- Companions or Competitors? -

Whatever Charlotte had said to Kaiser, she surely had provoked Kaiser.

But before Kaiser could do anything, a pink light suddenly showed appeared, distracting all of them as all their eyes were now on that pink light which turned out to be something round like ball with ears like rabbit.

It was Bong Bong!

And Endorsi was riding on it!

She appeared right before Bam!

"ENDORSI?!" Bam was shocked.

Endorsi greeted him with a grin.

"Long time no see, but what's that goofy look on your face?" She asked him. "Bam!"

"That girl....." Khun didn't expect Endorsi to show herself right here and right now while Xia Xia looked happy to see the princess.

Endorsi turned around to look at Charlotte. Even though Charlotte had expected her to come, but still, when she saw Endorsi, she felt that she can't say anything. Her golden eyes looked at her through the holes of the eyes of the white smiling mask.

She smiled and walked towards her before stopping.

"Why are you wearing that ugly mask?" Endorsi asked as she began to take off the mask. "It doesn't suit with you."

"Ah...."

Endorsi smiled even wider. In her eyes, Charlotte was indeed a child. She turned around and looked at Kaiser.

"Look, Kaiser. I told you not to fight anyone else until you lose to me" said Endorsi. Behind, Xia Xia was pulling Khun with her to get close to Endorsi and Bam followed them. "You shouldn't disobey me like this--"

"Endorsi Zahard....do you two......know each other?" Kaiser asked.

"Well-- that doesn't really explain it" Endorsi answered. She bravely before Kaiser wrapped her arm around Bam while preparing the Bong Bong. "Because we're actually a couple! And the Nox you are attacking is my boyfriend's twin! I'm going to take the two of them with me since he's mine!

Thanks, since you requested a match yourself, we managed to get our hands on the only guy in this station who could fight you!"

After hearing Endorsi's words, Kaiser figured out that turned out, this was all their plan and she had fallen right on the pit that they have prepared.

After hearing Endorsi's words, Charlotte didn't hesitate to hit her forehead with her fan. Thanks to her memories that were going to fade, she forgot the main reason why it should be Bam who fight against Kaiser.

"Tomorrow night at eight. Wait for us in the gallery" Endorsi challenged. "Let's do this properly one more time. If I lose, I will give you these two as the prize!"

"What-?!" Charlotte could hear Khun's voice asking Endorsi about what she had just said to Kaiser.

And just like him, she was also surprised and also sweated dropped.

'Are you going to make me as the prize? What about my opinion?'

"But I will never lose just like the last time" Endorsi added again. "So tell the Ten Bosses or whatever to stand by or whatever you want.

WELL, SEE YOU TOMORROW, KAISER!!"

They had left the place.

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Named Residence

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With the Bong Bong, all of them had arrived in the Named Residence where they found Hatz and Shibisu waiting for them.

And not only there were the two of them, Charlotte could also find the White Chocolate sitting comfortably in the sofa. Raisin, Celeste and Estrella were watching Altaira and Noah who were playing cards as if they were having an intense fight.

'No wonder I couldn't find them. They have arrived this place earlier with Raisin guiding them.'

Compared to the last time they used Bong Bong in the Workshop Battle, this time was better. Charlotte landed on the ground with both of her feet.

"You've come!!" said Shibisu with a loud tone and a wide, friendly smile. "Guys!!

Bam!! Khun!! Charlotte!! How long has it been? Still, I didn't expect to see you so soon!!"

"Isu......!"

"I thought we would at least meet after the train had ended!! I'm so happy to see you!!"

Khun clenched his fists, "Isu....you...."

How could he possibly smile like that as if he didn't use them to lure out the Kaiser?

In anger, he began to chase his old friend.

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!!!!"

"AAAHHHH!!!"

Khun did what he promised to Shibisu. He promised that he will beat him up and there he was, beating up Shibisu until his face was swollen.

Bam and Charlotte tried to save Shibisu who was going to be beaten up to death by Khun which actually worked.

Now, Khun sat on a chair while the others sat on the sofa, facing him. Charlotte who sat next to Shibisu who got some bruises with him and his face was swollen chose to fan him instead of herself. She felt bad for Shibisu but there was nothing much she could do but to fan his pain away.

"So......Endorsi fell into Kaiser's trap and got her name stolen, and you used Viole and Nox to get Endorsi and Kaiser to have second battle?" Khun asked the mastermind from this great plan, Shibisu.

"Well...basically. Although we didn't know whether Kaiser would accept the fight....but we have our ways even if Kaiser doesn't accept it. If we force our way in there with Viole and Nox along with the no- named at the head, the Ten Bosses would ultimately have no choice but to come up. Even if we wouldn't be able to get all the Ten Bosses, Nox could fight Kaiser and give the name to Endorsi" Shibisu confidently explained.

"So in another word, you are plotting some kind of revolution?" Charlotte asked.

"Correct" Shibisu answered and praised her.

When his hand was about to pat Charlotte right on the head, a knife was thrown swiftly in the middle of them and stuck right on the wall behind them.

"......."

The culprit was none other than Khun Aguero Agnes himself. He did that before Bam could pull Charlotte backward from Shibisu.

"Keep your hands to yourself" Khun threatened him. "Have you ever thought what kind of consequences this will have? Viole and Nox reappearing at a station related to the ten families..."

"I know" said Shibisu who coughed and cleared his throat, trying to ignore what had just happened earlier. "It will definitely be an issue. We really feel bad about that too. But...."

