(This is placed after Flying Castle, so if a pactio happens, Jess will be the 5th, not the 4th).

"Ehehe... I'll be fine," William wipes some sweat from his head that he earned from a throbbing headache. The beautiful forest scenery, was vast and always differentiated amongst each area within the forest. They were resting at a flowing stream that offered an abundance of water.

William and Jessica were both out in Elysium's forest, as well as many other contenders, as there was a competition to see if people can withstand the harsh condition and monsters of this forest. The competition worked like this: Every contender had to wear a bracelet that would have a countdown. After the countdown, you're automatically teleported out of the forest and back at the starting point.


On the bracelet itself, if you're in danger, there is a button to click that would automatically teleport you to the starting point, making sure everyone would be safe. "Ugh... I'm such a nuisance. Sorry." William apologizes to Jess, as she had found him kneeling on the floor from a throbbing headache. William's magic powers had gotten out of control, so he needed care. However, as a man, he refused to let up this competition.

Jess frowned. She could sense something was wrong with William, having spent so much time with him she could tell his emotions just from the way he said things, even without the help of looking at his face. She was lightly munching on some berries she'd gathered earlier (her survival expertise meant she knew they were edible) as she turned to William, swallowing before she answered... Though bluntly honest at times she was otherwise polite. "Tell me what's wrong William... I can tell something is quite wrong..." And he likely knew there was no way around it, she would know if he was lying.

"W-wrong? There's nothing wrong... I'm just not feeling well..." He pants, resting against a rock. He thought about it, what he said was true. His personality is still the same, he hadn't noticed any difference within his body and he'd seemed fine, other than the constant headaches. "W-wait... there is one thing, I've been having dreams. There's e-eight people, not including me... I don't know why, but these headaches happened after the event with Kagami turning me into a giant..." He breathes heavily, as a thump could be heard far on.

Thump. Thump. Thump... A dragon roared out of the forest, hungry for food. An injured competitor laid underneath it's feet. The competitor was more than likely alive, but he needed medical attention. "W-watch out, Jess..." William mutters, forcing himself up, wobbling his way in front of Jess, as he collapses on his knees again. He was in no position to fight.

Jess truly hated how stubborn William was sometimes. "William..." She started explaining to him as she grabbed him lightly by the shoulders, holding him so his eyes were level with hers. "You are in no condition to fight, I would rather forfeit than see you get hurt... or worse... in a fight you couldn't possibly win." She knew there was another competitor trapped underneath the dragon, but at the same time she had to consider that William wasn't well, and friends took greater priority than strangers in her mind.

William pants. "N-no... we can't leave... that's a shame to leave a life behind, as a magister magi..." William grumbles, full-out disagreeing with Jess. He also points towards the dragon as it spews some electrical surges in the air. It had a weak barrier that any beginner mage could break, but that wasn't its specialty. It was young, so it may be weaker, but its electrical surges were amazingly powerful. It wouldn't let someone escape from its grasp without huge difficulty. With William's condition, he doubted Jess would get out of this situation at all. Especially not unscathed.

"Fine. But as soon as this dragon is dealt with, we forfeit." Jess stated, and she knew William would see there was no way he could debate that with her as she rushed into combat. Out came the pair of tonfa, she was going to do her jab charge. If anything this opponent would be easier to read than that three-headed animal fusion had been, and she had an idea of what sort of tactics to expect from this dragon. A young one, so it probably would have more energy to throw around and thus be more likely to bide it's time. Jess on the other hand already knew she was fairly tired from what she and William had already faced. She knew she would likely not come out of this battle unscathed...

"N-no, d-don't forfeit... we need... money." William's speech began to slur, but he wasn't feeling worse. He tried to create fire to shoot at the dragon, but it was an invalid command. His magic wouldn't work, until... a dream sequence occurs. Eight silhouettes stood proudly before him. That was all, nothing happened, he couldn't move in the dream. It was just that...

Jess was now busy fighting with the dragon, only partially aware that things were getting slightly worse with William's condition. Once she was in a hard fight she had a tendency to ignore everything else which in the past had gotten her in trouble. She was wlaready using her earth walls to avoid the dragon's attacks, then countering with her own... But things didn't look good. She had spent a lot of her energy already, and these spells were wearing down on her with all the effort she put into them.

