The classroom buzzed from Esme's radiant entrance when the professor cleared his throat again.
"And with him…"
Another figure stepped through the doorway.
She wasn't glowing like Esme, but somehow she caught the light better.
A girl with soft auburn hair tied back in a ribbon, brown eyes too kind for this cutthroat academy, and the sort of smile that looked like it belonged in a painting.
Whispers rippled through the room.
"She's… gorgeous"
"Wait, is she his girlfriend?"
"Dude… she's fucking pretty"
"Fuck man. Another pretty boy?"
Kain leaned back further in his chair, one arm lazily around Lyla's waist.
But his eyes?
His eyes locked on Veronica.
Ruby caught it instantly, smirking like a wolf.
"Ohhh. Guess who found dessert"
Alyssa giggled, twirling Beatrix's braid tighter.
"She's cute. Wonder how fast she'll blush if you talk to her"
Even Lyla hummed.
"Soft one. Sweet. Easy to break"
Kain raised his finger, and the girls knew to be silent as Esme stepped forward, posture straight as a sword, smile sharp enough to cut glass.
He didn't just introduce himself; he performed.
"Well, my name is Esme and I'm rank A for now. I've already closed three Rifts on my own, two of them B-rank"
"I was scouted for my potential, and I intend to prove them right!"
"My goal—" his hand pressed to his chest like a knight swearing an oath, "—is to understand and contain the Rifts!"
The classroom ate it up.
Gasps, whispers, and murmurs of admiration filled the air.
"Three Rifts alone?!"
"He's already a Guild recruit?"
"Bro, look at that crest, it's real—"
Then came the dagger.
Esme glanced behind him and extended a hand.
"And she—" he smiled proudly, "—is Veronica Hana. My partner. My healer. My—"
Veronica gave a small, nervous laugh, bowing her head.
"V-Veronica Hana. I specialize in restoration and warding… it's, um… an honor to be here"
She stood close to Esme, his hand brushing hers, a subtle claim of this is mine.
And when she said softly, "We've been together since we were children. I wouldn't be here without him…"
Half the boys in class slumped like they'd just been gutted.
The whispers turned sour.
"Girlfriend? Damn it…"
"Of course, the hero type already has someone…"
"She's… she's actually sweet, too. Fuck…"
Kain popped his gum.
Laughed under his breath.
Ruby elbowed him.
"Already got a plan, huh?"
Lyla's nails traced idle patterns on his wrist.
"Mmh. Make sure to do it quick"
Beatrix didn't even look up.
"Her heart rate spiked when she saw him staring. That's not loyalty. That's instinct"
Alyssa grinned.
"I bet she's never even talked to someone like Kain before"
Kain didn't answer.
His eyes followed Veronica all the way to her seat.
'For once, they are wrong. She is loyal… too loyal'
He watched as Esme sat beside her, putting his arm around her waist.
"..."
After Class
The academy's corridors emptied in waves of chatter.
Esme was busy shaking hands, classmates buzzing around him like flies to honey.
He handled them all with ease, radiant, charming, humble but not too humble.
Veronica lingered at his side, smiling politely, but when her eyes drifted across the hall, she froze.
Kain leaned against the wall.
One hand in his pocket, gum snapping, shadows curling lazily at his heels.
"New girl," he said flatly.
She blinked, hand hovering over her ribbon.
"Y-yes?"
"You look tired already"
His tone wasn't mocking, just bored, but edged with that quiet weight that made her chest tighten.
"You don't really like crowds, do you?"
Her lips parted.
The kindness in her eyes flickered, like he'd pulled a thought she hadn't voiced.
"I… no. Not really"
He chuckled, low.
"Thought so"
Esme noticed.
He glanced over mid-conversation, his gaze landing on Kain for the first time.
Instead of bristling, though, he grinned.
Stepped away from his admirers and extended a hand.
"You're Kain, right? Heard about you. The guy who embarrassed Professor Kurogane?"
'Who?'
Kain thought with a dumbfounded face as Esme chuckled.
"Respect. I like that kind of strength"
Kain stared at the hand, gum snapping, then flicked his gaze back to Veronica.
Her eyes darted away, pink staining her cheeks.
"…Hn"
He finally shook Esme's hand, grip loose, casual, but shadows tightened for just a second around his wrist.
Esme didn't flinch.
His smile didn't falter.
