The sun rose in the east, heralding the start of a bright, shining new day. Birds twittered merrily in the trees, and a number of other standard things happened which generally indicate that it's a beautiful and pleasant and perfect day. In the Mikagami household, of course, not all members of the family were thrilled with the thought of shining, pleasant, perfect days. This, of course, did not apply to the cheerful young girl who casually shut off the alarm as she sleepily crawled out of bed, rubbing at her eyes. Fuzzy pink pajamas decorated with bunnies and kittens covered her slim frame as she shuffled into equally pink, equally fuzzy slippers. "Yuri-chan," a muffled voice called from the other side of the door. "Be sure to come downstairs right away. Your father has a special present for you this morning!" "Be right down, Mom!" Yuri called. *A present? That's odd,* the chestnut-haired girl mused thoughtfully as she shambled down the hall. Yuri reflected once again on her new school, her new principal, and her new classmates. The first day had been quite interesting, and she looked forward to seeing what new surprises would be in store for her today. As long as she didn't get kidnapped again, mind you. It wouldn't do to miss class again and get on Amakusa-sensei's bad side. After going through the routine morning ablutions, Yuri went downstairs, still clad in her pajamas. She called out a cheerful greeting to her parents, who were already seated at the breakfast table. The mass which was her father contracted with a slight shudder at the sight of her overly cute pajamas, but refrained from comment. Mother, father, and daughter made small talk over a delicious and hearty breakfast of greasy, artery-clogging foodstuffs and a spot of miso with tofu. "So, you really like your new school?" Yuri's mother asked. The cheerful teenager nodded. "Mmf," she said around a mouthful of some fried quasi-meat product. "Mmf fmm nn mmffmmf." "I'm glad, dear. I was afraid you might not be comfortable there." "Oh, it's fun!" Yuri said after swallowing. "And my classmates are really interesting." She blinked. "Ack! Speaking of school, I'd better hurry and get dressed..." Troi "Hellstorm" Mikagami made a sound much like the clearing of a throat. "Yuri," he said, "I have something special for you." A box wrapped in crimson paper with a black ribbon floated out of the inky mass of congealed shadows that served as his body. The teenager blinked, taking hold of the box before it could plop down in the middle of breakfast. "Wow, thanks, Dad...what is it?" "Open it," the darkness said, burning red eyespots twinkling with cold amusement. Yuri carefully unwrapped the package, setting the ribbon and paper neatly aside, and lifted the cover from the box. "..." she said as she inspected the contents, and she meant it too. "I had to go to a lot of trouble to get that for you," Troi said as a whole plate of greasy breakfast disappeared into his mass somewhere at mouth level. "There hasn't been much call for it in many years, you realize...they were rather shocked that anyone would bother to order one." Yuri fingered the garments in the box. "This is...?" "I figured since you insist on wearing a fuku to school, you might as well wear the right one," the shapeless figure continued, absorbing his tea. "I hope you like it." The teenager was silent for a moment...then she smiled. "I love it, Dad. I'll go put it on right away." "Better hurry, dear. You don't want to be late." "Haaaaai!" ****** Five minutes later, Yuri walked back downstairs, bookbag in hand. She was now clad in an unusual variation on the typical girls' seifuku: a dark crimson blouse with black collar, black leather skirt, glossy black shoes and blood-red socks, and a dark grey neckerchief. The school insignia, a gold pin depicting a horned skull with rivulets of ruby red blood trickling from its eye sockets, was proudly displayed on her collar. "I'm going now!" Her parents rushed out to see her off. "Ahhh, it looks wonderful on you, dear!" "You're sure to impress everyone today," her father noted. Yuri blushed. "Thanks, Dad." She waved. "Love ya! Bye!" The being known as Hellstorm shuddered. And thus did Yuri Mikagami skip merrily off to begin another shiny, happy day of sinister, diabolical education... ********************************************************* Dark Heart High Netherworld Educational Institution for The Universal Propagation of Evil started by Mads ********************************************************* Part Two: Education! by The Eternal Lost Lurker ********************************************************* Students of all shapes, sizes, and conceivable modes of existence filtered through the foreboding gates of Dark Heart High as the clock tower ticked ever