Regulus lowers his hand and the dragon-shaped winds surrounding him burst forward, producing a shockwave powerful enough to crack the marble slabs in its wake. Julian inhales and extends his hand forward, creating a barrier of solid air around himself. The shockwave passes by him, and he feels his spell shatter as he is only pushed about a meter back. His father raises an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
- "Your magic has grown much stronger." He comments, a gust of white wind starting to swirl around his extended hand.
- "It's a little late for praise." Julian replies as he dashes forward, holding his arm out.
When Regulus unleashes yet another shockwave, Julian runs right through it without slowing down. As the wind is dispersed, Regulus notices a strange transparent formation around Julian: it was a cluster of solid air shaped like a spear head, cutting effortlessly through the winds. It was rapidly crumbling under the pressure, but that gave Julian just enough time to close the distance. He attempts to stab his dagger into Regulus' leg, but the latter waves his index and a miniature tornado instantly forms around him, repelling Julian before he can make contact. Julian rolls on the floor, then jumps back up on his feet as he throws his dagger towards Regulus' chest. Regulus deflects it at the last second, swiping his arm to the side and creating a stream of air that sends it flying into the wall on his right. When he focuses his attention back onto Julian, the latter was already right in front of him. Before he can react, Julian trips him by swiping his right leg and takes out a second dagger from his vest in one fluid motion. The second Regulus hits the ground, he finds himself faced with the edge of the dagger that Julian was holding perfectly still above his left eye.
- "I trained to beat Wind mages ever since I decided I was going to go after Sergius, and I'm used to dealing with more powerful mages than me." Julian calmly says. "I didn't ask you to surrender because I'm the one at risk here, but because I'm legally not allowed to kill you. Unless you give me a good reason to." He pushes the dagger closer to Regulus' eye. "Guess you wouldn't be in this position if you didn't get rid of me, huh? Seems like Solomon's justice always finds a way after all."
- "..." Regulus silently stares at him with an undecipherable expression on his face.
- "Well, it's not like I expected an answer out of you anyways." Julian leans his head towards the dove perched on his shoulder. "Agnes, send in reinforcements. I've got ten suspects on hand."
- "What are you doing, Regulus?!" The short black bearded noble yells. "Are you truly so spineless you would lose to an inferior mage?!"
- "Calm down, you of all people should know that nobles aren't fighters. Most of you are just a bunch of aristocrats that are really good at magic, but not that quick on their feet." Julian irritatedly comments. "Plus, tight spaces are really hard to use Wind magic in. You'd think someone of your status would at least know his basics."
- "You little !… It seems like I have to do everything myself after all!"
The noble snaps his fingers and Julian's dagger flies out of his hand, directly into his neck. His sharp reflexes save him from being fatally wounded, as he narrowly dodges the dagger which leaves a red streak on his neck. He leaps back a few times, dodging the dagger as it kept flying into him and attempting to stab him in vital spots. It eventually stops, returning to the noble who was mockingly wagging his finger at Julian as the dagger danced around him in circles.
- "Metal magic…" Julian comments. "Just my luck."
- "It's called Ferromancy, thank you very much!" The noble replies, pointing his finger at Julian and sending the dagger back to attack him. "You made quite the good point, we are indeed talented in the arts of magic! And there are ten of us, while there is only one of you."
The other nobles raise their hands, and their magical energy swells in the corridor like a wildfire. Julian could see a few using Fire magic, others generating electricity using Lightning magic and the sweaty noble from before seemed to be hesitating for a moment. However, when the neighboring nobles glance at him, his right hand is wrapped in a veil of water and he directs it towards Julian. Regulus slowly gets back up from the ground, his head turned down.
- "Well that's bad." Julian comments before swiftly pivoting, turning his back to them.
He runs away through the corridor at top speed, chased by the group of nobles as the light of their spells illuminated the darkness. He did his best to dodge everything, taking advantage of the group's lack of coordination. Any barrier of air he created would immediately shatter due to the absurd gap in power between him and them.
