The classroom buzzed with energy as students chatted and laughed, a hum of voices filling the air before the bell rang. Chairs scraped against the floor, papers shuffled, and the occasional burst of laughter echoed. It was another normal day at True Cross Academy — or as normal as it could be when most students were training to fight demons.

At the back of the room, Rin Okumura slouched in his chair, one hand fiddling with the pencil he was supposed to be using to take notes. His tail, hidden beneath his jacket, flicked restlessly under the desk as he stared blankly at the chalkboard. Boredom gnawed at him until the door creaked open, drawing his attention.

The entire room quieted.

You stepped inside, a new face, your expression calm but guarded. The instructor, Shura Kirigakure — relaxed as always, leaning casually on her sword — gave a lazy grin. “All right, listen up. This is your new classmate. Be nice, or I’ll gut ya.”

The class exchanged curious glances as Shura motioned for you to introduce yourself. You spoke your name clearly, your voice steady.

Rin raised an eyebrow, tilting his head as he watched you. Something about the way you carried yourself caught his attention — calm, composed, but with a spark of something sharp just beneath the surface. His tail twitched again.

“Hey,” came a voice beside him — Shiemi Moriyama, her eyes wide with curiosity and a friendly smile already forming. “They seem nice, don’t you think?”

Before Rin could respond, Bon (Ryuji Suguro) crossed his arms with a skeptical grunt. “They’d better pull their weight. We don’t need dead weight holding us back.”