《Pilgrims/Ascent [Urban Fantasy]》


 1. Ariyama Saato

    He was dreaming.


    The room he was in was small, cramped, with mice skittering across the cobblestone floor, the sound of rushing wind outside, the smell of musk inside.


    Ariyama Saato, wearing an attire fit for a homeless street beggar, took one step forward, then fell through the floor, through the ground, through reality.


    Dreaming of falling through the world, his breath non-existent and his physical form flickering like a dying light bulb, flaking away like old, dried-up paint.


    And yet, he was weightless.


    Without a worry in the world.


    At this moment, as nothing more than a speck of dust in a roaring sandstorm, a drop of water in the vast ocean, Ariyama was perfectly calm.


    Not that he could''ve been anything but that, as the soft ringing in his ears kept his brain active, and the weightlessness of his body made him feel like passing through a soft mattress, over and over.


    He was calm, but not because there was an absence of panic. Rather, that panic was washed away from him, not removed, just locked up. Just out of reach of his mental fingers grasping at the lock.


    Most people may think an absence of panic is good, which it is, but when that aspect of your human nature was trapped and caged in a spot of reality, just out of reach, it made you feel empty.


    And that was just how Ariyama felt. Empty. Like a slice of his soul had been lopped off and thrown away.


    ¡°Give it to me¡­¡±


    His voice sounded distant, even though it was his own, emanating from his own vocal chords. It was like being attached to a speaker and having your words transmitted back to you from various distant points. Still, it made him feel emptier. More and more of his own being was turning on him, ripping free from their confines of his physical body.


    Ariyama began to scream.


    Something happened, and that portion of his soul, which had withheld his panic for so long finally reattached. But at that moment, Ariyama wished it had stayed away from him forever more.


    The panic seized his heart like a vice, crushing it like massive fists mashing it into paste. His breathing, which had also made its return, came out in wretched heaves of breath, his dry wheezing the only sound he could hear now, as the wind rushed in to fill his ears with an assault of soul.


    As he was falling endlessly, he saw millions upon millions of golden coins falling alongside him. Each one boasted a face of a person he knew, their features locked into a look of despair, towards him.


    Then came his mother''s voice, seething with silent fury, followed by his father''s, bellowing with dramatic rage.


    ¡°You disappoint me. You are nothing without what your father gave you. You are no son of mine.¡±


    ¡°You disappoint me. You are nothing without what I gave you. You are no son of mine!¡±


    Finally, Ariyama Saato could hear his own screaming. It was a terrible sound, a cry of pure exaltation and fear from a ruined throat, stretching his vocal chords till they snapped and thrashed each other.


    Make it stop.


    Make it stop.


    Make it stop.


    Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstopmakeit¨C


    Suddenly, there was a flash - a blinding flash - of light. Of light that filled Ariyama''s vision and cascaded him with heat. A nice heat, not like a shower of bubbling magma, but not unlike a mother''s embrace. The warmth raced through his veins, heating his skin and making his frozen features finally collapse into a vague smile on his face.


    And finally, as the fear of death had gripped his heart and threatened to divide his consciousness into millions of disjointed pieces died, Ariyama Saato finally woke up.


    His brain hadn''t fully turned on yet, but he still sat up, the futon pulled up to his chin now falling to pool over his waist. Dropping his head to try and flatten his wild bed head, Ariyama let out a yawn. It felt good to release his pent-up stiffness in that single action.


    To add to the effectiveness, Ariyama stretched his arms high above his head, arching his back as he did so, feeling his vertebrae pop satisfyingly.


    Then, finally crawling out from under his futon, his head still spinning slightly, Ariyama got to his feet.


    His room in the Ariyama household was a bespoke thing. The house itself was styled like a gothic mansion, with lots of angular and pointed architecture, circular windows and highly-intricate designs etched into the pillars outside.


    Ariyama''s father was a wealthy man, mainly thanks to his less-than-legal business practices from before Ariyama was born, seventeen years prior.


    Ariyama wasn''t too sure of the process Father had gone through, but he knew that at the very least, his old man had thrown quite a few people under the bus in order to amass his wealth.


    It was a weird subject for him.


    On the one hand, Ariyama felt a little guilty on behalf of all those people who''d lost all their reputation or credibility due to the machinations of Ariyama Gotou. But on the other hand, he knew deep down that there really wasn''t any need to be sympathetic to those people. First off, they were likely all sleazy businessmen too, because he didn''t believe his father was the type of person to just sabotage any random dude. And second, what could he do now? His father was off in some foreign place, probably amassing even more wealth through more underhanded means. And while he was doing that, Ariyama was still at home with his mother, Harumi, and going to school, spending time with friends, living his life¡­


    It wasn''t as if he was in any state to try and stop his father, even if it was the ¡®right¡¯ thing to do. Did that make him selfish? Yeah, it probably did. But nonetheless, Ariyama wasn''t a complete idiot, so he was well aware that an average seventeen-year-old who likes to workout and play basketball was no match for a business tycoon, like his father.


    He decided that was enough contemplation on the issue. If his ideals had already been set in stone, what need was there to continue preaching them, to himself no less.


    Instead, Ariyama started off with his usual morning routine, which began with a quick ten-minute exercise. He did his push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and before he knew it, his barely-clothed body was coated in a thin sheen of sweat, collecting in excess over his brow and his collar. Not a half-bad way to wake yourself up after a night of plaguing nightmares.


    With an exhausted yawn, Ariyama dropped to his butt, crossing his legs and leaning back, his palms pressing into the cold, hard floorboards. His breath was still coming out quick and sharp, so he let his body cool down and his breathing reset, before sitting back up and staring across his room at the mirror on the wall.


    His room was, as he said, a bespoke thing. An oddity. An irregularity, even. Even though the rest of his house was all gothic and dark, his room only showcased those features with the dark walls, gray wooden floorboards, and giant circular window that took up nearly the whole wall opposite the door. Everything else - which was, funnily enough, all the things he himself had added to the room - showed off a more typical Japanese-styled house. From the futon laying out from the left wall, to the prayer shrine opposite that, to even the basic, slightly-cracked mirror that Ariyama was facing right now. Next to the mirror was a wardrobe on the right and a small cabinet on the left.


    That cabinet. Ariyama had never been able to open it, ever since his family moved to this house as an upgrade from their old one, over a decade ago. Whenever he''d asked his father, the man had said that it was to be locked for a very important reason, and made Ariyama promise to not attempt any funny business.


    Ariyama had come up with a genius plan to throw the cabinet down the stairs from the second floor a couple years back, but had found the cabinet bolted to the floor with fierce-looking metal bolts, which had locked it in place and left it immovable for the rest of its days. Not to mention the fact there was a big golden lock on its front, but Ariyama had failed to locate a key to use. If anything, he assumed his father kept it on him, as it was likely the only way to unlock the secrets of his mysterious chest.


    But if he''d wanted Ariyama to stop snooping around his stuff, why had Father let him have this room, on the second floor, on the left at the very end of the hallway? Stolen story; please report.


    Once again, more useless thoughts. His father would go out to travel for months on end, usually not even returning until it was an important event, like Christmas or a birthday. But even then, there had been years where his ¡®work¡¯ had left him unable to return home in time for Ariyama''s birthday. So as a lame excuse of a compromise, he had sent a single card, which read ¡®Happy Birthday, my son¡¯. That was it. He was his father after all, so Ariyama couldn''t ever truly ¡®hate¡¯ him, but as the months and years passed on, and his mother became more and more distant, it made Ariyama realize just how little his father cared for his family.


    At first, Ariyama thought the man did all of these less-than-legal activities for the benefit of the family, but now he had finally realized the truth: that bastard had only ever done it for himself. As to why Mother had even married him and gotten pregnant with his kid, Ariyama couldn''t even begin to guess.


    Grumbling to himself, Ariyama gave his jaw a sharp tap with his fist, as if to ward away all those bad thoughts. He needed to get dressed, eat, and head to school before his mother scolded him in that passive aggressive way he hated so much.


    Filled with a new drive, he returned his attention to the mirror, vaguely making out his own face in its dusty surface. His black hair was still a little on the messy side, as it always was, with his pale skin making him look a little scary. Apparently, his pale skin was some condition he got during birth, but no research he did led him to the truth. Just another thing his parents wouldn''t tell him. It was almost funny, the way that summed up most of his life.


    ¡®Never getting the answers he was searching for¡¯.


    Still, banishing the thought from his mind, Ariyama fixed his gaze to meet his own onyx black eyes from the perspective of the mirror, his pale skin almost ghostly in its reflection.


    ¡°Geez, what a mess¡­¡±


    Ariyama mumbled to himself as he rose to his feet once again. Looking down at his sparse attire of just a pair of shorts and a wrinkled vest, he really wondered if he could pass for a homeless person if he dirtied himself up and sat out on the street. That was a thought that a ¡®rich kid¡¯ likely never conjured, but hey, Ariyama never used the money at his disposal anyways, always settling for the most reliable option, which just so happened to be the cheaper one.


    He quickly made his way out of the bedroom, crossing the narrow hallway into the door opposite his bedroom; into the bathroom. The room inside was coated in bright white tiles which was always a flashbang compared to the dark and gloominess of the rest of the house.


    Not wanting to waste time, Ariyama quickly went about brushing his teeth and attempting to fix his bush of hair. After a lot of trial and error, he gave up and settled with just the brushing. He finished up, gave his face a wash, then headed back to his bedroom. Inside, he went straight to his wardrobe. Even though he had the funds to accumulate an array of fancy clothes, he really didn''t want to stand out, and instead he selected the most basic things to wear on a regular basis. That was one of the reasons why he was so glad his school, Sasura Academy, had a strict uniform rule.


    Black trousers, a crisp white shirt, a button-up blue blazer with silver cufflinks and buttons, basic black shoes and a neat black tie to finish the outfit.


    Perfect and equal for everyone, save for those people who left their ties loose or their shirts untucked, but Ariyama was nothing if not tidy, so a simple dress code wasn''t too taxing on him. And so, he got dressed quickly, careful to do up his tie the proper way he''d been taught, one of the only skills his father had given him through his whole life.


    Now cleaned and dressed, Ariyama made his way to the stairs at the end of the hallway, carefully tiptoeing past his parent''s bedroom. His school opened at 7:00, early enough for morning clubs, and the first class started at 8:30.


    Right now, the clock over the landing read 7:05 Ariyama hoped his mother was still asleep, in order for him to eat a quick breakfast and bolt out the door ASAP, yes.


    But also because he knew how his mother acted.


    He guessed time away from her husband had made her more¡­ jaded, to say the least. So when she gave him a hard time and raised her voice more and more often, Ariyama knew to hammer that thought into his mind, again and again.


    No, it didn''t make it right for her to be so aggressive all the time, but it sure as hell made Ariyama more durable against her verbal onslaughts, thanks to that knowledge.


    So, he quietly made his way downstairs, then into the kitchen. It was behind a counter that connected it to the living room, which itself led out into the main hallway where the front door was. The kitchen had all the essentials, from cutting boards to a multitude of knives and cutlery, to cupboards stuffed with food and a fridge with tons and tons of beverages and frozen snacks.


    Ariyama knew he should probably get a move on if was to get to school in time, so he quickly slapped together a half-assed breakfast, consisting of jam on soft toast, a bowl of porridge with a drizzle of honey, and a glass of cool milk. Most of the meals he put together himself were more Western than anything, but if it filled him up, he wasn''t too vexed at whatever it was, really.


    Scarfing down his meal, guzzling on his milk, Ariyama checked his phone for any messages from the school or from friends. In his inbox, he found the usual notices from the school, announcing new clubs and workshops for students to sign up for, or messages from his teachers detailing his test scores. They were all fairly average, if a bit above average. It really depended on the subject and how interested Ariyama was in it.


    If he wasn''t interested in it, why bother getting a good result? Sure, it made the teacher of that subject get all pissy at him, but if they all demanded respect from him that they didn''t earn, like all teachers did, then Ariyama would just reject them and give them even less respect than usual.


    Now that his breakfast was all gone, Ariyama quickly deposited the bowl, plate and glass into the sink before running them over with a quick bit of water.


    He checked the time again; this time is read 7:19


    Had he really needed to rush so much so quickly? He had plenty of extra time, so what use was there to rush?


    Making sure he had all the essentials packed in his bag, then strode across the room and entered the door on the left wall. Its hinges wheezed across the floor, the door was pushed open, Ariyama stepped inside.


    The room was fairly large, with no windows save for the small gap high up on the wall opposite him.


    The rest of the room was taken up by equipment.


    All sorts of equipment, from a punching bag that hung off the ceiling by a chain, to a row of mannequins wearing flimsy body armor, to a rack of all different types of wooden swords and other non-lethal weaponry.


    This was Ariyama¡¯s training room.


    His father never wanted this extension to the house to be made, but a young Ariyama had managed to convince him, even if he was quaking in his shoes as he tried. After that, his father never liked him going in here at all, nor did his mother.


    But his father was gone now, and likely for the next good while, and his mother was asleep.


    Ariyama had found that this was the best time to get a bit of training in, to ensure he didn''t get an earful from his mother each time.


    Stretching his muscles, feeling his vertebrae pop in his back again, Ariyama entered the room and quickly went about picking up a long wooden sword from the rack. It had a rectangular-shaped hilt and its blade ended at a right-angle triangle shape.


    Taking some space off to one side of the room, standing in a guarded stance before one of the training mannequins, Ariyama Saato breathed.


    Just as he had taught himself to do for the past five years.


    A slight bend in his knees, his elbows kept close to guard his ribs, his hands gripping the smooth wood of the handle, the blade pointed up and out, set at a diagonal angle.


    The mannequin before him was less than imposing, but it had been manufactured to properly imitate the structure of a medium-build, adult man''s body.


    Ariyama cast just a glance over the unnecessary details etched into the dummy, from the slight mold of abs, to the raised pecs, and the shape of the Adam''s apple in its throat. He felt sick.


    Even when his father had agreed to build the extension ¨C the one time in which Ariyama had actually wanted to use his family''s fortune for something ¨C he refused to go with what Ariyama had called ¡®a simplistic approach¡¯.


    ¡°You are of the Ariyama family. Now, you shall allow nothing but the best of quality¡±.


    What followed was a painstaking two weeks of work done by some manufacturer paid by his father, the finished designs for the mannequins being way more detailed than Ariyama had ever wanted.


    After that, Ariyama never used his family''s money for anything. The one time he wanted something for himself, his father went out of the way to make it overly-complicated.


    Not to mention all those poor families in Junou, struggling while they were spending their money like it was infinite.


    At first, he had thought it was just that his father had wanted to spoil him, making sure to produce the best quality items for his son. But it quickly became apparent that all he was doing was keeping his own self-esteem high. All that money, and he needed to use it to make everything as perfect as possible.


    What better way to figuratively laugh in the faces of all the people he''d wronged in order to gain his wealth?


    Flexing the muscles in his jaw in fury, Ariyama steadied himself again with a breath, leveling the point of the wood sword with the neck of the mannequin.


    And with one sharp inhale, he shifted forward, the tip spearing the dummy in the throat. Ariyama instantly visualized the dummy being alive and swinging a similar sword, arcing right for his head.


    He ducked the invisible swing and parried with a slash to the torso, then a left step and a cut to the face.


    He moved again, and again, cutting and ducking and slashing and dodging, feeling the impact of wood on rubber through his fingers and hands.


    And he kept going, he wouldn''t stop. Never.


    Gasping, his face slick with sweat, Ariyama finally fell to his knees, the sword clattering out of his hands.


    ¡°Too¡­ too much. I pushed myself too far again¡­¡±


    He always did that, after all.


    That was even the reason this room was made in the first place.


    Ariyama had thought that, if he couldn''t make his own path in school, due to his notoriety of being nothing more than ¡®daddy''s money¡¯, he''d do it forcefully.


    None of the school''s clubs had worked out for him, so he had thought the best course of action was to do it at home. Hence him getting his father to build this extension, all for himself.


    He had once thought of a career in something physical, like a gym trainer or martial arts instructor. But like most things in his life, Ariyama Saato just couldn''t find the affinity required to focus on such things.


    But, at the very least, this room had kept him relatively fit and refined for the last five years. He didn''t do any sports or attend any clubs, so this was the only thing keeping him from becoming an unhealthy recluse.


    Ariyama took a moment to stand, and dried his damp face with a towel he always kept close by. He left the sword in his original spot on the rack, then swiftly exited the room and reentered the living room.


    Looking at the time, Ariyama nearly doubled over.


    ¡®7:58¡¯


    Had he seriously been training for that long? A dull rush of panic filling his veins, Ariyama made like the wind, collecting his school bag that he prepared the night before, and heading for the front door.


    Unlocking the door and stepping out into the fresh morning air was like stepping into an ice cold bath after traversing a desert.


    Ariyama just stood there for a moment, rolling his head back and breathing in the relaxing aroma of the air, the trees surrounding his house swaying slightly in the breeze, whatever leaves they had left rustling alongside them. It was early November, only a little into his second term in his second year at the highschool, so it was nice to be settled into his role as a senior to the first year students, not to mention the obvious refreshing morning air that always accompanied him to school each day.


    Regardless, it was now nearly eight, so Ariyama steadied himself and began his long walk to his school.

 2. Day at the Academy I

    Ariyama stood outside the main gate of Sasura Academy, the crisp morning air pulling at his clothes and hair. The gate was nearly twice his height, and made of glimmering steel, the light of the morning sun hitting the reflective surface.


    It was fairly quiet for such a late starting time. He usually got to school around eight, just to give him plenty of time to wander around and catch up with his classmates, but he was very off today. He had only left the house at eight, and now it was just ten minutes till homeroom. Still, it was reassuring to see other students also going through the main gate at the same time. At least Ariyama wasn''t the only one running late on time.


    Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Ariyama briskly jogged into the courtyard. It was made of hard concrete; a few patches of grass with trees growing from them were also dotted around the place.


    It looked quite barren, as it always did, but Ariyama wasn''t one to question the schedules of other students. Anyways, if it was less than ten minutes before homeroom, most of them would already be in class. It was always a good idea to get to your desk a few minutes before the teacher came in, unless you wanted to get badly verbally abused.


    As Ariyama approached the set of steps leading to the two glass doors that led into the main ground floor hallway, a voice suddenly called out


    ¡°Hey, Ariyama-kun. How come you''re so late today?¡±


    At the voice, Ariyama turned as a girl approached from his left, having just grabbed a can from the vending machine perched against the outer wall. Her hair was long and thick, the color of onyx, which contrasted her crystal blue eyes.


    Matsune Sasya.


    Why was the most popular girl in school suddenly talking to him all of a sudden? Matsune was one of the top performers in the whole of second year, both academically and athletically. It was no wonder there were stories of her getting up to five confessions from different boys each day. All of which she declined in the nicest way possible.


    Not only was she smart, good-looking and athletic, she was also very kind. So much so that all the girls wanted to be her friend, and all the boys just wanted her in general.


    Ariyama prided himself in being able to stay out of what was considered the ¡®norm¡¯ at school, but even he had once fallen for Matsune''s charms, back when they were in first year. He''d never tried asking her out, though. Probably because of the ratio of her accepting confessions to declining them.


    It had gotten to a point where he''d sort of fallen out of interest in her. She was pretty, and very kind, of course. But there was just something off about her.


    ¡°Oh, good morning, Matsune. How come you''re not in class yet?¡±


    ¡°Well, as you can see, I was just getting a quick drink from the vending machine. I''m sure Ijichi-sensei won''t mind if I''m a little late right?¡±


    Matsune flashed a bright smile and cracked open her fizzy drink and took a delicate sip. She wore the basic uniform for the girls, all in perfect condition, of course. A blue jacket, black tie and white shirt like the boys, but also a black skirt stopping just above the knees and thigh-high tights, which helped show off her perfect legs. The boys in the school sure loved that.


    Even the silver bracelet she always wore on her right wrist gleamed in the morning sun.


    Still, Ariyama looked at her with an unimpressed gaze. Even though she was, on the surface, a kind and likable person, Ariyama just couldn''t help but find her a little irritating. The way she seemingly had all the students, and the teachers, wrapped around her finger just gave him a bad feeling. If it were any other student, Ijichi-sensei would give them a verbal beating. But because Matsune was Matsune, she could get away with things like this.


    ¡°Aah¡­ This is some great stuff. Here, Ariyama-kun, I can buy one for you if you''d like.¡±


    Matsune smiled in a friendly manner as she held out her hand, holding a few yen notes. Ariyama gave her a weak smile. It was hard to try and fake emotions for him. People could always see through his guises, and he doubted Matsune was any different.


    ¡°Oh, no thanks, Matsune. I need to head to class anyways, so I should probably get a move on. Talk to you later, OK?¡±


    It was subtle, but Ariyama swore he saw Matsune''s face fall a fraction when he said that, but she quickly covered it up with another bright, toothy smile.


    ¡°OK, OK, Ariyama-kun. I''ll see you around, then! If you ever want to grab a drink from the vending machine, come and find me, OK? I''ll pay for you. My treat, OK?¡±


    Damn. When she acted like this, all kind and supportive, it made Ariyama feel bad for thinking badly of her. But still he did so anyway, as if it was out of his power to stop.


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Thanks for the offer, Matsune. If I think of it, I''ll keep it up on my end, OK?¡±


    Matsune giggled childishly.


    ¡°OK! Talk to you later, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    With that, Ariyama gave her a single nod, then turned away and headed up the steps into the school.


    Inside, it was still very barren. Checking his watch, Ariyama saw he had about seven minutes until homeroom. Plenty of time to get to class.


    Still, he had a weird eerie feeling as he walked the desolate halls of the school, which were always so busy. It made Ariyama feel oddly alone, as if he was the only person left on the planet.


    ¡°It''s not time for dumb thoughts like that.¡±


    Ariyama washed away his useless thoughts, as he always did, and continued on. His mind sure did like to wander.


    ¡°Hey, wait up, Ariyama!¡±


    Another person interrupting him this morning? Dammit.


    Ariyama, putting a passive expression, turned around and saw three guys running up to him from the other side of the corridor. They all looked so nearly identical, people usually thought they were triplets. But no, they were just as unassuming as each other.


    All clad in their school uniforms, Kajima, Machira and Sudo all ran up to him.


    Wheezing, Kajima ¨C the de facto leader, with his black hair buzzed ¨C looked at Ariyama like he always did; with a look of admiration.


    But Ariyama knew his admiration was fabricated.


    ¡°Phew¡­ Man, Ariyama, you are one fast guy alright! So how''s it going?¡±


    That was from Sudo, the bulkier of the three.


    Ariyama wanted to tear the stupid grin off his face.


    ¡°Sorry you three, I need to head to class, or else I''ll be late. So if you''ll excuse me¨C¡±


    But Kajima blocked him with his forearm.


    ¡°Hey, hold on a sec, Ariyama. Please. See, we''ve got a bit of an issue. We were out last weekend, and went to this new games shop that opened last month. After we searched the place, now we''re looking into buying this cool new console¡­¡±


    Ah, here it comes.


    ¡°And seeing as you definitely have some, how should I say, spare change on you, would you be able to lend us some? I promise we''ll pay back.¡±


    At that, both Sudo and Machira nodded vigorously.


    Ariyama, however, flexed his jaw, trying to stay composed.


    ¡°You said that about the last bit of money I lent you, no? And Kajima, I haven''t gotten it back since.¡±


    Kajima''s face lit up red.


    ¡°I-I-I understand¡­ but that was our mistake. I promise it won''t happen again, as long as you just give us some cash.¡±


    Ariyama heard the slight irritation growing in Kajima''s tone, so he decided to try and exit the conversation before things got too freaky.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Oh, is everything OK over there, guys?¡±


    At the sound of a female further down the hall, everyone''s heads turned back as Matsune Sasya walked in from outside, probably deciding to finally get to class, just on time as she always did.


    This was perfect. Because if there was one thing the three idiots loved more than Ariyama''s money, it was Matsune.


    Blushing already, Ariyama having been completely forgotten, the three bolted for Matsune, calling her name in glee.


    Ariyama smirked to himself as he turned to continue down the opposite direction. He felt bad for leaving Matsune to deal with those idiots, but as long as they were off his case, he was happy.


    And yet, those three were only some of the people pining for Ariyama''s affection, just to get his money. He''d tried to distance himself more and more, as he became more insightful about who was being friends for what reason. But clearly, his efforts were still for naught.


    As he made his way to the stairs, he thought back to his encounter with Matsune. It was short, but not exactly sweet. Matsune, as usual, was all bubbly and smiley, while Ariyama had to force his smiles.


    Maybe. Maybe she was just genuinely a good person. Everyone in the school thought so, at least on the outside, so even if it did turn out to be all a front, there was no way for Ariyama to prove it, unless he had some hard evidence.


    And even that might not work on some of her biggest fans.


    Ariyama cursed himself as he reached the second floor, heading across the hallway towards his classroom. How much of an idiot was he being? There was no proof of Matsune being anything more than a sweet girl, so it more reflected on the type of person he was, more than anything.


    Why was he blaming Matsune for maybe having something fake about her, when he himself had just the same thing.


    But the difference is, if the truth about where his family''s wealth had come from got out to the public, would he even still have friends?


    Ariyama wasn''t too popular, not being invited to parties over the weekend nearly ever, but people still knew of him. They  knew him as ¡®that one rich kid with a lot of time on his hands.¡¯ He didn''t go to any clubs after or before school, so that''s probably why they thought that.


    But what if everyone figured out how his family''s ill-gotten wealth was accumulated? What would they think of him then? Ariyama supposed it would definitely change their opinion, and maybe showcase who was being friends with him for the money, and who was being friends with him for him.


    For some people, like the trio who''d corner him just moments ago, it was obvious they wanted his money. But what about his other, closer friends? Did the same apply to them?


    If that was the case, all he needed to do was something on his own. Fulfill his own wish, whatever it was. Then, he''d have something to be proud of, something that he could take pride in the fact he did it himself, and didn''t rely on others and their underhanded tactics to produce results.


    And people would for sure like him, even if his wealth wasn''t in the equation.


    He wouldn''t be like his father. He''d be better, in every way. All he needed to do was accomplish something he himself was proud of.


    But he didn''t know what that was, his wish. Did it need to be something big? Probably. It definitely did, right? Something so big and impressive that everyone would look upon him and then they''d have no reason to leave him. Even if he lost the wealth his father gained.


    At least then, he''d have cemented himself as his own person, without leeching off others¡¯ success. If you could even call his dad''s schemes successful.


    He finally reached his classroom with a few minutes to spare, and swiftly opened the door that led to the back row, where he always sat, slipped inside.


    As he expected, the heating was on to battle the cold air of the winter, and nearly everyone was in, chatting to each other or sitting on their own eagerly awaiting Ijichi-sensei''s arrival. Well, eagerly wasn''t the right word. Ariyama doubted anyone even liked the stern, no-nonsense history teacher. He was also their homeroom teacher, and so they saw him more than any of the other staff.


    Careful to not get called out for his lateness, Ariyama hefted his bag and quickly ran to his desk, the very left of the second-last row.


    ¡°Yo, Saato. Little late this time, eh?¡±


    Ariyama didn''t have to turn around to know who spoke those words. Apart from his mother and father, there were only two others who called him by his first name. One girl and one boy. And this was a man''s voice.


    ¡°Hey, Yasuke. I was just a little late, as you said. I suppose I slept in a little too much.¡±


    Yaranagi Yasuke was, in simple terms, a delinquent at school. He wore his shirt untucked, his shoes were not matching his uniform, and he had gotten to the point where he just didn''t wear his tie anymore. His red hair was buzzed close to his head and he had an assortment of piercings; three on his earlobe, one on his nose and one on the corner of his eyebrow.


    He was also the closest thing to what Ariyama could call a ¡®best friend¡¯. They''d known each other since elementary school, and had gone to Sasura Academy together, which was around the time Yaranagi converted to a different group of people, most of whom were upperclassmen with less-than-superb reputations.


    Still, after falling into a crowd of boys much older than him, and going through the full transformation into a thug, Yaranagi still talked to Ariyama like he did when they were kids, even if the stuff he''d talk about sure wasn''t kid-friendly.


    It still surprised Ariyama every now and then that he still even liked him.


    Maybe, just maybe, Yaranagi Yasuke would be one person who''d stick by Ariyama, even if everyone figured out about his family''s situation.


    Yaranagi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk, the one at the very left back corner of the classroom. As to why the teachers left the most disruptive student at the most secluded spot in the room, Ariyama hadn''t a clue. Did they want him to cause chaos in every class? Or maybe it was because of his father.


    Yaranagi''s father was supposedly a powerful Yakuza member, so if Yaranagi had some complaint about a certain teacher, they''d have a member of the Yakuza to deal with. Ariyama knew Yaranagi wasn''t the type of person to tattle to his parents about school life, but the teachers didn''t know him as well, so they didn''t want to take chances.


    ¡°So, Saato, is that really the only reason? Hmm..?¡±


    Yaranagi smirked deviously. Ariyama could only guess what he was getting at.


    ¡°Seriously, Yasuke. That was the only reason.¡±


    ¡°Hm, if you say so. But I did have to go for a bathroom break a few minutes ago, and I just so happened to glance out the window. Guess who I saw? That''s right, it was Ariyama Saato talking to the school babe, Matsune Sasya.¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t help the blush that formed on his face. It wasn''t out of embarrassment, but rather out of frustration. Of course Yaranagi just happened to be at the right place at the right time.


    ¡°U-uh, so what if we were talking? I was already later than usual by that point, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°That so? Well, I didn''t see you before that. For all I know, you two were talking for ages. For so long that you forgot the time and ended up just about making it to class.¡±


    ¡°OK, that''s complete rubbish. It''s a reach if nothing else. I''m telling you the truth. I arrived here with about ten minutes to spare, and just so happened to meet Matsune. We talked for a bit then I left.¡±


    He couldn''t help but get a little flustered and angry. He hated when people misunderstood him.


    Yaranagi held up his hands defensively.


    ¡°OK, OK. No need to get all defensive, bro. But there''s no need to deny the fact if you have feelings for her. We both know everyone does. I know I do.¡±


    Ariyama raised a brow and leaned a little closer to him, a mild surprise etched onto his face.


    ¡°Well, I''m surprised you''re so confident in telling me that. Most guys I know would at least keep it to themselves¡­¡±


    Yaranagi just chuckled, his mouth spreading into a wide grin.


    ¡°Nah, when it comes to her, I''d never deny the fact I find her smoking hot. I dunno if I''d ever ask her out though. Probably not, since she''s known for rejecting anyone and everyone. But I can still admire her from a distance.¡±


    Yaranagi moved his gaze from Ariyama over to the other side of the classroom. Ariyama followed in the direction of his eyes, and saw the one and only Matsune, sitting in a perfect posture at her desk on the right side of the room, at least five girls and boys surrounding her, fighting each other over who got to talk to her first.


    Ariyama whistled in fake surprise. It wasn''t like seeing Matsune like this was anything special. Like seeing a bird fly or seeing the sun in the sky or seeing Yaranagi manage to break nearly every bit of classroom etiquette every single day.


    ¡°Oh wow, Matsune is getting fawned over? No way. I''m so shocked. Don''t I look so shocked, Yasuke?¡±


    Yaranagi grumbled and gave him a venomous glare. ¡°Shut up. You really think you''re cute, aren''t you?¡±


    Ariyama swallowed a little, his face heating up as he blushed softly. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°And stop apologizing. You''re acting like I''ll beat you up for this or something.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¨C I mean, right¡­¡±


    ¡°But to be honest, if you weren''t you, and you were someone else right now, I might just beat you up anyways.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Yasuke. It''s not cool that you''re so mean to nearly everyone who isn''t me or your thug buddies.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn''t be complaining. You''re not the one at risk of being beaten up. Someone like Takemichi on the other hand¡­¡±


    Yaranahi turned sharply to the boy wearing glasses at the seat right next to him, giving him a dangerous scowl. Takemichi Yuno squeaked in fear like a mouse and turned his attention back to his textbook. Yaranagi looked back at Ariyama with a chuckle and a grin, which was rewarded with a sigh of tiredness.


