Chapter Fifteen – Downpour
"Second Seal, release! Awaken; COURT OF THE DRAGON!"
Outside the Third Dormitory at Thors Military Academy in Trista, Class VII watched on as a torrential downpour and thunderstorm lashed at the building. What made the whole event bizarre was the fact that the rest of Trista was untouched by the effects of the storm. The whole event seemed to be localised right over the living quarters of Class VII.
This alone was starting to draw a crowd as both citizens of Trista and students of Thors all poured outside to see what all the commotion was about. When they reached the Third Dormitory and found Class VII standing outside, all dazed and confused, and Sara dripping blood from a wound on her wrist, the populace started to grow concerned.
That, however, was the least of their concerns as the thunderstorm above started to increase in its intensity, with the rolling thunder being so powerful, the people watching could feel the thunder rumbling through them as the storm clouds seemingly started to split, and a bright golden light broke through.
Under normal circumstances, those watching might have believed that the storm was beginning to subside, and the sun was starting to shine again. Unfortunately, the sun had set a couple of hours ago, and no-one watching what was happening at that moment could have ever predicted what the rays of light were being created by.
Slowly, the light began to intensify as to the horror of everyone watching, a massive crimson dragon descended from the heavens and perched itself just above the Third Dormitory, seemingly waiting for something.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" Machias shouted over the roar of thunder above.
"A DRAGON?! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" Elliot cried, covering his ears.
Meanwhile, inside the Third Dormitory, the meteorological events outside were so intense they were making the building itself shake. The two combatants still inside the building knew this was to be their last stand; after this battle, only one of them would walk away, along with the freedom to claim the life of Sylphid that the contract they had both taken had offered.
"You should be dead by now! How are you still standing?!" Ibaraki-Dōji shouted, watching Cyrus with anger and frustration.
"I've made a wager with the Ancient One, Ishkur; my soul for yours. Now that Ishkur holds my soul, I am no longer hindered by the worries of mortal wounds. If I cannot kill you, then Ishkur takes my soul and devours it. The only way I can hope to keep it is by offering the Ancient One yours as a substitute," Cyrus explained.
"Heh, so you're going to die if you can't kill me? Well, that's made this fight easy. I'll simply come back for Sylphid later, once you've died from your stupid wager!" Ibaraki-Dōji declared as he took off towards the nearby exit, only to find the door wouldn't open. "What the hell is this?!"
"Did you think escape would be so easy? Once you're within the confines of my court, the only way out is to kill me yourself, or die trying," Cyrus laughed, his azure eyes full of contempt and malice. "I'm going to cut off your head and send it back to Shizuna as a warning to the rest of you Commanders; I will kill you all!"
With a yell full of anger, both Assassins flung themselves at each other, full of resolve to kill one another and escape the infernal trap that had been set by Cyrus. Ibaraki-Dōji had the advantage of being far less worse for wear from their fight, sustaining minor injuries, whilst Cyrus had the advantage of being temporarily immortal, but that immortality wouldn't last forever.
The immortality trade-off the Ancient God, Ishkur, granted was a limited-time offer provided by the Thunder Dragon to ensure he is provided with a soul as an offering immediately. Under the current contract between Human and God, Cyrus had two minutes left before he would have to forfeit his soul, and his life.
"Six Trials of the Devil; Fourth Trial – Curse of the False Devil King!" Ibaraki-Dōji screamed as a crimson light consumed him.
Through the light, Cyrus could see Ibaraki-Dōji was undergoing some kind of transformation. He could see claws and wings appearing through the light.
"Fire Style; Dragon Flame Bombs!" Cyrus countered, punching the air before him.
As he punched the air, with help from the Sentinel's Robe, several massive orbs of fire erupted from Cyrus' hands and flew straight at Ibaraki-Dōji, exploding upon impact. The resulting explosion was so big, it blew a hole right out the back of the Third Dormitory, whilst pounding Ibaraki-Dōji against the barrier of the court.
Once the flames had subsided, Cyrus could see a badly burned Ibaraki-Dōji on the ground. The mask he was wearing had cracked in half, and he was missing his left arm. Wasting no time, Cyrus marched over to Ibaraki-Dōji and grabbed him by the back of the head.
"You dirty bastard… What kind of warrior strikes someone down when they're mid-transformation like that?" Ibaraki-Dōji coughed, spitting up blood.
"Warrior? First off, this isn't a fucking game, you idiot. You left yourself wide open to an attack; I'm not going to stand and watch while you leave yourself defenceless. Second, I'm an Assassin; the whole point of an Assassin is to strike when your enemy is vulnerable. Finally, I don't have the luxury of time here. I'm not going to waste my time and lose my life waiting for you to power up," Cyrus snapped, smashing Ibaraki-Dōji's head into the flagstones.
Without a second thought, Cyrus removed the kukri from its sheathe on his thigh and sliced it across Ibaraki-Dōji's neck, cutting the man's head clean off. The body dropped to the floor and a huge fountain of blood spurted out of the neck, leaving a massive pool of blood on the stones beneath the body.
With mere seconds to spare, the corpse before Cyrus glowed with a pale blue light as Ibaraki-Dōji's soul was dragged from his body; a sacrifice to the Thunder Dragon that waited above, that still held Cyrus' soul hostage.
Outside, everyone watching the visage of Ishkur looked on in awe as a bolt of pale light flew up into the sky, where it was posthumously devoured by the crimson dragon. With a roar of satisfaction, Ishkur released a similar bolt of golden light, which flew down into the Third Dormitory, before the Ancient One started to ascend back up into the heavens, taking the violent thunderstorm along with it.
Once Ishkur had disappeared, everything around Trista was deathly silent. There was no wind, no sound of animals in the trees, or bugs in the bushes. It was as if the whole world around Trista had collectively held its breath, waiting to see who would emerge from the Third Dormitory.
Those next few moments felt like an age to Class VII, who knew that the battle between Cyrus and Ibaraki-Dōji was over, and now they waited to see what the outcome of the battle was.
Slowly, the sound of the front door of the building creaked open, deafening in the silent air around Trista, and from within the Third Dormitory emerged Cyrus, beaten and bloodied, carrying the head of his enemy in his bloody hand.
Amidst the chaos, the whole town of Trista looked on in horror and revulsion as they watched the blood-soaked Cyrus stagger over to Class VII, and threw the head of Ibaraki-Dōji at their feet.
"Rixia… Go put that in a box and send it to Shizuna for me…" Cyrus rasped, as he started to succumb to his own wounds, now that his soul had been returned to him.
"Cyrus…" Rixia whispered, tears threatening to escape from her eyes.
"Sara… Fie… Everyone… I'm sorry; my actions put you all in danger. But now, I hope…" Cyrus whispered as he dropped to his knees, the sound of his sword clattering on the stones beneath him.
As all of Class VII rushed to aid Cyrus, he could feel his life ebbing away, their screams and attempts to rouse him slowly becoming silent as his body started to give out from the damage he sustained. The last thing he saw before everything went black was Sara, holding his head in her hands, tears running down her face.
When Cyrus woke up, he found himself staring at infinite blackness. There was nothing around him except endless void. Taking in his surrounds, Cyrus came to only one conclusion.
"So… I guess I ended up dying too, huh?" Cyrus muttered, feeling his body float through the void.
"No… You survived, simply because I allowed it," a loud voice spoke, cutting through the silence of the void.
Cyrus blinked as a golden light began to permeate through the infinite darkness, and at the centre of the light, stood a golden silhouette of a man. The golden light was coming from the robes the man was wearing, obscuring everything about him in a blinding light.
"Who are you?" Cyrus asked, trying to see the man's face through the blinding light.
"You disappoint me, Cyrus… I have saved your life on two occasions now, and you still don't know who I am," the man stated.
"Wait, what?" Cyrus breathed.
