Author Notes

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time. The beginning of the prequel I've talked about.

Welcome to the prequel of Soul Eater: Troubled Souls—Soul Eater Zeta. I thank you for taking the time to read this story. My only warning is that this story contains the use of OCs on both the good side and the bad side. I'm not sure if that's going to steer away from some readers, but we shall see. This story will cover and address things that happened before the Soul Eater series itself as well as Soul Eater: Troubled Souls. Hope you enjoy!

Chronology: This prequel occurs 23 year prior to the beginning of Soul Eater itself.

Forewarning: The story will contain the following: instances of strong violence, humor ranging from childish to young adult, strong language, and the prevalence of OCs. In addition, both OCs and canon characters will learn some things not present in canon.

Disclaimer: Soul Eater is copyrighted to Atsushi Okubo and all other third parties (characters, series, and concepts).

To the Past: The First Day Anew

All tales have a beginning, impacting the future more than anything else.. The sands of time each carry a fragment of the past within each individual grain. So long as memories exist, the beginning shall never ebb into the cold and unforgiving seas of mystery. All tales revisit their beginning... This one is no exception.

Month 1, Week 1, Day 1

Death Weapon Meister Academy. This magnificent and expansive academy serves the monument for peace and order in the world, existing to eliminate any vicious and vile beings such as Monsters, Evil Humans, and Witches that dare threaten to the world. The Academy's main goal is to prevent any of those evil creatures from becoming or giving rise to an incredibly dangerous entity – a Kishin. To attain that end, the DWMA welcomes anybody from all part of the globe to join this legendary school and organization. Students from all over, Meisters and Demon Weapons alike, come together to train in order to save society from tyranny and chaos.

...

The blazing orange Sun was suspended in the clear blue sky, bearing temperate heat down onto Death City, Nevada, with the Academy complementing its position in the sky. As the building loomed over the city, lone footsteps clicked against the ivory concrete of the wide, massive flight of stairs until someone reached the very top at long last.

A young girl of the tender age of fifteen stood there, gazing at the famous edifice with emerald green eyes as her long brownish-blonde hair, tied to a ponytail, billowed in the soft breeze. She smiled radiantly as she spoke to herself, "I finally made it. The Death Weapon Meister Academy." It was time to fulfill her role as another member of this prestigious school. To that end, she was garnished in a white and red uniform coat with long sleeves and a familiar skull pendant sitting on the middle of her collar, a red plaid skirt, white stockings, and red shoes.

"Wow. This place is huge." She commented, marveling the sheer size of the Academy, the spacious platform right in front of her, and the number of people standing around in said area and actually entering the building. She started walking forward, remembering her purpose for coming here. Today was the DWMA's monthly held orientation – a specified day where the school was set to register and introduce new students like herself to the everyday hustle and bustle.

She continued taking in the sights of the scene, heading toward the entrance. Standing in front of the entrance to the grand structure was a young man sixteen years of age handing out pamphlets and fliers to the new students entering the DWMA, greeting them amicably all the while. He bore short, wavy dark blue hair, pale white eyes, and a designer stubble. His attire consisted of a light blue oxford vest, a beige collared long-sleeved dress shirt, light blue slacks, and dress shoes.

"Good morning! Welcome! Thank you for considering the DWMA! Glad to have you here! Don't get yourselves hurt either!" Those were a few of the words he exchanged with the newcomers. A toothy grin remained on his features as he did so. He then noticed a blond girl idly walking his way, still awestruck by the Academy itself.

Chuckling to himself, he walked over to her with his last pamphlet, "Hello, there! Welcome to the world-famous Death Weapon Meister Academy!"

The girl looked surprised at his sudden appearance but nonetheless accepted the pamphlet, which detailed the layout of the school, the types of classes, important locations, and other relevant information.

"I'm a fourth-year, Two-Star Meister," The boy pointed to his official DWMA badge on the breast of his vest that had two stars and a cartoonish skull logo engraved on it, "The name's Amagai Vladingham!"

"O-Oh. nice to meet you," the girl stated, bowing her head lightly, "My name is Kami Okubo. I'm just starting today."

Amagai grinned, "Ah, new kid on the block, huh?" He quickly scanned around his area. He was out of pamphlets, and everyone else seemed like they knew where to go. He looked back at Kami and offered, "Need any helping getting around?"

