Inside her parent's room with Taylor beside her. Her parents stares at her for a solid minute. Laura got on her knees and bowed down to them.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry that I left the family. It was a shameful thing to do as both swordsmen and sorcerer."
"Get up, Laura."
She raised her head and her parents rushed to hug her.
"Forgive you? How could you forgive us? Laura I was a bad father.
"I wasn't a very good mom to you either, Laura."
"We have no excuse for our actions. You ran because you hated this family and you had every right to. We're very, very sorry, Laura."
The three hugged for a good, long minute. Taylor smiled from the side. He joined in. "Great reunion, guys."
"Shut up, Tay."
Taylor chuckled.
Back to the outside lounge
"Dan, may I ask you a question?" Lewis asks
"Yeah, sure." Dan allows
"What is the relationship of you and Laura?"
"We're partners." He replied while shrugging his shoulders
"Partners in a romantic way, perhaps?" Lewis assumes
"Huh? Oh, no. Maybe. I don't know. We're just partnered as sorcerers and she's just a friend." Dan replied
"I see. But, I can tell clearly that you care so much about her."
"Yeah, I do. She's helped me through some tough stuff, this is the least I could do, y'know?"
"I understand."
Then the two stayed silent for a minute. Taking in the air. Until they were ultimately disturbed by Taylor teleporting in.
"Hey, you, Dark sorcerer!" Taylor
Dan turned around and looked at him. "It's Dan."
"Whatever."
"What do you want?" Dan said as he approached Taylor
Taylor looked extremely annoyed. He had his head hung low, eyes shut, scratching the back of his head. He looked like he was struggling. Dan had no clue what he was doing.
"What's the matter with you?"
"Th-thanks for bringing my sister back here." He said as he dashed away
"Oh, you're welcome." He said, whispering under his breath
Dan then skipped a heartbeat. His heart clenched. His body felt hotter, his heartbeat had never been as fast. He had a sudden spike of adrenaline. His hands started twitching.
"Are you okay, Dan?" Lewis worries
"Yeah, I think I am. Sorry." Dan replied
Dan stretched his back and arms. Then he turns to Lewis. "Can I walk around the place?" He asks permission
"Would you like me to be your guide?"
"No, it's fine."
Dan then walked through a door within the hallway. It was another hallway. Looks like a bedroom section. At the end of the hall was another door. Dan kept walking forwards. Pass the bedroom doors and through the door. He ended up in a big field. A crowd surrounds the field. Loud clashing of metal blades could be heard clearly. He walks closer to the crowd and could saw Taylor fighting. He recognizes his clothes and body posture. But, as he wanted to take a closer look, the crowd closes the gap for his view.
He sighed and sank to his shadow. He resurfaced at the front of the crowd. The crowd that saw him were surprised. They almost drew their blades. But, they decided not to.
Dan finally gets to see all the ruckus, he sat on the ground, folding his legs. It was Taylor fighting Laura. The two grinned, smiled, and laughed as they clash their blades.
"They're definitely siblings." Dan whispered under his breath.
From the general looks of the fight, Laura seemed to be equally skilled as Taylor is in swordsmanship. But, their mana wavelengths are definitely different. Taylor has this strong, bold, and precise impression of his wavelength. While Laura's was strong, gentle, and delicate. That's what Dan thought.
And Laura lost. She lost after getting disarmed and an aikido take down.
The crowd then applauded the two. Dan followed to applaud. Then Taylor and Laura looked at Dan. Laura waved at him, he waves back. Taylor looks annoyed.
A sudden, Dan's neck was met with a blade from his right. He sighed and looked to his right.
"Pardon?" Dan said calmly
"Who the hell are you?" A girl. She wears the same clothes as Laura does, same kind of blade, same color, different stylized guard, however. Her hair the same color as Taylor and Laura's. It was tied back.
"Oh, hey, Willow! That's Dan, my friend."
"Your friend?" She looks at Laura with a disgusted look on her face. She looks back at Dan and he was gone.
"Where'd he..."
"Careful now, you don't want to be annihilated, do ya?"
A chill ran down Williow's spine. She notices something different from Dan.
"Just kidding!" He laughs
"Answer me! Who are you?" Willow progressively
"Laura's friend. Why?"
"Willow, calm down. What is it?" Laura budges
"I think she's sensing me. Not you, Dan." Jon said
"Is that possible?" Dan asks
"Yeah, probably. I've never done it." Jon shrugged
Dan then stood up slowly. The blade was still pointed at his neck. Dan perches his hand on the blade and slowly lowers it. Willow couldn't bring herself to move.
"I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Daniel Fash, Dark sorcerer. Call me Dan."
Willow struggles to move. She's confused as to why she couldn't. "Why can't I move?" She thought.
"Shadow Hold. Holds you immobile."
Dan then dispels it. Willow could finally move again. She took offense from his spell. She swings her blade upwards. Just as it reached Dan's chest, he stops the blade with his hand. Backed with "Black Envelope: Arm Gauntlets".
"So that's how it is."
