Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Rhomaia]

Soliel had been hoping to God that this woman would leave him alone, and yet here she was, questioning him yet again. Even more so, she sounded like she was becoming hostile. This was added to by the group of men in black standing not too far away. The boy felt his anxiety kicking-in, and he tried to hide his pacing heartbeat. "...U-Um...Y-Yes...um..." His eyes darted around, as though they themselves were trying to escape her intense gaze. Finally, after a moment, he thought of an excuse. "...I-I was...looking for my papa," he answered, with a calmer expression, "my papa sometimes drinks here, and my mama was looking for him, so she sent me to get him...I-I have to find him before he leaves, so please excuse me..." He began to walk by, hoping she would take the bait. He was especially worried about those cloaked men who were now also watching.

The woman's eyes narrowed even further as she heard the boy speak, and her face turned all the darker as she watched him walk away from her. She could hear and see it all, the nervousness in his voice, the hesitation on his face, even the acceleration in his own heartbeat as he tried to flee the woman and the building, and she knew exactly that his words were nothing but half truths meant to deceive.

Slowly, she rose from her seat at the bar, placing the list on top of the wooden table where she had just been seated. The pale woman's eyes were no longer kind and sweet, but instead burned with animosity and indignation, the ember color in her irises giving way infernal flames as her smile turned to a grim scowl. She practically radiated a forbidding aura, one that made the thought of leaving this place all the more inviting. All the while, every pair of eyes in the room were on her and the blonde haired boy...

"...Draga mea, do you think that I appreciate liars?" she inquired, her voice deeper and more clearly dominated by her accent. She had dropped her casual facade of friendliness and curiosity, revealing for the first time the true persona a woman who had much more cause to be feared than to be loved. "Or do you simply take me for a fool?"

"...Knowing his kind, it could very well be the latter." Cendre laughed, getting up from his chair as well, having snatched the list and smiling condescendingly upon both the woman and Soleil, his red eyes glinting with sick delight. He stood taller than them both at about 6 feet and inches, while the woman was only a mere 5 feet and 4 inches. "After all, we are in the presence of the ever vain Rise. He is merely addressing us accordingly!" he declared, with a round of sinister laughter that rang through the room like the screech of some mad, inane creature that found satisfaction in exploiting the fear that it saw in the eyes of child that had only just walked in.

In the meantime, the black clad figures moved from their sanctuary at the back of the tavern to the front, wherein they arranged themselves around the only exit, the same dinghy, dilapidated wooden door that the Rise had just entered. In the dim light, it could be seen that their faces were for the most part scarred and tough, typical of thuggish rogues. With two hostile figures having arisen from nowhere and a crowd of ruffians having blocked the doorway, the boy was effectively cornered.

[Luminesa]

Soliel had been hoping to God that this woman would leave him alone, and yet here she was, questioning him yet again. Even more so, she sounded like she was becoming hostile. This was added to by the group of men in black standing not too far away. The boy felt his anxiety kicking-in, and he tried to hide his pacing heartbeat. "...U-Um...Y-Yes...um..." His eyes darted around, as though they themselves were trying to escape her intense gaze. Finally, after a moment, he thought of an excuse. "...I-I was...looking for my papa," he answered, with a calmer expression, "my papa sometimes drinks here, and my mama was looking for him, so she sent me to get him...I-I have to find him before he leaves, so please excuse me..." He began to walk by, hoping she would take the bait. He was especially worried about those cloaked men who were now also watching.

The woman's eyes narrowed even further as she heard the boy speak, and her face turned all the darker as she watched him walk away from her. She could hear and see it all, the nervousness in his voice, the hesitation on his face, even the acceleration in his own heartbeat as he tried to flee the woman and the building, and she knew exactly that his words were nothing but half truths meant to deceive.

Slowly, she rose from her seat at the bar, placing the list on top of the wooden table where she had just been seated. The pale woman's eyes were no longer kind and sweet, but instead burned with animosity and indignation, the ember color in her irises giving way infernal flames as her smile turned to a grim scowl. She practically radiated a forbidding aura, one that made the thought of leaving this place all the more inviting. All the while, every pair of eyes in the room were on her and the blonde haired boy...

"...Draga mea, do you think that I appreciate liars?" she inquired, her voice deeper and more clearly dominated by her accent. She had dropped her casual facade of friendliness and curiosity, revealing for the first time the true persona a woman who had much more cause to be feared than to be loved. "Or do you simply take me for a fool?"

"...Knowing his kind, it could very well be the latter." Cendre laughed, getting up from his chair as well, having snatched the list and smiling condescendingly upon both the woman and Soleil, his red eyes glinting with sick delight. He stood taller than them both at about 6 feet and inches, while the woman was only a mere 5 feet and 4 inches. "After all, we are in the presence of the ever vain Rise. He is merely addressing us accordingly!" he declared, with a round of sinister laughter that rang through the room like the screech of some mad, inane creature that found satisfaction in exploiting the fear that it saw in the eyes of child that had only just walked in.

In the meantime, the black clad figures moved from their sanctuary at the back of the tavern to the front, wherein they arranged themselves around the only exit, the same dinghy, dilapidated wooden door that the Rise had just entered. In the dim light, it could be seen that their faces were for the most part scarred and tough, typical of thuggish rogues. With two hostile figures having arisen from nowhere and a crowd of ruffians having blocked the doorway, the boy was effectively cornered.

Perhaps Soleil's worst nightmare had come true. Not only was he surrounded by people who were laughing at him, but they all knew his clan, they all knew he was lying, the exits were blocked, and he was probably now going to be attacked. By a room full of people, all who were probably far more powerful than he was. Not to mention Ruta was nowhere in sight. He looked around the room in horror, his eyes wide and his breathing now visibly labored. He put a hand over his heart to try and calm himself, but it was no use. His body was almost on autopilot. He felt he was going to suffocate. "...Please...please let me go..." he whispered, as tears began to stream down his face, "...Please let me go...I-I...I-I..." He closed his eyes and covered his face, feeling he was going to die and allowing the darkness to take over him. Maybe that would make his death easier...

Except that he was not going to die. Something inside of him refused to die.

After a few tense moments, the shivering and the panting stopped. Soleil became very still, and his body became cold like a statue. He then moved his hands from his face, and he did something uncharacteristic of his usual self-he swung an arm out toward one of the men at the door, and suddenly blue mana-not the normal green mana he used-flew from his palm, forming a mana-wolf. Far fiercer than the creation he had made to fight Cesare, the wolf immediately bore its teeth as it took a physical form, and it clamped down into the man's left shoulder as it reached him. The man at the door fell down, leaving an opening for him to run through. Yet Sol did not run through it. His panic was gone, but so was Soleil himself, in a way. He lifted his eyes and stared toward the woman who had called him out, and for the first time since the flight with Lynefleur, his eyes glowed, now glowing a bright-blue. In his totally black outfit and with his now-electric-blue, soulless eyes, he looked just like a Jaegar.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry Von Kressel

"Oh, don't worry. I... Wasn't going to sleep so soon, I guess."

As they both walked through the cold Paris, Henry started to heat himself up slightly. It was clear that Allistor had something - or someone - in his mind, bothering him to the point where he left the hotel, trying to find some peace.

"There's no reason to hide it, I guess. Yes, it was a hard day, but it's almost ending... Now, I don't know why you confused me with Shaun, but I guess it's related to the reason of your sadness. Do you want to talk about it, Allistor?"

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor's cheeks burned red as Henry asked about Shaun, remembering what they both did that afternoon. He took a deep breath and faced his friend. "You see... Both of us... had sex with each other..." He placed his right hand on his face, slightly rubbing his temples before stroking his raven hair back in place. "Yeah, awkward, I know. It just happened for some reason."

Allistor placed his gloved hands inside his pocket, watching the night lights of Paris shine bright. They were walking in a street where the amount of people rushing around are quite a lot yet not that much if compared to more busy areas. "And I confused you with Shaun since both of you have white hair. The height's only the difference though."

Henry Von Kressel

If anything, Henry was surprised to hear about it. First, because he thought Allistor fell in love for Annice. Second, because he didn't know that Allistor liked men as well. Shaking off the surprised expression, he kept walking alongside Allistor through the calm street.

"Well, that was... Unexpected, I'd say. And my hair is blonde, but I guess that's fine. Unexpected because I thought you had some feelings for Annice, and I'm not saying you don't have them, but I thought it was in another intensity.

