A wall of fire...Of course, couldn't be a fireball of magic, or a flame stream, hell a flame thrower but nooo. It was a got damn wall of fire, perfectly erected to keep all possible outside influence away from the main station building. They didn't have the time to deal with this, they could easily put this away and move on. Clearly whoever was here had made it apparent they weren't going to be stopped or impeded. But if that was the case then that meant the people responsible probably were still inside and had monopolized all the stickers available in the station. Which would be quite a hefty sum of stickers...

No. that is not smart, waiting here for them could slow them down and they could easily go somewhere else and collect some more. Or they could come up on the jackpot of whoever this was on the inside considering that it's quite possible they used their magic in other places to get the same advantage. And if they could take out a major competitor while upping their own game, then this would probably be in their best interest to take them down. Though granted...

Jan was a water mage, but the full extent of his skills might not be enough for him to take down fire mage of this caliber. But then again, Jan seemed to be more fo the technical type, not blunt force. Still his element was the stronger of the two, it just depends on how we can use that to work in our favor. Lucian looked at the crowd, the people slightly worked up at the magical display, some were easily upset at the setback and some couldn't help but gawk in awe at the magic before their eyes.

Looking toward the people, Lucian was beginning to devise a plan. They could mesh in with the crowd and disguise themselves with the masses so that when the firewall was dropped and the people came out they could ambush them from the crowd to neutralize them before they could retaliate. Mmm

"Okay, Jan. Once again it's on you. We could ambush whoever made this wall of fire. With your water magic you'd have the advantage but only you know the true scope of your abilities in regard to if you could compete with that or not."

Lucian knew he had to be confident in his partner's abilities. Jan proved he could make water go through the delicate pathways of my head without severe damage, so hopefully he felt confident enough to possibly take on this threat if even need be.

"Listen, we can either ambush whoever is on the inside waiting, or we can back out now. If you feel like you are up for it then I'm behind ya one hundred percent. If you don't feel up to it we can maneuver elsewhere and see if we can find other stickers."

This felt different for Lucian, but fate had its own plans and he needed to see what the young sinese would do.

Despite obviously being counted on, Jan Ren couldn't help but stare the wall of fire with a deadpan expression; his initial outburst now snuffed in light of the apparent dependence he was granted. He knew his own abilities well, he definitely didn't have any large-scale abilities of this caliber. "(Yeah, no way we're getting in.)" He thought to himself, about to turn tail and leave.

"I'm sorry V. The station's barricaded. There's n--"

"Guys, look, it's Blue Pegasus!!"

...What?

"You're right!"
"Blue Pegasus came here to help us!!"

--Such yells could be heard from the crowding as the young Sinese turned his back to leave. Marigold's humble citizens took notice of the two wizards and began cheering, speaking of them like they were a couple of heroes. Well, specifically Jan Ren, actually. The Sinese didn't know whether his partner was a guild wizard or not, though he was certain he'd have learned of it should he had been aligned with Blue Pegasus as well. Moreover, the man in question hadn't quite showed any magical abilities just yet, begging the question.

Which means... They were referring to him alone.

Immediately, the Sinese felt stress creeping up, halting in place; eyes widened as cold sweat began running down his body again. And how did they know he was from Blue Pegasus? Well... The mark. "(Oh... Ohhh, shit.)" He'd forgotten his top behind at the farmhouse; the Qipao remaining neatly folded on a platform in the shed. Someone ought to steal it if they found it. This meant, his back being entirely bare, showed the purple Blue Pegasus mark spectacularly to all who would glance. The proud mark of a guild's wizard, playing against him directly!

So. What now? His breathing turned quicker with the increasing roars and chants the crowd gave out. These goddamn wizards... Look what they've done!! How am I supposed to run from this now!!? Why was Blue Pegasus so famous, anyway!!? It turned clearer by the moment that escaping was, absolutely not an option. "ch--, Change of plans, V!" He declared, with obviously false confidence; gulping down, placing both hands on his hips and turning to the crowd. Deliberately turning through his partner's side, giving him a distressed look. As if screaming, 'help me'. "W-We've got to help these guys!! That, That would be the right thing to do!!"

Jan Ren held intense value for his own well-being, and such stressed towards all corners of life. He'd avoid pain like the plague if he had the option. But with his guild name uttered like that, a different risk came to light. Should have Alisa caught wind that he ran away... He might experience a fate worse than plunging into wildfire.

And so, "YAAAA--- (I wanna go home~~!!!)" he did.