closer to the fatal minute. In the courtyard, Hamaji Amakusa strolled gracefully among his students, hands clasped behind his back, giving a nod here, a chilling smile there, a frown at a bit of unruly behavior of the sort he preferred not to see among his pupils. Quite an unimpressive lot, he mused to himself. Another in a long string of mediocre freshman classes; he didn't expect half of them to last through the first year. There was one, however... Amakusa paused as he caught a flash of crimson coming through the gate. Striding over, he stepped into the path of a chestnut-haired blur, forcing the student to halt her headlong dash or bowl him over. Yuri panted, hands on her knees, and gaped up at him. "Amakusa-sensei...o-ohayou..." She bowed. He nodded stiffly in reply. "Mikagami-kun." A trained eye took in her appearance casually, and he commented, "Now...this is a uniform I have not seen in many years." Yuri blushed. "My dad...he got it for me. As a gift, you understand. Umm...this is the right uniform, isn't it?" The principal smirked. "Dark Heart High does not hold a dress code as such, of course." "Of...of course," Yuri stammered. "However..." Amakusa fingered the pin on Yuri's collar. "This is, in fact, the appropriate official school uniform. I commend your father; this must have been hard to come by." With a slight nod, he strode away. "It's almost class time, Mikagami-kun. Please hurry along." ****** Yuri was in her desk a few seconds before the bell. Unlike the previous day, roughly half the class was already present. Just as the bell rang, the remainder of the students began to drift in. Upon spotting a familiar bandaged head and an equally familiar, if somewhat shorter, pink-haired head, she smiled and waved. "Leilei-chan! Bala-kun! Ohayou!" "Ohayou Yuri-chan!" the pink-haired girl called out. Balabalalde, of course, said nothing, but his sole visible eye flicked in her direction and blinked once before he continued on to his desk. Two seconds after the bell, Ki Tamaida strolled in. He paused, flashing the barest hint of a smile as he brushed a hand through his dark hair, then moved on to his desk. Yuri blushed, her heart skipping a beat. A few seconds later, the rather stern and severe figure of Fujiko Kurosawa stalked into the room. "Good morning, class," she bit off tersely as she took a quick headcount. After a moment, she frowned. "We seem to be missing one--" A loud clanking sound accompanied the rather late arrival of Craig Maimsworth. As he strode through the door, all eyes turned to him...most notably, the teacher's. "You are tardy, Mister Maimsworth," Kurosawa-sensei spat. "Did you not learn yesterday that tardiness is not tolerated?" "Umm...my watch is slow?" the blonde knight offered. "Inexcusable," the teacher snapped, pointing one well-manicured finger at the hapless teen. "Aw, dragonturds," Craig groaned...half a second before he was encased in a solid block of ice. Kurosawa-sensei turned and barked out, "You...and you. Take that and toss it into the hellmouth at the back of the room. He should thaw out by the end of class." As the two students moved to comply, the teacher moved to stand behind the podium. "Now, class...this week, we'll be going back over some of the things you should have learned by now." Pausing, she ground out, "I have no doubt that I will be required to re-educate the lot of you in everything you ever learned--or didn't learn, as the case may be--in junior high. But I will not spend more than one week on old material, so do pay attention." *Well, a refresher can't hurt,* Yuri mused to herself. *Especially since I didn't go to the same junior high as everyone here did...* "As I mentioned yesterday," the teacher continued, "This class is Basic Villainy 101. Now...you might wonder precisely what is covered in this course. Very well, I will explain. "In my class, I will endeavor to teach you the most basic elements of being evil. You will learn how to scheme, how to manage your resources, how to plan for the actions of your enemies down to the last detail, who to kill and when to kill them. You will learn how to carry yourself in a manner that intimidates, that generates fear and loathing wherever you walk. "In short," she summed up, turning her cold gaze on each and every student in the room, "In my class, you will learn how to be a complete and total bitch or bastard." "What if we're already a total bitch?" a voice piped up. Yuri noted that it was the pretty girl with bat wings she'd noticed the day before. Kurosawa-sensei smiled coldly. "You are...Yasuko Wareme, correct?" she asked. "That's right," the girl replied, crossing her arms and assuming a haughty demeanor. "Well, Wareme-kun..." The teacher crossed the room slowly, heels clicking sharply on the floor