Chapter Text
“That’s not a bad plan,” Ace complemented.
“Housewarden Riddle never disappoints,” Adeuce grinned. “Does he?”
“Alright, I’ll go make the arrangements now,” Cater stated. “What about you, Jack? After hearing the plan, will you join us?”
“Well, it wasn’t cowardly,” Jack answered. “Fine. I’ll help you out. Just this once.”
“This guy’s not so honest with his feelings,” Grim muttered. “Is he?”
“Let’s go back to the dorms for now,” Ace yawned. “I’m so tired.”
“I’m kinda getting hungry too,” Kate frowned.
“Oh, right,” Riddle said. “I hope you all realize that I will never allow a petty fight like what happened earlier again. The next time I see you fighting, it’s off with your heads. Got it?”
“Y-Yes sir!” Ace and Deuce replied as Riddle walked off.
“I thought he was a weakling,” Jack stated. “But your dorm’s Housewarden is pretty scary.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Ace sighed. “He looks like a helpless hedgehog, but he’s a super strong porcupine. It’s better to listen to what he says.”
***
“Ruggie,” Leona stated, making the hyena freeze. “I heard that those Heartslabyul guys were chasing you around this morning. I told you not to leave any traces!”
“Y-you’ve got it wrong!” Ruggie hastily explained. “That’s not why they were chasing me! I just stole their magical pens! Don’t worry!”
Leona glared at him before he wearily sighed and patted Ruggie’s head, the hyena visibly relaxing.
“You better be right about that,” Leona tsked. “I paid a lot of money for Octavinelle’s creepy octopus bastard to cooperate with us. I’ll fry and eat you all if you fail, got it?”
“Don’t worry, Leona,” Ruggie grinned mischievously. “The preparation for the main dish is going smoothly~. Ah, I can’t wait for the tournament! Malleus Draconia all beat up and kneeling at your feet. The world will surely admire us now. Maybe even a hyena like me will be scouted~.”
“You’re very optimistic for something that hasn’t happened yet,” Leona smirked.
“The people from Sunset Savannah will definitely think you should be king,” Ruggie chuckled.
“Effort and family lineage are different,” Leona muttered under his breath.
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” Leona yawned. “I’m going to sleep now. You get lost too.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ruggie rolled his eyes, turning to leave. “Good night, Leona.”
“Night, Ruggie.”
Leona waited until Ruggie was gone before collapsing onto his bed with a sigh.
Nothing will be solved even if we reach the top…
***
“Oh, Zazu, do lighten up and sing something for me with a little bounce in it.”
“Oh…I would never have had to do this for Mufasa.”
“What? What did you say? I…am…the KING!”
“Hey, Boss! We got a bone to pick with you.”
“Scar, there’s no food, no water…We’re hungry!”
“What are you complaining to me for? Eat Zazu.”
“I thought things were bad under Mufasa…”
“What did you say?!? Get out!”
“But we’re still hungry!”
***
“Hey, get up.”
Kate opened her eyes to see Jack standing over her bed, frowning down at her.
“OH WHAT THE FUCK?!?” Kate screamed, causing Kaitlyn and Grim to startle awake. “WHY ARE YOU IN OUR DORM?!?”
“I come by this way on my daily jog,” Jack explained, wincing at the loud voice. “And can you not shout? My ears are more sensitive to human ones.”
“Who even let you in?” Kaitlyn asked with a yawn.
“Some ghosts did,” Jack replied. “I didn’t know ghosts lived here too.” He then cleared his throat. “Anyways, I was just making sure that you three weren’t gonna sleep in. Today’s the tournament.”
“Ah, I almost forgot!” Grim exclaimed. “We’re gonna catch the culprit and then I’ll be rewarded with playing in the tournament!”
“Well, we might as well get ready,” Kate stretched, climbing out of bed. “The guy’s not gonna catch himself.”
“See you at the arena then,” Jack said. “And don’t you dare go back to sleep.”
“Eesh,” Kaitlyn frowned. “Bossy much?”
Jack just rolled his eyes and left.
***
“The number of customers this year is astounding, too,” Azul hummed as he toured the various stalls set up. “Now, the only thing we need to focus on are the sales each stall makes. Since I’m the Managing Director, it wouldn’t be good if we pretended that they had sold out.”
“The maintenance of the Colosseum is complete, Azul,” Jade announced as he and Floyd approached Azul. “We’ll begin letting people in in about ten minutes or so.”
“Well done,” Azul smiled. “Jade. Floyd.”
“Hey Azul~?” Floyd asked. “Why are the players gonna parade from the eastern school building to the arena this year? All the customers wanna see them and are all packed like sardines. It’s so hard to walk around!”
“It was a request from a certain client,” Azul answered nonchalantly. “Although, I haven’t heard in detail as to why they asked this…”
“Ah,” Jade realized. “I understand. They intend to use that magic amplifier you made.”
“Eh~?” Floyd asked, confusion on his face. “But the magic amplifier and the parade don’t seem connected at all~.”
“Shh…” Jade warned his brother. “We can’t be heard. Keep it down.”
“Ah~,” Floyd grinned mischievously. “Are you planning something bad~?”
“Still…” Azul hummed. “The amplifier’s effect only lasts thirty seconds. What are they planning?”
“Azul,” Jade said flatly. “I’m pretty sure you already know what will happen.”
“I wonder what you’re talking about, Jade,” Azul smirked. “Fufufu~”
“What is it?” Floyd asked. “Tell me too!”
“I was thinking of adding some new facilities to the Lounge when he came with a rather promising proposal,” Azul continued, ignoring Floyd. “Come, that’s enough small talk. Time is money, as they say. Let’s check the drink stalls now.”
