focused on Lantis's horse. Seeing the magnificent stallion with a flaming mane, reminded her of her old unicorn, Licorne. While Licorne had been her warhorse for most of its life, Alcyone still remembered the days after she learned to summon it. She would ride atop of it for hours on end and explore Cephiro from heights she had never experienced before. Even though she was scolded by Clef for shirking her lessons and duties, those had been some of the happiest days of her life.

Staring misty-eyed at the horse, Alcyone wondered if she should get herself a new mount. While she would have liked another unicorn like Licorne, it might've been dangerous now that she no longer was a virgin.

Seeing Alcyone's expression from his tired perspective, Hotaru's inner rage flared up, as he drew a line from her to Lantis. Memories of Alcyone being smitten by Lantis due to thinking he was Zagato, resurfaced. Alcyone having to relive her heart break because of Lantis, only increased his resentment. The fact that he had turned her down for Hikaru, made his stomach churn. But now that Lantis and Alcyone had met earlier on in the story…

I don't care if I shipped you two in the past, Alcyone is mine! Hotaru clenched his fist.

"Master Clef," Lafarga spoke after their staring contest, "I do not think we should trust Zagato's kin in such crucial times."

Clef shook his head, "While you may have a point, we are not in a position to be picky about our allies."

"Do you believe that I am harboring thoughts of revenge?" Lantis asked in a dry and adamant tone. "The fate of my brother was inevitable. None of you could be held responsible."

"In that case, you do not mind me asking where you've been all this time?" Lafarga asked with a gruff voice.

Lantis nodded and answered straight, "I have traveled across the stars between the different neighboring countries. Last place I visited was Autozam."

Before Lafarga could continue, Hotaru placed his hand in front of his mouth, "The perfect background for a spy then. In fact, can you even prove that you are Lantis?"

Everyone was taken aback by this question, with even Lantis being left baffled by it. In the end, it was the master mage himself who had to step in.

"He is," Clef said confidently. "I can always recognize my former student."

"Are you sure about that?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow. "I have seen some weird shit during my time here. Considering Caldina is from Chizeta, I have no doubt someone on one of the other planets would be able to create a perfect body double."

Lantis thought about Hotaru's words for a minute, before answering, "While there probably are ways to duplicate my appearance and mannerisms, there is no way to duplicate this…"

Slowly, as not to provoke hostility, Lantis drew his weapon from behind his back. It was an object that looked like a black and silver seashell with a black handle attached to it. At the center of the seashell and the tip of the handle, there were blue gems. Holding it horizontally, Lantis activated his sword, causing a long blade of white energy to shoot out of the curved seashell-like handguard.

Lafarga's eyes widened in shock, "This sword… is immaculate."

"That is the magic sword of the Pillar's personal bodyguard," Clef answered, seeing it for the first time in a while. "Honestly if not for Princess Emeraude's orders, we would have hunted you down just to get it back."

"I am sorry for absconding with a royal treasure," Lantis apologized stoically. "I didn't feel comfortable leaving Cephiro without it. I hope this is enough to prove my identity."

"Doesn't prove a thing," Hotaru blurted outright. "Correct me if I am wrong, but that sword is an Artifact, is it not?"

"That is true," Clef admitted, stroking his chin. "While I do not think that Lantis would ever let anyone else get their hands on it, it doesn't prove his identity fully."

"Frankly I have no other way of proving my true identity in that case," Lantis admitted. "If you cannot trust me, then that is that."

"Oh, but there is!"

Once again, everyone looked at Hotaru with bewildered gazes, wondering what the young man had in mind.

"Master Mage Clef, how powerful would you say that Lantis is?" Hotaru asked politely.

Thinking about it for a moment, Clef answered, "He was a magician on par with myself and Zagato and the best swordsman in all of Cephiro. He is the only person on Cephiro who has been granted the title of Cail, Magic Swordsman. As such I would say he would be very nearly unbeatable."

"As I thought," Hotaru said casually before walking away from the Sanctuary. "While looks can be borrowed and artifacts can be stolen, power such as that is hard to replicate. As the person who has fought Zagato on multiple occasions, I shall be the one to gauge Lantis's combat capabilities."

Hearing this, Alcyone snapped back to reality, "B-But are you sure about this, Hotaru? The royal bodyguard is someone not even the High Priest can defeat!"

"Don't worry, I am always up for a challenge," Hotaru waved it off, before turning around. "That is of course if our guest is as well."

Lantis let out a slight chuckle, before cracking a slight smile, "Naturally. I am interested in finding out how the man who defeated my brother fares in battle."

In order to not damage the Sanctuary, the party of five flew some distance away from Ford Vale. Hotaru and Alcyone used their spells, Lantis his mount, and Lafarga rode with Clef on the master mage's gryphon.

