ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 7: 𝒮𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡'𝔳𝔢 𝒮𝔱𝔞𝓎𝔢𝔡 ℌ𝔬𝔪𝔢...
𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕…about 4.3k words, swearing bc mc starts freaking out, the battles are a little underwhelming cuz im not good at them, this is a long one folks and it was gonna be longer…but i felt i stopped at a good place
ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕕𝕖𝕕: Yuusaku, Grim, Jack, Idia, Malleus, Silver, Sebek, Lilia, Ruggie, Leona, Riddle, Cater, Ace, Deuce, Crowley, Trey, Jamil, Chenya, (oh boy what a list)
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘? Students at Night Raven start to find themselves enamored by a sophomore Yuu seems to hang around, what's with this faceless nobody? Many seem determined to find out...
Spelldrive had you stressed out ridiculously. You talked a little to Yuusaku about it after he got home and he finally let you in about how Crowley believed foul play was going on and that it was confirmed yesterday. Obviously you assumed he told the headmage about this, that is until he started telling you about Riddle’s plan and you just blinked at him. You questioned why he wouldn't just tell the headmage to which he shrugged. You were genuinely so baffled you didn't even protest, just nodded slowly and moved on because it was simply not your problem.
You had your hands full already, since the tournament was in less than a day, you and your teammates stayed up all night devising plans in hopes to at least not be humiliated when losing. Each team goes against their match and with Ignihyde being…the worst out of all of them, plus the uneven amount of dorms, Crowley has a system for it. Diasomnia against Savanaclaw, Octavinelle against Pomefiore, Scarabia against Heartslabyul, and finally, Ignihyde being against whoever wins the second round.
It's…not bad. Annoying, but not bad. Unlike the other dorms, yours didn't have a defined first opponent, which meant you had to plan for both. Since most of the games are evenly matched, you also find it pretty hard to figure out who may or may not win, so you either plan for all ahead of time or wait until the last second and plan for what you need.
Anyway, you got no sleep. Just as dawn comes, so does a knock at the door. Who the actual fuck would go anywhere this early?? You sigh and get up, since you're already awake, not needing to be careful since Grim went to sleep with Yuu since you were going to be up all night. Your slippers are quiet as you pad down the stairs, peeking out the window to see who's there. A familiar face greets you, standing with his arms crossed while staring hard at the door. You watch him lift his hand to knock again and swiftly move to crack it open. His eyes widen and his tail puffs up a bit, clearly not having heard you (which you think is a little odd because of those giant ears on his head).
“...ah…good morning…” His eyes roam over what he can see of you, trying to remember if he has met you.
“Hi…if you're here for Yuusaku, he's still sleeping…” Only a sliver of you is available, [h/c] hair tangled from being laid on, one [e/c] eye with insane dark circles, one hand grabbing the doorframe, and finally, pajamas covered in Grim’s hair.
“Ah, yes…I wanted to wake him, to be sure he did not oversleep.”
“Oh…okay…” You hesitate, wondering if you should turn him away and go get Yuu yourself but ultimately deciding your body aches too bad. “Just…wake him gently, I guess…”
He blinks as you open the door for him, still partially hiding behind it, and then he steps in. He observes everything, the sights, the smells, the sounds, as you shut the door behind him. You gesture for him to follow along and he does as you lead him up the stairs quietly. He can't help but notice how soft your footsteps are even for his good hearing.
“That one’s his.” You point to Yuu’s door, turning to yours and slipping inside without another word.
You hear him gently open the door and soon after, muffled voices. You don't eavesdrop as it isn't your business, plus, you're dead tired. You climb into bed, knowing you have a few hours until you are needed but not long after you close your eyes, Yuusaku pushes your door open, Grim on his shoulder and the Savanaclaw kid behind him.
“Good morning, [Name]!!” Yuu grins, stepping inside and tossing Grim onto your bed where he lands on your stomach, making you groan and roll on your side, clutching your stomach.
Well, you planned on sleeping for at least two hours, but a certain group of freshmen insisted you come along with them. They brought you along with a few others to have breakfast where you stayed silent because you really just wanted to sleep.