***
“Kate! Kaitlyn! Look!” Grim exclaimed, pointing at the various stalls while hanging off . “Look at all the food they’re selling! Churros, fried cakes, and even chicken!”
“Thank God Crowley gives us a weekly allowance,” Kate stated as she looked in wonder at all of the different foods. “I can’t wait to try these. Oooo the takoyaki looks so good!”
“I wouldn’t mind a crepe myself,” Kaitlyn grinned before halting in her tracks. “Hey, look! I found Ace and Deuce!”
Kate and Grim looked towards where she was pointing. True to her word, the two boys were standing by a stall selling yakitori. Both boys seemed to be glum about something, but then Ace handed a yakitori to Deuce, who’s eyes lit up. He grinned before heading over to the neighboring stall, and quickly coming back to hand Ace some cotton candy. Ace took it with a smile and struck up a conversation.
“Those two are gonna be the death of me,” Kate muttered to herself. “Just…look at them!”
“I know,” Kaitlyn said, sympathetically patting Kate’s back. “I know. I wonder why they looked so down in the first place?”
“Dunno,” Grim shrugged.
Deuce suddenly turned and noticed them, giving them a wave. He then lightly elbowed Ace, and the two of them made their way over to them.
“Hey,” Ace greeted, half of his cotton candy already gone. “You three sure got here later than expected.”
“I woke up to a muscly wolf boy staring at me,” Kate replied, causing Deuce to choke on his yakitori. “Jack decided that it would be a good idea to just enter our dorm
and wake us up for the tournament.”
“What a guy, huh?” Ace frowned.
“He scares me a little,” Kaitlyn sighed. “Who goes for a jog that early in the morning anyways?”
“Oh, actually,” Kate piped up. “We saw you two were looking a little glum. What’s wrong?”
“Oh…” Deuce said, gloom spreading over his face. “We weren’t picked for the team in the end…”
“Man, that sucks,” Kate said, sympathetically patting Deuce’s shoulder. “There’s always next year right?”
“Yeah!” Deuce perked up. “Besides, we have an important task to do today anyway. Let’s be alert.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Ace sighed. “Let’s do our best on that, I guess.”
“Hey, hey,” Grim said, reaching out. “Lemme have some of that cotton candy!”
“No time!” Ace replied, shoving the rest of the cotton candy into his mouth. “Come on, let’s go!”
***
“It’s almost time for the parade,” Leona stated. “Isn’t it?”
“Everything’s ready,” Ruggie replied. “We can head out anytime.”
“First in line is last year’s champion, Diasomnia,” Leona grinned, placing a hand on Ruggie’s shoulder. “Doesn’t that make you excited?”
“Shishishi~” Ruggie chuckled. “I’m off, then~.”
“I’m counting on you, Ruggie.”
***
The loudspeakers screeched to life, causing the group to wince as the announcer cleared his throat.
“Ahem…” he began. To everyone who has been waiting for the tournament to begin…you’ve waited long enough! It’s time for the march of the players!”
“‘March of the players’?” Ace asked, raising a brow. “They’ve never done that before.”
“Do you think this could have been Savanaclaw’s doing?” Kate asked with a hum. “If they’ve never done this before, why do it now?”
The sudden sound of screams and cheers drowned out Kate’s question and the group could hardly hear the announcer over the crowd.
“First up are last year’s champions!” the announcer exclaimed. “Will they take the victory again this year? Our reigning champions, Diasomnia!”
The group instantly covered their ears as the crowd grew louder, not noticing a certain hyena nearby.
“Whoa,” Ruggie blinked. “They’ve got quite the fanbase. Not that I’m complaining.”
Rummaging around in his pockets he took out a small vile that held a dark liquid.
“First, I just have to drink this magic amplifier we got from Azul~,” he grinned before swallowing it all in one gulp.
His eyes immediately went wide and he began coughing.
“Eugh!” he coughed. “It…It tastes so bad! Why does it taste like rotten stew?!?”
He shuddered as the taste slowly went away, and he focused on the crowd.
“Okay,” he nodded. “It’s time for my signature spell to shine! Run like your lives depend on it! Laugh With Me!”
He then took off running, hoping that the potion worked.
“Hey…” Kate stated, raising a brow. “Do you guys see what I’m seeing?”
“Uh…” Kaitlyn blinked. “Yeah…”
“Why are the guys watching the parade coming here…?” Ace asked before his eyes widened. “Shit, it’s a stampede! Everyone, move to the side!”
The group quickly followed his lead, pressing themselves up against the stalls as the confused shouts of the spectators filled the air.
“What?!?” the announcer shouted over the mass of running and screaming spectators. “What in the world is happening?!? The spectators who were watching are running wild! Calm down! Let’s be rational!”
“What is happening?!?” Kate yelled, holding Grim close while putting a protective arm in front of Kaitlyn. “Are they always like this?!?”
“No!” Deuce shouted back, clinging onto Ace for dear life. “It’s never been like this!”
Way off in the distance, Ruggie was trying to catch his breath as he watched the chaos unfold.
“Heh,” he chuckled to himself. “Azul’s potion is no joke. I never thought I’d be able to control this many people at once!” He then winced and fell to the ground. “It’s so tiring, though. Hm…I wonder…will they use their magic against the spectators?” He grinned. “Not even the great Malleus won’t if he had to, right? Get crushed with the crowd will you?!? Hahahaha!”
The crowd continued to surge forward, the announcer’s panicked voice cutting through the air.
