Kohaku watched his students patiently during training.
"Come on, kids, it's already the end of October, don't be lazy."
They all directed an exhausted look at Kohaku.
"Alright, since you two are Maldit, you can only fight with weapons. Understood?" Kohaku asked, pointing at Rossetti and Takumi.
"This useless guy doesn't even know how to use a knife," Rossetti spat, pointing her weapon at Takumi.
He simply remained silent. Clearly, Rossetti was not one of his favorite people.
"And you do~?" Kohaku questioned with a challenging smile.
"My father is ex-military. He taught me how to use all kinds of weapons."
"Good. Then, Ryouma, step forward."
The young man approached slowly, stretching out an arm in a gesture inviting combat.
"Okay. Ryouma has trained with me for 10 years. Let's see what you can do."
Rossetti nodded confidently. She approached with swift steps and attacked with great coordination, but Ryouma dodged every one of her blows.
"Wow, and I thought he only knew long-range attacks," Hotaru mentioned, her eyes following every move. Takumi was also impressed.
"Ryouma, stop playing around~."
At those words, the boy grabbed Rossetti's arm, taking her down with a single motion and leaving her on the ground.
"What?" Her voice was filled with total disbelief.
"Exorcists receive specialized training from a young age, and if they train with me, their potential becomes immeasurable. Crybaby girls aren't welcome."
"I'm not a crybaby!"
Although Rossetti wanted to argue more, she was stopped by Hotaru.
"Well done!"
Takumi's hand remained suspended in the air, being analyzed by Ryouma, who accepted the gesture out of politeness.
"You're amazing."
"It's nothing much."
"Ha, ha, ha, I'm not talking about your strength, I mean for putting up with Kohaku for so long. Although you're also very good in combat."
"… Yeah, he's very annoying, but let's just say he adopted me or something. He's my benefactor, nothing formal."
Takumi was surprised. Suddenly, he understood why Ryouma had been so efficient with the gelatinous Ghost that day.
Kohaku smiled softly, observing the skills of each of his students.
"Good, we'll do a two-on-two."
Hotaru chose Rossetti, but at that moment they were separated, forcing Takumi to pair up with his worst enemy.
"Hey, you, I was going with Rosse."
"No, no, everyone has to become friends," Kohaku responded in a mocking tone.
The match started. Neither team could land a single hit; however, friction soon arose between Rossetti and Takumi.
"Stop getting in my way!" she yelled.
"You're the one who's in the way! I'm trying to do what I can."
"Well, you can't do anything!"
"This is going to be difficult…" Kohaku murmured with a tired sigh.
Because of their constant squabbling, they didn't see their rivals approaching, who began striking every weak point. Before they could fall, the sound of the base's megaphone interrupted everything. It was the Director's voice:
"Immediate support required in Shinjuku. A Class Dua Ghost is attacking the city. All available exorcists, report immediately."
"Good, it's about time!" Kohaku's grin widened. He turned to his students, grabbing each by the scruff of their shirts. "Your moment has come, it's time to grow, my chicks."
He gave each of them their weapons and then led them to the center of the academy.
"Ready?" They all shook their heads 'no,' but Kohaku ignored them.
He positioned them in a large circle, using his gravity ability.
"Juten," Kohaku pronounced. With a snap of his fingers, he sent them all suddenly shooting into the air.
"Ahhh!" everyone screamed while hugging each other, except Ryouma, who was already used to it.
They landed in the middle of a devastated street. Before them, a Ghost that looked like a rusty beast was devouring civilians.
In the sky, a news helicopter was broadcasting the scene live.
"React!" Ryouma ordered, snapping them out of their daze.
Takumi froze, watching the blood fall. Old memories assaulted him, and his feet refused to move.
Within seconds, the Ghost caught him and swallowed him in a single bite.
"Hoshino!" Hotaru shouted, before the creature did the same to Rossetti.
Hotaru tried to grab Rossetti's hand without any success.
Both were gulped down.
"Agh…!?"
They slid down the monster's trachea, feeling a very strong, acidic odor reaching their lungs.
Inside the Ghost's stomach, the scene was infernal. Human remains floated in the gastric juices.
"Don't vomit! We have to get out of here!" Rossetti ordered, covering her nose.
"It's disgusting…! This place is horrible…" Takumi commented, feeling his clothes and skin begin to disintegrate.
