As I made my way to my flight css, I noticed several Oni in the crowd stare at me with almost a neutral gre? They looked like two fighters staring their next opponent down at an interview. They all looked ready to jump into a fight with everyone here, gring daggers at anyone equal to or bigger than them, some Oni stood in front of the ones being gred at. The mia all seemed to be standing tall on their tails, eyes slowly scanning the hall. Many looked at anyone with suspicion in their narrowed eyes while their tails coiled tightly below like compressed springs ready to unch at someone. A few even coiled their tail around the waists of singur guys and a few girls. Each couple seemed to stay close to each other, a maju-mew, mia pair was even holding hands while one with an Oni stood back to back.

  And the succubi? Some looked at either the Oni or mia with lust filled eyes and others blew kisses, lifted their skirts with their tail tips and some were sitting on other students. One more muscur than the rest, looked down at a small goblin guy with a rge fanged smile as if she was going to crush the small guy. Another succubus pyfully poked the knees of what looked like a pink mantis girl with her spade tail, looking shocked but oddly rubbed her two scythes together.

  I just ignored them best I could, let them deal with whatever’s bugging them. But for some reason a pair of mia fnked me, followed me from css and through two halls already! The one to my left was slightly shorter with a salmon pink colored tail, her hair was full wavy but made her look like some wild hunter with how each wavy lock ended in an almost spiky look. The other on my right was taller with shiny straight bck hair and pointed eyebrows, her tail was a tan with several bck diamond shapes. These two followed me, watching everyone else with hardened faces as if someone was abo-

  A small human sized Oni jumped out from the crowd and punched his palm with a meaty sp as he stood in my way. He gred at me, looking ready to fight as he widened his stance and held up his fists.

  Fucking great. An idiot looking to py my patience. I narrowed my eyes as I stared him down, ready to deal with his lunacy. This seemed to make him flinch back a step at that but still stayed in my way, holding a gre. I really didn’t have the time to screw around yet he still didn’t take the warning and stood his ground, fine. I took a step forward, ready to teach the moron a lesson if he did what I knew he was about to do. Py your game. I promise to never be gentle.

  I took a few more steps, bringing me only a couple feet away but still he didn’t move away or look me in the eyes. Actually…. Now that I was closer, I realized he wasn’t even breathing, it was like he was turned into a statue. It was then that a taller Oni grabbed his arm and he went limp, falling straight to the ground. The taller Oni didn’t make eye contact as he dragged him away like some unwanted throw pillow as he was dragged across the floor. Once he was pulled back into the crowd I just continued on my way and luckily this corner led to an empty hallway!

  Happy to be finally free of those fearful and tense gazes, I was about to pull open my wings for a needed stretch when I realized they were still with me. Annoyed I wasn’t fully alone, I changed my stretch into a quick fp that sent a gust down the hall. I turned to them and looked them in the face, the way they both looked at me, I felt they wanted something. But they just didn’t open up or tried to speak up.

  “Was there something you wanted?” I asked, failing to keep the annoyance from my voice.

  The one with bck hair looked at the shorter one who quickly gave her a nod. The short one moved a little closer. “Mistress Dragoness.” She lowered her head slightly but kept her eyes on my chest, maybe my ribs. “Your acceptance of this challenge from the Blood Bruiser Danuta, has set a fire within others. Many of the Oni, orcs and minotaurs are seeking to join the brawl in any way possible and those are just the clubless ones. Many are more than interested in participating.” Her tail tip coiled tightly like she was trying to squeeze a rock. “What’s more, the witless club of his holy sun has capitalized on the rising fmes. They are most definitely going to call for a pandemonium!”

  I looked at her, unsure what that meant but the fact she said sun, grabbed my interest. it might be part of that annoying church group that’s been messing with me. “More things to deal with….. But why are you telling me this? Does this really concern you?”

  She lifted her head to look me right in the eyes. “You won’t be the only one challenged! Many clubs are going to challenge you and each other! The st time this happened…….. They didn’t stop until many clubs were, dissolved.” She warned me with what sounded like pain in her voice.

  “The clubs are going to physically fight each other?” I asked, trying to figure out what she meant by challenge.

  She nodded. “The combat oriented clubs will, the different artisan or engineering clubs will push many of their untested items into these fights. And the nguage, debate and cssical studies will try to get any favor, pushing for unearned positions for each victor.” She expined with her brows tightly pressed together.

  I sighed. She wouldn’t be telling me this if there wasn't something she wanted or maybe had some suggestion? “And how do you and the other mia fit into this? We have never met before this.” I let the question hang in the air as I looked at her. What are you trying to get out of me?

  “Win your fight with the Blood Bruiser. Do that and we might be able to keep a pandemonium from beginning.” She stated as her tail lightly tapped the floor four times, she was begging. Even the other mia looked at her with a shocked face, her mouth hung open as if the shorter one offered up her own tail.

  I inwardly sighed. She didn’t introduce herself, she gave a warning, insight into what that sun club, possibly the sun church, might do and even lowered herself to me. She either sucks at negotiating or….. My eyes narrowed. “What’s your name?” I asked.

  She froze and her head almost shook but she forced herself to stop. She lowered her gaze to the floor before she spoke again. “My name is Ebba, Mistress Dragoness.” she said as her brows pinched together into a frustrated face.

  No st name….

  I heard a noise and saw a few students looking at us from around the corner. Many of them were mia and they wore shocked faces as if I was about to kill Ebba. My gaze shifted back to her, she kept her eyes on the floor. I don’t owe these people anything, if anything they’ve been annoying with their ceremony stuff. But the fact they’re more reserved, they haven’t bothered me as much as the succubi or even the Oni. Plus with all these witnesses, if I reject her might make more problems or even make this pandemonium happen. Which sounds like a real pain of politics and fighting. The winning side might even start to challenge me to all sorts of stupid things. Or go after my friends, it could be the same situation with Mark all over again.