"Do the events at Titus Gate six years ago not prompt any form of recollection?" the man asked.
Upon hearing those words, Cyrus remembered; he'd been here before. This man, masked in blinding light, had been there to save his life when he fought off the Red Constellation as a child. But how was such a thing possible? The only being in existence who could have dominion over life and death was…
"Lord Thanatos?" Cyrus whispered, which resulted in the man laughing.
"Yes, you would say that, wouldn't you?" the man muttered. "I however, am not the God you revere as Thanatos. I am a different being entirely. You may call me…"
The man spoke his name, but to Cyrus, it came out all garbled and distorted.
"What…?" Cyrus muttered. "I don't understand…"
"Hmm, seems you are not ready to perceive me or my name. A pity…" the man responded calmly.
"If you're not a God, then who are you?" Cyrus asked.
"I serve at the pleasure of my own whims, and you are someone who interests me greatly… Dragon," the man responded, taking Cyrus by surprise.
"You know about that?" Cyrus asked, suddenly defensive.
"Calm yourself, boy… I saved your life, didn't I? If I wanted you dead, you would not be here now, talking with me," the man stated. "I'm impressed by the amount of work you've done in the last six years; I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish in the future as well. Of course, I already know the outcome, and what trials you shall face along the way."
"How?" Cyrus asked.
"Now that would be telling. For now, return to your life. You know what you must do to revive the Nine. Success is guaranteed, provided you do what must be done," the man explained.
Before Cyrus could respond, a bright flash of white light exploded from the man, and blinded Cyrus. Even when he closed his eyes, all he could see was white.
When Cyrus opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a white ceiling. To his left, he could see the sunlight streaming through the windows and into the room. Outside, he could hear the sounds of birds chirping in the trees, and the sound of people wandering about in the corridor outside the room.
"By Aidios, it's a miracle!" a voice cried.
"Ugh… Wha-?" Cyrus muttered as he turned and looked towards the direction the voice had come from. "Instructor Beatrix?"
Cyrus was in the infirmary at Thors, and had been under the care of Instructor Beatrix since he collapsed after his battle with Ibaraki-Dōji. While he didn't know it, after he lost consciousness, he had been brought to the infirmary by Sara, along with the rest of Class VII.
"I'm so glad you're awake, Cyrus. Be careful, you'll still be a bit weak," Instructor Beatrix warned as Cyrus forced himself to sit up.
"I'm fine… What happened after I collapsed? I was almost certain I was going to die from the wounds I sustained," Cyrus muttered, looking down at his stomach and seeing a swathe of bandages covering him all over.
"You should have died; I won't mince words with you. It is nothing short of a miracle that you survived. It took us almost ninety hours of surgery to seal all of the wounds you had. Your insides had been shredded to pieces. I've never seen such catastrophic damage in all my years as a physician," Instructor Beatrix explained.
"Us? I thought you were the only doctor on the campus, Instructor?" Cyrus asked.
"Right you are, my boy. It's just very fortunate that I happened to be here as well," a man spoke from the doorway.
The man who had spoken was an old man, in his late sixties, and was wearing a white lab coat similar to that of Instructor Beatrix. On the outer pocket, he had a medical ID attached, with his name and face on the card. Though, Cyrus knew exactly who it was, just from the man's voice.
"Dr. Mallard? What are you doing here?" Cyrus asked, looking at the man.
"Countess Ophelia contacted me after she left Thors and asked me to stop by and perform a check-up on Ferris. She was concerned for her daughter's health after seeing her last, which is why she called me," Dr. Mallard explained. "Fortunately for you, my boy, I was still here when you suffered those grievous wounds. If I were not here, then I'm afraid Instructor Beatrix here would have been unable to save you by herself."
"Leave it to the family doctor to have impeccable timing," Cyrus smirked, before he realised something important. "Where's Fie? And Sara? Are they both alright?"
"Calm down, Cyrus. Both Fie and Instructor Valestein are safe and well, as is the rest of Class VII. While Fie did suffer some bruising to her throat, she's made a full recovery. As for Instructor Valestein, if she got here even a moment later, she would have lost her arm. But, as it stands, both are fit and healthy, and were discharged some time ago," Instructor Beatrix stated.
"Some time ago? How long have I been in here for?" Cyrus asked, looking at both doctors.
"It's been about ten days since you were brought here, though, I can imagine it feels like just a few hours have passed," Dr. Mallard responded.
"Ten days?! Damn it, I can't be lying here any longer," Cyrus grunted, forcing himself to stand up.
"Now you wait just a minute, young man!" Instructor Beatrix cried.
"It's alright, Bea… Cyrus never has been one to listen to medical advice when it comes to bedrest. Just like his older sister, he's not the sort to sit on his hands and wait to get better," Dr. Mallard stated, shaking his head with a smile.
"Forty years I have known you for, Ducky, and you've always been so carefree with your patients. It's a miracle none of them have died!" Instructor Beatrix exclaimed.
"Come now, I know when someone is safe to be discharged, and while most normal people would probably still be on bedrest for the next month, I know Cyrus and his family well enough to know he's more than ready to be discharged. As such, I have already informed Instructor Valestein to keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't overexert himself," Dr. Mallard explained.
"Way to go, Ducky…" Cyrus smirked as he grabbed the Sentinel's Robe that was hanging on the curtain railing next to his bed and put it on, leaving his torso exposed. "Where's my uniform, Instructor?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. When you were brought in, all you had on were your jeans, and that robe. Since you suffered no damage to your lower extremities, we elected to leave your jeans on. All we removed was that robe," Instructor Beatrix responded.
"That's right… I took my uniform off and replaced it with this just before Ibaraki-Dōji attacked…" Cyrus muttered, looking at the robe that was hanging off him. "I will take my leave now, thank you."
"Cyrus, before you go," Instructor Beatrix began. "We're serious about you not overexerting yourself. Take it easy out there. We don't want you coming back here with more injuries."
"Yes, I'll be careful. Actually, Dr. Mallard, might I speak with you privately?" Cyrus asked, turning to his doctor.
"Of course, my boy. What would you like to discuss?" Dr. Mallard asked as Instructor Beatrix left the room.
After speaking with Dr. Mallard, Cyrus decided it was time to walk back to the Third Dormitory… Or stagger back, rather. Due to the injuries he suffered at the hands of Ibaraki-Dōji, he was met with a small amount of discomfort in his abdomen that hindered his ability to walk properly, along with the broken foot he had sustained. The bandages that Instructor Beatrix had applied after his surgery also inhibited his movement, which is something he would have to deal with for the meantime.
On his way back to the Third Dormitory, Cyrus walked past several students as well as residents of Trista. All of them gave him a wide berth, and looked at him with something akin to fear in their eyes. This, of course, was due to the fact they had all seen or heard about him walking out of the Third Dormitory, covered in blood and holding a severed head in his hand, and all after witnessing a giant crimson dragon appearing in the sky above the building itself. Fear was the most natural response, and Cyrus cursed himself for bringing attention to his actions. If there was one thing an Assassin must never do, it's bring attention to their activities as an Assassin.
After ten minutes of slow moving, Cyrus finally reached the doors of the Third Dormitory. From the outside, Cyrus could see construction workers were hard at work, rebuilding the part of the building Cyrus had destroyed with his Fire Arts. As he reached for the door handle, a though hit Cyrus. Should he even go inside?
It was because of him that Fie and Class VII as a whole were put in danger by Ibaraki-Dōji, and this wasn't the first time his feud with Ikaruga had put one of them in danger. This was the second of countless attacks that Ikaruga could, and would bring against Cyrus. So, was it worth staying with Class VII, and putting them in mortal danger?
Before he could put anymore thought into the question at hand, he heard the door to the Third Dormitory unlatch, and slowly start to open. Without proper time to react, all Cyrus could do is stand there and stare, as he came face to face with Elliot.
