#yuuki

............................................................................

It was dark.

He felt like he was drifting in the ocean... just without the water or the feeling of being wet.

Then a burst of color appeared.

Beautiful colors.

A vivid range of flowers.

It looked like a meadow... or maybe a forest. Grim couldn't quite tell.

The birds sang.

The bees visited flowers.

It looked peaceful.

But then he noticed crying.

The image changed,

like it was zooming in on something... or someone.

Under a cherry tree was a human.

...

A little human.

A crying little girl... maybe around five?

Listening more closely, it sounded like she was mumbling something.

"I disappointed her."

She kept saying it.

"I disappointed her..."

Again.

...

"I disappointed her..."

And again.

...

"I disappointed..."

And again.

...

"I..."

Like a prayer she couldn't stop saying.

The birds had stopped singing a while ago.

The wind, which had been gently blowing just a moment ago, suddenly disappeared.

The flowers stopped moving.

The girl's voice was the only sound left.

...

Normally, he, the great Grim, didn't care about others.

Why would he?

HE DIDN'T EVEN LIKE HUMANS.

But...

Somehow, hearing her cry—seeing her tiny shoulders shake—made something tighten in his chest.

He doesn't know how long he stared at her.

He couldn't look away.

Then the image changed.

Or, better said...

Disappeared.

It was dark again.

But not as quiet as before.

Now there was a voice.

"G°i*y..."

A soothing voice.

Calm and kind.

The only issue?

He couldn't understand them.

"I'* s° so°°y."

Why was he feeling so sad?

"Pl'as' fo°give' *'."

And then—

he was woken up,

forgetting his dream and the girl.

............................................................................

It was quiet this morning.

The sun was coming out, and with the first rays of light, the animals, which had been hidden in their homes, came out as well.

Even a cute bunny came out of its burrow, basking in the sunlight.

Everyone was ready to greet a new day.

...

Well... almost everyone.

The sweet heroine of our story sadly didn't sleep all that well.

Not at all.

Buried beneath the blankets, instead of greeting the morning sun, she did everything she could to avoid it.

And the one next to her was snoring away, seemingly unbothered by the sunlight filtering through the crack in the wooden boards (which were covering the window) and shining directly into his face.

But even for them, it was a peaceful morning.

Until the ghosts showed up.

Ghost B: "Rise and shine, sleepyheads!"

Ghost A: "Hee hee hee... Aren't the two of you supposed to be off cleaning the school today?"

The girl?

Buried herself deeper in the blankets, ignoring the fact that, technically, they were dusty.

...

And that she had taken Grim's part as well.

On that note,

the cat didn't seem to realize who was talking to him.

"Mmmmm... Nngh... Five more minutes, Ma..."

Of course, that was a response the ghost rather liked.

Ghost A: "Go ahead, sleep the day away. And you might not eeever hafta wake up again."

Now that woke the gremlin up real fast.

"Myah?! The ghosts are back! Hey, Yuuki, up and at 'em!"

He got into a battle stance, ready to beat their asses.

He was about to shoot a blast at them... when a groggy, and somehow sinister, voice stopped him.

"If you four start a ruckus at the break of dawn, I will personally ensure you regret it, if it is the last thing I do."

Somehow, that got them to stop.

After all,

even ghosts know which battles they should pick, and something told them, in the back of their minds, that maybe—and only maybe—they should play nice with the girl.

Ghost A: "So I hear you'll be living here from now on? Hope you like pranks as much as we do! Hya ha ha!"

But not everyone got the message, it seems.

"We gotta get rid of those things for good!"

About to attack, he was yet again interrupted by a certainly too cheerful voice for so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Yuuki. Did you sleep well?"

Crowley came striding in as though the room itself had been waiting for him.

The poor door he threw open looked as if it would fall off its hinges.

Grim looked at him, taking a moment to register his words...

Crowley looked at Grim.

...

Then it clicked.

"Not at all!

When I sprawled out on the bed, the mattress fell right through the frame!

Exactly how ramshackle IS this dorm?

And worse yet, we got woken up by ghosts!"

The girl hesitated, not sure how to answer.

Tell the truth? That she slept horribly?

Or try and stay in his good graces?

She had been too tired yesterday to think straight—but her survival and protection in this unfamiliar place depended on him.

...

"I slept great!"

Crowley's gaze lingered on the dark circles beneath her eyes.

He smiled anyway.

"I am delighted to hear that you've adjusted so well, despite being sent to another world!

Now, speaking of moving on, let us discuss your assignment for today."

"Before that, could I please get ready first?

You kinda barged in without knocking, even though I could've been changing, and you didn't really tell us when you were going to come, so I didn't get ready yet."

Crowley, having been pierced by invisible arrows, slowly retreated into the hallway.

"Of course... but don't take too long. I am a very busy person."

And he was gone.

Something told the girl that he wasn't actually as busy as he pretended, but she ignored that for the time being.

Better get ready before he actually barged in again.

"Come on, Grim, quit hiding in the blankets and get ready."

"Mya, don't wanna."

Of course, the girl didn't leave him any choice.

On the way down, he suddenly spoke up.

Something in the back of his mind kept nagging at him to check if the girl was all right.

So he did.

After all, she was the only girl around.

"...You're weird today."

