No One Escapes the Circle

“Luthian look who I brought you! It’s a new member!” I yelled as I crashed into the meeting room.

Luthian and all the others were already assembled. They were resting on the fluffy sofa. They all flinched the moment we entered, all eyes on us.

Luthian looked stunned as he met my eyes.

“T-that” He gulped and took a deep breath.

“Isn’t that Calica Arlyn. But why, how?!” he asked. His eyes were brimming with excitement as he stood in front of us, examining Calica.

Calica however hid behind me.

I can’t even say anything, I’m still not used to the leader’s crazy madness.

Then he cleared his throat and stood in a proper posture.

“But why are you joining us now, after all the three years you rejected us?”

“Because Meilyn asked me,” she said while clinging on to my clothes.

Luthian swallowed before his eyes focused on me.

Oh no, here it comes.

“As expected of my newest recruit! She dominated this place in just five days!” He gulped once more.

Why does he keep on gulping?

“With Meilyn a half-demon and Calica the alchemy prodigy, I will finally be number one in the leader’s scoreboard!” He started laughing like a madman.

“And with that I will look Mayhem in the eyes as he cries, that lonely second placer has to watch me rise to the throne.” He continued as he grinned.

I gazed at Tannie.

“That glasses guy does have some good aspects to his character!” he smiled maniacly.

“He acts exactly like you Tannie!” I replied.

“No one can act like me! I am the Legenda-”

“... Yeah, yeah legendary this and that who cares! How do we calm him down!” I sighed.

As if it wasn’t enough that I was exhausted, our leader is draining my energy even more.

“Squad Leader, care to calm down?” Pointy ears said while glaring at Luthian.

Luthian stood still, as if frozen by his words.

No way! Why would he affect him like that? And that glare, scary! Why is Pointy ears in an even worse mood today? He isn’t even fighting with me…

Then Luthian breathed out and smiled instead.

“Welcome to the Crimson Lion Squad, Calica. Are you already able to join us?”

“Yeah. Glad to be here!” she said as she slowly relaxed and stood next to me.

She was still clinging on to my clothes though.

Roy came forward and reached out his hand.

“Nice to have you with us Calica!”

Maybe it was because it was the kind-hearted Roy that stepped forward, leading Calica to calm down and shake his hand.

Good, we will work on getting confident together!

“Also, Meilyn you actually came at the right time, here.” Luthian took out a uniform from the closet and tried to hand it over to me.

I totally forgot about that uncomfortable uniform!

“Your uniform has just arrived today.”

“Yeah, about that. I am not wearing that!” I stated firmly.

“What? Why!” he sulked.

“It looks ugly. It’s not comfortable and it will definitely be far too tight on the body. There are no good aspects of these clothes!”

“But everyone wears those!” he confronted me as he pointed at Pointy ears and the others.

Pointy ears looked rather tense in my eyes.

A smiling Pointy ears… 

Wait, now is not the time to think about that picture!

I shook my head to come back to my senses.

“Still a no from me!” I repeated.

“But Meilyn!” Luthian pressed on.

Let’s think about it: the leader wants to be the best in some scoreboard? What even is that supposed to be, I don’t know that word. But he also acts like Tannie when he talks about domination of the world so…

I have an idea.

What name was it again?

“Say Luthian, don't you want to take Mayhem down?”

“I do, I want to beat him and the Silver Snakes!”

“See, that’s why I don’t want to wear the uniform!” I grinned toward Luthian.

“What do you mean?” He replied.

Got him!

“Look leader, don’t you want to be different from the rest?”

“Different?”

“Yeah, think about it. Everyone has the same uniforms. But if we had different ones we would not only be different we would stand out. How does that sound?”

“Stand out.” He repeated as if hypnotized.

I knew it! The ways of a woman always work out! You would be proud of me, right Ur?

“No leader, don’t get tempted by her!” Bangs tried to interrupt us.

You're one step behind Bangs. He already fell for my trap!

Luthian stared for a while until a smile formed on his lips.

“Oh no!” Pink Berry said as she probably realized what was coming next.

“Actually you are right! Let’s change the uniforms!”

