Kalim cautiously peeked out from the shrubs he'd hidden behind in the chaos. He was a little surprised Jamil hadn't tracked him down yet, but he heard some of the monsters he'd brought with him say he'd chased after Devon's group. The rest of his crew were so busy rounding up the other farmers that they didn't seem to notice he wasn't accounted for. 'Okay… The exit isn't too far and the monsters are distracted. If I play my cards right, I should be able to make a break for it before Jamil gets back,' he thought. He pulled in a deep breath and readied himself to run…

"I don't think so."

Kalim heard Jamil's voice before he saw him, but sure enough, the pole-like device he'd been carrying extended and plunged into the ground right where he was about to step, causing him to take a reflexive step back. "Whoa!"

Jamil tapped Kalim on the shoulder. "Got you, Kalim."

"Aww, maaaan. I thought for sure I'd be quick enough to make it," Kalim huffed before grinning at Jamil. "But it looks like you're quicker, Jamil!"

"We can chalk this up to a difference in training," Jamil replied. His expression sobered a bit as he went over the past few minutes in his head. "But Devon, Cater, and Jade all got away. If we want to play it safe, it'd be best to clear out of here now."

"We were able to nab plenty of farmers on our end," the Ignihyde monster reported back.

"They were so wrapped up in their shawarma they barely noticed what was happening until it was too late," the Heartslabyul monster added with a smirk. "Talk about easy pickings."

"Huh…?" Kalim blinked before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, of course! It's not like the smell of the food could only be picked up by the farmer team! Monsters could smell it too…" He shook his head. "Oh man, I really messed up, huh?"

"Heh. And that's just the beginning," Jamil said with a smirk. "Enjoy spending the rest of the game doing Vargas' special training in the gym with the other defeated players."

Kalim sighed and nodded. "Fair enough. Rules are rules, I guess. Could I ask just the tiniest favor first, Jamil?"

Jamil eyed Kalim warily and crossed his arms. "Depends on the favor. If you ask me to let you go, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you."

"Oh no, nothing like that!" Kalim assured him. "It's just..." He walked back over to the food and drinks that somehow hadn't been trampled in the earlier fray. "Do you think we could at least wait until we finish off this shawarma? I mean, you went out of your way to make this for me. It'd be a shame for it to go to waste." He grinned at the monsters accompanying Jamil. "You guys are probably getting hungry too, right? This is the lunch of a lifetime, you know!"

"You're really okay sharing your food with us, even though we're on different teams?" the Ignihyde monster asked.

The Heartslabyul monster smiled. "Well I'm certainly not about to turn down free food! I was just starting to get hungry, anyway."

"Jamil's cooking is top-tier," a Scarabia monster chimed in. "I'd be a fool to refuse that offer."

"Hey! This is no time for a lunch break!" Jamil protested as his teammates began to sit down with Kalim and the other farmers. "What if the farmers that got away come back with reinforcements and surround us?!"

"C'mon, Jamil, don't worry so much. It'll go way faster if you pitch in too, right?" Kalim reasoned.

"Rrgh…," Jamil grumbled as he thought his options through. 'Kalim's already been eliminated, so technically he isn't an enemy right now. Under normal circumstances, it would be unacceptable for an employee to refuse an order from their boss… Grr… Seems I've been hoisted by my own shawarma spit!' He let out an agitated sound before holding his hand out toward Kalim impatiently. "Just hand me the scissors. I'll have the meat carved in five minutes."

"Sweet! You're the best, Jamil!" Kalim cheered.

Two more figures emerged from the brush as Jamil set to work prepping the meat.

"My, my. I certainly wasn't expecting following this delightful scent to lead us to the top officers of Scarabia," Rook commented as he and Trey came upon the impromptu lunch spot.

"Hey, Rook. Hey, Trey," Kalim greeted. "Would you like some shawarma too? Just sit tight and give us two shakes. Jamil will get some ready for you."

Trey watched Jamil work, his expression a mix of amused and baffled. "Jamil's cutting the meat at breakneck speed with one hand and stuffing vegetables into pita bread with the other…" He took a moment to take in the scene before them. "And I see monsters and captured farmers eating together all around them. What exactly did we walk in on here?"

Jamil gave Trey a long-suffering look, more and more bitterness creeping into his tone as he spoke. "I captured Kalim, but he pleaded with me to let him stay so the food wouldn't go to waste. The prep work goes fastest with me doing it, so here I am, helping against my will. Trust me, I'd much rather be as far away from here as I can get."

