"So! You're fully aware of the task at hand, riiiiight, Itadori?" Gojo questions a tad teasingly, presenting his usual laid-back smile as he 'looks' toward one of his most promising students. The teen in question, Itadori, takes a moment to slip the sling of his duffle bag over his head and shoulder before giving a calm grin of his own.
"Yeah, no worries. I got this." He assures while flexing his left arm and placing his right hand over his bicep.
"I won't let you down, Gojo. I promise." The adolescent adds - a show of confidence that warms his teacher's heart and boosts the older male's faith in him.
"I know you won't! After all, you have the best teacher a sorcerer could ever need, and I've taught you well. You picked up on all of it so fast, too!" Gojo beams enthusiastically, praising his disciple with pride radiating from his very presence. Like energy ping ponging between the two, Itadori couldn't help but to crack a toothy grin.
"You betcha'! With all you've taught me, I'll be sure to crack the mystery in no time! Well… Maki and I–"
"Hey. A feminine voice calls out from outside of the open doorway of Itadori's bedroom, drawing the attention of the two inside.
"I don't mean to butt-in, but our ride is here." Maki herself informs.
"Huh. Already, eh? A bit early, but no matter. Let's go see you two off, shall we?" Gojo says as he proceeds out of the room and building. The two students behind him follow along.
"Yeah! I'm pumped to see what's in store for us there!" Itadori exclaims while holding up a fist parallel to his chin.
"Calm down, will ya. It's probably something easily dispatchable. We'll be in and out within a few days, I bet." Maki comments dismissively, currently wearing a backpack and dragging along a four-wheeled suitcase.
"That's the spirit! You two are more than capable of handling this case. Keep any doubt out of your mind, alright? We'll be here waiting for you guys to come back to us." Gojo assures the two.
Soon, the trio venture out into the open sunlight and descend down the flight of stone steps leading toward the exit gate of the school's grounds. Near the bottom, they spot a peculiar black bus awaiting and a just as peculiar man standing near the entrance door of the vehicle.
"H-hey, Maki… Doesn't that guy kind of look like… You know who?" Itadori whispers to his classmate, leaning toward her with a hand cupping half of his nose and mouth.
"Yeah… I thought I was imagining it, but he definitely does." She concurs, slightly frowning as she studies the man down below further.
"Yo. Good morning there." The man in question - the individual wearing a mask that conceals his nose and every other feature down to his neck, a headband worn within a tilting fashion so that it covers his right eye entirely, and head of spiky silver hair - greets the three while raising a hand to give a subtle wave.
"Yo!" Gojo replies.
"G-good morning, sir!" Itadori responds.
"Morning." Maki dryly utters.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake. Nice to meet you three. I'm acting as the Dean for the school year. Figured I'd give some warm welcomes and encourage students to make sure they have everything they need. This being a boarding school and all." He tells them.
It was going to be a new ordeal for him, as well. His attire consists of a black dress shirt with the school's emblem on the left breast, his usual dark turtleneck shirt underneath, black sweatpants, a glimpse of white socks, and a pair of black open-toe shoes that resemble sandals.
"I'm all set!" Itadori confirms without hesitation.
"Me, too. I'm good to go." Maki answers right after him.
The two are donning an entirely new uniform of their own. Itadori wears a black wool sweater with the school's emblem on the left breast region, as well. A red, thin long- sleeve shirt with a hoodie sticking out from the overshirt of his uniform, both sleeves rolled up to his elbows with the red under sleeves forming cuffs that overlap the black sleeves. Red sweatbands on both of his wrists, black slacks, and his usual pair of Red Octobers™ sneakers.
Maki wears his uniform in traditional fashion. A sweater similar to Itadori's, a white blouse underneath, a black plaid skirt with red lines running throughout it reaching down JUST above her knees, black stockings, and loafers on her feet.
"Well alright, then. Go ahead and climb aboard. We've got a few more stops to make along the way before we head back to the school." Kakashi tells them, pointing a thumb at the bus behind him. The Itadori and Maki oblige and enter, leaving the two older men alone.
"By the way, there's something interesting about you, good sir. You from around here?" Gojo asks, still wearing a grin.
