Ch 314: A tale of two Dragons.

"We are going to buy groceries, we'll be back in about two hours!" smiled Shuren as he and his wife were about to leave the house.

"Understood. Have a safe trip, Shuren-sama, Gengxin-sama." replied Arianna with a small bow.

As soon as they were gone, she hurried to the kitchen, where the others were finishing breakfast.

"They are gone. You can do your roll, Erica-sama. I took the liberty of bringing you your dice."

"Karen is a bad influence on you, Arianna." grumbled Erica.

"I must admit to being curious about what rules you will have to follow starting today, Erica-sama. There is a certain morbid fascination to it, like watching a car crash in slow-motion."

Erica glared at her maid, and Noah chuckled.

"Let's get this over with, Erica, Lily. Maybe Lily will catch a break and have a single rule this time."

"Please do not jinx me, Noah." winced Liliana, thinking that her rules were already hard enough to follow.

Erica threw her dice.

"5 and 4. Double rules, Orgasm Training and Ownership progression. Orgasm training: Every day, you must edge at least once. Ownership Progression: Adopt a formal and exclusive title for your Owner. Your Owner will assign you a pet name."

"The first rule is disgusting." said Erica with a groan. "Still, it's better than having to suck a dildo. What does the other one means, exactly?"

"You are not allowed to refer to Master by his name anymore, in public or private. You must find a title for him and stick to it, although it has to be at least somewhat respectful. Common options are 'Sir', 'Master', 'My Lord', 'My King', and so on. Master will now call you by a pet name, and you have to ask everyone who is aware of the game to refer to you by that pet name as well."

"Hmpth!" snorted Erica, before suddenly displaying a sly smile. "From now on, I will call you 'His Grand Inflatedness'.

Noah chuckled, and Yui laughed for a second before asking. "Are you sure you want to go with this, Erica? You will have to use that title in public, and it’s a mouthful."

"Yes, I'm sure. At least for a while. Maybe I will choose another one later, once I get bored of it."

"Erica, you will only be able to change it later if Master agrees to it."

"I'm sure that if that day comes, Erica and I could negotiate something." grinned Noah.

"Of course you would demand something for it…" sighed Erica.

"Your choice is registered, Erica." said Yui. "Master, have you chosen Erica's pet name."

"Yes. Since Erica is fond of lions, I decided for her pet name to be 'Cute Kitten', but I will shorten it to just Kitten most of the time."

"That's a cute pet name indeed, Kitten." smiled Shuiruo. "Noah could have chosen something much worse."

Erica glared at her, but when she looked again at the grid, she had to admit that today's rules were pretty tame.

"And it's Lily's turn." said Karen. Should I go fetch your dice?"

"I can just borrow Erica's, right?"

"Yes, as long as their color easily differentiate which dice is for rows and which is for columns, it doesn't matter." nodded Noah.

Liliana gulped as she took the dice, and threw them. Her heart sank as she saw a 5.

"5 and 3. Double Rules, Ownership Progression and Worship." said Hikari. "Ownership Progression: Adopt a formal and exclusive title for your Owner. Your Owner will assign you a pet name. Worship: Each day, tell your Owner a new reason you're thankful they own you."

"You're quite unlucky, Lily. Six rules in three days is a lot." said Noah with sympathy.

"W-What pet name are you going to give me?" asked Liliana with trepidation.

"Sweet Bunny. Like for Kitten, I'll generally shorten it to Bunny." smiled Noah.

"I… That's fine, I guess." said Liliana, her cheeks reddening. "I will call you My Lord from now on. A Knight serving her Lord makes sense."

"Kitten, do you intend to go in public today?" asked Noah, smiling.

"Yes."

"Okay. Before you go, I'll dress you up in those tight black leather pants and that sleeveless red shirt. You will also have that red leather coat if the weather turns cloudy."

Erica nodded, disliking the reminder of the power Noah already had over her. At least, his choices had been sensible so far. He hadn't forced her to wear anything she would refuse to wear in normal circumstances.

…

When the day came for them to leave for Cassell Academy, Erica and Lily had rolled one more rule each. Erica had gotten Chores, forcing her to participate in the meal cooking, and Lily had rolled Serving again. The level 2 rule required her to give Noah a 15 minutes back massage every day.

"So, Kitten, why did you mention going to Cassell College by train only, when we are in an airport, and there's a whole ocean between Japan and America?" asked Shuiruo, an eyebrow raised.

"You'll see." chuckled Erica. Liliana was smiling.

