Two Worlds

Chapter six: Boot camp part 1: Heartbreak hotel

She couldn't stop thinking about it. What was Rin to her? They were study buddies! Friends! That's all... right? Now she couldn't stop thinking about him, his smile... his li— AH! She slapped her face and shook her. "What ya doing?" Rin asks, leaning over her and she jumps.

"Nothing, let's get to class!" She noticed the sunglasses she bought him hanging loosely off his shirt and she felt hot. Immediately she noticed shiemi on the ground and ran over. "Shiemi!" She shouts. "You ok?" She asks.

"What are you doing down there?" Rin asks. She was in a pretty kimono again. She guess she took gym clothes seriously.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" Shiemi says and quickly gets up before Naomi can help her. What's going on?

"Did you do something?" Naomi scrutinized, but even that was hard when he looked sad and her heart sped up. She shoves him forward. "Just go to class!"

"Hey!"

—

"Listen up," Yukio spoke. "Summer vacation is less than half a month away." Naomi stiffened. Time flew so fast, she'd have to report to father, she cold feel the cold seeping in. "But before the break," Yukio continued. "You're gonna be taking this year's exwire authorization exam."

"Esquire?" Rin whispered.

"Exwire," Naomi whispers back.

"I want everyone to know once you're promoted to exwire you'll be subjected to more specialized combat training," Yukio says. I have to pass, Naomi has to show her father something. "The test won't be easy," he says. "Therefore, starting Monday we are offering a week-long boot camp to prepare you for it."

"Boot camp?" Rin questions. That very word makes Naomi Ill.

"Starting today you are in boot camp."

"Since attending the camp isn't mandatory—" but the words are getting jumbled as his voice rings clearer.

"It's only the first day of your training."

"If you are, please indicate the mister or title that you'd like to acquire..."

"This can't be what I wasted my life on..."

"Get! Up!"

"How do you expect to save everyone if you can't even last an hour!?"

She's sweating and the paper is blurry. For a second her hands are bloody and it's hard to breath. "And turn the form in by monday."

"I need to step out a moment," Naomi says and escapes the room without a word. Father loves you, he did that because you have to be strong. But those words don't help and she feels bitter. She calms herself and steels her resolve.

"I'm going to the boot camp..." she says to herself. "And I'm choosing tamer!" Each step back to class is heavy but she pushes through. "Father is counting on me..."

She is stunned to see Rin all buddy up with the boys... when did that happen? She shook her head and sat down, picked up the pencil and wrote before she could chicken out.

Tamer class came faster than she expected. Maybe it was the whirlwind of thoughts that made time fly. The teacher steps back after crafting the circle. "Alright, I will now summon a demon." On instinct, Rin steps forward. "Watch your step, if the magic circle is broken it will lose effect." The teacher turns back to the circle.

"To summon a demon you need a drop of your blood," he says, holding out a bloodied wrapped hand and a suitable invocation. "Son of Typhoeus and Echidna... hear my call and show yourself!"