Headmaster Osmund… He's the Principle of Tristain Academy and he has overall final say of any judicial action here in the Academy. The man doesn't seem like much of a threat but there's more to him than meets the eye. Behind that long beard and piercing blue irises is a danger that could possibly hinder any and all plans that I might want to take into effect here in this place. I must proceed with caution as I don't know where to proceed from here. Do I go against the system like I thought before? Or go with it and be swallowed whole?

"Zero" – Regular Speech

'Zero' – Thoughts

"Zero" – Unknown Speech

"Zero" – Spell/Technique

[Headmaster Osmund's Office]

Darkness.

It was the first thing that Shiki saw as he wasn't accustomed to this form of treatment, at least not that he could remember. Being blindfolded and gagged in addition to having his arms and legs shackled by magical chains that held him in place, Shiki could only ascertain that he was in some sort of cage or cell. It was a sickening feeling. Never had he felt this type of sensation before. It wasn't something that he was entirely happy with and if at all possible, he would very much like to be set free in the near term.

Starting his struggle and feeling around his wrists for what may be a physical form to his binds, Shiki tried to set himself free. He was stopped in his endeavors when Osmund started to speak to him, almost as if he had been observing him the entire time he was held.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The old mage said as he knew exactly what would happen to him if he tried to twist himself free. "Those bindings were made specifically for this type of occasion. They harden themselves around the user's wrists as they struggle to break free and in some instances if the victim struggles too much, the bindings get so tight around them that it breaks their wrists. So before you do something stupid, might I suggest that you not try and struggle and instead listen to reason?" Osmund explained as he sat there at what Shiki could only expect to be his desk in his office.

Simply nodding at the suggestion, Shiki stopped his wrestling against his shackles and decided to lean against the object behind him as he found himself standing. His senses could only be described as jolted since he couldn't figure out exactly where Osmund was ahead of him… he normally would be able to depict such things on a daily basis but for some reason his sense of things was slightly off. Taking his own defensive stance against his opponent, Shiki awaited to see what the old man had planned.

"I take it you know why you're here, correct?" Osmund asked the boy as he sat at his desk, snapping his fingers so the binds that hindered his form of speech melted away.

"In all honesty sir… I don't." Shiki admitted plainly after taking a few moments to register what had happened. He knew why he was there but didn't feel it necessary for him to be there as the other boy had started it. It was his fault that he got hurt. It was his mistake that he was placed under medical care and it was his fault for provoking him. "Why is it my fault that the kid didn't know who he was-" Shiki stopped himself as his thoughts accidentally bled through his mind and reached his mouth.

Shocked at what he had said, Shiki quickly shut himself away as he tried to remedy the situation. His thoughts were one thing… but this take between him and the principal would require tact, not foolhardy words that were filled with emotion. If he wanted to get out of this without causing harm to his well-being here at this school, he would need to calm himself down and speak with dignity and respect. This might prove to be challenging though as the cat was already out of the bag on how he felt.

"It's your fault because you let your emotions get the better of you." Osmund chimed in finally. "It is because of your attitude and your... abilities… that you need to control yourself." Osmund put it delicately as he tried not to cause another incident to spike.

From how he sounded, Osmund knew what Shiki could do. He had seen him at work with his eyes perceiving the lines of death and using them to destroy whatever he wanted. Never in his time had he seen a golem completely reduced to ashes with a simple poke of a finger. Never had he seen a Plebian take on five golems at once and come out on top. This was never heard of before… and it was precisely because of this that The Headmaster needed to tip-toe around the subject or he would be forced to take defensive measures against such a monstrous ability.

"I'm not going to say that you were in the wrong… I also won't say that you were in the right either." Osmund continued as he went over the events that took place. "Despite what the students may think, I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a bat with a lot more intelligence than both combined." Osmund boasted his skills as he rose from his desk.

"From what I gathered from my eyes and ears… you started the conflict." Osmund said as he took a few steps towards Shiki. "In addition to this you destroyed his project and infuriated him. Not only that, you egged him on and eventually it turned into a reaction of pride… at least on his part." Osmund explained further as he took a few steps more.

"Guiche de Gramont is a very prideful person. His flirtatious attitude and talkative nature make him larger than he appears to be and thus he feels the need to assert his position. What you did effectively dismantled his makeshift throne and destroyed his confidence as a prideful man." Osmund delved further into the backstory of Guiche as he knew quite a bit about the boy.

"If he's such a prideful and charismatic person, then why stoop so low to duel a Plebian then?" Shiki asked, slightly confused as to why he was going into such great detail. "He's supposed to be a noble, a man of great integrity and restraint. He's supposed to be someone that people look up to and instead is just a sorry sack of-" He was cut off when Osmund interjected.