As Elliot opened the door and saw a dark figure standing there, he started to panic and assume the worst was going to happen, until he actually saw that it was Cyrus standing before him, making his breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
"Cyrus! You're alright!" Elliot cried, loud enough for the rest of Class VII to hear him.
Slowly, one by one, the rest of Class VII, with the exception of Rean, who was not in the Third Dormitory, all approached Cyrus, happy to see him. Even Jusis and Machias were somewhat relieved to see Cyrus standing before them.
"Thank Aidios you're ok, Cyrus," Gaius breathed. "All of us were worried after seeing the state you were in at the end of your battle."
"I don't think Aidios had anything to do with me surviving," Cyrus muttered, thinking back to his conversation with the mysterious man.
"Are you kidding? You were stabbed in three different places in your stomach. It's beyond a miracle that you're alive," Sara stated as she made her way to the door.
"Sara? You're alright?" Cyrus asked, looking at the bandage on her wrist.
"Eh, I'll be fine. It's going to take more than a knife to the wrist to stop me from annoying you," Sara grinned.
"Oh, hey! I knew you'd make it!" Levana called out, waving to Cyrus.
"Oh, hey! I knew you'd still be here," Cyrus responded with a scowl.
"Aww, you love the fact I'm still here. Don't act like you aren't happy to see me," Levana chirped.
"Hey, I don't mean to sound rude here; I'm glad you're alive and all that, but shouldn't we all be getting to class? Midterms start today after all," Machias stated, slowly nudging his way through the group of people at the door.
"Wait, that's today? Yeah, of course it is…" Cyrus sighed.
"Hey, you don't have to worry about them, Cyrus. I already spoke to Principal Vandyck, and after what happened, he's willing to let you skip them in order for you to recover properly," Sara stated.
"Pfft, don't worry about it. If I can survive a head-to-head with a Death Squad Commander like Ibaraki-Dōji, then a few written tests should be easy. C'mon, let's get going," Cyrus muttered, turning and preparing to walk back to the school.
"You're going dressed like that?!" Emma cried, looking at Cyrus, blinking rapidly.
"Well, since you're all on your way to class now, I don't think I have the luxury of time to get ready. I'll just go like this," Cyrus shrugged.
The 'like this' Cyrus was speaking of, was of course his jeans and robe that had been tied off at his waist, with no shoes or shirt on. He did have a point though; classes were about to start, and if he was late, he'd fail the test due to being marked as 'Absent'.
"Look, you just go to school and sit your first test. I'll bring you a shirt and your jacket so you can get properly dressed afterwards, ok?" Sara suggested.
"Works for me. Thanks, Sara," Cyrus nodded, smiling slightly.
"Hey, I'm not doing this for free though. On your next Free Day, you're keeping me company while I drink," Sara declared.
"Yeah, that'll be about right… Come on, let's get going already," Cyrus sighed.
Whilst Class VII were making their way to the Main Campus Building, Class I had already sat down and were getting ready to take their first Midterm Exam, which was Military Science with Instructor Neithardt.
"Alright then, Class I, let me quickly explain the rules behind these Midterm Exams," Neithardt began. "You have one hour. This is a closed book examination, meaning you are not permitted to have notes. If I see you with notes, you automatically fail. If I see you trying to copy someone else's work, you fail. If I see you trying to communicate in any way with another person, you and the person you were trying to communicate with will fail. At the end of the hour, you will be told to stop writing. If I see anyone still writing after being told to stop, you will fail. Any questions?"
"In… Instructor Neithardt? May I please go to the bathroom?" Ferris asked weakly.
"Are you alright, Miss Florald? You don't look well at all," Neithardt commented.
"I… I'll be fine…" Ferris muttered as she fell from her seat onto the floor.
"Miss Florald?!" Neithardt exclaimed as he rushed over to Ferris.
As Neithardt turned Ferris to look at her, he noticed how ill she really was. Her skin was deathly pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. He could see her cheekbones, and her hands were incredibly frail and bony. Something was seriously wrong with Ferris, and he knew she needed help. Without a second thought, Neithardt picked Ferris up and carried her out of the classroom.
"Instructor? Where are you going?" Patrick asked, feigning concern.
"Where do you think, Hyarms? This girl needs immediate medical attention. Go find Instructor Mary. She will be overseeing this class until I return," Neithardt commanded, leaving the room without another word.
"Hmph… What nonsense. Why should I, Patrick T. Hyarms do something that is so obviously beneath me?" Patrick scoffed, once Neithardt was out of earshot. "Eric, go find the Instructor for me."
"Yes, Your Lordship!" Eric bowed as he ran off to do Patrick's bidding.
"Ohh, man. I am so glad that exam is over," Alisa sighed as Class VII left the classroom together.
"Yeah, no kidding. Vice Principal Heinrich was watching all of us like a hawk the entire time," Elliot chuckled, still feeling anxious about the look the Vice Principal had on his face throughout the exam.
"I think he was more horrified by what Cyrus was wearing," Fie muttered.
"Yeah, but I'm more surprised that he said nothing about it," Rean commented.
"Well, what can I say? I guess nearly getting murdered has its advantages," Cyrus smirked as he saw Sara approaching him. "Hey Sara… Where's my jacket?"
"Cyrus, you need to go to the Infirmary. It's Ferris… She…" Sara began, a grave look on her face.
The moment Sara mentioned Ferris' name, Cyrus was gone. A single Shadow Step and he had disappeared in front of all of Class VII, and made his way to the Infirmary.
"Argh, fuck, that hurts!" Cyrus grunted as he arrived in the Infirmary, gripping his abdomen.
"Cyrus? Good, I'm glad you're here," Dr. Mallard stated as he stood up and approached Cyrus.
"Ducky, what happened?" Cyrus asked as he staggered over to the physician.
"Your cousin Ferris collapsed in class this morning. Instructor Neithardt brought her to us, and she's not in a good way, I'm afraid," Dr. Mallard explained.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Cyrus asked as he looked at Ferris, who was unconscious in bed.
"Preliminary results are inconclusive, but it could be a number of things. She looks like she hasn't eaten in a week. Her bloodshot eyes suggest she hasn't slept either, so it could be severe malnourishment and extreme fatigue. I am conducting more tests as we speak, and I've sedated her and put her on an IV drip. Hopefully we'll see some improvement soon," Dr. Mallard stated as he looked over Ferris' records.
"Where is Sariffa?" Cyrus grunted, gritting his teeth in anger.
"I am here, Master," Sariffa said from the doorway.
"Sariffa… What happened to Ferris?!" Cyrus growled through gritted teeth.
"I… I don't know, Master Cyrus. I have been trying for weeks to check on her, but she never leaves her room except for classes, and whenever I do see her, she refuses to speak to me. I am sorry, Master," Sariffa explained, bowing her head to Cyrus.
"Have you contacted Auntie Ophelia?" Cyrus asked, looking at Sariffa.
"I did the moment she was brought here. She will arrive by the end of the week. She would have been here sooner, but there is a problem with Riviera Court, and since your family oversee the entire complex, she cannot leave Ordis until that has been resolved," Dr. Mallard said.
"Sariffa… Go contact your father before I lose my patience with you," Cyrus hissed, turning his back on the young maid.
"A-At once, Master…" Sariffa whispered, bowing to Cyrus as she left.
"Is Reginald not busy with your mother in Heimdallr, Cyrus?" Dr. Mallard asked.
"Perhaps, but Mother will not stop Reginald from coming here if it's an emergency. Since Sariffa has proven to be incapable of looking after Ferris, I will make sure Reginald will do it in her stead," Cyrus stated.
"Please, don't take this the wrong way, Cyrus, but you can do nothing for Ferris at the moment. She is going to be under my care, so you know she is in safe hands. So, please, go back to your classes and focus on your exams. The moment something changes, I will let you know," Dr. Mallard said with a smile.
