-----
With a gentle deanor, Matsuo guided everyone through the vast gardens and the town until they reached the grand palace that housed the Onmyōji School.
As they walked, the group drew countless stares from the locals of this Realm. Many residents ranged from thirty to ninety or older—elderly magicians and shamans filled the streets, all appearing wise yet watching with sharp, judgntal eyes.
Upon entering the palace and moving through a long corridor, they encountered nearly a hundred students wandering everywhere. Almost everyone was Japanese, so Elena and her friends stood out painfully.
Still, a few weren’t purely Japanese. So bore striking traits: Elena noticed children with red or blue skin and small horns—Oni students! A number were huge and muscular, radiating intimidation that made approaching them feel daunting.
Others were small and slender, with long ears, blonde hair, and blue or green eyes, yet mixed with subtle Japanese features—half-elves or spiritual races that had arrived in Japan long ago and blended into society as new clans with foreign roots.
She even spotted a girl with blonde hair, big fluffy wolf-like ears sprouting from her head, and a long wolf tail wagging behind her. The girl slowly approached, sniffing the air.
"Sniff, sniff, hmm~ You sll like the forest. Who are you?" she asked. She looked entirely non-Japanese—clearly European—with tanned skin. She wore a bold Japanese gyaru style: long pink-painted nails, heavy makeup, colorful pins scattered across her uniform, a very short skirt, and a half-unbuttoned white shirt that revealed her chest.
"Eeh? W-Who are you?" Elena asked, feeling a mix of creeped-out unease and a faint blush. The girl was strikingly beautiful and carried a wild, untad energy that left Elena both startled and intrigued.
"Erika, don’t go slling the new students..." Matsuo sighed.
"Hehehe, co on, Matsuo, why so grumpy?" Erika chuckled. "What’s wrong with making new friends? I’m a werewolf, so I sll them first, and then I lick them if I want them to be mine~"
"Hey, she’s taken!" Anna snapped, stepping forward to block Erika.
"Oohhh~?" Erika raised an eyebrow, flashing a cute, teasing sneer. "Heheh, okay~ That’s kind of adorable. Modern tis, right? Nice to et you—I’m Erika! Matsuo’s master."
"I am not your slave!" Matsuo protested, crossing his arms. For the first ti, the girls saw his calm composure crack. "Ah, sorry... she’s a little hard to handle. This is Erika, a werewolf. She’s also a first-year this year—still pretty new to everything. We went to Tokyo High School together two years ago."
"Nice tis, right? We got into so much trouble, hehe—especially with Harumi and Frank," Erika said. "Co to think of it, where are they?"
"Wait... Harumi?" Elena murmured. The na felt strangely familiar.
"Ahh! There she is! Harumiiii! Over here!" Erika waved enthusiastically.
In the distance, a beautiful young girl approached—black hair streaked with red falling to her neck, large, striking red eyes, and an utterly expressionless face. She looked adorably cute yet carried a somber weight, wrapped in a cold aura of blood and shadows. Pointy ears—shorter than an elf’s—marked her as sothing other than fully human.
"Hm?"
"Wha...?"
As she drew closer to greet her friend, Harumi’s gaze locked with Elena’s. In the sa instant, Elena t Harumi’s eyes. Recognition hit them both—they had t not long ago. Last night, to be precise.
Elena, Master of Ruler.
Harumi, Master of Assassin.
"Harumi! Hey— Eh? What’s wrong? Do you two know each other?" Erika asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Harumi, these are the new transfer students," Matsuo explained. "They’re all entering the sa year as us, so we could form one big group."
"A-Ah... okay," Harumi quickly looked away from Elena; Elena did the sa, careful not to draw more attention. "Um, nice to et you."
"Oh yeah, nice to et you. I rember we knew soone like you before," Elisa said. "Rose, I think her na was. She worked with us in Canada..."
"Rose?" Harumi asked. "You an she was a Dhampir?"
"Ah, so you know about them," Matsuo said. "That’s good. Well, Harumi and Erika co from a Vampire and a Werewolf family living in Japan. They’re our allies—even if it sounds surprising at first. They’ve helped us fend off threats and keep Tokyo safe. Harumi and Erika are the youngest heirs of their clans, direct daughters of the leaders."
"Yup~! I’m kind of a big deal!" Erika nodded proudly. "Daddy’s Yakuza too, so don’t get on my bad side, or I’ll have him pay you a little visit, huhuh~"
Elena and her friends exchanged wide-eyed, terrified looks at the casual threat from the cheerful werewolf.
"Erika, you shouldn’t threaten new students," Matsuo said sternly.
"Aww, I was just joking!" Erika rolled her eyes dramatically. "Co on, Matsuo, you used to be so chill. Now you’re always nagging ."
"I’m just trying to keep you from getting expelled..." Matsuo sighed. "Sorry about that—she’s a little... you know. Anyway, it looks like all the students are lining up to greet the new teachers and the director. Let’s move."
As they headed toward the wide-open courtyard inside the palace where students were gathering, Elena noticed a tall, slender young man with short brown hair and blue eyes that glead like starlight. He caught her staring and glanced back for a brief, piercing mont.
Sothing powerful stirred within him. She couldn’t place who he was, but for an instant it felt as though he recognized her too.
"Hey, Frank, over here!" Erika called.
"Ah?" He turned and walked slowly toward them. "Sorry, I couldn’t find you."
His na was Frank. He had a handso face and a charming presence, yet a quiet sorrow lingered in his voice and eyes, evidence of deep, unsettling experiences etched into his life.
"This is Frank, another new student," Matsuo said. "He’s my best friend from Tokyo High School. He might look like an ordinary human, but he has a special talent and grows incredibly fast through it, among other things. He’s the most promising student this year. Now that he’s officially joined, everyone’s excited about his future."
"Huh, so he’s like a main character or sothing..." Elena thought, raising an eyebrow. She wasn’t especially interested beyond the strange power she sensed inside him—a force that oddly resonated with her own avatar form. "Well, making new friends isn’t bad. We’ll need them to blend in here..."
"Uh, yeah, nice to et you!" Elisa said brightly. "Thank you for befriending us. I’ll treasure this bond forever."
"W-What? Hahaha!" Erika burst out laughing. "Gosh, you talk like such a spoiled little rich lady."
"Hah?!" Elisa bristled. "W-What does that an?!"
"Erika, you’re also a spoiled rich lady," Harumi remarked in her somber tone.
"What?! No I’m not! I’m from the hood!" Erika protested angrily, making Elena stifle a small chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah, let’s just line up. It’s about to start," Frank sighed, gently patting Erika’s head.
"Ugh... what a drag," Erika yawned, flashing her sharp teeth.
-----
User Comments
0 comments from readers