    ¡°Seriously, Yasuke? That poor guy¨C¡±


    ¡°Hey! There''s nothing ¡®poor¡¯ about that snot-nosed idiot. I hear he''s fairly well off, thanks to his daddy''s money.¡±


    Yaranagi suddenly grinned.


    ¡°Hey, kind of like me, but my dad''s more influential than well-off. In that case¡­¡±


    Yaranagi looked at Ariyama with a knowing, playful look in his eye. ¡°Yeah, he''s more like you, then.¡±


    Ariyama just smiled, but internally he shivered, his hands subconsciously clenching tight like a vice on his lap. He hated when people brought up his wealth, even if it was what most people knew him for. Ariyama just had an anxious feeling and worried that one day someone would mention his family''s wealth and then say, ¡°Oh right, all that money you have is from your dad doing some shady stuff, huh rich kid? I guess I''ll have to stop being your friend now. I don''t want you helping me out with illegal money¡±.


    Even just thinking of someone doing that, publicizing his most close-kept insecurity and leaving him at the will of the power of school society. He''d be demoted for sure, losing all those people he''d known over the past few years. Why else were they all so nice to him, only to ask for a bit of spare change nearly every time. They probably thought he hadn''t caught on, but what was worse was that he had caught on, but did nothing about it.


    That''s why he needed that big opportunity.


    If he could do something, of his own accord and without the help of anyone else, it would ensure that his classmates would stay friendly with him forever more. Because then it wouldn''t matter if they figured out the truth, as Ariyama would be known for so much more than his money by then.


    That''s what he hoped, at least.


    The idea itself didn''t seem too challenging. Just do something that makes everyone think he''s ¡®cool¡¯ and more than just a kid with some extra funds.


    The problem was coming up with the action itself. What would be cool and flashy enough to show off his other talents? In fact, what even were his talents?


    Ariyama wasn''t good at sports like basketball. He could play a little piano, but he knew a piano solo wouldn''t be big enough. It had to be something unbelievable, like saving someone''s life from an out-of-control vehicle or stopping the school from exploding. But the chances of those scenarios happening were next to zero, so Ariyama had to think realistically.

 3. Day at the Academy II

    ¡°Uh, hello? Buddy, are you OK?¡±


    Yaranagi''s voice shattered Ariyama''s thoughts like glass, and he suddenly jolted to attention.


    ¡°Right. Yes, of course. I was definitely listening to you the whole time and didn''t zone out after you talked about Takemichi being like me.¡±


    Yaranagi hollered with laughter.


    ¡°See? That twerp is a pain to all of us. Now he''s got people zoning out from being compared to him!¡±


    ¡°Wha¨C No. Yasuke, that''s not what I meant and you know it.¡±


    Yaranagi laughed it off and waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Right, right. I''m sorry. I won''t get your words twisted in the wrong meaning.¡±


    Ariyama huffed and crossed his arms, glancing down at his watch. Its shiny, reflective surface read 8:28.


    ¡°Huh, still two minutes to go. I suppose Ijichi-sensei is taking his time for once. Though, he''s not the type of person to be late¡±


    ¡°That''s what I''m saying! I bet it''s just his mind breaking down. Maybe he''s actually a really old guy.¡±


    ¡°But he looks to be in his thirties. If he turned out to be some old guy, all those girls who have weird crushes on him would revolt. Not to mention those few guys who actually like him as a teacher.¡±


    ¡°One of which being you, right?¡±


    Ariyama stared in confusion and disbelief.


    ¡°What did you say? Me? Like him? Yeah, as if?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, we both know you don''t hate him as much as I do.¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t mean I like him, though. And also that isn''t a competition.¡±


    ¡°OK, but if it was¨C¡±


    ¡°Yaranagi Yasuke, shut the hell up.¡±


    Yaranagi chuckled dryly, his broad shoulders shaking softly as he did so. Whenever he did laugh, which was often at the expense of people weaker than him, Yaranagi seemed almost like a big baby, with lots of muscles, giggling about something incomprehensible.


    Just then, Ariyama checked his watch.


    His eyes met the watch face and saw it turn to 8:30. At that very moment, almost scarily, the top doors of the room squealed open and Ijichi Morimoto walked in, dressed in his regular attire, consisting of a white button-up shirt, and brown slacks. His jet black hair was slicked back, and his face was lined, even if he was only in his thirties.


    Ariyama''s heart quickened ever so slightly in his chest at the pure unnatural nature of Ijichi-sensei walking in at exactly the class''s start time. A sudden, humorous image of Ijichi standing outside the door, eyes locked on his watch, waiting for the exact turn of the minute to make an entrance, flashed behind Ariyama''s eyes.


    It was so funny that Ariyama couldn''t bite back the sudden single bark of a laugh that he released. And despite being in the second-last row, his laughter traveled all the way to Ijichi-sensei''s ears as he set his backpack down on the teacher''s desk.


    The man turned to face the whole class in one swift motion, and even though Ariyama''s heart skipped another best in apprehension, he could see the man more clearly now.


    His square glasses over his tired eyes, his sunken cheeks, pale skin, hooked nose and black hair slicked back in a thin sheet of black down his neck.


    ¡°So, Ariyama, what was that noise exactly?¡±


    Ariyama''s face burned with embarrassment, driven on by Yaranagi''s silent giggles behind him.


    ¡°Uh, sensei, sorry. I just thought about this thing from before class, you see, and¨C¡±


    Ijichi held up a hand sharply, silencing the next syllable coming from Ariyama''s mouth.


    ¡°Enough, Ariyama. It''s not like I especially care what your thoughts are about. Just don''t interrupt my class. Speaking of which, this class is already behind, so everyone, open their textbooks on page 104¡­¡±


    As Ariyama was fearing, with a certain knowledge of inevitably, Ijichi-sensei''s class dragged on for ages and ages, quickly chipping away at his mental state, until, by the time the bell rung to signal the class had ended, he was face planted on his desk, fingers feverishly fiddling with his pens, mumbling nonsensical jargon to himself.


    Yaranagi stood up from his desk, stretching his large arms with a feral yawn, intentionally making it as audible as possible, so even Ijichi might have heard it as he exited the classroom.


    Yaranagi knelt down by Ariyama''s desk, shaking his friend violently, making Ariyama feel like throwing up.


    It was so annoying, when it came to Ijichi-sensei. Ariyama loved history and learning all the dates, the chronology and the big important events on a timeline, but he just couldn''t deal with Ijichi. Be it his ice-cold death stares he''d give students from across the room, or his weirdly rude way of speaking, Ijichi never seemed to be happy to teach his class, and that reflected negatively on the class as a result.


    One thing Yaranagi hadn''t lied about was the fact no one in the class even liked Ijichi. Ariyama didn''t exactly have the most apt skills at empathy, but even he could recognise when the teachers weren''t being assholes, but were just sick of having to deal with sulky teenagers all day.


    But that hint of empathy he was capable of showing didn''t ever work on Ijichi. He had tried before, of course, but to no avail.


    Ijichi was an anomaly. A depressed, cranky anomaly.


    ¡°Get up, Saato! It''s lunch already. I know, isn''t it crazy?¡±


    Yaranagi¡¯s attempt at humor didn''t persuade Ariyama to un-plant his face from the desk.


    ¡°Seriously? Come on, Mr Money, I think I need some spare change for my lunch. I forgot my pocket money at home.¡±


    But then there was another voice that entered the fray. A feminine one.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Ariyama-kun. It''s not healthy to not eat. Even missing one meal can lead to terrible and consistent tummy pains. And I''d hate for my classmate to miss school for a number of days of school over something so avoidable.¡±


    Frowning at the new voice that joined, and the weird fact that even Yaranagi had gone quiet, Ariyama grumbled and brought his head up, turning slightly¨C


    Only to see the smiling face of Matsune Sasya right up in his face, her blue eyes shining like polished gems and her long hair like a mass of darkness.


    ¡°Oh, Ariyama-kun, you''re awake! Cool! Now run along and get some food in your belly before the hunger monsters come for you. And¡­¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, her smile turning different somehow.


    ¡°...I''ll be there too, in a few minutes, so come chat if you want to, OK? Oh, and that stuff about the food monsters was a joke, by the way. See ya!¡±


    She gave him a cheerful pat on the hand, before straightening up and hurrying over to join her harem of boys and girls, who followed her out, flashing back Ariyama disgusted looks.


    Seems they didn''t like what was ¡®theirs¡¯ being with someone else. Huh. Odd.


    Just then, Ariyama remembered Yaranagi was right beside him, and turned to look at him, expecting maybe to see a look of pure affection like everyone else.


    But he wasn''t looking at the retreating Matsune, but instead at Ariyama, a huge grin on his face, shaking his head slowly in disbelief.


    ¡°W-what? Why are you looking at me like that¡­? Yasuke¡­?¡±


    Yaranagi didn''t bother trying to suppress the incredulous chuckle he made.


    ¡°You damned lucky bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°I''m saying you''re a lucky bastard.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Damn, dude, are you really that dense? It''s so obvious that Matsune likes you.¡±


    At those words, Ariyama''s face burned with embarrassment, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.


    ¡°She likes me? Why would she¡­ like me?¡±


    ¡°No clue, but the signs are obvious. Her mannerisms, her tone of voice when speaking to you, and being a little extra smiley when around you. All signs of a girl liking you; not that I expect you to realize it. You''re crap when it comes to females.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°OK, that''s mean. And even if she does like me, what do you expect me to do? I told you I don''t have feelings for her now, and even if I did, her fanclub would have me executed before they allowed us to start dating or whatever.¡±


    Yaranagi crossed his arms, leaning against Ariyama''s desk, mumbling thoughtfully.


    ¡°Fair point. Those ones are way too obsessed for you to just walk up to Matsune and ask her out. So instead, it looks like it''ll have to be in secret.¡±


    Ariyama frowned, meeting his friend''s gaze with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°In secret? How will that work?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I''m fairly scary and intimidating when I want to be¨C¡±


    ¡°Which is always, I suppose..¡±


    ¡°¨Cso I should have to problem luring those six or so members of her so-called ¡®fanclub¡¯ away from her. I just need a good reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe just tell them you have some ¡®urgent news¡¯ to tell them regarding Matsune, and that it''s important to talk alone.¡±


    Yaranagi snapped his fingers in agreement.


    ¡°Awesome, we''ll go with that. And while I''m doing that, you head to Matsune and confess your feelings to her. I''m confident she feels the same way.¡±


    ¡°Wha¨C Dude, I just told you I don''t like her. Well, I ¡®like¡¯ her, I suppose. She''s a nice enough person, but I don''t have a crush.¡±


    Yaranagi shook his head sadly.


    ¡°You still don''t get it, young one. When it comes to a slice of smoking hot like Matsune, you have to take every chance you get. Even if you don''t like her, just getting her as your girlfriend would boost your status a hundredfold. It''s Matsune Sasya we''re talking about, after all.¡±


    Ariyama felt that pang of exaltation in his chest again. He wondered if maybe that was one way to complete something big. If not, it''d at least make him known for more than his money, right? He''d be known as ¡®Matsune Sasya''s boyfriend¡¯, rather than ¡®the boy with too much money, which all came illegally through his sleazebag of a dad¡¯.


    But¡­


    Thinking about it, Ariyama wasn''t sure which one was better, or which one was worse.


    Damn it, why did all his options have to include other things or people, be it money or Matsune? Was it really so difficult for him to make his own goal come true by scoring big on his own.


    No, it had to be. He wouldn''t allow anyone to help him in making that big chance. Because if he did, it wouldn''t be just him who caused it, but some other as well.


    Yaranagi scratched the back of his buzzed head.


    ¡°Eh, so what do you think?¡±


    But still, Ariyama didn''t want to disappoint Yaranagi by messing up his plan. He guessed he might as well humor him, just this time.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, OK. I suppose I can give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Geez, you switched up quickly. One second, you were saying you don''t have feelings for her, but now suddenly you''re all compliant.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I figured I''d give it a shot, even if I still don''t believe she actually likes me.¡±


    Yaranagi grinned, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Well, awesome! Alright, I''ll lure away those nasty leeches from her, and you head to the cafeteria to catch her. Got it?¡±


    Ariyama swallowed thickly in apprehension.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. But Yasuke, how will you get the attention of all those followers?¡±


    Yaranagi didn''t answer outright, but instead his smile turned from one of relief to one of mischief.


    ¡°I have my ways, Saato. Don''t worry about me, I''ve got this. Now run along, star-crossed lover.¡±


    Ariyama hesitated for only a moment before getting out of his seat, grabbing his bag and running out of the class, into the hallway outside and heading right for the cafeteria.


    As Ariyama opened the squeaking door to the cafeteria, the first thing he noticed was the loud rustling of students as they talked together at different tables or got their orders from the counter at the cafeteria.


    The cafeteria itself was directly opposite the door Ariyama entered from. There were four pillars on each side of the center of the room, where all the tables were set between them. Most of those tables were empty, save for one right next to the front right column.


    Quickly heading there, Ariyama dropped his bag to secure the table as his own and continued on to the queue for the cafeteria. He grabbed a tray from the stack at the edge of the counter and eagerly waited his turn.


    When was Matsune supposed to be here?


    She said she was on her way, and even left before Ariyama did. But it was probably Yaranagi, doing whatever he had to in order to separate her from her harem. Ariyama couldn''t even recall very many times when he''d seen Matsune alone without her group, especially at lunch time.


    This morning was an exception, which he didn''t expect to experience again.


    He pondered the question further as he finally reached the deli. He got his regular order and paid with the money he had spare. He never brought more than just enough when he came to school. Sure, everyone already knew he was rich and all, but he just hoped he could keep the gossip down, as long as he didn''t make a show of doing things the ¡®expensive way¡¯, like wearing diamond-encrusted watches or paying for only the most expensive items in the cafeteria.


    Of course, that led to his ¡®regular meal¡¯ consisting of the most basic of options, and nothing too flashy.


    As he made his way back to his table, Ariyama noticed there were already three people sitting down there.


    Muttering to himself in annoyance, he hesitated a moment, a little worried to approach them. Then he steeled himself and walked over, ready to kindly ask if they could piss off. There was no way to talk to Matsune alone when there were three other students snooping on their conversation.


    Wait, why was it like he was actually excited to talk to Matsune? He''d only really agreed to Yaranagi''s plan to get him to stop pestering him. But what if Matsune did show up? What would they even talk about?


    The conflict inside his head disappeared as he reached the table, him placing down his tray alerting the others, who turned to look his way.


    ¡°Oh it''s you, Ariyama.¡±


    He knew these guys.


    The one who just spoke was Katsuragi Kento who wore his uniform in pristine condition. His rectangular glasses covered his intense gold eyes, and his teal hair fell down his forehead in bangs.


    One person over from Masturagi on the bench was a girl with long hot pink hair, tied into a braid, with glittering purple eyes. Odomura Airi.


    And in the last seat, after Odomura, was another girl, her tan skin making her stand out, her pale blue eyes blinking cutely, and her bleached hair cut into a bob, like a golden waterfall, with a little pink hair clip. That was Kazura Machi.


    There were only two people who were close enough to Ariyama to call him ¡®Saato¡¯. One was Yaranagi, of course, and the other was Kazura. He''d been friends with her, like with Yaranagi, since they were young, although Ariyama knew Yaranagi longer.


    And while Ariyama and Yaranagi had stayed as best friends for the past few years, Kazura had seemingly split off into her own friend groups.


    Yes, groups.


    Because her looks and tomboy-ish nature made her so popular ¨C probably second only to Matsune ¨C among the boys, she had been slowly but surely invading other people''s circles.


    And the one with Odomura and Katsuragi was one of those groups


    Realizing he was friendly with the habitants of the seats, Ariyama''s scowl of annoyance turned to a smile of recognition, and he sat down next to Katsuragi.


    ¡°Katsuragi, Odomura, Machi. I didn''t expect to see you guys here. I thought your class was out on a field trip today?¡±


    These three were good friends with Ariyama, but were in a different class ¨C 2A, while Ariyama and Yaranagi were in 2B.


    At Ariyama''s question, Kazura sighed deeply, turning her pouty face towards her tray and poking at a small box of ramen idly.


    ¡°Yeah, Saato-kun, we were supposed to, but then those idiots told us the bus had broken down on the way to the school. So now we can''t go! If it had broken down after we left, we''d have at least some


    time out of his dumb school, but no!¡±


    Ariyama winced sympathetically at her comment as he began sipping at his carrot soup.


    ¡°That''s got to suck. Sorry to hear that.¡±


    Katsuragi sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping.


    ¡°Yes, it is quite unfortunate. But on the bright side, they said they''d reschedule it for next week. So at least we''ll be able to go to that historical museum soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. That''s good to hear.¡±


    Kazura turned her attention to Katsuragi, with a huge scowl on her face. She suddenly reached over to grab him by the collar and pulled him in close, knocking the chopsticks out of Odomura''s hands, who sat between them, and nearly crushing her with Katsuragi.


    ¡°Hey, you listen here, Kento-kun! I don''t give a damn if they rescheduled it to tomorrow! I was waiting all week for this trip, and I even packed an extra big lunch because I thought we''d be so long at the museum that we''d skip lunch break.¡±


    Katsuragi struggled in her grip, a nervous look on his face as he was overwhelmed by Kazura''s intense behavior.


    ¡°I¡­ ah, I see what you mean. But if you had packed lunch, why come here to the cafeteria?¡±


    Kazura paused, looking at Katsuragi like a puppy after being kicked. She even let out a sob before letting him go. He returned to his seat, then gave Odomura a nod, and sighed gratefully as he was released.


    Kazura, on the other hand, was shaking at the shoulders and looking down at her lap, her hands scrunching her skirt. She looked like she was about to start bawling and crying.


    ¡°I-I also forgot that lunch when we were told the bus broke down. So not only did I not get my museum trip, but my beautiful packed lunch that I made myself for once¡­¡±


    She shook violently, before pounding her fists on the table.


    ¡°AARGH, this isn''t fair! This cruel world doesn''t like me one bit!¡±


    Odomura chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Ah haha¡­ No, I''m sure that''s not why, Kazura-chan¡­¡±


    Geez, Kazura really did want to get on that trip, huh?


    Ariyama knew it wasn''t so much because of getting to leave school and miss classes for a few hours, but instead because she genuinely loved anything history.


    To Ariyama, Kazura didn''t seem like the type of girl who''d take a liking to that kind of stuff, but he''d been sorely mistaken.


    Along with being in the soccer club, and the art club, Kazura also took part in the monthly History of the Month event in the school, where a group of students from across all classes in second year would work together to create a presentation to show the whole year, about a singular historic figure.


    No doubt she needed this trip in order to give her some inspiration for next month''s presentation, but Ariyama had been told they had decided to go with Miyamoto Musashi this time around.


    And what''s not to love about an ancient Japanese swordsman from the Edo-period?


    Kazura sighed again and began to eat her ramen for real this time. Whenever she ate, it was the only time she would shut up and not speak for more than thirty seconds.


    Ariyama, realizing his own food was beginning to get cold, quickly dug in.


    A few words of small talk were exchanged between the group of four as they ate, but it all changed when the double doors opened again, like any time when a student entered the cafeteria, and Matsune Sasya entered. Alone.


    Instantly, upon noticing her, Katsuragi fought to swallow his food, his posture suddenly straightening to attention as she walked in. And Ariyama hated to admit it, but he did the exact same thing.


    But he didn''t like her, he was sure of it. If anything, it was probably because of the promise he made, to both her and to Yaranagi.


    Once again, Ariyama thought about what dastardly plan Yaranagi Yasuke had employed to get Matsune alone.


    Well, whatever it was, it clearly worked.


    As Matsune headed to the cafeteria, the queue suspiciously getting much shorter than it was before, Kazura clicked her tongue in annoyance, tossing her head.


    ¡°Well, of course she''s here. Queen Bee Matsune.¡±


    Odomura looked at Kazura with a questioning glint in her eye.


    ¡°Y-you don''t like her, Machi-kun?¡±


    Kazura clicked her tongue once again, giving Matsune a sidelong glance, even as she turned to face Odomura.


    ¡°What''s there to like about her? Sure, she''s popular with all the boys and gets good grades and is very pretty and athletic and kind and supportive and¡­¡±


    Realizing she dug herself into a grave, Kazura stopped her mouth from speaking, her shoulders hunching in on her.


    ¡°I suppose there''s not much, but something is just off about her. I think I know why actually. It must be her¨C¡±


    Katsuragi gave her a stern look.


    ¡°Oh, I think I know what''s going on. You''re just jealous of her, right? There''s no need to be like that, Kazura. You''re plenty popular yourself¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, Kento-kun. You''re head over heels for her, so you shouldn''t speak on it.¡±


    ¡°I''m just saying there''s no need to be jealous over someone that¡­perfect¨C¡±


    ¡°I AM NOT JEALOUS!¡±

 4. Day at the Academy III

    The volume of Kazura''s outburst alerted a few people to glance at their table, causing Ariyama to avert his gaze quickly.


    But it just so happened that Matsune looked their way too, and her shining sapphire eyes met Ariyama''s charcoal ones, for just a moment. Matsune smiled as a greeting, picked up her tray of food, and walked over.


    As she arrived at their table, each of them gave a different reaction. Kazura tried keeping a poker face but let slip the hint of a scowl, Odomura looked up with her usual gentle smile on her face,  Katsuragi failed to stop the deep scarlet blush that dyed his face a tomato-red color, and Ariyama''s heart skipped a beat or two, his reaction accelerated by Matsune leaning in really close to him, her smile wide, her hot breath felt gently against his cheek.


    ¡°Oh, hello everyone! Yes, I know it''s odd that I''m alone like this, but my friends said they needed to go do something else then go to lunch with me. It was odd though, since they seemed so scared, as if someone was forcing them to do it¡­¡±


    Yaranagi, no doubt.


    ¡°But oh well, enough ranting. Actually, Ariyama-kun and I were planning on coming here and chatting for a bit over lunch. If it''s not too much hassle, can I borrow him for a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Say¡­ if he doesn''t want to, I''m always free¡­¡±


    Those were the three responses that came from Kazura, Odomura and Katsuragi respectively.


    Matsune gave Katsuragi one of her dazzling smiles.


    ¡°Sorry, Katsuragi. I think you''re a great guy and really awesome, but I''m not interested in a relationship with you, I''m afraid.¡±


    From what the rumors told Ariyama, apparently that was her go-to rejection line. She said it in such a way that it was kind and honest enough that the boys being rejected just couldn''t hold it against her, but also direct and sure enough so that it deterred them from trying it again.


    Basically, if you heard those words spoken to you from her lips, you were done. And that is exactly what Katsuragi''s face conveyed. A look of pure reluctant acceptance and disappointment.


    ¡°Well, come on, Ariyama-kun! That table over there is free now.¡±


    Matsune, as bubbly as ever, pulled him by his arm towards the table, barely giving him time to pick up his tray and bag, and look back at his friend group.


    Katsuragi looked jealous as hell, as well as flustered beyond belief. It was funny seeing when his hard shell cracked. Odomura just smiled, her gentle attitude unchanged byMatsune''s arrival. And as for Kazura, she was giving Matsune the most devilish glare ever from where she sat. So intense that even Ariyama had to look away, turning just in time as they reached the table.


    He sat, with Matsune keeping a respectful distance and sitting opposite him. As she began to tuck into her food, she began to speak, her mouth full of noodles.


    ¡°Mmhhh¡­ So, Ariyama-kun, what do you think of school in second year as opposed to school last year as a first year?¡±


    Ariyama pondered the question thoughtfully before answering.


    ¡°Well, there''s more responsibility, as you''d guess. And more challenging tests. But it''s also nice to get to go on a lot more school trips and have more interesting activities to do.¡±


    Matsune listened to him intently.


    ¡°Mh-hm, mh-hm. I agree. But isn''t it also so much fun to be able to spend time with your friends? Especially now that you know them so much more than you did in first year, right?¡±


    Ariyama paused for a moment, looking down at his chopsticks, rolling them between his fingers.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose so. Woah, I never thought about it that way, but it''s true. My friends¡­ mean a lot to me.¡±


    He was mainly thinking of the friends who wouldn''t betray him if he lost his wealth or his father''s schemes were revealed.


    Yaranagi, for sure. Probably, hopefully, Kazura too. He hoped the same applied to Katsuragi and Odomura and all the others he considered ¡®friends¡¯ at the moment.


    Matsune clapped her hands in glee.


    ¡°Wow, I''m so happy someone else feels the same. Honestly, most of the people here only really care about selfish things, things that benefit them and them only. But you? You''re¡­ special.¡±


    The sudden compliment brought a racing to his heart. He hid his hands under the table to mask them, shaking in response to her words.


    ¡°Um¡­ thanks, Matsune. That means a lot. More than you think.¡±


    Matsune just smiled like usual, clasping her hands in front of her chest, her food finished and cleaned in record time. Her silver bracelet sparkled in the sunlight beaming in from the windows around the cafeteria.


    ¡°I''m so glad. Oh, and one more important thing. You can call me Sasya-chan from now on, OK?¡±


    ¡°S-sasya-chan¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No! It''s just¡­ it''s a little sudden. Will just Sasya suffice?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Now, if I gave you permission to call me by my first name, would it be OK for me to call you Saato-kun in return?¡±


    Ariyama swallowed thickly, looking at Matsune with a troubled look.


    ¡°Hm? Is something bothering you about that, Ariyama?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, sorry. I don''t know what came over me for a second there. But as for calling me Saato ¡­¡±


    Ariyama always worried about what would happen with his friends if everything he had fell apart. And as for the people who called him ¡®Saato¡¯ ¨C Yaranagi and Kazura ¨C it was a sort of stamp of approval. A way of solidifying the belief that they were his ¡®best friends¡¯ and they''d stay together no matter what fate might befall him.


    So he could be giving out the use of his first name so easily?


    Even if someone tried to bribe him with something of value, he''d never accept it. All he wanted was one thing from people as a present ¨C their trust.


    Then he could accept them as a best friend of his. And no matter how hot and caring she may be, Matsune wasn''t close to getting that pass into his close friends circle. Not yet, at least.


    ¡°Um, sorry¡­ but I don''t give out that name so easily. It''s just something personal to me, sorry.¡±


    He made that sound a bit more mean then he''d intended, but he seemed to have made the point across, as Matsune paused momentarily.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I understand. If that''s the case, wouldn''t it be a little odd for you to call me Sasya in that case?¡±


    Ariyama managed a small smile towards her.


    ¡°I agree. Let''s stick to Ariyama and Matsune for now, OK? I''m sure¡­ it''ll change in the future, so please don''t take it too personally because I think you''re really nice and¨C¡±


    Matsune cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. I don''t really understand, but if you need more time, then I''ll give it to you.¡±


    Wow. Ariyama knew she was known as very ¡®kind¡¯ and ¡®understanding¡¯, but his heart raced a little faster as she agreed to his request. He couldn''t help but gain a new level of respect for her at that moment, and he almost became regretful that he didn''t like her in the way she seemingly thought he did.


    He didn''t blame her, however. Getting confessions by boys day after day probably made her disconnected from the fact not all the boys liked her, even if ninety-five percent of them did.


    With silence descending on the two of them, Ariyama busied himself with chowing down on what remained of his lunch. As he reached his boiled egg, he suddenly heard distant sounds of a group talking, loudly and obnoxiously.


    He looked up, already expecting to see ¡®them¡¯ arrive.


    Then three guys in his year suddenly appeared and sat down on either side of Matsune. The main guy had long silver hair, drooping purple eyes and thin lips.


    Jack Hayakawa.


    He was an exchange student from America, who joined the school during Ariyama''s first year. He was half Japanese, but had the visage of something foreign in his features.


    During their first year, he had made a name for himself. Definitely made a name for himself¡­ even if it wasn''t exactly in a good way¨C


    ¡°Well, color me impressed. Never in my life did I expect Mr Rich talking alone with Matsune Sasya. Anything secretive you two want to tell me? Forbidden love, perhaps?¡±


    The pompous and haughty way he spoke always invoked an unnatural amount of anger swelling in Ariyama¡¯s core, but today it was especially potent. He bit back whatever words he was going to blurt out, and instead looked at Matsune, sandwiched between Jack on her left and his two goons, Yasami and Koenji, on her right.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Matsune, as usual, had a smile plastered onto her face. But even still, Ariyama swore he saw it slipping ever so slightly, and nearly dropped entirely as Jack slung his arm over her shoulders and scooted up next to her. It seemed even the invincible Matsune Sasya wasn''t putting up with Jack''s bullshit.


    Jack smirked slyly as he leaned into Matsune, giving Ariyama barely a glance.


    ¡°Not gonna spill the beans, lovebirds? Ah, I get it, don''t worry. Love is blind, is it not? I''m sure you''re working things out¨C¡±


    Ariyama interrupted him before things got out of hand.


    ¡°Hey, hold on! Jack, Matsune and I¡­ we''re just friends, nothing more. Is it really so weird for a girl and a guy to be talking?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that''s what they all say¡­¡±


    Ariyama doubted Jack actually thought they were together, but he was just being a jerk. Like he always was.


    ¡°Jack-kun, whatever Ariyama says is the truth. We¡¯re just being friendly and chatting as friends. Nothing more, OK?¡±


    Matsune''s voice was leveled and calm, even as Jack was almost breathing down her neck. Jack himself seemed a little put off by her words, a small stutter in his voice as he gave her a bit more space. It was absurd how much control Matsune had over the boys at the school, even the bully Jack.


    ¡°Ah. Well, ahem, anyways¡­¡±


    Jack''s sleazy grin returned to his face as he finally properly looked at Ariyama.


    ¡°So, Ariyama, I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°OK¡­ Go ahead, Jack. What is it?¡±


    ¡°You see, since the winter break is coming up, I thought it''d be fun to get together for a little party amongst the people in our year. But just a regular party would be too boring, you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ guess it could be.¡±


    Ariyama said his words carefully, unsure of what Jack was getting to, his mind buzzing with ideas.


    ¡°Exactly! So, I was searching around for a place to have some fun, and I came across a really cool place. It looks like some sort of abandoned building, in the forest just past the fields on the outskirts of the city. Me and the boys here are trying to gather some assistance to go check the place out. Word has it that the place is haunted, by the ghosts of a family who was murdered decades ago.¡±


    Well, Ariyama certainly didn''t like the idea of going to a glorified haunted house, and going with Jack and his goons? Out of the picture.


    ¡°Well, I''m sure that it''ll be great fun, but I''m not really interested¨C¡±


    Jack cut him off, supporting a pouty expression on his face.


    ¡°Aw, you''re not interested? That''s a shame. We''ve got a good few people going too. There''s me, and Yasami and Koenji, of course. But I''m sure you are even friends with the others.¡±


    He turned and pointed to the table left of them.


    ¡°We got Katsuragi Kento, Odomura Airi, and even Kazura Machi to come along.¡±


    Hearing his friends¡¯ names being called, Ariyama glanced over at them with a look of shock, his brow furrowing. None of them noticed they were being watched


    Ariyama felt a little hurt from that.


    He was over with them, and they didn''t even invite him to join them? No, it made sense. They were their own people, and Ariyama was being unfair in believing they had to involve him with everything they did.


    Heck, they might not have told him because Jack was the one setting it up. And people didn''t really want to be seen collaborating in any way with him. Right?


    Ariyama was never told that was the case, but it made the most sense. It had to.


    Unless.


    Unless what he feared most was starting to come true. Maybe they didn''t care about him in actuality, and only cared for his money. Maybe they jumped at the opportunity to do something that didn''t involve him.


