《Pride X Kämpfer ReVamp》 Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Preface / Prologue Preface Presenting the return of Caelum Desanto and the gang of Galatea Academy. This is a revision of the original "Pride X Valkyrie ReVamp" posted here on RRL a year ago, and released as a free ebook on Smashwords. With my move to Amazon Kindle, and the interest shown in "Pride X Familiar ReVamp" we''ve decided to revisit the second volume and present the rewrite here on RRL before getting it ready for its commercial release. Chapters will be posted sparingly as I am presently in the midst of finalizing "Andraste" for its May 13th release -- yep, a Friday the 13th release date. My intention is to release the new "Pride X Valkyrie ReVamp" around November on Amazon Kindle. Anyway, those of you remember the original story will notice that while some of it has changed, much as remained the same. The benefit of having completed it once is that I was able to see where I went wrong the first time, and hopefully correct them in this version of the story. Comments are welcome. Suggestions too. The new draft is in flux, so I will be taking constructive comments and criticisms into account. With that, I present the new "Pride X Valkyrie ReVamp" to the faithful RRL members. This is of course a first draft of the new story, so please bear with it. The final Kindle release will be a polished manuscript for paying readers. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this re-vision of the story.
Prologue. (Arisa) # School Week Five. Monday evening. I drove across Habitat One, Island Three from Arcala University to Galatea Academy in traffic that normally would make my blood boil. I could have caught the mag-lev to the Academy, but I didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving my car behind at the university, despite the institutes secure parking facilities. As I said, heavy traffic like the one I was stuck in would normally have me venting steam, but today was another matter. Today, I sat in the car, crawling along the motorway, with butterflies storming in my stomach. During an afternoon lecture, I received a message on my palm-slate from none other than Galatea Academy¡¯s Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian. I had spoken to the woman in a while. In fact, I had expected to be summoned after the incident with Crimson Crescent, but for two weeks there was no summons at all. Nada. Zip. Nothing. Until today¡­. So I spent the forty minute drive from the university to the Academy pondering what the upcoming meeting would entail. I drove around Galatea Academy and pulled into its west entrance. After parking my precious Stormbird in the visitors¡¯ area, I locked the car, then made the journey to the administration building. To the south, and thus to the right of me, lay the sports fields. I watched the girls and boys of the Track-and-Field club participating in after school training, and I thought of Caprice and the aspirations she had once held. A twinge of bitterness clouded my heart, and I turned away, walking the remainder of the way to the admin building without another glance to the sports fields. No matter what¡­I will do right by her. The admin building was locked to outsiders. I had to push the intercom button and announce my arrival before being allowed inside by the building¡¯s security Assisting Awareness. However, I was told to wait in the building lobby. Doing my best not to tap my right foot impatiently, I waited with arms folded under my breasts until the arrival of a tall, slender blonde woman dressed in an immaculate business skirt suit. I knew the attractive young woman wasn¡¯t Lavinia, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t know who she was. Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian walked up to me, stopping a couple of feet away. She offered me her hand, and I shook graciously. ¡°Lady Arisa, it¡¯s good of you to come on such short notice.¡± ¡°Lady Weinberg, it¡¯s good of you to greet me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nicola, is just fine.¡± She half turned and gestured into the building. ¡°Principal Mason is expecting us. Shall we?¡± I shook my head gently. ¡°No. Before I face her, I¡¯d like to know what this is about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. You don¡¯t have to be concerned. Principal Mason has something to show you. Something you will find interesting and beneficial to your cause.¡± ¡°My cause?¡± She nodded. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± If I wanted to know what this was about, I had no choice but to do so. And so I followed Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian into an elevator, up six floors, then down a corridor to an office that occupied a significant amount of the top level¡¯s floor space. I glanced at Weinberg who walked elegantly on four-inch heels down the carpeted corridor. She had the grace of a catwalk model, and the slender figure to match the top supermodels of Pharos¡¯s fashion industry. As such, though her bust was modest, it in no way compared to mine. I smiled inwardly to myself with pride. I knew who Nicola Weinberg was¡­and who she had once been. The Mistress of the Slaughter. The leader of the Sirens of the Slaughter. However, that had all come to an end some nineteen months ago, and the one responsible for ending her career as a hunter killer for the Sanctum was none other than Celica Desanto ¨C Caelum¡¯s older sister. And now Weinberg was here¡­at Galatea Academy. My stomach clenched uneasily. The double doors to the office opened as Weinberg and I approached them. Stepping inside, I found myself standing in a lavish office with a back wall composed of floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of Galatea Academy¡¯s southern grounds. Warm lighting lit the interior, and wood antiques furnished it. It reminded me a little of the Student Council President¡¯s office. Quickly, I focused my attention on the woman who rose from the high-backed leather chair ¨C the kind of chair you¡¯d expect to find in a corporate executive¡¯s corner office. I walked up to the executive desk, but Weinberg assumed a position to the desk¡¯s right. ¡°Madam Principal, Arisa Imreh Lanfear, as you requested.¡± I studied Lavinia Mason as she studied me. Her handsome yet austere appearance hadn¡¯t changed my time attending the Academy many years ago. That¡¯s not to say I hadn¡¯t seen her since then, having spoken to her in person at the end of last year when we first discussed what to do about Crimson Crescent. My point is that the woman looked ageless, locked into her middle years. She¡¯s aging like a fine wine, I thought to myself. Mason stepped around her desk, and offered me her hand in greeting. I shook it, uncertain of where all this was leading. She nodded to me faintly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Arisa.¡± ¡°Madam Principal,¡± I replied, offering her a slight nod. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry things didn¡¯t work out the way we planned.¡± ¡°There were plans in motion you and I were not aware of. Plans my Primogen withheld from me.¡± For a heartbeat, I bit my lower lip. ¡°All of this was to capture Celica, wasn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°I believe so.¡± Mason sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you about the Vault, or its significance.¡± With a gentle shake of my head, I said, ¡°I understand. However, I can¡¯t help but wonder if everything we did was for nothing.¡± She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head a few degrees. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you brought together a collection of diamonds in the rough.¡± I frowned, then understood she meant Caprice, Caelum, Rina, and Maya. ¡°They need a lot of polish.¡± ¡°They do indeed.¡± I sighed softly. ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the resources to polish them the way they deserve. And I can¡¯t ask for more from my Pride.¡± ¡°And that is why I invited you here.¡± Invited? I frowned inwardly. Lavinia Mason doesn¡¯t invite people. They either show up or else expect retribution somewhere down the line. I swallowed discreetly and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mason smiled a rare and gentle smile, which both settled and unsettled me. ¡°Arisa, let me show you.¡± # (Arisa) # Mason led Nicola Weinberg and I to a private elevator that descended well below street level. I watched the numbers on the elevator¡¯s display panel count upwards but it was apparent we were heading down. Coming to rest, the doors slid open to reveal a spacious corridor with permacrete walls and recessed strip lighting overhead. I followed the two women down the corridor, a couple of turns at tee intersections, then up a flight of stone steps into what I could only describe as an observation deck with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that put those in Mason¡¯s office to shame. The observation deck had two levels, with the upper level resembling a loft with an overhanging balcony. A trio of young women in casual attire sat on the lower level, their backsides on ergonomic chairs with legs that resembled metal paper clips. They operated holo-consoles with hands clad in photon gloves. Mason and Weinberg stood in front of the glass windows, and looked out into what I perceived as an enormous rock cavern. The open space within the asteroid must have been a thousand feet wide, half as long, and equally as high. Floodlights mounted to the ceiling poured a billion candle power of light into the cavern. I stood stunned before the glass windows, my gaze swarming over the incredible vista. ¡°What is this place?¡± In the corner of my eye, I saw Mason fold her arms. ¡°This is our training facility under the Academy. It was constructed some thirty years ago. However, it remained sealed for many, many years. I decided to reopen it a year ago, and get it up and running once again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked her. Mason looked over her shoulder at me. ¡°To give your rough diamonds a place to polish their skills, and become the jewels they were meant to be.¡± I turned my head and stared at Mason. ¡°Why?¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itLavinia inhaled deeply, and released sigh full of regret. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t offer you all my support. I held back. Yet you and those students did what you could to protect my Academy. I¡¯m grateful for what you tried to do. And I regret not trusting you fully.¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°No, Principal. There was more at work than either of us was aware of. We didn¡¯t see the bigger picture because we couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Even so, I should have been more co-operative.¡± Mason looked down into the cavern. ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡± ¡°So does this mean you¡¯ll help us?¡± ¡°Yes. Those young Familiars will have access to the facilities here to pursue their training.¡± She looked at me quickly. ¡°I understand you have Kaleb Deneve in your corner?¡± ¡°For the time being. He¡¯s on loan to me¡±¡ªI held back a grimace¡ª¡°from a family source.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She was quiet for a short while. ¡°In that case, I will place Nicola at your disposal.¡± My eyes widened sharply. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Nicola is an excellent trainer. She will help to refine and polish those young students.¡± I swallowed hard and gave Weinberg a questioning look. However, the young blonde woman shrugged a shoulder and smiled faintly at me. ¡°I¡¯ll do my part,¡± she said softly. For a long while, I didn¡¯t know what to say. I was quite simply overwhelmed, yet a part of me was also deeply suspicious. I told the voice in the back of my mind that we would talk later. I bowed to Principal Mason. ¡°I¡¯m in your debt, Madam Principal.¡± Mason nodded, then turned back to the windows and their view of the cavern. ¡°Well then, shall we see how they¡¯re doing?¡± I opened my mouth to reply, but then closed it when I noticed someone standing before the glass windows, a few meters away from Mason, Weinberg, and I. It was a young girl with long auburn hair, falling in cascading waves down her back. She was dressed in a skinsuit that hugged her well-toned slender body as though it was painted on her. To those that didn¡¯t know her, they would have thought her expression was serene. But I knew this girl rather well, and she was actually anything but happy. I would stop short of calling her angry, but to me, she was quite clearly displeased. Swallowing quietly, I circled behind Mason and Weinberg, and cautiously stepped up to the young girl. I cleared my throat again. ¡°Caprice?¡± Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear spared me a glance, a nod, then resumed staring down into the cavern. I edged closer to her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Observing them.¡± I looked in the direction she was staring, and saw a young man and young woman, both the age of high schoolers, running around the floor of the cavern. They were running very, very fast. In fact, the girl was chasing the boy with a furious passion that bewildered me. She seemed to be yelling at him, and he seemed to be yelling back at her. Both of them were wielding weapons that I recognized in a heartbeat. The girl carried two katanas in her hands. The boy had sword-like gauntlet blades extending from both his forearms. As I watched them, it was clear who was the hunter and who was the hunted. ¡°What¡ªwhat is going on?¡± I muttered under my breath. A few feet to my right, Principal Mason muttered the same, then turned to one of the girl¡¯s operating a holo-console. ¡°Pyra, would you turn on the exterior audio?¡± The girl hesitated, then shared a brief look with her companions ¡°Ah¡­are you sure, Madam Principal?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Why wouldn¡¯t I be sure?¡± ¡°Ah¡ªof course, Madam Principal.¡± I turned back to the scene below and saw the boy turn and fend off the girl. The air around their weapons flashed emerald when they clashed a number of times, before the boy turned and ran once again. Then a girl¡¯s voice blared angrily into the observation deck, courtesy of hidden speakers. ¡°Pervert¡ªcome back here!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± a familiar young man¡¯s voice frantically retorted. ¡°You are dead¡ªyou hear me!¡± ¡°I hear that a lot these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m putting you six feet under!¡± ¡°Someone already tried!¡± ¡°Stop running and let me finish what they started.¡± ¡°Hell no! I¡¯m not going back to hospital.¡± ¡°Gah¡ªI said stop running, you pervert.¡± A zinging sound pierced the air in the observation deck as weapons clashed far below in the cavern. The young man protested. ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert.¡± He ran away a heartbeat later. The girl pursued him, swinging her katanas at his back. ¡°You walked in on us while we were changing.¡± ¡°I was lost!¡± he protested. ¡°This place is huge.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you follow the signs?¡± ¡°I thought it was the men¡¯s change room.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you read the signs?¡± ¡°I made a wrong turn.¡± ¡°A wrong turn? Are you freakin¡¯ serious?¡± Sharp zings filled the air. On the cavern floor, the young man defended with surprising good posture, but was soon overwhelmed by superior swordsmanship. His panicked cry cut the air. ¡°Can¡¯t a man take a wrong turn in his life without getting killed?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t take wrong turns.¡± He blocked her swords with his gauntlet blades. ¡°Why are you so mad?¡± ¡°Because you saw us¡ªyou disgusting male narcissist.¡± ¡°I am not a narcissist.¡± ¡°Shut up. Shut up and forget what you saw!¡± ¡°No way! A precious memory like that. Absolutely, positively, no way!¡± ¡°Why the Hell not?¡± ¡°To behold a girl wearing La Ruby¡¯s latest trend is an opportunity not to be missed.¡± ¡°What the Hell? You recognized my underwear?¡± ¡°Of course. La Ruby¡¯s Girl Exotic summer collection.¡± ¡°Oh my gods!¡± The boy grinned at her. ¡°I never imagined you had such mature preferences.¡± ¡°Aggh¡ªnow I¡¯m definitely going to kill you!¡± The girl groaned under immense strain as she pushed at the boy with dark hair, who seemed to be lost in the memory of seeing her clad in her underwear. Their weapons lit up the air with an intense emerald glow that was a testament to how serious they were fighting each other. Yes, fighting each other for disparate reasons. One was fighting to make the other forget. The other was fighting to keep what he believed was a priceless memory. I realized I was biting my nails, and was startled when Caprice spoke up. ¡°I think I¡¯d better go down there.¡± I shot her a sharp look. ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t step in now, Maya will surely kill him.¡± Caprice started turning away from the windows, then paused and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s so angry. All he did was look at us.¡± I blinked slowly. Huh? Suddenly a flash of ruby light cut across the cavern airspace. The ground around the young man and girl exploded into a cloud of rock debris. When it settled, they were both lying supine on the ground several meters away from each other with a large shallow crater between them. I noticed they were both breathing hard, but my gaze quickly searched the far side of the cavern and fell upon a girl dressed in a black skinsuit and sporting a twin-tail hairstyle running toward them. She carried a large rifle that reminded me of something you would use to take out a hover tank. However, I knew this wasn¡¯t a regular rifle. It was a Fragment ¨C part of an Artifact that was waiting to be unlocked. And I recognized the girl in a heartbeat. Rina Sayen afil Sora ran to the crater, and then stopped a couple of feet short of it. She looked at Maya Khayman afil Sora and Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear. She wore an expression of panic. ¡°Are you alright? Please! Tell me if you¡¯re alright!¡± Caelum Desanto sat up slowly, supporting himself on his elbows. ¡°Are you trying to kill us both, or just me?¡± Rina started bowing repeatedly in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so very sorry. I forgot to regulate the output.¡± His face twisted into a scowl. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I forgot the output setting was set on high.¡± Maya groaned but failed to sit up. By her voice alone, she was clearly exhausted. ¡°Rina¡­I think you need more target practice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Maya raised her head and pointed at Caelum while stared at Rina. ¡°You missed him.¡± Caelum glared at Maya. ¡°You really do want me dead.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He rose to his feet and wobbled around. ¡°You know, Khayman, your beauty is just wasted on a man hater like you.¡± He turned around and walked away from them, but then stopped and half turned to face the two girls. Using a gauntlet blade to point at Rina, Caelum¡¯s voice was harsh. ¡°The next time you shoot at me, don¡¯t miss, because I¡¯m going to be coming for you.¡± Even from a distance, I could see Rina turn ashen. The girl visibly shuddered and fell to her knees. Caelum turned away, and resumed walking but once again stopped. I watched his shoulders rise and fall a couple of times, before he shook his head in frustration. He half turned and looked at Rina Sayen who remained on her knees. ¡°Sayen¡­that ensemble from La Ruby¡¯s Princess Royale line looked really good on you. You filled it out beautifully.¡± Rina Sayen gasped. She wasn¡¯t grey anymore. Now she was ruby red. Caelum gave her a thumbs up. ¡°You have excellent taste.¡± Then he turned away and once more resumed walking toward the cavern wall, soon disappearing from sight. I thought I heard something snap, and risked a peek at Caprice standing rigidly to my left. Her green eyes were like thin slits on her face. I trembled when she turned her cold gaze on me. ¡°Arisa, might I have a moment with you?¡± ¡°Ah¡ªyes. Of course.¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes widened to normal, but her voice was frigid at best. ¡°Arisa, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± I swallowed anxiously. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled at me and it made me shiver. ¡°A very important favor.¡± She dipped her head and peered up at me. ¡°A very, very important favor.¡± That smile of hers was going to give me nightmares. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 1 Chapter 1 now posted complete.
Chapter 1. (Caelum) # School Week Five. Tuesday morning. I stepped out of the boys high-school dormitory building and found Caprice waiting for me at the foot of the steps leading down from the entrance. That was a surprise, and not just for me. A number of the students I shared the dormitory with were running their gazes up and down Caprice¡¯s body. A few of them made comments about her between themselves, and grinned afterwards. ¡°¡­Familiar or not, that girl is so hot¡­.¡± ¡°¡­amen brother, amen¡­.¡± ¡°¡­yeah, but she¡¯s a second year¡­.¡± I turned and stared at a few first year high-school boys walking down the steps, their eyes locked on Caprice¡¯s legs and derriere. When they noticed me, I gave them heated glares. When they glared back, I locked gazes and took a long step toward them. But a feminine hand waved before my eyes, distracting me. ¡°Caelum, I¡¯m right here.¡± Caprice had climbed the steps up to me. ¡°Why are you so annoyed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not annoyed.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re annoyed for me, but please don¡¯t start unnecessary fights.¡± I pressed my lips together for a moment. ¡°Some fights are necessary.¡± She blinked slowly. It might have been the simulated morning light from Habitat One¡¯s sky-field, but I thought her cheeks looked a little rosier. Exhaling loudly, I relaxed a little and said, ¡°You got here early. Why?¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d walk to class together.¡± Her tinged cheeks must have been my imagination, since her voice was as flat as usual. Same old Caprice. Glancing at my watch, I saw that the time was eight o¡¯clock. Homeroom commenced at eight thirty, and classes at nine. I was up early because I wanted to take my time getting to the high school side of Galatea Academy. I cocked my head at her. ¡°How did you get here so early? Did you use your Valkyrie Legs to jump buildings in a single bound?¡± ¡°No. I walked from the girls dormitory.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes widened ever so slightly. ¡°Oh. Didn¡¯t I tell you? I moved in over the weekend.¡± The shock stole my breath. I struggled to find my voice. ¡°You¡ªyou moved in? And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°It slipped my mind.¡± I rubbed my brow. ¡°Why did you move?¡± ¡°To be closer to you.¡± I lowered my hand and stared at her. ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice walked demurely down the steps to the paved path leading south through Galatea Academy¡¯s grounds. ¡°Shall we?¡± I looked at Caprice and wondered if she was being serious. She waited for a moment, then turned away and began walking down the path, oblivious to the looks she was garnering. Why hadn¡¯t Arisa mentioned this last night after she chewed me out for walking in on the girls as they were changing? I sucked in a lungful of air, then hurried after. Falling into step beside her, I asked, ¡°Seriously, why did you move to the dorms here?¡± ¡°Last week, the Principal called me and suggested it was a good idea. Considering we¡¯ll be training here for the time being, it made sense.¡± ¡°So you knew about her proposal.¡± She nodded very faintly. ¡°I was asked to keep it a secret from everyone.¡± ¡°And Arisa didn¡¯t ask you why you were moving? She wasn¡¯t suspicious?¡± She shook her head very faintly. ¡°No.¡± I stared lazily up at the sky-field. ¡°Well that¡¯s suspicious of her.¡± ¡°Not at all. I explained to her that I was moving here because I wanted to be closer to you.¡± ¡°I thought you were joking.¡± Her head turned and she looked up at me. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± For a moment, her deadpan expression looked doleful, reminding me of an abandoned puppy. Startled, I blinked but when I looked again, Caprice was as deadpan as ever. I rubbed my eyes. Am I seeing things? Maybe I didn¡¯t get enough sleep? Thinking of sleep reminded me of my aches and pains. I winced as I hefted the straps of my school carry-bag a little higher on my right shoulder. Then I changed my mind, and switched it to my left shoulder. I was unaccustomed to carrying my bag on that side, but it spared weighing down my bruised right shoulder. As I¡¯d expected, Caprice noticed. ¡°She hit you too hard,¡± Caprice opined. ¡°Thanks for the observation,¡± I replied with a wince as a painful twang ran through my left thigh. ¡°She was venting after I called her a man hater¡ªwhich is what she is.¡± ¡°No, she was angry at you for threatening Rina.¡± ¡°She had it coming,¡± I muttered. ¡°No, you went to too far,¡± she disagreed flatly. ¡°There was no need for you to threaten Rina the way you did.¡± ¡°Yes there was. The next time she shoots at me like that, I will turn my blades on her.¡± ¡°Caelum¡ª¡± ¡°No, Caprice.¡± Abruptly, I stopped walking on the paved footpath. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate it. She¡¯s more of a danger than Cee Cee. If she can¡¯t learn to use that thing, she shouldn¡¯t be using it at all. Getting taken out by friendly fire is not on my to-do list.¡± Caprice halted and half turned to face me. ¡°You¡¯re talking arrogantly and conceited for someone who spent seven months unable to summon more than one gauntlet-blade.¡± ¡°I can summon them both now.¡± ¡°Yes. Congratulations. Took you long enough. By comparison, Rina has been in possession of Brahmastra for only a month yet she can already summon approximately fifteen percent of its output.¡± ¡°What good is having someone who shoots your enemies and your friends?¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point. Seven months from now, how far do you think Rina will have progressed? How long before you unlock another piece of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± I started to retort, then reconsidered. After a breath, I closed the distance between us and stared down at her. ¡°By the end of this year, I swear, I will have unlocked the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. You mark my words.¡± ¡°Actions speak louder than words, Caelum. You can manifest the Kaiser¡¯s Schneider form without difficulty. However, it seems to have been as a result of surviving your sister¡¯s attempt on your life¡± She took a half-step toward me and her small chest faintly brushed against me. Staring intently up at me, Caprice continued. ¡°You still have a considerable way to go. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Caelum. You are not the best of the best. From what I¡¯ve heard, there were other more promising candidates for the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. However, Arisa and the Lanfears made the choice to gift you with it.¡± Her revelation was like a cold gale blowing through me. It actually rocked me on my feet, and I took a step back. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Caprice stepped close to me again. ¡°Your compatibility with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing was higher¡ªfar higher¡ªthan that of any other candidate. However, the others had all been gifted with Fragments they were quickly unlocking. As a consequences, they had high expectations placed upon them.¡± ¡°You mean the Lanfears expected them to unlock the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing sooner than I could?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Then why give it to me?¡± ¡°I told you why.¡± I swallowed, distracted for a moment by the sudden vibrancy in her emerald green eyes. ¡°My compatibility with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡­.¡± She blinked slowly, then retreated a step. ¡°Arisa admitted to me that if you¡¯d failed to unlock the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, factions within the Lanfear Pride had maneuvered to have the Fragment repossessed and reassigned to a more worthy candidate, regardless of compatibility or lineage.¡± Lineage? I frowned and watched her take another step back. Caprice fixed up the strap of her carry-bag on her right shoulder. ¡°With the incident two weeks ago, you succeeded in buying yourself more time. If I were you, I would concentrate on breaking past the barriers standing between you and the full Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± She dipped her head at me. ¡°The Lanfears are watching you, Caelum.¡± Pressing my lips together in an effort to mask the anxiety pounding through my chest, I gave Caprice a stiff nod. ¡°If they¡¯re watching me, then they¡¯re watching you as well.¡± ¡°Correct. Which is why I intend to break the chains shackling my Valkyrie Armor.¡± A serious light shone in her eyes. ¡°Mark my words, Caelum, by the year¡¯s end, I will have unlocked the Valkyrie Armor.¡± Those were my words to her, and I realized she was using them to issue a challenge. I gave her another stiff nod. ¡°Bring it on, Caprice. I¡¯m game.¡± A familiar faint smile graced her lips. ¡°So am I, Caelum.¡± Turning smoothly on her low heels, Caprice coolly walked away from me, continuing on the journey to the high-school building that seen from above was shaped like a giant letter H. I stepped off the path onto the bordering grass, making room for the students walking to class. Looking at the ground beneath my feet, I thought of the cavernous training complex deep under the Academy, with its maze of corridors, stairwells, and specialized facilities cut out of the asteroid Island. I realized my fists were painfully clenched, and struggled to relax my fingers. I had been that close to losing my Fragment¡ªto losing the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing? A thought crossed my mind. An improbable, impossible possibility. Was it coincidence that Celica chose to attack the Academy and retrieve her Warlord from the Vault just as I was in danger of losing my Fragment? I shook my head inwardly. No, that had to be nothing more than a coincidence ¨C a blessing in disguise. I looked at my hands and arms. Subconsciously I¡¯d reached over and was rubbing the Kaiser¡¯s bracelet that I wore under my right sleeve. If I¡¯d earned myself a second chance, or a reprieve of sorts, then I couldn¡¯t let it go to waste. I needed to avail myself of the facilities Principal Lavinia Mason had opened up to us. And I needed to talk to Kaleb Deneve. Now that I could comfortably summon the Schneider form, I wanted to make keep the momentum rolling. I wanted to continue the combat training we¡¯d started on before Celica invaded Galatea Academy. I didn¡¯t know what the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing still had to offer me, but I¡¯d made a promise to Caprice and I intended to keep it. Seen from another angle, I¡¯d accepted her challenge. Looking up, I saw that Caprice had continued walking. She hadn¡¯t bothered stopping to wait for me. I spoke to myself, ¡°So what was the point of waiting for me outside the dorms?¡± She rounded a corner in the path, and headed for the donut shaped cafeteria because it provided a shortcut to the lobby where the shoe lockers were situated. I answered myself with a whisper. ¡°Maybe this was the point. A kick up the backside.¡± Hefting my carry-bag¡¯s strap higher onto my left shoulder, I resumed walking down the path to the high school building. Caprice¡¯s observation regarding Rina Sayen tumbled around in my head. If that girl had already unlocked her Fragment in only a month, then her compatibility with the Brahmastra was clearly through the roof. Either that or she¡¯d figured out the key to her Fragment. That is, she¡¯d figured out how to approach her Fragment. It was the issue of self-awareness that I¡¯d sensed within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. At the time I fought Celica, I¡¯d felt something like a foreign presence enter my body and my mind. I was certain that the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had reached out to me, and for a while given me the talent and skill I needed to face Celica. Though I¡¯d fallen to her blade, I didn¡¯t blame the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing for my failure to defeat her. I accepted that it was my weakness that almost cost me my life. But something about the whole experience troubled me, and it wasn¡¯t the fact my sister had deliberately tried to kill me. It was the fact that the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had unlocked a part of itself only when my life was in extreme peril. If that was the key to unlocking or breaking the Seals imposed upon the Artifact, then my future looked bleak indeed. # (Caelum) # I had to hurry to the school building. Like Caprice, I cut through the ground floor of the cafeteria building, and entered the west wing of the high school building. At the immense lobby where the hundreds and hundreds of shoe lockers were situated, I counted the numbers on the aisles, found my aisle, and hastened to my locker. Swapping my outdoor shoes for my indoor shoes, I slammed my locker door shut, and moved quickly through the growing throng of students arriving at their lockers. Because the lockers were arranged by class, mine was relatively close to Caprice¡¯s. I rounded the lockers behind me and stepped into the aisle, not really expecting to find her there since she had a head start on me. But to my surprise, Caprice was standing by her locker, surrounded by Haruka Amiella Avenir, Siobhan St Clare Avenir, and Alistair Kell Avenir. My eyebrows had shot up at sight of them, so I quickly smoothed my expression, and stepped toward them. However, at sight of me, the girls encircled Caprice, and Haruka sauntered with forced nonchalance toward me. ¡°Caelum, morning.¡± ¡°Yeah, morning. What¡¯s going on?¡± Haruka glanced over her shoulder unconcerned. ¡°Just saying hello.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­looks more like a war session. Are you planning to gang up on me?¡± Haruka¡¯s forced calm fell quickly, replaced by genuine indignation. She planted her hands forcefully on her shapely hips. ¡°Caelum, for once in your life, stop thinking the universe started with you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Get out of here. You¡¯re annoying, and it¡¯s too early in the morning to be annoyed.¡± ¡°What?¡± She pointed harshly in the direction of the stairs. ¡°I said leave us alone.¡± I clenched my jaw, bit down an angry retort, then turned and stormed away. What the Hell is their problem? Every single woman I¡¯d run into this week had done nothing but chew my head off. Last night Maya tried to kill me. Then Rina Sayen shot at me. Then Arisa chastised me for my behavior toward other women. I tried explaining to her that I really had made a wrong turn, but it was like spitting into the wind ¨C as the saying goes. I was getting sick of their attitude toward me. When I arrived at Class Two-Aye¡¯s homeroom, I strode to my smartdesk, slammed by bag down beside it, and booted up the desk. Almost by second nature, I tested out the neural headset that would help clear my mind of distracting thoughts, and help me focus on the class lecture. After the smartdesk booted up, I scanned my inbox for messages and notifications from the faculty. Then I saw one message marked private. It had a sender address that wasn¡¯t a school account. This made me hesitant to open it. If it was damn spam or malware it could snap my smartdesk¡¯s firmware and maybe spread to other smartdesks in the classroom. But then I reasoned that all messages were scanned by the Academy¡¯s Assisting Intelligence handling mail security, so the message was most probably safe. I opened it and found that it required a password. However, the sender had included a hint. WHAT BRAND DOES SHE WEAR? I blinked slowly and stared in mounting concern at the image of a very pretty girl smiling ever so faintly toward something out of sight. The image had been taken from a distance, but the resolution and clarity was impressive. After a long while, I came to a decision and typed in the answer into the dialog box with the blinking cursor. GIRLZ PRIDE. The image and dialog window vanished, and a moment later the interactive message displayed an embedded link and a warning. NOT SAFE FOR THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT. CLICK ONLY IF YOU DARE. What the Hell is this? I looked around me discreetly, saw that no one was looking even remotely in my direction, then clicked on the link. A second image appeared and it consumed the entire surface of my smartdesk. In surprise, I hurriedly pinched the touchscreen surface and shrank the image down to palm size, then sneaked a look at my classmates. Seeing no one had noticed my hasty actions, I peered at the image and hoped not to draw attention to myself. I read the message watermarked into the image. GUESS WHO. Biting my lower lip, I sat back and folded my arms in deep contemplation. It was quite clearly the image of a young girl¡¯s well-toned and sumptuous derriere. In short, it was one of those infamous up-the-skirt shots that could get you arrested and fined a serious sum of money, as well as labelled an enemy of womankind. I wasn¡¯t a fan of such material, but chose to shelve my distaste for the image¡¯s nefarious origins for a moment. Although I recognized the brand of silky and sheer black panties in a heartbeat, the answer to whom this majestic pair of buttocks belonged to was another matter. Hmm¡­could it be¡­her? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I shook my head slowly, and reconsidered. No, it was impossible for this ass to belong to her. My reason had nothing to do with the quality of those buttocks since they could very well belong to her exceptional female body. Rather, it was the fact that she didn¡¯t wear underwear. I sat back in my chair and examined the overall situation. Firstly, the message had come from an unknown sender. Secondly, whoever the individual was they knew my passion quite well. Thirdly, they had obviously taken a great deal of effort to prepare this as a means to reach out to me, and then draw me in. That brought forth a most troubling conundrum: who the heck would reach out to me in such a manner? If it wasn¡¯t the Lanfears Caprice had said were watching me, did this mean I had a secret admirer or possibly a stalker or two? That made me shiver uneasily. I sat forward and typed a reply to the message. I HAVE NO IDEA. WHO IS SHE? I sent it, then closed the open message, and began to arrange the desk¡¯s desktop for the day¡¯s classes. My mailbox pinged, alerting me to a new arrival. I saw that it was from the same foreign account. Opening the new message I read the reply. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW COME TO THIS LOCATION DURING LUNCHTIME. ONE TIME OFFER ONLY. DON¡¯T BE LATE. I looked at the map and couldn¡¯t help but frown in thought. A clubroom? The marked location indicated a room situated in one of the clubhouse buildings to the west of the sports field that lay due south of the high school building. Did this mean the message came from someone inside the school? Cautiously, I looked up and slowly swept my gaze over my classmates. Could it be¡­someone in Class Two-Aye? I memorized the address to the room and closed the message. When I did so, I saw that both messages from the anonymous sender self-deleted. Quickly, I checked the mail trashcan, but they were gone from there in the blink of an eye. For a short while, my heart beat worriedly in my chest, and I consciously touched the bracelet under my right sleeve. When Caprice, Haruka, Siobhan, and Alistair entered the classroom as a group, I inhaled quickly a couple of times and willed myself to remain calm. I didn¡¯t need the preternaturally perceptive Caprice noticing my slight state of distress. However, I then noticed Caprice had a rare ¨C a very rare ¨C preoccupied expression on her face. In fact, she didn¡¯t even glance at me when she sat down at her smartdesk and then robotically performed the actions of booting up the device and arranging its desktop for the day. I wondered if I should reach out to her, but then I glimpsed Haruka and her friends throwing furtive glances at her and I. I decided to keep my concern to myself. I wasn¡¯t about to have my goodwill stomped on. I sat back and crossed my arms, keeping my thoughts hidden as best possible as I stared at the holovid screen mounted on the wall at the front of the classroom. Caprice could deal with her own problems. I had troubles of my own to contend with, such as finding out who owned that amazing butt sheathed in silk underwear. And finding out who¡¯d taken that image of Caprice from a distance. # (Arisa) # I had a break between scheduled lectures so I made my way to the university¡¯s cafeteria. Since it was an hour before lunch, the terraced cafeteria was relatively quiet. That would change once lunchtime came about. I bought a slice of cake ¨C a mouthwatering tiramisu that made my stomach grumble in anticipation¡ªa black coffee, and then found myself a quiet seat by the window overlooking the small parkland that lay to the west of the cafeteria. Retrieving my palm-slate from a back pocket of my black slacks, I thumbed through the list of messages, and winced when I saw one of them belonged to my aunt, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear ¨C the Primogen of the Lanfear Pride here in Pharos. She requested I call her at my earliest convenience. The fact I was sitting in a cafeteria, and not hogtied and bundled into the boot of a black car, was a testament to how angry she was. In other words, she was giving herself time to calm down, and giving me time to think of an argument that would save my bacon. In short, she was sparing me a little mercy by allowing me to walk up to the gallows of my own will. I knew what she wanted to discuss. It was the fact I had accepted Lavinia Mason¡¯s proposal of cooperating to protect the Academy, and train the Familiars gifted with Fragments using the Lorian Pride¡¯s secret facilities, before discussing it with my aunt. I sipped my black coffee, and pondered my options. When the breaches committed against Galatea Academy¡¯s fortress-like computer network were first discovered during the latter half of last year, it was Yolanda who told me about them. Her instructions back then had been simple. Prevent harm to the Academy, but not to interfere with Crimson Crescent. I had been perplexed for a number of reasons. Firstly, why tell me. Secondly, why ask me to do something about it. And thirdly, how was I expected to protect the Academy, yet allow Crimson Crescent to do whatever it wanted? There was one more provision, and that referred to Caelum Desanto. Her instructions regarding him were to get him up to strength as soon as possible. However, she stopped well short of giving me carte blanche, and in the end I had to swallow my pride and ask my brother for help. With his authority and connections as the head of Public Security, I was able to get my hands on Kaleb Deneve, who was on indefinite probation, to train Caelum in the week leading up to Celica¡¯s invasion of the Academy. I had no idea what kind of strings my brother pulled on the Sanctum to get them to release Kaleb into semi-active service. It served to remind me that my brother lived in a dirty world of politics and intrigue ¨C a world I was inexorably falling into myself, having escaped it once not so long ago. I looked into my coffee. All of this was a test. Of that, I was certain. Pushing aside my troubles for a little while, I listened to the few recorded voice mails, and chose to reply to one of them. Before doing so, I detached the foldable earpiece from the palm-slate¡¯s casing, slipped the earpiece into my ear, then placed the palm-slate on the round cafeteria table, and instructed it to make the call. After a handful of rings, the other party answered it. ¡°So nice of you to call me back,¡± Miriya Harlow said with a carefree attitude that bordered on the obnoxious. That woman really has no care in the world. I took a sip of my midnight black coffee. ¡°I thought you might be angry, considering the sudden turn of events.¡± ¡°You mean pulling the rug out from under my feet? Denying me the opportunity to experiment¡ªI mean monitor the development of that young man and young girl.¡± I looked sourly out the cafeteria window at the university grounds that lay beyond. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as your older cousin.¡± ¡°Gah¡ªhow dare you mention him¡ªthat decrepit creep.¡± Dr. Miriya Harlow was the new resident researcher and medical specialist at the training center under my nightclub, ¡°The Python Room¡±, in Island Three, Habitat Two, District Two. Dr. Van Demon¡ªI meant Van Deeman¡ªwas off on another assignment; a very important assignment my aunt only alluded to but wouldn¡¯t elaborate upon. I had a pretty good idea it had something to do with Caelum and the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. However, after the grilling and roasting from my aunt after the debacle that best describes the defense of Galatea Academy, I was walking on eggshells around her. Asking her too many questions was tantamount to courting disaster, which was why I was taking my time making that second call. Back to the point, since Van Demon was away, Miriya had taken over the medical specialist duties. Unfortunately, since Caprice and Caelum were no longer training at my underground training center, she was left without subjects to examine and monitor. She wasn¡¯t pleased when I called her last night and explained the situation to her. I was worried I¡¯d traded one devil for another. At twenty-seven years of age, Miriya had dark, coppery hair, much darker than mine and was statuesque at five foot eleven with a body Caelum had unabashedly rated nine-out-of-ten. Apparently, he deducted points because she was too tall for him. All that aside, I had to admit I was getting tired of having to bend my neck to look up at her. But there was one more important fact to mention: Miriya was Van Demon¡¯s younger second cousin and there was no love lost between them as they fought for superior academic recognition. ¡°There was no helping it,¡± I told her. ¡°The offer was too good to refuse. However, if you¡¯re nice to me I might see what I can do about getting you posted down there.¡± ¡°What? Really? You¡¯d do that for me?¡± ¡°Their equipment is much better than mine.¡± ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m on pins and needles now. Ah, but shouldn¡¯t you talk to your aunt first?¡± ¡°Thank you for reminding me. She¡¯s next on my to-do list.¡± I took another sip of coffee, ate a slice of my cake, and spoke with my mouth full. ¡°So, what did you call me for?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s in regards to that young lady¡¯s special request. I went back to my old research material, ran it through the updated modelling software, and the answer that came back was quite promising.¡± ¡°Promising in what way?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯ll get what she wants.¡± ¡°Oh¡­happy joy joy feelings.¡± ¡°Precisely. So, I presume she finally acknowledged an obvious truth.¡± ¡°You mean that size does matter?¡± ¡°Precisely. So¡­what did he do this time?¡± ¡°Walked in on her while she was in her underwear, then had the temerity to compliment another girl on how well she filled out her bra.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­that had to hurt. I¡¯m shocked he can be so oblivious and cruel at the same time.¡± ¡°Miriya, just tell me it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°About as safe as walking across a busy street¡ª¡± I choked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry, I meant to say she¡¯ll stop traffic when she walks down a busy street.¡± I swallowed hastily. ¡°Miriya, please don¡¯t go that far.¡± ¡°Anyway, why don¡¯t we get together with the young subject¡ªI mean ¡®miss¡¯¡ªand discuss dimensions. How about after training? Wait¡ªwhy not invite me over to their training session this afternoon.¡± ¡°You really are eager, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Of course, anything for a sister in need.¡± ¡°We are not sisters,¡± I drawled. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Stop waffling and get me in there.¡± ¡°I have an incoming call.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait¡ªyou¡¯re cutting me off?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you later.¡± ¡°No, Arisa. Throw me a lifeline. Please! I need test subjects!¡± ¡°Later. Bye.¡± ¡°No¡ª!¡± Cutting off Miriya in mid-wail, I answered the incoming call¡­from my aunt. ¡°This is Arisa,¡± I said politely. ¡°You kept me waiting.¡± Icy failed to properly describe my aunt¡¯s voice. I suppressed a shudder¡­and failed. ¡°It was not my intention to do so, Lady Imreh.¡± ¡°Yes, it was. And dispense with the pleasantry.¡± I suppressed another shudder¡­and failed. Inhaling deeply, I asked, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s better. Show a little spine, Arisa.¡± It sounded like she was drinking something. Knowing her, it was probably tea. ¡°Now then. Regarding the matter of the Lorian Pride¡¯s offer to support those Familiars, I¡¯ve spent the morning in discussion with the Sora Pride. They have agreed to transfer Guardianship of their two girls over to you¡ªeffective immediately.¡± I dropped my coffee cup. By the grace of the gods in high heaven, I¡¯d only just picked it up so it landed with a clutter on the plate. This wasn¡¯t how I expected my aunt to raise the subject of my hasty agreement with Lavinia Mason Lorian. This was something out of left field ¨C as the saying goes. ¡°What do you mean Guardianship?¡± I croaked out. ¡°I convinced them it was a wiser option to place them under one Guardian, who would oversee their development during their school years, until they graduate from Galatea Academy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Is this a problem, Arisa?¡± A problem? Of course it was a problem! I didn¡¯t have the time to be the Guardian of four Familiars. One dangerously jealous love struck girl, and one blockhead boy were the limit of what I could handle. ¡°Also,¡± Yolanda Imreh continued after a pause, ¡°the Steiner Family approached me.¡± ¡°¡­over Caprice¡­?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± She spoke with distaste. ¡°I¡¯ll be speaking with their appointed representative in the coming days.¡± ¡°¡­why¡­?¡± My aunt inhaled audibly over the line. ¡°Have you forgotten, Arisa? That girl is a daughter-heir to the Steiner Family. Regardless of the fact she is a Lanfear Familiar, and illegitimate child, she is still a blood member of the main branch. Though it¡¯s been many years since her mother, Karina, passed away, Caprice still has her supporters within the family¡¯s upper echelons¡ªmany of whom do not appreciate what was done to her.¡± My aunt¡¯s voice grew stern. ¡°And many of whom owe their lives to her mother, and the lives of their loved ones. For decades, the Steiner Family has been the target of aggression from their corporate rivals.¡± ¡°But Karina was never more than Galen Steiner¡¯s mistress.¡± ¡°Never more? Are you seriously saying that you little twit?¡± I swallowed and held my silence. My aunt stormed ahead, not waiting for my reply that wasn¡¯t forthcoming. ¡°Karina Valerian afil Lanfear was the finest Valkyrie Maiden they ever had in their employ. She kept Galen¡¯s family, and many other Steiners safe for many years. They couldn¡¯t have asked for a better head of private security.¡± That certainly was true. I remembered how Celica Desanto afil Raynar had been described as the most promising Valkyrie Maiden since Karina Valerian. Both women had been highly regarded as prodigies. However, while one was mourned for her loss, the other was forever a blight on the Sanctum¡¯s history pages. I cautiously opined, ¡°But they never proved the Steiner Family¡¯s involvement in her death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point¡­at least to Karina¡¯s supporters. Do you have time to discuss this now, Arisa?¡± I swallowed hastily and shook my head. ¡°No, Auntie.¡± I swallowed again, and quickly asked, ¡°Then why tell me this now?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a power struggle brewing within the Steiner Family¡¯s main branch. It appears the patriarch, Grandpa Steiner, is on his last legs.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°And he¡¯s had a change of heart toward his illegitimate granddaughter.¡± My mouth grew stale as I realized what this meant. ¡°Are you saying, he wants to accept Caprice as a proper daughter of the family?¡± ¡°Correct. Since the death of her mother, perhaps as a concession for the unproven part they played, Caprice has been allowed to carry the name Steiner. Frankly, I have no idea why that girl chose to go with the name of Steiner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it serves to remind them of what they did to her¡­even though it was never proved they were responsible.¡± ¡°Yes, but she paints a target on herself by doing so.¡± My aunt exaggeratedly sighed. ¡°Well, this presents a problem. Grandpa Steiner wants her inducted into the official Steiner Family registry. Considering that girl¡¯s feelings, some of the Steiners see her as a Trojan horse. Grandpa is opening the walls of the Steiner Conglomerate to invasion.¡± I sat back in the hard plastic chair. ¡°Are you going to tell Caprice, or shall I?¡± ¡°We can discuss that later. For now, your job is tell those children they have a new Guardian.¡± Again, she paused for a moment. ¡°Arisa, be careful how you handle Khayman.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Though she failed to end her life, Maya Khayman simply reset the countdown timer. That girl is still a ticking time bomb.¡± As if to underscore her point, I heard the sound of a spoon tapping a platter with the regularity of a metronome. I looked down at my half-eaten cake. ¡°I understand.¡± My aunt sounded satisfied. ¡°Regarding Caprice, we¡¯ll both tell her after I¡¯ve spoken to the Steiner lackey. We¡¯ll take her out to dinner. I¡¯ve been thinking of going on the restaurant cruise ship that sails around the Pharos Islands. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­that sounds nice.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± She sighed heavily and suddenly sounded older than her years. ¡°To think that girl could inherit the reins of the most powerful conglomerate in the civilized galaxy¡­what an invaluable ally she would make.¡± Even though the call was on an encrypted line, I wondered if it was wise of my aunt to say such a thing. At the same time, I realized that perhaps I shouldn¡¯t worry about protecting Caprice from the Steiner Family. I should worry about protecting her from my aunt. Yolanda Imreh Lanfear made a clicking sound with her tongue. ¡°Now tell me, Arisa. What has the Desanto boy been up to? Describe his latest mischiefs in detail, if you please.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 2 Chapter 2 is now FULLY posted. This is the complete Chapter 2 as of 28/2/2016. Apologies for the delay.
Chapter 2. (Caelum) # When lunchtime came around, I excused myself politely to Caprice, but didn¡¯t wait for a reply. Instead, I walked with determined strides out of the classroom. I didn¡¯t care how suspicious that made me look to anyone bothering to keep tabs on me, and that included Haruka and her friends. Exiting the high school building, I made tracks to the cluster of buildings that contained the clubrooms for the multitude of clubs supported by Galatea Academy. I was surprised I¡¯d made such a clean getaway. I was half expecting to be accosted by the Countess, Simone Alucard Raynar, with some half-baked reason to drag me away from a peaceful lunch. Nonetheless, I chose not to tempt fate, and hurried to the clubroom buildings that stood to the west of the sports field that lay due south of the high school building. I spared a long glance for the girls of the Track-and-Field club already going through their warm up exercises. To think they would sacrifice their lunch break for the sake of getting some laps down on the track. Such remarkable dedication to the sport. Arriving at the club building indicated on the map I¡¯d memorized before morning homeroom, I entered the building. Inside the rather spacious lobby or foyer, I stepped up to the directory board and read the names of the various clubs listed there. The directory also displayed their allocated room numbers. I quickly found the entry I wanted by using the room number given to me in the message before it had self-deleted. ¡°The Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals,¡± I read aloud. ¡°What the Hell is that supposed to be?¡± I noticed a couple of girls enter the building, chatting amicably to each other. They gave me quiet looks from head to toes. I bowed to them politely, which elicited mysterious smiles before they turned and walked to the north end of the lobby where polished wood stairs led up to the next floor. I waited for them to disappear from sight, then made the decision to climb the stairs too. The clubroom was on the third floor. That meant climbing two flights of stairs, then walking down a wide corridor with polished floorboards, windows on one side, and clubrooms on the other. I stopped in front of a door with the number Three Four on it, and rapped on it with my knuckles. There was a soft click, and the door opened slightly. I pushed it open and looked into the dimly lit interior. Since recovering from my injuries suffered at the hands of my psychotic sister, which included a broken arm and being stabbed through the chest, the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had unlocked not only the Schneider form, which consisted of two gauntlet-blades, but also the Awareness-field. Put into a few words, the Awareness-field was a like my own personal sensor suite that allowed me to perceive my surroundings well beyond what my five senses could offer me. The field was active around me at all times, but most of the time it was limited to a foot or so beyond my body. However, shortly after leaving the hospital, I discovered that I could extend its range to about ten feet. In other words, I stood within a sphere with a ten-foot radius, able sense what I couldn¡¯t see or hear. Needless to say, I put the field to invaluable use, such as scanning any girl who wandered into its range and recording her three sizes down to the nanometer. However, there was one girl I refrained from scanning with my Awareness-field, and that was Caprice. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had warned me that it had sensed the presence of a field surrounding her. Judging by today, a feeling of cold dread crept upon me as I thought of the consequences of running my Awareness-field over Caprice¡¯s body. If Haruka and company ever found out ¨C which I¡¯m certain they would ¨C I wholeheartedly believed they would turn my Academy life into a lonely icy existence. I sighed inwardly, and concentrated on extending my Awareness-field into the room. It was empty of human life, and the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing detected no hidden compartments or passageways in immediate proximity to the room. No traps, either. Nothing that remotely indicated my life would be in peril if I stepped into the room. Taking a deep breath, I looked down both directions of the corridor, then walked into the room. The door closed automatically behind me, but that wasn¡¯t surprising since the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had noticed the door mechanism. The walls were lined with shelves, and these were in turn packed with a plethora of items that ranged from figurines to physical books and magazines. I thought that odd since most people preferred reading material on data-slates or palm-slates. It produced less waste, which was an important consideration within the asteroid Island colony of Pharos. A large window occupied much of the back wall, with a view to the west of the Academy. It was bordered by open curtains rather than blinds. Inhabiting the middle of the spacious, rectangular clubroom was a long table with several chairs tucked in on all sides. I walked up to the table, and regarded the black discus sitting on the table, recognizing it for a rather expensive holo-field projector. I crossed my arms, looked about the room, then turned my attention on the projector. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m here. Now what?¡± The room automatically darkened as the overhead strip lights turned off, and the curtains shut over the back window, catching me a little off guard. I see. They¡¯re watching me. A high-resolution holo-field flashed into existence above the table. I saw three hooded figures wearing dark robes resembling those of a clandestine religious order from many millennia ago. Just by looking at them, I was able to determine they were men, and not women. However, I couldn¡¯t tell if they were young or old. Pursing my lips for a moment, I asked bluntly, ¡°Who are you?¡± A mechanical voice replied, and I suspected I¡¯d fallen into a really bad holo-vid spy drama. ¡°We are chosen emissaries of the Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals.¡± I stared blankly at the three hooded men for a moment. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Caelum Desanto, in honor and recognition of your talents and interests, the Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals extends an offer for you to join us.¡± I frowned faintly and cocked my head slightly. ¡°What talents and interests?¡± ¡°However, before you can join, you will need to be tested.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what talents and interests?¡± I jerked my head back as a thought speared through my mind. ¡°Are you talking about my obsession with women¡¯s lingerie?¡± ¡°Tell us, what do you think of the female body?¡± I frowned a little deeper. ¡°Well, that depends. For the most part, I believe it should be worshipped.¡± ¡°How rightly so. However, do you agree that in order to spread that doctrine, we must make others aware of the beauty of the female body?¡± I nodded without hesitation. ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡± ¡°Then, what do you think of the Girls of Galatea?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The billboard known as the Girls of Galatea.¡± I straightened my neck and blinked slowly. ¡°You mean that site dedicated to the girls of this Academy? Well, I¡¯ve perused it.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Well, it seems a bit unprofessional. I mean, it needs a makeover.¡± ¡°Indeed. Soon a new Girls of Galatea will be unveiled. One that shall rise from the ashes of the old like the mythological phoenix, and soar in challenge above its rivals.¡± My eyebrows rose quickly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We would like you to become a part of it.¡± I realized my heart was racing. ¡°Really? Why?¡± ¡°Because we believe a man of your passions and talent has much to offer our organization.¡± The hooded individual in the middle spread his arms wide. ¡°We wish to spread the word with your help. We believe that word can go quite far.¡± I swallowed quietly. ¡°You guys are serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Most assuredly.¡± The individual folded his arms again, his hands disappearing into the folds of his robe. ¡°But first you must be tested.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I waved a hand about. ¡°What does this have to do with the Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals?¡± ¡°The club is a front for the Girls of Galatea.¡± I folded my arms again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple enough.¡± After a moment, I asked, ¡°Are you going to tell me who that backside belongs too?¡± ¡°Pass the test, and all shall be revealed.¡± I nodded slowly, and gave the figurines on the shelves a more than cursory glance. ¡°By the way, who took that photo of Caprice?¡± The hooded figures stiffened. ¡°We cannot reveal our source. There are matters of confidentiality to consider.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± With a simple thought, I summoned my right Gauntlet-Blade. In the process, the room filled with the black mist that billowed forth from Pocket Space, as the Sarcophagus containing the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing poked its head into this reality or realm. The mist swallowed the holo-vid image of the three hooded men as the Gauntlet-Blade sheathed my right forearm. However, one of them cried out, ¡°Oh no¡ªit¡¯s true.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Familiar with a Fragment!¡± When the Sarcophagus retreated and the breach to Pocket Space sealed, the black mist faded quickly, though it left behind a bone-chilling cold in the air. It wasn¡¯t until then that I realized my shirt sleeve was still intact under the armor sheathing my right forearm. Keeping that happy realization to myself, I gave the blade a nice swing within the interior of the room, narrowly missing the figurines standing on a shelf. A trio of buxom figures in tight revealing dresses were spared decapitation by mere millimeters. Cries of dismay bellowed forth from the holo-vid image. ¡°No¡ªnot our collection of Lucky Luna idols!¡± I aimed the blade at the figurines. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you again, who took that photo of Caprice.¡± The hooded figures vacillated on their feet. ¡°Please, you must understand. If we don¡¯t honor the client-contractor confidentiality, then the enterprise will collapse. Confidentiality is the key to ensuring a healthy, trusting working relationship between all parties.¡± I edged the blade closer to the figurines. ¡°Who took that image of Caprice?¡± ¡°Please, you have no need to be concerned.¡± ¡°Caprice is special to me.¡± ¡°Please, have mercy.¡± I nodded and declared flatly, ¡°Right, the chick in the middle loses her head.¡± The hooded figures raised their hands toward me. ¡°Wait¡ªwe give. We give!¡± ¡°Well?¡± They lowered their hands unsteadily. ¡°We received that photo in our submission box. We don¡¯t know who took it.¡± ¡°What submission box?¡± ¡°We maintain a submission box ¨C an email box ¨C for anonymously posters who supply us with information regarding the girls of Galatea Academy. The photo of Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear was dropped into that box.¡± ¡°And you have no idea who sent it?¡± Though they were hooded, they all shook their heads. ¡°I swear, we have no idea who supplied that photo.¡± I cocked my head at them. ¡°How did you know she wears Girlz Pride underwear?¡± The hooded man in the middle appeared to shake his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t. We were ready to accept any answer.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the shady trio. ¡°And the up-skirt picture of that gorgeous ass?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± The modulated mechanical voice sounded abruptly flat. ¡°That image was sent to us from the same source who supplied the photo of Caprice Steiner.¡± I twisted my lips into the equivalent of a frown. ¡°Was it part of the same message?¡± ¡°Yes, it was. It included specific instructions and demand that we should invite you to join the Girls of Galatea committee. They said to use the photo to lure you in.¡± The hooded individual nervously fidgeted. ¡°They said you would make an excellent addition to the core ranks of devoted members because of your abilities to identify women¡¯s lingerie at a glance. They also said you have another special talent.¡± ¡°Oh? What would that be?¡± ¡°That you can tell a girl¡¯s three sizes just by looking at her, even if she¡¯s wearing clothes.¡± I felt a chill run through me. The only people that knew that were Caprice¡­and the Countess. I lowered the Gauntlet-Blade and asked in a dark tone, ¡°Are you being honest with me?¡± ¡°Entirely honest. We were surprised when we received the mail message two days ago.¡± Two days ago? On a Sunday? I stopped glaring at them through narrowed eyes. ¡°Enough with the cloak and dagger treatment. If you want to test me, then we do it in person.¡± The hooded figures shared looks amongst themselves, before the man in the middle faced me, his face still in darkness. ¡°Very well. We had anticipated this eventuality.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Come to the west sports field. We will await you on the rise overlooking the track.¡± In silence, all three bowed in unison, and the holo-vid image broke apart, falling like snowflakes of light to the table. The room¡¯s interior lighting brightened, and the curtains covering the back window smoothly parted aside, casting more illumination into the clubroom. I summoned the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Sarcophagus, and returned the right Gauntlet-Blade to its inventory. Feeling less than satisfied with the encounter, I turned around and walked to the door, finding it to be unlocked. Exiting the clubroom, I closed the door behind me, and my Awareness-field told me that this time the door was locked. I walked down the corridor to the stairs leading down. A short while later, I left the club building behind, and strode quickly to the west sports field. In the distance, I saw three young male students of differing height, and I quickened my pace toward them. # (Haruka) # Siobhan, Alistair, and I walked with Caprice out of the west wing lobby, and then east toward one of the gardens that occupied the grounds south of the donut shaped cafeteria building. Caprice led the way, but upon sight of the garden, she came to a stop, turned and looked at the three of us expectantly. Siobhan exhaled loudly. ¡°Well, get it over with.¡± Caprice looked down at the pink rose she carried in her hands. The rose was contained in a clear plastic sheath shaped like a cone. It had been left in her shoe locker along with a hand written letter. Caelum had stumbled upon the scene of Caprice reading the letter with us surrounding her, so I¡¯d had no choice but to scare him off with some brusque words. Looking up again, she gave us nod. ¡°I will return shortly.¡± Unable to hold my silence, or my misgivings, I stepped forward. ¡°Wait.¡± She stopped and looked back at me. I took a deep breath, aware of the puzzled looks I was getting from Siobhan and Alistair, and focused on Caprice. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Siobhan and Alistair both blurted simultaneously. Caprice¡¯s expression changed faintly, her eyes slightly narrower. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking, if you¡¯re sure you want to walk in there and turn him down.¡± ¡°Haruka, what are you doing?¡± Alistair asked. Feeling the stirrings of exasperation, I spoke firmly. ¡°Look, whoever he is, this guy has taken a lot of effort to express his sentiments in that letter. And he¡¯s gone so far as to include a rose. It might sound clich¨¦ or tacky, but I think you should at least hear him out.¡± Siobhan rolled her eyes. ¡°A love letter and a rose in the shoe locker¡ªin this day and age? Seriously. Anyone who does that deserves to be turned down.¡± Alistair waved Siobhan quiet. ¡°Haruka, what are you really trying to say to her?¡± As usual, Alistair was more insightful than Siobhan who let her mouth lead the way rather than her brain. I took a moment to gather my feelings until I felt I could express them with words. ¡°What I¡¯m saying, is that she walk in there with an open mind and hear him out.¡± Alistair asked, ¡°Why? She¡¯s already decided who occupies her heart.¡± Caprice stated flatly, ¡°You said you would support me.¡± ¡°And I am supporting you.¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°Caprice, you¡¯re my friend. Caelum is my friend, but I can¡¯t help but feel that you¡¯re making a mistake.¡± She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. ¡°Why are you saying this now?¡± ¡°Because¡ªbecause it¡¯s how I feel. It¡¯s what my gut is telling me.¡± I palmed my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s my woman¡¯s intuition yelling at me.¡± Siobhan looked puzzled. ¡°Yelling at you? Well what¡¯s it yelling?¡± Alistair waved her quiet. ¡°Haruka, just be honest. This wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with your feelings for him.¡± My eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Of course it does.¡± Alistair jerked back. ¡°Huh?¡± I held my hands up in barely restrained frustration. ¡°Alistair, I know what Caelum is like. Yes, I care about him¡ªa lot. But even so, I¡¯ve come to accept that regardless of my feelings for him, I know that he and I would never make a happy couple.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s you. What does that have to do with Caprice?¡± My shoulders slumped. ¡°Caelum won¡¯t make her happy.¡± Siobhan muttered, ¡°That¡¯s kind of harsh.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Alistair added. ¡°I don¡¯t know him that well, and he can be kind of crude, but he doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind of person that would deliberately hurt a girl.¡± I growled under my breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t say he would hurt her. I said he wouldn¡¯t make her happy.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re basing this on what?¡± Alistair questioned bluntly. ¡°On my long years of experience as Caelum Desanto¡¯s childhood friend¡ªlong before he became a Familiar.¡± I sighed as I folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°Caelum is obtuse, insensitive, forgetful, and childish. He¡¯s not the caring kind. He¡¯s not attentive to a girl, or mindful of her feelings. He can¡¯t read the mood, or the situation. He just doesn¡¯t know what to say, and he turns every right moment into a wrong moment. He doesn¡¯t remembers important dates. He¡¯s not a cruel person, but he¡¯s just downright indifferent. He hurts people without intending to, and then claims he doesn¡¯t understand why they¡¯re hurt.¡± I shook my head with heavy feelings. ¡°Caelum is just hopeless. It hurts to say this, but it¡¯s the truth.¡± Caprice was definitely listening to me. Her eyes widened just a tad, and I caught her subtle nod. ¡°I know¡­I know all this¡­however¡­.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°You¡¯re going to get hurt, and knowing that hurts me.¡± I took a quick breath. ¡°Caelum hurt me too, and I don¡¯t want you being hurt the same way.¡± I felt like I was pleading with her. ¡°Please, Caprice. I know he¡¯s deep in your heart, and I¡¯m not saying give up on him. I¡¯m just saying don¡¯t shoot this guy down before at least hearing him out.¡± Alistair was nodding gently to herself. ¡°You mean¡­play it by ear?¡± I gave her a nod in reply. ¡°Yeah. Play it by ear. And listen to your intuition. What have you got to lose?¡± After standing still for a long, long while during which she quietly regarded the pink rose in her hands, Caprice gave me a solemn nod. ¡°I understand.¡± Turning on her heels, she walked into the little garden enclosed by trees. Siobhan, Alistair, and I followed her at a distance. Though we entered the garden, we didn¡¯t exit the path bordered by trees. Instead, we watched from the shadows as Caprice continue along the paved path, looking about for any sign of her secret admirer. He found her before she found him. The three of us watched a young man, a second year senior, walk up to Caprice and introduce himself. We couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but perhaps Caprice had taken my advice to heart. That both troubled and relieved me, making me feel like devil¡¯s advocate. She listened to him for a long while, and when he gestured they should sit at a nearby bench, she did so. I narrowed my eyes, not recognizing the high school senior though I did feel he looked familiar. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Crais Shepherd,¡± Alistair replied with a hint of worry. ¡°He¡¯s a second year like us. Class Two-Dee, I think.¡± Siobhan muttered, ¡°I have to admit he¡¯s easy on the eyes.¡± I felt a twinge of guilt. ¡°Yeah, a little too easy.¡± Alistair then dropped a bombshell. ¡°And he¡¯s a Familiar.¡± Siobhan and I stared at her aghast. Alistair gently waved a hand over her left breast. ¡°That pin on his jacket¡­that says he¡¯s affiliated with the Raynar Pride.¡± I was starting to regret my words, especially when all three of us looked at Caprice, and noticed the faint smile on her lips as she listened attentively to one Crais Shepherd afil Raynar from Class Two-Dee.¡± # (Caelum) # The three members of the Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals ¨C a front for the Girls of Galatea site ¨C bowed to me, and offered their sincere apologies. ¡°We¡¯re sorry for all the trouble we¡¯ve caused you.¡± I quickly held up a hand. ¡°Ah¡ªit¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. Apology accepted.¡± I felt a bit embarrassed. In hindsight I believed I¡¯d taken things too far when I threatened their property with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Gauntlet-Blade. Clearing my throat quickly, I asked, ¡°You know who I am, but I don¡¯t know who you are?¡± They quickly introduced themselves, but their manner of talking made feel like I was interviewing them for a job. The student to my left was Tamworth ¡°Tam¡± Conti Lorian. Brown hair, brown eyes, average build ¨C for an Aventis. Despite that, I guessed the girls would rank him an eight out of ten. I wouldn¡¯t know for sure since I hadn¡¯t asked any girls, however I decided to trust my instincts. Standing in the middle, was Milo Hassan Fenrir. He was taller than I was, sporting a good build that would have made him a regular starter on any sporting team where muscle and brawn were an advantage ¨C and that was without the improvements made by the Symbiote. He had black hair that he kept short and neat. I¡¯d say the only downside to his features would be his severe look which belied his calm and friendly nature. Last, but not least, was Shotaru ¡°Sho¡± Bradley Irulan. Tall, slender ¨C I wouldn¡¯t call him thin ¨C he wore glasses for show since his eyesight was on par with those of an Aventis. He paid particular attention to his appearance without being overly fussy. You could describe him as neat but not obsessive. Like the other two, he was quite intellectually gifted. This much I gathered from their introductions, and the conversation that followed. I realized very quickly we were like minded individuals, and after a few minutes I noticed I was at ease around them. If someone had described this scene to me eight months ago, I would have called them crazy. Yet here I was, eight months since becoming a Familiar, having a conversation with three Aventis second year students, and I actually felt pretty good about it. That more than anything stunned me, and I had trouble listening to them. I had to clear my jumbled thoughts quickly, and pay attention to the three students. However, the more we talked, the more I realized what I¡¯d been missing these last few weeks. Male companionship. In other words, I missing male friendship, like I used to enjoy when I attended my school for Regular students. I¡¯d been surrounded by women for so long, I was actually relieved to be talking guys instead, and even though they were Aventis, the kind of people I¡¯d irresolutely stated that I hated, I had dropped my guard around them. Not for the first time, I wondered if my so-called hatred was misplaced. I said I despised the Aventis, but time and again I found it hard to hold onto that loathing. Perhaps something would happen in the future, something that would reaffirm those feelings, but for now I wasn¡¯t able to summon the same hatred I once held for them. I concentrated on what Milo Hassan was telling me. Milo explained the contents of the message that accompanied the photo of the unknown girl¡¯s derriere, and the headshot of Caprice Steiner taken from a distance. ¡°Quite frankly we were all surprised. But they claimed they knew all about the underground organization that ran the Girls of Galatea. To prove the point, they went into some detail and even listed a few of the names of our core members. They stated that unless we invited you, they would shut down the site. So we had no choice but to follow the given instructions.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Have you received any more messages?¡± Milo shook his head. ¡°Nope. None.¡± I took a deep breath. While I¡¯d grown relaxed around the three male students, I was wary of the circumstances that brought us together. Eventually, I tossed out a heavy sigh, took a couple of deep breaths, and gave the three students a hearty grin. ¡°Well, whatever their intentions are, we can worry about that later.¡± The three of them shrugged while sharing looks. Milo grinned weakly. ¡°I guess so.¡± Tam took a half step forward and asked, ¡°About the Girls of Galatea¡ª¡± I made a zipping motion across my lips. ¡°Not to fear. My lips are sealed.¡± The three students released a collective sigh. I clapped my hands lightly. ¡°So, what¡¯s this about a test I¡¯m supposed to pass?¡± Their eyes widened and once more they traded looks before facing me. Milo continued to grin weakly. ¡°Well, we¡¯d like to see your talent in action.¡± ¡°My talent? Which one?¡± Tam pointed at the girls of the Academy¡¯s Track-and-Field club doing laps on the sports field. ¡°Five girls. Five sets of sizes. If you gauge them against official records¡ªwell, less than official records¡ªthen we¡¯ll reveal the owner of those buttocks.¡± Milo added, ¡°And Vee Eye Pee membership to the Girls of Galatea.¡± I drew my lips back into a wide grin, and stood arms akimbo. ¡°Gentlemen, I accept your challenge.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 3 Chapter Two has been FULLY POSTED as of 28/2/2016. Read it FIRST before reading Chapter 3 as one chapter leads into the other. Those of you who remember the original version of this story will recognize the important changes. This is the complete Chapter 3. I may post the rewritten chapter 4 next week. It needs a bit more spit and polish. Also, this book will be renamed shortly. I will post an explanation later as to why. I know this kind of story is not the norm for what is found here, so I greatly appreciate your support. Ciao!
