Standing on trial, Oliver Rand was determined to win. He wasn't going to let his life end just because of something so small like a rogue broadcast. Besides... He wasn't done being a hero.

Looking up at the so-called "judge", he narrowed his eyes as he tried to bury his fears deep down... However such a task was easier said than done.

"Bring it on! I'll totally win! Cause I'm not innocent!" Oliver said, his voice filled with confidence.

It took a minute for him to register the words he had said, his face dropping into a blank stare as he wondered if it was an ominous sign of things to come.

Yue facepalmed at his almost comical slip up - wondering if she was backing up a lost cause. The grey flask began laughing awkwardly as they began rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sure he won't mess up that badly... At least I hope he won't." They say, uncertainty in their voice.

Yue groaned before looking down at the young man with an expectant look on her face. A look of hope, and fear.

"Win... Because I know you can. Show them why you deserve to live. Show them why you deserve to continue to protect others..."

Looking down at the young man, the director of F.A.T.E watched him like a hawk. It was as if the man had already decided in his mind, that Oliver would be punished on this day. Such a look did not bring Oliver any sort of comfort.

Grabbing his gavel, he raised it up high before slamming it down on the wooden sound block built into the table. A shock wave rang out throughout the court room, causing the statue of lady justice to shake. Looking up at the statue, Oliver could swear he was being watched. Despite the blindfold... He could feel her icy cold glare fixed upon him.

Placing down his gavel, Director Branford cleared his throat before lacing his fingers together.

"Oliver Liam Rand, do you know why you are here?" He asked, his tone was straightforward and concise - as if semantics were completely unnecessary to the case.

Oliver's gaze turned to the man, nodding his head slightly.

"I'm here because I'm an unauthorised contract holder correct?" Oliver replied, trying to imitate his straightforwardness.

Director Branford leaned back into his chair, before stretching his hand out straight and shaking it side to side.

"Only a quarter percent. You're here for a multitude of crimes, however we have brought them under four umbrella cases." He responded, resting his cheek on his fist.

Oliver was confused by what he meant, clearly under the impression that he hadn't broken any other laws.

"What do you mean? The only thing I've done is hide my identity..." Oliver questioned.

Director Branford narrowed his eyes onto Oliver, looking at him with slight annoyance.

"You wouldn't be on trial then would you?" He said in a matter of fact tone.

Oliver gulped before clenching the sides of his stand.

"Is it really a trial? Seems like you all already think I'm guilty since I don't even have a lawyer..." Oliver retorted.

The director smirked before standing up, putting his hand in his pockets as he looked down at the boy.

"You're right... It isn't really a proper trial.. it's more like... A vote. I will present the case, and you'll have to defend yourself. Afterwards... We'll have a vote to decide your fate..." The director explained.

Oliver grimaced at the unfairness of the trial, certain that they would rig it in their favour. Still, he wasn't going to give up. He was tired of doing that.

"Fine, I'll play your game... But just so you know, I WILL win..." Oliver said, determined.

The director smiled a bit before sitting back down.

"I would like to see you struggle a bit... I've heard very interesting things from various different sources. Sources that have taken a liking to you..." The director said, gently fidgeting with his gavel.

Oliver was confused by the statement, though he could guess at who exactly he was talking about. However the fact he mentioned various people... Stroked Oliver's ego quite a bit. With a sudden burst of confidence, Oliver pointed at the director with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not gonna struggle. I'm gonna soar above this. I'll fly so high I'll leave you all alone... Give me your best shot." Oliver said confidently.

Upon witnessing Oliver's actions, Yue's expression planted so deep into the ground that it came out on the other side of the world.

"That brat... What the hell is wrong with him?" Yue said, an aura of despair covering her face like a cold blanket.

The grey flask laughed awkwardly, even they couldn't find the silver lining. However, their demeanor shifted as they looked over at director Branford. Instead of a vindictive or offended look, he was smiling. Such a sight wasn't unusual, but within the context of the court, it was like seeing a plot twist unfold for the first time.

