That afternoon when class was over, Lotus watched the match from afar as ACe and Deuce arrived in their dorm's attire. People around them were bustling back and forth about the battle between the dorm leader and a couple of freshmen. From afar, Lotus was already watching the show with Little Jun at her side after taking a potion Lotus had created last night. Curiously and filled with excitement, Little Jun watched the group with wide eyes and whispered to her, "Big sis, there's so many like you!"
"Are there?" Lotus stated grabbing a hold of the small harness on him.
The Kirin nodded, "I've never seen so many before. But, there aren't many like me here..."
Lotus patted his head, "That's because your kind lives somewhere far away. You're not a horse, Little Jun. You're a kirin."
"I know." Little Jun responded with a smile.
"Shortly, the decisive match for the title of Heartslabyul Dorm Leader will begin." Crowley's voice announced he gestured to the two sides from the sidelines, "The challengers are Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade. Defending his title is the current dorm leader, Riddle Rosehearts. In accordance with the rules of this decisive match please remove the magic sealing collar handicap."
With a nod, Riddle easily released the collar to which Ace breathed a sigh of relief, "Huuuh, that collar is finally off!"
"Don't worry, you'll have it back soon enough." Riddle reminded them sarcastically, "Save the taste of freedom while you can. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you wanted to challenge me."
Riddle then stated with a solemn and harsh gaze, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Most definitively." Ace stated bluntly in defiance.
"I won't challenge you as a joke." Deuce added with a frown.
Riddle humphed and shook his head, "Whatever. Let us begin."
"Riddle," Cater called out in a friendly manner, "what do you want to do about afternoon tea?"
"That's a silly question." Riddle responded with a frown as he stepped into the ring area the headmaster had prepared ahead of time, "The rules state that my teatime always happens at 4pm on the nose."
"But it's already past 3:30..."
"Do you think I'll even be late?" Riddle questioned without a change in character, "This ordeal will be over shortly."
He then turned to the two and stated with a scowl, "As you can see, I am short on time. Dealing with you one at a time is troublesome. Both of you come at me at once."
"Fight on! Dorm Leader!"
The crowd went cheering for Riddle with a wide smile on their face, "Put them in their place!"
It was a similar image as what she had witnessed from the mirror last night. A little girl stating the queen with a thick face and large dress how she was being a tyrant harshly and the queen ordering the execution of the girl when all she was saying that it was unfair to execute the cards for painting the roses the wrong color just because they were trying to please their queen but made a mistake. Nobody stopped the queen and, just like this, nobody is stopping Riddle.
"Waaa..." Kirin stared at them in awe from afar, "That guy is really well-liked by everyone."
Little Jun have already reached under her shoulder in three or four months in the ring stared at the short student in awe. However, Lotus frowned and tapped him on the head with a hard knuckle to it, "Is it really? Look again."
Little Jun cocked his head in confusion before looking around to find that some of the students with the collar was staring at the situation with a frown. They weren't happy nor were they cheering to either of them while some of the freshman were watching with a smirk on their face, but no comments and just laid back. Little Jun finally said curiously, "What's wrong with them?"
"Nothing." Lotus responded bluntly.
"Then, why are they not cheering?"
"Because they don't want to get on Riddle's bad side if he wins but doesn't want to cheer for them because of the collar."
"If you well, headmaster?" Riddle looked to him with a nod.
"The match begins after the hand mirror I throw hits the ground and shatters. Get set..." Crowley pulls out the hand mirror and throws the hand mirror to the ground shattering it, "Ready, fight!"
As soon as that happened, Riddle shouted bluntly, "Off with your head!!!"
Deuce and Ace were shocked as the magic hits the two of them before they could react.
"Shit!" Ace grimaced, "We didn't even have time to get out our magic materialized!"
"To come this far and not be able to do anything..." Deuce stammered in bewilderment.
"S-so fast!" Yuu stated from the sidelines.