Kain thought to himself.
'He's not like Aiden. Not like Finn either. No hero's glow. No divine leash. Just a kid with talent and too much confidence. Tch… that might make him even more dangerous'
Esme was the first to let go.
His arm slid around Veronica's waist like it belonged there.
She leaned into him naturally, the kind of ease only years could build.
Kain's gum snapped.
His eyes flicked over her again, how she stiffened when the crowd pressed too close, how she kept smoothing her ribbon when she was nervous.
Then at Esme, smiling like he already owned the room.
'Too clean. Too perfect. He probably hasn't gotten far with her just yet…'
His gaze lingered on Veronica, who laughed softly at something Esme whispered, her cheeks warm with honest affection.
He exhaled, slow and bored as he pushed off the wall.
'This time, no rushing. Let's see how long loyalty lasts'
The Next Day
The classroom buzzed hotter than usual with Esme and Veronica seated together.
At first, it was just admiration, but it didn't take long before the whispers started.
"Figures she only got in because she's with him"
"Yeah, look at her. Support build, healer type. Dead weight in a Rift!"
"She'll just slow him down"
The giggles carried just loud enough.
Veronica's ribbon twisted tighter between her fingers, her eyes staying low even though her back was straight.
Esme froze mid-conversation, head turning toward the offenders.
He smiled, but it was sharp, not radiant.
"My partner has more strength in her kindness than you could dream of in your petty spite," he said, voice cutting clean.
"Say what you will about me, but speak ill of her again, and I'll personally see you tested against a Rift. Alone."
That shut a few of them up, momentarily.
Then Kain's gum snapped.
The girls turned as his chair creaked back, the weight of his stare landing on them.
"You think healers are dead weight?"
His tone was flat, bored, but carried across the room like a dropped blade.
Silence.
"Without one, half the raids this academy praises would've been body bags instead of victories. You want to laugh at the one person who'll keep your worthless lungs breathing?"
He leaned back again, gum popping, eyes narrowing just enough to make the air feel heavy.
"Seems like most of you forgot that I said rushing into a rift without a plan or proper party is certain death"
"Say another word, and I'll personally make sure you need a healer. Then we'll see how dead weight she feels"
The whispers died instantly.
Some faces went pale.
Others quickly busied themselves with notes.
Veronica blinked, stunned, her breath caught halfway between fear and relief.
Esme gave a short nod toward Kain, not smiling this time, just acknowledging.
Kain looked back out the window like nothing had happened.
And no one bothered her for the rest of the day, courtesy of Kain's girls.
Night | Veronica's Room
The academy dorms were nothing like her village home.
Sterile walls painted the same shade of cream, narrow windows that let in the city's glow instead of starlight, and a quiet so thin it felt artificial.
No cicadas, no crickets, no familiar night wind slipping through the trees.
Veronica sat at her desk.
The single lamp pooled a soft gold glow over textbooks she wasn't really reading.
Her thoughts kept replaying in the classroom.
Esme's hand was steady on her back, his voice raised, sharp, protective.
He had defended her without hesitation.
Just like he always had, since they were children.
But then there was Kain.
He hadn't spoken like a knight.
No oath, no flourish.
Just plain, heavy words dropped like iron into the room.
"You want to laugh at the one person who'll keep your worthless lungs breathing?"
The memory still sent a shiver down her spine.
He didn't even look at her when he said it.
He wasn't protecting her.
He was correcting everyone else.
And somehow, that cut deeper.
She shook her head, pushing the thought away.
Esme was the one who mattered.
Esme, who believed in her, who walked beside her.
Kain was… well, a classmate.
Dangerous.
(He did basically threaten to put them in a hospital).
Sarcastic.
A shadow she wanted nothing to do with.
Still…
It's like she could almost feel him there, quiet, watching the world like it bored him.
"…Why do you care what he thinks?"
She whispered to herself, tugging her ribbon tighter.
A knock rattled her door.
She jumped, heart skipping.
But it wasn't him.
It was Esme.
His voice carried through the wood, warm and easy as always.
"Veronica? You awake?"
Relief loosened her chest.
"Yes. I'm awake," she called softly, standing to let him in.
The door clicked, and Esme stepped in with that same bright presence that seemed to chase away the dorm's dull air.
He smiled, setting down a book he'd borrowed from the library.