Although he had been the one to issue the challenge, Hotaru knew there was no real reason to. He was already aware that Lantis was trustworthy and what his real motives were. However, Hotaru had always been curious to test out Lantis's true capabilities, and he had another, not-so-well-hidden agenda.

Sorry to throw all these suspicions on you, Lantis, but this isn't about trust. It's about establishing pecking order and disillusioning your veneer of untouchability. I will show Alcyone that she already has someone who surpasses the entire Zagato lineage!

It was safe to say Hotaru was annoyed by how all round perfect Lantis was. Spell caster as powerful as Zagato, swordsman equivalent to Lafarga, wielder of the most powerful weapon, and a person with a heart of gold to boot. Had he had even a single flaw, Hotaru would have found him much more tolerable.

Once on the other side of the mountains, Hotaru and Lantis flew to a small dell between two low, rocky cliffs. Clef and the others landed on top of one of the cliffs, letting them view the fight from afar. Before the battle began, Lantis unsummoned his horse, before drawing his magic sword.

"Are you absolutely sure you wish to do this?" Lantis asked Hotaru, staring at him sharply, with his face lit up by the energy blade.

Trying to stare me down, are you? Hotaru smirked internally, "Sure as any other fight. Titanium Power!"

While the audience was already used to Hotaru's giant form, they were surprised he was activating it so early. As Hotaru towers over the cliffs, Lantis's unflinching demeanor was shocked to see such an extreme transformation. Without losing his composure, he took a step back, giving him more room. By the time Hotaru pulled out his Titan Slicer, Lantis was already prepared for anything.

Placing his sword on top of his shoulder, Hotaru called his opponent out, "Alright, go ahead and summon your Mashin."

"Mashin?" Lantis and Clef asked simultaneously.

"Lo— High Priest Zagato used his magical powers to create himself a Mashin before the final battle," Alcyone explained to her mentor. "I believe Hotaru believes Lantis to be capable of the same feat."

"That is… insane," Clef admitted, unable to imagine such a thing.

"Heh, big brother, you truly were something else," Lantis chuckled quietly, before looking up into the giant's lime-green eyes. "I'm sorry, but I do not think I am capable of such a feat."

"Oh? Well, that's a shame," Hotaru scoffed before switching spells. "Steel Strength! Silver Speed!"

As Hotaru shrank down, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He always had a hunch that Lantis's magical powers were lacking compared to his brother. While Clef thought Lantis to be equal to him and Zagato, it wasn't like the three had met in a while. The two brothers may have been equal who knows how many centuries ago, but in Hotaru's opinion, Zagato was far stronger in magic.

"You don't need to shrink down for me, you know," Lantis said confidently, ready to fight Hotaru even now.

"Hmph, as if I would do something that unsportsmanlike," Hotaru chuckled, summoning his golden sword. "I also fought your brother like this, so it won't be like I don't have a reference."

"Very well," Lantis said, before disappearing from Hotaru's sight.

Having seen enough anime, Hotaru quickly moved, taking twenty meters of distance from where he was standing in an instant. As he turned around, Lantis was right where he had stood, his sword raised above him. Staring at Lantis's eyes with his sword in a defensive potion, Hotaru could tell that they both were just as surprised by each other's speed. However, they were different kinds of speed.

"Impressive," Hotaru grinned, trying to hide his heart palpitations, "nearly instant teleportation followed by a killing blow. Too bad for you I never fall for the same trick twice."

"I was only going to place my sword on your throat," Lantis explained, taking a fighting stance again. "I never knew anyone could sprint that quickly."

While the words trust me, you've seen nothing yet, were on his lips, Hotaru knew this was no time for quips. Without a moment of warning, he lunged at Lantis, swinging his sword in a wide arc, making most of its reach. While Lantis was able to move out of the way of the blade, the secondary effect of the swing caught him off guard.

A large cloud of dust was picked up by the supersonic blade, covering the two fighters. Closing his eyes to prevent dust from getting into them, Lantis used his instincts to sense Hotaru's next move. Unable to hear that which was faster than sound, Lantis instead predicted another side swing from the right. However, a cold shiver of death ran down his spine, causing him to jump back away from the attack. Opening his eyes, he had time to see the attack coming from above, as Hotaru had attacked from a sideways flip.

The giant blade struck the ground with a powerful impact, blowing the dust cloud away. Getting over his shock, Lantis charged right in, taking advantage of his foe's weapon being embedded to the ground. With Lantis coming in hot, Hotaru stowed away his blade before trying to get some distance between them. Despite his quick movements, Hotaru could feel a sharp sting on his cheek.