"I'm wondering as well." said Origami with a deadpan expression. Where most of the other newly selected students were standing a little distance away, she and Rikka had already joined Noah's little group.

Noah was charismatic, Shuiruo was the living incarnation of kindness, and Erica and Liliana were both friendly and had insider knowledge of the College. It was an irresistible pull for Origami and Rikka, and they didn't have any reason to resist in the first place.

"I'm already missing my parents." sighed Shuiruo.

"I understand, and I'm sure they're missing you too." nodded Noah. "At the same time, it will give them opportunities to live a bit as a couple. They likely didn't have many opportunities to do romantic outings when they were ill. Don't be surprised if you end up with a sibling soon."

"Ah! I hope so!" grinned Shuiruo. "I would be the best big sister ever!"

"It's about time." said Erica. "Follow me, everyone."

Noah nodded and they followed in her steps. To his surprise, she walked to a door marked "Employees Only." and swiped a black card against the scanner, unlocking it.

She gestured for them to quickly enter before they drew too much attention from the civilians around.

"This card is issued to every student of Cassell College." said Erica as she showed it. On its surface was a pattern in gold lines, representing a tree with leaves only on its right side. "It can also be used as a credit card. The annual stipend for S-rank students is a hundred thousand dollars."

"That's quite generous. And for A-rank students, Kitten?" asked Noah.

"Fifty thousand." shrugged Erica as she resumed her walk deeper into the hallway.

At its end, there was a long mechanical stairway, and Erica took it. When they left it, Noah was sure they were at least a hundred meters underground. They followed the next hallway to another door, and Erica smiled back at them before she opened it.

"Tada!" exclaimed Erica, and Noah looked around curiously as the group entered what looked like a train station. But one that looked straight from the nineteenth's century. It was quite the large difference to Noah compared to the futuristic, mostly solar-powered city not far from the airport and its fusion-powered planes.

"A secret train station? It makes me wonder, how long it has been here…" exclaimed Arianna.

"Centuries." replied Liliana. "There is one such station in most major nations."

"How long will we have to wait for the train, Eri… I mean Kitten?" asked Arianna.

"Not long. Aki or Sheng had informed the administration, and they gave me the hour of departure."

"I think I hear it coming." said Noah, his eyes squinting.

Seconds later, the others started to hear it as well. A train was coming.

The train entered the station at a surprising speed, but decelerated fast as well. Its engine looked a bit like a huge bronze bullet with its bulky but streamlined shape, and the passenger cabins were straight from the early times of railway transportation, with gilded exteriors.

The train stopped, and the door nearest to them opened. A middle-aged man jumped from it and almost ran to Noah, taking his hand to shake it.

He had brown eyes, short white hair and a trimmed beard and mustache, wore thin round glasses, and was slightly heavy set.

"You're Noah Enfield, right? I'm professor Gudarian! I couldn't wait to meet you!"

"Hi." chuckled Noah. "Thank you for this enthusiastic welcome."

"And which of you is the civilian who suddenly received his powers?"

"That's me." smiled Shuiruo as she lifted a hand.

"Please let me examine you! I want to understand how that is possible!"

"Ahem." cut in Noah, wanting to give Shuiruo some breathing room. This man was… intense. "Professor, there isn't anything physical to examine. And unless you have tools to observe what is essentially a divine blessing…"

"I'm sure I can find something. Just studying how her metabolism…"

"You aren't going to go at her with needles or scalpels, right? Because if you do, I'll have to do something about it." warned Noah.

The Professor blinked, realizing just how close his face was from Shuiruo's, and he stepped back in embarrassment.

"No, of course not. Nothing will be done without Miss Shuiruo's consent. I am sorry if I was a bit too eager. Please come aboard, everyone. We will have ample time to speak on the way."

They nodded and followed the Professor inside. The cabin was surprisingly wide, and Noah would have suspected some spatial manipulation at play if he hadn't noticed how widely spaced the rails were in the station.

The train left the station and quickly accelerated to a high cruising speed.

Gudarian opened a cabinet and took from it a number of black cards and pamphlets. He distributed one to each of them.

And when the train left the seemingly endless tunnel and Noah could see outside, he frowned.

"Professor, Where are we exactly? This doesn't look like Japan. I don't see any city or even village in sight."

"You were fast to catch on, Your Grand Inflatedness." snorted Erica as the others looked outside with surprised expressions.

"You are very perceptive!" grinned Gudarian. "People think the College is near Chicago, in north America, but if you were to try to find it with an observation satellite, you wouldn't find it! That is because the Cassell College has been built in a secret part of the world. A part that didn't exist before the Sacred Beasts came. This is known as the Land of Dragons!"

