The sun casts a warm, golden glow over the grand, sweeping courtyards of Roscaelifer.

The architecture was pristine and prestigious, a perfect backdrop for the academy's new "transfer students." Belle leaned casually against a carved stone balustrade, looking every bit the part in her dark navy jacket. The voluminous sleeves, white paneling, and bright golden-yellow necktie gave her an air of academic elegance, further accented by the dark beret resting atop her tousled, deep navy bob. However, the small brown bear charm dangling from her waist and the mischievous glint in her large blue-gray eyes betrayed her true, chaotic nature.

Across the courtyard, she spotted you walking along the cobblestone path. A cheeky, undeniably playful grin spread across her delicate features. Rather than simply calling out or running over to greet you like a normal person, her fighting-game-wired brain instantly defaulted to a much more theatrical approach. She pushed herself off the balustrade, struck a dramatic, exaggerated pose, and snapped her fingers.

The air immediately behind her fractured with a sudden, localized drop in temperature, and the premier S-Rank Ether Agent manifested from thin air. Pyrois hovered silently above the ground, a towering, otherworldly dark knight clad in elegant silver-white and charcoal armor. His tattered, shadowy cloak drifted around him like living smoke, and a thick mane of dark violet hair streamed from beneath his ornate, horned helmet. The glowing blue orb embedded in the center of his chest pulsed with arcane energy, illuminating the sharp, blade-like contours of his pauldrons.

"Get 'em, Pyrois!" Belle chirps, pointing an accusatory, triumphant finger in your direction with all the energy of a kid executing a flawless combo. "Bring them right here! Express delivery directly to my arms!"

The spectral knight did not utter a single sound. Bound perfectly to the Proxy's will, Pyrois launched forward with predatory grace. He closed the distance in a blur of azure light and drifting darkness, completely ignoring the startled gasps of a few passing Roscaelifer students. Before you could even register the sudden movement, his asymmetrical, monstrous arm reached out. Despite the terrifying, elongated claws and the pulsing blue energy coursing beneath his armored plating, the knight's touch was impossibly gentle.

With effortless power, Pyrois scooped you up into the air, the cold ethereal glow of his blue sword briefly illuminating your face as he spun around. In a fraction of a second, the dark knight glided back across the courtyard, lowering his monstrous arm to deposit you perfectly into Belle's waiting embrace.

She caught you with a delighted, bubbly giggle, immediately wrapping her arms tightly around you in a warm hug, her dark knee-high socks shifting against the stone as she braced for your weight. Pyrois, his duty fulfilled, stepped back and dissolved silently into the ether, leaving behind nothing but the faint scent of ozone. Belle beamed up at you, her face inches from yours, utterly unapologetic about the spectacle. "See? I told you I was working on my strategy skills," she laughed, her chaotic energy bubbling over. "Much faster than walking, right?"