Everything comes with a price.

A phrase so old that it's transcended time.

After the auction ended, Drew left the rifle in temporary care with Gerald. Now he was lying in his twin-sized bed back at home. Even though it was summer vacation, his schedule was packed to the brim—meetings with high-profile individuals above and below. The Avian could feel his head throb even without meeting them in person. Unfortunately, he didn't have to luxury to complain since he put himself in his current situation.

Every action comes with a consequence.

More than ever, Drew felt the urgent need to increase his strength. In his current state, he couldn't take down the Obtainer. To make matters worse, the Obtainer would know that Drew, the student, was the assistant of Snow. Plus, it was all over social media but not because he was posting. Since the Crow's Eye was doing all it could to delay the Obtainer, it would only be logical for the Earthling to contact Drew.

Drew felt his face heat up. Since he would be the first contact, there was a lot of pressure on him not to spill the beans. He had blurted his idea out in the car to Jay, but only now did he understand how unprepared he was. One wrong move, and for sure, he would be done for.

Wait. He paused in his original train of thought. If he was using himself as bait, wouldn't that make him even more valuable to the Obtainer?

Drew was the only public connection to Snow. If the madman decided to kill him right off the bat, he would lose his only direct lead. Plus, any logical person would instead take the path of least resistance. Furthermore, Drew himself was a student at Star Military Academy. Even though he was only a Low-Class student, if he were killed, he would be the second person found dead at Star within a year.

If that happened, people would question Star's ability to protect students and faculty. Thus Star would have to address the public by catching the perpetrator to restore their image. No matter how powerful an individual was, having one of the strongest Military Academies on your tail was not the wisest decision. Even if the Obtainer managed to bribe someone or find a scapegoat to take the blame, he would still incur a loss.

However, Drew forgot something vital. If the Obtainer was coming for him, that meant he could target his friends. He couldn't allow them to get involved in his affairs.

"I'll need him to direct his attention towards the student Drew. As long as I act normal and don't suspect a thing, I think I can avoid a serious clash with him. Ignorance is bliss."

If anything, the more people involved with this, the messier it'll become. In Drew's particular case, less was more.

"Why is he so obsessed with the Phantom Rifle?" The Avian asked himself while staring at the ceiling. "There's no way for him to activate it unless he's a member of the Night Family. He's too desperate to want it just as a collector's item. I wonder if someone hired him to procure it for them. It would make sense that way too."

He pursed his lips together, contemplating the possible reasons why such a guy would require a "broken" weapon.

"Let's not make assumptions."

>>>

Long after Drew had fallen into a deep slumber in the comfort of his room, Jay returned to report the situation to his father.

"The Young Master has yet another target on his back." Neilson let out an exasperated sigh. "And yet you're telling me he plans to use himself as bait?"

Jay nodded, acknowledging his father's statement.

"It's a reckless idea, but the Young Master believes it's for the best. If we send in anyone else to keep an eye on him 24/7, the Obtainer will notice."

"If that's the case, Jason-"The older Feline paused. "Your role is more important than ever. You are the only one who can watch the Young Master. His life is worth more than anyone else's. Remember that. We exist to serve him. Understood?"

Jay inhaled a breath of cold air. His Feline ears perked upon hearing the responsibility bestowed on him. It excited and scared him for what was in store for him.

"Affirmative, Father."

>>>

The creaky Tavern door flung open at eleven in the morning. With a duffel bag resting comfortably on his shoulder, a panting Drew wandered over to the long bar counter where Gerald had prepared an ice-cold glass of water. The Avian snatched the glass in front of him and chugged it down.

"You seem drained, Young Master," Gerald said, putting the finished glass away.

Drew groaned, placing his forehead on the counter. "Let's recap what just happened the last three days. I killed a bunch of people at Heartman Manor, which I don't even want to think about. I learned that the Hunters are planning something involving my friend and classmate. Then, I acquired the Phantom Rifle as planned, but now I have a crazy guy on my tail."

"This is just the beginning of the second phase."

Drew whined, "You're so cold, Gerald! I'm seriously gonna end up dead at this rate!"

Gerald chuckled.

"We are on a time crunch, Young Master. It was necessary to impose such responsibilities on you."

The green-haired Avian rolled his head around and pouted.

"Can't I be a potato?!"

"I'm afraid not."

"Anyways, do you mind elaborating on what the next phase of my training entails?"

"Short or long version?"

"Short."