After speaking with Dr. Mallard and leaving Ferris in his care, Cyrus left the infirmary and found Class VII standing on the opposite side of the foyer. Judging by the looks on their faces, Sara had told them Ferris was unwell. Cyrus approached Class VII and waited for them to ask the inevitable question.
"Is Ferris alright?" Emma asked.
"No idea. Ducky is looking after her, but… How long do we have until our next exam?" Cyrus asked, turning towards the entrance of the building.
"About forty-five minutes. Why, what are you going to do?" Machias asked, despite already knowing the answer.
"I'm going to pay a visit to the Nobles in the First Dormitory," Cyrus stated as he walked off.
"Hey, wait! Cyrus, don't forget your jacket!" Alisa shouted as Cyrus left the building.
"Heh, this sounds like it's going to be fun," Fie smirked as she walked off in the same direction as Cyrus.
"Fie, please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do," Elliot mumbled.
"Sure am. I wanna see how eager Patrick and his pals are to mess with Cyrus when he's like this," Fie nodded as she too left the building.
"Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Rean muttered.
"Is no-one going to stop him?" Laura asked.
"You're more than welcome to try, but given how he dispatched that monster last week, I wouldn't fancy your chances," Jusis snorted.
When Cyrus reached the First Dormitory, he wasted no time in making his presence known as he forced both the doors open and stood in the doorway. By this point, after overexerting himself, his wounds had reopened and blood was starting to soak through the bandaged wrapped around him.
As the doors swung open and the Nobles of Classes I and II saw a bloody, half-naked Cyrus standing before them, everyone froze up. Some of the Nobles had seen the aftermath of his fight with Ibaraki-Dōji and knew that Cyrus was not someone they ever wanted to cross.
"Cyrus? What are you doing here?" Theresia asked, swallowing hard.
"I'm here because I have some questions for you all," Cyrus stated as he walked inside the building.
"Oh, this can't be good…" Edel frowned.
"I want to know… What happened to Ferris these past two weeks?" Cyrus asked, his expression darkening as he tried to fight through the pain of his wounds reopening.
"What are you talking about? We've barely seen her since her mother was here," Lambert responded.
"So, you're telling me that she just collapsed this morning in class, for no reason whatsoever?" Cyrus asked, scowling.
"Wait, she what?!" Theresia cried. "Is… Is she okay?"
"I don't know. Apparently, she hasn't eaten or slept in days… But I know my cousin. She wouldn't forego her own health like that, so something has happened to her, and I demand to know what," Cyrus declared, looking at all the Nobles that were present.
"Look, Cyrus, we're being honest with you here; we don't know what happened to Ferris, but she's pretty much spent the last few weeks locked away in her room. Not even Sariffa has been able to coax her out," Friedel stated.
"So, none of you have seen or heard anything that might point to why Ferris has fallen ill? Fine, then a warning to you all; if I find out any of you knew something about what happened to Ferris and didn't tell me… You'll be joining Patrick and his sycophants on the school rooftop," Cyrus stated, glaring at everyone present.
Without even giving the Nobles of Classes I and II a chance to speak, Cyrus turned and staggered out of the First Dormitory, exposing his back to everyone present. After what they had witnessed ten days ago, seeing Cyrus' back sent a chill down their spines.
"So, did you find anything out?" Fie asked as Cyrus left the building.
"No, but someone in there is lying to me," Cyrus stated.
"How can you tell?" Fie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The moment I asked if anyone knew why Ferris was sick, I felt someone's heart rate spike; someone in there knows something, I just don't know who it is yet…" Cyrus muttered.
"You can feel people's heart rates?" Fie frowned.
"Yes, it's a little trick I picked up during my time abroad. It comes in handy for certain things," Cyrus explained. "Too bad I can't immediately pick up on small changes with a broken foot. I could have figured it out, given enough time, but I've taken the necessary steps to root them out."
After leaving the First Dormitory, all the Nobles that were present when Cyrus had arrived were now on edge. While they didn't explicitly know what Cyrus had meant about 'joining Patrick and his sycophants on the school rooftop', they didn't want to exactly find out what he meant either.
"Hey, um, Edel…? Can… Can I talk to you for a second?" Theresia mumbled, approaching Edel, who was almost like the Dorm Mother for the Nobles, both First and Second Year.
"Sure Theresia, what can I do for you?" Edel asked, smiling warmly at Theresia.
"Not here… In private," Theresia whispered, beckoning Edel to follow her.
A look of curiosity crossed Edel's face as she stood up and followed Theresia out into the kitchen and into the pantry. Being that the pantry was in a dorm for Nobles, of course it was large enough to allow multiple people to walk into it.
"Theresia, what's going on? You're white as a sheet, honey," Edel frowned, noticing how pale Theresia had gone.
"I'm scared," Theresia stated, trembling.
"What? What in Aidios' name have you got to be scared about? I understand you might be a little on edge about what just happened, but you didn't–" Edel began.
"I lied! I knew there was something wrong with Ferris, but I didn't say anything!" Theresia exclaimed, as she burst into tears.
"Hey, shh… It's alright, Theresia. Just tell me what happened," Edel whispered, hugging Theresia tightly.
"The last time she was at Lacrosse Club, she said she wasn't feeling very well. I just assumed she was trying to get out of practice and go hide in her room, like she's been doing lately, so I forced her to stay and practice. I knew something was wrong with her, and I still ignored it!" Theresia sobbed.
"That's not your fault, sweetie. You couldn't have known Ferris was unwell to the point she collapsed in class today. I'm sure if you just speak to Cyrus, he'll understand that you're not to blame," Edel stated calmly.
"No, it gets worse!" Theresia cried. "A few nights ago, I got up to get a drink from the kitchen, and I overheard Patrick and his friends discussing something in secret. I couldn't hear all of it, but Ferris' name and the midterms kept being brought up."
"Again, I don't see how you're to blame for any of this. You overheard a conversation between Patrick and his friends, and it's no secret that Patrick and Cyrus don't get along, and then there's the fact they have that bet going on that focusses around how well Ferris does in her exams, but that's not your fault. You can't make an accusation without proof, so you did the right thing by not saying something," Edel stated, stroking Theresia's hair gently.
"But you heard him just now! He said if he finds out if anyone kept anything from him, he'll…" Theresia cried, choking on her sobs. "He's a monster, Edel! You saw what happed ten days ago; first there was that dragon in the sky, then he leaves the Third Dormitory, soaked in blood and carrying a severed head in his hand. He looked like he had just fought a war as a one-man army!"
"I agree that the events from ten days ago were terrifying, but I just can't see Cyrus holding you solely responsible for keeping something like this from him. I say, for now, we keep this between us. We'll go and speak to Ferris when she's feeling better, and get to the bottom of this before you give yourself a heart-attack, alright?" Edel smiled, wiping a tear from Theresia's cheek.
"What were you thinking, Dragon?!" the individual roared. "Threatening those brats is going to make things harder for you!"
"I wanted to get to the bottom of why Ferris collapsed in class this morning!" Cyrus shouted back. "I don't expect you to understand how important family is."
"Don't you take that tone with me, boy! I'll have you know that my two sons and my grandson mean a great deal to me, and I would stop at nothing to keep them safe!" the individual barked. "But threatening to hang anyone who is keeping secrets from you is both petulant and foolish!"
"Thanatos damn you, you old bastard! I'm going to get to the bottom of this and make sure anyone who was involved with Ferris' collapse this morning pays!" Cyrus snapped.
"You disappoint me, Dragon. Your epithet of Ishkur was given due to your calm and collected nature… Yet the one I am speaking to now is the absolute opposite of how one who carries the name of the Ancient Thunder Dragon should act," the individual muttered.
"Yeah, I get it. It's just… You know how important my family is to me," Cyrus sighed.