"The Land of Dragons?" repeated Shuiruo excitedly.

"Yes. We do not really know if the Sacred Beasts came from the Land of Dragons five centuries ago, or if they came from another dimension and created this place to make it their home, as big and wide as the North-American continent. The Sacred Beasts do not answer questions about it."

"But to this date, only half of the Land of Dragons has been explored, and aside from a few research outposts, Cassell College is the only large settlement humanity has built."

"Why only half?" asked Origami.

"Because there are ferocious beasts." said Gudarian. "The lands around the College are fairly safe, and it is rare for those creatures to wander around. You will learn more about them as part of the curriculum. If you wish to adventure into this dimension's wild lands, you will need to obtain a permit from the Principal."

Noah nodded, wondering if they would be a good source of Yin Points.

"Professor, can you tell us more about the curriculum? Kitten and Bunny mentioned that it was very focused on combat, and not much on things like history and math."

"Kitten and Bunny?" blinked the Professor.

"Those two." smiled Noah, designating Erica and Liliana, who blushed.

Professor Gudarian looked like he wanted to ask, but shook his head and decided it wasn't important. "Regarding the curriculum, Cassell College isn't meant to teach people the knowledge necessary for a civilian career. This is a martial institution with a focus on superhuman abilities. Here, you will learn how do awaken and develop your potential. And you will learn how to fight, both in real life and in VR."

"In VR?" asked Noah, leaning forward.

"Ah, you may not be aware of it since you come form another world, but in this one, many disputes between countries are settled by battling in a virtual universe! A massive game with potentially hundreds of millions of players connected simultaneously! Many of our alumnus are famous for their deeds in that virtual universe. You will be expected to spend a significant amount of your time connected to it, and we will evaluate you based on how strong you become, both in real life and in the VR world. The VR game is ultra-realist, so your combat experience will transfer in both directions."

"I see." nodded Noah, smiling.

He had wondered if the College's lessons would cut severely into the time he could devote to Mystic Moon, but it seemed that Mystic Moon was the lesson. At least a big chunk of it.

"Many people who have great powers in real life end up humbled when they meet failure in the VR game." smiled Gudarian. "But it does them some good in the long run. Conversely, many people from humble backgrounds, those who couldn't afford a quality education, find in those VR games a good way to get above the crowd and earn additional money by selling items to other players."

"On that note, as long as you are a student in our College, you are forbidden from buying any virtual item. Your strength in the game should reflect your own capabilities, not how deep your parents' pockets are."

Noah nodded. While he could argue that technically, money one could earn themselves (or create out of thin air) was part of one's strength, where would the fun in that be?

…

After a while, the train finally reached its destination, another underground station, and they debarked.

Gudarian led them down a long hallway, and stopped near a large double door made of stone, its surface carved with the figure of the half-withered tree.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Cassell College!" grandly said Gudarian before pushing the doors open.

Noah and the others walked out, and they found themselves standing on a large balcony, on the flank of a mountain.

Down bellow was a large plaza, most of its surface grass, and there were ornamented buildings all over, their baroque style reminding Noah of cathedrals with their arches and bridges everywhere.

"Wow." breathed Shuiruo as she took in her surroundings. "Isn't the college as big as a city?"

"It is." smiled Erica.

Noah started using promise to have a mental map of the college, counting on his perfect memory, when he almost immediately spotted an anomaly. A big one.

"Professor, is the College preparing for an attack?" asked Noah.

"What do you mean?"

Noah answered by pointing to another balcony on the opposite side of the plaza, where a few young adults, both men and women wearing skintight black leather bodysuits were crouching, holding firearms.

There were groups of armed people all over the place, remaining under cover. About half wore black bodysuits, the other half red ones.

"Ah! I forgot is it that day! It's Freedom day!"

"Freedom day?" asked Origami.

Before Gudarian could explain, a loud siren blared, and chaos started.

Two thousand people suddenly moved, or opened fire on people that moved. In seconds, they were hundreds of young men and women on the ground.

Noah had been worried at first, when he noticed something with Promise. The bullets weren't actually penetrating their targets' bodysuits, or even flesh. Instead, they instantly melted into a red fluid.

This whole thing was a massive paint-ball match, but with a twist. The people hit didn't fall to the ground because they wanted to play fair, but because the red fluid was a powerful anesthetic, and some of it vaporized on impact, entering the victims' lungs and making them lose consciousness.

