"TAKE THIS!" Jack growled as he aimed at Deuce, who avoided him at the last second.

"BACK AT YOU!!" Deuce yelled as he lunged at him with a punch that caught him square in the stomach.

Ace ended joining into the fight and tried to land punches as hard as Deuce's, but got tired out much faster than him.

As for Yuu, he had taken shelter behind the nearby bench and took Grim with him, who would have also joined the fight if it wasn't for...

"Hey, let go of me! I also wanna show I'm serious, yanno!"

"Hell no! No way!! You stay here with me!" Yuu had exclaimed after grabbing him in his arms and carrying him away. "It's enough that the three of them are hurting each other!"

Jack didn't object to that decision, Yuu guessed that the reason was it was obvious that neither he nor Grim could last more than a minute in an affront to blows against a "building in a jacket" like him...

Both held their breath as they watched the Heartslabyul and Savanaclaw students beat each other until exhaustion began to show on their faces.

"You know where to aim those punches." Jack admitted between breaths and with his gaze fixed on Deuce.

"Same here... Huff. You're not bad at it..." Deuce answered between clenched teeth as he endured the pain.

Unable to continue the fight, Ace sat bolt upright on the bench that Yuu and Grim had taken cover behind.

"I felt that last punch hit me right in the heart..." Grim commented with a frown.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it? "Ace asked exhausted between gasps. "I don't even care about being selected anymore, this is too tiring..."

"You look awful..." Yuu commented nervously as he saw the marks of blows that had formed on him and the two remaining fighters.

Catching his breath and stretching out his arms, Jack finally decided to stop the fight.

"Okay... Now that I have a clear conscience, I'll tell you everything I know," he told them.

"And how exactly did you clear your conscience?" Ace asked him as he stood up and Deuce put his jacket back on.

"I'm crossing a line, since I'm practically betraying my own dorm," Jack said apprehensively before frowning furiously. "But I can't take it anymore!!" He roared. "The true essence of a fight is winning by effort no matter how hard it gets! I gave my all to know how far I'll get in the tournament, but these cowardly tricks make me sick! There's no merit in winning that way!" He clenched his fists tightly. "I wanted to use my own strength to obtain victory!"

"Ah, this guy is annoying," Ace commented quickly, stunned by Jack's outrage.

"Ace!" Yuu chided him before leaving Grim on the bench and looking at Jack. "I see, this is something personal for you that's beyond doing justice."

"I understand you!" Deuce exclaimed with passionate pride. "I really understand those feelings!!"

Grim looked at him in disbelief. "We have our own annoying guy," he mumbled to repeat Ace's comment.

"Grim!" Yuu rebuked again.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Ignoring them, Jack sighed before crossing his arms and start revealing the information. "Ruggie's Unique Magic is... one that makes other people to move like him," he began. "To cause the accidents, he made people move in ways that would only look like they weren't being careful."

"I see, that's how he made Grim copy him the cafeteria to take his sandwich without being discovered," Ace said.

"Dammit! Thinking about that pisses me off!" Grim exclaimed. "Food grudges aren't to be underestimated, yanno!"

"Wait a minute," Deuce interrupted. "Wouldn't it look suspicious if he moved to pretend falling down the stairs near his target?"

"Ruggie isn't alone when he provokes these accidents," Jack explained, "I'm sure all Savanaclaw is involved in this."

"Fffgna!?" Grim muttered, horrified.

"Like you said, Ruggie would look suspicious if he was acting weird by himself, so the other dorm residents stand in front of him as a barrier to cover him," Jack added.

"The whole dorm is in this? Why would they do something like that?" Deuce asked.

"Hmm. If your team does well in the tournament you'll benefit in the future, right?" Ace said thoughtfully. "So I can't say I don't understand them."

"GRRRR!" Jack growled furiously as he felt that Ace was not understanding the point of his outrage.

"Woah, you're scary!" Ace shuddered. "Don't bare me your fangs, I was joking."

"Hmph! The present comes before the future, it's meaningless if you don't show what you're capable of doing now," Jack growled angrily to reiterate the reason for his indignation. "And the one I can't really stand is our dorm leader, Leona Kingscholar! He's an amazing guy, but never shows it."

