《Red Butterfly - Spirits》 The Clans Sword ¡°Wait for me!¡± A cheery laugh came from a little girl who was running on a flowery field. She tried to catch a butterfly, which caught her attention when sitting under a big tree. Her brother looked on from afar. ¡°Akemi! Don¡¯t go too far! Careful with your steps!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She replied her brother advice with a loud, cute voice. Her brother couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing his sister happy. After so many attempts to catch the butterfly, she finally made it. She inspected on it. The red wings were sparkling under the sun, made the little girl awed in delight. ¡°I got it! Look, brother! I got-¡± She turned around to see nobody around. Her brother was no longer standing under the tree. Her heart raced as she tried to scan the field. ¡°Brother! Brother, where are you?¡± her voice trembled everytime she spoke. Small tears formed at the edge of her eyes. All of a sudden, the sky darkened and the flowers dried out. Akemi was crying and scared. ¡°No! No! Everyone! Don¡¯t leave me alone! I don¡¯t like this! BROTHER!!¡± She ran, ran, and ran while calling out her brother, still carrying the butterfly. She got tired and stopped. ¡°Someone ... Somebody ... I wanna go home ...¡± She continued to cry until her tears fell on the butterfly. Suddenly, the butterfly flew right into her face, shocked her a bit. ¡°Butterfly? You¡¯re going to help me?¡± the butterfly reacted by fluttering its wings. Akemi managed to calm down. She stopped crying and tried to reach out to the butterfly. But what happened after that surprised her as a dazzling light came from the butterfly. ¡°Wha- what happened?¡± As the light died out, so did Akemi¡¯s consciousness. Right before she fell asleep, a figure with huge wings on its back came towards her. It took out a hairpin and place it on her palm. The figure smiled and muttered something as Akemi¡¯s vision was clouded with darkness.
The school bell rang loud enough to snap Akemi back to reality. Slowly taking back her life force, she did some stretching and looked that her classmates starting to pack and go home. She looked up to the sky. Tranquil and peaceful. ¡°No wonder I can sleep. The weather is so relaxing. Umph...¡± She packed her books and took her shinai up. She went past her classmates without exchanging goodbyes or something. Same goes to her classmates. They act as if she wasn¡¯t present. She sat right at the back, talked with nobody, and mostly sleeping on free time. But that didn¡¯t mean she was friendless. When she reached the school gate, a girl was waiting for her. The girl had brown hair tied up to ponytail, yellowish skin, black eyes, and medium breasts. Like Akemi, she also carried a shinai. Once she spotted Akemi, she waved at her. ¡°Marufuji!¡± She had a big, dazzling smile on her face, not to mention a figure of maturing lady that caught the attention of both sexes. Akemi smiled a bit, waving back at her. ¡°Good afternoon, Nagatsuka-senpai.¡± Akemi bowed a little once she was in front of her. Shouko Nagatsuka. 2nd year in Enoshima High School and also the captain of the kendo team. Known well as the beautiful and kind to others, but fierce and strong during fights. A successor of Nagatsuka clan ever since her elder sister moved overseas to get married. Akemi looked up to her, and actually, the only person in school who wanted to talked and befriended her. ¡°Shall we?¡± Shouko asked and Akemi nodded. They went to the same direction until Fuuka Park. Just like any other day, Shouko was the one who start a conversation and Akemi gave a quick response. ¡°Hey, was going home with me bore you that much?¡± Akemi was surprised hearing that. She looked at her senior face, who gave a disappointed look. She shook her head and responded. ¡°No, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t know how to respond to your topics without making it awkward, senpai.¡± Replied Akemi with honesty. ¡°Oh... I thought you hate going home with me.¡± ¡°No, I enjoy it. I¡¯m sorry if it feels like you have to go with me everywhere.¡± Shouko chuckled, and pat her junior head. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it kouhai-chan. At least with you I¡¯m free to talk about things that I rather not speak to anyone else.¡± Shouko smiled as she said that. Akemi knew that feeling well. She had a secret. Something that she held close and made sure no one knows. If that happened, she might have to get her hands dirty. Suddenly, Shouko tapped her shoulder. ¡°Yes, senpai?¡± ¡°Marufuji-san, I just want you to know that if you feel like something was bothering you, you know I can be a good listener. Don¡¯t keep it bottled inside too much.¡± Akemi felt that Shouko was really nice. She cared about her close one. Akemi listened every time she told her about her family and how she wished her sister went back to visit sometime. Or the usual everyday school life that happened. Akemi was jealous. Jealous of a normal high school girl life.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Thank you for the advice senpai.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The two walked until they reached the crossroad next to Fuuka Park. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the morning practice tomorrow okay?¡± ¡°Yes. See you tomorrow senpai.¡± The two exchanged farewells and went their own way home. After walking a bit further, Akemi¡¯s cellphone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked to the messenger id. Upon seeing it, she tightened the grip of her shinai and walked faster towards an empty alleyway. She put on a butterfly hairpin and pressed it. From her back came out a large butterfly wings, though it was like a mere projection. Her body was engulfed by a red mist. Once it dissipated, she pulled out a sword from inside her shinai. Her eyes color changed from black to red. Butterfly spirits gathered around her, waiting to follow her every move. Closing her eyes for a moment, it felt like she was meditating. After a while, she opened them again and jumped highly to the top of a tree. ¡°Target sighted.¡± She vanished right after.
In district 5, there were many people gathering next to the harbour, each of them carrying weapons. Lead pipes, sticks, brass knuckles. Looked like a gang war was about to start. Each leaders threw insults, and with a single snap of a finger, war broke out. Neither side were willing to give in, as they kept pummeling the adversaries. But suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the fight. It was Akemi. ¡°Hey! Who the hell are you? How did you get here?¡± ¡°Wait! It¡¯s a pretty girl!¡± ¡°Well well well, you¡¯re not supposed to be here, missy. Unless you wanna play with us for a bit.¡± The last man licked his lips as he instructed his men to surround her. The gangs stopped fighting for a bit as they moved to a smaller prey. However, they are not prepared of what happen next. With a swift swing of her sword, the man¡¯s head was cut off. Rains of blood filled the surroundings and covered Akemi with blood. The others looked terrified, but some of them immediately went to avenge their fallen leader. Akemi, with an empty expression, moved towards the charging men and one by one fell like flies. ¡°Wha ... what just happen? EVERYONE, DON¡¯T JUST STAND THERE! GET HER!¡± Everyone hesitantly swung their weapons to beat her, but just like the others before them, they met their end. In the end, only one person, the leader of one of the gang was left standing. He was alone. ¡°Please ... I beg of you ... don¡¯t kill me. Please...¡± Akemi raised her sword, ready to finish him off. But she put it down instead. ¡°Give me a reason why I should spare you, Kotaro Miyamura.¡± His eyes went wide as she spoke his name. He tried desperately crawling. Akemi stabbed his leg so deep that her sword went into the ground. Kotaro screamed. ¡°I believe I don¡¯t need to repeat my words. Or would you like me to speak more about yourself?¡± With a cold tone, she kneeled beside Kotaro while inflict more pain to his wound. Kotaro frantically shook his head. Believed that he would die soon. ¡°I received a request from someone to ask you a few questions. Although I¡¯m allowed to use necessary force in case you are not willing to cooperate. Had you listen to me first, these lives wouldn¡¯t need to be sacrificed.¡± Calmly touching Kotaro¡¯s face, she asked once more. ¡°Now, why should I spare you Kotaro Miyamura?¡± with a scream, Kotaro swung his left hand which carried a knife he hid earlier. Sounds of flesh being stabbed rung, but the outcome wasn¡¯t what he expected. ¡°GUAAAAAAH!!¡± Kotaro¡¯s left hand was cut off and Akemi¡¯s patience was running out. ¡°You think you can get away by blinding and crippling someone else?¡± ¡°Please! Argh! It was an accident! We were joking around, and all of sudden the rope snapped. UGH!¡± Akemi choked him very hard. His face grew pale. ¡°No, you were planning much worse. You were planning to kill her from beginning. She survived with the price of her sight and ability to walk. Luckily, someone with a will of justice told me about your sin. I¡¯m merely delivering justice upon you.¡± This time, her eyes turned red and her sword glowed. ¡°Accept your punishment!¡± She drove the sword to his chest. And just like that his body disintegrated into ashes in seconds. She pulled out her cellphone, typed a message, and left the scene.