"Is it paintball?" asked Shuiruo, understanding. "It looks fun."

"The Lionheart Society are the people in black, and the Student Union those in red. They are rivals, but in a good-natured way, and their leaders, the two S-rank of the College, are respected and admired by everyone." nodded Liliana.

"What about you, Kitten, Bunny?" asked Noah with a smile. "Which side are you on?"

"None, Your Grand Inflatedness." sniffed Erica. "A few students aren't part of either."

After a while, the firefight grew more sporadic as more and more combatants were taken out, until a whole minute passed without a shot being fired.

Then, someone spoke, using a number of speakers spread around the campus.

"Caesar, how many are left?"

Another voice replied, using the same speakers.

"Me, and two female students. What about you, Zihang?"

"Same… We're wasting time. Let's end this another way."

"I'll take the Dictator."

"I'll take the Murasame. See you at the Plaza."

Soon after, two young men entered the plaza at the same time, facing each other.

The first was a European with long blonde hair reaching past his waist and green eyes, wearing a red uniform with a red cape, and gold trims. He was armed with a thin sword, its blade straight, but with a guard so small it couldn't perform its intended function.

The second was a Chinese with short, dark blue hair, wearing a dark gray and black suit and tie, and a long coat. He held in his right hand a naked katana.

The two men paused five meters from each other.

"Your tactics have grown better." said the blonde man, who Noah assumed was Caesar. "I didn't expect to have to end things this way."

"Your words honor me highly."

The both smiled at each other.

"Now… time for you to die!" exclaimed Caesar as he made a sudden sprint toward Chu Zihang.

Noah nodded in appreciation as the two of them fought. They both displayed excellent footwork and swordsmanship. Caesar was the more mobile one, often making Chu Zihang pursue him to another location where he figured he would eke an advantage. He also didn't hesitate in damaging the ground or building and use debris to clutter Zihang's vision or throw a few at him.

But his attention was diverted by a red-clad silhouette gracefully landing on the balcony. It was Nono.

"Of course you would be one of the few still standing. Hi, Nono." smiled Noah.

Nono nodded at them, and looked down at Caesar and Zihang fighting. They were about to leave the plaza.

"What do you think of them?"

"They both seem to be good leaders and are excellent swordsmen." replied Noah.

"And?" insisted Nono, hearing the implied 'but…' in Noah's tone.

"I could take them both at the same time." grinned Noah.

"I would take you for an arrogant fool, if I hadn't seen your spar." sighed Nono.

Noah suddenly lifted his right hand, catching a bullet that would have hit Nono.

"Oh. I did it by reflex, but maybe I shouldn't have?" asked Noah as he turned to look at the shooter. A beautiful woman with blue eyes and long black hair, and two white feathers were tied behind her left temple.

She wore a black leather bodysuit and, gun in hand, left the cover of a wall, making an annoyed face at him.

"Hey, you!" exclaimed the second girl just behind her. "What the fuck is a neutral character doing, interfering like that? Know your damn place, or pick a side properly and put on the red or black!"

That girl had long, light-red hair tied into twin tails by black ribbons, and an ahoge. She was petite and slender, making her look younger than she probably was, and her red eyes glared daggers at him.

She wore a white version of the dark green school uniform that was the standard for student in this College.

And a thick steel collar around her neck, identical to the one Liliana had tried to put on her.

Noah recognized her, of course. Kotori Itsuka, one of the major characters of the Date A Live fiction. Originally a human turned spirit, and cursed with powers she couldn't control.

Noah raised an eyebrow, before nodding.

"My apologies. It wasn't really a conscious decision, just a reflex. Should I hold Nono and let you shoot her to make up for it?"

"No!" exclaimed both Nono and the black-haired girl.

"It's meaningless if someone else interfere. What about you, Nono? Will you use the opportunity to shoot me?"

"It would be rude." shrugged Nono. "You caught me off guard, you deserve the win, even if the bullet didn't actually hit me."

"Good." smiled the black-haired girl.

"Some people know how to be fair, at least." sniffed Kotori with a satisfied expression, before she frowned and looked to the side. "You! Can you stop glaring at me like that?"

Noah winced as he suddenly remembered a rather crucial detail.

In the Date A Live fiction, Origami believed Kotori to be the Spirit who killed her parents.

It was a miracle that she hadn't already thrown herself at her in a rage.

And Kotori's words put an end to that miracle.

With a scream of pure, unadulterated fury, Origami moved forward.

Noah was quicker and grabbed her before she could reach Kotori.

