On a secluded hill deep within a forest, a shrine stood, its walls covered with paper talismans bearing the kanji for "sealed." One might expect a dangerous demon to be imprisoned within this sacred place. Yet inside, an orange-haired teenager sat lounging, watching TV and munching on junk food.
It had been two weeks since the incident in the forest, and Kintaro had been confined to this shrine, with little to do but wait. Bored but patient, he passed the days idly, occasionally visited by Azumi-sensei or Samunami-sensei, who would check in on him.
To keep him from going stir-crazy, Kintaro received the occasional visit, and today was one of those days. The shrine door creaked open, and in walked Samunami, dressed casually in a cropped hoodie and baggy black pants.
"Oh, Kintaro," she sang, spotting him sprawled on the floor, crumbs scattered around him. He looked up, surprised but curious.
"What's up?" he asked as she reached into the bag slung over her shoulder.
"Oh, just some good news—and a gift." She stepped closer and clipped something to his shirt.
"What's that?" He looked down, catching sight of a small gold pin gleaming on his chest.
His eyes widened with excitement as realization dawned. "Is this…?"
Samunami smiled. "Your very own pin. It's official—from this day forward, you are now a sorcerer."
Kintaro beamed, playing with the pin on his chest. "What now? Do I get to go on crazy missions or something?" He pumped his fists excitedly, bouncing on his feet.
"Not quite," Samunami replied with a slight smirk. "While you did face down a spirit, your teachers mentioned you still don't really know what it means to be a sorcerer. And then there's the matter of the two spirits inside you."
He froze, nervous and a bit confused. "Two? I thought it was just Temebris."
"Well, you're half-right. But the power you used against the panda spirit didn't come from Temebris. His is a power of pure destruction. So, you actually have two spirits sealed inside you." She chuckled, crossing her arms. "I can't lie—I'm a little jealous."
Kintaro looked down at his hands, turning them over thoughtfully before glancing back at her. "So… what happens now?"
Samunami smiled. "Not much, really. You'll keep training to be a sorcerer, like we talked about—but I'll be keeping a watchful eye on you."
Kintaro nodded, grunting in agreement. "Alright, so before I go, I'll give you a quick crash course on the basics of sorcery," Samunami said, standing up and placing a glass orb in his hands.
"Let's start with the basics of the basics—chi," she began. "Chi is the life force that exists in everything, living or not. For sorcerers to use their abilities, they must channel chi. Sorcerers combine chi with specific skills to create what we call a soul technique."
She picked up another glass orb, holding it in front of him. "This is chi." The orb began to glow a faint blue, a swirl of whitish light moving inside it. "And this…" The orb started to frost over, freezing solid until it became a sphere of ice. "This is a soul technique."
She extended the orb toward him. "Now, you try."
He looked at the ball, straining his eyes, his expression gradually shifting to frustration. He sighed, annoyed. "This isn't working."
Samunami rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Chi is a part of your body. Try imagining it like reaching an arm into the orb."
He closed his eyes, concentrating hard. He focused until his face was tense with effort—but nothing happened. The orb remained unchanged.
"That's odd," she muttered. "Even children can usually manage this method." She stepped down from the table, noticing the frustration on his face. "This is useless!" he growled.
"Don't worry; I'll make sure you get some extra time to—" She glanced at the clock, suddenly realizing the hour. "Oops! Looks like I lost track of time." She slipped down from the table as Kintaro sat there, visibly irritated. He mumbled under his breath, "Didn't exactly teach me a lot…"
She chuckled, handing him a bag. "Your new teacher will cover the rest." He opened the bag, finding fresh clothes inside, and looked up at her.
"Can't have you looking bad on your first day, now can we?"
——————————-
Kintaro stood in front of a door—a door to a new future. Dressed in fresh clothes, he wore a sleek black high-collared long-sleeve shirt with white stripes circling the sleeves, paired with wide black pants and fingerless gloves. All were gifts from Samunami.
His fingers tightened around the strap of his book bag, a mixture of nerves and anticipation swirling in his chest. He knew that once he stepped through this door, a new life awaited—one filled with unknown experiences, both good and bad.
Taking a deep breath, Kintaro grabbed the doorknob, twisting it open. He stepped inside.
