The city square quieted as Lorth of the Ivory Cross, clad in the pristine white robes of the Holy Knights, stood tall on the announcement stage. His voice boomed through the crowd.
"We've received your names and processed your applications. By tomorrow morning, a sealed note will be delivered to your homes with the result of your registration. Prepare yourselves, and stay blessed."
With that, Lorth turned, his silver-plated knights following as the citizens applauded.
Later that day...
Ren and Souta walked home, the sun beginning to set behind the city rooftops.
"Hey, Souta," Ren said, his voice slightly bored. "What do we even do now?"
Souta shrugged, stretching out on the couch. "I dunno. Do something. Or sleep. I guess."
Ren rolled his eyes and muttered, "Not surprised," before grabbing his coat. "Alright, I'll go take a walk."
At home...
Left alone, Souta glanced toward the katana lying neatly by the corner of the room the one the blacksmith had crafted for him with demon blood forged deep into its blade. He picked it up and muttered, "I really gotta find a place to train with this thing... I guess I'll look around later."
Meanwhile, on the city streets...
Ren strolled through the busy district, gazing at shop stalls, food carts, and passing crowds. His hands were in his pockets, and his expression distant.
"What am I even doing now...?"
As he wandered, a tall, ornate building caught his eye the Central Library, towering like a quiet fortress. A soft smile formed on Ren's face.
"Bingo."
He walked in, the scent of old paper and wood filling his nose. The grand library interior echoed slightly with whispers and footsteps. It reminded him of... something, but he shook the thought away and began browsing.
Reaching out to grab a book titled The Demon Falls, he pulled but it wouldn't budge.
"Huh?"
From the other side of the shelf, a voice yelped — and a body fell to the ground.
A long-haired guy, maybe Ren's age, lay on the floor with the same book in hand.
Ren quickly walked over and offered his hand. "Damn, man — sorry about that. Here, lemme help you up."
The guy laughed slightly and took his hand. "Nah, it's cool. I should've let go first."
"You alright?" Ren asked.
"Yeah," he said, brushing himself off. "You into Demon Falls?"
Ren blinked. "Kinda. My dad used to read about it a lot... I just found it here and thought I'd check it out."
The guy smiled. "That's cool. People who really study this book has all the knowledge he needs to know about demons, you know like red exorcist."
That phrase rang in Ren's head Red Exorcist. He remembered and try to shake it off but asked
"What's a Red Exorcist exactly?" he asked.
The guy raised an eyebrow. "Wait, seriously? You don't know?" Then leaned in playfully. "You're not from around here, huh?"
Ren laughed nervously, a drop of sweat on his face. "Haha… yeah. I guess I just… don't know haha."
"I'm itsuki, by the way," the long-haired guy said, offering a fist bump.
"I'm Ren. Nice to meet you."
"So," itsuki asked, "you signed up for the exorcist camp?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, I did. What about you?"
"Yeah, I registered too," itsuki said. "But honestly? I'm not that into being one. I just like studying demons and weird stuff. I don't really care about the whole 'holy' side of it."
Then, Itsuki tilted his head, eyeing Ren's face. "Are your eyes always like that? One red and one not?"
Ren blinked, slightly alarmed. "Huh? What… no. I haven't checked in a mirror lately."
Itsuki leaned in maybe a bit too close then suddenly grinned.
"Forget it. You hungry?"
Ren's stomach growled loudly before he could answer.
His face turned red. "...Yeah."
Itsuki laughed. "YEAHHHHHHHH! Let's GOOOO!"
Ren smiled slightly, already realizing this guy was going to be trouble but maybe the good kind.