Before they could even adjust themselves to the sudden change in season—considering they just went through a big hell's storm of snow, the plants began suddenly wilting to the point that the leaves from the trees started to fall slowly. It was almost like speedily watching spring change into autumn.

Valeriana shivered, feeling uncomfortable when the wind brushed her cheeks. She looked around and felt the same boding sensation from before disturbingly reaching her senses. Taking a deep, calming breath, she exhaled.

"What's going on?" They asked, startled by the suddenness.

Aden held out a hand and caught a leaf before it fell. "The season's changing."

"Did this happen before?" Corvan asked.

"Yes." He nodded. "The civilians were quite dumbstruck to have a change in season, since it's just supposed to be snowy all the time. That's what you get for living in Preluresia. We're expecting some kind of pattern, but it changes without warning. This Spring lasted for almost two weeks, which is the longest by far."

"How long did the other seasons last?"

"Mostly a day or two. The shortest was a few hours."

Keelan exclaimed, "Changing seasons without warning is not healthy!"

"You're interfering with the balance of nature if you do so." Courtney frowned. "This is not supposed to be how things are."

"We need to figure out how the change occurs and put a stop to it." Corvan said. "That's what we came here for."

"Charles probably has some ideas already." Keelan nodded. "Anyone else here has one?"

"Um . . . unfortunately for that, no." Tamara answered.

"Great." Valeriana sighed, but started shivering again. Keelan looked her way with a hint of concern as she spoke. "What are we supposed to do, then?"

"How about coming with me?" A voice reverberated behind them.

The group turned to meet the owner of the voice and met black eyes with their own. Gasping, each one of them took a step back warily while Corvan readily pulled out his weapon and broke into a fighting stance.

"To think that the enemy himself would welcome his foes." Corvan started. "So you finally showed yourself, demon?"

Valeriana could not believe it.

A real demon.

However, unlike what she was used to, this one had a human form. Landing her blue eyes on his eerie figure, every nerve in Valeriana's body went haywire. It was an unpleasant feeling thrumming inside her, making her squirm from where she stood in the discomfort. It was as though this man emitted an air around him that warded her off. She wanted to put some distance between them so badly that she unconsciously took numerous steps back.

This was different from the incident with the Loupe Garou.

"Hey. Don't tell me you're scared." It was Courtney who held her in place, her hands both on her shoulders. "That's the least I expect from someone like you."

The girl looked up, her features showing no restraint to display what she was feeling. In Courtney's piercing eyes, she caught a small glimpse of her pale face as though it was drained of blood. It probably wasn't a good idea to show weakness to her former rival, so she looked down and broke their staring contest, trying to recover her composure.

"Valeriana, get a hold of yourself." Tamara told her without looking her way, her hackles rising. "If you can't handle his presence, then you better just stay back."

In short, she would just be a burden if she got in their way.

Being the weakest within the group really made her mad at herself. She looked guiltily between all of her comrades and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The least she could do was not make them worry—if they, by an chance, were feeling that way. She looked at Courtney and saw the fact that the girl had a look of disappointment mixed in with a look of wariness of her enemy.

"I'm sorry." Valeriana whispered. "I guess I was a little bit . . . shaken."

"You really have to get that sensitivity of yours under control Valeriana." Keelan sighed as he advised her. "Otherwise it'll be a disadvantage rather an advantage."

"A disadvantage rather than an advantage." She muttered. "I did try to talk to my PC instructor about training my sensitivity. I haven't gotten a response from her up until now." She shook her head dismissively, trying to block out the discomfort of feeling the disturbing air that surrounded her.

"It was rude of you of you to send your undead 'minions' after us." Corvan continued, causing Valeriana to snap her attention back to the present.

"I believe my 'guards' gave you the proper greeting when you entered the city without permission." He answered, flashing his sharp teeth at him in a coy grin. "You troublesome 'visitors'. To dare interfere and disrupt the peacefulness of this city."

"Peacefulness? How laughable!" Courtney spat.

"Courtney, stand down." Corvan reprimanded.

Obsidian orbs snapped to the former fifth. "Ah, the Evereeshan Second Princess. Lady Asthore sends her regards."

