Izumi gritted her teeth as she sat in what had been dubbed Last Place Box, which was just a roped off section that her and Sabro were currently kneeling. Kalego even had the cruelty to place little signs around their necks. Hers saying 'Reflecting' and his saying that 'I will listen when spoken to'.
While the ride over had been phenomenally beautiful and thrilling, she found being here was less so. As soon as the guardian had landed Sabro had slid off and offered to catch her on the dismount. It was sweet and kinda unexpected with his smash first type attitude she'd witnessed so far.
Still her feet were the last of the class to hit the ground and that made her last place. As the home teacher was so eager to tell her.
Clara sat off to the side tossing tiny pebbles at Sabro who for his credit ignored them. She chanted "You suck" at them however she was not personally offended as she knew the green haired girl meant no real harm. Honestly, she found that the purple haired demon's satisfaction over the whole thing was much more mortifying and she was counting the seconds until she could leave his presence.
Still between being in last place and being singled out, she found that her mood couldn't get much lower. She sighed. "At least we made it back alive."
"Indeed." The blonde to her right nodded. "Even though we did indeed make it back, we were the last ones to do so. Though seeing the faces upon our arrival was almost worth it." She smirked. It was incredibly funny to see their shocked faces, not even the teacher could not keep the incredulity off his dumb face. "Not including finding the first of my pack in you." He looked at her with a very intense look that made her want to squirm away. Ducking her head, she fought hard to keep the blush in check. What was even wrong with her?
"I am glad. I've met most of the others if you would like an introduction."
"Indeed." His voice seemed thoughtful and was much quieter than his previous bluster. "I suppose that is yet another thing I will have to owe you for."
"Huh?" She looked up only to see that he had turned his body to her and was bowing his head. Even though neither of them was standing and he had his body lowered, he still towered over her.
"I would not have survived if it had not been for you taking action, and I would not have known who you were to me or had the possibility to meet the others in the future. I thank you and apologize for my earlier rudeness." She could only describe the smile as the biggest, most boyish grin she had laid eyes on. There was no malice or ill intent in that bearing of his teeth, rather excitement and a sort of glee that had her lips tilting upward.
"You know, when you're not trying to fight the world with your bare hands, you're alright." She joked with him. However his retort was cut off before he could even begin.
"Moronic Duo, get to the back of the line." Kalego called angrily, ushering them to the group. He had been telling them how to get their rank but neither of the last place students had paid him much attention. Not that they really had to since they could watch the rather simple procedure at least 11 times before themselves.
Alice had won the race so he was the first to get a rank. Izumi watched as he reached a slender hand into the pocket of the rank owl and pulled out a small golder pin. 4. Daleth
He held it up for her to see, exceedingly proud that he had gotten a high rank. She clapped happily. Clara had cleared the race next and she got 3 or gimel. "Izu-chi, do you see it? Do you?" she bounced happily showing off. Moving closer to her mate to parade the pin for her to see.
"Enough ," Kalego scolded the girl, making sure to be far enough away so the girl could not grab him as she seemed prone to doing. "Continue."
The line thinned one student at a time until it was just Sabro and her left.
He reached into the Rank Owl's pouch fishing and removed his own rank. It wasn't especially high but as he gripped it in his hand the blonde demon knew this was the beginning of his journey. His path was not the straight one he once thought but it would twist and turn. After all, if he could not overcome this, he wasn't fit to be king.
"Izu-chi, it's your turn." Clara cheered hanging off Alice who had nothing but the fullest confidence that she would get at least Daleth since that was his own rank.
Izumi swallowed as she gently slipped her hand into the creature's pouch. She wasn't sure what she expected it to feel like, maybe fur or even a skin like texture. Instead it felt like the inside of a leather bag. Her fingers grazed a cool metal she wrapped her fingers around it feeling the circle slip over her finger. That wasn't it right? The badges she had seen thus far were small and rectangular. When she made to let go of the metal a horrific screech rang out from the bird's mouth and it struggled to free itself of her. In an effort not to hurt the bird she pulled her hand back. She watched the owl fly away as if it had been burned. "Huh?" She tilted her head as she left her empty hand hanging there. Had she messed up another ceremony? "Is it okay? I didn't even get my badge yet."
Dread filled her as she turned to face the teacher's inevitable yelling. But it was silent. None of Kalego's screams of indignation nor comments from the students. They all simply stared at her with looks of awe. No, they were staring above her.
Her eyes glanced up to see a gold metal shining on her finger of her still slightly raised hand. A pristine but simple gold band was looped around the middle finger of her right hand. She brought it closer to inspect. There was no number or symbols written on it, just gold.
She gripped it in her opposite hand and pulled, thinking perhaps the rank may have been on the inside as strange as that sounded. But it was the least strange thing when one thought about the situation. Pulling a ring out of a pouched demon owl in the neither world. Besides maybe hers looked different because she was a human.
The ring, however, refused to move. Try as she might it would not budge even a millimeter. She pulled again but was met with the same result. It was stuck. She had never worn a ring before and getting one stuck on her finger felt a bit upsetting. Her heart picked up pace, not sure how to get it off. A shiver went up her back at the bad feeling it gave her. She looked to her classmates for assistance but they seemed scared. Why? Clearly not because of her right?
She glanced behind her in case one of the demon birds had come to take off with her again. Blood drained from her face when she came face to face with a dark blob like shadow. Her whole body tensed and a sharp little 'Oh!' left her. She took a step back only for it to cme with her a line of black connecting the two of them but the ring on her finger.
