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Having missed the commotion, Scarlet, and Seiko, Nephilim and party made their way into the cafeteria. "Is it always this tense in here...?" Reimu asked as she looked around.

"No... I can't say that it is. I kinda wonder what happened myself," Nephilim said as she spied Trafalgar. "You guys go ahead and get in line. I'll catch up," she said suddenly as she flew up and across to land next to the Drake. She moved to touch him when she felt the emotions on him. "T-Trafalgar...? Are.. you okay...?" she asked, a bit worried.

"Yes, no, I don't know." He moved the mixing bowl out of the way and rested house head on his arms. "I don't understand why he took her. Nor why he wasn't happy about his work finally getting the recognition it deserves."

"begin test" said James in his powered armour as the combat drones appeared and he then utilized the fin funnels on the back to shoot at them all the while using the lascannon on his left hand, the fin funnels suddenly whirled themselves to the combat drones still firing, the fin funnels then dispersed and took out the combat drones one by one, despite that James didnt seem satisfied and went back to work, "I need to jury rig the tesla coils now..." he muttered to himself....

"day 4 and the amount of hippies gathering within the peninsula have swelled greatly, now the question is why?" recorded Drogan....

[i]“Just what were you thinking!” A young Saber stood before his father crying, “I’m sorry daddy! I-I didn’t know it would happen!” “The forest is dangerous!” “Till said it would be alright!” “And just look at him now!” [/i]

Saber woke up when Nephilim stopped supporting him. “Is that Trafalgar?” He murmured regaining consciousness slowly, “Who’s holding me up?” He looked to his side and saw Reimu, “I don’t really know you, but thanks for the help; I can walk now, you don’t have to keep holding me up.” Saber pushed off Reimu and stumbled just to stand. “Better…” He pulled in his knees and began flapping his wings for levitation. “Much better!” He stretched and flew around in a small circle. “Where’s that breakfast I was promised!” Saber said jokingly as he flew towards Nephilim and Trafalgar.

a large airship was hovering near the border and all its occupants were awaiting anxious news from its field operative, unfortunately the operative was doing nothing but drinking orange juice...

"well now that thats over with Rex, do you know what I'll do if you try to slay me?" asked Seiko sweetly, "get very cross?" whimpered Rex in a maid outfit while still wearing the cat ears, "no, I'll turn you into a net idol!" she said then cackled,"so dont get any idea's okay?" she added.

"prepare to deploy the crisis battlesuits captain, I shall be relieving commander Kais of his duties starting today" said the bespectacled scientist, "soon this new power will be mine" he chuckled to himself.

Trafalgar looked up at Saber's approach and simply nodded, and doing little more than acknowledging him. Normally, he would probably have made some quip about Nephillim being a dish, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, nor even smile. Having Vanquish taken away like that was worse than the beating he had taken, those were injuries he could heal from. Losing Vanquish was more akin to having his arm removed.

Was his father ashamed because he had been unable to cut the uncuttable or that he had taken the help of inquisitors or did it have to do with Seiko or was it simply because he had lost out to hunger earlier?

Took her...? Nephilim was confused for a moment at the comment before she noticed the Drake's beloved sword and equally (she assumed) beloved father were nowhere to be found. "Wait... you said, 'he took her'. Did you mean your father took your sword...?" she asked with some surprise. "But you fought so well with it...! Did it get damaged by Vash or something, Trafalgar?"

Trafalgar couldn't bring himself to meet Nephillim's eyes. "Yes, he took Vanquish. And no, she's unharmed. A little thing like a demon whatever Vash was wouldn't even leave a smudge, much less harm her. He declared me unworthy and left with her. Maybe he thought the way I was fighting was wrong, using magic, or whatever that is, rather than pure strength and skill."

"Huh..." Nephilim did something she rarely did then. The pink Celestian frowned. "I see. Then it kinda sound like just need to prove to him that you're better then he thinks. Show him that you can fight just well or even better with our own power," Nephilim replied to him confidently as she touched his shoulder reassuringly.

"Were it so simple. That's only one of the dozen reasons that I have come up with for why he might have done what he did. I've also wondered if it had something to do with having the company of members of the inquisition. Or failing to do anything useful against Vash." Trafalgar clenched his fists and then let them go slack. "I was useless then and I'm useless now."

Nephilim chuckled. "Really? Do you really think you were useless...?" she said to him as she laid Sakuya, the blade Trafalgar forged and gave to her, on the table in front of him. "You made this and gave it to me, a Blade that his not only helped me use my Spellcards, it survived them and augments my style. I don't see this as 'useless'. In fact, I couldn't be happier you made her for me." The pink Celestian smiled then. And you helped distract Vash from me when he would have shot me while I was distracted helping Zorlo. You even destroyed his gun, which is more lasting then anything I managed to do. You've got the strength and the knowledge to accompany it, Trafalgar. All you need do now is believe and do your best."

A flash of green blurred forwards as Zorlo's boot contacted with Trafalgar's face and sent him stumbling back as Zorlo backflipped and landed, smiling as he rose. "I was coming to tell Nephilim and Saber that my modifications to the machine are complete... but instead I found Trafalgar being weak. I do not comprehend," Zorlo said as he moved as if to adjust glasses again. "I cannot simply allow our teammates to be weak or doubt themselves. Continue, and I will have to terminate you," Zorlo said as the knife in his shoe flicked forwards.

"I'm not sure yet if it is true... but it is said that there are those in the world who cannot communicate simply by talking... instead, they must communicate their feelings through battle. Fight me, Trafalgar, and prove that you aren't as weak as you imagine yourself now."