Running his armored hand across his cheek, he confirmed that he was bleeding. He could hear Alcyone gasping from where he was standing, telling him his wound could be seen from afar. Seeing Lantis's expression, Hotaru reconjured his giant blade before he could suggest for a surrender. He twisted its handle, causing the edge of his sword to split and reveal dozens of black rotating blades.

As expected, the chainsaw function of his sword did little to deter Lantis. The Magic Swordsman teleported once more, appearing behind and above Hotaru. This time however, instead of running away, Hotaru used his speed to calmly look around him before facing Lantis mid-swing. He lifted his giant chainsaw-sword to block Lantis's blade, focusing on defense. As the two futuristic swords clashed, there were sparks flying around as the chainsaw teeth clashed with the energy blade. Seeing Lantis's magic sword cutting through his giant blade, Hotaru threw the massive weapon at him with both hands, like it was a steel girder.

The surprise change in momentum pushed the still airborne Lantis back, giving Hotaru an opening. He grabbed hold of the air around his tassets before summoning his dual rapiers and lunging forward. As Lantis's magic sword flung aside Hotaru's giant one, he was only partially able to avoid the two gold-tipped blades. One of the blades struck Lantis's right forearm, while the other scraped his left thigh.

Knowing the momentum was on Hotaru's side, Lantis teleported once more, in order to gain distance. Once over fifty meters behind Hotaru, Lantis summoned his magical powers.

"Lightning Bolt Onslaught!" he yelled, as a giant bolt of white lightning struck his sword.

Pointing the magic sword forward, Lantis launched a blast of energy at his foe. While Hotaru was faster than sound, he wasn't faster than lightning. The spell struck him dead set, causing a massive explosion as it hit the ground.

"HOTARU!" Alcyone screamed out, knowing he had been hit without his defensive spell on.

As the dust settled, they could see Hotaru leaning against one of his swords, while holding the other forward. While he was standing, the clothes underneath his armor were torn and scorched. With staggering movements, Hotaru straightened his posture. Everyone watching was waiting with bated breaths, as they couldn't tell just how severe the damage had been from afar.

"GOOD LORD THAT WAS LOUD!" Hotaru yelled out, his ears still ringing from the explosion. "FINALLY DECIDED TO USE MAGIC, I SEE!"

"I think it might be best if you get yourself some healing," Lantis suggested, surprised his opponent was still standing.

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I HAVE TINNITUS! ANYWAY, I AM GOING TO STOP HOLDING BACK NOW! TUNGSTEN DEFENSE!"

As his body's durability and density increased, Hotaru could feel his injuries stop hurting and his feet grip the ground more solidly. Still holding his rapiers tightly, Hotaru waited for the right moment. Since Lantis was now using more of his magic, Hotaru was forced to use both of his defensive spells. But this was fine, as defense was what he knew the best.

Cautious as to what Hotaru had meant by not holding back, Lantis analyzed his opponent, trying to find an opening. It was when Lantis remembered Hotaru yelling about his tinnitus, that he realized what he had to do. Teleporting once more, Lantis appeared right above Hotaru and pointed his magic sword down. Concentrating his magical power into the sword, he fired a blue energy beam from it straight down.

Seeing Lantis disappear, Hotaru conjured his shield. Unable to hear the attack, Hotaru was only able to react once the beam hit him. While the beam dealt minimal damage to him, its light blinded him, until he blocked it with his shield. But as he raised his left arm, Lantis teleported next to him, pressing the energy blade against his neck.

"It's over," Lantis declared, having his foe dead to rights.

Unable to hear him well, Hotaru turned his head, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Whether intentional or not, Hotaru's neck pressed against the magic sword, causing white sparks to shoot out. For the first time in a while, Lantis was truly horrified as Hotaru was pushing his sword back with his throat. Hotaru in turn, could feel the heat of the blade transferring into his neck, like a hot iron.

As both warriors jumped back, Hotaru was the first to land. He summoned his spear and threw it, aiming for Lanti's sword arm. The Magic Swordsman deflected the spear, but as two rapiers followed, he had to use magic.

"Barrier Circle!" Lantis yelled, summoning a blue barrier in front of him.

Blocking the rapiers and a shield, Lantis dropped the barrier in order to use his sword two handed, when…

"Star Platinum!"

For a split second Lantis thought this was a spell, before Hotaru appeared right in front of him. A single right body blow struck Lantis straight in his armored abdomen, knocking the wind out of the Magic Swordsman, before sending him flying. The impact was strong enough to break Lantis's grip on his sword, as he skipped across the ground twice.

While Hotaru could have struck him more times, he remembered how badly he had hurt Zagato with his punches. Though he wanted to show off to Alcyone, he didn't want to risk killing Lantis or injuring him too much. After all, he was a powerful ally.

