Round Table

by Bluestar076

In the kingdom of Seven, miles away from the Fairy Tail guild, Lunafreya Lacrima becomes the new queen and decides to find a guild of fellow knights to become stronger and improve her traits to become a proper guide for the land. To do so, these knights will embark on adventures of every type with allies and fellow guilds as new threats approach (SYOC closed).

4. Corpse Bride

Round Table Chapter 4: Corpse Bride

By Bluestar076

Hello everyone! Bluestar here with a new chapter! Now that the SYOC is officially closed (and I still thank everyone who wanted to participate), we can continue with the rest of the Recruitment Arc! While I did say that I would have continued on Digimon Adventure 04 next, I ended up focusing a lot of time on finishing the last touches about this story and the Discord Server (if you're among those who submitted a character and are reading this, make sure to join! The link is in my profile!), so I thought that, to compensate, I could have worked on the next chapter, so here we are! This piece of the first arc was originally going to be a bit further, but after seeing certain things that influenced me, I decided to move it right after the first mission! I'll leave more details at the end, as I don't want to waste more time for you. So, I'd say that we can start right away with today's episode! As always, I hope you enjoy it!

Note: I do not own Fairy Tail. All rights and characters belong to Hiro Mashima, A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks, and J.C. Staff.

WARNING: This chapter includes a few explicit gore scenes. The most sensible readers are advised.

---

Chapter 4: Corpse Bride

Seven – Unknown Area

KA-KROOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

That night, the sky was dark as if the whole land was engulfed by some sort of spell by a powerful lich. Everything was black, and the only few moments when anything could be seen were when the flashes of lightning made a bit of illumination.

The rain was pouring down violently, and the thunders were as loud as ever. Only a fool would have remained outside with that scenario. But even with this… some people were…forced to stay outside…to survive.

"ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF!" A bandit around his thirties was running as fast as he could in a pure state of terror.

If anyone saw him from a window, they could have thought that he was just running to get away from the rain…but the true motive was another.

Tap…tap…tap…tap…

Footsteps were following him at a regular pace, almost inaudible as if they belonged to a ghost. But the flashes of lightning could make it visible, although for just a few moments.

A silhouette…was following him…someone that made him terrified.

The bandit kept on running as fast as he could, but to his misfortune, a rock stood in front of him, making him trip and fall into a puddle. "ACK!" When he raised his eyes, he could see it.

The figure was standing right above him…holding what seemed to be a large, double-bitted battle axe. That sight was enough to make the bandit crawl into terror even further.

"It seems that your little runaway ends here." Said the silhouette, revealing a feminine voice.

"GH…D-DAMM YOU, BITCH! IF IT WASN'T FOR THOSE KEYS, YOU WOULDN'T BE ANYONE! WHY DO YOU KEEP FOLLOWING ME!? I KNOW THE DRILL BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO- AAAH!" The bandit tried to stand out but stopped himself as soon as the figure lowered the axe right in front of his eyes.

"You brought this upon yourself. I've asked you with all the kindness this sad world can give, but instead, you've tried to get rid of me. Now…as you are one of her accomplices…let me ask you one last time: where is she?"

The bandit hated the situation with all of his heart. He couldn't stand the fact that this figure…this woman was able to surpass him both physically and mentally. His pride was still kicking in, and he couldn't accept it. "D-DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET SOMETHING WITH-" But before he could finish his line, the lady brought the axe to his face, slightly touching the nose, making it bleed. "AAAAAAAAAAAH! W-WINCHESTER! S-SHE'S AT WINCHESTER RIGHT NOW!"

The lady heard everything she wanted to hear, and so…she lowered her weapon and turned around without saying anything.

The bandit was terrified…but a glimmer of pride was still in it. Was she going to get it away after putting him in that situation? He wasn't going to make her do it.

With gritting teeth, he took out a knife from his sleeve, and by taking advantage of the noise made by the flashes of lightning…he tried one last desperate assault.

"I'VE GOT YOU BI- GAH!" But to her shock and dismay, even before he could lower his arm to stab her in the neck, the woman silently turned around in the blink of an eye and already planted her axe in the man's forehead.

"Let me tell you something as this will probably be the last phrase you'll hear before going down to the Sanzu River: I never say the same things twice, because when I do that, nothing will ever limit me…but you insisted…so I'll tell you a second time…you brought this upon yourself." After those words, the woman pushed down the axe, cutting the bandit in half, and then chopped away the two halves of the head. What was left was a dismembered body over a small puddle of blood that would have been washed away by the rain.

The woman looked at what she had done for a few seconds and then resumed what she would do: leave silently in the rain.

"At least I know where to go. Finally…my quest can properly start. I'm coming for you…Laliette Lewellen…"

---

Two days later…

Seven – Capital of Somnus

The gale of the previous night was replaced by a limitless blue sky and a tall sun as soon as the first hours of the morning came around. It was almost a surrealistic change, but if anything, weather conditions remain among the most unpredictable phenomena even in such a world.

Glad to see that they could get out again, the immense capital of Somnus resumed its daily routine, with several people already filling the streets with energy civilians, workers, knights, or bloggers ready to do something odd on the street.

Even the entrances were almost full, with people going in and out from the various sections for the most various reasons. And among them…a figure stood out the most.

It was a young boy with silver-gray hair with gold yellow eyes, a lean body with some muscles, and standing around 182 centimeters. He was wearing a full-plated armor with blue and white cloth.

Standing near him was a shorter girl with long silver hair, pale skin, and raspberry eyes, wearing an elegant blue dress with a white jabot, long silk stockings, and a pair of blue boots.

The pair was looking up at a large map depicting the full aspect of the capital with all the important places signed up. Their expressions clearly told that they were getting confused.

"My God…when I saw how big this capital would have been, I never thought it was going to be this big, even in reality! I don't even know where we are right now…" The boy commented.

"I told you to take a smaller map from the magazines or just look at the Lacrima-phone, but nope! You acted all cute with the commissioner of the tourist's office and got a complete one!" The girl retorted, making the knight get embarrassed.

"H-Hey! Don't say it that loud! And it's not like I've tried to act all that cute! It was her that felt that bizarre attraction! It happens every time and I never understand why!" The boy exclaimed.

"Ah, never mind! What's worse is that at this point, with such a big city, we could take even days before reaching this guild!" The girl retorted.

"Come on! No need to be melodramatic already, Persephone! At least, all the roads seem to be connected to the center where the royal castle. Plus, I'm pretty sure that if we ask, someone will be kind enough to show us the way!" The boy answered back. And to his luck, right at that moment, two soldiers wearing the armor of the royal army passed by. Considering that they had their helmet off, their faces could be seen. One of them had short red hair and some well-refined mustaches, while the second one was clearly fatter and had some missing teeth.

The boy obviously took the hook. "Oh, uhm, excuse me sirs-"

Before he could continue, the two knights turned around with disgusted faces. "Whaddya want?" One of them asked.

"Can't you see we're busy?" The second added.

The girl, named Persephone, already frowned at them, but the boy tried to remain kind.

"O-Oh, for sure! I don't want to steal too much of your time! I just wanted to ask a simple question!"

"Ha! Did you hear it, Patrick? He wants to ask us, exemplary knights serving the kingdom, a question!" The thinner knight sarcastically said.

"Kiddo, did they ever tell you to talk to people with proper respect? You're embarrassing yourself right now! Go bother someone else!" The fatter one added.

Naturally, their fuss gathered the attention of the bystanders who started to look. The boy and his friend looked around, but they didn't seem bothered at all.

"Uhm…as a stranger, I don't know about you, but if anything, it seems that you are the ones embarrassing yourselves. I just wanted to ask a question." The boy replied.

"WHAT!?" The two knights were stunned. Seeing how the whispering bystanders were supporting the boy's version, they started to get flustered.

"You dare to talk to us with those manners, peasant!?" The thinner knight exclaimed before raising his sword. "How about I teach you a lesson!?" He quickly went for a direct lunge, but before he could even get closer, Persephone made a high jump and dived against him, making his face sink into the ground with her boot. "GAAAH!"

"BOB! HOW DARE YOU!?" The fatter one tried to attack the boy, who swiftly rotated forward to dodge him, reach the back of his neck, and strike it hard with the hilt of a long, two-handed sword, making him crash to the ground. "NGH!"

A choir of "oooo" rose as the bystanders looked at how the young pair took down the group of knights with such ease.

The two warriors, instead of getting angrier, started to panic out.

"A-AAAAH! W-WHAT'S WITH THESE TWO!?" The fatter knight exclaimed, panicking out.

"NO ONE TOLD ME WE WOULD MEET SOMEONE LIKE THIS WHEN I COMPLETED THE TRA-" The thinner knight was going to add more, but he stopped as soon as the boy's sword planted near his face, cutting half of his mustache.

The boy looked at him from below with a small grin. "Alright, I think you've learned your lesson enough. And since I'm in a good mood, I'll let you get away without warning your superiors if you listen to my question." He spoke. "Me and my sister here are searching for a guild called 'Round Table' which we have heard to be in this town. Can you tell us where is it?"

Hector Albion – The White Knight of Veronica

Persephone – Hector's sister

The two knights still trembled at his sight. Now that they knew that they couldn't brag any longer, they didn't have too much of a choice. "I-It's in the western section of the town! On the top of a hill! If you see a mansion, then you're at it!"

"Good boys!" Hector replied before raising his sword and sheathing it back. "You can go now!"

The two knights didn't hesitate and ran as fast as they could.

Persephone scoffed at such a sight. "Just who do they think they are? Bragging around just because they're part of the army? Pfui! I would have handled it more severely!" She commented.

"Well, they got what they deserved and hey, we even know where to go now! We may take a while since it's basically on the other side, but it's already something!" Hector told her, feeling satisfied…until he looked around.

"Uhm…Hector? I think…we have another problem now…" the girl told her.

The boy started to get embarrassed. "Y-Yeah, I know…"

Among the bystanders, the younger girls seemed to have watched the whole scene, especially when Albion made some action with…particular attention…and interest, to the point that they were all looking at him…attracted.

"My, my…did you look at him?"

"Yeah, the way he swung his sword…"

"That armor of his makes him even more handsome…"

"Do you think he's single?"

Between attracted noises and comments, the girls started to get closer wanting…more, to say the least.

"H-Hector? Do you know what time is it?" Persephone asked, starting to panic as well.

"Absolutely! It's time to RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!" Getting used to that scenario, Hector knew what would have followed, and with all the speed his legs could give, he started to run as fast as possible from the girls, who followed him. Persephone stood to his pace, running fast as well.

"WAIT! GIVE US YOUR NUMBER AT LEAST!" Somehow, even the girls started to run incredibly fast, causing most of the people standing in the eastern sector of the capital could see several large trails of dust rise preceded by young people running as if they were making a marathon.

"GODDAMMIT, HECTOR! WHY DOES IT HAPPEN EVERY TIME!?" Persephone complained while she kept on moving.

"I WISH I COULD TELL YOU, BUT I DON'T KNOW! I STILL CAN'T FIND THE ANSWER TO WHY WOMEN FIND ME ATTRACTIVE!" Hector replied back.

During their escape, Hector could raise his head up for a moment and see it, a piece of the royal castle standing up imposing in the distance.

"Oh, my! If that's the castle, I can't imagine the people living in it! Maybe the queen really is something like we've heard of!" The boy commented.

"LESS TALK, MORE SAFETY FROM YANDERE FANGIRLS!" Persephone called him back to reality.

"OH, GOD YOU'RE RIGHT!" The boy answered back.

And unfortunately for them…the escape would have lasted for a few more minutes. Sometimes, even people with a good-looking appearance can't catch a break.

---

Meanwhile, the day was starting even for those who inhabited the royal castle. All the workers were already on their mansions, the army was doing its daily training, and even if a few months earlier, people were skeptical about it, even the person in charge of everything was doing her best to do her work…with a bit of help.

Lunafreya, in her royal dress and with the crown, was sitting down in the meeting room with several ministers of the Lords Chamber, Vivienne, and Alexis gathered around her. Two of the lords stood out the most. One of them was Surian, while the other was a young woman who looked in her thirties with short pink hair, tanned skin, and orange eyes, wearing the same dress as Surian. This woman was sitting in front of the queen, as the two were looking at a map of the kingdom with several tokens on it.

Sitri Dehrigar – Affairs Minister of Seven

"The kingdom's warehouses are starting to get filled with unsold veils and silk, to the point that some are concerned that they won't have enough space to contain them. Even the most famous marks are starting to gather these unsold products." The woman said, pointing at some of the tokens that represented the warehouses.

"Do we really have all this stuff? I thought that our kingdom was the one with the highest sales in all of Ishgar." Lunafreya kindly asked.

"You're not the only one coming up with this surprise, Your Highness. Unfortunately, with all the preoccupations that came with the rise of the Alvarez Empire and the terror of Acnologia, most of the kingdom's commercial activities came to a halt, as they feared getting involved in the clash. Only recently, as peace came back, the activities started to flow again, but some side damages are still in there." The minister explained.

"Hmmm…and to think that our prime materials are among the best within the continent…would really be a shame to burn down all those veils, silk, and all that stuff just to make some space…but it's also true that the big marks follow their specific law and some of these products may sound a bit outdated for them or uninteresting." Wondering what to do, Lunafreya started to repeatedly touch her head with her hand. "Hmmm, what to do, what to do!"

"Hey, Luna, there's no need to get this agitated! Stay calm and a possibility may arise in your mind!" Vivienne assured her.

"I'm trying! I just need to see if we can free the space while earning some inflows for these marks and store…" The queen answered back.

It was then…that Alexis came closer, piqued in the discussion. "Uhm…if I may…if there had been any check on the conditions of these products, can you tell me whether or not they were damaged?" She asked.

Sitri was surprised by this question but answered after some seconds of thinking. "No, now that I think of it. Most of the kingdom's warehouses were carefully sealed and guarded in case the Alvarez Empire would have marched in here to conquer or use us to get into Fiore. The last time we got a report from them, they assured us that they were in stable conditions." She then replied.

"Well…even if they may look outdated, it's not like they can't be sold anymore as long as they are in good condition, right?" Alexis replied.

Somehow…hearing her talk like that gave Lunafreya an idea. "Wait…that's it! How could I not think of that!"

"Please, explain to us, Your Majesty," Surian asked.

"Like my fellow knight and guildmate, Alexis here suggested, there can still be some ways these materials can be used despite being outdated. During the year, our kingdom has plenty of trade fairs and flea market days, and if we contact those who organize them, they surely would be more than glad to sell authentic products at a low cost. We could even ask these marks' stores to have a used or vintage section to put these silks and veils at their disposition! My cape here is old for example and you can see how we youngsters are attracted by old-fashioned stuff! And last but not least, let's not forget the wonders that modern magic technology can offer to us, especially with Warren Rocko's last invention! I'm sure all of you have a Lacrima-phone as of today, right?" Lunafreya explained.

The lords looked at each other for a few moments and took their own Lacrima-phone from their pockets.

"Still not sure how it works…" One of them whispered.

"That's it! With all the sites coming up these days on the net, I'm pretty sure that these marks could make use of an online shop where to sell the stuff that they don't use!" Lunafreya proposed.

"Oooh!"

"I never thought of it!"

"This could actually work…"

The lords and ministers started to give their consent, liking the ideas.

"I gotta say, Your Highness, these are all very convincing ideas! Eh eh, I'm quite young as well, so I should get updated on all these new factors!" Sitri commented.

"It's never too late to stay in touch with these days, Minister Dehrigar!" Lunafreya told her back with a smile.

"But Your Highness, what if there are some leftovers even after all these activities?" Another minister asked.

"In that case, we could convince the owners to give them to charity houses. I'm pretty sure someone could use them as well! I certainly don't want to leave the poor behind. And I certainly don't want the people to sing 'Do you Hear the People Sing'!" The young queen replied.

"Again!? Luna, how many times have I told you? We're not Fiore during the X400s!" Vivienne told her.

"She has a point, Your Majesty…did you raise bread's price?" Sitri added.

"No?" Lunafreya answered back.

Alexis felt almost moved by looking at her talk. "O-Oh…I gave her the idea, but to hear her talk like this…it's almost like a dream…she's such a kind queen!"

"Either way, you have given us a lot of ideas, my queen. I'm sure that those at the warehouses will be happy to hear them!" Sitri concluded before looking at Alexis. "Oh, and thanks you too, Miss Alexis…oh wait! Lady Lancelot!" She added with a wink.

That made Alexis blush but with a smile. "O-Oh! No need to, come on! I just…wanted to help!"

Lunafreya giggled a bit upon that. "Is there anything else noteworthy?" She then asked.

The ministers and lords shook their heads.

"Then this reunion is over. You are dismissed." The queen concluded. Nothing else needed to be added. Soon, everyone left the room.

Shortly after, Lunafreya could relax for a bit by getting back to the throne room and sitting on her beloved throne with a sigh of relief. "Ah, man! It's only 9 A.M, but I already feel tired! I knew that being a ruler wasn't easy, but not on these levels!" She commented.

"If it can comfort you, even your parents were already like you now back when they were handling things!" Vivienne told her.

"And you're surely showing signs of improvement! I still remember a few days after your crowning how panicked you were." Surian added, making the queen blush.

"N-No need to remind me that!" Lunafreya exclaimed. "And besides, even if I'm tired, I still won't stand behind those who preceded me! I still want to be the rightful queen this kingdom deserves!"

"And you will be! I'll make sure of it! Even if I had to undress all rebels and whip their-" Alexis was about to make an exaggerated example but Lunafreya put a hand on her mouth.

"A-And no need to make such examples…" She spoke.

"Mfrry…" Alexis shortly replied with her mouth shut.

"Still, I need to thank you as well, Alexis! Considering how it's still early in the morning, I wouldn't have come out with those ideas immediately!" The queen then continued.

Alexis immediately stood with her feet altogether. "Don't even mention that, Your Highness! As your left-hand woman, I have to support you and make sure that even the rest of the Lichtschwert family knows it!"

"The Lichtschwert family, uh? I'm pretty sure that by standing here right now, you gave them a high-quality jump!" Surian told her before turning to the queen. "Just like the rest of your friends coming from your new guild, Your Highness. This castle surely had become livelier with those folks around! Although a bit chaotic…"

Vivienne giggled. "You think it wasn't already chaotic before! You forget a certain sorceress here, Surian!" She commented, making the prime minister assume a skeptical face.

"Yes, yes…how could I forget? The…magic beard cream…"

Once again, Lunafreya didn't want to go further within her mentor's past antics. "I thought that some of them may feel weird by working in a guild handled by the queen herself, so I wanted to make them feel more familiar with royalty and started to invite them to the castle to pass free time, and it seems that it works!"

After hearing both that and Surian's comments, Alexis made a blushing smile. "R-Right! Just being here makes me really happy! I indeed have noble origins, but standing here with the queen? Sometimes I still think that I'm inside a very long dream…"

Vivienne quickly hugged her from behind. "Aw, listen to her! No need to feel that frustrated, dear Lancelot! It's not like we're that ominous!" She commented.

"Right! I'm still much of a teenager just like you! So, no need to feel unworthy." Lunafreya added. "And the best part of it is that upon now, there hadn't even been troubles aro-" She was then going to make a statement, but right at that moment, a knight abruptly entered inside the room.

"Y-YOUR HIGHNESS! THERE ARE TROUBLES!"

"Uh!?" Everyone exclaimed.

"W-What is it?" Lunafreya asked, ready to summon her sword.

"A demon prince is wandering freely in the castle! What should we do!?" The knight explained.

"A demon prince!?" Lunafreya, Alexis, and Vivienne were initially stunned…but they quickly looked at each other…as that description felt familiar. "A Demon Prince, you say?"

To confirm that, Xavier entered the room right at that moment as well. "Oh, there you are! I sense your presence! Why did you run away like that? I wanted someone to guide me. I may have enhanced senses, but I'm still blind here!"

The knight freaked out. "AH! T-THERE HE IS!"

The three members of Round Table looked at the scene with skeptical faces.

"Uhm…You can go, soldier. Everything's under control." Lunafreya replied.

"Really? O-Okay…" Even if unsure, the knight followed his queen's directive and left the room.

Shortly after, Lunafreya and the other two women came downstairs to greet their guildmate.

"Oh hey, pals! Glad to see you-" Xavier tried to greet them but…

"Turn on the right." Alexis made him notice that he was looking at the wrong way.

"Oh, sorry." Xavier quickly turned around correctly. "Glad to see you all here! I wanted to look around at the many rooms that this palace probably has, but I seem to keep giving a bad impression!"

"Xavier, I know that your charge as a Demon Prince is something you hold dearly, but you can't just say it out loud without context, you'll scare my subjects!" Lunafreya told him.

"Scare them! Oh, please, they just have the wrong idea! We demons wouldn't hurt anyone unless we're forced to!" Xavier replied.

What he got back was a skeptical face from the three girls.

"I think it will take him a long time to understand…" Alexis commented.

"Well as long as he doesn't end up making a mess in the halls by himself, we should be fine…" Vivienne added.

