Author's Note: Well...here I am...5 freaking years later? Jesus Christ, it's been a while. Getting an education has been more time consuming than I thought. Who would have guessed, right?

Anyway, BS aside, I saw a comment recently that sparked my interest in writing this story again. Updates may come in tiny pieces, but I do want to give finishing this thing a try. I have huge plans for it. If I fail, maybe I'll put the footnotes somewhere so you guys can see where I was going to go with this.

But I'm hoping to succeed.

Also, big announcement, for anyone who likes Dungeons and Dragons, I'm making a Soul Eater-themed D&D 5e module (totally free of charge, of course) to be posted on the internet for everyone to enjoy! Want to play canon Soul Eater characters and wield Demon Weapons in your D&D games? This module is for you.

Might also allow you to make some future fics of your own...in D&D!

But enough shilling. Let's get back into this thing...which I haven't thought about since...2017...woof. Time to see if my writing skills really have improved.

You be the judge.

Review Responses:

felcatty: Man, if you're here after five years of waiting, you deserve a medal. Thank you for the kind words on Chapter 4. I think I've grown as a writer since I wrote it, so we'll have to see if Chapter 5 lives up to your expectation. Hopefully it was worth the wait, and hopefully, I'll get more chapters to you and anyone else who reads this thing more quickly. Cheers to you, bud. Thank you for reading.

Chapter 5:

Consequences

"In case it isn't entirely clear, I am furious," Maka said, practically steaming as the whole of the Evans clan made their way down the hall to the DWMA's faculty lounge.

"Believe me, honey, we get it," Soul said flatly, carrying a slumbering Nina in his arms, not wanting his wife to explode. He turned to Specter, who was trying his best to be aloof while keeping in step behind them. "You gonna tell me what the hell happened out there on that balcony, kid?"

Specter shrugged. How was he supposed to explain to his parents that his sister had decided to binge hyper-violent anime all night to the point of exhaustion without simultaneously ratting her out and getting chewed out for doing so by said sister? It was impossible.

So he opted for his next best weapon in the war against the frustrated glares and disappointed looks of his parents: half-truths.

"I think it's pretty straightforward. Nina's tired as hell, and she freaked out when her nap was interrupted. Not much more to say, really."

"Sleep-deprived or not, that outburst was unwarranted and... impossibly disrespectful," Maka said, visibly shuddering as she very obviously considered the consequences of her daughter's verbiage.

Soul shot his son a sly look before letting his face fall into his usual bored, frowning expression. "Says the woman who, when she was a student here, ran through the training forest screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs when she didn't get her way. I believe the exact words were, "you bastard", something like that?"

Specter felt his stomach turn as his mother shot his father the death glare of all death glares, her emerald eyes twitching with rage. "Do not test my patience, Soul. You know for a fact that what I did when I was younger does not in any way justify what our daughter has done today." Her rage subsided for a moment as concern washed over her features, and she subconsciously brushed her bangs out of her face, something she only did when she was nervous. "I hope to god Kid didn't hear anything she said," she muttered under her breath.

"To be honest, I don't know who at the academy didn't hear it all," a familiar voice said, startling the entire family.

To Specter's surprise, Shinigami-sama was there ahead of them, standing next to the faculty lounge door, his arms crossed. He didn't seem upset, however. On the contrary, he looked rather relaxed, which was usually a good sign, but Specter had his doubts.

"Hi, Shinigami-sama," Maka began, whatever apologies or diversions she had in mind dying on her lips as her speech deteriorated into her signature nervous laugh.

Shinigami-sama smiled and unfurled his arms. "Maka, Soul, Specter...it's good to see you all." He looked down at the youngest of the clan, who was still draped over her father's outstretched arms, unconscious. "I take it she was the cause of the disturbance earlier?"

Maka instantly put her head down, defeated. "Yeah..."

"Now, now, Maka, no need to be worried," he said, waving away her concern. "I just came to make sure everything was alright. She sounded…distressed."

Soul made to ask how Kid had known how they were headed to the break room, but then he remembered who he was talking to, and what abilities he and his wife shared. "We're cool," he said offhandedly. "Nina just needs a nap, that's all."

