40

Chapter 40:

"Sure, no problem," said Shinrei casually.

"Okay," said Ruby, feeling a bit dazed from how easy it had been, and how willing Shinrei had been to accommodate her.

She'd still been a bit worried when she'd brought the question up to him, upon arriving for her daily training. But Shinrei had only been curious about the reason why she wanted to change up her schedule. After that, he'd been happy to do so.

"You seem surprised," Shinrei noted, raising an eyebrow.

"Um...well...you're already doing so much for me and..." Ruby ground her toe against the tiles as she looked down.

"Well, yeah," said Shinrei. "But it's not like this was something I explicitly decided on. We just kinda settled on this schedule for your training. You're right about it being easier to concentrate on your homework, if you aren't worn out from working yourself to the bone." He chuckled. "I gotta say, I'm impressed you'd be willing to do it right after school. A lot of kids like a grace period between getting out for the day and doing their homework."

"Well...I'm training," said Ruby. "So I don't really don't have that kind of time."

"Yep," agreed Shinrei. "But Kyo, Sasame, and Sora-sama aren't wrong about you needing to socialize more. This is definitely the right approach." He noticed that Ruby didn't seem very excited about the prospect. "What's the matter?"

"W-well...I'm just thinking," said Ruby. "Not everyone would understand as well as Natsu-chan, even if they were my friends. What would they think about me living in the palace, with Sora-sam...or training with you?"

"To be truly honest, that's hard to say," said Shinrei. "It depends on the person, and how close they are to you. But I can see your worry.

"If you become friends with people, while still keeping those secrets from them, it's only natural that there's going to be some distance you can't cross with them. I'd say that, after you spend some time getting to know them, you can maybe gauge how well they'd take learning about where you live and what you do. But that's something that you'd have to do on a case-by-case basis."

"Right," said Ruby uncertainly. "I wish there was an easier way to figure that sort of thing out."

"No helping it," said Shinrei with a shrug. "Of course, there's nothing wrong with passing up training for now."

"What?" asked Ruby, a strangely harsh tone to her question.

Shinrei flinched, not expecting such a harsh response. "You're incredibly talented and dedicated, Ruby-chan. But you're in a pretty big rush to get stronger. That can be unhealthy, particularly if you neglect to have a life outside of training."

"B-but I thought I was a good student," said Ruby, a strange, almost panicked expression flickering across her face.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Shinrei, beginning to worry. "You're a great student, Ruby-chan, one of the best I've ever seen. You have more talent and drive than I ever did."

"Th-then why do you want me to stop?" asked Ruby, tears starting to leak from her eyes.

"Huh?" Shinrei tilted his head in confusion. "Who said anything about stopping? I just think you need to slow down a little, like maybe cutting this down to four days a week, so that you have more time to spend with your friends."

"Sure," spat Ruby bitterly, angry tears running down her cheeks. "That's what you'll say at first. Then you'll want me to slow down more. Then you'll tell me I'm 'just not cut out for this', right?"

"What?" asked Shinrei, beginning to wonder if Ruby was hearing something completely different from what he was saying. "No! That's not what I'm saying at all! I don't have any intention of giving up on you."

"Then why are you trying to hold me back?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Who said anything about holding you back?" asked Shinrei. "I sure didn't."

"But you just said I should pass on training!" Ruby protested.

"For now, and not completely," clarified Shinrei. "You shouldn't rush this. Having a life outside of training is more important for you now. You need to enjoy being a kid, and make friends while you can."

Despite Shinrei's best efforts, Ruby wasn't calming down. She was crying openly now, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're saying that now. But I know how this is going to go. You start by saying I should slow down. Then you'll start to say I'm not any good. Then you'll tell me I don't need to train, that I should just give up!"

"What?" grunted Shinrei. "Where did all this come from? Why would you think I would do that?"

"Because no one believes in me!" exclaimed Ruby. "Everyone thinks I'm weak, that I can't get stronger, so they're always trying to get me to give up, so that I can be locked away, like some kind of stupid doll!"

"ENOUGH!" barked Shinrei, channeling his Aura, and Projecting it out through his voice.

Ruby's mouth snapped closed with an audible click of teeth. Shinrei bit back the urge to sigh. Ruby was on the verge of panicking completely. He realized now that he'd stumbled over the trigger to some manner of hidden trauma. He'd gotten the basic gist of what Ruby had been through, from Sasame and Kyo, but not all the particulars. However, he had noticed that his efforts to gently talk Ruby down from her panic were counterproductive. That being the case, it might well have been an excess of gentleness that had caused this problem. So maybe a bit of harshness was what Ruby needed now.

"Is that what you really think?" asked Shinrei, his tone stern.

Ruby sniffed.

"You think that your brother and sister don't believe in you," he continued, "even after they put all that time and energy into your training?"

Ruby shook her head silently.

