[Now]
All the members of the Dragon Knights were present in the cafeteria, staring down at the body of the Messenger, who was knocked unconscious. They had no intention of inflicting any injuries on him at all.
"Ma Feng... I have some questions to ask you. How did you recruit her without even letting me know?" Romeo asked as he walked up to Ma Feng. Ma Feng watched Romeo with a smile on his face.
"You should be calm, Romeo... I understand you guys' situation, but..." Ma Feng couldn't complete his statement when Beatrice interrupted him. Chuckling like a maniac, she seemed satisfied.
"There isn't any situation here... Ma Feng, I can't possibly be in any situation with a knucklehead like Romeo. He is a low-class being compared to my state," Beatrice said with pride, and Romeo fumed outrageously.
"Huh? How dare you say such words to me... I can remember once when you called me daddy," Romeo said, and Beatrice's face began to turn red. She felt embarrassed as the rest of the team laughed out loud.
"Eh eh... That's impossible. There's no way I could ever call you that," Beatrice said.
Ma Feng cleared his throat, drawing all attention to him as he sat down on the table behind him. He crossed his legs while stepping on the slumbering Messenger of the Syndrome Organization.
"Our actions are a declaration of war against the Syndrome, and they will be taking this battle to a whole other level. I guess you guys are prepared for what's to come, right? The Dragon Knights must not be defeated," Ma Feng said.
"That we understand, Ma Feng, but you need to create a chain of command among our crew. So far... You are the only leader of the Dragon Knights. We have to establish dominance," Xi Jing said.
"That's correct, Xi Jing. You will be my right-hand man—the Vice Captain of the Dragon Knights. Although I haven't seen your Artifact yet, I am certain it's powerful, given the fact that you are physically strong," Ma Feng said.
"Xi Jing is the Vice Captain? That's not fair, bro... What about me?" Romeo asked.
"You are a magic user with the Flower Magics, but I can't give you a position since there isn't one at the moment. Beatrice is the brain of this organization, while Xi Jing is the Vice Captain, and I am the Captain," Ma Feng said.
"Hmph, well that's fine by me. Given the circumstances... We should already have a facility for our meetings. This cafeteria isn't safe—there might be hidden cameras and devices to track us," Jude spoke out.
"I know that already, and I disabled them when I arrived at the cafeteria. And don't worry about our hideout—it's already prepared," Ma Feng said with a smile on his face as he licked his lips. Beatrice sighed.
"I was able to calculate the percentage chance of the next attack to know when the Messenger of the Syndrome would be arriving. But the Syndrome isn't an ordinary organization. We have to be strong to defeat them," Beatrice said.
"I know that already. Besides, we are already strong. I don't see any weaklings in our team. The Dragon Knights are all strong warriors," Ma Feng said with a bright smile appearing on his face.
"So... What are we going to do next?" Rose asked.
They all turned to face her, and she was spotted licking an ice cream she had the whole time. Ma Feng could be seen licking his lips, fantasizing about snatching the ice cream from Rose and devouring it.
"Ehm... Uhmmm... Uhmmm... We will exit this place while leaving the Messenger still unconscious. But before I end this meeting... Is there any suggestion you feel like giving?" Ma Feng asked.
"I have, and it's quite a simple suggestion. While staying in the Underworld, we can't actually use our real names, can we? If that happens and we're pursued by the Punishers, they can easily capture and punish us.
"We'll need code names and nicknames that the rest of the world will know and address us with. Just like Rose, who chose to nickname herself as the Savage Queen of the Dragon Knights. It's quite a good name," Jude said.
"That's a very good suggestion, given the fact that you're a student of the Assassin Department. You really earn your title as an assassin. I wonder what your code name is," Romeo said with a smile.
"You can stop wondering already... It's the Silver Fox," Jude said.
"The Silver Fox? That's a nice name. I wonder what my name is... Well, I'll think about that later since we haven't started our operations yet. We still have to gather more information," Romeo said.
"I agree with Romeo there, but that doesn't mean there isn't time for nicknames. I would love a nice name to show dominance against the School Board and the Punishers—including the Top Ten Secret Societies," Ma Feng said.
"The Savage Queen, the Silver Fox... And since you're so affiliated with dragons, your name will be the Dragon Lord. It suits you well," Beatrice said as she adjusted her glasses with a smile.
"The Dragon Lord? That's such a cool name," Ma Feng said with a smile on his face.
He was about to utter another word when he heard a beeping sound on his Erafel Device, which was on his wrist. Ma Feng clicked the message button on the device and widened his gaze in shock.
"It seems like Father has decided to bless me. I just received a message from my Proctor that my Artifact has been delivered to her. I'll be heading to her office to take my Artifact," Ma Feng said.
"It's quite sudden. It took the Swordsmiths of our kingdom three months to prepare our Artifacts separately. Or perhaps it was already a created Artifact and just needed time to be remodeled again," Rose said.
