On Sunday at noon, Ramshackle's doorbell rang through the living room. "Hm? The headmaster already left hours ago, who could it be?" Grim wondered from the sofa.

"Maybe it's Ace and Deuce," Yuu guessed as he left the kitchen and headed for the front door. "They may want to see how things are doing."

"It's Professor Crewel, I saw him walking towards here a minute ago" the little ghost replied as he pointed to the window.

"Your devoted alchemy teacher, Divus Crewel," the thin ghost commented aloud as he adjusted one of the paintings on the wall.

"That demon teacher, what would he want to do here in a Sunday?" Grim asked halfheartedly.

"Grim, he'll hear you!" Yuu scolded him sternly.

The doorbell rang again with more insistence, making Yuu hurry to get to the door. "He really must be in a hurry!" The big ghost said surprised as he hurried forward. "Shall I open?"

"Yes, let him in," Yuu asked.

As soon as he turned the doorknob, the teacher did not wait anymore and opened the double gate wide. If spirits were not able to pass through solid objects, the poor ghost would have been hit all over the face...

"Prefect, darling!" Crewel said cheerfully as the ghost gave him an irritated look.

"Oh, Professor Crewel! Um... How are you?" Yuu received him nervously while Grim hid behind his legs.

"Miserable as usual, darling! Completely wretched," the professor said with a good humor that contradicted those words as he made his way into the living room. His heavy striped fur coat moved through with each step he made.

"Er, did you know that Crewel was comin' today?" Grim asked in a whisper at the unexpected arrival.

"No..." Yuu replied with the same tone as he followed the teacher.

Getting there, Crewel frowned and looked around critically, as if he was looking for something. "Where is she?" He asked insistently before walking into the kitchen and closing the door behind him. "Where is she?"

"What's he lookin' for? We won't know anythin' unless he tells us, yanno?" Grim said impatiently as he tried to follow him, but Crewel got out quickly and Grim had to step back to avoid being stepped on the paws. "Hey, watch out!" He exclaimed before looking for shelter on the sofa.

"For Heaven's sake! Where is she?" The teacher asked.

"Who, Professor Crewel?" Yuu asked, confused. "I don't..."

"Who else would it be? The girl! Your sister," the professor interrupted him as if it the answer wasn't obvious.

"Yuki?" Grim asked, surprised.

"No time for games! Where is our new student?" Crewel demanded to know as he took out his teacher's pointer, shuddering both dorm residents and the ghosts decided to leave to let them talk.

"Cowards..." Grim muttered under his breath as he watched them disappear into thin air.

"Uh... She just went to the toilet," Yuu replied. "We shouldn't rush her with this, you know?"

Crewel relaxed a little and lowered his pointer with a smile. "Prefect, you're a such a wit," he said before noticing Grim and moving closer to him. "Oh, Grim. I hadn't seen you there, you're not thinking of causing another reckless explosion for tomorrow's lesson, are you?"

"What!? Of course not...!" Grim insisted, feeling his fur stand on end. "I'm a great magician who learns from his mistakes, yanno!"

"I hope so, I don't want more unruly puppies to make a mess in the lab, or I should say 'unruly kittens' in your case.

"I ain't neither a dog nor a cat...!" Grim muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me, Mr. Crewel," Yuu called him. "May I ask the reason for your visit? Do you need something from Yuki?"

Now it was the teacher's turn to look at him in surprise. "Oh, I thought the headmaster would have told you by now, but I guess from your reactions that he forgot," he said. "After informing us the staff of the new student's condition, I offered to take care personally of her school uniform."

"Now that you mention it, the headmaster didn't say anythin' about the uniforms," Grim recalled. "But why are YOU takin' care of that? Can't we ask him to give them directly, like he did with the books?"

"The reason is very simple: although the school offers sizes of all kinds, the school uniforms are designed with masculine proportions. It's possible that even the smallest sizes will fit loose, so alterations would be necessary to be made," Crewel began to explain. "If she's going to stand out for being the first female student at Night Raven College in a long time, I want to make sure as a teacher that she at least looks decent and feels comfortable so she can do her best in her studies."

"Oh, that's very nice of you!" Yuu replied, surprised. "She should be back any minute, just wait a bit, please."

Right at that very moment, Yukiko peeked into the living room, still dressed in her pajamas. "Hey, I heard the doorbell, is someone here?" She asked before noticing the professor.

"Oh, perfect timing! We were just talking about you, second of the Oshiro twins," Crewel greeted her as he put away his pointer. "Normally I'd introduce myself in class, but you won't be there until Wednesday, so allow me. My name is Divus Crewel, you can also call me Master Crewel. I'll be your teacher in subjects like Alchemy and all those related to science. I'm always happy to see new puppies join the pack, nice to meet you!"

The young girl recalled that name from the previous night, when the others told her a bit about the school. "Uh, nice to meet you, sir..." She greeted, feeling as surprised as the rest of the residents did by his sudden presence there.

"It's great to see you on your feet. That choker suits you very well, it combines with your hair. Make sure you take good care of both. That being said, I won't take any longer," the professor said as he took out of the pockets of his coat a tailor's measuring tape, a notepad and a pencil. "Come over here, I'll take your measurements, I'll make sure you feel completely welcome by getting you some decent uniforms."

"Huh? The headmaster didn't say anything about it."

"He told us that the ones available might be too big for you, so Professor Crewel plans to sew some of your exact size," Yuu explained as she sat next to Grim on the sofa.

"Oh, that makes sense, I guess," Yukiko said as she approached the teacher.

"Good girl," Crewel replied, surprised to say that aloud for the first time on school grounds. "Hold out your arms to me, we'll start with the top."

"Are you really going to sew a whole uniform for her?" Grim asked curiously as he watched him at his work.

"I'll sew garments of her size if necessary, but I'll mainly choose those that fit her better," Crewel replied as he began to take notes. "Very well, I think there won't be much of a problem with jackets or shirts. But you'll probably need a fully customized sports uniform, Night Raven College's has the peculiarity of being made up of a single piece, so if one half doesn't fit you well, it will have a negative effect on the other. For example, if the top squeezes you, so will the bottom, do you understand what I'm saying?

"Yes, sir."

"I don't," Grim muttered, confused. "Anyway, wouldn't it be better to use magic to make the clothes fit her?"

"It's good to know you're aware of your magical resources, Grim. But even a professional magician knows when it's best to use their bare hands to do a good job," Crewel replied before getting down on one knee and taking measurements of her waist. "Oh, before I forget to mention this: our school uniform has pants, but it's more usual for girls to wear skirts to school. If you'd prefer to wear a skirt, Oshiro, I can sew you one without problem."

"Thank you, but I'd rather wear pants, I think it wil be more comfortable," the young girl assured without giving it much thought.

"Really? Very well, pants will be it," Crewel nodded. "Now let me just measure the legs and... Ok, we're done here."

"Wow, that was fast," Yuu commented, impressed.

