Dammit sprang to his feet, looking as tense as he was at the Fiber’s office back in the day of Niji’s enrollment. Although the night was dark, the scarce lamp lights helped the mages spot several figures approaching the high fence around the estate. Hitomi summoned a spirit raven and sent it to check on the uninvited guests. The tattoo on her face blazed blue: she was observing the scene through the eyes of her servant.

“There’s less than a dozen,” she reported. “Look like those vandals from the Lazy Dracula club. But worse…”

Niji got the sick feeling in her stomach. Not these cursed creatures again…

“Holy moly,” the healer mumbled. “Are they so braindead they want to march through the enchantments that protect this house?”

“Chi, are your people here?”

“Sacred and Sunny must be. Haydee too, as she never leaves her cellar, but I wouldn’t count her in.”

“Okay, plus me then.”

“Objection!”

“Apprehending Viols is my job. Do you seriously think I will get scolded for—”

“How on earth will you explain being here? Aoi won’t be happy about that.”

“She’ll know the truth, sooner or later.”

“Enough bickering, time is running out.” Niji watched how the criminals bursted in the yard without any trouble. “I’ll go wake the others. Let’s meet at the main entrance.”

“Fine, now you are mini-Dasnor, not me!”

The mage girl leaped from the roof to the inner gallery. Trying not to stomp too loud, she ran to the door and ducked inside. There she stumbled across Sacred, who was buttoning his robes on the go.

“What’s happening? I couldn’t sleep and sensed a strong disturbance of the house’s protection aura.”

“Viols. Those from the Children of the Evolution. Less than a dozen. They’ve already bypassed our defenses.”

“Bastards,” hissed the enchanter.

“Meet me down there.”

Sacred quickly cast several reinforcing spells for both of them and ran to the stairs while the Elementalist knocked on Yui’s bedroom. The Amber didn’t respond for a while, but in the end the door opened, and a cute braided girl in slippers with bunny faces asked in a hoarse berserk voice: “The fuck ya want, Niji?”

“Go to the hall, quick! Some Violets are about to attack the mansion!”

“Meh, I wish they’d scheduled it during business hours.”

The girls joined Dammit and Sacred on the ground floor. Hitomi was absent—seemed like the healer had succeeded in convincing her to stay out of it. Jun casted more spells while the night guests tried to break the front door with all their might.

“What’s the plan?” asked Niji.

“You’re the boss now.” Dammit rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I’m a rookie, remember?”

“Not that I care. I’m bad at strategies anyway,” the Celestial confessed, falling into a light stupor of meditation he performed for express mana gain. “Gimme a sec, and I'll be ready.”

Niji swallowed nervously. She doubted she was capable enough, but there was no time to persuade Dammit to take command. Imagine that you’re playing World Of Magic Online, she thought. What would you say to your party? After a little pause, the mage girl started: “There are about a dozen of them, and we don’t know their abilities. We must fight outside, so I suggest opening the door and scaring them with my fire to create some space. Sacred, identify the strongest one—we need to deal with it first.”

“I’m not sure this type can be exorcised properly, but I’ll try.”

“Me and Sunny need to eliminate as many Viols as we can in the shortest amount of time. Yui, you go first. Dammit, support her.”

“For fuck’s sake, am I tanking now?” the Amber pursed her lips. “I don’t even have time to change out of my PJs! Hope there are no pervs there.”

“Dammit, don’t go far from the entrance. Most likely, they need something that’s in the house. Some kind of relic or whatever. Don’t let them inside. We should try to keep at least one alive to question them. I hope that these Viols are at the same level as those we met at the Dracula’s…”

“Judging how they’ve broken through our defensive spells…” Sacred shook his head. “Either they know exactly how to do it or they’ve got much stronger.”

“Okay, go!” The healer finished with his meditation and adjusted his hat as his own call to action gesture.

“Dammit…” Niji whispered. “We need to get rid of them… like Frejya did… are you ready to do it?”

“Harold James Mark Omnious the Fourth does not forgive those who interrupt his date.”