Shokai Hotel

Y/N POV:

It's been about four days sent the attempt on our lives, Itami sent Shandy to spy on the porters to see if she can discover the identity of the Piper. Today's is also the day of Lelei's conference and we still need to be on alert. Itami and I are walking to Lelei's room.

Itami: You feeling any better lately?

Y/N: Yeah, I just needed some rest.

Itami:...What are going to do about Kuribayashi?

Y/N: I've had four days to think about this...and I'm just gonna have to tell her. I fucked up, accidentally ended up in a common law marriage with Tuka and Yao. Ignorance is no excuse, especially when it comes to women.

Itami: Yeah, you got that right. Hey...have...you and Kuribayashi...?

Y/N: Yes Itami, we've slept together! You wanna know what her favorite position is?!

Itami: What?! No!

Itami knocks on the door to Lelei's room.

Y/N: *mumbles* It's Cowgirl by the way.

Itami: What?

Y/N: What?

Itami:....Are you ready in there?!

Rory: Yes.

Itami opens the door and we enter the room to find Lelei in a different robes.

Itami: Hey, I see you have a new robe.

Tuka: The other one still has a stain on it from her with Arpeggio and it won't come off.

Y/N: Well you did your best. And you still look nice Lelei.

Lelei blushes a little and Grey enters the room.

Grey: Um excuse me, it's been four days since we last saw Shandy. But it's still probably a bit too early for us to lose hope.

Itami: Hmm.

Gery: I'll ask around. There might be someone in the market area who knows where she could be.

???: OH GOD THAT WAS FAAAR!!

Hearing that Tuka hugs Lelei. Grey and Yao nearly draw their swords. And I point my pistol at the doorway. To our surprise it's Shandy tired and panting.

Rory: Shandy?

Shandy: Wa-Water...

She sits down on the foot of the bed and I hand her a cup of water.

Shandy: Sorry it took so long. I was following a woman named Nola, hoping to find the Piper.

Yao: Is everything alright? You could have, at least tried to contact us you know.

Shandy: I never really got the chance to. So I take it, the porters came by and offered you some new information, right?

Tuka: Yes, they said that Lelei needs to wear armor under her clothes.

Shandy: As I am sure guys can guess, Nola is just another one the Piper's many instruments.

Rory: I thought as much.

Shandy: We don't know when he'll make his move, so wearing some sort of armor is probably a good idea. And if that woman shows up we will need to get a hold of her before she's able to get anywhere close to Lelei.

Itami: What about L/N?

Shandy: Well, there have been stories going around of how he and Rory killed several assassins by themselves. And...now they're hesitant about going after him directly.

Rory: Serves them right!

Y/N: Hell yeah!

Rory and I high five each other at that victory.

Y/N: Told you they'd back off if we killed enough of them.

Itami: I guess you're right...By any chance, did you happen to see what the Piper really looks like?

Shandy: Yes, He looked just like the Porters said, He's a scary bounty-hunter type. I followed him all the way to the town of Pyran, but...when I turned away for just a second I lost sight of him.

Grey: That trip can take even the most seasoned traveler two days each way. Can't really blame her for that.

Itami: But all we really needed you to do was to keep a close eye one the three Porters. And see who made contact with them.

Shandy: What?! So you mean I just wasted four days for no reason at all?!

Itami: Uhhhh..Well, no, no, not exactly.

Y/N: You were able to get a visual on the Piper. Tell you what, go get yourself something to eat. My treat, for a job well done.

Shandy: Sure! Yeah! Thank you!

She happily dashes out the room.

Grey: Do you think, we should tell the porters about this?

Itami: No, let them think what they think for a while longer.

Y/N: We still need to figure out when and how they'll strike at the conference.

Time Skip Conference

Y/N POV:

Itami got into his Greens and I got into my Blues we met back up with Arpeggio and Mimoza and headed to the conference. Lelei's stands line waiting to give her presentation along probably a thousand candidates. Itami and I basically provide over-watch along with Arpeggio, Tuka, and Rory.

Itami: So Arpeggio...How many people will be receiving their degrees at the end of this ceremony?

Arpeggio: Not sure, every year is a little different. Sometimes everyone passes and sometimes no one does. Why d'you wanna know?

Itami: I suspect the Piper might might try to manipulate someone into thinking they need to get rid of the competition in order to secure their own degree.

Arpeggio: Oh that's not going to happen here. All of these people aspire to become honored specialists in each of their chosen fields. They are the most valued and respected magicians.

Y/N: *sarcastically* Yeah, because everyone's such fucking saints right?...Hypothetically speaking Arpeggio, say somebody plagiarized the research you worked so hard on. And then they were going publish it like it was their own. On top of that, that person was standing right in front of you. What would you do?

Arpeggio: Well, I would...I would beat that fraud to a pulp...

A bearded old man standing behind Lelei draws a knife from his cloak and prepares to kill Lelei. Itami and I draw our pistols and point them at him.

Itami: Hold it right there!

