Then, the light faded. Ta’ala watched the boy raising his hand from the crest, and found a small projection of a small silver circle. It had something of a star-like shape in it, except it looked like some of the edges were cut off.

“Is this… Is that my circle?” Zu asked in astonishment, as he examined the projection. “It’s so small.”

Ta’ala smiled in relief. He was a little worried it might backfire, but he knew it might be the only reasonable chance. Zutenko must learn how to control his Magyo.

Ta'ala didn’t agree with Ayalinn’s actions in the slightest, but she got her own similar idea. Through contract, the elf could regulate the boy’s Magyo.

Had she succeeded, that is.

“Well then, enlarge it.” the fox said with a smile. He motioned with his own hand; first clenching his fist, then opening his palm wide.  Zu looked at him and did the same. The circle immediately grew to the size of a plate.

Zu's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again, then settled on an infectious grin.

“That is so cool!” he exclaimed. Then he paused. “Wait… aren’t circles supposed to be the same as your eye color?”

The fox was not sure what to answer to that. He was not sure whether to tell him or not, that his eyes were glowing silver as well.

However, as the boy looked back at Ta'ala, he lost his concentration. That caused the circle to fade from view, and the glow to stop. That immediately grabbed Zu’s attention again.

“Huh? Whe- Where did it go?”

Ta'ala sighed. That thought would have to wait.

“It faded, since you summoned it only as a projection.” He explained.

“So… I need you to activate a crest every time I just want to use my circle?” Zu frowned.

Ta'ala couldn’t help but chuckle. “Heavens, no! That would render circles useless. No, you need to activate this on your own.”

“Then how do I do it?” asked Zu eagerly.

“You must command it.”

“That… doesn’t make any sense.”

“Do you remember the feeling just a moment ago? Specifically, a feeling of power unleashing from within?”

“You mean,, the burn from here?” he placed his right hand right between his chest and his stomach.

“Yes.” Ta'ala confirmed. “Imagine energy flowing from there, focusing onto your hand. Then, command the circle to appear.”

Zu nodded, and closed his eyes in concentration. He then opened them again, glowing the same silver as the circle now in his hand.

“I.. I did it.” Zu mumbled in shock, before smiling broadly again. “I can summon a circle!”

“Now hold on there, kiddo.” Ta'ala smiled back. “We still need to see what your circle can do.”

“Magic power – activate!” Zu exclaimed immediately, clapping both hands above his head. Just as suddenly, Zu vanished.

“Kid! Zutenko! Where are you?” Ta'ala jumped on his legs, scanning the area. His eyes darted to every direction in a panic, before Zu appeared again right in front of him.

“-ahh!” Zu’s end of a yelp was heard, as he fell on his back when Ta'ala tackled him. His circle faded, and he looked at the surprised fox.

Ta'ala was a bout to scold him, when he caught himself. He sat back down, and motioned to Zu to do as well.

“I'm sorry, I think your ability caught me off guard.” The Nyxian said.

Zu immediately lowered his head. “No, I'm sorry, Ta'ala-San. I shouldn’t have rushed it. I got carried away.”

Ta'ala thought for a moment, staring at the boy. He shouldn’t have panicked like that. Like his attention was immediately diverted to anywhere else-

Ta'ala could barely contain his grin.

“Zutenko;” he began. “I am going to need you to activate your circle ability back, and count to ten before deactivating it again. alright?”

Zu blinked in surprise, before nodding.

“Well, here I go.” He said, before closing his eyes.

Ta'ala stared at him intently, and fought the urge to start looking for Zu. After 13 seconds Zu appeared again, causing Ta'ala to flinch.

“Ta'ala-San?” the boy asked.

Ta'ala shook his head in amazement. The fox was pretty sure he knew what the boy’s ability was, but he needed to check one more thing at least.

“Again.” He said, without any elaboration. This time, Ta'ala turned his head away form the boy as he vanished. As he suspected, he didn’t see Zu when he turned back. However, he didn’t feel the urge to look for him either. He just knew Zutenko was not here, until the boy appeared again.

Ta'ala nodded in satisfaction, before speaking.

“I think I got a pretty good idea of your ability, Zutenko.” He started.

“Is it invisibility?” Zu asked with curiosity, “I could see myself perfectly normal, but your reaction seemed like you couldn’t see me.”

The fox smiled, but shook his head. “No, it is not invisibility. However, it is true – I couldn’t see you.”

Zu stared at him blankly. “I don’t get it.” he said in slight confusion.

“Your circle stops me from seeing you, yes.” He tried again. “But your ability didn’t actually hide you - that is where your ability is actually interesting. Your circle makes others not see whatever it targets. When I expected you to still be there right in front of me, your circle made me look for you everywhere except where you exactly were.”

