As the sun rises over Kawazumi in the morning, Noreyu jumps out of his cave home. The trees sway in the wind, rays of sunshine piercing through their lush green crowns.

He wanders through the forest, watching nature slowly wake again as the new day begins. The first birds sing their songs, the squirrels run in searching for food, and even a deer watches him from a safe distance.

Walking along the rough dirt path, Noreyu reaches the end of the forest as Kawazumi's modern district and its massive skyscrapers comes into view. He reaches a street and watches as a car drives past him.

Until just a few years ago, Kawazumi was a quiet town, far away from modern technology. But with the new mayor's push for modernization, the townscape has changed a lot in recent times. Even though the old buildings still stand throughout most of the city, with cars driving everywhere, the landscape doesn't feel the same to many citizens.

Noreyu looks up at one of the skyscrapers in the distance. "I wonder if I could get up there," he thinks. "The view would be awesome."

When Noreyu arrived in Kawazumi, the town was already in the middle of the modernization project, so he doesn't care much about the changes. He wanders further through the streets, passing through the mostly empty city center, the only part of the town where no cars can drive.

After walking for a while, he reaches a path leading up a large hill to the north of the city. The large buildings on this hill are Kawazumi's school and university, all conveniently placed close together. There is only one school for the entire city, separated into one building for the lower and one for the higher grades.

The school is still empty, only a few students and teachers arrive as early as Noreyu does. He walks around the building, enjoying the fresh morning air.

An hour later, school is about to begin. Lots of students arrive at school, flooding up the staircase leading to the main entrance. Noreyu watches the chaos from the rooftop of his school building, letting his legs hang down casually. As he surveys the crowds, one person stands out to him.

Walking towards the same building he is sitting on is a student with dark blue hair whom Noreyu has never seen before. "My eye reacts when I look at them," Noreyu thinks. "There's some kind of weird energy."

The school bell's rings startle Noreyu while he is lost in thought. He slips and falls from the roof, face-planting into the dirt. He quickly stands up, with a faint teal glow in his eye.

"Seriously, what's up with that energy?" he thinks as he stands up. "It feels like that of a Demon Eye. But they don't look like they have one..."

Noreyu takes a seat on the side of the classroom as the teacher walks in. "Good morning, class," she begins, as usual. Noreyu is about to turn away when he notices someone else with the teacher.

"That's the person I saw outside!" he quietly realizes. "This might be my chance to get to the bottom of this."

"Their name is Hirisu. Their family moved to Kawazumi a week ago, and they will be joining you as an eighth-grade student from now on."

Hirisu slowly walks into the classroom, looking around nervously.

"H- Hello, everyone..." they begin, their eyes still constantly shifting around the classroom. "I- I'm-"

The teacher standing behind Hirisu slowly advances forward, forcing them further into the classroom. They start shaking a little as they have to step in front of the large class. She tries to give them a small push, when she suddenly feels someone grabbing her wrist.

"Hey."

As she turns, she sees Noreyu, towering above her with his Demon Eye glowing.

"Leave them alone."

A crunching sound shoots through the room. The teacher hurriedly slips out of Noreyu's grasp, the skin on her wrist taking a light red color.

Noreyu's classmates look on in confusion as he returns to his desk. The teacher has disappeared into a side room to tend to her wrist.

"C'mon," Noreyu says, walking away. "You can sit with me."

Seeming relieved, Hirisu rushes after Noreyu and takes a seat. They've stopped shaking.

"Why did you do that?" Hirisu quietly asks.

Noreyu waits with his response, taking the opportunity to finally get a good first look at his new classmate. Their neatly combed dark blue hair, almost identical in hue to their eyes, reaches down to their shoulders.

"You already have a clear picture of everyone in this room, right?" Noreyu asks.

Hirisu looks at Noreyu, confused.

"I saw the way you looked at everyone. That wasn't nerves, was it?"

"I- I looked at everyone?"

"It's subconscious then?" Noreyu thinks. "Still, their observation skills are quite impressive."

After a few seconds, Noreyu looks at Hirisu again. They are looking out of the window, seeming anxious. "Hey," Noreyu says, getting their attention. "Sorry if I was rude just now."

"N- No, it's-" Hirisu stutters.

"I'm Noreyu," he says with a smile. "It's nice to meet you!"

As the school bell rings, all the students storm out of the classroom. The wave of students rushes outside, quickly reaching the massive schoolyard in the center of the school complex, surrounded by buildings. Following shortly after the initial wave, Noreyu and Hirisu reach the schoolyard too.

"Why did you help me earlier?" Hirisu asks again.

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"Do I need a reason?" Noreyu asks in response. "It's not like it's a big deal, y'know?"

"It is a big deal! You stood up to a teacher!"

"I do that daily. Nothing special about it."

"He... helps others like that every day?" Hirisu thinks. "I thought no one would ever be brave enough to stand up to a teacher..."

"Your next class is with me as well," Noreyu says. "History with Mr. Takeuchi."

"Is he a good teacher?" Hirisu asks.

"Depends on your definition. He's nice to his students, but his class can be quite boring."

After a while, the bell rings again and all the students slowly walk inside. Noreyu and Hirisu quickly reach their classroom, where other students are already waiting.

"Is the teacher not here yet?" Hirisu asks.

"Looks like that," Noreyu responds. "Strange. I've had Mr. Takeuchi for over a year now and he's never been late."

"Maybe he's sick?" Hirisu speculates.

"Possible," Noreyu says, looking around. "but then there would be a substitute."

Five minutes later, the teacher still hasn't arrived, and the class is starting to get impatient.

"I'll go look for him," Noreyu says. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'll come with you," Hirisu adds.

The two of them head for the teacher's room, where they encounter a teacher outside.