"It's true, yesterday he was a tough opponent even though he's always lazy," Grim commented.

"Right!? If he has so much natural talent, why doesn't he bring it out!? That's the kind of people I hate the most!" Jack bellowed before trying to calm down a bit. "His match of three years ago was amazing, so when I enrolled in this school...and got in Savanaclaw, I thought I'd finally play alongside him..." He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Ace walked over to Yuu. "Hey... Yuu," he whispered. "It seems he's done nothing but complain about his dorm leader, but..."

"Yes, I can tell he respects and looks up to him a lot..." Yuu whispered.

They had obtained a big amount of new information, but Jack had still more to tell. "So far these incidents have been a child's play for them, but I'm sure they plan something much bigger."

"Something bigger?" Deuce asked.

"Diasomnia's dorm leader, Malleus Draconia," Jack revealed. "That guy's a monster on the field and led Diasomnia to victory two years in a row, because of that Savanaclaw lost to them in the first round without being able to even score a point. Lots of my upperclasmen hold a grudge against them."

"Losing without scoring st all... That had to be frustrating for a dorm that used to be on the top..." Deuce commented ruefully.

"Yeah, they were humiliated while the whole world watched," Jack looked away before frowning again. "They want to gain that glory back, but with such questionable methods!"

"So those guys are planning to do something to Diasomnia the day of the tournament?" Ace asked to summarize.

"That's right, so I'm going to destroy that plan!" Jack said with determination.

"We've heard enough," said Riddle, suddenly appearing close to them with Cater, showing they had been there since the end of the chase.

"Rosehearts dorm leader, Diamond," Deuce addressed them.

Yuu took both retrieved magical pens out of his pocket. "Here you have, nothing happened to them. I suppose you heard everything," he observed as he handed them back.

"Yes, and I can't have someone ruin our important traditions for personal revenge," Riddle said calmly.

"What are you going to do, Riddle?" Cater asked him.

"So far we have no evidence against Ruggie for the incidents, so we can't charge him," Riddle said. "Leona and his group are smart people, they are able to find a way to get away with it if we accused them."

"Does that mean we have to catch them at the crime scene?" Ace asked.

"I have an idea," Riddle replied as he gestured for them to come closer to him. "First..."

"Wait," Jack interrupted with a serious face. "I just gave you information, but I never said I'd team up with you."

"What? Are you saying that right now?" Cater asked, stunned.

"I'm going to stop my dorm on my own. See you," Jack insisted before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Yuu exclaimed before stepping in front of him to block his path. "Until now you couldn't stop the accidents, how do you plan to do it by yourself at this point?"

Jack frowned in annoyance. "Huh? he asked through clenched teeth, making him flinch a bit.

Grim swallowed hard. "Oh, here it comes again..." He commented nervously. "Yuu's bluntness and sharp tongue..."

However, Deuce remained impassive. "He's right, it's unlikely that you can win against an entire dorm by yourself," he said.

Yuu smiled slightly after hearing this and took a deep breath to gather courage again. "You should work with us if you want to stop them, after all we have the same objective and the smartest wolves usually hunt in packs, right?" He proposed.

After thinking about it for a moment in silence and realizing they were right, Jack sighed. "Okay, I'll listen to you," he finally decided. "But if I don't like your plan, I'm out," he warned.

"This guy is hard to deal with..." Ace commented wearily and thought about the fight they just had.

"He's just as stubborn as you, Acey," Cater told him with a wink of his eye.

"Well, as I was saying, first..." Riddle continued and explained the plan he had in mind to stop Savanaclaw.

After a few long minutes talking and answering questions, everyone nodded.

"I see, sounds like a good plan to me," said Ace, convinced.

"As expected from dorm leader Rosehearts," Deuce added proudly.

"Then I'll take care of my part until the big day," Cater said as he took a quick look at his smartphone's screen.

"I'm counting on you, make sure you don't look suspicious," Riddle told him.

Cater nodded. "Well? What do you think of Riddle's plan, Jack?" He asked him. "Are you out?"

"Doesn't sound like a cowardly plan..." Jack sighed. "Just for THIS TIME, I'll help you," he said emphasizing his words to try to show toughness.

"This guy isn't honest at all," Grim commented in disbelief as Yuu picked him up.

