Akira took his things, both with his phone, and followed a path down the stairs. By far, the apartment where he lived was not cheap. Ryoto these days was becoming expensive—especially when you didn't know how to make money every day and such.
It was a three-floor building, and he lived on the second one—for half a year now, ever since the last dispute with his father. He'd started living on his own when he turned seventeen. He left his family's house back in Tokyo and moved to Ryoto to begin his studies at Ryoto International University—since he was lucky enough to pass the first exams.
Today was September 1, and it was Akira's second physical visit to RIU (aside from the multiple ones in the Dreamscape). Merlina's voice could not stop yelling in his head. He said his goodbyes to an old woman named Miss Mariko, the receptionist on the first floor, left his keys, and hurried to get out of the building.
Miss Mariko: "Good luck on your first day, Master Yamauchi!"
Her voice stopped him right before he stepped out of the entrance. Akira looked back at her, politely smiled, waved at her—then almost died from embarrassment... Some people, even after he'd moved to Ryoto, still knew that Akira was the son of a big and influential man called Todo Yamauchi.
Ryoto, in time, became a major hub for foreigners visiting Japan for the first time. It was located on the far eastern side of the country.
Merlina's voice continued to ring in Akira's head instead of a phone alarm.
Merlina: "Aye, freshman! Are you certain you have all that we require?"
Akira: "I got all of it, stop torturing me already!"
Akira shook his slim document case and started walking.
Merlina's annoying behaviour forced Akira to speak to her using his voice instead of his mind. For that purpose, he had to wear a wireless earphone to not look crazy to other people around. Merlina couldn't exist in the material world, but if she was connected to Akira's mind in the Dreamscape, he could hear her voice and see her by closing his eyes.
She declared.
Merlina: "None shall mar our first day in the halls of study!"
Akira: "You need to calm down, Merlina... Gods have mercy."
Akira looked at the big screen on the other side of the street. A reporter relayed the latest city news and happenings. The road around the street was easily confusing, like a round maze. But since it wasn't his first time setting foot on the streets of Ryoto... he remembered the route to the metro station, bypassed the buildings northeast of the square, and used the crosswalk on his left. Next to the pedestrian crossing, there was a building with a sign hanging on it. It was the sign of the cafe called Black Dog—also nicknamed Barghest.
Merlina: "I abhor this place!"
Akira: "You're not even an actual cat. How can you hate things that have nothing to do with the Dreamscape?"
Merlina: "Hark, little one, for I—unlike thee—possess a keen intuition. And when I declare certain locales to be ill-favored, so it shall be! Do you understand?"
Akira: "You're exaggerating..."
Merlina: "I tell you, it is cursed! You tarry there too long. 'Tis almost like you're being charmed or obsessed by this very place. I am sure this wench, Maria, has gotten her claws upon you, boya."
Akira: "You're surely overacting. Am I forbidden to have free time now? Also, can you finally drop that old-fashioned way of talking?"
Merlina nodded inside his mind.
Merlina: "The thing is... I think a witch is hiding among the staff of this café of yours. Since I can't reach you while you disconnect me from your mind, I can't tell which one among the people there is the one! We need to visit it together."
Akira: "A witch, huh? I hope you're not smoking anything over there, Sensei, I'm feeling a bit worried about you!"
He added the last part while smiling like a crocodile and thought.
Akira's Mind: "Right after the crosswalk, and down the road, to the metro station, then."
Akira walked down toward the station, where sunlight gave way to blue flickering lights and damp grey walls. The tiles, once navy, were cracked and fading, the air filled with dust, and the distant hum of trains. Old vending machines stood under faded festival posters, humming quietly in the quiet. This was the lower east entrance of Ryoto Station.
Occasionally, among the people moving in and out, a fancy-looking beggar around the underground station drew Akira's attention. Everybody around this place knew this guy's name. Funny how you even called this man a beggar, because—it was Ota "The Ossan", an ex-official of Ryoto who had gone mad. Or at least, that's what people said about him. Once a well-behaved official of the city—now the man was dressed in rags with holes, and even Ota's bamboo hat had two or three of them—holes.