"We're looking for Mr. Takeuchi," Noreyu explains. "Have you seen him?"

"I was talking to him in the break just now," the teacher responds. "He was here ten minutes ago."

___________

Insight: Elements

The world consists of twelve elemental types of energy that make up all physical matter: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Electric, Nature, Toxic, Light, Dark, Steel, and Psychic. Most Demon Eye users have control over one of these elements, a rare few can use two or even three.

___________

Noreyu and Hirisu continue through the school building, checking at all sorts of different faculty rooms, until eventually ending up outside, on a large roofed walkway that goes along the outside of their school building.

"Why would he be here?" Hirisu asks. "Shouldn't we just stop searching? We have no more leads."

"I sense something over here," Noreyu responds as he runs along the walkway. "The only reason Mr. Takeuchi would be missing from class is if something happened to him."

"He's so kind..." Hirisu thinks. "He'd keep searching for hours for his teacher's wellbeing..."

"I've gotta get to the bottom of this," Noreyu thinks. "There's a Demon Eye involved here."

He grins, looking away from Hirisu. "Maybe there's a bounty for me to collect."

Suddenly, the two hear voices coming from the bushes.

"Just pay your debt already! It's been a year!" one man yells. From his silhouette through the bushes, he seems to be holding some kind of a weapon.

"Please, let me go! I can't-"

"That's Mr. Takeuchi's voice!" Noreyu whispers to Hirisu. "I told you he was in danger!"

"I don't want to hear it! I don't care how much you or your family are struggling! You owe me money, dammit!" His elbow comes into view for a brief moment, then disappears into the bush as the silhouette of his fist crashes into the other person.

Immediately, Noreyu jumps over the railing and runs into the bushes. Hirisu tries to climb over too, unable to keep pace with Noreyu. But just as they land on the other side, the sound of a gunshot makes them freeze in place.

Noreyu, bleeding from his chest, drops to the ground.

"Noreyu!" Mr. Takeuchi yells, seeing the blood spurt from his student's chest. "Please, Zankoku, sir, leave him out of this! He's just a child!"

"Shut up!" Zankoku yells back, kicking Takeuchi out of the way as he turns to Noreyu. "You..." he fumes. "You're the one from yesterday! You almost killed my brother!"

Noreyu coughs, trying to get up from the ground. The bullet in his chest hurts, but this kind of wound is nothing he can't handle. "Who... are you again?"

In rage, Zankoku kicks Noreyu back down, the barrel of his gun aimed at his head.

"Oh!" Noreyu realizes. "You're the buddy of that thug I threw into the skyscraper!"

"At least you remember!" Zankoku shouts. "I'll make you pay for what you did!"

His finger moves as if he was about to shoot. But suddenly, he drops the gun. Zankoku closes his right eye. Black patterns, resembling waves, form around the eye and a deep blue stream of energy emerges. His Demon Eye glows bright as blue strings made of flowing water emerge from his fingertips.

"He has a Demon Eye too?" Noreyu realizes. "I've gotta get away!"

Four strings of water come together in the air in front of Zankoku. He pumps more water through them, which forms into a large, floating bubble.

Noreyu attempts to dash away, but as he tries to move, the wound from the gunshot sends a jolt of pain through his body.

I messed up!

"This is it! Aqua Focus Burst!"

The bubble throbs wildly as it can no longer contain the water. But as it's about to burst, it suddenly falls to the ground, popping as it touches the dirt which releases the water. The strings have broken away from the bubble. Noreyu looks up just in time to see Hirisu's fist knock Zankoku away.

"Don't you dare... hurt my friend!" Hirisu yells.

Hirisu, snapping out of their sudden rush, looks at their fist. "Did- Did I do that?" they think out loud. A little bit of blood runs between their fingers.

"Your left eye..." Noreyu suddenly says. The same patterns as Zankoku's eye had have also formed around Hirisu's eye, which also glows in a deep blue hue.

Before Hirisu has any time to process, Zankoku gets up and charges at them. Noreyu jumps up from the ground, but the sudden motion lodges the bullet deeper into his chest. Zankoku's tackle lands, which knocks Hirisu into the bushes. Bruised, they turn to face their attacker, towering over them with a twisted grin. "You shouldn't mess with my business, kid. I don't like witnesses."

Despite his wound, Noreyu forces himself to get up. Shredding Wind forms around his right hand's fingers as he runs at Zankoku. He reaches for the thug's side, but misses, as he's already been spotted in his approach.

"You're not done, are you?" Zankoku shouts, thrusting his fist towards Noreyu. For a little bit, he manages to avoid the incoming blows, but eventually, distracted by the pain of his wound, Noreyu gets hit by Zankoku's uppercut.

However, he bought just enough time. Behind the two, Hirisu has gotten back up. In front of them, floating in the air, is a large bubble of water, four strings connecting it to their hands.

"My technique?" Zankoku thinks, spotting the bubble in the corner of his eye.

"They've figured it out?" Noreyu realizes as he is falling to the ground. "Then..."

Forcing himself to move, Noreyu dashes at Zankoku, catching him off-guard while he tries to avoid the bubble. He falls to the ground right in front of Hirisu's attack, staring into the water with no way to get away.

"Aqua... Focus... Burst!"

Water bursts from the bubble, spraying in all directions across the battlefield. It hits Zankoku point-blank, who can't even defend in time as the high-pressure water knocks him out instantly. He is blasted away with such force that he flies off the hill and only comes to a halt when he crashes through a house's window in one of Kawazumi's urban areas.

The glow fades from Hirisu's Demon Eye as they lay on the walkway. Their eyes are weak, barely open, as they try to find Noreyu, who is caught in a large flower bush. A stream of water flows over their iris as they pass out from the shock.