"Remedy Oratorio!"

Rean felt a surge of strength enter his body courtesy of Elliot. The musician must have had the same epiphany that he did in that instant. The moment for Class VII to go all-in was now, and neither he nor anyone else was going to miss out on it.

It was time for Class VII to end their final trial.

"Radiance Arc!"

The shadow – much like the one they faced while completing Valimar's trial – had informed the assembled group that there was no prize to be won that day. No Divine Knight awaited them. No threat to the school or community would exist even if they walked away. There was nothing for them to gain by completing the trial.

"Trinity Cannon!"

Nothing but their pride. Class VII had won no victory during the Civil War. Everything they had accomplished had come thanks to the assistance of powerful friends or the schemes of manipulators in the background. For all their efforts they had been little but puppets dancing to the tune of masters unseen.

"Asteion Knight!"

So with the opportunity to win a battle of their own volition – pointless as it may have been – they had been of one mind when accepting. Their last true victory had come against Loa Erebonius all those months ago, so engaging and besting this more powerful variant – who referred to itself as Loa Luciferia – just felt right to them.

"Twin Cyclones!"

Even the friends who had helped to get them to that point understood their desire, leaving this final battle to Class VII alone. With the likes of Toval, Captain Claire, and Sharon on the sidelines Rean knew they couldn't lose even if the battle turned against them. Still, it would have been a bitter disappointment to all of them if they needed to be saved by an ally once more.

"Galactic Cannon!"

Elise, Towa, Alfin, Angelica, and all the others. He wanted them to see that Class VII truly was the finest that Thors had to offer. That while the outcome of the war and everything that had happened since had tested their resolve, none of them had broken beneath that weight.

"Northern Limits!"

Class VII would all be going their separate ways in a few short days, but that wouldn't stop them. The links they had all formed with each other existed far beyond that which their ARCUS units provided. It was a link that would last no matter where they went or what they would end up doing in the future.

"Zodiac Rain!"

With Instructor Sara at their side they had eleven members fighting against Loa Luciferia. With numbers like those Rean was confident they could overcome this trial. No barrier was too great when they were all fighting as one.

"Radiant Lion!"

And yet numbers alone couldn't tell the entire story. Right now they were eleven, but they were fighting like they were twelve. Although it was but for a short time Crow had been one of them, but since he could no longer fight alongside them it was up to the entire class to pick up the slack. A handicap which they all accepted without pause.

"Shadow Brigade!"

Their skill had been tempered by the fires of war. Their bonds had been strengthened by their shared struggles. Their resolve had become unbreakable thanks to the passage of time. With trusted friends supporting them they stood as one. One group. One class. One heart.

"Spirit Unification!"

Class VII. What had simply been the name of the class Rean had been assigned to had somehow become the source of his strength. Thanks to the love and support offered to him each and every day from these people he had come to cherish, he no longer feared himself or his power. With their help he was able to embrace those parts of him and in turn freely use that newfound power to support each and every one of them in their own desires.

With them at his side he was unbeatable.

"Termination Slash – Dawn!"

Loa Luciferia had already been reeling from all the powerful blows it had taken, leaving it wide open for Rean to deliver his strongest attack. With his mind cleared of everything save for those friends at his side he struck. An entire years worth of growth poured into his tachi for that one single attack.

It was too much for their enemy. It might have been one of the most powerful beings they had faced yet, but even a shadow of the Great Power had its limits, and that combined barrage from the group of students had more than reached it. With a final howl the massive entity began to fade away, leaving Class VII alone in that great white clearing.

As adrenaline began to fade and silence ensued, Rean took stock of his friends. Each and every one of them looked exhausted, but none were worse for wear. Slowly comprehension began to dawn on all their faces. Loa Luciferia had been vanquished. The enemy they had fought so hard against was no more.

This final trial was over. Class VII had prevailed.

What followed was an oddity of emotions. Their success at the Reverie Corridor was a culmination of all their efforts. It was also the final thing they would accomplish together.

Thus each and ever member of Class VII had gotten emotional at that victory. Tears had been shed. Hugs had been shared. It was a bittersweet moment, one that would surely live forever in all of their hearts and minds.

There was just one problem with that, however:

Despite the emotional moment that wasn't the end of Class VII. Once they recovered from their trial they had simply exited the Old Schoolhouse, bid farewell to their other friends, returned to the dorms to partake in Sharon's excellent cooking, and all went to bed. That little piece of normalcy felt completely out of place after everything they had gone through.

