The next morning, the pair woke up as usual and went through their morning routine. However, before heading downstairs, they messaged Morgranna to ask how to make the nano-drone record inside the Dorm if needed.
Morgranna promptly replied that the Mammys could issue override commands, letting the drone ignore its default restrictions.
Bane explained their plan to her: they wanted the drone to fly in the Dorm with only the top floor off-limits. This would finally stop requests for photos and videos inside the Dorm.
Morgranna quickly set it up; the nano-drone flared to life, and the livestream started. With confirmation, Bane and Chaos headed downstairs for breakfast. Chaos had split, since Er insisted on eating separately, having missed his morning coffee.
As they ate, chaos struck mid-meal. Morgranna's hand shot out, lightning fast, catching a crystalline-bladed tail aiming for Yi's bapaos. A yelp revealed it was Er's tail.
"While I'm glad you've mastered manifesting your tail, table manners mean you do NOT use it to steal your Twin's food. Understood?" she quipped, her tone dangerous if he disagreed.
Yi snorted, "Of course he'd learn that first—perfect for stealing food."
Er glared silently while Morgranna held his tail in a death grip.
Bane observed calmly, finishing his breakfast first. He poured himself coffee, savouring it as chaos unfolded—Yi and Er now defending their food from each other with their tails, to Morgranna's annoyance and Morgana's amusement.
Finally, Morgranna threatened to tie their tails together for the day. That settled them. They finished breakfast, then sat back to enjoy their coffee before heading to training.
When it was time, Chaos—having merged again—and Bane grabbed their lunchboxes, snacks, drinks, and travel mugs, then headed out with the drone following.
—
Sarah, 17: OMG, imagine just sitting at breakfast and someone's actual tail tries to steal your bao! Yi must have nerves of steel.
Nikhil, 21: LMAO, I'd just give them the food. Imagine your Mammy grabbing the tail mid-air—that's next-level parenting.
Lila, 15: Is it weird that I want a tail now? For snack-stealing only! Props to Morgranna—her reflexes are goals.
Jonas, 19: I get Er. Sometimes you have to get creative for snacks. But Yi's comeback was savage.
Chloe, 22: Why does my breakfast seem dull now? Also, I want to meet Bane—sipping coffee through chaos like it's a regular Tuesday.
Sarah: The threat to tie their tails together is iconic! Don't mess with Morgranna.
Nikhil: What's a bapao? I looked it up and now I'm hungry.
Lila: They're like steamed buns, right? I'd fight with a tail for those too, tbh.
Jonas: Now the drone's recording this? The Dorm must have the best outtakes reel ever, lol.
Chloe: I need this as a web series—breakfast shenanigans + tail chaos + live drone footage = perfection.
—
They arrived at the training chambers and took their seats, sipping coffee as they waited for the Teachers. Chaos erupted almost immediately—Chaos had split upon arrival, and this time Yi tried to use his tail to tip Er off his chair. Er naturally retaliated.
At first, Bane looked on in amusement as the two wrestled on the floor, limbs and tails flailing everywhere. But when they nearly knocked over his coffee—twice—he intervened, whipping both of them with his tail from where he sat.
That was all it took to settle the pair. Both knew Bane could escalate things in ways they'd rather not imagine.
"Well, it seems you're getting the hang of your bodies—a good sign. Your Meridians must be opening, letting the Mana flow freely," Belial observed, voice carrying across the room.
The trio turned and saw the Teachers watching with smiles.
Bane, Yi, and Er greeted them.
"All right, let's begin. Yesterday, you mastered the basic Mana drills. Today, we're stepping up to advanced drills. The rules are the same. Off you go," Belial announced.
The trio returned to their chambers, started their playlists, and launched into the advanced Mana drills. The Teachers settled in as they had the day before.
"It's remarkable how quickly they're adapting to Mana use. Most students need a full month to reach this stage—they managed it in a day," Belial mused, shaking his head with a smile.