Soon after, you broke away to meet up with your team for some last minute clarifications before you all had to be at the coliseum for the tournament. It's insanely crowded because, for some reason, the players have to go through the east building. It wasn't like this last year, but Azul wasn't the head planner last year, and you really don't know what goes through HIS head…
Either way, you were lined up to go into the stadium until you heard a stampede. Looking about, you watch audience members scream as they all run towards last year's champions: Diasomnia.
Oh yeah, didn't Yuu say something about cloning Diasomnia’s team? You’re surprised they predicted this and planned accordingly…sometimes you think Yuu would be a good Scarabia student, but you digress, not too concerned since you’re sure they’ve got it under control. Idia standing besides you looks terrified however.
“What the fuck??” His eyes dart from the audience to the players and his face pales. “N-No way, Draconia is the final boss, what are these people doing????”
“They’re being controlled.” You lean around the crowd to see a little better, watching as the audience crushes the clones, your heart hurts to see Silver in that bunch, but you know it isn't actually him. “Ruggie is sabotaging the competition.”
Idia, rightfully, looks at you like you're insane. You don't need him to prompt you to finish as you continue right after. “Some shady shit but we found out their plan and made a counter plan against it…I saw we, but I didn't do nothin’, it was really all Yuusaku.”
He blinks a few times but trusts you enough to believe he isn't witnessing a murder right now, nodding and quietly watching to see what comes next. Obviously, you keep your mouth shut as well.
A minute later, Malleus Draconia pulls up and starts clearing everything, assuring the crowd he is alright and leading everyone back to their seats. When he gets to the other players, he directs you down to where you're supposed to be, there you see the Savanaclaw kids from before, a few of them fighting Riddle, which you can't imagine would take too long considering he’s crazy OP.
You and fellow peers take your seats as everyone watches the commotion, nosy bastards. Honestly, you zone out for a while, suddenly caught up in wondering if Chenya was caught in the chaos and if he’s okay. He thought his was tomorrow but it was today…and yet he made sure you knew he snuck out to see you. Your chest warms at the thought, though you know deep down that he has other friends at NRC, and that he wasn't here ONLy for you. Either way, you promised you’d watch him in return, already having bought tickets to go to RSA’s Spelldrive tournament.
“Shut UP, you nobodies!” Leona growls, breaking you out of your trance. You look up, he looks a mix of pissed and hopeless. His teammates all look nervously between each other, making you look around for context. Without a word, you watch Leona stomp and the ground start to fly up with sand, effectively making seeing the commotion impossible.
You hear a few voices, some of your peers whispering, some of those in the middle of the circle whining in pain. What's happening?? You can't get a good look and all the students not involved are talking so loud that you can't hear the inner circle. Is..Leona going to fight them?
You hear Riddle shout his signature spell again but even when you strain to hear anything else, you find that you can't. You try moving to get a better look but many students share that sentiment and you barely get anywhere. Though you can't see well, the sight of magic shining through the sand is obvious. They're fighting. Fuck, Yuusaku is magicless, what if he gets caught and cant weasel his way out?? Your heart picks up, that can't be good. Then some more indistinct shouting and finally a…howl?? Okay, now you're officially confused. Silver and the green one come running out soon after, Silver leading a few wounded away and the other one doing crowd control to get the other students out. With him clearing the way, you take this as your chance to get closer.
Wait…closer? Why are you getting closer?? No, you should be leaving…!! Clearly, though, you don't care, because you continue to get closer even as Idia tries pulling you to safety.
Pushing past the other students, your eyes watering from all the dust kicked up, you finally find yourself close enough to see the commotion. Immediately your eye is drawn to the giant wolf.
Yeah, thats not the sand fucking your eyes up, thats actually just a giant wolf. Oh. Okay then… Either way, that is there, then you see Ruggie on the ground, coughing and clutching his arm which is littered with cracks. What the fuck happened here?? You watch as most stand defensively, Yuu towards the back, Leona standing offensively. He looks ready to kill someone, and a glance at Ruggie proves that it seems he’s already tried.
“No, you're exactly right...! Ha ha ha ha! I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!” Leona’s face twists into a wide grin, he looks crazed, you feel your stomach churn and your fear stat rise.
Grim visibly shivers and says something to Yuu, Riddle announces something to the people standing behind him (which is almost everyone except for Lilia and obviously Leona), though you can't hear it, you can understand it isn't good judging by the look on his face. Lilia’s face falls and a flicker of realization hits him, but before he can say anything, Cater steps back and shouts, “EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!”