"You looked a little shaken today," he said, voice gentle.
"Don't listen to them. You belong here. With me!"
Her chest warmed.
She smiled and nodded.
"I know. Thank you."
She believed him until the echo of Kain's voice surfaced again.
"Without one, half the raids this academy praises would've been body bags instead of victories"
She shivered, almost angrily brushing the thought aside.
Esme reached for her hand, squeezing it.
"We'll prove them wrong together"
Veronica smiled back.
This time, her answer was steady.
"Together."
But when Esme left an hour later, the silence of Room 315 returned.
And still, somewhere beyond the wall, she thought she heard the faintest scrape of a chair moving in 309.
Meanwhile | An Hour before…
Kain's footsteps echoed down the dorm corridor, the overhead lights buzzing faintly with that low, tired hum.
The academy was quieter at night, save for the occasional laughter from a distant common room or the shuffle of someone sneaking back after curfew.
His room waited for him like it always did.
He turned the key and pushed the door open.
They always did, sliding across the walls as if checking the corners for him.
The door shut with a soft click.
For a moment, it was ordinary, his jacket draped over the chair where he'd left it, the faint glow of the city creeping through his window, the smell of smoke still lingering from earlier.
Then he saw Lupa.
Not in her usual wild leathers, not the fierce huntress who followed him like a loyal wolf.
No.
She was dressed in a maid's costume.
A frilly black-and-white thing that clung tight in places it had no business clinging, skirt cut scandalously short, lace choker snug at her throat.
Her silver hair spilled down her back, her fox ears twitching eagerly atop her head.
And those eyes, heart-shaped pupils blown wide, fixed entirely on him with a hunger that was nothing short of worship.
"Kain…" she breathed, her lips curling into a lewd little smile, voice husky with barely restrained excitement.
She wasn't just waiting.
She was presenting herself.
"You know what you're wearing, right?"
He muttered, though his tone was flat, dry, like this was just another Tuesday.
But his eyes lingered, just a little too long, on the frills clinging to her chest, the stockings hugging her thighs, the way her tail swished nervously as if begging for approval.
Lupa only giggled, the sound low and dangerous.
"Uniform… Master~~"
She tilted her head, sharp canines flashing, eyes never leaving his.
"Do you like it?"
Kain didn't answer; he merely ripped off his clothes.
His cock was already hard and ready to breed.
He walked over to his bed and sat as he patted his lap.
"Oh?"
Lupa sauntered over, her hips swaying seductively with each step.
She licked her lips in anticipation.
Reaching him, she gracefully lowered herself onto his lap, straddling his thighs.
Her skirt rode up, exposing more of her creamy skin and the lacy tops of her thigh-high stockings.
She draped her arms around his neck, her ample bosom pressing against his bare chest as she leaned in close.
Her warm breath tickled his ear when she whispered, "I thought you might like seeing me in a cute little maid outfit, eager to serve... and please you in any way you desire~"
She punctuated her words by rolling her hips, grinding her panty-covered mound against the rigid length of Kain's cock.
She could feel it throbbing beneath her, hot and hard, and it made her own arousal spike.
Her fluffy tail curled around his waist as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent.
"K-kiss me Masterrr~~"
Kain gripped Lupa's hips tightly, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her ass as he pulled her harder against his throbbing cock.
He captured her lips in a bruising, dominating kiss, his tongue invading her mouth to claim every inch of it.
He bit at her lower lip hard enough to leave a mark before breaking away.
"Strip," he commanded gruffly, his voice heavy with lust.
His hands slid up her sides, pushing the frilly top of her maid uniform down to expose her heaving breasts.
He roughly palmed the soft mounds, thumbing her stiff nipples through the thin fabric.
Lupa shivered at his touch, her nipples hardening further under his ministrations.
She reached back to unclasp her top, letting it fall away to bare her perfect breasts to his hungry gaze.
Her skin seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.
She squirmed on his lap, feeling his thick cock throbbing insistently against her soaked panties.
"Please, Master, touch me more~~"
Kain obliged her pleading, his hands engulfing her freed breasts.
He squeezed the soft, pliant flesh roughly, kneading and shaping it to his will.
His thumbs and forefingers pinched and rolled her sensitive nipples, sending jolts of pleasure straight to her core.
"That's it, moan for me like the needy little slut you are," he growled, watching her face contort with lust.
