Akumu Yume's Story

Refraining:

Shiore sat upright in the hospital bed, humming to a playful tune he had heard a few days prior. He glanced beneath the cut out of cloth covering him, there were a few straps of gauze wrapped around his frail chest. ”Owwwww, why was that cat so high up in that tree?” Yes, out of an act of valor and bravery, the boy had attempted to become the hero in a generic scenario, where a cat was stuck in the tree. It happened when he and a few of his classmates were on their way home from school. They were in the middle of chatting about which idol was their favorite, until they waltzed into the scene. Nobody in the general vicinity was tall enough to reach the lowest branch, nor were they versed in climbing up tree trunks. Shiore, being the opportunist, seized the chance to shine. Although his friends were fully aware of his demonic origins, the boy was able to play the role of a human very well. To the extent where he was always perceived as a human of pure bloodline.

He attempted to propel himself up to the first branch, then continue to ascend the tree, save the feline damsel, and save the day. It was foolproof, well, in his mind at least. When he surged towards his target, he accidentally overshot and flew a few meters higher, where there was nothing to grab onto. His descent wasn’t too pleasant. When he awoke, belly-up, he noticed a puff of fur resting on his chest. From what his friends said, he shook the tree so much that the cat lost its balance. But, since cats always land on their feet, it managed to find a soft cushion to break its fall. Sure, he may have received a few fractured ribs, but at least he saved the cat, and had a good laugh with his schoolmates. And that was how he wound up here, examining his own wounds. When Shiore glanced up from the collar of his gown, a middle-aged woman in a nun’s attire was standing before him. Who knew death was so stealthy? ”Idiot boy!” The woman shrieked, tugging tightly on his cheek.

”I’m sorry Aunt Reeeeeeeen. But it was a kitty~” Ren exhaled and shook her head, then squeezed him closer, ”I don’t care if it was a cat, a dog, even the prime minister! You still might be partially human, and even though you are mostly a demon, you are by no means invincible! Who do you think is paying for the bill? You’re lucky you do a lot of good deeds around the town, otherwise you wouldn’t have any donors!” The woman was speaking at a frantic pace, though she couldn’t find a point to truly prove the boy wrong. He wasn’t harmed too much, and the bills were completely covered. The only downside was the amount of school days he was bound to miss. Which, at the most, was roughly two or three. ”Is this how you’ll live your last year of highschool? You know you’re going to that institution next term, right?” What’s it called…” The woman stared at the ceiling fan, tapping her chin as he tried to scrounge around for the name. It was obvious where Shiore had gotten the habit from. Survival Kit Academy. That’s it. Your enrollment has been fully covered, but are you sure you’re ready for dorming? This will be the first time you’re away from the orphanage.” The nun looked at Shiore with a worried expression, dubious thoughts floated in her eyes as they focused on the boy. Furawa was staring blankly out the window, his whitened grin wasn’t present on his face. ”We’ll see, Aunt Ren.”

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Back to Reality:

Shiore woke up with a start, the book which had been resting on his chest flew onto his mattress. Yet another glimpse of his past, something here rarely referenced. He had always been a futurist, a person who moved forward and lived for tomorrow. The complete opposite of the stars he was allured by. Ren wasn’t really his aunt, just a nun who ran the orphanage. Though Shiore rarely partook in her sermons, it was nice to pop into them from time to time. The boy had lived a pretty normal life. He had his share of highschool interactions. Friendships made, bonds formed, late night and eleventh hour assignments, he was even confessed to a few times. His playful persona was desirable by some, it seemed. But of course, he had to turn people down, even though it was very uncharacteristic of him. His mind slowly departed from his dream state.

The frequency of his sharp breaths began to slow down, as air began to circulate through his lungs. The room was still dark, and the morning light hadn’t pierced the panes of glass as of yet. Rather than climbing down the bed and potentially waking up his groupmates, who were still fast asleep, he slowly eased him over the edge. With feet first and the weight of a feather, he landed without a sound or a thump. Shiore glanced back at the two, who were still immersed in their dreams. He tiptoed over to his desk and picked up his phone. His blurred vision finally focused on the screen, and he acknowledged the time in his internal clock, ”6:15 AM? Maybe the cafeteria is open?” The rummaged through his bags and produced another set of his attire, the usual black uniform which buttoned across. After a quick wash, change of apparel and the tightening of a tie and scarf, the boy was ready for class. Before he left at thirty ‘til, he stealthily made a cup of espresso, slipped a pair of magnifying glasses onto the nape of his uniform and pocketed his cellphone.

”Rise and shine should be at seven, I think? Might as well go for a walk, then treat myself to something at the cafeteria.” It was a quick trek to the cafeteria, he had some time before it was seven. And when that time finally came around, Shiore could hear screaming from the dormitory, even though he was a ways’ away. ”Wonder what’s happening? I hope Cia-Cia and Liliane aren’t having a celebratory party without me!” He pouted for a few moments, though such an occasion would seem unlikely. If anything, he would be the one to hold such an event. Instead, here he was, sipping from a travel cup and nibbling on a grilled cheese sandwich by his lonesome self. ”Never had one of these. Doesn’t seem very… Japanese.” He recalled the academy being an international school, so cultures were mixed in all cases. Shiore was listening to an electronic song, a number by an English producer. ”Anyways, I should go to class soon. This song is pretty catchy~ Cia-Cia’s homeland has some nice music.” He rose from his seat, discarded his plate and proceeded to the same classroom. Shiore could see the lights of the dorm rooms in the distance, and a few silhouettes moving frenetically. ”Jeeze, did the whole dorm throw a party? Maybe they’re happy about their new comrades?” Little did he know, that they were all in the midst of suffering and despair.

As his classmates strolled into the classroom, some appeared exhausted and shocked. The boy was sitting forward, his mouth buried into the black scarf. ”Woah. Seriously, what happened?” He sat forward in his seat when he saw Akumu finally walk in, ”Sup A-ku-mu-kun~! How’s it going, old man?” The demon sulked with what Shiore presumed were his groupmates. One was a petite young girl, with blood red retinas and a displeased expression. The other looked like he could kill a person with a lock of hair, he seemed more feral than human in complexion. Soon enough, his own teammates entered the room and took their seats. The headmaster began with his speech, which Shiore listened intently to. Still with a covered mouth, he leaned back in his seat and lowered his headphones to his neck. The man was sporting the same dignified expression from yesterday, a man of boldness and pride. When he referenced group two to their teacher, Shiore recalled the description he was given by Liliane yesterday. ”Definitely looks angelic. That’s interesting. Must be pretty fluffy~. And they don’t look fake either. Can’t think of a person who would go to such lengths to craft such genuine extensions.” After the headmaster beckoned for all of the mages and made his departure with Mikari. Shiore glanced over to Acacia, then back to their teachers. Not a lectuuuuuuuuuure.” He thought to himself in denial. The boy wasn’t too fond of lectures or prolonged speeches.

”And, class is in session. Shiore nodded, with a determined look of cheerfulness on his face.

”Oh my freakin’head!” Cleo cried out of the blue suddenly, hands tugging wildly onto her furry ears as she desperately wished for the noise to stop. It came out of nowhere, and never seemed to end as the feline hissed angrily at no one. ”I will be good I promise, oh dear lords above!” Falling out of bed without her usual grace the girl hit the ground with a thud, thankfully landing on her backside as appose to her dainty face, though her hands were still gripped to the ends of her ears as the ruckus continued for a short while after.

