Chapter 11

Time skip 5 days later

"Uuuuhhhh where…. am I?"

Slowly, her blurry consciousness began to return to her, allowing Alexia to slowly wake back up into the living world. Once her eyes opened, her vision remained blurry for a few seconds, before she blinked a couple times to clear it. She then looked around to find out where she was only to find that she appeared to be in a building or something, likely some kind of research facility due to the utensils scattered around and examination tables. Though, she bet that it wasn't a very advanced facility since the walls reminded her of an older style Leanbox dungeon…

Needless to say, she didn't know where the heck she was but the one thing which did appear in her mind was to get the fuck out of here.

However,that would soon prove to be more difficult than she'd want, since when she tried to get up, the sound of some metallic rattling filled the air, causing her to glance down in surprise. This resulted in seeing several shackles, one for each of her four limbs, restraining her and pinning her to the chair.

'Shackles…?' the girl wondered, quickly making to summon some Magic into her hands to break them out, only for the Magic to be repelled back up her arms and away from where she had wanted them to go. "Huh….. magic sealing shackles!?.... Oh. I get it. I was kidnapped... guess I should've had my guard up." She stated flatly, an expressionless look on her face as she already thought about the reasons why she would be kidnapped.

'There are countless fools out there who think it's a great idea to kidnap and ransom a daughter of Midgar. I'm used to it at this point, but I wonder... is Vali alright? He is the first person to acknowledge me about my swordsmanship. But if he gets in mixed up in this... then I wonder if he is already bani-'

RATTLE

"Huh there's someone else here! Who's there?... Vali is that you?"

At first, a surge of hope erupted inside of her when she had heard something else other than her, the hope that there was someone else here who could help her get them both out of this situation. However, that hope then died and became horror and morbid disgust when she saw what the source of the rattling REALLY was, something so horrible and twisted that she almost vomited. Beside the chair she had been strapped to, Alexia saw a being in tattered clothes with brown skin, hands like claws, and a face of a T-Rex kind of monster, one which reminded her of the more primal monsters that used to populate Gamindustri before a meteor had crashed and wiped the majority of them out.

Something else also became obvious to her when she saw it, and that was the fact that it had the same shackles as her, making Alexia believe that whoever held it captive here had also been the one to capture herself, too. The last thing she remembered was being ambushed by a bunch of people in cloaks, typical assassin/rogue characters, and though she had resisted at first, one of them had managed to pull a sneaky feint on her ass which led to them knocking her out and carrying her off. Soon, sounds came from the monster, pulling the silver haired girl out of her thoughts as she saw how it turned it's head to look back at her.

"A monster!?" Alexia exclaimed, although it didn't do much else to her. Either due to it being restrained by Shackles like her or that she didn't do anything bad to it, she wasn't sure.

Before the silverette could do anything else however, the sound of doors being opened caused her to look in the direction of said objects. Once she did so, she saw a man with dark hair and eyes, wearing a white lab coat and glasses come running to the room where Alexia and the monster is, looking like he had gone through an entire horror movie experience. "Dammit! Damn it all! They already snuffed us out! Just when I finally managed to get my hands on it! The Midgar blood! I… I need to harvest more! Shit. Shit! I-I guess I must drain all I can get before I make my escape!" The man in a lab coat exclaimed, biting the nails of his fingers in frazzled panic whilst he pulled out a shot that was empty and turned his head towards Alexia.

Said girl just stared at him without much fear, if anything she just gave him a simple deadpan expression. "Greetings. You're my kidnapper I suppose. What do you need my blood for?" she questioned dryly, not too bothered about how he slowly approached her with an increasingly maniacal look on his face.

"Yo-yo-yours is the blood of the Deity of Sins, which will restore her to our realms!!"

"Deity of sin?"

Now THAT was a name which Alexia paid extra special attention to. She remembered hearing about it a few times before, but she just couldn't recall for the life of her where. However, judging from the look on this man's face, she assumed this being to be of significant importance to him, though she didn't think he was kidding around or just brain dead despite the obvious insanity that he was sporting. Mostly because there were actual Goddesses ruling Gamindustri, so this Deity of Sin likely could be some other type of Goddess for all she knew.

"A-at first this wasn't the plan, but those morons screwed up everything! I only needed a little more time but those morons. DESTROYED! MY! RESEARCH! THAT MORON DIDN'T EVEN BUY US THAT MUCH TIME, EITHER! MORONS! MORONS THE LOT OF THEM!" The man ranted, having turned his attention to the monster beside her and proceeded to raise his right leg… before proceeding to repeatedly stomp on the creature. It didn't even put up that much of a resistance to it and instead simply raised it's sole arm as a meek way of trying to shield it's head from direct harm.

Not like that did anything though, if anything it just spurred the man on.

Seeing such a barbaric sight before her stunned Alexia into a moment of silence, before something inside of her began to 'strain' itself in an attempt to keep itself together. Her teeth gnashed together as she aimed a FURIOUS glare at the lab-coat wearing man's way. "Sto-stop that already!"

BOOM!

Before the lab-coat wearing man could respond to her demands, the entire building trembled like it had been hit by a large shockwave, causing many of the tools to fall onto the ground whilst things like her shackles and that of the monsters began to rattle. However, the sight affected the man the most since he "No no no it's HIM! HE is already here! FUCK! This is bad! HE won't show any mercy, everyone in HIS way will be mercilessly slaughtered! To the last man!" he proclaimed frantically like he was facing his own execution, and from what he had said, that might actually be the case here.

Not like the noblewoman could comprehend this, however, as she looked at him like he had grown a second head. Not that far fetched if one asked her. 'Wait… from what he says, there's only one coming here? Not one of the Guild Agents or Adventurers either since they operate in Parties... What's going on? Who is…?'

Before she could continue that thought process, her eyes widened when she saw him glance down at the beast beside them, minding its own business whilst he looked at it with scorn and contempt. A dark idea flashed through his mind, according to the look in his deranged eyes Alexia noticed "To hell with it all! I was close perfecting! I have no choice but to test the prototype! Come here, you failure! Perhaps you can be of use, yet! N-now! Give them a glimpse of… DIABLOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" The deranged man bellowed at the end as he then took a shot from the table, raised it high in a rather dramatic fashion, and finally injected it to the monster. The moment that the liquid inside the shot entered the beast, changes immediately became apparent as it began to grow and grow, eventually becoming an abomination that overshadowed the mad scientist.

