Chapter Text
Despite the heat of the sun’s rays, Po feels a chill running down his spine as the gazes of the judges pierce deep into the back of his skull. As a student at Death Weapon Meister Academy for the past four years, he wasn't unfamiliar to evaluations but this is the first time the academy has gathered him with a select group of students for a private session. What prompted the change? he wonders. He takes a couple of measured breaths to relieve the tension in his body. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Baifern nudges his side with her elbow. “You good?" He nods, gravely. "Good," she replies, though unconvinced. She whirls around then Po sees a lightbulb going off in her head. She taps his arm and asks, "Isn’t that two of the team Mars members?” Po's heart warms at her attempt to distract him.
“Team Mars?” Po asks, as he glances over to the judging table.
“You know,” she says, waving her hands to emphasize. “Thame, Jun, Pepper, Dylan, and Nano? The elite students? The ones who investigated the development of a Kishin up north?”
Po nods. The part about the Kishin sounds familiar. “Who’s who?”
Baifern points at the student on the left with her chin. “The one with the brown hair and glasses is Pepper. He’s a demon weapon, a sniper rifle. He never misses a shot.” Po makes a quick assessment of Pepper: lean but muscular, not tall but not short, a balanced person; however, not without an air of intensity to him. Baifern tilts her head to the right. “The one with the black hair and chain is Thame, a meister. I’ve heard every weapon he works with becomes a death scythe.” Po switches his gaze over to Thame then jerks back slightly when he catches Thame's eyes, dark and penetrative. He quickly averts his eyes to the ground, suddenly feeling like a mouse cornered by a cat.
“They seem like they could be powerful.” he murmurs.
“That’s an understatement,” she laughs. Po exhales, feeling like he can breathe a little easier seeing how relaxed Baifern looks.
A man in a brown cardigan walks to the front of the judging table and lifts a hand. Despite his unassuming appearance, the crowd stills, holding their breath in anticipation. “Good morning, students of the NOT Class. I am Instructor Mick, and myself along with Instructor Ming and EAT Class students Thame and Pepper will be evaluating you today. As you may know, due to a number of incidents, the academy has increased enrollment in the EAT Class.”
Incident is an understatement, considering a number of students had disappeared without a trace in the past year, Po thinks.
“Therefore, to address the shortage, we have picked a number of students we deemed to have the potential of being in the EAT Class to take part in a evaluation. Those who pass a written exam, a physical exam, and duel will be offered conditional admission to the EAT Class.” A wave of hushed whispers moved across the crowd but Mick quiets the students with a wave of a hand. “I understand that many of you did not expect to be taking part today. As meisters and demon weapons, you will be faced with countless unfamiliar situations and your ability to adapt will be essential for your survival." He waves a hand to Ming.
"Good morning, everyone! I am Instructor Ming and I will explain what will happen the next three days. While it is tradition to do an exam before the practicum, being in the EAT Class requires students to partake in military activities. To evaluate the eligibility of the NOT students, we will start with the duel followed by the written exam then the physical exam.”
The crowd erupts into a frenzy and Ming attempts to continue over the crowd’s voice but it overwhelms her own. The boom of gunfire immediately makes the chattering come to a halt.
“Let her finish,” Thame interjects, with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. Po feels his heart skip a beat at the sight but he couldn't tell if it was fear or awe.
“Thank you, Thame.” Ming gestures to the crowd. “In thirty minutes, we will begin the duels. Go ahead and pair up with a partner for the activity. If you do not have a meister or demon weapon, come to the front and one will be assigned to you.”
Po raises an eyebrow at Baifern who makes a face back at him. She says in a cheeky voice, “I would ask you to be my partner but…” They were both demon weapons . She winks then waves a hand. “Good luck, Po.”
“You too.” He watches as she blends into the crowd in search of Apple.
Po peers around at his Classmates. Most of them were already paired for years now so his options were limited. Po had been the same as them merely six months ago but he hadn't had any luck with finding a partner due to the low enrollment rate. Po presses on the skin above his heart, feeling like a potion of longing and resentment had bubbled over. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to expel the sensation. Po jumps in surprise when he feels a tap on his right shoulder.
“Are you looking for a meister?” a voice says into his right ear. “I’m Jun.” Po whirls around and sees a student with a seemingly permanent smirk and shrewd eyes. Jun? he wonders. Team Mar’s Jun?
“I’m Po,” Po replies. "Jun? You’re not a NOT Class student.”
