In hindsight, implicitly trusting the word of a pair of jaegers who wanted nothing more than to smash his face in probably wasn't Rean's brightest move, but as he led Princess Alfin through the vents that they had informed him about he understood that his trusting nature hadn't betrayed him this time. They may be hostile, violent, and out to punish him, but it didn't seem like they were liars.
He needn't have worried about present company. Despite being a member of the royal family she was entirely too enthused to be crawling through a vent, humming a cheery tune as she made her way through the thankfully clean tunnel just behind him. Her excitement was surprising, but in hindsight it made a lot of sense. She was Olivert's sister, after all, and she must have heard the same stories of his time in Liberl that Rean had heard from Bleublanc.
It was only natural that she would be excited to take part in a daring escape of her own. Rean too would probably have felt similar excitement if he wasn't the one in grave danger at the moment.
Emerging from the vent he noticed the room interior had changed significantly, signaling that they were no longer in the guest area. Perfect. There was still a lot of ground to cover before he could reach the deck where Valimar was at, but as long as they didn't get discovered he was confident that they could make good time-
Of course as soon as he thought that a pair of provincial soldiers rounded the corner. But whereas his presence was a complete surprise to the duo, theirs was not to him. In one swift move he had crossed the distance between them, drawn his tachi, and brought the hilt down on the first dumbstruck soldier.
His partner managed to recover surprisingly swiftly and began to raise his rifle towards him, but was staggered as an orbal art hit him. Owlishly Rean turned towards the source. Had the Nobles truly been so confident in the situation that they had left Alfin with the ARCUS unit that Toval had given her? Either way, it was an unexpected boon that he happily took advantage of, finishing off the second soldier before he could recover.
With the coast now clear the two began to swiftly make their way through the halls of the Pantagruel. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, there were multiple patrols in their way – both of soldiers and of archaisms – and those they couldn't sneak around they had to ambush and take out.
Something which proved surprisingly easy to Rean. Yes these were only the basic patrol archaisms, but it had only been a few months since their first encounter with one outside of Legram. Had he truly gotten so comfortable fighting these dangerous machines in such a short period of time?
Having Alfin alongside him was an unexpected blessing. Despite having little real combat experience she was an absolute pro with her ARCUS, wielding it just as well as Elise had been back at Ymir. Toval it seemed was just as good a teacher of arts as he was a user. Maybe he should get some tips once he rejoined the group?
For a few minutes things proceeded quickly and safely. It was hard to tell exactly where they were going in those unmarked halls, but as long as they continued heading in the same direction Rean was confident that they would reach the front deck and Valimar eventually. Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that things were a little too easy at the moment and that was enough to keep him on edge. Things never went easily with him.
...Something which proved itself true as they entered the next room to find Bleublanc and Duvalie waiting for them. Even if he wasn't actually surprised he still felt inclined to ask."How did you get ahead of us?"
"I'll freely admit, I wasn't actually expecting you to join the alliance..." The amused Enforcer began with a laugh. "But not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine you'd try to flee the ship with our dear princess!"
"You're a bold one, I'll give you that." Duvalie on the other hand seemed a lot less impressed and more ready to fight.
Even though the situation was dangerous, Rean felt surprisingly relaxed. Truth be told he had expected something like this to occur, thus he was mentally prepared. He needed a plan of escape, and to do that he needed to stall for time. "I wasn't expecting to run into either of you on the way out, either. You guys aren't called the Phantom Thief and Duvalie the Swift for nothing."
"Hmph. Trying to praise us won't get us to let you pass." Despite her words it seemed like Duvalie was looking a little haughty at the compliment.
"Princess Alfin is one of this nation's most previous treasures. You surely couldn't have thought that I, the Phantom Thief, would allow you to steal her from us, could you?"
The princess in question stepped forward. "I'm not being 'stolen' by anyone. If anything, I was the one who whispered sweet nothings into his ear and tempted him to run away with me." Rean couldn't help but blink. That was not how he remembered the conversation going!
Bleublanc seemed quite interested in this turn of events. "Oh, my! What a passionate young lady you are! Forgive me for being so presumptuous. You've no doubt taken after your brother in more ways than one."