tiles. As she reached the bat-winged girl's desk, she leaned over casually... ....and hauled the startled girl out of her desk by the hair. "You are not a bitch," Kurosawa-sensei hissed, "Until I *tell* you you are a bitch. Do you understand me?" "H-hai, sensei," Yasuko said. "I understand." "Good," the teacher said, smiling poisonously as she released the girl and stalked back to her desk. "Bitch," Yasuko spat. "Sucking up will get you nowhere in my class, young lady," Kurosawa-sensei replied. Several snickers answered that comment. Yuri noticed that even Leilei was giggling. "Now, I'm not above having a little bit of fun during the first week," the teacher said, smiling a rather disturbing smile, "So why don't we begin the refresher course with one of my personal favorite aspects of basic villainy...proper villainous laughter." There were a few murmurs, mostly of the positive nature. The students, for the most part, seemed to *like* this subject. "Now, it's important, first of all, to understand that the art of villainous laughter is difficult to master," Kurosawa-sensei lectured. "Breath control, timing, volume, and duration are all essential to the proper laugh, and not everyone can pull it off." She glanced pointedly at a certain bandaged figure, who simply met her gaze with an unblinking eye. Smirking, she picked up a piece of chalk and moved to the blackboard. "There are four basic types of villainous laughter," she continued as she began a numbered list. "The first is the soft, evil chuckle. Second, there is the unnerving insane cackle. The third type is the drawn-out megalomaniacal laugh, and finally, for the ladies, there is my personal favorite...the roaring bitch laugh." She paused, the chalk clacking as she finished writing the information on the board, then turned to face the class. "There are, of course, many varying degrees and subclasses, but these are the four main categories of villainous laughter." Yuri scribbled the information in her notebook idly, her mind more occupied with the absurd thought that this school actually taught its students how to laugh. "Now, before I begin...Tamaida-kun." The dark-haired boy did not meet the teacher's eyes. In fact, his head rested in the palm of one hand on his desk. Not bothering to correct his apparent lack of attention, Kurosawa-sensei continued, "My counterpart at Dark Heart Junior High has informed me that you, in particular, excel at the unnerving insane cackle. Since it is rare for her to speak so highly of her students, I would appreciate it if you would demonstrate your technique for the class." Everyone turned, attention focused on the boy who, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be half-asleep. Suddenly, a low, grating chuckle began to emanate from Ki's desk. His shoulders quivered in time with the sound, which rose in volume. "Heh...heheheheh...heheheh...ahahahaha..." Suddenly, he threw his head back. Yuri blinked. "...AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA..." He fell silent again, and a smattering of applause broke out. Kurosawa-sensei smiled, clearly impressed. "Very well done, Tamaida-kun." *That was scary,* Yuri thought. "And now, allow me to demonstrate the proper technique for the roaring bitch laugh." Placing the back of her right hand against her mouth and her left hand on her hip, the teacher thrust out her chest, and... "OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" She went on like that for a good minute before stopping. Yuri stared, while a good portion of the class began taking notes. Once the teacher finished, she eyed the class. "Now...Wareme-kun, let's hear your laugh." The bat-winged girl stood, clearing her throat, then mimicked Kurosawa-sensei's earlier pose. "OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" "Mmm...you lack volume," the teacher noted. "You are not using your chest to its full effect. And the hand should not be used to muffle or stifle the laugh, but rather as an object into which to focus the laugh. I trust you will learn." As Yasuko glared at the teacher and sat back down, Kurosawa- sensei began scanning the room...then stopped at a desk in the front row. "Mikagami-kun, was it?" Yuri snapped to attention. "Ahh...hai?" "Let's hear you try." The short-haired girl blinked. "Ano..." "Laugh, Mikagami-kun." "Ummm...*ahem* ohohohoho?" Yuri ventured. The class snickered. Ki smirked, and Balabalalde blinked an empty eye at her. "...that was pitiful," Kurosawa-sensei scowled. "I've never heard anything so thoroughly devoid of effort in my life." Yuri blushed, aware of the negative attention on her, and cautiously raised her hand...before remembering the previous day, and deciding that was a bad idea. "Umm...sensei? Can I try again?" The teacher eyed her frostily, saying nothing. "Umm...I kinda had something stuck in my throat...really, I know I can do better. Umm, please?" Kurosawa-sensei snorted in disgust. "Very well, get it over with." "Haai!" Yuri stood. *Okay...be calm...it's important to do things right. I hope I can do this...