“The panicked audience is heading straight towards the Diasomnia players!” he yelled. “Everyone! Please! Run away!”
Two students, one with silver hair and one with blonde, both startled at the approaching crowd.
“This is bad!” the silver haired one exclaimed. “We’ll be trampled by the crowd at this rate! Protect Malleus at all costs!”
“Lord Malleus!” the blonde one called as he was swept away by the crowd. “Lord Malleus! Ah! We won’t make it! We’re gonna get crushed!”
“Lord Malleus!” the silver one cried out as he too was swept away by the crowd. “Lord Malleus!”
Ruggie stared on as the Diasomnia players were swept away by the crowd, a grin on his face. He stood near the now empty stalls, tossing the empty vial up and down.
“Finally…” he snickered. “We did it…”
***
“Leona~!” Ruggie yelled as he ran onto the field. “I did it! Did you see it on the broadcast?!?”
“Yeah,” Leona smiled at the hyena, patting his head. “You did great Ruggie.” Ruggie beamed at the complement. “Good riddance, Malleus. I’ll be taking the throne this year.”
“Hehe~!” Ruggie chuckled, grasping Leona’s arm and raising it. “Long live the king!”
“Long live the king!” the Savanaclaw students cheered.
“I believe we’ve heard enough.”
Ruggie dropped Leona’s arm as the two of them whirled around to face an angry Riddle approaching them, Cater, Ace, Deuce, Kate, Kaitlyn, Grim and Jack following behind him.
“What are the Heartslabyul guys and herbivores doing here?” Leona asked. “And I see you’re with our frosh. Did you transfer to Heartslabyul, Jack?”
“No,” Jack replied. “I just don’t want to stand by your side today!”
“You traitor…” Leona hissed.
“An act that tarnishes tradition,” Riddle frowned, stepping forward. “A Heartslabyul’s Housewarden, I will not stand by and let your act slide.”
“Heh,” Leona smirked. “Can’t you play your little hero game somewhere else?”
“Are you right in the head?” Ruggie added on. “Coming all the way over here with your friends to spy on the enemy? Do you know what happens to people who do that?”
“Should we teach them a lesson, Housewarden?” one of the students asked.
“Sure, why not?” Leona shrugged. “Go, have fun.”
The students chuckled as they stepped closer to the group. Ace and Deuce also stepped forward, but Cater held them back with a smile.
“Let Riddle handle this,” he said. “I’m sure he’s healed enough.”
Sure enough, Riddle screamed “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”, and the students were instantly collared.
“Wow,” Kate commented. “That was fast.”
“Naturally,” Riddle sighed before turning towards them. “Ace. Deuce. Cater. Will you be able to help if things get really bad?”
“We’re in perfect condition,” Ace answered.
“Of course!” Deuce grinned.
“No prob, Riddle~!”
“Tch,” Leona tsked. “Those guys didn’t stand a chance against Riddle.”
“You know~,” Ruggie began with a smirk. “Even if you do do all of this, you’re already too late to help Diasomnia~.”
“Pray tell, I am quite interested in that story.”
Everyone jumped when a short student with black and dark pink hair suddenly appeared in front of them.
“Wha-?” Kaitlyn tried to speak, but was soon interrupted by a student with blonde hair that suddenly appeared by her side.
“Who said they were too late?” he asked.
“As you can see,” a silver haired student said, approaching the group. “Us Diasomnia players are safe, all thanks to them.”
“What?!?” Ruggie asked, his ears flattening in panic. “You all should have been swallowed by the crowd!”
“Too bad~!” Cater grinned. “The ones that got swept away were actually my clones that I dressed up as them!”
“What did you say?” Leona snarled.
“Y’know, I’ve always admired their dorm uniforms,” Cater hummed. “I’m so lucky I was able to try them on! I’ll upload the vid later~!”
“Dear me,” the short student giggled. “You should have just said something, and I would have willingly given you my clothes.”
“Hmm…” Cater smiled. “I’m not sure Lilia’s clothes would fit me…”
“Hey…” Leona growled. “What’s going on?”
“Riddle told me your plans,” Lilia replied. “And we decided to put on a little act.”
“Th-Then…” Ruggie stammared, taking a step back. “M-Malleus is…?”
“Safe, of course!” the blonde student replied. “The spectators were all released by magic as well, so you better be grateful!”
“Is that even possible?!?” Ruggie asked.
Leona sighed, folding his arms.
“I’m done.”
“W-What?” Ruggie asked, taking a tentative step towards him.
“I’m done,” Leona repeated. “I give up.”
“W-What do you mean?” Ruggie smiled nervously.
“Idiot,” Leona frowned. “If Malleus is in perfect condition, then there’s no chance of winning. I’m gonna sit this one out. There’s no point now in playing in the tournament.”
“N-No way!” Ruggie argued. “Malleus aside, I did what you told me to do! I injured all of those players!” His ears twitched in frustration. “And yet…you said you won’t play. We won’t even place at all now! What happened to our dreams?!?”
“No matter how much of the world watches,” Leona replied solemnly. “It’s still just a children’s game. You guys got delusional about that dream, and I ended up just playing along.”
“Why…?” Ruggie asked, his ears drooping and a sad look crossing his face. “Weren't we gonna change the world…?”
“Stop nagging!” Leona snapped, making Ruggie flinch back in fear. “Let me tell you the truth, then. You’re a hyena that was raised in the trashy slums and I’m the loathed second prince who will never be the king! No matter what we do, the world will never be overturned!”
“What the hell?” Ruggie let out a laugh in disbelief. “Don’t you dare mess with me, Leona! We did all of this and now you’re just giving up?!?”
