*Ciel's POV*
"What? You guys actually went to the Coral Sea?" Ruggie questions in disbelief.
We gotten back to Savanaclaw not to long ago after splitting up from Ace and Deuce, though it was dark out when we got here. Leona and Ruggie were in the lounge talking when we walked through the doors. They were taken aback by some of the bruises and cuts on our faces and hands when they looked from what they were doing. Though somehow our clothes remained intact. Anyways, we explained what had happened after we left the table and by the time we were done, Ruggie had a look of shock while Leona was laughing.
"Pretty much." I said with a shrug
"Hah! How stupid can you get?" Leona laughs as I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You're just now asking us this question?"
"Mrah?! But you're the guy who said to 'get the ball rolling' right now!" Grim exclaims
"I think he was trying to suggest something else, Grim." I counter which made Leona nods.
"Hmph. I never said anything about diving headlong into the sea. Your time's limited. What I was suggestin' was that you use your head and find a worthwhile use of your time. Challenging merfolk head-on in the water is a losing proposition no matter how you slice it. It's like walking into a carnivore's mouth."
"Wait. Did you guys know the twins were actually mermen this whole time?" Jack asked
"Maybe." Leona says with a shrug.
'So he does...' I thought with a sweatdrop
"I saw Floyd in his natural form at a joint swimming class last summer, and boy, let me tell you... If that guy came after me in the water, I'd be done for. End of story." Ruggie explains, as if this is normal.
"No kidding..." I said, remembering what happened earlier
"It woulda been nice to know that beforehand!" Jack exclaims.
"To be fair, we didn't ask them earlier." I counter with an awkward smile
"Last I checked, you were the guys who ran off half-cocked without bothering to gather any intel. I would've been happy to share it all in detail if you'd asked." Leona stated, more towards Jack and Grim.
'He knew I would've asked if they didn't run off.' I thought to myself
"Yeah! You gotta cover your bases before you start pickin' fights, y'know? Shyeheehee! Back at the Savanna, you gotta tread carefully if you don't wanna end up as someone's dinner." Ruggie laughs a bit.
"Grr... You're the same couple of scheming jerks as always!" Grim growls
"Calm down, Grim..." I stated as I pet his head.
"Does this mean Azul was planning on interfering from the start when he made the offer?" Jack questioned.
"Uh, duh? Obviously?" Leona states, as if it was obvious.
"The Leech brothers are Azul's top men. They're known for collecting all collateral and compensation from his contractors. And rumor has it they run interference to make sure the contract terms can't be met." Ruggie explains
"I had feeling about that, Azul would do anything to get what he wants. Even if it means using the twins to do so." I stated with a sigh.
"What a bunch of low-down, dirty cheaters! Urgh...If Ciel loses, am I gonna be stuck workin' day and night for Azul forever?" Grim states with a look of dread
"I'm sure we'll manage something. Pretty sure, at least... Oh no... What if they take Ramshackle Dorm away from us?" I questioned to myself.
I began to panic as fear began to form on my face, thinking about the possibility of losing the dorm for good and my friends being Azul's slaves until graduation. If the four's original plan failed, then that means my secret plan might fail too. I can't let that happen because that will allow Azul to win and I don't with to lose this game. I began to pace around while muttering to myself, which made Ruggie, Jack, and Grim to be taken aback. While Leona on the other hand was looking at me in concern as I paced back and forth.
"......"
"Leona?" Ruggie questions which makes me stop pacing.
"Azul's signature spell is a golden contract scroll called It's a Deal. It enables the caster to take one power from a target if that target signs the scroll. In addition, in the event of a contract breach, the breacher is compelled to obey Azul's every command to a T." Leona explains as we all look at him with wide eyes.
"They say spells with tricky activation requirements are especially potent, but man... Isn't that messed up?" Ruggie states in shock as Leona nods.
"When the power gets taken, it's sealed inside the contract and made available for Azul to use as it suits him."
"That explains why something felt off." I stated, remembering the spells Azul used on the infected students.
"Wait, so all those times Azul busted out different sortsa high-difficulty spells like it was nothing..." Jack trailed off, filled with shock
"I'd bet you anything that those were powers he swiped from contractors as collateral." Leona answers with a nod.
"Now that you mentioned it, I did see Azul use some of Ace, Deuce, Grim's magic two days ago." I stated as I remembered seeing the three's magic being used, Jack begins to growl.
"That's nuts! That means he's cheating at everything!"
"Technically, no. As far as signature spells go, his is crazy high-level. Guy's gotta have some chops to pull something like that off." Ruggie argues, a bit impressed with Azul.
"I've never put my power up for collateral, so I've got no idea how it works, myself." Leona stated.
"Wait, then what DID you put up for collateral?" Jack questioned, curious about what Leona used for collateral.
"I don't think we should be asking that right now." I stated as Leona seems to agree with me as he growls at Jack.
"Grrr... What's it matter? It's all in the past anyway. ANYWAY. Contracts with him'll last as long as that special scroll is around. Which is why Azul makes very carefully worded offers."
"And then gets suckers to sign on with terms they can't possibly meet." Ruggie explains with a disappointed look.
"The only way to win against Azul is to not make a contract at all. Heh." Leona informs us with a smirk.
'Easy to say when no one is begging you to do so...' I thought with a sigh
"Mrooow... What are we supposed to do?!" Grim exclaims with a frown
"We can't afford to lose, but this looks bad." I stated with a frown.
"How about you try using your head, dimwit?" Leona states as he flicks my forehead
"Ow!" I wince as Leona sighs.
"How do you win against someone stronger than you? You use your noggin. But, hm... If I were in your shoes..."
YOU ARE READING
An Earl in Night Raven College (Book three)
Fanfiction(Black Butler x Twisted Wonderland) Some time after the events of the Spelldrive, the time has arrived for Ciel and his friends to take their final exam. Much to Ciel's surprise, Grim, Ace and Deuce are all oddly confident, and when grades roll in...