But there's no need to feel awkwardness. You're an adult, and it's your orientation. But I'm guessing something was left unsolved. I'm not going to be intrusive about it, don't worry. Just came to see how you were doing. But, let's just enjoy the weather. We had a hard day, I'd say."

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor's cheeks burned red as Henry asked about Shaun, remembering what they both did that afternoon. He took a deep breath and faced his friend. "You see... Both of us... had sex with each other..." He placed his right hand on his face, slightly rubbing his temples before stroking his raven hair back in place. "Yeah, awkward, I know. It just happened for some reason."

Allistor placed his gloved hands inside his pocket, watching the night lights of Paris shine bright. They were walking in a street where the amount of people rushing around are quite a lot yet not that much if compared to more busy areas. "And I confused you with Shaun since both of you have white hair. The height's only the difference though."

Henry Von Kressel

If anything, Henry was surprised to hear about it. First, because he thought Allistor fell in love for Annice. Second, because he didn't know that Allistor liked men as well. Shaking off the surprised expression, he kept walking alongside Allistor through the calm street.

"Well, that was... Unexpected, I'd say. And my hair is blonde, but I guess that's fine. Unexpected because I thought you had some feelings for Annice, and I'm not saying you don't have them, but I thought it was in another intensity.

But there's no need to feel awkwardness. You're an adult, and it's your orientation. But I'm guessing something was left unsolved. I'm not going to be intrusive about it, don't worry. Just came to see how you were doing. But, let's just enjoy the weather. We had a hard day, I'd say."

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor sighed when Henry brought Annice into the mix. "My feelings for Annice is quite complicated you see. I... really don't even understand it myself or even myself per se. And... falling in love might be quite a far fetched idea for someone like me." The night sky has a few dark clouds rolling on it, far from getting a downpour. As the two walked further, the street became quiet and unoccupied, save for the two young men. They were clearly in a dangerous area of Paris but mundane people needed to think twice before assaulting the two. When Henry told him that he was already an adult, he gave a mix of a sigh and nervous laugh. "I hope not. Wearing that jewelled crown of leadership isn't a good thing to think of. And managing the business, the estates, all of those countless vassals, branches, and cadet houses... Thinking of it makes me want another drink."

As if the forces of the universe heard his plea, a sign flashed with bright neon lights greeted his eyes. It was some sort of a pub, under the name of La Coupe de Bronze. Yet there is something more shady with the place. He can feel a familiar presence, an aura of a mage that he grew quite fond of. "Henry, please tell me what is Soleil doing in that place in this time?" He approached the doors and went inside. The sight of Soleil being cornered by people and a wolf contruct was already mauling a man with blood red eyes. "Soleil?! What are you doing here?!"

[Luminesa]

Henry Von Kressel

If anything, Henry was surprised to hear about it. First, because he thought Allistor fell in love for Annice. Second, because he didn't know that Allistor liked men as well. Shaking off the surprised expression, he kept walking alongside Allistor through the calm street.

"Well, that was... Unexpected, I'd say. And my hair is blonde, but I guess that's fine. Unexpected because I thought you had some feelings for Annice, and I'm not saying you don't have them, but I thought it was in another intensity.

But there's no need to feel awkwardness. You're an adult, and it's your orientation. But I'm guessing something was left unsolved. I'm not going to be intrusive about it, don't worry. Just came to see how you were doing. But, let's just enjoy the weather. We had a hard day, I'd say."

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor sighed when Henry brought Annice into the mix. "My feelings for Annice is quite complicated you see. I... really don't even understand it myself or even myself per se. And... falling in love might be quite a far fetched idea for someone like me." The night sky has a few dark clouds rolling on it, far from getting a downpour. As the two walked further, the street became quiet and unoccupied, save for the two young men. They were clearly in a dangerous area of Paris but mundane people needed to think twice before assaulting the two. When Henry told him that he was already an adult, he gave a mix of a sigh and nervous laugh. "I hope not. Wearing that jewelled crown of leadership isn't a good thing to think of. And managing the business, the estates, all of those countless vassals, branches, and cadet houses... Thinking of it makes me want another drink."

As if the forces of the universe heard his plea, a sign flashed with bright neon lights greeted his eyes. It was some sort of a pub, under the name of La Coupe de Bronze. Yet there is something more shady with the place. He can feel a familiar presence, an aura of a mage that he grew quite fond of. "Henry, please tell me what is Soleil doing in that place in this time?" He approached the doors and went inside. The sight of Soleil being cornered by people and a wolf contruct was already mauling a man with blood red eyes. "Soleil?! What are you doing here?!"

Soleil did not even seem to notice Allistor. He was entirely focused on the cause of his deathly panic, the woman in front of him. Also, because he had been seemingly taken over by another force, it may have been all too possible that this force did not recognize Allistor. Thus the normally nervous and gentle boy stood in a room full of crooks, ready to fight for his life.

Someone else arrived at that moment, someone who was far more certain as to what was happening. Rabbit had been able to sense the number of people leaving the hotel at such a late hour, and he was determined to find all of them. Upon arriving at the old bar, he walked toward the entrance and looked toward Henry and Allistor. "It seems we've got a bit of a commotion, don't we boys?" he inquired, seemingly nonchalant about the events happening inside, "I believe this may get quite messy." He then walked up behind one of the men blocking the door. Sensing his dark mana, and seeing Soleil inside, he knew immediately that something had happened and Soleil was in danger. Putting his hands around the man's neck gently, he whispered, "Excuse me, monsieur, but you are in my way."

He then snapped the man's neck and let him drop to the floor, as he walked in, giving no second thoughts to the man's almost-instant death. Seeing the crowd of people, he smiled behind his mask. "My, my, what a crowd. So how many more necks will I have to snap? Come now, let's have fun, everyone! It'll be just like the French Revolution," he joked morbidly.

Once again, Soleil did not even notice him. He merely summoned another mana-wolf, and he kept it by him as he waited for the woman in front of him to attack.

[Rhomaia]

After a few tense moments, the shivering and the panting stopped. Soleil became very still, and his body became cold like a statue. He then moved his hands from his face, and he did something uncharacteristic of his usual self-he swung an arm out toward one of the men at the door, and suddenly blue mana-not the normal green mana he used-flew from his palm, forming a mana-wolf. Far fiercer than the creation he had made to fight Cesare, the wolf immediately bore its teeth as it took a physical form, and it clamped down into the man's left shoulder as it reached him. The man at the door fell down, leaving an opening for him to run through. Yet Sol did not run through it. His panic was gone, but so was Soleil himself, in a way. He lifted his eyes and stared toward the woman who had called him out, and for the first time since the flight with Lynefleur, his eyes glowed, now glowing a bright-blue. In his totally black outfit and with his now-electric-blue, soulless eyes, he looked just like a Jaegar.

"Hahahaha! So we have ourselves not only a Rise, but a little Jaegar! Magnifique! Now I get to carve two tonight!" Cendre chortled madly, absolutely apathetic to the sight of one of the hoodlums being bitten and mauled by the electric blue wolf construct that had just come into existence from the Rise's hands. His eyes, a deep red, thirsted for blood, and the man wet his lips with his tongue as if he could not wait to savor the sweet taste of the boy's flesh.

The woman, however, remained more than calm in the face of the boy, who was so much stronger than he first appeared. Her steely scowl endured watching one of her own men being pushed to the ground and perhaps severely injured, but little more of a reaction came from her than a short, discontented sigh, like this was something she had seen far too many times to find entertaining. Even when the Rabbit and the students made their violent entrance, the woman was all but apathetic when it came to watching death claim lives before her.

"Amor, I do believe we have more important issues at hand than satisfying your blood fantasies. For now, I take the boy, you handle the rest." she ordered, making a sweeping motion in the direction of the incoming students. Great claws of black fire erupted from between her fingers as she did, sending a burning wave towards Soleil, the Rabbit, and everyone else who had just entered, the magnitude of their heat so great that it could be felt from the other side of the room.

Cendre cracked his knuckles and gave another maniacal cackle to the growing audience of students and Mana teachers. Clearly insane and unhinged, it was clear that he was going to enjoy every moment of this coming fight. All there was to do was wait as they came to him, then the fun would truly begin...