Lunafreya looked past Xavier, directly at the entrance of the room. "This makes me wonder what the others are doing…"

In the meantime, at one of the courtyards, a squadron of the army's knights was making its daily exercise under the supervision of none other than General Bogardius.

"Good, good! Now take a fifteen-minute break and then we'll resume!" The giant black knight ordered.

Near him stood both Escanor and Grendel. Some of the simpler soldiers were surprised to see them be so confidential with the general himself, but if they knew why, they probably wouldn't mind.

"Glad to see that the guys didn't start to slack off even after I've started to come less frequently!" Escanor commented, looking satisfied.

"Well, you know me, Escanor! I never let anyone get distracted or slack off or I'd give them one of my personalized treatments to motivate them!" Bogardius commented. "Oh, right! Considering your recent recruitment, I should call you 'Sir Gawain' now, ah ah!"

"Oh please, general! Even if I have a closer bond with the queen, I'd never permit myself to try and stand taller than you! My service remains unchanged!" Escanor replied.

"My, my. Still loyal and imposing despite everything. You're quite the spitting image of your father!" Bogardius noticed.

"Eh eh…people keep telling me that…" The boy said, looking elsewhere with a drop of sweat coming down from his head.

"But it's true! To be fair, after Hagen's attempted coup, I started to get concerned that more knights would question their loyalty toward the crown, so it pleases me to see exemplary people like you, Escanor." Bogardius explained, making the boy happy to hear it. "Speaking of which, how's your old man doing? I didn't get to visit him these times."

"Oh, he's doing just fine! Just enjoying his retirement with Mom. He always keeps me updated on the bizarre people who live in Solaris!" Escanor answered.

"Oh, so they keep on coming? That little town always has something new to share." Bogardius commented. He then looked at Grendel, who didn't seem to be interested in the discussion and just looked elsewhere. "What about you Grendel? Got nothing to say?"

"What would there be to ask? I'm even surprised to be here." The girl quickly replied.

"Now, don't act like that, Grendel! Aren't you happy to be able to talk with the man who presented you to our guild more often?" Escanor asked her.

"Oh, good grief…" The girl commented with a sigh. "Listen here, sunny boy, it seems that you got the wrong idea. Me and Mister Moustaches here aren't lovey-dovey pals. Even if I'm starting to like Luna and the place, I'm just returning a favor, that's all."

Bogardius got caught in the last part and smirked. "Oh really? You're liking our queen?"

Grendel tried to look elsewhere. "Don't you dare look at me like that, dipshit…"

That last word was heard by some of the knights who frowned at her.

"Uh oh…" Escanor commented.

"Hey! How dare she to talk like that to the general!?" The soldiers started to get closer, but Bogardius, by simply raising his hand, told them to stop.

"I know you have your ways and you had it rough, Grendel, but think about it! You're getting a second chance, you're well paid and you're making new pals! I've heard that you tend to hang out a lot with the queen's cousin. Aren't you happy about all of this?" He then asked.

Grendel kept on looking on the other side, not wanting to admit it. "I'm not used to being that much in the spotlight, that's all. I'm the last person you would see as a knight."

"Yet here you are! And gotta say that you even took a fancy name! Lady Gaheris has a nice sound!" Bogardius told her.

"I know, right? Considering how we reached the guild together, I feel some sort of special connection with her!" Escanor added.

"STOP TRYING TO ACT ALL BUDDIES WITH ME!" Grendel shouted out, not holding it anymore.

"Ah ah ah! All right, all right! Let's just say that…I'm happy that you seem to have found your place Grendel. That's all." Bogardius told her.

Upon hearing that, Grendel stopped for a moment and looked down a bit embarrassed. "Stop talking like you're my dad. It's annoying."

"Quite surprising that she didn't freak out that much! I feared for some punches to fly up…" Escanor thought.

Meanwhile, inside one of the various palace canteens, a fast dog girl was moving between the tables, serving breakfast to the branch of the golden knights. While it was supposed to be a secret for most of the kingdom, once Augusta joined the guild, the other members had the consent to know these powerful warriors, who seemed to have gotten a liking to the young girl that was Pavlova.

"Croissants! Tarts! Biscuits! Teas!" Helping herself with her dog senses, Pavlova moved like an eel between the tables. Soon enough all the knights could eat with serenity, and the girl left the best one for last.

As soon as she raised her head, Augusta started to make a large smirk.

"Here you go, Augusta! Twenty Sicilian cannoli!" Pavlova told her.

As soon as the other knight laid down the plate, Augusta started to devour them like a wood chipper destroying a trunk.

Pavlova took the chance to relax and get close to Castor, who looked amused. "Oh my! Does she like them that much?"

"Ah, ah! You have no idea, Lady Bedivere! She had always been fond of them ever since her mother baked them for a special party. There was one time when she'd almost eaten an entire pyramid of them! We needed three of us to stop her!" Castor told her.

To that, Pavlova gasped with starry eyes. "Oh, my! I need to do something similar and show that I can be just as talented!"

That reaction made the commander sweat a bit. "N-Now, don't exaggerate, or you could get diabetes."

"Now that I think of it, some sweets are poisonous for me…I'm so tempted every time at chocolate!" Pavlova confirmed, making the commander worry even further.

"It's not my fault if they're so good! If I could, I would buy an entire fabric of them!" Augusta replied with her mouth filled.

It was right at that moment that the other Golden Knights turned to her.

"Hey, Augusta! We've heard that you and that dog girl there joined the queen's guild!"

"Man, kudos for that!"

"How is it?"

"Tell us more!"

Upon hearing all those voices, Pavlova's tail started to wiggle at the same speed as a fan. "Oh God, they know about me? A super-secret faction of Seven's royal army knows about me!? OH GOD! THAT'S LIKE THE GREATEST THING EVER!" She exclaimed.

Augusta on the other hand looked at her teacher with a skeptical face and a small angry vein on her head. "You spit it out to the others, didn't you?"

Castor made an innocent smile and shrugged. "It may have just slipped out of my tongue. But please, do tell! I may have sent you to the queen, but I think we're all curious to know what it's like." He spoke. Everyone else looked at both her and Pavlova to get answers.

The giant woman would have preferred a bit of privacy, but they were still her friends and those whom she trained with for many years, so she let it slip. With a sigh, she spoke out. "Well…I think that I can't say for sure. As a Golden Knight and a knight at the service of the queen, my purpose remains that of devoting my life to protecting both her and the kingdom. But…I can't say that I don't mind it all. Lunafreya is surprisingly more caring than I thought and the others try to invite me to something a few times. It's…quite comforting to say the least. I'm just a soldier who does her job and yet…they try to be my friend."

Pavlova almost felt moved and quickly went to hug her arm. "Oh, don't worry, Augusta! We always consider you as a buddy! At least I do!"

Augusta simply looked at her confused. "Is this behavior common among normal people?" She thought.

"Well, I'm sure that you'll surely be seen with more regard from now on, Lady Hector!" Castor told her with a wink. "And what about you, Lady Bedivere? I've heard that you were pretty much a regular citizen before joining the guild. What does it feel like to fight as a knight for the queen?"

Pavlova couldn't hold her excitement further as her head started to smoke. "Awwww, hearing people call me by my knight name makes me so happy, KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The other Golden Knights looked confused.

"Uh…is she ok?" The commander asked.

"Get used to it." Augusta shortly replied in resignation.

"No, no! I'm fine." Pavlova said back. "And well, for the answer, it's so amazing! I get to hang out with new buddies, fight bad guys, swing swords, get to wear this beauty of armor, and-" She then started to list out all the things she liked, stunning the rest of the Golden Knights.

"W-Well, you got quite the extrovert friend here, Augusta! Quite the type you needed to come out of your shell." Castor commented with a drop of sweat coming down from his head.

"I prefer socializing with more controlled people." The giant woman answered back.

Even the other knights looked at each other while the girl kept on talking.

"Are we sure that those ears and that tail are just for display?"

"What, you thought they were fake?"

"…Well…"

And finally, in one of the castle's reserved rooms, Faris was in the middle of a fated encounter that she couldn't miss for too long. Well, it wasn't that terrible but for her tastes…it was certainly a big challenge.

"Aaaaah!" Aurelia, the former queen and Lunafreya's mother was stroking the young knight on the head while making her lay down on her lap. "I can't believe I would ever get to see you again, Faris! And on top of that, you're helping Lunafreya on her dream!" She spoke.

Faris tried as best as she could to not release the volcano of frustration. She was fine with meeting family after a long time but…not like this. "I-I'm happy to see you too, Lady Aurelia…"

"Oh, come on, Faris! Are you really gonna call me with formalities?" Aurelia said before making a sweet face like that of a child. "You know you can use a closer term with me! We may not share the same blood but we're still family!"

"GH-" Faris's nervousness was reaching new heights, but she tried to contain herself once again. "F-Fine…I'm happy to see you too… Aunt Aurelia."

"YAAAAY!" After hearing that, Aurelia held her even tighter. "Stay assured that whenever you need some cuddles, you can always come here!" She then let her go. "And would you look at that! The last time I saw you, you were only five months old, so I surely didn't expect you to become such a cute lady!"

Faris's face became just as crimson as her hair. "Now I know why I had the impression I never met her, goddammit!" She thought. "W-Well, I usually don't give a damm about aesthetics, but I at least try to look presentable. If I want to be the greatest knight of them all, I surely need to give an impression by the look as well."

"Oh, yes! Lunafreya told me about your ambition! Quite the confident lady we have here! I'm pretty sure you take it from the rest of the Lacrima bloodline." Aurelia commented.

"Really?" Faris asked, a bit confused.

"Why, yes! We've always been a family who set up great goals and ambitions for themselves! Don't forget that our progenitor was among the seven original members of the first king's company that unified the nation and put an end to the feudal era! Didn't your father ever tell you that?"

"Absolutely not! Dammit, that shit never told me anything!" Faris answered back, getting frustrated for a moment. "Ah…sorry. Whenever he comes up, I can't help but get pissed off."

Aurelia made a sad face upon hearing that. She immediately leaned a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel. Your father and we were never that connected and we did hear some of the things he had done, and I'm pretty sure that you didn't go through a normal life with him around."

"You can say that again…" Faris confirmed while looking elsewhere.

"I do, Faris…I really do. And it's especially because of this that I want to let you know that the doors of this castle will always be open for you, whatever you may need. I'm pretty sure that Luna thinks the same!" The former queen added with a caring smile.

Faris didn't smile back but she couldn't lie that she felt better by hearing it. "Well…hearing that is…reassuring enough."

"Speaking of which, what do you think of your cousin? Got the chance to talk a bit and know each other better?" Aurelia then asked, a bit curious.

"Not really. She's quite busy with both the kingdom and the guild, and I surely can't really blame her for that, she has her hands full. And…well…I don't really see her as a proper queen yet, but I can say for sure that she's trying her best, and that's something I certainly admire and respect! If you say that ambition is something that defines our blood then I can I'd say we both surely have it!" Faris replied.

"Aw, great to know! And I at this point…I'm well aware that not everyone considers her a suitable ruler for this land. After all, they tried to usurp her on her first day of ruling! But…I'm very happy to see her try to stand up and do things right. Even if for someone it doesn't look like it…she's doing her best to stand up." Aurelia said. "And because of that…I hope you can stay on her side. She'd surely need someone as resolute as you with her ideals."

"I'll see what I can do. If there's one thing certain is that I don't plan to fall that easily!" Faris stated.

DON!

Right at that moment, the big clock of the capital marked the new hour, gathering everyone's attention.

"Oh, it's 9 A.M. I'd better get going. The guild opens at this hour and my cousin will probably call me." Faris said before standing up…not expecting a hug assault from her aunt. "ACK- Aunt!"

"Just a sign of good luck for the rest of the day!" Aurelia explained. "Oh, and tell Luna that when you go to the guild, you may find a gift from me!"

"Alright…?" The crimson knight wasn't entirely sure what to say.

Even back in the throne room, Lunafreya could hear the bells from the clock, and right at that moment, the rest of the members arrived.

"Well, it seems that it's the opening time already! Gotta go on the second work!" Lunafreya stated.

"Better have another hardcore mission! I get nervous if I don't punch anything for too long!" Grendel said before realizing something. "Oh yeah, I have to put on the slippers again, dammit."

"Oh, don't worry! We have actually installed a small fountain near the entrance recently! So, you can wash them and go as you please inside. We thought that you may not have been the only one in your conditions." Vivienne assured her.

"Though you could still buy a pair of shoes now that you have a solid job," Escanor told her.

"Fuck that! I go whatever I want with! And hearing about the fountain surely made my day better! Come on, who'll get them today?" Grendel retorted, already feeling full of energy.

"Oh, well, I tried-" Escanor commented, raising his hands.

"Truly loyal to herself until the end…I do admire that…" Alexis added.

"Hey, don't think I'll leave all the fun to you, sis!" Faris exclaimed with a smile.

"Well, it seems that everyone is getting pumped up! Just one thing left to do then!" Lunafreya said, happy to see them. She then snapped her fingers and said something out loud.

"Honoka! My armor please!"

…

Nothing happened.

The other members of Round Table looked around confused.

Lunafreya's smile slowly turned into a confused and nervous expression. She tried again. "Honoka! My armor please!"

…

"Uhm…are you ok, Your Majesty?" Alexis asked.

"I-It's fine! It usually works!" Lunafreya insisted before snapping again. "Honoka!?"

…Nothing.

"Oh, come on, she usually answers immediately!" The young queen complained.

"Hmm, Honoka…what a particular name. Is she perhaps another demon?" Xavier asked.

"I don't think that's the case, Sir Percival," Augusta replied. "Judging by the type of name, I think she comes from the eastern side of Ishgar."

Lunafreya sighed. "Yes, she is. Honoka is my maid."

Everyone was surprised.

"Oh my God, you have a maid!?" Pavlova exclaimed.

"Well, she's a queen, so servitude is the first thing you'd expect from her," Escanor told her. "Though you never told us about it."

"Well, I didn't have the chance nor reason to mention to you that apart from now. But yes, she's my maid that helps me with some chores. She was the Empire of Sin's present for my crowning back at the greeting from the other nations." The young queen explained

An awkward silence fell. Everyone looked at her stunned.

The girl blinked her eyes. "What?"

"Dude. Really?" Grendel simply asked her.

Lunafreya was confused at first but she quickly realized it and became full red as a strawberry. "AH! NO, NO, NO! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! SHE'S NOT A SLAVE!"

"Sure? What if she's a-" Faris was going to add something before getting interrupted by Alexis.

"FARIS! CAN YOU REALLY THINK THAT SHE WOULD GO THAT LOW!?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Lunafreya getting even more embarrassed. "I-I can assure you, she's not a slave, just a personal maid. She gets benefits, PTO, and even early bonuses! Though I don't know what she does with them since she mostly spends most of the time inside the castle."

"Oh my! Never thought you'd be that kind to her!" Vivienne commented.

"Such a good heart, I'm moved!" Pavlova added with big puppy eyes.

"You know this supposed lady, sorceress?" Xavier then asked.

"Well yes. I did see her sometimes with Luna here. And I can confirm that she's quite obedient! Although a bit strange. Well, not that I'm not a strange fella!" Vivienne answered.

Lunafreya sighed. "Whenever I go for the guild, she's the one that fetches me the armor, and she should be on service right now, so where she is?"

"A slacker!?" Augusta explained. "Want me to teach her a lesson?"

"Ah! No, it's not necessary! She's usually hard-working, so I'm pretty sure that she has her motivations…" Lunafreya answered. "Oh well…guess I'll take it by myself. You just…wait for me." She then started to move toward the private rooms.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to take it?" Pavlova asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I could take it for you!" Even a guard of the throne room proposed himself.

"Thank you, but…outside of Vivienne, Honoka, and my family…I'd like to keep my room a personal secret for the moment." With those words, the queen left.

"Wait…does that mean that I can see it? I'm her cousin, after all…" Faris fairly wondered.

"Huh…after knowing her for a few days, I'd never thought that the queen would be so protective over her own room…" Escanor commented.

"What? We women do like to keep our own stuff for ourselves!" Alexis told her.

Somehow…this made Grendel embarrassed. "Y-Yeah…I can confirm…"

"Though I can't help but feel curious now. Does she have a secret treasure or something?" Xavier tried to guess.

In the end, Vivienne came closer and whispered it. "She doesn't want you to see her posters."

"I HEARD YOU, VIVIENNE!" Lunafreya's voice could be heard from the other room, making the royal sorceress try to act dumb while looking elsewhere.

---

Somnus – Guild of Round Table

It always took Lunafreya and her new guildmates a while to reach the guild from the castle, but it was always a pleasant walk. The new mages and knights were starting to be recognized by the citizens, and while some appreciated it and others did not, it was a way for everyone to feel relaxed.

Once again, at the western section of the capital, they could see the guild standing proud (and Grendel could enjoy the sight of the small fountain as she could now walk without wearing slippers).

"Well guys…I don't know about you, but I'm starting to like the idea of a 'second house'!" Lunafreya commented.

"You really have the balls to say that although you live in a castle?" Faris told her.

"You know what I mean! And don't act like you don't live there as well!" Lunafreya countered.

"Eeeeeh…" Faris tried to look elsewhere.

"Talking about taking advantage of your status…well, not that I wouldn't do the same…" Alexis commented. "Oh well! How about we enter?" She then asked.

Lunafreya was more than happy to take out the keys. "Sure do! Welcome back to Round Table!"

"Yaaay!" Pavlova was obviously happy about it.

As soon as the queen opened the door…they noticed a detail in particular.

The whole guild hall was immaculate and shining, with even some glints that could be seen. Even if they were looking from afar, the guild mages could acknowledge how every angle of the guild had been perfectly cleaned.

"Oooooh!" Almost all the members said in a choir.

"…What? What's going on?" Xavier naturally asked.

Lunafreya came closer to look, even noticing how she could mirror herself in the tiles. "Everything is…so clean! Even I wouldn't be able to make such a thing!"

"True! Especially with your obsession over hygiene!" Grendel added.

"But…how is it possible? The guild was closed up until now!" Vivienne fairly asked.

At that moment, someone came closer and stopped at the entrance.

"This was actually my work. Before you came back to close the guild yesterday, I took my time to clean it while you were out." A voice suddenly said.

"Eh!?" Everyone turned around.

"Wait a minute, that voice!" Lunafreya seemed to recognize it, and when she turned around, her thought turned out to be right.

The voice belonged to a girl standing around 149 cm of unique beauty. She had a navy complexion, navy and orange eyes, and a grayish-navy haircut in a bob style with two long ponytails reaching her elbows with golden ornaments. She had a golden harpin on her right side, a large golden tiara adorned with black, green, and blue orbs as well as another golden ornament behind her tiara. Some of her hair was wrapped in a bun. She also had an earring on her left ear resembling a peacock feather and her fingernails were painted in a bright red color. She was wearing a black and white top with thin red straps that bared her midriff adorned with a golden center ornament. A white collar with a teal, a red split cape, detached sleeves of similar colors, and a two-piece pleated skirt in both white and teal with gold embellishments. One of her most notorious traits was that she wasn't wearing any shoes and was barefoot, with red-painted toenails. She was also wearing a golden plate at her hip with yellow tassels, black and gold fingerless gloves as well as red straps on her right thigh and left ankle, both with golden jewelry.

"Ooooh!" The other guildmates were fazed by the flashy appearance of such a girl.

Grendel in particular noticed how she was barefoot as well. "HA! See? I'm not the only one!"

The girl looked at everyone with a smile and made a small formal bow. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." She then looked at the queen. "I've wanted to give you a pleasant surprise when you would have come here, goshujin-sama."

"Gojo jum baba?" Faris asked, confused.

"It's goshujin-sama. It stands for 'master'." Xavier explained. "It's a term mostly used by countries such as Caelum, Enca, and Sin." By doing so…he realized it. "Wait a minute!"

"Does that mean…?" Pavlova asked, surprised.

Lunafreya turned around and nodded to the others. "That's right! She's the girl I tried to call before at the castle. This is Honoka Kuromori, my personal maid."

The girl bowed again. "It's an honor to meet the new friends of goshujin-sama. I hope I can be of help to you too." She spoke.

Honoka Kuromori

"Oh God, why am I suddenly feeling jealous!?" Alexis thought.

"Aw, what a cute girl with such good manners! The pleasure is all mine!" Pavlova replied, already wiggling her tail.

Though Faris didn't seem convinced at all yet. "Seriously? This pipsqueak here?"

"What about it?" Lunafreya asked. Honoka simply stared at her.

"Come on, Luna! She's supposed to be your last guard! You could have picked up someone more promising! Or at least…taller!" Faris explained while getting closer.

"Oh boy, here we go again…" Augusta said with a sigh.

"Errr…I wouldn't suggest doing anything hasty, Faris…it's not the case with her…" Vivienne tried to warn her while shaking her head.