That, she hadn't expected.

Though she wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

Not knowing what else to do, she forced a nervous smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"...You just smell... off."

She knew some animals had a strong sense of smell.

Did that cat thing have one?

That, she didn't know.

"We barely know each other, so you can't really judge something like that. Besides, I'm all right."

Content with her answer, he brushed it off.

Or maybe he realized she wasn't the one he wanted to question?

Arriving back at the lounge not much later, she watched as Crowley seemed to be trying to figure out how to sit down without turning himself into a dust cloud.

One chair.

Another chair.

Blowing dust away.

Deciding they were ALL terrible.

Though, when he noticed her, he immediately pretended like nothing had happened and started giving instructions.

"Your job today is to clean the campus.

That said, the campus is vast, and without magic, it'd be quite the Herculean task to clean it all.

Therefore, today I'll have you focus on the area spanning from the front gates to the library.

Now, Yuuki...

I do expect that you'll keep a close eye on Grim, lest he cause another incident like yesterday."

"I can't promise much... but understood."

"Do not fail me. You may take your lunch in the cafeteria.

I eagerly await the fruits of your labor.

Do not disappoint me."

"Hrmph. I ain't cleanin' nothin'!

I'm here to study magic so I can be blastin' off spells left and right! Like BAM! POW! FWOOM!"

"Let's just head to the front gate for now.

After we clean, we can study in the library."

"Hrmph."

This was going to be a long day,

the girl thought.

But surely it would be all right—

Dire Crowley is based on crows, so I believe he's far more than he lets on. Just like the birds he's inspired by, he seems to be much smarter than people give him credit for. He's managed to remain the headmaster of NRC for a very long time and, somehow, has kept the school together despite everything that happens there.

We know almost nothing about Crowley's past, but we've seen just how much Lilia has changed over the years. If someone like Lilia could change that much with time, I don't think it's too far-fetched to believe that something similar happened to Crowley.

——————————————————————-

Now, where did we leave off?

Ah, right.

…

Grim was out of breath, having managed to defeat the performer (transformer).

"Pant… Pant… Well?"

Behind him, Yuuki was holding her head.

Thanks to the adrenaline, she hadn't noticed it earlier, but her ears—or, well, her new ears—picked up on a lot.

And that, paired with those two loudmouths, made her head feel like it was splitting apart.

But…

Well…

The others were oblivious to her pain.

Or maybe they chose to ignore it?

Crowley, on the other hand…

"Incredible… I've never seen anyone bend a monster to their will quite the way you have.

I must confess, my educator's intuition did sense something about you after the brouhaha at orientation, Yuuki.

I could tell you had a certain animal trainer-y, beast master-ish quality to you. Oh, yes.

That said, I… mumble mumble."

He was making this all about himself.

Oh, she swore one of these days she'd give him a good ol' punch.

But she felt as if she were forgetting something…

Ah!

"Would it be possible for Grim to stay with me? I mean…

Grim would really like to go to this school.

AND he kinda DID help me back there."

As much as it pains me to confess.

Crowley, though?

Not impressed.

Far from it, actually.

"WHAT? A monster, stay HERE?"

Grim, however?

"Whoa, did you just…?"

He suddenly saw a halo behind the girl.

"Please, sir!

I-I mean, think about it! What if there are more ghosts?

How am I, a magicless, defenseless person" -she almost gagged back there; Grim owes her one- "who was kidnapped from her safe and comfy home" -a lie, but they don't need to know that- "going to defend herself?

And, of course, the most powerful weapon in her possession…

Puppy eyes.

…

Grim copied her without a hint of shame.

Crowley's smile twitched.

"Hmmm… I suppose I cannot deny your plea.

Very well."

"Myah?! Really?"

But, of course, life was never meant to be easy.

"Let me be clear!

Under no circumstances would I admit anyone to Night Raven College who has not been selected by the Dark Mirror—especially not a monster!

Nor do I intend to allow you, Yuuki, to freeload until you're able to return home."

So much for that, anyone thought.

"Hrmph. Never shoulda got my hopes up…"

"Wait… then what DO you want?"

Now, depending on his answer, it was going to decide his fate.

Will he get out of here alive?

A bead of sweat ran down his spine.

"Now, allow me to explain.

It was the Dark Mirror that transported you here.

Therefore, this school does bear some responsibility for your well-being.

So I will allow you to remain in this dorm, free of charge."

That sounds suspicious.

"However—"

There it is.

"—you will need to pay for your own food, clothing, and incidentals.

As to how you will do so, penniless as you are… Ah. Ah ha. Yes, a fine plan."

Now it was Yuuki's turn to be nervous.

Gulp.

"What exactly are you planning to make me do?"

"You needn't seem so alarmed. I'm simply going to ask you to do a few odd jobs around campus.

From what you've done here, Yuuki, I can tell you know your way around a broom.

So, what do you say to you two working together as a janitorial team?

If you agree to that, I will make a special exception and allow you to remain on campus.

I'll also allow you use of the library so that you may study and research ways to return home.

How soundlessly charitable I am.

Ah, but only when your work is over, of course!"

She doesn't remember actually doing anything, but let's not burst his bubble.

"Whaaat? What kinda deal is that?!

