60 A Favor Returned Early...? Yeah, No...

Tuen's eyes skimmed over Lydis. Without even trying to hide his contempt for her, Tuen strolled to stand in front of her, making sure to add enough flair to each movement.

"Why is a girl like you over here? Oh! Could you have already heard the stories of my brilliance?!" Tuen made a big head swing, his hair flipping behind him.

Lydis scoffed at Tuen, her eyes reflecting Tuen's same contempt for her back at him.

"Should I know you? We've only just met. I-!"

Lydis was cut short by Tuen.

"I see! You're overwhelmed aren't you? Yes, yes, it makes sense if you've forgotten due to the shock but, worry not! I, Tuen, am here now, in the flesh!" Extending both arms to the ceiling, Tuen just so happened to be under one of the many ceiling lights, the light seemed to intensify for that one moment. Illuminated in the light, Tuen's hair shimmered like rain on a clear day.

Too engrossed in himself, Tuen didn't notice Lydis's suppressed gag nor Crill's exaggerated self-execution with his hand.

Humming to himself, Tuen turned to face Lydis again, his arms still stretched to the ceiling, a smirk on his face.

"Bask in my radiance! Behold the power of divine beauty!"

Unable to hold herself back anymore, Lydis's fist shot out from her side. Tuen didn't bat an eye as he easily avoided her attack. Twisting his abdomen, Tuen avoided the next hit and sidestepped Lydis. Leaning close to her ear, Tuen softly whispered.

"I only allow the beautiful to touch my divine body. Filth such as you has no right to."

Obviously ticked off, Lydis was about to rush Tuen again, this time with seriousness.

Crill noticed her change and quickly pulled Lydis away from Tuen, afraid that his joke might cause blood to be spilled.

"Ha ha, it's a joke a joke! Right?" Crill gave Tuen an urgent glare but Tuen refused to back down.

"Haah? You want me, to take that hit to the face, as a joke!?" Now that neither Lydis nor Tuen would back down, Crill was getting desperate. Flinging off the last of his pride, Crill let go of Lydis and instead pulled Tuen in close. Although Crill was taller, Tuen's heels made up for the difference causing him to look taller.

"Tuen, stop will you? This has gotten out of hand…" Crill stared at Tuen's scrunched up face. A silence passed before Tuen pushed off Crill.

"Argh, fine! I'm feeling benevolent today so just this once, I'll part ways first." Flicking off Crill's hand, Tuen turned around and began to walk away quickly. The angry clicks in his shoes filling the silent hall. Breathing out in relief, Crill had almost forgotten about Lydis, almost.

The moment Crill turned around he faced Lydis's icy glare.

"Mind telling me what that was?" Although there wasn't anything really threating about her words, Lydis's tone said otherwise.

"Uh, heh… I thought it would explode into something bigger so I asked for support but I didn't expect you to come…"

"Hah?" The anger in Lydis seeped through a bit.

"N-not that you weren't helpful! But, I just asked Theda to bring someone helpful. I was imagining the dorm head or another teacher… Never thought she'd go to you first…"

*hmph* "Now that this farce of over I'll take my leave."

"Wait! Don't you want to know why we were fighting?"

Lydis eyed Crill's disheveled clothes, messy hair, and the whites of his knuckles. Crill noticed where her gaze was going and quickly reddened.

"You! It's not like that!"

Lydis gave him a skeptical look, noded, and aimed for the exit but, Crill wouldn't let it rest.

"I mean it! That weirdo tried to pounce on me when I was sleeping. Although I knew that I'd be sharing a room with other people, the others should've managed to stop every kid except the elites. Who would've expected an elite to share a room with a slum kid?" Crill ruffled his hair. "While I was sleeping I heard the door open then that guy was all weird, saying thing like, 'oh my, what a nice treat!' then he said, 'to think there was someone among the slums who I would even slightly approve of, oh my!'."

As Crill recalled his chilling memories, his impersonations were almost spot on. Occasionally flashing one of Tuen's poses as he continued his one-sided sob story. A few more tearful memories passed as Crill was nearing the end of his story.