Chapter 3. (Caprice) # I listened to the young man, a fair haired boy by the name of Crais Shepherd afil Raynar. I listened to him tell me a little about himself. I sat attentively and wore a well-practiced faint smile. ¡°When did you become a Familiar?¡± I asked when he stopped talking. He looked nervous and sounded nervous, yet the more he talked, the calmer he became. ¡°Oh, right. I guess I haven¡¯t told you about that.¡± He took a deep breath and averted his gaze. ¡°My body changed when I was thirteen. I was tested halfway through the year and found to be a Familiar. After that, I was transferred into middle-school here at Galatea Academy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a Fragment or Artifact.¡± I already knew this because I¡¯d used my Valkyrie Legs¡¯ anklets to emanate an Awareness-field that scanned his body, and it came back negative. He shook his head and smiled sheepishly. ¡°No. The Raynars tested me with a few of them, and eventually said I wasn¡¯t fit for any of them. My compatibility or synch ratio was just too low.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± Shepherd shrugged in resignation. ¡°Nothing. I was transferred to this school and I¡¯ve survived a lonely existence for the past four years.¡± He laughed quickly. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. It hasn¡¯t been so bad. But there are times I wish I had a Fragment or Artifact. Something that would give my life a little more meaning¡­even if it means serving the Aventis.¡± ¡°Be careful of what you wish for,¡± I said softly. His eyebrows rose in a hurry, then lowered when his expression recovered. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. You would know, right?¡± I pointed down to my anklets. ¡°Yes.¡± He looked down at my legs, and I noticed his gaze run over them with interest. Oddly, I didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable, and that in itself troubled me a little. He realized he was staring and hastily looked away. Then he surprised me when he said, ¡°I saw you when you transferred here at the beginning of last year.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me since then.¡± ¡°Kind of. If I say yes, then you¡¯ll think I¡¯m a crazy stalker.¡± He shook his head again. ¡°I swear to you I¡¯m not. But I won¡¯t deny looking at you every time I see you¡­and thinking about you.¡± ¡°Why me? Is it because I¡¯m a Familiar?¡± He looked nervous again, then relaxed after a gentle sigh. ¡°No. Not really.¡± Glancing away for a moment, he said, ¡°It¡¯s because I felt you were a strong person, a lot stronger than me. This is place isn¡¯t all that bad, but I don¡¯t fit in, and I can¡¯t say I enjoy being here. But you appeared to get by without letting the Aventis trouble you. I admired you for that, for your inner strength. I thought to myself, here¡¯s a beautiful, strong person. I¡¯d like know what makes her so strong. I want to know more about her.¡± Taking a breath, he added, ¡°I¡¯m glad you have friends now. You look¡­you look a lot happier. A lot brighter too.¡± I pressed my lips together for a moment, and studied at him. He noticed and glanced away, then glanced back at me. After taking a quiet breath, I asked, ¡°Do you like to read?¡± His eyes widened a little. ¡°Yeah¡­I do.¡± ¡°Physical or data?¡± ¡°Both, but if I can, I like physical books.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I like the notion of turning pages over. I like feeling the weight of the paper in my hands. And I like the fact that you don¡¯t need electrical power to read a physical printed book.¡± He chuckled to himself. ¡°Does that make me weird in this day and age?¡± I shook my head before realizing it. ¡°No, it does not.¡± He looked surprised and relieved. ¡°Oh¡­thanks.¡± I noticed I was leaning forward slightly, yet decided not to lean back. ¡°What kind of books do you read?¡± He laughed shyly under his breath. ¡°Well, I like horror stories, though lately I¡¯ve migrated to thrillers and suspense novels.¡± He started rubbing his thick, blond hair then abruptly stopped. ¡°What do you like to read?¡± ¡°I enjoy a variety of genres, but I do enjoy horror stories the best.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± His expression turned thoughtful, then quickly hopeful. ¡°Have you read¡­H.P. Lovecraft?¡± My eyes widened and I found myself smiling. ¡°Yes.¡± When he smiled back at me, I felt my heart guiltily skip a beat. # (Caelum) # I peered through the binocular-visor. ¡°So¡­which girl is next?¡± The four of us were seated on the grassy hill overlooking the west running track currently commandeered by the Track-and-Field club. Twenty-two girls did laps on the track during the hour-long lunch break. To my left, Tam said, ¡°Let¡¯s see. Third girl from the front. She¡¯s coming onto the bend now.¡± Inhaling deeply, I softly muttered to myself, ¡°One more to go. One more to go.¡± So far, my tally was four for four. I would give Tam my estimates, and he would compare them to the ¡®less than official records¡¯ as maintained on the Girls of Galatea site. What I didn¡¯t tell them was that I was using the Awareness-field to heighten my senses, and that included my eyesight and depth of perception. Even though I was using binoculars, the Awareness-field was taking that a step further to point where I could count the sweat drops on each girls face. The downside was that this level of concentration was likely to give me a migraine in a couple of minutes unless I stopped using the Awareness-field in this manner. I studied the girl carefully as she came running round the bend in the sports track. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Ah, let me check,¡± Tam replied. ¡°Her name is Melanie Heathencourt Sanreal. She¡¯s a senior, class Three Aye. Height is five foot six. Weight is estimated at forty-eight kilograms. She¡¯s the captain of the Track-and-Field team. Last year she led the team to victory in the Inter-Island Championship, and then to fourth place at the inter-colony championships held on the capital world of Aeneas. The rumor is she has a scholarship lined up for a university on Aeneas, and she¡¯s desperate to do better this year.¡± I watched her run around the bend and pull into the straight. As she ran, I imagined someone else running the same track with her, and sympathy twinged in my chest. If Caprice had been born an Aventis, or joined a Pride, there was no doubt in my mind she¡¯d be out there running laps with these girls. I sighed. It didn¡¯t feel fair to me. No, it didn¡¯t feel fair to me at all. There were things we Familiars could do, but there were differences between the Aventis and us ¨C noticeable differences ¨C and being weaker than them was just one of them. Even so, I couldn¡¯t deny the desire of wanting to see Caprice run the track with these girls. I sighed inwardly this time. For the time being, I pushed my downcast feelings aside. Even if we were having our difficulties today, that didn¡¯t mean I felt any different toward her. Caprice was special to me. Very special. Tam asked, ¡°Are you ready, Desanto?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I reported back. ¡°Your numbers in ten seconds.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± The enlarged and enhanced image of the girl filled the inside face of my binocular-visor. The Awareness-field sharpened my eyesight even further, while I felt a languid calm wash over me. I was now in the zone ¨C a perfect state of Zen. ¡°Bust eighty five. Waist fifty. Hips eighty one.¡± I blinked and moved the binoculars away from my face. The Zen state deserted me; the Awareness-field faded away. I winced inwardly as I felt my brain complain by kicking the inside of my skull. However, I didn¡¯t want the three guys seeing my state of inner distress. Bradley asked, ¡°How did he do?¡± I saw Tam frown as he looked down at his data-slate. ¡°Uh¡­almost perfect.¡± I gave him a narrow look. ¡°What do you mean almost perfect? My numbers are right on the money.¡± Tam faintly shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Well, you said her bust was eighty-five. But we have her bust down at eighty-three.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I shook my head, and winced when a pang ran through my skull. ¡°She¡¯s definitely bigger than eighty-three. That girl¡¯s not that light up top.¡± Milo threw in, ¡°He could be right. She is a growing girl.¡± Bradley asked, ¡°Well, how do we tell who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong?¡± I was about to reiterate that my numbers were on the mark, but decided to keep quiet. Milo remarked, ¡°We could ask for a second opinion.¡± Bradley quipped, ¡°Don¡¯t you mean a third opinion?¡± Tam looked up slowly, his expression thoughtful. ¡°In that case, we could give it a try.¡± ¡°Give what a try?¡± Bradley asked. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡ª?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I mean.¡± Tam put the data-slate down on the grass beside him and looked at his classmates. ¡°If we need a second or third opinion, we could give it a spin now. I have it right here in my bag.¡± He patted the Academy carry-bag beside him. ¡°I believe now is as good a time as any to test the Mark Three.¡± Milo grinned weakly as he palmed a fist, and Bradley added with a nod, ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± I leaned toward the trio. ¡°Try what? What are you guys talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Tam replied with restrained eagerness. He reached into his school carry-bag and retrieved a box. It was obsidian in color, and looked professionally custom made, with rounded corners and beveled edges. I raised my eyebrows at sight of it, my interest truly piqued. He gave me a serious and level look. ¡°This is a top secret prototype. Our group is still working on refining it. I might also point out this is version three, ergo, the Mark Three.¡± I arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Version three of what?¡± He swallowed dramatically. ¡°The Guesstimator.¡± I gave him a blank look. ¡°Huh?¡± Milo urged softly, ¡°Tam, get on with it. Lunch break will be over soon. We¡¯ve got less than fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Keep your panties on,¡± Tam replied smoothly. He opened the box by unlatching the lock. Of course, there was key code to enter which made the whole situation that much more intriguing. When he finally swung the lid open, I saw what appeared to be a wrap-around visor, much like the sunglasses I¡¯d seen snow skiers wear during competitions held in Island Five, which had three habitats devoted to nothing but sports and relaxation. The visor was sleek and very stylish, and the darkly tinted lenses hid the wearer¡¯s eyes. I chose to play it down a little. ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s a visor. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°Not just any visor,¡± Tam protested smoothly. ¡°This baby is wirelessly linked to your palm-slate or data-slate running the Guesstimator software. She comes with binocular lenses here and here¡±¡ªhe tapped the outer rims of the visor¡ª¡°and can be either voice activated or touch triggered here.¡± I regarded it dubiously. ¡°That¡¯s all good, but what does it do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand better if we show you.¡± Tam lifted the visor reverently like he was holding a diamond tiara, and handed it to me. ¡°Put it on.¡± I did just that, finding it a little heavier than I expected but not uncomfortable. It was also smaller and tighter than the binocular-visor I¡¯d been using to appraise the girls. Beside me, Tam pressed a small button on the visor¡¯s left wing that reached back over my left ear. I saw the inside of the visor crackle then clear. ¡°Hey,¡± I muttered, ¡°what is this?¡± Milo asked, ¡°Tam did you load the latest software patch?¡± ¡°Yep. Patch nineteen. The guys are saying patch twenty comes out next week.¡± I swallowed and asked, ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Look for Melanie Heathencourt Sanreal,¡± Tam instructed. I looked at the girls running. ¡°Which one was she again¡ªoh, I see her. She¡¯s in second place now.¡± ¡°Good, good,¡± Tam muttered. ¡°Just getting the slate client up and running.¡± Bradley clapped his hands together. ¡°Excellent. Now, let the demonstration begin.¡± I was going to ask what ¡®demonstration¡¯ when my gaze fell on a girl walking in our direction. I didn¡¯t recognize her, but I could tell she was angry from her expression and the manner in which she stomped toward us. I took her to be the Track-and-Field club¡¯s manager. ¡°Ah, guys, that girl looks really angry.¡± I thought I heard Bradley gasp before he hastily said, ¡°Just ignore her for now. Hurry. Let¡¯s get the show on the road.¡± Tam agreed. ¡°Keep your attention on Melanie. She has to be your sole focus.¡± I wet my lips as my gaze settled on Melanie once again. ¡°Sole focus¡­okay¡­my eyes are locked on her.¡± ¡°Desanto,¡± Tam said, ¡°press the little button on the right wing, just behind where it blends into the visor.¡± I reached up and after feeling along the length of the wing my fingers encountered a slight protuberance. I pressed it. Suddenly an orange targeting silhouette soundlessly flashed up over Melanie Heathencourt. As she ran, I watched bands of light run up and down her trim figure for a few seconds, then a collection of numbers appeared in the left hand portion of my vision. I blinked in awe. ¡°So that¡¯s what it does. Wow. This is cool.¡± Tam sounded proud of the device. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s wearing clothes or not. Once it gets a good idea of size and distance, then it goes to work. Tell us the numbers.¡± I read them back to him. ¡°Bust eighty-four. Waist fifty. Hips eighty-one.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Tam murmured. ¡°Yeah. I got those here too. Let¡¯s try it again.¡± I had my finger on the small button built into the visor¡¯s right wing, when my attention again fell on the angry girl storming toward us. In surprise, I pressed the button. The orange targeting silhouette highlighted her body, and the bands of light travelled over. Tam blurted out, ¡°Wait¡ªwhy¡¯d you scan her for?¡± ¡°Sorry. My finger slipped.¡± When the numbers came up, I couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment. ¡°Man, she¡¯s a letdown. Bust seventy five, waist forty five, hips seventy three.¡± Sho Bradley sighed loudly on my right. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my sister for you.¡± ¡°Eh!¡± My head spun as I faced him. ¡°She¡¯s your sister?¡± Sho nodded sadly. ¡°I think she and I took after our dad, because our mother¡¯s a knock-out.¡± I slipped off the Guesstimator. ¡°Man, sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean any disrespect.¡± He waved a hand loosely. ¡°It¡¯s cool. But, she¡¯s a senior in middle-school so you never know. She might ¡®blossom¡¯ after all.¡± He started to get up. ¡°However, I think we should get clear of her. Otherwise, she¡¯ll give me an earful when I get home.¡± I looked at the other two on my left. They nodded in agreement. I shook my head. ¡°You guys go on ahead. I¡¯ll cover your retreat.¡± They looked stunned, and Tam warned, ¡°Man, you have no idea what you¡¯re in for. That¡¯s a tiger headed our way.¡± I gave them a reassuring nod. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ve handled bigger fish in just the first two weeks of school.¡± Sho said, ¡°Your exploits aside, she¡¯s still my little sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything to her. I¡¯m just going to divert her attention. Now, get going before she gets here.¡± ¡°Ara ara, what do we have here?¡± For a moment my mind went blank, and my heart forgot to beat inside my chest. My shoulders reflexively hunched up as I near instantly recognized that lilting feminine voice. The trio around me froze like statues. Tam stuttered wildly for a moment, sounding like a frightened little girl. ¡°V¡ªVice President!¡± ¡°Ara ara, aren¡¯t you being naughty little boys. Spying on the girls, are we? Now what shall I do with you?¡± I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know what expression she wore. All I needed was to hear her voice. Overwhelming panic washed over me. Inside my mind, something went ¡®snap¡¯. # (Haruka) # Within the shadows of trees, we watched Caprice and the Shepherd boy part company. She wore her usual faint smile, but he had a rather large grin on his face. In other words, he was a happy boy. I noticed Caprice held onto the pink rose in its conical plastic wrapping. She watched him leave, during which he glanced back at her no less than five times. Once he was out of sight, she walked toward us. Siobhan noted, ¡°You certainly made his day. Probably his whole week.¡± Caprice tipped her head ever so slightly. ¡°I followed Haruka¡¯s advice.¡± I felt a twinge in my chest but kept my expression calm. Caprice added while glancing at me, ¡°I played it by ear.¡± Another twinge, this time in my heart, and I took a small step toward her. ¡°Caprice, about what I said¡­I¡¯m sorry. I think I went too far.¡± She blinked slowly, then nodded gently. ¡°I understand.¡± I shook my head stiffly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do. What I said came out of my bad experiences with Caelum. It doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll be that way for you.¡± The shadow of a frown crossed her face, but she brightened quickly. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Caprice¡ª¡± Alistair cut me off. ¡°Hey, Caprice. I noticed you traded slate numbers. That¡¯s pretty bold.¡± I swallowed uncomfortably. ¡°You traded numbers? What¡ªwhat are you going to do?¡± Caprice was quiet for a moment. ¡°He asked me out on date. I told him I would get back to him.¡± ¡°You did? Why?¡± ¡°Because I wish to keep an open mind.¡± She touched her chest. ¡°I want to know if he can make me feel the way Caelum does.¡± I felt a little ill. Good gods, what have I done? I didn¡¯t know whether to silently apologize to Caelum or to Caprice. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Caprice began walking south down the path. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave the rose in my locker.¡± ¡°Well, make it quick,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°We got ten minutes to the end of lunch, and I¡¯m hungry. I have to eat something!¡± ¡°I shall return shortly,¡± she replied in near monotone. I threw Siobhan and Alistair a hasty look. ¡°You two go on ahead. I need to talk to her.¡± Alistair¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Oh sure. Like we¡¯re going to leave you alone with her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the snake in the Garden of Eden?¡± My mouth fell open. Then I turned away angrily and chased after Caprice. You bitch, Alistair! I didn¡¯t have to hurry for very far. Caprice had come to a stop on the path, and was facing south in the direction of the sports field where girls of the Track-and-Field club were running. Rather, they had been running but had stumbled to a halt. It was easy to understand why, considering the commotion on the hill overlooking the sports field. As I watched the comedy scene playing out on the hill, I felt my heart sink. Behind me, Alistair muttered, ¡°Oh shit¡­.¡± A sharp crack cut the air, and the pink rose in Caprice¡¯s hand snapped in two. # (Caelum) # I spun round as agilely as I could. ¡°Guys¡ªrun! Save yourselves.¡± I tossed the Guesstimator to Tam who reflexively caught it in the air. Then I overclocked as I sprinted toward the Countess, Simone Alucard Raynar, who stood a couple of meters away, perched prettily atop her Jimmy Chans with their three inch heels. In slow-motion, I watched the smile of confident superiority on her beautiful face fade as I ran toward her. Before she could utter a cry of protest, I crouched and scooped her up onto my right shoulder. Then with one hand over her back and the other against her buttocks to hold her in place, I ran along the grassy high ground that bordered the running track. I think I gave those girls in the Track-and-Field club a run for their money. Suffice to say the Countess¡¯s cries of protest caught their attention, causing a number of them to stumble. I must have cut quite the picture fleeing with a girl like the Countess over my right shoulder. In any event, I ran until I arrived at the storage houses behind the gym, well out of sight of the Academy¡¯s buildings. Only then did I put her back down on her high heels. She swayed unsteadily so I reached out and supported her for a few moments. Simone¡¯s silver hair was a mess. She brushed it back, straightened her uniform, and then smacked me across the top of my head. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°That was uncalled for,¡± she declared in annoyance. I rubbed my head. ¡°Sorry.¡± She stared at me hard for a few moments, then relaxed and slowly shook her head. ¡°Ara ara, why am I so surprised?¡± She rubbed her midriff for a little while. ¡°That really did hurt.¡± I bowed to her. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to hurt them,¡± she said. ¡°Ah¡ªI guess not.¡± I remained bowed before her. She was quiet for a little while. ¡°So, you made some new friends.¡± I slowly straightened then held up a finger. ¡°Associates. Acquaintances. Not friends.¡± ¡°Birds of a feather flock together.¡± ¡°Ah¡­well, they are like minded individuals.¡± I ran a hand through my hair shyly. ¡°They sought me out. I guess my reputation precedes me.¡± I chuckled but stopped when I noticed her eyes narrow sharply. ¡°Ah¡­Countess?¡± ¡°Caelum.¡± ¡°Yes¡­Countess?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t approve of you cheating behind my back.¡± I choked. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? What cheating? How could I be cheating on you if we¡¯re not dating?¡± ¡°Ara ara, so you haven¡¯t heard the rumors.¡± ¡°Geh¡ªwhat rumors?¡± My stomach felt like a cannon ball weighing down on my bladder. The Countess¡¯s eyes widened, then a calculating look settled upon her face. I shied back a little. ¡°Count¡ªCountess?¡± ¡°This is going to be interesting,¡± she murmured loudly. ¡°However, just like you have a reputation to uphold, so do I.¡± ¡°Meaning what?¡± ¡°Meaning that it¡¯s my duty to safeguard the girls of this Academy from you.¡± ¡°Huh? But I haven¡¯t done anything.¡± ¡°Oh no? What about passing confidential information to the members maintaining the site for The Girls of Galatea?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything of the sort.¡± ¡°Your talent for discerning a girl¡¯s three sizes is uncanny. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t surprised to hear the members had recruited you.¡± ¡°Eh? You heard about that.¡± ¡°Of course I did.¡± She waved a hand in the direction where the guys and I had been seated. ¡°Those three boys were the leading members, right?¡± I tried to deny it but eventually just nodded. Simone exhaled heavily. ¡°Never mind. Never mind. I should have expected this would happen sooner rather than later.¡± I frowned inwardly. How did she know I was meeting with the students running the Girls of Galatea Academy site? Outwardly, I cringed nervously. ¡°Uh, Countess?¡± She waved a perfectly manicured hand. ¡°Relax, Caelum. Relax.¡± The Countess fished into her skirt¡¯s pocket then pulled out her palm-slate. ¡°I came to show you this.¡± I took the slate from her slender hands and studied the dossier it displayed. ¡°A student¡­Serenity Artesan afil Avenir?¡± The Countess said, ¡°She¡¯s a Familiar in the service of the Avenirs.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And she¡¯s transferring to this Academy next week.¡± I looked at the Countess. ¡°Do you know why?¡± Simone shook her head. Her silver hair swished gently about her face. Her bosom heaved when she took a deep breath. ¡°I asked but was told not to. In particular, my sister told me not to question the directives of the upper echelons. This leads me to believe the order for her transfer came from the Sanctum¡­or maybe the Primogen Council.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her Fragment?¡± The Countess looked anxious for a heartbeat. ¡°A Valkyrie¡­.¡± I frowned. ¡°You mean it¡¯s like Caprice¡¯s.¡± ¡°Yes, though I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s locked down as a Fragment, or unlocked as an Artifact. Information on her is ¡®sketchy¡¯ at best.¡± I swallowed nervously. ¡°Do you think¡­she¡¯s here to keep an eye on me?¡± Simone regarded me with a steady look. ¡°That remains to be seen. However, I do believe you¡¯ll need to be on your best behavior.¡± ¡°In what regards?¡± ¡°Caelum, from now on, I want you to stick close to me.¡± I straightened and stared at her, all humor gone from my body. ¡°What are you up to, Simone?¡± She shook her head gently. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I don¡¯t want this girl looking for trouble with you. To that end, I¡¯m going to make it clear that you¡¯re firmly in my square.¡± ¡°Countess, I¡¯m firmly in Arisa¡¯s square, not yours.¡± ¡°What I mean is, I want this girl to see you¡¯re co-operating fully with the Raynar Pride¡ªmy Pride.¡± I studied Serenity¡¯s image for a little while. I won¡¯t lie. She was ¡®hot¡¯. She had that weird cartoon style, pastel lavender hair, but it fell beautifully like waterfalls over her shoulders. Combine that with her elfin features and violet eyes¡ªwait, violet? I peered at her image intently. This girl looks awfully familiar. I mean, I know I¡¯ve seen her before, but where? ¡°Caelum.¡± The Countess stuck out her hand, and I reluctantly handed the palm-slate back to her. She fiddled with it before pocketing it into her skirt. Taking a quick breath, I asked, ¡°So, what does ¡®stick close to me¡¯ entail?¡± ¡°Well, to begin with¡­next weekend keep Saturday completely free.¡± ¡°Next Saturday? You don¡¯t mean this coming Saturday?¡± She looked distressed. ¡°No, I can¡¯t be with you this weekend. Family affairs to deal with.¡± She rubbed her eyes for a moment. ¡°Damn¡ªMother can be so insistent sometimes. I don¡¯t what she¡¯s so afraid of.¡± Folding her arms once again, the Countess regarded me with an expectant look. My shoulders drooped in response. ¡°So, talking about next Saturday. Let me guess, same place, same time, right?¡± So far she¡¯d monopolized every one of my weekends since she ruined Prissila¡¯s plans. In fact, she had succeeded in keeping all other girls away from me, including Caprice. Actually, Caprice was keeping away of her own volition which made my heart ache in a strange, empty way. Honestly, I didn¡¯t mind Simone¡¯s company, but I was quickly getting to the point where I wanted time for myself, especially on weekends. For now, she had skipped visiting our training sessions this week, and I was a little relieved. However, last week I was still convalescing from my gut piercing injury, and the Countess had dominated every afternoon and evening after school. If it wasn¡¯t shopping, it was usually movies and dinner. Again, I didn¡¯t mind her company. Truthfully, I enjoyed being with her, but we were partaking in events that couples enjoyed, and that troubled me because she and I were not a couple. Just what was our relationship? What did I want our relationship to be? I found myself contemplating her. A girl like her, and I guy like me. There was just no possibility of that happening, right? The Countess was shaking her head uneasily. ¡°Wrong,¡± she replied. ¡°Huh?¡± I was confused and hurriedly jumped back on track. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m wrong?¡± She took a really, deep breath, then let it out with a slow shudder. ¡°Caelum, my sister wants to meet you.¡± My eyes widened ¨C I mean, they really, really widened. ¡°You¡¯re not serious¡ª¡± She lowered her arms and clenched her hands at her sides. ¡°I¡¯m completely serious. Completely!¡± I raised my palms toward her. ¡°Okay, okay. But does Arisa know?¡± Again the Countess crossed her arms, but this time with a degree of reticence. ¡°She gave her¡­very grudging consent.¡± ¡°Heh? You didn¡¯t bribe her, did you?¡± She drew her lips back in a sour smile. ¡°Ah, well, there was one condition I had to agree to¡­.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± She hastily sucked in air, then spoke in a rush. ¡°It¡¯s not a concern. It¡¯s all taken care off. For now, the priority is dinner with my sister¡±¡ªher voice fell quickly¡ª¡°and my mother¡­.¡± My innards turned to stone. ¡°Huh?¡± Simone closed her eyes ¨C actually she squeezed them shut ¨C then held her breath. Without warning, she stepped up to me and took both my hands in hers. With her gaze locked onto mine, and I was trapped by her imploring azure eyes. ¡°Caelum, please. I really, really need your help.¡± ¡°Heh? With¡ªwith what?¡± ¡°You¡ªyou need to make the best possible impression.¡± ¡°What¡ªwhy?¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll tell you afterwards. You have to trust me¡ªthis is all for a very good cause.¡± ¡°Trust you? But you¡¯re always¡ª¡± My voice caught in my throat when she brought my knuckles up to her lips. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat are you doing?¡± But it wasn¡¯t my knuckles she was interested in. She took my right index finger into her mouth and began suckling on it. My breath caught. Ah¡ªwhat the Hell is she doing? What¡¯s this weird feeling? Damn, she¡¯s making me blush. Actually, I think part of me is already on fire. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from her face as she worked her lips and tongue around my finger. Damn it, what is it with this crazy tongue technique? When she closed her eyes, a dreamy look came over her. Damn, that is so incredibly erotic. No¡ªit¡¯s impossibly erotic! A soft moan escaped her lips, and fireworks exploded inside my head. ¡°Aggh¡ªstop, stop! Countess, I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± I was afraid of pulling my finger out. Would she bite it if I tried? But what the heck could I do? Amidst the fireworks continuously exploding in the cavern of my mind, a single thought shone bright and steady. My consciousness was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. That light was the answer to my current predicament. It was telling me to give up. I wasn¡¯t going to win this round against her. I spoke like a man drowning. ¡°Okay, okay. I trust you. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can. I¡¯ll make the best possible impression. I¡¯ll be so good your mother will start making wedding plans!¡± Gah! What did I just say? I have to stop now! Someone stop me now! She stopped suckling on my finger. She was careful to suck it almost dry as it left her mouth. Then she stared at me intently. ¡°You promise?¡± I nodded fervently. ¡°I do¡ªI do.¡± She frowned. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°I do. I definitely do. No doubt about it.¡± Wait! Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. I only realized that after she leapt onto me and threw her arms around my neck. ¡°You do, you do, you do,¡± she kept repeating. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so happy.¡± Gah¡ªher breasts didn¡¯t flatten against me. More like they crushed my chest. Yep, that¡¯s how firm and heavy they were. Ah, still, I could die happy from this sensation alone. Then my body warned me it would need air in a half minute. ¡°Simone, I can¡¯t breathe.¡± She whispered loudly into my ear. ¡°Then let me go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She kept whispering. ¡°Caelum, you¡¯re the one holding onto me.¡± My heart stopped for a complete second. She was right. I was the one holding onto her. In a blur, I quickly separated the both of us ¨C or at least I tried to. Her arms remained looped around my neck and shoulders. ¡°Ara ara, could this mean¡ª¡± ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t even let your mind start running off in that direction.¡± She sighed but smiled brightly. ¡°As long as you keep your promise, I have nothing to worry about.¡± She started bouncing happily on her high heels. I found it impossible not to smile at her buoyant expression. Then I heard the sound of the first lunch bell. The second would ring in five minutes. She removed her arms from around me, but then quickly kissed my cheek. ¡°Hurry back to class,¡± she whispered with a loving tone that almost turned me into butter. Yet again, I ruminated the nature of our relationship, and then wondered if the one trying to deny the relationship was in fact me. Was it because of the other girls on the compass, or was it because I was afraid of committing to her? Was it because subconsciously I didn¡¯t believe I could trust her? Now her family wanted to meet me. I didn¡¯t think this new development would bode well for me. Simone walked away with that swish of her hips and buttocks that captivated my attention without fail, dispelling my worries as my mind followed a single path all the way to her shapely derriere. If only she wore something more befitting than gym shorts under her skirt. Ah, what a disappointment. It was enough to make my heart wilt. The life support system in Habitat One had been shaky since the attack by Crimson Crescent. Shifts in temperature happened often, and gusts of strong wind were rather frequent to the point the Academy had issued a warning to the girls to not shorten their skirts by tucking them into their waistband. To the surprise of many, the practice continued in earnest, despite the frequent flashing of panties in and out of school grounds. As Simone walked away, a very strong breeze blew over the Academy grounds. Her white skirt billowed upwards, then fluttered back down. Almost as an afterthought she placed a hand on her skirt to keep it in check. Then she spared me a glance over her shoulder. I was too stunned to react. I felt as though I was experiencing an out-of-body event. Crimson lacy ruffles with a very high cut and bows tied at the hips. A vision of naughty loveliness that would haunt me for the rest of the day, and well into the night. Then my brain kicked back into gear, and an ominous foreboding brushed my heart. I had the answer to the question I¡¯d asked the Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals. I now knew the identity of those mouthwatering buttocks in the up-skirt photo. She was the Countess of Galatea Academy¡­Simone Alucard Raynar. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I wondered if I was being played by Simone, or by someone else. # (Haruka) # Siobhan arrived late. ¡°Hey, what happened? What about lunch?¡± In the aftermath of having witnessed Caelum Desanto sprinting madly with the Countess tossed over his right shoulder, Caprice, Alistair, and I were standing in quiet shock. However, it was Caprice who recovered first. Holding the broken rose between her clenched teeth, Caprice pulled out her slender palm-slate from a skirt pocket, and began typing away on its screen. Clearing my throat uncertainly, I cautiously asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± With the rose in her mouth, she mumbled, ¡°Sending Crais Shepherd a message.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alistair blinked and shook herself out of the shock-induced torpor. ¡°What message?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if he¡¯s free this Sunday,¡± Caprice mumbled back. ¡°Why?¡± I queried though I already knew the answer. Caprice continued typing with one hand, while removing the broken rose from between her teeth. ¡°Because I¡¯m asking him out on a date.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± My heart sank. There really wasn¡¯t anything I could say. Caelum had messed up big time. In a very real way he¡¯d proven my words of warning to Caprice. She tapped away some more, then pressed ¡®send¡¯. Pocketing her palm-slate, she turned to face Alistair, Siobhan, and I. ¡°I need your help,¡± she declared deadpan. ¡°With what?¡± Siobhan asked. Caprice bowed respectfully to us. ¡°I need you to make me look pretty.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Siobhan whispered. ¡°That¡¯s easy. You¡¯re already a knock-out.¡± Caprice straightened, but wouldn¡¯t meet our eyes. She sounded faintly nervous when she softly admitted, ¡°I want to make a good impression.¡± In my chest, my heart twisted painfully, and I cursed Caelum. Damn you. Damn you, Caelum. You stupid, stupid fool! Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 4. Complete draft 1.0 of chapter 4. Posted 01/03/2016
Chapter 4. (Serenity) # School Week Five. Tuesday afternoon. Island One. Harbor Tunnel. Amongst the many messages I received during class, the most notable was confirmation of my transfer to Galatea Academy. I was to begin classes effectively from next Monday. Not only was I attending a new academy, but I was changing address as well. I was to pack my belongings within the next couple days. For my convenience, the Avenirs had allocated me to new lodgings in Island Three, Habitat Two, only a habitat away from Galatea Academy. However, the second notable message was a challenge. After reading it on my palm-slate, I deleted the message, then checked my work schedule. As it turned out, my afternoon after classes at Calista Academy was free, and so I was free to accept the challenge my peers had thrown down to me. # It might seem odd and downright perplexing, but for the last six months I¡¯d been working as a sixteen year old, part-time model for teen magazines. What made my circumstances unusual was my classification as a Special, that is, a Familiar affiliated with a Pride and in possession of an Artifact or Fragment. You would think that someone as dangerous as I was wouldn¡¯t be allowed into the public eye. True. However, so long as people didn¡¯t know I was a dangerous Familiar ¨C which was indeed the truth ¨C then what did it matter if I graced the contents of various teenage rags while wearing the latest fashion trend? The truth was I only started modelling because my adopted family ordered me to after an unexpected encounter in the downtown district of Island One, Habitat One. I was walking across the street when a complete stranger approached me, and asked if I would be interested in modelling for a new startup magazine venture, dedicated to teenage girls. In other words, I was scouted by a talent agent. My family promptly learnt of this, and decided it would be a good idea. I really couldn¡¯t imagine why. However, they would not tolerate me working for a rival agency. I was promptly signed up with Artesan Management, and soon found myself enrolled in a weeklong crash course on how to smile, look pretty, and make the camera fall in love with me. To make matters more difficult, my teacher was none other than my mother. For this reason, and a few others, I found it easier to train with my Valkyrie Maiden Sigr¨²n for a couple of hours each evening, than to endure my mother¡¯s tutelage. I really had no say in the matter. Despite being a Familiar, and regardless of the power of my Artifact, I found it difficult to say no to them. Quite simply, I wasn¡¯t in a position where I could defy them¡ªyet. They would only back down when their plans for me disagreed with those of the Avenir Pride. You might think I was living quite the strict life, but that also wasn¡¯t entirely true. I was living quite a privileged life. My adopted family owned and managed a prominent talent agency responsible for managing the careers of many of Pharos¡¯s elite showbiz stars. As the story goes, I was adopted almost on a whim, simply because my mother, Samantha Artesan Avenir, considered me cute. I believe her intention was to have me participate in a series of commercials featuring child actors. Indeed, after being adopted, I was unceremoniously dumped into the world of showbiz. As a young precocious child of six years of age, I completed my eight contracted commercials, then went on to act in a handful of others, before abandoning the world of glitz and glamor. I had served my purpose. However, instead of being tossed back into the orphanage, my mother chose to keep me, like one might choose to keep a pet. I didn¡¯t live in a doghouse. I lived in a large apartment suite in Island One, Habitat One, serviced by robot cleaners and maids. I was chauffer driven to the best school for Regulars in Pharos. I had everything I could ask for, and all I had to do in return was be the perfect daughter for such a prominent family. That said, I learnt to act the part at a very young age. A turning point in my life took place shortly after my thirteenth birthday. I was tested as part of the bi-annual medical exams conducted on students to determine candidacy into one of the seven Prides. To the disappointment of my parents, I was not destined for the life of an Aventis. Rather, it was discovered I had awakened as a Familiar. What assuaged my adopted parents¡¯ disenchantment was the discovery that I had the strongest bond with the Avenir strain of the Symbiote than any other. In addition, it was determined that my synch ratio with a number of rare and powerful Fragments owned by the Avenirs was extraordinarily high. Thus, shortly after turning thirteen, I was bonded to the Fragment of a Sigr¨²n-type Valkyrie Maiden. From that point on, I was more than just the adopted daughter of a very rich showbiz family. I was a valued Familiar. I threw myself into my new role with gusto, and within a year I¡¯d unlocked Sigr¨²n. I was praised and I was revered. Some Avenirs went so far as to describe me as a prodigy. However, while I lapped up the adulation, what mattered to me most was the power and freedom I gained when I summoned Sigr¨²n in all her glory. I also had a lust for battle. I liked to fight stronger opponents; to test myself against them, and to grow as a Familiar. Quite simply, I wanted to grow stronger. Though I had unlocked the Artifact, my instructors warned me that I had only completed the first lap. More laps would follow, as my body adapted ¨C evolved ¨C to better handle the strain of summoning Sigr¨²n¡¯s tremendous power. In other words, I had completed Phase One which entailed unlocking the Artifact. I was now on my way to completing Phase Two, but it would require time and consistent training. On the rare occasion I had a candid conversation with my mother, I told her of my worries regarding Sigr¨²n. I also worried about the changes to my body. I joked that I might grow a third eye, or a third breast. My mother surprised me by asking if I knew what a Vampire was, and how Vampires grew stronger the longer they lived. A Vampire that had survived for millennia was considerably more powerful than a Vampire that had lived for only a century. That was the commonly agreed upon lore. That said, Familiars possessed many of the traits of Vampires, such as their ability to drink the blood of the Aventis, granting them enhanced healing abilities, and superior strength for the span of several days. The longer a Familiar was bonded to a Fragment or Artifact, they stronger they would become over the coming years. Thus, what my mother told me was that eventually I would grow to become stronger than an Aventis. I would not need to drink the blood of an Aventis to exceed their strength and other abilities. My body, that of a Familiar, would be superior to theirs in every way. I asked my mother if she was afraid of me. She replied that would depend on how I chose to live my life, and use my abilities. Would it be in service of the Prides, or against them? She gave me much to think about, and I chose not to question my mother. I understood that I was in many ways a Vampire. I had canines that could extend and retract into my upper jaw. And I had the ability to push my will into the consciousness of a Aventis. Oddly, I couldn¡¯t do the same to a Regular or a Familiar, but I found that Aventis minds were rather ¡®soft¡¯. In other words, I could bend them to my will. Of course, using Influence on Aventis individuals was strictly forbidden, but from time to time, I carefully spread my Influence upon Aventis students that bothered me a little too much. But the real challenges to my daily existence didn¡¯t come from the Aventis at Calista Academy. My challenges came from the other Familiars gifted with Fragments or Artifacts who reckoned they were better than me. And sometimes, I needed to remind them who was the Alpha Bitch of Calista Academy. # I rode in the backseat of the black saloon car, dressed in my expensive Calista Academy uniform, a white and navy blue ensemble with a distressing resemblance to the sailor uniforms worn by the female students of yesteryear from an island nation on a planet far, far away. I spoke to the chauffer without facing him. ¡°Thanks for driving me, Hiro-Hiro.¡± With a sigh, he said, ¡°At least this way, I know where you are.¡± I snorted softly. ¡°You always know where I am. My palm-slate is tracked. Even the jewelry I wear is tracked. I remember one time when they planted a transmission strip into the lining of my underwear.¡± I grimaced. ¡°They ruined a perfectly good pair of panties.¡± ¡°Mistress, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware I wasn¡¯t born yesterday.¡± I looked with mock shock at his reflection in the rear-view mirror. ¡°What? Really? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± he retorted with false indignation. ¡°We are aware of your Valkyrie¡¯s ability to hide the both of you from active and passive scans. We are also aware of your ability to hide your Valkyrie¡¯s presence from others.¡± I turned back to view out my window. ¡°Are you saying I have a subconscious desire to be invisible, and that¡¯s why Sigr¨²n unlocked that ability of hers?¡± ¡°You tell me, Mistress.¡± With a pout, I absently regarded the entrances to the countless shipping companies whose wharves occupied the walls of Island One¡¯s Harbor Tunnel. The tunnel was an enormous thirty-kilometer long corridor bored into Island One. At one end lay the opening out into space ¨C a two-kilometer wide circle with dozens of pressure-fields layered over it. Those fields prevented the precious atmosphere inside the asteroid Island from venting out into the vacuum of space, that wasn¡¯t quite a vacuum since Pharos floated within the outskirts of the Hurakan Nebula. At the other end of the Harbor Tunnel, and roughly in the middle of Island One, was the enormous Harbor Sphere. As the name implied, it was a sphere twelve-kilometers in diameter that served as a harbor to the large super-freighters that couldn¡¯t make use of the alcoves cut into the walls of the Harbor Tunnel that served as wharves for the numerous shipping and transportation companies operating out of Pharos. The car I was riding in was travelling down a six-lane freeway. It was essentially a tunnel cut in parallel to the Harbor Tunnel, though much narrower. Countless exits branched out from the freeway, allowing vehicles of varying shapes and sizes to pull off the freeway and into a long parallel roadway that offered access to the alcove wharves cut out of the Harbor Tunnel¡¯s rock wall. It wasn¡¯t the only freeway running beside the Harbor Tunnel. Freeways existed above and below this one, affording access to the alcove wharves on the levels above and below. We weren¡¯t travelling to any of the shipping companies. Instead, we headed to where the old docks still stood. They had been cut into the walls of the Harbor Tunnel when it was in its infancy, scarcely a few kilometers into the immense asteroid of Island One back when it was being constructed almost a century ago. Officially, the old docks were no longer in use. The docks could be described as a multi-level car park constructed in an enormous scale, with one side facing out into the Harbor Tunnel. They had served the ships and construction workers busy boring into Island One. With the asteroid Island now fully operation, the docks had been abandoned a long, long time ago. A plan to redevelop them a few years ago had fallen foul of bureaucratic in-fighting, and the refurbishment was canned after a few months¡¯ work. Every once in a while some shady organization tried to set up shop, but the heavy handed goons from the Enforcer Division quickly moved in and hustled them out. However, when groups of Familiars with Fragments would gather, and hold unofficial bouts, the Enforcer Division was told to turn a blind eye to them by the Prides. I reasoned it was the way the Prides allowed Familiars to blow off some steam. After all, the Prides were so generous¡ªnot! It wasn¡¯t as though Familiars bonded to Fragments didn¡¯t have dedicated training facilities. The Sanctum had a large training academy for Familiars it had shortlisted as candidates to enter its ranks once those Familiars graduated from either secondary or tertiary education. In business terms, it was like a corporate school for business graduates intending to further their education and serve the corporation. In this case, the Sanctum was that corporation. However, there were other facilities maintained by the Prides who did not wish for their Familiars to serve under the Sanctum. Calista Academy had one such facility constructed deep under the school. I had heard that Galatea Academy had one too. But for now, I would be accepting the challenge thrown down to me by my peers here at the old docks. The car exited the six lane highway, and travelled down a rarely used tunnel road that skirted close to the Harbor Tunnel. A good twenty minutes later, we arrived at the old docks. Takahiro Munai, my manager, chauffer, and observer assigned to me by both Artesan Management and the Avenir Primogen¡¯s head office, drove the car onto one of several open levels that extended from the Harbor Tunnel rock wall and cut deep into the asteroid of Island One. It really did resemble a immense carpark, complete with support pillars and oversized elevator shafts long disused. During Island One¡¯s construction, ships carrying supplies, personnel, and construction equipment would fly in from the Harbor Tunnel, and land on the multiple levels of the old docks. Light from the open side facing the Harbor Tunnel spilled into the level, but the overhead floodlights were also working, casting their own illumination into the expanse. That meant that power was still being supplied to this area of Island One. Takahiro drove the car to where a great many other vehicles were parked, and stopped a short distance away from them. I stared at the cars and vans congregating in the vicinity, and snorted to myself. It was time to put on my game face ¨C I mean, my bitch face. Takahiro broke the silence inside the cabin. ¡°Am I to understand you won¡¯t change your mind.¡± ¡°Yep. Time to kick some ass.¡± I reached for the door handle and found it locked. ¡°Hiro-Hiro, would please open the door. I¡¯m already fashionably late.¡± ¡°Mistress, bear in mind that while you are transferring out of Calista Academy, you will need to return to the school once your assignment at Galatea Academy is complete.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Be nice. I am aware that you think very little of your fellow Familiars, but try to hold back a little.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s going to be five-on-one. Hold back? Seriously? Not happening!¡± I tapped my chest. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the odds on favorite and there¡¯s money riding on my win.¡± He shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Mistress, where did your parents go wrong¡­.¡± I narrowed my eyes at his reflection in the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t talk bad about my parents,¡± I warned. He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Then consider how your mother would feel if she knew you were here kicking ass.¡± ¡°Knowing her, she¡¯d be cheering me on. You know how much she hates a loser. In any case, if you tell my mother, the next ass I¡¯ll be kicking will be yours. Now open the door before I use Sigr¨²n to tear it off the car.¡± ¡°I really do wish the Prides would step-in and outlaw this barbaric behavior.¡± ¡°Then start a petition, and good luck with it.¡± He twisted in the driver¡¯s seat and looked back at me. ¡°You do realize the Avenirs will not be pleased.¡± ¡°Then they should have said so. They monitor what goes around me with a magnifying glass. I¡¯ve had no communication from Head Office other than confirmation of my transfer. Besides, anything that gets recorded here or uploaded will be censored and edited within seconds. My identity and that of theirs is safe.¡± I indicated the crowd of spectators milling around and between the parked cars. He turned away. ¡°This is most disappointing.¡± I heard the locking mechanism disengage, and quickly pushed open the passenger door. ¡°Thank you,¡± I threw at Takahiro in annoyance. As I walked around the front of the car, I expected Takahiro to remain in the vehicle to make an endless stream of calls. He spent almost every free moment on the palm-slate. However, he surprised me by stepping out of the saloon that served as my private means of transportation. Using Sigr¨²n¡¯s Awareness-field, I sensed him standing beside the car and looking in my direction. Surprised or not, I refused to glance back at him. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. My focus was now on the five challengers standing in a lose cluster some twenty feet ahead of me. Walking toward them, I nonchalantly swept my gaze over the spectators. There had to be a couple of hundred of them, and I didn¡¯t believe for one moment they were all Familiars. I would stake my non-existent love life on the belief that two thirds of their number were a mix of Regulars and Aventis. So much for keeping Familiars out of the public eye. What I said to Takehiro was the truth. The Prides monitored the various media and censored or deleted what they felt was too sensitive for the public eye. However, they did allow enough to slip through that an underground culture had taken root over the past twenty odd years. It was a gradual growth, one small step after another, but little by little Regulars and Aventis were growing more aware of us Familiars and what we could do. The weird thing was that in this underground environment, we were starting to be treated like sports celebrities, and that troubled me a little...because I liked it. Walking toward my challengers, I swept my gaze over their young faces, and then waved my arms about in disbelief. ¡°What the Hell is this?¡± I cried out, waving a hand at the spectators while I walked. ¡°Did you idiots advertise this on MyBook? Why not put up a billboard while you were at it. Why not invite the whole Academy!¡± I already knew the grudge match had been posted on a private MyBook page where only Familiars with Fragments could join and post messages. It also had a betting section, where spectators could lay down wagers, and that¡¯s how I knew I was the odds on favorite, despite being outnumbered. But to say it was completely private was out of the question. Word had a habit of reaching the ears of the Regulars and Aventis who followed the frequent ¡®unofficial¡¯ clashes between Familiars. I should mention that these clashes sometimes involved Familiars belonging to the other Academies. The only notable exception of late, was Galatea Academy, whose Familiars were few and kept out of the underground scene. However, I wondered if their clash with Crimson Crescent would change all that. My five challengers consisted of three girls and two guys, all of them high schoolers at Calista Academy, and all of them chained to the Avenir Pride just like me. The girl in the middle of the group, and the individual who had organized this farewell party ¨C I mean grudge match ¨C stepped forward. Slender, and quite pretty with elfin features, she tossed her dark hair back over her shoulders, and stood with hands on hips. ¡°I thought you¡¯d chicken out,¡± she called out to me. ¡°Did your driver have to drag you here kicking and screaming?¡± ¡°Is that your tough stance?¡± I asked as I marched toward her. ¡°Work on it. You¡¯ll never get a photo gig with that posture.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I came to a stop about ten feet in front of her, and dropped my weight on a hip as I took a pose. ¡°This is how you do it. You need attitude, bitch. You talk the talk, but you ain¡¯t got the walk, and you have nothing to back it up.¡± I swiveled my hips provocatively. ¡°See? You have to bend like a reed. You have to push out your chest¡ªoh, wait, I forgot¡ªyou have no chest.¡± ¡°Eff you, Serenity!¡± ¡°Grow some tits first, you preschooler.¡± She was enveloped in a black mist, and when it cleared, she was clad in a rather sexy looking dark skinsuit that unfortunately did not compensate for her lack of a decent pair of breasts. However, she was now wielding a menacing twin bladed lance, and her arms and legs were sheathed in sleek black armor. I winced at her. ¡°Damn, even your bondage look fails to improve on your three sizes.¡± Karissa sneered at me, but it looked more like a snarl. ¡°I am so looking forward to cutting you down to size.¡± One by one her companions summoned their Fragments. One by one, they took up easy relaxed stances around her. Each of them was now clad in their Regalia. This is where it gets confusion, because there are two types of Regalia, but only one is well known. The first type is the Skin-Regalia, and it¡¯s something a Familiar wears to enhance their abilities, like an armor-skin or skin-suit, but of a design current technology cannot dream of paralleling. The Skin-Regalia is something provided by the Fragment or Artifact, and is stored within the respective Sarcophagus. The second type of Regalia, the Seal-Regalia is a well-kept secret, and it¡¯s not something you wear. Instead, the Seal-Regalia wears you. In other words, the Familiar is host to the Seal-Regalia that takes residence within their body. What the five individuals before me didn¡¯t know, was that I was in possession of both kinds of Regalia. I had a Seal-Regalia inside my body, and I had the Valkyrie Maiden Skin-Regalia that I would wear when I summoned Sigr¨²n. The reason why I had both was because I was one of the chosen few. In other words, I was special. Pointing at each of my challengers with a fingertip, I named them aloud. ¡°Let¡¯s see. We have Karissa, the tramp middle schooler who wandered into the adult half of the Academy¡ª¡± ¡°I am not a middle-schooler!¡± I ignored her. ¡°Then we have Farolina, the buxom bimbette.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my. Don¡¯t you mean goddess?¡± I ignored her too. ¡°Sonia, the game room addict.¡± ¡°¡­game room champion¡­.¡± ¡°Mikhail, who has a Lolita fetish.¡± ¡°Hey, size doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°And last but not least, Derek Pitt, the only one with a semblance of a brain.¡± I gave the last challenger, a tall lanky boy with a bookish yet handsome appearance, a very harsh look. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Derek smiled easily and shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I figure if I win, you¡¯ll agree to one date with me.¡± I folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°Derek, I take it back. You¡¯re an idiot. I¡¯ve told you time and again, you¡¯re not my type. Give up. Please. I know a dozen girls in our year alone that would date you at the drop of a hat, and each one of them is pretty in their own right.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re not you,¡± he pointed out. ¡°There¡¯s you, and then there¡¯s the rest.¡± Farolina patted her enormous chest. ¡°As a goddess, I feel insulted¡­.¡± Derek shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I like a girl I can wrap my arms around.¡± Farolina stiffened and smiled coldly. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m definitely being insulted¡­.¡± Ignoring her, I sighed in defeat. ¡°I was wrong again. Derek, you¡¯re an idiot and you¡¯re hopeless.¡± Karissa growled. ¡°Can we get on with this?¡± ¡°Be quiet, child. I¡¯m having a conversation.¡± Derek held onto his smile as he raised his hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk after the party?¡± ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m not agreeing to anything,¡± I retorted. Karissa spun her nine-foot long spear like a cheerleader¡¯s baton. ¡°Come on, Orphan Annie. Get dressed or we¡¯ll strip you down where you stand.¡± I made a show of peering at her intently. ¡°Child, I have one question for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± ¡°Do you even need to wear a bra?¡± ¡°Die!¡± With a shout, Karissa tried to launch herself at me, but was held back by Farolina who grabbed her shoulders from behind. What surprised me was how easily the curvaceous brunette stopped Karissa in her tracks. ¡°Allow me,¡± she purred seductively, then flashed past the startled Karissa. There are girls, and then there are girls. I was proud of how well I¡¯d developed over the years. Despite my height, my slender yet shapely build emphasized my slim, toned legs that looked good in anything I wore. I was a very generous Cee-cup, and my breasts were a lovely fulsome shape well suited to filling out a bikini. I had no qualms about my shape or size. I was a knockout and I knew it. Then there was Farolina. Compared to her, I was like the Homecoming Queen and she was Miss Galaxy. Yep. She was a goddess, and every boy in Calista Academy would attest to the fact. It didn¡¯t matter that she was a Familiar, because there was no boy that would say ¡®no¡¯ to her. And of course, she knew it. So while Karissa had the curves of a middle schooler, Farolina had the proportions that could crown her the next top gravure model of Pharos Colony. And she bloody well knew it! Clad in her Skin-Regalia that resembled a tight, purple mini-dress that left little to the imagination, Farolina leapt past Karissa before the latter could utter more than a startled, ¡°Huh?¡± All the average onlooker could see, was Farolina¡¯s afterimage. I overclocked the moment she grabbed Karissa¡¯s shoulders. Even so, it was a close call. In less time than it took to blink, Farolina had slammed her right fist, wrapped in thick barrier-fields, into my hastily thrown up arms. The necklace I wore was my link to the power within my Valkyrie Maiden, Sigr¨²n. I had less than a heartbeat to summon that power, and will into existence a barrier-field around my arms. Simultaneously, I willed a barrier-field around my legs, which served to anchor me as I blocked Farolina¡¯s attack with my arms. Delivered as it was, her punch was strong enough to crumple a car door like tissue paper. It would certainly have knocked down a permacrete wall. I felt the kinetic energy circle around me, though some of it rushed through my body, eliciting a gasp out of me. At the same time, the ground beneath my feet fractured then cratered as the barrier-field enhancing my legs was pushed down by the energy behind Farolina¡¯s punch. I shifted my arms, and used the directed force of the impact to knock me aside. In other words, I sidestepped by using the energy of my opponent¡¯s attack, but I was also knocked aside some eight or nine meters. Skidding to a stop, I barely had time to blink again, before Farolina delivered a spinning kick against the barrier-fields protecting my left flank. Had she kicked an inter-Island bus the same way, she would have knocked it over onto its roof. My barrier-fields shattered and I was sent tumbling away. It was clear to me now that she¡¯d ingested Avenir blood. In other words, she¡¯d powered up. However, it was also clear that she was using her Fragment¡¯s tremendous speed to increase the kinetic energy she imparted through her kicks and punches. The faster an object moved, the heavier it became, thus the greater the kinetic energy behind each strike. But at her speed, regular clothes would have torn off her body. As it was, the Skin-Regalia purple mini-dress was barely preserving her modesty, while offering her enough support to keep her breasts from flying off. I rolled to my feet, kicked off the ground, and executed a somersaulting backflip that made my spine cry out in pain. Idiot! I didn¡¯t warm up! If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, my skirt ripped upon my awkward landing. Aggh¡ªthis is coming out of my allowance! Farolina chased after me. *Sigr¨²n, maneuver-field¡ªnow! [Confirmed] The maneuver-field was like wings to my heels. I skipped back, dodging Farolina¡¯s pile driving fist by an inch, yet her barrier-field succeeded in brushing the tip of my nose. Damn, that was close. She¡¯s really pissed. I understood why. Mikhail may have a fetish for Lolita girls, but even he succumbed to Farolina far more often than not. However, there was one boy in Calista Academy who consistently said no to Farolina, and that was Derek Pitt afil Avenir. Why? Well, because he claimed I was his one and only love. Unfortunately for him, I really wasn¡¯t lying when I insisted he wasn¡¯t my type. So what exactly is my type? Derek was a thorn in Farolina¡¯s heart, one she could do nothing about. All her attempts to win him over had failed dismally. I actually felt sorry for her. Here was a girl who could have any boy in the Academy, except the one boy she really loved. Yes, I really did feel sorry for her. Farolina was barely visible as she punched and kicked at me. She was moving faster than I¡¯d ever faced before. There was no doubt she¡¯d been training hard these past few months. I didn¡¯t know for sure, since we hadn¡¯t sparred or fought in quite a long while. This was because the Avenirs had been keeping me busy. My barrier-fields shattered and reformed, but I could feel the strain Sigr¨²n was under. There was a limit to what it could provide while she resided within the Sarcophagus. At the very least, I would need to summon her Skin-Regalia, also known as a Valkyrie-skin. But Farolina was being annoyingly persistent, refusing to allow any distance between us. Overclocked, I heard Karissa¡¯s voice clearly somewhere in the distance to my right. It sounded like a recording played back at a quarter speed. ¡°You¡­didn¡¯t¡­get¡­dressed¡­in¡­time¡­.¡± I ducked, and dodged a scything kick from Farolina that would have decapitated me had it struck true. ¡°Sucks¡­to¡­be¡­you¡­.¡± Her one-to-two punch, then roundhouse kick had me weaving madly. If not for the maneuver-field surrounding my legs giving me the wings I needed to dart away, Farolina would have kicked me squarely in the sternum and sent me flying a couple of dozen feet through the air. She was wearing down my barrier-fields, forcing Sigr¨²n to redirect power away from the maneuver-field in order to bolster my defense. When I needed more power to the dodge her attacks, my barrier-fields would suffer. It was a balancing act that required adjustments by the second. Normally I would use my will to control the various fields I was able to summon from the Valkyrie Maiden, but on this occasion Sigr¨²n was overriding my commands. If I was going to win this grudge match, I needed to stop running. Blocking her furious flying fists with a faintly shimmering barrier-field, I punched back as she kicked at my exposed flank. Because I¡¯d stepped into her attack, her kick wasn¡¯t as earth shattering as it could have been, yet it still smashed through my weakened barrier-fields. Her knee connected with my left flank, breaking one of my ribs. But my right fist, wrapped in a dense barrier-field of its own, had sailed true between her upraised arms, and smashed the sole barrier protecting her face. When my fist collided with her chin, the impact knocked her head back with a satisfying crack. My right hook catapulted Farolina backwards several feet and onto her ass. Her sidekick sent me rolling along the floor, until I stopped on my hands and knees. White pain burned the left side of my torso where my broken rib moved about. Yet I had no time to wallow in agony. *Now, Sigr¨²n. [Summon] A breach between Pocket Space and this reality took place. I felt it surround me, chilling me, and then I felt the Sarcophagus reach out to me from within Pocket Space. My clothes seemed to dissolve around my body. A thick gel-like substance poured over me. It hardened and took shape, wrapping me like an extra layer of skin, but with padding here and there. This was my Skin-Regalia or Valkyrie-skin. Quickly, I was pushed back out into the real world, back into the old docks, and landed on my feet. My insides screamed for an agonizing moment, as the broken rib settled within my torso. I lost my grip on my Overclocked state, and the pain forced me down to one knee where I sucked in a lungful of air, while the Seal-Regalia within me latched onto my broken rib and began mending the break. The Seal-Regalia was the reason I no longer needed to ingest Aventis blood. In many ways it performed the job of the Symbiote. For a heartbeat or two, I remained on bended knee, as my Awareness-field tripled in clarity, strength, and range. Its sharp warning saved me from the next attack. But this attack didn¡¯t come from Farolina who had just regained her feet, and was holding her head. Instead, it came from a near distance. ¡°My turn!¡± Karissa screamed. A piercer-field wrapped around a bladed spear-tip slashed down at me. Ignoring the pain from my mending rib, I pushed myself backwards into the air, and narrowly avoided Karissa¡¯s slashing blade. Touching ground, and then sliding to a stop, I focused my Awareness on the flat chested girl who grinned maniacally at me. Karissa twirled the spear once, then took an offensive stance. ¡°Warm up¡¯s over, Orphan Annie.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 5 Full posting of Chapter 5 as of 19/3/2016. It needs a polish but that will come later.
Chapter 5. (Serenity) # There¡¯s an old saying: no pain, no gain. I was in pain, and not making any gains. In other words, I needed to turn things around. Karissa charged at me, her twin-bladed spear aimed true for my heart. I waited for her to come closer. In my Overclocked state, my heart appeared to beat extraordinarily slow. Every breath, every beat, every subtle contraction and relaxation of my muscles was poised for the one moment when Karissa¡¯s attack reached the point of no return. However, I also needed to anticipate the moment she thrust the spear-tip toward my heart. A fraction of a second went by. Then another. Finally, the bladed weapon lunged toward me, and I made my move. I chose not to meet her challenge¡­at least not yet. With the Valkyrie-skin augmenting my physical abilities, I leaned forward, and then leapt past Karissa at an acute angle, and practically parallel to the ground. To the Regulars and Aventis spectating in the near distance, I must have moved as fast as a cross-bow bolt. No doubt they were excitedly recording what their eyes and minds had trouble following, intending to watch the playback in slow motion to revel in what they would never be able to achieve. No doubt these recordings would be shared from person to person, since anything posted online had a tendency to vanish. That was fine with me, since I had no intention of showing them my best, just enough to make things interesting, and ensure my victory. However, I did wonder at the rumored treasure trove that was supposedly a collection of every unofficial match held in Pharos between Familiars. If it did, then that was of interest to me. Not expecting such an odd evasion, Karissa was unable to compensate and the blade of her spear, wrapped in a piercer-field, plunged through the space I¡¯d occupied a heartbeat ago. I literally passed a hairsbreadth below the spear as it lunged for my heart. My body was low to the ground like those popular animated characters that run with their arms trailing behind them. One slip and I¡¯d face plant into the permacrete ground. However, it was a necessary risk. Before I dealt with the flat chested girl, I needed to finish things off with Farolina. Like an arrow released, I ran low and fast toward the busty goddess, who was preoccupied testing out her jaw. I had intended to tackle her with my well-protected right shoulder, but a sudden pang from my broken rib, courtesy of avoiding Karissa¡¯s spear, threw off my timing. Instead of tackling Farolina, I crashed headlong into her trim, taut midriff. ¡°Oof!¡± All the air in her lungs expelled in a hurry, and she folded over me like a deflated sex doll. Her enormous breasts clubbed the back of my head, pummeling me like large, heavy cushions. A second later, we both collided into a support pillar. Farolina struck it first, her back crashing into it. She wheezed loudly, struggling for air, and I could see she was turning blue. However, I didn¡¯t have the time to wait for her to recover. I spoke in a hurry, which sounded slow to my ears. ¡°Give up and win a date with Derek.¡± Blue as she was, Derek¡¯s name appeared to register in her mind. She gulped air and stared at me wide-eyed. Then I slammed my knee into her belly, and Farolina slumped to the ground like a marionette with its string cut. I had but a heartbeat to toss her aside, then duck under a sweeping spearhead that very nearly cleaved my head from my neck. The weapon¡¯s blade cut some of the barrier-fields protecting my body, but it also carved a thin surgical path through the permacrete support pillar. Fortunately, the pillar was a stout permacrete and rock combination around twenty feet thick, so the spear cut was little more than a nick to it. I forward rolled, came up on my feet, and snarled in pain as my mending rib broke loose again. I really had to stop being so gymnastic with my evasions. However, with Farolina out of the picture, I could concentrate on my next opponent. So what part of this is five-on-one? Truthfully, it was better if they came at me one at a time, so I¡¯d better not complain. I turned around to face the prepubescent high schooler. Her spear whirling in a flashy display that was utterly pointless in combat, Karissa ran after me. Unlike when I fought Farolina, I now had my Skin-Regalia ¨C my Valkyrie-skin ¨C so I could met Karissa¡¯s weapon with blades of my own. I hadn¡¯t summoned the complete Valkyrie Maiden armor, only the armored, tapered legs that ended in pointy feet, and the bladed gauntlets. Those gauntlets sported a three-foot blade that I could sweep forward and back, thus able to guard and attack, and like Karissa¡¯s spear they could manifest both a barrier and a piercer-field. So when Karissa¡¯s weapon sliced the air horizontally, her intention being to cut my body in half, I met her spear¡¯s blade with my right gauntlet-blade in its swept back position where it guarded the length of my right arm. Our weapons clashed, and piercer-field collided with piercer-field. This was the equivalent of two swords meeting with their cutting edges, something to make a swordsman cringe in dismay. In contrast, barrier-field to barrier-field was like two heavy shields banging forcefully against each other. However, adding to my newfound means to attack and defend, I was also wearing Sigr¨²n¡¯s Valkyrie Legs that added another two and a half feet to my overall height of five foot six inches. In short, I towered over the girl. Deflecting her spear with my right blade, I smiled at Karissa who wore a disgruntled expression. ¡°I agree. Warm up¡¯s over.¡± # The girl watched from the within the crowd, neither too deep, nor too far from the front, such that she had an unencumbered view of the open space between the pillars that now served as an arena for the combatants of Calista Academy. Unlike those around her, she fielded no means to record the encounter, for unlike many of the spectators she had no trouble observing the fight. As quickly as the Familiars of Calista moved, they were still well within her ability to observe them. She wasn¡¯t the only spectator not using a recording device like a palm-slate or camera. A number of young men and women watched the match with keen eyes, undoubtedly overclocked so that their minds could keep pace with the action. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. It had been a risk to come here, but someone had to verify the nature of the gathering in the old docks, and report back. So she had blended in with the crowd, dressed as casually as they were, and wearing a baseball cap on her head. She chose not to pull the visor down since a lame attempt to hide her face risked drawing attention to her. A few people had noticed her, but they were soon distracted by the start of battle. Her only worry was that she be recorded on one of the spectators¡¯ devices, so she purposefully hung back from the leading edge of the crowd. The girl frowned as she sensed a change in the atmosphere. The young girl with faded lavender hair had summoned her Valkyrie-skin, and quickly gone on the offensive. Now the stakes had risen. The possibility of serious injury had become a near certain probability. If the remaining four opponents didn¡¯t raise their game, the lavender Valkyrie maiden would make a meal out of them. Having found the match uninteresting thus far, the girl involuntarily released a sigh that was quickly lost in the ambient noise billowing from the crowd. Then someone brought out a boom box and loud music began to fill the air. The girl sighed again, and wondered if the match could get any more boring than it already was. # (Serenity) # Karissa jumped back, twirled the spear once, and then vanished into a thick black mist. Simultaneously, I switched my gauntlet-blades from defense to offense, snapping them both forward, and widening my stance to accommodate my greater height. Standing taller against a spear wielder was both a blessing and a curse. I would need to be wary of strikes and thrusts aimed at my lower body, and that meant layering more barrier-fields around my legs to keep them protected. Unlike Farolina who¡¯d limited herself to using barrier-fields, Karissa had no qualms using piercer-fields. She wasn¡¯t going to pummel me into defeat. She was aiming to turn me into shivering, quivering sushi. The black mist faded away, but the air remained chilled. Having realized I had the measure of her, Karissa had called upon her Fragment¡¯s Sarcophagus to upgrade her Skin-Regalia. She stood taller, and her armor was now a sharper and less child-friendly. In other words, she had fewer rounded corners¡­if one counted the small bumps on her chest. Karissa had swapped out her bladed spear for a twin headed halberd that she wielded as lightly as a quarterstaff. The weapon looked enormous in her hands, despite the fact she now stood a good seven feet tall, courtesy of the armor encasing her legs. When she spun it, the twin-halberd acted like a windmill. I had little time to regard the weapon and its owner. A heartbeat after the mist faded and she became visible, Karissa launched herself at me with more speed than she¡¯d previously demonstrated. I greeted the attack by rushing forward to meet her, but found myself at a loss when she swung the halberd at me with enough strength to chop down a tree with a single swipe. The piercer-fields around my gauntlet-blades held, but the clash translated into a tremendous weight that swamped my arms. Caught off guard by her strength, I willed barrier-fields around my arms, but the fields couldn¡¯t form properly because they were disrupted by the halberd. I had to admit, she had me at a disadvantage. Darting back, I put a little room between Karissa and I, then lowered my stance once more. Like before, she chose not to wait. Impatiently, she charged toward me again, swinging the weapon at waist height from my left. However, this time I was prepared for it. Rather than parry it with my gauntlet-blades, I chose to kick it with enough force to knock the halberd back. As expected, Karissa used the momentum to spin round the other way, and swing the other end of the halberd at me from the right. Again, I was prepared for the move, and kicked the axe-shaped blade upwards this time. Karissa used the impact to rotate the weapon like a spinning saw, but I was ready for that too. Before it could complete a full revolution, I directed my third kick at the middle of the staff, and the blow sent the girl sliding backwards several meters along the rock ground. I could tell she had braced for the strike, but the wince that crossed her face told me she wasn¡¯t ready for the sheer force behind the kick. I struck at her before the wince could fade from her face. My fourth kick was aimed directly at her midriff. Wrapped in barrier-fields, my tapered foot struck her with the force of a speeding locomotive. If you thought Farolina could hit hard, I could hit much, much harder. I landed on the ground, and skidded to a halt, my gaze never leaving Karissa. She flew backwards through the air about fifty feet, and crashed into a permacrete and rock support column. The only thing keeping her from going ¡®splat¡¯ against the grey column was the barrier-field protecting her body. It shattered like glass, and the pieces faded into the air. The impact was strong enough to crater and fracture the permacrete rendering around the rock middle of the column. For a moment, she lay plastered against it, then she peeled off the column, and fell forward onto her belly. When her arms pushed down against the ground, I thought she might get up, but a moment later she collapsed and the black mist surrounded her as her Fragment¡¯s Sarcophagus emerged to retrieve her armor. I didn¡¯t get time to watch. A warning from Sigr¨²n had me leaping aside, and then executing a rather graceful cartwheel, before landing on my feet several meters away from where I started. The ground I¡¯d been standing upon was cratered by the tip of an enormous sword that would have been impossible for a Regular or Aventis to lift let alone swing in battle. My gaze followed the sword up to the wielder who was clad in his Skin-Regalia and the armor of a Cavalier Fragment. Hefting the sword up and then resting it against his right shoulder, Mikhail gave me an evil grin. ¡°Just what do you have against small chests?¡± # In terms of sheer brute strength, Mikhail had the edge on me. Having summoned his Cavalier, his speed and strength were comparable to Karissa and Farolina combined. That presented a serious challenge for me. So I decided to even the playing field. *Sigr¨²n, I need you. Valkyrie configuration two. [CONFIRMED] I jumped back with all the strength I could pour into my legs, and put a score meters between Mikhail and I. That would give me about a second or two. The black mist of a breach from Pocket Space into real-space swirled around me, and I felt the Sarcophagus reach out to me. I hadn¡¯t summoned all of Sigr¨²n¡¯s Valkyrie Armor, just enough to help me defeat Mikhail. When the extra armor such as the Vector Core and two Vector Wings had attached, I felt Sigr¨²n¡¯s power flow through me, and I quickly leapt to my right, soaring through the black mist that began to fade away now that the breach between realms had closed. Mikhail made a sour expression as he cut the air I¡¯d occupied a quarter second ago. My tapered feet touched ground, and I overclocked, then watched him change the grip on his sword. A heartbeat later, he kicked off the ground, leaping low and fast toward me. I chose to end this fast. Like Karissa had attempted before him, Mikhail swung the sword horizontally with sufficient strength and energy to cut through a support pillar from side to side. I knew there was no way in high heaven that I could block that, so I chose not to make the effort. Instead, I leapt high, bending my legs underneath me, and flew over the blade as it skimmed millimeters below my tapered feet. Then I kicked him with the tip of my right foot¡­in the head. The barrier-field surrounding his head was strong. It almost held against the force of a kick hard enough to knock an inter-Island bus onto its side. But it shattered a quarter second later, and my foot smacked his forehead. By then, much of the energy behind the kick had been expended shattering the barrier-field, so it struck his unprotected head with the equivalent power of a heavyweight punch. Mikhail¡¯s head snapped back, and his body bent backwards. With the sword swing carrying enormous momentum, it made his body pirouette, and come crashing to the ground. That was fortunate for him, as my body had continued sailing forward through the air. If he hadn¡¯t fallen, I would have struck him with my left armored knee, and probably snapped his neck in the process. My heart jumped into my stomach as I realized just how close I¡¯d come to killing him. I touched ground as gently as I could, and turned around as I slid to a stop. Mikhail was lying unconscious on his back. It didn¡¯t take long for his Sarcophagus to emerge and retrieve the Cavalier Fragment¡¯s armor. Considering how tough Farolina and Karissa had been, I found my battle with Mikhail to be utterly anti-climactic. However, I was soon about to realize that I was wrong. It was going to get worse. # With only Sonia and Derek remaining to fight, I chose to attack first. My target was Sonia. However, before I could land a hit on her, Sonia surprised me. ¡°I forfeit,¡± she declared. I skidded and slid to a halt, my tapered feet cutting furrows into the rock floor of the old docks. ¡°What?¡± I yelled at her. Sonia wasn¡¯t looking at me. Instead, her attention was riveted on the handheld gaming console she was using. It was an archaic device, but in recent years the design had become the rage again. It was just like how fashion had a tendency to cycle and come around full circle every few decades. For example, flared pants had come and gone a number of times in the last two centuries. Right now we were back to the skin tight low rider fashion. I had modelled a few for magazine spreads, and owned a snug pair myself that made them look like they were painted onto my skin. An excellent choice for showing off slender toned legs and a firm ass. Her fingers flew over the buttons of her console, and her eyes didn¡¯t even blink. However, while ninety-nine percent of her conscious brain was focused on the game, the remaining one percent was employed to deal with me. ¡°My Guild has reached the final level,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re facing the final boss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re playing an Em Em Oh at this time?¡± ¡°Yes. My Guild has to win in order to claim the final prize.¡± Her tongue poked out between her lips. ¡°The final prize is an all-expenses paid weekend stay at the Fabriola Resort in Island Five.¡± I straightened and dropped my weight onto a hip. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of that resort. It¡¯s a six star establishment. A very good choice.¡± Her eyes appeared to be looking through the console rather than at it. ¡°Yes, it includes a stay for six people. Enough for the members of my Guild.¡± ¡°I see. Well, carry on then, and best of luck.¡± ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll fight some other time.¡± I nodded, and gave her a mock salute with my left gauntlet-blade. Then I turned to face Derek who leaning against a support column, armored arms folded across his chest. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He had summoned his Fragment¡¯s armor, the Grand Chevalier. Two long swords were carried on his back, forming an X-shaped cross behind him. The smile on his face looked sincere yet I felt a strange intensity in his gaze. ¡°Time to get serious, my love,¡± he called out to me. ¡°Derek, how many times to do I have to tell you¡ª?¡± ¡°If I win, you agree to one date with me.¡± I sighed and let my shoulders sag¡­but only for a moment. ¡°And if I win, you agree to one date with Farolina.¡± His smile vanished in a heartbeat and his expression darkened. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No,¡± he repeated. ¡°Yes,¡± I snapped at him. He pushed away from the support column and strode over to me with an angry look on his face. ¡°I said, no,¡± he declared adamantly. ¡°And why not? What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything,¡± he stated as he walked up to me. ¡°Oh? I think you¡¯re afraid that you might actually return her feelings.¡± He came to a stop, arms at his sides. ¡°That¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± I rolled my eyes and groaned at him in frustration. ¡°Derek, for the love of the gods, we both know that you like her.¡± ¡°On the contrary. There¡¯s nothing about her that I like. She¡¯s annoying, persistent, self-centered, egotistical, and shameless. Qualities utterly unbefitting a lady. And she persists on calling herself a goddess, which she clearly is not.¡± I half frowned at him. ¡°Then you hate her?¡± ¡°I do not.¡± ¡°You seem to know her quite well.¡± ¡°Serenity don¡¯t play dumb. You know quite well that she and I have known each other since childhood. You are well acquainted with our childhood travails.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± ¡°She went from a noisy, flat chested little brat who chased me around incessantly, to a noisy buxom blonde bimbette who chases me around incessantly. She was annoying back then. She is equally annoying now. Nothing much has changed except for her chest that has ballooned out to the point where it¡¯s hard to take her seriously. She flaunts herself without abandon and makes a mockery of the boys at our Academy, wrapping them around her fingers like twine, using them to make my life a living Hell. As a man, I do not see her as a woman but as a succubus. She is in short shameless.¡± I felt a twinge of anger and my voice grew flat. ¡°You are an asshole, Derek.¡± ¡°My answer stands. No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kick your ass. I¡¯m going to make you pay for what you said about my friend.¡± ¡°Very well. However, my answer will not change.¡± I took a couple of deep breaths. ¡°I will never date you. Not even if you were the last man in the entire universe. I¡¯d rather die a virgin and end the human race. But you will never, ever lay a hand on me.¡± Derek¡¯s expression grew complicated. Then I heard the sound of quiet sobbing from somewhere in the distance off to my right. It was then that I realized the blaring music had stopped blasting out of the boom box. Someone had read the mood and killed the pounding beat. I looked in the direction of the sobbing, and saw Farolina kneeling on the ground. She had tried tucking her body into a ball, but her bountiful chest got in the way. Yet it didn¡¯t stop her from trying. Her blonde hair hung in curtains around her head, veiling her face as the goddess sobbed quietly on the ground, her body trembling as her heart broke into tiny pieces. I turned back to Derek. ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± He opened his mouth, but no words came out. I screamed at him from the depths of my soul. ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± Derek didn¡¯t move. It was as though he couldn¡¯t move. He was caught between conflicted emotions, desires, beliefs, and resolute stubbornness. My heart beat fast, and my breathing grew shallow as anger consumed me. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, I swear I will cut you into pieces.¡± Then I aimed my left gauntlet-blade at him. ¡°And you know I can do it.¡± Derek¡¯s expression grew cloudy, but he refused to move. *Sigr¨²n, give me your all. [AFFIRMATIVE] The black mist surrounded me, and my Valkyrie¡¯s Sarcophagus delivered the remaining components that would turn my Valkyrie Armor into that of a Valkyrie Maiden. Seconds later, the Sarcophagus retreated into its bubble of space, and I stood tall and waited for the icy black mist to fade. I dipped my head as I glared at him. Derek too had equipped his Grand Chevalier with everything he could draw out of his Fragment. However, he understood he wasn¡¯t facing a Valkyrie Armor. He was facing a full Valkyrie Maiden, and I knew how to wield Sigr¨²n very, very well. I swallowed the saliva in my mouth or it would have spat out when I cursed him. ¡°I will tear you apart the way you tore Farolina¡¯s heart.¡± Cutting the air with my gauntlet-blades, I crouched my armored body. Floating on either side of me, the triumvirate of Vector Wings thrummed with power, as they readied piercer-fields that would shatter through anything Derek¡¯s Fragment could summon. They also generated inertial-fields that would warp and twist the surrounding space, allowing me to maneuver like lightning without tearing my body apart from the resultant gee-forces. ¡°It¡¯s time to suffer, Derek.¡± Then I overclocked, crouched a couple of inches lower, and charged at Derek clad in his Grand Chevalier who waited with his two long swords at the ready. To his credit, and his misfortune, he chose not to run away. # My rib broke loose again. I ignored the pain as I slashed and stabbed at Derek. As the Seal-Regalia inside me fumbled around for the rib, I chased Derek Pitt afil Avenir between the support columns. Though I was pushing him back, to my disdain, I had to admit he¡¯d improved since the last time we fought. Derek¡¯s Chevalier increased his size to that of a hulking giant, yet he moved with nimbleness of a ballet dancer. His footwork was remarkable, and his swordplay was even more accurate than before. He was also a natural swordsman, and I wasn¡¯t. After all, he had shamed the Aventis of Calista Academy¡¯s Kendo club many times. The sadist took particular pleasure in answering any challenge the Kendo club threw at him, and beating his opponents to the ground without fail. As a dual wielder, he was especially lethal. Throughout the ages there have been arguments against the merits of wielding two swords at once. A dual wielder could not deliver as much force behind a strike; a duel wielder lacked a shield or buckler to protect themselves with; or a duel wielder needed to train his left side as well as his right side, and that included his body and not just his arms; a dual wielder lacked the precision to strike at joints or weak points in armor. However, those arguments held when applied to normal weapons and normal Regulars or Aventis. I did not feel they applied to us Familiars wielding Artifacts or Fragments. To begin with, our Skin-Regalia amplified our strength considerably. Wielding a normal sword with a single hand, I could easily shatter the blade against permacrete. Secondly, our blades felt as light as paper and their true power was the piercer-field that sheathed them, increasing their effective range and ability to cut through solid objects. Thirdly, our ability to overclock and the input of the Awareness-field into our sensorium ¨C our consciousness ¨C allowed us to perceive our surroundings with a clarity unmatched in nature, and to use said clarity to help deliver our strikes with surgical precision. Lastly but not least, we were trained relentlessly to master the Artifact that had chosen us as its wielder. In Derek¡¯s case, he was ambidextrous yet had spent a thousand hours training his left side to move as well as his right side. His movements were fluid and graceful, like those of a dancer, with no sudden stops and no harsh, reckless swings. This worked well with his Grand Chevalier that resembled a knight in cataphract armor. It looked heavy, and it was heavy, but its mobility was amplified by its enormous strength, and the maneuver-fields and inertial-fields it could manifest. The Prides spent considerable resources training us to master our gifts. In the process, they trained us to kill ¨C to kill their enemies and to kill each other. Calming myself was the first step, but I found that a tall order. My heart contorted in anger when I remembered Farolina kneeling on the ground, sobbing softly. I wanted to hurt Derek. I was going to hurt Derek. However, the bastard was proving to be a tough opponent. He parried my swings deftly, yielding every so often which threatened to overbalance me, then smoothly counterstriking with either of his long swords. I had to avoid overstretching, and focus on maintaining an even balance at all times. I felt this limited how much power I could deliver with each strike, but it was either that or lose an arm whenever he yielded to my blades and then countered. Additionally, my gauntlet-blades could not be swung around like his swords. In that respect, their mobility was limited. To compensate for this restriction, the blades could be swung forwards and back along the length of my arms, allowing me to use them to block and guard without the need to change my grip or move my arms. There was no barrier-field wrapped around our weapons. Instead, piercer-fields emanated from my blades, and from his slender long swords. However, our bodies were protected by layered barrier-fields that shifted around us like sliding scales, shattering whenever a piercer-field clashed with them, usually reforming a second later. They made the air surrounding us shimmer, and at times it appear like smoked glass. Derek yielded to me again, and swung his blade under my arm. I had to hastily swing the gauntlet-blade in pursuit of his sword, and succeeded in parrying it away or I would have lost my right arm when he swung it upwards. Simultaneously, I pivoted my body away from him, spinning out of the reach of his sword and the piercer-field enveloping it. However, as I spun away, I slashed at him with my outstretched left arm, my gauntlet-blade¡¯s piercer-field extended a couple of feet while narrowed down to the width of a scalpel. The field struck the armor adorning his right forearm, and cut through all the way to the bone. I had guessed correctly. My Awareness-field had been disrupted by his Awareness-field, akin to two electronic warfare suites clashing with each other. As a result, I wasn¡¯t certain if his arms were protected by barrier-fields, but something about the way he moved made believe his forearms were unguarded. Barrier-fields shouldn¡¯t limit our range of movement, but in practice they could collide with our own weapons. To avoid this, we would sometimes restrict the areas a barrier-field could cover, and there were two types of barrier-fields we could employ. The first type was like a hexagonal pane that was either invisible, or appeared like a smoky shimmer that shattered like glass when struck by a piercer-field or other weapon. The second type resembled hardened air that flowed like water over our Skin-Regalia, mostly invisible though at times it made the air ripple over our limbs. It didn¡¯t impede our movements, yet lacked the defensive capability of the smoked glass barrier-fields. Since unlocking Sigr¨²n a year ago, I could summon both types of barrier-fields. However, Derek had not fully unlocked his Grand Chevalier, though amongst my five opponents he was the closest to releasing the chains around his Artifact¡¯s Core Awareness. Not only had I guess correctly, but my strike had been extremely fortunate. In short, it was a lucky hit, but I¡¯d managed to make it count. Derek¡¯s cry cut the air as my blade¡¯s scalpel thin piercer-field sliced through his gauntlet armor, and much of his forearm. The long sword he held slipped free of his limp fingers, and clattered to the ground several feet away. Nothing more than luck. It was nothing more than luck! I screamed inwardly at myself, hating myself for talking big and failing to deliver. I broke through Sigr¨²n¡¯s seals in a year! After ten minutes of chasing Derek around, this one strike was the best I could achieve. What the Hell have I been doing since then? He wasn¡¯t even using a fully-fledged Grand Chevalier, while I was employing an unlocked Valkyrie Maiden, and yet I was barely able to overcome him. Have I grown soft? Have I grown weak? Have I stopped moving forward? The shortcoming wasn¡¯t with my Valkyrie¡­it was with me. [CAUTION.] *What? I continued spinning away from Derek, then slid to a stop and faced him with my gauntlet-blades at the ready. The armored gauntlet protecting Derek¡¯s right forearm reconfigured over the cut, sealing it a heartbeat later. Derek roared and spun his whole body, spinning like a bladed top, and cut the air with his one remaining sword. [CAUTION.] The piercer-field around his longsword extended more than a meter. As it cut the air, it slashed through the barrier-fields Sigr¨²n had manifested to protect me. They broke apart like shattered pieces of a glass window, fading quickly out of sight. At the same time, I leapt back four meters, and sent a thought pulse to the Vector Wings floating a couple of feet away to my four and eight o¡¯clock. Derek huffed and puffed yet remained where he was, glaring at me. After a long moment, he turned and calmly walked up to his discarded longsword, picking it up off the ground with his right hand. Then he turned around and faced me. ¡°Did you think that would be enough to stop me?¡± For a heartbeat, I felt a twinge of doubt flicker across my chest. Then I grinned at him with malice. ¡°I¡¯ll cut you up one piece at a time.¡± [WARNING.] Derek started to laugh, his large armored body shaking visibly. He reminded me of those cartoon villains children watched, laughing defiantly as though they held a trump card the hero knew nothing about. Then his Grand Chevalier reconfigured, and the coiled bulges on its armored back unfurled into an extra set of arms. My mouth grew dry and my heart sat up in my chest. ¡°You did it,¡± I whispered. ¡°You broke the last seal chaining its Core Awareness.¡± The armor around his neck also reconfigured and helmet formed over his head. In classic villain style, the helmet had two swept back horns. ¡°Cut me up, will you?¡± he laughed, his voice almost thundering down the old docks. ¡°Did you think you were the only Familiar at Calista with an Artifact?¡± The two longswords split, becoming thinner yet of equal length, and now each of his hands gripped a weapon. ¡°Do you know how many times I could have cut you up already?¡± he asked. I sighed in disappointment, and shook my head. ¡°None.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, none. You couldn¡¯t cut me up even once. You were never close to cutting me up.¡± Derek¡¯s armored shoulders trembled as he laughed. ¡°All this time I was playing with you, and you never realized it.¡± ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve been holding Sigr¨²n back. And you never knew.¡± ¡°Oh really. Well, let¡¯s see you come at me in full force.¡± I turned my head in Farolina¡¯s direction where she rested about two hundred feet away against a support pillar. ¡°Hey, Goddess, can I kick his ass?¡± She wiped her nose ungracefully, even for her, before casting a hateful look upon Derek. ¡°Make him suffer, Serenity.¡± I grinned cruelly at him. ¡°You heard the Goddess. Time to pay the price for breaking her heart.¡± Derek laughed curtly, and smiled at us in pity. ¡°Women never change. Always the victims. Never understanding the hurt they cause.¡± I clicked my tongue at him. ¡°Men are always so oblivious.¡± He slashed the air with his four arms. ¡°Well, time for a little payback.¡± Sigr¨²n¡¯s eight Vector Wings scissored open, and I assumed a guarded stance with one gauntlet-blade held high and pointed down at Derek, the other held low and pointed up at him. ¡°My sentiments exactly.¡± # She travelled with the moving crowd seeking a better vantage point. The open expanse of the old docks offered the combatants a great deal of space, but it meant the crowd had to move about and follow them. She jogged with the ranks of Familiars, Aventis, and Regulars, yet refused to jostle for a better position. The sound of piercer-fields shattering barrier-fields filled the air ¨C the sharp zing of bladed weapons colliding with each other. The encounter had finally become serious. Both remaining combatants were out for blood, and so both had revealed their trump cards. She wanted to see them at their best. She wanted to see what the Valkyrie Maiden could do. Knowing your enemy was the first step toward defeating them, and that girl was indeed her enemy. She didn¡¯t know when they would cross paths and blades, however it was wise to learn as much as she could about the Alpha Bitch of Calista Academy. The crowd came to a messy, uneven stop. ¡°There they are!¡± someone shouted, and people began fanning out for a better view. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re moving so fast!¡± ¡°Record it! Record it!¡± A loud boom preceded a rumbling crash, and the crowd cheered. Cursing her short stature, she pushed her way forward and then looked out into the old docks, where two fast moving objects blurred every so often as they darted around support pillars then clashed violently for several seconds before drawing apart, and repeating the cycle a number of times. Even to the untrained eye, it was clear who would be the victory. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t size that mattered¡­but speed and numbers. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 6 Chapter 6. (Serenity) # The files I¡¯d been allowed to read said there was one other dual wielder the Prides were watching with interest ¨C the troubled girl of the Khayman Family. Both she and Derek were on the shortlist of candidates for admission to the Sanctum¡¯s Academy. However, amongst the Valkyries Maidens, of which there were only a handful, I had seen my name included on the list¡­and then scratched off. Once I received the Seal-Regalia, it was clear the Avenir Pride would not allow me to train at the vaunted Sanctum Academy. However, at the very least I knew I was in good standing. If there were any Sanctum observers in the crowd, they¡¯d be getting a rare glimpse of my true power¡­but not all the power I possessed. Rather, it was the power I had at my disposal. Using the inertial-fields generated by the Vector Wings, I was able to move quickly without turning into a red slushy. Even then, I felt my body pulled and pushed in various directions as I maneuvered around Derek, all my bits wrapped within the Skin-Regalia. I could only hope all this flying about wasn¡¯t going to give my breasts stretch marks. Little worse than those when wearing a string bikini. With the blood inside my body sloshing around, my heart beating furiously, and my mind overclocked to the max ¨C any faster and my neurons would fry ¨C I flew low and fast around Derek. I struck at him when the opportunity presented itself, while not limiting myself to the gauntlet-blades that glowed faintly emerald wrapped in lethal piercer-fields. With a part of awareness, I directed the semi-autonomous triumvirate of Vector Wings to attack and distract Derek. They slammed into his barrier-fields with barrier-fields of their own. When they flew past they slashed at him with paper-thin piercer-fields. Essentially, it was three-on-one and it took its toll on him. Gradually, as the seconds wore on, his speed decreased, and the accuracy of his blades deteriorated. There was the possibility he was simply leading me on. He could be faking the exhaustion, but my woman¡¯s intuition didn¡¯t support that line of reasoning. It didn¡¯t appear as though he¡¯d had much time to master using all four arms, and adjust to the increased power of the Grand Chevalier. Since unlocking his Artifact, hee could move faster and he had more swords to wield, but he was still new at this. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and Derek¡¯s handling of his Grand Chevalier was far from perfect. I couldn¡¯t claim to have mastered Sigr¨²n, but I could user her better than he could use his Artifact. Thanks to the Seal-Regalia, my broken rib was reattached with the equivalent of spit and gum. It was barely holding together. I needed to end this quickly, however Derek presented a bigger problem than Mikhail ever had. *Heckle and Jeckle¡ªgo! Hold him down! The two Vector-Wing clusters flew past me, accelerating at a pace that would have tested the inertial-fields warping space around me. They avoided the first of Derek¡¯s strikes, and crashed their barrier-fields into him, knocking him back into a support pillar. Derek struck at them again with his extra arms, but the Vector Wing clusters that I¡¯d named Heckle and Jeckle poured more power into the barriers, and resisted his attacks. A second later, I slashed at him with both my gauntlet-blades nearly simultaneously. The piercer-fields extending like invisible swords around my blades cut through the Grand Chevalier¡¯s extra arms. I chose not to stop, and crashed bodily into Derek¡¯s chest armor. The impact shattered my hexagonal barrier-fields and his. However, my fluid barrier-fields held, spreading like jelly over my body as they dissipated the full force of the impact. Enough of the kinetic energy translated into my body to jar my brain sloshing within my skull. For a half second, which felt like four or five seconds, my vision swam and I saw double. However, the blow had knocked the wind out of Derek while cratering and shattering the outer layer of the permacrete and rock pillar. Heckle and Jeckle switched to their next objective. They pinned down Derek¡¯s remaining arms ¨C his real arms ¨C by extending their barrier-fields and crushing his arms against the permacrete pillar. I drew back, discarded the piercer-field enveloping my gauntlet-blades, and then pressed both blades against his armored neck. This was beyond the endgame. This was the final move. Derek stopped struggling as soon as my blades scissored against his neck. The horned helmet around his head broke apart and regressed into the Grand Chevalier¡¯s armor. I gave him my coldest look. ¡°You lose.¡± He had the gall to grin at me. ¡°You¡¯re counting your chickens too early.¡± [WARNING.] Before the rest of the thought pulse could shoot through my mind, I pushed away from Derek by kicking off against the pillar. Somersaulting through the air, I glimpsed something black flashed through the space I¡¯d occupied less than a heartbeat earlier, and then landed on my tapered feet, before bouncing aloft on the maneuver-field wrapped around my legs that kept me a few inches off the ground. Simultaneously, Heckle and Jeckle flew away from Derek and circled around to flank me, hovering almost silently in the air. I grit my teeth as I realized I¡¯d been caught off guard. Somehow, Farolina had slipped unnoticed through my Awareness-field, and snuck up on me. The blow she delivered would have sent me spinning into the depths of the old docks. Quickly, my emotions turned to disbelief. ¡°What the Hell are you doing?¡± I yelled at her. ¡°You were going to kill him!¡± she yelled back. ¡°No, but I was going to give him a nasty scar.¡± Farolina looked aghast. ¡°No one, and I mean no one touches his face.¡± She turned around and clapped Derek¡¯s cheeks with her palms. ¡°How dare you think of harming this precious visage.¡± My disbelief jumped an order of magnitude. ¡°Are you brain damaged? He made you cry in front of everyone and you¡¯re protecting him. Have you no shame¡ªno pride? No effing dignity as a woman?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying because of him. I was crying because you broke my sternum, you stupid bitch!¡± My mouth fell open. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I was crying because you broke my sternum. And you almost ruptured my stomach!¡± she yelled angrily. ¡°That¡¯s enough to make anyone cry!¡± I started shaking my head in denial. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Well, you did,¡± she snapped angrily. ¡°Luckily all five of us powered up before coming here, otherwise we¡¯d all be seriously injured.¡± ¡°Wait, you weren¡¯t holding back. I thought you seriously wanted to hurt me.¡± Her beautiful green eyes widened in incredulity. ¡°Hurt you? How the heck could we hurt you? You¡¯re a damn Valkyrie Maiden. None of us come close to your abilities yet.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Serenity.¡± Still holding onto Derek¡¯s face, she faced him. ¡°That evil witch didn¡¯t hurt you, did she?¡± Derek looked uneasy, but with her holding onto his cheeks he couldn¡¯t turn away, though his eyes did look flighty. Farolina sighed in deep relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. I¡¯m so glad. If she¡¯d hurt your face I¡¯d never forgive her.¡± Then she slammed her knee into his groin. There was an audible crack as that part of the Grand Chevalier broke and fell away. Derek tried doubling over, but she held him upright. ¡°That¡¯s for calling me a succubus,¡± she told him. Then she kneed him a second time, and despite the Skin-Regalia sheathing his body, Derek felt the pain and his eyes rolled back in his head. Farolina released him, and he fell to the ground an unconscious heap. Then she kicked him a few times in the chest. ¡°Can¡¯t take me seriously?¡± she asked him. ¡°You have a problem with my godly chest?¡± After a few more kicks to his armor clad body, she stepped back and tossed her golden hair with one hand. ¡°Why do I waste my time with him?¡± she muttered in exasperation. I warily asked her, ¡°So¡­do you want to pick up where we left off.¡± ¡°No. I lost,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for one night. My feet are killing me and my chest is still mending.¡± Glancing around me, and running my gaze over the crowd a hundred or so feet away, I then faced her again. ¡°So it¡¯s over?¡± She planted her hands on her shapely hips. ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s call it a night.¡± With a hand raised high, I turned to the crowd. ¡°Victory,¡± I declared loudly. However, the confused crowd didn¡¯t greet me the way I expected. They shook their heads in disappointment, and began walking back to their parked vehicles. Farolina leaned down and picked up the unconscious Derek Pitt. Tossing him onto her back, she followed the crowd. Along the way, she paused and asked me, ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± I exhaled loudly, and slumped my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I just need to catch my breath.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± she said, then resumed walking with Derek on her back. Kicking off the ground, I skipped over to the damaged support pillar, then circled around it. Out of sight, I wretched onto the cold rock floor. When I stopped, I leaned a hand against the pillar, and looked down at the blood that splattered the floor. I had pushed too hard, and the broken rib wasn¡¯t my only injury as two more felt fractured. Taking slow, deep breaths, I waited for my body to regain its composure, wiped my lips clean, then returned Sigr¨²n and the Skin-Regalia to her Sarcophagus. When I was dressed once more in my Calista Academy uniform, I pulled a tissue out of a skirt pocket and wiped my lips dry, but no matter how much saliva I swallowed I couldn¡¯t wash down the taste of blood in my throat and mouth. The palm-slate I¡¯d left in my skirt pocket began to sing a heavy metal song. I pulled it out of the pocket and answered the call without looking at the caller ID. ¡°What is it, Hiro-Hiro?¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Sick,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°I pushed too hard.¡± ¡°Indeed. Your body isn¡¯t ready yet to summon that much power.¡± I leaned back against the cold permacrete of the pillar. ¡°Can you do me a favor? Can you bring the car around? I don¡¯t think I can make it back to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already there,¡± he announced. And indeed he was. The black, low slung sedan drove up to me. Takahiro climbed out of the vehicle, noticed the blood on the floor, then walked to the boot of the car. He retrieved a what appeared to be a small fire extinguisher except it wasn¡¯t red but black. With extinguisher in hand, he walked toward me. I pushed myself away from the pillar, and walked unsteadily toward the car, choosing to meet him halfway. He looked down at me. ¡°I believe we should have you examined.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. I just need to rest.¡± I waved away his words of concern. ¡°Hiro-Hiro, we both know the Seal-Regalia can do a better job of healing me than the Symbiote.¡± ¡°Nonetheless¡ª¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine. Just drive me back to the apartment.¡± Walking to the car, I climbed into the back seat, and waited for him to return. Through the window, I watched him spray the ground and the pillar where I¡¯d thrown up undigested food and blood. I closed my eyes, and lay my head back, and waited for the nausea to subside. I really didn¡¯t want to throw up in the back of the car. # (Maestro) # It was a mystery to me as to why the old docks weren¡¯t any colder than they were. Although they received power from Island One¡¯s grid, and said power was used to illuminate large areas of the docks, wider expanses were relegated to pitch black darkness. In fact, only one floor out of the four received decent illumination. The rest of the old docks were dark but for the light the spilled in from the Harbor Tunnel running through the long axis of the asteroid Island. So why weren¡¯t they any colder? Could it be the heat radiated from the starships entering and leaving the Harbor Tunnel kept the old docks above freezing temperature? I stamped my feet on the ground, grateful for the Thread inside me working overtime to keep my body warm. There were times I envied the Aventis, and this was one of them. An Aventis could handle extreme cold and heat better than a Regular, and better than a Familiar. With the Thread inside me for the next few days, I would be able to handle the cold of the docks fairly well. That said, there was no good reason for me to be out here. I could have chosen to wait for Merkala¡¯s return within the comfort of Pantra¡¯s crew lounge, or in my own cramped quarters. Instead, I was out here in the cold, pacing casually within Pantra¡¯s dark shadow. Above me, the sleek starship was a mass of darkness. Parked deep into the lowest level of the old docks where the light from the Harbor Tunnel failed to reach, all her exterior lights were off, and she was radiating a false image that would hide her from the occasional sensor sweeps that surveyed the area. This place had been chosen for a simple reason ¨C it was rarely if ever visited. That wasn¡¯t to say the old docks weren¡¯t the locale for illicit activities. In our brief stay of only a few days, we¡¯d observed a number of questionable business ventures take place in the depths of the old docks, thankfully quite far from our location. However, it had given me reason to believe that our choice of landing here was not in our best interests. I looked up at the Pantra. The ship was an old Pathfinder outfitted as a spook, a former spy of the space lanes within the Hurakan Nebula. Millennia ago the military of an Earth nation outfitted fishing trawlers to act as spies while sailing the seven seas. The principle employed for this ship was much the same. While mapping out the various rock clusters of the Hurakan Nebula, Pantra, formerly known as the Emporium, had spied on ships and installations and reported back to her employers who turned out to be the Pantheon Company. Unfortunately for her, she ran into some unsavory individuals, was chased down and crashed into an asteroid. Her crew abandoned ship, but they didn¡¯t get very far. The ship had drifted for a decade through the dirty cloud of the Hurakan Nebula until a scout affiliated with Crimson Crescent encountered her. She was salvaged and rebuilt aboard the Crimson Sunrise, upgraded with the latest technology and given a whole new paintjob. At ninety meters long she was twelve meters longer than her original design. The extra length afforded the crew more spacious quarters, as well as a larger shuttle deck to accommodate a sleek shuttlecraft with limited trans-light capability. Needless to say, her weaponry had been improved, along with her stealth capabilities. While I was confident her registration would hold up under scrutiny, I wanted to keep her a secret for a while longer. To do so, we¡¯d snuck into Pharos¡¯ Harbor Tunnel by hiding under a particularly large superfreighter that happened to be entering the asteroid Island. Since the other vessel was a good ten times longer and several times wider, it was rather easy to hide in its mass shadow while operating in stealth mode. Flying her into the lowest dock had been a tricky prospect, but our pilot persevered. It was also a good test of the ship¡¯s capabilities. Then again, the docks had been designed to support vessels that were much larger than the Pantra. The question was how much longer would we remain hidden. I pursed my lips in thought. Leaving empty handed would be a serious problem for us. But not being able to leave at all was an even bigger concern, especially when I considered who¡¯d joined us on this dangerous mission. The soft hum of hydraulics reached my ears, and I looked into the gloom. Soft amber lighting illuminated the boarding platform as it descended from the ship¡¯s neck. Before it touched ground, the sole occupant, a short slender and feminine shadow, jumped down to the rock floor of the old docks. As the shadow walked toward me, the boarding platform ascended back into the ship The shadow stopped a few feet away from me, and I saw it smile up at me. With my Artifact¡¯s Awareness-field, I could tell exactly who it was simply by running the field up and down the shadow¡¯s body. I sensed the faint Awareness-field surrounding the shadow, but I doubted it could sense mine. Taking a deep breath, I shoved my hands deeper into my coat pockets, then cleared my throat. ¡°Lady Sophia, might I ask what you¡¯re doing out here?¡± ¡°I came for a breath of fresh air,¡± the young girl replied affably, yet I knew it was anything but how she felt. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the air inside the ship, or your quarters.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been here two days. When are you going to allow me into the habitats?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to allow you at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just cruel.¡± ¡°Might I remind you that you stowed away aboard the ship, against your father¡¯s wishes.¡± She pointed at herself. ¡°Who me?¡± I watched her silver hair catch what little light there was this deep into the docks, almost a kilometer away from the Harbor Tunnel. The truth was, I had considered using her in my plan. She was something of a ¡®shock factor¡¯. She patted her chest, which for a girl her age, was already well developed. So very much like her elder sister, I thought to myself. ¡°Are you afraid I¡¯ll do something foolish?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course. Common sense wasn¡¯t in your genetic makeup.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell father you were mean to me.¡± ¡°Your father has authorized me to spank you should you interfere in our objective.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean, interfere with the objective?¡± Her head rocked from side to side. ¡°By the way, will you let me meet her?¡± ¡°No.¡± I lied. Her value as a shock factor was indeed quite high. She might be what I needed to break that other girl. She clicked her tongue loudly. I leaned toward her. ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I will take your necklace from you.¡± I could faintly see her blue eyes widen in the darkness. Then her expression grew dark, as the saying goes. ¡°Just try it.¡± ¡°I have your father¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°Like I said, just try it. This is mine. This was given to me by my mother. She chose it for me, and I will not part with it.¡± ¡°Then behave and do I as I instruct, or I may just use my Artifact to bind you. Is that clear?¡± She took a half step back. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare¡­.¡± ¡°If you endanger our reason for being here, I will most certainly bind you. And then I¡¯ll make sure to have you locked away in your quarters for the duration of our stay.¡± I closed the distance between us and looked down at her. ¡°Although my Artifact works best on Aventis, it can also influence Familiars. And you, my dear, are not strong enough to defy me. You haven¡¯t synchronized sufficiently with your Fragment to use it as a shield against me. Do I make myself clear?¡± She lowered her chin and peered up at me. It was hard to read her expression in the darkness, but through my Awareness-field I could sense the sudden shift her emotions. If she had an aura, it would have turned stone grey while flickering with an angry red light. Sofia spoke in a low, even tone that surprised me, as I could perceive her anger yet not hear it. ¡°It¡¯s always about her¡­isn¡¯t it? Everything he does is always about her. Since the day I could think for myself, I¡¯ve always felt that I was nothing more than a mistake. Even the fact that I awakened as a Familiar and not an Aventis was a disappointment to him.¡± She touched her chest again. ¡°If not for my mother, I would never have received this gift. He would have denied me my right to be a true Familiar.¡± ¡°Your father has allowed you to choose your own path.¡± ¡°Yes, and tied me down at every turn.¡± She lowered her hand to her side where it clenched into a small fist. ¡°I will not be held down¡­not by a father that does not love me.¡± Even in the darkness, I felt the intensity of her gaze. You are very much like your mother, Little Sofia. Be sure not to end up like her. In truth, I wondered what her fate would be. Perhaps her stowing away was not such a bad idea. At the very least, it might shake that man to the core. A soft whoosh greeted us, and I turned around to see something narrow and small silhouetted in darkness moving quickly toward us. A small light flashed at us for a few seconds. There was no code behind the sequence, being more or less the same as rapping knuckles against a door. As it grew closer, I heard a faint thrum emanate from the approaching machine, and seconds later the lev-bike floated to a fast stop a few feet away, yet well under Pantra¡¯s shadow. The lev-bike¡¯s instrument panel cast a soft amber glow upon the rider who was dressed like a teenage girl displaying a fair amount of skin. Dressed as she was, I believed she would be cited with several traffic violations for riding a lev-bike without the proper gear. For one thing, she was riding without a helmet, revealing her long raven hair. However, I was certain the Enforcers would be dumbfounded to know this teenage girl was a young woman in her mid-twenties who happened to look like teenage boy¡¯s wet dream. Merkala sat on the lev-bike and studied the pair of us. I couldn¡¯t feel her Awareness-field against mine, however I was certain she was employing it upon Sofia and I. Agitation flickered through my heart. Damn her skills! To think she can slip her field past my field with so much ease. I swallowed and willed myself to remain calm. Showing weakness before this monster was ill advised. To my left, I sensed yet another change in Sofia, as the girl eyed Merkala with adoration. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t quite right. Sofia did not adore Merkala, but aspired to be like Merkala. At the very least, I knew that Sofia wanted the power that Merkala wielded. Merkala regarded me with a flat look, then faced Sofia. ¡°You should go back inside.¡± Sofia sounded faintly petulant. ¡°But I came out here to wait for you.¡± ¡°That was unnecessary,¡± the woman that looked like a high schooler replied. Sofia crossed her arms sullenly. ¡°You could have taken me with you¡­.¡± ¡°That would have been unwise.¡± I cleared my throat discreetly before asking, ¡°How was it?¡± Merkala was quiet for a long moment, before facing me. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed, just the faces,¡± she reported drolly. I refrained from chuckling in amusement. ¡°So you enjoyed yourself.¡± ¡°I did see something interesting.¡± Merkala sat back in the lev-bike¡¯s seat, while the craft floated a foot off the rock floor. ¡°The Avenirs¡¯ Valkyrie Maiden Sigr¨²n.¡± Assisted by my Artifact, I searched my memory for a name and face. ¡°The Abandoned Child?¡± ¡°Yes, that one. She¡¯s grown considerably.¡± ¡°As a woman, or as a bonded Familiar?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Merkala paused in thought. ¡°She would be an asset.¡± I pressed my lips together, then put them through a few different shapes as I mulled the possibility. ¡°It¡¯s doubtful she would join us.¡± ¡°But she has a reason to join us. She simply doesn¡¯t know it yet.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Is she strong?¡± ¡°Very. She wields the same type of Valkyrie Maiden as Celica Desanto.¡± The young woman tipped her head slightly. ¡°However, for the time being she isn¡¯t as strong as Desanto, but given time she will be a serious threat.¡± I nodded quietly. ¡°She was described as a prodigy at one time.¡± ¡°It would be better to have her on our side.¡± Sofia edged forward. ¡°Why? She¡¯s not as strong as you. And you¡¯re stronger than Celica Desanto. Why do we need someone like this Abandoned Child person?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Merkala¡¯s eyes reflected the amber light from the lev-bike¡¯s console, making them appear demonic. Her voice took on a steely edge. ¡°I was stronger than Celica Desanto. That is no longer the case.¡± Yes, that was indeed the situation. Since Celica had gained the Warlord Black Camellia, she was ranked the strongest of Crimson Crescent¡¯s members, a position once held by Merkala. So it really bothered her, I thought to myself. Her pride as a Familiar has been wounded. Sofia was startled, and struggled to respond. ¡°Ah¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± Merkala leaned forward over the lev-bike as she gripped the control bars. ¡°I need to put this away.¡± Sofia spoke quickly, sounding chastised. ¡°I¡¯ll open up the ship for you.¡± ¡°There is no need,¡± Merkala intoned disinterestedly. I took a quick breath and interrupted her before she could ride away toward the underside of the Pantra¡¯s neck structure. ¡°Our Lorelai says she¡¯s added your lev-bike to the colony¡¯s vehicle registration system. Your identity has also been established within the colony records. She doesn¡¯t believe there will be a problem with either of them, so long as the authorities don¡¯t look too deep. You¡¯ll need to review your profile before you head out.¡± Merkala nodded shallowly. ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll head into Island Three tomorrow and being surveying the area. I will need to take the ¡± My hands still in my coat pockets, I took a couple of steps toward her. ¡°Merkala, there¡¯s no need to rush. We have time, and I have yet to begin my preparations. Until our faux identities are in the system, we won¡¯t be able to move around freely.¡± She sat motionless on the lev-bike, and I started to count the seconds that went by until she broke the intervening silence. ¡°You¡¯d better not delay. Zephyrus is scheduled to arrive next week. You won¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡± I felt I was being threatened and did not appreciate it. However, she did have a point. Zephyrus was a much bigger ship than Pantra, and would not be able to sneak into Island One the way we did. Instead, it would have to loiter around in the Hurakan Nebula, drifting in darkness between the asteroid Islands, perhaps landing on the exterior of Island One. The longer it remained in the area, the greater the risk of being discovered. As soon as that happened, it would put at risk all the Crimson Crescent cells operating within Pharos. More to the point, as the getaway starship, Zephyrus was essential to the plan. Shaking my head down at her, I sighed softly for effect. ¡°All good things come to those who wait. This is not a simple snatch and grab. First I must deal with the pawns, then I must cater for the knights, the bishops, and rooks. And last, but not least, there is the king to consider, for she rarely leaves his side.¡± I tipped my head at her. ¡°Are you getting the picture?¡± ¡°If you fail, don¡¯t bother coming back. I believe those were his words.¡± ¡°Rather loyalty inspiring, aren¡¯t they,¡± I muttered drily. ¡°When the time comes, I will deal with the pawns.¡± I shook my head at her. ¡°No. You will deal with the knight. He is the first we need to bind.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the pawns were first?¡± ¡°Once, I have the knight, the pawns will follow.¡± ¡°Make up your mind, Maestro.¡± I took a step closer to her. ¡°Don¡¯t presume to tell me how to do my job, Kin Slayer.¡± Merkala raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Ouch,¡± she blurted out flatly. ¡°You get me the knight¡ªthe male knight¡ªand I¡¯ll take it from there.¡± ¡°Very well. When and where do you want him?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s discuss that inside.¡± ¡°And the female knight?¡± ¡°Her sister?¡± I leaned back while narrowing my eyes. ¡°If at all possible, I¡¯d rather have nothing to do with that witch.¡± # (Serenity) # Takahiro drove me to the new apartment complex in Island Three, rather than my home in Island One¡¯s Habitat One. I heard him step into the living room of the penthouse suite, then I saw his reflection in the trans-steel glass windows before me. He stopped at the top of the curved steps leading down into the living room¡¯s sunken floor. I didn¡¯t acknowledge him. I kept looking out the panoramic windows that encircled half the living room wall. Beyond them, Island Three¡¯s Habitat Two stretched out in all directions. To the far right I saw the lights of the entertainment district. Ahead of me and to the left, shone the lights of the residential blocks, massive Aztec style pyramids with connecting bridgeways and elevated mag-lev tracks running between them. The habitat was observing the nighttime cycle, so artificial stars and moons drifted by overhead. I reclined back on the triple seater sofa, bracing my lower back against the armrest. ¡°Mistress?¡± I sighed and murmured, ¡°What is it, Takehiro?¡± I glanced at his reflection. He was keeping his usual stoic persona in place. ¡°The last of your belongings will arrive in the morning. I¡¯ll see to their distribution within the apartment.¡± I nodded shallowly. ¡°Wonderful. Just wonderful.¡± ¡°Are you unhappy with the new accommodations?¡± I glared at his reflection. ¡°You could have told me mother was kicking me out today.¡± ¡°This was not her decision. This was the Avenir Pride¡¯s doing.¡± He paused before asking, ¡°Have you checked your bedroom? A great deal of your belongings were brought over today.¡± ¡°Yes, including my exotic lingerie collection. Did you manhandle them?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he replied in a low tone. ¡°This place is fully serviced. The maids will be here in the morning. I can have a chef organized to come in in the evening.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll live on take-out.¡± ¡°That really isn¡¯t wise,¡± he admonished wearily. ¡°You should learn how to cook. It will stand you in good stead in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to be a housewife,¡± I growled at him. ¡°And I¡¯m not trying to domesticate you.¡± I heard singing and realized it was my palm-slate. Fishing it out of my skirt pocket, I looked at the display and groaned. ¡°I have to take this.¡± He bowed politely. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the apartment below.¡± I watched his reflection depart. Then I heard the door to the penthouse suite open and close. I lay back on the couch, tapped the screen to answer the call, and stared up at the glass ceiling made of concentric circular panels. ¡°Hello,¡± I muttered. ¡°Where the Hell are you?¡± Farolina snapped. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you for more than thirty minutes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Island Three, Habitat Two.¡± ¡°What the Hell are you doing over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been kicked out of home,¡± I replied drily. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Apparently I¡¯ve been allocated the penthouse suite for the duration of my stay at Galatea Academy.¡± ¡°Does it have an indoor pool?¡± ¡°Yes. Heated too.¡± ¡°And where did you say you are?¡± ¡°Island Three, Habitat Two, District Four, Block Seven. Did you get all that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be there in an hour.¡± She hung up. I stared at my palm-slate. ¡°Bitch. I can¡¯t believe she invited herself over.¡± I chose to shower first, then rifled through the clothes someone had neatly categorized into my bedroom wardrobe and drawers. Suspecting what Farolina was after, I searched for swimwear and found a one piece suit I¡¯d modelled late last year. ¡°Am I going to fit in this thing?¡± I wondered as I stretched the material a little. Slipping into the swimsuit, I then dressed in a short navy blue skirt, and white t-shirt. As expected, the penthouse suite¡¯s Assisting Intelligence reported the arrival of guests down in the lobby. I gave the system permission to allow my ¡®guests¡¯ to ride up to the penthouse suite. Walking down the wide corridor, I greeted them at the door. Farolina, Karissa, Sonia, and Mikhail walked in, all bearing gifts that was food and drinks from a convenience store. They barged in and I closed the door behind. ¡°Yes. Of course. Just make yourselves at home,¡± I snarked at them as they spread out throughout the penthouse suite, and began exploring it. Mikhail gaped at the spacious living area. ¡°This place is huge¡­.¡± Farolina nodded in appreciation. ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± I shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s three. The biggest one is down that corridor. That bathtub is the size of a pool. And the shower has three heads.¡± Sonia plonked herself onto the banana shaped sofa in the living room¡¯s sunken floor. She pointed at the enormous holovid projection system. ¡°Does that connect to the Nexus?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t even turned it on.¡± She found the controls and began working through the options. ¡°Ah¡ªthe online gaming framework is installed. Version twelve point six. Excellent.¡± She pulled out her handheld console and linked it up with the holovid suite. ¡°Now I can pick up where I left off.¡± My mouth fell open though I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. ¡°Yes, of course. Whatever floats your boat.¡± I turned to Karissa who was staring out at the habitat. ¡°What about you?¡± Karissa glanced at me over her left shoulder. ¡°Can we step outside?¡± ¡°Ah¡­there¡¯s a patio,¡± I answered, then walked over to the panoramic wall. Calling out to the Assisting Intelligence, I asked, ¡°Home, how do we get to the patio?¡± I was startled when a soft chime preceded the sudden opening of a section of the transparent wall. Immediately a strong gust of wind blew in. ¡°Close it, close it!¡± I snapped loudly. The transparent wall sealed shut a few seconds later. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again,¡± I told Karissa who shrugged as though she was innocent. Farolina walked up to me on her stiletto heels. ¡°Where¡¯s the pool?¡± I turned around slowly and surveyed the penthouse suite. ¡°Ah¡­that way¡­I think¡­.¡± ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll go get changed.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I snapped at her. ¡°Where¡¯s Derek?¡± Farolina looked annoyed that I should ask. ¡°Missing him already?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking where is he?¡± ¡°We left him naked and unconscious on the grass in Monument Park in Island One.¡± My mouth fell open, and I had to remember to breathe. ¡°What? Tell me your joking.¡± Karissa held up her palm-slate and showed me an image she¡¯d recorded on it. I realized Farolina was not joking. Facing her, I said, ¡°He¡¯s going to get arrested for public indecency.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± she remarked then turned and walked away with a small bag in one hand. Karissa followed after her. ¡°You brought mine, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course. I have the one you picked right here,¡± the blonde goddess replied as she sashayed down one hallway, with Karissa in tow. I rubbed my forehead in dismay, feeling a headache creeping up on me. Mikhail walked up to me with a bowl of corn chips in one hand, and a clear soda bottle in the other. ¡°Hungry?¡± I took them from him. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t eat before I swim, but I doubt I¡¯ll be swimming after all.¡± A large glass dining table occupied an area of the upper living room floor. I sat down on a chair beside the table and munched on a corn chip. Mikhail brought some food from the kitchen where the bags had been deposited. However, he suggested we sit in the sunken living area. Grabbing my food, I walked down the handful of steps, and dropped myself onto an empty sofa seat, while Mikhail sat a short distance away. We made sure to give Sonia sufficient space as she battled away at holovid monsters occupying a garish dungeon. ¡°I thought she finished this game,¡± I said. Mikhail shook his blonde haired head. ¡°Her Guild lost their match. They didn¡¯t get the final prize.¡± ¡°Oh, what a pity.¡± He sat back to eat the convenience store bento on his lap. ¡°Second prize was a trip to the beauty parlor. Half the Guild declined because they¡¯re guys.¡± I munched on a corn chip, staring absently at the holovid projection, while thinking that if Sonia fought as well with her Fragment as she battled dungeon monsters, I wouldn¡¯t survive long against her. Mikhail wolfed down his bento. ¡°So, how long are you going to be at Galatea?¡± ¡°Indefinitely.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t tell us what it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°My lips are sealed. I signed a contract.¡± ¡°So what can you tell us?¡± he asked before dropping food into his mouth. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s all hush hush.¡± ¡°Do you have an objective?¡± I munched away on another chip. ¡°Yes. There is an objective, but it¡¯s not clear on how I¡¯m supposed to achieve it.¡± I inhaled deeply and then sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to play it by ear.¡± Farolina¡¯s voice reached us from the top of the steps leading down to the sunken living area. ¡°We¡¯re ready. Come on.¡± Mikhail and I looked up at her, and he almost dropped his bento. ¡°Goddess¡­,¡± he whispered in awe. I stared at her, feeling annoyed with what I was seeing. Farolina had changed into a two-piece bikini, and a sarong skirt wrapped around her waist. ¡°Well?¡± she demanded. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here,¡± I replied feeling defeated. Karissa appeared behind her, wearing a crimson one-piece suit I was certain had padding stitched around the chest area to make her look bigger. However, it was easy to confuse her for a middle schooler. She peeked down at Mikhail, then gulped a lungful of air. ¡°Hey, are you coming or not?¡± Mikhail stared at her unblinking for a long while. ¡°Sure. Be right there.¡± I noticed she was looking visibly flushed. I also noticed the air rush out of her lungs. Looking depleted, she waved at us, then disappeared in the direction of the indoor pool. I guess they found the pool, I thought to myself. ¡°What about you?¡± Farolina questioned, while standing with her hands on her hips. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re wearing a one piece under your clothes.¡± ¡°That was before I saw you in that two-piece,¡± I retorted. ¡°So I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± I was startled when Sonia stopped playing the holovid game, stood up, and stripped out of her clothes into a one-piece similar to what I was wearing. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she declared in a muted voice, then walked up the steps leading out of the sunken living area. Feeling like the odd woman out, I caved in and followed them to the pool. # I watched Karissa swim laps across the fifteen-meter pool, with Mikhail swimming beside her. Sonia was swimming underwater from end to end, as though testing her lung capacity. I sat on the edge of the pool, with my legs in the water. Farolina stood beside me eyeing the pool for a long while. When Karissa and Mikhail arrived at the end farthest from us, Farolina excitedly tapped my shoulder. ¡°Watch this,¡± she giggled. ¡°Watch what?¡± Farolina stepped back, then took a running leap into the pool. Water splashed high, dousing me. I glared at the girl when she eventually burst through the surface, with her arms high and forming the letter Y. ¡°Ta da!¡± she declared victoriously. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I growled at her as I wiped away the water from my eyes. Karissa and Mikhail had stopped swimming and were staring at her in confusion. Sonia was peering up at her while floating near the bottom of the pool with her arms behind her back. I was startled to see how close she was to Farolina¡¯s legs. Farolina jumped up and down, her arms high in the air. ¡°Look at me. What do you see?¡± ¡°Someone I want to drown.¡± ¡°No, you idiot. Look at my bikini.¡± ¡°What about it? It looks normal and it didn¡¯t turn transparent.¡± ¡°No. No, look at it. What do you see?¡± ¡°Listen, I have no idea what you mean. Just tell us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still on me,¡± she pointed out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Farolina howled in frustration. ¡°Nothing. That¡¯s precisely the point. I¡¯m still wearing it.¡± She tugged at her straps. ¡°My bikini didn¡¯t come off. You see¡ªI¡¯m not topless. I water bombed and yet I¡¯m still wearing my top. This is exactly what they advertised.¡± ¡°Your saying that bikini won¡¯t expose your boobs at the waterpark.¡± ¡°Yes. I can finally go to a waterpark and not be afraid of going down the rides!¡± ¡°I see,¡± I quipped, and clapped disinterestedly. She planted her hands on her hips. ¡°This is very big deal for me. I may finally choose to endorse this brand. The perfect brand for a goddess like me.¡± ¡°Well, I modelled for them last year. If you want, I can get my mother to contact their marketing department. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to have you model for them in their exclusive catalog.¡± Her eyes brightened. ¡°Really? You can do that?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Sure. The bikini for the fuller bust. You¡¯d be perfect.¡± ¡°Not fuller bust. Fullest bust,¡± she corrected. ¡°And I am perfect.¡± I pointed at her crotch. ¡°You lost your bottoms.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Farolina screamed while Karissa clapped her hands over Mikhail¡¯s eyes. The buxom goddess dove under water and searched around for her bikini bottoms. However, I noticed Sonia underwater and slowly drifting away with something in her hands behind her back. I frowned inwardly. How did she manage that? When she surfaced, Farolina covered her privates with both hands. ¡°Help me,¡± she pleaded. Sonia emerged at the far corner of the pool and began sneaking away. I pointed at her. ¡°She has them.¡± ¡°Come back,¡± Farolina yelled, and began swimming fast toward me. Climbing out in a hurry, she grabbed the sarong skirt she¡¯d discarded, tied it around her waist, then pursued Sonia who had succeeded in getting outside the penthouse and was now running on the patio. I watched Farolina chase the girl, her sarong skirt fluttering in the strong wind. The transparent walls kept out the noise of the habitat and Farolina¡¯s evidently loud yelling. Sonia deftly leapt over patio tables, chairs, benches, and garden plants. Amazingly, Farolina quickly caught up to the girl and tackled her to the ground. They both rose to their feet and wrestled for ownership of the bikini bottoms. However, the situation took an unexpected turn. An Enforcer drone out on patrol rose into view and shone its bright lights on the two girls wrestling over the bikini. Both of them stopped like small animals caught in a hunter¡¯s lights, until Sonia quickly untied Farolina¡¯s sarong skirt. Caught by the wind, it blew away into the air. Sonia escaped, but it took Farolina a moment for reality to sink in. She quite obviously screamed, then turned and ran away from the drone. Still sitting on the edge of the pool, I watched the girl flee into the penthouse suite, spear across the living room, and dash down a hallway before seeking refuge in one of the bedrooms. I heard the door slam a heartbeat later. As for Sonia¡­she was nowhere in sight¡­until I noticed her standing beside me. I was shocked and screamed in fright. Once my heart landed back in my chest, I stood up and glared at her. Nothing¡ªthere was no sign of her in my Awareness-field! How did she manage that? It shouldn¡¯t be possible! Not with the Seal-Regalia inside my body! Swallowing a couple of times to recover my voice, I snapped at her, ¡°How the Hell did you do that?¡± Sonia shrugged and showed me her bracelet. ¡°I¡¯m a Sylph, remember?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± She smiled and sang, ¡°It¡¯s a kind of magic. Magic. Magic.¡± I swallowed and narrowed my eyes at her. A chime rang from the pool¡¯s ceiling, and the Assisting Intelligence spoke up. ¡°Building Security is at the door. They would like to speak with the registered resident.¡± I closed my eyes, counted to five, then opened them. Before Sonia could react, I stole the bikini bottoms from her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not taking the blame for this,¡± I warned her. Grateful that I hadn¡¯t entered the pool, I put on my T-shirt and short skirt, then padded with wet feet into the penthouse suite, and greeted the security guards at the door. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked innocently. Unfortunately for me, they didn¡¯t buy my act, though they took the opportunity to run their gazes up and down my body a few times. Once they were done ogling me, I was advised to co-operate with the authorities or my tenancy would be revoked. A few minutes later, an Enforcer arrived at the penthouse suite, questioned me and Farolina for a couple of minutes before serving her with a citation for lewd behavior in an open air environment. Farolina ¨C who had changed into more modest clothing by then ¨C paid her fine on the spot, apologized for her conduct and bowed politely to the security guards and Enforcer, then retreated to the living room while I ushered the men out of the penthouse suite. On my way back to the living room, I heard a crash, the sound of glass breaking, and the muffled yells of two girls grappling on the plush carpeted floor. I grabbed my head, wondering when this night would end. # (Haruka) # I looked into Caprice¡¯s eyes reflected in the mirror. ¡°Are you sure this is what you wanted?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied firmly yet customarily faintly. Siobhan peered at the girl from various angles. ¡°You¡¯re going to turn some heads.¡± Alistair sighed heavily. ¡°Yes, she is¡­.¡± Swallowing a couple of times, I folded my arms, while watching Caprice turn to and fro as she regarded herself in the mirror. ¡°If you want to make Caelum jealous, you¡¯re off to a good start.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of Caelum,¡± she whispered with just a faint trace of bitterness. I sighed long and hard. ¡°Caprice, be honest¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of him,¡± she stated, and faced me. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Alistair sighed again. ¡°I spoke to a few girls from his class. They said Crais is quiet, courteous, never gets angry, tolerates a lot of taunting, and has quite a few admirers. In a way, he¡¯s a lot like Haruka¡¯s boyfriend. Very considerate and reliable.¡± Siobhan laughed. ¡°Sounds quite the opposite of Galatea¡¯s Public Enemy Number One.¡± I swallowed tightly, thinking how stupid Caelum was and got angry with him. Alistair added, ¡°Every guy has his dark side. We¡¯ll just have to wait and see what Crais¡¯ dark side happens to be.¡± Caprice frowned every so faintly. ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t have one?¡± Siobhan chuckled. ¡°You mean if he¡¯s too good to be true and it¡¯s all true?¡± Caprice replied with a subtle nod. ¡°Then choose whomever makes you happy,¡± I offered. ¡°Choose the one that makes you the happiest. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± I turned around, and walked to where I¡¯d left my belongings on the couch seat. Grabbing my carry-bag and Academy blazer, I turned to my friends and Caprice. ¡°I have to go. Sorry. I can¡¯t stay.¡± I left the shop after waving goodbye, thinking that I¡¯d given Caprice the advice I¡¯d given myself when I couldn¡¯t decide which way my heart pointed. I didn¡¯t want to feel guilty over my words, so I chose to curse Caelum a few times on the way to the mag-lev station. Then I cursed him a few more times while riding the mag-lev home to Habitat Three.