"I do, but that doesn't mean you have to lose your head over something so trivial. You will find out what happened to the girl, and you will mete out punishment accordingly. But for now, you need to stop and think about your actions, or have you already forgotten that you're the most feared person in this town?" the individual growled.
Cyrus wasn't an idiot by any means. Of course he knew the people of Trista and those who attended Thors would have seen the aftermath of his fight with Ibaraki-Dōji. Admittedly, Cyrus knew using the Court of the Dragon was a stupid idea, but he wanted to make certain that Ibaraki-Dōji died and wasn't pulling a feint. Sure, there were probably many other ways he could have gone about that, but at the time, instinct took over from practical thought.
"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. You don't need to remind me," Cyrus scowled.
"Well, it seems someone should, and since your teacher isn't here to pull you into line, I've been given that responsibility," the individual grumbled.
"Hey, you knew what you were signing up for when you joined me," Cyrus snapped.
"Not like there was much of a choice in the matter though, was there?" the individual stated gruffly. "Look, stop wasting time arguing semantics and go finish your exams."
"Anything else, Master, or will that be all?" Cyrus replied sarcastically.
"Don't test me, Dragon…" the individual warned.
After paying a visit to the Nobles in the First Dormitory, and being chastised for it by the ever-mysterious individual whom Cyrus is allied with, the young Le Guin boy returned to Class VII and completed his Midterms without any more disruptions, much to the relief of everyone in the school.
It was now the evening after the final exam, and Class VII were free to do as they liked for the rest of the night, which is how they all found themselves sitting in the common area of the Third Dormitory, except for Fie, who was already asleep in her room.
"Wow, Alisa, I didn't know Sharon was such an amazing cook!" Elliot smiled as he sat down on the couch next to Gaius.
"Agreed. I don't think I've had a meal that spectacular since I came to the Empire," Gaius nodded.
"Aww, you guys… Sharon is just good at everything, I guess. I'm sure there are a lot of Noble families out there who'd do anything for a chance to have Sharon work for them," Alisa sighed.
"Careful, my Lady, that almost sounds like you wish others were envious of you," Sharon said with a smile as she carried a tray of tea in for the residents of the Third Dormitory.
"Mmm, there's nothing wrong with appreciating a good maid like you, Sharon," Alisa shrugged.
"That's kind of you to say, my Lady, but there is still much that I have to learn," Sharon stated, bowing as she placed the tray of tea on the coffee table. "Ah, don't fret, Master Machias, I have a pot of coffee brewing for you, as we speak."
"Th-Thank you, Sharon," Machias muttered, trying to hide his surprise at Sharon's ability to anticipate.
"Emma, I'm not going to tell you again, leave it alone!" Cyrus shouted as he walked down the staircase.
"Not until you tell me the truth!" Emma cried, bounding down the stairs after Cyrus.
"Oh, now what?" Alisa groaned.
"Emma, you know I'd never lie to any of you, but you need to make sure that you want me to answer the questions that you are asking me," Cyrus stated, staring at Emma with a blank expression.
"What's going on, you guys?" Rean asked.
"Do you want to tell them, or shall I?" Emma asked, frowning.
"By all means, the floor is yours, Miss Class President," Cyrus gestured.
"I'm sure you all remember that man who attacked us last week, correct?" Emma bean, causing Cyrus to sigh loudly.
"You mean that brute who nearly killed Cyrus, Fie, and Instructor Sara? How could we forget?" Rean responded.
"He said he was an Assassin here to kill Fie, right? Well, he's not the only one who's here to kill her," Emma stated.
"What?! There's another one?!" Elliot cried, looking around in a panic.
"Calm yourself, Elliot. None of you are in any danger," Cyrus muttered.
"Yeah, that's true. Cyrus did save Fie's life, along with everyone else's. With him around, we're perfectly safe," Alisa said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Not when he's the Assassin who's here to kill Fie," Emma declared.
At Emma's bold declaration, all of Class VII looked at her, mouths agape, trying to process what they had just heard.
"What proof do you have of such an outlandish claim?" Jusis snorted, believing the claim to be preposterous.
"Hmm, I suppose in all the chaos you missed it, but given how close he was to me at the time, I specifically heard him say 'an Assassin's weakness is a greater Assassin, and there is no greater Assassin than I'," Emma stated, quoting what Cyrus had said to Ibaraki-Dōji.
"Oh, come on, Emma. I'm sure you're just worried about Fie's safety after what happened last week. I mean, there's no way you're actually an Assassin, right, Cyrus?" Rean said with a laugh.
"No, no… It's true. I am an Assassin," Cyrus shrugged.
"Heh?" Class VII squeaked in unison.
"I told you I don't lie to people. If someone asks me a question, and I can't twist the specificity of it to provide a suitable, honest answer, then I simply tell the whole truth," Cyrus stated.
For several long moments, no-one in Class VII dared to speak. They all simply looked at each other, then to Cyrus, then back at each other, all trying to take in what they had just heard.
"So… So, if you're really an Assassin, how did you end up here?" Laura asked.
"I started work as an Assassin during my time in Crossbell, working for the Heiyue Crime Syndicate. I took jobs in both Crossbell and Calvard, operating under the codename 'Yang'," Cyrus began.
"Wait, so that's why those people all referred to you as Yang! They knew you were an Assassin!" Machias yelled, remembering the confrontation Cyrus had with Little Bee in Parm.
"And why you're so ruthless and precise with a blade," Jusis muttered, remembering how he had eliminated those other Assassins with no effort at all.
"Ok, that I get, but what are you doing here? Is your place in Class VII just a ruse so you can kill Fie?" Rean asked.
"No, it's not. I was offered the contract to kill a Jäger known as Sylphid shortly before we went on our most recent Field Study. At the time, I simply assumed it was another Jäger who had pissed off the wrong person and they made a contract request to Heiyue, which was passed on to me. I had no idea it was Fie until a couple of weeks ago, which made things more complicated for me," Cyrus stated.
"So that guy who showed up and tried to kill Fie was a rival Assassin who had also been given the contract?" Elliot asked.
"Yeah, and it was a good thing Yin found me and told me, otherwise Fie would already be dead," Cyrus responded.
"Who's Yin?" Machias asked.
"In a word, my other half. We worked together as Assassins for Heiyue for a couple of years before we both went our separate ways. Last week was the first time I'd seen her in a good while," Cyrus said.
"Her? Wait a minute… That girl you brought back to the dorm just before that other guy attacked! That was her, wasn't it?" Alisa shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Cyrus.
"Yes, Alisa, it was…" Cyrus sighed, knowing the envy within Alisa was starting to rise up again.
"So she's the other one you were talking about sleeping with last week, huh?!" Alisa cried.
"Alisa… There's a time and a place for everything, and the time for those sorts of questions is not now…" Laura muttered, shaking her head.
"No, I know! I just want him to admit it!" Alisa snapped, glaring at Cyrus.
"Envy really doesn't suit you, Alisa… Though, I suppose I'm to blame for that as well… But, since I know you won't let it go until I answer you, yes," Cyrus nodded.
"Getting back on topic… So, you're not here just to kill Fie?" Jusis asked.
"That wasn't the original plan, no. However, since there's now an open-ended kill command on her, either I kill her now, or Heiyue keeps sending more Assassins after her," Cyrus stated coldly.
"There's no way we'll let you harm her!" Laura shouted, standing up.
"There's that wrath again… Are you sure you're the one who should be rushing to defend her, after what you did to her?" Cyrus asked, piercing Laura with an icy glare.
"No, that wasn't… I didn't mean to…" Laura mumbled, sitting back down again.
"Look, it's very simple; either I kill Fie now and complete the contract, or more and more Assassins come after her, and put everyone in danger. The choice should be obvious – one life for the lives of many," Cyrus muttered.
