#sariel 01.

[aureamoretti]

Person: @bleedingwings Location: Sariel's lil Office Sarina Richter or whatever her real name was, was an interesting person. Aurea had caught her sniffing around the Ivy once or twice and a little digging of her own. She's a private detective, a good one, and she's also something else. It's not something she trusts, she'd chosen to keep her memories on account of no one would ever catch her slipping like that again. And if she was around her family, she wasn't going to stand for it. "So are you just curious or is someone asking about us?" There's a swagger of confidence she hadn't previously had in Rome before what she's referring to as 'the incident' as she plops down into the chair opposite the blonde's desk. "Either way, I have a job for you."

[chevaliering-the-way]

IkePri Dividers - The Beasts of Rhodolite

These are simple dividers made after making the one used on this blog (i.e., Chevalier). The quality is decent but may not be to your liking. I am aware some of them are a bit blurry. I most likely won't be making ones for Sariel Noir, Rio Ortiz, or any of the foreign princes at this time. If more are made, a link will be added to this post.

The crests used are both designed and owned by CYBIRD. This divider is free to use with credit to this blog via a link and/or a direct tag @chevaliering-the-way. Do not repost these. Like/reblog if used.

ᯓ★ ᯓ★ ᯓ★

More IkePri Dividers:

Here is the link to the second set (Sariel + Rio).

Here is a link to the third set (Foreign Princes 01).

[chermentine]

Happy birthday to Sariel Noir 20/01 🥰🫶🏻

[aishangotome]

Main Story S2 Chapter 3-01: Noble Illness (崇高的疾病) | Light and Night 光與夜之戀

S2 Chapter 2 Polyphony End

♡———♡

The Asian division of SELF magazine was located in the most expensive part of Guangqi City.

Unlike Wan Zhen's understated and business-oriented style, the silver-white building's hollowed-out exterior exuded a bold, avant-garde aesthetic.

Strips of artificial stone crisscrossed and overlapped, mimicking a woven wool pattern. From afar, it resembled a giant handbag dropped in the middle of the city.

But I had no time to admire the architecture today. I wasn't here as a designer, but as the head designer, to discuss a collaboration, hoping to get the Time Travel series featured on the cover of their anniversary issue.

SELF's anniversary issue was recognized as the gold standard in the industry, with its cover distributed globally. Its influence was undeniable.

Thanks to the popularity of the escape room variety show, Pristine's visibility had reached its peak in recent months. The company was seizing the opportunity, arranging for a leading magazine cover to be the debut showcase for the Time Travel series.

But compared to SELF, all other magazines paled in comparison. Securing the cover of SELF would mean gaining the endorsement of a fashion authority, which would be incredibly beneficial for the upcoming launch.

However, I had been sitting in the conference room for almost four hours and hadn't even caught a glimpse of the editor-in-chief.

Worried that they might have forgotten about me, I periodically stepped out to get a glass of water, admire the view, or simply pace in front of the administrative assistant.

Administrative Assistant: I'm sorry, the editor-in-chief is still in a meeting. Could you please wait a little longer?

She seemed to see through my intentions, a hint of exasperation in her expression. I smiled and nodded politely, assuring her that I didn't mind waiting.

About a year ago, when I attended the Lorna Fashion Award ceremony, Sariel had suddenly appeared backstage and introduced me to the editor-in-chief.

We had a pleasant conversation, and she even expressed interest in collaborating.

She wouldn't ignore me, would she?

Finally, after a long wait, the door opened, and a tall figure walked in.

Editor-in-Chief: Sorry to keep you waiting. The entire company has been busy with the anniversary issue lately. You must have waited for quite awhile.

Her phone was buzzing non-stop as she spoke, the screen lighting up like fireworks. I suddenly felt ashamed of my earlier assumptions.

You: Not at all, just a little while. I'm sorry to disturb you when you're so busy.

You: Please, have a seat.

I quickly pulled out a chair for her. As she sat down, she glanced at me.

Editor-in-Chief: Why are you here alone? Where's your director?

I froze, caught off guard. The appointment didn't mention anything about Sariel coming. Nevertheless, I honestly explained his situation.

You: The director's studio is still in its final stages of preparation. It should be announced soon.

The editor-in-chief continued typing rapidly without looking up, simply giving a noncommittal hum of acknowledgment.

Seeing that she didn't have any further questions, I immediately presented the Time Travel series portfolio I had prepared.

I had sacrificed several weekends for this small booklet. It had to be exceptional to stand out from hundreds of competing brands.

You: The Time Travel series is Wan Zhen's focus for the coming year. I believe it will be a huge success.

You: We're not simply replicating traditional clothing. We're integrating "ancient elements" with modern design, making them suitable for everyday wear.

You: Using the old to create the new, we aim to establish a "new fashion culture" for young people.

Editor-in-Chief: Hold on a moment. To save time, let's skip the fluff.

Editor-in-Chief: We all know that any brand that makes it to my desk—

Editor-in-Chief: —even cheap, street-vendor stuff can be dressed up to look high-end.

Editor-in-Chief: So, positioning, concepts, aesthetics, even values...

Editor-in-Chief: ...all those considerations from the consumer's perspective are irrelevant to me.

Editor-in-Chief: The cover of our anniversary issue often dictates the trends for the following year. Other magazines simply follow our lead.

Editor-in-Chief: SELF doesn't follow fashion, SELF creates fashion.

Editor-in-Chief: So, I need you to offer me something unique. Do you understand what I'm saying?

She wants to be at the forefront of market trends... I thought quickly.

You: The general public's aesthetic preferences and understanding of fashion are derived from Western culture. It's all very homogenous. People have been waiting for a new fashion direction for a long time.

You: We're the first fashion brand to mass-produce modernized traditional clothing, with a scale and resources that smaller brands can't match.

You: This is our project's biggest advantage. I can guarantee that no other brand in the world has this. What do you think?

The editor-in-chief continued typing rapidly on her phone, seemingly ignoring me. Only when I repeated my question with a raised voice did she finally look up.

Editor-in-Chief: I only have one question. Is this series overseen by Sariel? Which high-end line does it belong to?

My slow brain finally caught up at that moment, realizing why she had asked about Sariel the moment she arrived.

She instinctively assumed this was Sariel's project, and she must have agreed to meet me for the same reason.

You: Sariel was just an early consultant. I'm the head designer for this series and the brand.

You: This series belongs to Pristine.

Editor-in-Chief: Pristine? That fast-fashion brand? You want a piece of fast fashion on the cover?

The editor-in-chief suddenly laughed, her immense disappointment and frustration evident.

You: Pristine aims to redefine "fast fashion" this time, to make "haute couture" accessible to everyone.

Assistant: Editor-in-chief, we have to leave for the airport now. Traffic is heavy, it'll probably take more than an hour to get there.

A hurried knock interrupted my pitch.

Editor-in-Chief: You—

She paused, as if trying to remember my name, then gave up.

Editor-in-Chief: The cover of SELF has always featured the latest haute couture from major brands.

Editor-in-Chief: If it were a high-end series from Wan Zhen, I would consider it.

Editor-in-Chief: I have an event to attend and need to leave now. Think about what I said.

With that, she ignored me, stood up, and walked straight out the door.

I had asked An An about the situation before coming. The competition for this cover was unprecedentedly fierce. Without bringing my A-game, I wouldn't even get a foot in the door.

-

I grabbed the portfolio she hadn't even glanced at and rushed over to her.

You: Traditional Chinese clothing is breaking into the mainstream, attracting attention from young people worldwide and gaining a large following of overseas consumers.

You: Many fashion bloggers and celebrities are wearing it, and the response has been huge. This is a screenshot of Jesse's social media post from that day. It was shared online and became a trending topic.

The editor-in-chief didn't stop.

You: The global fashion industry has been in a slump these past two years, largely because brands can't find new directions and are just rehashing old trends.

You: I believe that traditional clothing is the future—

The car engine started, and the vehicle sped away before me.

Despite getting a face full of exhaust fumes, I managed to shove the portfolio into her hand, hoping she would flip through it out of boredom during her journey.

Assistant: Um, the editor-in-chief has already left. Is there anything else I can help you with?

I took a deep breath, plastered a smile on my face, and pulled out two limited-edition figurines from my bag that I had waited five hours in line to buy this morning.

You: I heard that the editor-in-chief's daughter really likes these figurines. Could you please pass them along to her? Thank you.

Assistant: Weren't these just released yesterday? And you need a special voucher to even join the queue.

Despite saying this, he didn't seem surprised, as if he were accustomed to this sort of thing.

You: Right, and I also heard that you're a fan of Jesse. I happen to have a signed CD of his. A small token of appreciation.

Assistant: His first album?! This is impossible to find, even on the secondhand market!

He excitedly accepted the CD, repeatedly opening and closing the case.

Assistant: Alright, don't worry, I'll talk to the editor-in-chief. I'll let you know the moment she gets back.

You: Thank you!

-

I was rushing back to Wan Zhen with breakfast I had just bought from the convenience store when An An called.

An An: So, how did it go? Did you get it? Is it a done deal?!

You: Ugh, it's complicated.

An An: What? Didn't you do what I told you?

You: Of course I did! I was practically groveling, almost offered her my heart on a silver platter.

An An gasped on the other end of the line.

An An: Could it be that the gift was wrong? But I heard our director with my own ears say that her daughter loves those figurines...

An An: I'm sorry, babe, I couldn't be more helpful.

You: Don't be silly, your intel was accurate. I already asked her assistant to pass them along.

You: It wasn't the gift, it was the person. She thought it was Sariel's brand.

An An: No wonder! I was wondering why she suddenly agreed to meet with you when she's usually so hard to get an appointment with. So, she was interested in Sariel.

An An: Ugh, even the design industry is like this, all about connections and favors. I thought I could just focus on creating.

You: I used to think that too.

You: That being a designer was all about research and development, sketching, pattern making, understanding consumer psychology, and teamwork.

You: But after all these social events, I've suddenly realized—

You: Professionalism is just the foundation for reaching greater heights in any field.

You: Most of the time, it's about interpersonal relationships. About communication and negotiation, about actively expressing your intentions to others.

You: Because the higher you climb, the more you have to deal with interpersonal relationships. Partners, superiors, all sorts of people you have to interact with.

You: Unless you're so talented that you surpass everyone else.

You: Even artists have to promote themselves before they become famous. How else are they supposed to make a living?

An An: Ugh, that's exhausting. I decided to become an editor because I didn't want to deal with people. I thought I could just focus on doing my job.

An An: Who knew I'd be traveling all the time and getting bullied by my boss?

You: Bullied?!

You: You're being bullied? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?

My voice rose several octaves, and a few passersby turned to look at me.

An An was initially reluctant to talk about it, but at my insistence, she sent me an article—an interview with the CEO of Reincarnated Venture Capital.

An An: It was the first time I interviewed someone so high-profile. I meticulously wrote a five-thousand-word draft.

An An: But when it was published, my boss took the credit. Even worse, he put my name at the end, so I couldn't even complain.

You: But that's your hard work! Can't you report this to someone higher up?

I was furious, as if I were the one being bullied.

An An: Exactly! I was the one who put in the effort. Why should he get all the credit while I suffer in silence?

An An: Just because I'm new?

An An: So I emailed the CEO.

An An: But guess what? No response. Which means the company condones this kind of behavior.

An An: Later, I heard that most of the new employees here have had their work stolen. They all told me to just endure it.

An An: At least they still put my name on it. Once I make a name for myself, this kind of thing won't happen anymore.

Silence fell on the other end of the line. I anxiously stopped walking, my grip tightening on the phone.

At that moment, I wanted to tell her to just quit, that she didn't need to stay at such a horrible company.

But I knew that in the adult world, you couldn't be impulsive.

You had to consider the bigger picture. Complaining was enough, because you would encounter similar situations elsewhere. I understood all that. But I still couldn't bear to see her suffer injustice.

You: An An, we—

I couldn't hold back any longer. But An An spoke first.

An An: So I've decided. I'm quitting after this month. They can tolerate it, but I can't. This place doesn't deserve me.

An An: I'm counting on you to become successful and let me ride your coattails to glory.

Ever since our school days, whenever I faced challenges, An An was always there for me, offering unconditional support.

And even when she was struggling, she never let me worry and always had unwavering faith in me.

I nodded repeatedly on my end of the phone.

You: Even if it's just for those words, I have to give it my all.

You: When that happens, you'll be my exclusive editor. No one will be able to take that away from you.

An An: So what are you going to do now? Get your director to come back?

You: No, he has his own things to deal with, and I don't want to run to him every time I encounter a problem. I'll never be able to stand on my own that way.

You: I want to find another way. She must have other needs besides Sariel.

You: If I can figure that out, maybe I can still win this.

An An: Wow, you're making me feel fired up too. Okay, I have to get up and start writing. Let's get dinner when I get back.

You: Okay!

Hanging up the phone, I turned and looked at the towering skyscrapers behind me, each with its own unique shape.

Sunlight reflected off their glass facades, creating a dazzling spectacle. The crowd rushing in and out below looked weary and lost.

I wondered if they, like me, had once arrived full of hope and ambition, only to be met with a harsh reality check.

The first rule of the adult world was to abandon those fantasies and accept your own insignificance.

There was no glamorous future or easy path here. Walking wouldn't make the wind blow at your feet.

