Chapter 17: No Choice

"You better pay us more than you promised!." Bones said "Asking us to help your petty battles, you ain't bossing us around we'll deal with them our way." Kix said in a pissed off voice, while the third girl was silent and sitting at the corner "So looks to me you can't handle the other squad with just yourselves, otherwise we wouldn't be here." Gwyn said as she was disgusted by this Squads Integrity to chivalry "Now now, It's not that we can't handle them, it's just tha--." Scar said as he was interrupted by Gwyn "It doesn't matter what it is to you, as long as you pay us well we'll do our jobs." She said "Ofcourse." Scar replied.

*A few hours later*

The three were placed in a room for them to wait as their Leader is speaking with Scar about their plan of attack for the Squad war.

"I don't really like this job, what about you Bones?." Kix asked to Bones who was right beside him "Ofcourse I hate it as well, it pretty much destroys the Integrity of chivalry." Bones replied "What do you mean?." Kix asked "Well when initiating a Squad war, only people within the squad can participate, outside help is prohibited." Bones replied "Ahh I see, and we're the outside help." Kix replied but as he realizes it he now despises the Scorching Scorpions even more.

"There's an official event like this held every year, it's called the Selection, and the winner gets to be marked as an official squad and take on tasks that are from the higher ups of this country." Bones explained "But why are we allowed to help them?." Kix asked "Because this isn't an official squad war, not even the heroes know about this one, although many situations like these happen from time to time, some even hire an entire organization to help them, and they also say they'll pay us a good price if we help them." Bones said.

"We have our orders." Gwyn said upon entering the room "We are to await further orders." Gwyn said as she sits down on the chair.

"You mean we have to wait for them? Screw that! we should start by attacking the other squad's base." Kix said as he gets fired up to do so "Do that and the war won't start and we don't get paid." Bones replied as he hits Kix in the head "Why not?." Kix asked "Both sides must agree on the request for a squad war if not, then the group that sent the letter can't force them to or they become criminals by the Kingdom." Bones explained while the silent girl was at the corner doing some research on the Shining Knights.

"Truly a pathetic way if you ask me." Kix said "Shut up whatever our Leader says we do it, now be quiet and sit there." Bones replied.

At Connor's Mansion..

"Good Morning Oliver." Connor says as he enters the living room "Good Morning Boss." Oliver replied "Where are the others?." He asked as he sits down "Violet went to patrol the perimeter while Xander, Emilia and Cameron are outside on the lawn doing some training." Oliver said.

"That's good to know by the way if I'm gone I'm choosing Cameron to be the next leader of this squad one day." Connor said "Really? what do you see in him?." Oliver replied "Well pretty much myself and you know by now what I mean." Connor said.

Oliver then remembered Connor being a timid boy, who'd try his best no matter.

*Chuckles* "Yeah I do, I sure wish she could've seen how you've become now." as Oliver replied he then remembered someone dear to him and Connor that made Oliver shed a tear.

"Huh? I'm sorry Boss, something is definitely wrong with me today." Oliver said as he looks away "I'm sure she would've said, "see I told you he'd become responsible one day, I told you!" right?." Connor said as his eyes were beginning to get teary.

*A picture frame can be seen* in the photo are Connor Oliver and a girl in the middle smiling together.

A few hours later Violet just came back at the mansion and has finished her sweep of the area.

"Boss everything seems fine for now." Violet reported as she kneels down "Very good take some rest Violet." Connor said "But Boss?." Violet reacted "I wouldn't want my friend be exhausted so please take a rest." Connor said "As you say Boss." Violet replied and went to her room shortly after.

*Meanwhile*

"Cameron watch your surroundings, you always have to be ready for anything." Xander said Cameron was sparring with Emilia at the moment and Xander was supervising them.

Connor rushes towards Emilia with speed "AAAAAAAAA CAMERON IS HEADING TOWARDS MEEEEE <3." Emilia yelled out "EEEEEEHHHHH!?!?." As Connor slowed down Emilia took advantage of that and blasted him with her pistol.

Cameron dodges on time but Emilia came up from behind and punched him, out of reflex Cameron shielded himself by using his spear and wasn't hit.