"She must be exhausted if she saw fit to unleash that much profanity in one sitting," the Grim Reaper mused. "What could be the root cause, I wonder."

"I'm so...so...sorry..." Maka apologized, bowing deeply over and over again out of habit.

Specter subconsciously put a hand on his mother's shoulder, if only to stop her from embarrassing herself further. She shot him a weird look, but ultimately quit her bowing routine and turned back to Shinigami-sama. Clearly expecting the worst, she straightened up and steadied herself, ready for whatever rebuke or punishment her boss had in mind for her despite what he had said before.

The boss in question straightened his skull tie. "As you know, there aren't any explicit rules regarding the use of profanity in and around the academy, even for students, but there are rules for student conduct, and Nina probably broke eight of them in less than a minute."

"Wow, new record," Specter said without thinking.

He hissed as his mother swiftly and expertly cracked him over the head with a book she pulled out of the ether. It wasn't enough to hurt, but just enough to get the point across. Now's not the time, son, was what it conveyed.

With a wince, he rubbed his head and stayed quiet, knowing better than to test his mother's patience.

"Regardless," Shinigami-sama continued, "I don't think any of these violations are worth any serious punishment. With any luck, most people won't know what happened or who was responsible, so, I don't expect much more than rumors and gossip to come out of this." He raised an eyebrow as he regarded Maka and Soul, his friends and his employees. "I'll leave her punishment to you, if you think it necessary to inflict one upon her at all."

"Thank you, Shinigami-sama," Maka said, her expression calm and collected now that the tension had lifted somewhat. "Do we have your permission to let her sleep in the faculty lounge during combat training period? I'd rather her rest than try and spend two hours fighting sleep during Kilik-san's class."

The shinigami nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks, Kid," Maka said, finally dropping the formalities. "Hopefully, this will help her be less...irritable. And I'll make sure she gets the lecture of a lifetime when she wakes up."

As the words left his mother's mouth, Specter realized that he was in trouble. Thankfully, he wasn't due any punishment from his parents or even Shinigami-sama, but there was another problem: he and Nina were set to fight Allie and Flint at lunch period, which came directly after combat training class. He needed Nina to be awake and ready to brawl when lunch started, not half-asleep and being lectured by their parents in the teacher's lounge.

"Not for nothing, but, can you save the lecture for later?" Specter asked, earning a stern look and a curious raised eyebrow from his mother and father, respectively.

"Why? It's not like you're in trouble," Soul said.

"Nina and I have plans," he said quickly. "We kinda promised Allie and Flint we'd help them with something during lunch." Another half-truth. He had made a promise, but if he had told them what for, his mother probably would have lost it.

Soul looked to Maka for an answer, who in turn looked to Shinigami-sama. For a moment, it seemed to Specter that his plan was going to fall apart. After all, he was appealing to the faculty of the DWMA: an instructor, a Death Weapon, and the headmaster of the entire school, not his parents and a close family friend.

He had to try to not look shocked when they yielded to his request.

"Perhaps that's for the best," Shinigami-sama said with a nod. "I have a feeling Nina wouldn't be particularly receptive to verbal punishment today, especially after only roughly two hours of sleep."

Maka nodded also. "We'll have a talk with her, but not today."

Soul turned to his son. "Sounds like you and your sis are off the hook, pal."

"For now," Specter said, unconsciously letting out a small sigh of relief. "I still have to figure out how to wake her up when lunch comes around."

"That reminds me, aren't you supposed to be in combat class right now?" Shinigami-sama said with a wry grin.

Specter's eyes widened. He had forgotten. When his parents had told him to come along, he had simply shrugged and followed, not even thinking about class or the consequences of missing it.

He immediately took off running.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" he said as he sprinted away.

"Language, Specter!" his mother called after him, a smile gracing her features as well.

Soul turned to his wife. "He's up to something, isn't he?"

"Oh, of course, I could see it in his soul."

"I sensed it too," Shinigami-sama said. "There must be a reason he needs his sister by his side during lunch period, and the only thing I can think of is..."

"...a duel," they all realized in unison.