Running desperately at full speed, closing his eyes shut. The young man made a perfectly maneuvered leap, straight through the fire. The heat burning at his skin as the boy clenched his teeth, wincing in pain, cursing at his life choices; landing on the station's inner grounds.

Through The Fire And The Flames We Carry On, my ass.

Lucian looked over at his partner, his countenance was obviously shaken by the prospect of challenging such a massive structure of fire. He doesn't think he can do this, and if he wasn't confident in his abilities then they might as well go ahead and leave this place behind and move on to greener pastures and other places.

Maybe, I could cut the fire with a quick death, hopefully, that would allow us away in. Or I could blow a hole in the wall of flame. Mmm.. Or I could jump us over the wall, granted it might be quite a bit of a jump but at least they could get in. But then again...

Huh? Lucian looked at the crowd practically foam at the mouth as they took in Jan's large blue pegasus tattoo. That's crazy, I never realized he didn't have his shirt...he must have left it behind at the farmhouse earlier. Goodness. Lucian could see them all clamouring for Jan to do something, they were practically chanting his praise. Lucian couldn't help but scoff at the idea. These folks were unable to handle thy business and obviously expected someone else to do the deed for them.

Is this the life of a guild mage, practically the on-call policy for everyone. I'm glad I don't have to be at the mercy of these folks and their desires. I am loyal to no one but myself and myself alone. Granted, I'm sure it was nice to have a team of people to trust but still, this definitely made that perk seem none-existent. Whatever, they clearly couldn't get past the flames, it was probably in their best interest to leave.  

Turning away from the sight, Lucian turned to speak to his partner prepared to scout out another area.

"Jan, I think it is in our best interest to... Jan?"

He heard Jan say something about we gotta do it, the bravado in his voice was a false reflection of his genuine emotion, but there was no way he had been dumb enough to... he was definitely dumb enough.

Lucian groaned, placing his hand to his face as he watched Jan run towards the fire with brazen foolhardy courage. This man was insane. Watching closely he could see that the flames had nicked his partner but for the most part he had emerged unscathed.

I swear to everything in me when this is over we are going to have to talk about the people you bring into my life fate.

Lucian looked down at the crowd of some of them expecting him to follow suit. Damn you Jan. Okay, the fire rises and lowers at certain points if I can time it I can make it over without getting burned.  Crouching down, Lucian got a running start, taking off at the last moment, his empowered body taking him well above some of the lower parts of the fire. Some of them nicking the fringes of his hoodie which he quickly put out.

"You know if you wanted to do that you could've warned me first so we can do this better but we are here now. inside we go."

Pushing through the station door, the empty lobby was oddly creepy to behold, save only for the sound of machinery and ticking clocks there was nothing else to alert them to the culprit of the wall of fire.

Heartbeat raced to 420 BPM, Jan Ren caught his breath very slowly, trying his darned hardest not to faint in fear. The station itself could have been set ablaze as well, though thankfully it wasn't. The Sinese truly believed that there was a God at that moment, watching over them and making sure the young boy made it through this dangerous maneuver with not even a single hint of a burn. Though he'd be too stressed-out to even think straight.

Soon enough, his partner followed suit, apparently as stoic as ever as he addressed the young man. In response, Jan Ren could only stay true to his self. "I ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT!!!" He aggressively whined, tears nearly forming at the edges of his eyes as the young man clearly tensed up; though his absolute protest, he kept his voice relatively silent so as to not admit it to the crowd behind. "Do you have ANY idea what could have happened!? I could have burned my hair!!" It was, quite long after all. "But I can't run, either!! I can't embarass my guild like that in-front of this many people!!" He played the victim card well. What's more, it was all honest truth.

Well, the boy did omit the part about his Master having to scold him badly should he had ran off. But let it be.

...Okay, he's calmed down now. Sort of.

The first thing Jan Ren noticed after V (thankfully) opened the station doors, was the power outage. Machinery sounds were loud, filling the air; and surprisingly, despite the wall seeming to engulf the entire station building from the outside, the insides remained completely clean. Just, void of people; but not even the smell of fire reached the inner grounds. If anything, even the Sinese' human sense of smell could pick up at the strong scent of iron and oil.

"This is... Odd." It was beyond not finding any stickers, there weren't any obvious obstacles or hidden spots to look inside either. The young man took several steps forward, inspecting the area as he looked here and there; making out sufficient shapes despite the relative darkness. "You've been here before, right V? I figured it would be a lot, different. Livelier." Marigold was a farmer's city. He expected the station to be decorated with flowers and have a vegetable stand of whatever around. But, it was all just mechanical noises and industrial decoration.