The truth behind this beggar man appearance was that—whatever people said about him—the man was not mad. And definitely was not an ordinary person. He was Ars Goetian, same as Akira. And like two people who share the same shady trade—they didn't want to cross one another. At least, not yet... Ota and Akira had never talked before. But a glimpse of each other's eyes was enough to understand what both of them knew—they shared the same talent to enter the Dreamscape.
"Your rights are being taken from you! How can you not see!.."
Ota "the Ossan" started his preaching early today.
Ota "the Ossan": "Do you believe someone will save you from this crisis? Our country and the world are DOOMED!"
Merlina: "That was the most cliché preaching I've ever heard in my entire life—do you have nothing better to do, Ranger?"
Ota "the Ossan" looked right at Akira—or to be more accurate—right through him, like he was trying to look at Merlina.
Ota "the Ossan": "Do you?"
His thoughts lightning-fast reached Akira's mind. Ota had never spoken to him before, and their first contact, surprisingly, was through Merlina. After all, it was not Akira who started this conversation...
Ota changed his face like nothing had happened and talked directly to Akira as he got close to him.
Ota "the Ossan": "Oh... Mr Yamauchi's son—are you going to be—our last hope?"
He kneeled and raised his hands toward Akira. Certainly to draw attention.
Random people who passed by started to stare at Akira's face. Todo Yamauchi's name had been in the news a lot lately. It wasn't that the family name Yamauchi was super important to everyone—but since the man was running for prime minister, it had to draw some kind of attention.
People even started to take photos of Akira and Ota standing next to each other.
Akira took a heavy sigh.
Akira: "Surely I'm not that Yamauchi, Mister Nishioka..."
He took 1000 yen from his pocket and placed it in Ota's hand.
Ota the Ossan: "A bribe!..."
His voice was so loud that he choked a little, then continued with a different intonation.
Ota the Ossan: "...I mean... thank you, kind sir! You're the pinnacle of our society! Young and kind men are a rare sight today, as you can see!"
He pointed his palm at the people walking around, not paying him attention.
He winked.
Ota the Ossan: "...And I greatly appreciate your donation."
He winked again, this time with both eyes.
Ota the Ossan: "I hope we will meet again someday, young man."
He stood, adjusted his bamboo hat, and walked in the opposite direction from Akira, continuing to preach loudly.
Ota the Ossan: "Heaven abandoned us, I tell you! Our only hope is to find the key to open one another's soul, I say! We must be united, not divided, I say!"
Merlina: "Here he goes... Anyway—Are we going or not? Make haste, my pupil!"
Akira: "I wonder how I could hear Ota's voice inside of my head... forget it. Let's go."
Merlina's voice took on a cartoonishly wise tone.
Merlina: "He's strong, Ars Goetian, Akira boya. Best be clever and not cross him, lad."
Unexpectedly, not that many people had gathered at the station. Unexpected enough to breathe, at least, while people tried to crush one another entering the train.
While moving to his destination, Akira again tried to recall why Mr Nishioka got fired—was it a corruption case or something else? Two years ago, Nishioka had opposed his father's party members and ended up being accused of some fabricated deal. He was compelled to invent a story about his madness. Obviously, to protect his family. Akira's father always enjoyed crushing his opponents, and Ota's downfall even made him feel satisfied enough to not pressure poor Nishioka further through his allies.
Akira's Mind: "Old man not making anyone's life easy, it seems..."
Merlina: "That's the main reason why you have to be stronger than him—for upcoming events both in reality and in Dreamscape. Your father's power isn't going to become any lesser. If you fight him now, you will certainly fail. Yet you've got time to prepare yourself... and you have me, of course."
She smiled inside his mind.
Akira's Mind: "How am I supposed to prepare? I need to sharpen my sword skills in reality, as well as do my job at the motorcycle workshop to get money, and now I even need to study A LOT. It is physically impossible!"
Merlina: "Aren't you a bit too pessimistic, my pupil? Yeah, everything is not sugar for us now—but I believe it gets better!"
As they finally reached the station that led to Ryoto International University, Akira left the train and took the stairs up. The first structures around RIU were not far away.