"If you don't mind, I would appreciate it." Kami responded, smiling.

"Well, come on then! Follow me!" Amagai headed over to the entrance door and held it open for Kami. When the new student walked forward and entered, the blunette spoke once more, "Miss Kami Okubo, you have officially taken your first steps in the Death Weapon Meister Academy."

Reflecting its stature on the outside, the interior of the Academy was quite big and grand inside, containing long corridors with high, arched ceilings, lamps to light the way, and a monochromatic checkerboard-style tile floor. The spacious area Amagai and Kami were inside of now teemed with all sorts of people. They were walking away in all directions, side-by-side with relatives, friends, or partners, and going through the many passageways present.

"Congrats!" While Kami was busy admiring the scenery, Amagai suddenly got behind Kami, hooking
an arm around her and using the hand of the same arm to hold up a peace sign. His other hand held up a camera high enough to take a picture of them both.

"Huh?" Kami was caught off-guard. When she looked up, the flash went off directly into her eyes and blinded her, "AH!"

"Alright!" Amagai, pleased with the shot, put the camera away and started walking again, "Let me show you the facilities but feel free to sightsee!"

"O-Okay…" Kami replied woozily as she followed him, rubbing her eyes to alleviate some of the disorientation she experienced from the unexpected flash.

"Welcome, newcomers. Please sign in here."

Nearby was another part of the orientation procedures, the sign-in booth. Another volunteer like Amagai manned the station. He was a seventeen-year-old blonde with short, curly hair that was slick back and bore teal eyes. He wore a white, long-sleeved dress shirt with patterned black stripes, turndown collar, button-down front, and a silk black tie. His tailored black pants were hidden under a white sportcoat with double lapels, bold black trims, and nicely cuffed sleeves. Much like Amagai, he had an official DWMA badge with two.

"There's your cue, Kami. That's where you wanna start off," Amagai said, gesturing over to the sign-in booth and the gentleman behind it, "Don't be shy."

Kami nodded and sauntered over to the booth. The student operating subsequently greeted her, "Hello and welcome to the DWMA. Please sign here if you would." He instructed, gesturing to the clipboards in front of him. A good number of pages on all available clipboards were filled with names from all over the world; students that were new like herself. She picked up one of the pens lying near a clipboard and sighed her name in neat, cursive writing. The gentlemen looked over her handwriting and mused, "Miss Kami Okubo, correct?"

"Why yes sir." Kami replied, bowing her head slightly in respect.

He smiled, "Fascinating. Now, to get to the student orientation room, follow the signs. When you get there, there will be numerous other booths where fellow students and perhaps some faculty members will give you a tag labeled 'Meister' or 'Weapon.' They will also assign you to homerooms and help set your schedule." He explained thoroughly.

"Ah," Kami nodded in understanding, bowing her head again, "Thank you, Mr….?" Her voice trailed off, seeing as he did not wear a name tag.

"Moncharmin. Claude Moncharmin."

"Thank you, Mr. Claude Moncharmin." Kami said again now that she was able to properly address her helper.

Claude smiled politely, "You're welcome. Now take care."

The freshman returned to Amagai, who was patiently waiting for her, and announced, "Okay. I'm ready."

Amagai grinned brightly, "Great! Now let's get you to your freshmen orientation!"

Kami was led by Amagai to the student orientation room. Along the way, the older student mentioned that the room was actually the cafeteria, and that Kami should memorize the directions if she wanted to know where to eat during school days.

"Heeeere you are!" Amagai announced with a flair, walking in the propped-open doors with Kami.

Finally, the duo made it to the cafeteria, which was modified to accommodate orientation. The majority of the tables were put away to create space. Lining available wall space were numerous booths that were currently tending to the influx of new students, transfers or otherwise. Primitive, bulky computers were situated near most of the booths, aiding in the process of registering the students. The lunch line was also serving light refreshments and snacks, seeing as this area was the hub of the day's activity.

Kami looked around in amazement, marveling at the sheer number of people present. "Oh my goodness! There's a lot of people here. H-heh, I'm starting to feel nervous." This many people meant many new faces and potentially many new adventures. She knew some would be bad, and some would be good. That was why she was nervous. She did not know what to expect in an environment like the DWMA.