The figures slowly faded into a distance, William quickly regained his consciousness. "E-eh...? Jess?" William ponders what was happening. His voice seemed sturdy, but he could clearly see Jess was in trouble fighting the dragon. Oddly enough, his fever had gone, his headache had dispersed he was completely fine. "Son Ta Rik!" William begins chanting, as he tries to encase his arms in fire, however... nothing. His magic was unresponsive.

Jess shook her head... They had to get out of here! She decided to try luring the dragon away from the person it was sitting on so that William could get them, retreating and putting up Earth Walls to increase the amount of time she had to retreat as she taunted the dragon. "Hey fang-face! Betcha can't catch me!"

"W-wait Jess!" William tries to stop her, her plan was absurd. The one under the dragons feet had already teleported away, abandoning Jess and Will. I guess that's human nature... But, William wouldn't let that happen. Running after the dragon with his electrical gauntlets surging for action, he punches through the barrier and delivers a quick hook to the dragon. "Jess! I won't let you put yourself in danger!" He smiles, acting like his normal self again.

Finally he was acting like his normal self... Jess smiled. "Then let's work together to take this creature down." She only realised the other competitor had fled after she said that. "Oh..." She shook her head, great... "Still... Point of this was to see how long we could last." She smiled, sending rocks flying at the dragon...

The rocks broke through the dragons barrier and smashed into the dragons face. With William occupying it, it quickly came down and was subdued. Even better, Jessica had an elemental advantage over the dragon. "Good work!" William smiles, wondering if she even needed his help. Without magic, William felt hopeless. He looked at his watch, thump. Thump. Thump. There were large footsteps. Grabbing Jessica, they dash out towards a different area...

After about thirty minutes of running and hiding. They were at another rest stop. There was a cave up ahead, which would be perfect to hide in. "Hmm... we still have about three hours..." William sighs, trying to control his magic. He could feel it, he just couldn't use it. A dark aura soon surrounds Will. Of course, he's oblivious to it. The aura looked like William was getting engulfed by black flames, but it never surrounded him fully. It just crackled around his body like fire.

Jess frowned upon noticing the dark aura surrounding William, her body language gave away the fact she could sense something quite wrong, as did the tone of her voice as she said "I'm about at my limit William-nee-san... One more fight and I'll collapse." She looked at the cave, smiling... Thump, thump, thump... Oh great, at that Jess quickly went into the cave, grabbing Will's arm and dragging him along with her. "So not fighting again if I can avoid it."

"Yeah." William tilts his head with a smile. The dark aura hadn't expanded and over time, all they could do is simply recuperate. Time flowed, as they talked about their life problems. William had noticed the dark aura, but didn't take it to note. He'll have to see a doctor or Rose some time soon about this.

"Ah, there's an hour left... we've been talking for a long time. You feeling better?" William asks, as his arms begin throbbing slightly as if it was bursting with blood... Strange markings began appearing on his arm... he clenched it slightly, trying to hide it, but as he wears a T-Shirt, the markings could undoubtedly be seen.

"Yeah, some..." Jess said, then looking toward William from where she'd been staring at something... what were those dark markings appearing on him? She had a worried expression etched on her face, and it likely wouldn't be gone until those markings were!

"Well, we should still rest here. It's safe and the prize money's all we entered this competition for." William grins. The cave had no bears or monsters in it, too. So it seemed safe, for now. Unless something inhabiting it came back to it for rest or something. But, it was the middle of the day with numerous contestants frolicking around. That just screams 'food'.

"Eeeeeeh? How boring! I want to see the cute guys... well... hey! I've gotten some form of control! I wonder why~~?" William strangely says in an extremely female manner.

"...? What...?" William forces his hand on his mouth, stopping him from saying anymore. This day has been weird, even more so for people spectating these events.

Ok, that REALLY worried Jess... This was almost like what'd happened with the pressure point thingy. Totally not like William... And clearly from his reaction to himself he didn't expect it either. "Ok... Yeah, we're so seeing someone who can get all this checked." She shook her head. "If only there was some way I could help you in the meantime, William-nee-san..."

"Hehehe~ don't be-- ah!... Hehe. I'll reside for now." The voice appears once again, Will's mouth biting his finger, allowing him to talk.

"W-wait... who was that talking!? Get out of my body..." William commands, sitting forcefully, waiting for a reponse. There wasn't any. The arm throbbing ceased as all the dark aura was collecting up in his arm... "No... Jess! Get back!" William shouts, pushing Jessica away as a huge burst of wind that shook the cave violently storms downwards, causing a massive crater.