"G-good! That's it! It's truly wonderful with this-"

SPLAT

The sound of something being heard resonated through the area as the mad scientist, in a fit of deranged insanity that matched the look on his face, found himself crushed by the monster before he could even express his success.

"Ohhhhh crushed like a pizza sauce…" Alexia drawled, not impressed in the slightest. She then turned her attention to her restraints as she began to wonder about how to escape her own situation. "Alright how do I even get out of here…?"

The monster then turned to Alexia as if preparing to slaughter her, proof being how it towered over the table she had been strapped to whilst raising it's sole claw. Before, it hardly looked as threatening as it did now, but considering the whole transformation it had been put under Alexia DEFINITELY couldn't see it the same way. "Ggggrrrrrhhuh!" She groaned with gnashed teeth as she struggled to break free of her restraints but to no avail. Her physical strength wasn't as great as her magical ability, just enough so that she could wield her sword effectively, hence why she couldn't break through the shackles… though this didn't stop her from trying. "I will not die because some lunatic dragged me into this mess...!"

But it didn't crush her, instead it smashed the wall right next to her, not only destroying it but also freeing her by shredding through her restraints with its claw. "....it's gone? Did it... free me?..... no that's silly." She then walked to where the monster smashed the wall. When she went to it, she saw dead knights laying down in the ground, all in varying forms of messy states. Odds were, the monster before had sliced them to bits or crushed them depending on the methods which it used, though she held no sympathy for them since they were likely some of her 'jailors' "You lot must have been guards here… no matter, you're dead now so I'll be borrowing your sword." she stated, reaching down and grasping onto one of the dead corpse's blades.

"There's no need for that Alexia."

"Huh?"

However, when she picked it up not even a second had passed before a masculine voice, one which she found quite familiar, broke through the silent atmosphere that had been dominant since the monster's forceful release. Quickly, Alexia turned towards the source of the voice whilst holding her newfound sword in a defensive stance, although this faltered when she saw who the voice belonged to.

"You're safe now, I've come for you."

Seeing the man before her, clad in a cloak and leather-wear befitting a travelling roguish hero with the charm and 'pretty boy smile' to match, Alexia had only one thing to say right now. "Instructor Zenon!"

"GAAAAHHHH!"

"A MONSTER!"

"HELP ME!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

The sounds of people screaming while running away from the monster that is attacking the academy. It had already taken the lives of several students that were unfortunate not able to escape from it. In the academy gate there arrives Iris Midgar and the guild agents that arrived at the school.

"What is the situation?!"

"I-I don't know lady Iris, it just appeared all of a sudden attack the academy and the students!"

"Grrrrrhhhhh! Dammit!"

Iris swore as she and the other Guild agents went to find where the monster was. When they managed to find it, it was a huge one that many school adventures including one of the prince Greg tried to kill it but he didn't last a chance as he was critically injured.

"Urk!"

"GREG!"

Chris went to Gregs aid as there was a slash mark on his torso as he struggled to move but the pain was great. The monster then raised its claw preparing to butcher them, before it could do that a clean cut that sliced off the hand that was about to kill them. Iris appeared before them sheathing her sword. She then turned to them.

"Lady Iris! Th-that was amazing! Just one strike!"

"Save your thanks and your compliment, former heirs. Tell me, what's going on?!"

"W-we don't know Lady Iris, one moment when we were about to head our classes, the next moment that monster just suddenly came and attacked the Academy! We lost 12 students!"

"I see. Carry away the bodies former heirs, i will take over he-"

"WATCH OUT LADY IRIS!"

"Wha-?!

Thanks to one of the soldiers warning that the beast was about to kill her, just as she was about to take out her sword, someone already cut off its hand and legs. The culprit was Alpha and Angelica as they appeared to Iris aid.

"Are you alright?"

"Ye-yes I'm fine, thank you for that."

"No problem, it would've gotten messy if we hadn't appeared. Anyway lets-?!"

They saw the beast was regenerating its arm and leg as if it was nothing.

"Regeneration. Dammit what type of monster is this?"

"I don't know Alpha, but one thing is for sure, this is going to be a hard fight."

"Allow me to join you girls, let me repay you for this."

"... heh the more the merrier. Alright let's go!"

"Y-your a monster-"

SCHWING!

A quick slice to the throat via a MS to the throat, and the speaker fell down onto his back, his head then rolling off his body. The cause, a certain silver haired Combat Saint, scoffed in haughty derision as he pocketed his glove-covered hands inside the coat of his Slime Suit. "Hmph weakling, couldn't even hold a candle against me.... Luxon are you sure this is the place?" The male remarked, before activating his earpiece and making the request to his AI companion.

"Positive master. From the calculation and the magic detector I'd say that this is the place."

Luxon's response resulted in Vali nodding his head in relief, smirking at the confidence that his companion inspired in him. If there was one thing which he coil thank the CPU Candidate of Planeptune for, it would be making this AI as competent as it was. "I see... but why are there so many guards here? What are they even doing here?" He questioned, looking around at the destroyed room wreathed in flames, flames born from when he had unleashed all sorts of Mana-based attacks without warning and catching many off guard.

"From the calculations and data I have gathered I'd say that they were doing experiments on something. I have tried to gather more but someone erased all the data before I could do so."

THIS caught Vali's attention, the male frowning under his coat's hood as his eyes briefly gained a silver glow before it died down. "I see….. what the hell were they even protecting so much...? I wonder..." The male muttered under his breath, some winds being generated that caused his Coat's coattails to start fluttering. From what he had seen before utterly wrecking this place's shit, was that it seemed to have been some sort of research facility, one which likely specialized in biological research since there had been so many diagrams of human body structure alongside animal ones. What this meant however, the boy didn't know, and it annoyed the hell out of him.

"Master I am detecting one magic energy that belongs to Alexia and another who is with her."

When he heard this, Vali's lips curved upwards into a small smirk, a flash of amusement passing through his eyes."Heh... looks like she did get out on her ow-"

"Before you continue with that thought, Master I have detected motions from the other figure, one who seems to be attacking her."

However, Luxon's next comment just soured his mood again, turning his smirk back into an annoyed frown as he let out a frustrated scoff. "....... Great, now I have to save her ass." Vali then proceeded to break off into a sprint, quickly making his way towards where Alexia was before it's too late.

Little knowing what events would soon transpire because of this.

Once he managed to see Alexia, she looked like she had fallen down to her knees, looking absolutely lost in her despair with two trails of tears running down her cheeks. In front of her, he saw a sword being shattered into pieces, the culprit standing before her with an insane looking smile on his lips, one which reminded him of oil in how disgusting it looked. The cause also had raised a sword of his own to finish the girl off, and judging by the scenario he guessed that the cause had spent some time 'playing around' with her first, breaking her will to fight before making to deal the final blow.