"I reckon I'll have everything ready by Tuesday, then I'll pay you another visit with your finished uniforms," Crewel replied as he returned to putting away his belongings.

"Tuesday!? Today's Sunday, yanno!" Grim exclaimed, startled. "Will you finish all that in such a short time?"

"Of course, these clothes are easy to make and I'll have time to spend on them," Crewel said. "If I were to delay for any reason, which is unlikely, I'd give young Oshiro a temporary uniform that fits her as well as possible."

"Thank you so much, sir!" Yukiko replied. She had heard before that the Alchemy professor was very severe in both academics and style, but that first impression showed him as a considerate professor.

"Don't mention it, young lady. I enjoy sewing, and it's the least I can do to help a new pup who's going through such a difficult situation," Crewel replied before taking his pointer out once again and resting it earnestly against the palm of his hand. "Of course, what I expect in return is that you will be a good girl in class, give your best to learn and get good grades in exams. I don't want any bad marks like your classmate Grim here did not long ago!

Grim raised his front paws in alarm. "Fgnaa!? You didn't have to expose me like that!" He exclaimed with shame.

And there it was the teacher's strict side she had been warned about. She hadn't even started going to class and they were already telling her to get good grades. "I'll do my best..." She murmured dejectedly, imagining once again the vast amount of content she would have to catch up with.

"That's how I like it," Crewel said approvingly. "If you need it, I can also give you advice on outfits and clothes, but don't you ever neglect yourself or I'll have to discipline you severely, just like I did with your brother recently."

"What?" Yukiko asked, puzzled.

"Oh no, now I'm the exposed one...!" Yuu muttered, and Grim swallowed hard.

"Not long before you arrived, I was talking with the prefect and I discovered the scandalous fact that when he wasn't wearing his school uniform, he used the clothes that were here, in Ramshackle dorm," Crewel explained sternly and clenched with pointer with indignation. "You heard that!? The clothes in this building!! Who knows how many decades they must have been stored here, all deteriorated and gathering dust! I'm surprised those weren't eaten by moths and vermin by now!"

Embarrassed by that revelation, Yuu covered his face with both hands. "Is that true?" Yukiko asked, wanting to hear his part of the story.

"I hadn't looked for an opportunity to buy clothes yet, and I wanted to save money for food before that," Yuu explained. "I didn't think it would be such a big deal..."

"Due to his circumstances, the school is responsible for both the prefect's education and well-being. And as his homeroom teacher, I could not turn a blind eye to such personal negligence," Crewel continued. "So after disciplining him properly, I ended up taking him to the town and made him buy decent clothes from the local shops, and a spare uniform from the school store, with some financial help from the headmaster, of course. And I see that he learned his lesson, those pajamas you're wearing look new."

"Uh, yeah. Yuu said he bought some things for me while I was still unconscious," Yukiko replied, and Yuu nodded silently to confirm this fact.

"Prefect, don't forget what I told you that time: simplicity and humility are virtues that many students in this school lack, but looking dreadful is a very different thing! A puppy must maintain a minimum of dignity, even more so if someone offers their help."

"Yes sir..."

Thinking that maybe he was being too hard on him, the professor sighed. "I understand that you are in a difficult situation, being so far away from home. But you should not be content just with scraps either! You cannot forever regard this horrid, little building as your dream castle, nor wait for some bold and fearless Sir Gallahad to come to your rescue," he said firmly. "As a prefect, you must take responsibility for taking your dorm and its students forward, starting with yourself." Agreeing with what the teacher said, Yukiko nodded.

"Actually, that's what we're gonna do! The headmaster told us we're gonna upgrade the dorm very soon," Grim said, drawing the professor's attention.

"Is that right? It must be a new decision, I haven't heard anything like that yet."

"Yes, he told us that in addition to having let us participate in the tournament after solving the mystery of the strange accidents, he's going to compensate us by helping to make renovations around here," Yuu explained. "He assured us that with part of the profits from yesterday and from the school funds, we can make aesthetic repairs, like changing the wallpaper on the walls in the worst conditions.

"That's good to hear. This place will look a bit more decent after that," Crewel approvingly nodded as Yukiko sat on the sofa. "This is not only good for you two, Grim and Prefect, but for our new student and her healing process too."

"Well of course! This dorm will end up being the best in the school, yanno? Grim exclaimed proudly. "And Yuki will get well faster thanks to us!"

"Ha ha! Then stick to your word and do your best," Crewel said before looking at the time. "Well, I'd love to keep talking with you puppies, but I don't have any time to waste. I'll let you know when the uniforms are finished." He began to head for the exit. "Don't forget to finish your homework, see you soon in class."

Hearing the door close, Yuu put his hand on his head, sank into the sofa and sighed exhaustedly.

"See, Yuki? This teacher is exhaustin', but he's even worse when he gets angry!" Grim muttered. "Even when he's not teachin' class, he's very harsh! I still haven't forgotten the long lecture he gave Yuu for not buying clothes..."

Yuu grunted bitterly as he remembered that moment. "Dude, we already went through this, you can't leave what you actually need for last," Yukiko sighed softly while stroking his arm.

Grim was a bit surprised to hear that. That meant Yuu must have behaved in a similar way at least once in their old home. "Please don't you go with that too..." Yuu muttered tiredly. "I just wanted to wait for a good moment, I didn't think it would be that bad!"

"For better or worse, the teacher gave you one sooner than expected," Yukiko replied before looking away, hesitant to ask the question she had in mind. "By the way... Was he actually holding a real whip?"

Yuu's eyes widened, and stared at her in silence for a second. "Um, no. It's a teacher's pointer..." He replied.

"Oh, really? Phew..." Yukiko sighed with relief as she put a hand to her chest.

"...but he usually uses it as a whip." Yuu continued to finish his sentence.

And just like that, the relief immediately disappeared.

"The noise it makes always resonates in my ears, yanno...?" Grim said. "But the headmaster's 'love whip' is way worse! It's like a super long rope and can hit you and tie you up from afar." Unexpectedly, the dorm's doorbell rang again. "Hey! Who could it be this time? I'm already getting fed up with so many visits, yanno?" He growled as he climbed off the couch.

"You stay here and rest, Yuu. I'll go this time," Yukiko offered before following the monster toward the entrance.

"Who is it?" Grim asked as he approached the door.

"It's us, Ace and Deuce!" Ace's voice sounded from outside. "Is it a good time?"

The two youngsters were surprised to see Yukiko receiving them on the other side of the door instead of the expected Yuu. "Oh, good morning, Yuki!" Ace greeted her. "How's everything? Did you have a good night?"

"Hello. Yeah, it was fine." She replied. "Hello, Deuce!"

Deuce was startled to be called by the girl and shyly closed his eyes. "G... Good morning," he greeted softly.

"Grim, you look in a better mood. Aren't you upset about not having a new student in Ramshackle anymore?" Ace asked with a wicked smile.

