Intro

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started at Death Weapon Meister Academy (otherwise known as DWMA). In fact, I felt certain that I would be very much out of place there. I mean, sure, I was a meister, and my cousin Kentaro and I worked pretty well together, him being my weapon and all, but there was no way we would ever capture enough souls to turn him into a Death Scythe! When I first tried to wield him in weapon form (a sword), our souls were completely out of balance, and I could barely lift him. And sure, it got better with time, but the other students were bound to be more advanced than us. However, despite my insecurities, there was no escaping it.

"C'mon, Miko, we're gonna be late!" Kentaro whined, pounding on the bathroom door. "Do you seriously want to be late for our first day?"

"Just give me a second!" I growled, dragging my hairbrush through a snarled knot at the base of my skull. I set the hairbrush next to the sink, and smoothed my hands over my long straight waterfall of auburn hair. I combed my fingers quickly through the bangs that just barely grazed the eyebrows above my celery-green eyes, straightened my short-sleeved purple button-down shirt and black pleated skirt, then nodded, satisfied with the somewhat professional image I now presented.

"Miko, nobody's going to care about what your hair looks like, move your ass!" He kicked the door in frustration.

"I told you not to call me that!" I burst out of the bathroom, nearly flattening Kentaro's face with the hard wooden surface of the door. "We're not seven anymore, call me by my full name, please. It's Mikoto." I'd been trying to shake off his nickname for me for the past year, but to no avail. Being only a few months older than me, he often referred to me as his 'baby cousin', and insisted on calling me by what he claimed was a 'cuter' name for me. "If you're so worried about being late, let's get a move on."

"Fine, let's go…Mikoto." He emphasized the name, rolling his dark brown eyes. I cracked a smile, and looped my arm through his, and together we set off for our first day.