I wanna put on one of those sweet uniforms and be a student, not sweep up people's junk!"

"If you're not satisfied with my offer, I can arrange to have you thrown out again."

"Myah?! …All right, fine! Let's do it."

Deciding to interrupt before Grim dug his grave any deeper, Yuuki spoke.

"Fair enough.

I mean—

What choice do I have?"

"Wonderful. Then I beseech you both…

to work hard as the newest members of Night Raven College's janitorial staff!"

And just like that, he was gone—as if nothing had happened.

One could think that the longer he stayed with them, the more he wanted to get away.

But she would keep that to herself.

Better not start a useless conflict. It isn't worth the fight.

"Why did you do that?"

She turned to the one who spoke—Grim.

"Do what?"

"Don't play dumb. Why did you help me?"

Now that he mentioned it…

Why did she help him?

"I don't know."

"MYA WHAT?!"

"I don't know why I said that. Frankly, the words just came out of my mouth."

"That's weird, human."

"It's Yuuki."

"Hench—"

"Yuuki."

"…Okay."

„But that wasn't a priority right now.

I feel dead on my feet, and we still haven't figured out where we're going to sleep.“

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

And off he went up the stairs.

And Yuuki…

Well, she followed him.

After all, as much as she hated to admit it, she'd somehow managed to gain herself a companion.

It didn't take long to find something… decent.

The bed didn't look moth-eaten, and there weren't any bugs.

Aside from the dust, the room was alright—or at least better than the others.

Grim immediately face-planted into the pillow, his snores following not far behind.

Yuuki was eager to follow him, but hesitated.

She hadn't noticed it before, but her hand hurt.

At the time, she'd ignored it.

It wasn't important—nothing here had been important enough to matter for long.

But the pain didn't fade.

It stayed.

It waited.

She slowly looked down.

A wound.

She had a wound.

Real.

Small, but real.

…

Her stomach tightened.

"…Oh."

That was all she said.

Just that.

Her fingers twitched, like they didn't belong to her anymore.

No, no—this was fine. She was fine. It wasn't—

Her breath caught halfway through.

She tried again.

Failed.

Her knees gave out slightly, and she sat down on the bed frame before she realized she had moved.

Finally, the reality of her situation sank in.

This wasn't a DREAM.

This was REAL.

It was reality—her reality.

She could still feel where the flames had burned her.

Oh God.

Grim's flames could have actually hurt her.

The room suddenly felt too large.

Too far away.

Too loud.

Grim was still asleep.

Crowley was gone.

No one was looking at her.

No one would notice.

She was finally alone.

That should have made it easier.

But it didn't.

Slowly, tears began to fall.

She could have actually died.

She—

She…

Where am I?

Why am I the one here?

She'd been scared before.

She had simply been too stubborn to admit it.

Now there was no pretending.

I don't want this.

I don't want this.

I don't want this.

I don't want this.

But worse than that…

She didn't know what came next.

And then she stopped thinking in sentences.

Just fragments.

Too real.

Too much.

Why is this happening to me?

…

That night, the girl fell asleep much later than she would have liked, but luckily, Grim didn't notice.

And if the ghosts did, well, they didn't feel the need to point it out.

………………………………………….......................................

Crowley, having finally returned to his office, sat down at his desk.

The office was quiet.

Far too quiet for Night Raven College.

Crowley's fingers tapped absently against the desk, the only sound breaking the silence.

The stack of reports waited untouched, but his attention wasn't on them.

Some books he had taken from the library on the way were scattered across his desk, all of them containing information about beast tamers.

But he wasn't paying attention to them at the moment, either.

His gaze drifted to the bookshelf.

His reflection stared back at him from the glass of the bookcase.

There was no smile.

He hadn't even noticed it was gone.

"…I really shouldn't."

His fingers lingered in front of the shelf.

Just for a second.

"Surely I'm just overthinking this, but…" he muttered softly.

Then, almost reluctantly, he flicked his fingers.

The concealed compartment clicked open, and a new book emerged.

The leather cover was older than anything else in the room—old and worn, brimming with secrets and magic seals, with the owner's name written across the front in beautiful cursive.

The moment he opened it, the air seemed to shift.

Page after page—notes, diagrams, observations.

Every part held fragments of another life—

places he had visited,

people he had met,

memories he hadn't looked at in years,

things he wanted to forget.

He didn't smile.

He couldn't.

For once, there was no performance.

Only silence.

His fingers slowed as he turned another page.

Normally, Crowley didn't look through his old journal, but this seemed like a good time to go down memory lane…

…after all…

…something like naturally born beast tamers doesn't exist.

-------------------------------------------------------

The night was quiet. Only the distant sounds of the forest disturbed the silence.

And, of course, the sound of footsteps, followed by the rhythmic tapping of a cane.

Most would be frightened of the dark and the sound of another presence, but Dire Crowley? No.

He was confident in his capabilities of defense.

Besides, it was his own footsteps he was hearing.

Now, Dire may be erratic, but he is no fool.

Exactly because he is no fool, he knows that letting the girl stay isn't going to go well in the long run.

Especially with those boys.

Maybe a talk with the Mirror could give him some ideas of what is going on and help him decide what to do next.

Entering the Mirror Chamber, Crowley found himself surprised.