"Why is that?" Rook asked. "From the look of things here, I'd say it's a safe bet that your group has captured most of the farmers present."

"That's true, but we didn't catch everyone. Cater, Jade, Devon, and Grim managed to give us the slip," Jamil reported.

"Ah…," Rook and Trey replied in unison, the smiles dropping off their faces at the news.

"I'm worried they're planning to round up some help and come back, yet I'm stuck here feeding people lunch instead of making myself scarce like any sensible monster would!" Jamil lamented.

"Well…to be fair, the food does look world-class," Trey said, hoping to ease Jamil's souring mood.

"It would be an embarrassment to House Asim if I served anything less," Jamil replied, matter-of-factly.

"Ah, Monsieur Multi, your professional level of dedication to all tasks you undertake is nothing short of beaute!" Rook exclaimed. "As a huntsman, I tend to avoid more…pungent provisions on principle, but out of respect for your spirit, I will gladly avail myself of your generous repast."

"That's awesome! We've got sweet and unsweet tea here, too," Kalim said. "Which would you guys prefer?"

"That's enough with the hospitality, Kalim! All of you, finish your food, now!" Jamil ordered, clearly at his wit's end.

"Well, what have we here?" another voice spoke up from behind Trey and Rook. "Who knew following my nose would lead me to an entire rogue's gallery?" Everyone jumped and immediately turned in the direction of the newcomer, only to see Lilia standing there with his usual easy-going smile. "Might I have a shawarma sandwich as well?"

"Hi, Lilia! Of course you can have one! Take as many as you'd like," Kalim offered.

"Heh. Hello there, Kalim," Lilia greeted back. "By the looks of things, I take you've already been captured by the monster team?"

Kalim shook his head in disappointment. "Yeeeeah… I hate to say it, but they got the drop on me. At least Cater's team was able to make it out…Ah!" Kalim's eyes widened as he realized too late what he'd said. "Oh no, you're on the monster team too! Umm…forget I said anything!"

Jamil facepalmed. "For crying out loud, Kalim…"

"Keh heh heh," Lilia chucked. "There's no need to fret, Kalim. I'm sure Jamil and the others would've said something even if you hadn't. We're talking about three vice dorm heads, after all. Surely someone would be prudent enough to discuss the game over this seemingly idle lunch."

Jamil nodded. "That's true. We were trading intel before you arrived. Speaking of, what have you been up to thus far, Lilia?"

"I had a run-in with Malleus. He and I crossed swords, and I struck him down," Lilia told them nonchalantly.

Everyone within earshot looked at Lilia as if he'd grown a second head. "What?!"

As usual, Rook was the first to recover. "The Roi des Dragons was the most formidable farmer on the field. For you to be able to defeat him…" He took off his cap and bowed to Lilia with a flourish. "I take my hat off to you, Monsieur Curiousity." His expression grew somber as he shook his head. "More's the pity, though… I would have given anything for a front-row seat to that battle."

"It would've made for a spectacular show," Lilia agreed. "Malleus has grown into quite the capable fighter. Had he not run out of beans partway through, I might've actually been in some trouble. Frankly, there were more close shaves than I would've liked." He lowered his voice so that he was barely audible to the others. "What really surprises me is that I've yet to see hide or hair of Sebek or Silver. They both talked such a big game last night… Seems I can't retire in confidence quite yet." He brightened as he turned back to the others. "Seems the powers that be have brought us all here together. I think I'll join your merry band of monsters."

"If you were good enough to take down Malleus, you're definitely someone we'd like to keep around," Jamil agreed.

"Lilia's got enough stamina to give most of the guys here a run for their money. You should see the way he hops and yells and smashes his bass guitar during our Pop Music Club shows!" Kalim chimed in.

"Please. There's no need to fawn over me, Kalim," Lilia said, though the grin on his face said he was eating the praise up. "You're going to make me blush."

"It's true, though!" Kalim insisted. "Oh man, you guys should've seen the show we did back in the fall-mmph!"

Jamil narrowed his eyes in irritation as he slapped a hand over Kalim's mouth. "Allow me to reiterate: we do not have all day to sit around and chat." He thrust a large bundle into Kalim's hands. "There. I've prepped and wrapped all the leftover sandwiches. You can take them with you to the gathering point for eliminated students. Off you go, now."

