twst novel. ( episode i: the crimson tyrant ) pg. 85-119

[mandytl]

“Fnyaaah~!”

A loud shriek shocked him awake. Yuuya rubbed his still-blurry eyes and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. An unlit fireplace, tattered curtains—the battered interior of the room was bathed in white daylight.

( Right. This wasn’t his home. )

After battling for his meal the night before, he became exhausted and collapsed on top of the couch, unable to finish sweeping up the other rooms.

Before he could finish processing his dream, he felt a tap on the arm. He cast a quick glance to his side and saw Grim standing nearby.

“Quit spacin’ out already, Yuu!”

“Morning… What’s the matter?”

“Hee hee hee. Rise and shineee.”

His body tensed as a low voice that didn’t belong to either of them responded, and looking up, discovered one of the ghosts that’d been cast out last night floating on by.

“Whoa!”

In a moment of astonishment, Yuuya collapsed to the floor, enveloped in dust that hadn't been cleaned away the day before. The ghosts merely sniggered during his coughing fit.

“The Headmaster told us aaall about how you’re livin’ here from now on.”

“That makes you our new buddies. Pleased as punch."

"Buddies schmuddies!" Grim gave them a savage glance. "What'd you guys come back for, anyway? To pick a fight with yours truly?"

"No, no. You youngins are so quick to anger these days. Settle down and listen good."

As Yuuya stood, brushing off the dust that clung to him, a ghost peered into his face to ask, "You okay?" With the vigilant Grim at his side, he nodded a reply in the most natural way, "Yes."

They had attacked him in the dark the night before, and he felt in terrible danger, as if he were facing some horrible monster. But the ghost floating before him now didn't seem all that terrifying. Was it because the room was well-lit? Or was it because they were all smiling ear-to-ear now, as opposed to yesterday?

From the front, he gave them a once-over: one was plump and round, like a marshmallow, another was bone-thin, and the third was as little as a snowball. The three wore similar silk hats and capes and floated around the room as though they were playing in the summer sea.

"Yesterday was our bad. We just wanted to play a teeensy little prank on you. Didn't think you'd end up shaking like a leaf."

"Seriously. I'd never seen such a ‘fraidy cat!"

"It was a real work of art, that."

"I didn't chicken out one bit!" The ghosts effortlessly dodged Grim's retaliatory lunge, laughing spiritedly at his growing anger as they teasingly swapped places. They appeared to like pranks a lot.

"We've come to like how gosh darn faint-of-heart you two are, so let's be friends."

Yuuya bowed politely to his elders, saying a "thank you" as he placed his palm over Grim's mouth to prevent him from spewing fire. They'd woken up to quite the commotion.

In fact, it reminded him of something: “Wonder what time it is.”

The time on the wall clock was the same as it’d been the night before, stopped for some reason or another. The ghosts immediately began to freak.

“You better get dressed and get to work! Headmaster’s orders today are to get Main Street spick ‘n’ span without kickin’ up a fuss.”

Yuuya swiftly changed into something and followed them out of Ramshackle Dorm.

The ghosts, with dust specks gleaming through their translucent bodies, seemed so upbeat in the sunshine as they volunteered to show him the way. There was a strange sort of joy in their movements, like how smoke twists across a darkened stage.

They arrived at a broad road after passing numerous buildings.

“This here is Main Street, the path everyone takes to get to campus, so scrub it real good with a broom and a rag so the new students feel good about going to class!”

“Now, we’re off to take our morning walk. Best of luck, you two!”

They disappeared like mist into the great blue, leaving only their shrieking laughter to echo back.

“They seriously just gave us a tour and left.”

“How’re we ‘sposed to do this when it stretches on for forever?!”

Grim, frustrated, pointed ahead at the endless stretch of cobblestone pavement. It was wide enough for at least three people, even with Yuuya standing beside him, and wound for ten meters on and on with no end in sight. Using a broom to sweep up the fallen leaves and debris would surely take hours.

On either side, large stone statues stood against the backdrop of the school gate. Three were on the left and four were on the right.

They faced each other, their stone surfaces gleaming like they had been polished through the years. They were clearly well-cared for, regardless of their age.

"Oh, yeah... I noticed these while walkin' around here in the rain last night. Kinda freaky, if ya ask me."

Yuuya felt the same way he did when he and Crowley moved through here the other night: some were clearly monstrous in form, and as he warily passed them, he worried that they, like the paintings, might start moving at any moment.

"What's their deal?"

Grim peered up at three statues lined in a row.

"Check it out. This lady here looks like she's gonna blow a gasket!"

He came to a halt in front of a stone statue near the school building and smirked, imitating its pose, cleaning supplies provided by the ghosts quickly flung to the side of the road.