- "Holy shit!" He yells as a lightning bolt grazes his face. "(What the hell do I do?!)" He panickedly thinks. "(...Angelica! If only I could get in touch with her, she would definitely wipe the floor with them, but how do I do that?...)" He is interrupted in his thoughts by a sharp spike of marble rising from the ground and almost stabbing through his leg, instead leaving a deep slash. "...I need to contact AngelicAAAH! Actually I don't think I'll have time for that!"
- "JULIAN!" He hears in front of him. It was the male voice he heard earlier, not too far in front of him.
Julian is distracted for an instant, and when he regains his focus a large spear of flames is flying right at him. He knows he couldn't possibly dodge it in time, so he creates three superposed barriers of solid air in an effort to lessen the impact, knowing that taking a hit at full force would spell certain death. However, the spear is repelled by a powerful but strangely gentle gale, along with all the nobles and Julian's invisible shields. The only one besides Julian that isn't sent rolling on the floor is Regulus, who deflected the wind without effort. He was deeply frowning however, staring at the elf standing in front of Julian. He looked similar to the both of them, his white hair tied in a short ponytail and his height being a little above Julian's. His gray eyes were behind a pair of oversized round glasses, and he was wearing a simple white shirt with slim fit black pants and similarly colored formal leather shoes. His ears were about the size of Regulus', and the right one had a large branched scar on it that was reminiscent of a realistic lightning bolt. He had a golden pendant around his neck featuring a white diamond-shaped gem that had cloud-like vapor slowly swirling inside of it.
- "...Leave at once. This does not concern you." Regulus tells him, and the elf takes a step forward in response.
- "O- Oh but I think it does, father!" The elf defiantly replies. Julian's eyes open wide as he regains his footing.
- "...Wait, Nicolas is that you?" Julian asks, squinting as he tries to recognize his brother.
- "I'm so glad you remember me!" Nicolas replies, running towards Julian to hug him. The latter reflexively dodges to the side. "Oh, uh, right, you've never been the physical type, sorry…"
- "No, it's just- Forget it. Thanks for the assist, whatever motivated you to do that."
- "You're my brother! How could I not want to help? Especially since our father never told us that you had returned!"
- "...It was unnecessary, and you know it." Regulus comments. Wind starts howling around him, coalescing into the shape of a dragon once more.
- "D-dad really hates you, huh." Nicolas observes, still turned towards Julian with an indignant look in his eyes. "I don't know what's going on, but let me help!"
- "Uh, could you hold off these guys while I take care of neutralizing Regulus?" Julian replies, pointing at the nobles who were already back on their feet and seemingly trying to assess the situation. "If it's too much, it's fine. I'll probably find a way to get by."
- "Y-you can count on me! I won't let you down this time!" Nicolas declares as he raises both his hands above his head.
Water vapor starts emanating from his fingertips, quickly forming large clouds that cover the ceiling of the corridor as far as Julian could see. Flashes of light then begin erupting from them as a torrent of lightning bolts suddenly crashes down on the nobles, along with heavy rain and strong winds. Behind Nicolas, the silhouette of a dragon similar to the one behind Regulus, albeit smaller, was outlined with electricity sparks circulating through a network of suspended water droplets. It was very clear that he was operating on a level closer to Regulus rather than the average noble. The group of aristocrats is immediately overwhelmed by the spell, and they start focusing their efforts on surviving the onslaught. Julian turns towards his father, the rain pouring down on the both of them.
- "Nicolas never stopped working on his magic huh? Guess I'm in luck!" He snickers. "Well, we both know how this ends now."
A minute or so later, Regulus is back on the ground with Julian's third hidden dagger mere centimeters from his face. Most of the nobles were lying on the floor, unconscious with their half burned clothes smoking. Nicolas readjusts his glasses as the clouds on the ceiling dissipates, and the image of the dragon fizzles away.
- "Nicolas." Julian calls out. "I appreciate the assistance, I'll let the Guard know you helped apprehend them so you can be compensated."
- "Wh-why're you so formal?..." Nicolas hesitantly replies.
- "I'm talking to you as a member of the Guard."