Speaking of out of place, that was what Rean felt once the day of graduation finally arrived. If he hadn't already been grateful to Laura and Fie for choosing to stick around he would have been because they prevented him from being the only speck of red in the sea of green and white that comprised the rest of the first years as they watched friends and seniors partake in the graduation ceremony.

Not that such an awkward experience would have stopped him from enjoying the day to its fullest, naturally. Nobody cheered louder than he did whenever one of his friends walked across the stage, completing their education at Thors. Beside him Laura tried – but in his opinion failed – to match his volume and excitement. Naturally Fie was the quietest, but nobody doubted the cool girl's quiet cheer.

After that they all returned to the dorms together, for one final time. All of his friends would be taking the afternoon train to Heimdallr before going their separate ways, so that meant the group of three students, seven graduates, and one former teacher had a few hours left to themselves.

And they fully intended to make full use of those last few hours as Class VII.

"Aww. Why are you kids looking so glum? Didn't you already have your little sob routine back in the Old Schoolhouse."

The teacher didn't seem to mind the myriad dirty looks she received for her comment, but luckily for her it was one of the more polite members that responded, "...I think that's the problem." Emma responded as she glanced about nervously, "It feels like we've already made our farewells, but here we are. I find myself at a loss..."

"Haha, yeah." Elliot agreed, "I-I'm not sure what we should say or do right now."

"This sucks! I feel like I should be crying, but right now I just feel empty inside! It just doesn't feel real."

"Lady Alisa..."

A brief silence ensued as they pondered on those words. It was such a heavy moment for all of them. Who could possibly be irreverent enough to break up the gravity of the moment?

"Well, I'm not bothered."

Fie, of course.

The old Fie might have shrank back under all the attention, but the current one met their stares evenly, "Sure we might all be going our separate ways now, but I know you aren't Zephyr." She briefly closed her eyes, likely thinking about that old group, but when she opened them she did so with a wide smile on her face, "...Even if we're all apart we'll still be together where it matters the most. 'Cause that's what being a family is all about."

Rean wished he was currently standing a little closer to the girl because he wanted to reward her with a hug or a headpat or something. That was a great line and he was proud of her. Of all the members of Class VII he was confident in his belief that she had grown the most. Surely the others would appreciate her encouraging words-

"Bwahaha! What was that!?"

"You've definitely been spending too much time with Rean!

"Did you take that out of his book of cheesy speeches?"

"Maybe I should have stopped her from sticking around him for another year?"

"I can't believe you're the same girl that caused us all so much trouble over the year!"

"...Think she might actually be Phantom Thief B?"

"Think she could be another secret Ironblood?"

"Ooh! Ooh! That would be so awesome! It's fun gaining more sisters!"

Rean paled as the others continued to tease the silver-haired girl. Either the lighting in the room was being weird or she was starting to turn awfully red. And that shaking had little to do with the cold...

Someone needed to calm her down before the dangerous girl did something rash. As the wise and noble leader of Class VII he looked around for the one person he knew he could safely delegate the job to. Surely Laura would be perfect for the role and-

...Why was Class VII's most powerful warrior currently hiding behind him?

...And why was Fie holding a grenade in her hand?

"Hah... Hah... Hah... You're right. You're all right." The little jaeger grit out before turning a furious gaze upon them all, "That was way too cheesy. I need you all to forget I said anything. Or else I'll make you forget."

He wasn't sure if the others were paralyzed with fear or they simply found the whole situation too hilarious. Either way they were all grinning and none seemed fazed by the threat. And with Laura now pressed up behind him as she used him as a shield he could expect no help from her either. With a depressed sigh the swordsman realized it was up to him to act.

Or maybe he was just saddened he could no longer continue to serve as Laura's personal shield? Having the curvy girl pressed up against him wasn't the worst feeling in the world.

"Alright, Fie. You know they're just teasing. There's no need to get-"

His attempts at mediating met little success as she turned her baleful glare upon him, "It's all your fault, you know! You're the one who filled me with this... cheesiness!"

"I bet that's not the only thing he filled you with!"

The exasperated swordsman glared at his now-former teacher. What was the point of him trying to defuse the situation when she kept pouring fuel onto the fire!? A part of him was tempted to step back and allow things to happen.