"Let's go home," Ace suggested before closing his eyes wearily. "Ugh, I'm tired."

"And I'm hungry," Grim murmured.

With that, Riddle remembered something. "By the way, first-year students except Yuu and Grim," he told them. "Since it was necessary to obtain valuable information, I'm going to overlook your violation of school rule #6: 'Personal fights are strictly prohibited on school grounds.' But next time it will be off with your heads." His pupils contracted furiously and his tone of voice deepened. "Understood?"

"Yes, we're sorry," both Heartslabyul students murmured regretfully.

Jack also looked away uncomfortably. "Yes, sir," he whispered.

Grim sighed in relief and was glad that by listening to Yuu for once he avoided a scolding from Heartslabuyl's strict dorm leader.

"Very well, then let's go back to the dorm," Riddle prompted before turning around.

Jack walked over to Ace. "I thought he was a weakling, but your dorm leader is terrifying," he admitted in a whisper.

"Right!? It's easy to mistake him for an innocent hedgehog, but he actually has the quills of a porcupine!" Ace whispered back in fear. "It's better not to disobey him..."

At that, Grim's ears twitched. "Hey, do you hear that?" He asked.

"Hear what?" Deuce denied.

"Wait, I hear something too," Jack said.

"Let's be quiet," Riddle insisted.

They paid attention and the silence was filled with distant, tinkling sounds that became more noticeable and intense.

"What's that sound? Tinker bells?" Ace asked.

They all looked around in confusion, trying to figure out the origin of that sound.

"Hey, look up!" Grim exclaimed after climbing onto Yuu's shoulders and pointing a paw at the sky.

They followed the pointed direction and realized that the tinkling sound came from a beautiful, white dove whose feathers shined in the sunlight as it flew towards them. The strangest thing about it was that the animal was holding with his legs a small, long box by the bow that tied it.

The pigeon flew until it fluttered above Yuu, who had been staring at it in awe until he realized that it was holding out the box to him with the legs. "What? For me?" He asked surprised before receiving it with both hands. "Oh, thanks...!"

Released from that small weight, the dove flew away along the melodious tinkling sound.

"Look! This box's the same color as yesterday's" Grim exclaimed after glancing at it.

Just as he had said, the new delivery was wrapped in the same white, wrapping paper with blue and silver stars, with the difference that it was much smaller, lighter, more thin and tied with a beautiful cloth bow. It was perfect for a small bird like that dove to carry around without problem.

"You're right!" Yuu said. "Look guys, remember what we talked about yesterday? This is just..." He turned around to look at the faces of Jack and his friends, who were gaping at him with a mixture of surprise, horror and confusion. "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess: I suppose from your reactions this isn't the way mail is delivered around here, isn't it?" He asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"OF COURSE NOT!" They all shouted at once.

"What kind of heavenly, miraculous apparition was that!?" Ace exclaimed.

"And where did that pigeon come from!?" Jack asked.

"Fffgna! What's all this fuss about!?" Grim exclaimed, startled.

"Everyone stay calm!" Riddle demanded and took a deep breath. "Here the mail is delivered by ghost postmen, but never like this. In fact, could you let me see that for a moment?" Yuu handed him the box and he examined it. "Not only you haven't been asked to sign anything, but I don't see the sender's name nor your address anywhere." He handed it back. "It's already the first time I see a white dove around here, the most common birds in the Night Raven College have always been crows and ravens... Tell me, was the box you received yesterday like this one?"

"It had the same wrapping paper, but it was too big for a pigeon to carry by itself. And I haven't ordered anything this time either, what could be inside?" He brought the box up to his ear and shook it to try to guess what was inside.

"Don't move it like that! It could be dangerous!" Deuce exclaimed with concern.

"How can you think that after what we just saw?" Ace asked him.

"What if it's a trap?" Deuce insisted. "That could have been a scenario to convey a false security and give us confidence just to turn out that there's an explosive or something poisonous inside. Didn't you say yourself it could be from a stalker?"

"That's crazy talk, yanno?" Grim asked, stunned.

"I don't share those possibilities, but I do agree with one thing, sometimes the most dangerous things can pretend to be peaceful or innocent," Jack warned. "If you're going to open that, do it carefully."

