"It all just sounds needlessly complicated," I said, crossing my arms and shaking my head. "Still don't like these ranks."

Iruma gently tugged on my arm, giving me a, "Please don't start anything" look. Really? Did he think I was going to get into a fight because of this?

"How else are ya going to figure out who's the best?" Shax asked as he picked some wax out of his ears. "It's there for a reason, buddy."

I sighed.

"Whatever," I said, shrugging at the idea. Maybe I was the only one that didn't like stupid titles like that.

"Well, what would you pick?" Val asked with a friendly smile.

Ugh…

"I don't know? Like, just use grades like normal people?"

That's what Iruma told me schools measured people by.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Shax pointed out. "You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?"

My brow twitched.

"Sounds like you want to get a bit of a beating," I huffed. "Don't call me stupid."

Our little commotion continued on for a bit longer. While Iruma, Alice, Val and Shax were chatting, I scanned the classroom. No student looked alike.

There was one guy who had the head of a lion, some guy with a very pointed head, a guy that looked like a damned owl, another fur-covered guy, some nerdy girl, another guy, and a few more.

I gave up trying to organize them in my head and just focused on the more dangerous ones.

There was Sabneck, who seemed to be a big brute. Besides him, the tall, blond, and "elegant" girl. Her name was Elizabeth or something. Elizabutt? Elizabetha?

She looked really pretty and tall. If there was ever a "succubus," then she fit the bill. I'd heard of them before, and if she was one of them, then she might be the strongest person in the class. Fighting against someone who could break bones with a punch was easy. Just don't get hit.

Fighting against someone that could mess with your mind was a lot harder.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" the girl must have seen me glancing in her direction. "You've been staring at me for some time, so I was curious."

Ugh. Her voice was calm, smooth as silk, and mature.

She certainly had the pointiest of horns out of everyone in the class. To be honest, was she even supposed to be here? She looked more like an adult than a girl our age.

"You're very horny," I said, pointing at her horns. "I was just surprised they were so shiny, was all."

Her eyes went wide and a small blush crawled across her cheeks.

"Lee!" Iruma hissed. "That doesn't mean what you think it does!"

He rushed in front of me and started bowing repeatedly. He apologized at least four times before the girl giggled sheepishly. She smiled warmly and then accepted the apology.

"It's fine," she said. "I do put a lot of effort into polishing them every day. I'm happy someone noticed."

With that, she gave a small nod and then sat down.

Beside me, Clara was frowning and poking her own horns.

Of course, it didn't take long for me to figure out what I'd said. Yeah, it was dumb, but everyone made mistakes.

"Sorry about that."

The important part was owning up to my mistakes.

"It's alright," Eli said with a friendly smile. "Everyone makes mistakes, and I was happy having someone notice all the work I put into them."

Demons were something else.

——

"You're all surprisingly quiet," a familiar voice tore through the small room as someone slammed the doors open. "I guess that's something impressive."

A demon dressed in all black stepped through. His sharp gaze and peculiar hairstyle made it obvious as to who he was.

"K-Kalego sensei?" Iruma called out as he stood up and approached him, eyes wide. "W-Wait, are you our homeroom teacher?"

Kalego huffed and nodded.

"Unfortunately, ye-"

Running past Iruma, Val started circling our teacher. She was like a shark smelling blood.

"Hey, hey!"

"Amazing!"

"You're our homeroom teacher?"

"Coo!"

"I like your hair!"

God. I was feeling secondhand embarrassment just looking at her. I honestly could care less for what that guy thought, but this made me feel mad.

"S-Shut the hell up!" he roared. "It's a setup! A… set up…"

The anger had faded away in a second. He looked like a damned deflated balloon. Still, he was quick to pump some air back into himself.

"But forget that!" he shouted. "Just get your asses in gear and follow me!"

It was as if the air itself was trembling around him.

"Don't lag behind or I'll make today the worst day of your lives!"

For some reason, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy.

———————

I hated long-winded speeches. It was something I had no idea I didn't like until just around now. The damned bird-teacher's words all blended together after some point.

Blah, blah, it was a race. Blah-blah, get to the other end of the valley where there's a flag.

I glanced over the edge of the cliff. That was one big drop.

"Stay away from the area where the monster birds are guarding their nests."

…

Say what?

"Monster birds?" I called out. "Like, regular birds, but monsters?"

Kalego stared at me as if I had brain damage. I really wanted to go up and punch him for that, but I wasn't stupid. As much of a fool as he acted and looked, he was a teacher. Considering this whole world's deal was ranks and power, that meant he was probably pretty tough.

"No, they're very nice, fluffy, and love hugs," he said with a deadpan expression.

"R-Really?" Iruma asked, eyes shining brightly with a hint of hope.

Poor, poor innocent Iruma.

"Of course not!" Kalego shouted. "They'll peel the flesh from your bones and eat you alive! So if you don't want to die, follow my damned instructions!"

Man, that guy had a voice on him.

"Now, open your ears and listen to the rest of what I-"

Huh. This was pretty high up. I guess we'd have to fly, but then that came with its own problems. Iruma couldn't fly and I'd been slacking off on my practice.