...Or at least that was his thought process until the sound of Fie drawing her gunblades caught his attention, "Wait! No! Don't do it!"

"Shut up, Rean. First I'm murdering Sara. Then you. Then everyone else here. No witnesses no problems, right- Hey!" Before she could even finish her speech he raced across the room and grabbed hold of one of her arms, preventing her from stabbing anyone with it. She still had her other weapon, naturally, but the former jaeger was more focused on trying to wrestle free from his grip. "Let go!"

"Ooh! So they like it kinky and rough, huh?"

Rean froze. He had done his best to keep the peace. Nobody could fault him for his effort. But Instructor Sara just didn't seem to care. With a resigned sigh the black-haired mediator gave up and let go of Fie.

"H-Hey! It was just a joke! S-Stay away from me!"

"Well, cheesiness aside..." Gaius spoke casually as if they weren't all watching Fie physically assault their teacher, "She isn't wrong. Even when I return to Nord I know that you'll be under the same sky enjoying the same winds as I."

"Haha, yeah. Feels like all the tension has left the room."

Millium let out a happy laugh, "I think it's less 'cause of her words and more the fact she's beating up Instructor Sara! I wanna join too! Let's go, Lammy!"

"You will not." As always it was Jusis who put a stop to Millium's wild scheming, "You won't be getting on that train if you find yourself under arrest for assault and property damage."

"Aww. C'mon! You're gonna be the next Duke Albarea! Can't you make an exception for me?!"

"I refuse."

And equally as always it was Jusis' rival that stepped up to speak next, "Don't worry, Millium. I'm sure there are plenty of nobles in Bareahard who could use a good whack or two-"

"You shut your mouth right now, Machias Regnitz!"

"...I'm sure Albarea will cover for you if you cause a little extra mayhem on the side."

"I will not!"

Rean couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He would miss it, but seeing Class VII acting like normal even on a day like today was a reassuring one. Fie had been right. They had nothing to worry about. Neither distance nor time would ever change what they were.

"Hey! Watch where you're swinging! I know you're into some kinky stuff, but if you keep swinging those weapons around like that you might get lucky and cut my jacket!"

"I'm gonna do a lot more than cut your jacket! Hold still and let me murder you!"

Rean's chuckle turned into a nervous laugh. Maybe this was a little beyond the normal? Too bad for everyone else he already tried to intervene. Whatever happened next was all on them.

Instead he turned his gaze back to the traitor in their midst, but much to his happiness it seemed he wasn't the only one to notice the betrayal, "So..." Alisa drawled with a sly smile as she stared at her classmate, "That was a rather impressive display of cowardice."

"I-I..." A red-faced Laura stuttered before looking away with a sheepish expression, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh huh... Not to say Rean doesn't deserve to take a hit or two, but to be stabbed in the back by you of all people. I almost feel sorry for the guy."

The blue-haired girl seemed to recover from her embarrassment as she gave a relaxed shrug in response, "Perhaps, but would you want to be caught in the middle of that?" The that she was pointing to, unsurprisingly, was the sight of a cackling Sara leading Fie on a chase around the dorms as the older woman used all of her combat experience to keep one step ahead of the still furious girl.

"...Point taken."

Rean couldn't help but roll his eyes good-naturedly. Clearly he wasn't going to find any support from his friends. Ah well. At least he wasn't the one getting chased by a maniac with gunblades.

Instead he turned his attention to one of the quieter members of the class, "I hope you don't forget about me when you become a famous musician."

Elliot smiled at the jest, "Are you kidding? Even if I make it big there's no way I could possibly compare to the legendary Ashen Chevalier."

Normally the mention of his title would sting a little, but from Elliot? "You're wrong. War heroes come and go every year. I'm sure people will forget about me soon enough. But good music? That's something that lasts forever."

"Haha...I can't believe I doubted music for even a moment during the war, because you're definitely right." The young musician gave a bright grin, "I'm so grateful to you. You're the first person I met when I got here and I doubt things would have turned out half as well as they did were that not the case. So I want you to know that you'll always have free tickets to any of my performances."

"Thanks, Elliot. Just let me know when you're holding one and I'll do whatever I can to make sure we're there."

"Of course!"

A spattering of alarmed cries drew Rean's focus from the musician to the obvious source of concern. Fie – presumably frustrated by her inability to catch the veteran bracer – had halted her pursuit and was now training her weapons on the elusive instructor. He let out an audible groan. He really did not want to explain why there were bullet marks on the walls and furniture.

