"You have to understand that this is very unusual, an admittance a month late with no heavy financial incentive will be seen as curious. Even if it's mentioned that you're one of the situations they shouldn't dive into, I'm afraid the faculty does get too curious for their own good sometimes." The woman sitting across from Steliana had a stern, no-nonsense look on her face. With very traditional black glasses, her black hair pulled into a bun, and sharp features. She was dressed in what would be called an outfit Steliana would have expected on anyone who wanted to scream 'boss lady', with a bit larger sleeves, and a more silken texture compared to what Steliana had seen in America. She was, of course, Michiko Kasejima, the administrator of Kuoh's All Girls Academy.
"Dear, please. You can handle it, can't you? Just think about all she's done for us. Besides, on the supernatural side, won't it give the school great protection? Just think, a living saint at Kuoh All Girls Academy! Isn't that enough to be proud of for life, that you helped run a school that taught a saint?" Noah, on the other hand, was still dressed in his sloppy suit and was hurriedly trying to convince Kuoh Academy's administrator… who just happened to be his wife.
"I suppose community outreach is an important part of any academy." Behind her glasses, the woman's eyes narrowed in thought.
Noah sagged, a clearly relieved smile appearing. "See! I knew you would figure it out." He looked over at Steliana, who just smiled. He sagged, clearly having expected her to say something. She held back a snicker as she sipped at the tea he had convinced her to order, saying something about his wife liking that.
Poor guy. Then again, his wife was absolutely hot and clearly wasn't actually a cold-hearted bitch like her appearance might have first made her think, considering how quickly she had folded. I rescind that thought. Not a poor guy. He's probably living his best teacher/secretary/boss fantasies. Steliana had to hold back her snickers again and pleasantly smile at the woman as she finished her mutterings.
"Alright, I think I've figured this out. We'll need a home address, guardian contact information, and school records, of course." Steliana's smile remained. Noah's on the other? Got significantly more strained.
"About that, dear. You see, she uh—"
He was cut off. Michiko's gaze snapped toward him. "Are you trying to tell me, husband, that this young lady is missing one of those?"
Noah flinched, desperately looking at Steliana, who just took another sip. "Aah, maybe it's all three of them?"
The administrator's gaze snapped onto her, and so she gently put her cup of tea down. "Not quite, I do have school records, medical records, and proper identification. On the other hand, while I could take you to my apartment, it has no address. As for a guardian, both of my parents are quite dead, and the rest of my family is unavailable." Steliana paused, adding. "Or you'd really not want them anywhere near Japan." She didn't know if she actually shared DNA with Rizevim or Vali, or how the Lucifer clan trait was actually going to be logically explained. But it was better to be safe and assume there was some connection, even if it were incredibly small.
Cold brown eyes once more narrowed behind the glasses that somehow only enhanced the intimidation effect. "I see, and can you get mail?" That was… an interesting question, actually. Could I set something up? Running through a few scenarios, she eventually realized that she'd have to learn far more about the Japanese postal service, but eventually Steliana nodded.
"I can figure it out."
Michiko hummed, glasses doing the classic anime glint as she adjusted them. "In that case, I don't believe we have any problems. While unusual not to have a guardian residing in our country in Junior High, it's happened before with our foreign visitors. The school naturally has a procedure for such matters. That said, what grade within Junior High are you seeking to join? While you look young, I'd assume the third?"
"I'm thirteen, so first." The woman froze before her gaze snapped toward Noah, who was looking as pale as a ghost.
"I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. Did you just say my husband sent a thirteen-year-old girl to exorcise spirits and purify a chapel that hasn't been used in years?" Aah shit, sorry Noah. Steliana glanced at him, giving him a pitying look. In response, he let out a strangled noise, a mix of shock, horror, and desperation.
"That's correct, Kasejima-san." Her pride, and the fact that she had all the knowledge of a psychology PhD, refused to let her use sama, but she could use san to at least be a bit more Japanese. And to hopefully ward off any scathing words from the woman.
At least, in reference to her. For Noah? All Steliana could do was give him her best wishes. "I see. Well, I'll make sure to get in contact with you for future meetings and to get you properly enrolled. For now, Utsusemi-chan, have a good rest of your day. I need to talk to my husband."
Steliana stood up, bowed slightly, and gave Noah one last pitying look. She also gave her parting words as she left, no longer looking at Noah, but instead at his wife-slash-administrator of the school. "Hai. I'll talk to you soon, and look forward to enrolling at your academy."
She left, and as she did, her supernatural hearing picked up harsh whispered words and a truly unique and incredible scolding. Goodluck buddy. But yeah, probably shouldn't ask children for help even when desperate. Then again, she wasn't ACTUALLY a child, but he couldn't have known that. Also, she hadn't told him or that last set of parents what she had actually dealt with, and how incredibly lucky they all were that he had actually contacted her when she did.
Then again? If she knew what I faced, she'd probably be screaming instead of harshly whispering. Oh well, other people's marriages weren't her business. Any advice she could have offered would have just been nonsensical and not at all fitting their situation. Hopefully, they work it out productively, would be a shame otherwise. Shaking her head, she stepped into the shadows. A few seconds later, a bat was soaring through the air and into the clouds.
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It took another week, intense study, another creative usage of summoning and teleportation magic, and four very long meetings. But, finally, Steliana was enrolled in the academy. Not only that, but she had been given multiple sets of the uniform with different variants based on the weather. Said uniform? Was what she was wearing right now.
This isn't… that bad? Sure, forcing a skirt outside of cold weather was dumb, but she had expected that. But no, she was more shocked at the fact that the shirt properly fit, the skirt was the right length, and the socks weren't those short dumb things with spikes, like in the anime. There was also nowhere at all in her mandatory outfit, the weird cape plus corset combination Rias had to design the uniform, right? There's no other way. Considering the girl was just outright a nudist and a complete exhibitionist? Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind. Looking over the uniform, she nodded.