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


The change was complete now, and even though she should be in hiding, Tsukuyomi couldn't resist the urge to go out and explore the city, and follow that little child. She felt sure he would get into some kind of trouble, and it wasn't wise to ignore her feelings in this state. So she flew out over the city, a dual pair of pale purple insectoid, butterfly like wings pushing her along, as she felt the air rush over her glowing blue flesh. Six eyes shined brighter than her flesh, and a light, almost happy purple a extra pair both above and below where human eyes were expected to be. Oddly enough, her hair had changed from the vibrant blue it naturally was, and now flowed around her naked body like stands of silver in the wind. She looked almost like some kind of combination between a flower, a butterfly, a human woman, and some sort of luminescent deep see creature. A strong magical veil protected her from prying eyes, any mundane person would still see her, but wouldn't take an special note of the sight, and would forget it almost instantly upon looking away. There was always the chance of getting caught on camera, but the veil would render any images blurry. Perhaps some UFO sightings would come of it, but nothing more.
Eventually she found Soliel's presence, and landed outside of the building, touching down gracefully, as if her body had no weight. She let out a bright, clear laugh, it had been quite a while since she had been able to truely enjoy a flight like that. She started to hum a little tune as she expanded her senses and started feeling around the building. Tempers were running high, and anger, hatred and fear radiated out of the room. The emotions were delicious, so raw, primal. Still, such negative feelings had a sticky, heavy after taste, there was only so much of it she could stand. It would be best to handle her business here quickly. So she entered the bar, her veil hiding her from any non-mages, and even some of those weaker with magical talent.

"Oh, Soli, Rabbit, just who I was looking for. I would never have expected either of you to frequent a place like this. Oh my. It seems you've already caused quite the commotion. Perhaps it was a good thing I arrived when I did."

[Luminesa]

After a few tense moments, the shivering and the panting stopped. Soleil became very still, and his body became cold like a statue. He then moved his hands from his face, and he did something uncharacteristic of his usual self-he swung an arm out toward one of the men at the door, and suddenly blue mana-not the normal green mana he used-flew from his palm, forming a mana-wolf. Far fiercer than the creation he had made to fight Cesare, the wolf immediately bore its teeth as it took a physical form, and it clamped down into the man's left shoulder as it reached him. The man at the door fell down, leaving an opening for him to run through. Yet Sol did not run through it. His panic was gone, but so was Soleil himself, in a way. He lifted his eyes and stared toward the woman who had called him out, and for the first time since the flight with Lynefleur, his eyes glowed, now glowing a bright-blue. In his totally black outfit and with his now-electric-blue, soulless eyes, he looked just like a Jaegar.

"Hahahaha! So we have ourselves not only a Rise, but a little Jaegar! Magnifique! Now I get to carve two tonight!" Cendre chortled madly, absolutely apathetic to the sight of one of the hoodlums being bitten and mauled by the electric blue wolf construct that had just come into existence from the Rise's hands. His eyes, a deep red, thirsted for blood, and the man wet his lips with his tongue as if he could not wait to savor the sweet taste of the boy's flesh.

The woman, however, remained more than calm in the face of the boy, who was so much stronger than he first appeared. Her steely scowl endured watching one of her own men being pushed to the ground and perhaps severely injured, but little more of a reaction came from her than a short, discontented sigh, like this was something she had seen far too many times to find entertaining. Even when the Rabbit and the students made their violent entrance, the woman was all but apathetic when it came to watching death claim lives before her.

"Amor, I do believe we have more important issues at hand than satisfying your blood fantasies. For now, I take the boy, you handle the rest." she ordered, making a sweeping motion in the direction of the incoming students. Great claws of black fire erupted from between her fingers as she did, sending a burning wave towards Soleil, the Rabbit, and everyone else who had just entered, the magnitude of their heat so great that it could be felt from the other side of the room.

Cendre cracked his knuckles and gave another maniacal cackle to the growing audience of students and Mana teachers. Clearly insane and unhinged, it was clear that he was going to enjoy every moment of this coming fight. All there was to do was wait as they came to him, then the fun would truly begin...

Rabbit sighed, as he listened to Cendre laugh. "Well, well. Another monster, I see. You like to carve, sir? Well, so do I. Here's my carving knife," he answered calmly. He then formed his water with his hand, creating a huge broadsword made of ice. "Now, then. Shall we begin, monsieur? Or are you going to continue standing in that corner eyeing me, like hungry wolf staring down a fresh piece of meat? I don't particularly care for being ogled-at, if you know what I mean." In his mind, of course, he was far more serious. I must finish this one quickly, so I can get Soleil out of here. He will get killed if he tries to fight this woman.

Meanwhile, Soleil summoned a burst of wind from his hands, and it destroyed the wave of fire that was coming for him. He then took the same wind, and he held it over his head. It immediately took the form of a huge dragon, one that was high enough to reach the ceiling. The wind around the boy built into a small cyclone, acting as a thin shield against the woman's attacks.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

After a few tense moments, the shivering and the panting stopped. Soleil became very still, and his body became cold like a statue. He then moved his hands from his face, and he did something uncharacteristic of his usual self-he swung an arm out toward one of the men at the door, and suddenly blue mana-not the normal green mana he used-flew from his palm, forming a mana-wolf. Far fiercer than the creation he had made to fight Cesare, the wolf immediately bore its teeth as it took a physical form, and it clamped down into the man's left shoulder as it reached him. The man at the door fell down, leaving an opening for him to run through. Yet Sol did not run through it. His panic was gone, but so was Soleil himself, in a way. He lifted his eyes and stared toward the woman who had called him out, and for the first time since the flight with Lynefleur, his eyes glowed, now glowing a bright-blue. In his totally black outfit and with his now-electric-blue, soulless eyes, he looked just like a Jaegar.

"Hahahaha! So we have ourselves not only a Rise, but a little Jaegar! Magnifique! Now I get to carve two tonight!" Cendre chortled madly, absolutely apathetic to the sight of one of the hoodlums being bitten and mauled by the electric blue wolf construct that had just come into existence from the Rise's hands. His eyes, a deep red, thirsted for blood, and the man wet his lips with his tongue as if he could not wait to savor the sweet taste of the boy's flesh.

The woman, however, remained more than calm in the face of the boy, who was so much stronger than he first appeared. Her steely scowl endured watching one of her own men being pushed to the ground and perhaps severely injured, but little more of a reaction came from her than a short, discontented sigh, like this was something she had seen far too many times to find entertaining. Even when the Rabbit and the students made their violent entrance, the woman was all but apathetic when it came to watching death claim lives before her.

"Amor, I do believe we have more important issues at hand than satisfying your blood fantasies. For now, I take the boy, you handle the rest." she ordered, making a sweeping motion in the direction of the incoming students. Great claws of black fire erupted from between her fingers as she did, sending a burning wave towards Soleil, the Rabbit, and everyone else who had just entered, the magnitude of their heat so great that it could be felt from the other side of the room.

Cendre cracked his knuckles and gave another maniacal cackle to the growing audience of students and Mana teachers. Clearly insane and unhinged, it was clear that he was going to enjoy every moment of this coming fight. All there was to do was wait as they came to him, then the fun would truly begin...

Henry Von Kressel

Henry didn't even have the time to talk. The flying wave of fire came into his direction, only to be blocked by a pillar of earth that erupted from the ground, protecting Henry's body and extending itself to protect Allistor.

When it came down, Henry simply unbuttoned his jacket, showing a slight discomfort at the fighting. Calmly, he looked at the woman.

"Allistor, stay with me. We're fighting in a duo. But, lady... Allow me to say that you have made a considerable mistake. Rabbit, it's good to see you here."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


The change was complete now, and even though she should be in hiding, Tsukuyomi couldn't resist the urge to go out and explore the city, and follow that little child. She felt sure he would get into some kind of trouble, and it wasn't wise to ignore her feelings in this state. So she flew out over the city, a dual pair of pale purple insectoid, butterfly like wings pushing her along, as she felt the air rush over her glowing blue flesh. Six eyes shined brighter than her flesh, and a light, almost happy purple a extra pair both above and below where human eyes were expected to be. Oddly enough, her hair had changed from the vibrant blue it naturally was, and now flowed around her naked body like stands of silver in the wind. She looked almost like some kind of combination between a flower, a butterfly, a human woman, and some sort of luminescent deep see creature. A strong magical veil protected her from prying eyes, any mundane person would still see her, but wouldn't take an special note of the sight, and would forget it almost instantly upon looking away. There was always the chance of getting caught on camera, but the veil would render any images blurry. Perhaps some UFO sightings would come of it, but nothing more.
Eventually she found Soliel's presence, and landed outside of the building, touching down gracefully, as if her body had no weight. She let out a bright, clear laugh, it had been quite a while since she had been able to truely enjoy a flight like that. She started to hum a little tune as she expanded her senses and started feeling around the building. Tempers were running high, and anger, hatred and fear radiated out of the room. The emotions were delicious, so raw, primal. Still, such negative feelings had a sticky, heavy after taste, there was only so much of it she could stand. It would be best to handle her business here quickly. So she entered the bar, her veil hiding her from any non-mages, and even some of those weaker with magical talent.

