Kou A. Usagi's Story

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She was late; this is not how Kou had wanted to make her school debut although it was entirely her fault. Kou had spent the morning rushing to pack, excited to finally be leaving the Shrine even if it was to another place that would confine her and try to quell her abilities. Anything was better then sweeping the grounds and organizing fortune slips and so Kou made sure that everything her final duties had been performed last night before waking up only to realize she hadn't packed a single thing.

Now the Usagi stood at the gate, awfully late with her bag slung over her shoulder. Tsukuyomi had ordered her to come here to learn how to love humans, if she didn't she was going to be turned back into a rabbit and trapped on the moon once more. It was not something Kou wanted and she had promised herself that she would do her best to make peace with the kind that had eaten her family. Or at least attempt to. The demon was going to be on her best behavior and not destroy anything or go berserk without reason.

Her ears twitched, the sound of laughter flitting through the air reached her and she turned to see humans and demons walking out of a large building towards a slightly larger one. She riffled through her pockets to find a piece of paper with a few numbers scribbled on it. Fortunately the rabbit had learned to read and write a few human dialects during her time at the shrine, otherwise she would not be able to decipher the dorm number and names of her teammates.

Should she check in with the Headmaster first? No, Kou decided. Her bag was heavy and she was tired, teleporting from Miyagi Prefecture had taken a lot out of her and she could do with a snack or something before having to deal with the Head Mage. So Kou headed across the paved walkway towards what she assumed was the dorm building, using the scribbles on paper to navigate the way to her living space. She knocked on the door twice before entering, finding a demon girl with gems on her forehead and aqua colored hair as well as a human in a wheelchair. It took everything Kou had not to turn in disdain at the hideous smell that offended her nostrils. Mages always reeked, she wasn't sure why though.

"Good evening," Kou bowed, an ear flopping into her face. The demon rabbit righted herself and placed her small bag of belongings on the unclaimed bed. She had only brought about three changes of clothes, which is really all Kou owned. The rest of her things had been Shrine Maiden outfits which she would not need at the school or ever again. Hopefully. "I'm Usagi Kou, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

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"Nice to meet you too Kou, I'm Hanako Minami." Her voice was quiet, like a whisper of wind that tickled her ears. If it weren't for her enhanced rabbit senses, Kou was sure she would have never heard the human speak at all. "This is Etelka Lantos." She thought it rather rude that the Mage did not allow the other Demon to introduce herself, but perhaps the other being was shy? Not that Kou cared. She sat down on the bed, surprised at how plush it was despite the fact that the mattress was so thin. It was much better then the futon Kou slept on in the shrine.

"I hope we can work together and get along in our time here Kou." Her attention turned back to the Mage who was scooting herself off of her bed and into a wheelchair. Remember what Tsu said, Kou thought and smiled, her ears standing up in mock attention as she replied with, "Me too." The only thing Kou truly wished for was a hot meal and a bath, but those things would come later seeing as how Hanako was going to be the first one to use the bathroom. Kou watched as the Mage wheeled behind the bathroom door and shut it behind her before turning to Etelka, the demon with the aqua colored hair.

"Looks like we're going to be working together for the next few months." Or however long this thing took. They might as well get any awkwardness or petty arguments out of the way as they would be partners under the command of the little Mage in the chair. Kou had nothing against people in wheelchairs, she did, however, have something against people who tried to harness her power and use it for themselves. Of course that wasn't the goal here, it was to learn to interact better with humans.

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Her grim message seemed to perturb Lady Minami only slightly, the only response Etelka had received was an exhale of breath, maybe the tiny lady wasn't as pathetic as anticipated. If the two had anymore words to exchange they were forgotten at the introduction of a third, this girl was the second demon to serve the Lady it seemed. Kou Usagi, Etelka had not met many other demons in her life but none had been more captivating then herself until now, she had initial resentment as she had never met another demon she liked, but who could resent a girl so well endowed in her physical features. Etelka had only truly began to enjoy sex after the death of Ervin, but since then it was something she could never get off her mind, and it seemed be unlikely Kou would be quickly off the mind.