The Mirror was awake without having been awakened beforehand, as if it were waiting for him.

Waiting.

Watching.

A chill went down his spine.

For a brief moment, he considered turning around.

Made by a talented craftsman and nurtured by one of the Great Seven, it was one of the school's most precious treasures.

And yet, what unsettled Crowley most was its strange personality-as if a soul truly lived within it.

The Mirror is not to be underestimated just because it only answers questions.

Hidden within is knowledge many would want to have.

...

For the first time in years, Crowley found himself choosing his words carefully.

Besides, it can look into a person's soul, and that is giving Crowley the jitters.

But he has come here with a mission.

And that (self-proclaimed) mission he shall fulfill.

So he put on his smiley mask he always used with the students and spoke.

"I must say, never have you managed to leave me quite as speechless as today."

"..."

"Not gonna say anything?"

"..."

"Ah, fine.

Ahem.

Mirror, oh Mirror,

don't tell me lies.

The answers I seek are those you hide,

so please give me the answers with all your might.

It's more important than you realize."

"Oh please, you just don't want to have a freeloader in the school.

Your money is too important to you, after all."

"You know, this attitude is the reason even I am not gracious enough to have regular conversations with you."

"Then cease speaking to me."

Crowley, noticing the face of the Mirror was disappearing, spoke up.

"Why did you choose the girl to come here, from another world no less?"

"Why seek that answer from me?"

"Night Raven only accepts those who are chosen by you, after all.

The carriage answered a summons."

"Not always. Wasn't there this rich kid who bought his acceptance letter-"

"So it is payback for going behind your back last year?!

...

I thought I was the petty one between us two-"

"That would be beneath me."

"You're right."

"I'm not you, after all."

"Could we stay on topic, please?

If you didn't send it, who did?"

"The carriage did not move by my will."

"...

That isn't possible.

Not even I can manipulate the carriages. Only you can, so how-"

"Someone wrote for a carriage to go pick her up."

"What?"

"The carriage answered a written call."

Impossible, Crowley thought.

Absolutely impossible.

"Written?"

Crowley's smile disappeared.

His grip tightened around his cane.

For a moment, the room felt colder-smaller.

No.

That could not be right.

He didn't speak, believing-PRAYING-to have misheard.

Only for the Mirror to confirm his fear.

"I shall not repeat myself."

"But that isn't possible.

I was there.

None of them should be-"

"Then one escaped your notice."

"Tell me-"

"I cannot tell you more.

Only this: the girl's presence serves a greater purpose."

"I cannot just let some random-"

"She was chosen by them for a reason.

Her being here is preferable to the alternative."

"Mirror."

"...Her path has already been laid.

Now she just has to continue walking."

"And what happens at the end?"

"Their intentions are beyond my sight.

Only that they seek to protect.

Do not interfere.

...

The consequences would not favor you."

"I-"

"It is late.

You should return to the young one."

"...B-but-"

"I shall answer no further questions."

"But-"

"The discussion ends here."

"FINE."

"And don't forget to get the girl something to eat.

Pack a portion for two."

"Why two- You know what?

Okay."

Crowley turned to leave, only to be stopped at the doorway by what the Mirror said next.

Its voice sounded different.

Older.

As though someone else were speaking through it.

Crowley's hand froze on the doorknob.

Fear gripped his heart.

"And a message they wanted me to convey:

Time will tell,

fate will flow.

Yes, I did play

what you may hate.

But I beg of you this,

just once I pray:

don't interfere,

or you'll pay."

"...They sound quite hostile to me."

The Mirror didn't say anymore.

No answer.

No explanation.

No reassurance.

The face that was so unusually talkative this quiet night disappeared, leaving the crow alone with his thoughts.

"...

Good night, Mirror.

But please know:

I'll come back,

and then I will need more answers."

He turned and left.

It truly was late.

He would return to Ramshackle.

To the girl who, somehow, had become the center of a mystery even the Mirror refused to explain.

.............................................

Right now, at another place.

The girl, in her panic, took her cloak and frantically started extinguishing the flames, ignoring the burns she sustained on her hands, all the while Grim continued his attacks.

"Myaaah!"

The ghosts, having had enough of this spectacle, decided to retreat.

"Hwaaahhh! We gotta get out of here! Before we get disappeared for good!"

After they left, Grim finally stopped his attacks.

"H-huh? Did we... win?"

Yuuki, having at least extinguished the remains of the crossfire, finally took a breath of relief.

"Even if you almost burned the place down, thanks for your help."

That was incredible! was something she kept to herself. After all, no need to feed his ego.

"Aw, geez, I was scared outta my-"

Noticing his slip-up, he quickly corrected himself:

"I mean, they didn't faze me one bit!

Just a walk in the park for a mage of my caliber! Whaddaya got to say now, ghosties? That's right!"

"Yeah, yeah, you oh-so-brave warrior, how about-"

Suddenly, she was (rudely) interrupted by the front door slamming open and, miraculously, not breaking, allowing a (way too happy-looking) Crowley to walk inside like he owned the place, even though he had already given it to Yuuki.

"Good evening. In another gesture of my immense kindness, I have brought you dinner."

Then he stopped.

His gaze drifted from the scorched curtains...

to the burn marks on the wall...

to Grim.