"And what she's going to do? Bite my leg?" Faris asked before turning to the short girl. "So, you're Luna's personal guard, eh? How about we make a test to see if you're up to the job?" She asked with a grin before taking out a candy. "Think you can take this ca-"

Right when she lent her hand with the candy, Honoka quickly grabbed Faris's arm and violently threw her down to the ground.

"AGH!"

"OH!" Everyone shouted in astonishment.

"YOU LITTLE-" Faris was about to counter, but immediately after, Honoka blocked her with a wrestling grip, even pulling her hair. "AH! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!"

"Dear sun! Indeed, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover! Look at those movements!" Escanor commented.

"AH! AH! AH! No offense, sis, but you asked for it! Look at how she's pulling you!" Grendel added, finding it funny.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY, SIS!" Faris shouted back.

Lunafreya made a nervous laugh. "O-Ok, Honoka, you can let her go, now…"

The young maid nodded and did as she was told to. While leaving her, she took the candy from her hands and ate it. "I hope I passed the test, Lady Mordred."

Faris was still groaning from the pain. "Goddess Claire…how was I supposed to know that!?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time! But you surely wouldn't want to mess with this girl in particular. I've met her a few times and I can say that she's…lethal." Vivienne told her.

"Y-yeah…I could see that…" The crimson-haired girl concluded while checking her limbs. "Fuck, that hurt…"

Augusta was forming a large smile. "I already like her."

"By the way, Honoka, where have you been? I was calling you back at the castle to fetch me my armor but you weren't around!" Lunafreya then asked.

"Ah!" Somehow, that made Honoka shocked. "O-Oh…I…was waiting for the guild to open. I didn't know you were calling for me. I humbly apologize…" She said with a bow.

"Now, there's no need to-" Lunafreya was ready to apologize, but before she could finish, the maid already gave her a whip. "Eh-?"

Honoka lowered herself, exposing the back. "Please feel free to lay down your punishment, goshujin-sama. I'll start counting."

"WHAAAAAAAT!?" Lunafreya shouted.

The other knights looked at her with skeptical faces.

"Are we sure she's not a-" Grendel was about to ask again the question, but the queen stopped her.

"NO, SHE'S NOT!" Lunafreya shouted back before throwing the whip away. "What's wrong with you and Alexis with corporeal punishments!? I don't want to be that type of queen!"

"Hey! I've never-" Alexis wanted to counter, but she did remember how she introduced herself to the queen. "…Never mind."

"You won't…punish me?" Honoka asked.

"Of course not! Have I ever done that in the three months you've been at my service?" Lunafreya answered back. "Well, you do sometimes exaggerate, like that time you knocked out the Edgelard family because they were greeting me-"

"She did WHAT!?" Vivienne asked stunned.

"You know what? Augusta's right! I already like her!" Grendel nodded, smiling.

"Well…I just wanted to be precautious…" The maid said, trying to justify herself.

"How about we all leave these notes aside? She's a friend and that's what's important! And also to hide embarrassment yes…" Escanor suggested. "But anyways! What brings you here, miss Kuromori?"

"Oh, of course, ahem…" To answer, Honoka made a small bow. "You see…after my queen here has founded Round Table, I've thought about it for some time on how I wanted to properly serve her."

"But you already do that!" Lunafreya said. "I don't think you're doing a bad job."

"It's not enough. I thought as you do, goshujin-sama. But…after hearing about you starting to go on adventures throughout the kingdom and facing strong opponents…I thought that I could do my work better…in a bigger way!" Honoka insisted.

"And did you find your answer, little imp?" Xavier asked.

Honoka nodded. "I did, Sir Percival." She replied before looking at Lunafreya. "If possible…I was wondering if I could join the guild as well."

"Uh!?" Everyone asked.

"You want to join Round Table? You want to become a knight?" Vivienne added.

"Are you sure about this, Honoka? I mean, it's quite a dangerous and demanding job, and you're already busy…" Lunafreya asked, getting worried.

"DUDE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? She just slammed me down!" Faris exclaimed.

"I know, but we're talking about facing criminals and dark guilds! I don't know if-" Lunafreya insisted, but to prove her point, Honoka took out a greatsword bigger than her and swung it around with grace. The blade was of a vivid teal color, but the color gradually changed as the blade went further up, until it was wine red.

"WOAH!" Once again, almost everyone was shocked.

"What? What did she do?" Xavier fairly asked.

"W-What's with that huge sword!? How did you move it!?" Alexis exclaimed, stunned.

Augusta's smile on the other hand grew bigger. "Wanna be besties?"

"GAAASP!" Pavlova was shocked to hear that.

Honoka on the other hand slightly blushed. "Ah! A-A bestie? I don't know I never had a friend…"

Lunafreya simply looked at the scene speechless as Grendel and Vivienne came closer to her.

"Don't know about you, queenie, but if you don't take her, I'd be greatly disappointed." Said Lady Gaheris.

"As much as I would have used a different vocabulary, she's quite right, Luna…" Lady Merlin added.

The queen also known as Lady Arthur sighed in the end. "Well…can you use magic at least, Honoka?"

Honoka quietly nodded.

"Well…in that case and if you're ok with it, I'd say that we can bring you to a mission test! Stay sure that I'll count on you, Honoka!" Lunafreya confirmed.

"Ooooh!" Honoka was in awe of her approval before making a childish smile and nodding several times. "You won't be disappointed, goshujin-sama!"

"Glad to hear it! All that you need now is armor and we should be ready to go!" The queen replied.

"And maybe try some of those moves you used before on sis here! I could use a sparring partner once in a while!" Grendel added.

Honoka bowed. "I'll do my best to satisfy each one of your requests. A friend of goshujin-sama is a friend of mine."

"Look at how loyal she is! She's already showing signs of chivalry!" Escanor said, satisfied.

"I couldn't have said it better!" Alexis added.

Vivienne thought of it for a moment and smirked. "Does that mean that I could ask for-"

"DON'T EXAGGERATE!" Lunafreya stopped her at the right moment.

"Bullocks…"

"Oh, isn't this perfect? A new day starts and we have a tenth member for the guild!" Pavlova commented, happy.

"I'd say eleven, surprisingly enough," Scuti replied, standing at her right.

"Oh, yes! Eleven would be even greater!" The dog girl agreed…before realizing that he was standing there…and even the others found out quickly.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Everyone (including Honoka) shouted.

The tall man gave a silent look at everyone before taking a sip from a cup of tea he had made himself. "I've knocked on the door."

"W-Who are you!?" Alexis exclaimed.

Honoka on the other hand already took out the sword again. "It seems an intruder. Leave it to me, goshujin-sama."

"W-Wait, it doesn't seem like-" Lunafreya tried to stop her, but the young maid already dashed toward the new man.

"Take-" Honoka was about to strike, but Scuti simply opened a hand toward her and the girl found herself trapped inside a blue cube made out of magic. The girl watched stunned as she tried to get out by destroying the cube…to no avail.

"WOAH!" Almost everyone exclaimed.

"That's an outstanding cube!" Xavier exclaimed.

"You can actually see it?" Faris asked him.

"Not really, but judging by the sound it made, It seemed like a cube!" The self-proclaimed demon prince asked.

Scuti kept on drinking his tea like nothing. "I sincerely hope this is not the treatment you give to everyone that comes to you."

Lunafreya bowed down. "P-Please forgive her! She just arrived and she's…overprotective. I assure you we don't do this all the time."

"Well, I'd like to object!" Xavier said, remembering his first times with the others.

"WE SAID WE'RE SORRY!" Vivienne, Augusta, Faris, and Grendel all complained.

Scuti looked at them. "You sure?"

"Ehm…for most of the time!" Lunafreya replied nervously. "Ehm…could you please let her go? I'm her master, so I'll make sure she'll stop."

The tall man simply shrugged and with a simple hand movement, he deactivated the barrier.

Honoka was stunned as she looked around. "Darn…you seem like a powerful foe, I'll have to-" She was ready to resume the fight, but Lunafreya quickly grabbed her shoulder.

"HONOKA, NO! He's not here to fight! So caaaalm down…"

"Oh…" Feeling ashamed, the young maid made a small bow. "I'm sorry for my temper, goshujin-sama…should I take back the whip and-"

"NO, FOR CLAIRE'S SAKE!" The queen complained.

Scuti simply looked at the scene. "You look like a lively guild like the others."

"Well, we like to be lively, if anything!" Vivienne told him before getting closer to him and giving him a careful look. "Well…you're quite the fancy guy here with these elegant clothes! Are you perhaps a noble like Alexis here?" She then asked.

"You do give that feeling, now that I think of it…" Alexis added.

Scuti simply closed his eyes. "If you say so. My position is particular, to say the least. What you need to know is that I'm an old acquaintance of the Lacrima family and the kingdom of Seven."

"Uh?" Everyone, but mostly Lunafreya, Vivienne, Augusta, Escanor, and Alexis was surprised.

"You…know my family?" Lunafreya asked. To have confirmation, she looked at her mentor.

"I promise, I don't know who this is, this time!" Vivienne assured.

The queen then looked at Faris.

"Don't look at me! Zero clues!" her cousin replied.

"I don't blame you for not knowing of my existence. It's not like I tend to manifest often and I'm surely not the type for crowds." Scuti said before looking at the queen directly. "Either way, I've come here to meet you, Queen Lunafreya Lacrima…on behalf of Lady Aurelia."

Lunafreya remained silent for a few seconds…and then made a dumb face. "Eh?"

"Eh?" The others followed before…

"LADY AURELIA!?"

"W-W-W-What do you mean!? You know my mother!?" Lunafreya asked more shocked than before.

"Now THIS is something I'm shocked to know as well! She never told me anything about you!" Vivienne added.

"Once again, I don't blame you. Up until now, I've been mostly outside the kingdom for personal matters. I've come back under Lady Aurelia's call." Scuti explained.

"O-Oh boy! Does this mean we have a VIP of the sort here?" Pavlova asked.

"I'd say one with a big V! Pleased to make your acquaintance! As a respectful Demon Prince, I aim to make everyone important in the kingdom my friends!" Xavier added.

"Thank you but…you're facing the wrong way," Scuti replied, making him notice that he was turned somewhere else.

"Oh, sorry!" After hearing that Xavier turned…to another wrong direction.

"Uhm…don't worry, he's blind. But anyway…if you say that it was my mother who sent you here…may I ask why?" Lunafreya then fairly asked.

"Simple. She wanted me to join your guild and help you on your quest to improve as a queen. There's a reason I said you were going to have eleven members." The tall man replied.

"Ah! S-So you were serious!?" Lunafreya asked.

"Trust me, Your Highness, I'm the last person you'd expect to make a joke, especially when it comes to matters such as this," Scuti confirmed.

"W-Well…not that I wanted to doubt it…" The young queen said before thinking for a moment. "Could…Could I see the thing you used on Honoka before? That…cube thing? Or at least your magic?"

"Oh…so you wanted to use me as a lab rat as punishment…quite appropriate indeed…" Honoka commented.

"STOP IT ALREADY!" The queen retorted.

"If you wish." Scuti accepted and by moving his hand, he engulfed the whole guild hall into a giant barrier.

"WOAH!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Such a refined magic…although it seems mostly a defensive one…I'd say it's on par with that of an S-Class Mage!" Augusta commented.

"This is my Barrier-Make Magic. And yes, it's mostly out of defense, but through the many shapes I can make, it can be an enemy's bane. An adding factor is that you can see it because I'm making so. Normally, it would be invisible." Scuti explained.

"Woaaah…such a crafted magic! Even I couldn't come up with something like this!" Vivienne commented.

"It seems something I'd pass hours on breaking! Man, I already hate it…" Grendel added with a skeptical face.

"How can you say so!? It's so COOOL!" Pavlova said with starry eyes.

"…Maybe I have overreacted earlier…now I know your capacities…and I apologize." Honoka said with a bow.

"No need to," Scuti told her before taking another sip.

Lunafreya, instead, made a childish smile and a thumb up. "Ok, you're hired!"

Everyone looked at her with skeptical faces. "Man, that was quick…"

"Well…thank you, I guess?" Scuti raised an eyebrow while making the barrier disappear.

"It seems that we're getting an eleventh member, after all! After seeing what you're capable of, it will be a pleasure working with you, uhm…Mister…?" Escanor added.

"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. The name is Scutum Sobiescianum." Scuti introduced himself.

"Scooter?" Faris asked.

"Faris, come on!" Alexis scolded her.

"I have a scooter," Augusta added.

"If it's too hard to remember, you can simply call me Scuti. I'll be in your hands then, Queen Lunafreya." The tall man concluded.

"Don't worry! I'll do my best, Scuti!" Lunafreya answered back before giggling. "Oh boy…more members…this feels unreal…although my mother better explain to me some-"

THUD!

"Uh?" Right at that moment, everyone could hear an iron noise coming from outside.

"I didn't imagine that, did I?" Xavier asked.

"Nope, nope! I've heard it as well!" Pavlova replied.

"It seemed something falling on the ground…coming from outside," Augusta noted.

"Huh. That's weird. I don't remember making any statue fall this time." Vivienne commented.

"There are not any statues outside but…what do you mean by that, Vivienne?" Lunafreya asked with an eyebrow raised.

"EHM, how about we take a look?" Wanting to avoid the question, the royal sorceress headed outside followed by everyone.

When they went there, they could see a man in white armor and a girl with fancy blue clothes lying down on the ground and unconscious.

"Ah! Oh my God! What happened here!?" Alexis exclaimed.

"Are we surrounded?" Honoka wondered, taking out her weapon already.

"Hold it…" Augusta decided to take a closer look. "I don't see signs of wounds." She then took the man's wrist to hear the pulse and did the same to the girl. "And their heartbeat is regular. Maybe they've just passed out from exhaustion."

"Does that mean…they ran all the way here? From what?" Escanor wondered.

"Man, trying to run through a city like this is top masochism! I barely remember the road up here!" Grendel commented.

"What do we do, Luna?" Vivienne then asked.

Lunafreya was confused as well, but she surely wouldn't have wanted to leave them just there. "Let's take them to one of the dorms."

A few minutes later…

"U-Ugh…" It took a while…but Hector finally regained consciousness followed by Persephone. As he slowly opened his eyes, he could hear voices around him.

"Oh, he's awakening!"

"Stand aside, let him breathe."

"I wonder how he ended up like that…"

"Should I tie him on a chair and aim the sword in his-"

"Honoka, no!"

Finally, the young boy fully awakened and looked around, seeing the many figures surrounding him and looking at him.

"Ugh…Hector…are you-" Even Persephone woke up shortly after and got stunned as well. "Ah!"

"W-What the-" Hector looked around confused.

"Calm down! We're not going to hurt you, you're with friends!" Lunafreya assured him.

"Are you sure? I-I mean, there are more girls than boys with you! Can you confirm you weren't among the crowd following me?" Hector asked.

"…I don't know you guys, but I'd be offended," Scuti commented.

"Heading for the girls already? Not really the best first impression." Escanor added.

Persephone facepalmed. "Way to go, brother…"

"A-AH! No that's not what I meant!" Hector quickly bowed down.

"No need to. Besides, I wouldn't want to fall under someone I just met, are you serious?" Faris asked.

Grendel looked at her friend for a moment. "Why do I feel that this would be an overreacted phrase in an overestimated animated movie?"

"I know it seems fishy but please…let me explain," Hector assured, telling them the situation on how he ended up there.

"Wait…so you're telling me that you and your sister came all the way here and passed out…because a crowd of girls were chasing you?" Alexis asked.

"…Wow…are there…actually girls who still do that?" Faris asked, feeling like the story was dumb.

"Aaah, the naivety of youth. I expect half of them to get a love delusion!" Vivienne commented.

"I completely understand. Even I can't explain how it happens but…it always happens to me! It's like a curse!" Hector told them.

"And it has been going on for YEARS!" Persephone asked.

"Oh, poor guys…" Pavlova felt sorry for them.

Lunafreya on the other hand felt confused. "W-Well…if it makes you happy, I'm pretty sure that no one here is interested in you. You're safe here."

"Thank you! Both me and my sisters won't forget it. Speaking of which…what place is this?" Hector asked

"Oh, you're in the guild of Round Table! And we are its proud knights!" Xavier replied.

"Round Table!?" Hector and his sister looked at each other surprised.

"We made it, brother!" Persephone exclaimed happily.

"Yes! Even if we had to run away to do so!" Hector agreed.

The others were confused.

"You were…searching for us?" Augusta asked.

"Indeed! But first…a proper introduction." Hector said. "My name is Hector Albion. I'm a knight coming from the kingdom of Veronica."

"And I'm his adoptive sister Persephone!" The girl added.

Upon hearing the boy's name, everyone turned to Augusta.

The giant woman blinked her eyes. "…Just make sure to not use my knight's name when he's around."

"Oh boy, I'm already sensing the general confusion! This is going to get fun," Vivienne commented with a giggle.

"You said the kingdom of Veronica, right?" Honoka then asked.

"Wasn't that the kingdom with that dumbass prince that tried to resurrect the Phoenix over three years ago?" Grendel added. "I remember reading something in the journal."

"Yes, it did happen. But stay assured that he's not there anymore. Prince Cream was removed from his place and now one of his brothers is on the throne." Hector told them.

"Oh, really? Back at my crowning, I did take some homages from Veronica, but this is something new for me…" Lunafreya commented. "So, what brings you two at Seven, then? Especially here at Round Table."

To that, Hector made a smile. "You said crowning, correct? Then I assume that you're the new queen Lunafreya Lacrima."

Once again, Lunafreya blushed. "W-Well, I still need to get to such reverence but yes…"

"If that's the case, I'd like to join the guild with my sister acting as a supporter of mine!" Hector then proposed.

"Really?" Escanor asked.

"Yay! Number twelve!" Pavlova was already happy.

"Yes. My mother grew both me and Persephone up by giving us great examples of justice and we want to be worthy successors of her! And considering how we trained ourselves in chivalry, we thought this could have been the perfect guild!" Hector explained.

Lunafreya seemed…pleased by it and smiled genuine and surprised. "You want…to make your parents happy?"

"Well yes. Is that a problem?" Hector asked.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Not at all! If anything, those who want to surpass themselves and keep their parents' promises are welcome here! Me and Queen here can confirm that! For me, you're more than welcome!" Xavier answered, already proposing a handshake.

Lunafreya made a giggle while blushing. "Well yes…he explained it in my place."

"We made it, brother! Even easier than expected!" Persephone exclaimed.

"Ah! Thank you!" Hector gladly shook Xavier's hand. "In that case, I'll make sure to live up to expectations." In that moment…he smelled something familiar in Xavier. "Hmm…you have a particular smell…are you perhaps a Dragon Slayer as well?"

"Ah! You noticed too?" Vivienne asked, surprised.

"The answer seems to be self-explanatory, then," Scuti added.

"I've already heard some people calling me like that and I still don't know why! I'm a simple Demon Prince!" Xavier replied.

Hector was confused and looked at the others.

"Ehm…leave it be. It's complicated." Lunafreya assured him. "So…you're one of those special Dragon Slayers like those in Fairy Tail?"

"Exactly! A…particular one, if I may." The white-haired boy specified.

"I'm curious now!" Faris replied before looking at Persephone. "And if you want to be a supporter, that means that…"

Persephone looked around and then smiled. "Well, at this point I shouldn't keep it a secret." After those words, she made a small jump followed by a poof and a pile of smoke.

When she landed down, she turned into a small cat-like figure with white fur and raspberry eyes.

"Ah!" Almost everyone exclaimed.

"What? What did she do?" Xavier asked.

Despite the change of form, Persephone kept her proud expression as she looked at everyone from below. "That's right! I'm the exceed that follows Hector in her missions! I mostly use my human form because I think I can't do pretty much with my regular one."

"Aw, aren't you the cutest thing? I've always loved cats if I say so myself! My family praised lions in general!" Escanor commented.

"Really? Me too! And well…I surely didn't expect it! We can say that we have a Dragon Slayer with an exceed within our ranks!" Lunafreya added with a small laugh. "A Dragon Slayer, eh? Much like the famous guilds…I can't believe one would have knocked at my door!" She thought.

"You seem pleased, Luna!" Vivienne commented. "Well, not that there shouldn't be a reason, am I right, Pava?" She then asked the dog girl. But when she turned around, she could see that Pavlova was…strangely silent. "Uhm…Pava?"

The thing became visible even to the others. "Pava, are you ok?" Alexis asked her.

Pavlova didn't answer. She just…stared at Persephone.

"Uhm…Pava, right? Is…something wrong?" The small exceed asked.

…

The dog girl kept on staying silent for a few minutes…and then…

"A CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" The sight of Persephone changed Pavlova from the cheerful girl to an actual beast with sharp fangs that started to chase the exceed around.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Seeing the woman aiming at her while standing on all four limbs, Persephone did her best to run away, with Pavlova chasing her around. "SOMEONE SAVE ME!"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU FILTHY CAAAAAAAAAT!"

"AH! PERSEPHONE!" Panicked, Hector tried to rescue her sister while the others simply looked astonished.

"W-What has gotten into her!?" Lunafreya exclaimed.

