I've been playing around with this idea for a while now, and I've rewritten it who knows how many times lol. I think it's worth all that time I spent, so I hope you all think so too.

"Congratulations on making this far. I am the Djinn of Hunting and Nobility, Barbatos!"

Muu Alexius wasn't sure what to expect after spending hours destroying dungeon beasts and surviving countless traps. A final boss battle with a beast of unimaginable strength? A game of wits and intelligence with a master tactician? A fickle Djinn who refused to choose a king at all? He certainly hoped not, for then all this would have been for nothing.

The Djinn before him sat tall, a tail swinging lazily back and forth behind him. He wore simple gold jewelry, and small wings adorned his legs. A look of excitement was on his face, and Muu wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Glancing to his side, Muu watched his sister's jaw drop open in awe as she took in the sight of the great Djinn. Myron Alexius shifted in place, wincing slightly as the movement jarred her dislocated shoulder. She had taken a rather nasty fall during a fight with one of the dungeon monsters on their way to the treasure room, but she'd be damned if she missed her brother's crowning moment. Never mind that she wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. Sneaking past the guards was easy enough with the speed of a Fanalis. The sight of her baring her teeth at the Djinn, as if daring the being to refuse Muu, brought a smile to Muu's face. Despite her being only ten years old, she'd mastered quite a nasty glare.

"Oh? That's a nice expression," the Djinn grinned, eyes shining in excitement. "Unfortunately, I won't be your opponent."

The faint sound of footsteps came to Muu's attention, and he found himself staring at a rather attractive woman with a kunai in her hand. Her short pink hair was pulled back with a red headband, and a purple diamond mark lay in the center of her forehead above bright green eyes. She wore a short, sleeveless red dress with a black obi and black shorts, along with gray elbow and knee protectors and low heeled sandals. She also wore black gloves and had a holster strapped to her thigh.

"Am I to defeat this person in a fight, Barbatos?" Muu asked, keeping his eyes on the newcomer.

The Djinn grinned in amusement. "If you can, then I will become your Djinn, but you must do it alone."

Myron smirked and stepped back, giving her brother space to fight. Finally, it was his time to shine. There was no one who could stop him, no one who could foil his plans before they even began. No one to let the words "dirty half-breed" pass their lips. Her eyes shone with anticipation of the entertainment to come. A rush of pride swelled in Muu, and he knew that his expression mirrored hers exactly. They were siblings, after all.

"I will hold you to those words."

Focusing on his new opponent, Muu drew his sword. The woman adjusted her grip on the kunai and brought it up to the level of her shoulders.

"I am Muu Alexius. May I know who I am facing?"

"Sakura Haruno," the woman replied.

"Sakura Haruno, Barbatos," Muu began. "I will capture this dungeon today!"

Muu lunged forward, closing the distance between them. He brought his sword down on her, but she avoided it easily, leaning to the left. She dodged and parried his next attacks when necessary with her kunai. One particular swing overpowered her, her feet sliding backward from the force. A brief look of surprise flickered across her face before disappearing.

Muu came again, bringing his sword down on her with no indication of any exhaustion. Sakura shifted ever so slightly to the right to avoid the strike, the sword slicing harmlessly through the air. Spinning on her heel, she aimed a backhand blow to his cheek. Her fist collided with him hard, not with his cheek but with his arm, as he managed to bring it up in time to block the counter. He shoved aside her arm and swung his sword up, but Sakura was already gone.

Changing her grip on her kunai once more, Sakura flung the knife at Muu, who avoided it easily. Reaching behind her obi, she took out a few shuriken and threw them at him. He tried to deflect them, but the familiar stinging sensation of a wound blossomed on his cheek.

"You're pretty good," he said, wiping away the trail of blood. "I didn't even see that one."

"You aren't too bad yourself," she replied. Reaching in her holster again, Sakura jumped back and launched a wave of shuriken and kunai at him.

"This again?" Muu's sword was almost a blur, striking down each weapon with the same ease from before. The faint noise of metal hitting metal alerted him of the redirected shuriken headed toward him from the side. With an easy swing, he deflected the last of the attack. "I won't fall for the same trick twice!"

"Is that so?" Sakura smirked, crossing her arms in front of her.

