Ch 43: Establishing dominance.

Noah entered Ginsei Academy and headed for the basement. Lilith had provided him with several uniforms, and he liked their casual style. He was wearing dark gray pants, a white shirt, and a black vest with two golden buttons at the collar.

He entered the portal room, locking it back behind him, and walked through the circular portal floating slightly above ground.

Now in the basement of the Seventh squad dormitory, he climbed the stairs.

“Oh, Oah!” said Shushu as she waved at him, her words deformed by the toothbrush in her mouth. She was already dressed in her military uniform.

“Hi Shushu.” answered Noah as he smiled slightly and nodded.

Shushu walked back to the washbasin and rinsed her mouth.

“You’re quite early, Noah.” She said as she turned back toward him. “Kyouka and the others are still preparing.”

“I hate being late. And since it’s my first day in the academy, it’s especially important today. What about you, Shushu? Are you going to go to school, too?”

“Nope. Nei, Himari and I will train here and guard the fort. We’ll deal with any random hollow that comes near, and if too many appear, Nei will trigger the alarm and we’ll manage until you guys come.”

“Are hollows often attacking the dormitory?”

“There’s always a few who come every day, but they are usually alone. From time to time, we have groups of up to several hundreds that come to try a real attack. Kyouka, Himari and I are usually enough to deal with those. And in the rare case where we risk getting overwhelmed, we send a message to headquarters, and members from other squads come to assist us. Thanks to the portal network, reinforcements can reach us within two minutes.”

“That sounds like an efficient system. How many squads are there in the anti-demon corps, and how many members per squad on average?”

“For Tokyo and its immediate vicinity, ten squads. Although only four have outposts in the hollow world. Second, Third, Sixth and Seventh Squads. For the rest of Japan, sixty other squads. As for numbers, it’s typically four per squad, three members with combat potential and one support member.”

Shushu grinned, and grew. In seconds, her height gained 60 cm and she towered above Noah.

“That’s my power, by the way. I can control my size. Super useful, for fighting giant hollows.”

Noah nodded, smiling.

“I can imagine. Do you fight bare-handed, then? A regular sword would be like a toothpick, if you tried fighting with it as a giant.”

Shushu nodded, returning to her normal size. “I’m pretty good at karate and mixed martial arts.”

“I have trained in unharmed combat as well, but not in any specific category. Mostly punches and kicks, knees and elbows strikes. Maybe we’ll get to spar with each other at some point?”

“I hope so!” grinned Shushu.

“Tssk.” Came a sound from the side.

Noah snorted, then turned to face the girl who just entered the room with an amused expression.

“Hi, Himari.“

Himari decided to just ignore him and sat at the table, starting her breakfast.

Noah didn’t really care. If he judged her interesting, he would get under her armor eventually. If not, he wouldn’t mind if she didn’t like him, as long as she didn’t try to sabotage his relationship with other girls or it affected their work.

Shushu rolled her eyes at Himari’s behavior.

“Should we try sparing this afternoon, after you come back from school?”

“I wouldn’t mind, but I intend to follow Kyouka’s instructions. I’m the newbie here, and she’s the squad leader, so I’ll just be a good boy for now and follow her lead. Speaking about Kyouka, what did she tell you about my sacred gear?”

“Hum, that it allows you under some circumstances to copy other sacred gears.” Said Shushu, as if in doubt.

Noah noticed that Himari was paying close attention, pausing her chewing to hear better, but pretended he didn’t notice.

“That is correct. It is called Gemini Drive, and the condition for copying another sacred gear’s effect or bloodline ability, or a close variant of it, is that I must be targeted by its effects. So, I can’t, as an example, change my own size just because I’ve seen you do it just now. If you could change my size, I would have been able to.”

“A variant… Is that why your Eternal Chains isn’t quite the same as Kyouka’s?” deduced Shushu.