He found himself on a street lined with tall buildings on both sides. On the left was a corner with a monument Akira had seen before—in the Dreamscape, though there it had seemed chaotic and unstable. This monument was a gray marble triangle, low enough to sit on, with a statue of a woman holding a sword just behind it. In the middle of the triangle, plants and flowers grew.
Akira had no clue what the statue symbolized, but it was beautiful—like in a dream. A cute European-looking girl with blond hair sat there among the flowers, reading a book with a red cover, and a small black briefcase lay leaning on her.
"Cleo."
The name struck him out of nowhere. He staggered as the world spun, and a vision flooded his mind—a chaotic dark purple mist revealing a young man holding a large shining sword. The sword gleamed so brightly that Akira blinked rapidly, as if it weren't just a vision. The boy looked like a prince or king, if one could become king at such a young age, and the sword looked like a European one from the Middle Ages. Something majestic radiated from it.
The girl wet her finger with her tongue and turned the page.
As Akira struggled to shake off the vision, a group of students approached, almost pushing him aside. They headed toward the university but stopped just before the girl, who paid no attention to them. She only looked up when a tall guy came uncomfortably close, breaking every known law of personal space.
Unknown student: "Hello there, Williams. How do you like visiting Japan? Isn't it great that we get to go to this prominent place together?"
He pointed toward the RIU.
Unknown student: "This city's a bit shabby for my taste..."
He spoke English, not Japanese, so most people nearby couldn't understand him.
Cleo: "Can I help you somehow, Naughton?"
Akira was stunned again by how much the boy from his vision resembled this girl. Everything about her screamed nobility and grace. She wore the same RIU black uniform with a white shirt beneath it, and a long skirt of the same colours. Her legs were crossed right from the start. The same was about the boys surrounding her, dressed as if they were already part of the RIU, in black male uniforms. Sid's hair was unusually dark ginger, with a few sparse freckles on his face.
The tall guy laughed and turned to his friends.
Naughton: "You know, I still remember when you said I was stupid!"
He pointed again at the RIU building with his big finger.
Naughton: "Seems I wasn't THAT stupid after all, Williams."
She tried to stay polite.
Cleo: "Surely you misunderstood me, Sid. I hope we'll be good coursemates in the future—if fate will be cruel enough to bring us together again..."
Naughton looked pissed.
Sid Naughton: "Look... you..."
He grabbed her book. Clearly, the boy was not himself. As an Ars Goetian, Akira felt something was deeply wrong with him and the young people standing beside him. Five students surrounded the girl like a bunch of jackals, and their leader made the situation unbearable.
Merlina: "I can't imagine a better moment when we need a knight in shining armour, my boy!"
Akira: "First of all, you don't have a head. Secondly, I..."
Sid turned sharply.
Sid: "You were saying something?"
He kept speaking English.
Sid probably couldn't understand Akira's Japanese, but sometimes people don't need to understand the language to catch the tone.
Akira spoke Japanese.
Akira: "Look, I don't understand you and don't want trouble. Just return the book to her."
Merlina was giggling in his head again, as it was a funny show to watch. Akira pointed his finger first at the tall student, then at the book, and then at the girl. It almost looked like Aborigines were communicating with each other for the first time; that's how funny it was to observe.
Sid appeared bored, idly shaking the book in his hand.
Sid: "So, dolt... You want me to return the book to Miss Williams, eh? Maybe I should just throw it away, how goes it?"
Sid tried to toss the book, but Akira and Cleo moved in perfect sync. Cleo stood up; Akira moved toward Sid. But no one expected what would come next.
Since childhood, Akira had loved swordsmanship, had trained in kendo schools, and was an agile self-learner. Not like he is now - an absolute killing machine for this kind of situation, but he'll manage.
Merlina: "...NOT LIKE THIS!"
Her scream was too real to be just a voice in his head. Akira used his resource in Dreamscape called "Bravery" and kicked Sid hard in the nuts. Sid collapsed, book still in hand.
Merlina: "Praise Allah, what have you done to the poor boy?"
Cleo, standing close by, opened her mouth wide, then covered it with her hand, suddenly aware of her own rudeness.
"It is better to keep something simple, rather than complicated," - that was the life creed of Akira Yamauchi.