"Oh, Soli, Rabbit, just who I was looking for. I would never have expected either of you to frequent a place like this. Oh my. It seems you've already caused quite the commotion. Perhaps it was a good thing I arrived when I did."

"Tsukiyomi-hakase!" Rabbit turned and greeted her casually, as he waited for Cendre to attack him, "You look...different. But beautiful, nonetheless. You've come to help me against this rough little crowd, I suppose? It seems Soleil has managed to get himself into a bit of a hassle, and we're going to need to get him out of here." He then turned back to Cendre and smiled. "You see? Now you get to fight two! I'm sure we'll have lots of fun now, won't we?" He himself was having too much fun taunting his bloodthirsty opponent, though he knew he only had limited time to save the boy and to quell the riot that was sure to happen, now that the fight had officially started around them. Upon seeing Henry enter the room as well, he smiled also toward he and Allistor. "...And now you both make four of us! Splendid! We'll bring the roof down on this awful little shack!" he cheered.

[Rhomaia]

Rabbit sighed, as he listened to Cendre laugh. "Well, well. Another monster, I see. You like to carve, sir? Well, so do I. Here's my carving knife," he answered calmly. He then formed his water with his hand, creating a huge broadsword made of ice. "Now, then. Shall we begin, monsieur? Or are you going to continue standing in that corner eyeing me, like a hungry wolf staring down a fresh piece of meat? I don't particularly care for being ogled-at, if you know what I mean." In his mind, of course, he was far more serious. I must finish this one quickly, so I can get Soleil out of here. He will get killed if he tries to fight this woman.

Meanwhile, Soleil summoned a burst of wind from his hands, and it destroyed the wave of fire that was coming for him. He then took the same wind, and he held it over his head. It immediately took the form of a huge dragon, one that was high enough to reach the ceiling. The wind around the boy built into a small cyclone, acting as a thin shield against the woman's attacks.

"Oh, I would call that a pathetic excuse for a knife!" Cendre cackled, either amused by the Rabbit's attempts at humor or simply unable to contain himself at the thought of the bloodbath that was soon to unfold before him. Aside from that, he didn't look at all intimidated by the sheer size of the masked professor's icy greatsword, and in response lifted up his foot and put it to the ground, causing a tremor beneath both of their feet and propelling two shards of earth upwards from the ground, forming two sickle shaped harpe swords that he held in reverse grip. Without another word, he rushed forward towards the Rabbit with unnatural speed, poised to tear him and his ice blade apart.

At Soleil's stunt and Henry's comment, the woman gave only a quiet "Hmph." as if uninterested by either. The sheer lunacy of this situation was not the consequence she had expected in her attempt to capture the Rise, but nonetheless she knew very well how to deal with battles like these. After all, God only knew how many men had met their end by her hand.

With unprecedented speed, the woman flew towards Soleil with her infernal talons bared, her form only a mere shadow in the dim light of the room. She was barely visible to any of them now, and not even her once fiery eyes pierced the veil of darkness that converged upon the boy now, the sea of shadow that threatened to drown him once it finally washed over him and the rest...

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor's eyes widened at the incoming wave of fire and it was met by blazing azure fire. The black fire froze on contanct, looking like black diamonds carved in the figure of flames. Allistor reached for it and it cracked, sending deadly sharpnel across the room. Two people found themselves pierced in the eye and neck and three had their spinal cords targetted. A low laugh originated from within his being and a large smile painted his face. "Mom would be proud of me." In his hand, Mizar formed from the frostfire that enveloped his fists. He ignored Henry's advice and teleported right in front of one of the mobs and skewered him. His body slowly crystallized and broke to tiny shards, the red drops of blood turning to jewels of ruby. Another mob rushed to attack Allistor, only to be met with a wave of his hand. Great icicles emerged from his chest like a grotesque sea urchin, killing him instantly. "No one dares harm Soleil..." He growled as he glared at the mobs, his eyes burning with blue flame. Blue fire started to circle around his feet and a wave of frost fire towards the mobs, in the shape of a dragon's maw.

[Luminesa]

Rabbit sighed, as he listened to Cendre laugh. "Well, well. Another monster, I see. You like to carve, sir? Well, so do I. Here's my carving knife," he answered calmly. He then formed his water with his hand, creating a huge broadsword made of ice. "Now, then. Shall we begin, monsieur? Or are you going to continue standing in that corner eyeing me, like a hungry wolf staring down a fresh piece of meat? I don't particularly care for being ogled-at, if you know what I mean." In his mind, of course, he was far more serious. I must finish this one quickly, so I can get Soleil out of here. He will get killed if he tries to fight this woman.

Meanwhile, Soleil summoned a burst of wind from his hands, and it destroyed the wave of fire that was coming for him. He then took the same wind, and he held it over his head. It immediately took the form of a huge dragon, one that was high enough to reach the ceiling. The wind around the boy built into a small cyclone, acting as a thin shield against the woman's attacks.

"Oh, I would call that a pathetic excuse for a knife!" Cendre cackled, either amused by the Rabbit's attempts at humor or simply unable to contain himself at the thought of the bloodbath that was soon to unfold before him. Aside from that, he didn't look at all intimidated by the sheer size of the masked professor's icy greatsword, and in response lifted up his foot and put it to the ground, causing a tremor beneath both of their feet and propelling two shards of earth upwards from the ground, forming two sickle shaped harpe swords that he held in reverse grip. Without another word, he rushed forward towards the Rabbit with unnatural speed, poised to tear him and his ice blade apart.

At Soleil's stunt and Henry's comment, the woman gave only a quiet "Hmph." as if uninterested by either. The sheer lunacy of this situation was not the consequence she had expected in her attempt to capture the Rise, but nonetheless she knew very well how to deal with battles like these. After all, God only knew how many men had met their end by her hand.

With unprecedented speed, the woman flew towards Soleil with her infernal talons bared, her form only a mere shadow in the dim light of the room. She was barely visible to any of them now, and not even her once fiery eyes pierced the veil of darkness that converged upon the boy now, the sea of shadow that threatened to drown him once it finally washed over him and the rest...

"Would you, now? I find that slightly insulting," Rabbit answered calmly. Lifting a single finger, he flicked his wrist and pointed the sword at Cendre. It then shot toward him and stabbed him right square in the chest. He missed the heart by more than a few inches, but he had essentially impaled the man. "Ahhhh. Just a little off, it seems. Oh well. You don't seem like you're human anyway. I presume you have some sort of healing factor? Or are we really done here?" he taunted, laughing slightly as he saw where he hit the crazed man in front of him. As he waited once again for his opponent's response, he turned his eyes toward Soleil.

Soleil himself was not doing as well. He fired his wind-dragon straight for the woman in front of him, but he began now to show some cracks in his armor. Soleil's personality underneath was now slightly aware of what was happening.

...Wha? Where am I?

Please remain quiet.

...H-Huh? Who is speaking to me?

I am Hide.

...H-Hide?!...B-But...weren't you in-

In the mirror? Yes. But now I am not. Please remain quiet and let me fight for you. You are in grave danger, and she will kill you.

K-Kill me?...N-No, she can't! I have to save Professor Ruta!

Soleil, stop this.

The split personalities fighting inside caused a rift in Soleil's mana-control, and thus as the dragon hit the woman, it did not hit her with the impact needed to cause damage, or to knock her out. Even the mana-wolf that had now mauled almost all of the men behind him began to dissipate, as Soleil lost control of himself. In the midst of everything, he was hit by the woman's attack, the thick shadow washing over him like a tidal wave and throwing him into the nearest wall. "...Augh...nooo..." he groaned. Now he had lost control. All of his concerns had overwhelmed him, and now he was sitting against the wall, his mana reduced to its bare minimum.

"Soleil!" Rabbit shouted. He wanted to go help him, but he had to keep Cendre back. "Henry, Allistor, please go help him. That is an order," he commanded them quickly.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"How big of a crater can I make? Or are we not doing that kind of thing? Any reason to leave the building standing?"

