[@GrafRoy Zeppeli][@neogreggory][@liferusher]
Well, even though he turned to face the other way, the sound of splashing liquids and the pungent stench originating from a dehydrate nekomata made it much too easy to imagine what was going on behind the curtains. Though he wasn’t much of a poet or a scholar, Arata still had the imagination of an rambunctious oni, and could picture what was going on there. Not that he really wanted to or anything.

When that one long minute passed, the nekomata hopped onto his lower arm…something that Arata didn’t even notice until she spoke up. Jolting back when two large blue eyes were suddenly in his face, the oni managed an awkward laugh, before lifting his arm up and down while she still crouched on top of it. An expression of disbelief formed on his face at how unnoticeably light Shino was, and he said without thinking, [b]“Yeah, if you want to show your gratitude, go eat more and grow bigger. It’s like you pissed out most of your weight.”[/b]

Well, looked like she got the right idea when she hopped off and asked for food though. It was a bit sad, that she wasn’t even capable of hunting for herself at such an age, but as an older, more venerable youkai, maybe Arata will teach her the ways of monsters some time.

However, Arthur’s comments about the nature of this school quickly drew his attention once more. This school for mage-training wasn’t one that had monsters to kill? Why even teach kids how to use magic if they aren’t going to apply it practically by killing things? Ah, another point docked against Liseranna Academy. Truly, this was too peaceful if there wasn’t even any blood shed when training what that midget representative described as the ‘finest mages in the world’.

At least the teacher could make a nice fire, warm enough to roast meat in. Whistling at the pillar of flame, Arata nodded at Arthur’s description of the Director, intrigued at his omnipotent nature. Sinking an island with a thought sounded like a rather typical fear-mongering assumption, and clairvoyance wasn’t exactly too hard to obtain anyways. Teleportation? That’s just a human spell, and seeing with eyes closed? Not being able to do that just means you’re a blind, sixth-sense-less plebeian. Honestly, Arata wasn’t too impressed by the descriptions, but then again, seeing how Director A had been referred to as a man this whole time, and not a God…

Well, the oni would just have to wait and see, wouldn’t he?

A clap interrupted him as he was about to strike up a conversation with Shino, and immediately, Arata’s spine tingled in excitement, fear and anxiety bubbling within him as his dormant brethren woke up at the sight of this being. A man? A God? How fucking hilarious. This slit-eyed being was a whole other dimension of monstrous, and Arata’s smile became feral at the sight of the mountain he had to climb. The Director’s Academy, so far, lacked in violent excitement, but this being was drenched in blood so thick that Arata couldn’t help but want to try him, even when death loomed over his shoulders.

Right now, though, he will restrain himself.

After all, Shino was but a child, and while Arata believed that all youkai should develop a preference for blood, it probably wouldn’t be too great for her if she watched him become a mess of blood and gore.

[b]“Nice to meet you, Director A,”[/b] he said, smiling and offering a handshake, [b]“I’m happy that you’ve exceeded expectations, even if your Academy hasn’t yet. Shino, guess you’ll have to snatch some food later, eh? Unless the great Director can also create food and water for this skin-and-bones nekomata?”[/b]

With that, he followed after the flamboyant abnormality, adrenaline still creating a pleasant buzz in the back of his mind.
[hr]
Exorcism 101, huh?

Director A must have had a sense of humor, sending an oni would had been sealed by exorcist techniques for at least three hundred years to a class like this. Though the majority of the class was boring, that blonde teacher’s skill with chalk-based projectiles was really impressive. While Arata snatched the first one out of the air and managed to block the second one with relative ease, the third zipped past his ear before he could react, and formed a powdery crater in the wall.

Of course, only then did the teacher actually confirm that her intentions were for him to shut up, not a challenge to see how far his physical abilities extended. After that, as well as the very attractive threat of decapitation, Arata sat down and listened in earnest. As an oni addicted to battle, he might as well learn what his enemies could do, eh? Figure out how much exorcism techniques had evolved while he was sealed, so he knew how hard he had to try in order to break out later on.

Unfortunately…Juliann didn’t actually get into anything regarding techniques, even though the oni forced himself to sit still for the majority of an hour.

All that work with no pay off. Like hell he was going to let it end like this.

Standing up as the heterochromatic teacher began to leave, Arata leapt onto the desk, kicked off, and flew from the back of the lecture hall to the front. A loud ‘bang’ resounded as the oni landed, his feet a little too close to the head of a tanned human child, before he jumped outwards once more, this time landing near the door. With a third step that propelled him through the air and by the teacher’s side, Arata called out, [b]“Oi, teach! Shit, should have expected it out of an introductory course, but…”[/b]

The oni paused, his mouth moving too fast for his mind.

[b]“…alright, basically, I’ve been under a rock for a long time. What even happened to exorcism arts while I was gone?”[/b]