(Royalty Succession Arc Starts)

Royal Magic Academy, Alteria Kingdom Capital

(A/N: Alteria is the kingdom that Kai and Erina were born in and also the place where Kuroshi Clan was located)

"Hey, have you heard the news?"

A girl asked the girl at her side, they had red hair colors.

"You mean the transfer student? I heard that it was a guy and that he was quite hot."

Another girl at their side laughed.

"Really? You heard from the rumors that he's hot? That's it?"

The classroom was built like a university-style classroom. There were several rows and columns but it was separated into three for each table. There were stairs leading up towards the other seats and at the very end was another door.

The room had many people of varying hair colors, red, brown, blue, green, and a single black haired girl. Their hair colors were on the pale side and the class had more females than males to a two to one ratio with more or less fifty students.

(A/N: I'm probably going to use numbers a lot more from now so I'll use words if possible but real numbers if necessary)

"Yoko, have you heard anything?"

The three red-haired girls turned around and faced Yoko who was in a higher seat.

"Other than it's weird for him to transfer a month into the school year, nothing. How about you, Haru?"

"N-nothing at all."

The girl with green hair beside Yoko stuttered.

"What's wrong?"

Yoko tilted her head with Haru's attitude.

"Alright, everyone take your seats and be quiet."

A man wearing a suit with open buttons walked to the table on the center of the bottom level.

"As most of you have heard, we'll have a transfer student joining us from today. Come in."

From the open door, a red haired youth walked through. He stood at about 172cm tall and had a mysterious yet luring air around him.

When the girls saw that, they shrieked.

"He's so handsome!"

"I got dibs on him!"

"He must be the son of a noble, I'll take him!"

Many girls who looked to be desperate for marriage yelled out with 'kyaaa' and the like.

Despite that, the boy didn't have any changes in his facial expression and kept a smile on his face.

"Settle down! Anyway, introduce yourself."

The professor slammed his hand on his desk before turning towards the boy.

"My name is Satou Kenji, I transferred here due to various reasons I can't say out loud but please take care of me."

The boy bowed after his words and many whispered amongst themselves. The light in the three girl's eyes who shrieked didn't seem to dim at all but instead, it lit up more.

"He's definitely a noble's son."

One of the girls nodded over and over.

"Alright, your seat is over there."

The professor pointed to Yoko and Haru's row, it was the only table which had two people and not three. Hearing that, Haru twitched and Kenji walked up and sat next to her.

"Hello, I've already introduced myself but I'll do it again. My name is Satou Kenji and it looks like we're going to be sitting next to each other for awhile."

Yoko responded first.

"I'm Kuroshi Yoko, ask me anything you don't know."

Kenji nodded and looked at Haru.

"Oh? Aren't you Haru? Takamiya Haruka, right?"

"Y-yes!"

Haru straightened her back.

"What's wrong? Why're you being so formal?"

Kenji tilted his head and sat down.

"You know each other?"

"Yes, we've met for the first time three years ago and the last time we saw each other was three months ago but she looks very... different. I can tell by the air and some features that resemble her past look but she's really changed."

Yoko nodded.

"I see, I see. Are you two in a relationship of any sort?"

Haru turned pale and immediately closed Yoko's mouth with her hands.

"Harummmmmhmmhmhmm!"

Yoko tried to talk as she tried to pry off Haru's hands but Haru had an iron grip on her mouth.

"Well, we aren't in any sort of romantic relationship but I'd say we're more than friends."

Kenji smiled and the three girls in front of Yoko and Haru were giggling while looking at the exchange.

"Alright settle down you three. The class is starting now and Satou, if you're having trouble keeping up with the class make sure you ask the two beside you. They are one of this school's top students, that one beside you is the top two within the school but she's albeit shy. You can ask the last one there, Yoko who is top three."

Is it in terms of academics or talent? Kenji thought but didn't voice out.

The class proceeded smoothly... at the start at least.

The class ended but it was basically like this.

"According to the International Laws of Magic, what are elements that are superior to the others? Yes, Kenji."

The professor pointed to Kenji who had raised his hand.

"Light and darkness."

"Correct. Why are they superior?"

"Because the four elements have each other as a weakness. Earth to wind, wind to fire, fire to water, and water to earth. On the other hand, light and darkness have no weaknesses and are naturally stronger than the four elements. Light and darkness cancel each other out but aren't particularly weak against the other."

"Correct."

That was the first question, it was a simple question that anyone who studied even a bit could answer but...

"Then what about dual attributes?"