"Of course not," he agreed. "They're the ones who recommended you to me after all. They don't make such recommendations lightly, nor do I have the luxury of taking students casually. I don't talk about this, because I don't want you to think you're a burden to me; but, as one of the Goyosei, I have a great many claims to my time, claims that are difficult to balance with the needs of a dedicated student."

Ruby let out a soft whimper.

Kneeling down, Shinrei rested his hands on his shoulders. "But I took you on because I saw your potential, Ruby. Every time we spar, I only hold back enough to ensure I don't injure you, so you know I don't treat you like you're made of glass."

Remembering the pain of the blows she'd received, Ruby found herself nodding.

"Listen carefully," said Shinrei, his tone becoming firmer. "You are incredibly talented, and unbelievably dedicated. That kind of combination is exceedingly rare. The issue is that there are aspects of your growth that neither talent nor dedication can help."

"Like what?" asked Ruby, her panic fading, replaced by genuine curiosity.

"Well...just plain growing, for one thing," said Shinrei. "Like it or not, at the end of the day, until your next birthday, you're still only nine years old. Even then, once your birthday comes, you'll still only be ten years old. Your natural growth is just as important as developing your strength and technique. But no amount of training can make you literally grow up faster. If anything, training too much can have an adverse effect on your growth. As you get older, your body will grow and develop, becoming accustomed to greater strain. But you can't rush it.

"But that applies to the rest of your life too. Sora-sama could have easily arranged for you to be home-schooled. She would strictly screen whatever teachers you were assigned, of course. You could have studied your academics without having to worry about classmates being prejudiced against you for being an outsider. But she didn't...and you know why."

Ruby nodded slowly.

Shinrei ruffled her hair fondly. "You need to forge connections with people your own age. You need peers and friends. Sending you to school is to enable you to grow as a whole person. That kind of growth also takes time, time that dedication can't do much to shorten. In order to bond with people, you need to spend time with them. It's not just pointless platitudes either. Having friends and growing emotionally will help inform your training."

"How?" asked Ruby, her eyes going wide, immediately growing more interested.

Shinrei bit back an amused chuckle. One track mind, this one, he thought wryly. "Well, for a start, by interacting people, you can develop the skill of reading them. That can be helpful in social interactions. But, in battle, it can be priceless.

"In a real fight, you can't simply move in the present. You have to be able to perceive the fight's future. Reading an opponent will enable you to foresee their next moves. Knowing those moves enable you to gain the upper hand. The better you can read your enemy, the further ahead you'll be able to see. A true master of such skills can completely control the flow of battle. Against someone who has the same skill, whoever is better at reading their opponent will be the victor."

Standing back up, Shinrei stepped back a little, spreading out his arms. "It's best to show you," he said. "So, right now, I want you to attack me."

"Attack you?" asked Ruby.

"Yep," said Shinrei. "This isn't a sparring match. I'm not going to hit back. But I want you to simply try your hardest to hit me."

"Okay," said Ruby, rising. She drew her swords, and took her starting stance. Shinrei made no move to mimic her, instead lowering his arms and standing at ease. Ruby might have thought he was mocking her. But she could see the serious expression he was wearing. He wanted to show her something.

Ruby shot forward, her body becoming a blur. She tried to moderate the force of her Aura a little more, trying to control her acceleration to keep it appropriate to the distance between herself and her opponent. As a result, she came to within reach of Shinrei swiftly, slashing out with one sword.

But Shinrei wasn't there anymore. He hardly seemed to move at all, but despite that, Ruby's swing still missed. She followed through, going into a fierce offensive, throwing every technique he'd taught her at him. Again, Shinrei barely seemed to move at all, at times his body moving so smoothly, and in conjunction with Ruby's swords, that they both seemed frozen in time to her. He glided between her attacks, slipped through gaps in her strokes, always moving effortlessly out of the way. Then, in a flickering instant, when Ruby raised her blades for an overhead attack, Shinrei vanished in that brief second where Ruby's rising arms crossed in front of her eyes, blocking out her view of him.

Gasping, Ruby turned her head right and left, looking for any sign of her teacher.

"Pretty neat, huh?" asked Shinrei from directly behind her, making Ruby shriek and jump, before turning around to face him.

"Wha-what was that?" asked Ruby, still wrestling with her physical reaction to being startled so suddenly.

"That's what we call the Dancing Blade," explained Shinrei. "There are multiple components to it. But, to put it simply, you learn your opponent's rhythm."

"Rhythm?" Ruby blinked in confusion.

"Yep," said Shinrei. "In essence, you internalize your opponent's rhythm, and dance with them."

"Dance?"

