Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 8
The next day, Iruma walked to school like any other, his soul mates by his side. A ways from the front gates, a strange woman looked like she was waiting for someone. Was she dropping off her child's forgotten belongings?
She was slender and tall in a tight, black and white, shortly cut qipao dress with gold trim. She had a light tan skin tone and shoulder length teal hair tied in side buns beside her dark, forward-curved horns. Straight trimmed bangs hung over her pale blue eyes as they settled over the trio with a grin. She waved to them like any friendly person looking for help might do.
Clara immediately clung tightly to Iruma's arm at the sight of the lovely woman. "Irumachi, do you know her?", she asked, skeptically eying the beautiful stranger. He was just as surprised as his friends. "No, I've never seen her before", he replied. Azzkun narrowed his eyes, ready to be Iruma's spear if needed. There was something about this woman he simply didn't like, though he couldn't put his finger on it. "Maybe she's looking for someone", ventured Iruma, eager to help.
The trio approached the demon in question. She smiled with lit eyes as if excited to meet them. "You must be the infamous Iruma-kun", she grinned. "What do you want with Iruma-sama?", asked Azzkun, stepping forward and watching her carefully. "Ah, the young Asmodeus! That means you're Valac-chan", said the woman with an eerie level of kindness, tapping Clara's Nose. "Everyone knows the misfit class, especially the principal's precious grandson and his noble companions", she stated with cheer. The way she said 'precious grandson' unnerved both Iruma and Azzkun. There was definitely some kind of malintent hidden in her honeyed words.
Grinning wide, the woman introduced herself. "I'm an old classmate of your teacher's. How is Kalego-kun treating you? I don't need to give him a talking to, do I?", she winked. "My name is Victoria Ai. Please, call me Ai-neesan."
She leaned forward with a smile, facing Iruma at eye level. This also had the effect of putting her cleavage very near his line of sight. Clara hung onto him defensively from the front while she scowled at the stranger, pouting jealousy. Ai found it adorable.
"Oh, so you're sensei's friend", smiled Iruma, oblivious to the amount of danger he was in. "Friend?... You kids are always coming up with such strange words", she grinned. Standing proudly, Azzkun declared, "We are Iruma-sama's soul mates. It's an even higher rank than friend." He didn't trust this demon, but any talk of his relationship with Iruma always drew out pride.
Victoria chuckled politely. On the inside, she was ready to puke. Camaraderie was never her thing. Why waste the time and effort when you could simply command others with power and fear? She wondered just how soft Kalego had gotten to deal with such things.
Going back to her previous question, Clara finally let go of her friend and declared, "Eggy-sensei is the best!", with both arms up for added flair. Iruma agreed. Though he could be harsh, he was fair, and always drove his students toward their full potential. "He's a great homeroom teacher", he added. It took everything Victoria had not to cackle at the nickname Clara had given her precious Naberius. At least now she had more ammo for their next meeting.
"I see. In that case, I won't bother him so early. I'll come back after school, but it's no secret I was coming to visit, so make sure to tell him that you saw me. I'm sure it'll make his day", said Victoria with another wink. "Oh, and Iruma-kun, it's been so long since I've seen the chair demon. Could you please give your grandfather a message for me?", she asked. "S-sure", he agreed, uneasy from the look in her eyes. A wicked grin crossed her lips as she leaned in close. She whispered in his ear, "I know what you are." She then shocked all three of them by kissing his cheek.
"Tell Kalego-kun hello for me", she reminded, waving as she walked away. Iruma was visibly shaken. "How dare she touch Iruma-sama", steamed Azzkun, not knowing what she had said. Clara stared at him with worry. "Irumachi, are you okay?", she asked, tugging his sleeve. Asmodeus then saw the fragile look on his face, too. "What did she say?", he inquired carefully.
Replacing his usual carefree smile, Iruma waved his hands innocently. "Just something I need to tell Grandpa about", he said, not quite lying. What he didn't tell them beyond his secret was that Victoria had also flickered her forked, serpentine tongue into his ear as well, as if tasting his skin. She knew he was human and made it a point to scare him.
Once they reached Royal One, Iruma was still lost in thought. As their teacher began attendance, Clara waved her hand high excitedly. "Eggy-sensei!", she called. He tried to ignore her to finish roll call, but finally gave in. "What is it, Valac?", he asked, annoyed. It was far too early to deal with that much energy.
"We have a message for you! Right, Irumachi? Azzazz?", she said looking toward them. The other students wondered what the fuss was about, but then again, it was Clara, so her antics were expected. "What is it?", inquired Kalego, eager to move onto the day's lessons.
"Your friend was here earlier. She said to tell, 'Victoria said hi'… She was really pretty", replied Clara, smiling at the thought of her teacher dating such a lady. As Jazz and Lied made comments, Kalego stared directly at the Iruma trio. He was eerily quiet despite the taunting from his class. After a moment, he returned to usual self, at least in show.
"Quiet down, you noisy brats, unless you want extra assignments to burn off all that energy", he scowled. The kids at the front swallowed hard. They had apparently hit a nerve.
"Iruma, outside, now", ordered Kalego. As he walked toward the hall, he told the class to start reading where they had left off the day before. Naturally, as soon as he was gone, the whispers started. Kamui demanded details about the appearance of the 'pretty friend'. Lied asked about how she knew their teacher. Then the rumors started to build.