Staring at the boy with a smile of shock and intrigue, the director then began laughing. The whole court room was shocked, none of them were used to seeing the director be so unprofessional... Other than Liael. She only rolled her eyes as she began diligently typing down everything that was being said. Even the director's laughter.

As his laughter slowly died down, the director looked at Oliver with a smile. It wasn't one of mockery, nor was it one of pride. It was the smile you'd give when you finally got the answer to a maths question. The director finally understood why such powerful figures were so interested in Oliver.

"Fine... For your first crime... You're charged with owning an unregistered attachment unit. How exactly did you obtain your transformation device." The director commanded. "... Oh and don't lie by the way... or she'll get mad..." The eyes of lady justice glowed behind the blindfold.

Oliver gulped, raising his hand as he asked what he meant.

"I'm sorry but that's way too ominous to leave open ended..." Oliver said, fear in his voice.

The Director hummed before pointing to the red claw.

"Me?" The red claw said, pointing their finger at themselves.

The director nodded before asking them to tell a lie. The red claw was scared but began thinking up a lie anyway.

"I- I... I'm 6 fee-" but before they could finish their sentence, the statue raised it's sword up, striking it down on the red claw.

The red claw lifted their hands up, erecting a barrier to stop the blade. The statue was relentless however, pushing even stronger against the barrier. Feeling their barrier cracking, the red claw swallowed their pride before admitting the truth.

"I'm actually 5'11!" They yelled.

His confession caused the statue to return to its original state - as if it didn't just move like a living creature. Falling back down to their seat, the red claw began breathing heavily.

"I'll never get used to that..." They remarked.

The Director chuckled a bit before turning to Oliver.

"In this courtroom, all lies will be punished. That includes the lies of you, the Vanguards and even I. This is to keep the sanctity of justice, as, lady justice is blind." The Director explained.

Shaking a bit at the sight earlier, Oliver took deep breath before explaining his side of the story.

"That day, the day I got my driver... Nobody was there. Nobody could save us... So I thought I might as well be useful for once in my life. I saved Researcher Cecilia... But as a result I left myself trapped with a monster." Oliver explained, gripping the sides of his stand tightly as he recalled the incident.

The Vanguards were silent for a moment, but none were more shocked than Yue. Hearing him doing someone so stupid was not what shocked her... But it was the fact that he did something like that prior to having the driver. He wanted to protect others while being weak. It almost broke the ice cold walls she had put around herself.

Hearing his statement, the director nodded but asked him in an almost annoyed tone - to not add unnecessary information to his story.

"I asked you a question, and you didn't answer... This is not a game, Oliver Rand..." The director retorted.

Oliver grimaced at such strictness, though he couldn't really say anything about it. He was already walking on thin ice as is.

"Anyway... After saving her, I obviously didn't wanna just die... So I tried my best to survive. I ran, distracted and even fought against the fester... It was then when I first got my driver. It was... Gross. Like it felt so bad to touch. It was as if the world was telling me not to open the capsule... But I did anyway." Oliver explained.

The director looked intrigued by the revelation. There was only one attachment unit he knew of that was quote on quote, "terrible to hold". And such a weapon in the hands of a 17 year old boy was terrifying to think about.

"How exactly did you make it work? From the reports of General Sieg; your driver needs a source of descent energy to function. How did you get such a thing in a ruined building?" Director Branford asked.

Oliver fell silent for a moment, hesitant to respond. I mean, who wouldn't be? If he told the truth, they would look at him with disgust and appal - causing their opinion to be swayed. If he didn't, he would be punished by the giant statue towering over the court room. He was in a catch 22.

Getting frustrated by his hesitation and the desire to have his curiosity satiated, the director informed Oliver of the consequences of his silence.

"If you don't respond Oliver... Lady justice will take it as sabotaging the court..." The director retorted.

Realising the severity of the situation, Oliver pulled himself together - just enough to utter a few words.

