The woman was a bit confused. In the span of a single blink she went from standing to pinned. She heard experienced fighters could move unusually fast, but the stories didn’t do the reality justice.

She slowly raised her hands in surrender. Hitori’s sharp blue eyes watched them with suspicion, eliminating any thought of trying her Flame Arte again. Also, the sword at her throat was a pretty strong deterrent. Instead, she moved them to her face and started working the clasps that held her mask in place.

After a few awkward moments of fumbling, she pulled it off and gasped. “Holy crap! You Nova sorts are tough.”

“Who the hell… ?” Hitori said. “Elvira, right?”

Elvira took advantage of his confusion to push the blade away and wiggle free. After a few seconds of clambering, being sure to grab her sword from where it landed nearby, she returned to her feet.

“Yeah, that’s me.” She turned her attention to the straps on the side of her chest. After some fiddling, they popped open and she took a deep breath. “Ah, sweet blessed oxygen! How does Li squeeze into this darn thing?”

“It’s only supposed to be snug,” Hitori said. “Ms. Athen’s just has smaller—“he cut himself off and then snapped, “Damn it Elvira, answer my question! What are you doing?”

She looked off thoughtfully then said, “From the way everyone talks about you, I didn’t expect you to be this good.”

Hitori sighed. “People doubt because I only recently made A-Rank. My swordsmanship, however, is probably the best in the school. A lot of people under—“ Hitori cut himself off with a curt growl. “Will you stop that?”

“So impatient.” She gave Hitori a sly grin. “Give me a minute to make this a little more comfortable.”

Elvira started fidgeting with various straps and cords, tugging and pulling the tight fabric over her body as she worked the thin plates into position. After a few minutes of struggle she settled on something to her liking. She took a moment to look herself over.

The collar was buttoned off to the side, leaving a v-shaped patch of skin beneath her neck. She removed the gloves and long sleeves, storing them and the mask in a small satchel hung tight to her back The coat remained unbuckled, which left her sides exposed save a loose mesh. Underneath she was wearing a simple cloth band over her breasts.

“I guess this will have to do. Anyway, I’m here because Li told me I needed to pick a team for the field exam, only it turns out there’s only one team with an opening.”

“Oh gee, I’m flattered. So then you attacked me because… your clothes don’t fit?”

“Hilarious. Actually, I’m borrowing this from Li. I was supposed to get something from the armorer yesterday, but apparently I’m, ‘The bustiest girl she’s ever seen.’ Now I gotta wait until Monday morning for her to custom make something.”

“Well, that’s less than ideal,” Hitori said with a frown. It looked kind of cute.

“I’ll say, and now you’ve gone and put this big cut in Li’s top. What am I going to tell her?”

“I’m sure Ms. Athens will understand,” Hitori said, although a wary look suggested he wasn’t too sure. “Equipment damage is one of the risks in this business. Although, actually, before I forget…”

Hitori pulled a small roll from his satchel. He took off a piece before making an inquisitive gesture towards her chest. Elvira gave him a suspicious look, but nevertheless turned the damaged side of her coat to him. He carefully pulled the split cloth away, and sealed the two pieces back together with a few strips of the strange material.

“This stuff is quite literally a life saver,” Hitori said as he put it back. “Or at the very least, stops you from looking like a bandit hobo. I’m partial to Easy-Fix, but any brand of Armor Tape should do.”

“Right… thanks.”

“So, you still haven’t said why you attacked me.”

Elvira laughed and blushed. “Ah, sorry. Li told me to do that too.”

“Ms. Athens wanted you to attack me?”

“N-no, well, yes, but more like she thought I should show you my stuff. Oh! Speaking of, you’re running a little low on Vital Energy, right?”

“Yeah, getting hit dead on with a Flame Arte will do that.”

“Yes! I knew it! Here, I can take care of that.” She stepped up to Hitori and grabbed his shoulders. After a few seconds of focusing internally, she felt a familiar sensation that told her his Vital Net was being replenished. When she was finished, she hopped away and chirped, “I did it!” She blushed and coughed, then said as cool as she could manage, “I mean, of course I did, no sweat.”

“Oh, so you’re a Pala…din…? Wait a gods damned second!”

Elvira grinned, and gave a little twirl.

“Now you wait,” Hitori continued. “I am like, ninety percent certain Paladins absolutely cannot do artes, at all.”

“Verumundo, mea ami!”

“Right, and I’m a billion percent certain you have to be a Paladin to do a Vital Force transfer like that.”

“And six years ago you’d have been right. Well, more like six months ago, but in principle I could have done it.”

“What?”

“I’m a Grey Knight,” Elvira said. “Now hold up with your questions. Give me a minute to get my thoughts in order and I’ll tell you what that means.” Elvira took a deep breath. “Okay, put simply, I’m like a Paladin, except with a different kind of restructor.”

“Maybe a little too simple there.”

“Oh, I guess some of it was true then.”

“Some of what.”