"Yes, you're right… he didn't put a great face on the noble part of his life… but you have to realize that he is just a child. He is barely over the age of 15 and is only just starting to learn what it means to be a noble." Osmund clarified.

"Couldn't I also say the same thing to you? You, with the power to destroy what he wants… doesn't that put a great burden on you? Don't you feel anything sort of responsibilities with your actions as anything you do could possibly destroy the very fabric of nature in this world?" Osmund asked, slightly intrigued as what the boy would become if he continued down his path.

Shiki didn't say anything to this… at every turn, Osmund had come up with a counter strategy. Despite what Shiki thought, Osmund thought ahead that much faster. Any arguments that he had were quickly spun around on him despite them even agreeing on some points. His mind was working against him at this point. He truly started to feel like he had done something wrong as Osmund was starting to pick apart his brain. Shiki didn't like this… he didn't like it one bit as the old mage continued his reasoning onslaught. The conversation lasted another 15 minutes before a knock could be heard from the door at the far end.

"Yes, come in." The Headmaster said in a friendly tone as his assistant walked through the door.

"Headmaster Osmund, the council is ready. Are you done here?" She asked politely.

"Yes… I suppose I am." The old mage said with a smile as he started to depart the room. "I guess I got a little too carried away. Oh well, such is the way of things." He said before turning around back at Shiki, who still had his blindfold on as he couldn't be trusted to use his eyes.

"Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is to be tried over the events that transpired today. Thought I'd at least let you know that your actions alone have caused this. Whatever happens, it's your fault in the end." Osmund said as he sighed.

Walking out of his office, Shiki was left alone. Bound and blindfolded against his will, he stood there dumbfounded as he tried to piece together what the old man had meant with what he said.

"He couldn't mean…" Shiki said aloud as he digested the information. "…She's going to be-" he was interrupted when he felt a hand upon his shoulder.

"She's going to be tried for your actions… you nearly killed a student today little boy." A feminine voice whispered into his ear. "All of the actions that you have done are a direct reflection of Louise. If you do something bad, it's like telling the council that she can't control you and keep you in check." She said as she walked a few steps before taking off his blindfold.

Her expression looked a little different as she stared at him. It was slightly odd since she had worn glasses earlier but this person no longer had the corrective lenses. She looked like she had been transformed with simply getting rid of a hair tie and removing her glasses. It was odd… too odd for Shiki to shake it from his mind.

"What are you implying?" Shiki asked as he knew that talking with him wasn't something she should be doing… especially since he could now see the lines of death on her body.

"I'm simply saying that your actions have been very fruitful for me. You've been a big obstacle for me during this time as security has gone off the charts due to your presence. I must say, despite you being here less than a week, you've been the biggest hurdle… and yet here you are now." She said with a sly smile. "Now with everyone distracted at the council, I can do what I please to finish my mission for the next hour." She said, bowing to the kid. "And I have you to thank, Shiki Tohno." She grinned before strutting off.

"What the hell are you talking about? Aren't you the Headmaster's secretary?" Shiki questioned as he wondered why this woman had such a change of heart.

"Yes… I am. However, I am also an envoy for a special someone… a special person that you are unduly familiar with Shiki." The green-haired woman said as she turned around, her hands cupped behind her back. "A certain someone who attacked you last night… a man by the name of 'Shadow'." She winked at the end of her statement.

"S-Shadow? You work for that man?" Shiki asked, almost sounding rhetorical. "Why? What purpose would that serve?" Shiki asked further, hoping to get as much information from her as possible.

"Nothing that concerns a little boy like yourself." The woman dismissed the question before raising her wand. "Now, to finish up my little act… I am to kill you here and then steal the staff of destruction." The false secretary said before flicking her wand a few times, chanting words of power.

Shiki couldn't move his arms that well since they were still bound by the magical force that Headmaster Osmund placed upon them. His feet were also bound by the same magical energy so trying to move was futile as well. It wasn't until it was too late that Shiki realized his predicament… he couldn't move away from the blast of energy headed his way.

Feeling a chaotic type of energy implant into his torso, Shiki felt his body weaken as some form of poisonous magical power entered into his chest. The pain was excruciating as he felt as if his heart had come under attack by a bunch of vicious insects tearing away at his flesh. Within moments his vision started to become blurry and the sounds coming through his ears became muffled… he barely made out a few words from the green-haired woman before she departed.

"Don't worry… the pain will pass soon." The woman had said to him, despite her knowing that he couldn't hear a word she said. "You'll simply die from a lack of a heartbeat… should be simple enough to get rid of the likes of you." She stated before walking out the door.

Shiki could start to see the darkness overlapping in his eyes once more. He felt that his arms and legs had become free somehow but it must've been his imagination as he was probably delusional at this point. His heart was starting to lose the fight against the magical energies in his body. Whatever that magic was, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before his heart would stop and his body would cease to function.