He looked up, and his eyes widened. "...Was this station, always this big...??" Because that, made no sense. What his eyes caught was the ever-towering clockwork, easily over 20 meters above the ground. Giant gears displayed, enough to be observed even from this distance, spinning in unison. He never recalled the station to be this large; even with the wall of fire given from the outside.

"Alright. The wall of fire, no stickers, and this?" He'd be an idiot not to suspect something was wrong.

"I haven't been here Jan, but yes from what I heard it is always this large."

Lucian eyed the area with a calculated eye, something wasn't right, but he knew that it was obvious, whoever was behind the ring of fire probably had either come and go as we originally thought or this was...*sniff* Throwing Jan to the side, Lucian caught a large gear in his hands, the metal hitting him in the stomach as he was launched backward. The force of the spell was strong as the metal grinded vigorously in his hands. Sliding backward, he pushed against the force of the gear coming to halt before tossing the mana laced gear to the side.

"Jan, company."

Looking up he caught sight of two people both of them dressed in black robes that seemed to scream dark mage or close to it.

"Get out of our way, we don't even want to deal with you." Damn it that attack hurt...

The duo snickered, one of them snapping their fingers in excitement as sparks seemed to fly. So that was the source of the flame. The other seemed to signal to the surrounding machinery, the various gizmos and gadgets in the room lighting up at the male's influence.

"We can't afford that. Even if you don't that little game of yours made you meddle in our plans and so." The woman finished her sentence and snapped her fingers, the fireball beginning to form in her hands.

"We are going to have to take you out, especially with a guild mage around." The male began to form a magical circle, gathering energy as he prepared some sort of attack, he stood right below the giant station clock.

I really need to talk to you fate about the kind of people you set me up with.

Before he could tell what was going on, Jan Ren's body was flung to the side rather painfully, as suddenly his partner took a big hit to his abdomen; a large block of steel-- a gear?? smashed into the darker man. Supposedly, that attack was going to be aimed at him?? His eyes widened as he finally understood what happened. "V!!" He called out, fear creeping in as the two cloaked figures soon revealed themselves. In the midst of all of this, the young boy had to make conscious effort to calm himself and comprehend, what exactly went on.

Who are these two? Why would they seclude the station like that? And why in Marigold, of all places?? On the off-chance that these guys weren't dark mages (though their appearance and vibe practically screamed that impression), Jan Ren would want to speak to the local lord about security and the boundaries mages were allowed to cross. Though that was, easily not the case.

As the three conversed for a moment, the Sinese began to build up his magic power. It seems that the best course of action, especially after making that bravado in honor of his guild, was... To fight. Crap!! More pain then!? Hopefully this would end quickly. But fortunately, he had V's superhuman skills on his side. And he had every intention of tagging these two together.

How convenient, that it'd be 2 on 2.

The woman's fireball was interrupted with a sudden shot as the water droplet struck it in her hands, dissipating it. "...Oh?" The two split their attention from just the darker man, to now both of them. He went and did it... Alright. "Plans, you say." He started.

"I don't know who you are or why you're targeting Marigold Station, but you're interrupting something quite major." Jan Ren explained; "You're obviously not here for a friendly visit, right...? Well. I'm gonna hav--" Though before he could finish his sentence (trying to look cool mostly for the psyche), a gear was flung at his direction. Narrowly, the Sinese managed to avoid, falling down on his behind as it grazed a second from his face.

"--Hey!! At least let me finish talking!!" He protested, only to jump out the way when a stream of fire headed his way. "--Guild mage? These guys are nothing special. This will be over soon~" The woman taunted, smirk easily widening as she halted her stream after the Sinese was cornered against the wall.

"I'd like to agree with you, but let's not toy with them too much. We don't have the time." The male replied, a gray magic circle appearing at the corners of his hands as he spread his palms; gears and steel all around rumbling and siding by him, ready at command.

--"(...Okay, what now...? I'd like to get to work with V on this, but... How do we close in?)" Despite the sorry act he put up, Jan Ren did try to devise a plan. Calling for help... Seemed futile, if not just impossible. Preparing a spell, water already forming around his arms; he was ready to do what he can, at least.[/b]

Idiot...This wasn't the time for superhero speeches or anything like that, these were hardened criminals and clearly had it on their minds to cause a great amount of strife and chaos. There were haunting figures, but it was more so disappointing to see the way they looked at Jan. Almost as if he was just another obstacle in their way.

