**At the Crimson Dragon's castle**
Ryo, Ophelia, and Havoc were sitting in the living area high up in Ryo's quarters. All that filled the room between them was silence and the ticking of a large clock on the wall.
Ryo sat on a chair with his left leg crossed over, ankle to knee, and his arms crossed with his eyes closed, head slightly down. Completely calm from the outside, but initially stressed out on the inside as he was thinking about the situation at hand nonstop.
"It has been forty-five minutes. Nothing still?"
Havoc sighed and looked at his comm, "Nope."
Ophelia slouched in her spot on the couch and pouted, "I am SO bored! Ryo, do you have any clothes for a girl to borrow? If we end up going out, I don't want to look so indecent. This isn't what a girl should wear out in public," she said, gesturing to her breasts, exposed legs, and bare feet. She wore nothing but what she had woken up with, which was only a dark blue, cropped tank top and a black thong.
Ryo blushed a little but refused to look at her. Ophelia, however, looked right at him with leering eyes.
"One of the female members in the castle might have something for you, but for now, you can just take a jacket or sweater from my closet. Will that do for now?" he said nervously, closing his eyes again.
"Kay-kay! Thanks, Ryo!" she said, passing through the couch and disappearing completely. After she did, Ryo let out a big sigh like he had been holding his breath the whole time speaking to her.
Ten minutes had passed since she had left, and Ryo stood up from his seat.
Chill, man, there's still five minutes left," Havoc reluctantly said.
Ryo didn't say a word and just stood there with his arms folded, staring at the clock. He was unsurprisingly true to his word, down to the very last second when the clock struck the hour. Patiently waiting for the long arm to strike.
***
Down toward the bottom of the castle, an army of Blue Phoenix Knights had arrived, waiting outside the gate of the Crimson Dragon's abode. The Crimson Dragons' castle was located on a small hill near the heart of the Valley Kingdom and only about a mile from the Arcane King's castle. In between them were modern buildings and neighborhoods. The Blue Phoenix Knights that arrived occupied and closed down almost every one of the pathways and streets that led to their home.
"What is the meaning of this Blue Phoenix Knights?" one of the Crimson Dragon Knights on guard shouted from the inside of the gate.
"We have a warrant to search the castle grounds for Vice Captain Ryoku. He is being summoned to Trial for questioning. If you hand him over diligently, we'll be on our way." A Blue Phoenix high official answered. He sounded pompous and was on the chubbier side. His hair was short and blond, fixed properly; and he spoke on behalf of the army he led behind him just outside the corridors of the castle, standing on a grand staircase leading down.
"The Vice Captain is not here. So take your army and leave. You cannot intimidate another Guild even with a warrant. Only the World Magistral Army can—" another Crimson Dragon guard answered, but was interrupted at the sudden gesture from the chubby Blue Phoenix official.
"I'm sure you will reconsider after seeing this, yes?" he said back to the two Crimson Dragon guards, holding a well-known warrant in front of them.
It was not any regular warrant either. It had a World Magistral Army stamp on it. Which meant they were given the same rights as W.M.A. within their own Kingdom. Which also meant…
"Who—Who authorized this?!" the guard asked in shock.
"Why the Royal King, of course," he gloated, "and it's the Blue Phoenix Knights who are to carry it out. So, give us Ryoku, or we will execute the warrant."
"We told you he's not here."
"Fine. Have it your way," the chubby Blue Phoenix gloomed.
From atop the enormous Crimson Dragon's castle on the rooftop of a tower adjacent to where Ryo's quarters were located, a female mage strode to the scene.
She was wearing a short Blue Phoenix cloak that stopped just over and under her breasts, where she was only wearing a golden breastplate underneath. Her toned stomach was showing, wearing low-waisted short-shorts that were dark blue, complemented with a thick gold belt and dark blue booted heels that went all the way up to her knees.