"Right? The same thing happened in combat training. Gravity magnifiers, interference waves—stuff that gives everyone else nightmares—they barely blinked at it. Half an hour of struggle, then they just adapted in real-time. It's both scary and fascinating," Beelzebub replied, animatedly.
"Was this before or after the Awakening?" Selene asked, genuinely curious.
"Before. Afterwards, they just got faster. Their gravity magnifier is at seven fifty now, even with interference waves added," Zera replied.
"Hmm. Fascinating," Belial said thoughtfully.
They watched in silence as the trio powered through the drills—each movement more precise and quicker than the last.
"It looks like they've fully adapted to using Mana; now the drills are coming even easier to them. It's impressive," Belial remarked a while later.
The others nodded in agreement.
—
Aria, 16: Wait, so Yi tried to tail-push Er off his chair before class even started? Hardcore sibling energy.
Noah, 20: Bane has the patience of a saint, just sipping coffee while those two wrestle on the floor. MVP move—only breaks when the coffee's at risk.
Priya, 17: Honestly, same. Two coffee threats are my limit. Tail-whipping from halfway across the room? Legendary.
Santiago, 21: The instant they settle after Bane's warning... You know it's serious when the resident chaos agents back down.
Lena, 15: Every time I picture this, I want a tail. For pushing, pulling, snack stealing...
Mia, 18: Teachers just walk in like, "Congrats, your weird mutant bodies work, now advance to harder magic." Everyone else is still stuck on basics.
Tariq, 19: If it takes a month for most, but these three did it in one day—what's in that Dorm food?
Grace, 14: I'd love to try Mana drills, but let's be real—I'd probably set off the fire alarm by accident.
Noah: Bane is totally the anime big brother calmly sipping tea in a storm of chaos unless his tea gets almost spilt.
Priya: Who else would pay for drone footage of a tail-wrestling championship in the training hall?
Santiago: Give them a week; they'll break the advanced drill record, too—any takers for that bet?
Mia: But only if Bane's coffee survives. No more close calls!
—
Lunchtime arrived, and the chambers powered down. The trio emerged, with Chaos remaining separated since they each had a lunchbox.
"Well, you're accelerating your mastery—you've already achieved full command of the advanced Mana drills. I'm impressed; that's a few records broken, and you haven't even entered the Senior Academy yet," Belial remarked, pride evident in his voice.
The group chatted as they headed towards the cafeteria, with Yi and Er using their tails to hug Bane from both sides. Bane only smiled helplessly and shook his head at their antics.
The Teachers picked up their cafeteria lunches while Bane, Yi, and Er found an appropriately sized table, claimed it, and started unpacking their lunchboxes.
Once the Teachers sat down, they opened their own lunchboxes and began to eat. Yi and Er's tails remained wrapped around Bane, ensuring no mischief would occur.
While eating, Bane suddenly paused and tilted his head in an eerie way. Yi and Er mimicked him. All three turned their heads toward a specific spot, the same mischievous grin—one that screamed TROUBLE—spreading across their faces.
"Oh shit, you have got to be kidding me!" Beelzebub groaned.
"Hmm?" Selene and Belial glanced at all three in confusion.
"Those three just detected malicious intent. I suggest everyone brace for anything unholy you can imagine—the moment they find the target, it's going to get wild," Zera explained, her face going pale.
"Has this happened before?" Belial asked, concern in his voice.
"No, but we've heard anecdotes from older Slayers and Twin Demons about how they react to malicious intent. This is textbook behaviour," Beelzebub replied, tensing as he scanned where the trio was staring.
At that moment, Lilith teleported into the cafeteria, locked onto a target, muttered, "Found you!" and unleashed several spells in that direction.
Her intervention allowed the trio to relax and go back to eating.
"Crisis averted." Beelzebub sighed in relief, slumping into his chair.
Servants arrived and hauled away two people frozen in mid-motion. Lilith turned to Bane, Yi, Er, and the Teachers, apologising for the incident. She promised to update them on the results and motives as soon as she knew more. With that, she vanished.