“Ruggie’s right!” one of the Savanaclaw students agreed. “That’s going too far!”
“We’ll make you play even if we have to drag you there!” another one chimed in.
“You’re so irritating!” Leona shouted, his tail flicking angrily. “Shut up, you imbeciles!”
The ground beneath everyone began to shake as a thin layer of dust started to rise.
“W-What’s going on?!?” Kate yelped.
“Everything Leona’s touching is turning into sand!” Jack exclaimed, losing his balance a little as the ground shook again.
“This is my signature spell,” Leona snarled before turning his eyes on a cowering Ruggie.
“Ruggie!” Kate screamed. “Watch out!”
Her warning came too late as Leona lunged forward and grabbed Ruggie’s arms with a snarl. Ruggie tried to pull away from Leona’s grip, tears of pain filling his eyes as he felt his arms beginning to dry out.
“L-Leona…” he gasped, his mouth feeling dry as a desert. “It…It hurts!”
“T-There are fissures appearing on Ruggie’s arms!” Deuce exclaimed.
“His magic works on humans too?!?” Ace screeched.
“Leona, stop this!” Riddle shouted. “Let Ruggie go! ‘Off With Your Head!’”
No collar appeared and Leona just snarled in return.
“He managed to doge the spell?!?” Grim asked in shock.
“I don’t care if you’re a genius, or whatever,” Leona snarled, his grasp on Ruggie’s arms tightening. “Don’t underestimate your upperclassmen. My skills in offensive magic are better than yours.”
“Damn it,” Riddle hissed, trying to quickly think of a plan.
“Hah!” Leona laughed cruelly, grinning down at Ruggie. “How do you like this, Ruggie? Does it hurt? Is your mouth so dry, you can’t laugh like you used to?”
“I…” Ruggie coughed. “I…”
“This is bad!” Jack exclaimed. “If we don’t do something, Ruggie will…!”
“Fight him!” Kaitlyn yelled. “You all have magic! Use it to beat him up!” She then found a stray rock and picked it up. “I’ll pelt him with rocks if I have to!”
“No, don’t do that!” Cater yelled. “We’ll handle this!”
“You’re so strong, Leona!” Riddle yelled, trying to reason with the lion. “Why would you resort to something like this?!?”
“Why?” Leona asked. “Does my reason even matter to you? Or are you saying you’re gonna comfort me? You should know that there are a lot of things in this world we want, but can never have, no matter how much effort we put into it. Look.” He motioned with his head to a weakening Ruggie. “Ruggie can’t even struggle against me anymore. Pitiful, isn’t he?”
Ruggie tried to speak, but all that came out was a weak cough.
“STOP ALREADY!” Jack yelled, running forward. “UNLEASH THE BEAST!”
A bright light enveloped him, before vanishing to reveal a white wolf where Jack was.
“Is that…?” Riddle blinked.
“He transformed?!?” Kaitlyn asked.
“That’s a big ass wolf,” Kate whistled.
Jack howled, causing Leona to startle. Using this to his advantage, Jack ran forward and knocked Leona away from Ruggie. Ruggie crumpled to the ground, Kate and Kaitlyn running to his side.
“Is he still breathing?” Kaitlyn asked, worry on her face.
“Jack knocked Leona away just in time,” Kate replied, gently picking up Ruggie. “Jeez, this guy’s light as a feather.”
“Kate!” Riddle yelled. “Kaitlyn! Bring him over here! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”
A collar appeared around Leona’s neck as Kate and Kaitlyn rushed back over to the group, Ruggie coughing in Kate’s arms.
“Nice one, Riddle!” Cater complemented. “You stopped Leona’s magic too!”
“Sebek,” the silver haired student piped up. “We should get the others to safety.”
“Don’t order me around, Silver!” the blonde haired student yelled as the two of them rushed off.
“Damn you!” Leona snarled, clawing at the collar. “How dare you collar me!” He then turned his snarl on Jack. “And you! Where did you get that kind of magic?!?”
“...” Jack didn’t say anything until he returned to normal. “It’s my signature spell.”
“Heh,” Leona scoffed. “Turning yourself into a dog is your signature spell? How unique.”
“Leona…” Jack frowned. “I joined this school because I looked up to you. What happened to that guy?”
“I didn’t ask you too,” Leona frowned back. “Shut up.”
“I might not be one to talk,” Riddle crossed his arms. “But I cannot stand to look at you right now. You need to cool your head.”
“What do you know?!?” Leona snapped. “Don’t talk to me like you’re my older brother!”
“You suit a collar more than a crown,” Lilia spoke up, disdain in his voice. “Given your talents, I always felt pity that you were never going to be King of the Savannah. However, you live your life full of sloth, and whenever you betray someone’s expectations, you blame that person. And you thought you would defeat Malleus?!? Even if you did, you would never have gotten rid of your rotten heart. You’ll never become a true king!”
“Hah…” Leona smirked, a crazed look coming over his face as a black ink slowly began to form up his arms. “Hahaha! You’re…You’re right! You’re exactly right! Hahaha! No matter how hard I try, I’ll never become the king!”
“Guys…” Grim muttered. “My fur’s standing on end…”
“Leona’s magic is skyrocketing!” Riddle cried out, his hands shaking as he gripped his magical pen. “I…I can’t keep my magic on him anymore!”
“No, this isn’t-!” Lilia exclaimed, his eyes widening. “This is…no! It can’t be!”
“Everyone down!” Cater shouted. “Now!”
The group ducked as Riddle’s collar broke off of Leona’s neck, flying through the air.