Gray Star anxiously examined the door that led to the so-called Tranquil Moon Room, according to the sign above. Just from approaching, she could tell that there was someone inside; she could hear their heartbeat, the breaths they took in through their nose, the sound of their foot twitching. Her senses were as sharp as ever, though that certainly hadn't helped her last night.

Last night...

That was the reason she was here. The Academy called it a mandatory counseling session or a therapy talk, but it was clear to the Star Clan scion that this was a psych evaluation. Something about mental trauma at the hands of her target.

So they were watching me, she realized. But how?

She closed her eyes and thought back to that night, searching her memories for anything amiss. Something told her that someone else was there, someone who was watching. They were silent, and invisible to the naked eye. The only thing Gray Star could think of that gave them away was the odd, footprint-shaped spaces in the dust coating the interior of the Motel Bates before it was magically cleaned up. She had attributed those gaps in the grime to the motel itself, but in hindsight, she was wrong.

Who could it have been?

There was no way of knowing. She had to accept that. Her reason for asking Shinigami-sama not to observe her missions was...simple, if a little childish, but still important to her; important enough that she had to insist.

She was a fool for thinking he would agree to something like that for such a stupid reason.

With a sigh, she shook the issue out of her head and reached out for the doorknob, the thing that would seal her fate. The whole exercise was pointless; her torture at Bates' hands hadn't made her lose a wink of sleep. She would just have to stand her ground and hope that the therapist's questions didn't delve too deep.

She didn't want to think about what would happen otherwise.

Quietly, she turned the knob and opened the door, accepting what she felt was a punishment. Despite her reservations, she had to admit that the Tranquil Moon Room was more welcoming than she had thought it would be. Inside was a well-decorated, dimly lit chamber with plush carpets, sterile wallpaper, some tasteful paintings of the late Shinigami-sama, and several comfortable chairs and sofas.

Sitting on one of those sofas and quick to stand up and greet her was a pink-haired woman she recognized as the school nurse, as well as someone who popped up in the various photos Sage's mother Tsubaki-san had taken over the years. Connecting the dots, it was clear that this was Kimial Ford, wife of Professor Ox Ford, Head of Witch Affairs at the DWMA, and official liaison to the Witch Assembly. She seemed nice enough, and from what Gray Star could remember from her childhood, she was in the friend group her parents had been a part of back in the day.

Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

"Gray Star, it's good to see you," Kim said with a smile. "Do you remember me? It's been a while since we last saw each other, I know."

She didn't hesitate. "You're Stanford and Rose's mom. Kim-sensei, right?"

"Yep! I would say I'm surprised you put that together, but, given how sharp you are, I suppose that would be doing you a disservice. What else do you know about me?"

Gray Star shrugged and glanced off to the side, mostly out of nervousness. "You're the school nurse, and a witch—the good kind. I've seen you in photos Sage's mother took, but I don't remember ever meeting you."

"That makes sense. The last time I saw you, you were still in diapers," she said with a chuckle. "Well, it's good to see you again, all the same. Please, take a seat anywhere you like."

The young shinobi paused to ponder her options before settling into a cozy armchair near a large bookcase stuffed with tomes whose subjects ranged from battle tactics and magic weapons to art history and philosophy. Kim walked from her place astride the sofa closest to the door and sat across from her in a leather loveseat next to a small coffee table shaped like the late Shinigami-sama's mask. There was silence for a moment, but Kim made the first move.

"I imagine you know why you're here, huh?"

Gray Star narrowed her eyes slightly, but said nothing.

"Shingami-sama told me to tell you that he's sorry he had to go against his promise to you. While he didn't observe you directly, he did have someone observe your mission last night, mostly because of safety concerns, given that it was a two-star mission."

"Who was it?"

Kim blinked, clearly surprised by the directness of the question. She pondered it for a moment, clearly debating whether or not she was allowed to tell her such a thing. Shrugging, she simply said, "Not my place to say, I'm afraid. But I have a feeling Shinigami-sama will tell you if you ask. He and your dad are old friends, after all."

"Teammates, too."