In a minute, Akemi arrived at a large traditional Japanese house. She entered through the backdoor, then walked inside until she reached a room. She opened the door, then bowed towards the person inside. He was busy reading a book and turned his attention towards Akemi once he realized it was her. ¡°Brother, Akemi have finished delivering ¡®justice¡¯ towards Kotaro Miyamura. However, he was in the midst of gang conflict by the time Akemi arrive. So Akemi eliminated them out of self-defense.¡± Akemi explained while keep bowing. Her brother rose up and put his hand to her shoulder. ¡°Do you use ¡®that¡¯ power?¡± obviously referring to the spirit power she used. She lifted her head, then nodded. ¡°Are you mad at Akemi brother?¡± she were afraid if what she went to far. But her brother showed her a look of guilt instead. ¡°No. In fact, I should be sorry Akemi. I suppose putting you in a task like this could affect you in the future...¡± Akemi immediately interrupted him. ¡°No brother. Do you remember? Akemi agreed to your proposal. Even if Akemi had to stain her hands with blood, as long as the clan rise again, as long as you are happy brother, Akemi will do anything.¡± ¡°Akemi...¡± Her brother, Akito Marufuji was the current leader of Marufuji clan. The clan used to be known as the mercenary clan that worked for multiple families as trustworthy subordinates. By the time Akito and Akemi¡¯s father, Atsushi, led the clan, the clan was no longer deemed worthy by other clans. One by one left the family to live normal lives and the ones stayed behind were the elders. Now only 3 subordinates left alongside the siblings. Atsushi and his wife, Tsubaki left 3 years ago and never return. Akito since then tried to revive the Marufuji clan by accepting multiple requests from anonymous clients. Escort, assassination, investigation, rescue, anything they saw could profit the clan, they will take except prostitution, human trafficking, drug smuggling, that kind of stuffs. One thing that Akito always kept was the way of justice. Things that related to instigating justice were the actions the Marufuji clan did. But for some mission, the one who did the job was Akemi Marufuji, the clan¡¯s sword. The No-Name Hero Akemi went to take a shower and dinner before going back to her room. Unlike other girls her age, it was rather plain. No posters of top idols, cute plushies, or others stuffs that usually owned by high school girls. It wasn¡¯t that Akito not giving her permission to have those kind of things, it just that Akemi didn¡¯t know. She heard of them, but not interested in buying them or take a look. Which was why her conversation with Shouko always cut short. She was wiping her sword from the previous mission. She felt a bit sorry for involving innocent lives when her target was only one person. If she use her normal sword skill, she would probably knocked the others unconscious then killed Kotaro only. However, this butterfly hairpin made it impossible. She recalled back to the day that person gave her this particular hairpin, named ¡®Relic¡¯ and the also the time she met her ''hero''.
A month ago Akemi had just finished her kendo club practice and was cleaning the dojo before going home. Shouko helped her as well. ¡°You don¡¯t have to help me senpai. This is the job of 1st years right?¡± Akemi asked while wiping sweat on her forehead. Shouko sighed and stopped sweeping. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t help right? Besides, you¡¯re the only 1st year here. It will took you until sunset to finish it.¡± Akemi realized she made a good point and she knew how kind Shouko was. She approached her when other clubs rejected her. At first, the other felt disappointed with only Akemi joining. Not helping since she didn¡¯t talk to others very much. But Shouko tried her best to befriend Akemi. Akemi wasn¡¯t annoyed by her way of reaching her and she wanted to make friends too. So she believed that Shouko might helped her make friends on her own. ¡°Okay that¡¯s all. Go ahead and change first, I will lock the door.¡± ¡°Thank you senpai.¡± Akemi got changed and waited until she finished changing. All of a sudden, a man came over to her. Akemi was confused at first, but the man let out a strange scream. It was inhuman. The man attacked her by kicking her, but she dodged before the hit landed. His eyes was empty, and his body moved unstably. Trying to analyze what was happening, she dodged every single move he did. Realizing she was at a disadvantage, she was thinking of using her sword. But it was risky since she could injure the man badly or Shouko came out. ¡°Darn it!¡± She snapped back when she saw the man fist almost landed on her face. She closed her eyes on instinct. But the hit the never land. She slowly opened her eyes to see a boy in a school uniform blocking the attack. ¡°What¡¯s this? A man attacking a girl? What a wuss.¡± Infuriated by him, the man released a combination of punching and kicking, but either was blocked or dodged by the boy. The boy took a deep breath and clenched his right hand into a fist. It glowed a bright green then with all of his might, he punched the man. The man was sent flying for about 100 meters before stopping. He went to check on the man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he is only KO. Better call someone to treat him. Hm?¡± he checked on the man¡¯s eyes and pulled a cellphone. ¡°Maika, I found another one. Yes. Just like the other day. I see. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± She closed his phone than walked back to Akemi. Akemi was awestrucked by his prowess. He called for her but she was silent. ¡°Hey ... hey ... HEY!!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°What now? You blanked out? Don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t want you to get posessed or a fly went inside your mouth and you choked out.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± She never expected to see that kind of speed and power. And she tried to scan his appearance. He had a short black hair. A darkened skin. He wore a confident smile that it¡¯s bright match the sun. ¡°Anyway, can you help me take care of that guy? I already called an ambulance, but I really have to go now.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± before she could protest, he was already gone. Shouko came not long after that and Akemi explained what had happened. On their way home, Akemi couldn¡¯t stopped thinking of the person and decided to ask about him to Shouko.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t expect you to be interested in a guy.¡± ¡°I never had the chance to thank him. He just ran away after saving me.¡± ¡°I would love to have that kind of situation happening to me. A clich¨¦ story of a hero saving a damsel in distress. Aah.¡± Akemi was a bit surprised to know that her upperclassmen was romance fanatic. But she decided to not comment on that. ¡°What was he look like Marufuji?¡± curious, Shouko asked Akemi about the boy. She told her about and she squealed. ¡°Wow! Is he handsome? You saw his face didn¡¯t you?¡± Akemi tried to remember his face. Not sure about how to measure the handsomeness of a boy, she simply nodded. Shouko chuckled and nudged Akemi¡¯s side. ¡°He is a student of our school. He must be one of those populars. Shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find him again.¡± ¡®How about yourself then?¡¯, Akemi tried to hold herself from asking that question. But deep inside, she wanted to see him again. To properly thanked him and befriend him.