“What the-?!?” Deuce exclaimed from where Ace was shielding him. “He just expelled Riddle’s collar!”
“I’ve always been loathed ever since I was born…” Leona scowled, his voice distorted as the black ink fully encasing him. “I had no place to call home. No future in my life. No matter how hard I work, I will never be acknowledged. Do you herbivores even know what that feels like?!? This pain…this despair…YOU’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL!”
The ink suddenly disappeared, a transformed Leona floating in front of them, a permanent snarl on his face as a large shadow appeared behind him.
“What is that?!?” Jack asked, panic in his eyes. “There’s a giant shadow behind Leona!”
“That’s…” Ace breathed. “That’s blot!”
“Oh Christ!” Kaitlyn shouted. “Not again!”
“Anyone who can stand, go find shelter!” Riddle commanded the Savanaclaw students. “Ace, Deuce, take the injured somewhere safe! Lilia, please call the teachers for help!”
“Yes Housewarden!” the duo replied, booking it towards the injured Savanaclaw students.
“Understood!” Lilia nodded determindaly. “I pray for your safety!”
He disappeared in a hurry, leaving the others to face an overblotted Leona.
“Why do we always have to face something scary?” Cater whined, clutching his magical pen in fear. “I’m not a fighter, ya know?!?”
“If you’re scared, I wouldn’t mind if you ran away,” Riddle said. “Even Kate and Kaitlyn should be leaving.”
“If I left to save myself, Trey would never let me hear the end of it,” Cater frowned. “I’ll stay with you, Riddle.”
“Even if we aren’t magic, we can still try to help,” Kaitlyn argued.
“And I’m not sure what’s going on,” Jack began. “But Leona will come back to his senses if we defeat him, right?”
“L-Let me help…” Ruggie coughed, trying to wriggle out of Kate’s arms. “I…I…I won’t let Leona get away with what he said…”
“Ruggie,” Kate frowned down at the hyena. “I know you’re upset, but you can’t fight him! Not in this state!”
“Kate’s right!” Riddle replied, pushing the two of them away with some wind magic. “Kate, find a safe place to stay. Kaitlyn, I’m not sure what you can do, but any help will be greatly appreciated.”
“Never underestimate a gremlin like me,” Kaitlyn grinned.
“Heh,” Leona chuckled, his eyes landing on the retreating figure of Kate. “A hyena like him is disobeying me?!? Hahaha! That’s not a funny joke! All of you will never see the light of day again!”
“If we catch him, I’ll be able to join the tournament!” Grim declared from Kaitlyn’s shoulder.
“Is that seriously the thing you’re focused on, Grim?!?” Kaitlyn shrieked.
Leona let out a growl and lunged at the group, causing them to scatter. Jack turned himself into his wolf form as Riddle stood by Kaitlyn’s side and Cater summoned his clones. Riddle yelled out some spells, but Leona managed to dodge them all. He reached out towards Cater to turn him into sand, but a clone stepped in front of him, disappearing into sand. Jack let out a howl and ran straight at Leona, the lion dodging the wolf and throwing him into Cater, the two of them collapsing to the ground.
“If I can’t overturn this world, I’ll turn it all into sand!” Leona cackled. “Everything I did was all meaningless!”
“Leona…” Ruggie whimpered, no longer struggling to escape Kate’s grasp. “Was that what you’ve been thinking all this time…?”
“Ruggie…” Kate frowned, glaring at the scene before her. “Don’t worry. They’ll make sure he comes back to his senses.”
“He’s strong!” Jack exclaimed as he and Cater unsteadily stood. “Why did you give up on everything if you’re this strong, Leona?!?”
“Shut up!” Leona shouted, causing a shockwave to knock everyone back. “I’ll turn you all into sand!”
“We need to distract him somehow!” Riddle exclaimed. “If we can do that, I’ll be able to use my magic to knock him out!”
“I’m on it!” Kaitlyn replied, running towards Leona while Grim clung onto her shoulder for dear life. “Take this, you lion bastard!”
“W-Wait!” Cater exclaimed. “What is she doing?!?”
Kaitlyn screamed and launched herself at Leona’s leg, causing the lion to tumble to the ground with a shout.
“She’s going to get herself killed if we don’t knock him out!” Riddle shouted as he ran towards the pair. “Cater! Jack!”
Leona had managed to push Kaitlyn off of him and he reached out his arm to grab her, but the combination of Riddle and Cater’s wind magic sent him flying into the air. He let out a snarl as he tried to land on his feet as he fell, but Jack caught him and flung him towards a tree. His head hit the trunk and everything went dark.
***
Ever since I was born, all I could ever see was an immovable rock in front of me.
If I were the First Prince, I’m sure this is what they will say.
‘The First Prince Leona is so prudent and can use such strong magic! He’s completely different from his carefree younger brother…’
But ever since I was born second, this is all I get.
‘Everything the Second Prince does is sloppy.’
‘The First Prince is always left to clean up after him.’
No matter what I do, I can’t become number one.
Why did I have to go through all of that just because I was born a few years younger?
No matter how hard I studied…
How much I perfected my magic…
From the day I was born until the day I die, my brother will always be looked up to…
And I can never be King.
Why was I born second?
Why can I never become number one?
Why?
Why?
WHY??!?
…Life is unfair…
***
“Oi! Wake up! Ya gotta confess to your crimes!”
“Grim!”
Leona opened his eyes, hastily closing them when the sun blinded him. He groaned as he tried to open them again, confused as to why he was surrounded.
“What…?” he rasped, his throat dry. “What happened?”