One hand left her breast to trail down her taut stomach, slipping beneath the hem of her scandalously short skirt.
He pushed her soaked panties aside to run a finger through her dripping slit, groaning at the wetness he found.
"Fuck, you're absolutely drenched, Lupa. Your greedy little cunt is so hungry for my cock, isn't it?"
He circled her clit with the pad of his finger, making her hips buck involuntarily.
He captured her mouth again, swallowing her cries as he pumped two fingers deep into her tight channel, curling them to rub that sensitive spot inside her.
Lupa's inner walls clenched desperately around the invading digits, trying to pull him in deeper.
Kain pistoned them in and out of her needy cunt, fucking her with his fingers while his thumb continued to circle and press on her throbbing clit.
His other hand slid up to wrap around her throat, applying just the slightest pressure as he held her in place for his dominating kiss.
He broke away, leaving Lupa panting and wanting.
With a wicked grin, Kain suddenly stood, letting her fall back onto the bed.
He made quick work of removing the rest of her maid uniform.
His massive, thick cock was already leaking with pre-cum.
"On your hands and knees, now," he barked.
"Show me that ass and present your hungry holes to me like the bitch in heat you are"
Lupa scrambled to obey, flipping over and lifting her hips to stick her ass in the air.
Her fluffy tail lifted, exposing her dripping pussy and tight pink asshole to Kain's hungry gaze.
She looked back at him over her shoulder with lust-glazed eyes, biting her plump lower lip in a lewd invitation.
"Like this, Master? I've presented myself for you, all ready and eager to be bred like a bitch in heat," she purred, reaching back to spread her ass cheeks wider, giving him an even better view of her most intimate places.
"Please, shove that big, thick cock deep inside me. Claim your kitsune slut and fill me with your hot, virile seed~"
Kain growled at the erotic sight, giving his cock a few pumps as he moved into position behind her.
He rubbed the swollen head up and down her wet slit, coating it in her arousal before notching it at her entrance.
With one hard, powerful thrust, he buried himself balls-deep in Lupa's tight cunt, stretching her walls deliciously around his thick girth.
"Fuck yes, take that cock you desperate little whore!"
He set a brutal pace, pounding into Lupa's eager cunt with deep, forceful strokes.
The obscene sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mixed with Lupa's moans and Kain's grunts of pleasure.
He gripped her hips hard enough to leave bruises, pulling her back onto his cock with each powerful thrust.
"Your hungry little pussy feels so fucking good squeezing my dick," he snarled, reaching forward to fist a hand in her silvery hair, yanking her head back.
"I'm going to pump you full of so much cum, you'll be dripping for days"
Lupa could only moan in ecstasy, her tongue lolling out as she pushed her hips back to meet his relentless thrusts.
Her ears twitched and her tail stood straight up, betraying her intense arousal.
The feeling of Kain's thick cock stirring up her insides, hitting that perfect spot inside her, was driving her wild with lust.
"Y-Yes, Master! Ruin me, make me your personal cock sleeve!"
Kain's balls slapped against Lupa's engorged clit with each savage thrust, the added stimulation pushing her closer to the edge.
He could feel her velvety walls starting to flutter around his pistoning cock, knowing she was getting close.
"Gonna cum on this dick like a good little slut?" he panted harshly, hammering into her even harder.
"Do it. Fucking soak my cock with your slutty juices as I fill this cunt with my seed!"
Lupa keened loudly, her body tensing as her orgasm crashed over her.
Her pussy clamped down on Kain's cock like a vice, rippling and gushing around the thick shaft, plowing into her.
"MASTER.. NHHHHGH AH!"
She screamed, seeing stars as the intense pleasure consumed her.
Her tail wrapped around Kain's waist, holding him deep as she shook and convulsed through her climax.
The feeling of Lupa's cunt milking his cock pushed Kain over the edge as well.
With a guttural roar, he slammed into Lupa one last time, burying his cock to the hilt as thick ropes of hot, virile cum began to erupt from the tip.
His hips jerked erratically, each spurt painting Lupa's insides white as he pumped what felt like an endless stream of seed into her hungry womb.
"Fuck, take it all you cock-hungry slut!" he grunted, grinding against her ass, making sure every last drop took root deep inside her body.
Lupa could only moan weakly, her cunt milking Kain's pulsing cock for every drop, her own juices mixing with his abundant release.
