“We are so fucked!” Fox slammed his tray of various fruits down on the table next to me. He took off his helmet to eat placing it next to mine as I already had started digging into my toast and jam.

I hate to admit it but almost dying daily did seem more worth it compared to the rat jerky I would treasure in the preschools. Clearly, Fox had gotten too used to the safety of his new armour as I noticed an orange of his grow legs and tried to sneak closer to him. I quickly picked up my knife and slammed it hard onto the table stabbing through the orange and even piercing the table with the sheer amount of force adding to the several knife holes already polka dotting the surface.

“Oh, thanks man.” He said picking up the orange and throwing it away before not even bothering to check the apple he happily crunched into.

“No worries, I owe you for the shower,” I said with a mouthful of bread. A rather nasty long tentacled monster ambushed me in the showers as its tentacles came through the drain to try stangling me to death. Out of all the bystanders, only Fox saved me. As it turns out a lot of the students here had the same mind of ‘If they aren’t in my group, I’m not risking my life.’

Even now I had the bright red and purple marks around my neck making it look like I had a collar of hickies. After getting the slayer armour and basic weapons the small insect-like Seraphim had become more like annoying bugs to deal with throughout the day. It was ironic, to a regular human they be killed, they just didn’t have the physical strength to kill the little buggers with normal weapons.

“Now what’s this about us being fucked?” I asked as if we weren’t already fucked over so much already.

There were several tiers of status that were created after the introduction of the Einherjar. After a few days, these groups became pronounced and quite obvious.

1. The Einherjar groups

This group were people who were or in the direct group of an Einherjar. These people sat at the safest tables, had their own doors and food and selfishly took over the combat room to their hearts content. They unfortunately had the strong argument of being better at fighting than everyone else and thus the safest and best. Turns out that plenty of sleep, safe food and as much training as they want made you quickly outperform your peers.

1. The Einherjar slaves

This group wasn’t actually that safe, they were basically always on call for the Einherjar groups. Whether it be homework, cleaning their gear or food these annoying buggers were the group I hated the most not including the actual Einherjar. They did anything they could and waited patiently to either be accepted or much more likely take the place of a group member that died. The Einherjar groups were better but we were all still novices and even the Einherjar could die if they didn’t have their little bodyguards with them all day. So these people just waited and did anything that was asked for them. Fox and I tried to be these people but unfortunately even being a slave is annoyingly exclusive and reserved for the better students.

1. Non-Einherjar groups

These are the most common of all the groups and were just a bunch of our peers teaming up together. Truthfully it annoyed me that the title became Non-Einherjar rather than the regular groups due to the fact they outnumbered the Einherjar groups but that quickly became their name. Just another reminder that we weren’t like them. Usually, these groups ranged from four to eight. Anyless and your group was too small to be effective and a few deaths would make you run out of people. Any more and the group would be too large and you’d spend all your time fighting either Seraphim or each other.

1. The independents

By far the worst group and the ones that experienced the most deaths was us. No group wanted us and no doubt by the second or third year we wouldn’t exist. It was almost like the Seraphim knew we’d be the easiest to pick off. Which we were, to be honest, and it showed by the more and ever increasing empty seats in the cafeteria every day.

“I was walking by Wasp’s table.” I openly scowled hearing the girl's name. “And a few members were talking about something called initiation.”

“Inititation?” I never heard of it but then again I didn’t know much about Mayrtdom before I came here. Wasp probably does cause of her stupid preschool but most wouldn’t.

“Those bastard threatened me when they caught me listening so I don’t really know. I tried asking a few Non-Einherjar groups but they either didn’t know or also threatened me with violence. Lot’s of threats today.” Fox whined taking a sip from his orange juice. I could see how much he relished the drink, I didn’t even know you could make juice from fruit.

“Well we got to find out what it is soon.” I grumbled knocking the grape back and forth on my playe. “Maybe we can use the information to leverage our way into a group.”

“Yeah no shit, but no one is willing to give it up. Especially for us.” He angrily whispered that last part to himself. It was annoying cause we weren’t unpopular, most people actually did recognise us. They recognised me as the kid who lost his Einherjar status straight away and Fox as the kid who got his teeth punched in my the kid who lost his Einherjar status right away. Either way, not great.