Muu only had an instant to register the sound of metal slicing through the air before fallen kunai and shuriken lifted themselves up from the ground and shot toward him. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding becoming a human pincushion. His eyes narrowed. What in the world? Directing his gaze to a fallen kunai, Muu could just barely see a faint glowing blue string attached to the end. He scanned the rest of the weapons and found the same string attached to them. Muu's attention returned to Sakura as she spread her arms wide, a small smile on her lips.

Muu's eyes widened as all of weapons on the ground rose and repositioned themselves in midair, aiming right at him. He could just barely see the faint blue strings laced through all them, connecting together behind and extending all the way to Sakura's fingertips. Magoi manipulation. Or something like it, at least. Muu had never seen blue magoi before, but he supposed there was a first time for everything.

From the sidelines, Myron observed Sakura intently. While Sakura's abilities were something Myron had never seen before, they weren't particularly exceptional. Muu was easily keeping up with her. And yet, Sakura was the chosen warrior for the Djinn. Regardless of how eccentric the Djinns may be (and Myron had heard many, many stories), Myron doubted that Barbatos would choose a mediocre champion.

Sakura swung one hand downward, sending half of her projectiles toward Muu. He leaped back to avoid them, but she stopped the movement halfway to pull back her hand before bringing both of them together. The trajectory of the first wave changed, pulling back and repositioning itself before relaunching at him, joining the second wave in an attack from all sides.

Cursing, Muu braced himself, striking down as many weapons as he could. When the last shuriken hit the ground, he let out a sigh of relief. He was relatively unharmed, sporting only a few superficial cuts and scratches. Looking back at her, he saw that she still had her hands together. He warily scanned the ground in preparation for a second assault, but the blue strings he'd seen earlier had disappeared.

"You really are impressive. I wasn't expecting that kind of attack."

"Thank you."

"But," he continued, falling back into a ready stance. "You aren't going to use that technique again, am I right?"

Sakura grinned, letting her hands drop to her side. He had called her bluff.

"It was a poor imitation of a friend's technique anyway," she admitted. "Besides, I can tell it won't work against you anymore."

Muu could feel the sweat rolling down his temples as he watched her, who had yet to break a sweat. His exhaustion from fighting his way through the dungeon was taking its toll, but he wasn't about to leave without the Djinn. Lady Scheherazade trusted him to conquer this dungeon. The nobles and politicians had protested when the decision for a mere Fanalis to take on a dungeon was made. Never mind that he was also an Alexius; to allow someone with the blood of a beast to obtain the power of a Djinn was unheard of. But when Lady Scheherazade dared them to oppose her, and there were no longer any objections. The look of pride she gave him before he entered the dungeon was burned into his memory, and he would never let her regret that for as long as he lived.

With newfound resolve, Muu took a deep breath before surging forward, striking faster than Sakura could parry with her kunai, beginning her slow journey backward as he pushed her further and further back. Even so, every thrust he made she avoided, though some were by a hair's breadth. But she slowed just a little bit, and he seized the window of opportunity. Putting his entire weight into his swing, he struck her kunai. It flew out of her hand, and his sword was at her throat before she could reach for another one.

He watched her carefully, preparing himself for another attack. She was clearly an experienced fighter, and he knew nothing about her. He wasn't about to make the mistake of underestimating her now. Sakura looked up at him, her surprised expression slowly changing into… a proud one?

She smiled, her hand reaching up toward his face.

In an instant, Muu Alexius was sent flying across the room. He slammed into the wall, debris and dust scattering upon impact. At the other side of the room stood Sakura Haruno, a single finger outstretched and a smug smile on her face.

"Sorry about that," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "But I am a bit stronger than that."

She sensed the attack before she saw it, her arm coming up to block a furious kick. Her assailant twisted in the air, swinging the other leg around to smash into her side. Sakura ducked to avoid it and jumped back, putting distance between them.

"M-Myron!" Muu shouted, eyes wide. He coughed as he breathed in the dust, struggling to push himself onto his feet.

Myron Alexius was livid. Digging her heels into the ground, she launched herself at Sakura again. How dare this woman look down on her brother!

"Sorry about this too."

