The Guardian Spirit (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #2)

Chapter 4: Graduation

When Lucy ran out of the Skull Territory, her classmates, teachers, and school administrators were already standing there, with the elders' spirits already called up. They worriedly watched the borders, ready to break in at any minute. So great was their surprise when they saw Lucy come out of there alive!

"Lucy!" the group-mates rushed up to her.

"Lucy, how are you?" Rose hastily asked, "Did you encounter evil spirits? What happened?"

"Lucy, I warned you not to step in Skull Territories! What does this mean?!" Mr. Brown reprimanded her right away. "We were dead worried!"

"I... I'm sorry, everyone..." Lucy hung her head and clutched hands together. "I lost all my senses..."

"Ugh, main is you're alright," Mr. Brown sighed with relief, and then frowned at his daughter: "Lola, I left you in charge of this group! How come you permitted Lucy to do such a thing?"

Lola caught Rose's scolding gaze as well, and flared up with anger:

"She ran off on her own! I_"

"I don't want to hear any more excuses!" Mr. Brown swung his hand, "You will be punished today - you could not fulfill your task and you left your comrade in danger".

"Punished?!" Lola widened eyes. She sneered and glanced at Rose - it was her fault...

"Alright, we shall resume the training now. Let's go back to our camp".

Everyone followed Mr. Brown out of the forest.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Brown," Lucy caught up with him, "I have already acquired a spirit".

"Huh? Really?" Mr. Brown, as well as all the children and teachers presenting there, widened eyes in astonishment. "H... How did you manage it? Skull Territories are resided by evil spirits. They don't form bonds with humans, but very often even eat them!"

Lucy's hands trembled as she remembered the encounter with that vile fox lad, and his promise to devour her after she had avenged her parents. It brought shivers down her spine, but still, she got a hold of herself and calmly replied to Mr. Brown:

"I befriended a spirit. He gave me this, as a sign of our bond," she showed him the Yin-and-Yang golden-chained amulet the fox had given her. Mr. Brown gasped - a golden item?!

"That new friend of yours must be of high rank in his clan... Ordinary spirits do not possess golden items, and Yin-and-Yang depiction item is very rare all by itself - only the most powerful spirits wield such items, and the fact that he gave it to a human is truly fascinating... Good job, Lucy! You always were one of the top students!"

Lucy beamed and put the amulet back on her neck. Rose and other classmates watched her with admiration, as they were happy for their fellow classmate and hoped to be lucky like her, while Lola was reddened with jealousy and anger. Since Lucy had already received a guardian as she had stated, she was released from the training, for the whole purpose of the training was to acquire a spirit friend and form a bond, and as the proof of the fulfillment of this final exam of the Intermediate Spirit School, children had to show the spiritual item they had acquired from their spirits. Showing off the spirit itself wasn't necessary - teachers knew too well that spirits didn't really like being called upon on simple things. So Lucy, as she had indeed proved her truth by showing the Yin-and-Yang golden amulet, had already graduated, and was enrolled in a Spirit High School by Mr. Brown and her Intermediate Spirit School administrators. 

When summer holidays came Lucy returned to her children's house in the village and there began planning her next moves, for she knew her true purpose - she must find out who killed her parents...