"You... old? You look like a seventeen-year-old thug," Mel rolled her eyes with an unimpressed look.
"Oi, who you calling a thug? Always assuming shit... oh, my bad language," Asura replied. The old man chuckled at the insult, amused while he rubbed his beard.
"You'll do nicely on this team." He commented as he walked away. "There's still one member missing, but he'll be here soon."
"For now, it's time for class." He turned as he stopped before the door. "You, too, must attend, Asura. We need to brief you on the situation and what's happening in the world before you can begin to help."
Asura stretched and glanced around, clearly disinterested. "Class is borrringggg. Unless it leads to more fights, count me out."
His face scrunched as he thought about whether he had declared his name. "Wait, how do you know my name?" He asked.
A giant smile spread across the old man's face, his eyes glowing passionately.
"Battles and fights, wars and death. Those are some of the few guarantees in this life. You are confident and strong, but your intelligence is lacking. If you're going to help us, you need to know more than just how to throw a fist. I'm not asking, I'm telling you."
Asura casually placed two arms behind his head while tucking the other two into his jacket's pockets. He paused, surprised. I still have pockets? His torn, bullet-ridden carcass of a jacket had miraculously returned to its pristine state. Intrigued, he murmured, "Huh... suddenly, I'm interested in learning."
"We just trained and sparred all day." Mel groaned in protest. "Can we take a break?"
The old man ignored her protest and strode out the door. With little choice, they reluctantly followed him down the hallway. As they navigated the building, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed ahead. Asura tensed, expecting more scornful faces to appear. But instead, Lily, Marco, and Joel came sprinting around the corner, their excitement on full display in their giggling faces,
Behind them, a nun's exasperated voice rang out, "Slow down! No running in the Cathedral!"
Ignoring the warning, the children rushed forward, their excitement driving their legs toward their savior. As they reached his legs, Lily was the first to speak, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
"Mister demon, mister demon!" She smiled with a childish grin, "What are you doing?"
Asura grinned as he effortlessly lifted Lily onto his left arm, using both of his lower arms to steady her. "Just beating up some idiots," he said with a smirk.
Mel rolled her eyes and walked by, ignoring the immature taunt. However, Ash muttered under his breath, "Moronic demon must've cheated or something." as he followed behind her.
Asura's face twisted with disgust. "Racist Bastards."
"Language!" The old man's voice boomed with anger.
Asura shrank his neck as if he had a turtle shell, preparing for a blow. But nothing came. The ogre waited, but the old man seemed uninterested in further discipline as he walked away. However, his blazing stare made it clear another slip of the tongue would not be pleasant.
"My bad," Asura mumbled as he grasped Lily close. "My bad," Asura muttered, holding Lily a little closer. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small white flower, offering it to him with a bright smile. He hesitated at first, eyeing the delicate bloom with suspicion. Experience had taught him one undeniable truth about children: their pockets were bottomless pits of mystery, often filled with the most bizarre and unsanitary treasures.
"This is for you, mister," Lily bubbled. "It's like your eyes."
Asura blinked in surprise but accepted the flower, turning it over in his fingers. A soft, rare smile curved his lips as he examined the flower. He had only experienced such gestures long ago. Yet, this simple act warmed his chest.
"Thank you," he softly said.
Mel watched the moment unfold, and despite her disdain for the ogre, she could not help but smile. The children's kindness was touching, even if Asura did not deserve it. Then, to her absolute horror, he popped the flower into his mouth and ate it in one bite.
Mel, Ash, and the nun stared in stunned disbelief, but Lily only giggled. "You're silly, mister demon!"
The nun hurried forward, her face pale with alarm as she swiftly pulled Lily from Asura's arms. Horror flickered in her eyes. How could they have allowed a monster to hold a child so casually? Sensing her unease, the old man spoke up, his voice calm but firm.
"It's alright," he assured her. "He won't harm her. He saved them from the cultists. If he intended any harm, he wouldn't have brought them here in the first place. Besides," he added, meeting her gaze, "we have a control engraving on him if that eases your concerns."
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes as if she expected him to be joking. Without another word, she hastily gathered the children and hurried away. "Just keep your demon on a leash and away from them."
"Aren't you supposed to be nice or something?" Asura scoffed."Judgment-free zone, my ass!"
He turned to the old man, tossing a gesture towards the nun walking away. "So, you all got racist nuns, racist paladins...don't tell me your police are racist too, huh?"
The old man sighed and firmly grasped Asura's shoulders, steering him forward. "Enough," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. The others fell in line behind them. They had already wasted too much time, and every minute counted. After a short walk, they stopped in front of a simple wooden door.
The old man turned to Asura with a knowing smile. "Welcome to most people's hell," he said. "The classroom."
The door swung open, revealing a modest-sized room. Before Asura, Mel and Ash stepped inside, approaching a row of seats. Asura, well-versed in television drama, immediately recognized the setup. It was a college classroom. Before being summoned to this realm, he had spent countless hours watching a dreadful show about college students who were far too invested in each other's love lives.