Some of you may know the song Sonia was singing. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 7 ( Part I) Posting parts I of II. Part II is under review. I''ll post it during Easter. Hoping to recover some of my old readers but I doubt it.
Chapter 7. (Caelum) # School Week Five. Wednesday morning. I didn¡¯t get out of bed so much as fall out of it. My body ached and screamed as I made my way to the shower. It was feeling only a little better by the time I was dressed. I was able to shuffle to the dormitory¡¯s cafeteria, grab a cold sandwich that I washed down with lukewarm tea, then return to my dorm room for a final touch up, before meandering down to the building¡¯s exit. Caprice wasn¡¯t waiting for me at the foot of the steps. That wasn¡¯t unexpected. Her attitude toward me had been frosty after lunch yesterday. Haruka and her cohorts had worn complicated looks whenever they looked at me, as though they couldn¡¯t decide whether to pity me or be angry with me. When Caprice wordlessly departed the classroom at the culmination of homeroom, the trio had followed closely on her heels, again shooting me conflicted looks. It was clear that something was up. I hadn¡¯t forgotten that business at the shoe lockers when Haruka scared me away. My gut told me they were hiding something from me. Deep down, I had an unsettling paranoid suspicion that somehow, by some utterly improbable twist of fate, Caprice and company had witnessed my escapade with the Countess during lunch, and that had set her off. I wasn¡¯t entirely oblivious. I had noticed Caprice barely tolerated the Countess, and resented Simone dominating my free time. Perhaps it was fortunate she didn¡¯t attend training last evening at the underground facility, because Simone happened to make a surprise visit. The Countess watched the two hours of training from the observation deck, drinking tea and eating crumpets while I was chased around the immense cavern by the dynamic duo of Maya and Rina. On the downside, not having Caprice around meant there was no one to take the heat off me when I faced the two girls. My only consolation was that it took them a few minutes longer to take me down. My ability to manipulate the Kaiser¡¯s gauntlet-blades and to control barrier-fields was getting better, but I was still being pummeled in the two-against-one scenario. Also, I¡¯d noticed I wasn¡¯t able to summon the same power and skill that I¡¯d used against Celica in the Vault chamber. I could feel it was there, just out of reach, yet no matter how much I tried, I couldn¡¯t get to it. As I¡¯d expected, Simone was there to comfort after getting my butt kicked. She congratulated me for taking the beating like a man and not complaining. I suspected she¡¯d enjoyed watching my torment. I was too tired to banter with her like we usually did, and she noticed. One aspect about girls, they can read the mood in a heartbeat. I didn¡¯t intend to sour the mood between us, but I was troubled by Caprice¡¯s behavior, and Simone wasn¡¯t making me feel any better. In the end, she bade me goodbye at the dormitory steps as I wearily entered the building. When I glanced behind me, I noticed she was still standing at the foot of the steps, wearing a faintly troubled smile. Again, I had that innate suspicion that she knew something that I didn¡¯t. So in summary, I wasn¡¯t surprised Caprice wasn¡¯t waiting for me at the entrance. As I walked to the high school building, I chose to go the long way rather than cut through the donut shaped cafeteria. I wanted the extra time to think, so I followed the paved footpath around the east side of the high school building. Plus, the walk did me some good, slowly limbering my aching muscles. I was bothered by the secrets around me. Secrets regarding my Fragment. Secrets regarding my psychopathic sister. Secrets surrounding my family. I had this troubling feeling that my family wasn¡¯t as regular as I believed they were. It was just something about the way Celica had talked about me, and about herself. Something that felt like a finger prick that wouldn¡¯t heal, wasn¡¯t painful but bothersome. Unfortunately for me, Arisa wasn¡¯t being forthcoming. She was another woman with secrets. I was surrounded by clandestine women. And I was troubled by how little I knew of Caprice. I knew her favorite foods, entertainment genres, books, and color. I knew she had good grades, was quite well versed in the lore of the Prides, Fragments, and Artifacts, and that she¡¯d saved my life twice with a kiss. But¡­what did I know of her background, her family, her origins¡­or motives. I¡¯d looked up the Steiner name, and there were quite a few Steiner¡¯s of note, but the biggest one was the Steiner Family that controlled the immense Steiner Conglomerate, one of the largest companies in this region of planetary systems and the Hurakan Nebula. Maybe Caprice was related to them, but then again she¡¯d said she was an orphan. On that note, how much faith could I put in those words? I was troubled by how little I knew her, and understood her. Then I was unsettled by my suspicions and fears. After trawling through the allocated homework, I jumped onto the Nexus last night and looked up sites that delved into the behavior of teenage girls. I read some disturbing articles and questions posed by guys troubled by their girlfriends¡¯ behavior. The more I read, the more my uncomfortable I grew. Eventually, I shut the smartdesk down and went to bed. I didn¡¯t fall asleep until late into the night. I¡¯d been walking with my eyes downcast, but when my Awareness-field tingled, I looked up down the path. The field was no more than a few feet in radius, but I¡¯d noticed it had a habit of amplifying my other senses, so I heard the commotion before I saw it and that made me look up. A groups of male and female students walked to the high school building, but I noticed that some of them had their attention locked on one student. She was a girl with long, blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back. It swayed seductively in the breeze generated by the unstable environmental control with Habitat One. I picked up my pace and walked closer to the girl, running my gaze up and down her lithe, and very sexy figure. I was surprised to see her walking in heels, since only the Countess and the Princess were known to traipse around the Academy in footwear that wasn¡¯t regulation. It was still a mystery how they managed to buck the system and get away with it. I had a feeling ¨C as did a great many students ¨C that those two pulled some powerful strings within Galatea Academy. But who was this girl walking about twenty meters in front of me, catching the eye of every guy in the vicinity? I edged closer and moved into her eight o¡¯clock position. Running my gaze over her slender, toned legs that looked amazing in those Jimmy Chan shoes, I felt my heart stop when I recognized the anklets she wore. A loud thump beside me restarted my heart in fright. In my stupor I¡¯d dropped my carry-bag. ¡°Ca¡ªCaprice?¡± The girl slowed her pace and looked behind her. It really was Caprice. My stomach twisted into an uncomfortable and unpleasant nod as I stared at her immutable expression. She gave me a faint nod, then turned away and resumed walking toward the high-school building. I picked up my bag, and ran after her. Catching up to her wasn¡¯t difficult. She was keeping to a steady pace, probably because she wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable in those shoes ¨C which I may add were from Jimmy¡¯s top of the line range for sophisticated young women. In the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a few scowls directed at me from both the guys and girls who were quietly observing and commenting about Caprice. There were a few envious glares as well from the guys too afraid to approach the blonde beauty. I didn¡¯t have time to be shy or otherwise. Besides, this was the girl who¡¯d taken my first kiss, so what did I have to be afraid of? Everything, I told myself, feeling I was on the verge of a momentous revelation ¨C feeling I was about to lose something important to me. That old saying about ¡®not knowing what you have until you¡¯ve lost it¡¯ began to run around in my head, and I just couldn¡¯t make it stop. Calm down. Calm down. Play it cool and by ear. I realized my hands had broken into a sweat, and discreetly wiped them dry. But I could do nothing about my heart thumping like heavy metal drums in my chest. I had to clear my throat three times before I could trust it would hold. Pulling abreast of her, I called out as nonchalantly as I could manage. ¡°Yoh.¡± Caprice flicked me a glance. ¡°What kind of greeting is that?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than just nodding and walking away.¡± Should I mention her new look? I had to tear my gaze away from her and focus on the entrance to the high school building¡¯s west wing that was coming up slow and steady. ¡°So, what¡¯s the occasion? Are you and Haruka going out somewhere after class?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been asked to accompany Alistair and Siobhan to a mixer.¡± My heart stopped drumming, forgot about the beat, then simply stopped drumming at all. I had to pound my chest with a fist to get it started before I could turn blue and collapse. ¡°A¡ªa mixer?¡± I croaked out. ¡°Yes. A mixer, where males and females of the human species come together with the prospect of romance and love¡ª¡± ¡°I know what a mixer is.¡± I lowered my voice but it was already low. ¡°Why are you going to a mixer?¡± ¡°Because I was asked to by Alistair and Siobhan.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I questioned, afraid of the answer. ¡°Because they wanted to even out the numbers.¡± ¡°Meaning what?¡± ¡°Four boys and four girls.¡± I thought frantically for a moment. ¡°Why is Haruka going? Doesn¡¯t she already have a boyfriend? What¡¯s the guy¡¯s name¡­Duncan Something or Other?¡± ¡°Duncan Armand Avenir.¡± ¡°Yeah, that guy. Mister all round perfect student.¡± ¡°Envious, are we?¡± I scowled at her for a heartbeat. ¡°No. Of course not. I may have said yes a few months ago, but not anymore.¡± Caprice regarded me with a flat look. ¡°Why is that?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I looked away. ¡°Because I realized that I can do things he can¡¯t. I¡¯m not a Regular anymore.¡± ¡°Arrogant.¡± ¡°Hardly,¡± I retorted. ¡°Well, he has a girlfriend and the respect of his peers. You don¡¯t.¡± I stumbled and faced her in a hurry. ¡°I can get a girlfriend if I wanted to.¡± ¡°And she would pull your strings, and make you dance about on stage like a marionette. What a lopsided relationship that would be. Very disappointing.¡± ¡°The only woman pulling my strings at the moment is Arisa. But that''s only for the moment.¡± ¡°And the Countess.¡± ¡°Far from it.¡± Caprice stopped walking. On her high heels she stood closer to my height of five foot nine. When the school year started I was five foot eight, but I¡¯d grown an inch since then. It felt good to be an inch taller. Caprice¡¯s eyes were open and unwavering upon me. ¡°Then tell me, Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear, when is the last time you refused the Countess?¡± ¡°Last night,¡± I replied flatly. Caprice blinked, and I suddenly realized the thought that streaked naked through her mind. I had a dangerous thought of my own quickly afterward, and chose to go with it. Leaning slightly toward Caprice, I spoke softly. ¡°Much to her distress, I didn¡¯t kiss her goodnight.¡± Caprice blinked again, then stared at me vacantly for a long while. Straightening smoothly, I gave her a confident smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten how to say ¡®no¡¯ to a girl, and Simone Alucard Raynar does not pull my strings.¡± Then I laughed softly and cocked my head a little. ¡°There¡¯s only one girl I¡¯d ever allow to pull my strings.¡± Remembering what she¡¯d told me about her plans, I felt a twinge of bitterness, but hid it well when I added, ¡°Enjoy yourself tonight. But don¡¯t skip out on too many training sessions.¡± I started turning away, then stopped and faced her again. I made sure not to turn completely toward her. ¡°By the way, you look absolutely amazing. I¡¯m sure the guys on the other side of the table won¡¯t be able to get up.¡± Caprice frowned so faintly it was easy to miss, but I caught it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you kidding me? One look at you and guys have a hard time walking straight.¡± Her eyes narrowed a fraction, but I smoothly added, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the response you were after with those heels and shortened skirt?¡± Turning away, I tried to climb the steps to the west wing¡¯s entrance with a calm gait, but it wasn¡¯t easy. My heart was beating loudly again, my palms had broken into a fresh sweat, and I had to force myself not to look at her reflection in the glass doors. It wasn¡¯t until I reached my shoe locker that I surreptitiously rearranged myself into a more comfortable position. Then I banged my head a few times against my locker, cursing myself for ignoring the obvious truth: I was helpless against blondes. Now that Caprice had joined their ranks, my compass went into a mad spin. Damn, she looked beautiful. Not that she wasn¡¯t always beautiful, but going blonde just made a her nine point nine on the scale. I banged my head a few times against my shoe locker, and accidentally opened it in the process. Absently, I watched the metal door swing open¡­and noticed there was more than just my indoor shoes inside. Staring a long moment longer into the rectangular container, I slammed it shut in a hurry. A soft, fearful feminine voice asked, ¡°Um¡­are you okay?¡± Startled nearly out of my skin, I looked to my left and saw ¨¦clair Faltome Lanfear, the petite girl with the gravity defying chest, and idol of Class Two-Aye, watching me with a timidly concerned expression. She was standing in front of her locker a couple of feet away from me. ¡°Um¡­are you okay, Mr. Desanto?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, Mr. Desanto afil Lanfear.¡± I tried not to sigh. ¡°Please, just call me Caelum. Or Pervert Desanto. Either one is fine. I¡¯m used to it by now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­okay.¡± Her quizzical look deepened. ¡°Are you okay, Pervert Desanto?¡± ¡°No. Not really.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I stared at ¨¦clair, and realized something startling. She didn¡¯t rock my boat the way Simone, Prissila, or Caprice did. Yet this girl was a blonde too. A very cut blonde, with a mouthwatering bust. Maybe I really do have a type that goes beyond hair color and cup size. Nodding thoughtfully to myself, while feeling a little relieved, I then gave ¨¦clair a quick bow. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Lady ¨¦clair.¡± ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s okay,¡± she replied weakly. Closing her locker door, she hurried away but not before glancing at me over her shoulder twice, then colliding with a couple of girls going the opposite way. Looking around me quickly, I opened the locker, picked up the envelope inside and shoved into my trouser back pocket with lightning speed. Then I quickly changed into my indoor shoes, closed the locker ¨C I had to bang it to get it to shut properly ¨C then hurried off to the bathrooms on the second floor. Finding an empty stall, I carefully opened up the envelope and read it. It was a girl¡¯s handwriting, very loopy and curly and cute. However, there was one thing very clear about this letter. It wasn¡¯t a love letter. It was a plea for help. I swallowed nervously and read it again, before folding it carefully into a pocket, then tore up the envelope into tiny pieces that I flushed down the toilet. # (Haruka) # When the three of us ¨C Siobhan, Alistair, and I ¨C spotted Caelum and Caprice far ahead of us walking toward the west wing of the high school building, we decided to hold back and keep out of sight. But when Caelum hurried into the building, leaving Caprice standing motionless on the paved path, we hurried up to her. I looked at the girl¡¯s face, and saw¡­nothing. Caprice was staring after Caelum with a completely unreadable face. But that didn¡¯t last long. Her expression grew cloudy within moments. ¡°Caprice?¡± I asked guardedly. She swallowed and softly said, ¡°He didn¡¯t kiss her goodnight.¡± ¡°Kiss who?¡± Siobhan bluntly asked. ¡°The Countess.¡± Alistair clicked her tongue. ¡°I see. So you think he¡¯s kissed her before.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Caprice nodded, and her cloudy expression turned stormy. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°Caprice, calm down,¡± I advised. ¡°It¡¯s too early in the morning to be upset.¡± She clenched a fist. ¡°That woman¡­is unbelievable. How dare she. She¡¯s just using him. Why can¡¯t he see that?¡± She clenched both fists. ¡°Stupid, stupid Caelum. Stupid blind ignorant oblivious Caelum.¡± I raised my hands placatingly. ¡°Caprice, you need to stay focused. What did he say about your new look?¡± Caprice looked faintly startled. ¡°Ah¡­he called me absolutely amazing.¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°See? I told you it would work.¡± Caprice faced me. ¡°I lied to him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I lied to him. I said this was because we were going to a mixer. The four of us.¡± My head jerked back as my eyes widened. ¡°The¡ªthe four of us? Even me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alistair looked perplexed. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± Caprice whirled on her yet her expression was flat and unresponsive. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell him I changed my look because I have a date this Sunday.¡± Alistair ran her tongue over her upper lip, then cocked her head. ¡°What are you going to do if he finds out about your date?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± Siobhan shrugged. ¡°I think you should just roll with it.¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If he asks, don¡¯t deny it. Tell him you found someone interesting, and that this boy is interested in you as well. Tell him its mutual attraction.¡± She lowered her gaze. ¡°Mutual attraction. I see.¡± I sensed someone approaching us, and turned my head to see Crais Shepherd afil Raynar walking cautiously toward us. He wasn¡¯t seeing anyone else but Caprice. That much was easy tell by looking at his eyes. ¡°Ca¡ªCaprice?¡± he breathed out. She stiffened in a heartbeat, and turned her body and head toward him. ¡°Crais Shepherd afil Raynar¡­.¡± His eyes roamed over her, and then he broke into a smile that made my heart clench. Dear gods¡­he¡¯s absolutely smitten with her. Stupid, stupid Caelum Pervert Desanto! I wasn¡¯t the only one that noticed his reaction to Caprice. Siobhan and Alistair hung back, giving Caprice a little more room, and I chose to do the same. Shepherd was having trouble putting words together. ¡°I¡­I mean¡­good morning¡­.¡± I glanced at Caprice. A warm blush had spread throughout her face and neck. ¡°Good¡­good morning,¡± she replied. Shepherd swallowed hard. ¡°You look¡­incredible.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Her fingers trembled when she reached up and touched her hair. ¡°You said you preferred brunettes, but I¡ª¡± Shepherd blinked slowly and spoke as though in a daze. ¡°Did I? I don¡¯t remember. I mean, I can make an exception¡­if it¡¯s you. Especially if it¡¯s you.¡± Siobhan huffed loudly, and folded her arms. ¡°Hey, Romeo. You¡¯re about to drool.¡± Shepherd looked startled. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He shook himself a little, then bowed slightly toward Siobhan, Alistair, and I. ¡°My name is Crais Shepherd afil Raynar. A pleasure to meet you.¡± We introduced ourselves to him. He smiled sincerely. ¡°I apologize for making a fool of myself.¡± His gaze fell on Caprice. ¡°I should know better. I just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Bowing to her quickly, he excused himself. ¡°A pleasure to see you again, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡± Rather gracefully, he circled around us and entered the west wing¡¯s lobby. As expected, he glanced a few times around his shoulder down at Caprice. Once he disappeared through the glass doors and into the lobby, Siobhan, Alistair, and I looked at Caprice, and then Siobhan stated the obvious. ¡°Girl, you have it bad.¡± There was nothing I could do but agree. This wasn¡¯t the girl that made her confession to me while I was in hospital. That girl was like a figment of my imagination. I watched Caprice¡¯s eyes grow moist. ¡°¡­I know¡­,¡± she whispered faintly, and clutched at her chest. ¡°¡­it¡¯s not fair¡­it''s just not fair....¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 7 ( Part II ) Part II of II and unpolished.
Chapter 7 (Part II) # (Serenity) # In the morning, my friends left bright eyed and bushy tailed despite having slept only a few hours. It wasn¡¯t my problem if they fell asleep during class. I chose to get out of bed later than usual, which meant I was up by eight a.m. rather than six a.m. After a shower, I ate breakfast in the kitchen while sitting at the long counter that faced the living area. I watched the morning news on a data-slate propped up on the counter. There was a brief mention of a teenager arrested for sleeping naked in Monument Park. I nodded to myself and continued munching on my cereal. After breakfast, I set about cleaning the mess my friends had left behind, and stored away the food and drinks from the convenience store. Takahiro let himself into the penthouse suite. That proved to me he had a secure access code into the place, but I wasn¡¯t at all surprised. I put away the last of the drink containers, and turned to face him. He carried a data-slate in one hand. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked flatly, feeling the lack of sleep weigh down my morning cheer. ¡°I came to inform of today¡¯s schedule.¡± ¡°I read your email,¡± I replied, and stepped out of the kitchen, rounding the counter in the process. ¡°I still have a good hour before my first appointment.¡± ¡°The next three days will be busy for you. You have a commercial to shoot, and six magazine spreads to take part in. You¡¯ll also be doing a photoshoot with that boy band¡ªwhat were they called¡ªJustice Club.¡± ¡°Ah, Farolina likes them a lot. She¡¯ll be green with envy.¡± ¡°Then remember to get her their autographs.¡± I planted a hand on a hip. ¡°Takahiro, I need time to train.¡± ¡°Regarding that, you¡¯re access to Calista Academy¡¯s underground facilities has been suspended.¡± I ground my teeth together as I scowled up at him. ¡°So where the Hell am I supposed to train?¡± ¡°Did last evening¡¯s encounter bother you?¡± ¡°Of course it did. I had to summon all of Sigr¨²n to defeat Derek¡¯s Chevalier. Do you think that makes me happy?¡± ¡°How else did you expect to defeat him? He wields an Artifact just as you do.¡± I held up a hand, stopping him. ¡°Just tell me where I can train?¡± ¡°Well, from next week you should be able to train at the Lorian Pride¡¯s facility under Galatea Academy. They recently reopened it for their attending Familiars.¡± I peered up at him. ¡°Recently?¡± He gave me a subtle nod. ¡°I¡¯m certain we can arrange access to the facility for you.¡± ¡°And in the meantime?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± he replied but it was more of a self-addressed murmur. I rubbed my forehead with a palm. ¡°Is that all the bad news for the morning?¡± ¡°Not exactly. The Avenir Primogen would like a word with you.¡± I swallowed reflexively. ¡°He does? When?¡± ¡°This evening. And I believe it¡¯s something I should help you prepare for.¡± I lowered my hand to my side. ¡°Takahiro, do you know why I wasn¡¯t allowed to take part in Celica Desanto¡¯s capture?¡± ¡°That is one question you should avoid asking.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He swallowed. It was very discreet, but with my senses heightened by the Awareness-field emanating from my necklace, I was able to see very, very well. However, Takahiro gave himself away with the uncomfortable expression that slid over his face. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t trust you.¡± I lowered my voice. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I do know is that he doesn¡¯t trust you. At the least, that¡¯s the vibe I get from my sources.¡± He stepped up to me, and placed a hand on my left shoulder. ¡°Which is why you have to play by the rules, and be very, very careful not to rock the boat.¡± I touched my chest. ¡°So even though I have the Seal-Regalia, and can control the Avienda, I¡¯m still at risk from the Pride.¡± Takahiro leaned down a few inches. ¡°For now, play by his rules.¡± Then he leaned down a little closer. ¡°But only for now.¡± I noticed my heart was racing, and had a little trouble swallowing. Despite all the power I wielded, I was invariably at the mercy of the Prides, and my life was in their hands. I nodded faintly, and stepped around him as leisurely as I could. ¡°I¡¯ll go get dressed.¡± # (Caelum) # It was no surprise Caprice¡¯s new look attracted the attention of Class Two-Aye. However, I was stunned by the positive reaction she garnered from the girls that rarely acknowledged her. As such, I had to wait near the back wall of the classroom because Caprice was surrounded by a dozen girls. This made it impossible for me to sit down at my desk. It was like getting past the walls of Troy without the Trojan horse. Impossible. So I waited and listened to the girls compliment her. Then the real questions began, and the knives came out. Allow me to quote a great many of them. ¡°¡­did you change your look for a boy¡­?¡± ¡°¡­is it that boy you were speaking to this morning¡­?¡± My ears perked up on that one since I didn¡¯t believe they were referring to me. ¡°¡­he was very easy on the eyes¡­.¡± ¡°¡­much nicer than Pervert Desanto¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I think he¡¯s in Class Two-Dee¡­.¡± ¡°¡­does this mean you¡¯ve finally seen the light¡­?¡± ¡°¡­so does this mean you and Desanto are not dating anymore¡­?¡± ¡°¡­are you going to be moving desks¡­?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s better if you move on¡­.¡± ¡°¡­he¡¯s really no good for you¡­.¡± ¡°¡­the Vice-President has him wrapped around her little finger¡­.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re better off with someone that cares¡­.¡± ¡°¡­he¡¯s only interested in big breasts¡­.¡± ¡°¡­how can he say something like that to you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­yeah that was rude¡­talking about boys not being able to walk straight¡­.¡± ¡°¡­what an asshole¡­.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t you mean shallow¡­?¡± ¡°¡­a shallow asshole¡­?¡± That triggered a round of laughter at my expense. I kept my arms folded and waited patiently for them to leave. Yet that was all a ruse as I was burning up inside. ¡°¡­such an insensitive prick¡­.¡± ¡°¡­are you going to any mixers¡­?¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°¡­hey, we¡¯re holding a mixer this Friday. You should come along¡­.¡± ¡°¡­my brother has some really cool friends. They¡¯d love to meet you¡­.¡± ¡°¡­and they¡¯ll walk straight because they don¡¯t think with their¡ª¡± The first warning bell sounded. Ten minutes to the start of homeroom. The girls began returning to their desks, leaving the trio of Haruka, Siobhan, and Alistair behind. The three gave me withering looks, their lips set in disgust. Okay, I¡¯ll admit I stepped over the line with that comment about guys not being able to walk straight after one look at Caprice. That was a crass thing to say. I regretted it tremendously. But it wasn¡¯t something I could take back now. I¡¯d made my gaff, and now I had to live with it. Before walking to their smartdesks, the trio patted Caprice¡¯s shoulders as though reminding her she had their support. Feeling multiple gazes on me, I noticed the guys were giving me looks of pity. However, a lot of them looked quite glad, as though relishing in my misfortune, and happy that one of the prettiest girls in school had escaped from my evil influence. It was like the whole class had turned against me in the span of one morning. I sat down at my smartdesk, booted it up and then set it up for the day¡¯s classes. All the while, I didn¡¯t look in Caprice¡¯s direction. While I stood waiting against the back wall, something had become quite clear to me. As such, I decided to respond to Caprice¡¯s opening move. When homeroom ended, I sent a request to our teacher asking for permission to change to another smartdesk. I only hesitated for a moment before sending the message. Let the game begin. # When lunchtime broke out, I headed off to my secret rendezvous. When I joined this Academy, Arisa had told me to treat every day like an adventure. She should have said misadventure. Using my Awareness-field to the best I could expand it, while enhancing my senses, I made sure I wasn¡¯t followed as I walked to the clubroom buildings at the western end of the Academy grounds, the same building where The Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals resided ¨C which was a front for the Girls of Galatea site management team. According to the instructions in the letter, the meeting was scheduled in the clubroom allocated to the Sneakers Club, which happened to be on the third floor. When I arrived, I knocked on the door four times, then three, then two, as per the instructions in the letter. A moment later the door opened, and I was admitted inside the room by a nervous looking girl. ¡°You are Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear?¡± she asked timidly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m better known as Pervert Desanto.¡± I pulled out the letter. ¡°Are you the one that wrote this?¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯ll come with me, I¡¯ll take you to her.¡± The girl walked to the back of the room, then climbed out the window. I stared nonplussed at the scene, then followed her. To my surprise, I saw that an emergency stairwell was fitted to the back end of the building. We climbed up toward the roof, but entered an abandoned room on the fourth floor through an open window. Once inside, I looked about at the dank room''s interior, noting it hadn¡¯t been used in a while. The impression that it was larger than a clubroom was complemented by the fact there were no furnishings. However, I wasn¡¯t interested in that lack of furniture, but in the girl standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed and her legs planted shoulder width. The girl who guided me here, asked her, ¡°Are you sure this is fine?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± the other one said, choosing to plant her hands on her hips and greet me with a feral smile. From her uniform I could tell she was a second year high schooler like I was, but I didn¡¯t remember seeing her before. My gaze swept over her quickly, and with my senses enhanced by the Awareness-field, I was able to clearly see the pin attached to her blazer¡¯s left breast. ¡°You¡¯re a Familiar,¡± I said. ¡°Raynar Pride.¡± ¡°Oh, you have good eyes.¡± Her smile grew even more ferocious. ¡°My name is Lidia Marie Geharis afil Raynar.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a Fragment.¡± Her smile faded as her eyes narrowed visibly. Either that or my enhanced eyesight caught the finer details of her reaction. ¡°Correct. Did you use your Awareness-field to determine that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She humpfed to herself. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I summoned you here.¡± ¡°Summoned me? It sounded like you were begging me to come.¡± She laughed behind a hand. ¡°Ho ho ho. Me? Beg? Hardly.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not begging then I¡¯m leaving.¡± I turned around and started for the open window. ¡°Wait!¡± she called out. ¡°I¡¯m not begging but I do need your help.¡± I kept walking, arrived at the window, and started climbing out. ¡°Okay. Fine I¡¯m begging. I¡¯m begging.¡± She dropped to her knees and palmed her hands together. I stopped with one leg inside the room and one leg outside the window. ¡°Now tell me why you¡¯re begging.¡± ¡°Because I need your help.¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t so haughty and confident anymore. ¡°Because I¡¯m tired of being like this.¡± I sat astride the windowsill and glanced at her companion, the girl who¡¯d led me here. The quiet timid girl nodded slowly. ¡°Please listen to her.¡± I looked back at Lidia, and took a deep breath. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lidia¡¯s body appeared to lose its strength, and she sat back on her calves, her head hanging low. I watched her shoulders rise and fall a few times before she regained her composure and looked up at me with weary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m tired of not having a Fragment or Artifact. I¡¯m tired of being a failure.¡± ¡°A failure?¡± I asked softly. Lidia took a deep breath. ¡°I want to have a Fragment of my own that I can unlock into an Artifact. I want to be more than stuck like this.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I feel incomplete, like I¡¯m missing out on what life as a Familiar has to offer.¡± I hesitated, then climbed back into the room. ¡°Why do you need my help?¡± She grew quiet and thoughtful, though I saw conflict play out on her face. Eventually, she gathered her composure and her breath. ¡°I want you to petition the Lanfears. I want to change my affiliation.¡± My stomach clamped up. ¡°Why?¡± She took another very deep breath that pushed out her modest chest. ¡°Because I want the Lanfears to find me a Fragment that I¡¯m compatible with.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 8. Full chapter.
Chapter 8. (Caelum) # I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, then opened them. I blinked quickly to clear my eyes. ¡°Could you say that again?¡± Lidia looked up at me. ¡°I want to change my affiliation to the Lanfear Pride.¡± ¡°Because?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m hoping the Lanfears have a Fragment that I¡¯m compatible with.¡± She shrugged her shoulders in frustration. ¡°Everything the Raynars tested me with proved negative. I wasn¡¯t compatible with anything they had. If they had more, they didn¡¯t use it on me.¡± Lidia stood up and at the distance of a several feet she stared intently into my eyes. ¡°There has to be a Fragment for me. There has to be. So please. Help me. Help me find a Fragment¡ªan Artifact¡ªthat¡¯s right for me.¡± ¡°What makes you think I can help you?¡± ¡°Your Guardian is Arisa Imreh Lanfear, the niece of the Lanfear Primogen, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear.¡± I frowned faintly at her. ¡°You know a lot about me and the Lanfears.¡± ¡°I know a lot about a lot of people.¡± She clenched her hands into small fists. ¡°I have done my research. I¡¯ve done my homework. And you are my best hope.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, you are my only hope.¡± ¡°That sounds like a clich¨¦.¡± She took a couple of steps closer. ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± she stated adamantly. ¡°Your Guardian is close to the Lanfear Primogen. She could speak for me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you skipping a few steps along the way?¡± She hesitated for a long moment before pressing on. ¡°Yes, of course. I need to show her that I am of worth.¡± I folded my arms across my chest. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ve got some hidden talent. I mean, you were able to learn a lot about me. How did you do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a computer prodigy.¡± I straightened subconsciously. ¡°You¡¯re a Lorelai.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t have a Fragment, remember?¡± ¡°But something like a Lorelai would suit you, right?¡± She shook her head despondently, and waved her arms in frustration. ¡°The Raynars said my synch ratio with their Lorelai Fragments were too low. To be considered compatible, your synch ratio has to be seventy percent or above. They said my ratios with their Fragments were all below sixty percent.¡± I tipped my head at her. ¡°With all their Fragments?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°Do you believe that?¡± ¡°No. I tried breaking into the Raynar network to access their database records on me, but their Lorelai Familiar discovered me and I had to flee in a hurry. I had to burn all my tracks and bridges behind me to avoid having my identity discovered.¡± She shivered as though remembering a terrible memory. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯m safe, but that was two months ago.¡± I was surprised she¡¯d managed that much without a vaunted Lorelai Fragment. ¡°You really are a prodigy¡­.¡± ¡°Of course I am,¡± she groused. Folding her arms rigidly, she added, ¡°You¡¯re right. A Lorelai would suit me best, and I¡¯d love to have one. Information warfare is what gets my blood pumping. Information is power. Everything is information.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s the possibility the Raynars don¡¯t want you having a Lorelai.¡± She studied me quietly for a considerable length of time. ¡°¡­yes¡­.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°Well¡­considering you managed to elude one of their Lorelai wielders, I¡¯d say that makes you talented and dangerous.¡± Her shoulders slowly slumped. ¡°Which is probably why they don¡¯t want to gift me with a Lorelai¡­.¡± I sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯ll call Arisa. I¡¯ll ask her to meet me when she¡¯s free. And I¡¯ll talk to her about you.¡± Lidia¡¯s whole demeanor changed in an instant. It was like she¡¯d turned into a radiant sunny morning where a moment ago she¡¯d been a gloomy stormy evening. ¡°You will?¡± ¡°I will.¡± The next instant she launched herself at me and hugged me tightly. She got past my defenses in the blink of an eye. I really was defenseless against some girls. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make the call if you¡¯re hugging me like this. And really, you shouldn¡¯t jump onto a stranger just like that.¡± She shook her head against my chest. ¡°You¡¯re not a stranger. I¡¯ve been watching you for a long while.¡± ¡°Great. So you¡¯re a stalker.¡± Lidia released me and stepped back. ¡°Call me an interested observer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a stalker.¡± ¡°An avid fan.¡± I winced upon hearing that. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good thing to call yourself¡±¡ªI shook my head¡ª¡°not when it concerns me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not as bad as the girls say you are.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked, surprised I was genuinely curious. She noticeably pondered her response. ¡°To begin with, you¡¯re not a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.¡± My chest twinged with an odd feeling that made me uncomfortable. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m easy to read?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that you don¡¯t approach a girl with ulterior motives.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°You mean I¡¯m that obvious?¡± She crossed her arms and dropped her weight onto a hip. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re easy to read.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I started pacing around the room, which resulted in me pacing slowly around her. After a while, I pulled my palm-slate out from a trouser pocket and called up Arisa¡¯s number. She didn¡¯t answer the call, so I left her a message telling her there was something I¡¯d like to discuss, referring to it as an opportunity for the Lanfear Pride. When I faced Lidia again, her eyes looked moist, and that caught me off guard. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered again. When a gentle cough invaded the room, we were both reminded of the quiet girl with dark hair standing beside the wall. ¡°Ah, can I go now?¡± Lidia walked up to her and gave her a hug. ¡°Thanks, Petra. Thank you.¡± The girl, Petra, relaxed a little and hugged her back. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯ll find what you want.¡± I frowned at them both. ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯re bidding each other farewell.¡± Lidia gave me a confused look, then exchanged looks with Petra. ¡°I¡¯ll see you this afternoon for club activities.¡± ¡°Very well, Club President.¡± They stepped back, high-fived each other, and then Petra exited the room via the window. For the second time these past few minutes I was caught off guard. I¡¯ll never understand women. I watched Lidia as she pulled out a sleek looking palm-slate from a skirt pocket. ¡°As a sign of good faith and good will, there¡¯s something I want to show you.¡± She paused, then looked me very firmly in the eyes. ¡°There¡¯s also something I need to tell you about me.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re not going to tell me you¡¯re a Crimson Crescent spy?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m definitely not on their side and never will be.¡± ¡°Oh? You sound pretty certain of that.¡± Her expression darkened and her eyes burned like brimstone. ¡°My parents died because of Crimson Crescent.¡± My innards tightened just a little. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°They died when the superfreighter exploded. They were inside the freighter.¡± My mouth fell open and I failed to close it. Lidia nodded once. ¡°You and I are the same.¡± After a while, I closed my mouth, cleared my throat, then shook my head. ¡°Not just you and I.¡± I shoved my hands into my trouser pockets. ¡°Arisa lost her parents as well in that explosion.¡± A heavy silence befell the room. For a long while, I simply stood there not really looking at Lidia, and I was certain she was the same. We were both lost in the past, in the memory of that day when the docks burned as the flaming superfreighter crashed into them. My throat grew tight making it hard for me to swallow. Abruptly Lidia sighed, clapped her cheeks, and shook herself like a wet dog. Then she declared with quiet gusto, ¡°I made a promise to myself that I would not be held back by the past. I want to continue stepping forward. Gaining a Fragment is a big step for me. That¡¯s why I need your help.¡± I wondered if she was alluding to revenge, however, I understood that I wasn¡¯t in a position to judge her. I¡¯d carried revenge in my heart for many years, and I still did, only I¡¯d realized things were more complicated than I¡¯d pictured as a child. After a moment, I nodded faintly at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in the past for too long. When I gained my Fragment was the day I hope¡­the day I believe¡­I started moving forward as well.¡± I looked down at the bracelet hidden under my right shirtsleeve. ¡°But I didn¡¯t realize that until recently. I didn¡¯t realize that until I came to this Academy.¡± I met Lidia¡¯s gaze. ¡°That¡¯s why I chose to protect this place.¡± She looked askance at me. ¡°Oh, so it wasn¡¯t because of a certain Vice President of the Student Council?¡± ¡°Well, she was one other reason.¡± ¡°And a blonde princess with an equally busty chest?¡± ¡°Just one more reason to keep the place safe.¡± She planted her hands on her hips. ¡°You see. You really are easy to read.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered drily. ¡°Nonetheless, it appears I was right to choose you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± I warned her flatly. ¡°All I did was make a call.¡± She waved her palm-slate at me. ¡°A new era in communications was established with a single accidental phone call.¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point.¡± This time she folded her arms proudly under her bust. ¡°Besides, there is a saying that behind every great man there is a great woman. Who will you chose to be your great woman? Hmm, hmm?¡± My heart skipped a couple of beats before finding its rhythm again. However, my voice was audibly strangled. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat do you mean?¡± ¡°Why not choose me?¡± My heart slowed to a crawl. ¡°Oh, give me a break.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re being rude.¡± ¡°Look, I know this may come as a surprise, but I have certain standards.¡± ¡°You mean blonde and busty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m impartial to brunettes.¡± As the words left my lips, my heart flinched in pain and I glanced away. ¡°I have nothing against brunettes. Brunettes are¡­are special too.¡± She held up her palm-slate, a rather large model, and it looked expensive too. ¡°In that case, I have something important to show you.¡± The change in her tone felt like a subtle warning that a storm lay ahead. ¡°What would that be?¡± Lowering the palm-slate, her expression grew somber. ¡°I have something to show you, but promise you won¡¯t be angry at me.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Promise me,¡± she repeated her expression still somber though her voice was firm. I raised my chin at her, and exhaled loudly. ¡°Alright¡­I promise.¡± She tapped away on her palm-slate¡¯s screen, then walked over and handed it to me. ¡°Press the play symbol,¡± she said, before stepping back and then choosing to sit cross-legged on the floor. I couldn¡¯t help eyeing her suspiciously, then sat down on the floor as well. I pressed the Play symbol and watched the recording roll on her palm-slate. I watched it twice, and checked the time code on the recording. When I met her gaze, Lidia was watching me with faint apprehension. ¡°This happened last Thursday, during lunchtime,¡± I said to her in a low voice that masked my unease. ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded shallowly. ¡°But classes didn¡¯t resume until this week.¡± ¡°That is true. However, the Student Council was here last week, and some clubs had activities as well.¡± She pointed at the palm-slate. ¡°And she¡¯s been helping out with the Student Council quite a lot.¡± I glanced down at the palm-slate. ¡°Yes. She has. I heard about it from the Countess.¡± I frowned faintly at Lidia. ¡°How did you record this?¡± She crossed her arms tightly. ¡°The Student Council isn¡¯t the only one with access to the Academy¡¯s security network.¡± ¡°You mean you can spy on the whole school?¡± My question was greeted by a faint nod. ¡°I piggy-back on their access into the network. However, the Student Council isn¡¯t always watching, and the security personnel aren¡¯t really all that interested in the activities of the student body. So long as no one is observed breaking the Academy regulations, they ignore pretty much everything else.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s your excuse?¡± ¡°I wanted to learn more about you, so I watched you and the people around you.¡± ¡°And yet you claim you¡¯re not a stalker.¡± Lidia grew rigid for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. ¡°I¡¯m worse than a stalker.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She hesitated visibly. ¡°I know about the fight between you and your sister in the Vault Chamber.¡± I almost dropped her palm-slate which I held in both hands. ¡°¡­how do you know about that¡­?¡± ¡°When the Student Council broke into the restricted network area after Crimson Crescent opened up the seals, I tip-toed in behind them.¡± She fell quiet as she averted her eyes away from me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I saw everything.¡± My disbelief shifted its focus. I was having trouble accepting that this girl had managed to sneak into the Academy¡¯s restricted network behind the efforts of Severin Kell, and without the Student Council or anyone else noticing her presence within the system. I really needed to know more about her. If she could do this much without a Lorelai and without support, then this girl was truly terrifying. Maybe there was some truth to the possibility the Raynar Pride deliberately kept Fragments away from her. For now, I chose not to focus on that but on something else of importance to me. My throat felt dry, so I swallowed the moisture in my mouth before asking, ¡°Then you know my sister is a member of Crimson Crescent?¡± Lidia pressed her lips tightly together, and then nodded. I asked, ¡°Yet you still trust me?¡± Now she looked at me. ¡°You fought your sister to protect this school.¡± ¡°But it was all for nothing. And this school was never the target.¡± ¡°I know. But even after you learnt what she was after, you still fought her to prevent her from gaining that power because you believed she would use that power to hurt more people.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Your sister joined Crimson Crescent, but when she asked you to go with her you refused.¡± ¡°My sister¡¯s reason for joining them¡ªwhatever it may be¡ªis not my reason. I simply have no reason to join Crimson Crescent. There are people here that I want to protect, even though right now I¡¯m struggling just to protect myself.¡± ¡°I believe you fought valiantly.¡± She touched her chest. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what I felt when I watched you fight your sister.¡± She grinned but also blushed. ¡°You really did your best. You really were like a valiant knight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating and making me uncomfortable.¡± Lidia sighed and her shoulders slumped. ¡°Why can¡¯t you accept praise when it¡¯s due?¡± ¡°I told you. In the end, I achieved nothing but get stabbed through the gut and left to die¡ª¡± Lidia¡¯s eyes shone with an odd light. ¡°But you didn¡¯t die. That girl, Caprice, saved you.¡± My heart pounded loudly for a few beats as I remembered Caprice kneeling before Celica. Because I was slowly dying, I was losing my faculties and I couldn¡¯t hear her what she said to Celica. I had dreamt that scene a number of times, and each time it played back in silence. ¡°¡­I wish I knew what she said back then¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I know what she said,¡± Lidia said. ¡°I recorded it. I¡¯m sure the Student Council knows as well since they were spying on you at the time.¡± I blinked slowly at her, while feeling my face tighten. ¡°You recorded it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I swallowed slowly a couple of times. That bastard, Severin Kell, told me the audio had cut out and all they had were visuals. I took a long deep breath, and shook my head gently at her. ¡°Lidia, you can¡¯t tell anyone else about this. People cannot find out that you know about what happened deep under the Academy. Do you know the danger you are in?¡± She bowed her head, and nodded weakly. ¡°Yes. I know. I¡¯ve been very, very careful since then. That¡¯s why I considered long and hard reaching out to you for help.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep it a secret as well. That¡¯s a promise. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡± She peeked at me from under her bangs. ¡°Curiosity killed the cat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you ending up that way.¡± She looked faintly pleased, and even smiled a little. ¡°The girls are wrong about you.¡± I shrugged and couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°I bring it upon myself. The truth is, I say the stupidest things when I¡¯m around girls. And my comments land me in hot water.¡± Lidia¡¯s gaze wandered over me for a short while. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me what she said to your sister?¡± I pressed my lips together and clamped jaw shut, then slowly shook my head. Eventually, I answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something I have the right to hear¡­at least not now.¡± Again, her gaze wandered over me until she gestured at her palm-slate in my hand. ¡°Then what will you do?¡± I looked down at the recording and fell into thought. This was a situation I couldn¡¯t afford to rush into. It could be called a sensitive situation. If I approached it the wrong way, I could set off serious repercussions. The problem was I didn¡¯t know how to approach it all. Maybe I should take a page from Kaden¡¯s training manual. Know my opponent, and then formulate a strategy to defeat them. I tapped the screen and stopped the playback, then studied the frozen image for a short while before looking up and meeting Lidia¡¯s quiet gaze. ¡°What can you tell me about him?¡± The girl folded her arms again, and her whole demeanor darkened. I could almost feel the room grow a little colder. Lidia¡¯s eyes were certainly frosty. ¡°He¡¯s a genuine wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.¡± Then she shook her head. ¡°No, I take that back. He¡¯s a demon clothing himself in the robes of a saint.¡± Despite her countenance, I realized I was grinning faintly, much like someone precious to me would do. ¡°Is that a fact?¡± I asked her. Lidia nodded sternly. ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s something I wouldn¡¯t lie about.¡± My grin grew stronger. ¡°In that case, when the time comes I won¡¯t need to hold back.¡± Lidia bit her lower lip, and I saw her concern. ¡°That may not be a good idea,¡± she voice softly, looking very grim in the span of a heartbeat. The seriousness of her expression wiped the grin from my face. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like I said, he¡¯s a demon in the robes of a saint. In other words, there¡¯s a lot more to him than meets the eye.¡± # (Haruka) # Shortly into the break of lunch the four of us, Caprice, Siobhan, Alistair, and I, found ourselves a table with a window view on the second level of the cafeteria. Although we each had fetched ourselves lunch, only Caprice failed to eat any of what lay on her tray. Eventually she pushed it aside, and slumped onto the table. I stared at her in amazement, as did Siobhan and Alistair. This wasn¡¯t the expressionless Caprice we knew. The girl propped her chin on her folded arms atop the table, and sighed restlessly. Siobhan put her utensils down. ¡°Okay. Time out. We need to deal with this now before it become serious.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. We stared at her, including Caprice who regarded Siobhan under heavily lidded eyes. Alistair nodded. ¡°Sounds good. You may start proceedings.¡± Siobhan¡¯s mouth twisted into odd shapes as she weakly glared at Alistair. ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡± ¡°Then might I suggest we start the crux of the problem,¡± Alistair offered. Caprice raised her head a little. ¡°You mean my feelings for Caelum?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alistair replied with a nod. ¡°Why do you have feelings for him?¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes looked down at the table, and she fell into thought. As such, her face grew unreadable. When she spoke, her voice lacked inflection. ¡°I can¡¯t really say. It¡¯s just something that¡¯s built up over time. No, not true. I had feelings for him the first time I saw him.¡± After a quiet moment she added, ¡°My feelings for him began when Arisa first showed me his image.¡± Siobhan¡¯s face contorted. ¡°You mean it was love at first sight?¡± ¡°I guess so¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Siobhan added. ¡°Too weird.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­.¡± I dipped my head a little while looking at Caprice. ¡°Were you certain of your feelings?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have kissed him if I wasn¡¯t.¡± I dropped my utensils onto the table. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I kissed him the first day we met. He said it was the day he ended his friendship with you.¡± My eyes widened as I remembered that day, seven¡ªno, eight¡ªmonths ago on the school rooftop. ¡°You¡­you kissed him¡­on the day I was accepted into the Avenir Pride.¡± She nodded faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How many times have you kissed him?¡± ¡°Twice.¡± The unpleasant sensation of having a snake in my chest returned. I tried pushing it aside and couldn¡¯t. Alistair cut in smoothly. ¡°This was before you learnt he was a pervert?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And once you learnt he was a pervert? Did your feelings change?¡± ¡°No. I realized that beneath all that perverted behavior was someone else. Someone that didn¡¯t show himself except in the odd moment now and then. I felt he was hiding from people by putting up a perverted fa?ade.¡± Siobhan queried, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a fa?ade? It¡¯s a little too real to be faked.¡± Caprice shook her head gently. ¡°No, he really is a pervert.¡± Alistair looked faintly curious. ¡°But you¡¯re saying there¡¯s another Caelum beneath the one we see.¡± Caprice nodded gently. ¡°I think Caelum has forgotten who he was. His perversions are a way of escaping from reality, but he¡¯s been doing it for so long that he¡¯s become that pervert.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ve known him for far longer than you, and he was always like that. He had an interest in large breasts and lingerie while he was only waist high.¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes centered on me, and she was silent for a long time. ¡°Then it¡¯s true. I¡¯m in love with a pervert¡­.¡± I nodded sadly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Caelum is¡­a pervert.¡± She sighed heavily and her body shuddered. ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair.¡± Siobhan looked deeply conflicted, as though struggling against something before uttering something unexpected. ¡°But if you love someone, you overlook their bad points¡­don¡¯t you?¡± Alistair cocked her head thoughtfully and shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect.¡± I looked at my friends, feeling oddly unsettled. It was as though their outlook had changed. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s alright for her to love him?¡± Wait¡ªisn¡¯t this good for Caelum? They¡¯re arguing his case for him. Siobhan¡¯s eyes grew distant before coming back. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± My discomfort grew. The snake in my chest began to writhe, and slowly uncoil. ¡°Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Haruka?¡± Alistair asked in concern. ¡°Are you okay? Is it¡­?¡± I waved a hand quickly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. And please don¡¯t ask me that.¡± Excusing myself, I walked out of the cafeteria and into the nearest toilet for girls. The toilet wasn¡¯t empty of other girls going about their business, but I wasn¡¯t in a position to complain. Stepping up to a washbasin, I splashed my face with cold water, then leaned over the basin. It felt like a snake was uncoiling within my mind and in my chest. Last night on the train was the first time I experienced the sensation. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe it was all metaphorical, like the story of the snake in the Garden of Eden. It didn¡¯t matter. The feeling was unpleasant and it clouded my thoughts. Taking slow, even breaths, I waited for the sensation to pass. As it slowly faded away, my thoughts began to clear up. Washing my hands and face again, I ignored the curious looks I garnered from the other girls in the toilet, and then walked over to the warm air dispenser to dry my hands. Swiveling the device¡¯s nozzle, I closed my eyes as warm air poured on my face. Then I brushed my hair with my fingers, and stepped into the wide corridor beyond the toilet¡¯s foyer. Taking calm deep breaths, I walked slowly back to the cafeteria¡­and found him waiting for me in the hallway. I halted in a hurry. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked nervously and felt something slither faintly in my mind. He stood with his arm crossed, smiling unreadably at me. ¡°Barely halfway through the week, and you¡¯re already falling apart.¡± I gave myself time to reply by taking a long breath that helped settle the snake within me. ¡°You did this to me.¡± He looked faintly puzzled. ¡°Did what to you?¡± ¡°You put this thing inside my head. Inside my body.¡± ¡°I did nothing of the sort.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Despite your grades, you really are a simpleton.¡± ¡°Get out of my way,¡± I told him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be seen around me.¡± ¡°Officially we met this morning. There¡¯s no harm in being seen talking to each other.¡± He may have said so, but his voice was low. I noticed that we gathered only a few glances, but I feared some of those glances would work their way back to Duncan. ¡°I can¡¯t talk to you now,¡± I stated bluntly, unable to sound pleasant. ¡°You¡¯re feeling unsettled because of your conflicted feelings. That¡¯s all it is. You kept those feelings bottled up, and you thought you could shelve them away indefinitely. But you couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡± ¡°You¡¯re feelings for Desanto have never been resolved. You told yourself it was better to let her love him in your stead, but that¡¯s not really what you wanted. You wanted to be by his side. But that would have required a sacrifice from you, and you¡¯re not ready for that. So you entrusted him to her.¡± I held back a retort, but only for a heartbeat. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m simply repeating what you told me. These are your words.¡± ¡°I never said any of that.¡± He laughed under his breath and gave me a pitying smile. ¡°You simply don¡¯t remember, but we¡¯ve had a few conversations over the last week.¡± I clenched my jaw as my mind searched for the memories, yet I couldn¡¯t find any. But it was true that there were gaps in my memory of the past several days. He shrugged a shoulder, and leaned blithely against the hallway wall. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll remember them in time.¡± ¡°You made me forget.¡± ¡°I felt it was easier on you this way. Once you told me what I needed to know, all I did was tell you to forget and your mind did the rest. But it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve really forgotten the encounters.¡± I stepped closer to him. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°Because I need your assistance and because you¡¯re hiding your true feelings. You have a boyfriend you care for, but deep down you know he¡¯s not the one you want. He¡¯s not the one you¡¯d cry over.¡± ¡°Leave Duncan out of this,¡± I warned him, my voice barely above a whisper. ¡°I have no intention of involving him. You did that on your own.¡± My hands clenched tightly, digging my nails into my palms. ¡°I did no such thing.¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°To think that all I did was loosen the ties on your feelings, and allow them to bubble to the surface. And now look at you, barely coping under the heat generated by your conflicted feelings. It¡¯s like an emotional thermonuclear reaction.¡± My palms felt moist, and I had trouble opening my hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this.¡± A bored smile settled on his lips. ¡°Here we go again.¡± ¡°I promised her I would support her, because I couldn¡¯t love him the way she can. My love isn¡¯t selfless, it¡¯s selfish.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± Shaking my head subtly, I retorted, ¡°Yes, there is. That isn¡¯t true love. It¡¯s what people confuse for love. But true love isn¡¯t selfish. It¡¯s selfless. It doesn¡¯t bind the other party. It doesn¡¯t suffocate them or make them feel trapped. It sets them free. That is what love is. And that¡¯s why I can¡¯t love him. That¡¯s why I stepped away. But she is different.¡± His smile faded into a thoughtful expression. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because she would die for Caelum, whereas I wouldn¡¯t.¡± I took a step closer to him. ¡°Would you die for her?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There you have it. Selfish love, not selfless¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to die for her, because I¡¯m too strong to die for her.¡± I folded my arms under my breasts. ¡°Oh really. Is that something a Fragment-less Familiar should be saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have a Fragment.¡± I smiled coldly up at him. ¡°What a pity¡ª¡± ¡°I have an Artifact.¡± I forgot to breath, but only for a moment. ¡°What¡­?¡± He grinned at me. ¡°My Artifact is very good at hiding. You don¡¯t know how many people have tried sensing whether I have one or not. They failed every time.¡± Without warning, he pushed away from the wall and approached me. I was unable to look away when his gaze grabbed mine. His eyes were like twin lanterns in the dark, mesmerizing in their luminosity. A moment later, I felt his will push into my mind. ¡°Keep it a secret.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Now, go back to your friends, and keep playing Devil¡¯s Advocate.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± ¡°And listen to your heart.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being selfish if it means getting what you want.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± He leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure, Ms. Amiella Avenir.¡± I nodded again, then stepped around him in order to return to the cafeteria. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I walked for the twenty odd meters to the cafeteria¡¯s entrance, then stopped and gained my bearings. The snake sensation in my chest had calmed down, and the slithering in my mind had ceased as well. I was calm, and my thoughts were surprisingly clear. I can do this, I told myself. Yes, I have to do this. I arrived at the table with Caprice, Siobhan, and Alistair seated around it. They greeted me with puzzled yet concerned looks. ¡°Everything okay,¡± Siobhan asked. ¡°You were certainly gone for a long while.¡± I nodded firmly. ¡°All good. All taken care off.¡± Siobhan made an odd expression with her lips, before shrugging gently. ¡°If you say so.¡± Alistair regarded me keenly for a moment before saying, ¡°We were discussing how to clear up Caprice¡¯s confusion.¡± I faced Caprice. ¡°I think you should confess to Caelum.¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes widened the widest I¡¯d ever seen them, and her mouth opened but no sound ventured forth between her parted lips. I held her stunned gaze. ¡°Caprice, you need to tell Caelum how you feel. You need to make it clear to him. Only then will you be able to move forward.¡± ¡°Con¡ªconfess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I emphasized my reply with another nod. ¡°Confess. If you wait for Caelum to come to you, you¡¯ll be waiting from here to eternity.¡± ¡°From here to eternity?¡± I gave her another firm nod. ¡°You need to face reality once and for all.¡± ¡°Reality?¡± ¡°The reality of Caelum¡¯s feelings for you. You already know how you feel about him, but you need to be sure of how he feels about you.¡± The first bell chimed, a warning that we should commence our journey back to class. However, I remained seated. ¡°If you don¡¯t do this, you¡¯re going to attend your date on Sunday with a confused heart.¡± ¡°But if I get rejected¡ª¡± ¡°Then her date will be a disaster,¡± Alistair pointed out. ¡°No,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°Then her date is the first step to moving on.¡± Caprice¡¯s mouth parted again though she was silent. I reached out and tenderly touched her hand. ¡°Caprice, if it¡¯s not Caelum, it will be someone else. But you can¡¯t go on like this. You¡¯re tearing yourself apart.¡± I shook my head at her in understanding. ¡°You have to stand firm, and take what you want. By the same token, you have to be ready to walk away and start down a new path. But you must make a choice. You can¡¯t keep wallowing in confusion like this.¡± Before she could reply, I stood up and gathered my food tray. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to class.¡± Turning away, I walked with my food tray in hand to the nearest refuse bin. Disposing of my leftovers, I then added the tray to the growing pile in the storage bin, before walking to our classroom to attend the first of the afternoon¡¯s classes. Caprice needed help finding her path. I was willing to help her for my sake as well as hers. # (Caelum) # Sitting cross-legged, Lidia leaned forward toward me a little. ¡°If you face him, you will lose.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because he has an Artifact, and you don¡¯t.¡± I was stunned silent for a long moment, before managing to ask, ¡°How do you know this?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen it. When I was at the Raynar training facility in Island Two being tested for compatibility with another Fragment¡±¡ªshe pointed at her palm-slate in my hands¡ª¡°he was there undergoing trials. I managed to get a sneak peek at this Artifact.¡± ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°Before school began. About two months ago.¡± She shook her head slowly at me. ¡°So I know you would lose.¡± Two months ago. Around the time she said she invaded the Raynar Pride¡¯s network. A shiver of helplessness dove down my back. ¡°What kind is it?¡± Lidia rocked back and forth for a short while, biting her lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s a type Celestial, model Lucifer.¡± ¡°A Celestial?¡± ¡°Yes, and like all Celestials it¡¯s very powerful. From what I remember seeing, and what I¡¯ve been able to learn, I¡¯d say he could take on the four of you and defeat you easily.¡± ¡°Lucifer¡­huh¡­.¡± I was greatly surprised to learn that such a Familiar was attending Galatea Academy. Severin had told Caprice, Maya, Rina, and I that he¡¯d gathered together everyone with a Fragment to help protect the Academy from Crimson Crescent. If this guy had such a powerful Artifact, why was he left out? He would have been able to hold back my sister. She certainly wouldn¡¯t have fled with the Warlord hidden inside the Vault. I had a troubling thought. What if Severin and Simone were told to leave him out? I more disturbing possibility followed. What if Severin and Simone were Influenced to leave him out? I was starting to feel a chill settle within my chest. I was also starting to wonder if my paranoia was justified. The more I learnt, the more this felt like a holovision drama. But if I logically followed that thread of thought, then I should consider that the Student Council was compromised. If true, then I should reconsider asking Severin and Simone what they knew about the second year student with the Lucifer Artifact. I felt a familiar presence flit across the back of my mind. Lidia was eyeing me cautiously. ¡°Caelum, please don¡¯t challenge him. You¡¯re not ready.¡± I raised a hand to stall her concerns. ¡°I know. Right now, I¡¯m pathetically weak.¡± I didn¡¯t tell her that I¡¯d felt something in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing just then ¨C a kind of stirring that made my heart pace a little quicker. Outwardly, I shrugged despondently. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll hold back. I need to talk to some people, and I need to get you a meeting with Arisa.¡± Pulling out my palm-slate, I engaged the communication function that would allow me to exchange details with Lidia¡¯s slate. When I glanced up at her seeking her permission, Lidia gave me a shallow nod. A few seconds later, our palm-slates exchanged details, and I then handed back her device. Lidia took her palm-slate, then studied me expectantly. I pocketed my palm-slate before speaking up. ¡°Does he know about you¡ªabout what you can do, or what you¡¯re up to?¡± ¡°He knows about me, and knows that I don¡¯t have a Fragment or Artifact. But I¡¯ve been very careful not to attract attention. I keep my spying discreet.¡± ¡°That could change if he sees you and I together. We should act like we don¡¯t know each other.¡± A concerning thought crossed my mind. ¡°Who else knows about you and your activities?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Petra only knows that I want a Fragment. She doesn¡¯t know about my covert activities. And I haven¡¯t told her about him because I don¡¯t want her reacting strangely if she comes across him. The less she knows the better.¡± I nodded slowly to myself. ¡°Will you do something for me?¡± ¡°Sure. You want me to keep an eye on your friend.¡± ¡°Yes, please. I want to know if he influences her again.¡± Lidia placed her hands on her thighs. ¡°Do you have a secure account to which I could send you files and messages?¡± ¡°No. Do you have a service in mind?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯ll mail you the details.¡± We discussed a few other items, and I told her I would feel out the Student Council to find out why this guy hadn¡¯t been included in the operation against Crimson Crescent. When the first warning bell sounded, Lidia tapped her wristwatch of a slender and feminine design. ¡°Ten minutes.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You tell me as soon as you have your account set up, and I¡¯ll send you the recordings I¡¯ve made of him.¡± Giving her a brisk nod, I climbed to my feet. Reflexively I helped her up as well. Lidia arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°How gentlemanly.¡± I lost mental footing for a heartbeat. ¡°I¡­I have my moments.¡± ¡°Right. Out the window then.¡± She turned and walked to the window. ¡°Lidia, be careful.¡± She stopped and half turned with a faint frown on her face. I made my voice grim. ¡°I won¡¯t make any moves, but promise me you won¡¯t either.¡± She made a cross shaped motion over her chest. ¡°Cross my heart, and hope to die.¡± I had no idea what she meant by that, other than to take it as an oath of sorts. Lidia turned smoothly, and climbed with practiced ease out the window. Since I had a long walk back to the high school building, I decided to hurry after her. Using the fire escape, I climbed down to the ground rather than back into the building, then circled quickly around to the north and strode hastily back to class. As I walked to the high school building, I was well aware that Lidia remained an enigma and had much to tell me. However, I would keep my promise and talk to Arisa about her. A promise is a promise. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 9 There is an oversight in Chapter 8. I haven''t posted the correction though it''s now in the manuscript. It relates to Haruka''s encounter outside the girls'' toilet and closes off a plot hole. If you guys want me to, I''ll post the correction, otherwise I''ll leave it as is.
Chapter 9. (Caelum) # At the end of afternoon homeroom, Class Two-Aye¡¯s homeroom teacher, Ms. Clarisse Fauntine Avenir, called Caprice and I to the teachers¡¯ workroom that was located in the faculty administration building. With our carry-bags in hand, we stood before her desk in the large room that was dedicated to the second year high school teaching staff. There was one such room for each of the teachers grouped by academic year. As such, the spacious area was a working area for some two dozen or so teachers. Fauntine was a twenty something brunette, about Caprice¡¯s height, with an ivory complexion complemented by a smattering of cute freckles. Attractive fit her well. I¡¯d easily rate her an eight point zero on my preference scale. The rumor was that she was dating some university professor, but so far she hadn¡¯t shown up for work with an engagement ring. Usually, she was friendly and approachable, but that wasn¡¯t the impression I was getting from her now. Fauntine studied Caprice and I in silence for a long while, tapping her fingernail against her work desk like a metronome. Her intense scrutiny was making me nervous, so I was relieved when she broke the silence. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on between the two of you, but I¡¯m not going to approve this.¡± She showed Caprice and I her data-slate that displayed my request to move smartdesks. Caprice¡¯s request was right above mine. I knew it, I told myself. Fauntine put the slate down on her work desk. ¡°Request denied.¡± She tapped out the response to both our requests and sent it to us. Then she faced us with a dark expression and angry eyes. ¡°Do not bring your love troubles to my classroom. Is that clear, Mister Desanto afil Lanfear?¡± I swallowed calmly though I wasn¡¯t feeling calm in the least. ¡°Aye, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. It makes me feel old.¡± ¡°Aye, Miss Fauntine.¡± ¡°Better.¡± She faced Caprice. ¡°What about you?¡± Caprice replied in a monotone, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Sort out our problems outside my classroom. Comprende?¡± ¡°Si, Se?orita Fauntine.¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯re dismissed¡ªboth of you. Leave before you give me a headache.¡± I fixed up the straps of my carry-bag on my shoulder, bowed to her respectfully, then left the teachers¡¯ workroom with Caprice not far behind. I walked down the corridors to the elevator that offered access to the training facility under the Academy. To access the restricted floors, I needed to enter the access code given to me by Principal Mason¡¯s personal secretary, the blonde babe, Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian. Entering the lift car when it arrived, I punched in the code, and waited for the doors to close. I had expected Caprice to choose to wait for the car to return, rather than ride it down with me. However, she stepped into the lift car and occupied the back corner opposite from me. I took a quiet breath. ¡°Why¡¯d you choose to move?¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you ask to move?¡± I glanced at her, and caught the glance she threw at me. ¡°Ladies first,¡± I said to her. ¡°Then answer me first.¡± Geh¡ªshe¡¯s right. Stupid of me. I faced the lift car¡¯s doors. ¡°With your new fans in class it makes it hard to sit at my desk. I just wanted my space back.¡± ¡°I see. That would make sense.¡± I shot her a hard look. ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your reason?¡± ¡°With my new fans in class, it makes it hard for you to sit at your desk. I wanted to give you your space.¡± Damn her for using my excuse. I turned away. ¡°Well, Fauntine thinks you and I are having a lover¡¯s spat.¡± ¡°Inappropriate since we¡¯re not a couple.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± An uncomfortable period of silence followed. I realized it wasn¡¯t a good point to allow the conversation to trail off, but for the first time in a long while I really was at a loss for words. It wasn¡¯t like we could discuss the weather. We didn¡¯t live on a planet but inside a collection of giant asteroids. Regardless of our circumstances, neither of us said anything for a long while, and the lift continued to descend well below the school. However, the enduring silence became a pressure that constricted my chest. I felt as though I was suffocating, so I blurted out what had been subconsciously troubling me since I spoke to her in the morning. ¡°Why did you really change your look? Not that I¡¯m complaining since I think you look really beautiful.¡± My chest felt tight again and I had to take a quick breath. ¡°But I really have to know.¡± ¡°You have to know?¡± Her voice was low and soft, bereft of inflexion. ¡°Does it trouble you?¡± ¡°No¡­maybe¡­a little.¡± I inhaled deeply and shoved my hands into my trouser pockets. ¡°Yes, it troubles me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I found it hard to face her so I kept facing the lift car¡¯s doors. ¡°Because I want to know why you did it. Was it really for that mixer you¡¯re attending¡­or was it for a guy?¡± Then I realized something obvious, and threw her a quick look. ¡°By the way, when is the mixer?¡± ¡°Friday,¡± she replied smoothly, without any hesitation making me believe either she¡¯d practiced the answer or it was the truth. ¡°Ah, where is it?¡± Caprice cocked her head and slightly raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m curious.¡± I faced the lift doors and shrugged lightly. ¡°Just curious. Don¡¯t read anything into it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Haruka asked that I not tell you.¡± Was that really the truth? I wondered. I glanced at her sidelong. ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡± ¡°If I say yes, will that trouble you?¡± This time I looked at her over my left shoulder. ¡°If I say it troubles me, will you still go?¡± Caprice¡¯s eyes widened a fraction of an inch wider, which for her was significant. Her emerald eyes were fixed upon me for a long while. Then a chime sounded in the lift car, and the doors opened to reveal a wide corridor leading into the underground facility. Caprice stepped past me smoothly, and exited the lift car. I hurried to the open doorway and called out to her. ¡°Tell me the truth, Caprice. Was it for someone?¡± Abruptly she stopped, and stood very still for a short moment. I realized I was afraid of how she may answer, but then she looked at me over her right shoulder with a faintly forlorn expression and replied with a tender whisper. ¡°I thought blondes were your preference¡­.¡± She turned away, and resumed walking down the corridor. I blinked slowly, unable to process her reply. My heart began pounding so loudly I didn¡¯t hear the chime, and I was belated surprised when the doors close on me. The elevator car began ascending. ¡°No! Wait¡ª!¡± I pushed the button to head back down but the lift¡¯s controller ignored me. ¡°Ah¡ªyou stupid machine!¡± I punched the metal wall to my right, then leaned against it while supported by an outstretched arm. I hung my head low as I shook it slowly, finding it hard to accept the meaning behind her words. There¡¯s no way she did that for me! I stared at the floor, my feelings a jumble, and my thoughts a mess. No, it couldn¡¯t be. It just couldn¡¯t be. Before I realized it, the lift was back above ground. The chime rang yet again, and the doors opened. When I raised my head, I looked into a pair of beautiful azure almond eyes, and saw a surprised yet happy smile spread across a heart shaped face. ¡°Caelum,¡± the Countess breathed out. ¡°What a surprise?¡± She frowned for a heartbeat. ¡°Are you leaving? Did you forget something?¡± My mouth fell open slowly and I stared at her absently as I struggled to get my thoughts in order and my mind in gear. ¡°Countess¡­what are you doing here?¡± She held up her hands and I saw that she carried a bag in each, probably filled with food, drinks, and other goods. ¡°I thought I¡¯d bring something down for you and the girls.¡± She started to step into the lift car, but I quickly darted forward and stopped her with a raised palm. ¡°Wait.¡± She halted in confusion. ¡°Ara, ara. Caelum what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Before you get into this elevator, you must promise me one thing.¡± Simone¡¯s slender eyebrows rose and fell. She still appeared confused, but now there was a hint of wariness behind it. ¡°Ara ara. A promise you ask of me?¡± I swallowed quickly. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be on your best behavior.¡± The Countess¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In return, I¡¯ll double the promise I made to you earlier.¡± ¡°You mean, the promise regarding making the best impression before my family?¡± ¡°Yes. That promise.¡± The Countess¡¯s shoulders sagged slowly. ¡°Caelum, what is going?¡± ¡°Promise me, Countess Simone Alucard Raynar.¡± Her confusion and wariness remained steady as she studied me for a long while. The lift chimed repeatedly as though asking if she was coming or going. The Countess eventually sighed heavily. ¡°Very well. I promise¡ª¡± I started to relax. ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll be the perfect girlfriend from now on.¡± I choked and froze, and she slipped past me into the elevator car. The doors closed, and the lift began descending¡­on a one-way trip down to Hell. # By some miracle, or perhaps because I was being spared now for a greater suffering later on, the Countess and Caprice failed to cross paths. Training commenced, and after a half hour of warming up, I spent the next hour with Kaleb, practicing techniques over and over until I wanted to scream. Then the last half hour was spent sparring ¨C and I use the term loosely ¨C with Maya and Rina. With Caprice involved, the match wasn¡¯t two-against-one, but two-on-two. With her support, I was able to counter attack whenever an opening presented itself, rather than spend the entire time on the defensive. Caprice dealt with Rina¡¯s ranged attacks, preventing the latter from sniping continuously at me. With the pressure somewhat off me, I focused on dealing with Maya¡¯s offensive. Defending against her was a full time occupation. However, I couldn¡¯t concentrate. With my mind wandering and I couldn¡¯t focus on the blocking techniques. Maya pushed me back, and it was a repeat of the previous days of training. Not only could I not find an opening, I couldn¡¯t make myself an opening. And so Maya slashed, sliced, and thrust at me as though she were lethal ballerina, and I was dancer with two left feet. Somewhere along the way, I zoned out of the match altogether. My heart pounded from exertion but my chest was tight whenever I remembered Caprice¡¯s reply. It wasn¡¯t just her words that unhinged me. It was the expression on her face as she gave me her answer ¨C an expression of faint dismay as though the answer should have been obvious to me. In Caprice¡¯s mind, I should have already known the answer. Yet by asking her, I had somehow wounded her. As I realized this, my heart hurt, and then my feelings fell into a quagmire, and the compass of my heart began to spin haphazardly. What if it¡¯s true? What then? What do I do? Wasn¡¯t there a line between us? Gradually, I started to believe I was entering dangerous ground. What if the line isn¡¯t there anymore? What if Caprice quietly brushed it away? My mouth grew dry and my heart began rolling around in a fluster. No, that couldn¡¯t be. That¡¯s just not possible. But what if it is possible? Gradually, the din of thoughts clamoring in my mind grew faint until a single thought spoke out in the resulting calm. Would that be so bad? And that was the real question ¨C the question I¡¯d been avoiding since I realized Caprice was precious to me. Would it be so bad if we were more than friends? Unfortunately, my mind couldn¡¯t cope with the pressure and overloaded. In response, I yelled out into the air from the very depths of my being, and vented all the pent up stress of the last few days. All my confusion, frustration, anger, bitterness, helplessness, fears, regrets, and heartache, belched out in a lung deflating cry that rebounded off the cavern walls. To my utter confusion, my surroundings disappeared when swallowed by a chilling darkness. It lasted only a dozen seconds, and was followed by a soft boom, and then a loud feminine cry pierced the air. As my vision cleared, I realized a few things. One, a breach between real-space and Pocket Space had just taken place. Two, I was standing taller than I had a dozen seconds ago. Three, I wasn¡¯t wearing my skinsuit anymore, but was clad in an incredibly light armor that felt like a second skin. Four, my bladed-gauntlets had reconfigured into the form that I¡¯d used against Celica in the Vault Chamber. And last but not least, Maya was lying on the ground some fifty feet away¡­and she wasn¡¯t moving. In a heartbeat, I launched myself toward her. To my abject disbelief, I crossed the distance in a second, and skidded to a halt beside the unconscious girl. What the Hell? I¡¯ve never moved like that before! I looked down and noticed that my legs were sheathed in a sleek, gunmetal grey armor that reminded me of Caprice¡¯s Valkyrie Legs. Yet though they were similar, the Kaiser¡¯s Legs were not reverse jointed, and their tapered feet had a slender heel attached to them. Wow! New armor! I allowed the discovery to distract me only for a second before my focus centered squarely on Maya. Noticing that the Kaiser¡¯s gauntlet-blades were in the way, I concentrated and intuitively willed them to fold back. They did as asked, first extending, then flipping back such that I could now reach down and pick up the unconscious Maya. Blood trickled down her face from a cut across her scalp. Across her torso, her skinsuit looked as though it had taken the brunt of an explosion, and was quite simply blasted away. My stomach twisted painfully as I understood I was responsible for this. Somehow, I¡¯d summoned a new form of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, and before realizing it I¡¯d unleashed its power upon Maya. Wearing only her skinsuit, Maya had been unable to defend against the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, and was sent flying through the air until she crashed heavily to the ground. Aware of Caprice and Rina hurrying toward me, I turned toward one of the cavern¡¯s two exits and half ran, half jumped over to it. A half minute later, I was striding tall and fast down the corridor to the facility¡¯s infirmary slash medical center, where I delivered Maya into the care of the attending medical specialists. Leaving the women to their work, I stepped out of the medical center, and then relinquished the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing to its Sarcophagus. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. When the black mist faded away into the corridor, I was pleasantly surprised to see myself dressed in my skinsuit. However, I had no idea how I¡¯d succeeded in unlocking another piece of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Leaning my back against the cool corridor wall, I heard the sound of footsteps on the hard rock floor, and turned my head to watch Caprice and Rina jogging quickly toward me. From the opposite direction down the corridor, I heard the sound of high-heels clacking loudly on the rock floor, and a familiar feminine voice call out to me. With each step those high-heels took, my heart shivered anxiously in my chest. ¡°Caelum¡ªwhat happened out there?¡± Caprice and Rina quickly halted, but then Rina chose to flee what was certain to become a tense situation by hurrying into the medical center. She left Caprice standing in the middle of the corridor, the latter wearing an unreadable expression that spoke volumes to me. The high-heels came to a stop a few feet to my left, while Caprice had come to a stop a few feet to my right. ¡°Ara ara. What have we here?¡± Simone asked in a flat tone. ¡°Is there a problem with your eyes? Is that why you¡¯re asking?¡± Caprice replied in an equally flat voice. I glanced at the two girls and swore I witnessed lightning behind their eyes. Simone snorted under her breath. ¡°I¡¯d heard the boys in class talking about a new girl, so I checked the registry but there was no transfer student starting today. I had no idea you were behind the commotion.¡± ¡°My apologies for disturbing your daily peace.¡± ¡°Well this is certainly a new look for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not against Academy regulations.¡± ¡°You certainly set tongues wagging.¡± ¡°Boys will be boys.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve certainly been turning heads.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only interested in turning one head.¡± ¡°Ara ara. Could it be you¡¯re finally serious about someone? Pray tell, who could it be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s classified information. Sealed and compartmentalized.¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s what?¡± ¡°I could tell you but then I¡¯d have to kill you.¡± ¡°¡­ara ara...how cruel.¡± I sighed inwardly, and closed my eyes. I knew this was going to happen. These two just cannot get along. Slowly, I reached up and rubbed my temples. Usually after extended overclocking I endured a headache for a good half hour. However, right now I was enduring a different kind of headache. Correction, it could be said it was a headache with a different origin. But it was nonetheless a headache. Simone recovered her verbal stance quite quickly. ¡°Oh, I see now. I do recall Caelum mentioning a preference for blondes. But he also has a preference for large breasts. Pity. You¡¯re only halfway there.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°Best of luck.¡± ¡°Correction. I¡¯m more than halfway there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I opened my eyes and stared quizzically at Caprice. She was locking stares with the Countess, dueling as it were, so she didn¡¯t spare me a glance. What does she mean ¡®more than halfway there¡¯? The Countess sounded faintly taken aback, as though Caprice¡¯s unexpected rejoinder had unsettled her verbal balance. ¡°Ara ara. Swim classes begin next week. We¡¯ll see what you mean then.¡± ¡°Correction. Swim classes begin the week after next.¡± I realized I was nodding in agreement. For the Countess to get her dates mixed up, Caprice must have really rattled her with that enigmatic response. ¡°Ara ara. Caelum, are you looking forward to her revelation whatever it may be?¡± I turned my head and faced Simone. ¡°Countess, have you forgotten your promise?¡± ¡°Hardly. I promised to be the perfect girlfriend, and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡± She folded her arms under her bountiful bust, pushing the twins up in the process. ¡°And a perfect girlfriend stands her ground in the face of adversity¡­and adversaries.¡± ¡°¡­what are you talking about¡­?¡± The Countess sighed dramatically. ¡°Caelum, how oblivious can you be¡­?¡± ¡°What? Ah¡ª¡± A single thought strolled across my mind. Am I oblivious, or just stubbornly refusing to accept the obvious? A gentle laugh reached my ears. ¡°So it¡¯s finally come to this,¡± Caprice declared softly. I looked at her and saw something unexpected: Caprice smiling cruelly at the Countess. ¡°I¡¯m so tired of your meddling,¡± she declared. ¡°I¡¯ve tolerated it for too long. You dragged us into your fight, and we were all hurt for it. And Caelum almost died because of it.¡± Simone gasped faintly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You dragged us into the fight between your elder sister and Caelum¡¯s sister. And you lied to us as well. You knew about the Vault all along, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°I did not know about the Vault.¡± ¡°As if the Raynar Witch would keep that a secret from you, knowing the Academy was in danger. Knowing you were in danger. Although I¡¯m surprised she didn¡¯t evacuate you first. Maybe Celica Desanto caught her unawares.¡± Simone took an angry step forward. ¡°I had no idea that the Vault Chamber existed. Silia didn¡¯t tell me anything about it. Even after the incursion, she won¡¯t tell me anything about the Vault.¡± ¡°What do you plan to do now? The Lorian Pride has chosen to support us Familiars, and our Guardians have agreed to co-operate. So how will you choose to manipulate us now? Do you plan to pull Caelum¡¯s strings in the hope Rina, Maya, and I will follow his lead.¡± Caprice folded her arms. ¡°Or can it be you believe you don¡¯t need us any longer? Granted Caelum is weak, but he¡¯s growing stronger. The more he unlocks the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Core Awareness, the more power he¡¯ll summon. But the process cannot be hurried along. Too much too soon and his body won¡¯t be able to cope.¡± Caprice¡¯s smile faded as she dipped her head at Simone. ¡°Or perhaps your goal has always been Caelum because he was chosen by the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± Though her arms were folded, the Countess¡¯s hands clenched and her knuckles turned white. ¡°Nothing you¡¯ve said has a grain of truth to it. Absolutely nothing.¡± Caprice raised her head and smiled again, and it was the coldest I¡¯d ever seen on her lips. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on confronting you yet, and I certainly didn¡¯t intend to face you here, but you¡¯ve sorely pissed me off and I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Simone swallowed tightly, and her voice lost its melodious quality as it grew harsh. ¡°Ara ara. My sentiments exactly.¡± I could have sworn a cold breeze blew down the corridor a moment before an indescribable pressure built up around the two young women. Caught between them and with my back to the wall, I actually forgot to breathe for a handful of seconds. Then a girl¡¯s voice came out of left field and cut through the pressure like a fine sword. ¡°Come on you two. What¡¯s with this atmosphere? You¡¯re making my head hurt.¡± As though her voice had broken the spell I was under, I turned to the medical center¡¯s entrance to my left, and saw Maya standing a few feet into the corridor and few feet behind Simone. She was sporting a bandage around her head and forehead, while dressed in the remains of her skinsuit. At sight of the large angry bruise that dominated her torso, my chest tightened, constricting the air in my lungs. ¡°Maya¡­.¡± Though the bruise had to be hurting her, she stood straight and proudly as she planted her hands on her hips. ¡°Relax, Pervert Desanto. That gloomy face doesn¡¯t suit you. You¡¯re better off wearing your usual lecherous look.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡± Rina poked her head out through the entrance. ¡°The doctor says she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Maya made a needle plunging motion with her right hand. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t listen to my complaints and pumped that accursed Sora Symbiote into my bloodstream. The monster is already hard at work. Ah¡ªthis sucks. I can feel the bastard spreading through my body.¡± She closed her eyes as she rubbed her hair. ¡°I¡¯m going to lose my appetite for a week now. Aggh, man this really sucks! This is why I hate that thing inside me.¡± I pushed away from the wall and faced her properly with heartfelt regret. ¡°Maya, I¡¯m sorry for what happened. I¡¯m really, really sorry.¡± She stared at me with one eye open. ¡°That was payback¡­wasn¡¯t it.¡± I shook my head firmly. ¡°No¡ªabsolutely not. I have no idea how that happened, but hurting you was never my intention.¡± She humpfed and folded her arms. ¡°Well¡­I have been treating you pretty badly. So I guess I shouldn¡¯t blame you.¡± I shook my head and briefly raised my hands. ¡°Maya, I swear it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± After a short while of silence, Maya humpfed again. ¡°So, you finally decided to take me seriously.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? No. I mean, I always take you seriously.¡± ¡°And you finally started showing some of that talent you used against your sister.¡± I blinked, then remembered that Maya, Rina, Caprice, and the Countess had seen the recordings from inside the Vault Chamber. Severin had kept copies though he handed the originals to the Public Security. I¡¯d heard the Sanctum, being rivals of Public Security, weren¡¯t happy about that but Severin said he didn¡¯t care. Maya cocked her head at me. ¡°You held your own pretty well against me, even though I was throwing you my all.¡± She exhaled bitterly. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve hit my limit with just the skinsuit. Time for me to level up¡­.¡± I swallowed quietly. ¡°Maya¡ª¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± she asked. ¡°Ah¡ªI don¡¯t know. It just¡­it just happened. It was like something inside me snapped. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and everything fell apart inside my mind and body. I just¡­broke¡­and let everything pour out. Every repressed bit of anger and bitterness and regret¡ªall of it. It just came rushing out¡ª¡± I stopped, realizing the path my words were following. If I kept talking I¡¯d reveal that facing that single question had been the last step to breaking the weakened seal around the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. It wasn¡¯t something I was ready to reveal, perhaps not ever. Would it be so bad? I swallowed tightly. No. No it wouldn¡¯t. I closed my eyes. But am I worthy of her? Maya¡¯s voice intruded into the darkness. ¡°So, how was I?¡± I opened my eyes and blinked quickly, clearing my vision. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Maya planted a hand on her hip, and winced as the bruise around her torso bothered her. ¡°When you walked in on me in the change room? How was I?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I swallowed and remembered the lovely vision of her wearing sheer lacy black lingerie. ¡°You looked hot.¡± The corridor grew instantly frosty and Goosebumps broke out all over my body. Oh, no! What did I just say? Maya had a heated expression on her face. Crap! I¡¯m in for it now. And I¡¯m boxed in from all sides! Geh¡ªI can feel Caprice¡¯s icy stare on my back. Abruptly, Maya sighed heavily. ¡°You really have no restraint, do you?¡± she muttered. I straightened and though I kept my expression regretful, I was inwardly preparing myself for a vicious assault. To my surprise, she waved a hand about and loudly said, ¡°Ah, why am I not surprised. That¡¯s one thing that will never change about you.¡± Stretching her body with her arms high above her head, she declared, ¡°I¡¯m off. I need a shower. No more training for me tonight.¡± Maya turned smoothly and walked away down the corridor, heading in the direction that led to the change rooms. I might have been wrong, but her hips swayed more than they usually did. After a moment, Rina ducked out of the medical center and followed in her wake. ¡°Maya, wait for me!¡± she wailed. A quiet cough filled the air. ¡°Ara ara. That was unexpected. I feared you were in for a beating.¡± The discreet clearing of another throat soon followed. ¡°I agree. An unforeseen turn of events. Her degree of restraint was surprising.¡± I peeked at the Countess and then fearfully glanced at Caprice. With her arms folded under her breasts, Simone took a deep breath. ¡°I think I understand the situation now.¡± ¡°As do I,¡± Caprice agreed without emotion. The Countess nodded to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t quite consider her a rival just yet.¡± ¡°But being forewarned is being forearmed.¡± I frowned at them both. Maya a rival? Are you kidding me? How can you even suggest that? That girl hates me! I frowned inwardly this time. Although, she wasn¡¯t glaring at me like I was scum stuck to the bottom of her shoe. I shook my head. No, that girl definitely hates me. She¡¯s just in shock. She¡¯ll be back to normal by tomorrow. Simone nodded. ¡°For now, I suggest a truce.¡± ¡°Rejected. You and I have unfinished business,¡± Caprice said stated flatly. ¡°How can you say that at a time like this?¡± Simone questioned in an icy voice. ¡°Let me make something clear to you. We are not allies, and the enemy of my enemy is not my friend.¡± ¡°Geh¡ª¡± Simone sputtered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting that at all.¡± Caprice pressed on. ¡°I will be waiting for you up above. Don¡¯t try running away.¡± With that she stepped past me, past the Countess, and walked down the corridor in the direction Maya had taken. Simone Alucard Raynar lowered her arms, and affixed a chilling glare upon Caprice¡¯s retreating back. ¡°How dare she¡­how dare she order me around¡­.¡± I struggled to find my voice. ¡°Countess¡ª¡± She cut me off with a cold look that could have frosted breath in the air. ¡°Caelum, as your girlfriend I¡¯m very disappointed in you.¡± My mouth fell open. ¡°As my what?¡± She pressed a hand upon her chest. ¡°I have been far too forgiving. As your self-appointed girlfriend, it¡¯s time I set down some rules.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªwait a minute? Don¡¯t I get a say¡ª?¡± She pointed at me with a perfectly manicured fingernail. ¡°Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear. I¡¯ll have you take responsibility for this. ¡° She spun gracefully on her expensive high-heels and stormed down the corridor in pursuit of Caprice. In a state of disbelief, I watched her vanish around a corner before I lost strength and sagged against the wall. ¡°Wait a minute. Don¡¯t I get to choose my girlfriend? Besides, you haven¡¯t even confessed to me yet.¡± An announcement sounded over the address system, startling me a little. ¡°Caelum Desanto. Report to the observation deck. Repeat: Caelum Desanto. Report to the observation deck.¡± I stared up at the corridor ceiling, wondering if I was being summoned to face the music for injuring Maya. Gathering air into my lungs, I pushed away from the wall. ¡°Can this night get any worse?¡± Realizing what I¡¯d just asked, I instantly regretted my words. ¡°No¡ªdon¡¯t answer that! Please don¡¯t answer that! I don¡¯t want to know!¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 10 (Part I) Chapter 10. - Part I (Caprice) # After showering and changing into my school uniform, I went to the observation deck. I would deal with the Countess shortly. When I arrived, Caelum was in a closed doors session with Principal Mason, Weinberg, and Kaleb Deneve afil Lanfear. I wasn¡¯t allowed inside, and was surprised to learn that Simon Alucard had been turned away as well. I asked one of the girls operating a holo-terminal to find Alucard for me. I was a little surprised that she helped me, but I was more surprised to learn the Countess was waiting for me in the lobby of the administration building. I headed up and out of the training facility. Once out of the elevator at ground floor, I walked to the lobby where an impatient Countess awaited me. At sight of me, she turned toward me, and dropped her weight onto a hip while folding her arms under that envious bust of hers. I walked up to her, and stopped a few feet away. Alucard barely restrained her glare, but was unable to stop tapping her foot. ¡°You kept me waiting,¡± she grated out. ¡°I give you credit for not running away,¡± I praised her. ¡°To think a Familiar would order me around.¡± ¡°Be careful not show your true colors to Caelum.¡± She pressed her lips into a thin bloodless, and raised her chin at me. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d rather talk here than outside in the cold. The habitat¡¯s environmental controls aren¡¯t what they used to be.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not bothered having this encounter recorded by security, then I¡¯m satisfied with this locale.¡± I watched her clench her jaw. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± she stated. I took a long breath, aligned my thoughts, then proverbially dove into battle. ¡°Did you think you could divide Caelum and I?¡± Alucard stopped tapping her foot. ¡°Divide? Since when have you been together? You talk and behave like you own him, but the truth is quite different.¡± ¡°True, I haven¡¯t confessed to him yet. However, neither have you and for good reason since you¡¯re not interested in him but in what he has to offer your family.¡± ¡°Leave my family out of this.¡± I shook my head slightly. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. However, I return to my original question. Did you think you could divide Caelum and I?¡± Alucard stared at me, a thoughtful look crossing her face. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you thought you could do so by introducing a new actor onto the stage.¡± A frown flickered across her face. ¡°What do you mean a new actor?¡± ¡°Crais Shepherd afil Raynar. A second year male student assigned to Class Two-Dee.¡± Another frown flickered across her face. ¡°Crais Shepherd?¡± ¡°Do you claim not to know him?¡± The Countess averted her eyes in thought. ¡°I¡¯ve never met him, though I¡¯ve seen him around, and the girls in class express an interest him from time to time despite being a Familiar. It¡¯s safe to say he has a number of female fans. He¡¯s a tall fair-haired student. Very good looking. Personality wise, he¡¯s quite unlike Caelum.¡± ¡°So you do know him?¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯ve heard of him and seen him around, but I don¡¯t recall ever speaking to him.¡± ¡°How interesting. So it wasn¡¯t your idea to have him approach me with romance in mind.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Approach you? No, absolutely not. Though now that you mention it, that would have been an excellent strategy.¡± She shook her head in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that.¡± A soft snort escaped me. ¡°I was ready to give you credit for being devious. However, I overestimated you. I¡¯m also disappointed that you didn¡¯t know he¡¯d approached me.¡± Alucard planted her hands on her hips. ¡°I do have other interests besides spying on the people around Caelum. As the Student Council Vice-President, I don¡¯t have a lot of free time to spare.¡± ¡°Regardless of your duties, I find it hard to believe you don¡¯t keep tabs on me, especially after admitting that you see me as a rival.¡± ¡°Believe what you want.¡± She folded her arms across her chest. ¡°So, Crais Shepherd asked you out. Did you turn him down?¡± ¡°No. The truth is I asked him out on a date this Sunday.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking Saturday would be best.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because Saturday has a brighter ambience than a Sunday.¡± She shook her head hastily. ¡°No, I mean why did you ask him out?¡± ¡°To see what I could learn from him. Remember, until now I suspected you were behind his interest in me. As such, I considered his motives insincere. However, learning that you are not involved, I¡¯m must now ascertain if his interest is sincere or otherwise. In short, the situation has become more complicated.¡± ¡°And what if his intentions are sincere?¡± ¡°Then I will turn him down with equal sincerity.¡± Her mouth fell slightly open for a second or two. Alucard shook her head gently. ¡°What if you find yourself liking him?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll be friends.¡± Her eyes stared into mine for a quiet moment. ¡°There¡¯s something unpleasant about how rational you are. Your cold logic, your way of parceling situations and feelings into neat little packages. That just rubs me the wrong way.¡± ¡°To me your point of view is irrelevant.¡± The Countess regarded me with a steely light in her eyes. ¡°Is that why you changed your look? For Shepherd¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°No. I changed my look for Caelum¡¯s sake. Shepherd said he had a preference for brunettes. Changing my appearance served as a test to see how he would react.¡± Alucard craned her neck toward me. ¡°And?¡± ¡°His reaction was quite positive toward me. Speechless is one way to describe it.¡± I refrained from admitting that his reaction elicited feelings from me that took me by surprise. The way Shepherd looked at me was the way I desired Caelum to look at me, and my heart ached as a result. Siobhan St. Clair misunderstood my reaction, thinking I had it bad for Shepherd when in truth I had it bad for Caelum. The Countess grew very still. ¡°You are far more cunning and cold than I expected. I realize that leaving Caelum to you would be a mistake. No, I simply cannot accept him being with someone like you. That would be the worst outcome for him.¡± ¡°You say that, yet unlike you my feelings for Caelum are real,¡± I pointed out. ¡°You want him pulled into the Raynar Pride. You want him for your family¡¯s agenda, and your family hasn¡¯t given up on him.¡± ¡°Take it up with my family, not with me.¡± I folded my arms beneath my breasts. ¡°Relationships are built on trust.¡± She subtly arched her eyebrows. ¡°That goes without saying¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always found it suspicious how the attempt to bond Caelum to the Raynar Pride was so weak. After all, they sent an inexperienced girl to do the job. That fact has bothered me for a long, long time. Don¡¯t you find it the least bit curious?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°The girl I fought that day, Constance Peligree afil Raynar, was a student here. But after the encounter she transferred away to Primavera Academy in Island Four. Since then she¡¯s been keeping a low profile. I understand her Fragment was taken from her and she¡¯s just a normal Familiar these days.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°That girl was close to you, wasn¡¯t she? In fact, you could say she was like a devoted puppy to you.¡± ¡°I had nothing to do with her attempt to bond Caelum to the Raynars.¡± ¡°She had a vial of blood. Your blood.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give it to her willingly. She used her Influence on me and took my blood! I couldn¡¯t stop her because she left me unconscious. When I woke up it was too late. It was all over for her, and for Caelum.¡± ¡°You told Caelum your family had nothing to do with the attempt on him¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡± ¡°¡ªyet failed to mention how that girl was connected to you. I did say relationships are built on trust. Do you think he will trust after learning you¡¯ve been holding back on him.¡± ¡°Yes. I do.¡± ¡°I have to wonder what you said to Peligree that convinced her to take such a huge risk on your behalf.¡± ¡°I did nothing to encourage Constance. Nothing. I told her to stay away from Caelum because the Raynars and Lanfears had come to an agreement regarding him. She acted on her own, and she paid the price for it.¡± ¡°By why would she? There had to have been a reason. If it was just her devotion to you, then I find it frightening and admirable. She was also well informed. I wonder who told her that day that I was heading out to see Caelum.¡± ¡°She was probably watching you. That would be my guess. I certainly didn¡¯t tell her.¡± I nodded shallowly. ¡°Perhaps. Yet in the end her efforts were in vain. She wanted to do you proud. Instead, she shamed her Guardian who happened to be a member of the Alucard Family¡ªyour uncle if I¡¯m not mistaken¡ªand was cast out for her failure. I wonder how she feels now, having been discarded by the Alucard Family¡ªoof!¡± The Countess grabbed me with both her hands and yanked me close to her. ¡°Don¡¯t stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. Do you understand me, Familiar? Don¡¯t even think of it.¡± The push she gave me was forceful enough to send me staggering back a few steps, though I regained my footing in a heartbeat. I straightened my uniform¡¯s dress. "Careful, Countess. Your prejudice is showing." "You should know your place, Steiner." I continued where I left off. "¡°Having said all that, had Constance Peligree succeeded, I¡¯m sure the Alucard¡¯s would have found some way to settle the situation with the Imreh Family. She may have acted without their consent, but her intentions were clear. But she failed and was abandoned.¡± ¡°Steiner, I will warn you this once. Constance was a friend. I will not allow you to think ill of her.¡± ¡°Then you should tell Caelum the truth. For his sake, for your sake, and for your friend¡¯s sake.¡± Her expression hardened. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him? If you know so much, tell him the truth. I¡¯ll deal with the consequences since I¡¯m innocent of what took place that day. Tell him.¡± ¡°Very well, I will tell him.¡± For a moment, her jaw clenched before relaxing. ¡°Anything else you want to get off your feeble chest?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes. I want you to stay away from Caelum. And I want you to keep quiet regarding my interaction with Crais Shepherd afil Raynar. When the time is right, I will explain the situation to Caelum. I don¡¯t want you stirring the pot before I¡¯ve had a chance to deal with him. At the very least, I feel confident you were not involved in Shepherd¡¯s decision to approach me. I can see now that you lack the ingenuity for such a subversive endeavor. However, I won¡¯t stop assuming the worst from you or suspecting you¡¯re behind every conspiracy theory in this school.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less what you suspect of me, and I certainly won¡¯t leave Caelum to you.¡± I nodded again. ¡°I expected you to say that.¡± The Countess inhaled deeply, pushed out her chest, then declared in a threatening voice, ¡°We are done here.¡± She started turning away, but stopped when I asked, ¡°Did you convince Haruka to play Devil¡¯s Advocate?¡± Alucard cast a vaguely confused look at me over her shoulder. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Haruka has been working with you and the Student Council, has she not?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll join us in the next semester.¡± ¡°The two of you talk, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course we do. Is that a problem?¡± she asked, her voice growing briefly heated. ¡°Did you convince her to play Devil¡¯s Advocate?¡± Again, Alucard looked confused. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± she snapped. ¡°Because it¡¯s your intention to separate me from Caelum.¡± For a long while, the Countess did little more than breathe. However, eventually she inhaled deeply and expelled a heavy, shuddering sigh. Then she swallowed noisily, and stepped up to me until our noses were inches apart. ¡°You can think of me what you may, but I¡¯m not that underhanded to use Haruka against you. I consider her a friend, and you a rival. Unlike you, I prefer to face my competition fair and square, and not employ threats or pathetic attempts at blackmail.¡± Her expression grew quite dark. ¡°Now you¡¯d better have a very good explanation for asking.¡± ¡°I feel that she is of two minds. First, she argues in favor of my dating Crais Shepherd, but whenever I agree to being open to the idea, she questions whether it¡¯s what I really want, as though arguing in favor of Caelum. I find it unsettling and difficult to reconcile. As she hasn¡¯t behaved like this before, I assumed you put her up to it.¡± The Countess¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits. ¡°I¡¯m insulted you think so little of me as to pit friends against each other.¡± ¡°I have never thought of you as someone who would fight fairly.¡± Her eyes searched mine, and I could feel her gaze penetrate into me. ¡°I look at you, Steiner, and do you know what I see?¡± ¡°Someone better than you.¡± ¡°I see a spider. I see a monster who will spin her web and wrap Caelum up. I see someone possessive to the point of murder.¡± For a moment, my thoughts fell into disarray and I lost my composure. I stared at her open mouthed, feeling the weight of her emotions upon my face. There was an intense pressure emanating from her, and it was like nothing I¡¯d experienced before. Not even when she grabbed me by my dress¡¯s blouse did I feel this pressure from her. It was as though her spirit or aura had formed a barrier around her that now crushed against me. Alucard pressed on. ¡°I know that you would die for Caelum, but that¡¯s what frightens me. You would die for him not because you love him, but because of your twisted mentality. You are damaged goods, Steiner. You¡¯ve been damaged for a long, long time. And you scare me. You truly scare me.¡± Then she straightened and looked down at me. ¡°Mark my words, Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear. I will never leave Caelum to you. Even if he doesn¡¯t choose me in the end, I would rather it be Haruka or Prissila that wins his heart than allow him to fall into your hands. As the gods in high heaven are my witness, I will find a way to save Caelum from you.¡± When she turned away, I felt as though I¡¯d been released from the grip of a giant invisible hand. The pressure around me faded in a heartbeat. The Countess walked to the building¡¯s glass entrance, waved her student identity over the scanning plate, and exited through the open doors. Not once did she look back at me. Somehow, I felt as though I¡¯d lost this encounter. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 10 (Part II) Part II - next chapter is 11. This chapter is a little rough. I''ll give it another pass when my cold has passed by.