Scrambling to her feet Cleo quickly released her ears, feeling a slight twinge after doing so due to her tight grip, and proceeded to run her fingers through her hair in a bid to make it look more presentable. Brushing down her clothes the girl could hardly do much else, believing she was running late or something along those lines at least, given her very, very rude awakening. Surely her teammates could hear it? They would soon enough, she amusingly thought. ”Guys, we don’t want to be late! I’ll catch you at class!” She called as she hurried out through the door, whether the boys heard would surely be proven later, when she’d next meet them.

That was if she too wasn’t late.

Some time later Cleo eventually arrived at the classroom, panting as she did so before opening the door and sliding into the classroom. So far there were only a few students, though more were quickly pouring in – thankfully. The feline joined the students and quickly headed into the room and took a seat towards the front surprisingly, not really a preference, but she did all the same for whatever reason. It wans’t long after settling into her new seat that the Headmaster arrived with a group of teachers.

“Good morning, all students. I believe that all of us have rested and ready for this morning...” As the man began to speak Cleo could already feel her sleepiness sinking in as his words went on, and on, and on. It wasn’t like she disliked him – she didn’t know him. However, that sharp awakening was not easily forgotten, and the feline just knew he was behind it. However, instantly a pair of fluffy white ears perked upright at the mentioning a particular sentence.

"I, Midora Kurayami, Headmaster and also a Mage Teacher, will look after group 3..."

Raising her head with a daunting look the feline could not believe what she was hearing. ”Oh crap he’s in charge of our group,” She whispered to herself, whining ever so quietly as her ears lowered just a little. ”…Am I being punished already? Pfft.”

”As for the first day, we will have different sessions for both Mages and Demons. Four Mages of four group, please follow me and Mikari-sensei to the training room. The rest of the Demon students will learn their introduction lecture with two ladies here. Let our first day begin.” Cleo watched as the mages began to leave with the two teachers, keeping an eye out for Ichiro before her attention shifed to the two demon teachers in charge of the rest of them. A slight smirk edged it’s way onto her lips as she began to wonder what their first class could be. Just then, she redirected her eyes and quickly scanned the room and got a better look at the other demons in her class – a few slightly intimidating whereas others were perhaps a bit too cute – and there was even a rabbit demon to her surprise, and a familiar face too but she’d leave it for later. Quickly though, she turned and looked to Bugby.

”Psst... These losers ain't got nothin' on us. We’re gonna have real fun, huh?” She could only hope no one misinterpreted that as a challenge. Not that she'd mind. That hellish wake-up call had already set her mood in motion. To pass the time the girl opted to lick the side of her hand and brush it softly against one of her ears, letting out a playful purr as she did so.

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Bad habits eventually have bad outcomes, and with a curfew set in place Etelka did not get a lot of sleep. When she had finally decided to venture out of the castle for the first time the sun did not agree with her eyes, and has never since, twenty plus years of darkness does that. As such she made a habit of traveling during night and hiding and sleeping during the day. This is why now at 7:00 am Etelka was rudely awoken by a terrible screech in her ears after only an hour or two of sleep. The sound caused an ache in her head that quickly went away, and from her perch looking over the side of the bed she saw Ms. Kou scouting the hallways for the sounds source.

No matter how rested she felt, which was negative amounts, Etelka had precious little time to prepare for class. It seemed her Mistress had already departed from the room so she had little to worry about in terms of tending to her whims, and that also meant the bathroom was most certainly available. She cleaned herself, dried herself, and then put on her dress in time to make it to class on time, although on an empty stomach. Etelka payed little mind on the position of her seat other then to avoid the side of the room near windows, she was exhausted and mostly just wanted to rest her eyes until it was time to 'learn'.

Of course she didn't get to rest long before the Headmaster arrived and addressed the students. It was mostly endless rabble Etelka barely cared to acknowledge, but eventually the demons were segregated from the mages and the two demon teachers were left to stare at their class. Etelka was not excited about this current classroom, she didn't even care to acknowledge her classmates existence, other demons would just either turn her on or annoy her. Adjusting herself to have good posture she kept her gaze on the teachers out front, hers was apparently the one with the creepy furred appendages, not that she liked the 'angel' wings any better.

Both of them bored her immensely, the one called Embla was down right unattractive to her and gave off no aura of particular power, and Ms. 'Angel' was also unexciting to look at and plain. Neither of them looked particularly strong and she was tempted to stare at their eyes and chomp on lip just to she what emotion would expand, but no that wasn't how to treat ones 'superiors', so she decided to simply wait for the lesson to start.

Despite having what could have been described as a peaceful sleep, it was a-shame that his awakening could not have been just as nice. Bugby woke up with a banging headache of some sort, or at least he first believed this to be the case, until he realized the difference. With both hands placed on either side of his head the demon grumbled a few choice words on the matter before opening his eyes, realizing that Cleo was the first to awake out of the three, surprisingly, in his opinion.

”Guys, we don’t want to be late! I’ll catch you guys at class!”

Taking a moment to acknowledge her words, the green-haired boy merely watched as the feline demon rushed out the door as quickly as she did. ”…Goodbye then.” He said with a blink, still vaguely hearing the ringing from his early wake-up call. Swinging his legs over the demon hopped down to the ground, running a hand lazily through his hair as he shifted himself into the bathroom. Bugby simply splashed some water onto his face, rubbing his eyes and finally snapping into reality.

”I suppose we best get this thing over with,” He sighed half-heartedly, somewhat un-enthusiastically, before returning to the bedroom area and looking to the blonde-haired mage. ”Best not be late to our first class – lets go.” He waited a few minutes, ensuring he had everything he needed, before leaving the room altogether and letting Ichiro catch up in his own time.

Eventually Bugby reached the classroom and made his way inside, soon spotting Cleo towards the front, and taking the seat next to her as they waited for their mage to join them soon after. Not long later, the Headmaster entered the room and began to address the students.

"Allow me to introduce your supervising teachers, who will be the ones to oversee and advise you. I, Midora Kurayami, Headmaster and also a Mage Teacher, will look after group 3. Standing next to me is Mikari Akigawa, a Mage Teacher and the supervising teacher of group 4. The shorter lady here is Embla Brodersson, a Demon Teacher and supervisor of group 1. And last but not least, Sarah Rayne, the Demon Teacher in charge of group 2. I hope that during your time at the Academy, you will listen and follow every advices we give, strictly follow our instructions so that you can better yourself."

Bugby merely shrugged at the news. He was neither overly pleased nor excited about what was to come for the students, though he did have some interested, it wasn’t much. The remainder of the mans words dind’t reach Bugby much, and yet, similar to his teammate, he also could not believe their luck of having the Headmaster as their group advisor. Were they that unlucky?

”Oh crap he’s in charge of our group,”

The demon sighed with a nod, clearly sharing the same disbelief as the girl. ”Looks like it. Better get use to the idea.”

"As for the first day, we will have different sessions for both Mages and Demons. Four Mages of four group, please follow me and Mikari-sensei to the training room. The rest of the Demon students will learn their introduction lecture with two ladies here. Let our first day begin."

”Oh good-y.” He sulked, biting his lower lip in slight boredom. As the Headmaster took his leave with another teacher, Bugby watched as the few mages of the class left also, leaving the rest of the demons to sit. Along with Cleo, he too grasped a moment to eye up his class and see the individuals who would be his peers. His attention was broken though, when Cleo beckoned him.

"Psst... These losers ain't got nothin' on us. We’re gonna have real fun, huh?"