"Strong magic comes from a strong imagination." Crowley educated them as he continued, "The stronger your ability to accurately imagine magic the stronger and more effective it will be. Mister Rosehearts has polished his magic to a beautiful shine."
"Ffgnaa... The level gap is too wide..." Grim complained nervously.
"Huh." Riddle smirked, "It didn't even take 5 seconds. And you thought to challenge me with those skills. Aren't you embarrassed?"
He scolded the two, "This just proves that rule violates are always wrong. Just as mother said."
"Guh..." Deuce scowled, "You're right, rules should be followed, but enforcing absurd rules just makes you a tyrant!"
"Ha? Rule breaking has consequences." Riddle smirked before stating firmly, "And, in this dorm, I am the rules. Those who refuse to obey don't get to complain when I take off their head!"
"That's wrong!" Yuu called out without hesitation.
"What is wrong is all for me to decide!!!" Riddle stated with a scowl glaring at him, "If you can't even follow a simple rule, just what was your education like? You were probably born from parents that can barely use magic and didn't receive much in terms of schooling before coming here. You're utterly inadequate."
"Shut the hell up!!!" Ace shouted the moment he heard this and punched Riddle across the face.
The one act shocked everyone, except for Grim making a praise for the way he right hook across the dorm leader's face.
Little Jun looked to her in confusion which Lotus could sense, "What does the collar do, Lotus? I can't feel the energy circulating around them like the others. Does it have something to do with the collar? Is that why everyone is so mad at him?"
"It cuts off the flow of energy from them." Lotus explained, "What we call energy in this world is magic in their definition. Everyone who can use magic is also born with a magic only they can use and that's called unique magic. Riddle Rosehearts' magic is Off with your head. A magic that materializes a collar around the target and cuts off the flow of magic from them making them unable to use magic until the collar is off. In this world's perspective, it's no different than having their head cut off without their magic."
"That's terrifying." Little Jun stated nervously with a shudder, "Rules are a scary thing."
Lotus watched as Ace scowled, "Ahh, I don't care. About the dorm leader, about the duel, any of it."
Shocked, Riddle could hardly believe he was punched right across the face and stared at him with wide eyes of disbelief.
"Kids aren't their parents' trophies, and kids' achievements don't determine parents' worth." Ace stated out loud without backing off, "The reason you're such a bastard isn't your parents' fault, I finally understand that! You didn't make a single friend to tell you off for being a tyrant in the past year, this is your own damn fault!"
"What are you saying?" Riddle stared at him still a little dazed.
"Growing up under your obsessive mother was probably some kind of hell." Ace stated his understanding, "But is all you have to say 'mama this', "mama that'? Try thinking for yourself! You're no 'Crimson Ruler'! You're just a baby that's good at magic!"
"A... baby? Me?" Riddle stared back at him in shock once the words landed in his ears, "You don't know anything... You don't know anything about me!"
"Ah, I've got no idea. There's no way I would!" Ace pointed out bluntly, "Do you think I'd know, with that attitude? I'm not letting you off the hook."
"Enough, enough, enough!! Shut up!!" Riddle hollered into a near scream that made Lotus wish she could just use the magic to shut out the sound from Little Jun's ears, "My mother was correct! That means I'm correct!!"
Riddle reached out to Ace, but Trey quickly reached out to grab him back, "Riddle, calm down. The duel is already over!"
"It's as Mr. Clover says." Crowley stated, "The challenger is disqualified for his outburst! Continuing to escalate goes against school regulations!"
A student suddenly spoke up amongst the crowd, "The freshman is right! I can't handle this anymore!"
The student suddenly threw something at Riddle that cracked open and splattered over Riddle. Shocked, Trey looked up and was stunned, "Is this... an egg? Did one of the residents... throw it?"
"Who did it!" Riddle demanded, "Who threw this egg?"
