A3!: The Pride of the Knights

Chapter 1 - Red Moon

The summer triangle sparkles creating a series of glimmer along the sounds of the cicadas creating a small orchestra only they know how to play under the glowing red moon. Izumi look over to the noise of all the troupe members playing games on the longue from the kitchen. They were celebrating the success of the summer troupe's fifth play and the others decided to play along with the lively atmosphere the said troupe started.

"It's gone so lively now right?" Izumi turn her gaze to her left and saw the company's manager looking at where she looked before with a content smile. "Even I wasn't expecting we'd end up here."

The seemingly happy smile on the director's face soften. Of all people it was Matsukawa who deserved this happiness the most seeing as how patient he had been and didn't let go of the company to the very end, the long silence and emptiness of the dorm must've been very hard but he still manage through.

"You know, although we don't say this. But we're very thankful to you Matsukawa." Izumi, almost in a whisper stated glancing back at the troupe as they emit a series of laughter when Citron once again did something so unexpected. "This scene would have never existed if you didn't send that letter and let go."

The messy haired male look at the director with his eyes wide then was abruptly closed when the male let out a big smile. "That was just me being stubborn." He didn't say anything then and went to the youngsters to play.

"What are you guys talking about?" The clumsy yet cheerful manager asked over to Taichi and Muku who was with the winter troupe and the new member of the troupe who flinched for a sec before immediately sighing in relief upon seeing their manager.

Tsumugi let out his usual sheepish laugh. "Chikage talked about how old this place is and we decided to tell our experiences with the urban legends here for fun."

"Matsukawa you've been here for a while right?" Azuma inquired with his usual airy atmosphere. "What secrets do you have share?"

Everyone turned to look at the manager who let out a laugh. "Are we inquiring about me or the dorm? Just so we're clear."

Azami raised a brow giving the man an indifferent look one that was somewhat similar to Sakyo which made the joke that was about to throw out of Matsukawa's mouth to be swallowed almost letting out a whimper in the process.

"Remember the story about the un opening door?" the smile on Azuma's face stiffen as well as on Hisoka who just woke up upon hearing the mention of the door and the guy decided to scoot a bit closer to the person on his right which happened to be Chikage. He looked at his 'brother' in confusion but did not bother to mention the issue out loud and only realized what the event was when Matsukawa continued. "It took a lot for us to find the Director and Hisoka when they got stuck there, and Hisoka-san had a fever that time too."

The newcomers who didn't seem to understand what that mystery was faced a short yet brief explanation from Matsukawa who seemed very enthusiastic of the topic. It was about a door on the company hat randomly appeared, and people would often get stuck there for a while before the members outside of that certain door find them.

"According to the others, during a red moon, that door becomes a portal to another world."

"Now that..." Itaru who was just being low-key on Chikage's left stopped eyeing his phone. "I want that."

The winter troupe excluding Guy all fell deadly silent, averting their gaze one by one saying nothing.

"Uh- that's cute and all but today is also the red moon is today you know." Banri who was on the dining table eating the curry Izumi made stated as he pointed over to the glowing red moon evident outside the widow.

The entire people inside the dorm look at the window, endowing different reactions. Some excited, some stoic, some scared, and others uninterested, and there's the winter troupe not daring to look.

"Are you guys sure that what happened was just some doors that have an issue with the bolts?" Azami who didn't seem to believe whatever the heck their manager is spouting questioned. Yet Muku looked over as if trying to slowly explain and said. "We were certain. The door was a different pattern than the doors of the company."

"What are we talking about?" This time, it was Izumi who was just out from the bath asked while drying her hair.

"Matsukawa said that the door can be a portal during red moon!" Kumon excitedly exclaimed and started pestering her brother to find the said door. A frown then came to Izumi's face wiping off that smile on her face.

"We got stuck on that door while we were in the training room, but when we left we were in the exact place as the storage room." The astonishment on the others who was not aware of this event risen. "Well. If it does open a portal I wish it would send me a female friend. Seeing as how I'm the only one here and it's getting kinda lonely being the only girl arou-"

Bang!

"Uwahhh!!" Tenma and Taichi simultaneously screamed, clinging over to the nearest person by their side which happned to be Sakyo and Tsuzuru. At the same time of their scream Guy, Hisoka and Chikage's body made a strong reaction and looked up.

"What was that?!" Yuki asked more worried that it'd be a burglar than a "mystery door"

"It's came from the attic!"

The people who dawned the excited look on their faces earlier, Kumon, Muku, Kazunari, and Citron rushed over to the stares to take a look but was quickly pulled back by the others.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of something metallic dropping was then heard in the same place as earlier. And everyone freeze, their gaze focus on the top of their house.

"Guy let go!" Citron complained but the tight grip Guy had on his shoulder didn't let loose. As Sakyo pulled Azami closer to him earning a bit of complains from the young man, the only person outside their range of pull was Izumi who immediately run to the stairs with the attic as her goal.

"Director!" Panicked, Matsukawa and Masumi followed in suit. But with their director on the loose, the others didn't have any choices left but to follow in pursuit of their curious director.

"Oh my god..." Tsumugi who was following closely behind Tasuku saw the mayhem and trailed off.

Izumi at front stop dead on her tracks and look at the un-opening door slowly closing, the black world on the other side of the door slowly got lost on their sight and with a loud "Thud" the door closes.

"N-no!" A familiar voice so weak made its way to everyone's ears and slowly looked down to find a figure on the floor that made everyone freeze on spot. Their eyes switched from Izumi to the figure below and to the director again.

"What I said earlier..."Izumi trailed off looking at the winged person, whose body clad in shattered armor was covered in red, bruises and scars forming on its body and its consciousness slowly fading falling on the ground with a light slump. Her gaze then fell to the sword beside the person, probably what created that metallic sound earlier. "Can I still take it back?"

Azami, the first one to probably pull back his composure look at the figure and said. "You asked for a female friend. Not another Izumi."

The unconscious figure lying down was a demon. Bat-like wings, claws sharp as knife, long tail with the tip shaped like spades... but worn the same face as the company's director.

"What the fuck?"