"So you're saying that the man in armour told you to come down here to train every day?" Fuller asked in disbelief.
Amari simply nodded, trying to hide his cold from standing in the darkroom for so long.
"Wait, let me see if I'm getting this shit right," Fuller spat, holding up his fingers. First off, you defeat a large number of puppet soldiers who are at least on your level. Then you defeat the first strong puppet soldier, the Swordsman in a short amount of time, breaking barely any to no sweat. The same applies to the Archer-"
"Hey, the archer hurt me a little. See right there!" Amari defended, pointing to the healing burn inflicted by the final arrow.
Fuller shut him off, touching his lips. "I'm not done, Raion'shalang. Next, you meet the General who tells you he wants to train you every day when you are admitted to the academy. So in total, you finished the Death Battle exam in five hours, which is record time by the way."
"And after all that you still think it took so long?"
Amari looked at the door then at Fuller, considering his choices.
"Uhmm, yes?"
The Ifrit's face turned dark and a gout of steam came out of his ears and nose."That's the wrong answer you ungrateful bitch!"
'Wait what?'
"Did steam just come out of your face?" Amari asked as he squinted at the other demon.
"That-that's not the point okay? What I'm trying to say is that you're ungrateful!"
"Yes, yes, yes, this is a grate ful of deez nuts or whatever you said. Steam just came out of your face!"
Spit flew out of his mouth as he fell to the ground, pointing a single finger at the Ifrit.
"Deez what? What does that mean? So forget what you just saw!"
"Sure, sure. I'll forget soon anyway…"
'Gear 2nd!' he completed the joke in his head and moved towards the door.
They walked into a large open field and the door disappeared when they shut it.
"What, where are we?" Fuller murmured, forgetting what had happened before. Amari looked over at the Ifrit.
He asked, on guard. "So you're saying you don't recognize this place?"
"No, I don't."
The demon also stretched both arms out, prepared for anything. But…
An old, croaky voice yelled. "Whoa, calm down boys. It is me. I only took some liberties and decided to send you my way."
Amari and Fuller turned to meet the old man from before; the principal of the academy.
"Sir!" Fuller bowed flatly.
The old man waved him off though, focusing all attention on Amari.
"Little boy, you said you were raised in the woods. What were your parents' names? They're probably strong if they could raise a boy as strong as you!"
Amari examined the old man and the new familiar voice that the old man spoke with and answered reluctantly.
"My mother's name was Reida and my father's name is Felaud."
The old man stared at him, his green eyes unblinking. Amari could sense nor see any emotion from within the man's eyes or body movements, but something told him to keep his lips sealed.
"Reida and Felaud I see. Why do you speak of your mother like she was in the past?"
There it was!
The question Amari expected. He couldn't be too sure whether this old man was in league with the Plaenia family, but one could never be too cautious.
So he put on a regretful look. "She passed away not long before I met the Ifrits. I don't find myself comfortable talking about this."
It was a half-truth and better for everyone that way.
The old man seemed no wiser and nodded.
"Well, I'm sorry for your loss. That was about all, I needed to tell you. I hope you will feel at home at the Academy. Due to the special circumstances of you passing the Death Battle Exam to such an extent, we cannot place you in the first year."
Amari paused for a moment at this information but the old man kept going.
"You will be in the second year with Fuller and the rest of the Ifrits. And your first-year classes will be held in conjunction with your second-year ones. Don't worry, neither are particularly over-theoretical. And from what I've seen you'll do just fine."
"I understand, sir." Amari bowed in compliance with the protocol.
"Good. That is all I wanted to say. Fuller will help you with the rest. Come on, I will take you to the academy grounds now."
The old man slapped two hands on their shoulders and a small tornado carried them away. When they were dropped off, the old man was gone.
He sighed, slouching down.
"That old man is such a pain in the ass,"
"Shhh," Fuller put a hand to his lips, pointing at something.
'Huh?' Amari arched his eyebrows and turned his head to the place the other demon pointed at.
"Oh."
He stood before a massive red building that resembled a castle rather than a school. He groaned to himself as he craned his neck up to see the tall structures, barely making out the stony figures of gargoyles.
And if there was anything he could tell from reading enough books it was that gargoyles in castles ALWAYS recorded.
"I don't suppose it heard me, right?"
Fuller said nothing and walked forward. That was his answer.
'Fuck me!'
They were already on the castle's territory and only needed to step through a single door before entering the castle.
Instantly the faint smell of old books drew him in.
'I've missed this!'
The rippling of pages filled the air with a cacophonic rhythm that he enjoyed. A few murmurs and whispers jutted in in-between the sounds of the pages. It was terrific, but there was only one.
"Fuller… why are all these people reading in the hallway?"
Then, Fuller said probably the scariest thing he'd heard all day.
"These people are third years."
"Finals!"