The tanuki witch nodded. "That's right. Part of the scariest team in DWMA history, at that. But anyway, we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about you. Three guesses why."

"Psych eval," Gray Star answered curtly.

"More or less." Kim's expression dropped into a pensive frown as she looked up at a large painting of the late Shinigami-sama up on a nearby wall. "I've gotta be honest with you, Gray Star...I'm not all that good at therapy, and I'm not well equipped to handle people's problems. The only reason I'm here is because my healing magic can calm people long enough to get out what they need to get out."

She turned back to Gray Star with a warm smile.

"I may not be a great therapist, but I am the closest thing the DWMA has to one, so I'll do my best." She gestured for Gray Star to put her hand out. "Would you mind giving me your hand for a moment?"

Reluctantly, the young shinobi let Kim take her hand.

"Tanuncoon, racooncoon, pom pom pom kitanu..."

Kim's eyes flashed bright pink, and a surge of warmth shot into Gray Star's palm and wove its way through her body, settling her nerves, calming her heartbeat, and stabilizing her mind. She suddenly felt in control, like she was actually okay. It couldn't truly kill what most people would call anxiety, she knew that, but with just a simple healing spell, Kim-sensei had come close.

The idea was almost scary, if also comforting at the same time.

"Do you feel better?" Kim asked.

"Yeah...I do..." Gray Star said, surprised by the brightness in her tone.

"The effects don't last long, just under an hour, and it can't do much more than calm people down, but it's a great way to ease someone into a potentially unnerving conversation with a counselor. Or, in your case, a therapist."

So there was a time limit, and its effects weren't far reaching. It actually made Gray Star feel better that Kim's magic wasn't so potent that it could cure someone completely of their anguish or even their anxiety. Such a thing would undoubtedly tread on territory not fit for mankind.

"Now, why don't we start with what happened last night? Take me through it, beginning to end."

Despite the spell's effects, Gray Star couldn't help but grimace. She knew that recounting her battle with Jigsaw Bates wouldn't bring about any helpful revelations. Her problems lay deeper, rooted into her soul, and she didn't feel like exploring those problems with someone she had just met, someone she couldn't trust.

With a sigh, she stood up straighter in her chair and began with her and Sage's arrival at the Motel Bates.

Specter stopped right at the door of the training dojo reserved for Class Half Moon, the heels of his skate shoes squeaking on the tile as he did so. Out of breath from running all the way across the school, he took a moment to relax and put a bored expression on. His hope was to get into the room and start doing combat drills, no questions asked, but he didn't imagine it would turn out that way.

With a grimace, he pushed open the door and slipped inside.

"Mr. Evans," a familiar voice said.

Damn it...of course he saw me.

Specter turned to see Kilik-sensei, a handsome man the same age as his parents, eyeing him from the front of the dojo. He had aged well, his short braided hair showing only faint signs of having salt and pepper in it, with a nice goatee to match. Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder stood at his right and left, respectively, eternally young and inhumanly beautiful in their own unique ways.

Thunder smiled at him, while Fire narrowed his eyes in a way that Specter would call threatening if he didn't know any better.

"'Sup, boss?" Specter said, hoping he didn't sound nervous.

"You're late, son."

He let out a sigh. "Yeah...sorry. Had a, uh...family emergency."

Kilik's expression immediately softened. "Oh, shit...everything good?"

"Yeah, we're handling it."

"Alright, then." He paused when he noticed Specter was alone. "Say, where's your sister?"

Specter saw no point in lying to him. "She was the emergency."

"Oh..." Kilik trailed off, clearly surprised by his answer.

To Specter's dismay, a wave of chuckles and hushed comments rippled through the rest of Class Half Moon as they sat on the tatami mats, their glances and grins sticking into his soul like shards of glass. He tried his best not to react, but he felt his face fall into a very flat, unamused expression. While he didn't really care what people thought of him, his sister's reputation was something of a sore point for him.

Her little moment on the balcony definitely didn't help matters, and just made him feel depressed.

"Can I sit down now?"

"Uh, yeah, go ahead. Just, uh...hook up with Sage over there," he directed, gesturing towards the weapon in question.