Liz noticed the spell directed at Soliel, and countered with one of her own, a orb of light appeared, orbited her once quickly, gaining power. After that it streaked out towards the woman, banishing her shadows and brightly illuminating the entire room. At the same another man came at her from behind, his movements uncertain and nervous, but the large knife he was holding wasn't. Liz turned to him, held out a hand, the fingers ending in small, sharp claws, and she grinned, the tips of many shape teeth showing. Just as his blade was about to reach her inhuman flesh, thunder cracked through the building and another, even brighter blast of light. The man disappeared, completely destroyed, as did the wall behind him.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

"Oh, I would call that a pathetic excuse for a knife!" Cendre cackled, either amused by the Rabbit's attempts at humor or simply unable to contain himself at the thought of the bloodbath that was soon to unfold before him. Aside from that, he didn't look at all intimidated by the sheer size of the masked professor's icy greatsword, and in response lifted up his foot and put it to the ground, causing a tremor beneath both of their feet and propelling two shards of earth upwards from the ground, forming two sickle shaped harpe swords that he held in reverse grip. Without another word, he rushed forward towards the Rabbit with unnatural speed, poised to tear him and his ice blade apart.

At Soleil's stunt and Henry's comment, the woman gave only a quiet "Hmph." as if uninterested by either. The sheer lunacy of this situation was not the consequence she had expected in her attempt to capture the Rise, but nonetheless she knew very well how to deal with battles like these. After all, God only knew how many men had met their end by her hand.

With unprecedented speed, the woman flew towards Soleil with her infernal talons bared, her form only a mere shadow in the dim light of the room. She was barely visible to any of them now, and not even her once fiery eyes pierced the veil of darkness that converged upon the boy now, the sea of shadow that threatened to drown him once it finally washed over him and the rest...

"Would you, now? I find that slightly insulting," Rabbit answered calmly. Lifting a single finger, he flicked his wrist and pointed the sword at Cendre. It then shot toward him and stabbed him right square in the chest. He missed the heart by more than a few inches, but he had essentially impaled the man. "Ahhhh. Just a little off, it seems. Oh well. You don't seem like you're human anyway. I presume you have some sort of healing factor? Or are we really done here?" he taunted, laughing slightly as he saw where he hit the crazed man in front of him. As he waited once again for his opponent's response, he turned his eyes toward Soleil.

Soleil himself was not doing as well. He fired his wind-dragon straight for the woman in front of him, but he began now to show some cracks in his armor. Soleil's personality underneath was now slightly aware of what was happening.

...Wha? Where am I?

Please remain quiet.

...H-Huh? Who is speaking to me?

I am Hide.

...H-Hide?!...B-But...weren't you in-

In the mirror? Yes. But now I am not. Please remain quiet and let me fight for you. You are in grave danger, and she will kill you.

K-Kill me?...N-No, she can't! I have to save Professor Ruta!

Soleil, stop this.

The split personalities fighting inside caused a rift in Soleil's mana-control, and thus as the dragon hit the woman, it did not hit her with the impact needed to cause damage, or to knock her out. Even the mana-wolf that had now mauled almost all of the men behind him began to dissipate, as Soleil lost control of himself. In the midst of everything, he was hit by the woman's attack, the thick shadow washing over him like a tidal wave and throwing him into the nearest wall. "...Augh...nooo..." he groaned. Now he had lost control. All of his concerns had overwhelmed him, and now he was sitting against the wall, his mana reduced to its bare minimum.

"Soleil!" Rabbit shouted. He wanted to go help him, but he had to keep Cendre back. "Henry, Allistor, please go help him. That is an order," he commanded them quickly.

Henry Von Kressel

Nodding his head in agreement to Rabbit, Henry retreated to Soleil's position, checking him for any wounds. Apparently, he was weak, maybe due to mana overuse or simply due to physical damage. However, the rest of the foes wasn't about to let Henry help Soleil that easily.

As one of them came at Henry, the answer was quick: A dart of lava went through the knee, sticking it to the ground, and Henry lashed at him, hitting a punch at his face with a stone fist, before pulling it by the hair and firebreathing furiously at the face of his enemy, killing it instantly.

Henry returned to Soleil's position, as he started to fortify his position with spikes walls, creating a triangle around them.

"Soleil, you'll be alright. Just wait..."

[Luminesa]

"Would you, now? I find that slightly insulting," Rabbit answered calmly. Lifting a single finger, he flicked his wrist and pointed the sword at Cendre. It then shot toward him and stabbed him right square in the chest. He missed the heart by more than a few inches, but he had essentially impaled the man. "Ahhhh. Just a little off, it seems. Oh well. You don't seem like you're human anyway. I presume you have some sort of healing factor? Or are we really done here?" he taunted, laughing slightly as he saw where he hit the crazed man in front of him. As he waited once again for his opponent's response, he turned his eyes toward Soleil.

Soleil himself was not doing as well. He fired his wind-dragon straight for the woman in front of him, but he began now to show some cracks in his armor. Soleil's personality underneath was now slightly aware of what was happening.

...Wha? Where am I?

Please remain quiet.

...H-Huh? Who is speaking to me?

I am Hide.

...H-Hide?!...B-But...weren't you in-

In the mirror? Yes. But now I am not. Please remain quiet and let me fight for you. You are in grave danger, and she will kill you.

K-Kill me?...N-No, she can't! I have to save Professor Ruta!

Soleil, stop this.

The split personalities fighting inside caused a rift in Soleil's mana-control, and thus as the dragon hit the woman, it did not hit her with the impact needed to cause damage, or to knock her out. Even the mana-wolf that had now mauled almost all of the men behind him began to dissipate, as Soleil lost control of himself. In the midst of everything, he was hit by the woman's attack, the thick shadow washing over him like a tidal wave and throwing him into the nearest wall. "...Augh...nooo..." he groaned. Now he had lost control. All of his concerns had overwhelmed him, and now he was sitting against the wall, his mana reduced to its bare minimum.

"Soleil!" Rabbit shouted. He wanted to go help him, but he had to keep Cendre back. "Henry, Allistor, please go help him. That is an order," he commanded them quickly.

Henry Von Kressel

Nodding his head in agreement to Rabbit, Henry retreated to Soleil's position, checking him for any wounds. Apparently, he was weak, maybe due to mana overuse or simply due to physical damage. However, the rest of the foes wasn't about to let Henry help Soleil that easily.

As one of them came at Henry, the answer was quick: A dart of lava went through the knee, sticking it to the ground, and Henry lashed at him, hitting a punch at his face with a stone fist, before pulling it by the hair and firebreathing furiously at the face of his enemy, killing it instantly.

Henry returned to Soleil's position, as he started to fortify his position with spikes walls, creating a triangle around them.

"Soleil, you'll be alright. Just wait..."

"...It burns...why does it...burn...Henry..." The boy was in actual pain now, and not just from the shadow that had overwhelmed him. Something in his mana-stream had gone horribly wrong, as he had clicked into survival mode and had decided to fight that way. He had used so much mana-more than he was used to-in such a short amount of time that it was almost like being stabbed in all of his mana-points. He was sweating, and bleeding from the mouth due to physical damage. One hit. That was all it had taken, and he was almost out of commission. Soleil felt ashamed of himself, and he tried to stand, tears welling in his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet again, to keep fighting. "...P-Professor...I-I have to...help him...but it hurts..." Watching the violence around him did not help. Allistor had bloodily killed multiple men, whereas Rabbit had already stabbed someone, Henry had burned someone to death, and Tsukiyomi had turned someone to dust. He felt weak in comparison, and yet he still wanted to fight. "...P-Please help me, Henry...I-I can't run away..." he whispered, as he tried to summon a weapon with his mana.

[True Refuge]

RETCONNED

Dr Quartz Ernst

The tournament ended without incident, and so the Cane wasn't needed. As soon as the judges had sent everyone away, he'd seen Natalie and Rabbit disappear, along with the contestants. The audience had filed out considerably slowly, and a few of those who recognised him tried to strike up a chat with him, their wallets loosened by a sighting of the pendant. Quartz would have normally enjoyed the extra business, but at every inquiry into his wares he had to dismiss them.

That was the first sign of his sister's orders becoming a massively obtrusive pain, and there'd certainly be more. Quartz had shoved past a small crowd of potential customers and out the doors quite eagerly. Even with all the concern, it was unlikely that may of them would have been able to afford any of his more refined products. There were so few grander Nobleblood family members here, and most of those were the students attending. He had already sold items of such value and far more to their mothers and fathers, and they would approach him if they wanted anything more. They hadn't, and so he left.

