The Lumina Academy campus was a kaleidoscope of ancient architecture and gleaming, modern steel. Kai and his new dorm mates—Reina, Kaida, Itsuki, Satsuki, and Kurone—walked the smooth, pale stone paths toward their training hall.
"So, Kai, how does it feel to be trapped with all of us new people?" Reina asked, her voice laced with amusement.
"Not interesting," Kai replied, deadpan.
A barely audible sigh came from the rear of the group. Satsuki—daughter of a high-ranking military family and easily the most competitive of the girls—was visibly sleepwalking. "I heard that," she muttered, already half-asleep.
Kai and Reina chuckled.
"Well, I already know Itsuki from childhood meetings, so nothing is really new for me," Kai explained.
Kurone blinked her striking eyes twice. "So, meeting a descendant of the Shuren clan and daughter to the Demon Queen herself isn't interesting?"
Kai and Reina exchanged a knowing look. "Nope," they said in unison.
Kurone's jaw dropped. "How?"
"My mother knows your mom, so she always has something to say about her," Kai offered simply.
"And my mom knows Kai's mom," Reina finished.
"It's easy," they concluded together.
Kurone sighed, dramatically defeated. "Damn. And here I thought I was someone interesting."
"You are," Kai said.
"To others," Reina corrected.
"Not to us," Itsuki added, shaking his head.
"Well, I tried," Kurone conceded.
"And failed," Satsuki said, stumbling slightly before catching herself.
They all laughed, the sound warm and easy. They were a band of misfits, bonded instantly by a shared, bizarre royal heritage.
They arrived at the training hall—a vast, high-ceilinged dojo with polished wooden floors that gleamed under the overhead lanterns.
"Where is everyone else?" Kai asked, noting the room was empty save for their group.
Itsuki pulled his training uniform from his bag. "Since some of us are royal blood, we train separately from the other students. Our curriculum is… accelerated."
"Yeah, now this is more like it," Kurone grinned. She placed her hands together, and with a flare of dark energy, [WHOOSH] her dark-red blood instantly solidified into a striking, flexible martial arts uniform lined with black.
The others sighed and dressed the normal way, trying to ignore the literal blood magic. They began stretching exercises as they waited.
"I saw a lot of teachers who look like Yōkai on campus. Will we be learning from them?" Kai asked.
Satsuki, now awake and stretching with focused discipline, replied, "No. We learn from one teacher who is considered the best teacher five times in a row."
Itsuki immediately paled. "That must mean she's a non-nonsense, totally strict teacher."
Reina looked at Kai, her competitive spirit rising. "I guess. But another thing, Kai. You know you're the weakest amongst us. If this teacher has been the best for five years, then prepare to bleed for the first time."
Kurone smirked and lightly poked Kai's chest. "Yeah. Prepare to suffer, baby."
Kai offered a mock salute, his eyes twinkling. "Yes, ma'am."
Reina and Kurone exchanged a sly, triumphant smirk. The challenge was set.
The Unconventional Master
[SHINK!]
The heavy wooden door to the dojo slid open with an official, expectant sound. The students snapped to attention, waiting for their new super-strict, best-teacher-they-could-ask-for.
Then, with two panels of movement that defied logic, a woman [ZHOOM] slid into the room and performed a perfect, dramatic Michael Jackson pose. She was a cat-woman, her hands thrown high above her head. Her large, catlike eyes lit up, and her wide smile stretched across her face.
"I... HAVE... NEW STUDEEENTS!" she shrieked, the sound echoing off the rafters. "KAWAII! THIS IS SO COOL AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA FIREE MEEEE!" [MOCK SOB!]
Reina blinked slowly. "Super strict, huh?"
Itsuki rubbed the back of his neck, shamefaced. "I was wrong. Please forgive me."
Satsuki shrugged, a resigned look on her face. "Welp. Best to confront what we have."
"Yep," Kai agreed. He stepped forward. "Uh, Ma'am—"
Before he could finish, she was directly in front of his face [ZOOM!]. Her catlike eyes, intense and vibrant, stared deep into his own.
"Your Kishō is strong," she stated, her voice suddenly dropping to a serious, low rumble.
"Kishō?" Reina questioned from behind.
"Oh, deary me, I forgot to introduce myself," the teacher chirped, her volume back up to eleven. She vanished in a blur of motion [POP!] and reappeared in the center of the room dressed in a martial arts uniform with the Kanji for "Neko" embroidered on her arm. "Boys, you can look now."
Kai and Itsuki, who had both instinctively closed their eyes, opened them to see her standing properly.
"I'm Ma'am Neko, your class teacher. And once again, student—your Kishō is strong. But to prove that you are my students, I must test your endurance with a blade and ten gallons of…" she leaned forward, her eyes wide with excitement, "POISONED KUNAIS!!!"
Kai's composure finally broke. "What!?"
Itsuki groaned, dropping his head. "We're doomed."
Satsuki, however, cracked her knuckles, a competitive glint in her eye. "Buckle up, boys. It's gonna be a wild session."
Ma'am Neko held a wicked Kunai in one hand and a gleaming Katana in the other. The students tensed, their faces a mixture of fear and excitement.
"Now then," Ma'am Neko grinned. "Let's begin."
END OF CHAPTER 3