Y/N: Drop the knife Gandalf! Or I'll drop you!

I signal to Lelei to come over to us and she goes to Itami side. The man drops the knife and starts shaking.

Sage: You don't understand! That little swindler, she stole all of my research! There's no way a little girl that age is ready to a Master of the Magic Arts! She's taken everything I've worked so hard for!

Itami: I think there's some information you may not be aware of.

Y/N: Grey, get him out of here. And try to dislodge some of the misinformation going around too.

Grey: It would be my pleasure.

Grey takes the Sage away.

Lelei: You saved me. Thank you very much.

Y/N: No problem.

Itami: We'll be on top the security, so don't worry about it.

I pat her on the head and she smiles.

Y/N: We're all rooting for you. Good luck in there.

Professor's Degree Examination Board

Inside the the board room a young man gives his presentation to a board of ranking sages...Very poorly I might add

Candidate: And uh, well, uh, therefore, the uh, data shown on this particular chart explains the cause of the retrograde movements of the planets.

Master: OH SHUT UP!!

They start hurling not only insults at him but also poaches fill with ink and he's hit several times. then he hilariously runs past us covered in ink and squealing like a little girl.

Itami: Oh now I see. The white robes do give the presenters ample opportunity to be humiliated.

Y/N: Jesus! And they say going to Stanford's difficult.

Itami: Where did you go to college anyway?

Y/N: State College.

Itami:....

Y/N: What?! I told you you I only went college to get the credits for Officer School. Lelei you gonna be okay?

Lelei: I'm going to be just fine.

Itami: Good, I'd much rather protect you in clean robes anyway.

Another candidate closes out his presentation with way more success.

Candidate #2: That being said, if we can solve the cause of the distortion. We will be able to finally uncover secret origin of our world. Thank you for your time.

He's met with a more positive response with some applauding. Some just giving him a neutral look and he leaves the podium unscathed.

Itami: Well, guess that means it's your means it's your turn Lelei.

Y/N: Knock 'em dead Lelei.

Lelei nods and heads to the podium as she was about to give when we notice a person in an audience stands up wearing a black hood and cloak.

Y/N: Itami, 2 o'clock.

Itami: Damn, couldn't they have waited 'til after the presentation.

She removes her hood to reveal a demi-human woman. We also see across the the hall that the Porters are waving to the woman.

Itami: The porters are sending her signals.

Y/N: Seriously out in the open!? What bunch of idiots!

Itami: So that means it must be Nola.

We draw our pistols and Nola draws her knife and  throws her cloak off. Nola leaps several rows in to the front row and she's moving too fast for us to get a bead on her. Then she leaps again to attack Lelei.

Y/N: Fuck! I don't have a shot!

Itami: We're too late!

Suddenly almost like every mage in the audience cast spells at her simultaneously.

The impact leave a small explosion and with a puffs of blue smoke. When the smoke clears Nola is on the ground unconscious. I rush over to Nola keeping my pistol trained on her to make sure she doesn't try anything else.

Itami: Uh...how did they all know to use their magic?

Tuka: Uh, there was a rumor going around town that Lelei was being targeted by an assassin.

Rory: So everyone was ready-and-waiting to take immediate action.

Itami: Aw man, I wish the SDF could do stuff like that.

Y/N: Almost like a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Ready to go anytime, anywhere.

Itami: Alright then... well now that it's safe. Best of luck with the rest.

Itami and the others start to leave with Grey carrying Nola on his back and Lelei was going to give her presentation. I still scan for targets in the audience. Then I hear a loud thud and I turn to it Lelei's staff was on the ground and to much my shock Shandy is holding a knife. I try to move in to to stop her. But I'm too late and she lunges the knife into Lelei's chest and she falls on her back. I manage to tackle Shandy and get the knife out of her hand. I pin her against the floor face down and on arm locked behind her back and she struggles. Itami rushes to Lelei's aid.

Y/N: Stay down! Don't move! Itami tell me she's okay!

Itami: Lelei. Lelei. Hey are you alright?

Lelei come to and we all breath a sigh of relief that she's alive surprising Shandy.

Shandy: What the?!

The spot where she stabs shows she's wearing armor under her robe.

Shandy: N..NO! She's wearing armor underneath?!

Time Skip

Y/N POV:

After we detained Shandy, Lelei gave her presentation. Grey and I kept an eye on Shandy off stage, Itami and the others regroup with us.

Grey: What did they say?

Itmai: Her thesis went well, but there's just too much drama right now. So they informed us that they're going to be holding on to her degree until everything settles back down.

Grey: Hm..That's too bad.

Lelei looks disappointed and I pat her on the head.

Y/N: I'm sorry Lelei.

Grey: Did any of you see anyone at the conference that my have you been the Piper?

Itami: No I did not.

Y/N: Me neither.

Itami: Besides whoever Shandy says she saw, may not be the actual Piper anyway. Most likely, he would have kept himself well hidden from view.