“We could try the second years, I’ve noticed a few people from our year head over to their section of Mayrterdom.” The way Mayrterdom was set out was that the first-year domes were in the middle and at the highest possible. It forced any of the non-flying seraphim to make its way through an upper-year area first which as least culled the bigger ones that couldn’t sneak through. We only really had to worry about the unprotected bridges between the domes that some of the flying Seraphim would try to fly by and pick us off. Usually, that was easily avoidable just by taking the corridors though at the cost of a longer trip.

I could see Fox’s hesitance to travel to the second-year area. The Seraphim that occupied the second-year area were more dangerous as they were confident they could kill second-years, which meant they could easily kill us. The only reason a few first years went there was to sleep with the second years. Protection for a price.

“It’s either that or we just deal with initiation by ourselves.” I could see Fox like that idea even less.

“Fine.” He huffed. “But we are in and out.”

“Obviously.” I rolled my eyes. As if I wanted to meet the Seraphim that thought the second years were easy pickings.

“And if they want to sleep with us you have to do it! Unless they are attractive, in which case I’ll do it me.” Fox proudly puffed out his chest. All of us were attractive, at worst you just weren’t someone’s type. Genetically perfect beings tended to be that way.

After packing up dinner Fox and I geared up. The basic Slayer armour had no modification except for a radio shared between all Slayers with the exception of private calls. Fox had a Slayer whip on his right hip, a pistol on his left and a rifle on his back.

Slayer guns were different to regular guns in the way that the bullets were much larger and the force of every shot would shatter the bones of a regular human after a few shots due to the sheer force of the recoil. The whip was a more unique weapon like the solar blades. The whip’s end had an electrical charge that was strong enough to stop a regular human’s heart with one hit, it took a few more for a Seraphim and would at least stun them. Additionally, you could stick explosive whip charges at the end. They were basically like miniature grenades but they exploded on contact and attached to the electrical tip of the whip.

I myself had a solar blade on my back, admittedly slightly influenced by the fourth year that saved me along with a solar knife on my hip and a pistol on my other. Unlike the fourth year my blade was just single-handed.

After gearing up both Fox and I headed down the corridors to the second year. The corridors were noticeably cleaner than our own. It wasn’t great and the blood stains still were still there, but there was very little litter. Usually, the people who clean our areas are the Einherjar slaves who at the request of the EInherjar groups deal with the bodies and filth. I suppose higher years have better slaves.

I was going to continue walking forwards but Fox grabbed the back of my armour and held me back. I was about to tell him off when a four-legged creature walked past the end of the corridor.

“What the fuck.” Fox said to himself not realising our radio was on. I couldn’t help but agree. Most Seraphim I’ve seen so far took the form of animal but this was just disgusting. It had the body of a human but the bones and skin were stretched so it would look more like a dog. It was revolting seeing the unnatural way the spain jutted out and the bones pulled on the skin so that it would fit a dog’s form.

The worst part was the face. It was the face of a twelve-year-old girl, her hair was so long it basically dragged along the floor and when it saw us the girl smiled unnaturally. It didn’t charge at us like the usual Seraphim did, no it just stood and gleefully leered at us before continuing to walk down its path.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Suffice to say both Fox and I took the long way around being sure to avoid whatever that thing was. We would not be dealing with those things ever if possible. The two of us did finally find the second-year cafeteria. There were so much less people than our own. It would have to be less than half. Would that be how many people die in the first year?

I tried to push that rather scary thought into the back of my head. I needed to focus on understanding initiation. Chewing the inside of my mouth I scanned over the cafeteria finally finding what I was looking for. Some loser by themself.

Fox and I drew the attention of the second years walking into the place but it was nothing more than a few glances. As I mentioned before it wasn’t uncommon for first years to be here. We were more just like an annoyance to them. The only person who really paid us any attention was the girl we sat down with at the table who looked at us with sheer disgust like our sitting with her was the most insulting thing that had ever happened to her.