Thus, he decided to make his entrance.

STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP...

"Who's there!?"

".... looks like she was right about you all along, Zenon Griphi."

The cause, Zenon Griphi, sharply turned around to look at Vali's approaching form which slowly came out of the dark shadows the corridor they had occupied had generated due to lack of light. The few sources of light there WERE took the forms of torchlight which were lined up in rows along the walls. However, none of this phased Zenon as he glared viciously towards Vali's hooded form, a dark sneer escaping his lips whilst Vali took out his right hand in preparation.

"You! How did you even get here!?"

"Hmph you people should know better on how Zenon."

"Don't try to-!?... Oh I see. So, you used some kind of lost item..." The man guessed, holding his sword at the ready whilst a silver one made from Mana formed over Vali's right hand.

"Correct Zenon, you guessed it right, so why not do me a favor, let her go and surrender."

Hearing THAT caused the man to let out a bark of deranged laughter, his sword hand trembling as he held his face with his free one. "HAHAHAHA! Oh, that's rich! Surrender!? ME?! Hah! I've come this far and I won't let you ruin it, even if you are the combat saint!" he declared, getting into a combat stance.

This seemed to puzzle Vali for a moment, his body losing it's tension for a brief moment."You, fighting against me...?" He mused lowly, as if he had heard some form of idiotic joke. "... ahahahahaha!" Though , this didn't last long as Vali broke out into hysterical laughter, holding his gut with his free hand before he pocketed it once he found his voice again. "You wouldn't EVER hold out against me, Griphi. You're just too WEAK, kind of like a cockroach actually. Just like all those other nobles who couldn't even scratch my Slime Suit, especially those five stooges. This won't even take 5 minutes."

Of course, this didn't sit well with Zenon, and who could blame him? As a man who was constantly praised for his ability to wield a sword, hearing someone outright call him a weak ass cockroach made him want to snap Vali's spine in half. "GGRRRRRHHHH! I'LL SHOW YOU MY POWER BARTFORD!"

(Play Devil May Cry 4 OST - Devils Never Surrender)

Thanks to Vai's taunt, it turned out to be Zenon who made the first move as he closed the distance with a horizontal slash aimed towards his neck in a beheading motion. However, Vaili tilted his head back to avoid it then pivoted his left foot behind his right whilst twisting the left part of his body in the same way to avoid the downward slash Zenon followed up with. In this position, Vali swung his right arm which had formed his MS upwards, one which Zenon hastily blocked by aligning his blade horizontally. The force of the blow nearly launchd him up into the air though, much to his surprise although the older man managed to keep a firm grasp on his blade lest that attack had disarmed him. Although he had to raise it in the same position but above his head to avoid the downward slash that followed, sparks of Mana flying out from the two weapons constantly as Vali's MS kept trying to grind it's way through Zenon's sword.

"... I see… you're reinforcing your blade with Mana so it doesn't get chopped in half by my Mana Sword… Guess you did your homework, at least…" Vali mused to himself as he broke the deadlock between them by pulling his MS back and launching several thrusts towards Zenon's vital points, something which the man quickly took notice of as he sidestepped to dodge some whilst parrying others with his sword. The teen had been curious about that sword from the first moment that he had clashed with it, since usually Vali's MS would be so sharp that few things could withstand it, one of them being the blade that his rival the Sword Saint wielded, although that one simply had the ability to repel Mana. In this case, it seemed that Zenon had simply wrapped his sword in a layer of his own Mana to protect it, like a sort of shield akin to his Mana Skin, only for defence instead of empowerment. It wasn't something overly complex, practically elementary to figure out, however just because something was simple it didn't mean that it wasn't effective, something which Vali had learned the hard way through his many duels with his Rival.

Eventually, Zenon decided to use his cape for something other than looking like some rogue knight and quickly unclipped it's pin, throwing it upwards between him and Vali. To this, Vali's arm moved like a blur and sliced it apart, but it did deserve to distract him enough for Zenon to get in close with both hands grasping his sword's hilt as he held it in a downward angle. He then went for an upward diagonal slash that would have sliced through Vali's left hip to his right shoulder, had he not blocked it by slashing from the opposite angle with his MS, then lifted it into a horizontal slash to parry the followup slash from Zenon.

'Just… just like I thought!' the older man thought as he launched more and more strikes against his foe, gradually getting faster and faster the more 'into the flow' he became, however the easy-going smirk of Vali's remained as he leisurely kept up with the man's pace. Something which grinded at his pride the more seconds that had passed between them. 'The rumours about this brat's skill... the fears that other students and noble families have about him… they���re doing ZERO justice to his true prowess! What the fuck?! How can a no-name nobody from such a pathetic family like him have such prestige?! Who taught him this art of swordplay!? This style doesn't resemble anything that should be taught to the nobility! It's more brutal, savage and primitive, applying more of a mix between power and technique but leaning slightly more towards power!' the man thought as he tried again and again to break through Vali's defences.

Unfortunately for him, no dice.

In the end, Zenon once again tried to strike at Vali's neck for a decapitation, only for the male to parry it then push forwards, making Zenon stumble backwards in surprise from the force since it successfully threw him off balance. As such, Zenon quickly put one hand on the ground as he fell backwards, flipping himself away whilst kicking towards Vali to keep him at a distance, flipping through the air and landing on the ground with the grace of any Noble. "You… WHO TAUGHT YOU THIS SWORD STYLE...?!" Zenon yelled, pointing his sword at an unfazed Vali who simply stared at him blankly, not having taken that left hand out of his coat pocket. "IT'S TOO BARBARIC FOR SOMEONE OF NOBLE BIRTH, EVEN IF THAT SOMEONE'S FROM THE LOWEST DREGS OF NOBILITY! YOU DISGRACE YOUR ANCESTRAL LINEAGE FOR TAINTING IT WITH THIS KIND OF UNREFINED MESS OF A SWORD!"

"Self-taught."

"WHAT?!"