There was only endless overtime, an endless stream of convenience store lunches, increasing tolerance, and a constantly lowered head.

I guess this was called "socialization." Growing up was a process of socialization.

Lately, to secure more resources, the marketing director and Mya had been taking me to business dinners that were previously only open to the high-end lines.

Even though I had achieved some success with Pristine, I was still a newcomer in the design world.

At first, I was resistant. Not because I was opposed to it, but because I felt more comfortable creating and knew my personality wasn't suited for those kinds of settings.

But I also knew that to expand the brand's influence, we needed more resources, and "socializing" was essentially about sharing those benefits, an unavoidable part of the process.

Navigating those events, surrounded by beautiful music, the popping of champagne bottles, a flood of compliments, a sea of unfamiliar faces, my own smile becoming stiff... I had to present a different façade to every person, and there were moments when I forgot who I was.

Only when I stepped out of those restaurants and felt the wind on my face, that cool sensation, did I feel like myself again.

I didn't enjoy it, but not enjoying something didn't mean I could avoid it.

Because learning to do things you disliked was also one of the rules of the adult world.

.

.

.

.

.

S2 Chapter 3-02

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[touhoutunes]

Title: S.A.R.I.E.L

Arrangement: Stack Bros.

Vocals: Stack

Album: S.A.R.I.E.L. -Request Song Jukebox Vol.01-

Circle: 暁Records

Original: Now, Until the Moment you Die; Civilization of Magic

[orez-suke]

Sariel fanart

[clavissionary-position]

Ikepri Autocomplete Game

vol. 2

I've had my phone for a year now and it's time to see how it has grown ☆

HOW TO.

Pop a guy's name into your phone keyboard and make a sentence with whatever autocomplete throws at you

Feel free to keep retrying until you get something to your liking

01   Jin is a little ashamed of the fact that he's so underrated

02   Chev would not rest until you got home from work

03   Clavis actually goes on to tell you how much he's cared about you for so long legs

04   Leon has been brutish for years now and he probably realized that

05   Yves is not uncommon in any of the above areas

06   Licht and the free AP boosters are available for sale on your website

07   Nokto passes you in the mirror and you feel your heart aches

08   Luke is a little naked on the couch

09   Sariel’s office not a good idea for you guys to be able to smell

10   Rio hisses your favorite Chev event ends in May

11    Gilbert has on occasion showed up to the infirmary and said he would be able to help you with a bit of spice

12   Keith's Kinktober Masterlist FEATURING a wide variety of his eyes.

13   Silvio is not a problem at all. He's just a little bit more than his sensual saunter

14   Cyran and the world and a bed of rose petals have been a great experience

[ythmir-writes]

Be My Valentine Content Creation Challenge 2022 - Day 01

prompt #01: "Of course I figured it out. You were always giving me that love-struck gaze."

fandom: Ikemen Prince feat: Chevalier Michel 6.6k words

tags: swearing, physical injuries, fighting, the fact that this is -not- the valentine themed piece you may have expected but it is not angst, i promise quick summary: Narrator tries very hard to punch Chev, nuff said

“It’s really happening.”

I had only just raised the fork to my mouth when Clavis Lelouch stood to my right, Yves Kloss just behind him, and my first thoughts were that it would definitely be a waste to let the cake hanging in the air like that. So I took the bite and chewed. “I did say after three.”

“This is madness.” Yves said for the umpteenth time, waving a hand at the rack of weapons south of us. “The lot of you are insane.”

I chewed on more cake and Clavis winked at him. “Aren’t we all?”

Yves ignored him. “Do you have your second – wait, no, I shouldn’t have asked.” He was looking behind me. I turned and there was Rio, right on time and making a beeline to where we stood. I could not tell if his smile was genuine. Probably genuinely murderous. He would’ve heard how things ended up like this and he would definitely be giving me an earful for it too.

“Luke’s filled in the other spot.” Clavis informed us, looking at the other end of the training grounds. He waved and Luke waved back.

“Sure you don’t want to be over there and be second?” I asked Clavis.

“Ha!” Clavis’s eyes gleamed with an almost unnatural shine, amusement dripping from him. Soon enough, he’d be bouncing on the balls of his feet. “He didn’t want me.”

Yves huffed. “I thought Sariel would’ve put a stop to it but apparently – and I’m quoting you on this – it’s happening with his blessing.”

“It is.” I answered, truthfully. Because of course none of this could happen without Sariel knowing. I thought back to just how quickly Sariel had known my little stunt and a quiet shiver went down my spine. I would have told him, really. Eventually. With results. But when they said the walls had ears, they probably were thinking of Sariel and his network. Anything that happened inside Rhodolite’s palace, the King’s Regent knew. And it always had something in it for him to boot.

I should know, I was in on one.

“You asked for a duel.” Sariel had said the moment I was in his office. It had not been a question; I knew enough of Sariel’s tones to know that he did not expect to be answered. But I replied anyway.

“I was – am angry.” I had said, which had been untrue at that exact moment, because the burning anger I had felt was then only a smoldering ember.

Sariel steepled his fingers and gave me a long look. He caught the lie and I hung my head in shame. When I could no longer take his silence I had asked, “Do you want me to explain?”

“I think I already understand why things came to be the way they are.” Sariel then laid out my plans and he hit every point with an accuracy that would have sent me reeling if he wasn’t the King Regent.

“Don’t do anything reckless.” Sariel had said when he finished, and I could remember the look on his face that told me no outcome other than the one in his head was acceptable. I had nodded and sworn. And that was that.

“He asked Licht to oversee.” I continued, forking over another mouthful of cake.

“It doesn’t help.” Yves said.

“You couldn’t ask for a better judge.” Clavis countered.

That was true. Licht acting as judge meant two things. First, things would be fair. Too fair even; no one could be more impartial. Second, things were pretty serious since Licht’s entire division could possibly stay to watch.

Already the training yard was filling with soldiers. I could make out the Rhodolitian rose crests, Leon’s with the forward facing lions, and of course Licht’s wolves. I didn’t want the audience but you don’t throw the words challenge and duel against Chevalier Michel and expect the infantry to pretend not to hear.

“You could always just call it off.” Yves was relentless. “Chevalier won’t go easy on you just because you’re you.”

I frowned. “He better not.”

“He’s going to beat you to a pulp!”

“I do promise to look away when Chev cleaves you in half,” chimed Clavis. “Better to make sure my last memory of you is here scarfing down cake before your imminent death.”

I rolled my eyes at Clavis before turning to Yves. “It’s going to be fine.”

Yves still looked ready to implode. “How in the Monarch’s name is all this going to end up fine? You have the entire Rhodolite army as witness! You challenged him! Chevalier isn’t called the Bloody Tiger because he likes to wear red!”

I chewed on more cake, looking at Yves and Clavis. I had half my mind to tell them the reason because it was all going to be in everyone’s face in the next few minutes but Sariel’s warning held me back. Don’t do anything reckless. I wanted to argue – if challenging the second prince to a sword fight wasn’t reckless, then was everything else a free pass?

I frowned again. Was that what Sariel was telling me? No, I shouldn’t try to put words into his mouth again. If Chevalier doesn’t end me, that definitely will.

I caught Clavis smiling at me and I wondered for how long I had been lost in thought. I looked down at my empty plate. Settled for something easier to explain. “Prince Chevalier is royalty and technically since a commoner challenged him, we’re fighting under the Code of Duels. Under the rules, as a royal who’s had the better education, he’s bound to let me choose the weapon and how the match will be scored, among other things. There’s also the rule on leniency. He’s not going to charge in there like he usually does. We’re not battling to the death.”

“I know the damn duelling code. It’s archaic.” Yves glowered. “You’re much too naive if you think the word lenient can’t be so arbitrarily defined.”

“It’s fine.” I shrugged, but that was the wrong move to placate Yves because he looked ready give another earful. But Rio was there, placing a hand on Yves’ shoulder as if to pat the prince into calmness.

“It’s going to be fine.” He echoed.

“And what makes you say that?” Yves challenged him, poking Rio on the chest. “Shouldn’t you be her first line of defense? I expected you to talk some sense into her!”

“Please calm down, Prince Yves.” Rio continued smiling and patted Yves on the head.

As Yves sputtered, shocked and indignant, I watched Rio carefully, ready to intervene if he would over explain anything.

Clavis watched me watching Rio. I glared. Clavis’s replying grin was sly. Why was it so hard to stand before the man and not think I was slowly being trapped?

“You know, Yves,” Clavis spoke slowly, his eyes never leaving me. “For all us being worried, haven’t you wondered if our Belle can fight?”

“But Belle isn’t –! How could –?”

“Whoops, look at the time!” I ducked out of the makeshift tent, walking away from the sound of Clavis’s laughter. Don’t do anything reckless, Sariel said. But couldn’t punching a prince in the gut because he scared you with his intuition be considered as self-defense?

In all honesty, I shared Yves’s apprehension. I knew the Code would be of little help to me – or to any other challenger, for that matter. Prince Chevalier was a force in the battlefield. A storm in and of himself. We’d all heard the stories. Gossip in the Commons about him had always been rampant, but was now resurging exponentially with Obsidian baying at our borders. How he would charge headlong into enemy lines without fear. How he would decimate entire platoons without suffering any injury. How he would bathe in red.

You can outrun the Lion’s roar but you will never see the Tiger until it was too late. We held the Bloody Tiger in awe and in fear and I had always thought the title of Beast befitting him the most out of all his brothers.

And my experience with him did little to change his reputation.

Rio trotted behind me and instantly the smile he had dropped. He gave me a look, that one look reserved for when things were veering completely out of his control; eyes narrowed, lips thin.

“I know.” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Couldn’t you have tried a game of chess instead?”

“Strategy’s not my forte.”

“Knowing that perhaps you could have come to me first.”

I grimaced, more guilty that Rio was worried than I was at picking a fight I could have avoided. The thought did occur to me – except only after the gauntlet had been figuratively thrown down and I had no more choice but to move forward. Chevalier hadn’t even tried to talk me down or let me take it back. The moment the challenge escaped my lips he’d accepted, catching the glove I’d thrown before it could hit him.

“When?” Chevalier had said.

“Tomorrow, after three. Training grounds.” I’d spat back. “Bring a second.”

“I don’t need one against you.”

Well I was going to prove him wrong. I placed a hand on Rio’s shoulder, felt even guiltier at how tense he felt.

“You’ll really fight, then?” He asked, voice as serious as I’ve ever heard it.

“Yes.” I answered. “Sariel agreed. I got this.”

“I can always take your place.” Rio’s eyes shone with a pleading look. “Please let me take your place.”

“No. This is between him and me.” I said firmly and Rio relented, pouting.

Someone cheered from the crowd. Rio and I turned to see none other than Chevalier Michel, emerging from the northern gate. Despite wearing only a simple shirt as were the duelling standards, his every step drew all eyes towards him. Nokto Klein was just behind him. He smiled as he saw me, and said something to Chevalier.

Chevalier turned his head and even with the distance, he instantly found me, zeroing in where Rio and I stood, and not taking his eyes away. Rio reflexively tried to shield me but I took hold of his arm gently, stopping him. Meeting Chevalier’s piercing stare, I reminded myself to keep breathing. In and out through gritted teeth.

Of all the Princes, Chevalier was the hardest to crack. Though Leon’s ferocity was something we equally feared, his charm and easy-going nature made him approachable and conversations with him felt sincere, genuine. It felt like you were talking to someone who actually cared, someone who would see to it that your concerns as an ordinary citizen were heard and acted upon. You entered his court and felt the warm glow of his presence. He pulled you in to be friends.

Chevalier pulled you in only so his blade could kill you faster. His mercy was unknown to friends and foe alike. I could still remember the time I’d accompanied him at a ball and a young noble lady had been introduced to him, who could play the violin and was up to be a member of the Rhodolitian Royal Orchestra at the tender age of sixteen.

I smelled the hints of favor being curried the moment the girl’s father had spoken and expected the rebuke from Chevalier to come easily. The arts were under Yves, sometimes even Nokto and Clavis. The baron had approached the wrong prince to ask for patronage.

What I hadn’t expected was for Chevalier to cut father and child down with the first sentence that left his mouth, asking them what use was the girl to him and to his court. The girl had frozen up, petrified, and the baron had gaped like a fish out of water.

They had meant well. Whether Chevalier cared they had approached him because they genuinely thought he might be interested in the girl’s talents, I didn’t know and couldn’t tell. He was already dismissing them from his presence before they could even squeeze a word in.

I hadn’t been able to help myself even then. I scooped up the fragments of conversation, turned it into something that allowed for Chevalier to address them again and put a balm on the sting of his words. If he wanted.

He’d glared at me but had at least made vague promises to attend the next concert or other if his schedule allowed. The father and daughter had looked relieved and had thanked us both profusely. Before I could personally thank Chevalier for letting me do what I had done – because of course even I knew the dangers of overstepping – he had turned away and left, declaring he was wasting his time and was no longer interested in mingling.

That was not the last time I had seen the legendary cruelty of the second prince. He refused to parley with criminals. He stamped out opposition at the slightest hint. He hunted down traitors and made sure to bleed whoever sponsored them dry. I would not put it past him to do it literally, even. And it was no secret that his goal was to ultimately take the war Obsidian so obviously wanted to it first. Bring the fight to them when they least expected it, crush them, force Obsidian into a state of impotency as a military force – and only then will Rhodolite be at peace.