“I’m not.” Jun answers, with a twinkle in his eyes. “I'm from the EAT Class but they asked me to team up with a student for the activity.”
He must be Team Mar's Jun. Po finds him a bit off-putting, but pickers could not be choosers and the options were dwindling by the second. “Okay,” Po nods, offering Jun a hand. Jun shakes it with gusto. His hands, Po notes, were rough and calloused as if he did hard labor.
“Come on.” Jun leads Po to a clearing meters away from the other students. He looks around the space, finding it sufficient for their activity, then he offers a hand to Po. “We don't have a lot of time,” he acknowledges. “We should start off with you transforming."
Po nods then takes a deep breath. He envisions the trident, with its long frame that merges into three sharp prongs, leaving a space within him and his body, entering it. When he opens his eyes, he finds himself in Jun's firm hands.
“You're a trident…” Jun mutters. "Interesting..." He waves it around in a series of swinging maneuvers.
“I’m more for stabbing,” Po mumbles, awkwardly, after some time of being waved around like a baton.
Jun pauses mid-swing. “Just getting a feel.” He laughs without humor by himself. “It seems like I’m too used to working with a scythe.” He shifts his body then performs a series of stabbing moves. “Hm… I see."
“What is it?” Po asks.
“Nothing,” he replies, mysteriously. “I think I’ve got it now. You can transform back.”
Po exhales then envisions himself walking out of the space inside him. He finds himself back in his body, wiggling his fingers and toes to ensure they were functioning as they should. “That’s it?”
Jun laughs. “That’s it.”
“What about practicing?”
“No need,” Jun replies, without any shame. “I’m a really good meister and you’re a really good trident.” Po takes in Jun’s smug expression and decides this was the first and last time he was working with him. “With all this time, shall we get to know each other more?” Po cocks his head. “I just want to know more about my weapon.” The way he said that makes Po’s skin itch and he rubs away the goosebumps with his palms.
“Well, what do you want to know?” he asks, reluctantly.
“Why is a weapon like you partner-less?”
Po frowns, not expecting the questioning to be that intrusive. “A number of us are.”
“That's true,” Jun shrugs. “But why are you in particular?"
Po stares at Jun who stares back without blinking. Po pinches the bridge of his nose then sighs, giving up upon realizing that Jun is the relentless sort. “My previous partner left me.”
“It wasn’t mutual?” Jun asks, unabashed.
Po averts his eyes. “I–He initiated it.”
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"He didn't say why?"
Po's mouth feels dry. "I-I didn't ask."
Mick’s voice through a speaker blares in the background. “Come back, everyone!” Po feels relieved at the interruption.
“That’s us!” Jun declares, suddenly energized. He grabs Po’s hand and starts running with Po scrambling along behind him. In mere seconds, they reach the crowd.
“Now now.” Mick hushes the crowd. “We will begin the duels. To keep it interesting, we had some EAT Class students join the NOT Class students. They will further evaluate you while either fighting alongside or against you NOT Class students."
Po tries to remove his hand but Jun holds it firmly, tilting his head closer to Po. "I'm trying to raise our compatibility," he whispers. Po feels himself it decreasing every second he's being forced to hold hands with Jun.
"To kick us off, we’re going to start off with meister Jun and demon weapon Po against meister Boss and demon weapon Nano!” Po stares at Mick, the words not processing in his brain. Immediately? They’re starting now? First? Wait, Nano? Team Mars Nano? The crowd begins turning their head side-to-side.
Jun cheers, raising Po’s hand up in the air, pulling everyone’s attention to them. “That's us!”
Po stares at him in utter shock then slowly nods and attempts to smile at the students around him, his cheek twitching.
A soft voice calls out from Po’s left. “You’re going down, Jun.” Po sees a small, frail-looking boy but he feels a powerful energy emitting from him.
“Please,” Jun replies, in a mocking tone. “Spare me. Nano.”
Nano exhales, the air flicking his bangs out of his eyes.
Jun pulls Po to the left center of the courtyard while Nano and Boss takes the opposite end. He lifts their joined hands. “Ready, Po?”
“Ready,” Po nods, immediately transforming into a trident.
Across from them, Boss swings a scythe.
No wonder Jun swung me around like a baton, Po realizes.