"Absolutely not! Fie is our friend, and none of us here will let you hurt her!" Emma declared.
"Fine. Then you had best be prepared to keep her safe; every hour of every day, because if I don't return to Heiyue with a complete contract, then more and more people will be sent to dispatch her, and they won't care who they have to kill in order to complete the job. At least you know I won't spill the blood of an innocent," Cyrus responded.
"How can you say something so heartless?! Fie is an innocent here too!" Alisa shouted.
"I'm an Assassin, Alisa. Having a heart is what will get you killed. You can't have sympathy for those marked for death. You simply have to eliminate them and move on," Cyrus stated.
"How many people have you killed to become such a monster?" Machias asked.
"By my last count, if we're counting Ibaraki-Dōji… Two thousand three hundred and ninety-two," Cyrus muttered.
"Two thousand?!" Rean gasped.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Laura muttered, turning away from everyone.
"Oh, get off your fucking high horses! Do you know how many people my sister has killed as a soldier? My father, my grandfather, all the Jägers in the world, even Bracers?! They've all killed people, and Jägers kill indiscriminately too. I have killed only the evilest of people. Yes, there have been some casualties along the way, but what makes me any worse than them?!" Cyrus shouted, slamming his hand down on the table, smashing it to pieces. "You all act like the blood I have spilled was all innocent blood, and it was not. Before I walked away from my life as Yang, Yin and I took on a job that saved thousands of innocent lives from being ruined. Why don't you bastards ask Sara about the D∴G Cult extermination before judging me for my sins."
"Wait, Master Cyrus… The D∴G Cult extermination was your doing?!" Sharon gasped.
"It was… Don't let those fucking Bracers tell you otherwise. They tried to eliminate those muck-rakers years ago, and failed. I was the one who slaughtered the entire cult in a single night," Cyrus seethed.
Sharon stood there and stared at Cyrus, her normally serene expression replaced with a look of shock. When she next moved, Class VII watched in astonishment as Sharon got down on her hands and knees, and bowed her head to Cyrus, a bow that was known in Calvard as 'Dogeza'.
"Thank you, Master Cyrus. Words cannot describe the gratitude I hold for you, and for your actions," Sharon whispered.
"Sh-Sharon?! What are you–?!" Alisa cried.
"What the hell is happening right now? Why is Sharon bowing to him?!" Machias gasped.
"Like I said, you want to know more, go ask Sara," Cyrus stated, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
After their argument, Class VII had elected to keep what they had learned about Cyrus a secret from Fie, and the rest of the school. Sharon's reaction to Cyrus was the primary reason behind their decision, with her mark of respect so astonishing to all of them, they decided to find out more about Cyrus and this 'D∴G Cult' he mentioned before deciding what to do. Originally, they were going to ask Sara about it, but after Sharon's response, they decided she was the better person to ask.
"Alright, where do I start? The D∴G Cult were a group of devil worshippers who rejected the ideas and teachings of Aidios in order to find a greater, darker power elsewhere. But, make no mistake, not even Thanatos himself would condone the actions of this group of evil people. Think of the worst kind of criminal syndicate you can think of, and I will bet my bottom Mira that the D∴G Cult were far, far worse," Sharon began.
"What exactly did they do?" Laura asked.
"Human experimentation was their primary choice of evil. They would kidnap children and perform all sorts of vile, inhumane experiments on them, all in the pursuit of rejecting Aidios for another higher power. Yet, human experimentation wasn't their only vice. In order to keep their work secret, they needed a revenue stream, and their primary choice was brothels," Sharon continued.
"Forgive me, but I don't really see how prostitution is evil. I mean, sure, it's technically illegal in the Empire, but everyone just turns a blind eye to it," Machias frowned.
"Master Machias, I want to be very clear about this. They didn't own the brothels that made them their money. They sold the children they kidnapped to them. Children, as young as five years old, were sold as slaves for the perverse desires of adults, and the Cult were richly rewarded for their 'merchandise'," Sharon stated, a dark scowl crossing her face.
"Children?! That… That's beyond sickening," Alisa whispered, swallowing hard, which caused her to gag.
"Quite right, my Lady. As Master Cyrus said, the Bracers tried and failed to stop the cult several years ago, in one of the biggest joint collaborations within the guild in decades. Someone within the Bracer Guild was also a member of the D∴G Cult, and warned them of the impending raid that also included Calvardian and Crossbellan Law Enforcement. When everyone arrived at the suspected locations the Cult was operating out of, there was no trace of them to be found," Sharon explained.
"But… If the Bracers and law enforcement couldn't stop them, how did Cyrus find and slaughter the Cult?" Laura asked.
"I asked myself that question for years after hearing about it. Even when I came across survivors of the Cult, all they said to me was 'Yang. Yang was the one who saved us'. At first, I thought they had misunderstood something, but after hearing Master Cyrus say he was called Yang as an Assassin, and mentioning the extermination of the D∴G Cult, I knew he was telling the truth. There is no way he could have known about the Cult without having some kind of first-hand experience with them. Those who were rescued treated Yang as some kind of deity; to be able to completely eliminate almost two thousand people in a single night, and all by themselves no less, was something I couldn't believe at first, but now… Watching Master Cyrus disappear the way he did, I now understand how it would appear as if he was able to attack the Cult all at once," Sharon stated.
"Ok, that's all well and good, but what does Sara have to do with this?" Rean asked.
"Oh, that's an easy question to answer, Master Rean; Lady Sara is a Bracer too," Sharon declared with a smile.
"She is?" Elliot asked.
"Huh, so I guess I was right after all," Rean mumbled.
"How so?" Gaius asked.
"Well, based on the Field Studies we've already done, and the tasks we've had to do, a lot of the work is quite similar to the work Bracers would do, if they were allowed to operate in the Empire," Laura stated.
"Yeah, she's right. Considering what we do on those Field Studies, and now knowing that Sara is, or was, a Bracer herself, it makes sense," Rean added.
"So, what do we do now? Cyrus seemed completely serious about killing Fie, but we can't just let that happen!" Laura stated.
"Yes, you're right… This is certainly a dilemma we're faced with," Gaius frowned.
"You're all overthinking it. Why doesn't Cyrus just go back to this Heiyue and tell them he killed her?" Machias asked.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Master Machias. Heiyue requires proof of the kill in the form of a blood-soaked eagle's feather. Not only that, but by asking Master Cyrus to lie about killing his target, you're asking him to put everyone around him in danger if the lie gets found out. You don't know who issued the contract to kill Lady Fie, and if the client discovers that she is still alive, Heiyue will come after Master Cyrus and those around him, and everyone here is no exception," Sharon explained.
"Hmph, what absolute nonsense. Why don't we just get rid of the problem altogether?" Jusis sighed.
"What do you mean? You can't possibly be suggesting that we let Cyrus kill Fie, are you?" Emma gasped.
"No, I'm not. If it's a choice between letting Fie die, or severing ties from Cyrus and making him lie to Heiyue, then the choice should be obvious," Jusis responded.
"There's no way Sara will drop Cyrus from Class VII. You heard her on the first day, he's too important to the class, though I don't know why," Alisa frowned.
"True, but if we go above Sara and go to Principal Vandyck, he might do something about it," Machias shrugged.
"What, you mean have Cyrus expelled? That's not fair!" Alisa shouted.
"Oh, give it a rest, will you? This is the most obvious course of action. I don't think the school would want a student of theirs, who's just admitted to being a contract killer, putting the lives of others at risk, would they?" Jusis snapped.
"I hate to say it… But Jusis is right," Rean muttered. "Everyone's lives were put at risk when that other Assassin came for Fie. If we get rid of Cyrus, and tell him to go back to Heiyue and say Fie is dead, even if the lie gets uncovered, none of us will be at any risk of getting hurt for Cyrus' actions."