“Yes. Her own sacred gear allows her to increase the power of the one she enslaves, but she had to pay compensation afterwards by doing something that the slave would find pleasant.”

“My own version, on the other hand, seems to give a stronger power boost to the one in the slave position. But the slave is the one paying compensation for the power she used. And the form the compensation takes is a mix of both of our preferences, mostly the slave’s.”

“And what are your own preferences?” asked Shushu, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“…That’s quite a private question, Shushu. But, if you want to get a sample, I think you would look great dressed in a maid outfit.”

“Pervert.” Grumbled Himari under her breath. Noah still didn’t pay attention to her.

“Eheh. Maybe I should procure a maid uniform, then.” Grinned Shushu.

Noah grinned back, and used his item creation ability to make a fairly modest and cute maid uniform, with plenty of frills.

Himari and Shushu both froze as they watched in shock.

“Here, hopefully, it will be your size. No need to spend your money on that kind of things when I’m around.” He said as he offered her the outfit.

“Whoa.” Gasped Shushu as she gingerly touched the cotton material, as if to convince herself it was real.

“Is it an ability of your sacred gear?” asked Himari, forgetting she was supposed to ignore him.

“Nope. Long story short, I saved a lot of people in another country, and I was awarded a few special abilities for it by a deity. My sacred gear, and my immunity to enslavement, are part of it. And so is my ability to create stuff.”

“A deity? Which one?”

Noah smiled, considering if he should divulge that information right away. In the end, he decided it was best to stay a little vague.

“Lilith. She’s a benevolent goddess. One who wants humanity to live in peace.”

“Oh, you’re here already. It’s good that you’re punctual.” Said Kyouka as she entered the room, already in her school uniform. Nei was following close behind her.

“Good morning, Kyouka, Nei.” Noah nodded to them.

“Good morning, Noah onii-san.” Said Nei with a bright smile.

Noah felt a little puff of happiness when being called big brother by the adorable girl and was surprised by it. He suspected there must be some mysterious power hidden in those words.

“Eheh, Nei’s cuteness has claimed yet another victim!” laughed Shushu as she noticed his reaction.

“Noah, I have requested a set of uniforms for you. We’ll receive them today. I also informed the leader of the anti-demon corps. She has tentatively approved of you joining the seventh’s squad, but I’ll have to gather data on your sacred gear and keep an eye on you. “

“I understand. Thank you for dealing with the red tape, Kyouka.”

“Do not mind it. That’s part of being the squad’s Chief. Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes. See you later, Nei, Himari, Shushu.”

As Nei and Shushu waved goodbye, Noah and Kyouka descended to the basement.

“Noah, I checked, and you’re assigned to class A. That is weird.”

“Weird?”

“Yes, weird. I told you there were a lot of devils attending Ginsei Academy. But to help avoid them trouble with humans, the classes A through D are normally reserved for devils. You’ll be the only human in your class.”

“Interesting. It must be my backer pulling strings behind the scene.”

The school’s bell rang, signaling the start of class.

“Who is your backer?”

“The one who gave me my sacred gear. A benevolent goddess. Don’t worry, she approves of the anti-demon corps and shouldn’t interfere. On that note, she assigned me a mission. I’ll be absent form school on October 17, for an unknown duration. Might be hours, might be days or even weeks.”

“What kind of mission?” asked Kyouka suspiciously. Noah only shrugged.

“No clue. She told me to go to that place, assess, and unleash violence. You know, like that famous Ceasar quote, Veni, Vidi, Vici. All I can guess is that something bad is happening over there, and she wants me to go and kick butts.”

“What’s the name of that place?”

“Hagun Island.”

“Hagun island…” Kyouka stopped walking and frowned.

“You know something about it?”

“Some unsubstantiated rumors. A few sacred gear users disappearing, and one of the caught kidnappers claiming they were brought to that Hagun Island by some devils. But we never could locate it, because the devils used teleportation to transport their captives. It might be in the Underworld for all we know.”