"Don't remind me of that. I've already suffered enough, yanno?"

"We ran into Professor Crewel on the way here. He told us he just passed by your dorm," Deuce said after gathering enough encouragement to talk to her.

"Yes, he just left," Yukiko agreed. "He's going to sew my school uniforms and came here to take measures. Come on in, Yuu's in the living room."

"Your uniforms? Whoa, that's great! Hey, do you know in which class you're going to be? The same as us?" Ace asked as they walked inside.

"Sadly, no." Yukiko sighed. "The headmaster said it's school policy for siblings of the same age to be in different classes, so they're motivated to interact and work with different people. So I'm in classroom 1-B."

"Really? That's a shame," Ace replied.

"Right!? What a stupid rule!" Grim cried bitterly. "She's not in Ramshackle, not in my classroom either... That's unfair!"

"Classroom 1-B? If I remember correctly, that's the same as Jack's," Deuce was able to say. "That means that you will be classmates."

"Oh, really? That's good to know," Yukiko answered with a hint of relief in her voice. At least one familiar face was already in the same class as her.

"Good morning, guys," Yuu greeted them, still sitting on the sofa when they went to the living room.

"Hello," Ace said. "We came to check on you, but looks like Professor Crewel has already knocked you out again, huh?"

"Not as much as last time..." Yuu admitted. "There's still some tea left from the headmaster's visit, would you like some?"

After offering them a seat, Grim and the twins briefly explained what they had clarified hours before with Crowley. "I had no idea this school accepted transfer students!" Deuce said, surprised. "So they're going to treat your enrollment as one, huh?"

"Yes, he said that there can be exceptions, and my case could be considered that way," Yukiko stated. "He already gave me the schedule and the books I'll need for class."

"Makes sense, even if we don't know how, the Dark Mirror supposedly brought you here," Ace commented. "But it's been a month since the course started, you'll have to catch up on a lot of things."

"I know... The headmaster also said I can go to make up classes if I need more study hours."

"Oh, those lessons after school," Deuce recognized. "Those are also used for those students who failed exams or couldn't finish their lessons on time. Those are presented in the evenings and on weekends."

"I feel tired just hearing 'bout this again..." Grim sighed.

"And what about your magic? Did you talk about it?" Ace asked.

"Yes, but it wasn't much different from yesterday," Yuu answered.

"That I must be careful and not overdo it with magic. Oh, I've also tried on the white choker," Yukiko continued before taking the mentioned accessory out of one of the pants pockets and placing it on the table. "How did it go?" Ace asked, intrigued.

Yukiko swallowed hard before placing a hand on her neck. "It felt like something was strangling me from the inside... I took it off immediately."

"Discomfort from her unstable magic," Yuu explained softly. "The headmaster decided she'll start class next Wednesday to give her time to adjust to the place and her use of magic."

"We're already with the problems, huh?" Ace sighed. "But if you practice with this white choker on, it'll get better and you won't need it anymore, right?"

"And if I work out too, supposedly."

"Luckily most of the first year subjects are about theory, I hope it's not too difficult for you," Deuce wished.

"Did you talk about anything else?" Ace asked.

They were going to tell them that they told Yukiko about the Overblot incidents with the dorm deaders, but...

"Yeah! We found out about the voices Yuki was hearing!"

Both twins jumped when Grim thought to interrupt them by saying that. "Grim!" Yuu exclaimed, shaken. "We said we'd leave that for another day!"

"Voices? Ah, that thing Yuki mentioned last night, right?" Ace remembered and got excited. 

"Come on, tell us now! You can't hide something that intriguing for long, you know?"

"Did you finally solve it?" Deuce questioned, unable to hide his curiosity. "What were they in the end, just a dream or...?"

"Uh... Should we tell them?" Yukiko asked, looking at her brother doubtfully. 

The headmaster told them the less people knew about it, the better. But knowing that now they had no choice with Ace and Deuce, Yuu sighed. "I'm sure it will scare you, but we were talking about it with the headmaster and discovered that..."

Saved by the bell, or rather by the doorbell, the revelation was cut short.

"Who the hell it's this time!?" Grim exclaimed, fed up with so many visits in just one morning.

"Maybe Professor Crewel again?" Ace guessed, thinking that he could have come back for any reason.

The monster and the four students headed for the entrance and Yuu opened the door to find Ruggie, dressed in his dorm uniform, on the other side. "Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. 

"Oh, the two newbies from Heartslabyul are also there. It's a bad time?"

"No, don't worry. Good morning," Yuu greeted. How do you feel? Better since yesterday?"My abdomen still hurts, but not as much as it used to," Ruggie said. And you? Any side effects from Grim's clumsiness? Shi, shi, shi!

"Excuse you!?" Grim yelled, offended.

"All good here," Yuu replied as he lifted his bangs to show the gauze on his forehead.

"Good thing," Ruggie said before turning to Yukiko. "Man, good morning, Yuki! How did our dear newbie spend the night?"

"Hello. All fine here."

"What brings you here? Would you like to come in?" Yuu offered.

"Very kind, but I won't be long here," Ruggie said, before pointing at the girl. "I only came here for you."

"Me? What do you need?" Yukiko asked curiously.

"Leona sent me, he told me to take you to the dorm and show you around."

Everyone gasped, no one liked the idea of Yukiko going to the dorm where they had been ambushed days ago, much less after she was about to be attacked by someone from there.

"Take her to Savanaclaw? But she doesn't live there, yanno!" Grim exclaimed, concerned. "Why's that!?"

"Just 'cause she doesn't live there doesn't mean she's not a part of it, she has the right to walk freely around the dorm," Ruggie said. "She'll have to at least see it once, don't ya think?"

"Makes sense," Ace commented. "But shouldn't Leona do that as the dorm leader? Why did he send you here instead?"

"That's what I told him, but after his Overblot and yesterday's tournament, plus Sunday is slackers' favorite day, he's been asleep all morning and barely opened his eyes when he sent for you," Ruggie explained. "Also, he paid me extra in advance. Shi shi shi!!

"Can we go with her?" Yuu asked, hoping that they would be at least by her side if something happened.

"I won't stop ya, but Leona only asked for a private tour for one," Ruggie teased. "And things are still hot in the dorm since you guys last came over, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you're up for another Magift match."

"What!? But we helped save Leona!" Grim reminded him indignantly.

"I know, but others are still irritated about getting second place, and some will remember you for frustratin' Leona's plan," Ruggie continued. "But don't worry about her. Leona's warning won't cease to be valid, and no one who values their life will dare to lay a finger on her. What do you say, Yuki? Do ya have time now, or we leave it for later?"

Thinking of what to say, Yukiko looked at the boys and nodded. "Ok. I'll go with you," she decided, worrying them.

"Are you nuts!? That place has guys you don't want to mess with!" Ace exclaimed.