It was insane, a sure-fire way to bury Rhodolite in ruins, and Leon had declared as much. But that was Chevalier’s trademark. External Affairs looked out towards the world and protected its citizens from dangers without. To do this, it had to make sure it kept a wary eye on anything and everything that might be a danger, especially from shared borders. Once a threat was identified, it was but the duty of those in power to make cuts as precisely or as deeply as possible, to make sure the body as a whole did not suffer. Chevalier would never hesitate to brandish his blade at anyone – anyone at all – who so much as thinks they could harm the kingdom.

Two months in as Belle and I was ashamed to admit I only had a rudimentary understanding of Chevalier or his politics. Sure, I’ve read the books but if I wanted to do my duty, it was not enough to only learn it academically. I needed to know more, to understand more why Chevalier was doing the things he did.

But the goddamn prince was so hard to pin down and even my position as Belle could only do so much. Most attempts I had to speak with him would often lead to me having to wrestle with Clavis and Nokto, and the few times I’d been able to corner Chevalier, he’d be out and about because of problems at the borders with Obsidian, if not Jade. It was more than obvious the prince was avoiding me. He never did believe in the Belle system so why give me even the time of the day?

I tried to decipher the man through the books he read, pulling out the titles I’ve seen on his desk and trying to puzzle out what was going through his head. However, Chevalier was a voracious reader and it was hard to keep with his pace. A few times, I’d tried to sneak books of my own choosing into the piles he read, inserting novels I liked here and there. Every time, I’d find the book almost immediately back in my chambers, too fast for anyone to have properly read them. The only proof I had that Chevalier even bothered to open them were the bookmarks he’d left behind with notes at how atrocious the protagonist was, or how the plot moved at a snail’s pace, or some other comment he had. I’d expected this to bridge whatever gap remained between us but Chevalier remained elusive and before long, I’d given up. I wasn’t going to let him continue to needle on my books. Thrice, I’d accidentally chanced upon him at the library, sat on his favorite armchair. But those were the only times Chevalier looked human and I could not find it in myself to steal what little reprieve he had for himself.

At the last round table meeting, the issue of the Anti-War Faction had come up once again. The Klein twins had sniffed out that the rumors of a group of nobles rallying against Chevalier were true and were too good at slipping through their traps. That told us that though the group was tight-lipped, it was thankfully, small. However, Nokto suspected it would only be a matter of time before the group’s ideals got traction and if it did, it could possibly undermine Chevalier’s efforts to keep Obsidian at bay.

The tension that day had been palpable. Chevalier had been glaring at Leon as if the anti-war sentiments were from Internal Affairs. Leon had been pointedly not looking at his brother and was saying it was only but obvious that people did not want to subject themselves to war.

“We all still remember the Bloody Rose.” Leon had said. “It was not so long ago that Rhodolite has had a taste of a fraction of the damage war could bring.”

“Bloody Rose will only be but the beginning if we don’t move to root out this dissent before it goes out of hand.”

“The welfare of the people, I think, should be considered the most important. What good is a kingdom without its people?”

I had gritted my teeth, squeezed into the conversation. “I agree with Prince Leon. The Commons know what it’s like to be at war. If they are the ones being influenced by whatever philosophy this group has, they’ll easily agree.”

“Sheep swayed by a single piper are hardly worth considering.” Clavis interjected.

“Who do you think suffered the most after the Bloody Rose? Countless knights lost their lives yes but the citizens suffered too! Do you remember the pillaging? The mercenaries? Or were your walls to high you didn’t even hear them crying out?”

“Inevitable but temporary state of things in war.” Chevalier had answered. “We all must sacrifice something for the kingdom."

“Life and limb, yeah? Tell that to the family who’s lost a father, a mother, a child! Who lost entire families and homes they’ve had for generations! We all know in this room, you princes carry the burden of your decisions. Noblesse oblige is the duty you all carry out to try to tip the scales. But there is no need for war now – why are you insisting it’s the only course of action?”

“The people don’t know how to think for themselves.”

Wow. “We can think for ourselves, thank you very much.”

“If you are any example, I’d really beg to differ.” Chevalier levelled me a look. “But I don’t beg.”

And that had been it. Before I understood what I was doing, I had moved, I had grabbed my glove and thrown it at Chevalier with all the frustration I had for him and his infuriating evasiveness and his belittling, and his refusal to meet me whichever way.

I glared as Chevalier reached us. He looked impassive, as if I was a scheduled appointment he’d rather do without and that just angered me all over again. I was trying to understand him! Monarch’s light, was that so bad?

Rio squeezed my arm. “Be careful.”

I nodded at him and saw Chevalier’s eyes slide towards Rio, at his hand on my arm, before dismissing him too.

Licht appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. At least he had the right to look bored. He glanced at me and I nodded to him in silent thanks. . He was the only one from Internal Affairs who had supported me to go for a duel that day. Or at least, he didn’t try to stop me.

Licht recited the relevant rules of the Code of Duels to us, even adding in the formal oaths and prayers, and when he finished, he angled his head and let us to it.

“Terms?” Chevalier asked me.

Even at our almost similar heights, I felt like he was looking down on me. I wanted to say full contact, yield. But I was not insane. This much, the Code could protect me. “First blood. Best of three.”

“First blood. Best of three.” Chevalier repeated in agreement without reaction. “Weapon?”

I waved to the display. “Free choice.” And I turned and did not wait for him. Free Choice meant Chevalier and I could use any weapon we wanted from what’s available. And there were plenty. The training grounds boasted six racks of different weapons from all over the world. I recognized blades from Obsidian, Jade and Benitoite. Great swords, rapiers, a halberd as tall as me, and even some curved blades from the kingdoms in the South East. Axes. Spears. Sabers. Falchions – a broad sword that looked like only Luke could swing it with one hand. It was almost dizzying to be in front of so many weapons but it struck me that they were too beautiful, too well-made.

“Your personal collection?”

“It seemed like a special occasion.” Chevalier answered from where he was surveying the racks.

Great. So the rumors were true that the second prince knew to handle any piece of weaponry. I turned back to the weapons, considering my options. I had not touched live steel since being Belle. I would have loved to test a schiavona but I could not risk the fancy hand guard getting in the way. Chevalier was built like a warrior, only just slightly leaner. I still remember seeing Licht helping him dress a wound he could not quite reach on his back. I glanced over at him. He had power, speed, and strength on his side. But I had speed too and I needed something to match him.

I stopped in front of the same rack as Chevalier. Twin swords lay before us and as I watched him watch me, it seemed we had the same pick. The swords were unadorned, probably thirty-two inches long, classic cross-guard. The hilt was around four inches, wrapped in simple leather and ending with an equally plain pommel. The sword screamed simplicity and efficiency and out of all Chevalier’s weapons, their lacklustre appearance made them stand out.

I grabbed one. Chevalier took the other. If I squinted, I could tell you Chevalier’s smile was approving and warm.

We walked away from each other to give us space. I tested the sword in both hands. It was a good sword and most importantly it felt good. Lighter than I thought but balanced. Rio nodded at me. I pretended not to hear Yves’ gasp or the approval from Leon. The Fourth Prince grinned as my eyes singled him out and returned to having some sort of hushed conversation with Clavis and Jin.

Chevalier looked unsurprised. I wondered how much of this he was able to anticipate. I did not take him to be so blind to me as he let on, but I could not deny the empty feeling in me to not at least get some reaction from him.

Yes, Princes. Your Belle is a fighter so why doesn’t Chevalier even look a little bit surprised?

“You look disappointed.” Chevalier said.

What was it with the princes and reading moods? “Thought you’d be fighting me with a fancy rapier, is all.”

“And miss the opportunity to teach you a lesson?” He carried the sword as if it was the most natural thing in the world, an extension of him. “You will lose.”

“I won’t.”

Chevalier moved, a swing across the chest. I saw through the test and felt almost offended. I parried, the flat of my blade deflecting his and pushing back. He whirled, too much exaggeration in movement, and I took half a step back, blocking and countering.

I could play along. I mimicked his last move but at the last minute shot out like a coiled spring. Chevalier narrowed his eyes as he blocked with his sword. Any slower and he would have lost an ear. I sliced again, right to left, left to right, right to left. Chevalier dodged, parried – he was planning to trap me with his left arm.

I closed my fist and swung. It grazed more than hurt Chevalier but if he was thinking I was planning to fight with him like a good knight, he was going to be in for a hell of a surprise.

Someone whooped – I bet an arm it was Clavis – and cheering rumbled through our audience.

I smirked at him. “What does the winner get?”

“A bad idea!” Yves called out with worry.

“You won’t win.” Chevalier said.

“Afraid?” I goaded him. “If I win, you get to answer any questions I have from here on out.”

Chevalier took a moment to consider. “And if I win?”

“You won’t.”

“You’ll agree to join me in a full excursion to Obsidian borders.”

I frowned. That was unexpected. But also unsurprising. Did Chevalier want me to see the ‘horrors’ of war first hand? Is this an effort to make me balk and surrender meekly to him? He’d be disappointed. I was no stranger to death. “Deal.”

Chevalier considered me. “So that’s how it is.”

That I could not guess what he was getting at worried me. Slightly. “Finally figured me out, huh.”

“Of course, I figured it out.” he said, beginning to move.

“Oh?” I matched him and we slowly circled one another.

“You were always looking at me with a love-struck gaze.”

“You were!” Clavis shouted and I scowled – because how in the Monarch’s name could he have possibly heard that? Was the wind carrying over everything we were saying?

“Murderous, you mean?” I growled.

“In your book, isn’t that the same thing?” Chevalier huffed – in amusement? scorn? – I didn’t want to think too much into it because such a soft sound as Chevalier chuckling should not be preceding his opening attack.

And yet here he were.

He struck first again, faster, closing the distance without hesitation. Pure reflex from years of experience was the only thing that saved me. I managed to block the strike, raising my sword with both hands to stop Chevalier’s cut. The force of the blow jarred me, the sound like claws unsheathing. Prove the point already that you were really playing with me just now!My arms tingled with the fierceness of his strike but Chevalier did not relent. A growl came from him and in that moment, I felt a stab of mind-numbing fear. He took the opportunity and attacked again and again. I dodged, parried. I sprang back, narrowly escaping as Chevalier pressed the advantage, looking as if he intended to cleave through me just like Clavis had warned. Stinging pain on my left arm told me I took a misstep, not completely blocking Chevalier’s strike.

“Point!”

“Had enough already?” Chevalier frowned at me from where he stood. Rules forced challengers to step back after contact. But when had he gotten there? “Wasting my time even with this?”

When was the last time I took a cut like that? None since being Belle. Only occasionally since starting the bookshop. I’d forgotten how much I loathed the pain and how intolerant I was of the inconvenience of even a minor cut. I made a poor enough mercenary, shuddering at the thought of going back to the hard life. And I was no knight meant to carry on with a hundred wounds in the battlefield either.

I grimaced in pain and stopped just shy of touching my wound. I didn’t need the disadvantage of a slippery hilt.

“Didn’t you want answers?”

I did. And I had a point to make. So, I took hold of my anger and used it to push through the pain, push through the fear.

This time, I was prepared to receive him. Chevalier’s blows were quick, quicker than anything I’ve ever encountered but I refused to acknowledge the creeping insecurity – was I fast enough, was I trained enough – and cast aside the ifs or what coulds, focusing solely on the man in front of me looking to tear me apart. I reminded myself of why I was here and matched him in that desire; I was going to tear him open a new one if it meant he would finally take me seriously. I met Chevalier head-on, parrying when I could, pressing into his left where he was at a very slight disadvantage, and entering his striking distance to catch him off guard. It was a risk – the arc where a sword swung was always lethal – but it paid off. Chevalier only barely expected me to lunge and it let me cut him on the shoulder.

“Point.”

Leave it to Licht to see even from this distance. I stepped back, grinning, swinging my sword in a lazy arc.

A minute and a half in – a lifetime in a fight – and Chevalier and I had a point each. And oh he was going to really bleed with that one.

“Even.” Licht’s voice seemed to be the only sound. “First one to land the next –”

We didn’t let Licht finish. I went in, moving as fast as I could the moment I saw Chevalier take a step. I swiped once, twice, forcing Chevalier to react to me. There were only so many ways to make sure your opponent stayed on the defensive. Strike as fast as you could, aim for even the slightest openings, and never ever relent. Don’t let the aches and pains stop your movements, push through it and focus only on your opponent. I was not interested in Chevalier leading the dance a second time. Strike. Strike. Strike. Quick and fluid; the sword is in my hand, is my arm and moving it was like breathing.

Don’t do anything reckless – I realize now it was meant not just to warn me but to caution me. Don’t put yourself at risk, Sariel had wanted to say. Don’t fight like the way you’ve fought before.

But what kind of life would we all have, if a little risk wasn’t part of the equation?

I was the Belle with a sword, making sure the Tiger saw.

Because how could I expect Chevalier to open up to me if I was not willing to risk being seen first? Really fully seen? If he would not listen when it came to his policies, then maybe maybewe had something else in which we could converse. Weeks of trying and agonizing and being frustrated – and all it took was a well-timed remark, a glove, and a challenge declared.