“...Strange. Anyway, my goddess provided me with a way to go there, but I can only go alone.”

“…You can store items in your space, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give you a satellite phone. As soon as you go there, use it, and assuming you’re on the human world, we’ll locate your position. I’ll ask the commander if she can get several squads ready to mobilize if needed.”

“I understand.”

They reached the end of a hallway, and Kyouka designated a door.

“That’s your class. Good luck, Noah. Don’t let the devils goad you into causing trouble, but don’t be a doormat, either. You’re a member of our Squad, so don’t bring shame on us.”

“Sure. I make for a poor doormat anyway.” Laughed Noah softly.

“As long as you can say they started it first… See you later.”

Kyouka turned away and walked down the hallway, then entered her own classroom.

Noah took a deep breath, and knocked at the door. He’d much rather fight a hollow than face the class, but he had no choice.

“Enter.” A cold voice called out.

Noah entered and took a quick look. About forty students were curiously staring at him, and Noah ignored them and looked at the teacher, a woman in her thirties with long black hairs in a bun and black eyes. She looked at Noah with a cold glare.

“Hello. I am Noah Enfield. I have been transferred to this class.”

The teacher nodded. “I have been informed. But why is a mere human like you assigned to this class? It’s outrageous.”

Noah simply shrugged, not letting his growing dislike for his new teacher show.

Most of the students started whispering, and Noah could almost see feel his favorability points fly away.

“Whatever, go in the back.” Said the teacher.

Noah obediently walked between the seats, ignoring the mocking glances. But he did notice one beautiful blonde girl near the windows looking sympathetic. However, he quickly found an issue.

“Hum, teacher? There is no free desk or seat.” He said with a neutral tone.

“A human like you can just stand.” Retorted the teacher with a cruel smile.

Noah felt an urge to bash her head against the chalkboard. But he controlled himself. It wouldn’t give a first good impression. Instead, he decided on a more moderate approach. If she wanted to play those games, he was willing to play along.

“Is it fine if I just procure a desk and chair, then?” He asked as he looked at the students.

“Yes.” Said the teacher, smiling. She had just assumed Noah would try to steal a desk and chair from another student, and would get beaten up as a result. Devils were superior to humans, and all the students here were at least somewhat trained for battle. Or she would get an excuse to expel him. Most of the students also seemed to think the same and were looking forward to seeing him humiliated.

Noah smiled, took a step back, and used his item creation skill to craft himself a desk and a chair. A big, large mahogany desk, that wouldn’t look out of place on the CEO’s office of a large company. And a big, luxurious, leather-padded chair to go with it.

Noah made a show of sitting comfortably on the chair, placed his textbook in front on him, and looked at the teacher while smiling politely, daring her to object.

The whole class was so silent you could hair a pin drop. Half of the students were looking at him with incredulous eyes, but their disdain was starting to be replaced by wariness. The other half seemed outright hostile.

The blonde girl started giggling.

“You! Are you mocking me?” snapped the teacher.

“Of course not, teacher. I wouldn’t dare.” Said Noah. His words were polite, but his tone made clear he totally was mocking her.

Under the desk, Noah switched on the recording function of the smartphone Lilith had left for him in his new home.

The blonde girl wasn’t giggling anymore. She was outright laughing as she held her stomach.

“Get out of this class, now!” raged the teacher.

“Teacher, I do not understand. You knew I was transferring to this class, but you didn’t see fit to provide me with a desk and chair. And now that I procured some, with your permission, you want me to go away?”

“Shut up, you filthy human!” Screamed the teacher. “There is no place for an insect like you in this class! Get out now, or I will burn you alive!”

Noah stopped the recording and pocketed his smartphone. Still smiling at the teacher, he got up and left the room.

“It could have gone better.” He sighed, once the door was closed.

Noah headed to the administrative aisle of the building and knocked at the Headmaster’s door. After being invited inside, he bowed slightly.