"What did you expect?! Flowers!?" she yelled, losing her patience.
"At least it would be less stressful if you weren't here!"
Without thinking, Rossetti slapped him.
"Well, at least I'm not a crybaby who doesn't know what to do!"
They stared at each other. Panic enveloped them, but neither wanted to admit they were equally scared.
Outside, Hotaru and Ryouma tried to defeat the Ghost.
"Its skin is too hard!" Hotaru complained.
"I know. It's like armor," Ryouma responded, closing his mouth, attacking with a giant crow that aided him.
Inside the stomach, Rossetti fell to her knees, overwhelmed, the gastric juices splashing and burning her skin.
Takumi watched her. For the first time, he saw her as vulnerable.
Then, he decided to plunge his hands among the corpses, finding Rossetti's two knives. Despite the pain, he grabbed them, throwing the sharp objects in Rossetti's direction.
"Come on!" he shouted.
She saw her weapons, quickly grabbed them, and as she plunged each one into the creature's interior, everything shook more violently.
The two tore at the Ghost's insides with all their strength.
The monster writhed in pain. Takumi took the opportunity to grab another weapon and drive it in deep.
Ryouma saw the opening and, together with his creature, launched a precise attack. Tearing a piece off the Ghost.
"Now, Hotaru!"
"This is for eating my friend, crucifixion!"
As soon as she shouted that, Hotaru threw a doll along with a nail, nailing the doll to the ground. The Ghost exploded. All the present exorcists shielded the civilians from the monster's parts.
Amid the debris, Rossetti and Takumi fell, soaked in blood and a corrosive greenish liquid.
"Takumi!"
"Livia!"
Hotaru and Ryouma ran towards them, helping them up. Their bodies were soaked in acid, revealing parts of muscle and bone.
Shortly after, Kohaku arrived accompanied by a brown-haired woman with a gentle expression.
"I present to you, Koko. She will heal you."
In the infirmary, both were covered in bandages.
"Koko?" Takumi asked.
"My name is Lina Kobayashi. But you can call me Koko," she said while using her healing ability on both of them, having a very sweet presence.
"Koko is the best healer, and she's not even a Heli," Kohaku's tone made his pride clear.
"Heli? You mean the healer exorcists, right?" Hotaru questioned, hoping for a response.
"Oh, yes. Koko is so good she's the teacher of two Class S kids. Meanwhile, I... have a lot to polish."
Kohaku's gaze swept over each of his students. His smile was mocking, though it also held a touch of affection.
"The difficult projects are always the best," Koko commented.
At Koko's remark, everyone felt offended; Kohaku, however, smiled with amusement.
Once alone, Rossetti approached Takumi, avoiding looking directly at him.
"Sorry... You're not as cowardly as I thought."
Takumi looked at her in surprise.
"It's fine. You're right: I'm not an exorcist and maybe I never will be. But at least I want to help."
He offered her a soft smile. His parents had taught him to forgive, even when it wasn't easy.
"Thank you…"
They were both a bit awkward, until a voice broke the tension.
"Come on, I know there's romantic tension. Pretend I'm not here, you can kiss with confidence," both young faces turned a bright red.
"You had to ruin the moment, Prof. Kohaku," Hotaru said, following Ryouma.
Ryouma grabbed Kohaku by the arm and dragged him away.
"That idiot… whatever, you helping me today doesn't mean I accept you, goodbye."
Takumi just watched Rossetti's back. He didn't feel better, and yet he felt stable.
The doctor watched him tenderly while sipping her soda.
"Young love is the weirdest kind."
This snapped Takumi out of his thoughts.
"It's not love, and thank you very much," he said, with a bit of embarrassment and nervousness, before leaving the place.
---
The sun continued to shine, giving warmth to everyone. The footsteps were slow, everyone gathered in a small room.
A young woman eating sweets with a small child, two men drinking tea, and two others talking.
"You finally made it, Shiro. Did you find the 'Umbra Core'?"
"Yes, it's located in France. I need one of the many bait groups for the mission."
"Good, I'll send you the best-prepared group. Meanwhile, I'll make some calls to get the passports."
"Agreed."
The man in white took a large gulp of his rum before standing up and looking at everyone.
"It's so hard to be a decent villain."
The black-haired man laughed, watching the situation with tenderness and innocence.
"We're not villains. We're a family that will soon have a place to live…"