Look at me Bloody Tiger! I am here and we are fighting – No. No, we weren’t fighting. Semantics be damned – we were having a conversation.

I knew Chevalier also saw nothing else, no one else. As we traded blows, as steel rang through the training yard, the ice in Chevalier’s eyes was replaced with a fire that I would have turned away from if I was not so sure doing so would cost me my head. He was answering me blow for goddamn blow. And my heart soared at the thought. Even as a particularly forceful cut jarred me again, even as I grunted in frustration for my arms practically shaking in my attempt to block him, I could not help but feel elated. In this, we were almost equals.

Almost.

Chevalier parried, then his sword came over his head, slicing down. I dodged and too late realized he had expected me to, because as I moved his sword continued on to follow me. Time slowed, my movements felt like I was underwater. Chevalier put all of his momentum into the swing and I barely had time to thrust my blade in the way. The blow knocked me back and I felt like I flew a hundred feet. Chevalier kept coming at me with methodical strikes. It was all I could do to keep up my blocks and finally was half a moment too slow. Pain lashed through me and I shouted as I grabbed Chevalier by the arm and aimed to strike at his nose. I missed by a hair and I jumped back, touching my stomach.

No blood.

Not a point!

Chevalier let out a laugh. It was short. A burst, nothing more. I would have wanted to hear it again but Chevalier twisted into a Jadean manuever and I dodged while guarding my legs. I kicked out, an effort to force him back, and he stepped away, chest heaving.

But it was so painfully obvious that Chevalier was at ease.

“You’re laughing!” I said, unable to stop the bubble of laughter coming from me either. “We’re here to settle a score and you’re laughing?” I couldn’t think; the sight of him looking so pleased was bringing a strange feeling in my chest. It was not fair the way Chevalier could immobilize me like that, struck dumb at the sight of him sweaty and laughing, a bleeding shoulder besides.

“Don’t get distracted.”

Sure, but maybe he should know it was not fair how he could be so unhesitant in taking advantage of that single instance of vulnerability and turn it into a win for himself.

I swore as I parried. Swore again as our blades met. It was as if something flipped and Chevalier’s movements were more fluid, more precise, and yet seemingly all the more relaxed. The Second Prince was having fun and not even getting sloppy for it. He was precise but by the Monarchs the strength of his blows felt like I was being hit by a heavy axe.

Whatever it was that switched the mood, I was at a loss to stop it. We clashed and danced across the clearing, a flurry of strikes exchanged. If Chevalier had been pure strength, now he had lightning and thunder to him I could only dream to match. He slashed diagonally, left to right then down and I could only barely move and parry. His next swing caught me, forcing me back and back and back. Despite best efforts, I felt myself melt into his rhythm. I was fast. But I had to accept that Chevalier was faster.

I swung from top downwards and to the right and my sword screeched against Chevalier’s. He parried, using my momentum to pull away my sword. Reacting quickly, I dug my heel and elbowed him on the stomach. He gave out a satisfactory oof. I grabbed his arm and tried to shock his wrist into letting go with my palm. Before it could connect, Chevalier had looped his arm around mine, and whatever force I had in my swing was not enough to make him drop his sword. I tried to kick him, tried to force him back with –

All of a sudden, the sky met the ground and my legs were in the air and I was placed unceremoniously flat on my back. Chevalier had me pinned down, hand on my chest, the blade just barely nicking my neck.

“Point.”

“Fuck.”

“How eloquent.” Chevalier muttered.

“That’s me.” I pushed hair out of my face.

“For Chevalier.” I heard Licht say.

Cheers from the knights erupted and it sounded much like the roaring of tigers. I hid my face behind my hands and hoped no one placed a bet on me and lost. They shouldn’t have and – no, who would have, really? I was just another Belle barely moments ago. And now? Well. We’ll all hear the rumors tomorrow.

My ass on the ground regardless, things had gone well. “Still my win.”

“Explain.”

I froze. I had not intended to say that out loud. I peeked at Chevalier through my fingers. It was hard to refuse with him pinning me down and his sword practically kissing my neck. If he moved even a little, he could choke me or let me bleed. “I made you take me seriously, King Highness.”

Chevalier levelled me with a look. I could only guess at what could possibly be going on in his head at the moment. His eyes were menacing still, the fight in him not having bled out yet and that piercing stare pinned me down more than his blade. I thought he would scoff. His mouth had moved, an upturn to his lips that I anticipated would end in smirk.

“Or maybe, I made you take me seriously, idiot.” His face mellowed into a smile I was too shocked at seeing it to completely comprehend what was happening. And then he moved and the moment was gone and he was standing and putting away his sword.

Don’t do anything reckless. Don’t do anything reckless. Would asking him to smile again be considered reckless? Would catching him with a surprise punch to his gut for confusing me land me in prison?

I opted for the saner option and let Chevalier help me up.

He pulled me close. “If your intention has always been just for us to talk, all you had to do was to approach me and stand your ground the way you did.” Chevalier was not finished admonishing me though. “I’ve always seen you, you idiot.” He leaned in closer. “So, don’t emulate Clavis or the clown.”

All warm thoughts shattered and I scowled. “That is the worst thing you could say to me.”

“I’m sure I could think of a few more.”

“I’m sure you could. Remind me again when it was best to approach you in all those times you weren’t at the castle and were busy snubbing me and making sure our paths never crossed. Busy with this. Busy with that. Oh no, Belle, Obsidian’s coming and I absolutely cannot make time. Absolutely available.”

I had not intended the bitter rebuke to meet its mark but Chevalier’s hesitating to reply told me it did. I was about to take some of it back but then he said, “Your tenacity unnerves me.”

“What?” I wasn’t quite sure I heard right.

Chevalier was suddenly very interested on the gash he left on my neck. “Give me some credit. Not my fault you never took the opportunities when I’m alone at the library.”

I pressed my lips together, unsure how to untangle the various emotions his touch or his little revelation was making me feel. “I will take all that as the compliment it was never intended to be.”

“Bring me better novels next time.”

“Hey!” I would have taken real offense if I hadn’t purposely chosen the sappiest ones for him to read. “They sell well for a reason. Your lack of taste is to blame.”

Chevalier sigh was almost resigned, almost tender. “If I read more of those flops I will be physically incapacitated.”

I made mental list of even worse ones to give him. “I’ll try.”

“Do better than try.” Chevalier’s gaze slipped past me and I saw the moment his gaze hardened and he was just the Second Prince again. I turned to look and saw Rio and the rest moving to meet us. “We depart for Obsidian three days from now. Make sure you’re ready.”

I’d forgotten about that; I juggled obligations in my head. “Hang on – that’s on the Feast of Valentines.”

“Your point?”

Nothing more romantic than scouting borders for acts of Obsidian aggression. “Are we going to finally be talking or are we just going to have another tête-à-tête with swords?”

“I can’t see why we cannot do both.” Then Chevalier left with a look that made me reconsider who exactly challenged whom in this fight.

[hakuoyuki]

Ikemen Prince - Luke Route Release Commemoration LINE Chat [Translation]

As part of the route release campaign for Luke, IkePri have released a special LINE Group Chat on Twitter featuring Luke, Jin, Clavis, and Sariel.

―

A Meeting to Discuss the Morality of Prince Luke’s Education (4)

(17:50) [Luke has been added to the group]

Sariel: Welcome, Prince Luke (17:50) 3 Read

Sariel: First of all, this is to confirm whether your teachers, Prince Jin and Prince Clavis, have morals in their teachings (17:51) 3 Read

Sariel: I will now provide some example cases, so Prince Luke, please give your truthful answers (17:51) 3 Read

Luke: {Feeling listless sticker} (17:55)

Sariel: I shall start with Prince Jin (17:55) 3 Read

Jin: I properly did my role as a teacher though?  (17:56)

Sariel: Can you still say the same after seeing this? (17:56) 3 Read

Sariel: [Sent pic of Luke pinning MC down] (17:57) 3 Read

Clavis: LMAO  (17:58)

Luke: Hey, don’t make people look like they’re a suspect as you pleases  (17:58)

Sariel: Don’t get me wrong, but to me this incident is a big deal (17:59) 3 Read

Clavis: The meaning of mosaic censors lol  (17:59)

Sariel: Prince Luke, who taught you this act of pushing a woman down (18:00) 3 Read

Luke: Jin  (18:00)

Sariel: Thank you for being honest (18:00) 3 Read

Sariel: Prince Jin, please explain (18:00) 3 Read

Jin: There’s nothing to explain or anything, what are you going to do if a prince can’t hit on even a single girl? (18:01)

Jin: It seems Luke had never flirted with a woman before, not even once in his life. That just won’t do (18:01)

Luke: That’s what Jin said and then he taught me how to flirt (18:02)

Clavis: How exactly? (18:02)

Luke: ① Tenderly listen to what a girl say ② Casually closes the distance with her ③ If it seems possible, take her home with me...  (18:05)

Clavis: LMAOOO (18:05)

Jin: Pulling her close by her shoulder, embracing her by her waist, pushing her down (18:06)

Jin: I’ve taught you various ways to close the distance but you managed to put the hardest one into practice (18:07)

Jin: {Well done sticker} (18:07)

Luke: Yay I got praised 🍯 (18:07)

Sariel: I do not remember asking you to teach him how to create scandals (18:10) 3 Read

Clavis: Jin No. 2 is being brought up well LMAO (18:12)

Sariel: This is the worst (18:12) 3 Read

Sariel: {Guilty sticker} (18:12) 3 Read

Sariel: By the way, Prince Clavis. It seems you’ve taught him something unnecessary too haven’t you? (18:13) 3 Read

Sariel: [Sent pic of Luke on someone’s bed] (18:15) 3 Read

Sariel: This information came from Belle (18:16) 3 Read

Clavis: What, are you saying that even sleeping is a crime (18:16)

Sariel: If it’s just sleeping then there’s no problem (18:16) 3 Read

Sariel: What’s important is the place it’s done (18:16) 3 Read

Jin: By the way, where was that taken?  (18:18)

Sariel: Belle’s bedroom (18:18) 3 Read

Jin: !!!!!  (18:18)

Jin: {Well done sticker} (18:18)

Sariel: {Shut up sticker} (18:18) 3 Read

Sariel: When she returned to her bedroom, she found Prince Luke in this state (18:19) 3 Read

Sariel: Prince Luke, who taught you how to break into a room that’s locked (18:19) 3 Read

Luke: Clavis (18:19)

Sariel: Thank you for being honest (18:19) 3 Read

Clavis: What. Breaking into the room of the lady of your heart is an etiquette for royalties though? (18:20)

Sariel: This is the first I’ve heard of such barbarous manners (18:20) 3 Read

Clavis: For a prince, no matter what kind of obstacles are in the way, you ought to know the techniques required to rush to a woman’s side (18:20)

Clavis: When a woman is worried or troubled, is a prince supposed to just stand back and watch like a coward? (18:21)

Clavis: {Smug face sticker} (18:21)

Luke: And with that as the pretext, he taught me how to make a sneak visit to make love (18:22)

Luke: It’s an absolute must need skill for a royalty isn’t it? (18:22)

Clavis: {Well done sticker} (18:22)

Sariel: {Guilty sticker} (18:22) 3 Read

Sariel: No matter what the reason is, it is never a reason to trespass into a woman’s bedroom. Please be ashamed of yourself (18:23) 3 Read

Jin: Although, Luke, we’ve been hammering how to treat women into you but (18:25)

Jin: The evidences seems to be showing only Belle here (18:25)

Luke: I have no interest in other women (18:25)

Luke: She’s the only one I wanna hit on (18:25)

Luke: That’s why I’ve been paying serious attention to your lessons (18:25)

Jin: {Well done sticker} (18:26)

Clavis: {Well done sticker} (18:26)

Jin: See that, Sariel? Our little brother have grown well (18:26)

Clavis: He became a man among men (18:26)

Sariel: I’ve very well come to understand your ways of educating (18:30) 3 Read

Sariel: It seems I must detoxify those poisonous brains of yours and hammer in some common sense (18:30) 3 Read

(18:30) [Luke left the group]

Jin: He escaped (18:31)

Clavis: He escaped LMAO (18:31)

Sariel: Worry not. I shall catch him and take responsibility for raising Prince Luke into a full-fledged prince myself (18:31) 2 Read

Sariel: Everyone, thank you for your hard work as a teacher up until today (18:35) 2 Read

(18:35) [Sariel kicked Jin out of the group]

(18:35) [Sariel kicked Clavis out of the group]

― Fin ―

[grace-of-flash]

I posted 499 times in 2021

223 posts created (45%)

276 posts reblogged (55%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.2 posts.

I added 283 tags in 2021

#anime - 52 posts

#nanatsu no taizai - 51 posts

#seven deadly sins - 48 posts

#ludociel - 40 posts

#mael - 23 posts

#archangel ludociel - 21 posts

#hendrickson - 20 posts

#mael nanatsu no taizai - 15 posts

#gowther - 8 posts

#escanor - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 100 characters

#do you ever just hear a song and think about how a set of lyrics resonates with a character you love

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

The WHAT

84 notes • Posted 2021-03-24 18:55:13 GMT

#4

people who say Merlin never cared about Escanor I would like you to look at this until your eyes bleed

86 notes • Posted 2021-05-09 01:32:41 GMT

#3

you’ve heard of the troublesome trio but how about

DUMB BITCH SQUAD™️

honorable member Dreyfus -aka the designated driver- who stayed in the car to get two minutes of peace and quiet.