As nobody spoke up, Lotus shook her head and patted Little Jun bring his shivering body close to her, "Rules are made to be followed for a reason and following it does benefit you, more so if you know the reason. However, there are times when you should be lenient and let things go when they are too unreasonable. Today, Riddle is having a hard time learning that. That's why after this is over, we should go see him and cheer him up after a hard day, don't you think?"
"Will he be nice to me?" Kirin lowered his ears nervously, "I reached for his cloak the other day and Ying Hui told me that it was an impolite thing to grab the cloth so hard."
Lotus chuckled, "He'll be fine. He'll just need our help in a bit."
It was then that Riddle started laughing like crazy, "You can't handle it? I'm the one who can't handle it anymore!! No matter how many times I take off your heads, no matter how strict I become, you all keep breaking the rules! This guy, that guy, you're all selfish idiots! Fine, have it your way. If you won't come forward, I'll just punish all of you! Then, it's off with all your heads!"
It was then that Lotus quickly activated her ability and watched as everyone got collared. Riddle laughed, "How's that? None of you can touch me!"
"Stop this at once, Mr. Rosehearts!" Crowley ordered with a scowl, "This isn't like you at all!"
Seeing this, Lotus pursed her lips as Cater grabbed a hold of Trey that couldn't keep a hold onto Riddle, "Trey, this is bad... If he keeps casting magic like that..."
Trey shouted out to Riddle, "Riddle! This is enough!"
However, Ace quickly cried out, "Hey, you! Not everything is going to go the way you want! Throwing a tantrum when things don't go the way you want is what makes you a baby!"
"Take that back this instant! Do you want to be run through?!" Riddle threatened red like a tomato in anger.
"No way! Absolutely not." Ace responded bluntly without backing off.
"This is seriously bad!" Cater called out in horror and began ordering the students, "Everyone get outta here!"
"Big sis!" Little Jun softly bumped his horse face in her shoulder nervously as everything began to float and the air began to spin, "Is Riddle going to be okay?"
"Wahhh..." Grim shouted in shock, "The rose trees are all starting to float around the garden...!"
"This is a huge amount of magic! Is her really going to come after us with all that?!" Deuce called out in bewilderment.
Lotus frowned and led Little Jun over to Yuu's side after watching the student panic.
"Rose trees, heed my call! To pieces with them all!!!" Riddle ordered ruthlessly.
"This is bad! Move away!" Crowley responded quickly protecting the students from the floating trees.
"Hurry and escape!" Yuu shouted to the rest of the students as he noticed a tree heading straight for Ace, "Ace!"
Lotus frowned till he noticed Trey step in with his magic pen. A light of card suits of multiple color sparkled before them. Surprised, Riddle said in bewilderment, "This is..."
"Huh? We're alive?" Ace said in surprise as he and Deuce opened their eyes to find that the trees had disappeared, "What are these? Card Suits?"
"Those rose trees have all been turned into card suits." Deuce concluded in bewilderment, "How?"
"Riddle, stop now!" Trey ordered with a frown.
"Trey's 'Doodle Suit'?!" Cater stated in surprise, "Eh... What's going on...?"
"The magic sealing collar is gone too!" Grim called out in surprise.
"I told you." Trey explained solemnly, "My 'doodle suit' can overwrite anything for a short period of time. So... I overwrote 'Riddle's magic' into 'my magic'."
"You're kidding..." Cater stated in bewilderment, "That's possible?! It's a cheat!"
"I bet it really isn't that simple." Lotus stated with a frown.
Seeing her appear out of nowhere and without a collar, Trey's eyes narrowed in confusion before nodding his head.
Riddle scowled, "Off with their head! When I have your heads...! Why won't anything but card suits appear?!"
Whenever Riddle tried to use his magic, card suits continue to appear before the students instead of collars further angering the dorm leader.
"Riddle, stop this." Trey called out to him calmly, "If you go any further you will lose everything! Look at everyone's faces!"
Sure enough, everyone began to regard him as a monster as they saw the scene around them. This was bad, but why did Trey and Cater try to stop Riddle now? Something wasn't right...