She could feel the obscene amount of cum sloshing inside her, some of it already beginning to leak out around his softening shaft.
Panting, Kain released his grip on Lupa's hair and hips, both hands moving to grope and squeeze the plush globes of her ass.
He gave the reddened flesh a few playful slaps, watching it jiggle enticingly.
"Such an obedient little cock warmer, so good at milking me dry, was it good?"
Lupa did her best to answer back.
"Mnhh~~"
Kain let out a chuckle as he got off his bed.
He picked up Lupa and gave her a quick clean before he laid her back comfortably.
A few minutes later…
Kain sat by his desk, his white button-up shirt was left loose, and he wore his black shorts, which he wanted to be comfortable in.
He heard Lupa let out a low sigh, indicating that she was just waking up.
He placed his book down and sat at the edge of the bed.
Lupa sat up, the sheets covering her, yet not hiding her blush well enough.
"Kain…"
He immediately burst out laughing as he patted her head.
"What made you want to do the Master-Server act?"
Her ear curled up; she was clearly getting flustered.
"Ruby said that you like this sort of act… is it not true?"
Kain laughed again as he planted a kiss on her forehead.
"No, she's right, I do like this sort of thing, wasn't too rough, was I?"
She shook her head.
"You were perfect…"
"Glad to hear that, haha," he caressed her cheek.
"Kain?"
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
Kain froze mid-laugh, glancing toward the door.
Nobody ever came to his room this late, not unless it was one of his own girls.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighing.
"…The hell?"
Another knock, softer this time.
Then a voice, muffled through the door.
"Kain? …It's Veronica…"
That got his attention.
His eyes slid back toward the bed.
Lupa sat there, sheets clutched to her chest, still pink-cheeked from before.
Her silver ears twitched curiously.
Kain stared at her for a beat, then pointed toward the window.
"…Think you can make the climb again?"
She grinned, tail wagging lazily behind her.
"Always~~"
Before he could stop her, she had already swung herself off the bed, padding barefoot across the floor.
With one last teasing look over her shoulder, she slipped the window open, balancing on the ledge like it was nothing.
Kain muttered under his breath.
"Crazy fox…"
Lupa giggled, then was gone, melting into the night as easily as shadow.
The room fell quiet again.
Another knock.
"Kain?"
This time, her voice wavered.
Kain dragged a hand down his face and walked towards his door, shirt still wide open.
He pulled the door open, slow and careful.
Veronica stood there in the hall, barefoot, her auburn hair falling loose without the ribbon she always wore.
Her breathing was uneven, and she clutched her book against her chest like a ward.
Her eyes flicked up to his, then away, down the corridor, as if embarrassed to even be standing here.
"…Sorry," she whispered, voice trembling.
"I… I thought I heard someone cry. From your room…"
Kain leaned against the doorframe, brow arching.
His face gave nothing away, but inside, his thoughts sharpened.
A cry?
…She must have heard Lupa's moan but did not understand what it was.
He let out a quiet, humorless chuckle, raking a hand through his white hair.
"A cry, huh? You sure you weren't just imagining it?"
Her brows knit.
"No. I heard it. I was with Esme, but… I couldn't just ignore it"
She hugged the book tighter, forcing herself to meet his eyes.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay"
The way she said it, gentle, earnest, it wasn't the academy's usual kind of politeness.
It was real.
Just like Alyssa and Yani.
Naive but kind.
Kain studied her for a long, silent moment.
He could've brushed her off… but where's the fun in that?
He stepped back from the door.
"…You'd come knocking on a guy's door in the middle of the night over something like that?"
Her lips pressed into a small, determined smile.
"…I don't care. If you were hurting, I'd rather look like a fool than walk away"
Kain's chest tightened, just slightly.
He masked it with a scoff, jerking his head toward the room.
"…Fine. Get in before someone sees you"
Veronica slipped inside quickly, bare feet whispering across the floor.
The faint scent of smoke lingered in the room, the window still half-open from Lupa's escape.
Veronica's eyes lingered on the bare desk, the chair half-pushed in, the way the window rattled faintly with the night wind.
"…Your room feels… lonely," she said softly, almost regretfully.
Kain closed the door, leaned his back against it, and crossed his arms, licking his lips without her noticing.
'So… she wants to play the role of a caretaker… By all means care for me Hahaha…'