He offered a nod of agreement, along with a slight grin towards the girl. ”Oh, of course. Just do not do anything too crazy, it is only our first day.” Sitting back in his chair the green-haired demon paid little attention to the other students, only shifting his stare between Cleo and the two demon teachers.

(This post takes place in the middle of the teachers’ lecture. I’m just throwing this up here to keep steady pace. This post shouldn’t be interpreted until Vincent and Lyysa begin and proceed with the lecture.)



While the boy painfully endured the lecture, as if screws inscribed with teachings were being drilled into his cranium. Regardless of his internal mayhem, Shiore was keeping a controlled and moderated composure. A calm complexion with the sliver of an innocent smile, the face of a morally good student. It was an expression he had gotten used to wearing throughout his years of school. Throughout his scholastic career, he has always been that one student who was a goody-two-shoes, but still remained on the good side of his classmates. His overall record was clean and spotless. There were times when he had to disappoint a few male students at the peak of their boyhood, and wanted him to force some gusts of winds towards some girls’ ways. But, remaining morally pure, he managed to evade such indecent intent. And now, here he was. Finished with highschool, moving into the dwindling remainder of his academic days. The boy felt his eyelids beginning to droop, he instinctively raised his travel cup to his pursed lips and tipped it. He relished the undiluted bitter flavor, taking a complete gulp before lowering the container. After treating himself to the refreshing beverage, his eyes began to wonder amongst the heads of his classmates.

He had already gotten a good look at the members of Akumu’s group, but the remaining two groups were most definitely interesting. Shiore couldn’t decide which was more alluring to pet; cat ears or rabbit ears? The boy would leave such a mental debate for later. There was also a colleague of viridescent hues, topped off with a pointed pinnacle in the middle of the guy’s scalp. Lastly was a woman with cyanic tinted hair, brushed out into large spun stands which rested around every angle of her body. In a completely captivated state, a lone five-pointed star popped up above his head. It glowed vibrantly as his eyes slowly trailed back to his teachers. Shiore was surprised when he noticed the sets of piercing gazes, focused on him by the teaching duo. The boy raised an eyebrow, then he finally noticed the cartoon styled creation floating over him, rotating as it made little jabs of motion. He frantically waved the star out of existence, trying to avert the attention from him. Shiore lightly blushed out of embarrassment, then let out a sigh of denial. Once the teachers proceeded with their lecture, he noticed his fellow groupmate’s line of sight, fixated on him. With a quick glance, he realized that all of the other students were sitting with their accompanying demon. Yet, there was a few meters of space between Shiore and Acacia. The boy was quick to correct this, by swiftly propelling himself and his bag across the bleachers without making a sound.

Shiore stopped himself, with a foot of space between himself and his friend. Although he kept his eyes completely glued to his teachers, a minute greeting smile took form out of the corner of his mouth. The boy also made a wave beneath the back of the row to his front, then finally decided to take notes on the lesson. He dug into his bag and placed a notebook onto the desk before him, then pressed a pair of magnifying glasses against his nose. Work mode: activated!” Even though he was mostly focused on the lecture, there was still something lingering near the back of his mind. Despite their distinguishing characteristics, all of the students shared something in common; they were all here for a reason. There might have been those like Shiore, who were here to hone their abilities and learn to excel under the guidance of their respective captains. But, there were also those who were forced to enroll in this institution. They were deemed unfit to serve mages, were a danger to human society and were sent here to be reformed into applicable and reliable demons.

He was unsure which column to throw Acacia into. Shiore remembered that she had only learned of her demonic origins as of recently. But why was she here? For the first reason, or the second? The boy would have to leave pondering for later, as the lesson continued to be drawn out.

His ears picked up the recognizable sound of chalk on a board, Shiore raised his eyes and trailed the winged teacher’s hand. Once she had finished grazing the board with the whitened utensil, the boy read her last name in his head. Given his young age, he was already used to the school setting. But perhaps some of the students here never partook in human activities, such as going to school. Even though they may have been alive for centuries, maybe even milleniums, the idea of being taught by an individual who is higher up in social ranking never crossed their minds. The boy knew Akumu never attended a human school, since the man had far too many tasks and obligations to even fathom wasting time with humans. On top of appearing as a kind and generous, but reserved teacher, Ms. Rayne was also his group’s advisor. At her command, Shiore was quick to rise from his seat, and hop down the aisle towards the stage. He put on a smile, made a quick bow with his head, then received the packets with an ecstatic thanks. The student swiftly returned to his seat, handed his fellow groupmate a copy, then began to pry into the contents of the packet. He was in for quite the rude awakening, a grave reminder of what academic procedures were like. ”Well. This marks the end of break. Back to school, Shio.” He furrowed his brows as his eyes skimmed the first page, letting a sigh of despair as he did so. The pencil now wrapped between his fingers was about to be put to some good use.

Sarah woke up with a start. Despite the air conditioning she was still sweating excessively. She clutched her head as she lay, sitting up, reflecting on the reoccurring nightmare that has been haunting her ever since the people that took care of her left this world. The thought of them made her look at the painting on the canvas she had just finished the night before. It was a painting of the old couple. A soft smile eternally placed on their faces. Sarah almost smiled every time she looked at an old photo of them but then the cruel realization that she would never see them again would make itself known. She wished they could tell her what the nightmare was. It most likely held a clue as to who she was before she was found by them.

Sarah's eyes drifted to the clock. It was thirty minutes before her alarm was set for. Due to the nightmare, she was wide awake. She felt uncomfortable being covered in sweat and immediately decided to take a shower. When she stepped into the shower only the dream was on her mind. Even as she washed herself, it was absent minded. No matter how many times she had it only the same bits and pieces could be remembered.

Sarah cut off the shower and after drying herself off she flapped her wings rapidly before placing a towel, specifically to fit around her wings, on them. She walked to her closet and noticed that she did, indeed, have a stove. She cooked a lot where she used to live. It was something the lady had taught her and Sarah loved doing it. She didn't have anything in the refrigerator so cooking wasn't going to happen this morning. She put on her long skirt, black t-shirt, and denim jacket. There were slits in the back of all of her tops so that her wings could fit through them. She had a packet prepared with what she planned on doing for the class she would be teaching.

After placing on her boots and placing the packet in her satchel she dug in her jacket to take out a pack of cigarettes. She took one out and grabbed her lighter off the night stand. She lit the cig and placed it to her lips. She was told if she smoked she wouldn't look so innocent. Something about smokers gave them an edge. Of course the cigarettes she possessed weren't bad. Not like it would matter if Sarah really was a demon or nonhuman being. The cigarettes were made of special herbs that were said to have a special property. They revitalized the body instead of eating away at it as regular cigarettes did. The ingredients to make them was a gift from the old couple Sarah would remember for as long as she lived.

Upon arriving to the classroom she put out the cig before stepping inside. The other instructors were there and Sarah nodded to them in greeting. Midora told her that for today Sarah and Embla would be the instructors for all of the new demons while the two mages would take the other mage students to a separate class to teach them. Soon the students started piling into the classroom. Sarah kept an eye out for her group and sure enough Shiore walked in first out of the three. Liliane stepped in second and the two met eye contact. Sarah smiled and nodded at the girl as she sat down. Acacia was one of the last students to enter the classroom before the headmaster finally gave his speech.

During this time Sarah looked each of her students over. It was no different than a regular classroom. There would be the people that wanted to learn, the ones that thought they were above this, the class clowns, etc. The only difference was that these students were being forced to act correctly. Whether they liked it or not. Sarah was here to teach the ones that had defiance and rebellion in the back of their heads, to behave. Sarah would personally like all of the students accept the teachings and act with integrity.