Fighting these two was out of the question. He knew just how powerful Bleublanc was, and Duvalie had managed to hold off both Fie and Laura at the same time. Transformed he would probably stand a fair chance against one, but against both at once? And a protracted battle meant that the others might discover them..."
"I'd like to believe that I'm not quite the oddball he is." Alfin probably had no idea of his inner plannings, but her taking the time to converse with the weird enforcer was a godsend. "I couldn't agree more with his belief that love is the truest form of beauty, however."
Luckily Rean doubted that either of these two would try to harm her, but he still couldn't risk letting her fight as they could possibly grab her and he wasn't leaving without her. This meant that he needed to find a way to escape they could both take...
"Really, now?" Bleublanc meanwhile was perfectly content to ignore him as he seemed quite interested in Alfin's ideals. Rean could truly believe why this man considered himself to be the rival of Prince Olivert.
His eye was drawn to a door on a much higher level. If he made it up there than these two enemies would have trouble pursuing. Yes Bleublanc could teleport, but he didn't seem to be the type who was interested in a long chase. And while Duvalie might be extremely fast and dedicated, he wasn't sure if she had the capacity to make it up there that easily...
"I think that's enough messing around for one day!" The knight huffed out angrily. "You're an Enforcer, Bleublanc. Take your work seriously and behave." To make her point clear she drew her blade and took a readied stance.
The thief seemed rather amused by that comment. "I think the number of Enforcers who take things seriously are in the minority, I'm afraid." ...For some reason that little tidbit did not surprise him at all. Ouroboros - despite their seemingly vast power – seemed extremely odd to him. "Still, you're right about us having played around long enough." He too followed suit, drawing his staff and teleporting in a pair of archaisms, further stacking the odds against him.
"A-Are you sure you can do this?" Alfin asked nervously as she took a step back in fright.
"We'll be fine." Even with the odds so against him he was still confident. As much as he didn't want to have to rely upon the dangerous power within him, this was the reason he had trained so hard inside the Old Schoolhouse with Laura and Fie. It was his ace in the hole when the enemy was too dangerous and retreat was not an option.
Relaxing his stance he closed his eyes and embraced the power locked away inside of him. The power that would save the princess and reunite him with his beloved classmates.
The effects were instantaneous and with detached senses he could hear the surprise from the others. Correction: The surprise from Alfin and Duvalie. Bleublanc instead just seemed ecstatic to see the full transformation in person.
With the power in his grasp he once again took up his combat stance. "Eight Leaves, One Blade school, intermediate level... I, Rean Schwarzer, will be your opponent!"
Without giving them a chance to respond he darted in. Even with his power he knew he probably couldn't beat both of them, but all he needed to do was create the briefest of openings. He was confident that he could do that much, at least.
He focused his attentions on Bleublanc. While he wasn't one to underestimate the Stahlritter, he didn't believe she were devious enough to snatch up Alfin during the fight. The Phantom Thief, meanwhile, had made a legacy of doing exactly that. Best to not give him a chance to consider it.
The difference between the fight in Nord and the one here was immediately obvious, as the young noble was on his opponent before he could even think about teleporting. Although he was forced to block Rean's strike with his staff, Bleublanc merely laughed merrily as he strained under the weight of his blow.
The melee was broken by the expected arrival of the Swift as she let out a battle cry before locking blades with him. His girlfriends had mentioned how the knight was a very dangerous foe, combining Fie's agility with Laura's skill with a blade, and seeing it for himself he could believe it. That being said, those were his two most common sparring partners and in this state he could beat them both. So Duvalie was the only one shocked when she began getting forced back under his relentlessly powerful swings.
The telltale sound of missiles let him know that the archaisms had finally gotten involved. Duvalie lived up to her namesake as she swiftly retreated away, glaring daggers at the two machines that had interrupted their clash. Rean meanwhile held his ground, shifting to the fourth form as he watched the trajectory of all the explosives as they approached in slow motion. A single Autumn Leaf Cutter was enough to dispatch all the missiles and leave the swordsman behind his two metallic opponents.
Turning around and using his tachi to quickly deflect a pair of knives sent his way he paused to briefly take stock of the situation. The two archaisms were right in front of him with Duvalie in close pursuit and a relaxed looking Bleublanc standing further back. It was one big line of opponents.