Merlina: "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HER LIKE A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR—NOT KNOCK SOME SIMPLETON DOWN LIKE THIS! WHAT A DISASTROUS WAY TO START OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS LADY. ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY!"
Sid made a squeaking noise but clearly couldn't get up. His friends dragged him away, not daring to face Akira instead. Like a steel railing no one asked for, he stood there, taller than any of them. Their instincts and survivability keep telling them that—this fight they could not win.
Akira grabbed Cleo's book from his fallen foe.
Merlina: "A fallen foe? That's what we call it now, huh?"
Merlina was clearly disappointed.
Merlina: "A fallen foe! Yes! Praise the gods!"
Long story short, Akira returned the book to Cleo.
Cleo stood with a hand over her mouth.
Cleo: "Thank you kindly."
She spoke in Japanese, cuter than he expected.
Cleo: "Have we met before?"
Merlina: "Funny question—our knight in shining armour running around the streets, kicking people in their important places, that's all... A true hero!"
Cleo couldn't hear Merlina, but the cat's mumbling echoed in Akira's head.
Akira: "No, I don't think we ever met."
Cleo looked at Sid as if he were a crushed cockroach, then back at Akira.
Cleo: "My name is Cleo Williams, from New Zealand. Happy to meet you!"
She sounded polite with her beaming smile, she looked like a noble queen talking to the peasant who saved her from an ogre. Sid wasn't an ogre, and she wasn't a queen—yet.
Merlina: "BUT Akira SURELY WAS A BARBARIC PEASANT!"
Still, something told Akira that Cleo's noble stance came from birth.
Cleo: "Say, friend, are you going to RIU too? Can we go there together?"
She gently took his hand, inviting him to walk with her toward the university. Strange how light seemed to follow her, leaving a golden trail in the morning sun.
Almost at RIU, Cleo suddenly stopped, releasing his hand.
Cleo: "I completely forgot that I was late. I opened this book called Soul Blazer and got absorbed by reading it! Do you like to read books, umm?"
As they advanced toward the same road, he faced her.
Akira: "My name's Akira."
He gave just his first name.
Cleo: "Just - Akira? I mean no disrespect, Mister Akira, but can I ask your full name? I hope it is not rude to ask?"
Akira felt embarrassed again, twice or thrice today.
Merlina: "Serves you right, kick master. He-he!"
Akira shrugged and gave his full name.
Akira: "Akira Yamauchi. Nice to meet you, Miss Williams. Hope you like it here."
He was brave earlier, but now stumbled over his words.
Cleo: "Me too, Mister Yamauchi! Strange, your family name sounds familiar... Where did I hear it?"
Akira's Mind: "She's lost in thought... And praise the Dukes and Kings of the Dreamscape, she doesn't know who my father is. Saved..."
Cleo: "I am sorry again for what happened, even if the conflict was started not by me, you were involved nonetheless, and I apologize on behalf of Sid as well!"
In a competition of sincere apologies for things not done, Cleo was the clear winner for today.
Akira: "How's your book?"
Cleo: "I think it'll be fine—he tore a piece of it."
She tried to open it to analyze the damage.
After a moment, she put a book with a red cover back in her briefcase.
Cleo: "I've already read more than half!"
She briefly smiled at him; he returned the gesture, waving towards the university.
Akira: "We should hurry. The announcement starts soon..."
Cleo: "Yeah, you're right. Can we go together? Am I not bothering you, Mister Yamauchi?"
Merlina: "Like she could bother anyone... SHE'S AN ANGEL!"
Akira: "Sure, after you."
He again pointed toward RIU, and they melted into the crowd at the amber gates.
The Ryoto International University stood tall, made of red bricks, flaunting a central tower proudly displaying the university's name. Their architectural design included arched windows and a section of glass roofing. All around were well-maintained lawns, fountains, trees, and pathways snaking through the campus.
Akira and Cleo passed the gates with other students close by. She kept talking about the book while he couldn't accept that her eyes were golden yellow.
Merlina: "She's not ordinary. I feel a spiritual kinship with her. If so, the Dreamscape could consume her. We'll need to protect her until she can use her powers there."
