"So… you're saying this locker—"
Shiharu pointed at it, his gaze steady as both boys instinctively glanced over—
"—belongs to her?"
Another brief silence followed.
"…There's a hundred percent chance that's possible," Itsuki admitted slowly. "But shouldn't we report this? The picture and—"
"Uh… wait."
Hiroshi froze.
"WAIT—WHAT??"
His voice cracked, rising in pitch as panic crept in.
"W-Where's the picture?!"
"What are you talking about?" Itsuki frowned, lifting the yearbook. "It's right—"
"...Itsuki."
Shiharu's voice cut in quietly.
Both of them turned.
"The girl you pointed out earlier…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"She's not there anymore."
Silence.
Itsuki flipped through the pages again.
Once.
Twice.
Faster.
Nothing.
The girl—
Was gone.
"…What the hell…?"
A strange stillness settled over the classroom.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
Shiharu's head turned slowly toward the hallway.
No voices.
No footsteps.
No distant sounds of clubs or cleaning.
Nothing.
"…Something's wrong."
Without another word, he turned and ran.
Fast.
The door slammed open as he dashed into the corridor, his breath uneven—not from exhaustion, but from something deeper.
Sharp inhales.
Unsteady exhales.
The staffroom—
Empty.
Classrooms—
Empty.
Club rooms—
Empty.
"…No… no, no, no…"
His voice came out low, almost breaking.
Behind him, Hiroshi caught up, irritation flashing across his face.
"Shit…"
Then—
A scream.
Loud.
Raw.
Before either of them could react, Shiharu was already moving again—racing up the stairs to the second floor.
That's where everyone was.
That's where—
He stopped.
His breath hitched.
The hallway was filled.
Students.
Teachers.
All huddled together—
Surrounded.
By things.
Black.
Shifting.
Wrong.
Creatures cloaked in darkness, their forms unstable, each wearing twisted, unnatural faces that seemed to change the longer you looked at them.
"What the hell is this…?" Itsuki muttered, his voice unusually low.
"…This has never happened before."
Shiharu's eyes scanned the scene carefully.
"…Strange."
He frowned.
"I don't feel… intimidated."
That realization unsettled him more than the creatures themselves.
"They look disgusting… unnatural… but I'm calm."
His gaze sharpened.
"It's more like… they're being controlled."
A pause.
"But by who…?"
"SHIHARU—!!"
The shout snapped everything into motion.
A blast of black flame shot straight toward him.
Shiharu moved instantly.
Dodged.
Jumped.
Mid-air—
A black katana formed in his hand, as if summoned from nothing itself.
One clean swing.
The creature split in half.
Then—
Gone.
Dust.
"…I thought I'd never have to use this again."
A grin spread across his face.
Sharp.
Thrilling.
Alive.
"Well then…!!"
His voice rang out—
"THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN—!!"
He moved like a shadow.
Fast.
Precise.
Untouchable.
Leaping off walls, using the creatures themselves as footing, his blade cut through them effortlessly. One after another, they dissolved into nothing, unable to even touch him.
Every movement—
Calculated.
Every strike—
Perfect.
Within minutes—
They were gone.
"…So he can smile like that," Hiroshi muttered, stunned.
Itsuki said nothing.
"…Guess we don't need to use our powers," Hiroshi added quietly. "Looks like he's got it handled."
"Human."
The voice was different.
Heavier.
Colder.
Something emerged.
Tall.
Too tall.
Shiharu stepped back instinctively, forced to tilt his head up just to meet its gaze.
"I can see your soul…" it said, voice laced with eerie excitement. "Are you a transmigrator?"
A pause.
"You're dead, aren't you?"
Shiharu's grip tightened slightly.
"There's another soul inside you… and not just any soul…"
The creature's grin widened.
"You carry the soul of a god."
Silence.
"How thrilling," it whispered. "To kill a god."
It reached for him.
Shiharu moved first.
Slash.
Its arm fell.
But—
It laughed.
Loud.
Piercing.
The sound clawed into his ears, forcing him to press his hands against them.
"That little thing you're holding…" it said between laughs, "won't harm me."
Shiharu's thoughts spiraled.
Hoshiyuki…
A god…?
The way it spoke—
The way no one else reacted—
"…What are you?" Shiharu asked, his voice steady despite the chaos.
"What am I?" it echoed, stepping closer.
"You don't like humans, do you?"
A pause.
"So why are you saving them?"
Shiharu blinked.
"…Saving them?"
Then—
He laughed.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
"You think I'm saving them?"
His grin sharpened.
"You see… someone told me to take care of myself and wait for his return."
His eyes gleamed.
"And if I don't save them… how am I supposed to save myself?"
He turned.
"Let's play this game called..."
A step back.
"Catch me if you can."
Then—
He ran.
The katana dissolved back into a shadow-like trace, slipping ahead of him like a guide.
The only way to eliminate that strange black creature is to find whoever is pulling the strings. The person making them ─ controlling them.
"Hey—wait!"
Itsuki ran after him immediately.
Hiroshi followed.
"That idiot…" The creature muttered. "Does he think this is a joke?"
They ran until—
A dead end.
The trace stopped.
Right in front of a classroom door.
Shiharu pushed it.
It didn't move.
Not even a little.
"…Step aside."
Hiroshi stepped forward, raising his hand.
A red glow gathered in his palm.
A whispered chant.
Then—
BOOM.
The door blasted open.
"…Haa. Busted."
A voice.
Casual.
Amused.
Inside—
A girl sat in a chair, lazily spinning, twirling a pen between her fingers.
Messy black hair covered her eyes.
That same smile.
The same one from the yearbook.
The three of them froze.