“Mr. Kingscholar,” Crowley kneeled down next to the lion and helped him sit up. “You ended up overblotting when all of your negative feelings got to you. Do you not remember?”
“O-Overblot?” Leona asked. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
“Forget about that!” Grim exclaimed. “The tournament is about to start, and if you don’t confess, I won’t be able to compete!”
“Grim…” Kate hissed, narrowing her eyes at the creature.
“Huh?” Leona blinked. “What?”
“Grim was chasing after you because the Headmage said he’d be able to participate in the tournament if he caught you,” Jack explained.
“Eh?” Ruggie asked from where he was leaning against Kate, the girl helping him stay upright. “Those Heartlsabyul chased us just for that?”
“You also injured the people who were gonna play in the tournament,” Kaitlyn frowned, causing Ruggie to sputter.
“Th…” he stuttered. “That’s true, but…”
“So I assume it was you two boys who were behind it?” Crowley asked, causing Leona to sigh.
“Yeah,” Leona nodded. “You’re right.”
“Then you leave me with no choice,” Crowley sighed. “Savanaclaw is going to have to be disqualified from the tournament. Then, you both will have to apologize to everyone you hurt. Understand?”
“Yes, Headmage,” Leona and Ruggie said in unison.
“Hang on a second, Headmage,” Riddle spoke up as a group of students approached. “I have some students who need to speak up.”
“Are those…” Crowley blinked, helping Leona stand. “Are those the victims?”
“Yes,” Trey replied, standing by Riddle’s side. “And we have a request. Can you please let Savanaclaw compete?”
“Come again?” Crowley asked in surprise. “Are you saying that you forgive them?”
“No,” Jamil replied. “We don’t forgive them.”
“But how else are we going to get our revenge on them?” Trey asked, a smirk on his face. “If they don’t participate, we won’t be able to do that!”
“EH?!?” Ruggie exclaimed.
“Revenge?!?” Jack balked.
“Magic can’t exactly be used against others on school grounds,” Riddle began, placing a hand on Trey’s arm. “But…it can be used during the tournament. You can go all out with your magic on the field.”
“I won’t be satisfied if I just hit them once!” a Heartslabyul student exclaimed.
“‘Tis a deul!” a Pomefiore student grinned. “I won’t back down!”
“I’m not exactly sure what happened here,” Jamil frowned. “But the guys from Savanaclaw already look exhausted.”
“We all know who the culprit is,” Trey said, placing his hand over Riddle’s as he glared at Leona. “We just want our revenge on the field.”
“You did say it yourself, Leona~,” Cater grinned. “Using magic on the field isn’t against the rules~.”
“I would usually be against this,” Riddle sighed. “But since Trey wanted this, I’ll turn a blind eye just this time.”
Kate and Kaitlyn gave each other a look while Crowley sighed again.
“I understand,” he frowned. “But I’m not sure if the Savanaclaw students are fit to even play. Mr. Bucchi needs help to stand, and Mr. Kingscholar looks worse for wear.”
“Hah!” Leona chuckled, stumbling a little. “Don’t ever underestimate me, Crowley. I can take these guys in my sleep.”
“Heh,” Jamil smirked, folding his arms. “We’ll see about that.”
“I don’t plan on apologizing to you guys,” Leona frowned. “You’ll have to beat me in order to earn it.”
“Well, Headmage?” Trey asked. “You heard our story. What do you think?”
“I feel like an idiot for thinking that you all would have a heartfelt conversation,” Crowley answered. “Fine. I’ll allow it, but just this once. I see that you’re all passionate about this. However, if something like this happens again, no one is fighting against each other. Got it? I don’t need my students getting seriously hurt.”
“Jeez, you’re like a dad,” Kate commented, causing Crowley to sputter.
“I-I’m not!” he denied before clearing his throat. “The field doesn’t look too bad, and the spectators are all okay and waiting to watch the game. We must hurry.”
Everyone began to hurry off the field, leaving Jack, Kaitlyn, Kate, Grim, Ruggie and Leona behind. Leona stumbled his way towards them and stared down at Ruggie, who’s ears flattened against his head as he glared up at the lion.
“...I haven’t forgiven you, Leona,” he stated. “Got it?”
“I wouldn’t have expected it,” Leona replied, wincing a little. “Listen, I-”
Ruggie held up a hand to interrupt.
“I’m not finished,” he said. “I have not forgiven you, but…I don’t know why…I…I just don’t want you to make that helpless face…ever again. That snarky attitude and smug grin you always wear suits you much better. So…let me do this. Just this once. Laugh With Me!”
“O-Ow!” Leona complained as Ruggie made him smile. “Bashtard…Ruffie!”
Ruggie weakly chuckled, and even a look of fondness came over Leona’s face.
“S-Shtop it!”
“What are you guys doing?” Jack asked with a little laugh.
“Ah, you smiled!” Kaitlyn exclaimed, causing Jack to stutter in embarrassment.
“N-No, I didn’t!” Jack argued, a smile still on his face. “But, I do have to thank you guys for your help. I can fight with all of my strength now.”
“Aww…” Kate crooned, petting his head. “You’re such a sweetheart, Jack!”
“D-Don’t pat my head!” Jack exclaimed, his wagging tail betraying his true feelings.
“You do realize that they’ll be your enemies on the field,” Grim stated. “Right?”
“Of course!” Jack grinned, holding a laughing Kate’s wrist in his hand. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
***
“Ah, there you guys are,” Crowley smiled as they approached him. “We were starting to get worried.”
“I’m glad that you’re all safe,” Deuce smiled. “The Headmage just told Ace and I what happened.”
