“♫♩ It’s a new Dawn, it’s a new day…. And we’re fucking late!! ♫♩ ”
Today was their first day at the Academy, and they ABSOLUTELY couldn't afford to be late!
"Miaow!" (Follow me, Master, I found a shortcut!)
It was still so early, yet two shadows could be seen in the slums, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Could this even be called a "shortcut"?! A couple of minutes and plenty of terrified passersby later, the duo found themselves before the Academy gates.
There, a familiar Sylvia Braveheart could be seen pacing worriedly:
“The Student Council would help, but I’d never hear the end of it. Or I could ask a Teacher, but then the Academy would know I lost my Badge. Ugh… maybe I’m better searching the slums again? Why am I so unlucky?!"
"Truly unlucky indeed. You missed my amazing Tower Braving performance. How regrettable: generations later, people will still talk about how dashing I was. Anyway, here, catch!"
Damon chuckled as he threw her her Badge. As soon as she saw it, her evergreen eyes opened wide.
"D-Damon?! You found my— Wait, that's not it. This is your first day, and you're in the Elite Class, right? It's a freaking viper nest. Be careful!"
"Noted, I'll look up the market price of viper venom then. Take care!"
He bolted away, leaving a confused Sylvia behind. Wasn't he being a little too carefree? In any case, it didn't take the duo long to reach their destination.
| 278-B: Beast Taming Introduction |
Damon expected a class. It wasn't. It was an open-air area that made a football field seem tiny in comparison. Then, plenty of runes glowed on the grass, delimiting a large rectangle with a circle in the middle. This was a... Battle Arena?!
About a hundred or so students were already gawking at it excitingly:
“T-This is an official arena?! It looks so damn sturdy!”
“You could detonate a nuke here, and the grass would remain green!”
"Of course! It's made to withstand Soul Beasts battling at full power! It's incredible!"
But as soon as Damon arrived, they all lost interest in it, chuckling as if expecting a good show.
That's when a suit-wearing youngster came forward, his entire body screaming of royalty. He even had a "Prince William" haircut, which was impressive given his young age!
"Hehe. If it isn't the King of Commoners! How does it feel to be on top? Savor this moment, for it won't last. Did you know that the Public Evaluations are only there to fill the numbers? In the Elite Class, you'll merely be a worm. A weak Fortune Neko getting First place? Risible!"
"King? Hehe, you flatter me! Don't worry, I'm magnanimous, so no need to bow. As for how it feels to be on top? AMAZING! Meals are tastier, the air purer, and even the shits feel better. It's so blissful and—"
W-What?! The more Damon rattled about his life's awesomeness, the stranger the youngster's face became. Brother, can't you see that I was insulting you?! But then it became even worse:
"Miaow!" (This Cat can confirm! Even the cat food is tastier. It's the BEST!)
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Tch— Feeling funny? Let me teach you how worthless you really are! You're—"
But before the angry Tamer could retort, there was the tip-tapping of high heels, followed by the small rhythmical thumping of a cane. Tapping? On a grass field? Show-off much!
As the class turned around, she appeared:
Haughty, hair raised in a bun, and a professional dress that followed all of her curves without going overboard. As for the cane? It was actually a ruler that sent sparks flying as she walked.
A teacher?! She eyed her class, giving a small smile…
“Now, now. You all can call me miss Latte, or Teacher, but one thing I won’t tolerate in my class is tardiness. You will be expelled the next time you're late. Attendance is graded, after all!” That’s when she struck her ruler.
As if on cue, about thirty students started glowing blue… Damon included?! Seeing their shocked faces, she laughed at their naivety before continuing: “Be here 30 minutes early next time, or else—”
She swept her eyes across the class, enjoying seeing them squirm. Well, all but a certain arrogant Tower Braver. Not only did Damon not avert his eyes, he even mouthed back: ‘30 minutes? Not happening!’ After years of abuse at the K-Mart, he was fucking done!
Yet, she sneered as she saw his defiance, for she'd break him soon. On that note, she began her lecture...
"Welcome to Beast Taming 101. Now, who here can tell me more about it? Where did it begin? How does it actually work? What have we learned over the years? How about it, Mister Malum?"
“Begin? Not our dimension for sure. Hell, the System’s been online far before humans. As for how it works? It’s a contract between Tamer and Beast, sharing their power to become stronger. All it takes is agreement!”
“Wrong! It’s all wrong! Let me give you all a History lesson…”
Thus began a tale as old as time. Back then, humanity had been thriving, and oh blissfully oblivious. Their greatest woes had been capitalism, climate change, and what they’d eat for lunch. But then it all changed when the Nightmare descended…
[Humanity Integrating to the Multiverse! Welcome to the Nightmare!]
The Nightmare had brought Mana to the world, and with it the mutation of every known species. Long ago, there had been beings known as animals, but after that event they had all been replaced by Magical Beasts! Luckily, the System arrived before humanity was wiped out.
[Ding! Initiating System! Devour! Evolve! Fight for Humanity's Sake!]
It had guided humanity, teaching them how to Awaken and defeat the Beasts. But then it had done even better, gifting them the knowledge of the Taming Emblems, with which they could bind the deadly creatures to their wills. Thus, the Tamers had appeared.