    A black hole opened in Ariyama''s stomach as he pondered the idea. Was there ever a time when he was too annoying for them? Always pestering them to allow him to join things? No, why would there be?


    But it kind of made sense, in a way. Since he was always around them, maybe they felt obligated to let him tag along, even if they didn''t want him to.


    Maybe all that friendship and kindness was fabricated because they didn''t have the guts to tell him to screw off. Maybe¨C


    But then Kazura looked up from her phone and caught his eye. She gave him a smile, and a wink, and went back to her phone.


    And that was all he needed.


    With that simple gesture, all his worries went away, even if only momentary, only in that single instant.


    Odomura and Katsuragi were still in discussion, but there was no way Kazura would betray him like that.


    She always had this energy that made his heart soar, and that little showcase of admiration from her was all he needed to be sure of that. His heartache temporarily subsided, Ariyama cleared his throat awkwardly, and looked back at Jack''s expectant face.


    ¡°Sorry, man, it''s still a no from me. Try asking someone else.¡±


    Jack shook his head sadly.


    ¡°Turned down once again? Cruel, but I won''t give up. You see, it''s not just those three. There are others. You know Takemichi Yuno, yeah? He''s in 2B like you. That kid''s a coward and a weakling, yet he''s tagging along. So what does that make you?¡±


    Ariyama''s face burned at Jack''s insult. But he also thought about Takemichi.


    Quiet, nervous, and weak.


    Those were the best ways to describe his bespectacled classmate. Ariyama knew he''d been the subject to tortuous bullying from Jack and his boys all year. So he knew Takemichi was likely threatened into going, rather than doing it of his own free will.


    ¡°Well, if Takemichi wants to go, good for him, but¡­ I''m also very busy. So I won''t make it either way.¡±


    ¡°It''s happening tonight, Ariyama. I know your schedule and I know you''re always free Wednesday evenings.¡±


    Ariyama gathered a bit of courage in himself and let out a dry laugh.


    ¡°Oh, what? So you learned my schedule now? It''s almost like you set this all up to get me to accompany you. What, scared?¡±


    Ariyama knew his sudden flash of confidence was a mistake, as Jack''s face twisted into a raging glare.


    ¡°Watch your tone when you''re speaking to me. Listen, if you''re too much of a coward, just say so. We got me and my boys going, as well as the coward, the nerd, the soft one, the bitchy one¡­¡±


    He leaned back into Matsune''s personal space.


    ¡°Even lovely Matsune here is tagging along, isn''t that right?¡±


    Ariyama paled a bit and looked at her. Matsune had stayed quiet for a majority of the talk. She didn''t even look like the type of girl who''d be interested in that kind of stuff.


    ¡°Matsune¡­ Is that true?¡±


    ¡°I''m¡­ sorry, Ariyama-kun. I would''ve said something but I felt like you''d judge me poorly if I did. I''m only going because I thought it could be some fun, with some of my friends. You''re still my friend, OK? No matter what.¡±


    Jack glanced at Matsune''s regretful expression, then at Ariyama''s shocked one.


    ¡°Oooh, the romance is starting to get some drama, I see? Oh, but isn''t that the best part! Come on, ¡®Ariyama-kun¡¯, if your girlfriend is coming along, you don''t wanna leave her on her own, do you?¡±


    Ariyama balled his hands into fists beneath the table, keeping them from trembling. At this point, Jack was only using the romance joke as something to rile him up, so Ariyama didn''t even bother correcting him again.


    When he got no response, Jack sighed loudly, looking over Matsune to his two goons on her other side.


    ¡°What do you two think?¡±


    Yasami, tall with brown hair and heavy bags under his eyes, let out a low scoff.


    ¡°You want my thoughts, Mr Jack? I''d say ditch him. If he wants to stay a little scaredy-cat, let him be one. I don''t want him dragging us down when he arrives there.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. And you, Koenji?¡±


    Koenji, large, chubby with long hair in a ponytail, licked his wet lips in that gross way he always did.


    ¡°I think he''s gonna drag us down. But the more the merrier, right? Just because he''s a pussy, doesn''t mean he should get off lightly, right? You, Jack, gave him an invitation to our get-together. For him to reject that, is nothing short of blasphemy.¡±


    Wow, these two were really licking Jack''s boots, huh? Almost idolizing him, as if he was a deity. Just what did he do to give himself such control over those two?


    If Ariyama had to guess, it''d be the fact that Jack gave them power over people they''d usually never have. The dim-witted, brutish Yasami and the unattractive, cowardly Koenji. Useless on their own, but at Jack''s side, they had influence.


    Jack paused for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, getting to his feet. His followers quickly followed suit, taking up their regular positions at either side of him.


    ¡°Well, it''s my belief that if he''s gonna be a little pussy, he can stay that way. I feel the same as you do, Yasami.¡±


    Having gotten a hint of approval from his so-called ¡®master¡¯, Yasami beamed brightly with that big, dumb smile of his.


    Jack gave Ariyama one last look before turning his back and beginning to walk off.


    ¡°Anyways, we have his so-called best friend with us too, so what''s the point in adding unneeded dead weight, right?¡±


    So-called best friend?


    Who could he be¨C


    Wait, that''s impossible..


    Why would he¡­?


    Why wouldn''t he¡­?


    Without more than a thought, Ariyama blurted out, loud enough so Jack could hear him.


    ¡°Hold on a second! You said my best friend? You don''t mean¡­¡±


    Jack looked back at him with a weasel''s smirk.


    ¡°Why, of course I mean who you''re thinking. Yaranagi Yasuke. Who else would want to be best friends with you?¡±


    Ariyama''s stomach fell, his eyes widening in pure disbelief and his heart swelling in confusion.


    Kazura and the others not telling him made sense, and so did Matsune not telling him, to an extent. But Yaranagi?


    He always told Ariyama everything. Why now did he betray that status quo?


    Jack saw Ariyama''s conflicted expression, and turned back to him fully.


    ¡°Oh, reconsidering, are we?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I''ll go¡­¡±


    Ariyama said it before he made up his mind, but in hindsight, he''d probably have said yes anyways.


    Because as he fought himself over Yaranagi''s situation, a sudden thought entered his mind.


    Literally all the people he was friends with were going on his excursion.


    Maybe this was it.


    Maybe if he went with them too, he''d finally have a chance at finding that one, big moment. The action he''d take in order to rid himself of the title of the ¡®rich kid¡¯. Then, he''d know who was friends with him for him, and who was friends with him for the money.


    But that wasn''t all. Then, those people who were faking his friendship might finally like him just like the others.


    Then, he''d finally remove all the doubt in his mind about the authenticity of his friendships.


    Then he''d be able to go back to normal.


    Then he''d known for sure they weren''t a fake.


    Then he''d know for sure he wasn''t a fake.


    Then he''d be able to look his father in the eye and say, with full confidence, ¡®Your actions don''t define me. I''m my own person.¡¯


    The idea of all that working out after all this time made his chest hammer with a mix of bliss and excitement.


    ¡°I''ll come with you. If everyone else is going, why force myself to be left out?¡±


    He affirmed his statement more strongly, and he knew now his track for the evening was set in stone. If he promised to come, then backed out at the last moment, he wouldn''t be able to show his face in school ever again.


    Jack punched the air with delight, a wicked delight.


    He ran around the table to the other side and hit Ariyama on the shoulder.


    ¡°Great to hear! Glad to see you''re not a told loser, after all. So, we were thinking of meeting up at ten sharp, OK? We want it nice and dark.¡±


    ¡°Ten is fine¡­¡±


    After Ariyama''s mumbled agreement,. Jack laughed like he had just won a billion yen in a raffle.


    ¡°Awesome. See you then, buddy!¡±


    With a new pep in his step, Jack headed out of the cafeteria, Yasami and Koenji following behind like the good dogs they were.


    When they were finally alone, Matsune reached out to touch Ariyama''s hand.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, again I''m sorry I didn''t say anything. But also, are you sure you want to go? Even if all your friends are going, there''s no need to force yourself¡­¡±


    Ariyama flexed his jaw, his muscles quivering.


    ¡°That''s easy for you to say. No offense, Matsune, but if you were asked and decided not to go, no one would bat an eye. Since you''re so popular and perfect and all. But as for me, whose only characteristic in the minds of most people is ¡®rich¡¯, I actually do have to go.¡±


    Unable to contain his rising aggression, Ariyama got to his feet, grabbing his bag and his tray, his hands trembling.


    ¡°Because unlike you, I have something I need to prove.¡±


    Then he dumped his tray in the nearby bin, didn''t give a single look towards Matsune or Kazura or Odomura or Katsuragi, and instead just headed straight for the door.

 5. The Mysterious Book I

    Ariyama was glad that the only people going to the abandoned house later that night that were in his class were Yaranagi and Takemichi, both of whom didn''t know ¨C as far as he knew ¨C about his talk with Jack. At best, they just were told he was coming along.


    Ariyama thought he did a good enough job acting the same way he usually did with Yarangi, their banter mainly unaltered. He didn''t ever mention the fact he didn''t tell Ariyama he was going to the get-together, but instead focused on the fact Ariyama was now accompanying them. He talked all about the rumors surrounding the place.


    Now, Ariyama didn''t consider himself a coward, despite what Jack had said previously, but the more and more he learned about the happenings at that dilapidated structure, the more and more he really didn''t want to go.


    Sightings of ghosts, people supposedly going missing, deathly howls and whispers being heard from there each night? No thanks.


    Still, he put up a brave front, and made it all the way through the rest of the day. He packed up, said his goodbyes to Yaranagi, and was just at his locker right inside the front doors, switching to his outdoor shoes, when suddenly a hand patted him on the arm.


    He spun around with a cry of surprise, only to look down and see a terrified Takemichi Yuno, his arm still outstretched where he touched Ariyama.


    Ariyama laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, Takemichi. Didn''t see you there. Do you need something?¡±


    Takemichi cleared his throat before speaking in his quiet voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I heard you were going to that abandoned place too? I overheard you and Yaranagi talking about it. Jack also told me.¡±


    When he mentioned Yaranagi''s name, Takemichi visibly paled a little. As much as Ariyama liked Yaranagi, he couldn''t deny the fact he wasn''t a perfect guy. His grades were one thing, but he was also a bully. Nowhere near as bad as Jack, or some of the other people in the school, but still the definition of a bully. He always said he was ¡®just teasing¡¯ them, but Ariyama questioned where the line was drawn between teasing and bullying.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I am. I heard you are too. I can''t deny I''m a little worried, but what about you?¡±


    Takemichi swallowed slowly, averting his gaze.


    ¡°I just feel like something bad is gonna happen. To me or to someone else. And I think Jack will be the cause of it. So, and I know this sounds pathetic¡­ can you protect me? Please?¡±


    Ariyama''s face softened at the honesty in Takemichi''s words, his hopeful expression making Ariyama''s heart swell with sympathy.


    ¡°W-well¡­ Of course I can, Takemichi! There''s no need to worry. Anyways, nothing will happen¡­¡±


    He forced a smile.


    ¡°But, if something does, you can rely on me, OK buddy?¡±


    Ariyama then saw Takemichi smile for the first time in front of him. He definitely preferred this over him being scared all the time.


    ¡°OK then! If you''re gonna look out for me, then I''ll have nothing to worry about! Thanks again, Ariyama!¡±


    Still with a small but noticeable smile on his round face, Takemichi left through the main doors.


    Ariyama couldn''t deny that it made him feel a bit better about himself.


    He quickly swapped his shoes, picked up his bag, and looked back inside the school one more time before heading towards the large gate at the other side of the large courtyard in front of the school.


    The air outside was nice and breezy, a soft cool gale pressing against Ariyama''s skin. He was planning on enjoying the last few days where the air was mildly cold as opposed to being absolute zero.


    Just as he reached the main gate, letting a few of his fellow students walk ahead of him, another hand touched his arm. This time, he kept his surprise in check, and turned around, expecting to see Takemichi again.


    But instead, he saw the smiling face of Odomura looking up at him.


    ¡°Oh, Odomura? I didn''t know you walked home from school.¡±


    Odomura giggled with a hand over her mouth, holding her bag close by her leg.


    ¡°I always walk home, silly. It''s just sometimes I have practice at a club after school. But apparently that museum trip wasn''t the only thing canceled today, so I''m walking home early. Is there anyone walking with you?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge, no.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want me to, I wouldn''t mind¡­ accompanying you, if that''s OK?¡±


    Ariyama nodded his head in agreement. Honestly, he never really talked to Odomura one on one very often. He was more often talking to either Yaranagi, Kazura or even Katsuragi from time to time. But he wasn''t about to pass down an opportunity to get to know her better.


    ¡°Of course! Is your house near mine? Mine is just down the street from that little cafe in Lower Sumura.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Yes, mine is nearby. We can at least walk together for a while.¡±


    She gave him a kind smile, full of brightness, then started forward, making him have to catch up to her.


    So she can be assertive too? Cool.


    Ariyama always felt like Odomura Airi was a gentle person, but to the degree that she was a bit of a pushover. But clearly not.


    Less than a minute after talking with her properly, he was already learning new things about her. This was ideal.


    Maybe it was an opportunity for him to make another ¡®real¡¯ friend.


    But then again, after tonight, he hoped there wouldn''t need to be a division of fake and real friends.


    As Odomura walked beside him as they exited school grounds, he had a weird sense of thankfulness. He was thankful for someone to be accompanying him on his walk home for once. He was never lonely before, when walking home after school every day, since he refused to allow his mother to hire a personal driver to bring him.


    ¡®It''s not that long of a walk, anyways,¡¯ he''d always tell her, much to her detest.


    But she didn''t understand him, not really.


    She thought his refusal to use his father''s accumulated wealth was being disingenuous and disrespectful of his father''s supposed ¡®hard work¡¯. But the truth was that he refused to use the wealth, because he knew he shouldn''t have it. Yes, there was also the fact of Ariyama not wanting to stand out too much being a part of it, but his point still stood.


    He would make his own path and show his old man, in whatever small way he could, that he was going to be different. Better was a hard thing to promise, but different, for sure. For one, he''d make his own money, without causing the downfall of others.


    Ariyama continuously assumed his father was only removing people from their careers who were also lowlife scumbags like him, but Ariyama knew deep down that some of them were probably genuine people who wanted nothing more than money for their families.


    One more reason why to resent his father.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, is everything OK? Are you usually this quiet on walks home?¡±


    Odomura''s voice snapped Ariyama out of his deep thoughts, and he looked down at her with wild eyes. Picking himself back up, he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly.


    ¡°Ahaha¡­ Sorry if that was weird, Odomura. I just¡­ zone out every now and then¡­¡±


    Odomura just shook her head.


    ¡°No, it''s OK, Ariyama-kun. Everyone has their own little quirks to them, don''t they? We''re all our own people after all, so everyone''s ¡®weird¡¯ in their own way.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A little taken aback from the sincerity of her words, Ariyama stuttered to find words of his own.


    ¡°Ah, um¡­ Woah, that was very sentimental of you, Odomura. I think I felt something in my heart with that one. Genuinely.¡±


    Odomura just laughed gently again. She had such a pretty laugh.


    ¡°Sorry, Ariyama-kun. I suppose that''s my weird quirk.¡±


    ¡°What, the ability to speak meaningful words to people?¡±


    ¡°I wish it was that, haha! No, I think it''s more like saying stuff I don''t want to say, instead of keeping that stuff to myself. It''s caused some problems with friends in the past¡­ Now I''m down to my last two, Kento-kun and Machi-chan.¡±


    She looked up into Ariyama''s eyes, a hopeful glint in her own eyes.


    ¡°And I was just wondering¡­ Maybe you''d like to be¡­ my friend too? Not acquaintances like we were up till now. I mean proper and actual friends.¡±


    Well, she really did speak their thoughts, even when she didn''t want to, huh? Still, Ariyama found it very endearing to hear, so he couldn''t help but return a smile.


    ¡°Odomura, I''d love to be your friend, full-time.¡±


    Odomura''s smile could''ve lit up the whole of Shinkai City. She looked so relieved and happy that she might explode.


    ¡°Really? Oh, yes! OK, one more thing. You can call me Airi-chan if you want¡­ All my friends call me that. Except for Kento-kun, of course, but he''s always being too formal.¡±


    Thinking back to his talk with Matsune earlier that day, Ariyama winced slightly, ready to kindly reject her, based on what was expected of him: to allow her to call him Saato.


    He knew he was being extremely unfair, keeping his first name locked up behind a wall, while they seem much more open and willing to me called by their first name.


    But Odomura didn''t do what he expected whatsoever. Her smile widened, with a sense of understanding.


    ¡°You see, I''m a bit of an eavesdropper, so I may have unintentionally heard snippets of your little chat with Matsune-chan at lunch. You mentioned the fact you didn''t want to be called by your first name, for personal reasons. So I understand why you''d be apprehensive about my deal, but I can make a simple change. You can call me Airi, but I''ll keep calling you Ariyama-kun. How does that sound?¡±


    Ariyama faltered, the feeling of remorseful acceptance over what was to come being washed away by a wave of thought.


    ¡°But Odomura¡­ Isn''t it odd for you to call me by my family name, but for me to call you by your first name?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ariyama, there you go again.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You keep going on about these ''odd¡¯ things and ¡®weird¡¯ things, but don''t forget about my first statement. I think everyone is weird, since no one is ¡®normal¡¯ or ¡®regular¡¯. We''re all individuals with our own quirks. What will a little name change do to anyone? If it won''t physically harm them in any way, why bother thinking about them and what they think? Just focus on yourself, because if you don''t care for yourself, who will? It''s your life, not anyone else''s.¡±


    Ariyama could only stare in disbelief at the pure brilliance radiating off of Odomura. Was this the girl he''d known for the past two years, who always struck him as a pushover, too meek and timid to do anything of substance?


    Well whatever he had thought, he was way off.


    Just then, they reached the foot of the path that looped around the mountain Sasaru Academy was built on.


    Every student had to follow the same path to at least here, where the rest of the city opened up to them.


    ¡°I usually take a shortcut here back home, so I suppose I''ll be leaving you earlier than expected. I''m excited for that get-together tonight too. Even if Jack is the ringleader, we shouldn''t let him bring us down. Let''s all have fun, OK?¡±


    Ariyama felt his grip tighten on his bag. Finally, he returned the smile Odomura had been wearing all the walk.


    ¡°OK then, I''ll make sure to do that. Thank you, Odomur¨C¡±


    He caught himself, breathing a silent chuckle before correcting himself.


    ¡°Thank you, Airi.¡±


    Odomura seemed to beam even brighter at the use of her first name, and she left to go towards her supposed shortcut, with nothing more than a departing nod of her head.


    The goodbye was brief, but Ariyama was glad.


    He never was good at saying goodbye.


    Still, despite everything, he smiled to himself as he turned to head down the Easternmost road towards Lower Sumura.


    As he walked, he kept thinking back to the conversation he just had, and one thing kept coming into mind: Wow, Odomura Airi sure was a fantastic girl...


    The city Ariyama lived in, went to school in, and had spent his whole life in, was known as Shinkai City. It was located in the Shiretoko Peninsula, in Hokkaido.


    The city itself had the shape of a wrinkly potato, with its lower half ¨C full of cottages, small farms, and woodland ¨C being known as Sumura. On the other hand, the upper portion of the city, with more big buildings and run down houses, was known as Junou. Sumura and Jonou themselves were split into an Upper and a Lower section.


    The Ariyama residence resided at the very southern point of the city, in Lower Sumura, while the school and the shopping district Ariyama and Yaranagi would often frequent, were in Upper Sumura.


    Due to his family''s wealth, as well as the increased crime rates in all parts of Junou, especially Upper Junou, Ariyama didn''t visit there very often.


    In fact, the last time he remembered visiting that crime-infested place was when he was twelve, around five years ago. He wasn''t exactly the main guest of the visit, however.


    It was one of the times his father, Ariyama Gotou, had returned from overseas. Ariyama''s mother and her advisors put together a little tour of the city for Ariyama''s father, who had gotten so used to foreign towns that he barely remembered the place he raised his son in.


    But ¡®raised¡¯ was a very delicate word to use.


    As it was so long ago, Ariyama didn''t really remember much of the northern half of the city, except for the rampant squalor he experienced.


    Impoverished men and women and children, begging, even to throw their lives away, as long as their families were given food and drink to survive. Thinking back, it was probably around them that Ariyama began to despise his wealth.


    All these people, so dirty and pained and homeless, without even a penny to their name¡­ Then he compared them to someone like his father.


    All this wealth, without as much as a callous. Clearly not through hard manual labor did he achieve this state. No, it was his manipulation of others and usage of others that got him to where he was.


    All these poor people, dead and buried, poor but motivated, likely from a burning feeling of desperation.


    Then there was Ariyama''s father, on the other side of the coin, who hadn''t done an honest day''s work in the years since Ariyama was born, finding loophole after loophole to rise to the top.


    But clearly he was doing something right, because rise to the top he did.


    Ariyama let a car zoom past before crossing the street, moving to the footpath that was just outside a large park. This was another place he and Yaranagi would often go to, usually late at night, where Yaranagi would try to get him to drink a beer with him.


    Ariyama didn''t drink alcohol, so he''d always decline. But he never told Yaranagi that the reason why was that he was terrible at taking alcohol, often getting extremely drunk off of one or two drinks.


    Ariyama chuckled to himself at the memory. He missed those days, when I''d be just himself and Yaranagi, together wherever they went.


    But then his mind flashed back to what Jack had said earlier.


    Had Yaranagi really planned on not telling Ariyama about going to that meetup?


    No, he doubted it. But yet he still pondered. Ariyama knew this was the type of situation where one was supposed to go talk to their friend one-on-one, about the truth. Communication, and all that.


    But was it really plausible to assume some level of communication from Yaranagi?


    Ariyama knew the guy better than anyone at the school, so he''d have the best shot, sure. But as he knew so much about him, he also knew that Yaranagi wasn''t the type of person to talk about his feelings. Even his hiding behind his tough-guy persona persisted when with close friends.


    But just asking him whether he meant to tell him or not wouldn''t be too hard, right?


    But what would he say realistically? ¡®Oh yeah, Ariyama, I wasn''t going to tell you anything and go enough this outing without my best friend, because suppose I''m still an asshole, like I am to all the others in the class. Especially that twerp Takemichi. He wasn''t even part of the conversation, but screw him anyways¡¯?


    Would he tell the truth? Would he lie? Would Ariyama be able to figure out the difference?


    As he questioned himself further, he reached the edge of the park, and stared out across the wide road that separated the park and residential area from the more countryside-like South of Lower Sumura.


    There were no cars in sight, but the sun was high in the sky, unperturbed by clouds. It cast a bright glow that illuminated the area, igniting the shining metals of the bus stop to Ariyama''s right, the pole of the traffic lights to his left, and the rack for parked bikes on the footpath across the street.


    Ariyama just stood there a moment, closing his eyes and letting his breathing level. It wasn''t usually this sunny in Lower Sumura, especially when Upper Sumura, where his school was, was always breezy at best. Not to mention the fact it was winter by now. It was almost like the climate had done a full 180 in response to his mood. This was the perfect way to calm himself after overthinking, as he always did.


    Let all the bad thoughts wash away, Saato.


    Before his itching uniform made him tear his skin off, Ariyama briskly crossed the street, and as he reached the other side, made a break for the short hill that he used as a shortcut to his countryside house.


    The upward passage was narrow, so narrow his shoulders brushed against the thorns and bushes on either side of him, the ground beneath him rocky and uneven.


    With his years of experience in traversing the hill helping him refrain from tripping, Ariyama reached the top, noting mentally how much cooler it was now, hidden away from the rays of the sun, the higher elevation making the air crisper.


    The space opened out into a large flat area with lush, short grass beneath his feet, the area dotted with trees that formed a shroud of bark and leaves that cut off his vision of his house.


    Rolling his shoulder against the ache of holding his bag for so long, Ariyama made quick work in racing through the trees, missing each unearthed root or low-hanging branch with ease.


    Eventually, he broke the treeline and breathed a sigh of relief as he finally saw his house in view, as if he was worried it might not be there when he returned.


    He was elevated on a short overhang of earth and rock and grass, and between the overhang and the front driveway of his house was a smoothly-tarmacked road, its onyx color a stark contrast to the bright browns and greens of the nature around it, and the dark reds and oranges that made up the color palette of his family''s mansion.


    Ariyama slid down the short incline, hitting the road with a dull thud.


    He jogged into the driveway, his hands fishing through his pockets for his keys.


    One rule he''d always been told by his parents, usually his mother, was to never leave the house unlocked. And why would he? Sure, he hated the wealth his father had made, but that didn''t make him stupid enough to leave the place vulnerable to random burglars who would steal everything.


    And yet, for a moment, Ariyama had a depraved thought. What if he did? Sure, there was little chance for any robbers to raid a place this far into the countryside ¨C that had been the main reason for it being built there in the first place ¨C but if it did happen, maybe losing some objects could ruin his family''s reputation as wealthy people.


    No, even if they stole the whole house, his father would have billions saved in his bank as spare change. And even worse, it could even lead to more spotlight being put on Ariyama in particular. From ¡®that one guy who''s really rich and only has friends because they want his money¡¯, to ¡®that one guy who''s really rich and only has friends because they want his money, but also he got robbed last week so oh no, let''s all pity him because it''s so heartbreaking to lose your million yen door stopper¡¯.¡±


    Ariyama scoffed to himself at the absurdity of the thought, and shook away and other dumb idea he might have conjured in his mind, as he opened the door and entered the house, the main hallway smelling of sawdust and a faint strawberry scent, probably off his mother''s abundance of perfume.


    And sure enough, Ariyama heard light footsteps as he turned to lock the door.


    Turning back, he saw a woman peeking her head around the corner, her raven black hair falling like a waterfall to frame her pale face and narrow eyes, with irises cut from obsidian.


    Harumi Ariyama.


    ¡°Hey, Mom.¡±

 6. The Mysterious Book II

    Harumi seemed a little lost, her narrow eyes scrutinizing Ariyama over and over, before she seemingly finally noticed who he was, and gave him a small smile.


    ¡°Oh hello, dear. How was school? Is Yaranagi-kun doing well?¡±


    Harumi didn''t exactly approve of her son''s relationships with the well-known bully at Sasura Academy, but she at least respected it and didn''t push for their separation.


    Ariyama wondered for a moment what his father would''ve thought, had he ever even met Yaranagi. He doubted anything good would come of it, but Ariyama banished the thought from his mind.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, school was OK. The classes were pretty boring, so it''s nice to be able to relax. I have got assignments due tomorrow, but I can rest for a little bit today¡­ Actually, Mom, speaking of today, there''s this get-together me and a couple friends are going to go to. I was wondering if it was OK to go?¡±


    Harumi''s eyes flickered with a hint of uncertainty.


    ¡°Hm, a get-together? With who? Yaranagi-kun, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he''s going. So are a bunch of my other peers. Machi, Odomura, Katsuragi, and some more.¡±


    At the mention of Kazura, Harumi''s face lit up substantially. While she wasn''t a fan of Yaranagi as Ariyama¡¯s friend, his other childhood friend was another matter entirely.


    ¡°Ah, Machi-chan? How lovely! It''ll be great fun to go there if she''s coming too, right? Of course you can go, darling.¡±


    Even by calling her by her first name, while sticking with ¡®Yaranagi¡¯ as opposed to ¡®Yasuke¡¯, it was clear from the get-go that Harumi had her eyes on Kazura Machi. And what was worse was that she''d practically been trying to get her and Ariyama together for years.


    ¡®Oh, my dear boy, Machi-chan would make a stunning wife. You two would be a lovely couple,¡¯ she''d say, which would lead to Ariyama rebutting with something along the lines of, ¡®No, we''re just friends.¡¯


    It had gotten to a point where Ariyama had begun kind of dreading seeing Kazura everyday at school, because it brought back all those memories of his mother''s insistence on them getting together.


    Even if something like that did happen, not that it ever would, he''d want it to be gradual and not anything sudden or out of the blue.


    But this time, Ariyama just sighed at his mother''s obvious show of affection towards his friend, and tried his best to ignore it.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. OK, thanks, Mom. What do you plan on doing today?¡±


    ¡°I just think Machi-chan is the cutest¨C Hm? Oh sorry, darling. As for me, I''ll be doing my regular schedule. Housework, then cooking something nice for dinner, then watching my reality TV at 8:00.¡±


    If there was one thing Ariyama knew not to mess with, it was interrupting his mom as she watched her reality TV show, about some people who makeout on an island or whatever¡­


    ¡°Well, I''m supposed to be at that get-together with the others around ten, so I''ll be around when you start your TV. I''ll be sure to not disturb you. If you need me, I''ll be upstairs.¡±


    Harumi nodded, and Ariyama gave her a weak smile as he walked past.


    Feeling a little numb for some reason, Ariyama dropped his bag on the table next to the couch in the living room, then made his way upstairs.


    What was wrong with him?


    Seriously, what was wrong? Even that small chat with his own mother felt so off.


    Was he depressed or something? It was a bit of a stretch, but maybe that would explain his overanalyzing, his worries about his status in the school, and more¡­


    But no, it would make sense for it to be something as definable as that. The way he was now, Ariyama could be happy, joking one minute. Then the next, he''d feel pretty down on himself and act like not being normal like the others was the worst and most important thing in the world.


    But he supposed he always thought that, consciously or not. Another reason to hate that money. Another reason to make his own legacy and rebel, if destroying his family''s fortune wasn''t possible.


    And even if it was, would he have the guts to do it? Tear down his one childhood home, where his mother had secured her love for things like classic arts and piano? Where he had some many memories from years upon years of him staying there?


    No.


    No way in hell.


    And yet he still asked himself, would he do it, if he had the conviction to?


    Ariyama was already upstairs now, heading across the hallway to his bedroom, when he just paused and closed his eyes.


    No point thinking about ¡®what-ifs¡¯. He knew nothing good came of them, and that it would just make him more upset. Right now, he should be focusing on the get-together at ten o''clock sharp later that night.


    He had to prepare.


    Ariyama went about quickly showering in the bathroom, relaxing against the warmth of the cascading water hitting his back and shoulders. He liked how the water eased his tense muscles, like undoing a tight knot on a rope or unraveling a ball of yarn.


    As he stepped out and dried his sopping body with a towel, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He had to make a double take, just to ensure he was seeing things right.


    There wasn''t anything particularly wrong with him, from the outside at least, but he still felt oddly unsettled by the way he looked at the reflection of the mirror.


    He looked almost dead, with a sunkenness to his onyx eyes, his matted hair framing his face like a sheet of black. Even his body, which was slim but still healthy, was so much bonier.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It looked as if he had been starved for months.


    But he knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He''d never look this defeated all of a sudden. If anything, it must have been something that built up over time, right?


    But then how come he didn''t notice it until now?


    He guessed he just needed to take better care of himself. None of his friends had mentioned anything to do with a hollow appearance from him, so he just stuck to the idea of it all being in his mind.


    So there definitely was something very wrong with him¡­


    As Ariyama pulled on a simple pair of jeans and black shirt, walking towards his bedroom, opposite the bathroom, he thought over what might even be the issue.


    Was it some dietary issue? Was he even eating enough? Was he going to the bathroom enough? Did it have to do with the get-together that night? Was he nervous about that for some reason?


    No, he was definitely nervous.


    But it didn''t make him look so tired, and instead suppressed down to a clenching feeling in his stomach, as if it was about to explode.


    Everyone was going to be there, after all.


    Ariyama wasn''t worried about the likes of Katsuragi or Odomura or even Kazura being there, but the main three he was on the lookout for were Jack, Yaranagi and Takemichi.


    Jack wouldn''t let the expedition go on without causing some sort of trouble for them, as he always did. Ariyama didn''t believe Jack was going to go to this place for just some ¡®fun¡¯, after all.