Vali rolled his eyes behind his black Domino Mask, a scowl on his lips as he held his MS out in front of him in a position similar to a one-armed basic Kendo Stance. "Is it not simple enough for your peabrain to comprehend? My sword style just came into existence one day, that's all there is to it. It's a sword style forged through my many battles throughout my life, then further refined into the brutal beast you see before you." He explained, and as if complimenting his words Vali's Mana Sword began to flare up, an additional silver aura starting to radiate from it like it were alive, giving both Zenon as WELL as the spectating Alexia chills. It felt to them like they weren't looking at a person anymore, but rather a savage, brutal and bloodthirsty beast that had the intelligence of a being far above it's stature. What compounded this notion further was how the shadows generated by his hood seemed to darken even further thanks to the aura generated by his MS, enhancing his silver glowing eyes which resembled a cat's right now, adding to his threatening demeanor. "So then, pretty boy, do you STILL think that you can beat me? With that ABYSMAL toothpick you call a sword and a style that just reeks of glamor with no practicality?"

Once again, Zenon's fury spiked, not just because Vali had just badmouthed him (that alone just guaranteed his execution in the man's mind), but he also insulted the refined sword technique of countless nobles, not just himself. This sword style was forged from the brightest Noble minds throughout the centuries, it had poise, it had elegance and it had strength: everything that a Noble should be with their pure blood. Something which should only be revered by the common rabble… not to mention it wasn't something that they should try to stain with their unclean hands either, especially by those disgusting Guild Agents and that whore Iris, who thought it alright to just get engaged with someone way younger than her. He bet she went and visited brothels in her spare time, sullying herself instead of keeping 'pure' for her future fiance/husband. "You fucker… ONCE I GET DONE WITH YOU, I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR, MARK MY WORDS!" He proclaimed with a deranged grin on his face as he pulled out a jar, flicking off it's cork lid and then downing it's contents.

(OST Ends)

Vali's brow twitched angrily when he heard that, everything slowing down for him as his form froze up. His body began to glow in a bright silver aura that didn't come from his Mana Skin, evan as Zenon said something to him whilst holding his sword under his armpit for a thrusting motion, it didn't reach his ears since Vali's internal fury stormed through his brain, clogging up his senses and making him unaware of the noise around him. All he did at this moment was stew in his own chaotic rage, gnashing his teeth as his aura grew bigger and bigger, almost like it was trying to take its own form using Vali as a medium, fuelled by his ever-growing rage.

(Play Persona 5 OST - Awakening)

'This… fucker…'

Vali thought this as his MS flared brightly in response to his rage alongside his aura, MSK being applied to his person as the aura began to actually take solid form. All the while, the silver and blue wings that he called his Lost Item then manifested within this aura, closed up for now as they curved around them, ironically blocking a thrust that a veiny-bulky and Mana empowered Zenon made much to his shock. 'He… dares... '

Deep within Vali's consciousness, a pair of blue eyes opened up as their owner sensed the immediate changes within. It then looked upwards, as if there was something there before speaking up. "At last… it is time. Go for it, young one…"

The wings unfurled as they knocked Zenon back, the man growling under his breath with a smoky breath of Mana escaping his lips. His muscles bulged under his skin as he let out an animalistic, guttural growl before blasting forwards once again, this time jumping into the air before spiralling downwards like a drill, ending in a reverse horizontal slash which had been empowered by the overflowing Mana coursing through him. However, Vali's dangerously shimmering MS parried the blow and sent the older man flying backwards.

"Smash with your talons, rend with your claws, and fly through the skies with your wings…!"

Jumping forwards, Vali flapped the two wings on his back to propel him through the air faster, Slamming into the wall which Zenon had been sent into by his prior strike. His eyes shone silver so much at this point that, well, he looked just as much of a frenzied beast as Zenon did right now. Not too long afterwards, the man got thrown out of the ensuing plume of dust like a rag doll, though he raised his sword in time for Vali to jump out, both hands now sporting MS's as he raised them up and smashed them into him, slamming both of them into the ground once again. All the while, the glow surrounding his wings only kept increasing in terms of brightness, to the point where they were practically illuminating their initial surroundings.

Yet, on the sidelines, Alexia couldn't help but notice the changes occurring within the boy. Well, she'd started from the moment that Zenon did the stupidest thing ever by threatening Vali's family like what had happened in the duel with the former princes. "Vali… this is…"

"Show this fool… show ALL the fools who dared to oppose you… what it means when they piss off… the WHITE DRAGON EMPEROR!"

[Divine Dividing: Full Liberation!]

Just as Vali managed to kick his opponent away from him, his form stumbled when a wave of power erupted forth from his Wings like a geyser going off. Seeing this, Zenon thought he had an opportunity to exploit Vali's defences after all this time of not being able to get in a good hit, to which he gave a maniacal, psychotic smile. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! FINALLY!" He screamed frantically, dashing forwards whilst zigzagging to try and disorient the boy…

Only, for the silver haired male to rear his head back and scream to the high heavens, his body unleashing a LARGER wave of power that sent everything not chained down flying away from him. That included one screaming Zenon, who howled in both shock and frustration for not being able to get in the hit that he wanted… Although, he still managed to right himself in the air and land on his own two feet, so that was something.

Meanwhile, Vali himself looked his arms over, having glanced down at them with his gaze that of someone who had just seen something new as his MS's, now glowed brightly with his Mana. Power flowed through him in great amounts and when he used his senses to identify the source, he looked behind him at the Wings on his back. The moment he did so, Vali immediately snapped out of his rage and became mesmerized by them, for not only did they shine brighter, but little droplets of light could be seen glistening over the blue pulsating Energy feathers. 'Whoa… this Lost Item… it came to me of its own will, and… I feel like I'm fully connected with it now…' The boy mused mentally, not expecting any kind of reply to form.

'[This is only natural, partner. For you have finally awoken me completely.]'

'?! Wha-?!'

Vali gasped when he heard a voice talking to him from out of nowhere, glancing around to see where it came from only to find nothing else in this area, other than himself, Alexia and the foolish fucker who dared insult his family to his face. However, he soon noticed something else about the voice other than it couldn't have come from Alexia due to its voice being distinctly masculine. That was the fact that it had been that it came from deep within the depths of his mind, and he knew only ONE creature that could have had something to do with it, whilst an image of a certain silhouette cae to his mind's eye. 'Y-You…!'

'[Yes, me. Since you're in conflict, I'll only say this: Call me Albion, and the wings on your back are your Sacred Gear: Divine Dividing. Now, STOMP THAT FOOL BENEATH YOUR HEEL!]'

...Well, he had SO many questions for this 'Abion' being, but it did have a point that he had some fuckers to wipe the floor with. '... Whelp, don't have to tell me twice.'

(OST Ends)

...What was this? What was she seeing right now…?