Chapter 10 - Part II (Caelum) # My session was a closed doors affair in a meeting room adjoining the observation deck. The place was amazing, equipped with a plethora of holovid and holo-window projectors, and varnished wood meeting table that must have cost more than the average Pharos citizen earned in a year. Like the observation room, one wall faced out into the cavern with floor-to-ceiling windows. However, the windows turned opaque and doubled as a projection screen. It was on that screen that I watched myself knock Maya Khayman afil Sora some twenty odd meters through the air, then promptly rescue her a few seconds later. Kaleb Deneve afil Sora, Principal Mason, and the blonde babe, Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian, occupied the room with me. Weinberg who operated a holo console with a very stylish photon glove on her left hand, while Kaleb provided the commentary. ¡°That¡¯s not the full Kaiser K?mpfer,¡± he said to me. ¡°You unlocked part of it, but not all of it.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± I asked, genuinely curious though his words dampened my sense of achievement. ¡°It¡¯s missing the Vector Core and the two Vector Wings that comprise the K?mpfer configuration, or K?mpfer mode.¡± ¡°Oh¡­great¡­.¡± He gave me a flat look. ¡°On the plus side, you succeeded in summoning the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡¯s Skin-Regalia.¡± ¡°You mean that new skinsuit?¡± Weinberg cut in smoothly. ¡°The Kaiser-skin is more than a skinsuit. You won¡¯t find anything on the market that can come close to its abilities.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°The amplification of your strength, and the warping of space through an inertial canceller system. It¡¯s also self-repairing, and can heal your wounds to a significant degree. You¡¯ll find that it¡¯s all environment.¡± ¡°Oh. So it won¡¯t shrink if I toss it in the washing machine and use cold water?¡± ¡°¡­no¡­it won¡¯t shrink¡­.¡± Kaleb planted a hand on his hip. ¡°Desanto, it may not sound like much, but this is a significant step forward for you. You¡¯ve already experienced how much stronger you are. An opponent wearing a skinsuit won¡¯t be difficult for you to handle. In addition, you¡¯ll be able to manifest stronger barrier-fields.¡± I looked back at the image of myself moving about clad in the Kaiser-skin. ¡°If I¡¯d used this back then against Celica, I still would have lost.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kaleb concurred without hesitation. ¡°Celica isn¡¯t someone you can face as you are now.¡± I folded my arms slowly and leaned my backside against the edge of the meeting table. ¡°I guess my sister is one tough crazy bitch, isn¡¯t she.¡± ¡°Unfortunately¡­yes¡­.¡± It was difficult to miss Kaleb¡¯s disappointment, so I turned my head toward him. ¡°Did you know my sister well?¡± He blinked and straightened a fraction taller, then looked at me with a puzzled expression. I rocked my head. ¡°Arisa told me you served with her.¡± ¡°She told you?¡± ¡°Yep. She said you and the others with Celica paid the price for serving on her last mission. The Sanctum considered you all suspect, and tossed you out.¡± Mason and Weinberg glanced at Kaleb. The Principal gave him a subtle nod. ¡°We are aware of your situation, Mister Deneve. There¡¯s no need to be concerned.¡± Kaleb relaxed visibly, then eyed me squarely. ¡°Desanto, you and I need to talk. You really need to be mindful of your surroundings.¡± I cocked my head at him. ¡°You adults have way too many secrets. You¡¯re all so sensitive. Don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t mention this. Don¡¯t tell anybody. You¡¯re always hiding behind the curtains.¡± I realized I was irritated and pushed away from the table. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯d like to shower and get out of here.¡± ¡°Desanto,¡± Kaleb said, ¡°after you¡¯ve changed, meet me in the lobby upstairs.¡± I looked at him over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m really too tired to be lectured tonight, Kaleb.¡± ¡°You need a good lecture,¡± he countered and crossed his arms. ¡°And I¡¯m buying dinner.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I frowned, and wondered what he was up to. His stern face cracked a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Celica¡¯s favorite place.¡± # Celica¡¯s favorite place turned out to be a noodle shop in the entertainment district of Island One, Habitat One. As such, it took us close to an hour to arrive there since walking out of Galatea Academy and into early night, and thus into the late commuter crush to get home. A glance at an overhead billboard clock revealed it was nine p.m. by the time we arrived at the massive Island One habitat. That only gave me an hour before dorm curfew, but Mason had said she would allow me special dispensation this one night. We travelled by mag-lev between the two asteroid Islands. During the trip, I messaged the Countess, asking if she was fine. I also messaged Caprice, asking if matters were okay on her end. However, neither party deigned to respond, so I angrily shoved the palm-slate into my trouser pocket. Serves me right for caring about those two. I feel stupid for messaging them. From the mag-lev station, Kaleb and I walked for fifteen minutes before arriving at the noodle shop. Standing outside the establishment, with the sounds of dining and the smell of food wafting out through the storefront windows, I saw that the name was written in some language I couldn¡¯t recognize. It was a collection of strange characters with lots of strokes to them. ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked Kaleb. ¡°Apparently it translates into that,¡± he replied, and pointed at a sign written in Standard. ¡°The Noodle Shrine?¡± I read aloud. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± he suggested, and led the way through the curtained entrance. The curtain looked like a piece of shredded cloth, that is, it was cut into vertical strips. I pushed through it and then stepped into the shop. Enhanced by the Kaiser¡¯s Awareness-field, my senses assaulted by the smell of food, and my stomach turned and rumbled in response. A young girl, a Regular, wearing a tight purple sleeveless dress with a high leg slit ¨C I believe it was called a cheongsam ¨C greeted us and led Kaden and I to a table. However, Kaden asked to be seated at the long bench instead. Pulling back a stool, I dropped my tired body onto it, while Kaden sat down on his stool to my left. I read through the menu, but didn¡¯t know what to choose, so Kaden ordered for the both of us. When our bowls arrived, I noticed two things: one they were hot, and two they came with a pair of long thin sticks, and no fork and knife. I looked into the bowl. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A blend of stir fry and pork noodles.¡± I picked up the two thin sticks. ¡°Okay. How the heck do I use these?¡± Kaden demonstrated how to use the sticks ¨C the so-called chopsticks ¨C and after practicing for a half minute I started cautiously digging into the food. Unfortunately, picking up the food with the narrow sticks was easier said than done. It took three attempts to get one morsel of food into my mouth, and that was an average count. In addition, my hand was starting to cramp up from the unfamiliar movement. In the end, I gave up and asked for a fork from a passing waitress. ¡°Quitting already?¡± Kaden asked between mouthfuls. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Celica didn¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not Celica.¡± ¡°That much is obvious.¡± ¡°Did you bring me here to pick a fight?¡± I asked him bluntly. ¡°I brought you here because you wanted to know about your sister. This is as good a place to start as any. And mastering those chopsticks was something Celica persevered at.¡± The waitress returned with my requested fork. I thanked her, and stared at the utensil for a long while before placing it beside the bowl and picking up the chopsticks again. Settling the annoying sticks into my right hand, I carefully began to eat again. It was still took three attempts for every morsel of food I succeeded in tossing into my mouth. Washing it down with water, I asked, ¡°Okay. We¡¯re here. Tell me about my sister.¡± ¡°To start with, that was her favorite dish.¡± ¡°This?¡± I glanced at Kaleb in surprise. ¡°She never mentioned that.¡± I looked around me at the shop interior. ¡°And she never mentioned this place.¡± An empty sensation began to grow within my chest. ¡°I guess there was a lot she didn¡¯t mention.¡± As I gazed around me, I began to wonder why she¡¯d kept this a secret from me. I¡¯d believed Celica and I were close, though I had suspected she had secrets. It didn¡¯t really trouble me since everyone possessed a side they didn¡¯t want to show, but this shop wasn¡¯t something worth hiding, and neither was this noodle dish. So why not tell me about it? Not for the first time, I thought of how little I actually knew about my sister. To be more accurate, I knew my sister fairly well up until three years ago, when she began to grow distant from me. Perhaps that was the time when she became a fully-fledged Valkyrie Maiden in the employ of the Sanctum. Kaleb broke into my reverie. ¡°It was Celica¡¯s way of keeping her work life separate from her personal life.¡± ¡°Meaning what?¡± I asked him. ¡°Meaning that she was introduced to this place by her fellow Valkyrie Maidens.¡± He glanced at me. ¡°That made it a work related experience, and something she chose not to share with her family¡ªnamely you.¡± ¡°So it was her protecting her secret life as a Familiar working for the Sanctum.¡± ¡°Exactly. She knew how much you hated the Aventis, but she wasn¡¯t sure how you felt about Familiars. She kept that side of her life a secret so that she wouldn¡¯t be alienated by you.¡± I mulled that over. Would I have alienated her? I certainly wouldn¡¯t have agreed with her decision to serve the Prides. I looked down at where the Kaiser¡¯s bracelet rested around my right wrist under my shirtsleeve. And now I¡¯m the one serving the Prides. I pushed the bowl away. Did I have a choice? After awakening to life as a Familiar, could I have walked away from it and rejected the Lanfear Pride¡¯s attempts to bond me to a Fragment? I couldn¡¯t feel the bracelet on my wrist. My body had grown completely accustomed to it. Part of me believed that it belonged there. Part of me felt I deserved it, while another part of me felt I was betraying my long years of hatred toward the Aventis. Kaleb¡¯s voice intruded into my thoughts. ¡°Do you hate the Aventis?¡± After a while, I shook my head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t hate them the way I used to. I don¡¯t appreciate their arrogance and discrimination of Familiars and Regulars. There are times I really want to slam their faces into the mud, and drag them through it. But when I look at my classmates and the students of Galatea, I realize they¡¯re no different from the Regulars at my old school. When they are surrounded by their own kind, they act normal. It¡¯s only when they¡¯re in the presence of Regulars and Familiars that they tend to behave like racist jerks.¡± Then I felt my feelings sour and grow dark. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t hate them like I once did, I hold them responsible for the deaths of my parents. I won¡¯t forgive them for that.¡± ¡°Even though it was Crimson Crescent that caused the explosion?¡± ¡°The Prides gave Crimson Crescent a reason to exist.¡± ¡°Then you feel the explosion was justified?¡± ¡°Not at all. I simply said that Crimson Crescent exists because of the Prides. I¡¯m certain the Prides created their own worst enemy.¡± I faced him. ¡°If I felt it was justified, I would have accepted my sister¡¯s offer.¡± Kaleb continued to eat in silence for a while. I started picking at the food in my bowl. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the Lanfears. Didn¡¯t they know the risk they were taking when they gifted me with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing? If I had chosen to leave with Celica, they would have lost a powerful Artifact. Or is there something inside my body that will go ¡®boom¡¯ if I betray them?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°No. Nothing like that.¡± ¡°Okay. Then do they trust me not to join Crimson Crescent? It¡¯s not like they didn¡¯t know how I felt towards the Aventis and Prides. Why take such a big risk when I was bottling up all that anger toward their kind?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re hoping you¡¯re different.¡± ¡°Different from what?¡± ¡°Different from the others.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°What others¡­?¡± ¡°Those that were chosen by the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing before you.¡± I lowered the chopsticks down into the bowl. ¡°Okay¡­I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t the first.¡± Kaleb shot me a quick look. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Because, it feels that way. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing doesn¡¯t feel ¡®brand new¡¯. It feels like something handed down to me¡ªwhich is pretty obvious I guess.¡± I shrugged in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t describe it any better. Though I can say, that it seems like the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing has a mind of its own, like an Artificial Awareness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Core Awareness you¡¯re talking about.¡± I grew pensive. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain the feeling of someone else occupying it with me.¡± Kaleb lowered his chopsticks. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I sighed and pushed the bowl away again. ¡°Sometimes, I feel like I¡¯m not alone with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Maybe¡­maybe it¡¯s haunted or something. It¡¯s just a feeling I get¡ªan impression¡ªthat someone is there with me, watching over my shoulder, guiding me, and¡­getting annoyed with me when I screw up.¡± Kaleb turned away and stared into his nearly empty bowl. ¡°I see¡­.¡± ¡°You believe me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to doubt you.¡± ¡°But the idea of a haunted Fragment is farfetched, right?¡± Kaleb was quiet for a long while, then gave me a sidelong look. ¡°Perhaps.¡± I frowned then quickly pushed it off my face. ¡°Kaleb, what happened to the others who used it before me? Did they unlock it? Did they draw out its full power? What¡¯s the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing really like?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the next frown off my face. ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know?¡± Kaleb replied without looking at me. ¡°Nobody knows.¡± There was something in his tone that unsettled me yet I pressed on. ¡°How can you not know? What about the Familiars that unlocked it before me¡ª?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kaleb faced me, and I saw the somber, troubled look on his face. ¡°They couldn¡¯t unlock the final seal. They all failed.¡± ¡°Failed? All of them?¡± ¡°Less than a handful managed to attain the Kaiser¡¯s Koenig form, but that was as far as they got. The Kaiser¡¯s final Kaiser configuration was out of their reach.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. They faced the final trial, but have no memory of it. Some of them didn¡¯t wake up from the trial.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t wake up? You mean they¡¯re in a coma?¡± ¡°No. They died.¡± I forgot to breathe, and my thoughts thinned to nothing like smoke in the wind. After an interminable length of time, my thoughts began to recover. ¡°All of them? All of them died?¡± He shook his weakly. ¡°Those that didn¡¯t were left traumatized. Call it a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Some of them moved onto other Fragments, but I can¡¯t say they were ever the same Familiars. Some of them found themselves unable to continue as Specials.¡± I swallowed heavily, and asked, ¡°What is the final trial?¡± Kaleb turned away. ¡°We don¡¯t know. Those that survived have no memory if, yet their bodies continue to experience a traumatic event. However, we have a suspicion of what it could be.¡± I swallowed again, and realized I was faintly frightened. ¡°Tell me.¡± For a long while he said nothing, and simply stared into the distance. I didn¡¯t know if he was being dramatic, but it damn well worked. My mouth felt dry as I said, ¡°Kaleb, tell me.¡± He faced me. ¡°Let me ask you, how important is the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing to you?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Are you asking if it¡¯s worth risking my life?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± For a long while, I stared at him, but in truth was giving his question due consideration. Eventually, I glanced away, then inhaled long and deep. ¡°I need the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing in order to move forward.¡± ¡°Move forward?¡± ¡°You asked me about how I felt about the Aventis. I don¡¯t hate them the way I used to because of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. It¡¯s changed who I am. It¡¯s changed the person that I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite following you.¡± I exhaled heavily, feeling flustered with my inability to express myself. ¡°I feel that I¡¯m worth something with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. I feel that I¡¯m more than just a Familiar.¡± ¡°Worth something to the Prides?¡± ¡°No. To the people that matter to me, and to myself. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing gives me the confidence to push past my complexes, and override my resentment toward the Aventis. With the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, I can become a better person¡­someone my parents would be proud of.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you do that with any other Fragment?¡± I gave his question some thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know that I need it. I feel that I need it. It¡¯s important to me, and it¡¯s also a part of me.¡± I shook my head in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I also believe the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing needs me too.¡± ¡°It needs you?¡± I looked down at the bowl on the bench top. ¡°I think it wants me to unlock it. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing wants me to remove the final seal.¡± I touched chest. ¡°It¡¯s something I feel in here, and I believe it will wait for me.¡± When I glanced over at Kaleb, I saw him studying me with a complicated look on his face. Eventually, he nodded shallowly, turned away, and pushed his bowl aside. ¡°Maybe they were right about you¡­.¡± ¡°Who was right about me?¡± ¡°The Lanfear Seers.¡± I stared at him blankly. ¡°Who are they?¡± He shook his head faintly. ¡°We¡¯ll save that for another time.¡± ¡°What? Kaleb, tell me.¡± ¡°No. Another time. In fact, I¡¯ll leave that to Arisa.¡± I leaned away from him. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t finish your noodles.¡± ¡°I lost my appetite.¡± I was sulking and I knew it. Morosely looking around me at the shop interior and the other patrons, I noticed a wall with photos. Curious, I got up and walked over to it. They were printed photos of past patrons, so I searched them carefully, wondering if I might find a photo of my sister. However, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn¡¯t find any. ¡°You can¡¯t take them.¡± I blinked in surprise and looked to my right, where a young waitress in a white sexy cheongsam stared at me hard. ¡°Please don¡¯t take them,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to. I was looking to see if I could find one with my sister in it.¡± ¡°What does your sister look like?¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± I realized I didn¡¯t have any photos of her on palm-slate. ¡°She has long black hair, is taller than me. She¡¯d always wear her hair in a ponytail. I would need to show you a photo. This was her favorite place and her favorite dish was the stir fry with pork noodles.¡± The girl studied me intently for a long while, making me feel uncomfortable, then she shook her head slowly. ¡°She took it.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m sorry. Took it? What do you mean, took it?¡± ¡°About three weeks ago, a tall young woman with long black hair came in late at night before closing time. She ordered two bowls of stir fry with pork noodles, chatted to the boss for a long while like they were talking about old times, then walked up to the photo wall and took it. I tried stopping her but I hit an invisible wall and couldn¡¯t approach her. I realized she wasn¡¯t a Regular or an Aventis.¡± The girl dipped her head slightly. ¡°I realized she was a Familiar with one of those Fragment things, and she scared me.¡± I glanced at the wall, then turned back to the girl. ¡°Do you have a copy? I mean, does the boss have another copy?¡± ¡°No.¡± I swallowed a little anxiously. ¡°Could you describe the photo for me?¡± She pressed her lips tightly for a long moment, her eyes distant as she searched her memory. ¡°She was in the photo with four other young women. They were smiling and enjoying themselves. That¡¯s all I remember.¡± I considered talking to the ¡®boss¡¯ she mentioned, but then changed my mind. Maybe another time. However, if the ¡®boss¡¯ knew my sister, I wondered what they could tell me about her. The waitress bowed slightly. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I gave her a deep nod in return. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.¡± I watched her walk away, deciding the dress really did suit her as she had a slender, sexy figure, then sighed inwardly and returned to my stool at the bench beside Kaleb. ¡°I should have told you,¡± he said, ¡°that she took the photo.¡± I gave him a surprised look. "You knew she''d come here?" Kaleb was quiet for a short while. "Yes. I paid this place a visit after Celica''s dramatic escape from Galatea Academy. That''s when I noticed the photo was gone, and I realized she''d come here sometime before then." ¡°Was it a photo of her and her Valkyrie Maiden friends?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was.¡± Kaleb looked somber for a while, then abruptly clapped my shoulder. ¡°Well, this is a school night for you. Let¡¯s get you back to the Academy.¡± Subconsciously, I pressed my lips tightly as I regarded him carefully. ¡°So what was this then?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Bringing me here. Having this chat. Feels like it was more than just about my sister.¡± I tilted my head to a side and stared at him. ¡°This wasn¡¯t a big brother little brother bonding moment, was it?¡± ¡°Consider it more of a senpai-kohai moment.¡± ¡°A what moment?¡± ¡°A master and an apprentice moment.¡± ¡°Master? What master?¡± He shot me a sour look. ¡°Show your elders some respect.¡± I held up a finger. ¡°Celica always used to say, respect is something you earn.¡± ¡°No. You show respect when you know the other party can kick your ass.¡± He climbed off his stool. ¡°Starting tomorrow, you spar with me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Playtime with little girls is over, Desanto. Now it¡¯s time to play with the big boys.¡± I bowed to him politely. ¡°Please be gentle. It¡¯s my first time playing with boys.¡± ¡°Gah! Please don¡¯t say it like that.¡± Kaleb shuddered visibly in discomfort. ¡°Now I need a drink.¡± He shuddered again as he walked past me. After a moment, I followed him. ¡°I¡¯m underage.¡± ¡°Exactly, so go home.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make sure I get back to the dorms safely?¡± ¡°Desanto, you¡¯re giving me the creeps.¡± ¡°Big brother, wait for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Kaleb paid for the meal. As I walked out of the shop with him, my palm-slate vibrated in my back trouser pocket. I pulled it out, and read the message from the Countess. WE NEED TO TALK. IT¡¯S IMPORTANT. I frowned at it, then sent back a reply. CAN IT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW? I¡¯M HEADING BACK TO THE DORMS NOW. Her reply came through a short while later. LUNCHTIME. I¡¯LL COME TO YOUR CLASSROOM. DON¡¯T TRY RUNNING AWAY. I stared at my palm-slate¡¯s screen for a while. The longer I did, the more annoyed I grew. Before I could retort, a second message came through. IF YOU TELL FAINT-SMILE I¡¯LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! SIGNED, THE COUNTESS. An unpleasant realization crossed my mind. Simone and Caprice had faced off, and it looked like the Countess had come off second best. No wonder she¡¯s in a bad mood. My palm-slate vibrated again as it received another message. AND I DON¡¯T WANT YOU SITTING NEXT TO HER ANYMORE IN CLASS! I grit my teeth together and switched the device to silent mode. Now it wouldn¡¯t vibrate or chime any more. I just wasn¡¯t in the mood to read more of her messages. When I looked up I saw that Kaleb had vanished into the night crowd. ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered and shook my head in annoyance. ¡°I hope you get drunk and suffer a hangover.¡± Keeping my irritation with Kaleb down, I made my way to the mag-lev station to start the journey back to Island Three, and Galatea Academy¡¯s male dorms. Pride x Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 11 (Part I) Chapter 11 - Part I (Caelum) # School Week Five. Thursday morning. I woke up dreading the day, and discovered two messages on my palm-slate. The first was from Arisa acknowledging my request to meet, and asking if Sunday was suitable. I decided not to reply just yet, as the second message was from Lidia. She said she had found something I may want to see, and wanted to discuss it further. Remembering my impending encounter with the Countess, I wrote back that I could meet her after classes ended today. I wouldn¡¯t have much time, since I had business to attend to shortly afterwards. To my surprise, Lidia messaged back within a few minutes as I was getting dressed after showering. She told me it was important and couldn¡¯t wait so she would send me something to mull over. I sat down on the edge of my bed, and played the recording she had attached to her message. I watched it carefully, then played it back twice more to catch the details I¡¯d missed. Then I closed the player application on my slate, and flopped back onto my bed. After watching that recording, I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about today. My impression of imminent doom wasn¡¯t helped by a message from the Countess. I CHANGED MY MIND. I¡¯LL BE WAITING IN STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING ROOM TWO. I tossed the palm-slate onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling for a long while, before my stomach reminded me of the need for breakfast, and forced me to get up all over again. After getting the morning¡¯s base requirements out of the way, which included breakfast, I arrived at Class Two-Aye for homeroom. There was no sign of Caprice outside the dorm building, and no sign of her inside the classroom. I was both relieved and a little frustrated not to have run into her. I needed to know what had transpired between her and the Countess last night before I met with Simone. However, not long after sitting down at my smartdesk, I noticed some of the girls in class whispering to each other while throwing me fleeting glances. Do they know something I don¡¯t? Shortly afterwards, Caprice arrived at the classroom. I averted my gaze away from her, feeling my heart pump a little faster at such a vision of teenage beauty. Yeah, blondes are my preference. She took her seat at her smartdesk beside mine, booted up the device, and worked in silence. There¡¯s a saying, how silence can be deafening. For me, the sounds of the classroom faded into nothing as my awareness was filled by the silence coming from her that was as loud a shuttle thruster engine at full burn. To my surprise and relief, she broke her silence a few minutes later. ¡°Congratulations,¡± she offered me. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡± I stared at her, knocked off balance by the breaking silence. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to say it last night, but congratulations on breaking part of the Seal.¡± A faint smile adorned her lips as she faced me. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Gah! I could hear my heart fall of its seat as I turned away quickly, unable to meet her eyes. And I¡¯m blushing like a girl! Get a grip! I swallowed, and replied unsteadily. ¡°Th¡ªthanks.¡± I took a quick breath. ¡°I mean that.¡± ¡°I will do what I can to support you. That has always been my promise.¡± Her words robbed my heart of its strength, and it slipped to the floor where it lay panting, unable to get back onto its seat. Caprice¡¯s voice drifted into my ears, stimulating them like scented perfume would stimulate my nose, and make me lightheaded. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best together.¡± ¡°Ah¡­sure¡­sounds good¡ª¡± A slight frown broke across my forehead. Wait a minute. What¡¯s going on here? I sniffed the air discreetly, then inhaled slow and deep. So, I wasn¡¯t imagining it after all. Caprice said, ¡°I look forward to sparring with you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± I swallowed cautiously, then gave her a sidelong look. ¡°You¡¯re wearing perfume.¡± Her eyes widened a fraction of a millimeter. I eased smoothly into a smile, and went for broke. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely subtle scent. It¡¯s perfect for you.¡± This time her eyes widened a full millimeter, and she turned away quickly. Is she wearing blush on her cheeks? They look rosier than usual. Caprice swallowed quietly, before muttering, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lying on the floor of my chest, my heart moaned and deflated like an air cushion pierced by cupid¡¯s arrow, taken out in a single shot by her bashful response. I turned away and stared down at my smartdesk, relieved when Ms. Fauntine arrived to take homeroom. I guess it¡¯s official. Caprice is girl number three on my compass. And the needle of said compass was swinging strongly toward her. I can¡¯t deny it anymore. A message arrived on my palm-slate, and I read it quickly while holding the device under the table and thus out of sight. CAELUM, DON¡¯T FORGET. LUNCHTIME. I¡¯VE INCLUDED A MAP SO YOU DON¡¯T GET LOST ON THE WAY. Irritation surged through me, and it wasn¡¯t faint by any means. I replied back to the Countess that I would be there on time, and to stop treating me like I was on a leash. Then I set the palm-slate to silent mode, and shoved it into a trouser back pocket, where it remained through the morning. With the neural headset straightening out my thoughts and aiding my concentration, I was able to put my discontent with Simone aside, and focus on the class lecture. However, the headset didn¡¯t nothing for my heart that loitered on its seat, and gazed dreamily at Caprice. # At lunch break, I followed the map conveniently installed into my palm-slate and arrived at the Student Council¡¯s Meeting Room Two. After knocking on the door, I turned the door handle and cautiously pushed it open. I was assailed by a strong pleasant aroma, and flickering candle light off the walls of a darkened room. The lights were off, and elegant candle lanterns hung on four stalks at each corner of the room. Using the Awareness-field that emanated from the Kaiser¡¯s bracelet that I wore on my right wrist, I probed further into the interior room, and confirmed I wasn¡¯t alone. However, it¡¯s one thing to feel out the room using the Awareness-field. It¡¯s another to be visually overwhelmed by the seductive vision sitting on the couch. I was struck by two immediate thoughts. Why do the Student Council rooms have so much expensive furniture? Every room I¡¯d visited of theirs had luxurious leather couches, antique tables, desks, and shelves. And why is The Countess wearing that revealing, slinky black dress¡­not that I¡¯m complaining! My gaze roamed over her body while my Awareness-field enveloped her in a cocoon that allowed me to feel her in exquisite detail without touching her. The door closed automatically behind me with a soft click. In the silence within the room, it was as loud as a starting gun, and signaled the commencement of what I believed was a battle of wills. Man against woman. Lust against reason. The odds were certainly stacked in the Countess¡¯s favor. Simone smiled sweetly and patted the couch seat beside her. ¡°Caelum, won¡¯t you join me?¡± I took a deep, ragged breath, then exhaled loudly while folding my arms across my chest. This is going to be harder than facing Maya in the training cave. I swallowed tightly, then spoke with as much composure as I could dredge up. ¡°What¡­are you¡­doing?¡± Her smile turned coy. ¡°I¡¯m seducing you.¡± I exhaled heavily. ¡°Well, you¡¯re off to a good start.¡± Her smile turned bright. I shook my head. ¡°But I¡¯m not the man I was two weeks ago.¡± Simone¡¯s expression became visibly confused. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m immune, but I have built up a resistance to your charms.¡± She pointed at her large breasts. ¡°You mean these?¡± As though lassoed, my gaze was dragged toward the creamy mounds on her chest. I swallowed hard and tried turning my head away but it was futile. Her expression grew sly as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Caelum, we both know that¡¯s not true. Just this week I was able to convince you to co-operate with a minimum of fuss.¡± I cocked my head as I nodded. ¡°I will admit your approach took me by surprise.¡± ¡°You see.¡± ¡°However, you¡¯ve paraded before me in luxurious lingerie at every available moment when you drag me out shopping, and force me to sit in on your lingerie shows. As a consequence, my immunity to your seductive charms has improved.¡± I held up my palms for her to see. ¡°You see? My hands don¡¯t sweat nervously anymore.¡± ¡°Caelum, you¡¯re still talking to my breasts.¡± True, my gaze was helplessly super glued to her charms. Simone made a thoughtful expression. ¡°However, I will admit it¡¯s been nice to hold your hand and not find it clammy.¡± She smiled sidelong at me. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how to tick your boxes.¡± With a monumental effort, I squeezed my eyes shut, and broke free of her spell. Taking a few deep breaths, I opened them again and made sure to keep my eyes on her face. Feeling calmer and once again in control, I folded my arms with deliberate care. ¡°Countess, you tick all my boxes¡ª¡± ¡°Ara ara. How reassuring.¡± ¡°¡ªexcept for one.¡± ¡°Ara ara¡ªhuh?¡± Her expression narrowed sharply. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°I have a preference for subtle seductive beauties.¡± Simone bowed her head while simultaneously peering up at me. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Countess, as much as I find you a ravishing, overwhelming feast for the senses, you¡¯re also over-the-top, you try too hard, you¡¯re blatantly obvious, and you draw attention to us like bees to honey, all of which can be quite embarrassing at times, especially when you¡¯re clinging to my arm in a busy shopping complex.¡± She dipped her head lower while continuing to stare at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± A heavy silence fell between us, until the Countess rose gracefully to her heeled feet, and planted her hands on her shapely hips. ¡°Let me guess. You would prefer I was more like her, correct?¡± I knew whom she referred to without asking, and shook my head firmly. ¡°No. I would prefer you stopped trying so hard, and just be you.¡± She placed her fingertips on her chest. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re misguided. This is who I am.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s a problem for me.¡± Simone¡¯s lips parted but she was silent. I took a deep, uneasy breath, and threw her a lifeline. ¡°I want to know the real Simone. Not the Simone who¡¯s constantly trying to impress or smother or suffocate me with her overly sexual advances.¡± She lowered her hand to her hip. ¡°You¡¯ve never complained before.¡± ¡°Because I thought you would eventually give it up, and behave like the normal you.¡± ¡°What are you¡ª?¡± I raised a hand, cutting off her rebuff, then pointed at her sexy attire. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this is normal for you. I¡¯ve seen glimpses of the normal you so I know it¡¯s a lie. I¡¯ve seen it when you lose yourself in the guilty pleasure of eating hamburger without worrying about the calories. I¡¯ve seen it when you stare at the puppies in the pet shop for ages. I see it when you battle the crane game at the arcades. I see it when you hum softly to yourself while you hold onto my arm as we window shop.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I took a step closer to her. ¡°I felt the real you when you snuggled up against me during the movie we watched last week. The expression you made was unlike the you here at the Academy. You looked¡±¡ªI struggled for the words¡ª¡°you looked at peace. You looked relaxed, and unguarded. You looked like the kind of girl I would want to date. A serene beauty.¡± Simone¡¯s mouth slowly fell open, but she appeared lost for words. I noticed I was clenching my left hand, and had to force my fist open. But I also had to unload the feeling ready to burst out of my chest, and to do so I took another deep breath before plunging ahead. ¡°I want to date the real Simone Alucard.¡± I realized what I¡¯d said after the words left my lips. Oh dear. Is that what I really meant to say? Distracted by the sudden revelation, I didn¡¯t notice the change that came upon Simone until many heartbeats later. Silent tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± I stopped, not knowing what to say. I was afraid of what I might say if I opened my mouth again. In my chest, my heart was sitting on its seat dumbfounded at my admission and her reaction. Having spent the morning gazing love struck at Caprice, it was now confused by this sudden unexpected turn of events. I could feel it pondering the matter through, but unable to come to any determination. Despite this, one thing was certain. When Simone called herself my girlfriend, I was undeniably proud of it while drastically troubled as well. There were many reasons for my being troubled, and I¡¯d finally given one of them ¨C the biggest reason of them ¨C a voice. Before me, the Countess was quietly wiping away her tears with her fingertips. She sniffed softly, broke into a nervous smile, then giggled, then sobered, then laughed, before smiling nervously again. Eventually she folded her arms under her impressive bust, and sighed loudly. All the while, her face was slightly averted and her eyes wouldn¡¯t meet mine. I watched her swallow a couple of times before she found her voice. ¡°So¡­does this mean¡­you like me¡­?¡± I tried not to sigh, but couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°Yeah¡­I guess it does¡­.¡± Neither of one of us said anything afterwards, until Simone took a hesitant step closer to me, and faced me with open wariness. I watched her breathe in a couple of times. Contrary to my nature, and completely unlike my behavior a minute ago, not once did I glance at her chest because I was captivated by the myriad emotions playing out across her beautiful face. Eventually she clasped her hands before her midriff, and found her voice once more. Yet it threatened to break, and so it dropped to a whisper. ¡°Caelum Desanto.¡± ¡°Yes, Countess?¡± ¡°Will you go out with me?¡± I blinked slowly before asking, ¡°You mean as your boyfriend.¡± She nodded faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± I swallowed, pressed my lips together, and told my heart to make up its mind. It tapped the armrests of its chair as it deliberated upon its decision like a judge about to pass sentence on a cheating husband. It crossed its legs, then switched them over, then stood up and walked around its seat in my chest. It sighed heavily, glanced about its room within my chest, regarded the likenesses of three girls it had hung up on the walls, gazed long and hard at one girl in particular, then gave me a solemn nod. I cleared my throat quietly. ¡°On one condition.¡± She dipped her head slightly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That my girlfriend be Simone Alucard, and not the Countess.¡± Her mouth fluttered with a nervous smile. ¡°Okay¡­.¡± I looked inwardly at my heart, and it met my gaze for a moment before offering me another somber nod. ¡°Then my answer is yes.¡± Simone started to laugh nervously as she clutched at her midriff and chest. ¡°Wow. That was a lot harder than I thought it would be.¡± I couldn¡¯t help agreeing with her. She¡¯s my girlfriend now¡­so why do I feel so ambivalent toward her? I clenched a hand behind my back. In that case I should have said no. Stupid heart. I waited for you to make up your mind. Don¡¯t make me feel this way now! Taking a few deep breaths, Simone recovered most of her composure and planted her hands on her hips. ¡°Caelum, to commemorate our union we should go on a date.¡± She made a fist and pumped it in the air. ¡°A proper date.¡± ¡°Our union?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± With feline grace, she stepped up to me on her designer label high heels. ¡°So, are you free this weekend?¡± I recalled a brief conversation I¡¯d had with her at the beginning of the week. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were busy with family matters this weekend?¡± She fanned a hand dismissively. ¡°I can work around them.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Simone scowled faintly at me. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. I would much rather spend time with my boyfriend¡±¡ªher eyes widened and she broke into an absent smile¡ª¡°my boyfriend¡­I love the way that sounds¡­my boyfriend.¡± She giggled and bounced on her heels. ¡°I have a boyfriend. I have boyfriend.¡± Again she pumped a fist in victory and glared into the distance. ¡°Take that you wench.¡± I broke into a troubled frown. ¡°Ah¡­Simone? Can we get back on track here?¡± Her gaze returned to me and she studied me for a short while, before closing the remaining distance between us. ¡°Caelum Desanto.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes?¡± Simone jumped into me and threw her arms tightly about my waist. With her strength as pureblood Aventis it was somewhat back breaking. ¡°Simone¡ªtoo tight!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Familiar. You can take it.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, seriously. Too tight.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The pain around my lower back wasn¡¯t the cause of my discomfort. Rather, I was in discomfort over the way I was responding to her warm lithe body pressed hard into me. Simone arched an eyebrow. ¡°What are you so¡±¡ªher other eyebrow arched¡ª¡°oh¡­I see¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes so I turned my head away and muttered, ¡°Sorry. Blame the Creator¡­.¡± My words had the opposite intended effect. Instead of drawing away, Simone began to sway her body as it pressed into mine. ¡°Gah!¡± I tried edging my hips away from her but it was impossible with her grip on me. ¡°Simone. Really. Please. You¡¯re being unfair.¡± She leaned her face into mine. ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°Well, of course I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my boyfriend, so grow a pair.¡± I winced then scowled back at her. ¡°I have a pair¡ªin case you haven¡¯t noticed by now.¡± ¡°Yes. I have noticed. I¡¯m certainly noticing right now. Any less of a response would have been utterly disappointing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My scowl crumbled. ¡°Well what other response could there be?¡± She grinned slyly at me. ¡°Ara ara, do you really need to ask?¡± The temperature in my body had been rising steadily, but now it soared to critical levels. My voice broke and I croaked, ¡°No, I guess not.¡± She narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°So, why are you embarrassed? I¡¯m your girlfriend now. Expect a lot more than this in the near future.¡± My voice completely broke as I felt her firm yet soft chest push into mine. ¡°¡­near future...?¡± Simone nodded, then I watched a slight frown crinkle her brow. ¡°Hey Caelum, why did you say you wanted to date Simone Alucard, and not Simone Alucard Raynar?¡± The change in her tone, changed the mood, and I felt her grip on me ease a little. ¡°Ah¡­well¡­I guess¡­I just wanted to leave the whole Pride Familiar context out of our relationship.¡± Her eyes widened slowly as a mixture of confusion and surprise washed across her face. ¡°Is that so?¡± I gave her a halting nod, while thoughts raced through my overheating brain. It feels strange having her so close. We¡¯ve been close before, but it¡¯s different this time. Is it because on some level, I¡¯ve accepted her? An uneasy look settled on her face, but Simone hid it by gently dropping her head onto my left shoulder. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± she whispered. Her warmth was overwhelming me, and her perfume was a familiar scent that I couldn¡¯t place. But it wasn¡¯t just her perfume that stimulated my sense of smell. Her perfume complemented the scent of her shampoo, and the smell of her body. I realized with a start that I was holding her about her waist, and though I was uncomfortable knowing that she could very well feel my body¡¯s response to her, I reasoned it as something I would just have to get used to¡­and she wasn¡¯t complaining either. Her whisper drifted into my left ear. ¡°¡­I really am like my mother¡­.¡± I turned my head slightly toward her. ¡°Your mother?¡± She nodded against my shoulder, and I felt her take a deep breath that she released in a shuddering sigh. ¡°My mother¡­against the wishes of the Alucard Family¡­fell in love with a Familiar.¡± I started to say something, but chose not to as my instinct said it was wiser to wait and listen. After a long while went by, where we held each other tightly, our hearts and breaths in harmony, Simone drew back slightly and peered up at me with dreamy yet troubled look. ¡°Caelum¡­there¡¯s something I need to tell you about me. About my family. And about my father.¡± She swallowed with difficulty as though it pained her. ¡°After I tell you¡­you will probably hate me.¡± I noticed I was shaking my head gently at her. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I can hate you. You may annoy me, frustrate me, and twist my head, my heart, and my mind around. But I¡¯ve never hated you.¡± ¡°You will. You¡¯ll hate me for not telling you.¡± She leaned forward and planted her forehead against my collarbone. ¡°But it¡¯s a secret I¡¯ve kept buried because if people find out the truth¡­I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± ¡°What truth?¡± I sighed and added, ¡°If it¡¯s an important secret, then don¡¯t tell me. Keep it safe. Keep it buried. If that¡¯s what¡¯s best, then do it. I¡¯d rather you were safe than otherwise.¡± I felt her chuckle against me. ¡°Ara ara, that¡¯s sounds chivalrous of you.¡± ¡°Simone¡ª¡± ¡°But it¡¯s something I can¡¯t do. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t keep from you.¡± She raised her head and looked me firmly in the eyes. ¡°So before I tell you my horrid, black, dirty secret, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like. One thing I¡¯d like to keep from this moment¡ªa memento of my brief time as your girlfriend.¡± ¡°Simone, don¡¯t talk like that. Seriously. Don¡¯t.¡± She smiled sadly up at me. ¡°Caelum Desanto¡­would you kiss me?¡± My eyes were held by hers and I couldn¡¯t look away. Sensing my hesitation, her smile trembled. ¡°Just once¡­.¡± I closed my eyes shut¡­and pushed my mixed emotions aside. Either I committed here and now, or I walked away because I had a choice to make, and anything else wouldn¡¯t be fair to her. I opened my eyes, and looked at her while gently pulling her closer to me. Then I leaned forward, and Simone closed her eyes as our lips met. For some reason, I had the impression that I was taking her first kiss. In a way, that made her lips taste even sweeter. Yet in the back of my mind, I remembered another kiss. A kiss that tasted of a girl¡¯s tears. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 11 (Part II) Chapter 11 - Part II (Haruka) # Siobhan, Alistair, and I shared lunch with Caprice in the cafeteria. After a while making small talk, Siobhan finally cracked and asked the question on all our lips. ¡°Okay, why are you on cloud nine?¡± she asked Caprice. The latter was staring dreamily into the distance while munching on her bread roll. Siobhan waved a hand before Caprice¡¯s face, and succeeded in grabbing her attention. ¡°Yes?¡± Caprice asked in monotone, though her face was still dreamy. ¡°Why are you on cloud nine?¡± Siobhan repeated. ¡°What¡¯s cloud nine?¡± Alistair groaned faintly. ¡°She¡¯s asking why are you in a state of blissful euphoria?¡± ¡°Oh¡­Caelum said my perfume suited me.¡± Caprice broke into a faintly embarrassed smile that was easy to miss if you weren¡¯t accustomed to her dialed down expressions. ¡°Thank you, Alistair, for your recommendation.¡± I felt an unseen pressure squeeze down upon my heart. This is wrong. This isn¡¯t what should be happening. I¡¯m her friend. I don¡¯t want this for her. I focused on eating quietly, while sensing something slither in my mind. I know he¡¯ll hurt her. I know it. And then what? How do I help her then? My food didn¡¯t taste good anymore, but I ate regardless, hoping my Aventis constitution would keep my stomach together during the upcoming gym class. Because of our altered class schedules that were a direct result of the Academy being closed for a two full weeks, physical education class for Class Two-Aye was now conducted on Thursdays after lunch. Brilliant idea. Let¡¯s partake in frenzied activity right after eating a hearty meal, although right now my lunch was anything but hearty. ¡°Haruka. Haruka.¡± I heard Siobhan call out to me. The girl jerked her head in the direction behind me, off my right shoulder, and I turned to see Duncan walking toward. Duncan Armand, my boyfriend, strode toward me with an easy gait, but I saw through it and realized he was hesitant. What¡¯s going on? Arriving at the table, he greeted the four of us affably yet politely ¨C as always ¨C slipping into a light banter with Siobhan ¨C something of routine by now ¨C before asking if he could speak with me. I rose to my feet, and followed him to the corridor outside the cafeteria. Finding a quiet spot, Duncan turned to me, and now it was clear to see he was uncomfortable about something. ¡°Duncan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Haruka, please don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± My eyebrows shot up, and a moment later I leaned toward him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I mean, I¡¯m not the jealous kind.¡± He made a troubled expression with his lips. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think I am. Actually, I¡¯ve never been in this kind of situation before¡ª¡± ¡°Duncan, just spit it out,¡± I snapped a little too forcefully. From his reaction, a person would have thought I¡¯d slapped him. However, though I regretted my words, I nonetheless folded my arms under my chest. ¡°Just tell me what¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not some fragile flower, Duncan. You know that about me.¡± ¡°Are you seeing someone else?¡± Like a roaring wind blowing through an open window into my head, all my thoughts were blown away out the other side, and I stared at him mindlessly for a long while. After another long while, some of my thoughts crawled back into my head, and I grasped for my voice. ¡°What the Hell?¡± I blurted out. Duncan looked confused and regretful. ¡°Sorry¡­.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± His expression turned into a weird hopeful frown. ¡°No, you¡¯re not seeing anyone¡ª?¡± ¡°No¡ªsorry will not do!¡± I realized I was glaring but couldn¡¯t contain myself. ¡°I will not accept that as an apology.¡± ¡°Haruka, I¡¯m just trying to¡ª¡± ¡°Why are you even asking that?¡± I lowered my arms and clenched my hands at my sides. ¡°How can you even think that I¡¯m cheating on you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that at all. I just¡ª¡± ¡°You just what?¡± I growled. He stopped, took a deep breath. ¡°Some of the girls saw you talking to someone, a guy, a second-year, and they thought something might be up.¡± My stomach clenched and my chest grew cold, though I couldn¡¯t understand why. I swallowed hard and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Some girls saw you talking to a second-year male student and the two of you looked pretty close.¡± The cold in my chest grew worse, but so too did a strange feeling of guilt. ¡°You mean Caelum? ¡°No, they said it wasn¡¯t Pervert Desanto.¡± The frigid cold swirling around my chest turned to a blizzard. ¡°Then who?¡± Duncan took another deep breath. ¡°They said it was someone by the name of Crais Shepherd. They said he¡¯s a well-liked Familiar, a second-year in Class Two-Dee. Numerous girls have approached him, but he turns them down. When they saw the two of you talking, the girls figured someone had struck gold.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth from falling open. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that someone finally cracked Crais Shepherd¡¯s impenetrable shell and got a confession through to him.¡± ¡°Someone?¡± I gasped. ¡°Well¡­you....¡± ¡°Geh!¡± I rocked on my feet as though someone had slapped me. ¡°Haruka¡­?¡± Palming my forehead, I started to breathe heavily as disbelief surged through me. ¡°Duncan¡ªI am not seeing Crais Shepherd behind your back. In fact I¡¯ve never¡ª¡± Something slithered in the back of my mind and my thoughts lost their footing for several heartbeat. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to sort through them, feeling a brief headache wash through my mind, leaving my thoughts in a shambles. What was I saying? I heard a voice whisper in my mind. Oh, that¡¯s right. It was about Shepherd. Gathering my breath and my composure, I looked up at Duncan. ¡°Crais Shepherd isn¡¯t interested in me, and I¡¯m not interested in him.¡± I folded my arms under my breasts and pushed them up. ¡°I¡¯m not the object of his affections.¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes searched my face, obviously looking for the lie, but I knew there was none to find. Swallowing a little easier this time, I added, ¡°Crais Shepherd is interested in Caprice Steiner. He¡¯s besotted with her.¡± ¡°Besotted?¡± His eyes widened then narrowed as he considered my reply. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s understandable. That girl is really beautiful.¡± ¡°Duncan,¡± I warned him. ¡°But she¡¯s not my type,¡± he added hastily. ¡°I swear my heart belongs to you and only you.¡± ¡°Good. Because mine belongs to you,¡± I declared firmly. ¡°So don¡¯t ever doubt me over what some other girls say.¡± ¡°So they were lying?¡± he questioned weakly. ¡°For the most part, yes. Crais approached me and asked me for advice on Caprice. They have a date planned for this weekend. However, there is nothing between us. Nothing. Are we clear on that?¡± ¡°Ah¡ªcrystal.¡± I punched a fist into an open palm. ¡°Now, I want to know who those girls are so I can pound them into the dirt.¡± ¡°Please, could you let them off this once,¡± he pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll chat to them and clear up the rumor.¡± I punched my palm again. ¡°If I catch one whisker of that rumor, I¡¯m coming for you and I¡¯ll want names. I know people in high places so those girls are toast.¡± He flourished his hands placatingly in the air. ¡°Haruka, chill. Please. I¡¯ll deal with it. I swear.¡± Planting my hands on my hips, I fixed a scowl upon him. ¡°You¡¯d better, because I don¡¯t want anything ruining his chances with Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear. Comprende?¡± Waving his hands again, Duncan replied, ¡°Yeah, I do. I get it. Message received and understood.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± I declared, stepped up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my body firmly into his. ¡°Now kiss me, and I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± Duncan obliged, and we kissed for a long time, before I admitted, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± ¡°Back at you.¡± ¡°Free this weekend?¡± ¡°I have practice in the mornings, but I¡¯m free afterwards.¡± I rubbed my body against his, feeling him respond appropriately to my proximity. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll call you later.¡± Breaking away from him, I fixed up my dress, then noticed the puzzled look Duncan wore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He shrugged lightly, and laughed softly under his breath. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± With another shrug, he said, ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s just I thought Desanto and Steiner were close. I guess they were just very close friends.¡± Again, the slithering sensation arrested my thoughts for a heartbeat or two. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all they are. Close friends. Nothing more. Caelum doesn¡¯t deserve her, and Caprice deserves better.¡± I walked around Duncan, and headed back to the cafeteria. ¡°Haruka¡ª?¡± Spinning round in a full circle, I threw him parting words, ¡°I¡¯ll call you later.¡± Then I hurried back to my friends, feeling anxious if I left Caprice alone with them for too long. The Devil¡¯s Advocate¡ªthat¡¯s what I am. The Devil¡¯s Advocate. The slithering in my mind ceased and my anxious feelings gradually eased away as I resumed my seat beside the table with Siobhan, Alistair, and Caprice. # (Caelum) # Sitting on the couch, I watched the finger of pineapple fruitcake circle inches away from my face and come to a stop. While sitting across my laps, Simone held the morsel of food poised to toss into my mouth. ¡°Say ah,¡± she instructed. I shook my head. ¡°Can we not do this?¡± Simone began slowly undulating her body as she sat on my lap. I gasped reflexively and she tossed the fruitcake finger into my mouth. ¡°Good boy,¡± she praised me, nodding to herself in satisfaction as she took a piece of fruitcake for herself from the plate she carried. I swallowed down the food in my mouth, and rubbed my forehead in mild frustration. ¡°Simone, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about, and it¡¯s very important.¡± She held another piece before me. ¡°Caelum, I ordered this cake specifically for this occasion. Now, do you wish to return to class hungry? If my memory serves me right, I do believe your next class is gym.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Whoever thought of that was an idiot,¡± I retorted. ¡°Exercising straight after eating lunch? That¡¯s nuts.¡± ¡°Regardless, you need to eat. Now open wide.¡± ¡°I can eat it on my own.¡± Simone drew the finger of fruitcake sharply away. ¡°No, your hands are occupied.¡± ¡°Occupied?¡± ¡°Yes. Occupied. If they leave my waist I may fall.¡± She started deliberately tilting over. ¡°You have to hold onto me firmly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re becoming annoying,¡± I grumbled at her. Her tilt grew more pronounced. ¡°I¡¯m falling, Caelum. I¡¯m falling. Save me¡ªaggh!¡± She cried out for real as she slid off my lap. With a growl buried in my throat, I pulled her back up onto my thighs. ¡°Will you behave.¡± ¡°Ara ara¡ªI took that too far,¡± she admitted as she balanced the plate on her right hand. If having on her on my lap wasn¡¯t distracting enough, she was still wearing the black cocktail dress. Combined with her silky black sheer stockings and high heels, her legs looked incredibly seductive. I was so distracted by them, I failed to notice the next piece of food in her hand until it landed in my mouth. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°What did you want to ask me?¡± I munched absently on the piece of cake in my mouth. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to ask me something important.¡± Searching through my short-term memory, I soon found the memory in question. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± I swallowed hastily lest I lose track of it. ¡°Do you know of a second year high-schooler by the name of Crais Shepherd afil Raynar?¡± On my lap, Simone stiffened. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Because I need to know what you know about him.¡± She stiffened a little more, then placed the finger of fruitcake into her mouth. After eating it slowly, she asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I was starting to grow a little heated at her childish evasiveness. ¡°Simone, I¡¯m not playing this game with you. Do you know of him or not?¡± She pursed her lips for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯re the second person that¡¯s asked me about him.¡± ¡°Oh, who was the first?¡± She climbed off my lap, and placed the plate containing the fruitcake onto the low table. Standing before me, Simone crossed her arms below her breasts. ¡°Caelum, you tell me why you¡¯re asking, and I¡¯ll answer your question.¡± I pushed myself into an upright seated posture on the edge of the couch. ¡°You tell me what you know, and then I¡¯ll tell you why I¡¯m asking.¡± I shook my head firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to compromise or negotiate, Simone.¡± Her expression hardened, before eventually exhaling loudly in exasperation. ¡°Very well. He¡¯s a second year in Class Two-Dee. I¡¯ve never met him or spoken to him, but I¡¯ve heard the girls talk about him. He has a lot of female admirers¡ªa lot of them¡ªbut as far as I know he¡¯s single. I¡¯ve heard the girls say he has a preference for brunettes. And he¡¯s interested in¡ªno forget it. My mistake.¡± ¡°Your mistake? What mistake?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she answered curtly, waving a hand briskly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I held back a frown, and pressed on a few moments later. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Severin include him in the group to protect the Academy?¡± ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t have a Fragment or Artifact,¡± she replied without hesitation. I kept my expression as neutral as could be while hiding my uneasy thought. So she doesn¡¯t know, she could be lying¡­or she was made to forget. Whatever the truth, they are each a problem. I stood up purposefully and looked slightly down at her with a couple of feet between us. ¡°Is that the truth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She lowered her hands to her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I know. Now you said you would tell me why you¡¯re asking.¡± I pulled out my palm-slate, then worked through its menus until I arrived at the holovid recording Lidia had sent me in the morning. Handing the slate over to Simone, I said, ¡°Press play.¡± Warily, she took the palm-slate I offered her, then tapped the screen to start the playback of the recording. I watched her expression carefully though I did my best not to make her feel as though I was staring at her. Simone played the recording and watched it through to the end a few minutes later. Neither of us said anything during that time, nor did we move from where we stood. When the playback ended, she looked up at me with a complicated expression. ¡°I don¡¯t remember this,¡± she stated, her voice carrying a mixed emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t remember this at all.¡± ¡°The time stamp says it took place during lunchtime on Monday.¡± She shook her head very slowly. ¡°Yes, but¡­I don¡¯t recall going into that storage room.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Her expression grew severe, and her voice hardened. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± My palm-slate trembled in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m your girlfriend, Caelum. The least you could do is trust me.¡± I slipped my hands into my trouser pockets, and watched her wounded feelings displayed on her face. ¡°Alright. I trust you. As far I know, you¡¯ve never lied to me before.¡± ¡°Caelum, you really know how to hurt a girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you later,¡± I responded softly. ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± she said with a wounded tone. I took a deep breath, then hardened my voice. ¡°Simone, if you have no memory of this event then this leaves us with a few troubling implications. One, you were Influenced and made to forget. Two, the security recording is a fake. And three, that¡¯s not you in the holovid recording.¡± Her wounded expression grew complicated. ¡°None of the sound particularly good.¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re rather problematic.¡± Simone¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Sometimes¡­you sound like Severin.¡± I was startled by her remark, and tried hiding it behind a throwaway remark. ¡°Severin wouldn¡¯t be impressed by that comparison.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m praising you, you fool.¡± ¡°Oh¡­well, thank you¡­I think.¡± Simone rolled her eyes at me, then glanced down at my palm-slate before asking, ¡°How did you get this?¡± I knew the question was coming, but my stomach nonetheless cramped up in worry. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Did someone give it to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t say.¡± Simone grew irate. ¡°Why not? Caelum, this is important. This affects me.¡± She waved the palm-slate at me. ¡°I have no memory of this. Don¡¯t you understand how this makes me feel?¡± ¡°I do. Which is why I¡¯ve been reluctant to show it to you.¡± I cocked my head slightly to a side. ¡°However, now that you know, I still need to keep my source a secret.¡± She narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°So someone did give this to you.¡± ¡°Someone¡­yes.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me who?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s important that I keep my source confidential.¡± Glancing once more at the slate, Simone handed it back to me. ¡°Then I will find out on my own.¡± ¡°I would rather you didn¡¯t,¡± I said to her bluntly. ¡°Why not?¡± she demanded, taking a step to close the distance between us down to millimeters. I could feel her warmth, and the peaks of breasts faintly brushed against my chest. With her hands clenched at her sides, Simone reiterated her demand. ¡°Why not, Caelum?¡± ¡°Because I gave the other party my word, and I intend to keep it.¡± Simone¡¯s lips pressed into a thin unhappy line. ¡°You picked a fine time to be honorable.¡± ¡°I would do the same for you if the situation so required.¡± Her eyes narrowed quickly to thin slits. ¡°If it was her in that recording, would you keep it from her?¡± For a heartbeat, I wasn¡¯t sure of whom Simone was referring to, then I reasoned she couldn¡¯t possibly know about that other recording with Haruka in it. She pressed a fingertip into my chest. ¡°If it was Faint Smile in that recording instead of me, would you tell her?¡± The proverbial penny dropped in my mind. ¡°Her circumstances and yours are different.¡± She pressed her fingertip into me again. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m your girlfriend, and she¡¯s not. Yet you would hold things from me, and not her. I¡¯m supposed to be your special someone. How do you think that makes me feel?¡± I held back a growl and tried grabbing her by her shoulders, but she stepped back with surprising speed. ¡°Not so fast,¡± she warned me. ¡°Hands off until you tell me everything you know.¡± Left with my hands in the air, I lowered them slowly to my sides. ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s what you want. Hands off it is.¡± I caught the glimmer of anguish in her eyes, before she folded her arms under her creamy breasts that reminded me of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chocolate powder. However, for a grand deviation from the norm, my attention was rapt on her face. Lowering her voice, Simone was clearly pained. ¡°I guess this is our first disagreement as a couple.¡± I glanced away. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bode well for the future.¡± ¡°Is that how you feel?¡± She clenched her hands. ¡°Do you believe our relationship isn¡¯t strong enough to last one disagreement?¡± I stared at her for a long while, and remembered the few occasions my parents argued. Yet my parents worked through their differences because they loved each other. However, were my feelings for Simone strong enough to work through our disagreements? I was starting to understand the meaning of give-and-take a little more. Simone sighed softly, yet it sounded loud to my ears. ¡°Caelum, if you don¡¯t trust me, then just say so.¡± Bitterness laced her words. ¡°I can live with it.¡± I wet my lips, and unsteadily pocketed my palm-slate as the first warning bell sounded, signaling that lunch break was coming to an end. From where I stood, I straightened my uniform. ¡°Wait for me in your classroom after homeroom.¡± She snorted faintly. ¡°Ara ara. Is my boyfriend going to pick me up after class?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. So be a good girl and wait for me. Don¡¯t run off.¡± I walked up to her on my way out of the room. Simone looked wary, but was startled when I kissed her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to change back into your uniform.¡± I walked to the door of the room. It had automatically locked behind me when I entered the room, but opened for me on the way out. I stepped through into the corridor outside. ¡°Caelum¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this¡ªnot even Severin¡ªand certainly not your sister.¡± I half turned to my left and looked back at her over my shoulder. ¡°And I trust you. I always have.¡± Leaving the Student Council room behind, I hurried back to Two-Aye¡¯s classroom to pick up my gym bag, carrying the memory of Simone¡¯s conflicted countenance with me. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 12 (Part I) Chapter 12 - Part I (Haruka) # Gym class held an unexpected surprise for us: a new gym teacher for the boys. And new focus of interest for the girls. I frowned, wondering if I¡¯d missed the announcement during morning homeroom. However, Siobhan and Alistair both confirmed that no announcement had been made. As surprising as that was, what surprised me more was the look of shock on Caprice¡¯s face. When I asked her what was wrong, she shrugged it off in her faint way, and said it was nothing. But I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes, and when I looked over to the boys¡¯ side of the gymnasium, I saw Caelum talking with the handsome new gym teacher. Yes, I will admit he was good looking, and the girls around me readily agreed. A quick glance at Ms. Karsen also confirmed her interest in the new addition to the teaching ranks. Her eyes wandered over to him every few seconds, and she appeared to be struggling not to stare. Unfortunately for her, the girls chose capitalize on the opportunity and rib her about it. Unfortunately for us, said ribbing landed the lot of us in hot water. Blushing madly, Karsen declared today was a day for dodge ball. To make matters worse, when deciding how to divide the girls into two teams, someone stupidly suggested flat chests should compete against big chests. While there was a concerted outcry at the idiocy of such a suggestion, I noticed the girls around me size each other up. Quite a few of those looks were aimed at my chest. The buxom petite beauty, ¨¦clair Faltome Lanfear, hid behind her friends, noticed they were way smaller than her, and hastily took refuge behind Siobhan who sported a solid Cee-cup bust. ¡°What are you doing, ¨¦clair?¡± Siobhan complained upon finding the girl cowering behind her. But when the short girl looked up at her with moist eyes, Siobhan found herself at a loss for further words. With a sour glare on her face, Alistair walked by the two girls, deliberately bumping ¨¦clair aside. ¡°Out of the way, Twin Peaks.¡± ¡°My name is ¨¦clair,¡± the buxom girl whined. Alistair turned back and leaned down into the petite beauty¡¯s face. ¡°Swimming classes start soon, ¨¦clair. Will you be swimming the backstroke? I know all the boys are looking forward to seeing you in a one-piece swimsuit as you glide above the water.¡± Alistair made a ho-ho laugh, and added, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to record you in action.¡± Siobhan looked uncomfortable standing beside the two girls. ¡°Hey, Alistair, I think you¡¯re being a little cruel.¡± Alistair straightened and shot Siobhan a glare that made the latter girl take a step back. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know the meaning of the word cruel.¡± ¨¦clair balled her small hands into fists. ¡°At least the boys will know where to look.¡± Alistair turned her glare on the short girl. ¡°You love the attention, don¡¯t you?¡± ¨¦clair took a deep breath and pushed out her chest even more. ¡°Hey, during swimming class, why don¡¯t you go stand with the boys, Alistair? Nobody will notice the difference between you and them.¡± ¨¦clair ducked with millimeters to spare or Alistair¡¯s punch would have bloodied her nose. Sometimes being short had its advantages. However, she wasn¡¯t prepared to avoid the dodge ball that flew toward her. It crashed into her forehead with a loud smack, knocking her head back, and sending her to the ground. ¨¦clair cried out in pain as her backside landed on the gym floor. I watched the ball rebound and roll along the ground, coming to a stop at Caprice¡¯s feet. The girl picked it up, and began bouncing it on one palm, her expression calm and unreadable. Alistair turned around in shock, and asked, ¡°Was that you?¡± ¡°Friends stick together,¡± Caprice said. ¡°And for the time being we are sisters in arms.¡± Alistair¡¯s mouth fell open and she had trouble closing it. ¡°Yeah¡­I guess we are¡­.¡± I noticed the better endowed girls were beginning to back away from Caprice. I also noticed Ms. Karsen wearing a furious expression as she marched toward the girl, bamboo sword in hand. ¡°Steiner¡ªdrop the ball and go sit on the bench. Class is over for you! Don¡¯t even think of moving from there! And I¡¯m putting you on detention.¡± Caprice started to reply but she was cut off by a loud crackle, hiss, and hum that filled the air as the public address system cleared its electronic throat. A few moments later, a familiar girl¡¯s voice sounded loudly into the gymnasium. ¡°Attention. Attention. This is your esteemed Student Council Vice-President, Simone Alucard Raynar, with an important public service announcement.¡± I looked up at the ceiling, one ear cocked into the air, feeling oddly uneasy. ¡°I want all you boys and girls to listen carefully.¡± In the corner of my left eye, I glimpsed Caprice bounce the dodge ball one last time before clasping it tightly between her hands, with a surprisingly tense expression on her face. ¡°I would like to state for the record that as of this afternoon, I am officially off the market.¡± Clapping sounds came through speakers. ¡°Yay! Hooray for me! Clap clap clap clap.¡± I was dumbfounded as I realized what she meant by ¡®off the market¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s right boys and girls. I, Simone Alucard Raynar, have a boyfriend. Yes, a real boyfriend, and he¡¯s all mine. So let this be a warning to you girls, and I¡¯m referring to you, Faint Smile.¡± Alucard took a deep loud breath. ¡°Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear is mine. You hear me boys and girls? Caelum is mine. He is officially off the market as well.¡± My heart clenched and my mouth grew dry. I was caught between disbelief and knowing I¡¯d expected something like this sooner rather than later. ¡°I know that some of you girls have been expressing an interest him. After all, I can hear your gossip in the toilets. So I¡¯m making it clear right now. Caelum belongs to me. He¡¯s mine, and I¡¯m all his. You hear that Caelum? I¡¯m all yours, baby. Hold me tight. Love me tender. Love me sweet.¡± Something exploded so loudly within our midst that a number of us girls screamed in fright. It took me a few moments to realize that Caprice had crushed the dodge ball flat, bursting it like a balloon in the process. ¡°And if you boys hurt my Caelum, I swear I will not go easy on you.¡± I looked across the gym floor at where the guys from Class Two-Aye were staring aghast into the air, while others were slowly turning their attention on one particular boy. Caelum raised his hands, and started pleading for mercy as he warily backed away from the guys. ¡°Hey, Faint Smile. I have an idea. Why don¡¯t we double date?¡± My heart jumped high in my chest and landed heavily in a daze. The Countess knows? She knows about the date? How does she know? Who told her? I turned fast toward Caprice in time to see anger explode across her face. This wasn¡¯t the faint anger one might expect from her, but a full thermonuclear meltdown¡­whatever that means. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s double date.¡± More loud clapping sounds. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it this Saturday?¡± Felicity, a slender elfin beauty muttered, ¡°Double date?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s she dating?¡± ¡°Could it be that boy from earlier this week?¡± ¡°You mean him? Seriously?¡± ¡°By the way, who is the Countess calling Faint Smile?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°She¡¯s talking about Steiner.¡± ¡°Caprice? You mean our Caprice Steiner?¡± ¡°You dummy, there¡¯s only one Steiner in the whole school.¡± The Countess pressed on, laughing happily. ¡°That¡¯s right, Faint Smile. Why don¡¯t you and Crais Shepherd join Caelum and I on a double date. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± A number of my classmates whirled upon Caprice with amazement plastered on their faces. ¡°So it was Shepherd from Class Two-Dee!¡± ¡°Wow! You nabbed a hotty!¡± ¡°Way to go, girl! You scored big time!¡± Siobhan cut in harshly and pointed at the ceiling. ¡°Would you lot shut up. That idiot is still talking.¡± Indeed, the Countess was rolling downhill without any brakes. ¡°In fact, I have a great idea, so listen up boys and girls!¡± The girl took a deep audible breath that filled her lungs. ¡°I¡¯m going to treat all of you to an awesome experience!¡± Silence descended upon us as everyone waited in anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s all go to Water Wilderness!¡± A collective gasp rose into the air. ¡°Water Wilderness¡­.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°¡­that place is awesome¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I wanted to go with my boyfriend¡­.¡± ¡°¡­damn, how lucky¡­.¡± ¡°¡­yeah, lucky you have a boyfriend¡­.¡± I stared at Caprice, and saw her face become ashen. ¡°So let¡¯s pick out our swimsuits this Friday. You¡¯ll want to look your best for your date.¡± ¨¦clair whimpered, ¡°She¡¯s lost her mind. The Countess has lost her mind.¡± Siobhan gaped. ¡°What is wrong with that girl?¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°I have no idea¡­.¡± Alistair snorted loudly and crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty clear what¡¯s going on.¡± She shot Caprice a knowing look. ¡°That¡¯s her declaration of war.¡± Siobhan¡¯s face contorted in confusion. ¡°Ali, haven¡¯t you been listening. Didn¡¯t you hear her? The war is over. Pervert Desanto is her boyfriend.¡± She pointed across the gym floor. ¡°Look, the guys are already giving chase.¡± I looked where she pointed and saw Caelum fending off the eleven other boys of Class Two-Aye. He moved pretty well, dodging and ducking, jinking and juking to a silent tune, all while retreating with smooth steps. When I thought he¡¯d be cornered, he¡¯d slip out of the boys¡¯ cordon with nimble footwork. Not once did he make contact with any of them. He simply avoided each attempt to grab, strike, or pin him down. It was a masterful display of martial arts prowess that had me gaping in astonishment. However, I wasn¡¯t the only one overawed by his performance. Most of the girls stood in a broad line, watching Caelum make a mockery of the guys trying to catch him. To my right, Lumiere whispered loudly. ¡°Wow¡­he¡¯s amazing¡­.¡± Beside her, Chantel nodded absently. ¡°Fast. So fast.¡± ¡°But smooth,¡± Siobhan pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s dancing with them.¡± ¨¦clair observed, ¡°They haven¡¯t touched him once.¡± I sensed some of the girl were staring at me. ¡°What?¡± I asked anxiously. Cassandra, a tall brunette, asked me, ¡°I heard he beat up six seniors who picked a fight with him. Is that true?¡± My stomach twisted nervously. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± I lied as sincerely as I could. Chantel snorted while grinning broadly. ¡°So he¡¯s a delinquent. I like that.¡± Farrah, a short blonde with pixie features, nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah, beating up six seniors is pretty tough. And he¡¯s only a Familiar.¡± ¡°With moves like those, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Alistair added. Siobhan laughed. ¡°Well, he¡¯s going to be fending off a lot of the Countess¡¯s admirers.¡± I spared a sidelong glance at Caprice, and saw the girl watching Caelum through slightly narrowed eyes. When I glanced around some more, I noticed Ms. Karsen was standing off to the left of the girls and studying Caelum¡¯s movements with keen eyes, her bamboo sword slowly tapping against her shoulder. One of the girls cried out, ¡°Look, they all charged him.¡± ¡°Not fair!¡± Chantel cried out. Farrah cupped her hands around her mouth. ¡°Desanto¡ªrun!¡± ¡°Run, Pervert, run!¡± ¡°Yeah, run.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them catch you, Pervert.¡± Over the public address system, the sounds of loud banging could be heard. ¡°¡­open this door...I said open this door¡­.¡± ¡°¡­she¡¯s overridden the lock¡­.¡± ¡°¡­damn it. Get security up here¡­.¡± The sounds of more frustrated banging. ¡°¡­Simone Alucard Raynar, come out quietly with your hands up¡­.¡± Then the sounds of furniture being moved. ¡°...hey, she¡¯s blocking the doorway!¡± The sounds of a girl¡¯s harried breathing and the Countess was back on the air. ¡°Okay, this is probably going to be my final announcement as Vice-President before they take me away. So girls and guys listen careful.¡± ¡°What is it now?¡± Siobhan grumbled. ¡°I, Simone Alucard Raynar, invite twelve lucky boys and twelve lucky girls from Classes Two-Aye and Two-Dee to join Caelum and I on our double date this Saturday at Water World in Island Five. All expenses paid out of the generosity of my bountiful chest¡ªI mean heart!¡± Around me, my female classmates looked at each other. ¡°Did she say twelve girls?¡± ¡°From our two classes?¡± ¡°Now girls, listen up. If you wish to bring your boyfriends along, then I¡¯ll need names and numbers as I need to make arrangements by this afternoon.¡± The sounds of the door unlocking could be heard, as well as the sounds of furniture being pushed aside. ¡°¡­Security, arrest that girl¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Alucard, don¡¯t run away¡­.¡± The Countess spoke in a strained voice. ¡°I need names and numbers by afternoon homeroom! You must send in your applications by then. The first twelve guys and twelve girls will gain free admission for them and their partners. That means your girlfriends and boyfriends get in for free.¡± ¡°¡­Alucard, stop resisting¡­.¡± ¡°¡­surrender and move away from the furniture¡­.¡± ¡°¡­have you seriously lost your mind-¡ª?¡± The transmission came to an abrupt end as though someone had pulled the plug on the power to the public address system. Felicity crossed her arms and commented, ¡°That does sound like a good offer.¡± Chantel agreed. ¡°Yeah, I really good offer.¡± Almost in unison, my female classmates started running across the gym floor, making tracks for the change room. ¨¦clair wondered aloud, ¡°Where¡¯s everyone going?¡± Siobhan started laughing. ¡°To get their palm-slates so they can message the Countess and get into Water Wilderness for free.¡± She gave me a sidelong look. ¡°What about you, Haruka? You¡¯re not interested?¡± I watched the guys, who only moments ago had been pinning Caelum down, now hastily run to the gym change room to get their slates, leaving behind an exhausted Caelum lying spread-eagled on the ground. The new gym teacher walked up to him, and began to speak to Caelum who struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. Suddenly I remembered Caprice, and turned about to look for her, finding the girl staring at Caelum with a tortured look on her face. Then quietly, wordlessly, she began walking to benches. My heart shifted uncomfortably as my chest grew tight. Taking a quick breath, I hurried after her. Caprice sat on the lowest bench seat, and buried her face into her hands. ¡°Hey¡­Caprice¡­.¡± She shook her head faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± My chest grew tighter, and I almost did as she asked, but then something slithered in the back of my mind and found myself rooted to the ground in front of her. ¡°Caprice, I¡¯m sorry. I tried to warn you.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°Warn me?¡± ¡°That Caelum would hurt you.¡± ¡°Caelum didn¡¯t hurt me,¡± she said softly. ¡°And I won¡¯t admit defeat.¡± The slithering in the dark of my mind stopped then started again. I swallowed and then asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Caelum and the Countess don¡¯t belong together,¡± she replied. ¡°Sooner rather than later, he¡¯ll realize that and they¡¯ll break up.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°When that happens, I¡¯ll be there for him.¡± ¡°Caprice¡ª¡± Her eyes shone with a hard light. ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong with her. He belongs with me.¡± The slithering stopped abruptly, and my thoughts stumbled for a moment. When Siobhan spoke up beside me on my right, I was startled enough to yelp. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± the girl asked Caprice, while ignoring my surprised reaction. Caprice nodded faintly. ¡°Yes. I am. With all my heart.¡± Alistair arrived at my left. ¡°In that case, you should accept her challenge.¡± A faint smile creased Caprice¡¯s lips. ¡°I intend to.¡± I swallowed again and asked, ¡°What about Shepherd?¡± Caprice regarded me intently for a short while, and I felt uncomfortable under her silent scrutiny. ¡°Crais Shepherd is not your concern,¡± she stated flatly. I closed my mouth and swallowed, feeling the slithering fade away and stillness return to the back of my mind. Alistair muttered softly. ¡°That sounds cold¡­.¡± Siobhan crossed her arms. ¡°In that case we need to find swimsuits.¡± Alistair arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°You are coming along, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah, bring Duncan along,¡± Siobhan suggested with a sly smile. I stared at the girls, including Caprice, who regarded me with a range of expressions from the arched to the faint to the mischievous. Eventually I sighed, and slumped my shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go pick out swimsuits¡­.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 12 (Part II) Chapter 12 - Part II (Caelum) # I lay on the gym floor, staring up at the distant ceiling, my heart pounding from physical exertion while pressured on all sides by the conflagration of emotions roiling in my chest. While I had been avoiding the clutches of my classmates, a single pained thought had careened off the inside walls of my head. That thought now turned into a flickering flame of unease. Caprice is dating Crais Shepherd? The crushing pressure within my chest grew worse. Is that the real reason she went blonde? Did she do it for him? I¡¯d read somewhere that girls changed their appearance to suit their boyfriend¡¯s preferences, or to attract the eye of a boy that caught their interest. But I wasn¡¯t asking myself if Caprice was interested in Shepherd ¨C if she wasn¡¯t they wouldn¡¯t have planned a date for this weekend. No, I was asking myself if Caprice was so interested in Shepherd that she would change her look for him. Then I wondered way she went so far as to disguise her reason for doing so. She had sent me off course when I asked her about it in the elevator. My heart hurt a little as it realized how wildly off course her response had knocked me. It hurt a little more when I acknowledged that I¡¯d foolishly hoped she had done that for me. Since it was apparently not the case, again I wondered at her need for a diversion. Why hide the fact she¡¯s dating from me? Was she afraid of what I would think of her? And why Crais Shepherd of all people? When had they met? When had the mutual interest sparked between them? I swallowed despite the growing tightness in my throat. Did I fail to see the signs because I¡¯ve been so wrapped around Simone¡¯s little finger? I had another worry ¨C the fact that Shepherd was a Familiar affiliated with the Raynar Pride. Is she even aware of what he is? Does it even matter to her? Again, I swallowed down my tight throat. Why does it bother me so much? I tried pushing myself up into a seated posture, but I simply lacked the strength, so I slumped back onto the floor and rested. Once more on my back, I tried sorting through my blazing emotions that were only now starting to cool down. Was I bothered to learn she was dating someone? Yes, I was. Was I bothered she hadn¡¯t told me first? Absolutely. However, when I considered my relationship with her, I realized that Caprice didn¡¯t owe me an explanation. We were friends and comrades, but we were also strangers. My thoughts circled back to the undeniable truth that once again I knew very little about her, and that bothered me the most. Then again, if her dating Shepherd was true, then the imaginary boundary between us wasn¡¯t so imaginary anymore. It wasn¡¯t a line in the sand, but a trench along the ground, and it was one she had carved out. I snorted inwardly. What does that line matter anymore? After all, I accepted Simone¡¯s confession and made the choice to date her. I have no right to feel bitter or regretful. However, my thoughts circled back to her dating Shepherd. I wonder if she knows about him and what he¡¯s doing. I needed to talk to her about Crais Shepherd afil Raynar, and I had some explaining to do on my end. I also needed to speak to Lidia, and urge her to find out more about Shepherd. I had intended to bring Simone with me when I spoke to Lidia, but had since discarded that intention. The sound of footsteps approaching me, urged me to prop myself up on my elbows. Through the Awareness-field, I could sense it was Kaleb Deneve afil Lanfear. The older man stopped a foot away and peered down at me. ¡°Tell me the truth. Is it like this for you every day?¡± ¡°Err¡­no, not really.¡± He grinned down at me. ¡°Desanto, I can see why your reputation precedes you. By the way, that was a masterful display. You hung in there pretty well.¡± Was he praising me? I shrugged off my recent feat. ¡°That was nothing. Maya makes me work much harder.¡± Still propped up on my elbows, I asked him, ¡°So are you going to tell me the real reason why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Galatea Academy needed a new gym teacher in a hurry, and I was available so I stepped in.¡± I squinted slightly up at him. ¡°Are you really a gym teacher?¡± ¡°Of course I am,¡± he replied a little testily, then eased up. ¡°I¡¯m fully certified. It pays to have a backup plan. You should think about your future, Desanto. There is life after serving the Prides as your¡­.¡± Kaleb let his words drift away, and I sensed he stopped himself before making an unintended admission. I lay back down on the ground. ¡°Do I even have a future?¡± ¡°Stop sounding so morbid. Now, get up. Gym class is still in effect and I plan to work you guys hard for the next half hour.¡± Gaining my feet, I stood before him. ¡°What happened to Mr. Rygart?¡± ¡°He had to take a sudden leave of absence,¡± Kaleb replied, then shook his head at me. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. If you want to know more you¡¯ll need to talk to Principal Mason. Now, start warming up as I¡¯m going to have the lot of you doing laps.¡± I glimpsed motion behind him and saw the girl¡¯s gym teacher, Ms. Karsen, walking toward us. Facing Kaleb, I said, ¡°The Countess acted on her own. I didn¡¯t put her up to this.¡± ¡°I figured as much.¡± He gave me a slight frown. ¡°Was she telling the truth?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­.¡± I nodded weakly. ¡°Yeah¡­.we¡¯re dating. She confessed and I accepted¡±¡ªI crossed my arms¡ª¡°though I¡¯m considering breaking up with her if this is how she¡¯s going to behave. I can¡¯t believe she announced it to the entire school.¡± Kaleb landed a light karate chop on my head. ¡°Idiot. Women do foolish things when they¡¯re in love. Cut her some slack, and lighten up.¡± Kaleb folded his arms too. ¡°She¡¯s your girlfriend now. You understand what that means?¡± I rubbed my skull. ¡°Her happiness is my responsibility.¡± ¡°That and a lot more. You treat her right.¡± I stopped rubbing my head, and lowered my hand. ¡°I have no intention of hurting her. None whatsoever.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He shook his head as he sighed. ¡°You are one lucky bastard. However, be prepared for some antagonism. That should go away if you treat Alucard right. The girls will see that you cherish her, and the guys will realize that you were the better man amongst them.¡± ¡°You make it sound simple. That girl is a handful.¡± I blushed a little. ¡°Ah¡ªI don¡¯t mean it like that! She is a handful, but she¡¯s also that kind of handful¡ª¡± Kaleb narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Desanto, stop. You¡¯re saying way too much, and you¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± Karsen was only about thirty feet away, but I had one more question to ask Kaleb. Facing him, I lowered my voice. ¡°Kaleb, would you happen to know how many Familiars are currently attending the Academy?¡± A frown flickered across his face. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Just tell me. Would you know how many there are?¡± ¡°Not off hand. I¡¯d need to look at the academic records, and that kind of search would trigger alarm bells.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s just one student¡¯s records? Would you be able to look it up?¡± ¡°Not without triggering more warning bells.¡± Kaleb stared at me intently. ¡°Desanto, what¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°It could be nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep secrets from me.¡± He dipped his head at me. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± In the corner of my eye, I saw Karsen hesitate the last half dozen meters toward us. Is she shy? Wait¡ªdon¡¯t tell me Kaleb¡¯s caught her eye! I wanted to groan, but fought the urge down, beating it to a pulp within heartbeats. However, outwardly I shook my head subtly and said, ¡°Not here. After training.¡± Kaleb pressed lips together, then gave me an equally subtle nod. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be waiting to hear from you.¡± My Awareness-field sensed Ms. Karsen step within a few feet of us. A moment later, a polite cough intruded upon us, so I took a step back from Kaleb, as it was obvious Karsen wanted to talk to him and not me. ¡°Mr. Deneve,¡± she said. ¡°Might I have a moment with you?¡± Kaleb half turned to face her. ¡°Ms. Karsen, I see your students have deserted you as well.¡± He grinned ever so faintly, but it wasn¡¯t wasted on the young woman. Karsen coughed again as she glanced away, her cheeks a gentle rosy color. ¡°Yes, well. Girls will be girls.¡± ¡°And boys will be boys. However, their conduct is inappropriate. I intend to have the lads do laps on the sports field until time runs out.¡± ¡°Oh, a very good idea,¡± Karsen admitted with a slight smile, then palmed a fist. ¡°We¡¯ll have them start on opposite sides of the track.¡± ¡°And the stragglers get detention?¡± She nodded. ¡°As an incentive to take our class seriously.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I watched them shake hands as though sealing the pact that would seal our fates for the next half hour. Karsen looked reluctant to release Kaleb¡¯s hand, yet she appeared embarrassed to be holding it at the same time. ¡°Mr. Deneve¡ª¡± ¡°Please, call me Kaleb. However, I must inform you that my full name is Kaleb Deneve afil Lanfear.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she uttered, and glanced at me. ¡°I see. You¡¯re affiliated with the Lanfears.¡± Kaleb nodded pleasantly. ¡°They¡¯ve been very kind to me.¡± I frowned to myself. He makes it sound like they adopted him or something. Kaleb added, ¡°And I can assure you not all the Lanfear¡¯s Familiars are as troublesome as him.¡± He bowed to her politely. ¡°My sincere apologies, on behalf of my affiliated Pride.¡± I gagged in silence. Sheesh, do you have to prostrate yourself? Besides, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Blame Simone! And she¡¯s a Raynar, not a Lanfear! Thinking of Simone sparked a flame of anger inside me. Damn her! She did all that to pick a fight with Caprice. Just what the Hell happened between those two last night? Noticing I was being scrutinized by both Kaleb and Karsen in silence, I coughed politely and pointed in the direction of the sports field. ¡°I¡¯ll go on ahead¡­sir.¡± Glancing at Karsen, I added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have much to discuss.