Shandy: I don't believe you! If she was going to wear armor under her clothes, you should have let me know about it!

Y/N: What?! You're the one who who told us she needed to wear armor!

Shandy:.....Oh, I'm such an idiot!!

Y/N: No shit!

Rory: It's a good thing that the person fooled was a fool themselves, huh? I mean why would we not do anything when we knew she was going to be attacked?

Yao: Because knowing what's coming is your best defense.

Tuka: It was rather foolish of you to not go for her neck.

Shandy: Uh Tuka!..*whimpers*

Itami: Shandy, why would you try to do something like this?

Shandy: It is what must be dine to save the life of Princess Pina!

Y/N: How is killing Lelei going save Pina's life?

Shandy: Because Prince Zorzal wants Lelei and L/N out of the picture. He wants to see them dead.

Y/N: Zorzal?! That blonde jackass that Kuribayashi beat the living shit out of! Wants us dead! Why?! And you better give a very good explanation! Or I'm gonna make this extremely uncomfortable for you.

Shandy: Wh-What are you going to do?!

Y/N: Yao, Tuka you have what I asked for?

Tuka: Yes.

Yao: Husband, I don't understand? Why did you need several buckets of water and a towel?

Y/N: Oh you're about to find out if she doesn't start talking!

Shandy: Okay! Okay! I'll talk! I thought that if I were to to offer him Lelei's head, Then it would demonstrate Princess Pina's allegiance to him.

Rory: I see what you did, he used your loyalty toward Pina to manipulate you.

Shandy: Look I didn't need to be tricked or manipulated, okay? I know more than anyone the incredible danger that Princess Pina is in. Prince Zorzal's dictatorship has gone out of control! I just...I fear for her very life.

Shandy explained to us everything that has been happening up to now. The Emperor had been poisoned during a POW release ceremony with Suguwara. The Flame Dragon's head was brought before the Emperor and it looks like Zorzal got jealous of me and Lelei's accomplishment. Zorzal has since assumed command of the Empire and has been actively trying to escalate the war with Japan. He's been using something called the "Oprichnina" to suppress all the of pro-peace Senators and Nobles hunting them as traitors and having them imprisoned and or executed. Suguwara and his staff are held up in Jade Palace in the Capital. However some Pro-Peace nobles sought asylum there. Now Jade Palace is under siege being defended by Pina's Rose Order Knights and a squad of Palace Guards. Right now tension between Japan and the Empire are about reach their boiling point.

Grey: I cannot believe that would actually attack Jade Palace.

Y/N: I can't believe Zorzal is willing to start another war over petty jealousy.

Shandy: If we don't do something quickly, Princess Pina will be judged by the Oprichnina. Knight-Lieutenant Grey! If you feel as indebted to Princess as I do, you would kill Lelei and L/N yourself!

Grey: Why the hell would I do that?

Y/N: Yeah, he doesn't have a death wish.

Grey: That's an absurd way to try to fix things. And besides...even by a pure tacitcal viewpoint, rescuing the Princess a much more plausible to all of this.

Shandy: There's no way we'll be able to just sneak into the Palace without confronting one of the royal guards.

Grey: Now listen to me! If we want to stop the Piper...Then we must do so by finally putting an end to the man pulling the strings.

Shandy: You seriously want us to kill the Crown Prince?

Grey: If you want to save Princess Pina, this would be the most effective way of getting it done. By the way, Itami. Have you and L/N been able to get in touch with your military?

Y/N: We should be able to get comms once we get to the outskirts of the city.

Itami: But...it hasn't been working very well.

Grey: We need to stay one step ahead. So I took advantage of the newly repaired bridge. And called for a messenger.

A messenger appears and bows towards Grey.

Messenger: Excuse me sir!

Grey: Aaah! What do you have for me?

Messenger: Something terrible has happened to the Princess!

The messenger told us that Pina had been arrested by order of Zoral personally for treason. I can't believe it he would lock up his own sister. We got back in our gear packed up everything and board the vehicle and I'm to driving, Itami rides shotgun and the girls are all in the back. And I drive it like a bat out of hell, once we got the the outskirts we finally got Alnus on comms.

Dispatch: *radio* To all units in the Special Region...This is from Headquarters. At 0603 tomorrow morning, the Dispatch Joint Task Force will be parachuting down to the southwest Empire, and initiating an airborne assault. Our goal is rescue the Japanese delegates residing at Jade Palace and asylum seekers, harboring the seeds of peace with the Empire.

Itami: We have to hurry the Capital! Don't stop for anything L/N!

Y/N: You got it! We ain't missing this party! I just need some of these!

I take and handful of Ripped Fuel and swallow it along with a slug of water and put the pedal to the metal. It's the Capital or Bust.

A/N: Damn, I got goosebumps writing that last part. Oh man this gonna be fucking awesome! I hope you're looking forward what's coming. So you know the drill! Vote, share, follow me if you want to. Have a great day or night and I'll see you next time! LATER!!!