"Poison resistance, emotion control, bounty hunting, weapon mastery, and Techniques."

As if everything else had been tuned out, Drew exclaimed, "I get to learn Techniques?!"

"You indeed heard me correctly."

"That's great!"

Gerald grinned, polishing some glasses the Tavern hadn't used in months.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You've only just mastered the basics. Now I would like you to get adjusted to more complicated movements."

Having his expectations crushed, Drew rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"How do you suggest I do that?"

A familiar yet scary expression formed on Gerald's face. Drew had a feeling that whatever he had in mind would put him in for a world of hurt.

"Familiarize yourself with this place today."

>>>

"Hey, hey, this must be some weird coincidence…" Drew found himself in the middle of Ozwarth, standing before a dome-shaped building that occupied over half the block. Above the entrance was a yellow holographic sign that read Wyn Dojo. "I knew Brix was from a well-to-do family, but I didn't imagine this."

Wyn Dojo was the best and largest Dojo in Kraus. With alums ranging from actors to Intergalactic Warriors and even Royals, the Wyn Dojo was the go-to place to train on the planet. Even in Compulsory Education, many of his classmates often had memberships at the Dojo and received additional guidance. Drew had always dreamed of setting foot in there, but he never could until this moment.

"Drew!" A familiar blond-haired Harpy called his name. "I didn't realize you'd come this early."

The Avian shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Wanted to take a look around before sparring with Elias. I got myself a membership not too long ago. Been dying to see what perks I get along with it."

"You've made an excellent decision." The Harpy beamed. "Come on!"

Following Brix through the entry, Drew marveled at how pristine the facility was. The polished epoxy floor glistened as the sunlight passing through the domed roof reflected off it. Tens of rows of treadmills, testing machines, stationary bikes, rowing machines, and much more were scattered across the vast space. There were even areas designated for a swimming pool, an ice skating rink, and an Academy-sized stadium. Heck, they were all state-of-the-art too.

"Why didn't you tell us your family owned Wyn Dojo?"

"You guys never asked which one," Brix replied, folding her hands behind her back. "I didn't want to come across as a rich kid."

Drew rolled his eyes, not sure what to make of her response.

"You call yourself rich? That's an understatement!"

"Also, I need to correct you. My family owns this Dojo, not me. We're also talking about four generations of Harpies, including extended relatives and in-laws who run this place."

"Then what do your parents do?"

"Oh," The Harpy's eyes widened. "They work in the Hospitality Department here. My mother is part of the Main Family, youngest of twenty, so our slice of the business is pretty insignificant. My pops, on the other hand, is a receptionist here. The only perk we get is a free Dojo membership, and that's about it. As for kids like me who don't even get a piece of the big cake, we're on our own."

"Still, I'd take free membership here any day-"

Suddenly, the Harpy stopped. Her brows raised upon Drew finishing his comment.

"Huh, you paid for the entire thing?!"

"My hard-earned salary. As much as my boss overworks me, I get compensated well."

Brix let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hands on her hips.

"Geez, Drew. You know you could've asked me for a membership. You're in my friend group, so you could've gotten it for free!"

"I can't keep being a tightwad forever, and I surely don't want to take advantage of you either." Drew smiled, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass on this one."

Brix scoffed, her green ear feathers fluffing up and down as she did.

"Alright, I won't force it then. C'mon, Elias is already here."

After leading Drew through a maze of hallways and rooms, Brix scanned her bracelet on one of the scanners along the left wall. Then, almost seamlessly, the wall parted away, revealing a completely white training room interior with nothing besides a floating gray orb off in the corner. Heck, there weren't even windows, either. Aside from the gray orb, the only other thing that stood out in the room was the familiar muscular frame of an orange-haired guy who stood 190 centimeters in height.

"You made it, Birdo!" Elias ran over to greet Drew.

"Wouldn't wanna miss out on the chance to spar with you again." Drew smiled fist bumping Elias.

Elias grinned, retracting his hand away from Drew's.

"You bet!"

Out of the blue, Drew felt a gloomy presence coming from behind him. Over his shoulder, the Nightengale saw a silver-haired Unicron crouching in one of the corners closest to the door. His back pressed against one of its white walls while his head was buried into his knees. His glasses also fell off the bridge of his knows where Drew could see his exhausted eyes, which were flooded with tears.

"What happened to Rider?"

"I made him undergo a SIMPLE training regimen with me today." The Harpy answered, poking a drained Rider on his shoulder. "200 pushups, 200 sit-ups, 200 squats, and a five-kilometer run. Twice."