Courtney continued, ignoring him. "What have you done to Asthore?"

"I have done but nothing but make her happy." He answered. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Why don't you come with me?"

"And why do you think we should?" Corvan asked.

"Because Lady Asthore is waiting." He smiled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The way the corners of his lips turned up felt mocking that Corvan couldn't help but grit his teeth. Losing composure in front of the enemy wasn't a good idea though, so he tried to remain calm instead.

"I don't know what you're planning but . . ." Corvan took confident strides towards the demon before pointing his sword at him. "I'm not buying it."

"I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I'm in quite in a hurry, you see. Lady Asthore is not actually the most patient person I've met, and I approximately have about ten minutes before I hear her screaming from a mile away." He pulled on the sleeves of his immaculate top, rolling them up to his elbows.

"Right. A spoiled brat." Tamara shook her head.

"You can't defeat the Celestial Circle!" Keelan exclaimed almost childishly, his face puffing.

"Enough with the chitchat. It's getting rather tiring." He sighed. "You." He pointed at Corvan. "Do you wish to fight? One-on-one."

"Ooh." Keelan whistled before he reverted to his previous expression and shouted, "You can't defeat Corvan!"

"Alright, stand back everyone." Tamara said, pushing everyone back. While Courtney showed mild reluctance, she obeyed. "Let's give him what he wants."

"Wait. Shouldn't we help him?" The fifth ranker asked, confused.

"Stay back." Corvan told them, mainly to Valeriana.

"Are you serious? You can't take him on alone!"

The glare sent her way made her shut up.

"I'll send the signal." Brindon said, picking up a stray rock from somewhere before throwing it towards the sky in a powerful motion. Valeriana was unsure of his element at first as she watched the rock reach the skies to the point that it disappeared. It wasn't a few seconds later that she heard a huge explosion, startling her.

"What the heck just happened?" She said, staring at the sky. "Don't tell me that rock was actually a grenade or something."

"It's not." Brindon answered.

Keelan was immediately there to explain. "Brindon is one of my people!" He proudly stated. "He's an earth like me. By putting pressure on that rock, he made it release waves of sound that can be heard from a mile away. It's not a big deal, really."

"Oh."

The demon ran for Corvan head on. The blur Valeriana saw from the corner of her eyes pulled her attention. Focusing her vision on the scene before her, she felt her jaw dropping as she saw the demon attack.

"How troublesome." The demon muttered, pulling out two, hidden daggers under his shirt and skillfully positioning them inside both of his hands so that they angled outwards in either side. He held the hilt within his fists as though he was going to stab someone—and the look in his eyes made him scarier.

"Hey, I think—" Valeriana started.

"No. I can see the wheels turning in your head. No." Tamara flat-out refused. "Have some trust in Corvan. It's not like that demon can do anything to kill him." The look on her face was complacent, as though it wasn't actually a big deal. "If he ever does something, we're all here to take his head."

Still, Valeriana didn't feel the least comforted by what she just said.

The girl fought the urge to smack her face. "You really think we shouldn't help him?"

"He wanted a one-on-one fight, so let him have it." She huffed. "Besides, it's too unbecoming to gang up on one person. We still have our honor as knights."

"Since when were you concerned about being too 'unbecoming', Tamara?" Courtney asked her. "But I still do not approve of standing by, doing nothing."

Tamara scoffed and ignored Courtney's statement, deciding to stay quiet instead of answering.

Valeriana silently agreed. It didn't feel right for her to just watch. "You guys . . . that's sort of cocky, even from you, Tamara. You're underestimating the enemy. Based on my experiences, that's never a good thing."

"I agree." Brindon said.

"Be more at ease." Keelan reassured.

"Are you sure Corvan will be okay?" Valeriana asked in concern.

"Oh, please." Tamara waved her hand at her dismissively. "You shouldn't worry about Corvan. If there's someone you have to be worried about, it's the demon. Not like anyone cares, though."

Keelan and the others chuckled lightly at her statement.

"But, if he's the mastermind, don't you think we shouldn't be taking him too lightly?" Valeriana frowned, feeling unsettled about letting Corvan face him all alone. "I mean . . ." She trailed off.

