Shuku leisurely strolled to class, hands in her pockets, hood up over her head. She'd missed a few days of regular school, and half as many days of cram school. The excuse was, she'd caught a bad cold, or she had gotten a call to tell her that her Aunt died and was depressed? Shuku shook her head in dismissal. She shouldn't have an excuse, this secret would crumble away anon or later. No secret could last endlessly, and she acknowledged that fact. It was merely a veil she was using to keep herself hidden, and it would eventually decay. Everyone would discover who Shuku was, then she would be deported back to hell, and sat on a shelf on display for everyone to see.

Shuku opened the classroom door and walked inside. She sat in her usual seat near the back of the room. Everyone's confused and curious gazes seemed to follow her. Shuku could help but notice Yukio stare at her in a way that told her she was untrusted, and Shuku was fine with that.

"Listen up, summer vacation is less than a month and a half away, but before the break, you're going to be taking this year's Exwire authorization Exam." Glasses began, going into teacher mode.

Rin, having no idea what his twin was talking about, asked Blondie what it was, and she answered him. Shuku couldn't hear her response but after it, Rin still seemed to have some questions.

"I want everyone to keep in mind that once you're promoted to Exwire you'll be subjected to more specialized combat training. The Exam won't be easy to pass. Therefore, starting Monday, we're offering a week-long boot camp to prepare you for the exam." Shuku gave the teacher a bored look.

Shuku had slightly gotten over the exposition that the fucking clown had done, but was still slightly aggravated. She was still emotionally stable enough to keep up her attitude that she had maintained for a few months.

A swift murmur went throughout the classroom about the boot camp but died down as quickly as it had come.

"Since attending the camp isn't mandatory, indicate whether or not you'll be participating in the form. If you are, please indicate the mystery or title you'd like to acquire. And turn it in on Monday." Yukio sat down, concluding his speech.

Shuku got up and noticed a perplexed looking Rin. He got up and went over to Skunk to ask what a mystery was. Shuku sighed, it was only logical Rin didn't know what it was. But yet, having been raised in a different setting, Shuku didn't either.

Shuku sauntered over to Rin, just to hear him admit to not knowing, then having Nerd give an explanation with Ryuji finishing it up for him. Shuku waltzed over to their table and plopped right next to Skunk like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Ryuji shot her a glare, "What the hell are you doing over here Shuku?" He growled.

"Geez, don't be so uncivil. I haven't even done anything yet so cool it. I just got lonely over by myself and came over here." Shuku shrugged, raising her hands up in a sign of surrender. She seriously just wanted the rest of the explanation. She needed to figure out which one(s) to pick.

"So Shuku, which one are you going for? I can't make a good guess on which one you'd pick." Rin asked, and Shuku smirked to himself. If she was going to try to make friends, that meant not being an asshole.

"Umm. I'm gonna see if I can go for Tamer and Knight. I'm no good when it comes to memorizing long passages or healing or any of that. It's too easy with a gun, and more of a chance for friendly fire in a big fight, a blades probably my best bet." Shuku answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders at the end.

"Well good luck to you, man" Shima commented nervously at how odd Shuku was acting. Skunk scoffed, and Shuku looked down.

"Um... Ryuji, Shima, and Konekomaru. I... I would like to apologize for being an asshole. I don't think I actually would have done anything." Shuku mumbled uncharacteristically, trying her best to get the fucking apology out. God, she hated apologizing...

Rin blinked in confusion, not understanding what had happened. Shuku received befuddled look from Ryuji and two confused looks from Shima and Konekomaru.

"Are sick or something? You seem off." Skunk asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Geez, I try to not be a jerk for once, I even apologized and this's what I get. I'm a lost cause after all." Shuku scoffed throwing her hands up in the air in an exaggerated gesture, before getting up and leaving four speechless boys behind her.

Ryuji blinked. What had just happened? What happened to Shuku for him to apologize for being a jerk? Was he trying to actually make friends with them or something? Yeah the guy was a jerk, but that was just uncharacteristic. Or was a part of it just act?

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The teacher drew a magic circle in white chalk across the floor, and the students stood around it. Shuku observations with interest, redrawing the circle in her head.

"Alright, I will now summon a demon."

Rin tried to take a closer look at it by getting closer. He probably nearly as fascinated as Shuku was, but he didn't have the knowledge to understand to the level Shuku did.

"Watch your step, if the magic circle is broken. It will lose its effect." The teacher warned, and Rin backed off.