Okay, maybe we could split them up, they don't know what kind of magic I or Jan employ so it would be in our best interest to... Damn it, Jan. The element of surprise was lost. He had to reveal he was a water mage, even if his magic was precision and more so streamline, rather than destructive and wide-berth like the fire mages attacks, it would have still put them at an advantage to make the 2v2 with him taking the fired mage.

Now the gear mage would definitely not allow Jan to get the one on one, thus neutralizing their clear advantage. Just had to be a superhero didn't you, but granted, he did snuff out the fireball before she used it, so to that we can be thankful. But now how do we move in? Watching the distance between them, it would be easy to close the gap, granted with them both seemingly being distinct fighters, getting within their firing range could prove dangerous, but exactly what they needed.

Jan was a shooter if he could snuff out the fire mages attacks and cover his approach he could take down at least gear head and make some this a 2v1 fight. Granted, Jan had to be ready and prepared. Gotta trust your teammate because whether I like it or not, this primadonna has my life in his hands and if we don't make this work then we both end up dead and skewered.

"Jan, listen to me. I need you to cover me. Neutralize whatever the fire mage tries to do. Once I'm close, I'm taking down the other one. Once he is out of the way we can handle the other. I'm trusting you on this."

Lucian stood up straight, his body restoring the damage wrought by the sneak attack from earlier. He could feel the warm feeling in his blood and taste in his mouth, it was a hot liquid that rolled through his teeth. His black metal-capped fangs oozed with the substance. They didn't need to listen to my speech because I didn't have one. These two messed with the wrong mage, especially today.

"You two should've left me alone."

Gathering his leg muscles together Lucian sprinted towards them, the two snickering mages both prepared an attack, honing in on the gear mage Lucian knew he couldn't put any attention on the fire one. If she attacked him and then so be it, Jan would have failed and thus was the will of fate. But right now, his only objective was to take the male down.

Feeling the wind pass by him, Lucian watched as the gear was thrown at him, the large piece of metal spinning like a deadly children's top. The arcing path of the gear made its trajectory go towards Lucian's right side, watching its approach Lucian spun outward towards his right, the gear harmlessly passing inside as it continued its path.

Running towards the gear mage, he could see the fear in his eyes, the pain that his attack had missed and now he was going to truly pay the ultimate price, covering the gap, Lucian was a mere meter from the prey, gathering his mana and magical energy into his arms, Lucian pushed forward with his palms, the connected hands striking into the abdomen of the of male, the magical attack sending massive blunt force trauma through his body.

Watching as the man skid backward, Lucian prepared for another assault, but then he felt the radiating heat from his left. Jan, it's all up to you.

Dammit, Jan Ren hated fighting. It always involved pain, straining needlessly, and worst, it could beat you up to a level where it would hinder your appearance. It all went strictly against his primary goals (that being, women courting.), and even when it was necessary, it was such a pain he'd have preferred not to engage in it at all! Though, at times... Duty calls. And that's exactly what was going on here. He gulped down, listening in on V's strategy while keeping his eyes strictly locked on the two dark mages. A drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head as he shot a hand out, right on cue, when the darker mage had taken a leap.

From around his right forearm and palm, a small stream of water bodies slithered through the air, almost like a snake; aiming towards the woman. She, of course, at the ready, instantly blew out a fireball to match the young man's spell, evaporating the unimpressive amount of water with an everlasting smirk. It seems he's been getting somewhat of a grasp of this girl's general vibe. Though as her fireball dissipated, a single water sauzer was headed her way. Hidden as a backup behind his previous spell, timed well to show right as the fireball disappeared. "Ooh!" --Though with a jump back, the dark mage had seemingly gained the upper hand. She recognized the spell's unstability, and watched as it burst into simple droplets in midair right before reaching her.

"Heh. Scary!" She uttered, then turned her attention to the darker mage; now a mere meter away from her, closing in on her partner. She took the time to charge a bigger wave; a stream of fire, sure to burn this wizard if it would have hit. And at the hit's mark, she sent out her arm with a cheeky laugh, a wide flame propelled out of her hand at V's left side as he landed a hit on her partner.

It was close, it really was. Though turning her attention away from Jan Ren, would be her undoing. "--Thank you for that." She magnificently fell for it.

-- "!?" In a moment's notice, her flame's trajectory was redirected, a good yank at her left hand as the stream completely missed its intended target. She'd see a consistent water body engulfed around her arm, as from the distance, the water mage's right hand showed a magic circle spinning slowly. He'd fired the spell to nudge at her hand, and the seemingly forming water leech had weighed against her arm, disorienting her. What's more...