    Yaranagi was ignoring the fact he was leaving Ariyama in the dark while they chatted during school, so Ariyama honestly was hoping it would stay like that and he wouldn''t mention it, in case it caused things to get awkward.


    And as for Takemichi, Ariyama had sworn to protect him from anything that could cause him harm at a meetup, which obviously included the likes of Jack and his lackeys. Ariyama wasn''t ever properly bullied before, but he was feeling quite sympathetic towards Takemichi. He couldn''t imagine the struggle to go to school everyday, into an environment where you were the prey and your predator was after you at every turn.


    Ariyama couldn''t even ignore Yaranagi''s work in hammering this idea of helplessness into the poor brain of Takemichi either. If anything, he could be another person to add it to the list of people who he''d need to protect Takemichi from.


    Still soothed from the relaxing cascade of the shower, Ariyama entered his room, inhaling the natural and familiar scent of the small room. It was at least something he could recognise and use to pull himself from his mental war.


    First off, he went and kneeled by his shrine on the right wall, closing his eyes and clasping his hands together in prayer. He was religious, probably more than most people his age in the area, but he didn''t really care what they thought.


    If there was just one thing he couldn''t care less what others thought of, it was his religion.


    After spending just five or so minutes in silent worship, Ariyama got to his feet and went to his wardrobe. On his way, he passed his cracked mirror, noting once again his weathered appearance. He just hoped a good night''s rest would do the trick.


    But with the get-together happening that night, Ariyama doubted he would get any sleep at all.


    Ariyama opened his wardrobe with a whispering creak of wood. Inside was a rack filled with jackets, shirts and hoodies, all things that were regular prices at most, but nothing that''d be referred to as ¡®expensive¡¯. Ariyama had perhaps spent a bit too much time making sure that''d be the case for every piece of clothing he bought.


    But below that line of tops, was a small shelf level with his knees, that held a row of books that he''d read every so often.


    And this just so happened to be one of those times.


    Ariyama bent down and skimmed the books for anything he might have found even a little interesting.


    His finger stopped suddenly on one spine, with the title ¡®A History of Sumura''s Local Legends¡¯.


    It was an oddity, jammed in with the other fiction novels and occasional school textbook. But it was actually a perfect read for him.


    He was going to that ¡®abandoned building¡¯ later that night, no? Maybe an ancient haunted house would be thrown in somewhere in a book of Sumura''s local legends.


    As Ariyama pulled the book from its confines, he shut the wardrobe door and dusted off the layer of dust on the book.


    All of these books were mainly gifts from his father, so it was no winner why most were left untouched for so long.


    In fact, the only reason they weren''t ashes in a bonfire yet was because they were some of the only gifts Ariyama Gotou had ever given his son, so even though they didn''t hold any sentimental value, they held value nonetheless, if nothing more than a way for Ariyama to remember his father being an actual person.


    So in a way, they were important to him.


    Skimming over the blurb at the back of the book, Ariyama sat himself down on top of his futon, finding a comfortable position with his back against the wall. Bleaching the memories of the day from his mind, even if only for a little while, Ari opened the book and scanned the contents page.


    As he read over the titles, one of them caught his eye: Ancient Structures + Shrines.


    This could be the jackpot.


    And sure enough, as Ariyama flicked to the allocated page and began to read, the first picture that showed up was exactly what he imagined the place they''re going to would look like.


    A flat, wide building made of gray, cracked bricks, windows with the glass shattered, and a huge gaping hole in the roof.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    Ariyama murmured to himself as he read ahead, taking in information about the many locations and brief origins of different abandoned places around the town.


    Ariyama hadn''t exactly been given a direct path to follow in order to reach the abandoned building, but he assumed Jack would give out an address sooner enough so they could get there for ten sharp.


    Pages and pages filled with crude drawings and blocks of text detailing the histories and mysteries around these places flashed before Ariyama''s eyes.


    Ariyama expected this to be just a brief history, nor a full breakdown of the whole legend around these dilapidated structures. Just how deep did this rabbit hole go?


    His mind jam-packed with information, Ariyama was just about to close the book, making his mind up to flip one last page before giving up.


    But that was when something caught his eye.


    Among the black sketches and black writing, there on the next page was majorly taken up by a large drawing of a weird circle in red ink, a stark contrast to the dull colors of the rest of the old book.


    The circle itself was a bit off, more like an oval. Inside it was some sort of closed eye, with long lashes and an addition of faint wrinkles around the edges.


    The attention to detail was baffling, but what was under that blood-colored drawing was even more of an oddity.


    ¡®Shrine Gate/Unopened Eye/Door Into Darkness¡¯


    They must have all been different names for this weird symbol. And what was this about a ¡®shrine gate¡¯? What kind of gate looked like that?


    Glancing back at the previous page, Ariyama discovered this was some sort of symbol that was carved into these so-called ¡®shrines¡¯. Even that was a weird word to use when describing an old building.


    Reading on, it said that these ¡®gates¡¯ could only be opened in a certain way¡­


    And if this was the type of place Jack was bringing them all, Ariyama would need to know this to be able to enter, right?


    ¡®Chant, ¡°L¡¯Unnlak, l¡¯Unnlak. Oner teta dem drore¡±. Then, using your index finger and thumb, pry open the eye to gain access¡¯.


    What kind of cult crap was this? The symbol looked like a bloodied pentagram, to start off, and now it''s saying he needs to make some incantation? And what language was that? Latin?


    Regardless, this book was starting to turn from boring to creepy really quick. Even as Ariyama shut it closed with a puff of dust, he still had those passages burned into his mind.


    ¡®Shrine.¡¯


    ¡®Gate.¡¯


    ¡®Chant.¡¯


    ¡®Pry.¡¯


    ¡®Gain access.¡¯


    Access to what? The best Ariyama could come up with was that it was a fancy way of saying it led inside the building.


    It didn''t matter anyways. What type of building needed a satanic chant to open? Definitely not one Ariyama would get anywhere close to.


    It was getting later and later anyways, and he still had some homework to do, as well as getting a bite to eat. Ariyama didn''t feel like having another semi-awkward bit of small talk with his mom right now, so he just went to grab his bag to do his homework in his room.

 7. Journey into the Dark I

    The sun began to descend and the glowing moon began to rise in the onyx sky sprinkled with tiny shiny dots that were the stars.


    Ariyama had gotten too invested in doing his homework, so now he didn''t even know what time it was. The sky outside was pitch black, so it must have been relatively late. Then again, it was winter so it got darker a lot earlier.


    Ariyama yawned, stretching his arms above his head, making his aching bones creak. It was like he had just woken up again. For all he knew, maybe he did fall asleep again while working on his assignments.


    But none of that mattered now. His work was done, and it was getting closer and closer to ten, when he''d have to face Jack and his weird satanic abandoned building with scary bloody eye sigils.


    He checked the clock he had above the door to his room. Its face read half-past seven. Still two or so hours before Ariyama needed to head out of the house. He thought back and hoped Jack would indeed send the location of the place.


    But as luck would have it, Ariyama checked his phone where he left it in the wardrobe ¨C if he had it on him while he studied, he''d get no work done ¨C and saw a notification. He''d been added to a group chat, the only message being from Jack, saying: ¡°Remember to be there at 10pm on the dot. Go to this location and remember to bring a jacket! It''ll get pretty chilly in the winter air, not to mention there ghosts that''ll be haunting us all night long.¡±


    Ariyama audibly scoffed at that last remark, appalled at how Jack was trying to make a joke. The only people who laughed at them were Yasami and Koenji, anyway.


    But at least Jack had sent the location before time ran out. He must''ve added everyone to the chat and sent that message while Ariyama was invested in his homework so much that he''d lost awareness of his surroundings.


    Suddenly piqued with curiosity, Ariyama opened the ¡®members list¡¯ on the chat, checking who was added.


    Sure enough, there was everyone who he knew was going: Jack, Yasami, Koenji, Kazura, Odomura, Katsuragi, Takemichi, Matsune, Yaranagi, and of course himself.


    His heart skipped a beat when he read Yaranagi''s name. He then instantly cursed at himself and smacked his knee with his fist. Whatever weird feelings he was getting over Yaranagi not telling him about his involvement was getting annoying at this point. Why couldn''t he just let it go and accept that Yaranagi maybe just didn''t want him to go, or didn''t even want him to know he was going at all.


    Then, as Ariyama began to pack away his homework equipment, his mind still invaded with thoughts to do with Yaranagi, he suddenly heard a knock on his door, which broke him from his daydreaming.


    After that one knock, as if that was more than enough confirmation, the door squeaked open and Harumi strode in, a soft smile on her face.


    It was almost scary how she could go from this to screaming her head off in just moments. But as long as Ariyama didn''t mention his father in any major capacity, he was safe.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing? You''re supposed to knock more than once before coming in!¡±


    Harumi chuckled softly as she shut the door behind her, her long white robe crawling across the floor as she stepped closer to Ariyama.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I was just wanting to say that I was going to cook some dinner for once. I know you''ve been locked up in your room studying for the past while, so I''ll make us some food. Anything in particular you¡­¡±


    Ariyama opened his mouth to answer her, but slowly closed it again as he saw his mother''s words die on her lips.


    The next thing he noticed was that her eyes weren''t focused on him, but instead on something else off to his right. His gaze followed hers, before stopping right on what she''d been staring at: A History of Sumura''s Local Legends.


    Ariyama half-laughed, making a joke of the situation.


    ¡°What is it, mom? So surprised to see me read for once? I do like reading, I''ll have you know. I just don''t find much time to commit to finishing a novel¨C¡±


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡±


    The way his mother''s voice came from her throat ¨C dry and breathless ¨C made Ariyama pale. Her eyes were unblinking, staring at the book like it was the spawn of the Devil.


    ¡°Well¡­ It was with all my other books¡­ on the shelf in my wardrobe. Mom, what''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°How can this be here¡­ Who¡­¡±


    Harumi''s words were a mumbled mess, her fists clenching and unclenching. She gained movement in her legs all of a sudden and quickly reached the book, reaching down to pick it up.


    ¡°He must''ve¡­ Gotou, what were you thinking¡­¡±


    Ariyama nearly blurted out a ¡®WHAT?!¡¯ at the sound of his mother saying his father''s name. That was one thing he''d never heard before. She''d always call Gotou ¡®your father¡¯ or just ¡®him¡¯.


    Then Ariyama''s mother looked at him, and he could now see how her face was so pale and sick-looking, such a contrast to how smiley and cheerful she seemed just moments away. What was the deal with the book?


    Regardless, her gaze made the blood in his veins turn to ice water.


    ¡°M-mom?¡±


    Harumi stormed forward and gripped him by the shoulders with such intensity Ariyama thought his shirt might tear.


    ¡°Saato, listen to me. I know things haven''t been the best between us whenever your father leaves for work and you probably don''t want much of anything to do with me. But if you''re ever in your life going to be honest with me, now is the time. Son, did you read from his book? Even a page?¡±


    Ariyama was taken aback by his mother''s burning force as a result of this book. He knew in this type of situation, it''d be best if he just told the truth, but Ariyama wasn''t risking getting a beatdown from his own mother.


    ¡°I¡­ didn''t. We both know I don''t really read all that often, so why would I start now? I was planning on getting back into reading, so that''s why that book was out on the floor. I was just in the process of dusting them all off. I hate seeing things get all old and decrepit.¡±


    Harumi stared into his eyes for a very long time, before silently leaning back, breathing a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I see. I understand everything now. Sorry, but I''ve got to take this book with me for a bit. I just want to make sure it''s nothing too boring for you, you know?¡±


    Ariyama really didn''t, but he decided to just nod and smile anyway.


    ¡°Sure thing¡­¡±


    Harumi returned his smile, then swiftly left the room, almost in a hurry, shutting the door behind her.


    Once the sound of her fading footsteps vanished entirely, Ariyama finally released the breath he''d been holding in.


    What was that all about?


    Ariyama focused his gaze on that spot on the floor where he had left the book. He thought even harder on the subject.


    ¡°That was weird¡­¡±


    Even though there was no one in the room, he felt the need to audibly speak his mind.


    But seriously, what could''ve been in that book that triggered such a reaction from his mother? It wasn''t the type of silent fury or seething that came when Ariyama mentioned his father, no. Instead, Harumi seemed more distressed and scared than anything, as if she''d caught him smoking.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Like reading that book was somehow detrimental to him in some way.


    Ariyama could only shake his head. Things were getting weirder and weirder as the day went on.


    But he had other things to focus on.


    His mother had said she''d be making dinner, but clearly the situation with the book had thrown her off course, so it fell to Ariyama to make his own meal once again.


    He silently left his room, heading to the kitchen, thinking about what he wanted to eat. Maybe something hot, like that miso soup they still had?


    But once again, his thoughts were cut short as he passed his parents¡¯ room. The door was left slightly ajar, and with curiosity getting the better of him, Ariyama steeled himself and shifted closer to the gap, careful not to step on any of the creaky floorboards.


    His view of the inside was limited, as he could only see the edge of the bed that stuck out from the far wall, as well as about half of the cabinet that was standing beside the bed.


    Then he saw as his mother came into his line of sight, still holding that damn book.


    And her face¡­


    Her face was a mask of fear.


    Ariyama knew his mother was far from perfect, but he''d never seen her so vulnerable. He suddenly got hit with a wave of emotion. This just showed she really was her own person, her own human being, with her own feelings. Far more than just his mother.


    Ariyama had half the mind to go in and comfort her, but whenever she was in any sort of state of distress, time alone was the best medicine for her.


    So, swallowing thickly, he tiptoed away from the door, heading down the stairs. He tried to forget it, to make his mind change the subject and think again about what he wanted to eat.


    But he just couldn''t. A weird coldness was swirling in his chest and he didn''t know what to do.


    Another hour passed, and his mother remained cooped up in her room, probably still lamenting over the book, for whatever reason.


    Ariyama had decided to just eat some of the leftover microwavable ramen in the fridge. It tasted slightly off due to it being reheated, but it was filling none the less.


    As Ariyama sat alone in the living room, his chopsticks twisting and turning the last noodle, he glanced up at the clock against the wall.


    It was almost nine now, so he probably needed to get ready. The location Jack sent was on the outskirts of the city, past the rolling fields that surrounded it, and from his house, it would be a thirty minute walk for Ariyama at least.


    And factoring in the time he needed to get prepared, as well as making sure to arrive a bit early, there really wasn''t any time to waste now.


    Ariyama gave one last look up the stairs, thinking about his mother. He needed time alone, he knew that. But seeing her seemingly so defeated over a damn book he was reading made him very worried.


    He thought he might as well give it a chance.


    ¡°Mom? I''m going out now to that get-together, OK? I''ll text you when I''m done, but it''ll probably be kinda late!¡±


    He called out, but received no answer.


    Sighing tiredly, Ariyama cleared the table and disposed of the recyclable ramen box.


    He made sure he had everything he needed ¨C a bit of money in his wallet, his phone ¨C and left the living room. He went straight to the coat rack that was on the wall next to the front door, and pulled out his thickest coat.


    It was made of puffy, strong black materials, with a lining of yellowish fur around the sleeves and inside of the hood.


    Ariyama slipped it on over his black shirt as he pushed the front door open.


    Instantly, he felt the rush of chilling air blast against him. Shivering instantly against the cold, Ariyama realized how warm it was inside his house compared to outside.


    The sky was dark at this point, dotted with flickering dots of stars. It was so cold and the breeze was so strong that Ariyama felt the vibrations around the doorframe of the house creaking. It was fairly young, in house years, having only been built around the time Ariyama was born.


    As Ariyama took a step down the short set of stairs to the smooth stone of the driveway. Out of all the things Ariyama Gotou bought with his money, a car was never one of them. Ariyama vaguely recalled his mother telling him at a young age that since they lived in such a rural area, filled with tight bends in the road and lots of overgrown hedges and trees, trying to drive anywhere was more than a hassle.


    But apparently when Harumi always told Ariyama to get a private driver to bring him to school, they must''ve forgotten that point.


    They must''ve meant it was a hassle for them, but for anyone else? Who cares, right?


    It didn''t matter too much to Ariyama, anyways. He had found an appreciation in walking to and from school each day. He found himself enjoying taking in the scenery on his way through Sumura.


    Ariyama took the last few steps and his feet then landed on the driveway. That was about when he noticed the shadowy figure approaching him from the road just outside his house.


    Ariyama jumped back in surprise.


    The roaring wind must''ve acted as a good way to conceal the sound of footsteps.


    Ariyama''s heart banged in his chest as the silhouette reached him.


    But as it came into the perimeter of light cast from the spotlights installed high on the house, Ariyama calmed.


    ¡°Airi? What are you doing here?¡±


    Odomura Airi, wearing a fluffy beige coat, zipped up to her chin, gave Ariyama a gentle smile, her purple eyes shining in the light of the spotlight. Her lavender hair was tied back into a tight braid, keeping it from blowing in her face, which was flush with color from the cold.


    ¡°Hello, Ariyama-kun. When I learned you were joining us for Jack''s little meetup, I figured you''d want someone to walk with while you went to the location. It''s pretty far away from her, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°It is, and that''s why I''m so surprised to see you. It''s a much quicker walk from your house, right?¡±


    Odomura only smiled further, her bloodless fingers digging into her jacket pockets for even a hint of warmth.


    ¡°I don''t mind, Ariyama-kun. I haven''t walked here in such a long time, I almost forgot where you lived. Anyways, there''s a shortcut around here that''ll make the journey a little less taxing. Plus, neither of us wants to be walking alone when it''s so dark and so windy, yes?¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t deny that she made some good points. He contemplated as he also stuck his hands into his pockets, his fingers stroking against the fur-lined interior of his jacket pockets.


    ¡°I¡­ suppose so. But wait, you said there was a shortcut around here? I''ve been living here all my life and I''ve never known of a shortcut to outside the city.¡±


    Odomura giggled and took one of her hands out of her pocket to hold it out for Ariyama to take.


    ¡°Well, Ariyama-kun, I''d love to show you. If you''d like¡­¡±


    The look of joy on Odomura''s face made Ariyama''s lips curl up at the edges, unable to contain his amusement.


    ¡°Well, how could I say no. I''ve talked to you alone more today than I ever have before, so why spot now?¡±


    ¡°I agree. So, shall we?¡±


    ¡°We shall.¡±


    Ariyama took her hand and gave it a playful shake. Then, side by side, the two of them struggled through the gale as they left the driveway and onto the rocky road.


    And to Ariyama''s surprise, Odomura was completely right. There was instead a shortcut that he''d never seen in his life.


    If you continued down the road that would eventually stretch all the way into the main city, you''d come across a small gap in the ditch on the left side of the road.


    Ariyama frowned in confusion as Odomura tugged at his sleeve, almost with childlike playfulness, and dragged him towards it.


    Once they slipped between the gap in the thorny brush, they found themselves trailing up a short path, closed off tight on either side with bushes the gerund treacherous with uneven rocks and slick mud. That plus the blowing wind didn''t help Ariyama''s uneasiness.


    Eventually, the path gave way to another road that seemed more rundown, the tarmac shattered and mud scattered over the surface. Despite the damage, Ariyama guessed the road hadn''t been used in years at least.


    After taking that road, which wound around a short hill, before coming to a stop right in front of a treeline, Ariyama followed Odomura into the thicket. Wincing at the random sting of pain he felt as the thorns attacked what little skin he had exposed, Ariyama was starting to get a little irritated. An unreasonable irritation, but irritation nonetheless.


    The endless torrent of the wind, the claustrophobic embrace of the forest, the deep mud that his shoes sank into, the drizzle of water that made his jeans and hair damp and his skin itchy.


    Before he could explode from the inside, Odomura disappeared from view for a second. Worried, Ariyama went to follow where she''d been walking, only to drop a few feet with a yelp.


    Odomura, now next to him again, turned to him with her regular kind smile, her purple eyes crinkling in warmth.


    ¡°Sorry, I forgot to mention that little drop was there.¡±


    Shivering, Ariyama thought about the sinking mud, the tight paths of rocky grounds and thorny bushes, and the forest that made him all damp.


    She''d forgotten to mention a lot more than just that drop, that''s for sure.


    ¡°It''s OK, Airi. Don''t worry about it. So, are we close?¡±


    ¡°Well, normally it''d take about half an hour to reach the location from your house, yes? Well, it''s been about ten minutes and we''re almost there. This shortcut is such a godsend, right?¡±


    Odomura didn''t know how happy that made Ariyama, who just smiled gratefully.


    ¡°Sure is. OK, let''s get somewhere less dangerous. Even though an abandoned ¨C supposedly haunted ¨C house isn''t much of an upgrade, it''s a start.¡±


    Odomura nodded and continued on, with them now crossing a grassy clearing, bordered on all sides by trees.


    It took less than five minutes for the fields to come and pass, and then the rundown structure to finally come into view.


    Like most things this far out from the city, the building was covered in foliage, trees and trees on all sides. As for the building itself, it had an uncanny resemblance to what was depicted in that book his mother threw a fit over.


    Squat, with cracked but otherwise strong walls. Smashed-in windows, graffiti and greenery accenting the outside. There didn''t seem to be much of a visible door to go through, but Ariyama assumed they just had a bad angle of the place.


    Odomura, who shifted slightly closer to Ariyama as if she wanted protection, winced as they came to a stop just inside the barrier of trees circling the mauled building.


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ That looks scary¡­¡±


    Her eyes squinted, her lips pursing in concentration.


    ¡°And another thing; I can''t see the others anywhere. We have a bit before it''s ten o''clock, but there''s no way we''re the only ones who were early¡­¡±


    Ariyama followed her movements, his eyes narrowing and his lips pursing too.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s weird. I''m sure they''re somewhere around here, right? Because otherwise¨C¡±


    ¡°BOO!!¡±


    A loud, booming voice jumped at them from somewhere to their left.


    Ariyama''s heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he yelped in fear, stumbling back. Odomura shrieked in a high-pitched tone that pierced Ariyama''s ears, her hands closing around his arm as she also fell back, her butt hitting the dirt.


    The dirt sprayed their backs, falling down the collar of Ariyama''s coat. His skin prickled with the coarse texture of the substance.


    His senses heightened and his chest burning with the shock, Ariyama''s eyes shot up at the figure who approached. The perpetrator of the scare.

 8. Journey Into The Dark II

    ¡°Oh my God! That reaction was priceless!¡±


    Kazura Machi, wearing a big jacket covered with lots of pockets and zippers, peered down at them with a predatory glare, her head tossed back with laughter.


    ¡°The looks on your faces were legendary! Oh, I should''ve been recording that, haha!


    Ariyama stared up at her in shock. His heart banged violently against his chest still. Odomura is still beside him on the ground, the cold dirt below them seeping up into their clothes.


    A shiver ran up Ariyama''s spine, and he swiftly pulled Odomura up with him.


    Then, there was another rustle of movement from behind Kazura and Katsuragi appeared from the darkness, also sporting a big coat.


    ¡°I don''t think that was very necessary, Kazura. It''s scary enough out here from the cold to the weird sounds in the forest. We don''t need people jumping out at us for a cheap thrill.¡±


    Kazura spun to him, her mouth agape with disbelief.


    ¡°¡®A cheap thrill¡¯? Kento-kun, how could you? That''s such a mean thing to say! It isn''t cheap when it''s got me laughing my ass off, is it? What, do you not want me to laugh anymore? Is that it?¡±


    Kazura pouted like she usually did, scrunching up her face in an attempt to drain some sympathy. But Katsuragi Kento had eyes for Matsune Sasya and Matsune Sasya only. He adjusted his glasses with a huff.


    ¡°We both know that''s not true. But that''s besides the point. Ariyama, Odomura? Are you two OK?¡±


    Listening to the two''s conversation had taken Ariyama''s mind off the freezing coldness seeping in his bones. The faint warmth that Odomura let off at his arm was a help, but it didn''t aid much. As the topic of conversation turned back to him, however, and due to the fact that his body had just been tossed down into freezing dirt, the earthy substance having slipped through the cracks in his clothing, Ariyama shivered violently.


    ¡°I suppose that answers that.¡±


    Katsuragi dismissed them with a one-shoulder shrug. He turned back towards the dilapidated structure ahead of them.


    ¡°As for this¡­ place, I suppose it''s about as ¡®abandoned¡¯ as one could get. Judging from the foliage and the graffiti, this place must have been some sort of hotspot for delinquents. Even though Jack said this place was abandoned and isolated, it for sure has some history with people defiling it. Just another thing that punk is lying about.¡±


    Ariyama agreed with him, of course, but if he knew Jack was a lying scumbag, why did he even bother coming here? In fact, why did anyone decide to come here?


    Ariyama knew why he came here. He needed that moment, that moment to prove his worth apart from his money. It wasn''t exactly a selfless reason, but it was a reason at least.


    But maybe the others had their own personal reasons too.


    Ariyama hadn''t a clue as to what they wanted or why they wanted it, but just as he had his own reason for coming here ¨C a reason no one else knew of ¨C was it really that much of a surprise if the others came here for personal reasons too? Maybe to prove something, maybe just to not get left out of the event, even if Jack was the one hosting it?


    ¡°All you do is yap on about boring stuff like that all day, Kento-kun. Come on, let''s get moving on and see if anyone else is here yet.¡±


    Kazura rolled her eyes at Katsuragi''s breakdown of the place, and eagerly skipped her way through the trees and quickly disappeared.


    ¡°Kazura? Kazura, for God''s sake!¡±


    Katsuragi clicked his tongue in annoyance, then angrily stomped after his boisterous friend.


    Odomura wrapped her arms around herself, still shivering. Her teeth chattered as she shook against the cold.


    ¡°U-um, Ariyama-kun? Should we..?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think we shall. Unless we want to die of hypothermia out here.¡±


    Odomura staying close to him, and his breath turning to a cloud of mist before him, Ariyama trundled on after the two, careful not to trip over the frozen twigs and roots that stuck out from the dirt and uneven ground.


    After following the footprints left in the dirt trail by Kazura and Katsuragi, Ariyama and Odomura finally reached the closest point to the abandoned building, being right outside one of its graffitied walls. But this wall must have been out of view back in the cage of trees, as it had a small rectangular doorway on its far right side, the plaster and stone around its edges cracked and splintered, but the doorway still held itself together.


    Ariyama was about to call out in relief that there was an actual way into the building at the very least, but he was interrupted as he spotted a group of silhouetted figures talking by the treeline.


    Odomura moved away from him slightly, her eyes squinting against the darkness.


    ¡°Is¡­ is that¡­¡±


    And sure enough, at the sound of Odomura''s voice, the group of five figures turned to them and quickly made their way over. Once they were out of the concealing cloak of darkness and stepped into the illuminating moonlight, Ariyama recognised them instantly.


    In front was Jack Hayakawa, his droopy purple eyes scanning him like he was an exotic animal, and to his left were his ¡®buddies¡¯, Koenji Bennosuke and Yasami Oichi. And to his right was the shivering Takemichi Yuno and the statue-like Matsune Sasya. It was like she was attuned to the cold somehow. Her flashy coat was pulled tight around her and her silver bracelet glittered in the moonlight, almost enchanted.


    ¡°Matsune-chan, you made it!¡±


    Odomura smiled kindly, her eyes closing in contempt. Matsune, pulling her coat up to her jaw against the bite of the cold, gave a delighted nod of affirmation.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s me. I''m glad you two got here safely. I''m still unsure of what this place is even supposed to be, but if it''s something that can bring us all closer together as friends, it''s something worth going to.¡±


    Ariyama supposed that was her reason for attending this get-together at least.


    ¡°Calm down, ladies.¡±


    Jack spoke in a warning, almost playful tone. His thin lips stretched over his face in a lithe smile.


    ¡°Trust me, after tonight, you''ll both be scared shitless. Why else would I decide to bring everyone to this haunted building?¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me you actually believe this stuff, sir.¡±


    That was Koenji, his pudgy face red and sweaty despite the frost. His voice was timid and anxious, like a hare running from a hunter.


    Jack eyed his friend ¨C if you could even call him that ¨C disdainfully.


    ¡°Why wouldn''t I?¡±


    ¡°W-well, you see¡­ I thought that whole stuff about the scary ghosts and whatnot was just jokes. I thought it was a way to get the more adventurous people like Yaranagi to come with us.¡±


    As Jack turned fully to give Koenji an earful, Ariyama''s mind traveled elsewhere.


    Yeah, where was Yaranagi?


    He''d seen everyone else who was set to join, with the exception of him. What was the deal?


    As if Fate was reading his thoughts, there was suddenly the ever-increasing sound of muffled chatter as three more people broke through the treeline. They came into the silvery moonlight, and Ariyama recognised both Kazura and Katsuragi again, accompanied by Yaranagi Yasuke, his face tight with the aftereffects of laughter.


    Jack looked over his shoulder.


    ¡°Ah, here we are. Everyone is here now, yeah? You three, what kept you so long?¡±


    Yaranagi smirked, not just at Jack, but the whole group in general.


    ¡°Kazura tried scaring me, by jumping out at me from the bushes, on my way here. It backfired, as you might expect. I didn''t move an inch and she ended up tripping over her own shoelaces and landing face first into dirt. Funniest thing I''ve seen all week.¡±


    Ariyama directed his gaze to Kazura, who was looking defeated, her shoulders sagging and her pouting face spattered with dark mud. Katsuragi, who stood beside her, was shaking his head in disapproval, like a disappointed parent.


    ¡°It''s not fair! How was I supposed to know Yasuke-kun was a total brick wall when being scared! For all I knew, he''d be on the ground crying like Saato-kun and Airi-chan were.¡±


    Katsuragi frowned at her statement, leaning down from beside her.


    ¡°Well, wouldn''t you know? You''ve known Yaranagi for as long as Ariyama has¡­¡±


    But Yarangi wasn''t focused on that, but instead turned his attention to Ariyama and Odomura.


    ¡°You two¡­ Is that true? Saato, did you seriously start crying on the floor like a little baby? I can see Odomura doing something like that, but you?¡±


    Ariyama still wasn''t too happy with Yaranagi, even if he hadn''t spoken his mind about it, and so that rubbed him the wrong way. He felt his jaw twitch in annoyance, his vocal chords ready to let him release a wave of retaliation.


    But he managed to quell his sudden anger just in time, forcing his whole body to clench like a vice.


    ¡°Uh, what? We weren''t crying, that''s for sure. Machi is just talking nonsense. And as for the getting scared part though¡­¡±


    Yaranagi snorted a laugh at Ariyama''s dispense


    ¡°So you did get scared? Wow, didn''t know you were such a baby. Hahaha!¡±


    Ariyama flexed his jaw again and tightened his hands into white-knuckled fists.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Thanks for letting me know¡­¡±


    Having must have sensed the explosion of tension in the air, Jack stepped between the two, his hands raised in a calming gesture.


    ¡°Now, now, boys. No need to start boxing each other. I''m sure the ghosts of the dead family residing in this building will do the work for you. Now, I think it''s prudent we do a quick roll call; just to make sure no one is being left out of his important experience.¡±


    He produced a small notepad and pen from his coat pocket. Ariyama almost scoffed at the absurdity of him carrying such items to such a place.


    ¡°Well, let''s start off. Jack Hayakawa? Here, of course¡­¡±


    He ticked a written name off the list and trailed the tip of his pen down to the name on the next line.


    ¡°Yasami Oichi?¡±


    ¡°Here, sir.¡±


    ¡°Check. Koenji Bennosuke?¡±


    ¡°I''m here sir!¡±


    ¡°Check. Matsune Sasya?¡±


    ¡°Right here.¡±


    ¡°Kazura Machi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''m here too¡­ Seriously though, is Yasuke-kun even real¨C¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Takebitchy¡­ Sorry, Takemichi Yuno?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Katsuragi Kento?¡±


    ¡°Present.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, dude? We''re not in class¨C Ah, forget it. Odomura Airi?¡±


    ¡°H-here.¡±


    ¡°Yaranagi Yasuke?¡±


    ¡°You''re looking at him.¡±


    ¡°And last but most definitely least¡­ Ariyama Saato?¡±


    ¡°...Here¡­¡±


    Jack checked his name off the list and quickly put his equipment away safely in his coat.