"It's the nature working, Your Highness," Augusta told her.

"Yes. That kind dog girl has encountered her natural enemy." Honoka confirmed.

Lunafreya could only look at the door and hear the mess the two were making…and sigh. "Scuti…could you do the same thing you did to Honoka just a few moments before?" She asked.

Scuti sighed. "Dear lord." Without adding further, Scuti went to search Pavlova.

"I'll probably get used to more of these scenes as the guild grows, won't I?" Lunafreya asked with resignation.

"Yes. You will." The others told her without hesitation.

A few minutes later…

Pavlova was standing with her front touching the ground, kneeling to Persephone (now back in her human form) and with a lump in her head. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY!"

"Man, you were so fast back there, Scuti, how did you do that?" Faris asked.

"Professional secrets." Scuti simply replied.

Persephone felt embarrassed but tried to assure the girl. "N-Now, now, don't worry! I can understand!"

"Y-Yeah, it's all right, Pava, you can stand up…" Lunafreya added.

Pavlova stood up with still a soppy expression, similar to a sad puppy. "It's just that…I can still barely control my animal instincts, and whenever I see a cat, I have this reaction…" She explained before covering her face. "Oh, God I'm such a failure…"

"No, don't say it like that!" Alexis told her.

"H-Hey, I'm not angry! Just…control yourself properly next time!" Persephone assured her.

Though while she was there with the others to comfort her, Lunafreya turned at Hector while sweating nervously. "She didn't do anything major to Persephone right?"

"N-No, don't worry…" Hector assured her.

"Are you still willing to join the guild?" The queen then asked.

"Of course we are! Just…please find a way to control that part." Hector assured her again.

The girl could take a breath of relief. "Don't worry. We will. And well…thank you for coming!"

Faris and Grendel, on the other hand, looked at each other confused.

"Did Pava just say that she can't control her animal instincts?" The blonde girl asked confused.

"It sounds odd indeed…" The crimson-haired girl replied.

After a few more minutes, quiet was able to come back to the guild, with everyone standing around at the main hall and Lunafreya being able to watch the new three candidates to the guild.

"All right, gentlemen! Let me express my thanks once again for your proposal to join the guild! The others here know that it is something that I hold dearly, so hearing about more people coming in can only melt my heart! You can say that you have a queen's gratitude!" Lunafreya said with a small bow.

"Oh, please, no need to. I just want to do my job properly, goshujin-sama." Honoka spoke.

"It's kinda the same in my regard. But I'll say that I'll look forward to personally seeing with my own eyes what you're capable of as a mage and a Guild Master." Scuti added.

"So, how does it work? Me and Persephone here are ready to start!" Hector said with a smile.

"Sure, I certainly don't want to wait for you any longer!" Lunafreya turned around, heading toward the missions' board. "As I did with the others, I want to personally see what you can do in the field, so I'll personally take you on your first mission." She explained. "Xavier, do you want to come with us? I'm pretty sure they could learn something from you!"

"Why, with pleasure! I'll make sure that they'll know that they can rely on this Demon Prince!" The blind boy replied with pleasure.

The queen was happy to hear that answer and quickly checked the board for a proper mission. "All right, let's see…we should have gotten new missions right today from the Seven branches of the Magic Council…" After a few seconds, she found one interesting. "Ah! Will this do?" She quickly came down to the others to let them read.

PLEASE HELP! A dangerous mage is onto me! I've recently received a death threat right from her and I don't know how to look after myself! I'll repay you with everything if you're willing to help me! Please reach out to me at the Broadway Theater in Winchester! The reward is 200.000 Jewels!

Alexis came closer to look as well. "Does it say Broadway? As in the most famous theater of all Seven?" She asked.

"Oh yes! I remember seeing a show there a few months before coming here! I believe it was called…Picago!" Pavlova confirmed.

"It's also the city where the branch of the Magic Council stands...I also looked at some of Broadway's well-renowned shows in the past, so hearing about this saddens me a bit." Lunafreya added.

"Homicide in a theater. A classic indeed. Well, I personally don't have objections. I'm ok with whatever mission you may have picked." Scuti said before finishing his tea.

Honoka nodded. "The same goes for me, goshujin-sama. Order me anything and I'll execute it."

Hector and Persephone looked at each other. "Well...it's not like we could object at this point!" The boy said.

"Then it's all settled!" Lunafreya concluded happily.

"But, Your Majesty…what are we going to do in the meantime?" Alexis fairly asked.

"Well, you can do whatever you want within the guild! Just because I'm out it doesn't mean that you can't do anything! You can go around a mission or…help a bit inside here! Now that I think of it…someone to look over the guild would be needed…" The queen told her.

"For that, I can take care of it!" Vivienne replied.

Hearing that made Faris and Grendel look at each other with malicious grins.

"Well, would you look at that! Care to make a mission just the two of us, sis?" The crimson-haired girl asked.

"Hell, do you even need to ask? I'M IN!" The other girl replied.

Augusta looked at them with skeptical faces. "Why do I have the feeling this is going to end up bad?" She wondered.

"Good luck! I hope to see you soon sitting at our table!" Escanor exclaimed.

Everything seemed settled, as Lunafreya turned around. "Well, considering that there are no objections, I'd say that all we need is to take an armor for Honoka and then we're ready to go!"

The ones tasked with the mission all nodded. All that was left to do…was to start.

---

Seven – City of Winchester

Still on the northern side of the nation, but standing a few miles away in the south-east from the royal capital of Somnus, Winchester was another one of the most populated cities of Seven. With its houses that are the perfect balance between antiquity and modernity, Winchester was known to be the city of arts, as it was the seat of many famous places regarding every type of art such as museums, giant libraries, and most importantly, theaters. If you wanted to be a refined author of any type in Earth Land, whether it was for music, theater, literature, drawing, or anything else, then Winchester was a must-place to reach the peak of your studies.

It was still full daytime as the small group of Lunafreya, Xavier, Honoka, Scuti, And Hector (and Persephone) had arrived, and even right at the entrance, they could see tons of people passing by.

Scuti and Honoka in particular were able to wear their armor as knights. The former had a plated armor akin to his casual clothing, consisting mainly of arm and elbow guards and a chest plate guard. The armor seemed made of a rare light celestial material, to the point that Lunafreya was impressed when she saw it the first time.

And the latter didn't go as far when it comes to hers. She was wearing a two-piece pleated skirt in both white and teal with gold embellishments, along with a white tunic that flew down her waist. She wore silver greaves and white tassets with silver trimmings, and silver sabatons, along with silver arm braces, and black chainmail underneath it all.

Hector whistled at that sight. "Oh my! I never thought that Seven would have these many big towns! I already like it!"

Scuti looked with his usual apathy. "Hm. It's not that different from other places I've been in."

"You said that Winchester was a city of arts, right? I wonder if there's some aspiring artist ready to tell our tales!" Xavier commented.

"Xavier, I can get the excitement, but it's clearly not the time!" Lunafreya told him.

"I know, I know! But think about it! In case we end up becoming a famous guild like those in Fiore, wouldn't it be great if there was someone out there ready to tell our tale artistically? Maybe making books about us?" Xavier asked back.

Lunafreya stopped at that second and looked away while blushing. "W-Well…yes, it would be, not gonna lie…"

"Either way…that can be a story for the future." Scuti interrupted. "Right now, we need to find this theater. We don't know when this hitman will try to kill our client on the spot."

Honoka nodded. "Luckily, Broadway shouldn't be easier to track down."

"Are you sure, Honoka?" Persephone asked, making the maid nod again.

"Yes. You'd recognize it as soon as you see it."

With that in mind, the small group started to wander around the city in search of the theater. Since some of the members already knew the direction, the road didn't seem as worrying as they could have thought. On the road, Lunafreya could see some bystanders recognize her and get surprised by her presence, and to maintain a certain privacy and make sure to not get derailed from their main mission, she did her best to hide herself. "Please stop staring at me, please stop staring at me, please stop staring at me!" It was then that she got an idea.

"Uhm…Scuti?" She asked.

"What is it?" The other knight told him.

"Could you move around me sometimes? You know…for safety." The queen asked.

Scuti raised an eyebrow on that question. "Bizarre enough? But as you wish." He started to do so.

"I thought you liked being watched by your subjects?" Hector asked.

"True, but…even if I publicly founded the guild, I'd rather not gather too much attention when it comes to missions in such public places," Lunafreya told him.

"He's right, brother. Many people could get the chance to take a selfie for their Sorcerygram and say things like 'OMG I MET THE QUEEN!'" Persephone added.

"Well, I wouldn't complain if it came from me! It would be another way to make smiles!" Xavier commented.

"Don't worry, if people are bothering you, they'll meet my blade, goshujin-sama," Honoka assured the queen, who looked at her nervously.

"H-How about you just…shoo them away?"

"Heh. True enough, all of you." Hector said before turning around and noticing how they were getting closer to the public plazas of the city. "Oh my! I already see tons of buildings and statues!"

And just as he said, they kept on walking through the city, they could get a glimpse of the places that made the city iconic, such as the famous Winchester Library, the statue of a knight known as Gerdiam slaying a three-headed dragon, two museums standing beside each other, known as the 'Winchester Twin Museums', and a few stalls where they sold burgers and other food.

"Ah!" Lunafreya was stunned by seeing these last ones and started to mumble. "Could you wait a moment?" After leaving the others, she ran as fast as she could toward the stall to take a giant hamburger and enjoy it like a five-year-old kid. "HMMMM!"

The other members simply looked at each other with skeptical faces.

"Wasn't she the one who was eager to go toward the mission?" Scuti fairly asked.

"Oh, right. She fawns whenever she sees a hamburger. I remember one time ordering five of them all at once during a night." Honoka added, mentioning a past shenanigan.

"I'VE HEARD YOU, HONOKA!" Lunafreya shouted from the distance embarrassed.

And then…after a few more minutes of walking, they could finally see it. A fancy tall building with white walls and neon lights surrounding it. Even the blue-written BROADWAY THEATER was illuminated by such lights.

"Oooooh!" Hector and Persephone looked in awe at such a sight.

"Are the neon lights really there? Dammit, I'm missing them!" Xavier commented.

Lunafreya turned at the others with a smile. "Beautiful, right? Wonders like this made by simple men are among the reasons I love this kingdom!" She spoke. "I could bring you and the others to see some show if times permit it now that I think of it…"

"What do you mean 'if times permit it'? You're a queen!" Hector told her.

"Yeah, you're basically free to do whatever you want within your kingdom!" Persephone added.

To that, Lunafreya turned red and tried to look elsewhere. "W-Well yes! But there are many factors that I need to attend to and- oh, my! Look at the time! We should go inside already!" Wanting to avoid the question, she dashed forward to the entrance of the theater.

The others, once again, looked at each other.

"Is she trying to work even too hard or what?" Hector asked.

"She's just like this. Not that I don't dislike her that way but…I also think goshujin-sama should take some rest every once in a while…" Honoka said before going inside. The others followed shortly after.

Once they surpassed the reception, they could see the wonder that was the theater hall. It was a large room with seats standing both in front of the stage and on the sides in multiple plans. The walls were of a pure white with gold ornaments, and the hall was sustained by several large columns with elegant statues of men visible from the head to the pelvis with their hands put as if they were holding the roof, which was unique of its own as well, as it had the large painting representing several angels flying around in an immense blue sky. All the chairs had golden legs and arms, and scarlet mattresses.

"A-Amazing…I feel like I'm standing on a high ground now…" Hector commented. "Veronica also has theaters of a certain level, but not like this one!"

"This theater was built back in the X500s under the orders of a noble named Lord Bairon. He said that 'such a magnificent kingdom should deserve a magnificent theater that will be the stage of absolute perfection!' And from then on, this had been the stage of some of the most renowned and beloved shows of all Earth Land throughout the centuries!" Lunafreya explained.

"R-Really? It must be a true piece of history, then!" Persephone exclaimed.

"Indeed. I've got the chance to assist someone watching these shows in the past." Scuti confirmed.

"And the fashion of this theater persists to this very day!" A voice said from behind the knights, making them turn around.

When they did so, they saw two figures coming closer. The first one was a tall man with a large belly and a big face. He had golden hair and mustaches and was wearing an elegant purple jacket with a blue jabot, purple trousers, and a pair of elegant shoes. He was also wearing an elegant purple trilby hat with a blue feather on it.

The second figure instead was a woman around her thirties with short pixie-cut blonde hair with some strands of her bangs falling over her forehead. She wore big gold hoop earrings and a gold choker, while she had a snazzy business suit with black high-heeled shoes.

"It's a very pleasure to see some renowned people appreciate what my ancestors had built many years ago. Every time it's a pleasure for the blood!" The big man added with a small laugh.

"Now, don't say it like that, the director or people may think you're a vampire!" The woman told her with a cheerful voice.

"Oh? Are you the director, sir?" Lunafreya asked.

That question made the big man make a little bow. "Indeed I am. I'm Bentley Bairon, a direct descendant of the one who founded this theater! And I've been taking care of this theater for over 29 years by now. And you must be Her Royal Highness, the queen herself! You have no idea how honored I feel to have a member of the royal family visit us once again."

Once again, Lunafreya felt in utter embarrassment. "N-Now, Mister Bairon, it's not necessary! I've come here for work!" She asked.

"Oh, please, don't say it like that, Your Majesty! As the queen, you should need all the reverence of this world! Especially with that beauty of yours. Oh, how I would love to have that flowy hair of yours, but alas, I'm starting to feel the age despite being thirty-two, ah ah ah! I'm Laliette Lewellen if you ask!" The woman, named Laliette, insisted.

"Ah! Did you say Laliette? As in the 'Laliette's Magazine?" Persephone then called out.

"You know her?" Xavier asked her.

"Oh, yes! I also know her!" Lunafreya added. "Yours is a recent model company that is spreading throughout Ishgar! I sometimes take some mascara from your stores! I-I know it's a bit embarrassing to admit…"

"Oh really!? Oh my, that's so fantastic! Oh boy, is the queen taking my products? You just gave me the greatest of the honors! How about a meeting where we can make a collaboration? Think of the popularity you could gain from it!" Laliette seemed caught by that news and quickly grabbed the queen by her hands and started to add word over word, giving the young girl more pressure.

"A-Ah! N-No, please! I'm not ready for it yet!" Lunafreya exclaimed. Hearing her like that made Honoka come closer and gently but firmly push Laliette away.

"Ah!"

"Pardon my intrusion, Lady Lewellen, but you're clearly making goshujin-sama uncomfortable, so you're pleased to stop," Honoka told her.

"Now, now, little girl! I was just making her a proposal, it's not like I was harassing her!" Laliette countered, standing on the defensive.

"W-Well, my maid here tends to exaggerate but…yes, I'd ask you kindly to stop if possible. I don't…really want to do it." Lunafreya told her.

After hearing approval from the lady, Honoka kept staring at the older woman, who had some quick nervous tick at her eye, but she ultimately made a few steps backward. "Y-Yeah, sorry for it. It's not the first time that I've got this raptus, ah ah! I hope you'll accept my apologies, Your Highness."

"No, no don't worry!" Lunafreya quickly replied.

The other three knights (and the exceed) all looked at each other.

"Quite insistent for a CEO, don't you think?" Xavier asked.

"Well, it's only natural. Every way to get money is justified, even if it means the use of a royal." Scuti replied.

"Did you also notice how all of her looks seem…remade? I know that she owns a model company but still…" Hector added.

Bentley felt a little uncomfortable but as soon as the situation calmed down, he resumed his shining smile. "Yes, yes, I also apologize for my dear friend Laliette here, she absolutely means no arms! But please, do tell us why you have visited us! I couldn't help to see the knights that are accompanying you, including this loyal girl!" He then asked.

"Yes, absolutely! These are the new members of my recent guild Round Table and we're here for their first missions. We had found a help request regarding an assassin." Lunafreya then replied.

Upon hearing that, both Bentley and Laliette seemed shocked to hear and looked at each other with grim faces.

"Do you know anything about it?" Hector asked.

Bentley lowered his head. "Unfortunately, yes. It's something new yet shocking which regards…" He said…turning at Laliette, who sighed.

"…Me. I'm the one who sent the request just yesterday. This assassin is looking after me." Confessed the girl-

"Uh?" Everyone was surprised to hear it.

"They're after you? But how?" Persephone asked.

Scuti stared at the lady in silence.

Bentley looked around, seeing how the theater had other visitors. "Let's go backstage. We'll explain everything better."

The knights nodded and followed him.

A few hours later, everyone was behind the curtain, where the mages of Round Table could see various backgrounds getting put in places and actors preparing themselves.

"My, would you look at that! I can't imagine how much money is put behind all of this…look at the costumes!" Persephone commented.

"We're talking about Seven's most famous theater, after all," Honoka answered before turning to the director and the woman.

"All right, we shouldn't get the public's attention here. We're free to discuss." Bentley spoke.

"So, what's this about?" Lunafreya asked.

Laliette was a bit reluctant at first to answer but she took a deep breath and spit it out. They were there to help her after all. "I moved to Seven just three months ago for team building with my models, and I got lucky enough to search Bentley who offered a role as extras for today's show in its premiere. As someone who's still at the beginning, I have a hard time finding someone to sponsor my company or find new models, so cooperations like this help me a lot in making my work expand."

"Oh! So that's why you seemed so insistent on asking the queen for cooperation!" Xavier noticed.

"Well yes. But I can assure you that it wasn't for bad intentions! I just…want to do what's better to grow my business into a proper one…" Laliette explained. "Then recently, I've met up with Mister Bentley here, who offered an offer to some of my models as extras for tonight's show."

Bentley nodded. "Tonight's show is 'The Angel's Misfortune', a show that we have worked on for over an entire year, and as you can see, we had put a lot of effort into it, like most of the shows that had been brought to life inside this theater! And then…"

Laliette resumed the discussion. "Just yesterday, I got a package in my hotel room here in Winchester, and when I opened it…" She started to tremble at the idea. "I found the beheaded head of one of my employees…"

The mages of Round Table slightly widened their eyes at that.

But Laliette wasn't done. She took out a small piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to Lunafreya. "This was inside the package alongside the head."

Lunafreya took the small piece of paper and read it with the others. There were only a few letters, but the message was direct and explicit.

I know where you shall be tomorrow night. I'm coming for you.

Honoka stared deeply at the paper. "I can sense…a particular coldness in these words. This guy here means business." She spoke.

"It seems we'll have to deal once again with someone serious then!" Xavier added.

Lunafreya then looked at the woman. "And…do you have an idea why she's coming after you?" She asked.

Laliette shook her head. "That's the worst part! I have no idea! True, I'm sometimes a bit pushy but I mostly focus on my stuff both in work and in real life! I've never done any wrong to anyone! So…I don't even concept how someone could even go after my head!" She answered, starting to get agitated.

"I see. In that case…we can always assume that whoever this individual may be…they don't have a motivation at all." Scuti told her.

"W-What?" Laliette asked.

"Yeah, I know how it doesn't make sense but…me and Persephone can say it on our own. Some people don't care about a specific reason to kill someone." Hector said.

"Yeah…some people find simple pleasure in doing so, and that's it. Maybe they've targeted you specifically because of your charge and hoped that your death could make a scoop of a certain level." Persephone added.

"W-What do they think I am!? Some sort of toy to play with!?" Laliette exclaimed before realizing how she was getting upset and taking a few deep breaths. "Sorry…I'm fine."

Lunafreya felt a bit bad for her. Sure, she insisted a few moments earlier, but she clearly seemed a victim in there at the moment. In a way, she could understand how she felt, as she got targeted right after her crowning, so she knew what it felt like. And she surely didn't want the woman to pass through the same experience. This made her come closer to her and give her a reassuring expression.

"Don't worry. Whatever this person will try to do, they won't achieve it that easily if we're here around. As both the queen of this kingdom and the Guild Master of my guild, I give you my promise to do as best as we can to stop them!" Lunafreya said before turning around. "I'm pretty sure that both Xavier and the newcomers agree!"

"Absolutely! Even if they will probably be humans, it's my duty as a Demon Prince to correct them! So, stay assured, lady!" Xavier confirmed.

"Every wish of goshujin-sama is a wish of mine. And besides, it's only fair that I do my best to protect those who need it." Honoka added.

"You can say that again in our regard! What type of knights would we be if we didn't try to do our job properly?" Hector said, with Persephone nodded.

"Hmph." Scuti simply mumbled.

That made Laliette perform several bows. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea of the big favor you are doing for me now! I promise to repay the BIG favor one day! So…are you sure that you don't want to make a service for me, Your Highness? Maybe we could make a calendar with-"

"NO, NO PLEASE!" Lunafreya cried out again, gathering some of the staff's attention, and a drop of sweat coming from her guildmates.

"Eh eh…between this morning and this, I'm getting more of the idea that our queen here is quite the intimate person," Xavier commented.

Honoka quickly intervened. "She has all the rights to do so. Though…I wouldn't mind having a calendar with her poses…"

"Honoka!?" Persephone exclaimed.