After the headmaster gave his speech him and Mikari escorted the other mages out of the class. It was just Sarah and Embla now facing the judgmental stares of the new demon students. Without a word Sarah picked up a dry erase marker from the base of the whiteboard and wrote her last name.

"Good morning, class. My name is Sarah Rayne. You may call me miss Rayne or, for you still not quite warmed up to the idea of being in a place like this, just call me Rayne for the time being. Later on in time I will expect to be addressed as what's written on this board." Sarah retrieved her packet out from her satchel and laid in on the desk that was to the corner of the room.

"I know some of you consider this place more as a prison than an institution. I get that you probably aren't fond of the mages that hold control over you. Just know that me and Ms. Brodersson are also demons. In this place it would be wise to make allies of us if you have not adjusted to the mages. I'm actually a very kind person but i will not put up with any type of rebellion. I will shut it down where it starts and I will make sure to pull it out from its roots." Sarah stayed silent to let the seriousness of her words sink in. As she looked around the room it was obvious who seemed to take her warning seriously and who didn't.

"I want each of you to take the small packet I have here on the desk. There are pencils here as well. It's just an assessment so I can see what each of you do and do not know. I'd hate to cover a subject that everyone already understands. Once each of you grab a packet and a pencil I'd like to have introductions start. That way we can get to know each other. If you don't want to say anything about yourself then just your name and group will do." There. Sarah's part was finished for now. She went to take a seat behind her desk that the papers and pencils were on. There was another desk for Embla and Sarah figured if she had anything to say then now would be the perfect time, before the test started.

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Ichiro awoke to the most annoying alarm he had ever hear before. Grabbing his pillow and holding it over his face and ears trying to block out any sound. I didn't surprise him that it had no effect, it seemed as if he was still on a reverse sleep cycle from all the nights of partying he did on his way here. ”Guys, we don’t want to be late! I’ll catch you at class!” Cleo bolted out of the room. That reminded him that they did indeed have class this morning. He tried to get out of bed, but all he did was rollover once and get closer to the edge. With Cleo gone it was only himself and Bugby and right as he was about to call out to Bugby to stay here and be late with him Bugby was already leaving. ”Best not be late to our first class – lets go.” Though Ichiro still sat in bed, he could hear Bugby doing something until the room was quiet again. "It's seven in the morning, who wakes up at seven in the morning." He yelled into his pillow before throwing it across the room.

Ichiro dragged himself out of bed as golden particles flew around him and his pajama pants changed into jeans and a black shirt and white jacked formed around his torso. It didn't take to long, but he grabbed a quick snack still a little annoyed at the early morning wake up call. Finishing the bare minimum requirements for him to get his day started he started walking over to class. Now he didn't care if he was late at all, but right when he put his hand on the door he could see the headmaster enter his view. Instantly chills went down his back, the good kind though, the kind you get when you are so excited you can barely contain it.

Opening the door and walking in right away. For sure the last student who was going to enter the room he sat down with the headmaster entering almost right behind him. The headmaster began talking and introducing the other teachers, but one sentence almost knocked Ichiro out of his seat. "I, Midora Kurayami, Headmaster and also a Mage Teacher, will look after group 3." After hearing that he would be leading one of the groups Ichiro would accept none other then the headmaster himself teaching him and that's exactly what he would get. His foot was tapping at an excessive rate while the widest grin could be seen on his face. It took all his power, but he had to contain himself just for a little bit no point in spoiling all the fun right away.

The demons and mages would train separately for today at least which made him a little sad since he couldn't see what his other class mates could do. Still he was satisfied enough training with the headmaster and testing the limits of his fellow mages. Getting up with the others and following the rest of the mages out of the room and to wherever they were going to have lessons. As he left though he had to take a look around the room to see who would entertain him for now. Glancing at Bugby and Cleo he would see what they were made of later which was good enough for him. With only three other guys who all seemed to be demons and the rest being girls. No one looked particularly special, but he knew better then anyone you can't judge someone on their appearance. Though one person did catch his eye as he was leaving the room it seemed as if one of the girls in the class had bunny ears it took a glance to confirm it. That reminded him of someone else who seemed to have animal like qualities. He would have to dive deeper into that later now he had to focus on having fun with his new toys.

It seemed the other mages were all girls. With his entire class almost all female and holding some sort of power hidden away it was almost like a fantasy come true. Adding another objective to his plans for entertainment he was dead set on having all the fun he could here before being done with it. As they left the class he looked close at the others to size them up in a way, but without glaring or being to obvious. The first one was a girl in a wheelchair who looked to soft to be here. I'll have to act quick if I want to have any fun with her since she won't last long here. He thought to himself while looking over at the next mage she didn't stand out to much with nothing to give him any discernible ideas about her. The last who seemed child like which meant either she was powerful enough to come here at that age or she isn't what she seems. Either way he would make this enjoyable though maybe only for himself.

Before he even noticed they were at the training room. This is where the magic will happen I can't wait to see what everyone's got. That feeling quickly washed away when the teacher who introduced himself as Mikari began to lecture them all. Lectures were one of the things Ichiro was bad with, preferring to just fight and learn in the moment then hear someone preach about studies and learning. Though surprisingly since he normally doesn't get angry at anything, he got slightly agitated to hear that his magic revolved around the easiest and most common elements. When working with his magic in the past he found it quite hard to work with at time. His hand clinched into a fist I'll show them rare magic I'll be using Dark and Ether magic in no time. Though he had no idea what Ether magic was at all, it was a good thing he wasn't saying his thoughts aloud.

He took the staff and looked it up and down listening to the rest of what Mikari said. Though as he talked more and more about raw magic and synchronize mana Ichiro's head started to get tangled up. Why does any of this matter, he who lands the hardest blow wins right? Snapping back as Mikari said "we can check how strong a Mage is with high accuracy." This grabbed his attention as he was finally ready to show how strong he was.

After he was finished talking Ichiro walked over to one of the pillars as instructed and raised his staff ready to massacre the pillar. I'll destroy this pillar so badly nothing will be left to reform. Pointing the staff at the pillar with a look of excitement he started to cast a spell. His crystal shined bright and time seemed to slow down for Ichiro as he examined every part of what would clearly be his defining moment. And it went, a beam was sent from his staff, time moved in slow motion for him as it seemed the beam was sizable smaller then the headmasters. Ichiro's excited and cocky look started to look grim as the beam struck the pillar. No explosion no shattering of the pillar to oblivion, only a smalls spark that broke a fragment of the pillar off leaving small cracks that were about a penny sized divot. It reformed in the blink of an eye, but Ichiro was already defeated in his mind. Time seemingly froze and his attitude dropped as his face became horrified. All the power he thought he had was minuscule if nothing it seemed in his mind now. Time roared back to life as his face turned to that of anger as he launched a rapid volley of blasts one after another all with the same effect.

Their had to be a reason his strikes seemed powerless or maybe it had some secret meaning that the teachers were looking for. Still it didn't matter he already felt as if the whole world he had built around himself had crumbled into obscurity. Remembering others were in the area he quickly snapped back and put a fake smile on while turning to the headmaster. "I'm pretty sure my staff is broken it doesn't seem to be firing completely. If their are not anymore I would be happy to show you my power in another fashion maybe a dual?" Saying with a forced smile as he scrambled to put his broken mind back together. Though he was extremely glad when one of the other mages fainted he hoped it would draw attention away from himself.