“Nothing, let’s try it this way. Some people exist, somewhere, who decided to make a new kind of restructor. They based it off the Paladins, who also have a different kind of restructor. That’s why I can do most of the same things a Paladin can do, but it doesn’t cap the malhahonic web, so I can still use artes.”

“But it does restrict them?”

“Well, yes, a little. How did you know?”

“The sword,” Hitori said. Elvira squinted at him, with a slight cant to her head. “If you had the offensive power of an Arteficer you would stay at range, and probably not even carry. Given you do, it’s clear you don’t believe you’ll make it to that level.

”As for your blade-work. I can tell you’ve been practicing, but only with formal instruction for the last six months or so. A major ramp up in intensity, up to six hours a day?”

“About eight, I think. Who told you…”

“It’s all over your fundamentals, but I can’t place the style. Who’s been teaching you? Someone Seitojin I’m sure, but Tanaka would have taught you Lotus Style.”

Elvira wasn’t sure what happened, but she felt like she’d awakened his inner savant. That, or he was a total sword nerd. In either case, she was feeling a little embarrassed for doubting him. Li sent her to him for a reason, after all.

“Oh, I’ve been staying with Li, and she’s been training me after class.”

“Ms. Athens!”

Elvira jumped.

“But why would she know…. Sorry, questions for later. Anyway, I’m excited by the strategic possibilities. Of you, I mean. If I didn’t know better I’d say—”

A plume of black mist erupted a few feet away. As it cleared she saw a young man standing in its place, Hitori’s teammate Protius. He was staring at an object in his hand.

“Zero seven exactly, damn I’m good.” Protius tucked something into a pocket, then turned to study Elvira, a finger resting on his nose. “Elvira, right? So we’ll get a fifth teammate after all.”

“I guess Mr. Foster didn’t buy your ‘I count as two people’ angle.” Hitori laughed.

“Joke’s on him, now we have six.” He grinned, then turned to Elvira. His grey-black eyes contrasted sharply with his warm and friendly tone. He looked at the sword at her hip. “I hope you’re a better Knight than Hitori though.”

Hitori shifted uncomfortably to her left.

“Oh come on,” Protius said. “There is no way she’s worse than you.”

“I’m, uh, not actually a Knight at all,” Elvira said.

“You could say she’s worse than you, me, and Chandra combined,” Hitori said suggestively. Protius scrunched his face.

“We call ourselves—“Protius thrust his finger out. He turned to face her, a glimmer of wonder in his eyes.

“That’s impossible,” Protius said. He looked at Hitori. “You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“I just got a first hand demonstration.” Hitori said. “A literal, first-hand, and somewhat painful demonstration.”

“We were fighting earlier,” Elvira said.

“Probably not a bad idea,” Protius said. Then, to Hitori, “How’d she do?”

“About C on defense, maybe D on offense. I didn’t see enough artes to know for sure, but she got a manual Flame Arte off in about a second, so maybe also a C. As for sigils, we’ll have to ask Chandra.”

“What are you going to ask me?” A woman called out as she approached from the south. Elvira quickly looked her over.

Judging by the outfit, a mesh coat over a linen half shit, plus white slacks, boots, and a cloak, she was a Paladin. The myriaite beads and ivory breastplate suggested she was a mercenary one at that. Elvira supposed her being here meant she was part of Hitori’s team.

For some reason, the moment she arrived Hitori handed her a knife from his satchel. She took it without comment, although Hitori still seemed unsatisfied.

“Hi Chandra,” Protius said. She smiled back.

“We were discussing the capabilities of our newest team member,” Hitori said. He motioned towards Elvia, who responded by slowly raising her hand above her breast.

“Hi,” Elvira said. “My name is Elvira Valentine Peri. I hope we’ll…”

“It’s good to meet you,” Chandra said.

“What are you staring her down for,” Hitori said. “Chandra?”

“What are you?” Chandra was deep into Elvira’s space, their eyes leveled by Elvira’s shrunken posture.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Protius and Hitori jumped in with an explanation. Elvira did her best to follow along, but each sharp glance from Chandra sent her scooting further behind her new leader.

After the pair finished, Elvira braced herself and stood tall in front of Chandra, matching her gaze as best she could. “A-and if you have a problem…” She flinched and turned away, then mumbled, “I-I can just leave, or whatever.”

“O-oh, no, no,” Chandra said, stepping closer. “I was surprised, is all. Welcome to the team.”

“Thank God!” Elvira said. She reflexively hugged Chandra, who fidgeted in her embrace. She quickly stepped back and blushed. “S-sorry. I just… I mean, the Order thought any Paladin who noticed might kill me on the spot.”

Hitori laughed, but was cut off by a sharp glare from Chandra. “N-never mind.”

“Maybe some of the Chaplains at the Temple,” Chandra said. “But that’s not the sort of Paladin that gets into mercenary work. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about here.”

Elvira smiled.

“As much as I’d love to let you two hug it out,” Hitori said. “We’ve got to make a training plan. I was thinking—“

A black figure whipped by inches from her face, sending Elvira screaming backwards into a heap.