Sage was sitting perfectly postured near the right side of the room, his hands positioned neatly in his lap. He regarded Specter with a respectful nod as their eyes met. Specter didn't say anything, turning to Kilik-sensei and giving him a similar nod before snaking his way around the perimeter of the dojo to join Sage on the floor.

His mind wandered as he walked. What had happened to Gray Star? Sage almost never left her side, so whatever the reason was, it must have been important. Knowing Sage wasn't the type to give anything away, he didn't bother asking him any questions. He opted to just take his place on the floor beside the green-clad ninja weapon and wait for Kilik-sensei to actually get the class underway.

"Alright," Kilik said, the chatter in the room dying instantly, "Today, we'll be practicing combat tactics." He grinned and adjusted his glasses. "As much as I'd love to say that meisters and weapons can afford to turn their brain off and run headlong into a fight, we just can't. Not all the time. With that in mind, grab some friends and spread out across the dojo. You'll be sparring, but not for points or anything like that. Instead, try to help your partners harness their strengths and account for their weaknesses. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to me. Otherwise, have fun, y'all. Ready, set, go."

In but a few moments, everyone in the room was standing up, stretching, and talking, the dojo suddenly brimming with noise and motion.

Specter turned to Sage expectantly.

"You're wondering where my mistress is," Sage said coolly.

Specter just raised an eyebrow. "Stop reading my mind, man, it's creepy."

"I did not read your mind, rather your expression."

"Whatever. Is she okay?"

The shadow weapon folded his arms. "She is quite well. The academy demanded her presence elsewhere, and I was not permitted to be by her side. That's all there is."

Specter frowned, but didn't push any further. He wouldn't say more than that. It did make him wonder just what had happened during his and Gray Star's mission the night before.

"Is she gonna come back, or...?"

"She will likely return sometime during lunch period. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Inside, Specter was hoping Sage wasn't going to read his mind again. That would be awkward.

"Well, the entire period is ours to do with as we wish. What shall we do?" Sage asked.

"Uhhh..."

Specter was saved from having to answer by Max and his weapon, Valor, showing up.

"You two need some sparring partners?" Max said as they approached, straightening his glasses.

"Guess so," Specter said with a shrug. He gave the room a quick glance with his Soul Perception on. "It's not like Kid is here to pick a fight with us," he added.

"Yeah, no kidding. Gray Star is gone, and so is Kid and the twins. It's too bad we're not sparring for points, what with the two heaviest hitters in Class Half Moon takin' a hike," Valor said with a smirk.

Specter turned his attention toward Valor. He was a tall, muscular, dark-skinned Eurasian kid with platinum blonde hair twisted into thin cornrows. A bit older than most of the first-year students in the E.A.T. class at twenty, he would look out of place if not for the Death City brand clothing he tended to wear.

"Well, yeah. Gray Star is an overachiever and Kid is basically a demigod. Sparring with them is an exercise in frustration."

"So, what's the plan?" Max asked. "Now would be good time to get some practice in before your fight with Allie. Hell, it's kind of in line with our assignment for today."

Specter shook his head. "Can't really do that without Nina. She's passed out in the teacher's lounge right now."

"Nonsense," Sage said sternly. "Idle hands can find any reason to stay idle. But you can hone your skills without your weapon, make use of this time. In fact, dare I say that learning to fight without your weapon in hand might account for one of your weaknesses?"

"Green man's got a point," Val said with an impressed nod. "Allie is infamous for disarming people with Flint from long range. What are ya gonna do if she shoots Nina out of your hands?"

"Guess I'll die," Specter said flatly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Surely you can devise a strategy to account for this," Sage continued. "For example, if Alicia is at long distance, you can simply use Nina to block, but if Alicia were to disarm you, your only options would be to find cover or dodge."

"...which is nearly impossible, given that you're going to be dueling in front of the school," Max finished.

"Thus, you must increase your grip strength to decrease your chances of being disarmed."

"Alright, what else?" Specter asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Well, that depends on your strategy for defeating Alicia. Do you have anything in mind, or are you simply...winging it, as you like to say?" Sage said sourly, seemingly not a fan of the idea.