"Wh-What is this!? Ew!! Disgusting~!!!" She started squeeling in disgust, frantically working with her other hand to try get the water leech off of her arm; to no avail, as the body simply spread over to her free hand, and began to crawl up her other arm. From a smirking amusement and obvious condecent, she went into a stressed fray. "Stop it!! Get it off, get it off, get it-- OFF!!! Literally bursting into flames with her discomfort, the fire mage had staggered here and there as the firey aura blazed from her form, still frantically attempting to remove these leeches.

"As if!!" ...Could this be counted as molesting? --Regardless, the chance was obviously presented. Even in a few seconds of ridiculous stress.

Lucian closed his eyes in acceptance of his coming fate if he was to die in battle then let him at least go down in the true glory of it all. Sure this wasn't going to be a pleasant end but in the true measure of it all, life was life.

As the stream of flames roared forward, Lucian could feel their searing heat past harmlessly behind him, the embers licking the edges of his garments. Opening his eyes, he smirked, Jan had come through and handled his business. Gathering himself again, Lucian charged forward again, dashing past the fearful fire mage as she desperately tried to remove the water leaches Jan had placed on her.

The gear mage from earlier had barely gotten himself together from the last blow, as Lucian approached he could feel his bloodlust coming, but this was battle and it was going to be needed. The mage looked in wide-eyed surprise. Assuming some sort of stance, he seemed to draw upon the very metal around him. His body becoming rigid as he held his ground. Lucian continued to run, ramming into the body of the gear mage. The force of the impact creating a sense of air around them.

Laughing the gear mage seemed to be confident in his ability. Lucian could feel that this man had grown heavier and probably stronger. But that mattered not in the face of war. Grabbing at the man's waist Lucian lifted with his strength, the gear mage growing confused as he was raised into the air. Looking down he tried to punch Lucian with his steel fist but it was too late. Absorbing the blows, Lucian flung the man up. Watching him float for a mere moment, he caught the man by the throat and slammed him downward using the man's own weight against him to drive him into the floor.

The gear mage smashed into the marble floor with a giant thud, creating a small crater into the ground. Standing over his defeated foe, Lucian's breath came in a raspy gasp as he tried to regain his air. Damn it, those punches did more than they were supposed to. Turning around slowly to face the displaced fire mage, he could feel his body growing tired. He wasn't going to be able to handle her. Not as he was now.

"Jan! Finish this! Finish this now!"

Lucian leaned on the counter, if Jan couldn't finish the fight, maybe he could stall long enough for him to get back into the fight.

Truth be told, Jan Ren knew he wouldn't manage to hold the opponent off for too long. The sheer intensity of her flaming aura told well of the difference in their abilities and power, and frankly, she ultimately comes on top. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head as hisceyebrows furrowed deeper. Watching as while V continued to fight his battle, the fire mage managed to evaporate the leeches from her limbs, clearly furious. Yeah, this spell did have this kind of effect on people...

While the battle with the gear mage ensues, Jan Ren had managed to completely divert the fire mage's attention, now turned into her primary target. Building up magic power rapidly, she angrily shot out a stream of fire at the Blue Pegasus mage, causing him to take a good leap to his side to avoid; now "safely" fighting, with no concern for his partner. However. "(What now?? I'm pretty sure I can't take her out with my spells... This is going to be tough!)" He'd honestly hoped V would serve as the 'spear' to his supporting skills, but alas. Two opponents meant two fights.

Rolling and dashing, the Sinese managed to trail away from his opponent's spell range for a short while before a magic circle appeared at the tip of his finger, shooting a water bullet at the girl. In response, she directed her free hand to it, and with a large fireball, managed to snuff out the drop. --Just like earlier, Jan Ren used the diversion he'd created to get an opening; dashing forward, closing in on the woman. "(Dammit... Fighting girls...!)" A part of him couldn't help but feel guilty. However, priorities... Were still a work in progress!

To prevent her from making a move away, the young man sent out another stream of water that would entangle around her feet. With the same sensation from earlier used for distraction and disorientation, Jan Ren had banked on this being the gateway to their 'victory'; though, he couldn't do it. He hesitated; leaping forward, and instead of trying to deliver a solid hit to knock her out or harm her, he'd instead opted for ramming into her with his shoulder; aiming to knock the fire mage off her feet and threaten to capture her once she was on the ground.

This of course, turned out to be bad judgment. With a loud roar of rage, the fire mage's body lit up once more, fire emerging from every inch of her body as she 'exploded'; knocking the Sinese off and burning him with her magic. He got sent flying a way back, falling on his back. In this instance, the fire mage once again aimed her open palm at the young Sinese, and shot out a large fireball; encasing his entire body in flames.