"Well, that was easy. I found him, Ulrich… excuse me, I mean Ex3," she spoke into her earpiece. Her voice was mature and seductive. The sun above reflected off her purple hair that had blue streaks in it.
"Good Ex2. Station Ex1 to force entry, and after that, you know what to do," Ulrich—Ex3—in her ear, replied.
"Ten-four," she replied almost disinterestedly.
After Ulrich disconnected the line, she spoke to herself drearily, "It should have been me in there. I'm perfect for the job. She always gets the spotlight…"
Back on the ground. The chubby Blue Phoenix official, Ulrich, had just ended communication to someone from his earpiece. He then faced the two Crimson Dragon Knights guarding behind the front gate.
"Looks like we're using this warrant after all… you liars."
***
The clock struck the hour in Ryo's quarters.
"There. One hour, as promised. And there's still nothing from your end?" Ryo asked.
Havoc shook his head.
"Then it's settled. We're leaving—"
BOOM!!
An explosion blasted through Ryo's windows on his left, shattering the entire glass wall into both their faces. The walls that led to his bedroom, where Ophelia had apparently gone, also blew up, engulfing the whole place in flames.
The Crimson Dragon Knights at the bottom and throughout the tower saw and heard the explosion from where they were all around the castle. As terror struck each one of them, the Blue Phoenix army began hopping the walls and busting open the gate below.
Clusters of them clashed with other Crimson Dragon Knights as more of them made their way to the scene to stop the uninvited guests.
From the bust open gate, the chubby Blue Phoenix Knight 3rd Executive Ulrich, or rather Ex3, walked unbothered among the fighting and chaos as his subordinates rampaged the scene.
Back up top. From the flames, both Ryo and Havoc staggered to the floor as the walls and debris began crumbling and the room continued to burn.
"What the fuck!" Havoc said with his hand on his head, already adapting to the unbreathable air with his versatile Primal magic abilities.
Ryo was also hardly unaffected; due to his magic ability as well, he could already breathe in the unhealthy air. "Right there with you. I spent so much time designing my room, only for it to end up like this."
"You serious? That's the first thing you're thinking about?! We were just in the middle of a fucking explosion, Ryo!" Havoc disdainfully yelled.
A haunting girl's giggle joined the sounds of the burning and crumbling room, echoing in their ears now, "Hehehehe… Found you..." she said. Her voice was like a fairy... one with ominous intent.
Ryo and Havoc looked around but didn't see anyone. But then, from the smoke and fire, a silhouette of a girl with pigtails playfully sashayed in toward them where the entrance of the quarters had once been. She had a small gold crown on her head just off to the left side. Her hair was in long pigtails down to her thighs and was half pink on her left side and half blue on her right. The small cloak she wore was a Blue Phoenix cloak, and she was wearing a pink corset followed by a white and pink ruffled skirt. Her socks were mismatched, with one being thigh-high with yellow and white stripes on her right leg, and the other, shorter below her knee, that was a full blue on her left. Her boots were also pink as she resembled a lifelike doll. Her delicate hands had pink pointed nails, and she held a thick gunmetal chain with a huge, spiked iron ball at the end of it—a Morning Star dragging behind her.
The fire parted for her as she entered, like it had a mind of its own… and her short half-blue and half-pink bangs shadowed her eyes as she spoke, "So, like, the boss wants me to take you in alive, but I don't think that's fun at all… Between you boys and me, if you want to have some fun first, I'm happy to play with you… Hehe," she said as her circular eyes revealed themselves like pink vortexes.
"What's an Executive of the Blue Phoenix Knights doing here, Kimiko? Was this explosion your doing?" Ryo asked, disturbed by her presence. He had known of her, but this was the first time they had officially met, and something about her was off…
"You don't have to be so formal Ree-Ree... Just Kiki is fine," Kiki's eyes widened crazily as she went on, "We're here for you, silly."