Her Lady had introduced Etelka for her, which while unnecessary was kind. More nonsense about working together was spouted before the Lady dismissed herself to bathe before nightfall, leaving the two demons alone with one another. The voluptuous rabbit girl spoke, "Looks like we're going to be working together for the next few months." Etelka was beginning to think Ervin was the odd one out, everyone spoke of cooperation, but perhaps that was just the words of the weak and misinformed. Even after his death Etelka would not forget his directive for her was to serve, and she would do so or she would be punished.

She finally decided to converse with the rabbit girl, although she had to restrain herself from going after those large breasts, Etelka returned to her seat. Picking up her juice pack once more, she grasped at another and tossed it to Kou, "Greetings Ms. Usagi, if we are to serve m'Lady I do hope to get along, and..." This was probably getting awkward for Kou at this point, Etelka's gaze had obviously drifted to the girls breast, and her smile had become more lustful as she licked her lips. She desperately wanted to embrace Kou, so she cleared her throat but didn't avert her gaze, "May I partake in your body, it is simply scrumptious." While not the most graceful and dignified sentence Etelka was close to the point of performing an illicit deed upon herself with lust.

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Kou had begun to unpack, she had put in her two cents and had felt that, that was all she needed to say until the room got suddenly very quiet and Etelka began to speak. "Greetings Ms. Usagi, if we are to serve m'Lady I do hope to get along, and..." she didn't like being called Usagi, it was actually a bit derogatory considering it was simply her species name. It was as if she went up to a beast and began to call them Demon.

"Please just call me Kou." She said as Etelka opened her mouth once more.

"May I partake in your body? It is simply scrumptious." This was something unexpected and quite frankly Kou wasn't sure how to respond. Her cheeks turned red and her blue hair and ears turned pink. Kou followed Etelka's gaze down to her chest and instinctively crossed her arms. She took a deep breath and put on her best, most patient smile, trying not to come across as rude. "Thank you and I'm sorry, but I just met you. Unless what you're looking for is a hug then I don't think I can help you. At least, not until we get to know each other better." There, she didn't completely shoot her down or burn any bridge that might have somehow built between them in the few minutes that they have known each other.

Kou pulled out the meager belongings she had and began to put them away in the drawers beside her bed. It was about five pairs of underwear, three changes of clothes, a pair of pajamas, and some bras. Once that was done she sat back on the bed and thought for a second before asking. "Do you know where we can get food?" As a rabbit food was almost always on her mind, nearly every thought was followed by can I eat that? It was quite annoying and the human side of her often grew tired of having to answer that question.

Midora still sleeping peacefully with his arm rested on his forehead and his breaths are quite monotonous. Nothing seems to had troubled him as he slept. As the first lights of dawn rises along with the sun, they peeked through the frames of the windows and brighten up the whole room. The rays then shone of the bed, dancing on Midora's face as they woke him up.

Midora then sat up on his bed and stretched his arms. He scratches his slightly messed hair a bit and then looked at the clock on the wall. It's already 6:00 AM, still early, but he has to get prepare because he knows which day today is, and he also well-awared that it's going to be a long day for him, his collegues and the new transfer students. "I should get prepare." Midora said to himself as he pulled the blanket away from his lap downward then stood up and folded it nicely on the bottom of his bed.

After that, he made his way to his bathroom. He turned on the faucet and adjusted it to the right temperature and strips off his pants before immerse himself under the water streams (Well yeah, he slept half-naked, mind you). Midora closed his eyes as he felt his muscles relaxed under the heat of the bathroom before grabbed the shampoo lotion nearby and washes his hair with a small amount of the liquid.

Meanwhile, in the room next to Midora's, Mikari has just also woke up from his slumber and now he's changing into a more suitable clothes. After finished changing, he went into his bathroom while humming a melody. Somehow, he felt optimistic about all of this and was kinda excited. He then brushed his teeth then fixed his hair a bit. Great, I'm ready. Everyone better aware, cause it's time for Mikari to shine. He smirked to himself in front of the mirror and went out of his room.

With just a few steps, Mikari stood in front of his best friend's room and knocked the door. "Hey Dora-chin, rise and shine. Have you woke up yet? Can I come in?" He asked. "The door wasn't locked." Midora replied from the inside. Mikari then opened the door and stepped in. But just as he stepped in...