¡°It¡¯s been a month since that day. Is he part of a club that always busy? Or perhaps a go-home club student? Hmmph ....¡± She decided to think about that later and studied instead. She went to sleep after she finished and tried to get a good rest before tomorrow morning. After school, Shouko came to Akemi¡¯s classroom to ask about something? ¡°Birthday?¡± Akemi asked. ¡°Yes, my elder sister birthday is coming up soon and I want to make a party to welcome her return as well.¡± ¡°Oh right, your sister lives overseas.¡± Shouko responded with a nod. ¡°She decided to spend her vacation here in Japan since her husband has a work in other country. It¡¯s been a while since I saw her. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Shouko looked so happy thinking about everything she wanted for the party. Akemi thought to herself, when was the last time there was a birthday party in her home. She was interrupted by Shouko. ¡°Marufuji, are you busy after school? Can¡¯t you help me buy gifts for her?¡± Akemi blinked. She didn¡¯t expect Shouko to ask her. ¡°Ah, you are busy I suppose...¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not. I would love to go with you.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Akemi nodded and smiled. Shouko hugged her in delight. ¡°Thank you! I knew Marufuji is a good friend! Come, let¡¯s go.¡± Akemi couldn¡¯t help but smile wider when she heard that word. Friend. Yes, a friend.
The two went to order for a cake, bought some decorations and finally to the mall to buy a gift. ¡°What does your sister like senpai?¡± ¡°Hmm, the last time she was here, she was a fan of pop singer. And I bought her a CD that time. Now I don¡¯t know.¡± Seeing her friend spirit dropped after she asked, Akemi thought quickly of something else when her gaze stopped at a accessories store. ¡°Senpai, how about going there?¡± She pointed at the store. Shouko face lit up again. ¡°Right!¡± They looked around the store until Shouko stopped at a pair of panda plushies. One of them wore a mage outfit while the other dressed in a dancer outfit. ¡°So cute! I want to buy it. What do you think Marufuji?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good. You both can have each one of them.¡± ¡°You think so too? Sis definitely like this.¡± She decided to buy the plushies and wrapped it up as well. Shouko was happy and it made Akemi happy too to see that she can help her friend and enjoy a normal life for a bit. They parted ways once they left the mall as Shouko had to run an errand. Akemi was just about to walk but hit someone and almost fell. ¡°Oops! Sorry about that. Eh?¡± It was the boy that rescued her back then. ¡°It¡¯s you again. Haha, long time no see?¡± asked the boy casually. Akemi didn¡¯t expect to meet him there and what a coincidence as well. ¡°It¡¯s been a while indeed. Are you meeting with someone here?¡± ¡°Yes, but she was a bit late so I was bored and walked around. Perhaps it was fate for us to meet here again?¡± he winked at her, which made Akemi rolled her eyes. She sighed and straightened up. ¡°Um, there was something that I would like to tell you.¡± He gasped all of sudden. Making Akemi confused. ¡°A confession? Out of nowhere?¡± She felt a vein might popped on her forehead as he kept joking. Realizing his mistake, he faked a cough and told her to go on. ¡°Thank you for helping me last time. You saved me from a danger, and I wished to thank you sooner. Unfortunately, you ran off before mentioning your name.¡± He laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. He eventually offered a handshake and smiled at Akemi. ¡°My name is Wataru Koyama. Class 1-B. Nice to meet you, miss....¡± ¡°Marufuji. Akemi Marufuji from class 1-D. Nice to meet you too, Koyama.¡± She shook his hand in return. ¡°So glad that I meet you again Marufuji. To be honest, I want to meet you too.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because ... I just want to know you more, you know? And you¡¯re the only one that ever see me use that.¡± Akemi thought about the incident. ¡°So, like keeping an eye on me so I didn¡¯t tell your secrets.¡± ¡°Ehehe, that sounds kinda...¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will keep quiet about it, with a condition.¡± Wataru crossed his arms and looked like he was thinking something. ¡°I ... want you ... to be my friend.¡± Akemi turned her gaze to her feet, anxious for his answer. ¡°That is ... unexpected. But sure, why not? I want to have a female friend too.¡± ¡°You do? Thank you.¡± Akemi bowed at him and he simply smiled at her respond. Not long after that someone called Wataru from afar. He noticed it as his friend. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s her. Took her a while.¡± ¡°Well then. I guess I will take my leave. Have a good day Koyama.¡± ¡°Mm, you too. Take care Marufuji. See you at school!¡± Wataru waved her farewell and she left the mall. Wataru¡¯s friend came and the two went inside the mall. Not far from there, a person in a tuxedo and a stetson was looking at Akemi. He grinned before following her not realizing that he wasn¡¯t the only one stalking her. Moments at the Dusk Akemi was in a good mood heading back home. Not only she had a good time with Shouko, she finally met the person who saved her a month ago. She also befriended him, sort of. They pretty much on a level of school mates that know each other names only. But she was certain that things will definitely change in the future. She was back home when the sun was almost setting. And in front of her house, an old man was busy carrying wooden boxes from inside a car. ¡°Grandpa Shouji, I¡¯m home.¡± His ears perked up and turned his gaze to Akemi. He gave her a small bow. ¡°Welcome back, milady. Are you just going back from school activity?¡± Shouji asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have club duties today. I was ... helping my friend.¡± She was somehow unsure to speak about her going with Shouko. Shouji gave a small laugh, face filled with happiness. ¡°Is that so? I am very happy to hear that you finally make friends, milady. We should celebrate it, don¡¯t you think?¡± Shouji teased her with a wink. Akemi chuckled, happy that she could still chat with him a lax. Her attention turned towards the wooden box Shouji was carrying. ¡°Grandpa Shouji, what is this?¡± she pointed at the box. ¡°A token of gratitude from our ¡®employer¡¯. She had received the news about Kotaro Miyamura. She wasn¡¯t happy nor sad when I paid a visit. I assumed that she might regret about hiring us to ¡®punish¡¯ him, but that was just an assumption from me.