The Depths Of The Earth...

Though most of the Depthsroot Residents were humbled by the beating they'd received from their God-King, Ophiuchus, and were ready to learn from him at the Academy, there were some who were still upset about the war and plotted to sabotage his teaching with their own devices.

Even in the depths of the earth, the shadows had eyes.

The God-King Ophiuchus -- as the Depthsroot Residents were instructed to call him -- entered the Academy that was established by him in this underground city from a Dimension Gate, having just come from another world. He established the Academy to teach all who would learn how to do anything they liked, and especially things about the Veritas and the Tensei, his family. He was in his all black attire, black jacket loosely draped over his shoulders. The blond haired, crystal blue eyed man looked at the classroom he'd stepped into and said, "Sorry I'm Late, My Students. I Had Prior Business To Attend To. But I Am Here Now To Teach You The Ways Of The Veritas And Also Whatever You May Wish For Yourselves." He smiled softly at the class, standing at a desk where he faced the students. "Please, Feel Free To Ask Of Me Anything You Like, And I Will Help You Learn How To Do It. You All And The Powers You Have Received Are Untamed, And So I Will Help You To Harness Your Powers And Control Your Abilities, As I Can."

Another Dimension Gate opened up in the Academy's classroom where the Angel King, Ophiuchus, God-King of the Veritas, had just appeared immediately after he finished speaking. Who would walk through would be Karu, who recognized him as the Creator even in this form. "... Hey," she said nonchalantly, turning to the Dimension Gate, "I've got someone that needs to meet you." She awaited Omaru's appearance in the classroom with the other students of the Depthsroot.

“Tenshi no Ou-Sama....dozo yoroshiku.” Omaru got on one knee and put his right hand over his chest and greeted him in the best Japanese that he could. “Lord Angel King...Karu brought me here because I’m in a bit of a dilemma...I can’t control my inner demon...he acts like a bandit that doesn’t want to integrate with society. Is there away you can entice him to listen to me so we can be even in sync more often...if he continues to take over my body I was told I’ll become a Falshin... is there anything you can do about this?” Omaru looked at the class of students...then back at the professor. “I wonder whose class president...or the most powerful student...” The demon side had whispered the thought in his head, but Omaru ignored it....he was always itching for a fight...and Karu gave him a tease of her strength which drove him mad with excitement because of her abilities.

The Depthsroot Residents came to respect their Angel King after receiving a good thrashing by him not so long ago, awing at his power. They sat in their respective rows awaiting the class he would be teaching to begin.

They were rather surprised to see someone pop up out of a Dimension Gate, as they weren't exactly completely familiar with it since the Dimension Gates were located on the surface and not underground. If they wanted to travel, it had to be by foot, up the crystal bridges.

That aside, the Depthsroot Residents looked at Karu and Omaru with curiosity, wondering if they were going to join their class.

"Teacher!" someone cried out, "Can we learn about how to do combat with each other? I want to see who is strongest!"

The other students agreed, muttering to themselves before someone else said, "Yeah, the strongest one can be the Class Rep!" and laughed. But everyone liked the idea of the strongest person in the class being the Class Representative.

The Depthsroot Residents patiently awaited the response of their professor.

The delinquents of the class were already gathered together way in the back, talking about what they were going to do to get back at the Angel King for kicking their asses. Usually this would be Carl, Sam, and Steve, but it seemed like they had gotten the message after the last fight. These other students -- Mike, Sally, and Jim -- were still arrogant and sure of their own powers.

When the suggestion to see who was strongest came up, they smirked at each other deviously and started talking about how to cheat to get the position of Class Rep. They figured that they'd go last and wait for everyone else to tire themselves out before they went up, full strength, and beat them up. Mike, Sally, and Jim waited with the others to see what the word from the teacher was going to be. They didn't like him, and they were going to ruin his class, but not before they got a position of power first.

Some rough looking students who were definitely not around at the beginning of the class and didn't walk in through the front door were sitting in the back with the delinquents, listening to their conversation about sabotaging the class. There were only a handful of them, but they had an agenda of their own that involved these people who were going to cause trouble.

"Hey, why don't we work together?" one of them asked the other delinquents, "We wanna be part of this plan against the teacher, too." They looked to each other and gave devious smirks of their own that rivaled those of the delinquents of the class.

Ophiuchus the Angel King, God-King of the Veritas, looked to Karu and Omaru as they appeared and gave them full attention as they entered. "Karu? You've Brought A Friend?" He honestly didn't expect this from Karu, but it was quite the quaint experience all the same.

