-3rd POV-
"Such incredible power. Is this the Crystal Titan?" Jamil said, shocked.
"Where is Jupiter?! I shall freeze theeem!" The titan said.
"Tch...This is turning into a battle of attrition. Fall back and regroup!" Leona said, glaring at the giant Phantom and used his pen, "King's Roar!"
"That was amazing...All the ice turned to sand!" The black haired male said.
"Hey. I don't blame you for being awestruck, but there's no time to stare in admiration. Come on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Shoto nodded, before the three ran passed the titan and to the hangar. They opened the door and went in.
"Okay, we made it to the hangar. Considering all the serious business that goes on here, I figured they'd have sturdier doors, but..." The lion male trailed off, hearing the stomps of the Phantom.
"Come ooouuut!" They yelled, frost and ice building up on the door.
"The big door's freezing over. It's only a matter of time before the Titan busts it open!" The Scarabia male exclaimed.
"We don't stand a chance against that monster in a straight fight. The herbivore and I will hold the door. Find the Thunder Spear and report back to me! We'll need it to beat that thing!" Leona said, as he stood a few feet from the door.
"Yes, sir!"
The dual haired male stood by the lion male, activating his fire side, "It's Shoto!"
Jamil ran off further into the room, looking around, "Rack B-16..." He muttered, before finding it, "There, that must be it!" He opened the doors and his eyes widen, "You call this a spear?! It's bigger than I am! How am I supposed to use this thing? Wait, they said the navi system would tell us how to use it if we got it working. I'll just insert the activation key like so..." He trailed off, grabbing the key from his pocket and inserting it.
"Code: Titanomachia. Critical outbreak of level A emergency recognized. All technomantic circuits released. Charge level at 100%. Activating Thunder Spear."
The spear started to glow and electricity that was harmless surrounded it.
"Please register user's fingerprints. Place your hand on the panel." It said, showing the panel.
"Okay, hand on the panel...Wait, wait. I shouldn't register myself...I'd never be able to control the massive amount of magic surging from this spear!"
"Please register user's fingerprints. Place your hand on the panel. Please register user's fingerprints." It repeated.
"Argh! I better get Leona-senpai!" He said, running to the male.
"Freeze! Freeze it all! Urghaaa!" The titan yelled, trying to break down the door.
"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. Quit your grumblin' already!" Leona said, sending magic to hold off the Phantom.
"Leona-senpai! I found the Thunder Spear!" The black haired male exclaimed.
"About time you got back. Let's get the spear. Lead the way. We got you covered, so just keep running and don't look back!"
"Yes, sir!"
The three ran towards where the spear kept glowing.
"That glowing thing is the Thunder Spear!"
"Please register user's fingerprints. Please register user's fingerprints."
The lion male smirked, "Heh. Looks like this time a certain good boy managed to keep his hand outta the cookie jar."
Jamil let out a small sigh, "...Yes. You told me to find it and report back."
"Good."
"Please register user's fingerprints. Please register user's fingerprints."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. You don't gotta squawk like a hornbill." He said, looking at the glowing panel, "I just gotta touch the panel, right?" He raised his hand and put it on the panel as it registered.
"User registration complete. Safety lock released. Activating targeting support mode."
He grabbed ahold of the spear and his muscles constricted, trying to pull the large weapon up, "Geez, talk about powerful...Not to mention heavy. I can barely hold it up." He used his magic to lift it, "Why'd they gotta make this thing so much work? Don't tell me the Styx guys can just swing this around like it's nothin'?"
'No way...Even Leona-senpai's struggling? If I'd registered myself...' Jamil's thoughts trailed off as the door suddenly busted open.
"Raaagh! Where are yooouuu?!"
"Sounds like it caught up." Leona's brows furrowed, "Okay, listen up. We're gonna take that monster down a peg. It's gonna take me a minute to get the hang of this thing. Buy me some time 'til I get it all aimed up."
"Yes, sir!" The two said.
-----
"I don't appreciate..." Leona began as he aimed the spear at the titan. The other had jumped away so they didn't get hit, "...all this work!" He finished, as the spear glowed brighter and sent a beam.
"Aaawrgh!" The titan yelled, as it was thrown back and down the pit.
"Yes! The Titan fell into the pit!" Jamil said.