* Hopping up onto her desk, Yuri planted one foot on the chair and one on the writing surface. Mimicking the teacher's earlier pose, she planted one hand on her hip, holding the back of the other hand against her mouth. She drew in a deep breath... ....the class watched her, waiting for her to make a complete fool of herself... ....and... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO HHHHHHHHH OOO OOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHH HHH OOO OOO HHH HHH OOO OOO !!! !!! !!! !!! HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO HHH HHH OOOOO !!! !!! !!! !!! Yuri looked around, blinking. Several of her classmates had dived for cover behind their desks, others were blinking at her, a few were staring. Most of the windows in the room sported cracks that hadn't been there before. Kurosawa-sensei stood calmly, eyeing her with neutral hostility, her hair blown completely out of disarray. "Ano...how was that?" she asked. The teacher raised one eyebrow. "That was much better," she commented idly. "You have potential, Mikagami-kun." Yumi bowed deeply. "Arigatou, sensei!" She fell off her desk and collided face-first with the floor, giving the class a brief panty flash as she slid to the ground. "...owie..." Unnoticed, Yasuko Wareme's left eye twitched. ****** The fearsome being known as Hellstorm stalked about his abode of menace and despair, sighing melodramatically. "Yuri..." Stalk, stalk, stalk. "I longed so for an heir to follow in my footsteps of domination and terror..." Stalk, turn, stalk, stalk. "But alas, I fear my daughter just...just..." Stalk, pause. "Just isn't *evil*!" Rage impotently, stalk, stalk. "I know she has to have it in her...she *is* my daughter...but...." Sigh, stalk, turn, stalk. "I just hope Dark Heart can bring out the evil in her..." ****** "Please cover your mouth the next time you sneeze like that, Mikagami-kun." Yuri blushed. "So-sorry..." "Why're *you* sneezing? I'm the one who froze half to death..." "If you wish, Mister Maimsworth, I can instruct Kurosawa-sensei to ensure that next time, you freeze *completely* to death," Principal Amakusa said, smiling. Shortly after the first class had ended, the principal had called Yuri, Balabalalde, and Craig to his office. The three of them now stood nervously before his desk as he observed them, chin rested casually on the backs of his folded hands. "I am certain you are all aware why you are here," Amakusa continued. "As I stated yesterday, voluntary absences from classes are not tolerated in my school. Did I not make myself clear on this point before?" Yuri looked down, shuffling her feet. Craig wilted slightly. Bala merely blinked once. The principal made a grand show of examining the back of one gloved hand. "The janitorial staff discovered something very interesting in the seniors' indoor court," he commented. "Would you like to know what they found, Mister Maimsworth?" Craig was silent. "They found the scattered remnants of a crude demonic summoning ceremony," Amakusa continued. "Of the virginal sacrifice variety." Pausing for a moment, he glanced up at length, impaling the shaggy blonde with his cold, hard gaze. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" The dark knight winced. "Ah, that is, I...ah..." Amakusa stood, walking counterclockwise around the perimeter of the office until he was directly behind the armored teenager. The three students turned to face him, but he was gazing off in another direction, seemingly disinterested. "I will presume, then, that you did in fact have in your possession a virgin to sacrifice." Craig felt a sweatdrop rolling down the back of his head. "Ahh...that is..." The principal turned to address Yuri without waiting for a response. "Mikagami-kun, am I correct in assuming that you were taken by this boy as an intended virgin sacrifice?" Yuri blinked, then blushed. "Ah...h-hai..." "I see." The principal nodded, folding his hands behind his back. "However, you are not an actual virgin, are you?" Yuri felt herself reddening, and started to protest, when she caught the meaningful glance the principal shot her out of the corner of his eye. Something clicked in her head...something he'd said the previous day, about evil and untruth...or was it untrue evil? Or something...in any case, disagreeing with the principal was probably not a good idea. "N-no sir, I don't suppose I am," Yuri said, face redder than a tomato. Craig blinked. "Aw, DRAGONTURDS! