The Legend of Heroes - Trails of Azure Thunder

by DreamsOfAzureSkies

A Noble from the Lamare Province, Cyrus has arrived at Thors and is a member of the newly formed Class VII. Secrets abound in Cyrus' past, but will these secrets pull Class VII together, or tear them apart completely? A rewrite of the Cold Steel Series with adjusted lore from Sky and Crossbell to give a new story of the Erebonia Arc. Rated M for coarse language and violence.

11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven – Thy Serpent's Tongue

It was now Saturday morning, and the beginning of Class VII's second Field Study had begun. After successfully testing out his new ARCUS, Cyrus was satisfied that it was ready to be used in the field. On the train ride to Saint-Arkh, Cyrus had shown Group B the modifications he made to his ARCUS Unit, and it left a strong impression on everyone.

Despite Cyrus' attempts to focus on the task at hand, part of his mind was elsewhere, primarily back with his cousin, Ferris, in Trista. After being told by Alisa that Ferris seemed to be unwell, Cyrus paid her a visit, only to be completely brushed off by him. Not even Sariffa could get through to her, and instead had decided it best to allow the young Florald girl to her own devices, as Sariffa now had to turn her attention to Vincent, who was leaving mess after mess for her to clean up.

Even though Ferris tried her best to avoid Cyrus, he knew she was hiding something. He knew that she wasn't simply unwell but was suffering from something. Disappointed he was as yet unable to find out anything about the mysterious 'C' who had sent the letter to Ferris a couple of weeks ago, he commanded Sariffa watch her like a hawk and try to figure out what was happening to her. If he couldn't be there to help Ferris, then he would make damn sure Sariffa could.

Another problem that plagued Cyrus was the fact he had not been able to speak to Laura properly since the incident between them just over a week ago. As he had spent all his time outside of classes working on fixing his ARCUS Unit, he never had the chance to see Laura, or make sure she was alright. Well, alright enough for her to be able to be useful to him.

For the most part, she appeared to be doing well, but whenever Cyrus entered a room, or spoke in a conversation, she would clam up and excuse herself and leave said room. Everyone in Class VII could see Laura's trauma was affecting her ability to interact with Cyrus, despite his best attempts to check on her in the rare moments they were in the same area together, but no-one knew what to do about it. Sara had simply told the class that it was something that could not be forced, and it could only happen between Cyrus and Laura naturally, when she was ready to approach him.

The train ride to Saint-Arkh was an uncomfortable one for Laura, as she found herself sitting directly opposite Cyrus, and the only other girl in the group, Alisa, had managed to fall asleep after the first ten minutes, and ended up using Cyrus' shoulder as a pillow. Elliot was too nervous to say anything, in case he upset Laura, and Gaius felt it wasn't his place to speak on what troubles plagued Laura, as he didn't know her well enough to try and offer counsel.

Cyrus had found that whenever he looked over at Laura, she would avert her gaze; usually by staring out of the window at the passing scenery. When he realised he wasn't going to make any progress with Laura, he decided it was time to stop and just leave her be. By this point, Alisa had started to hug Cyrus' arm as she slept, so he knew he wasn't going to be able to go anywhere until she either let go or woke up.

"Hey, what kind of tasks do you think we'll get in Saint-Arkh?" Elliot asked, trying to ease the tension he was feeling.

"Hard to say. It could be similar to the ones we received in our last Field Study but given we're going to a big city like Saint-Arkh, the requests might be higher in volume, or in difficulty," Gaius responded.

"Isn't Marquis Hyarms our point of contact in Saint-Arkh?" Elliot queried.

"He is, and I would imagine he was given advanced notice of our arrival, and probably already has several tasks for us to complete," Cyrus muttered, reaching over to gently move some of Alisa's hair out of her face.

"Won't meeting with the Marquis be awkward for you, Cyrus? I mean, you did break his son's jaw and have constantly been at odds with him ever since," Elliot whispered.

"Not at all. Marquis Hyarms is a good man, and he's friends with my parents. There's no reason to make a situation awkward. If anything, he'll probably want to apologise to me on behalf of his dickbag of a son," Cyrus shrugged.

"You… You really think so? You'll have to forgive me if I think that's quite an arrogant thing to say. Isn't Marquis Hyarms the leader of one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Erebonia?" Gaius responded.

"He is, yes. In terms of the Hierarchy though, House Hyarms is the lowest of the four, with Dukes Cayenne and Albarea being first and second, and then followed by Marquis Rogner of the Nortia Province. Just to clarify, when I said the Marquis would apologise for Patrick's behaviour, I'm not expecting a full-on apology with him bowing on the floor. I just meant he would acknowledge his son's behaviour is unacceptable," Cyrus clarified.

"Marquis Hyarms is a good, and honourable man. I would find myself surprised if he did not at least offer some form of acknowledgement of his son's poor behaviour," Laura mumbled, looking at the group though their reflection in the window.

"I've never met him, but I'm still nervous about it. It's not every day you meet the head of one of Erebonia's Four Great Noble Houses… Err, unless you're Cyrus or Laura, that is," Elliot chuckled nervously.

"Don't be nervous, Elliot. You're not going to Bareahard, so you won't have to deal with that tit, Duke Albarea. Honestly, compared to Duke Albarea, Marquis Hyarms could easily be like an old uncle who doesn't see you very often, but will always have time to talk to you when he does get to see you," Cyrus said, trying to ease Elliot's worries.

"Oh, I have an uncle just like that! He likes to travel the continent, but when he comes for a visit in Heimdallr, he always brings bizarre gifts for me and Fiona, and always has a bunch of weird stories to share," Elliot laughed.

Slowly, whatever tension there was amongst Group B was beginning to evaporate. Laura didn't hate Cyrus, and there was no reason for her to blame him for what happened. The only real reason she was keeping him at arm's length was because she was scared of him. The blade he possessed, and what she had seen on Cyrus' back after seeing him forcibly overexert himself training was what terrified her; she had seen them before, and now she was being forced to face a trauma that she spent years trying to bury. It wasn't his fault, but Laura didn't know how to approach Cyrus, or the trauma, and address the issue.

While she wasn't able to fully come around, she still managed to find the courage to ask Cyrus a question that had been on her mind for the last couple of days.

"I have a question for you," Laura began, getting Cyrus' attention. "What's all this about?"

The 'this' that Laura was referring to was the situation that Alisa and Cyrus had found themselves in for the last couple of days. Everyone in Class VII had noticed how much better Cyrus and Alisa were getting along, but they had also noticed that they were trying to hide something. Despite it only being a couple of days since their talk on the Practice Field at the Academy, where they also shared their first kiss, there had been a few times where someone from Class VII had spotted them together in a questionable way.

Elliot was the first one to notice, after he had walked into the kitchen and found Cyrus whispering in Alisa's ear, and Alisa with a dark red blush on her cheeks. Jusis had caught Alisa removing her arms from around Cyrus' waist when he was getting a drink from out of the fridge, but chose to ignore it, as he so usually does.

The most obvious one was where Fie had noticed Alisa and Cyrus sat on a bench at school together, but Alisa was sat in Cyrus' lap, instead of the spot next to him. Granted, Alisa didn't know Fie had seen them, but Cyrus had caught her watching from afar and acknowledged her presence with a nod.

"What do you think it is?" Cyrus asked, looking at Elliot, Gaius, and Laura.

"I don't know… I mean if it were anyone else, I'd assume you're dating, but…" Elliot trailed off.

"But…?" Cyrus encouraged.

"But, considering it's you, the answer might not be so cut and dry," Laura stated.

"Hmm, quite right… I'll be honest, I don't really know what this is. I know we're not dating, strictly speaking, so I guess you could just say we're enjoying each other's company?" Cyrus shrugged.

"Well, I suppose as long as you're not using her, then there's no problem with it, right?" Gaius asked.

"Using her?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

"Did I not use the correct saying? I just meant that as long as you're not trying to make her feel like she has to do anything for you, only for you to discard her when you're finished," Gaius explained.

"Well, it's not really up to me if she feels obligated to do something for me or not. I mean, it's not like I'm forcing her to do anything for me to begin with. She is the master of her own decision making, and I'm surprised you think of me as some sort of puppet master," Cyrus frowned. 'Can't say I blame him though… I need a lot of puppets for my goals to be achieved, Alisa and Laura are but two of those puppets. As for the others…'

"That's a fair point. Please don't be mad at Gaius; Alisa is a friend of ours too, so we don't want to see her getting hurt," Elliot mumbled.

"I'm not mad. Just surprised you would think I would do something so heinous," Cyrus sighed.

"I didn't think you would, but it does my heart good to know you care for her," Gaius smiled.

'I suppose Gaius is right. I do care for them. If I didn't, Laura would be a puppet of the Crimson King by now. As for Alisa… I suppose she wouldn't be in this situation she's currently in. I suppose, for now, I'll just have to watch over them. We'll see how they grow in the coming months…' Cyrus thought, as he looked at Alisa.

"Mmm… Who's eating hearts?" Alisa mumbled as she started to wake up.

"No, dear, no-one's eating any hearts," Cyrus whispered, gently tapping Alisa's hand with his own.

"Hmm… Kiss," Alisa mumbled, trying her best to sound demanding, despite still being half-asleep.

"Heh, don't blame me for any embarrassment you feel afterwards then," Cyrus responded, as he softly kissed Alisa on the lips.

By this point, Alisa had finally woken up and realised where she was – on a train full of people, heading to Saint-Arkh. Needless to say, the enjoyment she had felt at feeling Cyrus' lips pressed against her own had vaporised almost instantaneously and was swiftly replaced with mortification.

"Aah! I'm sorry! Uggghhh, what the hell was I thinking?" Alisa cried, hiding her beet red face in her hands.

"Aww, don't be sorry, Alisa. You actually looked really cute!" Elliot smiled.

"Yes, Elliot is right. I've never seen you act like that before. It's nice to see," Gaius nodded, a smile on his face too.

"Please, shut up…" Alisa groaned, sinking into her seat.

"Heh, look at you; they think you're cute," Cyrus laughed, embarrassing Alisa further.

"Don't think we haven't noticed a change in you too, Cyrus," Laura mumbled.

"Huh?" Cyrus looked at Laura.

"She's right. Honestly, even if we didn't catch you guys so close with each other, we can tell you're both much more cheerful. If you guys were trying to hide it, you weren't doing an exceptionally good job of it," Elliot laughed.