A scent of old paper and dry-erase marker immediately bombarded his keen, houndlike nose. Yup, they were right… This does smell like dread and boredom. He crinkled his nose, trying to shake the scent out.
Tiered rows of seats lined the room, leading down to a single desk with a table beside it, the teacher's station, Asura assumed. At its center, the old man stood, his sharp gaze locked onto Asura, silently demanding compliance before the lesson could begin.
Taking the hint, Asura strolled toward the seats. Mel had claimed a spot in the back, while Ash sat up front. Settling on the middle row, Asura casually propped his feet onto the desk before him. With a lean back, he rested his upper hands behind his head while the others remained tucked in his pockets.
"I can already tell you're the teacher's pet," Asura sneered at Ash.
Ash ignored him, propping his head on his hand. "I refuse to take the bait," He knew all too well that the old man's punishments were the stuff of nightmares. The mere thought of scrubbing down the exorcism room, a place tainted by rituals to expel the possessed or execute captured monsters, was enough to make him swallow his pride.
The old man smiled at the three of them. "Let's begin with the basics, shall we?"
"Do we really need to cover this again?" Mel groaned. "You've drilled this into us a thousand times."
"We have a newcomer who knows nothing of our realm," the old man replied. "It would be foolish to let Asura join us unprepared. Besides, your last test scores suggest you could use a refresher too, Mel." His sharp, scrutinizing gaze lingered for a moment.
He reached across his desk, grabbed hold of a book, and slipped a pair of small glasses upon his face. "First, a review of the common monster races in this realm. The six that appear the most are Dragons, Succubi, Beasts, the Fallen, Shadows, and Giants. There are eight races in total, but fairies appear from time to time, and ogres are far rarer." His eyes drifted to the ogre that laid back in his classroom. "Asura, I believe, is the first in centuries."
The old man gave Asura an expectant stare, but the ogre had already drifted off, a trail of drool slipping from his lip. With a sharp bang, the old man slammed his book against the desk, jolting Asura awake. Letting out a weary sigh, he thought, This is going to be more difficult than I expected.
He continued, "Dragons, Shadows, and Fairies all possess vast quantities of demonic mana."
"It's called quotidian mana," Asura mumbled, correcting him. "Or just ordinary mana if you're anyone else other than a human."
The old man paused, intrigued by Asura's comment, but didn't press further as the ogre sat in silence. "They are the three strongest monster races. Their order is unknown, but we believe dragons are the most powerful."
"Wait till you see the strongest fallen or blood knight," Asura mumbled. "Those guys are scary."
"Each race has unique skills and sometimes a type of mana that no other race can produce," the old man continued. "Ogres haven't appeared in a long time, so little is known about them.
He paused as the humans all turned to look for an answer. "Any insights, Asura?" He asked.
"Building," Asura grunted as if the answer were obvious.
The old man blinked. "Building?"
"Yup."
He waited for elaboration, but Asura clammed up again. The old man had never heard of ogres excelling at building or crafting. What do they build? He made a mental note to investigate later.
"Though we know about the Shadows, we don't confront them often," the old man resumed. "Most prefer to remain hidden, acting as scouts gathering information. The Fallen and Beasts use their monstrous forms and demonic mana to enhance their strength. Beasts, as you might expect, act on instinct, like animals. But they are far more intelligent than ordinary creatures. The higher their rank and mana, the smarter they become. Don't underestimate them. The Fallen are similar, but their lower ranks, like the Grulls, are unintelligent, following orders blindly. Their upper ranks, however, are more formidable than most other races."
The old man scanned his students, already bracing himself for a long lesson. He needed them to understand, but enthusiasm was in short supply. Asura was quietly thudding his head against the desk, Ash scribbled notes with unwavering focus, and Mel, slumped in her chair, had completely dozed off. With a heavy sigh, the old man slammed his book against the desk once more. Mel jolted upright, eyes wide, while Asura finally looked up, begrudgingly paying attention.
"I promise I'm listening!" Mel declared, righting herself.
"The giants are monstrously tall humanoids born with the ability to control some elements, primarily fire and ice," the old man continued. "Their strength and elemental manipulation make them incredibly dangerous. All monsters can use demonic magic, but not all races wield it the same way. Dragons are masters of all elements and spells: fire, ice, earth, air, lightning, you name it, they'll surpass you. The only exception is nature magic. Fairies are unrivaled in controlling and manipulating their environment. Trees become monsters, flowers become carnivorous, and the bees will sting you to death."
Asura perked up at the mention of bees. The old man sounded like he spoke from experience. The idea of this powerful geezer losing a fight to a swarm of bees amused Asura. Was it bumblebees? Hornets? He giggled at the thought.
"Eight monster kings rule the monster races," the old man said. "Judex Divinum created nine realms, dividing them by race. Each king is unique, with traits that set them apart from even their own kind. An example is Tiamat, the mother of dragons, who has five heads, each mastering a different element, making her a nightmare in combat. The kings possess incredible power, rivaled only by the others.
