Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or any of its characters.

Oyamada Manta, age twenty-seven, stood on his stool behind the podium, a clicker in one hand and a book in the other. Fifty students sat before him in the lecture hall, staring absently at the large projector screen. On the chalk board below the screen written in bold lettering was:

Oyamada Sensei

Eastern Shaman Tradition: Section 02

Manta hit the clicker to bring up a picture of a shrine.

"Does anyone here know what this is?" his voiced boomed.

A young blonde haired woman in the front row eagerly raised her hand. Manta pointed to her.

"It's a Shinto Shrine," she answered beaming.

"Yes," Manta replied. "For all of you who have never seen one before or are just sitting in the back counting down the minutes, this is a Shinto shrine. I expect you to educate yourselves on it, because it is what we will be covering in our next lecture."

He closed the book and checked his watch. He had nailed it; only two minutes left of class, which meant just enough time for his plug.

"That will be all today," he said formally. Books clapped shut, and there was the increasing amount of chatter as the students began to leave. "Also all those Interested in the Research Assistant position, please come up here and speak with me!"

Manta let out a sigh as he watched the door. He had just begun his job at Shibuya University teaching in both the Business and Religion departments less than a year ago. He used to work at a very successful company in marketing and sales, but, although it paid well, Manta didn't have very much time to work on his passion, a book documenting the history of shamanism. The University had agreed to allow him to do his research and teach about his favorite subject. The only hitch was he also had to teach a Marketing course.

The blonde girl from the front of the class bounced up to the podium along with a handful of other students.

"Oyamada Sensei," the girl said with a wink.

Her name was Yumi Korosawa, and one of his most devoted students. She really was quite cute. She had a round face and big eyes. If she wasn't his student, the man would have really loved to date her. But alas, it was not to be.

"Is everybody here for the post of Research Assistant?" Manta asked, looking over the lot.

They all nodded. Most of them were the typical silent types, dark and into the occult, much like Manta had been when he was younger. There was a large boy, who played for the school soccer team. So he had been paying attention in class. And then there was Yumi.

"Alright," Manta said stepping down from his podium to look up at all of them. "I want you to email me your resumes by midnight on Sunday. Then we can hold interviews-"

"Hold it!" a girl's voiced bellowed from behind him.

The professor and his students all stared in confusion.

Standing in the doorway was a dark skinned girl with big eyes and a large afro. Her lips were a light pink smirk, and she wore a cream colored dress embellished in gold stars. Compared to the height of the doorframe, Manta deduced that she couldn't be more than ten centimeters taller than he was. She must have been some high school student who was looking for attention, but even then it still made him uncomfortable.

He put on the façade of being calm and turned back to his students.

"A-as I was saying," He stuttered. "Interviews will be held in my office on-"

"There will be no interviews," the dark girl said cutting him off again. "An assistant has already been assigned."

Manta was speechless. This girl was out of her mind. He glanced over at Yumi, whose pretty face was now contorted into a scowl. The afro girl just smiled back.

"And just what do you know about it?" Yumi snapped. "If Oyamada Sensei says the position is open, the position must be open." Then her glare turned on him. "Right, Sensei?"

Manta gulped. None of the training seminars had mentioned the possibility of being sucked into cat fights. He looked up at the beautiful, tall, blonde girl and then back at the short afro girl.

"Uh… right," he finally announced after a long silence. Yumi smiled. He grimaced back.

Then the dark skinned girl walked up to him, her dark eyes seeming to pierce his soul. She stopped only a few centimeters away from him and spoke in low ominous voice.

"It is good to see you again Mister Manta. It's been a long time," she said. "I wouldn't worry too much. She is not actually planning on fighting me. Furthermore, I have looked into your heart, and you would surely pick me. In fact, it's necessary that you pick me."

Manta squinted. Now that she was up close, this girl looked strangely familiar. He searched his memory. She said she was from a long time ago. Her dark eyes blinked at him curiously and she frowned. That was it! Now he recognized her.

"Opacho?"

"Mhm. Master Hao told me I should come help you," she said cheerily. "So I became a student here."

The students all stared at them, mouths agape; even Yumi. Manta turned to them and bowed.

"I am sorry," he said meeting all their gazes. "The position has been filled. Thank you for your time."

Groans erupted from the crowd and the students left them room. Yumi glared at Manta as she passed him. He wished he could have told them that he didn't really want to pick Opacho, or that turning down her offer meant he'd be slapping God in the face. And knowing God, he really didn't want to pick a fight with him.

He glanced at Opacho, who had at this point found his stool and was standing at the podium. She looked down at him and smirked.

"Yes, I am enjoying myself," she giggled.

Then the tiny girl picked up his book and began flipping through it. Manta's eye twitched. She was touching his stuff, but he didn't stop her. There was really no point. She knew he was upset. From how agitated his thoughts were he figured he might as well be screaming at her.

Her gaze fixated on him, and she scowled.

"It's not my fault I can read your mind," she muttered. She picked up the clicker and studied it. "Or that your stuff is so fun to touch."

Then she suddenly flung his bag at him, shortly followed by his book and clicker. He barely caught them all before they crashed on the floor.

"What the hell are you thinking?" screamed at the tiny girl, who was now descending with his laptop tightly clutched to her chest.

She calmly handed him the laptop and indicated the door.

A lone student stood there, wide eyed with shock.

"People are arriving for the next class. You wanted to pack your things."

He couldn't argue with her; she was right. He quickly shoved his belongings into his satchel. He then went up to the podium and grabbed the stool. He nodded to Opacho, and they left the lecture hall.

As they walked down the halls of the University, Manta really wondered what he had gotten himself into, He looked up at Opacho. He couldn't believe how much taller she had gotten.

"I had a growth spurt," she answered, giving him a smug look. "You can bemoan your situation if you like. I don't mind."

He decided he would hold off on the moaning until he got home. First thing he needed to do was to get her to fill out the paperwork.

"That is fine."

He sighed. This girl was beginning to seem eerily similar to her old master.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Will you get out of my head!"

She grinned and trotted ahead. Then she looked back at him, eyes glittering.

"Hurry up Mister Manta! Let's go!"