"Heh, if I was trying to hide it, Elliot, then you wouldn't have a clue at all. Point is, though, is that there's nothing really to hide, so why bother trying?" Cyrus responded. 'If everything works the way it should, their aspect has already started to rub off on her, meaning all of this is just…'

'The next stop on this service to Saint-Arkh is, Saint-Arkh. Saint-Arkh. Please note, this stop is the terminus for this service. The Erebonian Ministry of Railways would like to thank all passengers for their patronage.'

The announcement rang out throughout the train, as everyone could feel the train starting to slow down. Five minutes later, the train had stopped at Saint-Arkh Station, and Group B disembarked.

"Oooh, that was a long journey. It's already midday," Elliot sighed as he stretched out on the platform.

"Indeed. I would imagine Group A have already gotten a head start over us, considering the journey to Bareahard is only two hours; half the time of our journey to Saint-Arkh," Laura agreed.

"True, but they also have Jusis and Machias with them, and if our first Field Study was anything to go by, they'll likely be at each other once again, and causing more problems than they solve," Gaius added.

"Ugh, I'm so glad that's not going to be a problem here," Alisa yawned.

"Alright, let's go. Marquis Hyarms will be waiting for us. Luckily, the Hyarms mansion is only a short walk from the station. It should only take about ten minutes to get there," Cyrus stated as he started to make his way out of the station.

---

Just as Cyrus had predicted, it only took Group B ten minutes to walk from the station to the Hyarms mansion in the middle of the city. With the exception of the nearby cathedral, the building dwarfed everything around it; even the gate that led up to the mansion seemed small by comparison.

As Group B approached the gate to the Hyarms mansion, they were stopped by the Provincial Army officers who had been assigned to guard duty at the Marquis' residence. Being that they were officers of the Sutherland Provincial Army, they had a stink of arrogance about themselves, even though they were just low-ranking soldiers assigned to stand in one spot all day long.

"Halt! No-one may approach! This area is off-limits!" one of the officers barked.

"Oh, no, you see, we're from Thors–" Elliot began, trying to explain why they were at the Marquis' mansion.

"Silence! I did not tell you to speak! I told you this place was off-limits! Now begone!" the officer shouted.

"Yeah, we know that, but we're trying to tell you–" Alisa tried, before being interrupted.

"Are you deaf girl?! Get out of my sight before I have you arrested!" the other officer snapped, drawing his sword.

"Excuse me? We're trying to explain why we're–" Laura began, trying to keep calm.

"You stupid kids just don't get it, do you? Looks like you wanna get to see the inside of Saint-Arkh's dungeons, huh?" the first officer growled.

"Is this any way to treat guests of the Marquis?" Gaius asked, with a hard frown.

"Oho! That's really funny! You think His Lordship would allow a filthy beast like you into his home?! Go back to whatever hole you're from, mutt, before I – guuugh…!" the first officer laughed before he found himself on the floor, unconscious.

As the officer was laughing and making derogatory comments about Gaius, Cyrus stepped up and punched the man square in the side of the head. The hit was so strong it dented the metal helmet he was wearing, and the reverberations from the hit were powerful enough to make the man pass out.

"Alright, that's it!" the second officer shouted as he pulled out a whistle and blew on it. "You're under arrest for assaulting a Provincial Army Officer!"

"Fuck you! That arsehole is lucky I didn't kick his teeth down his throat!" Cyrus snapped.

Within seconds of the second officer blowing the whistle, a dozen men in light blue coats had surrounded Group B, all ready to arrest them and throw them into the dungeons.

"Uhh, would it be too late to apologise?" Elliot mumbled, hiding behind Gaius as the officers closed in.

"Alright, that's enough!" a voice shouted. Despite the obvious bored tone, the voice carried a commanding manner as well.

"Brigadier General?! Company, ATTENTION!" a Captain shouted, causing all officers present to form up and stand at attention.

"Jeez, not even ten minutes in my city and you're already causing problems? You really are just like your sister," the man addressed as Brigadier General sighed.

"Hello again, Wallace. How long has it been?" Cyrus muttered, turning to look at the Brigadier General.

"Hmm, how long indeed? Two and a half years, maybe? Y'know, I liked you better when you weren't assaulting my officers," Wallace huffed, staring at Cyrus with hard eyes.

"Yes, well, I liked your officers better when they weren't making derogatory comments about my friends," Cyrus grunted, glaring at Wallace.

"No way! It's Brigadier General Wallace Bardias! We're in trouble now!" Elliot cried, still hiding behind Gaius.

"Private Soren, is this true?" Wallace asked, turning to the officer who had summoned the other soldiers.

"Uhh… Well, sir… I wouldn't necessarily say it's true, more than it was just a simple misunderstanding," Private Soren muttered.

"Bullshit! Your scumbag ally made it abundantly clear who he was talking to when he uttered the term 'filthy beast'!" Alisa shouted.

"That's right. Do all officers of the Sutherland Provincial Army hold the people of Nord in such low esteem, or was it just him?" Laura asked.

"Excuse me? Private Soren. I will ask you one more time; did Private Zacharias make derogatory comments about this young man?" Wallace asked, pointing at Gaius. His voice was so cold it made the Private shudder.

"Y-yes, sir. Private Zacharias did indeed refer to the Nord boy here as a 'filthy beast'," Private Soren whispered, unable to make eye contact with the Brigadier General.

"I see… Captain Selhurst, collect this man up and return him to the barracks. He is to be placed on latrine duty for the next six months and will be subject to a further punishment of half rations until the end of July," Wallace commanded. "Is that clear?"

"At once, Brigadier General! Men, you heard him; MOVE!" Captain Selhurst barked as his men gathered up Private Zacharias and carried him away.

"These new recruits are ridiculous. Sons of Nobles with too much to prove, but not enough sense to be able to do so. Racism has no place amongst my officers," Wallace muttered. "On behalf of His Lordship, Marquis Fernand Hyarms, I apologise to you all for all the unpleasantness you have been subjected to here. Now, please, make your way into the mansion; His Lordship will be expecting you."

Without another word, Group B watched on as the gates to the Marquis' mansion slowly swung open and allowed them entry onto the grounds. Escorted by Brigadier General Bardias, the group made their way into the mansion.

---

"Greetings, you must be the group of Thors students we were told to expect. My name is Celestin; Head Buter to His Lordship, Marquis Hyarms," a man with light blue hair and spectacles bowed as he greeted his guests.

"Hey, Celestin. I need to speak with the Marquis first. Will that be an issue?" Wallace asked as he walked in behind Group B.

"Ah, Brigadier General! Of course, His Lordship has been waiting for you. Please, go right in," Celestin stated, stepping to the side to allow Wallace to pass.

"This shouldn't take too long. Sorry, guys," Wallace waved as he carried on his way through to the Marquis' office.

"So, what do we do now? Wait?" Alisa asked.

"Not at all. His Lordship has already given me a couple of tasks for you to get started with. Oh, and I must say, it's a pleasure to have the daughter and heir to the Reinford Family with us today," Celestin smiled.

The moment the words 'Reinford Family' left Celestin's mouth; Alisa froze on the spot. Despite knowing who Alisa was, Celestin had no idea that Alisa had been keeping her family name a secret from her classmates. Like a stone statue, Alisa stiffly turned around and found Elliot and Laura looking at her with their mouths agape, whilst Gaius wasn't quite as floored by the revelation, despite knowing who the Reinford Family was. Cyrus, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk at the bombshell Celestin had unwittingly dropped.

"Heh, looks like that cat finally found its way out of the bag," Cyrus smirked.

"Alisa, is this true?" Laura asked.

"No! It-it's not what you think!" Alisa cried, waving her hands in a panic.

"I'm sorry, did I misspeak? I'm sure you were Alisa Reinford, daughter of Irina Reinford," Celestin continued, making Alisa tense up further.

"No! I mean, yes, but–!" Alisa cried.

"Why didn't you tell us you're the daughter of the Reinford Family?" Elliot asked.

"Err, well… Y'see… The thing is…" Alisa began, trying to find the right words.

"Why should she have to?" Cyrus asked, turning attention to him.

"What?" Elliot asked.

"Exactly as I said, why should she have to tell anyone who her family is? Granted, I was furious at her when I found out, but I've since gotten over it, and I can understand how she might think this is something of a 'pot meet kettle' moment, but I fail to see why she has to tell everyone her family name," Cyrus explained.

"I mean, you're right, but I don't understand why she'd want to keep it a secret in the first place. No-one would judge her for it," Laura stated.

"Are you sure about that? I mean, are you really sure about that?" Cyrus asked.

"I assume you're going to explain it to us then?" Laura asked pointedly.

"You all know the Reinford Company is Erebonia's largest Heavy Industry company, don't you? It serves the general public as a whole, Nobles and Commoners. Yet the Reinford Family are Commoners themselves. Look at those two dicks at the mansion gates. Wallace said they were sons of Nobles but look at how they acted. Imagine how they would have treated Alisa if they knew she was the daughter of the Reinford family. There are Nobles out there who hate the idea of Commoners being better than them; that's pretty much the basis behind why the Provincial Armies exist. From a hierarchical point of view, some Nobles would treat her with disdain if they knew she was a Commoner but was objectively more rich and powerful than they were. Then you have the Commoners who are in the Reformist Faction camp; they'd ask why a Commoner was providing the Nobles with the tools and weapons to keep the Commoners under their heel. If people knew, she'd catch it from both sides, and she doesn't need that," Cyrus stated.

"Hmm, and since Class VII is comprised of Nobles and Commoners, you're suggesting that Alisa might be the subject of pressurisation by either group if they knew she was the heir to one of the biggest companies in the Empire," Gaius muttered, referring to Jusis and Machias.

"I'm not trying to sound prejudiced when I say this, but I can definitely see Machias trying to push an angle to Alisa about why the Nobles shouldn't be allowed to own and operate Reinford technology. As for Jusis… Eh, he probably wouldn't care either way," Cyrus shrugged.

"I guess that makes sense… I mean, it's only been two months since we all started living and studying together; I'd have to agree that it's hard to form meaningful relationships with nine other people in such a short space of time," Elliot stated.

"There, see; there's that clinical insight that I'd expect from the son of 'Craig the Red'. I mean, hell, I've barely even interacted with the rest of the class outside you guys. Jusis is a pain to deal with unless you get him in a good mood. Machias and I are probably never going to be friends until he gets rid of that Noble sized chip on his shoulder. Fie would rather spend time sleeping than talking to people, Rean's poor attitude and pessimistic views leave a bad taste in my mouth, and Emma… Well, we're friendly enough, but…" Cyrus trailed off. "Look, the point is this; these Field Studies are more than just testing our physical, combative, social, and receptive skills. They're also a way for us to get to know each other and learn how to work together. If that wasn't the case, then there'd be no variation in groups, and it seems to me that Sara likes to put the people who seem unable to work together in a group together to try and force them to work out their differences."