It was boring, but high-class. It was something simple, but finely made. There were jackets, sweaters, stockings, and even both boots and leggings, all depending on the weather. Impressive, they really think of anything. Then again, it was a private rich-kid academy that also hosted out-of-country students.
Huh, really makes me feel like I'm back at my school again. Then again, that was a boarding school. This one wasn't, and they never had a college section, whereas the Kuoh's All Girls Academy did. There was, however, one problem…
WHY DOES THE GYM UNIFORM HAVE BLOOMERS?! Her research had told her that it was completely out of date, and schools just had regular, non-absurd uniforms nowadays in Japan! She couldn't even blame Rias for this one, apparently, because it just… was the gym outfit! It's just ridiculous! At least with the swimming uniform, it's being so tight made some sense. But BLOOMERS? Not only that, but ridiculously tight, likely one size too small ones? Staring at the fabric as if it had offended her like no other, Steliana shoved them into her gym bag with utmost disgust.
Fucking perverts. Just let teenage girls wear regular shorts for gym, damnit! She certainly had no problem showing skin, she loved skirts damnit! She didn't even really have a problem being stared at or ogled at. But being forced to wear something that crossed the boundary from revealing too, 'guaranteed to crawl up her ass and inevitably give a cameltoe at some point?' It was immensely annoying, aggravating, and downright nauseating.
This damn world. Taking a deep breath to calm down, she picked up her gym bag, slid her regular bag over her shoulder, and let out a sigh. Alright. Enough of that, calm down. Get angry later, for now? Calm down, girl, damn. It's the first day of school. There's no point being worked up before starting, as it's just going to make my entrance worse.
She knew that, of course, considering she was the one thinking it. But it was still hard to actually be calm. It was one of the first true signs of the kind of world she now lived in, considering she had mostly stayed sheltered. The other ones had been far more light-hearted until now. But this? It was subtler and much darker than bouncing boinging titties, or the implication of a beefcake threesome. Calm.
Taking a few more deep breaths, she tightened her grip on her gym bag, hiked up her regular bag onto her shoulder, and left the apartment. It was the first day of many that she would make the trek from the warehouse to the school. Luckily, she wasn't attacked, stopped, harassed, or assaulted on her first day walking. I doubt I'll be that lucky in the future.
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Yasaka, Kyuubi of the Western Pillar
She hummed, one hand gently waving her fan, and the other tapping her nails against the desk. "Your report on this Saint Nekopire?" The shadows writhed in front of her, and from it came a black-winged Karas-Tengu.
"My lady, the sensing device detected the leylines reacting to her. She is a Nekoshou." Yasaka's tapping froze, only to resume a split-second later.
"I see, then I was correct to order you not to get close. I thought getting near would be tricky because she was a saint, to think there's another young Nekoshou…" She trailed off, a smirk growing on her ruby-red lips. "That old hag is probably spitting livid at a Nekomata being in my territory, let alone a Nekoshou. That makes her one of three still living, right?"
"Indeed, my lady."
She giggled, an alluring, taunting thing that caused her servant to shiver, and her smile to grow at the reaction. "So what is this Nekoshou doing?"
The Tengu paused, clearly hesitant, and so Yasaka raised a single blonde brow in a prodding, yet silent question. "She's… enrolling in school, my lady."
Yasaka laughed, her kimono quivering with every breathy, yet melodic sound that left her lips. "A saint. A Nekoshou and a Dhampir walk into a school. Somehow that's all one person, and somehow it's actually happening."
"That's not all, my lady. As you ordered, I went to check on the outstanding cases that the Shrine Maidens." The Tengu practically spat the words before continuing, "Had denied to take. They were all taken care of."
Yasaka paused. "So she wasn't bragging about light magic either, how interesting that someone from the Neko-clan and a Dhampir could use it."
"That's not what I meant, my lady. The signature I found at one of the residences… It was an Egyptian Spirit."
Her lips parted in shock. "What did the device gauge her Youki at?"
There was a moment of silence, then. "It couldn't detect any."
A tremor ran through Yasaka, genuine shock filling her. In order to avoid our sensing devices… "Two-tails. She has two tails already." The words left her lips in a quiet, almost reverent whisper. "How old is she?"
"Thirteen, my lady." Her hand shook. Thirteen. A youkai that was high-class at thirteen. A youkai who was a saint. A youkai that could wield light magic. A youkai that was a Nekoshou. Yasaka laughed once more, but this time it was loud, and with her? All of Kyoto laughed, flowers bloomed, the skies cleared, and the sun shone down brighter. Fucking thirteen. We finally have our own naturally born Transcendant. An emotion that hadn't been known to her in hundreds of years settled over the ruler of the Western Youkai Faction.
Relief. Fuck you, Amateratsu. We aren't destined to be your slaves forever, and this generation is going to prove that. A natural-born transcendent, an SS-class criminal, and her own daughter born with nine-tails… We might finally secure our place in the world. No more absurd concessions to the devils. No more pandering to the Shinto and their pathetic Five Clans. A smile remained on her face for the rest of the day.
As for why she was so sure the girl already held two tails even while having the 'Saint' tag, well. Who knows what faction she is a proclaimed saint of? Because it's certainly not the Shinto. Of that, Yasaka was certain. Not to mention it was fully possible a genius able to reach that level at the age of thirteen, while being crowned a saint could fool even the Devilnet. After all... while it was the creation of that Devil? His creations aren't him. Not to mention the many flaws built into it all due to the various concessions the Devil's had to give to spread the Devilnet.