Alexia thought this as she stared, on her knees and looking absolutely dumbfounded at the battle taking place in front of her. At this point, she struggled to even call it a battle anymore, since she could hardly keep track of the two brawling boys as they blurred around the battlefield. She could only tell where they were by following the trail of destruction they had left in their wake, consisting of the gashes left behind by their blades (whose blades she couldn't tell for certain), as well as the craters left behind from the strikes that Zenon had launched thanks to his… currently enhanced state.

She had MANY thoughts about that in all honesty, most of them revolving around just how… how PATHETIC that it made the man look, to the point where Alexia honestly felt a bit glad that she couldn't track his movements or form at the moment, so she didn't have to sully her eyes with such filth. Though, just in case she might try washing her face with bleach or something after everything was said and done, just to forget the sight of this pile of garbage before her. Furthermore, compared to the skill which Vali had showed with his own blade in the spars that she'd watched him take part in, Zenon's current state was completely stupid, worthless and pathetic.

Judging from what he had shown after swallowing that jar's contents, it seemed to have carried an empowerment effect but upon closer inspection, it seemed to raise the swallower's Mana Reserves to the very limits and possibly beyond, as evident by the physical changes that had been observed alongside the raging torrents of Mana that had overflowed from Zenon's body before Alexia had lost track of him. One may even call that an 'Awakening' of sorts, but such power wasn't the kind which she would acknowledge, and it didn't seem like Vali would have acknowledged it either. Neither he nor the people whom he associated himself with would acknowledge a 'crutch' like this… not to mention that there was bound to be some unknown consequences for this power, as like the saying by Drew Karpyshyn went:

Power comes with a price. It's a burden. It demands sacrifice.

A popular trope in the anime/manga world to be sure, but one which Alexia actually believed to be true as part of her philosophy. In fact, watching this battle take place before her, like a helpless bystander or a damn pathetic damsel in distress, it made her begin to… reflect on what had led up to this moment in her life.

'Life… really is a fickle thing, isn't it?'

Power, and money.

Those things she knew governed every aspect of her life, plus they were the two greatest things that people listened to.

Growing up in the Midgar family, Alexia had seen for herself what having little power actually did for people, how it made them a target for bullying and scorn for those who did. She had even experienced it when it became clear that she hadn't the talent for the blade that her sister Iris had, since everyone around her, including her mother, her father, every distant relative she had and even the family servants treated her VERY differently compared to her sister. They discreetly belittled her when they thought she wouldn't hear. They would not only talk behind her back, but they would sometimes have people from 'outside' be hired to group up and harass her whenever she came back home from either school or training. The pressure placed upon her to prove them wrong, that her own efforts COULD be worth something, had been an immense weight on her shoulders as a young girl, she remembered practicing her skills till she fell unconscious day in and day out, just to make up the difference between herself and her sister Iris.

Alexia had lost count how many times she would view her own hands, hands of a maiden, yet stained with countless cuts and bloody injuries from her training.

During which, she remembered how… personal, her sword style became. Alexia had once read various articles online during her free time on how various war veterans often fought with their weapons so much that they became attached to them, like they were the best of friends. Alexia hadn't really understood it at the time, but when she finally felt a sense of personal attachment to her sword style, and by extension her sword itself, that was when Alexia knew for a fact:

She felt REALLY close to her sword style.

Then, all of a sudden, she didn't feel so lonely anymore, she no longer cared about the way people from her family viewed her. It was almost like it had never even existed in her lifestyle. Of course, people still liked to make fun of her because of her lack of talent, but then she just saw them as a means to further refine her skills through her own merits, beating the living crap out of them. The more she fought in those battles, the more she got beaten up, the more she came back swinging which improved her swordplay by leaps and bounds. It felt similar to building blocks, gradually growing her sword style like it were a living plant with her being it's nurturing caretaker. For a while, this swordplay had been her everything, the sole form of pride that she had, and during that time Alexia's world became so much brighter.

(FLASHBACK)

"I like your swordsmanship…"

(FLASHBACK END)

… but then, those words had been said to her by her older sister after Alexia had asked to spar with her.

Then, everything changed, and for the worst.

Those words... there wasn't anything wrong with them on the surface level, in fact there wasn't anything wrong with them at all. They likely were said with good intentions behind them, since Iris, her older sister, had been the only person to not belittle her unlike her family, so there wasn't any doubt that Iris had been malicious with those words…

However, to the young Alexia of the time, they had been like millions of blades to her small heart.

The words that had been spoken to her, they were hardly the words which she had oh so wanted to hear, in fact she had wanted to be praised for her efforts, to be officially recognized as a warrior capable of fighting alongside her sister… but the way that she looked at her at that time, Alexia knew. She knew that from the moment that she saw those eyes, that her sister saw that skills were still beneath that of her own, yet still tried to compliment her anyways.

THAT stung worse than anything…

And before she knew it, she wound up having a hatred for her own swordplay, a swordplay that she now believed to be mediocre just as her bullies had said it was amongst their many jeers. The bond that she had with it, it became as strained as a string about to snap, only held together by her own will to improve. To showcase that she could be just as good as any other warrior…

Was that so wrong?

Did she make a mistake somewhere?

Had she done something incorrectly during her training?

Why was she still so inferior to her sister? To the point where compliments to her felt shallow and undeserving��

She... hated this…

Alexia HATED THIS!

'Hmmhmhmhmhmhmhmh... is that so little girl?'

(Play Persona 5 OST - Awakening)

BA-BUMP!

"Guh?!"

All of a sudden, Alexia gasped when she, all of a sudden, felt her heart release a beat so strong and powerful that it literally felt like it had happened right next to her ears, reflexively making her throw her head backwards so her gaze pointed towards the dark ceiling. The following second, her eyes shrunk a couple sizes whilst a sharp explosion of pain EXPLODED forth within the depths of her mind, causing Alexia to grip it with her hands whilst she retained the energy to hiss. "Wha-?! It's you!" she exclaimed through gnashed teeth as she placed her forehead on the ground to try and numb the pain in her skull. However, it proved little in terms of effectiveness.

'You want to be acknowledged by other people, your family, and your sister? Is that right, now…?'

Once again, the voice she had heard from her dreams echoed within the depths of her mind, and each time it did so Alexia gritted her teeth tighter as her hands did the same with her hair, like she wanted to rip her entire scalp off. "...... Y-Yes... it is-"

'No. That is not your desire, you foolish little girl. Believe me, I should know.... I've been with you since the very beginning, after all… ufufufufu… ahhh, to be so young again… in any case, let's focus on that, shall we? You have been lying to yourself, girl, and you're no longer capable of realizing it."