"You mean like Jusis and Machias?" Gaius asked.

"Yes, and for us, it'll be Laura and I," Cyrus stated.

At Cyrus' statement, Laura couldn't help but look away and down at the floor. She knew he was right. She knew that she had to get over this ridiculous fear she currently had of Cyrus. She was just a little girl when the traumatic event that involved her mother had happened. Cyrus was a little over a year older than her; there was no way he was responsible for what had happened. Yet, the blade… The blade and his back. How was it that she had seen both as a child, and now with Cyrus?

"Sara can't honestly believe that'll work, right?" Alisa asked.

"No, but I think she's banking on our competitive drive to overcome these obstacles that can hamper our ability to work together. And considering that those of us who went to Parm only got a B for our work, whereas those who went to Celdic got an A, I'm more liking our chances here this time around," Cyrus responded.

"Ah, right. Jusis and Machias did cause a few problems on the first day there, and given they're both in Bareahard, I'd imagine their negative relationship would inhibit Group A's ability to work together, and affect their grade, whereas your negative relationship with Laura can be worked out, given you're both able to actually hold a conversation without it deteriorating into insults," Gaius pointed out.

"I wouldn't necessarily say we have a negative relationship, more just a… Difference of opinion on certain things. Although I can't discount that my usually cold attitude could probably be an issue as well," Cyrus muttered.

"Ahem! While I hate to interrupt this conversation, His Lordship is a busy man, and it would not do for his attendant to simply stand here and wait for you all to finish your conversation before taking on the tasks he has set out for you today," Celestin stated politely, handing the list of tasks to Cyrus.

"Oh! Sorry, Celestin! I guess we did kind of get distracted with things, huh?" Alisa laughed sheepishly, knowing it was partly her fault things got side-tracked.

"Think nothing of it, Miss Reinford. Here are your tasks for today, complete them in any order you see fit. His Lordship requests only that the day's tasks be finished before six o'clock this evening, as he would like to extend an invitation to join him for dinner," Celestin stated, smiling as he offered the verbal invitation to join the Marquis for dinner to Group B.

"Wow, really? That's so kind!" Elliot gasped.

"Indeed. I wonder what it's like to have dinner with a man like Marquis Hyarms?" Gaius pondered.

"Laura can fill you in as we check this list of tasks off. Or I can give you an explanation myself, if you'd like," Cyrus stated as he turned and walked off before handing the list of tasks Group B had been given to Gaius.

Once Group B had left the mansion and were back outside, they all took a moment to look at the list of tasks they had been given by Celestin. There were four tasks, but the fourth task was a little… Odd.

"Hey, did Celestin read this properly? What's up with this fourth task?" Alisa asked.

"Celestin doesn't make mistakes like this. Even Father has commented on how meticulous Celestin is in his work… But what does this 'Alpha, Delta, Tau' mean?" Laura muttered.

Upon hearing the words 'Alpha, Delta, Tau', Cyrus froze up. There was no way such a thing can be a coincidence. After composing himself, Cyrus turned to the rest of the group.

"What does it say?" Cyrus asked.

"Uhh, let's see… 'The Opal Phoenix has been stolen. The work of serpents slithering in the dark, to be sure. Protect and return what is lost before it is too late.' What does that mean?" Elliot asked.

"A riddle, perhaps? Maybe this Opal Phoenix is a treasure that was stolen by thieves in the night? Although, I don't understand what it means by 'before it's too late'," Laura suggested.

"Whatever it is, it's clearly not high on the list of priorities, given it's at the bottom of the list here. Celestin usually lists things in order of importance for the Marquis, so it's likely he's done the same here," Cyrus stated.

"I suppose that makes sense. Given the ambiguity of the task, it sounds like it's probably a lost item that the task giver wants to be kept 'hush-hush', as it were. Maybe a junior merchant lost a precious item and needs to have it found before his superior finds out," Gaius wondered.

"Ok, look. How about you guys tackle the first task on the list, as it'll likely be the most important task, and I'll handle this one," Cyrus proposed.

"Are you sure? Back in Celdic, we kinda all just helped each other, didn't we?" Alisa looked at Elliot, who nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. Besides, this first task here is asking that we deal with some bandits that have been harassing travellers going in and out of Saint-Arkh, which is having an impact on trade and commerce. Let's just leave Cyrus to look for this Opal Phoenix, and we can deal with this first task," Elliot stated, a rare showing of confidence from the young orange haired boy.

"Hmm, if you say so. I suppose dealing with outlaws will be a good form of training for myself," Laura muttered.

"Right. We'll meet back in front of the cathedral in the main square once we're done. Be careful out there, you guys," Cyrus stated as he parted ways with the group.

"Uh, yeah! You too!" Alisa called out as she watched Cyrus walk off. 'I have a bad feeling about this…'

---

After splitting off from the rest of the group, Cyrus immediately headed to the location that had been given with the task itself. It was a vacant warehouse in Saint-Arkh's shopping district, which already put Cyrus on alert. He already knew something was wrong when he read the task name and information, but the thieves setting a meeting point in the middle of Saint-Arkh's busiest district was just bizarre.

Upon entering the building, Cyrus could see no signs of life, and began to investigate the building. It didn't take him long to find a doorway that led down into a cellar-like room, which was likely added onto the building to increase storage space, or to store products that had to be kept out of natural sunlight.

Once he was down in the cellar, he became acutely aware that he was not alone. As he removed his boots and allowed his bare feet to touch the ground, he immediately realised there was not one person down in the cellar with him, but four, and all of them were exceedingly strong.

"Alright, you bastards! Get the hell out here and return Opal Phoenix to me!" Cyrus snapped.

"My, my… Such a demanding tone. Looks like our Lord was right to send us to that place and steal whatever it was they were working on," a voice giggled as its owner stepped out into the light of the torches they had lit prior to Cyrus' arrival.

The person who had spoken was a young woman with indigo hair. She was wearing a set of plate armour and wore a steel headband which was adorned with metal wings, similar to what she had on her plate boots. On her back was a large bow.

"Alright, that's one of you. Where are the other three?" Cyrus growled.

"Hmph, you're able to sense our presence, are you? I'm impressed," another voice snorted as its owner made themselves known to Cyrus.

Much like the woman with indigo hair, the other person who had revealed themselves to Cyrus was a woman who was wearing the exact same armour, right down to the winged headband. The only difference between the two women was the fact the second woman had long pastel-red hair, and carried a massive halberd, which clanged off the stone floor as she walked.

"Cut the theatrical bullshit, I'm here for Opal Phoenix. Hand it over now, and I'll let you walk away with your lives," Cyrus stated, pulling his kukri out of its sheathe on his leg.

"Hah! You think you can defeat the Stahlritter; the elite warriors of the legendary Steel Maiden?!" a third voice shrieked, full of arrogance.

As the third person stomped out, Cyrus simply scowled as he found himself face to face with another armour-clad woman; this one with brown hair tied into a braid and carrying a long sword and shield.

"I don't care if you plebs work for the Sibling Gods themselves! Give back Opal Phoenix!" Cyrus shouted.

"How rude. And to think our Lord thought you possessed good manners… Disappointing," the red-haired woman frowned.

"Duvalie, Ennea, Ines. That's enough. We're not here to start a fight," a fourth, commanding voice declared.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" Cyrus grunted as he watched a fourth person, fully clad in thick metal armour approach him. From behind the full helmet they had on, it was hard to tell if they were male or female but given the one called Duvalie had mentioned a 'Steel Maiden', Cyrus had deduced it was a woman. "If you clowns are looking for the circus, I can let Patrick Hyarms and his idiot friends know you're here!"

"H-How dare you speak to our lord that way?!" Duvalie cried, brandishing her sword.

"Stand down, Duvalie. He has every right to be angry and confused," the Steel Maiden said calmly. "We are not here to fight you, Cyrus Le Guin. We are here to present you with an offer."

"An offer? No thanks, I already have enough simpletons to deal with as it is; I don't need three bitches who got lost on their way to the next Renaissance Fair!" Cyrus snapped, pointing at the three Stahlritter.

"What did you just say?!" Ines growled, slamming her halberd into the ground, and shattering the stone beneath.

"Really now, Ines? Don't tell me you're going to fall for bait as obvious as that," Ennea giggled.

"Ladies, please. I won't ask again," the Steel Maiden warned. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Arianrhod."

"Ok, and what? You think that now we all know each other we can be friends? Fuck off and give back what you stole!" Cyrus yelled.

"I can understand your anger, but stealing Opal Phoenix was unavoidable. If we didn't, then you would not have come, and that would have caused problems," Arianrhod stated.

"You shouldn't even know about Opal Phoenix, so where did you hear it from?" Cyrus growled.

"Is it not obvious? You have a leak, Cyrus. I know about Blackstone and Silverlight; they were stolen too, weren't they? I'm sure you're eager to find out who gave away that information, aren't you? Hear me out, and maybe I'll tell you," Arianrhod muttered, sounding disinterested.

Cyrus gritted his teeth but said nothing. Arianrhod was right; he was desperate to find out who had leaked information about Project Blackstone, and Project Silverlight. But now that Project Opal Phoenix was in the hands of this warrior maiden and her three guardians, his main priority was getting that back before any harm could be done to the project and its progression.

"Talk," Cyrus spat the single word out with as much venom as he could muster.

"Recently, you got into a fight with a man who calls himself the Bladelord. In an attempt to beat him and reclaim the mystical Chalice of Beginnings for the Church's Black Sect, you nearly died. Were it not for an ally of mine, you would not be standing here now," Arianrhod began.

"You sent that green-haired clown?" Cyrus asked.

"No… Campanella, like all Enforcers, acts of their own volition, unless they are called upon to carry out one of our many plans for this world. Even then, so long as the plan is carried out, the Enforcers are allowed to do it however they see fit," Arianrhod continued.

"Y'know, for someone who's doing a lot of talking, I'm not exactly hearing anything important," Cyrus grunted.

"Shut up! When our Lord speaks, you listen, you cocky little brat!" Duvalie yelled.

