Hardcore Exorcist: Reborn to Grind

I pack my things and walk out of the dorm.

This room’s been mine for nine whole years since I was six.

A lot’s changed since then.

Everyone from my cohort’s already moved on. Everyone except me.

The master who picked me up from the orphanage is starting to look old. Time keeps pushing forward, dragging us with it.

I pause, just for a second, and all these thoughts start swirling.

“Saying goodbye to the dormitory?”

“…Instructor Kisame.”

I’m staring up at the building that’s been home for almost a decade when a familiar voice pulls me back.

He too might’ve aged a bit compared to nine years ago.

“How’d you know I was saying goodbye?”

“I’ve seen plenty of lads stare at that building with the same look in their eyes.”

“Ah, the expression. I figured you’d noticed the luggage and deduced it like some detective.”

“That too.”

Kisame shrugs and puts a hand on his lower back.

“Becoming a candidate after failing Boot Camp—that’s a record only you could pull off.”

“Thank you.”

“Here’s some advice. If you want into the Coral Terminators, get on the Akai family’s good side. The instructors in the West Wing probably won’t give you the time of day.”

“Master, er… Aleksandr already told me the same thing.”

“Mm. Figures. Then let me give you something else: Don’t get too chummy with the daughters of Akai. That’s asking for trouble.”

“That so? Why?”

“Because the head of the family and the young masters are all soft on them.”

Takes me a second to get what he means. I let out a flat “Huh.”

“I believe you just turned fifteen?”

“Yes, just the other day.”

“So did they. Your birthdays are pretty close. The Akai men are in full-on guard dog mode over their daughters and sisters right now. Making sure no strange bugs buzz around them, if you know what I mean.”

Ah. That tracks.

“You’re smart enough to figure it out. You’ve already got penalty points hanging over your head. No need to stack more for something that’s got nothing to do with ability.”

“Got it. I’ll be careful who I try to impress.”

“Good. That’s the way. Best of luck, lad.”

I head for the West Wing. From now on, this is home.

Chime chime.

Light, cheerful bells ring behind me.

I glance over my shoulder. A girl on a bicycle is heading my way.

One glance and I can tell she’s nobility—white clothes, expensive cut. Same age as me, probably.

Big, shining eyes. Beautiful. Her black hair flows smooth as silk, fluttering in the wind.

And just like that, the memory hits—it’s Lady Ayano Akai.

She’s thirty meters out. Headed straight for me.

If nothing interrupts, she’ll probably say something. And If she’s anything like I remember, she’ll be nice.

She used to treat everyone kindly, even commoners like me.

But now? Talking to her’s a gamble. Her father, her brothers—any one of them could be watching.

I turn away and scan the open courtyard. From the entrance of the West Wing, I can see across the estate.

The nearest building is two hundred meters off, and there’s a line of others beyond it. Past that, the east section starts.

This place is, needless to say, huge. Big enough that someone like Lady Ayano needs a bicycle to get around.

I sweep the nearby windows. Nothing obvious. No signs of anyone keeping watch. 

Still, better to assume I’m being watched anyway. That’s the smart move. Don’t tempt fate.

I turn my back to Lady Ayano and hurry inside.

Takes about an hour to get settled. One of the senior residents gives me a tour of the facilities.

“This is the dining hall. It has a cathedral ceiling going up to the second floor.”

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Right? There aren’t any strict rules, but the Terminators usually take the south side. If you don’t want friction, I’d say steer clear.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

He runs me through the unspoken rules. The kind of stuff you’d normally only pick up the hard way.

“Found you!”

“…Huh?”

A voice from above.

My senior and I both look up, confused—and there she is.

Lady Ayano, looking down at me from the second floor with wide eyes.

“I knew it! You’re Ikaku, aren’t you?!”

Can’t believe she remembers. I’m just a background character she met four or five times nine years ago.

“Why’d you ignore me when I rang my bell earlier?”

Damn, so she caught my discourtesy…

My senior’s giving me a nervous look now too.

“I didn’t realize it was you, Lady Ayano…”

“Lying won’t work. We made eye contact!”

“No, I mean… I didn’t recognize you as Lady Ayano, or rather…”

If I admit it, that’s rude. But I’m boxed in now.

“I see... Come to think of it, it has been about nine years. I recognized you immediately, but Ikaku’s forgotten about me, huh. I suppose enough time has passed that it can’t be helped...”

She lowers her eyes, shoulders dipping. She’s the picture of someone quietly hurt, forgotten by a friend after reunion.

…That’s a low blow, Lady Ayano.

“…I’m sorry. I lied. I knew it was you.”

She grins. “Hehe. I knew it. The Ikaku I remember was a genius—smart, calm, grown-up for his age. You’ve probably got a photographic memory or perfect pitch or something. And that weird name! No way someone like you would forget me!”

That’s one hell of a logic leap.

“Thank you for remembering someone like me, Lady Ayano.”

“I never forgot. You really stuck in my memory. I never thought I’d get to see you again, Ikaku.”

I’m happy. Deep down, I’m really happy. And embarrassed as hell.

That kid she remembers—some prodigy with a strange name—that version of me probably looked a lot brighter in the blurry haze of childhood.

What would she think if she knew the truth?

Washed out of Boot Camp. Can’t use mana. The aura of a gifted child worn away by age and failure.

A prodigy at ten, a talent at fifteen, just another guy by twenty. Such a classic combo of decline and disillusionment.

Would’ve been better if I’d stayed frozen in her memory. Eternal boy genius.

“I never forgot you either, Lady Ayano. The time we spent at the shooting range… it’s one of my favorite memories.”

“Hmm, you felt that way? Wait—no! If you remembered that, then why’d you ignore me? I don’t get it!”

I’m scrambling for a response when I hear shouting from the distance.

“Lady Ayano’s over there!”

Men in black suits come running.

“Lady Ayano, please return!”

“Oh no. Well then, Ikaku, I’ll hear your excuse next time!”

She whips the bike around and tears off at top speed.

“You… you’re friends with Lady Ayano…?”

My senior, who’d been pretending to disappear, stares at me like I just grew a second head.

He starts bombing me with questions.

Didn’t take long before the rumors started spreading through the candidate dorms.

“The new guy, Ikaku? Apparently, he’s close with Lady Ayano.”