Behind a large desk not too dissimilar to the one he just created sat a scruffy-looking man with semi-long hairs, wearing a white shirt, and what looked like an eighteen-century military vest or marine officer coat, complete with golden epaulettes, that he had placed over his shoulders like a cape.

If someone opened a dictionary to check “laid-back fashion”, a picture of the headmaster would be in the article. He managed to pull it off with style.

And Noah had seen enough anime or manga tropes to know that this man currently smiling at him was a powerhouse.

“Hello, Headmaster. I’m sorry to have to bother you, but…”

“It’s about teacher Kitamari, right, Enfield-kun? I’m Gandou Barbatos, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It seems you were already expecting some trouble with my transfer, Headmaster.” said Noah with a raised eyebrow.

“Yep. I must admit that I used you as a bait of sort, sorry about that. I wanted to give her the rope to hang herself properly. Which I suspect she did, since you came to me. If you wish to be transferred to another class with a human majority, you only need to ask.”

“Oh? Then this might help.” Noah smiled and took out his smartphone. He played back the recording, and the Headmaster grinned.

“That was smart of you. Can you give me a copy of that recording? I could just get rid of her without needing justification, but it would be bothersome, if others started claiming I’m abusing my position.”

“With pleasure, Headmaster.”

Noah sent the video to the mail address the Headmaster provided.

“This matter aside, do you like anime?” cheerfully asked the Headmaster.

“Yes?” blurted out Noah.

“What’s your favorite?”

“Hum… There’s many I am fond off. One of the firsts that come to mind would be Masou Gakuen HxH.”

“I’ve seen this one, and I like it too! Who’s your favorite heroine?” grinned Gandou.

Noah burst into laughing, acknowledging the Headmaster as a kindred soul. They were going to get along.

“If we’re speaking about their kinks and the erotic scenes, I would choose Yurishia. But you should read the novels if you haven’t already. The anime doesn’t do them justice and only cover the first few volumes. As far as appearance and temperament are concerned, Hayuru is just too cute with her tsundere act…”

For a few minutes, Noah and the Headmaster discussed the merits and demerits of a number of animes and novels. Then he got up from his chair.

“It’s been fun to chat, but we both have work to do. Follow me, Enfield-kun, we’re going to your class.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

Noah followed him to the classroom. He entered without knocking, and the rude teacher stopped her speech and stared at the Headmaster like a deer in headlights.

The Headmaster spotted the huge office desk at the back, raised an eyebrow, and looked back at Noah, who just grinned shamelessly. Gandou raised his evaluation of the young man as being more capable and cheeky than he had thought.

Noah’s smile widened as he noticed that the leather chair he had made was now behind the teacher’s desk. The shameless bi***!

Without waiting for the Headmaster to speak, Noah walked to the back of the classroom, made the massive desk disappear in his inventory, and created another set of desk and chair identical to those used by the other students. He sat on it and waited for the show’s conclusion.

Gandou’s gaze returned to the flustered teacher, and his amusement disappeared.

“Kitamari, I had warned you about your prejudices. Pack your stuff and leave, you’re fired.” He said bluntly.

“Students, you are to self-study for the rest of the day. Starting tomorrow, you’ll have another teacher. Enfield, I take it you wish to remain in this class?”

Noah shrugged.

“Yes, Headmaster. I might end up roughing up a few idiots if they try picking on me, though.”

“Don’t kill or seriously injure anyone. But if some of your classmates need a lesson in not judging a book by its cover, you can help teach them. It will do them some good in the long run.”

As the teary-eyed teacher was gathering her belongings, the Headmaster looked at the silent students.

“Everyone, don’t pick on Enfield, unless you have a humiliation fetish. He’s just been recruited by the anti-demon corps as a combat operative, and they don’t pick up weaklings. Consider yourselves warned.”

Kitamari sent a venomous glare at Noah as she left, the Headmaster following her and closing the door behind him.