-3rd POV-
"You said you weren't related to Lilia by blood, and that there was no other reason for him to be responsible for you. But I imagine Lilia feels much the same way." Malleus said.
Silver wiped his tears, "...What?"
"Human lives are incredibly brief compared to those of the fae. Perhaps he believes you shouldn't have spend part of your fleeting human life looking after a feeble old man."
"Father...Why...?" He let more tears stream down.
He was silent for a bit, "There's something my grandmother has often talked to me about. It's the reason why our family, with our draconic lineage, is so exceptionally powerful even among the nocturnal fae. She said it's to ensure that nothing ever diminishes the happiness of our people in Briar Valley."
"Yet here I am, incapable of dispelling the sorrows of father and son alike. What good does all this magic do me?" The horned male frowned, "...I'm completely powerless."
"That's not—" He was cut off by a device going off, "Oh...Uh, Malleus-sama? Your phone is ringing."
"That's not my phone. It's a toy Lilia gave me..." He said, taking it out, "Ah, look at that." He showed him the screen, "Drakon has left an egg and departed once more."
"It must be sad, huh..."
"It isn't, really. It simply continues to live out its fictional life inside this miniature garden. Hence, there's nothing to grieve over." His eyes then widen, "...Ah!"
"Maybe you're right. It's a fairy-tale game, designed to comfort people. Perhaps there's no harm in indulging in its fantasy—one where people live on indefinitely, so long as you take care of them."
"What if...What if...there was some way to guarantee you'd never lose your friends, or family, or anything else? Would you wish for that?"
"Yes...Of course." He said, remembering when he spoke to Lilia and (Y/n), "Of course! That's it!" He laughed, "How did I miss something so very simple? I have it. I know what to gift Lilia."
"Malleus-sama...?" Silver softly called out.
"Come, Silver. Let us go see him."
"Huh? Whoa!" He said, before his arm was grabbed and the two disappeared.
-----
(Y/n), who was speaking with her brother, when suddenly her eyes went dull, 'Better keep my guard up...' She thought, before feeling slightly unbalanced, grabbing her brother's arm.
"(N/n)? You alright?" Shoto questioned her.
Midoriya looked over, seeing her slightly pale, "Yeah, you okay?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Just lost my footing..." She said, before looking at her brother, "Keep your guard up, there will be an overblot soon." She whispered to him.
The dual haired male nodded.
"Wow...Look at this crowd. The whole place is crammed with people, from the hall to the lounge. What an enormous party. It's like my nii-san's the only one missing out..." Ortho pouted as he came in.
"Hey, Ortho! Over here!" Ace called out.
He went up to them, "I see all of you came too."
Grim munched on the food, "Took ya long enough, Ortho! It's too bad, though; they just ran outta this incredible meat dish."
He giggled, "Thanks for the concern. I don't get my energy through oral intake, so I'm good."
"You're pretty late, though. Did something come up?" Deuce questioned.
"I was attempting to high-difficulty quest: to get my brother to come with me."
"Ahh, I getcha. I'm guessing you failed, seeing as you walked in alone." The orange haired male said.
"Yeah, his defenses were even tighter than usual today. He got some rough news yesterday, and it really took the wind out of his sails." Ortho said.
(Y/n) tilted her head, "What kind of rough news?" She questioned as Shoto and Izuku nodded.
"He's been gaming with a friend online for a while now, and that friend just quit gaming entirely. And they didn't exchange contact info. The person's just hone...and nii-san's been really depressed about it."
The blue haired male's eyes widen, "Wait...They've been friends for years, but they never traded phone numbers or anything?"
"That's pretty common online. You can know someone for ages and never learn their true identity or get their personal contact info. Nii-san's especially like that. He keeps a Magicam account for gaming, and he never shared private info on it. His friend is the same way. Maybe that's why nii-san gets along with him so well."
"Someone actually gets along with that gloomy guy?" The feline questioned, "He must be as sad as a wet blanket left out in the rain."
The girl deadpanned, "I think Idia-senpai is a cool guy. Sure he's shy but he's cool." She muttered, which made the blue flame haired boy smile.
"Actually, um, nii-san isn't nearly as gloomy online as he is in real life...If anything, he's really excitable." Ortho explained.
"He is?!" Deuce exclaimed, shocked.
"Yeah, well, people acting different online versus IRL is nothing new. You can portray yourself however you want online—age, gender, appearance, personality, you name it." Ace said.
"There's essentially no such thing as anonymity online for me. I could easily find his friend if I wanted to." Ortho said.