Statue or no, they had their task from Crowley to complete. It’d be awful if they failed him right away and were then dismissed.

But when Yuuya held out the bucket as if to say, "If you want to talk, we can talk while cleaning," a voice called out from behind him.

“What. You don’t know the Queen of Hearts?”

“The Queen a’ Who?”

When the two turned around, drawn instantly to a burnt orange hue, there stood a boy with vivid terracotta-colored hair.

With a red heart stenciled in makeup over his left eye, he appeared to be a bit older, or perhaps very near in age.

“Who the heck’re you?”

“Yo! How’s it going?”

The boy shot a wink at Grim, who stood with arms crossed. The gesture looked practiced and made him seem a little cocksure.

“The name’s Ace—Ace Trappola, a brand sparkling-new first year! Nice to meet ya.”

"I'm the almighty Grim-sama, a super genius who's gonna be a great mage, and this here's my totally forgettable underling."

“I’m Kuroki Yuuya. … Uhm, it’s nice to meet you.”

During the excursion the previous evening, Crowley said the majority of individuals who applied to Night Raven College were sixteen years old, the same age as Yuuya. The first-year who called himself Ace was presumably around the same age.

"Yuuya?" He averted his gaze as Ace regarded him with an odd look, feeling a tad ill at ease. "Never heard a name like that before.”

Grim and the Headmaster had trouble pronouncing his name too though. Perhaps Japanese names sounded especially strange in this universe.

He gave an approving nod as Grim took the liberties of introducing him as just, "Yuu." It would be so much easier to communicate if he used that name from now on.

"So, what. Did ya need us for somethin'?"

"Oh, nah, I'm just—just a little surprised there are people out there who don't know her."

"Is this Queen of Hearts lady really that famous?"

Ace's cheeks rose quickly at Yuuya's question.

"Of course! She was a queen that lived in a labyrinth of roses a long, long time ago—a strict woman who put order over everything else, and didn’t tolerate an off-color rose in her castle or even a single one of her vassals, the card soldiers, marching out of step."

Ace turned to face that very statue.

A crown atop her head, the Queen clutched a heart-shaped fan in her right hand, and loftily hoisted her dress with her left. She possessed an unyielding demeanor and a proud smile, as Grim remarked.

"They were all mad there, but everyone swore their absolute obedience."

"Why?" Yuuya asked. Ace snickered, as if he'd been waiting for that question all along.

"'cause breaking the rules got you a swift beheading."

"T-That sounds freakin' terrifying!"

"Really?" Ace returned casually to the quivering duo. "I think it's pretty cool. I mean, no one wants to serve a queen that's gentle all the time, right?"

"Uhm... I guess."

Grim pointed a little ways away, his attention having drifted to two statues flanking the Queen of Hearts.

"How 'bout the lion with that scar coverin' one eye? Is he a famous ruler too?"

"'Course he is. That's the King of Beasts, who ruled over the huge savanna. He wasn't born into the throne, though—he had to earn the throne through meticulous planning and tenacity."

The King of Beasts, a male lion with a scar over his left eye, stood majestically, a triumphant mane framing his face. His keen eyes shone with intellect, the hallmark of a wise ruler.

"When he became king, he pardoned the nation's outcasts, the hyenas that everybody hated, and proposed they live among his subjects."

"Why bother doin' all that?"

"C'mon. It's 'cause he's awesome. What other king out there looks past his social status like that?"

"You got a point there... it is pretty wicked!"

Grim stood on his tiptoes, his palm resting against a stone pedestal between the two sculptures.

"Who's that lady with the octopus legs?"

As Grim had indicated, the lower half of the statue possessed octopus legs instead of human ones.

"The Sea Witch who lived in an underwater grotto." Ace remarked as he gazed at the statue with eight sucker-bearing limbs and a paper-like object in her right hand.

"She was a merciful witch who dedicated her life to bringing happiness to the poor, unhappy merfolk. If they were willing to pay the price, she'd help them change their appearance, find love, whatever."

Ace clued them in that the contract in her hands was for that very purpose. Her generously large smile, adorned with a mole, seemed to suggest she approached them out of compassion.

"The price was waaay steep, but like, that figures given she can literally grant you any wish."

"Nice. I can't wait to be a great mage and get stickin' rich off folks." Grim exclaimed with a dreamy expression on his face. "And then I'm gonna eat a can o’ tuna every day!"

"Haha, nice. You gotta dream big and aim high."

Grim moved ecstatically to the other side of the street, his mood now lifted by Ace's encouragement.

"Do that guy with the huge hat next!"

"That's the Sorcerer of the Sands, the advisor to this real dork of a sultan," Ace continued as he peered up at the statue of a slim-looking man with Grim. "A long time ago, there was this incident where some guy pretended to be a prince from another land to get at their princess. The guy who exposed the faker's identity at the time was this guy--the Sorcerer of the Sands!"