Amagai knew exactly what she was talking about. "Ah, the butterflies-in-your-stomach phase." He gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. That'll go away in due time. You'll meet lots of good people."

"Step right up please! I'll get you in and out of line soon enough."

Near the entrance was a sixteen-year-old young lady, managing one of the booths as a volunteer. She bore long, Air Force blue hair styled in thick waves and large slate grey eyes. She wore a flowing sky blue shawl over a pink, ruffled high top shirt, a floor-length skirt of matching colors with a decorative motif of waves and flames, and blue ballet shoes. Like Amagai and Claude before her, she too had a Two-Star badge.

Amagai spotted her and placed a hand on Kami's shoulder to prevent her from going farther. "Better go see her before someone else does. Her line's empty." He suggested, pointing over to her and her currently vacant booth.

Kami looked over and indeed saw the empty line. Before, she was thinking that she would have to wait some time, given the length of some others and the sheer size of the crowd. "O-oh! Right!" She quickly headed over before anyone else stole her spot, "Hello. Are you the one I need to see for the tags?"

The blue-haired girl smiled back delightedly and replied, "Yes indeed. My name is Rukia Forsythia. A pleasure. Please give me your name and classification."

"My name is Kami Okubo, and I'm a Meister."

Rukia reached under the booth and pulled out a meister tag, handing it over to her. Kami took it and attached it to her uniform. Then, the blunette girl faced the primitive computer near her and began typing on it. As she did so, Rukia asked Kami, "In addition to being a student and representative of the DWMA, Kami, what do you plan on being in life?"

Kami tilted her head curiously, taken aback by her question, "E-Erm, excuse me?"

Rukia giggled a little, finding her reaction a bit adorable. She decided to explain further, "Well, not only does the DWMA prepare students like us to fight evil and defend the peace of society, it also – in the event we decide to pursue other careers after graduation – offers us many selection of classes that conform to our interests. So, you basically learn about Phasmology, hone your skills in combat, and receive a lifelong education here in the DWMA in case you want to move onto college or something like that."

"Ohh, I see." Kami said, now getting an understanding of the school's education system. She cupped her chin in thought. Truthfully, she did not think that far. She was under the impression that, at the Academy, you studied only subjects pertaining to Meisters, Weapons, Wavelengths, and such like that, and the ultimate goal was to forge a Death Scythe by harvesting 99 Evil or Kishin Egg Souls and one Witch Soul.

Rukia noticed Kami deep in thought, struggling to answer the question she posed. She stifled her giggles and offered nicely, "How about we skip that part for now? Let's work on everything else."

Kami blushed a little in embarrassment, prompting Rukia to giggle more. She then asked Kami a series of question, collecting necessary information from her. Afterwards, Rukia entered Kami's basic info into the system, such as date of birth, former home address, and social security number. Finally, she asked whether Kami was going to live in an apartment or the girls dormitory to which the new student replied she already had an apartment in Death City. Rukia remarked on the ingenuity of her action, for roommates were chosen for students by the staff, hearing rumors that insufferable and unfavorable roommates often resulted.

"Okay, now back to the question of what do you want to be," Rukia said after entering the last bit of information, "We get that, I can finalize your schedule and tell you your homeroom."

Kami blinked, "Homeroom?"

Rukia placed her hand on her cheek, "Oh, my. I can't believe I neglected that." The older student cleared her throat and explained in detail, "Currently, the DWMA divides its student into two arrangements: NOT and EAT. NOT stands for 'Normally Overcome Targets.' They make up 90% of the student body normally. These students are not entirely battle-ready and require special care. However, if they show the desire, the improvement in physical fitness, and the aptitude in select missions, they can be promoted to the EAT curriculum. EAT stands for 'Especially Advanced Targets.' These students, like me, are the remaining 10% who are sent to combat and have exceptional talent. However, they can be demoted to NOT upon request or if their performance indicates a low success rate or drop in fitness. Furthermore, the EAT class is divided into three homerooms: the Crescent Moon Class, the Half Moon Class, and the Full Moon Class. Which homeroom you are assigned to depends on your schedule, credentials, and availability."

"Oh wow. This place is organized." Kami commented in awe. However, she still had no clue what she wanted to be. "It is possible for me to change my interest later on?" She asked, receiving a confirmatory nod and smile from Rukia. Kami brightened up, knowing that she was not bound to the choice she had to make now. "Okay. Let's try 'teacher' for now."

