Under House Cancer, one understands that knowledge is important, but true wisdom comes from taking the time to listen. During this time, it’s important to recognize that knowledge without understanding is useless, one must strive to understand what they are learning to reach true wisdom – Vettius Valens 169 B.C.

Operation Menu: Phase Breakfast (D+5 hours)

With a forceful kick, Citadel bashed open the door, revealing a dimly lit storage room. Towering stacks of cardboard boxes lined the walls, a few of the stacks reached toward the ceiling like silent sentinels.

In the center of the room a table stood, littered with an assortment of papers and scattered office supplies.

“Fee-fi-fo-fum I smell a little shitbird that I’m about to stomp into the curb,” Citadel said as he scanned the room.

Estelle stepped from around the a stack of boxes and leaned against them. She crossed her arms and drummed her fingers across her biceps.

He began to slowly walk towards her, flexing his arms.

“You…” Citadel said and suddenly stopping.

“If you wish to surrender now, I suggest that you be quick about it, I have other priorities that require my attention,” Estelle said unlocking her arms and examining her fingernails.

Citadel took a step back and looked behind. He then glanced over his shoulder and positioned himself between her and the exit backing up to the wall. His eyes darted around, scanning in every direction. Seeing that no one else in the room he puffed out his chest.

“That’s mighty big talk from someone who got their ‘Ssin build NERFed,” Citadel said double checking the boxes and staring at the moving shadows. “Think you can take a guardian out with that pfft…battle mage build, Estelle?”

Estelle maintained her focus on her fingernails, meticulously examining them. Amidst the recesses of her mind, she grappled with the decision between embellishing her nails with French tips or opting for a simple, clear coat.

Impatiently, Citadel interjected with a sharp tone, breaking her reverie.

"Well?" he snapped, demanding an answer.

With a poised demeanor, Estelle extended her hand for him to behold, confidently revealing her choice.

"French tips," she declared, her voice tinged with a touch of nonchalant sophistication. "Although I've never been one to succumb to trends, I must admit its allure is undeniable."

“Excuse me?” Citadel said digging his foot into the floor.

Estelle locked her gaze with his, her voice dripping with conviction.

"Oh, I'm certain you heard me just as clearly as you're about to hear this," she declared, her eyes piercing into his. "Regardless of which gladiatorial class I pick, I will beat you so bad that you will reincarnate as an abortion. However, rest assured, I shall execute you on my terms, and not from the pleas of some fashionably challenged, third-rate guardian."

Citadel growled.

Small fragments of concrete flaked away as Citadel adjusted his footing. Leaning forward, his determined gaze remained fixed on the path leading directly to Estelle. With a burst of raw power, Citadel charged forth, his thunderous footsteps kicked up debris in his wake. In the collision, he crashed into Estelle, his shoulder leading the charge, caused boxes to scatter in every direction.

As Citadel looked up, he beheld a sight that defied expectation – Estelle remained steadfast, not yielding an inch to his bull rush.

"Silly guardian," Estelle taunted, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Bull Rush beyond level three offers meager gains. Now it's my turn."

Raising her hands before her, Estelle's fingertips sprouted ivory spikes, resembling pyramids. With a swift motion, she brought her hands down, and struck Citadel's ears with the appendages. As Citadel caught a glimpse of her, he noticed a transformation overtaking Estelle. Her lips contorted into an unnaturally twisted smile that stretched from one side of her face to her eyes.

Her eyes widened, bulging out of their sockets. Fissures crisscrossed her once pristine, white porcelain skin, growing deeper and emanating an eerie white glow. Citadel instinctively brought his hands up to shield his face as she erupted, an explosion propelled scorching fragments of shrapnel in his direction. The force of the blast sent him staggering backward, but he managed to maintain his footing amidst the explosion.

“Still using shadow clones, typical for a one trick pony,” Citadel said wiping the dust from his eyes.

"Shadow puppets," muttered Estelle from a darkened corner of the room.

Citadel swiftly rolled up his shirt sleeve, revealing a canvas of inked artistry on his right arm. Three diamond-shaped tattoos adorned his skin, their vibrant blue hues radiating with an ethereal glow. Yet, an intriguing transformation began to unfold before his eyes. The first two diamonds, initially bathed in a gentle light blue shade, gradually deepened in color, taking on a darker, more enigmatic tone, while the third diamond continued to shimmer with its original brilliance.

“You need to attack faster if you want to chip the paint, little E,” Citadel said looking around the room.