¡± With a quick bow to them both, I turned and then made my way to sports field¡­until the public address system chirped back to life, and I was stopped in mid-step with an immediate summons to the Principal¡¯s office. # (Caelum) # I had to shower in record time. I had to dress in a record time. Then I had to run to the Principal¡¯s office, whereupon I encountered a hand-cuffed Simone Alucard Raynar under the watchful eye of two oversized security guard, standing in the waiting area. Naturally, Simone looked entirely at ease, not a single hair out of place, perched prettily atop her high heels. At the very least she was back in uniform. After the two of us were escorted into the Principal¡¯s office, I spent the next twenty minutes being lectured by a quietly seething Lavinia Mason Lorian. I chose silence as the wiser course of action, and weathered the storm. Somehow, Mason had concluded I was the root of all problems facing the female student body, starting with my corruption of Simone Alucard Raynar. To prove her point, Mason summoned a holovid window that illustrated Simone apparent fall from grace. According to the Principal, Simone was a top student with an exemplary record until I came into her life. Since the beginning of the year, Simone¡¯s grades had been on a steady decline, and Mason pointed the finger of blame at me. In other words, the situation was just like a romance comic for teenage schoolgirls learning about love ¨C I was the bad boy and Simone was the good girl gone bad under my influence. While I could do nothing to mask my disbelief at such an outrageous accusation, Simone calmly protested that Mason was oversimplifying the situation. Her bad grades had more to do with her increased workload as Student Council Vice-President than my influence. However, this lit a new fire under Mason¡¯s backside. Whirling upon Simone, the Principal fixed a heated glare upon the girl. ¡°From now on, Alucard, you wear regulation footwear upon school grounds. No more high heels.¡± ¡°Ara ara. Regulation footwear¡ªwait! What?¡± Nothing had perturbed Simone thus far. Now, she was positively flummoxed. ¡°You¡ªyou can¡¯t. No. Anything but that. I¡¯ll even do detention for a month. I¡¯ll beg on my hands and knees.¡± Despite being handcuffed ¨C yes, she was still wearing them ¨C Simone prostrated herself on her hands and knees before Mason¡¯s desk. ¡°Please, don¡¯t take away my shoes,¡± she wailed out her plea. I looked down at her, struggling with my disbelief. Are her high heels that precious to her? I did admit I would miss seeing the sleek lines of her legs, but I was certain she would look good in any footwear. Some girls were just unfairly blessed. I frowned at myself. Wait a minute. This isn¡¯t some girl. This is my girlfriend! And the only girl with a pair of pins that good is Caprice¡ªand she¡¯s dating someone else! Damn it¡ªthis is terrible! Realizing I would be denied the guilty pleasure of admiring Simone¡¯s godly sexy legs in sexy footwear during school hours had me on my hands and knees beside my girlfriend of only an hour. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Please, Principal Mason. I implore you. Have mercy. Don¡¯t take away her shoes.¡± Mason sounded strangled. ¡°What. Are. You. Doing?¡± ¡°Pleading on her behalf. In fact, I¡¯ll do detention with her. I¡¯ll wash your car too. But please, don¡¯t take away this guilty pleasure of mine.¡± I bowed my head to the ground. There was an ominous silence from Mason¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Get up. Both of you.¡± Swallowing hard, I helped Simone up to her feet, and then faced a simmering Lavinia Mason. ¡°Firstly,¡± she began, ¡°I can¡¯t give you detention as you have training in the afternoons.¡± I started to reply, but Mason crossed her arms and stood straight, silencing me with a hard glare. Damn, she¡¯s tall, I thought to myself as I looked up at her and swallowed a tad nervously and yet hopeful of a positive outcome. ¡°Secondly,¡± she continued, ¡°Alucard has been flaunting her disregard for uniform regulations since the beginning of this year, and I won¡¯t tolerate it any longer. And that is final on the matter.¡± ¡°¡­no fair¡­,¡± the guilty party whispered. I agreed, but threw her a glance nonetheless. ¡°Is that true?¡± Simone smiled contritely. ¡°Well, sort of¡­.¡± Mason sat down heavily in her high backed executive style chair. ¡°Thirdly, I¡¯m suspending Simone Alucard Raynar from the Student Council. Effective immediately.¡± ¡°What?¡± Simone gasped. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t I get a say¡ª¡± ¡°Not after that display of idiocy,¡± Mason retorted bluntly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with telling the world I¡¯m happy to have a boyfriend?¡± Simone complained. ¡°Everything about what you did is wrong. Have you lost your marbles?¡± I had to agree with Mason, however, I also suspected Simone¡¯s real intention was to spite Caprice, and so I chose to remain silent. Mason laced her fingers together over her lap. ¡°Get your act together, Alucard. Get your grades back in order, and then I¡¯ll reconsider lifting the suspension. However, should you fail to pass all your next exams, then I¡¯m removing you from the Student Council--permanently. In fact, I¡¯ll be talking to Severin Kell regarding your replacement¡ªtemporary or otherwise.¡± Simone grew slowly pale. ¡°Wait. Please reconsider. I¡¯ll get my grades back up. It¡¯s my fault after all. I mean, I¡¯ve been distracted and¡ª¡± Mason slapped her executive style desk sharply. ¡°Precisely,¡± she snapped. ¡°You¡¯ve been distracted and then some.¡± I felt a stirring of anger within me. Faint, yet undeniable, and before I knew it, I¡¯d taken a step between Simone and Mason¡¯s desk. ¡°If you want to blame someone, then blame me. I¡¯ve been the source of her distraction. However, that comes to an end today.¡± Mason blinked but her eyes remained steely hard. Slightly behind me, I heard Simone whisper, ¡°Caelum¡­.¡± I tapped my chest lightly. ¡°Despite everything that¡¯s happened, I¡¯ve kept my grades above par with the weekly exams. Mid-semester exams begin in a little over four weeks.¡± I pointed at the floating rectangular holo-vid window. ¡°If her record was as good as that, then there¡¯s no reason she can¡¯t get her numbers back up. And I¡¯ll make sure she does.¡± ¡°You will?¡± Mason questioned as she sat back in her chair. ¡°I will,¡± I reiterated. ¡°I¡¯ll help her with her studies.¡± ¡°You have enough on your plate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the time,¡± I stated firmly. Mason¡¯s lips flattened into a thin line, as she studied me pensively for a long while. ¡°Very well. If Simone Alucard Raynar demonstrates adequate improvement in her academic record, then I will re-instate her as Student Council Vice-President.¡± ¡°Can I have that in writing?¡± Mason inhaled slow and deeply. ¡°You shall.¡± She stood up smoothly and regarded me with a narrow eyed stare. ¡°However, if her grades don¡¯t improve to her previous academic levels then she shall be removed from the Student Council.¡± I stepped closer to the desk. ¡°I guarantee that she will not fail to surpass her prior academic achievements.¡± ¡°Then we have an agreement.¡± I offered her my right hand, and Mason shook it after a moment¡¯s contemplation. She regarded me thinly. ¡°Remember, Mr. Desanto, she¡¯s your responsibility now.¡± I shook my head inwardly. Why was everyone telling me the same thing? Jeez, don¡¯t I have enough on my plate. Ack¡ªthat¡¯s exactly what Mason said. I swallowed quickly and asked, ¡°Regarding Simone being allowed to wear her high-heels¡ª¡± ¡°Denied.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if she scores a hundred over a hundred. Simone Alucard Raynar will adhere to school uniform regulations regardless of her academic grades.¡± Mason leaned forward an inch or so. ¡°That is not open to negotiation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± I protested. ¡°Those are the rules,¡± Mason stated bluntly. ¡°Now, both of you are dismissed. I will instruct the security guards to remove those handcuffs. And Alucard, get rid of those shoes now. I want you back in indoor shoes before you return to class, otherwise you¡¯re on detention.¡± Simone nodded weakly, but somehow I didn¡¯t think she was troubled by that as much as being suspended from the Student Council. However, with nothing left to say, I turned away and took a gentle hold of Simone¡¯s right arm. She barely resisted, and her expression remained pale and downcast. At the door, I bowed respectfully ¨C and nothing more ¨C to Mason, though Simone barely offered her any show of respect other than a simple, absent nod. Outside the Principal¡¯s office, one of the guards removed the cuffs from around Simone¡¯s wrists. Afterwards, I walked with her back to the high-school building, then down to the lobby where the shoe lockers stood. As she unstrapped her heels, Simone softly advised, ¡°Caelum, you should go to class. You don¡¯t want to be any late than you already are. I won¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ¡°Why did you make that announcement?¡± She slipped her feet into her indoor shoes. ¡°I just felt like doing it.¡± ¡°Caprice and I are not dating.¡± Simone placed her high heels into her shoe locker, closed the metal door and locked it. Then she faced me. ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°Did you know she was dating Crais Shepherd?¡± ¡°I found out last night when she admitted it to me.¡± I sighed and stepped back, leaning my back against the row of lockers behind me. ¡°So that¡¯s why you did it.¡± With a shake of my head, I added, ¡°You really are the jealous kind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous of her. I want to protect you from her.¡± I faced Simone incredulously. ¡°What? Protect me from her? Simone, Caprice has saved my life twice. I¡¯m the one being protected by her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what she¡¯s really like,¡± Simone said, and stepped up to me such that our noses were inches apart. ¡°You don¡¯t know what the girl is really like.¡± I shook my head warningly at Simone. ¡°Don¡¯t you talk bad about Caprice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t threaten, me Caelum,¡± Simone retorted in a low, hard voice. ¡°And I will not allow that girl to come between us.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Is this the real Simone Alucard Raynar talking, or the Countess?¡± ¡°Both. The Countess and I are one. And we protect what we treasure.¡± ¡°Treasure¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re mine, Caelum, as I am yours.¡± It felt strange and a little unnerving to her those words from her. They weren¡¯t something I was accustomed to hearing from anyone. In fact, I couldn¡¯t recall having heard them addressed to me ever before. ¡°Why? Why me?¡± I asked her. ¡°Why choose me? Is it because of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing? Is it really all because of that? Do you want to control its power by controlling me? Because if it is then give it up¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. That¡¯s not it at all!¡± Simone¡¯s lips parted, and she looked uncertain, almost uneasy, as she averted her gaze. Yet at the same time she was blushing madly as though overheating. ¡°That¡¯s not it. You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you. You just wouldn¡¯t. You¡¯d laugh at me.¡± I leaned my face toward her. ¡°Try me.¡± Simone shivered and stepped back. ¡°No. I won¡¯t say it. Not here, and not like this.¡± My Awareness-field warned me someone was close by. Sure enough, a teacher on patrol wandered by, undoubtedly drawn to us by our conversation. The middle aged man frowned at Simone and I. ¡°What are you kids doing? Class is already in session.¡± Simone looked the other way, her face still hot, so I apologized to the teacher on both our behalves. ¡°Just get to class,¡± he repeated as he stood watching us. I took a gentle hold on Simone¡¯s arm, and pulled her along with me. As I walked by the teacher, I sensed his attention fall on the pins on my blazer¡¯s left breast. Through the Awareness-field, I heard him mutter ever so softly under his breath, almost lost in his breathing, ¡°¡­why do these girls fall for their damn kind¡­?¡± I kept walking, though I almost hesitated in mid-step. Simone followed along since I had a hand on her arm, until she suddenly stopped, jerking me to a brusque halt. Facing the teacher, her voice and expression hard, the Countess folded her slender yet incredibly strong arms under her godly bust. ¡°We fall for them because they¡¯re special. So special that we can¡¯t help being drawn to them. It¡¯s something you¡¯d never understand.¡± Fingertips over her chest, Simone stated in a proud voice. ¡°For us Pureblood Aventis girls, finding our fated one is what we live for.¡± I stared at her with my mouth agape. What the Hell is she talking about? Has she really lost her mind? The teacher looked ready to explode in anger. Yet Simone broke into a clenched smile as she grabbed my arm, and began pulling me along with the immense strength of an Aventis Pureblood. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she instructed, still smiling though clearly infuriated. I sighed and decided it was better to follow her rather than be dragged along the ground. At the door to her classroom, Simone came to a hard stop, and finally released my arm. I refrained from rubbing it while in her presence. Blame it on my desire to salvage my male pride after being forcibly pulled along by someone supposedly weaker than me. Standing before the door, Simone took a number of deep breaths, and swallowed visibly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just said all that.¡± She palmed her forehead. ¡°Am I really losing my mind? Ah¡ª!¡± She turned her head and faced me. ¡°Why¡ªwhy did you say all that to her?¡± ¡°To whom?¡± ¡°To Principal Mason. Why did you make that promise to her?¡± I slipped my hands casually into my trouser pockets, though I wasn¡¯t anything but casual. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being blamed for everything that goes wrong, but I will admit that I¡¯m at fault here.¡± ¡°I chose to chase after you and monopolize your time,¡± she countered. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t focus on my studies.¡± I shrugged a shoulder lightly. ¡°Partly true. We both had a hand to play in this result. And that is why I don¡¯t intend to give you a reason to waste time on me.¡± Simone spun her body around to face me with eyes wide. ¡°Wait. Wait a minute. Are you saying you want to break up?¡± A look of despair crossed her face, and its intensity surprised me¡­and worried me. ¡°Why? Is it because I revealed our relationship to the school? Is it because of Steiner? It¡¯s true that I can¡¯t get along with her. But even so¡ªto break up over her is simply too much.¡± I felt my face twist into a deep frown. ¡°Break up? I haven¡¯t thought of breaking up with you.¡± Not entirely true, but I wasn¡¯t going to admit that to her. At the very least, at this moment in time I had no intention of breaking up with her. ¡°Then what?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to try so hard. No reason to waste so much time.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Simone. You confessed and I accepted. Let¡¯s leave all the crazy antics behind.¡± Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she finally asked, ¡°Do you mean that?¡± ¡°Yes. I do. I told you, didn¡¯t I? I want to date the real Simone Alucard.¡± I leaned close to her left ear. ¡°So show me the real Simone Alucard¡­Raynar.¡± My Awareness-field tingled and I glanced at the door to the classroom. A heartbeat later it slid upon with a loud swish and ended with a bang that startled Simone back a few steps. Perhaps unaccustomed to wearing flat shoes, she stumbled a little before catching her footing. A female teacher wearing a smart business-like grey suit stood flustered within the open doorway. ¡°Simone Alucard Raynar, how nice of you to join us. Did you get lost along the way?¡± Simone shook her head, caught off guard on so many sides she stuttered. ¡°No¡ªno, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Then what are you waiting for? A written invitation?¡± ¡°No¡ªno, ma¡¯ma.¡± ¡°Then get inside this instant!¡± ¡°Y¡ªyes, ma¡¯am.¡± Simone bowed hastily a couple of times. The young teacher moved aside, affording Simone space to enter the classroom. Head bowed visibly, Simone hurried into the room, looking chastened and embarrassed. Once the girl was inside, the young teacher turned her attention on me, and regarded me with a disgruntled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a class to attend, young man?¡± ¡°I was just making sure she didn¡¯t get lost along the way.¡± Bowing to her respectfully, I added, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± I turned away and walked down the wide corridor to my classroom some thirty meters away. After knocking on the door politely, I was ushered inside by the teacher who looked none too pleased, so I quickly settled in at my desk. Sitting beside me to my right, Caprice ignored me, her attention rapt on her smart-desk. But a minute later, I received a message from her desk to mine. WE NEED TO TALK. I typed back a silent reply. YES, WE DO. With the neural headset dialed up, I briefly wondered how much worse this day could get, before my thoughts fell into a neat line and my concentration narrowed upon the lecture. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 13 (Part I) Chapter 13 - Part I (Caelum) # ¡°Caelum, where are we going?¡± Caprice asked, her voice oddly betraying more inflection than usual, probably because it was the third time she¡¯d asked the same question. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I replied as I had on the previous three occasions, and picked up my pace. ¡°Hurry. Kaleb said he¡¯d delay our training by thirty minutes.¡± After homeroom, I had insisted Caprice come with me to the collection of clubroom buildings on the west side of the Academy grounds. There was someone I wanted her to meet: Lidia Marie Geharis afil Raynar. Caprice read the sign on the door. ¡°The Sneakers Club? Is it a jogging club?¡± ¡°Nothing like that,¡± I told her. ¡°More like the kind that sneak around.¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± she asked, and sounded clearly puzzled which in turn surprised me. Has her mask slipped off without her noticing? I answered quickly, ¡°Sneaking around in restricted areas.¡± Rapping on the door, I waited for it to be opened. The quiet girl from before, Petra, greeted us and waved us into the room. ¡°The Club President is expecting you.¡± ¡°Out the back and up the stairs, right?¡± I asked her. She nodded. Caprice stepped into the room behind me. ¡°Sorry for intruding,¡± she offered politely with a faint bow. I led Caprice over to the back window, whereupon I climbed out onto the fire escape, and then climbed up the stairs to a room on the fourth level. Caprice followed me through the open window into the room, and then stopped a foot beside me as she faced the room¡¯s other occupant. Lidia was sitting cross legged on a cushion, and she had laid out two other cushions for us. ¡°Please be seated,¡± she said, sounding less than welcoming. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d believe me if I told her.¡± With a suddenly sour expression, Lidia crossed her arms under her small breasts, and huffed as she closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you so I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t done much yet,¡± I admitted a little guiltily. Caprice approached the sitting girl but chose to remain standing. ¡°What do you mean indebted?¡± Opening one eye, Lidia stared up at Caprice. ¡°He¡¯s helping me achieve my dream. Enough said.¡± Caprice turned attention upon me. ¡°Just how many girls are you dating?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I gasped then gaped at her. ¡°I¡¯m only dating Simone. And yes, before you ask, it is true. She confessed and I accepted.¡± I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. ¡°Enough said.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Caprice declared softly. ¡°Then you don¡¯t mind if I date someone of my choosing?¡± I opened my eyes, feeling a painful twinge in my heart. ¡°That depends on who you choose.¡± ¡°I choose Crais Shepherd afil Raynar.¡± I lowered my arms and planted them on my hips. ¡°Then we have a problem.¡± Caprice held my gaze and I held hers as I felt the sudden tension between us. Lidia sighed heavily, and pointed at the cushions. ¡°I presume you¡¯re short on time, so please sit down. I have things to do as well. You can have your spat elsewhere.¡± I held back a sigh of my own as I sat down on the cushion to Lidia¡¯s ten o¡¯clock. After a moment, Caprice sat down on the cushion to Lidia¡¯s two o¡¯clock. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± she asked in monotone. I took a quick breath. ¡°It¡¯s about your poor choice in men.¡± Caprice stiffened then gave me a complicated look. ¡°You may be right about that¡­.¡± Huh? Why did she make that sound as if I was referring to myself? Lidia sighed again. ¡°Okay. Introductions first. I know who you are, but you don¡¯t know who I am.¡± She patted her breastbone. ¡°My name is Lidia Marie Geharis afil Raynar.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± Caprice replied flatly, making it difficult to know if she said it sincerely or not. Lidia nodded quickly. ¡°The boy you are dating¡ª¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Caprice said. ¡°I must clarify. We are not dating. We have simply agreed to go on a date this weekend. It is the first date, and could very well be the last.¡± A frown settled upon Lidia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Err¡­so you¡¯re just testing out the waters?¡± ¡°Correct. I wish to ascertain how compatible we are.¡± My eyes grew wide as I asked, ¡°How compatible you are? So you mean you haven¡¯t made a choice yet?¡± ¡°Correct. I have not decided whether to date him or not.¡± Lidia¡¯s expression grew decidedly troubled, and softly said, ¡°You¡¯re not being entirely open with us.¡± Caprice looked surprised, though it was faint. After a second or so, she regained her composure, and spoke softly. ¡°You are truly perceptive.¡± With a heavy nod, Lidia raised a finger. ¡°I haven¡¯t been entirely open either, so please allow me to finish.¡± A few moments went by before Caprice favored her with a subtle nod. ¡°Very well.¡± I was starting to feel like an outsider, so I crossed my arms and asked Lidia, ¡°So, what have you been hiding?¡± ¡°Crais Shepherd afil Raynar is my cousin.¡± My mouth fell open and I lost hold of my faculties. ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice arched an eyebrow yet remained silent. Lidia released yet another sigh, and rocked back on the cushion. ¡°Crais is my cousin. My mother¡¯s family name is Shepherd but she married into the Geharis Family. Ergo, my name is Lidia Marie Geharis.¡± She held out her hands, palms up. ¡°End of that story.¡± She lowered her hands. ¡°And the start of a new one.¡± ¡°What new story?¡± I asked. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t just drop that bombshell and then run away from it.¡± Lidia faced Caprice. ¡°Are you aware that he has an Artifact?¡± I grumbled inwardly. Great, now she¡¯s ignoring me. Caprice looked mildly surprised at the question, somewhat of a severe response from her. ¡°No¡­I did not. I didn¡¯t sense anything from him.¡± Nodding gently, Lidia folded her arms. ¡°His Artifact is a Celestial class, type Lucifer.¡± ¡°As in the fallen angel?¡± Caprice questioned. ¡°Indeed, and just as troublesome. The Lucifer is able to hide itself from prying eyes and Awareness-fields. Although¡±¡ªshe gave me a thoughtful glance¡ª¡°a Ruler class may be able to see through its camouflage.¡± Ruler class? Does she mean the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing? Thinking about it, Arisa did mention that Kaiser meant Emperor in one of the ancient languages. I smirked to myself. Does that mean I possess the Emperor¡¯s Blessing? Caprice¡¯s question caught my attention. ¡°How do you know he has an Artifact?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen him use it,¡± Lidia replied in a solemn manner. ¡°I was at the training center being tested and I came across a battle arena. He was there, competing against other Familiars of the Raynar Pride. That¡¯s why I know he¡¯s gifted with a Lucifer type Artifact. And I¡¯ve seen him use it in battle.¡± She gave me a meaningful look, as though reminding me of her previous warning that I not challenge Shepherd. Pushing a sudden uneasy sensation aside, I cleared my throat quietly and addressed Lidia. ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t know much about his Artifact. Were you holding back?¡± ¡°I know a little about what it can do, but not the full extent of its abilities.¡± She took a quick breath before continuing. ¡°I do know that other than its ability to hide, the Lucifer can amplify a Familiar¡¯s innate ability to use Influence upon the Aventis. As you know, we Familiars can influence the mind of an Aventis by exerting our will over the Symbiote within their bodies. This is why a Familiar would normally first ingest the blood of their intended target. Once the Symbiote has grown within the Familiar¡¯s body, they are then able to exert control over the Symbiote within the Aventis. The net effect is that we can influence Aventis minds.¡± I understood what she meant. When I drank Haruka¡¯s blood before my fight with the high-school seniors, I was able to will her to run away by using Influence upon her. But I was really exerting my control over the Symbiote inside her body which includes her brain. In other words, control the Symbiote, and you control the Aventis. Lidia added, ¡°This is why Familiars cannot affect the minds of Regulars. A Regular does not possess a Symbiote, so there is nothing there for us to influence.¡± Caprice looked faintly thoughtful. ¡°Why reveal this to me? Why bring me here?¡± ¡°Because we want to warn you about my cousin,¡± Lidia answered. ¡°Quite simply, I don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Caprice stated. Lidia and I both gaped. ¡°Huh?¡± Caprice placed her hands on her thighs. ¡°I do not trust him. My decision to invite him on a date was motivated by the need to learn his true intentions toward me.¡± Lidia blinked slowly, and faced me. I returned her look with an open shrug of my shoulders, and the girl turned back to Caprice. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± I swallowed and said, ¡°I think you¡¯re selling yourself short, Caprice.¡± ¡°Meaning what?¡± she asked without inflection. There were times I couldn¡¯t believe how obtuse she was. Lidia picked up the data slate sitting on the floor to her right. ¡°Allow me to explain.¡± She worked the device for a short while, then handed it to Caprice who took it with a slight nod. ¡°That¡¯s your profile on the Girls of Galatea. You are currently ranked seventeenth highest out of the three thousand girls attending this school.¡± Lidia planted her chin on an upturned palm. ¡°Now do you understand what Desanto meant by saying you are selling yourself short?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. For a short while, Caprice studiously read the details of her profile, then blandly remarked, ¡°They have my dimensions wrong.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Lidia blurted out. ¡°Yes. It says here bust seventy-five centimeters. However, my bust is seventy-seven. I should have this entry corrected. Whom do I contact?¡± Lidia hung her head and shoulders. ¡°Why do I bother¡­?¡± I coughed gently. ¡°Ah, allow me. I¡¯ll have the site administrators correct that entry.¡± Caprice made a soft ¡®ah¡¯ sound, then asked, ¡°Could I make other suggestions regarding my profile?¡± Lidia moaned softly as though suffering a tummy ache. I gave Caprice a defeated nod. ¡°Yes, by all means. I¡¯ll be sure to pass them along¡­.¡± ¡°Very good. I¡¯ll write them out later.¡± Lidia raised her head and growled. ¡°Argggh! Would you stop missing the point?¡± Caprice regarded her with an unreadable expression. Lidia snatched the data slate from Caprice¡¯s hands, and placed it on the floor beside her. ¡°Listen carefully. There is a high likelihood that my cousin¡¯s intentions toward you are purely romantic in nature.¡± ¡°I have considered that,¡± Caprice admitted. ¡°However, I am keeping an open mind.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lidia inquired. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking.¡± I stared at Caprice, unable to hide my interest in her reply. Caprice laced her fingers together on her midriff. ¡°Because I find my friends acting suspiciously around me, and I suspect his involvement.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I uttered. After taking a long, deep breath, Caprice said, ¡°I¡¯m troubled by Haruka¡¯s decision to support my dating Crais Shepherd. She appears intent upon advocating him as the preferred romantic choice for me, and I find her reasons at odds with what I¡¯ve experienced from her in the past.¡± I felt she wasn¡¯t telling me everything, but enough for me to suspect that my fears were realized. Caprice continued after a contemplative moment of silence. ¡°To be honest, I had at one point suspected that she was being Influenced by someone¡ªpossibly Shepherd¡ªto promote him as the most suitable candidate for a boyfriend. However, I have no proof of this. It is simply a gut feeling. However, now that I know he uses a Lucifer type Artifact that gut feeling feels more like a certainty.¡± Lidia was nodding softly, a distant light in her eyes. ¡°You could be right. After all, he has met with her on a number of occasions during the school break.¡± I turned quickly to Lidia. ¡°So that encounter wasn¡¯t the only one.¡± She glanced at me. ¡°He has crossed paths with her on two other occasions. And if he doesn¡¯t need to drink her blood to use Influence on her, courtesy of his Lucifer Artifact, then it¡¯s quite possible he¡¯s been imprinting her as his ally.¡± I frowned slightly. ¡°That could mean two things. One, he really digs Caprice, which is entirely understandable.¡± ¡°Or two,¡± Lidia said, ¡°he has an ulterior motive.¡± ¡°And that could be what?¡± Caprice inquired, and I thought she sounded faintly reluctant. Lidia looked her squarely in the eyes. ¡°To get close to you because of who you are, and what you are worth.¡± I saw Caprice stiffen sharply at Lidia¡¯s words, and then swallow quite visibly. Lidia was watching her intently, so it was clear she noticed the sudden change in Caprice¡¯s demeanor. ¡°Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear. Daughter of Karina Valerian afil Lanfear and Stefan Steiner Raynar, the current head of the Steiner Family¡¯s main branch. As such, you are the daughter-heir to the Steiner Dynasty, and first in-line to inherit control of the most powerful corporate conglomerate in the entire quadrant. The combined value of the girls of this Academy is but a drop in the ocean when compared to your net worth.¡± I stared at Caprice in blatant disbelief. Lidia smirked. ¡°You give the term ¡®rich girl¡¯ a whole new meaning¡ª¡± I jerked back in shock when Caprice shot to her feet in the blink of an eye. Her entire body trembling, she glared down at Lidia without restraint. ¡°Don¡¯t ever¡ªever¡ªtalk about me as if you know me.¡± Lidia shied back with an arm raised as though fearing the standing girl would strike her. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? Why?¡± I stood up quickly, but refrained from approaching Caprice. Truthfully, I¡¯d never seen this kind of response from her before today, and I didn¡¯t know how to approach her. ¡°Caprice, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I kept the name Steiner so that they wouldn¡¯t forget me,¡± Caprice whispered harshly, her emotionless mask shattered in a heartbeat. ¡°I kept it so they would remember that I survived, and that my mother didn¡¯t. However, I have no love for that name, or that family.¡± Lidia looked frightened. ¡°Hey, I just recounted what the file says on you.¡± ¡°What file?¡± Caprice asked in menacing tone. Lidia shied back. ¡°The¡ªthe file I found in an Academy server when I broke into the network a few weeks ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Caprice questioned, her tone growing darker. ¡°Look, I was doing research on a personal project,¡± Lidia explained in a hurry. Rather than appease her, it seemed to incite Caprice even further. ¡°A personal project? Care to explain?¡± ¡°I was looking for someone to help me,¡± the girl replied. ¡°I have a dream, but I¡¯m being unfairly denied. So I¡¯ve been looking to see if there¡¯s anyone here at Galatea who can help me.¡± With a quick breath, I took a courageous half-step toward Caprice. ¡°Calm down. Lidia¡¯s telling the truth. She read the file on me too¡ªprobably¡ªand approached me earlier this week.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caprice asked in a low heated voice. ¡°She wants to change her affiliation. She wants to become a Lanfear, and not a Raynar.¡± Caprice looked down at the frightened girl. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lidia answered. ¡°It¡¯s true. I want to become a Lanfear Familiar and gain a Fragment of my own. The Raynars have said I¡¯m incompatible with all the Fragments they possess, but I don¡¯t believe that for a heartbeat. It¡¯s a lie. So I want the Lanfears to test me, and I want to get myself a Fragment and then unlock it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caprice asked with furrowed brow. Lidia sucked in a lungful of air, and rose to her feet. Standing a couple of inches shorter than Caprice, the girl had to stare up at Steiner. ¡°Because it¡¯s what I want. I want to be complete, and I can¡¯t do that without a Fragment. I want to be more than just a Familiar. I want to be a Familiar with my own Fragment! Okay? Is that clear enough?¡± It was Lidia¡¯s turn to tremble in anger, while Caprice had calmed down and now regarded the girl emotionlessly. Caprice folded her arms. ¡°Having a Fragment means that much to you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say so,¡± Lidia snapped. ¡°Calm down, both of you,¡± I urged them. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time like this.¡± With a nod, Caprice concurred. ¡°Yes, we are. We should return to the training center.¡± Lidia exhaled loudly and walked away from us, wrapping her arms tightly about her torso. ¡°Get out. Both of you. Just get out.¡± My shoulders dropped a little. ¡°Lidia, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I thought she might have been drying a tear when she said, ¡°Just leave me alone¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Caelum.¡± Caprice turned and walked to the open window. I shook my head. ¡°Wait.¡± Facing Lidia¡¯s back, I said to her, ¡°I¡¯m meeting with Arisa Imreh Lanfear this weekend. I want you to come with me.¡± Lidia turned around slowly, but I saw surprise on her face. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I want you to tell her what you told me. I think you should be the one to convince her to help you. If you do, I believe Arisa has enough clout to get you across the line.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°There may be something you can offer Arisa, something that will sweeten the deal. I will vouch for you as much as I can.¡± ¡°You would do that for me?¡± ¡°Yes. I think I can trust you. You¡¯re still holding back on me, but I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve lied to me yet.¡± ¡°No,¡± she said, shaking her head slowly. ¡°I haven¡¯t lied to you.¡± Taking another deep breath, I slipped my hands into my trouser pockets, and tried to appear more at ease. ¡°Lidia, I agree that your cousin could have an ulterior motive for approaching Caprice. And that worries me.¡± From behind me, I heard Caprice ask, ¡°Caelum, what are you saying?¡± I half turned around, but didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°I¡¯m saying, that if his feelings toward you are sincere, and his heart is in the right place, then I¡­I have no qualms about him dating you¡­so long as he¡­makes you happy.¡± After a quiet breath, I added, ¡°So long as he cherishes you for the right reasons.¡± ¡°Do you¡­do you mean that¡­?¡± I held back the ache in my heart, and met her eyes. ¡°Yes. If he has nothing but your best interests at heart, then I mean it.¡± Caprice swallowed, and I thought she looked faintly pained. ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t¡­?¡± I exhaled harshly. ¡°Then I will make him regret being born.¡± Thinking of what he may have done to Haruka¡­and possibly to Simone¡­I found myself punching a fist into an open palm. ¡°I¡¯ll make him beg forgiveness to me on his knees.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 13 (Part II) Chapter 13 - Part II (Haruka) # I watched Caelum depart with Caprice as soon as afternoon homeroom came to an end. I had no idea where they were headed, and it didn¡¯t bother me until I felt something uncoil and coil in my mind. For a moment, I considered following them, but my attention was pulled back to the on goings in the classroom. During homeroom, it appeared every second year high schooler had received a hasty mail message to their school account from the Countess, informing them of a change in plans, and this had stirred up the proverbial bees¡¯ nest. Or was it hornets¡¯ nest? Either way, the Countess now declared that she would invite twenty girls and twenty guys from the second year ranks to join her, Caelum, Caprice, and Crais Shepherd, at Water Wilderness this Saturday. The lucky winners would be decided through a ticket raffle. All those that send their names to Simone would be entered into a raffle program that would then choose the forty winners. I looked up at Alistair seated in front of me. ¡°Are you going to enter?¡± She shrugged lightly. ¡°Yeah, I sent my name. Those tickets are expensive. Might as well try my luck.¡± I took deep breath, then sent my name to the Countess¡¯s account. What the Heck. I¡¯ve got nothing to lose, and if I win I¡¯ll invite Duncan. I leaned forward over my smart desk, and asked Alistair, ¡°So the numbers went up from twelve to twenty?¡± Alistair turned around and sat sideways on her chair. ¡°Maybe she gets a discount if she buys the tickets in bulk.¡± I read the mail message again. ¡°It says she¡¯ll churn out the names at five pm and then mail the lucky the winners.¡± Alistair snorted. ¡°To think the Countess would go this far to piss off Caprice. This is like a victory celebration for her.¡± I felt something wrap itself around my thoughts. ¡°It just proves what I¡¯ve been saying all along. Caprice is better off without Caelum.¡± Alistair half frowned at me. ¡°Yeah, but this isn¡¯t about Desanto. This about two girls having a very public spat.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s over,¡± I declared. ¡°Caprice is better off with Shepherd. Much better off.¡± I ignored the complicated look Alistair gave me. ¡°If you say so¡­.¡± Wanting to change the subject, I glanced at the girl sitting to my right. Siobhan was busy scrolling through something on her smartdesk¡¯s screen that looked suspiciously like an online catalogue. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked her. ¡°Picking out a new swimsuit,¡± Siobhan muttered in reply. ¡°Just in case I get lucky¡­.¡± Alistair snorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your old swimsuit?¡± ¡°They were all one-piece styles. I think I¡¯ll try a bikini this time. Something to show off my curves.¡± Alistair snorted again and crossed her arms unhappily. ¡°Well, lucky you¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± Siobhan said distractedly as she continued scrolling through the pages on the smartdesk¡¯s screen. ¡°I¡¯m kind of hoping I don¡¯t get any bigger.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alistair sounded strangled. Siobhan blinked a couple of times, then looked up and over at Alistair and I. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my mother. She¡¯s a curvy hour glass¡±¡ªshe mimed the shape with her hands¡ª¡°like a pin-up poster girl.¡± That was true. Siobhan¡¯s mother, Layla St. Clare, was definitely poster girl material. When younger, she¡¯d modelled everything from swimsuits to sexy lingerie, which is how she met Siobhan¡¯s father, the son of the owner of a clothing brand. After a passionate romance, they married, and Siobhan was born a year later. Her mother continued to model, but gave it up with the birth of her second child, Siobhan¡¯s younger brother, Lukas. Having met her mother, it was clear to me that Siobhan had inherited her genes. The girl¡¯s curves weren¡¯t as pronounced, but she had a top quality figure, and her bust was a firm cee-cup. Siobhan¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to grow as big as my mother. She used to complain that her breasts grew way too large after her pregnancy. In fact, she claimed they were only good for one thing and that was attracting men. When she mentioned having them reduced, dad almost fainted before pleading with her on hands and knees to reconsider. He said something about her body being a temple to the gods, and that she shouldn¡¯t commit sacrilege.¡± Alistair eyes grew lidded. ¡°Your dad reminds me of someone in our class.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Siobhan choked. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lump my dad with Pervert Desanto.¡± Planting my left elbow on my smartdesk, I rested my head on the palm of my left hand. ¡°So what did your mother do?¡± ¡°She made him buy her gifts.¡± Siobhan shrugged. ¡°He does that all the time anyway. My dad adores her, so I think mum is stupid for getting jealous of the women at his company, especially the young models.¡± I nodded faintly to myself. ¡°Your dad¡¯s quite the hunk.¡± Siobhan sneered. ¡°Yeah, well, my annoying pest of a younger brother takes after him. Thank the gods he¡¯s not attending school at Galatea. I think I would have killed him by now. The little shit strings girls along like a violin. He¡¯s the Pied Piper of Calista Academy.¡± I pressed my lips together for a moment. ¡°Have you ever considered the possibility those girls genuinely like him?¡± Siobhan looked annoyed. ¡°No. Never. They¡¯re just as stupid as the models that float around my dad at work, thinking they¡¯ll ever have a chance with him.¡± Alistair¡¯s face contorted slightly. ¡°How did we get onto the topic of your family?¡± Siobhan sighed. ¡°Because I said I didn¡¯t want to grow as big as my mother. I¡¯d be happy to remain a Cee-cup all my life.¡± She squirmed a little. ¡°Although, that may be wishful thinking¡­.¡± With lidded eyes, Alistair groused, ¡°Please tell me why we¡¯re still friends.¡± Someone ran into the room, and bounced along the way to a group of girls milling near the front of the classroom. The buxom pixie, ¨¦clair Faltome, spoke in an excited manner to the girls who soon shared in her enthusiasm. Alistair made a clicking sound with her tongue. ¡°Gods, I hate that midget.¡± She got up and packed her belongings into her bag. As I watched her, I remembered promising to help the Student Council Secretary, Carmen Medina Sora, with the mountain of paperwork that had built up during the time the Academy was closed. Alistair zipped up her carry-bag. ¡°I have to get to the dojo, so I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow.¡± Her words reminded me that Alistair trained at her parent¡¯s Aikido dojo. She¡¯d mentioned qualifying for an upcoming tournament that she was determined to win, though realistically she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d place higher than third. Pausing for a moment, Alistair looked down at me. ¡°Haruka, did you know Pervert Desanto was skilled in the martial arts?¡± I bit my lower lip, then shook my head. ¡°No. I mean, I knew he had a Fragment and that he¡¯d spent months training since he Awakened as a Familiar, but I¡¯d never seen him in action.¡± Alistair looked thoughtful and averted her eyes for a moment. ¡°Well, I thought he moved pretty well, but he wasted a lot of energy.¡± I held back a frown, and refrained from biting my lower lip again. After another moment of silence, Alistair shrugged lightly. ¡°I was thinking of inviting him to our dojo. Do you think he¡¯d come?¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­okay. I¡¯ll chat to him tomorrow.¡± She slipped the straps of her bag over her left shoulder. ¡°Catch you tomorrow.¡± She turned to walk out of the classroom, but slowed to a stop when ¨¦clair called out to her. ¡°Hey Alistair, I have something for you.¡± ¡°What? Your breasts?¡± ¡°No.¡± The girl shook her head as she pulled out a pair of safety scissors from a skirt pocket, and offered them to Alistair. ¡°Here. You can use these to cut your hair.¡± ¡°Why the Hell would I do that for?¡± ¨¦clair made snipping gestures with it. ¡°Because if you miss out winning a ticket as a girl, you can try winning as a boy.¡± Alistair dropped her carry-bag and cracked her knuckles. ¡°Twin Peaks, I¡¯m going to pop your breasts here and now.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¨¦clair bounced on her heels, which in turn made her chest bounce as well. ¡°Ooh, Alistair. Why not go topless to Water Wilderness? No one will notice anything out of place¡ªeek!¡± ¨¦clair turned to run, but she simply wasn¡¯t fast enough. Alistair leapt like a panther over a smartdesk, landed lightly on her feet, and caught the fleeing pixie a heartbeat later, trapping her in a headlock. ¨¦clair struggled like an antelope caught in the jaws of a lioness. In other words, there was a lot of arm waving and leg kicking, but it was futile. Alistair used her superior size, strength, and training to drag the helpless buxom girl to the back of the room. I thought someone might come to ¨¦clair¡¯s aid, especially since there were a handful of guys still in the room, but everyone shied back, unwilling to incur Alistair¡¯s wrath. ¡°Stop¡­can¡¯t breathe¡­lemme¡­go¡­.¡± ¡°Not this time, Twin Peaks. Not this time.¡± Alistair dragged the girl to the lockers standing at the corner closest to the windows. She yanked one of them open, shoved ¨¦clair into the locker, then slammed it shut and quickly turned to the lock. Afterwards, she dusted her hands. ¡°There. Done. I¡¯ve always wanted to know if she would fit inside one of these.¡± From inside the locker came the sounds of banging and crying. Siobhan and I stared at each other in disbelief. ¡°Did that just happen?¡± Siobhan asked. ¡°Yeah, I think it did,¡± I answered. The banging and crying grew louder, and ¨¦clair screamed hysterically from inside the locker. This galvanized a handful of the girls to hurry to the back of the room. Alistair stood in their way. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, ladies.¡± One of the girls, Farrah, pointed at the locker. ¡°Alistair, don¡¯t you know about ¨¦clair¡¯s condition?¡± Alistair snorted and folded her arms across her chest. ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°She¡¯s claustrophobic,¡± Farrah replied, sounding genuinely worried. ¡°I¡¯m serious. She has a letter in her bag from her physician that she takes with her all the time.¡± Chantel demanded loudly, ¡°Get her out of there now, Alistair!¡± She raised a fist angrily. ¡°Or I swear I will hurt you.¡± Alistair glared a challenge at the slender blonde, while behind her the banging grew to a crescendo then abruptly stopped. The ensuing silence was eerie, and all of us stared at the bent and distended locker in growing trepidation, before Siobhan stood up and ran to the back of the room, pushing Alistair harshly out of the way. ¡°What the Hell have you done, Ali,¡± Siobhan hissed as she twisted the lock on the door and yanked it open. But the locker door was so badly bent out of shape that it failed to open. Applying her Aventis strength on the lock, Siobhan snapped it clean off the door. She stared at it in disbelief. ¡°Shit!¡± she cursed. ¡°It¡¯s stuck. I need something to cut it with.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the janitor,¡± Chantel said, and started to hurry out of the room. Siobhan continued struggling with the locker door. It flexed, then edged open by a couple of centimeters. ¡°What the Hell is this thing made of?¡± ¡°They make them stronger because we¡¯re Aventis,¡± Farrah explained. ¡°If it was a Regular locker you would have torn the door off by now.¡± Suddenly one of the boys hurried to the locker. Haruto Kurokami Lorian urged Siobhan aside. ¡°Let me try.¡± Grabbing the door through the gap, he pulled at it with more strength than Siobhan could muster, and I soon heard the metal creak and groan, before it suddenly gave way and the door ripped free of the warped locker. Haruto stumbled back, landing hard against a smart desk, and cursed in pain. He was still holding onto the locker door, but he cast it aside quickly as he stood up and hurried back to the locker where Siobhan was already reaching in to pull out ¨¦clair. Together they lay the girl on the floor of the classroom, and a handful of her classmates quickly crowded around her, but Alistair wasn¡¯t amongst them. She took several steps back, and stared uncertainly at the scene before her. Unable to hold myself back, I too ran to the back of the classroom, and grabbed a nearby chair. Using it to stand on, I looked down over my classmates¡¯ shoulders at the buxom pixie. ¨¦clair¡¯s eyes were half-open but she was unconscious, and didn¡¯t respond when Siobhan patter her cheeks. There was a greyish pallor to her face, and the scent of urine in the air. In her terror, ¨¦clair had peed herself. Haruto snapped quickly. ¡°Get my gym bag. My alcove¡¯s twenty-two.¡± Farrah asked, ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I have towel in there,¡± he explained. ¡°Oh.¡± Farrah hurried off then returned with the bag a few seconds later, which she placed beside Haruto who was kneeling on the floor. Haruto hastily unzipped it, pulled out the towel, and handed it to Siobhan. ¡°Here¡ªyou do it. Wrap it around her waist.¡± He fished around some more inside his gym bag, but shook his head a few seconds later. ¡°Damn, I left the other one at home.¡± ¡°I have one,¡± Felicity said, carrying a towel in her hands. She dropped to her knees opposite Siobhan. ¡°I¡¯ll dry her up.¡± Haruto gently eased ¨¦clair¡¯s head and shoulders up onto his lap, while the two girls worked on ¨¦clair¡¯s lower body. Siobhan wrapped the towel around the girl¡¯s waist, while Felicity removed ¨¦clair¡¯s soaked underpants, and used her towel to dry the girl up. Bowing his head over her, Haruto spoke to ¨¦clair, patting her cheeks lightly. ¡°¨¦clair? ¨¦clair? Can you hear me? It¡¯s Haruto? Can you hear me?¡± He shook his head, then looked up at the girls. ¡°Does anyone know if she¡¯s on medication¡ªanything that she would take to counter her claustrophobia?¡± Farrah shook her head, but said, ¡°I¡¯ll check her bag.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯ll call the school nurse.¡± Pulling out my palm-slate, I rang the number for the nurse¡¯s station on the first floor of the high school building. Haruto took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to carry her there.¡± Siobhan tightened the towel around ¨¦clair¡¯s waist, and then Haruto carefully picked up the comatose girl. Carrying her Princess style, he made his way cautiously to the classroom¡¯s back door. Felicity pulled aside the sliding door, and the boy stepped into the broad corridor with ¨¦clair in his arms. For a moment, all the girls and guys remaining in class stood rooted to the floor, before they began walking in Haruto¡¯s wake. Farrah hurried behind them, carrying what I presumed was ¨¦clair¡¯s carry-bag. I watched them leave, and a heartbeat later the school nurse answered my call. With a troubled breath, I explained to her about ¨¦clair¡¯s mishap. A few feet away, Alistair sat down on an empty chair and buried her face in her hands. Stepping down from the chair, I walked up to her with soft steps. ¡°Ali¡­did you know?¡± Alistair shook her head, her face palmed in her hands, and I watched her shoulders shake. I realized she was crying. ¡°¡­didn¡¯t know¡­I didn¡¯t know¡­I didn¡¯t know¡­.¡± I sighed, and glimpsing motion at the classroom¡¯s front door, I looked toward it. Severin Kell Avenir peeked inside, then caught sight of me. ¡°Miss Amiella, just the young lady I was looking for. Carmen is on the hunt for you. I thought I might spare you her wrath.¡± I started to reply, but then realized I didn¡¯t know what to say, and closed my mouth quietly. The Student Council President noticed my distracted state of mind, and approached us smoothly. ¡°Is something the matter¡­?¡± His words trailed away when he noticed Alistair sobbing quietly. Kell cast me an inquiring look. ¡°Dare I ask?¡± Reaching out, I placed a hand on Alistair¡¯s shoulder, and sighed again. ¡°She did something stupid. Something very stupid. And someone was hurt.¡± The President looked faintly alarmed. ¡°Should I hear it from her, or from you?¡± Pulling up a chair, I sat down beside Alistair and threw an arm around the sobbing girl¡¯s shoulders. Looking up at Severin Kell, I said in a weary voice, ¡°Mister President, please take seat.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 14 (Part 1) Note: Prissila''s part belongs at the end of Chapter 13 in the manuscript.
Chapter 14 - Part 1 (Prissila) # Lying on my bed, I stared at the calendar on the holovid window projected above my palm-slate. If I was to believe my mother, I had one more week of cram school to endure, then I¡¯d be back at Galatea. All because I allowed my grades slide into near oblivion. I tapped the screen, turning off the holovid window, then dropped my slate onto the bed beside me. I was tired, my head hurt and I still had homework to complete. Afterwards, all I could look forward to was taking a shower and sleep. With my entertainment privileges taken away, I had nothing to read outside of academic texts, and nothing to watch outside of study lectures. If I tried surfing the Junction, my online activities were monitored so my mother was sure to come racing into my room with a lecture ready. I had already lost my palm-slate, and the device I had now was a heavily restricted model. My life had become a student¡¯s Hell. However, it was either this or repeat a year, and that was something I truly didn¡¯t wish for. Somehow, I would pull my grades up. Somehow, I would pass my university entrance exams at the end of the year. But right now all I wanted to do was throw-up in mental exhaustion. After lying across my bed for a little while longer, I wearily propped myself up and then dragged myself over to my study desk. Mother had taken away all my plush toys, leaving me to choose just one to keep me company. I looked at the penguin on my desk, and lightly patted its head, then sat down at my chair to finish off the remaining homework. I was an hour into it when I received a message sent to my Galatea Academy account. It came from one the girls I was friends with. Opening it, I read the contents and assumed they were a joke. However, when I checked the Galatea community forums I read a number of threads revolving around Simone¡¯s admission to the entire school over the public address system. I felt hurt. I felt gutted. And I felt angry. When I could contain my emotions no longer, I stood up and made a fateful decision. I had been relegated to the sidelines for too long. Picking up my plush penguin, I carried it with me as I left my room and then walked through the immense apartment in search of my mother. ¡°Mother, we need to talk!¡± It was time for battle¡­at the water park. # (Maestro) # Sitting in my quarters aboard Pantra, I visually perused the dossiers floating before me, flipping from one to the next, casting them aside and drawing others near with the wave of a photon-gloved hand. The faces were growing familiar to me know, having regarded them for so long. Counting the number we have assimilated into the fold, our first objective was only halfway achieved. However, even if we managed to Imprint all the necessary elements protecting her, I still didn¡¯t know what to do about him. I flicked away the floating files, and brought one closer, enlarging it with my fingertips. Caelum Rafael Desanto afil Lanfear, bearer of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. I sat back and frowned as I stared at the image of the young man whom I had little choice but to consider a complication to the plan. Am I approaching this the right way? I pondered the issues the mission faced. A simple snatch and grab was easier said than done. Even if we escaped successfully from Pharos, the next problem was giving our pursuers the slip and Pantra wasn¡¯t the vessel for the job. Infiltration was one thing; escape was another. What Pantra could do was get us outside of the asteroid Island to where Zephyrus would be waiting for us. Essentially, the starship was expendable, and in a way that irked me as I considered it wasteful to lose such a capable little ship. Then there was Zephyrus to consider. The vessel was sister ship to Celica Desanto¡¯s Induran, and possessed a Core Artifact that improved its capabilities considerably. However, was it good enough to evade its pursuers once they gave chase? The intelligence I had received indicated the Sandoval Family ¨C who owned the private military contractor known as Pantheon Company ¨C had let loose something upon the Hurakan Nebula in response to the presence of Induran and Zephyrus. That something had a name, Paloma, and while it was classified a Pathfinder, nothing else was known about the starship. Constructed in perfect secrecy, one that even Crescent¡¯s Lorelai couldn¡¯t breach, the Sandoval Pathfinder was an unknown that I equated to a dark abyss that could swallow all my carefully laid out plans. The problem with unknowns is that you couldn¡¯t plan for them. How do you plan a route around the unknown if you don¡¯t know how big it is? I refrained from running a palm over my face. I would need to head out later this evening to Influence and Imprint the next unwitting pawn in my plan to snatch the girl from under their noses. And there lay my second problem: the mission proviso that I convince her to come with us, rather than have her coerced into joining us. If my intelligence on the girl was correct, that would prove nigh on impossible. I realized I was rubbing my face and stopped, and unpleasant thought worming its way to the forefront of my consciousness. The more I look at it, the more impossible it becomes. A sigh laced with misgivings escaped me. The more I look at it, the more it looks like a trap. There is a quote I remembered reading in my youth that states the key to avoiding a trap is knowing it¡¯s there. I wasn¡¯t sure of its validity. I was beginning to suspect this mission was nothing more than a trap, but if so why risk sending me here to be captured? Or did he believe I would not risk being taken alive? Well, I certainly have no intentions of dying but if the Sanctum get their hands on me, I¡¯m royally screwed. It was looking more and more apparent that I would need a failsafe or backup plan to save my own skin should the proverbial excrement hit the fan. But then what? I would be unable to return to Crescent. What options were open to me then? Perhaps it¡¯s better if I quit this region of space altogether. Maybe I should settle down in some backwater colony world and just leave all this behind. An incoming call on the Fragment-Link had me blinking a couple of times in quick succession. My Artifact possessed the ability to link Fragments and Artifacts of different classes so that they could communicate with each other. In effect, it acted like a node in a communication network. *Merkala? What¡¯s the problem? I swallowed quickly as I remembered something of import. *Has something happened to Sofia? *No, Sofia¡¯s fine. We have a different problem. I sat up in my chair. *Report. *There are smugglers in the upper level of the Old Docks, about two klicks away from your position. And they¡¯ve just been surrounded by a squadron of Enforcer drones. My stomach clenched into a ball. *What¡¯s your position? I had to wait longer than expected for her reply. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. *We¡¯re two hundred meters south of the smugglers, overlooking the scene. Sofia is hiding behind a support column about twenty meters to the right of me. We haven¡¯t been spotted yet. I cleared away the floating holovid windows, and then stood up, feeling unease creep along the length of my legs. *What can you tell me about the smugglers? *Not much. They came in two vans¡ªthe kind capable of making vacuum runs between the Islands¡ªand small ship that looks like a custom runabout, outfitted with thermoptic camouflage. The ship flew into the Old Docks from the Harbor Tunnel. I¡¯m looking at about eight men and one woman. Seraphim can sense two more¡ªone in each van¡ªand two inside the runabout¡­. I sensed she was holding something back. *Merkala? An uncomfortable silence followed as I walked out of my quarters on my way to the bridge. *Merkala? *Something¡­about the woman concerns me. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say she was a Familiar. However, I can¡¯t tell unless I extend my Awareness-field toward her. However, that will give away my position. Pantra¡¯s bridge was some twenty meters ahead of me, and the corridor widened noticeably as I approached it. This was because the ship¡¯s forward section was wider than its main body, thus the bridge and connecting rooms were rather spacious. Stepping through the double doors and onto the bridge, I made my way directly to the console and seat that served as my observation station. *What about the drones? I asked as I sat down on the acceleration chair, then swung the console over my lap. *What are they doing? I typed a message to the Pantra¡¯s captain, who was seated at his station and observing my sudden entrance onto the bridge with a laconic air. ENGAGE FULL STEALTH MODE. WE HAVE DRONES IN THE UPPER LEVEL. The man read the message, replied with a nod to me, then turned back to his station. Almost immediately the bridge lighting dropped to a soft blue, indicating the ship was now operating at full Stealthrun. Merkala¡¯s voice spilled into my mind. *For the moment, they drones have established a cordon around the smugglers. However, there are more drones sweeping the surroundings. I¡¯m sensing at least ten other machines searching the surroundings. There was a brief pause before she added, *At the very least, I¡¯d say the drones are here to stay. *Explain. *I just sighted a relay drone. That one will be issuing commands to the other drones via wireless comm, and it will be linked back to a command station via a Quantum-Link. I¡¯d take that as a clear sign they intend to do a fresh sweep of the area. The problem is we have no idea how far they¡¯ll be ranging. I held back a curse by clenching my jaw, but my stomach reflexively tightened. *Very well. In that case pull back. We¡¯ll start preparations to depart immediately. And I¡¯m ordering Sofia back to the ship. Merkala sounded hesitant. *While she withdraws, I¡¯ll pull back and keep an eye on things from a distance. I swallowed tightly. *Sofia, are you listening? *Yes¡­. Though the girl¡¯s Fragment was a Siren Maiden and thus different from Merkala¡¯s Seraphim, my Artifact, Thoth, made it possible to communicate between devices via the so-called Fragment-Link. As such, Sofia was able to listen in on the conversation taking place between Merkala and I. The girl sounded nervous, so I hoped she would be receptive to my instructions. I really wasn¡¯t in the mood to tolerate her bouts of teenage hormone laden attitude. *Sofia, make your way back to the ship. That¡¯s an order. Don¡¯t dally. Don¡¯t deviate. But don¡¯t rush about madly, either. Am I making myself clear? *Yes¡ªyes, sir. *Good, then get moving. The girl was definitely nervous. *O¡ªokay. I¡¯ll try. *Don¡¯t try, I said to her. *Just do it. Get back here on the double. *Yes¡ªyes, sir. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do it. Abruptly Merkala shouted into our minds. *STOP¡ªdon¡¯t move! Sofia, don¡¯t move! Is that clear? Do not move! *Y¡ªyes. Yes, I¡¯m not moving. The girl sounded panicked, and I rubbed a temple. *Merkala, what the Hell is the problem? I heard her sigh in my mind. *A very big problem. *What problem? I threw at her, while growing both anxious and irritated with her drawn out reply. Again, there was another annoying moment of uncomfortable silence before I heard her sigh again. *A drone armada just arrived, and they look ready for an invasion of the Old Docks. I swallowed in veiled disbelief. *What did you say? *I said a drone armada has just arrived, and it looks like they¡¯re here to stay and sweep through the Old Docks because they certainly have the numbers for it. Though I¡¯d expected drone activity, and certainly there had been its fair share in the Old Docks during the last few days, Merkala¡¯s report painted a picture of doom in my mind. It took me a few seconds to recover my mental voice, though my throat had gone dry. However, before I could use it, Merkala said, *There¡¯s one more think you should know. I took a deep breath to cushion myself from more bad news. *And what would that be? She chuckled bitterly, and despite the gravity of the situation, I felt a twinge of irritation toward her beneath my growing feelings of dread. *Damn it, woman. Be serious. Merkala stopped chuckling, and I heard something strange in her mental voice ¨C a cross between bitterness and resentment. *From the insignia emblazoned on their bodies, these new drones don¡¯t belong to the Enforcers. I took a quick breath. *Then to whom do they¡ª? *These drones belong to Public Security Section Zero¡­and you know what that means. There was no missing the sudden dark feelings tainting her mental voice. Simultaneously my feelings crashed in stark despair, as I knew exactly what she meant. Aleron Imreh afil Lanfear, Public Security¡¯s undisputed ruler, and the Meister of Section Zero, had released his automated hunting dogs into the Old Docks, undoubtedly because he suspected something was afoot. First Desanto, and now another accursed Lanfear has chosen to step onto the stage. Why are the Fates working against me? I struggled to regain my mental balance. I whispered in disbelief and dismay, *How could he know we are here? *He doesn¡¯t. I was surprised by the abrupt tone of regret underscoring Merkala¡¯s reply, and I looked up and into the distance, picturing the young woman hiding behind a large support column of rock, permacrete, and steel. Merkala¡¯s mental voice fell to a contrite whisper. *I¡¯m sorry, Maestro. He¡¯s not here looking for you. He¡¯s looking for me. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 14 (Part II) Chapter 14 - Part II (Merkala) # Classical Newtonian physics says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure how that works. If every action I take is countered, then how is it possible for me to move from point aye to point bee. If I tried to open an unlocked door, and was opposed equally, I wouldn¡¯t be able to. I will admit I failed miserably in physics class. So I rationalized the events that transpire around me in a different way. For every action I take, there are consequences to reckon with. The arrival of the Public Security Section Zero drones was an example of said consequences. My hiding spot behind a support column was some two hundred and twenty meters south of the nearest smuggler van. To my right, and approximately twenty-two meters away, Sofia hid behind another column. When we first sighted the smugglers, I instructed Sofia to summon her Siren Maiden. The girl lacked the skill and training to use her Fragment¡¯s effect-fields to camouflage herself from passive and active sensors. However, with her Siren Maiden manifested, she would be able to hide from any active and passive sensors with ease. By pure chance, she had been close to me when I first sensed an active sensor sweep, a minute or so before sighting the smugglers, and it was my belief they had swept the area to see if they were alone or not before beginning their transaction. Using Seraphim¡¯s fields to mask my presence, I¡¯d also inadvertently hidden Sofia who happened to be walking behind me. So why were we out here? Sofia was here because she¡¯d chosen to tag along, but I wandered through the Old Docks for my own reason. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t endure being cooped up inside the Pantra while Maestro and his crew ventured into the habitats to imprint more hapless Aventis to the cause. Rather, I wandered through the abandoned docks because I was certain that trouble would come calling, and when it did, I was determined to face it away from the Pantra. Remember, for every action taken there are consequences to them. Consequently, over the past couple of days, I had gone on a handful of long walks through the Old Docks, with the intention of dealing with the consequences before they endangered the Pantra. During my journeys, I¡¯d spied kids racing on lev-bikes and lev-boards, watched a large group of young adult revelers party long hours into the night, observed some shady deals go down between unsavory individuals, and so forth. In many respects, this outing was no different from others and I wasn¡¯t in the least surprised to encounter these smugglers. That changed a little when the Enforcer drones initiated their sting operation. Yet, as they were preoccupied with someone else, I wasn¡¯t overly concerned. But the appearance of the Public Security Section Zero machines, with their shiny white plasteel bodies and ornate blue livery, all but confirmed that it was time to face the music. I watched one giant floating donut with Section Zero markings approach the Enforcer relay drone. In moments, both machines were staring at each other through their multiple camera eyes, giving the impression they were squaring off against the other as one division tried to muscle out the other. Then without warning, the ninety odd Public Security drones surrounded the area. As they outnumbered the Enforcer drones by more than three-to-one, they had no trouble establishing a cordon that was several hundred feet in radius. That brought them awfully close to us, and I sensed Sofia was on the verge of bolting away from her hiding spot. Maestro¡¯s voice came through clear into my head. *What do you mean they¡¯re here for you? I sighed and took a quick breath. *There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. *Such as? *The other evening when I went to observe the unofficial match between those high-school Familiars, I was followed home, so to speak. There was a moment of stunned silence before Maestro literally screamed into my head. *WHAAAAT! *Yes¡­my bad. Though he was reputed to be a cool operator in times of pressure, I had the distinct impression he was hyperventilating. *When were you planning to tell me this? *I wasn¡¯t. A moment of heavy silence followed before he continued. *Then would you care to explain now? What do you mean you were followed? I sighed inwardly. *There was a girl observing the match, but after a while she began observing me. I knew she was a Familiar with a Fragment because I sensed her Awareness-field when she directed it at me. *And? *And after the match ended, she followed me on her lev-bike as I rode back to the ship. *And? *I stopped and asked her what she wanted. *AND? *She said she just wanted to ride with me and get to know me better. *AND DID SHE EXPLAIN WHY? *She said it was because she found me attractive. He may have choked on his tongue. *And you believed her? *No, of course not. Certainly, I am attractive, but I¡¯ve never been propositioned by women before. Men, definitely. But women, no. *And then what happened? I hesitated for a heartbeat. *I chose to deal with the situation as quickly as possible, rather than regret it later. *And how¡ªpray tell¡ªdid you deal with the situation? *I lured her deeper into the Old Docks, summoned Seraphim, and then I killed her. I peered around the smooth corner of the column, and used my Awareness-field to enhance my eyesight and hearing. The smugglers looked confused by the sudden turn of events. However, they had yet to pull out any heavy weaponry to deal with the drones, and the woman amongst them looked unnervingly calm as she stood close to the sleek runabout ship with her arms crossed. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I narrowed my eyes in thought, wondering if she had expected this situation. Perhaps she was strong enough to deal with the more than one hundred drones, and ensure her cohorts escaped cleanly. Maestro¡¯s voice drifted into my mind after a significant pause. *Say that again¡­please. I made no effort to hide my sigh. *I killed her. *You just¡­killed her. *Well, she did put up a fight. She was stronger than I expected, which is why I believe she was a spook. I briefly remembered the look of despair on the girl¡¯s face when she realized her life would in a heartbeat or two. It was such a delicious memory to savor. The terrified scream she issued was especially delectable. It gave me Goosebumps even now. The one high-pitched scream, cut off an instant when I decapitated her. Only a girl could scream like that. Men just didn¡¯t die the same way. It was something for me to treasure. Maestro cut into my reverie. *And where is this spook now? *I disposed of her body inside Seraphim¡¯s Pocket Space. Again, it sounded as though he¡¯d chocked on my reply. It certainly took him a while longer to recover and resume shouting inside my head. *Are you telling me that you¡¯ve been wandering around with a DEAD BODY INSIDE YOUR POCKET SPACE? *There¡¯s no need to shout, I replied calmly. *And no need to worry. I¡¯ll be dealing with the repercussions on my own. *And how will you do that? I swallowed, and for the first time in a long, long while, I actually felt fear trickle faintly down my back. *I will take responsibility for my own actions. I glanced at Sofia hiding behind a support column, clad in her white Siren armor. The girl¡¯s face was ghostly pale, which was more or less what I expected from her if she was listening in on the conversation. It also confirmed for me that Sofia had no stomach for killing. She doesn¡¯t belong with Crescent. She simply doesn¡¯t. Looking back toward the drones and smugglers, I addressed Maestro. *However, for now I need Sofia to remain exactly where she is. No matter what, she has to stay hidden. Once this is all over, she can safely return to the ship. *What are you planning on doing? he asked gruffly. *You expect me to leave the girl with you while you act on your own again? *If she remains calm and waits out the situation, she¡¯ll make it back to the Pantra safely. I stepped back from the support column, and summoned Seraphim. I had the choice of summoning her in two, four, or six wing configuration. When I killed the girl who expressed a suspicious interest in me, I had used only two wings. Truthfully, with just two wings I could overwhelm all Familiars with melee type Fragments. With four wings, I could pummel most Familiars with unlocked Artifacts. With six wings, I could take on an entire Kill Crew and win comfortably. In other words, Seraphim and I were overpowered. But that power came at a cost. I could only wield Seraphim in six-wing configuration for roughly ten minutes. Afterwards, I wasn¡¯t able to summon her in any shape or form for a couple of hours, leaving me vulnerable to attack. So I tended to avoid using Seraphim¡¯s highest combat setting, preferring to keep it as a measure of last resort. Since I would be dealing with more than a hundred drones, and one unknown Familiar, I decided to make my grand entrance with four wings. There was one more reason for not revealing my true power just yet and it concerned the bastard who ruled Section Zero. When I said ruled I did not say so lightly. There are only a handful of known Ruler Class Artifacts and Fragments in use: the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, the Leonidas¡¯ Resolve, the Nemes of Ramesses¡­and the Arturio''s Pendragon. The last one troubled me the most because the bastard who wielded it was the only man to ever force me to turn tail and run. Since that encounter, I had grown stronger and promised myself I would run from no man ever again. But deep down, I wondered if my resolve was paper thin. I wondered and feared it would crumble at the mere sight of him. This was why I had to stay. I had to face him, and thus face the fear I¡¯d harbored for the past ten years. Until then, I would remain shackled to the past, unable to progress beyond my accursed defeat. With this many of Section Zero''s drones deployed, I believed he was nearby, watching through the eyes of the drones, and so it was inevitable that I would face him. As the black mist that accompanied an opening of Pocket Space faded away, I settled to the ground on tapered feet, the Celestial armor that was my Seraphim clad around my body. I spared Sofia one more glance, and saw the girl stand steady behind a support column, her eyes turned toward me. The expression of fear on her face was priceless. However, I had no time to savor it. Hefting the twin-bladed sword-spear in my right hand, I stepped out from behind the support column I¡¯d been using to hide from sight. Seraphim¡¯s four angel-like wings fluttered once, raised high, then manifested a multitude of maneuver-fields and levitator-fields that propelled me forward toward the cordon of Section Zero drones with lightning speed. Swinging the sword-spear with well-practiced ease, I bisected the nearest three drones before the wreckage of the first crashed to the ground. By the time I¡¯d cut down the ninth drone, the remaining machines ¨C including the Enforcer drones ¨C finally swung their bodies around and let loose with the electro-shock cannons. I almost blessed their efforts to stop me with a laugh. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 15 (Part I) Chapter 15 - Part I (Aleron) # The young man seated behind his photon console looked back at me over his right shoulder. ¡°Contact confirmed, Sire.¡± My gaze was enraptured by the visuals displayed on multiple holovid screens floating at the head of the circular Tactical Operation room, each one offering a window into the massacre of machines taking place at the hands of the white winged angel. The carnage was happening within the upper level of the Old Docks in an area a half kilometer away from the Harbor Tunnel. A further kilometer away, our ship the Albion floated near the Harbor Tunnel¡¯s ceiling. The vessel was commissioned for construction with my share of the family fortune, and custom built by the Sandoval ship-builders. At a hundred and twenty-two meters long, she was classified as an armed private yacht, though in truth she was a multipurpose starship. I had other plans for her, but for now, she served as Section Zero¡¯s mobile base of operations. One of the Albion¡¯s key features was the Tactical Operations room situated not far from the cocoon shaped bridge. The circular Tactical room had five operations stations, essentially floating photon consoles operated by seated Section Zero specialists. Galahad manned one, while the other four were operated by a female techs in white uniforms. Although holovid bubbles could be projected anywhere in the room, and holovid screens on any part of the curved wall, the screens now occupied the ¡®forward¡¯ quarter of the Tactical room¡¯s interior wall. Seated on my throne-like chair that rested atop a raised dais in the center of the room, I regarded the moving images before me. Is it her? I wondered. Yes, it has to be her. Elbows atop the armrests and my chin propped on my laced fingers, I glanced down to my eleven clock at the young man seated behind his photon console, and cleared my throat quickly. ¡°Sir Galahad, how many drones remaining?¡± ¡°Less than half, Sire. At this rate, we¡¯ll lose the remainder within another minute.¡± On one holovid window, the battle played out in replay and at a much slower rate, allowing us to see movements the naked eye would fail to capture. An angel with four wings sliced apart drones as it leapt past them, cutting them with a short spear that resembled two broadswords attached end-to-end by their pommels. The image was remarkably clear despite the speed with which the winged angel moved. I was momentarily distracted by the sound of high-heeled boots stepping up to my chair, and glanced to my right to see Guinevere standing beside the chair, her arms folded below her sumptuous bosom. Dressed in a black, seamless bodysuit that exposed a generous amount of cleavage, she reminded of a comic book villainess, for indeed her origins were less than honorable. However, the flowing white coat she wore over the bodysuit, bearing the crimson Pendragon coat-of-arms, lent an air of nobility to her overall appearance. It also identified her as a knight of Section Zero. The girl I took in off the streets all those years ago is now a fine young woman. I nodded inwardly, repressing my pride in her. Next, to see her married into a prominent family worthy of her talents. Guinevere cleared her throat softly. ¡°I¡¯m rather glad we bought those outdated, derelict drones at below bargain price from the Enforcer Division.¡± I nodded gently in agreement. ¡°Our budget for the year would have taken a serious hit from this operation alone.¡± ¡°However,¡± she continued softly, ¡°it was worth the expense¡­of drawing her out¡­.¡± I heard the muted crack of tendons as she clenched her hands into fists. ¡°She killed one of us,¡± Guinevere whispered, ¡°so it¡¯s fitting she dies by our hands.¡± I shook my head sharply. ¡°No, we need her alive. I don¡¯t particularly mind in what state. Even if it¡¯s just her head and torso, but nonetheless, I need her alive.¡± To the left of my throne chair stood a young man attired in the white uniform of Section Zero. Like Guinevere, he too wore a flowing white coat with the Pendragon coat-of-arms emblazoned on it. Arms folded across his chest, his preternaturally wide field-of-vision allowed him to monitor multiple screens at once without having to shift his keen eyes. He broke his silence with softly spoken words. ¡°Why did she stay here in the Old Docks? If I was her, I would have fled into the habitats, or left Pharos altogether. Dianna may have been a junior member of Section Zero, but she was Public Security nonetheless. Why kill her and yet wait for us to come looking for her?¡± Guinevere took a half step forward. ¡°I agree. Despite the extent of security monitoring the habitats, our Lorelai are at war with Crescent¡¯s Lorelai, meaning that we can¡¯t trust our surveillance systems since we don¡¯t know what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not real.¡± I pressed my lips together into a thin line. Guinevere spoke the truth. The war between Lorelai had left our eyes and ears within Pharos doubting everything they saw and heard. Truth became illusion. Illusion became truth. Separating fact from fiction, the unreal from the real, was a massive undertaking that consumed the efforts of entire divisions. That was the Lorelai¡¯s greatest threat to our peace and security ¨C its ability to rewrite information stored in electronic or photronic mediums. Though there was progress toward developing systems resistant to a Lorelai¡¯s influence, their use was not widespread, and barely beyond the prototype stage. As such, it was possible for Crimson Crescent¡¯s cells to operate within the habitats of Pharos without the need to slink about under the cover of artificial night. I cleared my throat discreetly. ¡°It¡¯s because she was expecting us to come.¡± Guinevere sounded incredulous. ¡°Why in the High Heavens do that?¡± I sighed under my breath. ¡°Because she¡¯s not very smart. She¡¯s undoubtedly hiding something or someone, and expected to intercept us well away from whatever or whomever she¡¯s protecting.¡± I paused before adding, ¡°Sir Galahad, instruct the second wave of drones to widen their search area. Focus on the middle level of the Old Docks.¡± At his station, Galahad nodded. ¡°Aye, sire.¡± ¡°And us?¡± Guinevere asked. I looked up and saw her regarding me through narrowed eyes. ¡°You and Sir Gawain will take to the lower level. I¡¯ll assign to you a drone detachment to serve as your scouts.¡± She threw a glance at the young man standing to the left of my throne chair. ¡°Very well.¡± Galahad spoke up. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s cutting down the last of our drones. The Enforcer Drones have withdrawn from the area.¡± I snorted softly. ¡°Why am I not surprised¡­.¡± With the last of our drones destroyed, the holovid windows before us went dark. However, Gawain suddenly stepped forward and pointed at one of the screens. ¡°Galahad¡ªplay back the visual that was on holoscreen six. Yes¡ªthat one. Play back the last seven seconds before the picture crashed.¡± I glanced at him, then focused my attention on the recorded visual playing on the screen. Something caught my attention on the edge of the screen. It was something in the distance, hiding poorly behind a support column, clad in a white Skin-Regalia, with short wings extending from the core floating at its back. I stiffened reflexively as I recognized what it was. Guinevere started to ask, ¡°What are you looking at¡ª?¡± ¡°A Siren,¡± Gawain answered in a low voice, ¡°in Fragment form. Not fully unlocked.¡± As expected of Sir Gawain, his eyesight was as sharp as ever. Then again, as a Familiar, he was undoubtedly watching all the screens at once in an Overclocked state. However, Guinevere looked startled. ¡°What? Where?¡± Under Galahad¡¯s deft manipulation, the holovid window centered and zoomed in upon the Siren. I watched the Siren retreat from the column, turn, and then flee by leaping deeper into the Old Docks. A sudden gasp escaped Guinevere¡¯s lips, and it took me a moment to understand why. Silver hair trailed behind the Siren. Distinctive silver hair. Guinevere whispered, ¡°It can¡¯t be her¡­can it?¡± My heart beat loudly as I stood up slowly from my throne chair. ¡°No¡­that girl is a confirmed Pureblood.¡± ¡°Then this is¡ª?¡± ¡°Someone else. Definitely someone else,¡± I replied, stating the obvious because the situation demanded it. ¡°Guinevere, Gawain. Go. Capture her. That is an order. All other concerns are secondary.¡± In the corner of my eye, I saw Gawain turned slightly toward me. ¡°What about the Seraphim?¡± ¡°Trust in Lancelot,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°He¡¯s the only one here that can face that monster.¡± I pointed at the holovid screen displaying a frozen image of the fleeing Siren. ¡°The two of you bring that woman back alive and in one piece.¡± Gawain saluted with a fist to his chest. ¡°As you wish, Sire.¡± Guinevere saluted too, but it was distracted and half-hearted. ¡°As you wish¡­.¡± However, she turned smoothly on her booted heels and walked to the doors at the ¡®back¡¯ of the room, departing Tactical Operations within moments. With mixed feelings, I swiveled my throne chair around in order to watch her leave. Gawain held back, and regarded me through lidded eyes. ¡°Something on your mind, Sire?¡± ¡°Keep an eye on her, Gawain. Dianna was her junior. As such, I fear Guinevere will do something¡­rash.¡± Favoring me with a calm nod, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll watch over her, Sire.¡± Then he walked to the doors and exited the room shortly thereafter. Taking a deep and troubled breath, I swiveled my chair to face the front of the Tactical room, and watched as a new set of holovid screens came to life. The second wave of drones was now entering the middle level of the Old Docks. However, a small detachment our drones approached the upper level where the one sided slaughter had taken place. Standing on tapered, pointy feet in the middle of the mechanical carnage was a young woman with long dark hair, dressed in a revealing Skin-Regalia, and bestowed with four angel-like wings extending from a Vector Core that resembled the body of a dove. She made no effort to disguise her face, which I found rather beautiful, but devoid of warmth or kind feelings. This was definitely a pretty lass you didn''t want to bring home to meet your parents. I sat back in my throne chair and regarded the cold eyes that stared at the drones keeping their distance. In ten years, she had hardly aged and still resembled a teenage girl. Some of Public Security¡¯s researchers suspected her body was influenced by the Celestial Class Seraphim armor. In other words, it was as though Seraphim had slowed down time for her. No one would suspect she was a woman past her mid-twenties, though some would sense the heart of ice beating in her chest. After all these years away from Pharos, the Kin Slayer had finally returned, and rather than hide she had chosen to reveal herself. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Tell me, Gehanna. Why did you come back? Why after all these years did you return to Pharos? I laced my fingers, and planted my elbows on the armrests of my throne chair. ¡°Galahad, tell Lancelot not to underestimate her.¡± ¡°Aye, Sire.¡± ¡°And tell him¡­not to disappoint me like his predecessor did.¡± I met the glare of her cold dark eyes in the holovid window, and solemnly vowed she would not escape us a second time. # (Merkala) # The smugglers had fled while I cut down the drones. Their vehicles and small craft employed a thermoptic camouflage system to hide behind as they raced away, heading deeper into the Old Docks. Driving through here was one thing. Flying a small craft was another. I had to admire the pilot¡¯s skill at handling a ship within the confines of the Old Docks. With the last drone now a smoking wreck lying on the ground, I turned toward the Harbor Tunnel. *Sofia? Maestro? There was no response, and when I checked the Fragment-Link, I realized it was severed. Maestro had cut me off. This point on, I was on my own. In the distance, the solitary figure of a man dressed in white and dark archaic armor from a land in humanity¡¯s distance past, flew weightlessly toward me before descending to the rock floor. He came to a stop where his feet touched ground, some seventy meters away, a distance I could cross in a little over a second, but for a Familiar in an Overclocked state that was a considerable length of time. Using Seraphim¡¯s Awareness-field to enhance my vision, I studied his appearance. He was a well-built young man to begin with, but the black and white Skin-Regalia enhanced his physical proportions, such that he stood some seven and a half feet tall. Six black Vector Wings floated behind him, and his right hand gripped an enormous longsword with ornate markings etched into the fuller. There was no doubt in my mind it was a two-handed weapon, but the immense strength of his Skin-Regalia allowed him to heft it easily with just one hand. I flexed my grip on the sword-spear and then called out to him, my voice amplified by an effect-field manifested by Seraphim. ¡°I know that Artifact, but I don¡¯t know you.¡± There was no response so I added, ¡°Are you the new Meister of the Arturio Pendragon?¡± He began walked toward me with measured steps, and a moment later his voice boomed out at me, but not in reply. ¡°Gehanna Valerian afil Lanfear. By order of Public Security Section Zero, you are under arrest for the murder of a Dianna Leanster afil Sora.¡± The black Vector Wings floating behind him now fanned out, and two of them aimed their sharp tips at me. Fearing the lethal hyperwave lightning would soon lance from their tips, I overclocked and summoned a dozen barrier-fields protectively before me. A double flash of light, and the hyperwave lightning blew my barriers apart. As thunder boomed through upper level of the Old Docks, I staggered back. A heartbeat later, the young man launched himself at me with eye tricking speed, and I barely succeeded in raising my sword-spear in time to parry the swing of his immense longsword with its golden cross-guards. With the weapon up close, I didn¡¯t need to focus my Awareness-field on it to see it clearly. ¡°That¡¯s Excalibur,¡± I hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°That is the Arturio Pendragon!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the sword that I noticed. For a moment, my attention was surprisingly drawn to his handsome, chiseled features, and my heart skipped not one but two beats. What the Hell? Distracted, I was knocked back several meters when he drew back the sword and struck at me with lightning speed. I slid to a stop, cursed myself for losing focus, and raised my sword-spear in defense. Twice more he charged at me, and twice more I was able to defend with a two-handed grip on my weapon. The third time, I darted aside and put distance between us. I can¡¯t believe this. Why the Hell am I so distracted by him? Why is my heart beating like mad? A chill settled around my lungs as something dawned on me. Wait a minute! Could it be? Didn¡¯t this happen the last time I faced this Artifact? He raised his sword and aimed it¡¯s sharp tip squarely at my heart. ¡°Beauty such as yours is a poison to men.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked, caught off guard by his declaration, my overclocked state wavering. Changing stance, he drew back his right leg, and swung the longsword over his right shoulder, a guard form I remembered as the Posta di Donna. I swiftly lowered my sword-spear and aimed it diagonally to the ground, summoning a piercer-field around the blades, then wrapping them in layers of barrier-fields. In this stance, I was ready to execute a deflection, and hopefully a rapid counter. Standing motionless, only my opponent¡¯s lips moved, and my attention was irresistibly drawn to them. ¡°You are a vixen that I, Lancelot, shall purge from this realm.¡± What the Hell are you talking about? Then I immediately wondered what it would be like to be kissed by his lips. They look so full and soft¡ªaggh! WHAT AM I THINKING? Realizing I¡¯d left myself open, my heart jumped and my innards clenched, fearing I¡¯d be struck down in a heartbeat. But then I noticed his gaze was solidly planted on my cleavage, generously exposed by the rather embarrassing design of Seraphim¡¯s Skin-Regalia, and pushed up by my arms as I held my defensive guard. ¡°You minx!¡± he grumbled loudly. ¡°How dare you tempt with such angelic wares!¡± ¡°Geh!¡± Ticked off, I retorted sharply while breaking out into a hot blush. ¡°How do you think I feel?¡± ¡°Are you not embarrassed?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m embarrassed!¡± I yelled back. ¡°So stop staring at my chest!¡± Blushing furiously, I launched an impromptu attack, met his counter, and deflected it with surprising ease. The barrier-fields shattered around my sword-spear and his longsword, leaving only the piercer-field to clash with the field enveloping his weapon. Locked rigid in battle for a second, I found myself uncomfortably close to him, my breasts pressed against one of his arms, his lips unbearably close to mine. Our Awareness-fields warped and wavered as they grabbled with each other like two lovers in a mad tussle. Unable to hold myself back any longer, my heart beating painfully fast and my body hot in all womanly places, I released one hand on the sword-spear¡¯s grip, reached out and then grabbed the back of his head. Pulling his face toward mine, I kissed him with a passion that stemmed from hidden depths within my Seraphim. But I wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d lost control. With an arm around my lower back, he drew me tightly against his body, and I swooned in his manly presence, our tongues dueling madly. No, no, no, no¡ªNoooo! With the last of my free will, I broke free of him, and he of me. Leaping away from each other, we landed more than a dozen meters apart, both of us breathing heavily but not from physical exertion. Almost in concert, we wiped our lips with the back of a hand, and glared hotly at each other. ¡°You bastard,¡± I hissed at him. ¡°You bitch,¡± he spat at me. Gathering air in our lungs, we yelled at each other. ¡°What the Hell have you done to me?¡± # (Aleron) # I closed my eyes as I palmed my face and cursed my misfortune. Not again! This can¡¯t be happening again! The young women technicians at their stations were making confused chatter, their voices mere whispers, but I heard them clearly. ¡°¡­are they lovers¡­?¡± ¡°¡­but isn¡¯t she with Crimson Crescent¡­?¡± ¡°¡­could it be an act¡­?¡± However, Galahad made no effort to hide his confusion, and questioned me loudly. ¡°Sire, what¡¯s going on? Do they know each other? I mean, isn¡¯t this a little strange? Didn¡¯t Lancelot say he¡¯d sworn off women for good after his last heartbreak?¡± I could hear the sounds of their bickering like jealous lovers between the sharp zing-zing of their weapons clashing. ¡°Err, Sire¡­?¡± Opening my eyes, and lowering my hand, I stared at the two combatants, fighting each other while possessed by the ghosts inhabiting their Artifacts. ¡°No, they don¡¯t know each other,¡± I replied, feeling weary and weak. ¡°Then why are they¡ª?¡± ¡°But their Artifacts do,¡± I added with a heavy sigh as I wilted in my throne chair. The spectating drones captured the sights and sounds of the battle from various angles, and relayed it to the Albion¡¯s Tactical Operations room where it was displayed on a dozen holovid windows accompanied by high fidelity audio. ¡°Foul vixen¡ªshame on you for stealing my lips without permission!¡± ¡°Bastard¡ªhow dare you draw me tightly against your body!¡± I palmed my forehead and eyes, unable to bear the sight I was witnessing. This wasn¡¯t turning out the way I¡¯d hoped. It was turning out the way I¡¯d feared, and prayed against. The zing of clashing effect-fields grew to a deafening crescendo, then abruptly crashed into silence, followed by the sounds of intense pashing. Galahad hesitantly reported, ¡°Ah¡­Sire. They¡¯re at it again¡­.¡± With eyes closed, I raised a hand and waved it heavily. ¡°I know. I know. Don¡¯t tell me. I can hear them quite well.