"Have you figured out what happened yesterday?"
The man in the black robe shook his head, "Their tongue is difficult to understand. I can pick up little pieces of words, but that's it."
"I was in the heart-shaped mirror and came across someone who said that some students were being scolded for studying from a notebook then taking an exam." A tall female in a purple dress responded, "All of these students have a sea anemone on their heads and he was threatening them with execution."
"What does this mean?" The black robe man turned to the brown robe man that had been there to welcome them to this realm.
The man nodded, "It seems that the students here have a period of exam and a period of the tournament every once in a while. They have a weird spirit weapon in the shape of a long tube with a gem on the top. They shout out some strange words and the can manipulate their surroundings around them. These people heavily depend on these weapons for everyday life. We've tried it out once, but nothing happened and it seems to have sucked our internal energy instead. Liu one, you have the most difficult territory. Beastmen roam that mirror."
"So, you say, but I have a demon in my mirror." A younger girl in black scowled.
"Liu eight..." Li one reprimanded with a direct stare at her dark pupil.
"Right, right..." The younger girl grimaced, "I won't act out... yet."
"You..."
The man sighed, "All I can say is that this school is very unusual. Students freely speak with the teachers and the teachers have teaching them to ride brooms..."
"A school of beastmen, humans, and demons..." The woman sneered in disgust, "Ha! It seems this school is have a rather laid-back life."
"Han Yan, watch yourself..." The man in white called out with a frown.
"You should listen to Huo Wei and do as you're told." Liu Eight said with a sneer on her face towards the older woman.
Han Yan glared back at the young girl with forced smile, "Very well... You would do well to do the same. Keep a close eye on the demon, but be careful not to get found..."
As the hostility between the two girls rose, the man who was here the longest sighed as he shook his head in dismay, "For now, we need to return to our mirror before sun rise. We'll meet again in the next three days."
"Right."
They watched as the two women left first unwillingly as if wanting to see who would retreat first before Han Yan took the first step to leave much to Liu Eight's satisfaction.
Watching the three leave, the man in the black robe turned to the one in white and the other in the red and said with a frown, "What do you think of the guy?"
The man in red sneered, "He's obviously lying. These kids are just fools too used to peace! Let me tell you this. When I tried to enter my designated mirror, I couldn't even get into the mirror! What's more, I saw Wu Ruo Gang easily enter his while the rest of us can't even get a single step into the mirror!"
"But, Kong Fang, you got in." The man in black responded.
"And then I was pushed out." He gnashed his teeth in anger, "Whoever that person was, I'll kill them!"
"Calm yourself, Kong Fang." The man in black warned harshly.
Kong Fang grumbled and folded his arms as he scowled. The man in lead said with a scowl, "It does not matter if he lies or not. In the end, he is destined to fall regardless of our intervention."
Hearing this, Kong Fang sneered, "A leader who cannot lead his own people properly is no different than a waste!"
The man in black did not respond. Instead, he turned to the man in white, "Huo Wei. What do you think?"
Huo Wei didn't respond as if in thought before the man in black shook his head with a sigh and dismissed the two. He remained there in the forest thinking quietly before looking to the transparent stone in his hand. He looked up to the orchards of chestnuts and apples in the area under the darkness. Just where exactly is this place?
.....
Lotus was just walking back after having made a small basket of fun shaped buns. had just opened the gates when she noticed two familiar figures pushed out of the dorms.
It was Grim and Yuu!
Grim threw out exclamations of disbelief as he finally calmed down a little under the chilly wind, "...uugh, are we gonna have to sleep out in the cold from now on... This sucks."
"Who's fault do you think it is..." Yuu shook his head in exasperation with a sigh.
It was then that the two heard her footsteps as Lotus walked up with a sigh and a hoarse voice, "I figured that you would be kicked out by now."
"L-l-lotus?!" Grim jolted in shock as he saw her with wide eyes, "Th-this is, well..."
Tightening his grip on his small luggage, Yuu grimaced, "We... had a contract made..."
"I heard." Lotus nodded with a sigh as she wrote her words out before shoving the basket of warm buns to them, "Have this. You're going to find a place to stay tonight, so you should start asking around."
"Oh!" Yuu looked to her in bewilderment, "Th-Thanks..."
Grim looked to her with teary eyes, "Mother Lotus is so nice... Waaah!!!"