Sakura sidestepped the kick and grabbed Myron's ankle, pulling the woman toward her before thrusting her palm into Myron's center. The air left her lungs in an instant, the force of the thrust pushing her away from Sakura. Muu was behind her immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist as they skidded to a stop.

"Do not be angry, young Fanalis."

Snarling, Myron jerked to face Barbatos, who watched her with a calm expression. The Djinn hadn't moved from his spot since the Fanalis had arrived. In fact, he even looked amused at them. She wrestled out of Muu's grasp and shattered the earth underneath her as she landed on her feet, glaring at the Djinn.

"Myron, calm down," Muu said, placing a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "I'm fine. Nothing serious."

When Myron looked back at him, her eyes were glassy with tears. She made a choked noise that sound suspiciously like a sniffle, and Muu's chest warmed. He knelt, bringing himself to her eye level. She flung her good arm around his neck with a cry, tears streaming down her face. He smiled, wrapping his arm around his baby sister as she cried into his shoulder. Myron was such a strong girl that he sometimes forgot that she was only ten years old.

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but I've seen enough for today."

Muu tore his eyes away from his sister to level a determined stare at Barbatos. He gently removed Myron's arm around his neck before standing and facing the Djinn in all his battered, bruised glory. His forehead in particular was starting to hurt, and he could feel the bruise forming as he stood.

"I can still fight," Muu insisted. "I won't give the power of kings to another!"

"No need to worry about that," Barbatos shook his head. "I accept you as my king."

"…What?" Muu asked incredulously. He jumped when Sakura suddenly appeared next to him, earning an amused smile from her.

"I thought so," she said, voice tinged with exasperation. "I would have liked to know earlier, Barbatos."

"But it's more interesting this way!"

Sakura shot the Djinn a flat look, which he met with an unapologetic grin.

"To be honest, king, you don't stand a chance against Sakura. I just wanted to see how far your resolve would take you," Barbatos explained. He directed his attention to Myron, who looked as dignified as she could with a face streaked with tear tracks. "After that display though, I've seen enough."

"But didn't you say I had to defeat her?" Muu asked, utterly confused. Not that he was complaining.

"I never said that. You're the one who came to that conclusion," the Djinn said, breaking out into a grin. "I said if you defeated her, I'd become your Djinn. Didn't say that you had to."

Muu was speechless as Barbatos laughed loudly. Sakura sighed. At least her Djinn wasn't as weird as some of the others. Now that the fight was over, she turned to Muu. The moment she moved, Myron stepped in front of him. Her eyes brimmed with anger and mistrust, which almost brought a smile to Sakura's face.

"Don't come any closer," Myron spat, glaring at Sakura with everything she had.

"I won't do anything bad, I promise," Sakura said, holding her hands up. "I'm a medic. I can help him."

"And you expect us to believe you?" Myron narrowed her eyes, a little puffy from crying. It ruined the intimidating look she was trying to pull off, but it was pretty endearing.

"It's fine, Myron. I believe her." Muu stepped in front of Myron, facing Sakura.

"B-Brother!" Myron cried. "What are you doing?"

Muu placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"It's all right. I'll be fine," he smiled.

Muu watched Sakura calmly, who returned his stare with interest. He would go far, she could tell, and capturing this dungeon was only the beginning. This was an unprecedented era of kings and dungeons popping up everywhere and anywhere. Gaze sliding to Myron for a moment, she couldn't help but smile a little.

"What are you smiling about?" Muu asked.

"You have such a nice sister," Sakura replied. "I'm almost envious."

Muu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Sakura lowered her hands to remove a glove before reaching up again with her bare hand to the level of his forehead. It was a bit of a feat, as he towered over her. She made a displeased face, and he held back a chuckle. Green light enveloped the tips of her fingers, which lay lightly on his skin. His eyes widened as he felt the pain dull and fade from his forehead. His shocked stare elicited a soft laugh from Sakura, who gave him an amused smile.

"I told you, I'm a medic," she smiled. "Sit down so I can heal the rest of you?"

As Muu finally let himself rest, Myron took the time to gather the treasures of the dungeon and prepare for their return to Reim. She shot dirty looks to Sakura the entire time, but Sakura just smiled back at the younger girl. Myron would flush in anger and then run off to finishing packing. Sakura placed her hands on Muu's back, and he felt not only his wounds disappearing but also his magoi returning.

