Zachry and Valencia are sitting in an airy cafe near the academy watching people walk by and sipping the chamomile tea before them.

“It’s been so long since we’ve last gone out together,” Valencia says as she takes a sip of tea, “We need to do this more often.”

“You’re absolutely correct.” He says as he finishes his third cup of tea.

“And you’re only saying that because of the tea. You didn’t like tea when we were kids so what changed?”

“I’ve come to realize that with tea, there is nothing we cannot accept, and there is no reason to refuse. It's all about respect.” He starts as he signals a server, “The way of tea continuously develops itself, pushing its boundaries and expanding the tea universe, responding and adapting to the demands of modern times. Thus, it leads a free and peaceful existence… as all things should be…”

“...Is that Rishouen?”

“Maybe.” He answers and takes a sip of his fourth cup.

They continue talking and watching the people walk by as the sun sets. As she’s looking, Valencia sees a feeble old man struggling to carry his bags.

The bags are seemingly too heavy for him and he almost tumbles over. But a young man catches him before he could, and assists him with the bags.

Seeing this, a bleak expression appears on her face. She turns to look at Zachry, who was also watching the old man as well. She opens her mouth to say something but…

“Don’t.” 

He stops her with a stern response before the words could leave her lips. But she doesn’t give in that easily.

“Zachry. It’s been four years. Don’t you think it’s about time to forgive him?”

“Forgive him?” Her words deeply anger Zachry, “You of all people should know that what he did is unforgettable much less unforgiving.”

“Your father is dying Zachariah. Shouldn’t you, his only relative, be there for him?!”

“There’s a reason why I’m his only relative…”

Just then, the door to the cafe flies open. And two students from the academy walk in.

“I’m telling you. The match last night was rigged. There’s no way he won against the two of them without using a weapon.”

“Yeah, yeah… Can we get two white teas and some scones please?”

As he’s waiting on the order he begins looking around for a good place to sit while his companion blabbers on about the match.

‘Does he ever shut up? What’s so entertaining about some half-naked guys fighting? Kinda gay if you ask me…’

His train of thought suddenly comes to a halt as his and Zachry’s eyes meet.

‘Oh, it’s about time we ran into one of you little shits’

He nudges the other one and gestures at Zachry and Valencia who’re sitting by the glass.

“Well, if it isn’t one of August’s little groupies!” The other one shouts across the cafe.

‘Groupies?! When did I become one of his groupies?’

“Did you guys really think you could disrespect Leo like that and get away with it?

“What the hell are you talking about…” Zachry starts to ask as he starts to realize the situation unfolding around him.

“Oh, I get it now.” He stands and begins walking toward them, “The both of you are retainers in service of Leo and you believe me to be a lackey of August. So now you want to take revenge on me because August humiliated Leo? Did I get that right?”

“Precisely. Now be a good punching bag and meet us outside.” He takes the order and then vanishes out the door.

“You’re not going to go out there are you?” Valencia asks as she moves closer to him, “We should just stay here until they lea…”

He stops her by placing a finger on her lips, “Don’t worry. This is me we’re talking about. I’m just going to hash things out with them.”

‘It’s because you are who you are. That’s the reason why I’m stopping you.’

***

“...What the hell is this? Why… can’t I heal?” 

A warm green light emanates from August’s body. However, the white flame in the middle of his chest is breaking down the light. Unable to heal, he coughs up more blood as dark spots appear on his neck.

“Such is the effect of all that comes in contact with the blighted flame.” The male apparition explains. 

“Now, shall we raise the curtains on act two?” A second crescent sickle appears in her other hand.

“This was already difficult enough when it was three of us, now we’re down a man,” Clover states.

“Oh what? Are you scared?”

“I didn’t say I was scared. I said this is going to be even more difficult than it already is.”

“It’s difficult because you’re holding back. Stop swinging that sword around and fight seriously.”

Suddenly, they get bombarded by a barrage of white fireballs. However, they manage to not get by them.

“Thou insist upon ceaseless chatter in the face of certain death.” The female apparition says.

“...Certain death?” Clover’s sword begins to emit a multicolored light that permeates the darkness, “You have no right to speak of certain death. You believe yourself to be strong but you are sorely mistaken. By yourself you are weak, it is the synergy created by both of you that makes you appear strong. Your only saving grace is your ability to use that blighted flame.”

“Such is the relationship between the priestess and her guardian,” The female apparition says as she dashes at him.

However, before she reaches him, he holds the sword up high, “Now howl.” 

