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The suspense only increased when a silhouette appeared in the distance. Luke prepared to charge, but he could only help but feel just a little suspicious of the shadow in the distance. It looked about the size of a human, not much taller than Luke himself. It could have been a Ghoul, perhaps, but it seemed a bit strange for a Ghoul to give away its status with random moaning. 

Suddenly, the figure stepped out into the light, and Luke saw at once that it was not a demon- rather, it was a middle-age Japanese man, standing at just above 6 feet, with a bald head, a pale grey beard, and a tan robe that swayed in the wind, which was slowly dying away. The moaning had stopped almost entirely as well. The man, who Luke eventually recognized as Headmaster Yasue Hiroji, gave a brisk nod, and the wind suddenly disappeared, leaving an utter and complete silence. 

He then spoke, his English harsh and abrasive. 

[color=7bcdc8]"Greetings."[/color] His eyes, sharp and beady like those of a hawk, scanned the crowd of students before him.[color=7bcdc8]"Students new and old, from wide and far, experienced and novice. Welcome, to the School of Death."[/color]

He began to stride back and forth, like a drill sergeant before his squadron of soldiers. [color=7bcdc8]"I'm sure what you just witnessed scared some of you, intrigued others, and downright enthused some more. Needless to say, there is no Demon- that was simply a call of one. But in your time here, you will see Demons. You will fight Demons. And you will lose to Demons."[/color]

His voice began to get more powerful. [color=7bcdc8]"You will learn how to engage and defeat the Demon hordes that threaten humanity here. It will not be easy. In fact, it will be quite grueling. Some of our older students can attest to that."[/color] Luke noticed a few nods in the crowd. [color=7bcdc8]"But the training you will receive will undeniably prepare you to become a Reaper. A member of society that protects it from the darkest of forces, delaying Armageddon one day at a time. No matter what path you've come from, the path you all share ahead is the most noble one that any human can walk, and if you complete your training with focus and discipline, I can guarantee that this prestigious School will teach you, no matter what family you've come from, how to walk that path best."[/color]

There was a brief smattering of applause, before Yasue spoke again. [color=7bcdc8]"Now, I'm aware that it's quite early, and that the boat ride might not have been the most pleasant. As such, our new freshmen students will be having the rest of this morning and tomorrow off. Older students, your work begins 6:00 AM sharp. You have 4 hours to rest."[/color]

There were some groans, and some boos, in a distance area of the crowd, but a glare from Yasue ended them promptly. 

[color=7bcdc8]"Upperclassmen, you know where to go. Freshmen, follow my colleague, Beauregard. He is the head of security on the island and is responsible for all of your safety. Please consult him with any questions. In the meantime, explore the campus and village. I just ask you not to go into the pool. It is heated, but there are Kappas in there, and they will drown you. I'd rather not have to send another dead student in a body bag home because they couldn't resist the warm water."[/color]

Luke blinked. That was sudden. And morbid. 

[color=7bcdc8]"Otherwise, though, enjoy your day off. I will see you Tuesday morning. Sharp."[/color] And with those parting words, Headmaster Hiroji strode off into the darkness.

The man that the Headmaster spoke of, Beauregard, stepped into the light, and Luke suddenly felt very short. Beauregard must've been a pro basketball player or wrestler, as he stood at some towering 7+ feet tall and was strapping, with massive muscles that made it seem like he spent every waking moment lifting weights and then dreamed about lifting weights for the extra physique points. He had brown hair and a beard, a black suit and purple tie, and a massive red face scar, probably obtained fighting a bear (and winning.) Beauregard was not a talker, though, and he only made a gesture with his head before walking off, with Luke quickly running after him to catch up. 

After a quick walk through the forest, Beauregard stopped at a rather large Oriental manor, a beautiful red-white building that seemed freshly cleaned and renovated, and removed a crinkled piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket. He then read off a series of last names, his voice gruff and deep, reminding Luke once again of a bear. 

[color=9e0b0f]"Vesperantus. Grossem. Takahashi. Thomas. Nibelung. Svenson. Knight. Vull. Hall. Tarantella. Truehorn. Vencor. In here."[/color] And without further adieu, or any explanation, really, he strode off, guiding the rest of the herd of freshmen further into the woods. 

Truth be told, Luke was quite happy to be in the same dorm building as Mei, and he looked forward to meeting the rest of the people there. It would be a fun year, hopefully. 

Unless he drowned in the Kappa pool. 

Luke took initiative, leaping up onto the porch in an energetic jump and opening the front door. His jaw then dropped through the floor. 

The inside of the manor (which was labelled Lotus Building by a wooden sign in front) was such a departure from the crappy boat he had been stuck in that it made Luke wonder if they were both truly commissioned by the same institution. The insides of the building were pristine and modern. There was a small wooden kitchen, with an oriental design, that looked quite homey and nice, but Luke could see straight down the hall a massive living room, featuring several large sofas, a titanic screen that could be fitted into a movie theater, a pool table,  and what Luke's teenage self recognized as several of the latest video game consoles. Beyond that were two staircases, one with blue carpeting and one with magenta, which Luke attributed to male and female.

A note was tacked to the wall near the entrance, scribbled in messy English- [i]Your luggage is in your rooms.[/i]

Luke immediately kicked his shoes off, striding into the large living room and sinking into the sofa there. He yawned. It had been a long trip, and Luke, for once, was tired. Go figure.

[b][color=EADB18]Speaks to:[/color][/b] n/a [b][color=EADB18]Mentions:[/color][/b] Mei Takahashi [@Reshy134]

[b][color=EADB18]Also:[/color][/b] [@Poppirious] [@Hammerman] [@Reshy134] [@Double Capybara] [@Enzayne] [@Arreyis] [@Sanity43217] [@Krytavius] [@La Savant] [@Dark Light]

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