"Now to summon a demon, you will need a drop of your blood" The teacher pulled down his sleeve and revealed a bandage, a bit of blood seeped had through it, "And a suitable invocation." Several drops of crimson blood splattered onto the circle and Shuku watched, intrigued . She'd seen this before, but that had been a long... long time ago.

"Son of Typhoeus and Echidna, hear my call and show yourself." The teacher changed. Smoke rose from the circle and a demon seemed to seep from the ground. It growled deeply and the smoke dissipated.

"Is that a nyberias?!" "I've never seen one" "Ew, sulfur" Konekomaru, Ryuji, then Shima said. Shuku could agree with Shima though, it did smell like sulfur. What stood before them was a brown, Frankenstein dog thing.

"Now to tame a demon you must have a strong will and unshakable nerve. Having a natural talent for it is also valuable." Shuku closed her eyes for a moment, she just had to keep her cool, "Today I'm going to test you to see if anyone here has this talent." Oh shit.

"At the beginning of class, I handed out pieces of paper with the magic circle on it. Place a drop of blood on it and chant whatever words come to mind." Shuku reached in her hoodie and pulled out the paper with the circle on it. Then she slightly unsheathed one of her kunai for when her turn came up, to slice her finger for the blood.

Izumo went first and managed to summon two white foxes, and everyone gawked in amazement. Shuku was ready for this... maybe. The others tried but to no avail, then Blondie volunteered to go next. She cooed nervously to her paper, and in a poof of smoke, a baby Greenman popped out, it was horrifyingly adorable.

"Shuku, your up." The teacher order.

Shimei talked to Izumo, and then Shuku nodded stiffly as an affirmative. Taking a deep breath in through her mouth, Shuku sliced her finger cleanly on the silver kunai and put the blood on the paper.

"I summon thee forth of the heavenly abyss of stars, hear my plea and show thyself to me." She chanted.

Black smoke seeped from the paper like a deathly poison and coiled itself around Shuku, everyone watched in silence as the smoke solidified into a serpent that coiled around her torso, it's head on her shoulders, centimeters from her face. Shuku did her best to maintain a deadly cool she had perfected many years ago in the face of possibly mortal danger. The snake was big enough to probably eat Izumo's two foxes whole. It was a solid pitch black with four ebony horns on its head, and a trail of spikes along it's spine to the end of its tail. Its scales shone like a polished onyx stone. Its eyes gleamed a golden yellow, like a big, black snake. Shuku was tall enough that the snake, which was maybe at least 8 feet long, could wrap itself around Shuku and not touch the ground.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, my friend." Shuku stiffly greeted.

The serpent bowed its head in response and its tongue flickered out, nearly licking Shuku in the prosses. It's golden eyes focused on Shuku in an unnerving manner, but Shuku kept her composure. "And I you, Master." Its voice was deep, and very formal, like a stereotypical butler.

"Woah! Shuku summoned a giant snake, now that's cool!" Rin gawked like a little child that had just seen the newest toy in the shop.

"So we have a thunder serpent as well. Looks as if we have our tamer candidates for this class. Now then, tamers are valuable in combat. The ability to control demons is extremely rare among exorcists. A demon will not obey if it proves it's master to be weak." Shuku stoked the serpent's head, finding the feel of its cool, onyx scales somewhat soothing.

"If it's master lacks will power, the demon will attack them." Shuku looked at the serpent, and it met her gaze, if Shuku broke now, she would definitely be dead.

"As I mentioned earlier, if you break the circle, you release the familiar from your control and it vanishes. So, if you ever feel like you're in danger, just simply tear up the paper." The teacher stepped on the magic circle and the nyberias vanished.

The serpent moved up Shuku's body, clearly not going to leave easily, and wrapped itself around Shuku's neck like a big, deadly scarf. Izumo sent her two foxes away, and Shuku slipped the summoning paper into her hoodie, making sure the kunai was also full sheathed so it didn't cut the paper. Shimei named her familiar Nee, and Shuku looked at her's, wanting to know how to address her new summon.

"Do you have a name I could address you by?" She inquired formally, the snake looked up at her it's hues yet again staring at her's.

"You may call me whatever you wish, Master." The serpent mentioned, his tongue flicking out once more.

"Please, call me Shuku," Shuku asked, and the serpent nodded.

"Yes, Master Shuku." Shuku internally sighed, then stroked it's head again, and the serpent obliged, nuzzling her hand.

Shuku walked out of the room with the large serpent wrapped around her neck and shoulders and arm. Her backpack slung over her opposite shoulder. Shuku walked out of the room and into the hall, to go to her next class.