He slashes downward and releases a near-instantaneous shockwave. Unable to react in time, the shockwave sends her flying. She crashes into the large door with a heavy thud.

Clover doesn’t let up as he zooms past the other apparition. A quick thrust of his sword aims for her neck. She jumps to the side trying to dodge Clover’s attack only to be met by a blue arrow through the shoulder.

“As I said, you’re…”

Before he could finish, a whip made of white flames wraps around his leg and pulls him away.

“Thou dare lay their wretched hand upon mine sworn priestess?!”

Holding the whip in his hand, he pulls Clover away from her and slams him into the floor. He attempts to pull on it again but Clover cuts the whip before he could.

“Wretched swines. Thou shall pay the price for laying thine hand upon mine body.” She threatens as she appears beside her partner, “Guardian, we shall enact the 44th judgment upon those who halt the justice of Blighted flame.”

“As you command.” 

She hands him her sickle and he graciously accepts it. With it, he cuts his wrists and starts to bleed silver. Closing his eyes, he begins to chant. 

“Hear me! Sinners bound by eternal damnation! Heed my call made in blood…”

“You think I’d sit here and let you finish?!” Jasper fires a volley of small arrows from his hunter’s bow.

“Silence!” The priestess yells as a wall of flames blocks the arrows.

The guardian continues to chant as his blood begins to float toward the ceiling. 

“The will of Blighted flame shackles thou to this earthly plain. Now, come forth and drag to hell the souls of those who oppose true justice!”

The silver blood fuses with the lynched corpses as they all burst into white flames. The corpses begin writhing and screaming in agony as they come back from the dead. Falling from the ceiling, the flaming zombies surround them.

“First ghosts, now zombies. Not gonna lie, I’m kinda happy. But this fight’s been dragging on for far too long.” 

“You’re not wrong. And if someone could follow suit and come back from the dead we can wrap this up…”

The zombies run at them mercilessly as they begin cutting them down. However, having to deal with the zombies and keep an eye on the phantom is proving too much for them.

Beheading zombie after zombie, Clover starts to get surrounded but he doesn’t let up. Releasing a howling shockwave he clears a path to Jasper as he dashes through it. Now they stand back to back as they begin mopping up more zombies.

“No more flashy moves. We need to conserve our energy for as long as possible.” Jasper says as skewers two zombies with a blue spear.

“Speak for yourself. I could do this all day.” Clover replies as he dismembers a zombie and kicks it away.

“Anyways we need to get to August’s body. You know? To give him a proper burial and all.”

“He’s not dead”

“He got stabbed through the heart and spat up blood! Of course, he’s dead.”

“No. He got stabbed through a lung. That’s why he spat up blood.”

“Ugh. Fuck this. Cover me!”

Jasper kneels as Clover wards off any approaching zombie. He jams the spear into the ground. And as it starts to freeze a pillar made of ice rises from beneath their feet and brings them above the zombies.

‘And he said no more flashy moves…’ 

“Now go!” Jasper commands as an ice bridge leading to August appears.

Clover quickly runs toward August and is unfortunately met by a white fireball. But it gets shot down by one of Jasper’s arrows. With the protection of Jasper’s arrows, he makes it to August.

He flips him over and sees that he managed to heal the wound. But he’s still unconscious.

‘At least he’s not dead. He still has use…’

“How is he!? He’s dead right?”

“Move!” Clover shouts as the priestess appears behind Jasper.

Jasper jumps off the pillar as a shockwave destroys it. But the shockwave failed to hit her as she appears further away.

“To answer your earlier question, he’s alive, just unconscious.”

“Great! Put him somewhere where he’ll be safe and let’s finish this!”

“Finish this? At this point, you’re barely able to make one of your weapons and August is unconscious. I’m the only one still able to fight at full power. And as strong as I am, I highly doubt I can take both of them on my own.”

“That’s bullshit. I can still fight.”

“We are leaving. Plus I don’t know if you’ve realized but more of them are coming. I can hear them.”

“Fine… But do you even know how to leave?”

“Leave?” The guardian interrupts, “Who said thou could leave? This shall be the site of thine own grave.”

He hurls a large ball of white flame at them as the remaining zombies rush at them. Suddenly, a stream of red light penetrates the fireball and it explodes.

“So thou still walks among the living?” The priestess says.

“Did you really think that poisonous flame of yours could kill me?” August says barely holding onto his consciousness.

“However thou felt its effects.”

“This is our loss, but I assure you if we’re to ever cross paths again your head will be mine!”

“I await thine return. Oh, students of The Holy Veratian Martial School.”

“Protinus… et deorsum… vatis imperium manet.”