"Dude, you Ignihyde guys are scary." He said, as the rest nodded in agreement.
"But nii-san told me not to." He pouted.
"Makes sense. Even if you did dig up a person's identity, you'd have to reveal yours too if you reached out to them. That'd take a lot of courage." The blue haired male said.
"More to the point, the guys would get majorly freaked out if he hadn't shared his contact info." The orange haired male said.
"Yeah, true." Ortho sighed, "It was just a rarity for nii-san—he had a real live human friend, other than (Y/n)-san of course. His name is Muscle Red. Nii-san's said based on their chats, he thinks he's a calm, mature man. He attempts high-difficulty quests with meme builds and goes out of his way to try dangerous stunts and usually takes a dive..."
"He has a very unique playstyle. Going by his online handle, it's possible he's a quirky individual in real life as well. If I were to compare him to someone here, well..." The boy trailed off.
"Hello there, my good freshmen! Have you tried any of the beverages yet? Remember, everything's on me, so drink up!" Lilia walked up to the first-years.
Jack instantly tensed up, "Uh, yessir. I'm drinking this juice." He said, slightly raising his cup.
"Is it good? I bet it is! It's not Briar Valley's famous berry juice for nothing!"
"Um, yep. It's good."
"Berries are a must-have at any celebration in Briar Valley. Especially for birthdays. It's not a party without a whole heaping pile of berries!"
"Oh, neat." Epel said.
Lilia looked at him, then at his glass, "Ah, your glass is empty!"
He chuckled, "I'm kinda full."
He instantly was in front of him with a mischievous smile, making the male reel back, "What's this? You'd really turn down my juice?! Back in my day, I'd chug an entire cask of this stuff at parties. Kids these days!" He then turned to the green haired male, "Sebek! Bring another dazberry juice, and be quick about it!"
Sebek straightened himself and nodded, "Yes, sir! I'll be right back!" He then ran off.
"Dude, how can you be that hype over some juice?" Ace questioned, shocked.
"Heh. When you're a discerning connoisseur like me, juice can be plenty exciting on its own." Lilia smirked.
"I've never seen anyone get in an argument over fruit juice before..." Deuce trailed off.
"Oh, right..." Jack looked at the fae, "I came over to thank you. I almost forgot with all the juice talk just now." He cleared his throat, "Lilia-senpai, I wanted to thank you for helping out with the interdorm Spelldrive tournament. I was hoping we could have an honest rematch during the team selection for the interscholastic games. I'm sad that I won't be able to play you again."
Lilia chuckled, "You're much more courteous than the upperclassmen in your dorm. Ahh, the annual National Arcane Academy Interscholastic Spelldrive Championship...I'm just as sad I won't be there this summer. But you'd better give Royal Sword Academy a run for their money. I expect the best!"
"Yessir! Thanks, sir!"
"Lilia-san." The lilac haired male spoke up, "You and I are basically the same size. But you've always done just as much as Malleus-san, no matter the occasion. I really admit that. We haven't talked much since we're in different dorms, but...I'd been hoping to chat with you more about how you stay so strong."
"You're the apple of Pomefiore's eye, you know. I saw you on stage at SDC. You carried yourself with such dignity; you looked downright grand!" The black with pink haired male said.
"Wow, really?" He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, "Aww, shucks!"
"Remember, a mage is a mage no matter their physique. Just keep giving it your all!" He smiled.
"Yes, sir! And you look after yourself, you hear?"
"Lilia Vanrouge-san, thank you for inviting me to your party. I tried to bring my nii-san—I mean, Idia Shroud, housewarden of Ignihyde—but it didn't work out." Ortho pouted.
"That's a pity. Tell him I said hi. I haven't had much occasion to chat with him, but I hear he's a hardcore gamer. I've gotten fairly big into online gaming since I've been here myself." The fae smiled.
"Oh, wow! I didn't know Diasomnia students played video games."
He laughed, "Your brother said pretty much the same thing once. I'd been thinking of inviting him to play some co-op, but I suppose that chance has passed me by."
"Really? That would've been so nice! Lilia-san, would like to trade email addresses with me? You can still play games online with friends even if you live far away, right?" He smiled.
"Mm...I'm afraid I'm moving somewhere that doesn't have very good internet service."
"Ahh. If you're not on broadband, I guess MMOs and FPSes are basically out of the question..." He pouted, "But so long as you have each other's contact info, you could play if you ever get better internet."
Lilia nodded, "...True. All right, I don't see why not."
"Pull up the QR code on your messaging app. I'll scan it." He smiled.
He pulled out his phone and went to the messaging app, doing as so, "Like this?"
