I cast Banish on the assassin in hiding and stuck him up to the wall with an Ice Javelin. We both came out the void and the assassin suddenly appeared stuck to the wall with a thick rod of ice impaling him. Mind Break collapsed the warrior. “Shem, our guild master wants us to gather up First Flight’s loved ones and bring them to the guild. It’d be easier to protect them that way. I can fly us all over without issue. Is that okay?”

He squinted his eyes a bit at me, “You’re, one of the X-ranks from First Flight.” He observed me for a while, “Yeah, I remember Freya bringing you here before,” he rested his spear on the ground and thought about things.

“Brother, we probably should,” the long-haired man said, “our own guild members tried to kill us. Besides, we can’t stay here.”

They were both bathed in blood. Shem reluctantly agreed. With void manipulation, I pulled them behind me whilst flying back to First Flight. Scarlet had begun cleaning up the place whilst enforcers from the RC began crowding the place. Corpses were piled outside First Flight.

Ulyen was inside, taking an account of things whilst Scarlet spoke on what happened for things to get so far. “You two,” he said, noticing us entering the building. We continued going to different members. Phil’s family was untouched, thanks to his skill and the wolf’s strength. Scarlet, unfortunately, lost her remaining family. It’s not like she could abandon the guild members in front of her and go save her family.

August and I split up eventually. Scarlet, probably assuming Scadia and I were seeing each other, had told me where to go to find her. The house was colossal. It became clear that she came from some sort of rich family. The marks of battle and trails of corpses painted a similar picture. We might’ve been a little mad at each other, but I’d never hope for anything to happen to her.

“You like her…” Dawn saw clearly.

Oh right, I keep forgetting you’re in my mind now. It was a bit to get used to, although I felt it was totally fine with Donna. I do, yeah.

“Then go get her,” Dawn encouraged.

“Exactly what I’m sayin’,” the troublesome queen backed her up, “you gotta enjoy life!”

Doesn’t mean I should be unfaithful.

“You have four women though, so…”

That’s an unfair card to play, Donna.

Dawn tittered, “I could get used to this. Anyway, as long as Anjali’s fine with it, then why not?”

Hell of a statement to make. We never discussed it, but Dawn was the one who accepted that I see Anjali and Donna. After she died, those powers over me shifted to Anjali. Now that she came back, it seemed she didn’t mind leaving Anjali with that power.

I shunted those thoughts from my mind in favour of finding Scadia. The house, located on a huge hill, overlooked the city. Life Perception showed a little light at the back of the house. Scadia was bleeding out on the ground. It didn’t make sense, for her attackers to leave her within an inch of her life. I hit her with Renew to stop the bleeding, then used Eden to totally heal her.

I grabbed her up and hugged her. Her meekness was apparent, as well as her morose. Mana Perception showed very little mana running through her blood. From some ice, I transmuted a mana potion and had her drink the entire thing. Usually, she’d give me trouble to do anything, but she accepted the potion without any qualms. Her mana was regenerated within the minute.

“I’m sorry,” I apologised and held her even tighter. “Did anyone in your family survive?”

She shook her head, “My family died a long time before you came to this world. Eric,” she looked up at me and broke into tears, “thank you, for saving me. I’d, just like to rest a bit.”

I lifted her up, her weight not at all hindering. Is she eating right? I wondered, casting a sleep spell on her.

~

“This is a bit sudden, but we should discuss how we’re going forward in light of all that’s happened,” Bruno Ulyen said.

More than seven hundred people were dead from the top ten guilds. In First Flight, twenty-one members were killed.

A few officials from the RC, including Ulyen gathered. Scarlet, August, myself, and a mage I grouped with before called Trevor congregated as well. Aside from RC members and First Flight members, Yunaris’ authority with regards to non-dungeoneers also sent a few representatives. After all, this was a case of dungeoneers taking advantage of their powers and using it to murder fellow human beings. According to their policing officials, this was, without the slightest shred of doubt, the worst crime in Yunaris’ history.