The huge Morning Star flew at them down the middle, and they split from side to side. The huge iron ball seemed like it got bigger as it passed by them. A pair of cartoon eyes and a gaping mouth with sharp teeth appeared on it as it shot out into the open of the room, past the shattered windows. From the outside, the Morning Star had looked like a monster that had burst out atop Ryo's high quarters.
***
From the adjacent rooftop, the purple-haired girl, Ex2, knelt just a little over the edge to witness the spectacle.
"Flashy as ever, Kiki. And stupid Ulrich down there in the heat of all the action too. While I get stuck with watchtower duty. This is so lame!" she said to herself, pouting.
"I know how that feels. And the sidelines are where you stay until something happens… IF something happens."
"You're so right, girl! Honestly, it gets annoying sometimes. I always get stuck with being back up or doing the grunt work even though I'm a 2nd Exec. It's always, Milo, do this, Milo, do that. Milo put sand in these hourglasses, make sure Kiki is in the clear to strike—blah, blah, blah. It's never the big jobs like what Kiki has over there. I mean she is, 1st Exec, but still… Ugh…" she pouted more, "we didn't even end up using all the hourglasses I filled up either! By that time, it was replaced by another item…"
The girl gasped and said, "You're a 2nd Exec too? So am I! Well, sorta… We have so much in common!"
"I know, right!"
Silence filled the air as the purple-haired, 2nd Executive Milo of the Blue Phoenix Knights stopped dead in her sentence, finally realizing who she was talking to…
The short top layer of her hair and bangs were black and covered the eyepatch on her right eye. The blonde long rat tail peekaboo of her hair fluttered softly in the high breeze behind her as she sat on the edge of the parapet walls next to Milo. She dangled her bare legs and feet off the ledge, nails and toenails painted dark purple as she wore only an oversized white crewneck sweater that she had tied the bottom into a ball on her side, turning it cropped with nothing below her except her black thong. She had found the sweater in Ryo's closet before the place had exploded.
Her one exposed eye was closed for a second, but then opened curiously as she turned her head to face Milo, revealing her dark purple left eye, matching her nails. A dimpled smile was worn across her face.
"You… You're—" Milo said as she grabbed a giant club from seemingly out of nowhere behind her and swung it to her right onto the girl sitting on the ledge before she had even finished her sentence.
The club went through her completely as she continued to sit there unfazed by Milo's attack. When the club finished its course, it laid waste to the rest of the rooftop they were on, leaving it in cinders.
"Hm?" She looked behind herself obliviously at the burnt rooftop and small flames Milo created. "Aw… And here I thought I had made a new friend."
"You're that bitch on the wanted list…" Milo paused before saying, "2nd Exec Ophelia of the Black Wolves!"
"Yup! That's me!" Ophelia replied gleefully with a peace sign.
At this time, Ophelia flipped backward and, from where she was sitting on the ledge, had permeated the ground of the rooftop behind her. She had disappeared for about five seconds while Milo stepped back and watched, weary of her movements, vigilant.
Then, just as suddenly, Ophelia permeated back out from the ground, upside-down, right leg and foot flexed like a flying kick into Milo's bottom chin, slamming her lower jaw into her upper, sending her upward.
Milo looked back down to Ophelia with a seething rage and blood in her mouth as she quickly recoiled. She swung the club again over her head and slammed it down onto Ophelia, who was still upside-down in the air with her. Again, the club missed its mark as it went through her completely, slamming onto the ground, giving Ophelia a landing for her hand. Her right hand met the top of the club perfectly as she balanced on top of it, looking back up to Milo, still suspended in the air.
"You damn bitch!" Milo spat, blood gushing from her teeth.
Milo was noticeably taller than Ophelia—around six-foot-five to Ophelia's five-foot-seven.
"You almost got me there!" Ophelia said ignorantly, giving Milo a cheery, dimpled smile once more as she held out that triggering peace sign with her free hand.