Ortho nodded and scanned it, "...Yep, all saved! I'm sending you a list of the online games nii-san plays with multiplayer support." He said as he sent the list.
His eyes widen, scrolling through the list, "Ooh, many of the games I play are on here. I've played this RPG and this shoot 'em up quite exhaustively." He said, pointing at the familiar games.
"Whoa, really?! Nii-san's been huge into that shoot 'em up...But it's super niche. He's had trouble getting enough people together to do multiplayer."
"Back when I was new to gaming, I had a friend who showed me the ropes. They were the one who recommended that game to me."
"Your friend has good taste. They'd probably get along great with nii-san! Whenever you play with us, you should reach out to them too."
"...I suppose. Maybe someday. Still, I never would've expected to make a humanoid friend at school. Just when you think you've seen everything!"
The boy giggled, "You're the first fae friend I've made, too. This is great. Feel free to reach out whenever you get good internet."
He nodded with a smile, "Of course! I look forward to it."
(Y/n) deadpanned, 'What are the chances that they know each other in the gaming world but don't know...' She thought, ready to facepalm.
The fae then turned to her, "Why, it's the prefect of Ramshackle Dorm and your furry companion. Along with Izuku and your brother." He smiled.
She softly smiled, "Thank you for inviting us."
Izuku nodded, "This is one fancy party!" He said.
"Mrah! Okay, you got the prefect right, but I'm the boss! The great Grim! Make sure you get it right!" Grim frowned, while he was on top of Shoto's head.
Lilia smiled, "Is that so? You'll have to pardon my rudeness." He looked around then back at the girl, "...Hm. It's a shame Malleus isn't here since you were nice enough to drop by, (Y/n)."
"He ain't here? But this's his minion's farewell party. Some boss-man he is."
"You know, you ought to give him some advice on proper "boss-man" conduct sometime." He smiled at the feline.
"Weeell, if I gotta...I guess since you gave me all this good grub, I could spare a few pointers." He said, smiling.
The black and pink haired male looked at the girl, "...(Y/n). Shoto. Izuku."
She and the two others turned to him, "Yes, senpai?"
"I'm grateful to you three for treating Malleus the same as all your other friends here. Thank you. As you're aware by now, he is a fae and Briar Valley's heir apparent. He's among the most powerful mages in the land. His immense power often causes people to shy away from him."
"But he needs more interaction with the outside world. He needs someone to call a friend. I'll be leaving this school..." He smiled, "I hope you three will keep being a friend to him."
She nodded, "Absolutely."
Shoto averted his eyes, 'We might be leaving soon ourselves...But I know my imotou will keep him company.' He thought.
Her eyes then widen, seeing the vision of Maleficent, before holding her head and losing balance, "Rgh...what is this...?" She muttered.
The fae instantly caught her before she could fall, "Hm? What's the matter? You're staring off into space and almost fell. Are you all right?"
"(Y/n)'s been doin' that a lot lately." Grim said, looking at the girl worriedly.
"Silver often gets drowsy spells and nods off standing up, but...Hm. This is a bit concerning. You should talk with the headmage about it sometime."
The girl nodded as her other freshmen friends were worried for her.
"Hey, you sure you're okay? You're lookin' a little wobbly." Jack said, seeing her legs shake.
"(Y/n), I recommend sitting down and having a short rest." Ortho stated.
Epel agreed with him, "Yeah, you're not looking too hot."
(Y/n) gently pulled back from the fae, "I'm good, really." She waved her hand, "Don't worry about me." She said, but her friends couldn't help but be worried.
"What'sa matter, eat too much? I can't leave this hench-human alone for a second." Grim shook his head at her.
She deadpanned, "I didn't eat a whole cake, unlike someone."
"Mrah?!"
Ace walked over to his companion, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, Deuce. (Y/n) seems kind of under the weather. We should head out once we've said our hellos." He whispered to him.
Deuce nodded, "Yeah, good call. If we don't visit with the guest of honor, the housewarden will have our heads later."
"Yeah, he'd say our manners are atrocious or somethin' like that." He then looked at Lilia, smiling, "So, uh, hey Lilia-senpai—thank you for inviting us to your party!"
He nodded, "The food and drinks were all fantastic."
Lilia smiled, "Ah, you boys at Heartslabyul's most newly-dealt card soldiers."
"Thanks a ton for stepping in for us back at the Spelldrive tournament! I'm disappointed you're leaving before I have a chance to repay you." He frowned.
He chuckled, "Cater and his friends were hung up on that as well."