"I…have the impression that you wouldn't be the only one, you know?" Xavier told the small maid.

"I'm starting to get the big picture of what type of guild this one will turn out. I'll probably understand soon what that Loke guy feels every day." Scuti thought. "In any case…if everything is settled, I'd say that we have everything we need to know on how to operate. I would have preferred quick action, but it seems that we'll have to wait for tonight."

"No worries about that! I could give you a tour of what Winchester looks like! And I'll probably have to call Vivienne and let them know…" Lunafreya replied.

Scuti then turned at Bentley. "Speaking of which…may I ask you something, Mister Bairon?"

"Uh? Sure, mister knight!" Bentley quickly answered.

Scuti stared at him and went straight to the point. "You wouldn't mind if we could have access to most of the theater's spaces, correct? I've met a good handful of these killers and…I know how they operate…"

---

A few hours later…

It was around 9 P.M. The sun had already gone down, and the sky was already illuminated by the kind and pale moon and the thousands of stars, with a few clouds around.

At nighttime, the city of Winchester was an authentic wonder, with several lights illuminating the various buildings and the screens attached to them sending flashing lights giving birth to a symphony of colors.

And the Broadway theater was no less. The neon lights that surrounded the building were already shining brightly and making several animations to give a bigger sense of invitation to get inside and see the story that the structure had to offer that night and for a few more.

The entrance of the theater was already showing the red and black written on a white surface that said Now playing THE ANGEL'S MISFORTUNE" And many people were already going inside, eager to see what they had paid the ticket for.

Tap…tap…tap…

Among that crowd stood a figure in particular, a lady, whose heels were already presenting her arrival. Some of the other inhabitants could spot her and couldn't help but feel caught by her beauty. But she didn't care about the curious looks. All that she cared about was to get inside.

Tap…tap…tap…

The music of the show could already be heard from the ticket office, implying that the show would have started from one moment to another. But it wasn't the lady's main concern. She went straight for the staircase at the bottom right of the ticket office, which led to rooms reserved mostly for engineers and certain members of the staff.

The lady already found a bodyguard blocking her. "I'm sorry, ma'am, this part is denied to the public. If you're lost, go to the rece- GAH!" But he couldn't even push her away because she already knocked him out with a violent punch in the belly. She then quickly hid him away, leaving the staircase free.

Tap…tap…tap…

The girl already disappeared in the public's eye, wandering around the dark upper corridors to that denied space of the theater, wandering as an ominous silhouette. The music of the show could be heard better, as she was getting closer. As she moved on, she could already see the great hall standing below, with the public already sitting comfortably in the chairs. Shortly after, the curtains opened…and the show began. There was already a stunning golden light on the stage and a lyric song serving as the overture for the show. The girl couldn't help but give a small look, and enjoy the view.

"…A shame that I'll have to dirty this place of blood during such a performance." She whispered before looking forward…where she could see it.

Just a few meters away, Laliette was standing right in that space alongside Bentley, looking at the show.

"At last…I found you." The lady simply spoke.

Tap…tap…tap…

She resumed her elegant walk…as she slowly pulled something from her back…a long and golden double-bladed axe.

In the meantime, Laliette kept on looking at the show from above, waiting for the moment. She was obviously feeling proud to see her own models standing right on that stage, even if it was only as extras, but at the same time, she couldn't fairly hold the pressure. Her life was at stake, after all.

"How are you feeling?" Bentley fairly asked.

"I'm…doing my best to contain myself! I need to be there for my girls!" Laliette replied. "That's right…they're here. She won't even lay a finger on me!" She thought before looking down.

"Now that I think of it…what does this play talk about?" She then asked the director.

"Oh, curious I see, eh? Well, it's about an angel of the goddess Claire who gets banished from heaven due to his violent nature and falls down on Earth Land. There, he meets a young noblelady with whom he falls in love. She helps him see the error of his mistakes and think of a way how to improve himself. But just as their story was about to get crowned, a lord kidnaps the lady, forcing the fallen angel to go and save her while he slowly becomes humbler while still plotting his revenge." Bentley made a quick summary for Laliette. Right after that…he could see how upon hearing that story, Laliette started to…sweat a bit?

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Uh? O-Oh, yeah, don't worry! It's just…the heat! And maybe a bit of the pressure coming back, eh eh!" Laliette added with a small laugh.

Bentley could comprehend her situation very well. "Don't worry! I'm sure that the queen and her guildmates know their stuff!" To confirm it, he turned on a headset he had attached to his left ear. "How's it going, Your Highness?"

Lunafreya and the others were just a few meters behind them, and each one with a headset as well.

"We're standing by!" Lunafreya confirmed before looking at them from behind some tents. "Just tell us when you think you see them!" She then turned around to the others. "All right, remember what we had discussed. As soon as we block the enemy, we throw them right out the window and take the battle outside. We need to avoid making a mess during the show."

To confirm that, Hector and Persephone seemed caught up in how it was going. "You can say that again! It seems wonderful!" The boy commented.

"How I would love to have the voice of that angel…" Persephone added in awe, hearing the actor playing the angel.

"Leave it to me, Your Highness! Thanks to my Magic, I should be able to push them right away at the proper speed!" Xavier told the queen.

"And if that won't be enough, I'll make sure to wipe them away with the right blow, goshujin-sama," Honoka added.

Lunafreya sweated a bit on that last part. "T-Try not to damage the theater enough, Honoka…" She then looked at Scuti. "I assume that you know what to do, right, Scuti?"

Scuti simply nodded with his apathetic expression. "Leave it to me."

"Ah! I think they're here!" Suddenly, Laliette's voice came out, gathering everyone's attention.

"Hm!?"

When they looked beyond the tents, they could see a silhouette getting closer in the distance going at a regular pace.

"How can you tell it's them, Laliette?" Hector asked.

"Well, I'd say that big axe they're holding! I'm even scared to wonder how she's going to use it!" The woman exclaimed.

Honoka could see a glimpse of it. "Yeah, they're going serious with this. Man…I wish I could have one as big as that." She commented.

"You ask that when you have a giant sword like yours!?" Hector asked astonished.

"Every weapon is valid to imprint your dominance." The small girl insisted.

"I second that!" Xavier added.

"Guys, it's not the time to talk about this now!" Lunafreya complained before turning around. "Get ready, Scuti."

The tall man nodded, preparing himself.

Back at the other side…Bentley and Laliette were doing their best to act like nothing. It was hard considering that they had noticed the assassin and they knew what they were coming for. But…if Laliette wanted to save her skin, she needed to follow the queen's plan. Therefore…they kept on looking down…at the show, where the story had reached the point of the lady's kidnapping.

Tap…tap…tap….

The lady, on the other hand, was coming closer and closer. The grip on her axe was getting tighter…and her mission was just one step away from being complete. She could feel both the thrill...and the anxiety from it.

"Anf…anf…" She breathed very quietly to calm herself a bit. This was a crucial moment to do everything without causing havoc.

Her target was right there, standing still. All that she needed to do was to raise the weapon and make it fall down at the right moment. She didn't have to take down Bentley as well, but if he tried to stop her…then she would have added unwillingly a second head.

Finally…she was there…right on her right…raising her axe.

Both Bentley and Laliette could raise their stares and the latter could finally see with horror what her chaser looked like.

To Bentley's surprise, it was a girl of rare and exotic beauty. She had a look that only a few could brag to have. She was standing around 170 cm call and she had an hourglass body, wider hips, and a somewhat D cup. Her skin was fair and clear from blemishes and her eyes and hair were of a rich twilight purple color, with her hair being long enough to reach her mid-back and styled in a loose braid while her bangs were cut straight across her forehead with a length of hair framing the left side of her face, falling to her chest. Her bangs were falling to her chest. Her bangs were pushed to the left leaving a portion of the right side of her forehead visible. She also wore a light dusting of makeup on her face.

And surprisingly, like Lunafreya and the others, she was also wearing armor. A quite bizarre one, as it seemed more like a mix of a knight armor…and a wedding dress. The dress was a mix of white and gold, with the upper half being white and sleeveless while the skirt faded from white to gold, and there were gold leaves embroidered into the front of the skirt starting from her waist. Over the top of the dress, she was wearing chest armor with an opening at the clavicle, and shoulder armor that also covered her neck. Her arms had scale mail sleeves that were white, and golden vambraces covered her forearms on the top of the scale mail. Under the dress was a pair of white scale mail, which was tucked into golden greaves that reached from her knees to her feet. On her head, she wore a golden helmet in the shape of a bird's head, with an open front that she had a veil draped form. The veil started out gold and faded to white towards the bottom.

Myuu Fleischer – Degenbrecher

This lady simply stared at Laliette and Bentley with her axe raised. "You're done running. NOW DIE-" But just as she was about to make the axe fall on the woman's neck…

"Weaving Aegis."

A medium-sized barrier formed between Myuu and Laliette, blocking the former's attack.

"What!? What is this!?" The lady exclaimed, seeing how the axe seemed stuck in the barrier.

"Don't bother." A voice said from behind the curtains, getting her attention. When she raised her head, she could see Scuti followed by the others getting closer.

"They made it in time!" Bentley exclaimed.

Myuu seemed irritated by that act as she glared in silence at the one who stopped her attack.

"That barrier is made specifically for close-ranged melee weapons such as yours. You won't be able to break through it that easily." Scuti told her.

"So, you're the one who's trying to kill Laliette here...I'll be honest, I'm a bit surprised by your looks," Lunafreya told her. "That armor in particular seems strange."

"You can say that again! Man, she does have a look!" Hector added.

"NOT NOW, BROTHER!" Persephone scolded him.

"Hey, are you talking about looks on purpose!?" Xavier complained.

Honoka already raised her sword against her. "Unfortunately for you, we have planned this. You'd better give up now if you don't want to end up badly. Which shall it be?"

Despite the situation, Myuu's expression didn't change, but the mages of Round Table could see clearly how she was definitely upset. She turned her head on Laliette, who was sweating and had her head pale despite all the makeup. "You've even called out some bodyguards to assist you? Don't you feel even a bit rotten on the inside?"

Laliette could feel the pressure and the fear reach the maximum level. "Y-You even have the balls to ask that!? I'm trying to survive here! It's you that should be ashamed! Why are you even trying to kill me!?"

Myuu got more annoyed. "DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME! Don't think you can act ignorant with me of all people!" She exclaimed.

The others and Bentley were confused. "Acting…ignorant?"

Lunafreya stepped forward. "That's enough. Like my friend here said you should quit, or we'll force ourselves to intervene right now! I don't intend to let an innocent life get taken away, so you'd better stop and explain yourself or you shall be ready to face the consequences!" She proclaimed, raising her sword.

Myuu looked back at them. "How pitiful indeed. It seems you poor fools were corrupted by her false kindness other than her false look, and that makes me feel very sorry for you."

"What did you say!?" Honoka exclaimed, ready to attack.

"I don't intend to waste any further time. I've waited even too long to meet up with this liar and pay her back, and I don't intend to waste any further time with intruders!" Myuu stated. Right at that moment, she was going to take something from her clavicle.

"She's preparing the next attack!" Persephone exclaimed.

"Xavier, now!" Lunafreya gave the signal to the boy, who promptly intervened.

"Soul of Thunder: Burst!" Without wasting any further time, Xavier dashed against the girl at the speed of light while engulfed with lightning energy, becoming an effective arrow of lightning.

"GAAAH!" Not expecting it, Myuu got fully blown and thrown away from an open window.

"It's time! Let's go after them!" Lunafreya ordered. Shortly after, everyone ran down toward the outside to face the killer directly.

"Stay assured, Miss Laliette! You'll be able to sleep peaceful dreams!" Hector said the girl before he and Persephone followed the others. "Let's go!"

Bentley could take a breath of relief. "Thank God…maybe we're safe to say that things will get better now, right, Laliette?" He asked.

Laliette still had a pale expression…but he made a panicked smile. "Y-Yes! They'll get rid of her, I'm sure of it!" She commented.

"Uh?" Bentley was a bit confused by the use of words.

"GHHH!" Meanwhile, on the outside, Myuu felt utterly annoyed as she fell down to the outside by Xavier, but she was still able to regain balance and land on her feet, glaring at the enemy who pushed her away from her target.

Xavier made the energy fade away and landed as well, holding his weapon at the ready. "All right! The worst has passed! Now we can take care of this without any particular thoughts!"

Shortly after, Myuu could see Lunafreya and the others getting out of the theater and reaching them with their weapons at the ready.

"You're still in time to give up, lady," Lunafreya exclaimed.

"Why…why are you standing in my way? It's a matter that doesn't regard you!" Myuu protested.

"Oh, it is a matter that regards us! You were trying to kill a person who did nothing wrong to you, whatever the reason may be!" Xavier countered.

"That's right. And I don't intend to soak this theater with innocent blood! I've made myself a vow to take care of everyone in this kingdom and this regards Miss Laliette as well! You won't reach her that easily as long as we're here!" Lunafreya added.

"Are you ready, Persephone?" Hector asked her to exceed friend.

To answer, Persephone took a sword of her own. "Absolutely!"

Myuu was frustrated. All these enemies between her and her target were just unbearable now that she was this close. But…in the end…she took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at the group straight in the eyes.

"Innocent blood…it seems that you can only look from one side of things without knowing everything. Once again I feel terribly sorry for all of you for being so blind. But…that's not for me to explain things properly. I just want to carry out the purpose I've given to myself…the burden that has been torturing me for far too long, and I don't intend to make it end right now!" After explaining this, Myuu take out once again something from her clavicle.

A particular key that was made from neochrome metal, with the bow being oval-shaped with a saffron VII on a white background.

"Uh!? A key?" Honoka wondered.

Scuti slightly widened his eyes at such a sight. "I know that!" He was more than familiar with that type of key. And to confirm such thought as soon as Myuu raised it, the key released a bright light that caught everyone by surprise.

"Open, o gate key of Seven: Chariot!" By pronouncing a spell, the key summoned a being to support her. It was a robust woman with mid-back length white hair, and she had a pair of black horns sprouting from behind her head, wrapping around it like a crown before pointing up towards the sky. Her eyes were blood red, and her ears were notably elf-like in shape. She wore a black tank top underneath a dirty white biohazard suit, which she had unzipped at the front and the hood pulled back off of her head. She was holding a sledgehammer.

Everyone was stunned.

"That's…yeah, there's no doubt of it!" Honoka exclaimed.

"You're a Celestial Spirits Mage!? There's one even in Seven?" Lunafreya added.

Myuu glared at them. "These are my treasures that I had brought with me from home. Since you're so insistent on standing in my way, it's only natural that I answer with the same charge." She said before assuming a pose with her golden axe. "My name is Myuu Fleischer, keeper of the Major Arcana Celestial Keys. And this is one of my helpers, Chariot!"

The robust Celestial Spirit looked at her, raising the sledgehammer. "I assume that these are people something we need to take care of, right?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Don't hold anything back against them." Myuu ordered before looking back at them. "If you feel ready, we can start!"

"Did she say Major Arcana? I thought they were just a toy to predict the future!" Hector commented.

"That's not it. The Major Arcana, represented through the Tarot Cards are potential symbols that represent the future of an individual life and they're the ultimate art of clairvoyancy." Scuti discussed.

"Yeah, Vivienne taught me about it back when she was training me. Each one of them represents something important. The chariot in particular represents loyalty and balance, but also glory." Lunafreya added.

Honoka glared at the two opponents while holding her sword. "Which means that they won't be someone easy to deal with. Still, I don't intend to disappoint goshujin-sama that easily!" She exclaimed.

"Let's not forget what is at stake! Come on everybody, let's do this!" Xavier added.

"That's right! Xavier, Hector, Persephone! You take care of the Celestial Spirit! Scuti, Honoka, you follow me to face Myuu!" Lunafreya ordered. Everyone nodded and that was enough for them to dash toward the enemy.

"Soon you'll realize what it means to go against someone's vengeance. LET'S KILL THEM!" Myuu shouted back. Both she and Chariot answered to the charge and the battle officially began.

As soon as Chariot reached the three knights, she formed two whirlwinds at her feet to make her faster and started to swing her hammer around fast to answer the enemy's attacks.

Xavier quickly answered with his spear, releasing a loud shockwave. "Ngh! Even for a Celestial Spirit, she surely shows tremendous strength! No matter, it means that I'll be forced to answer like this! Soul of Ash: Form!" As a way to answer the enemy's wind power, Xavier assumed the form of smoke to surround the enemy.

Chariot didn't seem to be bothered by it. "An interesting magic, but you only made things easier for me! Propel!" She gathered wind at her feet to create pressure on her feet that wiped Xavier away even in his smoke form.

"AAAAH!" Xavier was pushed away and forced to turn back to his regular form, but Hector was already there to give aid.

The white knight ran at high speed against the Celestial Spirit while raising a two-handed sword. "Prepare to crumble down against the unity of all colors and elements! Crystal Rainbow Dragon!" Suddenly, his sword started to assume several colors as if it were engulfed in rainbows. After some seconds, the sword assumed a red color. "Ruby Sword Style – Fire Dragon's Fang!" He thrust with the sword while engulfed in a fire dragon's head and charged directly for Chariot.

"HM!" Sensing the danger, Chariot put her hammer right in front of herself to block the attack, and even if she was able to do so, the fire dragon's head converged into a fire explosion that pushed her backward with a few burns. "NGH! Dammit…this Dragon Slayer may be- Kh-!" She didn't even have the time to comment that Persephone was already attacking her with the sword while moving around at high speed.

"Don't forget about me! Even if I'm not as powerful as my brother, I can still do something!" She exclaimed before resuming her attack.

Chariot did her best to block the attacks as she could, but shortly after, Hector joined with his sword engulfed in flames, making the job difficult. Chariot swung her hammer with skill, but she could feel herself start to get overwhelmed. "You're becoming a nuisance! Propel!" Once again, she gathered air in her feet to generate a pressure that wiped away the Dragon Slayer and her friend and started to move around at high speed.

"GAAH!"

"Hector, Persephone look out!" Xavier warned, and just as he thought, Chariot started to move around the two of them with speed, knocking them around with the sledgehammer, as if she was playing a pinball around the theater.

"ACK!" Hector and Persephone started to crash into several spots until they were able to regain balance and stay still on the ground with their feet solid. Chariot looked at them while holding her hammer.

"Is this the best you can do?" She asked them.

"Dammit, if she keeps with this speed, we won't be able to catch her, not even me!" Persephone exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Persephone. I have the right way to counter this. Demon Prince! Can I ask you to slow her down?" Hector then asked Xavier.

"Absolutely! Leave it to me!" The other boy replied.

Hector nodded and raised his sword. "Emerald Sword Style!" This time, the sword released a bright green color, and two wings made out of wind appeared on the boy's back. "Wind Dragon's Flight!" He dashed at high speed toward Chariot.

The Celestial Spirit saw the Mage going full speed ahead against her and started to move around to keep a distance from him. The two went for each other and clashed several times, releasing shockwaves at each one of their impacts and glaring at each other.

"You can try all the tricks you want, but the distance in our energies is clear. You'll soon run out of it." Chariot warned the boy, who kept on attacking.

"Don't underestimate the power my mother left to me! And even so, I'm still a knight! I have to protect those in need! Your owner won't do as she pleases!" Hector countered.

"I can understand your point of view, but it's the same for me. Lady Myuu had already suffered enough, I don't intend to let her wait further! Chariot retorted, before managing to push Hector's sword upward with a parry attack, leaving him vulnerable. "HMM!"

"AGH!" Hector got hit with no chance of defending himself and crashed against a wall, making some citizens run away.

"Get ready for more now!" Chariot was ready to make a second attack, but right at that moment, Xavier jumped behind her with several lances made out of smoke around him.

"Soul of Ash: Spark!"

"What!?" Chariot turned around too late and got run over by the rain of spears that threw her down to the ground. "GAH!" Just as she released a shout of pain, Persephone was already in front of her.

"TAKE THIS!" She pushed her even further against a wall and made her crash. The exceed girl in her human form was shortly reached by the two boys.

"Did we get her?" Hector asked.

"I think so, but I also think this is far from over," Xavier replied. And to confirm that, several pieces of debris could be seen rising.

When the smoke faded, they could see Chariot regaining her breath while standing on her sledgehammer. "Anf…anf…anf…why…why does Lady Myuu's road always have to be full of problematic people? She's finally about to start feeling her soul lighter, and just as she's on the point of doing so, some powerful mages step in front of her!? I can't accept it! I've already lectured her too much on her insecurities, I won't let this pass either!"

"What do you mean!?" Hector asked.

"There's no point in explaining, you don't want to understand and defend Laliette. So, all I have to do is squash you all! Wind Skating!" Once again, Chariot created two small whirlwinds on her feet and dashed at high speed against them.

"She's coming again!" Persephone warned.

The two boys immediately countered.

"Soul of Lightning: Burst!"

"Emerald Sword Style – Wind Dragon's Wings!"

The three of them once again clashed with each other, bringing upon the second round.

"Holy Sword God's Judgement!" In the meantime, Lunafreya generated several blades of light to make them down against Myuu.