"That's enough, Duvalie. I haven't finished," Arianrhod stated, holding out a hand. "Let me cut right to the chase, then. You want Opal Phoenix back, don't you? Join Ouroboros, and you can have it back… And, as a welcoming gift, I'll even tell you who stole Blackstone and Silverlight from you as well."

"You're going to a hell of a lot of trouble to recruit me to this little club of yours. Why?" Cyrus asked.

"Hm, why indeed? As an Anguis, I am one of the highest-ranking members of the Society, and one of the many duties an Anguis has is to recruit strong beings to join our ranks. If you join us, not only will you be welcomed with open arms, and given a designation amongst the Enforcers, I'll see to it that you report directly to me, and no-one else," Arianrhod offered.

"What? But… But my Lord! Are you seriously offering this ingrate a place amongst the Stahlritter?!" Duvalie gasped.

"Not amongst the Stahlritter, no… You can think of him as your Praetor… I would imagine that title is similar to one with which you are familiar with?" Arianrhod asked, looking at Cyrus.

"What the fuck? How could you possibly know about that? There are only two people in existence who know about that," Cyrus whispered, immediately on guard, and ready to strike.

"Hm, one word could clear this whole situation up, and yet… I don't believe the word would mean anything to you at this point in time. Pity," Arianrhod sighed.

"I've had enough of this! You want me to join you and your secret shadow organisation, then fine! But I have one condition," Cyrus shouted, glaring at Arianrhod.

"Name it," Arianrhod stated.

"You want me to join, then your three bitches here will have to beat me in a fight!" Cyrus declared, pulling Black Emperor out and holding it up.

"Surely you jest. You think you have what it takes to beat us all in combat?" Ines snapped.

"The only reason you're still alive is because I am permitting it," Cyrus muttered darkly. "Look behind you."

Ines couldn't even turn her head before she felt a massive amount of pressure on the back of her neck, driving her to the floor on her knees. Standing over the now downed Ines was Cyrus, blade in hand, ready to slice her throat at the slightest movement.

"How?! I didn't even see him move!" Duvalie cried, looking at where Cyrus had been, and where he was now standing.

"A speed clone… It can't be," Ennea whispered, taking great interest in Cyrus.

"Go ahead. Give me a reason to kill you," Cyrus hissed, pressing the blade against Ines' throat, causing a thin trickle of blood to appear on her neck.

Cyrus never got the chance to follow through on his attempt to kill Ines, as he had to let her go in order to dodge an arrow shot by Ennea, who still looked at Cyrus with boundless fascination.

"You're the one, aren't you? From two years ago?" Ennea asked, lowering her bow.

"You'll have to be more specific; I've done many things over the past two years," Cyrus stated, effortlessly dodging Duvalie's wild strike as she attempted to catch him off-guard.

"Hmm… If we manage to beat you, will you tell me, Praetor?" Ennea asked, raising her bow, and firing again.

"You act as if I have already accepted Arianrhod's offer. I would advise against making such assumptions," Cyrus warned as he deflected the arrow with his knife.

"Enough of this, foolishness! You aren't worthy to stand in the presence of our Lord, let alone become our commanding officer!" Duvalie yelled.

Duvalie's anger and frustration towards Cyrus helped her attacks become more precise and stronger, which surprised Cyrus, as he always had an understanding that rage and exasperation dulled the senses and made attacks more likely to miss. His inability to predict Duvalie's attacks whilst trying to dodge them, along with shots from Ennea's bow, made it hard for Cyrus to counterattack.

He was still acutely aware of Ines, and Arianrhod for that matter, but Cyrus was unable to do anything about them as he found himself using his knife and Black Emperor to block and deflect Duvalie's strikes, whilst using his superior speed to shift and dodge Ennea's projectiles. The Orbal Bow Ennea was using could shoot different elemental arrows, and so far, she had only used fire and ice projectiles, so Cyrus had to wait for the right time to strike in order to deal with her.

Duvalie, on the other hand, had the defensive advantage thanks to the large shield she carried. With it, she was able to block all of Cyrus' strikes, and since she knew when and where Ennea was going to fire her bow next, Duvalie was able to telegraph Cyrus' Shadow Step and provide him with no freedom to move as he'd like.

As Cyrus found himself on the back-foot, Ines carefully watched as Duvalie and Ennea forced him into a position where they could finish Cyrus off for Arianrhod. With one final Shadow Step, Ines had determined that Cyrus was now in the prime location for the Stahlritter to defeat him.

"Now, ladies! It's time!" Ines shouted, swinging her halberd down over her head and smashing the ground in an attempt to distract Cyrus.

"Radiant Star Formation!" the Stahlritter shouted, executing their signature move.

Without hesitation, Ennea fired a lightning arrow at Duvalie, who deflected it with her shield towards Ines, who then swung her halberd at the arrow, causing a huge bolt of lightning to hit Cyrus. A blinding flash of light filled the room as the attack found its mark…

---

Meanwhile, as Cyrus was fending off an attack from the Stahlritter, the rest of Group B had just finished the first task on the list given to them by Celestin. The bandits who had been attacking people coming and going from the city were Jägers who had been paid a healthy sum of Mira to ensure revenue and tourism in and out of Saint-Arkh took a steep nosedive, in an attempt to cripple the Noble Alliance and Marquis Hyarms' coffers.

"You think someone from the Reformist Faction hired these guys?" Elliot asked.

"That would be the most logical conclusion. Saint-Arkh used to be the Capital of the Empire during the Dark Age, so it holds significant value as a tourist attraction at the very least. Much like how tourism to Heimdallr helps the central government and Imperial Family generate finances, the same holds true for the cities governed by members of the Noble Alliance," Laura explained.

"I didn't think the Imperial Family needed any more money," Gaius stated.

"Well, no, but the income they generate due to people visiting Heimdallr to see Valflame Palace is quite hefty. I'd imagine the Imperial Family generate at least forty percent of Heimdallr's revenue," Alisa muttered, tapping her chin.

"Alisa… Your ring is glowing!" Elliot gasped, pointing to the Ring of the Azure Dragon on Alisa's finger.

"Wait, what?!" Alisa exclaimed as she turned her hand to look at the ring.

Elliot was right; the ring was indeed glowing. It lasted only a few seconds, but it shone brightly enough at everyone in Group B could see it. For a few seconds, no-one spoke, unsure of what to make of the strange phenomenon they had all witnessed.

"What was that all about?" Gaius asked.

"I… I don't know. You all saw that though, right?" Elliot mumbled.

"Yes. That was no ordinary glow. What could have caused it?" Laura pondered.

Radiant Star Formation!

The sound of multiple voices shouting rang through Alisa's head, causing her to grimace with pain.

"What did you say? Radiant Star?" Alisa blinked, looking at the rest of Group B.

"We… We didn't say anything. Alisa, are you ok?" Gaius asked, sounding concerned.

First seal, release!

Again, the voices continued as Alisa turned pale.

"Ugh, what's going on…?" Alisa whispered as she collapsed to the floor.

"Alisa?!" Group B cried as they rushed over to Alisa.

---

"God, what a waste of time that was…" Cyrus growled as he walked back through Saint-Arkh.

After his fight against Arianrhod's Stahlritter had concluded, Cyrus had been told that Opal Phoenix had been stolen by an informant working on the project itself, whilst never leaving the Cauldron it was being housed in. Whoever the informant was, they had made sure to steal a copy, give it to Arianrhod, and use it as a tool to lure Cyrus out so she could attempt to recruit him.

"Mama, why is that man naked?" a little boy asked as his mother quickly covered his eyes and pulled him away.

The child wasn't entirely wrong with his comment. Before the fight with Arianrhod's Stahlritter, Cyrus had taken his boots off and was now carrying them in one hand. His Thors' blazer had been destroyed, along with his shirt thanks to the Radiant Star Formation the Stahlritter had used on him, so all he had on were his jeans, with his ARCUS Unit tucked away in his back pocket. In the aftermath of the attack, Cyrus had managed to get a bit of blood all over him, which would have looked terrifying to passers-by, even if the amount wasn't substantial enough to have come from a fatal wound.

As Cyrus walked, he debated on what to do about Opal Phoenix. Three of his projects had been stolen and given to various groups. Blackstone had been given to a coalition working to create the project for Remiferia, while Silverlight was stolen and given to the Reinford Group for its use in the ARCUS Units, now Opal Phoenix, which had been taken by Arianrhod for Ouroboros' use. To what end, he did not know, but it was obvious he needed to address this problem immediately.

'If someone manages to get their hands on Sky Ripper, then I'll have to act… To hell with consequences,' Cyrus thought as he continued walking.

Making his way into the crowded parts of the city, Cyrus could sense something was amiss. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, he could feel dozens of rushed and panicked footsteps going to and from the Marquis' mansion. Something was wrong, and he had a sinking feeling as he decided to run to the Marquis' mansion and see what the commotion was about. In less than a minute, he had come across Brigadier General Bardias, who had been looking for him.

"Cyrus! There you are! What the hell happened to you?" Wallace blinked as he watched the half-naked and bloodied Cyrus approach him. "Never mind, that's not important. You need to come with me, now!"

"Wallace, what the hell is going on? Why are the Marquis' attendants running around all over the place?" Cyrus asked as he watched the mansion workers rushing about with a sense of urgency and panic.

"It's your girlfriend, Cyrus. She's dying," Wallace stated gravely.

---

The moment Wallace made that harrowing declaration, Cyrus dropped his boots, took three steps forward and vanished. He had used his Shadow Step technique to immediately head to where the rest of Group B were, and where Alisa was.

Cyrus appeared outside one of the mansion's many bedrooms and barged through the door, surprising everyone inside. Along with Group B was Celestin, Marquis Hyarms, and a woman who was standing over Alisa's body on the bed. She was still alive, but incredibly weak.

"Dr. King, do you know what's wrong with her?" Celestin asked.

"From a glance, no. Her symptoms are consistent with several different medical conditions, but without proper testing, there's no way I can isolate what it is," the woman muttered.

"Alisa! What happened to her?" Cyrus shouted, demanding answers.

"We don't know. One moment she was fine, then the next the ring she was wearing started to glow and she collapsed," Elliot whimpered, genuinely afraid that Alisa was going to die.

"The ring did what?" Cyrus asked as he took Alisa's hand. It was deathly cold.

"Dr. King, I need you to be straight with me. Can you cure this girl?" Marquis Hyarms inquired.

"No, Your Lordship. Her condition is rapidly deteriorating, and I don't have the luxury of time to find out what's wrong with her before she dies," Dr. King stated coldly.