He yelled out in pain, every inch of him hot and burning. In his sorry state, the mage could only try to react with a shield of water, weakened as he tried his hardest to snuff the flames on his body down too. It hurts!! It hurts!!!

In the midst of the struggle, Jan Ren managed to send out a small water sauzer, cutting at the fire mage's arm as her spell seized and she staggered back. This was it. Pushing through the pain, tears formed at the corners of his eyes, the Sinese let out an agonised shout.

"V!!"

Lucian gathered his breath, he watched the horrid scene unfold before his eyes. He had misjudged the strength of his partner and that had cost him. There was no way he was going to live this down. He couldn't let this man die, especially for him. This was supposed to be a harmless scavenger hunt and yet here they were fighting for their right to live and to do the right thing. I know I can't let him die. He deserves to finish this story out. We have shed blood together, which means that I owe him the right to victory.

I owe it to myself and this time that I have spent. This no longer about whether I was a guild mage or not. This had become my fight and I was going to win regardless of how this all transpired. Ah, my breath is returning, and with it my blood lust. This bimbo had to pay. And my revenge was now.

Crouching low, Lucian rushed forward, silently coming up behind her as the woman continued her onslaught on his partner. Grabbing her by her tunic, he pulled her backward. Holding on to her waist, he performed a suplex move, slamming her on her head as he bent backward.

Releasing her as he prepared for her fire skin maneuver, he placed himself between her and his partner. Focusing his mana into his feet, Lucian performed a spell, a magic seal forming under his feet.

"Genesis Force: Gaia breaker!"

Thrusting outward, the red and white energy erupted through the ground shaking the foundation of the station as it caused a tremor around him. The women caught off guard from the sudden lack of footing seemed to slip slightly to a bended knee. Jumping from his spot, Lucian somersaulted in the air bring his leg crashing down in a savage ax kick on top of the woman's head. The blow connected with a solid thunk as she was driven into the ground.

Panting from the exertion, Lucian slid to his knee. I gotta get this kid outta here and these folks in magic cuffs. Standing to his feet he walked over to Jan, carefully placing his on his shoulders.

"Just hold on kid."

Walking towards the unconscious mages, he grabbed them by their collars and drag them across the ground. Kicking the door open, the rune knights had been alerted and were already at the door ready to receive the culprits. The wall of fire removed with the defeat of the fire mage, the people seemed to rejoice and wanted to crowd them but he pushed through. He had somewhere to be. This was his duty as his partner and as sworn brothers in battle. He had to carry him to healing.

"Good work there Jan. Go ahead and talk through the pain, like I know you want to. You deserve it."

Lucian gathered his breath, he watched the horrid scene unfold before his eyes. He had misjudged the strength of his partner and that had cost him. There was no way he was going to live this down. He couldn't let this man die, especially for him. This was supposed to be a harmless scavenger hunt and yet here they were fighting for their right to live and to do the right thing. I know I can't let him die. He deserves to finish this story out. We have shed blood together, which means that I owe him the right to victory.

I owe it to myself and this time that I have spent. This no longer about whether I was a guild mage or not. This had become my fight and I was going to win regardless of how this all transpired. Ah, my breath is returning, and with it my blood lust. This bimbo had to pay. And my revenge was now.

Crouching low, Lucian rushed forward, silently coming up behind her as the woman continued her onslaught on his partner. Grabbing her by her tunic, he pulled her backward. Holding on to her waist, he performed a suplex move, slamming her on her head as he bent backward.

Releasing her as he prepared for her fire skin maneuver, he placed himself between her and his partner. Focusing his mana into his feet, Lucian performed a spell, a magic seal forming under his feet.

"Genesis Force: Gaia breaker!"

Thrusting outward, the red and white energy erupted through the ground shaking the foundation of the station as it caused a tremor around him. The women caught off guard from the sudden lack of footing seemed to slip slightly to a bended knee. Jumping from his spot, Lucian somersaulted in the air bring his leg crashing down in a savage ax kick on top of the woman's head. The blow connected with a solid thunk as she was driven into the ground.

Panting from the exertion, Lucian slid to his knee. I gotta get this kid outta here and these folks in magic cuffs. Standing to his feet he walked over to Jan, carefully placing his on his shoulders.

"Just hold on kid."

