"Dude, how are you so good at fighting?" Finn asked. "You might even better at hand to hand fighting than Rhea.
"Cause I am?." I glance at rhea who just nod back at me "see?, also if your gonna compare me to someone, at least compare me to the very best iris is better at hand to hand combat than Rhea."
"I am?, no I think I'll get beat to a pulp if I fight Rhea h2h."
"That's cause Rhea is 8+ feet tall."
"Alright we're getting sidetracked..." Finn interjected "You know what? Let's go out with a bang. Our first activity is coming up, after all."
"C'mon, man. Aren't you worried about my safety?"
"If anything, I should be worried about their safety." Finn stared at me, not the good kind.
"Wow, what an encouragement."
"By the way, do you know what Dorian said about you?"
"He's talking shit behind my back?"
"No! Dude, he's terrified of you. Somehow, you know his Phenomenon, and you even asked him if he wanted you to stab him."
"Huh. I gotta prove it somehow."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
"Anyway, where is he?"
Finn sighed, apparently accepting that he wasn't going to get a normal response out of me.
"You know how you told him his Phenomenon was blood? As far as I know, he's probably the poorest student here. I doubt he has enough money to casually buy blood packs just to practice his abilities, so..."
Finn glanced around before making a slicing gesture across his wrist.
I stared at him.
"Seriously? That's hardcore."
"Right? I feel bad for the guy."
"Lend him some money."
"I tried, but he said it was unnecessary."
"Ah, well. You did your part." I shrugged and returned to my food.
"Anyway, what was I supposed to do again?"
"Right, so, back to the arena, your next opponent is gonna be Darius, nickname Weapon enthusiast D-." Finn stopped mid-sentence and turned toward Iris.
"...Why do you look so down?"
"It's nothing," Iris replied, picking at her food.
I glanced at her.
"What, you and Balin having a lover's quarrel? It's only been a week since you got back together."
"It's not like that," Iris muttered.
I tilted my head.
"Sure, sure." So it got worse huh, I wonder how it'll develop from now on.
I reached over and eyed the food she hadn't touched.
"Hey, if you're not going to eat that, can I have it?"
"Screw off."
"Then stop picking at it."
"You have your own food. Eat it."
I leaned back, letting the conversation breathe for approximately three seconds before my curiosity inevitably got the better of me.
"So, did you two have a fight or something?"
"I don't know."
I blinked.
"You don't know?"
"Yeah, I don't know!" Iris snapped, finally looking up from her plate. "That's why I'm pissed!"
Well, that escalated quickly.
"I'm getting ignored again! Didn't we already have this problem last time? Why hasn't he learned anything?"
Her fork stabbed into a piece of food with considerably more force than necessary.
"It's always the same thing with him. Something bothers him, he shuts everyone out, and I'm just supposed to sit there wondering what the hell is going on!"
Ah.
I leaned forward, covering my mouth with one hand.
I really shouldn't feel excited. This was the same feeling I'd had when I'd talked to the wind mage before. There was something strangely entertaining about encountering a new scenario.
"...I'm scared that, little by little, we'll just stop talking to each other again."
That last part caught me off guard.
Before I could offer my own extremely questionable wisdom, Rhea suddenly spoke up.
"Maybe he doesn't want you to solve his problems for him."
We turned toward her.
Rhea calmly set down her utensils, looking as though she were about to deliver a lecture she'd been preparing for the past three generations.
"Sometimes, when someone is having a hard time, they don't want another person to come along and fix everything. They just want someone who'll listen to them. Someone who'll stay with them while they figure things out for themselves." She paused, glancing at Iris.
"You don't always have to find a solution. Sometimes, you just have to ask what they need and let them know you're there for them."
The cafeteria fell quiet for a moment.
Iris stared at her.
Finn stared at her.
I stared at her.
...Where the hell did that come from?
Rhea, meanwhile, simply picked up her utensils and continued eating as though she hadn't just dispensed the kind of relationship advice that could end wars.
"Of course," she added casually, "that doesn't mean he gets to ignore you forever. He still needs to communicate. You're his mate, not a mind reader."
There it is. The fine print.
I nodded slowly.
"Wow..."
Finn leaned toward me and whispered, "Did we just witness a once-in-a-generation event?"
"Shut up," I whispered back. "Let me process this."
"Process what?"
"Rhea giving relationship advice. I feel like I should be taking notes."
"I'm right here, you know," Rhea said without looking up.
"See? Even her hearing has improved. Truly, we're witnessing a miracle."
"Do you want me to stop talking?"
"No, please. Continue enlightening us, wise sage."
"Eat your food."
"Wisdom beyond mortal comprehension."
Meanwhile, Iris lowered her gaze, her expression gradually softening as she processed Rhea's words.
"...Thanks," she murmured.
Rhea smiled.
"Don't mention it."
I watched the two of them for a moment before returning to my food.
Man, I keep letting my prejudices get the better of me. What a pain.
It was so much easier when people behaved exactly the way I expected them to.
Unfortunately, reality had a nasty habit of refusing to cooperate with my preconceived notions.
I sighed and reached for another piece of food.
"Anyway, Iris," I said, eyeing the food she'd barely touched, "since you're not eating that-"
"Touch my food and I'll break your fingers."
I slowly withdrew my hand.
Finn patted my shoulder sympathetically.
"Some battles aren't worth fighting, man."
"Finally, someone who understands me."
"I'm still not letting you have my food, either."