¡± The sounds of their heavy breathing came through clearly into the Tactical room, and I winced inwardly as I listened to an uncharacteristic Lancelot speak out amorously. ¡°Damn you, wench. You¡¯re as beautiful as ever.¡± ¡°Lying, cheating charlatan. Did you think I would fall for your sweet words yet again?¡± More sounds of intense pashing, before they hastily separated, and then resumed fighting as vigorously as ever. Shaking my head in mounting despair, I tapped an area of the command console built into my throne¡¯s right armrest. ¡°Captain, take the Albion closer to the docks, and arm her smart weapons. I fear we may have to intervene personally.¡± ¡°Very good, sir. The situation does appear to be falling out of hand.¡± ¡°Indeed, Captain. Indeed.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 15 (Part II) Chapter 15 - Part II. (Sofia) # The one-sided battle between the drones and Merkala had come to an end in under two minutes. Even overclocked I had trouble following her movements as she leapt from drone to drone, using them like stepping stones, and sliced them just once before jumping onto the next target. Now that it was over, I stared at the wrecks on the ground and an old saying came to mind. I believed this was ¡®the calm before the storm¡¯. I believed it was also time to get away. So why was Merkala standing in the middle of the ruin she¡¯d caused and not running away? What was she waiting for? The longer she stood still the more anxious I grew so I called Maestro using the Fragment-Link and told him the situation. *All of them? he asked. *She destroyed all of the drones? *Yes. All of them. The smugglers ran away too. They disappeared with a form of thermoptic camouflage. In my mind, Maestro¡¯s voice became sharp and stinging. *Then what are you waiting for¡ªa damn escort? Get your ass back here now or my head is going to roll! *But what about Merkala? *What about her? *What if she¡¯s captured? If she¡¯s interrogated and tells them about the plan¡ª? *Captured? That monster? Are you serious? She would rather go down in flames than be captured? And as for the plan¡ªshe doesn¡¯t know the details. In fact, she doesn¡¯t know our true objective at all! Besides, if she wants to stay behind then it¡¯s clear she¡¯s covering for you. So get your ass back here now, you brat! Was that it? Was Merkala staying behind to draw Public Security Section Zero¡¯s attention? I couldn¡¯t ask her. When I called out to her, my mental voice didn¡¯t reach her. *Sofia! *Y¡ªyes. I¡¯m on my way. *Now, Sofia. Now! Swallowing hard, I turned away from the support column, and leapt low and fast away from the scene of destruction. I kept to the pillars, landing beside them with each leap and using them for cover. At the same time, I focused on reconfiguring the effect-fields surrounding my Siren to warp active scans around me, rather than absorb them. I hadn¡¯t unlocked all of my Siren yet, so there was quite a bit of manual work for me to do. Once Siren¡¯s Core was unlocked, a lot of its automatic functions would become available to me, and it would allow me to concentrate on other aspects of wielding it. Aided by Siren¡¯s guidance system, I flew a ragged course to the ramp leading down to the middle level of the Old Docks ¨C a ramp I had walked up no more than an hour ago when trailing behind Merkala. Not for the first, I regretted following her on a whim. Truthfully, I was tired of being cooped up in the ship, and I¡¯d noticed her taking frequent walks out in the Old Docks. So I had chosen to follow her, and effectively stretch my legs. I didn¡¯t admire Merkala as a person. I found her cold and calculating and unpredictable. She was the kind of person that could turn on you at any time if the situation suited her. What I admired was her enormous strength. I admired her restrained power, and the overwhelming confidence it gave her. I admired her fearlessness when facing the other members of Crimson Crescent. It was her power that I wanted, and the Seraphim was an Artifact I desired to possess. But it wasn¡¯t to be. When I was tested for the sole Seraphim my mother¡¯s family had in their possession, the results were poor. Because of this, my mother had gifted me with a Siren Maiden, one she claimed was in her family¡¯s possession since the ancient days of the War of Supremacy. In fact, my mother believed it belonged to a Siren Maiden who fought alongside Kallum K?mpfer, the legendary general who brought the war to an end with the successful invasion of the Human Empire¡¯s capital world. I didn¡¯t know if my Siren¡¯s association with the general was true or not, but I knew of Kallum K?mpfer, and he was someone even my father regarded as an important figure in the history of Familiars. However, my father considered him a traitor who sacrificed the future of Familiars to uphold his own ideals. The point of all this is that I admired Merkala for her strength, and I wanted to learn more about her, yet I was also cautious around her and chose not to show her my true face. All that said, I was really regretting my decision to follow her out into the Old Docks. I came to regret that a whole lot more a short while later after flying down the ramp, and landing in the middle level of the Old Docks. I had a but a second¡¯s warning from my Awareness-field ¨C something that felt like a full four seconds when Overclocked ¨C before the ground around me erupted as it was struck by lightning, except this wasn¡¯t ordinary lightning but cannon fire from a Vector Wing. I summoned a handful of Siren¡¯s barrier-fields, the smoked glass-like panes weathering the lightning storm that could easily rip apart an armored troop carrier. The hexagonal panes shattered, and reformed again once the storm had ended, maintaining a defensive barrier around me. I chose not to wait, and leapt through the cloud of pulverized rock and permacrete and into clear air. As soon as I flew out of the cloud I saw them ¨C a young man and woman, standing a few meters apart from each other, and some two hundred feet away from me. Both were dressed in black and white Skin-Regalias. The man looked like some kind of knight with four arms, and I realized he was operating a Grand Chevalier. However, I didn¡¯t recognize the woman¡¯s Artifact and that worried me a lot. I saw two floating Vector Wing clusters flanking her, and a couple of Vector Wings hovering close behind her. She too looked like some kind of female knight, and carried a long bow in her right hand. She raised the bow and aimed at me as I leapt away, thrown off course by their appearance, but hoping to circle around to the next ramp that would take me down to the lowest level where the Pantra was hiding. Glancing over a shoulder, I saw the man and woman chasing after me, leaping low and fast. I realized the obvious and almost came to a stop. I didn¡¯t know who these people were, but having fired on me I didn¡¯t believe they were friendly. My gut feeling was they were Public Security Section Zero, and if I kept fleeing, I would lead them back to the Pantra. I would lead them right to Maestro and his crew. That was something I couldn¡¯t do, so I changed direction with my next leap and headed west for the nearest exit out of the Old Docks. I knew there was a long road that led from the docks to the habitats of Island One. If I could get to the road, then perhaps I could flee into a habitat and escape my pursuers. At the very least, I would be leading them away from Maestro and his people. *Maestro, I¡¯m sorry but I have a problem. *What now? Where are you? *There are two people dressed like some kind of knights and they¡¯re chasing me. *What¡­? *I said there are two people chasing me¡ª *I know what you said! Damn you girl. Why did you follow after that blasted woman? I told you stay to aboard the ship! *I¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡ª *Sorry, doesn¡¯t cut it! I leapt past a support column and a large part of it exploded a heartbeat later as Vector lightning lanced into it. Escaping the cloud of debris, I touched ground, then leapt again, my jump enhanced by lev-fields and mobility-fields emanating from the Siren¡¯s four Vector Wings extending out behind me. Another leap, and this time Vector lightning tore up the ground ahead of me just as I was about to touch down and kick off again. The Siren¡¯s Awareness-field gave me enough time to cast barrier-fields to shield me against the debris and free kinetic energy, but I stumbled and rolled when I landed on the torn up ground. Picking myself up, I started running and then leaping again, but a blurred shadow overtook me, and extended a wall of barrier-field panes in front of me. I crashed into them. Actually, my barriers crashed into them first, shattering the wall, and then I crashed into the cluster of Vector Wings fanned out before me. The impact knocked me away and to the ground. As I fell, I glimpsed the Vector Wing cluster spin and crash into a support column. Rolling on the cold rock floor for a handful of heartbeats, I used Siren¡¯s maneuver-fields to get back up, but the second Vector Wing cluster slammed into me with the force of freight train, and sent me flying into the side of a support column. A handful of barrier-fields prevented me from going splat into the unforgiving permacrete and rock column. I slid to the floor, my vision swimming around, and a pounding headache beating the insides of my skull. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Somehow, I still kept my connection to Siren, and also kept it from retreating into its Sarcophagus hiding in a Pocket Space void of its own making. But the impact had stunned me, and I slipped out of my Overclocked state. Refusing to go down, I struggled to rise to my tapered feet, but the Vector Wing clusters appeared in front of me, hovering a couple of feet off the ground, and suddenly I was pinned by invisible hands to the cratered support column behind. Siren recognized them as manipulator-fields. With the amount of power being put into them by the Vector Wing clusters, I felt like I was being crushed by an overweight truck into a permacrete wall. *Siren¡ªgive me everything you¡¯ve got! [AFFIRMATIVE] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try breaking free, little girl.¡± Behind the Vector Wings, I saw the young woman walking calmly toward me, carrying the large bow in her right hand. It wasn¡¯t the kind of bow that fired fletched arrows. Instead, it would fire lightning bolts like the weapon of a god in High Heaven. Then, without warning, something slipped into my Awareness-field and against my throat. It was a blade, like that of an ancient longsword, and its edge rested against my exposed skin. Afraid of moving my head, I shifted my gaze to my left and looked up at a young, clean-shaven young man wearing a calm expression. ¡°Now then,¡± he said gently, the blade remarkably still against my throat. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see what lies behind that mask.¡± By mask, he meant Siren¡¯s masquerade ball mask that I wore on my face. It was white like my Siren¡¯s armor, and butterfly shaped. ¡°Don¡¯t summon your Sarcophagus,¡± he advised me in his gentle voice. ¡°I would hate to have to decapitate you. Just reach up slowly and take it off¡ª!¡± He stopped as he jerked sharply and grew stiff. By some miracle the sword didn¡¯t slice my through my throat, but I was too afraid to even breathe. My eyes on him, I saw his expression fall into confusion. Then both he and I looked down at the immense spear emerging through his gut. Behind him, I glimpsed the snowflake remains of several barrier-fields vanish into the air. I realized that the spear had pierced the barrier-fields and his body without anyone noticing until it was too late. It remained there for only a second, then disappeared when it was pulled out of his body, emerging out his back, and disappearing out of sight as though reeled in by an invisible line. The woman¡¯s shocked cry cut the air. ¡°Gawain!¡± Then the Vector Wing clusters flew away from me with eye tricking speed, and formed a protective guard before the woman. An eye blink later and two black winged clusters crashed into her Vector Wings, knocking them and the woman back as though she¡¯d been collected by an inter-Island bus. One moment she was there. The next moment she was gone. The man, Gawain, had fallen to his knees, though his Skin-Regalia had sealed itself and his wound to prevent further blood loss. ¡°Damn,¡± he groaned. ¡°That really hurt.¡± Free of the manipulator-fields, I stood up, using the column behind me for support. As I did so, he was speared again, this time through the chest. Shocked, I forgot to breathe as I watched him gasp for air. The sight of his face growing blue was all I needed to get me moving. Summoning lev-fields and maneuver-fields, I circled around the support column, away from the man, and leapt continued west across the Old Docks. I flew like the wind, as the saying goes. I didn¡¯t recognize the spear that harpooned the man, nor the flying clusters that crashed the woman out of the picture. All I knew was that I was free to run away, and that¡¯s all the occupied my mind. My Awareness-field shrilled a warning into my mind, and I skidded to a harsh stop. A second later a sleek black craft materialized in front of me when it dropped its thermoptic camo-field. It took me a heartbeat to recognize the smuggler ship floating a couple of feet off ground on levitator-fields, and before I could leap around it a side door opened up revealing a black clad man wearing a dark featureless mask. ¡°Come on!¡± he yelled at me. ¡°Get inside!¡± I was too confused to move. Again, my Awareness-field shrilled at me, but before I could turn around, I was scooped up by manipulator-fields and tossed into the ship¡¯s cabin. I landed on the floor of the cramped cabin in such a way that I could look back through the open door in time to see a woman attired in a black Skin-Regalia land gracefully inside the ship. Her long hair fluttered wildly about her as she reached back and hastily slid the door shut. ¡°Go,¡± she commanded. ¡°Full Stealthrun. Full silent running. Get us out of here!¡± From the front of the ship, someone yelled back, ¡°We are gone!¡± The man who¡¯d opened the door stared at the woman with long lilac colored hair. ¡°Bloody Hell, Sayen. This is crazy. This is sheer bloody madness. Why go back for this girl?¡± The woman ignored him. The armor of her Skin-Regalia made her appear seven feet tall which wasn''t a good thing in the cramped interior, so she discarded it by returning it to her Sarcophagus. As a result, the interior of the cabin filled with the black mist that poured out of a breach whenever Pocket Space opened up to real space. Through the mist, I heard a man cry out from the front of the ship, ¡°Ah, damn it! That shit is cold!¡± ¡°Do you have to do that in here?¡± another man asked from somewhere toward the rear of the small craft. The mist faded away, but left the cold chill behind. I suddenly realized I was still in full Siren Armor, but not knowing if it was wise to return it to my Sarcophagus, I sat on the floor, surrounded by Siren¡¯s Vector Wings like a giant downed butterfly. The woman emerged back into view, wearing a dark purple and black miniskirt dress that revealed some of the best legs I¡¯d ever seen. She was also quite big up top, the dress stretched madly about her chest. Stepping up to me, she pointed at my Siren Armor. ¡°Toss that back into the can.¡± I blinked a couple of times, then realized what she meant. Again the black mist filled the inside of the cabin, and again the men complained, but once Siren was in her Sarcophagus and the breach was sealed, I found myself standing against the opposite inside wall of the craft¡¯s cabin. The woman studied me in silence for a long while, as did the two men flanking her. One of them asked, ¡°Why did we go back for her¡ª?¡± ¡°Quiet,¡± she snapped, then stepped closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer. Believe me when I say that I¡¯ll know if you¡¯re lying.¡± I swallowed and called out in my mind, *Maestro? Unfortunately there was no reply, and I was suddenly afraid. *Maestro? Are you there? The woman narrowed her eyes, and glanced at my necklace. ¡°Trying to call someone, are you?¡± I gave myself away by stiffening for a heartbeat. She snorted. ¡°Fragment-Link?¡± I swallowed, then gave her a weak nod. Planting her hands on her hips, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother using it. I disabled it when I grabbed hold of you.¡± My heart grew cold and I blurted out, ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°Fragment-Link can be interfered with, but you need to make contact with the Artifact. It¡¯s just like turning off a communicator. You just press the button or turn the dial from On to Off. Unfortunately, once you turn it off the link is broken and has to be physically reestablished with the other party in order to work again.¡± Being taller than me, she leaned down and studied me intently. ¡°Now, answer my question truthfully.¡± I swallowed hard, not once but three times, and gave her a jerky nod. She smiled and I pictured this is what Merkala¡¯s smile would be like if Merkala ever smiled. ¡°Are you Sofia Seres Crescent?¡± My heart stopped beating, and my throat grew as dry as sand paper. Her smile remained icy cold. Somehow I succeeded in clearing my throat, though my voice broke. ¡°Yes.¡± The men beside her gasped, and one of them muttered, ¡°Gods in High Heaven¡­.¡± The other man looked stunned and breathed out, ¡°Bloody stinking Hell¡­.¡± The woman straightened and then began to laugh. She laughed so hard her breasts bounced wildly, but even they weren¡¯t enough to attract more than a glance from the men. That was because they were fixated on me¡­and with good reason. When she calmed down, she wiped at her teary eyes. ¡°Well then,¡± she said with undisguised humor. ¡°I guess I should introduce myself.¡± Once again planting her hands on her curved hips, she announced in a clear voice, ¡°You can call me Sayen. My real name you can forget about it. In fact, I forgot what it was as well.¡± Tossing her hair, she added, ¡°These are my band of merry men.¡± ¡°Sayen?¡± I breathed out. ¡°That is correct,¡± she replied. ¡°Until I choose a new one.¡± Then she leaned forward until her nose and mine were an inch apart, though her large breasts pushed into mine. ¡°So tell me, little Sofia Crescent. Why is the daughter of Crimson Crescent¡¯s boss here in Pharos?¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 15 (Part III) Chapter 15 - Part III (Aleron) # At his station, Galahad stiffened before half spinning round to face me with a horrified look on his face. ¡°Gawain is down, Sire!¡± At first I thought he was joking. ¡°Down?¡± ¡°Guinevere and Gawain were ambushed by an unknown party. Guinevere is a little roughed up but is attending to him but Gawain¡¯s been seriously injured.¡± ¡°Did both of them ingest Aventis blood?¡± Galahad shook his head tightly. ¡°No, Sire.¡± I felt cold as steep concern for my subordinates filled my blood. ¡°Deploy the medical drones.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed until then that Galahad had a finger on the photon console that he now pressed. ¡°Done, Sire.¡± In a corner holovid window, I caught a fleeting glimpse of two drones shaped like giant white donuts launch from the Albion¡¯s portside and quickly race away toward the entrance to the Old Docks. Gawain reported, ¡°The drones are being guided by Guinevere¡¯s signal. I have Gawain¡¯s life sign readings upon that holovid.¡± I stared at the window that appeared and read the numbers. They didn¡¯t look good. His heart rate was down and his blood pressure was falling fast despite the efforts of his Skin-Regalia. Then I saw him flatline as his heart gave out. I was on my feet before I noticed. ¡°Gawain¡­.¡± Abruptly, Guinevere¡¯s voice broke into the Tactical Room. ¡°Sire! Can you hear me?¡± Galahad responded before I could. ¡°We copy you fine, Guinevere.¡± ¡°Gawain¡¯s heart has been injured. His Skin-Regalia is keeping his body alive by acting in its place. It¡¯s circulating blood through his body, but he¡¯s lost consciousness.¡± Galahad said, ¡°We understand, and the drones are on their way.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Guinevere, report. What the Hell happened?¡± ¡°It was the female smuggler. She came out of nowhere and speared Gawain, and she used her Vector Wings to knock me out of the fight. By the time I recovered, Gawain had been speared twice and both she and the Siren were gone. I¡¯ve relayed the event data to the Albion. I will admit, I don¡¯t recall ever seeing her before, but I do recognize her Artifact.¡± ¡°What kind was it? What class and type?¡± I could hear Guinevere swallowing hard before delivering her answer. ¡°Ruler Class. Type Morrigan.¡± I sat back down in my throne chair atop the dais in the center of the Tactical room. ¡°Are you sure, Guinevere?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d stake my life on it.¡± Galahad displayed a battle record on a high floating holovid. ¡°Sire¡­.¡± On the holovid window, I watched a black and purple clad woman with long flowing lilac hair, wearing a visor over her face. Her arms were encased in black, thorny armor, and her legs were more or less the same, with feet adorned with razor sharp knives. She was standing at a distance with an arm stretched forward, and two winged shadows were racing back to her side. A moment later a wicked looking spear flew into her waiting hand. Then she turned, and leapt into the depths of the Old Docks. ¡°Play it back,¡± I requested, and watched it a second time. An unpleasant sensation ran through me as I realized that despite the situation ¨C despite an important subordinate of mine being critically wounded ¨C I was feeling a distinct thrill at knowing that one of the few Ruler Class Artifacts was here in Pharos. The prospect of capturing it and its Meister had elicited dormant feelings within me. I was like a schoolboy who¡¯d just learnt that a limited edition prized item was now available. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon, the Leonidas¡¯s Resolve, the Nemes of Ramses, and now Morrigan, The Phantom Queen, were all here on Pharos. I swallowed hard, and after double-checked that I wasn¡¯t drooling, I clamped down on my rampant feelings. Addressing Galahad, I said, ¡°Launch a shuttle to pick up Gawain and Guinevere. Have it fly them back to our medical facilities at Public Security. Then have Gabrielle use her Lorelai to sweep the surveillance net in the area of the Old Docks, any roads leading in and out, and to look for anything suspicious.¡± Galahad nodded as he tapped away on his photon console. ¡°It shall be done, Sire.¡± I leaned back in my throne chair. ¡°I want that Meister found¡ª¡± A call from the bridge interrupted me. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re in position.¡± The situation notwithstanding, I failed to suppress a wolfish grin. ¡°Fire at will, Captain.¡± ¡°Aye, sir. Firing at will.¡± I would make sure to deal with Gehanna first. Then I would close the noose around the Meister of that Morrigan, and strangle her movements. Both of you will pay dearly for hurting my people. Galahad threw me a quick glance over his right shoulder. ¡°Lancelot cut off communications with us.¡± I clenched my jaw briefly. ¡°Has he now¡­.¡± Galahad glanced at me again. ¡°Hunter Seekers are away.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± My elbows on the armrests, I took a deep breath and expelled it heavily. ¡°Now, Gehanna, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll do.¡± # (Merkala) # I couldn¡¯t hurt him. No matter what I tried, or how I hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t hurt him. The blades of my twin-ended sword-spear would hold back or divert at the critical moment when I needed to land a hit. But it wasn¡¯t my weapon doing that ¨C it was me. I was diverting my aim, shifting it by centimeters, altering it by a single degree, or holding back for a half second ¨C all of which resulted in a miss or a glancing blow that did no damage beyond shattering a barrier-field or two. I couldn¡¯t hurt him. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hurt him. When I thought of wounding or injuring him my heart twisted in agony and I retreated from him. But as we traded blows with our weapons wrapped in piercer and barrier-fields, I realized that it wasn¡¯t just me. I was convinced he was holding back too. Lancelot delivered a combination of strikes that had me skipping back to yield against the tremendous blows that shattered the barriers sheathing my sword-spear. As the last barrier broke apart and faded away, his sword¡¯s piercer-field clashed with the piercer around my sword-spear, sparking flashes of emerald light that looked bright in the weak light of the Old Docks. I put my strength and Seraphim¡¯s into parrying the bow, but when I tried to deflect it and push away, he twisted his sword and locked his weapon against mine. I found myself looking up at him as he put an enormous amount of pressure on keeping me down. ¡°¡­why...?¡± he breathed out through clenched teeth. ¡°¡­why does it hurt so much¡­?¡± I gasped for air, and willed Seraphim¡¯s four angel wings to generate an effect-field to help support me. However, almost immediately he did the same, and in the corner of my eye I saw the six black Vector Wings arrayed around him reconfigure as they manifested effect-fields to counter mine. My gaze was drawn back to his eyes, and agony lanced through my heart. ¡°¡­stop¡­please¡­,¡± I whispered. After a breath, I added, ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Lancelot¡¯s face constricted in pain. A heartbeat later, a loud roar bellowed from the depths of his chest, and with one tremendous push, he flung me away. I was shocked by his strength, but what truly gave my heart pause was the despair contorting his face. As I flew through the air, Seraphim hastily engaged maneuver-fields, and I back-flipped ¨C Angel Wings and all ¨C before landing with surprising grace. It was a well-practiced move that I¡¯d performed a hundred times before, so my touchdown was more second nature than anything else. Had it not been, my state of heart and mind would have dropped me into an ungraceful tumble along the ground. I looked over at Lancelot standing some twenty meters away, breathing heavily, the heat from his glare palpable even at a distance. But worse than that, I felt as though that glare was a knife twisting slowly in my heart. I lost strength in my legs, and fell to the ground when they turned rubbery and weak. And then, adding to my shame, I felt tears well up in my eyes then run rivulets down my cheeks. ¡°¡­why¡­?¡± I croaked out between breaths. ¡°...why do I feel this way¡­again¡­?¡± No, it was worse than last time. Ten years ago, I¡¯d fled because I couldn¡¯t understand what I was feeling. I fled for the first time ever since unlocking Seraphim and drawing out its power that allowed me to face and defeat numerous opponents¡­including my sister. But I was unprepared for the way Seraphim reacted to the Arturio''s Pendragon. Now, ten years later, I was experiencing the same feelings once again, and this time¡­having loved and lost¡­I recognized the feelings seeping out of Seraphim that soaked my heart and mind. What I had feared was now undoubtedly true. In fact, there was no doubt in mind that my belief was indeed the truth. Whomever had possessed Seraphim before me, had also held an incredibly strong love for the man who wielded that Arturio¡¯s Pendragon. Those feelings were ingrained in my Artifact, as his feelings were ingrained in the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon. It was these intense emotions that stayed our hands in battle. It was the reason we could not hurt each other. Knowing this, and accepting it, I found myself burning with despair, frustration, and anger. I wanted to rip free of these feelings that didn¡¯t belong to me, and cut down the man standing before me. I wanted to see him bathed in his own blood. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. With a scream, I leapt back with enough force to crater the ground beneath me, and cast me through the air some fifty meters. Touching ground, I summoned Seraphim¡¯s two remaining Angel wings from her Sarcophagus. Enshrouded in the black mist, I sensed the Sarcophagus peep through the breach between Pocket Space and real-space. It delivered the wings that promptly attached to the dove-like body of the Core floating behind me. With the breach sealing shut, and the mist fading away into the expanse of the Old Docks, I felt Seraphim attain her full potential. A single thought command to Seraphim was all it took to initiate a power-up that would allow me to cast Vector Lightning from each of the six wings. A few seconds later, with Lancelot clear in sight some seventy meters ahead of me, I took a deep breath, and screamed at him thereby releasing my pent up fury. If there was distance between us, then I shouldn¡¯t feel the overwhelming urge to avoid hurting him. My aim would be true, and I would immolate him to a crisp. It was time to make up for lost time, and cut lose like I should have done ten years ago when I first encountered this particular Artifact. The men wielding it were different, but Seraphim¡¯s reaction to the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon was not. In fact, I truly believed it was stronger than what I¡¯d experienced the first time around. The Angel Wings fanned out and a moment later all six flared brightly as they delivered a barrage of Vector Lightning at the man standing in the distance. When there¡¯s lightning, there¡¯s thunder. It was no different with Vector Lightning. Thunder boomed out all around me, made almost deafening within the enclosure of the Old Docks. It rolled like a raging tsunami, spreading far and wide into the expansive level. Far ahead of me, the Vector Lightning ripped up the ground around Lancelot, and shattered the wall of barrier-field hexagonal panes floating before him. I concentrated my aim, and fired a second barrage, unwilling to give him more than a moment¡¯s respite. In seconds, he disappeared from view within a growing cloud of white pulverized rock and permacrete. I fired again, and a third barrage of lightning turned that region of the Old Docks into abject ruin. Judging that was enough, I held back on firing a fourth time, though I was tempted to do so since either the ceiling was likely to cave in on my opponent, or the floor would give away under him. Exhausted, I staggered for a few steps before regaining my balance, and peered at the cloud of powdered rubble. I watched and waited for it to fade away, aware of the seconds ticking by. When it finally cleared sufficiently for me to see into its midst, I held my breath and then moaned in despair. No¡ªit can¡¯t be. Not with that much Vector Lightning. It can¡¯t be! Lancelot stood in the middle of the torn up ground, his longsword in hand yet pointed diagonally downward, his six black Vector Wings floating before him in a wide crescent. Why? That much Vector Lightning should have overwhelmed him! Was it true then? Was the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon truly as strong as the rumors implied? *Why? I asked my Seraphim. After a heartbeat, it replied with a single thought pulse that stole my breath. [VECTOR LIGHTNING OUTPUT AT TWENTY PERCENT] ¡°What¡­?¡± [VECTOR LIGHTNING OUTPUT AT TWENTY PERCENT] I swallowed hard as my feelings grew conflicted. ¡°Why¡­? Why did you reduce the output?¡± [AT YOUR COMMAND] I froze. ¡°What? No. That can¡¯t be. I did not instruct you to limit the output.¡± Then a thought pulse entered my mind. It was a like recording of my own thoughts being played back to me. *Limiter engage. Twenty percent. The grip on my sword spear became slack, yet I barely felt it slip free of my fingers. I barely heard it clatter on the ground. ¡°Why¡­? Why did I¡­do that¡­?¡± I reached up and grabbed my head. ¡°Why can¡¯t I hurt him? Why are your feelings inside me? These feelings are not mine!¡± I screamed and pulled at my hair. ¡°Get out of me! Get out of my mind! Get out of my heart!¡± My Awareness-field sensed his approach, yet I was helpless to respond. In mere heartbeats I was smothered, embraced by big strong arms that held me tight against a hard, armored chest that was surprisingly warm to the touch. I couldn¡¯t move. I wanted to break free, but I was compelled to remain as I was. I had lost myself to the ghost within Seraphim. Then I heard his low whisper into my left ear. ¡°Why you? Why a murderess like you? Why does it have to be you?¡± I thought my heart would tear open, raked apart by the despair in his voice, and I feared breaking into tears yet again. Then his body stiffened, and I heard his voice turn into a growl. ¡°Run.¡± Surprised, I remained limp in his arms until he abruptly pushed me away. ¡°Run, Gehanna!¡± I stared at him stupidly, watching him turn his back to me. ¡°Lancelot¡ª?¡± ¡°Run. Get out of here!¡± he yelled over his shoulder. Confused by everything that was happening inside me, I was late in seeing the movement of multiple objects flying toward us from the direction where the Old Docks opened up to the Harbor Tunnel. The six black Vector Wings around Lancelot fanned out before him, and wall of translucent hexagonal panes materialized a half second later. More and more of the barrier-field panes appeared, turning the wall dark like smoked glass. ¡°Gehanna¡ªgo!¡± A half-second later, and a flurry of target seeking missiles slammed into the wall that formed a crescent around Lancelot and me behind him. The fiery conflagration threatened to consume my senses. Some of the missiles circled around him, heading for me, but Seraphim dealt with them easily with barrier-fields of her own. The storm of missile detonations raged for a good half minute before subsiding. Because of an effect-field dampening the roar of the explosions, my hearing wasn¡¯t affected. Otherwise, I was certain I¡¯d be temporarily deafened by now. ¡°Gehanna,¡± he pleaded calmly. ¡°You must go.¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°What about you? You¡¯re betraying your comrades! They¡¯ll try for you treason and sentence you¡ª!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Anguish flashed across his face, but he calmed down after a deep breath. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t betray these feelings for you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not your feelings,¡± I yelled at him. ¡°They¡¯re not yours.¡± I slapped my chest. ¡°My heart doesn¡¯t ache for you. I don¡¯t care about you!¡± And yet my eyes were welling up with tears once again. ¡°I don¡¯t love you¡­.¡± ¡°And I know that as well,¡± he replied with a frustratingly calm composure, made all the more unbearable when he smiled sadly at me. ¡°Nonetheless, I can¡¯t bear the thought of you coming to harm.¡± I aimed my palm at the ground beside me, and my sword-spear flew up into my waiting hand courtesy of an effect-field that emanated out of my Skin-Regalia. ¡°This is wrong! Wrong! This is all wrong!¡± My breathing was ragged as I fought back my tears. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair. This isn¡¯t fair¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you must go,¡± he replied with tenderness I didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡°So please don¡¯t make this harder than need be.¡± Spoken with such composure, I found it hard to turn and run away from him, yet I knew it was the only viable option left open to me. I couldn¡¯t afford to be captured, and I couldn¡¯t succumb to the desire to flee with him either. It was a struggle to keep my arms still and not reach out to him. Then I spied a second wave of incoming hunter-seeker missiles. ¡°Tell me your name,¡± I yelled at him. ¡°Tell me your true name.¡± ¡°Liam. My name is Liam.¡± I accepted it with a ragged nod, then willed Seraphim to generate a multitude of levitator and maneuver-fields. However, it wasn¡¯t so that I could run away. With a single leap, I shot past him, over the remaining barrier-fields, and raced toward the incoming missiles. *Seraphim¡ªmaximum output. [ACKNOWLEDGED] *Fire! Her six Angel wings spread wide around me, Vector Lightning flashed brilliant white and its forked tongues touched the missiles before they could evade it. One after the other, in rapid succession, the missiles exploded or simply vaporized and vanished from sight when the Vector Lightning made contact with them. Great balls of flame expanded and gushed through the Old Docks, but Seraphim and I were unharmed as we sailed into the fiery storm and out the back. With no more missiles to destroy, I landed and skidded to a quick halt. I gave Lancelot one last look that failed to mask the despair crushing my heart. Meeting his gaze was a mistake for I almost gave into the desire to rush back to him. However, mustering my remaining will, I broke free of his gaze, turned away, and leapt through the upper level of the Old Docks. I fled west, away from Sofia, away from Maestro, and away from Lancelot. I realized I was on my own now, and I had no clear plan or goal in mind, except to leave them all behind. Perhaps it was better this way. Perhaps it was better to be alone once more. ###
Written to the tune of "Ocean Princess (no vocals)" by Two Steps from Hell. Note: Merkala calls herself Merkala, but her true name is Gehanna Valerian afil Lanfear. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 16 (Part I) Chapter 16 - Part I. (Maestro) # The bustle of activity didn¡¯t last long and died down within minutes. This was because my crew and I had prepared for the possibility of abandoning the Pantra at the drop of a hat. Assembled in the Pantra¡¯s airlock anteroom situated in the ship¡¯s neck, I swept my gaze over the seven members of my crew. They carried what they needed and nothing more. In simple terms, the bare essentials. We would resupply later, but for now, we needed to scuttle the ship and make our escape into the Habitat One. Farson, a tall, lanky man in his late twenties, and gifted with a Kataphract Type Artifact that turned him into a running tank, hefted his rucksack¡¯s straps over his right shoulder. ¡°Maestro, what about Sofia?¡± I shook my head tightly. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ve lost the link to her which means it was forcibly broken on her end.¡± Razor, a young brunette woman with short hair, and one too many piercings, folded her arms, her carry-bag at her feet. ¡°She was a liability from the start.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed. ¡°But she was also my responsibility and I failed to manage her.¡± She looked over at me. ¡°Then we¡¯d better get her back or you¡¯re going to lose your head.¡± I flinched inwardly, then noticed I was being observed intently by my crew. I cleared my throat quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for her. No matter what, I won¡¯t allow Crescent to hold you to blame.¡± A large man in his early thirties picked up the duffle bag at his feet. ¡°So you think you can get her back on your own?¡± ¡°If need be,¡± I replied. Elexis, a young petite woman with auburn hair and pixie features, laughed mockingly. ¡°Like that will ever happen.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± I questioned her. Razor sighed loudly. ¡°She means that despite our individual differences we¡¯re not going to run and abandon you. We¡¯re your crew, and together we¡¯ll get her back and complete the mission.¡± Fair-haired, tall, and handsome, Dominic Vermont straightened the straps on his shoulder belonging to his expensive travel bag. He was dressed in smart casual wear though his clothes undoubtedly cost a pretty penny. He opinioned in a polished accent. ¡°Besides, the Kin Slayer did us a favor, did she not?¡± There were times his accent annoyed me, and this was one of them. It was something I couldn¡¯t express in words. I was just annoyed by it and that was all I could say. Nonetheless, I did agree with his assessment. ¡°Yes, she did. With her presence here on Pharos, it¡¯s obvious Public Security Section Zero will put one and one together and come up with two.¡± ¡°So the focus won¡¯t be on our quarry,¡± Dominic state unnecessarily. I chose not to add anything to the tail end of that observation. Instead, I swept my gaze over them all, then focused on Elexis. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Her response didn¡¯t inspire me with confidence. ¡°You have our destination clearly in mind?¡± She grinned perhaps a little too nervously. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be dropping us into the middle of a busy street, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± Razor snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t drop us out into a vacuum either.¡± Elexis smirked. ¡°As though a vacuum would bother you and your Artifact¡­.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Just tell me if you can do it.¡± ¡°Relax. I¡¯ll get us there.¡± Again, not exactly confidence inspiring. Elexis clapped her hands. ¡°Well then, gather round. Remember to stay within the transport field at all times.¡± After we all stepped a little closer to each other, Elexis summoned her Artifact. Opening a breach in the confined space, the black mist spread throughout the airlock anteroom, and into the adjoining areas of the ship. When it faded away, I observed eight diamonds the size of beach balls floating around the huddled group. Dominic asked affably, ¡°Shall we hold hands and sing a song?¡± The fair-haired young man beside Dominic who happened to bear a striking resemblance to him, folded his arms across his chest with visible disgust on his face. ¡°You¡¯re the last person I¡¯d ever hold hands with.¡± ¡°Oh brother dear,¡± Dominic lamented. ¡°Why do you reject me so much? Do we not share the same blood?¡± ¡°Half-brother, you ass,¡± Damien Vermont retorted. ¡°And the only thing we share is a philandering father.¡± Dominic raised two fingers of a hand. ¡°Well, it does take two to tango.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Damien snapped. Dominic brought his two fingers together. ¡°In order to have an illegitimate child, you need a man and a woman.¡± Damien squinted at his half-brother. ¡°You can say what you want about my mother. I have no problem with that.¡± ¡°Oh really? But I haven¡¯t said anything.¡± ¡°Besides, she ran off soon after I was born. I have no memories of her.¡± ¡°Yes, apparently she was only after the money our family paid her for you.¡± Damien stiffened for a moment. ¡°As I said, it doesn¡¯t bother me in the least.¡± ¡°Well, I for one am happy to have a younger brother. It''s miserably being an only child.¡± Razor tossed her hands into the air. ¡°Would the two of you shut up!¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Elexis added. ¡°These family bonding moments are insulting to us orphans.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an orphan,¡± Razor corrected sharply, ¡°so speak for yourself.¡± Elexis sneered faintly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I forgot. You were tossed out of your home by your Aventis parents when you became a Familiar¡ªgah!¡± Razor grabbed Elexis by the throat with her left hand, and drew back her right hand, her fingers bent like claws. ¡°Have you forgotten why they call me Razor?¡± Elexis smiled at the young woman despite having her throat clamped. ¡°Do you want me to toss you into solid rock, kitty cat?¡± ¡°Trying doing that while my hand is wrapped around your neck.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± I yelled at them. ¡°Both of you stop wasting time.¡± I watched Razor reluctantly release Elexis and then take a step back. Elexis reached up and straightened her black jacket and top, all while smiling fearlessly at Razor. With a heavy breath, I turned my head and looked at the man standing silently at the entrance to the airlock antechamber and addressed him. ¡°Captain, please confirm your orders. ¡°Yes, sir. After you depart we fly the ship out into the harbor tunnel and attempt to make our way out of Island One.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°We self-destruct the ship, killing all aboard. The explosion should destroy all evidence of your involvement.¡± I nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Well, Captain, enjoy the journey to the afterlife.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You may go now.¡± The man bowed slightly, then turned and walked away from the entrance and thus out of sight. Farson sounded regretful. ¡°Such a waste to lose a good ship and good crew. Especially after it took weeks to remold their minds to suit our purposes.¡± I held back a shrug. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Besides, both they and this ship were smugglers to begin with. They made the mistake of crossing Crimson Crescent by selling information to the Enforcer Fleet¡ªinformation that allowed those imbeciles to target two of our facilities in the nebula. It¡¯s only fitting they atone for their betrayal by sacrificing themselves for us and the mission.¡± Razor muttered loud enough to be heard. ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t believe how easily your Artifact works on their minds. It¡¯s simply beyond Influence and beyond Imprinting.¡± I pursed my lips for a moment, before releasing a faint shrug. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I don¡¯t accept living under the rule of the Aventis. Their minds are too weak for my taste.¡± Razor glanced at me. ¡°But he¡¯s not an Aventis, and neither are his crew.¡± Again, I shrugged faintly. ¡°Aventis or Regulars. My Artifact does not discriminate.¡± ¡°And Familiars?¡± she asked. I broke into a thin smile. ¡°Care to find out?¡± ¡°Not unless you wish to lose an arm or two in the process.¡± My smile grew in magnitude. ¡°Razor, I¡¯m glad you never change. Your responses are as predictable as ever.¡± ¡°If they weren¡¯t you wouldn¡¯t be able to manage me.¡± ¡°So true,¡± I agreed. A gentle feminine voice sounded softly into the air. ¡°How indecent¡­.¡± Razor faced the young slender blond woman standing beside Dominic. As stunning as she was to look upon, Isolde¡¯s pale white skin contrasted sharply with her crimson lips, lending her the appearance of a beautiful Vampiress freshly risen from her coffin and hungry for warm blood. Wearing a long frilly white dress under a black cloak with the hood thrown over her head, Isolde looked incongruous within the grey-white interior of the starship. Her appearance was more befitting an ancient age when humankind relied upon horse and carriage to travel across the countryside. But for now, her ruby red irises were locked upon Razor, who¡¯s golden irises met Isolde¡¯s stare with a cutting glare. I sighed heavily, and broke into the silent standoff. ¡°Ladies¡­please¡­tick tock¡­.¡± Wearing a smirk, Elexis reached out to Razor beside her. ¡°Alright. Alright. No more wasting time.¡± She flinched when Razor grabbed her right hand in a bone-crushing grip, the latter smiling coldly at Elexis. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try anything with me.¡± As the two women regarded each other icily, the eight diamonds moved and then encircled our group. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Elexis remarked with surprising calm as she held Razor¡¯s stare, her smile failing to reach her eyes. ¡°Oh, and I would do as Dominic suggested.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the handsome man intoned. ¡°You mean¡ª?¡± ¡°We have to hold hands?¡± Damien blurted out in dismay. Elexis broke eye contact with Razor, and nodded at the two brothers. ¡°Yes.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°No way¡ª¡± Damien started to complain, but stopped abruptly when Isolde stepped between him and Dominic. She offered them each one of her hands. ¡°Boys. Behave.¡± Damien averted his gaze away, but I saw his hand tremble a little as he hesitantly wrapped it around Isolde¡¯s slender hand. Dominic chuckled, offered her a gentlemanly bow, before accepting her hand into his. Razor sneered and mockingly hissed, ¡°How indecent.¡± Isolde smiled brightly at her with canines extended for effect. ¡°You think so? Well, having two brothers share my bed is a pleasure a virgin like you could hardly imagine.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Damien yelled out in horror. ¡°What the Hell are you talking about?¡± Even Dominic looked faintly disturbed. ¡°Really now, Isolde,¡± he muttered while staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Such lies are unbecoming of a lady¡­.¡± Elexis reminded everyone with a sing-song voice, ¡°Hold hands or you¡¯ll get left behind.¡± Razor took a firm grip of my left hand, and I held onto Damien Vermont¡¯s hand since the young man was standing to my right. Farson shrugged and cast a sidelong look at the stocky man with shoulder length dark reddish hair standing between him and Elexis. Having kept his silence the whole time, Rygart responded with a curt nod, and joined hands with his immediate neighbors. Elexis swept her gaze over the circle of joined hands, and grinned at no one in particular. ¡°Remember to keep your minds clear,¡± she advised us. ¡°At the very least, think happy thoughts.¡± Within seconds, the diamonds began to spin like tops and radiate a piercing emerald light. I closed my eyes, unwilling to be blinded, though the bright light soon broke through my eyelids, and turned the dim darkness behind them into day. A short while later, I felt as though I¡¯d entered into a bright tunnel with a deafening roaring wind that pulled at my hair, skin, and clothes. The experience didn¡¯t last long, quickly transforming into the sensation of falling from a great height. However, opening my eyes I observed that I wasn¡¯t falling but floating through the air, high above the skyline of a vast city entombed in a giant cavern a dozen kilometers long. My crew and I, all eight of us, continued to hold hands like skydivers in formation, as we drifted in the sky a thousand feet above the tallest buildings. Our belongings also drifted along with us, and the eight diamonds formed a large circle around us. This high up from the buildings and floor of the habitat, the artificial gravity generated by effect-field emitters was non-existent, so there was no risk of us falling to our doom. Twisting my neck as I peered around us, I noticed the habitat possessed an artificial sky-field projecting a starry night sky. I see. We¡¯re still at night time. The Habitat is observing a night cycle. ¡°What the Hell is going on?¡± Damien cursed. Dominic laughed. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m as surprised as you are.¡± Elexis giggled loudly earning herself an angrily yell from Razor. ¡°You stupid bitch¡ªyou dropped us into a habitat!¡± I swallowed to clear my throat before ordering them, ¡°Be quiet, all of you!¡± Craning my head toward Elexis, I addressed her forcefully above the sound of the wind around us. ¡°This isn¡¯t our destination.¡± Elexis looked unconcerned. ¡°Of course it is. This is Island Three, Habitat Two.¡± ¡°Yes, but this isn¡¯t the apartment complex.¡± Releasing her left hand from Rygart¡¯s grip, Elexis pointed down at one of the building far below us. ¡°That¡¯s the complex right there. And that¡¯s the penthouse suite we took over from the owner. See, it even has a big pool.¡± ¡°What?¡± Razor cried out. ¡°You mean that small building in the distance?¡± Elexis managed to retake hold of Rygart¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay, everybody. Leave everything to me. Just hold on tight to your partners.¡± The diamonds had grown dark since we emerged into the Habitat, but now they began to glow quite strongly. I felt the air harden, pressing upon my body as effect-fields emanating from the diamonds worked in concert to coral us all together, including our belongings. Elexis used them to push us downward in the direction of the pyramid shaped apartment complex. Soon we were descending swiftly as a group toward the building. Within a minute, the penthouse suite and its large pool had grown to concerning proportions. Dominic asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we falling a little too fast?¡± Razor snapped harshly, ¡°Bitch, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Elexis demanded, ¡°and let me concentrate.¡± The diamonds circled quickly around us, and our rate of descend eased up. However, we were still on course for a watery landing. Quite abruptly the eight diamonds lost their glow. ¡°Ah damn it,¡± Elexis complained loudly. ¡°My Artifact¡¯s out of juice.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Razor nearly screamed at her. Elexis scowled at her. ¡°Hey, it takes a lot of juice to make the jump between asteroids into a habitat surrounded by kilometers of solid rock!¡± Damien said, ¡°Summon your Artifacts.¡± ¡°No!¡± I countermanded hastily. ¡°We¡¯ll be seen.¡± ¡°But her diamonds have been shining in the sky¡ª¡± ¡°People will mistake them for drones,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°We have no choice but to splashdown.¡± I heard laughter, and was surprised to hear it came from Rygart. ¡°Sorry!¡± Elexis apologized, then released hands with Rygart and Razor, quickly wrapping her arms about her chest as she aimed her legs downward at the large pool. In heartbeats, everyone pretty much followed suit. A short scream escaped Isolde when her dress and cloak fluttered upwards exposing her slender legs and frilly white underwear. Dominic and Damien suffered instant nosebleeds, while Rygart broke into more uncharacteristic laughter. Screaming again in shame, Isolde clutched at her dress and coat, struggling to keep them down. With everyone distracted by the show Isolde was putting on, we all forgot about the pool until we splashed down into the cold water. Sinking quickly, I flailed about for a heartbeat, then gained my bearings and kicked off for the surface. As I broke through the water, I inhaled deeply while taking a hurried looking around me. In rapid order the heads of my companions emerged above the pool. As I turned about while treading water, I looked to the penthouse with its glass patio windows, and saw a handful of women dressed in maid uniforms standing by the edge of the pool, with towels in hand. An elderly gentleman with a distinguished ambience stood beside them, hands behind his back. I didn¡¯t remember seeing them beside the pool during our rapid descent, so I was surprised by how quickly they arrived on the scene. I swam to the edge of the pool where they waited patiently for us. With the pool being shallower at this end, I was able to stand on the floor with my head and shoulders above water. The gentleman looked down at me, bending only his neck in the process. ¡°Are you Maestro Montague Del Castillo?¡± I gave him a short nod. ¡°That I am.¡± He nodded back down at me, then bowed with one arm behind his back and one across his chest. ¡°In that case, allow me to welcome you to my master¡¯s abode.¡± Through my Awareness-field, I sensed Razor, Elexis, and the others swim to the edge of the pool. Razor remarked in awe, ¡°Wow. They really are well prepared.¡± Catching my sidelong glance, she tapped her right temple and quickly added, ¡°I meant their minds. You did a good job on them. They¡¯re not even bothered by our watery landing.¡± I refrained from telling her this wasn¡¯t my handiwork. These Aventis and Regulars had been prepared for us by an advance party in the event we had to abandon ship and seek refuge within the asteroid Islands of Pharos. Unfortunately, I had little information on the nature and composition of the advanced party. However, as part of the details of the preparations they made for us, I knew that someone in that group had an Artifact that was as undiscriminating as mine ¨C an Artifact capable of bending and reshaping Aventis and Regular minds to the will of its Meister. This was but one of three safe havens, and I¡¯d chosen it because of its proximity to the quarry. I also felt it would be easier for Elexis to transport the group to an open location such as a penthouse patio, rather than an enclosed region such a narrow warehouse or hangar. However, for our return trip, she would need to transport us into the belly hangar of a starship. If today¡¯s result was anything to go by, I would need to work on a Plan Cee and Dee. The elderly man, whom my Awareness-field determined was a Regular, pointed to a nearby corner of the pool where steps lead up to the patio grounds. ¡°You may take the stairs and¡­do watch your step.¡± Elexis laughed softly. ¡°See. I told you I¡¯d get us here¡ª¡± Razor reached out and grabbed Elexis¡¯ head, plunging her underwater. ¡°Drown!¡± I watched the two women scuffle for a short while, then swam around them on my way to the steps leading up and out of the pool. Somewhere behind me, I heard Isolde whine about her wet hair, and Dominic remark of the waterproof nature of his watch. With an inward sigh, I affirmed my decision to work on Plan Cee, Dee, and if I had the time and resources, a Plan E. And while I was at it, I needed to find a way to get Sofia back, or there would be no point leaving Pharos for Crimson Crescent as they would hardly welcome our return with open arms. Not for the first time, or the last time today, I cursed that girl¡¯s stupidity and my irresponsibility. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 16 (Part II) Chapter 16 - Part II (Aleron) # I listened to my Lorelai Meister, Gabrielle, deliver her report, her voice emanating through the speakers of the Tactical Operations room. When she finished, I broached a question. ¡°What do you mean¡­gone?¡± Her voice sounded sleepy, but then again, that¡¯s just how she was. Perhaps it was more appropriate to refer to her as bored and disinterested in her manner of conversation. I hastened to state that didn¡¯t imply she was derelict or remiss in her duties. She simply sounded that way. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of them,¡± she replied in a languid tone. ¡°I¡¯ve tapped into every security system in within and around the old docks. I¡¯ve also scanned the surveillance data from the Harbor Tunnel security web, but I can¡¯t find any sign of them.¡± There was a long pause, and I chose not to interrupt as I knew there would be more coming. Again, it was simply her way to interject frequent long intermissions in her verbal reports. I believed that if she could, she would rather communicate directly into my mind. Gabrielle had often mentioned she found talking an inefficient form of communication. However, when I pointed out that there was more to talking than met the ears, for example, listening between the lines and picking up the subtle variations in intonation and inflection that revealed conversations within conversations, Gabrielle would muse upon the matter silently for several days before eventually coming around full circle to her original point of view. There was simply no getting through to her. However, it was but an insignificant quibble, as she was the finest Lorelai Meister I had ever come across. Gabrielle continued where she left off. ¡°They either have a Stealthrun system that can hide them perfectly¡­or they never left the Old Docks.¡± She paused, and I waited. Eventually she added, ¡°It¡¯s like they just disappeared.¡± I moistened my throat. ¡°Can you tell where the smuggler craft came from?¡± Her lazy reply came back a short while later. ¡°No. It¡¯s a custom model. I have a sixty percent match on a few designs on the market, but nothing closer.¡± I slouched back in my throne-chair. ¡°Keep searching. If you find anything pertinent to this matter let me know.¡± A short pause this time, before she sighed heavily and said, ¡°As you wish¡­.¡± Galahad turned slightly from his console and reported, ¡°Gawain is stable and recovering. The Symbiote infusion did the trick. However, the specialists say he¡¯ll be out of action for a few days¡ªpossibly a week.¡± I sighed softly, and nodded weakly. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s very good news.¡± In the corner of my eyes, I saw one of the female specialists stiffen, then reach up and touch the visor she wore. I tipped my head in her direction. ¡°Something the matter, Lady Monique?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Sire. I thought I saw something move in the lowest level of the Old Docks.¡± ¡°Saw something?¡± ¡°Yes, Sire. I¡¯m viewing the sensor feed from the drones sweeping the lower level.¡± She craned her neck forward an inch or so, as though peering into the distance. ¡°Something¡¯s down there¡­I can feel it¡­.¡± Tapping my armrest¡¯s left console, I brought up a collection of small holovid windows that displayed visual and audio data received from a number of drones scouting the low level of the Old Docks. However, I wasn¡¯t able to see anything unusual. That said, I trusted Monique as her sensory perception was incredible sharp for an Aventis. Tapping another are of the armrest console, I spoke to the Albion¡¯s captain, and instructed him to take the ship down the middle of the Harbor Tunnel, and have it perform a flyby of the entrances to the Old Docks. Within a minute, the ship had descended smoothly yet swiftly, and began to stroll slowly along the face of the Old Docks that looked out into the Harbor Tunnel. Monique worked her photon console and brought up holovid bubble that floated in front of the other screens. It would seem she wanted to press the importance of her hunch. ¡°There,¡± she pointed, then used her console to quickly center on an area one drone was staring at intently. I narrowed my eyes, focusing on where she indicated, but all I could see was dim darkness. To my surprise, Galahad suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s a ship.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Galahad tapped his console, inputting commands, and I noticed a group of drones head toward that area of the Old Docks. As the drones flew closer to their destination, Galahad made an odd shape with his hands, as though trying to mime the ship¡¯s shape. ¡°It¡¯s a ship,¡± he repeated. ¡°I¡¯m certain of it. Not too large.¡± Monique added, ¡°Rather low slung, but somewhat long.¡± ¡°A smuggler,¡± Galahad tacked onto her observation. ¡°Just what is it about smugglers today¡ª¡± I was about to agree with his sentiment when the holovids flashed pure white. It took my mind a full second to comprehend what had happened. In that second, Monique screamed and threw her visor away. In the next second, the shockwave from the unexpected detonation reached the Albion. Had she been floating before the entrance to the lowest level cut into the rock wall of the Harbor Tunnel, the Albion would have endured the full brunt of the white hot wave of burning gases. However, she was floating a hundred meters higher, so the majority of the shockwave surged out into the Harbor Tunnel below the belly of the ship. Despite this, her deflector-fields were shattered in a heartbeat, and the hastily generated second layer of shielding was barely able to keep the intense heat from burning the ship¡¯s freshly painted skin. Inside the Albion, inertial canceller fields kept the worst of the impact from splashing us to the four winds. The girls screamed as their bodies were kept harnessed to their seats by emergency effect-fields. In my throne-chair, I felt myself locked rigid within a cocoon of harness-fields, and found myself barely able to breathe. In such I state, I was aware of the ship tumbling away from the Old Docks, heading for a crash on the opposite side of the Harbor Tunnel, some two kilometers away. Thankfully, after a few seconds the worst of the explosion had dissipated, and the Albion levelled out of its mad roll, quickly assuming a position near the opposite wall of the Harbor Tunnel. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I was proud to say that not once had the ship¡¯s lighting crashed into emergency lights. She¡¯s tougher than I expected, I thought to myself. Sweeping my gaze over the interior of the Tactical room, I saw the girls were recovering from the violent ride, but Monique was covering her eyes with her hands. I tapped my right armrest console. ¡°Medical to Tactical Operations. Hurry.¡± Then I turned my attention to the multitude of holovid windows, almost all of them dark except for those showing an exterior visual through the ship¡¯s camera eyes. It appeared as though the Albion was floating in a greyish white cloud that billowed strongly all around her. Galahad cursed softly. ¡°They blew themselves up. Gods damn it, that¡¯s just insane.¡± ¡°Easy there, Galahad,¡± I advised him. ¡°Give me a Tactical report as soon as possible, if you please.¡± ¡°Aye, Sire.¡± As Galahad, went about collating the data collected by the remaining sensors, the captain¡¯s voice broke into the Tactical Room via the recessed speakers. ¡°Sir, are you alright? The med team has been dispatched.¡± ¡°We are, Captain. However, Monique requires attention.¡± I paused before adding, ¡°Please report on our status.¡± ¡°No major damage to the Albion, though we¡¯ve lost most of her sensor suite. That detonation was rather clean, very little radiation, but it carried a very impressive electro-magnetic pulse along with it that overwhelmed her protection. External comms are down, including the Quantum-Link Array. We¡¯re working on getting the auxiliary array up and running. We should be back on the air in a few seconds. Other than that, we¡¯re in good shape, with no adverse effects to maneuvering and propulsion. Weapons are also available.¡± ¡°Restore communications as quickly as you can, Captain. And move us closer to the Old Docks. We need to see what condition it¡¯s in¡ª¡± At that moment, the cloud surrounding the ship parted like a curtain being drawn aside, the pulverized rock blown away by a strong wind, and we caught our first look at the aftermath of the explosion. The Old Docks were gone. In its place was a great gaping hole in the side of the Harbor Tunnel, several kilometers wide, and just as deep into the asteroid that was Island One. I stared at it in disbelief, all thought having fled my mind. I simply couldn¡¯t accept what I was seeing. My mind a blank, it was only when loud sobbing filled the air that my thoughts came crashing back into the void of my consciousness. The girl, Lady Miriam, sitting at her tactical station to the left of Galahad¡¯s had palmed her face with her hands. ¡°¡­Lancelot¡­,¡± she sobbed behind her hands. ¡°¡­Lancelot¡­.¡± What? A moment later, Galahad cursed loudly, and jumped out of his seat. ¡°I¡¯m going out there!¡± I had to praise him for his mental fortitude as I was still processing the realization that Lancelot had been standing within the Old Docks when the explosion took place. I made no effort to stop Galahad, for I knew that with his Artifact he could fly to the ruins and search for Lancelot better than the Albion could in her present state. However, while she couldn¡¯t search for him, she could dispatch her medical drones. Before I could issue the order to deploy the med drones, two events took place. The first was Galahad almost crashing headlong into the arriving medical team. The second was the glimpse of movement within the dark interior of the cavern that was once the Old Docks. Something was floating within the darkness. Something white surrounded by black, sharply triangular wings. Something recognizably human. ¡°Albion¡­this is Lancelot.¡± I stood up slowly, and swallowed loudly. ¡°Lancelot? Is that really you?¡± ¡°Aye, Sire. I apologize for my conduct, and will accept any reprimand or punishment you wish to meet out.¡± Again, I swallowed loudly. ¡°Ah¡­we can talk about that later.¡± The sobbing girl was clutching her hands over her heart. ¡°¡­Lancelot¡­you¡¯re alive¡­.¡± ¡°Indeed, Lady Miriam. I am alive and well. I apologize for worrying you.¡± ¡°¡­thank the gods¡­,¡± the girl whispered. ¡°¡­thank the gods¡­.¡± At that moment, a chill ran down my spine as my mind accepted the unbelievable truth ¨C robed in the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon, Lancelot had survived the explosion that vaporized the Old Docks. In fact, he was unscathed and flying slowly toward us, pushed along by the maneuver-fields projected by his six Vector Wings. I found it both incredible and frightening to witness the power of a Ruler Class Artifact such as the Arturio¡¯s Pendragon. Then my heart skipped a beat, and my chest grew cold, when I remembered there were now five Ruler Class Artifacts in Pharos. I wasn¡¯t giddy with excitement anymore. I had been slammed down to the ground by the reality of the situation ¨C by the power demonstrated by these godly, or ungodly, Artifacts. It was said the Ruler Class were the only Artifacts capable of facing a Warlord on equal footing. Until today ¨C until this moment ¨C I had doubted that assertion as sheer folly. A Warlord was infinitely superior to an Artifact, though in truth, a Warlord was simply another class of Artifact. But the point was, a Warlord was in a league of its own. To make the claim that a Ruler Class could stand toe-to-toe with a Warlord was pure fantasy. Now I wasn¡¯t so certain. And that uncertainty threaten to unravel into a cavalcade of doubts. I felt as though my world had been turned upside down, and it was time to re-evaluate what I knew about the Artifacts. For now, I needed to obtain a full grasp on the current situation. That explosion and electro-magnetic pulse were sure to have done a number on the rest of Island One. Harsh questions were likely to be asked as to how this eventuality came about, and I needed answers ready and waiting. Clearing my throat quickly, I addressed my knight floating out in the rubble. ¡°Lancelot, I have a task for you.¡± On the holovid screen, I watched Lancelot come to a halt half way to the ship. ¡°Aye, Sire.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Lancelot, I need you to search the ruins¡­.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 16 (Part III) Chapter 16 - Part III (Sofia) # After travelling for a few minutes down a rock tunnel that was clearly not manmade, the sleek smuggler craft entered a cavern that possessed no gravity ¨C artificial or otherwise. In other words, there were no generators around to supply an artificial gravity using effect-fields. It was probably because the lack of a field would reduce the likelihood this region of the Island would be discovered. By manipulating the holovid screen using the small handheld remote I¡¯d been loaned, I used the device to look around the exterior of the craft at the surrounding cavern. The enclosure was large enough to house an apartment complex. There were a couple of large crates anchored down to the rock floor and walls using cargo meshes. I saw a handful of low-slung craft that might have been cargo sleds floating near one wall of the cavern, and fuel canisters were moored to the floor nearby. Other than that, the place was deserted. That is, there was no one waiting for us. I swung the holovid around some more, using it to look back down the tunnel leading into the cavern. One way in. One way out. At least, that¡¯s what I thought I till saw a dark shadow near one corner of the cavern. Hah. So they have an escape route. Sitting on the cabin seat, I rationalized why the smugglers were being so considerate toward me. Having been saved by the busty young woman calling herself, Sayen, I was then treated like an important guest. I believed it was because they didn¡¯t want to get on Crimson Crescent¡¯s bad side. Not many people do. Knowing my father was the founder and Big Kahuna of Crimson Crescent, had sent them into a brief spin. However, after I told them why I was here, the wheels began to spin in their heads, and they became downright concerned. I was now wondering if I should have lied, but Sayen had put the fear of the gods in me, so I¡¯d blurted out the truth of our mission. The cabin had grown very quiet, and then Sayen had told the two men with her to afford me every courtesy. So now I found myself being treated like a first-class passenger aboard a star liner. I had travelled first-class once, but in disguise of course. That was an experience. A totally awesome experience. Anyway, more about that another time. The smuggler craft came to a stop in the middle of the cavern, near the anchored sleds, but it didn¡¯t touched down. Through my Awareness-field, I sensed it fire anchors from the ship¡¯s belly into the ground. A few moments later, Sayen emerged from the cockpit and swaggered into the main cabin. She struck a pose, like a runway model ¨C though with her figure she¡¯d never model for a major label ¨C and addressed the two men sharing the cabin with me. ¡°Right, boys. Time to load up and make the run to Island Five.¡± One of the men ¨C a blonde, clean-shaven young guy whose name I learnt in conversation was Frankfurt ¨C raised a weary hand. ¡°Anego, when you say load up, how much are we talking about?¡± ¡°As much as we can toss into the ship and the cargo sleds.¡± The second young man, a guy with short cropped hair that gave his head a flat top, waved a hand about as though exhausted. ¡°So we¡¯re ditching this joint?¡± Sayen planted her hands on her hips, the motion making her enormous breasts bounce. Given how tight her mini-skirt dress was, I really had to wonder at the weight of her bosom. She grinned excitedly. ¡°I¡¯d rather hope not. However, we need to deliver the goods we were paid for because I really don¡¯t want a bounty on our heads from that organization.¡± She pointed at a back corner of the cabin, and while I didn¡¯t understand what I was supposed to be looking at, I did see some boxes stacked high. Frankfurt said, ¡°But Anego, they probably blame us for those drones showing up.¡± She lowered her hand back to her hip. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important that we deliver the goods. We may even have to give them a discount.¡± ¡°But Anego¡ª¡± She shook her head, and her breasts rocked from side to side. ¡°No arguments. We have a reputation to uphold, and we always deliver the goods. So we¡¯re going to toss as much into the ship and the sleds, drop off the agreed amount at the backup delivery point, and then we decide whether to abandon Pharos for a more lucrative market, or simply lie low for a while. We certainly have enough saved up to go on a long, long vacation.¡± I felt she was deliberately ignoring me while saying all this for my benefit. Timidly, I raised a hand. ¡°Um, Sayen?¡± ¡°What is it little girl?¡± I winced at being called a little girl. Heck, I was bigger up top than most girls my age, but compared to her, I was squarely in a junior league. Taking a quick breath, I asked, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°What are you planning to do with me?¡± Sayen blinked slowly. ¡°Well. Do you want to join us?¡± I blinked slowly. ¡°Huh?¡± Sayen¡¯s grin widened and looked creepy to me. ¡°Want to live life on the edge?¡± ¡°Anego,¡± Frankfurt said, ¡°that¡¯s easy for you to say. You¡¯re so damn powerful. But this girl¡ª¡± Sayen nodded and so too did her breasts. ¡°Agreed. She¡¯s small fry.¡± I winced again and felt deflated¡ªI mean defeated¡ªbut was surprised when Sayen stepped up to me and grinned down at me over the tops of her breasts. I immediately wondered how she tied up her shoes, or zipped up her boots with those mountains in the way. Please dear gods, don¡¯t let me grow as big as her. With a grin, Sayen asked, ¡°So, how would you like to be big fry?¡± ¡°Heh?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from glancing at her chest. ¡°Ah...well¡­.¡± Sayen leaned down toward me, probably so she could see me better. ¡°How would you like a real Artifact?¡± This time my attention was wholly on her face. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± she asked. ¡°Interested?¡± Studying the expression she was making, I tried to judge if she was being sincere. She looked serious about her offer, so I took a chance and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that Siren off your hands¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± I quickly stood up. ¡°No, this Siren was given to me by my mother. No. I¡¯d rather keep it and be a small fry.¡± Sayen jerked back with a surprised look, but her grin came back strong after a moment. ¡°Okay. Okay. Relax. But seriously¡ªhow would you like to master a really powerful Artifact?¡± ¡°Well¡­I¡¯d like that very much¡­,¡± I admitted. ¡°Good. Then in return, we could use your help.¡± I swallowed and narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°Join us on our venture. We could use another hand, especially a Familiar. You showed some talent when you led those Public Security Zeroes on quite a run.¡± ¡°You want me to be smuggler?¡± ¡°Sure. The pay is good, and you get to travel a lot. You can experience the thrill of the chase and being chased! And we can get matching tattoos.¡± Frankfurt choked, and the young man with the flat top haircut ¨C I think his name was Holland ¨C groaned loudly. ¡°Uh, Anego. About the tattoo, you really should reconsider.¡± Sayen frowned and bit her lower lip. ¡°Okay. Then how about a belly ring?¡± My mouth dropped open. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Want to see mine?¡± she asked, and started lifting up her tight dress. Frankfurt and Holland moved in a hurry, and grabbed onto the bottom of her dress. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll scar her for life.¡± Sayen struggled against them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with my navel ring.¡± Frankfurt disagreed. ¡°It¡¯s not your belly ring. It¡¯s the tattoo you have down there!¡± Holland blurted out, ¡°She¡¯s too young to be seeing something like that!¡± Sayen stopped struggling, and the men relaxed. ¡°Oh, alright. Maybe when she¡¯s older.¡± The two men dropped to their knees, and Frankfurt asked, ¡°Whatever possessed you to get that horrid thing?¡± ¡°I thought it was funny,¡± Sayen replied. ¡°I mean they do call it the gates of paradise¡ªoomf!¡± Both men shot to their feet and clapped their hands over her mouth. Frankfurt pleaded, ¡°Anego, not another word. Please. We beg you.¡± Sayen¡¯s eyes were wide in surprise, but she nodded after a moment or two. Cautiously, Frankfurt and Holland released her and stepped back. However, they weren¡¯t breathing sighs of relief just yet. Feeling cheated, Sayen crossed her arms, supporting her bust in the process. She faced me and asked, ¡°Well, give it some thought.¡± I swallowed loudly, clearing my throat and a little of my surprise. ¡°¡­okay¡­.¡± The truth was, I was giving it some thought, and that surprised me far more than the young woman¡¯s antics. A life away from Crimson Crescent. Before I considered it further, I remembered the mission, and realized it was something that needed to be accomplished first, before I could think of life away from Crimson Crescent¡­and away from Father. ¡°Right,¡± Sayen declared. ¡°There¡¯s an atmosphere in the cavern, so no need for pressure suits. Let¡¯s get out there and start loading up. We have no idea how long before those drones find the entrance and catch up with us.¡± The men started strapping thruster packs to their legs and arms. With no gravity, they needed some way to propel themselves around the cavern interior. Holland said, ¡°Anego, the sensors in the tunnel will tell us. We¡¯ll have plenty of warning.¡± ¡°Besides,¡± Frankfurt added, ¡°you can just go out there and blow them away.¡± Sayen looked faintly displeased. ¡°Sure, sure. Now hurry up.¡± Stepping up to the portside cabin door, she slid it open, then looked back at me. ¡°Girl, summon your Siren and give us hand.¡± I hesitated for a moment, a reaction she didn¡¯t miss, then slumped my shoulders faintly as I nodded. ¡°Okay¡­.¡± Without another word, Sayen jumped out and started floating away on her back. ¡°Wee. Zero gee backstroke,¡± she cried out happily. Holland muttered loud enough for me to hear him through my Awareness-field. ¡°Bloody Hell, Anego. Can¡¯t you take the situation seriously?¡± Frankfurt snickered. ¡°Hey, she¡¯s just giving her chest a rest. Zero gee is good for her back.¡± Holland chortled. ¡°You know, all this time, I¡¯ve never been able to figure out if they¡¯re real or not.¡± Frankfurt shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°Guess not.¡± Both men stopped at the hatch and watched Sayen swimming through the backstroke through the air, her mountainous chest rising proudly from her body. ¡°They sure are amazing to watch¡­.¡± ¡°Bloody Hell they are¡­.¡± I coughed politely, and crossed my arms, under my less than mountainous appeal. They both stiffened, and then turned their heads slowly toward me. Holland smiled nervously. ¡°We were¡­admiring the view¡­.¡± Frankfurt nodded rigidly. ¡°Yeah, all these natural formations.¡± I arched my eyebrows at them. ¡°Natural¡­formations¡­?¡± ¡°We should get to work,¡± Frankfurt declared. ¡°I agree. Time¡¯s a wasting,¡± Holland seconded. They leapt out and headed for the crates meshed together to the rock wall. After a few seconds, I leapt out too, and summoned my Siren Maiden. With it, I was able to fly about with ease. I¡¯d trained with Siren for many long hours in zero-gravity, so I was able to help the two men unhook the meshes, and release the cargo crates without fear of messing up. The crates weren¡¯t that large, but even though they were weightless in zero-gee, they weren¡¯t mass-less, so it still took some effort to get the moving and get them stopped. I had my Siren scan them with her sensors, and she reported they were packed to the brim with powder. I didn¡¯t recognize the chemical composition, and neither did my Siren. Should I ask them what¡¯s inside the crates? No, maybe not. Holland used a remote to control a cargo sled, bringing it closer to the crates, and I worked with them to load up the craft. Because the cargo compartment wasn¡¯t high, we couldn¡¯t stack the crates. In the end, we had to settle for packing them tightly in one layer. During all this, I noticed Sayen was swimming from one cavern corner to the next. So much for doing her share of the work. I looked down at the loaded sled. And what the Hell am I doing? Should I really be helping them? I gave it some thought, and figured these people were my best bet to getting in touch with Crimson Crescent. I knew that Father had operatives squirreled away in Pharos. Even if I couldn¡¯t join up with Maestro, at the least I could find a way home. Home. I looked up at the ceiling cavern. Did I really want to go home? Turning halfway, I looked behind me at the smuggler craft some two dozen meters away. The Marginal Profit was a cigar shaped, mat black craft around thirteen meters long, and five meters wide. Its streamlined body had thrusters and field-emitter clusters tucked tight against its hull, allowing it to fly down narrow tunnels like a sort of oblate bullet. Overall, it reminded me of a salamander, but instead of legs, it had tear drop shaped thruster assemblies and no tail. I turned back to the view of Sayen floating like a busty mermaid in zero gravity. ¡°Is she always like this?¡± I asked. Holland was working a second sled closer, and glanced at Sayen. ¡°Nah, she¡¯s normally a lot worse.¡± ¡°Worse?¡± I questioned. Frankfurt snorted loudly. ¡°Oh for sure. She¡¯s holding herself back because of you.¡± ¡°Because of me, or because I¡¯m the daughter of Crimson Crescent¡¯s leader?¡± ¡°Both, I¡¯d say.¡± Frankfurt crossed his arms, despite the thrusters attached to his forearms. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s taken such a shine to you.¡± Holland drifted closer. ¡°Been a long time since we¡¯ve seen her like this.¡± ¡°Yeah. She looks bloody happy.¡± ¡°Happy like when she¡¯s planning a new venture.¡± ¡°Yeah, that happy.¡± I frowned inwardly, feeling confused and complicated. So I¡¯m her new venture? What in high heavens has she planned for me? I heard something like an alarm coming from the earpieces the men wore. Holland and Frankfurt turned to look at the smuggler craft, then at the rock tunnel we¡¯d travelled through to get to the cavern. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Sayen stopped swimming, and was bathed in the darkness of the black mist. She emerged from it a couple of seconds later, wearing the stylish black armor that I didn¡¯t recognize. Beside her, floated two black Vector Clusters, each of them resembling winged birds. Of a sudden, through my Siren¡¯s expanded Awareness-field, I sensed the surroundings tremble. Something was racing through the asteroid Island. Something my Siren believed was an explosive shockwave. Sayen yelled, ¡°Get back in the ship!¡± Neither man argued, and I followed them back to the anchored craft. ¡°Release anchors,¡± Sayen ordered with a loud cry. ¡°Slave the loaded sled to the Profit, and floor it!¡± I arrived at the open hatch a heartbeat before Sayen, and glimpsed the tunnel we¡¯d come down glowing with a distant white light. It was like the light of mag-lev surging toward us at incredible speed. Around us, the cavern began to break apart. Sayen pushed me inside, then slammed the hatch shut ¨C leaving herself outside the craft. ¡°Anego!¡± Frankfurt cried out. I heard the woman¡¯s voice enter the cabin through hidden speakers. ¡°Get moving!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Holland asked. ¡°I¡¯ll follow. The cargo sled will never keep up without my help.¡± ¡°But Anego¡ª¡± ¡°Just get moving!¡± Frankfurt shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s crazy. She¡¯s bloody crazy.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not,¡± Holland said. ¡°Even slaved to the Profit the sled can¡¯t maneuver like the ship can.¡± ¡°Then we use an effect-field to tow it.¡± ¡°Can you guarantee we won¡¯t lose the sled?¡± Holland asked in a harsh tone. Frankfurt drew back but when he started to reply, Holland shook his head hard and fast. ¡°Anego won¡¯t risk losing that sled. Without it, we¡¯re all dead, and she knows that.¡± Wrapped in my Siren Armor, I was consuming much of the interior. For a heartbeat I thought of heading outside, but instead asked, ¡°Can she do that? Can she really push it and keep up with us?¡± Holland¡¯s jaw clenched before he replied, ¡°With that monster Artifact of hers¡ªyeah, she can.¡± I felt a surge of power rush through the ship, and the engines whined loudly before they can began to roar. The tremor of the anchors retracting was almost lost in the great shudder the ship released. From the cockpit came the voice of another young man, and I remembered there was a pilot and co-pilot up front. ¡°Hold onto something. We¡¯re punching out of here!¡± Before he finished the sentence, the ship began moving with a sudden hard kick the inertial cancellers couldn¡¯t handle in time. I used Siren¡¯s effect-fields to steady myself within the cabin. At the same time, I used two effect-fields to hold onto Holland and Frankfurt, preventing them from crashing into the rear bulkheads of the main cabin. The men gasped, but shot me thankful looks. I was kind of surprised that I¡¯d helped them, so I turned away my face to hide it. But that made me quickly focus on what was happening outside the ship. *Siren, expand the Awareness-field to max. I want to know what¡¯s happening out there. [ACKNOWLEDGED.] Closing my eyes as my perception of my surroundings ballooned to a gigantic size, and I could sense Sayen flying behind the Marginal Profit and the cargo sled. Behind her, a massive heat wave rushing toward us, ripping up the tunnel and roaring into the cavern. The Marginal Profit jumped down into the exit tunnel I¡¯d noticed on the holovid when we first arrived. As the ship rolled and twisted, following an invisible racing line down the tunnel, I realized this wasn¡¯t a tunnel but a crack ¨C a fissure ¨C in the asteroid¡¯s body. I remembered that Island One was a seventy kilometer long chunk of rock from a dead moon. Something that size was bound to have numerous fissures and cavern sized pockets. Did they map out the fissure and decide they could use it as an escape route? The Siren Maiden flexed her effect-fields and I noticed her inertial-fields had manifested, cancelling out most of the stomach twisting maneuvers the Marginal Profit was performing as it raced ahead of the heat wave. As unbelievable as it was, Sayen was flying behind us, pushing the cargo sled ahead of her. Just what¡¯s inside those crates? What¡¯s so important about them that she would risk her life by racing ahead of the fireball? I noticed something I¡¯d failed to pick up on until now. The ship was maneuvering with a precision and skill that I thought was impossible for a human pilot, cutting a razor sharp path down the fissure, keeping mere meters away from the ragged, jagged rock walls. Is it an automated system, an Artificial Awareness, or could it be¡­? I turned my attention upon the cockpit, and sensed the two men seated at the controls. Could it be¡­they¡¯re Familiars? I had yet to meet them, but through my Awareness-field I could picture their appearances. One was large and burly. The other slightly shorter and slender with a well-toned physique. Both of them were neural-linked to the Marginal¡¯s control systems. If they could pilot the ship this well, I was certain they were Overclocked Familiars, but I couldn¡¯t pick up the presence of an Awareness-field so I suspected they didn¡¯t have Fragments or Artifacts of their own. That surprised me since Sayen had offered one to me. So why me and not them? ¡°Anego¡ªyou still with us?¡± Frankfurt asked. ¡°I¡¯m with you. Be quiet and don¡¯t distract me.¡± I looked to the stern of the ship, and focused my Awareness-field on Sayen and the sled. She was steering the cargo sled by using the effect-fields projecting from her Artifact. The sled was completed wrapped in those fields. At the same time, she was propelling herself along with maneuver-fields of incredible power. I wondered how fast we were racing down the fissure, and Siren gave me an answer a heartbeat later. Six¡ªsix hundred kilometers an hour! The ship continued to follow its mad twisting course for another handful of seconds, but began to slow down when the flames no longer licked at our tails. ¡°Thank the bloody gods,¡± Sayen said loudly into the cabin. ¡°I need a damn shower.¡± Frankfurt and Holland looked at each other. ¡°What the Hell is going?¡± they asked at the same time. With the mad flight coming to an end, I had two questions in my mind. Where were we going? And what had we just outraced? Was it an explosion of some kind? I looked back in the direction we¡¯d travelled. Sayen was still pushing the sled along, though not as hard as before. Behind us, the fissure was no longer glowing hotly because it had been buried shut when the rock walls caved into it. Seeing that, I had to wonder how much damage the explosion had done to the asteroid¡¯s interior. The blast came from the direction of the Old Docks¡­. My stomach clenched painfully as my thoughts came together into unanswered questions that felt more frantic than the last. Don¡¯t tell me¡ªdid the Pantra blow up? Did Maestro order it destroyed? I noticed I was biting my lower lip and made myself stop. Could an exploding ship release such a massive explosion? If the Pantra was gone, then what about Maestro and his people? Had they gone down with the ship, or escaped by using the explosion as a diversion? But if it wasn¡¯t the Pantra blowing up, then what had caused that explosion? If the last was true, then had the Pantra and Maestro escaped the blast? Around me, the Marginal Profit slowed down a little more as it entered a narrow stretch of the fissure that looked more like a regular tunnel. Again, I could tell this much because of my Awareness-field. The ship flew down the tunnel and entered a large cavern with flat walls and ceilings, and I realized we were inside an underground bunker. Then I saw that it wasn¡¯t a bunker, but an underground parking lot. Concentrating the Awareness-field like a narrow yet bright searchlight, I swept it around and studied what I could see through the field. It was a parking lot, but it looked abandoned. The piping was leaky, and power conduits barely functioned so there was little electricity flowing through to the lights mounted to the ceiling. The interior was mostly dark, and I saw through the Awareness-field a handful of derelict vehicles. The gravity simulated by effect-field generators buried underground was weak, probably no more than half-a-gee. I wondered if this place was simply forgotten over the years because it was no longer used, or maybe someone had removed it from the architectural records. From my knowledge of Crimson Crescent¡¯s activities, I knew that the Lorelai Meisters my Father employed frequently altered the structural records of asteroid colonies and stations in order to create hiding spots. So there are places like this inside Pharos too¡­. I widened my Awareness-field so that it surrounded the ship, but that shrunk its size down to a radius of a hundred feet. But it was big enough for me to sense when the ship touched ground, its landing skids gripped the cracked permacrete, stopping the ship from floating off in the weak gravity. From the cockpit, the younger of the two men called out, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Bloody Hell,¡± Holland muttered grimly. ¡°What the Hell just happened?¡± The portside hatch opened, and I saw Sayen standing beside the ship, clad in her Artifact. The black Skin-Regalia resembled a something the evil witch of the woods might wear in a fairytale if she was crossed with a super sexy dominatrix and medieval knight wearing too little armor to be of any use. However, right now, no one was paying attention to the mountains on her chest, or her sexy Skin-Regalia. That was because Sayen looked furious, and she was directing that fury at me. ¡°Start talking,¡± she said to me. Maybe because her voice was low made it more frightening than if she¡¯d shouted at me. I swallowed hard a couple of times, then took a deep breathe. Still wearing my Siren Armor, I stepped to the middle of the cabin. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t¡­I mean¡­I can¡¯t be sure¡­but¡ª¡± ¡°But what?¡± she asked, her voice still low but steely hard. ¡°But¡­but that might have been¡­the Pantra blowing up.¡± Sayen¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits. ¡°Explain.¡± I swallowed again, and took another couple of breaths. But I didn¡¯t delay as I could sense she was growing impatient. ¡°The crew were Imprinted by my Father¡¯s people. They were smugglers that betrayed Crimson Crescent to the Enforcer Fleet. So his people captured them, Imprinted them, and used them to take us here to Pharos as part of the mission.¡± ¡°They were expendable,¡± Sayen said. I nodded feebly. ¡°Yes¡­they were expendable¡­.¡± ¡°So in the event of capture, they were Imprinted to blow themselves up.¡± My stomach clenched under pressure from the truth in her words. I gave her another feeble nod. ¡°Yes, but¡­but not inside Pharos.¡± Sayen¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I heard they were supposed to be a diversion, so blowing up inside the Island wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. My father may be a heartless, ruthless bastard, but killing innocents isn¡¯t high on his to-do list.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s not keen on collateral damage? Then what about the superfreighter explosion six years ago?¡± I could feel the men¡¯s gazes on me, and in the corner of my eye, I saw two men step out of the cockpit and enter the front of the cabin. But most of my attention was on Sayen who stood deathly still just beyond the open hatch. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°Ask my father.¡± The young woman took a long step back, and half turned away from the ship to look into the cavernous parking lot. Her voice was softer than before. ¡°If that really was your ship blowing up, and it wasn¡¯t supposed to happen inside the Old Docks, then either something went wrong¡­or someone planned it that way.¡± My eyes flared wide open as a shiver ran through my body. ¡°You mean it was deliberate¡­?¡± Sayen¡¯s gaze met mine when only her eyes swung my way. ¡°Like I said, it could simply mean that something went wrong. The smuggler crew may have triggered the explosion because they had no other choice. But that would mean the option to do so¡ªthe option for an early death¡ªwas Imprinted into them.¡± I had trouble swallowing. ¡°You mean¡­they were Imprinted to blow themselves up, rather than run away and then blow up.¡± ¡°Precisely,¡± she replied. ¡°But that would put the mission at risk¡­.¡± My voice trailed away as my thoughts grew dark and desperate in the face of that truth. Sayen smiled at me, as though reading my troubled thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s possible your comrades have a traitor in their midst.¡± I forgot to breathe. I felt as though my heart had stopped too, and my chest grew tight, squeezed by a vice-like grip. Was it her? Was it Merkala? She wasn¡¯t part of Maestro¡¯s Crew. I heard she came along for the ride at my Father¡¯s orders. But if she came with us because of my Father, did she Influence and Imprint the crew with new orders? I just don¡¯t get it. If Merkala is the traitor, did Father know this or not? Or is she working with Father? What reason does he have for sabotaging the mission at all? I squeezed my eyes shut, but Sayen¡¯s voice cut into my thoughts as she muttered somberly, probably to herself. ¡°Whatever the truth, we¡¯ve got problems of our own.¡± Behind me, Frankfurt asked, ¡°Anego¡­what the Bloody Hell do we do now?¡± Opening my eyes, I watched Sayen cross her arms slowly. ¡°We deliver the goods at the second drop-off point. Like I said, I don¡¯t want to get on the organization¡¯s bad side.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± Holland asked. She took a deep breath that ballooned out her chest. ¡°Honestly¡­I haven¡¯t thought that far.¡± Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 17 (Part I) First draft of the last two chapters and epilogue. Will be fixed up for the final release on Amazon Kindle. Note: Name change: Crais Shepherd to Klaus Shepherd. Too many characters starting with "C".