"I ate the Fester..." He said quietly.

The director raised his eyebrow, unsure of what he heard due to Oliver's volume.

"You dated the Fester?" The director said with a look of confusion.

Oliver grit his teeth before yelling out his answer.

"I ate the damn monster!" He shouted.

That information caused the entire room to become silent. It wasn't the silence of respect like before... But instead of a silence of disgust, intrigue and mostly dumbfoundedness.... Though one of them felt anger instead.

Standing up from their seat, the grey flask pointed at Oliver accusingly.

"That's impossible! Even if you ate it, there is no way you could've gained any descent energy from it! Descent energy isn't something like nutrients where you can absorb them into your body! Once it enters your body, it isn't added into your descent energy reservoir! You'd have to be a mons-" but before he could finish his sentence, the Director raised up his hand.

Turning to the Vanguard, the Director looked at them with a glare.

"I get this is your subject.. however right now you're interfering with court." The Director said.

The grey flask stopped before clenching their fist.

"I apologise sir... But what he said is impossible..." The grey flask remarked.

The Director smiled before looking at the giant statue behind him.

"Then why hasn't she chopped Oliver's head off?" The Director remarked back at them.

The grey flask was shocked... Though they couldn't argue with his statement. However... The grey flasks demeanor towards Oliver began to change. From intrigue to curiosity, the Vanguard began to keep a closer eye on Oliver.

"You didn't tell me he was this interesting..."

As the grey flask sat back down, the Director's attention was brought back to Oliver.

"... You've explained yourself well enough... I'm impressed. However... This trial still has three more crimes from you to explain... So I hope you didn't get too excited..." The Director smirked.

Oliver gulped however then began smiling.

"Stop yapping and get on with it then old man..." Oliver retorted.

Chuckling, the Director leaned forward slightly before smiling with a huff.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Don't underestimate me... For your second crime... You are charged with being an unregistered vigilante. You could've just told F.A.T.E about your status and avoid this mess..." The Director remarked.

Oliver scoffed before leaning forward as well.

"Like I'd believe that. You'd just do this trial way earlier... Actually... I doubt you'd even give me a trial in the first place..." Oliver retorted.

The Director found his statement insulting, however he understood the reason behind it.

"We are righteous, we would not have done something so-" but before he could finish his sentence, Oliver interrupted him.

"Well it seems like you all love making split second decisions when it comes to people's lives! What makes you think I'll believe you when you couldn't even evacuate a few people..." Oliver sneered.

The Director fell silent before standing up. Oliver stepped a few paces back, startled by his actions. He hesitantly looked up at the man, waiting for him to do something drastic.

However instead, he bowed.

"I apologise... It was a mistake on our end. It truly saddens me what was supposed to be a simple training mission turned into a massacre due to unforeseen circumstances... I promise as the Director of this company, I will not let anymore people suffer due to my negligence."

Oliver scoffed, believing his words to be a lie... However he then realised the statue didn't react to his statement. The Director was telling the truth.

Seeing the Director of F.A.T.E himself apologise to a 17 year old - let alone the fact it was sincere - was so baffling that some of the Vanguards began laughing awkwardly.

"What a weird joke... I didn't know you liked making such jokes, Director." The grey hat laughed.

The yellow wrench nodded in agreement as the red claw crossed their arms in silence.

Despite the fact the statue was dormant however, one of the Vanguards weren't convinced at all. Standing up and holding the railings, Yue began yelling at the Director.

"Then why did you punish my husband?! If you're really guilty, why have him punished for trying the fix you damn mistake!" Yue yelled, rage behind her voice.

The Director stood up, before looking at her with pity.

"Trust me, I didn't want to. But it had to be done. He broke the rules and is being punished for it... If I didn't punish him, how many more exceptions will I have to make?" The Director explained.

Yue was silent for a moment before sitting back down with a huff. She mumbled a few profanities at the man, such vulgarity making even the devil blush.

Sighing, the Director then turned to Oliver.