Kalim nodded. "Right! Sorry for the trouble, Jamil. And thank you." He turned to grin at the rest of the group. "I know it's probably weird for me to say this since I'm on the farmer team and all, but good luck out there, guys! Later!"

Rook, Trey, and Lilia waved as Kalim and the other captured farmers set off for the gym. Jamil heaved a sigh of relief before turning back to them. "Finally… Now, where were we? Ah, right. When I first got here…"

"I see…," Lilia said after everyone finished recounting the events that led them all to this point. "That was quite a bit of information, but to summarize it: Cater, Devon and Grim have escaped the trap in the botanical garden and are, in all likelihood, heading for the coliseum. Jade was with them previously, but has since gone to ground. His current whereabouts are unknown. Vil, Riddle, and Epel are headed for the botanical garden to join forces with Devon's group. It's possible that Floyd has joined up with them as well, but we have no actual confirmation of this."

"As for the monster team, the four of us have gathered here in the botanical garden," Rook continued. "When Trey and I left them, Azul and Jack said they were headed to the school store to apprehend more farmers."

"What would our smartest play be, then?" Lilia asked.

"I think setting up an ambush for Vil's group would be the best place to start," Trey suggested. "We'd have the advantage in here, given all the natural cover."

Jamil shook his head. "I disagree. It would be unwise to linger here. We should prioritize finding and capturing Devon, Cater, and Jade."

"I agree with Jamil," Rook chimed in. "Suppose that Vil's group happens to meet up with Cater's as they made their escape. In fact, let us take a further step back and consider the matter of Jade being unaccounted for. It's entirely possible that Jade simply got separated from Cater's group through happenstance, but I believe he deliberately split off from them to achieve some yet unknown purpose."

"Oh? And how did you come to this conclusion?" Lilia asked.

"Jade is an expert underwater huntsman. He of all people understands the advantages of working in a group," Rook reasoned. "He wouldn't be foolish enough to let himself get separated from his comrades so early on. The most logical move would be for him to return to his companions once he accomplishes whatever he split off from them to do, as opposed to remaining alone and defenseless." His grin faded into a more serious look. "The other loose end to consider is Floyd. If he has indeed had a positive mood swing and is working with Vil's group…well, that makes things considerably tougher for us. Does the thought of the eight of them teaming up to make a run for the harp not strike fear into your heart?"

"Oof… Yeah, when you put it that way, that group would have us beat in terms of numbers and raw strength," Trey agreed.

"In that case, I propose we pick them off separately before they have the chance to team up," Lilia offered. "Jamil, you come with me. We'll catch Jade by the tail."

Jamil nodded. "Understood."

"Then Trey and I will go after Cater's group," Rook said with a sneaky grin. "After all, that will be my best shot at having a showdown with Vil. Heh heh heh…"

"Aaaaand…there's the garden!" Floyd announced as he and the rest of his group finally reached the back door of the building. "It's right in plain sight, but it was such a pain to get here. I didn't need that kinda stress." He grinned eagerly. "Y'think there's a buncha monsters swimmin' around in there? Sea Snake might actually put up a decent fight, unlike the other minnows in this game. Maybe I'll actually have fun."

"Hold on, Floyd," Vil interjected, holding his arm out to stop Floyd from charging in. "Need I remind that our goal here is to rescue Kalim and meet up with Cater's group?"

"Pfft. I ain't here to bail Sea Otter out," Floyd replied dismissively.

Everyone stared at Floyd in disbelief before Epel let out an incredulous, "What?!"

"Why do you all look so surprised? I've still got plenty of fight left in me since you ruined my showdown with Sea Urchin. Now c'mon, let's do this!"

"Floyd, wait!" Riddle called out as Floyd rushed to the door. "This may be the back door, but what sort of fool would just waltz on in without bothering to conceal himself?!"

But Floyd kept running right for the door, either unable to hear Riddle or deliberately ignoring him. He'd nearly closed the distance when someone darted out in front him, placing their body directly in Floyd's path and preventing him from getting any closer. "Hold it right there!" the person said.

Floyd glared down at the person in front of him as the others caught up, surprised to see Silver of all people blocking Floyd's way. "What's your problem, Jellyfishie?"

"The botanical garden has been overrun by monsters led by Jamil," Silver informed them, shaking his head regretfully. "All of the farmers eating shawarma inside have been captured, including Kalim."