The Sorcerer of the Sands wore a turban with a feather, his slender fingers wrapped around a cobra-headed staff. He stood contemplatively and with great dignity, one hand on his waist.

An advisor who saved his land from a crisis? Yuuya was taken by the idea that he must have been a really capable individual.

"The Sorcerer of the Sands must've been a good judge of character."

"Probably." Ace nodded. "After that, he got ahold of an ancient, magical lamp and became the world's greatest sorcerer, then used that power to become sultan himself!"

"A great mage has gotta be capable of anything, huh."

Grim puffed out his chest as if the comment was meant for him, hurrying Ace on to the next statue.

“And that pretty lady way over there! Who’s she ‘sposed to be?”

“A queen who was said to be the fairest in the land.”

The statue erected closest to the school building did indeed exude a beauty that made him shudder, as if it was gleaming. If she had been real, Yuuya may have been too in awe to even meet her gaze.

The queen wore a magnificent crown atop her head; the apple she held seemed to melt within her hand.

“Folks said she used a magic mirror to make sure she was the most beautiful on the daily. She’d do whatever it took to make sure it stayed that way. She was crazy dedicated to keep all that up, especially when she was just born pretty.”

“She sounds disciplined. A country ruled by a queen like that must be very safe.”

Ace lowered his voice a bit, nodding in response to Yuuya.

“Apparently her beauty wasn’t her only asset. They say she was a master at making poisons!”

“Poisons?!” Grim took a step back. “This story took a turn.”

“I mean, poisons and medicines are two sides of the same coin. She was probably just refining her beauty techniques or whatever. If you ask me, having something you can't give up on is real awesome.”

“Totally… Guys with a straight shot focus like that are the coolest!”

Grim was practically jumping with delight, his horizons broadening as Ace narrated the lives of these great characters.

Ace's delivery of these stories was brilliant, and it was likely owing to his talent that they were drawn in by every bizarre little anecdote. When Ace told his stories, he did so in a lighthearted, humorous fashion while maintaining good pace, making it hard to believe they were the same age. And besides, the way he always seemed ready and willing to explain things people didn’t understand had its own charm.

Ace grinned at Yuuya, cheerful as ever, perhaps sensing his attention.

There were two more statues left unaccounted for, and Grim promptly stood in front of one.

“Whoa. His head’s on fire! Now THAT guy looks scary.”

“Right? That’s the Lord of the Underworld.”

Grim looked up to see a man who, true to his terrifying moniker, had not only a suspicious smile and sharp teeth, but fire resting on his long, angular claws.

“The Lord of the Underworld was a super strong guy who single-handedly ruled a kingdom of wild spirits. He may look scary, but from what I’ve heard, the guy was sincere enough to never skip a day of work, even when it was forced on him by… literally everyone else. He had Cerberus, the Hydra, and even the Titans under his thumb.”

“The Titans?”

Ace noticed Yuuya's puzzled muttering and started to elaborate.

“Massively powerful monsters like Cerberus, Hydra, and the Titans were all said to have existed in the past, and being able to control them at all is pretty extraordinary.”

“How come a guy that awesome doesn’t just dish out the lame jobs to someone else? I woulda done that for sure.”

“Would he even be half as charming if he did? My man here was competent.”

And while Grim didn't seem particularly impressed, the feelings of reverence still managed to get through.

“They musta been pretty awesome to have everyone singin’ their praises.”

As they walked, he eyeballed each statue Ace had described so far.

Together, they looked up and saw the last statue between the Fairest Queen and the Sorcerer of the Sands.

“The final destination, huh. Who’s this chick with the horns?”

“That’s the Thorn Fairy who lived on a mystical mountain.”

The woman known as the Thorn Fairy had two strikingly large horns atop her head and a prickly patch of briar covered in thorns at her feet.

“Even by the standards of these seven, she was noble and elegant, an expert in magic and curses! She could cover an entire country in thorns and even control storms.… Her witchcraft was seriously on another level entirely.”

The Thorn Fairy appeared to have magic of a higher caliber than the six individuals who’d been introduced so far. As Grim’s eyes went wide, Ace gave him a mysterious smirk.

“And that’s not all! Apparently she could transform into a giant dragon.”

“Dragon? Like, from a fairytale… —that kind of dragon?!”

“What every monster wants t’be!”

Yuuya and Grim gave each other looks. After Ace’s story, they turned back to the statue of the Fairy of Thorns, only this time, it practically radiated with elegance and poise.

She held a long, thin scepter with a ball affixed on top, and wore a high-collared robe—a simple fit that only accented her great power.

“Anyway. These figures who once existed, the alleged Great Seven, are so important to our academy that they went and erected these statues for them.”