Trafalgar looked up at Zorlo, he didn't care one way or another what Zorlo wanted. Then his eyes locked in someone behind Zorlo, a hard stare. The Law stare. It wasn't disapproving, nor judging, nor anything really. It was just that look that all Laws wore when they were about to observe a duel.

Trafalgar had worn it too when his grandfather was alive. Even if Jeorge Shivan didn't approve, Trafalgar was as much a Law as a Shivan and a Law does not back down from any challenge when there is another Law present and giving you the look, so he rose to his feet. "Fine Zorlo." He pulled out the C3 and removed his prestige class, he tossed the contraption to his mother, and lunged for the erdgeist. Trafalgar was of course off his game, so it was a weak effort.

Zorlo looked at Trafalgar as he watched the lunge. Even if Zorlo had the skill necessary to win, he knew that Drake possessed incredible physical strength naturally. It would be a waste to try fighting anything but seriously if the Erdgeist wished to avoid any serious damage. Still, part of Zorlo knew that if he wanted to draw out Trafalgar's fighting spirit... more than it apparently was, he would need to push the drake. Side-stepping slightly, the green-haired man trapped the Drake and stepped back a few paces, putting distance between the two.

"I do not comprehend. Why are you fighting so poorly today? Where is the strength you had?" Zorlo asked as he keep his eye keened on the man, not entirely sure what to do.

Trafalgar ignored the question and pressed the haphazard assault. He heard it, but this was supposed to be a fight, not a tea party. Jess answered Zorlo for him, "The real question is, why aren't you fighting? You challenge one Law before another and then dishonor him by not striking when he is vulnerable? Your challenge was weak enough, so step it up and FIGHT!"

"why did you ask to meet me here mister James?" asked Suguri to the Inquisitor, "so I could test this!" snapped James as his funnels opened fire at Suguri, to his surprise an energy shield was formed around her but she didnt fight back, "Onee-sama told me not to fight you, Onee-sama says she likes you" replied Suguri, James then let the funnels fold in then asked her, "why? Dont you want to fight back?", "it would be wrong, my real papa gave me these powers to help people" replied Suguri, but what she said stunned James "real papa? I thought Kais was your father?" he asked, "he says I should call him papa now because he said my real papa died a long time ago, he also tells me to forget about my sisters" he replied, "Suguri can I ask you something? Are you truly an Erdgeist?" asked James, "papa might get mad if I said anything, but Onee-sama said you're a good person so I'll tell you, papa told me I am an android, do you know what an android is mister James?" answered Suguri, "android" those words struck James hard, for he knew such technology was lost for a long time....

"why do you think James took Suguri?" Yuno asked Mira, "he said he wanted to give her whats coming" replied Mira, "what do you think that means?" asked Yuno, "beats me but I always notice that James took a strange interest in her first time I saw them together.... Yuno I think he's going to do something to her!" said Mira shocked, "that sick little lolicon!" agreed Yuno, with that both ladies went to get their swords.....

"SCRAM HIPPIE!" yelled Drogan as he sprayed a hippie with a fire extinguisher, "whoa man! Not cool!" yelled the hippie as he ran, hippies have began to gather and now Drogan knew it would be a matter of time before it got worst...

(Those poor, poor hippies, man.)

Zorlo looked at Jess and merely side-stepped Trafalgar again. "Your argument is illogical." the green haired man merely read each move as best he could as Trafalgar pushed the attack. In a powerful leap, the Erdgeist stood behind Trafalgar and turned to face him. "But if this has to do with honor..." Zorlo said as the brand on his leg began to shine green. "Then I will fight you seriously," Zorlo said as green lines ran through his body as he transformed into his Asura form. "But I swear upon my honor I shall help you regain your fighting Spirit, Trafalgar... so that we can continue fighting!" Zorlo said as he launched forwards and spin-kicked Trafalgar in the chest before leaping back.

(Zorlo's Asura form reminder: http://i.neoseeker.com/ca/digital_devil ... _Zhh0N.jpg )

"Z-zorlo...?" Nephilim whispered in shock as she stepped back from where she's started to try and stop it before Trafalgar got serious. She'd never seen him do this before. Never had any hint that he could do something like this. What was it....? How did he do it...? It didn't matter, especially as Zorlo kicked him away and everyone made room for the two to fight. "Trafalgar! Here!" Nephilim yelled as she snatched up and tossed her blade, Sakuya, to him. It was small for him, and maybe it wouldn't help, but that was what she felt she should do.

Jess caught Sakuya out of the air and handed it back to Nephilim. She wanted to give Trafalgar a weapon as well, but she knew that even if she could there was only one which he would have wanted and she didn't have it. "The gesture is appreciated, Nephilim, you're not the only one who wants to help him, but the duel has started, we must not interfere. Besides you and I both know that there is only one sword that he wants and neither of us have her." Jess sighed helplessly and then spoke quietly to herself, "At least he realized that if he was going to get Trafalgar to come to his senses he'd have to stop mucking about. But you're not there yet, Zorlo, if you're not coming at him with the intent to kill, you won't succeed."

Zorlo was fast, especially in Asura form, but Trafalgar had a lot of reach and the force of the blow had made his body react in spite of himself. Trafalgar grabbed Zorlo, by the blade sticking out of his foot, and swung him around in a circle before breaking the blade off and sending Zorlo flying off over the heads of the gathered students. Jess smiled as Trafalgar gave a powerful push off the ground and leaped through the air chasing after Zorlo, broken blade in his bleeding hand, intent on returning the weapon to the erdgeist. His wings billowed out to help him cover the distance without touching the ground, students scatterred out of his flight path.

"Yes... I understand..." Nephilim looked dejected, but accepted back Sakuya and returned it to her waist. She did understand. Her brother was much the same way with duels. "I hope... this ends okay..." Nephilim said quietly as she watched Trafalgar chase after Zorlo.