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Yuri scowled at him. "You didn't ASK, baka." "Silence," the principal bit off. The two students snapped to attention, and he began to circle the office again, clockwise this time, before sitting at his desk. The temperature, already quite cold, dropped sharply as he regarded the three coolly. "Craig Maimsworth, two days detention. Balabalalde, one day detention. Yuri Mikagami, a written reprimand. Pick up a copy to take home before you leave school today." He turned his back to them. "Return to class." ****** "Aw, dragonturds, my mom's gonna kill me," Craig whined. "It's your own fault," Yuri muttered as the knight stalked off in a different direction. Yuri turned to the bandaged boy. "I'm...sorry you got in trouble too." Balabalalde's eye shifted noncommittally. Leilei raced up to them. "Bala-kun! I took notes on what you missed." She paused for breath. "Ne, you two in a lot of trouble?" "Nah, nothing serious," Yuri reassured her, smiling. "Although Bala-kun has detention." Leilei gasped. "Oh no, that's terrible!" Yuri shrugged. "I'm really sorry about it." She waved. "Gotta run before I'm late to class! Ja ne!" As she headed away from the principal's office in the opposite direction of her friends, Amakusa appeared suddenly, leaning against the wall ahead of her. "Mikagami-kun." "Ah...hai, sensei?" The man's dark eyes regarded her with cold amusement. "I want you to understand, right now, that I only played along with your ruse in front of the other students out of respect for your sheer cunning. However, if you dare to challenge my system in such a manner again, I will expose your schemes to those you beguile. Are we understood?" Yuri blinked. "H-hai..." She bowed. There was an explosion from the principal's office. Yuri eeped. "What was that!?" Amakusa smirked. "Akurei is becoming sloppy." He turned to walk down the hall. "Carry on, Mikagami-kun." ****** As lunchtime rolled around, Yuri again found herself seated with Leilei and Balabalalde in the cafeteria. "How are you feeling, Bala-kun?" Yuri asked casually. She received no response, which was expected. "He got beat up pretty bad, but he heals fast," Leilei commented. "He'll be just fine in a few days." "That's good," Yuri said. Leilei eyed her cautiously as she fed Balabalalde. "Ne, Yuri-chan..." "Hai?" "Ano...about this morning, in class..." The younger girl seemed disturbed. "What's wrong, Leilei-chan?" Yuri asked. "Well..." The pink-haired girl seemed pensive. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but..." She paused to pay attention to the task of feeding her bandaged friend. "I mean, you seem perfectly normal, but that...in class..." The teenage girl blinked. "Oh, that?" she blushed. "I don't know what came over me, to be honest. It just sorta...happened, you know?" She smiled. "Don't let it worry you, okay?" "I guess..." Leilei said. Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh no, I forgot to get a straw for Bala-kun's milk!" "I'll go get one," Yuri offered. "Be right back." "Sure you don't mind?" Leilei asked. Yuri smiled. "It's no problem, really." Standing, she started to head across the cafeteria... ....and ran smack into a rather well-developed pair of breasts. "Excuse me! Sorry!" Yuri said, rubbing the back of her head as she looked to see who she had bumped into. It was the bat-winged girl from BV101. She was scowling. "You're that annoying little tramp from my class," the girl said. Yuri frowned slightly, not particularly keen on being called a tramp. "Yuri Mikagami. And you're...?" Slap! Yuri's eyes widened in shock as she found herself falling to the cold floor of the cafeteria, her cheek stinging with the force of the blow. The winged girl planted a booted foot on her, pinning her down; Yuri bit back a gasp as the stiletto heel of the boot dug into a rather personal region of her body. "A common tramp like you has no business being in the sight of someone like me," the other girl spat. "Your attempts to upstage Yasuko Wareme of the Seikouma Clan are inexcusable!" "Hey! Stop that! Stop being mean to Yuri!" Leilei pouted, glaring at Yasuko. "OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Be silent, urchin, or I will deal with you as well!" Turning her attention back to her current target, the bat-winged girl smiled a very nasty smile. The heel of her boot dug a bit deeper, and Yuri's face screwed up in pain and embarassment. "What...did I do to you?" Yuri gasped through clenched teeth. "You dare to profess ignorance of your crimes?" Yasuko laughed derisively. "You, who dare to draw attention to yourself by attempting to upstage your betters...you, a newcomer who does not understand anything, showing off to curry favor with the teachers..." She narrowed her eyes, and screamed, "YOU, WHO ENDEAVORS TO