¡± Evening breeze blew past them in the moment of silence. Shouji eventually went inside and Akemi followed suit. After done changing, Akemi came to her brother¡¯s room to tell him about why she was late. However, her brother wasn¡¯t present. She found a note on his table that said that he was heading out for a stroll and told her to eat dinner first because he might be late. Akemi sighed in disappointment. It wasn¡¯t usual for her brother to go out since he got injured, and she was happy that he left the house to breath some outside air. But she wasn¡¯t happy that he went out alone without letting someone to accompany him. ¡°Mr. Hayate and Miss Nitta haven¡¯t come back since 2 weeks ago. I wished they were here.¡± She clutched the note with a look of loneliness. When her brother wasn¡¯t around, Hayate and Nitta used to accompany Akemi since she was a child. They were hired to investigate a case, though no news had come to Marufuji household. Akemi silently prayed for her family to return safely, as what the always did everytime the other left the house. Meanwhile, Akito was enjoying the transition of day to night. He mostly spent his time selling traditional medicine. After a certain incident which caused him to lose his left eye. Eventually he focused on his studying and learnt how to create medicine. His long coat sometimes got caught by the wind, flapping ever so slightly. He went to Fuuka Park. There, he saw mothers picked up their children and each of them exchanging farewells. Full of smile, laugh, and joy. Akito smiled at the sight and lost himself in nostalgia, when he and Akemi used to come here to play until their mother scolded them because they were home late. His smile turned to frown of sadness. Asking where could his parents be at this moment. He ran his finger to his eyepatch, heaving a sigh. ¡°Oh? Young master Akito? What a surprise!¡± A man came over towards Akito. He wore a black suit which matched his gloves. A sunglasses over his eyes and a black stetson made him deserved a true man in black attire. Akito was tensed for a moment before relaxing himself. ¡°Fancy meeting you here, Taro Inui. Good evening.¡± He gave a small bow which was responded by Taro in the same manner. His cheshire grin stayed on, as he clasped his hands together.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Good evening to you as well. Say, what a nice view we have here right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about those little children, I will call the cops.¡± Akito said with a straight expression. Taro gasped exaggerately. ¡°Young Master! I can assure you this Taro Inui is not a lolicon nor a shotacon! I prefer much elder women, especially the ones tha-¡± ¡°Okay okay, enough of that. I apologize for accusing you.¡± ¡°I am insulted! How could you young master? You owe me a drink for that.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad punishment. Sure, shall we?¡± ¡°Eh? Eh? Really?¡± Akito surprisingly went along with Taro¡¯s joke as the well-dressed man followed Akito in confusion. They arrived a small sake stall and ordered some sake with snacks. After enjoying their treat, Taro and Akito had a chat. ¡°How was your business young master?¡± ¡°Pretty good. My studying certainly paid off. With this, Akemi can focus on her education without worrying about funds.¡± Taro was impressed by Akito¡¯s achievement as he whistled and shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I must say young master, you do plan ahead for young miss future. What a good brother you are.¡± ¡°Haha, flattery won¡¯t work on me. You have to do better, Inui.¡± Sounds of grilling meat accompanied their constant chatting about random things. As they ask for another serving of sake, Taro decided to ask again. ¡°How was ¡®work¡¯?¡± Akito noticed his tone turned much serious. ¡°It went well as expected. Your information certainly helped us in much more ways than I could think off. I thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Please, I simply do what I was paid too. When you need jobs, informations, money, and stuffs, Taro Inui is your man.¡± Taro puffed his chest in pride. ¡°Also for the ¡®thing¡¯ you gave, it couldn¡¯t have come at a better time. But...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It did something to my sister.¡± Akito gulped his sake. His face turned red, starting to feel the alcohol. ¡°The last mission had unnecessary casualties which makes me afraid that I¡¯m putting her in much more dangerous situation. What is this ¡®relic¡¯, Inui? What exactly it¡¯s purpose?¡± Akemi¡¯s hairpin was named ¡®relic¡¯ by Taro Inui. He came some time after the incident. Akito was enraged and afraid if something were to happen to Akemi. Like an answer of a distress call, Taro Inui came to their life. He gained the clan¡¯s trust by finding them high-profile clients who can pay them enough to last for a year or more. His mysterious ways of getting his wish granted raised some questions from Akito, but he¡¯d rather not think abou that. Taro Inui learnt about the situation since he found out that the incident wasn¡¯t the first time happened in the city. He believed there are higher-ups or the researchers got involved in a project of making a certain bioweapon. He wasn¡¯t sure, until he got his hands into the ¡®relic¡¯. Found it from collection old archives from fallen clans, in the past, there were times when evil reigned over the land. The clans felt that the evil was more bigger threat than fighting among themselves. Eventually, they joined forces to battle the evil. Unfortunately, they were powerless against them. Several youths of the allied clans embarked on a journey to search for power. On their journey, they encountered mysterious forms of animals which bore sacred items hidden inside. These items were given the name: ¡®relics¡¯. ¡®Relics¡¯ infused the youths with the ability to merge with spirits animals and gave them power that match each of the ¡®relics¡¯ animal motifs. With this, the evil was slain and peace returned. However, the land was plunged into chaos once again as the tragedy rained on the ¡®relics¡¯ users. After that, nothing was mentioned again about the ¡®relics¡¯ other than the owners and the images. He found the butterfly hairpin inside one of the box containing the archives. And found out that it belonged to the Marufuji clan. Taro explained from what he found in the archives, but it left more questions rather than answers. ¡°Are you going to keep her using that power?¡± Taro asked. Akito nodded. ¡°Akemi asked me to trust her, so I will trust her. But Inui, if possible I want you to find out more about this. If I can do anything to lessen my sister burden, I¡¯m forever indebted to you.¡± ¡°Young master, please! You¡¯re going to make me embarassed by your high expectation. But rest assured, I will find out more about it. I also wish for you clan to rise again, that is why I am on your side now.¡± ¡°Thank you. Cheers?¡± Akito raised his cup while Taro raised his glass. ¡°Cheers!