"Whew...That guy totally sucked. Now I got all this frost on my tail." The lion male said, looking down at his tail that swayed.
"Thunder Spear battery low. 10% charge remaining. Please place in charging station."
He looked at the spear with a small glare, "That's all it took to drain this thing?"
"It makes sense, considering how potent the shot was..." Shoto said.
"Tch. What a pain. There's no telling what else is waitin' for us, so I guess we gotta charge it now. C'mon." He said, walking off with the spear and putting it on the charging station, "Okay, three hours 'til full charge. That works out well. We've got emergency rations, so let's take a little break." He sat down on a chair, leaning back.
"...Yes, sir." Jamil nodded.
The dual haired male nodded, sitting down across from the male, closing his eyes, feeling his body relax.
-----
"Thunder Spear fully charged. All technomantic circuits operating as normal."
"Hey Leona-senpai, it's done charging." Jamil called out, before looking at the said male, "...Leona-senpai?"
Shoto and the Scarabia male stared at the male with dotted eyes. Leona was asleep, snoring softly.
"You're seriously sleeping?! In the middle of all this?!"
"Leona-senpai, wake up." The girl's twin said.
Leona yawned, opening his eyes, revealing his green eyes, "Is it charged?"
"Hai. I also gathered some food and first aid supplies that were stored here. We're ready to go when you are." The black haired male said.
"Hey. I said to take a break." He said, noticing that he was just pacing around, "The herbivore got the idea."
"But we might get into another bad fight soon. I couldn't relax knowing that. The next supply station is in sector eight. I was concerned we might not last until then."
"Okay, whatever. If that's what you wanna do, knock yourself out." He got up from his seat, walking towards the door, "C'mon, let's get moving."
The two nodded and followed after him.
-----
Azul huffed, "What is that giant lava monster?!"
"It must be one of the original Phantoms—the Magma Titan!" Riddle said, seeing it slowly come closer to them.
"Where is Jupiteeerrr?! Graaah!" The titan yelled.
"Our magic won't even put a dent in that thing. Where's the Thunder Spear when you need it?!" The gray haired male said.
"The hangar should be close by! Run for it, Azul!" The red haired male said, running with the other male. They then saw the door, "There's the hangar!" He opened it and they went in, huffing and panting from the run. He pulled away from the door, wincing, "Ow, that's hot! The magma covering the Titan is heating the door!"
The door hissed as it glowed brightly from the heat.
"That door will melt if we don't do something." Azul grabbed his pen, creating an ice barrier, "I'll create an ice barricade! You go find the Thunder Spear!"
"All right. I'll be back!" He said, running further into the room. He looked around and saw it, "A giant magestone spear...Is this it?" His eyes widen at the massive size since it towered over him, "Gosh, it's huge...It's giving off a suffocating amount of magic, when it's not even activated. I don't know if I can handle this."
The titan hit the door, which made heat seep into the room and made it hot.
The Octavinelle male created another ice barrier, but it would only melt, "Hurry it up, Riddle-san! The door's so hot it's melting my barricade as soon as I summon it!"
"No time to hesitate. I'm doing this!" The red haired male grabbed the key and activated the spear.
"Code: Titanomachia. Critical outbreak of level A emergency recognized. All technomantic circuits released. Charge level at 100%. Activating Thunder Spear."
Once it activated, the teen couldn't help but be thrown back a bit, "Agh, it's so powerful it's practically blowing me back...!"
"Please register user's fingerprints. Place your hand on the panel."
"Here goes!" He said, placing his hand on the panel as it registered.
"User registration complete. Safety lock released. Activating targeting support mode."
"The magic emanating from the spear tip is going haywire...Come on, now! Do as I say!" He said, trying to handle the powerful spear. He could only huff as he struggled, "Such power and weight...This is too much for me to handle alone." He looked at the other male, "Azul! Help me out here!"
"Certainly. As I said, my arms are quite—hrk!" He cut himself off and his eyes widen at the weight of the spear, "So...heavy! Who was this thing even built for?!"
The titan fully melted the door and ice.
"The door's down! The Titan's coming in!"
"Azul, keep the spear steady. I'll aim it!"
"I've got you covered!"
-----
"You're mine!" Riddle yelled out, as the spear glowed and hit the titan.
"Gwaaargh!" The titan yelled as it was thrown back and into the pit.