"My Lady," Alice said, marching forward when his fellow classmates were drawing back in fear. "I shall take care of this for you." He reached out to her. Her heart hammered loudly in her ears and she took a step back.
"No, you stay where you are Alice." This caused the pinkette to freeze confusedly. He had only wanted to help but now she appeared angry. "We don't know what this thing is. It's dangerous to just touch something like that."
The eldest child of Asmodeus felt his heart clench. She was not angry with him but instead was concerned about his well being. Such a good and proper mate of his, however it was the job of a packmate to take care of their mates. She was right, rushing to help her may indeed stick himself in danger as well.
The ring let out a horrid cry for the demons sending a great many of them to their knees. Though the sound wasn't pleasant she didn't really find it painful like they seemed to find it. She took a step forward hoping to help but Kalego pointed a long finger at her.
"Stay still Izumi."
The fellow students begged her to silence the creature, though she wasn't sure how. She cradled the creature in her arms, shushing it as its volume descended enough to the dog demon enough relief to block out the sound. The teacher sighed, moving closer to inspect the ring. He was close enough to reach her with his hand outstretched when a chill engulfed his heart. For the briefest of moments the scene in front of his eyes shifted no longer was his little mate there was instead just a predator in front of him. He could feel the danger and his instincts reacted on their own. He raised his hand to slice the creature before harm fell on his students only for his arm to be held in place. Behind him was the Chair demon and as he looked in front of him large blue eyes looked up at them.
He realized he had been about to cut off her hand on sheer instinct. The chair demon openly tsk'ed him and with a loud tone reproached him. "Kalego, You can't do that." The older demon smiled, greeting his granddaughter warmly before turning back to the teacher. "You were about to slice my sweet Izumi's arm off weren't you?"
A cold look spread across the girl's face when that nugget of information, like the last fray of thread severing the connection. No excuses left the lips of the male but he looked to the side unwilling to admit he was in any way wrong.
The principal ignored the sulking demon in favor of his granddaughter. The black creature launched itself at the purple clad man only for him to hold out a hand and the thing expanded, shrank, and slunk back into the like a deflated balloon. "Huh?" She peeped confused.
"Oh, he's just a standard Gluttony ring. If he isn't hungry, then he's harmless. Sometimes our little rank owl has some surprises of his own." The demon said loudly to explain the circumstances. While he leaned down, he lowered his voice. "Normally the ring would eat the ring bearer's man but since you haven't produced any yet cause you are human." The words trailed off leaving the girl relieved that her grandfather was quick to come to her aid. It gave her a sense of safety that he and Opera were so invested in her living. Though it was a bit disorienting. She was used to doing everything on her own and surviving on her own strength. But it also felt nice to be able to depend on the demon. That was more than she could say for some demons her eyes trialed to the teacher. She would have a conversation with her grandfather about Kalego later. She no longer felt that being close to the dog demon was good for her health.
"Izumi!" She should have expected that she would be set upon by one of her mates the second the situation was deemed safe but she didn't not expect for the yellow haired mate to scoop her into his large grip. "It seems that you, my steadfast rival, have been gifted a relic since your deeds were unrateable." He spoke with her settled into his chest as he held her entire body with a single arm. She knew she was a small woman but to be cradled like a child was…strangely nice and yet it was embarrassing to be toted around in front of her peers.
"Sabnock." A venomous voice snarled from somewhere below her. As her blue eyes turned to see Alice had summoned his gorgon snake and was looking murderously at the much larger demon. "Release my lady or I will make it the last thing you do."
She could see the anger in his eyes and watched it grow bolder as Sabro pulled her tighter to him with a smirk. "Why should I put my mate down?" The shoulders of the demon in front of her became tense for a whole different reason as the words sunk in.
"M-mate?!" Alice looked horrified and sounded as if the word was ripped unwillingly from his throat. "No, I don't accept this. You are joining our pack, I won't accept such an outcome." He roared only to be out volumed by Clara's enthusiastic cry as the green haired girl launched herself at the behemoth demon.
There was a bright light as Sabnock caught her and proceeded to hold her as she was being held. "Well, two demonesses in our pack. What luck." Izumi tilted her head unsure what his comment meant and stored it once away to once again question Opera. The red haired cat had told her that if she had any questions to ask them instead of her other mates, since lack of knowledge could reveal her origins. They also informed her that she should not ask grandpa as it was slightly inappropriate, like asking your father about what sexual position is the best.
At the moment thought she was more concerned with the upset pink haired mate that had approached them. He wasn't saying anything but looked disheartened. So she leaned in the demon's arm to place a soft pat to his hair. "Don't be mad Alice." She soothed him. "We are still your mates."
The lust demon bit the side of his cheek knowing that for a demon Mistress Izumi was rather naive in a very cute way. He was not upset so much that Clara was fonning over Sabnock, though the display was slightly annoying even if he wouldn't admit that out loud. No, the main problem lay with Izumi's causal acceptance of being doted upon by him.
Of all the demons, Sabnock was one he just couldn't stand. The macho attitude before rushing straight in with no thought, the mannerless fool had disregarded his vanguard in the classroom and openly challenged his lady to be a rival, as if he were worthy of such a position. And now…now he was so easily able to hold her to his chest without rejection. It hurt Alice's hurt and pride. But there was little he could do at this moment without potentially jeopardizing the tenuous new bond that was between them.
All he could do was put on his best smile as the director called them all over to take a picture commemorating the first promotion for his precious granddaughter with her class.