...

"I left for one evening.

One. 

Evening.

...

And the curtains are on fire."

The girl, though, was occupied with other thoughts.

Ghosts.

Fire.

Near-death experiences.

None of them were currently as important as the fact that Crowley had food.

Crowley blinked down at him.

Grim stared at Crowley.

„There is no proof."

Then, seemingly breaking out of his trance, he finally asked the dreaded question:

"Wait. That's the creature we ejected for causing trouble at orientation! What is it doing here?!"

Of course, the cat didn't appreciate the name.

"Takin' care of yer ghost problem, that's what. You're welcome, by the way!"

"What is the meaning of this, Yuuki?"

"Don't look at me.

The cat snuck in."

"Human!"

"Then he started a fire."

"HUMAN!"

"Then he almost started another fire."

"THAT ONE DOESN'T COUNT!"

„The f' you mean, 'doesn't count'?

Oh, and then ghosts showed up talking about killing us."

Confused, Crowley asked:

"What?"

„And lastly, we had to fight them."

The man stared at them.

Then he looked up, seemingly in thought.

"...

But you know, on that topic, I do seem to recall that this dorm had a mischievous ghost problem.

Ah, yes... That's why it was abandoned, in fact. The ghosts scared away all the students."

Then he looked back at Yuuki.

"And you're saying that you two joined forces to drive them away?"

Grim, of course, couldn't accept that statement.

"'Joined forces' ain't exactly how I'd describe it.

More like I drove 'em away, and the human watched. And I only did it 'cause I wanted some tuna."

"I literally had to tell you where they were."

"Details."

Then the cat turned to Yuuki, remembering a VERY important detail.

"Hey... Wait a minute! I never got those cans of tuna ya promised!"

"The fact that you actually thought I, a person forced into this dump, have a can of tuna-much less money to buy one-would be hilarious if it weren't so sad-"

Crowley: "Would you two be so kind as to demonstrate your ghost-eradication methods for me?"

Slowly, they turned to look at the headmage, giving him a long, tired stare.

Especially Yuuki.

Then Grim broke the silence with a scrunched-up face.

Grim: "One, no, 'cause I already wiped 'em all out. And two, no, 'cause where's my tuna?!"

Crowley ignored him, of course and instead asked the Girl.

"What do you say, Miss Yuuki?"

"No."

"No?"

"N.O."

Then she realized something.

"Wait-you want us to attack YOU, the principal?"

Upon hearing her question, Grim as well realized something.

"Wait."

...

"You're giving me permission to attack the headmage?"

"It's headmage, and yes."

...

"This is the best school ever."

Yuuki, though, had other concerns.

"...You do realize that sounds illegal-

right?"

"Details." came the answer to her question from both males.

Crowley, not seeing a problem with this, came up with a very suicidal-sounding solution.

"I will play the part of the ghosts.

As for the tuna, you'll receive it when you defeat me.

..."

Crowley blinked.

"I feel as though I have made a mistake."

But then he recovered his façade.

"Oh, what generosity, Crowley...

Now, to chug this transmutation potion!"

"Ah, you gotta be kiddin' me. I gotta work together with the human again?"

"Are you serious-This could be your chance to enroll!"

"...You think he is actually going to enroll me?"

"...Do it for the tuna, Master Sorcerer!"

Grim froze.

Crowley watched.

Yuuki watched.

...

Grim: "Hrmph.

All right, but this is the last time. And I better be up to my jowls in tuna afterwards!"

"How touching.

...

The beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"No."

"NO."

Crowley: "Such modesty."

Yuuki: "Drink the potion so we can legally beat your ass... please."

He downed the potion.

"Now, then! Let us see you expel ME as a ghost! Go on! Don't be shy about striking me. I'm much too kind to be riled over that."

"Okay, but you asked for it! There better be some tuna waitin' for me after this!"

Grim, of course, never does anything without getting something in return. 

That Yuuki realized rather early on.

"Now, let us commence!"

Grim was happy to start.

"Okay."

Yuuki, though, still had some doubts.

"I am so not sure about this."

And it begins.

'I feel like I am going to sleep 14 hours after this.'

She noticed the crow ghost.

"Grim! To the left!"

"To the left? Got it! Taste my flames!"

They hit the man dead center.

In a way, it seemed to impress him.

"My, does that ever smart! You've impressed me!

...

I may have to up the difficulty a smidge."

Up the difficulty? the girl thought, repeating the sentence in her head till it clicked.

(The words took a second to register.)

The realization hit.

Oh.

Oh, that's not good.

"Myah?! Why'd he get so fast all of a sudden?!"

Shit-this isn't just some old geezer.

"Can you keep up with me NOW?"

Ah.

He's having fun.

We are doomed.

"Hmph, I can and I will! This is child's play for the great Grim!"

"Don't get cocky, concentrate!"

Grim misses.

Grim misses again.

Crowley watches.

Another fireball flies in the wrong direction.

...

Five minutes later.

"I may have overestimated the monster," Crowley thought.

Another fireball misses.

"Significantly."

Her warning did nothing, and ultimately they lost.

"Hey, human! Let's speed up the directions here! I ain't hittin' squat!"

"If I could, I WOULD!"