¡± The two had toast and drank more into the night. Inside a dark alley, a figure lifted his left hand, dripping with purple liquids all over. He poured it into the bodies of unconscious people around him. In seconds, they woke up but something wasn¡¯t right. The figure left the alley and stared into the moon. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, Aka.¡± Ambush ¡°Hey, you heard what happen last night?¡± ¡°It was on the news. How scary.¡± ¡°My mom told me to go home before dark starting today.¡± Akemi was listening her classmates conversation. She knew what were they talking about. Last night, there was a report of multiple people missing at almost the same time. The families of the victims had told the police after they hadn¡¯t arrived at home when it was already late. Most of the victims were adults, with teenagers as well. Her brother asked her to take care and she was also allowed to use the ¡®relic¡¯ for self-defense. She decided to not think about it too much. She reached for her bag to grab her lunchbox, but her hand met an empty air. She closed her eyes as she facepalmed. She left her lunchbox at the dining table. Tried to keep her cool, she racked through her pockets and met the same end. She also forgot to bring money. Hopeless, she decided to just sleep through the afternoon and go home quickly. Until someone approached her, and slapper her back hard enough to make her yelp. ¡°Oh my... I¡¯m sorry! I was just about to ask you to eat lunch with me but...¡± Shouko tried to explain what she had done, only to face a sharp glare from Akemi. Shouko immediately stopped talking and waited for Akemi to respond. ¡°Senpai, I appreciate your kindness. But the next time you do that again, I might do something dangerous.¡± Akemi said it while trying to keep her cool. The sound of cracking knuckles made the beautiful upperclassmen to sweat and apologize. After that, Akemi decided to go with Shouko and she explained her situation. ¡°Poor you. You should¡¯ve just come to me! I bring lots of ¡®em!¡± Shouko pulled out her lunchboxes once they arrived at her usual lunch spot. She had a bento and a box full of sandwiches. Akemi sweatdropped at the sight. Shouko¡¯s lunches were enough for at least 5 people! Yet, she ate all of them by herself everyday and still maintained a good figure. Shouko went straight towards the bento while Akemi ate the sandwich. Her expression brightened once she grabbed a bite. ¡°Delicious?¡± Shouko asked and Akemi nodded at the question. ¡°You made this by yourself, senpai?¡± ¡°Yes, I cook my own lunch everyday. Sometimes I eat bread from cafeteria, but if I could go get up early I cook.¡± Akemi was fascinated by her upperclassmen. She made a self-reminder to ask Nitta once she came back to teach her how to cook. Speaking of Nitta, she was curious about Shouko¡¯s opinion on the news, so she asked. ¡°I was told by mother in the morning. It was scary! A lot of people at the same time? How is that possible?¡± Shouko looked surprised and confused. Akemi nodded. It was indeed odd considering the amount of people that missing and also no trace whatsoever to track them. ¡°Brother told me to investigate while taking care of myself. I think I¡¯ll go for a patrol after school.¡± Akemi decided to change the subject and asked about Shouko¡¯s sister. ¡°I can¡¯t wait! She said she was looking forward to meet me again. I hope she was doing well. Kuhh, can¡¯t next week come any sooner?¡± Her expression returned to cheerful again, and it calmed Akemi as well, felt it was inapproriate to ruin the lunch mood. Just when she was about to grab another bite, she noticed someone waving at her. ¡°Hm?¡± The person was revealed to be Wataru Koyama, with a bag full of breads. ¡°Oh hello Koyama. Do you need something?¡± ¡°Nah, I just noticed you were eating here, so I¡¯d like to join you. Is it okay?¡± Wataru sincerely asked.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Sure, of course. Here.¡± Wataru sat across the girls and started to eat the breads. Shouko eyes widened. She never thought Akemi would speak casually to anyone other than her, especially boys. And just now, she even allow him to join them eating lunch! She couldn¡¯t help but voiced her opinion. ¡°Marufuji! How do you know this guy? And since when you two become close?¡± Both of them stopped eating, looked at each other, and tried to explain at the same time. They tried to let the others to speak everytime, until Wataru decided to speak. ¡°Oh sorry! Where are my manners? My name is Wataru Koyama. I met Marufuji last month and we just catched up again yesterday. Nice to meet you.¡± With a relaxed and casual voice, Wataru introduced himself. Shouko gasped after he finished. ¡°Wataru Koyama? The ace striker of the school soccer team?¡± ¡°Ahahaha, I¡¯m not an ace, a mere regular you can say.¡± He scratched his cheek in embarassment. ¡°You will be! 3 hattricks in 3 matches in a row are enough to promote you to ace status! Urushibara looks motivated everyday now. You definitely came at the right moment.¡± ¡°Urushibara? You mean, Soichiro Urushibara-senpai?¡± The two of them got lost in conversation. Akemi, who watched from the side, could only observe her friends. It didn¡¯t take long for them to get along like that. She wondered how long for her to be like that too. Fortunately, both of them noticed that Akemi was left alone from conversation. ¡°Sorry, I went off the track there.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Both of them apologized but Akemi shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You too were having fun, I couldn¡¯t just stopped you. That would be rude.¡± The three of them laughed together and continued their lunch. Shouko also introduced herself later on, and apparently she and Urushibara were in the same class. The happy atmosphere came to a halt once the school bell rung again. ¡°Man, the break¡¯s over. Well, I¡¯m heading off first guys. Have to go to lab to prepare first. See you after school Marufuji. Don¡¯t go home alone.¡± With that Shouko left the two of them. Wataru was curious about what Shouko meant. Akemi gave him a detail about what happen and Wataru let out a sigh. ¡°This is serious. You know, if you don¡¯t mind I can go home with you two later. I know you two are members of kendo club, but I believe it¡¯s safer if you girls are not alone.¡± ¡°You think we can¡¯t protect ourselves?¡± ¡°No no no. I didn¡¯t mean that, it just makes me feel uneasy. I¡¯m worried if someone I know is in danger. I protected you too remember?¡± Akemi didn¡¯t mean to harm his good intentions. She admitted that Wataru wasn¡¯t a normal person as well considering how he saved her last time. Then again, she couldn¡¯t just use her sword skill and Wataru was fine using his power freely. ¡°Okay, but you actually don¡¯t have too though.¡± ¡°No, I insist!¡± She felt that it was useless so she let him do what he wants. They promised to meet after school and went home together.