“Stage 3 Diamond defense,” thought Estelle. “This complicates things a bit.”

Something pliable and yielding, akin to a water balloon, struck him squarely in the back, eliciting a soft splat upon impact. Moments later, another projectile landed on his back, bursting with a similar, squishy sound. Citadel spun around, his gaze fixated on Estelle, who dangled gracefully from the rafters above.

Without missing a beat, Estelle hurled yet another squishy sphere in his direction. However, this time Citadel reacted swiftly, snatching it effortlessly from the air. The object he caught was a compact, black sphere, approximately the size of a tangerine.

As he held it in his hand, he noticed an intriguing phenomenon—the sphere pulsated with ominous energy. Jagged black spikes emerged from the sphere in haphazard directions, only to retract back into its surface.

The door to the storage room swung open, revealing the entrance to a breathless young girl in her mid-teens. Her long, black hair cascaded down, adorned with striking blond tips. Bloody lacerations covered her face, neck, and arms. Leaning against the door frame, she struggled to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"I finally made it," the woman said wiping her forehead with her sleeve.

Estelle muttered under her breath; her voice laced with a hint of enchantment, "Witch sight."

In response, Estelle's own eyes transformed. They shimmered with a purple glow as if touched by arcane forces. Her gaze focused on the girl, and to Estelle's otherworldly perception, the girl appeared enveloped in a vibrant blend of bluish and purplish hues.

A surreal aura emanated from her, reminiscent of a swirling mist of azure and violet. Above the girl's head, a single eye materialized, its iris a captivating kaleidoscope of colors, casting an otherworldly glow in the air.

“Now a Detection Mage!” thought Estelle. “This complicates things even more...”

Contemplating her options, Estelle deliberated on the idea of contacting her teammates for assistance. However, a sense of caution prevailed within her, dissuading her from initiating any communication that could potentially expose her team to the astute Detection Mage.

After all, she reasoned, if she were in the young girl's shoes, she would have exercised the same caution and refrained from providing any lines of communication that could lead back to her allies.

The girl blinked rapidly, and her eyes began to glow bright blue and she said, “Witch sight!”

She pointed to the rafters and shouted, “She’s…only…a. stupid Stage Three Battle Mage?!?…Jus’ kill her Cit!”

"Thank you, Jez," Citadel expressed his gratitude, his grip tightening around the sphere until it popped.

He wiped the remaining viscous black substance off with his shirt.

Observing the unfolding events, Estelle extended three fingers, causing a sphere to materialize between her middle and forefinger, supported by her thumb. With a swift motion, she launched the sphere toward Jez, striking her with force and causing her to be knocked off her feet.

Jez landed on the ground with an audible thud, her body subsequently enveloped in a radiant white glow. In response, Citadel himself began to emanate a vivid crimson aura, while his diamond tattoos turned translucent.

As Citadel's tattoos diminished in color, Estelle's mind wandered with curiosity.

"Most guardians don't typically invest in the transference skill. I wonder what level it's currently at," she pondered, intrigued by his guardian skill build.

Jez got to her feet, rubbed her forehead, and pulled out a jagged knife.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Estelle began to chant over and over, “In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.”

She let go of the rafters and her hair and body began to levitate. Estelle began to move a clockwise pattern above Jez and Citadel.

“Intentio animi,” Jez shouted holding her finger to her forehead.

The eye above Jez grew larger as Estelle's chanting intensified. Her image was accompanied by a blurry duplicate, both ahead and behind her path. Suddenly, the image shifted once more, creating mirror copies on her left and right flanks. Estelle tapped her throat with her forefinger and let out a loud cackle. However, her voice lagged by four seconds and seemed to come from various directions.

After hearing her voice, Estelle thought to herself, "Oh, great. I sound like a discount version of the Wicked Witch of the West."

Jez scanned the rafters, her head swiveled from left to right as she searched for something specific. With determined concentration, she brought her hand to her forehead, shielded her eyes from any glare or distraction. Citadel swung his fists in the air, but only managed to hit Estelle's before image.

Under Citadel’s eyes, blood began to pool. Tears of bright red blood ran down the side of his face as he wiped them away with a dirty sleeve. Citadel jumped into the air, swinging his fists wildly, this time he began attacking the after image.

“The Mu-7 virus is dulling his senses,” Estelle thought. "Let's see to what extent."

With her left hand, she grabbed onto the beam, stopping her movement.