"Don't go!! That Leona guy's very scary, yanno!?" Grim exclaimed. "Well, it's not that I'M scared. But I care about my Ramshackle honor student!"

"It's ok, guys, I want to get out of this at once, and I won't be there for long," Yukiko insisted before looking at Ruggie. "I'll go with you. Let me change first."

"No need, wait here," Ruggie stopped her before pulling his magical pen out and aiming it cheerfully at her. "Leave it in the hands of your upperclassman. Here!"

A glow originating from the gem moved towards the young girl and she appeared dressed in the Savanaclaw uniform in the blink of an eye. She had biker-style gloves in her hands, and had a colorful beaded necklace hanging from her neck, without removing her black choker. Unlike Ruggie's, her shirt was sleeveless, exposing the blue print on her right shoulder. Other surprising elements were that she still kept the white choker and the hair tie she had earlier in her pockets, and her magical pen in her room was now in the jacket's inside pocket.

"See? Perfect for the occasion!" Ruggie said, pleased with the result of his spell and the boys' reactions, who forgot for a moment their worries thanks to the change of clothes.

"Lemme see," Grim asked before moving closer. "Wow! Ya look so cool!"

"Look at you! Now you really do look like a Savanaclaw student, you look great," Ace commented. "Don't you think so, Deuce?"

"Eh...!?" Deuce stammered as he looked away. "It... It suits you! As expected from a second-year, what a skill...!"

"You're not even lookin' at her," Grim whispered irritably. "What 'bout ya, Yuu? Whatcha think?"That was a style of clothing that Yuu had never seen her wear, but he couldn't deny she looked great in it. "You look pretty, Yuki," he said. "But... are you sure you want to go? Even if Leona said nobody would hurt you..."

Trying to calm him down, even if just for a little bit, Yukiko squeezed gently his hand. "I'll be fine," she repeated, before pulling her hair back into a ponytail and frowning. "I'm not afraid of him."

She wanted to learn more about that place and the man who led it, both feared by her beloved brother. Before accepting the fact that this was her official dorm, she wanted to see with her own eyes the kind of people who had dared to lay hands on him and set up a whole sabotage.

"You aren't sayin' anythin'. Are you nervous?" Ruggie asked as they walked towards the Mirror Hall.

"No. Just intrigued." She replied. "It's my first time going there."

"Right, you took another path yesterday. Oh, before I forget, even if the dorm uniform has a standard style, you can personalize it. For example, most people wear this bandana like a belt, just as you're doin', but I prefer to wear it around the neck, like a scarf. You can also get a shirt with sleeves or another type of shoes. And if you earn some money, you can buy spares at the school store."

"I see," Yukiko nodded as she looked at the destination building in the distance. "You can transform your clothes into your dorm uniform with magic, but it's better to have your own. It's easier to take care of, and you won't risk the effect wearin' off when you least expect it, at least until you get a good handle on the spell." Ruggie advised. "Now I did it for you, but you won't take too long to learn it. This isn't one of the hardest."

Remembering she would have to put on that uncomfortable white choker in order to use her magic made Yukiko swallow involuntarily. "I hope so," she said before forcing the thought out of her head. "Is it mandatory to wear these clothes in the dorm?"

"Not quite. But it's the casual outfit to be around, and it's good for identifying yourself as a dorm member at a glance, Savanaclaw's guys are kinda territorial, ya know?" Ruggie explained before straightening his jacket. "As you can see, our uniform's great for moving around in. And it's not too fancy either. It's right up my alley! What do you think? Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's not the kind of clothes I would have chosen, but I like it," she said as she gave a look at her gloved hands.

"Then you can wear it whenever you want, except during class hours, of course. Oh, we're here." Ruggie led her into the Hall of Mirrors and pointed to the mirror that would take them to the dorm. "Last chance to back out. Wanna go in?"

She wasn't turning around and didn't change her mind. She was determined to see what kind of place this was and, deep down, she wanted to give it a chance. "I'm going, but is this dorm that awful?" Yukiko asked anyway with a raised eyebrow.

"That depends. Do you see me as awful?"

"Hm... I guess not."

"How nice of you. And what about you? Do you think you're awful enough to be one of us?"

"No."

"Then you'll be fine. Come on, let's go."

Adjusting her view to the intense sunlight from the place, she could see clearly the dorm.

"Well, welcome to our humble territory!" Ruggie introduced with both arms raised.

Yukiko looked around, impressed by the savannah atmosphere. It was exactly as the others described it: a citadel-like building made of rock, with the sand and the rough, savage feeling that went with it, in an environment where there was no shortage of trees, animal bones -who knows if they were real or not- and a banner with the dorm's symbol. She would never have imagined herself being in a place like that one.

"Whoa. The others were right, this place is completely different from Ramshackle," she commented. "And way bigger, actually."

"Right? I like the desolate vibe that Ramshackle dorm has goin' on, but Savanaclaw's more for me," Ruggie replied. "Now that you're a part of us, I can teach you how to survive here, if you want."

"Survive?" She asked, puzzled by that choice of word.

"Yep, survive," Ruggie repeated with no doubt in his voice. "Only the strongest and smartest can rise to the top in Savanaclaw, simple as that. Hey, is something wrong? You seem a bit blue," he asked, noticing her mood change.

Even though she had come in with confidence, and said she was not afraid of the dorm leader, what about the other students? Even if she could perfectly knock someone taller than her to the ground... Would she even reach the level of those who already mastered their magic?

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Yukiko insisted. "I already guessed that things would be difficult around here, nothing else."

Although she tried to hide it, Ruggie could see she was nervous. Leona reminded him earlier that Savanaclaw's new student was also a beginner in the use of magic, and that horrible experience couldn't have been a worse first impression. The idea of starting abruptly at a school of magic surely scared her, no matter how strong or cheerful she appeared to be... So he added to his task of showing her the place without making her feel too uncomfortable.

Ruggie couldn't help but wonder if the dorm leader would be that considerate with her if she were a random student or if she was in a different dorm. But he would be lying if he said he didn't understand it himself. He had seen firsthand how afraid she was and hadn't forgotten Leona's help with his studies, when he barely had basic knowledge as a first year. Even though he was still annoyed at him, he knew it wasn't that unnatural to see Leona helping those students with most hardships until they became stronger...

"If that's what you're worried about, I can give you your first survival lesson right now," Ruggie commented.

"What?"

"Pay attention here it goes: first of all, you can't distract yourself and worry all the time about what might happen, the most important thing in the savannah is to never let your guard down," Ruggie continued before slipping behind her and cracking a naughty smile. "If you do... Bam!" He grabbed her shoulders suddenly and she squealed. "...You'll become someone's dinner! Shi, shi, shi!"

Realizing that the startling had been meant to be humorous, Yukiko couldn't help but laugh, and her worries eased a bit. "Finally, a smile on that face. That's how I like it!" Ruggie exclaimed, satisfied. "I don't know what it's like to have magic as rampant as yours, but it's not like everyone can master it in a jiffy either, so let's go slowly, ok? And first things first, you have to know the place well to find and hunt your prey successfully," Yukiko nodded. "Of course, this special lesson was free, but I may ask for something in exchange for the next one. Shi, shi, shi!!"

