Demon's Virtue

Eiro slowly stepped through the Art Division's building, as the other students were also currently walking to their next class. And then, Eiro reached the room where Sammy should have classes now. The door was open, and the teacher wasn't here yet.

The Demon took a peek inside, and soon spotted Sammy already sitting there silently. Since it seemed like the teacher would only arrive in a few minutes, Eiro swiftly took a step inside.

"So, how's your first proper day of class going so far?" Eiro asked with a smile on his face as he stood in front of his daughter. She raised her head surprised, "Dad? Well... It's going alright so far? Just kind of boring, I guess." She said.

Luckily, Eiro's control over the domain of truth allowed him to see through her little lie, although she was clearly subconsciously using her Unique Skill.

"Sammy. Make sure not to overuse your voice today, alright?" He asked, raising his brows. She realized what she did, and placed her hands in front of her mouth, "O-Oh, I'm sorry..." 

"Don't be sorry, you didn't mean to. Just be more careful from now on. I'm not affected by it anymore. You are." Eiro pointed out. Sammy slowly nodded her head.

"Well, more than that, since you've had to use your ability to tell me that everything is alright, it clearly isn't. Are you okay? Did something happen?" Eiro asked. Sammy turned her head slightly and carefully, looking at the corner of the room, where a few other girls were sitting. They were looking over at Eiro and Sammy and whispering amongst each other, making fun of Sammy.

"...Are you being bullied?" He asked. Sammy immediately shook her head, "No, it's not bullying, they're just... you know... a little bit mean."

"A little... A little mean? They're saying thing that even I wouldn't say to others. And I've killed people." He pointed out, and Sammy nervously turned her head to look around the room, "Can you say that so casually..?" 

"Of course, my voice is infused with Air Magic so that I can make only you hear me right now. Don't want our private conversation be overheard. Either way, do you want me to do something about them?" He suggested, "And I know saying that might not give you a great impression after I just admitted to killing people, but I don't mean that. I could have a talk with them, see why they're making fun of you?" 

"I know why they're making fun of me, Dad..." Sammy replied with a deep sigh, "It's because I don't take care of how I look. I'm even wearing this suit-like uniform instead of the dress-version that many girls in my division go for... And since we're the art division, they're allowed to change how the uniform looks a bit to 'express themselves'. So I stick out even more..."

"Just because of that? Isn't that kind of silly?"

"Sure it is, but that doesn't change that they're being mean about it." Sammy explained. Eiro was rather annoyed at learning this information, "Alright then. I guess there's just one way to stop that." The Demon pointed out, taking a mental note of how to metaphorically crush those children for being mean to his daughter.

"Anyway, beside that... How were your classes so far?" He asked, trying to change the topic for now. Sammy lightly smiled in response, "It was pretty nice, I guess. I had a history lesson about famous musicians earlier, and it was pretty interesting. Now I have a practical music class, though. For singing..."

"You even have those in groups? Interesting." Eiro pointed out. It made sense, it would be a bit too much to teach each and every student individual for these things.

"I mean, I guess we'll just learn different techniques of how to train our voice, and what kind of tones fit together nicely. Those things." 

"You'll ace this class then. I don't know anyone who can control their own voice better than you, at this point." Eiro said with a smile on his face, and Sammy looked up at him, also finally smiling, "Thanks, Dad."

Just as she said so, the teacher entered the room, so it was time for Eiro himself to leave. Sammy waved at Eiro as he left, and the Demon waved back. Of course, he also sent a quick glare at the girls sitting in the corner of the room, to make sure they realized they just fucked up.

If they were going to make fun of how Sammy dressed, he would have the best clothes in the world made for her.

--- 

"Excuse me? You're not allowed to go in there, there's a private lesson currently in progress." A Librarian stopped Eiro as he was about to open one of the doors in the library, and Eiro let out a deep sigh, "I know. I'm a teacher here, and coincidentally the guardian of the young man getting lessons in there. I just want to check on him."

So, without minding the Librarian, Eiro opened the door and stepped inside. Felix immediately spotted Eiro and smiled at him with a quick wave. His teacher turned toward Eiro as well, "What are you doing here, you are bothering us." He said in sign language.

The Librarian next to Eiro took a step forward and looked at the Demon, "Ah, he asked why you-"

"I'm just here to watch for a while, if that's alright with you. Don't worry, I'll be quiet." Eiro replied, speaking and also using sign language at the same time.

The elderly man nodded his head and pointed at the woman next to Eiro, "I know, I'm talking about her. And don't try to be funny, it doesn't fit you."

"Well, Felix thought it was funny."

"Actually, I just got used to your really bad dad-jokes... And you're not even my dad..." Felix replied with a wry smile. His hands were covered in paint, making Eiro even more curious about what the boy was working on.

Eiro turned his head toward the Librarian next to him, "I said I could be here, didn't I?" 

"R-Right, sorry for assuming..." She replied, and nervously made her way out of the room.

Eiro took a step closer in, "You seem quite well-respected."

"No, that young one is just a fan of my old work."

"Right, I was told that you used to be a reknown Artist." Eiro pointed out, as he took a step closer toward Felix and his teacher, who slowly nodded his head, "I dabbled."

" 'Dabbled', huh?" Eiro sighed. He heard that some of this man's work was in a museum here. He basically created a whole new style of art. He was walking art history.

"More than that, I'm quite impressed with this child. He is rather skilled already. You must have gotten a good teacher for him." The Teacher pointed out, and Eiro shook his head, "I haven't. I'm not his father. His father actually never let him paint or sculpt anything ever, although it was clearly Felix's greatest talent."

The teacher opened his eyes wide, "So he truly has no experience? I thought he was just being humble in front of me..."

"Hah, right. No, while art is his greatest talent, his second greatest is bragging. If he says he's unexperienced, then that's true." The demon laughed, with a light wink directed at Felix who was listening with an awkward smile.

The teacher turned toward Felix and looked at his painting, "Then this is even more astounding than I thought. I knew there must have been a reason why the King asked me to be a personal teacher all of a sudden, and this is it."

"I'm glad that you enjoy teaching him, then."

"Enjoy? I'm ecstatic now." The teacher said with a broad grin, replacing his formerly emotionless expression. And then, Eiro looked at the painting that Felix drew, and his mind went blank for a moment.

This painting was of something that had really happened. Not to Felix, but to Eiro. It was the moment when Eiro's 'Mark of the Devil' produced the 'Mark of Wrath'.

Standing there inside of a bubble of ice, encasing raging waters, a Demon grasping at its own face. The world around the bubble was slowly fading away, and all that could be seen was the anger that this being felt at the moment.

That pure feeling of murderous fury.

"So you were awake for that, huh..?" Eiro muttered quietly, not moving his hands. The teacher was looking at the painting, but Felix wasn't. He was looking straight at Eiro, to see how he would react, knowing that Felix painted him like that.

"I'm... I'm sorry, if you want, I'll get rid of it right away, I-"

"No. It's great. You did a great job showing how I felt then, Felix. I'm sure you felt quite similar, after all." Eiro pointed out with a smile, this time moving his hands again of course.

"This... Is this painting supposed to be you?" The teacher asked, and Eiro slowly nodded his head, "Mhm, it is. Something wrong with that? I have a unique way of dealing with my anger."

"I see... I will not question why he painted you as a Demon, then. That must be quite private." 

"It's fine, don't worry. I'm a rather Wrathful person if I want to be. And 'Wrath' is something directly connected to Demons. I have a certain past with Demons, so that's most likely why his mind went there. At least I hope so.. I would like it if Felix didn't really see me as a Monster."