THE PRINCIPAL HATES ME!!

Gods, the breakfast here never disappoints! Today, honey buns were on the menu, together with a wide assortment of delicacies laid out. There were even fruits for those picky eaters, with an unlimited amount of various drinks to accompany them down.

The mood around the hall was festive this fine morning, with both first and second years excited for the Inter-class competitions. This year's competition was especially special, as unlike the usual trends of South always being last and North first, our class actually proved to be the superior one of all.

That's why many students were excited for this year. They wanted to prove once and for all who the real victors were. Everyone was already in their competitive gear, a tight fighting shirt with white shorts for everyone, with varying colors for the shirts depending on the class you are in. For North, it was black, East was yellow, West was red and finally South was green, each with their letters plastered on their respective shirts.

Our midterm and end term exams had been quickly done, and I barely survived the passing grade. I was lucky Jay's good in his studies, or I would have flopped the entire thing.

Anyways, how the competitions were to be held all depended on various activities testing our knowledge out in the field and how to apply it in battle. I was the representative of my class, so I had a little run down about the formation we were about to go through.

Basically, this event constituted of about fifty percent of your passing grade(thankfully), and I heard the victors got some type of awesome reward. Something the Beast king awarded himself.

I've already seen the old coot, so I had some idea of how he looked, but I'm sure most of my classmates would be honored to meet the Beast king. And even if they weren't given any reward, to them, the main reward would have been to be in the same world as the king. It's a monster thing, deal with it.

"How do you feel about this day, Max? Think we're going to win?" Emily asked with a slight smile.

These days, she's been fitting more easily with the group. But sometimes, I still feel like she holds some fear of me. Not a lot I can do about that.

She has grown a lot in the few months though. If she wasn't a beauty that could pull heads of boys before, then she was now. Even through the buggy green shirt with the S letter shining bright golden and her shorts, one could tell she had surpassed most girls in the entire school and even grown ups with her physique.

Her white hair was braided up into a pony tail as per the competition required, and even then, she looked more beautiful than when she let it down. Her red eyes glowed purely as if their stared to your very soul, and he face looked more mature than before.

I once asked her if she was really my age or just joking with me, but she laughed it off saying that Demons developed a lot faster than normal Monsters, till they've reached their youthful bodies and stayed there for a good one hundred years. Shocking, really.

"Oh I know we're going to win. What's say you, Bareth?" I answered in between my honey bun.

"Definitely. After all that training, it would be a crime not to," he answered.

He's been doing relatively well since the kidnapping. Though his eyes still lacked the fight in them, even after all his confidence talk.

But even with the fight in him dimming, his height was no joke. Even for a werewolf, he was really tall, that he looked around eighteen than his normal age fifteen. His hair had become rougher and longer, and his face was just a bit more defined.

He was in the same clothes as everyone else, but we could say the shirt looked a little too tight on him.

"To tell you the truth, I think we have this in the bag, especially with Max on our side," Blade said.

He hadn't changed much during the months we've been with him, but maybe that's just me talking. There was a time he insisted he'd grown and inch or something, though I think it was all in his mind.

Jay nodded his head as he dived into his breakfast. He was the only one at our table with a different shirt, yellow, since he was from East. He'd healed over the year from the injuries he'd sustained, and just last month came off the limping. How he'd perform today was all up to him.

He still retained that face of his, but his eyes glowed with wisdom, no doubt something he'd use today against his opponents. Since both Alex and Arnold were kidnapped and were both of our roommates, we both automatically became roommates.

The first nights with him, he had horrible nightmares that always made him have sleepless nights, but these days they've lessened, but are still there. It must have pained him to lose Alex right in front of him, but I always tried reassuring him that we'd get them back.

We still had no word from the king about the issue, but that's because the demons became even more relentless with their attacks. I'm the only one who knows this because of Mrs Kelly, and I don't want the gang to stress over something they can't help in. But the king would come in soon, and he'd have an answer to our problems.

"All right students. Listen up," a soft voice echoed through the entire hall. Plates, dishes and cups all came to a stand still as the principal walked forward to the podium.

She looked ready to take on an entire board of cooperatives, cause today she was dressed in a tight black suit that definetly should have age restrictions. Again, who in their right mind designs such atrocities?

The generals to her side and class teachers were all dressed in the appropriate tier for invigilating the contests.

"First of all, good morning, kids. A grand day it is, don't you think? Like the gods are smiling down on us from above. But, of course, the weather in the battle grounds is not always ideal like this day so always take that into account."