Specter pondered the situation for a moment. He was going up against Allie Thompson, raised and trained by Patty Thompson, one of Shinigami-sama's weapons and one of the scariest fighters and gunslingers in the Academy's history. She was also trained in martial arts by her father, Black Star, before the divorce, making her a serious threat.

Most students didn't stand a chance against her. Specter barely stood a chance against her. If he was going to win this little duel, he would need a miracle.

"I can block bullets with Nina if I'm fast enough, but that won't mean a thing if she disarms me, so rushing in spinning Nina like a flag twirler is definitely out," he mused, mostly to himself. "Odds are, I'll have to do something flashy to get Allie to flinch long enough to get in close and finish the job."

"Soul-Hunt Slash?" Val guessed.

Specter nodded. His mother's signature technique, with a slightly different name due to witches being allies of the DWMA and the world. It was immensely powerful and, if not dulled by the weapon used to initiate it, capable of cutting through almost anything.

"My mom taught me a few cool moves I can do with it just recently. They're like katas, but for my big fuck off scythe of destruction."

"Interesting," Max said with a grin as he imagined the possibilities.

"Which technique would you use with the Soul-Hunt Slash to guarantee an opening in Alicia's defenses?" Sage asked.

Specter grinned. "The Letter "I" Hunt Slash. It's tough to pull off, but it's essentially a giant wave attack that covers a lot of ground. It'll force Allie to dodge to the left or right. Then I can close in for the win."

Max shook his head. "It's a shame Nina's not here. Practicing that move would have been helpful."

"Doesn't matter, really. Like Sage said, if I get disarmed, all my options go out the window."

With an uncanny ease and silence to his movements, Sage sank into a fighting stance, surprising the other boys. "Then let us see what you are capable of without a weapon...prepare you for your bout with our friend the gunslinger."

"Do you need anything else from me?" Gray Star said, her best fake smile on as she got up.

"Nothing I can think of. I'm glad your experiences weren't traumatic. It must have been cathartic to take care of that lunatic after all the things he put you through."

"Very," she admitted.

"Well, if anything comes of that night, I'm sure I'll hear about it, but otherwise, I'd consider you mission ready, so no need to worry about any red tape."

"Thank you, I appreciate it, Kim-sensei."

"Oh, please, just call me Kim-san. Your mom and I are old friends! I can't have you running around calling me sensei. It's like calling me Doctor Ford, and I'm not really a doctor of anything," the tanuki witch said with a laugh.

Gray Star's false expression fell, replaced by an actual smile that felt more at home on her face. "I understand. Have a good day, Kim-san."

"You as well, Ms. Gray Star. And say hi to your old man for me!"

"I will."

The young shinobi turned and stepped through the door right as the bells for lunch period rang. Kim's face fell back into a more serious expression as she walked her way over to the mirror next to the late Shinigami-sama's portrait. It was a rendition of his older look, painted by a well-known artist some eight hundred years ago.

As she wrote the Death Room's number on the reflective surface, she dove into her thoughts, unsure of what to make of her little therapy session with Gray Star. She had to hope that Shinigami-sama would understand where she was coming from, lest she incur a certain warrior god's wrath. A tense few moments passed as she waited for the mirror to connect to Shinigami-sama's mirror.

It did connect, but what she found in the glass was not an image of the Death Room, rather it was a black void inhabited by a strange humanoid creature wearing an embroidered bear head. The head itself bore demonic eyes and a devilish, toothy grin, but was adorned with stitched battens of flowers, cherries, and other disarming symbols. Stranger still was its lanky, skeletal body and scrappy clothes, each elongated limb covered by a teddy-bear like appendage.

"Oh, it's you," Kim said flatly. "Tezca."

"Good to see you, too, Kim-san," Tezca said sarcastically. "You're a ray of sunshine, as usual."

"Not my fault you died and became the Death Room's answering machine," she said with a smirk.

The former Death Weapon put his hands on his hips. "Say, that's not very nice. Whatever happened to respecting your elders, hmm?" he demanded, waggling a finger at her.