- "But we're… we're brothers…"
- "It's a little late for that. Just forget about me and go back to your perfect life."
- "...My… my life is far from perfect! D- do you know just how terrible I felt when-"
- "Julian?!" They hear a female voice that Julian was familiar with from the end of the dark corridor.
- "Agnes, I'm so glad you're here right now." Julian replies as he hits the back of his father's head with the pommel of his weapon, knocking him unconscious. He then walks away as Agnes emerges from the darkness in the distance, accompanied by a small battalion of guards. He immediately walks towards them, not looking back once.
- "J-Julian! Wait, I-" Nicolas starts.
- "Do I need to fucking spell it out for you, Nicolas?!" Julian snaps, turning to glare at him. "Leave me alone, and stop trying to keep up this fake make-up act! It makes me sick!" He turns away again, quickly walking past Agnes and the guards. "I have better things to do than be here with people who don't care about me in the slightest. Agnes, I'll just leave the arrest to you. I'm gonna go check out what's happening with Nyx."
- "Y- you... Please don't..." Nicolas calls out, tears now rolling down his cheeks. He is only met with silence, broken up by the sound of the footsteps of the guards moving in to surround the group of unconscious nobles. His hand stays outstretched towards his brother as the latter fades into the darkness.
Julian violently kicks open the door that leads back to the auditorium, and his ears are overwhelmed by the sound of thunderous applause and people's excited screams. Nyx and the comedians were on the stage, bowing as members of the audience threw flowers at them. They were all literally shining, as Nyx maintained a cloud of small stars around all of them. He could even see Balthazar, in his lodge at the highest point in the theater, getting up to clap. He drags his feet back to the balcony where Angelica was seated, and he finds her standing on the guardrail, proudly smiling at Nyx.
- "Aha, you have returned just in time!" She declares without turning towards Julian. "This performance was truly one for the ages!"
- "I bet it was." Julian flatly replies, dropping down on the nearest couch.
- "Hm? What's wrong? This does not sound like your usual dry cynicism."
- "...I don't know. I'm pissed, I guess."
- "How rare!" Angelica jumps down from the guardrail and sits next to him, patting him on the back. "Does it have to do with your father?"
- "Not even, it's just… ugh. I don't think I want to talk about it after all."
- "That only made me more curious! Speak at once!"
- "I'm good."
- "Julian." They both hear Agnes say from the entrance of the balcony. A few songbirds were holding up her long purple coat to prevent it from getting stuck in the numerous golden ornaments lining the stairs as she walked up to them.
- "Agnes? You followed me? What about the arrest?"
- "I left it to the rest of my colleagues. Apparently we've got a few stragglers that managed to escape, so they're searching the theater along with my ravens." She sighs. "I just felt like I had to inform you that the person that contested your death and filed a missing person report for you about a decade ago was Nicolas Leventis. He's been using his share of the family's treasury to fund the search effort, and not a single week has passed without him contacting me to know the state of the investigation. I'm not saying you should forgive him, but you definitely overreacted. I didn't want to say anything earlier, but it really pains me to see you treating your brother like this given how much he seems to care about you."
- "...Fuck." Julian buries his face in his hands. Memories of his funeral were flooding into his mind, including the single elf that attended it. "That was you wasn't it?... But why?..."
- "I'm done here, I'm going back to helping with the search." Agnes concludes as she heads towards the staircase leading to the lower floor of the auditorium.
- "...Where is Nicolas right now?... I need to see him."
- "He left the theater in a storm. He wasn't even interested in knowing why we were arresting his father, and I didn't have the heart to detain him for questioning."
- "I'll just… find him later and try to... apologize. Knowing him anyways, if he doesn't want to be found I'll be looking for the next twenty years."
Agnes gives him an approving nod before disappearing into the staircase. Angelica has a sly smile.
- "What an entertaining turn of events! I cannot wait for Nyx to pressure you into retelling what happened in great detail."
- "..." Julian leans back, looking up at the ceiling and trying to ignore the sparkling stage in the distance. "Please shut up."