...And he had just the move for that.
It was no secret that ever since he learned the second form of the Eight Leaves that it had become one of his staples. The sheer versatility and speed of Gale meant it was good in nearly every situation, and now was no different. Adopting that stance the white-haired swordsman took off in a blur towards his many opponents.
The two archaisms fell immediately, but the two humans were far too skilled to be caught by such an attack. Bleublanc had seen it previously and Duvalie had her natural speed. But that was fine with him. He wasn't using Gale, after all. He was using Arcane Gale.
With the enhanced speed of his Spirit Unification and all the practice he had gotten against his girls he could use a somewhat bastardized version of Arios MacLaine's signature attack. Maybe one day he would become skilled enough to use it normally, but for now it was his ace in the hole. Neither Duvalie nor Bleublanc were expecting the follow-up ranged attack, and both were sent flying from the blow.
But even with the success of the attack Rean knew it wouldn't keep them down for long, but that was still alright. It had accomplished his needed goal of creating an opening. Quickly he returned to Alfin's position. "Forgive me, Your Highness." Before she could question his intent he scooped her into his arms, earning a squeak from the princess.
Duvalie was just getting back to her feet so he was quick to put his escape plan into action. Focusing his energy into his legs he was able to leap a distance that no human would normally be able to reach. It still wasn't enough to get him to the door he was aiming for, but it got him to a solid ledge that he was able to use as a springboard before crossing the rest of the distance in a second leap.
"W-Wait just a damn minute!" The knight shouted in impotent anger, but Rean wasn't inclined to heed her words, darting through the door just as the bottom door opened and more enemies surged into the room he had vacated.
The two found themselves in a long accessway, which Rean was hopeful would eventually take them down the length of the ship and to the deck. Either way there was no turning back now. With the princess still firmly in his grip the enhanced swordsman took off down the hall in a sprint, much to the younger girl's excitement.
For a few seconds the only sounds to be heard were that of his footsteps on the metallic floor. As big as the Pantagruel was, he was sure that at their current pace he would be reaching the end of the path before long. And unfortunately the long straight path made it quite visible to him that there were people waiting down the line.
And it just so happened to be the two people he least wanted to see.
Xeno and Leo must have been there for quite some time, as the hallway was littered with all sorts of traps, explosives, and other things to make his life miserable. And of course they both had their terrifying looking weapons at the ready as they watched his rapid approach like a pair of hawks staring down a mouse.
But he couldn't afford to stop, no matter how dangerous it was. As a matter of fact, going even quicker might be his best way through the deadly maze. So long as he could avoid their weapons he was somewhat hopeful he could make it through the ambush in one piece. "Hold on tight, Your Highness." He warned the girl in his arms as he approached the nearest traps.
"Huh? O-Ok?" With the way he was holding her she couldn't see the threat in front of them, but she did as he instructed.
Putting on a burst of speed he entered the gauntlet and prepared for the bullets and explosions to come...
Only they never did.
Rean was so shocked by this surprising lack of hostility that he nearly forgot to give the two jaegers a wide berth as he passed over them. What confused him most was the look of frustration that now adorned their faces.
"Tch." Xeno muttered. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?"
"How dishonorable." His partner agreed with a heavy frown.
What had he done to garner such a reaction? He glanced down at the princess in his arms to see if she had any idea-
He blinked as horrified realization set in. The reason why the two jaegers hadn't tried blowing him up or maiming him was because of her. No wonder they thought he was so despicable!
Inadvertently, Rean Schwarzer had just used the princess of Erebonia as a human shield.
His already dismal prospects at ever gaining the approval of Fie's old family had probably plummeted to zero after a move like that. But more importantly... "Y-Your Highness. I'm so sorry!"
"Whatever for?" She asked cluelessly as she gazed up at him with visible confusion.
The transformed swordsman exhaled in relief. "I-It's nothing..." Better to just drop the subject and try to forget it ever happened. Definitely not his proudest moment. Chancing a glance backwards he could see the two steaming jaegers were in hot pursuit, but even with the princess in his arms he was still quicker.
But before he could make a clean getaway he had to deal with another obstacle that was standing in wait. This one was a lot smaller in stature than the two Zephyr members, but more than made up for it with her large combat shell. One that already had an arm reared back as it prepared to pummel him into submission.