“Hey, beautiful,” Fox smirked sitting down at the table. Never have I seen a face of pure horror than I had just now. “What’s a beautiful girl like you doing sitting around by herself?”

She obviously was beautiful but it wasn’t her face that intrested me. Her armour was painted, it had compartments on it. Modifications? The wrist of her armour a barrel of a gun showing itself and her back was slightly rounded as if it was hiding something.

“You ever talk to me like that again and you’ll lose your gag reflex to a bullet.” She glared, her gaze was like fire. Who was this chick, she screamed of danger. Leave it to Fox to choose the worst person.

Fox was quick to realise it to much to my annoyance as now he sat down quietly and kept his mouth shut. Wonderful, I suppose I will be doing the talking.

“Sorry about… that. We are first years,” I finally spoke up. Her heated sight now targeted at me. Fuck.

“Clearly.” She interrupted rolling her eyes.

“And we were wondering if you had any information you could offer so that we won’t die.”

She took a few seconds before responding taking a long sip of her coffee with a brow raised at us.

“Well. It’s cute that you decided to ruin my meal for this, truly it is. But I can guarantee whatever you dumbasses can give me I don’t want so why don’t you fuck off and I can spare you the embarrassment of shattering your spines over my knee. Tell that prissy bitch Einherjar you’re working for she can suck my dick.”

“Okay…” I said a bit weirded out. This girl certainly had a mouth on her.

“Yeah, you can have sex with this one.” Fox whispered to me forgetting we were all superhumans and the girl on the other side of the table was almost writhing in flames after clearly hearing him. In fact she actually did look hot, not appearance wise but literally heated. so much that steam was coming off her. It wasn’t her armour. An ichor?

“We actually aren’t working with an Einherjar. We actually hate them.” Clearly this girl didn’t like the Einherjar either, she was alone as well so clearly she must have been left behind and gotten lucky to survive this long.

“I’m an Einherjar.”

“Oh,” Nevermind.

“The only reason my group isn’t with me is cause they are cleaning the mess I made of a Seraphim in our showers and I don’t like people talking to me when I’m eating my food.” She stared at us, the hate quite obvious.

“Well, surely there is something we can offer you. Friends? Food?” I looked over at Fox before letting out a deep sigh. “Sex?”

You gotta do what you gotta do.

This she actually laughed at.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not one pathetic upper year that trades protection to lower years just for a measly ride.” Gross, both the phrasing and that upper years would do that. Unsurprising though, if the younger years were willing to do it and the upper year was willing to risk their life then it made sense. “I could get anyone I want. Strongest Einherjar in my year. Only one that didn’t lose my Einherjar status once.”

“Wanna know how?” She smirked. “I won initiation. Got this for it.”

She held up her hand and her index finger lit up in a bright flash, the heat radiating off it was incredible. She didn’t so much as light her fingertip on fire as much as it did just become a miniture sun.

“The Apollo ichor,” Fox said in awe.

“Yup, high grade.” She turned the light off. “No one could beat me in hand to hand after that, you get one hand on them and just like that I win.”

It was unfair. No armour and weapons meant she couldn’t lose. Someone who have to be okay with having their skin melted off. Ichor really is overpowered.

Ichor was the three weapons that allowed humanity to fight the Seraphim, along with the Slayer armour/weapons and the genetically made humans. It was a gene, one that was artificially created in a lab and then put into a human later in life as doing it to a fetus would result in that fetus’ genome melting down. You don’t want to see what happens when someone’s genome erupts.

Regular humans couldn’t handle it and even some Slayers can’t if the ichor is too volatile. Unfortunately the stronger the more volatile it is. This girl’s seemed to be a powerful Apollo ichor. This ichor turned the user into basically miniature suns at the flip of a mental switch. Slayer’s who had this ichor would have retractable gloves or fingerless so that could grab onto a Seraphim and burn it, or in this case due to the high grade, melt it.

“So initiation made you the best?”

“Yup, it was all up hill from there.”

“But you won't tell us what it is?”

“Nope.” She smiled.

Intentionally pissing us off then. She really is a nasty woman.

“And there is nothing we can offer?”