A whistle sounds. Jun immediately goes on the defense, standing with legs apart, knees bent, and trident in front of him, as Boss comes running up with the scythe to his side. His steps kick up sand and gravel, forming a trail of dust behind him. Boss swings in a wide arc and Jun leans back on his heels, jumping out of Boss's reach. Boss continues swinging back and forth, unable to land a hit on Jun. Then, he jumps high in the air and as he comes downward, the sun behind him temporarily blinds Jun. The blade cuts off an inch of the bottom of Jun's windbreaker.
"Hey!" Jun cries out. "This is a limited edition item!"
Boss swings again and this time, Jun catches the blade with the trident’s second and third prongs. He thrusts upward, pulling the scythe up and out of Boss’s grips, who falls backward. Then he immediately shifts his weight to his toes and propels himself forward at Boss, with the trident held in front of him.
We win, Po thinks.
Then, he hears the sound of wind breaking above them as Nano comes hurling down, with his body human but his leg now the blade of the scythe. Jun spins his body around mid-air and uses the body of the trident to parry Nano’s attack. The blow breaks the ground below Jun’s feet but neither student gives up any space. When the force of his attack dwindles, Nano jumps backward and reaches for Boss's hand. He transforms into a full scythe again.
Jun laughs. “You caught me by surprise, Nano.” His eyes narrow. “But, this is the end. A weapon is only as powerful as its meister.” He leans forward, breaking into a run. Boss’s eyes widen at the speed Jun comes at him. He quickly swings at him but Jun ducks then uses the back of the trident to trip Boss. As Boss falls backward, Jun kicks him in the chest, sending him flying into the underbrush. Before Boss could sit up, Jun looms over him with a trident pointed at his neck. The whistle sounds. Jun offers a hand and pulls Boss to his feet as Po and Nano transform back into their bodies.
“The winner is meister Jun and demon weapon Po!” Mick announces. Jun Po glances over to the judging table. Ming and Pepper nod at him in approval while Thame sits back against the chair, giving Po a calculative look. Po puts his palm together and bows slightly to them.
Po turns back to Jun to see him grins widely at Nano who glares back at him. To Po’s surprise, Nano ignores Jun then walks over to Po and holds his hands, smiling warmly. “What a lovely surprise." Po blinks. "Not many people have a compatible soul wavelength with Jun. It says a lot about your character that you could work with him. I feel reassured about you.”
Reassured? Po blinks at him repeatedly. “I–I am thankful?” He realizes how he sounds and tries to fix his words. “I mean thank you for your kind words.”
Nano laughs. “You're silly. I like it.” He lets go of Po’s hands then grabs Jun by his shirt collar. “Bye, Po!” He yanks Jun who chokes out a quick goodbye. They disappear into one of the school buildings.
Po continues to watch as students go group by group. Even though he's seen the sight a thousand times over, he's still shocked to see Apple, standing at a mere 150 cm, carrying Baifern, a broadsword, with relative ease. He raises two thumbs up when Baifern wins her duel and she winks back while Apple waves shyly at him. Members of the judging table, particularly Ming, also seem impressed by the duo.
As the evaluations progressed. the judges, Po notices, do not seem to be writing notes. Instead, they appraise each student, nodding at some times, shaking their heads at others. It didn’t seem to be an assessment based on any scoring system or rubric. Rather, the judges seem to be looking for some quality or skill. Eventually, the duels conclude and Ming has the group come together.
“That’s it for today! Good work, everyone." She beams at the students. "Tomorrow we will have the written exam. Meet here at eight in the morning sharp! Dismissed.”
Po lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. As the crowd disperses, he attempts to find Baifern. He catches her for a split second but she rapidly fires “Ineedtopee” before disappearing into the school buildings. He walks over to Apple, who stammers, "Ihavesocialanxiety" then runs in the direction of Baifern.
He looks over to the judging table, seeing Thame, Pepper, Jun, Nano, and another student engaged in a deep conversation. As Thame lifts his head, Po immediately turns away. He stares at the students disperse, feeling quite alone in the world.
Po wanders off, walking in the direction of what he supposes is the way back to the dormitories. He goes through his memories, trying to process the events of the day. What a day, he thinks. He couldn’t remember exactly what Jun and Nano said to him today but it was how they said what they said, as if they knew something about Po. It was weird. I didn't like it. Yet, he could tell they didn’t mean him any ill will. I do like them though. If I become an EAT Class student, could I be friends with them? Surely, he could and then, he could have at least three friends instead of him bothering Baifern all the time. He liked Apple but he wasn't sure if she liked him. Well, maybe firends with just Nano. Jun seems to be a bit too much for someone like me. He couldn't help being curious about the other Team Mars member, too.
