She was the girl he'd saved. He noticed there was something familiar about her before, but seeing her this up close...
He had finally remembered.
He had no choice but to remember.
For a moment, Daiki froze, unsure of what to say.
For a couple of seconds, the Hollow District disappeared.
All he could see was rain.
The screams.
The Yurei's hand reaching for her chest.
It made his chest tighten.
"...Wait... you're—"
Yui blinked, startled by the way his voice caught. Her gaze lingered on him for a second longer, and then her expression shifted into the same shock Daiki was feeling.
She remembered too.
"You're..." she said softly.
Daiki let out an awkward, almost disbelieving laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah. The guy who had the worst night of his life because of you."
The words came out dry and sarcastic, but there wasn't supposed to be any real venom behind them.
It sure did sound like it, though.
Yui's eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry—"
Daiki immediately lifted a hand.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He winced at himself. "That came out wayyy worse than it sounded in my head."
For the first time, Yui gave the faintest smile.
Daiki exhaled, shoulders finally easing.
"Guess we can finally get a proper intro, huh?"
Her fingers lightly played with her sleeve, and she nodded. "I'm Yui... Yui Tsukiko."
"Daiki Fushino," he replied.
A couple of seconds passed.
Then Yui lowered her eyes to the ground.
"...Thank you. For saving me."
This time, Daiki didn't have any jokes or quips ready.
He was still processing that this was actually happening.
So instead, he just gave her a small, honest smile.
"Yeah. Of course."
Kojiro clapped his hands, cutting the moment short.
"Enough chit-chat!" he barked, eyes gleaming with wild anticipation. "Before you go wandering into this den of predators, you'll have to take what you need to survive."
He grabbed a large crate from the back of the bus, carried it out, and dropped it in front of the students. When he opened it, inside was an assortment of weapons. There were knives, swords, bats, and even metal staffs.
"Each weapon has Reiki infused in it," Kojiro explained. "All of you are still lambs. Many of you still need an equalizer against the predators that lie deep within. Be smart, trust your instincts... and try not to die."
After he was done, the students scrambled forward, picking up the weapons they felt most comfortable with. Daiki hesitated for a moment, but then his eyes settled on a medium-length metal bat.
His fingers tightened around the handle. For a second, he could almost feel the worn grip of the old aluminium bat his grandpa used to hand him at the park.
The memory stung a bit, but it also calmed him down a little.
"Yeah," he muttered, swinging it into the air. "This'll work."
Yui stepped beside him, clutching a thin knife. Her hands shook slightly, and she frowned at its rough edge. "I... I've never used anything like this," she whispered.
Daiki gave her a small but hopeful smile. "It'll be fine, don't worry..."
He wasn't even sure if he fully believed that himself.
He really sucked at encouragement.
The duo moved forward together and entered the Hollow District. They cautiously navigated the twisted streets. From time to time, Daiki and Yui exchanged glances. Even though it was really awkward, Daiki was feeling the strangest mix of nerves and relief.
He was happy that the girl he had saved was fine.
But he would've never imagined that they would now both be in the same situation.
After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Daiki decided to try to break the ice.
"Alright," Daiki said, flexing his fingers around the bat. "About earlier. That night."
Yui's shoulders tensed.
He scratched the back of his neck.
"I'm not really great at this kind of thing, but... we're in the same mess now."
He looked forward into the ruined street.
"So let's just make sure neither of us almost dies this time, alright?"
Yui stared at him for a second, then gave a small nod. "...Alright."
After about another minute of seamless wandering, a small and rotund Yurei flickered from behind a collapsed storefront. If what Kojiro said was accurate, it was probably a Class I. It had dull eyes, and its movements were jerky. Nonetheless, it lunged forward and directly at Daiki.
Before it could attack him, Daiki swung his bat forward, smacking the Yurei's face and sending it back. It shrieked, staggering back, but still very much alive. Yui moved forward beside Daiki, her hands steady over her knife.
"I... I can do this," she murmured under her breath. Her green-blue eyes were set.
