“I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten like that,” Carson said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and slumping back in his chair with a satisfied grin.

“My mother’s wealth does have some benefits,” Yui said with a shrug. “Might as well get something out of it.”

“Speaking of, you’re sure she isn’t going to cause trouble for you?” Carson asked with a small frown. “To be honest, I don’t know much about the Queen.”

“Neither do I,” Damien said. “I barely ever hear anything about her.”

“She puts a lot of work into making sure it stays like that,” Yui said. “She finds that it’s easier to control things when people aren’t thinking about who’s at the lead. And she’ll be fine… eventually. I think.”

“Doesn’t sound like you know her all that well either,” Sylph observed.

Yui didn’t respond for a few seconds. “She’s the Queen. There are responsibilities with that role. Not much time for anything else.”

“Sounds like Stormsword’s explanation for always being missing,” Damien said with a chuckle.

“At least you’ve got your mom,” Sylph said. “She cares a lot. It was really clear when we were all at your house.”

Damien blinked, frowning for a moment as his forehead creased. “I – yeah. That’s true.”

Their conversation was interrupted as the waiter walked up the stairs. He inclined his head apologetically. “I don’t mean to interrupt, Princess, but your encourage is here and asking about you. They’re causing something of a scene. Should we send them away?”

Yui glanced around the table and sighed. “No, it’s fine. I think we’re just about done now, anyway.”

“This should be fun,” Sylph whispered to Damien as they headed back down to the bottom floor. “What are the chances we’re about to get some practice in?”

“Fairly high,” Damien whispered back, ignoring the glance that Carson sent them. “What about a challenge? Least moves to get rid of them wins.”

“Are you really betting about beating up students?” Carson asked, slowing to walk with them.

“My money’s on Damien winning,” Yui said. “Five gold.”

“You’re encouraging them!”

“I find more offense in the fact that you think Damien is going to beat me,” Sylph said, narrowing her eyes. “Aren’t women supposed to stick up for each other?”

“Where’d you hear that? I stick up for whatever side is going to win,” Yui said with a very unprincesslike snort. “And I know what Damien can do.”

“I really need to stop reading Henry’s novels,” Sylph grumbled. “They’re addictive in a strange sort of way. But – five gold on me. Can’t say no to easy coin.”

“What about me?” Henry asked from within Damien’s shadow. “Is there a bonus for getting rid of multiple people with the same move?”

“You’re barred from the competition,” Damien said. “I’m not trying to kill someone. Yet.”

“Boring,” Henry complained. “I’ve got ways to get rid of them that wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“No permanent mental scarring either.”

“I would like to withdraw from the competition,” Henry proclaimed. “The rules have been unfairly stacked against me. Where are the judges? I’m putting in a complaint.”

They reached the front of the restaurant and stepped through the doors, where two waiters were standing cross-armed in front of Gaves, Bella, and several other Kingsfront students that Damien didn’t recognize.

“Princess!” Gaves exclaimed. “We were worried about you. Are you okay?”

“I was getting lunch, Gaves,” Yui said wearily. “The roast chicken isn’t going to get off the plate and stab me.”

“You were alone with two very dangerous people and an unknown element,” Gaves said, narrowing his eyes. “And I won’t forget that little stunt, Damien.”

“No teleporting him away. That’s no fun,” Sylph whispered.

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Now you’re just rigging things in your favor.”

“Winning the same way twice wouldn’t be any fun.”

“Fine,” Damien muttered. “But I’m not holding back when we spar.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” Sylph said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and nearly causing him to trip over his own feet. She smirked at his reaction.

“Could you not flirt in front of the Princess?” Bella asked, her tone as deadpan as ever. “She’s not accustomed to such uncouth sights.”

Carson choked and cleared his throat, suddenly finding a nearby bush fascinating.

“Who do you all think you are, anyway?” one of the girls that Damien didn’t recognize asked, stepping toward them. She had strawberry red hair and matching ruby eyes. “You should show some respect around the Princess, especially to Gaves.”

“Oh?” Damien asked. “Why?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? He’s the Princess’s bodyguard, and one of the best fighters in his year. You’re just asking to get your ass handed to you if you don’t show the proper respect around him.”

Damien struggled to repress a laugh as he raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“What’s so funny?” the girl growled, glancing between Gaves and Damien.

“Oh, I’m just a little confused, I guess,” Damien said with a shrug. “But, as I see it, Yui should get to choose who she hangs out with. I don’t see the point of her wasting time with people too weak to stand on their own, anyway.”

Sylph rolled her shoulders and subtly shifted her stance, picking up on the intonation in Damien’s words.

“This should be fun,” Yui whispered to Carson.

