"Good evening, Aku-sensei."

A sultry voice, a beguiling whisper from one of the most enticing creatures of this realm, slithered its way to the Founder's ears. Like an elegant snake, sharp fangs dripping with the sweetest poison, ready to bite and tear into his flesh at the slightest hesitation.

Golden eyes darkened under the shade of blond lashes, a flash of burning crimson flashing through the Founder's irises before the pair of piercing eyes flickered to look into dark leather-brown orbs.

The Founder blinked, his gaze holding the impertinent stare with a hint of disdain.

"Reinhart, was it?" Aku articulated, earning himself a complacent grin. The First Blood's gaze swept over the institution's nurse, acknowledging the way the long white coat draped over the male's toned figure in an almost ethereal way.

"Reinhart-sensei," the man swiftly corrected, eyes brimming an amused light from the way the Founder refrained his annoyance.

"Of course," Aku drawled, head lolling to the left. His eyes fell to his side, taking note of the long arms encaging him against his desk. "Reinhart-sensei," he reiterated.

The taller of the two grinned, lips morphing into a broad Cheshire smile, entertainment prominent in his aura. Reinhart hummed, satisfied. Laziness coated the undertone of his voice, and he leaned down.

Casually, as if he had done so millions of times, the man with chestnut locks of hair brought the tip of his nose closer to the other's neck. He nestled inside of the crook of it, nose brushing against cadaver-cold skin before inhaling the blond's fragrance.

Aku remained unbothered, as cool as the most divine marble status. He stayed motionless, seemingly unaware of the close proximity or the breathing fanning at his neck, waves of heat colliding with his freezing skin.

The Founder blinked, bored. His lips, a flattened line like mountain ranges falling prey to a shower of bombs, reflected his lack of empathy. Golden eyes dimmed under his uncaring nature, the lack of warmth in his being manifesting itself through the window to his soul.

Abissimal darkness.

A low chuckle, a rumble from the depth of the man's throat, struck. It rolled off of the individual's tongue with ease, accompanying his motion as he leaned back from Aku's neck to tower over the First Blood's disinterested form.

Golden eyes flicked upwards to stare into calculative leather-brown eyes.

The line of the male's lips curved, morphing into a devious smirk, taunting light gleaming in the depth of his warm-colored irises, a flash or burning crimson coursing through them.

"And here I thought you would have gotten a head start, Aku," the voice whispered, coiling around the Founder's form with the intent to suffocate. "Yet you are still the same as before. Not an ounce of your essence has changed."

The Founder frowned, taking minute offense in the statement before his lips curved into a sneer. His golden eyes dripped with pity. Like liquid gold itself, they burned through their severity and the toxicity of their fume. They were beautiful, mesmerizingly lethal, not caring to hide their fatal edges.

"Such big words for someone so cowardly," the First Blood bit back, head tilting backward as lidded eyes drilled into the opposing gaze.

Reinhart's smile did not falter at the jab, and his grin broadened in evident entertainment.

"His Lordship couldn't possibly understand the boredom of those standing at the top," the nurse enunciated, earning himself a scoff.

Aku did not bother to deny the claim. For once, he did not stand at the top of his Clan— it didn't exist anymore, and all Kings he ever met never strived to end their life in such a dramatic way.

Giesbach, his Father, was a Demon drunk on power. He drowned in his paranoia, pushing himself to stand at the top and affirm his superiority at the cost of his Clan's safety and prosperity. In a way, Endzeit had hastened the First Blood's inevitable doom under the Founder's King's reign.

Wolfgang, the Wolves Leader, was the epitome of a warrior. He strived on the battlefield and arena, taking pleasure in the cries of his victims— behind the friendliness of his facade lay a bloodthirsty beast, one that yearned for challenges and stronger opponents. Within a Clan that favored strength overall, Wolfgang was the perfect face. He would not lead the Wolves to prosperity, simply maintain their standing.

Burai, the Vibora King, brimmed with Pride. He basked in the wisdom and knowledge accumulated by his Clan, proclaiming himself the most learned and finding disgust in other Clan's "barbaric" practices. Burai did not flee war, he disdained it with a passion, yet it was known that Vibora strived in deadly weapons.