89 notes • Posted 2021-03-27 01:58:12 GMT

#2

135 notes • Posted 2021-05-29 03:05:45 GMT

#1

Mael: Can we go to a haunted house?

Sariel: What’s wrong with the one we live in?

Mael: Wh-what?

Sariel: Goodnight, Mael.

137 notes • Posted 2021-10-06 21:40:58 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 15/15

Chapter 15: Connect

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 6,674

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves.

AO3 Link  I  FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —

----------------------------

Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

Transformation Path: Immortal, Metamorphy, Twilight, Nova Imperator, Code: Sariel, Centurion, Shakti, Bloody Queen, Mad Paradox, Iblis and Anular (Diangelion), Herrscher

----------------------------

2 Weeks Later

----------------------------

Rune Master

Red haze from the smoke and flames clouded Rune's vision. Everything was hot to the touch. The air was stiffening from the dry wind and the ground was uncomfortably warm. There was electricity in his hair that left the fire user on the edge. His mind was going to burst into flames if someone didn't put out the fire! Dominator snarked it was all the meat he ate before being silenced by Ultimate's glares. His body was overheating, Blade kindly told him and forced him on the side while the rest of the party dealt with Rosso.

Pain struck Rune in the lower part of his abdomen, struggling to catch his breath as he dragged himself across the floor. He hugged his stomach and straightened his back in an attempt to sit up to avoid nausea. There was nothing to support his back except for the remaining tree trunk exposed by the winds. Rune poured water from his canteen over his face. The fire user shuddered from the cold water trickling down to the base of his neck. Rune tilted his head back again to chug down the rest of the water.

Dead plants and tangled weed curled up at his feet. Was Varnimyr always like this or was this caused by Rosso's presence? Varnimyr was the same as Rune had remembered. The only difference he noticed between the different Demon Realms was that this one didn't know about humans until their arrival.

They made it to the correct Demon Realm, or at least one that wasn't already occupied by another El Search Party. As they traveled up north in the Varnimyr region, Rune kept wondering if Knight and Immortal encountered the same challenges and problems as they had. The only thing Rune was sure of was that Rosso existed across their timelines.

Immortal wasn't kidding. Despite his size, Rosso hit like a brick wall. There was so much anger and sadness coming from the El Master of fire. Every burst of flame and swipe was followed by the half-demon's pained screams. What could have caused someone as powerful as an El Master to curse everything around him? If only Rune was spared enough time to look into the source of Rosso's pain…

Forcing an eye open, Rune looked up to be greeted by haze and dusty clouds. Rosso's fires have hindered his view of the stars that once dotted the eternal night sky. His friends' cries scattered in the distance as he laid himself to the floor. His fingers felt numb from clutching onto his sword until his knuckles were white.

Warm palms pressed over Rune's, applying pressure to his knuckles before letting them go. Covered in calluses, it was a wonder how those hands could pull a trigger, but those hands were also responsible for saving his life among many others in the past. Phantom sat beside Rune with one hand over his destroyer and his eyes staring into the thin winding tower where Rosso was.

"What are you thinking?" Phantom kept his voice low. His eyes darted to Rune's with care in his words, "You've been quiet."

"It took us two attempts to get to the right Demon Realm," Rune laughed without humor. "We still couldn't avoid fighting Rosso."

"I think there are some things that can't be prevented even with prior knowledge," Phantom said. "Rosso was already here before we arrived. I don't know what his goals are, but it's up to us to take him down."

"You won't kill him, will you?" Rune asked.

Rune briefly caught a glimpse of Rosso's figure before being forced to leave by his teammates. What could have pushed an El Master to cause such destruction? The El Search Party managed to reverse their previous enemies from mind control in the past, but Rosso was different. He was alive and aware of his condition. Rosso actively screamed at the El Search Party to leave, resorting to violence when his wish went ignored. There had to be a chance to save him from his poor fate.

"I won't hesitate if it means coming out of this alive," Phantom said. "There are people depending on me."

Those that didn't know him well would have taken his statement as being cold, but Rune understood. After nearly losing his kingdom to demons, Phantom had learned the harsh lesson of what it meant if one hesitated to fight back. Delaying their next action by the merest second could mean a premature death to them all. They have followed Immortal's advice to split the team into two to rotate whenever Rosso changed his battle strategies - if mindless thrashing and crushing buildings counted as such.

Rosso was not to be trifled with. Despite having control over fire, Rune had suffered burns from attempting to breach Rosso's tower. Rosso's flames were demonic, impatient, and demanding. His skin was still hot when he applied cold water to the nape of his neck and the rest of his body. They were already struggling to fight back when the half-demon was using a small portion of his abilities. Immortal warned him what would happen if they weren't prepared to give it their all.

Half of their team was out of commission from the fight outside of Rosso's tower. His sister was leading their remaining team inside to find the El Master. Rune was half-listening to the occasional messages sent between team members. He was thankful for Dominator making last-minute adjustments so they could communicate with each other over long distances. The messages were getting shorter.

"They'll be okay," Phantom noticed Rune looking back and forth between the Hamel protector and his communication. "Your job is to stay alive."

"Not making sure none of us do something stupid?" Rune chuckled.

"That's my job," Phantom broke out of his facade and smirked.

Rune's heart nearly leaped out of his chest to the sight of the blonde man's smile, unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. He distracted himself by examining the freshly cleaned bandages wrapped around his joints. Soaked in an herbal bath to alleviate burns, Rune was proud to say he was getting better at prioritizing himself first so he could attend to his teammates. He and Richter helped prepare the bandages while Oz and Dominator counted how many people needed elixirs. They were lucky that most of their injuries were minor. There should be enough resources for them to last for at least a week.

"You're still worried," Phantom studied Rune's face.

"I was," Rune admitted. "Rosso makes Perkisas look weak."

"Was?" Phantom made note of Rune's wording. "What else is there?"

"We're already fighting Rosso, so there's no turning back." Rune said, "We did everything we could to prepare for this moment. Even if we fail, I can at least say that we tried. I have you guys to help me."

"I think I can live with that answer." Their fingers brushed. Phantom brought his hands back to his lap and leaned his head back. "You're not afraid to die?"

"Nah," Rune laughed. "If I was, I never would have left Ruben considering how many times I almost died. Gotta sacrifice myself at least once a week, right?"

"Not funny," Phantom growled.

Phantom gave him a look as if wondering, "Really?". The blonde was going to drill holes into Rune if he kept glaring at him like that. A lopsided grin found its way onto Rune's facial features, giving his partner a shrug and cocking his head to one side to show he was joking. Rune knew it wasn't going to work, but man was he going to try.

"You know being an adventurer isn't the safest job," Rune said with a more serious expression. Maybe joking about his own death wasn't the best way to cope, especially around his friends. Old habits were hard to break. "That's why they make so much money. They do the jobs no one else wants to do. Not even soldiers want to do it."

"That doesn't mean I'm okay with you joking about your death," Phantom said.

"I know, sorry."

Rune hated how lame his response was, how hollow his words rang. He wished he could say more than that, but he couldn't take back his words. Even if he did, Rune still made light of people's feelings. How many times was he going to ignore how his words impacted others? He was supposed to stop keeping things to himself and rely on others more, yet struggled to be honest about himself without making self-deprecating jokes.

"Did Immortal tell you Rosso's weakness?" Phantom asked.

"I didn't get it when he told me, but now I can see that Rosso was not completely in control of himself," Rune said. That much was certain from his enragement, sometimes crying to an outside influence with no name. "When his shadow appeared, I saw him covering his left eye. Do you think that has to do with why he overpowered us?"

"He's also an El Master," Phantom added. "We struggled against Solace when we defied him. Did you think fighting Rosso would be easier?"

"No, but isn't it strange that Solace barely mentioned him when we saw the other El Masters?" Rune grew frustrated, "I'm sure he has a lot to worry about because of the El Lady and the state of the El, but isn't it important to wonder what happened to his friend?"

"Unless they don't get along," Dominator interjected into the conversation. With a potion in hand, the scientist had a smug expression, "Talking about others behind their backs? I can't believe I thought you were a good boy."

"I can," Oz deadpanned.

"Don't scare us like that!" Rune twisted his body to pout. Couldn't a guy get some privacy for once? He crossed his arms, "We're talking about battle strategies."

"Like your distrust for an El Master?" Dominator cackled.

"I'm getting tired of nobody telling me what's going on," Rune sighed.

"Solace probably didn't think it was something we should be concerned about," Oz reasoned. "We already have a lot on our plate as is. Don't you think he may have kept Rosso's existence away from us because he didn't want us to throw ourselves into danger again?"

"You mean this brat doing something dumb?" Dominator pointed to Rune.

"Don't pretend you don't do stupid things too," Phantom wasn't impressed. "What about that knife-wielding cleaning robot?"

"T-that's different!" Dominator protested and turned pink, "I was testing something!"

"Already done healing everyone?" Rune stiffened a laugh to Dominator's shock of being talked back by the quietest person on the team. Although they lacked in battle healers, their team compensated by having a handful of alchemists. Natural resources weren't lacking from the various plants and rocks they found on their ventures.

"Nothing a few doses of elixirs and rest can't fix." Dominator was relieved to change the subject. "Is Solace obligated to tell you everything going on in his head? I'm not sure if he knows about the fire midget being here if he was so eager to throw us here instead of coming himself."

Rune wasn't sure if Solace was as keen as Dominator claimed about sending them over to another dimension, but his words made the rune user wonder. Would Solace find a way to the Demon Realm if he knew that Rosso had imprisoned himself in a tower? If one of their teammates had disappeared, Rune wanted to believe he would have done something about it, but he wasn't so sure after meeting Solace. He and the El Master of the sun were both Rubenians, obligated by an invisible force to carry responsibilities over the El. Although Solace had deemed him as a worthy equal, Rune couldn't shake off the unwavering restlessness he felt around the older man. Solace was a reminder of what human desperation could do to a single person and those around them.

"Regardless of Solace's intentions, we need to calm down Rosso if we want to get any information out of him." Phantom said, "Someone with that kind of power would likely know something about the Dark El."

"I can't promise I won't kill the midget," Dominator mused.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Oz forced the scientist to jerk his head down by pulling on his collar. She hissed, "Rosso may have lost his mind, but he can still hear us."

"Then there must be two of him," Dominator laughed. "Because I heard him screaming about Elesis while I was talking to the priest."

More fire? Who are you people?

Rune ran his hand over his temples, that voice again… Rosso? His voice sounded so young yet ancient, easily centuries older than Rune. The half-demon's voice echoed like a memory ingrained into his subconscious, refusing to let go and forced the leader of the El Search Party to look into the faces of his teammates. A darkened blade covered in gold scriptures, Flame brought her Claymore over her head to strike a giant demonic eye covered in thorns. Fire spun from her fingertips as she led five other people by her side.

A row of grey thorns was blocked from spawning above their heads by Ultimate, who had summoned a dozen spears at her disposal. With the help of a few demon allies, blue flames rose to form a firewall controlled by Timoria and Abysser. Fire splashed to the side as Blade made his way across to slash through the barriers protecting the demonic eye. Green wind swirled as Anemos spun around into a high-jump kick. Dozens of arrows flew from her nimble bow.

Blood shot out from the demonic eye in all directions. Its shrieks caused all to cover their ears. Seismic waves riveted over the floor as everyone dug their weapons into the ground for stability. Its thorns shriveled back into the eye's core before it stopped moving.

"Is everyone okay?" Flame checked on her teammates. "Careful, it's getting restless…"

"That eye must be a part of someone who could very well be within this tower," Ultimate stated. "Energy levels have elevated."

"I think we angered him," Timoria backed away from the flames. "I'm not sure if there's enough time to retreat for this one."

"We need to let the others know," Abysser clenched his teeth. "We're reaching our limits. Els-"

"Elsword!"

Rune opened his eyes to his name being screamed by his sister. He rushed over to meet Flame and the rest of their shabby team, clearly worn out from the last battle.

At the wake of the demonic eye's death, the earth had opened up. A fault emerged from the depths of the Demon Realm. The long narrow tower once protected by its prisoner had split open, engulfed by violent crimson flames. Once the flames had cleared, darkness cloaked a towering figure rising from the horizon.

GO AWAY!

Towering at a height that was easily comparable to Eltrion, the colossal figure was composed of a material that reminded Rune of black lava rock. Darkened wings made of the same material expanded outward for the monster to look down at the El Search Party. Red horns protruded from its forehead, matching its equally red eyes hinted with an unworldly hue of blue etched into its pupils and the rest of its body. This was Rosso?

"Is that our demon?" Devi grabbed her spear. Hunger replaced her once emotionless expression, bringing her spear pointed downward and lowering her body close to the ground. The older woman gave a dark chuckle, "I won't let it get away this time."

"Find shelter while we deal with Rosso!" Rune looked to Anemos and Abysser, "It's okay, I promise. We'll come out of this alive."

"You better," Abysser laughed. "Lu isn't too happy after he nearly took her eye out."

"Ciel and I will do our best to heal everyone in case you need to switch out," Anemos said. "Watch out for the eye. There's a lot of demonic energy coming from it."

"Not unless we blind him first," Dominator grinned.