Again, this was just like with Tyrr. If not for my presence, Phoenix would’ve never destroyed two large cities, but at least Celosia came about as a result. It wasn’t all negatives. This situation however, had a bleak outlook with no foreseeable positives.

“Situations involving dungeoneers are typically handled by the Regulations Committee,” Ulyen pointed out, crossing his legs, “but this time, we cannot claim sole jurisdiction and therefore, the decisions that you may be used to us making may not be the ones taken.”

Another man began speaking, his hair partially shaven at the sides and back like August. “As the report says, there has been shy of two hundred non-dungeoneer people who were casualties of this attack. As Mr Ulyen stated, the jurisdiction of this case will become a finicky thing to deal with. The commander has given Nine Skies full powers over the situation, but we’d be fools to not seek the expertise of the RC. As such, we plan to work together to come to a solution fitting for what has occurred.”

A woman who sat next to him agreed, “The Investigation Unit will relay information the minute we learn it – providing it makes sense and doesn’t colour the evidence.” She brushed her wavy hair aside, a calming aura exuding from her very being, “In the interest of keeping things lawful, we will not give First Flight any information until we come to a conclusion and gather all evidence in its entirety.”

“Why’s that?” I interjected. It wasn’t at all my intention to pressure anyone, as they were here simply to do their jobs, but I had to know.

She faced me, a faint smile about her as if dealing with customers, “In many cases, we’ve learnt that feeding the victim with information during an investigation may build motive for the victim to also do something illegal, perhaps as an act of vengeance. We, of the Investigation Unit, will never disclose information unless we believe it may help us. In the exceptions that inconclusive information would make sense to the victim, but not to us, we will reveal that information in order to further our investigation. Does that answer your question?”

“It does,” I replied simply.

“Does this mean we’re to do nothing but wait?” August questioned, one they hesitated to answer.

Ulyen sighed, “I’m sorry. This should’ve never happened under my watch. I know I owe this guild for having averted an attempt on my life, but please understand the complexities of this case. For an attack on this scale to happen means there are many people with enough money and power who plotted long enough to see this through. Until we can confirm who those people are and the fact that they indeed did what they did, we’d like to keep things as calm as possible. For a lack of better words,” Ulyen inhaled, “we’re asking that you take this lying down.”

“At what point is it okay for us to not be fools?” August asked what all four of us First Flight representatives were thinking.

“I guess we should address some things,” the man – presumably the head of the Enforcement Unit within Nine Skies – cleared his throat. “First off, understand that we’ve been extremely lenient with you outsiders. You caused trouble within the RC the first day you appeared here in Yunaris. We, along with the RC, overlooked this because your strength meant that it would help our dungeoneers in some form or fashion. However, understand that you have no grounds here. Your guild may trust you, but the RC as well as Nine Skies do not.”

“Speak for yourself, EU boy,” the woman from the Investigation unit said with a snide grin. He was about to say something, but chose not to pursue an argument with her.

“Anyway, you get my point,” he folded his arms. “Consider yourselves lucky we haven’t brought down punishment onto you.”

With that, August stood up, took a few seconds looking at Scarlet, then left the room. I chuckled. “He’s really,” I emphasised, “not someone you want to make enemies out of.”

“I agree,” Ulyen added. “These young men are so powerful, we had to literally create three other ranks just to properly gauge their strength. One of them even slept through their trial. Nine Skies members, it would be a true waste not to make use of them.”

“Come now, Bruno,” the woman frowned and leaned back in her chair, “I was already planning to do that. Don’t give the EU boys any ideas.”

“You damn IU people would compromise the case just to get a one-up on us?!” the fella, showing some impetuousness, almost snarled at her.

“Oh, calm yourself,” she brushed him off. “Scarlet. Won’t you lend this young man to me? I figure our investigation would be over a lot faster with him helping us.”

Everyone’s eyes focused on Scarlet. Despite being a beacon of strength in the guild for everyone to latch onto, she was rather timid in this meeting. And who’d be mad at her? Her entire family was killed and she had to be here talking to us. “Do as you wish, Nine Skies.”

“Unprofessional shrew,” the EU head muttered under his breath at the woman, but everyone was able to hear it.

