Amy was given dormitory accommodation for the time being while things were being arranged for her for a more permanent residence. All of her important documents and belongings were in the process of being transferred over from the Northwest branch of the Knights of the True Cross to the Japan Branch. She was specifically requested by Lord Pheles to transfer from her position as a doctor to a new role as a teacher within his Cram School. With her credentials, she would be focusing on teaching Demonology.
A week had gone by already since her arrival remaining in a form of solitude. She was given documents to review beforehand in regard to the various students that would be in her class. She stood in front of a full-length mirror in her temporary room getting herself ready for the day. Her long dark brown hair was straight and smooth running down her black trench-coat uniform. The length of her hair reached the back of her knees where her black leather boots reached over her black pants. She calmly did up the buckles of her belts fastening the pouch of pharmaceutical essentials to her hip. Her long nails were well taken care of and moved effortlessly as she adjusted her uniform, adding the silver needle heart of the order with its blue and red designs. She fastened the chain of her order emblem to the collar of her jacket and tugged at the black turtleneck of her sweater. She felt that her uniform was still too stuffy for her liking but was diligent in presenting herself in a proper manner to others within the order.
She gazed upon herself in the mirror. As an exorcist of many talents, she was a well-toned individual of a higher athletic caliber. Standing at approximately five foot nine inches, she continued to fidget with the belt around her waist.
"It never gets any easier," she grimaced with her sharp golden eyes showing signs of destain at herself.
She picked up her glasses and put them on her face for the final touch to her look. Taking in the sight, she still couldn't crack a smile even if she forced herself to do so. She grabbed a briefcase and a binder with notes in it for herself for the class she had prepared the night before.
Since being brought to the Japan Branch under Lord Pheles's orders, she has yet been given the opportunity to speak with him. The longer it gets, the more annoyed she feels. She was put up in the dormitory filled with young women attending True Cross Academy. Every day, for the past week, she has done nothing but watch these girls run through the halls as if they had no care in the world. Unaware of the things that lurk within the shadows.
Using an infinity key that was issued out to her she would be able to use her own bedroom door to gain access to the Cram School hallway. Stepping into an old hallway with green walls and strange color patterns, she walked down to the classroom where she was assigned to teach students. Although it was different than her normal work, the history and physiology of demons was a passion of hers. The knowledge she bares allowed her to gain tremendous recommendations as a Tamer within the field. She would summon a variety of demons to her beckoning call and use a variety of seals in combat. The art of understanding a demon and how they function is key to being able to control them and call them a familiar.
The classroom was not out of the norm. A chalkboard with markings from the previous class was at the front of the room. Each table within the room had two seats tucked neatly in. Cabinets lined up the back walls along with shelves of various exorcist training books. Her desk was off to the side at the front in a corner. Lying on top was a pink envelope with a purple heart sticker sealing it. Amy placed her things on the desk and grabbed the letter. Using her fingernail, she ripped the envelope open to see a neatly handwritten letter from Lord Pheles.
My apologies for not being able to address you in person. However, as you may know, being a director is a very time-consuming job within this branch. I hope the accommodation that has been arranged is well suited to your needs during this time. Should you require any changes or assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will send forth the requests and ensure that things will be handled deliberately.
Now onto some more serious matters. There is one particular student that will be attending your classes going forward. Treat this student with extreme caution. You will understand the severity of the situation when you meet them. Please ensure that things don't get too burnt.
XoXoXo,
Mephisto Pheles.
"Tsk, if he really cared so much, he'd just tell me in person," she snarled ripping the paper and throwing it into the trash bin.
Before taking another breath, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand. A tingling sensation crawled up her spine as she began to take a sense of something approaching. Something was causing her instincts to go into hyperdrive as she felt the need to prepare herself to face the very thing, she sensed many weeks ago.
She readied her gun as the door opened to reveal two True Cross students. A girl with short blonde hair pulled back by a purple headband stared back with her bright doe like green eyes. She wore the school white button up uniform and pink pleated skirt. Her black stockings reaching over her knees with black buckled flat shoes on her feet. A large red bow with black and white stripes was tied to the collar of her shirt. The boy had spiked navy-blue hair with bangs. He wore the same white buttoned up short sleeved shirt but had the black and red striped academy tie with the emblem on the end of it. His black pants were well taken care of with a small wallet chain poking out of his pocket. A red sword wrap was strapped to his back with leather straps that he held onto with one of his hands while the other held onto his bag. He stared at her with the same look of bewilderment with his captivating blue eyes.
Amy was locked into his eyes in a sense of awe and wonder. Curiosity began to fill her as she lowered her gun into the holster. She walked up to him and grabbed a hold of his face without any further hesitation.