Extending her middle and index finger and tilting her hand at a 45-degree angle in of her face she muttered, “Grima Dukke”.

Near the corner of two stacks of boxes, a wispy mass of darkness emerged from the shadows. Gradually, the shape solidified, revealing arms, legs, and a chest adorned with battle scars of various lengths. The creature held an oversized meat cleaver with a chipped and worn edge in its right hand. Atop its head sat a pyramid-shaped helmet, rusted and metallic.

As she observed the creature, Estelle couldn't help but think to herself, "I really need to figure out why my shadow puppets always end up resembling Pyramid Head."

The shadow puppet swiveled its head towards Citadel and repositioned itself, preparing for an attack. Citadel swiftly turned around and charged at the puppet with all his might. His shoulder and fist collided with the summoned creature, causing it to disintegrate into ethereal strands of shadow.

"That was a clone!" Jez yelled.

"Sorry," Citadel yelled back, his words punctuated by a wet cough.

"Puppet, not a clone, you ignorant task mage!" hissed Estelle, emphasizing the distinction.

Citadel reached up to wipe away more blood from under his eyes and absentmindedly wiggled his finger in his ear.

"Insta-attack, seismic sense... This isn't your average guardian build," Estelle thought, recognizing an opportunity.

She pondered how she could exploit this newfound advantage. Jez grinned as the phantom eye’s pupil narrowed and began to track Estelle. Realizing she gave up her position, Estelle let go of the rafters and continued floating clockwise again.

“Got her, attack when I tell you,” shouted Jez.

Jez sprinted toward Estelle, leaping onto the table with agile grace. With a swift motion, she reached out and firmly grasped Estelle's foot. As Jez lifted her feet off the table, their combined weight began to pull them both downward, towards the floor.

As the floor rapidly approached, Estelle quickly scanned the area to ensure there were no obstructions between her and Citadel. The path ahead was clear, fueling her determination. Her heart pounded against her chest as she desperately attempted to kick Jez's hand free from her foot. In a moment of desperation, Estelle tapped her fingers to her throat.

"She's almost on the ground! Strike her!" Jez yelled with urgency.

"Hurry I'm right behind you," Estelle replied, her voice taking on Jez's tone as it reverberated off the walls.

The unexpected voice shift caught Citadel's attention, causing him to turn around and crane his neck in an attempt to pinpoint the source of Jez's voice.

Jez looked away over her shoulder and seeing that the guardian was turned around shouted at him to turn around again.

Noticing the distraction extended her middle and index finger. She pulled her arm back and shouted the words, “Taka geisla!”

Jez tilted her head upward, locking eyes with Estelle. As she focused her concentration, the molecules in the air condensed around Estelle’s fingertips. With deliberate intent, she pushed her fingers through the air, generating a building static charge.

In one swift move, Estelle struck Jez right in the center of her forehead, pressing her fingers firmly against the spot. The electric charge coursed through Jez's body, traveling down to her feet, which scraped against the top of the table.

Then, with a deft twist of her wrist in a clockwise motion, Estelle altered the direction of the electric flow, manipulating the electric current’s direction in Jez's body.

Jez released her grip on Estelle's shoe, crashing down onto the table with a resounding thud. Estelle started ascending back toward the ceiling, floating effortlessly.

A disturbing snap echoed through the air as Jez's jaw dislocated, and her arms contorted grotesquely and unnaturally. Her legs twisted out of their sockets, contorting like a pretzel.

Casually adjusting her white stocking on her leg in the air, Estelle spoke with a confident tone, "By rearranging the electrical impulses of your neural network, I've made it quite challenging for you to expose my position now, Snitch."

As Jez spasmed and convulsed on the table, Estelle couldn't help herself and gave a sinister grin.

"Odd that Cit couldn't channel Jez's physical attack back to himself. Is this due to Mu-7 or the limits of the Transference skill."

The seizures intensified causing Jez to flounder and fall to the floor.

"Electro-shock proves to be quite effective when channeled properly. I wonder how long it will be until the Judges dilute the power of that skill," Estelle pondered, her thoughts filled with a mix of satisfaction and curiosity.

Her attention then shifted to Citadel, who knelt on the ground, coughing up bright red blood onto the floor.

Estelle raised her hand once again, unleashing another Mu-7 sphere. This time, it struck Citadel with even greater speed, forcefully knocking him down to the floor.