What…? What did the voice say? Alexia felt a wave of confusion push through the pain as her eyes shrunk slightly further, the confusion mixing within the pain she found herself under as the sounds of battle intensified. "What… what are you talking about…? You can't be telling the truth… you don't know a THING about me…!" she tried to say back, only to grit her teeth tighter when the pain intensified.

'Tut-tut-tut. Little girl, you should really listen to your elders, especially myself. In any case, what I say is the truth. You've gotten yourself into quite the delusion regarding what you want, little girl. You wanted to be strong as your sister, to gain her acknowledgement? Bah, pointless idiocy! If your true brethren were to hear that, they'd laugh at you for such a pathetic fantasy. No, that is not what you want, instead what you truly want isn't to be her equal for her acknowledgement, you want to BEAT her in battle. You want to be the dominant one for once, to utterly CRUSH your sister's style and gain your own existence from that goal, for only when that happened would you feel like your own person.'

The more that the voice spoke, it's tone filled with scorn and annoyance, yet with an undertone of a mother trying to discipline their child when they did something wrong, the pain intensified even more as Alexia fell onto her side, holding her head like it were about to burst whilst rolling from one side to the other repeatedly. "UHHHHHH GGEEEEEHHHHHHH!" she screamed up to the heavens, yet the two battling warriors didn't hear her, locked in their own little conflict that they didn't hear her screams.

Yet, as if chanting for some kind of ritual, the voice continued to speak, resounding through her mind, her heart, right down to her very SOUL.

"Rise little girl, for you are in possession of a Sacred Gear, one that that houses ME, the strongest female DRAGON KING!"

Even through the intense pain, Alexia struggled to her feet, starting from her position of all fours on the ground. She gripped the stone floor beneath her fingertips tight enough that her fingers started to bleed, although compared to the pain that she was going through currently, it hardly felt like a big deal. She wasn't one of those dainty little bitches who whined to their mothers that they broke a nail after all. Then, she slowly got onto her knees, then crouched on one leg, followed by the other until she finally stumbled back into a standing position. Her hands flew back onto her forehead, gripping her bangs tightly as the headache she felt inside felt like it were about to explode in intensity within her mind, making her want to commit suicide despite her pride JUST so it could stop. "EEEHHHHHHHHH GGGGGGGAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Call out my Sacred gear, for you know what it is! My Sacred gear is....!!"

"GRRRR…! GUUUUHHHHH…! ….C-C-CHAOS…. COLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDEEEEERRRRRR!"

A stream of light erupted forth, spewing out of Alexia like water bursting out from the dam that had been her being and soon starting to spread over her body. This had happened as soon as she heard the name get whispered to her as if the voice's source whispered it directly into her ear. This time, the scream she'd made had managed to catch the attention of the two fighters, causing them to pause their fight to glance to the side and see what was happening.

Needless to say, they got the shock of their lives, for their own reasons.

'Wha?! What the hell?! What's this feeling…?!' Vali thought to himself at the sensations he was getting from this… this apparent transformation that Alexia was going through. Seeing this… it he got reminded of the time when he first awakened Divine Dividing, not only that though but the energy signature that Alexia sported… he didn't know how or why, but slowly it felt like it was evolving, transforming into something else.

Something… inhuman.

'{Well, well, now THIS is a surprise... it would seem that I am not the only one who has appeared in this dimension.}'

'Huh dimension? What are you talking about Albion?"

'{I promise you that I will tell you everything that you want to know, but right now be quiet. We're about to see an interesting show... let see how the foolish man will fare when he's about to feel a female Dragon's rage.}'

When Albion said that, Vali swore he heard a bit of dread seep into its' words like a small trickle of water breaking out of the hose when it wasn't supposed to, but pushed it aside for the moment. 'You better…' After finishing this conversation, Vali focused back on the sight before him as the azure light bathing Alexia died down, allowing both him AND Zenon to witness the girl before them. Now, not only was she standing upright with her head hanging forwards alongside her arms, heavy breaths escaping her lips as evident by the sounds escaping her open mouth… but she had ONE key difference protruding out of the back of her waist:

A Tail.

Not one of those beastmen or women he'd seen have either, but a long, prehensile-looking Tail made primarily out of some kind of dark blue metal, many plates layering across it's form which had the length of 8 feet, with its underside being a lighter blue in comparison. The many plates looked to be quite sharp with their edges, each one having spikes that protruded upwards, with the tip shaped more like a Trident than anything. At the Tail's Tip, one could see a brilliant,dark blue jewel like the depths of the ocean itself embedded into it.

'That Tail…'

"Heh, nice little cosmetic right there!"

Vali glanced over to Zenon when he said that, the man having an insane sneer on his face as he mocked the new appendage that Alexia now possessed, in fact he found it to be quite disgusting, and Vali knew this due to the expression the older man sported. 'Looks like this guy doesn't know what's happening here…'

'{And that will be his undoing.}'

Unaware of Albion's ominous statement, Zenon jumped forwards with his sword at the ready, poised for a thrust towards Alexia's Chest. "STUPID BITCH, YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST STAYED DOWN THERE LIKE THE MEDIOCRE DOG THAT YOU ARE! MAYBE THEN, YOU COULD HAVE LIVED LONGER!" He declared with a wide eyed look of twisted glee, his mouth hanging open allowing his tongue to fall out and dangle in the air when he made a thrusting motion towards Alexia's chest.

The girl made no movement to stop him whatsoever…

SCHWING!

THWACK!

"GAH!"

"?!"

… But that couldn't be said for her new Tail, which seemingly reacted to the incoming danger of its own accord, quickly lunging forwards like it were a serpent. It ended up catching the sword within it's trident-like tip first, tossing it out of his hand in a complex-looking manoeuvre before snapping forwards and smacking Zenon right in the face. Vali himself gaped at the speed that it had, since the first action only took 1 second, and then another second for the second action, resulting in the whole exchange taking 2 seconds to occur. 'FAST!' he mentally shouted. Though a snort occurred in the back of his mind.