Each of the seven stone statues had an inscription engraved, honoring them on its base.

A queen who ruled over a maze of roses

and brought the rule of law to a chaotic kingdom.

Under her strict leadership, no rose was off-color,

nor was any playing-card soldier out of step.

Through grit and determination, this king of beasts

overcame his lesser claim of succession to rule over a vast savanna.

He sought equality for all creatures—

even those once banished from the realm.

A compassionate sea witch who dwelled in a grotto deep beneath the waves.

To repent for past misdeeds,

she devoted herself to helping troubled souls,

guiding even seemingly hopeless romances to a true happy ending.

A wise sorcerer of a desert kingdom

who used his keen insight to obtain a magic lamp that granted him great power.

He supported his king by regularly

offering carefully considered words of advice.

The fairest queen of all,

and one who was always diligently striving to better herself.

She utilized the powerful magic at her command

to tirelessly pursue her ideals.

The lord of the Underworld,

and guide to the wandering souls of the dead.

He carried out his fearsome duties with diligence and care,

motivating even the defiant to offer their aid.

A fairy who reigned over a mystical mountain,

wielding magical powers that included mastery over storms and thorns.

Proud and refined,

she cherished solitude even as she commanded her countless minions.

“The Great Seven…”

Unlike Grim, who was overcome with admiration as he read the inscriptions aloud, Yuuya simply felt a chill of awe in his stomach.

Come to think of it, wasn't there a fairy tale overseas about a queen who talks to a magic mirror? That story of the Fairest Queen had a vaguely familiar ring to it.

What was the plot of the picture book his kindergarten teacher used to read to him as a child? It was a minor folk tale, so he couldn't remember all the specifics, but what Ace had been telling were anecdotes that remained vivid even after all these years, not some fairy tale. Even then, every accomplishment was so tremendous.

In a world where magic was real, how much power might these seven individuals, who were thought to be exceptional, wield? He couldn't even picture it.

Grim danced joyfully back and forth next to Yuuya as he trembled at the thought.

"Man, that's sooo awesome. I wanna get a statue erected here of the Almighty Mage Grim-sama straightaway!"

"They are pretty cool, huh."

The voice next to them, Ace, said—

"—unlike a certain tanuki."

—albeit in a cold, malicious sort of way.

"Huh?" Yuuya turned to see Ace shaking and covering his mouth.

"What's wrong, Ace, uhm… -kun?"

"Pfft... haha! Ahahahah!"

He was hunched forward, laughing so hard he was about to fall apart.

"I can't hold it anymore! This is so funny I literally can't breathe."

Ace wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, his laughter growing louder and louder, mounting like a tide.

"Aren't you the guys who totally wrecked the entrance ceremony?"

The good-natured boy from earlier had vanished, the heart-shaped mark around his eyes creased by lifted cheeks, his cheery smile swapped for a superficial grin.

“You stood out like a sore thumb, man,” Ace said condescendingly as he raised an index finger to point at Yuuya.

“The star of our show, just a random average guy who can’t use a lick of magic, AKA the greatest freakin’ punchline in the universe.”

Next, he pointed at Grim.

“And the monster no one even summoned who burst into our ceremony and got thoroughly trashed by our dorm leader. Two peas in a pod, really.”

Ace looked them over from head to toe, smiling only with his mouth. His red eyes glinted with a harsh light, and with each blink, the tip of Yuuya's nose singed from the malice that spilled from them and burst like fireworks, utterly speechless in the face of feelings so intense you could hear them crackle.

As Yuuyu stepped backward, he bumped into something—Grim, he realized, who looked just as startled with his tail sticking straight up like an arrow.

“Wh-What’re you suddenly bein’ such a jerk for?!”

“Yeah, no. I’ve been holding back my laughter since I saw your sorry face get tossed. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen!” He smirked down at the broom and bucket Yuuya was clutching in either hand. “So, what? Neither of you got admitted and now you’re supposed to be our clean-up crew? Sooo lame.”

“Stuff it!”

Grim's pupils widened with rage as Ace convulsed with laughter.

“I’m gonna enroll pronto and be a student too!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Shouldn’t you like, actually learn who the Great Seven are before you enroll? Maybe it’s time to give elementary school another shot.”

"Hnnghhh!"

It was hard to win an argument against Ace when a single complaint came back tenfold every time.

Grim stamped the ground in anger before whacking Yuuya on the thigh.

“Hey, Yuu! Don’t just stand there. Say somethin’!”

“Who, me? I mean, I—”

Ace brought his face close, slyly raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, you’ve got something to say? Try me.”

“U-Uhm, I… I was just…”

Those cherry reds flickered provocatively as if to say, Go on, say something. Let’s hear it.