She wasn't going to hesitate.
After recollecting itself, the Yurei snapped itself forward again, but at Yui this time. Daiki swung his bat forward again, keeping the creature at bay and defending Yui from its attack. "Attack it now!" he called. "It's knocked down!"
She quickly nodded, charging the Yurei with the knife. With a precise thrust, she charged her blade into the Yurei's chest. It convulsed, letting out one final shriek before vanishing into wisps of energy. The wisps began to slowly approach Yui before pulsing through her chest.
She blinked, clearly startled and feeling a weird sensation she had never felt before.
Her voice, barely even a whisper, said: "...What just happened?"
A low rustle came from the broken wall beside them.
Both of their heads immediately snapped toward it, ready for another fight.
A small white fox stepped into view. It had glowing blue eyes and faint tattoo-like markings all across its body. It slowly approached the duo, its tail flicking lazily.
"Not bad," it said casually, voice oddly smooth and teasing. "Not bad at all."
Daiki froze, jaw dropping. "Wait... did that thing just... talk?"
Yui's grip tightened on her knife. "It... it's a Yurei like the rest of them, right? Kojiro said there's not supposed to be any smart ones here. Why is it talking...?"
The fox gave another lazy flick of its tail, almost mocking their expressions. "I'm not like them, simply enough. I don't eat anything and everything that comes into view. I like to watch and have a little fun at times as well."
Daiki blinked. "Alright... my life becomes less normal every day I wear this uniform."
Yui stared at the fox, confusion and curiosity within her expression. "If you're a Yurei... why are you talking to us? We're supposed to fight you..."
The fox flicked its tail again, with what appeared to be a smirk curving onto its face. "Ooooooh. Curious one. It's because you two interest me, specifically you."
It pointed its tail directly at Yui. "Those wisps of energy that just went inside you weren't an accident. You pulled it in. Like a thief stealing candy. Tell me, what do you think happens if you pocket enough?"
Daiki scowled. "Stop talking like that. It's weird."
The fox swayed its tail lazily. "Shut up, human. You're not involved in this conversation right now."
Yui, for a second, hesitated, hand brushing over her chest. "If I can pull them in... maybe I can..."
"Ahh," the fox interrupted, delighted. "You're getting it. When you kill them, they decide they want to live in you. Think of yourself as a new home for that ruffian you just killed. A jar of spirits that is waiting for the lid to come off."
It suddenly shut its mouth before it could continue further.
"Oh! That's enough. I think I've said too much."
He winked, snapping his jaws with a playful click. Before Daiki or Yui could respond, its tail curled into a spiral before its body dissolved into mist.
"Until next time, little humans~."
Daiki blinked at the empty air where the fox had just vanished.
"Yeahhhhhhh, no. That thing was definitely just saying bullshit. It had to be, right?"
Yui's knuckles whitened around her knife. "I don't know... but... I don't think it was lying." Her voice was quiet but steady, her eyes still locked on the spot where the fox had disappeared.
Daiki exhaled sharply, putting a hand on his hip. "What the hell was it even talking about? Jar of spirits, 'they live in you'. None of that shit made any sense."
Yui's hand lingered over her chest, her expression almost unreadable. What the fox said and all the questions it brought along with it were clearly pressing into her mind.
"Hey," Daiki said after a couple of seconds, his tone a little bit softer now. "Don't start overthinking about what that thing said. ...It probably doesn't even mean anything, alright?"
Yui glanced at him, a bit shocked by the certainty in his voice. After a second, she gave a faint nod. "...Okay."
From somewhere deeper within the ruined district, a faint howl rose. Daiki almost immediately got goosebumps all over his arm. He instinctively tightened the grip on his bat.
Daiki didn't want to figure out what that was.
"Let's get moving again," he muttered. "Before we get eaten..."
Yui steadied her knife, eyes narrowing.
Both of them stepped further into the shadows of the Hollow District.
They were both unaware that something much more dangerous was already stalking them.