Zu stared at him in astonishment. “Does it mean that… I could be right in front of other people, and they won’t see me at all?”

“Possibly,” Ta'ala nodded. “However, I will not recommend you using that against extremely powerful Magyo users. They might just overpower the effects. In other words, using that against your mothe- mistress wouldn’t probably end well.”

Zu nodded seriously. Seemed he realized that as well.

#

“Warmup over,” Hilliya declared, twirling her knives in her palms. “let’s get to it~”

Bukon laughed again, and summoned his own weapons – a sword and a round shield.

“Unfortunately for you,” he said smugly, “I am the best gladiator in the last fourteen hundred years!”

Oh, Nyx! Does he ever shut up?

She charged at him directly. Her blades slamming against his shield, Bukon moved surprisingly lightly. Hilliya nearly fell, when the boy tried to kick her leg and topple her. She sent her chains again, but Bukon didn’t try to catch them this time.

Hilliya was counting on it.

 The boy yelped as the chain twisted, wrapping around his arm, the metal heating with Magyo. Hilliya pulled him quickly, preparing to slice at him with the other dagger. she did not expect that the boy will break free, and didn’t react quickly enough as the purple cobra with a pair of hands took shape in Bukon’s place.

The Naiyatsu didn’t waste any time and wrapped itself around the assassin’s arm, and opened its maw to reveal his fangs popping into view.

Clever brat. Hilliya thought. Lucky her, she got another arm.

The snake suffocated and coughed and fell off her hand, coughing blood from the knife that got stubbed into his throat.

“That was really mean!” the snake exclaimed after a few seconds, and transformed back into his Vastoari form.

Hilliya silently cursed the immortality contract. It worked by a simple rule; the more deadly the damage is, the faster it heals. Unfortunately, a dagger to the throat was pretty deadly.

Hilliya didn’t waste any time and returned to the offensive, as Bukon grabbed his shield and did the same.

“it’s almost as awesome as Arena Chains!” he declared, hitting with his shield low.

Hilliya grunted in pain at the loud sound of a cracking bone coming from her leg. Bukon charged with his retrieved sword again, still giggling.

It would take only a few more seconds for her bone to heal, but any other injury might delay it. She spun her knives, holding the blades down. She then placed her thumbs at the end of the hilts, and charged her weapon with Magyo. And recited the activation line of her Mageia technique; “Mageia Hilliya: Thousand Chained Rain!”

Launching her blades forward, they were propelled at amazing speed. Then, they split. First into 4 knives, then into 16. Then, even more. A rain of blades attacked Bukon, and left him no choice but to jump up to evade.

That was her chance.

Tackling him mid-air, Hilliya placed the boy in a headlock. She then borrowed one of Kaybol’s moves, and thrown herself downwards with a well-aimed push of Magyo.

They both plummeted head-first to the ground, crashing into a pergola.

#

Bukon laughed madly. He didn’t have such fun for months, and that girl was clever. Clever, but not overcomplicated. He hated these overcomplicated games other pets did.

He rose to sit, grinning wide at the girl who did the same.

“Hilli-Yawn is no yawn at all!” he said cheerfully, and the soft assassin just groaned.

“Just…Shuttup already..” she muttered.

Bukon looked at her again. Maybe she hit her own head a little too hard. She didn’t look like she’s having fun, and her dress was ruined with tears and shards of glass and wood.

Some guests seemed to hear the commotion, coming outside and seeing the two and the wreckage that Bukon only now noticed.

Beqneshi-Sama probably set up some cheap ones for the event. He thought, before remembering he got a friend upset.

“Hilli-Yawn wanna get a time-out before we continue playing?” he asked the soft assassin.

The girl, however, did not reply. Instead, she jumped up to stand. She summoned her knives again, her eyes darting everywhere.

Only then Bukon noticed the forming crowed, and his eyes lit up in excitement as he imagined the cheers and shouts of the colosseum.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, jumping to his legs as well. “that’s how it should be! The fight of talent versus talent, blood for glory! Let us give them a show they will cherish and adore!”

He was so glad he didn’t need his circle to motivate her anymore. His circle was annoying mostly, that whatever he targeted will be triggered to either fight or flight. It was useful to convincing others to play though.

He lowered his body to his battle stance, summoning his weapons as well. He waited for her to make the first move, but it took a lot of time. He looked at the assassin’s eyes, no longer darting around, instead looking at him. Her expression was one of disgust.

“I will not be an entertainment for the likes of you.” She growled. “Never.”

Bukon stared blankly at the girl. Before the realization dawned on him.