Akira's Mind: "Let's hope it's not gonna happen. I got a strange vision when I first saw her at the monument."
Merlina: "You don't say—I saw it too, Prince Arthur. How long has it been..."
Akira: "Who?"
Merlina: "Hash now! She listens to you, you know?"
Cleo startled, looking amazed.
Cleo: "Who was who—the Merak?"
Akira was distracted. His conversation with Merlina took all his attention.
Akira: "...You mean a character from the book? We're talking about the book, right?"
Merlina: "Disaster..."
Akira's Mind: "Shut it! Whose fault was that?"
Cleo: "Yes, but you're asking about who, and I was curious, which character are you asking about?"
Merlina: "This is getting us nowhere! Say anything—SHE'S GOT A PRETTY FACE, SOMETHING ABOUT HER EYES, ANYTHING!!!"
Akira: "Nice weather today, by the way."
He forced a smile like he was a fox who just been shot.
Merlina: "Fiasco..."
Akira closed his eyes briefly, shooting Merlina a death stare.
Cleo: "...Yes, you're right. I forgot about the pleasant breeze this morning..."
Akira's Mind: "Saved..."
Merlina was laughing silently.
Cleo seemed meditative, switching topics smoothly. She wasn't ignoring Akira but seemed both here and far away. A unique person.
Behind them, Naughton's gang dragged him away.
Akira again felt a presence. A short person with a shaved, tattooed head walked nearby. Akira could be crazy, but many saw a Buddhist monk in an RIU uniform among the students. Shockingly, no one noticed him. The monk was small, almost childlike, and appeared tough at the same time. He gave Akira a passing glance, then moved on like nothing was there.
Akira's Mind: "What are followers of Buddha doing here?"
"Zhenzhen."
He felt a push in his chest that stopped him.
Cleo: "Mister Yamauchi, are you all right?"
Akira saw a giant firebird in another vision, heavier than before.
Akira's Mind: "Merlina... is he... another one? Why are they all here?"
Merlina: "I'd like to know... That child was hostile, and I don't know why, Akira boya."
Akira: "Lovely..."
He barked it under his breath like a wolf about to jump into icy water.
Merlina: "Tsk... Return to us, freshman! You're making her worry. Look..."
A worried Cleo attempted to make eye contact with Akira.
Cleo: "What's lovely? Because of what happened? I'm sorry I..."
It wasn't her fault, but another apology made Akira feel worse.
Akira: "I'm fine, Cleo, I'm still sleepy, that's all..."
Her naivety knew no bounds.
Cleo: "You call me by my name?"
Akira tried to recover.
Akira: "Ah... Sorry, we are not too close for me to call you by your name, I..."
Cleo: "It's fine. You don't need permission—you can call me that anytime."
Akira: "Miss Cleo..."
He tried to focus.
Akira: "Sorry for before. I hope I didn't scare you. The ceremony and announcement start soon, so I need to get to the teacher's cabinet..."
He lied. Cleo looked confused as he left.
Akira entered RIU through the front door and walked away.
Akira: "Merlina... something's not right."
Merlina: "Yes, I know. But what do we do now, Akira-boy? Until we go to the Dreamscape again, it's a mystery or coincidence that we met four people who can enter where..."
Akira: "I don't get it. I realized Nishioka wasn't our enemy, but what about this monk? If he slaps me just by looking..."
Merlina: "Akira-boy, it wasn't an ordinary slap. First, finish real-world business, then we'll figure something out..."
Akira: "Talking to you is useless anyway, cat."
"Is someone there?"
An old man's voice echoed through the obsidian-hued marble hall with columns nearby, where Akira tried to hide.
It was one of the RIU principals.
His eyes narrowed as he tried to see someone far away. He may have heard Akira, but didn't see him.
"Mister Anastas, you're going to be late."
Akira felt another presence.
"Misty."
A young woman approached. Akira quickly hid behind a big plant.
Mister Anastas turned back to face Mia. He was a grey-haired, hunched old man.
Mister Anastas: "Oh, Mia, I'm going to be late again. The ceremony starts now!"
Mia raised her palm.