"Why are you here?" he asked her, watching Myron snap at Barbatos as she picked up a large chest as easily as an adult would.

"I'm here because of you," she replied.

"…What?"

Muu twisted around to look at her, the action making him wince a bit from not yet healed wounds. She tried not to laugh at the confusion in his gaze. She moved a hand to his side, applying enough pressure to make him wince again.

"If my patient faces forward again, I might tell you more," she replied with a smile. "Otherwise, I'm going to let you suffer."

He sheepishly obeyed, releasing a sigh of relief as her hand moved down to his bruised side.

"Muu Alexius."

Muu turned to the great Djinn, as did all the other members in the room.

"I will become your Djinn when you leave this dungeon. However, I have a request," Barbatos continued.

"What kind of request?" he asked, wondering what a Djinn could possibly want from him.

"I want you to take Sakura with you."

Muu's eyes widened. What—

"No way in hell!" Myron snarled, causing dents in the golden chest in her arms as she tightened her grip.

"Myron," Muu warned gently. She scowled but quieted, trudging away to finish packing everything. Turning back to Barbatos, Muu only said one word, "Why?"

"This place will collapse after I leave it. I'd rather not bury her alive," Barbatos replied. "Besides, I like her."

"Thanks for the compliment." Sakura raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I like you too."

"Anyway," the Djinn continued. He held out his hand to the Fanalis warrior. "What's your decision?"

Muu stared at the large hand offered to him. Of all the stories he'd ever heard of the Djinn and their dungeons, he'd never heard of Djinn asking their dungeon capturers for favors before. He glanced back at Sakura, who seemed to be engrossed in her treatment. Such an enigma of a person, he thought, even if she weren't found in a dungeon. He turned his head back to Barbatos, who awaited his answer with a confident grin.

"I accept," Muu replied, grasping an outstretched finger. "Though I doubt that I have much of a choice."

Barbatos's laughter echoed throughout the room, and his grin grew even wider.

…

Lady Scheherazade knew the exact moment Muu returned from the dungeon. Her grip on her staff relaxed ever so slightly she felt the dungeon she raised disappear. She could feel the Rukh of her loyal warrior and his sister, as well as the presence of another. She frowned. This could not be. Only Muu had been given permission to enter the dungeon, though Myron hadn't been deterred and went in to join her brother anyway.

A questioning voice brought her back to the present. "Lady Scheherazade?"

Ah, right. She was in the middle of a debate. Today was particularly focused on the Fanalis, as the past few weeks had been since Muu left for the dungeon. She wanted to sigh. Usually, she found her citizens endearing as they struggled and pushed forward together for Reim. However, her patience was wearing thin, and Muu was finally home. So Lady Scheherazade stood, casting her gaze upon the Senate of the Reim Empire. The chamber quieted, all eyes drawn to the quiet yet awe inspiring figure in the room.

"We have all worked hard today. It is time to end the session and prepare for another day," she began, pleasantly surprised at the immediate effect she had on the senators. She should've done this sooner. "We shall continue this another time. Thank you all for supporting the Reim Empire."

She hardly heard the choruses of praise they showered her with as she left the senate chamber. The only thing that mattered was that her Fanalis warrior was home and that there was someone she didn't know with him.

She let the Rukh guide her to him, and she found herself waiting upon the steps leading to the senate building. Her guard and attendants refused to let her go any farther for fear of danger, which was rather adorable in her opinion. She smiled to reassure them that no harm would come to her but still obliged to their request. Scheherazade closed her eyes, and the Rukh filled her vision. Now, where was that boy?

She didn't remember how long she stood there, waiting for Muu to return. She lost herself watching the Rukh flow through the heart of her home, passing through the boisterous markets and lively streets of the city of Remano.

"L-Lady Scheherazade?"

Opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of a bewildered Muu and his exhausted but ecstatic sister kneeling before her. To his side was a pink haired woman in red, who met her eyes with bright green ones. The Rukh fluttered around her fondly, as it embracing a dear friend. How curious. Scheherazade descended the steps, despite the cries of protest around her.

"Please, stand," she said upon reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Welcome back, my brave warriors. I am glad to see you both safe."