Chapter 17 - Part I (Caelum) # School Week Five. Thursday. Late Evening. Sparring with Kaleb was a different experience to sparring with the girls. Even with the Kaiser¡¯s Skin-Regalia enhancing my strength, speed, and mobility beyond that of my skinsuit, it was a struggle to keep up with the man. Foolishly, I¡¯d expected to face him in his skinsuit. Instead, I experienced a punishing training session at the hands of Kaleb dressed in a Skin-Regalia of his own. That surprised me because during my sister¡¯s invasion of the Academy, Kaleb had worn a skinsuit to augment his mobility and strength. I was also quite surprised to learn he was bonded to a Dragoon Class Fragment known as a Cuirassier. Putting two-and-two together, I reasoned he was also in the process of unlocking of his Fragment. However, when I asked him about it, Kaleb told me to ask him another time, perhaps after I¡¯d unlocked the K?mpfer form of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. So why was he using a Fragment and not an Artifact? After all, wasn¡¯t he a former instructor for the Sanctum? I had the impression the reason he was down to a Fragment had something to do with my sister. It also gave me the impression he resented her for it, though he probably had more reason to resent the Sanctum. Maybe I could ask Lidia to look into Kaleb¡¯s background and circumstances. That thought reminded me of my appointment with Arisa this coming Sunday. I chose to save that thought for later. As I was saying, training against Kaleb was a different ballgame and I found myself struggling to keep up with him. His was a faster pace than either Maya or Rina¡¯s, so I felt like I was sprinting the whole time. And then somewhere along the way, as I reached my limit and chose to push beyond it, something shifted within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Something broke away from inside the Fragment. Distracted by the inward sensation, I failed to block Kaleb¡¯s lance and left myself open to his attack. The lance speared through my Skin-Regalia¡¯s barrier-fields, and came to a stop a mere inch from my body. Before me, Kaleb wore an expression of surprise and shock. When I looked down, I saw that I¡¯d taken hold of the lance¡¯s blade, my armored left hand wrapped in a glove composed of tiny barrier-fields that crinkled, shattered, and reformed with every breath I took. Impossibly, I had stopped the blade of his lance before it touched my abdomen by grabbing onto it. It was nothing more than a reflex reaction, but the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had given it its blessing¡­so to speak. Abruptly, my mind kicked back into gear, and with a solid grip on the lance¡¯s blade, I tossed it back. It was no more than the simple movement of my arm, but it flung Kaleb back a good twenty feet. He landed well enough, his agile footwork keeping him upright and in a battle stance within a heartbeat of touching ground. However, while his body had reacted as per its training, the same couldn¡¯t be said about his mind. For a short while longer he remained still and stunned, before breaking into a hungry grin. ¡°Finally taking this seriously, Desanto.¡± I swallowed, not quite understanding, but dropping into a combat stance with one Gauntlet blade in an offensive guard, the other in a defensive posture. Kaleb narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well then¡­let¡¯s see what you can do now¡ª¡± He leapt toward me, low and blindingly fast, before finishing his sentence. Overclocked, I watched him fly toward me for a half second, before countering his attack with one of mine. The best offense being the best defense. With his lance, Kaleb had reach, but I had power on my side. Deflecting the lance slightly with the back of one blade, I twisted my body to allow it to pass by me, then slashed at him with my right Gauntlet blade. Kaleb used the length of the lance¡¯s staff to block my attack, though his defensive barrier-fields shattered nearly instantly in the process. However, he chose not to retreat. Instead, he pressed the attack. From then on, it was a matter of striking, slashing, and thrusting at each other with weapons sheathed in piercer-fields and protected by barrier-fields. As time went on, I grew more accustomed to his technique, and was better able to counter his thrusting lance. In time, I was able to deflect and sidestep his attacks with less wasted movement and energy on my part, allowing me to move from defensive to offensive guards and attacks with greater fluidity. Oddly, I felt as though my speed had gone up. I saw my body move without the lag that gave me the impression of moving underwater. In other words, despite my Overclocked state, my limbs moved almost normally as though in real-time, implying my movements had trebled in speed. I was so surprised by this realization, I almost missed the obvious that Kaleb had been repeating his attacks for my benefit. He was training me to learn to counter a ranged weapon such as his lance, by engaging in the same attack until I grew accustomed to defending and countering it. When he was satisfied with my response, he would switch to a different attack, and allow me to develop a counter against it. I sensed he was guiding me, urging me to move a certain way that work best against his lance. This is where I was surprised the most because very attack Kaleb threw at me I intrinsically knew how to defend against. What is this feeling? What is happening to me? It was as though the knowledge was within me the whole time. However, since that was impossible, I believed that combat knowledge was coming from the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Again, I was reminded of my battle with Celica in the Vault Chamber, and how the Kaiser had elevated my combat ability. Back then it had turned me into a monster, a raging beast, that was all power and very little control. This time, the ghost in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing was keeping the beast leashed. But little by little, the longer I fought Kaleb, the more I lost myself to the ghost. Soon, I found myself fighting both Kaleb and the ghost, and I started to falter on both fronts. Yet through it all, I felt more and more pieces of the seal around the Kaiser¡¯s Core begin to break and fall away. All I needed was a little push. All I needed was something to drive me further, to push my emotions higher, to overcome the ghost, and I was certain I could break the seal. The K?mpfer form was so close I could feel it on the other side of the seal. I could sense it waiting for me, and my desire to break through the seal grew with each strike, each deflection, and each parry I executed against Kaleb and his lance. I pushed my body harder, and then pushed my will into the seal. I wanted it broken. I wanted to break it now. At that moment, just as I struck Kaleb¡¯s bladed lance with enough force to send him spinning away, something changed within the seal and my consciousness was pulled inwards into the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. In my mind, the image I saw of the seal was like a wall with an ornate, elaborate circular gate made of brilliant ivory like stone. In a heartbeat, that ivory gate became translucent, and I saw the silhouette of a girl standing on the other side. She was slender, and she looked to be wearing a resplendent white dress like a princess from a fairytale. She turned to me from behind the seal, and I caught her smile through the translucent gate. For a fleeting moment, I felt I recognized her and the shock made my heart skip several beats. Then the moment passed, and she turned away, moving away from the wall and thus the Seal. As her silhouette grew dim, fading into the brightness that lay beyond the seal, I slammed my will into the ivory wall. Break. It held, and I slammed at it again. Break! Again, I struck it, putting more and more of my will behind each blow, fracturing and cratering the wall and gate. Each strike grew more painful, but my need to break the seal, to reach out for her before she faded completely from view, continued to mount, building up into a frantic despair. Try as I might, no matter how much of the seal I shattered with each blow, I couldn¡¯t break through. I felt my will break, and my blows grew weaker until I had nothing to throw at the seal but my hoarse cries. Looking up, I caught a last glimpse of her lithe, willowy form, and then she was gone. No. The hurt in my heart grew unbearable. Don¡¯t go. I gathered my will. Don¡¯t leave me. Clenched into a fist, I raised it high. Don¡¯t leave me again. On my feet, I stood before the seal, and wound my body as I drew back my will. Don¡¯t ever leave me again! I struck the seal one last time, shattering my balled up will. Galatea! Depleted of strength, my consciousness ¨C my awareness ¨C collapsed to its knees. I had failed. Again, I had failed to keep from leaving me. As despair welled up inside me, I looked up at the seal. The circular ivory gate cracked¡­and exploded into me. A roaring wind swept me away, and my vision turned cloudy. Unable to see, I had the impression I was flying uncontrollably through the air, until I crashed into something immovable. That something¡­was my body. The training cavern and Kaleb Deneve came into view with a clarity I¡¯d never experienced before. And with this newfound pureness of vision, I watched myself strike at Kaleb and his bladed lance a blow that sent him flying backwards through the air. This time he didn¡¯t land on his feet but on his back, and he came to a stop after rolling along the ground several times. The black mist surrounded his body, as his Cuirassier¡¯s Sarcophagus retrieved the Fragment. When it faded, Kaleb was lying unconscious on the ground more than fifty feet away. I realized I was standing tall, but my body was shaking from as though from incredible exertion. Remaining upright was all I could do. If I tried to walk, I was certain to fall, as every muscle in my limbs trembled almost uncontrollably. With a thought, I willed the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing and the Skin-Regalia back into its Sarcophagus, and when the mist dispersed into the depths of the training cavern, I collapsed to my hands and knees. I was crying, and I couldn¡¯t explain why, only that my heart ached with unbearable sadness and regret. I remained that way for a long while, sobbing loudly on hands and feet, as my tears continued to fall. If only I knew why I was crying. If only I knew why I felt like I¡¯d lost something so important to me that my life felt meaningless. Something happened in there. Something happened when I blacked out. I swallowed, grateful my tear ducts were running dry. No¡ªit wasn¡¯t a black out. It was a white out. Like a snow blizzard or snow storm. When I found the strength to look up, I saw that people came for Kaleb, among them Maya and Rina, and he was roused back to consciousness. Despite insisting he could walk on his own, the medics forced him onto a floating stretcher and he was swiftly taken out of the training cavern. I saw all this through my drying tears, wondering why I was given such a wide berth. Even Maya and Rina didn¡¯t know what to do, looking at me as though I was someone they didn¡¯t recognize. Those looks made me feel even emptier inside. My heart felt as though it would break at any moment. Would they leave me too? Slender arms encircled me, and the warmth of a girl¡¯s body enveloped me, filling a little of the cold emptiness that welled up within my body. Since I no longer needed a skinsuit, I wore a black training garment that resembled a wetsuit, and through the material, I could feel her body pressed into my back as she embraced me from behind. ¡°¡­okay now¡­it¡¯s okay now¡­it¡¯s all okay now¡­.¡± I reached up and touched her arms, my hands gentling gripping her. Though I had a hold on her, I feared she would slip away if I didn¡¯t touch her with my own hands. ¡°¡­not going anywhere¡­.¡± Slowly, the ache in my heart began to fade. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going anywhere¡­.¡± Little by little, I grew calmer, and my Awareness-field began projecting again. I straightened on my knees and squeezed her arms gently. ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± That was all I could offer her; it was all I had the strength to offer her. After an interminable length of time wrapped in her protective embrace, I found myself able to turn around a little, and look into her eyes. Azure eyes met mine, and a smile curved her lips, a smile I rarely saw on her. I gazed at Simone, and felt I was seeing her for the first time. I was seeing Simone Alucard¡­and not the Countess. Her smile was one I wished to see more often, especially now that she was my girlfriend. Then I saw Caprice standing a few yards away behind Simone, robed in a Skin-Regalia I¡¯d never seen before, standing tall with her Valkyrie Legs manifested, and bladed gauntlets at the ready. She was breathing hard, her face pale, her body trembling all over. There was anguish on her face, and despair too. It brought back memories of her pleading on her knees before Celica. I opened my mouth, intent on calling out to her, to tell her that I was fine. To tell her not worry, and not to cry. To tell her I was sorry for causing her pain. Stolen story; please report. But the words died before they reached my lips. Cold and lifeless, her gaze locked rigid on Simone. For a moment, a single heartbeat in time, I felt a chill pierce my heart as I understood what that look meant. Then Caprice met my eyes, and agony flashed across her face before she turned and vanished from sight with a single leap. On my knees and with Simone supporting me, I struggled to accept what I¡¯d seen in Caprice¡¯s eyes. However, Maya and Rina, who walked up to me with wary, nervous looks, drew my attention away. As expected, Rina hung back a little, while Maya was the first to speak. However, it did take the girl a few attempts to find her words. In the end she took a deep breath, planted her hands on her hips, and said with a puzzled look, ¡°Uh¡­congratulations?¡± I stared up at her, not knowing in the slightest what that question was all about. Maya¡¯s shoulder¡¯s drooped and she stared at me in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what just happened?¡± I shook my head feebly at her. Her disbelief went up a notch, and she palmed her forehead. ¡°You just broke another seal on the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡°¡­I what¡­?¡± Planting her hands on her hips again, Maya shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Pervert Desanto, you unlocked the K?mpfer form. Congratulations.¡± I stared at her dumbfounded, until I remembered my experience inside the Core Awareness of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. So it was real. I really did break the Seal. Standing up slowly, I looked up at the cavern ceiling. I wasn¡¯t seeing the rock formations overhead, but picturing the Academy grounds while thinking of the girl behind the wall around the Core Awareness. Galatea¡­who are you? # (Caprice) # I burned. I burned with a hatred I didn¡¯t know I had within me¡ªa hatred for that girl. I had to leave. If I hadn¡¯t turned and jumped away for the exit to the training cavern, I didn¡¯t know what I would have done. I was running away for her benefit more than mine. Within the anteroom leading into the cavern, the Skin-Regalia and the Valkyrie Armor left my body, retrieved by the Sarcophagus. That left me barefoot and dressed in the training bodysuit. Like Caelum, I no longer needed a Skin-Regalia. I learnt that today, while Caelum was busy training with Kaleb in Cavern One, and Cavern Three was occupied by Rina and Maya left to their own devices for the evening ¨C though we¡¯d learnt from Principal Mason that a new instructor was coming to the Academy. It was Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian who took up the duty of training me in Cavern Two. As I trained with her, my Valkyrie Armor against her Siren Maiden, I abruptly found myself wearing my Valkyrie¡¯s Skin-Regalia. Without any fanfare or ceremony, I¡¯d suddenly broken one of the seals, and released Brynhildr¡¯s Valkyrie-skin. Seeing this, Nicola instructed me to summon and release the Valkyrie-skin a number of times, after which she congratulated me and decided to halt our training in order to have me outfitted with a simple black bodysuit that resembled a wetsuit only it was much thinner. Shortly afterwards I heard the urgent summons of medics to Cavern One, and fearing something had happened to Caelum, I rushed out to the training cavern only to find Kaleb unconscious, and Caelum wracked by sobs on hands and knees. But I didn¡¯t arrive in time to help him. Somehow, she arrived before me. Somehow, she was there to comfort and support him before me. Somehow she had taken my place at his side. And so I burned with hatred for her, and I chose to flee. It took all my strength of will to hold myself back and not take her head. In the change room, I stripped out of the bodysuit, and ran into showers. In an empty stall, I turned on the water, slapping the temperature control panel to the setting I wanted, and dove under the shower. Battered by the water, my hatred gave way to despair, and then my heartache overwhelmed me. I collapsed into a shameless heap, and lost the battle against my tears. Why her? I heard myself wail softly as the water struck my bare skin. Why her? Why choose her? Why? I stared at the tiles beneath me, barely seeing them, yet sensing they were there through my Awareness-field. Alucard had been in the observation room. I¡¯d glimpsed her there when I reported in to Mason and Weinberg. She was on the upper loft, looking through the immense windows down into the training cavern. She had the temerity to give me a friendly wave and smile. When the incident happened, she undoubtedly rushed to the cavern and beat me to Caelum¡¯s side by a few seconds. I clenched my hands over the wet tiles, my long blonde hair curtaining my face as I hung my head. Haruka asked me why I love him, and all I could tell her is that I just did. I shook my head, feeling frustrated with myself. But why is that? Why do I love him? Even before I met him, I loved him, and yet¡ªand yet¡ªI¡¯ve never really understood why? I raised my head a little, and looked at the tiled wall of the shower stall in front of me. When I think about¡ªwhen I face the truth¡ªI¡¯ve never known why I love him, only that I do love him. I love him more than anything in this world. I love him more than life itself. I would die for him¡­and I would kill for him. I swallowed, tasting the shower water in my mouth, and some of my tears. But why is that? The more I thought about it, the more my thoughts came back full circle. Looking up, I closed my eyes as the shower water sprayed onto my face. ¡°Why¡­why do I love¡­Caelum Desanto¡­?¡± I had no answer. All I knew was that it was true, and that love for him was so strong it scared me. Pushing myself up to my feet, I stood under the shower water for a little while longer before turning it off. Drying myself under the full body dryer near the shower stalls, I then walked back into the change room, and dressed in a clean set of casual clothes ¨C a tank top, loose trackies, and pair of old sneakers. Then I stuffed my new bodysuit into the gym back I used, as I would need to wash it for tomorrow¡¯s training. Maybe I should ask for a couple more of them. Carrying my carry-bag and gym-bag, their straps over my shoulders, I left the underground training center. The elevator deposited me in the vast open lobby of the administration building, and from there I walked to the glass doors of the southern entrance. Outside the building, I hesitated at the top of the steps as I felt the breeze blow strongly over the academy grounds, courtesy of the less than stable environmental controls of Habitat One. When I glanced at my watch I saw that it was almost seven thirty pm. I closed my eyes, and listened to the sounds of the habitat at night. The club activities had ended, and the students had gone home by now. The quiet over the Academy grounds drew a shiver out of my body. Or maybe it was just my heart sighing. But the peace didn¡¯t last. The presence of an Awareness-field yanked my attention to the darkness beyond the foot of the steps leading up to the building¡¯s entrance. With my eyesight enhanced by my Valkyrie¡¯s Awareness-field, I looked into that darkness and saw a young male student standing there. ¡°Hello, Caprice.¡± Klaus Shepherd afil Raynar, dressed in his Academy uniform, and with hands shoved into his blazer¡¯s pockets, looked up at me with a faint smile on his lips. By choosing not to hide my surprise, I was able to mask my sudden unease. ¡°Klaus? What are you doing here?¡± He exhaled loudly, but his smile held steady. ¡°I thought I¡¯d wait for you. I figured you¡¯d be done with training soon.¡± ¡°Training¡ª?¡± I stopped, then cautiously asked, ¡°So you know about that?¡± He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I know about a lot of things. Word that Galatea Academy has reopened its training facilities to its attending Familiars has already spread. But for now, the names of the Familiars training at the Academy are being kept confidential. That said, it won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re found out.¡± He looked up at the artificial night sky. ¡°I¡¯m sure Galatea Academy will make an announcement soon. That will spare people having to speculate on the Nexus.¡± ¡°Klaus, why are you here?¡± He looked back down at me. ¡°Like I said, I was waiting for you to finish up.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we need to talk.¡± I took a step closer to the edge of the top step. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About why I¡¯m here at Galatea Academy.¡± It was strange, but for some reason I felt myself dreading the answer even though I half suspected what it was. ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­.¡± Shepherd took his time as though gathering his resolve. Then after a heavy sigh, he smiled weakly up at me. ¡°I¡¯m here to protect you, Caprice.¡± It wasn¡¯t the answer I was expecting, and my surprise slipped out into my voice. ¡°Protect me?¡± He nodded and shrugged slowly as he took another deep breath. ¡°I was sent here to protect you¡­on orders from your family.¡± My chest tightened and my stomach clenched into a lead ball. ¡°My family? Why? Would those bastards send you? Why would they send anyone to watch over me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re in danger. You¡¯ve always been in danger. You can¡¯t protect yourself, even with your Valkyrie Armor. You can¡¯t summon Brynhildr¡¯s Maiden form, can you.¡± He drew closer to the bottom step, and closer to me. ¡°Caprice, you¡¯re in danger but there are people out there watching out for you. Your family has been watching over you these past ten years, and I¡¯ve been watching over you since I was transferred to this Academy a year ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in danger from whom?¡± ¡°From her,¡± Klaus replied. ¡°From the one who killed your mother.¡± My stomach turned into a cold ball of lead. ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­she¡¯s gone¡­she left Pharos¡ª¡± ¡°No, Caprice. She¡¯s back.¡± As the words left his lips, I felt as though someone had squeezed my heart, choking the life out of it. Klaus¡¯s voice sounded distant as my senses became clouded. ¡°¡­we found out she''s come back just recently¡­our people in Public Security sent word¡­your family authorized me to tell you...to bring you home....¡± I didn¡¯t hear the rest. The bags I carried fell to the ground beside me. My legs lost their strength, and I collapsed limply to my knees. The nightmare was back. The memory of that night flooded my mind, pushing out all other thought. I¡¯d spent years suppressing it but his few words had broken all the chains I wrapped around it. I saw it again. I saw her die. I watched my mother fall to the sword-spear that cleaved through her chest, ripping apart her heart, killing her in an instant. I watched her die all over again, and I screamed in my mind. On the landing outside the building, I cried out for her. I barely felt Klaus¡¯s arms around me. I barely heard the words of comfort he whispered in my ear as he rocked me gently. But I heard the shout of rage that ripped the night air, and I heard Caelum¡¯s voice as he roared at Klaus. ¡°Get away from her!¡± Cold filled the air, the cold of a breach between Pocket Space and real-space. A girl''s voice plead frantically, ¡°Caelum¡ªstop!¡± When I could see again, I looked down at the grounds between the building and the grassy hill overlooking the west sports field. I saw two men clad in Skin-Regalia, the clash of their weapons sparking incandescent flashes emerald light. One wielded Gauntlet-Blades on each arm and two sharp Vector Wings floated behind him. The other was dressed in a white, armored Regalia, and hefted a long spear that resembled a Hellish tuning fork. He was flanked by four floating devilish wings. Sharp zings raced through the air to the tune of the emerald flashes. Barrier-fields shattered and reformed. Piercer-fields missed their opponent and sliced up the ground instead. At first, I didn¡¯t understand what was happening, only that Caelum was fighting Shepherd. Fury twisted his features, and his voice sounded demonic. ¡°Bastard¡ªwhat did you do to her? Why did you make her cry?¡± Someone crouched beside me, and through my Awareness-field I recognized her without having to face her. ¡°Steiner¡ªwhat the Hell happened? What happened?¡± Despite Simone Alucard shaking me less than gently, I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away from the scene before me. ¡°Steiner¡ªtalk to me. Damn it! What happened?¡± I swallowed and found my voice but it was barely a whisper. ¡°¡­he¡¯s wrong¡­Caelum¡¯s wrong¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he wrong about? Answer me!¡± ¡°Klaus¡­Klaus didn¡¯t hurt me¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alucard crouched in front of me, blocking my view. Grabbing my face in her hands, she forced me to look at her. ¡°Steiner, tell me what happened. Tell me now!¡± I swallowed again, and my voice grew a little stronger. ¡°Klaus, came to warn me.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About the one who killed my mother.¡± Alucard¡¯s azure eyes widened, then narrowed. ¡°The Kin Slayer.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°What about her? What about that woman?¡± ¡°He said¡­he said that she¡¯s back.¡± Simone Alucard rocked back on her heels. ¡°Oh my gods¡­.¡± Behind her, the sounds of battle grew to a feverish pitch, yet all I could do was kneel on the ground, my face in Alucard¡¯s trembling hands. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 17 (Part II) As promised, here''s the next and final part of Ch 17 draft 1. Only one more chapter after this and the epilogue before the start of Book Three. Will post them upon reaching fifty views for this part. Best wishes to you all.
Chapter 17 - Part II (Caelum) # I still dressed in the black training suit when I visited Kaleb in the infirmary. Simone tagged along behind me, oblivious to the look Caprice had given her. I believed that was a good thing. In the infirmary, I found Kaleb awake and faintly annoyed with the attention the medics were giving him. I could see the relief on his face when they finally left him in peace with the warning of ¡®no stressful activities for the next few hours¡¯. For a Regular that might have been ¡®no stressful activities for the next few days¡¯. Through the Kaiser¡¯s Awareness-field ¨C that oddly felt a little stronger and clearer than I was accustomed to ¨C I sensed the Symbiote growing inside him. The little monster was doing its best to revitalize Kaleb and deal with the aftereffects of me striking him unconscious. I walked up to his med-bed, and apologized by bowing deeply to him. ¡°If you get on your hands and knees, I¡¯m going to hit,¡± he warned me. I straightened slightly and peeked up at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This was my fault,¡± he said. ¡°I underestimated you. I really, really let my guard down.¡± He shook his head, more at himself than me. ¡°I must be getting old.¡± ¡°Kaleb, if I don¡¯t apologize to you, I won¡¯t be able to face you in training again.¡± I bowed to him one more time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Fine, apology accepted. Now stand straight.¡± I did so, and stood with my hands behind my back, not quite at attention, but close. He noticed my posture, started to say something, then stopped. Changing his mind, Kaleb asked, ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I don¡¯t feel like bawling like a baby¡­if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± I felt embarrassed thinking about it. Even if it did earn me a tight embrace from Simone, I was still rather humiliated by my less than manly behavior. Kaleb laughed, and I felt even more embarrassed. ¡°All men cry. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Well, Celica had other opinions.¡± ¡°And Celica isn¡¯t here. Besides, I don¡¯t think you should choose her as a role model.¡± I swallowed quickly. ¡°I was right. You do resent her.¡± Kaleb stiffened, then his expression relaxed. ¡°A little. However, I never shed a tear for her.¡± ¡°So you lost your Artifact because of her, and ended up with a Cuirassier instead. Isn¡¯t that a step down from a Grand Chevalier?¡± ¡°I¡¯d ask that you don¡¯t remind me.¡± He raised a hand quickly, forestalling me when I was about to apologize. ¡°Desanto, firstly, congratulations are in order.¡± I sighed heavily, and felt my shoulders slump. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a big deal.¡± Seeing his faintly puzzled reaction, I added, ¡°I was expecting something grander. All I did was strike at something repeatedly with my will until it broke. Then I was blasted back into my body. The next thing I know, I hit you so hard I knocked you out.¡± Little by little, I remembered my experience within the realm of the Kaiser¡¯s Core Awareness. It felt surreal, yet there was no denying now that I had broken the seal in a rather odd and anti-climactic way. In other words, it wasn¡¯t how I¡¯d imagined breaking the seal. Then again, I wasn¡¯t sure what breaking the seal would require so maybe it was pointless to feel disappointed. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of being let down. Breaking the seal didn¡¯t live up to the hype. Kaleb shook his head slowly. ¡°You broke the seal on the K?mpfer form. That is a big deal.¡± ¡°So now I have three more to break.¡± I took a shuddering breath. ¡°Then the moment of truth, huh.¡± Kaleb stood up off the med-bed, and nodded subtly as he looked down at me. ¡°That¡¯s right. The moment of truth.¡± Somewhat nervously, I uncharacteristically wet my lips. ¡°Kaleb, do you know who Galatea was?¡± He blinked then his face fell into a frown. ¡°Galatea?¡± I nodded very faintly. ¡°Was she someone important?¡± His frown grew puzzled, and after a second or so he gave me a halfhearted shrug. ¡°Sorry, but I just wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh¡­okay.¡± ¡°Get changed. Training¡¯s over for tonight.¡± He clapped my shoulder as he stepped past me, and stopped beside Simone who¡¯d been quietly hanging back. ¡°Watch over him.¡± She arched her eyebrows, then dropped into a classic Countess pose, arms folded and her weight on one hip. ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t need you telling me that.¡± ¡°Fine. Fine.¡± With a shake of his head, he walked out of the infirmary. I was still standing, watching him leave when Simone¡¯s skirt began to sing. Looking embarrassed she fished out her palm-slate and stared at the screen in confusion. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s an unknown number,¡± she murmured in reply. Tapping the screen, she answered the call. ¡°This is Countess Alucard. Who are you?¡± Of course she would answer that way. I should have expected no less. However, I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear a somewhat familiar voice blare out loudly from her palm-slate. In fact, her slate had switched over to speaker mode, and that took Simone completely by surprise. ¡°Is Desanto there? Is he with you? Is he still alive? You haven¡¯t smothered him between your giant boobs, have you?¡± I blinked in a hurry. ¡°Lidia?¡± Realizing I¡¯d blurted out the name, I clamped my mouth shut but the damage was done. Simone regarded me through lidded eyes. Lidia answered me through the palm-slate. ¡°Ah! You are there! I hope I didn¡¯t catch in a compromising situation with your GIRLFRIEND did I?¡± Simone¡¯s eyes narrowed a little more, and her thumb hovered over the palm-slate¡¯s screen. I held up both hands to her. ¡°Wait¡ªdon¡¯t hang up. She¡¯s a friend. I mean, an associate of mine.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°An associate? At least call me a partner-in-crime.¡± ¡°Lidia, you¡¯re not helping,¡± I warned her. She growled at me through the palm-slate. ¡°Where are you?¡± I hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m at an undisclosed location.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re in the training center under the school. Great.¡± I swallowed when Simone¡¯s eyes widened sharply before narrowing again. I spoke in a hurry. ¡°Lidia, why are you calling Simone?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t get a hold of you on your slate.¡± ¡°So why are you calling me then?¡± ¡°Tell me¡ªcan you pick up the news channels from down there?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Then have you heard the news? Has anyone down there heard the news?¡± ¡°What news¡ª?¡± ¡°About the explosion in Island One.¡± Both Simone and I reacted the same way. Our mouths dropped in unison. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Apparently something was going down in the Old Docks and there was this huge explosion in the Harbor Tunnel.¡± ¡°What Old Docks?¡± I asked. ¡°Never mind,¡± Lidia replied impatiently. ¡°Just listen to this. The explosion was big. Super big. And the Harbor Tunnel is a no-fly zone and all traffic in and out of Island One has been suspended.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°Because even if I don¡¯t have a Lorelai, I¡¯m still wired into everything, just not as deeply. Nowhere near as deeply. Wow. The chat rooms, forums, message boards¡ªthey¡¯re all going wild with speculation and a lot of people are blaming Crimson Crescent, especially with the annual memorial service just around the corner.¡± I swallowed and my chest felt a little tight. Somehow I¡¯d managed to push the thought of the upcoming memorial service out of my mind, or into a dark corner I rarely visited. Better there than weighing heavily on my mind. I still hadn¡¯t decided if I would attend the service this year. But leaving that aside, Lidia did have a point. An explosion in Island One this close to the memorial was indeed suspicious. Then again, did anyone suspect it could be an accident? Simone stepped closer to me and asked, ¡°Who is this girl?¡± I took a deep but very quick breath. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡± ¡°Hey, are you listening to me?¡± I indicated to Simone we should go out into the corridor. The medics were giving us confused and alarmed looks. ¡°Can you give us moment?¡± I said to Lidia. Out in the corridor, a few meters from the entrance to the infirmary, I told Lidia to continue. ¡°Finally,¡± she complained but didn¡¯t sound particularly annoyed. ¡°Look. Island One is in lockdown. No one gets in, and no one gets out. According the chatter on the Nexus, it looks like the mag-lev services have been terminated between it and the other Islands. No more vacuum runs either, unless they¡¯re Enforcer, Public Security, or Emergency Services craft. That¡¯s got people thinking the explosion was an act of terrorism. Anyway, some of the comm traffic that people are catching from the ships stuck in the tunnel suggests there¡¯s a huge hole in the side of the Harbor Tunnel and a thick cloud clogging up the interior. I have to say, it sounds twenty times worse than the superfreighter explosion six years ago¡ªoh wow! They just announced a lockdown for the other Islands. No traffic between any of them. Wow¡ªthis is big.¡± Simone snapped, ¡°Can you stop sounding like you¡¯re having fun?¡± ¡°No way. This is big. You should see how lit up the Nexus has become. Wow! Look at that data stream. Ah¡ªthat message board overloaded and shut down¡ªno wait! It didn¡¯t overload. Someone shut it down. Shit! There goes another one. Crap! That chat room got hammered and went down without a fight. What the Hell is this? Holy Toasts! They¡¯re winking out like stars at night. The Nexus is being taken down.¡± ¡°Lidia¡ªcalm down,¡± I urged her. ¡°Just tell us what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I am telling you. Someone¡¯s systematically cutting off the Nexus. Every gossip channel and board is disappearing. I think they¡¯re trying to censor the Nexus. Only the official news channels are still on air, and they¡¯re all reporting the same thing. This is censorship on a massive scale. This is a denial of the truth. People have a right to know what¡¯s happening!¡± ¡°But you said they¡¯re just gossiping?¡± ¡°No they¡¯re not. They¡¯re passing word along from the starship crews stuck inside the tunnel. This is really serious¡ªhey, wait a minute¡­what¡¯s going on out there?¡± The abrupt change in her tone ¨C it fell rather low ¨C caught me off guard, and I felt my stomach clench a little in anxious anticipation. ¡°Uh¡­Lidia?¡± Her voice still low, this time she sounded alarmed. ¡°What¡¯s he doing out there?¡± It took me a moment to understand she asking herself and not us. Nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t remain silent and had to ask her, ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Shepherd. Klaus Shepherd. He¡¯s outside the admin building. Looks like he¡¯s waiting for someone¡­.¡± An anxious thought crossed my mind. Klaus Shepherd was here¡ªI mean up above? Why? Wait¡ªcould he be waiting for¡ª? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Hey Desanto, your friend Steiner just walked out of the building.¡± My innards were spiked with steep worry. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I think Shepherd was waiting for her. I guess he knows about the training center too. Damn that stalker.¡± I stepped closer to Simone who was holding the palm-slate up between us. ¡°Which entrance? Which entrance, Lidia¡ªnorth or south?¡± ¡°South. I can¡¯t hear what they¡¯re talking about but they both look pretty serious. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re discussing the double-date.¡± Lidia paused for a short while. ¡°Desanto¡­I got a bad feeling about this¡­what with the explosion and all.¡± ¡°You mean¡ª?¡± ¡°Well, we both know she¡¯s uber important so I wonder if something¡¯s going down. And we both know Shepherd has been hiding the fact he¡¯s a Special lugging around a powerful Artifact like the Lucifer.¡± Simone¡¯s eyes widened and her head jerked back. ¡°What did she say?¡± Lidia sounded displeased. ¡°Tsk. I thought you¡¯d told her by now. What have you been doing all this time?¡± ¡°I have been rather busy,¡± I retorted as I turned and ran down the corridor for the nearest elevator that would take me up to the ground floor lobby of the Administration Building. However, in my haste I got lost and arrived at Tee junction without a clue which way to turn. Simone yanked my arm. ¡°This way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pulled along by her enormous Aventis strength, I picked up my pace and soon overtook her once I regained my bearings within the underground maze of the training facility. Too many damn corridors to this place. I wondered if I should have relied on the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing to guide me. No. I should have learnt the layout by now. I¡¯m really not thinking straight. Clenching my fists as I ran, I scolded myself. Get it together, you fool! Why was I so rattled now? When I¡¯d first learnt of Caprice dating Shepherd it had bugged me¡ªreally bugged me. But then I learnt she was using it as a means to learn his true intentions toward her, and my emotions had settle down, though I was still worried for her. Even if Shepherd¡¯s purpose was honest, I still worried for her. Then again, perhaps I was just lying to myself. Perhaps I was just coming up with excuses for not speaking out and holding my peace. I slowed quickly as I arrived at the elevator, and slapped the panel to summon the lift car. Then all I had to do was wait impatiently for it to arrive. Simone arrived a handful of seconds later. I noticed she was holding onto her breasts, but chose not to say anything. Instead, I kept my gaze on the closed elevator door. I guess she¡¯s really not built for running. I scratched a cheek. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with that. When the lift arrived, I hurried inside and pressed the button for the lobby. Unlike when I headed down to the training center, I didn¡¯t need to swipe my identity card against the scanning panel on the way up. That was fortunate as I¡¯d left my school ID card with the rest of my belongings in the change room. The problem was how was I going to get back down there. I cast a sidelong glance at Simone. I¡¯d better ask her for her help. When I looked ahead at the closed doors, I wondered if I should even be thinking that far ahead. After all, I had no idea what was about to happen in the next few minutes. Simone broke the silence in the elevator car. ¡°What did she mean when she said Klaus Shepherd has an Artifact?¡± Back in the Student Council meeting room, I¡¯d skipped past telling her about Shepherd¡¯s Lucifer Artifact. It was probably a subconscious decision, seeing that she was disturbed by not having any memory of the encounter she¡¯d shared with Shepherd in the storage room. But now I couldn¡¯t see a reason for holding it back from her. Yet the thought of Shepherd with Simone alone in the storage room was making my blood boil. I noticed my hands were clenched into fists. What happened between him and Simone? Why did he wipe¡ªno, not wipe¡ªrestrain her memories? Why? Why? Why? The tendons in my hands ached, and my arms trembled in restrained fury. If he did something more to her I swear I¡¯ll tear him apart. I¡¯ll rip him limb from limb and scatter them into the nebula¡ª! ¡°Caelum¡­are you alright?¡± I blinked and stiffened sharply, my thoughts coming to a sudden halt, though my emotions roiled within me. Damn it¡ªwhat was I thinking of doing just now? Swallowing quickly, I turned my head slightly toward Simone but kept my gaze averted and focused on the elevator doors. Shit! Why am I letting him get under my skin? I¡¯m jumping to conclusions, but I can¡¯t help thinking he did something to her. I had to swallow again before I could trust my voice would sound normal. ¡°It¡¯s just like she said. Klaus Shepherd afil Raynar has a Celestial Class, Lucifer Type Artifact.¡± I hesitated for a long moment before pressing on. ¡°His Artifact allows him to Influence and possibly Imprint the minds of the Aventis. He doesn¡¯t have to drink their blood to use Influence upon the Symbiote inside the host he wants to control.¡± I waited for Simone to respond, but she was silent the remainder of the trip up to the ground floor lobby. I guessed she was thinking through my grand reveal of Klaus Shepherd¡¯s Artifact. When the doors opened, I started to step outside at a run, but reached out and held me back. ¡°Caelum, please calm down. We don¡¯t know what his goals are. Despite what may have happened between him and I in the storage room, we could be wrong about him. We could be making a mistake.¡± Turning only my head toward her, I faced Simone. Her eyes were steady, and her face was calm as her gaze held onto mine. ¡°Please, Caelum. Don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± I swallowed hard, feeling faintly chastised. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to¡­.¡± ¡°Promise me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that.¡± For a heartbeat she looked pained, then resigned to the fact I truly couldn¡¯t make that promise to her. After a gentle sigh, she released my arm. ¡°I should have known you¡¯d say that¡­.¡± ¡°Simone¡ª¡± ¡°Would you feel the same way if it was me out there, and not her?¡± ¡°No,¡± I admitted, surprised that was the truth. She glanced away, fleeting anguish flickering across her beautiful face. ¡°I¡¯d feel worse.¡± Her eyes turned toward me, widening slightly. I shook my head slightly. ¡°Either way, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to hold back if he made you cry.¡± Turning quickly, I ran for the glass entrance. Through the transparent doors, I saw Caprice fall to her knees. Then I saw Shepherd climb quickly and crouch before her. By then I was at the entrance, and I slapped my palm over the switch in the metal doorframe around the sliding glass doors that briefly unlocked the doors during afterhours. With a faint swoosh, the glass doors parted aside and I rushed outside onto the landing beyond the entrance. On her knees and embraced by Shepherd, Caprice trembled visibly, her face pale as though drained of blood. Holding her tightly, Shepherd whispered into her ears. I didn¡¯t need to know his words. All I needed was the sight of her shaking in fear while in his arms, and a sudden white rage rushed through me. It was only a heartbeat later that I realized much of it gushed forth from the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Helplessly gripped by its fury and mine, I rushed at Shepherd. ¡°Get away from her!¡± I leapt at him, summoning the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing in the blink of an eye. Unsurprisingly, Shepherd did the same. Before being enshrouded by the black mist that rushed out of the Pocket Space breach, I saw Shepherd leap backwards with unexpected speed, and touch ground a few feet away from the foot of the steps. As soon as the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had solidified around my body, Skin-Regalia and all, I jumped at Shepherd, barely taking the time to study his Lucifer type Artifact. With a downward slash, my right Gauntlet-Blade met his forked spear, slamming it aside. Though my body was out of balance because of the strike, I still thrust my left Gauntlet-Blade at him, aiming for his chest. There was no doubt where I wanted the blade to pierce through. Yet part of me was horrified that I was aiming at his heart. At the last moment, I managed to shift my aim by a degree, enough for him to dart aside and take the cut across his chest armor, rather than through his heart. My body flew past him, and I landed on my armored tapered feet, not unlike those of a Valkyrie Maiden, and quickly spun around toward Shepherd. By then he¡¯d jumped back and put around a dozen meters between us. Anger, fury, call it what you like, roiled within me, making my body tremble. The Kaiser¡¯s anger had pushed my heated feelings through the roof, and I was nearly helpless to keep it lidded. I say nearly because somehow I was still holding my ground, and hadn¡¯t charged at him again. I was like a car spinning its rear wheels while simultaneously applying the front brakes. Sooner or later the brakes would burn out, and I would be launched forward into Shepherd. However, while I was barely holding firm and reining the Kaiser back, I could do little about my voice that truthfully sounded monstrous even to my ears, forcing me to wonder if this too was by the Kaiser¡¯s hand. ¡°Bastard¡ªwhat did you do to her? Why did you make her cry?¡± Inwardly, I thought, Why¡ªwhy the Hell is it reacting this way? Is it the ghost? I can feel it¡ªI know it¡¯s there¡ªbut it feels different this time. Surprisingly, despite gripped by the Kaiser¡¯s fury, I could see Shepherd quite clearly. There was no red haze of rage, and my Awareness-field was unnaturally sharp. Shepherd looked remarkably calm, practically unreadable, yet I had the oddest impression that he was surprised to be facing me like this. Could it be he wasn¡¯t expecting me to show up? He shifted his stance, widening the placement of his armored feet, and then smoothly broke into a wide eager smile. ¡°So that¡¯s the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing K?mpfer Form.¡± He slide his hands along the shaft of his wicked forked spear, and smoothly settled into a stance I¡¯d seen Kaleb perform just recently. Shepherd gave me an almost imperceptible nod. ¡°I¡¯d heard you were having trouble summoning it. But it looks like you¡¯ve broken the seal already.¡± His smile grew fearless. ¡°In that case, Pervert Desanto, show me what you can do.¡± The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing didn¡¯t need a second invitation, or a moment to think about it. It ripped free of its reins in the blink of an eye. Overwhelmed by it, I launched myself at Shepherd with more power than I¡¯d ever demonstrated before, and this time I knew there would be no holding back my blades, or shifting their aim when the Kaiser targeted his heart. Somehow, I needed to regain control, or Klaus Shepherd wouldn¡¯t live to see the morning. Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 18 (Part I) Correction: Chapter 19 is the final chapter. Then the Epilogue. This is posted for the 42 loyal readers I still have. My heartfelt thanks to them.
Chapter 18 - Part I (Kaleb) # Standing with Mason and Weinberg in the upper loft of the observation room, I had some trouble keeping my gaze professional. Let¡¯s just say, Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian cut a resplendent figure in her grey-black training suit. There wasn¡¯t a slender curve left to be emphasized from her lithe body. Mind you, my self-control is considerably superior to Desanto¡¯s but it was nonetheless a considerable struggle to prevent my gaze from falling prey to the charms of this blond beauty. Seeing her in her usual business suit was one thing. Seeing her in the training suite was a completely different experience. I swallowed hard ¨C twice ¨C and did my damndest to concentrate on Principal Lavinia Mason¡¯s question. ¡°I was asking,¡± Mason repeated, ¡°how strong do you gauge him to be?¡± I glanced away in thought, though it was more to avoid looking at Weinberg who chose to stand with a hand on her hip, her body making a gentle S-curve from the tips of her toes to the top her of her head. Focus. Focus. Focus! Swallowing again, and narrowing my eyes for effect as I regarded the view of the training cavern through the immense windows, I gave Mason¡¯s question due consideration and an honest reply. ¡°In K?mpfer form, he¡¯s already stronger than I am.¡± After a long moment of silence, Mason inhaled long and deep. ¡°Is that your honest assessment?¡± I faced her. ¡°Absolutely. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is in a different league to my Dragoon Class Cuirassier.¡± Crossing my arms, I added, ¡°I underestimated him. I won¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± I said, noticing I sounded grim yet unable to help it. Weinberg and Mason regarded me guardedly. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Desanto told me the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is haunted, and that sometimes the Ghost takes over.¡± Mason said nothing, but after a moment, Weinberg wet her lips and then asked, ¡°What did you tell him?¡± ¡°Nothing. The conversation drifted off in another direction.¡± Weinberg frowned slightly, but gave me a very subtle nod. ¡°I see¡­.¡± Mason held her silence for a moment longer, before turning away. ¡°So he doesn¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t know the specifics of how previous Meisters leave their mark¡ªtheir impression¡ªon an Artifact. What worries me though is the strength of the Ghost¡¯s influence on him. We¡¯ve seen it before when he fought his sister in the Vault Chamber¡ªthe berserker power that overwhelmed Desanto, and almost cost him his life.¡± Barely above a whisper, Weinberg murmured, ¡°He has quite the struggle on his hands¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, he does,¡± I agreed, and dropped my hands to my hips. ¡°And if I¡¯m going to help him, if I¡¯m to continue training him to grow stronger and to gain control of the Ghost, then I¡¯m going to need to unlock my Cuirassier.¡± I couldn¡¯t help hesitating before adding, ¡°Truthfully¡­once he breaks the next seal and gains the Krieger form, my strength won¡¯t be enough to push him to new heights. Either I get a new stronger Fragment now and begin unlocking it, or someone else will have to take over training duties.¡± As this point, I gave Weinberg a pointed look, to which she subtly shook her head. ¡°My hands are full with Steiner,¡± she replied in a low, even tone. ¡°She¡¯s made some progress this week, but I fear she¡¯s falling behind Desanto.¡± Mason¡¯s eyebrows rose upon hearing that. She spared Weinberg a questioning look. ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s troubled and its affecting her progress.¡± Weinberg looked uneasy, then said, ¡°All the girls are falling behind. With the exception of Caprice, both Maya and Rina should have unlocked the seals on their Skin-Regalias by now. Instead they¡¯re still using skinsuits to augment their strength.¡± For a heartbeat, Mason pressed her lips into a thin line before asking, ¡°Any suggestions on how to get them past this hurdle?¡± The tall blonde beauty looked distinctly uncomfortable. ¡°Well, there is one thing¡­we could try¡­.¡± Mason nodded subtly, arching an eyebrow. ¡°And that would be?¡± Weinberg looked even more uncomfortable, or perhaps more embarrassed, as she spared me a long sidelong look. ¡°Well¡­when I was having trouble summoning my Skin-Regalia¡­they made me train in my¡ª¡± She stopped when a number of holovid screens winked to life within the observation room. That number grew until they blanketed the floor-to-ceiling windows. Mason noticed them and muttered, ¡°What in blazes is going on¡ª?¡± From the floor of the observation room, one of the tech girls called out, ¡°Emergency Flash Traffic to all the Academies.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Mason sounded oddly off the ball, so I cast a glance her way, faintly shocked by what I saw. Galatea¡¯s Principal had grown pale, her eyes glassy as she stared at the floating screens. ¡°Again¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting Flash Traffic,¡± the girl repeated. ¡°It¡¯s being sent by Public Security Section Zero. Code Avalon.¡± I saw Weinberg regard her boss with a veiled puzzled look before she quickly asked, ¡°Give us the details on Code Avalon.¡± In response, someone translated the code into a series of directives that was displayed up on a holovid screen. I stood before the balcony railing and read them in sequence. Beside me, Mason breathed out an oath, and another glance at her revealed a little color had returned to her lifeless face. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± one of the girls below called up. ¡°We¡¯ve got reports of a massive explosion in Island One.¡± Another girl added, ¡°The Nexus is being censored, but we¡¯re getting a raw feed of the incident along with a report.¡± More data appeared in a new holovid window. A second panoramic window showed multiple angles of an enormous hole in what appeared to be the Harbor Tunnel in Island One. I read the report and glanced at the images. ¡°So Pharos is in complete lockdown except for emergency and security services.¡± Mason nodded apprehensively. ¡°And we¡¯ve been ordered to notify all our Familiars to make their way to their respective Academy and remain on standby.¡± ¡°Well that shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re still here in the training center.¡± Weinberg spoke up. ¡°No. Caprice Steiner has already departed.¡± Mason and I both glanced at her. Weinberg pointed at a holovid screen partially obscured by windows floating in front of it. ¡°She¡¯s already up above. She left without de-briefing.¡± Mason exhaled unhappily. ¡°What is that girl thinking?¡± After another unhappy breath, she said, ¡°Get Steiner back down here.¡± I frowned at the holovid window. ¡°Can you bring that screen up front?¡± Someone must have heard and complied with my request. A few moments later the screen was shown unencumbered. ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked, motioning to the young man wearing a Galatea Academy uniform standing some distance from the foot of the steps leading up to the building¡¯s entrance. Mason answered, ¡°Klaus Shepherd afil Raynar. He transferred from Ophelia Academy at the beginning of last year.¡± The name struck a bell within me. ¡°Klaus Shepherd?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a Familiar without a Fragment or Artifact.¡± I could feel Mason¡¯s gaze on me. ¡°Something the matter, Mr. Deneve?¡± I grimaced faintly and shrugged weakly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Caelum was asking about him. He wanted to know if I could find out more about Shepherd without setting off alarm bells in the system.¡± There was disbelief in Mason¡¯s voice. ¡°Desanto has an interest in Shepherd? How odd.¡± I nodded. ¡°Tell me about it. He rarely shows an interest in anything outside his passion for women¡¯s lingerie.¡± I glimpsed Weinberg stiffen. What¡¯s up with her? I wondered. On the holovid screen, Steiner and Shepherd continued to talk. ¡°Can we get audio on them?¡± Mason demanded. The observation room¡¯s interior speakers crackled faintly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m here to protect you, Caprice.¡± ¡°Protect me?¡± ¡°I was sent here to protect you¡­on orders from your family.¡± ¡°My family? Why? Why would those bastards send you? Why would they send anyone to watch over me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re in danger. You¡¯ve always been in danger. You can¡¯t protect yourself, even with your Valkyrie Armor. You can¡¯t summon Brynhildr¡¯s Maiden form, can you?¡± On screen, Shepherd stepped closer to the bottom step. ¡°Caprice, you¡¯re in danger but there are people out there watching out for you. Your family has been watching over you these past ten years, and I¡¯ve been watching over you since I was transferred to this Academy a year ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in danger from whom?¡± ¡°From her. From the one who killed your mother.¡± Mason inhaled a lungful of air, yet sounded strangled. ¡°What did he just say?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­she¡¯s gone¡­she left Pharos¡ª¡± ¡°No, Caprice. She¡¯s back. We found out she was back just now. She was sighted in the Old Docks of Island One. Our people in Public Security sent word, though Section Zero has yet to contact the Steiner Family with the news.¡± On the holovid screen, Steiner collapsed to her knees and Shepherd hurried up the steps to her. He arrived in the blink of an eye, surprising me with his speed. Wait¡ªwas that a maneuver-field? Weinberg hissed sharply. ¡°He has an Artifact.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mason sounded startled. ¡°That can¡¯t be. The records state he¡ª¡± ¡°He has an Artifact or at least a Fragment,¡± Weinberg stated with a chill in her voice. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt of that.¡± I heard Mason take a deep heavy breath. ¡°Get them both down here. Now.¡± ¡°Aye, Madam Principal.¡± Weinberg turned on her heels and began striding fast out of the loft. ¡°Deneve, go with her,¡± Mason instructed me. ¡°Back her up.¡± ¡°As you wish, Madam Principal.¡± I snapped her a mock salute, then hurried after Weinberg. I arrived at the bottom of the stairs leading down from the loft, when an angry shout roar through the observation deck. ¡°GET AWAY FROM HER!¡± The fury driving those words made me stumble and then stare up at the ceiling. Desanto? I spun where I stood and stared at the holovid window looking down on the building¡¯s entrance in time to see Desanto rush at Shepherd who leapt away with blinding speed, swallowed up in the black mist of a breach between Pocket and real-space. With that much anger propelling him, I wasn¡¯t surprised to see Desanto summon his Kaiser¡¯s Blessing and jump after Shepherd who stood a dozen odd meters away from the steps, robed in a white Skin-Regalia with armored arms and legs. However, what surprised me was the speed Desanto displayed. He¡¯s faster than when he struck me down. I had to overclock to follow the movements of both young men on the screen. With my attention rapt on the battle, I heard Weinberg speak up somewhere behind me. She sounded both amazed and wary. ¡°A Celestial type Lucifer¡­so that¡¯s how he did it.¡± For a moment, I tore my gaze away from the battle and threw her a questioning glance. Weinberg¡¯s attention was on the holovid screen. ¡°Celestials have the ability to hide themselves from other Artifacts and Fragments.¡± She was right. It was something I¡¯d forgotten. Her expression darkened. ¡°Angels amongst us. And the Devil too.¡± Then she spun away, her body a dark blur as she ran for the observation room¡¯s exit. On the holovid, the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing clashed with the Devil winged Lucifer. ¡°Bastard¡ªwhat did you do to her? Why did you make her cry?¡± I was wasting valuable time, and so I hastened out of the room, running down the corridor on my way to the nearest elevator up to the surface. # (Caelum) # At first, I honestly feared I¡¯d overwhelmed him. Gripped by my anger, and the Kaiser¡¯s fury that pushed it to new heights, I believed that if I don¡¯t hold myself back, I would take his life. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. Far from it in fact. Lidia had warned me not to fight him, claiming I wasn¡¯t a match for him. Despite the ghost driving me onwards, and despite its positive influence upon my skills, it was quickly clear that she was right. Against Klaus Shepherd and his Artifact, I was all roar, fury, and no substance. Far more bark than bite. The truth was I wasn¡¯t ready to face him yet. I had unlocked Schneider and K?mpfer, but wasn¡¯t enough to face Shepherd on equal or better footing. Compounding that was the fact I was handicapped from the start. I was struggling against Shepherd and against the ghost in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. In effect, the ghost was both a blessing and a curse. At first, I believed the Kaiser¡¯s rage was directed at Shepherd. However, not long into the fight, I came to suspect its anger was focused on Shepherd¡¯s Artifact, the Celestial Class Type Lucifer, and I couldn¡¯t understand why. Was it some kind of primitive response to the Lucifer? Had something happened between the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing and this Lucifer¡­or another Lucifer¡­sometime in the past? In other words, was there history between the two? Distracted, I almost failed to block Shepherd¡¯s odd forked spear, a weird weapon that was tremendously long, and didn¡¯t look like something made by man. Then again, nobody knew who made the Artifacts so that was a moot point. Regardless, Shepherd¡¯s weapon resembled something fit for a demon king¡­or the leader of the fallen angels. Its length made it difficult for me to approach him. My Gauntlet-Blades were doing a fine job parrying and deflecting the forked ends of the spear, but I just couldn¡¯t get any closer to him. One problem was that I couldn¡¯t use the blades like a sword. They lacked the range of motion that could be accomplished with a sword. There¡¯s something to be said about wielding a weapon by the hand. Circular parries, and deflections were out of the question for my Gauntlet-Blades. My blades also sacrificed range. Where I could grip a sword by the hand and have it extend from my wrist, the Gauntlet-Blades were attached to my forearms and that limited their range. In effect, they were better at blocking the spear ¨C like a shield or buckler ¨C than striking at it or Shepherd. I needed to get some of that range back. I needed to make them longer. Hanging off my forearms wasn¡¯t ideal. If only¡ªif only I could wield them like Celica wielded her blades. If only I could make them part of my arms! Something shifted in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Something slid and changed place, and when I next blocked the forked spear I had a surprise waiting for me. The Gauntlet-Blades had reconfigured. They were no longer attached to my forearms, but instead merged with them. Knocking Shepherd¡¯s spear away, I jumped back to give myself some room away from him. Thankfully Shepherd chose not to press his attack, and I took a second to study the blades. I had the sensation of having my hands and forearms sheathed within them. In this configuration, I¡¯d added a few extra inches to their reach, but that wasn¡¯t all. When I bent my wrist, I noticed the blades bent in response. They¡¯re not rigid. That¡¯s so weird. I held them up and tested their mobility. Better than before, but will it be enough. Abruptly I became aware of a change within me that left me surprised and gaping. It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s gone! The anger¡¯s gone. What the Hell happened? What changed? Was it something I did? I took deep calming breaths, and saw Shepherd watching me with interest, his spear at the ready but he was making no move against me. Why is that? Why isn¡¯t he taking the offensive? Sparing a glance at the steps to the Administration building, I saw Simone and Caprice watching us out on the sports field. Could it be because they¡¯re watching us? With a start, I realized our fight had taken us away from the Academy buildings and onto the west sports field. *How long have we been fighting? The Kaiser replied with an answer of three minutes and fourteen seconds. So what now? I swallowed and spoke loudly out at Shepherd, using the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing to amplify my voice. ¡°What did you do to my friends?¡± Shepherd looked confused. ¡°I have no idea what you mean?¡± ¡°What did you do to Haruka? Did you Influence her?¡± ¡°As I said, I have no idea what you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± I yelled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the security footage, and I know you did something to Simone¡¯s memories. You made her forget¡ªno, repress¡ªyour encounter with her. Why? Was it to hide the fact you had an Artifact?¡± For a long while he said nothing, forcing me to slash the air with a blade. ¡°Answer me!¡± I could feel my anger beginning to bubble, and beneath it I sensed the Kaiser¡¯s antagonism toward the Lucifer begin to resurface. Stay calm. Stay calm. I don¡¯t need to lose it. Shepherd¡¯s laughter startled me. Yet he remained in stance, the spear hardly wavering. ¡°I had a feeling someone would eventually find out. I guess there¡¯s no hiding from all the surveillance holocams littering the Academy inside and out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for an answer, Shepherd.¡± He lowered the tips of his spear, yet his stance was anything but unguarded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. I did Influence Haruka Amiella. I needed her help, so I had to nudge her feelings in a way beneficial to me.¡± ¡°Beneficial to you? Meaning what?¡± ¡°I needed her help to make Caprice see the light and realize that you¡¯re not fit to be by her side.¡± ¡°Who are you to decide that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one sent to protect her. As a Steiner, she has enemies simply because of her blood relation to that family. To keep her safe, I was sent here to watch over her. And I¡¯ve been watching over her long before you entered the picture.¡± My anger was tempered by doubts and suspicions. Yet, I remembered Lidia referring to Caprice as a rich girl, and as the daughter-heir to the Steiner Conglomerate. But Caprice blamed the Steiner¡¯s for her mother¡¯s death, so why would the Steiner Family go to such lengths to protect her? And why had Shepherd disclosed this now? Was he really here to safeguard her wellbeing, or was it all a carefully crafted lie? Was my confronting him enough to unlock his tongue? I had the deep impression something had happened, and that¡¯s why he¡¯d chosen to make his move. Perhaps the explosion in the Harbor Tunnel was the impetus for his grand reveal. But why would that be? Slicing the air with the piercer-field surrounding my Arm Blades, I declared, ¡°I have no reason to trust you or believe you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he admitted with an easy smile. ¡°You say you¡¯re here to protect her. You said I wasn¡¯t fit to be by her side. Why don¡¯t we put that to the test?¡± His smile faded and became a chuckle. ¡°Are you serious? Haven¡¯t you realized by now that you can¡¯t beat me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. Your Fragment can¡¯t match my unlocked Artifact. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m going to do this regardless of the outcome.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s rather pig-headed.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because I intend to kick the crap out of you for messing with my friends, and my girlfriend.¡± I pointed my right Arm Blade at him. ¡°You messed around with Haruka¡¯s head, and tried to turn her against me. I know that because Caprice suspected something was up with her behavior. Then you messed with Simone, and that really gets my blood boiling. Nobody¡ªand I mean nobody¡ªmesses with my girl or my friends.¡± For a moment, Shepherd looked nonplussed, then burst into laughter. I knew he was just mocking me with it, but it irritated me nonetheless. Lowering my right arm, I resolved I was going to mess up his pretty face with a few well-placed scars. After regaining some of his composure, Shepherd shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Fine. If you want to face me then let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve gone all out, and this is as good a time as any. Besides, I want to see what my rival can do.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t my rival. You¡¯re a just a step along the way to unlocking my Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡°Oh really? Then I should tell you, your girlfriend has the sweetest lips.¡± At first his words didn¡¯t register. When they did, I felt a dull ache in the pit of my stomach, and a faint emptiness in my chest. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°And those breasts,¡± he shook his head. ¡°They really are something to hold. Their shape, weight and balance are just perfect. The way they rest in your hands, like soft yet firm melons. Words just can¡¯t describe them.¡± He smiled mockingly. ¡°Oh, but you know what I mean don¡¯t you? Or could it be you haven¡¯t held them yet?¡± I started thinking what part of him I would lop of first. Wait a minute¡ªthis could all be a lie. Shepherd wet his lips. ¡°Have you noticed, her breasts are like giant mountains of vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip powder sprinkled over them. I¡¯ve never seen something so beautiful before.¡± My mouth fell open and I suddenly felt nauseous, my vision swimming slightly. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I don¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t want to believe it. No¡ªit isn¡¯t true! It¡¯s not true! IT¡¯S NOT TRUE! Cocking his head, Shepherd added, ¡°I was surprised by how passionate she becomes when she¡¯s turned on. I mean, that girl just explodes with sexual energy. And the way she kisses¡ª¡± He brought his spear up in time to block my stabbing thrust. This time I had aimed true for his heart and didn¡¯t hold back. The mocking smile on his face was gone, and I saw real surprise topped with a hint of satisfying fear in his eyes. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡± It was easy to see why he was so shocked. I had crossed the distance between him and I in the blink of an eye. It was the fastest I¡¯d ever moved, but I was too enraged to feel surprised at my own speed. Instead, I was disappointed I¡¯d failed to pierce his heart and take his life there and then. ¡°You deserve to die,¡± I growled at him through clenched teeth. Scissoring my blades and using my Gauntlet-Shield as well, I succeeded in locking onto his spear at the point where it forked. The Kaiser¡¯s blades may have detached and merged with my forearms, but the shield components remained attached to the gauntlets. Thus restrained, Shepherd wasn¡¯t going anywhere unless he released his spear. As he realized this, I watched his eyes narrow as he looked behind me. ¡°I see. You unlocked the Vector Wings and boosted your speed while ramping up your inertial canceller. It wasn¡¯t that you moved. Rather, you made the space around you move. Moving without moving.¡± He grinned drily at me. ¡°So you¡¯ve managed that much at least¡ªwoah!¡± Shepherd narrowly avoided the slash I aimed at his face, the piercer-field around my Arm Blade passing millimeters shy of his nose, but in the process he had to release the wicked forked spear. Using an effect-field around my left Arm Blade, I grabbed onto his discarded weapon and flung it away into the night where it vanished from sight somewhere over the Academy buildings to the north. In the depths of my mind, part of me prayed that careless, angry toss hadn¡¯t accidentally cost someone their life. The rest of me couldn¡¯t care less. My emotions had solidified into a cold frost, turning my burning fury into ice. I raged yet I was oddly calm, and the Kaiser¡¯s simmering hatred for the Lucifer began to blend with my disdain for Shepherd until the two became one. It really was strange to feel so angry yet remain so composed and detached. It was quite simply unnatural. I heard myself talk, but I had some trouble recognizing it as my own voice. It almost didn¡¯t feel like I was the one doing the talking. ¡°Say goodbye to your hands,¡± I heard myself declare. For several seconds, a thick black mist surrounded Shepherd¡¯s right hand and arm. When it dissipated, he held a long spear with a cross blade leading the way. Feeling the cold pulse of my anger throb within me, I aimed my right Arm Blade toward Shepherd. ¡°When I¡¯m done you¡¯ll never touch another girl again.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shepherd snorted, then grinned hungry. ¡°When I¡¯m finished here with you, I¡¯m going to make your girlfriend mine. I¡¯ll bend her mind and wrap it around my little finger. She¡¯s going to give herself to me and that includes more than just her breasts. We¡¯ll pick up right where we left off. And I might just include Haruka Amiella as well. Those two gorgeous girls are a handful, but I¡¯m man enough for them.¡± I slashed the air, and shifted my body into a lower stance. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to be taking more than just your hands.¡± Behind me, the floating Vector Core and Vector Wings thrummed and I felt their power flow into me through the Kaiser¡¯s Skin-Regalia. As it surged through me, my body became incredibly light ¨C lighter than I¡¯d ever experienced before ¨C and an overwhelming sense of confidence filled my heart and mind. Yet my anger remained as cold as before. I¡¯d heard that dry ice can feel like it burns on the skin simply because it¡¯s that cold. That¡¯s how my insides felt. With anger seeping into my cruel laugh, I readied myself to leap toward Shepherd with Arm Blades at the ready. ¡°From this day forth, it¡¯s the girls¡¯ bathroom for you, young lady.¡± # (Caprice) # I stood up slowly on the steps. Beside me, Alucard was staring intently at the two combatants out on the field. However, she asked me, ¡°Damn it¡ªwhat did Shepherd say to him?¡± By using my Awareness-field to act as a receptor mike, I was able to hear their conversation faintly yet well enough. I turned my attention on Alucard. The girl¡¯s face was pale and frantic. Her hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Swallowing to clear my throat, I asked, ¡°Did you cheat on Caelum?¡± It took a heartbeat for my question to register in her mind. She whirled toward me, eyes wide. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you cheat on Caelum?¡± ¡°No¡ªnever!¡± Then her expression grew even paler and aghast. ¡°Why? Why would you ask that?¡± ¡°Shepherd told Caelum that you exploded with sexual energy, and something about the way you kissed.¡± Her expression became cloudy, and deathly grey. Frowning inwardly, I pressed on. ¡°He said your breasts were perfect in shape and weight, and they fit in his hands like soft, firm melons.¡± ¡°Why¡­why would he say that¡­we¡¯ve never¡ª¡± Alucard abruptly stiffened, then stumbled and collapsed to her knees on the steps. I watched her, but made no effort to help her. She was breathing fast and heavily. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­that time in the storage room¡­.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± I softly demanded. She shook her head, and looked up at me. ¡°I have no memory of that time. I can¡¯t remember it at all. I can¡¯t remember any of it¡­.¡± I was surprised and failed to refrain from frowning faintly. ¡°Explain, Simone Alucard. What do you mean?¡± Alucard swallowed hard a couple of times, and clutched at her chest. ¡°Caelum showed me security footage that has Shepherd and I walking into the storage room on the third floor. A few minutes later it shows me walking out.¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°But I have no memory of that event. I don¡¯t remember what happened. I don¡¯t know what happened!¡± ¡°According to him, it sounds like the two of you spent seven minutes in heaven.¡± Though my words weren¡¯t exactly honest, I did believe she would faint upon hearing them. Unfortunately, she was made of sterner stuff. That said, after a few seconds, Alucard stood up and staggered down the steps, using the guardrail for support. I followed her, oddly curious to see what she would do. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised to see her hurry unsteadily to a small garden, and then heave her cookies behind the bushes. Alucard wretched over and over until she became dry, then stumbled weakly out of the garden and stared at Caelum and Klaus fighting out on the sports field. I watched her as her gaze hardened into a glare, and her body began trembling all over. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him¡­I¡¯ll kill him¡­I will kill him!¡± Hearing the way she said that, I believed she was serious. To some degree, I could sympathize with her. And yet, a cruel, dark side to me basked in the emotional torture Alucard was enduring. I walked up to her, stopping a few feet away from her, but close enough for Alucard to hear me clearly. ¡°You¡¯re not fit for him,¡± I stated flatly. ¡°What did you say?¡± She almost hissed the words at me. ¡°I said you¡¯re not fit for him. If a Familiar like Klaus Shepherd could bend your mind so easily, then this won¡¯t be the last time you betray Caelum.¡± ¡°I did not betray him!¡± ¡°So you say. But you don¡¯t know that. Truthfully, I suspect you have some residual memories of the encounter. Maybe you¡¯ve even dreamt about it. But even if they don¡¯t surface now, they may eventually surface over time. What then? What will you say to Caelum then?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the truth?¡± she snapped harshly. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we find out?¡± Alucard blanched, as impossible as that sounded since she was already ghostly pale. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Ara ara,¡± I mocked her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the truth?¡± She looked dead on her feet, but then she shook head slowly. ¡°No¡­.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell Caelum that it¡¯s all true.¡± ¡°No!¡± she shouted. ¡°Then let¡¯s find out the truth,¡± I offered her. A long moment went, and out on the field the sound of barrier-fields and piercer-fields colliding filled the distant air with sharp zings and zangs. Eventually, Alucard asked, ¡°How?¡± ¡°Ara ara, so you do want to know the truth.¡± ¡°Tell me how?¡± she demanded, closing the distance between us down to a foot. ¡°Let me drink your blood,¡± I replied as I looked up at her. ¡°With your Symbiote inside me, I can synchronize with the creature inside you. I can use Influence upon you, forcing your mind to remember.¡± I saw her thoughts swirl behind her azure eyes. After a few moments went by, she shook her head slowly. ¡°No. I won¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, but you trust yourself not to betray Caelum? Do you trust that you were strong enough to resist Klaus Shepherd and not submit to his will?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t betray Caelum¡­.¡± ¡°So you say, but there¡¯s no certainty in your heart,¡± I leaned forward slightly, ¡°because deep down, you just can¡¯t help wondering if it¡¯s true.¡± I smiled faintly at her. ¡°For a girl like you, doesn¡¯t that give you just a little thrill? Isn¡¯t that why girls like you cheat on their boyfriends? It¡¯s the thrill of cheating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alucard tried to slap me, but I caught her hand easily. ¡°Ara ara,¡± I mocked her again. ¡°Losing your temper, Countess Alucard?¡± ¡°I was right about you. You are a monster.¡± ¡°So says the host with a monster inside her,¡± I retorted. ¡°The Symbiote is not a monster,¡± she defended. ¡°But you clearly are.¡± Alucard tried to free her hand, but I used an effect-field from my anklets to hold her still. ¡°Countess, you bore me.¡± ¡°Let me go, Steiner.¡± I dropped the effect-field and released her hand, tossing it away and causing her to stumble back a couple of steps. ¡°If your feelings were true, you would have accepted my offer to know the truth.¡± ¡°No, I simply don¡¯t trust you. Having you inside my head would be a horrible mistake.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll say this again. You don¡¯t deserve to be by his side. A lascivious woman like you doesn¡¯t have a faithful bone in her entire body. All you¡¯ll end up doing is hurting him.¡± ¡°Go to Hell,¡± she whispered harshly. I waved away her sentiments, and turned to face Caelum and Klaus out on the field. But then Alucard said something that made my heart stumble for several beats. ¡°You¡¯re just like her, the Kin Slayer.¡± I regarded her sidelong. ¡°Careful what you say next, Countess.¡± Alucard had been cradling her wrist, but now she lowered her arms to her sides. ¡°You¡¯ve been blaming the Steiner¡¯s for the death of your mother. But the truth is somewhat different, and you know that.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°I told you to be careful.¡± ¡°The reason why the Steiner¡¯s could never be held accountable was because they weren¡¯t involved in her death.¡± ¡°Alucard¡ª¡± ¡°Your mother Karina was killed by her younger sister, Gehanna, out of envy, because she loved your father. Yet he chose Karina, and that was a knife into her heart. Yet it didn¡¯t kill her, but it wounded her and the incessant pain drove her to murder.¡± My mouth and throat had become dry, so I found it hard to swallow. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Yes I do. You forget my sister is the so-called Raynar Witch. When she inherited Public Security Section Three from her predecessor, she had access to the case files on your mother. It was Section Three under her predecessor that investigated her death, despite the fact that a member of Section Zero saved your life.¡± I could feel my heart beating unevenly, and I sensed the growing emotional strength within Alucard as she felt she was turning the tables on me. The Countess stared hard into my eyes. ¡°Your aunt killed your mother out of love for your father, and she would have killed you too if a member of Section Zero hadn¡¯t stepped in.¡± This time I managed to swallow. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Why do you deny it? The evidence is there. I can get it for you. I can show you the files.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Alucard pressed her lips into a thin line, before ploughing on. ¡°Do you know what Public Security thinks of you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Now I was genuinely puzzled. ¡°They have profile on you. And do you know what it says?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± I snapped abruptly at her. ¡°It says there¡¯s little difference between you and Gehanna Valerian¡±¡ªAlucard dipped her head at me¡ª¡°as you¡¯re both obsessive to the point of murder.¡± I felt something shatter inside my mind. The next thing I knew, I kicked Alucard with an effect-field wrapped around my right leg. The blow sent her flying backwards through the air. She would have landed hard a dozen meters away had it not been for a dark blur that raced over the ground, caught the falling girl as she fell. That blur resolved into the figure of Kaleb Deneve afil Lanfear, dressed in the Skin-Regalia of his Cuirassier. With shock on his face, and a stunned Alucard in his arms, he turned to stare at me. ¡°Steiner?¡± I sensed something pass over me, high overhead, and fly toward the sports field. But my attention was riveted on the astonished expression masking Deneve¡¯s face. ¡°Steiner, why did you¡ª?¡± I turned and ran away, summoning my Fragment as I sprinted away from Deneve. In seconds, I was dressed in the Skin-Regalia, my legs and body sheathed in the Valkyrie Armor. My mind a blank, my body felt incredibly light and I ran the distance to the west parking lot in a matter of seconds. However, when I arrived my Awareness-field sensed a handful people standing in the darkness ¨C all of them radiating Awareness-fields ¨C and a trio of black aero-cars resting in the parking lot. My heart thumped loudly in abrupt terror, and I skidded to a stop on the hard surface. Standing before one of the flying vehicles, was a young woman dressed in a tight business suit and skirt, her light, blonde hair tied back into a perfunctory ponytail. She reminded me of Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian, the pet lapdog of Principal Mason¡¯s. However, for some reason I felt this woman was somewhat more dangerous, and when I met her eyes a stark chill ran down my back. As soon as I stopped on the permacrete pavement, she began walked calmly toward me. ¡°Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.¡± She spoke my name in a formal tone that made me even more uneasy. ¡°My name is Brigitte Shepherd afil Raynar. I am the Head of Security for the Steiner Family.¡± My thoughts stumbled. Shepherd? Another Shepherd? And she¡¯s the Head of Security? Then¡­then is she my mother¡¯s successor? Brigitte halted a few meters away, yet I sensed an incredibly powerful Awareness-field emanating from the bracelets she wore under the sleeves of her dark business jacket. If the field was this strong without the need to summon her Artifact, then her device was something I couldn¡¯t possibly hope to counter. She bowed to me respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m here on orders from the head of the Steiner Family, Merlin Steiner Raynar.¡± Upon hearing the name, my heart jumped and my stomach clenched into a nervous, quivering ball. Brigitte Shepherd straightened and resumed looking me in the eyes. ¡°Caprice Valerian Steiner, in light of certain troubling developments, your grandfather sent me here to bring you home.¡± The men and women standing in the darkness entered various pools of light within the parking lot. I saw they were all dressed in dark suits, lending to their austere air. I swept my gaze over them, feeling the walls of fate encroaching upon me, before looking down at Brigitte Shepherd. A thin smile curled her lips. ¡°Caprice, you grandfather misses you.¡± I swallowed hard past the lump building up in my throat, while my chest grew heavy with my conflicted emotions. ¡°And my father?¡± I asked her. Brigitte nodded slowly just once. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for you too.¡± I took a number of deep breaths, but I couldn¡¯t keep my emotions from colliding forcefully within me. Seeking a way out, a distraction, I asked her, ¡°Is it true? Is it true that she¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Yes. We learnt this not long ago. Your grandfather immediately dispatched us to fetch you.¡± Brigitte lowered her head slightly. ¡°He wishes to take no chances with your safety.¡± Running my gaze over her and then her companions, the impression they were serious about the threat to me was what forced me to make a choice. I closed my eyes, then sent Brynhildr back into her Sarcophagus. When the breach sealed and the black mist cleared away into the night air, I watched Brigitte walk up to me and offer me her left hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home,¡± she said softly, and the tenderness in her voice made my heart ache just a little. ¡°Home¡­?¡± She nodded faintly. ¡°Yes. Home to where you belong with your family.¡± I hesitated in taking her hand, and thus accepting her offer. ¡°Caprice, it¡¯s time to stop living like an orphan, because you have family.¡± Looking up at her, I saw sincerity in her eyes and in her smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± she repeated gently. In the end, I didn¡¯t take her hand, but I allowed her to guide me with a hand on my shoulder, and together we walked toward the waiting cars. I had promised myself never to return there, to that house that held so many warm¡­and cold¡­memories. How easily I had broken my promise. Far behind me out on the sports field, a loud boom filled the air and the ground trembled, but I refused to turn around. When Kaleb Deneve called out to me, his running footsteps drawing near, I squared my shoulders and climbed into the middle aero-car. Had Caelum called out to me, I would have changed my mind in a heartbeat. But Caelum wasn¡¯t here. Caelum was out there fighting Klaus, and he wasn¡¯t fighting over me. He was fighting for someone else. # (Kaleb) # Mason hadn¡¯t just dispatched Weinberg and I. She¡¯d also sent Khayman and Sayen, so I was able to leave the injured Simone Alucard in their care while I hurried after Steiner who¡¯d run in the direction of the west parking lot beyond the gymnasium and aquatic center. At a run, I summoned my full Cuirassier, Skin-Regalia and all. With the flintlocks in both my hands, I approached the parking lot, spotting the three black aero-cars and the dozen Familiars before them. In the corner of my Awareness-field, I sensed a number of the bowling pin shaped security bots had been disabled. They stood motionless as though frozen in time. The woman who¡¯d closed the door on the car Caprice had climbed into, now turned around and stepped toward me. I stared at her, recognizing her within seconds, my heart clamping up reflexively. She greeted me calmly. ¡°Hello, Kaleb. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Shepherd,¡± I breathed out. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Steiner Family business. We¡¯ve come for Caprice on orders from her grandfather.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s in danger, Kaleb.¡± ¡°From what? From whom?¡± ¡°From her aunt. The Kin Slayer has returned.¡± I felt a cold wind rush through me, chilling me to the bone. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Gehanna has returned. We can¡¯t afford to keep Caprice here, so we¡¯re taking her home to the new estate on Island Five.¡± ¡°How do you know this? Tell me!¡± Brigitte smiled. ¡°Kaleb, you know that we have people everywhere. And our Lorelai is amongst the best. It¡¯s hard to keep secrets from us.¡± I stepped closer to her. Her people moved in response, but Brigitte held up a hand, stopping them. ¡°Kaleb, please don¡¯t interfere. I promise you, you will have access to Caprice, by her choice of course. But the Steiner Family wants her home, and I intend to carry out their wish.¡± ¡°Arisa will want a full explanation.¡± ¡°And she shall have it. After all, Grandpa Steiner is eager to meet her.¡± I jerked my chin over my shoulder, indicating the sports field behind me. ¡°So that¡¯s your younger brother out there. That really is little Klaus?¡± Brigitte sighed. ¡°Yes, he is. And the idiot made a mess of things.¡± She crossed her arms and gave me a deep shrug. ¡°Do with him what you will.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Punish him. Reprimand him. Give him a month¡¯s detention. Have him clean the toilets for a week. Do as you please. He needs to learn the consequences of his actions.¡± I stared at her in disbelief. Was she seriously handing him over to us? Brigitte nodded lightly and shrugged yet again. ¡°However, as foolish as my brother is, he¡¯s not a bad person so don¡¯t hold it too much against him.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, genuinely puzzled by her statement. ¡°He really didn¡¯t mean any harm to those girls. He was just doing what he thought was best. Unfortunately, I¡¯m going to have some explaining to do to the Raynar Witch.¡± Turning on her high heels, Brigitte opened the door to the aero-car behind her. Abruptly she stopped and looked back at me. ¡°It is good to see you again, Kaleb.¡± Again, my heart clamped up. Brigitte¡¯s eyes held my gaze for a long moment, before she smiled sadly, and then climbed into the aero-car ¨C the car with Caprice inside ¨C and then closed the door behind her. Almost immediately the other Familiars in dark garb climbed quickly into the other aero-cars. Within a minute, they had departed the Academy grounds, the trio of black vehicles lifting off into the artificial night sky, and flying out of sight between the towering buildings of Habitat One. ¡°Brigitte¡­.¡± I felt my heart sigh. A long while went by before I found myself able to turn away, and leave the parking lot behind for the battle at the sports field. ### Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 18 (Part II) Chapter 18 - Part II (Klaus) # I will admit Desanto surprised me. His speed was impressive, better than I¡¯d seen from many of my opponents, sparring or otherwise. However, his mobility left a great deal to be desired, and while his technique was good, he lacked the practice to employ it properly. In short, he lacked the training to wield the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing to its unlocked best. However, I believed there was more to his circumstances than first met the eye. When he attacked and when he defended, I noticed a hesitation in his movements. I sensed an uncertainty that could have been born from his lack of training, but my intuition told me to look deeper for the answer. To do so, I had to test him further. I had to pressure him with deadly thrusts and scything sweeps of my spear that forced him to be nimble on his feet lest he lose a hand, arm, or foot. It was indeed the most effort I¡¯d expended on an opponent in a long while. Unfortunately, I realized too late that it worked against me. My actions curbed his apparent hesitation, and thus unleashed Desanto surprised me. Too late I caught my mistake of stabbing forward with the cross spear toward his left flank. As expected, he snapped his left Arm Blade downwards, knocking the spear toward the hard earth of the sports field. However, before I could turn the blade and slash at his legs, he unexpectedly stepped on the head of the spear, his tapered foot shoed by overlapping barrier-fields that prevented the blade¡¯s piercer-field from harming him as his weight helped bury it into the ground. Without delay, he launched himself at me, flying along the length of the shaft with such speed that I barely had time to abandon yet another spear and dart aside. I didn¡¯t escape unscathed. With one diagonal slash of an Arm Blade, Desanto sliced apart the right Vector Wing closest to him ¨C one of the four Devil Wings the Lucifer possessed ¨C with a piercer-field that shattered the barrier-fields protecting the wing. I felt the damage like a short-lived wound, and while I lost a third of the Devil Wing, the overall output of my inertial-fields dropped by a good twenty percent. The barrier-fields protecting that quarter of my body were also affected, so I had to will the remaining Devil Wings to compensate by shifting their manifested fields to cover the weakened barrier¡¯s to my right. But in that moment, as I darted aside to avoid a second slash that would have sliced off the remainder of the wing, my eyes met Desanto¡¯s and a chill ran down by back. The hesitation was indeed gone, not just from his movements, but from his eyes too. They weren¡¯t the eyes of a teenage high schooler with girls on his brain. They were the eyes of someone else -- someone older, wiser, more world weary. They were distant, yet focused upon me, and though they didn¡¯t move I was certain they could see me and much more. It was as though he were seeing through me, beyond me, past and present and future. It was as though his field of vision encompassed me, and much more. They were not the eyes I expected to see on a high school student, and for the first time since unlocking the Lucifer, I felt fear in the face of an opponent. As I danced back and then threw up my armored forearms to block Desanto¡¯s blades with the strongest barrier-fields I could summon, I acknowledged there was indeed much more to him than met the eyes. Indeed, he wasn¡¯t all about women¡¯s lingerie, and that truly surprised me. Perhaps this is the reason why the Lanfears chose him. Using maneuver-fields to anchor myself to the ground, I kicked at Desanto, my right foot striking his midriff. The air close to his torso shimmered with an emerald hue, and for a brief moment I saw the barrier-field protecting him. It resembled woven scale armor comprising dozens of small overlapping hexagonal panes of emerald glass. When my armored foot struck it, the barrier-field held, flexing under the impact but refusing to shatter. In contrast, the field around my foot broke apart, leaving it defenseless for a heartbeat before a new barrier could form. Desanto used the impact to retreat, landing on the ground lightly, but then he leapt back another ten meters. Again, I was taken by surprise, having expected him to press the attack. I was so focused on him, so intent on him, it took me a moment to understand why he had retreated in a hurry. But there was one more reason why I failed to notice the new presence in my Awareness-field. I failed to notice the newcomer because Desanto¡¯s eyes never looked away from me. Not once did his eyes waver in their gaze. No, they were not the eyes of a high-schooler with girls on the mind. The ground between him and I erupted skyward as a barrier-field of immense proportions and magnitude struck the sports field. The release of kinetic energy tore the ground, and when it couldn¡¯t go down the ground went up, resulting in an explosion of packed material that soared into the air. Through this cloud of debris, my Awareness-field sensed the presence of the newcomer, and I chose to refrained from taking a defensive stance. I left myself unguarded for them to see. As strong as the Lucifer was, it wasn¡¯t wise to take on this new opponent without just cause. Besides, perhaps it was best for the battle between Desanto and I to end this way. I¡¯d learnt a lot about him these last few minutes, and had much to ruminate, so for now I chose to stand down, and wait for the dust and dirt to settle. Standing between Desanto and I was Principal Mason¡¯s laptop, the former Siren of the Slaughter, Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian. The enormously long crimson katana held in her right hand glowed with an unearthly light. A Hellish light. It contrasted sharply with her white Siren Armor, its six Vector Wings fluttering leisurely behind her. However, there was nothing leisurely about the expression she wore. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Weinberg amplified her voice using an effect-field manifested by her Siren. ¡°If you want to fight, do it off Academy grounds.¡± I held up my hands in surrender. ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°No.¡± Both Weinberg and I looked at Desanto. He shook his head. ¡°This ends here and now with your head.¡± Weinberg shifted her stance, angling her body toward him. ¡°Desanto, stand down.¡± His left Arm-Blade reconfigured, sliding back and reattaching to the Gauntlet-Shield. While this occurred, his gaze was upon me the entire time, and his right Arm-Blade remained as it was. ¡°He messed around with Haruka, and he messed around with Simone¡¯s mind. I¡¯ll have them both attest to that¡­after I take his head.¡± I lowered my hands, no longer feeling like surrendering ¨C at least not peacefully. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try.¡± Weinberg threw me a glance over her left shoulder. ¡°Enough. Your conduct will be addressed later.¡± I shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Do what you will¡­if you can prove any of it.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± she demanded in a low voice. ¡°Desanto claims I Influenced his friends and girlfriend. However, what evidence does he have? If they were Influenced, then it should be easy enough for an experienced Investigator to determine the truth.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°After all, they just need to harmonize their Symbiote with the Symbiote inside the subject.¡± ¡°I wonder about that,¡± Desanto said. ¡°After all, we know your Lucifer has the ability to influence the Symbiote inside the Aventis.¡± My stomach twisted slightly, and I felt a sliver of concern work its way down my back. Weinberg glanced between us, then took a defensive stance before Desanto. ¡°Stand down. Like I said, his conduct will be addressed¡­as will yours.¡± For the first time since our fight began, Desanto looked away, and focused his attention on Weinberg. He said nothing, not a word, as he regarded her with eyes that saw her and much more. Like Desanto, Weinberg held herself perfectly still, although I was certain the crimson katana in her hand twitched faintly, and the blade angled slightly toward him. Despite them facing each other, I couldn¡¯t see it as a standoff. It was more like two people balancing on a knife¡¯s edge, challenging each other to last the longest, yet was it a test of wills, or a test of conviction in what they believed was the right course of action to take? I didn¡¯t know. I only knew that the first to fall would be the first to lose, but even then what did it mean to lose? What would they be losing? What would they be giving up? Did it mean relenting to the other¡¯s will, and thus to their point-of-view? I was fascinated¡­and bored by this encounter. Action through inaction was not something I particularly ascribed to or considered poignant in any way. Those that did not act simply withered away and died. I had resolved long ago not to be one of them¡­and apparently I was not alone in my resolution. She entered my Awareness-field in the company of two Familiars, as evinced by the weak Awareness-fields manifesting around their bodies. She walked with purpose despite the pain she harbored, striding across the uneven ground of the sports field. She was one who valued action over inaction. She was one who would strive onwards defiant against adversity. I found myself drawn to her, and I sensed something¡­awaken¡­within the Lucifer. Upon her, Desanto lay his gaze. No part of him moved other than his eyes. ¡°¡­Caelum¡­that¡¯s enough¡­you¡¯ve done enough.¡± And that¡¯s all it took for him to step off the knife¡¯s edge. The second Arm Blade slid back into the Gauntlet-Shield protecting his right arm. Within seconds, the black mist of a breach between Pocket and real-space rolled out over the sports field, enshrouding him in darkness. I sensed it then ¨C the Sarcophagus that contained the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, the cradle of that great power ¨C and the Lucifer shivered¡­and not from the cold. When the mist faded away, Desanto stood barefoot on the grass while wearing a black training suit. He watched Alucard walk up to him, and accepted her hand when she offered it to him. However, before walking away with her, Desanto once more turned my way. ¡°You¡¯d better get rid of them.¡± He tapped his head. ¡°I¡¯ll only tell you once.¡± Now this was indeed a revelation. I understood quite well he wasn¡¯t referring to Influence, but rather, to my Lucifer¡¯s special ability to get inside people¡¯s heads. I pressed my lips together in thought, wondering how it was possible that he knew. It was a closely ¨C very closely ¨C guarded secret. Other than myself, the true abilities of my Lucifer were known to but a handful of people within the Raynar Pride here in Pharos. How in high heavens does he know what the Lucifer can do? I decided it was a matter best pondered another time. Desanto was effectively giving me the opportunity to come clean. I chose to cut my losses and accepted his thinly veiled offer of clemency. For now, it wasn¡¯t wise to antagonize him further. In truth, I wanted to test myself against him again, but I wanted to face him when we both possessed unlocked Artifacts. So I favored him with a faint, thin smile, and sent a thought pulse to my Lucifer, instructing it to send the destruct command to the Artifact¡¯s tendril residing in Alucard¡¯s brain. After hesitating for a heartbeat, I chose to release Haruka Amiella from the Lucifer¡¯s control as well. Then I calmly crossed my arms, and averted my gaze. In short, it was my way of saying, You got what you wanted, now get out of my sight. Yet deep down I doubted he would let the matter rest so simply. I had the impression I¡¯d awakened a sleeping dragon. ### Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Chapter 19 Final chapter in the RRL release. I''ll be posting the Epilogue sometime this week.