Mia Walker: "Whose fault is that, professor? I came to get you."
Mister Anastas: "But I heard someone screaming right here and now, and I think there is a man behind this giant cactus..."
Mia: "It's a palm tree, professor, not a cactus. We don't have time for this."
Mister Anastas: "Yes, but..."
Mia let out a heavy sigh.
Mia Walker: "You go, professor—I'll check what's behind that cactus of yours."
Mister Anastas: "Alright, alright, I'll go! But be careful, Mia—maybe it's one of those pranksters I keep hearing about..."
She gently tried to take him away from the marble hall.
Mia Walker: "You watch too much TV, professor. Maybe that's why your eyesight's so bad."
She took a deep breath.
Principal Anastas slowly began to move away.
Instead of waiting, Akira took an alternate route to the General Assembly Hall to escape.
As he vanished, Mia narrowed her eyes, recognising him by the way he walked.
Mia Walker: "Yamauchi..."
Merlina: "Don't look at me like that! I'm telling you, it has to be a coincidence..."
Akira's Mind: "I'm tired of these games already. At least this vision didn't slap me like a truck this time... I knew who she was—Mia Walker, daughter of the Vice-Chancellor. I wonder what she was doing there..."
Merlina: "At least we were quick enough to escape. You're the one who lost his temper this time!"
Akira: "And whose fault is that?"
Cleo: "Mister Yamauchi!"
Akira and Cleo Williams, surrounded by a sizeable crowd of people, met each other again right before the open, towering, black double doors resembling the gates of hell. To Akira's surprise, even if they only met today, he was genuinely happy to see her again. He'd worried she'd find him strange and keep her distance. But lucky for him, like Merlina said, she was an angel.
Cleo: "Mister Yamauchi—are you all right?"
Akira dodged one student after another. It was hard to speak, standing there. With a gesture, he showed Cleo that they should enter the Assembly Hall, passing the scurrying crowd of people.
Cleo: "I thought something terrible happened. Are you feeling unwell? Maybe we should find a doctor and—"
Akira was already tired of dying inside five or six times today. Even Merlina had stopped making jokes and was now just quietly watching him like some rare, endangered animal.
He faced her with a crooked smile, like he was in pain.
Akira: "Sadly, we don't have the luxury to go anywhere. The ceremony and the Vice-Chancellor's speech are about to start. They're going to announce this year's educational program..."
Cleo: "You're right, but—"
Akira looked directly into her golden eyes.
Akira: "Everything will be okay, Miss Williams. You need to get to your group, and I need to get to mine. Don't worry about me—I'll try not to fall unconscious."
Cleo: "I'll make sure that doesn't happen! I'll do as you said, but I hope it won't be rude if I keep an eye on you from afar..."
Merlina: "Forget what I said before—she's not just an angel. She's our archangel now."
They parted ways again, but Cleo kept looking back at him, worried something might happen. Akira gave her a nervous smile and looked away, trying to focus.
September 1st marked the start of their official education. It was the day RIU welcomed its new students with an opening ceremony and announcement. The General Assembly Hall wasn't just some ordinary space—it was a two-floor, square-like chamber with four great columns standing at the corners.
The first floor, the "Great Hall", was a vast pentagon with five large doorways beyond the columns, each leading to different wings. Students were divided by country. Akira found his place among the Japanese group on the left—they still hadn't fully gathered.
The second floor had a simpler design—a balcony running along the interior walls, draped with RIU flags bearing the red emblem on a black field. Akira spotted the Vice-Chancellor and a few others preparing to announce the names of this year's accepted students.
He looked around, expecting another mental strike from some anonymous monk—but he never could have guessed what was about to happen.
His father appeared on the balcony.
Todo "the Warlock" Yamauchi. In the flesh.
He stood beside the Vice-Chancellor, smiling, shaking hands with people standing there, like they were old friends.
More students gathered, and the oxygen in the hall seemed to thin. Akira was losing air.
Akira's Mind: "How is this happening? Why is he here?"
Merlina: "I don't know, Akira-boy. But I think we're about to find out..."
The "Warlock" was Todo's type in the Dreamscape, and only Akira knows him by this title. To say Akira was surprised seeing him here is to say what water was wet.