This time, however, he was prepared. He would not be caught using the princess as a human shield a second time! But to ensure that she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire he took the time to adjust the girl so that he could hold onto her with a single arm. Unfortunately his unexpected action caused Alfin to squeak with a reddened face.
Altina's eyes narrowed. "My suspicions outlining you as an indecent person seem to have been confirmed."
"Can you not make me out to be some kind of pervert all the time, please?!" Yet even as he wilted under her judgmental glare Claiomh Solais never once paused in it's attack, forcing him to deflect the combat shell with his blade. Thanks to his increased strength and experiences fighting Airgetlam he was easily able to overcome the larger combat shell, yet he still held himself back a little. Rean's feelings towards his current adversary had gotten confused after spending a little time with her, and at the end of the day she was still a small child that he had no desire to harm.
The end result was that instead of seriously damaging the shell he merely batted it and it's rider into a nearby wall, thus removing them from his path without actually injuring them any. Perhaps he would find himself paying for that kindness later on, but it was the choice he was happiest making and so he had no regrets.
"A-Are you alright, Your Highness?" He questioned as he once again held the girl in both arms. For some reason the expression on her face was an odd mixture of shock, horror, amusement, and a little excitement.
"She's even younger than me! Are you really doing indecent things to a girl like her!? Aren't the two you have enough already!?"
"I-It's not like that at all!" Now even his allies were starting to get a wrong impression of him! "You shouldn't listen to what she – or anyone else – says about me!"
Alfin's pout was not at all the response he expected. "Aww. That's too bad." Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "If you ever want to add another one to your collection just let me know. You've already swept me off my feet, after all."
"...Please don't tease me, Your Highness." The mischief in her eyes didn't fade one bit.
Fortunately, for the sake of his already fraying sanity, there was a light ahead that Rean knew could only signal an exit. With the enemy pursuit now a fair distance away he was finally starting to think that things were going to be okay. Keeping at speed the two burst through the open doors.
After taking a moment to blink away the unexpected brightness of the sun, Rean quickly took stock of his surroundings. The deck of the Pantagruel was massive, but his eyes were naturally drawn to the twin Divine Knights at the end. The sight of Valimar chained to the deck with Ordine standing over it caused him to feel a twinge of regret at his own weakness, but that was something he intended to fix as soon as possible.
But to do that he first needed to get past Crow and McBurn who were standing there waiting for his arrival.
Obviously, this situation was far from ideal. He knew that he wasn't quite at his limits with his power, but a protracted battle was still a poor idea. Especially as there were a bunch of angry hostiles in pursuit. And while Crow was a dangerous enough opponent as is, the presence of McBurn was an ill omen indeed. Even at full power Rean wasn't sure if he could survive the unnatural Enforcer.
"Huh. I got a peek at Bareahard, but this is your power..." Said enforcer muttered aloud before letting out a yawn. "Seems interesting, but I think you get priority here, yeah?"
"Yeah." Crow agreed with an easy grin, "Let me have this one." Well, that was one burden off Rean's shoulders. Facing just Crow would be difficult, but manageable. "Last time we fought like this was at Roer. You were doing good, but you had Fie's help and I was stuck in that silly outfit. Really think you can beat me on your own?"
Despite himself Rean couldn't help but laugh. "After all the stuff I've gone through these past months? I know I can. And I'm glad you realize just how ridiculous you looked as C." He set down Alfin before taking a step forward and drawing his tachi. "Let's do this, Crow!"
"Heh. Fine by me." Even though he had long since accepted that Crow was C, seeing his friend wielding the doubled bladed saber that he had previously only used while masked was a disconcerting feeling. Still, he didn't let that dissuade him as he let out a battle cry and surged forward, with his rival doing the same.
As the two blades clashed together Rean dispassionately noted that he was starting to understand just how his opponent's exotic weapon worked. After multiple battles against Crow – which he would willingly admit he had replayed in his head many times – he had gained something of an understanding of the double saber. And while that understanding wasn't enough to turn the tides in a Divine Knight battle, on foot?
As he ducked under a dangerous swing before lashing out with his own blade he understood: On foot he had a damn good chance at winning!