"I can help him," Richter said with a serious expression.

"Spread out and watch your feet," Rune ordered his team. He couldn't believe the scientist could find the time to joke at a time like this. Richter too? Or maybe the priest thought Dominator meant it and agreed. "Don't rush into this battle. We only have six people active and can't afford to lose anyone."

Richter nodded. Light shone from his palms, grasping around the spears materializing in his hands. Raising one arm from the side, spears rained down from above and shattered into Rosso's left shoulder, sending the half-demon roaring in pain. Red flashed over the already reddened landscape. The priest dodged a laser blast from Rosso's eye and tumbled onto the floor.

High pitch cackling roared out of Rosso. The earth rolled as a pillar of thorns erupted from the floor. Long shadows extended beneath Oz's feet, followed by firing dark energy to propel herself into the air. Dominator and Oz moved towards the center of the battlefield, out of reach from Rosso's spiny attack. Multiple drones were set up at the base of Rosso's waist level to fire lasers around the half-demon. Orange orbs from Devi spun around in circles before consuming the rest of Rosso's remaining pillar of thorns.

"Look out!" Phantom shouted to him.

A pair of giant conal structures swung from the side. They were slow-moving, descending onto Rune and spinning counterclockwise with the intent to crush the leader of the El Search Party. The runes on his body glowed as he concentrated and released flames from his fingertips. Smoke filled his vicinity to create confusion for the towering half-demon. Rune slammed his greatsword against the dirt as a launchpad to distance himself from the strange structures that could move on their own, perhaps controlled by Rosso. He could muse about Rosso's abilities later when he wasn't running for his life.

Silver bullets flew from Rune's direction. There wasn't time for Rune to look and see Phantom sliding over with his arsenal of pistols and an oversized cannon he kept from his early teen years. The blonde wasn't taking any chances and had them fired at the eye visible on Rosso's face, red layered with unnatural bright blue rings around the pupil.

Rosso didn't like that. His arms extended from behind the cliff where the rest of his body was, clawing at their team of six and howling. The left eye glowed. Red and gray thorns erupted from the ground up, threatening to pierce into the toughest man-made armor.

Phantom cursed loudly over the chaotic fight. Blood gushed from beneath his armor, pushing forward and using the last few bullets to get in between Rosso's hardened shell. The way he limped over when he crawled to the side was one Rune was too familiar with. He had broken a few bones. The thorns were stopping him from bleeding out, but they would need to remove them eventually - if they made it out of this alive.

Rune felt his hands form into fists. This could not happen, he wasn't going to allow it! He gripped his blade, forcing himself to breathe through his mouth because of the overwhelming smoke from his own fires and from Rosso's. This was what happened when one fought fire with fire.

"Keep going!" Phantom hugged where the thorns dug into armor and into his skin, "I'll be back on my feet in no time!"

"Not in that condition," Rune glared. "You're going to Rena and the others."

"You can't defeat Rosso with only five people!" Phantom argued, "Our friends barely stunned him long enough before he found us!"

"Arguing in the middle of the fight?" Devi backflipped to land neatly on her feet and turned to wipe blood dripping down her forehead. "I can't believe you're purposely missing this opportunity to kill this demon to bicker amongst yourselves. You must think you can win this fight by idling around. Move!"

Both men silenced. Rune grabbed Phantom and tossed his weight over his shoulder, ignoring the definitely-not-taller man's protests as he and Devi ran together to avoid another line of lasers. Rosso's wings expanded as he brought his arms to the side to summon a sea of energy orbs. The orbs floated slowly like bubbles and surrounded the El Search Party. Rune stared at the orbs in awe.

Rune blinked. The orbs have disappeared. His blade clashed against Rosso's arm swinging towards him, bearing down his weight and struggling not to get pushed off the cliff. Rosso backed off when sparks flew from his hands and surprised the half-demon. Flames licked Rosso's arm and traveled to the rest of his body before disappearing. Just enough to buy him time to run to the opposite side of the battlefield.

"How many times do we need to bring down this brat to make him stop moving?" Dominator complained.

"As many times as needed," Richter said.

Metal clashed against the conal structures rising once more against Devi, who had her spear extended and her hair turned white. The wind howled as the spear user flipped her weapon so that its tip was facing the floor, bringing her feet up and jumping to the opposite side to avoid another row of thorns fired in her direction. Her girly laughter filled the silence as Devi summoned orange orbs to fire at Rosso.

A tiny figure fought beside Oz. Cladded in purple clothing to match with the dark mage, Angkor assisted Oz in opening a dimensional gate. Purple bats flew from the portal and dislocated the arm Rosso used to summon the thorns. Rosso cursed at the woman as his form began to darken and lowered his head. His eyes glowed and the battlefield shone brightly.

"Did we defeat him?" Rune asked.

Dominator frowned and looked to his screens for help before his eyes widened, "No, you idiot. He was just playing with us!"

A small body rose from the collapsed rubble. Red hair draped past the shoulders and hid the right side of the face. The body was covered in black markings and the arms were colored bright magenta, wielding a scythe over the head. Rune recognized the figure. It was the form Rosso held when they tried to break into the tower.

"Is everyone alright?" Rune checked his teammates.

There was no time to listen to a response as he turned around to duck a scythe aiming for his neck. Great, now he was going to truly lose his head as Dominator always complained. Rune held his arms up to concentrate fire into his hands and touched Rosso by the wrists. Unfortunately, Rosso was also made of fire and used the moment to raise more thorns at the red-head. Rune was pulled out from the rows of thorns summoned by the half-demon by Oz, who was quick to teleport to his side with Angkor following her.

"I should be asking if you can still run," Oz gasped. "Worry about yourself first, silly."

"Hard to when most of us are barely avoiding his attacks," Rune said. "One wrong move and we're dead."

"Only if we get hit," Richter said. "I'll bring Mr. Guardrian back to Rena. I will return as briskly as the El permits."

Rune was in awe of Richter's confidence, never letting the little things get to him. He needed to ask the priest how to do that. Once again, Rune pulled out his blade to fight. His flames were eager to show Rosso what real fire looked like. Rune weaved around his opponent, only taking a few steps to allow Rosso to slide to the side. His friends joined the macabre dance in their own rhythm, spinning new steps with their unique fighting styles.

Oz and Angkor relied on each other as a medium to summon familiars to aid them in the battle. Bats flew above their heads and struck Rosso from behind. Drones floated the area from Dominator's endless supplies of technology. Forming into a triangular formation, lasers flew into a straight line to disarm Rosso from his weapon. Devi's eyes glowed red in bloody prance, swinging her spear to the side in precise movement as an extension of the demon-loathing woman. Her attempt to cut into Rosso's stomach at the midline was only stopped by the reddened scythe armored in demonic energy.

"What a dangerous monster," Devi glared at the half-demon with disgust. "You sure you don't want to kill him, boy?"

"No, we can't do that." Rune gasped. "He was crying for help. Something is controlling him. Something is…"

Rune's voice was cut off by the sound of his own scream. His blood sang when Rosso's scythe sliced through his shoulder. Red blood dripped from his pores and he heard his name being called.

Fuck.

He had suffered many injuries in the past. Some were worse than others, so why did this one hurt the most? His brief stay in the Demon Realm had strengthened his endurance of demonic energy, but Rosso was too strong. Solace barely held a candle against what Rune had witnessed from the El Master of fire.

Was there an end to this battle? Rune grasped where he bled, fumbling through the limited cloth he had to stop himself from bleeding. If only they had a healer, he thought in blinding pain. No matter how many times he wanted to tell Rosso he was sorry for the pain, his own had made it difficult for him to see past the battle.

Phantom was already out of commission and had joined Anemos and the others shortly after he was hit by the thorns. Fighting Rosso was barely feasible with a team of six when his sister did it, but a team of four? What was going to happen to them?

Footsteps scattered all around him as Rosso swung his blade, blocked by Devi's swift blade. It was impressive how long the older woman could withstand ongoing battles with such vigor. Dominator ordered Dynamo to switch to a different install to fly higher to release a rain of laser grenades. Oz dropped her staff to pull Rune to the side.

"I can walk," Rune waved his hand away when Oz offered to help him up. "You go fight Rosso. I'll take care of myself."

"And let you bleed to death?" She scowled.

"There's only three of us left because Ain left with Chung," Rune argued. "You need to stay. Ain should be back by now."

Oz looked as if she was ready to argue back, but stopped. Glazing over the bombed battlefield with pain visible on her face, the black mage nodded, clearly unhappy about their predicament. Rune didn't like it either, but what else was there to do? Rosso had neatly cut into their defense like tissue paper.

A woman appeared within his eyesight. Rune wiped his eyes to make sure it wasn't an illusion by one of those demon plants. Ultimate? Cladded in black spandex covered in white plated armor, she bore a strong resemblance to Ultimate. When Rune was able to get a better look at the stranger, he noticed her face lacked the same depth of emotions as his teammate.

"There they are!" Immortal exclaimed.

The swordsman brought attention to himself by raising one of his many swords as a guiding beacon. Rune was too stunned to vocalize his shock about his counterpart appearing. He was greeted by Immortal's signature grin, pearly white teeth and dried lips. Richter was with him. The priest must have shown Immortal where they were, although it wasn't very hard with the lasers and thorns flying in their general direction.

Rune's gaze switched back to Ultimate's doppelganger. She must have been Eve from Immortal's dimension. Unlike her rowdy teammate, she kept to herself and was silent with Richter, who equally had nothing to say amongst the chattering party. The priest made eye contact with Rune and acknowledged the rune user with a curt nod. It looked like Richter was able to bring Phantom to safety with no complications.

Knight appeared in good health albeit his expression suggesting worn and wear from the long journey. He nodded tiredly to a person Rune didn't recognize. A petite girl whose height was only rivaled by Timoria's ("Hey!"), her pink wavy hair reminded him of cotton candy. Keeping up with cotton candy as inspiration, the rest of her attire was in various hues of pink and pastel blue. Rune noticed a large amount of energy coming from the mirror bobbing next to the girl's head as she talked loudly in the middle of a warzone.

"Sorry for being late," Richter apologized.

"We were kinda lost until Richter found us." Immortal laughed.

"Elsword lacks understanding in reading coordinates," Ultimate's look-alike stated.

"Shhhh, I'm trying to look cool in front of myself!" Immortal stage whispered.

"You mean Metamorphy isn't here?" Rune still couldn't believe they were here.

"She was, but said she had business to deal with." Immortal shrugged, "Magical girl duties, or whatever."

Rune didn't get it, but couldn't bother to ask. His mind was on his friends, who were fighting for their lives against a corrupted El Master. The sight of his counterparts and their friends should have brought ease to the tension in his shoulders, but Rune couldn't shake off the fear that they were too late. He looked to Richter for help.

"What are they doing here?" Oz looked at the new strangers with concern.

"We're here to help," Knight said. "Richter told us you were fighting Rosso. It sounds like he's been giving you guys as much trouble as he did for us."

"In all fairness, Rosso isn't a pushover, especially when angry." Immortal mused, "Funny guy with a hot and cold personality."

Rune frowned. Why was Immortal talking as if he personally had the half-demon over for tea and biscuits? Was this another one of Immortal's moments of undermining things that were worse than how he phrased it?

"Oh no, you're bleeding!" The pink-haired girl tugged Rune's arm. Her eyes watered and pointed to his bleeding shoulder. "Why are you hurt?"

"Who's the kid?" Rune looked at the girl with confusion. He would have remembered someone who dressed as strangely as the young girl if they had met before. "Are you recruiting kids now?"

"This is Laby." The girl talked. Her voice was as sweet as hard candy and had to look up to make eye contact with Rune, "Is this one of Elsword's friends?"

"Yes," Knight said with wariness. What was up with this guy? One would think he had lost a pet rabbit in a fire. Too soon? "We met when we were trapped in the Demon Realm. We came here because Laby wanted to meet you guys."

"How did you get here if Bringer isn't with you?" Rune noticed the brawler's absence.

"I think Add gave the machine to Elsword as an apology," Laby said.

"For what?" Immortal asked.

"Elsword needs to have his wounds attended to immediately," Richter interrupted. There was irritation in his tone after what he thought to be too much conversing. "That demon is still alive."

"Right," Oz looked at Knight and Immortal. "Think you can keep up with us? We need someone to create a diversion while Richter and I remove the weapon from Rosso."

"Of course," Immortal smirked. "Why didn't you say so?"

Oz rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Laby, can you help Rune with his injuries?" Knight asked.

"Of course!" Laby waved her arms out in excitement. She bounced onto her feet and pulled Rune to look at his sorry state.

"Thank you," Rune lowered his head to hide the tears. Their timing was impeccable when they were down to a few adventurers. He couldn't have imagined his next meeting with his counterparts to be at the edge of a one-sided battle. "Please help my friends."

Laby's healing was gentle and reminded him of Bluhen, who wasn't with Knight today. He thought the priest would have stayed close to the knight and noticed how tense his counterpart was when Bringer was mentioned. Did something happen between them? Rune shook his head, that was their business to deal with unless Knight was looking for a second opinion. But still…

"Don't forget we're your friends too," Knight smiled for the first time since his arrival. "You're welcome to join us after Laby helps you."

"Man, how come you get two healers?" Immortal whined, "Ow!"

Immortal rubbed his forehead where Knight had smacked him. Laby failed to stop herself giggling from the man's pain.