"Are you serious?" Yuu asked in disbelief, but the worry and uncertainty ended going through him. "Okay, okay... I'll open it here and now, if it turns out to be dangerous, we'll deal with whatever comes out. Is that okay with you?"

They all exchanged a look with each other and nodded.

"Shouldn't we tell Crowley first?" Grim asked.

"I don't think it's necessary, it would be to open a tiny box," Yuu insisted before sitting on the nearest bench, he placed the box on his lap and Grim sat next to him.

"We're ready," Riddle said as he held his magical pen, the others did the same.

"Okay..." Yuu said before taking a deep breath and start undoing the tie.

Everyone kept their breath and Grim trembled nervously, although nothing strange had happened the previous morning, he was intrigued by the mysterious encounter they had just witnessed and the possible consequences.

Yuu put the wrapper aside and rested his hand on the lid of the box. He gave the others a warning look, nodded and opened it up quickly.

"Fngnaaaaaa!!" Grim yelled and covered his eyes in fear at the thought of something popping out, but he opened them again as he felt nothing. "Eh?"

Everyone came closer to take a look at the content. Inside there was an envelope with the words "To Oshiro. Read as soon as possible" written in navy blue ink in cursive.

"A letter?" Ace asked, confused. "We got so worked up because of this?"

"It's for me..." Yuu commented out loud before picking it up. "Hey, there's something else inside." Under the letter were two beautiful chokers inside the box.

"What are those things? Arm bands?" Grim asked. "They're a bit big, don't you think?"

"These are chokers," Yuu said as he held them up to examine them. One of them consisted of a plain, black silk ribbon while the other was much more elaborate, made of white lace and adorned with a transparent, oval crystal that was located in the middle. "They're like necklaces that fit around the neck, Grim."

"They fit around the neck!?" Grim asked in horror. "Does that mean they choke you like Riddle's heavy collars and that's why they're called like that?! Why would humans wear these!?"

Riddle crossed his arms sternly. "My Unique Magic has nothing to do with this kind of accessories. And you're not supposed to 'choke' on chokers either."

Yuu put the white choker back in the box and put on the black one. "You see? It's like with your ribbon," he told him before touching the soft silk with his fingertips. "They're cute, but I wouldn't wear them every day. I can't think of anyone who would want to give me something like this."

"At least it's nothing dangerous," Deuce sighed with relief. "But we still don't know who the sender is."

"Maybe this letter will tell us something," Yuu said before opening it. "It says here to read it as soon as possible, so I'm not going to take any longer."

He unfolded the two pieces of paper inside, which had a long text written on them.

"Too much text... We only had a small note yesterday," Grim complained.

"What does it say?" Ace asked.

"I'm reading it," Yuu said before clearing his throat and starting to read: "These chokers are special ones that help regulate and control magic. I will explain later the function and use of the white choker, but now I must tell you about the black one. The black choker seals completely a person's magic and its use, no matter how strong it is. I advise you to put this black choker on the girl before it is too late. It is essential that she put it on as soon as possible before she gets hurt." He stopped reading, confused by those words. "What...?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Ace frowned. "Sounds like a made up story from a movie."

"It seals magic...? Like my Unique Magic?" Riddle asked, surprised. "I imagine you must not have felt anything strange when you put it on."

Yuu took the choker off and looked at it. "No, nothing. If that's true, this would be an ordinary accessory for me."

"And what could it mean by 'putting it on the girl'?" Deuce asked. "We're in an all-boys school, there shouldn't be any girls around here unless they're visiting someone."

"The thing that pisses me off the most is the way it says someone is really in danger," Jack commented. "If it's a joke, it's not funny."

As if that question had called the need for an answer, the sound of some hurried steps approached them. "Riddle, I finally found you!" A familiar voice exclaimed with concern.

Yuu recognized the newcomer as the curious Diasomnia student with big, red eyes who surprised them in the cafeteria by suddenly appearing above them.

"Lilia Vanrouge," Riddle called him. "Is something wrong? Just now we needed to talk to you about something related the Magical Shift tournament, haven't you found Cater along the way?"

"No, but there is no time for that. We have an emergency!" Lilia said with a serious look. "We may need your Unique Magic!"

[Published in 27-2-2022]