The two teens panted, sitting up on the floor, since the power and weight of the spear threw them off their balance.
"Did we win...?" The red haired male said, looking at the now empty room.
"I mean, we just knocked it into the pit...right?" Azul said.
"We...We did it!" He cheered, "This is incredible! We triumphed over one of the original Phantoms!"
The male laughed, "We actually did it, Riddle-san!"
The two then got close and high-fived while laughing happily.
"Thunder Spear battery low. 10% charge remaining. Please place in charging station."
The two eyes widen, before stepping away from each other, "...Erk."
Riddle cleared his throat, "Ahem...Looks like all it takes is just one shot to drain the spear."
"Well, considering how powerful it is, I would say that makes sense." Azul said.
"There's a chance we could encounter other formidable Phantoms. I think charging it now is our safest play."
They carried the spear to its charging station and put it.
"What's the recharge time..." The red haired male trailed off and his eyes widen along with the other, "Three hours?! Why does it take so long?! We're on a time crunch here!"
The gray haired male sighed, "Well, yelling won't make it go faster. And this hangar does have emergency rations...I doubt any of them are good, but why don't we take a break and have something to eat?"
-----
"Thunder Spear fully charged. All technomantic circuits operating as normal."
Riddle looked at the spear, blinking away the sleepiness, "Mm? Is it done charging?"
"I believe so." Azul said, looking at it, then at the teen, "I'm impressed you were able to sleep, Riddle-san."
"It's well past my bedtime. I guess the rations made full enough to get sleepy..." He yawned as he stretched "Did you stay up and keep watch the whole time?"
"Octopuses are sensitive and wary by nature. I could hardly fall asleep in a place like this." He softly sighed.
"Ah, well, at least I got good rest."
"I'm also impressed by your audacity..."
"We'll have to pick up the pace to compensate for the break we took." Riddle got up, "Let's get going." He said, as the two headed towards the now melted door.
-----
"Thunder Spear set to energy-saving mode. Reactivate with user's fingerprints, voice recognition, or a charge of magical energy."
"Oh, good. The spear was giving off so much energy that it was tricky to control with my levitation magic...But it's much easier now in energy-saving mode." Vil used his magic, which lifted the spear, "There we go!"
"Oh, Vil-san, let me carry the spear for you. I'm used to hauling stuff around with magic. I do it all the time back home." Epel said.
The said male looked at him, "My, now you're volunteering to carry my things? What brought about this change of heart?"
"I wasn't that useful when we fought the Titan." He pouted, "So I figured a little heavy lifting was the least I could do..."
The two upperclassmen eyes widen at his claim.
"Hmph. I'm insulted. You seriously think a little lifting would tire me out?" The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"Ah, that's not what I meant...I just think you should converse your magic as much as you can, for when we really need it! I wasn't as useful in battle as you, Rook-san and (Y/n). So, y'know...I just wanted to help out in other ways."
(Y/n) smiled softly at him, "You can count on him." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Normally you're the first to the rush to the fore, despite my objections. Why the sudden crisis of confidence?" Vil said.
Rook chuckled, "He's recognizing his weaknesses. That's proof he's growing stronger. But Monsieur Pommette, you need not fret so. You're already doing your part perfectly well."
"Rook's right. The last thing I need is for you to push yourself now, then pass out at an inopportune time later."
"Grk...Yes, sir." The lilac haired male nodded.
"Nonetheless, whenever I see Vil schlepping around heavy luggage...I, too, get the urge to carry it for him! When we first enrolled, people would volunteer in droves to carry his bags when they heard he was going shopping at the school store or in town. And it wasn't just Pomefiore students. Sometimes people from other dorms would join them! Wherever Vil goes, a crowd follows, I suppose." The hunter said.
"Please. Those people were just curious about a celebrity on campus. Most of them tired of it within a few months." Vil said, frowning.
"I wouldn't say that. I'd argue that few of them could keep up with your strict self-discipline."
"Ooh, is that how you two met? Did you carry Vil-san's things, Rook-san?" Epel questioned.
Their housewarden eyes widen, "Hardly! Rook first approached me well after the startstuck potatoes had gone their merry way. Nowadays I turn down most plays and film gigs with long commitments so I can focus on school...But in my freshman year, I kept up several jobs that I'd committed to prior to enrolling. One day, I was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, reading a script for my next play, when out of nowhere—" He was cut off by a screech.