"I understand your reservations with exposing yourself, however it has caused various other problems... For example, your third crime, endangering the lives of innocent people and damaging property..." The Director explained.

Oliver found the topic ironic, however he kept an open mind after witnessing the sincere statement he made earlier.

Seeing Oliver's relaxed face, the Director began listing off the times he has endangered people.

"First... The treasure Fester encounter. During that fight, you caused the destruction of the entirety of the manufacturing ward, and some of the surrounding areas. If lt weren't for the ultra nanofibre material we use to construct the wards... F.A.T.E operations would have to be halted for a month. And that's being generous..." The Director explained.

The Vanguards scowled at Oliver, especially the yellow wrench who glared at Oliver with particular hatred. It was the kind of hatred one would show when someone destroyed their pet project after mine months of painstaking hard work... Or seeing your baby get hurt. In the eyes of the yellow wrench, Oliver had committed the same sin.

He could feel the stinging pain of their glare on him, causing him to choke up a bit before responding to the accusation.

"W- well... It wasn't my fault. That treasure bastard caused it. It spammed it's super strong attacks as if it had no other moves! How was I supposed to stop a concentrated nuclear bomb!" Oliver complained.

The yellow wrench mumbled in response to his explanation, clearly not wanting to lose - but also unable to refute his logic.

The Director looked over to the Vanguard, making an unamused expression before turning back to Oliver.

"You can save your complaints for the vote... Now... The next example... The incident with the projection Fester..." The Director said, his voice purposely colder.

Oliver froze for a moment, shocked that he knew about the fight. Looking up at the Director, he cautiously asked how he knew about his encounter with the projection Fester.

"Back then F.A.T.E didn't know about my location... You even dropped the case because you couldn't find me..." Oliver remarked.

The Director looked at him with intrigue before crossing his arms.

"Who said we dropped your case because of that?" The Director smirked.

Oliver froze again, his upper lip twitching slightly.

"So you knew? You knew who I was even before this?" Oliver asked.

The Director chuckled before shaking his head.

"You misunderstand Oliver. We knew where you were... But we didn't know who you were, and what exactly happened. Someone in F.A.T.E really didn't want your identity out in the public... they even made us pull the case. You've got a pretty strong benefactor Oliver Rand." The Director mentioned.

Again, these mysterious individuals had saved his life. He was confused as to why people he didn't even know would do this much for him. Was he really that special?

Tapping his fingers on the desk, the Director impatiently looked down at Oliver - awaiting his explanation.

"Lady justice hates procrastinators..." The Director remarked.

Oliver gulped heavily, before clicking his tongue.

"You can't just drop a bombshell on someone and act as if they'll be immediately okay... Fine... I'll tell you why what happened. I was saving a kid who ran away from home... If that's a crime then I really don't care if you lock me up... But please don't, I can't survive in there!" Oliver said, his initial coldness turning into pathetic fear.

While his cowardice didn't sway the Vanguard's judgements... The fact that he risked his life and the potential of his identity being leaked was more than enough to make up for it.

"Sacrificing yourself to be a hero... I don't know about you bastards, but that's a good thing in my book." The Red claw retorted.

The green needle nodded, crossing their legs and lacing this fingers as they looked at Oliver.

"A very interesting man he is... I knew he was interesting when I first met him..." The green needle mentioned.

The grey flask and yellow wrench stayed silent, whilst Yue looked at Oliver with a glint in her eyes. It was one of hope, and genuine pride. It was as if the preconceived ideas she had about Oliver had completely shattered and melted away into water. Water that would bring life to a dead tree buried in Yue's heart. A tree of faith. A tree of hope.

The Director hummed at the information, before leaning back into his seat.

"... In truth I did not know that. If I did, it would've made paying the compensation for your destruction of private property feel a bit easier..." The Director remarked.

Oliver laughed awkwardly, scratching his head with guilt.

"Yeah sorry, Sir... My bad..." Oliver whistled.