But as Yuuya slowly opened his trembling mouth, his mind went blank. He knew Ace was just going to laugh and say, ‘Now what?’.

He started to shake his head before he even recognized it.

“I-It’s nothing.”

“Huh?”

“I was just thinking, that… you know. The uproar we caused, and me being a hopeless disappointment… Everything you said, Ace-kun, is true.”

“Are you for real? Where’s your backbone, dude?”

Ace snorted dismissively at Yuuya as he tried to laugh it off.

“Whatever, man. Pathetic.”

Having entirely lost interest in Yuuya for not responding as expected, Ace quit scoffing and folded his hands behind his head.

“I was just gonna tease you a little bit, but now I’m bored. Anyway, have fun storming the castle while you pick up our trash with your little monster here.”

Yuuya nodded and quickly turned his back on Ace's icy gaze, eager to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Let's go," he muttered, nudging the snarling Grim from behind, only to have his hand pushed off with a grunt.

“That’s the last… STRAW!”

Grim leapt in front of Ace, puffing out his belly.

"Watch ou—"

Blue flames licked the floor before Yuuya could even finish his warning.

"Wh-Whoa! What's your problem?!"

The cobblestone pavement smoldered black beneath Ace's feet, who dodged just in time.

"Y'think you can just laugh at me and get away with it? I'll show ya who's boss here!"

"Hah. Some measly little monster's gonna throw hands with me?"

Bustling noise and excitement filled the air. From behind came a crowd of students that were heading to school, every one shooting curious looks as they gathered.

"Oh, hey. Isn't that the monster they caught?"

"The other guy about to rumble's a first year."

"If you're gonna fight, do it in style!"

There were jeers thrown at Yuuya too, a murmur of "Isn't that guy behind the statue from yesterday...?" as the rumble of the audience grew louder still.

“Stop! The Headmaster told us to stay out of trouble."

"Shut it!" Grim made no move to look back at his companion. "I'm not gonna be satisfied 'till I kick this nitwit to the curb!"

"Try me."

Ace pulled something from his uniform's breast pocket.

It was far too short to be a wand, yet Yuuya confused it for one at first. Whatever it was, it glittered and twinkled in the morning light.

"A pen?"

A black pen with a large gem fastened to its cap was what Ace had actually grasped, and when he raised it overhead, the red stone shone once more. Yuuya searched his mind for where he'd seen it before, only to realize it was the very same sparkle Riddle had wielded just the day before.

A strong gust of wind blew, sending Grim's fireball swerving in an entirely opposite direction moments before it struck Ace. As the squandered shot flew towards the spectators, screams and laughter could be heard all around.

Grim, stunned, cast the same spell three more times, but the result remained the same. The breeze followed every flick of that pen, blowing from side to side and up and down, changing the course of the billowing flame.

Yuuya was forced to assume the obvious: that Ace was manipulating the wind—especially when not a single flame had even touched anyone. And while Yuuya appeared shocked, the students around him appeared to be taking it all in stride. Apparently, there existed magic to summon not just flames but also wind.

"Like those puny fireballs are gonna hit me. There!"

Ace, with ample time to laugh, pointed his pen directly at Grim and snuffed out his fire with another strong gust. Grim, blown over backwards by the tremendous force of the wind, tossed around on the ground like a nut that had fallen from a tree.

"Nrgh, you keep gettin’ in my way,” he said, standing back up on all four limbs. “Not this time!”

"Is that all you can do or what? Take this!"

Ace waved his pen in the air, eyes widening the instant he saw what the future held.

The flames were sailing straight towards a statue of the Great Seven, their course having been changed by the wind.

“Wh, hold on… just wait a—... Oh, crap!”

Ace reached out in vain as a fireball slammed into the Queen of Hearts statue right before his very eyes.

"You're KIDDING!"

Flames enveloped the statue's surface in no time, leaving all in its presence completely stunned.

"Isn't this, uhm, really bad?"

Grim jumped up as Yuuya's voice broke into a wail of distress.

"Th-Th-This ain't my fault! It's that jerk Ace's fault for castin' all that wind!"

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Ace shouted. "Oh, man. If the teachers find out about this, I'll be in—"

”Hold it RIGHT there!”

They looked back at the sound of a noticeably familiar voice.

"What's all this fuss about?!"

"It's the Headmaster!"

"Crap. Everyone, scatter!"

The surrounding crowd went flying in all directions for cover. Ace made haste in trying to join the mass escape, but he and Grim were both quickly bound by magic, likely because the pen in his hand had been spotted and blame was quickly assigned.

Crowley raised his staff, clearing the flames to reveal the charred form of the Queen of Hearts. After being subjected to such intense heat, the crown's ends broke and immediately fell to the ground.

He then staggered back dramatically, a hand flying to his forehead.