"um i wonder what i have missed" Akumu said this while opening the door to the class room. he had gone to breakfast but after it he went back to his room. while entering the class he saw mages. using these weird stick things and he saw this other mage just teleporting in the room. Akumu guessed that this man is probably a teacher or something. as he walked to the teacher which was probably a teacher. "I presume your mikari." he guessed this also. Akumu is a really good at guessing.

"yeah if your name is that. can you tell me what has been going on, i have slept in ." saying this while smiling and looking around "I think this is the training room and only mages are here so i better be going somewhere can you give me directions" as i have said Akumu is the best guesser and he doesn’t know anything because he was late.

---

---

Kou had listened to the little speech and practiced the teacher's name on her tongue. The pronunciation was foreign and felt odd in her mouth. The rabbit looked around but none of the other students seemed to move at the end of the little speech Rayne-Sensei gave. Slowly Kou stood, walking to the front and grabbing two packets, one for herself as well as one for Etelka. She placed the packet on Etelka's desk along with one of the pencils as she walked back to her seat in the rear of the classroom next to the window; twirling the yellow pencil between her fingers as she read each question with a bit of difficulty. Kou's human language skills were basic at best and so she scratched down the answers slowly, checking everything twice to make sure that she had it correct.

Name: Kou Usagi

Group: 1

There, that was a good start. Right? Kou continued to read, the only sound in her ears being that of led on parchment. When she finally finished she took a deep breath and sighed before realizing that she had answered every question in Japanese. Oh well, hopefully the woman who had assigned the packets could read kanji. Kou stood once more and made her way back over to the front of the room, her tail swishing a bit as she was pleased with herself for managing to finish. She went to sit back down once more and realized she hadn't returned the pencil. Hopefully Rayne-Sensei would not miss one measly wooden stick and if she asked for them to be returned then Kou could always drop it in the cup on the desk at the end of the class on her way out?

She wondered what there was to do now. The instructor had said something about introductions but surely those would not begin until all the other demons had completed their packets? What to do in the meantime? Kou could catch up on her sleep although she felt perfectly rested..... Her ears twitched in annoyance, sitting still was not something rabbits were good at and Kou was finding it especially hard to not drum her fingers against the desk or get up once more and walk around. Was sitting still something she was going to have to do a lot? If so, Kou was already doomed to fail. She groaned quietly and grabbed onto her ears, pulling them in front of her face. This was something the rabbit did when she was frustrated and although it did cause a bit of pain, it was nothing that the female couldn't tolerate.

---

---

Etelka was pleasantly surprised when Ms. Kou dropped the packet she would be needing to fill out in front of her. The gesture was affirmed with a thankful but disinterested nod, Etelka was afraid something like writing would come up. She didn't see how this was relevant to her obedience training, and this happened to fall into a field she had very little skill in. Etelka had never been taught to write, she hadn't been taught how to read either but in her sparse amounts of free time at the castle it was something she took an interest in practicing. Books were in plenty within the castles walls, pen and paper were not. As such Etelka while knowing what each letter looked like, took her time scribbling each individually onto the page. Her writing completely lacked any sort of flow, her letters were too rigid and fine as she tried to replicate them exactly as she recalled them in texts she had read. Luckily there was most likely no one watching her scribe this, so she had little to reason to feel self conscious.

Albeit slowly she filled in each field with as much accuracy as she could muster, the teacher would probably be disappointed at the magical skill level Etelka currently resided in. She had no concept as to the origins of magical energy, no idea as to how mages and demons used their powers. Etelka didn't know why she knew how to use her powers, she didn't even know why she understood what the Black Wand would do upon absorbing enough blood. All of her magical skills came to her like instinct, the way a spider knows how to spin a web, she truly had no idea what 'magic' was.

However many questions on the handout confused Etelka, they were written as if mages controlling demons was special. She knew Ervin was special in that his strength was so immense, so maybe that is what the the oddly worded questions meant, that the people going to this academy showed great potential. It was a very small group going here after all, overall it wasn't something worth fretting over. Etelka's purpose was not the questions origins of magic, it was not to ponder on what mages could do, she was sheltered and uneducated, but that mattered little in the business of being a servant. She put down her pencil after filling out the last question, assuming she was the last to finish she quickly re-adjusted her posture and turned her gaze to face the front of the room. When the time for her introduction came she planned to say little other then, "I am Etelka Lantos of the first group."

---

If there was one advantage to being thousands of beings, it was being your own information network. Magical barriers, patrolling shadow-minions, Hive woke up with a lay-out of their defenses imprinted... As well as strange memories of Akumu crying while playing the violin... His watch had done it's job as well, then.

Less thrilling was the shrill shriek coming from the walls at seven AM. “Rah, rah, rah!” Hive shouted as he shot up from his bed. “What is this?” He proclaimed confusedly. Only to see the bed to his side already being empty and Akumu sleeping straight through the screaming of whatever had received a kick to the pearls. With nobody to answer him and no physical form to attribute the noise to, Hive got up and out of the room as quickly as he could. The ringing seemed to have stopped the second Hive stepped through the door and outside of his dorms Hive saw many other frustrated first years had been chased out of her rooms. It seemed the mages here had their petty little ways of control as well.

“Someone is going to die for this...” Hive growled lowly to himself.

Though highly out of character, Hive appeared in class on time. A young man called out for Akumu and shot Hive a quick glance too. Not in a good mood from the alarm clock incident earlier, Hive returned it as if trying to kill the boy with a glare. He scuffed to himself before he turned away, picking a table in the middle of the room. Just to see who would have it in them to dare and sit next to him.

Hive put his legs on the desk and leaned back on his chair ad watched the other students took their places. Hive spied a few familiar faces. There was Cleo, a sight for sore eyes. His traveling companion had made it to fellow prisoner. It was a slight relief not to be alone, but the mages wouldn't keep her. Not if Hive could help it... Still, from a distance she seemed to be in a lot better mood than himself, actively speaking with her teammates. One of which, a green-haired lad, seemed very familiar to Hive... But where did he know him from?

Then there was Liliane; a few years older, but unmistakably the canceled supersoldier project in the flesh. What was she doing here, Hive pondered. Liliane hardly fit the profile of meek and in need of training. It struck him as odd... Did they think they needed to mold her as well? And if they did... Did that mean she remembered the words he'd told her so long ago?

Lastly, Hive couldn't help but see something that was a bigger nuisance than the alarm. It was Etelka, one of the demons he shared a... History with. Her expression and composure were completely different from what he was used to. Was this really the naive little slave-girl? Hive wondered, something about her was off and it irritated Hive to no end.

Midora's speech changed little about Hive's impression of him. Conceited little mage, his lips mimed, but he still managed to keep himself from trouble. Even if his mind ran a thousand simulations of the black-haired wizard being ripped apart by his bugs... Though Hive wasn't so stupid to try it. At least not for now...

After the headmaster finally shut up, he watched him, Kasumi, Liliane and his assigned mentor Mikari all leave the premise of the classroom. There were far more demon students in this little training camp than mages, Hive couldn't help but notice. One of the demons soon took the word and introduced herself as one of the teachers... And Hive's stomach turned the instant she started talking. Who did this angel-bitch think she was?

If there was anything Hive disliked more in this world than mages, it was an obedient dog. Sarah had all the marks. Delusional and stuck-up, check and check, Hive noted as she insisted on being called miss Rayne (as if she was better than them, gah) and the suggestion they'd adjust to the mages. “Even when the shackles start feeling numb, it doesn't mean you're free of them.” Hive whispered in response midst the teacher's monologue. And then... There it was. Sarah did the exact same as Kasumi had done last night; the hand she extended was accompanied with a threat. Hive didn't know about the other teacher, but this one he didn't like.