"No. I'm actually from a village located in the countryside. My home is more… old school compared to the big cities. Funny enough, I was considering asking you the same question. Ever heard of Konaha?" Kakashi tosses a question of his own this time.
"Konaha? Hmm… sounds kind of familiar. I may have heard about it through a report, but never had a reason to visit. Lots of ninjas there, I hear! You wouldn't happen to be one of them, would you?" Gojo prods.
"Heh. Well, I guess there's no real point in deflecting or leading you astray. Not only am I a ninja, but I'm also a mentor in the arts. Had to give it up for a little while, though. The pay was a little too tempting to pass up."
"Ah! I get cha'. Well, don't let me hold you guys up any longer. Take care of those two, okay? They're a pair of our finest."
"I'll do my very best and see to it that they make it home safely by next year." Kakashi assures after giving a single nod of his head. Meanwhile, Itadori and Maki go about finding their seats after passing by the black curtains that obscure the sight of the bus driver. Within a moment, Maki finds a potential spot. A seat beside a female with an air of mystery practically radiating off of her like gas fumes.
"Pardon. Would you mind if I sat next to you?" Maki asks. Upon doing so, the girl tears her eyes away from the book in her hand and sets her honey-hazel colored eyes upon the sorceress. In that moment, a metaphorical clash of uncompromising souls tests the mental fortitude of one another. Both eventually find the other to be worth entertaining. So much so, the fellow raven-haired girl shuts her book as the corners of her rosy pink lips curve just a touch.
"You may sit with me, yes. Go right ahead." Her tone was even posh. Maki proceeds to sit and the two begin to chat. Nearby, Itadori takes a seat within a single row back and on the opposite side.
"I'm Maki Zenin, by the way." The sorceress introduces herself while removing her backpack to get more comfortable.
"Maki Zenin. . . A fascinating name you have there. You wouldn't happen to be of the renowned Zenin clan, would you?" The other responds, arching a curious brow while asking. A question that surfaces resentment in the depths of Maki's arguable cold heart and an eerie grin to her face that spells nothing pleasant for her opinion of her own family.
"I am, actually. Unfortunately." She answers, serving only to stir the other girl' s curiosity even more.
"Is that resentment I hear? I take it this isn't merely about not getting a fancy car on your birthday, no? Most would think it's a blessing to be born within a family with a strong noble lineage." The girl with honey-colored eyes comments.
"If ONLY it were just that. But no. They value certain members and look upon another certain kind with disdain. It doesn't matter, though. I'm going to excel above even their favorites and return home to rub it in their faces." Maki elaborates.
"Oh-ha-ha-haa. There's far more pettiness within your clan than I thought! Oh, but whom am I to cast judgment on such a matter? Hnnn. Your predicament reminds me a lot of my older brother. He's an embarrassment to our family… Indecisive, easily provoked, and starves for validation. He was LUCKY to have been born, but I on the other hand; I was BORN lucky. That's what our father told him one day." The girl shares, pausing for a moment as she stares right into Maki's eyes like a serpent trying to discern if the specimen nearby was foe, food, or a nuisance. Maki's grin flatlines as she stares back, unsure if their chat was supposed to be friendly or antagonizing.
"Whichever you may be, Zenin-chan… I look forward to hearing about your rise to the top. Surely you'll prove to be an outlier unlike my hopeless brother. Weakness is certainly unsightly after all." The girl adds oh-so-casually. Then, she takes a moment to place her book into her hefty duffle bag beside her feet.
"I'm Azula, by the by." The girl also finally introduces herself. The name draws a small frown shape upon Maki's face.
"Azula, huh? That's not a common name at all. Judging about how you spoke about your family affairs, I'm almost certain you're THAT Azula. The heiress to the family from the Land of Fire who's dynasty has remained power for 400 hundred years." The young sorceress deduces.
"That I am. Nice to meet you, Maki Zenin. As you should be aware, I'm ideal company to have. Let's be good friends for the sake of our elite heritage, shall we?" Azula proposes with a calm smile. It's then that Kakashi enters the bus.