"I beg your pardon?" Vil replied, shocked.

"So we were too late…," Riddle said bitterly.

Floyd sniffed the air again. "Shawarma, huh? That's what that spicy smell is?"

"No wonder it had me droolin'," Epel added.

Silver crossed his arms over his chest, planting himself firmly in front of Vil's group. "If you had walked in there just now, you'd have been handing yourselves over. I'm telling you this for your own good-don't go in there."

"Y'know, I don't much appreciate people bossin' me around," Floyd began before lowering his voice menacingly and giving Silver his trademark dead-eye stare. "Now step aside unless you're lookin' to get squeezed."

"That's enough, Floyd. Taking liberties has its' limits. You said you would work with us today in exchange for me teaching you a throwing maneuver once the game ends. A verbal agreement still counts as a type of contract," Vil reminded him, a smirk playing on his lips. "I wonder what Azul would say if it came to light that a student under his leadership reneged on a contract simply because it suited him…"

"Uuugh," Floyd groaned. "Fine, fine. Whatever you say. No need to bust my hump over it."

"Yes, it will be whatever I say. Now then," Vil turned his attention to Silver, "what are you doing here, Silver? Last I saw you, you were adamant about going to protect Malleus. If that's still the case, I should probably tell you that we saw him fighting Lilia on our way here."

Silver sighed and dipped his head in apology. "I'm so sorry, Vil. I failed to live up to the trust you placed in me when you left Lord Malleus' protection in my hands."

"What does that…?" Vil began, only for his eyes to widen as Silver's meaning sunk in. "Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Silver nodded, his usual stoic façade belying the turmoil in his eyes. "It's a bit of a long story, but essentially, the fight was over by the time I got there. I failed my most essential duty. I'm beside myself with shame! How can I expect to face Fa-er, Lilia and Sebek now?!"

Vil was nearly struck speechless. Such emotional displays weren't like Silver at all. "Hold on, I thought Lilia was the one who defeated Malleus…," he said.

"It couldn't be helped. The situation dictated that he turn his blade upon our king," Silver lamented.

Riddle gave Silver a flat look. "Calling the rules of the game a "situation" seems a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"I'm certain Lord Malleus was filled with regret that he was eliminated before he could retake the harp," Silver continued, either unable to hear Riddle's comment or ignoring it. His eyes narrowed as he gave Vil's group a look of resolute determination. "As his vassal, it falls to me to avenge him. I shall exact revenge upon Lilia-mark my words!"

"Did we step onto the set of a historical drama when I wasn't paying attention?" Vil asked Riddle dryly. "Or is this just some form of Diasomnia humor that I'm missing?"

Riddle shook his head, his expression unchanged. "No, I think he's serious. Silver's never been the type to crack jokes."

Floyd grinned, amused. "Jellyfishie's usually so hard to read. I wasn't expectin' him to be such a funny guy."

"Heck yeah, Silver! You ain't gonna take that kinda blow lyin' down!" Epel cheered, dialing it back when he caught sight of Vil's disapproving glare. "Uh…I mean, I completely understand how you must feel."

"Since you've already witnessed Lord Malleus and Lilia's fight, I doubt what I'm about to tell you will come as a surprise," Silver began," but Lilia is strong. Frighteningly strong. It's embarrassing to admit, but my chances of taking him in a one-on-one fight are slim to none." He gave Vil's group an imploring look. "Please… Will you lend me your help?"

Floyd's response was immediate. "Yeah, sure thing," he agreed, causing the others to let out an incredulous "What?!" in response. Floyd shot them all an irritated look. "Okay, that whole routine is gettin' really old, really fast. Weren't y'all just on my case about how we needed to work together?"

"Yes, that's true, but we're reacting more to your tendency to do everything at the drop of a hat," Vil replied.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to agree so readily," Silver added.

Riddle didn't seem quite so convinced. "I know what you're up to, Floyd. You're just pretending to be a team player so you can get a shot at fighting Lilia."

"Ah ha ha ha! Was I that obvious?" Floyd cackled unapologetically. "I can't help it. Devilfishie's gonna be way more fun to squeeze than anyone else we've come across today. I mean, you saw how crazy fast he was, didn't ya, Goldfishie? If he makes it to the coliseum, it's gonna make gettin' that harp even more difficult."

"Hmm… Well, I suppose you do have a point there," Riddle admitted reluctantly.