"Excuse me~ it feels like this turning into a long story, could I take away Bam?" Endorsi asked.

"You want to take brother away?" Charlotte looked surprised as she turned around to look at Endorsi. "I thought you will be taking me instead."

Endorsi propped her cheek and asked Charlotte back, "Why do you think I'll be taking you?"

"Because the one who Kaiser challenges is me" Charlotte answered earnestly with an innocent expression. "So I thought you will be trying to convince me to be helping you."

Endorsi just smiled at Charlotte even wider. She leaned forward and asked, "Then will you be helping me?"

"Um..."

Charlotte pondered about it carefully and unconsciously glanced at Khun who was currently staring at her. She looked back at Endorsi.

The reason why they were here was because they needed Kaiser's name to go to the Floor of Death. Bam wanted to chase Rachel and the others were currently following him. Even though Charlotte knew the ending of this Name Hunt Station, she still can't freely speak.

If she mentioned that she wanted to help Endorsi, then what about Rachel? Bam would have thought that she did not care about Rachel at all and that would hurt his feelings. But she also wanted to help Endorsi very bad. What should she answer?

"I.....whatever decision brother makes, I will follow him" Charlotte answered.

Endorsi leaned backward. She wasn't surprised to hear Charlotte saying those words.

"So that's why I have to take your brother with me. Besides, a child doesn't have to know what adults are doing. Just stay here with the others."

"I'm not a child anymore...."

Endorsi looked back at Khun and added, "Well, we'll be leaving now."

"No" Khun disagreed. He can't let Bam go with this Endorsi. "How could I leave Bam with a dangerous woman like you? This is all because you fell into Kaiser's trap to begin with. At least show some remorse."

"Shut up!" said the irked Endorsi as she hit Khun's head. "What's the big deal with me taking him away?!"

"......"

There was a bruise right on Khun's head.

If it was someone else, Charlotte would have laughed. But the one who just had to get hit was Khun and if she laughed, she will surely end up as the wall that cracked behind her. She looked away and covered her lower face with her fan.

"I thought you would be depressing after losing to Kaiser....but you still do as you please, princess" said Khun with his arms crossed. "With that kind of personality of yours, this kind of stuff will keep happening. Try to be careful....

There have been more cases than you think of princesses from normal families getting killed unnoticed. Since a princess from a new family becoming a ranker means a new power will soon be born, there are tons of guys who will try to get rid of them because they don't want to see that happen."

".....I know. But that's why Endorsi must get her name back from Kaiser. If people find out about this, the families will order her to step down from the position as a princess. Leaving her position as a princess basically means death....you know it right?" Shibisu asked back.

"I know. Her fate has been decided the moment she inherited Zahard's blood. But things are a bit complicated this time. I would like to help her if it's possible, but actually....we also need Kaiser's name."

".....what?!" Shibisu was taken back.

"We got on the Hell Train and met Rachel, and we found out that she's on her way to the Floor of Death. We have to get Kaiser's name and return to the train to go after Rachel. So right now, we're not companions-- but competitors."

"WE.....WE ARE RIVALS?!"

"Yeah....since both of us need Kaiser's name. We are rivals competing over the name" said Khun again. "We won't yield, even if you ask. We cannot go after Rachel if we don't get Kaiser's name. Now I'm starting to see why Princess Yuri sent us here."

Hearing Khun's words, Charlotte began to wonder whether Yuri knew that Shibisu and the others were here and the real challenge was to choose to follow Bam's light or to help their friends and give up. Yuri had met with Shibisu, Anaak and Endorsi once in the Test Floor, she can't easily forget Bam's friends right?

'So is this her intention?'

"You must be kidding, Khun.....? Endorsi can die if she does not get Kaiser's name" said Shibisu.

"I know, it's a shame, but you guys asked for this trouble yourselves."

"I mean, I guess so....but can you please give it a second thought?"

"No."

"Khun, please."

"You wanted to use Charlotte's name, Isu? Well, that's too bad" said Khun with a grin.

It was because if they refused to help them, their efforts will only be helping Bam and the others instead.

Shibisu gritted his teeth, "You! Seriously!!"

Charlotte could see how desperate Shibisu was. Sadly, unlike her, Khun wasn't that merciful. And the fact that she should turn blind eye on Endorsi's problem to follow her brother, was it a right thing to do?

Let's assume that she didn't know about the ending for this part. If she was told to choose between her brother who was foolishly chasing someone who kept hurting him or to save one of the friends that she cherished, who should she choose? At the end, no matter which side she choose, she will still be a traitor.

One could see that she was bothered by this matter. She had to ignore Endorsi's troubles to follow her brother.

The White Chocolate was however chill and cool, as if this matter had nothing to do with them. It was not completely wrong though, since they will just follow whatever decisions that the others made.

"Now, I'm done talking" said Khun as he stood up from his seat. "As rivals, let's have a fair competition."

"Hey!!"

"Let's go, Charlotte."

Charlotte stood up and followed Khun when her name was being called.

"Khun!" Shibisu called. "Come back, please! I was wrong to mess with you, Bam and Charlotte!! I'll give you the wig and mask!!"

"Where do you think you are going?" Hatz who stood near the door asked. He then pulled out his sword. "....the fair competition. Did it not just start? If you want to leave here, you have to defeat us first."

"...."

Charlotte who looked at Khun could tell that his expression was getting even darker than before.

This won't end well.