The blades of his daggers had about a fourth of the size of his whole arm. They didn't look that much intimidating but the way he held it made Valeriana's heart jump to her throat. Sure, Corvan might've been currently the best fighter among them, but there was no guarantee he wouldn't come out of it unscathed.

Corvan merely scoffed and readied himself for the incoming blow.

"Well, I'm finally gonna see Corvan fight." Valeriana whispered.

"Then, sit back and enjoy the show. You haven't seen Corvan's skills so you aren't too confident."

Maybe that was the case. But still, Valeriana didn't feel settled. Were they really just going to stand back and let Corvan do all the fighting? She didn't want to merely watch on the sidelines.

She had her doubts.

When a sharp clang reached their ears, Valeriana cringed. Eyes wide, she watched Corvan skillfully parry the attack and counter it with a sharp swing of his own. Soon they were exchanging blows, throwing in feints and attacks while deftly shifting their bodies to accommodate the moves they made. She didn't even have the time to register what they were doing as they were moving too fast for her own eyes.

Her jaws fell. "What . . . they're a blur."

Corvan spun, his hair wildly swinging behind him as he landed a quick strike against knives of his opponent and they paused, pressing some pressure into their weapons in a test of strength. The demon had his blades crossed in front of him, slowly being pushed back by Corvan.

"Ok . . . that is a bit impressive." Valeriana said.

"Told ya." Tamara nudged her side with her elbow. "With a few arrangements, Corvan is going to skip to his fourth year—at least, that's what I heard. He's far too advanced for his level, anyway."

"I've never heard of that!" She exclaimed, pouting. "Well, I guess he deserves it."

Well, look at that. Here they were, probably facing their worst enemy, and the both of them were having a casual conversation in the sidelines.

"It's not final yet. It's just rumors." She replied, chuckling. She then turned back to the fight, a thoughtful look latching onto her face. "That demon got skill, too."

"Mm." The demon's lips twisted as he exerted inhuman force, causing Corvan to gracefully stumble back. "I have less than eight minutes to wrap this up before milady comes screaming." He muttered.

"I can't believe it." Keelan stared at him in surprise. "Was he counting inside his head?"

"I originally didn't come here for a fight." He said. "But I was curious what it is about you that got milady enamored."

At his statement, crease gathered between Corvan's brows and his eyes narrowed ever so lightly at the demon. Even the others looked confused at his words. "What in the world do you mean?"

"You've got good looks." He said, his eyes scrutinizing. "Fairly skilled in combat. There's still something I don't quite understand. But I assume I don't have the time to waste, so perhaps I'll find out later."

Corvan looked at him, noticing the way his black eyes burned with resentment and utter hatred while they stared at each other. Instead of letting himself get distracted though, he decided to focus on the matter at hand and tightened his grip around his sword. This demon particularly wasn't an easy opponent. He posed a real challenge.

He charged forward once more and swung both knives towards Corvan which the latter evaded easily, only that it came with something he didn't quite expect. Valeriana, as well, flinched by the sudden eruption of wild demonic energy that sent every single hair in her body standing. Goosebumps trailed her skin and shivers racked her body, making her eyes go wide.

"T-that's . . ."

"I know." Tamara frowned. "I can feel it too because of the intensity."

"Y-you . . ." Her teeth chattered. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and tried not to let it affect her so easily. "N-never m-mind." She sighed. Cursing mentally, she wished she could do something to somehow block out the reactions her body had in response to feeling anything related to 'demon'.

"Sorry, Valeriana." Keelan told her. "We don't know anything about sensitivity to demons so we can't help you. But hey, why don't you just . . . not feel it?"

"Impossible." Brindon said before she could even say anything.

She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the shivers. "I'm good!" She exclaimed. "B-but Corvan . . ."

She looked worriedly to where the two were fighting and saw the fact that Corvan wasn't in a very good position. The flare of demonic energy a while ago seemed to have boosted the strength, speed, and skill of his opponent, practically overwhelming Corvan by the suddenness.

"Is this too much for you, I wonder?" The demon smirked.

"I've seen worse." Corvan bit back. "Nothing like this is easily going to overpower me."