The purple-haired woman widened her eyes, but through fast and elegant reflexes, she was able to move through most of them and dodge them. Only one blade slightly touched her, piercing a few of her hair.

"She's fast!" Lunafreya exclaimed, preparing herself. In less than a second, Myuu was already in front of her to slam down the axe.

"Die!"

CLANG!

The axe and the sword clashed with each other releasing a strong noise. Lunafreya held tight as she tried to push away the enemy. "K-Kh…"

"You seem to speak about taking care of everyone and defending the innocent…but right now, you're just a hypocrite," Myuu told her.

"And how come? You're the one threatening an innocent one and deny telling us the reason. It's only natural that I try to do my best to make things right!" Lunafreya countered.

"I don't intend to share the truth or my feelings to someone who wants to stand in my way. In my eye, you're just an enemy like the others, so I won't feel any regrets in tearing you apart." The other lady replied.

"I'm sorry for you, but I don't intend to go down that easily, or I wouldn't be here in the first place!" The young queen retorted, pushing forward with the sword and managing to get away from her. "Now stay on your guard!" She approached her at full power and speed with the sword, forcing the other girl to answer with the axe. It was a surprisingly equal match on both sides, but Lunafreya tried to push and overwhelm her, even if it was difficult. "She seems strong on her own!" She thought.

"You move well, I'll give you that. At least that armor isn't for show. But it's not enough!" Myuu exclaimed. Right at that moment, she threw a kick with her leg to push up Lunafreya's sword and leave her exposed.

"Crap!"

"TAKE THIS!" Myuu didn't hesitate and slammed her axe right at the queen's spleen, making her bleed.

"GHHH!" Lunafreya recoiled a few centimeters as she touched her spleen with pain. She widened her eyes in horror as she saw Myuu jump up and try a dive attack against her.

"Crystalline Aegis." Scuti saw it coming and immediately generated several crystal spikes that burst from the ground in front of Myuu, stabbing her mostly on the hips and the shoulders.

"ACK! What!?"

Right at that moment, she could see Honoka jump from above the barrier and charge her with her sword engulfed in lava energy. Her stare was cold with glowing eyes. "You dared to make goshujin-sama bleed…get ready to pay the consequences by feeling the lava right on your skin!" She immediately made a slash in the shape of a crescent moon with the sword, which released lava magic that blasted Myuu away. "Lava Crescent!"

"GAAAAH!" Myuu was immediately wiped by the outstanding energy and crashed on the ground.

Honoka quickly turned on her queen. "Are you ok, goshujin-sama?"

Lunafreya still felt an itching pain from the spleen, but she tried to stand up. "Don't worry, I've had worse…"

"There's no room for dialogue or truce with her. I can sense a thirst for blood coming from that girl…other than a strange sense of sadness. If we want to make her talk, we'll need to pummel on the ground." Scuti commented. He saw as the enemy stood up. "She wants to continue."

Myuu trembled a bit but stood up, noticing how the parts of the wedding dress had some burns. This angered her and she looked coldly at Honoka. "Alright…is this how you want to play? Then so be it. I've tried to make it easy and plain for you, but it's clear that you don't want to listen. This will teach your place, knights!" She quickly put her arms in an X-way and then spread them, getting engulfed by a particular light.

Honoka quickly stepped forward. "What's she doing!?"

Lunafreya realized it quickly. "I should have guessed that she didn't have only Chariot. Celestial Spirits cannot be summoned altogether…but if the owner is trained enough, she can fuse with them and assimilate her powers, which means that's…"

"A Star Dress. This is going to be tough." Scuti completed the explanation, getting ready.

When the light faded out, Myuu now seemed more like a platonic Greek goddess of love with white peplos and white high heels. "Star Dress – Lovers. Let's see how you deal with this now!" She quickly ran toward the three.

Honoka widened her eyes and quickly attacked to defend her queen. "Fire Jut!" She quickly slammed her sword to the ground and generated several tall fire pillars that chased down Myuu.

"Copper-Make: Reflection of Philia!" By using the Celestial Spirit's powers, Myuu made several replicas of herself that scattered around to meet the pillars.

Honoka was stunned by this. "No way! I'll lose sight of her with this!" She exclaimed. Shortly after, she could see Myuu jumping up with a bow made out of white light. "What!?"

"Copper-Make: Arrow of Ludus!" She quickly shot several arrows at the girl.

Honoka grits her teeth and generates five earth shields around her to defend herself from the rain of arrows.

"Weaving Aegis!" Seeing the danger, Scuti created a further barrier to support Honoka.

"Don't worry, there's also for you!" Myuu started to generate even more arrows that now were aimed at all of them.

"Tch. Stay near me, Lunafreya!" Scuti created another shield for himself and the queen, trying to sustain it as best as he could.

"Even after the blast Honoka delivered to her, she still shows all this energy!?" Lunafreya exclaimed astonished.

"We need to push her down as fast as she can before she does the same with us. With that Star Dress, her strength is surely superior to how it already was." Scuti told her.

"What should we do?" The queen asked him.

"I'm usually forced to pull these barriers only for a few seconds. As soon as it fades out, you need to jump and reach her." Scuti replied.

"What!? What about you!?" Lunafreya exclaimed.

"Don't worry. I'll take the blow for this time. Like you said, I've met worse." Scuti assured before looking at her straight in the eyes. "Your mother has sent me to take care of you for a reason. And I want to make sure that this guild knows its deal."

"Scuti…" Lunafreya whispered a bit surprised. Even if he seemed apathetic upon that point, now he seemed to show a bit of worry and assistance toward her. She still didn't know what his deal was, but she surely didn't want to leave him down.

The barrier faded away, and Scuti got pierced by some of the arrows. "GH! Now, young queen!"

Lunafreya gritted her teeth, looked at Myuu, and jumped as high as she could, surpassing her in height.

Honoka could feel Scuti's barrier fade away, and when she raised her head, she could see Lunafreya rush toward the enemy by raising her head. "Goshujin-sama!"

"What!?" Myuu didn't expect such a direct approach, and she couldn't defend herself for what would have come shortly after.

"Holy Sword God's Bellow!" Not wanting to let Scuti's effort be wasted, Lunafreya aimed at Myuu with the sword and released a beam of light that slammed the other girl to the ground.

"GAAAAH!"

BOOOM!

A small explosion occurred, and Myuu was bleeding while lying on the ground. Yet she gritted her teeth.

"N-No…I won't let them prevail over me…I need to stand up…I promised to him!" She said to herself. "S-Stand up, Myuu!"

When she raised her stare, she could see Lunafreya trying to dive against her after the blow was finished, presumably to take her down for good. "THIS IS THE END!"

"GRRRR! Copper-Make: Shield of Philautia!" Myuu quickly generated a large shield above herself to get safe from Lunafreya's assault.

"What!? A shield!?" The young queen exclaimed.

And Myuu wasn't there. With her free hand, she generated a few chains made of copper that were heart-shaped along the links and threw them. "Copper-Make: Chains of Mania!"

Lunafreya widened her eyes in shock as she put her arms in front of herself in a defensive stance. The chains attacked her on the limbs and the shoulders before wrapping her in a tight grip. "AGH!"

"FALL!" Myuu quickly pushed the chains down to make Lunafreya crash on the ground.

"G-Gh…" Lunafreya ended up in the same conditions as Myuu…trembling but still trying to stand up.

"Why do you persist so much!? Just give up and let me do my purpose!" Myuu protested.

Lunafreya was able to stand up and sustain her body with the sword. "F-Forget it…unless you give me a valid explanation…I won't stop opposing you…it's my duty. Although it's hard to find a valid explanation…if you're trying to murder an innocent!" Lunafreya exclaimed, looking at her.

"Stop it…STOP IT! I don't need valid explanations to do what I think is right! All I need to know is that I can do it! AND I DON'T INTEND TO STOP! NOW DIE!" Myuu was about to throw the chains at her again, but this time…

"FIRE BLAST!" An X-shaped burst of flames dashed against the chain destroying it with an explosion.

"What!?" Myuu was astonished.

When Lunafreya turned around, she could see Honoka standing still. "You're ok!"

"Well…I still didn't get hit, fortunately, goshujin-sama. And after seeing you all soaked in blood, it's fair that I try to correct my mistakes…" Honoka explained.

"Correct…your mistakes?" Myuu asked, feeling provoked.

"Myuu…I have no idea what have you passed since you don't want to talk about it. But even so…I can still see some sadness in your eyes. You're now prey to your own emotions. Therefore…" The maid raised her sword and glared at her with cold eyes. "I think you should learn from an experienced one…how to make your missions by controlling them."

"Control my emotions…!? Why would I ever do that!? They're the things that pushed me onward…AND I DON'T INTEND TO FORGET THEM!" Myuu threw herself, making Honoka do the same. "Copper-Make, Morningstar of Eros!" She generated a spiked round ball that she threw like a meteor hammer.

"Lava Crescent!" Once again, Honoka released a large cut infused with lava energy in the shape of a crescent moon to cut down through the ball. When the ball split in half, Honoka could see Myuu already in front of her, ready to cut her down with the axe. Honoka answered promptly with the sword, releasing a large shockwave.

Getting flustered more and more, Myuu started to attack repeatedly, and she probably wouldn't have stopped until she saw Honoka cut in half. "I'M TIRED OF KEEPING ON GRIEVING!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lunafreya suddenly appeared to support Honoka in the weapon clash.

"Goshujin-Sama!" Honoka exclaimed.

"You're indeed supposed to protect me, but let me help you as well both as your Master and as your guildmate!" The young queen insisted.

Honoka felt…a strange air of pleasure upon hearing that and nodded, increasing her speed.

"HAAAAAAAAAAH!" The two girls pushed as strong as they could, even if Myuu was still going wild with her attacks. But then, they were able to find a breach, thanks to a parry. The girl was finally left exposed, and they both pushed her back with a double attack.

"GAAAAH!" Myuu bled a bit while recoiling, but still stood. "DAMM YOU!" She quickly summoned the arrows of light from earlier.

"Get ready Honoka!" Lunafreya warned her maid.

"You had a lot of struggles trying to block this attack earlier. LET'S SEE IF YOU'LL DO THE SAME NOW! Copper-Make: Arrows of Ludus!" She immediately shot the arrows toward them.

"Force Aegis!"

Suddenly, a bubble-like barrier appeared in front of the two girls, blocking the arrows in time.

"WHAT!?" Myuu exclaimed.

Lunafreya and Honoka turned around to see a Scuti with several blood spots…but still standing.

"I have to give it to you. You made me sweat for a moment, but it seems that for this time, luck was on my side. Now…let me repay you with the same coin." After explaining this, Scuti infused more energy into the bubble, which expanded and threw back the arrows right at Myuu.

"No! GAAAH!" Myuu got inevitably hit and crashed against a wall before falling. The Star Dress faded away, making her turn back to her armor.

"She must have exhausted her energy…we did it!" Lunafreya observed.

"GRRR!" In the meantime, Chariot was doing her best to push away her three opponents but suddenly felt herself weaker. "What!?" When she turned around, she could see Myuu lying on the ground, almost knocked out. "Myuu…?" She looked down trembling…before releasing a large tornado around herself.

"Oh no! Watch out, boys!" Persephone warned.

"She's releasing more energy! How do we deal with her?" Xavier asked.

"I may have an idea for it…you use electrical energy with that magic of yours, right?" Hector asked him.

"Indeed!" The other knight confirmed.

"Then…maybe we could pull her down with a combined Unison Raid. Think you can do it?" Hector proposed. What he got back was loud laughter from Xavier.

"I could even do it on my own! For a Demon Prince like me, it's a piece of cake!"

Hector was left a bit confused by that, but he got the message. "Amethyst Sword Style!" This time, the sword emitted a bright yellow color. "Then let's do it!"

"Myuu…how many times will I have to carry you back? I've scolded you far enough. But…I can't help but feel empathic toward you…and I can't help but support you in battle. Your target is even too close to you, and I cannot let you falter like this because someone got in the way! I'll take all of them and then go straight for Laliette! It's what I have to do as your Celestial Spirit! DISAPPEAR!" After gathering enough energy, she released two large whirlwinds from her arms.

But Hector and Xavier were ready.

"NOW! Lightning Dragon's Claw!"

"Soul of Thunder: Burst!"

Both mages released their lightning spears that converged into one big flash of lightning that went inside the whirlwinds.

"UNISON RAID!"

"What!? GAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Not expecting such an answer, Chariot got wiped away and electrocuted by the double lightning attack and fell near Myuu, looking her in the eye.

"G-Gh…M-Myuu…I'm sorry…I've…did my best." With those words, Chariot faded away and turned back to the portal of the key.

Myuu was devoid of forces and could only raise her eyes. "C-Chariot…" She looked up and saw all the mages gathered around her. Even with that sight…even with the energies leaving her…she tried to stand up. "K-Kh…no…I can't…give up…not when I'm so close to the first…"

Honoka was about to raise her sword, but Lunafreya put a hand in front of her to tell her to stop. She then looked at Myuu. "Myuu…you're not in the conditions of fighting anymore…and even if you tried to harm an innocent, I don't want to finish you while you're crawling like that. It would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Please…surrender peacefully…and we'll all spare you."

Myuu looked up at her. "W-Why…? I've lost…and yet you want to leave me like this?" She asked.

"Well…you'll probably get to jail after this but…better than…you know, the other outcome, right?" Hector asked her.

Myuu looked down. "…Whether I die or end up in jail it doesn't matter…I'd hate both situations. I…I don't want to give up now…not that I was about to reach her…"

Upon hearing such words, Persephone frowned. "For the last time, why do you want to kill Laliette that badly!? I know that there are people like that but, frankly, after seeing you, you don't seem the one to kill just for fun, and she didn't do anything wrong! Hell, she doesn't even know you!"

Myuu trembled. "S-She's a liar…she had always been…" She spoke. Up until that moment, she didn't want to admit the reason…but she was cornered and defeated…the only thing she could do was to spit it out.

"She…was among the ones who took away someone dear from me…"

The mood changed quickly…and everyone was confused.

"Uh!?"

Right at that moment, they could hear a few footsteps from behind. When they turned around, they could see Bentley and Laliette reaching them.

"Anf, anf, guys! Are you all right?" The director of the theater asked.

"Director Bentley? Miss Laliette?" Lunafreya asked.

"The show had just finished, and as soon as the curtain ran down, we went to check on you guys!" Bentley explained.

"A bit risky as a move in my opinion," Scuti commented.

"But it seems that there was no need to worry, after all!" Laliette said with a happy tone as she came closer to Myuu. "She has been taken down and I'm safe! You can all say that the mission is complete! You have no idea how grateful I am to all of you!"

Myuu kept on glaring at her.

"Oh, what's the matter? Not trying to act all tough now in your conditions, right?" Laliette sarcastically asked her before turning to Lunafreya. "Now, could you please kill her?"

Everyone was stunned at that question, even Bentley himself.

"Wha…What?" Lunafreya asked.

Laliette looked around. "Uhm…I asked you to kill her! Kill her now! Then I can pay you!" She insisted, still acting like it was normal.

Everyone started to frown.

"Miss Laliette…why…exactly do you want us to kill her?" Hector asked her.

"True, it all seemed…resolved…" Bentley added.

Scuti could look at him. "He's surprised as well? Is he as oblivious as us?"

"Oh, come now, what kind of question is that!? You're a guild of mages! This is what the Magic Council makes you do, right? Clean all the dirt from the streets such as her, which means killing enemies!" Laliette replied.

Lunafreya quickly countered. "That's not true. Killing the enemy is allowed, but it's not necessary."

"If you wanted to have her killed, you should have hired a mercenary, not us. So…why do you insist, Miss Laliette?" Honoka added.

Myuu was a bit surprised. Were they…trying to take their side? Even after all that battle?

Laliette on the other hand was starting to get nervous. The sweat coming down was melting her makeup. "O-Oh knock it off with all these games! You were supposed to do this in the first place, putting me in safety!"

"But we did! She can't fight anymore!" Xavier protested, starting to smell something fishy.

"That's not it!" Erupted Laliette. "I will never be safe if she's still around breathing! I'm your client! You should be listening to me! KILL THAT FUCKING BITCH NOW!" She instantly realized the tone she had used and covered her own mouth. "Oh! F-Forgive me! I was…a bit agitated!"

But for the rest, that was the last straw. Everyone, including Bentley, turned at her while frowning.

"Laliette, what's going on with you? Why are you insisting?" The director asked.

"What's going on with me!? Is it too much to ask for a bit of safety!? She was trying to kill me!" Laliette tried to defend her position.

"The real question is this: were you asking for safety…or were you trying to eliminate an unwanted nuisance?" Scuti asked.

"GH-" Laliette was caught by surprise from that question.

Lunafreya stepped forward. "Normally we would have told you to calm down and leave her like this so that she could get arrested but…the way you insisted…or how you acted all braggy about her the moment she was down...these things don't seem to count back am I right? Especially after she told us the reason why she was after you."

Laliette swallowed. "T-The reason?"

Lunafreya didn't hesitate and pointed at her. "She said that you and another few people took her someone dear from her."

"AH!" To this point, Laliette simply made a few steps backward and got scared.

Even Bentley was shocked to hear that. "Laliette! Is that true!?"

Laliette stood silent as the sweat increased on her head, making her makeup go down.

"What do you have to say, Laliette? As the queen of this kingdom, I order you to spit it out!" Lunafreya insisted with a firm stare.

This time, it was Myuu who was surprised to hear it. "T-The queen?" She whispered. "Then…are these mages…?"

Laliette lowered her stare and remained silent for a few moments…while taking something from her pocket…

It was a revolver.

"UH!?" Everyone was shocked.

Laliette raised her stare to show a tired and disgusted expression. "To what purpose do you need the truth? If you want to save her then you can even join her to hell. Queen or not, I'll take care of you all!"

Lunafreya widened her eyes and tried to quickly take her sword, but it would have been too late for her to answer the bullet, but surprisingly.

"NO!" Myuu quickly jumped towards the queen to push her away.

BANG!

The lady made it in time to make Lunafreya dodge the bullet.

"Laliette!?" Bentley exclaimed astonished.

"What the hell!?" Xavier added.

Honoka was already in front of Laliette ready to attack her, but to her surprise, two knights wearing purple armor blocked her and pushed her away. "Ngh! What?"

Right after that, several knights with the same armor appeared, surrounding the mages of Round Table.

"Hey! Where do they come from!? Who are these guys!?" Persephone exclaimed.

"She had all these hitmen with her from the beginning!?" Honoka asked.

Scuti stared directly at Laliette. Despite the new sudden threat, his expression didn't change. "Now I see. I should have noticed it as soon as you were acting weird toward the queen. You planned all of this, didn't you?"

Lunafreya and Myuu raised their stares. "She did?" The former asked.

"That's her…typical…" Myuu added.

"And to think that I was so close to getting rid of a brat that just can't learn to move on! But maybe that shortie there is right. I should have done better to just hire a mercenary and everything would have been simpler. Hell, maybe I should have let these men do the job!" Laliette complained. "Is it the truth you want to know? Fine! She's telling the truth! I've contributed to killing someone 'dear' to her, big deal! And for a while, I was even doing a great job keeping it hidden by coming here at Seven and doing some personal shopping! Then she somehow finds one of my men, kills him and sends me his head to my hotel telling me that she's coming for me! What should I have done!? Just tell my models that I've helped kill someone!? Fuck, no! I have an image to cover! I own a company! So…all that was left was to hope that a guild would take the hook and do the job for me. But what do I get?! Some goody-two-shoes trying to make the moral and spare her! Isn't this just the worst thing that could ever happen!?"

Everyone was astonished to hear that.

Lunafreya looked at her with widened eyes. "You…you used us? All that fear and confidence you showed was just-"

"An act!? HELL YES, IT WAS! And that's the point! This was finally my turn! I've always wanted to be a star, but despite all the efforts that I had given, people kept on telling me that I wasn't 'pretty enough'! So, what was left? Get some money and start an activity that would have rocked to the stars! And well…" After answering, Laliette pointed the finger at Myuu. "Let's just say that the family this chick here was betrothed at had something that could have helped me! So, all that it took was an assault, kill the horse's mouth, and boom, money! I finally started my activity which led me here to my next step! Taking over Broadway theater!"

"What!?" Bentley exclaimed. "You…you never meant to cooperate, right!?"

"Oh, Bentley, you're so fixated on your ideals that you keep forgetting that to become famous, you have to be ready to seize your moment. It was all a farse! I just came here to get some good values here in Seven of my own! This country has many of them! Truth to be told…after Myuu here was dead, I wanted to kill you, put on an act on how you had a stroke, and give me the theater's care as your parting words because I was so likable!" Laliette told him.

"You WHAT!?" The director shouted.

"You're…the absolute worst!" Hector told her.

"And you even think we'll let you go after playing us like a damm fiddle!?" Xavier added, getting irritated.