Everyone's eyes widen, seeing Phantoms in front of them.
"Phantoms! And they're clearly larger than the ones we've encountered before." Rook said, pen already in hand.
The dual haired girl had her fire ready.
-----
The Phantom screeched before it melted.
"Good thing we rested up in the hangar." Rook said.
Vil nodded, "Definitely. That would've gone a lot worse if we'd run into them fresh off our battle with the Titan."
Epel stomped his foot like a child, "Augh! Why does something always interrupt us whenever you guys talk about how you met?!"
(Y/n) nodded with a small pout, "The story was getting interesting." She said.
"Are the Phantoms boring you, Epel? (Y/n)?" The hunter smiled.
"It's not that. I'm just curious to know more about my dorm's housewarden and vice-housewarden, I guess." The lilac haired male said.
"As I recall, I came up to Vil and spoke to him while he was reading in the courtyard. He looked positively picturesque sat upon that bench, set against the backdrop of a sunny afternoon. I was so terribly nervous."
"Liar. You didn't show a hint of nervousness. Oh, I'll never forget our first conversations..." The Pomefiore hoursewarden said, recalling the memory, ""Hi there! I caught your show the other day. I've seen you perform many a time, but you hadn't really stood out to me before. The way you played the villain this time, though? Sublime! There are precious few actors who could pull off such a cold, tyrannical, tantrum-prone fiend so convincingly!" And that was how Rook and I met."
"Whoa..." Epel said.
The girl blinked, "He could've just said you were great and stopped there..."
"Oh la la...To me, it was the highest of compliments." Rook said.
"Even if it was, you speak your mind far too freely. At the time, all I could think was, "Where does this guy get off?"" Vil said.
"Can't blame you there..." The lilac haired male trailed off.
"From then onward, Rook would come up and talk to me even when I didn't engage him at all. He'd share his completely unsolicited opinions on my performances, then go on his way. Both his positive impressions and negative ones. At first, I thought he was no more than an armchair critic, trying to tell an actor how to do their job. But over time, I realized that his observations were oddly perceptive."
""Hey! I saw that musical you just starred in. Your expression in the final scene when you realized your love wasn't to be? Wonderful."" He continued, recalling a different conversation, ""Hi again! You seemed right at home in your last play, but not so much in this one. Anything the matter?""
"He'd highlight all the parts of my performance I was quite happy with. And then when I did as the director asked, but wasn't happy with the result...He'd zero in on those moments as well. "Were you satisfied with your final scene? It didn't seem like you were." At one point I just went ahead and asked him—"How would you have performed that scene?" And then..." He deadpanned, "He went on for five hours straight."
The two first-years reeled back in shock, "Five hours?!" They exclaimed.
"What a rewarding discussion that was." Rook happily said, as he enjoyed the memory, "We touched upon not just Vil's acting, but works of media we'd both seen, theatrical productions, scripts...The next thing I knew, it was well past my dorm's curfew. I had to sneak back in."
"Before then, I was fully convinced that no one my age knew as much about theater and art as I did. But Rook quickly disabused me of that notion with his breadth of knowledge. Frankly, I couldn't keep up with half of what he said, much to my chagrin." Vil said.
"The difference between you and me is that I simply had more free time when I was a child."
"After that, I started meeting with Rook in the courtyard regularly after school."
"I remember this one time it was snowing, and our conversation grew so heated we both came down with colds."
Epel laughed, "Wow, I guess even you two acted like silly kids once." He then tilted his head, "Why'd you stay outside when it was snowing, anyway?"
(Y/n) nodded, "You're in the same dorm. You could've just talked inside." She said.
"Actually, I was still in Savanaclaw back then." The hunter smiled, revealing an important fact about himself.
"Oh, neat, you were in Savanaclaw..." The lilac haired male's eyes widen, "Wait, what?!" He exclaimed loudly.
"You were in Savanaclaw?!" The dual haired girl said, shocked by the new information she just received.
"Well, you see..." Rook trailed off, before spotting something, "Ah! Look there. We're coming up on the next containment facility."
"You're right. Let's pause the chitchat for now, shall we?" Vil said.
"What?! You can't just stop there! I'm dying to know more!" Epel exclaimed.
