9. Week One...

Zero walked into the food court that was filled with the new angels all here to eat and get to know each other.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you going to continue standing or are you going to eat?" Asked the strange angel who had met Zero outside his dorm and offered to help him find his way to the food court.

"Hey, I'm looking around and would you stop saying sir I'm 16 years old dude." Zero said trying to convince this stranger that he was 16 years old but the angel didn't listen and continued to call him sir.

Zero sighed in utter defeat and looked around the food court and saw Nero seated near some other angels of which Zero recognised one of them from the group that he had entered with to know his angel number.

He walked over to the table and the strange angel followed him behind.

"Hey, Nero." Zero waved at Nero.

"Oh, Zero you finally made it. I see you already met Neon, my brother." Nero said as he stood from his seat.

"Your brother! Strange brother you have."

"Oh, sorry if in case he's calling you sir he does that at times but he's a cool guy," Nero said in a tone that suggested that that wasn't the first time he's had to explain that.

"Yoo, Nero. What are you talking about? This guy is at least 30 years old." Neon said in disbelief as everyone else burst out laughing.

"Ah, actually he's the same age as you," Nero told Neon in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

Neon looked at Zero again before sighing and sitting down like he had been beaten in a battle.

'What's up with that guy?' Zero thought.

"Well, now that that's done let me introduce you to the rest," Nero said as he turned to the rest of the people that were seated with them.

"Okay, so first up we have a royal from the western continent, Alexander Doumis, angel 566."

'Angel 566, damn. Who the hell is this guy?" Zero thought in shock as Nero introduced them.

Nero then turned to another person after introducing Zero to Alexander. "Zero, this is Wilsh Avaross, angel 52. He's from the western continent as well."

Zero looked at Wilsh suspiciously because he could have sworn that he remembered that Wilsh's number was 47 earlier that day but now Nero was telling him that it was 52.

Zero continued to stare at Wilsh for some time until Nero called out his name.

"Hey, Zero. What's the matter?" Nero asked

"No, it's nothing just that I remembered seeing Wilsh during that time we were getting our numbers."

"Oh, so you two know each other. Good. Now on to the next person and that is..."

"Hey, don't forget about me," yelled a feminine voice that interrupted Nero. The moment everyone heard that voice they quickly knew who it was. Well, all except for Zero of course who had no idea what was going on.

Suddenly, a girl rushed to the table and quickly sat at the table.

"Don't tell me you were gonna forget me, Nero." Said the strange girl.

"Well looks like it's Yanis. I mean who else could it be?" said Alexander as he rolled his eyes while maintaining a smile in a sort of passive-aggressive manner.

"Hey Alexander, shut up and allow Nero to talk," said Yanis with a wide smile. Tension began to form between the two and everybody could feel it.

"Well, I guess I'll just continue with you. Okay, Zero, this is Yanis Rosile also a royal from the western continent and cousin to Alexander. She's angel 25."

Zero heard the low number and felt a bit confused because both Alexander and Yanis were royals but the difference in their numbers was too large. He couldn't help but wonder what happened.

"Humph, the black sheep of the family," Alexander said and his statement enraged Yanis a bit that he wanted to fight him but Nero quickly stopped her.

"Well, now that she's calm let me introduce the last person and that's Neon, my little brother and angel 112." Said Nero trying to wrap up the introductions before he got bored.

Zero was shocked yet again by Neon's number which was also greater than that of Nero yet they were siblings.

'I guess Angel numbers work that way. Though what exactly determines what number you get.' Zero thought without realising that everybody was staring at him.

"Um, Zero," Nero called out Zero's name interrupting his thoughts and looking at everyone that was staring at him.

"Yoo, what's your number?" asked Yanis as she looked at Zero deeply.

"Oh yeah, I'm Angel 0." Zero replied rather embarrassed and looked around expecting to hear laughter but no one laughed everybody was confused they had never heard of Angel 0 before.

"Wow, you're so weak," Neon said and immediately he was hit in the head by Nero.

"Hey, what did I do?" asked Neon as everybody else burst out laughing except for Alexander who was still trying to figure out what 0 meant.

The group ate their food and continued to get to know one another and that day would mark the beginning of a wonderful friendship and rivalry.

The next day

All the new angels woke up and headed over to the assembly hall where they were met by some teachers who would help them in their training.

"Greetings students," said a woman welcoming the new angels.

"Greetings teacher," replied the new angels.

"You can cut the teacher nonsense from this day forth we are acquaintances and I'm just here to help." said the woman as she pulled out a book sort of similar to the one that Zero was given.

"Okay, so my name is Kia Lahn, Angel 512, and I'm a third year here at the Red Valon Society so yeah I'm your senior but I'm also not yet an independent angel despite my power. So I figure that Mai has given you your own books sort of like this and I hope you've at least tried to pick into them. Well for the next three months, those books are going to be essential to your growth as an angel so I advise you don't lose them."

"Excuse me, Kia, with the way you're saying this it sounds like we are going to be studying rather than fighting, am I right?" asked one of the new angels. Kia looked at him for a brief moment before smiling and asking him a follow-up question.

"Tell me have any of you killed a demon before?" Kia asked and nobody raised their hands and the hall remained silent for a short while before Kia began to speak again.

"It seems that Lewis forgot to give you all the rules of the first year. Anyway, no bother. Hey, all of you listen and listen carefully. Your first years are not meant to battle any demons for these first six months because without proper training all of you will be killed by a catastrophe-ranked demon and that's quite ashaming for us angels so be patient. If you wish to fulfil some vendetta you have for a demon then I advise that you put it on halt because if you couldn't kill it before what makes you say you can now."

The whole room remained silent as everybody took in the words that they had been told and everyone started gauging their chances against a demon.

"So now that that's done let me tell you what is going to happen throughout this week and the next six months and how you are going to study while here," said Kia as she pulled out a piece of paper from her book.

"Okay so for the first years for these next six months, you will train every day other than on weekends when you will meet up in the hall for demon study with me, Ms Kia or any other third-year angel. Food is optional and you will need a food card to get food from the food court in the Headquarters the food in the hostel is free but only served early in the morning and in the evening. You are not to go to the mission table until the six months are done but you are free to challenge any angel to spar with you. Lectures end at noon and you are free to go to your hostel anytime you are also free to not attend any classes as they are compulsory just highly recommended. In case of injury, you can go to Ms Mai to check on you and heal you and you can explore almost every part of the area just don't cross the mountains. Lastly, you won't meet with your family until after the six-month training period but you can write to them thank you."

After the announcement, the angels applauded Kia as she asked for any questions regarding the announcement and some angels were indeed asking some questions but Zero didn't hear any of the questions they were asking as he was caught up in his thoughts.

'Damn that's a lot of rules but otherwise, I don't mind them because this place seems free you can choose to not study like a dream come true. Though I still need to attend them because they are about demons and I need to know whatever I can.'

As Zero was deep in thought Alexander raised his hand and asked Kia a shocking question, " I just have one question, Ms Kia."

"Ask away."

"Are rivalries allowed?"

Everybody looked on in shock as they all wondered who the Prince of Esrata, the blessed one among them wanted as a rival.

"Of course, they are allowed, why wouldn't they," Kia replied Alexander turned over to Zero and with a serious look on his face he declared Zero would be his rival.

Everybody in the hall was in shock as they all stared at Zero, a regular human, being declared a suitable rival for the Prince of Heaven though the most surprised among them was Zero and Kia since she knew that Zero angel number was 0.

"This is about to get interesting."