Without moving from his spot, Hive summoned a small number of beetles to retrieve pencil and paper for him. Instead of writing his name on it, however, he began sketching the lay-out with his right hand (which had now returned to his body). “We are Hive, inmate of the group four variety.” He followed up Etelka's introduction.

“Of course, that will be misters and misses Hive for you, miss Rayne.” Hive followed up. He had kept his tongue long enough. “Though just Hive would do if we may call you Sarah. That would be proper of an ally... But we digress. We have a question, if you would be so kind to answer;” He paused for dramatic effect, “Why?”

Hive lifted his feet from his desk, and instead planted his elbows on it. Resting his chin in palms, he challenged Sarah Rayne's eyes. “Why would we go along with your class? Besides, of course, the ever-present threat of being whipped or burned to a crisp? Etelka knows what I'm talking about, don't you?” Hive grinned at her, wondering if she could remain as stoic as in her introduction.

“You see miss Rayne, outside of that, we don't know why we're here. Would you enlighten us?”

”Good morning, class. My name is Sarah Rayne. You may call me miss Rayne or, for you still not quite warmed up to the idea of being in a place like this, just call me Rayne for the time being.” Despite her face being planted hard against her desk Cleo was in fact listening to ever word the teacher said – thanks to her big cat ears at least. It was actually very hard for the girl to not listen to things and so it was actually a rather nice quality of hers somewhat.”Later on in time I will expect to be addressed as what's written on this board.” She merely let out a faint meow in not-so-silent protest to the teachers demands, even if they weren’t all that demanding in the first place.

After Rayne had finished the remainder of her speech Cleo watched as a few students stepped up and collected their packs and pencils. After they sat down Cleo gradually moved herself off her seat and strolled up to the front of the class, swishing her long white hair back and forth whilst doing so, as she picked up a pack for both herself and Bugby, along with two pencils – giving Miss Rayne a brief fanged smile – before spinning round and retreating back to her desk.

”Bah, what is this thing. Seriously?” Turning to her side she threw the extra pack onto Bugby’s desk and handed the other demon his pencil. ”Psst. Do you know what you’re doing?” Though lacking degrees of knowledge herself Bugby had come across as someone more knowledgeable than herself. Perhaps he knew what exactly this thing was about.

Some minutes later she glanced down at her handout and nudged her pencil amusing across her desk – clearly uninterested in using the thing as a writing implement. She stared at the questions and thought of what answers to give. Did she really have to be honest? Then again what could she gain from lying?

”Cleeeeohhhh…Gardeeeeeniiiia… Grooouuup threeeee….” She said absentmindedly whilst attempting to pick up the pencil and note down one letter at a time. Clearly, writing was not her strongest aspect. In fact, Cleo probably hadn’t written ever in her life, now that she thought about it. The life of a cat was not one bombarded with reading and writing. But rather scratching and sleeping. Sparing a moment to eye-up the questions to come Cleo could only sigh and let her ears flop flat against her head. Quite, she was not overly thrilled to answer so many questions. If the teacher was so nosey she could always just ask Cleo!

Alas some time later Cleo eventually finished answering the questions, though her writing was not entirely perfect it was at least near-readable for the sake of the teacher. Cleo even made a special effort to write very nicely, wasn’t that nice of her? Setting the pack down on her desk along with the pencil the feline gave a sigh of relief. But just then she heard,“I am Etelka Lantos of the first group.” Followed sometime after by. “We are Hive, inmate of the group three variety.”

Turning round in her seat the girl eyed up the two figures. Watching them with her childish stare the feline perked her ears up just a little. She recognized Hive right away, a smile erupting on her face at the sight of the familiar demon. And just like the demon she expected no less from him as he immediately got down to business. As he questioned their teacher the girl couldn’t help but spin round eagerly to see the woman’s response. Her introduction would wait for now, Cleo decided. This was far too interesting to interrupt.

"Good morning, class. My name is Sarah Rayne. You may call me miss Rayne or, for you still not quite warmed up to the idea of being in a place like this, just call me Rayne for the time being. Later on in time I will expect to be addressed as what's written on this board."

Bugby let out a somewhat dis-pleasured sigh as he sat idly at his seat, watching as the teacher addressed the demon students on what exactly it was they were to be doing today. Like many of the other students he too wasn’t overly enthusiastic towards the woman, not really caring how he would address her in future, nor how he would act towards her. Watching other students pick up their pack the green-haired demon hadn’t even thought to move himself, preferring to wait it out until everyone was seating back down. However Cleo was already up at the front of the class before he knew it, and kindly enough the girl had brought him back a pack and pencil.

”Thank-you.” He quietly muttered to the girl as she took her seat beside him, even offering a very slight smile of gratitude that he could muster before returning to his usual, bored expression. ”Bah, what is this thing. Seriously?” He heard the feline speak, titling his stare in her direction as she summoned his attention once again. ”Psst. Do you know what you’re doing?” Shrugging, he simply pointed to the pack and more specially, the questions.

”Just answer the questions and you should be alright.” Looking down at his own handout the boy studied the questions briefly before picking up his pencil and quickly jotting down his name and group. Being a rather well-educated demon, Bugby showed little difficult in reading and writing as he answered each question, one after the other. It took little time at all before the demon had finished and sat his pencil and papers down against his desk.

"I am Etelka Lantos of the first group." He slowly turned to stare at the girl as she spoke; listening as he assumed everyone else was before shifting his focus onto the next demon who spoke up. "We are Hive, inmate of the group three variety." Almost immediately the boy lowered his gaze a little, pondering quietly to himself as a persistent irk niggled at the back of his mind. It seemed whenever Hive was near he got an unusual vibe of familiarity, but one he could not place his finger on. It annoyed him to no end and he couldn't shake off the feeling either.

Shooting a glance at Cleo, who seemed content in listening to what the others had to say, he too, kept silent and merely listened as the conversing progressed. Indeed, he was curious as to how their teacher would react.

---

---

Liliane was quite interested in this challenge between student and teacher. She was eager to see the potential power of a senior mage in action. Before their quarrel got any further someone walked into the classroom saying he slept in and was a bit lost.

"I'll escort him to his room." She didn't want this person to be the reason to disrupt the clashing energy of Midora and Ichiro, that is if his intrusion didn't already ruin it already.

"You don't remember where your first class is?" Lili asked. It was the only thing the students had to memorize. If he hadn't even the mind to remember a classroom number then the demon was in for a difficult time here at the school.

As the two approached the class she could hear a raised voice. It sounded oddly familiar to Liliane. When she opened the door she immediately recognized the source of the voice.

“Why would we go along with your class? Besides, of course, the ever-present threat of being whipped or burned to a crisp? Etelka knows what I'm talking about, don't you?” A pause.“You see miss Rayne, outside of that, we don't know why we're here. Would you enlighten us?”

The class was so focused on the conversation most of them barely noticed Lili and Akumu as they entered the room.

Present Day:

Shiore had no recollection of the events which took place in England. His memory wasn't the best, as it was mostly devoted to memorizing star systems and different brands of coffee. He managed to fill out the packet at a brisk pace, since it was very similar to the plethora of assignments he had filled out in the past. While the boy penned down answer after answer, he mentally kept tabs on the argument between their new teacher and another student. It was like a ticking time bomb about to go off. A turmoil was about to unfold in the classroom, not the best milestone to take place on day one.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Acacia could not do this. She didn't know anything about demons. Her gaze wandered around the classroom, where other people were marking answer after answer, including Shiore. She moaned silently and dropped her head on the table. She didn't know any of this stuff! She only just figured out she was a demon. Instead, she simply wrote her name.