Smoke and sand filled the cavern, William tried to see what happened, but he couldn't see anything ahead of him. He saw a figure standing in the smoke, but he assumed it was Jess. The markings on the arm and Will's aura had all gone... The aura somehow reminded me of when Rose got cursed by Umi.

"Hey, Jess. The auras gone! My magic's back, I think!" He cheers, rushing over to her as... a sword of wind plunges into his stomach.

Being thus pushed back, Jess was only very confused... She coughed, the smoke getting into her lungs... She couldn't see a thing for all of it, but could sense William rushing towards her and... Someone else.

Nana had gotten stranded here when she got seperated from her Father, and not she was hopelessly lost. But she had found this cave and heard voices in it, and so had decided to take shelter here. She'd managed to evade all the monsters thus far, but didn't want to push her luck...

[Wanted to bring in the NPC.]

The smoke slowly faded as a new girl also entered the cave. You could see her face clearly, she was pale and looked like a completely geek. William coughed up blood as his vision blurred, as he stared at her then gazed at Jess. "Get out of here..." He grabs the figures leg in front of him. A stab wound wouldn't take William down, he may be able to force himself up.

To protect Jess, he had to. Forcing himself up, he makes a bit of distance. The girl in front of him... she appeared from nowhere. However, she had massive magical potentail and was actually quite beautiful.

"I'm Uno. My name's Kendra Morganna! I'm so glad to be out of... there." She giggles to herself, forming a scythe of wind as she looks at her incoming victims. It's not like she was sadistic, by her actions like shrugging her shoulders and swinging her arms, she was just getting used to being out since so long.

"Uno...?" William asks, then remembering from the dream. This girl was in it.

"This guys boring, so... does that mean I get to play with you little girls, hehe~?" She asks, swinging her scythe as it easily cuts through the cave walls.

Jess dodged herself and Nana hugged Jess's leg out of fear. Jess wouldn't try to hurt this 'Kendra' until she knew more about what was going on. "Where'd you come from, how'd you get here?!" Jess asked, panic in her voice from there being so much shoved in her face that she lacked knowledge of. One way to emotionally overwhelm Jess was to plop a bunch of stuff she didn't know in her face.

"It would... seem neither of you know. You two going out or something? Stop protecting each other like that! It's so sickening!" Kendra blurts out, sticking her tongue out at Jess and Nana. "I came out of this boy." She pauses, holding her arm in the air, as she presses it on the ground, creating a massive skull-shaped crater, saying 'Death's Drawing Start.'

"Well, my seal's activated. I better finish this," She sighs, pointing her finger at Jessica as she licks her lips, flaunting her chest slightly. "Oxygenium Despero." She loses the oxygen in area, only allowing herself and Jessica to breath for a twenty meter radius.

With William, Nana and Will's new pet, Riro lacking sufficient oxygen, they'd be in danger. Luckily, Riro didn't need to breath and Nana could easily walk out of the range, however Will was in danger. "Master... please be safe... Jessy, please help master... he's in danger..." A small tear leaves the cute furry animals eyes. Unlike Rickardo, who would at this moment suggest a pactio, Riro hated the idea of forcing people to do something they wouldn't want to, such as a pactio.

(Riro is obtained during the Flying Castle mission, meaning he'd be described there and replacing Rickardo there.)

Nana found she couldnt breathe... she got out of the range of the spell, able to recognise enough of what was happening to do so. Jess saw Riro... And realised William was suffocating. "William!" She screamed, rushing over to get him to safety. She wouldn't let him die, not now, not ever, so long as she could help it... She still didn't understand how this Kendra Girl had come out of him, but in the meantime the best she could do was protect William from her.

"Ooooh... that's a nice glare you've got. But, don't think I'm the only one in that boys body. There's more- not just me. This will happen again, but with others, you know." Kendra smiles, swinging her scythe at Jess.

Riro wasn't sure what to do, it was a fragile creature that had only once now gotten out of that boring, old, plain castle. Rickardo taught it how to do pactio circles and last time was just sheer luck. He couldn't do it, not to Jess. Riro loved talking to the girls, even if he wasn't from the same species. He enjoyed Jess's company, everyone's.

"Jess... w-watch out!" He alerts her. William had already fell into unconsciousness as Riro healed his stomach wounds.