Shinrei chuckled. "It might sound silly to you, but martial arts and dance are actually closely related. In dancing, you move in conjunction with your partner. In martial arts, you move opposed to them. But, in both arts, succeeding and failing are all based upon your ability and skill at managing all the aspects of interaction between you: space, timing, position, orientation...Rhythm has aspects of all of that. From when you plant your foot to when you begin your strike, there's a beat to it. Learn to read that beat, and you'll know what your opponent will do before they do."

"Wow," Ruby whispered.

"For the past few weeks, I've been training you," continued Shinrei. "I've watched your every move. It's only natural that I'd be able to learn your rhythm."

Ruby nodded. "But you've never used it before," she observed.

"Yep," said Shinrei. "It's the difference between difficult and impossible. If I used the Dancing Blade during our spars, you'd have no chance of hitting me, the same chance you'd have if I used all my speed or strength against you. You achieve goals like that only by meeting other, more immediate, goals, and building yourself up so that that previously impossible goal won't be impossible anymore."

"But...if you already know my rhythm, then I'll never hit you," Ruby protested.

"Well...if you never learn," said Shinrei. "Rhythm is an almost unconscious expression of yourself. But, through training, you can become conscious of your rhythm. From there, you can learn to control it, adjusting it so that I can't read it so easily. And, of course, once you reach that level, you'll start to learn my rhythm too. Once that starts, our bouts are going to enter another dimension entirely. And then you'll really see how battle can be like a dance."

"Wooooow!" gasped Ruby, her eyes sparkling.

God...her enthusiasm is unbelievable, Shinrei mused silently. If only she could approach other aspects of her life with this kind of fervor.

"Of course, in order to be able to do that, you still need to be able to interact with people," said Shinrei. "So, making friends, learning to understand people, it's all a part of becoming stronger. Reducing your training so that you have more time to spend with friends isn't lessening your commitment to becoming stronger, it's a critical part of it, and it also gives your body time to grow, so that you can work harder without hurting yourself."

"Okay," said Ruby softly, looking down, feeling ashamed about her previous outburst. It made her feel childish. Worse, it was immature and ungrateful to Shinrei, considering everything he'd already done for her.

"It's all right," said Shinrei, seeming to read her mind. "That might have been childish. But there's no getting around the fact that you are a child, and will be for sometime yet. Nothing good comes from trying to grow up too quickly. Haste is bad. Working you too hard now would only lead to harm that would impair you in the future. So it's important that we do this right the first time."

"R-right," said Ruby.

Shinrei was unable to keep a warm smile from his face. So he crouched down again, resting a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You are the best student I could have ever hoped for," he said, injecting all the sincerity he could muster into his voice. "I'm proud to be your teacher, Ruby-chan. I have no intention of giving up on you...ever."

"Th-thank you," said Ruby.

Unable to help himself, Shinrei drew her into a fond hug. Ruby would have reciprocated, but her swords were still in her hands, so she kept her arms lowered, but leaned into the embrace. "You're gonna become an incredible warrior, Ruby-chan, and I'm going to do everything I can to ensure it." He let go of her and stood up again. "Now, with that established, I want you to think about what Sora-sama, and everyone else wants you to do."

"You mean making friends?" asked Ruby.

Shinrei grinned and nodded. "Instead of being something separate from your training, making friends is a part of it, a critical part. Dealing with other people will help you become a better fighter in the future, so what we're asking of you is an extension of your training, not a distraction from it."

"Okay," said Ruby, feeling slightly less hesitant at the notion.

"Think you can manage that?" asked Shinrei.

Ruby nodded.

"Okay then," said Shinrei. "We'll go ahead and switch your training and homework periods. From there, once you get more used to the idea, we'll talk about adjusting the number of sessions each week...but not right away."

Ruby nodded, still feeling trepidation about being advised to step down her training. But she was beginning to understand the reasons behind it; the real reasons, not the reasons she'd projected in her brief panic.

"Okay then," said Shinrei, stepping back and folding his arms. "Of course, we're still on for tonight. So now, let's start with your katas. Take your stance."

"Yes, Sensei," said Ruby eagerly, quick to do as she was told.

Following the advice of her family and Natsuki, Ruby approached Miyu after class the next day. It was just as well. Ruby might have been able to keep up in most subjects. However, learning the Old Tongue was difficult, considering she had none of the grounding the rest of the class did in the ancient language, something Yuuko and Akane both mocked her for, whenever the opportunity came up. While everyone else was working on kanji, the primary written language of the Old Tongue, Ruby was just learning the basics of hiragana, the Old Tongue's main phonetic system. Whereas everyone else in class had drill-books for their current year, Ruby's drill-books were the beginner-level ones.

Much to her surprise, Miyu was actually willing to help, acting as Ruby's conversation partner to practice the basic phrases she learned, and even helping in other subjects. In a burst of cleverness that actually surprised herself, Ruby began to use her language practice as a way to learn more about Miyu, tailoring the back and forth questions to ask about her family and where she lived, as well as her likes and interests. Gradually, as the days passed, Ruby was able to actually start conversing with Miyu in a more casual manner.