"Our dorm's rules say that anything stolen or borrowed has to be returned." The orange haired male smiled.
"Then if you truly wish to repay me, would you indulge a little request of mine?" He asked, making them tilt their heads.
"What kinda request?" The two questioned.
"There's a freshman in our dorm, Sebek Zigvolt...It's been half a year since he started here, but I have yet to see him make any friends in freshmen class."
"Ah..." Ace nodded, "Yeah, I've got a few electives with that guy. He is kind of a loner, truth be told."
"Really? I've only spent time with him during joint classes." Deuce said.
"He insults people like, all the time. He even says stuff right to my face when we're in the same group, like, "Don't you dare slow me down, human!" And he always finds some way to make every subject about Malleus-senpai, then drones on and on about how great he is."
"Okay, that sounds pretty rough..."
"I know Diasomnia's full of Draconians, but that guy takes it to a whole other level."
"Wait, Draconians?"
"Yeah, that's what a guy in my club calls 'em. Groupies of Malleus Draconia. His biggest fanboys. Malleus-senpai is a big-deal mage, and he's got this aura about him...I can see why people would idolize him. But, like, you don't have to make it your entire personality, y'know?" Ace explained.
"Sorry about that. Sebek means well, but when it comes Malleus, he can get slight...No, scratch that. He can get enormous tunnel vision." The fae said, apologizing for the teen.
"Lemme guess. You want us to be friends with him?"
"I wouldn't ask that. Just...If you notice he's ever stuck at some point during your time here...I would ask that you card soldiers give him a little nudge."
"Wouldn't asking us to help him make more sense?" The blue haired male questioned.
"If the people here willingly accepted the hands proffered to them, they wouldn't have been chosen by the Dark Mirror." The fae said.
"Hmm...True."
"Dude, if anyone at this school reached out and offered to help someone in trouble...They'd absolutely have an ulterior motive, guaranteed. Only a sucker would accept." Ace smirked.
"Hmm...Also true." Deuce's eyes widen.
"Lilia-sama! I've brought the additional berry juice you requested!" Sebek ran up with the juice.
The said fae turned to him, "Ah, finally. What say you join us for a toast, Sebek?" He said, as he looked at the freshmen, "These people will be your rivals and classmates until you graduate. You should take this chance to bond with some students from other dorms."
Sebek looked at him, "Lilia-sama...While I appreciate your consideration, I haven't the slightest intention of being friendly with these shallow people."
"What." All first-years said.
He looked at them, brows furrowed, "I am attending this school for but one purpose...To acquire the knowledge and skills needed to guard Malleus-sama! I already have more than enough training partners between Silver and our fellow Diasomnia students. Feeble humans are naught but deadweight! There's no need to be chummy with them!"
Lilia sighed, narrowing his eyes at him, "Really now, Sebek..."
"Pfft. Not like we'd ever be "chummy" with you anyway." Ace said, frowning.
"Don't you realize you're embarrassing the guest of honor?" Deuce said.
"Hmph. What's wrong with saying it like it is? Lilia-sama's beng polite to you rabble simply because he's a kind soul. So you better be grateful, but don't let it go to your heads, humans!"
"Now, see here! Stop that right now, Sebek." Lilia frowned at him.
"But...Mrgh..."
"My word. I know you've been close to Baur ever since you were little...But you really are the very picture of your grandfather, from the way you talk to the way you think. If you're already this stubborn at such a young age, your future prospect are dim indeed."
"You have a golden opportunity here to speak with other young people who have different viewpoints. Don't squander it. The world's a far bigger place than you seem to realize. There's much to learn. Do not stay trapped in your own small world. Is that clear?" Lilia said.
"Lilia-sama...Yes, sir. My apologies. I'll etch your words into my heart." The green haired male said, as he looked at the other freshmen with a mean look, as they stared back with a frown or glare. He then turned his head, "Hmph!"
"Nope, that boy didn't etch a single letter." Ace sighed.
Then footsteps came up, making them all look and see a familiar headmage.
"Vanrouge, pardon me for interrupting." Crowley said.
"Headmage." The fae said.
"Your carriage has arrived. It's time to depart."
"Oh dear, it's here already? Time certainly flies when you're having fun." He sadly said.
"Wait a minute, Lilia-sama! Our liege and Silver have yet to return! Please, at least wait to see them before you go!" Sebek exclaimed.
"It's fine, Sebek. I mustn't keep the carriage waiting. You can give them both my best."
"But, sir!"
