“What do you mean the Stormshine’s?” Elaina said, abandoning any attempt to subtly push the conversation. She need to know what Myriala was talking about, and now. But it was too late. Myriala’s face of disgust was frozen, unmoving as the last bit of life had slipped from her. “Damnit…”

Elaina ran over to Tira. She was laying on the ground, wincing in pain as she clutched her side. “Fuck, those things are sharp, Elaina.”

“Yeah,” Elaina said, pulling Tira’s hands away and looking at the wound beneath. Thanks the gods. It was long, but not deep, bleeding, but not profusely. “We should probably tie this off just to be safe. Can you change back to your uniform?”

“Can I… Gods, I think I can.” Tira closed her eyes, and the crystal dust appeared once more, circling around her and replacing her bodysuit with her uniform. It was still soaked of course, but someone completely unmarred besides. “Elaina, what the fuck is going on?”

“It’s a long story… I’ll explain on the way back. Can I use part of your jacket to try and staunch the blood?”

“Yeah, of course. Whole thing’s gonna be ruined after this anyway. But are you okay?”

“Uh-huh. It hurts, but I’ll live; I can move.”

Elaina helped Tira get her jacket off and them ripped off one of the sleeves, tying it around Tira’s waist where the blood was seeping into her white shirt. 

She also finally remembered she was naked. 

Blushing, Elaina willed her own uniform back, or what was left of it at least. It was interesting, that the crystal dust spun around both her and the discarded dress on the ground before replacing her shirt back onto her body.

“So… you too, huh?” Tira asked.

Elaina nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

“How long?”

“Uhm, the night we first met. Like, less than an hour before you caught me in the halls.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah… Uhm, can I wear your jacket again? I, uh, had another wardrobe mishap.”

Tira chuckled a little, stifling it with her hand and then wincing before grabbing her side. “Sorry, not really the time to be laughing at that sort of thing, I know. Go ahead.”

Elaina pulled the jacket over her body, grateful for at least a little bit more coverage, even if she knew she’d appear ridiculous having just torn of one of the sleeves. “How do I look?” 

Tira chuckled once more, clutching her side again. “Silly. Not quite as sexy as last night.”

“Elaina,” the System said.

“Gods,” Tira replied, staring at the orb on the ground. “You know that thing scared the shit out of me the first time it talked?”

“Go ahead, System,” Elaina said. Catching Tira up would be important, but the System usually only interrupted if it was something important.

“These crystals, the ones from Myriala, are powerful and dangerous. All the Red Order crystals are, but hers are magnitudes more powerful. We must keep them safe.”

Elaina sighed. “I can’t exactly carry those things back into school without anyone noticing.”

“Perhaps it would be best to keep them in the cave with my main core then. That is already an inadvisably unprotected space, but there are not many things we can do about that as of now, and it is better than leaving them out in the open.”

“Right, sounds good.” Elaina walked over to Myriala’s body, stomach turning at the thought of moving the pieces around. To her surprise though the crystals didn’t seem to be attached anymore, each one having separated from the skin they were attached too and fallen off, and blood on them washed into the ground by the rain. 

Thankful for small blessings, she started rounding them up, placing the small ones in her bag before dumping its contents into the cave and then tossing the two giant blades down there as well. We’ll need to come back and make sure they’re more properly hidden tomorrow, but Tira needs help right now. 

She tossed the System into her bag and then walked over to her friend. “I’m gonna pick you up, alright?”

“Uhm, sure, but are you sure you’re strong enough to— Whoah!”

Elaina couldn’t help but smirk a little as she lifted Tira up, and she thought Tira even had a slight blush, barely able to be seen in the weather. The sight almost distracted her from the pain across her shoulder, enough so that the primary sensation was now her arousal instead. “Classes make us physically stronger too.”

“Oh, right,” Tira said, looking away slightly. “I mean, I knew that, of course, from the stories, but I didn’t know if that part was literally true, you know?”

“Mmhm.” It’s coming now, any second.

“So, like, what’s your class?” There it is.

Elaina sighed, shaking her head as she walked Tira through the forest. “Masochist Mage,” she muttered.

Another spurt of laughter from Tira as she tried to cover her mouth once more. “Sorry, sorry, I just… didn’t expect something so similar to mine. I’m a Sadist Striker, apparently.”

“Yeah, I know. I can see your class information. I’m… Well, it’s called System Administrator, so I can see everyone’s classes.”

Tira blinked. “Everyone’s?”

“Well, you and Carline, and my own. We’re the only three right now.”

“Oh, your roommate, right? She’s nice, came to me about your uniform.”

“Yeah, and helped you play that prank on me this morning too,” Elaina said, her smile returning once more. “Gods, do you know how scared I was?”

“It wasn’t a prank, I promise! I really wanted to give it to you this morning, but you were just so sound asleep…”

“I really thought I had no clothes. And then the underwear situation too… You know I had fencing class, in the rain, with no bra?”

Tira’s eyes went wide, mouth agape. “Okay, I don’t know your schedule, and I told you where your underwear was!”

Elaina chuckled. “I know… It was my choice. And kind of fun, to be honest.”

Tira sighed, looking relieved. “Glad it was fun at least. I really would never do that to you, leave you stranded somewhere without talking to you about it first. Did Ranlit rake you over the coals for being braless?”

Elaina blushed, shaking her head. The storm was starting to clear now, so her face was probably visible. “No, but she made a comment about it.”

“Must’ve been in a good mood. She’s known for being quite a hardass at times.”

“Like you, ‘Iron Whip Tira?’”

Tira’s head whipped up, looking genuinely offended. “Who the fuck is calling me that? Wait, is it that Stouth girl? I swear she’s—”

“Elaina!” a voice called from up ahead, just outside the treeline, back on the school grounds proper. Carline?

“I’m here!” Elaina shouted back. She wanted to run up, but she couldn’t do that with Tira in her arms, not wounded as she was.

Carline came running into the trees herself though, face panicked and eyes watering. “Elaina! Thank the stars; I was so worried.”

“I’m fine, really, I’m—”

“No you’re not,” Carline said, face suddenly determined. “And neither is she. Put her down.”

Right, she can sense these things. Elaina obeyed, placing Tira on the ground as Carline placed her hands on Tira’s side. 

“Oh gods,” Tira said, inhaling deeply. “That’s so much better already.”

“I’m just stopping the pain while I fix it, but still don’t move around too much. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

It was strange, seeing the normally meek girl so confident and commanding. Maybe it was the pain that Elaina’s skill was transforming into other feelings doing the thinking for her, but Elaina couldn’t help but think she’d like to see that side of Carline more often. 

Carline turned up towards Elaina, frown on her face and tears in her eyes as her hands remained on Tira. “And you! Don’t do that to me again! Don’t shut me out!”

Elaina recoiled, looking to the side. “I— I’m sorry, I just thought that—”

“I know what you thought! I just…” Carline shook her head. “I could’ve come with you, or you could have stayed. Gods, what if you’d run into Myriala?”

“We did. She’s dead.”

The words hung in the air as Carline furrowed her brow, looking back to Tira. “Does that mean… Is she?”

“Sure am,” Tira said, grin forming on her face. “Newest class bearer, Sadist Striker Tira Strask, at your service!”

Carline blinked as she shook her head once more. “Stars, we really are the pervert party, aren’t we?”

“It is the nature of party compatibility,” the System said. 

“Okay,” Tira said, pointing to Elaina’s bag, “that thing still freaks me out every time it talks. Can someone explain to me what exactly it is?”

“Later,” Carline said, pursing her lips. “Elaina, there’s… there’s something important I need to tell you."