"Alright, let's go." And with those words from him, the bus begins moving. As the vehicle departs, Gojo watches.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Excellent Mortality, huh? What an ominous name for a school. Almost gives me chills." He comments, referencing the name painted on the side of the bus. The school transportation continues down the road until it makes a left turn at the next corner, passing a lamp post, but not even one inch of it makes it to the other side - as being consumed. The bus vanishes from one area and casually appears into another. Soon, they reach their next stop. A simple house in a middle-class neighborhood. Kakashi exits the bus to standby and the driver honks the horn twice. Barely half a minute passes before the front door of the house opens and out comes a young man with spiky platinum blond hair and a permanent scowl, carrying a bookbag partially on his shoulder with one hand and dragging along a suitcase with his other.
"Morning there. Got everything you need?" Kakashi greets and asks.
"Yeah, yeah. I made sure I packed everything that I needed." The teen replies with a bit of annoyance behind his tone as he boards the bus.
"Well, alright then." With that quick conclusion, the dean boards the vehicle again and gives the 'o-kay' to head to their next stop. Inside, the newcomer takes a seat across from Itadori. The latter takes the opportunity to greet the blonde.
"Hey!" He begins, raising his hand and presenting a smile toward the other.
"The name's Yuji Itadori. What's yours?" He asks while swapping places with his bag to scoot closer to the edge.
"What's it to ya, pink hair?" The blonde, side eyeing him with a scowl, asks with evident hostility.
"Hey, don't be like that. We're going to be classmates for a whole year, after all. Couldn't hurt to try and make friends, right? I'm a new student, too." Yuji reasons.
"Tch. Whatever. I'm Katsuki Bakugo. But you better not go thinking we're friends just because I'm telling you my name, pink hair. I've got no patience for anchors, you got that?" Katsuki responds, humoring the other to some degree.
"Clear as day, man. So, do you know anything about this school?" Yuji asks.
"Not much. Prestigious, high graduation rates, and it's for the gifted. I'm only attending this dumb school because some higher ups at my previous school think it'll be worthwhile for me to give a shot and see what it has to offer." Katsuki responds, though it was only a partial truth. He's attending undercover for Hero business to investigate questionable activities at this particular boarding school. Similar to Yuji and Maki who are attending to infiltrate and exercise potential curses.
"Oh, really? Guess we're in the same boat, then. Pretty much why I'm attending, too."
"It's whatever. The sooner this is all over, the better." Katsuki remarks aggressively. It's then the school bus arrives at its next stop. Another house where another young man is standing outside waiting. Same identical uniform to the other boys, though he has his sleeves rolled up to the widest region of his forearms and is wearing green sweatbands on his wrists and karate shoes on his feet. A simple backpack hangs from his shoulder by a single strap. The moment the bus door opens, the teen with black slicked back hair boards the vehicle while being greeted by Kakashi.
"Morning there. Got everything you need? You still have time to grab anything else you might want."
"Nah, it's fine, old timer. I got everything I need." The youth responds, waving the other off as he heads toward the back of the bus.
"Well, guess that's it, then. We can finally head back to the school." With those words, the door shuts and the bus drives onward.
Just before it does however, the new arrival claims a seat beside Yuji, who scoots over to give him room after asking. Little time is wasted before he starts making conversation.
"The name's Yusuke Urameshi, good to meet ya guys." The spirit detective introduces himself with confidence adorning his tone.
"I'm Yuji Itadori! Nice to meet you, too." The one beside Yusuke responds.
"Maki Zenin." Itadori's classmate glances back to briefly give her name, as well.
"The guy over there is Katsuki Bakugo. I don't think he's too big on making small talk with strangers." Yuji informs Yusuke while pointing over at the blonde across from them.
"Ah, I'm sure he'll grow out of that shell eventually." Yusuke comments with a grin.
"Anyway, have you guys heard any suspicious stories about this mysterious school?"
"Huh? Define suspicious." Yuji requests, genuinely curious.
"You know, stuff like ghost spirits haunting the joint, people going missing, random attacks, the graveyard of students who've died there. Demons, too. That sort of stuff." Yusuke explains. Maki raises a brow and Itadori blinks.
"I had no idea there were stories like that going around. Are people really saying all of those things are true?" Yuji asks.
"Bah, get real! Demons? Spirits? Ghosts? I'm sure that garbage sounds believable if you're still mentally stuck in the third grade." Katsuki chimes in to ridicule and dismiss what he believes to be ridiculous superstitious rumors with no merit at all to them. Yusuke in particular takes enough offense to Katsuki's words to speak up.
