Maria P.O.V
As we made our way to Ruggie Bucchi's class, Grim opened the door and gained everyone's attention
"Tell me! Where is Ruggie Bucchi?!" Grim shouted
"Yes" We saw Ruggie raising his hand "Ugh. It's you guys again. No matter how many times you ask, I can't give you the deluxe menchi katsu sandwich back" Ruggie-senpai said
"We're not here about that. We want to ask you some questions regarding the accidents that have been happening" I said and I saw him freeze for a moment
"Uh oh... That doesn't sound like a pleasant convo" Ruggie-senpai said
"Could you come outside with us?" Cater asked
"I got it. So please, knock it off with the threatening aura" Ruggie-senpai said as his ears flattened down as we left the classroom and now in the hallway
Riddle was looking at Ruggie-senpai with a look of intimation, but I did hear him mutter some words
"Alright. While I don't know all the details, we can't allow Ruggie to use his unique magic. I'll use Off With Your Head..." Riddle muttered as he reaches for his magical pen
"What's this now? Riddle, are you alright to use that kind of strong magic without your magical pen?" Ruggie-senpai said, and Riddle looked confused what he meant
"Eh?" He touched his coat's pocket and his eyes grew wide from shock "Wh-What?! My magical pen is gone!" Riddle shouted
"Cater! Your magical pen is gone too!" I said and Cater was shocked
"Crap! Seriously?!" Cater checked all over to make sure
"Shishishi! You were all raised with a cushy life, huh?" In Ruggie-senpai's hand was both Riddle and Cater's magical pens "Your pockets are ripe for the picking. It wasn't a challenge" Ruggie said
"Ffgna!? When did you use the spell to take your magical pens?!" Grim asked looking shocked
"Oh no. It was easy enough without magic! I don't have any more time to kill with y'all, so I'm just gonna make my exit" Then I felt myself getting picked up
"Huh?" I was confused and I realized that Ruggie-senpai picked me up
"Bye bye!" Then Ruggie-senpai ran away while carrying me in his arms
No One P.O.V
As Ruggie ran away with Riddle and Cater's magical pens and Maria, her boyfriends grew furious
"Hey! Stop right there!" Grim shouted as he started chasing after him
"Gr... Freeze! If you don't stop and bring Maria back, I'll have your head!" Riddle shouted as he was about to cast his unique spell "OFF WITH...!" But Cater stopped him
"Hold up, Riddle! You finally got rid of all the blot from your body only recently!" Cater said
Coming down from the other side of the hallway were Ace and Deuce
"Oh, man. Your flamingo feeding pink attire was amazing. I can't believe you got bright pink leopard print" Ace said as he laughed
"I-It can't be helped. That's the only pink stuff I own..." Deuce said looking embarrassed
"I can't wait to show this to Maria, I bet she'll laugh too" Ace said as he held up his phone with the picture
"You better not!" Deuce shouted
"In the end, there's still a bunch of weird rules. Still better than before though" Ace said, then running passed the duo was Ruggie who was still carrying Maria
"Huh? Who was...?" Before Deuce could ask the question, both Riddle and Cater ran towards them
"Ah, Ace! Deuce! You have great timing!" Cater said
"What happened to you guys? What's the rush? Also, why is that guy carrying Maria?" Ace asked
"The culprit for the string of accidents has made off with our magical pens and Maria! Catch Ruggie Bucchi this instant! I'm sure you know what happens if you don't!?" Riddle said as his face turned dark red in anger
"Eeeh?!" Deuce was shocked
"You're dragging us into this!? But whatever! Hang on Maria!" Ace said as he and Deuce started chasing after Ruggie
As Ace, Deuce and Grim continued their chase after Ruggie, they ended up in the courtyard. Ruggie was fine while the trio were out of breath
"Shishishi! That's all you can do with the three of you? You're not much, are ya?" Ruggie said
"*Huff huff* W-What's with this guy? He's way too quick!" Ace said as he catches his breath
"*Huufff* He's not just fast... he's freakishly acrobatic" Deuce said
"Ffnaaa... I can't believe I can't catch him..." Grim said as he looked like he was about to faint
"Shishishi! Compared to the backstreets in the slums, this is a cakewalk. I mean even if you caught me, how're you gonna prove that I'm the culprit?" Ruggie asked
"Excuse me?" Deuce glared
"You don't have any evidence that I was the one who injured them. Did anyone see me use magic? Did you get any pictures of it? You haven't, huh?" Ruggie said with a grin