Noting his pale complexion, Estelle's anticipation grew, yet she realized he had not yet reached the desired cyan hue she had been waiting for. Adjusting her fingers to the side, she directed her gaze toward a clear spot on the floor beside him.

"Let's make the next puppet explosive," Estelle thought, her focus intensifying on the chosen location. "Bullrush your way out of that!"

Suddenly, Citadel's form turned transparent, gradually fading away until his body completely vanished.

"Mu finally burned him up," Estelle remarked triumphantly.

With a graceful wave of her hand above her head, Estelle gradually descended toward the ground. She touched down softly, placing one foot on the floor before executing an elegant curtsy. Poised and composed, she then retrieved a silk handkerchief from her pocket and gracefully tossed it over the spot where Citadel had fallen.

Jez's lifeless body lay motionless, its form shifting, becoming translucent, until it eventually vanished, leaving no trace behind. She pressed her finger to her ear.

“Meat Shield and Finger-Fighter down, give me a status report team,” Estelle broadcasted mentally to the others.

As she awaited a response, Estelle suddenly found herself standing in front of a prominently labeled map that read "BATTLE CITY."

To her left, a pile of semi-luminous items materialized, including boxes, daggers, and jewelry. Each item possessed a border colored green, blue, purple, or orange, indicating their rarity.

"Looks like I managed to score at least one legendary item. The rest seems to be nothing more than scrap," Estelle thought, her gaze fixated on a ring adorned with an orange border.

She turned her attention back to the map. The area labeled Nakatomi Residential Tower turned blue. From behind Tauru, Heather and Tunnel Cat approached her.

“Looks like the chicken shits pounded fists,” Tunnel Cat said placing his hands behind his head and laughing.

“Shame they surrendered before we could get our kill count higher,” Tauru added.

Estelle nodded and stared at the screen that was labeled “PLAYER STATISTICS”. Then noticed Tauru and Heather’s names near the top of the list that said:

Player Kills/Deaths/Assists

Tauru Thornewood 6/0/2

Heather Thornewood 5/0/7

Towards the middle of the list is stated:

T.C. “Tunnel Cat” Thornewood 4/0/5

The bottom of the list stated:

Estelle Thornewood 2/0/0

“I’m in the top ten,” Tauru said with a hint of excitement in his voice. “Though…I don’t see Whisper. Speaking of which, where is she?”

“Oh,” T.C. said beaming as he looked at his numbers again. “Whisper said she wanted to stick around the Tower to pick out her new apartment.”

“I wanted first dibs,” Heather complained.

Heather then caught sight of Estelle who continued to stare at the board with a look one would have waiting for a bus to arrive. She placed her hand on Estelle’s back and ran her hand up and down her spine.

“There’s still time to get your kill ratio up,” Heather said.

The screen changed and said, “PLAYER POINTS”, and at the top of the list it read:

Player Points

Estelle Thornewood 1,156

Desmami Starchilde 366

Tauru Thornewood 138

Heather Thornewood 78

“What the…” T.C. said. “Was…Citadel worth that many points?”

"Last season, Cit was the third highest-rated guardian at Battle City. As for Jezebel, she was either the third or fourth-highest-ranked Detection Mage. Undoubtedly, both are Tier 1," Tauru stated.

Estelle maintained her blank gaze at the monitors, occasionally blinking as her attention remained fixed. A soft beep chimed in her right ear, causing her to shift her head to the side. There, she spotted a blinking red light, piquing her curiosity.

Reaching out, Estelle extended her hand and touched the blinking light, triggering the display of a message before her eyes. It read:

"Your presence is requested at the Azul Tower. TIME NOW."

“I’m in trouble,” Estelle said turning slowly around and walking away.

Sunlight poured through the oversized glass windows, casting bright rays that illuminated the hallway, while the trees outside swayed gently in the breeze. Heather caught up with Estelle, followed closely by the others.

"What makes you say that?" Heather inquired with curiosity evident in her voice.

Estelle extended her hand, displaying the message on her device. With a quick swipe to the right, she forwarded the message to the rest of the group.

"I don't think it's a big deal. You're reading too much into it," Heather reassured, offering a comforting smile.

Estelle, however, simply walked away without further explanation.

Confusion tinged Heather's voice as she asked, "Wait, why is that?"

Tauru interjected with a hint of concern, saying, "It's because HQ didn't congratulate us on our victory."

Ignoring the conversation, Estelle continued her stroll. As she moved, her body morphed into a string of shadows and disappeared, leaving the others alone in the hallway.

***