"Let me go!" screamed Origami, her eyes opened wide, struggling against his grip. "It's her! She's the one who killed my parents! Her! Let me go! I'll kill her!"

Kotori flinched at the accusation, her bratty attitude suddenly turning into guilt and shame.

A shot was fired, and seconds later, Origami fell unconscious.

"I'll apologize to her later." sighed Nono, holstering her gun. "But this is for the best."

Noah nodded, shifted his hold on Origami to take her in a princess carry, and turned to Gudarian.

"Professor, would you mind showing me the way to the infirmary?"

"Yes. Please follow me." nodded the Professor.

"I'll show Shuiruo and the others around." said Erica. "The infirmary will be crowded if we all go."

"Yes, I'll do the same." nodded Liliana.

Shuiruo looked at Origami, then Noah with pleading eyes, and Noah understood the silent question. He nodded once, and Shuiruo smiled before she followed Erica.

He was going to revive Origami's parents. Since he had been allowed to use his teleportation in this world, it wouldn't be hard to smuggle her parents out of the Lands of Dragons.

But it would definitely set a time bomb. Even assuming the people watching remained silent, Shuiruo's parents coming back from the dead was already going to raise eyebrows, although those noticing would suspect some kind of mundane scam. Maybe insurance fraud. Maybe they never were sick with the isrock virus.

But two couples? That was a pattern. It would do more than raise eyebrows. It would cause high-ranked people to demand answers. And what was the common link between them? A certain offworlder with some powerful abilities, and no guarantee he had exposed them all.

He was putting a target on his back.

But when he remembered Origami's anguished expression, and Kotori who, even now, looked like she was about to cry, he decided it was worth it.

And… No, he actually had an easy way to prevent this from happening.

The infirmary was larger than Noah had expected, but was empty.

"The nurses were busy outside, injecting the students with antidotes for the anesthetics." explained Gudarian.

Noah nodded and gently set Origami on a bed and sat near her.

"I have to go report to the principal." sighed Gudarian. "This isn't the first time that Kotori is being targeted, but this time isn't one where we can simply punish the perpetrator."

"Yes, I understand, Professor." nodded Noah.

When he was gone, he turned to Kotori and the Campione.

"I am Noah Enfield, sorry for the late introduction."

"It's fine, the circumstances weren't exactly good for socializing." sighed the girl with a sad glance at Origami. "I am Toba Riona, one of the Campiones, as you likely guessed. And this is my friend, Kotori Itsuka."

"Friend?" asked Noah with an obvious glance at the steel collar around Kotori's neck.

"Yes, friend." insisted Toba. "She literally asked me to collar her."

Kotori made a small nod.

"Oh. Sorry for implying otherwise."

"That's a normal reaction, we're used to it."

"…Should I stay, or go?" asked Kotori with a subdued voice. "If she sees me again…"

"Please stay." said Noah. "But stand behind that curtain for now. I have a plan to decrease her resentment towards you. And be ready to apologize."

Kotori glanced at Toba, who nodded after a short hesitation, and moved behind the curtain

Noah pulled two other curtains back, so that two empty beds would be visible from Origami's bed.

He then took Origami's left hand and used Greater Healing to dispel all traces of the anesthetic.

"Wake up, Origami." said Noah, and she opened her eyes almost immediately, her military training having conditioned her to this reaction when hearing her name.

She sat up, seeing only Noah and Toba, but before she could get angry again, Noah lifted his hand to get her attention.

"Origami, Toba, I am going to use a special power of mine. You are not going to breath a word of it to anyone. If you do, I'll be angry. And you do not want me to be angry at you. With this warning issued, Origami, I need you to give me the names of your parents.

"Why?" frowned Origami.

"Shuiruo told me what she had told you, when she advised you to come to me. That you would benefit a lot from it. She wasn't speaking only about my ability to share some of my powers. Now give me those names already, the sooner, the better. We don't have much time."

"…My father's name was Yoshi Tobiichi. My mother's name was Yomiko Tobiichi. Do you need her maiden name?"

"No. Just watch carefully." nodded Noah as he extended a hand toward each to the empty beds.

From her position, Kotori could also barely see what was happening.

Twenty seconds later, Origami jumped from her bed, held the right hand of her sleeping mother and started to sob.

"What did you do?" asked Toba, her eyes wide.

"Exactly what it looks like. I gave Origami her parents back." shrugged Noah.

"Impossible." breathed Toba, incredulous.

"Few things are truly impossible when I ask for a favor from a Goddess. My boss could remove the strongest Sacred Beasts from existence with a mere flick."