School was over without troubles. Akemi packed her things and left her classroom. Surprisingly, Wataru was already there. ¡°Yo! Ready to go home?¡± ¡°Why are you waiting here?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s normal for friends to wait up outside of the classroom before going together right? So c¡¯mon, don¡¯t want to make Nagatsuka-senpai waits too long.¡± He pat Akemi¡¯s shoulder and led her away. The students noticed this and began to talk about it. At lunch it was Shouko Nagatsuka, and now the soon-to-be ace Wataru Koyama, who obviously had many fans. Akemi could feel the jealousy radiating from every side. ¡°Hey, something the matter? Don¡¯t walk behind me, here walk beside me. You¡¯re not a puppy y¡¯know?¡± Wataru snickered. Akemi felt her face getting warmer. Wataru might be a person who casually says what he wants, but the other parties could misunderstood his meaning. But deep inside, she was happy. If only they meet sooner. Outside, Shouko was already waiting. Though his home was close, he insisted on walked them home. Once they reached Fuuka Park, they saw a hooded person was sleeping near the entrance. They walked towards him, but suddenly his hand reached out and grabbed Wataru by the neck. He quickly kicked him off. ¡°What the hell? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Kekeke, you will be good enough for a test. OI!¡± Suddenly, a group of people with hollow expression surrounded the park, trapping the trio. ¡°What are you going to do to us?¡± Shouko was terrified and she hid behind Wataru. The hooded person chuckled and pulled out a glowing ring. Akemi¡¯s face stiffened; ready to pull out her sword at any moment. ¡°GET THEM!¡± Unpleasant screams rang out as the hordes of people jumped on them. Wataru threw a punch and sent one of them flying towards the others. One tried to grabbed his head, but he dodged and headbutted the enemy. More enemies tried to stopped his movement, but like last time, a glowing aura went out and quickly he put them down. Shouko and Akemi were shocked. The hooded person wasn¡¯t angry, but amused instead. ¡°So this is type-A. I should¡¯ve known you that you will be that strong. But let see you handle this!¡± He put on the ring and kissed it. A dark purple aura enveloped him like a mist. Once it dissipated, from his hood came a lot of snakes. ¡°DIE!¡± The snakes came to attack, but their heads were cut off. ¡°That¡¯s enough of you.¡± Akemi pulled out her sword and ready her stance. The hooded person smirked. With a snap of a finger, the snakes returned to his hood. ¡°Interesting, time for me to have some fun.¡± Liquids came out from his fingers and melted the ground. He also prepared his stance. Shouko was confused, and decided to stick behind her two companions while Akemi and Wataru, readied themselves for a combat. I Found You With a look full of confidence, the hooded person licked his lips. He eyed the trio like a predator ready to strike. Wataru relaxed himself for a moment, before going into battle stance, anticipating any sudden attacks. Akemi meanwhile, was having a turmoil inside her head. With her hands ready on the sword handle, he could fight the enemy alongside Wataru and beat him together. The problem was that whether she needed ¡®relic¡¯ or not. If she went on rampage, Wataru and Shouko would be in danger. ¡°I thought you three would be an easy prey, turns out I was wrong.¡± The hooded person walked towards them slowly. The liquid from his arms fell freely to the ground, creating a pattern. Taking a notice, Wataru¡¯s right hand glowed. He clenched it to a fist, and swung right to the hooded person¡¯s face. He dodged, but quickly jumped after seeing Akemi tried to cut him in half. He took a step away from them, before chanting a murmur. Snakes came out from the holes on the ground, caught the Akemi and Wataru off guard. Akemi cut them again like last time, but their blood sprayed on her body. ¡°Marufuji!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m f-¡± Before she could finish her response, her body felt heavy. Her skin was like on fire. Her sights were fading and she fell on her knees. ¡°Marufuji!¡± ¡°What have you done to her?!¡± Worry and anger sprung on Shouko and Wataru¡¯s faces. Meanwhile, the hooded person was enjoying the sight. ¡°Oh nothing, just a small price for slashing my babies. Feel their suffering now!¡± ¡°BASTARD!¡± Wataru¡¯s arms and legs were glowing brighter. With a speed of light, he landed finishing blows on other snakes, before charging for a quick uppercut on the hooded person. This time however, the hooded person saw it coming and landed an uppercut of his own. Wataru¡¯s eyes went wide as he got flown by the force of the punch.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Pathetic. You really too much on your power, kid. And your moves are as clear as day.¡± He let out a bored sigh, then turned his attention towards a frightened Shouko. She started to cry and about to run, but her legs were trembling so much. ¡°Scared? Fear not dear.¡± He put his cold hand to Shouko¡¯s cheek, pulling her face closer to him. Shouko shut her eyes tightly, desperately screaming help on her mind. But the coldness vanished. ¡°What?¡± Akemi Marufuji managed to get back up and fought the hooded person back. Shouko was relieved to see her friend came to her aid, but she didn¡¯t know how she recovered. The hooded person could see it. A faint, red aura emitting from Akemi. Her eyes changed to red. She looked perfectly fine and definitely ready to cut him down. Sending a barrage of slashes from multiple directions in such a short time made the hooded person wonder. ¡°How come this girl is okay now? My poison should¡¯ve work!¡± Frustrated by his prey comeback, he tried to use his own power as well. He vomitted a purplish liquid towards Akemi, which she easily slashed off. Once it cleared, he stabbed Akemi¡¯s torso with his claws. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re done, girl!¡± ¡°NO!¡± Shouko screamed in horror at the sight. However, Akemi was still standing. ¡°Huh?¡± Before he could react, their eyes met. Blood-colored iris stared directly into a void of light, but little did they knew, a small light came up. ¡°You...¡± He murmured, but quickly snapped back to reality and backed away. Blood came out from Akemi¡¯s side and her body collapsed. Shoukou immediately came to her side, tried to stop her bleeding. Wataru slowly regained his consciousness. Suddenly, the hooded person left before anyone noticing. Wataru and Shouko decided to take Akemi to the hospital while trying to digest what just happened. The hooded person meanwhile, arrived at a small home. He took off his jacket, revealing his appearance. His skin was pale, his hair was a mess, and his body was full of his liquid poison. He cleaned all of them for about half an hour. His mind wandered to the eyes of the sword-wielding girl he just faced. He looked towards his finger, to the ring he wore precisely. A nostalgic feeling washed over him as he lost in thought. Closing his eyes, his mouth spelled a name in silent. He opened his eyes, stared at the moon hidden by the clouds. ¡°I found you, Aka.¡± Aftermath of The Encounter Akemi was lying on the hospital bed, her chest rose and fell slowly. After the attack, Wataru and Shouko rushed her quickly. Her injury wasn¡¯t severe, but she had to stay in the hospital for a short time. Both of them currently sitting next to her bed. Wataru directed his vision the floor all the time. He clenched his fist hard while wearing a regretful expression on his face. On the other hand, Shouko wasn¡¯t exactly different. She was confused, scared, and tired. She never experienced such a thing in her life. She already informed the Marufuji household about what happened and they told her that someone will come soon to see them. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Shouko got up and opened it, revealing an old man with a suit. He came inside, greeted both of them, and hold Akemi¡¯s hand. ¡°Young miss...¡± His expression gloomed as he tightened his hold. For years he served the Marufuji clan, never comes the time when Akemi was bedridden like this. He looked up directly to Wataru and Shouko, then bowed to them. Both of them weren¡¯t expecting him to do that. ¡°My deepest gratitude. Young miss Akemi is like my own granddaughter. I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay your help, youngsters.