Greatsword pulled out, Knight had the imposing demeanor of a Velder soldier ready for battle. Nodding towards the direction of the battle, Knight gestured Immortal to follow him. The swordsman pulled out his two blades. Sleek in design and balanced, Immortal struck a pose as Sariel ordered her Nasod drones to fly into combat mode. Richter looked to Oz for the signal and the two ran into the battlefield to join their teammates.

The cathartic landscape of torn-down buildings and the ground set ablaze was enough to bring most men on their knees. However, as Rune witnessed Knight and Immortal pulling Rosso towards their blades, he saw the fire light up in their faces. The excitement of battle in fusion with fear of uncertainty. Sariel's drones weaved along with Dominator's as they roped Rosso into using his thorns opposite Devi as she harpooned her spear into the half-demon's flesh.

His strength was slowly returning when a strong wave of power flooded his vicinity. It was coming from Rosso. Even those not sensitive to the El could feel it. The corruption had taken over Rosso. Rune stood up, suddenly finding strength in his voice.

"I'm going," Rune said. "They need our help."

Laby looked up at him in confusion, but it must have been his tone that stopped her from protesting. After much arguing with the pink girl (Who would have thought someone so tiny could be so stubborn?), Rune had forced himself to be content on resting, at least until he could move his limbs without wincing. He could no longer ignore the crave to return to the fight.

It was as if all of the pain in his body had disappeared. Maybe it was the strange food Laby gave him to recover or maybe he was delirious from the adrenaline, but he couldn't let the fight go on without talking to Rosso one more time. Fire lit up in one hand and his sword in the other, Rune calmly stepped into the battlefield to face the Master of Fire. It was time to settle this once and for all.

----------------------------

Metamorphy

"Ugh, I hate snow." Metamorphy sighed.

What could be so important for the magical girl to be summoned to Pruinaum? Although it was barren in demons since most tried to avoid the cold, no amount of layers could get rid of the frigid wind finding its way through her clear pores. It was a good thing Metamorphy was the nicest and most patient person in the world, otherwise, she would have been very angry to meet up with the person who was so generous to invite her to the coldest place in Demon Realm.

Sitting at the edge on top of a tall glacial structure was a tiny figure. They were a single black dot to the naked eye. When Metamorphy teleported to the figure, she was greeted by a child. She made out a pair of cat ears sitting atop of the hood they wore and the chains dangling from the back of their jacket.

"How long are you going to pretend you're a kid?" Metamorphy asked.

"How long are you going to pretend you're nice?" Paradox snarked.

"Add, you requested this meeting." She said in her sweetest voice possible. "So this better be good."

She cracked her knuckles between the grip of her staff.

Paradox wasn't shivering only because of the cold, although she couldn't understand how the literal man-child wasn't freezing from how little he wore. Light flashed for the child to be replaced with a man in a body-tight suit. His hair reached past his shoulders and nearly touched the ground.

Metamorphy shrieked when a portal opened from the side and a frozen body tumbled out. Red hair sprawled out from the roots and over the unidentified person. Their hair was so long that Metamorphy was sure it could have gone past the ankles. A red Claymore laced in black stuck uncomfortably between their ribcage.

"Add, what is this?" Metamorphy gasped.

"A body," Paradox said as a matter-of-fact. "I found her under the ice. Aren't you going to thank me?"

"She's dead!"

"Her heart is still beating," Paradox corrected.

Metamorphy flipped the woman onto her back to press her ear against the Queen's chest. A faint heartbeat fluttered weakly like a dim light on a winter night. She kneeled down to frantically tend to Bloody Queen's wounds. They needed to pull out the Claymore to clean her cuts. Metamorphy looked to Paradox for help. It took more effort than it should have to pull out the weapon. It was tempting to toss out the weapon since it was rusting from excessive use, but she also didn't want to risk losing her head to a frostbitten woman. Time froze in place as Paradox unwound time to heal the deep cut.

"What are we supposed to do with her?" Metamorphy asked more to herself than the Paradox. The time traveler didn't make a good conversationalist most of the time and she struggled to understand the brat.

"Do you want her or not?" Paradox asked, "If not, I can throw her back to the demons."

"Like hell you are," Metamorphy growled and pressed one hand over her temple. "What do you want out of this? It's not like you did this because you felt like being nice."

"Don't you have some brats to pick up from their fun little fight?" Paradox asked.

How did he know?

"You never told me what's going on between you and Glave." Metamorphy said, "Why didn't you complain when he agreed to keep the timelines together? Are you planning to mess with time again?"

"That's for me to know and you to wonder," Paradox said. Cryptic as ever, typical. "Not everything I do involves destroying time and space, you know."

"You always seem to know where everyone is too," Metamorphy made note of how the time traveler always popped up whenever they were in trouble. Even more so, he often held important information they needed for any obstacle that got in their way. "Could it be that you actually car-"

"Mention me about having feelings for you losers and I'm going to throw up." Paradox interrupted.

"Of course," Metamorphy smirked. "Then you just happened to stumble onto Elesis's frozen body and asked me to come pick it up."

"Yes, and now you have a new problem." Paradox grinned.

Metamorphy could never understand the enigmatic man. Albeit childhood trauma from the short glimpses of Paradox's past, she didn't know much of the time traveler. Maybe it was for the best. There was no point in digging up painful memories when it didn't help them in the present.

She turned to thank the man but he had disappeared. Metamorphy groaned. Why did Paradox always do this to her? The magical girl was one hundred percent sure he lured her to do the dirty work so he could take his leave. Looking at Queen's still body, she tucked some of the hair behind the older woman's ear. It was going to take time to bring Queen back to the others before checking on Immortal. Metamorphy lifted the woman and sighed. Immortal was not going to be happy about this. Her sole hope was that Queen wasn't going to wake up and dart the other direction when reunited with her brother like the last time in Velder.

[chevaliering-the-way]

IkePri Dividers - Foreign Princes 01

You might be surprised how long it takes to make these. It's a simple task, but many things may go wrong. Use these however you will with credit to this blog via link or tag @chevaliering-the-way. Do not repost. I have a feeling I'll have to finish out and make dividers for the remaining foreign princes, but we will see when this happens.

Here is a link to the first set (Beasts of Rhodolite). Here is the link to the second set (Sariel + Rio).

Taglist: @elyssianna

[aurora-godshawk]

Cybird Ikemen Birthday Master List

Have you ever just wanted a place where you can view all of Cybird’s Ikemens Birthdays? Well look no further! New games and suitors will be added as they are released. 

Current Games

Midnight Cinderella

Ikemen Sengoku

Ikemen Revolution

Ikemen Vampire

Ikemen Prince

Last Updated 07/31/2023

*****Please note that I have removed games they have removed form their server off this doc. However don’t worry you can check blogger page for a more extensive list. 

January

06/06 | Jean d'Arc - Ikemen Vampire

01/07 | Kennyo - Ikemen Sengoku

01/11 | Lancelot Kingsley - Ikemen Revolution

01/20 | Sariel Nori - Ikemen Prince

01/23 | Alyn & Leo Crawford - Midnight Cinderella

01/27 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Ikemen Vampire

01/31 | Ieyasu Tokugawa - Ikemen Sengoku

February

02/10 | Mousse Atlas - Ikemen Revolution

02/15 | Charles-Henri Sanson - Ikemen Vampire

02/18 | Kenshin Uesugi - Ikemen Sengoku

02/22 | Loki Genetta - Ikemen Revolution

02/29 | Johann Georg Faust - Ikemen Vampire

March

03/03 | Keiji Maeda - Ikemen Sengoku

03/05 | Jin Grandet - Ikemen Prince

03/17 | Hideyoshi Toyotomi - Ikemen Sengoku

03/19 | Rayvis Harneit – Midnight Cinderella

02/23 | Ray Blackwell – Ikemen Revolution

03/30 | Vincent van Gogh - Ikemen Vampire

April

04/05 | Oliver Knight – Ikemen Revolution

04/10 | Sasuke Sarutobi – Ikemen Sengoku

04/12 | Nico Meier – Midnight Cinderella

04/13 | Rio Ortiz - Ikemen Prince

04/16 | Motonari Mouri - Ikemen Sengoku

04/15 | Fenrir Godspeed – Ikemen Revolution

04/15 | Leanardo Da Vinci - Ikemen Vampire

May

05/01 | Theodorus van Gogh - Ikemen Vampire

05/07 | Sirius Oswald – Ikemen Revolution

05/12 | Nobunaga Oda – Ikemen Sengoku

05/17 | Albert Burckhardt – Midnight Cinderella

05/19 | Luke Randolph - Ikemen Prince

05/22 | Arthur Conan Doyle -Ikemen Vampire

June

06/06 - Vlad - Ikemen Vampire

06/10 | Seth Hyde – Ikemen Revolution

06/17 | Clavis Lelouch - Ikemen Prince

06/19 | Osamu Dazai - Ikemen Vampire

06/20 | Dean & Dailm Tweedle - Ikemen Revolution

06/27 | Ranmaru Mori - Ikemen Sengoku

July

07/07 | Yukimura Sanada – Ikemen Sengoku

07/17 | Kyle Ash – Ikemen Revolution

August

08/01 | Kanetsugu Naoe - Ikemen Sengoku

08/01 | Leon Dampteur - Ikemen Prince

08/13 | Yoshimoto Imagawa - Ikemen Sengoku

08/15 | Napoleon Bonaparte - Ikemen Vampire

08/22 | Sid ~ Llyod Grandier – Midnight Cinderella

08/23 | Edgar Bright – Ikemen Revolution

08/24 | Luka Clemence – Ikemen Revolution

October

10/04 | Mitsuhide Akechi – Ikemen Sengoku

10/09 | Nokto Klein - Ikemen Prince

10/09 | Licht Klein-  Ikemen Prince

10/10 | Zero – Ikemen Revolution

10/16 | Louis Howard – Midnight Cinderella

10/25 | Comte De Saint-Germain - Ikemen Vampire

November

11/01 | Chevalier Michel - Ikemen Prince

11/06 | Mitsunari Ishida – Ikemen Sengoku

11/11 | Giles Christophe – Midnight Cinderella

11/11 | William Shakespeare - Ikemen Vampire

11/15 | Kicho - Ikemen Sengoku

11/18 | Jonah Clemence – Ikemen Revolution

December

12/01 | Shingen Takeda – Ikemen Sengoku

12/07 | Byron Wagner – Midnight Cinderella

12/12 | Harr Silver – Ikemen Revolution

12/25 | Isaac Newton - Ikemen Vampire

[aishangotome]

Main Story S2 Chapter 1-02: Following the Past (在萬物之中) | Light and Night 光與夜之戀

S2 Chapter 1-01

♡———♡

With about a week left before deciding on the final plan, we decided to give option three one last push.

It was late at night when I got off work. Sitting in a taxi, I briefly freed my mind from work and browsed through trending videos.

One video had a very eye-catching title, "What's Reflected in the Water in This Life May Be Your Past Life," and it had already reached the top of the trending list.

I clicked on it, and it showed beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, with a blogger talking enthusiastically.

Video Blogger: Friends, I am currently at Yuexia Lake in Shangyi Village, Anzhou Town, Loguan City. Video Blogger: Just last night, the reflection of an ancient building suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake here. Video Blogger: According to local residents, it looks very much like an ancient palace. Video Blogger: But as you can see, the lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides and a plain on the other. Video Blogger: There is no sign of a palace at all, so how could there be a reflection? Video Blogger: Eh, there seems to be something here, let me see, it's a piece of rag—

You: Is that… a skirt?

Having been exposed to a lot of traditional clothing recently, I recognized at a glance that the so-called rag was actually an ancient-style skirt, just a bit worn out.

However, before the camera could zoom in, the video ended.

You: What? It's over?

Taxi Driver: Miss, are you watching that video about the reflection?

You: Yes, have you seen it too?

Taxi Driver: Yeah, that young man in the video is making it sound all mysterious, but I think it's quite simple.

Taxi Driver: It's just the bad weather lately, there are mirages everywhere. You know what a mirage is, right?

You: Yes, I do.

Taxi Driver: There you go, nothing unusual.

-

The taxi stopped at the entrance of the alley. I got out and was about to head home when I noticed a raised dark shape in the dim light by the roadside.

The shadow undulated slightly.

I stared at it for a few seconds and almost screamed. It appeared to be some kind of bizarre creature.

It was lying on the ground, seemingly trying to get up, but could only manage to sway its head from side to side. The head had the shape of a feline, with two horns.

I nearly bolted, but then I suddenly remembered the familiar Nine-Tailed Fox and White Dragon… could this also be a spirit clan member like them?

This thought calmed me down considerably. I pressed the flashlight button on my phone and quickly shone it on the dark shape.

Only then did I see that this creature, which seemed to have jumped straight out of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, was incongruously carrying a beige leather bag on its back.

My suspicions were confirmed.

I remembered the first time I went to Lin Island and saw Qishe in his devolved state, disoriented and extremely agitated. This animal's condition was very similar.

If I left it here, it would likely cause panic. I concentrated, gathering my innate power until I formed a thin barrier, and slowly moved towards the strange beast.

You: Are you from the Spirit clan?

It was startled and turned its head with difficulty, but because it couldn't move, its amber eyes looked at me with great wariness.