Your surroundings grow darker and you have to cover your eyes as the wind picks up. Fuck, you want to puke, why did you stick around? You should've gone with Idia, you really should’ve…maybe you can still turn back! Your thoughts are far too loud that the only thing that you hear is Leona crashing out.
“I've been loathed since the day I was born. I've never had a place, never had a future! None of my hard work is ever rewarded!” His face twists further into a disgusting scowl that makes your hair stand on end, he points a finger at everyone standing opposite of him and you swear his eyes get glossy, “How could any of YOU possibly understand? MY disappointment?! MY pain?!”
Then, as if burnt, he screams, the kind you’d hear in a game when the VA has bills to pay, the kind that gives you chills even past the screen. But this isn't a game, you are in serious danger.
You scurry over to a wall to hide from all the dust going in your eyes, you hear someone shout something, but over gross liquidy sounds, you can't quite hear it. Peeking out, you see a shadow emerge from Leona’s shadow, leaning over him as its glass head leaks, the ink-like substance clinging to his body and encasing him in it. You might have noticed Yuu’s face hardening if you had been looking, but your attention was taken by watching Leona’s form contort. It looks weird, gross, intriguing…you can't take your eyes off of it. Finally, the ink pools at his feet and he looks like he got promoted, a whole new outfit complete with the Shadow still behind him.
You hear a few words being thrown around, “blot” “berserker” and "faculty" stand out the most, and when you realize what's happened, it's already too late, Leona is already attacking everyone.
Thankfully, your distance keeps you relatively safe, though you can't say the same for everyone else. What did you expect? You can hardly do anything…not to mention, you didn't sleep so you still feel like dying!! Well, if this wasn't so painful, you joke, maybe this would be a perfect way to go.
Of course, it isn't, and of course, you watch helplessly for another few minutes wondering what you could possibly do. Then, your eyes trail over the ink creatures and it makes you wonder what kind of magic would be most effective. His attacks are all offense, no defense, but that doesn't mean he’s easy to get close to. The ink makes for a good AOE debuff, making anyone who steps in it slower as it tries to pull them in. You watch as the creatures emerge from the ink as well, though those do not come from the ground, it comes from the Shadow directly. Anything with a corporal form takes shape from the source which is the Shadow and the debuffs come from the ink.
You blink, perhaps you were wrong, this is more like a game than you thought…you take your magic pen and focus your mind, a misty green gathers and twirls around the ink, the goop passing right through it, reaching for Leona’s arms and legs. He struggles to move away from them but when he’s ultimately caught, you find that restraining him doesn't do anything.
Feeling discouraged and perhaps a bit useless, your gaze moves back to the opposing group. Yuu keeps glancing around but is mostly focused on giving orders and giving a heads up on incoming attacks, Riddle is pure offense, trying to combat everything Leona throws at him, and mostly everyone else is on defense, with some offensive attacks here and there.
…they’d have a much easier time if more of them could focus on counter attacks…
Newfound determination fills you as you lift your pen again, the misty little hands return tenfold, surrounding the group and forming a barrier around them. It isn't perfect, your magic isn't the most advanced out there after all, but it gets the job done. The little ink beasts struggle to penetrate it, the bigger attacks are weakened and give everyone plenty of time to counter. Leona only seems to get angrier at this and the mist pools around his feet, eagerly sapping at his energy. You wonder why he doesn't seem to be fatigued at all, usually your magic has that effect on people, makes them sluggish and weak…your focus wavers as you try to imagine the anomaly of this and you are punished for this error by watching Yuu and Ace take a heavy hit. From then on, you devote your whole mind to keeping everyone safe.
It is a surprisingly long time until the headmage arrives and even then, he seems a little unsure how to approach safely. He lingers with you by the wall, making sure your hands aren't too full. Thankfully, someone (you didn't quite see who) made a blow to the Shadow’s glass head and as it shattered, it encased Leona in the ink again.
With him temporarily out cold, everyone quickly rushes to check on the wounded. Not long later, the ink dissipates, bubbling and evaporating until nothing but a beat-up Leona remains passed out on the floor. With this, the headmage deems it safe enough to approach and he has you follow closely behind.