He sipped a drink as his throat dried from the constant lecture.
"Thankfully, they haven't shown interest in harassing the human world...yet. Within each race, rankings are determined by strength. The weakest are the grunts, Grulls, Magmatic Bears, unorganized monsters roaming the land."
"Next are the captains, stronger, more adept in mana, and each commanding a small group of monsters. Above them are the centurions, who lead legions and multiple captains under their command. But the second rank belongs to the Apocalypses. Apocalypses are second only to the monster kings, serving as their generals. Each king has three, and together, they command hordes vast enough to topple entire cities." He paused to emphasize his following statement.
"They're called Apocalypses for a reason. If one were to cross over to this realm, it could mean the end of millions of lives."
Asura sat up, irritation flickering across his face. The humans were not entirely wrong about how monster armies operated, but they were not entirely right. Plenty of creatures defied that rigid hierarchy, those who rejected the kingdoms and chose their path. The structured ranks only applied to those willing to serve.
Still, Asura did not bother correcting them. Explaining the nuances was not worth the effort. Their system worked well enough, he supposed. But things would be far more interesting if those rogue monsters started making an appearance.
"Why are you wasting time explaining this to a monster from one of those realms?" Asura asked, his tone edged with skepticism.
The old man paused, his gaze steady as he regarded Asura. "Just in case you happen to be a little special and require some guidance."
Asura stiffened, irritation flaring. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
In the seats below, Ash let out a low chuckle while leaning back, clearly entertained by the sideways sneer shot back in his direction. Asura's glare snapped toward him, his irritation mounting. Without hesitation, he leaned forward over the desk, drawing back his arm, poised to deliver a sharp blow to the back of Ash's head.
However, a few words caught his ear. "Let's talk about Angel and Temple rankings," the old man interrupted.
Asura froze. He had heard whispers of Angels, divine beings spoken of with awe by the other races. They were guardians of heaven with unrivaled power, but that was the extent of his knowledge. The concept of holy mana was also intriguing to his kind. It was challenging to study, and those who possessed knowledge guarded it closely.
According to the humans, it was completely different from quotidian, or what they referred to as quotidian mana. Asura's interest was piqued. This could lead to more entertaining fights.
"Is everyone as strong as Mel?" he asked, slowly resigning himself to his seat.
A wide smile spread across the old man's face as he smoothed back his hair. He finally had Asura's full attention.
"Sadly, no. Mel is a Paladin-ranked priest. She's quite strong, with a higher rank than most you'll encounter." He motioned towards Ash, "Higher than Ash."
"So, what's Ash then?"
"Ash is a High Priest, the rank below." The old man stated bluntly, while Ash withdrew his face into his hand as if to hide in shame.
Asura laughed. "No wonder he was so weak. Baby—uh, bitter—bitter boy..."
The old man's gaze sharpened his mana, stirring within, was a clear warning Asura dared not ignore. So the ogre fell back into his seat, avoiding the weighing glare that seemed to hold his head.
Irritation flashed across Ash's face as he shoved his chair back and rose to his feet. "I'. "I'll kill you next time we fight," he snarled. "Why are we even bothering with this?" He gestured to the old man.
"You're a demon, we should have killed you on sight. I'll slit that throat so my ears can stop being clawed at whenever you speak."
The word demon again. Asura's face contorted with fury, his mind slipping into a blind rage as the madness of anger consumed him. "Want to go again, sore loser?"
He jumped onto the desk, his feet slapping against the wood with a heavy thud. "For a bunch of priests, you sure love being racist." Asura forcefully shoved Ash back, "I told you once, I ain't a demon. I'm an ogre, you moron."
Ash stumbled but regained his footing. However, Asura pursued after, with his rage not sated. "Can't call all humans, murderers, can you? Same applies to us, asshole."
He glanced at the old man, expecting a reprimand. Yet, the old man's expression was soft, attentive as if listening to his words. "You can't lump us all together when we are not even from the same lineage." Asura shoved a finger into Ash's chest, "Next time we brawl, I will not make the mistake of letting you live."
As the two continued hurling insults at each other, the old man let out a weary sigh, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Their constant bickering was grating on his patience. Without warning, he slammed his fist against the wall beside him, the impact shaking the entire room.
Both boys froze, their bravado vanishing in an instant. Scrambling to their seats, they sat stiffly, unwilling to risk the old man's wrath. Their expressions, wide-eyed and guilty, reminded him of scolded puppies, fully aware they had misbehaved but desperate to avoid punishment.
"Now that it's quiet again," the old man continued, "let's resume. In every realm, monsters cannot be killed without holy or demonic mana. It's a law of the universe that humans have yet to discover why. For an unknown reason, when Judex Divinum created the races, humans were left without this ability."
"Quotidian mana," Asura mumbled, irritation lying behind his eyes.