You: You're from the Spirit clan, and you're devolving, aren't you? Don't worry, I know a lot of Spirit clan members.

You: Lao Zhong, Qishe, Mr. Kui, your Grand Elder, and Sariel. I'm very close to Sariel.

At first, it kept its eyes lowered and its ears drooped, silently resisting my approach and even making warning sounds.

But when it heard Sariel's name, its eyes suddenly lit up and its whiskers trembled slightly.

You: What's your name?

I crouched down beside the beast, extending my hand over its head. Two furry ears lifted on their own and touched my palm.

In an instant, I received two names: Bi An and Bì'àn.

You: Bì'àn… is that one of the nine sons of the dragon?

A confirmation came through my palm, but it also asked me, "I can't change back into a human, what should I do?"

You: Don't worry, I'll call the Spirit clan right away.

I looked around. A few pedestrians in the distance were walking towards us.

You: You look a bit scary right now, would you like to come to my house to hide for a bit?

I dialed Sariel's number while mouthing to it that my house was nearby.

Bì'àn looked confused for a moment, then quickly nodded, but it tried several times to stand up without success.

Its limbs were thicker than a human's torso. I had to hold the phone between my shoulder and ear just to barely support it.

You: Let's go—

Before I could finish speaking, a strange white light suddenly shone on my face, blindingly bright. I instinctively shielded my eyes and heard the sound of synchronized footsteps around me.

??: Ma'am, please leave the dangerous area immediately.

??: We are the government task force for handling wild animal issues. Please follow our instructions.

Oh no! I was surrounded by uniformed personnel holding riot shields. The one at the front was shouting at me.

He gave an order, the shields dropped, and behind them was a row of guns aimed at us.

Task Force Member: I'll count to three, then you run to your right, understand?

You: Wait! It won't attack anyone, please put down your weapons.

You: I know the relevant personnel, they will be here soon to take it away!

Task Force Member: We are the relevant personnel. Get ready, one—

Bì'àn was deeply enraged, its body tense and trembling against mine.

You: I'm telling you, it's not an animal, you can't shoot!

The task force remained unmoved. I gritted my teeth, gathering a barrier in my hand, and whispered to Bì'àn.

You: Don't be afraid, just stay behind me, you'll be fine.

Task Force Member: Two—

Before the count of three could leave his lips, Bì'àn was faster than me, leaping into the air.

Its tiger-like tail slammed heavily onto the ground, cracking the pavement. I felt a sharp pain on my face as sand and gravel flew into my eyes.

Bang—a gunshot rang out. I instinctively released my power, but didn't feel any impact or resistance.

The next second, a familiar voice sounded beside me.

??: How are your eyes?

You: Sariel?

I called out his name almost immediately, wanting to open my eyes, but the movement disturbed the grit inside, making my vision blurry.

I could vaguely see a white figure standing between me and the task force, one arm crossed in front of his chest, the other hand pressed on Bì'àn's massive head.

Bì'àn's tail was still thrashing wildly, but after a glance from those golden eyes, it finally calmed down.

You: Sariel!

I called out again. The person in front of me turned around, a look of relief flashing across his face for a moment, then his brows furrowed.

Sariel: Now everyone here knows my name, should I thank you for that?

Just then, the fully armed task force parted, and a woman in a suit stepped forward.

???: Mr. Sariel, I've heard a lot about you.

???: Can we assume that this beast is currently under the protection of your clan?

Sariel stopped me from rubbing my eyes, blew away the sand, and after making sure I was alright, he turned to face the woman.

Sariel: Who are you?

???: The Lianshan Society.

Lianshan Society Executive: There have been multiple incidents of animals attacking humans in society, and we have no choice but to cooperate with the police to resolve them.

Lianshan Society Executive: And it is the responsibility of the Spirit clan to restrain your people and remain within your original territory, keeping a distance from humans.

Sariel: You can go tell whoever is responsible that they are responsible.

Sariel: But when it comes to responsibility, I'm afraid you humans bear more of it.

Lianshan Society Executive: I will take that as an endorsement of our work.

You: So did they know this Bì'àn was from the Spirit clan all along?

Sariel: Of course they did.

Sariel's tone was somewhat cold. He opened his hand, revealing an intact bullet in his palm.

Sariel: This is not a tranquilizer dart.

The woman from the Lianshan Society's face changed slightly, but quickly returned to calm.

Lianshan Society Executive: It is permitted to shoot a beast that is harming people, within the stipulated guidelines.

Lianshan Society Executive: We have already made many concessions. Everything we do is to protect the safety of more people, please understand.

Sariel: I don't care how many concessions you've made before, but I'm taking it with me now.

The woman from the Lianshan Society frowned, a disapproving expression on her face. She gently pressed her ear, where there was a tiny receiver.

Someone was talking to her. After a moment, she nodded and gestured to the task force.

Lianshan Society Executive: Mr. Qi, you can take it with you.

Lianshan Society Executive: But it's best not to display skills like catching bullets with your bare hands in front of humans.

The riot shields parted, creating a path.

-

I heard Sariel ask Bì'àn if she could still hold on. After receiving an affirmative answer, he led her to a deep alley by the road, and from his fingertips emerged those familiar cyan orbs I had seen before.

The orbs melted into Bì'àn's body, and her beast form disappeared, replaced by a thin woman.

She didn't even have time to speak to us, stumbling towards the roadside where a self-driving car was parked.

The rear door opened, and a child jumped out, throwing himself into the woman's arms. His eyes were also amber.

Sariel gave them an address, written on a slip of paper, for Shaqing Town. The woman clutched the paper as if it were a lifeline.

I watched them leave, a heavy feeling in my heart.

You: Knowing their identity as Spirit clan members, the Lianshan Society actually allowed the police to open fire?

Sariel: Not just them, if you had continued to interfere, the police would have shot you too.

Sariel turned his head, meeting my gaze.

It had been over a month since we last saw each other. His fringe had grown a little longer, falling over his forehead, but otherwise, he hadn't changed much.

He didn't seem as agitated as I was, just cold, as if he had witnessed this scene many times before.

Sariel: Look at you, all grown up and brave. Why did you rush out there like that? Do you think you're in a TV drama? Should I roll out a red carpet for you?

After a long separation, there were no pleasantries, his first words were so blunt. I pretended to glare at him with dissatisfaction.

You: You've known me long enough to know better.

Sariel: Next time you try to play hero, I'll just ignore you, I won't help.

You: How could you say that! Am I still your favorite student or not?

Sariel: No, you're my nemesis. I didn't tell you I was back because I was afraid you'd poison my food.

He was being incredibly dismissive with his words, but his gaze was fixed on me, like a tight, soft net.

You: You're being so contrary. And look at you, weren't you playing hero too?

You: Catching a bullet with your bare hands, how impressive. What if a whole bunch of bullets came flying at you and you couldn't catch them all?

Sariel: I'm not as foolish as you.

You: I'm not that foolish either. I have my innate power, I was ready before you even arrived—

Two slender fingers suddenly pinched my cheeks, and I could only make strange noises. I glared at him; every time I got the better of him in an argument, he would find a way to shut me up.

Sariel looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Sariel: Don't move if you don't want to be disfigured.

A warm current flowed over my left cheek. I remembered that there was indeed a moment when my face was scratched by a stone.

After Sariel was falsely accused, before Pristine's new product launch, I was bumped by a reporter and ended up sleeping in the studio that night. I had a dream with a warm current in it too.

When I woke up and found the bruise on my shoulder was gone, I had an idea of what had happened, but so many things had happened afterwards that I didn't have time to thank Sariel.

I vaguely remembered that the warm current back then was faint and weak, but now, it felt like a bottomless hot spring.

Coupled with the fact that he somehow caught the bullet, our earlier childish bickering was thrown to the back of my mind. Countless emotions surged within me, I didn't know if it was surprise, joy, or relief.

I looked at him and couldn't help but grin.

Sariel: What are you smiling about?

You: I'm smiling because you're smiling.

You: Sariel, I have so many things to ask you.

Sariel: How many?

You: Many, many.

Sariel: Can you finish asking them all by standing here until dawn?

You: Not enough, not nearly enough.

Sariel: Then you're only allowed to ask three.

You: Stingy, how about five?

Sariel: Not even one.

Sariel moved his fingertips slightly, carefully examining my wound before completely withdrawing his hand.

You: Fine, fine, three it is.

You: First question, is it really okay for you to use your spiritual power like this now?

Sariel: Thanks to someone, the seal has been broken, so I'll be fine for a while.

You: "A while" is not very precise, and I'll have to waste another question asking you exactly how long that is.

Golden eyes looked over, shimmering, I couldn't tell if it was exasperation or amusement in them.

Sariel: At least until you become an old woman, will that do?

I couldn't help but cheer, thinking that even longer would be even better.

But just now, I saw that the way he condensed his spiritual power into orbs and gave them to Bì'àn was very familiar, obviously a habit. If he continued like this, even if his spiritual power fully recovered, it wouldn't be enough, would it?

You: Second question, do you have any way to completely cure the degeneration right now?

Sariel: Not yet.

You: Isn't it written on the stone wall? Didn't the Grand Elder say there would be a way to revive the Spirit clan on it?

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized it was a mistake. Sure enough, Sariel's face darkened.

Sariel: You sure trust his words a lot.

Sariel: Why don't I just send you to Lin Island to guard the stone wall and be the first to see what new content appears on it?

I don't know when it started, but whenever the stone wall was mentioned, Sariel's expression would sour.

However, it seemed more like he was angry at himself in hindsight than at me.

But compared to a month ago when he faced degeneration and even death with such acceptance, I'd rather he be angry, it made him seem more vibrant.

You: No, no, no more Lin Island. There's no one there now, what would I even do?

I smiled and tugged on Sariel's sleeve. I was covered in dust from earlier, and I had gotten his white clothes dirty too.

He glanced at it, an expression I couldn't quite place, somewhere between helplessness and disgust.

Sariel: Third question, quickly.

You: Third—I need to think carefully.

You: How did you get here today? Did you receive my call?

You: Are you free later? It's getting dark, how about we get some late-night snacks?

You: Oh right, there's a new salad shop downstairs from Wanzhen, and Granny crepe has asked about you several times, wondering why she hasn't seen you lately.

Shamelessly, I laid out every hint I could think of to get him to stay, convinced he would understand.

Sariel didn't interrupt, listening patiently, a nostalgic expression softening his features.

The empty alley was silent. The color of the streetlights outlined a gentle silhouette behind him. He seemed to be glowing, dazzling.

Gradually, I couldn't speak anymore, just looking up at him.

Sariel: I healed that bird of paradise.

You: Hm?

The corners of his lips curled into a genuine smile.

Sariel: That bird of paradise that was waiting for me to heal it, I healed it.

Sariel: I now have a place to go, I came to tell you.

I froze, that afternoon in my memories flashed before my eyes once again.

Back then, the young General Qi, who had traveled through time, followed me to Sariel's home.

*flashback*

He pointed his fingertip at the dying bird of paradise, which had been transplanted from the office, but in the end, did nothing.

General Qi: It's dying.

You: I accidentally stepped on it.

You: Sariel doesn't usually like to use his innate power to interfere with the life and death of plants, I thought it would be the same this time.

I crouched down, lifting the drooping leaves, only to watch them fall again.

Young General Qi pointed his fingertip at the broken part of the plant, hesitated, and finally lowered his hand.

General Qi: Let's wait until he's better, he can deal with it himself.

.

.

.

.

.

Season 2: Chapter 1-04

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[henry-stein-art]

Sariel, the angel of death and destruction, one of the two final boss of Touhou Project 01: Highly Responsive to Prayer.

The fight against him (yeah I consider it as a male but technically, angels are asexual creature. But his sprite seems man, especially on the face) was a real nightmare. Until I see I played it in Lunatic mode. Since, I always play Touhou in Lunatic. Hard when I’m tired or if it’s a long time that I don’t play. Also, I never use the focus mode while danmaku. xD I play it like a noob but it’s make me a really good at this game!

Fun fact: 

The name Highly Responsive to Prayer seems bad transcripted because, it would seems, the original write was Player and not Prayer because its you, the player, who guide Reimu Hakurei while she has not yet his actual power of Hakurei shrine maiden. But in Japan, “r” and “l” are almost same, and because Reimu is a shrine maiden, the name become Prayer instead of Player. Urban legend but I though this funny story. x”)

[aureamoretti]

"Good." Aurea smiles and it is all teeth as her legs cross at the knee and she actually slumps down a little in the chair. The business part of the visit was over and she really had shown up and expected the absolute worst. Sensitive ears don't pick up any irregularities in the blonde's heartbeat, she's telling the truth and she can relax now. "Now that that's taken care of, I'd like to be friends." It is blunt but she's smiling a bit anyways, tone matter of fact despite her playful smile.

"No one paid me, Miss Moretti. I am just getting some preliminary information for myself so that we don't butt heads on my future investigations." Frankly, she is a little offended the lycan thinks she would have accepted a job snooping on a coven for anything than the keys to a kingdom. Stupidity is not contagious, and despite finding herself amidst the company of clowns during her jobs, she has not been infected with their buffoonery just yet. "You can rest assured knowing that as long as Ivy doesn't threaten my and mine, I don't have plans on collecting information on your coven. I have better things to do than upsetting the careful peace for something like that."