PROLOGUE 04

The Ceremony

The doors burst open. The big hall was filled with chatters and people in hooded robes were formed in large groups of seven all lined up or huddled together. Yuki can't see their faces but each group had one person on the front.

"Does anyone seen the head mage? He disappeared midway through the ceremony…" one student said.
"Maybe he had a stomachache?" the other student replied with a smirk.

"No, I certainly did not!" Crowley shouted bursting through the door dragging both Yuki and Grim at the middle of the hall. The hall suddenly felt silent and Everyone had their eyes on them. Yuki can see and hear their mutters asking themselves if Crowley brought a girl or why is that person wearing a different uniform.

"If you must know, I was searching for this new student who seemed to escape orientation." Crowley said, pointing at Yuki then looked down at her. "You are only-

"Pardon the intrusion head mage," a short person with red hair raised his hand as he emerged from the crowd. "But as Housewarden of Heartslabyul, I have the heart to say this student is not wearing the appropriate ceremonial robes, not even the school uniform of Night Raven College."

"Ah, my bad. It seems I have forgotten, thank you Mr. Roseheart." Crowley said fixing his mask as he placed a hand on Yuki's head. With a snap of his finger, Yuki suddenly wore the dark purple robes everyone was wearing.

"There we go-as I said, you are the only one who is yet to be assigned, so go forth and present yourself in the dark mirror, be quick about it. I'll watch the weasel."

Yuki turned to Crowley and Grim who ntinued to muffle, reacting to him being called a weasel again. However, she stepped in front of the mirror regardless, with the whole student body watching her.

With everyone watching her like this, it's hard to just run away and be a killjoy about it. It'll be over regardless. She would just ask to quit school after all.

PROLOGUE 05

Unqualified for Magic

"State your name…" The dark mirror said as green flames arose in the reflection and out came a mask speaking to her from the other side. Yuki was silent still as she was mesmerized by the flames and how the mask stared at her soul. The mirror seems familiar as if she saw something like this somewhere before. She was thinking if this is some kind of dream she's having.

"Ah…wait, I don't get this at all.."" Yuki said hesitating if she can ask anything further. Should she go along with it or find a way to get out of this mess? No one told her anything. She was getting more frustrated inside as the other students were whispering and giving her looks.

The mirror stared at her, Even though its eyes were holes, she can feel its gaze piercing through. It asked for her name again as if it didn't hear her earlier.

"Ah..Yuki…" she said nervously, deciding to go along.

"Yuki…Hmm..The nature of thy soul is…" The mirror went quiet for a few seconds."Unclear to me."

"What did you say?" Crowley asked from the crowd crossing his arms.

"I sensed no magical power from this one. Soundless, Colorless, Shapeless, Completely empty." The mirror stated. "Therefore, no dorm is appropriate."

Yuki's eyes widened. Heck with being sorted in a dormitory but unable to sense any magic from her is complete blasphemy in her ears. Even if it's just a few years, she's been exposed to too much magic all her life and even studied in a school with the supernaturals. She was even sure it was magic that brought her here in the first place. Everyone as whispering but Yuki ignored it.

"Wait, what? That's a complete lie-" Yuki began but Crowley talked over her.

"Are you suggesting the carriage received a magicless person? That;s absurd, the selection process has not been in the wrong for centuries." Crowley said and looked at Yuki. "Are you lying about what you said?"

"No I didn't, maybe if I-"

"Mmmhppff- Gahh! I have enough!" Grim shouted as he finally released himself from the Crowley's bind. "Me! Let ME have her seat! I can be a student here instead!" Grim said as he ran away and approached the mirror.

"Hey! Not so fast you damn weasel!" Crowley shouted.

"Unlike the lying human, my magic is legitimately usable, so let me be a student here!" Grim said bouncing around. "I'll show you! Myah! They're all the cat's meow!" Grim said, showing off his flames as he was about to cast an explosion.

"Everyone! Get down!" Mr. Rosehearts said making all the students close to him dodged the flames. It was inevitable but most students are in chaos, most of them had their robes on fire and others were running away from the scene taking cover. Yuki takes cover as well as she crouches down and watches the madness unfolds.

PROLOGUE 06:

Going Home

"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Rosehearts shouted, causing Grim to magically have a heart shaped black and red collar around its neck. The room was noisy again, very much crowded as some students put out the blue flames.