"That's pretty harsh for a non-combat position."

Elias nodded in agreement.

"He doesn't look okay…"

"Kill me please-"The Unicron sobbed. "KILL ME!"

Brix shook her head from side to side, unsure what to make of Rider.

"It's a matter of survival, Rider Khan! You are by far the wimpiest Medic I have ever encountered. Even the ones in Compulsory Education are stronger than you! We are in a time when Beasts can kill us any moment!"

"Aughhhhh!" Tears streamed down Rider's face.

"Why aren't you saying anything?!" Brix ordered in a drill sergeant tone.

The Unicron bawled, "I can't arguh becaush you're right! No shympathy!!"

Concern made its way to Drew's face.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He did this to himself. The reality check was necessary. Don't worry about it; he's perfectly okay to help with healing."

Knock.

Knock.

Goes a knocking sound attracting everyone's attention to an odd-eyed Feline.

"I brought some water." The Feline announced, placing the crate of water bottles next to Rider.

"Thanks a bunch, Jay."

"No problem, Elias."

Suddenly, everyone's wristbands vibrated. A message from Wan scrolled across their screens.

Wan: Hiyah, everyone! Our train ran late, so we'll be there in a couple minutes~! You can start without us ;3 !

Drew glanced at Elias.

"If that's the case, care to explain to us what we're doing, Tangerine."

"Definitely!" The orange-haired Human smirked. "To make things short, I want to spar with you all. Specifically Drew, Jay, Brix, and Sylvia. All four of you are direct-combat Positions specializing in aspects I don't have as a Gunner. Ever since the semester started, Star hasn't allowed us to truly test our capabilities against others properly, and since we're getting the chance to leave the city soon, we should prepare as much as possible in the meantime-"

What a load of bull crap. Drew said to himself. There's something else going on. He implicitly mentioned it on the AirTrain ride.

But as much as Drew wanted to call him out for it, he decided it was better not to. After all, sticking one's head into places they didn't belong, especially their friends, was insensitive. Plus, it was a surefire way to agitate Elias, which Drew did not want to deal with. Burning bridges after only this long was something the Avian wished to avoid by all means.

Before he could even snap out of his thoughts, Elias had put his face a few centimeters from Drew.

"Okay, Birdo! You're first."

Startled by how close the Human was, Drew jolted back. Of course, Elias didn't miss the opportunity to get a good laugh.

"Caught you off guard, didn't I?" He gleamed, combing through his orange hair.

The Avian jabbed the Human in the shoulder with dissatisfaction.

"Not cool!"

As much as he wanted to cuss out at Elias for doing that, he didn't want him to bask in more joy than he was from ticking the Avian off.

"Hey," Brix interrupted from another part of the room, tapping on the gray orb. "What weapons do you two want to use?"

"Shortsword and buckler*, please. Sixty centimeters for the blade and 30-centimeter diameter for the buckler." Drew replied, placing his bag next to the sobbing Unicron.

*A/N: I decided to change the shield to buckler for Drew because that's technically more accurate.

"Classic Scout weapons," Brix smirked as one part of the wall adjacent to her folded away, revealing standard titanium weapons that matched Drew's preferences. "And for you, El?"

"Tonfas. Fifty centimeters, if you will."

Everyone's eyes widened as soon as Elias finished his requests. It was timed perfectly that when the wall unfolded to reveal Elias's weapons, even they fell out of it.

"Argh, stupid renters!" Brix huffed, scrambling to pick up the tonfas from the ground.

"Elias, are you sure using an unfamiliar weapon is okay?" Drew asked, questioning Elias's choice. "Aren't you a Gunner?"

"It's fine. I've been practicing lately. I'm lacking in close combat compared to the rest of you, so I want to see how I fare."

Something must've evoked this change. Was it the incident at the Heartman Manor?

"Oh! That makes sense!" Drew suddenly blurted, fetching his weapons from Brix.

Brix looked at him in confusion.

"What makes sense?"

The Avian quickly responded, "Just why Elias wants to do this."

I think I might've partially been the cause of that. After all, I did manage to escape him before he shot his pistols during the fray.

"Okay, annoying bird!" Elias smirked, thrusting his tonfas at Drew's chest. "Are you ready?!"

"Of course," The Avian reciprocated, his shortsword pushing aside Elias's tonfa. "Ready as I'll ever be, monkey!"