Mikari wouldn't have thought that he'd got an eyeful early in the morning like this. He was pretty surprised when he saw that Midora has just got out from the bathroom without wearing anything to cover his torso. Midora's hair is still wet as some drops of water streamed down on his naked skin. And another thing is that the Mage in front of Mikari right now only covered the part from his waist down by a towel hanging around his waists.

Mikari blushed as his face got a bit reddened. This wasn't the first time he saw his best friend half-naked and they're both guys so it wasn't such a big deal. It's not that he has any kinds of feeling towards Midora, but he couldn't figure out why anytime he caught this scene from any of his male friends, which included Midora, he felt quite awkward as his heartbeats got quicken.

"Hey, you're okay over there?" Midora called and pulled Mikari back to reality. "Y-Yeah, I'm good..." He bit his lips and gave a smile. Midora just leaned his head, wondering what was his friend was thinking. After putting his usual Dark Mage's uniform on, he walks towards Mikari. "Want to go and breathe some fresh air first?" Midora asked, feeling quite comfortable, but he still keeps his usual calm posture like everyday.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Mikari grinned like a child. Midora just silently shook his head as he puts on his boots and both of them made their ways towards the garden. Stepped out into the open air, Mikari sniffs and took a deep breath. The air was fresh with the atmosphere still a bit cool. The morning sunshine is still quite gentle. Today's gonna be a perfect day.

"Ah... feels good. Usually I would go jogging around town by now." Mikari said with his smile, "Hey, we can go and have some exercises when there are free times. I missed working out with you."

Midora nodded, "Sure, that's a good idea." Mikari giggled. After that, Midora walked to the rock and sat down in meditation form and Mikari also sat down on the grass. Both of them meditated for about 15 minutes and gather their thoughts. When they're done, they decided to go and have breakfast.

"Say," Mikari spoke up as they walked, "could the students wake up by themselves or there are some sort of... well, alarm clocks to wake them up?"

"Yeah, to avoid class tardiness, I've placed an alarming spell around the walls of the students' room. At the exact time, the spell will "goes off" and sent supersonic waves straight to the brains of the ones staying in those students' rooms. Because it only in their heads, it didn't make any noise to the outsiders of the room, but to them, it's going to be REAL loud."

"So, I guess that the sounds will only disappeared once they have woke up, correct?"

"Yes. Most of the newbies complained about this at first, but they'll got used to it." Midora coldly assured.

"Hehe, you're such an little wicked wizard, you know?" Mikari grinned mischiviously.

When they went through the students' quarters, Midora then abruptly stopped then looked at the time on his phone, it was 6:59 AM. "Wait for it..." he said as the clock ticked 7:00 AM. Right after that, Mikari could hear the sounds of students falling off their beds and even some yelling came out from the rooms. It was kinda hilarious to hear those sounds and he has to resist the urge of laughing out loud. "This Academy sure is fun, I don't know what else is waiting for me but I can't wait."

"Just wait and see." Midora said as put his phone back to his robe and both of them continued to walk.

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After having their breakfast, Midora and Mikari went to the teachers' office and took the other two demon teachers with them. Together, four of them went to direction the classroom. Standing in front of the door, Midora turned his head and spoke to his collegues, "Remember, teach them with all of your dedication, but if they make mistake, never go easy on them and help them fix it." Then he turned back and opened the door.

With that, the four of them walked in, interrupting all the talking between the students as the room filled with complete silent. Midora stood in front of the desk and began to talked loudly.

"Good morning, all students. I believe that all of us have rested and ready for this morning. And now, I officially announce that the days of training of this year in Survival Kit Academy begin. As you all have known, within your course, you'll learn how to make yourselves better individuals. I believe that, 12 persons sitting in front of us right now will try their very best, passing your own limits and learn from your mistakes."

Midora paused then turned his head to the teachers who are standing in a horizon line, "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."

After introduction, Midora paused a bit before going on with the first lesson, "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."

With that said, both Midora and Mikari made their ways out of the classroom. When they're outside, they waited at the other exit for the Mage Students before they head for the training room.