Before she could even thank him, Yukiko had just seen by herself that malice in him Yuu had warned about, but she had already mentally prepared herself for much worse things in that dreaded dorm. "Well, you're being paid extra for showing me this place. Should we continue?" She urged.

"Then let's not linger any longer, I'll show you the way to the living room. It's impossible to miss it."

"Wait, where do those high stairs lead to?" Yukiko stopped him as she pointed to a great flight of stairs that seemed to lead to the top of a colossal platform that rose above the dorm itself.

"Oh, I'm glad you noticed. We'll save that for last, but up there's the Magical Shift stadium, one of the prides of the dorm. Remember we mentioned that sport yesterday? Well, we have our own training ground for it."

Remembering what Yuu explained before, it didn't take long for her to understand that this must be where he got attacked along with the others...

Without further ado, they finally made it through the building's entrance. Along the way, they ran into more students who couldn't help but whisper and take occasional, indiscreet glances at Leona's assistant accompanied by a short person with adorable features wearing a dorm uniform, reminding the girl of the initial bewilderment she caused with her arrival.

"It was a good idea to put you in your dorm uniform," Ruggie commented. "I bet these guys would have mistaken you for a new prey if you weren't dressed like them. Shi shi shi!"

"Why do you say that? Does nobody else know I'm in Savanaclaw?"

"Your entrance ceremony was small, and only a few heard of it when we announced your result, it was late, and most were already asleep. But rumors fly, it will be a matter of hours for everyone at school to know."

Whether the news spread quickly or not, they had already told her the surprise of a girl studying in a boys' school would diminish as she attended class. In turn, she took notice of those who had been staring at her. They all looked similar to Leona and Jack: tall, strong, and with menacing expressions. Now she could better understand why people said her appearance was very different from the generic one, and why they were so scared of her being there.

On the other hand, she did not expect the interior to look much flashier and more welcoming than the exterior. The living room was light and airy thanks to the open spaces, the floor had woven rugs in an ethnic design, and there were deck chairs and small garden tables arranged around a high indoor waterfall whose waters echoed as they fell into a crystal clear pool, contributing to the natural environment. Ruggie informed her that the water was drinkable and constantly renewed, and students used to refresh themselves with it after a long day of training. There were even tropical plants, small trees on the shore, and pots in plain view.

The next place was the kitchen, which according to the hyena boy was the one she should know best. Then it was the turn of the upper floors, where most of the student rooms were, and Yukiko needed to avoid looking down so as not to feel vertigo on those wooden walkways, from where they could see the floor from several meters high away.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of heights?" Ruggie asked, realizing that as they walked across one of the suspension bridges that connected the two corridors.

"Not much, but let's say I don't trust these bridges much either..."

"Don't worry, they're resistant, and you can walk on them without any problem. To prove it, he jumped twice on the wood, swinging the bridge and startling her.

"Hey, don't do that!" She scolded him as she clung to the ropes that held the bridge.

"Ha ha ha! Don't worry. It won't fall!" Ruggie laughed before hopping across the rest of the bridge. "By the way, see that hallway? You can find Leona's room over there, but I recommend you not to go near it when he's sleeping unless it's an emergency. He gets very cranky when he's woken up from his nap."

"So I heard..." Yukiko murmured, remembering what she had heard of the first meeting between Yuu and that dorm leader she hadn't seen yet and was perfectly fine if she didn't. Talking about him caught the attention of someone who happened to be walking by. The girl quickly recognized him as the serious-looking wolf-boy she met the night before.

"Good morning, Ruggie," Jack said. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, if it isn't, Jack. All cool here. If you've come to ask about Leona, he's fine, but if I were you, I'd visit him later. What about you, have you finished training yet?"

"Yeah, I've run a few laps. I was thinking about lifting weights in my room." Jack looked at Yukiko, whom he hadn't recognized yet, and got surprised. "And you're...? Wait a minute, Yuki!?"

"Hi, Jack! Did you have a good sleep?" She greeted him with a smile.

"Why so shocked, Jack? Is the uniform I gave her so good that you couldn't even recognize her? Shi, shi, shi!" Ruggie asked mischievously.

"No..." He tried to deny it, still puzzled. "But what are you doin' here? The headmaster said you would live in Ramshackle dorm, didn't he?"

"Yes, but Ruggie's showing me around by Leona's orders," Ruggie nodded to assure. "I have to admit, it's way better than I imagined."

"Oh, I see," Jack murmured. "That explains why so many guys were talking about a 'cute face' walking around with Ruggie... Nobody dared to bother you, right?"

"Oh, are you worried about her Jack? What a good fella you are!" The hyena-boy exclaimed in a teasing tone.

"It's not that I worry about her," he mumbled insistently. I just don't want those hooligans harassing freshmen once again, nothing else... Although I suppose you shouldn't have a problem with it, being under the dorm leader's protection and all that."

"Especially now, being by my side," Ruggie pointed out proudly. "Leona would be interested to hear someone disobeyed his new absolute rule of not messing with her, shi shi shi!"

"Let's see if it's true," Yukiko thought skeptically, unable to trust that man and that statement that was said so many times she had already lost count of it.

"Speaking of which, I kept my end of the bargain yesterday," Ruggie continued, looking now nervous. "You won't tell Leona about our first meeting, will you?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Yukiko nodded. "That was an accident, and you already apologized for it. I have no reason to spread it around."

"Okay, just checking..."

"And you? How do you feel?" Jack asked. "Any problems with your magic?"

"Not at all! All good with it," she assured, trying not to think about the itching from that morning. "By the way, I talked earlier with the headmaster, and he gave me the schedule. I'll be in the same classroom as you!"

"Oh, you didn't say anythin' about that!" Ruggie commented. "Then you're also going to be classmates."

"The same as me? Classroom 1-B?" Jack questioned, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"The others told me. I admit that I'd rather be with my brother and his friends, but it seems that it won't be possible..."

"I supposed so," Ruggie sighed. "Those are already school rules, there's nothin' we can do about it. But hey, Jack, what do you think? You're goin' to have a new classmate!"

Without giving an immediate answer, Jack stared up at her in expressionless silence, making her uncomfortable. Even if he looked calm the night before, Yukiko couldn't help but think about how steely and sullen he also seemed. Would it bother him to be in the same classroom as her, the only girl, after the great shock of knowing they would belong to the same dorm? Man, she had never had to worry about things like that before! That school was getting the better of her!

"Well, you may not be with your brother, but at least you don't have to share lessons with that furball or those two idiots from Heartslabyul. You're lucky that classroom 1-B is generally a quiet one."

"Huh?"