His first destination was his room. The elevator dinged and opened, and he calmly moved to stand in front of his door. It was closed and locked, of course. He looked down at the lock, traced a circle around the doorknob. The wood rippled outwards, and as the oscillation passed through it rows and rows of his handiwork was revealed from its stealth, extended out radially from the knob and lock. He sighed halfway through. Amber had clearly tried to use her mana to unlock it as a part of her Wall-Walking sub-magics. The runes were gleaming a brazen crimson, a sign that the magic had been tampered with. Ruby had been with her.

Amber would have tried to unlock it, only to be be unsurprised when her magic didn't work. Next she would have tried chopping through the door with her sword, but that too would have failed. His Reinforcementand Fortify runic creations were far too strong for that, and so Ruby would have tried once more. She was always so keen to look to observe him, to make sure. It was a little interesting game they played, trying to outdo each other with runes, but this time she wasn't really trying. All she wanted was the Sceptre, and there was nothing in his room that would lead to that.

He quickly ducked into the room and grabbed a white strip of silk off the same bedtable he had picked his gun up off on that morning, and stuffed it in a pocket. A bowtie, and a very special one of his, just in case a situation came up in which he had to be presentable. He pulled his coat off a rack and slipped into it, welcoming the sudden warmth.

The room was secure, thankfully. With another touch, he reset the inscriptions on the door, watched them fade back to a passively dim blue. The effort tired him somewhat, too much for an ordinary reset. Ruby had put that particular sequence in there somewhere, to mess with him. It still wasn't much, but now the idea of returning to his workshop and continuing his projects was no longer appealing. A drink and food, however, was accepted, and Quartz made his way back down to the lobby.

The hotel was already causing him frustration, mainly due to Lapis residing somewhere in it, and that distant cousin would probably try to strike him up for a conversation if he went anywhere near the upmarket restaurants or drinking establishments. A talk about the Ernst family affairs with the matter of Amber and Ruby trying to break into his room on his mind was the absolute last thing that he wanted to do, especially with the Cleavers waiting by. It was too unnerving. So, to spite his relatives, Quartz made the decision to travel to something unsuitable for either person's standards.

That was a mistake, and it became apparent once he saw the sort of people who hung out in the areas where such down-market businesses reside, but his desire to avoid Lapis was far stronger than that for thousand-dollar wine bottles and overly fancy cuisine. After all, he could simply go tomorrow and deal with Lapis when he had the right mood to do so. It took a few minutes to find a pub like that that Lapis would not stoop low enough to enter, a time in which Quartz spent battling the frigid Parisian night air and listening to his Cane clack every other step without putting any weight on it. The sign bearing La Coupe de Bronze was far more than a little run-down, and Quartz raised an eyebrow at it, especially the muffled sounds of yet another commotion within. Perhaps Bourbon had decided to drop to the bottom of a bottle when she conceded that she couldn't do a single thing about her anguish and disgracefulness. A flash of blue light shone out of a window.

As these things often go, Quartz's eyes widened a little when he reached the entrance after the ardours task pushing past a few of those weaker-willed patrons who were making their exit, and what appeared to be drunkards on the floor out cold, although upon a closer look, he saw the man's head was turned to an odd, inhuman angle. A barfight, perhaps, one that went too far, was the most likely scenario, but it was very early in the evening for violence like that. Only the true alcoholics would be that drunk at this early hour. Tentatively, he entered.

What he wished would have been a hour or two sipping at a glass of incredibly cheap wine, Scotch or whatever else he would have felt like, was dealt away with by the sight of another man with a sword driven through his torso, a crash, a missing wall and one of the students cowering behind a selection of magically-created defences. Before anyone noticed, he scanned the place with a scrying rune, and found it to be overflowing with powerful Mana of many, many different kinds.

He breathed in heavily and slowly, tightening his grip on the Cane's hooked top, and holding his right hand up close to the inside of his coat, near his left armpit, instinctively. The cane was one of the traditional long hooked ones, thick and made of solid oak. It'd be useful, since he probably wouldn't be able to leave.

Without fear, he reached for the revolver's holster, pushed out his thumb, and pulled back the hammer. The click made when the gun primed was loud in a sudden moment of silence.

"What the bloody hell's going on here?"

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry Von Kressel

Nodding his head in agreement to Rabbit, Henry retreated to Soleil's position, checking him for any wounds. Apparently, he was weak, maybe due to mana overuse or simply due to physical damage. However, the rest of the foes wasn't about to let Henry help Soleil that easily.

As one of them came at Henry, the answer was quick: A dart of lava went through the knee, sticking it to the ground, and Henry lashed at him, hitting a punch at his face with a stone fist, before pulling it by the hair and firebreathing furiously at the face of his enemy, killing it instantly.

Henry returned to Soleil's position, as he started to fortify his position with spikes walls, creating a triangle around them.

"Soleil, you'll be alright. Just wait..."

"...It burns...why does it...burn...Henry..." The boy was in actual pain now, and not just from the shadow that had overwhelmed him. Something in his mana-stream had gone horribly wrong, as he had clicked into survival mode and had decided to fight that way. He had used so much mana-more than he was used to-in such a short amount of time that it was almost like being stabbed in all of his mana-points. He was sweating, and bleeding from the mouth due to physical damage. One hit. That was all it had taken, and he was almost out of commission. Soleil felt ashamed of himself, and he tried to stand, tears welling in his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet again, to keep fighting. "...P-Professor...I-I have to...help him...but it hurts..." Watching the violence around him did not help. Allistor had bloodily killed multiple men, whereas Rabbit had already stabbed someone, Henry had burned someone to death, and Tsukiyomi had turned someone to dust. He felt weak in comparison, and yet he still wanted to fight. "...P-Please help me, Henry...I-I can't run away..." he whispered, as he tried to summon a weapon with his mana.

Henry Von Kressel

It enraged Henry. What they did to Soleil, who was always a kind, humble and caring person, had no excuse. With a calm tone, he placed his hand on Soleil's shoulder, trying to reassure his friend that he was going to be saved.

"Too much mana, Soleil. Don't worry, I'll help Rabbit as well, alright? You can't run away, and you won't. Because there'll be no one to chase you after we end here. Don't try to summon anything. Trust my walls to protect you. You were brave, Soleil. No one, absolutely no one can say the contrary. We are all proud of you, and we are going to get you out of here."

The walls got hit from outside, and Henry's answer was swift. From the outside, one could see the aggressors getting impaled by spikes, killing them instantly.

"Soleil, stay with me. Don't pass out. Remember the things you like, the things you love, okay? We are surviving through this one. They are nothing compared to what we have faced before."

[Luminesa]

Dr Quartz Ernst

The tournament ended without incident, and so the Cane wasn't needed. As soon as the judges had sent everyone away, he'd seen Natalie and Rabbit disappear, along with the contestants. The audience had filed out considerably slowly, and a few of those who recognised him tried to strike up a chat with him, their wallets loosened by a sighting of the pendant. Quartz would have normally enjoyed the extra business, but at every inquiry into his wares he had to dismiss them.

That was the first sign of his sister's orders becoming a massively obtrusive pain, and there'd certainly be more. Quartz had shoved past a small crowd of potential customers and out the doors quite eagerly. Even with all the concern, it was unlikely that may of them would have been able to afford any of his more refined products. There were so few grander Nobleblood family members here, and most of those were the students attending. He had already sold items of such value and far more to their mothers and fathers, and they would approach him if they wanted anything more. They hadn't, and so he left.

His first destination was his room. The elevator dinged and opened, and he calmly moved to stand in front of his door. It was closed and locked, of course. He looked down at the lock, traced a circle around the doorknob. The wood rippled outwards, and as the oscillation passed through it rows and rows of his handiwork was revealed from its stealth, extended out radially from the knob and lock. He sighed halfway through. Amber had clearly tried to use her mana to unlock it as a part of her Wall-Walking sub-magics. The runes were gleaming a brazen crimson, a sign that the magic had been tampered with. Ruby had been with her.

Amber would have tried to unlock it, only to be be unsurprised when her magic didn't work. Next she would have tried chopping through the door with her sword, but that too would have failed. His Reinforcementand Fortify runic creations were far too strong for that, and so Ruby would have tried once more. She was always so keen to look to observe him, to make sure. It was a little interesting game they played, trying to outdo each other with runes, but this time she wasn't really trying. All she wanted was the Sceptre, and there was nothing in his room that would lead to that.

He quickly ducked into the room and grabbed a white strip of silk off the same bedtable he had picked his gun up off on that morning, and stuffed it in a pocket. A bowtie, and a very special one of his, just in case a situation came up in which he had to be presentable. He pulled his coat off a rack and slipped into it, welcoming the sudden warmth.