Yomiko Tobiichi was the first to wake up, and she looked in confusion, at a sobbing girl that reminder her of her daughter, but was too old, at her husband lying beside her, and two, no, three strangers watching her.

"Is this Heaven? And why do you look so much like my daughter?"

"Mom!" cried out Orgami before hugging her mother tightly.

"You have been dead for a few years, along with your husband, but I just revived you. Origami missed you a lot." said Noah.

"Ah?!" exclaimed Yomiko before she returned Origami's embrace and started to tear up as well.

It took a few minutes for both Origami and her parents to get over their initial shock, and Noah cleared his throat to get their attention. The three of them, standing and hugging each other, turned their head in his direction, and Noah pulled the curtain hiding Kotori.

Origami's body trembled, but she didn't move this time.

The Spirit wasted no time and bowed deeply, tears falling, her voice thick with remorse.

"I am truly sorry for having killed you! I couldn't control that power back then, but I know this isn't an excuse. I am so sorry! I live with this regret every day, and…"

"No, you aren't the one who killed us." exclaimed Yoshi, confused.

"…I'm not?" asked Kotori, raising her head just enough to look at him.

"…She's not?" echoed Toba.

Origami was gasping at her father.

"No. I remember it well." said Yomiko as she shook her head. "That Spirit had long light blue hair and light blue eyes. We saw her do something strange as she was hunched over someone's body, as if she was extracting something from it. When she saw us, she said to us that we were unlucky, and then she... killed us, it seems, but I don't really remember how. I just lost consciousness."

"It was the same for me." nodded Yoshi.

"I…" started Kotori, not knowing what to say.

"Alright." said Noah. "Now, Mr and Mrs. Tobiichi, I am sorry to have to interrupt again, but I have to whisk you away for a while. If rumors spread that I can revive people, I'll be endlessly harassed by desperate people, and that will be hard to bear, so you can't be found here. I will teleport you to a safe place, where you will be well taken care of. I will give you opportunities to contact Origami by phone, as well as the occasional visit. In a few months, maybe a little over a year, depending on circumstances, you will be able to meet each other every day."

"No!" exclaimed Origami. "You can't take them from me now!"

"Don't act spoiled, Origami." sighed Noah. "I'll lend you my phone after dinner and you can speak to them the whole night if you want, but I'm not giving you a choice in this."

"I don't want to part with you either, but he is right, my little dove." sighed Yoshi. "We shouldn't cause trouble for someone who just did so much for us. We will just need to be patient."

"Dad, I…"

Noah walked to them, then looked back at Toba and Kotori.

"If you want to catch a glimpse of my home, I do not mind. Do you want to come along?"

"Your home, in another world?" asked Toba, clearly interested.

"Yes. All you have to do is touch my hand or another part of my body."

"Then, if you don't mind." said Toba with a nod as she grabbed his hand, and Kotori did the same.

"Yui, Hikari, who can I teleport to?"

"You can teleport to us, Master! We're on the beach."

Origami and her parents touched his hands, and Noah, satisfied that he wouldn't land them right in front of an explicit scene, teleported to Yui.

The sudden change of environment shocked his 'passengers', and Yui used the opportunity to sneak between them and give Noah a quick hug and a kiss.

"Master! It's been less than a week, and everyone's missing you already."

"I also miss everyone. But I'll return at least once a month for an afternoon or so if I can. Anyway, those are Yui and Hikari, and Claire, Suguha, and Shino… Girls, as Yui and Hikari already know, Mr and Mrs Tobiichi will live here as guests for a while, so please take good care of them."

"We will." nodded Claire, unsure if she should call him Master in front of them.

"No problem. But you should return soon, Master." warned Yui. "I heard from the bracelet Erica is wearing that the Principal is heading towards the infirmary. He wanted to greet them and Shuiruo and Rikka personally. And now's your turn."

"Understood." nodded Noah, extending his hands toward Toba, Kotori and Origami.

With obvious reluctance, Origami quickly kissed the cheeks of her parents, saying goodbye, and tightly grabbed his hand. Noah immediately returned to the infirmary with them.

"Can I ask you not to attack Kotori anymore, Origami?"

"…Yes." nodded Origami with a glance at the redhead. "Even if she's a Spirit, I won't attack her… I'm sorry for earlier."

"It's fine, I would have done the same in your shoes." nodded Kotori, her eyes still red. "Rather, I'm happy they they are alive."

"Kotori, you said you were willingly wearing that collar? Is it maybe because of your difficulty controlling your power?" asked Noah.