¡± His tone was sincere and grateful, filled with relief. In response, both of them smiled and shook their heads. ¡°It was nothing sir. We are simply helping a friend in trouble. She will definitely do the same for us.¡± Wataru nodded in agreement for what Shouko had said. Shouji felt relieved hearing that. Wataru got up and triedto let him sit, but he politely refused. ¡°You too also in a condition of needing more rest. You deserve that more than this old bones. I¡¯m quite strong, you see?¡± Shouji jokingly flexed his muscle which made the two of them chuckled. Seeing Shouji acted friendly makes both of them more relaxed as they chatted with him. A few minutes later, another person came in. ¡°AKEMI! MY DEAR AKEMI! OH!¡± A man with an eye-patched freaked out right in front of the group while doctor and nurses rushing in to calm him down. Eventually, Shouji came over to him and put his finger on his lips, signaling the man to lower his voice. Slowly, only the sound of soft breathing from Akemi was heard. He calmed down, apologized to the staffs, and greeted the group. ¡°I thank you for saving my sister. I also want to let you know that if you need any help from Marufuji clan, we will be at your service.¡± Akito spoke in such a business-like tone, but they knew there was sincerity in it. But in an instance, he eyed deeply onto Wataru, made the young man sweat as he tried to avert his gaze from the uncomfortable stare. ¡°I suppose you need to tell them something else first, young master.¡± Shouji chimed in to help Wataru, who silently thanked him. Akito stopped and realized it. ¡°Oh right. My name is Akito Marufuji, older brother of Akemi and the current head of Marufuji family. A pleasure to meet you.¡± He introduces himself calmly. ¡°Wataru Koyama, nice to meet you sir.¡± ¡°Shouko Nagatsuka. Please to meet you.¡± Akito looked a bit surprised when he heard Shouko¡¯s name but quickly got himself back together again. He turned to the sleeping Akemi before asking Wataru. ¡°Who did this to my sister?¡± Wataru gave a full story of what had happened. Shouji¡¯s expression turned grim. Akito crossed his arms together, listening intently. He was tapping his finger before slowly turned away towards the window. ¡°I did not expect someone like that is near to us this whole time. This explains what happened to those missing people. Shouji, call Hayate and Nitta back immediately! We need every manpower in our hands to get to the bottom of this.¡± ¡°But young master, Hayate and Nitta are doing other investigations as well. It might affect our relationship with our contractors because of this.¡± Shouji showed his disagreement although he thought of the same thing, unfortunately, Akito had none of that at the moment.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You explained to them we had more important business. My dear sister is injured because of this bastard! Our priority right now is to track him and bring him to justice. Understood?¡± realized his master intention was very much clear and undisputed, Shouji bowed and excused himself off to do his order. Not long after, a nurse came in to tell about the visiting hours. ¡°You can go home. I will watch my sister. Make sure to take some rest.¡± ¡°Then, excuse us, sir.¡± Wataru bid farewell but was stopped by Akito. ¡°I would like to talk with you later, young man.¡± ¡°Y-yes...¡± Felt intimidated for a bit, Wataru stuttered. He left the room first. Shouko bowed to Akito in silent. Akito was about to stop her as well, though in the end prevented himself from doing it. Shouko however, stopped right before opening the door. ¡°She will be fine, big brother Akito. You also need to stop letting your emotion take over you.¡± She left as she finished those words. Akito now looked at an empty spot Shouko had just been, before sitting next to Akemi and tried to calm himself to take control of the situation.
Outside, Wataru and Shouko were waiting for their family to pick them up. Wataru went to buy two cans of juice and gave one to Shouko. The two sat in the lobby, with staffs passing by, patients waiting to get treated, or some of them were just having a talk and watching TV together. Both of them drank in silence until Wataru broke the ice. ¡°Hey, senpai. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I-no. I¡¯m okay. You look much worse, Koyama.¡± ¡°Well, I actually got knocked out back then. Damn! If only I was stronger, Marufuji wouldn¡¯t be hurt.¡± ¡°I think you did your best, Koyama. The good thing is that all of us are alive, that is enough for now.¡± ¡°Yes, I guess I can disagree with that. But still, Marufuji, what was that kind of power?¡± ¡°I should ask you the same question. How did you get that strong? I mean, your physical abilities are not normal.¡± Wataru laughed dryly and rubbed his hair. He drank the remaining contents of his drink. ¡°Senpai, I can¡¯t tell you now. The least I can tell you, my power is made to deal with guys like him. I¡¯ve been searching for the source of the issues we are facing these days, and just when I found him, you guys were caught up with me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you after Marufuji is okay. Deal?¡± Wataru grinned at Shouko. Shouko thought about what he said. As much as she wanted to know the truth, she felt that she would get into more trouble and that could hinder Wataru¡¯s progress as well because she knows his secret. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t leave me out in the dark later. Got it?¡± he nodded and the two shook hands. A half and hour later, Shouko stood up and parted with Wataru. ¡°Your rides here?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you very much for saving me today. Stay safe kouhai.¡± She bowed and Wataru did the same. They waved at each other, then she left the hospital. A black sedan was waiting outside. The driver opened the door for her, and she gave her thanks before entering. The car left the hospital. Inside the running car, Shouko looked over outside. Bright lights of the city and people still wandering in the nights of the city painted her visions. Her expression turned serious for a bit. She took out her cell phone. ¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Wataru!¡± A glasses girl with the short body but quite a large bust came approaching Wataru, who was reading a magazine at the lounge. ¡°Oh, Maika. Hi.¡± Maika suddenly punched his head. Wataru rubbed his head in pain. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°I was worried when you suddenly called from the hospital. I thought you were injured badly, or...¡± Maika burst into tears until Wataru hugged her to calm her down. ¡°Sorry for making you worry. I¡¯m fine and alive, Maika. And did you really think I¡¯m gonna be killed that easily?¡± Wataru tried to look brave to cheer her up and she slowly stopped crying. He also tried to cover his embarrassment for hugging her in front of people, who looked at them like a reuniting couple. ¡®How sweet¡¯, ¡®To be young¡¯,¡®Lucky bastard¡¯, and so on people whispering on them. He backed off once she quieted down. ¡°Better?¡± Maika nodded. Wataru smiled and put his arm onto her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go home Maika.¡± They walked home together until Maika stopped Wataru before they parted ways. ¡°Something you wanna tell me?¡± Maika put her serious face this time. Wataru understood that. ¡°Dad asked you to go to the lab tomorrow. We need to prepare for the upcoming battle.¡± ¡°Perfect. I want to settle the score with him for hurting my friends.¡± Wataru looked furious as he recalled what had happened. Maika looked at him sadly, then put her palm to his wrist. ¡°Be careful okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Thus that ended the night of the first encounter between Akemi, Wataru, Shouko, and the mysterious man. But it will not be their last. Warnings Professor Genjiro was not an organized person. His laboratory, which was built by the government for him to do his research about bio-weapon originally. Midway, he met a woman who tried to find a new way to cure children with fatal disease. Integrating his bio-weapon research into the woman as a partnership, they were successful in the end with the cost of many lives but two survivors. It was unknown what happened to one of them afterward, though the other one was alive and well. The latter currently stood in front of the laboratory entrance, or we could say the front door of Sawatari household. He pressed the bell and a girl opened the door for him. ¡°Morning, Maika. Is professor already in the lab?