"Just get me into the Death Room before I start charging you by the minute," Kim said in a huff.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a message. Shinigami-sama is busy at the moment."

"Doing what?"

"Preparing to watch a student duel, apparently."

"Whatever. Are you recording?"

"Always."

Kim let out a sigh. "Shinigami-sama. I need to talk with you about Gray Star. While nothing came of her battle with the serial killer Jigsaw Bates, I did sense something during my conversations with her. Something…potentially problematic. Contact me as soon as you're able."

Tezca nodded. "I'll make sure Shinigami-sama gets this as soon as he's available." His eyes narrowed a moment, as much as they could. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Way above your paygrade," she said as she turned away.

"I am sworn to secrecy, bound by the seals that retain my form within the mirrors of the DWMA. Were you to tell me about it, I wouldn't be able to say anything unless you gave me explicit permission," the demon mirror reminded her.

"Just shut up and fade to black already. I've gotta get back to the Dispensary."

"So much for respecting thine elders," Tezca remarked as he disappeared, his image replaced with a reflection of the Tranquil Moon Room interior as Kim made for the door.

Specter lunged forward, ready to leap into a flying side kick aimed at Sage's chest, but stopped on a dime when he heard the bells that signaled the end of combat training period.

"Alright, everybody, that's time!" Kilik-sensei called out. "Thank your partners, and I'll see y'all tomorrow. Dismissed!"

As everyone began filtering out of the dojo, Specter took a moment to recenter. He was sweaty, sweatier than he would have liked, but his joints were loose and his muscles were nice and warm. With a smile, he reckoned he was ready for a fight.

Now he just needed Nina to be ready, and they'd be all set.

"Thanks for the workout, Sage," he said with a nod. "I hope it's enough to even the odds."

"Should you put what you learned today to good use, you may exceed expectations."

"Guess we'll find out."

Max piped up at that point. "But what are you going to do about Nina? There's no way she's going to wake up and be battle ready in time for the duel, which, need I remind you, is going to happen in the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Don't worry, I've got something in mind for that. A shortcut."

He grinned as Max's face dropped into an expression of shock, the implication clearly dawning on him. "No, Spec, not that. You can't seriously be considering that!"

"It's the only thing I can think of."

"But…it'll kill her!"

"Wait, wait, what are you guys talking about?" Valor asked, clearly unaware of what Specter was alluding to.

"Reaper Energy Drink," Max replied, an uncharacteristic horror in his tone.

"What's so bad about a stupid energy drink?"

"The caffeine levels," Max said, his voice hollow and his eyes wide. "They're so high, one can is enough to keep a normal person from sleeping for a full 48 hours. It's outlawed everywhere except Nevada, hence why we have it in vending machines here at the Academy."

Sage nodded. "It is quite volatile, and dangerous, but most students here can use it without fear of dealing with any of its devastating side effects. From what I've been told, most students use it to cope with jet lag while out on assignment in other parts of the world."

Specter shrugged. "I figured it'd wake Nina up long enough to get her through the duel, then knock her right back out when it was over."

"Knock her out? Between her lack of sleep and the duel, the caffeine crash she'd go through would be enough to put her out of commission for, like, sixteen hours!" Max protested.

"So what? It'll probably make the world a happier place for those sixteen hours," Specter said with a smirk.

Max gave up, emphatically throwing his arms into the air in frustration. "Whatever. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, yeah."

It was then that Kilik-sensei appeared before the boys, causing everyone except Specter to straighten their posture as they regarded him.

"Boys," he said with a nod.

"Sensei," they all said in polite unison.

"I've heard through the grapevine that there's a duel that's gonna be happenin' not too long from now." He folded his arms and grinned. "It's you and Nina versus Allie and Flint from Class Crescent Moon, ain't that right?"

"Yup," Specter said, unwavering despite the fact that Kilik-sensei could very well shut down the entire thing right then.

"Well, word is there's gonna be some action on this duel, and you know I gotta get in on it. When Allie told me what was up, I just couldn't resist," he said with almost childlike glee.

Specter silently let out a breath of relief. "So you'll supervise?"

"Hell yeah," he said happily. "But it can't really happen if Nina isn't around. What are you gonna do about that?"