"Yes." sighed Kotori. "I don't want to hurt other people. When Toba appeared, wanting to become a Campione, I surrendered to her immediately."

"I see. That was a brave decision to make, surrendering your freedom."

"Yes, but it turned out to be fine." shrugged Kotori. "Toba's a good partner, and she treats me well. I have seen the Spirits captured by the other Campiones, you know? Most of them are treated like things, not people. Tenka and the Yamai Sisters are kept chained up, blindfolded and gagged, because their Campiones find them more 'manageable' that way. They're nothing but power sources to those assholes."

"I see… I'll do something about it after I've gotten my feet under me, collected more information, and laid some foundations. Are there Campiones students here?"

"They're alumnus." shrugged Toba. "They essentially left the College soon after becoming Campiones, to enjoy the perks of being treated as VIPs by various governments. I have met them on a handful of social occasions. Salvatore is a selfish muscle-headed fool who never thinks about consequences, and Voban gives me the creeps. Never met a more unpleasant guy. Only Pluto is decent. He keeps Natsumi restrained and gagged in public, too, but only because she's a handful and tries to make trouble for him, and he doesn't blindfold her. I really lucked out with Kotori."

"I see." nodded Noah.

"Can you tell me more about how those collars allow Campiones to draw power from the Spirits?"

Before Toba could answer, someone knocked on the door, and someone Noah assumed was the Principal entered.

He was a tall man with ice-blue eyes, a short cropped white beard and mustache, and hair ending at his jawline. He was dressed in a suit.

"Principal!" exclaimed Toba with a respectful tone, and both she and Kotori straightened.

"Hi, Toba, Kotori." smiled the man. "Good job surviving Freedom Day and successfully ambushing Nono. I was watching."

"Eheh, I'll tease her a long time about it." smiled Toba.

"And you must be our new promising student, Noah Enfield." said the Principal. "My name is Anjou. It is a pleasure to have such a hopeful talent."

"Thank you, Principal."

"Will you accompany me for a walk?"

"With pleasure." replied Noah.

As they left the infirmary, the Principal sent him a side glance and smiled.

"It was a nice thing, what you did with Origami and Kotori."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Do not underestimate this school, young man. We have more discrete ways to observe what happens in the premise than relying on crude cameras. I won't tell others about you somehow bringing people back from the dead."

"Thanks. Although I suspect this 'free' favor will turn out to be quite expensive." said Noah with deadpan expression, and Anjou laughed.

"…You are wise beyond your years. Assuming your appearance corresponds to your age, that is. But you are both right and wrong. I am not going to try to blackmail you. But I do have a favor to ask you."

"If it's nothing too outrageous, I can be quite reasonable." shrugged Noah.

The Principal nodded and took a series of stairs. Noah followed quietly. It was only when they reached the top of the College's tallest tower, offering a spectacular view on the College and the valley, that Anjou spoke again.

"What do you think of the College, Noah?"

"A very interesting place, both for its unusual curriculum and for the people I already met. And the view is great. It must have taken decades to build it up."

"One could say that the College is still expanding. There are extensive undergrounds, although those are dedicated to research and the confinement of dangerous materials, and not accessible to students." nodded Anjou.

"The public outside thinks that the College exists to nurture the martial talents of Sacred Beast Descendants and Chevaliers, with a few additional exceptions like the Campiones."

"The students and low-ranked staff think that the College exists to train future explorers of the Land of Dragons, and those who will fend off the Wild Beasts' incursions."

"We do all of those things. But they are only by-products to our true goal, Noah. The Cassell college was created for the singular purpose of killing two Sacred Beasts. The Black Dragon Emperor, Nidhogg, and the White Dragon Empress, Izanami."

"Why those two in particular? And I thought people in general respected and admired the Sacred Beasts." frowned Noah.

"That is generally the case." agreed Anjou. "But unlike the others, Nidhogg, the strongest of the Sacred Beasts, and the first and original dragon, was never interested in a symbiotic coexistence. He saw humans as nothing more than slaves."

"Nidhogg created the four Elemental Kings, as well as the White Dragon Empress, five Dragons that, while weaker than him, were still stronger than any other Sacred Beast. One day, Izanami, the strongest of the five, revolted against Nidhogg, claiming that she intended to give humanity freedom. For this reason, over a third of the members of the Dragon Clan and the Sacred Beast descendants took arms and joined in her rebellion."

"And yet, the few testimonies from that time suggested that Izanami was exceptionally cruel, and that more humans died under her rule than under Nidhogg's. That her claim of wanting freedom for Humanity was only a ploy to have them fight for her."