MAKE EVERYTHING OUR INSTITUTION STANDS FOR INTO A CRUEL JOKE, I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!" The majority of the students present turned to watch the spectacle unfolding, mixed expressions of annoyance and amusement scattered around the room. Yuri stared at her, sweatdropping. "Ano..." "Be silent, wench!" She twisted her heel slightly; Yuri almost cried out. "There is no place in this school for a low-bred trollop who thinks she is superior to everyone around her!" "Which pretty much describes you, doesn't it?" a new voice entered the conversation, dripping with cold amusement. Yasuko looked around. "Who dares!?" A plastic spork suddenly sprouted from her cleavage with an odd *thwup* sound. The winged girl hissed, taking to the air (much to Yuri's relief), and scanned the cafeteria warily. Ki was leaning against the utensil cart, smirking. The flying girl scowled, eyes burning with anger. "You." "Me." "So...the scion of the Steel Thorn Clan has fallen into the camp of the brazen little harridan." Ki shrugged. "I just hate it when petty little sluts throw hissy fits while I'm trying to eat." Another spork sprouted from Yasuko's right wing, causing her to wobble. Yuri blinked...had Ki actually moved? She missed it if he had... "You will pay for this," the bat-winged girl warned. "And you, little trollop...your days here are numbered. Make no mistake, I will put an end to you when you least expect it." With that, she extracted the plastic utensils from her person and flew gracelessly out of the cafeteria. Yuri picked herself up off the floor, blushing at becoming the center of attention. "Anou...thank y--" She blinked. Ki had already disappeared. Leilei rushed over. "Yuri-chan! Are you okay?" Yuri nodded. "Hai..." "Let's go sit back down. I already got a straw." As the two girls returned to the table, Balabalalde turned a baleful stare upon Yuri as he sipped his milk. "What was that all about, I wonder?" the fuku-clad girl asked as she picked at her tray. Leilei shrugged. "I couldn't say." "Who *is* that girl, anyway?" The pink-haired girl set Bala's milk carton aside. "Yasuko Wareme. She's umm...well, how do I put this...she's sorta the school, um, slut...well, she was in junior high anyway. Probably still thinks she's some kind of queen around here." Yuri frowned. "You mean guys actually go for someone like that?" Leilei blinked. "Well, not really..." She put a finger to her lips. "Well, maybe the guys who don't have souls, but she's not too interested in them..." The older girl blinked. "Ano? Souls?" "You...do realize what she is, don't you?" the pink-haired girl asked. Yuri shook her head. "Wow, you really *are* new to all this." Leilei sipped her own milk, and explained, "Yasuko is a succubus. Y'know, a sex demon." The chestnut-haired girl blinked. "Succubus...where have I heard that before..." "They seduce people, then drain their life force afterwards," the younger girl supplied helpfully. "Oh!" Yuri blinked. "Well, that'd explain why she's not very popular with the guys, even if she is easy." Leilei nodded. "Yeah, and she gets really mad if any guys show the least bit of attention to other girls, because she thinks she's Hell's gift to men or something stupid like that." The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. As the cafeteria emptied, Ki leapt down from one of the hanging light fixtures, chuckling. "This should play right into my favor..." ****** A resounding *boom* echoed across the athletic field, clouds of dust rolling from the impact crater. Today was Yuri's first full day of classes, and she had discovered, rather to her chagrin, that her final class of the day was "Battle Education", which apparently involved the students being beaten up by the coach one at a time. "Mikagami!" the large man roared. "You're next!" Biting her lip, Yuri stepped forwards, avoiding the pile of rubble underneath which Craig was still conceivably alive. "Damn! I fhink I losf some teef!" came a groan from the debris. "Hai, sensei?" "Choose a weapon or not, whichever you prefer, and then let us begin." "H-Hai." Yuri walked over to the small rack of practice weapons, picked out a shinai, and moved to stand across from the teacher. Nothing happened for a while. Earlier students couldn't wait to charge into action and disprove the master's teachings on biding one's time and putting oneself in a pinch, if possible, only striking with full force when least expected--which tended to result in rather painful demonstrations of said technique. This one, however... "I see that you've been listening, Mikagami," said the teacher. "Very well then, let's find out how much you've learned. EN GARDE!" Yuri didn't know how she managed to block the first blow, or even the next one. She only knew