Taylor pulled Laura into the crowd as the crowd were backing away from the field. A blue blast of light flashed in everyone's eyes. Dan disappeared from Willow's sight and was suddenly behind her. He grabs the back of her shirt and threw her to the middle of the field.
"Dan, I don't think she's on the same level as Laura." Jon said
"Yeah, Laura's better." Dan claimed
"No, I don't think so." Jon replied
"Then, what do you mean?"
"Don't take a single slash from her blade. Got it?"
"Don't worry. I'll b-"
Willow dashed from a dozen feet away. Closing the distance in an instant. Her blade was glowing pinkish white, closing in on his head. Dan dives into his shadow, the blade clips a bit of his hair. He resurfaces in the middle of the field.
Willow lands her feet on the ground and slides around. She hung her sword low in front of her. Then she thrusts gently—with both hands—to the ground, a foot away from her. She raises her left knee to her chest. She tilts her blade, facing up. She stomps the ground at the same time she raises her blade. She lowers her body to and stood on one knee as her blade arched above her and stops adjacent to the ground. As she performs the set of moves, a blast of white sharp and piercing tides of mana. "Night's High Tide" was the spell she used.
Laura was awestruck. Taylor then puts his hand on Laura's shoulder. "She's been training hard since you disappeared."
"I get it, but... Why?"
"I don't know. She said she'll only ever tell you why, though she didn't even know if you were still alive."
"They thought I died?"
"Well, I've searched all of Libra myself. Couldn't find you."
"Because Kai took me in."
"That prick."
"Do you still hate him?"
"Yes."
"How's the clan?"
"Going fine. That patriarchal system's gone. The head can be a female now. Factions, squads, whatever, females can lead them or join them. Willow is the leader of a faction she created."
"What faction?"
"Some faction called Twelve Moons. She's lacking members, though."
"Are you in it?"
"I am. Since you're back, join us."
"Uhh... I don't know."
"It'll be fine. You just need to be able to use 'Moonlight's Grace'."
"Moonlight's Grace?"
"Yup, I'll explain later."
Dan was trying his absolute best to not get in his own way against Willow. Every slash of her blade, every mana slash she unleashed could mean death for him. She had absolute control of her mana slash spells, she dispelled them after they missed and when they were adjacent to the crowd.
"Dan, you're losing." Jon said
"No shit!" Dan thought loudly
"Ready?" Jon said
"GO!" Dan yelled
A bright purple flame burned in Dan's eyes. Willow, Laura, and Taylor notices it. Then a blue flash of light, a dome around the entire mansion complex. No one blinked, those who closed their eyes mid-blink didn't open their eyes. Willow was stuck mid-swing. A trail of bright white flash mana followed her blade and was waiting to be unleashed.
Dan walked forth slowly. He stopped halfway to Willow and glanced to his left. Laura caught his eye. He walks over to her instead. He looked at her. Deep into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Laura." He said whispering under his breath.
He turns to Willow and dashes whilst simultaneously closing the dome. He finally lands a punch at her abdomen, not backed by any spell however. He didn't want to hurt her. She falls on her butt and her spell was disrupted and it was dispelled.
"Are we done here, Willow?" Dan asks
"Tch." She quickly stood up
Dan then walked away from the field and to headed outside. Quickly going through the doors he passed. He grit his teeth. He feels angry and uneasy. As he made it to the lobby, he met Arthur Crescent, the family's current head, Laura's dad. Along with his wife, Laura's mother.
"And where are you going?" The dad asks
"Out."
"Why?"
"Because I can't stand myself." Dan replied
"Lewis talked to me about you looking for the Death Flower. Why?" The dad asks
"Related to the sorcerer, I think you know about, Shujin."
"Ah, him. Yes, Kai talked about it. Please, have a seat. We'll talk."
Dan followed and sat at the couch across of Arthur and his wife.
"Daniel, was it?"
"Daniel Fash, but call me Dan."
"Arthur Crescent. So, about the Death Flower, I don't know what she looked like I'm afraid. She wore a mask. Gold color. Master of all kinds of melee weapons. From a basic knife to a three piece staff. A scythe, chakrams, boomerangs, all sorts of stuff. A brilliant marksmen, too."
"I'm not here for how good she was as an assassin."
"Right, sorry."
"Anything else, sir? A real name?"
"No, sorry. I know an informant that can help you. Her name is Yui Hara."
"Where can I find her?"
"I'll tell you for one request."
"What's that?"
Arthur then went silent. He was rubbing his hands together. Dan can see gears turning inside Arthur's head. Though he doesn't know what for. The suspension is killing him
"Stay for tonight's party. You're Laura's partner, right? Stay for her. At least."
"Okay."
Arthur then was surprised by Dan's answer. It caught him off guard.
"I was never gonna leave for good. I was just gonna go and clear my head. But, I guess I don't need to now."
"Oh, good then. You're already dressed, too."
"Okay, I'll help with what's needed."
"Dan, thank you for everything you've done for Laura. The lengths you've gone for her. We thank you very much."
"Uhh... It's nothing."
"How long have you been together?"
"Together? We're just sorcerer partners. We're not dating."
"Oh, sorry that I assumed. Just so you know, if you were, we approve."
"Uhh... Thanks."