Echo, the Adler Queen, basked in glory. As the ruler of the skies, Echo did not care for most affairs. She considered herself above most matters and preciously guarded each secret and technique of her Clan, making Adlers one of the most respected yet feared species. They were, behind Founders, the most mysterious Great Demon race, and nothing could shake their influence over the Realm.

Yes, Karlheinz was the most peculiar of the Great Demon Rulers.

Who in their right mind would elaborate such a cunning plan, spreading their web all over in the hope of one day dying at the hand of the new Adam?

Golden eyes gazed into calm leather-brown eyes, momentarily admiring the roughness of their edges— old, smooth leather had its charm, combined with Aku's most favorite object, of course, the eye aficionado would find himself dazzled. They were fake, not the man's natural eye color, yet Aku admitted they did not lack genuineness.

It was once again a reminder of Karlheinz's tremendous demonic powers.

In this life, the only one that could ever overpower him was Carla, long dead and sealed away within the once feared and revered Banmaden Castle.

In Carla's fall, Karlheinz gave his existence to eternity.

Aku's lips curled. "It is of no importance," he countered the previous statement. "I will be the one to tear you open and bury you with the prettiest of wreaths."

Reinhart chuckled. He took a step back, eyes sweeping over the laidback figure of the Founder. "How loving."

Aku shook his head, lips falling flat. "How cheap," he corrected.

The nurse did not vocalize an answer. They merely mutely smiled.

Sleek shoes stepped across the varnished glazing of the parqueted corridors.

Head held high, strawberry blond locks swaying with each step, Aku kept his gaze ahead and uninterested. He did not bother to acknowledge the few students who had yet to join their classroom, unminding of the way they scurried away, nodded, or smiled towards him.

Casually, he brought his hand to the collar of his white dress-shirt, fingers brushed against his neck, chasing away any lingering heat for the freezing properties of his skin. The Founder readjusted his clothing, brushing out the invisible creases.

His feet guided him through Ryoutei Academy with ease. In seconds, he had covered half of the distance to his classroom— favoring walking over teleportation. Maintaining appearances with Humans lurking around was part of the farce.

He slid the door open, all chatters coming to a halt the moment the point of his shoes crossed the threshold of the classroom. Aku made his way up the slightly elevated stage, casually walking over to the desk. He set the couple of files held in his arm down on the lightly worn-out wooden surface.

Golden hues flicked upward, scanning over the cohort in one cursory sweep of his gaze. The Founder carelessly took note of the attendance.

Apart from his eldest charge, who habitually skipped everything but finals, all students sat at their designated seats.

There was another empty desk in the corner of the room, and Aku had to remind himself it meant another student was meant to integrate the class at some point. He pulled his chair, the scrapping sound never coming as a light coat of magic applied itself to silence all frictions.

"Last week's papers were disappointing," he began, sweet poison bleeding through his words. "I did not hold much expectation, but I did not expect you to fail so miserably," he continued each word a sharp cut into their ego.

The assembly of students sucked in their breath, trying to minimize their presence as much as humanely possible under their teacher's lethal statements.

It did not matter how much of an ethereal being Mikazuki-sensei was. How beautiful and enticing his features were. No matter how mellow his voice sounded, like the loveliest melody, it remained as dangerous as it was beautiful.

He was the Rose of Ryoutei Academy, beautiful white petals that dripped with the crimson blood it drew from its students. The sharpest thorns adorned him, covering him like millions of glistening jewels, begging you to come closer so they could tear into you at the slightest touch.

Aku's monologue went on for a few more minutes, a sick sense of satisfaction washing over him as he noticed the despondent state of his students and the way they hung at his lips, drinking his words like the holiest of wines.

His lips twitched, threatening to curve into a drunken smile. He paused, maintaining the flat line of his lips.

"Andou," Aku called, making the said male stiffen in his seat, and all other teens flick their gaze in urgent curiosity. "Here."

If Andou's shoulders relaxed at his motion, Aku ignored it. He merely returned to his teaching material as he waited for the said student to distribute everyone's paper.

"Take five minutes to go over your answers. No questions," he told the class, not sparing them another glance.

For a moment, the quiet, muffled sound of chatters invaded the room, hitting the wooden walls that desperately tried to swallow and extinct any noise.