"She's been poisoned," Cyrus stated, shocking everyone in the room.

"H-how do you know that?" Laura breathed, becoming unsettled as she stared at Cyrus' back again.

"Because I've seen these symptoms before. She's dying from a lethal dose of TTX," Cyrus whispered.

"TTX? What's that?" Gaius asked.

"Tetrodotoxin, or TTX for short, is a deadly neurotoxin found in several strains of Calvardian sea life. It's a poison that interferes with the body's central nervous system, interrupting the brain's ability to send signals to the nerves, essentially paralysing the body from within. Just a single drop in a town's water supply is enough to kill everyone who comes into contact with it," Cyrus explained.

"Who would do something like this?" Elliot breathed.

"As far as I know, there's only one person who likes to kill people with poisons like this. Doctor, I need charcoal, sodium percarbonate, and potassium pyrosulfate," Cyrus demanded as he cut open Alisa's shirt and jacket with his knife. "I'll also need all of your equipment here and for everyone to vacate the room. Your Lordship, I ask that you allow no-one to enter this room except Dr. King when she brings what I need."

"Yes, of course, but what are you going to do?" Marquis Hyarms asked, staring at Cyrus with awe.

"I'm going to save Alisa. Now, go!" Cyrus shouted, as he began inspecting Alisa's stomach for a point of contact for the poison.

"I have some charcoal in my bag, but as for the rest, I'll need to return to my clinic. I shouldn't be more than ten minutes, ok?" Dr. King stated as she turned and rushed out of the room.

After Dr. King left, Celestin ushered everyone out of the room and closed the door. As he continued to inspect Alisa's body, he removed the ARCUS from his back pocket and dropped it on the bed.

"You require my assistance, boy?" the individual asked.

"Alisa has been poisoned, and I think I know who by," Cyrus muttered as he found a small prick on Alisa's stomach, right next to her belly button. "Here it is…"

"You think it was really her? I know she's a sadist, boy, but poisons aren't her thing," the individual stated gruffly.

"No, not her. The other one," Cyrus grunted as he used some of the doctor's medicine to sterilise the wound.

"Ahh, I had overlooked Venom. He was so unremarkable that I had simply forgotten he even existed," the individual snorted.

"Yeah, well it looks like he hasn't forgotten about me… The delivery system is still in her stomach," Cyrus said as he grabbed a scalpel and started to make an incision.

"It seems the Silver Princess still hasn't forgiven you then, has she? That still begs the question; why is she so intent on sending her Death Squads after you?" the individual asked.

"I don't know… My actions against Ikaruga were a little more than a minor indiscretion. Surely, Shizuna isn't still pissed about that?" Cyrus muttered.

"Hmm, perhaps you are right. Saving the girl's life is paramount. Have you removed the object that was used to pump the poison into her body?" the individual questioned.

"Yes, but it's a new design. Looks like Venom has been finding newer, more effective ways to kill people…" Cyrus responded.

"What are you going to do now? If what we know about Venom is correct, his poison of choice is tetrodotoxin, given it comes from Calvardian sea life. Charcoal will slow the poison's spread, but only for so long…" the individual stated.

"Yes, and since Alisa is unconscious and her nervous system is shutting down, she can't swallow the damn stuff… I'll have to inject it directly into her stomach," Cyrus muttered as he grabbed a syringe and filled it with activated charcoal paste.

"I imagine you had the foresight to get alkali salts?" the individual queried.

"Yes, the doctor should be here any minute now, so shut up and let me work on saving Alisa," Cyrus commanded.

The individual whom Cyrus frequently turned to for advice remained silent as he injected Alisa with the activated charcoal in an attempt to slow the poison from spreading. He knew stopping the poison's spread was impossible without alkali salts, but this was merely a stop-gap to keep Alisa alive long enough to get the salts and create an antidote.

As Cyrus was working, an odd feeling came over him. Something wasn't right and it seemed that the individual had noticed that as well. Despite Cyrus' command to remain silent, the individual felt the need to voice the concerns they had.

"I can tell you've picked up on it. Something's amiss here, isn't it?" the individual asked.

"If I'm being honest, I noticed it from the moment I entered the mansion," Cyrus muttered as he checked Alisa's fading pulse.

"Ahh, so that's why you cleared the room. Heh, you still think like an Assassin, don't you, Dragon?" the individual chortled.

At the sound of the door opening, Cyrus turned and found Dr. King standing in the doorway, with a couple vials of alkali salts in her hands.

---

Meanwhile, in the Marquis' office, the rest of Group B, along with Celestin and the Marquis were all trying to figure out when Alisa had been poisoned.

"You can't think of any instance where Alisa might have come into contact with the TTX?" Celestin asked.

"No, not that we're aware of. She seemed fine, and then the next thing, she collapsed. If this tetrodotoxin is as lethal as Cyrus says, then it would stand to reason she came into contact with it moments before she collapsed," Laura muttered.

"True, and since there was no obvious signs of her coming into contact with it, then would it not stand to reason that she was injected with it from long-range?" Gaius suggested.

"Wait, you mean someone deliberately targeted Alisa? Why though? Do you think it's because she's the daughter of the Reinford Family?" Elliot gasped.

"Who's to say? It could very well be possible that Alisa was targeted because of her familial ties, but it could also be because of other ties…" Laura murmured, placing her hand on her chin as she spoke.

"You think Cyrus is responsible for Alisa's poisoning?" Celestin asked, sounding bewildered.

"I'm not saying he's responsible per se… Think about it; he immediately knew – from the moment he saw Alisa – that she had been poisoned with tetrodotoxin. He also mentioned he knew someone who liked to poison people with it. That alone stands to reason that Alisa is currently in that room – dying – because of him," Laura stated, somewhat harshly.

"Now hold on a moment. Before we proceed with this train of thought, I need everyone to be very clear; are you suggesting that Cyrus is the culprit, or the victim here?" Marquis Hyarms asked. "From your words, Laura, it sounds like you're suggesting he could be either."

"That's the problem; we don't know enough about him to definitively make an astute observation. If he was the culprit, which he would have opportunity, given he left to complete another task ahead of us, why would he want to kill Alisa, given their relationship? But if he's the victim, targeting Alisa would also make sense, because of their relationship; she's the easiest target if you're trying to send a message to Cyrus… The problem boils down to motive; what reason would Cyrus have to kill her, only to return and try to save her? Or, contrary to that, what has he done in his past to warrant someone trying to kill someone he cares about to send a message?" Laura explained.

"Hey… You… You guys don't think the Red Constellation have something to do with this, do you? Remember, Cyrus did say that one of the people he fought against preferred to fight from range and use projectiles. Could it be that is who Cyrus was talking about?" Elliot asked.

"The Red Constellation? I don't understand; what does a Jäger Corps have to do with this?" Marquis Hyarms asked.

"About six years ago, Cyrus and his mother were targeted by the Red Constellation in an assassination attempt near the border gate to Liberl. Someone hired those Jägers to kill him and his mother, and he still has no idea who did it, or why," Gaius explained.

"So, you think they're killing Cyrus' close friends and family in an attempt to draw him out and kill him? To finish the job they started six years ago?" Celestin asked.

Celestin never got an answer to his question, as the group were interrupted by the sound of a loud crash, then moments later, the wall on the far side of the room exploded open, after having a body thrown through it. Everyone in the Marquis' office cried out and ducked for cover and waited for the dust to settle.

As the dust settled, everyone looked up at the hole in the wall, then the body that had come crashing through it. To the horror of Marquis Hyarms and Celestin, they were looking at the badly beaten body of their physician, Dr. King.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Marquis Hyarms exclaimed.

"Get up, you snivelling little coward…" a dark voice hissed from the hole in the wall.

Everyone looked at the hole in the wall, and found themselves staring at Cyrus, stepping through the wall and carrying the same knife he always carried; this time it was dripping with the blood of Dr. King.

"Cyrus?! What are you doing?!" Elliot cried, panicking as he watched the blood drip from the knife onto the carpet.

"Your Lordship… You have a rat in your mansion. Not to worry, I shall exterminate it," Cyrus growled, flicking the blood off the edge of the knife.

"E-explain yourself, this instant!" Marquis Hyarms screamed; his voice filled with terror.

"Dr. King is dead. The real Dr. King, I mean. This one… Is an impostor," Cyrus stated, pointing his knife at the body of the accused.

"What?!" Laura shouted.

"Did it not seem weird to you all that the good doctor just so happened to be here when Alisa required medical attention? How was it that she knew to be here, and that her medical expertise was required? She didn't, because no doctor could ever anticipate something like this happening. This, my friends, is one of Ikaruga's Thirteen Death Squad Commanders, skilled in the art of disguises. Isn't that right, Chameleon?" Cyrus growled, glaring at the body he had thrown through the wall.

The person on the floor had grunted as they moved and spat up a wad of blood before coughing uncontrollably. When they opened their eyes, Marquis Hyarms knew Cyrus was telling the truth.

"Her eyes! Dr. King had green eyes! This impostor has yellow eyes! How did I not notice that before?!" Marquis Hyarms gasped.

"Ahaha, very good, Yang. I see your senses are as sharp as ever. To think, someone could see through my disguise… Ahh, yes… You're right; the good doctor, Laetitia King, is indeed dead. Killing her wasn't necessary, but I thought it'd be fun to do anyway," Chameleon cackled.

"You monster…" Gaius growled.

"This piece of shit is working with the one who poisoned Alisa, hiding in plain sight to ensure the kill was successful. That's why they were reluctant to help treat her, and when they ran off to get the reagents I needed to help, they came back with cyanide powder, hoping I wouldn't notice," Cyrus stated.

"Guh, you always were too careful for your own good. That's why Venom and I decided to target your little bitch instead. We assumed you would be in too much of a panic to realise, but it seems you knew all along," Chameleon chuckled, coughing again.

"Stop talking. You have six broken ribs, a shattered collarbone, and a collapsed lung. You're a dead reptile walking…" Cyrus hissed, forcing his words out through gritted teeth.

"Well, if that's how you want to put it…" Chameleon muttered, jumping up and brandishing six knives in their hands. "I'LL JUST HAVE TO KILL YOU BEFORE I DIE!"

No-one had expected Chameleon to jump up and run at Cyrus, screaming like a maniac and swinging their arms around, hoping to cut him to ribbons. Despite the looks of shock and horror, Cyrus was unfazed by Chameleon's actions.

In response to Chameleon's suicidal attack, Cyrus drew Black Emperor and paired it with the knife in his off-hand.