Acacia Lance

Group 2

She raised her eyes, choosing to pay attention to the argument rather than the test. She didn't really like conflict much, but her tongue stalled in her throat and she simply watched.

Shiore glanced to the side, he quickly ran his pupils over the blank pile of papers. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Acacia had already given up all hope. The argument took priority over the test. Though he was sure Ms. Rayne could handle herself, the boy wanted to at least throw in his own say, a counterargument from an unexpected source. The cerulean haired boy suddenly rose from his seat, drawing the attention of his fellow classmates. For a few moments he kept a straight face, the studious expression he was wearing while filling out the paper. In a few seconds, in flawlessly transitioned into his ebullient complexion. "Yo! Everybody was introducing themselves, and we didn't want to be left out. My name is Shiore Furawa of Group Two, but you can call me Shio for short~! I like stargazing and coffee, and I am delighted to be your friend!" Yet again, he had skipped the stepping stone of being an acquaintance. His introduction was most definitely more colorful and enthusiastic than his classmates, but it had seized the object of his desire; their attention. The boy then looked down at his groupmate, expectantly waiting on her own introduction. He would be lying if a portion of his plan didn't involve getting the girl out of her comfort zone.

Acacia stared up at Shiore, her blank expression slowly transitioning into a look of pure horror. She stood up, "M-my name's Acacia of Group Two. Nice to meet you all." She dropped back into her seat and slammed her head against the table before turning her gaze to Shiore. "Why must you torture me so?

Shiore couldn't help but feel a tint of remorse, after all, he did just commit a moral crime. "Sorry. I'll get us some coffee and tea during lunch, I'm sure you're wondering how different it is from England? But it won't happen again. I promise, cross my heart, and hope to not die." He quickly whispered before returning his attention to the class.

She sighed. He was just trying to get her more involved. As she rest her chin on the table, she listened to the argument. Suddenly, a memory sparked in her mind. Tea and coffee tasting differently in different countries? She tilted her head and looked over at Shiore as he talked. "It can't be..." she whispered under her breath.

"Mr. Hive~" The boy chirped at his fellow classmate or classmates. He wasn't sure which title to settle on. "In response to your question... Why not? I'm sure most of us here have been alive for centuries, maybe even millenniums. I can sympathize with the fact that is must feel unnerving that all of a sudden, here you are, in a school. A school created by humans, on top of that!" At this point, the counterargument sounded more like an agreement. But, Shiore continued. "It would seem idiotic that people who have been alive for only a percentage of some of our lifespans, would be allowed to suddenly place reigns on our shoulders. Some have been sent here because they were deemed unsafe to society, and their enrollment here was forced by scared humans. Others were sent here to hone their abilities, and are determined to learn how to become effective under a mage's guidance. Regardless of our backgrounds, we have been sent here for the same final product. To be accepted by those who take up a majority of this world's population, and learn how to work with captains." With a parched breath, he quickly raised a coffee cup to his lips and took a sip.

"Buuuuuuuuut. You could go against the wishes of those who have placed you here. You could rebel. You could valiantly rise up against the common foe, and go against the oppressive lords. But, like you mentioned, you may be stomped. Actually, most likely, you will be stomped. Like a torch, you will be blown out, never to be lit again. With that in mind, what's stopping you from playing along with this new setting? In my book, I'm pretty happy to be here. My expenses, meals, and education are all covered. And, take a second to look around you."

The boy motioned to the rows of seated students, "You are among your fellow peers. People who will relate with you, and will support you. I find that as a pretty nice addition." He let out a sigh as he took his seat, "Personally, I'd be sufficed if I wasn't given a straight answer as to why I was here. Might as well enjoy the ride, hm?" It may have seemed a little uncharacteristic, but this was the first time the boy had something to amount to. He didn't want to sully such a chance. Shiore noticed that Liliane had strolled into the classroom, with Akumu in tow. The boy raised an eyebrow, then realized that his friend had spiked his drink yet again. "Baka... I'll have to force him to watch Lucky Star later today." Hopefully, Ms. Rayne would pick up where he left off.

Shiore then turned his gaze fellow groupmate, who was still slumped over her desk. But, her eyes were fixated completely on him, as if they hadn't moved from the beginning of his announcement. "What's up, Cia-Cia?"

Acacia looked away, a small blush on her cheeks at being caught staring. He probably didn't remember that day, it was so long ago. Still, she had always accounted the mysterious Japanese boy as her first friend. "It's nothing... That was a good speech."

The boy smiled and nodded, "I guess it was. But, thanks! Just wanted to say what was on my mind. This is a lot better than the orphanage, so I'm not going to cry over this place." He then pushed up his magnifying glasses and poked the eraseable end of a pencil towards the girl. "Still have to finish filling out that packet~ Don't worry, I'll help out if you have any questions. It's just an assessment to determine one's knowledge of our education. It's not being graded, I believe, so don't worry about it." Shiore then took another sip from his travel cup, then proceeded to tidy up any loose ends of his own sheet.

He had completely filled it out. Front to back.

Once again, Acacia blushed and picked up her pencil. She circled A on the first question, not doubting that she was wrong. If she wanted to cheat, she could look at any assessment in the room, but honestly, she felt like that wasn't really worth it.

---

---

It wasn't something she had ever expected to hear again, the disgusting noise of Hives voice. Even if he was just introducing himself why was he here, what did these humans think they were capable of taming? Hive of course wouldn't stop at an introduction, he was picking a fight with the teacher. His words of were not new to her, he had always tested his limits and been rebellious whenever possible, but any hope that he would not bother with her was trampled.

"Why would we go along with your class? Besides, of course, the ever-present threat of being whipped or burned to a crisp? Etelka knows what I'm talking about, don't you?”

As he spoke her wounds began to sting, the burn on her abdomen which she blamed him for more then the many other wounds on her body. All her will to keep up a straight face blew away, the memories she kept under tight control began to flow out, suddenly the presence of all these other demons felt suffocating. Etelka's eyes widen and her pupils dilated, still she refused to look away from the front of the class, she wanted to hide this breakdown from everyone, especially Kou. She didn't want them to she her weakness as her hands began to shake in fear, clutching onto her burn.

Hive had already stopped speaking, others had entered the room and after an uncomfortable silence it was broken by another student. His words would not reach Etelka, her mind had drifted out of reality. She only felt the eyes of everyone on Hive, Hive was going to get in trouble, Hive was going to rile up them up, Hive was going to make him mad. If everyone was mad he didn't have to deal with it, even as Shiroe attempted to diffuse the hostile atmosphere Etelka only felt it growing around her. Her muscles began to cramp, reminding her of the control of Ervin, her role was to serve, and she served by diffusing stress. It was Hives fault not hers, it was the other demos they were the ones that hated to serve, she lived for it, yet her service was that of pain.

Finally she couldn't take it, the speech had finished but so did Etelka's mind finished festering. One thing was different from then, the air was different, it wasn't as suffocating, she didn't want to be whipped and burned again, not after so many years without it. Etelka threw herself out her seat the desk in front of her clattering to the ground, her eyes undoubtedly tear filled with terror. "No, no, no... Not again, HIVE DID IT NOT ME!" With that she carried herself as fast as she could, darting through the students in the doorway to run aimlessly in the halls, she had no destination but away, away from the demons who would insult and torment, away from the pain.