“Right?” I said as I smiled.

I won! I made it. Tannie, can you see? I finally coaxed someone.

Tannie nodded proudly.

“As for the design, leave it to Calica and me!” I said as I looked at Calica.

Calica clenched her fists and smiled.

Time to recreate the uniforms from Galego’s misfit class. The golden and white colored robes with a fluffy fabric and no tight clothes! Comfortable yet elegant.

Silk.

“That sounds great already!” Roy said.

“As expected Roy, you get me!” I replied as I reached out my hands for Roy and Calica.

Including Luthian who was probably thinking about how to beat Mayhem, we formed a circle.

“Cheers to our new clothes!” I shouted.

“Yeah!” Roy replied.

And we jumped all together in excitement.

“Are they serious?” Pink Berry asked toward the other two.

“What do you think about this development, Ishan?” Bangs questioned as he tapped Pointy ears on the shoulder.

“Actually I don’t mind changing it,” he mumbled.

With that remark, everyone froze.

We stopped jumping.

“What do you mean you don’t mind?” Pink Berry said while frantically shaking him.

“This whole uniform was already getting on my nerves, it doesn’t carry great memories.”

Pink Berry let go.

Everyone went silent.

As if the words Pointy ears said had a high value. 

Only Tannie and I looked at each other in complete confusion.

I have to find out what happened to Pointy ears, even if I have to force it out of him. They all know something yet no one speaks, no one says anything about it. As if they were forced to keep quiet.

I gulped and felt my skin prickle from this crushing silence that filled the room.

Only with Tannie tapping on my feet, I breathed out.

“Do your thing Meilyn!” He whispered toward me while everyone else was still focused on Pointy ears.

That’s right, it’s time for Meilyn’s miracle healing treatment!

I let go of Roy’s hand and reached out toward Pointy ears, pointing the tip of my finger at him.

“You join us now!” I said breaking the silence.

“What?” Pointy ears looked up, staring in my eyes.

“You join the jump now!”

“I don’t want to. I already said I am not in the mood to-”

“... no, you will join us! This is a group activity! Bangs and Pink Berry you too! Move here right now!” I demanded while glaring at them with intimidation.

Pink Berry and Bangs gulped but didn’t resist. They joined in between Luthian and Roy.

Only Pointy ears was staring at us without moving an inch.

Really? You want to resist my words?

“Roy.”

“Yeah?”

“Catch him.”

Roy looked at my direction and gave me a nod.

Then he moved toward Pointy ears and dragged him off the sofa, shoving him toward us.

“Hey Roy, stop already!” Pointy ears argued.

But I already know you have a soft spot for Roy. You can’t force yourself out of this with brute force. You will give in.

“Sorry Ishan, but sis entrusted me with this mission!” Roy replied.

“Sis? Since when did you start calling her sister?!”

As Roy pushed him toward us I locked my fingers with his.

No escaping the miracle healing treatment!

He looked flustered at me and I started grinning.

Then I whispered in his ear.

“It’s all about the ways of a woman.”

“Really?” He sighed, his voice strained. He looked at me as if I was a creature from another dimension.

Then, although very unwillingly he tightened his grip too.

“Now dear leader, say the words!”

As I looked in their direction however, everyone went dead silent. Pink Berry’s jaw dropped so low I thought it might detach and not only her, even Bangs was blinking frantically, as if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“Me? Ah, right.” Luthian who watched the commotion in excitement until now cleared his throat. His cheeks were flushed slightly red.

“To welcome our newest member and to cheer for our new uniforms!” He yelled as he started to move his feet.

We jumped up and down in pure excitement, well at least most of us did.

As we jumped I looked at Pointy ears.

But he still wasn’t smiling.

So my miracle healing treatment, wasn’t able to create a miracle?

I looked in Tannie’s direction. He shook his head.

For now I have to concentrate on the new mission anyway. But still…

As we stopped jumping and released our hands, the unwilling trio all sat back, leaving a lingering dark presence in the room. Only the rest of us stood as we watched Luthian.

“So now for the mission, it’s an escort mission.”