Libra: Just Warrior Style

The fourteenth chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations Novel, it is about Ranald learning detective skills.

## Story

Before receiving the messenger bottle of AWCU, Tula the lawyer has been dealing with corruption in his home dimension and thus has a whole load of experience in how to solve the problems of persuading the bribable judges that the innocent fellow put on trial is falsely accused. And to further his fight for justice, he also resorted to the practice of detective work, before and during his time in Aether World Cosmic University. And now, he has decided to teach Ranald the same thing...

After Ranald's mission with Kanya, many students are acknowledging his ability to defeat villains without powers. "You will never know if the villain we may face next has the ability to nullify powers," Husdent said while arranging the books in the library. "Indeed. The Devourer of Worlds also has the ability to take away powers. It does that to render some dimensions powerless, and defenceless, so that it can destroy and eat them with ease," King Athos exclaimed. "I mean on the prophecy that foretells its defeat, could it be that both Mayari and Ranald are the Silver Deer and Sun Griffin foretold in it?" He asked. Tula adjusted his reading glasses, and said, "We'll never know unless we gather the evidence. I mean, both of them are from Earth, and on Earth, super-humans, though dating back to ancient times, are as rare as hen's teeth, according to research." "I understand. We'll observe both of them still, just wait and see," the flame dog said. "I'll go teach my pupil Just Warrior Style then," Tula said, as he carried his briefcase, the one with the Libra constellation symbol, away to the gym where Ranald was waiting.

Tula told Ranald that in Just Warrior Style, balance is needed in all things. "Balance between your human and beast self is of utmost importance," he said, "Be careful not to swing to both extremes." He took out his staff and hit Ranald, who had Baby Little under his arm, and his bag as a shield to protect him from the lawyer's weapon. "But what if Ra goes berserk? I mean, anything can happen..." he asked. "That's possible, but I hope it doesn't," Tula said. He taught his pupil not only Just Warrior Style but when evening came, he would teach Ranald detective skills. "They may be useful in the next martial art you will learn," Tula said. They continued training for the whole of the seventh month until its end.

At the end of the seventh month, King Athos summoned the students to the Cosmos Observatory and briefed them on the second mission. In the 789th dimension, where Tula hails from, an artefact is stolen by a crime lord, and the heroes needed to get it back to its owner. Shani led Zenkuro, Tula, and the kemonomimi brothers Akita and Shiba, while Ranald led Aguila, Lancer, Lyncus, and Andromeda. They went into the dimensional portal to the lawyer's home.

There, Tula brought Ranald to the scene of the crime, a museum. The main exhibit has a broken glass display. "Tell me what you see there," he said. Ranald saw the broken glass, some footprints, and a scrap of cloth. He picked up a scrap of cloth and noted the material made. "I have been dealing with that villain for a long time," Tula said, "He likes to wear silk, you see." It dawned on Ranald that the cloth left behind might be connected to the criminal. He asked the museum staff, and one of then said that he saw that the crime lord snagged his clothing on the doorstep, but cut it off, when he stole the artefact. Ranald, hearing this, then impulsively left to find the villain. "Wait!" Shani cried, but he was too far to hear him. "Never mind," Tula said, "Maybe he will survive it. We will go follow and get the evidence."

"I can solve this mystery alone without the help of super-powered people," Ranald confidently said, as he searched for the villain's lair. 'Well, not for long, if you continue like that,' Baby Little telepathically said. Ranald's golden locket helped him find three pieces of the heart-gem at three locations: In the park, at the bus stop, and near the entrance to the alleyways. He suspected that the crime lord's lair is found in the alley. He used the hammer to break down the walls and was greeted by some thugs. "Oh Stone Hearts..." he muttered as he used his schoolbag to defeat them while protecting Baby Little. He did not know that his other group-mates, Shani's group, and Tula were not far behind. Shani said that his fellow team-mates will ensure that the villain won't escape, while Tula brings Ranald's team-mates will search for him. As soon as the lawyer entered the den of crime with his classmates, Ranald confronted the crime lord about the artefact. The crime lord said that he will sell it to the Boogie-man at a handsome price. "I don't care, I will finish you!" Ranald roared, as he readied the stance of Just Warrior Style.