Feeling the poison in his body take hold, Shiki could no longer feel his arms and legs. At this point he was done. Giving into the feeling of despair and sorrow, Shiki felt himself coming closer to death as all went black in his vision. Once it had turned black, he then went cold… and when he then went cold, he went to sleep.

[Mindscape]

"Oy, oy, oy… really? Is this all you had in you?" An unknown yet familiar feminine voice said to Shiki as he felt himself floating on what seemed to be clouds. "You've got to be kidding me. After all this time and after all we've been through, this is what gets you? A simple green-haired witch-bitch who got the small jump on you and you just let yourself die?" The voice said, belittling the highschool killer.

"It's not like I wanted her to kill me. I couldn't do a single thing against her." Shiki protested, wondering why he was acting so delusional on the brink of death.

"Blah Blah Blah… all I hear are excuses Shiki. Quit being such a little bitch and get up. This isn't like you. You're stronger than this." The voice pestered him a little further as it started to fade into the darkness.

Shiki kept his eyes closed… or to be more exact he couldn't pry them open as his strength wasn't enough to pull them to the front. His vision remained blackened as yet another came to see him as he lay there in his prone position.

"She's right you know." Another feminine voice spoke to Shiki as he lay there on his back, shackled against his will as he still felt bound by the magical chains around his wrists and ankles. "You're the prodigy and heir to the Tohno household. I will not tolerate anything but perfection from you Brother. You're something more than just a regular highschool boy. You're of a higher birth right and as such you need to act accordingly. Quit acting like a weakling and stand up for yourself not only as a Tohno but as a Nanaya." The other feminine voice said to him as it started to fade.

Feeling an energy start to build up within him, Shiki started to get irritated at the incessant bothering from people who were no longer with him. Both Arcueid and his sister were back in Japan, a place that was all but foreign to him now. Why should he listen to such requests when he could no longer have the strength to fight for them? Why should he start to care about such things when they would forever be pulled out of his life?

"I just don't care anymore… this life has no meaning…" Shiki told himself as he sighed.

Finally feeling something jam against his core, Shiki let out a painful yell as a blunt object struck him in the abdomen. Feeling his eyes shake open from the sudden forceful strike, Shiki's blurred vision came upon a grown man with white hair. He couldn't see his face as it was turned from him but judging from the weapon he held in his hand and the presence of a demon that he had for an aura, Shiki could tell that this man was someone that he shouldn't reckon with.

His weapon that lay at his side in his right hand was a simple staff. Nothing extravagant and certainly nothing that could deal lethal damage but at the same time Shiki could tell that this man could wield it with deadly accuracy. The dull pain that was still in his chest resided despite the passing of nearly 2 minutes. His bones might have been fractured but he couldn't be sure as he couldn't touch his chest due to his hands still being bound. It was then that the man started to speak.

"Who are you… Shiki Tohno?" The man asked him, his face still turned from the boy.

"What are you talking about? I'm Shiki Tohno, a simple highshcool kid." The boy responded, almost afraid to tell the truth to this man.

"Incorrect." The unknown white-haired man said as he blurred from Shiki's vision, appearing behind him as he held him up by his throat with his staff jammed firmly beneath his neck, barely lifting him off the ground as the man had ultimate leverage over him.

"You are of the Nanaya household… a clan that is devoted to the hunting of demons and unnatural beings. Your eyes are that of a killer, your body is that of a boy and your mind is that of a fragile child. You're a disgrace to everything that the Nanaya has stood for and yet you're the most capable with your innate gifts." The man said as he explained to the boy exactly what was wrong with him.

"You're hasty with your actions… too slow for your eyes to conceive what they're truly capable of. You deny your innate magical prowess and you squander your eyesight as if it were your ultimate weapon." The white-haired man stated before tugging on the staff, making Shiki rise farther into the air before throwing him over his body, sending the boy flying.

Spinning his staff around and bringing it around to his back, the man had finally showed Shiki his true face. He had eyes of a flaming devil that pierced through the darkness. He had pale skin that had reflected off any light that shone upon it. Most of all… he had a demonic aura of one who had seen battle throughout the ages and he was an opponent that truly frightened Shiki as the boy could do nothing but lay there on the ground in a slightly hunched over position due to the shackles that restrained him.

"Enough of your frailty… enough of your stupidity… enough of your lies and your deceit… it's time to wake up and realize your true potential. Awaken and rise Shiki Nanaya. Claim your title as a demon hunter and let your name be known as such." The man said before fading into the darkness, as if disintegrating into nothingness.