"Very well then!" Turning to the computer once more, Rukia typed away on the keyboard. The computer took a few seconds to process everything and at last finalized Kami's schedule and registration. The computer nosily whirred afterwards, releasing a piece of paper from within its confines. Rukia took the paper and handed it over to Kami. "There you go! It seems your homeroom is Class Crescent Moon!"

"Thank you very much!" Kami thanked, beaming excitedly as she accepted her schedule and reviewed it.

"And this," Rukia reached under the booth again and retrieved an official DWMA badge with a single star imprinted on it, "is your official One-Star badge. Keep this with you at all times because, on special events like today or certain missions, we are required to wear them."

Kami accepted the badge and placed it below her meister name tag. She bowed her head to Rukia and said graciously, "Again, thank you so much, Ms. Rukia Forsythia." She turned and walked away as Rukia happily waved her goodbye, wishing her the best.

Amagai patiently waited for her return, speaking when she came back, "My partner is nice, isn't she?"

"She was your partner?!"Kami asked in shock, exchanging glances between Amagai and Rukia, who was currently serving another new student, "Oh, wow! What a coincidence."

Amagai laughed, stretching his back, "Well, I'd better return to my post. Gotta help other freshmen like yourself." He looked at Kami and said thoughtfully, giving her a thumbs-up, "You ever need any help, just look for yours truly!"

Kami smiled gratefully and nodded, "Sure! Will do—"

CRASH!

And, just like that, the pageantries were stunted, and the mood plummeted as quickly as conceivably possible.

Screams and gasps echoed throughout the lunchroom, everyone turning to the source of the calamity. A huge, gaping hole was present in the western wall of the cafeteria as residual dust hovered around the spot. Some meters away from the hole and rubble were a pair of students, lying motionlessly on the ground. They were badly beaten, and blood stained their uniforms, hair, and skin. If it wasn't for the fact that they were groaning in pain, many of the people in the room would have considered them dead.

Before anyone could tend to the fallen male and female student, someone appeared in the newly made hole. The perpetrator was 19-years-old, having black, chin-length hair with many orange streaks, mostly located on his bangs. He wore a sleeveless blazer that possessed a number of straps and buckles with rips around the arm openings. His shirt featured black skull-and-crossbones decorations, a twisted version of the Lord Death-style insignias. He finished his ensemble with black army boots, pants, and fingerless fighting gloves with metal studs on the knuckles and metal plates on the backhand.

His hands and forearms were wet with blood. The students' blood. His bangs were also parted in a manner that seemed to cast a shadow over his eyes. His face was devoid of any sort of compassion or remorse. His left eye bore a dark auburn iris lacking a pupil. His right eye, on the other hand, had black sclera with a glowing orange iris and slit-feral pupil – it was as if that particular eye once belonged to a feral demon of the underworld. The orange soul wavelength flaring around him increased the pressure in the room, only serving to heighten the sense of dread in the people.

To those who knew him, he was known as…

"THE BLOODY SHIELD! THE BLOODY SHIELD IS ATTACKING!"

Students both old and new completely lost their composure, screaming as they backed away as far as permissible. Meanwhile, the "Bloody Shield" stared heartlessly at the battered individuals, proceeding slowly but surely toward them with methodical but purposeful trudges. He ignored the boy's and girl's hoarse but repentant pleas for help, "There is no mercy for you."

"Who is he?!" Kami questioned, watching the scene with fright and shock.

Amagai gritted his teeth and replied, "The Bloody Shield... Noel Ricardsen. He's the younger brother of one of the teachers, Mr. Edward Ricardsen… In case you can't tell, he's bad business."

"H-He's coming!" A student whimpered as Noel continued to get closer to his victims. They were worried that, once Noel was finished beating the two victims within an inch of their lives, he would turn on a hapless individual in the crowd around him to satiate any lasting urges.

"Someone should stop him!" Kami shouted, not wanting to witness a tragedy on her first day of school.

"Gladly! I got this!" Amagai exclaimed bravely, rushing forth and leaving Kami's side. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Trying to save lives here!" He yelled apologetically as he forced his way through the tight-knit crowd. Of course, some people weren't budging, causing him to trip several times and land face-first on the floor. "WILL YOU MOVE?!" He demanded each time he fell and got back up, continuing in his attempts to get through. The blunette finally managed to reach the site of the issue, getting between Noel and his victims, "Stop right there!"

