[Vol.2] Quest 121- End Of The War Games
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High in the sky.

“Nox, do you know where the flag is?”

‘It’s in my sight. Alise and the other’s there quickly cutting through the Alecto Familia.’

“That’s good. Do you think I can get there before they do?”

‘Most likely.’

Electricity dances around the metal wings, and with a flap, it sends Cirrus soaring ever faster.

He spots Nox flying over and dives.

 

“I’m coming down.”

Nox moves from her area of flight.

Cirrus swoops down at high speed and drops the Familia members he picked from the sky, who are all still knocked out as he slides back onto the ground.

Slowly walking, the armor disengages, evaporating into the air. Cirrus puts back on his Ceryneian armor, putting the mask to the side of his head.

“Hmm♪ Hmm♪ Hmm♪ Yoink!” he takes the flag and walks back. “So to the people watching from their comforts did you enjoy the War Games?" He said, looking forward. "I’m sure many of you wanted this to last longer and I am sorry, but it was rather hard to hold back… Haa… what I wouldn’t kill for some food right about now.” Cirrus sheathes Brilliant Nightmare, which was improved upon, but Cirrus found it wouldn't be necessary to use it when his hands were all that were needed.

Walking out to the plains, he could see Alise and the others coming.

“Guess I’ll just wait… shit, I left my guitar back at the flag… fuck.” Seeing how far they are, Cirrus tapped his finger.

‘Nox, do you mind if you take the flag back to base?’

‘If you come with me to shop.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah! I need some new clothes!’

‘Fine.’

Cirrus holds up the flagpole and Nox came down and grabbed it with her talons. She grew slightly bigger to carry it and flew off.

“For those watching Moon is my Familiar so no saying it’s cheating alright.”

As Cirrus waits, Alise and the others arrive to see him up on the top of the cliff with his mask on.

“You… WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS!!!” Alise shouted.

“Even more so that you have the mask and look all wrong.” Said Kaguya.

“Yeah, it didn’t look so dangerous! Or evil-looking!” said Lyra.

“… Well, that hurt my feelings.”

Cirrus dropped before them as if it was on the ledge of a curb.

'This feeling... why does it remind me of him?' thought Kaguya, looking at how lax his guard was.

“He’s strong!” said Kaguya, drawing her sword. "Get ready!"

“Don’t draw your sword Kaguya, we both know I can easily match you.”

“… I never even met you.” She said with sharp eyes. “Alise.”

“I know.”

They all draw their weapons.

“… Seems even after four years, Astraea never taught you to use caution or learn to extract information, huh?” Cirrus removed his mask, showing his face to them.

“!!”

Alise was shocked but Kaguya dropped her sword.

“C-Cirrus…”

“Uh… yeah um sorry I never told you I mean hell Ai learned faster than—“

“CIRRUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!!!!!!!!!!”

She picked up her sword again and clashed with Cirrus.

CLANG!!!

“Still a spitfire, as always, huh? KAGUYA!!!”

Cirrus then sent Kaguya back to where she was with her Familia, pushing her back with a fraction of his true strength.

“K-Kaguya is he—“

“… Tell me, is Zephyr even your real name?” Kaguya said with her sword still in hand.

Cirrus smiled as he sheathed his weapon again.

“Allow me to properly introduce myself to my Familia. My name is Cirrus Zephyr, the one fool who was stranded on an island for 4 years. Oh, and the one who won you the war game."

“Huh?”

A divine window opens up showing Astraea.

“Congratulations! The flag has been returned! We won!”

“B-but how?” said Alise.

Another window opens to show Ryuu with the flag, and Nox perched on the stone throne.

“Cirrus sent his Familiar to Lion-chan! So go round up all the Alecto Familia and return to the city!” Astraea said before they cut the feed off.

“… Cirrus was it?” Alise said, turning her head towards Cirrus.

“Yes, that’s my first name.”

“… Shall we have a rematch here!!” she said with fire in her eyes. “Loser has to collect all the Alecto Familia!”

Alise draws a pose ready to fight.

"..." Everyone was silent, looking at her.

“… Alise just helps get the damn bodies,” Cirrus said, walking back to get the bodies of Turn and the members he fried.

“Come on, let's go.” Kaguya said.

“Yea, we have many people to tie up,” said Neze.

“… W-why is everyone ignoring me!?” Alise said. “Hey! I’m the captain!! Listen to my perfect voice!!!”

 

Walking back to the city.

“So you are the Masked Prince?” Ryuu said, looking at Cirrus as well as some of the newer members.

“I really don’t like that name. Just call me Cirrus or Zephyr if you want.”

“Hm al—“

“So are you really part of our Familia!” said Iska a Amazoness.

“Uhh yeah… I am.” He said, keeping his guard up around her. “I was Astraea’s 5th child.”

“Kaguya, Alise, Lyra, Neze, how was it when he first joined?” asked Celty, an elf.

“Awkward,” Neze said.

“Awkward?” said Ryuu. “How so?”

“When we first met Cirrus, he was with the Hermes Familia. We came to ally together, and we heard of his actions in Solingen and the Kaios Desert. Astraea was angry at his actions,” Kaguya said, looking at Cirrus.

“Yes, and he disrespected Astraea right after the meeting,” Alise said.

“W-what!?” the rest of the Familia were shocked.

