Jack went to Y/n's residence to make sure they were awake. He opened the door to Y/n doing yoga with Grim on her feet.
"Woah..." He let out.
"Oh. Hi Jackie."
She jumped back on her feet and catching Grim in the process.
"What are you doin' in our dorm?" The little fur ball asked.
"Just wanted to make sure you were ready and you seem fine so I'll see ya at the tournament grounds." He left with some pink hue on his cheeks.
He prepared himself too for the coliseum.
There, some fish mafiosos were discussing.
"Hm, excellent attendance again this year. I'll have to check how the kiosks are doing. After all, now that I'm the head of the planning committee, we can't have merchants underreporting their sales, now can we?" Azul Ashengrotto.
"Housewarden, everything's ready at the coliseum. The players will begin arriving in ten minutes." Jade Leech.
"Jade, Floyd, excellent work."
"Hey, Azul, what's the deal? Why do you have the players' procession starting at the east building this year? The paths are so clogged with attendees that it'll be real hard for the players to get through 'em!" Floyd Leech.
"That was a special request from a certain client. I'm not privy to ALL the particulars."
"Ah, I understand. So this is related to that magic-boosting potion you were making yesterday." Jade confirmed.
"Wait, you understand WHAT? What does rerouting the players have to do with magic potions?" Floyd was intrigued.
"Shhh. Someone might hear us. Lower your voices." Jade shushed him.
"Ooh! Is something shady about to go down?"
"That potion is only going to last for about thirty seconds. What could he possibly be plotting, I wonder?" Azul smirked.
"Azul, you needn't feign ignorance. You know exactly what he's planning, don't you?" Jade had his smile.
"Do I? I wonder! Heh heh heh."
Floyd looked like he wanted to hear more but his attention has been taken elsewhere when somebody shouted his name.
"Floyd!"
He turned just in time to catch the H/c who jumped in his arms, making him smile "Angelfish!" He spun them as they both laughed.
"Angelfish?" Azul raised an eyebrow.
"Some things may have happened when you weren't there." Jade had an amused smile.
Azul cleared his throat "Floyd, we have to go see how the concession sales are going."
Floyd didn't even look at him.
"Floyd!"
He frowned at Azul "What? Can't ya do that without me?"
Jade stopped them before it could escalate "Now now, Y/n must have something to do too. Let's go with Azul for now then you two can play together later."
Floyd pouted but released his grip a little. Y/n took this as an opportunity and kissed his cheek, destabilizing him and slipping out of his hold.
"Aw come back~ I want another one!"
He giggled as he left "Next time!"
Jade only chuckled as Azul shook his head.
Y/n met back with their trio as they were scavenging the food stands.
"Y/n, Grim, not now. We have an important job to do." Deuce called them.
They already had corn dogs in their mouths.
Ace sneered "Too late. Let's just get to it."
The players should be reaching' the stadium soon. Last year's champion will be up first—that's Diasomnia.
Ruggie was ready but Y/n was too.
PA System "*ahem*... Welcome, one and all, to the Night Raven College interdorm Spelldrive tournament! Thank you for your patience. The players will be entering the stadium momentarily!"The Audience "WOOOOOHOOOOO!"PA System "First up will be last year's champion. But can lightning really strike thrice? Give it up for the Reigning Light... DIIIIIAAAAASOOOOOMNIIIIIAAAAA!"The Audience "WOOOOOOOOO!"
Ruggie "Ooh, what a crowd! It should be plenty large enough... Shishishi! First, to drink Azul's potion... Urk?! Blech! What IS this?! It's awful! It's like...stew someone aged in gym sock. Urgh... Okay, get it together, Ruggie. Let's go. Time to fire off my signature spell... Let's send the audience running like a stampede of wildebeests! Okay, folks... "Laugh With Me!""
Suddenly, there was a whole bunch of people charging at the players!"Wh-whaaaaa?! My body, I can't control— Ah! Out of the way! Out of the way!" "EEEEEK! Don't push me!" "Run! Before you get crushed!" "AAAAAAAAAH!"PA System "What?! What's happening?! Spectators are converging in some sort of reckless stampede! Everyone please, calm down! I beg of you!"The audience members were still screaming and panicking "WAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Whoa... Azul's potion is insane! Look at how many people I can control at once!" He panted. "*pant* I don't know how many more... *pant* ...I can handle, but this...should be enough! Let's see what you do now! Surely you wouldn't use magic against civilians? You're the Prince of the Fae, Malleus. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't dare! So get squashed instead! Shyeheehee!"
PA System "The rush of stampeding spectators is headed right for the Diasomnia players...! Everyone, run away! Please, run awaaaay!"
A silver haired boy and a green haired boy tried to protect Malleus but were crushed too.
In Savanaclaw's spelldrive stadium.
"*Pant*... *Pant*... Leona, I did it! Did you see the broadcast?"
"Yeah. That was nice work, Ruggie. So long, Malleus. This year, the throne is mine."
"Long live the king! Shishishi!"
The Savanaclaw Students cheered "Long live the king! Hooray!"
"I believe we've heard enough." Riddle made them freeze. He was with Ace, Deuce, Grim and Jack.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Heartslabyul kids. And is that Jack?You transfer to Heartslabyul on us, frosh?"
"Nah. I just don't feel like celebrating the underhanded accomplishments of a bunch of cowards."
"You filthy traitor!" Leona scowled at him.
"You have tarnished a proud Night Raven tradition. As housewarden of Heartslabyul, a dorm focused on orderliness, I cannot possibly overlook this."
"Listen, kiddies—save your heroic speeches for someone who cares, all right?" Leona was uninterested.
"Honestly, coming into our territory with only a handful of people... It's like you WANT a beating." Ruggie commented."