Noel stared, frowning in displeasure, "Not you again… get lost."

"Not a chance." Amagai replied obstinately, glaring at The Bloody Shield in defiance.

Amagai's intense glare caused Noel to flinch as if they reminded himself of something. "Th-those eyes..." He held up his bloody hands, focusing intently on them, "So filled with hate... Stop it... " Noel clenched his fists, feeling his bloodlust spiking as his eyes dilated, "Your eyes just make me want to ground you into bloody paste!"

Amagai courageously stood his ground as Rukia managed to slip past the crowd and stand beside him. He cracked his knuckles as bluish sparks of wavelength exited from them. "Well, well, this is the perfect opportunity for a speech," He said and then cleared his throat, "FRESHMEN, attention!"

All eyes fell wonderingly at their apparent senior. "Sometimes in life, you're gonna be scared. To death, even. But you can't let fear stop you from your duties. "Remember, as of today, you're a DWMA student. We are harbingers of peace and order!"

Rukia's body suddenly glowed, enveloping herself in sky blue light. Soon, her entire body lost form, becoming an amorphous mass of sky blue light that streamed right across Amagai's body. The two-star meister grabbed this mass as it straightened out, the light shattering to reveal the weapon he now bore. It was a naginata with a sky blue, metallic shaft , a curved blade on the end, and a fanlike disc beneath the blade with a gold piece separating the two features.

"So, don't show your fear! Relish it!" Amagai declared, spinning the naginata above head before pointing the blade at Noel.

Noel's expression was unchanging but fierce by default. Amagai, however, smirked confidently as he span the naginata with both hands firmly on the shaft, charging at the Bloody Shield. The Vladingham jabbed the blade toward him twice, but Noel blocked them with the metal plates on the backhand of one glove. Noel then dodged a swing and threw a straight jab, but Amagai managed to sidestep that and jump back, knowing he could not afford even a single hit from the Bloody Shield with his infamous superhuman strength.

"Keep calm, Amagai! You can do this! We've done this before!" Rukia spoke encouragingly, her reflection appearing on the fan of her weapon form. The male nodded as Noel suddenly charged, swinging his leg for a kick. Amagai ducked under it and swung the naginata upward, slashing Noel across his torso. Strangely, the Bloody Shield froze as if he just shut down, and that perplexed Amagai.

"You made me bleed… Now it's your turn." Noel suddenly rasped, shooting his hand out to the confused Amagai and seizing his face.

"Oh, God." Amagai squeaked feebly the minute Noel's hand engulfed his face. With that same hand, Noel casually flung Amagai up to the ceiling. The impact caused the students to exclaim in terror as Amagai's head went through it. He groaned a little as he fell back down but snapped out of it quick enough to turn himself over and land on his feet. "Well, better a throw than a punch." He thought in relief, rubbing his head.

Noel turned around to face Amagai. "When will you rats learn something... Don't look at me the way you do…" He said in a low tone. Amagai just blinked, showing a confused expression as everyone else watched on in wonderment and fear. "Tch…" Noel placed a hand on the gash across his torso and turned away, walking out of the lunchroom using the hole he made.

Amagai breathed a sigh of relief as he stood straight, Rukia reverting back to normal. "Jeez… between me, the
Disciplinary Council and Clorinda Olmett, and Mr. Ricardsen, it's a wonder why Noel never tires out…"

The students whispered to one another after Noel left. Now that he was gone, a group of them tended to the badly damaged victims and helped them away to the dispensary. Kami hurried over to Rukia and Amagai and asked them with concern, "Are you two okay?"

After Rukia helped Amagai to his feet, the latter gave Kami a confident thumbs-up, "Of course! That was nothing I couldn't handle."

Around this time, two students reentered the lunchroom, bringing a teacher in with them and telling him this was the site of the calamity. He was a 29-year-old man with waist-length sable black hair and shoulder-length bangs framing the sides of his face. He wore a navy blue longcoat blazer over a dark auburn dress shirt with navy blue designs on the lapel and collar. He finished his look with navy blue pants and shoes.