“Shouldn’t you do something?” Carson asked in the same tone as they both took a step back.

“Nah. I want to see if I make my five gold. Besides, I can clear any confusion up with the teachers when they show up.”

“Gaves? What’s going on? Why are we just standing around?” the red-haired girl asked. Damien gave her credit for being smarter than the vast majority of Mountain Hall students – they probably would have attacked him a while ago.

“Damien is stronger than he appears,” Gaves said, rolling his neck. “He’s the second place winner of the Year Two Intermurals.”

“So what? I’m a Year Three,” she replied with a shrug. “There’s a big gap between skill in Year Two and Three.”

“Well, if you’re done bothering us, we’ll be on our way,” Damien said. “Yui just asked us to show her around a brothel, since she’s never seen one before. I don’t suppose you know where the nearest one is?”

Yui reddened and Gaves narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to antagonize us?”

“Yes,” Damien admitted. “Mostly because you’re annoying and there’s a bet on how many of you go squish first. Honestly, can’t you find a better hobby? Yui clearly doesn’t appreciate this.”

“You keep using her first name,” the red-haired girl said through clenched teeth. “Talk to her with respect, peasant.”

“Oh man, she sounds like a worse version of Nolan when we first met him,” Damien said to Sylph.

“And now you’re just ignoring us,” the girl’s hands clenched and lightning crackled down her arms, filling the air with the faint smell of ozone. “Gaves, you can’t mean to just let this pass.”

“Notice how she isn’t actually asking Yui what she wants,” Damien drawled. “Are you only hanging around to improve your standing with the Queen or something?”

“We do this because we care for the Kingdom,” Gaves snapped. “You clearly don’t. You’re a bad influence on the Princess, and just being next to you is probably putting her in danger.”

“Yui’s a big girl,” Sylph said. “She can take care of herself, don’t you think?”

“This isn’t about her abilities,” Gaves said. “There’s always someone stronger. We’re there to make sure there’s no chance she’s hurt. You’re only here for your own enjoyment.”

“Partially true,” Damien admitted with a shrug. “But nobody’s going to enjoy living a sheltered life. Honestly, I don’t care all that much either way. Yui asked to go get breakfast, so I obliged. If you lot can’t even give her that, I think the problem is on your end. Besides, I’m not so sure you could protect her from anything if it really came down to it.”

“Keep insulting us and you’re going to find out,” the red-haired girl said, pressing her lips together. “Princess, this isn’t proper. We should leave.”

“While rude, Damien has not broken any laws or rules,” Yui said diplomatically. “And I did invite him for breakfast.”

“We’re wasting time,” Sylph said. “Can we just skip to the part where we fight? All of us have things to get to.”

“I’m trying to keep things peaceful,” Gaves said, clenching his hands. “All we want to do is keep the Princess safe. Even if you aren’t a direct threat to her, you’re putting her in situations where she could be hurt.”

“Then she’ll learn,” Damien said. “You can’t protect her forever. Especially not as weak as most of you are. I don’t mean that as an insult. You simply just can’t protect her right now.”

“What about a bet?” Yui offered. “If all of you can beat Damien and Sylph, then I’ll play by your rules until we graduate. But, if they win, I get to decide where you accompany me and you don’t report it to my mother.”

“That’s deal stacked against us,” Bella observed. “Lying to the Queen is a very dangerous offense.”

“I’ll deal with any fallout that comes of it.” Yui shrugged. “Not that any will – she doesn’t care enough to check in beyond what you tell her.”

“There are eight of us and two of them,” the red-haired girl said. “Gaves, take them up on it. We’ve got two Year Fours and two Year Threes.”

Gaves walked up, stopping right in front of Damien. He leaned in, but Damien didn’t feel any malice from his actions, so he didn’t stop the other boy.

“We’re puppets on strings,” Gaves said, his voice so hushed that Damien could barely pick it up. “You probably think we’re all morons, but the Queen does not take kindly to anyone that disobeys her direct orders. She said to tail the Princess, so we tail the Princess. If we don’t, that’s it for us, and this is cutting into our own time. We can’t practice as much as we should, but we genuinely don’t have a choice – unless you can prove that we can’t do our jobs here.”

Damien inclined his head slightly and answered in the same hushed tone. “You want me to humiliate you?”

“For lack of a better word, yes. It’ll give us an excuse to let Yui breath, and believe it or not, I’ve got things I want to do myself. The Princess isn’t my whole world, no matter how important she is. I’m going to push you now.”

Gaves shoved Damien, sending him stumbling a step back. “Idiot won’t listen to reason. Fine, then. For your safety, we’ll do it. This is in your name, Princess.”