You want us to take care of 'em, Boss?" The students asked Leona.
"Sure. Have a little fun with 'em."
Before they could take two steps forward though, they've all been shocked by lightning, leaving them on their knees.
"What the-"
"Sorry, I'm late~"
Y/n arrived, making Ruggie take a step backward and Leona glared at them "You!"
She had magic circles around her hands.
"T-This doesn't change the fact that they were too late to save Diasomnia."
"Really?" Y/n quirked an eyebrow.
"That's quite the interesting claim." Lilia went next to him.
"They seemed right on time to me." Sebek said.
"Indeed. It's thanks to them that not a single one of Diasomnia House's players got hurt." Silver added.
"What? How?! I saw you get swallowed up by the stampede!"
Y/n smirked "That was mine and Cater's doing."
"Those were actually duplicates of me, made with my signature Split Card spell."
"And I used illusion magic to make them look like Diasomnia students." They explained as they made the circles as well as the illusions disappear.
"Riddle and Y/n told us everything. So we had them put on that little charade for us." Lilia said as he placed a hand on Y/n's shoulder.
"So, then... Malleus?" Ruggie sweat.
"Oh, he's in top-top shape, of course! He's been clearing up the chaos, using his magic to guide all the people safely back to the coliseum. You can thank him later." Sebek said.
"H-how could this happen?!"
"...Tch. Whatever. I don't even care anymore."
"What?" Ruggie asked what Y/n thought.
"I'm done. It's over."
"Boss, what are you saying?!" Ruggie was in a panic.
"Are you even payin' attention? If Malleus is able to take the field then we got no chance of winning. There's no point even trying. I'm out."
'The f*uck?'
"Y-you can't just...! Malleus might still be in the game, but we took out all the other dorms' best players, right? But without you on the field, I don't even know if we'd have a shot at the top three! You're just going to abandon our dreams?" Ruggie tried to reason with him.
"For all the talk about "the world watching," this is still just schoolkids playin' a game. All you wide-eyed tenderfoots talkin' about your dreams... Pfft. The whole thing amused me, so I threw you a bone. That's all this was."
'What a d*ck!'
"What do you mean? What happened to working together to "turn the world upside down"?"
"Are you seriously still goin' on about that? Alright, fine. You wanna hear the truth? You're a hyena who grew up in a dump, and I'm a second born prince who won't ever be king. And there is NO turning that around!"
'Don't push your issues on other people.'
"What? You gotta be kidding me! What is this? You can't just quit after we've come this far!"
The Savanaclaw Students agreed "You can't do this to us, Boss!" "You're gonna play, even if we gotta drag you out there kicking and screaming!"
"Bah, I'm so sick of this nonsense. Shut UP, you nobodies!"
He yelled as the air around started becoming dry.
Y/n's pov
"Is this Leona's magic?" I asked.
"Everything he's touching is turning to sand!" Jack exclaimed.
"That'd be my signature spell. "The King's Roar." Ironic, isn't it? Nothin' the savanna hates more than a drought. Yet its prince's magic desiccates everything—reduces it to sand."
"B-boss... It huuurts...!" He had grabbed Ruggie's arms and the skin started cracking.
I reacted immediately"Raphael!"
The chain caught Leona's hand and I yanked it, making him let go of Ruggie and glare at me.
Jack profited "Unleash the beast!" He transformed into a wolf and hurried to carry Ruggie out of harm's way as Leona was too focused on me.
Leona tried to get the chain off and used his unique magic but it didn't work "This is above you, you can't just break it."
Leona was so pissed but wasn't concentrated enough as Riddle used "Off with your head" on him. As he got collared, I unsummoned Raphael but he was still mad.
"No... NO! You can't collar a lion! And Jack! How did you... Transformation potions are forbidden! Where did you get that?"
"I didn't use a potion—that's my signature spell. With it I can transform myself into a wolf."
"Ha! What's that saying? Every dog has his day? Well I guess you had yours!"
"Housewarden Leona, I want you to know... I only came to this school because of how much I admired you! What happened to the man you used to be?"
"Shut up... Your dreams got nothin' to do with me!"
Riddle sighed "I understand the irony of me being the one to say it, but it pains me to see you like this. You'd be wise to confine yourself to your room and try to calm down!"
"What do you know about how I feel?!"
"Personally, I know you're being more of a pussy than a lion~"
Leona glared at me so intensely but I didn't flinch "Are you even aware of your actions? Just look around you, you messed up big time, kitty. I don't see king material in you."
Lilia was still next to me "I can't help but agree. You may bemoan the fact that you're not higher in line to be king. But with that sensitive ego of yours?That so quickly directs all your petty anger at your retainers... Well, the idea of you ever contending with a REAL king like our Malleus—is absolutely laughable. Even if you COULD defeat Malleus, so long as that's how you choose to conduct yourself? You would never be fit to rule!"
"Hah... Ha ha. Yeah, you're probably right. No, you're EXACTLY right...! Ha ha ha ha! I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!"
"Uh-Oh, I know this energy.... He's gonna overblot! Everybody down!"
I grabbed Lilia with me since he was the closest.
Riddle's collar flew off. "I've been loathed since the day I was born. I've never had a place, never had a future! None of my hard work is ever rewarded! How could any of YOU possibly understand? MY disappointment?! MY pain?! AAAAAAAAAH!"
"Okay." I looked at Lilia "I guess we did taunt him-"
I was interrupted by "GRRRRRAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!"
I didn't have time to comprehend what happened as my body has been crashed into by an incredible force. I was sent launching in the air before crashing down to the ground and creating a huge crater beneath me. I heard gasps but I wasn't really well to react.