"And don't ask why, but now that I see you in our dorm uniform, you really do look like a part of us," Jack continued with a calm smile. "From now on, we're classmates, so make yourself strong so you don't embarrass us, got that?"

She thought it was a rather strange and harsh way of putting it up, but she understood what he meant. "Of course!" Yukiko exclaimed as she squeezed his strong hand, and she was surprised at how big it looked in comparison to hers.

"I'm glad you guys made friends so quickly, but if I remember correctly, she's in the middle of a visit," a deep voice said suddenly.

Yukiko almost gasped. She did not feel the presence of that person who had just arrived.

"Ah, good morning, dorm leader!" Jack greeted him firmly.

It was precisely the guy Yukiko had tenderly advised during that strange encounter only to hear unpleasant things about him...

"I didn't expect you to get up," Ruggie commented calmly. "Do you feel better?"

"I never felt bad, just exhausted," Leona replied, making Ruggie roll his eyes. "I'd to sleep more, but I got up to go to the toilet" he outlined a slight sly smile. "And now that I found you three here, I thought it would be impolite if I didn't welcome our newbie after coming all the way here. How are you? Are you enjoying the visit?"

She hadn't expected to see him either, but she should have figured it would happen sooner or later. She could feel her good mood from a moment ago fade...

"Yes, Ruggie is a great guide," she replied dryly. "He gave me this uniform and everything."

"And it looks good on you, I didn't expect any less from him. We'll have to get your own dorm uniform," Leona commented, looking at her from head to toe. "If you think he's a great guide, I could send him to give you a tour around the school too."

"No need, I already have planned to do that tonight with my brother." That statement had come out with a sharper intonation than she intended, but Leona just shrugged.

"Really? Well then, the offer still stands if you change your mind. How much have you seen?"

"We were going to take another walk around here and then to the stadium," Ruggie replied.

"So you're almost done..." Leona looked at them thoughtfully for a moment and smiled sinisterly. "Well, I guess I won't mind accompanying you for what's left, I'll go with you."

"What?" Ruggie and Yukiko asked at the same time, the latter in a higher tone of voice.

"Are you coming with us?" Jack questioned, just as surprised. "Shouldn't you go back resting, dorm leader?"

"Jack, I already made it clear yesterday that I'm not that weak. Besides, what kind of dorm leader would I be if I didn't personally guide our new members? Although you don't seem to like the idea very much."

As he had pointed out, Yukiko didn't even bother to hide that the idea of having Leona by her side annoyed her. "I'm just surprised. I didn't expect to see you here today," she quickly excused herself.

"Did you really think you wouldn't find the king in his own territory?" Leona inquired with a raised eyebrow and a cynical smile. "Or you say that because you were hoping not to have to see my face? If it's the latter, I wonder what I did for you to dislike me so much. We barely met yesterday."

"Let's say I heard things about you," she muttered back, not denying that assumption. "And I know that you tried to attack my brother by some accident he did."

Ruggie looked away to hide that he had witnessed that moment with his own eyes and only stopped Leona to take him to class.

"Really? Well, I admit I wasn't exactly nice to the prefect when I first met him," he replied listlessly. "But I admit he's way more competent than I thought, it would be a waste to make an enemy out of him. So rest assured, it's not like I have any reason to hurt him, and I'd get in trouble with the headmaster and that Red Young Master if I dared. Is that why you said yesterday you wouldn't obey my absolute rule?"

Jack and Ruggie looked at Yukiko, trying to analyze her expression, which seemed conflicted. He barely showed any regret, even Ace and Riddle had apologized for being insensitive idiots...! She really wanted to confront him, but she was told to stay out of trouble, much less when she hadn't even started attending class.

Besides, would it even be worth it? At least he admitted his hostility and didn't want to fight with her. "I want to go home quickly, if you want to come, come," Yukiko urged nonchalantly, refusing to answer his question. "You offered yourself."

"I'll consider it a truce," Leona replied. "Do you still want to come with us, Jack?"

"Oh, of course, dorm leader," Jack said, still surprised by the guts the girl showed to have.

It was true that Yukiko was surprised to see him more docile than expected, but just as Ruggie had told her, she shouldn't let her guard down in this place. She threw Leona glances and stayed alert until they reached the stadium.

The number of stairs was the same as she had imagined, but she didn't with the ground up at the top. There were about twenty students training and practicing Magical Shift, some flying on a broomstick and others running on the floor. There were also some waiting for their turn on the bench.

"How about it? Aren't you amazed?" Leona asked.

"It's bigger than I imagined," Yukiko commented as she paid attention to the players. "Are they playing that magical sport you told me about, the Magift?"

"Exactly," Ruggie nodded. "The rules are very simple: you have to throw that disk into the opponent's goal and defend yours at all costs. This place is exclusive to us dorm students, but sometimes we spend club activities here, like when it's raining outside the campus."

"The best part about this sport is that you can use as much force as you want without retaliation," Leona said with a low laugh. "And who knows? When you start controlling your magic a bit, we could let you participate in the big leagues."

She didn't really dislike the idea of practicing that sport at least once, but she did with the fact she would do it under that guy's instructions.

"Oh no! WATCH OUT!!"

That scream came from one of the players when one of the flyers made a mistake in aiming and shot the disc toward the group. Yukiko flinched and instinctively covered her face with both arms, but Leona stepped forward and, in the blink of an eye, caught it out of the air with his magical pen before it could hit any of them, astonishing her.

She also realized that Jack had placed one of her arms in front of her, most likely with the intention of protecting her, and it didn't help that he hurried to put it behind his back to hide it.

"I'm so sorry, dorm leader!" The student who had thrown the disc apologized while the other players followed him to check on them.

In response, Leona looked at the disk with a critical eye. "I must say you've got a powerful shot," he complimented dryly before handing it back indelicately. "But you better learn to shoot properly, you could have hurt our new addition with your clumsiness. It was enough that her brother got all f*cked up in the head yesterday."

"Y-yes, sir! It won't happen again!"

"New addition?" One of the students repeated, confused. "What are you talking about, dorm leader?"

"I know not everyone is aware, so pay attention: this is Yuki. She won't live with us, but she's been part of Savanaclaw dorm since yesterday. Be nice to her or you won't see the light of another day," Leona warned severely.

"Isn't this the pipsqueak who trespassed our turf the other day?" A student questioned in a low voice.

"Idiot, this one's shorter and has long hair," another one with rabbit ears snorted.

"Wait, did he say 'she'?" Another one asked, puzzled.

"Yes, you heard it right: her," Leona said in response to those indiscreet whispers, before looking at a specific student. "The very person you dared to try to lay hands on."

Everyone turned with curiosity and surprise at the person he was talking to... And Yukiko felt her heart stop when she recognized that robust young man with hippopotamus ears. "You!" She exclaimed with a combination of fear and fury.

"Oh no..." Ruggie muttered after swallowing hard.

