Titania was sitting on her seat at the academy looking out of the window and observing how the other students were slowly arriving. She had been dreadfully early, too early for being nervous about this entire spying on someone deal, which would most likely not be very helpful to her mission or the Plan. 

A Plan as crazy as her sister when she was making out with Emery on a bad day and that could cause consequences of epic proportions in the form of temper tantrums. 

She looked at her bag, a little treasure modified to hold exponentially more than it was supposed to from external volume. It was stuffed to the nines with munition, potions, and one-time use charms. That aside, she was decked in armor that would make most households go poor. It was concealed underneath loose sport clothing in the form of a black pair of pants, a white shirt and a sports jacket, alongside a pair of military boots. The armor was impossible to see, but she felt it with every move. 

The thin fabric woven into an undershirt and a pair of pants that felt like a second skin, light as a feather but covered in embroidery, had a heavier set coming along with it but that would have overdone things more than it already did. 

She knew Lyle was near, and she was certain that Dex was too. Her magic was somewhat tuned onto his since it was the reason he developed any in the first place, like some kind of wavelength that was there, telling her where he was. She hadn't noticed that in the beginning, but the longer he was around her the more obvious it was. 

"Oh dear, this is early even for you, Tarajan." The teacher said, unlike Titania, she was wearing a visible armor of a colorful red variant and with scales of metal covering her body.

"Hi, teacher." Titania greeted her, earning a suspicious look. 

"You are not wea...." Before the teacher could even attempt to finish her phrase, Titania slipped out of her jacket and showed the teacher the tattoo-like coverings of her armor that ran down her arms until they ended at her hands a thin silvery ring holding it tight there so it would not move. 

"I am wearing armor," She said, and pointed to her bag, "...and I have plenty to defend myself with, no worries." 

The teacher let out a sigh, "Thank god, it is probably for the best, I am pretty sure some others will not take this seriously and just come in their school uniform." 

"Don't worry, I don't believe anyone would be tha..." she looked to the entrance where one of her classmates walked into the classroom in uniform and sport shoes, "...I take back what I was about to say." 

Her teacher meanwhile built herself up and approached the offender with a resigned and half angry look on her face, preparing to give the poor one the tongue lashing of a lifetime. Completely oblivious to the fact that the regretful boy had already realized what he had done wrong.

Amita waltzed into the room, her body decked in a light gray armor that left little for imagination underneath the long coat that almost reached the floor. Amita, while ignoring everyone and shooting a cold glance at Titania, sat down on her seat and waited for the other students to arrive. Slowly, one after another, they entered the classroom; most of them were carrying weapons and armor, much to the teacher’s relief. 

The boys all remained still a moment seeing Amita in her clothes, before they continued on their way trying not to blush. Indeed, bikini armor of the kind Amita wore was a sight, but it was not that unusual since wind magic users like her all followed the belief that the less clothing the better; mobility, speed, and precision were their butter and bread. 

After the teacher was finished with her rant she stopped herself and observed them all with a sharp look. 

"Well then I guess we can go now." she said and sighed. "All except you." she pointed at the ones that had no armor on looking at the clock. "And those who are la..."

"I am sorry for tardiness!" Mikki stormed in through the door, "Could not find armor in my boxes." He said, and was standing there slightly out of breath, wearing light and flexible armor like was common among mental mages like him. On his back, he had a sleek gun that reminded Titania of a rifle. 

"Good, then let us go." The teacher clapped her hands and everyone followed her as she marched through the hallway and downstairs towards the bus already waiting for them. 

"Why don't we take the teleportation array?" one of the students asked and the teacher sighed again. 

"Teleportation arrays are unstable if used for multiple people one right after the other, or groups, hence why we do not use them.'' The teacher said as Titania settled down in the bus right at the front, closed her eyes and swallowed nervosity. She couldn't screw it up, she had to remain her usual self. 

"Hi." Mikki greeted her. 

"Hi." she answered and suddenly faced a lack of words before smiling and asking the very first thing that came to her mind, "How are you?" 

"I'm fine, exhausted, lifting boxes and running around all day." He said and smiled, "And you?"

"Alright I guess… I'm a bit worried about the excursion." She said and smiled, and it was even the truth, more or less, as she was worried about the scheme going off deathly wrong. 

"It will be fine, I watch out for you." Mikki said and smiled, raising his fist, "No worry." 