"*Sigh* As much as I hate admit it, but he does have a point. We don't have any... But this doesn't excuse you for being a coward!" Maria said
"Coward? That's praise. Shishishi! Next time you chase me around, have your ducks in the row first. Try as much as you like though, next time will probably be impossible for you too" Ruggie said
"Grrr... This is frustrating" Grim said
"Well then, that's it for today's game of tag" Then Ruggie placed Maria back on her feet and handed her both Riddle and Cater's magical pens "Here. I'll leave these magical pens I took. Before I leave though..." Then Ruggie kissed Maria
"?!" Deuce was shocked
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ace shouted as Ruggie pulled away
"What? I'm just taking my prize for winning today's game of tag, that's all. See ya, cutie" Ruggie said as he winked at Maria and left
"Why that...!" Ace looked furious
"Maria, are you okay?!" Deuce asked as he checked on her
"Y-Yeah... I was in shock that he kissed me all of a sudden. The only ones that kissed me are you guys since we're dating" Maria said as she covered her mouth with an embarrassed look
"Shit! Screw him!" Ace shouted
"Dorm Head Rosehearts is gonna have our heads..." Deuce said looking a bit scared
"I have a feeling he might so something again" Maria said and then they heard footprints approaching them
"Y'all still haven't learned your lesson?" Approaching them was Jack Howl
"Huh!? You should've helped instead of just watching! Your dorm is full of bastards like him!" Ace shouted
"Why are you working so hard for other people's sake?" Jack asked
"Other people's?" Deuce asked with a confused look
"I understand wanting to get back at the culprit for the people who got hurt, but..."
"Huh? What're you talking about?" Ace asked, and now it was Jack's turn to look confused "Who said anything about doing this for other people's sake?" Ace grinned
"We just want to score points by catching the culprit" Deuce said
"Yeah, yeah. Then get picked for the Magical Shift Tournament. And show off for the whole world" Ace said
"I'm gonna catch that guy then be on the big screen!" Grim said
'But something tells me that Headmaster Crowley won't keep his word' Maria sweatdrop on the thought
"I feel bad for Trey, but I'm gonna take his spot" Ace said
"Hmph! I can't trust guys who just do things for others, but... You guys are worse than I thought" Jack said with his arms crossed
"What? You're definitely worse than us. By the looks of it, you knew what was going on. That Ruggie was the culprit" Ace pointed out, and Jack flinched a little
"Oh! Yeah, you knew that since you're in the same dorm, you wouldn't be targeted" Grim said, and Jack was silent for a moment but started to speak
"Oi, assholes. Go a round with me" Jack said, which surprised everyone
"Huuuh? What's gotten into you?" Ace asked
"If guys are gonna spill their guts, they start with their fists. If you can show me you're not all bark and no bite, I'll tell you everything I know" Jack wagered
"Geh. I hate getting all sweaty" Ace complained
"Then don't join any sports clubs, if you hate getting sweaty" Maria said and Ace flinched at her words
"I don't hate it. Makes things simple" Deuce said as he creaks his knuckles
"Ffgna! Deuce's bad boy switch has been flipped!" Grim exclaimed
"But he still looks so cool" Maria said as hearts floated above her head
"Seriously?" Grim looked at Maria with a deadpan look, and the fight against Jack has begun
Even though the fight is over, both Jack and Deuce were still throwing punches at each other. After some time, they finally finished
"*Huff huff* Y-You definitely know what you're doing with your punches..." Jack said as he catches his breath
"*Huff* You too... *Huff* You're pretty good..." Deuce said
"Your punch hit me right in the heart..." Grim said
"Huuugh... *Huff* Haven't you gotten just a little too caught up in this? I don't care about being picked... I'm done..." Ace said as he sat down on the grass
"Even though I didn't take part in the fight, I must say that was impressive" Maria said with stars in her eyes
"...Alright. My conscience is clear. I'll tell you everything" Jack said
"How did that clear your conscience exactly" Ace asked with a sweatdrop
"People have their own way of clearing their consciences, Ace" Maria said