"Is that a fact? Well you know, some of us aren't so uptight as to lack a little imagination. I'm sure you're just a blast at parties and to hang around with, huh?"
"You don't know anything about me, mini pompadour. Besides, we're in high school, not babies at a playground. Grow up! Or are you still building castle forts with your pillows like a little kid?" Katsuki retorts.
"What? You lookin' to start something, guy? 'Cause I can already tell you're the type to run his mouth like a barking mutt, and funny enough, they're usually the ones with glass jaws." Yusuke responds, his grin long gone.
"What did you just say? You want a piece of me or something, dumbass!?" Katsuki raises his voice as he shifts in his seat to face the other.
"What, you deaf and stupid? Yeah! I'm askin' if you want me to lay you out like a rug!" Yusuke shouts back.
"Can you two neanderthals please pick your knuckles off the floor and at least pretend your family genes have evolved past the primitive stage from thousands of years ago!?" Azula chimes in aggressively as she turns and kneels onto her seat, shifting her glaring eyes between the two boys.
"I don't remember asking for your input, big lips!" Katsuki snaps at her.
"Don't think I won't backhand both you and him at the same damn time, girly. Go back to minding your own business!" Yusuke responds with just as much hostility. The trio's shouting stirs awake a student who's been napping for the majority of the ride.
"Jeeze, what's with all the ruckus… Don't you guys have any sense or understanding of common courtesy? Yelling on a bus full of people. What a drag." The teen mutters that last bit under his breath as he raises to sit up, taking some time to rotate his shoulders before stretching his hands above his head. His uniform is identical to the others, save the long sleeve fishnet shirt he's wearing under his school sweater, the ankles of his pants rolled up to the middle of his shins, and a pair of shoe sandals that look just like Kakashi's on his feet. The youth also wears his jet black hair in a tight ponytail that allows no excess hair to cover even a fraction of his tired and solemn face.
Before any more bickering could go on, Kakashi makes his way toward the back to put an end to it.
"Alright, that's enough. You guys haven't even made it to the school grounds yet and you're already losing your temper. At least settle in first BEFORE you start getting yourselves into trouble." The acting dean requests. Shortly after, all three sit properly and bitterly turn their heads away. Sighing and rubbing at the back of his head, Kakashi dreads the idea of dealing with situations like this one on a frequent basis. Just as he's about to turn around, something outside the window behind the teen's seat in the very back catches his attention. The sight of an identical bus following behind them.
"Hm? Oh… Guess we've made it here already." He comments after looking through the window to his left to spot the familiar sight of a dead plantation at either side of the road. Nothing but barren trees with not even a single leaf on them and soil as far as the eye can see.
"Woah. I didn't… I didn't even realize we were driving through a place like this" Yuji comments as he stares out his own window.
As of now, their bus is traveling in a perfect line of 8 buses in total. Theirs in particular being third in line from the front. It's also not too long before the massive castle-like structure that is their new school comes into sight ahead, as well as its stainless black gates that stand 20-feet tall. The building itself is at least 185 feet in height.
As they approach, those gates begin to open on their own and give way to the vehicles, allowing them inside to park and let the students out on the enormous stone campus. Moments later, the staff members, including Kakashi, guide the new horde of enrollments inside and to the dorm areas inside.
"Man, this place is huge! I almost feel like I shouldn't be here." Yuji comments as flops down onto one of two king size beds within the dorm room he picked out. On the opposite side of the room, his roommate tosses his belongings onto his own bed and takes a moment to take in the large space. It was like having half a trailer home to themselves.
"Yeah, I'm kinda' getting that feeling, too. Hard to believe they allow just anybody to enroll here. This room is bigger than my living room and kitchen combined… Figured you'd need to be from a wealthy family to attend a school like this." The other male comments.
"Yeah. Oh! You're that guy from the back of the bus. I'm Yuji Itadori, by the way!"
"Shikamaru Nara. Good to meet you too, I guess."
"Yeah. I almost can't wait to see what the school is going to be like for the next few days. I bet they have everything a student could ever need here. Special classes, fun after school clubs, crazy good food."