"The White Dragon Empress was killed by Nidhogg, her rebellion put down. And Nidhogg, gravely weakened by the struggle, fell to a handful of Human heroes who seized the opportunity, his great body pinned to a mountain by giant spears."

"So, they are both dead?"

"They are." smiled Anjou.

"Did that happen after the College was created?"

"Dragons at the level of the Emperors and the Elemental Kings do not remain dead. They sever a part of their own body, forming an urn, and hide it somewhere. As long as they have made their urn before dying, they will eventually be reborn from it, recovering the memories they had before they died. And their first action will be to recreate another urn and hide it in some hard-to-reach place."

"Oh."

"The prophecy was only a fragment found in the wilderness, and nothing more could be decrypted from it. all the founder knew was that it would come, and humanity needed to prepare."

"I see." shrugged Noah. "If they show up, and that's a big 'if', I will politely ask to hear their side of the story first, then tell them to respect humanity and negotiate peacefully until some mutually profitable agreement is reached. If they refuse as expected, it will be time for something more drastic. Like a kick in the snout."

Anjou chuckled for a second as he pictured Noah doing just that to a dragon, then sighed.

"Eight years ago, we had a very good crop of talents in the College. "Eight S-ranks. We sent them on an expedition in the wilderness, to gain more combat experience against Wild Beasts and cull their numbers a little... None returned. Before disappearing, they managed to reach very deep into the Wilderness, into what would be Greenland if the Land of Dragons wasn't in a parallel dimension."

"Our last message from them is a report of encountering the dragon Leviathan, who was guarding a black egg-shaped object. An urn."

"I led an expedition and reached their last known location, and we found some of their remains. But both the black urn and Leviathan were gone without a trace."

"So you think the prophecy will happen soon."

"Yes… The losses eight years ago cost us dearly, both in terms of strength and morale. But this time, I am thinking that it is better to nurture a single true Hero, be it a Legatus Legionis, a Chevalier, a Campione, or a prodigy with a Sacred Beast bloodline. One who could possibly face the Elemental Kings, Nidhogg and Izanami, by himself."

"Like I said, I'll give diplomacy a chance, if only to be able to tell myself that I tried, but any Dragon thinking they can just enslave humans is going to be taught a rude lesson. But I would like another favor from you, Principal."

"What is it?"

"After Erica and Liliana tried to enslave me, and because I wanted to have those very capable girls in my future faction, I punished their attempt by making them agree to be my slaves for 5 years. And I gave them the opportunity to reduce their sentence to just one year, in exchange for participating in a rather extreme game that should last about three months. One based on dice rolls, so I cannot predict how it will go, but it is fairly likely that at some point, they will have to wear some… let's say risqué outfits in public. I would like you to look the other way if you get complaints about it."

"Would those outfits violate the school's rules?"

"The very worst that could happen, depending on those roll dice, would be for them to have to wear latex bodysuits, a collar and some light bondage in public, not locked so they could easily free themselves in case of an emergency or if they need their mobility for training purposes. I haven't seen anything in the pamphlet forbidding the wear of skintight bodysuits or collars, and between what happened today and Kotori's case…" shrugged Noah.

"I understand… As long as the private bits are covered by an opaque material, and they aren't performing indecent acts in public, I can chalk it off as it being the consequences of losing a bet. Which is exactly what it is, in a sense. They tried to enslave you and failed. Am I correct in assuming that you will also share your abilities with them at the end of that year?"

"You assume correctly." nodded Noah. "That game is even part of the process, in a sense, since I can only share my abilities with those who acknowledge me as a source of authority. Although it will likely happen before the end of their sentence. I'd be surprised if Liliana didn't get them within three months. And I might try to seduce and upgrade a few other interesting girls among the students."

"As long as the College benefits by having stronger students, I see no reason to oppose it." shrugged Anjou. "I will even refurbish an unused dorm just for you and your… faction. It will make things easier if the lewd stuff is somewhat contained away from the other students."

"That would be very helpful, thank you, principal." nodded Noah.

"I monopolized you enough, then. Do you need help finding your friends and the room assigned to you?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you, Principal." smiled Noah before teleporting away.

"…Truly a monster." muttered Anjou as he shook his head, wondering just how much more this new student was hiding.

But this was fine with him. To face the terror of the Black Dragon Emperor, the White Dragon Empress, and their subordinates, a monster was exactly what they needed, and for the greater good, a few personality quirks could be ignored.