Walking towards the unconscious mages, he grabbed them by their collars and drag them across the ground. Kicking the door open, the rune knights had been alerted and were already at the door ready to receive the culprits. The wall of fire removed with the defeat of the fire mage, the people seemed to rejoice and wanted to crowd them but he pushed through. He had somewhere to be. This was his duty as his partner and as sworn brothers in battle. He had to carry him to healing.

"Good work there Jan. Go ahead and talk through the pain, like I know you want to. You deserve it."

--On incredibly-timed cue, V had emerged from behind, grabbing the fire wizard by her waist and smashing her backward. Even in his agonised, burning state, Jan Ren couldn't help but wince, imagining what it was she was feeling. It appeared that it was easier to perform as well, as with the immediate slam on the hard floor, the flames around his body all but snuffed out. It appears that the werewolf had disrupted the woman's concentration, saving the Sinese from further burning. He then witnessed as for the first time, V had showcased his own magic; a magic circle appearing under his feet, Jan Ren's eyes widening in surprise as he took in everything he could from it. A werewolf, using magic!

Watching as the next hit sealed the deal, connecting against the woman's head and slamming her firmly into the ground once more. With that, it was over. His head fell backwards, body relaxed (as much as possible); limply, laying on the cold floor as he panted out. Eyes closed, focusing only on his own breathing and the floor's stinging chilliness against his back. He'd received some burns, and his partner took a big hit there from the Gear mage. But ultimately, it was their victory!!

"Ehheheh..." A silly thought came to mind, and the Sinese couldn't help but draw a solid smile, even though the pain caused his eyes to tear. "V... Stands for Victory, right...!?" It was perhaps a childish joke, however one he wouldn't regret making. After this charade, Jan Ren thought the two could use a break.

Thankfully, the Rune Knights were already on the scene, and didn't need much of an explanation before reaching to cuff the two dark mages, undoing their magic. The next train to Marigold Station should arrive soon. Everything's back to normal... That's good.

Laying on the darker man's shoulder, Jan Ren used whatever strength he could muster to walk as well, to lift the burden off of his partner. It's very possible that these two were out for blood, and had V not been there, the Sinese would have died. "Thanks... For saving me there." He openly stated his gratitude, silent as his whole body still burned from the fire. It was momentary, but this must have been what hell feels like.

"I'm, sorry." And then, the apology. "If I were stronger... I'd have made things probably easier on you." His lack of confidence in his fighting prowess was, however, justified. Jan Ren was not a fighter neither did he pretend to be one; he wasn't aligned with pain and the glory of battle. As such, it would be natural for him to take it like that, despite their victory. "Ahh, ah... I can just hope, she didn't burn my hair too much..." Yes, that is what he'd be concerned about by now.

"If I had to cut my hair now, we can't be matching culture men anymore. That'd be a bummer."

I could drop this guy right here and now, after all of that he was being so weak about all of this...why would he apologize, he tried his best and in the end, we won. Granted corny one-liners and all they both had not only come out alive but on the side of victory.

"Shut up with that weak drivel. We won. You handled your business. There is no victory without you. Stop selling yourself short, it is pathetic."

Lucian shouldered Jan's weight and continued onward, Marigold inner city wasn't too much further. They just had to hold on. Jan made a joke, about his hair, revealing that he still held on to his same vain nature and personalities. Thank goodness, it would almost be a call for alarm if he suddenly let go of that.

Mmm, his hair looks fine, slightly singe at some points and covered in ash but it was okay for the most part.

"Your hair is fine. You will not be losing any girlfriends this day. If anything you might gain some more with some of the burn scars you will have. A great story to tell the ladies I guess."

I can only imagine the ignorance that is going to come out of his mouth when he tells of this day. Probably is going to embellish some of the parts but it doesn't matter. We were alive.

Lucian looked towards the sky, the sun had begun to really set and the afternoon sky came alive with a swash of colors. It was a pleasant sight but also a little disappointing. All this just to still lose the scavenger hunt, but eh.

No point in trying to win the scavenger hunt now. There was no time to spare. Besides, they were in no condition to look no matter what Jan may try and say.

"Well. Looks like we are not winning that scavenger hunt. Seeing as you were holding the stickers is there a chance that they are burnt."

Naturally from the first encounter and amplified by the recent skirmish, Jan Ren had perceived his partner to be a strong combatant, one far more used to fighting than he was. For this reason, hearing him lay some pep talk (in the form of a wake-up call) did come off quite strong. The Sinese took a moment to stare at the darker man, wide-eyed as he chose to acknowledge his contribution in the fight. He wouldn't take the entire credit, but at the very least, the young man accepted that he wasn't so weak after all. Mainly thanks to this guy. "...Heheh. Alright then." He replied, smiling as he calmed down some. Some confidence was gained today after all!