"Never did I think the day would come when one of our own would set fire to the legacy of the Great Seven..."

"You've got the wrong idea." Ace shook his head in a desperate plea, still bound. "We just had a little accident, or rather, that monster did, and—"

"No excuses! Now, your name and class, please."

"Uhmmm, well..."

"Trying to evade the subject won't do you any good."

"... Ace Trappola, a first-year in class A."

"Hmm. Ace Trappola-kun." Crowley cast a quick glance at the red and black ribbon tied around Ace's left arm. "The suit painted on your face, and that armband... a Heartslabyul student, then. Creating an uproar so soon after enrollment would suggest that you're eager to be dismissed.”

"Wh—Wait. Just, cut me some slack, here!"

"Nyah nyah, loooser!"

"That goes for you, too, Grim-kun!"

"Geh."

Grim laughed, making the rope around him tighter. Not even Yuuya, petrified in place, was spared Crowley's stern gaze.

"And you as well, Yuu-kun. I believe I told you to keep an eye on Grim-kun, and now one of our beloved statutes is... Exactly what were you doing?"

"Y-Yes, well. I'm sorry..."

Crowley sighed in response to Yuuya's downward-looking gaze and the two who were bound together.

"Honestly. Do you at least regret what transpired here today?"

"I do."

Ace and Grim muttered reluctantly.

"Are you SURE on that matter?" The Headmaster inquired again, this time in a harsh tone of voice, to which Yuuya replied loudly, “I am!”

"Well. Given I'm so extraordinarily gracious, I'll make a special exception this time and let you off with a hundred window washes."

"Y-Y'mean I gotta wash too?!"

“Of course,” Crolwey said as he removed the rope wrapped around a perplexed-looking Ace.

"Trappola-kun, I realize you have classes to attend, so your punishment will come later. The three of you will then wash windows together after school. Understand?"

“Fiiine…”

Ace replied leisurely and got to his feet, brushing the dust off his uniform. He turned his pen in hand, gave it some thought, only to stow it back in his breast pocket with a nod.

Then he vanished down the street, rounding a corner towards their college while muttering about his sentence. Crowley took Grim by the scruff of the neck and presented him to Yuuya as they watched him go.

"It's time for you two to approach this cleaning project seriously," Crowley said while wagging his index finger. "Then, as previously stated, you'll join Ace-kun to wipe a hundred windows across campus. An actual cleaning spree, as it were."

"Ugh. I've had non-stop bad luck since yesterday!"

Yuuya wanted to say just that, but instead he simply sighed. He wouldn't have time left today to conduct independent research in the library. There was still a long way to go before he could discover something related to where he was from.

The three ghosts swooped in as soon as Crowley departed.

"Peeving off the Headmaster? We can’t leave you guys alone for a second.”

“Sorry for dipping. Who knew you’d be this useless at a couple chores?”

“We ain’t useless. And it wasn’t the chores, neither!”

When they inquired why he was so upset, Grim lifted his fist in the air.

"This super smug jerk named Ace made funna me and called me a dropout!"

"That so."

The ghosts exchanged long glances before breaking into laughter.

"No surprise when you're famous, right? You two stood out like sore thumbs at yesterday's ceremony."

"You two are like local celebrities to the ghosts at school. 'We nabbed a real merry bunch of morons this year,' and all that."

“Even the portraits were bragging. 'I talked to that human when they were lost first!' 'Yeah, but I'm the one who freaked him the most!' Well, not that they can hold a candle to your actual neighbors here!”

"Are the rumors really spreading that fast...?"

The broom felt heavy in Yuuya's hand.

But as his shoulders fell in disappointment, Grim smacked him on the leg.

"Ow. What is it now?"

"How come you didn't talk back to Ace?"

Grim perched atop the now upside-down bucket, arms folded and his head barely reaching Yuuya's shoulder. His harsh gaze belied not one single shred of fear.

"He was bein' awful and all you did is stand there and go hee-haw. You made me look like an idiot by proxy! You shoulda just slugged the guy!"

"Slug him?! There’s no way I could ever..."

"Oh, c'mon. Quit bein' a gutless coward!"

The ghosts made an attempt to calm the little creature as he began to wave a fist.

"Remember how the Headmaster said to keep out of trouble?"

The metal bucket beneath Grim swayed and clanked as he stamped his feet through clenched teeth. It made a violent sound, as though it symbolized his raging frustration at Ace for besting him.

Yuuya had a frown on his face as a ghost lightly drifted his way.

“You’re gonna have a bad time if all you do is dodge, Yuu.”

"Huh?"

"'Cause you're not gonna make it here if you act like a naïve sucker who was just born yesterday."