"Lilia used to be known as the Running Rampart back in his heyday," Silver said. "No one could surpass him when it came to fortress defense. He's as elusive as a phantom. You never know where he might be lurking. I agree with Floyd. If Lilia moves to defend the coliseum, it's going to get a lot harder to breach the gate."

Floyd grinned. "There, y'see? We don't want that to happen, right? That means we gotta sink him before it happens." His expression grew more serious. "I have no idea where Jade is right now, but I'm positive he's workin' to nab the harp. Wouldn't want anyone standin' in his way when it's go time, y'know?"

Epel blinked. "Wait… So you want to eliminate Lilia for Jade's benefit?"

"Ah, that makes sense. You're a very caring brother, Floyd," Silver said.

Floyd cringed in response. "Ugh, don't make it all sappy, Jellyfishie. Jade's got his way of havin' fun and I've got mine. I don't want either of us gettin' our fun ruined. Simple as that."

"Well, regardless, we have our next objective. I'd say this calls for a planning session," Vil cut in as he motioned for them all to follow him someplace they'd be out of plain sight.

Silver nodded as the group followed Vil's lead. "Right. I've been watching the garden for a while now, so I'll share what intel I've gleaned."

"Alright. So if we aggregate our intel with Silver's…," Vil began after everyone had shared what they knew. "Jamil, Rook, and Trey are all inside the botanical garden and Lilia has now joined them."

"Azul and Sea Urchin were working with Seagull before," Floyd continued. "If they aren't in there now, they musta split off somewhere else."

Epel turned to Silver. "We know Devon's group was headed for the botanical garden. Did you see if they got nabbed when Kalim did?"

"I didn't see Devon or Cater among the captured students," Silver replied.

"The information I got from Deuce will be fairly old by now," Riddle added. "If they haven't been captured, we should assume they've already left."

"Oh, they have," Lilia spoke up from behind them. "They'd already fled by the time I reached the garden."

Vil and the others didn't seem to notice just who was speaking to them at first, wrapped up in their planning as they were. "Ah, is that right? In that case, we should-" He cut himself off as everyone finally registered Lilia's presence, their heads whipping toward him as they all took a collective step away.

"L-Lilia?! How did you get behind us?!" Silver asked.

"That's what I'd like to know. I didn't hear a single footstep!" Vil added.

Floyd just barely managed to dodge to the side as the two-pronged end of Jamil's grabbing device came down right where he'd been standing. "Whoa! Talk about a close shave…"

Jamil let out an irritated scoff. "Tch… So you dodged it. And here I thought I'd done a good job getting close without you realizing."

Floyd grinned, ecstatic that the fight had come to him. "Uh-huh. So what's that giant spork-lookin' thing you've got there, Sea Snake?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Jamil replied with a smirk as he prepared to strike again. "It's a hunting tool made for capturing absurdly tall guys like you. Want to see it up close?"

While Jamil kept Floyd occupied, Lilia turned to Silver. "Come now, Silver. You didn't actually think I'd gone so senile that I wouldn't be able to pick up on your presence, did you?"

"Rgh… So you just used me as bait, then," Silver realized bitterly.

Meanwhile, Epel noticed someone creeping up behind Riddle. "Riddle, look out!" Reflexes kicking in, he grabbed Riddle by the arm and quickly pulled him away from the would-be assailant.

"Wha-?!" Riddle turned to see Trey and Rook. Trey had an almost apologetic look on his face and his hand was outstretched, indicating that he was the one who had tried to tag Riddle out.

"Whoops. Didn't quite get the grab," Trey said, though his smile seemed to indicate that he wasn't too upset about it.

"Ah, what a sense of camaraderie!" Rook gushed next to him. "The way the two of you weaved out of the way of Trey's strike and rode the wind like a cascade of rose petals and apple blossoms. How charming you both are, Roi des Roses, Monsieur Crabapple!"

"Trey and Rook too?! We've been surrounded!" Vil exclaimed. He exchanged a quick look with Floyd, who nodded in response. "Floyd and I will secure an escape route. The rest of you, follow our lead and do not fall behind!"

"You're not getting away that easily!" Jamil said as the monsters readied themselves.

The battle was essentially a stalemate-Jamil's group were able to keep Vil's from breaking free but weren't able to tag any of them out while Vil's group were able to hold Jamil's group at bay but couldn't seem to land a bean shot. It took some doing, but Vil and Floyd were eventually able to create an opening for the farmers to escape.

