"They've gotten quite close to each other, huh?" Diana asked Nick, as they both contemplated three swordsmen - Byakuya, Kokuyo, and Tamie - in the Order mansion yard, ready for battle, from the second-floor windows.

"Well, it was to be expected. When you mention the word 'Kenshin' to my sister, she gets all pumped up. She adores that country," Nick chuckled, watching the three warriors standing with their nerves strained as they waited for a certain leaf to fall so they could dash at each other. "I bet those two boys came after her. She is quite skilled at attracting the Kenshinese".

"Nah, I think Kokuyo rather came after Tiger," Diana smiled, "After all, he has already become her boyfriend".

"Yeah, but he's still the number one fan of Tamie's books. Even I know him back from Mandragore. He chatted with my sister on a Computer-gadget under the code-name 'Matsumatsu'".

"Haha! What a funny name!"

The friends noticed how the leaf reached the ground and the three swordsmen gave a battle cry and dashed at each other, jumping around and swinging wooden swords.

"There they go again..." Nick laughed.

While the two friends were having fun watching them, the warriors whole-heartedly fought against each other, all the three being opponents of one another. Of course, as the Blade Warriors since birth, Kokuyo and Byakuya were a lot better, but this fight was to train Tamie, so they didn't fight with their full might but instead tried to teach her new moves and tactics, and she too learned it with zealousness and hard work.

"Ha!" she yelled and swung her sword around, trying to hit both of the boys at the same time.

"Hey, you think we're some street boys? That move won't work," Byakuya laughed and easily dodged the attack, "Go on the offensive with one and on the defensive against the other".

"But you both are good! How can I go on the offensive with any of you?"

"If you have time for whining that means you don't get enough hits," a vile grin appeared on Kokuyo's face which Tamie had never seen before - he apparently enjoyed torturing his trainees, just like Byakuya had said. He swung his sword strongly and was about to hit Tamie.

"Ah!" she shouted in fear and raised her bare hand instinctively to defend herself when a white silhouette emerged and embraced her, defending her against the sword with a white paw that had engulfed her arm.

"The spirit emerged!" Kokuyo widened eyes.

"Amazing!" Byakuya was no less excited - Tamie had awakened her spirit!

Indeed, when Tamie opened her eyes, she noticed a big White Tiger spirit silhouette was protecting her.

"Goodness, it's true, I've awakened the spirit! So great!"

While they were so excited, one of the windows of the first floor opened and Cherrie yelled out of there:

"You, sword-heads, come over here! Party's starting_ Wow, you've awakened your Tiger? Congratulations, Tamie!"

All the three fighters stopped and surprisedly blinked at her, but then grinned and dropped the wooden exercise swords, rushing back into the mansion. Tamie suppressed her Tiger spirit so it wouldn't get in the way.

Nick beamed once saw his sister's yet another achievement. He and Diana too got off the window and hasted down into the hall, which was full of cheerful members of Rose Cruce, who sat at wooden tables, with foods and drinks ready, and watched the stage where Riza was now singing a cheerful song. Tamie ran up to her sisters' table and hugged Tiger tightly. Kokuyo sat near Tiger too, while Byakuya took a seat with boys at another table. They all glanced at the stage - Riza had finished singing, giving way to Edmund, who took the microphone and announced:

"My brethren, today, September 10, we're celebrating our precious member's and sister's, Tiger Braun's birthday. Let us all congratulate her! Happy Birthday, Sister Tiger!"

"Happy Birthday, Sister Tiger!" the whole crowd roared and raised their fists.

Tiger blushed, clapped, and thanked everyone.

"Joyeux Anniversaire!" Riza, Danielle, and other French-speaking members whooped (Tamie accompanied them too as a French language speaker).

"Otanjōbi omedetō!" Kokuyo cried out in Japanese and kissed her on the cheek. Byakuya and Tamie shouted after him, also in a cheerful mood.

"Hurray!"

"Also, let us congratulate Sister Tiger on raising a new rank on her last mission - she is our new Savage of the Tamer Class!"

"Congratulations!"

"Let Tiger prosper together with us! All the best wishes to you, Sister Tiger!" Edmund raised a glass of beer now and tossed it off right on the stage.

"All the best wishes, Sister Tiger!" the crowd roared again and all of them raised their glasses full of different drinks, tossing them off.

Tiger grew red like a tomato. She grinned and clapped, thanking everyone in their respective languages (she had already learned 'thank you', 'hello' and 'I love you' words in all the languages that were spoken by the Order members).

"Throw a party!" Edmund yelled and jumped off the stage. The music blew again and the Singer Class members retook the stage. Meanwhile, Erisa brought out a giant strawberry cake with candles on it depicting '21'.

"Hurray!" the crowd applauded.

Tiger sprang up with joy - they had baked her favourite cake! Erisa brought it to her table of the 'sisters' (which Riza had now joined too) and the whole crowd of members gathered around them, singing 'Happy Birthday' to their beloved member together. Tiger waited until the song finished, then made a wish and blew the candles off. The whole hall was deafened with whoops.

Rose Cruce Order members were partying to the fullest. However, there was one guy who went to bed early with the reasoning that he was tired and wanted to sleep, and once he reached his room in the basement, he rang up the signal with a Scorpion, a Pluto, and a Snake, and immediately received the answer of a deep, gruesome manly voice:

"I'm listening, Rick".

"Hello, Magister," Rick, the exact same guy who played on Tiger's and her friends' nerves quite a lot, answered, "I've got fresh news for you, but they're not all that joyous".

"Tell me".

"He has joined the Order..."

The manly voice sneered and gnashed his teeth:

"Ugh, damn that von Drachen brat! He will be a problem... You stay there and keep an eye on things. Inform me of the slightest changes, got it? When our preparations are over, we shall strike and I will teach my kid a good lesson. But until then, we need to be cautious..."

"Oh, you can count on me, Magister! I shall be waiting for your orders".

"Good. We, the Scorpio, must take the lead..."

"We will, Magister!"

The call dropped off. Rick chuckled and fell unto his bed.

Just you wait, miserly Leo and Libra signs... We will show you who's best!