Someone needed to do something about this. And that someone would not be him this time.

Instead he decided to place the onus on someone else. That person? It was obviously Laura. The kind swordswoman didn't notice him which made things easy for him. Approaching the girl from behind he reached out and gave her a gentle shove forward, "It's your turn now. Good luck."

There were a few snickers from the gallery as the Arseid stumbled briefly before righting herself to shoot him a glare. Rean might have felt guilty by his actions had she not started it first. Instead he just gave a lopsided smile and a shrug, causing the glare to intensify briefly before her shoulders slumped down in defeat. Cautiously she approached the fuming Fie, "U-Um, Fie? Can you put those down for a moment? I have something I would like to say to the group."

"'Kay." Rean blinked. That had been... surprisingly easy. Fie didn't even look angry anymore as she calmly complied with Laura's request. Something about this sat wrong with him...

Fie turned and shot him a wink. Yep. They had just played him for a fool. Figures. The snickering of the others intensified as they realized that too. Even Sara wore a mocking grin despite being the one saved from Fie's wanton aggression!

But any annoyance at being played paled in comparison to his interest in what Laura had to say. Given the way she was twitching anxiously as she glanced around fretfully he could only assume it was something important. He was more than willing to allow her the time needed to gather her thoughts.

Eventually Laura was able to continue, "As Fie so eloquently stated, even though we are all going our separate ways we are and will forever be Class VII. I think that is something we should use to our advantage given the uncertainty the future will bring."

"As much as we don't care to admit it, we all know that Erebonia is currently moving in a very dangerous direction. Ouroboros may have been bested, but they still remain a major threat to the world. And yet it is a threat that might very well pale in comparison to our own chancellor."

There were a few nods of agreement as Laura stated the obvious. Rean wondered where she was going with this. Did it have anything to do with the warning Instructor Thomas gave them during the free day?

"As we witnessed during the Infernal Castle," She continued, "None of us has the power needed to oppose him. At least... That is how it currently stands."

"But we as a class are presented with a unique opportunity. We're all about to spread into different fields that make up this country, whether they be related to government, business, the military, or even the more hidden sides of this country. And I think that is something we should embrace."

"Let's use this time afforded to us to its fullest. I believe if we take this time to learn what we can and grow more powerful that if..." Laura paused before shaking her head, "...when this nation reaches a tipping point we shall be prepared to face it head on."

"..."

Rean was sure her words were nothing new to the assembled Class VII, as it was something he had already been planning to do. That being said, the sheer passion with which she spoke was inspiring. Any lingering regrets about seeing his friends go off on their own were dispelled.

This was the way it needed to be. And he was sure everyone else was feeling the same-

"What the hell!?" Cam the annoyed cry of Fie, "I make a cheesy speech and everyone makes fun of me for it, but Laura goes off and makes an even cheesier one and yet you all are looking at her like she said something amazing!"

"...I don't think what I said was that cheesy, was it?"

"There's one major difference between what you said and what Laura said." All eyes turned towards Jusis as the nobleman offered an answer, "...It is the person speaking."

To hear Jusis of all people make fun of Fie was kinda funny, which was probably why Rean couldn't catch himself before letting out a short laugh. He definitely deserved the elbow to the gut he received for that failure, "You guys all suck."

"How about we make that into a promise?" Emma asked with a hopeful look, "That the next time we meet up as a class it will be just as Laura put it."

Machias nodded his head approvingly, "Our time for action, huh? Alright, that's a promise I can agree to."

"I may be headed to Nord, but if any of you need me just send word and I shall return as quickly as possible."

"Right. I'm going to try and turn Reinford into something good once again, but if Mother refuses to see reason then we'll just have to make the changes ourselves."

"I'll make sure to keep in touch with my dad. While I doubt the military will ever act openly against the chancellor, I'm sure he will at least be willing to help a little..."

"I don't want to fight Lechter or Claire, but I'm a member of Class VII! I refuse to sit back and do nothing!"

"I know you won't. And I'll do everything in my power to assist you."

"Aww. Thanks, Jusis!"

"Obviously I'm in. You guys are too important to me."

"What, not gonna call us your family again? Come on, say the line, Fie."

"Shut up!"