that her fighting coach was apparently bearing down on her with everything he had, and she was beginning to get a little frightened. "YA! YA!! YAA!!" the teacher shouted with each attack, backing Yuri into the wall. Yuri could only grit her teeth and attempt to avoid being badly bruised. Something inside told her that she was doing fine--and then her back hit the wall. Gasping, she stared up in fear at the large, powerful teacher. "FINISHING TOUCH!" the coach declared, raising his bokken high overhead. "Oh, no! Yuri!" Leilei gasped, a hand to her mouth. Bala watched intently. Yuri clenched her hands around her bamboo sword and closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to watch the weapon descend. The teacher's battle-honed reflexes failed him not. In a split second, he had jumped back a full twenty meters away from Yuri, still facing her. He held his weapon out in a defensive stance, sweat beading on his forehead. Yuri opened her eyes. "Ano..?" "Mikagami..." he muttered. Yuri blinked. "H-Hai?" "Sit down." Nodding, Yuri went over to where the rest of her classmates were sitting, staring at her. She plopped down beside Craig, who was probing his mouth gingerly. "Ah, dragonturds, I- oh, wait... those are just rocks...whew..." Without a word of explanation, the coach walked off the field, leaving his class behind. Leilei leaned over to Yuri's ear and whispered, "What'd you do THIS time?" Yuri shrugged. She honestly didn't know. ****** "That girl made a fool of me." Amakusa didn't say anything. "She played me for a sap until the very end," the battle instructor growled. The principal tapped on his chin thoughtfully. "If I hadn't guessed about her little game, I might have actually been hit..." He looked away. "Or maybe even... injured." He faced his superior again. "That girl is a menace." Amakusa chuckled. "I see you've had a run-in with our newest student, eh?" "Allow me to dispose of her, sir. She's too clever for her own good, but I'm sure she isn't all that powerful yet. If we act now, I can--" "Silence," the principal barked. "I have had enough of your theatrics. Some students have no potential--yet others do. Have you been working with the former for so long that you've forgotten how to recognize the latter?" The teacher was quiet. Amakusa became thoughtful again. "Go easy on her...don't rush her into revealing what she's really capable of." "Y-yes, sir." "Leave that to *me*." ****** Battle Education had long since ended, and all the students had filed into the locker rooms to shower and change. As Yuri toweled off her damp hair, she idly mused that she'd need to go shopping for some gym clothes to match her new uniform; her old yellow T-shirt and red bloomers just felt...out of place, somehow. She opened her locker to get her fuku, and blinked as a folded slip of dark pink, bat-shaped stationery fell out. "Ano?" Picking it up, she unfolded it, glanced over it...and her eyes widened. Dear schoolgirl trollop, I challenge you to single combat to prove which of us is truly superior. Meet me in the Dark Heart Arena at 5 p.m., and be prepared for a beating unlike any you have ever received. --Yasu P.S. Wear those adorable bloomers; they show off your cute little rear end rather nicely. P.P.S. Mine is much nicer than yours, you understand. Yuri blinked several times, then crumpled up the note and threw it away. "Some people are so weird," she muttered as she quickly got dressed and left for home. ****** Leilei sighed. "How much longer?" she asked. "Be silent, child," the stern disciplinarian snapped. "Detention is almost over, but I will make an exception for you and your friend if you continue your incessant whining." The school clock tower chimed, and the harsh teacher scowled. "Well, it appears time is up for today." Strolling over to a locked iron coffin beside which the pink-haired girl had been sitting, he opened it. Balabalalde staggered out, bandages torn and bloody in several spots, but apparently still mobile. Leilei began sorting through her pack for the antibiotic ointment as the two left the building. "Mou...why'd he hafta lock you in the iron maiden?" she whined. "At this rate, you'll be all bloody and messed up for days..." The bandaged boy stopped moving, blinking his visible eye. Leilei paused, following his gaze, and blinked as well. As a battered body came flying through the wall of a building labeled "DARK HEART HIGH COMBAT ARENA--OPEN 24/7", a familiar succubus floated loftily through the entrance, clad in a rather disturbing leather outfit. Leilei frowned. "You don't think--" Bala flicked his gaze from the door, to the pink-haired girl, then toward the main building of the school. "Do you think it's alright not to get involved?" Blink. The younger girl sighed. "Alright, let's go home." *I hope Yuri-chan doesn't do anything stupid...