"Hmmmm he has less concentration but good intuition." Xander thought to himself.

Emilia was running in circles shooting the sitting Cameron in the middle while he twirled his lance as fast as he could to avoid getting shot.

He then tried to chase Emilia down.. "AAAAAAAA CAMERON IS CHASING MEEE, HE'S HEAD OVER HEELS FOR MEEE AAAAAAAA <3." Emilia yelled out, Cameron was embarrassed but still continued chasing after her.

"Hmmmm he's not stopping like earlier, then I'll just have to face him head on." Emilia thought to herself, as she then uses the old car Connor had parked in the front as her stepping stool to head towards Cameron.

Emilia blasted an unending barrage of bullets while Cameron twirled his Lance in front of him as fast as he could to block all the bullets.

As the two were about to clash, "Alright that's enough now." Xander said as he proceeds to stay in the middle of their clash, just one more step and Emilia and Cameron could've killed Xander.

The two gasped for air and are exhausted "You two have quite grown since the last time I saw you fought with each other." Xander said as Cameron and Emilia smiled at each other of gratitude for one another "But Cameron, you still get distracted from time to time, you always have to concentrate on your target, don't listen to anything they say or it'll be the death of you." Xander lectures Cameron about his mistake "Yes Sir." Cameron replied "And Emilia, you are way too confident with your skills by taunting the enemy sometimes could be a bad thing, you should refrain doing stuff like that." Xander lectures Emilia too "Yes Sir." Emilia replies but Xander patted both their heads and said.

"I am so proud of you two either way." Xander said as he gives them a warm smile.

*A few minutes later they all took a break and sat outside*

"Ummm Sir?." Cameron asked "Xander is fine." He said "How long have you been in the group." Cameron asked out of curiosity "Yeah I wondered about that too." Emilia wondered the same thing.

"Well I'm not really the oldest member of this group but I was the first person they recruited." Xander said "You mean Connor right?." Cameron asked "No, hard enough to believe but Connor wasn't the one who founded the group." Xander replied, the two were silent and shocked to know it wasn't Connor who founded the Shining Knights "Sure it wasn't him directly but he had a part in making this, he, Oliver and another member who passed away a year ago." Xander said as he then stares at the blue sky.

"Another membe... wait OLIVER!??." Emilia and Cameron said it simultaneously *Chuckles* "Is it that surprising Oliver was apart of this too?." Xander laughed.

"Well I wouldn't blame you for thinking like that at first when Connor told me I had the same reaction as you guys did." Xander replied.

"But the one who founded the Shining Knights was a girl named Charlotte and Oliver." Xander said.

the two were even more shocked upon hearing what Xander just told them.

"I don't know what happened during that day, Ms. Charlotte gave me a mission to patrol in another city during that time, but once I came back the base was destroyed, burned from the ground Oliver was holding her in his hands and she had a stab wound on her chest." Xander said.

The two were silent as they continued to listen to Xander "After that day we three went into hiding and never appeared on the surface until they contacted me, and here we are today." Xander concluded.

the two were still silent "Hey come on now, you two really remind me of myself back then." Xander said.

An explosion occurred at the front gate.

"Everyonee at the front gate immediately!! We're under attacked!." Violet yelled out.

As they all arrived at the front gate a letter was on the ground.

Connor picked up the letter and opened it.

Nice to know you've rejected our request and now we can finally kill you fools!

-Scorching Scorpions

"I thought they were going to attack at the night of the full moon?." Emilia asked "It doesn't matter to them if we don't accept their challenge or not they'd still fight us either way!." Connor said.

as he then noticed Connor sliced up the water spikes that were heading towards them.

"Ehhh? looks like this is going to be fun." Gwyn said as she introduces herself.

"Who are you!." Connor asked Violet then rushes towards Gwyn "You bitch!." Violet tries to slash Gwyn, but she made a water sword and managed to block Violet's strike.

"Tsk Tsk not happening." Gwyn said as water needles appeared behind Violet and she was forced to take a few steps back and dodge them.

"Defeat the intruders, and come back alive!." Connor said as he grabs his sword.