“Right,” Crowley confirmed. “And since the tournament is continuing, I have to honor my promise to Grim. Grim, you, Ace, and Deuce will play in the pre-tournament exhibitions as special guests. Although…you’ll have to go up against the teachers…”
“What?!?” Ace and Deuce exclaimed in unison. “We’ll get to play?!?”
“Nyaha!” Grim cheered. “The world will see me on tv! Maybe I’ll even get scouted!”
“W-Wait a minute!” Riddle called out. “Ace and Deuce are Heartslabyul students!”
“There’s no rule against, Riddle,” Trey smiled as Cater opened his mouth to ask a question. “And no, Cater. You can’t join their team. You’re a regular player for us, remember?”
“Boo,” Cater pouted. “You’re no fun, Trey.”
“They’re probably not gonna get far, anyways,” Kate commented. “Not if they’re going up against the teachers.”
“I can fix that,” Jack suggested. “Why don’t they go up against us?”
“Wow…” Ace commented. “You’re actually a really nice guy, Jack~!”
“I’m just repaying a favor!” Jack stuttered before turning to Leona. “Is that okay, Housewarden?”
“It’s fine with me,” Leona shrugged. “What’s another match to our agenda?”
“Hah…” Ruggie sighed. “And here I am, already tired…”
“Who said you were playing?” Leona asked.
A tense atmosphere settled over the group as Leona approached Ruggie. He placed his hands on his shoulders, noticing how the hyena flinched.
“You’re injured, Ruggie,” he frowned, gently pushing him towards Kate and Kaitlyn. “I won’t allow you to play like that. You’ll stay in the audience with these two and watch, got it?”
A breath of relief settled over the group as Ruggie visibly relaxed, a nervous smile on his face.
“Aw man…” he sighed. “And I was looking forward to playing…”
“Your injuries come first,” Leona said before turning towards Ace, Deuce and Grim. “And you three, we won’t go easy on you. Be prepared.”
“But that’s only three players,” Kaitlyn hummed. “You need four more…”
“I’ll let it slide if you can find three more players,” Crowley said. “The audience shouldn’t care. Besides, everyone loves a good underdog story.”
“What about the ghosts from the dorm?” Kate asked. “They told us that they used to be players back in the day. Maybe they can…?”
“Hmm…” Crowley hummed, a smile growing. “Ghosts playing? That would certainly be a sight the world has never seen before. Okay, I’ll allow it. I’ll collect them. For everyone else, please head to the stadium. Oh, and before I forget.” He walked over to Ruggie. “Mr. Bucchi, please hold out your arms.”
Confused, Ruggie did as he was told and Crowley hovered his hands over his arms. Bandages suddenly formed and crawled their way up Ruggie’s arms, completely covering the fissures that Leona had caused. Leona noticed this, and he quickly looked away, a pained look on his face.
“There,” Crowley gave Ruggie a small smile. “These bandages are enchanted, so your arms should be healed in a week or so.”
“Thank you, Headmage,” Ruggie thanked, a smile on his face.
“You’re welcome,” Crowley said. “Oh, and did any of you happen to see a black stone anywhere?”
“No,” Kaitlyn replied, shaking her head. “I didn’t see anything. Kate?”
“Nope,” Kate replied. “Nothing.”
“Hmm…” Crowley hummed. “I guess if you didn’t see anything, my suspicions are wrong…” He shook his head. “Never mind then. Let’s head to the arena.”
***
“Damn…” Kate whistled. “These are some good seats, Ruggie.”
“I know all the best places on campus,” Ruggie chuckled as he squished in between the two girls. “Oh~. It looks like the match is about to start~.”
Cheers from the crowd erupted as the Savanaclaw players and the special guests group appeared. Almost instantly, the match began, and it was easily proven that the Savanaclaw players were at an advantage.
“Wow…” Kaitlyn commented. “They’re really good.”
“Yeah, but the tiredness from earlier is catching up to them,” Ruggie frowned. “Look. The others just scored a goal.”
Grim seemed to be yelling something at a smirking Leona, and he flung the disc. However, it was flung in the completely wrong direction and it headed straight for the crowd.
“Kaitlyn!” Kate exclaimed as she and Ruggie leapt to the side. “The disc!”
Kaitlyn turned her head just as the disc flew right into her forehead, knocking her out cold. She collapsed in the stands, causing the spectators around her to quickly move out of the way.
“Uh oh…” Kate muttered as she kneeled down by Kaitlyn. “That’s not good.”
“We should take her to the infirmary.” Ruggie suggested. “Now.”
***
“Ow…” Kaitlyn blinked awake. “What happened…?”
“You got hit with a disc Grim tried to throw,” Ace replied from where he stood by Kaitlyn’s bed. “You’re in the infirmary.”
“I really thought my super long shot would make it…” Grim pouted as Kaitlyn sat up.
“A beginner like you shouldn’t have even tried that,” Jack sighed.
“Anyways,” Deuce smiled. “I’m glad you’re awake. I was worried that we’d be blamed if you didn’t wake up.”
“The tournament ended while you were out,” Kate said, sitting on the end of Kaitlyn’s bed. “They’re preparing to clean up the place now.”
“What about the other dorms?” Kaitlyn asked. “Who won?”
“Diasomnia, of course,” Leona’s voice from the neighboring bed replied. “These guys decided to just go after us and not the disc, so we were all tired when facing against Diasomnia.”
“Leona!” Jack exclaimed, bouncing over to Leona’s side. “I didn’t realize you were awake!”
“I usually don’t use these beds unless I’m napping,” Leona sighed. “It feels strange being here for an actual reason.”