The room revealed itself to be a classroom, with rows of desks arranged upward in tiers. A few students were already scattered about, chatting or settling in. His eyes quickly landed on someone familiar—someone he hadn't expected to see.
"Damnit!" Kintaro groaned, palming his face in frustration as he locked eyes with his so-called 'rival,' Chino Tanka.
"What are you doing here?" they both said in unison, glaring at each other.
Kintaro grimaced. Damnit, this was supposed to be my story… now I have to deal with this showoff too? Ugh, just my luck.
Kintaro cursed silently in his head.
"Hey! You two know each other or something?" A friendly voice called out from the back of the class.
Kintaro turned to see two figures walking down toward him.
One of them was a dark-skinned boy with mid-length dreads, his eyes a striking red with black irises. He wore a cream-colored tank top, and below, traditional battle monk attire—loose, wide pants bound with white wrappings from his calves to his ankles, paired with open-toed shoes.
Beside him was another boy with straight and smooth hair, with long shoulder length bangs. A small pony tall in the back of his head formed from bangs that would've cover his forehead. He wore an open-collared black jacket over a white shirt, wide black pants, and two small katana blades strapped to each side of his waist.
"What's your name?" asked the curly-haired boy, extending his hand.
Kintaro froze for a moment before answering, "Kintaro." He reached out and shook the offered hand.
"Tenjin Nara," the boy introduced himself with a grin. "Nice to meet you. And this guy here is my loyal servant—"
Before he could finish, the other boy delivered a swift chop to the top of his head.
"Shut up."
Tenjin rubbed his head, wincing. "What the hell!" he shouted. "I told you not to tell people that!"
The second boy crossed his arms, turning to Kintaro with a calm expression. "Ju Asura."
I can't lie, Kintaro, I'm a little disappointed," Tenjin groaned, slumping to a seat with a playful smirk. "I was hoping there'd be at least one cutie on the team, but looks like it's a total sausage fest. Guess I won't be showing off my moves after all." A little perverted smile on his face.
Kintaro chuckled, raising a brow as he thought, Oh, so he's a pervert, huh?
Recovering from the laugh, he asked, "So, where's the teacher?" He glanced around, taking in the mostly empty classroom, the only other person present being Chino, sitting off by himself in the back.
"We were wondering the same thing," Asura replied, nodding toward Chino with his thumb. "When we got here, it was just him sitting there."
Kintaro and Chino's eyes met briefly from across the room. Both scowled and looked away with a huff. "Yeah, that guy," Kintaro muttered, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, I tried talking to him," Asura said, "but he basically ignored me."
At that, Kintaro's patience snapped, and he launched into an animated rant about Chino, listing every little reason he couldn't stand him. A few minutes later, he was breathless, panting slightly from the intensity of his rant. Tenjin and Asura exchanged glances, eyebrows raised as they shared a silent thought:
This guy's insane.
"And you wanna know the worst part—" Kintaro began, gearing up for another tirade, when suddenly the door slammed open with a loud bang.
Everyone turned as the door swung open, revealing a striking new figure entering the room. With a dramatic flip of her hair and a confident, almost theatrical strut, a girl around Kintaro's height made her entrance, instantly commanding their attention. She wore a pleated black skirt paired with white leg warmers that layered over her brown dress shoes. Her black puffer jacket, half-zipped to reveal a crimson shirt underneath, had unique dual zippers on both shoulder blades. A slim duffle bag hung diagonally across her back, resting between her shoulder blades.
Her strawberry-blonde hair was styled into two neat buns on either side of her head, with two curled strands framing her face perfectly. Her sharp brown eyes scanned the room, appraising each person with a hint of superiority in her gaze.
"Be grateful, boys," she announced, her voice dripping with self-assurance. "You're in the presence of the heir of the Jiji clan—Himko Jiji."
A silence filled the room as her words hung in the air.
"Who?" Kintaro asked flatly, his deadpan tone breaking the tension. Tenjin couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching his sides.
Himko sighed dramatically, flicking her hair over her shoulder with a haughty look. "I wouldn't expect a peasant like you to understand what that title means," she shot back, eyes narrowing as if Kintaro's ignorance personally offended her.
Kintaro simply stared back with a blank expression, clearly unimpressed by her pompous introduction. Undeterred, Himko continued, "The Jiji clan is one of this country's most respected and honored families." She paused, letting the weight of her words settle, but Kintaro's uninterested expression only deepened.
