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The morning sun spilled through the classroom windows, lighting up rows of desks and sleepy faces. Kirota sat down in his new seat and let out a long sigh.
"Why do I have to sit next to you again?" he muttered.
Suzuka didn't even look up from her book. "I didn't ask for this either."
Kirota slumped in his chair. Just my bad luck.
At the front of the room, Renjior clapped his hands with that same grin that never seemed to leave his face.
"Alright, everyone! As you've already noticed, we have a new student joining us today."
Every head turned toward Kirota. The looks he got weren't friendly—mostly glares, some whispers, and one sigh of annoyance.
Renjior chuckled. "No need to look at him like he's a demon. Well… not entirely, anyway."
Kirota froze. "What did you just—"
"Nothing! Moving on!" Renjior said quickly, waving it off. "Let me explain how our school works."
He pointed to the different uniforms in the room.
"As you can see, we have different colors for each class. Class A wears white—they're the elites, the top students with the strongest abilities and the highest integrity."
Kirota tilted his head, squinting. "So… they're like the teacher's favorites?"
Renjior ignored him. "Class B wears red—second highest in rank. They handle most combat assignments. Class C wears blue—they specialize in investigation and strategy, studying demon weaknesses."
He paused, smiling mischievously. "And you, my lovely students, are Class D—the ones in black."
He leaned forward. "You're the bottom of the bottom."
The class groaned. Kirota dropped his head onto his desk. "Great. I'm officially part of the loser class. Figures."
Renjior clapped again. "Don't sound so sad! Today's your first real training. You'll be split into four teams. Your mission: find as many Ka Balls as possible hidden around the training field."
He raised three fingers.
"Green Ball—10 points. Red—20 points. Yellow—30 points. But remember—each one is guarded by a demon. Whoever gets the most points wins."
The class murmured with excitement. Renjior pulled out a deck of cards.
"Take one card. Whoever has the same symbol will be your team."
Kirota took a card and turned it over. The picture was of a fox. He looked up—Suzuka held the same one.
His face dropped. "Oh, come on. Again?!"
Suzuka smirked slightly. "Try not to slow me down."
Before Kirota could reply, a girl with long blonde hair and sharp eyes strolled up, hand on her hip.
"You've got to be kidding me," she said. "I'm paired with these commoners?"
Renjior called from the front, "Ah yes, that's Eriya Kazenome, from the wind magic family!"
Eriya flicked her hair. "Obviously."
Then a boy with red gloves and messy hair cracked his knuckles and joined them. "Guess I'm with you losers too. Name's Natsu Raze. Don't get in my way."
Kirota sighed. "Just my bad luck."
Renjior grinned at the four of them. "Perfect! Team Kirota versus Team Jasuto! Let's see which group can bring back the most Ka Balls!"
The sound of the bell echoed. The training grounds outside were huge—like a forest inside a dome. Trees, rocks, and shadows stretched in every direction.
Kirota rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, before we start, let's at least introduce ourselves properly."
He pointed at himself. "Kirota Akamura. Just a normal unlucky guy."
Suzuka crossed her arms. "Suzuka Hokari."
Eriya yawned. "You already know me. Eriya Kazenome. Air magic. Try not to die."
Natsu smirked. "Natsu Raze. Fire control. And for the record, I don't take orders from weaklings."
Before anyone could stop him, he charged straight into the forest.
Kirota blinked. "Wait! You idiot—it's supposed to be a team exercise!"
Eriya shrugged. "Whatever. I'll go too. I work better alone." She dashed off after him.
Kirota stood there, watching them vanish. "Unbelievable. It's like they're trying to fail."
He looked at Suzuka, who was already adjusting her gloves. "Don't tell me you're leaving too."
"I'm only here to watch you," she said. "Remember—you're half demon. I need to make sure you don't lose control."
Kirota sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, yeah… watch the half demon. What a great start to the semester."
He looked toward the trees where his "teammates" had disappeared, muttering under his breath.
"This has to be another test. Probably to see how bad my luck can get."
And with that, he stepped forward into the shadow of the forest, where the first demon was already waiting.
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