"It was over 500 years ago when a black envelope arrived at Briar Valley's royal castle. That envelope was addressed to me and contained a letter of admission for Night Raven College. But coming to this school was the farthest thing from my mind at the time, so I threw it out."
"I was surprised when I learned a few years ago that it had actually been stored in the royal archives...But I'm truly grateful that it was. And to you, Dire Crowley—thank you for allowing an elderly man like myself to attend this institution." He smiled at the headmage.
"I certainly never imagined a student would show up with a 500-year-old admissions letter! That said, we accept even the biggest troublemakers as long as they have that letter and desire to learn. That's Night Raven College's policy." Crowley smiled.
"I've spent almost three years learning alongside people of many different species here at this school...And what a dream it was for me. I truly hate to say goodbye to you all. Farewell, my friends!" He waved with a sad smile.
Suddenly, air blew throughout the dorm, shocking everyone, before green flames came from the middle, showing Malleus.
"Well, well...Quite the glittering assemblage. Students, faculty..." The horned male looked around, "Why, everyone's here!" He chuckled, before green flames appeared next to him, showing Silver.
The silver haired male looked around in shock, "Huh? Where am I? We're back in Diasomnia?" He questioned.
"Malleus? Silver?" Lilia said, "What's the matter? Why are you both covered in snow? And your nose is all red, Silver..." He looked closer, "Hm?" His eyes widen, "Were you...crying?"
"No, I wasn't! This is just, um..." He stammered.
"Lilia." Malleus stepped up, "Thank you for inviting me to your party. My apologies for my late arrival. I've spent much time thinking about what gift would be appropriate...For all of you, really. And I've finally found my answer. Therefore, I bid you all to accept this heartfelt present of mine." He smiled.
"What present? Malleus, what are you planning?" Lilia's eyes widen.
"Hear me, everyone! I have a wonderful gift for you all. No longer shall you shed tears over sorrowful goodbyes. This party should honor not an ending, but a beginning!" He looked at everyone.
"A...beginning?" Silver questioned.
He chuckled, "Just so. Today, you shall all be reborn. Into a world without sorrow, where you will never lose a single person—not friends, not family." He gathered magic.
"Draconia?! What are you doing?!" Crowley questioned.
"Mrah?! All my fur's standin' on end!" Grim exclaimed, climbing up Shoto's body and hugging his head, trembling.
"Tsunotarou?!" (Y/n) said.
"My legs are shaking..." Izuku said.
Then an alarm went off, making them look at Ortho, seeing multiple screens in front of him.
"Drastic blot density increase detected within a 10-meter radius. Emergency magical disaster alert. Swift evacuation and preventative measures recommended." The flame haired boy said.
"A magical disaster?!" Crowley's eyes widen, "Rgh..." He looked at the students, "Everyone, I permit the use of offensive magic and power! Stop Draconia at once!"
Everyone nodded, getting their pens out, as the three twin heroes activated their fire quirk and Midoriya got into a stance.
-----
"Stand down, fools." Malleus said, as he sent everyone back.
"Malleus, stop! You mustn't take this any further!" Lilia tried to gather magic but winced, "Rgh...These old bones can't even handle casting a single attack spell anymore!"
"Oh, Lilia..." He frowned as he watched the male, "You used to be so powerful. What a heartrending sight this is."
"You fool! Do you have any idea what you're doing?! What could you possibly hope to gain from this?!"
"Not losing you!"
His eyes widen.
Silver ran up, getting in front of the male, "Father, get back. Malleus-sama has lost control of himself!"
"My liege...Please, calm yourself!" Sebek exclaimed.
The horned male looked at them, "Why are you afraid? A wonderful future awaits you." He smiled, "Come, offer me your hand." He chuckled, before it turned to a laugh, shocking the two.
"Stop....Don't do it!" Lilia said.
"Spinning wheel of fate, spin the threads of calamity. I, the Lord of Malevolence, offer this blessing. Fae Maleficence." He finished his spell.
He held out his hand, "Malleuuus!" He yelled out, before he watched with a scared look as blot flow out of the said male.
(Y/n)'s eyes dulled as she saw the blot overflowed and covered the green gem. She then looked up, seeing the thorn branched swarm the building as outside it surrounded the whole school and island.
Everyone then were wrapped in the branched and were slowly put to sleep.
She reached out, but was grabbed by the branches, "Mal..." She tried to call out but she was put to sleep by his spell.
Malleus laughed as he was now in his overblot form, "Don't worry. There's no need to be afraid. Give in to slumber, and a thousand years will pass in a blink of an eye." He said, walking up to the girl, gently caressing her cheek.
You'll become the protagonists of your own fairy tale.