"I'm gonna make you regret making a fool out of me!" Milo shouted in rage.
***
Back at Ryo's rummaged quarters, both Havoc and Kiki were running on the chain of the Morning Star that still suspended itself in mid-air out over the ledge past the shattered windows. Havoc ran ahead of her, dodging her attacks as she came from behind, laughing psychotically and teasing all the while.
"Hehe! Come here, kitty, kitty! Play with me!" Kiki playfully said as she kicked and swung the chain in her hand at him one after another, as they engaged in tangled close combat in the sky.
"I am not a damn cat, creepy doll eyes!" Havoc snapped, blocking her kicks and dodging her swings but refusing to throw back an attack.
"You sure move like one, meow!" she said back as they made it to the end of the giant spiked ball in the air, dozens of meters up from the tower of Ryo's quarters. It looked as if it was just floating there in the sky while they battled on it.
"I don't care who you are, I don't fight girls," Havoc said hesitantly.
"Aw, you're no fun… I should have just gone after Ryoku, but I wanted to play a bit first…" She pouted, acting like a spoiled brat.
But then, Havoc went on guard as he began sensing sinister energy from her.
"You're boring. I don't want to play with you anymore," Kiki said darkly in a low haunting tone, completely different than the way she had been acting just a second ago.
Right then, she swiftly pulled back the giant thick chain she held and stood upon as she began rotating the Morning Star. The face of the ball resembled a cartoon as its eyes and mouth were like those of a drawing, teeth-baring, sharp fangs like a shark. It then, meeting Havoc where he was, opened its daggered mouth and grabbed onto his foot, pulling him viciously downward. As it rotated, it flung him harshly toward the ground meters below, high up from where they were.
Havoc grunted as he shot down from the sky like a meteor, back first, and crash landed onto the main courts of the inner Crimson Dragon front gates, where Ulrich and the army of Blue Phoenix Knights had just forcefully entered.
CRASH!!
At the same time, Ulrich had just walked in before Havoc's landing, covering his face a bit as the smoke and dust cleared from the area of impact.
"KIKI! YOU ALMOST HIT ME GODDAMNIT!" Ulrich yelled into his earpiece.
Way up top, Kiki and her Morning Star remained suspended in the air. She had boosters under her skirt, which allowed her to hover and stay afloat just before throwing Havoc to where Ulrich was now. Her boosters had faces, chuckling in a high-pitched tone as she hovered in place, small flames jetting out from under her skirt all the while.
"Darn, I missed," she said back disappointedly in Ulrich's ear.
"YOU WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO HIT ME?! YOU FUCKING—" were Ulrich's last words before being disconnected intentionally.
When Kiki looked back at Ryo's decimated quarters, she saw him standing there, having just defeated the toon clones of loose debris that she had made prior to chasing Havoc.
"Before I end this pointless quarrel, answer me this… Why have you come for me?" Ryo asked sternly.
Kiki tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, answering incredulously, "Uh… cause Syemore ordered us to?" She scowled. "There's not much to it than that. I just do as I'm told like a good girl, so long as I'm allowed to play."
"Not much of an answer," Ryo responded.
"Well, if you really want to know. I don't care much for politics. I'm doing this for personal gain. You see, I'm next in line for Vice Captain if I bring you in. Whether in good condition or barely alive," said sinisterly.
The Morning Star flew toward Ryo with its gaping mouth to his left, crashing onto the spot he stood and toppling what was left of the beams that still held the ceiling in place. His quarters crumbled some more as it continued to burn, hardly looking like a room anymore.
In three different spots of the Crimson Dragon's castle, three battles brewed—2nd Executive Black Wolf Ophelia vs. 2nd Executive Blue Phoenix Milo, Black Wolf Havoc vs. 3rd Executive Blue Phoenix Ulrich, and Vice Captain Crimson Dragon Ryo vs. 1st Executive Blue Phoenix Kiki.