"Arigatou Gozaimasu," Ophiuchus said to Omaru, who was showing him great respect. He listened to Omaru's plea to help with his inner demon, and Ophiuchus gazed straight into Omaru's soul to see the demon that lived within him. "You Wish To Control The Demon Instead Of The Demon Controlling You, Correct?" Ophiuchus asked. "Hahaha, This Isn't The First Time I Have Had This Issue. I Had My Own Demons To Cope With Back In My Youth." He was still rather young, but he spoke of his years as a teenager and not as a young adult. "If You Attend My Class, I Will Teach You What You Need To Know And Help You Achieve Power That Will Subdue The Demon Whilst Still Allowing Access To Its Power. The Transfer Process Will Strengthen Your Human Self And Weaken The Demon, And The Power It Has Will Be Exchanged And Given Unto You." The Angel King placed a hand on his chin. "But First, We'll Need To Have You Learn To Control Your Spiritual Energy."

As Ophiuchus spoke, the class made their suggestion to him about seeing who the strongest would be in order to have a Class Representative. He rather liked the idea and chuckled lightly, saying, "Certainly! We May Hold A Combat Tournament To See Which Of You Is Strongest And Who Needs The Most Attention When It Comes To Controlling Your Powers." They were all relatively fresh when it came to having powers, as they were only just granted abilities a short time ago, but some were already somewhat proficient... But others were not.

"Karu. Omaru." Ophiuchus called the two of them out, extending his arm and offering them empty seats where he pointed. "Have A Seat. You Two Will Be Part Of My Class And This Tournament, And We Will See Just How Well You Two Can Use Your Abilities And If You Will Be Class Representative." He smiled at them, then at the class, saying, "I Will Make The Pairings Now And We Can Begin Right Away."

And so, he did.

Karu wasn't expecting to be included in the class. Just the thought of it and being around other people made her sick. "Ugh, do I have to...?" But she knew she couldn't disobey her Father. "... Sigh. Yes, Father." It was strange how she referred to Ophiuchus as her 'Father' but not the Spider Queen as 'Mother'.

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“Falshin....” Omaru thought you himself. Becoming a Falshin....Omaru shivered at the thought.... how much more powerful a demon he would become....but he would lose himself as a result. If he did become a Falshin....would there be away to control it? Omaru realizing that Karu was already on the move he quickly followed her. “S-sorry Miss Karu, I’ll try to keep him under control. But I’m confused....the spider queen is your mother isn’t she? Why don’t you address her as such?” Omaru wondered why Karu’s family was so strict....it reminded him of his highschool days in Korea when he was living with a host family of a friend of his....Karu was giving off that study hard and become a doctor vibe. Regardless Omaru was excited to meet Karu’s grandfather the Angel King, maybe even get a letter of recommendation from this high order society he’d be visiting...he would have to prove himself though. Marrying into the family was out of the question since Karu doesn’t seem to have a desire for such a thing... she would make a good nun... a nun with killer instincts...Omaru chuckled at the thought of Karu wearing a nun outfit while using her sharp blades to make sinners repent...”Thanks Karu for helping me. I wanna be able to return the favor when I get my power under control...there’s gotta be something you want...I refuse to believe you your just content serving your superiors...Maybe you could expand the territory of your mom- I mean the Spider Queen. Although that might be tough in a place as corrupt as Dusk City.” Omaru wanted to help Karu do something that would bring her some sort of satisfaction. He was attracted to her...but it was hard to resonate with her given her background.

Karu didn't leave Omaru hanging. She was going to answer him, strictly for clarification. As she went to her seat, she said to him, "The Spider Queen may be the one who created me, but that was in my previous life. I've been reincarnated by the Creator and now am one of his daughters, making her my sister... Yet still my mother." If not for the reincarnation, she'd definitely be her mother. "Beyond that, I was made as a servant, not as an offspring. It is only through this reincarnation that I'm an actual child of someone rather than a servant." Karu glared at Omaru. "But I'll always serve my Spider Queen." That much, she was certain of.

As for what else he said to her... "I really don't want anything. I don't care enough about anything to have any real desires. I just like destroying things, and that's what I've been put in this world to do, basically." She shrugged. "I was just reborn not too long ago, so I don't really know about anything involving the finer workings of the Veritas. I just know that my Father created it, and my Spider Queen rules over one fraction of it." That was all there was to it. "I'll do what they say, but I'll also do what I want. I already rebelled against the Creator once and he showed me what was what. I did what I wanted, but I didn't listen to him until now. Now I'm doing what I want, which is listening to him and the Spider Queen."