It was followed by a question that only those who properly studied.

"What is the astral body and the believed principle behind it?"

And all of a sudden it became more advanced.

"Explain the connection of the astral body to the..."

From that point on, only three students understood the lecture. Kenji who was answering everything flawlessly, then Yoko and Haru who could barely keep up.

The slackers and the ones who barely passed naturally didn't understand a single word. But even those who studied properly could only understand half- no, a fourth of what the two were talking about, they were displeased that the lecture was ruined but it served as a reminder that they had a long way to go.

At the cafeteria, Yoko and Haru were eating their lunch.

"Kenji was amazing, huh?"

Yoko told Haru who was meekly eating. Haru visibly twitched and swallowed her food.

"Y-yeah..."

Yoko narrowed her eyes at Haru.

"You're really dating him, aren't you?"

Haru stopped for a bit then shook her head.

"Then, one-sided love from you?"

She shook her head and answered with a sigh.

"It's true that we're more than friends but there are no romantic feelings mixed in there. I can't say that I have no hopes for it in the future but for him, I'd say that I'm not even an option."

Yoko pondered it with a 'hmmm' as she took another spoonful of food.

"Ah, come to think of it, where is he?"

Yoko asked after she swallowed the food.

"Over there."

Haru pointed at another table with an uncomfortable face. A table could hold about eight people without being cramp, and that's exactly how many there are in that table. One boy and seven girls. Unless they're talking about a project or the like, nobody really fills a table but they filled it just to talk to a transfer student.

Yoko narrowed her eyes at that.

"Unbelievable, he just reunited with his friend after months yet he doesn't even sit in the same table as her."

Haru raised her hands and shook them in front of Yoko to stop her from scolding him.

"You don't have to do that, I kinda already realize why he doesn't want to sit with yo- me."

She hurriedly caught her words and then continued to eat albeit faster than before. Yoko didn't catch that last bit so she just shrugged her shoulders and continued eating.

"By the way, where are you going next week?"

Haru decided to initiate the conversation after a couple of minutes in silence.

"To the clan, it's the six year anniversary."

Haru's eyes darted all over the place and she was going 'awawawa' in shock. Everyone knew about what happened to the Kuroshi Clan.

"I-I'm sorry! I asked something insensitive."

Yoko waved her hands with a troubled face.

"No, in fact that reaction troubles me more than if you just act casually about it. I can't say I'm completely over it but I try to forget about it if possible. I don't want to remove the burden from my shoulders completely, I'm one of the two survivors of the clan after all."

A little play. Kai, Akane, Juro, and Akemi were dead according to everyone's knowledge. Even Yoko knows that Kai had died. This is what the Goddess had done. The truth is, Kai was still very much alive and Yoko believed that she would one day meet him.

Six Years Ago

A sword pierced through both Juro and Akemi.

"Yoko... take care of Emi and Akane...!"

Akemi who was behind Juro said this and the three lost consciousness.

Accompanying that, they disappeared.

Yoko woke up and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Where...?"

Yoko sat up and scanned her eyes around the room. Her eyes landed on a woman holding Emi in her arms.

"Emi...? Then, where is this?"

The woman saw that Yoko had woken up and hurried over to her.

"Thank goodness you're awake. You've been asleep for three whole days because of what appeared to be magic. We suddenly found you three in the middle of the clan unconscious and bloody. It looks like you both are only partly injured but the other one..."

Yoko's eyes widened and she held the woman's sleeves.

"...How's Akane?"

The woman shook her head and Yoko's expression warped into despair. She looked down with wide eyes, her pupils were contracted and her body was trembling. There were no tears. Unlike Kai, she was an actual child.

"...The clan...?"

Yoko whispered and the woman answered by placing Emi in her arms and hugged both of them.

"I'm sorry. Everyone died. The boy that was possessed by the demon, the residents, the knights that came to the rescue, everyone."

And finally, Yoko broke. She cried loudly for about an hour and only calmed herself down enough to cry silently. For two days, she didn't touch the food that they gave her nor engaged in conversation.

The only reason she could hold on to her sanity was Emi. The smile of that baby saved her. She had mixed feelings with her being the sister of the killer of the clan but the innocence in her Emi's eyes saved Yoko.

Since that point, Yoko had been taken care of by the clan that they had shown up in. They buried Akane beside Kai's, Akemi's, and Juro's grave in the remains of the Kuroshi Clan where the others were also buried. Kai had no body inside the grave but Akemi's and Juro's were there.