"The way is clear now! Hurry and retreat, everyone!" Vil ordered as he led the charge.

Unfortunately, all the physical exertion of Beanfest combined with an already low level of stamina was finally beginning to catch up to Riddle. He did his best to keep up with the rest of the group, but his lungs were burning and each step was taking more effort than the last. Slowly but surely, he began to fall behind. "I…can't…catch my breath…," he panted as the monster team quickly began gaining on him.

"One of them is falling behind. Quickly, now! Surround him!" Lilia ordered, a smirk on his face like the cat that caught the canary.

Riddle was forced to stop in his tracks, all avenues of retreat blocked by one of Jamil's group. "Rrgh…"

"We have to turn back! Riddle doesn't stand a chance!" Silver said. He tried to change course, only for Floyd-who had dropped back to bring up the rear-to grab him by the shoulders and turn him back around.

"Nuh-uh. We're better off putting some distance between us and them while Goldfishie keeps the monsters busy. We gotta let him go," Floyd reasoned.

"But-!" Silver began to protest.

"I don't like it either, but it's our only viable option," Vil pressed. "Now keep moving!"

"…Consarn it…," Epel grumbled, giving Riddle one last regretful look over his shoulder before rushing off with the rest of Vil's group.

Lilia watched as the rest of Vil's group ran off. "And now we split up as planned. Rook, Trey, we'll leave Riddle's capture to you."

Trey nodded as he and Rook flanked a still-winded Riddle. "You got it."

Lilia turned to Jamil next. "Jamil, you're with me."

"Right," Jamil replied as he took off with Lilia.

Trey smiled at Riddle apologetically as Jamil and Lilia rushed off. "Alright, looks like it's time for me to capture you now, Riddle. Nothing personal."

"I'm out of beans too," Riddle panted. "Even if I still had the strength to keep going, it wouldn't help…" He closed his eyes as Trey gently tapped his shoulder. A thought struck him suddenly and he began chuckling. "Heh… Heh heh… Seems Cater was right, after all."

Trey tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"It's the ones who act harmless that you truly need to watch out for," Riddle replied, reminding Trey of Cater's warning from the previous evening and shooting him a knowing smirk. "I carried that advice into the game with me, but I still ended up captured by you in the end."

"Hey, c'mon now, it's not like I did anything special," Trey pointed out, always the modest one. "I was just the one who landed the decisive blow when you were on the ropes. If anything, I'd say the credit should go to the rest of my group for being as good as they are."

"Apologies, Chevalier des Roses, but I must disagree," Rook interjected. "Your swift movements have been beautifully spry this entire game!"

"Hold on, aren't you both in an arts club? I can't believe you managed to run me down when I'm the one in a sports club. How mortifying," Riddle huffed. "I shall use the time spent weight training with Vargas in the gym to reflect on my athletic shortcomings. Until next time, gentlemen."

Rook and Trey watched as Riddle began to walk away, though they quickly realized that he seemed to be taking the long way to the gym. Rook looked to Trey to see if he had some kind of explanation, but Trey looked just as confused as he was. This prompted Rook to call out, "Ah! Hold a moment, Roi des Roses. Would it not be faster to go back the way you came and circle around the Hall of Mirrors to get to the gymnasium from here? You seem to be taking the far more roundabout route around the main school building."

"Queen of Hearts' Rule 412: 'When you see a pair of moving glasses in the forest, never go back the way you came'," Riddle recited. "Trey is wearing glasses and the trees surrounding the botanical garden might well be considered a forest. I'm not about to run even the slightest risk of committing an infraction. I'll see you both later." With that, he headed off in the direction of the main school building.

"My, what fascinating rules the Queen of Hearts came up with. Quelle mysterieux!" Rook commented.

"I…guess that's one word for them," Trey replied. "I'm still how sure how many of them actually serve a purpose, though. Now let's get moving."

Ending Notes: It's getting down to the wire now! I knew this was going to be one of the shorter arcs, but I still can't believe we've only got a few more chapters left for Beanfest. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to get back to Pomefiore and the VDC drama but Beanfest is such a blast. I'm curious now-what arcs/events are you guys most looking forward to seeing in this fic? The only ones that are off the table are Endless Halloween Night (since we've already covered Halloween) and Fairy Gala Remix (since I'd already planned on doing the OG Fairy Gala event and it would just be redundant to do both).

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!