True to his words, Corvan managed to get the flow of the fight back to his side and started move even faster than before. Valeriana couldn't help but swallow hard as she continued watching the two of them battle each other, feeling dizzy from trying to keep up with their pace.

"I wasn't trying in the first place." The demon replied, his brows rising in amusement.

"T-those two are m-monsters." She grunted.

"H-hey . . ." Keelan muttered, shaking his head as though trying to snap some sense into himself. "Why is everything suddenly . . . spinning?"

Valeriana looked between her comrades inquiringly, wondering what in the world was going on. "Hey, you guys? What's up?"

It wasn't only Keelan who seemed to be feeling that way. Courtney and the others as well seemed suddenly shaken, blinking distractedly and unsteadily vacillating on their feet.

Brindon suddenly dropped without any prior notice, startling Courtney. "What in the—Brindon! Brindon!" She knelt beside him and tried shaking him.

Tamara looked between her comrades. "This isn't good."

"What the heck is going on?" Courtney exclaimed. "You demon! I'm going to kill you!" Drawing her own weapon, she charged forward, but stumbled weakly on her feet before she even managed to go there.

Corvan himself staggered. From the momentary distraction, the demon managed to wound his cheek with the tip of his knife. He dismissed this though, and started fighting back. He looked more than enraged as he registered the fact.

"You . . . bastard! What did you do?" He asked.

"What I think I must." He replied, licking the bloody tip of his weapon.

Corvan's face twisted in disgust. "I shouldn't have played fair from the start either." He spat. With a roar, flames coated the blade of his weapon and he charged forward. He struck down at his enemy as hard as he could, which caught the demon by surprise. "Do you think you can easily take down the Celestial Twelve so easily?"

"How astonishing." He said. "Seeing you still be able to have this much strength. I wonder how long you'll last."

Tamara growled as she watched. She staggered as well, her face contorting defiantly. Even her eyes glinted with willpower and resistance. Using the last bit of her strength, she fired the distress signal to the sky, hoping the others received the message.

Valeriana wasn't sure what kind of action she should take, seeing everybody else within her team laying weakened on the ground. Their eyes looked heavy, their movements languorous. The demonic aura still assaulted her from all sides, poking at her skin like sharp needles. She stumbled and leaned against the tree, feeling helpless.

"Guys . . ." She poked Keelan with her foot. He couldn't be dead!

"Hey! Psst!" A voice called. "Come here! Hurry! Before it's too late!"

She turned sharply towards the direction of the call. It was Aden. He was peeking from behind the tree, his eyes dropping unsteadily.

"What are you—" She didn't have time to finish her sentence as he suddenly pulled her arm and dragged her away.

Aden forcefully pulled her with him, running away from the scene while the demon was distracted in fighting off Corvan. The boy snuck glances over his shoulder as he continued to tread the direction both of them were pursuing.

"Hey! Aden! What in the world are you doing?" She hissed at him, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip. "Were you hiding all this time?"

"We have to get away from here now. Or else—"

They both paused behind a certain tree and saw the others collapsing to the floor. Tamara's face when she was falling asleep was hilarious that Valeriana had to fight back a giggle, but realizing the situation made her gasp. She heard the signal being fired earlier. Was the situation that bad?

"Why are they—"

"I'll explain later. At least I have to get one of you away! Come on!"

Valeriana looked back and saw Corvan stumbling on his feet, doubling over as the demon landed a hard punch to his gut. He was probably feeling it too, as she doubted that he would let his enemy land a punch on him if he was well. She inwardly cursed the demon for playing so low, concern bubbling inside her as she watched the poor guy land in a helpless heap on the ground.

"No." The words rolled off her tongue. "Corv—"

She was about to yell his name but Aden muffled her voice with his hand and pulled her towards the nearest tree, forcing her to keep quiet as the demon turned to their direction. His black eyes held suspicion as his gaze swept through the area.

It didn't even occur to Valeriana that she was about to yell out his name. Aden shushed her quietly, looking panicked as she struggled.

"Keep it down for god's sake!" He whisper-yelled, pressing more pressure onto her mouth. "He'll hear us."

And with that, they both snuck away, hoping a certain demon didn't see them.