“WHAAAAAAA! But I wanted to play with youuuuu!!!!” He whined, and rolled on the ground. “That’s nooot faaaair!!!”

He then lied on the ground, face dawn, and sobbed. He ignored the chuckles, and the murmurs.

After the crowed was gone, Bukon lifted his head. He was dirty from dust and mud, but there were no signs of tears in his eyes. He was glad to see the Soft Assassin stayed, despite his fake tantrum. She looked unsure of what to do, as he stood up and brushed a bit of dust off him before he spoke:

“I'm sorry I made you fight me.” He said with a bow. “I never intended to make you feel bad.”

The girls stared at him with a look in her eyes. One that reminded him of his brother in a past life. One that said “what is wrong with you?” when he became the youngest gladiator in the history of the northern human republic.

I really went overboard again, didn’t I?  He gulped nervously, before continuing.

“Can Hilly-Yawn still be my friend, even if Bukon not getting to play this way with you?”

The soft assassin narrowed her eyes again.

“I'm not a friend of someone who tries to poison my mistress.” She said in a still upset voice. “And don’t call me that.”

Bukon blinked in surprise at the latter. “It’s not your name?” He asked.

“no.”

“What is it then?”

She hesitated for a moment, before giving him a stiff yet respectful bow. “I am Hilliya. Hilliya Tsobio Dernoi.” She recited her name, along with her Nyxian title as a pet and the house she belonged to.

Bukon fought the urge to facepalm himself and laugh out loud at his stupidity. Instead, he bowed as well.

“Bukon. Bukon Tsobio Viqroa.” He repeated in the same pattern, before reaching with his hand for a handshake. “May we be friends, Hilliya-San?”

Pronouncing her name right made her expression to soften only a little bit.

“My point still stands.” She said sternly, crossing her arms. “I can’t be a friend of someone who poison my mistress, nor anyone loyal to that someone.”

“Ah, that?” The boy chuckled. “Fijeris-Sama does it to everyone. He got poison mixed into the glasses so nobody steals from him. He puts antidotes to whoever he gives the glass willingly though.”

Hilliya looked at him in a mix of shock and tiredness.

“I need a drink.” She said, pinching her nose bridge.

#

Fijeris was with a very satisfying conversation with the patron Kiadra of Paiviaz, when he noticed a dirty someone sneaking his way to the bar.

“Pardon me, your grace.” He said apologetically, before waiving his hand. Instantly, the boy was transformed in his Naiyatsu from, and flew into his palm by an invisible force.

“Bukon-Tan!” he hissed - which judging by the Kiadra’s barely concealed surprise, sounded friendlier than his normal voice. “What have I told you about drinking in Higher Gatherings?”

“But Fijeris-Sama, it’s not for me, it’s for Lliya-Tan my friend!” he protested, squirming in the snake Nyxian palm.

“Does he mean..” Auraiiya gazed at the snakeling.

“I'm afraid so, your grace. Wait-” Fijeris paused, then turned to scold his pet again: “did you call pet of the Kiadra ‘tan’? what did I teach you about this honorific?”

Bukon smiled widely, showing fangless baby snake maw. “But she agreed, master! She said she agreed for it and for being my friend!”

“It seems, my grace, that my pet had chosen yours as a friend.” Fijeris chuckled. “Be careful, Bukon-Tan tends to wear them out rather quickly~”

Auraiiya snickered at that. “Do not underestimate my cubs, Fijeris-San. Both have been through quite a lot. They won’t be broken too easily.”

Fijeris laughed too, before remembering at the squirming Naiyatsu in his hand.

“Bukon,” He began, “If she wants to drink, why send you to smuggle it out for her?”

At that, Bukon’s eyes began to swell with tears.

“She said her dress is ruined.” He sniffled. “I'm-I'm sorry, Fijeris-Sama! It’s my fault!”

Auraiiya frowned lightly. “I apologize, Fijeris-San. It seems it is time for me and my cub to leave.”

“If so,” the snake Nyxian nodded slowly, handing her the half-emptied bottle they’ve been drinking from. “Please reward her on my behalf.”

Auraiiya nodded, and tapped the bottle. There was no evaporation. Unlike the glass, this one had no poison nor antidote in it. she then turned on her heels and left.

“There, there.” Fijeris patted on the snakeling’s head.

“Can I still be her friend?” the Naiyatsu asked.

“If the plan will allow, Bukon-Tan. If the plan will allow..”

Bukon frowned at that. Fijeris knew he wasn’t fond of their Kiadra, but he was just a Vastoari in the end. They cannot see what Nyxians see, even with a contract.

“Come on, little one. Let’s go home. It’s late for you~”