"I suggest you both get your acts together if you wish to emerge victorious. My kindness has its limits, I regret to say, and losers don't get to eat tuna."

That alone shocked Grim to the core.

"WHAT?! No way! I want iiit!"

He turned to Yuuki, giving his own version of a motivational speech.

"We gotta win this, okay?! My tuna's at stake here!"

Then he had an idea.

"I wonder just how many you can elude at once? MYAH-YAH-YAAAH!"

But sadly, even though he sent a bunch of fire toward the ghost, he didn't hit.

"Well, I'll be."

Pause.

Another fireball missed him by several meters.

"The confidence is admirable."

That made both students mad.

So Yuuki helped-telling him everything.

"Up."

"Right."

"To the left."

"LEFT!"

"No, the other left!"

"HOW DO YOU KEEP FORGETTING WHICH LEFT IS LEFT?!"

"Behind."

"Humans have too many lefts!"

"That's not how directions work!"

"IN FRONT OF YOU."

"Back."

"He is hiding behind the curtain."

"NO, you do NOT send fire at him!"

After a missed shot:

"Please stop aiming at the curtains."

Another shot:

"The curtains have done nothing to deserve this."

Another shot:

"Why are you still aiming at the curtains?"

And eventually-

"Hah... Hah... I got every last one...

Hey, human! You're killin' me here! You don't gotta be so rough, ya know."

Crowley-now no longer testing them-was deep in thought.

"Hmm... That could loosely be described as 'joining forces with a monster.' Though your directions and the monster's magic could both use some work."

Slightly insulted, she countered:

"Excuse you, I didn't really have training in dealing with-"

"Yo! Nobody talks about the great Grim that way! You wanna see magic?! I'll show you magic! Myah-PHOO!"

Now that one the crow just barely evaded.

"This is quite enough! Must everything in this school attempt to set itself on fire the moment I turn my back?! You there! Direct your monster to settle down!"

He was no longer a ghost.

That could have hurt me! Crowley thought.

And then he noticed it.

"My feathers!

You singed my feathers!

Do you have any idea how difficult these are to maintain?!"

"I really don't want to, though.

Honestly? If he hits you, that's between you two."

"Mya-ha."

Grim immediately stopped attacking.

Crowley stared.

Yuuki stared.

Grim stared back.

"What?"

——————————————----------------------

The further they walked from the main building, the quieter it became.

Ramshackle Dorm was located quite a bit away from the main building.

How the school could have such a big piece of land was beyond the girl's comprehension.

Schould she be happy it is so far away?

This is suposedly a school filled to the brim with teenage boys.

When they arrived, Yuuki was in shock while Crowley enthusiastically made his way to the front door.

Or at least what was left of it.

The building looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

Large. Dark. Silent.

And completely falling apart.

One of the windows looked as though it had been broken for so long that the ivy had started treating it like a doorway.

…holding itselftogethr through pure stubborness.

It was an abandoned, Gothic-style mansion.

Now don’t get her wrong.

Normally, Yuuki didn’t have anything against vintage things.

Rather liked it, actually.

But sadly, the worn-down, aged, and cracked walls paired with dusty furniture and clear signs of neglect weren’t her cup of tea.

she spoke up, hopfull this whole situation was a bad joke from the birdface

Yuuki: “Uh, you want me to stay… here?”

to her dissapointment

that didn‘t seem to be the case

Crowley: “Right, scoot inside now. There you go.”

Yuuki: “I think this is too much character, if you ask me.”

Crowley: “Isn't it delightful?”

he treats it like luxury

she sees horror

and then

He walked inside, too confident she’d follow.

if she could, she wouldn’t, believe her.

But to her dismay, she didn’t have another choice.

When she entered, she was not prepared.

If it already looked bad from the outside, then the inside was horrific.

The hallway was a long, narrow corridor with dark wooden floors.

It had faded wallpaper and worn walls.

The dim lighting created deep shadows.

And the old doors led to storage rooms and bedrooms.

right, bedroom

She would have to look for one later, right?

Well, the dust and cobwebs didn’t make her happy about having to look around.

After all

She wasn’t the biggest fan of spiders.

Crowley called her from what she believed was the lounge area.

It was large and dimly lit, just as dusty and abandoned-looking as the rest of the place.

The old, worn furniture was centered around a large fireplace with a mirror hanging above it.

looking in to it, She couldn’t even make out her reflection…

At least the color scheme was nice?

Dark brown, gray, and faded green tones, giving it a cozy but haunted atmosphere.

Our outlander?

Outworlder?

…

Outdimensioner!

…watether

Was just glad nothing seemed moth-eaten, but she’d have to look more closely later.

…………………

Crowley, who was waiting for her to finally snap out of her judgmental trance, lost his patience.

It was too late for him to deal with this.

So he spoke up.

“This should keep the elements at bay for the time being.

Now, I should return to my research. Do try to find some way to busy yourself.

But don't let me catch you wandering the campus! Ta!”

And promptly left.

Yuuki:„It's like a desolate snowscape. Only with dust…I don't even see a clean place to sit.”

Suddenly, a raindrop landed on her head from one of the holes in the ceiling, causing her to look up.

Yuuki: “Looks like it's started to rain.”

And then HE appeared.

Jumping through the broken window as if he wasn’t just breaking into her new mansion.