"An old Artifact that hasn't been shown to us? I wonder what it is," Prince Xi Jing said as he folded his arms. Of course, he was aware that his father, King Ezerel of the Marcel Kingdom, was one of the most secretive beings to ever exist.
"Well well, I don't know what this Artifact is, and neither do I have a single clue about it. But I'll be taking my leave now. This meeting is hereby declared over by me... I'll get going then," Ma Feng said.
"Very well then, but before you go, I'd like us to create a symbol to show the world who we are. Based on my calculations, after the Exhibition Showdown begins, the main battle between Light and Darkness will follow.
"We must identify ourselves by then," Beatrice said, and Ma Feng nodded.
"The Exhibition Showdown is in seven days' time, so we have enough time to prepare for that. It's good then... I'll take my leave now," Ma Feng said, and he clicked the teleportation button. He disappeared from the cafeteria.
Both Xi Jing and Rose left a few minutes after Ma Feng's disappearance, leaving only Jude, Beatrice, and Romeo still in the cafeteria. Romeo turned to face Beatrice, who sighed deeply.
"I know the question you're going to ask me, Romeo, and I'd say you shouldn't bother, because I'm not going to answer them. I have my reasons for joining this organization," Beatrice spoke out.
"I once told Ma Feng that it would be impossible for him to recruit you, judging by your past. You were once a high member of Luminous Society and once a secret member of the Seven Goddesses."
"I'm still curious how a devil like you joined the Dragon Knights," Romeo said, just as Beatrice turned to face Jude. But by the time Romeo spoke, Jude had already disappeared. Beatrice sighed.
"Hmph... You really don't understand how mysterious Ma Feng is. The things I told you back when we were dating—he figured them out in seconds. I want to see what Ma Feng will become."
"He's the only reason I joined the Dragon Knights. I want to know what he truly is," Beatrice said with a small smile as she adjusted her glasses.
Romeo scratched his head with a sigh. "Okay then... I'll leave you to it. But don't do anything funny. You, of all people, should know—I'm the only one who knows how to destroy you, Beatrice. Don't let the past repeat itself."
With that warning, he turned and left the cafeteria, whistling softly.
Beatrice watched him leave. Then she glanced at the unconscious Messenger and let out a wicked laugh. A glowing circular symbol appeared in her left eye as her laughter turned maniacal.
"You don't have to worry about that, Romeo. Even if I was a backstabber in the past, I have no intention of betraying Ma Feng. The rest of them were all so predictable… I got bored."
"Ma Feng remains a mystery to me. I have no reason to betray him. There's no need to be cautious of me anymore. After all… I once nearly made you the leader of the Luminous Society," she murmured to herself.
She sighed, checked the time on her Erafel Device, and walked out of the cafeteria. The room fell silent, save for the unconscious Messenger of the Syndrome still lying there.
---
Elsewhere...
Crystal Rendevor stood atop the school building, the wind tugging at her coat. Her eyes remained cold as she stared at the sky. Then, she felt it—an unnatural presence in the air.
"I was wondering when you'd show up again, my foolish brother," she said without turning.
A student stood before her now, his uniform marking him as a fourth-year. He waved with a cheerful grin.
"'Foolish brother'? That's no way to greet me, Crystal. It's been over two months since we last saw each other. I've been busy with official duties as a high-ranking member of the Punishers," he said.
His name was Marco Rendevor—Crystal's older brother, a Sorcerer Prince and an elite member of the Punishers. He served directly under Jo Jing, President of the Punishers.
"Hmph… Don't come here spewing nonsense. Why are you really here, Marco?" Crystal asked, her tone sharp.
Marco laughed, adjusting the hat on his head. "Nothing serious. I just came to visit my dear junior sister. You're currently working as a double agent between the Punishers and the Underworld. I have no reason to arrest you. This is just... a friendly visit."
"You just came to say hi? Do you think I'd fall for that?" Crystal snapped.
Marco chuckled. "Ah, you caught me. But I'm not surprised—you always saw through me. That's what makes you my sister. Alright, I'll be honest. I came here with a special request from the President."
He paused, then added, "I need information on a certain student."
Crystal narrowed her eyes. "A student? Who?"
"His name is Ma Feng. I'm told he's a new student in your class. The President is interested in him and wants details. As for why you should help me…"
Marco leaned forward with a smirk, his voice dropping.
"You wouldn't want him to be destroyed, would you?"
He laughed in a sinister manner as Crystal clenched her jaw and bit her lip in frustration.
"You have until the Exhibition Showdown to get me what I need," Marco said as he began to vanish. "And you know me, Crystal—I don't make empty threats. When I say something will happen, it happens."
Then he disappeared, leaving nothing but the sound of wind and Crystal's seething breath.
"Bastard!!" Crystal shouted, gnashing her teeth in fury.