* ****** "I'm home!" Yuri called cheerfully as she walked through the door, flicking her shoes off. "Welcome home, dear!" her mother called from the kitchen. "How was school today?" "Just fine, Mom!" The teenager prowled the living room, looking for her father. "Umm, Dad?" A shadowy fog billowed into the room. "Yes, Yuri? What is it?" Two glowing red points of light pierced her intently. Yuri looked down meekly. "Dad, I...I got something I'm supposed to give you..." She held out a slip of blue paper, which the shapeless mass of darkness took. Troi Mikagami scanned the paper for a moment, the heat of his gaze intensifying. "I see," he rumbled. "I'm really sorry, Dad..." Yuri said. The paper burst into flames. "Just don't let it happen again. Now, tell me...how was school today?" Yuri's demeanor went from meek to energetic in a heartbeat. "Well, first in Basic Villainy 101..." As he set about drowning out the cheerful chatter of his daughter, the being known as Hellstorm mused darkly, *My little Yuri...already in trouble with Amakusa...and she got off with a little slap on the wrist...* "So then this nasty succubus girl..." *Either that fool is getting soft, or...* "And he just ran off! Isn't that weird? So anyway..." Troi allowed himself an inward dark smile. *Or maybe...just maybe...my little girl has something of her father in her after all...* ****** Yasuko stalked around the arena angrily, ignoring the battling students and teachers around her. A clock on the wall showed that it was clearly well after the appointed time, and yet... And yet there had been no sign of her hated rival. "How dishonorable, ignoring a challenge like that! The nerve of that...that brazen HUSSY! How dare she brush aside a member of the Seikouma Clan so casually?" Nearby, there was an explosion and a cry of pain. She glanced to the side, where Sakazashi the Fifth was lowering his hand. The succubus licked her lips. "Ah well, if I cannot satisfy my anger in combat..." Stalking over, she purred, "Sakazashi-kun..." The student turned, blinking...and gasped as a leather whip was wrapped around his neck. "I'm going to bed you until you wilt. Literally," Yasuko stated. "I...got no problem...with that..." Sakazashi choked out as he was dragged away from the arena. ****** AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whee, happyfun. I'm glad this Impro made it in, because out of the whole batch of originals, it's the one I really wanted to see win and to write for. Wai! However, this has given me a new experience in regards to Impro which, I have to say, was very enlightening... Namely, being the author of the second chapter of an Impro. I'm serious, this is a harder task than writing for Ultra. There's so much you have to take into account when plopping a chapter right after the starter it's almost scary. That doesn't even count the whole characterization issue... it's not easy to work with characters who have been defined but not fully expanded on in their debut appearance. Hopefully, I didn't screw anything up too badly. I don't think I did... Thanks to the wonderful folks of #improfanfic, and especially to Mads, for prereading. This part might have had a nice big helping of weird little errors and incongruities if not for the diligence Mads showed in pointing out stuff. :P Also, many thanks to Mads for inspiring (read as: writing) the battle class part...I cleaned it up and fleshed it out a bit, but the basic purpose of the scene is all Mads. So, thanks. ^_^ A couple little points: 1. The ASCII laugh thing--future authors, PLEASE do not take this as an open invitation. This is perhaps the one thing most complained about by prereaders, but I refused to remove it for a number of reasons. However, it *would* be extremely irritating if things like this started popping up left and right, so don't do it, okay? 2. The overall tone of this episode is a bit...ecchi. This is purely due to the introduction of Yuri's rival, as it sorta makes sense to carry an ecchi theme for introducing a succubus. Again, this isn't an open invitation to turn this into an H!flash clone. ^_^;; Anyway, that's about all I can think of...hope you enjoyed reading this. To the next author, good luck! *This has been a Studio ELL presentation* ****** The disciplinarian locked the door to the detention room as he left, whistling a merrily dark tune to himself. From inside the dank depths of said room, a muffled voice could be heard. "Hey! Get back here! You forgot about me! Hey! Someone let me outta here!" In the dark, cold detention room, Craig Maimsworth slumped his head...the only part of his body he really could slump, seeing as how he was currently being stretched on a rack. "Aw, DRAGONTURDS..." ~fin~