As the man had left his sight, Shiki slowly felt himself rise from his sorry state as he felt his arms move free. His ankles were cut loose and his posture had regained some form of composure as he repositioned himself against an invisible object that had been obscured from his vision. Feeling the edges and getting a feel for what the object was, he realized it was a desk… a familiar desk like the one in Osmund's Office.

[Headmaster Osmund's Office]

Realizing what had happened, Shiki quickly looked down to see the essence of magical energy within his chest. Seeing the portion of it near his heart, Shiki quickly plunged his pointer finger into his chest, touching the point of origin and ridding himself of the accursed poison. This in turn cleared his vision, restored what little health he had as a person and freed him from the curse that was placed upon him.

"My shackles… they're gone…?" Shiki asked himself as he was in such a daze that he just realized that the yellow strands of magic that had held him in a hogtie-like fashion had been undone. "No time to question it now… I have to make it to the council chamber…" Shiki struggled before getting to his feet, stumbling to the door and down the hallway.

Slowly making his way down the winding path, Shiki started to feel sick inside, almost as if his stomach had started to turn itself inside out. The damage he had sustained from Guice de Gramont, in addition to Osmund's assistant poisoning him and him having to remove it was rather taxing on his body. He had sustained so much damage already and moving about so fast made it even worse on him. He might as well have been a ragdoll with no control over his bodily functions.

"Come on… hold together just a little longer. Don't break down yet body… you can't break down yet." Shiki commanded his limbs to move forward as he stumbled across the ground. His legs were shot yet somehow, someway he was moving forward.

His goal quickly came within his fading vision as he stumbling through the hallways. Strangely enough he suspected there to be guards holding the fort down in front of the door but there wasn't anyone around. He could hear the voices inside the council chamber as he inched closer. His adept hearing senses aided him in finally deciphering out a few of the voices he heard. One of them was Louise, another was Headmaster Osmund.

"Come on… almost there…" Shiki struggled to the door as he nearly toppled over it.

Pushing it open, almost falling in the process, Shiki leaned upon the door to shove it ajar as it echoed through the chamber. Gathering his breath and keeping his poise intact, Shiki filled his lungs with air as he felt nearly out of breath.

"W-What are you doing here Plebian? This is a noble court! You can't just barge-" He was cut off when Shiki finally caught his breath.

"OBJECTION!" Shiki yelled out into the court room as his eyes were now fixated upon Osmund.

'Hmm… the spell was supposed to be attached to his heart so it would only release if he died or if he was set free… how did he get out of it then?' Headmaster Osmund thought to himself as he rose from his chair.

"Shiki Tohno." Headmaster Osmund began as he looked down upon the boy. "This is a grave offense you have started here today-"

"Nanaya." Shiki replied as he wanted to correct him in his statement. Slightly shocked at the name as he recognized it, the Headmaster spoke again.

"Could you please say that again young man?"

"My name… It's not Shiki Tohno. My name is Shiki Nanaya." The highschool boy addressed himself as he stood there with his presence absolute.

[Outside, Courtyard]

Standing in the midst of a perfectly beautiful dusk a masked man stood, looking through a globe of what seemed to be magical energy. Centered in the middle of the globe was Shiki's face. With a small grin protruding from his face, Shadow started to laugh at it as things were finally starting to get interesting.

"Hahaha… let's see where this goes Shiki… Nanaya!" The man's eyes then started to glow a red hue through the mask he wore.

Author's Note:

ALRIGHT! Finally after 3 months of a hiatus I have finally come back to writing this abomination... sorry to say but I'm not exactly sure why it took so long. I want to say it's the "writer's wall" but at the same time I'm just not so sure about it. I know where I want this to go and I hope you guys enjoy what I have in store for this story... I'm just not feeling like I should write right now. Every time I come back I write just a few words and then drop it for another few days. It's been like this for awhile... SO! In order for me to continue writing and for you guys to continue waiting for rapid updates, let me know what you want to have happen. I write this for you guys because I'm a people-pleaser. I like to write because I honestly like to know what you guys think of it and I want to shape it in a way that incorporates different ideas. It's the main reason why I brought in the Mindscape portion. I want to shape the inner mind of Shiki Tohno which is why he's now going to be referring himself as Shiki Nanaya. He's going to be more in tune with his Demon Hunter side of himself and I can't wait so see where it goes...

Oh well, enough of my ranting. Let me know what you guys think through either PM or review. It's always good to have positive feedback. If you have to give out criticism, give me a solution to fix that problem. I hate it when people just say "Hey, you're not doing this right." And then leave it at that. If you want me to get better, show me HOW I can get better, not just have me randomly stab in the dark on how I should be writing. In the end though this is my story so if your idea doesn't make it in it... then too bad so sad. Hope to see you guys sooner rather than later, this is Cloak of Shades signing off. :P