Akira's Mind: "This won't end well for us, Merlina..."
Merlina: "You can say that again, my young trainee."
Questions swirled in his head, none with answers. Even Merlina's attempts at cheering him failed.
The crowd thickened. The noise grew. Across the hall, Cleo's group of New Zealanders was positioned parallel to his. He noticed now that Cleo was shorter than most, trying to peek from behind taller students, comically hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Meanwhile, he looked pale as death.
Mia Walker stood in the center of the hall, shouting for calm.
Cleo kept jumping.
Todo stepped up to the mic.
Akira's Mind: "What's he going to do? Expel me in public? Humiliate me?"
Todo tapped the microphone.
Todo: "One... Two... One, two, three... Haha!"
Everyone turned.
His voice—deep, smooth, confident—commanded attention. A politician's voice. A warlock's voice. People began to whisper, point, and take photos.
Todo: "If I may have a moment of your time, ladies and gentlemen..."
Girls giggled. Boys straightened their backs.
Todo: "For those who don't know me—allow me to introduce myself..."
He glanced around, as if searching for someone.
Todo: "I am a high official in this country, the founder of the True Sight Party, and a close friend and ally of your Vice-Chancellor—Miss Kaitlyn Walker here."
The pressure in Akira's chest grew heavier.
Todo: "I also happen to be one of the sponsors who helped build what you now call Ryoto International University. And I must say—our money was well spent."
He laughed while everyone was busy with their own affairs.
Todo paused, eyes scanning... and landed near Akira.
Todo: "...Ahem, forgive this old elephant for the delay..."
With every word he spoke, he captured more attention.
Todo: "...As I said, our investment was to shape the future of this country, and the world..."
A student coughed near Akira.
Todo: "I'm here today to present this year's educational program, my friends..."
He smiled widely.
Todo: "It'll be called... The Rules of Nature! Pretty funny name, I must admit...?"
He chuckled. The crowd laughed, though most of them nervously.
Todo: "Don't look at me—I didn't name it!"
As he comically spread his arms, most of the crowd burst into sincere laughter, while some students shifted uncomfortably.
Todo: "...But, do not worry. We're not throwing anyone off cliffs like ancient Spartans. Hahaha!"
His laugh thundered through the hall.
Akira spotted the monk again, among the Chinese student group, beneath their flag. Mia Walker stood nearby, proud and radiant.
Merlina: "I wonder if he's using magic... or if he is just that good."
Todo went on.
Todo: "You all look surprised! That's good. We have something special planned for your first year..."
His gaze honed in on Akira.
Merlina: "Too late to run now..."
Another mental wave hit his chest.
Merlina: "Hold the line, freshman—we can do this."
Akira braced himself.
Merlina: "Okay... I think we're fine. For now."
His father's presence loomed heavier than before. Others weren't paying attention to Akira's condition. A girl was arguing with a principal. A tall guy with bleached hair and dark skin leaned against a pillar not far away from the group of students from the U.S.
Akira: "I think some of these people here... They are just like me... An Ars Goetians..."
He fell to his knees.
Merlina: "Phew... Shaitan, don't give up, Akira-boy."
He closed his eyes, just to see her in her white cat form, glaring at him closely.
Merlina: "Still with me?"
Akira was on his knees. Few people stared, but he faked tying his laces.
Todo glanced at him with narrowed eyes, but didn't react.
Todo: "...Top-performing students—academics, clubs, sports—will receive a special reward. You'll be split into four groups, then two. The winners stay. The losers... leave. Forever."
"Shocking"
People began to boast.
"But I pay for this!"
"This is some sort of sick joke!"
The crowd began to shout, some of them angry, some of them annoyed.
"Let go of me, you brute!"
A girl arguing with the principal nearby grew louder, drawing Akira's attention. He turned to see her among a group of Ukrainian students.
The Girl: "Are you DEAF?! Who tells you, you can grab people like that, in the middle of the day?.."