“Do you all understand now? Taming by agreement? This isn’t a fairy tale! You need two things: Power and a Taming Emblem! Without any of the two, taming is impossible! It’s—”
A certain human and cat duo were busy whispering to one another, obviously not paying any attention to her teachings. Seeing this, a vein trembled on her forehead:
“Mister Malum, how about sharing with the class?”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Are you sure? I don't really mind, but...”
"Scoff. I insist. Please DO share."
"You said taming is impossible without a Taming Emblem, but that's false Miss Espresso. It's only needed to store a Soul Beast in one's sea of consciousness. So, while it helps a TON, there are ways around it. The crux of the matter is to impress the target, the most popular method being to overpower them. Do you understand?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Do you understand? Wasn't this calling her incompetent?! But instead of losing her cool, she scoffed:
"Tch— Nice theory, but it's different in practice! Show me a single Soul Beast that hasn't been captured with a Taming Emblem; I'll wait!"
"Miaow!" (This cat right here!)
"..."
"..."
"..."
Calling Damon out for being "late"? → He hadn't backed down at all!
Calling him out for whispering? → He had pointed out the flaws in her teachings!
Calling his critique a mere theory? → His goddamn pet was the living proof that he was right!
As the teacher's face turned similar to a boiled prawn, many couldn't help but give Damon a thumbs up. This guy was freaking crazy!
Yet, there were a bunch of people who glanced his way as if they couldn't wait to destroy him. This was especially true for a certain Teacher who surprisingly remained calm:
"Fine, Fortune Nekos ARE an exception. Try the same with a pet that isn't a glorified mascot, and see what happens. If you're not here to learn, then at least remain silent. As for the others, I actually have a surprise for you all. Hehe, are you ready?"
That's when she snapped her fingers.
— Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! —
The field suddenly separated?! The grass moved, revealing an elevator shaft that pushed something upward. It was… a cage?! Inside, there was a Magical Beast, its eyes red with fury as it rampaged against the metal bars!
— Clang! Clang! Clang! —
Robust gray skin, a single horn sharper than a sword on its head, and hooves so heavy that the cage seemed about to rupture any moment. Chuckling, the Teacher explained:
“This here is an Iron-Rhino! They’re renowned for their strength and stubbornness. Now, anyone here wants to give taming it a try? I’ll help of course. How about it, anyone up for the task?”
All eyes turned to Damon, but the Teacher intervened:
"Students, know this. Taming a Soul Beast puts a heavy burden on one's Body and Soul. A trainee Tamer should NEVER tame more than one Soul Beast before they grow stronger. As such, you should support Mister Malum, for he's stuck with a weak Pet, and if he were to try and tame another one—"
She gestured a balloon popping with her hands: he'd die! With this, she had single-handedly branded him as worthless, the class focusing on the beast instead. A student stepped forward:
“Me, Miss Latte, I want to give it a try! I have a Taming Emblem, of course!”
“Perfect! Let’s get started, shall we? I’ll weaken it, and you capture it, alright?”
Then, without waiting, she suddenly focused for a second and… WHOOSH! In a flash of bronze light, the ruler in her hand suddenly started stretching, twisting, and… becoming sharper?!
[Rule-o-Wisp Has Appeared! Prepare to be Spanked!]
Spanked?! Stabbed to death would have been more accurate! Taking in the crowd’s excited shouts, the Teacher flicked her hand, cleaving the whole cage apart! As for the Iron-Rhino? It was now free and ANGRY!
“GYYAAAA!” (KILL! KILL! KILL!)
Its red eyes landing on the student, it charged! As for the poor guy, he was about to shit himself. What the heck was he supposed to do now?! But just as he was about to be trampled alive, she acted!
— SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! —
Once more, she struck, her ruler flying. But this time, it was different. As if the meanest executioner, each of her slices removed a pound of flesh from the Rhino, digging deep into its sides. “GYAAAA!”
Then, even as it roared in pain, she kept going. As if a witch from hell, she kept slashing with her ruler, the poor creature soon turning into a bloody mess. Until it finally couldn’t take it anymore, collapsing to its knees.
“Now’s your chance! Quick, throw the Taming Emblem and focus your Soul!”
“Yes, Miss Latte!” The student complied.
The Taming Emblem drew an arc in the air, landing directly on the injured rhino. Then, as if by a miracle, the whole creature disappeared. What?! Actually, it had been sucked into the Emblem, the thing now shaking!
First weaken it, then throw the Emblem, finally hope it stays in!
Ding— Ding— Ding— SHATTER!
Just like it seemed to have been captured, the emblem suddenly shattered! The creature reappeared, its eyes glowing with righteous fury! Being enslaved? Not by such weaklings!
The poor student found himself coughing blood from the spell’s backlash…
“Next! Who wants to try? An Iron-Rhino’s actually pretty strong. Get it now while it’s hot. As a comparison, it would take 10 Fortune Nekos to face one of those Rhinos…”
“W-What?! Really?!”
“Me, miss Latte, let me do it!”
“Teacher, I’ll go next for sure!”