"Thank you, Lady Scheherazade, for believing in me," Muu said, rising to his feet. "How long have we been gone?"

"Six weeks," she replied. "Nothing has changed here in the time you've been gone, though something seems to have happened in the dungeon."

Scheherazade directed her gaze over to the woman loved by the Rukh, who had yet to say a word.

"Might we talk for a bit, Muu and his guest?" Scheherazade asked, keeping her tone light and free of curiosity. "I'd like to hear what happened during your time away."

Muu followed the graceful magi as she led them to the temple she resided in. He glanced back at Sakura, who was taking in the sights and sounds of the streets of Remano. She clasped her hands behind her, a small smile appearing on her lips as she watched children playing around their mothers and customers aggressively bargaining with the vendors. Myron eyed Sakura carefully, but the woman simply caught her gaze and smiled brightly.

Myron flushed at being caught staring and quickly turned away. Myron's arm hung in a makeshift sling to prevent her from jostling her shoulder further. She had refused Sakura's medical treatment, but the woman had been adamant about at least preventing further injury.

When they finally reached the temple, a group of attendants awaited them outside. They led the group to a room with simple but tasteful furniture. Scheherazade gestured for them to take a seat. Muu told her of the monsters he fought and traps he escaped, while Myron occasionally cut in to elaborate and to remind her brother of how valiant he had been when he save her from falling into a bottomless pit or from being attacked by a dungeon creature.

"And after defeating the last monster, I made it to the treasure room," Muu said. "That's when I saw Barbatos and met Sakura."

Scheherazade moved her gaze to Sakura, who had been silent throughout the retelling. "So you defeated Muu?"

"I suppose so," Sakura shrugged. "Although I don't recall ever ending the fight."

"Impressive. Muu is a very talented swordsman. It must have been quite a battle," Scheherazade said. Then, her gaze hardened, and Sakura met it with her own calmly. "So, Sakura Haruno, how did you get inside the dungeon?"

Muu felt a shiver go down his spine. Despite Scheherazade's small disposition and warmth she regarded everyone with, she was the legendary magi who has guided the Reim Empire for over two hundred years. Reim was the child she had nursed from birth to the present, and she was not to be taken lightly when her child faced a potential threat.

"I don't know."

"No one was allowed entry except for Muu. Only one other person went inside, and that was Myron." Scheherazade's voice was calm but firm. "So I ask you again, Miss Sakura, how did you get inside?"

Sakura looked into the clear blue eyes that shone with wisdom and experience. This was a person who had seen many things and made many sacrifices.

But so had she.

"Lady Scheherazade, I did not come here to be a threat," she said. "I came here because of Muu."

Scheherazade did not look away from Sakura but asked, "Is this true, Muu?"

"Yes, Lady Scheherazade," he replied. "Barbatos asked me to take her with me."

"The Djinn did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Muu paused, not sure how to answer. He barely understood it himself. All he knew was that Barbatos wanted Sakura to be by his side.

"Because you are where I must be."

Muu whipped his head around in surprise to stare at Sakura, who faced him directly. She stood from her seat and moved to kneel before him.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, and I am your service, my king."

A dumbfounded silence fell upon the room. Muu and Myron stared at Sakura with identical looks of confusion, and even Scheherazade couldn't completely hide her surprise.

"What… What are you talking about?" Muu managed to get out.

Sakura smiled and rose to her feet. She reached a hand out and mussed his hair fondly.

"I'll tell you more another time." She turned to Scheherazade and bowed. "I give you my word that I will never harm him."

Scheherazade scrutinized the woman for any signs of dishonesty, but the Rukh fluttering around her was honest. No matter how skilled a person was, they could not lie to the Rukh. After a few moments, Scheherazade sighed.

"Muu. Do you trust her?" she asked.

"I… don't know," he admitted. "But I don't think she's a bad person."

"I see." Scheherazade stood, signaling the end of the conversation. Muu and Myron also got to their feet, arms crossed over their chests in respect. "I trust you, Muu."

With those words, the Lady Scheherazade left the room. Muu watched Sakura look thoughtfully at the retreating magi for a moment before she turned to face him.

"Thank you, Muu," she smiled. "I hope you can come to trust me."

After everything he learned today, he hoped so too.