Estil's mind worked fast as she silently did the math inside her head. The scrolls numbered roughly over a hundred. Most probably, the number of teams who would make it onto the next round will roughly be around 20 at most. She briefly glanced at Elois-- it would be difficult for her to secure a scroll. It would be best if Estil secured two scrolls, just to be sure.

As the vizier raised his arm, a sea of silence and calm washed over the waiting crowd. The silence was too still that Estil could hear hearts beating around her. Were they nervous, too? Or perhaps all agog for the next event to unfold?

The silence was fleeting as the Vizier announced in a rather too happy expression, "Best of luck!"

She heard the words, and instinctively she knew that that was the signal. And what followed shortly after was carnage.

The scrolls fell down from the sky and the surroundings were instantly painted red. Hands and arms were torn off from bodies as if they were but a piece of paper. Their team wasted no second and much to Estil's surprise, everything went like clockwork. Elois, without being told, immediately created a protective barrier to every team member.

With speed like lightning, Ueno mercilessly swung his blade and created a narrow path as bodies were sliced in two. He then slid his sword sideways and caught one scroll on the edge of his blade.

"Anais!" Ueno's voice thundered, "secure our scrolls!"

Anais, Pierro's sister, immediately understood what he meant. "Throw it over my direction!" she cried back.

He then swung his sword with such precision to throw the scroll straight to the waiting hands of Anais. She then turned invisible the moment she took possession of the scroll.

The bard also did his trick, flinging an arrow way above everyone's reach to snatch a scroll as it fell. He immediately grabbed the scroll before throwing it to the same direction the White Knight had thrown his scroll earlier. Anais took form, caught the scroll, and turned invisible once more.

Estil also managed to secure not just one scroll but two, for which she immediately throw to Anais. Pierro also wasted no time at all as he engaged in a full swing brawl to secure a scroll or two.

As the number of scrolls diminished from the sky, Hiraya spotted one player catching a scroll by chance. She threw her spear right in front of his very face and caught him off-guard, allowing him to lose his balance as he flailed his arms and threw the scroll upwards in the air. Hiraya was just about to reach the scroll with her extended arms when she felt the air around her change. Then she felt a cold and sharp touch sliding across her nape, a fingernail. For years that their race had been captured, she instinctively knew what danger felt like. And the cold scraping of a fingernail on her nape spells imminent death should she ever make the smallest movement of retaliation. It was that lethal and Hiraya was sure Elois' protective barrier won't stand a chance.

"I'll take this." It was a cold voice.

She barely got the chance to turn when she saw the person's profile stepping just beside her. Her vision was filled with long, black hair. Then pale, white skin. Long, lean arms. And a pair of cold, white eyes. Hiraya's blood turned cold. Never in her life had she ever felt such a revolting presence. A small smile crossed the man's lips as his eyes scanned her for a second, leaving her with a sense of bareness which left her feeling shaken.

He was just about to reach the scroll with his fingers when suddenly a hand snatched the scroll from him. Anais took form and said, "I believe this is ours. Go find another scroll." She briefly met Hiraya's surprised but grateful gaze and flashed her a brief smile before disappearing again.

It all happened in a span of seconds. The man beside her paused as he settled himself on the ground, smiling. Afterwards he started chuckling, and the chuckle turned to hysterical laughing. Hiraya backed away immediately as she sensed his aura changing dramatically.

"Interesting," he whispers, "I am very, very amused."
He scanned his eyes around the area but his all-seeing sight couldn't find the person he was looking for. He then settled his eyes over Hiraya and smiled, "I look forward to meeting your team on the other side of the portal. Let's have a good game."

But she knew he meant otherwise.

"Hiraya!"

Estil's cry broke her from his trance and she immediately approached her. "Are you okay?" she asked, and Hiraya nodded her head, barely able to control her trembling.

"Let's go. We've secured each one a scroll. About time we leave."

Anais gave each one their scrolls back and they passed the portal together. And just as the portal was about to close before them, one man came crying, screaming "Give me back my scroll!" as flung his body over the portal.

And as the doors of the portal closed, all seven of them were left with an image of a man burnt down to a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes as he was perished into nothingness.

~

"It feels rather cozy in here, hm?"

Raven heads turned towards the door where the voice had come from. Leaning on the leaf of the door lazily, Az chuckled.

Pairs of blue eyes glared at the visitor, pissed for cutting their attention off. All eyes returned to the image projected by the magical orb as they watched the game unveil before their eager eyes.

A tall man with long obsidian hair stood out from the rest, a glass of red wine on his left hand and a smoking pipe on the right. His long hair was neatly tied on his back, a flair of elegance and sophistication emanating from his very presence. Sitting rather cozily on perhaps the tallest chair inside the room made from a black ornate wood from the forest of the fae with ravens rearing their heads on the backrest, the man glanced back to Ueno and heaved a sigh.

