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The pace at which Daigo was pulled slowed down at the additional weight, albeit it kept going. Eventually, as the four neared the mirror, the hand raised itself up, consequently pulling up all four students. There wasn't any warning aside from the change in movement, and in what seemed like a blink, they were then pulled into the mirror. There was nothing but darkness at first, and one could mistake it for an unpleasant dream if not for the chill that would run up their spines. Once they were through, the gym returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

On the Other Side, the four promptly fell through as the hand paused for a moment, though its grip on Daigo remained. The room they were now in was similar to the one that Noriaki had previously visited: there was nothing but bare walls all around them with only one way to go. The only exception was the mirror behind them, its color inky black as before. 

A small spot remained clear but was slowly closing, though a brilliant blue light shined through it. Consolidating on the ground, the cat leapt through as its body took on the blue light, promptly erupting into a burst of flames that reached the ceiling. When said flames died down, a [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/567876885661351967/822626830723973121/mineri_gold.png]young woman[/url] stood in its place, opening her eyes to reveal the same pair of mismatched eyes as the cat. However, Noriaki would notice a few changes from before. For one, she no longer bore the same armor, instead clad only in a short, black dress and a pair of tassals hanging from her elbows. The second and [i]much[/i] more noticeable difference was the addition of a pair of cat ears that were clearly not there before, and with a second glance, one would notice her tail swaying quietly behind her.

At her presence, the hand immediately released Daigo and grew in size, its fingers sharpening into claws. Letting out a scoff, she snapped her fingers, a blue flame producing a card in front of her. [color=lightblue]"Come, Lorelei!"[/color] She called, beckoning forth a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/5b/37/1b/5b371bb62f9eda8b9b0e6f3c5eb01e27.jpg]creature[/url] behind her. As the hand shot forth, Lorelei released a spell of ice, resulting in several icicles shooting up and piercing through it. The effectiveness of the attack may have been questionable, but the hand yanked itself back, slithering away and through the open door.

Flipping her hair behind her back, the blonde took a step forward, listening intently. After a few seconds, she visibly relaxed, turning back to the other teenagers. Once her mismatched eyes landed on Noriaki, she lit up. [color=lightblue]"There you are!"[/color] She grinned. [color=lightblue]"I was wondering when my Devil was going to come back to me."[/color] [/indent][hr][hr][indent]

[color=gold]"The two of you will be friends before you know it,"[/color] The extremely dry and completely unconvincing response from Vice Principal Taniguchi could not have been delivered in anything that would have even remotely been anything but disdain, but there it was. The expectation had been laid out and there was no room for discussion; Maki's compliance was, at best, a convenience but little more to him. Suzuki was a little surprised, but not entirely relieved.

Still, at the very least she would give Maki [i]some[/i] sort of recognition. [color=gold]"Your cooperation is appreciated,"[/color] Her response was sincere, at least. [color=gold]"Now, as to what your duties entail, that will be up to Nakano. From what I'm aware, the council usually gathers a few times a week in the Student Council Room with Nakano herself being there every afternoon, but I don't think you'll be there every day. For now, go on over to the room and introduce yourself."[/color]

[color=gold]"And remember that we will be keeping a close eye on you going forward,"[/color] Taniguchi added, ending his side of the conversation as he rejoined the other teachers.

Suzuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but she looked back at Maki. Letting out a small sigh, she crossed her arms. [color=gold]"I'm a little surprised by you, if I'm honest. I heard nothing but good things from Kaibara-sensei, but this...even you have to recognize targeting Nakano was wrong, right?"[/color] She stared down hard at Maki, searching her face for something to convince her. [color=gold]"I understand you've been going through a rough time, but there are better ways than this to let out all that anger. Have you considered speaking to Chitose, the school's counselor?"[/color] [/indent][hr][hr]