Laliette quickly glared at him. "Oh, you just need to shut up, you tin cans. I've asked you a simple favor, A SIMPLE FAVOR! And what do you do? Spare the sole person you were meant to kill!? Let me tell you, you failed HARD! So how about this? I'll now kill all of you, kill that BITCH who tried to take my head and that's it! I'll get rid of two nuisances! Two birds in a stone! And to think of it…this will be the way I'll finally get to make my dream come true! I'll be on the first page! Laliette Lewellen! The lady of all assassins! She has managed to kill Broadway's director AND THE QUEEN! True, there will be a mourning kingdom aside, but who cares? I've already ruined a wedding, so I can pass through that!"

Lunafreya was simply…bewildered by all those words. All that confidence…the promise that she would have stopped Myuu from her duty to protect all the kingdom's inhabitants…all of that was thrown into the trash. It was all a lie.

For the second time, ever since she was a queen…she felt betrayed. As she looked at Laliette…Lunafreya couldn't think of anyone else but Hagen…a disgusting person ready to murder just for their gain.

A few months earlier…Lunafreya would have been heartbroken to hear such a thing…but not this time. She had learned to go beyond the shock. People like her…were the very reason why she founded Round Table in the first place. She reminded her…what she wanted to search with the aid of the guild.

Strength.

Lunafreya simply looked at Myuu. "…I'm sorry for everything that I've told you. Of all the victims here…you're the biggest one." She then smiled at her. "And thank you for saving me from the bullet. Let me repay the favor." With those words, she stood up, even if a bit trembling.

"Goshujin-sama…" Honoka whispered. Xavier on the other hand smirked.

"Eh eh…now this is the human queen I know!"

As soon as she stood up, Lunafreya looked at Laliette with a cold stare.

The woman felt taken aback…for some reason. "W-What!? You're still trying to act all mighty toward me!? You don't scare me!"

"Tell me…Laliette…what gives you the right to complain about what happened with this operation? You killed a person dear to this girl…tried to escape from your crime for God-knows-how-long, earned money from that, and then not only did you try to get rid of a person who wanted to settle things like a coward…but by doing so…you used not only a guild and the most important theater of this city…but you also think that you can play with me, the queen." Lunafreya countered with a cold voice. "What do you think my…no…our reaction would be?"

As soon as she said it, the other mages glared at their true enemy while holding their weapons.

"Yeah…I don't think there's a reason why I, of all people, should add something, correct?" Xavier asked.

"Absolutely not. I think this chick here deserves a lesson she probably won't forget." Hector added. Persephone nodded to that.

"I'd say that of all the red flags you could have raised…you've raised the biggest one," Honoka spoke before raising her sword. "No one…no one should mess with goshujin-sama that much."

Scuti had the same expression, but the others could tell that he now looked more serious. "I have a few experiences with backstabbing and manipulations. And I'd say…that this is an example to learn from. Let's take her out."

Lunafreya then looked back at Myuu and lent a hand. "Want to chime in? This is also your revenge after all."

"W-What?" Myuu asked. "I…I tried to kill you…you would forgive someone like me?"

"That's true. But…as the queen of this kingdom…I plan to do what I've promised to myself and a person dear to me…to protect those in need. And let's say that now, I know who's the real victim here." Lunafreya told her with a smile.

Myuu…felt warm. For the first time in a long while…she felt like…there could have been something that would have filled her whole.

Someone who wanted to help her.

That…made Myuu grab Lunafreya's hand and stand up.

Needless to say, the queen was super happy to see her like that. "Let's fight together. We'll help you."

"…Thanks," Myuu whispered.

Everyone glared at Laliette, who could feel the pressure start again.

"You're…you're all freaking out! Ah ah! Y-Yeah, that's the reason! There's no way you're actually confident that you can actually take me and ALL of my men together, right!? Look at your bodies! You're all reduced to a pulp because of the fight you just had!" Laliette tried to act strong.

But this time, it was Honoka who intervened. "It's clear that you have no idea of what mages are…and besides…even if we're tired…who told you that we don't have a way to solve that."

"WHAT!?" Laliette exclaimed.

As an answer, Honoka raised her sword while closing her eyes. "Root Heal." A green aura surrounded her, the very energy coming from the root of the earth. Once she had gathered enough, she spread it to others…who had their wounds healed.

"I…I feel better! The cuts are off!" Hector commented.

"Ah ah! Isn't this just great?" Xavier added.

Even Myuu was surprised. "What we had just now…faded like nothing…"

Lunafreya looked at her with still a smile. "I think this seals what we must do now, right?" She asked.

Myuu nodded and like that, everyone glared at Laliette.

It was…astonishing…her advantageous situation crumbled like nothing in a matter of minutes, and despite the big plot twist…they tried to challenge her…and there was very little she could have done.

Myuu was in perfect condition again, the guild had found out the truth…and now…they were going to tear her apart.

"G-Ghhhhhh…KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" The only thing that Laliette could do was to order her men to attack them and run away, trying to save her skin. Like that, all the knights got their weapons and attacked them.

"Earth Jut!" Honoka immediately slammed her sword to the ground and generated several pillars of rocks to take down the ones who tried to attack Lunafreya and Myuu. "Goshujin-sama! Myuu! Go and give her the punishment she deserves! We'll take care of it here."

"Yes! Make sure to shine like I would, don't worry!" Xavier added.

"You heard them. Don't worry. They don't seem that strong." Scuti said.

Lunafreya and Myuu looked at each other, nodded, and started to run toward the direction where Laliette went.

As soon as she saw her master go, Honoka turned around and glared directly at the head. "Now…how about I show you the difference between a maid and a puppet?" She commented before raising her hand. "Let me show you the mistake of your ways. Fire Bombs." Like nothing, she started to shoot several bombs of fire from the tip of her fingers that instantly attacked the knights, making them blow up within an explosion of a radius of twelve meters.

"Hey watch out, you'll destroy the city!" Bentley exclaimed.

"Sorry!" The small knight replied.

Other knights were assaulting Xavier, but with a smirk, he simply moved around them at outstanding speed, sometimes surrounded in a flash of lightning, sometimes surrounded in smoke. After one direct blow dodged, he flew upward and looked at all of them, preparing his purple spheres. "I'd rather stay out of human business. But in this case…I think that even you humans deserve the punishment from a Demon Prince himself! I feel sorry that you need to pay for your boss, but here we go! Soul of Thunder: Bolts!" The spheres bounced everywhere, piercing through the knights' bodies and taking them out.

A few other knights were ready to charge directly at Hector, who stood ready while his sister was attached to his back. "Ready to do this, Persephone?" He asked.

"When I'm with you, I'm always ready!" Persephone told him with a smile.

"Then let's do this!" The Dragon Slayer was ready as his sword glowed of an emerald color yet again. "Emerald Sword Style – Wind Dragon's Assault!"

SWISH!

Woooosh…

In less than a second, both Hector and Persephone were on the other side, and a few moments later, all the knights' armors were cut down and they crumbled on the floor, knocked out.

The last knights were aiming at Scuti, who didn't look impressed.

"I'd say that you clearly represent the smallness of your boss. So fragile…so ignorant that I can get rid of you without needing to touch you." He commented.

Just as they were a few centimeters away from him, he raised a finger. "Crystalline Aegis." He created a barrier around himself that released several spikes that all pierced through the knights, taking them down. All that was left for Scuti was to look toward the direction where Lunafreya and Myuu went. "It's up to you now."

"ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF!" Laliette was running as best as she could. Maybe she never run this fast in her life, but the fatigue was starting to show. "DAMMIT! I SHOULD HAVE STARTED FITNESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR!" She complained. "Why, why WHY DID IT HAVE TO END LIKE THIS!? IT WAS ALL PERFECT! I COULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF HER! N-No worries! I can still get out of this! I'll just need to hide myself, get to the first ship that sails tomorrow morning, tell the girls to reach me, and make sure to remain in the anonymity until I figure out a way to kill that bitch! Or maybe…the others in the group could do her, y-yeah! I'm surely not the only one she's looking for! She'll probably forget about me! This is not the end of me! I'll survive! I'll become a-" As she tried to come up with a way to get out of there, she could hear something behind her and see how both Lunafreya and Myuu were chasing her from the roofs.

"WHAT!?"

"Holy Sword God's Judgment!" Lunafreya didn't hesitate and attacked her former client with several blades of light that pierced through her body, making her trip.

"GAAAH!" Laliette crashed violently to the ground but tried to stand up. "N-No! I-I can't get through with this! Just pay a hospital and-" She still tried to tell herself that she could get out of there…

THUMP!

But the loud voice of something landing right behind her crushed that hope even further. With her eyes wide open and her pupils small, she turned around to see her…

Myuu was finally standing in front of her with glowing eyes…and a stare that only meant one thing: Vengeance.

"W-Wait, Myuu! We can talk abou-"

Myuu didn't even want to listen so she raised her axe to chop down both of her legs, which became tubes of blood.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Laliette shouted as never before for a terrible pain. All the work she had done for her body was now getting destroyed.

And Myuu wasn't done there.

"ACK!" She instantly grabbed Laliette by the head, lifted her, and turned her around to stare at her directly in the eyes. Lunafreya stood close and witnessed the scene in silence.

Myuu looked at her in silence for a few seconds before talking out. "You don't look all that confident with your legs chopped off now, right? And I don't think the girl from before will heal you."

Laliette's hair was messy, and her makeup was all melted down…she would have usually ranted and complained…but all that she could have done…was cry out.

"H-HEEELP! PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME!"

Some of the citizens nearby turned around confused and panicked, but before they could do something, Lunafreya turned at them.

"STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! I ORDER YOU AS A QUEEN!" She ordered. "This here is a murderer, a scammer, and a liar. And she'll get executed right now."

The citizens were still confused but they surely recognized the queen and started to walk away or just…look. Those who had children covered their eyes.

"D-Don't look honey."

Upon hearing that Myuu had total freedom…she took a deep breath. "I've wanted…so badly to hear that." She then glared back at Laliette.

Even that card failed. Only one thing was left to do for the woman.

"N-NO! PLEASE, MYUU! LET'S TALK IT OUT! PLEASE LISTEN! ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE A STAR! I WANTED TO LIVE MY DREAM JUST LIKE YOU! BUT THE PRODUCERS OF ALL PLACES KEPT REJECTING ME! I WAS DESPERATE, I ONLY WANTED MONEY! I HAD NOTHING PERSONAL AGAINST YOUR FIANCE' I SWEAR!"

Myuu glared at her. The grip on the head went tighter. "And to follow your dream…you crushed mine?"

Laliette's trembling became stronger. "W-WAIT! Y-YOU WANT THIS…RIGHT?" She took something from her pocket.

Lunafreya noticed how it was another celestial key made with neochrome metal with the bow of the key being oval-shaped with an orange XIX.

Myuu took it and realized it. "The Sun…now I see. You used its Sun Fairy Magic to keep you 'pretty' outside from that makeup. If I recall correctly, it was there with the Star one, correct?"

"I-I…traded the others I had with me-" Laliette tried to lie, but Myuu wasn't going to buy it and tightened the grip. "ACK! NO NO, I SOLD IT TO A PRIVATE BUYER! I ONLY HAVE THIS!"

"And can you tell me where the others are?" Myuu asked.

"I-I HAVE NO IDEA I SWEAR! WE ALL DEPARTED AFTER THE DEAL WAS DONE!" Laliette exclaimed, crying out loud. "P-PLEASE SPARE ME, MYUU! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! I'LL GIVE YOU MONEY, I'LL HELP YOU FIND THE OTHERS! WHATEVER, BUT PLEASE! GIVE ME MERCY! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" She even looked at Lunafreya. "YOU TOO, YOUR MAJESTY! PLEASE STOP HER! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I'VE USED YOU AND I'VE TRIED TO KILL YOU! PLEASE! I'M YOUR CLIENT! THIS IS YOUR MISSION, PLEASE! I'LL GIVE YOU THE DOUBLE OF THE REWARD!"

But all that she got from Lunafreya was a cold answer. "I would have helped you…if what you told me was the truth. This is not the way to deal with the fact that dreams don't come true." She spoke. "And besides…I'm still doing what the Magic Council makes us do, right? Clean all the dirt from the street…which means killing enemies." After that, Lunafreya looked at Myuu. "You have my consent to execute her."

For a moment, Myuu looked at her with a sincere expression of gratitude. "Thank you…" She then turned to Laliette.

The woman's hopes were all shattered. She wasn't going to escape…and she wouldn't have become a star. She could only wait in despair for the moment.

Myuu didn't want to wait any further…and ended it like this.

"…You wanted to live your dream…and you want to live right? Well…I wanted to live my dream as well. And Johann wanted to live too."

SPLAT!

In less than a second, Myuu's axe cracked down Laliette's head.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Her loud shriek of agony was interrupted after Myuu sunk the axe deeper, cutting her in half. And then she proceeded to shred the rest. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She kept on cutting…and cutting…and cutting…until all that was left were nothing more than shreds…and a puddle of blood.

"ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF, ANF," Myuu was breathing heavily, still in the middle of the charge. If there was anything left, she would have continued.

Seeing how she would have probably gone into a state of hyperventilation, Lunafreya came closer and reached her shoulder. "Calm down…it's over." She told her.

"ANF…anf…anf…anf…anf…" It was rare even for her to manage to calm down during one of her assaults. Yet…she was able to do so. She got to take a deep breath…and nod at Lunafreya.

After that…all that was left to do was to look at both the new key she had recovered and the pound of blood with the few pieces left. The weight…was now a bit lighter.

"Minus one…"

---

It took a good half an hour to re-establish order in the streets of Winchester surrounding Broadway Theater. When some of the knights belonging to the army came around, Lunafreya explained to them the situation and how she let Myuu execute the woman they found the pieces of. She then ordered them to arrest Laliette's men and dismissed them. She also apologized to the citizens who ended up watching that scene and said sorry for sounding too cold for them. Sure, many were a bit scared of what happened, but for the most part, as soon as they heard about what happened, they could kinda understand and let it pass. But surely, the most heartbroken ones upon hearing what happened were Laliette's models. They knew their boss as a woman who did her best to make them shine even if she was a bit pushy, so hearing about her true nature and what she had done was just…too much. And what concerned them most was that with Laliette's death, they didn't know what would have become of the company. Lunafreya assured them that she would have taken care of that as well, promising that she would have talked with her Affairs Minister. And adding to that, Bentley recognized some talent in them despite being extras and in case the company didn't make them, he would have hired them as actresses for the theater.

Finally…after everything was done, the knights of the guild could sit in front of the theater's entrance. Even if Honoka healed them with the Root Heal, they could still feel some tiredness.

"Phew…damm…what first mission this was. At least it all ended well…" Hector commented.

"But…can we say that we completed it?" Persephone asked. Everyone felt the same sense of loss.

Upon seeing that, Lunafreya sighed and looked down. "I…can't really say for myself. It was all a façade to get rid of a nuisance after all, and we almost fell for it." She answered before sitting down, feeling a bit bad. "…What's worst for me is that I was convinced to do a good job but instead…I was helping the real culprit. I even…ended up showing a side of me that made me look bad for a moment."

"Goshujin-sama…" Honoka whispered, feeling bad for her.

Scuti simply looked at her and then closed his eyes. "In my opinion…you shouldn't feel that upset about it. There will always be someone who will try to use nice people for their personal gain and they'll be ready to throw you away the first chance it comes. That's how it has been ever since ancient times, and even people like us fall into that. But…it seems that we didn't fall for it in the end and we could see the trick. Well…she did expose herself toward the end, but still." He explained. "Try to live up with your head up about it. She won't be the only one trying to use you…or us. Especially considering that you're the queen."

Lunafreya nodded and made a melancholic smile. "I know. I've learned it the hard way back at the day of my crowning with Hagen."

"Man! Thinking about it makes me annoyed! I wish I could have pummelled the guy himself!" Honoka complained.

The young queen looked at her with a drop of sweat near her head. "Well, he did turn into ash…"

"The tall man is right!" Bentley then suddenly gathered everyone's attention, making them turn around. "First off…I'd like to apologize to all of you. I can't help but feel that I'm also to blame for all of this. Maybe if I noticed something in her behavior earlier, I could have prevented this unpleasant episode from happening."

"Hey, no need to feel bad! You were caught in the bait as well…" Xavier told him.

"I know…but still! I may not have been the one who put the mission, but for me, I'd say that you passed it! Think about it…not only did you save yourselves and…supposedly helped that girl, but you also saved my life and with that, you saved Broadway's reputation! You've contributed to saving an important piece of Seven's culture here! So, for that…you have my gratitude." Bentley added.

That lightened up the knights' humor.

"Well…thanks! At least…we now know that we've saved someone." Lunafreya told him.

"And that's the important, right? Though…now that Laliette is dead, I guess we won't get the reward for the mission." Hector said, stunning his adoptive sister.

"Are you for real, Hector!? Besides…we have failed from her perspective, so I don't think she would have paid us either-" Persephone pointed out the obvious, but right at that moment, Bentley showed them a good portion of banknotes. "WHAT THE-!?"

"Hey, what are these?" Lunafreya asked.

"200.000 jewels! The reward, right? You may have failed from her perspective, but you surely succeeded from mine! So, without a doubt, these are all yours."

"Well! That's surely something, isn't it? Ah ah ah!" Xavier commented happily.

Lunafreya grabbed the money. "Oh, Mister Bentley, I don't know what to say!"

"And that's not everything!" Bentley added before giving each one of them a golden paper. "Here's a yearly subscription for the theater. As a sign of gratitude for saving the theater, you'll be free to come to the following shows for the rest of the year! This theater and its wonders will always greet you with open arms!"

"Oh yes!" Everyone (except Scuti) exclaimed.

"But only for this year. Next one, you'll have to pay the ticket as usual." The director specified.

"Aaaaah…" Everyone (except Scuti) mumbled.

"Well…thanks, either way!" The queen concluded.

Right at that moment, they could hear someone coming out from the entrance of the theater. When they turned around, they could see a familiar figure coming closer.

"Oh, you came back! How are you doing…Myuu?" Lunafreya asked.

Myuu was standing there, looking at the knights. The hatred and venom that she showed to them during the fight were now completely gone. In their place, now stood respect for them. "I feel better now, thanks for the question and…" She then made a formal bow. "I…think that I should thank you for sparing me and even helping me despite everything I did to you. I…surely didn't deserve this treatment coming from you, Your Majesty."

"Hey, don't even mention it! We came here for this purpose, after all!" Xavier told her.

"Besides…after hearing the truth, it was easy to switch sides. As goshujin-sama said, you were mostly the victim here." Honoka added.

"Indeed. What matters is that you're safe…and that you could exact your revenge." Lunafreya told her.

Myuu couldn't help but look down while clenching her fist a bit. "…I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time…and now that I'm finally starting to feel lighter about it…my quest is not yet over. I know for sure that…my beloved's soul still isn't resting in peace."

Everyone's expressions turned serious once again.

"Laliette said…that the beloved one they killed was your…fiancé, right?" Lunafreya asked.

"Ah! A fiancé? Does that mean…that you were about to get married?" Hector added.

"That explains how you were that pissed…" Persephone commented.

Myuu nodded. "…Yes. His name was Johann Fleischer. And…I'm currently searching for the ones who murdered him." She confessed.

The tension rose again, even if the danger was over.

"…If…if it's not too painful for you, could you tell us properly what happened?" Lunafreya then asked with all the respect she could have.

Myuu was a bit reluctant at first, as she saw the part of the wedding dress in her armor. But these knights decided to spare her even after she tried to kill them relentlessly. So…she thought that they deserved something.

"…I'll…tell you a bit of it." She replied. She then made a few steps away from the others and looked up at the sky with a melancholic expression.

"It all started…five years ago. After a few years of engagement…the best day of my life was about to start. Some years earlier, while wandering on Minstrel, I met this boy…his name was Johann Fleischer. We were so distant…yet…it took very little…for us to fall in love. Despite the distance from our home, we were able to stay in contact with letters and occasional meetings. I didn't want to lose him…and he didn't want to lose me as well. So…we decided to make a promise to always stay together…bonded by two rings…in marriage. Both of our families agreed on that and were happy for us. Everything…was perfect. Time went on and the wedding day had arrived…" She started to explain. She then touched the wedding dress part of her armor. "This dress you see now…is the same I put on that day. It was supposed to be a symbol of happiness."

The other knights let her talk.

Myuu's hands started to shake. "But…just as I went up to the altar…and the ceremony was about to start…it happened." Painful and contorted memories started to flow back into her mind. The windows crashed, the guests tried to run away in fear, the fire that ignited the church, the men that assaulted both her and her groom.

"A group of around ten men…invaded the church and started to destroy everything, setting it all up in flames. I tried to defend myself as best as I could, taking my Chariot's key. My body…and my dress were covered in burns…but I still breathed. But…my relief soon turned into anguish and sorrow."

SPLAT!

In her mind, the blow that scarred her for life came back. A tremendous mental wound that made her…start to sob.

"…One of the assaulters pierced my fiancé'…my Johann…through the heart…killing him." She spoke.

Lunafreya and the others widened their eyes in horror but still remained silent.