But he wouldn't underestimate Crow, even as he drove him back with a Leaf Cutter into a Flame Impact. The older boy was undoubtedly the craftiest individual he had ever met, and anyone who could complete the same trials that Class VII had taken by themselves was undoubtedly powerful. Practically speaking, the odds should still be against him.
...But right now Crow was just another barrier standing between him and the people he cared about. It didn't matter how powerful he was, as Rean steadfastly refused to lose here. Parrying a lunging thrust gave him the opening to take his own swing. Crow backed off, but not in time to prevent his sword from creating a nice little tear in his outfit.
Rean was returning to Class VII and he was bringing Princess Alfin with him.
Crow was able to counter his Arc Slash with a similar move, causing both attacks to cancel each other out. That was fine with Rean as he once again closed the gap with an Autumn Leaf Cutter. A seemingly panicked Crow tried to ward him off with a desperate punch, but Rean simply allowed the blow to connect as he responded with a far more powerful sword slash that his opponent nearly tripped to avoid. A second swing was stopped by a hastily placed saber, as was a third, but the fourth was enough to overpower Crow and force the weapon from his hand.
Crow let out a short laugh. "You actually did it."
Rean frowned to himself. That felt entirely too easy and something about the entire situation rubbed him the wrong way. Crow was too devious to not have a surprise in store. But without his saber what could it be-
There! His hands were positioned in such a way as to quickly reach for a concealed weapon. And even if Crow the student was a lie, there was no lie in his skill with pistols. Rean was more than willing to bet fifty mira that the terrorist had those very weapons under his jacket and was just waiting for him to lower his guard.
"Not bad." His opponent praised as he noticed where Rean's gaze was focused. "I kinda miss when you were so innocent and gullible, but I guess you are sleeping with a jaeger now..." His words caused Alfin to gasp, visibly excited with this new tidbit of gossip.
"That was a pretty good show." The Blazing Demon complimented as he took a step forward, causing the student to eye him warily. "Wouldn't mind a crack at you when you're going all out, but you're close to your end, aren't you?"
As much as he hated to admit it, Rean knew his words were true. It was thanks to all his practice that he was still on his feet, but he knew he was nearing his limits. If he had to fight one more battle-
"Hah! We've finally caught up to you!" ...And unfortunately the battle had found him as the pursuit had finally caught up. All of it.
He was outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded, and at the end of his ropes. The situation was becoming helpless. And yet he resumed his stance and once again prepared to fight. As long as he never gave up there would always be a way. That was what Class VII had taught him.
But as it turned out, there was no need for a hopeless battle after all.
Instead he and everyone else on the deck paused as the roar of an oncoming airship caught their attention. A red blip on the horizon was rapidly approaching, and by the time Rean's mind had put a name to the Courageous it was already overhead. And yet even as it passed their attention was still focused upwards as a handful of very familiar figures descended from the heavens before landing on the deck with them.
"Sorry for the wait, Rean!" He could only blink in shock as he gazed upon Instructor Sara, Toval, Captain Claire, and Sharon. All four were quick to take stock of the situation and prepare for battle.
"Here it comes again." Altina muttered as her gaze had remained on the circling airship itself. This time only a single figure leapt from the Courageous.
But that one figure was one that could single-handily turn the tides on any battle. "Y-Your Lordship!"
"Uncle Victor!"
The master swordsman glanced between the student and princess despite keeping his focus on the many enemies arrayed against him. "It's good to see you again, Rean. And it relieves me to see you're none the worse for wear, Your Highness."
The arrival of the Radiant Blademaster was enough to cause most of the opposition to halt nervously, but McBurn was one notable exception. "You're strong. Very strong." The heat rising around his body made it painfully clear to all just how excited the terrifying enforcer was getting. "Well, I know who I'm gonna be fi-"
Just as Rean feared he was about to get a front row seat to an extremely terrifying and hazardous battle they were once again interrupted, this time by a magical teleportation circle. His initial thoughts were that Vita had returned and was bringing enemy reinforcements, but as the energy cleared away and revealed the newly arrived group he found himself happy to be very wrong.
The reinforcements were allies, not enemies. It was all of Class VII, including Celine. And at their front was Prince Olivert, pistol in hand. "You're all here, too?!"