The group finished lunch and returned to the training chambers, resuming their routines as if nothing had happened.
—
Ruby, 15: Yo, did anyone else get chills when Bane, Yi, and Er all stopped in sync? That's some horror movie timing.
Dev, 21: Zera knew the assignment. "Brace for everything unholy"—I'd be prepping an escape plan if I were in that cafeteria.
Mina, 16: I want a replay of Lilith teleporting in and blasting the culprit. Imagine, you're mid-bite and magic erupts at the following table!
Ollie, 19: Not the Teachers just sighing and returning to lunch. This can't be the first time chaos nearly broke loose.
Patricia, 23: Bane, Yi, and Er going back to eating like nothing happened = peak unbothered energy. I aspire to that level of chill.
Jules, 18: Props to the tail-hug system. Protective and adorable. Sibling goals, tbh.
Josh, 16: Zera going pale and saying "brace for everything unholy" is peak Teacher panic.
Haruto, 20: If this is their reaction to trouble, I can't imagine what combat training looks like…
Aisha: Lilith apologising and then vanishing is so extra. Love the drama. Meanwhile, the trio are halfway through their next bao.
Dev: Can we get cafeteria cam footage of the frozen troublemakers being hauled off? Prime meme material.
Mina: New rule: if the trouble-trio stops and smiles, RUN.
Anna, 14: This Academy is wild. People are frozen mid-bite, and everyone's just like, 'lol, anyway, pass the salt.'
—
As the Senior Academy resumed its afternoon routines, a holomeeting was called in Headmistress Lilith's office.
The holographic interfaces shimmered to life, forming a circle above Lilith's grand table. As the figures resolved, Lilith stood at the centre—serene, but visibly tense. Surrounding her were the four Nursery Elders—Soleil, radiant and taciturn; Everdawn, thoughtful; Rowan, sharp-eyed; and Varkos, imposing.
Also present: the Council's official representative, a stern Inquisitor shrouded in a black cloak, and a stoic Warden dressed in matching black with a half-mask over his lower face.
Lilith: Thank you all for assembling so quickly. Have you received a full report of the cafeteria incident?
Nursery Elder Soleil (nodding): We have reviewed the footage. The trio's synchronised reaction to the threat was unmistakable.
Nursery Elder Everdawn: To see textbook behaviour play out so exactly—given what the older Slayers reported—demands we review our protocols.
Rowan (voice clipped): We must weigh the implications. If hostile actors can infiltrate so easily, we need stronger safeguards, especially with those three present.
Varkos (arms folded): They reacted instantly, Lilith. Not even the Wardens could have moved faster. Should we treat this as a precursor to something bigger?
Council Rep (voice distorted): Security protocols must be reviewed Academy-wide. For now, our focus is immediate: identify the culprits and motives, and upgrade threat detection.
Inquisitor (gaze sharp): I have begun interrogations. Early findings indicate deliberate infiltration, not random mischief. That level of intent could have endangered lives had you not intervened, Headmistress.
Warden: I will double patrol units and authorise augmented countermeasures. The trio are unique—if they are accurate threat detectors, we should study their responses more closely.
Lilith: Agreed. But their safety is paramount. I will also debrief Bane, Yi, and Er personally. Once we confirm the culprits' motives, further recommendations will follow.
Soleil: We stand ready to assist, Headmistress. The Nursery's resources are at your disposal.
Everdawn: I propose a second review, post-investigation, involving the trio to map their sensory triggers.
Council Rep: Acceptable. Maintain full documentation. We expect daily reports until this matter is resolved.
Lilith: Then we proceed. Thank you, everyone. And…thank you to the trio—even if they're unaware, their instincts likely saved lives today.
With a flick of Lilith's hands, the holographic figures dissolved one by one, leaving her alone in the silent office—eyes thoughtful, a plan already forming.