  But if I do then I’ll still have to deal with these damn expectations. If I win and do nothing then what’s to stop the Blood Bruiser to try some stunt to force another fight? Or someone else like them? The hell am I supposed to do with people that respect and fear me? They’re already in clubs. Clubs that also seem to have their own allegiances too. Fuck! I didn’t want to deal with more management!

  But despite all of my frustrations, I sadly knew what I had to do.

  I opened my wings, spreading them wide and holding them above us like a bear trying to look even bigger. “I accept! I will pummel Danuta into submission!” I loudly announced and smmed my tail into the floor for added effect, sending a loud crack though the hall. All the mia looked at each other before they all waved their tails high in the air before quickly spping them on the floor. It was so uniform that it sounded like a thousand marching men were approaching. With that I turned around as my wings bent inward, allowing their webbing to sway like some cape as I made my way down the hall.

  The things I have to handle just keep crapping out. Fucking great.

  I sat on a bench in the locker room for flight css, keeping my distance from any of the girls as they slowly changed, showed off their underwear choices and talked about idols or food. Luckily most of them were almost ready to leave or already gone. While I just focused on my cwed fingers, the crystalline scales and the yellow smoother scales on my arm underside. The jagged bck bdes I so easily carried every I went, the damn orange scales that loved to soak up light and fill up with mana like a lightbulb. The only thing that was somewhat calming was the yellow scales, they felt nice and didn’t seem too different from normal human skin… I took a deep breath, emptying my head, feeling my lungs fill and my ribs expand.

  Just have to handle this flying and then…prepare, pn and then face that Oni. Can I handle that? Yeah, I’ve fought before. I’m more aware of what I can do in this new body too. But I don’t know more about her……. Then I just have to ask… Emily? I’ll at least get info on Oni if she doesn’t know this bruiser. But is there anyone else? Kathy might know something.

  “Uh…excuse me Mr. dragon girl miss sir? Oops! I-I mean Oliver!” Came a soft voice.

  Looking up, I saw Maria standing a good seven feet away but she backed up further as I looked up. Her rge spider legs curling under her body like she was about to jump away.

  “Huh? Maa-Maria, right? Did you need something?” I asked while making as little movement as possible.

  “Oh, yes! I……..just wanted to know if there was something wrong? Youuu look worried?” She said as she rubbed a pair of legs together.

  “Just a long day… kinda just a rger pte to clean, I guess.” I mumbled. Trying and sorta failing to not open up about the problem.

  The rger spider girl stopped fiddling with her legs and held a thoughtful looking smile? Honestly it looked more like my words went in one ear and out the other with how rexed she suddenly seemed. My problem, not her’s, I suppose. But she moved closer, only stopping when she was five or four feet away. “That really sucks.” She finally said while holding that smile. “I’ve had a few hard days that really bite into my carapace. I wish I could just wipe them away the same way the Red Lady can push back a comet.” She sighed, her smile falling into a ft line. “So many weird things I have to suddenly know because I’m a year older. Why do I have to be perfect? Can’t we just be ourselves and grow from that?”

  “Yeah. Image is all that seems to matter. Pose like that, say certain words and not others, look good for the crowd…. Might as well audition for a py if that’s how it is.” I sighed.

  “R-right!? Dance like a master and speak like you own the world. It’d be loads better if we could just step away and sleep for a year or something.” Maria said with a giggle. “Then maybe I could look as pretty as they think I am.” She said as she pulled down on her cheeks to make it look like she had bags under her eyes.

  “Sleeping for a year really sounds great.” I chuckled to myself as I realized I just came back from a three day weekend vacation. “Just gotta make sure there’s some snacks and some good music to sleep to.” I said as I rolled my shoulders backward.

  “That sounds like living the perfect life to me.” She said as we looked at each other. Smiles slowly growing into ughter.

  “Oh yeah. Some chill tunes that all mesh together and several crunchy chips…… maybe right after a good long run and nice hot shower. Aaaaahhhh~.” I happily sighed as I pictured that very thing.

  “I totally know what you mean! My body feels so much better after a good workout. Feeling all that stuck energy pull and stretch away~. Sounds like heaven on earth to me.” She quickly agreed with me while her front pair of legs drummed the floor.

  I nodded, a smile starting to grow on my face. This felt kinda-

  A couple of smaller arachne approached, eyeing me nervously. They looked the same way people stuck with a rabid animal did. That is to say, scared.

  “Hey M-Mari?” One of them called with a shaky voice while the other kept their eyes on me.

  “Uh? O-oh… um excuse me Ol-um, grand dragon…………….ness.” She said while slowly walking away to the two other girls who slowly walked away together.

  “Are you ok Mari? That dragon didn’t do anything weird?”

  “You didn’t get pulled into something dangerous right? No cuts or bruises?” they both began asking as soon as they disappeared behind a row of lockers. They didn’t even wait to exit the room, even if their voices sounded nervous or even scared.

  “Come on guys, I’m ok. I was just curious how they keep such poise.” Maria said, sounding as if I had lots of experience. Which I did but I don’t think I need to tell people that. “Besides, I wouldn’t talk that loud, unless you want to piss off a dragon.” She warned them.

  I heard the doors open then close, leaving me alone in the locker room.

  I sighed. Stretched my wings to their full length, even pointing their fingers as far as they would go. Feeling the muscle pull like a rope finally loose of a gummed up pulley felt great.

  “Time to try more today.” I told myself as I left the locker room for css.