The room was secure, thankfully. With another touch, he reset the inscriptions on the door, watched them fade back to a passively dim blue. The effort tired him somewhat, too much for an ordinary reset. Ruby had put that particular sequence in there somewhere, to mess with him. It still wasn't much, but now the idea of returning to his workshop and continuing his projects was no longer appealing. A drink and food, however, was accepted, and Quartz made his way back down to the lobby.

The hotel was already causing him frustration, mainly due to Lapis residing somewhere in it, and that distant cousin would probably try to strike him up for a conversation if he went anywhere near the upmarket restaurants or drinking establishments. A talk about the Ernst family affairs with the matter of Amber and Ruby trying to break into his room on his mind was the absolute last thing that he wanted to do, especially with the Cleavers waiting by. It was too unnerving. So, to spite his relatives, Quartz made the decision to travel to something unsuitable for either person's standards.

That was a mistake, and it became apparent once he saw the sort of people who hung out in the areas where such down-market businesses reside, but his desire to avoid Lapis was far stronger than that for thousand-dollar wine bottles and overly fancy cuisine. After all, he could simply go tomorrow and deal with Lapis when he had the right mood to do so. It took a few minutes to find a pub like that that Lapis would not stoop low enough to enter, a time in which Quartz spent battling the frigid Parisian night air and listening to his Cane clack every other step without putting any weight on it. The sign bearing La Coupe de Bronze was far more than a little run-down, and Quartz raised an eyebrow at it, especially the muffled sounds of yet another commotion within. Perhaps Bourbon had decided to drop to the bottom of a bottle when she conceded that she couldn't do a single thing about her anguish and disgracefulness. A flash of blue light shone out of a window.

As these things often go, Quartz's eyes widened a little when he reached the entrance after the ardours task pushing past a few of those weaker-willed patrons who were making their exit, and what appeared to be drunkards on the floor out cold, although upon a closer look, he saw the man's head was turned to an odd, inhuman angle. A barfight, perhaps, one that went too far, was the most likely scenario, but it was very early in the evening for violence like that. Only the true alcoholics would be that drunk at this early hour. Tentatively, he entered.

What he wished would have been a hour or two sipping at a glass of incredibly cheap wine, Scotch or whatever else he would have felt like, was dealt away with by the sight of another man with a sword driven through his torso, a crash, a missing wall and one of the students cowering behind a selection of magically-created defences. Before anyone noticed, he scanned the place with a scrying rune, and found it to be overflowing with powerful Mana of many, many different kinds.

He breathed in heavily and slowly, tightening his grip on the Cane's hooked top, and holding his right hand up close to the inside of his coat, near his left armpit, instinctively. The cane was one of the traditional long hooked ones, thick and made of solid oak. It'd be useful, since he probably wouldn't be able to leave.

Without fear, he reached for the revolver's holster, pushed out his thumb, and pulled back the hammer. The click made when the gun primed was loud in a sudden moment of silence.

"What the bloody hell's going on here?"

Rabbit saw Quartz arrive, and as Cendre bled behind him, he turned his head and waved calmly to him. "Quartz! I'm afraid you've shown-up a little late. Soleil, one of the students, came here for reasons we are not sure of, one thing led to another, and...well...now we're all in a fight. Not sure how much you'll be able to do, since it seems quite a few of our enemies are either dead or dying, but you can always stand-by in case you're needed. We may need you to take a look at Soleil in a few minutes, as his mana may not be acting right," he answered him, though at the sight-and sound-of the gun, he had seemingly jumped a bit. He started to sweat underneath his robes and mask, at the sight of the small pistol, but he ignored it and decided to turn back to fighting. He had to finish Cendre before he could turn his back for real.

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor's holding one of his opponents by the neck using his left hand, each finger covered with ice that ended with claws. The ice claws digged into the man's airway, making him choke at Allistor's grip and in his own blood. Mizar's been dripping with blood and his sleeves are both stained by it, making it look like a darker shade of black in the lighting of the place.

As his opponent slowly slumped into lifelessness, he dropped the corpse on the dirty floor where icicles speared through his body. He stomped on it for good measure and the icicles pushed further out of his victim's body. Allistor brought a bloody glowed hand to wipe his sweat off his forehead, slightly staining it with the sticky red substance. He snapped back to his senses when he heard Soleil groan and protest in pain to Henry, teleporting with the two. He held Sol's hand and whispered to him. "No, please rest. You've exhausted yourself already. We'll handle this."

[Luminesa]

"...It burns...why does it...burn...Henry..." The boy was in actual pain now, and not just from the shadow that had overwhelmed him. Something in his mana-stream had gone horribly wrong, as he had clicked into survival mode and had decided to fight that way. He had used so much mana-more than he was used to-in such a short amount of time that it was almost like being stabbed in all of his mana-points. He was sweating, and bleeding from the mouth due to physical damage. One hit. That was all it had taken, and he was almost out of commission. Soleil felt ashamed of himself, and he tried to stand, tears welling in his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet again, to keep fighting. "...P-Professor...I-I have to...help him...but it hurts..." Watching the violence around him did not help. Allistor had bloodily killed multiple men, whereas Rabbit had already stabbed someone, Henry had burned someone to death, and Tsukiyomi had turned someone to dust. He felt weak in comparison, and yet he still wanted to fight. "...P-Please help me, Henry...I-I can't run away..." he whispered, as he tried to summon a weapon with his mana.

Henry Von Kressel

It enraged Henry. What they did to Soleil, who was always a kind, humble and caring person, had no excuse. With a calm tone, he placed his hand on Soleil's shoulder, trying to reassure his friend that he was going to be saved.

"Too much mana, Soleil. Don't worry, I'll help Rabbit as well, alright? You can't run away, and you won't. Because there'll be no one to chase you after we end here. Don't try to summon anything. Trust my walls to protect you. You were brave, Soleil. No one, absolutely no one can say the contrary. We are all proud of you, and we are going to get you out of here."

The walls got hit from outside, and Henry's answer was swift. From the outside, one could see the aggressors getting impaled by spikes, killing them instantly.

"Soleil, stay with me. Don't pass out. Remember the things you like, the things you love, okay? We are surviving through this one. They are nothing compared to what we have faced before."

The boy turned to Henry and Allistor, his eyes still wide with fright, and he nodded weakly to Allistor as he released his mana and sat down. "...I-I...I-I came here to find Professor Ruta...I-I've looked all over the city for him...I-I couldn't save him...I-I couldn't save him...H-Henry...Allistor...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry for causing all of this..." he sighed sadly, putting his face back into his hands again as he sat and waited for all of it to be over. The violence horrified him, and he was certain Ruta was gone. As much as it was not his fault, he felt like it was his fault, all because he had told the Jaegar he had wanted to be just like him. He had angered him, and now he was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it but let his good friends comfort him like kind, protective older brothers.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry Von Kressel

It enraged Henry. What they did to Soleil, who was always a kind, humble and caring person, had no excuse. With a calm tone, he placed his hand on Soleil's shoulder, trying to reassure his friend that he was going to be saved.

"Too much mana, Soleil. Don't worry, I'll help Rabbit as well, alright? You can't run away, and you won't. Because there'll be no one to chase you after we end here. Don't try to summon anything. Trust my walls to protect you. You were brave, Soleil. No one, absolutely no one can say the contrary. We are all proud of you, and we are going to get you out of here."

The walls got hit from outside, and Henry's answer was swift. From the outside, one could see the aggressors getting impaled by spikes, killing them instantly.

"Soleil, stay with me. Don't pass out. Remember the things you like, the things you love, okay? We are surviving through this one. They are nothing compared to what we have faced before."

The boy turned to Henry and Allistor, his eyes still wide with fright, and he nodded weakly to Allistor as he released his mana and sat down. "...I-I...I-I came here to find Professor Ruta...I-I've looked all over the city for him...I-I couldn't save him...I-I couldn't save him...H-Henry...Allistor...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry for causing all of this..." he sighed sadly, putting his face back into his hands again as he sat and waited for all of it to be over. The violence horrified him, and he was certain Ruta was gone. As much as it was not his fault, he felt like it was his fault, all because he had told the Jaegar he had wanted to be just like him. He had angered him, and now he was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it but let his good friends comfort him like kind, protective older brothers.

Henry Von Kressel

"No need to say sorry, Soleil... It wasn't your fault. Rest. Rest now. We'll go back to the hotel, and I can explain everything to Kasumi, right? Rest now."

Deep breaths. One after the other, he needed to calm himself down. What he would explain to Kasumi? Why they did it to Soleil? The poor boy who often preferred to stay quiet around his constructs and animals, now laid wounded in front of Henry's eyes.