Rean's laugh inevitably drew all eyes to him, not that he minded one bit, "I think my answer should be pretty obvious. Whatever my father is planning..." It took considerable effort to use that word in reference to the chancellor, but he persevered, "...it cannot be good for Erebonia. But there's no way I could possibly stop him by myself."

His affirmation left just one person left, who seemed rather surprised when they all focused their attention on her, "What? I'm your teacher. I don't need to take part in any silly little promises."

"Correction. You are now our former teacher, which makes us equals. So yes, your opinion does matter."

Against Machias' logic the bracer's shoulders slumped down, but there was no hiding the slight smile on her face, "Fiiiine. Twist my arm more, will ya? In that case... As a bracer I won't be getting involved in politics unless civilian lives are in danger, but given how everything's turned out so far I have a feeling that's gonna be inevitable. Of course you guys have my support."

"Everyone." Sharon, who had been standing next to Alisa with a placid smile on her face, finally decided to speak up, "As wonderful as this has been I must inform you that it is now time. The train will be arriving at the station momentarily."

The news that the time had finally arrived led to a flurry of activity as all of his former classmates began gathering up their luggage before heading towards the door in an orderly fashion. Some of his friends glanced around, taking in one final gaze of the place that had been their home for a year.. And yet none of them paused before exiting the dormitory for the last time.

In fact as Rean trailed behind them alongside Fie and Laura he could see that the previous tension was gone and everyone was all smiles. Emma was telling Gaius about the first places she and Celine would be visiting. Machias and Elliot were already making plans for a lunch in the capital. Millium was chatting wildly with Alisa while the older girl listened with the patience of a saint.

It was the time of their separation, but it was a happy time for all of them.

But the group stopped just in front of the train station. There was still one final thing that needed to be done, and given the sly looks his friends were sporting they all remembered it too. It was something that Emma had proposed and all had agreed upon – even if it took some convincing to get Fie onboard.

"Oookay, what's up with you guys?" Came the confused voice of the sole individual who was completely out of the loop.

"Instructor..."

"For all that you've done for us this past year..."

"Thank you very much!" Came the unanimous cry of all Class VII.

Her teaching style had undoubtedly been unorthodox, but it had been unquestioningly effective. Without her hands-off approach Rean doubted they would have made it through the more dicey field exercises, let alone the civil war. And those few times when they truly found themselves in over their head she was there to bail them out.

He would be forever grateful to Sara Valestein.

"You guys..." The teacher tried to say something, but words failed her and instead she simply turned around and walked into the train station.

...But none of them missed the sounds of sniffling as she went, "Hah. Sara's crying. That was worth it."

But while the teacher left solely to hide her emotional state from her former class, it also provided a signal for the rest of Rean's friends to bid their final farewells before making their own exits. Rean, alongside Laura and Fie, watched them all leave with smiles on their faces.

Elliot.

Alisa.

Gaius.

Emma.

Machias.

Millium.

Jusis.

As the door closed behind the blonde nobleman Rean let out an exhale. It was finally over.

Class VII was officially no more.

And yet despite that his smile never wavered as he turned to his two beloved companions, "Let's return home."

"...I think I'm gonna sleep in Emma's bed tonight."

"What!? Why would you...?"

"Why not? The principal said we have a week until our new home is ready. Plenty of time to sleep in every bed before we gotta go."

"Even still, do you really have to keep making a nuisance of yourself?"

"Yup. You and Rean are welcome to join me if you want. Might be a tight fit, but we've done worse."

"..."

"Hah. You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

Rean chuckled under his breath. His first year at Thors had been a crazy one. But it had been the most fulfilling year of his life.

Still, the swordsman found himself looking forward to what the second year had to provide.

And that's that! We've finally reached the true end of the first half of the Erebonian saga. Who knows what fun times await during the year that happens before the start of CS3?!

And on that note I need to inform you all that this story will be going on brief hiatus. While I do have some plans in place for the next year I still want to take a little bit of time to organize it into something cohesive to do the year the justice it deserves.

...That and I find myself hopelessly addicted to Unicorn Overlord.

...And after that there's Eiyuden Chronicles. Dawntrail. I still have Infinite Wealth to be played. And of course, Daybreak is coming out soon too. And that's just RPGs!

But I promise I'll be back soon enough! I'm not the kind of guy to leave something unfinished. If nothing else I can just come back after a few weeks and put A Change Of Class on brief hiatus instead, alternating the two stories until this crazy period of games has passed.