"All parents are requested to assemble in the gymnasium."
"Repeating: All parents are requested to assemble in the gymnasium."
The announcement crackled over the intercom, and the parents in the classroom looked up together.
The homeroom teacher at the podium seemed prepared. Meeting their gaze, she walked to the front door, opened it with a gentle smile, and said, "Parents, this way please."
Prompted by the teacher, the parents rose without delay and headed for the door.
"Ellen, I'm heading out too."
A fur-covered Wolf-Thiren in a tailored suit stood up, habitually brushing his chest—even though not a speck of dust marred it.
"Alright, Lycaon. Take care on your way."
The girl the Wolf-Thiren had called "Ellen" was slumped over her desk. She weakly raised one hand in response.
"Mind your manners even when off-duty, Ellen."
With that, Lycaon left at an unhurried pace, joining the other parents as they lined up under the teacher's guidance and filed out.
"Got it. So annoying."
Ellen muttered under her breath and reached into her desk drawer to feel around.
But no matter how she searched, her slender fingers brushed over every book in the drawer without touching what she wanted.
Sensing something was off, she pushed back with her toes, sliding her chair a bit, then bent down to peer inside. Left, right—still nothing.
"If you're looking for your lollipop, try looking down. You knocked it to the floor over ten minutes ago."
A lazy voice drifted to Ellen's ears.
She turned toward the sound. It was her deskmate—a handsome boy with a slightly androgynous air. He favored dark clothes that made his complexion look even paler. An umbrella hung by his desk, its handle engraved with the characters "Kunmutu."
He didn't like socializing. Aside from his name, Phaga, and the fact he was an orphan, Ellen knew nothing about him.
"Thanks."
Ellen thanked him politely, bent to pick up the lollipop, peeled the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth.
Phew. Finally got some sugar. Sitting through a parent meeting without a lollipop—I'd have passed out!
She stretched contentedly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Phaga staring at the job listings in the newspaper.
Curious, Ellen asked, "Looking for a job?"
"Mhm."
Phaga answered, then sighed softly. "The shop I worked at got hit by a Hollow a week ago. The whole street got dragged in.
The owner vanished—probably on the road to rebirth by now. But I don't want to rebirth, so I need a new job."
"Oh, didn't think you had a sense of humor. I figured you were the silent type."
Ellen laid her head back on her arms and stared at Phaga in a daze. The lollipop swirled in her mouth, occasionally clicking against her teeth.
"Thanks for the compliment."
Phaga set down the newspaper covered in listings and said evenly:
"Speaking of humor, you're no slouch. I'm curious—what species would a Wolf-Thiren have to mate with to produce a shark-Thiren?"
He slowly shifted his gaze, studying the long shark tail Ellen rested behind her.
"None of your business."
Ellen muttered through the candy and turned away, a faint wave of fatigue washing through her. Tsk.
One lollipop isn't enough. Should've brought more.
Still, she could probably hold out until school was over.
She reassured herself and slowly closed her eyes.
Sleep a bit. Save some energy.
In a haze, she thought she heard Phaga mutter beside her.
"I really don't want to go to school. Let me go to work early, okay?"
Tsk. Who actually likes work?
A smirk tugged at Ellen's lips as she drifted off...
...
BOOM!
A thunderous crash jolted Ellen awake. Her head snapped up and she sprang from her seat like she'd been shocked.
No one paid her reaction any mind; the rest of the class was even more frantic. Several were already in full-blown panic, frozen like startled birds.
Rustle!
Amid the chaos, the sound of curtains sliding reached Ellen's ears.
She instinctively looked over to see Phaga—who practically never opened the curtains—pulling them aside. He raised one arm to block the sun from his eyes.
"It's the Hollow. It's expanded to here."
Phaga watched the Ethereals slowly crawl up from the ground below the teaching building, his tone calm.
He'd seen them just last week—no way he'd mistake them.
Ellen's eyes widened in surprise. Why was Phaga so composed? This wasn't how a normal student would react!
Before she could ask, Phaga had already let the curtains fall back, irritation stark on his face.
That, Ellen thought, was how a normal person reacted to Ethereals. Phaga was just slower on the uptake.
Then Phaga said...
"Damn this sun. Why is it in the Hollow too? It's driving me nuts. Just explode already!"
Uh... so he hates sunlight?
Ellen was speechless.
What a strange person.
"Ah! Ethereals! It's charging into the classroom building!"
A shriek rang out from the corridor.
Ellen snapped back to full alert. Her demeanor shifted in an instant; her eyes sharpened as she shed "student mode." With a deft step, she burst from the classroom at unbelievable speed.
BANG!
The wooden door exploded into splinters with a crash. Ellen skidded to a halt, her black leather shoes screeching against the floor.
Her expression hardened as her gaze locked onto the Ethereals not far away.
In front of it, a classmate had fallen, and the Ethereal had raised its blade-like forelimbs, gleaming with a cold, sinister light.
"Yaaah!"
The Ethereals screeched and stabbed downward!
A chill swept out with the strike, flooding the classmate with terror. She forgot to run, huddling with her head clutched, trembling, waiting for death to arrive.
At the same moment, another gust roared past from behind. Through narrowed eyes, she glimpsed only a black blur of a tail.
A heavy thud of flesh against mass snapped them back to reality. They frantically looked to the Ethereals that had just attacked.
It had already been sent flying, sliding down the wall as cracks spidered across the plaster.
Ellen now stood where it had been, tall and defiant, looking down on the three new Ethereals emerging from the stairwell.
"Three Ethereals... counting that nearly dead one, that's four."
Ellen rolled her neck, flexed her wrists, and strode forward without concern.
"Finish this quick, then get to the gymnasium to find Lycaon..."
Suddenly, a chill raced up her back, cold dread prickling her spine.
Her combat instincts screamed—an ambush!
Damn, got careless!
Ellen clenched her teeth and drove off her toes, trying to surge forward and slip the Ethereals' sneak attack.
But it was too fast. Going all-in for a killing blow, it hurled itself through the air, leaving her no opening.
Tsk. Can't dodge.
Her mood sank as she braced for impact. Hopefully it won't hit too hard—I can't afford to lose the ability to fight.
Clang!
Her ears twitched. A metallic ring sounded behind her.
No time to look back—four Ethereals were already on her.
"Hah!"
With a sharp cry, Ellen twisted, her tail whipping out. All four Ethereals fell within its arc—one sweeping, lethal strike!
With them down, she finally glanced back. Phaga stood there, umbrella open, sunlight touching none of him.
The Ethereals that had tried to ambush her lay at his feet, already dissolving into motes of light.
Right before it vanished, Ellen clearly saw a flicker of fire on its body.
She frowned slightly and shot Phaga a look.
Not a simple guy at all.
Meanwhile, Phaga was studying Ellen's tail with great focus.
After a long look, he murmured in admiration, "Powerful and agile—practically a third hand. With that, you could even scrub one more dish than anyone else."
Ellen: "..."