She had been sent to the capital four years after being taken care of. She had helped her benefactors in many ways and was one of the hope of that clan. But she wasn't really one of them and they didn't want to waste her talent so they sent her towards the capital along with Emi.

They provided her travel expenses and money to live every month. It was only a year and a half ago that Yoko had requested for them to save the money for themselves as she had gotten a scholarship and a part time job.

She lived in the dorms of the academy and there were people that took care of Emi because of the circumstances. When she arrived at the academy, her talent and knowledge created a storm. She quickly became one of the top assets of the academy and befriended Haru.

Though many were cautious about her powers, everyone had accepted her. Sometimes people showed pity with what happened to her but they supported her. Erina had caught wind of Yoko's arrival and tried to meet her but the duke had forbidden her from meeting Yoko and Yoko herself didn't want to be involved with Erina.

Although it wasn't Erina's fault that she had left, Yoko couldn't accept that. In her heart, the seed of revenge sprouted. She trained to the limits to become better than Erina but more than that, she wanted to defeat the demons. Her mind became focused on trying to kill demons and made that her goal.

She didn't want help nor pity from Erina. She also didn't want to search for Kai, if she did she might not be able to control herself. She didn't want to hurt him because of Emi, her admiration for Kai disappeared. Even if she heard his pleas, she couldn't remove the image of Kai with a smile on his face as he slaughtered the clan members.

Yoko and Haru had finished their lunch peacefully but when they were about to go to the school's courtyard to relax before the lesson, Kenji appeared.

"Haru, can we talk?"

Haru looked at Yoko. Yoko nodded once and Haru hesitantly agreed.

Why is she so scared of him? Is what Yoko thought. And of course, she tailed them.

They went behind the school where few people go.

"Umm..."

Kenji made a wall slam. Haru was cornered behind and back, if she tried to escape from the sides she'd be caught easily. Yoko had almost jumped out right then and there but decided against it.

"So, please explain to me why you are here."

It wasn't a question. His tone also made it evident that she will have to answer.

"W-well, I just thought that I should gain experience and..."

"Oi. Did you really just scare your father to death just for that? You do know that it's dangerous for you to be unguarded in public, right?"

Kenji cut her off.

"But please keep it a secret! If my father were to know, I'd have to leave school..."

Haru pleaded with teary eyes.

"You've used that way too many times, I won't be fooled by something like that."

Immediately after those words, the tears disappeared and Haru pouted.

"Meanie."

"I'm sure you realize that the reason I transferred here is because I already told your father and he told me to enroll here to find you."

"...And take me back?"

Kenji sighed and removed his arm from the wall.

"No, to guard you. From now on, I'll survey you at all times."

Haru flushed red and punched Kenji in the chest lightly.

"Pervert."

"Like I care for your body, you can offer yourself on my doorstep naked for all I care. I won't peak on you in the baths or anything nor when you're sleeping. I'll just keep tabs on your location and whoever's around you."

Haru fell silent for a bit.

"...And how did you specifically transfer to my class?"

Kenji smiled.

"I pulled some strings. Also, you can stop hiding now!"

Kenji stepped back from the princess and said out loud.

He found out...

Yoko stepped out from the side of the wall and Haru turned pale.

"Y-Yoko, y-you were listening?"

Yoko nodded with a guilty face.

But Haru's expression changed. It turned from pale to red in an instant.

"So you saw that he pinned me on the wall...?"

Yoko averted her eyes and nodded.

Haru had tears on the corners of her eyes and ran away.

"...How'd you know I was there?"

Yoko asked Kenji.

"I wouldn't be a guard if I can't even find an eavesdropper can I?"

Kenji said this and bowed with both arms spread to the side as if he were presenting something and left.

Outside the Capital

"Sheesh, so it's been six years since I've been in contact with the outside world, huh?"

A youth with black hair. He had the same face as Kai.

"I guess I should meet him now."

Kai stretched his body and disappeared.

Royal Magic Academy

A girl that could be said to have come from a painting was listening to a lecture. She had a quill pen in her hands and was writing notes on a paper elegantly. There were even some boys who ignored the lesson and were staring at her.

A beauty that could make a kingdom go to war or make family fight each other, this was the Mariko Palace's first daughter, Mariko Erina. Her black hair was now silver. Although everyone wondered about her look once it happened, they all ignored it as she was still as beautiful as before.

She suddenly stopped taking notes and looked outside the window.

"...Is it you?"

She whispered.

The meeting of these people will stir this kingdom with the biggest event that would trigger many others in the future.