Ugh. This was going to be a real pain, especially if we wanted to keep up the image of him being strong. It was probably one of the few things keeping idiots from picking on him.

Iruma was my brother, but I'd be damned if he wasn't adorable and bully-bait.

There had to be a way to make it through this without anyone noticing…

"Why not cross the-"

Sabnork started an argument with the teacher about crossing some sort of valley on the way to the flag. Apparently, it was off-limits?

Hmm. If we went through an area the others stayed away from, then that would mean less chances for Iruma to be found out! Well, Sabnock seemed ready to go through there, but we could just avoid him.

It was the perfect plan!

"Everyone, get ready. It's time to start the test," Kalego explained. "Remember, you will be assigned a rank only after you complete this. Die and I'll dock points."

What. Could… could demons revive themselves or something?

"Go."

With that single word, just about everyone sprouted wings from their back. Everyone but Iruma.

If I could give him mine, I would.

"You too," Kalego said as he kicked Iruma in the back, sending him plummeting off the cliff.

"Eh?"

What?

Huh?

No way, right?

"Don't make me kick you-"

I ran past him, diving off the cliff.

Iruma!!

…

"Huh… guess he was really eager?"

———————

My brother was many things, but luck was probably the most obvious. If he were a Demon, I'd have guessed his weird powers were based on luck.

"Leeeee!" he hiccuped and called my name. "Leeeee!"

I didn't know how to feel. Seriously? He falls off a cliff and then I spend a good ten minutes looking for him, only to find him riding on the back of some damned bird monster. The thing was at least the size of a small house!

"Whatever," I said with a sigh, carefully flapping my wings so as to land on the bird's back. "This shit's harder than it seems…"

"Leeeeee!"

I sighed.

"I guess this works too."

It wasn't the original plan, but it would do just as well.

——————

"Human blood heals demons?"

"I think so," Iruma said as he held out his hand. "I mean, I got cut and a bit of my blood healed this one."

"Never worked on me," I said with a shrug. "Been in lots of fights and you know sometimes I came back with bits of blood on me."

He grimaced and nodded.

Just another mystery to add to the pile.

"Lee… I don't think I can make it much further," Iruma suddenly said. "I can't fly. I'm weak. It's only a matter of time till someone figures it out."

"…"

"Lee?"

I sighed.

"It doesn't matter," I said, scratching the back of my head. "We're only here until that old man lets us go back."

The longer I spent in the place, the more I realized there probably wasn't a way out. I didn't know this world. I didn't know what other strange powers the demons had. For all I knew, the only reason that old man could go to the human world was because of an innate power.

"Yeah," Iruma said with a grimace. "I don't-"

"But that doesn't mean I'm just going to sit on my ass and let something as silly as that hold you back," I said, standing up. "Iruma, you're not a demon, but that doesn't mean you're not special."

He blinked and looked up at me.

"Your luck and ability to dodge things is frankly insane."

He blinked, chuckled, and looked away.

"You never could hit me when we played dodgeball…"

"Or when I tried to teach you basic martial arts," I pointed out. "Point is, who cares if you don't have wings?"

This was a completely different world.

"For all we know, there's someone out there that can give you wings. I'm sure that old man has some ideas."

He gulped and looked up at me.

"I know we wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, but I don't think it's going to be that easy anymore."

He winced and nodded.

"We'll be here for the long haul, so don't go giving up on me now."

The nebulous expression on his face shifted into something more confident. He smiled and stood up.

"You're right," he said with a nod, reaching out and grabbing my hand. "I'm not going to let something as silly as not having wings stop me!"

"Yeah!" I said.

"Who cares If I don't have wings!"

"Yeah!"

"In fact, I'm going to prove it right now!"

"Yea- Wait, what are you-"

Without hesitation, Iruma stepped off our feathered friend and jumped down into the valley.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

…

Damn it, Iruma!!

——————

As it turned out, our little detour wasn't entirely wasted.

"Lee, we have to help!"

I palmed my face and watched as Iruma ran to what most would call his "death." I'd only just saved him from going splat and then he ran off to save the pompous, blond demon who threatened us not too long ago.

"Yeah, yeah…"

I rushed after him, arriving just as the massive shadow descended on Sabnuck, or whatever his name was. If our bird friend was the size of a small house, then this thing was at least four times as big.

The earth rumbled as it moved.

"I won't die!" the blond idiot shouted. "Not until I've achieved the coolest of cools!"

…

What.

Somehow, Iruma made it just a second before I did. He leaped in front of the creature's massive, black nail.

Son of a-

The ground shattered beneath my feet. I rushed forward, turning into a blur. Something inside me screamed out. It felt like my body was burning from the inside out!

The world slowed to a crawl. I traced a deadly arc with my foot, smashing it into the obsidian claw and knocking the monster backward.

I breathed in and then out. Steam hissed as it escaped my lip.

"Lee… your foot's on fire!"

I blinked and glanced down at my legs.

"Oh. Well, shit."

I'd have to get new pants and shoes now...