"Can't believe I'm stuck with this…" she muttered under her breath, casting a disdainful glance around the room. Her eyes moved swiftly, sizing up everyone present with an air of judgment, each assessment adding another layer to her already inflated ego.
As she finished her once-over, it was clear she had a unique perception of everyone, her confidence unwavering even in the face of indifferent stares from her new classmates.
Starting with Kintaro, Himko's sharp gaze narrowed, sizing him up with a dismissive sneer. Dumbass, she thought to herself. Probably doesn't even understand basic knowledge. Her eyes shifted to Ju, and her assessment was just as harsh. A slab of muscle. Not much else going on there.
Then her gaze landed on Tenjin, whose roving eyes were clearly checking her out. She rolled her eyes in disgust. Great, a pervert.
Finally, her eyes rested on Chino. She stared hard, trying to read something—anything—from him, but there was just… nothing. A void. He didn't even register.
"Is this really what I have to work with?" she sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. With a huff, she strode over to a chair, plopped down, and crossed her legs, resting her chin in her hand as if already exhausted by their presence.
"Hey, you, servant boy." She pointed a manicured finger at Kintaro, her tone dripping with condescension.
"You talking to me?" Kintaro shot back, clearly annoyed by her arrogance, his eyebrow twitching.
"Obviously," she scoffed. "Where's the master of this class? I need to recommend a new team because this lineup is… pathetic."
Kintaro's frown deepened, but before he could retort, the door creaked open again.
A new figure stepped in—a cute, black-haired girl with an unconventional style. Her hair featured three distinct bangs: two that fell over her shoulders and one thicker section cascading down her back, neatly trimmed in a bowl cut that framed her forehead. Her eyes were a deep purplish-black, almost mesmerizing. She wore grey arm warmers that reached just above her elbows, paired with black baggy pants and sturdy black boots. Over her crisp white collared shirt, she sported a black suit vest, accented with a red ribbon under her collar.
"Is this the meeting room for Team C?" she asked in a soft, shy voice, her presence instantly shifting the atmosphere.
Before anyone else could respond, Tenjin practically materialized beside her, his face lit up with a confident grin. "Oh yes, it is! Tenjin Nara," he introduced himself, grabbing her hand with both of his. "And what's your name, beautiful?"
"Uh, Padme…" she replied, looking a bit flustered as Tenjin kissed her hand with a flourish. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he added with a wink, laying on the charm.
She let out a nervous laugh, gently pulling her hand away. Just then, Ju appeared behind Tenjin, yanking him back by the collar. "Cut it out, you perv," Ju growled, glaring at him.
While the two bantered and bickered, Padme took a tentative step forward, her gaze lifting to meet Chino's. There was a quiet intensity in her eyes as if she was trying to gauge something about him, but his expression remained as unreadable as ever.
Before Padme could take another step, a sudden chill swept through the room, sending shivers down everyone's spine. The entire class froze, instinctively turning to face the front where the unsettling aura was coming from.
Leaning casually against the board was a man who had somehow appeared without anyone noticing. A thin trail of smoke curled up from the cigarette in his mouth, the faint scent of tobacco filling the air. His black hair was a wild mess of loose curls, framing his face except for a clear center part that left his forehead exposed. A shadow of stubble covered his chin, blending into a rough five o'clock shadow and a rugged mustache that added years to his otherwise youthful features. His eyes, however, were what truly caught their attention—dark, tired, and carrying the weight of countless battles, they scanned the room with a lazy, yet piercing gaze that seemed to see right through them.
He wore a loose-fitting black sweater, the words Joy Boy emblazoned on it in a circle, almost like a mocking grin. The sleeves were casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing strong, veined arms that hinted at hidden strength. Below, he sported grey sweatpants that hung loosely on his hips, paired with worn, sockless wooden sandals that made a faint clack as he shifted his weight.
With an air of complete nonchalance, he scratched the back of his ankle with his other foot, a gesture that seemed oddly casual given the tension in the room. Then, he took a long drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke seep out slowly through his nose and lips before flicking the butt to the ground, crushing it underfoot.
"Alright, sit down, ya brats," he commanded, his voice a deep, gravelly tone that demanded immediate obedience. "Class is in session…"
*To be continued——->*