"You know," she said lightly, "none of this would've happened if you hadn't stuck your noses where they don't belong."
She laughed.
Loud.
Unstable.
"So really… this is all your fault. Hahaha…!"
Her laughter echoed unnaturally in the room.
"…Wait."
Itsuki squinted.
"Aren't you like… fifteen?"
Silence.
A beat.
Hiroshi covered his mouth.
Shiharu looked away slightly.
Both trying—
And failing—
Not to laugh.
"DON'T YOU REALIZE THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN?!" she snapped, her voice cracking with fury.
"Pfft—what situation?" Hiroshi shot back, barely holding it together.
"If anything… we're just babysitting."
She was strong.
Strong enough to trap them.
A glowing magic circle spread beneath their feet, expanding in layers—intricate, suffocating, absolute. The air grew heavy, pressing against their lungs, draining their strength with every breath.
Itsuki staggered.
A sharp cough tore from his chest—
Blood.
He dropped to one knee, barely holding himself up as his vision blurred.
"…Tch—"
Even Hiroshi faltered, his usual energy dimmed under the crushing weight of the spell.
And she—
She only watched.
Smiling.
Wide.
Crooked.
"Having fun, aren't you?"
The voice came from behind her.
Calm.
Cold.
Not theirs.
Her smile froze.
Slowly—
She turned.
And saw him.
An ethereal presence stood there, as though he didn't belong to the world at all. Long, silver-white hair flowed weightlessly around him, like threads of moonlight drifting in water. His eyes—sharp, piercing, merciless—locked onto her.
The air itself trembled.
"A… guardian spirit…?" her voice shook. "How… how is that possible…?"
Her magic flickered.
Broke.
Failed.
It was Vryendel…
Fear swallowed her whole.
He didn't move much.
Didn't need to.
A slight motion of his hand—
That was all.
And suddenly—
CRASH.
Her body slammed violently into the wall, the force echoing through the room before she dropped lifelessly to the ground dissolving into nothing just like the black creatures she controlled.
Silence.
"…Tsk. What a waste of time."
His voice carried mild annoyance, as if swatting away an inconvenience.
Then—
His expression softened.
He turned to Shiharu.
"Are you okay?"
The difference in his tone was unmistakable.
"…Mm."
Shiharu nodded, rubbing his neck where the restraint had tightened earlier.
"Hoshiyuki…?" he asked quietly. "Where is he?"
He kept his gaze low.
Didn't want to look up.
Didn't want his eyes to betray him.
It had already been three months.
Too long.
His fists clenched.
Vryendel noticed.
Gently—
He placed a hand on Shiharu's head.
"He's taking longer to wake," he said softly. "Because he transferred his soul into a human."
The warmth in his touch—
It felt familiar.
Painfully familiar.
"Just wait a little longer," Vryendel continued. "And keep that red thread with you at all times. That's how he would be able to find you."
A pause.
His voice softened further.
"Don't worry. He will come back to you."
"…I hope so."
Shiharu looked up, smiling brightly.
Too brightly.
Hiroshi and Itsuki exchanged confused glances, unable to hear a single word of what was being said. Their suffocating pains had vanished the moment the guardian spirit graced them with his presence.
"Thank you… Guardian Spirit," Itsuki said, bowing deeply. Hiroshi followed immediately. "For saving us."
Vryendel didn't even look at them.
"Don't thank me," he replied indifferently. "I didn't do this for you."
A small pause.
"I simply came to protect what belongs to my younger brother."
Then, as if reconsidering—
"…Though I suppose I can accept the thanks."
He raised his hand.
The air shifted.
His long silver hair lifted gently, as though carried by an invisible breeze.
And then—
Everything changed.
Broken desks reformed.
Cracked walls sealed themselves.
The room returned to its original state—perfect, untouched, as if nothing had ever happened.
Hiroshi and Itsuki stared in stunned silence.
Divine.
That was the only word that fit.
"Shiharu."
He called again.
Shiharu looked up.
"That black form that follows you," Vryendel said calmly, "the one that appears when you're in danger… stop using it."
Shiharu blinked.
"…Why?"
"It drains Liriel's power," he answered. "Every time you use it, you put him in more danger."
"…I—I didn't know."
Guilt hit instantly.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"It's fine," Vryendel replied. "He's okay."
He paused, studying him carefully.
"Carry water with you. Or stay in the sun more often."
"…Why?"
"For your own good."
A quiet beat.
"Your powers are delayed from manifesting… because your original soul is already dead."
Silence.
Shiharu's breath caught.
"…I have powers?"
Vryendel tilted his head slightly.
"Liriel didn't tell you?" he murmured. "How surprising."
A faint pause.
"…Though, perhaps he doesn't know either."
His gaze drifted away slightly.
"I hear voices."
Then—
"I should leave now. Stay away from humans."
His voice turned cold again.
"They are snakes in sheep's clothing."
A soft laugh escaped Shiharu.
"Haha…You're forgetting am a human too"
His hair fell slightly over his eyes as he looked down.
Vryendel disappeared.
Just like that.
Gone.
"…Holy shi—"
Hiroshi exhaled, adjusting his braces, eyes still wide.
"That man was divinely majestic… It's my first time seeing a guardian spirit. Do they all look like that?"
He glanced at Shiharu.
"Well… you're pretty too, so I guess it makes sense you attract pretty people."
Itsuki didn't respond.
Still processing.
Just as Vryendel had said—
Footsteps rushed in.
Teachers burst into the classroom, panic written all over their faces—only to freeze in confusion when they saw everything intact.
Everyone safe.
Nothing broken.
"…What happened here?" one of them whispered.
But no one answered.
Because even they didn't fully understand it themselves.