"Noel, why in the world do you do this to people? Are you in some endless loop of grief and destruction caused by the Enchanted Eye? Or is the Madness in you being excited by something else?" the teacher thought woefully, examining the hole in the wall with a neutral expression. He then saw Amagai and walked over, "Amagai. My younger brother didn't hurt you too badly, did he?"

"Oh, no, Mr. Ricardsen," Amagai answered back casually, "He was actually pretty tame today. If anything, something was done too late."

Kami looked at Mr. Ricardsen in shock, "H-he was your younger brother?"

Mr. Ricardsen looked at Kami and nodded in confirmation, "Edward Ricardsen, homeroom teacher of the Full Moon Class, at your service." He looked around the room and took note of the troubled, uneasy atmosphere that effectively ended the orientation for right now. "You three run along. I have to stay here and address the current situation."

By this time, everyone in the room was beginning to disperse and the tense air diffused. For the time being, orientation was suspended but would resume later on in the day. Right now, Kami, Amagai, and Rukia were walking together in the hall.

"Sorry that happened on your first day, Kami." Amagai and Rukia said apologetically.

"It's okay. I'm just glad that the situation was resolved." Kami replied understandingly. She then peered at the two partners and asked them, "How long has that been going on?"

"Ages." Rukia and Amagai responded candidly.

"That tells me nothing, you two."

"No, seriously, that's all we know." Amagai added in as he stopped walking.

" ..I..I just simply refuse Noel is that bad of a person... He must acting like this for a reason." Rukia remarked sadly, clasping her hands together tightly in front of her, "But I also don't want others to get hurt so severely…"

"Rukia! Amagai!"

The three looked to see a 17-year-old girl standing before them. She had baby blue eyes and long, curly blond hair in which some of it was kept back by a big white bow as the rest cascaded down her shoulders with two long fringes framing her face. Her outfit was a schoolgirl uniform, consisting a white shirt with matching frills on the end of the sleeves, baby blue collar and knee-length skirt, white stockings, and baby blue Mary Janes.

She ran up to Amagai and embraced him in a tight hug, "Oh darling, I heard what happened! Are you okay?! How bad are you hurt this time?! Do you need a lawsuit against that brute?!"

As Amagai choked on his breath and Kami stared on awkwardly, Rukia reasoned with the older female, "Diana. All is fine."

Diana looked at Rukia confusedly, releasing the Naginata Meister, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Rukia nodded.

"Thanks for the concern though." Amagai replied appreciatively after a few coughs.

The Demon Naginata then realized that Kami, who was standing by her, was probably very lost and decided to break the ice. Clearing her throat, she kicked off the introduction, "Diana. Please meet one of our newest DWMA students, Kami Okubo."

Diana looked at her and felt bad for not noticing Kami earlier, "O-oh! A new student!" She blushed lightly, admiring her petite stature and facial features, "You're so adorable!"

Kami blushed in embarrassment at the compliment, "O-oh! Why thank you so much!"

"Oh, how rude of me! I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Diana Daae of the Full Moon Class. Welcome to the DWMA." Diana said, doing a curtsy.

"Thank you. And it's a pleasure to meet you." Kami replied graciously, bowing her head.

During this exchange, a light bulb went off in Amagai's head, reminding him of something. "Oh man. Hey, Kami, we need to show you where your homeroom is!"

Kami's eyes widened with realization, "Oh my goodness! I forgot all about it!"

"Oh dear! We must show you the way." Diana said, "What is your homeroom, darling?"

"Crescent Moon."

"Very well then. Come along, follow me." Diana grabbed Kami's hand and waved goodbye to Amagai and Rukia, walking off in a hurry as she dragged the Japanese freshman, "Ta-ta for now~"

Class Crescent Moon was empty. None of the currently enrolled students were asked to come to class today so that all newcomers could be handled soundly. At the office desk in the middle of the checkerboard-patterned floor was a 40-year-old man going over the various papers lying on the surface. The golden, thin-rimmed glasses over his silver eyes gave the man a scholarly air with his navy blue hair slicked back and neatly trimmed. His wore a brown and blue Corduroy vest and shirt combo, a white professor's coat, brown Corduroy pants, and dress shoes.

He heard a knock on one of the doors leading into the room. "Enter."

The door creaked open to reveal Kami and Diana. "Good morning~ Hi, I'm just leading this lost lamb to where she belongs~" The latter chirped as the former looked around the lecture hall curiously. "This is the new student, Kami Okubo."