As the two of you reach the bigger group, you really see how roughed up everyone is. You stand quietly and assess everyone, moving silently over to Yuu and Grim. Grim is okay for the most part, his fur is all sandy and his eyes are a little red but that's really the worst of his worries. Yuusaku on the other hand has a huge claw mark on his arm from one of the ink beasts. When he notices you, he lights up.
“[Name]! You're here, are you okay?”
“Are you crazy?!” You frown, taking his arm and inspecting the bleeding. “Are you okay?? You were the one actually fighting!”
He giggles as if his arm doesn't sting like hell and gives you a soft smile, “It's nothing too bad, it looks far worse than it feels.”
His reassurance does little to quell your worries and you mentally wonder if that's due to the attack coming from a liquid monster rather than something solid, or something else entirely. Now isn't the time to wonder, though, and a few of the nurses come to patch everyone up. You help Yuu, Ace, and Deuce while Grim is off with Crowley confronting Leona, hoping for a spot on a Spelldrive team, of course.
You just finish up when you hear headmage tell Savanaclaw that they are disqualified when Riddle steps forward. “Headmage, wait.”
Crowley turns, tilting his head curiously, “Mr. Rosehearts? And I see you're with...oh…!”
“Correct.” Riddle crosses his arms and side steps, revealing the group behind him, “They are the victims in this incident.”
Trey steps forward first, “Headmage, speaking on behalf of the victims, I have a request for you. We would like you to permit Savanaclaw House to play in the tournament despite their crimes.”
“What...?” Crowley binks stupidly for a second, “Are you saying...you wish to forgive their crimes?”
Ruggie’s eyes widen and for a second he looks like he wants to cry, making you feel a little bad for him actually.
Jamil crosses his arms and puts in his two cents, “No. That's the last thing we want.”
Trey continues, “If Savanaclaw is disqualified from the tournament, we'll lose our chance at revenge.”
Hysterically, wolf boy and Ruggie seem taken aback by this, as if expecting pity. Hah…even you know that's a silly thing to expect at this school.
Riddle huffs, his desire to stick to the rules prickling in his mind, “After all, fighting with magic is forbidden on campus..”
Trey puts an arm on Riddle’s shoulder, as if to comfort him. “But during a Spelldrive game, it's all in the name of sport, right? It just happens to be a sport where players face off using the fullest extent of their magic.”
Two Heartslabyul players stand behind Trey, one of them preaching “If we don't get revenge, it'll gnaw at us all year!” and a Pomefiore student pointing a finger at the culprits and declaring a duel.
Jamil crosses his arms with a little grin, “Plus, I dunno what happened here, but it looks like it left the Savanaclaw kids in even worse shape than we're in.”
Trey fixes his glasses, his eyes narrowing smugly, “What we're saying is: now that we know who did this, we have an opportunity to hash things out on the field instead of letting grudges fester.”
Crowley looks between them all and nods a big grin growing on his face, “You've said it yourself, Leona—fighting doesn't break school rules if it's a part of a Spelldrive match!”
You kind of space off here, wondering how Silver and Chenya are doing…you take the conversation as your chance to escape and go find at least one of them, spying Silver a little distance away with Lilia. Lilia sees you first and stares until Silver follows his eyes. He perks up upon seeing you and doesn't hesitate to come running over to you. “[Name], you…youre okay, right?”
“Yes, I’m fine…” You nod, tensing a little as he grabs your shoulders, though his hands are so gentle that you find it easy to relax soon after.
“Good, I am relieved…Sebek told me you insisted on running off and he trusted you had enough sense to be safe.” He glances you over again, as if making sure not a hair is out of place. “I am happy you returned unscathed.”
He smiles that charming smile and you feel yourself give one in return, “Yes, I…dont know what came over me. I just needed to do something, I couldnt…sit still.”
His hands slide off you slowly and he seems genuinely relieved you're okay. Well, he already said he was, and you didn't doubt him, but seeing it and hearing it is a bit different.
“Come, [Name], the tournament starts soon, you should get back to your team.” he reminds you, and you nod and take the offer, scurrying away to prepare for the games.