"But… But that's so horrible. Cyrus has never done anything bad to us! I mean, it's not like he took the contract knowing he had to kill Fie; it was just happenstance!" Elliot exclaimed.
"I'm with Elliot on this one. Betraying Cyrus' trust like this is unfair, and just wrong. I'm sorry, but I cannot support you guys on this choice," Gaius stated.
"Well, of course I'm against it too!" Alisa declared.
"Fie is our friend, and keeping her safe is my top priority, so I'm afraid I'll have to side with Jusis, Machias, and Rean on this one…" Emma mumbled.
"Laura? What about you? Surely you can't agree to something like this?" Alisa asked.
"I don't… I'm not…" Laura stammered, looking at the two different groups before sighing heavily. "I'm sorry, Alisa, but I have to agree with them. Cyrus has caused far too much friction amongst the other Nobles, especially with Patrick, and that is making Class VII look bad amongst my peers. If he leaves, maybe Patrick will leave Class VII alone, and leave Ferris alone too. What's happening to her is because of Cyrus, and it's not fair an innocent party like her has to suffer because of the actions of someone else."
"Laura…" Elliot whimpered.
"So, we're doing this then? Shall we go see Principal Vandyck tomorrow morning and get this whole mess cleaned up?" Laura asked as she joined the others.
"Yeah, good luck with that. I'm telling you guys right now, that's not going to go the way you think it is," Sara called out from the staircase.
"Instructor Sara?" Rean looked at Sara with confusion.
"You're all wasting your breath. Cyrus is attending Thors, and participating in Class VII under the recommendation of Emperor Eugent himself. The only way Cyrus gets expelled is if His Majesty rescinds the recommendation, and the only way that happens is if Cyrus does something that tarnishes the Emperor's reputation, and since no-one here, with the exception of the Faculty and the Executive Chairman of Thors' Board of Directors knows about the letter, nothing you do or say will affect Cyrus' enrolment here," Sara stated as she walked across the room.
"Wait, what?! So you're telling me that he's basically untouchable?!" Machias shouted.
"Yeah, pretty much. So, no matter what you try, there's no way you'll be taking my favourite student and drinking buddy away from me!" Sara declared, hiccupping at the end of her sentence.
"Of course she's drunk again…" Alisa sighed.
"Instructor, you can't possibly be ok with the idea of letting a trained Assassin live with us, especially when he intends to kill Fie!" Laura exclaimed.
"Why not? You tried to kill her a while ago for no reason at all, yet you're still here," Sara glared, her glazed over eyes struggling to focus on Laura. "But that's alright, as I understand now…"
"You… You do?" Rean asked as he watched Sara stumble over to the fridge for more beer.
"Haven't you had quite enough for one night?" Jusis muttered.
"Don't tell me what to do. If I wanna drink more, then I'm damn well gonna drink more," Sara snapped.
"Is… Is she ok?" Elliot whispered.
"Psh, I'm fine! Just don't try and stop me from having my beersies…" Sara laughed before the expression on her face turned dark. "Or I'll kill you."
"Lady Sara, I think that's quite enough for tonight," Sharon stated calmly as she reached for the beer can in Sara's hand.
"Fuck off, Sharon! I told you not to try and stop me from drinking!" Sara yelled.
"What the hell is going on here? I can't leave you idiots alone for more than five minutes without you arguing like children," Cyrus snapped, standing behind the two split groups of Class VII students.
"Whoa! When did you get here?" Elliot gasped, jumping forward.
"I could hear Sara's screaming from the rooftop. C'mon, Sara, time for bed," Cyrus declared.
"Yay, you're here! I don't care what anyone says, I'm not letting you leave, and I'm not letting anyone stop me from enjoying the things I enjoy!" Sara chirped, all of the sudden very happy.
"Yeah, yeah, c'mon you big glutton," Cyrus sighed as he picked Sara up and carried her to her room.
"I… I am so confused…" Emma groaned.
"You're not the only one. Just what the hell was that just now? Sara genuinely looked like she was ready to kill," Machias gasped.
'That was most bizarre indeed. I know Sara has a temper at times, but even I never expected her to act like that. I might have to try and seek out Lady Seventh, and see if she can shed some light on whether or not the Society is involved… There was that space of about two years where she completely disappeared after leaving the Northern Jägers and joining the Bracers after all…' Sharon thought, frowning slightly.
A few days later, there was now a large rift starting to form between the members of Class VII. The class was now split into two groups, one who had decided Cyrus was the source of their troubles in the class, and the other who believed Cyrus was the one trying to hold the entire group of Nobles and Commoners together, and keep them safe.
At the moment, the situation amongst the two groups was icy at best, with nobody from the opposing groups spending any time with one another. There was, however, one person in Class VII who wasn't involved in the conflict, and that was Fie.
For her own safety, no-one in Class VII had told Fie that Cyrus was an Assassin and that he was planning on killing her. As a Jäger, she had seen her fair share of death and danger, and nobody in Class VII wanted to make her feel like she wasn't safe with them. Despite her laziness, Fie was no idiot, and could tell something was amiss.
It was now Wednesday, and it had been a whole week since the Midterm exams had started, which meant the results were now available to the school for all to see. Class VII had made their way to the Main Campus in their separate groups, with Cyrus nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, man… Is anyone else nervous about these exam results?" Elliot sighed.
"Not really, I'm more curious about why you guys aren't getting along with the rest of the class," Fie muttered, turning to look over her shoulder at the other group.
"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about, Fie. Just a disagreement on something," Alisa said quickly, trying to dismiss Fie's suspicions.
"Uh-huh… Have you guys had an argument with Cyrus or something? I've noticed he hasn't been around any of you guys lately, but I see him with Sara almost all the time now," Fie scowled. She hated being treated like a child.
"I wouldn't say an argument. There's been some… Things that have been discussed, and well…" Gaius stammered, trying to find the right words.
"It's not something to worry about, honestly. Although, what I'm worried about is my score for my Political Economics Exam… Some of the questions Vice Principal Heinrich put in the exam were brutal," Elliot interrupted.
"You guys are weird…" Fie scowled as she turned and went off to join the other group.
"We need to do something about this, guys. We can't keep lying to her, she's already aware something is going on," Elliot sighed deeply.
"Yeah, but how do we tell her that Cyrus is an Assassin who's been contracted to kill her? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one to have that conversation with her," Alisa frowned.
"Would it really be so bad to tell her the truth? I mean, lying is wrong, and the more we do it, the easier it's going to be to get caught," Gaius stated.
"Hey, look, they posted the exam results outside. Oh, man, there's so many people here!" Elliot gasped.
As Class VII arrived at the Main Campus, they could all see the giant noticeboard with reams of paper stuck to it. Gathered around the noticeboard were a throng of students, both Nobles and Commoners alike.
"Huh, I wonder why there's such a big crowd," Machias commented as his group arrived next to the other group of Class VII students.
"Are you a fool, or have you forgotten about that bet between Cyrus and Patrick," Jusis scoffed, pushing past Machias and walking up to the noticeboard.
"Hey, shut up! More importantly, didn't that bet get tossed since Ferris couldn't sit her exams?" Macias asked as both groups walked up to the noticeboard.
"Hey, check it out, Gaius! You're ranked twentieth!" Elliot gasped, pointing to the student list.
20 Gaius Worzel; Class VII – 870 Points
"Heh, I'm happy with that," Gaius nodded.
"Look Fie, seventy-second is really good!" Emma beamed, encouraging Fie.
"Yeah, scoring five hundred and forty-four isn't bad at all, Fie," Rean smiled.
"Whatever… Not like I care about the stupid scores anyway," Fie muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Let's see… Machias… Machias… Huh? Fourth?!" Machias shouted.
4 Machias Regnitz; Class VII – 974 Points
"Hey, that's pretty good though, placing fourth in the entire school," Rean remarked.