"S-Sorry for not being here sooner, sir." Kami apologized, bowing her head again.

"Hm. It's quite all right. The day is still young, and I honestly did not expect every freshman to immediately find their way around this school." The man said, facing them, "Regardless, welcome. My name is Professor Romulus Vladingham."

"Vladingham…?" Kami thought as something nagged her in the back of her mind.

Diana motioned Romulus to approach her. Curiously, the homeroom professor walked over to her and kneeled down, and Diana whispered into his ear, informing of the short bout between Amagai and Noel and citing that as the reason for Kami's tardiness. The stolid face Romulus bore broke momentarily, showing deep concern, "Is my son well?"

"I knew it! They're related!" Kami exclaimed in her mind.

Diana placed gentle hand on Romulus's arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. He's fine. I just talked to him."

Romulus breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great." He stood back up and said seriously, "Anyway, you should run along. Miss Okubo, please come with me to get your materials."

"See you later~" Diana waved Kami goodbye before exiting the classroom.

After waving back, Kami walked over with Romulus to his desk. He gathered some sheets of paper and compiled them into one packet. Then, he retrieved a book and placed the papers on top of it. "What I am handing over to you is the syllabus, school map, room locations, and my class's textbook." Romulus explained. Kami curiously examined the book, seeing that its title was simply Phasmology. "Within the syllabus, you will find where we are currently and the amount of knowledge you will need in order to be up-to-date. Also, please stop by your other classes to get the proper material; refer to the room locations for that."

Kami quickly scanned through the sheets of paper, drinking in both the printed and verbal information given to her. "Yes, sir."

"That is all. First period starts at 8:00 AM, so do not be late." Romulus strictly advised.

"Yes, sir!" Kami replied obediently, bowing to her new instructor, "I will not be late." She turned around and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind her. She placed her back against it as her emerald eyes gazed at the material she was just given. This was the start of the rest of her life, an unpredictable one filled with many ups and downs. A wide, excited grin stretched across her face when she realized that.

From now one, she was Kami Okubo, Meister and member of Death Weapon Meister Academy.

When night befell Death City and the rest of the Western Hemisphere, day appeared in the Eastern. In London, England, the temperatures were mild, indicated by the triumphant laughter of the energetic Sun. St. James's Square in particular benefited from this. Quite a few residents of London were walking along the stone pathways. Others were simply laying down in the space provided, basking in the ambience of such a serene area.

However, an anomaly was stirring, catching the attention of some of the people. A group of ten cloaked people were gathering in front of the equestrian statue of William III. Two of them stabbed some poles into the ground. The wind caught the brown flags attached on top, showcasing a symbol: a knightly shield that prominently showcased an angular and sharp version of the letter Z.

Each person varied in body structure and height, but they all wore the relatively same uniform. It consisted of a long, brown, hooded robe, a silver tunic with a brown sash around the waist, white pants, and brown boots. The above-mentioned symbol was located on the left lapel of their tunics.

Standing in the middle of this group was someone who wore an additional pitch-black cape over the standard brown robe. The person cleared his throat and then vocalized, "Hear ye, hear ye, citizens of London! I would like to talk to you about Demon Weapon liberation! For ages and eons, the norm was that Meisters and Weapons should work in harmony, forming indestructible bonds and friendships. However, can you truly say that Demon Weapons are happy? Happy to be confined to the handiwork of Meisters?"

A crowd gathered before these strange people as their apparent leader orated further, "I, a Demon Weapon myself, questions that. Yes, the friendship between Weapon and Meister can be very touching. But, in order to truly achieve longstanding and concrete peace, we must eliminate any and all opportunities for misuse and abuse. We must liberate the Demon Weapons of their roles as simply tools for battle. We must separate the classes of Weapons and Meisters so that they both can realize their full potential."

A murmur resonated throughout the increasingly large crowd, some in agreement and some in deep concern.

"Good and gracious people, my comrades and I ask that you consider these words. A future where Weapon and Meister can become perfect in their own individual right. After all, there is a reason why each have their own specific skills. We, The Zeta, see that as a clear sign that we can function and exist properly without forming teams. So, please, contemplate and support our efforts in Demon Weapon liberation."

All ten members of The Zeta bowed graciously to their listeners, "Thank you for listening. Absit invidia."