(She might as well make the best of the situation, she thought. Surely she could make the place at least a bit prettier? Or more livable?)

Grim: “GWAH! It's pouring out there!”

Yuuki: “Wah!”

Grim, noticing her surprised face, couldn’t help but laugh.

“Bwahaha! That look on your face is priceless! Like a bat that got blasted by a water gun.

As if I wouldn't just sneak back onto campus the second I escaped prying eyes. You all got no idea what I'm capable of!

I ain't givin' up on goin' here just 'cause I got kicked out one measly ol' time. And if you think otherwise, you don't know Grim!”

She felt a sweatdrop fall from her temple.

Was this thing-guy serious?

Oh, her head. She is way too exhausted to deal with this headache bevore her.

Yuuki: “Guards! Guaaaaaards!”

Panicked, the feline spoke up:

“Hey! No! Bad human! BAD HUMAN! Ain't you gonna ask what I'm doin' here? That's what you people do, right? Talk about feelings and stuff? Just what kinda human are ya, anyway? It wouldn't kill ya to listen to me! Right?!”

Yuuki:… “Alright, I’ll humor you: Why are you so determined to go to this school?”

Grim: “Isn't it obvious?”The cat boasted, only for the girl to give him a deadpan stare:

“No, and you are the one who wanted me to ask!?”

Grim: “I was born to do this! I'm a magical prodigy who's got the makings to become one of the greatest mages who ever lived! So I've been waitin' and waitin' for that black carriage to come for me.”

His tone changed, sounding more sad.

“And yet… Hrmph! That Dark Mirror's got no eye for talent! That's why I took the initiative and came here myself. You humans don't understand what a mistake you're makin'! Not lettin' me in is a great loss to the world!”

After that brave declaration, a couple of raindrops decided to land on him.

“Mraow! C'mon, scoot over! I'm getting dripped on here! Bwah! Another hole in the roof! These flamin' ears are like my trademark, y'know? I can't let 'em get doused!”

Yuuki, while she did feel a bit of empathy for the little guy, decided not to make that obvious. After all, he was still a pain in the neck.

Yuuki: “Good luck. The ceiling's riddled with holes. Guess I'll go look for some buckets.”

Grim: “I dunno why you don't just magic those holes away. You could have it fixed in half a jiff. Ahhh, right. You can't use magic at all. Pffft, man you're useless.”

The kitty jabbed, as if he himself had the needed capabilities to do it.

Though his comment did have an effect on the one before him.

Yuuki: “Then why don't you do it?! Hrmph!”

Grim: “Heh? You want ME to help YOU? Ha! You got the wrong idea. I'm just a stranger takin' shelter from the rain. You ain't the boss of me. If ya had some cans of tuna to trade, well, that'd be another story. But I don't work for free.”

Yuuki: “Then why don’t I just throw you out?” she talked to herself not directly to the cat, but still so he could hear.

Grim: “You'd throw a guy in need of shelter out? How heartless!!!”

Yuuki: “Not really, if I take into consideration how you acted till now. You actually had it coming.”

A raindrop landed on her head, making a shiver run down her back.

It was chilly, and while the clothes she wore (still not sure who changed her, but she’ll ignore it for now) gave some warmth, she didn’t think it would help much if they got drenched by the water that actually got into the house.

“Yikes, the leaks are really getting bad. …About those buckets.”

She walked back into the hallway, ignoring the flame-eared monster that took shelter under the couch.

She wished she could have recorded his cute sneeze—for blackmail purposes, of course—but sadly her phone was somewhere unknown, or maiby back in her world.

While walking through the place, she suddenly heard a creak from down the hallway.

The dim—or better said, no lighting—didn’t help a lot with the freaky atmosphere.

Yuuki: “This place really freaks me out. I think I just heard something?!”

When she was about to open a door,

Her hand stopped halfway to it.

She stepped back without realizing it.

and then a face suddenly phased through it.

„Gaaah!“

Giving her a heart attack.

Yuuki stared wide eyed.

"…That's a mask."

denial is sometinmes the best course of action

The face blinked.

"…That's not a mask."

sadly sometimes isn‘t in the face of danger

???: “Yee hee hee… Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! We haven't had visitors in ages! Oh, I'm just itchin' for new friends! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Yuuki:“Bwaaaaaaahhhhhh!
Gh-gh-ghosts!

damn it! I was joking when I said haunted!"

…Realisation struck her.

Friends? As in DEAD FRIENDS? the scared bunny thought.

Why is everyone trying to kill me today?! she cried.

Hearing the fear in the bunny lookalike amused the old soul greatly.

This one was on the chubbier side.

Hearing the commotion, another two ghosts showed up—one skinny and tall, the other smaller than the other two.

All three of them wore heads paired with capes.

Their clothes seemed old and used, in the same condition as the rest of the mansion.

Her screams also got the attention from the intruder downstairs.

Grim: “Hey, keep it down over—”

Only for him to also meet the floating (and dead) resident from upstairs.

AAAAAH! GHOSTS! GHOOOOOSTS!

Thin ghost: “All the people who used to live here got scared of us and ran away.”

Fat ghost: “We just want a new ghost to play with! What do you say, buddy?”

Yuuki: “Help me! They're gonna kill me!