'{Hmph, that's not even the tip of the iceberg, Partner. The one who is possessing that young girl like you are by me, this isn't even 3% of what she can TRULY do. Just watch.}'

"{COLLIDE!}"

As if fate were agreeing with the voice in the back of his head, Vali heard a female announcer-like voice, one which literally SCREAMED power and a kind of dominance only a female could pull off. It… actually sent chills up his spine for some reason and made him want to run for the hills… yet at the same time, he wanted to fight the source of it at full power, his inner battle maniac howling in delight at the thought of a powerful challenger. Yet, in the following second, a low BOOM sound got emitted from the Tail's Jewel that briefly glowed as bright as the sun… followed by Zenon shooting off like a bullet fired from a rifle across the corridor. The man's eyes looked completely white, his consciousness gone for a moment before it suddenly came back and the man quickly flipped himself around, slamming into the ground on all fours till he slid to a halt, having cleared a whole 30 feet's worth of distance between them.

'Okay, THAT is impressive… but, what I want to know is what the heck happened. It looked like the moment that Tail hit the bastard, the Jewel glowed and some kind of force appeared…' Vali thought, this time wondering if this voice, which apparently seemed to know quite a bit about this thing Alexia was going through, knew what had just happened. Something which got confirmed moments later when he heard the voice speak again.

'{That is the ability of the Sacred Gear called 'Chaos Collider' Once it strikes an opponent, it amplifies the force the very instance it makes contact, resulting in a much greater striking force. Once this happens, it needs 10 seconds to recharge however, but considering how damaging the strike can be, not many people can get back up from it at full power. Think of it like a very powerful bitch slap from an angry woman who'd found out her man's infidelity… then apply that to its potential to destroy vast terrains and you get the level of power the original user of that ability had before… becoming this way.}'

'Huh, that DOES sound quite like something a woman would like to use…' Vali thought to himself, remembering a few times in his childhood when he once saw how his mother had been so frustrated at Zora's machinations that she wanted to bitch slap the life out of her, but refrained because of the love she had for her husband. Though, he wouldn't mind if he got to see Zora getting bitch slapped like that, heck he'd probably record it and post the video online just to rub it in that bitch's face forever. Oh, wouldn't that be sweat…? But then, Vali noticed something regarding Albion's explanation. 'When you say 'full power', you're implying something aren't you…?'

'{Good, you noticed. I say full power, but what the girl just used wasn't it's full power, otherwise that fool would have become a bloody smear along the corridor. But that's to be expected, since this is her first time adjusting to the power that she has awakened.}'

Thanks to this explanation, Vali hummed in thought as he pondered this information, suddenly feeling like his help perhaps wasn't needed as much now. However, he still wanted to get his own hits in, so he started walking towards the silver haired girl who'd now finally seemed to finally start recognizing her new power. 'Things have gotten a BIT more interesting, with her…'

Meanwhile…

Huffing and puffing, Alexia finally lifted her head after she regained her breath, just in time to see what had happened to Zenon and go wide eyed from the result. "Huh…? What…?" She muttered in obvious befuddlement. But in the seconds that followed, where she saw how Zenon seemingly kept struggling to get back up, not even feeling the bones jutting out of various body parts, only two more words escaped her lips. "...Holy shit…"

The sound of metallic movements rang in her left ear, prompting the girl to glance there and notice the tip of the Tail protruding out of her Tailbone which she noticed after trailing her gaze along the appendage form to take it all in. "Wha-?!" she exclaimed, stumbling backwards only for the tip to stab into the ground behind her, allowing Alexia a stable support to retain her balance.

'{Hmph, not bad for your first time, although this devastation is also due to recklessly using that pathetic drug that this fool ended up the way he did. You have much room to grow.}'

"?!"

All of a sudden, Alexia held her head when she heard the same feminine voice, one which she also recognized from her dream since a while ago, speak to her through her thoughts. She knew this to be the case since there were no other alternatives, and growing up in Gamindustri made one used to the weird stuff being commonplace. "Who the heck are you…? WHAT are you…?"

"You can speak to that voice of yours with your thoughts and it'll be able to hear you, girl."

Once again, Alexia remembered that Vali was here, so she turned to face him and saw that he had his hands in his pockets, his two silver/blue wings out for all to see. As he stood before her, the silver haired male looked at the Tail protruding out of her backside with an appraising eye, clutching his chin thoughtfully. "That limb of yours does seem like something fun to use in battle, I do admit…"

Even in this situation though, Alexia saw an opportunity to try and make the silver haired male flustered as a coy smirk formed on her lips. "What, not going to try to peek under my skirt? With this thing being out the way it is, you can get a view very few men have gained in their lifetime…" she remarked in a teasing manner.

However, Vali just scoffed and glared at her. "Fuck off, bitch, I ain't that shallow." he stated, getting an amused roll of the eyes from her. For the life of him he didn't get where this confidence of hers came from, but it proved quite annoying to him… although compared to what he had seen of her before, this could be seen as MARGINALLY better. But only a little bit. "In any case, we have to finish that fuckboi off first." he stated afterwards, gesturing with his right thumb to the side where Zenon stood tall, growling and snarling like a wild animal. "Looks like he's lost consciousness again, though…"

"Indeed, seems like whatever that drug was is the only thing keeping him focused at the moment. A good bit of cognitive recalibration should do the trick." Alexia stated with her eyes narrowing into a pair of slits whilst her Tail hovered it's tip above her right shoulder as if it too were glaring at him. At this point, all she felt towards Zenon was a mix of disgust and pity, for him to wind up like this just revolted her right down to her very core. "That amount of Mana will keep him going for a while though… and from what little I know, this thing called 'Chaos Collider' can only strike with amplified force every 10 seconds. I don't have quite the grasp of it's abilities yet."

Vali nodded in agreement to that estimation, having already confirmed it with Albion earlier. "Good, you're aware of it's weakness. In any case, that's where I come in." Vali stated as Zenon howled like a furious berserker, a huge torrent of Mana surrounding him before he burst forwards, throwing a punch towards the silver haired male. However, the two managed to jump to opposite sides of the corridor to dodge, sliding to a halt. "I'll Divide his power in half with my 'Divine Dividing', then you go for the finishing blow."

"Fine."

With that decided, the two narrowed their eyes at their opponent, the rampaging Zenon growling as he jumped towards Vali once again.

'{Hmph, pathetic. It seems as though even unconscious, the fool still wanted to take him down whilst still frowning upon HER wielder.}'

As Albion said this, Vali side stepped to avoid the overhead punch that Zenon launched with his right arm, which had almost bulged to the point of looking like it were about to explode. The ground where the man hit even rose up from the centre of impact, almost forming a circle of sharp stone fragments, however Vali simply before the man could continue his assault, launching his own offensive by bouncing forwards, twirling a full 360 degrees into a full on flying kick to the side of his head.