Miyu's family, it turned out, came from the Mibu Clan's middle-class. Her parents were artisans, though what kind Ruby had yet to learn. She did learn that they lived in the main section of Onmyo, just close enough to the upperclass district that this was the closest school to Miyu's home. Apparently, she had to wake up fairly early in the morning to make the walk to this school. Ruby could sympathize, knowing that she had to plan her schedule around the time needed to navigate the Palace's labyrinthine layout, just to reach the gates, and that was with the shortcuts that Sasame and the others had shown her, to say nothing of the walk through the upperclass district itself.

Much to Ruby's surprise, Miyu revealed that her parents hadn't done much to embed the typical Mibu prejudice against outsiders in her, generally being too focused on other matters to worry about things outside their homeland. Because of that, she had taken to the more nuanced portrait that Kyoichiro, and his vetted teachers, painted of the outside world. Ruby was, of course, the first outsider that Miyu had ever met and engaged with, and it didn't take Ruby long to realize just how much curiosity that Miyu held towards the outside world, though Ruby couldn't really elaborate all that much, only able to inform Miyu on things that Ruby knew through personal experience.

One thing that Ruby learned for certain was that Miyu was steady, calm, and serious, though she at least knew how to smile. The other thing that stood out about Miyu was that she absolutely loved picnics. When Ruby and Natsuki proposed such an outing for their next Sunday together, Miyu had been ecstatic.

And Miyu was kind, true to Natsuki's assessment of her. While Ruby had been making headway with Miyu, the bullies in the class hadn't lost any of the animosity towards her, though most of the students appeared to have generally accepted her presence. One day, after returning with Natsuki from spending their inter-period free-time outside, enjoying the weather, Ruby arrived to find that that her Old Tongue workbook had been savaged. Someone had defaced it, tearing out pages, and smearing black ink across those that remained.

Though there was no evidence to confirm it, Ruby noticed that Yuuko and Akane, especially Akane, seemed quite pleased with themselves, the latter's sneer becoming more prominent while Ruby fought back tears.

Then Miyu had entered the room, seeing what had Ruby so upset. She quietly took the ruined workbook from Ruby, and disposed of it. During their next allotted set of free time, Miyu vanished, only to return near the end, carrying a brand new workbook for Ruby, having rushed over to the early-education portion of the school to get a new one for her.

In the end, Miyu had been surprisingly easy to approach. Ruby was a bit more reluctant to follow up on Natsuki's other suggestion, and approach Setsuna. However, she found her opportunity. One of the expectations of students was that they clean up the classroom at the end of the day, not merely putting away their tools and books, but actually sweeping and cleaning the room. The duty rotated so that a different group of students was responsible for the job each day. Ruby, much to her relief, was not assigned to the same group as her bullies, and had Natsuki in hers.

However, even on days when it wasn't his group's job, Setsuna still remained behind after class, helping to clean and care for the classroom. Somewhat nervously at first, Ruby approached him, and began to talk to him.

Setsuna wasn't much of a talker, generally giving short responses to Ruby's questions. But they were never curt or dismissive. She learned that he was a student of the Mumyo Dai'On Ryu, the Mibu Clan's school of earth-based Manifestation. With a little bit more prodding from her, and the revelation that she was learning the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu (for now), Ruby was able to goad him into elaborating on what he was learning.

Apparently, unlike her, Setsuna usually only had classes three days a week. He was interested in more. But his parents insisted that he would only be permitted to dedicate himself to his training more after he got through elementary school. Apparently, Setsuna intended to become a live-in student at the Mumyo Dai'On Ryu's main school, once he graduated.

Talking with Setsuna helped Ruby to realize that Shinrei had been right about the need to cut back on her training. Setsuna had been frustrated, at first, that his parents would not permit him to train more. But, as he'd spent more time at school and studying, he'd come to see that the time he spent here was important. He kept to himself for the most part, but he did build connections with his classmates, mainly through helping them clean up the classroom nearly every day.

Setsuna's elaboration on what his training was like also awakened Ruby to the incredible privilege she'd been granted, being permitted to train under Shinrei directly, on a daily basis. In Setsuna's school, he trained with well over a dozen other students, occasionally under the direct supervision of Chinmei, though he often left for extended periods, according to whatever needs his position as one of the Goyosei required of him.

Haruka, despite being the Grandmaster of the Mumyo Dai'On Ryu, almost never appeared within the school's walls. When she did, she rarely spoke, merely watching silently. Remembering what Murasame had told her about Haruka's shy nature, Ruby could understand how the reclusive member of the Taishiro had come by her somewhat daunting reputation, however unintentionally. Ruby wondered if she should tell Setsuna about that, but realized that he'd be unlikely to believe her, unless she revealed to him how she'd come by that particular bit of information, which would potentially lead to her revealing other parts of her circumstances, which she couldn't tell to Setsuna, at least not until she'd better gauged how he'd react to it.