The Director chuckled before shaking his head.

"It's fine... Things like that happen on a daily basis..." He mentioned.

Oliver grimaced, asking why he was on trial for destruction of property then?

"If it happens everyday... It's kinda a jerk move to punish me..." Oliver retorted.

The Director raised an eyebrow as he made a disappointed face.

"Just because graffiti happens everyday, it doesn't mean we shouldn't punish a rogue artist if we manage to catch them red handed." The Director explained.

Oliver's nose scrunched, realising the stupidity of his question after the fact.

"Sorry..." Oliver hung his head low.

The Director sighed before holding his chin.

"The final example... The Preservation Fester and the events before it. In that incident, you could've prevented more disasters if you had transformed earlier. If you truly want to protect others... Why did you hesitate?" The Director asked.

Oliver became silent for a few moments, as he himself didn't know why he hesitated. He told himself before, that he didn't want to just sit around and let bad things happen - yet when things got tough, he got scared. It was embarrassing to admit it... But maybe he really didn't change. Even after all that had happened to him, maybe he was still the same Oliver as before. Just with a fancy new coat of paint.

Clenching his fist tightly, Oliver began to speak.

"Because... I'm exactly the same as the people I hate. I tell others to be better... Yet when push comes to shove, I'm no better..." Oliver remarked, his head still hung low.

The Vanguards began looking down at Oliver, both literally and metaphorically. They looked at him as if they had just watched their favourite movie get a direct to DVD sequel. Their previous illusions were shattered, becoming cold and disillusioned once more.... And none represented that more than Yue.

Looking at the man with a deep scowl, she clicked her tongue in disappointment. She truly did believe Oliver had changed... Maybe her husband's words weren't just filled with nonsense and wishful thinking. That maybe... She could believe in something again. Yet whenever she would dream, the world would shoot her down. Because the moon was always meant to be amongst the stars... Yet never to shine like them.

Grabbing her hood tightly, she began slowly pulling it over her light blue hair - it was like watching the moon be eclipsed by the sun. As the final bit of blue was shrouded in complete darkness, Oliver spoke up once again.

"But, I don't wanna be like that!" Oliver yelled, his voice filled with conviction.

Yue stopped just before her hood had covered her face, looking at Oliver with surprise. The other Vanguards focused their attention back to the investigator as well, intrigued by his words.

Clenching his fist, Oliver began remembering the words the civilians of Leighburne town had said that day. The desperate cries of pain. Their pleas for salvation. The tears that prayed for miracles. He didn't want anyone to have to do that again.

"As long as I live... I'm gonna run towards danger... Even if it's painful... Even if it's scary... Even if my heart doesn't want to... I'll move. If I have legs, I can run. If they don't work I'll just crawl. And if I can't move at all, I'll force my own body to move with sheer will! I won't let anyone cry because they think heroes can only exist in stories! Even if it means my life is put on the line, I'll let this world become that story!" Oliver said, his voice filled with conviction and resolve.

Upon hearing his words, Yue's eyes filled with hope. Hope that she hadn't felt in years. Hope that the world wasn't evil. Hope that people would do the right thing despite the challenges that faced them. Hope that miracles existed. Ying Yue's faith in the world had ever so slightly been restored. Gripping the railings, she leaned forward and yelled at Oliver.

"You better keep that damn promise!" She yelled at him. For once, Oliver sensed no coldness in her voice. In fact, it was very warm.

Looking up at her with confusion, Oliver stared at her for a moment before nodding. He gave her a thumbs up before smiling.

"You damn betcha, General!" Oliver smirked.

Yue smiled before huffing and sitting back in her seat.

"How rude... A disciple should address their teacher as Master..." Yue smirked back.

Oliver's smug expression was immediately wiped away, as his face became flush with shock and excitement.

"Disciple? Y- you mean... I'm worthy of being your disciple now?!" Oliver said, pointing to himself in shock.

Yue rolled her eyes before nodding her head.