“Yup… well, that isn’t completely true.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I won my ichor from initiation, if you were to win as well… you see where I’m going with this.”

“You want us to reward you with the ichor we win.” Literally making it pointless. Why try hard and find the information if we get zero reward?

“Not quite. If you agree you find out and then you won’t try to win. You get information about the initiation to survive but not win and I get nothing. That’s not fair is it?”

“Get to the point.”

“I’ll be nice.” I doubt it. “If you win any ichor or modifications you can keep them. If you don’t win anything then you owe me five favours no questions asked.”

“You’re betting on our failure? That’s ridiculous, we don’t even know how to win or how many winners there could be.” Fox whined. If there was only one then we’d be screwed against the Einherjar.

“Deal,” I say much to Fox’s annoyance, his shocked face was worth taking the deal by itself. “Though I want to know one thing.”

“That will cost out another favour if you lose, six now.” Fuck. Fine.

“Why are you being so nice?”

“Excuse me?” Fox slammed his hands on the table.

“This whole, do my favours thing. It’s nice and all but there is no point to it. You could just threaten us. I assume that’s how you are going to make us do the favours anyway. You know we are useless and anything you want us to do you could threaten someone more capable.”

“Oh come on this girl is clearly a bitch. She gets off on this I bet.” Fox growled flipping her off.

The girl did take a few seconds to stare at me with a smile before shrugging.

“Eh, I’m bored and your friend isn’t wrong. Power is the best aphrodisiac.” Okay, maybe I wasn’t fully right. “Consider it a kindness. To be honest you have no chance at initiation. Initiation is when the staff purposely lets the Seraphim in. The Seraphim have figured out the timing for most events and are probably more aware of it than you are.”

“They will kill all the first years,” Fox says in shock.

“Nope just cull the unlucky and weak. Mostly the unlucky. You guys won’t be told about it, it’ll happen suddenly one night basically one week from now. This will be your first taste of real Seraphim, not those weak things that you find under your pillow.”

“Several kids have died by those ‘weak’ things,” I growl at the girl but she pays no mind.

“Then this should teach you that the worst horrors aren't the ones in Seraphim but the ones that wait for the events. They have lived long enough to learn our patterns and other Seraphim have learnt from them. These are the bastards that have met Slayers and lived. Nothing is worse than a Seraphim with experience. One that knows how to hunt.”

“How do you survive? No offence but you make it sound like its impossible to survive.”

“Oh, initiation is a whole school event. I and all the other second years will be watching and recording your performance, the second years with the best clips earn their own rewards. You first years will be rewarded who performs the best based on the clips, you bastards get even better rewards than we do.”

“And the secret to survival is?”

“Third years hide in their rooms and the fourth years are to be stationed around Mayrtydom. Just find one of them and you’ll be safe.”

“What if the fourth years die?”

“Oh they won’t. No matter how good any first-year can die to a Seraphim. You’ll lose seventy per cent of your year. The second year the weak has been weeded out but it’s mostly still the same, you’ll lose around fifty percent of that year. The third year is when only the unlucky die, nothing inside Seraphim can really be a threat and only around thirty per cent of this year will die. Finally fourth year, these are basically full Slayers and they won’t die to anything in Mayrtydom, they have learnt all the Seraphim’s tricks and all have some sort of ichor or mods. Those monsters only die to Seraphim that are used to hunting Slayers or the large freaks that wonder lands that have been untouched by humans for decades. You’ll be fine if you stick close.”

Five hundred. That was the amount of kids who came to Mayrterdom. By those calculations then you should only have one hundred and five students just entering fourth year. Only eleven percent of the year will make it to fourth year. Five hundred enter the first year and only fifty-five make it to the fourth.”

“That sounds duable.” Fox sarcastically said rather annoyed, I couldn’t blame him. Knowing that the staff will intentionally let the school get flooded by monsters wasn’t exactly something that filled me with joy.

“But you won’t win the ichor like that.”

“Nope. And you’ll owe me. Don’t think that just because you are incompetent doesn’t mean I don’t have uses for you.” Her smirk was like a jackal’s. “I look forward to watching you die.”