In any case, hearing about Setsuna's own experience in training further cemented Ruby's realization of how lucky and privileged she was to receive regular, individual instruction from Shinrei. It made her feel more than a little guilty about her previous outburst at him.

Deciding to follow both her sensei's advice and Setsuna's example, Ruby reduced the number of training sessions she had every week, time Shinrei was glad to give her. With that, Ruby began to learn more about what her friends and peers did with their time after school, when they weren't doing their homework. Ruby began to join her new friends in their afternoon activities.

The tentative friendships Ruby struck up with Miyu and Setsuna were just the beginning for her. She wasn't the only one who spent time with Miyu after school. Many of their classmates sought out Miyu's assistance for some assignment or other, Miyu apparently being incredibly gifted in all the subjects they were taught. Likewise, Setsuna was somewhat popular as well, given that he frequently stayed to help out his classmates with cleaning duties, even when it wasn't his day. By becoming their friend, Ruby found herself interacting with her classmates more, and many of them were gradually warming to her presence in class.

Of all Ruby's classmates, only Akane and Yuuko remained stubbornly opposed to her presence in class. If anything, while the others gradually grew to accept her, their pranks became all the more vicious.

One day, Ruby came back to the classroom for the last class of the day, only to find her desktop defiled by crudely-scrawled kanji insults, which she couldn't read, something she realized was meant to be an additional insult to her. Setsuna quickly helped her scrub it down, even as Kyoichiro began to final class of the day. Once again, Akane and Yuuko looked extra-pleased, though no one had seen them do it. Still, with Setsuna's help, Ruby was able to get her desk clean in a timely manner, which kept her from getting too worked up about it.

So, despite her two primary tormenters' efforts to drive her out, Ruby continued to steadily progress, building her relationship with her other classmates, little by little. The more progress she made, the more frustrated the bullies seemed.

"Why won't the outsider take a hint?" growled Akane, glaring at Ruby, who was eating her lunch with Natsuki. This time, Miyu had actually gone over to join them, though Setsuna continued to eat by himself.

Yuuko huffed. "Outsiders are just stupid. That's what O-Tou-san says."

"I heard O-Kaa-san and O-Tou-san talking last night," grumbled Akane. "They say the Mitarai family have closed themselves off. Sasame-sama's parents are ashamed she's adopted an outsider."

"They should be," muttered Yuuko. "Imagine how bad that must be for their status. I bet they can't even show their faces in public anymore."

"But why would Sasame-sama adopt some outsider anyway?" wondered Akane. "What's so special about her?"

"Probably something stupid," said Yuuko. "Sasame-sama hangs out with the Demon Child a lot."

Abruptly, they both twitched and straightened, casting about with wary glances, wondering if Kyoichiro might be listening in on them. Neither of them wanted to be caught saying bad things about the man's son, after all.

"We have to do something," said Akane, turning back to their conversation, after confirming that they hadn't been overheard. "We need to make it absolutely clear to that outsider that she doesn't belong here."

Yuuko nodded. "But what? None of the others are helping us. Miyu-chan and Setsuna-kun are helping her now."

Akane's eyes narrowed. Then a sly smile appeared on her face. "I've got an idea," she said, the look on her face actually making her friend and coconspirator nervous.

"What idea?" asked Yuuko.

Akane merely grinned, a look on her face that filled Yuuko with a sense of foreboding.

After lunch, the students had a recess period, enabling them to go out and play in the schoolyard. Miyu and Natsuki were happily teaching Ruby some of the different games played by the Mibu Clan's children, with Setsuna watching from a short distance away. When the bell rang to announce the final minutes until class resumed, Ruby and her friends returned to the classroom. As they did, Ruby noticed a strange, uncomfortable silence, particularly from the students who arrived ahead of them.

Upon entering the room, Ruby blinked in surprise, seeing something resting on top of her desk. Her first impulse was to think that someone had defaced her desk again. But it didn't take long for her to feel relieved. In fact, she felt a flutter of happiness in her chest at the sight.

Someone had taken an ordinary drinking glass, and set it on her desk. Inside the glass, someone had set a trio of bright flowers, which looked as though they'd been picked from the flowerbed outside.

"Oh..." said Ruby, blinking, wondering if this was someone's way of encouraging her. However, her thoughts were cut off by the tense gasp from Natsuki, beside her. Looking over, Ruby found herself confused. Natsuki's skin had paled considerably, and her expression was a mix of horror and outrage. Glancing to her other side, Ruby saw Miyu in a similar state.

"Natsu-chan...Miyu-chan...Is something wrong?" asked Ruby, looking back and forth between them.