In the hall, Iruma nervously approached Kalego. His teacher was scowling toward the school's main gate. "Iruma." The poor boy jolted to attention. "Y-yes?", he managed. Kalego turned his eyes to meet his. "Describe Victoria", he said, and so Iruma did. Kalego's eyes narrowed in annoyance. The description was a perfect match. Victoria herself had come to mess with him, showing just how close she could get to his precious students.
"What else did she say?", asked Kalego, carefully calculating. "She gave me a message for Grandpa", stated Iruma. Kalego stared at him as if to ask if it had been delivered. "I was going to go see him at lunch", explained Iruma, nervous under the scrutiny. Kalego took a deep breath. He wasn't surprised that Ai would drag the students into it, but he hadn't expected her to do so that quickly. Now he was glad Henri was on campus, though he knew that wouldn't be enough.
"Go now. Tell him everything you told me… and Iruma, don't talk to any other students about this. Victoria is not someone we want around", said Kalego cryptically. Iruma nodded and headed for the principal's office. He wondered why his teacher was acting so strangely. Victoria was obviously dangerous, but just who was she?
Upon returning to class, several pairs of eager eyes stared at Kalego. "What?", he asked flatly, knowing they had been talking. Several questions bombarded him at once. "Is she really as pretty as Clara said? Sensei, are you hiding your girlfriend from us? Is it true you're engaged? Why haven't we met her? Are you ashamed of us?"
An eye twitch lead into his usual cry of, "Silence!". He sighed heavily, already exhausted for the day. "Listen, all of you", he began. His eyes settled over Purson briefly. Balam had told him what Victoria had done to his missing big brother, but neither had the heart to tell him, leaving Sullivan responsible for telling his parents.
Taking a calming breath, Kalego collected himself. "We are not involved and any other questions will be answered in assigned essays about manners." Silence floated over the class. They were bummed that they couldn't get the details, but it was abundantly clear that their teacher had no interest in discussing the matter or his personal life. He had successfully shut down their interrogation and class resumed.
As Iruma entered Sullivan's office, he took little notice of what was being said on the phone. He silently waited by the door for the call to end. As the principal hung up, he turned in his chair to face him. Immediately lighting up, he said, "Iruma-kun! Have you come to work with Grandpa today?".
Sullivan's smile faded as the shaken boy came closer. He knew something was wrong, but they couldn't exactly speak freely here. Babylus had many ears, after all. As Iruma sat in front of the massive desk, he nervously stared into his lap. "Iruma-kun, what's wrong?", asked Sullivan with concern. Iruma then told him everything about the strange encounter, ending with, "Grandpa...She knows."
He slowly looked up when met with an eerie silence. He hadn't seen his grandfather look so tense in a while. "Who is she?", he asked in earnest. Sullivan paused, thinking on how to best handle the situation. Finally, he reached across the desk and gently took his grandson's hand.
"Iruma-kun, we will talk more about this at home. If you see her again, stay back and call me immediately", he said carefully. Iruma knew something big was being hidden from him, but he understood waiting for the safety of home to speak in seclusion. "Is she that dangerous?", he asked nervously. Sullivan stared at their entwined hands.
"Given the chance, she will kill you… I will talk with Kalego-kun about this later. I want you to stay close to him until Opera comes to get you this afternoon… No arguments", he said. Iruma nodded, knowing it was all for his protection.
How Victoria knew who and what he was would have to wait. He couldn't alarm the rest of the school, but the serious looks on the adults' faces weighed on his mind. For safety, the principal himself walked Iruma back to class and held a few hushed words with Kalego.
The rest of the day passed fairly quietly. Opera said nothing about the odd events as they walked Iruma home. They kept a close eye over their ward until the chair demon got home. That night, Sullivan told Iruma just enough to ease his anxiety. While the boy chatted with Alisan in bed, he wondered about everything his grandfather didn't tell him.
Clearly, his teacher's pride and privacy were on the line, but this had to be part of something bigger. He knew Balam-sensei was involved, which wasn't surprising, considering his longtime friendship with Kalego, and Opera obviously knew more than they said. Just what were they trying to protect him from?
The following morning, Iruma was not allowed to walk to school. Instead, Opera drove the trio in Sullivan's carriage, and he was again instructed to stay within Kalego's sight for the day. He wanted to ask, but every time he tried, Kalego changed the subject to something school related and avoided eye contact. It was all very strange.
Elsewhere in the school, Robin-sensei was doubled over. He held his belly tightly as he rested his forehead against his desk. He didn't feel well at all. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see himself aiming at Clara with his bow. He still couldn't divulge Victoria's orders, but at least he knew Azazel was somewhere nearby to stop him if needed. He was also counting on his senpai and Balam to keep the school safe.
A passing staff member asked if he was alright and he lied that he had eaten something bad. He wanted to go home, to be locked away with his magic sealed, anywhere that kept his students safe from his own hands. He didn't need to be close to kill with his bloodline ability and for the first time, he wished he didn't have it. He wondered what Bachiko would do, aside from tell him he was an idiot for getting caught to start with.
Sighing, he focused on the pain in his stomach to keep him grounded. His phone rang loudly, killing his mental reprieve. No number, very strange. Cautiously answering it, a familiar voice said, "Today", and hung up. He recognized it as Bedlam. Dread overcame him. He desperately wanted to call Balam or Azazel, but his fingers wouldn't comply.
Tightly screwing shut his eyes, he tried to fight the increasing burning of his two marks. "No", he thought, "I refuse. I will not harm my students! I'd rather die first." Victoria's evil smile appeared in his mind as if to say she was fine with that. It was almost like she was daring him to defy her. As he started to black out, he prayed Henri wasn't far.
To be continued...