Omaru scratched his head. "This chick wants nothing but to serve her Queen..." Omaru thought to himself. I guess its normal to feel that way about serving and feeling connected to a higher power than yourself...it fills you in a sense. It was something Omaru was lacking which is why he tries to find the nice things in life....wherever they are. His Senpai once told him, who was a fellow demonic chi user, but much stronger than him, is that there were good things worth having on earth....he just had to find them. He didn't know what happened to his friend who gave him such advice, except that he was fighting a war within his head and because of this he became an open blade....in need of a sheathe. Omaru sighed and took a seat. He missed his old friend....but he gotten too attached and he left....maybe his friend did it to teach him a life lesson about putting all your eggs in one basket....Omaru gazed at his classmates talking and interacting amongst one another...."....friends..." Omaru thought to himself....a thought which was intercepted by his inner demon. "Heheh....you never thought of me as a friend....and I've always been with you." Omaru frowned. "How can we be friends when were so different?" Alter Omaru snickered. "Well....join the darkside." Omaru ignored him and put his head down on his desk.

The class cheered when they were assured a tournament and they nearly jumped out of their seats getting ready for the lineup. As they were called, the Depthsroot Residents followed an orderly manner that paired them up with each opponent they were going to fight. Everyone had to start at the bottom and face each other to get to the top.

The class wasn't very large -- perhaps roughly around thirty-two people including Karu and Omaru -- but it was a very personal, tight-knit group since they all lived underground and made it through the destruction of the Grand Golem that now sat outside and watched over them. Each of the thirty-two paired off into sixteen different battles.

They would go one at a time since the classroom wasn't big enough for all of that fighting between sixteen pairs of people.

When the first pair went up, Mike, Sally, and Jim would move to the back rather casually so that they wouldn't be seen. Then they could see the styles of others and also trick their opponents, if they had to. With them were three of the rough looking students from before, which were told to throw the fights for the sake of a grand plan that Mike, Sally, and Jim thought of to disrupt the classroom. The sooner they got those positions of power, the sooner they could basically run the school from the perspective of peers, and then run the teacher out.

The rough students -- who turned out to be Valparaiso Denizens -- agreed to the terms of Mike, Sally, and Jim, but were not honestly going to throw their matches because of them. No, they were here on a mission to STOP things like that from happening, believe it or not, and from what they could tell, since there was a group of them, they would be able to take on different people in their pairs and most likely beat them so that the numbers dwindled fast. It was good to be secretly part of a brigade that was geared toward being cutthroat. They were in their element here with these bad apples, and they knew just who they wanted to win...

When they fought, they used the power of Darkness quite often and also resorted to dirty tricks and very frowned upon methods in order to gain their victories... But they gained victories all the same. Not one of the Valparaiso Denizens was taken out, and the only few left that hadn't gone were the ones that would face Mike, Sally, and Jim. Of course, those three were not exempt... And the Valparaiso Denizens weren't going to play along with taking losses, either. Those three had something coming for them, that's for sure...

Ophiuchus gazed at the class with a glazed look in his eyes, as if he was ignorant to what was going on in the back. He'd play the part for now, but if those other students got out of hand and tampered with the outcome of the tournament, then they'd suffer dearly for it.

Still, he gave no hint that he had a clue.

"Omaru!" Ophiuchus shouted to get Omaru's attention, "It Is Time For Your First Match." Ophiuchus shifted a bit, leaning on his desk. "We've Seen Some Pretty Good Battles Today, So Don't Lose Heart And Give It Your Best." Ophiuchus smiled warmly at Omaru and said to him, "You Are Paired With Leslie." He extended his arm outward toward the large open space that was the center of the classroom and said, "Please, Step Forward You Two."

Karu hadn't gone yet. It was only by fortune that Omaru wasn't paired up with her. But he might be seeing her face in the ring soon if he won his battles. Karu didn't expect to lose... Not with the power she was given.

She looked at her hand, glaring at it before closing it into a tight fist. An immense amount of heat radiated from her fist for a few moments as Karu became slightly angered, but she kept her composure and relaxed. She'd get to kick some ass soon. Before Karu was Omaru.

"Yo, Omaru..." Karu decided to say, not really knowing why, "... Uhhh. Don't die." That was the best kind of support he was going to get from her. But it was support all the same.