"You should've informed us beforehand that you are coming home. If we had known, we could've prepared you a feast," he tilted his wine glass and a servant immediately appeared to refill his drink.

Az made a sound. "Ah. Of course, family dinners have always been a favorite of mine."

"And yet you always fail to attend one." Snapped a young lady without giving him a glance.

"Try to read the sarcasm, Livi." The voice belonged to his younger brother Dimitri as he addressed his twin.

Staring at the two, Az grinned, "The house cats have grown indeed. Hey, now. Big brother is home, won't you purr for me? "

Their faces reddened as both glared at him. They spewed words of their annoyance when the head of the family made a loud sigh which immediately commanded silence.

"Az. Leave the young ones alone."

"But of course, Father." Yet the grin remained plastered on his face. Azul stepped inside the saloon, it was the family's recreational room, and had been the room for their collections of preserved heads of different monsters. From small heads the size of his thumb down to heads the size of an elephant, they were all carefully latched as rare decorations all throughout the walls which seemed to stretch endlessly. This room was their family's pride and joy, more than anything else in the world. But Azul sees nothing but lifeless animals whose heads were preserved for the amusement of the bunch of jerks living inside this house.

There was once an incident during his father's birthday when he was still a little boy, his father threw a grand celebration and showcased to his guests their family's collections. During the banquet, Az made a proclamation addressed to everyone---little and charming boy that he was-- that when he inherits the title as the family head, he would bury all the heads of the animals underground. His mother fainted right there on the spot, his adult relatives were left aghast, and his father threw a fit of rage. So it was decided right there and then that Az would never become the head of the House of Raven.

Az sat himself down and servants came scurrying towards him to tend to his needs. Azul sent them all away as he poured himself a glass of wine. "And where's Mother? I thought she'd be here watching with you."

As the words left his mouth, shuffling footsteps were heard outside the saloon and before long, his mother's figure emerged from the door.

"Az returned home?"

Two years since he's last seen her, but the beautiful visage hardly changed. Az stood up and bowed as he kissed the back of his mother's hands.

"Say, Az. Will you get me the head of the great white serpent?"

Two years have passed, and everyone in the household had hardly had any changes. Az stood up and cheerfully smiled. "Ah. It's always a joy to come back home."

But his father knew he meant otherwise. Yet he smiled endearingly.

"I know sitting for another minute is quite the task for you." He gestured for everyone else to leave the room. His younger siblings immediately obeyed, but his mother openly voiced her protest.

"What? You just came home and your father is going to isolate you from us again? No! I wanna talk to you. You're hardly ever home! And you keep declining my invites for family dinner. Az--"

"Come along now, dear Ma. I will get you the head of the great white serpent next time I return."

"Is that a promise?"

Az nodded.

Satisfied with his answer, only then did his mother leave with the servants, closing the door behind them as they made their exit out of the room.

Alone at last, Az drank from his glass and settled himself beside his father, whose eyes were glued from the images portrayed by the magical orb.

"What of my requests, father?"

The man smiled, and Azul was certain no one would have thought that this man is in his late fifties. He could even be passable as a young man in the same age bracket as him. Az wondered for a moment if he would look thirty once he turned sixty in the future.

"This is the first time you have ever asked for my help, so of course I am delighted. Your first request has been granted. The second request is underway, but your third request appears to be difficult to obtain."

'Just as I thought.'

Az thought for a moment, then replied,"Thank you, father. What do you think will it take to help you obtain the rest of my requests?"

The smile grew wider. "This is why I am proud that you are my son. You definitely understand your father." He stood up, refilled his glass, and sipped elegantly from his glass.

"Bring me the head of Ozwald, and you may consider all of your requests done."

Azul smiled, and once again he was reminded why he so much loathes everyone in the House of Raven. Ozwald, like his father, was a member in the Royal Council's seat of advisers who had been questioning his father's authority in the court lately. His father holds a higher seat compared to him, and Ozwald had recently been eyeing his position at the Royal Council. It was not a surprise that his father's patience finally snapped at the man's audacity.

"Of course. I'll send you his head before the night approaches. However," Az gave his father a charming smile and swirled the wine inside his glass, "don't you think your request was a little difficult? Why don't you promise me that you would assist Estil's team throughout the rest of their quest?"

His father chuckled. "You..you are just like your mother. But I have no need of promising you. I intended to support my son's childhood friends from the very beginning."

"Thank you, father." Az stood up.

"Why don't you spend the night here?"

He smiled, "No, thank you, father. I don't wish to overstay my welcome."

"Suit yourself." Was his father's reply with his attention back into the game.

~