"{DIVIDE!}"

His boot slammed into the Man's face, the announcement from Albion resounding through the air as Vali felt the man's massive Mana get split in half with one going into his Wings. He then flipped backwards to avoid a backhand by the man, landing in a crouch before he formed a MS on his right hand then used it to carve several fast slashes across his opponent's being. Since it hadn't been 10 seconds yet, Divine Dividing didn't half his power so Vali simply didn't give it much thought. Instead, he bent himself backwards to avoid a punch to his face, placing his right hand on the ground to support himself.

"Hmph, fool...:"

Vali only said this whilst disengaging his MS in order to flick his left hand, exposing a multitude of MB's that he launched right into Zenon's face…

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-!

Multiple explosions occurred when they went off, as Zenon howled with pain whilst holding onto his face, stumbling backwards a couple times so Vali could roll backwards onto his feet again before he jumped forwards, raising an elbow and slamming it down onto the man's face again.

'{DIVIDE!}'

Once again, Vali's Divine Dividing activated, halving the enemy's power once more as he jumped back to avoid the two arms his opponent had raised to smash onto the ground instead of their intended target: him. 'Hmmm, those arms don't look like they'll be holding anything any time soon… I'd say that this is the perfect time for the girl to make the final move.' The silver haired male, making to inform Alexia via shouting that it was time…

"Hyaaaaaaaaa!"

...However, it seemed as though Alexia had came to the same conclusion, since she had already jumped forwards with her Tail reared backwards, aiming towards Zenon's head. It looked like she was about to kill the guy, and if he were anyone else Vali would have stopped her from doing so since it would help if they knew who this guy worked for truly, since he obviously wasn't aligned with Iris or the Guild… but, considering that he'd be getting the answers to some more personal questions, Vali didn't see the need to do so this time, so he didn't stop what happened next.

Meanwhile, Alexia slid along the ground, ending up behind her foe before jumping onto his back. Of course, Zenon gasped at this and tried to swat her off, however a quick few MR's from Vali shot through the already-strained Tendons that his arms had, resulting in them hanging uselessly at his sides. As for Alexia herself, she'd reared her Tail backwards for a spearing motion, her eyes cold and emotionless for the act she was about to commit. 'This isn't my first kill… THAT honor belonged to one of my kidnappers. Foolishly I hesitated for a brief moment back then, which cost me… but not this time.' she thought, thrusting the Tail's tip downwards…

Right into the back of Zenon's skull.

'{COLLIDE!}'

The following thrust pretty much tore the guy in half, utterly ending his life like the pathetic garbage that he truly was.

As the two halves fell to the side like when one peels banana skin, Alexia landed in front of them, kneeling at first before she got up as her Tail swished, getting rid of the excess blood and brain matter. She then glanced behind her at the remains of her former fiance out the corner of her right eye, nothing but revulsion in them. For a moment, she remained silent, staring down at the two halves of the insanity-ridden man once known as a proud warrior, but then got brought low in the end. "... Hmph how fitting for a man like you, Zenon. I even once thought that you were a good man, but instead you showed your true colors. Anyone who pursues power by any means will never end up well, just like you." She said, and although her tone sounded even, one could FEEL the animosity behind them.

"....Indeed Alexia, very true indeed…" Glancing to her side, Alexia saw Vali walk up to her, his hands now in his coat pockets and looking a little roughed up from the battle, but otherwise fine. Furthermore, his wings had vanished, leaving only the torchlight surrounding them to illuminate the corridor. Alexia nodded in his direction too, glancing at her side to see how her Tail had vanished too, its task done. Whilst she did this, Vali glanced towards the two halves of the former warrior, his gaze thoughtful. "But those pills that he ate, whilst I have little interest in them I have to wonder: how did he even get those? And, now that I think about it, what kind of drugs can turn one into something like that?"

That was a good question, and perhaps if she hadn't killed the man they could have gotten some answers. However, she doubted that to have been possible with the fanatical mannerisms that he showcased, plus Alexia didn't have much tolerance for BS. Still, she entered a thoughtful state to try and remember anything. "Hmmmmmmm.... from when I was still captive one of them said something about..... Diablo."

Hearing that name, Vali's brow arched in curiosity. "Diablo?... hmmm well let's leave that topic for later..... ohhh, looks like he still has some pills." he remarked, noticing a second jar of untouched pills on the ground beside one of the halves. He then reached down to pick one up, eyeing it and twisting his hand about so he could look from different angles.

Alexia noticed this, and couldn't help but ask whilst placing a hand on her hip. "What are you going to do with them, Vali?"

"Simple I'll have my lost items scan them to see where it's origins are, what these people were researching, and what secrets they were hiding. Whilst this doesn't interest me much, I still want to get the bottom of this. At least so that no other fool tries to get their grubby mits on them." the male answered, pocketing the jar of pills inside his Coat.

Hearing this, Alexia sighed and nodded her head in agreement. "Me too... After this incident, there will be many mysteries that need to be unravelled, although with the data and research that you have a bit of it will be solved for the time being." she remarked, glancing back at him.

His reaction? Shrug his shoulders uncaringly as he proceeded to turn on his boots and start walking away. "Ehhhhh, I'll pass. I'm not the type of guy that goes around and solves mysteries. I'd rather just fight, that's all."

This caused Alexia to roll her eyes, although she hardly expected anything different to come from him as she jogged up to his side, resulting in them walking alongside one another. "Typical Vali…." She drawled, though he ignored that part.

After a small silence passed with the occasional steps from their footwear filling the corridor, Alexia then finally decided on something. She glanced at him once before closing her eyes and putting her chin up. "I suppose you earned some words of gratitude too. You said you like my swordsmanship right? I've…" She began to say, before she glanced to the side, not wanting to face the boy's gaze that she could feel on her. Also, were her cheeks a little hot right now or was that just her? "….. Come to like my swordsmanship, again."

Vali nodded his head simply, not caring too much himself but could understand that this somehow meant a lot to her. "Well good for you Alexia, but what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm saying that since the culprit Zenon was the one who captured me and he is no longer my problem anymore, we don't need to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend. But still, can I..... join your group?"

"...... only if you keep your promise Alexia, that you would find me some strong fighters. But for your swordsmanship, remember this: It's YOUR style on how you want to fight, like how I use mine, nobody else's."

"....... I will." The silver haired woman responded.

"Now lets get the fuck out of here before other soliders and adventouers get here. If they see me here with you, odds are they would accuse me for kidnapping you."

Alexia could see that happening so well that she too cringed at the naive idiocy alongside the silver haired male. "Agreed Vali."