However, to even get the point that he could start any friendships, he would first need to pass the written exam and the physical exam. The physical exam he could pass easy. He had been swimming since he was a child, whether it was related to his transformation to a trident he wasn't sure but he felt attuned with the water. Running? Well, running is just swimming on land. On the other hand, the written exam? That would be difficult for him considering that the curriculum on the NOT Class and EAT Class differed in several ways. Namely, the NOT Class curriculum was built for students to be placed in civilian roles while the EAT Class curriculum focused the military. Po feels a little less confident the more he thinks about the EAT class curriculum.
Po halts suddenly. Somehow, he finds himself in front of a door swinging in the wind. The creaking hinges had pulled him out of his thoughts. A looming, seemingly-abandoned building stands before him. Where am I? The darkness behind the door seems to be pulling him. He jerks back, feeling ice running in his veins. I need to get out of here.
He takes a few steps backwards before he hears a harsh voice call out from his left. “What are you doing? This is a restricted area.”
Po turns to see Thame and another student standing a distance away from him, both standing with their arms crossed. “I–I don’t know. I was trying to get back to my room. Somehow, I ended up here.”
“This is not a place where you just end up."
“I’m not lying to you,” Po urges. “I don’t know why but it felt like something behind the door had a hold on me. It pulled me here.”
“Are you serious?” Thame laughs without humor. “Give it up now. I know what you’re up to and you’re not going to get away with anything.”
I—what?”
“It seems like Earn knew more than we thought.” Thame beckons a hand at Dylan who gazes wide-eyed at him for a moment. Dylan blocks his face from Po’s view with a hand but with the movement of his throat, Po sees a question being asked. Thame nods in affirmation and Dylan reaches out a hand then transforms into katana in a fluid motion. Thame points it at Po. “You may have gotten this far but it ends here. Confess to it and I’ll make it fast for you.”
“What?” Po stumbles backward. “Confess to what?”
“You know.”
“What is it?” Po exclaims.
Thame sighs in frustration, slicing the katana in the air. “You’re keeping at it?”
“Well I don’t know what it is!”
“I know how you’ve been working for Earn. You two orchestrated the end of your partnership so that you can stay here and feed him information about the people here. Your friends. Now, you’re trying to get it for him.”
“Earn?” Po cries out. “What does he—“ Po sputters. “Information? It? ”
Thame’s eyebrows furrow. “You’re not going to give it up, are you?”
“I don't understand what's happening."
“Is this a game to you?”
“What about you?” Po shoots back. “Is this a game to you? You, using the people around you, your friend, to threaten people?” Thame stills. “You're insane."
“That’s enough.” Po’s eye darts looking for a means to escape and Thame follows the movement. “There’s no running anymore.” Thame stalks toward Po in slow, calculated movements while Po edges backward to the creaking door behind him.
Po scrambles, trying to buy himself some time. “Look,” Po spits out. “I don’t know why you’re talking about Earn but I don’t know anything about him."
“Your meister?” Thame scoffs.
“Mine?” Po laughs without any humor. “There was nothing about him that was mine.”
Thame pauses and gazes intently at Po. “Explain.”
“He never told me anything. I was just a convenient tool for him. I’ve spent more time without him than with him the last year. He would disappear after classes for hours and when I would ask him, he’d say he was training.”
“Training?” Thame frowns. “What kind?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t elaborate. He refused every time I asked to join. Training without me? His weapon?” The tears begin filling in Po’s eyes and he grits his teeth to keep them from falling. “I couldn’t even ask him with who? I didn’t want to hear the answer. We weren't even friends, much less partners, towards the end.”
“Did you have any suspicions?”
“Of him working with someone else? Yes. Of him doing anything? No.” Po clenches his fist tightly to keep them from trembling. “I don’t know what he was doing.” Po covers his eyes with a hand as his tears fall freely. “I don’t understand what’s happening. I don’t understand why you’re asking me about Earn. I don’t understand how I got here. I don’t know anything. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Po hears the sounds of footsteps approaching and steps back, prepared to make a break for it. A soft voice stops him in his track. “Okay.” Thame approaches Po with empty raised palms. The other student stands behind him a couple meters away. “Okay.” Po glances at him, apprehensive. “I believe you.”