    ¡°Awesome. Full attendance. Now, let''s not dilly-dally any more, shall we? Let''s get this show on the road.¡±


    With a demeaning smirk in Ariyama¡¯s General direction, Jack started forward, towards the small, uneven frame that looked like a doorway.


    The night had gotten so black at this point that Jack had to resort to using his phone flashlight to light up the areas in front of them in blue-white light.


    As the wind nipped at them, Jack was the first one to reach the doorway. He took one foot inside, then turned back to the group with a scowl of annoyance and confusion.


    ¡°Well, damn it. The doorway just leads to a brick wall. Although it does look like something connected to some sort of secret system. We might have to find some button or lever to activate it.


    Yaranagi, who had taken up a spot beside Ariyama, shook his head and chuckled softly. ¡®Idiot¡¯ was probably what he was calling Jack in his head, if Ariyama had to guess.


    Katsuragi furrowed his brow behind his glasses, his breath misting in the air in front of him.


    ¡°Jack, this place is ancient. Too ancient for some advanced moving door contraption, don''t you think?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, you guys! It''ll be a bit of fun, eh? Even if we don''t get violently killed by ghosts of dead children, a little scavenger hunt wouldn''t be too bad of a second option.¡±


    Jack smirked slyly in the way he always did.


    ¡°There''s, what, ten of us? I''d say split into pairs and have a little look around, yeah?¡±


    The silence that descended on the group spoke volumes of their unwillingness. Jack just scoffed.


    ¡°Oh sorry, I didn''t know all the rest of you were antisocial brats. Come on¡­ Takemichi? We''re friends, right? I''ll go with you, OK, buddy?¡±


    Takemichi swallowed thickly, his lower lip quivering slightly. He just nodded his head ever so slightly.


    Then, Matsune stepped up to speak.


    ¡°Listen, it''s a known fact that not everyone here is friends with Jack, but I think even this will be a good exercise for us all. We''re already in our second year at school and we''re still confined to our small friend groups. Wouldn''t it be for the best for us to expand our horizons? That''s just me, though.¡±


    Matsune let off a little giggle at the end, one which made Katsuragi''s chapped face burn scarlet. He was next to speak up.


    ¡°I-I can agree to this. I think it''d be fun¡­ lots of fun, for us to partake in such an¡­ activity. So, Matsune? Would you care to¨C¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Katsuragi-kun. I''ve already gotten my pick, just like with Jack-kun and Takemichi-kun.¡±


    With a smiling face, she practically hopped over to Ariyama¡¯s side and stood beside him, her arm gently brushing his as a sign of affirmation.


    With that, the group dispersed into pairs quickly. Alongside the two already established pairs, Yasami and Koenji went together, as did Katsuragi and Odomura, and Yaranagi and Kazura.


    Katsuragi gave Ariyama an envious look over his shoulder before turning to his partner, which Ariyama responded with an apologetic smile. He didn''t exactly intend for the most popular girl in the year to be at his side so easily.


    He promised himself he wouldn''t ask her out or even bother forming a crush, despite the challenges that brought.


    He was fairly nonchalant when it came to things like flirting. He had a preconceived notion in his head that, if we wanted to, he could easily talk up a girl or two. But in reality, he always just let the professionals ¨C Yaranagi and Kazura ¨C do all the up close and personal flirting while he focused on his speciality of just sitting and giving his crushes sidelong glance every now and then.


    With that, the four pairs split off, each one going to check out a side of the building each.


    Ariyama and Matsune had the wonderful task of surveying the Easternmost wall, the one most condensely-packed with trees and shrouded in the most darkness.


    As Ariyama apprehensively approached the graffiti-stained wall, I noticed Matsune a little further away, standing awkwardly rigid, her fingers scratching mindlessly at the zip in her jacket.


    Even with the blanket of darkness over them, Ariyama could just vaguely make out the look of anxiousness etched into her face.


    Even though Ariyama made sure he''d never fall for her, it didn''t mean he had become cold to her in any way. It didn''t mean he wouldn''t help.


    The cold seeping through his clothes, his onyx hair blowing wildly through the air, Ariyama made his way across the rough patch of land, placing a shaky hand on her slight shoulder.


    ¡°Matsune? Are you OK?¡±


    She didn''t look at him, but just swallowed thickly and stared up at the building. Despite it being a fairly squat building, it was still several times taller than Ariyama.


    ¡°I¡­ guess? I don''t know, it''s probably silly but I just have a really bad feeling about this place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. Any place that Jack would accept as a viable place to go would make me queasy too.¡±


    But Matsune just shook her head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No..?¡±


    ¡°That''s not why I¡­ You know what? Never mind what I said. It''s probably just the wind.¡±


    She chuckled, but Ariyama knew she was just trying to cover something up.


    She turned around and quickly busied herself with investigating the multiple colors of the graffiti, biting her lip thoughtfully.


    She was acting her usual boisterous self just moments prior, but now why was she suddenly acting so strange?


    Was this place really that weird?


    Ariyama hadn''t exactly agreed with what he said to her about Jack. It was supposed to just be a little white lie to make her feel better. Not that it worked.


    A hint of uneasiness creeping up his spine, Ariyama tried to speak up again.


    ¡°Oh, uh, and about that chat we had earlier today? At the cafeteria? I''m sorry I got all angry at you like that. I was just feeling really off and¨C¡±


    Matsune turned to him, a smile sliding onto her lovely face. The way her eyes narrowed ever so slightly made this smile seem more genuine.


    ¡°Listen, Ariyama-kun, everyone has bad days. I know I didn''t do anything wrong, so there''s no need to apologize. And you didn''t do anything either, so don''t feel bad about it.¡±


    Her words didn''t seem forced or anything, so Ariyama allowed himself to loosen up, his shoulders lowering slightly as he took a breath and nodded.


    ¡°OK¡­ cool. I''m glad we cleared that up. And you don''t need to be worried about this place, OK? I''ll protect you, I promise. I actually promised the same thing to Takemichi, but I can do the same for you.¡±


    Matsune giggled, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle it.


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea, Ariyama-kun. I can handle myself. But you''re right, this worrying is just silly. So, let''s see about this entrance, shall we? I''ll check down this way and you check it here, OK?¡±


    Not waiting for his response, Matsune turned on a heel and started towards the far side of the wall, which stretched on for longer than Ariyama had expected.


    But now, he had a job to do.


    Focusing up, and after ensuring his coat was pulled up to his chin, Ariyama turned his attention to the purples and yellows and reds of the graffiti and the forest green of the overgrown moss that coated the chipped stone wall.


    What exactly was there to find?


    Ariyama envisioned a level sticking out behind a loose brick and after pulling it, the door would open and everyone would sing his praises and then he''s be known beyond his money and he would know for sure his friends weren''t just friends because¨C


    Ariyama kissed his teeth in annoyance at how petty he was being. Why would something like that make everyone revere him? Something so simple?


    Short answer; it wouldn''t, and he was just making up fantastical dreams in his head.


    He tapped the side of his leg, then properly focused on the decimated wall.


    The graffiti was a variety of colors, in a variety of shapes, with a variety of symbols and messages. Some were just people''s names gouged over the stone, while others had much more provocative meanings and lewd drawings.


    Ariyama didn''t expect much else from the delinquents of Shinkai. They had been on the rise for the last few years, with their acts becoming more and more aggressive. According to the news, at least.


    As for the moss and foliage, it grew untamed across the surface, a green trail of nature that made the building look simply ancient, rather than just old.


    His fingers were red with frostbite, but Ariyama still ran them across the rough stone, feeling their cold, hard texture.


    Nothing.


    Looking from top to bottom, there wasn''t anything of note from the structure of the place itself, and the foliage didn''t mean to help either. So Ariyama decided to focus on the graffiti further.


    He could''ve sworn he saw something. Just out of the corner of his eye. Something hidden in the graffiti.


    Ariyama zoned in on a patch of wall that was especially submerged in spray paint.


    All the colors seemed normal. Mainly yellows and purples and reds.


    Lots of reds, in fact.


    Ariyama narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharpening on the patch of wall, the red colored paint catching his attention mostly.


    Then he saw it.


    Hidden discreetly in the mass of colorful graffiti.


    A slightly different shade of red. Darker.


    A closed eye in an oval.


    Long lashes, with faint wrinkles.


    ¡®Shrine.¡¯


    ¡®Gate.¡¯


    ¡®Chant.¡¯


    ¡®Pry.¡¯


    ¡®Gain access.¡¯


    Those words that Ariyama hadn''t even noticed were still stuck in his subconscious.


    It was all from that history book he read, just a few hours ago. The one his mother had lost her mind over.


    He must''ve unknowingly forced those thoughts to the back of his mind, his brain filled with the more recent memories of Kazura''s jumpscare and Jack''s roll call.


    What had that book called it?


    A Shrine Gate?


    Ariyama then noticed he was sweating. A cold sweat that had broken out on his skin, drenching his fringe and sticking it to his forehead.


    His breathing became ragged, and as he clutched at his jacket, he glanced to his right. Matsune was barely visible in the dark, the moon dimly illuminating her form as she scoured the far side of the wall.


    Luckily she wouldn''t see him like this.


    ¡°What''s¡­ going on?¡±


    His vision blurring suddenly¨C just another addition to his sudden burst of fever¨C Ariyama set his jaw and kept eye contact with demonic sigil.


    ¡®Chant, ¡°L¡¯Unnlak, l¡¯Unnlak. Oner teta dem drore¡±. Then, using your index finger and thumb, pry open the eye to gain access¡¯.


    Why did he feel almost compelled to do just that? It couldn''t have been his fever, even if he''d never gone down with something so intense so rapidly.


    His head pounced, as did his heart, and his limbs throbbed like he was after a hard session in his training room. His skin was slick with cold sweat, his knees wobbling like jelly.


    Ariyama felt a cough at the base of his throat, and to not alert anyone else, he suppressed it with a fist in his mouth. His skin came away indented with bite marks from his teeth.


    ¡°Please¡­ Someone help me¡­¡±


    Ariyama hated how pathetic he sounded, but couldn''t stop the shake in his voice, his throat raw for no reason.


    ¡°I need¡­ I need to do this¡­¡±


    But no, he didn''t¡­


    There was definitely some allure to this weird symbol, and the fact the thing from the cook was actually here and actually real was absurd in and of itself.


    But Ariyama needed to be strong. He needed to be.


    For himself, and for his mother, and for his friends. And even for his father, in order to surpass his restrictions placed upon him.


    Even as his stomach did flips and he felt like clawing his own brain out of his head, Ariyama stayed strong.


    He tried his best, at least.


    His hands still shook, his legs still felt like noodles, and yet he remained.


    Anger from nowhere seized his mind, and Ariyama clenched those shaking hands, gritting his chattering teeth. His whole body shuddered, not from the cold, but from this unknown force.


    His sharp breaths made clouds of mist ploom in front of him. His skin was freezing, and yet that made him notice the heat of his insides even more, the steaming pour of blood as it rushed through his veins. He was on the verge of unconsciousness, his head filling with indescribable light, and yet he remained.


    Steeling himself, his whole body on fire and submerged in ice water at the same time, Ariyama inhaled and slowly let the breath out.


    ¡°Not today.¡±


    He said those words to no one or no thing.


    But to himself.


    And just like that, it was done.


    The crashing wave of nausea overcoming him was gone like that. His skin was still wet and his gums hurt from how hard he must''ve been grinding his teeth together.


    His body in his control again, Ariyama looked at the sigil, painted in a dark red against the wall. It was the color blending in most with the shadows, and yet, now, it seemed so much more vibrant than any color in the world. Now, it was impossible to even try to ignore.


    Ariyama hadn''t a clue how, but this thing had definitely been pulling him towards it in some way.


    And now, Ariyama couldn''t deny he had almost a new insight on this mystique drawing.


    It was called a Shrine Gate, right?


    And didn''t gates usually open something?


    If that was the case ¨C and if this was genuine instead of being just a reference to that history book ¨C then the one way Ariyama could imagine opening that entrance, or even finding another one, was to activate this thing.


    ¡®Chant, ¡°L¡¯Unnlak, l¡¯Unnlak. Oner teta dem drore¡±. Then, using your index finger and thumb, pry open the eye to gain access¡¯.


    Ariyama remembered the words exactly, no matter how much he tried to forget. He tried to forget because he knew what he was going to do.


    Sure, the action of getting access to the inside of this place wouldn''t earn him more than a little praise. But what was in the building itself¡­ It was calling him.


    It would give him the opportunity to get his big moment.


    And, what if they went all this way to this place on the outskirts of the city''s jurisdiction, only to be sent home with nothing more than a stinging feeling of irritation at their wasted time.


    Then he wouldn''t get a shot at all. And he didn''t know when Jack or anyone else would make an opportunity like this for him again.


    He wasn''t even sure what exactly he was going to do to change people''s opinions about him so much if they got inside, but that tug at his heart told him it was the right choice and the only way to ensure it.


    It was a shame. He even managed to resist that supernatural pull the sign had been giving off. But now, he was going to use it anyway. He could stop that sigil''s influence, but he couldn''t stop his own.


    With hands that shook violently again, Ariyama Saato reached out to touch the closed eye, once hidden amongst the graffiti, now as bright as the sun in his eyes.


    He needed to do this.


    Or else, he''d never change.


    As he chanted that phrase that was drilled into his mind, all Ariyama prayed for was that this decision wasn''t a bad one.


    ¡°L¡¯Unnlak, l¡¯Unnlak. Oner teta dem drore.¡±


    His two fingers reached out and pried the eye open. The iris that revealed burned with a radiant color of blood.


    Then there was a deep rumble as the light died.


    ¡°Hey guys! That second wall just opened up!¡±


    That was Yasami''s voice, coming from back where the first entrance had been.


    He''d done it.


    It was time.

 9. The End of the Beginning I

    ¡°Well, I have no clue what you did to open it up, but I gotta say, I''m proud of you, Ariyama boy.¡±


    Jack was unnatural in the way he smiled, looking like those mannequins back in Ariyama¡¯s training room. His thin lips stretched over his face, showing his gleaming teeth.


    It was even unnatural to just see him so joyful, in a scenario where he wasn''t bullying someone.


    But Ariyama barely even registered what he said.


    He kept his gaze downcast, his fists tight at his sides, jaw tensed as if he expected something to jump out at him.


    He felt it.


    When Takemichi had first approached him after school that day and asked for protection, he had said he felt as if something bad was going to happen.


    Now Ariyama felt the same.


    He hated this feeling; it wasn''t something easily explainable, but instead something dull and barely there at all.


    A faint throb in his skull, a flip in his stomach. All lesser versions of the pains he was feeling when first encountering that Shrine Gate thing.


    Whatever was going on, he didn''t like it.


    Ariyama walked forward a little, peering into the doorway on the wall. There was a wall of old, dark stone there before, but now it seemed to have just straight up disappeared.


    Ariyama was certain this place didn''t have some sort of electronic system to do something like that.


    It almost didn''t seem real, what happened with that red eye on the wall. He knew that was why the door was gone, but something so supernatural¡­ He found it nearly impossible to really believe.


    Jack gave Ariyama a weird look.


    ¡°Well, someone''s not too good at taking a compliment, huh?¡±


    Yasami and Koenji chuckled at that one.


    ¡°Oh well. Now that we can actually get inside, shall we? I''ll go first. You guys follow and stick close. I''m not embarrassed to say I''d kill any of you if you leave me there.¡±


    Waving his phone flashlight ahead to light up the immediate area in front of him with a blue-white glow, Jack began to trot inside, cautious to not trip over the rubble on the floor.


    After him, his goons followed, then Yaranagi and Katsuragi and Kazura. As Odomura gave Ariyama a reassuring smile ¨C which made his heart leap a little ¨C she also made her way through the tight gap.


    But Ariyama''s legs just wouldn¡¯t move. He cursed at himself and banged his fist against his leg, again and again.


    What the hell was wrong with him?


    He wasn''t scared, was he?


    ¡°So you feel the same way now, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    It was Matsune, standing at his side, her gentle hand on his shoulder. Ariyama''s heated face looked at her pretty one.


    In his moment of weakness, he took just a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was¡­


    No.


    He wouldn''t fall for her, not like all those others. He prided himself in a way, to be able to ignore her charms.


    Better than most, at the very least.


    But then he realized Takemichi was also still there, taking a spot by his side. The timid boy nodded his head.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I suppose all three of us feel weird for some reason, then? This place sure is creepy¡­ Maybe it''s for the best if we just, you know, leave?¡±


    Ariyama understood where he was coming from, but he shook his head.


    ¡°You''re in your right to do whatever you want, and I''m not gonna stop you, but hear me out. If you leave now, Jack will only get worse with what he might do to you. He sees you''ve left here, and he''ll only increase the severity of his actions.¡±


    Ariyama hadn''t intended it, but Takemichi''s face paled considerably.


    Matsune moved a little closer to the scared boy.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, there''s no need to say something like that. Takemichi-kun, you can leave if you want, and no one will fault you.¡±


    It might have been the ailment affecting him, or even how he was truly feeling, but Ariyama chewed his lip in vexation.


    ¡°What are you saying, Matsune? That''s complete nonsense and you know it. If he goes against what Jack says now, he''ll only be at the receiving end of more punishment. No one is willing to go up against Jack for him, so why bother making more trouble?¡±


    Matsune''s blue eyes glared at him, her grip on Takemichi''s arm tightening.


    ¡°Listen, it''s not his fault he''s being unfairly targeted by Jack. It''s the fault of others.¡±


    Rage sieged through Ariyama''s whole body.


    ¡°What, like my fault? What are you talking about? You expect me, who no one knows much about apart from my family''s wealth, to stand up to Jack? Him of all people? He has an influence that I only wish I could. And let''s not forget you! You''re the most popular person in the whole year, and the best option to stop him, and yet you do nothing either! So don''t you dare blame me when you''re equally at fault!¡±


    Matsune sighed, her face relaxing. She subconsciously twisted the silver bracelet she wore.


    ¡°You''re right, Ariyama-kun, and I''m sorry. I think it''s just the tension in the air tonight that''s having us on edge. I didn''t mean you specifically, but rather everyone. And yes, I should blame myself too. I haven''t done anything to properly stop him, and for that¨C¡±


    She looked sadly down at Takemichi at her side.


    ¡°¨C I''m so sorry, Takemichi-kun.¡±


    As Matsune looked at him with her gorgeous eyes, Takemichi''s face went bright red, and he fumbled with his words.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ um, it''s OK, Matsune. Really. It''s no one''s fault and I don''t blame them for standing up to Jack. He''s a scary guy.¡±


    Matusne nodded and gave him a sweet smile, then looked back at Ariyama.


    ¡°And Ariyama-kun, genuinely, I''m¨C¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ forget it¡­¡±


    Ariyama blew out a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. His jaw clenched and unclenched continuously.


    ¡°Sorry, I just¡­ need some time to think¡­¡±


    He shook his head in disbelief ¨C at himself, mainly ¨C feeling like a hole had opened in his stomach.


    Without another word, he left Matsune and Takemichi alone, barging his way into the doorway and quickly being drowned in the darkness within the structure.


    His mind was filled with other thoughts, so Ariyama nearly tripped multiple times on the debris left scattered across the floor of the building.


    It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness inside, and when they did, Ariyama forgot all about his feelings about Matsune and Takemichi and Jack and his family.


    The interior was a mass of darkness, the peeling walls and shattered floor barely visible behind the blindfold of black that covered everything.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Cautious, Ariyama took a few steps forward, his gaze focused on his feet to ensure he didn¡¯t trip. The others only entered a little bit before him, so he was surprised when he couldn¡¯t even hear the echoes of their voices bouncing off the walls.


    The whole place was windowless, and the darkness seemed to only get bigger as Ariyama turned a corner and faced down a long hallway. At the end of this hallway was a point where not even the moonlight shining through the doorway could reach. It was pitch black, and when Ariyama picked up a pebble off the ground and tossed it down the corridor, it was enveloped by the shadows.


    Only the faint thud of it hitting the floor made Ariyama sure the pebble was even still there.


    As Ariyama made his way jankily down the hallway, he peered into the maybe doorways on each side. All the rooms were desolate, save for one or two that seemed to have even more graffiti painting their walls.


    But even the graffiti faded to non-existence as Ariyama journeyed further into the ruins.


    Eventually, he stopped. His breathing was starting to act up as the dust seeping from the ceiling and coating the walls made his throat swell.


    He coughed into the crook of his elbow, shrugging off any dirt that had landed on his jacket as he explored. Was there even a point to this place?


    Sure, Ariyama had thought before that he wasn¡¯t a big fan of going to a place supposedly haunted by dead people, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted this trip to be completely worthless.


    That was why he activated that gate, after all.


    Wait.


    The gate.


    That must have been another thing Ariyama had subconsciously tossed into the back of his mind, because there was no way he would just accept what had happened with that red eye.


    It was definitely a drawing, sketched out on the wall alongside the rest of the graffiti, in a dark red color. So then how had it actually opened and glowed a fiery red? And how had it managed to open that seemingly immovable stone door.


    So many questions¡­


    But what was Ariyama to do?


    It wasn¡¯t like he could just ask any of the others about this. They¡¯d all call him insane, probably even Matsune. And he couldn''t consult the thing that gifted the knowledge about the eye: that history book, because it was sitting pretty with his mother back home.


    So at this point in time, Ariyama was completely alone with his dilemma.


    So was there really much point in stressing over something he couldn¡¯t change?


    Probably not.


    Ariyama gritted his teeth and shook his head, clearing his mind of everything, even if only for a minute. Then he made his way towards that spot of pure darkness at the end of the hallway.


    As Ariyama reached that point, he heard something, distant but still audible.


    He paused, his ears focusing on any small sound around him. He picked up the slight sifting sound of the dust falling from the ceiling, the whisper of the breeze running through the shadows.


    But then he heard voices.


    At first, he wasn''t sure exactly what they were, but as he pressed his ear to the wall, he knew for sure they were voices.


    From what he could figure out, about three of them. Two male and one female.


    And judging from their current situation, Ariyama guessed the girl was Kazura, as Matsune was still probably somewhere near the doorway with Takemichi, while Odomura''s quiet cadence wouldn''t travel that far in this maze of plain stone walls.


    As for the two male voices, he could only think it to be maybe Jack and Yaranagi, but that was nothing more than a guess.


    And furthermore, Ariyama didn''t like the idea of Jack even talking with Kazura. She was his childhood friend after all, and he cared for her more than she probably knew.


    And maybe there was some other reason too, but¡­


    Ariyama shook his head.


    This wasn''t the time to confront his feelings over one person or another. Right now, all he wanted was to catch up with everyone else and maybe not end up a shadow monster''s next meal.


    The dust raining down like a shower of gray, Ariyama finally reached the dark end of the hallway, then he chose a direction at random, deciding to head left.


    More crumbling walls and littered floors later, he finally emerged into something actually different.


    At the side wall of the hallway, there was a burst-open door. Dodging the debris of the wood scattered across the floor, Ariyama stepped inside.


    It was a sort of dining room or something similar. There was a rotten wood table in the middle of the wide room, the chairs surrounding it either splintered on the floor or withered husks barely keeping themselves together.


    What must have once been a chandelier hung dead off a rusted chain from the ceiling. It looked like it could''ve once been glittering with pearly white material, but now it was just a shriveled-out shell of dull color.


    Its squeaky chain swayed ever so slightly, even when the breeze from outside didn''t reach this far into the building.


    Looking around, Ariyama noticed another doorway on the opposite side of the room, and quickly went for it. It led into another hallway yet again, indistinguishable from the others.


    But the voices were getting louder, ever so slightly. But as Ariyama traversed this new path, he heard something else. It took him a moment to realize it was someone crying¡­


    This sound passed through the walls like a ghostly wail, so much that it almost did sound haunted.


    Ariyama one hour ago would''ve scoffed at himself for unironically considering that possibility, but his views had already changed when we encountered that Shrine Gate.


    If a piece of graffiti could move and glow like a floodlight, what''s to say ghosts don''t exist too?


    But as Ariyama turned a corner, he found the real origin of the sobbing.


    Curled up in a corner, knees up to his chest and arms around his knees, face red from exertion, was Koenji Bennosuke.


    Ariyama stared in disbelief for a good few seconds before cautiously approaching the shaking boy.


    ¡°Koenji? What''s wrong?¡±


    Koenji looked up at him, but instead of making a snarky comment or laughing in his face like he always did, he just glared at him, lips quivering and tears staining his cheeks.


    He shook his head, mouth clamped shut and unable to move.


    It was unnerving, seeing someone who was always such a character now reduced to a shaking body on the floor.


    ¡°I said what the hell happened?¡±


    Ariyama applied some assertiveness to his voice. From his dumb little argument with Matsune to the whole vibe of this place, Ariyama wasn''t exactly in the best of moods.


    Koenji squared his shoulders and did his best to hold his shaking. Slowly looking up to Ariyama, he finally opened his mouth, his voice quiet and monotone.


    ¡°I was with Oichi¡­ Then we got separated¡­ Then I came into the room over from this one. I was only trying to find my way back to Oichi, but then I heard this sound¡­¡±


    His eyes bulged as he reminded himself of the event.


    ¡°It was a sharp whistling sound, and I turned around, and I saw something flying towards me. And I tried to dodge it, but¡­ well¡­ it only barely worked¡­¡±


    His body quaking again, he slowly held up left arm, which had been covered by his right the whole time.


    Ariyama audibly gasped as he saw it.


    A black bolt, like from some medieval crossbow, was lodged halfway through his forearm. The whole limb was red from blood, and it still leaked from the tears in his flesh around the bolt.


    ¡°Dude¡­ what the hell¡­¡±


    Ariyama was at a loss for words. His belly had opened up again and it felt like a bottomless pit. He never really got queasy from seeing anything gorey in movies or TV, but seeing it in person ¨C and being just three steps away from it ¨C made his whole body feel repulsed.


    Ariyama shook his head to level his mind. There was no time to panic, even if that wound was really, really gross.


    ¡°OK¡­ OK, let''s think about this for a second¡­¡±


    ¡°What''s there to think about, you bastard?!¡±


    Koenji''s voice went up a few pitches as he screamed, his forearms twitching from the bolt still lodged in it.


    ¡°I''m gonna die! Oh God, I''m gonna die!¡±


    ¡°You''re not! Just¡­ let me think.¡±


    Ariyama cursed and pressed his hands to his head, racking his brain for ideas.


    ¡°Well, you need medical assistance, so¡­¡±


    He looked around, scanning the room for something, anything, he could use to stop the bleeding, even for the time being.


    But this place had been left to the elements ¨C and rebellious delinquents ¨C for years, so there wasn''t a thing of use in sight.


    ¡°Bro, I''m going to die! Please do something! I''m sorry, OK? I''m sorry for always being Jack''s little bitch. I was just so scared that I wouldn''t be respected any other way and I¨C¡±


    Ariyamaturned back and glared at him.


    ¡°Can you just shut up? I don''t really care about your apology. Right now, we need to get you out of here.¡±


    He knelt down beside the injured boy and slung his good arm over his own shoulders, using all the muscles in his legs to push himself up to standing. It didn''t help that Koenji liked to eat. A lot. And his body showed it.


    Koenji, leaning off Ariyama, mumbled something, his previous burst of energy lost. His eyes began to flutter shut, so Ariyama gave him a sharp slap on the cheek.


    ¡°Don''t do that. Not fall asleep, or talk for that matter. Just save your strength and walk with me¡­¡±


    As Ariyama''s muscles burned and he hoisted the student out of the hallway, trying to retrace his steps, Koenji muttered again.


    ¡°You¡­ Why¡­ I''ve only ever been mean to others. Why not leave me for dead?¡±


    Ariyama didn''t even look at him, instead just clicking his tongue in annoyance.


    ¡°What type of question is that, you idiot? Sure, I don''t exactly like you. Or Yasami or Jack. But do you expect me to leave you here for dead? No. I''m not as messed up as you must think I am. I''m going to save you.¡±


    Maybe¡­ this was it.


    Was this his ¡®big moment¡¯?


    Putting his differences aside to help save an injured classmate?


    Would that finally free him from the shackles of his father?


    Would saving someone really do that?


    Would saving Koenji really do that?


    Ariyama doubted it.


    No one liked Koenji, just as no one liked Yasami or Jack. They were just intimidated, that''s all. The three bullies didn''t seem to even like each other. Yasami and Koenji were always vying for Jack''s attention, but that was only because he was their way to getting some recognition.


    Wait, what was he trying to say?


    Was he only saving him to get some damn reputation?


    What kind of person would that make him?


    As they passed another stone room, Ariyama bit his lip till it hurt.


    He wasn''t going to do this for his big moment. He still wanted that, but it''d come to him when the time was right.


    Right now, he was saving Koenji because it was the right thing to do.


    Just then, they turned down another hallway, one which had a weird line of holes along one wall. Koenji suddenly stirred from his spot beside Ariyama. He used all the strength he could in his voice to shout.


    ¡°Bolts! Bolts from the holes!¡±


    Bolts from the holes? What the hell was he on abou¨C

 10. The End of the Beginning II

    Ariyama instantly heard a sharp whistling sound, and looked to his right at the holes on the wall, as a thin black thing shot out of one.


    His heart seized with warm panic, Ariyama fumbled and barely managed to drag both himself and Koenji to the floor, the bolt flying overhead before landing into the opposite wall with a thunk.


    Breathing heavily, Ariyama waited for another bolt to fly, but when none came, he slowly looked up.


    Ah. ¡®Bolts from the holes¡¯.


    That made sense now.


    ¡°Ah! What the hell are we gonna do?¡±


    Ariyama decided to leave Koenji on the floor; it was for his own good. He couldn''t stand on his own, so it at least protected him from being impaled by the arrows.


    Speaking of which, why the hell did this old ruined building have, not only a glowy red eye on its outside wall, but a whole system of medieval-type boobytraps. Did Jack have the answers?


    If he knew all this would be in the building, what was his plan? Did he decide to upgrade from just being an asshole to being a murderer?


    ¡°Koenji, just stay down here and try not to bleed out, OK? I''ll try and find some help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no! You''re not leaving me alone in this dusty, dark, smelly goddamn place. Man, this was a mistake coming here. Now I''m dead and there''s nothing to do¨C¡±


    As if someone was answering Ariyama''s prayers, there was a sound of approaching footsteps. Multiple.


    Ariyama let out a breath of relief, only for it to be replaced by fear once again. Did they know about the arrow traps? Ariyama didn''t think they did, and they were getting closer now, closer and closer, their footsteps getting louder and louder.


    ¡°Guys, wait! Don''t come in here! There are holes in the wall that shoot out these bolt things. If you get in here, they''ll trigger and¡­¡±


    But those footsteps didn''t stop. He heard voices calling his name, so they heard him calling out at least, but not what he was saying. It was useless to try it again, and so before his mind could even catch up, Ariyama made a break for it.


    He fell into a straight sprint along the hallway, heading for the opposite side, where the others would soon turn the corner.


    He heard arrows narrowly whistling past him as he darted across the floor, teeth grinding and his head tucked low.


    Almost there.


    Almost there.


    Almost¨C


    The running footsteps stopped as a girl turned the corner.


    Tan skin. Blonde hair with a purple clip.


    Kazura.


    They made eye contact for just a moment, as both Jack and Yaranagi turned the corner too.


    Everything seemed to slow down, as Ariyama became aware of the arrow shooting out from the hole in the wall.


    He pushed her.


    Her head was pulled down as her body was raised slightly.


    The bolt missed her head, but cut a long gash across her arm.


    Blood poured. She screamed in pain.


    But it wasn''t over. Another bolt was primed. And it was let off with a shrill sound.


    This one would hit her head regardless.