Jack also hadn't forgotten that guy who had tried to attack Yukiko when she was vulnerable and terrified, forcing her to defend herself and worsening her risk of falling into an Overblot state...

The stout student looked around in fear, wondering what was happening now. "Wait, what are you talking about?" He stammered.

"Are you playing dumb, or did my punishment affect your memory?" Leona growled. "Well, she hasn't forgotten you. Take a good look at her and use your brain, if you have any."

Taking this as a sign, Yukiko undid her ponytail, thus tumbling her hair down her back, took a deep breath to stay calm, and showed her right shoulder. "Picture it glowing red," she said sternly. "Ring a bell?"

That was definitely the same suspicious-looking person in the ruined robes and makeup he had run into in the toilet that time... Everybody there could tell the second his confusion had turned to deep terror. "You...!" He imitated accordingly.

"Remember now? I hope you didn't forget you owe her something," Leona said, before frowning. "Do it. Just as we 'practiced'."

He looked around sheepishly, but seeing his dorm leader's glare demanding him to hurry up, he swallowed and dropped to his knees before Yukiko, causing her to take a bewildered step back.

"I'm... I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed, trembling. "I'm so sorry about that time!!"She couldn't help but wince, not expecting an apology, let alone one that was even more desperate than Ruggie's.

"That's all?" Leona asked, far from satisfied. "You could at least try to say your reasons for acting so stupid, although it's not like justifying it will make it right."

"I'm really sorry! I didn't know you were a girl! And I was scared by the situation! I'm so sorry I acted without thinking!!"

Even if deep down she was glad for his apology, even if he was driven by fear, there was a lot about this guy and his ways that irritated her. "I understand that someone would be scared to see me like that, but did you really have to attack me?" She asked angrily. "My friend and I tried to explain the situation, but you still refused to listen and raised your fist against me."

"Now I know! I'm really sorry!!"

"And what does it matter if I was a girl or not? Are you saying you would have attacked me if I were a boy anyway?" Yukiko asked sternly.

The student, still kneeling on the ground, shuddered. "I... Of course not! he stammered, but she gave him a skeptical look, she was in the place where Yuu and company got ambushed after all.

"You don't have to accept the apology," Leona interrupted them. "You can leave him kneeling like this or decide whether we punish him again. What are you going to do, newbie?"

"I'd give him another beating," a student whispered without discretion.

All eyes and ears were on her. Yukiko looked around, at Ruggie and Jack to see their reactions, but the former shrugged, and the latter was at a loss for what to say. But it didn't take her long to decide what to do either.

She approached the kneeling young man, and he looked at her with fear, wondering what would become of him now.

"Get up."

"Huh?"

"I'm telling you to stand up," Yukiko said calmly as she tucked her hair back up. "Come on, do it."

Some people exchanged whispers again, surprised by that apparent mercy.

"Are you forgiving him?" Jack wondered out loud, surprised. He had imagined she would take this perfect chance to take revenge, but having in mind that she was the twin sister of the calm and peaceful prefect of Ramshackle, perhaps it was possible that she was similar to him. And it wouldn't be such a surprise, she had already accepted Ruggie's apology the night before.

Ruggie had a similar assumption, but by the time the hippo-like student finished standing up...

"Hi-ya!"

... he fell backward when the girl, with a jump, caught him by the abdomen with both legs to push him against the ground.

The others were stunned by this unexpected knockdown, including Leona, who had also assumed she would forgive him, but he smiled proudly to see firsthand an example of how strong the young girl really was.

"My goodness! That was fast," A young man whispered.

"How could she do that being so short!? She's stronger than I thought!"

"Just like Riddle Rosehearts and his magic."

"Oh, don't even remind me! I get chills just hearing his name..."

"Riddle Rosehearts!"

"Uh... Do it again."

"Riddle Rosehearts, Riddle Rosehearts, Riddle Rosehearts!"

"Hey, you two, people are staring."

Seeing this strange interaction with those students, Yukiko pushed the young man off her to stand up and looked at Jack and Ruggie, who seemed just as dumbfounded as she was. In fact, Leona put a hand to his temple.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered disapprovingly.

Ignoring those two and the surprise she caused, Yukiko approached the young man still on the ground to grab him by the collar of his jacket and force him to look at her face. "Don't do that ever again," she warned. "Not me, not anyone I care about."

The young man nodded quickly, feeling embarrassed at having been knocked down by her a second time, but he would rather go through that a hundred times than be punished by Leona just once more.

"I won't do it again, I swear!" He exclaimed before standing up and running away.Jack corrected himself immediately. She didn't tell him to get up because she forgave him, but so she could put him down again. Ruggie could see another reason to be thankful for being forgiven by her.

"Honestly, he had it coming for being a jerk," a stocky Savanaclaw student with strong arms and a characteristic bob hairstyle commented.

"So it wasn't a lie when they said she defeated him before..."

Even if some students were impressed, some others looked at her skeptically.

"But is she actually strong, or was he just weak?" One of them questioned.

"Isn't she thinking too highly of herself just because she's under the dorm leader's protection? She's just a first-year! She should know her place like everyone else."

"What are you saying!? Do you want to die!?" Another one whispered, terrified by Leona's good hearing. Fear that came true.

"Oh? Do you have something to say?" Leona asked with a scowl on his face. "Feel free to come forward and share it with us, if you've got the guts."

"No! I said nothing!"

"Just you know I still can think of worse ways of punishment," he warned. "Show's over, get back to training or scram."

The students did not hesitate to scatter away. If it was not clear before that they had it forbidden from doing even the slightest harm to the new student at the school. Not only she could beat them up, but the dorm leader would also give them something even worse.

Now the three beastmen and the girl were left in that area.

"Well, revenge feels good, doesn't it?" Leona asked, turning to Yukiko. "It's about the survival of the fittest, so do not hesitate to establish dominance if you see it as necessary."

But she barely paid attention to him. It was more than satisfying to beat him better than that last time in somewhat one-sided combat and be appreciated for it. But she felt overwhelmed too, she couldn't say exactly why. Maybe it was how much she had attracted attention when it was the least she wanted, or it may be running into that potential attacker that reminded her of that dreadful experience.

"Hey, you may not be good with magic," Leona said, interrupting her thoughts. "But what you showed here was part of your strongest points, so take advantage of it. I look forward to seeing your full potential. And who knows? You may even defeat me one day."

"I think that's an almost impossible goal, Leona, but it would be interesting to see, shi, shi, shi!" Ruggie commented, trying to hold back a bigger laugh at the thought of the dorm leader being pushed to the ground by the adorable little girl.

She hadn't expected it, but hearing that from him made her feel a little more hopeful, even if she already did more than once since last night. She felt like the dorm leader accepting her was something else she needed to feel welcome in that place. But she felt conflicted since she still didn't trust him. Even if he wasn't hostile with her yet, he clearly was with his own dorm students.

"If I remember correctly, you were in a hurry to leave, and this was the last stop. You must be exhausted," Leona commented. "Ruggie, walk her to her dorm. The one where she lives."