"Isn't it obvious? You've shown yourself more than worthy to be my disciple..." Yue scoffed, though not maliciously.

Oliver made an unsightly face, clearly overjoyed that he was finally considered a disciple.

"Heh... I'm a disciple... Suck it Sebastian..." Oliver muttered.

Yue overheard his words, tossing a chunk of ice at him.

"H- hey ouch that hurt!" Oliver said, rubbing the part that got hurt.

Yue sighed before telling him that insulting fellow squad members was prohibited. Oliver mumbled a few things in response, causing him to get hit by another chunk of ice.

"Okay I'm sorry, Master!" Oliver said, whining a bit.

Yue huffed victoriously before looking around and realising the other Vanguards were looking at her strangely.

"What? Can't a woman have fun?" She scowled. She even let out some of her aura, the freezing properties causing the others to shiver both due to fear, and temperature.

The others gulped at her ferocity, the grey flask eventually having enough courage to explain the situation.

"I- it's not that... It's just... It's been a long time since you've been like this... It's good to see you be... Lively." The grey flask explained.

She went silent for a moment before intensifying her aura.

"I'm always lovely! You think I'm not lovely? What just cause I'm rougher than most women I'm not lovely?! I'll have you know my husband constantly calls me lovely! It's actually really sweet!" She yelled, mishearing the word lively as lovely.

The cold aura continued to rage on like a rampaging typhoon, leaving everyone inside shivering cold. Liael however pulled out a heater from her pocket, putting it on max heat.

As the cold temperatures were getting unbearable, the Director was forced to step in. Reaching his arm out towards Yue, he then pulled his arm back - as if grabbing something. Once he did that, film strips had appeared in his hands. Looking over at Liael, he reached his hand out again - this time gesturing for her to give him something. Liael took out a marker from her pocket, handing it over to the man.

"Thank you Liael..." The Director said before drawing on the film strip, afterwards checking it for any inconsistencies.

After finding no faults, he "inserted" the film strips back into the scene. As the last bit of film was inserted, the whole court room began to change. It was as if the coldness from before had never happened in the first place. Realising her aura had been taken away, Yue clicked her tongue before crossing her arms.

"Annoying old man..." Yue remarked.

The Director scowled back at her before turning to Oliver who had a dumbfounded expression on his face. The look made the Director smile slightly, a feeling he seen in quite a long time. In Oliver's eyes, Felix Branford could see excitement.

"Are you interested in my ability?" The Director hummed.

Oliver nodded his head vigorously, he almost looked like a child seeing a magic trick for the first time. The Director chuckled before leaning back into his chair.

"You truly are interesting Oliver Rand... Very well then. My miracle, is known as 'Filmweaver'. It allows me to edit 'scenes' by tempering with film reels I can pull out for said scene. It's very simple, but if used correctly, is quite a strong ability. For examp-" before Director Branford could finish his sentence, Oliver chimed in with his own ideas.

"Yeah like if you took out a scene, then cut the film then reattach them, it'll be as if that thing didn't happen. Or! Or! If you jumble the scene orders, you can leave the target discombobulated! And that's just scratching the surface probably… What if you were to draw the target in a position they weren't in before? Would they remember that they had always been there? Or would they be confused? If they were, you could use that opportunity to sneak attack them! And what are the limits? Can you cut the characters in half, will they instantly die? Or if you create something out of thin air, will it actually exist?! I have so many questions!" Oliver said with wide eyes.

Director Branford was stunned by Oliver's suggestions, some of which even he didn't think of. The amount of creativity he had from just hearing the baseline abilities of his miracle was baffling... But also terrifying.

"Oliver Rand is extremely dangerous due to his unique usage of transformation. Despite no inherent knowledge of using descent energy, and seemingly never revealing his miracle, Oliver Rand has defeated multiple enemies above his class. I even saw him cutting his arm on purpose just because healing it would be faster than blocking... he's a monster." Those words from Sieg echoed in the Directors mind.