"I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I SAID."
"Okay, back to Darius. You know Darius, right?"
"I actually... don't."
"You don't?"
"Do I look like I do?"
Finn stared at me as if I'd just admitted to never hearing of the sun.
"That's surprising. He's been all over the news lately because of all the ruckus he's been causing. What, do you live under a rock or something?"
"Finn, I'm about to beat your ass."
"Ha! I'm joking." He raised his hands defensively, though the grin on his face suggested he wasn't particularly sorry. "But seriously, you should buy one of those newspapers the Journal Club sells. Might do you some good."
...To be fair, he had a point.
Back in the game, the news only ever reported major events. If something wasn't relevant to the main storyline, it usually didn't exist as far as the game was concerned.
Which meant I'd probably missed a ridiculous amount of information simply because the developers had decided it wasn't worth mentioning.
Huh. I guess I really do live under a rock.
Maybe I should start paying more attention to what was happening around me instead of treating the entire world like a glorified walkthrough.
A revolutionary concept, I know.
Before Finn could continue, a hand suddenly landed on my shoulder.
Goddammit.
That's the second time this has happened.
Seriously, what was with people and touching my shoulder without warning? Was personal space a foreign concept in this academy?
"What's up!"
I turned around.
And there he was.
Darius, in the flesh.
And blood.
And bones.
And mana.
...Well, that last part was probably unnecessary.
I stared at him for a moment.
So this is Darius, huh?
Darius glanced at me, then at the empty seat beside us.
"Say, Cassius, want a drink?"
He produced a bottle from seemingly nowhere and offered it to me with the casual confidence of a man who'd never been told no in his life.
"No thanks. I'm sixteen."
Darius blinked.
Then he laughed.
"...You're serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"My friend, as far as I know, even a five-year-old in the Northern Territories can drink, provided they have their parents' permission. So what makes you any different?"
"Common sense?"
"Touché."
"Besides, I don't like people invading my personal space."
Darius glanced at the hand he'd placed on my shoulder earlier.
"Ah. So that's why."
"Congratulations. You can learn."
"Then I'll be sure to keep my distance next time."
"Much appreciated."
He withdrew the bottle and took a swig himself before his eyes wandered toward my hands.
"Say, though, why don't you fight with a weapon? You're quite good with your hands, but refusing to use a weapon is such a waste."
I stared at him.
Then I laughed.
"Hah! A weapon? As if I need a crutch like that to win."
The moment the words left my mouth, the atmosphere around our table changed.
Finn slowly turned to look at me.
Oh?
Darius lowered his bottle.
For a brief moment, he said nothing. Then his lips curled into a smile.
"My friend, you might want to retract that word."
I tilted my head.
"What if I don't?"
"Then I'll simply show you the wonders of weaponry myself. Perhaps afterward, you'll understand why I find your attitude so disappointing."
He set the bottle down.
"After all, someone with your talent shouldn't be wasting it by refusing to wield a weapon. You're not a coward, are you?"
Oh, this guy's good.
Most people would've gotten angry at the insult. Darius, on the other hand, had managed to turn it into an invitation.
Unfortunately for him, I'd never been particularly good at leaving well enough alone.
"Hah! I was going to ask you for a challenge anyway. You've just made things more convenient."
I leaned back in my chair, flashing him a grin.
"I'll give you this much, though. You've got some confidence for someone who relies on crutches like weapons."
Finn slowly covered his face with both hands.
Oh, boy.
Darius stared at me.
Then.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
He burst into laughter, loud enough to draw the attention of several nearby students.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
"I like you, Cassius! You've got quite the mouth on you. Very well, I'll show you something truly wonderful. And who knows? Perhaps afterward, I might even teach you the wonders of those so-called crutches."
He reached for his weapon.
And then..
"Next day morning!"
He disappeared.
I stared at the empty space he'd occupied.
Then I looked at Finn.
"...How's that? I'm pretty good at provoking people, aren't I?"
Finn stared at me for a long moment.
"Ten out of ten."
He paused.
"Absolutely phenomenal. No notes."
"You use the fact that he's a weapon enthusiast to provoke him. It was pretty good." Said iris
"Put more energy into your voice, and I think it's perfect." Said rhea
"Thank you, thank you. I do try."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start looking for a new table before you get us both killed."
I snorted.
"Relax, Finn. When have you ever seen me lost?"
... He reluctantly sat back down
I lean back in my chair, who even is this guy?
Darius. Someone I'd never encountered in any of the playable characters' routes. In other words, he was just an irrelevant background character who never made any significant impact on the story, he might as very well died for all I know, he doesn't look like a guy who will quit the academy.
So, honestly? I wasn't particularly interested in how this fight would turn out.
....
The very next day.
If there was one thing I'd learned about this academy, it was that rumors traveled faster than a fire in a room full of explosives.
And apparently, nothing got people talking faster than the promise of a fight.
Especially when one of the participants was a notorious weapon enthusiast, and the other was an idiot who'd publicly declared that weapons were nothing more than glorified crutches.
Guess which one I was.
Across from me was Darius himself
He raised his voice, and even over the crowd, I heard him clearly.
"YOU'RE RIGHT ON TIME!"
I waved.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S THE SPIRIT!"
He drew his weapon.
SHING!
The metallic sound rang through the arena.
The blade caught the sunlight, gleaming as he held it before him. He gave it a small, practiced flourish before settling into a stance that looked deceptively simple.