"Yessir. Are you comin' too, Jack?"

Jack decided to go with the excuse of making sure others didn't attack her in retaliation, and the three of them headed for the stairs leading down.

"Oh, before I forget," Leona recalled, remaining in his place. "Remind your brother that we still have to clear that up with the Red Young Master."

Yukiko looked at him for a second before continuing to walk.

"What did he mean by that?" Jack asked, puzzled once more by the mystery between the twins and the two dorm leaders.

"It's hard to explain," Yukiko simply replied, as she knew it wasn't her place to divulge something as personal as the tragic memories of the two dorm leaders who went through what she had been about to.

The beastmen got the idea and decided not to ask about it.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jack asked when they reached the exit, and she looked tired.

"I think so, but I didn't expect an improvised fight."

"Well, at least you've made it clear nobody messes with you, with or without Leona!" Ruggie exclaimed, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah, I really expected for a second you'd forgive that guy, but you're not as merciful as Yuu," Jack added with a smile.

"Of course. I had to get back at him! Martial arts are for defense, but I wasn't going to miss an opportunity like that, you know?" She said proudly.

Ruggie laughed to see her in a better mood. "You sure are a Savanaclaw girl. Shi, shi, shi!"

Leaving Leona and the other students aside, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be part of that dorm after all.

They said goodbye to her at the outer gate of Ramshackle's garden, and Ruggie helped her undo the spell and return to being dressed in her pajamas.

Inside of the building, she found Yuu and the other three in the living room. "Welcome back. How was Savanaclaw?" Yuu greeted her.

"What happened!? Did someone hurt you!?" Grim asked angrily. "The great Grim will teach them a lesson!"

"No, no. I'm fine, don't worry. I'll tell you everything, but let's say it went better than I expected," Yukiko answered before sitting next to the little monster. "Jack and Ruggie say hi."

"Glad to hear it. By the way, they know it. I just explained it to them while you were away."

"What?" Yukiko asked before noticing Ace and Deuce's expressions, which looked nervous. "Oh, you mean the voices? How did they take it?"

"Just like the headmaster, they were stunned and confused for a moment," Yuu replied. "But they just processed it."

"Okay, now you confirm it for us," Ace said, wanting to set the record straight. "It was already clear to you that those weird tattoos on your shoulders establish a link between you two so that you can see each other in your dreams. You still have no idea why. All good here, right?"

"That's right," Yukiko nodded.

"Okay, and now you just discovered with the headmaster that those voices you were supposedly listening to from who knows where were the same things Yuu was listening to until recently when we went looking for Jack..."

"It seems so. It was the day before I woke up inside the gate."

"That means..." Deuce murmured as he fought to reduce his blush of shame. "All the sounds... No, all the conversations we had with him were listened to by you."

Yukiko laughed, nervous now. She would also feel chills if she was heard by a stranger from afar. "Not ALL of them. But sorry, I didn't mean to spy on anyone."

The two Heartslabyul students exchanged a nervous look again. They looked way calmer than she expected, so she supposed that the reaction full of shock must have happened earlier with Yuu's explanation.

"And how much do you remember from us? Ace asked.

"Not much, but one of the first things that stuck with me was that someone said awful things to my dear brother for not having magic at a magical school he didn't even know existed." She frowned in annoyance, and her voice sounded much more stern. "That was stupid and cruel of him. Don't you think so, Ace?"

Noticing the cold blue gaze fixed on him, Ace felt a chill. Despite her adorable appearance, that young girl got sorted into Savanaclaw for something...

"I told you she was spiteful and wouldn't forgive you if she found out," Yuu said quickly as he looked away.

"Wait. Did you tell her!?" Ace asked, feeling betrayed.

"She kept insistin' about it," Grim explained.

"So you like to make fun of people with difficulties!?" Yukiko yelled furiously. "Do you laugh at others when they don't have the same opportunities as you!? Explain the joke behind it, I want to know!"

Deuce shuddered in his seat. So it was true that she got angry easily.

"I didn't mean it!" Ace exclaimed, scared. "And I apologized to him after getting to know him better! I had no idea!"

But the girl snorted and burst into a soft laugh. "Ha ha ha! You should see your face! Don't worry, I already know that," she exclaimed before calming down and looking at him with a smile. "Besides, he also told me you punched someone that did the same to him. I really appreciate that."

"And Riddle deserved it!" Grim exclaimed.

"He also apologized anyway, and now we're fine," Yuu remembered.

Ace was relieved that the Savanaclaw girl didn't dislike him, but he gave her an irritated look at that scare of hers. "HUH?! Don't think too highly of yourself, you indirect stalker!" He exclaimed. 

"And there's no way I wouldn't punch him, what he said was even worse!"

"Oh, that reminds me: you said you could listen to her too, right, Yuu?" Deuce asked to ignore Ace. "But way less frequently."

"Yeah, but I think hearing some laughs out of nowhere is even worse than voices you barely remember...

"I guess so, I'm sorry," Yukiko laughed, even though she knew she could do nothing about it. 

Just like Yukiko could hear the same as him thanks to their prints, it turned out that the laughter and coughing Yuu thought he had imagined came from his own sister from that unknown place. Laughter in reaction to what amused her the most. And coughing caused by gradually getting worse from the unstable magic she got...

But solving that enigma only raised new ones. Did that mean Yukiko had already started to develop her magic before she woke up in school? Where was she until then? Would the prints have something to do with the strange dreams? Would they even discover all the answers before returning home?

"Anyway, you barely remember most of those voices and haven't heard anything since you arrived at Night Raven College, right?" Deuce asked.

"Exactly. So don't you worry, guys, if you've shared any secrets or embarrassing things, I probably don't remember it right now," Yukiko said with a mischievous and lively tone.
The two Heartslabyul youths looked away in embarrassment, Deuce also blushed, and Yuu laughed softly. That statement had something of a lie because he reminded Yukiko of Ace joking about showing interest in going out with her by asking if she had a boyfriend.

"That's what concerned us, so we forgive you for your unintentional carelessness," Ace exclaimed, trying to hide his embarrassment with a facade of irritation. "But let's keep this between us, ok? I don't want anyone else to get confused and ask questions about your... 'otherworldly' weirdness!"

Everybody agreed on that.

"I think it's a great power!" Grim exclaimed. "If I could spy on people like that, I'd listen to teachers talkin' about final exam questions, yanno? It's a shame you two lost it."

"I doubt that would have worked, and doing it on purpose would be criminal," Yuu sighed as he gently shook his head. Grim had no signs of changing that characteristic mischief any soon.

Having clarified the most important things about that matter, they decided to change the subject, and Yukiko shared her experience in her official dorm. They got glad for her taking revenge and earning the respect of several students.

That morning turned out much better than she had expected. She wished it would be like that on her first day in class as well.

[Published in 11/6/2023]

To Be Continued...