Titania raised her hand back and smiled in return, "Alright, relying on you then, Mikki." She fist bumped him back with a smile and shoved her nervosity into a deep dark corner. Behind her she saw the glint of Lyle’s silver and knew Dex was with him, now hopefully all would go well. She fiddled with her fingers and looked outside at the passing jungle-like forest that slowly grew thicker and thicker. She was a bit uncertain about how long they had been driving when the bus stopped at a road-end, from here on the hunter zones began. 

All of them were ushered out of the bus and formed a line in front of the teacher. She herself raised a hand and held up three fingers, "There are a few rules here I will tell you and you will keep them. No family advantages, no bratty misbehavior. First, each and every of you will work in small teams, you may choose with whom but there has to be at least one combat type and three people total. Second, I will be handing you maps, no one, NO ONE, is allowed to leave the perimeters marked down on it. Third, Any of you who comes up with the stupid idea of wanting to get rid of someone else they do not like, will not only get suspended, but also find their assess beaten by me till Timbuktu and back! Understood?"

Everyone nodded, they knew how serious the teacher was being. 

"Want to team with me?" Mikki asked her and Titania nodded. 

"Sure." She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. 

Spares me having to ask you myself. 

It felt strange as they were waiting for the last person to join in on their team. But all had paired themselves up leaving only a small girl that Titania did not even know the name of. She walked over to them hesitatingly while looking at the floor. 

"I-I am E-Emy!'' She introduced herself energetically before backing away blushing. "I-I..." she stared at Mikki and almost immediately walked to Titania. 

"Well, introduce we should." Mikki said, completely unbothered by Emy's behavior, "I am Mikael, call me Mikki. Combat Telepath."

"Titania. Oath Mage." she said and smiled at her wondering why the ever living hell she could not remember the girl. 

"E-Emy. I am an Vanisher"

A Vanisher, whoa, meaning she can influence the memories and impresion of people around her becoming invisible in both and not only in person, no wonder I cannot remember her in detail. Luckily I am in a higher Order. Most vanishers subconsciously influence people around them to forget about them once someone sees them as a natural defense mechanism that even ignores the influence of charms since it is not an active use. 

"Nice to have you, Emy." Titania said and their gazes went back to the teacher who was demanding their attention again. 

"I have your maps here, especially weaker Combatants stay in proximity of the road." She said, "That goes for all of you. In doubt it is best if you run, no need to seek death, although I highly doubt it will come to that. For safety, I have prepared some crystals for you as well, these will automatically form a protection shield for you that should keep away every monster from eighth order and above for several hours if necessary." 

The maps and crystals were handed out to everyone and looking at it Titania shook her head, she may be spoiled there but if this crystal was keeping of a seventh order monster she would be surprised, it was nowhere near Chrys crafting and crystals were not her strong suit, she would fare better using her potions as means of defense. 

"Then let's go." Mikki said and with a look at the teacher who was accompanying another group for now, they walked into the forests. At first, the wild was still walkable but soon the terrain became uneven and behind them Emy started to pant loudly. 

"You need to tone your panting down, Emy." Titania told her and the small girl looked up to her with wonder, "It makes too much noise and might attract some..." next to them Mikki shot something with his handgun, and at the bottom they saw a small monster spider that had approached them. Insignificant and pretty harmless. 

Titania looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders pointing at Emy who had paled quite a bit more at the sight of the spider when, suddenly, a loud howl thundered through the forest. Birds rose from the trees and dispersed, all of them still where they were and MIkki readied his gun while Titania drew her handguns as well. 

"We need to get out." Mikki said his eyes were sharp and Titania agreed, it should be too early for the plan to act, behind them they heard a sound and Titania twirled around to see a flash of silver. 

Once. 

Twice. 

Plan, but a tad early no?

Emy was on the first ground, pale as a sheet sweating. She had fallen unconscious on them. 

"Damn it." Titania muttered and looked at the direction the howl had come from with a worried expression, by now it was deathly silent in the forest, nothing was there, not even the leaves dared to rustle. 

It seems Chry, we will be getting our out of proportion monster to win Mikki's trust just according to how we wanted. 

She licked her lips and put her guns away to pick up Emy. "Let’s get out of here." she said and Mikki nodded, with Emy on her back the three of them made their way out of the forest. If that found them they would be far beyond the state of trouble, they would be in deep shit. 

Perfect stage to play hero.