His eyes narrowing onto Oliver, he clenched his fists with caution.

"I understand why Sieg said that now. He isn't strong because of his psychical capabilities. He's strong because he knows that he isn't that strong. Even from the only fight I witnessed, his movements were amateurish, and his base strength was only at the rank of an advanced class Fester. Yet his ingenuity, cunning and downright stubbornness are the reason why a disaster class could've been defeated... If he were to truly improve, he would consume everything beneath his feet." The Director thought as he looked at Oliver.

Seeing the almost painful look on the Director's face made Oliver feel uneasy. He knew exactly what the Director was thinking. It was as if he was reading lines from a book. Something he had done many times before.

The Director was terrified of him.

Such a face filled Oliver's heart with worry... And intrigue.

"Maybe I am a monster?" A thought popped into Oliver's head.

Clenching his fist, Oliver shook the feeling off - knowing it was just his fear and anxiety taking over him. He didn't want to think about those thoughts anymore. He promised himself he'd ignore them. Because he knew for a fact, that he was a good person. Right?

Looking back at the Director, Oliver's lips trembled as he began to hesitantly speak up.

"Why are you looking at me like that sir? I'm not that scary looking am I? I think most people would say I look pathetically cute!" Oliver said in an upbeat tone. It was clear he was trying to lighten the mood, however the underlying fear of death made it sound insincere.

The Director starred Oliver in the eyes, before standing up. He placed his hands behind his back, making his way down the spiral staircase that sat right beside his bench. With each step he took, the silent halls echoed with a tap sound.

"Oliver Rand... Your final crime. The most severe of all... Why did you hide your miracle and title from the world. That not only breaks the laws of F.A.T.E, but also the laws of the world. So why risk that taboo, all for something simple as playing hero?" The Director asked as he descended down the staircase.

The Vanguards looked down at Oliver curiously, impatiently waiting for his answer. This was what most of them stepped down from their lofty positions to attend an insignificant meeting in the grand scheme of things. It was as if the Vanguards had returned back to children who awaited the famed new character that had just been released in their favourite game. They murmured amongst themselves, theorising what his ability and title were.

"From what I've seen... Maybe energy absorption?" The orange hat whispered to the yellow wrench.

The yellow wrench whispered back with a snicker.

"His title is probably, 'lord of making things harder for people'..." They scoffed.

The red claw looked at Oliver, tapping their feet in an increasingly impatient manner.

"Come on come on... I have high hopes for him... He might be a good soldier..." The Red claw grinned hungrily.

Yue glared at them, becoming surprisingly protective over Oliver.

"He's my disciple. Do not try to steal him, you long clawed bastard..." She scowled.

The two shot daggers at each other, so sharp and surreal that even those in reality could feel the pain of their delusions. It was both a terrifying, and facepalm worthy sight.

Nudging the vanguard beside them, the grey flask asked the green needle what their opinion was.

"You seem to be more acquainted with him than me... And I'd rather not deal with an enraged Yue right now- so what's your stance on Oliver?" The grey flask asked.

The green needle was silent for a moment before looking over at Oliver. Their eyes lingered before huffing amusedly.

"Whatever it is... He'll definitely surprise us. When I saw who he was... I could tell one thing about him. Oliver is a man that is a taboo in this world."

The grey flask looked at the green needle dumbfounded, however his confusion quickly turned to intrigue. Like most of the other Vanguards had already began doing, the grey flask looked down at Oliver with anticipation.

"Come... Show us who you are, Oliver Rand"

As the Director approached Oliver as he awaited his answer, he couldn't help but notice Oliver was making a face. Was it confusion? Was he wondering how the Director knew he hid his title? Or maybe it was fear from being exposed for such a terrible sin. Whatever it was, The Director couldn't decipher his expression one bit. All he could do was wait.

Looking at the Director, Oliver made a weary smile as he repeated the Director's question in his head. With a gulp, Oliver opened his mouth.

"I don't have a miracle or title...?"