    Ariyama didn''t have time.


    So he¨C


    Clenching her teeth against the pain of the cut across her shoulder, Kazura squeezed her eyes shut and flinched heavily as another bolt shot at her.


    But then it was Ariyama who grunted in pain¡­ Kazura opened her eyes and saw Ariyama, arm outstretched, the bolt gripped tightly in his fist.


    He had miraculously caught it just inches before it would''ve buried itself in her head.


    The speed of it had ripped the skin of his palm, leaving it red and sensitive. Blood seeped from between the gapes in his fingers.


    ¡°S-Saato-kun?¡±


    Kazura was breathing heavily, her hand pressed to her wound, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°What''s¡­ going on?¡±


    Also gasping for breath, Ariyama said nothing as he dropped the bolt, the metal rod slick with his blood clattering to the ground.


    ¡°Yeah, what she said. Why are there arrows flying from all around?¡±


    Jack came up behind them, as Ariyama pulled Kazura around the corner and out of the range of the boobytraps. As Kazura sank to the floor, clutching at the bloody line scarring her shoulder, Yaranagi called her name and knelt beside her.


    Jack gripped Ariyama''s shoulder.


    ¡°You hear me, Ariyama? What the hell was that¨C¡±


    Ariyama smacked his hand away, taking one step back and reeling back his fist as he did so.


    He was shaken to the core with anger. Fury that he hadn''t known he could muster. It was bad, and in the heat of the moment, uncontrollable.


    ¡°What''s up with you? I told you to explain to me what in the hell¨C¡±


    Wordlessly, he let his fist fly, his knuckles crunching into Jack''s jaw.


    The boy tipped back, and Ariyama pushed his whole weight onto him, the two collapsing to the floor. With his ruined, bloody hand, Ariyama grabbed Jack by the collar and pulled him in close to his snarling face.


    ¡°You tell me, you bastard.¡±


    Jack''s face was twisted in astonishment at what had just happened.


    ¡°W-what¡­¡±


    Ariyama huffed an angry breath and punched Jack again. It hurt like a bitch, and his knuckles were already bruised and bloody, but it felt damn good.


    ¡°You were the one who brought us here, yeah? So you must''ve known this place was the best choice for some reason. It took me until now to figure out why. This place is trapped! There''s dead end after dead end, traps that shoot out arrows! Kazura was lucky I saved her, because otherwise she''d have ended up like Koenji. You know, your only friend? Yeah, he''s bleeding out from a bolt through his damn forearm right now. So unless we get out this instant, he''s as good as dead! And who''s fault is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ didn''t know this would happen. I was just told this place was¨C¡±


    ¡°I don''t give a fuck what you were ¡®told¡¯! It''s your fault we''re in this situation, you stupid bastard!¡±


    He hit him again, and again, and again.


    Ariyama felt flashes of white-hot pain flooding his whole hand as his fist connected with the side of Jack''s face.


    He was finally doing it. Finally talking out all his frustration on somebody, while hurting himself in the process.


    Jack groaned in pain, his face red and his eye swollen. Just as Ariyama was about to hit him again, a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him off Jack. The jarring force made him feel like his shoulder would be torn off.


    So he knew it was Yaranagi before he even came into his line of sight. His friend''s mouth was set in a hard line, clearly suppressing his own anger, which he very rarely did.


    ¡°Listen, Saato. There''s no time to beat him, no matter how good it may feel. We got to get Koenji out of here. Probably Machi too. They''re both injured, and for all we know, those bolts could''ve been poisoned or could cause a disease from the rust.¡±


    It was weird, having Yaranagi being the sensible one while Ariyama was the one losing his temper. This place was changing everything Ariyama had grown so accustomed to.


    Taking a deep breath in and out, Ariyama nodded without another word. He was still kind of pissed off at Yaranagi, but right now he was telling the truth. He sat up, wincing at his busted hand and holding it close.


    ¡°OK, OK. Can you crawl under those traps in the hallway and grab Koenji? If we all meet up here, there can''t be only one path to the entrance.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yaranagi nodded, then gave Kazura a reassuring pat on her good shoulder, before disappearing around the corner.


    Ariyama squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring small moans from Kazura and the wheezing breaths from Jack. He dreaded the thought of hearing a whistling bolt, followed by the sound of a body dropping to the cold stone floor.


    But as luck would have it, Yaranagi returned just moments later, scuttling across the floor on his knees, his arm muscles bulging as he dragged Koenji''s groaning form behind him.


    Leaning Koenji against the wall beside Kazura, Yaranagi exhaled loudly and got to his feet, dusting off his pants.


    ¡°Fatso¡­¡±


    Ariyama''s shoulders relaxed as his best friend returned. He brought his knees close to his chest.


    ¡°Right, cool, awesome. Now we need to get them out of here¡­ But you can''t take both of them, and Jack and I can''t help. We don''t even know another way back, but we need to escape anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°I agree, Ariyama.¡±


    At the foreign voice, Ariyama jumped a little, his nerves not helping in any way. He craned his neck around, stifling a gasp as he saw two familiar faces approaching from the other side of the hallway.


    Katsuragi Kento and Odomura Airi.


    Ariyama first noticed how covered in dust they were. Whichever route they took, it must''ve been a lot dirtier than the one he had taken.


    ¡°Guys? Oh, I''m so glad you''re OK. But listen, there''s been¨C¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, Ariyama-kun, we heard everything. We were heading in this direction anyway. And you''ll be surprised how thin these stone walls are. Though, it was probably more thanks to the echoing.¡±


    Odomura, despite looking like she''s been through hell, still gave him a kind smile.


    Katsuragi nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Indeed. Luckily, we got here through an alternative path than you all. It''s¡­ a lot more dusty than we''d have liked, but it''s clear of any boobytraps.¡±


    Katsuragi winced as he glanced at Koenji and Kazura leaning against the wall.


    ¡°We''ll have to leave the topic of the person at fault for this alone for the time being. Right now, these two need to get out of here. And frankly¡­ I think we should too.¡±


    Odomura nodded in agreement, her hands fiddling with the hem of her beige coat.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, but this place is seriously giving me the creeps. I only really came here because I didn''t want to be left out. And I was also invited personally, so it''d feel bad if I didn''t go. But right now, I''m regretting my choices.¡±


    Ariyama ignored the blazing pain in his left hand for a moment, just to give Odomura somewhat of a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Look, we''re all beat up and dirty and in over our heads. You''re not the only one wanting to ditch this place.¡±


    At that, Odomura''s face lit up.


    ¡°So¡­ does that mean you''re leaving with us?¡±


    Ariyama caught himself before he spoke. In the spur of the moment, he had almost said yes.


    But that would''ve been a lie.


    Had he gone through all this hardship just to get into this place, only to run away like a coward after  no more than twenty minutes?


    Over his dead body.


    ¡°I¡­ don''t think so, Airi. Sorry, but I just need to stay. I can''t really explain but¨C¡±


    ¡°OK guys, enough of the politeness, please.¡±


    That was Kazura, now leaning forward slightly, her hand stained red from where she held her injury.


    ¡°It''s bad enough that my pretty tanned shoulder is all messed up, but Koenji is in serious danger. I know no one likes him, but we''re not leaving him to die.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly. We''re wasting time as it is, which is a precious commodity in this scenario.¡±


    As he spoke, Katsuragi leaned down and used all his strength to pull Koenji up, slinging an arm around his waist to support him. The chubby boy just gurgled something, his face scrunched up in a mix of pain, resistance and impatience. Ariyama was more shocked at Katsuragi''s strength. The guy looked as skinny as it got, but maybe his brain wasn''t the only thing that was fortified.


    ¡°Even if that damned dust keeps fogging up my glasses, I''m confident in saying that I can retrace our steps and head back to the entrance. We have no time to lose. Odomura, if you''d kindly bring Kazura with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Kento-kun!¡±


    As Odomura crouched down to scoop Kazura to her feet, the noticeably-quiet Yaranagi finally spoke up.


    ¡°So what the hell are you gonna tell the authorities when you come to them with a guy with an arrow through his goddamned arm?¡±


    ¡°If we''re lucky, not much. If we''re not, then I''ll just explain to them that it must have been a trap laid out amongst the trees, likely from a hunter trying to catch some game.¡±


    Yaranagi crossed his arms, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°OK. OK, that should work. Just get them out of here before anything worse happens. And, uh, stay safe¡­ or whatever.


    Odomura pulled Kazura beside her, looking back to Yaranagi with a bright grin.


    ¡°We''ll do our best!¡±


    Katsuragi looked back too.


    ¡°Of course. And you''re sure no one else wants to come with?¡±


    ¡°Nah man. Missing something as interesting as this? Never.¡±


    Ariyama shook his head.


    ¡°I¡­ can''t, not when I''m here for a reason.¡±


    Even Jack, now finally sitting up, grunting the whole way, spoke with a muffled voice.


    ¡°I''m not leaving this place. Captain goes down with the ship, and all that. And I also need to prove to some of you that I''m not who you think I am.¡±


    He made no attempt at hiding the nasty glare he gave Ariyama out of the corner of his eye.


    Katsuragi turned his back on them, and began stumbling away, Koenji''s heavy form weighing him down.


    ¡°Very well. Good luck, all of you.¡±


    Odomura scampered to catch up, Kazura hanging off her but actually able to move in a little run alongside her, unlike Koenji.


    And just like that, they were gone.


    Ariyama waited until their receding footsteps disappeared before he let himself curl into a ball on the floor, clutching his hand.


    ¡°Damn¡­ This hurts¡­¡±


    Yaranagi shook his head and laughed incredulously as he came to one knee beside Ariyama.


    ¡°Look bro, I get that punching the shit out of Jack was fun, but do you regret your broken fist?¡±


    Through his contorted face, Ariyama looked at his friend with a wild expression.


    ¡°Nah, not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now we''re acting all in-charge now, huh?¡±


    It was Jack, who was standing on his two feet despite the swelling on the half of his face. His lip was busted and his nose was bleeding.


    ¡°Listen you little brat, I demand an apology. How the hell was I supposed to know that all this was going to¨C¡±


    Yaranagi whirled around to face him with a glare.


    ¡°I for one don''t give a damn. You''re you, so opinion invalidated right off the bat. Now don''t forget, there''s still the other three who are with us. For all we know, they could be lying dead on the floor with arrows through their heads. Let''s go check up on them.¡±


    Jack''s face burned with fury, his jaw flexing. But he contained his outburst and just gave Yaranagi a deadly stare as he walked past him.


    Ariyama, even with the flaring pain from his bruised fist, had a feeling of satisfaction seeing Jack knocked down a peg or two. Even if he didn''t get his big moment on this outing after all, punching Jack Hayakawa in the face multiple times sure was worth it.


    Their footsteps were echoing through the barren hallways. It was all so quiet that even the slight whoosh of the breeze or skittering stone from being kicked made Ariyama instinctively jump.


    He was bringing up the rear of their reduced group, with Jack hobbling along in the middle, holding his bruised face, while Yaranagi was leading them.


    It was eerie how quiet it had gotten, even only five or so minutes after the whole scene with bolts flying and fists flying and arguing.


    If that did one thing right, it got Jack to shut up.


    ¡°Hey, you guys hear that?¡±


    Yaranagi suddenly stopped ahead of them, making Ariyama and Jack stop too. Ariyama closed his eyes to focus on whatever sound Yaranagi was talking about. It was still difficult to hear much of anything in this place, even with the echoing hallways.


    Nothing yet.


    Just the same sounds: human breathing and the breeze and distant voices and¡­


    Distant voices?


    Ariyama opened his eyes, locked eyes with Yaranagi, and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I hear it. That must be the others, right? So they must be close by. I''m glad.¡±


    Jack groaned loudly, clearly just looking for attention.


    ¡°Oh, thank God. Let''s hope they won''t start beating on me for something I never even did¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jack.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jack.¡±


    Jack spluttered in disbelief at the attack on him, before scoffing and walking ahead alone. Once they were alone, Yaranagi leaned into Ariyama.


    ¡°So¡­ if he gets hit by one of those bolts¡­¡±


    ¡°I won''t be in a rush to save him. I''ll say that much.¡±


    Yaranagi huffed a laugh at Ariyama''s response, but looked at him oddly for a few seconds.


    ¡°Yeah, and on an unrelated note, is¡­ everything OK?¡±


    Ariyama blinked in confusion for a second.


    ¡°Yes? What are you on about?¡±


    Yaranagi licked his lips, a rare occurrence. He only ever did that if he was genuinely talking about something that he was embarrassed about.


    ¡°Well, just today in school. And now here in this creepy hellhole. All of a sudden, you seem distant¡­¡±


    Ariyama rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Why do you even care? It''s not like Yaranagi Yasuke to care about his friends¡¯ feelings.¡±


    Ariyama instantly wanted to take it all back. His heart had been racing as Yaranagi had finally asked the question Ariyama had wanted him to for the last few hours. His mind was running way behind his mouth.


    Yaranagi took a step back, narrowing his eyes accusingly.


    ¡°Huh? Come on, man. We both know I joke around but we can also both tell I''m being serious about this.¡±


    ¡°And you''re only asking me now because?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn''t notice it until now? God, Saato, you''re impossible sometimes¡­¡±


    Those words made Ariyama''s already-shortening temper break further.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. I''m the impossible one? Says the one who''s just pretending to not be a fake-as-can-be friend.¡±


    ¡°What? How the hell am I ¡®fake¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°Oh I dunno. Maybe when you weren''t gonna tell me you were going to this place in the first place? The only reason I came is because¡­ Uh, Jack told me, so I decided to come. He already asked you to go though, didn''t he? And for some unknown reason, you weren''t even gonna ask me if I was even going? I thought we were best friends, and isn''t that what best friends do?¡±


    Yaranagi crossed his arms and chuckled nastily.


    ¡°No way. No way that''s what''s gotten you so riled up. And I mean really riled up. I''ve never seen you get this pissed at really anything before. So sorry I did the unforgivable act of forgetting to ask you. How could I ever be redeemed?¡±


    ¡°You know, you use that excuse a lot, huh? If you''re starting to forget all this stuff more and more often, do you know where you need to go? A doctor, bro.¡±


    Yaranagi flinched, as if he was ready to knock Ariyama on his ass, but he refrained at the last moment. His hands balled into white-knuckled fists, his breathing shallow and uneven, Yaranagi trembled as he glared at Ariyama, his seething building.


    Ariyama couldn''t deny that his heart skipped a few beats when he came face-to-face with Yaranagi''s intimidating anger on full display.


    He let out a breath to calm his own nerves.


    ¡°Look, forget it, OK? Let''s just move on, and get out of this creepy hellhole, eh?¡±


    He managed a meek smile and held out a hand to shake.


    Ariyama had managed to quell his own frustration, but clearly Yaranagi would need a bit more time, as he just gave Ariyama a nearly-murderous look before ignoring his outstretched hand and walking off after Jack.


    Ariyama just stared after him, mouth hanging open, hand still expecting the phantom of another hand to shake.


    He slowly retracted his hand and instead curled it into a fist and smashed it against the side of his leg again and again.


    What was he thinking? Did all that just happen or was it a dream? All that pettiness made Ariyama want to vomit. But it was in the heat of the moment and he couldn''t really control himself at the time.


    ¡°Good work, you damn idiot¡­¡±

 11. The End of the Beginning III

    Breathing in the stinking air of the building, Ariyama fixed his gaze ahead, and continued onwards to follow his group.


    Since everything looked the damn same, Ariyama only told that he was approaching the location of the remaining adventures when he heard their distant voices grow louder and louder.


    He turned a corner, narrowly stepping over a section of the floor that just caved into the ground, and then he had finally arrived.


    Of course, Jack and Yaranagi were already there, leaning against the far wall. Well, Yaranagi was leaning, but Jack was more along the lines of being pinned against the wall by Yaranagi''s toned arm, his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up, showing off his muscles.


    Ariyama could tell instantly, without even looking at his face, that Yaranagi was angry from their argument. The way his veins pumped along his forearm made him look a hundred times more imposing.


    Further left along the wall, Ariyama saw the anxious Takemichi, the quiet Matsune and the flustered Yasami. They must have gotten the news about the division of the group. Now, they were down to only six as opposed to the original ten.


    Then Ariyama noticed it.


    He was surprised at himself as it took him so long to notice it, but thanks to the patches of darkness covering the interior hallways, his vision hadn''t picked up on it.


    Between the two groups up against the wall, set into the hard stone like something carved.


    A doorway.


    Or at least the outline of one.


    It looked like a stone elevator door, without any buttons to press. Just incisions into the rock to make out a set of plain doors.


    Ariyama walked up to the doors, a bead of nervous sweat rolling down the right side of his face. It tickled and it burned and it made him ever so slightly more unsure if any of this was worth it.


    Kazura had gotten hurt, and Koenji ¨C even if Ariyama didn''t like him ¨C got hurt much worse.


    And would they have ever even gotten inside the place in the first place if he hadn''t activated that Shrine Gate? He was the only one who knew about it from the history book he read, as far as he was aware, so no one else would''ve been able to do it. Was this his fault? Was he the reason that¨C


    ¡°So, are you gonna stare at it or are you actually gonna do something?¡±


    The voice snapped Ariyama back to reality, and he awkwardly tugged at the ends of the zipper of his coat as he looked to his right as Yaranagi acknowledged him. His face was set in a stern mask of stone. His mouth was a straight line and his words were gruff.


    Looking over his friend''s shoulder, Ariyama saw Jack leaning against the wall on the floor, a new bruise added to his battered face. Seems that Yaranagi had to rough him up a bit more to be confident of him leaving him unguarded.


    Yaranagi met his gaze again.


    ¡°Well? There doesn''t seem to be any other door in this entire damn place. So this thing must be it. It must be the reward we''ve received for going through all this trouble and causing the injuries of one of our friends and one of¡­ our other classmates.¡±


    Ariyama didn''t realize how dry his throat had gotten, so he forced himself to swallow his saliva before speaking again.


    ¡°I guess so. Well, no one said I''m the leader here, yeah? So I think we should get everyone else''s opinions first.¡±


    Yaranagi looked inclined to argue, but Matsune interrupted before he could erupt.


    ¡°I''m not sure about this anymore. Of course, our friends being hurt isn''t a good thing in the slightest, but I''m even more unsure about this doorway here. I¡­ Well, let''s just say I don''t like any of this.¡±


    ¡°Great observation, Matsune.¡±


    Yaranagi grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms in annoyance before deciding to busy himself by walking back over to where he left Jack slumped against the wall.


    If anything, Ariyama was for sure not going to stop whatever he did to that fool. Jack Hayakawa had to be knocked down a few pegs, and a few hits from Yaranagi Yasuke would surely do the trick.


    I looked back at Matsune, my heart drumming in sympathy as I perceived her troubled face.


    ¡°Whatever you mean, Matsune, I get it. No wonder you do. So, Yasami? Takemichi? Thoughts?


    Yasami stuffed his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Screw off, brat.¡±


    Takemichi shakes as if drenched in a snowstorm naked.


    ¡°I¡­ want to g-go home¡­¡±


    Ariyama sighed.


    What had been expected?


    Matsune, who remained by his side, placed a hand delicately on his shoulder, a tight but reassuring smile on her face.


    ¡°Look, I know you just said you''re not our leader, and you''re right. But Ariyama-kun, you are¡­ just one of those people who can always stay calm in moments of panic. I don''t exactly have any proof, but I just have this feeling.¡±


    Ariyama''s throat tightened and his stomach churned with a weird happiness. No matter what happened, how did Matsune manage to always say the right things?


    Maybe that''s what made her so popular in the first place? Along with her good looks and strengths in sports and academics, of course.


    Ariyama had always questioned why there were people like her. People who were above others in social hierarchies, even if they were all humans.


    But in moments like these, Ariyama was glad that it was people like Matsune ¨C kind, caring, reassuring ¨C who were popular.


    Realizing he hadn''t responded to her words of encouragement yet, Ariyama stuttered a little.


    ¡°O-oh, thanks Matsune. I know a lot has happened, but¡­ it''s nice to have some like you to be some motivation.¡±


    Matusne gave him a smile, her full lips glinting slightly, even in the darkness, with the lipstick she applied. Similarly, her silver bracelet seemed to glow too, but in a weird fake light that didn''t seem natural.


    But then Yasami interrupted them, waving his hands to separate them.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Enough flirting, you two idiots. Are we going through the doors or what? Yo, boss, what''s the plan?¡±


    He looked over Ariyama''s shoulder at Jack, and when Ariyama turned to follow his gaze, he saw Jack try to get up, only to receive a gut punch from Yaranagi. And Yaranagi did not look happy.


    ¡°Listen, you dumb bastard. Call Jack ¡®boss¡¯ all you want, but don''t believe that he''s the one in charge of this little escapade of ours, got it? We''re heard as one, and now we''re basically stuck in here. Only Katsuragi remembered the way out, and by now he''s long gone. Him, Odomura, Koenji, Kazura; all safe and sound outside of this damned place. So I reckon we bust into this doorway and see what''s inside. We''ve come this far, haven''t we? Why bother stopping when we''re seemingly at the end of the road?¡±


    Yasami scoffed at Yaranagi''s words, but as his boss was still curled up in a painful heap on the cold stone floor, he backed off.


    Wordlessly, Yaranagi trudged ahead, his eyes dead set on the carved doorway on the wall. He gave everyone a cold glance, and when no one spoke up against him, he continued.


    He stopped in front of the door, as if surveying the surface for just a moment, before taking a step back, then rushing forward.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    His foot that was behind came in front and his booted heel smashed into the stone of the door. It must have been fairly thin, as dozens of fractures ran across the door like a spiderweb. Ariyama flinched at the sharp sound of his boot cracking the stone.


    Yaranagi repeated his action, again and again, his boot making the stone door splinter under its weight. After about ten or so blows, the door finally caved in. Its parts fell in a cloud of dust like a waterfall of pebbles, littering the floor and collecting into a heap at Yaranagi''s feet.


    Letting out just a low grunt, Yaranagi ducked into the man-sized hole he had put into the doors. Inside, it seemed pitch black, and Ariyama watched as Yaranagi''s body slowly lowered further and further until he was out of view. Judging from his movements and the tap of his footsteps, Ariyama expected there to be some sort of stairs leading down.


    Just what was this place really?


    And sure enough, when Ariyama was the next person to go and he peered through the hole, he saw just darkness, and a set of stone stairs leading down into more darkness, dimly-lit by very faint torches flickering weakly in brackets against the walls.


    One thing that came to his attention was how smooth and well-made the stone steps were. While everything else in the building was either rubble or cracked stone, the material here was sharp and professional, like a proper builder had cut and placed these stones by hand.


    Not wanting to keep the rest of the group waiting, Ariyama drew in a long breath, the cold air hurting his throat, Ariyama ducked into the space, getting his balance on the small steps before slowly descending down the stairs.


    The air down there was even colder than it was upstairs. As the echoing of his footsteps on the stairs sounded out down the path they were taking, Ariyama''s chest sank deeper and deeper into uncertainty and slight horror.


    Yaranagi was the only one ahead of him, and he was about a dozen steps further down than he was. After Ariyama, Matsune had gone next, her face visibly pale as she went down the steps, as if she was realizing something horrifying.


    After her came Takemichi, his knees wobbling so much Ariyama worried he might trip. Finally, Yasami helped his ¡®boss¡¯ down, Jack slinging one of his skinny arms over his goon''s shoulders.


    He probably recognised the fact that if he tried running, Yaranagi would be sprinting after him with his long, toned legs. No one could ever outrun him.


    Ariyama''s breath began to explode from his throat in plooms of cold mist, a shiver running through his bones. His body shook and he zipped his coat up as far as it would go, forcing the zipper so much that it would''ve broken if Yaranagi hadn''t suddenly called out.


    ¡°Hey! I see something here! Looks like some kind of room. And there''s something glowing too¡­¡±


    Ariyama was just glad to soon be not descending anymore of those damn steps. They were smooth, but so smooth they became unstable to comfortably walk down.


    But then he heard someone cry out behind him, and Ariyama half turned as Matsune collided with him. For a moment, he thought she had just accidently fallen down a step or two. He''d just been telling himself about that just now, after all.


    But when he saw her face, he knew it was something more.


    It wasn''t the shocked face of someone who was receiving momentary shock after tripping down some stairs. It was the face of someone who was horrified. Not by something that was happening in front of them, but by something that was about to happen.


    ¡°Yaranagi, no! Whatever''s in there, don''t touch it!¡±


    She outstretched her hand in desperation, and nearly fell again as she hurled herself down the remaining steps, before hitting the ground and chasing Yaranagi into the darkness.


    Ariyama was stunned momentarily, his limbs frozen in place.


    What had just happened?


    Matsune''s voice screaming out resonated in his head like a replay from the Devil himself, beckoning him to answer the call.


    What ¡®call¡¯ exactly? Ariyama wasn''t wasn''t, but what he did know is that in that exact moment, his body''s functions started up again and he too went flying down the stairs. He did a worse job than Matusne at trying to not trip, and lost his footing on the last few steps. Luckily, the momentum he had built up sent him over the last of the steps, and instead he tumbled to the cold floor of the dark room at the end of the stairs. His body shook with dull pain, especially his knees and elbows, which he felt were cut and bleeding.


    But he noticed it right after. That weird thing glowing a faint white in the darkness. More distant cries burning into his mind, Ariyama gritted his teeth and forced himself up, ignoring the stinging pain in his muscles. He didn''t know what was going on, but if Yaranagi or Matsune were in trouble, there was no way in hell that he''d let them¨C


    ¡°DON''T COME ANY CLOSER!¡±


    The roar was from Matsune again, and Ariyama released the distant sounds he was hearing were coming from her as well, probably to stop him from coming down. But his highest adrenaline had boosted every part of him except for his hearing, apparently.


    So now that he was here, what was going to happen?


    He heard more running footsteps from behind, and he knew Takemichi and the others were probably standing in the darkness with everyone else now too.


    He focused his attention back on the thing glowing dimly further in the darkness. It had an odd shape, almost like a long stick or a dagger¡­


    Or even a sword.


    But before his mind could wander too much, a painful vibration blasted through Ariyama''s whole body, starting at his feet. The room shook and Ariyama felt like he was about to lose his dinner all over the smooth stone floor.


    Huh, smooth again.


    So this room was similar to the stairwell, in the way it was oddly well-kept, unaffected from the elements like the higher parts of the building were.


    The shuddering from the ground suddenly stopped, and there was a horrible screeching sound of stone and stone, as Ariyama watched a wall of hard cement jitter upwards, sealing off the room from the foot of the stairs. Vaguely, he heard the far-away shouts of panic and disbelief from Jack and Yasami and everyone else.


    Ariyama began to get queasy again.


    No way that just happened.


    What is this place?


    Even a ghost couldn''t do this.


    What is this place?


    As he pondered the question, the unearthliness of the building didn''t end, as a sudden flashbang of blue light filtered into the room and Ariyama''s eyes ¨C which had gotten adjusted to the darkness for a long time at this point ¨C watered and squeezed shut.


    Ariyama waited a few moments, feeling the sudden influx of coldness on his skin, yet the bright light burning through his eyelids. He forced his eyes open, and stared.


    Seven torches on either wall of the room had lit up in their brackets, on full display unlike the ones lining the stairwell. They glowed a bright and  deep blue, and yet let off no heat. The chill that flew against Ariyama all of a sudden was definitely from those things.


    They lit up the whole room in the strong glow, so Ariyama could see everything now. Takemichi, Jack and Yasami behind him, trying to force the cement seal open to escape up the stairs again, and Yaranagi with Matsune ahead, her hand on his arm, forcefully keeping him from moving any more forward. Yaranagi could''ve easily broken free and stomped on over to the glowing shard, but maybe the severity of her grip made him hesitant.


    As for the glowing shard of a blade, it rested on an ornate pedestal on the top wall of the room, hovering slightly off its surface, bobbing up and down in the air like it was floating on water. Staring at slightly more, Ariyama noted that it was indeed a sword, yet its blade was snapped off halfway up, the severed blade ending in a strip of jagged steel. It looked like it had been blown off or even torn off, as opposed to just cut through.


    The hilt was longer than usual, seemingly built for two or even three hands to grasp it. The hilt was spread like a hawk''s wings.


    He could see everyone now. In the shade of blue that illuminated their faces, he saw the confusion in Yarangi and the look of pure terror in Matsune. Why was she acting so strange? Everything was not normal, of course, but why was she of all people acting so much more intensely?


    ¡°Everyone, please! I can''t explain right now, but I know what this is now! I had a feeling since the beginning but now I''m sure! We have to run now if we''re going to survi¨C¡±


    Then came Takemichi''s meek voice, cutting through Matsune''s with a weak scream.


    ¡°What the hell is that!?¡±


    Instantly, Ariyama looked over to where Takemichi had been pointing.


    The room itself was made of the same smooth gray stone as the stairs, and was relatively tall and wide. And over on the right hand side wall, there was a spot where there were no flickering blue torches. Instead, a large crack split the section of the wall down the middle.


    For a moment, Ariyama was confused as to why Takemichi was screaming over a crack in the wall, but then he saw it.


    The crack opened just slightly along the fracture, wide enough to see something glinting from the darkness. A flash of something metallic, yet weathered with age, draped in vines and dripping with moss and mud.


    There was a loud creaking sound, as a massive figure broke through the crack, opening it open into a large wound in the stone.


    And the figure who bled from the wound was a massive creature.


    It was like a medieval knight, standing at least ten or more feet, in armor rusted and cracked from either battle or time. In its hand it held a massive saber that was so long it''s tip scraped against the adjacent wall, spraying orange sparks that contrasted against the blue filter covering the sealed room.


    Ariyama felt his stomach plummet. His knees shuddered and he had to force himself with all his might to stop them from giving out.


    ¡°Wh-what is¡­¡±


    He couldn''t even put together words. He was vaguely aware of the explosion of panic around him. Takemichi was screaming, Jack and Yasami and Yaranagi cursing and stumbling back. But once again, Matsune acted differently. Her face was drained of color, but she seemed to steel herself before running forward. That silver bracelet on her right wrist gleamed again, as it always did.


    But it was different this time.


    It glowed. But it glowed a purple-pink color.


    Before Ariyama got a good look at what she was doing, the charging knight reached them.


    And zoomed right past Ariyama.


    It suddenly got very quiet.


    And Takemichi''s screaming was cut off.


    Ariyama didn''t want to look, he wanted to keep staring at Matsune and continue trying to ignore her beauty. Everything would be back to normal, like it always was, but Ariyama knew he had to.


    He didn''t want to, but he craned his neck around anyways.


    Matsune was crying out, and everyone else was swearing, unable to stay standing straight and falling over themselves


    When Ariyama saw it, he swallowed the burning bile that rose in his throat. His hands at his sides squeezed so tight it hurt.


    The knight had its head ducked, its knees bent. It was facing the wall, its saber extended through the smooth stone.


    But pinned against the wall, the sword piercing through his chest, his blood running down his pant leg and pooling at his feet¡­


    Takemichi looked up at Ariyama, open mouth dripping blood. His face was aghast with shock, the rest of his body rigid and unmoving, even as his head swiveled to look at him.


    ¡°You¡­ promised me you would¡­¡±


    But he didn''t have enough strength to even finish a single sentence. Takemichi Yuno''s slight shoulders slumped and his head lolled forward, his chin touching his chest.


    His blood-splattered glasses fell off his nose and cracked against the floor below him.


    And then he was dead.


    Just like that.

 12. The End of the Beginning IV

    The bile rose in Ariyama¡¯s throat again, but he felt too cold and too hot to stop it. He lurched forward onto his hands and knees, vomiting over the floor.


    Tears mixed with his snot and vomit, and Ariyama let out an anguished cry. He wanted to die.


    Die and wake up. Die and wake up and then everything would be fine because everything was a dream ¨C a nightmare ¨C and nothing was actually real and Takemichi didn''t actually just die in front of him.