Lotus threw Grim into Yuu's arms before he could wipe his nose on her pants and asked Yuu, "So, what are you going to do now, Prefect? Anyone in mind you can ask for help to let you spend the night at their place?"
"Ask for help..." Yuu thought for a bit as they walked to the gates.
"Don't worry about me." Lotus responded, "I've already talked things out with Azul beforehand. You must've known that his goal was the dorm since entering the contract with him. I'll stay here to keep an eye on the mansion, but we should first get you a place to stay for the night."
"Wah-!" Grim's eyes widen in bewilderment, "Then... the person who you heard this from..."
"Was Azul." Lotus finished writing for Grim before adding on more, "He gave me a heads up beforehand and I've convinced him to let me stay since I'm not a part of this case, this time."
"Hah?!" Grim looked to her with a scowl of annoyance, "You could've persuaded him to let us stay for the night somewhere!"
"That's enough, Grim." Yuu reprimanded the cat bluntly before turning to her, "It'd be for the best since he has a lot of injuries to recover from and his throat is still sore. More importantly, who can we ask?"
Lotus chuckled and said with a wide smile, "Is there any need to ask?"
"Hey, Prefect! Grim!"
"Ffna!" Grim's eyes widen in delight upon seeing the source of the voice had been Deuce who was followed by Jack and Ace, "Did you guys come to help us out?!"
"Hmm..." Ace grumbled in hesitation, "Grim aside, if the prefect doesn't have a place to stay, well y'know, we're kind the reason? I wouldn't be able to sleep well if he caught a cold or something from staying outside."
"You..." Grim stared at him deadpanned, "really aren't straightforward."
"We already spoke with Dorm Leader Rosehearts." Deuce explained, "If you're cool with staying in a four person first year room, we can at least offer you a place to sleep."
"You plan to shove the two of them into a four person room?" Jack pointed out with a frown, "Are there any vacant rooms in Heartslabyul?"
"There aren't any people getting held back or dropping out in our dorm, so it's completely full." Deuce explained with a disappointed look on his face.
"Then..." Jack hesitated nervously before continuing without looking at them in the eyes, "do you wanna come to Savanaclaw?"
"Eh?!?!"
All three trouble makers froze in bewilderment and gasped. Jack ignored the three and explained to Yuu and Lotus bluntly, "Even though I said I'd have your back dealing with Azul, I ended up not being able to do anything. And, they still owe you for the magift tournament stuff so I don't think Leona will refuse."
"Hooooh..." Deuce sneered mischievously when he heard this with curiosity.
"Eeeeh..." Ace smirked, "Jack is actually a pretty nice guy."
"Even though, you don't look it, y'know." Grim added with a smile on his face also in a mischevious manner.
Hearing the three tease him, Jack was instantly on guard as he glared at them, "D-Don't get the wrong idea!!! It would just be a pain if Prefect doesn't beat Azul when the next test period comes around!"
"Alright, alright!" Ace laughed it off with ease, "Let's leave it at that."
"You'll probably get better rest if you go with Jack's idea." Deuce nodded in agreement.
"If our dorm, you'd either be sleeping on the floor or sharing a bed with Deuce or I." Ace pointed out before a mischevious idea came to him and he sneered, "Ah, maybe you'd prefer that?"
Yuu sighed, "I don't like being cramped... So, I'll take you up on your offer to stay in Savanaclaw, Jack."
"Hahaha, it's just a joke." Ace laughed in amusement.
Lotus shook her head with a sigh as she folded her arms after handing them the note, "As long as the Prefect has a roof over his head, it's all right. Thank you very much, Jack."
"That's right." Yuu nodded with a smile, "Thank you for the help."
Jack nodded, "Then, let's get back to the dorm. It's almost midnight..."
He yawned as Ace waved, "See ya tomorrow, then!"
"Good night." Deuce waved as well before the two began to make their way back to their dorm hurriedly probably due to some curfew or something.
"I'll escort you guys to the hall of mirrors." Lotus responded, "The tarantulas are dead and I don't doubt Jack's ability against them, but let's just take precaution. The more in numbers the better."
Though reluctant, Jack raised a brow in question but was too tired to inquire the meaning behind her words as he nodded with a sigh, "Well, all right. Let's get this over with soon. I can't stay up any later than necessary."
Lotus nodded and followed them to the hall of mirrors before handing a small note to Jack and asked him to pass it onto Ruggie if Leona and Ruggie were against the idea.