“You do?” Po sniffs.
“I do.” Po tenses up as he reach into his bag but he pulls out a couple napkins and hands it to Po.
“You were going to kill me," Po says, his voice muffled by the napkin over his nose.
Thame shook his head, sheepishly. “Per guidelines, we are not allowed to reap any souls that are not approved by Death. As a student, you should know.”
“I did know but then you pointed him at me.”
“That’s Dylan and I did.” Thame rubs his chin, awkwardly. “Look, I’m sorry for threatening you." His gaze flits over to the building behind Po. "You did look quite suspicious for a moment there.” Po rubs his eyes with his palms. “Don't rub your eyes.” He reaches into his bag and takes out a water bottle. “Here, it’s cold. It’ll help with the inflammation.”
Po takes it and presses it against his face. His breathing calms as the coolness gives him instant relief. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “Well, what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are we going to pretend nothing happened?”
“It would be best." For you or for me?
“Why didn’t you just ask me without pointing Dylan at me?”
“You didn’t really answer when Jun asked you.” Jun, that bastard. “I’m sorry,” Thame repeated, rubbing the back of his head. “I—You—I did jump to conclusions. I thought if I made you feel like you had no choice, then you would tell me about Earn.”
Po pinched the bridge of his nose. “Wait, why are you trying to get information about Earn?”
Thame opens his mouth then closes it, seeming to struggle internally for a moment.
Dylan pipes up from behind, “He's too involved at this point to not know."
Thame swerves back. “The less he knows, the safer he’d be.”
Dylan shakes his head. “The less he knows, the easier he would be to be manipulated by him ."
Thame exhales then mutters, "That's true." He grasps Po's shoulder. "You cannot spread this information to other students, do you understand?" Po nods briskly, shaken by the strength of his hold. “You know of the missing EAT students, correct?” Po nods again. “They aren't missing. They were murdered.”
Po gapes at him, wide-eyed. “Who mu—Earn?”
“We suspect so. Your meister–previous meister, I mean, is missing and you, being his demon weapon, a trident and all, made you a suspect considering that each student was stabbed multiple times." Po breathes in sharply. "However, at closer examination, the wounds may be more indicative of a single-pronged weapon such as a spear instead.”
“A spear,” Po murmurs. “Who—"
“We should go now,” Dylan interjects. "It's getting dark." Thame nods and beckons for the other two to follow him. The three of them begin walking away from the building.
“What is this place?” Po asks, examining the vines creeping up the various ruins.
“You’re not privy to that information yet,” Thame replies, quietly. "Per school regulations."
“Oh.”
Thame pauses, prompting the other two to stop. "But you could be." He stands still for a moment, seeming to be in deep thought then he turns to look at Po with a contemplative expression. “You’re looking for a meister, are you not?”
“I am.” Po feels his heartbeat quickening.
“Okay.” Thame’s eyes dart to the side. “Well…” Po trails the flush crawling up to his ears. “I know your first impression of Team Mars must not be good considering that we started off on the wrong foot but I saw what you’re capable of and I was thinking—and it’s okay for you to say no because I understand that you’re in a situation where it’s difficult to say no.” Po feels his face heat up from the awkwardness of it. “Of course I understand that this is sudden due—“
Po shakes his head. “No.”
Thame shoulders fall. “No?”
“No,” Po repeats. “It’s not sudden.” He pauses. “Well actually, it is sudden but I don’t mind.”
“Oh!" Thame pauses, awkwardly. "Okay. Okay."
“Ask your question," Po prompts.
“After you pass the exams tomorrow, how about we do a trial run as partners?”
"Yes," Po breathes out, his heart pounding against his eardrums. He swallows, pushing the feeling back down.
Thame breaks into a big smile. “This way you’ll be under my supervision. I'll keep you safe as your meister.” Po turns his face away to hide his embarrassment.
“Nano will be happy,” Dylan adds.
"Very much," Thame affirms.
"And Jun," he adds further. Thame tilts his head towards Dylan, giving him a look which Dylan pretends not to see.
Po stares up at the stars slowly coming into view as the sky darkens into a brilliant obsidian. In one long day, he had somehow managed to not only make new friends but find himself a potential meister. "What a day," he murmurs. There's so much I still don't know, he thinks. How can I prove my innocence? Where is Earn? Did he murder those students? What is in that building?
"Come on," Dylan urges. "Dusk's breaking."