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask that. He¡¯s always there. Like, seriously.¡± Wataru merely chuckled seeing Maika sighed at her father¡¯s antics. She let him in and asked if he already had breakfast. ¡°Now that you ask, my bread fell after being chased by a dog.¡± Replied him sheepishly. ¡°I already expect that. Eat first, I made miso soup.¡± She told him to sit and she prepared the food. Wataru often eats breakfast with the Sawataris when he came over in the morning to check up his condition. Maika¡¯s mother worked overseas and because of that, Maika was in charge of housework since she was a child. ¡°Mmm, the usual Maika¡¯s menu. Ittadakimasu.¡± She sat across him afterward to eat as well. Seeing Wataru¡¯s satisfied expression every time he ate her meals warmed her chest. She had a crush on him ever since they know each other thanks to Wataru became the test subject. Despite all of that, Professor Genjiro and his wife never treated Wataru badly and looked after him as if he was their own son. ¡°Delicious. Like always. You know, you should open a restaurant Maika. Your cooking skill must not be wasted.¡± ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t have any interest on that. My interest is...¡± She tried to answer, but when their eyes met, she couldn¡¯t control herself and avoided him. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame. But, I guess you¡¯re free to do things you like.¡± He continued gulping down the rest of the soup before putting the chopsticks next to the bowl. ¡°Thanks for the meal.¡± He got up and picked up the bowl to the sink, but Maika stopped him. ¡°Let me do it. Just go see dad now. I don¡¯t want you to be late.¡± Maika took the bowl and began washing them. Wataru then went downstairs to see Professor Genjiro. Downstairs or should we say basement, had a long hall leading towards a room with a wooden door. Left and right of the hall was dark. Wataru asked long time ago about it to Professor Genjiro, but he always refused to explain. He knocked on the door, to check if he was inside. ¡°Yes, come in.¡± Wataru went inside. He saw Professor Genjiro was yawning and scratching his face. His beard started to grow and his eyebags were visible. He often stayed up late to do lot of things, but he rarely leaves the lab. ¡°Good morning sir.¡± Wataru greeted him with a small salute and a smile. Professor Genjiro slowly nodded. ¡°Yes... good morning Wataru. Now, what are you doing this early? Shouldn¡¯t you be at school?¡± asked Professor Genjiro while reaching for his mineral bottle. ¡°Maika said you wanted to meet me, sir.¡± ¡°Oh yeah right. I simply want to do a check on you after what happened.¡± ¡°Okay. So shall we?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Professor Genjiro led him towards a tube. The tube was connected with the large computer next to Professor Genjiro makeshift bed. The other parts which weren¡¯t connected to the computer were connected to a drum. Wataru took off his clothes with only his underwear attached then enter the tube. Professor Genjiro typed the command from the computer to set up the test. ¡°Here we go.¡± Pressing the activation button, the tube lit up and Wataru¡¯s body scan appeared on the screen. Different numbers of each part came out while Professor Genjiro read through all of them. It went on for 5 minutes before the machine turned off and Wataru came out of the tube. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong in the scan. I guess good night sleep helped you recover faster.¡± Professor handed Wataru a glass of water. He drank it and sat next to him. ¡°I suppose. Though, not everyone can do that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong boy?¡± ¡°My friend. She is...¡± before he could finish his sentence, Maika walked in carrying a tray with food. ¡°Dad, here¡¯s your-KYAAAA!!¡± Surprised by her scream, both men looked over to her before Wataru received a slipper and to his face. ¡°PUT ON SOME CLOTHES FIRST!¡± ¡°You... could... have... just... told... me¡­¡± He fell to the ground, unexpected. Professor Genjiro just sheepishly laughed.
After that, Wataru and Maika left for school together. Maika went to a different school which was closer to her home. She glanced at Wataru who was humming a song. ¡°What are you singing?¡± ¡°Ah, just an anime opening I watch last night. Quite catchy.¡± Without looking at her, he replied casually. She sometimes wondered about things Wataru likes, since he never told her about them that much. ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡¯re an otaku. Do you still watch tokusatsu shows too?¡± ¡°You bet! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna miss it!¡± ¡°Oi, you¡¯re already in high school now. Shouldn¡¯t you, you know, watch more shows fits for your age?¡± Wataru stopped, then glared at Maika. Maika shuddered all of a sudden. It seemed that she hit a nerve. ¡°Maika, anime and tokusatsu are everyone to watch. The only thing prevents me from watching it are the ratings. As long it is not R-18, then it¡¯s okay. And don¡¯t say that in front of others. You are being rude.¡± Wataru scolded her in a serious tone. Maika agreed, she didn¡¯t need to say it like that. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She apologized with a look of guilt. ¡°There you go. Good girl.¡± Her breath was caught when he suddenly pat her head. She was happy that he always treated her nicely, but she felt that he was treating her more like a little sister instead of a girl. ¡°I do watch other shows too, y¡¯know. But my priorities are that.¡± They continued walking until they reached Maika¡¯s school. Just as they prepared to part, Wataru felt something from his back. He quickly turned around but was greeted with nothing. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°No. See you later, okay?¡± ¡°Going to the hospital today?¡± Wataru nodded. ¡°I just want to check on Marufuji. After that, we do the usual.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it casually! People might take it in a different way.¡± Maika became flustered because everyone turned into them after Wataru said those words. ¡°Ahahaha, well gotta go. Bye!¡± He ran away towards his school. Maika sweatdropped at his figure. ¡°Careful.¡± She whispered the words she hadn¡¯t said to him because of his sudden retreat. She went towards her own school while being greeted by her friends.
¡°Wataru, it seems this person will cause more chaos in the city.¡± Professor Genjiro was having his breakfast while conversing with Wataru after the ¡®incident¡¯. ¡°He had some powers to summon snakes and let out some strange liquid.¡± Professor Genjiro listened intently. He finished his meal and was about to drink his tea. ¡°He knows I¡¯m type-A.¡± Professor Genjiro spilled out his drinks which made Wataru helped him wipe it off. ¡°Impossible! How could he...don¡¯t tell me he is!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Even if he is ¡®that person¡¯, he shouldn¡¯t have that kind of ability.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Though I wouldn¡¯t rule out any possibility. Just be cautious and quickly report to me if you meet him again.¡± ¡°Understood Professor.¡± While heading towards school, Wataru recalled his morning conversation. It was unlikely that the person was part of the test, but that means someone from the higher-ups was doing double-duty. ¡°I don¡¯t understand complicated things. But since the situation has turned to this, I have to be prepared too. Nagatsuka-senpai deserves to know, though I probably should wait until we are sure who are we facing.¡± He clenched his fist while once more looking back one at a time. ¡°No one¡¯s around. I suggest you come out or I¡¯ll force you.¡± Silence. Wataru relaxed and walked again. From the shadows, came out a woman with a pink kimono and a fox mask. She opened up a folding fan and raised it, letting out a gentle breeze. It eventually reached Wataru and stopped him. He turned around again, seeing nothing but a flower trail. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°This might be a warning. Alright then.¡± The woman smiled from above. Her lips moved, forming shapes of sentences before vanishing.