"This is nothing personal." Gwyn said as she rushes towards Connor with her intent to kill.

Connor countered her every swing "I wouldn't want to hurt a little girl like you!." he said "Funny how an old guy like you can fight equally with me." The two exchanged words as they fought somewhere else.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here!!." Violet said as she appears behind him

"I don't really like fighting petty battles, but if it means surviving the harsh life of this city I'd be willing to put some dead bodies for its decor." Poisan said (A member of the Scorching Scorpions) Poisan dodged Violet's heavy strike and threw some daggers at her, Violet managed to block all of them "An Assassin type huh? This is going to be fun!." She said as she wore her helmet and rushed towards the Scorpion member.

"Emilia, Cameron you two are with m--." As he noticed daggers heading towards them Xander immediately blocked them.

"Change of plans, you two protect her I'll deal with this!." Xander said as another Scorching Scorpion Member appears before them.

Emilia and Cameron went back to the Mansion to protect Stella from inside.

while Connor and Gwyn were fighting..

"You seemed to be quite skilled for a young girl." Connor said as he strikes from above "Thanks I really trained my whole life just to survive in this world!." Gwyn yelled out as she blocks Connor's strike from above and kicked him.

"It's a shame you had to fight for evil with your talent, you could've done something else, you could've helped other people." Connor said as he rushes towards Gwyn.

The two were fighting very seriously Connor swing his sword from the bottom Gwyn managed to block it, and when Gwyn aimed for Connor's neck he managed to block it.

the two were locking swords "Why not join my squad, we can help you." Connor asked "I don't need a new one I already have my squad." Gwyn replied.

Scar then jumped out of nowhere and went in between the middle ground.. Gwyn and Connor had to get out of the way.

"We'll take him together." Scar said as he cracks his knuckles "Yes sir." Gwyn replied.

Gwyn was then moved to another area "What the?." She reacts "Your opponent is me!." Oliver said as his facial expressions were dead on serious.

"Now let's see." "Who's the strongest." "Between us." The Two finished their words and rushed towards each other with the intent to kill.

"Do you have a read on Leader's position?." Kix asked nervously "Yes I have her position, she's at the backyard, go!." Bones said as the silent girl nods her head and goes outside.

Emilia and Cameron were protecting Stella at the hidden room.

While Xander blocks every dagger thrown at him while rushing towards the Assassin, as he swings for the kill the Assailant dodges and throws another batch of daggers, Xander does the exact same thing he did earlier.

while Oliver was countering Gwyn's Water needles with his Icicles, Gwyn then appears behind Oliver "You must've forgotten I can do close range too." She whispered but as Gwyn was about to land the striking blow she noticed the ice dagger and took a step backwards.

"Oh? I haven't even done anything and you backed away." Oliver said as he looked behind him.

Gwyn was shocked to see the Icicles melt and turn into Ice daggers.

"I'll clearly show you what I'm made of." Oliver said as he fires every Ice dagger (The perfect representation of this is how Gilgamesh from Fate fights.)

Gwyn blocks every dagger, but as each swing she takes she notices the daggers become more bigger and starting to be more faster.

meanwhile Violet and the Poisan were locking their weapons "Your moves are starting to feel sloppy, getting tired you scum!." Violet said as she was more stronger than the Assassin "Not at all, You have proven your worth to me." Poisan said.

Out of nowhere Daggers came from every direction and Violet had to disengage in their lock as she blocks them all "When did you?." Violet asked as she grabs one of the daggers from mid air and throw it right back at him.

"While this is going on do you know their actual plan?." Kix asked "Ofcourse I've heard them talking about it, but let's just wait until she gets Leader." Bones said.

As Oliver was busy battling Gwyn he couldn't noticed the smog around him.

"What the?." Oliver reacted, as he inhaled some of the smoke his vision was starting to feel dizzy "What in the world?." Oliver was starting to pass out and the last thing he saw was "I'm not going to kill you, but I hope you can face your demons to the place you're heading to right now." Gwyn said as she walks away.

Oliver's eyes were starting to close, and from the distance he could see a young girl wave towards him.

"Charlotte?." He said to himself before passing out.

End of Chapter 17: No Choice