"Woah hey, what's the big deal!" he yelled unsure of what to do.
"You are more interesting than the file led on."
The young girl stammered, trying to get words out.
"Woah, what's going on?" came the voice of another student.
Standing behind them were three other students. The taller one looked stronger and more intimidating than the other two. Piercings lined his ears while a blonde mohawk and brown hair was pushed back by a thin silver headband. Light facial hair decorated his chin while a stern expression was on his face behind his hazel eyes. He wore the same uniform as the others but wore the cream-colored sweater over top.
The boy who spoke was standing behind him. His brown eyes showed signs of concern but were quickly changed to a flicker of jealousy. His pink short hair was extremely eye-catching but complemented the dark blue uniform sweater he wore.
The final boy was much shorter than the others. He wore the same uniform as the others with no sweater. His thin glasses were red, and his brown eyes were wide. Unlike the others he had no hair on his head.
"Rin what did you do now," came the growl of a young girl who approached from the other end of the hall.
She wore the same uniform as the other girl but opted for a large tie rather than a bow. Her long-purple hair hung on each side of her head in low pigtails with bangs cut straight across her face. Her large maroon catlike eyes shot daggers at the boy Amy was grasping in her hands.
"What a fascinating group of individuals," Amy proclaimed letting go of Rin's face. "I apologize for the vulgarity of my approach. When Lord Pheles shared that I would be teaching an interesting individual, I didn't suspect it would be someone of…this nature."
The boy was taken aback by her words, "How …?"
"How do I know that you're a son of Satan? Well, I can point out a few different things. Your eyes are unique and have familiar traits to those who are of a demonic heritage. The ears are shaped in a pointed way which is inhuman, along with the enlarged canines in your mouth. But if that wasn't enough, the tail," she gestures to the long blueish tail hanging behind him with fur on the very end. "As for the Satan part…well…it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to be able to read articles when the Vatican releases them," she smirked before stepping aside to allow the students to walk in.
As each of the students sat down, she began her introductions with an authoritative voice, "Good afternoon young Exwires. My name is Amy Faust, you may address me as Ma'am, Ms. Faust, or Professor. I am a meister of many feats, but I primarily specialize as a Doctor, Dragoon, and Tamer. I do dabble in arias, but I cannot tell you what scripture is from what book anymore. I was a facilitator of pharmaceuticals in the Northwestern Branch of the order, but now I will be acting as your Demonology instructor. As your teacher I will be teaching you about demons, what makes them tick, and what to expect when interacting with them."
As she spoke, she made sure to make eye contact with each individual in the room. Reflecting on the documents she had seen the night prior she was able to identify each one of her students in the room. The blonde girl was Shiemi Moryiama, the daughter of Casper Moryiama who runs the shop that supplies this branch of herbs and alchemic ingredients. The boy next to her is Rin Okumura adoptive son of the late Paladin Shiro Fujimoto and one of the sons of Satan. His twin brother Yukio Okumura is a highly regarded exorcist within this branch. Both are also sons of the well-known Yuri Egin.
Sitting by herself is the purple haired girl Izumo Kamaki, a daughter of a shrine maiden of the nine-tails. On the opposite side of the room were the boys from the Myōō Dharani sect in Kyoto. The pink haired one is Renzo Shima while the shorter one is Konekomaru Miwa. The third is the son of the Head Priest of the sect Ryuji Sugaro.
In the back of the room is an individual who appeared to have kept quiet. He wore the same uniform as the other boys, wearing the same cream-colored vest. His eye remained closed and slightly hidden beneath his blonde bangs of his short, disheveled hair. Although the body appeared to be asleep, the pink rabbit like puppet upon his hand remained alert and listening. Nemu Takara was the name on his file. Out of all the students in this room there was a peculiar purple star sticker on a couple of files, his was one of them. Shima was the other student who had the sticker in the corner of his file. Amy knew that these two were also ones to be mindful of should anything arise.
"I understand that a few of you have taken on familiars of your own as Tamer meisters. So, let's take the time to address them and have a better understanding as to what you are working with. It is to my understanding that Neuhaus has graciously explained how seals work and the importance of maintaining those seals as a connection to your demons. Some exorcists keep seal papers on them as a quick and easy route. Others may seek out other means of calling out, such as permanent seals on the body, using their surrounding elements to make a seal, or by simply carrying materials such as salt to draw it. There are special cases where the user can call upon their familiar without a necessary seal. Those who can do that are considered advanced tamers. In rare cases, words may not even be necessary. Exorcists capable of this feat are extremely rare."