    You promised you would protect me.


    Those were the words Takemichi was trying to say in his final moments, the look of shock and betrayal on his face burned into Ariyama''s mind.


    He had.


    He had promised.


    And he had failed.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!¡±


    Yaranagi roared at the statue-like knight, thundering forward, fists clenched, tear bared like an animal.


    ¡°YOU KILLED HIM! YOU BASTARD, YOU KILLED¨C¡±


    ¡°Yaranagi-kun, watch out!¡±


    That was Matsune, and she ran after Yaranagi. Her eyes were wild and her cheeks were tear-stained. But somehow she had the resolve to keep going.


    Another vibration shook the room, and Ariyama fell on his ass. His breathing was wild and uneven, his fingers dragging painfully against the stone, leaving trials of his blood.


    But the stinging in his hands and in his elbows and knees wasn''t anything compared to the pure distress he felt when he glanced at Takemichi, the poor boy''s corpse pinned against the wall, the knight''s sword still running him through.


    The world felt like it was about to collapse in on itself. Nothing was real, not the chill that ran down Ariyama''s spine, nor the burning heat he felt rising from his core.


    Takemichi was dead.


    He would never move again.


    Ariyama fell to his knees, bile rising in his throat again. He couldn''t move, even if he wanted to.


    Even as the knight pulled its blood-stained sword free from Takemichi''s body, the boy flopping to the ground like a fish, the blood pooling beneath him.


    It stood at its full height, nearly twice the size of anyone in the room. As it moved, every crevice in its armor shedded rust and creaked like old furniture.


    As it rolled its neck, Ariyama finally felt something in his throat other than bile. It was a scream.


    He screamed.


    He screamed and fell back onto his hands, scurrying away from the scene, wanting to get away, wanting to leave this place and go home.


    ¡°What the hell is happening!?¡±


    Ariyama paused his retreat, looking to his left, and he saw Yasami break away from Jack and begin pounding on the sealed concrete door.


    ¡°Let us out! What did we do to deserve this? I SAID LET US¨C¡±


    Another horrible sound, like shrieking stone.


    A section of the ceiling over them opened up, and from it flew a swarm. The members of this massive infestation were like locusts, only with wings much bigger than their whole bodies, not to mention their faces.


    Grotesque, misshapen and vaguely human in characteristics. Every one of them let out a withering moan, wheezing like an old person but feral like a beast.


    Their disgusting looks made Ariyama''s stomach do a flip, and he found himself rooted to the floor again, the blood in his veins freezing like ice water, his whole body rigid like a statue.


    As the swarm came down in a horrendous frenzy of buzzing and shrieking, Ariyama watched in silent terror as it charged for Yasami, still pounding away at the seal, his fists bloody. But, seemingly unsatisfied with their victim, the swarm suddenly changed its course and headed directly for Jack instead.


    The boy''s droopy eyes widened with fear, his irises gleaming purple in light from the blue torches, as he tried to duck.


    The locusts seemed to fly harmlessly over him, but then they began exuding a weird yellow gas from their stingers. The spore-like mist descended over Jack, so thick that he was submerged in a sea of yellow.


    All Ariyama could hear was his coughing and strangled cries for help.


    As the room shook again, again, and again, Ariyama felt like curling up into a ball and letting whatever supernatural creature devour him.


    He''d never felt so scared in his life.


    Cold sweat ran down his neck, his teeth were chattering and his fingers were shaking so much that he couldn''t even close them into fists.


    All of a sudden, there was a hand on his shoulder.


    Ariyama looked to meet the face beside him.


    Pretty. Black hair. Blue eyes.


    Matsune.


    Her face was twisted into shock, but also with a hint of determination, a trail of sweat down the side of her face, her mouth set in a straight line.


    From the start of all this, Ariyama had a gut feeling Matsune wasn''t acting right. Like she knew something about this place, and as a result wasn''t breaking down in fear due to a lack of knowledge on the situation, like everyone else was.


    ¡°Matsune, what are you¡­¡±


    Ariyama spoke quietly and simply, his throat raw from screaming, his lips dry and cracked.


    Matsune only pushed him lightly to his knees.


    ¡°It''s going to be OK. Just stay there and don''t move a muscle¨C¡±


    As she offered him words in a soothing but strained voice, over to their right, the massive knight moved again. Its joints groaned with age as it turned to face them.


    Ariyama''s heart sank through the floor.


    But it paused there, if only for a moment, as if surveying them. It didn''t stop for long, however, as it instantly broke into a quick sprint. Its tree trunk-like legs propelled it across to the middle of the room where the two of them were in just three strides.


    It was on them instantly, and Ariyama squeezed his eyes shut, knowing it would all be over soon, in one gruesome swing of that massive sword¡­


    But his thoughts of death vanished as he heard a reverberating clash of stone on metal. A bright spark lit up his eyelids.


    The impact made his heart jump so violently he thought it might burst. But it also compelled him to open his eyes, his breathing sharp and panicked.


    In that single moment in time, Ariyama took in the many things he saw before him.


    Matsune stood in a hunched stance, blocking the massive sword from cutting him open, her arm raised up, the aftermath of having seemingly thrown it up in a sharp arc.


    And her silver bracelet.


    The bracelet that always gleamed in an unearthly fashion was glowing once more, but know


    And that bracelet.


    Again, it glowed a brilliant purple hue.


    The massive stone knight stumbled slightly, its huge blade somehow parried from some other force.


    Then Ariyama saw it.


    Snaking out from the bracelet was a long chain that glowed purple, a kunai at its end. Moving to grip the chain in two hands, Matsune cried out with effort as she swung the luminescent chain down.


    It descended sharply and clipped against the knight''s shoulder, missing its neck as it dogged out of the way.


    Ariyama''s breath caught in his throat.


    It must have been a trick ¨C some sort of illusion. A hallucination conjured up due to his vulnerable current mental state. He was likely just seeing things.


    After all, there was no way Matsune was doing something so¡­ supernatural.


    But maybe it made sense¡­


    Just a few moments prior, Ariyama had caught a glimpse at her bracelet, as it glowed that same purplish color.


    And even before that, Matsune had been acting weirdly the whole night. Almost as if this was something she was as equally unnerved by ¨C like everyone else ¨C but also something she had some sort of advanced knowledge about.


    Ariyama had only even figured out that blood-color Shrine Gate from reading that history book. Had she a copy of the same one, and had just read more extensively than he did?


    Ariyama''s mind was cluttered with way too many thoughts, and so he focused back on what was happening right in front of him, sweat running down his neck.


    Matsune had stumbled away from him slightly from the backlash from her magic chain weapon hitting off the stone armor of the knight. She righted herself and when she dashed back in front of him as a shield, she was like a panther, her agility inhuman and yet weirdly graceful.


    The sounds of everyone else screaming, of the whole room shuddering, of his own gasping breaths, seemed to fade away as Ariyama was pulled into a tunnel vision of just the battle between Matsune and the stone monster.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The knight righted itself too, its joints groaning along with the spray of dust. From this distance, it looked like it was barely being kept apart, spiderwebs of cracks running up and down its armor.


    But from what Ariyama had seen before, that visual weakness meant nothing when it came to how quick and menacing the giant bastard actually was.


    Its right leg bent as it hunched over, holding its sword straight out in a two-handed grip.


    And, like a huge stone spearman, it charged like a bull towards Matsune, who had her back to Ariyama.


    All he could see was her dirtied and ripped coat, so Ariyama could only imagine the expression she was wearing. Was it one of conviction, of confidence, of fear?


    He had no way of getting an answer, and could only look on as she moved to meet the dashing form of the stone knight.


    For a second, he thought they would collide entirely, expecting to see Matsune erupt in a gorey mist of blood and body parts, dead on impact.


    Just like Takemichi.


    Just like Takemichi.


    No, don''t think about him. Not now. Not¨C


    At the last possible moment, right before the impact, Matsune ducked and rolled beneath the tree trunk legs of the beast, her long chain whipping a fifteen feet line behind her as she avoided it.


    The knight faltered, skidding to a stop almost instantly. It raised its massive blade and twisted its rock hips sharply, spinning with unnatural speed behind itself, its sword striking down at the space Matsune stood.


    No.


    The place she had been standing at.


    She had miraculously avoided another fatal attack, now rolling to its right. As she got up in a crotch beside its right arm, she came back into full view, and Ariyama could make out her expression now.


    Teeth gritted, nostrils flaring, and her eyes¡­


    A mix of pure terror, pure exhilaration, and pure determination, among other things.


    Dirt and sweat clung to her but she stayed solid, even as she jumped back three meters with one leap.


    The attack the knight had just thrown had left its blade stuck halfway in the ground. Taking this opportunity, Matsune raced forward like a bullet, leaping onto the up-turned blade and running the length of its wide side. Reaching the hilt, she kicked off, twisting in midair, her chain curling and unfurling around her, as she plummeted towards its neck, ready to kill.


    But it seemed she wasn''t the only one with a knack for miraculous last-second saves, as the monstrous knight let go of its sword handle and threw itself back, narrowly maneuvering past the purple slash that opened up the floor, spewing sparks and chunks of rock.


    Then it seemingly canceled all its backwards momentum instantly, and diverted it into forwards momentum, retaking its original spot in a fraction of a second and lashing out with its forearm.


    It hit Matsune with a loud crash and threw her off-course, her body flipping through the air before landing painfully on the stone floor about ten or so meters from where Ariyama kneeled, shivering and afraid.


    It was over. What little protection he had was gone now, and all he could do was accept his death and let the beast of the earth cut into him.


    Just as he was about to die, Ariyama became aware of a great many things.


    Of the fact he never got a chance to get a girlfriend ¨C even if it wasn''t his top priority ¨C, of the fact his mother would now be alone without him or his father, of the fact he''d promised the meek Takemichi that he would protect him and yet failed spectacularly.


    Of the fact all of this was really his fault. If only he hadn''t opened that goddamn door¨C


    The knight was there now, standing over him, sword already descending to eviscerate him.


    Ariyama closes his eyes as the stone blade reached him and¨C


    ¡°SAATO!¡±


    Ariyama felt a big body crash into him, and his eyes flew open as Yaranagi tackled him out of a lethal cut from the sword. The blade still sliced him badly, opening a long gash down his arm, red seeping through his clothes.


    Ariyama grunted in white-hot pain as he landed on his injured arm, twisting and turning as he fell in a tangle of limbs with Yaranagi.


    The bigger of the two got up first, helping Ariyama to a seated position.


    Yaranagi spoke in a broken, shaken voice.


    ¡°What the hell, dude? You can''t just freeze up like that. Takemichi¡­ Just don''t think about that right now, OK? We need to get out of here before¡­¡±


    His breath hitched and he scrunched up his face, baring his teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Damn it. I messed with the guy so much and now he''s¡­ gone.¡±


    Ariyama could see the look of pure disbelief and anguish in Yaranagi''s eyes. He hadn''t been as big an asshole to Takemichi as Jack had, but everyone knew he liked to intimidate and ¡®fool around¡¯ with him. But now the boy was dead, and Yaranagi had no chance to take it all back.


    Damn it, there he was again. Thinking of Takemichi, even though it helped nothing about the situation they were in. He and Yaranagi were curled up on the floor, Takemichi was dead, Matsune was fighting that stone giant with a glowing chain, Jack was gone somewhere in the haze of yellow gas that remained obscuring the right side of the room. As for Yasami, the whole time he had been banging on the sealed door, his fists bloody from trying to reach the stairs leading out of this place.


    ¡°Let us the hell out of here! What kind of sick damn prank is this?¡±


    Did he really think this was one big prank, after all this? Ariyama almost laughed in hysterics at his idiocy.


    As Ariyama glanced at Yasami''s direction for a moment, he could only watch in horror as the wall beside him exploded outwards all of a sudden, scattering dust and rock, the sound of crashing reverberating through the floor.


    Yasami cursed and stumbled away, hands raised to block the debris from hitting his face.


    And from that new hole in that wall came a long, fleshy thing, veiled by the darkness.


    But as it peeked out further and became illuminated by the blue light from the torches, Ariyama could make out its full form now.


    It was a massive tentacle, colored a hot pink riddled with veins and cuts. On its underside, it had stingers like an octopus.


    And then the tentacle noticed the cowering boy to its left.


    And it flew at him.


    And when Yasami was touched by those stingers, his whole body jolted violently like he had been electrocuted. Wide-mouthed, body stiff, eyes bulging, Yasami collapsed onto his back like a flesh and blood statue.


    Its prey neutralized and vulnerable, the hulking tentacle wrapped itself around Yasami''s leg and whisked him away.


    And Oichi Yasami was dragged back in through the hole into the wall, unable to even scream as he was pulled into the tentacle''s den.


    Ariyama was having difficulty breathing, his eyes glazed over due to his drained energy and his thundering heart.


    When Takemichi had died, Ariyama was screaming and crying and throwing up.


    But now that Yasami was dead, he felt nearly nothing, save for a dull throb in his chest. Yasami had been an asshole and a tool ¨C a pawn ¨C used by Jack. He was big and dumb and could only talk with his fists hitting innocent flesh.


    But he also had a family, Ariyama knew. He knew he had a mother and a father, and a little sister, who was the only person he actually loved.


    He was a bad person, but he was still young. He could''ve been saved, been redeemed.


    But now his life was cut short by just another of the mystical and terrible creatures that resided in this ¡®Shrine¡¯.


    The massive stone knight, the swarm of locusts dispensing esoteric yellow gas, and now a massive tongue-like tentacle with stingers that render the human body function-less.


    All of it didn''t seem real ¨C none of it could be real. Just that morning, Ariyama had been worrying about homework and Jack being a jerk to his friends, and now, not a day later, he was fighting for his life in an underground structure against fantasy-like creatures of all variations.


    ¡°...to¡­ aato¡­ SAATO!¡±


    It was Yaranagi. His voice was pained and distant, as if he was screaming from the opposite side of a cavern.


    Ariyama gasped, inhaling the dusty air of the Shrine, suddenly able to feel his body again after losing focus. The warm rush of blood through his veins, the hurtful pounding of his heart, the slight weight of his chattering teeth in his mouth.


    ¡°Y-Yasuke? That was Yasami. He''s dead now¡­ just like¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don''t talk about that now. How many times do I have to tell you? Come on, we have to move now¨C¡±


    And in that moment, Ariyama realized what Yaranagi was talking about.


    The stone knight was back, diving from them in an almost desperate state, swinging its sword wildly. It seems to be slowly losing its calm and imposing nature from before, descending into something with more bestial qualities.


    ¡°Oh, I see..¡±


    Ariyama spoke with such calmness and indifference that he scared himself. But why did it matter? Why did any of this matter? Two, maybe three, of them were already dead. Now it was just Ariyama and Yaranagi about to be cleaved by that massive sword with nothing to defend themselves.


    Well, they had nothing.


    But not no one.


    Speeding like a swan diving for a fish in water, Matsune came into view out of nowhere, clothes tattered and skin dirtied. She planted herself between the two of them and the knight, twisting her hips and bringing her mystical chain and kunai around in a sharp arc.


    The kunai hit the tip of the stone blade and deflected the blow. A long crack ran down the saber held in the knight''s hand, almost reaching the hilt and breaking the blade in two.


    A low, crunching growl came from under its earthen helmet, and Ariyama could feel the deadly glare from its invisible eyes.


    Matsune righted herself again, chest heaving from no breath in her lungs, slight shoulders shaking.


    Ariyama had a faint view of her face, and he was surprised at just how different she looked.


    In school, she did of course take part in many sports and athletic-themed clubs, so she wasn''t unfamiliar with getting a little sweaty, even if she held herself with such natural and casual beauty while in classes.


    But now, in the middle of all this, she didn''t look like a schoolgirl or even an average teenage girl.


    She looked like a warrior, the look in her eyes showcasing some sort of experience and knowledge of the situation.


    But even from the start, Ariyama knew she had that experience and knowledge, even if he didn''t want himself to believe it.


    ¡°What is she?¡±


    Yaranagi spoke quietly through gritted teeth, more of a question to himself than anything else. Matsune was known by everyone as that perfect girl, after all.


    As Matsune Sasya continued her desperate last assault on the knight, Ariyama couldn''t even feel his legs anymore. He wouldn''t have been surprised if he had looked down to see they had been unknowingly chopped off at some point, and his panicked adrenaline was the only thing keeping him conscious.


    But he was lucky, because Yaranagi was there, like he always was.


    ¡°Let''s move.¡±


    Yaranagi''s voice was more reserved now, the fury he had shown before sapped from him. While on shaky knees himself, he got Ariyama to his feet, wrapping his non-injured arm over his broad shoulders and dragging him back, further to the opposite end of the room.


    As Ariyama looked up, he made out that pedestal through the blue haze, and the fractured sword that hovered slightly off its surface.


    He let out a little gasp, as much as the air in his lungs could muster. That sword¡­


    They had no defense whatsoever, except for Matsune and all her acrobatics and her fantastical chain weapon. So if they could just reach that blade, maybe they could have a sliver of a chance at defending themselves. Not from anything like the stone knight, obviously, but at least they could fight back against something smaller, like if those grotesque locusts decided to return to spew more toxic gas at them.


    ¡°Yasuke, that sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Already on it, Saato. Stay close, OK?¡±


    Yaranagi''s voice was still sounding as gruff as ever, and in the light of the blue torches, Ariyama thought he could make out a shine of tears brimming in his eyes. Tears of frustration or tears of sadness, he didn''t know.


    As the two of them hobbled, silently but at a quick pace, towards the sword, the sounds of battle dying out behind them. Matusme was fighting for her life, and what could Ariyama do? Jackshit, that''s what.


    But she was clearly more equipped for this situation, despite how freakish of a situation it was.


    His breath was wheezing through his chest, the wound in his arm burning like it was on fire.


    But still Ariyama Saato trudged on, hanging off Yaranagi''s broad frame, his own state of mind not much better.


    Within a few moments of walking at their brisk pace, they finally reached the end of the steps leading up to the pedestal. And hovering above that pedestal; the broken sword. Their one chance at defending themselves.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Yaranagi spoke in a strangled tone, sweat beading down his face. Ariyama frowned up at him, holding onto his bloody injury.


    ¡°What are you on about? I''m the one with a sword wound and you''re fine. A little shaken, maybe, but not¨C¡±


    Ariyama''s words died on his lips as he saw the look on Yaranagi''s face, his eyes. His scarlet eyes were widened with a fear Ariyama couldn''t begin to imagine. It made his heart miss a beat.


    Yaranagi Yasuke, the thug who was always acting hard and extraverted and confident, but now was shivering on the spot, unable to even walk a few steps.


    Ariyama wasn''t the only one reeling from all the death and trauma suffered today.


    Swallowing thickly, his tongue dry and heavy in his mouth, Ariyama rasped.


    ¡°You know what? It''s OK, I got it. Just stay here and¡­ don''t die, I guess.¡±


    Untangling himself from Yaranagi''s bone-breaking grip, Ariyama ascended the half dozen steps towards the pedestal. Every step made him feel like his knees were going to cave in and make him fall back onto his neck.


    But through all the tribulation, he persevered.


    Ariyama let out an audible moan as he reached the top, leading over the pedestal, staring down at the floating sword.


    He only noticed it now, but as he had been scaling the steps, the temperature in the air was going higher and higher. At the end of the steps, it was as cold as it was before, but now, as he stood over the sword, Ariyama felt some burning iridescent glow on him that he couldn''t see, but just felt.


    He turned around, looking down the steps to where Yaranagi stood rigidly. Ariyama managed a defeated smile.


    ¡°Yo, Yasuke, I''ve got it¨C¡±


    There was massive boom, so loud the whole room shook, and Ariyama''s heart nearly burst out of his chest as he saw the floor splinter like wood and Yaranagi stumble into one of the fissures, half of his body disappearing down the gap before he reached out to grab the ledge.

 13. The Beginning of the End V

    ¡°YASUKE!¡±


    Ariyama felt the breath rush from his lungs, and his wobbly legs were moving already, even as he gasped for breath. He tripped down the last two steps, landing painfully on his hands and knees.


    Time seemed to slow, his brain scrambled and his limbs struggling to work properly. Cursing under his breath in pure desperation, Ariyama forced all his limbs to go into overdrive.


    His joints aching and his teeth grinding, he stumbled to his feet and raced forward with a yell.


    He fell to his knees in front of Yaranagi, watching as his friend tried to pull himself up. Yaranagi was a really strong guy, but even as he tried to get over the ledge, the loose rock crumbled under his fingers.


    ¡°Yasuke, it''s OK. It''s going to be OK.¡±


    Ariyama was probably repeating that to himself more than anything. Yaranagi was going to be OK. He had to be¡­


    ¡°Gah¡­ Dammit, I can''t get up. Saato¡­ You have to get out of here if you can. Even grab that sword to defend yourself or something, just don''t stay here.¡±


    Ariyama''s gaze narrowed and he growled.


    ¡°Yasuke, shut up!¡±


    He reached down to grab the hands of the slightly-flabbergasted Yaranagi. Ariyama never got so aggressive with him.


    ¡°Listen, I''m not leaving you! I don''t care about what you said to me or what I said to you. You''re my best friend in the whole world. I''ve known you since I Was a child, damn it! So there''s no way in Hell I''m abandoning you now!¡±


    Grunting with effort, Ariyama poured all his strength into getting Yaranagi over the edge. He only got about the top half of him over before he felt his arms weaken to unusability.


    And then, vaguely somewhere to his left, he heard a loud crunch of stone.


    The knight.


    Worry and panic crushing his heart, Ariyama practically sobbed as he gripped at Yaranagi, praying that there was some way to escape, for everything to go back to normal.


    The crashing grew closer and closer.


    ¡°SAATO, LEAVE ME! PLEASE!¡±


    Yaranagi''s voice cracked under the pressure.


    There was a shift of movement to Ariyama''s left.


    The knight.


    Shit, it was the knight.


    Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.


    Not the knight, please no.


    When Yaranagi spoke, his voice was calmer than Ariyama had ever heard before.


    ¡°Saato, I''m sorry.¡±


    The knight came barrelling for them, his joints groaning with age, its huge sword swinging, slashing with a sharp whistle through the air.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The voice came from Matsune, who also came flying through the air, purple chain lashing out to catch the knight. Still, its sword swung down at Ariyama and Yaranagi.


    Instinctively, Ariyama squeezed his eyes shut.


    But the impact never came.


    Breathing heavily, his tongue a dry and heavy thing in his mouth, Ariyama slowly cracked his eyes open.


    He had also pulled Yaranagi when he thought the sword was going to cut through them both, and now suddenly Yaranagi felt so much lighter in his grip.


    Ariyama looked.


    He was still holding Yaranagi''s right arm.


    His blood froze in his veins.


    He was holding Yaranagi''s right arm.


    And nothing else.


    He flung the disembodied limb away, unable to find his voice. He scrambled onto his hands and knees, peering over the ledge, into the chasm Yaranagi had fallen through.


    And sure enough, Ariyama saw him. Nothing more than a silhouette, Yaranagi''s body was falling down the massive gap in the floor, blood trailing from where his right arm should have been.


    And after being in view for just a moment, Yaranagi''s shadowed body disappeared from view.


    Ariyama didn''t even notice the mad battle waging just a dozen meters from him, between the raging stone knight and the disheveled Matsune, still desperately clinging on to the chance at victory. He could even notice the way his stomach churned violently, and he threw up all over the floor again before he knew it.


    He wailed like an infant, his fists pounding on the hard ground, again and again, drawing blood that covered his knuckles in red.


    No, no, no, was what his mind was saying.


    He gritted his teeth, feeling them dig into his gums, the pain in his mouth an attempt to mask the pain he felt flooding through his whole body, from his legs to his temple.


    Yaranagi was gone. He was probably dead.


    His best friend¡­ dead.


    Ariyama suddenly went rigid, as all their memories came flushing back into him. Memories of even boring days, where they would meet together by the park, eating ice cream and drinking a soda. Just chatting, acting bored and wishing the day would move on. But right now, Ariyama wished he could''ve stayed in that moment for an eternity.


    Because at that moment, Yaranagi was still alive.


    Tears spilled down his cheeks, but instead of crying and screaming like he did when Takemichi got killed, Ariyama just fell back on his haunches and dropped his head in his hands.


    He felt nothing.


    Nothing at all.


    Ariyama peered through the cracks in his fingers. To his left, Matsune got downed again by the stone giant, her bracelet coming loose off her wrist and skittering away. Just like that, she''d lost her one tool at fighting that monstrosity.


    Ariyama from one day ago might have decided to play hero and rush in to save her, but Ariyama now?


    He simply just didn''t care. His limbs wouldn''t move, his heart wouldn''t stop burning, and his brain wouldn''t stop malfunctioning.


    Takemichi? Dead.


    Jack? Probably dead too.


    Yasami? Dead.


    Yaranagi? Dead.


    And now Matsune was about to join them, so why bother trying to delay the inevitable?


    Ariyama didn''t care to sacrifice himself either, as his own death would soon follow her¡¯s, he was sure. No need to put in the extra effort if he was a dead man regardless.


    And yet, Ariyama found a smidge of strength, somewhere deep inside him. Maybe it was just some miracle, maybe his prayers had been answered in some way. Or maybe it was just a stroke of luck.


    There was no God with him to save him now.


    With that hint of strength, Ariyama let out an agonized groan as he found his way to his feet.


    As the stone knight strode over to finish off Matsune, Ariyama began to walk.


    He didn''t know how far or for how long he walked ¨C or hobbled, really ¨C but he used nearly every last punch of that excess strength, just walking away, even when he said he didn''t want to delay the inevitable.


    Was it that his body wanted to survive, in spite of what his mind said?Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Then someone bumped into him.


    He had noticed something stumbling towards him, from that layer of yellow spore gas that had finally begun to lift from the other side of the huge room.


    Silver hair.


    Terrified, purple eyes.


    Huh, it seems Jack Hayakawa wasn''t dead after all.


    But he sure was pissing himself of fear.


    His face was still stained with bruises and dried blood from his beatdown, courtesy of Ariyama and that other dead guy. His lip quivered and his shoulders shook as he stared Ariyama directly in the eyes, his hands bunched in his shirt.


    The Jack Ariyama once knew wouldn''t have been caught dead in such a weak and vulnerable position.


    Fear seemingly changed everyone.


    ¡°A-Ariyama¡­ Please, man, you have to help me. That gas¡­ It made me pass out and now I feel all tingly, especially in my head¡­ Look, I''m sorry for everything, OK? My life had been nothing but shit the whole way through, and the only way I could find any outlet was through hurting others. I''m sorry. I''ll change and I''ll do whatever to atone for what I''ve done, just please, save me¡­¡±


    His eyes welled up with tears.


    ¡°Please, Ariyama. I don''t want to die¨C¡±


    Jack paused, his words cut from his throat, as there was a loud, sickening crunch. And Jack Hayakawa fell forward, right into Ariyama''s arms, a huge hole having exploded outwards from the back of his head.


    So, scratch that, he was dead too.


    But Ariyama really just didn''t give a damn.


    Desensitised, he let Jack''s ruined body fall gracelessly to the rough stone beneath them.


    Throat constricted.


    Tears running down his cheeks.


    Limbs weighed down with his anguish.


    Brain nothing but static noise.


    All Ariyama could feel was the hard stone under him, and all he could hear was the fuzziness in his brain, alongside the distant sounds of shrieking stone.


    Face slack and eyes glazed over, his chest just moments from bursting in a fiery explosion, Ariyama looked around one last time.


    Now that he knew Jack was truly dead, another thought crossed his mind.


    It was only him and Matsune left.


    Luckily, Odomura, Katsuragi and Koenji had left before they got to this hellhole, and Ariyama hoped they got out OK.


    But Takemichi, Yasami, Yaranagi and Jack were all dead, fed to the beasts of this ¡®Shrine¡¯ like food for an animal.


    All their lives, which had many years left for all of them, were snuffed out so easily.


    What was Ariyama going to do?


    He was almost certain he was going to die here, but if he survived, what next?


    Could he really go back to normal after seeing all this?


    No way in Hell.


    So, if that was the case, the best thing for him to do would be to walk up to that knight and let it cut him down¨C


    ¡°PLEASE, ARIYAMA! HELP ME!¡±


    That voice.


    It snapped Ariyama out of his dark thoughts, even for a moment. He looked over to the source of the scream, and saw Matsune Sasya crawling towards him. She had lost her bracelet ¨C he''d seen that ¨C but now he also saw the way her right leg was twisted awkwardly, clearly broken from her struggle with the knight.


    And she was crying.


    Her face was dirty and bruised, her expensive cost torn and stained. And thick tears ran down her face, her voice hitching with sobs as she called out to him.


    Behind her, the knight rose to its feet. A large piece of its massive saber had been torn off, and a lot more cracks and gashes riddled its armor. Its left hand was missing four fingers as well.


    Mausne had done some damage, but now that she was unarmed, there was nothing she could do.


    And now she was desperate, even if Ariyama couldn''t do anything. And she knew that.


    ¡°I CAN''T DO IT ANYMORE! PLEASE!¡±


    Her voice.


    It was always so calm and cheerful.


    But now¡­ it was torn and fearful, as she called out for help from the last person who could do anything for her.


    Ariyama was useless, after all. He didn''t have anything to help¡­


    The sword.


    An image of the broken blade lit up in his mind. Ariyama had to get to it, before that knight got to Matsune.


    His body was engulfed with a spark of feeling. A spark of determination. As he looked at Matsune, and looked at her terrified face, he knew what he had to do.


    ¡°You can rest now. You''ve done enough. Let me take care of everything else.¡±


    Ariyama spoke quietly, too quietly for Matsune to hear him, but he didn''t care. He would save her.


    He couldn''t save anyone else, so please let him be able to save her at least.


    Adrenaline pumping into his limbs for one final stand.


    And despite the prices cut out of his heart, and the aching that he felt in his consciousness, Ariyama ran.


    Matsune gasped in shock and pain as Ariyama bolted past her. The knight was right ahead of him. It turned its helm to the side slightly, a hint of confusion breaking through its beast-like countenance. Ariyama couldn''t help but scream as he raced towards the hulking mass of rock.


    It raised its sword, ready to swing a killing blow.


    At the last moment, his breath catching in his throat, Ariyama dove under the thing''s legs, its blade slashing the space he was at just moments before.


    He rolled awkwardly, and stumbled to his feet, a pain jolting his shoulder. Now he could see the pedestal, with the sword hovering over it.


    Ariyama didn''t know exactly why he felt like that weapon would make such a difference, but at this point, what was there to lose?


    As long as he could save Matsune, that''s all he cared about.


    He heard the groan of the knight and the suffering wails of the injured Matsune. It was almost upon her. But Ariyama was now at the foot of the half dozen steps up to the sword. He gritted his teeth against the pain in his shoulder and the rest of his body, and took the steps two at a time, reaching the pedestal in three strides.


    That warmth was there again. It was boiling him, drawing sweat to run across his brow. But it also gave him a weird sense of security. As if everything was going to be OK now.


    It didn''t matter. He was reaching for the sword now.


    He touched it.


    The rusted metal burning his flesh. And yet he held on. Not that he could''ve let go if he wanted to.


    His hand was stuck gripping the handle, Ariyama roaring in pain as the burning rust scorched him.


    Then he felt the heat run through his whole body instantly, until it reached his brain.


    And he was drowned in a blinding white light.


    Ariyama screamed, but his deaf ears gave him no feedback. He was weightless, falling endlessly through the world of white. He felt his hands flailing about in front of him, and yet all he saw was white.


    Just white.


    But his breathing was back to normal, at least. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He felt free, all the aches and pains gone and replaced with a pleasant ¨C almost cozy ¨C warmth that coated him.


    He tried to close his eyes, and yet still saw the white of the bleached air.


    But that was OK. It felt nice. He felt nice. Everything was nice.