Miyu didn't seem to hear her, instead turning around to survey the other students, many of whom looked uncomfortable with the situation. "Who did this?" Miyu demanded furiously.

A faint, stifled cough drew Ruby's attention to Akane and Yuuko. Yuuko looked distinctly uneasy, keeping her gaze averted. Akane, on the other hand, had a vicious smirk on her face, though she was trying hard to look innocent...and failing miserably.

Ruby glanced back down at the flowers again. What's going on? She thought they looked nice, but Natsuki and Miyu were downright furious. Was there something she was missing here?

"Everyone, please take your seats," said Kyoichiro, entering the classroom. As he did so, his eyes surveyed the room. His gaze immediately zeroed in on the trio of Ruby, Natsuki, and Miyu. Then his eyes went to Ruby's desk, and he froze in place.

The tension in the classroom abruptly ratcheted up by several notches. Ruby abruptly sensed a feeling of danger, almost like the rumble of a distant storm, gradually growing closer. The air became heavy, difficult to breathe. Natsuki and Miyu, already pale, only grew whiter in shade, indicating to Ruby she wasn't the only one feeling it.

Akane's smirk was suddenly nowhere to be found.

"Oeki," said Kyoichiro.

"My Lord," whispered a voice from within the teacher's shadow.

"Fetch Sasame at once," said Kyoichiro.

"As you wish."

Kyoichiro walked between the rows of desks, making his way between them. Miyu and Natsuki fell back away, while Ruby moved a bit closer to her desk. Kyoichiro stared down at the flower and its improvised vase for a moment, before turning to survey the rest of the room. "Who is responsible for this?" he asked.

Silence greeted his query. Kyoichiro's manner grew much stricter. Reaching up, he removed his glasses, making everyone in the room cringe away at the sight of his Crimson Eyes revealed.

"Make no mistake," said Kyoichiro grimly, "this is unacceptable. Not a single one of you will be permitted to leave, until the one who did this is identified."

Silence greeted his statement again, the air only growing tenser. Despite her confusion, Ruby found herself sweating, feeling uneasy. Why would something as simple as a few flowers on her desk cause so much anger? All she could tell was that this anger was not directed at her.

She noticed that Yuuko was looking gray. Beside her, Akane looked just about ready to faint. Still, no one said a word.

"I will find out who did this," declared Kyoichiro emphatically. "If you come forward now, your consequences will be less severe. However, if you draw this out..."

"It was Akane!" blurted out Yuuko. "She did it!"

"Yuuko!" protested Akane, gaping at her friend.

"I told her it was a bad idea, but she still did it!" continued Yuuko. "I didn't want her to..."

Kyoichiro raised his right hand slightly, and Yuuko's jaw snapped shut. Likewise, Akane sat up, ramrod-straight, in her seat. He slowly made his way over to their desks, standing over them, and staring down at the two girls.

"Akane-kun...is this true?" he asked.

"N-n-n-n-..." Akane tried to lie, but her tongue refused to work properly, her fear keeping her from articulating a proper explanation.

"Did...you...do...this?" pressed Kyoichiro, leaving a slight pause between each word.

Akane inhaled sharply, her body trembling.

"Sensei?" asked Ruby, her own voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Kyoichiro turned his gaze towards her. Ruby flinched slightly at his reaction. It was jarring, seeing the eyes he normally hid behind his silly glasses, but she was used to seeing such eyes from Kyo, so it didn't bother her. What did bother her was the way his expression washed from one of anger to one of sadness, when his attention was turned from Akane to her.

"I...I don't understand," Ruby admitted. "Is...Is this wrong?" she gestured weakly at the flowers on her desk. "I thought they were nice."

Other students in the classroom all gaped at her. Ruby blinked, wondering if what she had said was so strange.

Kyoichiro let out a soft sigh, reaching up to gently pinch the bridge of his nose. Then he smiled sadly at her. "Sometimes I forget that you aren't fully educated in all the nuances of our culture, Ruby-kun. There is nothing wrong with that. However..."

The door to the classroom slid open, and Sasame came in. "I came as soon as I could," said Sasame, her eyes going immediately to Ruby, then to Ruby's desk. "Oh my."

"Sasame, please take Ruby-kun home for the day," said Kyoichiro.

"Of course," said Sasame, quickly moving towards Ruby. "Ruby-chan, please get your things."

"I...uh...what?" Ruby blinked, looking around in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," said Sasame, coming up to her.

While Ruby had been stopped by her indecision, Miyu and Natsuki had acted on her behalf, gathering up the things Ruby would need to take home. They quickly handed Ruby's book-bag to Sasame, who took it.

"I'll explain," said Sasame, resting a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Just come with me, please."

"A-all right," said Ruby, reluctantly allowing herself to be steered out of the classroom.