"Yeah, well, we'll find out in due time." Shikamaru responds and begins unpacking his bags. For the entirety of the morning and afternoon, all of daylight was spent by students getting situated, socializing, and doing a little exploring. Yusuke Urameshi partakes in stretching his legs and exploring the interior a bit. It's a little past 6pm when he comes down to the main floor where there is a large circular bench at the center, the school's front on the opposite side of where he is, bathrooms to his left, and a large recreational room to his left. He soon realizes that a familiar face is sitting by her lonesome on the bench and decides to approach.
"Yo, little miss princess." He calls out teasingly, drawing her reluctant attention. The female teen who's wearing a crimson red sleeveless turtleneck under her school sweater, two accessory black sleeves that hug her skin snugly underneath the neatly rolled up sleeves of her sweater that rests at her biceps. Biker shorts underneath her skirt, plaid stockings on her legs that match the dark design of her uniform, and a pair of very high-top black converse boots that reach just below her knees. Her hair fashioned in a bun while two tufts of bangs hang down the outer perimeters of her facial features and reach down to her lower cheeks.
"The not-so-subtle delinquent… Are you in need of something?" Azula asks, stoically lifting a brow as she looks up from her book.
"Nah, just stopping by to say 'Hi', is all. I mean, now that I do have your attention anyways… Do you feel like there's anything off about this school? Something you can't quite put your finger on." He asks.
"Oh, wholeheartedly, Urameshi. I thought this would be a normal prestigious school, but I was brought to the unfortunate realization that it may not be as grand in standards as I originally thought. I found that out the moment a thug like you stepped onto our bus. So, yes. There certainly IS something off about this school." She responds dryly, casually insulting him as she returns her eyes back to the book in her hands and turns the page.
"Oh, what-ever, lady. Forget I said anything."
"I shall. In fact, I think I've already forgotten your name." After concluding his short chit chat with the dismissive female, he storms off with a look of annoyance on his face and his hands slipping into the depths of his pocket. Just as he approaches the double doors to get inside the recreational room, they open when two male students exit from within.
"Dude, you got a lighter?" One of them asks the other.
"Nah, left it back in my room." The other answers.
"Ehh, it's cool. I just remembered I've got matches in my pocket." The two talk between themselves while heading into the bathroom across the hall, eventually entering while ignoring the 'NO SMOKING' sign on the door. Meanwhile, Yusuke finds himself in a bit of awe at seeing the room packed with all sorts of games and plenty of space to navigate. The running a/c is also a nice cherry on top.
"Man, this is a pretty sweet setup." He muses to himself before making his way to a nearby pinball machine. He inserts a quarter and begins playing, oblivious to what was about to unfold. Nearly two minutes pass and a sudden heart-stopping intrusion cuts into the air like an arrow piercing someone's spine: Blood Curdling Screaming. Screaming and violent thrashing, and… What sounds like some sort of pouncing beast.
"What the–!?" Quickly abandoning his good pinball run, Yusuke barges out of the room and stops near Azula, who's also looking toward the direction the noise came from with a horrified frown on her face.
"You heard that, right!?" He shouts.
"Of course, Urameshi. You'd have to be six-feet under not to have heard THAT." She responds. Seconds later, the door is drawn open from the inside and shuts right after. Azula merely squints in confusion, while Yusuke grits his teeth and readies his hands as if he's wielding a loaded pistol.
"What the hell is that?" He asks.
"I.. Don't know. The door opened and just closed?"
"What are you talking about? That thing obviously just came out of there. We're looking right at it!"
"What thing!? I didn't see anything come!"
"You've got to be kidding me!" Yusuke sees the beast - what looks to be a werewolf-like creature with blood on its hands and mouth - head down the hall beside the stairs, and decides to chase it down. Ready to unload his spirit gun and give it hole-riddled justice. However, when he slides in place and raises his hands to take the shot, he sees nothing but an empty pocket of space and a water fountain on the wall. No traces of the beast at all.
"Tch!" Frustrated, he checks the bathroom to see what damage it had done. Peering inside, it was exactly what he feared. Two mauled corpses on the floor and blood messily slathered around. Disgusted, he steps out and clenches his hands into tight fists at his side.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AT THIS SCHOOL!!!!???"