The front building of the Half-Fallen One Castle seemed to be livelier as various guards were arranged in the large compound, spears in hand, and knees bowed to the ground, all facing two individuals who were at the center of attention.
Both were women, locked in a very deep hug. Standing a few meters behind them was none other than Ryuk, with a travel bag in hand.
"I'll always be waiting for your return, Morgaine..." the Half-Fallen One whispered into her ears, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Her daughter was finally leaving her watchful eyes.
The world out there was cold and harsh, and this might very well be the last time she would see her daughter again.
"I'll be back soon, Mom. I promise..." Morgaine said as they slowly backed up, but then Morgaine felt herself pulled deeper into her mother's soft embrace as the Half-Fallen One placed her lips close to her ears.
"And if you want to pick your first guy to crush on, make sure he's a dickhead, okay?" she said, causing Morgaine's face to grow red as she yanked backward before roaring out loud.
"Hehehe..." The Half-Fallen One giggled, ignoring Morgaine's fuming, before arriving before Ryuk, who could only give a solid nod.
But then surprise clouded his face when he was pulled into an embrace.
"You'll live, won't you, Ryuk?" she asked.
"Then watch Morgaine for me, will you?" she requested as Ryuk stared at Morgaine, who was strangely redder than usual.
"I'll try my best..."
"Good," she said, releasing him from her hug.
VROOOOOOM! VROOOOOOM!
Suddenly, the sound of loud horns could be heard as they all turned their attention toward the gate and found a large bus parking.
It was a combination of silver and dark, bearing the symbol of crossed wings with swords running through the middle.
Immediately, Ryuk recognized it as being from the Fallen Arisen Hall.
"We await your return, Young Mistress..." The voices of the hundreds of soldiers echoed simultaneously as they slammed their spears on the ground.
With one last wave from Morgaine and a nod from Ryuk, both of them disappeared into the bus, which soon continued into the distance.
Ryuk's eyes lingered on the large castle for one last time as it slowly disappeared further and further until it was no longer visible.
"Welcome, Ryuk and Morgaine Dominrae. We'll now be heading back to the Arisen Hall, where a plane to the Academy is already waiting," a voice rang out.
Ryuk turned his attention to the small hole in the bus and saw two Fallen drivers, one of them holding a communicator and seemingly the one speaking.
He could only nod to the information as he turned his attention to Morgaine, finding her eyes glued to the window, watching the buildings streak by with speed.
She seemed to prefer the silence, her usual excited and aggressive aura slightly fading away.
Ryuk didn't disturb her as he collapsed onto his back, heaving a little.
'It's finally happening, isn't it?'
'I'm on my way now, Old Jack. I'm on my way to the Ascension Academy,' Ryuk thought as a smile unknowingly tugged at the corner of his lips.
But then a harumph came.
"What is so funny, you dickhead?" Morgaine's voice rang out, causing Ryuk's happiness to pause mid-step as he slowly opened one of his eyes.
"Can't I smile again, Morgaine? I don't have to be sober just because you are, you know," Ryuk stated in a sarcastic tone, causing Morgaine to huff.
"I'm not sober, you dickhead..."
"Good. At least the Morgaine I know is still there," he replied, making Morgaine pause in her tracks before a big smile appeared on her face.
"Of course, I am," she said, as Ryuk opened his second eye and then pointed.
"You have a tear drop running down your left eye, though..."
"You dickhead, I don't!"
A little more than ten minutes later, the bus zoomed into the Fallen Arisen Hall gate before coming to a stop right before the large colosseum structure.
Instantly, Ryuk and Morgaine got down from the bus, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as they stood before the colosseum.
'I thought we ought to be before a port,' he thought to himself as Morgaine stepped through the colosseum's gate and he followed after.
Immediately after they entered, they found a total of eight people already sitting in the area, none other than the True Ultima Ten, who had somehow arrived before them.
Ryuk simply moved to the seats he and Quinn had used, far behind, and silently waited.
It didn't take long before an energy wave suddenly appeared in the sky above the colosseum.
Turning his head up, Ryuk found a dark-feathered Fallen man standing in the air. He was none other than Sir Kieran, Ryuk's class teacher.
"Welcome, everyone, back to the Arisen Hall," Sir Kieran said as the large arena of the colosseum suddenly began sinking in.
From the darkness and gloom below, a jet-black ship carrying the emblem of the stabbed, folded wing rose, carried by the platform until it stood fully in the arena.
"Well then, without wasting any more time, let's get going, shall we?" Sir Kierna said, floating down toward the huge plane as its hatch opened up, releasing a huge amount of white gas into the stadium.
Without wasting any more time, the students grabbed their bags and followed after him climbing up the stairs as the plane's hatch soon shut back up.
Immediately, whirring sounds filled the entire colosseum air as the plane began rising slowly into the sky.
Once it hovered above the colosseum, it shot forward with speed, becoming a blazing light that disappeared rapidly into the distance, sonic booms erupting through the sky from its inhumane speed.
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In and Out_SnowySmoos.