“That should be all then,” Ulyen concluded the meeting. We were basically expected to take no action, but the IU woman had made her interest in the ‘outsiders’ of First Flight apparent.

She pulled me aside after the meeting, “Bruno’s the mastermind behind all of us,” she said, no flicker of jest in her eyes. We strolled under the moonlight in a nearby park.

“And you know this, how?”

She walked with her hands clasped behind her back. Playfully, she jumped in front of me, “The EU and IU are always feuding,” walked around me, “as the head of the IU, I did what I’m good at doing, and investigated those in the EU. With enough snooping around, I learnt that they were working with Bruno to ensure certain guilds stay at the top of the food chain.”

“Uh huh. And why didn’t you say that to your commander?” I questioned where she was going with it.

“Well,” she smiled, “it would prove nothing. In Yunaris, it’s like dungeoneers are in a world of their own. Even if I report this, it would have no effect on the EU nor the RC. But,” she chuckled, “if we could figure out how and why all these murders happened, then it doesn’t matter what they do, the commander will have their hides.”

“Hmm,” I looked up at the larger-than-usual moon and pondered what I could really do for the people of First Flight at a time like this besides throwing my power about. I shook my head and instead focused on what August might’ve been thinking. “I’ll give it some thought. Just leave a message for me at the guild if you need to contact me.”

With that, I returned to the guild. The atmosphere was still sombre as one would expect. I went to my room there. Scadia looked mesmerised at the dancing flame on the candle on the dresser. “Do you mind if I–”

“Nope. Just let me wash off first.” I transmuted all my garments into ice and dismissed the manipulation into thin air. A mass of water surrounded me like Water Prison and removed the built-up impurities from my skin and hair. As with the ice, the water dissipated into nothingness. I joined her on the bed and brought the sheets over us.

After a few minutes of cuddling against me, she inquired what I would do about the situation. In truth, I thought the best thing would really be to leave this matter in the hands of Nine Skies. The EU head was right, we were outsiders. “The most I can do is continue to better the guild. There may be a better chance to catch all those involved if we let your people do a thorough investigation. As for August, well there’s no telling whose head might roll. But,” I held her a bit tighter, “if that’s the case, I’ll back him up.”

“Hmm,” she contemplated, her eyes glued to the ceiling, “that may be an issue, but I doubt the EU can stop you two anyway.” She looked to me, “I may have need of your insight. Please support me if that need arises.” With that, she disappeared into the night. Quite a mystifying persona she had.

The morning after, I manipulated light magic until my main group members were available, but that didn’t happen. Scarlet was buried in the guild’s business and hardly even had time to take care of her own families’ bodies. She put other guild members before herself, so I offered to place her family in the pink translucency of Crystalline Slumber so that they didn’t decompose.

Phil was available, and so was Scadia. Freya and August had gone back to the Glacierhearts’ estate for the time being, leaving her two remaining brothers and her mother in First Flight.

Seeing that we were so low on members for the group, I had Phil take another trial with my own soul shards. Quarter-million was quite the extortionist price, but it wasn’t like I had a use for Yunaris’ currency anyway. “Yes, yes,” I shooed him away somewhat when he asked for the umpteenth time if it was okay for me to spend that kind of money on someone else’s trial. “Just do your best. Remember, only use Invisibility when you need it. And by now you’d know it messes with eyesight alone. An opponent with an acute sense of smell will still know you’re there.”

In just about half a minute, he answered, “Yes, yes,” just as I did previously when I began going over tactics with him.

Once I wished him luck, he was off to his trial. Scadia and I sat in the RC building and awaited his exam to finish. Dawn came out afterward, sitting on my other side and unapologetically leaning onto me. “I wonder how good I’d be here…”

“With a leviathan? Probably X-rank,” I figured. Those spirits that were second in command to their respective spirit lords were no joke. Her leviathan was by far the most useful one because of its healing and buffs. “It’s too bad Pyro and Volt are so stagnant in the Order. The devil and ray they have are a nasty combination.”