The next segment however, sparked the Sinese' stamina back all at once; as, "Eh!!?" He laid himself off of V's shoulder, standing on his own two feet and, while visibly pleased with the idea of 'scoring more lady points', frantically moved about to check the edges of his hair. "Y-You really think so!? Wait, no! I don't want to cut my hair!! I can't!!" He complained loudly, garnering some attention from the few bystanders around. Of course he did, a man covered in burn marks all over and reaking of fire frantically looking over his hair in search of singe marks, of all things. Cultural differences and personal preferences put on full display, as while for watchers such would appear odd, for Jan Ren it was of utmost necessity.

Having long hair really was very important to him it seems.

He checked his pockets while in his small act of worried vanity, finding that just as V had speculated... "...Yeah. You're right." The Sinese had to hold himself from apologizing once more, having done so enough by now. Tucking a hand in his pocket and revealing its contents, he revealed whatever was left of the green stickers. "That's a bummer. Maybe next time we'll be a bit more lucky, right?"

Despite his wimpy attitude, Jan Ren remained positive. He took a genuine liking to V, signalling a thumbs up to the other with a wide smile. He could walk on his own now, but never discounted the other's help. If he guessed correctly, the darker man had accounted for the stickers being burned, yet chose to help the Sinese anyway. This meant, he was definitely more trustworthy than most. Whatever his reasons were, Jan Ren chose to keep this man as dependable, in memory.

And, as a great potential partner for another event in the future!

Lucian couldn't help but actually chuckle at his partner's antics. This man Jan was so worried about his hair that somehow he goes from not walking to standing on his own two feet and dancing around like a mad man. I pray all sinse are like this or else that is a country I will not be paying any visit to no time soon. But fate had proven to be right today. Though this is not what I had in mind for today's events nor anything really this was a pleasant change of pace. Felt good to be in a battle again, I haven't fought in such a long time.

The blood flow, the adrenaline, the do or die. It was fun and exciting, to say the least, though considering that this was all unexpected. Says a lot. Lucian watched his partner antics continue, he could care less about the people around him, they had just survived death. If he wanted to act a clown then so be it. He had earned this right.

Lucian didn't need to see the ashes that came out of Jan's pockets to know their fate. He had smelled it but had hoped for a chance that the devastation hadn't been too much. Walking forward, Lucian placed his hand behind his head and looked out longingly over the area. The night was coming and a good night's rest was all that he wanted and needed. Maybe I'll go back to the tavern, or go sleep in the farm fields again. But first...

"I don't know when our meeting will be again. Granted at first I would have said never again. But not now I look forward to us working together someday. Though hopefully, we won't have too many injuries this time around."

Turning to face the open street towards the tavern, Lucian started to walk away, their time together now at an end. He needed some time alone. To piece together everything that has transpired here. Working Jan and the reactions he had received from the people was different, it was unique. It made being a guild mage not look too bad. Though I need a place that is more suitable for my taste. Maybe I'll give that mysterious Penumbral Guard a look through.

Without looking backward, Lucian called out over his shoulder, the distance between them growing.

"By the way, my real name is Lucian! Pleasures."

[exit]

In a way, in slightly hurt that V's initial idea was to refuse a second interaction. It served to reinforce the prejudice this Sinese held in his mind, about werewolves being as a whole, anti-social. However it was insignificant enough to brush off, smiling at the darker man still, as he made his proper farewell. On this day, from the looks of it, both had gained a trustoworthy ally if not friend to rely on in tough, and potentially even odd times. Like this one.

His jest didn't go unnoticed, of course. "Haha. Yeah!" Giving the dreaded man a proper, deep bow of respect; clasping his palms together and bringing them to his chest in well-mannered, foreign goodbye. "Thank you very much for your help. Until we meet again." He awaited a short bit, watching as Lucian made his route and left. It was in common courtesy to see the other off, especially one he had shared a hardship with.

Lucian, huh. ...Yeah, Mister V suits him better!

...On the way back, Jan Ren made a detour, back to the farmlands to search in the shed. He quickly climbed up the rope the same way he did last time, when first entering the wooden house noticing that the two brothers previously knocked out inside, were nowhere to be found. As was, much to his dismay, the neatly folded white Qipao he had left laying on the wooden beam above. This meant that officially...

"Nooooooo~!!"

...He had come to lose an awfully precious piece of his image.
How is he going to get used to this new look??