---

---

The situation had become quite amusing, Kou had long since let go of her ears in order to listen to the introductions. Etelka introduced herself, then a boy who referred to himself in the third person. Or maybe he was introducing his group as a whole? That's when the trouble began, the one who referred to himself as Hive began to pick a fight with the teacher. It was entertaining at first, but after a bit of his droning on Kou grew bored and her attention changed directions. More introductions took place and someone countered Hive's rant with a speech of his own. It was as if they had all come today prepared to deliver a monologue.

Kou sighed and figured she might as well get this over with and glanced at the demons around her. Suddenly Etelka jumped from her seat and ran out of the room screaming, tears running down the demon's face. Surprise overtook Kou and she pondered as to whether or not she should follow her teammate. Calmly the rabbit rose to her feet and sighed, putting on her most polite smile.

"Usagi Kou, group 1. Please excuse me for a moment," she bowed respectfully and strode from the room, her tiny bunny tail waggling as she walked. What was that douche Hive thinking? They obviously have some sort of history, but he didn't have to cause a breakdown. Her mind flashed back to his speech, the smug smile, the familiar way he addressed Etelka and the condescending look. "Etelka!" Kou called as she walked down the hall, picking up the pace a bit. She could hear the other demon's footsteps growing further and with a sigh, Kou began to run.

There was an obvious bounce in her step and with the speed and precision of a rabbit Kou caught up to her teammate. She reached out and grabbed onto Etelka's shoulder which stopped them both in their tracks. Kou said nothing as she pulled Etelka into her chest and giving the girl a hug. For a while it was silent as the two stayed like this and then Kou spoke. "You don't need to explain, but if you want to talk about it I'm all ears." She sighed and took a step back, giving Etelka a smile.

"I'll protect you from that bastard, I won't let anyone hurt you." She made a little X-mark on her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die." Kou held out her hand, hoping that her teammate felt better. "Now come on, let's go show those demons what Group 1 is made of."

At Hive's outburst Sarah had put a hand to her head. There was the rebellious student of the class just like she figured. Before she could answer Shiore interjected and gave an answer to Hive's question.

This truly is a first day.Sarah thought. Although she was proud of Shiore for stepping up to answer. He understood why he was here and what the academy was here for. After the boy spoke he sat down and Sarah was going to add more but was caught off guard by the outburst from Etelka.

"No, no, no... Not again, HIVE DID IT NOT ME!"

The girl then stormed out of the classroom nearly colliding with Liliane, who quickly stepped aside. Kou then politely followed after as well. Sarah gave Hive a piercing glare before going after Etelka and her team mate.

"Liliane, please watch over the class while I'm gone. If anyone acts up then call for the headmaster." Lili nodded accepting the order as Sarah chased after the girl. Liliane could guess that Hive and Etelka had some past together and by the green haired girl's reaction it wasn't pleasant. Lili walked into the class and sat on top of the desk. Her eyes glued on Hive.

"It seems your tongue is still as forked as it was then. All it does is create trouble. I will not be surprised, in the least, if your tongue gets cut from your mouth or your lips sewn shut." Liliane looked to actually take in what the new demons all looked like. It was much easier since they were all facing her. She even gave a nod to her two other group mates before returning her focus to observing the students in the class while she waited on the teacher to return.

Sarah caught up with the two and was glad Etelka didn't get too far.

"Are okay?" A pretty stupid question. Of course the girl wasn't okay but Sarah felt a need to ask as a teacher. "Hive obviously gets off on trying to press others' buttons. I understand that you haven't had the best past out of the others here but this is a new place with new memories to create. I'll try my best, along with the other teachers, to keep Hive in check. He's just a wall in the way to our destination to showing the humans that the term 'demon' doesn't have to be just a negative label. Demon's are a race of living beings as well." Sarah let out a breath. Speeches weren't something that came to her easily. She was more of a actions-speak-more-than-words type of person. "Sorry for the long speech. Just remember, I'm always on school grounds if you need someone." Sarah turned to Kou. "That is, if for whatever reason you can't find Kou. It's good that you have a friend already. That's a strength you have over Hive already. I'll leave it up to you, Etelka, if you want to head back to class or not. I'll go on ahead and head back. I'll expect Kou back in ten minutes regardless of whatever decision Etelka makes. Too many students missing on the first day of class doesn't look good." Sarah made her way back to the class and wondered if Hive was picking a fight with anyone else in her absence.

---

There wasn't any stoicism there at all, Hive learned as Etelka stormed out. They mutually triggered bad memories for one another, but Hive felt little sympathy for her. In fact it was frustration that he felt. That stupid, naive little slave-girl. Was she so accustomed to servitude and punishment that she was going to welcome it all over again?

A rabbit-demon and the teacher both chased after Hive's ex-colleague, but they were soon replaced by Akumu, accompanied by a familiar mage... Liliane.

“It seems your tongue is still as forked as it was then. All it does is create trouble. I will not be surprised, in the least, if your tongue gets cut from your mouth or your lips sewn shut.” She spoke, to Hive's great disappointment. Just so typical. So very typical.

“And haven't you grown up just to be like they wanted you to, Liliane?” Hive let the beetles twirl around his index finger, “Cutting out our tongue just for asking a question? How very much like a mage. Ervin would have been proud. He's often tried but-”

Hive stuck out his tongue and snapped his jaws together! With his razorsharp teeth Hive bit his tongue straight off. Before it could reach the ground, however, it dispersed into a small cloud of bugs. They all flew and crawled back into his mouth. Hive put his lips together for a second and when he opened his mouth, his tongue was right where it always had been.

“-He never could quite made it work.”

Hive then leisurely rolled his eyes the other way, facing Shiore instead. Was he the boy who had gawked at him before? Hive thought so. He had listened to his full story and would have responded sooner hadn't it been for the interruption. It couldn't be helped, Hive shrugged to himself. He'd answer the boy now.

“At least us lowly demon-students answer each other proper. No need for the mister, as long as we can call you Shiore.” Hive said, a lot more friendly than when he had addressed Sarah and Liliane. Although first impressions might had been a little strange, Shiore spoke to him as an equal, and so Hive would reply.

“We believe you speak of harmony between species, but explain to us what harmony there is to be had between master and slave? No matter how accommodated to the leash, we are not taught to live besides humans, we are taught to live below them. Is to be fed, housed and taught worth the price of freedom? We object to this, which begs us to question why.”

Hive then turned back to Liliane again. It truly annoyed him, the way she had spoken. So self-righteous, so supposedly concerned... So conceited of her; as if she had empathy for a tool. Had her own imprisonment taught her nothing? “In this light, keen as you might be to condemn us, it was not us who made her hurt so.” Hive referred to Etelka. Surely he knew what he had been playing at, although he'd not expected an outburst quite as dramatic. “We both know the one who did, Liliane. He was an old acquaintance of ours. The mage you admired so. Speak to Etelka, you'll know it to be true.”

Hive sighed and shook his head, wondering what he would really reach with his line of questioning and thought. Liliane might already have taken up the mantle. Was there hope for her yet? If only he knew... But if not, there would only by madness in solely making enemies...

“Shiore, we would welcome you to our dorm tonight to speak without interruption.” He invited his fellow demon, noticing from the corner of his eye that Sarah had stepped back into the classroom. “We believe we shouldn't hold up class any longer. We are eager to see if miss Rayne's lesson will provide us with an answer...”