The scene turned chaotic, the students almost pushing one another for the opportunity. There were only a few who watched from the sidelines, those who already possessed Soul Beasts. Damon was one of them as he whispered to his pet:
“Keep watch. This is what it’s like for most Tamers. You were an exception, one that even I can’t replicate.”
“Miaow?!” (Really?! I understand! Also, ten of me to beat this single creature? Is that true?!)
“Kinda. But it just means you’ll have to train that much more. You up to the challenge?”
Of course, it was! But while the cat was in high spirits, Damon was worried. This was fun and all, but he wouldn't get much benefit from this class, especially with this Teacher. Attendance graded? Would he have to watch this shitshow just to remain in the Academy? He felt like an adult at kindergarten.
He kept pondering as students after students tried their luck. As for the results...
“Cough! Cough!”
“Cough! Cough!”
“Cough! Cough!”
“Cough! Cough!”
By now, so much blood had been coughed out that the field was glowing red! Damon couldn’t help but feel strange. That teacher, what was her end game here? At this rate, all would fail…
But that’s when it happened. A familiar face stepped up: the Young Master of the Warwick clan, aka the guy he fought and sold sausages to. But his approach was slightly different.
“Teacher, please release it, and don’t interfere anymore.”
“Y-You… are you serious?! Alright, I won’t.
He nodded gravely before turning toward the Iron-Rhino. “Sorry about that, but I hope this will be as fair a fight as can be. You injured, and me human. Now, I’ll be in your care!”
Come again?! At this moment, Iron-Rhino and students alike wondered if he had lost his goddamn mind! If they fought for real, who knows what the outcome would be! But he didn’t seem to give a damn about that!
As the rhino struggled to its feet, the entire Arena shook. That’s when the light in its eyes changed. Mercy? Respect? It would kill one of those pesky humans, for sure! It locked on its prey and…
CHARGE! It was so fast, like a freaking comet! So fast that it turned into a silver blur!
Seeing this, the Teacher’s face changed. FUCK! The Student would die! Not interfering? She couldn’t anymore! She swung her ruler, aiming it at the rhino, ready to slay it! Her ruler flew and— she fell face-first?! What the hell?!
Only then did she finally notice the small Fortune Neko that had tripped her at the last moment!
“Y-You! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Madman!”
“You told him you wouldn’t interfere, didn’t you? Is a teacher’s word that worthless?”
Damon smiled brightly, his grin so freaking disturbing at the moment. As for the poor student? He now lay impaled on a certain Rhino’s Horn, his body lifeless. Had Damon just killed him?! Just when it seemed like everything was lost already, the "murderer" chuckled.
“You gonna sleep long? Now’s the moment to throw the Taming Emblem, you know.”
“Are you crazy?! He's dying! Quick, someone call the Medics and—”
But just as panic exploded, the lifeless body suddenly straightened up?! Still impaled, the Warwick Young Master threw an Emblem out, the rhino getting sucked into it. With this, the youngster was suddenly freed from being impaled by the horn, blood gushing out of him.
SPLATTER! SPLATTER! Yet, he didn’t care about any of that, no his gaze followed a certain Emblem.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!… And just as it seemed like it would break out like all the other times, a rhino harrumph resounded, the thing finally settling down in an explosion of Silver Light. He had just succeeded!
“Hehe, I’m a Tamer now! I’m actually a Tamer!”
“Congrats, but let’s get you to the Medic Center, alright? Else, you’ll be a dead Tamer.”
Damon had gambled and won. Had it been anyone else, his actions would have 100% killed them, but this guy was different. That Feral Bloodline he had seen back at the Plaza had saved his life! At the last second, right before getting impaled, he had managed to avoid getting his vitals pierced!
With this, he grabbed the wounded, eager to bring him to the Medics. But before he could leave...
"Preposterous! Mister Malum, head to the Headmaster's office ASAP!"
"ASAP? Should I bring his dead body to the Headmaster then?"
"Tch— Leave him at the Medic Center, then go."
"Roger that! Right away, Miss Mocha!"
He happily left, leaving puddles of blood in his wake, and tons of shellshocked students. What the fuck was wrong with him?! Not only had he gone head-on against a Teacher, but he had almost claimed a life?! But little did they know, that the actual "victim" in all this couldn't have been more grateful to Damon.
As soon as they were alone, the Warwick Young Master Growled:
"That Bitch. She never intended for us to contract that Iron-Rhino. She's been torturing it beforehand, to make an example out of it, to show us how dangerous and bloodthirsty Magical Beasts can be. If it weren't for you...."
“I thought you were the heartless type. What happened?”
“I just know what it’s like to be locked in a cage…”
"You do? I wouldn't have guessed. KINKY!"
What?! No! That's obviously not what he had meant! But then he saw Damon's teasing smile, and couldn't help but sigh. "Why did you even help me? Now you'll be in endless trouble."
"Oh, that? I wanted to meet the Headmaster."
"...?!?"
In shock, the poor student barely reacted as Medics crowded around him and brought him away. "Wanted to meet the Headmaster. Wanted to meet the Headmas..."
As for Damon, he was ready to turn the Academy Upside down...