Students complimented Roseheart's spell but she hears nothing. What the mirror said about her not having magic bothers her…Is it really true? It's true that she was born magicless but after going to the devildom, She's officially a sorcerer.

Was it all a dream? Yeah….it's gotta be a dream.

"Yuki!" Crowley's voice brought her back to reality as she watched her march towards her followed by Grim Roseheart, and a boy with wavy white hair and glasses.

"I told you that you have to take responsibility of your familiar-"

"It's not mine." Yuki simply said. She thought it could be possibly Mammon but he usually comes clean. At the same time, if this were a school event, nothing bad ill happen and it's just according to script.

Crowley was surprised. "Come again, It's not yours?"

"I haven't seen that creature before in my life." Yuki said frankly. Even if it's true that Grim is Mammon, teasing him like this is always fun for her.

"Is that so…then I shall have it expelled from campus." Crowley stated. "I shall even spare it from being served as dinner. How kind I am haha" He said with a laugh, amusing himself with generosity. Yuki looked over at the two students who just watched with a deadpan expression as if it's normal. Rosehearts snapped his finger and let Grim float away giving it to the other students.

"Noo! Let me go!" Grim shouted as he was being held by the neck like a pet cat. "You fools better remember my name! I'm gonna go down in Magic history!" He kept shouting until he was out of the room.

To be honest, Yuki felt bad seeing Grim go without having him be heard. Really kind of reminding her of the Greedy loveable demon but her gaze turned when she noticed the two students, Rosehearts and the boy with glasses staring at her. Rosehearts turned his gaze away clicking his tongue before she noticed but the boy with glasses continued to stare at her even giving her a smile.

"I'll be going now head mage. My house is waiting for me." Rosehearts said as he walked away and joined a group of students.

"I as well…Mr. Crowley. This certainly is an eventful night." the other student said leaving as well.

After the small clean-up, Crowley then ordered everyone to go back to their dorms, asking the so-called "House wardens" to take charge, Even asking how the other house warden is missing but Yuki didn't know these people nor figuring out if she knows anyone.

Yuki watched as everyone had finally left the hall. It's all quiet and wide. It's only her and Crowley inside after all. "Well, Yuki...this is the most unfortunate turn of events, I'm afraid you won't be attending Night Raven College after all." Crowley said with a saddened expression.

Yuki wasn't saddened at all. She belonged to RAD after all. "Well...if it were not obvious …" she rolled her eyes, muttering.

"Surely you know that even lying about their magical ability won't get past the rules of my academy."

"I wasn't lying-" she muttered but realized to keep her mouth shut. She doesn't have to prove she has magical abilities to anyone here. It's clear she's not going to enroll herself in a new school. She prefers the devildom.

"Worry not, the dark mirror will see you safely home." Crowley said, pointing at the mirror asking her to step forward to it once again. "Now…step into the gated mirror and visualize the place from whence you came."

Visualize the place from whence you came…huh? Yuki closed her eyes and immediately pictured herself in the Devildom. Her old room in House Lamentation and even some of the classes she had in RAD.

"O, Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!"

She sighed in relief knowing she will go home as easy as pie-

"..."

Crowley cleared his throat and asked again.

"There is no such place." The mirror began.

"What?"

"There is no such place as the Devildom." the mirror said. "There is no place in this world where this soul belongs."

Yuki felt disheartened. It feels like it's all a lie. She looked at the mirror with fear in her eyes, lips trembling slightly. She wanted to laugh it away but she can't. Looking at the mirror is like a slap in the face that everything is all seriousness. No games, No funny pranks but reality. She don't want to make a fool out of herself.

"Then let's try again…I'll think of another place I call home." Yuki suggested, thinking of her city in the human world. The mansion where the brothers stayed in the human world or maybe her parents' house in the countryside. The mirror was kind enough to humor her request but the result is still the same. Yuki has nowhere to go.

"How can that be? This has never happened before, Lass…from what land you hail again?" Crowley asked.

"The devildom..." Yuki's reply was not confident the first time she was asked this. Her face was pale with sadness as if almost trembling.

"Devildom you say…I am well acquainted with the origins but this is the first time I heard of it indeed." Crowley said. "Wipe your tears, Let us look it up at the library, shall we?