“If I remember right, it was right after we came to an agreement to help, but soon after no, actually, it was right after the agreement was done. Astraea confronted me on it.” Cirrus said with a snarky tone.

“You shifted the entire balance of power in the three desert countries, Cirrus! Of course, she was going to confront you on it!” shouted Kaguya.

“By the way, for you guys to know the Vritra Familia, who at the time was more or less than strong as the Alecto Familia, who left Orario and were changing the country using their high status. They were treated as royalty, so getting to them was a pain, and I was not as strong as I am now, so I decided to help their enemy in Shalzard and, well, I was called the Demon of Shalzard.”

“But… you did get rid of the Vritra Familia, right?” Ryuu asked.

“Of course, when that happened, I had already crushed their morale and with the Hermes Familia, we broke through the royal castle and sent Vritra back to heaven. Speaking of that time during my time in Shalzard, I met my familiar here.” Cirrus patted Nox’s head.

“Whoa…. but why did Astraea get angry with you?” Neze asked curiously.

“Because in that scuffle, he killed several innocent soldiers...” Alise said. “And many more horrible things.”

“They were soldiers who indulged in the depravity the Vritra Familia made, so killing them was like a cleanup job. I admit there were parts I deeply... deeply regret, but I think I’ll leave it at that. But much like you two, you guys also killed Evilus members in your youth. I mean, I'm sure none of them joined them to feed themselves or were taken advantage of, right?” he looked at Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and Neze.

“…” They all didn't look at Cirrus.

“And the funniest thing was, Alise called me a murderer, which I took great offense to, so I left to go to the dungeon to release some steam, but your captain over here decided to put me in my place." Everyone looked at Alise and she sweats a little. "Alise from the start used her magic and drew her rapier and attacked me until I decided it was enough and I punched her to the ground. If not for Astraea, I would have broken her leg.”

“So you were going to do more!!” shouted Alise. "Also... now in retrospect I am sorry I called you that. Ahem! After some of our dealings with Evilus I can't say your actions were not... needed to dismantle them."

“I said I’m going to make sure you can’t follow me and your apology is welcomed Alise. Kaguya you can keep whatever you were gonna say."

"Good, because I hate your personality," Kaguya said, glaring at Cirrus from the corner of her eye.

"Haa~," Cirrus lets out a deep sigh. "A real tragedy, a beauty, was lost to the contrast of their shit personality."

"Ooh," Ryuu said impressed, no one talked to Kaguya that way and did not get threatened with being chopped up or actually getting sliced.

"Quiet you haphephobia!!" Kaguya snapped at Ryuu. "You are the last person I wanted to hear that from your vulgar mouth! Maybe I should break your arm again back when we were kids."

"..." Ryuu kept quiet while Cirrus returned the insults.

"My, it seems that noble brain of yours has finally fallen to the same level as us peasants. If I remember and I do, you sling more cutting words than me, you brown-tongued crow. I saw shit, fuck, asshole, bitch, and every other shit a sailor would say. You say words that cut a man down and then another for good measure. Also, back then I let you DISLOCATE my arm because I am dedicated to my craft! I needed to hide who I was for, well, personal reasons." Cirrus shouted in a clear tone what she got wrong and corrected her misbeliefs.

The tension between the two was thick.

"Mm! Mm!" Alise made an L-shape with her right hand and placed it on her chin as if she came up with a brilliant idea. "You two should just hurry and, as they say in the entrainment district, bang!"

"!!!" Everyone froze before a deep silence filled the atmosphere.

"What did you fucking say??" Both Cirrus and Kaguya stare daggers at Alise.

They were so offended by this suggestion they even spoke in sync.

Alise could see both of their eyes piercing her. Kaguya was as sharp as her drawing skills while Cirrus...

'Oh, Astraea! Oh, Astraea! Oh, Astraea!' Alise thought to herself, regretting her joke. 'W-wait?' Alise looked at Cirrus's eyes and she swore his eyes were slowly beginning to swirl.

It was so bad that Alise, despite having a brave and carefree face, was shaking horribly. Her hands were vibrating and her legs seemed as if the wind could blow her over.

Seeing this Asta, a dwarf of the Familia decided to change the topic before they lose their captain.

“W-w-what happened after Astraea stepped in?” Asta said, a bit scared to get involved in this tense situation that needed to be diffused.

Cirrus looked at the Asta and saw how scared she and everyone else were in this situation. Except for Lyra, she was loving this.

"Fuuuu~," Cirrus let out a deep breath. He calmed himself and forgot what Alise had said. "Nothing. She apologized to me for her children’s behavior and I left. We would meet occasionally when on patrol, but I mostly didn't interact with them much, even after I converted."

“That… Yeah. I can see it.” Celty said, grasping what might have been those early days working with one another.

"Good," Kaguya said, also calming down. "Then let's get moving. We wasted enough time talking."

As everyone was about to return to walking, Lyra chimed in.

“So… are you going to be staying at the Familia home?” Lyra asked with a grin, wanting more of this tension.

“!?!?”

           Everyone stopped. They wanted to strangle this Pallum.

Cirrus however kept walking while still dragging the bodies of the unconscious Alecto Familia.

“No, I live with my aunt.”

'But I do have a room... guess I'll keep that to myself.'

“Oh…” everyone said but Lyra.

"Tch. No fun." Lyra said.

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