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Kou had risen with the sun, the warm rays alerting her to presence of morning. She turned over in bed slowly and stretched, her fuzzy rabbit ears picking up the sounds the still snoozing Etelka and Hanako. The rabbit demon slid out from underneath the covers, going over to the closet and pulling out an outfit she deemed good for the first day. Kou then made her way over to the bathroom and turned on the shower, discovering that her hair was still pink from last night's encounter with Etelka. It was weird to think that someone could possibly like her, especially since Kou had never found herself especially attractive.

The rabbit shook her head to get the thought out. Today was about focusing on becoming better! She pumped her first in the air in order to psych herself and stepped under the steady stream of hot water, scrubbing until her hair turned blue once more and her fingertips were a bit wrinkled. "It feels so nice to be clean," Kou purred as she dried herself off and pulled on her clothing. When she finally went back into the room the sound of screaming and people falling echoed through the walls, surprising Kou and causing her to jump a few feet in the air. "What the-!" Kou cursed and flung open the door to their room in order to see what could possibly be causing so much excitement, but her ears weren't picking up any sound aside from the pained cries of students.

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It was only about an hour later and with a full stomach that Kou sat at one of the desks in the back of the classroom. She noticed she was not the only animal demon in attendance and was actually a bit relieved although Kou couldn't tell if the demon was a kitsune or a nekomura, but figured that she would discover which soon enough. It was then that the Head Master began to speak, a man with dark hair and eyes that matched who carried himself with confidence; Kou instantly hated him.

"Good morning all students. I believe that we are all rested and ready for this morning. And now I officially announce that our training days here at the Survival Kit Academy have begun. As you all know, within your course you'll learn how to make yourselves better individuals; I believe that, the 12 persons sitting in front of us right now will each try their very best, surpassing their own limits and learning from their mistakes."

Kou listened with an expression of determination; yes the rabbit was attending the academy by force just like many other demons but that didn't mean she wasn't prepared to learn how to better herself and properly use her abilities. Kou was attempting to keep a positive attitude about it all, but it was hard when you were working with the species that devoured your family. Her attention was drawn back to Midora once more as he began to announce who would be teaching them all. Their group, Group 1, was assigned to a short but pretty instructor named Embla Brodersson. The woman was clearly a demon herself and Kou wondered how she could have possibly ended up in this position.

"As far as how the first day will work; we will have different training sessions for both Mages and Demons. The four Mages of the four groups, please follow me and Mikari-Sensei to the training room. The rest of the Demon students will receive their introductory lecture with the two ladies here. Let our first day begin!"

Kou watched as Hanako left along with the other three Mages. Her heart rate picked up a beat in excitement as she turned to face the two demon instructors, the real fun was finally about to begin!

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.

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The sound of the nearby shower spraying to life woke Haruka from her rather light sleep. It felt like she had only slept for a couple hours at most being an unfamiliar place and with the beginning of actual classes on the horizon. Fighting off her desire to just lay back down she sat up with a yawn and stretched her arms into the air. It had been some time since she ate and her stomach was not quiet in its protest of its emptiness. Her desire for a cup of hot tea was also intense, a morning ritual she had grown quite accustomed to back home, she simply hoped the cafeteria here would have some available. After Kou had left the bathroom Hanako took her turn to head in, wash her face, and get dressed.

This rather mundane task however was made quite exciting by the sudden erupting of a most disturbing sound into her mind. And it seemed she wasn't alone in experiencing it as thumps and shouts came from all the rooms around her as well. The assault was thankfully short lived leaving Hanako to simply sigh at the unpleasant experience, such things were to be expected in a magical academy. It was a relatively short trip to the cafeteria where Hanako had a light breakfast and a rather mediocre cup of tea, but it was better than nothing at least.

After rolling into their classroom Hanako took the opportunity to once again scan over the other students and demons assembled here, the diversity was quite impressive. The headmaster stepped in not long after and informed the class of their objectives for the day. Apparently she was going to be going off with the other mages and the mage instructors for some sort of training. Looking over her fellow mages Hanako couldn't help but sigh. None of them looked particularly friendly or approachable. With a shake of her head she strengthened her resolve, she had to give it a shot, and who knows? Maybe they were actually be nice under their rougher exteriors.

And so, putting on her best smile she rolled herself behind the teachers and the other mages curious as to what their first exercise would involve. Whatever it was, Hanako was confident she could handle it after the rigorous schooling she went through daily back at home.

”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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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.