The world had changed since the time of the last bearer of the Forbidden Grimoire. It hadn't changed too much, after all, since it had only taken roughly 80 years for the devil king to have another child with a human, but a lot can happen in 80 short years.

Rem stared into the eye of his father, his face sternly neutral and his resolve firm. This time, he would not fail. Love would not be in the question, if for no other reason than because Ritsuka was still alive. He had been watching her from afar. While he still looked like a high schooler, she had grown into a pleasant old woman.

However, that wasn't the matter at hand. About a week before, the grimoire had been detected in the same region, though it was certainly not Ritsuka this time. Rem was to go back to school, posing again as the president, and he was to find the grimoire, and this time he would not live if he failed. Of course, to prevent confusion with anyone who might remember him, he was posing as the grandson of the Rem that had attended school 80 years before, as were his three subordinates.

This time, they would not fail, no matter the cost.

Muteki Kurohi was excited for the beginning of a new year at a new school. She got up early so she would have time to properly prepare for the first day. She had given up a long time ago on being normal, but she could at least be awesome if she was going to weird.

"Uncle, come join me in the garden!" She called out, pulling on some pajamas. It was still dark outside and dawn was just beginning to stretch her pale fingers over the sky. She heard a gruff response from the next room over. She smiled and ran outside, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. The smell of morning glories beginning to put on their colours reached her nose. She ran barefoot across the grass. Having been raised in Tibet with monks, her brothers, and her uncle, she didn't really care about the Japanese obsession with shoes.

Kurohi sat on a stone in the middle of a small field of little blue wild flowers called Corn Speedwells. They were her absolute favourite. Her uncle blundered outside with a cup of coffee in his hand and a small silver singing bowl tucked into his elbow.

"Good morning, Uncle." Kurohi said in perfect Japanese. She had spent the past year and a half slaving over books and lessons in order to learn it, since the monks spoke Tibetan and everyone else around the monastery spoke Chinese. "Mornin" he responded in tired Japanese. "Remind me, why do we have to be up this early? The monks aren't here to pester us." Kurohi rolled her eyes, "because, Uncle, we cant fall out of our meditation routine. You can go back to bed, but I have to keep in perfect control, remember?" The monks had told her that she had power she needed to control, and though she didn't know what it was, she trusted them.

"Yes, I know." He grumbled and downed his coffee. "It's a shame your brothers aren't here. You know how they love to be up at the crack of dawn." Kurohi laughed softly, "they'll be back from London soon, Uncle. Learning to be an exorcist is hard work for Yama-nii, and Shoyo-nii's research is important, too. So long as they keep up with their skills, they'll be fine." Her Uncle looked impressed, "I see you've become a natural at Japanese. That's good, you'll fit right in at school. Did you iron your uniform blazer?" Kurohi nodded, "yes. Now let's get started."

They sat side by side cross-legged, with their knees touching. Her Uncle began to play the singing bowl, the sweet sound floating through the air, and Kurohi began to sing with a strong and flowing voice, like a river. Both had their eyes closed. She sang an old meditation song that the monks had taught her. Already, she could feel a small knot in her gut that she had every morning begin to fade. The song was short, only a few minutes long, but by the end both she and her uncle were relaxed and at peace.

"I miss the mountains, Uncle. This garden is lovely, but it isn't the same." Kurohi said as she helped her Uncle to his feet. He nodded, "I agree, but don't worry. We'll go home as soon as everything is in place." Kurohi put her hand on her hip. "You still haven't told me what's going on, Uncle." He patted her head, smiling beneath his bushy brown beard and mustache. "All in good time, Kurohi."

Kurohi bowed to him and went inside to eat her breakfast. Once that was done, she put on her uniform and ran her fingers through her hair. She had a pixie cut, which meant she only had to comb her hair right after a bath. She combed it anyway, making the jet-black locks shine in the sunlight filtering through her window. She brushed her teeth and put on her shoes by the door. After grabbing her bag, she kissed her Uncle's cheek. "Don't forget, today is sparring day." Her Uncle groaned, "take it easy on me, I'm old." Kurohi laughed, "you're not that old, you big old bear." He snorted and patted her head. "Off you go now. Do you remember the way?" "Yes, Uncle. I'll see you when I get home."

Kurohi walked peacefully along the road, smiling to herself. She heard a shout behind her, "hey!" She turned around to see a girl about her age, wearing the same uniform as her, jogging to catch up with her. She smiled, "hi. I'm Muteki Kurohi." The girl smiled back, her hazel eyes shining with excitement. "Ateiku Hinata. I see you're going to my school, but I've never seen you before. You just moved in next door to my house, right?" Kurohi nodded. "Yep! I hope we can be friends, Ateiku-san." "Oh, Hinata is fine. Can I call you Kurohi?" Kurohi grinned and nodded.

"You're from Tibet, right?" Hinata asked. Kurohi nodded. "Wow, I've always wanted to go there! You speak Japanese really well." Kurohi grinned, "thank you! I've worked hard so I can fit in." She noticed a string of black beads around Hinata's neck, mostly hidden by her blonde hair. The pendant was tucked in her shirt. Kurohi had a suspicion, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm glad I've made a friend so easily." Kurohi commented as they walked towards the school. She could see the majestic outline in the distance. Hinata giggled, "it's always good to have a friend on the first day. You're in your second year, right? Maybe we'll be in the same class!" "Oh, that would be fantastic!" Kurohi giggled, feeling giddy.

They arrived at school, making their way past the cars that pulled up to drop off the richer students. Hinata grabbed Kurohi's arms and pointed to one car in particular, where a blonde man with striking green eyes was stepping out. There were plenty of girls and a few guys gathered in groups nearby, whispering and squealing, their attention focused on the man. "That's the student council president, Rem Kaginuki. Isn't he hot?" Hinata squealed. Kurohi tilted her head, "I suppose he's attractive. But why is everyone treating him like some sort of celebrity?"

That was how Kurohi came to learn about the legacy of the Kaginuki family. She was impressed, but the monks had taught her that it was your own actions and not your lineage that were important. Hinata then led her to the main office, where she got a map and learned that they were in the same class. "That's good." Kurohi smiled and followed Hinata to the classroom.

Kurohi felt nervous being around so many people, but with Hinata introducing her to everyone, she soon felt much better. Perhaps being here would be a fun experience.

She didn't know that everything she thought she knew was about to change.