"Twin-Blade Style, Seventh Form; Second Step! Third Strike!"

In the blink of an eye, Cyrus leapt at Chameleon, slashing at them with sword and knife. Chameleon had managed to telegraph the strikes and block them, which was exactly what Cyrus had expected. As the first two strikes landed, Chameleon had realised what Cyrus' true intention was.

The first two attacks were a misdirect, with the aim to get Chameleon to break their guard. After Cyrus had finished his initial attack, a speed clone had followed up, striking Chameleon across the chest with Black Emperor; an attack that was unavoidable, and unblockable. The single, third strike ripped through Chameleon's chest with lethal precision.

"Noooo! Im…Impossible! How can someone… How can someone attain such perfect mastery, and still evolve beyond the original?!" Chameleon rasped as they collapsed to the floor, dead in a pool of their own blood. "Damn you… Raijin…"

"One down… Twelve more to go, and Venom is at the top of my kill-list," Cyrus muttered as he sheathed both sword and knife.

"Cyrus… What was–?" Laura breathed.

"Not now! Alisa still needs help!" Cyrus shouted, suddenly coming alive with a sense of urgency.

"Ho-hold on!" Elliot called out as everyone rushed after Cyrus.

---

"Are you certain this will work?" Celestin asked.

"It's the only way now. Alisa's blood will be contaminated with the TTX. We have to drain her blood and transfuse 'clean blood' into her body. The odds of success are low, but it's worth a try," Cyrus stated as he sat down next to Alisa, who was now drenched in sweat and shivering.

"You know what Alisa's blood type is?" Gaius asked.

"No; I'm Type O-Negative; my blood is universally accepted by everyone, meaning it's the only chance we have at saving her, since we don't have time to figure out what her blood type is, or if anyone else is compatible. Celestin, do it," Cyrus commanded, and receiving a nod from Celestin.

In a desperate, eleventh-hour attempt to save Alisa, Cyrus opted to try a blood transfusion. He knew the odds of success were less than five percent, but that was better than zero. Due to Celestin being an expert in all things, as the head butler for the Hyarms Family should be, Celestin was able to assist Cyrus in setting up the process and connecting Cyrus to Alisa via a syringe and tube to a vein in their arms and began to sit back and watch as the transfusion took place.

On the other end, Celestin had also set up a packet to drain the toxified blood from Alisa's body. As the poisonous blood was pumped out, everyone could see the horrific effects tetrodotoxin had on the blood, as the blood coming out of Alisa's body was yellow.

"Now you see how TTX works. Not only does it paralyse the body, but it also kills the red blood cells that carry oxygenated blood around the body. All that remains is the yellow blood you see in the bag, the body's plasma. Without my blood, Alisa's central nervous system would have shut down, and her body would be pumping plasma through her circulatory system, essentially leaving her to suffocate," Cyrus explained.

"That's why she's sweating and trembling; her body is overclocking to try and force oxygenated blood around the body, but without anything to provide the blood, it's failing. That's why Cyrus' blood is helping. By purging the plasma in her veins, we're forcing oxygenated blood back into her body, essentially giving it a 'hard restart'. While the odds of success are low, the oxygenated blood will help purge the poison and restart the central nervous system," Celestin added, checking both Cyrus and Alisa's vitals.

"How do you know all of this?" Elliot breathed.

"I will tell you all when we return to Trista tomorrow, but right now, all that you need to know is that during my travels, I received extensive training from some of the finest physicians in Crossbell, and Remiferia. I know almost everything there is to know about the human body, and how to systematically destroy it," Cyrus responded darkly, chilling everyone to the bone. "But, with the power to destroy comes the power to heal, so while I know what can ravage the body, I also know how to repair it."

"The more we learn about you, Cyrus, the less we seem to know," Gaius stated, feeling both amazed and frightened by the young man sat before him.

"Ok, now, I think that's enough talk for today. Due to what's happened, I'm going to have Brigadier General Bardias and his men tend to the other tasks I had assigned to you, and tomorrow, Aidios willing, you can all get back on track with your Field Study," Marquis Hyarms explained.

"With all due respect, Your Lordship; Alisa will not be able to continue with this Field Study. Even if this procedure is successful, Alisa will still be far too weak to do anything by herself. So, I'm afraid her doing anything other than resting is out of the question," Celestin stated.

"Yes, of course. I understand. I shall contact Instructor Valestein and let her know what has happened here. I'll make sure that this unfortunate event doesn't impact on your ability to do your schoolwork," Marquis Hyarms nodded as he left the room to contact Sara.

---

The following day, Marquis Hyarms provided Cyrus and the rest of Group B, sans Alisa, with the tasks they were expected to finish before leaving the Old City. The requests themselves were pretty straightforward, which might have been the Marquis' doing. Perhaps he didn't want Group B having another deadly dance with death, so out of kindness, he selected tasks that weren't too demanding.

Elliot seemed relieved that the tasks were simple, but Cyrus decided they were not worth his time, and passed them off to Laura. After what had happened yesterday with Arianrhod and her Stahlritter, and Chameleon and Venom, the two Death Squad Commanders, Cyrus had decided it was time to go on the attack and force his enemies to play by his rules. His first objective was to get the Marquis onside so that his grade for the Field Studies wouldn't be affected by essentially abandoning them.

"Your Lordship, do you have a moment?" Cyrus asked as the Marquis looked up from his desk.

"Yes, of course. What can I do for you, Cyrus?" the Marquis asked.

"I would like for your permission to undertake a few tasks of my own for the Field Study. Given what happened to Alisa yesterday, I'm concerned that the one who poisoned her is not yet finished his work. Amongst that, I received some troubling news yesterday, and I need to open a line of investigation, in order to ascertain the damage caused to a special project I am working on," Cyrus explained.

"I understand… But what is this about a special project?" Marquis Hyarms asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge any of its information to you, Your Lordship, but this project is incredibly important, and affects more than just myself," Cyrus responded.

"Hmm… Very well. Given your older sister has been tasked by Duke Cayenne to work on top secret military operations in the past, I can understand the need for secrecy with whatever you're involved in. I will not pry, but you must understand that I cannot give you leave to run roughshod all across Saint-Arkh, and Sutherland as a whole. Especially because of the person who targeted Alisa yesterday. What would you do if he attacked again, and you weren't able to save the person he was targeting? Would it not be better for you to be with your classmates, and keep them safe from harm?" the Marquis queried.

"I suppose you are right, so I am willing to compromise. If you allow me the morning to do my own investigations, then I will link up with the rest of Group B and finish the afternoon's tasks with them Is that a fair compromise?" Cyrus suggested.

The Marquis paused for a moment, pondering Cyrus' offer. It was indeed a fair offer, and given that he was only wanting a couple of hours on his own, before re-joining Group B for the remainder of the day, it seemed like a reasonable compromise.

"Very well, I will grant your request. However, I must stress that you are to re-join your classmates no later than after midday. Am I understood?" Marquis Hyarms commanded.

"Yes, Your Lordship," Cyrus nodded.

"Very good. Then off you go… Ah, but first," the Marquis began, as he stood up. "I want to apologise to you on behalf of my youngest son, Patrick, for all the trouble he has been causing you at school. His behaviour is unacceptable, and in order to curtail this misconduct, I shall be sending Celestin to Trista to watch over him."

"I appreciate the apology, Your Lordship, but you have nothing to apologise for. Patrick is seventeen years old; well beyond the age of knowing right from wrong. You may be his father, but in your position as Marquis of the Sutherland Province, you are also a father to all your subjects, and they demand more attention than a wayward son," Cyrus stated, his face remaining expressionless.

"Be that as it may, I will not tolerate Patrick using the Hyarms name as an excuse to throw his weight around. One day, he's going to realise that a family name will not protect him from a barrage of fists… And on that day, I hope he's a quick study. In the meantime, Celestin will be on hand to make sure he doesn't fall out of line too far," the Marquis responded.

Cyrus nodded as he bowed to the Marquis and took his leave. He was grateful to the Marquis for granting him leave from the Field Study for even just a couple of hours. The reason? Cauldron Omega was situated just outside of Saint-Arkh, and deep within was another one of Cyrus' projects; Project Sky Ripper.

---

About an hour after leaving Saint-Arkh, Cyrus was now standing in front of the entrance to a place known as Cauldron Omega. A secret project that only a handful of people even knew existed, and even less knowing about the Cauldron's location.

Omega was hidden away into a rocky outcrop, overlooking a large lake South-West of Saint-Arkh. Underneath said lake, was the secret facility that housed Project Sky Ripper. Entering the Cauldron, a metallic voice rang out, asking for security clearance.

"Overseer Le Guin; Alpha Prime," Cyrus stated as the metallic locks on the door disengaged and opened up to him.

"Access granted. Welcome back to Cauldron Omega, Overseer," the bionic voice droned as Cyrus entered the facility.

Once access had been granted, the sound of more metallic objects and machinery clanked to life as the platform Cyrus was standing on had become an elevator and began to carry Cyrus down further into Omega.

After two minutes, the elevator stopped and a door opened, revealing to Cyrus the main area that housed the project.

"Overseer on deck!" a man shouted as he turned to address the workers from a platform. "Overseer, it is good to see you again. Is everything ok?"

"No, Dominic, it's not. We have a serious problem. Our operation has been breached," Cyrus stated.

"Impossible. We undergo the strictest security screening here. If there was a breach, we would have discovered it. If there was a breach, the Spectres would have been deployed," Dominic stated, his brown eyes staring right at Cyrus.

"Dr. Masters, by now you should realise that you are but a simple cog in the machine that is my entire operation. You know your place and your duty, and the duty of the other cogs that you are responsible for, but you do not know what the rest of them do. If I say we have a breach, then we have a breach. Is that understood?" Cyrus spoke, his voice carrying absolute authority.

"Yes, Overseer. With respect then, sir, why are you here? If you say there is a breach, then I would assume you're here to ensure everything is running smoothly," Dominic muttered.

"Correct. How far along is Sky Ripper, doctor?" Cyrus asked, looking at the monstrosity beneath him that was Project Sky Ripper.

"Well, based on the designs provided, and the materials required, we're on schedule to complete the first iteration of the project by November next year," Dominic stated, looking at his notes.

"Still another eighteen months, huh? Any way to speed up the fabrication process?" Cyrus asked.

"Speed it up? Sir, you must be joking. Sky Ripper was your creation. You stated it would take years for the first production model to be built and that we are not to rush the project under any circumstances," Dominic exclaimed, dropping his clipboard.