"…All that I could have done…was to watch as life faded away from his eyes…without being able to do anything. That sight…that incapacity of mine to do anything…is something that I'll probably never forget…that haunts me to this very day. The love of my life…was torn away before my very eyes…and I couldn't do anything." Myuu continued. She took some moments to sob.

Everyone else felt bad for that.

"That's…horrendous…" Xavier commented.

"Why…why did they do that?" Honoka asked.

After regaining some calm…she turned around to show the key she got from Laliette. "For these."

"The Celestial keys?" Scuti asked.

Myuu nodded. "Johann's family, the Fleischer, had been the guardian of the Celestial Keys of the Major Arcana, the keys of clairvoyance, whose power is almost equal to that of those belonging to the zodiac signs."

"…Yes…it makes sense. The Celestial Keys are regarded as a high treasure for the families that hold them…and they are among the most beloved treasures by hunters and criminals of all Earth Land." Lunafreya commented.

"And these keys are no less. If brought all twenty-two together, they could bring upon a devastating power, especially one in particular…which is said to be able to modify the tissue of reality as we know it. Because of this…my fiancé's family had always been targeted by hunters of all types…including the ones who killed him. And yes…Laliette was among them that day." Myuu added, remembering the woman's face during that fateful day.

"I can still remember it. All that I was left with…was this wedding dress…my beloved's axe…and the Chariot key. All the other keys were taken by Johann's killers. I was left there…alone…humiliated…and with my heart…destroyed. I…I couldn't let this slip by…I just couldn't. I did nothing wrong…" Myuu continued.

Somehow…it felt like the knights knew what she was feeling. Even Bentley felt empathetic toward her.

"…Then…Chariot, the spirit you faced…talked to me. She offered me her aid as long as I would have kept track…of my vengeance. That's when I decided to embark on a long journey with one purpose in mind…taking revenge on all the hunters who were present that day and making them know what I felt when they killed my Johann." Myuu resumed. "As such…I've started to wander relentlessly through Ishgar, knowing that they didn't move to another continent. I've kept on wandering and wandering…until my research started to give its result. I was able to take down some of those who killed him…and took back some of the keys." She then took some other of the keys, showing four of them in total. "Right now, the ones I'm holding are the Chariot, the Lovers, the one I used the Star Dress with before, the Fool, and now I've got the Sun from Laliette. And well…my wanders in the end, brought me to Seven…after my research started to falter as time went on. By a pure stroke of luck, I was able to find one of Laliette's accomplices. After hunting him down, I was able to let him tell me where Laliette was, so with a warning, I went there. And well…you just lived the rest."

Once she had ended her story, Myuu raised her head and looked at everyone.

"You…interrupted me only once." She made a formal bow once again. "I…didn't know you would have stayed here and listened to me this long. Thank you."

"How could we interrupt you further? You…had all the rights to tell us." Hector told her.

"And indeed…you passed through something terrible," Scuti added. "I know exactly how you felt." He turned around. "I…passed through something similar."

Lunafreya gave her a sad smile. "Your words can confirm me further what I thought earlier: if anything…you were the true victim all along. And to think that Laliette wanted to use us to kill you."

"Now I see why Laliette seemed so sweat when I told her the show's plot...your story isn't that different from the one portrayed there.

"…Don't worry about that. I'm also partly to blame for that. I should have been more open to dialogue with you…but…I couldn't forget how Laliette was still around. And once again…let me thank you for not only sparing me but…for helping me." Myuu assured her.

"What are you going to do now?" Honoka asked.

"Even if I was able to kill one of them…my vengeance is not over yet. There are still three of them missing. And I probably won't feel peace as long as they are around." Myuu explained. And then…she looked elsewhere, a bit embarrassed. "But…there was also another thing I wanted to do."

"Uh?" The others asked.

"I don't know if it was fate or a coincidence that did this but…in a way, I was actually searching for you," Myuu replied.

Lunafreya was confused. "Uh? Me?"

"Your Majesty…you and your friends here come from the guild you had just founded, Round Table, right? As soon as I heard you say that you were the queen of this kingdom, I could realize the rest." Myuu explained. "And well…I actually…wanted to search for you and ask you…if I could join your guild."

"Ah!?" Needless to say, everyone was surprised.

"You…want to join Round Table? You want to become a knight?" Lunafreya asked.

Myuu felt a bit more embarrassed but continued her answer. "I couldn't go far on my own, so I didn't know if I could have been able to fulfill my vengeance all alone. So, I thought that…maybe joining a guild could have helped me…not only I would have had help…but I could have also felt that…my right to vengeance was something I could reclaim. I heard your speech for the crowning three months ago while passing through the royal capital, and…even if you admitted that you weren't ready…I felt like you could have been a person that I could trust, something I've got proof of today. Then I heard that you recently opened a guild for those who wanted to become knights, and…I couldn't help but to search for you. Unfortunately, I've found out about Laliette's whereabouts so I headed here first."

A few moments of silence followed. Everyone was surprised by that answer indeed.

But then…Myuu made a melancholic smile. "…I know. My request comes as selfish and ridiculous for you. And you're right. After all…I mostly do this for my purposes. And I don't have the right to ask you that after trying to kill you. It's fine. I've asked a silly question." She then turned around.

Everyone felt bad for that…but Myuu kept her smile.

"I'll…just resume my search then. But…what you did for me this night…I will never forget it." She slightly turned around. "Goodbye, Lunafreya Lacrima…and goodbye, Round Table. I hope that you'll be able to keep on serving true justice as you did tonight. And I pray for your happiness." With those words…Myuu started to walk away.

Everyone looked at her…and then at Lunafreya.

Honoka came closer. "What…do you want to do…goshujin-sama?" She asked.

Lunafreya kept on looking at her. She could understand how she felt.

Yet…what she said after felt just…natural.

She raised her head and…

"Myuu! Which knight name would you like to have?"

Myuu stopped in her tracks and raised her head her eyes slightly widened. She slowly turned around…still surprised. "What…?"

Lunafreya made a gentle smile and came closer to her.

"Even if it was just recently founded, me and my mentor have established this law for our guild: all those who want to join our guild must pick a proper knight name for themselves! So, what shall it yours be?" The queen asked.

"What? Y-You're asking me this? But I…" Myuu was still surprised, but Lunafreya grabbed her hands.

"You may think that your reasons are selfish and that you're not worthy of staying in my guild but…if we put it that way…the reason I founded the guild is a bit selfish too. And…I do understand your pain, Myuu." She explained.

"Y-Your Majesty…" The lady could only whisper this.

"What I said in that speech is still valid. I still have a lot to learn on how to be a proper queen. And, indeed, you don't come from this land. Nonetheless, you're still here! And after hearing your story and your will to join us…I can't help but feel that your safety and happiness are another priority I need to add, especially after you saw some trust in me." She gently lifted her hands and grew her smile a bit further. "But…I promise you to do my best to help you feel peace." She even turned around to the others. "I'm pretty sure that the others here, who are mostly newcomers feel the same!"

"Ha! You can say that again!" Xavier replied. "No sad faces with this Demon Prince around!"

"Of course, Your Majesty! How could I say no!?" Hector added.

Even Honoka made a small smile. "Stay assured that if that's what you feel, I'll do my best to watch your back as well, Myuu."

Scuti simply nodded.

Lunafreya was happy to hear those replies and gave Myuu the confirmation. "If you want to find hope in our house of chivalry…Round Table's door will always be open for you."

Myuu was just speechless. She could never believe how after everything she had tried…Lunafreya was still ready to forgive her and make her join her ranks. For an instant…she saw in her…the same charm and grateful expression…Johann had.

That made Myuu's eyes flow tons of tears. The girl simply leaned her head on the queen's chest. "Y-yes…I gladly accept the offer…"

Naturally, Lunafreya was more than happy to hear it. "Then it's settled! Welcome aboard!" She spoke. "WAAAA! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YET ANOTHER MEMBER!" She also thought.

It was at that moment that Hector came closer. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but…is that thing about knight names valid for us as well?" He asked.

"Uh?" Lunafreya turned around to look at the white knight. "Oh, of course! I would have brought it up as soon as we would have come back to the guild. It's the initiation for those who join the guild!"

"I confirm that! I was surprised to be able to have one of my own!" Xavier added.

That excited Hector. "Does that mean that we can also have it?"

"I knew you would have reacted like that! Well, I'll leave it to you, brother! I'll stick with yours!" Persephone told her.

"Eh eh! Absolutely!" Lunafreya confirmed before looking at Honoka and Scuti. "The same goes for you!"

"Oh, oh! Let me go first then! I want to make sure to have a name that will give assurance to all those who I'll save! A name that means adventures! So…I was thinking of Daniel Von Blumenthal!"

Everyone looked surprised.

"A…Minstrellian name?" Myuu asked, recognizing the language.

"W-Well, there are parts of Veronica where we use that language, so I thought I could use that as well." The white knight explained.

"Our mother talked to us with that language!" Persephone added.

"I do like it! Although I'll probably call you Sir Daniel directly, hoping it's not of a bother for you." Lunafreya replied.

"No worries!" Hector answered.

Lunafreya then turned to Honoka. "And what about you, my dear Honoka?"

Honoka found herself at a loss. "Well…I didn't expect such a thing for the guild, so I'm unprepared on the subject. And since that, I want you to pick my knight name!" She then asked with starry eyes.

"Are you sure?" The young queen asked.

"Umu! Whatever name you'll pick for me, I'll gladfully accept it, goshujin-sama!" The small maid insisted.

"Eh eh, all right! I've done the same for Alexis so it's better worth a shot!" Lunafreya accepted. "Hmmm…you said that you wanted to be a maid, right? If so…ah! How about Lucan? Do you like it?"

Honoka thought of it…but she quickly made a smile. "Lucan…yes. I like it. Thank you, goshujin-sama." She said before turning around. "Lady Lucan…it has a good sound…"

Lunafreya then looked up to Scuti. "And you? Want me to pick up as well?"

To answer, Scuti crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "No need for that. I'll admit that I'm a bit surprised, Your Majesty. I didn't expect that you could have such etiquette after seeing what the guild was like this morning."

Lunafreya looked elsewhere with a nervous smile. "Eh eh, n-never mind them. They're just…lively."

"But…nonetheless, I did promise your mother that I would have looked over you, and I saw a glimmer of potential in you. So, stay assured that I'll stay around for a while." Scuti continued before looking at her. "Feel free to call me Sir Tristan."

"Oh!" Everyone was surprised by such a choice.

"Quite the elegant name you picked for you! And fitting indeed considering your styling. I like it! Thank you and welcome aboard, Sir Tristan!" Lunafreya replied. She then looked back at Myuu. "Well…you could see how this works. All that you need to do is to pick up a name like I did! We'll take care of the rest as soon as we head back to the guild!"

Similar to Honoka…Myuu didn't know what to say. She surely didn't expect the queen to accept her, so she didn't give a proper answer. "…If…if anything…could you give it to me? I-I'll accept anything, I promise."

"No problem! Alright…let me think of it." Lunafreya accepted and started to think. Myuu was a bit afraid of what type of answer she would have given. And then…

"Oh, I have it! Although it's a bit complex, eh eh…" Lunafreya looked the lady straight in the eyes. "You shall be Lady Leodegrance. Do you like it?" She asked.

"Leodegrance…?" Myuu asked.

The queen nodded. "In the code of chivalry, it's a name that means 'love' and 'family'. Knowing your intentions…I thought that it could have fit you."

Myuu didn't say anything and instead…put her hand in front of her mouth, almost moving. "It's…beautiful. Thank you…" She then gave the most adorable smile Lunafreya had from her ever since she met her. "Leodegrance…thank you for giving me such a wonderful knight name, My Lady…"

That made Lunafreya go full red with her face. "O-OH GOD! I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS!"

Myuu got worried. "Ah! Are you ok!?"

"Y-Yes, don't worry! I'm just…very sensible." Lunafreya replied. "But I think we had said everything! Can I ask you four to bow down, now?"

As such, Myuu, Honoka, Scuti, and Hector all bowed down. Xavier just looked at the scene (although he was facing the wrong way), with a convinced smile.

Lunafreya quickly unsheathed her sword and placed it on each one of their shoulders. "Sir Daniel Von Blumenthal (and Persephone!), Lady Honoka, Sir Tristan, and Lady Leodegrance…by the authority I have as both queen of Seven and the Guild Master, I officially declare you mages of Round Table! Knights of the Round Table!"

Honoka and Scuti nodded, Hector could barely hold his excitement…and Myuu couldn't feel more grateful. They stood up shortly after.

Lunafreya could look at all of them with a smile. "Now that the mission is complete…kinda, let's go home!" She made sure to look at Myuu. "All of us!"

And thus…that complex mission came to an end…and the new mages of Round Table could leave the city of arts and lights behind and go home, sending their regards to Bentley, who saluted them.

"Make sure to come back, Your Majesty! You too, Myuu! Like the stories of this theater, may your tragedy turn into the greatest of triumphs!"

---

Capital of Somnus – Guild of Round Table

It was pretty late. The mission had taken them a lot of time, and even the travel back home took a while, but in the end, they were ultimately able to come back to the capital. And on the western side of the capital, on top of a hill, they could see the familiar construction of Round Table.

Myuu in particular looked at it with awe.

Lunafreya could see her reaction and smiled. "Cool, right?" She asked.

"It…reminds me of home..." The lady commented.

"Well, I'd say that this is a rather perfect start, then! You're gonna love the rest!" Xavier told her.

"I have my doubts on that if she has a bit of dignity," Scuti added.

"Well, that's just for her to decide, don't you think?" Lunafreya told them before turning around and looking at the mansion. "I just hope I didn't make them worried…I didn't call them back all this time…"

"Nah, you know them! I'm sure they'll think you had it under control!" Xavier assured her.

But then…as they came closer to the mansion…they could feel, or rather…smell something coming from it.

Hector in particular, as a Dragon Slayer, could sense it better. "What's this…smell of frying?"

"Are they cooking something?" Honoka tried to guess.

"At this hour? Well…I guess that a snack wouldn't hurt them but-" Lunafreya wanted to leave the benefit of the doubt, but when she opened the door…she once again underestimated the capacity of her guildmates. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Even the others were speechless.

The other members were frying an entire dead purple dinosaur with an apple in his mouth, and some of them were already enjoying the meal.

"HMMMM! SO GOOD!" Pavlova exclaimed while wiggling her tail.

"You're right…it's surprisingly tasty!" Augusta added.

"I'm sure that if we cooked it in daytime, it would have been taster!" Escanor felt the right to say his opinion.

"Should I add more oil?" Alexis asked.

"No, no! This will be just fine!" Vivienne told her.

Lunafreya was just speechless with her jaw slamming to the ground.

"Hmm…I think they could add some sauce…" Honoka commented.

"O-Oh boy…I don't know how to feel…well, as long as it's not a dragon?" Hector added.

"Y-Yeah, we don't need to classify it as cannibalism…" Persephone told him.

Scuti couldn't help but facepalm. "Just as I expected."

Myuu couldn't help but look at Lunafreya confused. "Does it…always happen?"

Lunafreya could only nod in regret. "Y-Yeah…and it's just the beginning…" When she looked up, she could quickly understand who did this in the first place.

Faris and Grendel were looking at the scene satisfied and fist bumped. "What did I tell you, sis? We're unstoppable together!" Faris said.

"For once, we made them happy!" Grendel added. The rest of the guild turned around and noticed Lunafreya with the others.

"Oh hey, Luna! You're finally back! Took a while!" Vivienne told her.

"What…happened here?" Lunafreya asked, still bewildered.

"Remember how you told us to do missions on our own while you were outside with the newbies? Me and sis here decided to take it, and look what we got!" Faris explained.

"This huge ass reptile was terrorizing the children in a town and we took care of it! Not only do we get the reward, but even the dinner!" Grendel added.

"I was skeptical at first too, but you should try it, Your Majesty. The meat is juicy." Augusta recommended.

Myuu looked at the dinosaur and raised her finger. "Could I…have a piece?" She asked.

Pavlova raised her ears. "Oh, don't worry! I'll take portions for all the newcomers!"

"Leaving this aside, how did you feel? Did they behave well?" Vivienne asked.

"Oh, don't worry! It was a bit complex, but we got out of it!" Xavier replied.

Lunafreya was just…there…with her eyes almost coming out from the orbs…defeated. "I…I…I need…I need to sit down."

Honoka quickly grabbed a chair for her. "Here, goshujin-sama."

Scuti simply sighed. "I really need to get used to this type of mood."

"I could get used to it! As long as they don't eat dragons…" Hector commented, sweating a bit.

"Oh, come now. It's not like they have a fifth-generation Dragon Slayer!" Persephone told her. "…I hope so."

Seeing how she was starting to get demoralized, both Myuu and Honoka tried to relax the queen a bit by massaging her back.

"There, there…it was a tiring day. I can at least do this for you." Myuu told her.

"Thanks…" Lunafreya simply spoke.

Vivienne was impressed by such behavior coming from Myuu. "Oh, what a lovely girl! Who is she?" She asked.

"Oh, she's the one who we were supposed to take down! Long story." Xavier replied, taking a bite of the meat.

"Wait, what!?" Vivienne, Faris, Augusta, Escanor, and Grendel all exclaimed.

"I…assure you that it all makes sense," Myuu told them before making a small bow. "I've also just joined the guild. I hope we can get along."

Vivienne was still a bit confused but smiled nonetheless. "W-Well…now this is something you'd call a plot twist! I'm sure that you'll tell us all the details later! Maybe after Luna here feels better…"

"Y-Yeah…" Both Myuu and Honoka replied while keep on massaging her. In the meantime, Pavlova arrived to give the newcomers a plate of the dinosaur meat.

"Here you go!"

And Lunafreya…simply stood there…chomping on her late-night dinner, overall realizing that this had been…just another day at Round Table.

"My cousin and her friend took a dinosaur and cooked it…and now I'm eating it…" She just commented before swallowing it.

"…Though, it is good."

---

And we're finally done! Phew, 35k words! I never thought I would have written this much for just the fourth chapter! The point was that I thought that splitting it into two parts would have left either too much or too few for a hypothetical part two. I felt like this whole mission was something that needed to be tasted in a whole chapter, so I did my best to write it in a way that everything could stay in a singular chapter, having to cut a few things of course (the last confrontation with Laliette was originally supposed to be a bit longer).

But here we are! This may come as a bit different of a chapter from the previous ones and from Fairy Tail overall, having a more thriller part, but I thought that it was fit to introduce the central character of this chapter: Myuu. Her personal arc and her enemies are peculiar, so I thought that this was the best way to introduce her situation, I think that the rest of what's in store for her will be a bit different than the rest, but she'll surely stick with the main storyline as well! I'm always for collective stories, and I always plan to make everyone matter, I think I've shown it enough in this chapter with the other new appearances. Even if this chapter was mostly focused on Myuu, I wanted to make even the other characters matter, and I surely enjoyed writing them, especially Honoka! I never thought I would have seen the day where I could have written an actual maid, and here we are!

Another interesting deal with this chapter was that it was originally supposed to appear further within the Recruitment Arc, but the idea of doing it now came after looking at episodes six and seven of a current anime of this season called "The Most Notorious Talker Runs The World's Greatest Clan". The situation described in those episodes made me want to do something similar, so I've moved this chapter a bit further and put more OCs in the meantime, like Scuti! Since he appeared at the end of the previous one, it was natural that he would have appeared here, especially considering his role in the story.

I also wanted to respect the violent nature that was written in Myuu's sheet, hoping that it didn't hurt someone's sensibility (despite putting a warning at the beginning), which also represents the way I like to write my stories. While it is still a Fairy Tail story with a lot of adventure and comedy, it is still a story with mature content that can sometimes tend to dark and violent elements like most of my stories. The best thing about art is that you can be free of manifesting it as you prefer!

But of course, I leave the last word to you! Did you like the chapter? What are your opinions on the new OCs introduced? What other enemies await Myuu in her quest for revenge? What other OCs and missions will appear in this first arc? As always, let me know your opinion by supporting this story with a review, it's very important to me!

With this said, I have to leave you a sad news unfortunately :(, which is that this may be the last chapter for a SYOC I post for this year for a simple reason: considering that I've postponed it already twice, I was planning to make a writing marathon and work with the next four chapters of my Digimon Adventure 04, to complete its first arc. It's been already five years since I started that story, and I wish to be able to move on with that story as well. So, presumably for December, I'll be busy with that story, so that Kasai and the other Chosen Children's first adventure can come to a close and move on to new ones! But, if I do happen to complete them in time (hopefully, knowing myself), stay assured that I'll try to send something else within SYOCs before the end of 2024!

And I think that I've said everything for this time! I once again thank you for reading this chapter and I'll see you either in the next chapter or the next chapter of another story of mine! From Bluestar here, arrivederci!

OC Credits:

Hector Albion (And Persephone!) – zetsunaflames

Honoka Kuromori – Reduced20

Myuu Fleischer – renren-writes (the same who made Pavlova!)