“It’s a shame no one from Diasomnia is here,” Ruggie sighed. “I would have felt a little better if I saw one of them here…”
“I agree,” Leona muttered, Ruggie startling as Leona gently took Ruggie’s hand in his. “It’s quite irritating.”
No one said anything when they saw Leona do that, and instead Ace cleared his throat.
“The rumors sure don’t lie…” Ace stated. “Diasomnia’s Housewarden is no joke!”
“He was amazing,” Deuce agreed. “You’d think so too if you saw him, Kate and Kaitlyn.”
“But weren’t you in the crowd?” Kaitlyn asked, looking at Kate.
“I carried your ass all the way here,” Kate replied. “I didn’t want to leave while you were unconscious.”
“Hmph,” Jack humphed. “One day I’ll show you all that I can defeat Diasomnia without cheating!”
“Being a cheater can work to your advantage, Jack,” Leona smirked.
“Jeez, you haven’t learned anything, have you, you lion bastard?” Kaitlyn asked, causing Leona to let out a laugh.
“Was I supposed to?” Leona teased. “Must have forgotten that.”
“Shishishi~,” Ruggie chuckled, a fond look crossing over Leona's face. “That’s the Leona we know~.”
“Jeez…” Jack huffed. “And I thought you all learned something…”
“Ya know…” Grim grinned. “We’ll be in the tournament again next year!”
“We’ll do our best so we’ll be chosen!” Deuce exclaimed, throwing an arm around Ace. “Right?”
“Yeah!” Ace declared. “I don’t wanna embarrass myself around that many people again!”
“I finally found you uncle!”
The group turned just in time to see a red-headed lion kid launch himself at Leona, causing Leona to let go of Ruggie’s hand in surprise. Leona let out a grunt as the kid landed on his stomach, a smile on his face.
“Uncle Leona~!”
“Ah great,” Leona huffed. “The annoying one is here.”
“Wait…” Kate said, holding up a hand. “Did he say…’Uncle Leona’?”
“Yeah,” Leona sighed. “This furball here is my brother’s son…my nephew, Cheka.”
“NEPHEW?!?” everyone exclaimed in surprise.
“Wait…” Ruggie blinked. “Then that means…the one next in line for the throne is…”
“Your match was so cool, Uncle!” Cheka gushed. “Teach me how to play next time!”
“Ah, I get it!” Leona shouted. “Don’t shout in my ear! Where are your bodyguards, anyway? They’re probably worried about you.”
“Hehe…” Cheka chuckled. “I wanted to see you really bad, so I left them behind.”
“Awww…” Kaitlyn and Kate gushed. “He’s such a cutie~.”
“So, this is the root of all evil for Leona?” Jack asked with a raised brow.
“He seems to be really attached to Leona,” Deuce commented.
“Shut up!” Leona growled, embarrassment on his face. “Stop staring!”
“Hey, hey Uncle!” Cheka grinned. “When are you coming back home? Next week? The week after that? Did you read my letters?”
“I already told you that I’m coming home for the holidays,” Leona winced. “Can you get off my stomach?”
“Your uncle is still injured, little Prince,” Ruggie stated, gently picking up Cheka. “So you need to let him rest.”
Cheka stared up at him before a huge grin overtook his face again.
“Are you all Uncle’s friends?” he asked. “Are you the hyena he talks about a lot?”
Ruggie blanched at this, causing the others to laugh.
“Yup~,” Ace smirked. “We’re your Uncle’s friends~.”
“That’s also the hyena~,” Deuce joined in on the teasing. “His name is Ruggie~.”
Ruggie nervously laughed, wincing at the pain he felt as he did so.
“Stop laughing, you bastards!” Leona exclaimed, embarrassment all over his face. “You better remember this!”
***
“Kate?” Grim asked, floating over the sleeping figure before floating to the other bed. “Kaitlyn? Are you two awake?”
Hearing no reply, Grim grinned as he took out a black stone.
“Perfect~,” he hummed to himself. “It’s snack time~.”
Taking a huge bite out of the stone, he let out a little squeal of happiness.
“It’s bitter and spicy~,” he gushed. “It’s a shame humans can’t enjoy this~.”
He gobbled the rest of it up, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“I’m tired now that I’m full~,” he yawned before settling himself at the end of Kate’s bed. “Time for bed~.”
***
Kate groaned as she woke up, her mouth dry.
Man…she thought. Am I thirsty…
Noticing it was still dark out, she let out a groan as she crawled out of bed, being careful to not wake up a sleeping Grim. As she crossed the room, the mirror on the bureau began to glow. Rubbing her eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on her, she approached the mirror.
What the…? she thought, reaching out towards the mirror.
A familiar-looking shadow appeared in the mirror, and Kate blinked at this.
No way…she thought. That’s impossible…
Just as soon as the shadow appeared, it disappeared, making Kate blink again.
I must be seeing things, she yawned. I’ll just get something quick to drink and then back to bed. I must be more tired than I thought…
***
“The sales for this year’s tournament went up by twelve percent compared to last year’s, correct? What a favorable result.”
“But y’know…it would’ve been faster if we didn’t end up in the bottom for this year’s tournament.”
“That does not matter. In the end, the Magical Shift Tournament is but a simple game where people run around chasing after a disc. The field where we from Octavinelle truly shine is…yes…the written exams!”
“Azul, the client has contacted us. They will be meeting with us directly in the Lounge tonight.”
“Understood. Then, shall we prepare a special welcome for our guest? Now then, what kind of wish will they make? How truly exciting. Fufufu…”