Amy raised her hand and stretched it out in front of her. With a twist of her wrist and a snap of her finger, a swirling black smoke of shadows appeared in front of her. The shadow slowly began to take a form as the students watch in fascination. Once the smoke dissipated everyone was left to marvel at the sight of a black horse-like creature standing before them. The mane of the creature moved like smoke in the air. Its red eyes stared at the students as their jaws dropped at the sight of the creature that was before them.
"This is a Nightmare, kin to the King of Time. The physicality of the creature is like that of a normal horse. The behaviour can be just as stubborn as well."
"Incredible, you just summoned that thing with a snap of your finger?" Ryuji proclaimed in disbelief.
"Great observation Suguro. The bond I share with this creature is strong after many years. With a bond this strong there is no need for chants or seals. To obtain this kind of connection, you need to work with your familiar and treat them like they are one of your very own family members. But to do that, you need to understand what makes this demon tick. A nightmare appears to be gentle in nature, but overtime you can see their more malevolent side of things. As previously mentioned, it is extremely rare for an exorcist to reach this caliber, but not impossible."
Amy went on and continued to explain the different attributes of her familiar. From the physical aspects to the behavioral she explained the importance of understanding the demon as if she were instructing some kind of biology class. She proceeded to ask each of the students with a familiar to call them so that she can discuss the difference between each one and classify them under each attribute. However, after dismissing her familiar and before the others could call, she felt like someone was watching her. She continued her lecture until she was able to pinpoint exactly where the source of her new unease was coming from.
In the ceiling right above where she stood was a vent. Without looking up she continued as each of the students called upon their familiars. Sheimi brought forth a small demon made from moss and other small plants. These types of demons are known as Greenmen Kin to the King of Earth. Meanwhile, Kamiki used a chant to call upon two fox spirits known as a Byakko, kin to the King of Spirits.
"Bravo!" came a familiar voice to Amy that sent a shock up her spine.
Her eyes widened as a puff of pink smoke came from the now open vent. Through the smoke came the one and only person she was eager to see. Standing before the class was taller male. His purple hair tied back with two pieces hanging asymmetrically on either side of his face. To match his hair, he has a purple goatee on his chin beneath his devilish smile. A large swirl of green hair springs up above his head with each movement. He was wearing a white suit, well kept with a pink, white polka dot ascot at his neck. On his lapel is the golden version of the True Cross emblem. His arms outstretched with his purple gloved hands ready for something. His forest green eyes with glints of reds and yellows sparkle with excitement.
"Mephisto?" Rin called out.
Amy was frozen, not with fear, but with thoughts darting through her mind. She couldn't decide whether she wanted to be angry, happy, or if she wanted to express anything at all. She decided to calmly address the man before her with a bit of irritation behind her words.
"Lord Pheles, I was beginning to wonder when we'd finally be able to see each other face to face again. I thought our communications going forward were strictly letter based considering you have not put in any effort to see me since my arrival. I would've thought that with the sudden transfer and surprise escort from my home office that it would constitute to the means of at least a face-to-face welcome." She began to furrow her brow and sternly make her approach towards him as each one of her words began to come out with more aggression than the next. "Especially, after all this time of not seeing each other, I thought you would at least try see me or let me see you. At the very least a phone call. But instead, you put me in a temporary living situation with a bunch of children and still offer no explanations as to why you…YOU…pulled me from the branch with the approvals of the Grigori, and for what?"
She was as close to his face as she could get. Her golden eyes burning with the built-up anger being released as she clenched her teeth. The feeling was relieved slightly when his arms wrapped around her in an embrace.
"I know and I'm sorry. I will explain everything to you tonight over dinner," he whispered into her ear. He pulled her off him causing her to take a step back. "You see, I have had my hands full for a while now which is why I called you in. I knew someone of your talents is very capable and would be an asset within our branch," he began to proclaim flamboyantly in front of the students.
"Gaslighter," Amy whispered under her breath.
"You see children, Amy here comes from a long lineage of the Faust family. As Johanne Faust, I like to pretend that…"
"Hold it right there not another word," Amy shouts with her arm raised up towards him. A magic seal illuminates on the palm of her hand as golden sparks come from her now exposed arm. "Kann es nicht wissen, kann nicht sehen, kann nicht lernen, kann nicht sprechen."
"My, my, such a temper on you now. Where is your sense of fun that you had years ago?" he responded with a grin. "Well, not matter, I shall let you teach these young minds. I'll send for you when dinner is ready."
Just as he had entered, he took his leave prompting Amy to take a huge sigh of relief. The class stared at her as she regrouped her thoughts for the remainder of the lesson.