Now that the situation was no longer so dire Rean finally allowed his transformation to fade. Almost immediately the combined exhaustion and relief made itself known to his body, and remaining upright became an impossibility. Before he could hit the ground he was caught by a silver blur, with a firmer blue taking hold of his other side a second later.
"Haha... You guys are always there to catch me when I falter, aren't you?"
Laura gazed down upon him with a warm smile. "Of course. And that shall never change."
Fie meanwhile gave him a mock glare from the opposite side. "You aren't making it easy for us."
"...Sorry." Right now he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and fall asleep in the safe warmth he now found himself in, but sadly responsibility prevented him from doing so. It was a struggle, but with their unyielding support he was able to regain his footing and assess the overall situation.
His was not the only reunion, as Princess Alfin had moved to join her older brother in a touching scene that made the entire escape worthwhile. Crow, surprisingly, looked rather awkward as he found himself reunited with all of his former classmates.
Everyone else, meanwhile, appeared focused on the ongoing stalemate. With so many powerful figures on each side Rean wasn't sure who would prevail, but it would be messy either way. Perhaps that was why few of them seemed all that inclined to fight, instead chatting with each other like old friends?
The stalemate was finally broken by the untimely arrival of Grianos – and with it, Vita. The witch seemed rather amused by the whole spectacle, and after giving backhanded praise towards Emma for the teleportation spell she turned to address both groups as a whole. "As displeased as a few of you might be by the idea, I think it best if we let one another peacefully go our separate ways this time. I'll be the one who bears the brunt of Duke Cayenne's anger."
It was an offer he was more than willing to accept, and with help began to free Valimar from his bindings. Once finished he boarded his Divine Knight with a fuming Celine while the two groups made their pleasant farewells. Crow meanwhile did the same with Ordine. "You've definitely grown, but you've still got plenty of room for improvement – especially when it comes to piloting Valimar. So unless you're up for another beatdown, I suggest you get to work on fixing that."
"Yeah. I know." As much as Rean hated to admit it, there was no denying that Crow was still on another level.
"And if I might be so bold as to offer a word of advice: Get Valimar a better sword. One like yours. If you think you're such hot stuff you can beat me without your Eight Leaves training, you're in for a world of hurt."
Rean had absolutely no idea where one would go to find a tachi for Valimar, but he knew that Crow was right. If he wanted to win in the next battle finding a blade that could hold up against Ordine's was essential. It was something that he would need to seriously consider once things calmed down a bit.
"See ya, Fie." Xeno piped in as Emma began her teleportation spell to send everyone back to the Courageous. "Oh, and Schwarzer?"
"The next time we meet..." Leo's unspoken threat was enough for Rean to gulp nervously, even as he took off in Valimar.
It wasn't until Rean had parked Valimar inside the cargo hold of the Courageous and departed did he finally allow himself to relax. Despite a very long and hectic day he felt that everything had turned out surprisingly well. Princess Alfin was back with them, he had gained some valuable insight on the monsters opposing them, and nobody had gotten hurt.
And to make things better he had reunited with many valuable friends and allies. Not only had Prince Olivert and Viscount Arseid intervened with this remarkable airship, but it was a great shock to find Towa and George among his Class VII friends when he exited his Divine Knight. With everything that had happened he hadn't really had time to worry about his older friends, but seeing them safe was like having an unnoticed weight removed from his body.
Overall, he was feeling pretty good, all things considered. Tired, but happy.
"I gotta say, I'm surprised to see you still in one piece." An amused Millium chimed in after everyone settled down. "Those two jaegers looked out for blood. Guess they found out you were banging Fie and another girl at the same time, huh?"
"Is he now?" A terrifying voice boomed as the door opened to signal the arrival of the Radiant Blademaster into the room. "Perhaps we have more to talk about than I first realized." On the surface the Viscount looked as calm and collected as always, but Rean felt chills regardless.
"Ehehehe... Oops?" Credit where credit was due. For the first time in her life, Millium actually looked genuinely apologetic for what she had just let slip. But that was little solace to the soon-to-be dead swordsman as he now knew that he had merely traded the frying pan for the fire.
...Maybe he should have considered Duke Cayenne's offer more?