When Moby arrived at the party's booth, he brought out his student ID and scanned it, waiting for the white light to appear on the metal plate before stepping onto it and being whisked away to a new location.
It was a process he had now grown all too accustomed to. If anything, the bright, chandelier lights of the new area he appeared in were far more noticeable, contrasting imminently with the darkness of the outside.
Looking around, It seemed like he was placed near the edge of a vast chamber that belonged to a grand castle. His entire vision was dyed in lavish gold, the ground so shiny clean that it perfectly reflected the lit, concave ceiling.
Ornamental seats and tables were lined in rows, and nearly every spot was occupied by fellow students eating from the wide selection of mouth-watering meals from all around the globe, and behind it was an empty floor for what he could only assume to be dancing.
Moby squinted his eyes and took his time analyzing the crowds. Although some notable individuals seemed missing, there were clearly many people in attendance, but the atmosphere did not at all reflect the occasion nor the number of people present. It felt more like a funeral than a graduation party for rich and powerful young adults.
"It seems like no one really listened to what Adam said huh?" He mumbled under his breath before he began inwardly counting who was missing from the crowds.
'Adam's not here obviously... No Regrit, no Rupert, no Elizabeth, no—'
"Ho ho ho! Look who we have here! Right on time huh?" That was when suddenly, his train of thought was cut by a deep, scruffy voice he would have a hard time ever forgetting, and as he looked to his side, he saw exactly who it was, although he almost could not believe it.
However, his sky blue eyes, scruffy beard and large, muscular physique confirmed it all.
"General Ryker?"
"Uh uh uh! That's HIGH General Ryker to you!" He puffed his chest out.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot... But, what exactly are you doing here?"
"'What are you doing here?' Is that the first thing you say to your former principal when you see them? Disrespectful if you ask me! Aren't you at all curious about anything? It's been over a year!"
"No, not necessarily,"
"Wow, you're pretty blunt," He soughed. "But, if you have to ask, I'm here for security reasons. After what happened with the Supreme General, the last thing we want to see is something befall our generation's future strongest..."
"Yeah, I'd imagine..." Moby began to ponder.
"..."
"Well, since the atmosphere here is a little dull, why don't I tell you about this hilarious story of when one of my female subordinates was stuck in— AHHH,"
"Me? Why would I need a good reason to attend a final farewell party between me and all my classmates? Plus, as the winner of the tournament, I feel like I have a responsibility to attend! Also, I have prepared a little gift for everyone present! A farewell from me to them to cheer up the mood!"
It was clear, from the looks on their faces, that neither Yami nor Artorias believed a single word that had just exited Moby's mouth. Knowing him, they could not fathom that this act was without any ulterior motives.
However, one person that knew no better was Ryker who stood not too far away, smiling and patting him on the back.
"Now! That's the spirit! "I'm glad you feel that way kid! As the champion, why don't you light a fire in their hearts? Make this event seem like an actual party!"
"I'll do my best, thank you, sir," He cracked his fingers, brightly exposing his purple aura.
All eyes now on him, He leaped majestically high on in the air, forming and throwing an icicle towards the center of the empty dance floor where he would immediately teleport in a fancy explosion of light.
"Greeting my fellow students! And sorry for such an abrupt disruption! I'm Moby Kane, the champion of today's tournament and I've come here—"
"HEY WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? Think you're so tough over some lucky victory huh? Don't get ahead of yourself orphan boy! Since when did you become our leader!?" An angry voice stormed out of his seat, a vein building under his gelled blonde hair, his mouth further distorting his long, sharp nose.
"Hm? Luke Ingsworth is it? I never claimed to be anyone's leader. I just came to present a gift to everyone here! To cheer you all up after the dreadful news about our Supreme General."
"Ah—" The man abruptly halted his step, cold sweats running down his face. "H—How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot of people's names, well, I at least try my best to remember! We're all in the same school, and you're all people of note! As for you, you're an easy person to remember. Luke Ingsworth, son of famous entrepreneur, Thomas Ingsworth."
Unconsciously, upon hearing his father's name, he took a step back and inwardly gulped, eyes filled with uncertainty.
"Heh, well, I suppose it's not normal to remember the names of schoolmates you never met," He scratched his head. "But, that's part of the reason I came here, as a show of goodwill! Now, I'm sure you've all heard of the Mammon right?"
As those words were uttered, the entire crowd shudders as one, and gulped a mouth full of saliva that did not reach the bottom of their sunken stomachs.
"What's with the look? I know you all know him. He's not exactly a secret," Moby shook his head. "I'm sure that most of you have been paying him your points monthly right? Either to save a loved one or to prevent sensitive information from leaking out... Right?" He walked around smiling closer to Luke standing stiff, the echo from his shoe taps the only thing filling the spacious room.
"H—huh!? What the hell are you on about!? You taunting us!? We don't know anything so crazy!" Luke scoffed, laughing in the approaching Moby's face.
"Hm? What's with this attitude?" Moby wondered. "Scared that there was a spy from the Mammon among us?"
Luke gulped deeper hearing Moby's remark.
"Well, don't be! Because there is no spy here! You have my guarantee!" He took several resounding steps, inspecting the cold reactions from the crowd before he stood still and continued. "I know this for one hundred percent because... The Mammon is already dead..."