"I've got something in mind," Specter said, causing Max to facepalm.

"Well, hop to it, son, 'cause you two are due in front of the school in less than five."

"Copy that, boss." He regarded the other boys and his teacher with a quick salute before jogging off towards the hall, hoping to find a vending machine on his way to the faculty lounge.

It was a bright, hot day outside the DWMA, though a gentle breeze did make things a bit cooler. As students milled casually through the courtyard in front of the school, looking for vending machines or places to eat their lunches, Kilik-sensei and a young, chocolate-skinned girl wearing a Death City hoodie emerged from the school's front entrance. Kilik was flanked by Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder, who stood by him like sentries, while the girl was followed by two small children wearing simple yet differently colored outfits.

"Come on, Dad, you know it's against policy to bet on student duels," she said, a grimace reminiscent of the one his wife often gave him when he yelled at the TV during a soccer game.

"I know, baby, I know," Kilik said, rubbing the back of his neck, "But I just gotta. It's like fantasy football, but a million times better!" He regarded his daughter and her two weapons with a smile. "Who do you think is gonna win?"

"Allie, duh," she said, the glass beads braided into her long, dark hair clattering together as she shook her head. "That Evans kid doesn't stand a chance."

The combat instructor's brow furrowed in thought. "I dunno about that. He might be a bit on the lazy side, but Spec is no joke. Takes after his mom in the badass department, and his sister is crazy good at using that scythe blade of hers in one-on-one fights."

"Guess I know who you're betting on."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Kilik said with a laugh. "You gonna stay and watch?"

She shrugged. "I would, but I got some left over Soul Studies work I gotta do. Maka-sensei'll kick my ass if I don't get it in by tomorrow."

"Yeah, probably best to not get on her bad side." He kissed his daughter on the forehead as swiftly as he could, so as not to embarrass her. "I love ya, Honey Lang. Keep a tight grip on those grades, okay? Being an earth shaman meister isn't all guts and glory; gotta have guile to go with it."

"I know, I know," Honey said with a roll of her eyes. "I'll get it together, I promise."

"Aight, then. Go do your homework. I'll let ya know who wins."

"Thanks, pops." She looked down at her weapons. "Come on, Wind, Water, let's go."

The twin demon pots bowed in respect to Kilik and their elders, then left, following their meister back into the academy proper. Leaning against a nearby support column, Kilik checked his watch. It wouldn't be long before the students expected to duel appeared.

Then the fun could begin in earnest.

Hmm...who should I put my money on? The ghost? Or the gunslinger?

Omake

"You know, when you said we were going to observe Spec and Allie's duel today, I didn't think this was what you had in mind," Soul said flatly as he and Shinigami-sama took in the display before them. Sitting in front of the Death Room's mirror were Maka and Patty, their focus locked onto the image of the courtyard provided by Liz, who was on the scene with a mirror of her own.

"Get her, Specter!" Maka called out, as if her voice would somehow reach her son through the normally reflective surface. "Show her what the Soul-Hunt Slash can do!"

Patty retaliated, screaming even louder. "Wooooooooohooooo! Go, Allie! Do like your mama taught ya and cap that scrawny punk!"

"What did you say!? My son is not scrawny!"

"Oh, yeah? He looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over," Patty said as she stuck out her tongue.

"Grrrrrr!" Maka growled. "Don't make me grab Soul and give you what for, Patty. I swear to god…"

"You do know our kids haven't even shown up yet, right?" Soul said, clearly the straight man of this circus act.

Shinigami-sama just sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Well, at least they're supportive of their respective children," he said, regret seeping into his tone. "I just hope another duel doesn't begin here in the Death Room…"

"If it did, who do you think would win?" Soul said with a curious frown.

"I WOULD!" Maka and Patty screamed simultaneously.

Shinigami-sama let out a girlish scream as he regarded their furious expressions. He turned to Soul. "Are you crazy!? What are you trying to do, bring this academy down around my ears by way of your wife and my left-hand pistol!?" Shinigami-sama cried.

"...maybe I should just stay out of this…" Soul lamented.