"Hmph" Vil huffed in annoyance, leaning onto Y/n's shoulder, causing her to chuckle a bit before raising her wing and placed it on him in an embrace. The scent reminded the Beautiful Tyrant mist from freezing cold water making contact with the hot sun. It was...refreshing. "Theirs are a grade school recital- clearly the work of amateurs with the thinnest veneer of competence. They're out," he said. Most of the auditioners failed to meet his expectations.

"...Interesting, interesting." Rook hums, nodding. "Attention, entrants: the audition is now over" he announced to the auditors who were waiting in the ballroom. "We will notify the group that passes tomorrow."

"You will receive either some news or no news at all" Y/n added.

"So we find out tomorrow?" asked Grim. "Now I'm gettin' all antsy." he shuddered. His excitement turned to nervousness real quick.

"I was a whole key off during the A melody..." Deuce mumbled, not proud of his audition. But Yuuna assured him that he did fine.

"Singing and dancing sure burns a lot of energy." Ace sighed. "Let's get back to the dorm and eat!"

Everyone all left the ballroom and out of the dorm, either heading back to their dorm or doing something outside.

*Creak* *Shut*

Y/n had to stay behind due to Vil still having a whole on her comfy wing when he sat up, and her role as manager.

"The turnout was half casual spuds on a lark and half amateurs with a least some proper mindset." Vil frowned, disappointed. "Losing is NOT an option at this year's Song & Dance Championship. Let us start by sorting these scores in descending order..."

"A moment, if you would, fair Vil." Rook spoke. "Gems already polished shine with predictable luster. Yet with sufficient effort put into polishing, it is possible for rough-hewn ores to be reborn as shining gems."

"Perhaps brighter than the ones you hold now, I daresay." Y/n grinned.

"....You two speak so soundly," Vil states. "It will take more than conventional thinking to lay claim to the fairest beauty of all. What matter most for our needs is the ability to ascertain what KIND of gems our labors will produce for us,"

"Heh...I sensed the most unpolished potential from the last group of performers." Rook said. "The freshmen."

"Really?" Vil narrowed his eyes. "Those little spudlings?" he asked, taken aback by Rook's choice

"If you would indulge me a metaphor, Vil- you are a grand diamond whose radiance draws eyes the world over like Y/n," Rook says. "Now imagine, if you will, a tiara packed with precious stones all crowding one another out. Sounds like a flattering headpiece, non? But another potion is a tiara in which a single, grand diamond has a smaller, more colorful array of gems inlaid around it. Personally, I could find the latter more tasteful and appealing. Of course, the final call is yours to make. I'll take no offense if you dismiss the thought outright."

"...." Vil closed his eyes, deep in thought about Rook's suggestions.

"But I trust you know deep down...That simply brushing up our status quo will never be sufficient for taking on the dazzling Neige LeBlanche." Rook said, saying the enemy's name. "And that we will need a more innovative mindset."

"...Yes, I suppose so." Vil sighs. He then thought about his final decision of who will be part of the SDC. "The entrants appearing in this year's Song & Dance Championship will be..."

The next day...

Ace let out a tired huff as his friends were chatting among themselves outside. "Trein caught me napping in Magic History. Now I've gotta extra homework!" he complained.

"He's using a sleep spell on us so he can load us up with more work." Grim grumbled. "I just now it!"

"Really?" asked Yuuna. "Then...it doesn't seem to be working on me and Y/n?"

"That's because Trein allowed you two to drink tea!" Grim exclaimed.

'Is there some unfair favoritism here?'

'Well...I ask if my classmates want tea, but they usually decline, Focalors'

'hmm'

"I put a rubber band on my wrist to keep myself awake," Deuce said, not at all feeling sleepy. "Any time I start to get sleepy, I pull it back and snap it."

Yuuna frowned at that and grabbed Deuce's hand. "No wonder your wrist is so red...next time, drink some of [nickname]'s tea! It keeps me wide awake" she suggested, her hand hovering over Deuce's wrist with a soft glow. She was healing his wrist to make the red marks go away.

Deuce blushed a bit. "Thank you, Yuu" he thanked before nodding. "I'll make sure to ask for some tea, next time."

"Good" Y/n did a thumps up.

"That seems kinda drastic." Ace winced at that thought. "Oh yeah, on another note...Isn't today the day they're announcing who passed the SDC auditions?"

"It's almost lunch, and we ain't got any news." Grim said.

"It we haven't gotten anything yet, do you think we're out?" asked Deuce.

"Let's give it more time. No need to worry when you guys still have time." Y/n said.

Before a word came out of their mouth, Y/n quickly pushed Yuuna. Ace suddenly moved back after feeling something brush his nose along with Deuce. (Y/n was closer to the wall while Ace was closest to the window) As the incoming arrow passed the other three, Y/n managed to grab it at a fast speed before hitting the wall.

"WHOA!"

"Wh-what was THAT?!" Ace gasped, looking out the window. "What just flew by?!"

"It buzzed past the tip of my nose!" Deuce said, having a heart of his chest from fear.

Yuuna, also panicked, was shaken up a bit. "Did someone fire an arrow from outside?!"

"Good thing I got it?" Y/n looked at the arrow in her hand. She looked out the window, seeing a familiar hunter chuckling before disappearing.

Everyone looked at Y/n's hand, looking shocked. "Myah! An arrow?!" gasped Grim. "Y/n! How did you catch it?! What if there's an assassin out for our blood?!" he panicked.

"Where do you think we are?!" Ace shouts. "Wait, hold." he noticed something. "This arrow's got a note tied to it."

"Say what?! Is it a challenge?" asked Deuce, looking ready for a fight.

"You need to stop assuming everything's fight." Ace huffed.

Y/n took the note off the arrow, giving it to Ace before burning the arrow with her white flames as the ash got carried away by the wind.

"Hmm, let's ee here..." Ace hummed, upholding the note Y/n gave him.

"'Thank you for taking part in the Song & Dance Championship auditions. The following two students have passed out rigorous screening process...Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade. Please report to Pomefiore Ballroom after school today with our lovely manager, Y/n'...Wait, what?" Ace blinked.

"...We passed?" Deuce asked, tilting his head.

"WHAAAAAAA?!" Ace, Deuce, and Grim yelped in surprise, causing Yuuna to just have a blank expression on her face while Y/n covered her ears.

"Th-that means we get selected for the ensemble, right?" Deuce asked, stuttering a bit in disbelief.

"What else would it mean?" Ace asked before grinning. "Sweet! Now we don't have to help the housewarden!"

"Mrooow! What about me?!" Grim whined. "My performance was top-tier! What wasn't I picked?!"

"Uh...maybe because you're a raccoon?" Yuuna asked, picking up Grim to comfort him.

Grim let out an offended gasp. "WHA?! I'm being discriminated against because of my race!" he turned to Y/n. "Y/n! Help me burn this school!"

"Oooh, Arson!" Y/n cheered, a ball of white flames appearing above her palm.

"Y/N NO!"

"Y/N YES!"

Y/n shrunk back a bit. If she did commit arson in the school, she will have to be lectured by Lilia....again.

"Ah, hold." Ace intrupped. "There's more. 'P.S: To Yuuna of Amaryllis Dorm. We have news for you and Manager, so please report to Pomefiore with the two addressees.' ...That's it"

"What kind of news I wonder" Y/n wondered.

"Why would they name me?" Yuuna asked, in confusion.

"I guess we're all heading over to Pomefiore after school." Deuce informed his friends, as they nods.

"Mrow..." Grim cried. "My four thousand cans of tuna..."