“I miss the times we were training to beat sludge monsters,” Dawn admitted. They were quite the rookies back then.

As we chatted along, my body suddenly jerked awake, as if I was sleeping. “Dawn…” I said, a low and rumbling tone, “Hydra is gonna fucking kill me!” How did I not notice that?

“Notice what?” she asked, reading my mind. “Oh! Oh my! Oh, yeah… You’re gonna die.”

“I better go now, lest she appear and drown me in her ‘love’ waters,” a sigh escaped my lips and I stood up. Dawn held my hand, telling me to warp her there as well. She looked at the ever silent Scadia and held the girl’s hand as well, invoking some surprise. Dawn winked and I didn’t give Scadia much time to formulate a reply to what had just happen.

We appeared suspended over an ocean, its waters dark and the presence beneath it even darker. Scadia shrieked, not even understanding how she was floating. I’d had to properly thank Vena for merging me with the void without losing me to the void.

I inhaled deeply, and shouted with all my gusto, “Hydra!” A few seconds after, a rumbling was heard, and the waters were beginning to shift. Please don’t be angry!

One of her five ginormous serpentine heads came out of the water and snaked its way upward at me. “I know you’re mad, but please hear me out!” Another two heads came out, and eventually the main body did, its scales glistening in the sun. She made the surface of where she stood dense.

A head went behind my back and Dawn patted it without fear. Scadia watched on in total shock and awe.

“Is my leviathan here? I’d like to redo a contract with her,” Dawn requested. In just a few seconds, as if waiting for just those words to spew out of Dawn’s mouth, the Leviathan flew up, its size almost as great a marvel as Hydra’s. Whilst Dawn received love from one of Hydra’s heads and her old leviathan, I got hissed at with clear marks of anger about the faces of Hydra’s other heads.

With her slithery voice, she demanded I explain myself.

“Well, you see, there’s this girl named Aviana. I love her so much that I died for her. And that’s why our contract was forcefully terminated.”

That explanation only made Hydra fume even more. It was like she became the spirit lord of the fire faction. A head opened its mouth and struck at me. Now, considering the size of Hydra and all, I didn’t get bitten, nope; I was swallowed. I slid down her squishy throat for quite a while. The acidic smell wasn’t very nice, and neither were the burns.

Suddenly, her throat’s muscle clipped, and it stopped me from continuing downward. Instead, it brought me back up like I was a pile of vomit. Her mouth opened up and I got trouble standing on her slimy tongue, so I simply flew out.

“Is it true?” Hydra questioned. “Is this Aviana person your daughter?”

“Yeah, but you won’t get to meet her if you keep swallowing people!” I folded my arms and reprimanded her.

“You f-fool!” she scolded. She took up her humanoid form and squeezed me so tight it felt like she was still using muscles from her serpentine form. “Start with ‘my daughter’ next time!”

I nodded and hugged her back. The big leviathan suddenly shrunk in size and floated around Dawn, rubbing against her even.

“We should do over our contract too,” I said, but she didn’t allow me to make distance and instead kept clutched to me like a leech.

I decided to just go around the other guys and remake my contract. When I got to Gale’s windy mountain summit, I let her know it was okay for her not to form one again since Phoenix was no longer here. But because of Celosia’s existence, Gale was willing to reform a contract with me. I refused it, however, telling her that I’d rather she did it with Gabrielle.

In fact, I was thinking of having them all make contracts with other people. Since I mastered draconic manipulation, there was nothing more they could do for me. Sounds bad, I know, but wouldn’t it be worse to hog them all for myself? For now, I simply explained the situation to the spirit lords I had contracts with, only redoing contracts for Hydra, Vena, and Arcana.

Once that was done, we went back to Yunaris and saw Phil doing his utmost best to stay awake. How long did we take? I wondered. “Oh, Eric,” he stood up stretched. “I’m done. The daggers you and August made are amazing, but the serrations make it difficult for me to withdraw them after stabbing monsters. Can you remove them?” He pointed at one. So, I did as he asked without thinking about it much.

“Well?” Scadia finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. “What rank did you get?”