"I'm crossing a line here. I'm about to betray my dorm. But I can't put up with this anymore!! A fight is about testing how far yo can go by challenging tough opponents! I've put myself through the wringer to see how far I can go in this tournament! Cowardly tricks make me nauseous! There's no meaning in a victory like that! I wanted to use my own power to claim victory at the top!" Jack explained
"Ah, this's guy's a pain in the ass" Ace said
"So, what you're saying is... you can't forgive the injustice that's going on at your dorm. Is that right?" Maria asked, and Jack nodded
"I get you! I really get it!! That feeling!!" Deuce said
"We've got our own pain the ass" Grim said and Maria smacked the back of his head
"Ruggie's unique magic is... something that makes another person move exactly like him. To cause the accidents, he made people move in ways that would look like they weren't being careful" Jack said
"I see. So that's why he made Grim copy him in the cafeteria to keep it a secret" Ace said and Grim got mad
"Crap! Reminding me makes me angry all over again! Don't underestimate the strength of a grudge over food!" Grim said
"And that's why I'm working part time at Sam's store because you eat all the food that should've lasted for a month" Maria said with a smile, but it sent shivers down Grim's spine because it's one of her angry smiles
"But just a second. If he did something to make someone fall down the stairs, wouldn't that look pretty suspicious?" Deuce asked
"Ruggie isn't flying solo creating these accidents" Jack said and Maria's eyes widen in realization
"Wait. Are you saying that your dorm are taking part of these schemes?" Maria asked and Jack nodded
"Yeah, I bet most of Savanaclaw is on it" Jack said
"Ffgna?!" Grim was speechless
"Like you said, Ruggie would stand out if he was acting weird by himself. So, the other residents act like a wall for him and provide cover" Jack said
"The dorm is in on it... Why would they?" Deuce asked
"Hmm... How well your team does in magical shift tournament can have a big impact on your future, right? So I can't say I don't understand their feelings" Ace said and Jack growled at Ace "Wah! Scary! Don't bare your fangs at me! I'm kidding"
"Hmph! The now comes befire the future. There's no point if you don't show what you can do now! And I really can't stand the dorm head, Leona Kingscholar! That guy is amazing, but never gives it his all!" Jack said
"That's true, he was a really tough opponent even though he's always lazing around" Grim said
"Right?! He has so much natural talent, so why doesn't he polish it?! I hate his type the most! His play from three years ago was so awesome. So when I got into this school... After I joined Savanaclaw, I thought I'd be able to play Magift with him for real...." Jack said
"So, hey... Maria" Ace started to whisper "Even though it seems like he's complaining about his dorm head..."
"He seems to really respect him other than being angry with him. He really must've looked up to him" Maria said in a low voice
"The incidents so far might seem inconsequential, but I'm sure they're got their sights set on something bigger" Jack said
"What are they trying to achieve in doing all of this?" Maria asked
"The dorm head of Diasomnia, Malleus Draconia. That guy is a monster on the field and led Diasomnia to victory two years in a row. Because of that, Savanaclaw lost in their first match without scoring a single point. All the older guys hold a grudge for that" Jack explained
"Losing without scoring at all... That has to be frustrating for a dorm that's usually at the top..." Deuce said
"Yeah. They were humiliated while the whole world watched. They're trying to retake their glory, but with underhanded methods" Jack said looking very angry
"So, they're planning to do something to Diasomnia the day of the tournament?" Ace asked
"That's right. So I'm gonna crush that plan!" Jack said
Then stepping out from their hiding spot was Riddle and Cater
"Thank you for telling us all of this" Riddle said
"Dorm Head Rosehearts. Diamond" Deuce said as he greeted them
"I can't allow anyone to sully our important traditions with their personal grudges" Riddle said
"What do you wanna do, Riddle?" Cater asked as he wraps his arms around Maria
"We have no evidence against Ruggie for the incidents so far, so we can't convict him. Leona and his group are intelligent. They'd find a way out if we tried to accuse them" Riddle said