Something something, exhibition match, something something, Yuusaku got hit, something something, game cut short. Yeah, that's all you managed to get, and you would've helped Yuu off the field had you not been so far away and busy doing last minute finalizations with your team. He’s pretty tough so you have faith he’ll be okay, besides, ADeuce and Grim have him just fine…
Soon after, the real games begin and you watch Savanaclaw get TORN UP…yeah, not that you expected much since seeing what happened earlier…
Either way, Pomefiore won, and so you guys have to play against them. Honestly, you were hoping Octavinelle would win because…well, you found out a few minutes ago that, oh boy…
…is in Pomefiore’s 7 this year…
So, your day just got about 5 times worse. Now you're worried you won't be focused, what if he tries to talk to you?? Fuck, this literally couldnt get any worse…
Idia tilted his head and frowned, trying to discern what has you so ruffled, but he doesn't realize until they’re announcing the next bracket. Pomefiore and Ignihyde. Ah, that makes sense.
Your hands are shaking, your magic pen threatening to slip. The disc is thrown up and Idia is the first to get it, he hurries over to Elias (one of your dormmates) and transfers it over. Elias, on his broom, takes flight before he can be caught but a boy with fluffy purple hair comes in hot and takes it. You glance up at Elias and he swoops down, you clamber quickly onto the broom with him and hold him tight as he steers. Having two people on one broom is risky, most dorms dont bother even trying, but you and Elias have been practicing. He’s good on a broom, and your magic makes for a good defense, the two of you effectively becoming human shields and a speedy obstacle. The blonde with the bob cut (who you recognize as the one usually with a hat) grins as the two of you pass.
Haruka has the disc and you feel your gaze travel away from him. He’s not flashy, efficient and usually preferring to sit to the side. What made him sign up this year, you wonder..and then it hits you. The sabotaging, some of Pomefiore’s players must've been hurt and subbed out and Haruka happened to get picked.
…you can't tell if you feel better or worse knowing that.
Your loss of focus causes you to lose your balance and fall, though all but one notice. The bob cut ignores the disc coming at him to hurry over and catch you, cushioning your fall with his magic. Nico (another one of your dormmates) comes in and is able to snatch it, stumbling a little as he runs to score. Vil turns with a firm frown, intending on scolding Rook until he actually sees you. Something passes over his expression, something you can't discern, before he turns again and returns to the game, Nico scores and your teammates cheer, Pomefiore calls a time out (likely to touch up their makeup) and you return to Elias who apologizes profusely for dropping you. Waving him off, you decide to sit for a minute and drink something and as you down an energy drink, your eyes wander. Choking, you hack and cough as you find your dear Haru staring at you from across the field, a sort of hard look in his eye. His face hardens further as he watches you choke before forcing himself to turn away.
…maybe you really fucked up. It's really only been a month and a few weeks but that's about 7 whole weeks where you have been apart from him…
Fuck, whats wrong with you, why would you ever take the offer and…
Haruka glances back at you, his pretty lips pulled into a deliberate frown now. You cast your gaze away, steeling yourself in your mind. You can address this after…for now, time out is over.
It wasn't rocket science, obviously Pomefiore won..but you gave them a hell of a good fight! After that, you watched them play Heartslabyul (which ended up winning against Scarabia) and then Diasomnia destroyed Heartslabyul soon after.
Malleus is amazing to watch, he moves with the grace and elegance befitting a prince while ruthlessly accomplishing his goal. Silver moves smoothly as well, though with a little more haste and struggle than Draconia. Lilia keeps distracting the green one to try and keep some kind of fairness for Heartslabyul (seeing as they are at SUCH a disadvantage) though it barely does anything.
In the end, Diasomnia takes 1st place again and the games are concluded. Chenya rushes over to see you, pulling you into an embrace, picking you up, and spinning you around and around. Your cries and pleas fall on deaf ears and you stumble when he finally sets you down.
“Oh, [Name], you were so good!!!” He seems ecstatic, “Now my round starts in ten, you think we can make it?”
“T-Ten minutes?!” He nods at your shock.
“I told you ours started half an hour before yours finished!!” He wastes no time in slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Come along, my dear [Name], watch me win it all for RSA!”
Of course, you have no choice but to go along.
…talking to Haruka can wait…
I did not sleep last night i was trying to write for yall but i was not coherent enough to do that, who knew an in class nap would do the trick, also HOLY YAP this chapter was long
𝔸𝕟𝕕, 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕒 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪!!
@gloomuraaii, @aurorab-0-realis, @dollyhrtzzs, @unlucky-jae, @sincerelyruu (ask if you wanna be added!!)
《★~ 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙠𝙨! ~★》
