"Uh," Gusion started, "hello?"

"You're awake! You had us worried for a second there. We were just about to come see you, but it seems like you are in perfect condition," Odette fussed over him like a mother. One more affection he didn't recognize.

He blinked. "This is the guy's dorm."

Odette smiled warmly and stroked his hair. "Dear boy, I have an overprotective husband here to protect me and I can very well defend myself. How are you feeling?"

Powerful, he wanted to say. But instead he answered, "Okay, I guess? What happened?"

He knew exactly what happened. Somehow, Helcurt and gifted him dark magic so ancient that even the teachers or ex-Mythical Mages could identify. Still, he needed to know what happened during that.

Lancelot snorted. "You need to lose some weight."

Where had he heard that sentence before?

"Awesome," he said quickly. "Where's Natalia?"

"With Estes and Alice in the battleroom. Those lovebirds..." Lancelot grumbled, though he was wed to Odette himself.

Odette rolled her eyes.

"I'll go see her," Gusion decided. "Catch you later?"

Let's hope never.

Just as he was about to waltz out of the dorms, Lancelot held him back by his shoulder. A sudden pang of frustration and anger exploded in his stomach.

"What," he growled.

Lancelot raised his eyebrow. "What's with that attitude? Anyhow, you can't see her. Remember, you're still under lockdown and you've broken the rules already."

Gusion shook his hand off. "I don't care! I'm going to find Lesley!"

He almost clamped his mouth shut. Where did that come from? Was his dream manipulating him? Why Lesley?

"Who?" Odette asked innocently.

Her warm smile didn't seem so calming anymore. Gusion had the sudden urge to pull all that blonde hair out of her skull and run her through.

"No one important. To you anyway," he snapped. He had to get out of here. His thoughts scared him.

"What? You're not leaving this dorm," Lancelot declared. "I know you're anxious, but this isn't the best decision–"

"DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE BEST DECISION?" Gusion exploded. "Not standing by when Lesley could get hurt! I'm not letting her getting controlled any longer!"

Great, he thought to himself. Now I sound like some lovesick teenager.

"Lesley... doesn't happen to be that Marksman-Assassin?" Odette deduced. "How important is she to you? Are you lovers?"

That hit him right in the chest. His feelings for Lesley could be one-sided. She might not love him back. Or she had treated him as a mere ally, a friend.

That would be worse.

Getting friend-zoned?

Eeeww.

Whatever Gusion's faults, he was not a player. Probably because he kept in the dark and hadn't showed himself in his world, but when he arrived at this school, half the girls fawned over him.

"Marry me!" Lolita shrieked.

"No, date me!"

"MINE!"

Ouch.

"None of your business either," he quipped. "I'm going to see my friend, and no one's stopping me."

Fear and anger churned in him. First he realizes that Lesley might only see him as a friend; then these royalties start bossing him around like nobody's business. The one thing assassin despise the most is being bound, restrained, whether by physical or mental restrictions.

He was feeling trapped.

"Boy–"

Lancelot could no longer speak, since it was difficult to when a dagger is sticking out of your throat.

"Lance!" Odette cried. "Gusion, what did you do?"

He didn't need to answer, either. Another dagger struck her heart and she fell down dead.

No one. No one's stopping me.

Gusion stormed towards the battlegrounds.

* * *

"Who dares?" Alice hissed after Gusion kicked the doors down with surprising ease. The doors might only respond to their teachers, but nothing a little brute, mindless force can't fix.

"Gusion!" Alucard berated. "What are you doing here? That door – we'll deal with that later. Natalia's in good hands. Estes is examining her as we speak. Return to your dorm at once."

There was a silent edge to his tone, deadly and afraid.

What, no one's ever done that before? Gusion's the first, then!

"I need to see Natalia," he demanded. "Now."

Alice curled her lip. "Some nerve of a student demanding from Teachers–"

Alucard raised his hand, silencing her. "The boy has a fair point. If he only wishes to see his friend, let him be. We're not heartless monsters, don't you agree?"

That shut Alice up completely. She glared daggers at the Assassin teacher, but didn't elaborate her angst further.

"Very well," she said tightly. "Bring him to my collection and you will be dealt with."

Alucard smirked and gestured Gusion to follow him. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He led Gusion along the simulation of the Land of Dawn, still majestic as ever, however deserted. Everything was at pause, as if it was a movie.

"What collection was she talking about?" Gusion asked anyway.

Alucard's expression was hard to read, but Gusion managed to depict a mix between frustration and humor. "Her video game collection. Why do you think a Mage teacher teaches you how to use it?"

Gusion gawked. "So she was playing video games when they were under attack?"

"On the contrary, every faculty member was playing," he admitted. "Perhaps it is time to stop playing during our jobs. We assumed the students were well cared for and under extreme protection."

"How old are you guys? Twelve?"

"The oldest is Estes, thank you very much. He's about two hundred and thirty," Alucard huffed. "And I thought I was old."

How quickly things change.

He'd murdered Odette and Lancelot, and three minutes later he was having a normal teenager-like conversation with his supposedly emotionless teacher.

"Oh." Gusion made a sound that sounded like a choke. "He's that old? Then Miya? His sister? The Marksman?"

"Three hundred and fifteen."

"Oh..."

So he was in the same school as immortal creeps such as Estes? What the actual fuck...?

Alucard led him into the Physical Combat chambers, where he'd found them being controlled.

"She's here. We'd figured it'll be best if we did the investigating here," Alucard explained. "She is in a coma, but unharmed. I'll leave you two alone, just don't tell Alice I told you her secret."

Gusion nodded, thinking of the ways that Alice would wreak vengeance on the demon hunter after he told her later. "Thanks."

Alucard walked out of the door, leaving the door shut behind him.

Gusion turned and his smile completely vanished. Natalia was suspended in mid-air with magic, a cheap spell that kept enemies in check.

He touched the chamber with his hand, and the glass cracked with black tendrils. The entire thing collapsed, but the magic that imprisoned Natalia remained.

Alarms blared like the previous ordeal, but this time Gusion was the cause. He silenced them with another spell, and Natalia fell from the suspension.

He laid her against a wall, careful not to let the glass shards harm her. She was still his friend, despite his newfound abilities and darkness.

Gusion held his palm up, and several projections appeared before him. These were Natalia's memories, spreading between the day she became an assassin and the moment she was controlled.

Spread out, echoed a voice he recognized. Each of you, take a wing. Lesley stays with me.

Yes, Master, they'd answered.

The scene was completely dark, told from Natalia's perspective. The rest of his friends were next to him, spread out in a line, before a figure sitting on a throne with four other people spread out behind him.

The figure must have been wearing a mask of sorts, because cold blue scanners glared through the darkness.

All will fear the name, he said in a robotic voice, of team SABER.