When the door shut behind them, Kyoichiro's expression hardened once again. He turned back to Akane, looking down on her, the force of his will increasing substantially. Normally, Kyoichiro was not one to use fear to rule over his students. He preferred to cultivate respect from his students, to motivate them to seek learning for their own good. However, there were times when students had to be reminded that there were lines that should not be crossed.

Had he so wished it, Kyoichiro could have crushed the child before him with nothing more than the force of his anger, smothering the breath from her body. A few steps down from that, he could have incited such terror within her that her psyche would be permanently shattered, leaving her a gibbering mess, in a state of perpetual panic. But Kyoichiro was no such monster that he would do that willingly, and no such blunderer that he would allow his anger to override his control over a child's prank taken too far. Instead, he wielded the force of his anger with a surgeon's precision, utilizing exactly enough to reinforce Akane's realization that she was in deep trouble.

"I will ask you once more, Akane-kun," said Kyoichiro firmly. "Did you do this?"

Akane had to fight to fill her lungs. When she tried to speak, her voice emerged in an unintelligible squeak. She had to try again. Finally, she managed to force out a single syllable.

"Yes."

To say that the Tachibanas, Daiki and Kazue, were shocked to receive a summons to their daughter's school was an understatement, a shock that was further reinforced by the fact that it was delivered by none other than one of Sora's Imperial Guard, rising right up out of Daiki's shadow to inform them that their daughter's teacher was calling them for an immediate meeting.

The worried parents wasted no time getting to the school, where they were quickly shown to Kyoichiro's office. Entering the room, with its sparse decorations, bookshelf, and a desk with stacks of quizzes waiting to be graded, it was easy to forget that the teacher who used this office was also none other than the Crimson King.

Normally, when acting in accordance with his status as a teacher, Kyoichiro wore his opaque, rather comical-looking glasses, in order to look more friendly and approachable. In this office, he was not the Crimson King of the Mibu, but a teacher, one who cared deeply for his students' development. The latter aspect had not changed. Kyoichiro was still very much a teacher in this room...but he was not wearing his glasses.

The sight of those Crimson Eyes sent shivers down the spines of Akane's parents. They had often spoke harshly of the Crimson King's son, Kyo. However, it was strange how easy it was to forget that Kyo's father sported the same eyes.

"Please, sit," said Kyoichiro, his expression neutral as he gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.

Daiki and Kazue quickly took the offered seats, smoothing their kimonos and trying to make themselves comfortable.

Kyoichiro leaned forward, resting his elbows on top of the desk, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin atop his knuckles. "I am afraid to tell you that there has been an instance of severe bullying, involving your daughter, today," he said.

"Is she all right?" asked Kazue quickly.

"She is all right," said Kyoichiro. "But there were flowers on the desk."

Daiki shot to his feet. "Who was responsible!?" he demanded furiously, his outrage overriding his unease at the sight of Kyoichiro's eyes. Daiki's own grayish-blue eyes were gleaming with anger. "I demand their immediate expulsion!"

The angry outburst was understandable. Whatever else could be said about them, the Mibu were a people who treasured their children, mainly because their rate of birth was so low, considered something of a side-effect of their extended lifespans. The school Kyoichiro ran and worked in saw to the education of a full third of the capital's entire population of children on its own. The Mibu expected their children to be well looked after, something which was indeed possible, thanks to the skill and training of the clan's healers.

However, on occasion...the worst sometimes did happen, and a child's life would be cut tragically short. The fact that it was such a rare occurrence only made it all the more painful when such a loss was suffered. As such, in their schools, when such a tragedy arose, it was traditional to place a vase of flowers on the desk of the deceased student.

Of course, in the hands of someone with ill intent, the meaning behind such a gesture could be twisted in the cruelest of ways. Placing flowers on the desk of a deceased student was a gesture of sympathy and support. However, when such a token was placed on the desk of one still living...its meaning became far more malicious...We wish you were dead. As far as bullying could go, it was perhaps one of the cruelest statements one student could make to another, even though it involved no destruction or defacing of property, nor did it involve physical injury. The fact that the Mibu, as a people, cherished their children all the more dearly only made such an action into a dagger that was driven deeper still into the heart of the recipient.

And so the Tachibanas' anger was understandable...or would have been, had the situation been what they'd interpreted it to be.

"Is that so?" asked Kyoichiro, not even flinching at Daiki's outburst. "The culprit did confess, so I am considering a degree of leniency. Suspension, perhaps..."

"No!" snapped Kazue. "This kind of behavior is not to be tolerated. We demand to know who did this! I want them removed from this school immediately!"

"I see," said Kyoichiro, closing his eyes. "If that is how you truly feel then…I am saddened to inform you that your daughter shall be expelled from this school."

"Wha-what?" gasped Kazue.

"But Akane-!" began Daiki.

"Is the culprit," said Kyoichiro simply. "I did not say that the flowers were on her desk."

