"Y/N, please wake up..."
You open your eyes and see the boys gather around you worriedly. You slowly sit up, rubbing your head.
"Oh, thank goodness." Rook says with relief. "The light is back in your eyes."
"Y/N!" You're almost knocked over by Kalim's hug attack. "I was so worried!"
Vil groans and sit up. "What... how am I..."
"I was afraid I hit you too hard." Deuce sighs as he helps you stand.
Looking around, you see the dark clouds are gone but the stage is totally destroyed. Debris lies everywhere and the large screen is shattered. The audience seats are mess of debris.
Vil stands. "I'm... sorry you had to see that undignified display. Only third-rate people throw temper tantrums and take their problems out on others. My conduct was the most unbecoming of all."
"Yer right about that." Epel folds his arms. "Ah thought you said people grow outta temper tantrums by the time they're three?"
Vil looks to the floor. "Yes... You're absolutely right, Epel. I'm no longer fit to be your leader."
"It would not do to flatter yourself, Roi du Poison." Rook stands beside Vil. "I'm afraid you'll find that none of us are lying prone."
Vil looks quizzically at Rook. "What?"
"Rook's right, Vil." Kalim adds. "You haven't actually hurt anyone. You haven't stepped over the brink yet."
Jamil gestures with a hand. "Listen. Neige LeBlanche is out there right now, dancing happily with the seven dwarfs."
Ace grins. "After the way you ran us through the wringer training us to get here, there's no way we're letting you pull out because of a few bruises!"
"It's a stretch..." Jamil sighs, glancing around. "but let's just say we got a little overly worked up in practice and got into a team brawl."
Vil looks to everyone in surprise. "All of you... You just want to pretend none of this happened?"
Jamil folds his arms. "I never said that. All I'm saying is that we can hold off on explaining this to the faculty until after the competition."
Vil chuckles. "Jamil, you are truly wicked-"
Vil groans as he clutches his side, stumbling a little. Rook rushes over.
"Vil!"
"Oh, stop. I just stumbled a bit. Spare me your plaintive cries." Vil waves him off.
Rook shakes his head. "Your injuries are no small matter. Please, you mustn't strain yourself. Here, lean upon my shoulder."
"Oh, by the way, Deuce," Ace looks to the blue haired boy. "what was up with that blast of magic you hit Vil with at the end there?"
"That was one seriously powerful shot!" Grim smirks. "When did you learn to pull off a spell like that, Deuce?"
"I wasn't the one who made it so strong. Vil was." Deuce states.
Kalim tilts his head. "How so?"
"That spell stores up all the damage I take from someone, then hits back with it all at once." Deuce explains. "So it was only potent because Vil hit me with really potent magic to start with."
Ace's eyes widen. "What kinda spell is that? So it's just a way to get payback for when you get in fights?"
"Don't make it sound so violent!" Deuce exclaims. "The first time I pulled it off was when I took Epel to the beach and a gang attacked us. All I was doing was taking hits at the time, though. It just kind of slipped out."
Jamil rolls his eyes. "You should really know better than to use magic against laypeople. That can get you suspended."
"Erk... S-sorry." Deuce rubs his neck. "Anyway, I kept trying to do it again afterward, and it just wouldn't work. It only clicked for me when Vil was giving us a serious pounding."
Kalim laughs. "You see? That hard head of yours? That's your signature trait!"
Deuce's eyes grow large. "Signature? You mean that's my signature spell?"
"You didn't realize it?" You ask.
"No." Deuce runs a hand through his hair. "I was so desperate, I barely remember what I did. Did I recite a spell?"
You nod. "Yeah, you said the spell name and everything."
"Gah, I can't remember at all! Tell me what it is later, Y/N."
Rook claps his hands. "Marvelous! Merveilleux! You have broken out of your shell in spectacular fashion, Deuce Spade. Behold, Vil is awestruck and weak-kneed from the sheer splendor of your blow."
"No, I'm just beaten up head to toe." Vil sighs. "Credit where it's due, though, that last blow of yours struck soundly. Nicely done, Deuce."
"Thank you, sir!" Deuce grins.
"So, wait." Jamil adds. "If you hadn't succeeded at pulling the spell off once, what possessed you to yell 'everybody, get down!' with so much confidence? It's all well and good that the spell worked, but what would you have done if it hadn't?"
"Psh, don't sweat it, Jamil!" Kalim wraps an arm around Jamil's shoulders. "It worked, and in the end, isn't that what matters?"
"Good grief." Jamil shrugs Kalim's arm off. "I will never understand the way you impulsive types think."
"D-Deuce mastered a signature spell before me?" Ace throws his arms in the air. "Are you serious?"
Grim put his paws to his hips. "Yeah, I was never expectin' Deuce of all people to beat me to the punch at somethin'."
"Sounds like we've got some catching up to do!" Epel chuckles.
"The question now is, what do we do about the stage?" Jamil asks. "It's a complete wreck. We're fortunate that Vil's poison mist is covering the whole coliseum. It means we're the only witnesses to the scene. In that sense, it's actually a good thing for us that Vil's signature spell lasts so long."
Jamil places a hand to his chin in thought. "I'd prefer to fix the venue up, dispel the curse, and get out of here, but... It's not feasible for us to fix everything up the way it was with what power we have left."
He groans and kicks at the ground. "Every scenario I run through my head hits the same brick wall. I'm not sure there's any getting out of this mess."
Grim's ears flatten against his head. "Mrow..."
"Oh, no. Does that mean the SDC is..." Epel trails off.
You hear the sounds of footsteps behind you.
"Well, well. What have we here?"