"Yeah, but Emma managed to beat me by a single point!" Machias cried, pulling his hair in frustration.
3 Emma Millstein; Class VII – 975 Points
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure I just got lucky with one of the questions," Emma chuckled nervously.
"Hey… You guys… Look," Rean gasped, pointing to the noticeboard.
"That… That's impossible!" Alisa cried.
"Oh? So the results have finally been posted, have they? Time to collect my prize," Patrick stated as he and his Class I entourage swanned into the group of students looking at the scores.
"Make way, peasants! His Lordship is here to prove his educational excellence to you all!" Hans shouted, shoving a couple of Commoners so Patrick could approach the score sheets.
"Hmm, sixth place, is it?" Patrick muttered, furrowing his brow.
6 Patrick Hyarms; Class I – 941 Points
"Very good, Your Lordship. A most successful result!" Eric declared as he and Patrick's cronies applauded him.
"Yes, well… I suppose my score doesn't matter, considering that–! Impossible!" Patrick shouted as he scanned the noticeboard.
"What's wrong, Your Lordship?" Hans asked, looking at where Patrick was looking. "No! That's not right!"
"How can this be?! Eric! Hans! You assured me everything was fine!" Patrick screamed.
"What's the matter, Patrick? Something take you by surprise?" Cyrus' voice carried from behind the group of students.
When everyone from Class VII and others who had become greatly invested in the bet between Cyrus and Patrick had turned around, they found Cyrus wasn't standing alone. Behind him was none other than his sister, Aurelia, and his aunt, Ophelia. All three people cut a very imposing image, Cyrus most of all, given that he had now taken to wearing his Thors jacket over his shoulders, with no shirt on underneath, leaving his bandaged abdomen visible for all to see as his red jacket swayed in the breeze, not unlike the cape that Aurelia had on as part of her uniform as a Lamare Provincial Army General.
"What did you do, you sneak?! You cheated; I just know it!" Eric spat, glaring at Cyrus.
"Hmph, is that what you think, little boy? Tell me, how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Aurelia asked, crushing Eric with a powerful glare.
"There… There's no way he could have scored that high… It's impossible," Eric mumbled, looking away from Aurelia's gaze.
"Tch, typical child… I would expect nothing less than that score from Cyrus," Aurelia smirked as she looked at Cyrus' name on the score sheet.
1 Cyrus Le Guin; Class VII – 1000 Points
"What I want to know is how did he manage to get a perfect score with all the classes he's missed?" Rean muttered, which did not go unnoticed by Aurelia.
"Hmm? You must be that Schwarzer boy my brother has mentioned. The one who also practices the Eight Leaves, One Blade Style? The answer is simple; Cyrus is a genius," Aurelia stated.
"Way to not show favouritism…" Alisa frowned.
"That's not showing favouritism, that's a fact. Truth is, when Cyrus actually decides to focus on something, there's nothing he cannot do. With an IQ of around two hundred, I'd be severely disappointed if he didn't get a perfect score," Aurelia muttered.
"Two hundred?!" Emma gasped. "Mine is only one forty-seven…"
"Aurelia, dear, there's no need to brag. Although, in this instance, I'm afraid that I must break the family rule… I'm so proud of my little girl," Ophelia stated, looking at Ferris' score.
2 Ferris Florald; Class I – 995 Points
"How did she even get a score? I thought she collapsed before she could even take her exams?" Elliot whispered.
"I took care of it, Elliot," Cyrus stated as he walked towards the group. "After speaking with Ducky, I realised Ferris would be unable to sit her exams, so I went and spoke with Principal Vandyck. After confirming with Ducky that Ferris was unable to sit her exams, the school gathered an aggregated score from the coursework and internal class examinations she had done, and this is the result."
"No way… I didn't realise Ferris was so good…" Alisa muttered.
"Of course she is; she's my daughter after all… Vincent, on the other hand…" Ophelia scowled as she found her son's results.
87 Vincent Florald; Class I – 527 Points
"Vinnie, you moron…" Cyrus frowned.
"VINCENT ALOIS FLORALD!" Ophelia roared, terrifying everyone around her. "COME HERE THIS INSTANT!"
From behind Ophelia came the sound of footsteps, and looking past the school gate and over the horizon, the students could see a small dust cloud forming as a shape started to emerge from within it.
The shape, as it were, turned out to be none other than Vincent, who was charging towards the school grounds with a look of fear on his face. As he reached the school gate, he leapt into the air and by the time he had hit the ground, he was already on his hands and knees, bowing in front of his mother.
"I'M SORRY, MUMMY!" Vincent shrieked, banging his head into the dirt to emphasise his apology.
"How the hell is he related to us?" Cyrus muttered to Aurelia.
"Unfortunately, he takes after Uncle Nicholas… Bumbling fool that he is. What Auntie Ophelia sees in that man is a mystery Mother and I have not been able to figure out," Aurelia stated, scowling at Vincent's embarrassing behaviour.
"Ok, well, I get why Auntie Ophelia is here; to see Ferris, but why are you here, sister?" Cyrus asked, turning to look at Aurelia.
"There is some work that needs to be done in Heimdallr this weekend. Since I am unavailable, I'll need you to take my place," Aurelia commanded.
"Can't you get one of your other officers to do it? I have more important things to do," Cyrus frowned.
"No. This job comes straight from Lady Mildine, and I need a Captain to take care of it. Since you are so close to the city, and one of my Captains, I expect you to undertake this assignment without complaint," Aurelia demanded.
"Very well, General… I accept," Cyrus stated.
"Uhh, what's this about a Captain now?" Rean mumbled.
"You idiots really seem intent on shoe-horning your way into every facet of my life, don't you? If you must know, I am a Captain in the Lamare Provincial Army, who serves directly under General Le Guin," Cyrus stated, addressing his sister as a Commanding Officer.
"You're a Provincial Army Captain?!" Machias balked.
"I'd be General if my sister wasn't," Cyrus muttered, smirking at Aurelia.
"Hmph, big talk for a child. Perhaps one day, you might get to actually see the inside of my office at Juno," Aurelia responded with a smirk of her own.
"How about I fight you for it then, General?" Cyrus grinned, removing his jacket and letting it drop on the ground next to him.
"No, absolutely not! I'm not having those wounds reopen yet again!" Dr. Mallard shouted as he rushed over to Cyrus and Aurelia.
"Ah, Ducky, impeccable timing as always," Aurelia stated.
"Good morning to you, General. Countess," Dr. Mallard bowed to the two women.
"Dr. Mallard, how is my little angel?" Ophelia asked, dragging Vincent by his hair. Whatever Ophelia had said or done, it looked like Vincent's soul had vacated his body long ago.
"She is improving, but I do have some troubling news to report," Dr. Mallard stated.
"Sariffa!" Ophelia barked.
"Yes, my Lady?" Sariffa whispered, appearing behind Ophelia, down on one knee with her head lowered.
"Take my fool of a son and make sure he does not embarrass me or my family like this again," Ophelia commanded, dropping Vincent in front of Sariffa.
"At once, my Lady," Sariffa nodded as she scooped up Vincent and vanished.
As Aurelia and Ophelia followed Dr. Mallard to the infirmary, Cyrus knelt down and picked up his jacket and dusted it off before throwing it over his shoulders again. As he made his way to the infirmary as well, he stopped for a moment.
"Patrick… I want my money before I return from Heimdallr this weekend. Do not forget it," Cyrus demanded before he continued on his way.
"Oh, yeah… In all the excitement, I forgot that Ferris technically scored higher than Patrick, which means Patrick lost the bet," Rean muttered.
"Your Lordship? What are you going to do now?" Hans asked.
"That little bitch just cost me fifty million Mira… I'm going to make sure that she repays every last bit of it when I'm finished with her…" Patrick seethed.