Folks around have already summarized that the program of this "university" will be straightforward like a tournament game, aside from the fact that people who are going to be removed from this facility forever will gain nothing in return. As Todo's speech continued, Akira got a grip on himself and moved toward the teacher, who was forcefully holding the hand of a girl. Akira caught a vision once again. A flaming figure towered directly behind the old professor, who held the girl, clearly possessed by the 'Duke,' a demon of the Dreamscape.
Despite his age, the principal was unlike Mister Anastas in many ways. Akira knew this one himself, his name was Yagawa Kikuchi, a 54-year-old man. He was adequate, with his devils in his head maybe, but now he was definitely under the control of some other entity at the moment.
...And the girl he held was - Liza Pavlenko - a waitress from the "Barghest" cafe, which he mentioned earlier. Akira met Liza at the entry exam procedure, as they sat together in the same audience.
Akira moved toward the teacher and Liza. Students around them started to form some sort of arena space, to see what this was about and what would happen next.
Merlina: "A witch! She is the one, I know that..!"
Akira's Mind: "What?!"
Liza looked for help, her eyes widening as they met Akira's.
Liza: "Senpai! Oh... Let go of me, you baboon!—"
After she looked at Akira, she again turned to the obsessed teacher. She continued trying to free herself from his clutches.
Akira's Mind: "I told her before to stop calling me Senpai..."
Akira grasped the teacher's hand, removing it from Liza's, and positioned himself directly in front of her.
He stood there surrounded by people, as some of them recorded this moment on video.
Akira: "Mister Kikuchi - are you feeling unwell? You're not supposed to treat foreigners like that!"
Mister Kikuchi looks angry enough to continue his little fight with Liza, but suddenly, after Akira's presence, he starts to look calmer, but only for a moment.
Merlina: "Look, Akira boya, this one is the bad case, we need to handle him in the Dreamscape today, as soon as possible, I think I can cool that creature behind him down after, and set a trap, but that's all..."
Mister Kikuchi's voice was annoyingly aged and irritated, perfectly suiting the professor.
Mister Kikuchi: "This girl unexpectedly bumped into me while I was standing here."
Meanwhile, Todo stops his speech, turns to Mia Walker's mother, and, handing her a stack of papers, asks her to officially announce the names of those who passed the entry exams.
Kaitlyn Walker: "The list of those who passed our previous tests is..."
Her posture was beyond that of a mere university official—there was something more. Akira could sense it, but his head was already too full with the problems and strange turns the day had thrown at him. Merlina's voice was a constant weight in his mind; she kept talking while people around him were loud, whispering, and moving. His father's voice and Miss Walker's announcements echoed across the hall, spinning his thoughts into a blur. Half the audience looked at him, the other half at Todo and Kaitlyn standing on the balcony.
As Miss Walker read each name, his vision began to fade. He still kept his eyes on Principal Yagawa Kikuchi—afraid the man might grab Liza again. Akira held his ground, standing protectively in front of her.
Luckily, Merlina's influence was enough to settle Kikuchi's mood, for now.
Similar incidents had begun happening all over the country, catching people off guard. Outbursts, confusion, disappearances. Anomalies like these were spreading, reaching deeper, affecting more. And at the centre of it all was one place: the Dreamscape. A realm where dreams no longer stayed dreams. Where something from the material world was starting to break through—unpredictable, unstable, impossible to contain.
Miss Walker kept reading the names of those who passed the exams. And with each unique name, it felt like a gong struck inside Akira's skull. Each unique name carried weight. Each one, a potential Ars Goetian.
"Mia Walker."
"Zhenzhen Mao."
"Igor Blinov."
"Aberash Taylor."
"Lizaveta Pavlenko."
"Akira Yamauchi."
His name came last in the long list of names. Was it just a coincidence, like Merlina said? Or was his father behind all of this again, pulling strings? He didn't know.
What he did know was that he was lying on the cold marble floor, drained—physically and mentally. His strength gave out. And the last thing he saw before everything faded was two silhouettes—Liza and Cleo—trying to reach him, calling his name. Mia Walker was also close by, calling for help and medication, as some other students had passed out with him.
Merlina: "I think I trapped the beast now, freshman, but it'll drain out all of your mental energy. Death is not on our schedule today!"
Akira's Mind: "Very funny, Sensei..."