"Hold on Ms. Faust. Do you and Mephisto know each other?" Rin asked.
"Tch. I won't say much, but what I can say is that despite not seeing him for a long time he is still knows how to push my buttons. Now, the greenman is a demon capable of many types of talents."
She quickly changed the subject again and focused on teaching the students about their familiars avoiding any further questions they may have had about her and Mephisto.
When class came to an end, Amy gathered up her things and left the room as quickly as possible avoiding all contact with the students. Using her infinity key, she returned to her bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. Not a moment too soon did her bedroom door open.
Amy turned to see who it was. Standing in the doorway was a well dressed individual in a suit and bow tie. Much like Mephisto he too had purple hair and goatee. The swirl of his hair came down his forehead. He gave a slight bow towards her.
"Belial, it's been ages since the last time we saw each other."
"Indeed, it has. I am here upon the request of…"
"I know, I am aware."
She got up from the bed and adjusted her jacket as she was guided through the door. She walked into a large room filled with plushies of various anime and Japanese pop culture idols. The room itself was bright pink and screamed lollipops and sugary sweets.
"You know I must give your interior decorator some kind of praise. They really know how to…emphasize on a theme," Amy commented as she walked around the room after Belial had left.
Mephisto, walked up behind her, "You know how much I like the finer things in life."
Amy chuckled a little as he made a dinner table appear with chairs. She looked over at the table to see instant ramen in a cup.
"Still eating the good stuff I see," she smirked taking her seat.
"Only the finest delicacies of the region."
The two sat at opposite ends of the table and grabbed onto their chopsticks to eat their meal.
"So…are you going to explain yourself?" Amy asked lifting the noodles to her mouth.
"Can't we enjoy the moment just for a bit?"
"Sameal…" the tone in her voice deepened as if to try and intimidate him.
There was a glint in his eyes as his expression changed to slight malevolence. The intimidation flickered through Amy as she maintained her ground.
"You said that when the time was right, you'd find me. Sixteen years I spent working in the west keeping an eye on things. When the Illuminati was moving, I watched over some of their moves as per our adjusted agreement. I stayed within the order, working diligently with that branch. We kept in touch as much as we possibly could. Suddenly, things started to seem strange, not just from you but within the world. Then after a couple of months go by, I have exorcists knocking on my door and I'm being told I must teach exwires in Japan, without any word from you even after I arrived. And then you pop into my classroom and almost break some of the terms of a contract."
He calmly put down the cup of noodles and placed his hands together to let his chin rest in them. "Amy that strangeness you felt was indeed real. You see, that was when something extraordinary finally happened. The boy you met today, is the son of Satan who has recently awoken his potential. You see, his heart is currently sealed away in the Koma sword he wields."
"I'm no fool, I was able to deduce that right away especially after reading the files you gave me."
"Then you'll understand that I've had my hands full working on some things. I truly am sorry that I couldn't be there upon your arrival to greet you, but I had to teach a pesky little brother a lesson. You see, before your arrival, a certain younger brother of mine had a little too much fun with Okumura and caused some damages. I needed to get things under control and handled the necessary paperwork behind the incident."
"I see…So the stars just weren't really as aligned as I wanted," Amy replied to breaking eye contact with him.
"This is where you will come in. Everything is moving forward, and things are about to get interesting around here again. I want you here to bare witness to it all and play the parts I need you to play."
"So, you want me back at work is what you're saying. In the home office so to speak. Sounds to me like with the amount of this so-called paperwork you have you could use a second set of hands to help. Buckle down into the old roles…stop me if I'm wrong." He didn't respond to her and maintained his eye contact with a smile. "Fine, but I'm still mad that you couldn't at least come by and say hi when I first came back. Really, I was hoping to at least have a drink with you. You know like how we all used to."
"Please, let me make it up to you. You are like family after all," he said with a sinister expression causing Amy to quickly make eye contact with him once more. "That reminds me, you need to work on verbiage if you're going to threaten me like that again."
Amy smirked a little as she continued to eat.
"I have made some adjustments to your living situation. I have arranged for your own living quarters here. Just like before."
Amy perked up a bit finishing the last of her noodles.
"All of your things are already there waiting for you. No need to return to the dorm." He paused to continue eating before speaking again, "And Amy, I really do mean it when I say that I want to make it up to you."
She stood up from the table and walked over behind him towards the door, running her hand along his chair as she walked by. She paused, grabbing onto the door handle.
"The pieces are all falling into their proper places. I need you to help me ensure that they stay that way," he said grabbing onto his cup.
"I look forward to it my lord."