When his team-mates and Tula arrived, the two people are fighting at a standstill. "Now that he has the kingpin, we can find the artefact," he whispered to Lyncus, "You find it, we will try to distract him," the lawyer continued. As soon as Ranald was exhausted, Tula asked him if he's all right. "I'm fine, thank you," he gruffly answered. "You will not be fine if you continue pushing your body like this. Sometimes, you must rest a little, bringing balance to your body," Tula counselled, "It'll do you good in the future." Ranald reluctantly agreed and had to watch as his group-mates joined the lawyer into fighting the crime lord. He noticed that Tula did not use his powers at all, as well as his group-mates. If anything, Ranald reflected on his hate for super-powered people. Perhaps, Heike was right about him associating the super-rich with those with powers because of the trauma he suffered from his youth? And these being the reason for him venting his anger on those with powers? His time with Anbesa and Castor and Pollux taught him well, somewhat, that this was the case. Lyncus sneaked up to him and revealed that he stole the artefact, a diamond cube, from the crime lord, and also that he can help restrain the crime boss, who was tied up by Andromeda's chains. Ranald agreed, and walked up to the villain who was subdued and asked what he knew about the Boogie-man. "I only know that he wanted me to destroy you if you come looking for the artefact. It is a weapon of mass destruction when handled carefully," he said. "Or poorly," Andromeda said. "And, he wears a cape and horned mask, all black...I was actually unwilling to work with the fool, but he told me to steal the artefact from the museum, though it was well-guarded, otherwise..." the crime lord added. "So how did you steal it?" Ranald asked, readying his schoolbag. "The Boogie-man can give nightmares to people, but he helped me by putting them to sleep, to make it easier for me to steal the artefact," the crime lord added. Ranald noticed that the villain's robe is a bit torn, reminding him of the silk cloth found at the scene. He told Tula and his team-mates to haul the crime lord away.

The crime boss was hauled off by the police of the dimension. After Lyncus returned the diamond cube to its rightful place, Tula gave Ranald the seventh zodiac tool: a staff. "You are great at solving this mystery. But be brave, many more will come, more complex and even a bit frightening, and you will have to solve them eventually," he said. Ranald nodded. "I'm sorry for making you worried," he apologized. "Tis' okay, we know that thou canst survive it," Lancer the unicorn said. "We will go home and rest," Shani said, "I hear that you are making great progress in your training, golden-haired one." The two groups went back to AWCU from the 789th dimension, a world of steampunk.

While Tula was in the library reading all the notes he compiled for the next of King Athos's pop quizzes (he hated those), Ranald was resting in the Hall of the Sun's main bedroom with his school bag. Between him and Baby Little, they were having a chat about Dreamland and other stuff like, say, if Dreamland has everything, why not connect Dreamland to Baby Little's Heavenly home just to make them feel even happier with their dreams.

But Ranald said to him that it's very rare for Dreamland to ever connect to Heaven just because to make the children happier even more since Dreamland is already happy enough for the children because of a little drop from heaven falling on the dream clouds, for example. Thanks to the drop from heaven, their dream clouds are not only filled with nostalgia and happiness, but they're also filled with holiness and protectiveness from the evil spirits which is what his Dreamland parents told him in his younger days. They even told him the truth at the age of 16 about who he is, and that he can't pick between Dreamland and the Human world (Earth) since he came from the same Biological parents, it's all because that his Dreamland parents are doing it for their Dimensional mates, saving them from a broken heart from their loss of their child, Ranald's late Dimensional Mate. Which he has trouble grasping, until now. After all, he could've been called Ranald when he lives with his own parents while he's called Ra when he lives with his dreamland parents, but now he has 2 (or 4) biological parents that he can't pick between.

"And speaking of, how is my Dimensional Mate doing in your place, Baby Little?" Ranald asked. "What does he look like?" Baby Little asked back. "He looks like me well except this is his real body, but still how is he doing?" and for Baby Little's honesty, he, his fellow angels and the others in heaven have never seen him, in fact, they never found him at all, not even with their angel eyes or senses, it's like he's gone he never existed, his spirit is nowhere to be found, and Ranald was shocked and confused about why his Dimensional Mate's spirit is not around, and why he disappeared after Ranald hatched in his dimensional mate's Earth body? It’s going to be a tough mystery to solve... but as Tula said to him, be brave. He will have to solve it eventually, and when he does, perhaps he will be satisfied.