"Yes, I am aware, but… Look, Silverlight is dead in the water at the moment. Until I can plug this leak, every facility and every project within them is at risk. Sky Ripper is my biggest project, and it absolutely cannot fail, otherwise the whole operation will be a failure, and I cannot allow that. As we speak Cauldron Tau is being gutted, and inventory is being sent to the other Cauldrons to help speed up the projects within them. If I allocate some of the resources used by Project Silverlight at Cauldron Tau, will that help things here?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, that depends on what you're offering, sir. As you're aware, I was involved in the planning phase of Project Silverlight three years ago. How you managed to come up with such an idea is beyond me, but… If resources are being allocated, might I request some more Raritanium ore and perhaps the blast furnace Silverlight had? As things stand, we can't bond the Raritanium to the joints properly because there's too many impurities when heating it at such a low temperature. Throughout testing, pieces of the apparatus have shattered, been ripped apart, and simply disintegrated when put under strain at even half power. If we can remove the impurities from the Raritanium ore, the joints and other fixtures will be reinforced enough that it should all hold together without any problems, even if we push the limits to beyond the threshold," Dominic explained.

"As would be expected, I suppose… What are the current threshold limits at?" Cyrus asked.

"At the moment, we've just managed to reach stage four. We tried a sustained rate at four, but the results were catastrophic I'm afraid," Dominic sighed.

"I see… Very well, I will grant your request for Silverlight's ore supply and blast furnace, but I expect to see results. Do I make myself clear?" Cyrus stated, his voice like ice.

"I understand, Overseer," Dominic nodded.

"Excellent. Oh, and have one of the Spectres send for Miss Collins. I have a feeling her… Specialties will be needed here," Cyrus stated.

"Miss Collins? I thought you had her stationed in Cauldron Echo because Project Stormbringer is another project with a high degree of importance?" Dominic asked.

"There is a reason you haven't been read in on the entire operation, Dominic. You job is to complete Project Sky Ripper without any failures and within the allotted time, not to tell me where best to station my agents," Cyrus explained firmly.

"Yes, of course. My apologies for overstepping, Overseer," Dominic bowed. "I will issue a collection order to one of the Spectres and have Miss Collins brought here immediately."

---

After checking in on the status of Cauldron Omega, Cyrus returned to Saint-Arkh and met up with the rest of Group B, just as the Marquis had instructed. By the time he had gotten back, Elliot, Gaius, and Laura had finished most of the tasks, and the only one that was left was helping the Cardinal of the cathedral in Saint-Arkh prepare for next week's High Mass.

The request itself seemed innocuous enough, but why did the church need help to set up for a service that was a whole week away? After discussing it, Group B decided it would be much simpler to go to the cathedral as ask the Cardinal directly.

Upon arriving at the cathedral, the Fathers and Sisters were all rushing about, an excitable sense of urgency about them. As Group B approached the steps, they managed to overhear two Sisters talking to each other.

"I can't believe it; we're getting a visit from one of Arteria's Templar Knights?!" one of the Sisters cried.

"I know, it's amazing! I can't believe she's come all the way from Calvard for this mission! Sister Lucy is going to be so jealous she missed out!" the other Sister giggled.

"Come now, girls, now's not the time for idle chatter. You wouldn't want the Curse of Thanatos to wreak havoc in your lives, would you?" a priest asked.

"Of course not! Please, forgive us, Father Edmund!" the first Sister cried as she ran off to attend her duties.

"Hmph, Curse of Thanatos; what utter bullshit," Cyrus snorted as Father Edmund turned to the group of students.

"Oh? A non-believer, are you? Well, perhaps you'd like to tell me why you think the curse is nonsense?" Father Edmund asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I couldn't care less if the curse was real or not, but slaking your need to tarnish the name of a God is, in a word, foolish," Cyrus muttered.

"Please, forgive our friend here, Father, we did not come to question the teachings of the Church, we are here to see Cardinal Giancarlo," Gaius cut in, stopping any further insults from Cyrus.

"Oh, you're the ones who were summoned. Hmm, I must say, I didn't expect you to be mere children," Father Edmund commented, stroking his grey beard.

"What do you mean 'summoned'?" Elliot asked.

"Cardinal Giancarlo will explain everything in his office, please," Father Edmund beckoned, as he stood aside and allowed Group B to enter the cathedral.

---

"Ah, good afternoon, children. Thank you for taking the time to come here today," Cardinal Giancarlo smiled as Group B entered his office.

"Thank you for your generous invite today, Cardinal. How may we be of assistance?" Laura asked, bowing to the holy man.

"Please, my child, I am but a faithful servant of Aidios; you need not bow to me," Giancarlo stated as he stood up.

"So you're the one… You're the Sentinel everyone's been talking about," a voice came from behind Group B.

As Group B turned around, they found themselves staring at a woman in her early twenties, short in stature, but her presence was immense. Her black and crimson robes matched the colour of her red hair, and the giant scarlet Templar Sword strapped to her back.

Before anyone could respond, she slammed the door Group B had entered through and looked at the Cardinal with a glare, prompting him to leave the room via the door behind his desk.

"A trap?! What's going on here?!" Elliot cried, trying to find a way to escape, but seeing no option.

"Relax Elliot, it's not a trap," Cyrus muttered as he looked at the young woman, his azure eyes locking on to her turquoise eyes, matching her crushing glare. "Celis, you petulant little child, what are you doing in Erebonia?"

"CHILD?! I'M FIVE YEARS OLDER THAN YOU, YOU ARROGANT LITTLE BASTARD!" Celis raged, grabbing a book off the shelf and throwing it at Cyrus, who caught it and dropped it to the ground.

"Yes, but you have the temperament of a three-year old. How does someone like you become Knight Commander of the Templars?" Cyrus sighed.

"Wait a minute, I know you! Knight Commander Celis Ortesia of Arteria's Knights Templar!" Gaius gasped.

"You… You know her, Gaius?" Elliot whispered.

"No, not personally, but Father Barkhorn mentioned her in one of his stories a couple of years ago. A young girl skilled enough to lead a battalion of Templar Knights at the age of seventeen. She's a once-in-a-generation talent!" Gaius explained.

"Heh, typical Barkhorn. Can't seem to stop it with that story," Celis smirked, calming down considerably.

"Yes, yes, very good, you've had your ego stroked, now stop acting like a damn peacock and answer my question; why are you in Erebonia, Celis?" Cyrus snapped.

"You, Cyrus. I'm here because of you," Celis sighed. "Give me the Sacred Relic you stole."

"Stole? Is that what you've been told? I would imagine Keyes had to 're-educate' Rosaria on where her loyalties lie?" Cyrus scoffed.

"What His Excellency chooses to do with the people who work under him are of no concern to me. All I know is that you have the Chalice of Beginnings in your possession, and I've come to take it back," Celis snapped.

"His Excellency… You cannot be serious; you're a double agent?" Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A double agent? What are you talking about" Laura asked.

"The only people who refer to the Black Archbishop as 'His Excellency' are those who serve under him. Otherwise it's simply the Black Archbishop. Much like how those who serve under the Pope refer to him as 'His Holiness'," Cyrus explained. "You're a Nightingale, aren't you?"

"Heh, Rosaria was right; you are a very sharp person. However, you are half right; I am a Knight Commander of the Templars and a Nightingale, I'm not a double agent in the way you're thinking," Celis smirked. "Now tell me what you've done with the Sacred Relic!"

"I don't care if you're the person who helps the Pope wipe his arse, I'm not giving you the Chalice!" Cyrus shouted.

"Listen here, you cocky little shit, I have no desire to waste my time trying to educate you on respect! You will surrender the Chalice unto me, or you will suffer the consequences!" Celis shouted, brandishing her sword.

"Is that supposed to scare me? Look around, you idiot; that thing is far too large to use in a room like this. You'll cause more damage to your surroundings than you will to me," Cyrus scoffed.

"Hmm, quite right… Allow me to change that then," Celis grinned as she twisted the hilt of her sword.

Upon twisting, the hilt snapped away from the main blade of the weapon, shedding almost all of the blade, leaving a smaller version of her Templar Sword in her hand. Cyrus had no idea that her sword could do that and was caught unprepared as she leapt at him.

It was only thanks to Cyrus' incredible speed that he was able to avoid being cut down by Celis' strike. Using Shadow Step, he darted to the other side of the room and pulled his own sword out, ready to fight.

The battle that Cyrus was expecting never came. What happened instead was Celis had jumped at Cyrus, clashing her sword with his so that she could give him a message.

"I am not your enemy, you idiot. I'm here to help you, as are the rest of us. Find the light in the darkness, and allow Project Nemesis to advance," Celis whispered through gritted teeth.

"Project Nemesis? What the fuck are you talking about?" Cyrus grunted, as he pushed Celis back, causing her to stop.

"You don't know? Fuck. This isn't good. I need to report in. If you don't know, then it was a waste of time me coming here," Celis muttered, picking up the rest of her sword and putting it back together.

Without another word, Celis left the room, leaving Group B in the Cardinal's office, alone and confused.

"What in Aidios' name was that all about?" Laura asked.

"I haven't a clue. But it would seem there's more to Knight Commander Ortesia than meets the eye," Gaius frowned.

"What was all that stuff about a Chalice? Wasn't that the artefact Sister Rosaria asked you to help her recover?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah, but it ended up being a waste of time; the damn thing looked like an old metal cup. Not exactly a rare and powerful artefact that is supposed to be connected to Thanatos. So, Rosaria let me keep it," Cyrus shrugged.

"But what about Knight Commander Ortesia; she said she was both a Templar and a Nightingale. How does that work?" Laura asked.

"It shouldn't. While the Septian Church and the Black Sect are a part of the same organisation, you join either faction; you cannot join both," Gaius stated. "Even Father Barkhorn said that the choice was irreversible upon your acceptance to the Church."

"So, either the Knight Commander was lying, or…" Elliot mumbled.

"Or there's another faction within the Church that serves both sides," Cyrus grunted. "The Church's Enforcers, as it were. Remember what I told you about the Pope and the Black Archbishop; both take a hardline stance of totalitarian authority amongst the clergy. To ensure this remains in balance, you'd need a special group of soldiers who have a foot in both camps to make sure the prejudices of each group doesn't cause destabilisation within the Church."

"So, why did the Knight Commander come all the way here, just to leave empty handed?" Laura asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cyrus muttered.