"Didn't the Headmaster tell you this is one of the most prestigious mage training academies in all of Twisted Wonderland? It's not like studying like crazy will guarantee your admittance either. An admissions letter arrives, and then a black carriage appears to pick you up, and it's aaall just for those chosen few with a special magical talent."

When Yuuya openly wondered how any of that connected to his suffering, the ghost just snickered to themselves and called him boneheaded.

“In other words, they’re a reeeal prideful bunch!”

Given how long they'd been observing students here, there had to be some truth there. In fact, the ghosts had made such a strong claim that it reminded him of his recent run-in with Riddle, so awash with pride and yet his surrounding peers spoke to him as if they’ve nothing to fear.

“Everybody here’s self-reliant and has confidence in their own abilities. That’s why they expect the same from others. At best, they're self-assured; at worst, they're self-absorbed. There are a couple kids who aren’t so self-sufficient, but… generally speaking, if you find yourself in trouble, nooo one’s gonna step in to help you.”

“They’re super harsh on people who don’t share their dorm. Guess it’s territorial.”

“Yep. ‘Friendly’ little tussles make up their daily routine.”

“Now, setting one of the Great Seven statues on fire? Can’t say that ever happens!”

Arguments and squabbling were just the day-to-day reality here? Yuuya's blood ran cold as the ghosts casually mentioned the fact.

“Is… being able to cast magic something really amazing in this world too?”

“Depends on your race,” said a ghost while pondering Yuuya’s question. “Let’s see. For humans like yourself, I’d say… about one out of ten people are able to use it, and the most they’re capable of is lifting a cup off a desk, or lighting a fire without striking a match. Only a chosen few have the talent to attend Night Raven College.”

As Yuuya gave him a startled glance, Grim hopped off the bucket, his chest swelling with pride.

Yuuya had wondered what the source of all that confidence was the day before, but perhaps monsters and humans simply had it different; Not that turning the spacious Mirror Chamber into a sea of fire was exactly normal in this world, either.

He suddenly thought about what the abilities of the students of Night Raven College, who’d looked down on him in amusement, could possibly be.

“You’re gonna have a bad time if you just keep your head down and do as you’re told. There’s no avoiding the harsh criticism you’re about to face for being totally magic-less.”

“So you’ve gotta hit ‘em hard from the get-go. It’s fine. Even without magic, you’ve got your fists.”

“That’s right! And next time I see that Ace jerk I’m gonna beat ‘im to a pulp!”

“That’s the way to do it. Get ‘em good!”

"Not me."

Yuuya muttered so as not to spoil Grim's excitement.

"I just can't."

Then, perhaps having caught a glimpse of his despondent expression, they all gave him a skeptical glance.

"C'mon, ya wimp. Don't give up before even tryin'."

"But this is exactly what I told you earlier, that I can't throw the first punch! Not when I've never been in a fight before, not even once my whole life."

"Not even once... ? Are you for real?!"

With Grim's mouth hanging open in surprise, the boy was finding it difficult to accept that he'd been the one who created all the fuss the day before.

Still, Yuuya disliked having to deal with conflict. It was all too much for him to bear; just thinking about it made him nervous and uncomfortable. In fact, he found it so excruciating that it might be more accurate to say he loathed it than despised it.

Was there ever anyone who liked fighting with others in the first place? No sane person could enjoy something so harmful and demanding. Ace, who was so impatient to start a fight, and Grim, always jeering at others—the whole thing seemed like a bad joke to Yuuya.

"No way. You've had to have gotten into one at least once, right? How'd you even make it this far?"

Grim wasn't the only shocked one; the ghosts were just as bewildered.

"You're at that vulnerable age, where you've surely had an argument or two with a friend."

"Ah, youth! How I miss it, and fostering closer bonds through adversity among friends! How many decades ago was that for us?"

"I... I just, never really had any friends. That's all."

"... Never had a friend?"

"We might've argued if I made one."

There was a greater chance for conflict when you became attached to someone, so it was best to keep a suitable distance from people to avoid any irreconcilable differences. That's why he constantly shunned social interaction. That's why he struggled to cope with tension.

As a result, Yuuya had no friends in high school and for a long period before that.

"I can't help thinkin' you've got your priorities wrong there, kid."

"It's not that I don't want to be friends with anyone. I just don't want to fight."

"I can't believe it," the ghosts who stared at each other remarked, "He's so young," but Yuuya didn't care.

He had no hobbies, and no want for anything to do in particular. Ambitions were a source of unease. If you made something you couldn't let go of, someday you might have to clash and fight with others to protect it.

"I don't even like to watch fighting. It makes me nervous, and scared..."

The only reason they’d been able to drive the ghosts away the other night is because Grim was there. Grim had been the one to face them head-on, not Yuuya. Even he knew that: it just happened to work out that way, that they’d been lucky when being let off without a fight in the first place would’ve been better.