"Riddle does have a point. Do you have an idea on how we'll catch them red-handed?" Maria asked and Riddle nodded
"I have an idea. First..." Before Riddle could explain his plan, Jack interrupted
"Wait. I just shared information with you, I've no intention of teaming up" Jack said
"Eh!? You're saying that now?" Cater asked
"I'm going to take down my dorm myself. See ya" Jack said as he was about to leave
"And what good would that do? You couldn't stop any of the accidents that happened so far. What difference will this make if you go alone?" Maria asked bluntly, and Jack glare at her
"I-It's back... Maria's blunt insight..." Grim said
"I agree with her. Your chances of winning one versus the whole dorm are pretty slim" Deuce said
"Jack, if you really want to stop them, then working together is the best option, plus I read that smart wolves hunt better as a pack" Maria said
Jack was silent for a moment
"......Fine. I'll hear you out. But if I don't like your plan, I'm out" Jack said
"This guy is seriously a pain..." Ace said
"His stubbornness is right in line with yours, Ace" Cater said
"Then to continue what I was saying earlier. First..." Then Riddle explained his idea about what they should do
Maria P.O.V
After Riddle finished explaining his plan, we looked at each other and nodded
"I see now. This works" Ace said
"Leave it to Dorm Head Rosehearts" Deuce said
"Then, I'll be running around getting the stuff done until the day of" Cater said as he pulled out his phone
"I'm counting on you. Make sure to not draw suspicion" Riddle said
"And? Now that you've heard Riddle's plan, what'll you do, Jack? You out?" Cater asked
".....It's not a cowardly plan. *Ahem*....I'll help you out, this time" Jack said
"This guy isn't honest at all" Grim pointed out
'What was the word that describes him...?' I asked as I tried to remember the word
"Let's go home. Ugh... I'm beat" Ace said, looking exhausted
"And I'm starving" Grim said
"You're always hungry, Grim" I said
"Oh by the way, first years" Riddle looked at the guys as he gained their attention "Since it was in the name of gathering information, I will overlook your breaking school rule number 6 'Personal fights are strictly prohibited on school grounds', but... Next time, it will be off with your heads. Understood?" Riddle asked with a glare
"Yes. I'm so sorry" Ace, Deuce and Grim apologized in unison
"...Uh huh" That was all that Jack said as he looked away from Riddle's glare
"Good. Let's head back to the dorms" Riddle said as he started taking his leave
"I thought he looked like a weakling, but your dorm head is terrifying" Jack admitted
"Yeah. Hence the term 'Never judge a book by its cover'. But he is a sweetheart, once you get to know him" I said and then I turned to look at the group "Alright, guys. Let's do our best at catching these guys on the day of the tournament!" They nodded in agreement and we went our separate ways
No One P.O.V - Savanaclaw Dorm's lounge
"Ruggie. I heard you were chased around by those brats from Heartslabyul this afternoon. That's why I told you never leave evidence behind! Fool!" Leona shouted
"T-That's not it. There were certain circumstances... They haven't gotten their hands on any evidence, so please don't worry about it" Ruggie said
"...Tsk! I paid a high price to that nasty octo-punk for his help. If something goes wrong, it 's you who's getting fried. Be prepared" Leona warned
"Prep for the main dish is going smoothly" Ruggie said
"We'll make sure to get those Diasomnia jerks to squeal!" Savanaclaw resident promised
"Aah. I'm so excited to see it play out. I want to see Malleus Draconia on his knees in shame in front of Leona. The whole world is sure to applaud us... Even a hyena like me could get a big name scout" Ruggie said
"The pro leagues are gonna want us too!"
"Hah! You guys are already getting excited like you've already caught your prey" Leona said
"And your popularity will skyrocket, Leona!"
"Everyone in the Sunset Savannah are gonna think Leona is a better fit to be king"
"Theory and practice are two different things" Leona said and his residents looked at him with a confused expression "....Nothing. *Yawn* ....I'm going to bed. Scatter" Leona ordered
"Roger. Good night, Leona" Ruggie said and everyone left the lounge, leaving Leona all by himself
"Being the top at school doesn't mean the whole world gets turned on its head" Leona said to himself and heads towards his room
Drip
Drip
Drop
To be continued