"… After Theda rushed out of the room you showed up and the rest you know." Seemingly exhausted, Crill sighed and flopped onto his bed. Since his story had seemed like it was going to take a while, Lydis had violently, but not-so violently, hinted that they should sit down, they decided to go into Crill's room.

Lydis only nodded her head at Crill's dramatic finish.

"… So, what are you saying?"

Crill's head perked up, full of energy.

"The whole point was to show you that I have yet to use up the favor." Crill beamed his best smile. Lydis in turn groaned internally and externally. Before turning to the door, Lydis paused.

"Theda mentioned that you had something interesting to show me, what is it?"

Crill looked confused and shrugged his shoulders.

"Like I said before, I never asked for you personally, so I never said anything like that." A strange silence passed before Crill realized that the way he had said his words may have seemed haughty.

With only a slight huff, Lydis left the room before Crill could correct himself.

Just outside the door stood Theda. Her double pigtails had become undone, dirt smeared on her uniform. Tears the size of her pinky dripped silently down Theda's face. When she realized that it was Lydis who was in front of her Theda quickly froze and began to turn away but Lydis caught her arm.

"Theda!" Lydis had switched modes instantly. "How did this happen? Who did this to you?" Lydis brushed off the dirt on Theda's face and saw that she only managed to smear the tears and dirt together, a slick mud-like layer forming on Theda's cheek.

*hic* "N-no! D-don't look at me. Theda's ugly right now," *hic* "I-I-…" Theda's voice was quickly swallowed by her soft cries. Although Lydis did need Theda as the middleman between her and Crill, if someone was bullying her tool, they needed her permission first!

In a soft voice, Lydis tried her best to sound like Ami, her voice had always been the soothing and calm kind. Like a warm wind on a clear summer day.

"It's okay Theda, I will protect you. Trust in me, I'm not that weak you know?" Lydis cupped Theda's face in her hands and wiped away the grim with her sleeve. Theda flinched and tried to back away.

"Your s-sleeve will get dirty! I-I'm not worthy!" Theda tried to pull away again but Lydis held her close. All at once, Theda was embraced in Lydis's small arms as Lydis's silky voice soothed her.

"Theda, it's okay," Lydis began to stroke Theda's tangled and messy hair. "Tell me, who bullied you like this?" Although Theda seemed reluctant, Lydis's gaze was impossible to break away from. It was powerful and endless, Theda felt herself swallowed inside of clear lake which was Lydis's eyes.

With a small nod, Theda's small voice whispered the names and people who had wronged her. Curled up into Lydis's shoulder, Theda was unable to see the sinister smile on Lydis's face nor the wild glee of having found prey.

If one were to accidentally pass by this situation and see Lydis's back, comforting Theda, they might think that Lydis was truly a kind-hearted soul whose nature was to help and love others. But, if one were to see this scene where Lydis's face was visible, they would only see a devil, a demon listening to the weak whispers of child, possibly enticing them to the path of evil as well.

Lydis said a few more comforting words to calm Theda before finally having enough. In a sweet voice, Lydis brushed away Theda's messy curls, while easily removing herself from Theda's side.

"I must go now. If anyone dares to bother you, let them know my name." Theda smiled brightly and nodded her hear furiously. Lydis in turn smiled warmly as well. Patting Theda's head, Lydis gave her a few more words of comfort.

"Good girl. Now, no more mischievous ploys against Crill next time, okay?" Theda flinched but, having realized that Lydis wasn't angry, Theda just nodded again. In a soft voice she replied.

"… I, I'm sorry… I just wanted you and Leader to get along…"

Lydis patted her head once again but this time she parted ways then.

Theda, feeling refreshed, quickly scrambled to her room to clean herself while Lydis headed in the opposite direction.

Without Theda noticing, Lydis brushed her clothes with disgust, her fingers catching splotches of snot and tears on her overcoat. Clicking her tongue quietly, Lydis decided to take it off and drape the clean section over her arm to carry it.

Smiling devilishly, Lydis's displeased mood quickly dissolved as new targets had been delivered to her in an almost ironic way.