""How unsightly.""
There were no other ways to describe what was happening before your very eyes. The transfer student - whose name you didn't bother to remember yet - was struggling to life his training sword off the ground. His face became red like a ripe tomato either because of the physical strain or embarrassment since a few students, you included, decided to stay behind to witness his humiliation.
""You've said it, Akane,"" your friend said with a cruel smirk on her pretty face. There was something childish in the way she looked at the poor boy in the worst sense possible: the same trepidation a child would experience right before tearing their favorite doll's head off. ""It's a shame that the old man is going to give this poor guy the boot, though,"" she sighed, leaving you slightly perplexed, and elaborated: ""He looks dumb enough to good grunts one day... or even better - a demon bait.""
Your friend's was Nanaki Yayoi, the third child of the Yayoi clan. ""Well, that's what you get for inviting some no-name bumpkin to a demon-hunting school,"" she shrugged and prepared to leave, finally satisfied with the show. Naturally, you followed her lead. It was very fortunate that somebody of her status decided to befriend you - a person allegedly hailing from a very minor demon-hunting clan. In comparison to you, this girl was one step away from being royalty.
Just as you were about to follow Nanaki, something peculiar caught your attention. To be more precise, it was someone. Ichirou Kisaragi, the current heir of the Kisaragi clan, approached the transfer student with a calm smile on his face. You couldn't hear what the two of them were talking about, but the way the outsider boy's eyes lit up told you enough.
""What in the world is that buffoon doing?"" Nanaki said, going from vindictive to supremely pissed in a second. To be fair, from her point of view, it was rather than strange that someone like Ichirou did such a thing. From what you had learned, demon-hunting clans existed as a microcosm and instilled an unorthodox way of thinking into their children.
For a demon-hunter like this, personal survival and improvement was everything. They were focused on passing on their genes and constantly refining their specific techniques. For them, helping someone in a way that didn't directly benefit them was unthinkable, and weakness was incredibly shameful.
""Never mind. Who cares about this idiot?"" she finally said, displaying with her entire being that she very much cared. However, you decided against speaking out and simply followed the flow.
""A new cafe opened near the train station,"" you said, changing the topic. ""I heard they make incredibly pancakes. Do you want to try them out with me?""
[***]
It was late, and you were supposed to be in your dorm room by this time. Nonetheless, here you were, pressed against a wall of the principal's office, trying to hide your entire presence. You were, after all, a spy, so it was only natural that you decided to find why Mr. Kawamoto decided to visit the principal at this hour.
Even though vampires like you were classified by the authorities as a sub-species of demons, the truth was that they were similar in many ways to demon hunters. If demon hunters were creatures born with the flesh of a demon and the mind of a human, then vampires were creatures that had the blood of a demon running through their veins.
Demon hunters were blessed with the ability to mold their body to suit specific needs. For example, the technique that transfer student was supposed to use required the trainee to reshape their muscles into something far more powerful - something a trained demon hunter could do subconsciously.
That said, there were certain things vampires could do better, and hiding one's presence was one of them. You breathed in, letting your mind focus on a singular goal, and strained every part of your body. In an instant, your heartbeat disappeared, and so did your breathe. The heat from your body, the smells and the sounds - all gone.
""Hey, Pops,"" you heard Mr. Kawamoto speak - and it certainly was Mr. Kawamoto, based on his word choice. ""What the hell is this?! Why did you leave me hanging with an ass-for-head kid like that? If he's special or something, I ain't seeing that.""
""It wasn't my decision per se,"" the principal answered. ""He received a recommendation letter from one Nana Kisaragi. Apparently, she personally witnessed him destroy a Werewolf-class demon. As the current head of the Kisaragi family, it is rather hard to doubt her testimony. That said, I did receive that boy's - I believe his name is Jirou - test results this morning, and they are quite peculiar.""
""Test or no test, if he can't do anything, he is as good as dead!"" your teacher said, he sounds angry. ""Don't you dare throw another innocent into this meat-grinder of a job, Pops.""
""Not if I can help it,"" you heard a heavy sigh. ""What's peculiar about this boy is his anatomy. From what we managed to gather, his demon cells are far younger than they should be. Normally, a demon hunter awakens his power at a young age, and their demon calls stabilize by the time they reach puberty. Daichi's cells, on the other hand, look like they belong to someone who's cells are in the middle of this process. Speaking plainly, his body mutates at an astonishing speed.""
""And that means?""
""Give him time. I'm sure that once he matures enough, he will show some noticeable progress,"" the principal said. ""That's all you can do for now. As for me, I'm going to investigate where such a fine specimen came from. Apparently, the boy is an orphan. His father died a few years ago, and as far as we know, he has no mother.""
""That's... interesting.""
""There's more,"" the principal's voice became more energetic. ""His documents are fake. All of them. I'm not even sure if his name really is Jirou Takemichi. Same goes for him father - Tarou Takemichi. I'd like to examine the man's corpse, but getting permits from the Diet would take time, and that's the only resource I can afford right now.""
""Something I should know about?""
""Well, you're already here, so I might as well spill the beans,"" another sigh. ""It's coming in two months - the Hyakki Yakko. I have received a message from this year's Nurarihyon. They're asking for a safe passage through the city, and we accepted that offer under the condition that they would not interact with anyone else.""
The Hyakki Yakko was a special event. During this time, an army of demons of all shapes and forms would ask for a passage through a city. If refused, they would promptly destroy the entire city, devouring every human they could find. That said, it was also a great opportunity to establish a communication with the intelligent part of the demon community.
""And finally,"" the principal said, ""consider this a heads-up from me, the Demon Hunter Agency is going to enforce a curfew in a few days. My sources say that a Vendigo-type demon has been spotted near the city recently. If that's true, you should keep a closer eye on your students. The same goes for everyone, of course.""
[***]
You were on your way to your dorm, pondering about the things you'd heard in the principal's office. The mystery behind the transfer student. The Hyakki Yakko. The Vendigo-type. The latter part made you worry the most. You knew your demon classification, and the Vendigo-type demons were infamous for defeating demon hunters in battle, and even a single one could cause total mayhem.
For a moment, you wondered what particular event your grandfather would focus on once he hears your report.
For one, your organization could easily steal the body of one Tarou Takamichi before the Bureau could get their hands on it, and with the connection you had, a thorough analysis wouldn't be a problem. That said, you didn't precisely had a reason to bother with something so flashy because of some kid.
For two, your grandfather now knew that the Hyakki Yakko would come here in two months, and during this time, he could safely approach their members and negotiate a contract with them. Then again, this would attract the unnecessary attention, and you didn't want that.
Finally, there was the issue with the stray Vendigo-type. As far as you knew, there was nothing your organization could do about a beast like that. However, knowing your grandfather, he surely would find a way to spin such a crisis in his favor.
In the end, your grandfather was most interested in:
[] The corpse of Tarou Takemichi.
[] The preparations for Hyakki Yakko
[] The threat of the Vendigo-type demon.