"So please, do me this one favor, Grim, and don't cause anymore trouble. I'm losing years off my life just watching it happen."

"Seriously? That was nothin' to sneeze at. Don't be such a wimp!"

"But this is normal! Of course, nobody enjoys fighting, and yet there you are, picking a fight at the drop of a hat."

"Normal? This is why people keep makin' fun of you. Man up, already."

"I hate to tell you this, but... I mean, I've always been this way..."

"Hmm, well. You're already speaking to Grim here like you're pals, y'know," said the ghosts, looking at the both of them funny.

Yuuya paused, dumbstruck. He did find it much simpler to communicate with Grim now that they had brought it up, and it was probably the first time he could speak to someone who wasn't a family member without trepidation.

"Maybe because he doesn't feel like a... person?"

"True that. Nothing about him looks human."

"Which basically means you two make a great team."

"Let's get this one thing straight. We ain't no team. This guy here's my high-maintenance and utterly powerless underling."

Grim let out a heavy sigh that belied his looks, having apparently completely forgotten he was the reason the Headmaster was so angry in the first place.

“Whoops. We got way too into this conversation.” When the bell rang, the ghosts raised their heads. Had class already begun? “Anyhow, just a quick heads up. The first thing to watch out for at Night Raven College is: the students themselves.”

“Back to tidying up, then. The Queen of Heart’s statue’s gonna need some urgent repairs, so they changed up where you’re going to be working for today.”

Then they pointed towards the castle Ace had headed towards in the distance, much to the chagrin of our terrified protagonist: the main building of Night Raven College. Yuuya had passed through there just the night before.

There it was, past Main Street and up a steep set of stone stairs, the sea breeze nigh imperceptible now. Perhaps with all this, his nose had simply gotten used to the smell. A pleasant breeze was blowing as they walked, and Grim's ears swayed softly back and forth in front of him.

Under the revealing light of the sun, its gray walls and black roof carved a solemn figure that made him flinch. The more you looked at it, the larger it became.

More than eight hundred students had enrolled at Night Raven College, or so the ghosts claimed.

There were roughly the same number of students at Yuuya's high school, perhaps slightly more. The size caught him a little by surprise; he’d imagined a small, elite group when he first heard it was such a prestigious school, but apparently even fourth-years, a full grade higher than his own school, were a thing here.

"Pretty typical for your everyday mage training academy."

Nonetheless, he was aware that even in his prior world, there were fourth-year students abroad. Yuuya nodded to himself, concluding that that’s just how things were here too, a little short of breath from the long climb.

“Well, it’s not like you’re gonna see a lot of fourth-year students on campus. They’re spread all over the world getting hands-on experience, and typically don’t come back to their assigned dorm room.”

“September’s the season for endings and new beginnings and all that. Bit of a lonely feeling every year.”

“Huh? Dorm room?” Grim, who’d been dragging the bucket along, stopped suddenly. “Y’mean everyone else has a place to sleep too?”

“Yep. Every dorm’s got their very own special building.”

“Forreal?! Then there ain’t any need to keep me cooped up in that beat-up old shack after all. I don’t wanna live in Ramshackle Dorm!”

Grim yelled, and the ghosts responded with shouts of joy.

“Ramshackle Dorm! That name’s not half bad. S’got a certain elegance to it, in fact.”

“Exactly. A great name for a site with loads of history, and the best property on the block.”

“A zero-rent lease, available for occupation immediately: landscaped, furnished, AND last but not least—haunted!”

A ghost hushed Grim as he said to, ‘ditch the last part,’ pointing as if to say ‘look behind you.’ Alongside him, Yuuya turned around. They had a bird's-eye view of the school thanks to the stairs.

“At the very end of Main Street is where the main gate is.” Lo and behold, in front of them was a large, iron gate. “That’s mainly for visitors. Students rarely use it because they sleep and wake up on campus.”

The ghost then pointed even further to the left.

“You see the round-roofed building over there? That’s the Mirror Chamber, where every mirror leads to a dorm.”

“The mirrors?”

“Geez, you didn’t know? Those luxurious mirrors aren’t just fine-tuned for straightening your appearance. They’re an excellent way to get around.”

“No, I… I knew that. I think.”

So there were other mysterious mirrors besides just the Dark Mirror he’d seen the other day lying around.

They were given a rundown of the various amenities while overlooking the campus: the library, the campus store, and the greenhouse. There was even a large, open grassy area for exercising, in addition to a colosseum for different competitions. Yuuya desperately tried to grasp the full picture of their campus as they looked at the bright lights all around them. He couldn’t afford to get lost in this place. The ghost’s words from before echoed in his mind: “If you get in trouble, no one’s gonna step in to help you.”

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