I cant die in a hunted house on day one!“

Hearing her scream sent a shiver down Grim’s spine.

Grim:“Eeeeep!”

But he can’t just die here, he thought.

He worked so hard to get to this school!

“I’m a master sorcerer! I ain't afraid of any dumb ghosts!

Myahaaa!”

Having a sudden sprout of confidence, he sent a fireball at them.

Sadly… he missed.

Thin ghost: “Nuh-uh. Not even close.”

Fat ghost: “Over here! Over here! Ah ha ha ha!”

Instead, his flames hit their surroundings.

How a fire didn't start was beyond Yuuki's comprehension.

Realising he can’t hit them, frustration took over.

“Argh! They keep disappearing and reappearing!”

Yuuki: “You're gonna set the whole dorm ablaze!” she scolded in her panic.

She had priorities, and not burning the house down was further up on her list than ghosts.

I mean—nothing more painful than burning alive, right?

And while Grim didn’t start a fire in the mansion yet… the “yet” was definitely there.

But she noticed something else as well.

Yuuki: “You can't aim with your eyes closed!”

How she didn’t faint at his stupidity yet was a miracle.

Grim: “Shaddup! I don't need any lip from you, human!”

Right.

She had forgotten—he has more pride than the average human.

Think, Yuuki. THINK.

Ah!

Yuuki: “Maybe the headmage will let you enroll if you get rid of them?
And if you beat them, then I've got a can of tuna with your name on it!”

Grim: “Myah…? Hmph… I'm Grim, Master Sorcerer! How come I can't even hit one of these little—”

The feline couldn’t deny it.

That did sound tempting, he thought, salivating just at the thought of the last part Yuuki said.

He was brought back to reality by the ghosts’ laughter.

Ghosts: “Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Hrmph! Ganging up on us… Yer a buncha cowards!”

Yuuki: “M-maybe I can help?”

Grim:“Myaaaah…”

Yuuki:“Did I say one can of tuna? I meant two!”

Grim:“You, human! You tell me which way the ghosts are!”

Yuuki: “You got it! To your left!”

and that is where he aimed-dead center

“Aaaaah! It buuuurns!”

Grim: “Ha, got one! Keep it up, just like that… And let's clear out the whole lot of 'em!”

And just like that, the fight began.

Yuuki: “Left!”

Grim: “Phoo! Phoo! Myah-yah-yah! PHOOOOO!”

(Small Ghost)B: “Missed by a country mile. Heh heh heh!”

Grim: “RRRGH! Hey, human! You gotta be more clear with your directions! I can't hear you!”

Yuuki: “Don't blame me if you're the one closing your eyes!”

The ghosts did not like being excluded, it seemed.

(Fat Ghost) C: “OoOOoh, secret talk? I want in, c'mooon!”

Grim: “MYAAAH! NO! You stay way, WAY back!”

Yuuki: “UP, next to the chandelier!”

Grim: “PHOOOOO!”

Surprisingly, Grim hit the ghost.

“Now THAT'S more like it! I knew I was a total whiz with magic!

The great Grim can handle more than a few ghosts without some human's help!

MYAHAHAHA!”

Though this resulted in another one showing up in front of Grim's nose.

B: “Pfft! Hahahaha!”

Grim: “MYAH?!

HUMAN! You gotta tell me if you see a ghost that's about ready to spook me!”

Yuuki: “I didn't see him either!?”

Grim:“Rrrgh! My fire's not hittin' anything!”

Yuuki: “Then maybe pay more attention!”

Grim:“What's that? You're sayin' you want me to listen? Sounds like a pain to me…”

Yuuki: “Behind you!”

Grim:“Huh? ‘Behind me’?”

B: “BOO!”

Grim: “MYAH!

O-o-okay, that one was pretty good!”

Yuuki: “Now shoot!”

Grim:“PHOO! PHOOOOO!”

C: “Yeowch!”

(Thin Ghost)A: “That burns!”

Grim: “Nice! That actually worked!

Hey, human! What should I do next?"

Yuuki:“ I‘ve had enuth of this

you want to know what well do?

We’ll glve them work!"

Grim:“Give 'em the works? Heh! Can do!

Myaaah… Eat THIS!”

Just as they were all gone, they reappeared again.

“GAH!”

Yuuki: “OH, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!”

C: “Heh heh! You're looking real spooked, so that's a big win in a ghost's book!”

B: “Come on, now. One of us… One of us…”

Yuuki: “What's with that chanting?

Sounds stupid!”

B: “…What was that?”

Yuuki: “Ya heard me!”

Noticing the dark expression on the phantom's face gave Grim a fright.

Grim: “Eeep! Hey, human! If you got any cool tricks up your sleeve, better use 'em now!

Of course you don't. You can't even use magic! Oh, I've had it up to here!

Myah! Myah! MYAAAH!”

Yuuki: “Randomly starting to hit everything around you is NOT how to win this shit!”

…

The curtain caught on fire.

Yuuki: “…”

Grim: “…”

A: “…”

B: “…”

C: “…”

The three ghosts: “OUR HOUSE!”

Yuuki: “WHAT DID YOU DO?!!!”

Grim: “THEY STARTED IT!”

..........................................................................................

TBC.

————————————————————————