"What?" repeated Kazue, beginning to feel lightheaded, her shoulder-length black hair rippling from the tremors running through her body.

"Perhaps your daughter has informed you that a student transferred into her class a few weeks ago," said Kyoichiro.

"We've heard," said Daiki sullenly.

As far as they were concerned, it was an affront to have an outsider join Akane's class. Worse still, said outsider had been adopted into the Mitarai Family by the family's daughter, Sasame. Sasame's parents were so ashamed of their daughter's behavior that they had ceased coming to and hosting social engagements altogether, not that anyone could blame them. Members of other upperclass families, Daiki and Kazue among them, had speculated that Sasame would be dismissed from her current apprenticeship any day now, a devastating blow to the prestige of the family, whose founder had introduced healing arts practiced by the Mibu clan so many generations ago.

Of course, however scandalous they might have found it, the Tachibanas knew better than to air their grievances to their daughter's teacher. To have Akane be taught by the Crimson King himself was a mark of prestige to them, however...nebulous...the King's official status might have been. But they had occasionally remarked that Ruby Rose should be "encouraged" to leave the class, preferably the school, altogether.

"Your daughter left flowers in a glass on Ruby-kun's desk," said Kyoichiro, his expression darkening.

"Th-that's...but..." Daiki didn't know what to say.

"It's somewhat helpful that, as someone who has yet to learn all the aspects of our culture, including the meaning behind certain gestures, that Ruby-kun did not understand the import of having flowers placed on her desk. She will know before tomorrow, I assure you. However, that now leaves me with the issue of your daughter's punishment."

"Th-there must be some mistake..." pressed Kazue. "Akane would never do this."

"She admitted to it, and her friend admitted to witnessing her do so," said Kyoichiro. "The kitchen staff saw her borrowing the glass that was used. Other students witnessed her picking the flowers placed into the glass. Thus, her guilt has been confirmed. So it would seem that the only acceptable recourse now is to have her officially removed from this school. I'm afraid that this will also go onto her permanent record. We can not condone such malicious actions amongst our students."

"S-surely...there is something else," said Kazue. "You mentioned suspension."

"That does not strike me as adequate," said Kyoichiro. "Ruby-kun will be devastated, once she learns the meaning behind Akane-kun's gesture. It does not seem to me that allowing someone willing to go to such lengths to torment her to remain in the same class will foster a healthy learning environment."

"How dare you?!" snarled Daiki, momentarily forgetting who he was talking to. "Why should an outsider like her receive such coddling treatment? I refuse to accept it."

"Coddling, hmm...?" mused Kyoichiro.

"That filthy barbarian shouldn't get special protection," growled Daiki.

"How odd," said Kyoichiro. "I wonder if you perceive your own hypocrisy. After all, you two were the ones who insisted upon the culprit's expulsion. I am merely following your instructions here."

"What?" gasped Kazue.

"There was a reason I was so vague about who was the victim and who was the culprit in this affair," said Kyoichiro. "So, now that it's revealed that your daughter was the one responsible, you want leniency. If you believed it had happened to her, you would demand the harshest punishment possible, without hesitation. Now that you have learned that she is the culprit, however, you have the gall to level such accusations about Ruby-kun, while demanding special treatment for your own child."

Daiki and Kazue fell silent, unable to say anything.

Kyoichiro's eyes narrowed dangerously, the force of his will becoming something palpable, physical. "I am well aware of the foolish prejudice so many of you harbor towards outsiders. Do not think that we are not aware of the disparaging remarks and generalizations that you make about them, never mind that such remarks apply to my wife, the head of the Taishiro herself, however often you lot conveniently forget that fact.

Shivers ran down the spines of the Tachibanas.

"It's just as galling to hear about the Mitarai Family's utterly foolish behavior," continued Kyoichiro, "considering that they themselves are descended from an outsider, who also sat as one of the Taishiro, in her day. It is their own actions that reflect poorly upon them, not Sasame's. Makoto has never expressed anything less than absolute pride in her as his apprentice, something her adoption of Ruby-kun has not changed.

"As such, since you seem to want me to bend the rules for your daughter, despite demanding her expulsion earlier, when you were not aware that she was the culprit, I will give her special treatment, this time."

"You will?" said Kazue, sagging in relief, relief that quickly faded at the sly smile on Kyoichiro's face.

"I will," he said. "In this case, your daughter's punishment shall not be decided by me. Ruby-kun is in the process of having the meaning behind Akane-kun's gesture explained to her by Sasame. Tomorrow, it will be Ruby-kun who decides your daughter's fate. If she wishes it, Akane-kun shall be expelled, with all the additional consequences that incurs. However, if she decides to be lenient, then leniency is what Akane-kun shall receive. You had best hope that Ruby-kun's compassion exceeds yours."