"Allistor... We need to protect Soleil. And finish them."

[Charlia]

Himiko's eyes opened slowly, and she bit back a moan of pain. Of course she wasn't in any real pain, but the phantom pain from the dream was still fresh in her mind. The agony of having your soul ripped out of your body as you're slowly devoured... and all the while that Momoko-like thing had been...

Oh, gods...

She stifled a whimper of horror, curling up tightly in her bed and pressing her face into the pillow to muffle her fast, shallow breaths. Her heart was racing, though it slowed down bit by bit as the room around her began to come into focus. There was another bed nearby, someone lying under blankets, and--

Pink hair.

Her heartbeat picked up again, and she closed her eyes tightly. It's the real Momoko-chan. She's the real thing. It's not that creature, whatever that was, it's her... it's Momoko-chan... She wouldn't hurt you... She wouldn't...

...But she already did, didn't she?

No. No, that wasn't her fault. It's not her fault that she doesn't love me--

Of course not. It's your fault, isn't it? Because you're not good enough for her, or anyone else. I mean, really. Has anyone ever said that they love you? Can you remember anyone, in your entire life, saying that they love you? Ever?!

...

...Well? Nothing?

...

I didn't think so.

And you can't even go to her for comfort, can you? Of course you can't! She'd be horrified that you had a nightmare like that, and she'd hug you and try to make you feel better, but for all her efforts all she would do would be to make you feel even worse! Because of course the only version of her who ever showed you the affection you wanted was a nightmare! And if you told her the details, you'd just make her sick! You'd scare her! So you're just going to lie here and not reach out to anyone, right?

...Of course I am...

That's what I thought. At least you have some sense. Now stop that crying and go back to sleep, or at the very least act like you're asleep. You don't want to disturb anyone, after all.

---

"Hikari-chan, I'm back." The door closed, and she looked up from her book. "What are you reading?"

"Manga," she responded with a shrug, holding up what currently had her attention captured. He just chuckled.

"Do you ever stop reading manga?"

"I like it," she responded with a hint of fire in her eyes. "I happen to be fond of fiction. It usually has happy endings."

He took his coat off and hung it up, shaking his head with a smile. "I wasn't criticizing you, Hikari-chan." Covertly, she glanced at the clock. It was getting late, and she stifled a sigh as she took a peek at his eyes. Yes, she knew what he wanted. It was the same almost every night. And the more nights passed, the more she began to wonder if she was doing the right thing.

You have to, she told herself. It's a fair trade. Just do this and he'll keep you safe. It's not a bad deal... and besides, if he hadn't come along when he did, you'd be in a much worse situation right now, if you weren't dead.

"Hikari-chan... should we go to bed? It's pretty late," he prompted gently, and she nodded, even that simple motion feeling like it completely exhausted her.

I don't want to, she thought, her heart aching. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home...

You can't go home! she scolded herself. You know that! Your parents are dead and your sister probably hates you, this is all you have left! No one else will ever care about you at all, you should be thankful that you have anyone in the world willing to hold you and keep you safe, and this is all you have to do! Just give him what he wants!

Turning away and blinking back a few tears, she slowly unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall to the ground, forcing herself to put on her most charming and inviting smile.

Just get it over with. Everything will be okay, and then after it's over, you'll have an entire night and a day to yourself again, where no one touches you. You know this is the only option you have that will keep you safe. It could be worse. In the grand scheme of things, he's not asking you for very much at all... Just get it over with.

In her sleep, Hikari clutched Natalie tightly to her chest, tears streaming from beneath her closed eyelids. She didn't feel the tiny doll reach up and dry her face.

Even in her dreams, she didn't feel any affection at all.

[Luminesa]

Himiko's eyes opened slowly, and she bit back a moan of pain. Of course she wasn't in any real pain, but the phantom pain from the dream was still fresh in her mind. The agony of having your soul ripped out of your body as you're slowly devoured... and all the while that Momoko-like thing had been...

Oh, gods...

She stifled a whimper of horror, curling up tightly in her bed and pressing her face into the pillow to muffle her fast, shallow breaths. Her heart was racing, though it slowed down bit by bit as the room around her began to come into focus. There was another bed nearby, someone lying under blankets, and--

Pink hair.

Her heartbeat picked up again, and she closed her eyes tightly. It's the real Momoko-chan. She's the real thing. It's not that creature, whatever that was, it's her... it's Momoko-chan... She wouldn't hurt you... She wouldn't...

...But she already did, didn't she?

No. No, that wasn't her fault. It's not her fault that she doesn't love me--

Of course not. It's your fault, isn't it? Because you're not good enough for her, or anyone else. I mean, really. Has anyone ever said that they love you? Can you remember anyone, in your entire life, saying that they love you? Ever?!

...

...Well? Nothing?

...

I didn't think so.

And you can't even go to her for comfort, can you? Of course you can't! She'd be horrified that you had a nightmare like that, and she'd hug you and try to make you feel better, but for all her efforts all she would do would be to make you feel even worse! Because of course the only version of her who ever showed you the affection you wanted was a nightmare! And if you told her the details, you'd just make her sick! You'd scare her! So you're just going to lie here and not reach out to anyone, right?

...Of course I am...

That's what I thought. At least you have some sense. Now stop that crying and go back to sleep, or at the very least act like you're asleep. You don't want to disturb anyone, after all.

---

"Hikari-chan, I'm back." The door closed, and she looked up from her book. "What are you reading?"

"Manga," she responded with a shrug, holding up what currently had her attention captured. He just chuckled.

"Do you ever stop reading manga?"

"I like it," she responded with a hint of fire in her eyes. "I happen to be fond of fiction. It usually has happy endings."

He took his coat off and hung it up, shaking his head with a smile. "I wasn't criticizing you, Hikari-chan." Covertly, she glanced at the clock. It was getting late, and she stifled a sigh as she took a peek at his eyes. Yes, she knew what he wanted. It was the same almost every night. And the more nights passed, the more she began to wonder if she was doing the right thing.

You have to, she told herself. It's a fair trade. Just do this and he'll keep you safe. It's not a bad deal... and besides, if he hadn't come along when he did, you'd be in a much worse situation right now, if you weren't dead.

"Hikari-chan... should we go to bed? It's pretty late," he prompted gently, and she nodded, even that simple motion feeling like it completely exhausted her.

I don't want to, she thought, her heart aching. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home...

You can't go home! she scolded herself. You know that! Your parents are dead and your sister probably hates you, this is all you have left! No one else will ever care about you at all, you should be thankful that you have anyone in the world willing to hold you and keep you safe, and this is all you have to do! Just give him what he wants!

Turning away and blinking back a few tears, she slowly unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall to the ground, forcing herself to put on her most charming and inviting smile.

Just get it over with. Everything will be okay, and then after it's over, you'll have an entire night and a day to yourself again, where no one touches you. You know this is the only option you have that will keep you safe. It could be worse. In the grand scheme of things, he's not asking you for very much at all... Just get it over with.

In her sleep, Hikari clutched Natalie tightly to her chest, tears streaming from beneath her closed eyelids. She didn't feel the tiny doll reach up and dry her face.

Even in her dreams, she didn't feel any affection at all.

Momoko felt Himiko awakening in terror next to her, and when the shy raven-haired girl laid back down to sleep, she indeed cuddled closer to the girl and hugged her while she slept. A tiny, innocent smile appeared on her face. With her fluffy hair a mess and wearing her pink teddy pajamas again, she looked like she could be the girl's little sister. "...It's gonna be okay Himiko-chan...I'll hug your nightmares away..." she whispered, sleepily.

The sweet event was lightened just a little more by Katsuko's mutterings on the other side of the room, as she slept on another bed. "...Yeah...take that...sauce...salsa...nachos...bam...ham sandwich...This is the best thing..." She squirmed and tossed a little, as she laid where she was. "...No, Midori-chan...my sandwich...buy your own...ngh..."

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor hugged Soleil and hushed him. "Shhh... Everything will be fine. Just stand back and we'll protect you. Even Sir Quartz is here for you. Stay strong for me okay?" He planted a small brotherly kiss on Soleil's forehead before standing up. "Henry, can you please open some of the roof of our protective dome?" He slowly formed an orb of ice magic between his hands, shining with bright white light. It looks like a snow globe, the 'glass' shell looks so fragile that it might break instantly and the contents look like a churning, raging, and terrible blizzard. "When I release this blizzard bomb, make sure to close the dome immediately"