The Founder carelessly read over the paperwork before him, a report on the twins' latest mission. Both Alpha and Omega were tasked with following Ritcher around. Aku did not doubt that the Vampire knew of the hybrids' presence, yet he also knew that if Richter tried to lose the halves, it meant the Vampire would work against him.

It appeared the Vampire Lord was quite busy these days. His activity level since Eve's arrival had steadily gone up. Aku noted that Richter spent more time at his estate than usual, organizing his servants and familiars in ways that screamed absence.

Did Richter plan to go on a trip?

Or did he want to stop by the Sakamaki mansion to meet Eve?

The Founder lowly hummed to himself, noting that he might need to have one of the guest rooms ready for the male.

He turned the last page of the report, golden eyes sweeping over the other one underneath before he flicked his gaze to the class.

From nowhere, he pulled a schoolbook.

"Plague struck Europe—"

The Founder did not care for his flustered students, the ones who lost track of time hurrying to their seats to follow his lesson.

Eyes drinking the content of the history schoolbook in front of him, he continued his speech. His voice steady, neither too slow nor too fast— he did not pause at any time to allow a breather.

Seconds passed, minutes flowing with unrestrained ease until one hour slithered past them.

Aku paused, hands reaching for the drink that sat in the corner of his desk.

Fifteen seconds devoid of words before the Founder resumed.

Another couple of minutes streamed past, and Aku finally stopped. He shut the textbook close, his dissecting eyes going over the cohort of students.

"That is all for today. Tomorrow's lesson will deal with the last quarter of today's chapter," he told them, watching as they breathed relieved sighs and scribbled away some more notes. "Questions shall be asked if tomorrow's class allows it."

The Founder stood up, his chair once again not making a sound against the used wooden floor. He picked his files and tucked them under his arms. He made his way outside of the classroom. The bell rang the moment the door closed behind him.

It was common knowledge within Ryoutei's walls that while Aku's lessons were extraordinarily complete and well structured, they were also part of the hardest to follow as the teacher did not care to repeat his words or wait for the slower students. Nevertheless, the Founder was not disliked or hated by his students. Mainly because his looks spellbound more than one, but also because his answers to questions were always well-thought and structured. There was a depth to Aku's lessons that no other teacher provided, a pearl of wisdom no Human would accumulate as it was the sole manifestation of the Founder's long life through the centuries.

He walked along the long corridors, making his way to his next class, a dull and mundane task that rhythmed his life.

The Founder's eyes flicked toward the large windows that bordered the hallways, finding the somber view of the night sky a familiar and foreign sight. A thin crescent moon stood amongst the darkness, silky clouds of grey dancing around its form in an uncoordinated kind of beauty.

He longed for the view Banmaden granted him.

He yearned for that delightful bloody moon.

The one that dripped red and soaked in the suffering of lesser species.

An undeniable reminder of First Blood's supremacy over all other Demons, great or not.

Golden eyes shone, gleaming in the most sinister shades of crimson, the rush of adrenaline washing over his being and pumping into his un-beating heart in a way that had it almost quiver.

The flat line of his lips curved, the shape of his eyes bending to reflect the growing curvature of his lips.

"Mikazuki-sensei?"

The Founder blinked, his expression falling flat as he turned to look at the student that called him out—judging from their uniform, a second-year female.

She looked bashful, cheeks coated a light pink, adding a healthy glow to her complexion. Her eyes, round and brown were nothing Aku had never seen before (lucky her, she wouldn't end up losing them accidentally), peered at him through her mascara-coated lashes.

"Uhm, ha-have you seen Laito today?"

Aku blinked, the mention of his youngest nephew eliciting a microscopic change in his expression. He focused on his senses, unsurprised that the emerald-eyed male would skip: bathroom, second floor. Disappointing, but not surprising.

"I believe he had an appointment on the second floor today," he answered her before brushing past her figure, leaving the girl to do with the information as she wished.

Making his way further down the corridor to the stairs and the second floor, he allowed himself to search the surroundings for his charges, senses tuning in each scent, sound, and magic that might appear.

His footing minutely paused, eyes sharpening before he returned to his regular demeanor and expression.

Eve and Ayato?

Now that Aku would need to look into it.

Lovingly, of course.

He hummed.

Me: Ayato is such an annoying character, and the YuixAyato ship is so done and overdone

Also me: *leaves hints about a possible YuixAyato development*