"Fortunately, it's a perfect day to host the Inter–class competitions. The events will be relayed once you're all on the field. We'll conduct various activities to test how far you kids have come since you joined us. Fair warning though, don't eat too much, the competitions you are about to face will make your stomachs turn inside out. But eat enough, cause you'll need the energy out there."

"And finally, we all know how this competitions are held, and so I've come up with a brilliant idea on how to handle the issues that may arise. Can both representatives from North and South please come forward,"

Huh...interesting. What did the principal want with me this time? Was it something I said? It can't be about the exams, right?

Both Me and Flavo walked up to the front. He nodded in my direction then flashed a smile, but it quickly dispersed the second he faced the front again. He was not a bad guy once you get to know him, just really into girls as all.

I came to understand that he really did care about Arnold's kidnapping, and was ashamed that he couldn't have helped in any way.

***

"I'll get stronger, Max. Just you watch me. I won't be the same guy who you saw cowering away in fear when the demons attacked. And... thanks for not snitching about that,"

That's what he said a few weeks after the kidnapping, when we were forced into a meeting by the teachers and he had pulled me aside to talk.

"I'll have too see that for myself,"

***

And today was that day to see just how much he's grown. We've made small talks here and there, but he was always busy training for this very day. Not like I was a slacker or anything.

We finally arrived at the principal's side, wondering what she wanted to do with us.

"As you all know, Flavo here is the deputy president of this school and Max is the prefect of One South. Why I say that is because of what I'm about to say next. Max, you will not be participating for your class today."

"WHAT?!"

Everyone shouted in shock. I raised my head to the principal with a questioning look, but she just smiled and quietened down the hall.

"You heard me. He already proved himself in another event of how strong he really was so for the sense of equality he'll have to forfeit this event here."

"Hey! That's not fair Ms Principal! What, you think he's too much for my class to handle?!"Mrs Ivory asked in anger.

But Flintheart spoke up first before the principal. "Nothing so grand as that Mrs Ivory. It's just that we want to show you guys that the South class doesn't depend on one kid for their victory, isn't that right, you brats!"

"YES SIR!"

Everyone from One South shouted with enthusiasm. It's been a habit of theirs ever since Flintheart started training them hard from day one. I nodded to my classmates who gave it their all to train for this day, and was kinda glad I had to be forced out of the competition, for everyone else to show what they've got.

"Alright. Enough of that. I believe your question has been answered Mrs Ivory?"

"Hmph! Like a bunch of nobodies will ever scare me. This just issues our victory even faster!"

Flintheart smiled at the North teacher. "We'll see,"

"Anyways, as I was saying, Max will not be participating in the competition because he's got a much more grander purpose, being today's head invigilator for the students!"

"Huh?"

"Don't look so surprised. It was a given, cause who else would have to look after the kids if things got out of hand?"

I slowly backed away from the principal. "I don't remember signing up for this, Mrs Kelly. And also, I have this training to do... "

"Are you questioning my orders?" she asked as a question, but it came out more like a threat. I froze in fear then stared at the principal in her eyes.

"I–I guess I can make an excepti–"

"Good good. That's all from me, the generals will tell you the rest,"

Goddammit! Why me?! Well whatever. I guess I'd also like to see where our school is, how much they've grown, and whether they'll handle the amount of violence that's bound to happen.

The generals all said as little as they could, then we were all ordered to move on to the large field we apparently had somewhere.

"Oh man! Damn, Max. We'd have crushed all the competitions if the principal hadn't kicked you out," Blade complained as we walked towards the field. Jay had already regrouped with his class before hand, so it was just as Southerns marching in a single file.

"No rest for the wicked I suppose," I said, and earned a few angry looks from all my friends.

"HA!" I dodged a kick Kira sent my way with a flying spell and took off above all the other classes.

"WELL THEN, GUESS THAT'S MY QUEUE TO LEAVE! I'M WATCHING FOR ANY UNDERHANDED TRICKS MY G'S, SO BE WARNED!" I shouted above the speaking masses.

Everyone quietened down and stared up at the flying Furrha. Not that I could care less. I saw Flintheart becone at me and I quickly joined him to the front.

"Alright Max. Let's have ourselves a good day why don't we."

"Yeah whatever."

"Still not over the punishment I gave you six months ago kiddo?"

"Oh shut up! That combo you did with the general was by no means as easy as you make it out to be!"

"Oh Bah. Hey, we're arriving at the gates," Flintheart added with a smile.

Of course, such and event wasn't to be held at the mere training grounds. There is a planet specifically made for this, so that us kids can go all out.

Time to see just what the fuss is all about this planet that Fliny Kept mentioning over and over.