Chapter 19. (Arisa) # The lockdown of the Islands affected travel between the habitats as well. As a result, tens of thousands of people were trapped within the various habitats of Pharos with no way to return home until the lockdown was lifted Squadrons of Enforcer drones flew in the sky between the megascrapers. At street level, numerous armored personnel carriers floated by on lev-fields generated by oversized effect-field emitters. An armor-suited Enforcer stood at every street corner, resembling an immense gorilla hefting an equally immense rifle. Maybe the Enforcer Division believed this show of force would reassure the public they were safe. Honestly, it was more a show of intimidation than concern for the public¡¯s wellbeing. I was caught by the incident while waiting at the mag-lev station for a train to Galatea Academy. Today was the one day I¡¯d planned not to try, and resorted to public transport instead to move about Habitat One. My intention had been to hurry over the Academy and speak with Maya and Rina in person. I wanted to inform them of my guardianship over them. However, my classes and practical session ran late, and by the time I arrived at the mag-lev station the evening crowd had swelled to stifling proportions. Then news of an emergency sounded across every possible public address systems. Five minutes later, the Islands were in lockdown. The incoming mag-lev arrived at the station, and deposited its passengers but closed its doors to new boarders. It floated away down the track, making room for the next mag-lev due to arrive. As the platform and station were already at crush capacity, I squeezed my way out of it and onto the sidewalk, but with so many people trapped in the habitat pedestrian traffic was at its horrible best. Somehow I came across a family restaurant that was open until late, and was fortunate to obtain myself a bench window seat before the mounting pedestrian traffic swelled into the establishment and took up the last of the unoccupied seating. While reading the announcements on my palm-slate, I considered making the walk from here to Galatea Academy. As best I figured the school was about six districts away, so it would take me an hour on foot to arrive there. But as I studied the throng of people on the street outside the restaurant, I chose to reconsider. There was no chance of getting to the Academy in that flood of human bodies. My stomach rumbled, and I briefly considered getting up and buying something from the counter, but I was certain to lose my seat. Then I remembered buying a handful of chocolate fruit bars before my practical session, and tossing them into my bag. I was fishing around for them when my palm-slate rang, and a glance at the screen identified the caller as Lavinia Mason. I took the earpiece out of the slate¡¯s casing and pushed the bud into my right ear, then quickly answered the call. It was bad news from the start. First, Mason delivered the unexpected news of Caprice being spirited away from the Academy by her family. According to the representative of the Steiners who contacted Mason after the event, Caprice Steiner was in their protective custody. The news both stunned and angered me. Then I learnt of Caelum¡¯s fight with Klaus Shepherd afil Raynar, a male student who according to Mason had succeeded in pulling the wool over everyone¡¯s eyes. The situation was under control, and both young men were cooling their heads in the underground detention cells. However, when Mason informed me that Simone Alucard had been assaulted by Caprice, I felt oddly relieved. It was something I¡¯d expected to happen sooner rather than later, an inevitable outcome. As the pressure built up between them, something had to give. Nonetheless, it wasn¡¯t news that I could take with a smile. It made my heart sink, and my stomach twist unpleasantly, while confused feelings sweltered in my chest. While listening to Mason, I munched on a fruit bar, and stared at slow moving throng of people on the sidewalks. Something has to give, I thought to myself. But what will it be? The call ended abruptly, cutting off Mason mid-word. I glanced down at it in surprise that quickly turned to confusion, and then alarm when the message SERVICE DISCONNECTED began to blink on my screen. The emergency icon was still displayed, informing me that I would only be able to make calls to emergency services. However, my palm-slate wasn¡¯t the only one to suffer a loss of signal. All around me, people on their palm-slates began complaining either to themselves or their companions as their devices lost communication service. Thinking it might help, I reset my slate, but when it resumed functioning, the call service was remained unavailable. Then I noticed I could no longer access then Nexus. My attention was caught by something blinking in the window before me. It was the reflection of a holovid screen. I turned in my seat, and located it floating below the ceiling near the middle of the restaurant dining area, barely visible above the heads of the people standing between the occupied tables. A few moments later another rectangular holovid window winked life, then another, and another, until soon it was possible to see a screen from wherever in the restaurant you either sat or stood. When the words, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT began to scroll repeatedly across the holovid windows, the noise in the restaurant began to die down as conversations became hushed or ceased altogether. The words scrolled by a number of times, as though whomever was responsible was waiting for the attention of every individual inside the restaurant to be focused on the screens. With a quick glance outside, I saw dozens of holovid windows occupying the space below storefront awnings. Then the screens fell to black, before showing a stereotypical pressroom, a lectern, and a distinguished looing gentleman with greying hair, dressed in the Enforcer Division uniform befitting a senior officer. As though waiting for an audience to settle down, his eyes swept left and right over the assembled viewers, and I had the unnerving sensation that for one heartbeat in time his eyes met mine. In a firm, commanding tone, he addressed the citizens of Pharos. The more I listened to him, the more my stomach knotted painfully, while around me people began to gasp in disbelief as we all started to fear for the future. # (Caelum) # In the quiet of the detention cell deep below the Academy, I lay half-seated on the bunk, with my back resting against the metal headrest. As punishment for my infraction, I was detained until Arisa saw fit to pick me up, and assume custody over me. In addition to being incarcerated, my bracelet had been taken from me. It would be returned upon my release, although that was entirely up to Arisa as well. I closed my eyes, and bent my neck back. The bracelet had been taken away, but my link to the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing was unbroken. When I unlocked the seal on the Skin-Regalia, the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had implanted a link device into the nape of my neck. That device had spent the day growing into the base of my brain, the cerebellum and possibly beyond into my cerebrum, eventually establishing a link between my mind and the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. It was the reason for the headaches I¡¯d endured on and off during the day. However, I no longer needed the bracelet to summon the Fragment. For the sake of appearances, I decided to continue relying on the bracelet until my secret was eventually discovered. That would be sooner rather than later, as I had no doubt the Lanfears knew about this feature of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. I wasn¡¯t troubled at the prospect of being discovered. I was troubled knowing I had a part of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing inside of me. Kaleb¡¯s recounting of how the previous Meisters had either died, or failed to fully recover after failing to unlock the final seal, began to weigh heavily on my mind, more so now that I had the implant inside my neck and brain. It was hard not to think of it as a ticking time bomb, and if I was now hardwired to the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, what did that mean for the ghost in my Fragment? For now, the ghost was quiet. However, during my fight with Klaus Shepherd, I had struggled against the ghost¡¯s influence. Eventually, the ghost and I had overlapped to some degree, forming the union of two individual sets. An odd calm had descended upon me, evaporating the ice-cold rage. Within the intersection of the ghost and I, an unsettling battle sense had been instilled, allowing me to counter everything Shepherd threw at me. It went beyond what I had experienced when I fought Celica in the Vault Chamber. This time, I was clearly in control while allowing myself to be guided by the ghost within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. My thoughts turned to the question of the ghost. What in high heavens is it? I opened my eyes, and looked up at the grey-white ceiling of the nondescript detention cell. The ghost¡­I wonder if it¡¯s the ghost of those who wielded the Kaiser before me. I grimaced faintly at the thought, but couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation. Maybe it¡¯s time I confronted Arisa and got some answers from her. I heard the sounds of clothes rustling from the cell adjacent to mine. It was true that I could summon the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing without the use of the bracelet, but I was without the Awareness-field I¡¯d grown accustomed to. I was back to perceiving my surroundings through my five senses. Without the Awareness-field, I¡¯d lost my ability to see around corners¡­or sense the presence of someone nearby. ¡°Hey Desanto, still brooding dark and dangerously over there?¡± Shepherd called out to me in a light and easy tone from the cell neighboring mine. He too had his bracelet confiscated. I wondered if his Lucifer possessed the same ability as my Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Was there an interface imbedded in his brain as well? ¡°What do you want?¡± I muttered in reply, just loud enough for him to hear me. ¡°Since it¡¯s just the two of us, I thought I¡¯d come clean. In return, I have a question for you.¡± I took a long deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re wondering how I knew about the autonomous tendril you implanted in Haruka and Simone.¡± ¡°Yes. I refer to it as the Iago Element.¡± I frowned slightly. ¡°In reference to Shakespeare¡¯s Othello?¡± ¡°Indeed. Of course, its abilities exceed just being a whisper in the ear. It¡¯s quite the handy little devil. So how did you learn about it?¡± I exhaled loudly. ¡°The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing told me.¡± ¡°Really now?¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°How vexing¡­.¡± I shook my head slowly. Was that all he had to say? What I told him was the truth. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had informed me of the Lucifer¡¯s ability to implant a tiny part of itself in the brain of a human host and thereby influence them. Its method of influencing the host was different to the influence a Familiar could exert on an Aventis. It wasn¡¯t limited to the Aventis, and could be used on Regulars and Familiars. I learnt all this at the end of our fight, when Weinberg interfered just as I felt I was getting the upper hand on Shepherd. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had suddenly provided the revelation, as though it was remembering something it had simply ¡®forgotten¡¯. Shepherd sighed audibly. ¡°Well, you can rest easy now. I instructed my Lucifer to dispose of them. The process is quite harmless. The Iago Element will break down and eventually be flushed out of the host¡¯s body.¡± I cocked my head slightly toward the wall. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t any need for it anymore.¡± ¡°No, why did you do it in the first place? Why Influence Haruka and Simone?¡± I heard his bunk creak a little, probably from him changing his posture upon it. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I needed Amiella¡¯s help to separate you from Steiner. Nothing more and nothing less. I wasn¡¯t certain if it would work, but it was worth a shot.¡± He shifted on his bunk some more. ¡°I was transferred here to Galatea Academy to safeguard Caprice Steiner. To watch over her and keep her safe. With you at her side, my time with her was limited. However, for the past year there was little sign of danger toward her, so I was content to sit back and observe her from a distance. That changed when Crimson Crescent invaded the Academy and she took part in that ridiculous attempt to protect it. The Steiner Family instructed me to approach her, and work my way into her confidence. Essentially, to push you out of the picture.¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t believe I can protect her.¡± I felt myself frown. ¡°Then tell me, who are you protecting her from?¡± Shepherd snorted. ¡°You really don¡¯t know? Are you telling me you know nothing of her circumstances? Don¡¯t you know anything about her family history?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I swallowed down the bitter taste of truth to his words. ¡°Caprice doesn¡¯t talk much.¡± ¡°If you were truly interested in her, if you really meant to stand by her side, if you she was a special person to you¡ªthen you would have found the means to learn the truth about her.¡± I clenched my jaw and averted my eyes to the opposite side of the cell. ¡°I was waiting for her to tell me¡­I figured one day she would tell me on her own¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse,¡± he retorted. ¡°An excuse to do nothing. As I said, you really don¡¯t belong at her side.¡± I clenched my jaw, wishing I had my bracelet so I could summon a barrier-field around a fist and punch a hole through the cell wall. ¡°And you claim you do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not whether I do or don¡¯t. I was given a task, and I intend to carry it out.¡± ¡°Is that all she is to you?¡± ¡°Are you asking whether I have feelings for her?¡± He was quiet for a long while. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I find her¡­intriguing.¡± He was silent for a good deal longer, forcing me to prompt him along. ¡°What about Simone? Why did you influence her?¡± Shepherd exhaled long and low. ¡°I needed the Countess to keep quiet after she discovered my recruiting of Haruka Amiella to my cause.¡± I sat up a little higher against the metal bedhead. I wasn¡¯t oblivious to the truth, especially after it had been hammered into me these last two days: Simone and Caprice had their differences, and I was the reason behind them. I wasn¡¯t in a position to deny that any longer. When I learnt of Caprice injuring Simone, I believed with a sinking feeling it was my fault those two had come to blows, and that¡¯s why I was puzzled by Shepherd¡¯s decision to silence Simone. ¡°Why would you want to keep her quiet?¡± I asked him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you recruit her to your cause as well?¡± ¡°Who said that I didn¡¯t?¡± I turned to face the wall between his cell and mine. ¡°What did you say?¡± Shepherd laughed, sounding weary. ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe me, but the truth is I never touched her body, only her mind. I read that description of her cleavage from a forum thread on the Girls of Galatea site. There was a heated discussion on which girl had the best-shaped breasts and most appealing cleavage. Someone claimed to have seen the Countess¡¯s charms. I had no idea whether their description was accurate or not, so I was shocked when you blew your fuses all in one go.¡± He cleared his throat, and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Are her breasts really like mountains of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chocolate chip powder?¡± I felt the flames of anger rekindled. ¡°You expect me to give you an answer?¡± ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Ask me again and I¡¯ll punch through this wall and strangle you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­so it must be true.¡± ¡°Shepherd, your days are numbered.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that before from other angry boyfriends.¡± I gave the wall between us a scowl. ¡°What?¡± A weary, dispirited sigh drifted around the wall. ¡°Do you know how many guys have accused me of stealing their girls? I mean, all I do is talk to a pretty girl in the corridor or cafeteria, and soon their boyfriends show up demanding I stay away from their girlfriends. It¡¯s like I¡¯m the source of all their relationship problems. Sometimes I regret being blessed with such good looks.¡± ¡°Shepherd, I take it back. Your final hours are numbered.¡± ¡°Then as my final confession, I will tell you the truth. I didn¡¯t kiss Simone Alucard, and I most certainly haven¡¯t seen her cleavage. I swear it upon the high heavens, and hope to die.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean I forgive you for getting into her head.¡± He sighed again. ¡°As I was saying before, of course I recruited her. I gave her mind a little nudge, a little boost of confidence, and left it to her to take the next step.¡± Was it true? Was Simone¡¯s attempt at seduction in her tight black dress something Shepherd had influenced her to commit? Shepherd asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, who confessed first?¡± I was not inclined to answer, but then figured he would come to his own conclusions and take credit for my relationship with Simone. ¡°I confessed to her, but she asked me to be her boyfriend.¡± ¡°That sounds confusing. However, you should be grateful to me. Because of my efforts, you now have one of the hottest girls attending this Academy for a girlfriend.¡± I glared at the wall, picturing Shepherd sitting on his bunk. ¡°Simone isn¡¯t a trophy girlfriend. She¡¯s nothing like that. Am I making myself clear?¡± ¡°What is clear is that you¡¯re going to be as hated by the guys at this school as I am. Welcome to the club. You have my sympathies.¡± Damn, I miss my bracelet! I really want to punch through this wall. Instead of striking the wall, I continuing glaring at it while asking, ¡°So why repress her memories. I still don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Because your girlfriend suspected I had Influenced her friend and confronted me. Using Influence on an Aventis is a big no-no, especially on Academy grounds. However, while I could explain that away, she revealed she knew about my Lucifer Artifact. Big mistake. Because of my clandestine mission here at Galatea Academy, it became necessary for me to repress her memories. I couldn¡¯t afford her telling others about my Lucifer, at least not yet. That said, I was surprised when she admitted it to me.¡± He had a point there. If he was able to hide the presence of his Artifact from other Familiars who possessed Artifacts and Fragments of their own, how could Simone have learnt of his Lucifer? Unless¡­someone told her. Shepherd continued after a quiet moment. ¡°Using the Iago Element, I questioned Alucard. She explained she had received word from an unknown source. Her attempts to locate the source had proven fruitless and had dismissed it until she caught me and Amiella together.¡± I frowned at the corridor wall visible beyond the cell doors. Was it Lidia? Was Lidia her unknown source? The sound of footsteps coming down the corridor interrupted that line of thought, so I shelved it for later. Sitting up on the bunk, I listened to two sets of footsteps approach us, and for a moment I was filled with dread and seriously contemplated summoning the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. A few seconds later, Maya and Rina came into view. They stopped outside the cells Shepherd and I occupied. Both girls were dressed in their skintight training suits. Maya¡¯s suit was deep green with black shading. Rina¡¯s suit was black with lavender trimmings. It made them look like children¡¯s show super heroines. The grim look on Maya¡¯s face renewed the dread within me. I climbed off the bunk, and approached the cell doors. ¡°Maya¡­what¡¯s happened? Is it Simone? What about Caprice?¡± She held up her left hand while keeping her right hand behind her back. ¡°One question at a time.¡± She held up a solitary finger. ¡°Firstly, Simone¡¯s fine. I mean, she¡¯s safe and resting in the infirmary. Being a Pureblood her ribs will heal in a matter of hours.¡± I reached out and gripped one of the cell door bars. ¡°Was it true? Did Caprice really¡ª?¡± ¡°Yes. I saw the footage on playback. Steiner kicked Simone, broke her ribs in the process, and sent her flying through the air. Fortunately, Kaleb Deneve was there to catch her.¡± My grip on the bar tightened. Again, I strongly suspected their fight was over me, and yet I had to ask, ¡°Why¡­?¡± Maya looked uncomfortable. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mason showed us the playback but there was no audio. When I asked why, I was told the matter would be discussed at length later.¡± She shrugged uneasily. ¡°I tried asking Simone and she clammed up. She just won¡¯t talk about. When I pressed her for an answer, she got rather angry at me and yelled at me to leave.¡± Maya shook her head and sighed. ¡°Maybe you can get the truth out of her. I can say that it looked like those two were in a heated argument. My gut¡¯s telling me Simone pushed Steiner and brought this on herself. She¡¯s probably feeling responsible for what happened. Simone can be that way. She doesn¡¯t like losing an argument, but forgets that some victories have a price to pay.¡± I inhaled deeply, letting some of it out slowly. ¡°Maya, what happened to Caprice? Kaleb said she was taken away by the Steiners. Is that true?¡± She gave me single nod. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. They took her away in the nick of time.¡± The nick of time? I frowned and asked, ¡°Why take her¡ª?¡± but stopped when Maya revealed the contents of her right hand. ¡°My bracelet? Why do you have it?¡± ¡°Principal Mason asked us to come down and release the two of you.¡± Reaching out to me, Maya offered me my Kaiser¡¯s bracelet. ¡°We¡¯re all to head up for a briefing.¡± ¡°All of us?¡± I deliberately glanced at the cell to my right with Shepherd in it. ¡°Yes, all of us, including that devil winged bastard.¡± Reaching out between the bars, I took my bracelet from her, snapping it back onto my left wrist while she unlocked the cell doors with a flat keycard she pressed against the locking panel. Undoubtedly the keycard was something Mason had supplied. I was puzzled by why she sent Maya and Rina, and not regular security to release us. Stepping outside the cell, I was joined by Shepherd in the corridor a few seconds later. Other than us four Familiars, the corridor was empty, but I had the impression it wasn¡¯t just the corridor that was deserted. Something felt distinctly off about the situation. With my attention on the corridor, I asked, ¡°Maya, what¡¯s going on out there?¡± Khayman may have looked somewhat calm, but Rina looked downright nervous, which in turn fueled my growing apprehension. Shepherd laughed wryly, before grinning brazenly at Maya. ¡°Let me guess, the crap has finally hit the fan.¡± Turning slightly, she regarded him sidelong. ¡°That¡¯s right. Because of the current situation in the habitats across Pharos, the Academies have been put on high alert.¡± She turned and faced me. ¡°Regarding Caprice Steiner, a representative of the Steiner Family contacted Principal Mason, declaring that she was in their protective custody. As to why, I don¡¯t know. I heard from Mason that Arisa Imreh Lanfear has decided not to make any moves against them.¡± Shepherd chuckled. ¡°A wise choice.¡± I stepped a few inches closer to her. ¡°Arisa knows?¡± ¡°Yes. And there¡¯s more. Rina and I are now under her guardianship. Our families and the Sora Pride came to some arrangement with the Lanfears a few days ago, but we weren¡¯t told until now. Nonetheless, Arisa Imreh Lanfear is now our official Guardian.¡± That news surprised me, and stole my voice for a little while. Maya turned her attention on Shepherd, regarding him with hard look. ¡°And we received word regarding your fate.¡± He looked thinly puzzled. ¡°My fate? From whom?¡± ¡°From the Steiners¡¯ representative. They stated, and I quote, ¡®Do with him as you will¡¯, end quote.¡± Shepherd leaned toward Maya a couple of inches. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what does that mean?¡± ¡°It means don¡¯t expect them to come and save you.¡± It was rather satisfying to see the look of disbelief that washed away all other emotions on his face. Unfortunately for him, Maya wasn¡¯t done. ¡°As a consequence, Principal Mason has drafted you into the Academy¡¯s ranks of Special Familiars.¡± Shepherd blinked quickly, and faintly despaired. ¡°Wait a minute¡ªare you saying I have to follow orders from that woman?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Your duty now is protect Galatea Academy along with the rest of us.¡± He appeared lost for words. I took the opportunity to cut in. ¡°Maya, what do you mean by protect the Academy? Protect it from whom? From Crimson Crescent?¡± She took a deep breath, causing her modest yet nicely shaped chest to rise and fall. ¡°We¡¯re protecting the Academy from the Enforcers.¡± It wasn¡¯t what I was expecting to hear, and my mouth fell open. A few feet to my right, Shepherd laughed softly under his breath. ¡°Sis was right,¡± he muttered. ¡°They really did it.¡± ¡°Did what?¡± I threw at him, but it was Maya who answered me. ¡°They declared Martial Law.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stared at her aghast. Maya¡¯s arms tightened under her breasts. ¡°They¡¯ve declared Martial Law, effectively sidelining the Primogen Council. They¡¯ve declared all Familiars as persons of interest in light of the incident in Island One. It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re Specials or not. In effect, they¡¯re tossing all Familiars into the same guilty bucket. And they¡¯re threatening to occupy the five Aventis Academies of Pharos.¡± I swallowed hard as a chill swirled around in my chest. ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Maya pursed her lips for a heartbeat, and then wet them anxiously. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Enforcers are coming here to Galatea Academy.¡± ### Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Alternate - Ch 17. Dear RRL readers, After completing the first draft, I went back and decided to rewrite the last hundred pages, essentially from Chapter 17 onwards. The reason is that I''m unsatisfied with the ending to this book. I feel like some elements were advanced too quickly, such as Caprice''s antagonism exploding into violence, and Klaus Shepherd''s reveal. The Enforcers decision to enact Martial Law wasn''t supposed to happen yet. Overall, it wasn''t how I''d planned to end this book, but I took a wrong turn and didn''t turn back until I reached the end and drove off the cliff like Thelma and Louise. So I''m posting the alternate ending here, and hopefully when complete, readers can tell me which one they prefer. Mind you, this ending is a little longer than the previous one...I think. However, this ending should make it easier to slip into Book Three, "Pride X Maidens ReVamp". Thank you for your time. _______________ Simkin452
Chapter 17. (Caelum) # School Week Five. Thursday. Late Evening. Sparring with Kaleb was a different experience to sparring with the girls. Even with the Kaiser¡¯s Skin-Regalia enhancing my strength, speed, and mobility beyond that of my skinsuit, it was a struggle to keep up with the man. Foolishly, I¡¯d expected to face him in his skinsuit. Instead, I experienced a punishing training session at the hands of Kaleb dressed in a Skin-Regalia of his own. That surprised me because during my sister¡¯s invasion of the Academy, Kaleb had worn a skinsuit to augment his mobility and strength. I was also quite surprised to learn he was bonded to a Dragoon Class Fragment known as a Cuirassier. Putting two-and-two together, I reasoned he was also in the process of unlocking of his Fragment. However, when I asked him about it, Kaleb told me to ask him another time, perhaps after I¡¯d unlocked the K?mpfer form of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. So why was he using a Fragment and not an Artifact? After all, wasn¡¯t he a former instructor for the Sanctum? I had the impression the reason he was down to a Fragment had something to do with my sister. It also gave me the impression he resented her for it, though he probably had more reason to resent the Sanctum. Maybe I could ask Lidia to look into Kaleb¡¯s background and circumstances. That thought reminded me of my appointment with Arisa this coming Sunday. I chose to save that thought for later. As I was saying, training against Kaleb was a different ballgame and I found myself struggling to keep up with him. His was a faster pace than either Maya or Rina¡¯s, so I felt like I was sprinting the whole time. And then somewhere along the way, as I reached my limit and chose to push beyond it, something shifted within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Something broke away from inside the Fragment. Distracted by the inward sensation, I failed to block Kaleb¡¯s lance and left myself open to his attack. The lance speared through my Skin-Regalia¡¯s barrier-fields, and came to a stop a mere inch from my body. Before me, Kaleb wore an expression of surprise and shock. When I looked down, I saw that I¡¯d taken hold of the lance¡¯s blade, my armored left hand wrapped in a glove composed of tiny barrier-fields that crinkled, shattered, and reformed with every breath I took. Impossibly, I had stopped the blade of his lance before it touched my abdomen by grabbing onto it. It was nothing more than a reflex reaction, but the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had given it its blessing¡­so to speak. Abruptly, my mind kicked back into gear, and with a solid grip on the lance¡¯s blade, I tossed it back. It was no more than the simple movement of my arm, but it flung Kaleb back a good twenty feet. He landed well enough, his agile footwork keeping him upright and in a battle stance within a heartbeat of touching ground. However, while his body had reacted as per its training, the same couldn¡¯t be said about his mind. For a short while longer he remained still and stunned, before breaking into a hungry grin. ¡°Finally taking this seriously, Desanto.¡± I swallowed, not quite understanding, but dropping into a combat stance with one Gauntlet blade in an offensive guard, the other in a defensive posture. Kaleb narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well then¡­let¡¯s see what you can do now¡ª¡± He leapt toward me, low and blindingly fast, before finishing his sentence. Overclocked, I watched him fly toward me for a half second, before countering his attack with one of mine. The best offense being the best defense. With his lance, Kaleb had reach, but I had power on my side. Deflecting the lance slightly with the back of one blade, I twisted my body to allow it to pass by me, then slashed at him with my right Gauntlet blade. Kaleb used the length of the lance¡¯s staff to block my attack, though his defensive barrier-fields shattered nearly instantly in the process. However, he chose not to retreat. Instead, he pressed the attack. From then on, it was a matter of striking, slashing, and thrusting at each other with weapons sheathed in piercer-fields and protected by barrier-fields. As time went on, I grew more accustomed to his technique, and was better able to counter his thrusting lance. In time, I was able to deflect and sidestep his attacks with less wasted movement and energy on my part, allowing me to move from defensive to offensive guards and attacks with greater fluidity. Oddly, I felt as though my speed had gone up. I saw my body move without the lag that gave me the impression of moving underwater. In other words, despite my Overclocked state, my limbs moved almost normally as though in real-time, implying my movements had trebled in speed. I was so surprised by this realization, I almost missed the obvious that Kaleb had been repeating his attacks for my benefit. He was training me to learn to counter a ranged weapon such as his lance, by engaging in the same attack until I grew accustomed to defending and countering it. When he was satisfied with my response, he would switch to a different attack, and allow me to develop a counter against it. I sensed he was guiding me, urging me to move a certain way that work best against his lance. This is where I was surprised the most because very attack Kaleb threw at me I intrinsically knew how to defend against. What is this feeling? What is happening to me? It was as though the knowledge was within me the whole time. However, since that was impossible, I believed that combat knowledge was coming from the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. Again, I was reminded of my battle with Celica in the Vault Chamber, and how the Kaiser had improved my ability to fight. However, back then it had turned me into a monster, a raging beast, that was all power and very little control. This time, the ghost in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing was keeping the beast leashed. But little by little, the longer I fought Kaleb, the more I sensed losing myself to the ghost. Soon, I found myself struggling against Kaleb and the ghost, and I started to falter on both fronts. Yet through it all, I felt more and more pieces of the seal around the Kaiser¡¯s Core begin to break and fall away. All I needed was a little push. All I needed was something to drive me further, to push my emotions higher, to overcome the ghost, and I was certain I could break the seal. The K?mpfer form was so close I could feel it on the other side of the seal. I could sense it waiting for me, and my desire to break through the seal grew with each strike, each deflection, and each parry I executed against Kaleb and his lance. I pushed my body harder, and then pushed my will into the seal. I wanted it broken. I wanted to break it now. At that moment, just as I struck Kaleb¡¯s bladed lance with enough force to send him spinning away, something changed within the Core Awareness, and my consciousness was yanked inwards into the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. In my mind, the image I saw of the seal was like a massive white wall with an ornate, elaborate circular gate made of brilliant ivory like stone. In a heartbeat, that ivory gate became translucent, and I saw the silhouette of a girl standing on the other side. She was slender, and she looked to be wearing a resplendent white dress like a princess from a fairytale. She turned to me from behind the seal, and though I couldn¡¯t discern her features very well, I caught her smile through the translucent gate. It can¡¯t be? Why is she here? For a fleeting moment, I felt I recognized her and the shock made my heart skip several beats. She turned away, moving away from the wall and thus the Seal ¨C moving away from me. I felt something slide over, into me, and seep into my consciousness. I felt the presence of the ghost in my body and mind. As her silhouette grew dim, fading into the brightness that lay beyond the seal, I slammed my will into the ivory wall. Break. It held, and I slammed at it again. Break! Again, I struck it, putting more and more of my will behind each blow, fracturing and cratering the wall and gate. Each strike grew more painful, but my need to break the seal, to reach out for her before she faded completely from view, continued to mount, building up into a frantic despair. Try as I might, no matter how much of the seal I shattered with each blow, I couldn¡¯t break through. I felt my will break, and my blows grew weaker until I had nothing to throw at the seal but my hoarse cries. Looking up, I caught a last glimpse of her lithe, willowy form, and then she was gone. No. The hurt in my heart grew unbearable. Don¡¯t go. I gathered my will. Don¡¯t leave me. Clenched into a fist, I raised it high. Don¡¯t leave me again. On my feet, I stood before the seal, and wound my body as I drew back my will. Don¡¯t ever leave me again! I struck the seal one last time, shattering my balled up will. Galatea! Depleted of strength, my consciousness ¨C my awareness ¨C collapsed to its knees. I had failed. Again, I had failed to keep from leaving me. As despair welled up inside me, a creaking noise reached my awareness, and I looked up at the seal. The circular ivory gate cracked¡­and exploded into me. A roaring wind swept me away, and my vision turned cloudy. Unable to see, I had the impression I was flying uncontrollably through the air, until I crashed into something immovable that felt as hard as solid ground. I rolled onto my hands and knees, and stared in disbelief at my limbs. My body? It¡¯s here? The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing surrounded me, enveloping me in the Skin-Regalia and armor. The Gauntlet-Blades had folded back to keep out of the way. Unable to shelve my confusion, I looked up around me. What¡¯s going on? Where am I? Is this the domain of the Core Awareness? A blizzard raged around me, sweeping away my senses, yet somehow I perceived the direction of the shattered gate. Galatea¡­. She was there, somewhere beyond the wall. Picking myself up, I pushed through the storm with a strength born of desperation. Galatea¡­I won¡¯t let you leave me¡­not again¡­. # (Caprice) # ¡°Emergency in Cavern One! We need support!¡± I looked up at the rock ceiling as the urgent request boomed into the interior of Cavern Three. Cavern One was where Caelum and Deneve were training, so my heart immediately jumped at the frantic female voice, probably coming from one of the girls in the observation room. The girl¡¯s next announcement sounded more desperate. ¡°Instructor Deneve is under threat! I repeat¡ªInstructor Deneve is under threat! He needs backup. Someone get in there!¡± For a heartbeat, all but one thought fled my mind: Something¡¯s happened to Caelum. My sparring partner, Nicola Weinberg, muttered a curse while standing a few meters away, clad in her white Skin-Regalia and Siren Maiden. The katana gripped by her right hand glowed a warm orange, but I could see it darken toward crimson as she turned her body away from me, and leapt for a cavern wall a heartbeat later. ¡°Open the connecting tunnel,¡± she yelled. ¡°Do it--hurry!¡± I turned and followed her, leaping in her wake. Ahead of her, I saw a portion of the training cavern wall split and part aside like a curtain of rock. It revealed an opening and tunnel several meters wide. At sight of it, I tried picking up my pace, but Weinberg outdistanced me with ease. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Noticing that I was following her, Weinberg yelled at me over her left shoulder. ¡°Steiner, stay here. That¡¯s an order!¡± I quickly landed on my armored, tapered feet, and came to a fast halt, tortured by my desire to follow her as I watched her fly low into the tunnel and vanish from sight. While it sounded like Kaleb was in trouble, he wasn¡¯t my concern. I was worried for Caelum, and no one else. It was clear to me that something had happened to him, perhaps it related to the breaking of the K?mpfer¡¯s seal. However, it was only a suspicion, and not a certainty. Nonetheless, it was enough for me to teeter on the brink of disobeying Weinberg¡¯s order. Then I heard a new voice, that of Principal Mason, resound through the cavern air. ¡°Caelum Desanto¡ªstand down! I say again, stand down! Desanto, stop! That¡¯s an order!¡± The connecting tunnel between training caverns was still open. I hesitated for less than a heartbeat before jumping low and fast after Weinberg, orders be damned. Something had happened to Caelum, and I wasn¡¯t going to stand here in the middle of the cavern and do nothing to help him. # (Caelum) # As fast as I could manage, I crossed through the remains of the smashed gate and past the wall into a desolate, snow lashed landscape painted in white and shaded in pale greys. In the distance, a bleak light pulsated regularly, strong enough to be visible through the storm, sweeping across the snow dunes like the beam from a lighthouse. Ahead of me, there was something in the blizzard ¨C something large and white that darted about in my field of vision as it came closer. I ran onwards, bracing against the storm as I raced over the snow covered landscape. The large bulk veiled by the blizzard charged at me, and I saw something glint in the air before me.. A blade? No, a lance! Raising my arms defensively, I felt the bladed lance collide with my Gauntlet-Blades that had swung forward. What the Hell are you? It darted back, moving with surprising speed for something so large, its silhouette fading in and out, curtained by the blizzard. Damn it. Not now. Don¡¯t get in my way! Galatea was somewhere ahead of me. I was certain she had run toward the slow pulsating light in the distance. In this blizzard she couldn¡¯t have gone far. I would find her. I would catch her. And I would bring her home. I would not fail¡ªnot again. But first I had to deal with his snow white opponent ¨C a barely distinct collection of arms and legs ¨C an abominable snowman wielding a massive lance in large hands fit for a goliath. I parried the flashing lance with my Gauntlet-Blades, deflecting them, and sidestepped the next attack, though my movements were dulled by the snowstorm blasting all around me, chilling me to the bone. My opponent charged at me, and I succeeded in knocking it aside with some deft blade work of my own, and raw strength that surprised me. Through the storm, something else moved. A slender, almost fragile shape cutting a path over a steep rise. Galatea! The slender shadow disappeared from view but I had its bearing. Taking the opportunity, I rushed after her, travelling many meters before the snowman attacked me from behind. The blow it delivered sent me rolling over a snow dune. When my tumble came to a stop, I peered through the blizzard, catching sight of the snowman as it roared toward me. Sensing it was intent on pinning me down, I scampered out of the way, and once on my feet, I slashed at it with my Gauntlet-Blades. # (Maya) # I ran through the tunnel and skidded to a halt a several meters into the immense Training Cavern One. Rina stopped behind me few heartbeats behind me. We had a but moments to get a grasp on the situation, and when we did, it didn¡¯t look good. Shocking as Hell was a more apt description. In an Overclocked state, I observed Kaleb Deneve battling Pervert Desanto, except this wasn¡¯t the Pervert I remembered. The Pervert¡¯s Kaiser¡¯s Blessing possessed a Vector Core with a somewhat serpentine body that floated behind him a foot or more away from his back. Two Vector Wing ¨C sharp triangular wings ¨C floated beside the core. The distance between Desanto and the Vector Core varied depending on his movements at any given time. In his fully armored Skin-Regalia, Desanto stood over seven feet tall, with strong powerful limbs that rippled as though heavily muscled though it was all the Skin-Regalia. I took a guess, and figured the Pervert had broken one of the seals on his Fragment, and unleashed a new form of the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. So that''s the K?mpfer form. From looks alone, it was clearly a tough proposition to fight. The problem was, I couldn¡¯t understand why he was fighting this way at all. Has he somehow lost himself? At first, it appeared Deneve was doing quite well. He was holding Pervert Desanto back, containing him. But Desanto upped the pace of his attack, and countered with a brutal strength that knocked Deneve back. Following up with powerful kicks to the body, Desanto sent Deneve flying through the air until he crashed to the ground, and rolled a number of times before coming to a stop. It might have been fine if Pervert Desanto had held back, but he strode up to Deneve who was stunned and helpless on the ground. At that moment, I made the choice to intervene. With my two okatanas gripped in the armored gloves of my gauntlets, I used my Skinsuit¡¯s power to cut in front of Desanto before he could stab at Deneve with his blades. The force of the impact as my blades parried Desanto¡¯s weapons ran through my arms and into my body, making me tremble with the effort to remain upright and standing. It took all the power of my body and the skinsuit to hold back Desanto¡¯s blades. I had nothing left to push him back, so I did the only thing I could. I yelled out his name. # (Caelum) # I failed to notice the second snowman until it stood between its fallen companion and I. Instead of a lance, this one wielded two long, thin, curved swords. And unlike its companion, the new snow monster talked¡­or at least made noises. ¡°Purrrvt Deees annn tooo.¡± I had no idea what it was trying to say, and the roaring blizzard made it hard to recognize the words coming from it. ¡°Purrrvvt Desssss Antooo.¡± It¡¯s speech may not have been clear, but it was apparent this abominable monster was smaller and weaker than its fallen companion. Was it annoyed I¡¯d bested its comrade-in-arms? Then the snowman shouldn¡¯t have gotten in my way. I pushed against it, my blades and against its blades, crushing the snowy monster under my strength that was enormous in comparison. Was I ever this strong or are these things just weak? Shifting my stance just a little, I stopped pushing down, and delivered a kick to its body, much as I¡¯d kicked its companion. It was somewhat satisfying to see it fly backwards into the snow, and land beside its comrade-in-arms. Blasted things. What are they? Movement caught my eye. The pale grey silhouette of someone wrapped in a long cloak; a shadow atop a not so distant snow dune. Galatea. She came back. Is she waiting for me? I turned toward her, and readied myself to leap all the way there. With this much power, even this snowstorm can¡¯t stop. Then something bright cut through the blizzard, burning it away, and turning the snow into steam. A beam of light as hot as a sun. I had but a heartbeat to brace myself before it struck me. As the heat washing over me became unbearable, I screamed in agony and dropped to one knee. I felt I would be burned to a crisp, immolated to an unknown god seated in high heaven. But the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing had other ideas. I felt something form before me, a barrier-field that scattered the burning beam. The snow around me evaporated, and my vision was obscured by the steaming hot cloud that billowed around me. But the beam had stopped. Gritting my teeth, I glared through the cloud and eased up on my clenched jaw before it could cramp up. The barrier-field had held under fire, but now it shattered away, breaking into countless snowflakes that vanished into the snowstorm that raged unabated and carried the cloud away. I narrowed my eyes and focused on a not so distant point. Crouching for a moment, I leapt with all the speed and power I could muster, and arrived at that point in the blink of an eye. Another monster; another abominable snowman. This was one was smaller than the other two, yet carried an enormous branchless tree that it pointed my way. I saw the crown of the tree begin to glow, and slashed at it with one blade, then the other in rapid succession. The tree splintered, then burst apart, scattering pieces of itself into the air in all directions. I flew through the storm of bark and wood, and landing on the snow, skidding to a stop before the snow monster. For the first time I noticed they had eyes ¨C big, wide, dark eyes that looked at me in terror. This is what you get for trying to burn me! I reared my left arm back, then plunged the Gauntlet-Blade into the monster¡¯s chest. # (Maya) # Her Brahmastra exploded into a hundred fragments, and I screamed. I was on my feet, moving toward her, knowing full well I could not reach her in time. To scream now was a waste of energy. There was simply no point to it. Yet I succumbed to the primeval urge. I screamed her name, as Desanto landed before her, and then plunged his left blade into her chest. ¡°RIIIINNNNAAAA!¡± But the blade never touched her. At the last instant it flicked back into its stored position, and Desanto¡¯s arm froze in place, his fist mere millimeters from Rina¡¯s chest. Overclocked, I stared at them, my mouth agape. What happened? Did he hear me? Did I reach him? From out of frame, something white and winged, crashed into Desanto, carrying him away from Rina who stood petrified but unharmed. I was still running, and in heartbeats collected her in my arms, drawing her away from the battle by a dozen meters before I risked stopping. ¡°Rina! Rina! Look at me! Look at me!¡± Behind me, somewhere to my left, I heard a battle rage, the sharp zing zang of Fragment weapons meeting each other while wrapped in barrier and piercer-fields. However, my attention was on Rina who was slowly coming out of her torpor. Her eyes focused on me, and she shook violently all over. ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­alive¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡ªyou¡¯re alive.¡± I shook her again. ¡°Rina, snap out of it. Come on girl. Stay with me!¡± She reached up and touched her chest. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. At the last moment I saw his blade flick back into its stored position.¡± ¡°¡­he didn¡¯t¡­?¡± ¡°No! He didn¡¯t. Now snap out of it.¡± Without turning to look, I could sense the fighting behind me grow fiercer. Then I heard Desanto roar, ¡°What are you? Why are you getting in my way?¡± Somehow, hearing that didn¡¯t surprise me. When I¡¯d locked blades with him, I¡¯d looked into his eyes and realized something was wrong with him. He looked at me, yet there was no recognition in his eyes. He was lucid and not in any trance, but he certainly wasn¡¯t aware of us. ¡°He¡¯s lost in the Core Awareness.¡± Rina¡¯s voice was low, but I heard it clearly. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I could feel it. He¡¯s in there, but he¡¯s lost inside his Fragment. Lost inside the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± My mouth fell open. ¡°What?¡± Rina looked at me and met my gaze with such sadness in her eyes I believed tears would well up at any moment. ¡°Maya, I¡¯ve never told you about what happened to my brother¡­have I?¡± ### Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Alternate - Ch 18. First draft only.
Chapter 18. (Caelum) # This newcomer was quite unlike the others. For one thing, it didn¡¯t look like a snow monster. Instead it resembled an ice sculpture, that of a lithe young woman with decent sized breasts. Behind her, a collection of six wings flared out from a disturbing looking contraption that resembled a dismembered body. I was surprised by my sudden overriding decision not to plunge my blade through the terrified snow monster. At the last possible moment, I flicked the blade back into its stored position, and my fist came to a halt millimeters from its chest. Then I was collected by the ice sculpture that I quite simply didn¡¯t see coming. Rolling around on the snowy ground for a while, I grappled with it until I could toss it off me. Now with both blades extended forward, I met the new challenger with uncertainty. Something about it was strangely familiar. The ice sculpture reminded me of a Siren Maiden. But why here? Why would there be something like this here? ¡°DEESAAN TOO! SSSSTTTPPPPP.¡± Damn it, if I only I could hear it properly. The ice sculpture sounded like it was really trying to talk, but its words were a distorted, distended mess. Was it calling out a name? Jumping back a short distance, I gave myself some room to study this new opponent. An icy blue curved blade, much like a sword, was wielded in its right hand. The more I stared at it, the more it resembled a Siren. I decided to call out to it¡­until I saw her standing on a distant snow dune behind the ice sculpture. The look of despair on her face painfully twisted my heart. She turned away, and began walking into the snow storm, travelling toward the pulsating light far in the distance. ¡°No, wait! Galatea¡ªwait!¡± The ice sculpture turned to look behind it, then faced me again. ¡°DEESAAAAN TOOO?¡± I sucked in air, feeling the cold biting my lungs. ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t understand you, but stop getting in my way!¡± It outstretched its arms, as though intending to stop me from passing. Or is it surrendering? I don¡¯t understand its intentions! One thing was certain for me ¨C it stood between my goal and I. I didn¡¯t know why Galatea was here, but I¡¯d be damned if I let her slip through my fingers. I would save her. [Is that true?] What? I looked about me but the raging blizzard made it hard to see beyond a hundred feet or so. [Will you truly save me?] Then I saw her again, standing a few yards on the dune behind the ice sculpture. ¡°Galatea¡­you came back?¡± [Will you truly save me?] ¡°Yes.¡± [But you couldn¡¯t save anyone back then. You failed. I died. Don¡¯t you remember?] What was she saying? She couldn¡¯t have died. She was here. I pressed a hand to my head. Wait¡ªwhat¡¯s happening? What have I forgotten? [You trusted him. And he betrayed you. And I died.] What was I forgetting? My head began to pound, and soon the pain handicapped the rest of my body. The Gauntlet-Blades flicked back, preventing me from taking off my own head. Who betrayed me? Who was it? [Why didn¡¯t you trust me? When I warned you, why didn¡¯t you believe me? Tell me why.] I didn¡¯t know why. My memories were missing. I was incomplete. ¡°DEESSSSN TOOO WWWTTTSS WWWRRRRNGGG?¡± Holding my head, I saw the ice sculpture approach, its blue-white blade shining brilliantly through the blizzard. I took a step back, and suddenly noticed Galatea was standing in front of me, and thus between the ice sculpture and I. How did she¡ª? Dressed in a thick hooded cloak, she reached up and tossed the hood back. Immediately her long golden hair was caught by the wind and plastered by snow as her big blue eyes met mine. I gasped and staggered back a step, as something akin to recognition lanced through my mind. Again, I clutched my head as a flood of memories began to rush through it. Galatea¡¯s eyes were filled with regret. [Why didn¡¯t you believe me? Why?] Suddenly, a piece of my memory fell out of the stream raging through my mind. I caught it and held onto it, fearing it would melt like a snowflake in my palm, but the memory seeped into me. ¡°Because I trusted him.¡± [Why?] ¡°He was like a brother to me. The closest thing to family.¡± ¡°DEEEEESSSANTTOOOO? WHAAATT ARRR UUU SSSSSYNNNNGG?¡± I ignored the ice sculpture that continued to approach us, but in a few moments it would arrive behind Galatea. Fearing for her, I reached out for Galatea, but she darted aside, moving with agility that shocked me. It was as though the raging wind and snow didn¡¯t affect her at all, yet her golden hair continued to billow in the gale. I reached out for her again, and tried to catch her, but she slipped away like smoke between my fingers. [You trusted him, but not me.] Another piece of my memory fell out of the stream, and landed in my mind. ¡°No, that isn¡¯t true.¡± [You believed what they told you about me.] A third piece, then a forth. They formed a picture on the floor of my mind. I shook my head. ¡°No, I never did.¡± [You left me behind.] More pieces landed on the floor. More pieces added to the picture. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take you with me. I left you in his care. I trusted him to protect you. He promised me he would.¡± Galatea appeared before me again, and this time I saw rage and despair contorting her face. [You doubted me!] ¡°No¡ª!¡± [I loved you!] The picture in my mind grew larger as pieces continued to tumble into it. I couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer, and when I stared at it pain blossomed in my chest, crushing my heart. [I loved you¡ªnot him!] I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to stop the tears welling up behind them. [You were everything to me. Without you I was nothing.] I swallowed hard. ¡°I know¡­.¡± [So why? Why did you doubt me? Why? Tell me!] I bowed my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I was afraid. I was so afraid¡ªso terrified of losing you. So afraid you would leave me.¡± [Look at me.] I shook my head. ¡°No¡­.¡± [Look at me.] I stepped back. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± [Look at me¡ªKallum!] I knew what I would see if I opened my eyes. [If you love me¡­then look at me¡­.] ¡°DEEESSSSAAAATO¡ªLLLLIIIIISTEEEEEN TTTTOOO MMMEEEE.¡± The ice sculpture¡¯s yell sounded so close, that I was startled and opened my eyes. Galatea stood before me, the cloak gone, revealing her dressed in a white gown fit for a princess, stained in red by the blood that seeped out of her wounds, her wrists and neck slashed, and her skin a deathly pallor that matched her pale blue lips. No, not again. Please, not again. [This is what you did to me.] I grabbed my head as I looked into her eyes, and took another step back. Please, I don¡¯t want to remember. Galatea followed me. [This is what your doubts did to me!] I shook my head at her, and continued backing away. [You left me with him to test me!] I don¡¯t want to see her like this¡ªnot like this! [And he took me away from everything!] I screamed, and the ice sculptured reached out to me in a hurry. ¡°DEEEESSSANNNTOOOO¡ª¡± It passed through Galatea, and she vanished from sight like smoke fading into the wind. I collapsed to my knees, my hands clenching handfuls of snow as my body trembled under the weight of the regret and despair pouring out of my heart. ¡°DEEEESSSSAAAANTTOO?¡± [Remember¡­.] Hearing her voice, I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°DEEEESSSSAAAANTTOO¡ªLUUUUUKKKK AAAA MMEEE.¡± When I found the strength to raise my head and open my eyes, it wasn¡¯t the ice sculpture that I saw leaning down toward me but him, and the fury that burst out me was akin to a volcanic eruption. In an instant the storm vanished, the snow landscape disappeared, and I was there again back where it all ended¡­in that immense open throne room surrounded by blood-red storm clouds. With a roar, I launched myself at him with the single-minded intent of taking his head. Deep down, I was aware of history repeating itself. I knew that it would end with his death, and that afterwards I would be helpless to save her. Yet I couldn¡¯t stop myself from moving. My hatred for him demanded blood, and he had plenty to give. # (Caprice) # I stood by the entrance, struggling to believe what I was seeing. Nicola Weinberg locked in combat with Caelum in a fight that was beyond anything I¡¯d ever witnessed before ¨C well beyond what I¡¯d seen of Caelum and his sister, Celica, when they fought in the Vault Chamber. His Kaiser¡¯s Blessing sported a Vector Core and two Vector Wings that had scissored open and sparkling emerald embers billowed out from them. The Gauntlet-Blades had reconfigured, having split into a shield and blade component with the latter merging with his forearms, turning his arms into swords. To my surprise, I saw that they weren¡¯t rigid, but flexed at the wrist, allowing Caelum to snap them around at speed and block or parry Weinberg¡¯s burning katana. Some distance away from them, Kaleb Deneve stood with his Cuirassier¡¯s flintlocks aimed at them, unable to shoot while they battled so close to each other, the faint strains of frustration on his face. I didn¡¯t doubt for a moment he was aiming for Caelum. A good hundred feet away from the battle and closer to the training cavern wall, I spied Maya Khayman and Rina Sayen standing in discussion before they abruptly ran for the nearest cavern exit. What are they up to? As they left the training cavern in a hurry, I directed my gaze toward Deneve. The flintlocks in his hands were aimed straight and steady, yet still he didn¡¯t fire. I shook my head inwardly. No, I won¡¯t allow you to shoot Caelum. I gauged the distance between him and I at fifty meters, an interval I could cross in two or three seconds with the power of my Valkyrie Legs. Yet I believed I would not be fast enough to stop him before he trained his flintlocks on me. So what could I do? What were my options? I turned my attention on Caelum and Weinberg. He looked enraged, and yelled at her, ¡°Why? I trusted you? Why did you take her?¡± Weinberg pushed him back with quick swordsmanship that made her katana flash like crimson lightning. ¡°Desanto¡ªcalm down! Look at me! I¡¯m Nicola! Do hear me?¡± He held back for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Wrong. This is all wrong. It wasn¡¯t this way. It wasn¡¯t this way¡ª¡± For a heartbeat, I thought he might snap out of what every state he was in, but then he glanced away as though sighting something only visible to his awareness. Afterwards his body trembled, and again he looked distraught. ¡°You let her bleed to death¡­.¡± His face contorted under the weight of his emotions as he shook his head slowly. ¡°How could you¡­how could you do that to her¡­?¡± I was puzzled when Kaleb Deneve lowered his flintlocks, an expression of stark disbelief on his face. However, Weinberg looked out rightly confused and sounded as much. ¡°Desanto¡­what are you saying?¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± he asked. ¡°She was an Aventis. A Pureblood. How? Did you do it?¡± ¡°Wh¡ª?¡± Weinberg made the mistake of lowering her guard. In that instant, Caelum attacked, his Arm Blades barely countered by Weinberg¡¯s crimson katana. Even Overclocked, I had trouble following both their movements. ¡°Tell me how!¡± he roared. Caelum pressed his attack, his blades moving quickly but without the flexibility of a sword. In effect, it was like watching a martial artist with swords for hands. He slashed, jabbed, and parried with movements more at home with hand-to-hand combat. Truthfully, this was how he normally fought, but with his reconfigured blades his movements appeared more at ease. That said, against Weinberg¡¯s swordplay his fighting style appeared ill matched, yet I saw Nicola struggle to keep him at bay. Either that, or she was fighting him without the intent to harm him. If something doesn¡¯t change, this will drag on without a resolution. It was then I saw Deneve make his move. He slapped the flintlocks together, and the weapons fused before morphing into a new shape, forming a long bore rifle that he held in both hands and aimed at Caelum. No. Damn it. I won¡¯t let you. ¡°Damn you!¡± Weinberg yelled. ¡°Stop fighting me you brat!¡± Displaying power I hadn¡¯t seen before, Nicola Weinberg deflected the downward slash of Caelum¡¯s right blade, stepped into his body, and slammed him backwards with a combination of her Siren¡¯s brute strength and an explosion of expanding barrier-fields that acted like a shockwave that blew Caelum away for almost a hundred feet. Knowing what was to come, I moved in pure desperation toward Deneve. Darkness surrounded me, and cold bit at my skin and bones. For an Overclocked second I was disoriented, not understanding what had just happened, but then I found myself sailing through the darkness and flying toward Deneve. He noticed me a painfully slow heartbeat before I slashed at his rifle with a gauntlet blade of my own, and the piercer-field sheathing my blade helped it slice cleanly through his weapon. The flintlock rifle flashed then blew apart a moment before I crashed bodily into Deneve, knocking us both more than a dozen meters from the point of impact. Tumbling along the ground, we separated, and came up on our feet. I was surprised that I wasn¡¯t hurt until I saw the barrier-fields enveloping my body like scale-mail. It was then I realized I¡¯d unlocked a part of my Valkyrie Armor, and was one step closer to the full Maiden. Deneve was looking at me with surprise, but that quickly turned to anger. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re¡ª?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you harm him.¡± I snapped my forearm gauntlet-blades back and forth for effect. ¡°You will absolutely not harm him!¡± His anger evaporated, replaced quickly by disappointment, but that too only lasted a few moments as he soon regarded me curiously to the tune of battle resumed between Caelum and Weinberg. ¡°You damn, brat! You¡¯re as bad as your sister!¡± Weinberg yelled. ¡°What sister? I¡¯m an only child,¡± Caelum yelled back. ¡°That murderous bitch¡ªthat traitor¡ªshe killed all of my friends!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ªI don¡¯t have a sister!¡± ¡°I lost everything! I lost everything because of her!¡± My attention on Deneve wavered away from him as I listened to the exchange, but it was only for a few moments. It quickly returned to him when he asked, ¡°Then tell me, Steiner, how do you plan to help him?¡± ¡°Tell me what¡¯s happened to him,¡± I demanded in my usual flat tone. ¡°And then I¡¯ll tell show you.¡± # (Maya) # As I ran down the rock corridor with Rina leading the way, I asked her, ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s trapped in some sort of alternative reality?¡± Rina nodded without slowing down. ¡°A reality created by the Core Awareness.¡± ¡°And this happened to your brother?¡± ¡°Yes, when he reached the final seal on his Fragment, the Core pulled him in and trapped him there.¡± I swallowed. ¡°How did he get out?¡± Rina¡¯s gaze darted away. ¡°I got him out.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By making him remember the outside world,¡± she replied. ¡°How?¡± Rina came to a smooth stop and then sighed heavily. ¡°By sacrificing myself.¡± I stopped too, a few feet down the corridor. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I threw myself in front of him, and captured his attention.¡± With a frown, I asked slowly, ¡°Really? Is that all you did? Doesn¡¯t sound like a sacrifice to me.¡± Rina looked reluctant to answer me, but eventually shook her head and smiled sadly. ¡°Well, it was actually more life threatening than that.¡± The sadness spread from her smile to the rest of her face, and it stole my breath and my voice. It was the sound of running footsteps that pulled at my attention, dragging it away from Rina¡¯s sorrowful visage. I turned my head away from her, and looked down the corridor at the vision of Simone Alucard running toward us. Rina¡¯s voice was low. ¡°She¡¯s here¡­.¡± I swallowed hard, as a feeling of dread ran through me, and suspected I knew where this was headed. ¡°Simone¡­.¡± Dressed in her uniform ¨C and wearing normal shoes for a change ¨C she came to a stop not far from me, and more than a little out of breath. I couldn¡¯t help glancing at her voluptuous chest. I guess they¡¯re heavier than they look. Maybe I should be glad I¡¯ve stopped growing for the moment. However, out of breath or not, Simone was still only for a moment, as a heartbeat later she reached out and forcefully grabbed me by my Skinsuit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± she questioned, shaking me about and making my world sway nauseatingly. ¡°What¡¯s happened to Caelum?¡± I reached up and took hold of her wrists, using the Skinsuit¡¯s strength to stop her from shaking my head off. ¡°Si¡ªSi¡ªSimone, stop!¡± Damn, she was strong for an Aventis. Rina stepped up to us, and grabbed onto Simone¡¯s arms. ¡°Caelum¡¯s mind is trapped in the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. He¡¯s seeing reality in a way the Kaiser wants him to.¡± Simone released me while staring at perplexed at Rina. ¡°What?¡± ¡°His perception of reality is being influenced by the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. We need your help to snap him out of it.¡± ¡°My help?¡± I saw a complicated look settle quickly on Simone¡¯s face. ¡°How?¡± ¡°By tossing yourself in harm¡¯s way,¡± Rina replied. Simone blinked quickly, before regarding Rina with faint horror. ¡°You want me to do what?¡± ¡°To make a sacrifice,¡± Rina answered softly, ¡°and shock him back to this reality.¡± The sadness she¡¯d expressed earlier was absent from her face, and though her voice was soft, her gaze was resolute upon Simone. I released Simone¡¯s hands as I felt her arms grow slack. They fell to her sides, and Simone continued to stare at Rina with a thinly horrified expression. ¡°I¡¯m not following you¡­.¡± I took a quick but deep breath, knowing that time was of the essence. ¡°Simone, we need your help to bring Desanto back to his right mind.¡± Slowly the horror faded from her face, and she folded her arms under her breasts. With a serious light in her eyes, Simone regarded Rina and I. ¡°Before I make any sacrifice or sacrifices, tell me properly what¡¯s going on.¡± # (Caprice) # My concentration was unevenly divided between Deneve and the ongoing furious battle between Caelum and Weinberg. In the past minute, Weinberg¡¯s anger had gotten the better of her, and she was driving Caelum back all over the training cavern floor. Brilliant emerald light flashed every time her katana struck his Arm Blades held protectively in ever changing defensive stances. Yet Caelum was holding his own, his guard perfectly countering her strikes. When did he learn those? I wondered. It¡¯s like he¡¯s adapting to her little by little. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Having thought that, I was surprised to see Weinberg drive her sword between his arms, slipping through his guard, and force him to dodge her blade in a hurry or lose an ear. The Vector Core and Vector Wings floating behind him cut a crescent through the air as they kept up with his fast movements as he circled around Weinberg and then for precious seconds danced out of the range of her katana. However, Weinberg refused to be denied, and yelled at Caelum to take his punishment like a man as she quickly closed the distance between them, her katana burning brilliant trails through the air. Countering Weinberg¡¯s katana with tight arm movements, Caelum darted back then abruptly pivoted on a tapered foot, and lashed out at Weinberg with a scything kick that slammed into her right forearm as she hurriedly brought the katana up to block him. Wrapped in a barrier-field, his foot shattered the barrier protecting her arm, and Weinberg groaned in pain. Following through with the kick, Caelum slashed at her with his left Arm-Blade, bringing it down and across her upper right arm. Though it was protected by a scale-mail barrier-field that shone bright emerald as it made contact with the pierce-field around the blade, the field broke apart and I saw the armor adorning her upper arm fracture wildly a moment later. Another hit like that, and it would fail her completely. I found it incredible that the Caelum wielding the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing in K?mpfer form, purportedly a mere fragment of its original power, could match Weinberg¡¯s unlocked Siren Maiden to this degree. As Caelum continues to unlock it, just how strong will he grow? Casting my gaze downward, I regarded my body. As Caelum had broken the seal on his Kaiser, so too I¡¯d broken one of the shackles chaining my Valkyrie Maiden¡¯s Core Awareness. The Skinsuit I¡¯d worn was gone, replaced by the Skin-Regalia of my Valkyrie Maiden, Brynhildr. Though dark like the Skinsuit, it felt different on my body, more natural and close fitting than the former ever did, while through my Awareness-field I sensed behind me the presence of a Vector Core and two Vector Wings floating beside it. Caelum had taken an important step forward, and as I studied him in motion against Weinberg, I realized he¡¯d left me behind. I didn¡¯t begrudge him his achievement, and I was honestly proud of his progress, but I also felt abandoned as though I was no longer worthy or able to stand by his side. As a result, I began feeling empty. Caelum unleashed a short sequence of plunging jabs that culminated in yet another spinning kick blocked on this occasion by one of the Siren¡¯s white Vector Wings. The triangular wing pivoted forward and covered Weinberg¡¯s right flank. Its barrier-field burst apart in a shower of emerald sparks at it connected with the barrier-mail protecting his armored right foot, and once again it appeared the Siren took physical damage. Weinberg shifted her attack, switching her katana over into a left-handed grip. I wondered if the damage to her right arm was more severe than it appeared. Perhaps switching hands from right to left would diminish her combat prowess. However, no more than seconds later, Weinberg had resumed her offensive, delivering an almost reckless combination of cuts and slashes that would have left a lesser Fragment in pieces. Like before, Caelum fell back, retreating from her furious assault while adapting his defensive guard. Overclocked, my conscious perception could barely keep pace with their frenetic battle, though to my ears my question sounded unbearably slow and drawn out. ¡°How can he do that?¡± I asked. ¡°How can he keep up with her?¡± Deneve¡¯s voice was just as unnaturally slow as mine. ¡°It¡¯s the Kaiser¡¯s influence.¡± I half turned toward him yet continued to face the battle. ¡°Meaning what?¡± ¡°The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is a Ruler Class Artifact. It¡¯s power is well above that of other classes. From what I understand, only the Celestial Class can stand against the Ruler Class.¡± That didn¡¯t feel like the whole truth, and so I shook my head. ¡°But Caelum hasn¡¯t trained to fight like that.¡± ¡°The Kaiser is guiding him. At least, that¡¯s the theory. The Lanfears made that determination from the documented experiences of those gifted with the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing before Caelum Desanto came along.¡± Arisa had told me that Caelum wasn¡¯t the first to be bonded to the Fragment, but she¡¯d told me nothing of those who used it before him. ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°The Ghost in the Kaiser was with them.¡± I chose to face Deneve. ¡°What Ghost?¡± His attention was on the battle but he answered me nonetheless. ¡°The Lanfears believe it¡¯s an imprint of the first Meister to wield the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing. However, they¡¯ve never been able to determine its exact nature. Whether it¡¯s a collection of memories, or an imprint of his personality, they simply don¡¯t know. However, it¡¯s not something that manifests strongly. None of the prior candidates ever lost control. The most it ever did was influence their judgment, such as making them think twice about turning left instead of right, holding back instead of lashing out.¡± His chest swelled as he took a deep breath. ¡°But nothing like this. Never like this.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Deneve¡¯s eyes swung my way. ¡°Because the Lanfears briefed me on the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing before I was assigned here.¡± ¡°They must trust you a lot.¡± He snorted lightly. ¡°I guess they do.¡± I focused most of my attention on Caelum and Weinberg in the near distance, clashing on a level that was beyond me, and a small laugh escaped me. ¡°He¡¯s left me behind¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s finally overtaken me.¡± I shook my head feeling slightly conflicted, slightly pained. My pride had taken a hit, yet at the same time I was happy. ¡°It took him long enough.¡± ¡°Steiner?¡± I inhaled deeply until my lungs ached¡­then released the air slowly. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to catch up.¡± I pointed in Caelum¡¯s direction. ¡°Since you know so much about the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing, tell me what¡¯s happening to Caelum.¡± Deneve¡¯s attention settle on Caelum for a long while, before he finally broke his silence. ¡°He¡¯s reliving a memory. Something imprinted into the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing.¡± I felt myself begin to frown, and held it back. ¡°A memory won¡¯t do that you.¡± ¡°No, but it would if that memory carried the personality traits of the person to whom it belonged. In other words, it would be like leaving a part of themselves behind. A part they didn¡¯t want anymore.¡± The frown kept tugging at my forehead. ¡°Are you saying Caelum isn¡¯t Caelum at the moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying his personality and the Ghost¡¯s may have overlapped.¡± He took a deep and loud breath, one I heard through my Awareness-field above the sounds of battling. ¡°Caelum¡¯s personality has been overwhelmed by the Ghost¡¯s.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t possible,¡± I stated flatly. ¡°Normally I¡¯d say no, but he¡¯s reliving the memory to such an extent that he¡¯s no longer Caelum Desanto.¡± Though my voice remained flat, a little of my frown slipped through onto my face. ¡°Then who is he?¡± Deneve¡¯s lips drew a thin line across his face, and after a handful of seconds that felt eternally long while Overclocked, I saw him shake his head. ¡°That is something I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not for me to say, only to know. If you want an answer, you have to talk to Arisa.¡± I closed my eyes, and sorted my feelings into neat little lines that formed a picture in my mind of the path I felt drawn to follow. Opening my eyes, I faced Kaleb Deneve. ¡°Have it your way.¡± I turned away, directing my attention and body toward Caelum and Weinberg fighting about two hundred feet away. ¡°Steiner, what are you going to do?¡± Breaking my almost expressionless mask, I sneered at him over my shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s for me to know, and for you to see.¡± I crouched and a maneuver-field helped anchor me to the cavern floor like a sprinter¡¯s starting blocks. Then I directed my will at the two Vector Wings attached to the bird-like body of the Vector Core floating behind me. At my command, they released their pent up energy and catapult me forward. With levitator-fields projecting out of the Vector Wings and Valkyrie-Legs, I rocketed low over the cavern floor. It was the closest I¡¯d ever come to flying, short of leaping between buildings in the absence of artificial gravity, and the fastest I¡¯d ever moved. Crossing the distance to the two combatants in mere seconds, I aimed myself at Weinberg, and projected before me the strongest barrier-fields my Valkyrie Maiden could sustain in its presently unlocked form. I chose not to announce my arrival with a war cry. Instead, I crashed into her ¨C barrier-fields first ¨C with sufficient surprise and force to ensure she was cleanly out of the way moments after impact. Then I dropped the barrier-fields surrounding my body, and plunged chest first into Caelum¡¯s thrusting Arm-Blade. He had been aiming the weapon at Weinberg, but with Nicola out of the way, the blade sheathed in a millimeters thick piercer-field was left wanting a new target. And that target was me. I felt it slide into my body almost painlessly at first, then agony flared through me as the weapon penetrated through my chest and emerged out of my back, somewhere to the right of my spine. Carried forward by the momentum of my flight, I sailed onwards, the blade traversing through my body until I crashed into Caelum¡¯s armored chest. Pain had sapped most of my strength, but I used what little remained to wrap my arms around his body, and hold onto him as my consciousness faded. I struggled for air. The blade had punctured through my right lung, and I could feel it filling up with blood, that I now coughed up. ¡°¡­Caelum¡­.¡± I sucked in what air I could, wheezing loudly in the process, and coughed again. Is this what he felt¡­when Celica stabbed him? For some reason the thought made me smile, perhaps because I believed I was now closer to him than ever before. Now we both have scars to bear. I swallowed down the blood welling up in my throat, and spoke before another cough could rob me of my voice. ¡°¡­Caelum¡­come back¡­to me¡­.¡± Like a curtain slowly being drawn across my eyes, my vision began to darken, so I willed myself to remain conscious with every remaining fiber of my being. I had to remain awake. I had to keep eye contact with him. I had to be conscious to see him come back to me. I didn¡¯t want to fade away with that failure as my sole, greatest regret. If I could see him regain the person that he was, then I could pass away peacefully, knowing that I had saved him in the end. Alucard was right. I would die for him, but she didn¡¯t understand why. And in many ways, neither did I. I loved him, yet, I didn¡¯t know why. It was something I had agonized over many times, and kept me sleepless through many nights. I did not know why I loved him as much as I did. Then I heard a whisper in mind, and my slowing heart jumped weakly as I realized it came from the depths of Brynhildr¡¯s Core Awareness. [Do you need a reason to love someone?] I laughed, feeling foolish for doubting myself, but it turned into yet another blood stained cough. No, I didn¡¯t need a reason¡­so long as I believed my love was true¡­I didn¡¯t need a reason. Colors bled away, and my vision became dark and grey. And yet even without color I was able to see the light in his eyes, the light I was familiar with, and I was able to fight through the pain, and smile at him one last time. # (Kallum) # This was wrong. It wasn¡¯t the way it happened. This wasn¡¯t how I remembered it. The life I took that day and the life I lost was not the life of this girl embracing me, my Arm-Blade skewering her body. On that day I took his life, and Galatea slipped away from me forever. From the outset, I had sensed this memory, this recreation, was wrong. The open throne room was the same with its polished marble like floor and alabaster columns reaching up to the sky to support a nonexistent ceiling. Even the surrounding blue sky and white clouds turned blood red by the flaming wrecks of the orbital fleet falling to their demise were just as I remembered them. Yet the memory was indeed wrong. He had never fought me with a curved sword, but with a cruel bladed spear. He had never wielded a Siren, but a winged demon. And he had never accused my sister of taking away everything important to him, for I had no sister as he and I were orphans raised as brothers. Somewhere along the way, as I fought against him I acknowledged the truth that this wasn¡¯t real, nor was it the way things had happened. I grew conscious of my circumstances, and I became aware that I was trapped in a distorted past ¨C a past I did not want to relive. How this came to be was a mystery to me, as was the realization that I was indeed conscious and in that respect alive when by all means I should be dead. But I was also aware of myself and of someone else sharing the same consciousness, and little by little, as I traded bladed blows with my opponent, that other self began reasserting itself over me as I had initially asserted myself over it. I had awakened and in so doing, I had usurped the individual known as Caelum Rafael Desanto, and this was something that had never happened before. Never before had the dream become so real. The lives I had experienced had never become mine to control. Around me, the memory remained constant. It did not waver, shatter, or ripple away. I stood on the immense circular throne room at the top of the citadel, surrounded by the Hellish backdrop of the burning sky. My opponent, the Siren Maiden, had not vanished either but he was gone, replaced by a beautiful young woman with blonde hair and amber eyes who stared at me in horror. On the rectangular elevated dais supporting the throne, Galatea stood before the chair, her deathly pallor in stark contrast to the red blood staining her white dress ¨C the dress he had forced her to wear as he mocked her bloodline ¨C and regarded me with confusion and dismay as though she too understood this wasn¡¯t the way it was supposed to be. No, this was certainly not the way I remembered it. It was not the way that day had ended for me, for her, or for him. The girl holding onto me coughed and trembled. ¡°¡­Caelum¡­.¡± I gazed down at her. I could feel her life fading through the Awareness-field, and my other self railed at me to do something. ¡°¡­come back¡­to me¡­.¡± My thoughts crumbled before an onrushing wave of intense agony that swelled hotly from the depths of my heart. Yet I held onto one thought, a single thought that carried her name, a name I whispered. ¡°Caprice¡­why?¡± Her eyes widened and focused on me, but I wondered if she could see me at all. The flame of her life was so weak, it was but a candle to the bonfire I had sensed mere moments ago when she first plunged onto my blade. Yet the candle refused to die, and flared brightly in the darkness violating the sanctity of her life. The sight of her faint smiling twisted my heart in sheer despair. With lips stained red, she her voice collapsed into a whisper. ¡°¡­because I love you¡­.¡± The flame flickered, danced in the breeze, and then blew away, surrendering to the darkness. # (Simone) # Somehow by working in concert, Deneve and Weinberg held him down, but I could hear them struggle against his immense strength born of abject distress. I could hear them pleading with him to calm down. And I could hear him pleading to them¡­and to me...to save her life. From a skirt pocket, I pulled out the army knife I always kept attached to my keyring. The blade wasn¡¯t long, but it was long enough with which to slash my wrist. Dropping my keys aside, I cupped my free hand over my wrist, feeling it soak quickly with my blood spurting out of the wound. ¡°Move,¡± I said to Maya who was busy breathing air into Steiner¡¯s remaining lung, while Rina Sayen straddled Steiner¡¯s body lying supine on the cavern floor and compressed the girl¡¯s chest in harmony with Maya¡¯s efforts to resuscitate her. Maya straightened and moved back slightly, and Rina ceased pushing down on Steiner¡¯s sternum. Kneeling beside Steiner, I planted both my wrist and cupped hand over her open mouth, watching the blood trickle strongly into her. The Valkyrie¡¯s Skin-Regalia had sealed up over her wound, but the damage had been done. Steiner¡¯s heart had stopped beating for almost a minute now, but I knew I had another three minutes to work with. Now it was up to the Raynar Symbiote to work a miracle. With my wrist planted firmly over Steiner¡¯s mouth, I waited for a reaction. The sounds of the struggle nearby died away. I listened to heavy, labored breathing, and restrained sobbing. And I felt moisture on the bare skin of my wrist, and watched droplets land on it. At first I thought they belonged to Maya who was kneeling over Steiner along with me, but then I realized they were mine. Why was I crying over this girl, when neither Rina nor Maya shed tears for her? True, both girls wore steadfast stoic expressions, but I sensed their frayed emotions behind their eyes. Yet why was I crying over a girl I considered nothing more than a rival to my objective of securing Caelum. Maya spoke softly. ¡°Simone¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I muttered. ¡°I won¡¯t let her die on me. I won¡¯t let it end between us like this.¡± For a minute, perhaps longer, my blood continued to trickle strongly into Steiner¡¯s mouth and down her throat, but soon the wound in my wrist began to heal and the trickle ebbed and then ended. ¡°Damn it,¡± I whispered, ignoring the burning sensation that lingered along my wrist and forearm as I reached for my discarded keys. ¡°I need to open another wound.¡± ¡°Simone, wait,¡± Maya advised. ¡°I can¡¯t wait. She needs more of my blood.¡± ¡°No, I mean it. Wait.¡± Maya¡¯s hand reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping the open blade millimeters from my skin. ¡°Look.¡± I looked down at Steiner, and saw her throat muscles working, swallowing the blood down. Rina whispered in awe. ¡°She¡¯s drinking it¡­.¡± Maya¡¯s hand tightened about my wrist. ¡°I can feel it. I can feel her heart.¡± I frowned at her. ¡°What?¡± She laughed but it was strangled by a sob. ¡°Through my Awareness-field, I can feel her heart. I can feel it beating.¡± A tear trickled silently down her cheek. ¡°I can feel your Symbiote spreading through her.¡± Rina was nodding slowly. ¡°It¡¯s growing inside her. It¡¯s up to here.¡± The girl¡¯s hands hovered over Steiner¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s in her lungs¡­it¡¯s inside her ruptured lung¡­healing it¡­.¡± Maya released my wrist. ¡°I just felt her breathe¡­.¡± It was true. I could see Steiner¡¯s chest rise and fall, and I could faintly hear the air flowing in and out of her open mouth, but it was painfully slow. Yet there was no denying that her body was alive. My attention focused on her face. But what about her mind? Maya closed her eyes and knelt over Steiner¡¯s head, bringing her face close to the girl¡¯s. I could see the concentration on Maya¡¯s features as she whispered, ¡°Come on, Caprice. Come back to us.¡± It was strange, and something I doubted I would ever be able to explain, but in that moment I felt something brush past me, like a gentle breeze that grazed my skin. I felt it linger on my face, running a ghostly fingertip over my lips, before fading away. My eyes blinked slowly, and when I recovered from the experience, I lay my gaze upon the girl lying before my knees, her head pillowed on Maya¡¯s thighs. After a dozen heartbeats more, her closed eyelids trembled and then flickered open on the fifth attempt. I held my breath, as did Maya and Rina, as we watched Steiner¡¯s eyes gradually search about¡­and then turn toward me. I felt something then, something like a bridge form between us, though it was little more than a rope thrown across a vast chasm. But I held onto the rope, and I could sense Steiner holding onto the other end. She continued to breath and blink slowly, as though waking from a deep slumber. Then I heard the barest of whispers slip past her parted lips. ¡°¡­why¡­?¡± I thought I understood what she meant, so I shook my head slowly down at her. ¡°Because I refuse to lose to you.¡± Steiner closed her eyes then opened a few heartbeats later, and I noticed her shake her head weakly. ¡°¡­no¡­why¡­cry¡­?¡± Yes, it was true. I had resumed crying, and when I shook my head, I felt some of my tears fly away. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I just don¡¯t know¡­.¡± I bowed my head, and buried my face onto her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Caprice¡­.¡± I closed my eyes and held myself still, feeling her labored breaths while listening to her beating heart. Something touched my hair, and I realized it was her fingers. ¡°¡­thank¡­you¡­Simone¡­.¡± I squeezed my eyes, as I listened to Maya and Rina sob in relief. Your welcome, I thought back, only vaguely surprised to realize that I genuinely meant it. ### Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Alternate - Ch 19. Apologies for the delay.
Chapter 19. (Caelum) # I wasn¡¯t allowed to wait by her side. I wasn¡¯t given the opportunity to see her. As soon as my medical check was over, I was escorted by Kaleb to a detention cell deep under the Academy, connected to the training facilities by a long corridor cut into the rock of the asteroid Island. I wasn¡¯t even granted the courtesy of a shower before I was taken away. Kaleb explained it was by Principal Mason¡¯s decree, and supposedly for my own good, which made little to no sense to me. I would have preferred simple honesty to a poorly veiled lie, especially since I was made to hand over my Kaiser¡¯s Blessing bracelet to Deneve. In truth, they were afraid of me, and treating me like the suspect to a heinous crime. As we walked into the detention center, I changed the subject and asked him about Caprice. Kaleb told me she was in a med-capsule, and recovering slowly but steadily through the efforts of Simone¡¯s Symbiote that now flourished within her body. The scan results were positive, and there was no sign of neurological damage. However, Caprice would be bed-ridden for a few days as I was after my unfavorable encounter with Celica in the Vault Chamber. The medical technicians expected her to make a full recovery in ten or so days, though more than likely she would return to class by the end of the coming week. I sensed there was more to tell, but Kaleb added nothing else, and I felt disappointed in him. Inside my cell, standing barefoot and dressed in my training suit, I watched the door to my cell close and then lock itself automatically. ¡°Thanks for letting me shower.¡± I was being caustic in my sentiments. Kaleb appeared reluctant to walk away. Eventually, he just sighed and said, ¡°Get some rest.¡± I reached out and grabbed one of the cell bars, testing its strength by pulling and pushing on it. ¡°You sure this is going to be enough?¡± Expecting him to snort and laugh my comment away, I was surprised when he frowned at me, before shrugging with forced calm. ¡°Like I said, get some rest.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth, Kaleb. Did you know that would happen to me?¡± Again he hesitated, eventually shaking his head faintly. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I deliberately narrowed my eyes at him, wanting him to see mistrust on my face. ¡°Would you have told me if you did know?¡± ¡°I would have done my best to prepare you for it.¡± His reply did not reassure me. I felt the stirrings of a bitter laugh in my chest, but I quelled it forcefully, and then pretended to calmly cross my arms. ¡°So you don¡¯t know what I should expect for the third seal, the fourth, or the fifth and final seal.¡± Kaleb¡¯s eyes were steady as they met my wry questioning gaze. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± I stepped closer to the cell bars. ¡°Then who does?¡± Without the bracelet, I lacked the means to employ an Awareness-field, but I could still read Kaleb¡¯s reaction well enough without it. His discomfort was evident in his eyes and the uncomfortable, heavy silence that followed what I believed was a simple and straightforward question. A dozen heartbeats later, he swallowed discreetly and declared, ¡°Talk to Arisa. That¡¯s all I¡¯m authorized to say.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not keeping me here indefinitely? How surprising.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just until morning, Desanto. Which is why I keep telling you to get some rest.¡± The smile that slipped through onto my face was somewhere between a sneer and scowl, but I held my tongue, and turned away from the cell doors, walking to the surprisingly wide bunk positioned against a cell sidewall. It proved to be quite comfortable when I sat down on it. My feelings had settled into a murky muddle that at least didn¡¯t bubble or simmer in the cauldron of my chest. As for my heart, it was sitting quietly in its chair, staring absently into the fireplace in my chest keeping it warm. It looked calm, but I knew better. Deneve loitered by the cell doors, probably giving me the opportunity to ask one more question before he left me alone here in the detention block. ¡°Desanto¡­I¡¯ll talk to Arisa.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± I replied without facing him, instead choosing to stare at the cell¡¯s opposite wall. ¡°I¡¯m meeting her this Sunday. I have some matters to discuss with her. I¡¯ll just add this onto my growing list of questions.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it.¡± I shook my head inwardly, wondering if he really understood how I was feeling about the situation, about him, and about Arisa. In the end, I chose to drop the matter, and again jumped tracks onto another subject. ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± I muttered, and after rubbing my face for a handful of heartbeats, I turned my head in his direction. ¡°You think I could at least get something to eat? Or is Mason planning to starve me so that I¡¯ll engineer a breakout?¡± Kaleb shook his weakly, but I didn¡¯t believe it was entirely at me. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. So don¡¯t break down walls.¡± I showed him my bare left wrist. ¡°You have my Kaiser, or have you forgotten.¡± I said nothing more, and after a few awkward seconds, he departed up the detention block corridor and walked out of sight. His footsteps grew fainter with each step, and then a short while later, I heard the heavy hydraulic door guarding the place cycle open. In the ensuing quiet, I sat on the wide bunk with my back to the metal headrest facing the cell¡¯s back wall. That left me facing the cell¡¯s bars looking out into the corridor, and a rock wall on the opposite side. I rubbed the back of my neck. The ache had settled in while walking from the infirmary to my temporary lodgings for the night. ¡°Some painkillers would have gone a long way, Kaleb,¡± I muttered under my breath, as I lay down properly on the bunk. # (Kaleb) # Returning hastily to the observation deck, I found myself standing in conference with Mason and Weinberg in the upper loft. I had some trouble keeping my gaze professional. Let¡¯s just say, Nicola Weinberg afil Lorian cut a resplendent figure in her grey-black training suit. There wasn¡¯t a slender curve of her lithe body left understated. Mind you, my self-control is considerably superior to Desanto¡¯s but it was nonetheless a considerable struggle to prevent my gaze from falling prey to the charms of this blond beauty. Seeing her in her usual business suit was one thing. Seeing her in the training suite was entirely something else. However, as pretty as she looked, Weinberg wore the expression of someone chastised and refused to raise her head and meet Mason¡¯s eyes. What happened here? Mason shook her head and exhaled slowly. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Weinberg nodded faintly, and I caught her despondent whisper. ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am¡­.¡± After regarding the blonde beauty for a moment longer, Mason directed her attention on me. ¡°How is he?¡± I cleared my throat before replying, ¡°Safe and secure. Not happy, but I doubt he¡¯ll try something.¡± ¡°What did the medical exams reveal?¡± I had no doubt she already knew the answer to that. ¡°The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing has integrated itself into his cerebellum, but it¡¯s spreading.¡± Mason and Weinberg both looked at me, and I was forced to reconsider. Perhaps neither of them knew of the results from the preliminary investigation. ¡°Is this the norm?¡± Mason asked. ¡°No. None of the other candidates every underwent this kind of fusion.¡± ¡°Fusion?¡± Weinberg breathed out. Raising a hand to interpose herself in the discussion, Mason asked, ¡°How strong do you gauge him to be?¡± I glanced away in thought, though it was more to avoid looking at Weinberg who chose to stand with a hand on her hip, her body making a gentle S-curve from the tips of her toes to the top her of her head. Swallowing again, and narrowing my eyes for effect as I regarded the view of the training cavern through the immense windows, I gave Mason¡¯s question due consideration and an honest reply. ¡°In K?mpfer form, he¡¯s already far stronger than I am.¡± After a long moment of silence, Mason inhaled long and deep. ¡°Is that your honest assessment?¡± I faced her. ¡°Absolutely. The Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is in a different league to my Dragoon Class Cuirassier.¡± Crossing my arms, I added, ¡°I underestimated him. But even if I hadn¡¯t, the outcome would have been the same.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± I said, noticing I sounded grim yet unable to help it. Weinberg and Mason regarded me guardedly. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Desanto told me the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing is haunted, and that sometimes the Ghost takes over.¡± Mason said nothing, but after a moment, Weinberg wet her lips and then asked, ¡°What did you tell him?¡± ¡°Nothing. The conversation drifted off in another direction. However, considering what we saw just now, it¡¯s clear to say that he wasn¡¯t lying and neither were his predecessors.¡± Weinberg frowned slightly, but gave me a very subtle nod. Mason held her silence for a moment longer, before turning away. ¡°So he doesn¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t know the specifics of how previous Meisters leave their mark¡ªtheir impression¡ªon an Artifact. What worries me though is the strength of the Ghost¡¯s influence on him. We¡¯ve seen it before when he fought his sister in the Vault Chamber¡ªthe berserker power that overwhelmed Desanto, and almost cost him his life.¡± Barely above a whisper, Weinberg murmured, ¡°He has quite the struggle on his hands¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, he does,¡± I agreed, and dropped my hands to my hips. ¡°And if I¡¯m going to help him, if I¡¯m to continue training him to grow stronger and to gain control of the Ghost, then I¡¯m going to need to unlock my Cuirassier.¡± I couldn¡¯t help hesitating before adding, ¡°Truthfully¡­once he breaks the next seal and gains the Krieger form, my strength won¡¯t be enough to push him to new heights. Either I get a new stronger Fragment now and begin unlocking it, or someone else will have to take over training duties.¡± As this point, I gave Weinberg a pointed look, to which she sighed as she crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to have my hands full with Steiner. Now that she¡¯s unlocked her Valkyrie Maiden to this extent, I need to keep pushing her. Unfortunately, the other girls are falling behind. Khayman and Sayen should have unlocked the seals on their Skin-Regalias by now. Instead they¡¯re still using skinsuits to augment their strength.¡± For a heartbeat, Mason pressed her lips into a thin line before asking, ¡°Any suggestions on how to get them past this hurdle?¡± The tall blonde beauty looked distinctly uncomfortable. ¡°Well, there is one thing¡­we could try¡­.¡± Mason nodded subtly, arching an eyebrow. ¡°And that would be?¡± Weinberg looked even more uncomfortable, or perhaps more embarrassed, as she spared me a long sidelong look. ¡°Well¡­when I was having trouble summoning my Skin-Regalia¡­they made me train in my¡ª¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She stopped when a number of holovid screens winked to life within the observation room. That number grew until they blanketed the floor-to-ceiling windows. Mason noticed them and muttered, ¡°What in blazes is going on¡ª?¡± From the floor of the observation room, one of the tech girls called out, ¡°Emergency Flash Traffic to all the Academies.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Mason sounded oddly off the ball, so I cast a glance her way, faintly shocked by what I saw. Galatea¡¯s Principal had grown pale, her eyes glassy as she stared at the floating screens. ¡°Again¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting Flash Traffic,¡± the girl repeated. ¡°It¡¯s being sent by Public Security Section Zero. Code Avalon.¡± I saw Weinberg regard her boss with a veiled puzzled look before she quickly asked, ¡°Give us the details on Code Avalon.¡± In response, someone translated the code into a series of directives that was displayed up on a holovid screen. I stood before the balcony railing and read them in sequence. Beside me, Mason breathed out an oath, and another glance at her revealed a little color had returned to her lifeless face. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± one of the girls below called up. ¡°We¡¯ve got reports of a massive explosion in Island One.¡± Another girl added, ¡°The Nexus is being censored, but we¡¯re getting a raw feed of the incident along with a report.¡± More data appeared in a new holovid window. A second panoramic window showed multiple angles of an enormous hole in what appeared to be the Harbor Tunnel in Island One. I read the report and glanced at the images. ¡°So Pharos is in complete lockdown except for emergency and security services.¡± Mason nodded apprehensively. ¡°And we¡¯ve been ordered to notify all our Familiars to make their way to their respective Academy and remain on standby.¡± Weinberg pointed at one screen. ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± she said. Facing the screen, I read the message scrolling along the bottom, and watched the deployment of armored vehicles in the streets, and Enforcer drones filled the sky between the megascrapers of Pharos¡¯s habitats. Mason swallowed visibly, and solemnly said, ¡°The Commander-in-Chief of the Enforcers¡­has just declared Martial Law.¡± Cold sweat threatened to trickle down my back, and I saw Weinberg¡¯s hands clench as her face grew pale. A moment later, Mason tapped her communication earpiece, and I realized she¡¯d received a private call through the device. After a minute, she tapped the device again, then reached out and leaned heavily on the guardrail. ¡°I received word from my Primogen,¡± she said. ¡°The Enforcers are coming here.¡± Nicola gasped, then took a step closer to her. ¡°What do we do?¡± Mason looked at her over a shoulder. ¡°The only thing we can do. For now, we co-operate.¡± # (Caelum) # I was pretty much convinced I¡¯d been forgotten, as there was no sign of room delivery. My stomach rumbled, and for once I actually missed having the little monster known as the Symbiote inside my body. At least it would keep me from growing hungry as my bed fed off it little by little. Having resolved to spend the night and morning hours on an empty stomach, I tried to get some sleep after tossing the bunk blankets over my body. Settling in for a long night, I decided to take what Kaleb said with a kilo of salt, and that included his promises. My thoughts then jumped to the subject of my girlfriend. After parting ways with her in the training cavern, I¡¯d had no subsequent contact with Simone, and as time went by my hopes faded that she would miraculously appear carting a dinner tray before her while wearing a sexy waitress dress and those high heels that made her legs look mouthwatering. I rolled onto my side, and faced the wall. That does it. First thing tomorrow, we¡¯re breaking up. Surely she¡¯s heard that the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach. I closed my eyes, but couldn¡¯t do so for long, and after rolling onto my back in frustration I stared up at the ceiling. In the darkness behind my eyelids, I kept seeing Caprice impaled on my right Arm-Blade, and before long my feelings began to circle chaotically in my chest. Unwilling to face the memory, I chose to stare up at the ceiling instead. I was doing as much when something unexpected happened. It was something that made me blink hurriedly in abject surprise and disbelief. However, I kept the rest of my body lying still on the bunk since I suspected my cell was being monitored by one of Principal Mason¡¯s female minions. Outwardly, I did my best to appear languid and composed at all times, but inwardly my heart beat madly. It took some time for it to slow back down, though my mind continued to race in circles. Eventually, it too slowed down and my thoughts began to straighten themselves out. Thinking a little more clearly, I waited a minute more before slowly sitting up and resting my back against the metal headrest once more. Staring at the rock beyond the bars of the cell door, I paced my breathing, hoping the surveillance systems were unable to monitor my emotional state. However, it was true that I was calmer now, though no less confused. Despite not wearing the bracelet, my Awareness-field had returned, something I didn¡¯t believe was possible. Swallowing quietly, I kept my gaze on the view beyond the cell doors. If I believed my Awareness-field, I was alone in the cell, but in the corner of my eye I could see her standing against in the middle of the room. [Hello, Kallum.] I swallowed again. *My name is Caelum. Caelum Desanto. [I know.] Wetting my lips with deliberate care, I asked, *Are you Galatea? She stepped closer to the bunk bed. [I am. Or rather I was Galatea.] *You¡¯re not real¡­are you? [¡­I was real, once upon a time, but now I exist only within the Kaiser¡¯s Blessing¡­.] I glanced at her, studying her sidelong for a second, before averting my eyes. *What do you want? She stepped into view and sat down on the bunk bed. As expected, she made no impression on the bed. [I came to say hello.] I refused to look at her. It was unsettling to focus my eyes on her for more than a few seconds, and it was evident she noticed because she leaned toward me curiously. [Why do you look away? Is there something wrong with the way I look?] *You could say that. I spared her another glance. [Why?] I closed my eyes for a moment, then made the effort to look the translucent apparition in the eyes. *Tell me the truth. Is that your true appearance? Galatea frowned before smiling coyly. [What? You don¡¯t like it?] *Answer the question. [Why do you ask?] *Because you look like someone I know, and it¡¯s bothering me. Her smile grew a little stronger. [And who would that be?] I swallowed, clearing my throat though I had no need to do so. *You know the answer to that. Galatea straightened on the bed, before she shrugged and peered down at me over her left shoulder with faint disappointment. [You mean the blonde girl with the large breasts?] I looked at the ghostly apparition that resembled a certain girl in every way, including her mouthwatering bust. My voice barely a whisper, I asked, ¡°Why do you look like Prissila?¡± Galatea snorted quietly. [In life, I was far prettier than her.] *Who are you? Galatea sat still for a long while, an unnerving experience to endure because of her ghostly appearance. [You will know in due time.] Leaning close toward me, she peered at me with bright blue eyes every bit like Prissila¡¯s. [In the meantime, I have something to show you.] I swallowed again, my heart beginning to stir in my chest, beating a little quicker as it began paying attention to its surroundings. *What? I asked nervously. Galatea arched a slender eyebrow at me. [Haven¡¯t you noticed by now?] *Noticed what? [Your Awareness-field has returned.] I regarded her, my gaze searching her face, the uncanny resemblance to Prissila making my heart beat louder. *I noticed it had. How is that possible? I narrowed my eyes at her. *Did you do something to me, or is this because of the Seal breaking? My heart scampered onto its chair when Galatea draped her ghostly form over my body. [There have been others before you. But none of them were you. You¡¯re special and I will treat you as special.] ¡°Meaning what?¡± I whispered. [I will help you grow stronger. I will help you break the Seals. And I will help you achieve your destiny. But you will also help me.] ¡°Why¡­?¡± She was quiet for a long moment before breaking into a warm smile that made my heart skip a beat. [Because you¡¯re the one I¡¯ve been waiting for.] Her smile lingered in my mind long after she vanished, troubling me still when I heard the sound of the corridor hatchway open, and fast footsteps approach my cell. I played the part of looking disappointed at Kaleb when he stopped before the cell doors. "You''re late. What? No room service? I demand to speak with the manager." Kaleb opened the cell door, and yanked it open. "Get up." The seriousness in his voice and expression made me suddenly suspicious. "Why?" "Because there''s been an incident." He swallowed before adding, "A very big incident, and Mason wants you upstairs with the rest of the troops." I chose not to argue with him, and dutifully followed Kaleb out of the detention level. Series relaunch on Amazon and the problem I have with it. Hello, The reason for no updates on this side is because I''ve been working on an updated version of "Pride X Familiar ReVamp". It''s a fairly significant fix to the story with some important scenes reworked, grammatical changes, and so forth, all of which is making the book a better read, though it''s still written light novel style so it''s fairly easy to read, unlike the rewrite of "Princess Royale" which has moved away from the Light Novel style of writing. It''s been coming along nicely, and the new cover is ready, but I''ve a got a bit of a problem. A big problem. I want to re-release the series on Amazon, but I can''t think of a decent title. I''m not sure of keeping the "X" in the book titles, either. I''ve been toying with just calling the first novel, "Familiar" but that''s too vague. Too simple. Stolen story; please report. My biggest problem is that this series originally did not have the word "ReVamp" at the end. The first novel I released was called "Pride X Familiar" but it never made it to Amazon. When I eventually did release it on Amazon, I had to call it "Pride X Familiar ReVamp" because of a problem I had with the cover artist. So now I''m stuck. Do I just release the revision as "Pride X Familiar ReVamp" or give it a new series title? Really, I''m at the point of tossing in the towel. So if anyone has a good name for it, something appropriate of course, then please, I''m open to suggestions. Kind regards, and many thanks in advance. ________________ Simkin452 Pride X Kampfer ReVamp - Alternate - Ch 20. - Part I (**NEW**) Chapter 20 - Part I. - # - (Caelum) In the end, the military coup petered out into nothing. After all the huffing and puffing of chests was over, and egos had been bruised and battered, Pharos fell under an official State-of-Emergency. I don¡¯t know what transpired between the Prides, the Primogens, the Sanctum, and the Enforcers, but in the end the latter retracted their declaration of Martial Law. Perhaps cooler heads had prevailed, but I doubt it was as simple as that. That said, there was a sizeable military force in deployment throughout Pharos. From the confines of the underground training grounds, Maya, Rina, Kaleb, Nicola, and I, waited for something to break or someone to snap, all of us watching the news broadcasts showing scores of armored vehicles and power-armored troops out on the streets of Pharos¡¯ habitats, and squadrons of donut shaped drones in the air. The Enforcers had stationed an armored division outside each of the five Academies of Pharos, a clear sign of their distrust of the Familiars harbored within, but they had made no moves to step inside. It was almost as though the Academies had become sovereign states like the embassies of old, and we Familiars were political refugees seeking asylum. However, the tense calm lasted throughout the morning, and with the announcement of a State-of-Emergency rather than Martial Law, we were finally dismissed with orders to get some rest. It was still early morning when I returned to the boys dorms. The overhead sky-field was portraying the first rays of sunlight breaking out over an imaginary horizon. I trudged my way to the building, swiped my palm-slate over the security scanner beside the entrance, and made my way to my room. Once inside, I fell on the bed while dressed in my uniform, thinking I¡¯d close my eyes for a moment only to be awakened by a loud banging on my door and the sound of the Dorm Manager barking at me to get up. Then I heard his heavy footfalls as he thundered down the hallway and banged on the next set of doors, yelling like a prison guard waking up the inmates. State-of-Emergency or not, I wasn¡¯t allowed to play truant. After taking a shower and changing into a clean uniform, I dragged my weary body out of my room to meet the end of a traumatic school week. My stomach rumbled and I realized I hadn¡¯t eaten anything in twelve hours. It rumbled again as I approached the automatic doors of the dorm¡¯s front entrance. I sighed and decided to pick up something from one of the many vending machines on my way to the high school building. Then I stepped through the doors to greet the day¡­again. - # - School Week Five. Friday. Early Morning. As I stepped out of the dorm building¡¯s entrance, the sight of a girl with long silver hair standing below by the foot of the steps caught my breath. At my sudden stop on the landing, someone complained behind me, and then forcefully brushed by, but my attention was almost entire upon Simone. Perhaps sensing my gaze, she turned her head and looked up at me. The faint smile on her lips made my heart skip a beat, and I had some trouble swallowing as my throat grew tight. Simone picked up her school carry-bag at her feet, then waited for me as I descended the steps, ignoring the curious and envious glares from the male students exiting the building. Stopping before her, I ran my gaze over her face. As pretty as she was ¨C no, as beautiful as she was ¨C there was no hiding her exhaustion. I doubted she''d had much sleep. The light in her eyes wasn¡¯t as vibrant as I remembered it. I realized we were both searching each other¡¯s faces, judging our state-of-being. She broke the silence first. ¡°Did you get some rest?¡± I hesitated, considered lying, then shook my head. ¡°No.¡± Simone¡¯s gaze wandered away and she was quiet for a long moment. I had an uncomfortable feeling sweep over me, a kind of premonition that something dramatic was about to take place. I thought myself paranoid but the feeling wouldn¡¯t leave me, and eventually I cleared my throat and asked, ¡°How are you?¡± Her attention returned to me, and for a heartbeat she looked anxious, before smiling faintly again ¨C a smile so much like one I knew well. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± I opened my mouth wanting to say something, anything, to stave off the uncomfortable feeling building up within me, but all I could think of were dead end sentences. Simone spared me. ¡°Walk me to class?¡± I agreed with a nod, and fell into step beside her. The paved path from the dorm building to the high school facilities was long and cut through a garden area with trees and park benches. We shared the path with dozens of other students, and some of the guys had met up with girls waiting for them along the way. Walking beside Simone, we attracted our fair share of attention, but I was too distracted to be bothered by it. The uncertain, uneasy feeling within me just wouldn¡¯t go away. Clearing my throat again, I took a hasty breath, anxious to push my sense of trepidation aside. "Is it...is it still on the news?" "The explosion?" She frowned then nodded weakly. "Yes. Everyone is speculating, but with no one taking responsibility for it, it''s whipping the commentators into a frenzy." "I guess this is bigger, much bigger than six years ago." She nodded after a heartbeat. "And it happened so close to the memorial ceremony. I doubt they''ll hold it. I don''t think the Enforcers or Sanctum will want to take the risk." "What about your sister? Have you heard anything from her?" Simone grew quiet, and didn''t reply for a long while. "She told me to be safe. That''s all she said. I have a feeling that my family will want me home. I wouldn''t be surprised if they decide to pull me out of Galatea." "They would do that?" She nodded shallowly. "Yes, they would." I didn''t doubt that her family was protective. I''d seen evidence of that in the past. "Caelum...if the Memorial Ceremony goes ahead...will you attend it?" I gave her the only answer I had. "I don''t know. Maybe I will." I shook my head slowly. "No, I''ll go. I have to go. After everything that''s happened it wouldn''t be right for me not to." "I see...." We walked in silence for a short while, approaching the end of the gardened area. Ahead of us, trees line the path out of the garden forming an arcade with their branches. I watched the breeze stir the branches, and rustle the leaves, a few of which fell onto the path. ¡°Caelum, let¡¯s break up.¡± I came to a stop a few steps later, my heart pounding loudly, and realized Simone was no longer beside me. Turning so quickly my vision swam, I looked back to see her standing on the side of the path, her visage a picture of composure. ¡°¡­what¡­?¡± She folded her hands before her midriff. ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± For a long moment, my mind was emptied of all thought, as though the sudden deafening drumming of my heart had driven them all away. I stood on the path, unable to utter a word, and once again Simone spared me. ¡°Caelum, what I did was wrong.¡± I couldn¡¯t speak. All I could do was watch her, barely conscious of the high schoolers walking by casting curious and dark looks at me. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Simone wet her lips, and I saw her struggle to swallow. ¡°What did I was wrong. It was unfair on you. It was unfair on them. It was unfair on Prissila and on Caprice.¡± I noticed she didn¡¯t call Caprice by her last name. Simone averted her gaze, and tension rippled along her checks before she looked at me again. ¡°This isn¡¯t how I wanted to win.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a victory for me at all. I forced you into you dating me. I forced you into agreeing to be my boyfriend. It was the wrong thing to do.¡± She stepped closer to me, the distance between us now a couple of feet. ¡°It¡¯s not how I wanted to win, but I was desperate for the win. But I didn¡¯t understand¡­I didn¡¯t understand how much she loves you.¡± I closed my mouth slowly, knowing what she meant. Simone looked away. ¡°I¡¯ve spent the whole morning thinking about it. I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true love, or something different, something twisted and unnatural. Something akin to obsession, but perhaps that is what love is. Perhaps love is nothing more than an obsession.¡± Pressing her lips tightly together, she took a deep shuddering breath. ¡°In all honesty, she scares me. Her love for you scares me. It frightens me thinking of what it could mean for you.¡± Simone faced me. ¡°I wanted to protect you from her. At least, that¡¯s what I told myself, but now I¡¯m not so sure. I still want to protect you, that hasn¡¯t changed, but I don¡¯t want to force you into a relationship.¡± She shook her head gently, and I watched her lips quiver. ¡°I want you to make the choice of your own will.¡± Somehow, I managed to clear my throat enough to find my voice. ¡°Simone, I made my choice¡ª¡± ¡°No. You accepted my demands.¡± She looked resentful. ¡°You accepted the offer to be my boyfriend.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fair offer. I forced it upon you. That¡¯s what¡¯s wrong.¡± Frustration swam across her face. ¡°Caelum, I rushed it. I rushed everything. It wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. It wasn¡¯t about me choosing you. It was about you choosing me. And that''s not the way it turned out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you¡ª¡± ¡°There are other girls that care about you.¡± She pressed a hand to her chest. ¡°There¡¯s me, but there¡¯s also Caprice, and I know that Prissila has strong feelings for you as well.¡± Simone tipped her head. ¡°After all, she did kiss you, didn¡¯t she.¡± Again, I closed my mouth, unable to deny that I''d been kissed yet unwilling to admit it. Simone sighed softly. ¡°Caelum, I¡¯ve already chosen you, but I don¡¯t want to jump the queue anymore.¡± She lowered her hand and smiled a little. ¡°This time, I want to fight fairly. I want all of us to fight fairly for you.¡± Perhaps because she¡¯d come to a decision and voiced it, her eyes shone with a stronger light. I understood then that this wasn¡¯t a decision she¡¯d made lightly. It was something she¡¯d put her heart into, but that was also true of everything she did, and one of the reasons I was drawn to her. Yet, despite knowing it was a decision that I had to respect, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from reaching out to her. She stepped back and I felt as though I¡¯d been doused in cold water. Trembling, I lowered my hand down to my side. Simone shook her head faintly. ¡°I want you to make the choice when you¡¯re ready. To choose when your heart has truly decided on one of us. I don¡¯t want you harboring doubts. I want you to be sure, from the very bottom of your heart, when you make the choice.¡± She hefted the straps of her school bag higher on to her shoulder, and drew a sudden, shuddering breath. The warm smile she gave me as her tears began to fall squeezed my heart and stole my breath. ¡°Because then¡ªthen it won¡¯t hurt so much¡ªif you don¡¯t choose me¡ª¡± She ran round around me, clutching her school bag as she fled down the paved path. I thought I felt her tears land on my cheek, but when I reached up I realized it was just my imagination. I turned on my heels, and watched her receding figure as she ran away, my gaze following her until I lost sight of her in the distance as she plunged into the morning crowd of students making their way across the school grounds. I don¡¯t remember walking to the bench in the large garden. I certainly don¡¯t remember sitting down on it. If anyone spoke to me, I have no recollection of them doing so at all. Somewhere in the distance, the chime of the school bell may have rung warning students to hurry to homeroom. But it was only when my palm-slate rang and vibrated in a trouser pocket that I realized I¡¯d been sitting with my head in my hands. It might have been the tenth ring or the twentieth when I gathered enough of my composure to lift my head, then reach into a pocket and pull out my slate. I thumbed the screen and answered the call without even checking the caller identity. ¡°¡­hello¡­?¡± ¡°Desanto¡ªbig problem.¡± I took a few seconds for me to recognize the girl¡¯s voice. ¡°Lidia?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Hey, you sound funny. What happened?¡± I laughed but it came out bitter and anguished. ¡°Nothing¡­.¡± She was quiet for a long while. ¡°Desanto, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to you but there¡¯s something you need to know.¡± ¡°¡­yeah. What¡­?¡± ¡°There are some suspicious looking people in the west car park, and Steiner is with them.¡± I straightened immediately as surprise turned into a chill that ran down my spine, and for now it pushed my heartache over Simone aside. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said Caprice Steiner is with them. And she doesn¡¯t look good. Man, she looks terrible. And she¡¯s in a wheelchair. Did something happen to her?¡± I almost answered her question, holding back at the last heartbeat then asking, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Running late for class. I was in the clubroom all night and I woke up late, so I was cutting across the grounds to get to homeroom. I looked over at the carpark and that¡¯s when I saw them. Black cars. Black suits. They look like they mean business. You know, she¡¯s a daughter of the Steiner Family so I wonder if they¡¯ve finally come for her. I mean with the colony in a state-of-emergency after the explosion in Island One, maybe they decided she¡¯s too precious to leave alone.¡± ¡°I get the feeling you know more than you¡¯re letting on.¡± ¡°Maybe we should talk later then.¡± I started walking, slowly at first then broke into a run. ¡°I¡¯m heading over now.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. I¡¯m just telling you what¡¯s happening. Are you saying you didn¡¯t know? Maybe it¡¯s not a good idea to interfere.¡± ¡°Sorry Lidia, but I have to hang up.¡± ¡°Hey, wait¡ª¡± I ended the call, then thumbed through my palm-slate¡¯s speed dial list, and called up a number I actually knew by heart. When the call connected but fell through into her voice mail, my run turned into an outright sprint. Re-imagined as a new series: The Remnant Fiestas Perhaps a few of you have been wondering what happened to this series. Well, I spent a long, long time trying to figure out a way to make it more accessible to the readers at RRL. In the end, I decided to rewrite it from scratch, and use all that we''d worked on thus far in the Pride X and Pride X ReVamp incarnations to turn it into a new series: The Remnant Fiestas.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Please give this third and hopefully final attempt to save this "universe" of characters a try. The link is below: https://royalroadl.com/fiction/9914 Thank you for your time. Cheers, ____________ Simkin452