Omaru nodded. “Don’t worry baby I got this.” That response got him a glare from Karu which made him hurry to the center of the ring with a nervous sweat drop. “Let me fight...” His inner demon beckoned. “I can handle this myself.” Omaru created a sword and shield out of visible chi energy mimicking the Hero class from the Fire Emblem series. He awaited Leslies entrance with anticipation.

When summoned, Leslie came to the center of the classroom with Omaru. Her hair was short and brown, as were her eyes. She was a little tan and wore jean-shorts and a T-shirt. "You're my opponent?" she asked Omaru once he had gotten his chi sword and shield manifested, "You look tough! But I'm not gonna lose, ya hear?"

Once it was time to start, Leslie made the first move. The first thing that she did was project her energy into the form of a battleax. It was yellow in color. She wasted no time in rushing toward Omaru and swinging her battleax hard from up above, trying to crush Omaru and his energy weapons when contact was made.

Watching the match between the new guy and Leslie was a sight for Mike, Sally, and Jim. They nudged their new 'pals' that were going to take the fall for them and said, "I bet he loses right now!" They all laughed a little bit, but smirked deviously, simply awaiting their own turns to come up.

The Valparaiso Denizens hyucked it up with their 'pals' for a little while, then started to sow their own seeds of discord in the ears of the antagonists. "Ya know," one of them said to Mike, who seemed to be the leader, "If he DOES win, you'll have to fight him after YOU win. And I don't think he'll throw the match for you guys." That was all that really needed to be said before the antags were in a fuss about what they were going to do about Omaru... But, the Valparaiso Denizens would be able to hear and know what the plan was preemptively so that they could... Make their own 'tweaks' to it...

Ophiuchus sat on his desk and watched Leslie take off with her power, which was over axes. "She Is A Strong Opponent, Omaru. She Channels Energy To Make Axes Appear." As if he didn't see that already. "Both Of You Be Cognizant About Your Energy Levels Whilst You Are In Combat." Some helpful words from the teacher. "Everyone Else, You Know What To Do. Stand Back And Give Them Some Room."

Whatever damage that would happen would be instantly repaired by Ophiuchus' Reality Warping power, so it didn't matter how much destruction they caused. "Go All Out. I Can Repair This Place With Reality Warping. Don't Hold Back, You Two!"

And with that, the teacher would let himself hang back, watching the fight cautiously.

Karu didn't think that this 'Leslie' was anyone to worry about. Her power seemed generic and weak. It had no substance, probably like Leslie, herself. But Karu would pay it little mind, as she was more interested in how Omaru was going to fight. Could he become Class Rep? Only if he could make it to Karu... And then, THROUGH Karu...

That battle would be something.

But for right now, Karu blew her hair up from in front of her face as she looked on with substantial disdain for what was going on, yet with a hint of curiosity about Omaru.

Omaru blocked Leslie’s axe with his shield. He then counter striked by swinging his sword creating air pressure to blow away Leslie and make some distance. The wind he created was sharp creating cuts on her body and pieces of her clothing with every swing he created. His plan was to make Leslie give up without having to make serious contact. He continued to swing his sword making gusts of razor sharp wind causing Leslie to fumble backwards and almost out of the ring if this were to keep up. “1....2.....3.....16....18....” Omaru counted his slashes as if it was the Pokémon move fury swipes. “Please give up Ms.Leslie, I rather not harm such a beautiful lady as yourself!”

All of the Depthsroot Residents saw how rough Omaru was being with Leslie and they started to judge him, positively and negatively. They each held to their own opinion about him, but they wouldn't make their decisions about him concrete until he won the battle.

Leslie was a bit intimidated by Omaru because of his speed, which caused her to become flustered. "ACK!" Leslie screamed, manifesting a solid axe right in between where Omaru was swinging and herself. It would stop his sword strikes and leave him in a deadlock with her. "I... Won't give up!" Leslie said with a determined tone, swinging her head around and causing axe blades to appear at the tips -- large enough to lob off someone's body parts. "Don't make me give up yet!" She said, swinging her head around wildly, trying to bombard Omaru with a flurry of axe-hairs that were on Leslie's head.

Mike, Sally, and Jim were aware of their powers and how to use them, which was part of the reason why they weren't worried about who they fought. And they could easily mess with Omaru from afar.

Mike -- seemingly the leader -- would outstretch his hand and begin to tamper with the air around Omaru from afar, making it harder for him to breath and to move. He only did this a little bit, and it was done to wear Omaru out faster, which would happen if he had to breathe and move more heavily.

Sally and Jim watched on with the Valparaiso Denizens, confident that Mike's power would be able to slow down Omaru.