The girl nodded, gently tugging on Rook's hand, "Yeah! You have to share more!"
The hunter let out a laugh as he had a soft blush from the girl's hands on his, "I'd be happy to share as much as you'd like." He brought his other hand up and ran his fingers through the girl's hair, "...If we all make it safely through this area, of course."
"Oh, right. The Phantoms are gonna be stronger down here..." She muttered.
"Just so. We won't have an easy time of it. And there's no telling what Ortho and Idia will throw at us. Stay on your toes." Vil said, as the other three nodded.
-----
"Thunder Spear set to energy-saving mode. Reactivate with user's fingerprints, voice recognition, or a charge of magical energy."
"Oh, good. Looks like I'm able to handle the spear while it's in energy-saving mode." Jamil said, easily carrying the spear, "Leona-senpai, please allow me to carry it." He gently tugged the weapon to him.
"I'm good." Leona said, tugging back to him.
"But I really don't think..." He trailed off.
"Look, we have no idea when another heavyweight might strike. I'm not leavin' our trump card in your hands."
"But even you might be fatigued after that last battle. Allow me to—"
The lion male glared at him, "Okay, seriously, knock it off. Do I have to spell it out for you? Butt out."
"I was just trying to be considerate!"
"Human! Human! I hear them! I smell them!" A Phantom said.
"Erk! A bunch of Phantoms are coming our way." He looked at the male beside him, "Maybe if you hadn't shouted just now..."
"Aw, can it. You better be ready. 'cuase I'mnot coverin' you this time." The lion male said.
Shoto could only grumble, 'I had to pick these guys...No wonder they aren't perfect for my baby sister...' He thought.
-----
"We keep beating them back, but they just keep swarming us...Rgh!" Jamil said, throwing magic at the Phantoms around them.
The Phantoms let out a small laugh, "Right there..."
His eyes widen, "Are they targeting where I got injured?!"
"Human...weak...there! There!" It said, swiping at the male, making him wince.
Urgh! You little cretin...Stay back!"
"Tch." Leona sent magic, making it let out a yell.
"Gyeee!" It said, melting into a puddle.
"Would you look at that? I said I wasn't gonna cover you, but you were so pathetic I couldn't help myself." He smirked, "Yeah, that's right. A real softie. Don't feel like you gotta hold back the tears of gratitude."
"If this is anyone's fault, it's—actually, never mind. Excuses are unbecoming. Thank you for that. I'll formulate a plan to ensure I'm more useful next time." Jamil said, smiling a bit.
The male sighed, "That ain't gonna help. I warned you about bein' arrogant. You still don't seem to get it, so lemme lay it out for you. You're not being thoughtful or careful. You're just bein' pushy."
His eyes widen, "You think I'm pushy?!"
The dual haired male's brow twitched at their arguing, feeling his temperature drop and let out an icy breath.
"Do you really think you need to do all this when you're with me? That you're good enough to cover me? You must—" The lion male was cut off by ice incasing him and the other male.
Both of their eyes widen and looked at the girl's twin.
"Shoto?!" The black haired male exclaimed.
"I'm tired of you both." He glared at Leona, "But mostly you. You think you're high and mighty when in reality you're not. In my world is fight to survive. We are students, who have fought villains. Do you have any idea how terrifying that it is in my world? Very. If you fought against a villain, you would be dead. Sure, you may have your magic, but who would stop you from an overblot? No one in our world knows about magic but quirks."
"When heroes work together to fight against an enemy...they don't care about the difference of their power or leadership. They work together to defeat a mutual enemy. So, I ask that you two idiots work together for the remaining of this mission." He finished.
Leona shivered from the cold, but let out a sigh and nodded, "Fine." He grumbled.
Jamil nodded along, wanting to get out the ice, "I agree." He said.
Shoto nodded, "Good. Plus do it for my sister. She respects and loves her friends. If she knew of this fight, she would've done something about it."
"I'm only doing it for my herbivore." The lion male said.
The girl's twin sighed and melted the block of ice they were in, "Let's go." He said, walking ahead of the two as they followed.
As they walked, they noticed the next door.
"Whoop, here's the next containment facility. Get ready for more Phantoms." Leona said.
Jamil let out a soft sigh, 'I got on Shoto's bad side...not my intention at all...I'll have to make it up to him' He thought.