Man, now I feel bad for Gaves. I never really considered that he might not have a choice about following Yui around like a lost puppy.

“Well, this is a great opportunity to help him out,” Henry said with a smile in his voice. “And we get to have some fun while we’re at it. Go on.”

“Perfect,” Damien said, rubbing his hands together and calling on his Ether. “Ready?”

Ether gathered around the students behind Gaves. Damien waited for a few moment as they brought their powers to bear, just so nobody would complain that he’d cheated by acting too early.

“Kneel.”

All eight of them slammed to the ground unceremoniously.

“That doesn’t technically count as getting rid of them,” Sylph said. “They’re still here.”

“Does it matter if they can’t move? I count that as gotten rid of.”

Bella’s body twitched and she pushed herself upright, bracing her hand against her knee and trembling with effort. Gaves and the red-haired student stood as well, along with two other boys.

“They’re moving,” Sylph said. “That’s one move down.”

“Damn it,” Damien muttered.

I shouldn’t have held back that much.

One of the boys thrust a hand forward, forming and sending a barrage of earthen spears flying at Damien. Almost bored, Damien cast Devour, swallowing the spell. Gaves started for him, but Damien grabbed his clothes with his telekinesis. Gaves tried to fight his mental energy off, but his efforts weren’t enough.

He floated into the air and Damien flung him onto the top of a nearby roof.

“That counts as out,” he said.

“Three moves for one person,” Sylph replied. She shifted her stance and the boy that had used the earth magic a few moments ago staggered, raising his hands to his ears before he collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his head. “And it took me one.”

“That’s not fair,” Damien complained. “I got attacked.”

Bella darted for him, but he didn’t wait around to see what sort of spell she would try. He Warp Stepped forward and tapped her on the shoulder. Bella tried to fight the spell off, but she didn’t have much more mental energy than Gaves and Damien easily overpowered her. She appeared on the rooftop beside Gaves.

“Two more moves for one person,” Sylph said.

Damien rolled his eyes.

“Stop treating this like a game,” the red-haired girl hissed. Lightning crackled across her body and she threw herself out of the clutches of Damien’s magic, blurring toward Sylph.

A black gauntlet materialized around Sylph’s hand and she brought it up straight into the other girl’s chin with a sharp crack. The red-haired student crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Damien grabbed the last boy that had managed to remain standing and lifted him over to the roof as well.

“Well, that was pathetic,” Damien drawled. “Also, one move on the last one.”

“You still used more moves overall,” Yui grumbled. “Were you trying to lose that on purpose?”

“Hey, I didn’t bet anything,” Damien said with a chuckle. Yui sighed as Sylph extended a hand.

Sylph collected her winnings and slid them into her pocket with a snicker.

“Were they even trying?” Carson asked, staring at the four students that laid across the ground, still unable to stand under the effects of his direct casting.

“Almost certainly,” Yui said. “Although even I didn’t expect them to do that poorly. It wasn’t even a fight.”

“I wasn’t joking about them slacking off. I think they need to spend more time practicing and less tailing you around,” Damien said, his gaze darkening. “Especially now. They aren’t going to be protecting anyone if they can’t protect themselves. Hopefully this’ll serve as a wakeup call.”

Carson glanced up at Gaves and Bella, who were staring down at them from the rooftop.

“That’s not ominous at all. You’re talking about this Corruption threat that all the teachers have been warning us about? Why does it sound like you know more about it?”

“Because I do,” Damien replied. “Yui, Gaves and Bella probably mean well, even though they’re complete idiots. You aren’t safe. None of us are. You should consider training harder.”

Yui grimaced. “Yeah. I will, and I’m sure they’ll join me. Can’t complain about that. I appreciate you not seriously hurting anyone, by the way. Bella is a healer anyway, but restraint is always nice.”

“Our opponents won’t offer the same grace,” Damien said, releasing his spell on the remaining students and allowing them to stand. “Speaking of training, I think it’s about time Sylph and I got some in ourselves. You’ll have to excuse us. I’ll just go ahead and add this to the favors you owe us.”

Yui rolled her eyes at the joking tone in his voice. “I know you’re just messing around, but I haven’t lost count – although I’m not sure if there’s going to be much I’ll be able to do for either of you.”

“You might be surprised,” Damien said, his face darkening. “Sometimes, I think half the threat to us is from other people. We’ll see you around shortly, Yui.”

“Dinner?” she asked. “Assuming you’re staying at Kingsfront, the least I could do is pay for both of your meals.”

“That should be fine,” Damien said with a nod. He and Sylph bid farewell to the other two and set off, the baffled gazes of the small group of onlookers following them until they were out of sight.