"The structures of the blood can be evolved through the floors of the Tower. As you move up the Tower your blood becomes even more powerful through the sum of the energy that surrounds the floors and adds up to platelets. It doesn't mean that a B rank will become an A rank or S, but rather something we call a matured rank."

The class was going on normally for Kaito, who sat in front and wrote down everything the teacher said with enormous excitement. That was all he wanted, to have lessons on what he studied so hard at home by himself.

Soon he raised his hand and caught the teacher's attention, who straightened his long rastafari and stared the F rank.

"May I help you, Mr. Arturis?"

"Professor Caligan, why can't a rank change when he climbs the Tower? Didn't he get stronger? Wouldn't it be the normal thing for a B rank to be an A rank if he has the strength of an A rank?"

The professor wanted to ignore that student. He, a matured and powerful A rank mage, a great writer and connoisseur of blood and various mysteries was there, teaching the weakest class in the academy. But still he had to admit that it was a good question.

"It used to be like this, Mister Arturis, but as time went by the other ranks also went up as far as they could in the Tower and became more powerful, as did the lower ranks. So with a few floors an A rank could defeat a B rank that had climbed much higher. For better classification it was decided that the ranks would be maintained."

Kaito noded and wrote down in his notebook, pulling out several arrows with other notes about doubts he had. That way he understood the content better and ignored the rest of the class staring at him and weighing in on him with their mean comments.

"Man, I can't believe there's an F rank here..."

"Didn't you see what they said? He can steal your skills!"

"Gee, but he's kind of...yawn...cute. I liked the hair shaved on the sides and the earring. I thought it was wild."

That last comment brought a smile to Kaito's face, and he felt good about dressing the way he wanted. It hadn't been hard to convince his parents to show off the way he wanted, but he found it strange to look so different, since he had always been dressed and behaving like the ideal son.

The bell rang and first period was over. Professor Caligan stared at the class for a moment, not hiding his frustration at seeing that he was teaching to such low ranks. Finally he just left the room without a word.

It was at that moment that the comments became louder and louder.

"Man, look at this! There's a Bloodless here! Too disgusting!" said a thief who sat down at his desk.

"Why don't we go on him and show him that we don't like vermins!"

Kaito took a deep breath, put away his material, and stood up with his backpack still on his back. He would not leave it there, because he knew very well that they would do something. That was what had occurred at his old school.

But before he could leave, a girl stood in front of him. She was small, black-skinned, wore a tiara, and had shoulder-length short blue hair and eyes of the same color. She faced Kaito from bottom to top and said with a serious look.

"I heard that you stole some people's powers. That's why you're here, because you said you were going to steal other people's powers if you didn't come in."

"And you believe that? I thought mages were smarter than that," Kaito said with a clever smile.

"It is a common mistake to believe that mages hold all knowledge. Another mistake is to think that asking questions shows a lack of intelligence." she stepped forward and faced Kaito even more closely "But I must warn you that your presence is not good for any of us here. For your sake and that of everyone in this room I ask that you leave the Phoenix Academy and never return."

Several other comments reinforced hers and soon the entire room was a group against him. The class gathered around him and soon he was surrounded. Kaito took a deep breath and answered with a calm smile.

"So let me get this straight. You guys in class D, the worst class in the academy, the class that is in the third basement, the class that the other classes don't even know exists. Do you think I'm going to be a problem? Is that it?"

This made everyone even more angry. Every moment Kaito was more and more surrounded. He saw prejudice and irrational fear. They were D rank students. People like them would normally be thrown into manual labor and mechanical work in the ghettos of Rubra to serve the upper classes.

But something changed immediately. The mage in front of Kaito had a different aura and he noticed it at the same moment. A bluish energy took over her hand, cooling everything around her. But before she could act Kaito held the girl's hand and squeezed it firmly, making it look like a greeting.

"Ah, you didn't have to greet me like that! I'm very happy, really! My name is Kaito Arturis! And what is yours?" Kaito put enough fire magic in his hand to balance the ice magic in her hand.

"My name is Saphyra Vizorra." The mage didn't answer right away, she just examined what had occurred and showed a slight smile.

"Saphyra... Saphyra... Got it! I'll call you Saphy! Nice to meet you, Saphy! Your name is beautiful and you are also very pretty! I hope we can be friends!" said Kaito with a sincere smile, letting go of her hand.

Nothing before that speech had disconcerted the mage, but those compliments had Saphyra totally confused and embarrassed. No one had ever acted like this with her. She, an D rank, had never been treated this way or called beautiful by anyone. It was not pretty to be a D rank. But the sincere way the boy in front of her said those words left her bewildered and blushing.

"So, Saphy, can I pass? I'm starving, and since we are friends now I can get you a pizza bread! What do you think?" asked Kaito already taking a few steps forward.

Saphyra saw him closer, didn't know how to react and then noded, giving him room to pass. Kaito answered the gesture with a nice smile and left the room without any problems, because the whole class was somehow as confused as Saphyra.

The mage felt her face go a little cold and as soon as her thoughts returned to normal she realized that she had been tricked.

"Wait a minute, he didn't answer my question! And I don't want to be called Saphy!"

"Ah, Saphy, being passed over by a hot like that...yawn...is no problem for me, see?"

The voice was Theo's, the well-groomed black-skinned rogue who seemed to be overcome with an enormous amount of sleep.

"The weather has warmed up here and I...stretch...came to see him up close! I'm still felling the heat."

Saphyra looked at her hand for a moment.

"Maybe this heat is not because of his looking..."

"Oh, so you think he's cute too?!"

"Shut up, Theo!"

* * *