---

After finishing up at the cathedral, Group B returned to the Marquis and gave him their report. After reading their reports, Marquis Hyarms was satisfied with the work Group B had done, and signed off on their Field Study as being completed.

As everyone in Group B were packing their belongings for the journey home, Celestin had been tasked with seeking out Cyrus and bringing him before the Marquis for one last conversation.

"Cyrus, thank you for joining me. There is something that I would like to discuss with you before you return to Trista," Marquis Hyarms stated, sounding rather serious.

"Not like I had much of a choice," Cyrus muttered as he watched Celestin leave the room and close the large wooden doors behind him.

"Yes, I do hope you'll forgive me for this unexpected meeting, but after the events of the last two days, there's a question I've been wanting to ask; who are you?" the Marquis asked, giving Cyrus a serious yet puzzled look.

"I'm afraid I must apologise, Your Lordship, for I don't understand the question," Cyrus responded, giving nothing away.

"Very well, then allow me to explain it to you. It would have been, hmm, just over a year ago that you came to my city with someone. Now, I don't have any problems with where you go or who you travel with, but the chaos you caused… That was unacceptable. I hope whatever your reasons for your actions during your time here was worth it. I had issued a warrant for your arrest, after what you did, but less than a week later, I had been told the warrant had been rescinded. Who'd have the power to do that, I wonder? Well, naturally, I assumed it was your sister that had petitioned Duke Cayenne to have the warrant rescinded, but when I saw her six months ago, she had no idea what I was talking about," Marquis Hyarms explained.

Cyrus stood there in silence, listening to the Marquis. He was surprised that the man before him had managed to find out so much about his activities in Saint-Arkh. While it was concerning, Cyrus was still mostly impressed that the Marquis put so much effort into finding out what had happened. Most Nobles would simply ignore it and pass it off to the Provincial Army to deal with, turning up little to nothing. Yet this man had spent the better part of a year trying to find out what had happened.

"How do you know, Your Lordship?" Cyrus asked, interrupting the Marquis.

"Excuse me?" Marquis Hyarms responded, slightly annoyed that he had been cut off.

"Whatever it is you've accused me of; how do you know it was me?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, at first, I had no idea. That was until it was brought to my attention that the person you were with was doing a little reconnoitring around my city. Now, of course, at the time, I hadn't connected the dots, as Brigadier General Bardias had told me there was someone acting suspiciously, but I can't rightly arrest someone on the grounds of acting suspiciously, can I?" the Marquis responded. "Nevertheless, after a long investigation, the Brigadier General and I discovered the only two people who had entered the Castle District but didn't turn up with the rest of the bodies was you and your companion. You are aware the Castle District is heavily guarded, and everyone who enters and leaves needs to pass a checkpoint and undergo an inspection, correct?" Marquis Hyarms stated, looking at Cyrus.

To the Marquis, Cyrus remained expressionless. On the inside, however, he was incensed. He was certain Rosaria had handled the situation, using her ties to the Church to keep them unknown to the Provincial Army. His immediate thought was that he'd need to break words with Rosaria over her failure, but a more immediate question had been raised by the Marquis; who had the arrest warrant rescinded? As the Marquis had said, Aurelia knew nothing about what had happened, and if it was the Chancellor and his Ironbloods, why didn't Lechter mention it during their meeting in the Governor's office a couple of weeks ago?

"So, what exactly are you telling me all this for, Your Lordship? If you were planning on arresting me, you'd have done it by now; the moment I entered your city again, in fact," Cyrus pointed out, remaining composed.

"Once an arrest warrant has been rescinded, it cannot be reissued. I'm sure you already knew that though, didn't you?" the Marquis frowned.

"Well, yes, but I figured Provincial Warrants were different from Imperial Warrants, given they're issued at the discretion of the ruling Lord," Cyrus shrugged.

"Three hundred and eighty-seven, Cyrus," Marquis Hyarms said quietly.

"Your Lordship?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow at the Marquis.

"That was the final body count after my soldiers ceased Search and Rescue efforts. Your actions cost three hundred and eighty-seven people their lives, and it's frankly horrifying that you don't seem to care," the Marquis whispered.

"I understand your frustration, Your Lordship, but I can assure you those deaths were an accident. An unexpected side-effect of my actions. Yes, I know that doesn't change the fact almost four hundred of your citizens died, but if I knew such an outcome was to happen, I'd have taken extra steps to ensure no-one was harmed," Cyrus responded.

He knew it was a poor attempt to excuse what he did, but what else could he do? He couldn't bring those people back to life, and his actions on that day were something of a necessity. Yes, if he knew such a thing was going to happen, he'd have done everything he could to avoid innocent lives being lost but, unlike the stories of the Lord of Space and Time, Cyrus could not see into the future.

"Did your actions on that day have anything to do with the Red Constellation?" Marquis Hyarms asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Cyrus blinked, looking at the Marquis with surprise.

"Your friends told me about how the Red Constellation attacked you and your mother near Liberl six years ago. Would I be correct in assuming you're trying to find the person who hired them?" the Marquis responded.

"Yes, that is correct, and I suppose if it wasn't for the Red Constellation attacking my mother and I on that day, then the events that took place in Saint-Arkh would never have happened," Cyrus reasoned.

"Then the person who hired those Jägers is also responsible for the tragedy that claimed three hundred and eighty-seven lives in my city…" Marquis Hyarms muttered. "Very well, I have a proposition for you, Cyrus."

"I find the person responsible for trying to kill my mother, and I bring them to you in order to be held accountable for what happened in the Castle District?" Cyrus responded.

"In a word, yes. It still does not excuse what you did, but consider this a chance to seek redemption amongst the souls you unwittingly sent to the Goddess," the Marquis stated. "Since I can no longer arrest you for it, and there are families in my city who demand justice, I see this as a compromise."

"Did Aurelia put you up to this, Your Lordship?" Cyrus asked.

"Not at all. As far as I'm aware, she has her hands full dealing with that crime lord who's popped up in the last couple of years," the Marquis responded.

"Yes… Aurelia does have something of tunnel vision when it comes to the Concierge," Cyrus muttered. "If she's not careful, it could cause her more trouble."

"That aside, it still doesn't explain who you are, and why you have what seems like an army of people out to kill you," Marquis Hyarms stated.

"That's true, and if I knew why Ikaruga's Thirteen Death Squads had been sent after me, I'd tell you. But even I don't have an answer to that, merely suspicions," Cyrus shrugged.

---

After the Marquis had finished talking with Cyrus, he and the rest of Group B had been given leave to depart Saint-Arkh and return to Trista. Alisa was the only one who wasn't making the journey back with them, as Sara had come by during the day and collected Alisa herself, an action that had somewhat surprised Group B, but definitely increased the level of respect they had for their instructor.

The sun was beginning to set as Group B arrived in Trista, and as luck would have it, they managed to arrive at the same time as Group A, who had just returned from Bareahard. A quick discussion between the members of Class VII had revealed that Machias had been arrested by Duke Albarea's men and it took some time to break Machias out, and some help in talking down the Provincial Army by Jusis' older brother, Rufus.

It didn't take long for Group A to notice Alisa wasn't with Group B when they all returned, which led to Group B telling Group A about what had happened.

"She's been poisoned?!" Emma gasped.

"Yeah, it was really scary. If it wasn't for Cyrus, she'd be dead by now," Elliot responded, looking at Cyrus with a smile.

"You seem to forget that if it wasn't for me, she'd never have been targeted in the first place, Elliot," Cyrus muttered.

"True, but you still managed to save her, and dispatch one of your aggressors in the process," Laura reminded Cyrus.

"What I want to know is how did you manage to piss off one of the most lethal Jäger Corps in Zemuria to the point it had to send their Death Squads after you?" Fie muttered as Class VII left the station and made their way towards the Third Dormitory.

"How did you know Ikaruga are a Jäger Corps, Fie?" Cyrus asked.

"Probably because I'm a Jäger myself. Well, I was one, at least," Fie shrugged.

"What?" Laura froze, staring at Fie.

"You are a Jäger, Fie?" Elliot gasped, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"I was, yeah. What, are you scared of me now?" Fie sighed.

"N-no… I just… Well, I'm just surprised. I didn't think kids wanted to be Jägers," Elliot muttered, trying to avoid meeting Fie's annoyed scowl.

"I never wanted to be one. I just… Grew up into the life," Fie frowned.

"How does that happen?" Gaius asked, genuinely curious.

"Come on, give it a rest guys. Can't you see Fie doesn't really want to talk about it?" Emma stated, protecting her friend from further questions about her past.

"Everyone has a past, you know. It's unfair to judge based off of a small amount of information," Rean stated wisely.

"Right you are, my boy… It seems you have managed to come to terms with your past yourself," a voice from behind Class VII spoke, causing them all to stop and turn.

Before Class VII stood an old man, wearing simple clothes and was propped up by and old stick. He looked harmless enough, but his eyes carried a lifetime of experiences, and knew exactly who a person was with just a single glance.

"Who's this old fool?" Jusis sighed. He was completely over the day and just wanted to retire to his room.

"It can't be!" Laura gasped, blinking.

"Do you know him, Laura?" Gaius asked.

"Master Ka-Fai!" Rean cried out, running over to his master.

"Hello again, Rean. It's good to see you. My, you've certainly gotten taller, haven't you?" the old man laughed.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my master; founder of the Eight Leaves One Blade Style, Master Yun Ka-Fai," Rean announced proudly.

"He is the legendary Sword Hermit you've been going on about?" Machias snorted, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Show some respect, Machias," Laura snapped, glaring at the young boy.

"What are you doing here, Master? I thought you were in the Far East?" Rean asked.

"Oh, I was, I was… But urgent matters bade me to come to Erebonia again," Ka-Fai nodded. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… I'm disappointed in you, Cyrus; you know you were forbidden from breaking those seals, and yet you have elected to ignore my warnings and break the first one anyway."

"Nothing gets by you, does it, Master?" Cyrus sighed, bowing to the old man.

"Huh? Master? That can't be right," Laura blinked, looking from Rean, to Cyrus, and to the Sword Hermit.

"You haven't told them, have you? Oh, Cyrus…" Ka-Fai sighed. "Rean, I'm sorry to have to tell you like this, but you aren't my final student."

"I'm not?" Rean replied, sounding more and more puzzled as the conversation unfolded.

"No, after leaving you, I took on one final student, in order to repay a debt owed to an old student of mine…" Ka-Fai explained. "Before you stands my final final student, Cyrus Le Guin; Divine Blade of Thunder."