Picking up Lantis's magic sword off the ground, Hotaru walked over to his former foe's little brother. Lantis was still gasping in pain, but was slowly getting up, until he noticed Hotaru extending his arm to him.

"Good fight, Lantis," Hotaru said with a chuckle, having missed the rush of battle.

Laughing through the pain as well, Lantis grabbed Hotaru's hand, "But I lost the fight, how can you tell if I am the real one?"

Helping him up, Hotaru smirked, "Eh, your brother couldn't take a punch either. Welcome to the Sanctuary."

Seeing that the fight was over, Clef teleported him, Alcyone, and Lafarga over to the two warriors.

"That fight was amazing!" Lafarga yelled, uncharacteristically upbeat.

"Hotaru, are you alright?" Alcyone asked, rushing over to him to check his wounds.

"I've been through worse," Hotaru said nonchalantly, as Alcyone moved around him in circles.

"Yes, but this time we don't have Fuu around!"

"Alcyone is right," Clef nodded, knowing the best how dangerous the fight had been. "I suggest you go and have yourself checked out for any injuries you may have missed."

"Alright fine," Hotaru complied, taking Alcyone by the hand.

Using their flight and levitation spells, the two of them started flying back towards the Sanctuary. While on their way home, Alcyone shook her head and sighed exasperatedly.

"I can't believe the two of you went so far with your fight."

Hotaru smiled, knowing how much she cared for him, "Well at least you don't have to longingly look at Lantis anymore."

Confused by this, Alcyone blinked, "What are you on about?"

"I saw the way you were looking at him. I know he is Zagato deluxe, but you gotta—"

"I was looking at his horse!" Alcyone yelled, realizing what Hotaru meant.

"…His horse?"

"I was just reminiscing about my unicorn!"

"...Oh! The one that Hikaru turned to... ashes. Sorry about that..."

"The very same, and I was thinking how fun it would be to be able to ride again! Don't tell me you got all jealous and… that's exactly what happened isn't it?" Alcyone rolled her eyes disappointedly.

Feeling like a right jackass, Hotaru looked down at the ground while flying, "Maybe… probably… yeah."

Despite being angry at Hotaru for causing such a massive scene because of her, Alcyone couldn't help but feel flattered. To know Hotaru was willing to face off the royal bodyguard for her, reminded her of Hotaru fighting Zagato for her freedom. However, she also felt hurt by Hotaru's distrust in her and didn't want to encourage such behavior in him. And yet, there was something quite adorable about seeing him regret his decisions like a naughty child.

"Once we get back to the sanctuary, I will give you the scolding of your life! And after that, we are going to spend the rest of the day together no matter what," Alcyone pouted.

"…I look forward to it," Hotaru smiled, despite his cheek still hurting.

As the two of them were flying away, Lantis stored away his magic sword, with a slight smile on his lips. It had been a long while since he last lost a battle. So much so that he had thought himself having reached the peak of his powers. Knowing he could still improve, was a refreshing feeling after two centuries.

But before he could think about that, he turned towards the others, "There was something I needed to let you know when I arrived, Master Mage Clef."

"What is it, Lantis?"

"Upon hearing about the fall of Cephiro's Pillar, the forces of Autozam have mobilized. They will arrive here by the end of the week."

---

Author's Afterword: After making the previous chapter slightly shorter, I was forced to bite the bullet with this one. I had a lot of setting up to do for the start of the next season. Would you believe I was worried there wouldn't be enough plot for this chapter?

In short, I moved the bathing scenes and Hotaru's and Alcyone's private time from the end of the last chapter to the start of this one. This chapter was originally going to start off with the dream scenes. But since I had to come up with something in between other than a scene change, I was able to add a card game between the boys to flesh out the story more.

Another thing that I had to bring about was the outfit changes of all the characters. I used reference images from both the anime episodes as well as the official CLAMP materials collection. Hence why Ferio has yellow orbs instead of orange (fits his eyes better). I'll be the first to admit that the women's outfits in season two are a lot more revealing than I remembered. I only just found out Alcyone's season two outfit has a bare back from the concept art.

Finally, let's talk about Lantis. Personally, I have never been a big fan of the character, though I do not dislike him as much as Hotaru does. It is just that when a character is good at everything, stoic, and one of the good guys, they just come across as boring. While I am adamant in treating every character of the story with respect, Lantis is one of the bottom three characters for me. But hey, that just means I get to try and improve them.

As for my least favorite character, Primera said that she was rescued by Lantis when Cephiro was crumbling down. Since I had Lantis meeting up with the others directly, I will say the two met sometime between this chapter and the next.

As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you to merendinoemiliano, TheMotivatedOne and our recurring anonymous Guest for your reviews on the last chapter!