    Wake up.


    A gasp came from a throat, and a naked boy sat up in a white chair, that was standing before a white table, surrounded by white walls, in a white room.


    Ariyama realized that the naked boy was him, and he was the one who sat up in a white chair, which was standing before a white table, surrounded by white walls, in a white room.


    The whiteness blinded him, and he grimaced. That beautiful euphoria of falling calmly in a warm breeze was gone now, and Ariyama felt a lot more real.


    He felt the chair against him, the ground beneath his feet, the sound of his breath, the feeling of his dried-out tongue in his mouth.


    But the thing he felt the most was that presence. The presence of something invisible in the seat on the other side of the table. Since everything was bleached in this weird place, Ariyama found it nearly impossible to figure out what was what. And somehow he did it anyway.


    How couldn''t he?


    When that presence opposite him came to life, an illuminated silhouette appeared sitting in the chair. It was the same white as everything else, but it was the most vivid to Ariyama''s eyes.


    Because that silhouette was him.


    At least, it was his outline. The fuzzy lines of the thing''s body made it not blend into the background.


    But somehow that didn''t matter. He saw it ¨C him ¨C perfectly.


    Hello.


    And that was his silhouette speaking. It sounded like it was coming simultaneously from everywhere and inside his head.


    It ached him.


    Hello.


    Was it repeating itself? Did that mean it wanted to communicate?


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Ariyama responded.


    The silhouette spoke again.


    What is your name?


    ¡°Ariyama¡­ Saato. Where am I?¡±


    I will call you Saato. Why are you here?


    ¡°You''re not answering me. Where... am¡­ I?¡±


    You are the one who called me.


    ¡°How?¡±


    You touched the Enchanted Tool, Saato.


    ¡°The enchanted what now? You mean that sword?¡±


    Yes. It is in fact a replica of my own.


    ''What is this room we''re in?¡¯


    If I must guess, it would be where our consciousnesses share.


    ¡°Our? Not mine?¡±


    Our. You touched the artifact and therefore we are connected. And so are our consciousnesses.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I am called the Silver Devil by some. You may call me by my birth name; Idolseus.


    ¡°What kinda name is that?¡±


    The name of a Great Pilgrim.


    ¡°What''s that?¡±


    You truly are clueless, aren''t you, boy?


    ¡°I suppose so, yeah.¡±


    Then I ask you: why did you touch the sword?


    ¡°To save my¡­ friend.¡±


    A valiant reason indeed, Saato.


    ¡°But can you help me?¡±


    I can.


    ¡°Please. I don''t know what you are, to be honest, but everyone else is dead. Except for me and her. Please help me rescue her.¡±


    Very well. I will lend aid. There is but one requirement.


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Ariyama felt the smile of the silhouette, its fuzzy lines seemingly becoming more solid.


    Become my Tribute.


    ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I said," What is it?¡± I need to know before I make this deal.


    A smart idea, Saato. But there''s no need to worry. You can trust me with this¡­ After all, your friend is on death''s door. I can feel it.


    Ariyama''s heart raced. The thing, Idolseus, was right. The longer he spent wasting time here, the more certain Matsune''s death became.


    ¡°I¡­ O-OK, fine. I''ll become your ¡®Tribute¡¯, Idolseus.¡±


    The silhouette smiled again, and this time it got up off its chair and extended a hand to Ariyama.


    You have made a great and terrible decision, boy.


    Ariyama just gritted his teeth.


    ¡°I don''t give a fuck. Just help me save her.¡±


    He stood too, and took Idolseus¡¯s hand, and everything went away.

 14. Reborn from Light

    The burning light bled into the world.


    A burst of power shone like a sun from the pedestal where the sword and Ariyama once stood.


    The light was a bleached thing of endless strength.


    And at its center stood Ariyama Saato, hand gripping the broken sword of Idolseus, blinding white exploding off him like a light bulb.


    The hazy blue hue that overtook the whole room was evaporated and extinguished, replaced by the scorching light that made every shadow disappear.


    Matsune Sasya looked up, her eyes wide and watering, the huge stone giant above her doing the same. Its shapeless, cracked face was ignited with the brightness.


    Ariyama felt amazing.


    The burning light emanating from him made him feel like a god. The sword gripped in his hand felt weightless and not burning him whatsoever, as if it had become one with him.


    Correction: it was Idolseus who had become one with him. At least, that''s what Ariyama thought was the case. They fused, and now he had the power to save Matsune.


    He felt different, sure, as if Idolseus had fused him with more than just his powers. He felt another will, another mind, driving him on. But that will shared the same goal as his, so he let it take control.


    The light seemed to have drawn out the rest of the monster scurrying around the place. The ceiling opened up and swarms of the human-like locusts flew out, their yellow spore gasses already spraying out. The purple tentacle that had taken Yasami away also poked its veiny, pulsating self out from the hole in the wall.


    But Ariyama Saato wasn''t scared anymore. He had power, and now they were nothing but ants under his boot.


    He took a single step forward, the sound echoing off the walls. He raised the sword he held in a two-handed grip on its long handle. The light around it condensed and regrowed the missing half of the split blade. Energy poured off it like a nuclear reactor core.


    And when Ariyama swung it in a single, long arc, the energy split the air with a horrible ear-piercing sound. The slash was aimed for the swarm of locusts, and it lasered the insects out of the sky. Their corpses fell to the floor as pieces of smoking flesh. The slightly-bluish white light grew ever more from the sword, and Ariyama swung it again.


    The tentacle thrashed, trying to find the right spot to slither back into its hole, back into its den of security.


    The heat-so-hot-it-looked-like-light caught it first and shredded it into pieces.


    Ariyama grinned with exaltation as he felt the power flow through him. He slashed the air again, the sword whispering in a sharp arc.


    Ariyama was now the judge and executioner.


    And the knight was next to be guilty.


    It turned away from Ariyama''s attack quickly, brandishing its saber above its head to cleave through the defenseless Matsune laying on the ground.


    But the laser of bluish light reached it first.


    The heat of the light tore through its arm, taking away its sword too. It jerked with silent agony as its arm ¨C the sword still clutched between the fingers ¨C fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    It twisted its body with pain, bringing its other arm down to crush Matsune again.


    It sure was intent on killing her, but with this power, Matsune dying was the last thing Ariyama was about to let happen.


    Another swing of the so-called Enchanted Tool, and a slash of light hit the left forearm of the knight, shredding through it as its stone armor burned orange from the heat.


    Another thud as the limb fell.


    Armless now, the knight turned to Ariyama, and he could feel the blood-curdling rage seeping from the cracks of its armor.


    It bolted towards him like a beast.


    Its speed was incredible, those stone tree trunks for legs letting it reach the end of the steps to the pedestal in just three strides.


    It was inhumanly fast.


    But Ariyama Saato was faster.


    He took another thunderous step, letting out a battle cry as it swung the sword again, horizontally.


    For Takemichi.


    For Yaranagi.


    Even for Jack and Yasami


    The air cut in two as it was filled with boiling light. Unlike the previous two thin slashes, this attack had ten times the energy poured into it.


    The wave of rippling blue-white light crashed against the stone knight before it could even begin to take another step.


    The light submerged him, and Ariyama swore he heard an actual scream of anguish as the knight was vaporized.


    The light disappeared like a snap of fingers.


    The knight stood there, at the foot of the steps, now nothing but a pair of legs and half of a torso that ended with blazing stone and trails of smoke.


    It swayed slightly where it stood, but only for a moment. The next moment, the monster that had killed two of Ariyama''s friends finally fell over, shattering like glass once it hit the ground.


    And then, it was over.


    Ariyama stood there as the light died away, still glowing slightly from the new power flooding through him. He had still no clue as to what had really happened ¨C most of it was a blur, to be honest ¨C but all that mattered was that the stone monster was dead.


    And that Matsune was safe.


    Ariyama let out a soft breath, then looked over to where Matsune was lying, wounded badly.


    He smiled sadly. He''d done it.


    His legs moved before he realized, and he slowly made his way across the cracked and decimated Shrine, the sword he wielded now back to being rusted and cut in half, but still it remained in his bone-crushing grip.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Finally, he reached Matsune and knelt down before her, a tired smile on his face.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Matsune looked up at him with a mixed expression. She looked scared, relieved, guilty and angry all at once.


    ¡°What did you do¡­ you idiot?¡±


    Her breathless response drew a suppressed rage from deep in Ariyama. He reached out and held onto the fabric of her ruined coat, clenching it until it almost ripped. He kept his face neutral but couldn''t stop the furious shaking in his body.


    ¡°What did I do? I saved you, you ungrateful cow¡­¡±


    Matsune glared at him, but was clearly too hurt to argue further.


    ¡°So¡­ you took the Enchanted Tool?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what the hell that even is still, but yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°And you clearly fused with the Pilgrim¡­¡±


    ¡°Don''t know what that is either, but once again, yes, I believe I did. Now, will we get out of here?¡±


    Matsune''s eyes widened and she turned to look around. The ceiling, the walls, the floor, everything, began to shake and fracture even more.


    Ariyama followed her gaze and felt his stomach drop.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Matsune grunted with pain as she sat up.


    ¡°This place is called a Shrine. Those monsters who¡­ killed everyone were protecting that sword. Now that you have it, there''s nothing to keep this unstable structure stable¡­¡±


    ¡°So you''re saying¡­¡±


    Matsune used the back of her sleeve to wipe blood from her face.


    ¡°Yes. We need to run now, or we''ll be buried down here.¡±


    ¡°Say less.¡±


    Ariyama pulled at his belt, sliding the broken sword under it and trapping it against his hip. Then, he offered Matsune an arm, which she took.


    Her right leg was broken, so he needed to carry her. He bent down and helped her climb onto his back. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, as did her one usable leg around his waist.


    ¡°Run, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    Matsune whispered into his ear, and that was all the motivation he needed. Crouching with his wobbly legs, he inhaled then let out a long breath.


    He waited.


    Then he felt the floor beneath him crack.


    And he was off.


    Pouring every last ounce of the residual power he got from the sword into his legs, Ariyama gritted his teeth as he raced for the stairs out of this place.


    Either from Matsune''s prolonged fight with the knight or from Ariyama''s blazing cuts of light, the concrete wall that had fallen and sealed the way to the stairs had been torn down, leaving a sizable hole for Ariyama to run through.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, wait! Pick that up!¡±


    Ariyama slowed his sprint slightly, locking his gaze on the silver bracelet that was on the ground in front of him, shining brightly despite the muck and grime everywhere.


    That was what Matsune used to hold off the knight.


    Was it an Enchanted Tool like Ariyama''s sword? And if so, did Matsune make a contract with a silhouette of light too?


    Questions for later. Ariyama winced as he bent down to snatch the bracelet, the added weight of Matsune on his shoulders not helping. Still, he managed to snag the bracelet and continue his sprint. He pocketed the small piece of deadly jewelry and finally reached the hole through the wall.


    He turned himself to look back at the carnage behind them one last time. He glanced at the Takemichi ¨C still slumped against the wall ¨C and at Jack ¨C with half his head missing.


    Yasami was food for that purple tentacle monster, while Yaranagi fell between the gaps in the floor, his arm missing from a slash courtesy of the knight. Those two hadn''t corpses to look at, so Ariyama bit his lip to fight back the emotion welling up inside him. He had to escape.


    That''s what they would''ve wanted, right?


    The next minute or so was a blur.


    All Ariyama felt was his labored breathing as he passed through the hole in the wall, one hand gripping the thigh of Matsune''s leg wrapped around his waist, the other clutched at her interlocked arms that surrounded his neck.


    The soles of his feet hurt and bled as he raced through the maze of dull stone walls and clumps of moss. Matsune held on tight, her arms nearly strangling him. As he ran, he felt the lean muscles along her whole brushed body. She was fit from all her athletic practice, but this wasn''t the type of muscle built from lots of running and pushups. This type of muscle was forged into you, sculpted from months if not years of intensive labor and nearly fatal work.


    Whatever Matsune had been doing with that bracelet and unnatural acrobatics of hers, she wasn''t a novice. She had been at this for a while.


    Even as Ariyama nested the exit, jumping through new holes in the walls that were being created by the second, he wondered how long that while had been.


    His whole existence on the brink of collapse, Ariyama broke through one last hole in the wall, and nearly fell and cried as he breathed in the cool night air outside.


    Careful about the Matsune on his back, Ariyama ran another few meters away from the structure as he felt the ground beneath him quiver expectantly.


    Once he was a close enough distance away, he slowly lowered Matsune off him and propped her up against a fallen tree log, sitting down next to her, eyes locked on the Shrine.


    There was a distant boom, coming from below the compound, followed by a rush of crashes ever-increasing in volume.


    Ariyama''s heart skipped a beat as a sinkhole opened up below the remnants of what once was probably a house or something similar. The whole building of gray bricks went concave and collapsed in on itself, the sinkhole swallowing it all up like a gaping maw digesting its latest meal. Once the whole ruins were devoured, a huge spray of dirt and stone and debris shot up from the large hole in the ground like a geyser.


    Even from this distance away, small bits of rock and dirt splattered against their exhausted bodies. Ariyama winced as her face was peppered with debris, drawing blood. The quaking in the ground made him feel weightless, bringing back superfluous feelings as he remembered the white room, with Idolseus sitting opposite him, and the feeling of warmth that cascaded him infinitely.


    With not a hint of energy left in him, Ariyama released a painful breath as he turned to look at Matsune sitting beside him.


    ¡°What was all that¡­¡±


    He began to speak, but the words died on his lips when he saw that Matsune was crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her body shaking and exasperated sobs coming from her throat.


    ¡°I¡­ I''m so sorry, Ariyama-kun. They''re all dead, because I couldn''t save them.¡±


    Her words broke through the wall Ariyama had tried to put up in order to block out any of those kinds of emotions.


    He looked back at the crater in the middle of the forest, the so-called Shrine now fully digested by the earth. And with it went the bodies of everyone who died down there.


    Yaranagi.


    Yasuke.


    He was dead.


    Ariyama tried to think of all the others who''d met their end ¨C he really did ¨C but his mind was blocked with the memories of Yaranagi Yasuke.


    His best friend since he was a child.


    The person he was closest to and one of only two people allowed to call him Saato.


    And he was dead.


    He didn''t get to lice the rest of his life like he should''ve, no. He was killed in a dark, devilish underground structure by a huge stone giant.


    ¡®Man, that was so cool,¡¯ was what Ariyama imagined Yaranagi would say if he was told that was his end. But he had so much more to give, and so much longer he could''ve lived.


    Ariyama didn''t even have anyone to blame. Jack, the one who set this whole trip up, was as clueless as the rest of them. And even if Ariyama wanted to blame him regardless, he was buried deep below the ground now.


    But as he thought back, Ariyama had an epiphany.


    He did have someone to blame.


    The person who, directly or indirectly, started all this mayhem.


    Himself.


    If only he hadn''t opened that goddamn Shrine Gate and caused the group to gain access to the inside.


    And he only did it because he was deluded into believing this was some sort of way to have his ¡®big moment¡¯, and make friends without his fortune being involved.


    So, what? Was his ¡®big moment¡¯ causing the deaths of four innocent students? Judging from how idiotic he was being, maybe that''s what he deserved.


    Ariyama focused back to reality, only to realize he was crying too.


    He bit his lip, trying not to cry out. He shook, his heart rotting and bones turning to dust. He felt like he was about to collapse in on himself. And what was that sick feeling rising in his stomach¨C


    He jerked forward and threw up all over the grass. He hurled nothing but bile. He''d removed all the food he''d eaten when he watched Takemichi die right in front of him.


    A shaking but gentle hand rested on his back, rubbing small circles down his spine.


    A distant voice.


    ¡°...OK. It''s going to be OK¡­¡±


    Was that Matsune, trying to soothe him?


    Really?


    Did she not understand that things were never going to be the same again?

 15. The True Beginning

    Three weeks.


    It had been three weeks since Ariyama Saato had watched four people die in front of him.


    The public story was that when the group of ten students from Sasura Academy went on an innocent little excursion to a run-down building in the outskirts of the city, there was some massive sinkhole, which caused the building to crumble, killing Takemichi Yuno, Jack Hayakawa, Yasami Oichi and Yaranagi Yasuke.


    The funerals proceeded like normal, with crying family members and prayers that the dearly departed would find heaven.


    And as for Ariyama¡­


    He stayed in his room.


    The whole three weeks, he locked himself in his room, refusing to go out and only accepting his food from it being left outside his bedroom door and going to the bathroom or washing whenever he thought it time.


    His mother had called for help from a physiologist after week two, but the man simply explained to her that her son was just having difficulty adjusting to the horrors he''d seen.


    If only they knew that the ¡®horrors he''d seen¡¯ were a lot worse than seeing a sinkhole.


    He obviously didn''t return to school. He couldn''t. He got sick everytime he thought about what would happen; what Kazura and Katsuragi and Odomura would say to him, or what anyone else would say to him.


    He wasn''t sure about Matsune and whether or not she''d gone back. But she had seemed equally shaken from the experience, even if she had some level of knowledge about Shrines and Enchanted Tools and Pilgrims, all things that were still vague to Ariyama.


    I didn''t matter anyway. He wasn''t going to go out, and wasn''t going to show his face.


    Especially after he''d looked in the mirror.


    It had been the morning after the incident.


    After he''d stumbled his way home in a state drunk off fear, and had quietly treated his wounds without waking his mother, he''d gone to his futon in his bedroom and fallen asleep the moment his tired body hit the bed.


    The next morning, he woke up and instantly raced to the bathroom, nightmares of him covered in blood spurring him on to check if it was happening in reality too.


    Luckily, it wasn''t the case, but when he had seen himself in the mirror, and noticed it, his blood ran cold.


    The hair that usually fell down his forehead, covering his left eye, had one thin discolored strand, a slash of snow white against his jet black hair.


    The white.


    The white room


    The white silhouette.


    The white light that poured from the sword.


    He had shivered at the thought, but focused back on the strand of white hair.


    He knew stress could cause gray hair, but this wasn''t that. He knew, instantly, that it was thanks to the power he''d showcased and used to dismantle the beasts who''d killed his friends.


    He didn''t know how he knew, but he did.


    Getting lightheaded, he''d returned to his room and sat there for the rest of the month.


    Now, it was coming into December ¨C the winter break that would last until the new year was in just a week ¨C and it was starting to snow vigorously outside. If Ariyama was thankful for anything, he was thankful for the fact his family had installed a good heating system in the house.


    After relaxing in a soothing bath ¨C he''d grown to have a liking for baths over the past few days ¨C Ariyama entered his room, locking the door as usual, but only after picking up the plate of dinner left for him by his mother.


    His heart swelled with love for her, despite everything that''d happened. He supposed that after witnessing so much carnage, he was glad to just have a home to come back too.


    Scrutinizing the plate of rice and an assortment of healthy foods, he sat down crossed-legged on his futon, chewing away at his dinner as he strolled absentmindedly on his phone.


    As he expected, his inbox was filled with missed calls, voicemails and unread texts. Kazura? Katsuragi? Odomura? Anyone else at school? He wasn''t sure who''d sent them, but he kept them Unopened and planned to keep it that way.


    He didn''t have the heart to face what they were saying to him, anyway.


    Clicking his tongue in frustration, he tossed his phone away and fell back on his futon with an exasperated sigh, crossing his hands behind his hand.


    ¡°What a joke¡­¡±


    He was talking to himself more and more, recently. First sign of madness, wasn''t it? He was honestly shocked he hadn''t already gone mad. Sure, he rarely felt anything other than sorrow, angst and self-hatred ever since that day, but at least he felt something.


    Even if he wasn''t happy about it.


    It was his fault, after all, for the deaths of those four.


    The first week locked in his room was the worst. He tormented himself for every hour of each day, hitting, slapping, scratching.


    None of it even came close to the pain he deserved to feel, but he thought it was at least a start.


    However, he stopped the self-harm when his mom walked in on him. The tears in her eyes and the shaking of her shoulders as she held him and let him cry into her warm embrace had wretched his heart in pain, but a different kind of pain than he''d been experiencing.


    He had momentarily made an unfair thought in his head that she was only showing this motherly love to him now when he was at his lowest, and not any other time


    But he''d quickly abandoned that thought in his mind. He was getting the affection he wanted, so he didn''t much care where it came from.


    After that day, he hadn''t hurt himself physically any anymore, but he''d made sure the door was locked at all times.


    By the time the second week had come around, Ariyama was getting used to shutting out any outside connection and being holed up in either his room or the bathroom for the rest of his life.


    Around that time, however, he began to investigate.


    As his mother reckoned he would be in his room for the foreseeable future, she often left the door to her ¨C and Ariyama''s father''s --bedroom open, as Ariyama had quickly learned.


    Once, when she had gone down to the kitchen to make an evening snack for herself, Ariyama had snuck out of his room for the first time in weeks. He snuck to her room, and silently entered.


    Rummaging around for just a few moments, he found what he was looking for in the bedside locker; the history that his mother had confiscated: A History of Sumura''s Local Legends.


    Clutching the book close to his chest, he ran back to his room in the few seconds he had before she returned. He planned on trying to investigate what truly happened that night with the book, then he''d sneakily replace it back in his parent''s bedroom.


    This did happen, however.


    Once he had his back to his closed door, all it took was him opening one page of interest: the Shrine Gate. As he came eye-to-eye with the red bloody sigil engraved in the yellowing paper, bile rose in his throat and he lurched away from the book to stop his vomit from ruining it.


    Even glancing at anything to do with that night, he''d found, led to a churning stomach and rising bile. As such, he''d also dumped the set of ripped clothes he''d worn that night, including the shoes and jacket.


    It was a shame. It was a nice jacket.


    After cleaning himself up, he had quickly returned the book to the proper place, returned to his room, curled up on his futon and cried himself to sleep.


    From then on, he barely left his room anymore, even to pee in the bathroom.


    And that led up the current date: December first.


    Ariyama thought the first of December  would be the same nothingness and isolation as the fourth or the third or the second.


    But then his mom came to his door¡­


    Ariyama expected her to go with the usual routine: dropping off his breakfast and telling him how much she loved him and all that.


    But no.


    Instead, she waited by the door until he was forced to ask:


    ¡°What?¡±


    To which she responded:


    ¡°Dear, there''s someone at the door for you. It''s Matsune-chan. She said she was here to check up on you. As you know, she is the only¡­ other survivor of that terrible incident, so I think I''d be good if you at least let her into your room.


    Ariyama was about to turn her down and tell her to piss off, but he stopped himself.


    Matsune was here?


    Now, of all times? Nearly a month after the incident?


    Ariyama couldn''t lie to himself and say he wasn''t intrigued, even slightly.


    When he spoke, he spoke with a rumbling and raspy voice that hadn''t been used properly in weeks.


    ¡°Fine. She can come in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s great to hear, dear!¡±


    He heard the slight mile in his mother''s voice.


    ¡°Just keep the noise down, OK, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up.¡±


    Harumi chuckled softly, obviously having not done so in a good while. There were the sounds of footsteps dying away as she headed for the stairs, leaving Ariyama alone with his thoughts again.


    He tossed and turned the ideas in his mind as to why Matsune would come now of all times. Maybe she finally was going to explain everything¡­


    Suddenly, Ariyama looked up and his heart nearly stopped in surprise as he saw Matsune enter the room and shut the door behind her.


    ¡°Hey, Ariyama-kun. I''m finally going to explain everything.¡±


    Ariyama''s breathing was fast-paced and unbreaking. It had been so long since a person had been with him in his room, much less the most popular girl in his school.


    As for Matsune herself, Ariyama couldn''t deny that she looked good.


    She was wearing black yoga pants and a slightly-oversized t-shirt with some Pop band on it, along with clean white shoes.


    Her hair was long and black and silky as usual, her bangs styled so not one was out of place, but her eyes¡­


    Despite the perfection of every other bit of her, her eyes carried the weight of her experiences. Her ebony black irises held a deep and sorrowful aura, accented by the bags under her eyes. Every other part of her was spotless, which just made her tired eyes stand out just that much more.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Ariyama finally remembered to respond to her words.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She wouldn''t didn''t want to meet his gaze, and yet he saw her tense her body as she forced her eyes to meet his.


    ¡°Yes, and Ariyama-kun¡­ about that night¡­¡±


    Ariyama set his jaw.


    ¡°Just don''t bother. That''s the reason I''ve been locked up in my damn room for the last three weeks. I haven''t gone to school since then, and haven''t seen any of my friends either. I even tried reading a history book about that Shrine we unknowingly entered, but ended up throwing up everything I''d eaten that day.¡±


    He blinked angrily as tears pricked his eyes.


    ¡°I can''t even¡­ I can''t even look at anything to do with that night. Just¡­ Please, tell me what you need and nothing more.¡±


    Matsune looked at his shabby state with an aura of pity behind her tired eyes. ¡°That''s just the thing, Ariyama-kun. I need you to know some things, but what I''m going to talk about¡­ Well, it isn''t about how you feel, even if I do care about that.¡±


    Ariyama glared at her, then sighed and made his way onto his futon, sitting crossed-legged.


    ¡°So, let me guess. You''re going to explain all about¡­ whatever the hell happened then. But what do you mean by that last part?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, I''m not exactly coming to you this morning out of my own personal decision.¡±


    ¡°So someone''s forcing you to be here? I''d that''s the case, be my guest and leave¨C¡±


    Matsune adopted that slightly-pouty, slightly-annoyed face of hers that Ariyama vaguely remembered from back when he attended school.


    ¡°Not at all, Ariyama-kun! Someone is asking me to be here, yes, but not forcing me. Either way, I myself felt like it was important that I do so.¡±


    Ariyama pursed his lips as he gauged her reaction, debating mentally how to respond.


    Finally, he slumped his shoulders and sighed.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Fine, OK. You can sit down if you''d like.¡±


    Matsune''s face returned to an attempt of a lighthearted smile.


    ¡°Why, thank you.¡±


    Carefully, she knelt beside him on his white futon, folding her legs under her. Nervously, she stroked her hair that fell over her shoulder, before flicking it back. It gave Ariyama a moment of clarity, seeing how she was acting. She felt so vulnerable, and in a weird way, it calmed him down slightly.


    After surviving Hell on Earth, they had to have some obscure connection, right?


    ¡°So, just to start off: Why did you know, even in a miniscule amount, some stuff about what happened? Even just then, you called it a Shrine. How''d you know that?¡±


    Ariyama shrugged nonchalantly.


    ¡°It was from that history book I mentioned. I only read it after school on the same day. For some reason, though, my mom got all shaken up when she found me reading it.¡±


    ¡°Really? And what was the book called?¡±


    ¡°¡®Sumura''s Local Legends¡¯, or something like that.¡±


    Matsune visibly paled slightly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ How did you have that?¡±


    ¡°Found it all dusty on that shelf over there. I have a bunch of books that I haven''t touched in forever, or ever at all.¡±


    Matsune swallowed and looked past Ariyama at the shelf exposed through the open wardrobe, her eyes narrowing and scanning the contents hastily. Seemingly coming up empty, she relaxed and turned her attention back to him.


    ¡°I see. Well, to put it simply, Ariyama-kun, that book you had is a very old and very important book in our culture. As you can see, it contained many of our truths.¡±


    ¡°Our culture? Our truths? God, Matsune, I thought you were going to explain things, not complicate them.¡±


    He hadn''t intended to have so much venom in his words, but he couldn''t help it. He still needed answers as to what had happened, and especially what Matsune herself knew.


    She nodded straight away, her tired eyes focusing on him intently.


    ¡°Right, sorry, I''m all over the place. So, I''ll start with the basics, then?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright. So, to explain properly what that thing we entered that night¡­ It''s called a Shrine, as you know, but here is what it really is: it''s a stronghold.¡±


    ¡°A stronghold? As in something used to guard something else?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And you can guess what it was it was protecting, right?¡±


    Ariyama didn''t even need to think back to that night ¨C which he was especially thankful for ¨C because he already knew.


    ¡°The sword¡­¡±


    Matsune nodded solemnly.


    ¡°That sword is what''s referred to as an ¡®Enchanted Tool¡¯, as I''m pretty sure you know already. And the knight and all those creatures that attacked us¨C¡±


    ¡°They were guarding it. Yeah, you told me this already.¡±


    Dammit, there was that unnecessary venom in his words again. He wasn''t exactly happy with Matsune Sasya, but he didn''t want her to hate him.


    ¡°Alright. Sorry. I''m also a bit fuzzy on the details of the¡­ incident. Anyways, when we were trapped in the pedestal room, then attacked by those guards, and you touched the sword for the first time, you exploded ¨C if that''s the right word to use, I don''t know ¨C in light. Care to explain what you witnessed during that?¡±


    Ariyama crossed his arm, licking his dry lips. He didn''t want to think back, but he knew he had to, and he couldn''t keep it sealed in the back of his memory forever.


    ¡°Well, when that happened, I felt this crazy heat. Next thing I know, I''m floating in some white void, with this pleasant warm feeling. Then I wake up in a sort of interrogation room, with two chairs and a table, everything white. I sat at one chair, and at the one opposite, there was a blinding silhouette of me¡­ I think. It used words like ¡®Enchanted Tool¡¯ and ¡®Pilgrim¡¯, then said its name was Idolseus. We¡­ made a deal to save you and when we shook hands, I was brought back to the room, with his white aura and a powerful sword.¡±


    As he explained, Matsune tapped her chin thoughtfully, nodding along the way as if saying, ¡®yes, that''s what I expected¡¯.


    As Ariyama finished his explanation, Matsune nodded one last time.


    ¡°Right. Well, lucky for you, I can explain that for you, since¨C


    "¨C you went through the same thing?¡±


    Matsune stared at him in disbelief.


    ¡°That happened when I touched that sorry, which is an ¡®Enchanted Tool¡¯, yeah? And your silver bracelet is one too, right? Sorry for interrupting you again, by the way.¡±


    Surprisingly, Matsune smiled weakly.


    ¡°Well, well, well. We have a genius on our hands, here. Good catch, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    That spark ¨C just an ember ¨C of the old Matsune elicited a small bark of laughter from Ariyama, despite himself. It was brief, but it felt good.


    ¡°I mean, I''m not an idiot. I saw how you used that purple chain thing to fight the knight. And I saw its origin was from your bracelet. It only made sense. As a matter of fact, do you have it on you?¡±


    Matsune pulled up the sleeve of her leopard-print jacket, showing the spotless silver bracelet, ornately designed with twisting vines and small blooming flowers, fastened around her right wrist.


    ¡°I''ve always worn it, and I won''t stop.¡±


    ¡°So, am I right? About it being an Enchanted Tool?¡±


    ¡°Spot on. As you can see, ¡®Enchanted Tools¡¯ can vary from a whole sword to a pretty little bracelet.¡±


    ¡°Clearly. Although technically, it''s more like a broken sword. Half the blade is snapped off, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Speaking of which, do you still have it on you?¡±


    Ariyama averted his eyes instantly, his heart beating faster.


    ¡°Um, not on me. But over there¡­¡±


    He nodded to the prayer shrine that was on the opposite wall to his futon. Behind it, in a little gap in the floorboards he''d discovered when he was younger, the rusted and damaged Enchanted Tool was stored haphazardly. If anyone even looked at the shrine at the right angle, it''d be visible. Not the best place for such a clearly important item.


    But Ariyama had been scrambling in a hurry to hide it after the incident.


    He had a flash of memory as he thought back, the drowning from lack of air, his heartbeat thundering in his ears, his hands spasming and unable to even lift the sword, even if it only weighed maybe three or four kilos.


    His stomach churned and he winced in annoyance. He swore he wouldn''t think back too intently ever, but here he was doing just that.


    It''s all Matsune''s fault.


    No, not her fault.


    If he had anyone to blame, it was him. He had opened the Shrine Gate after all. But if there was a day when he was feeling slightly less terrible, he would blame Jack Hayakawa. What were the actual chances he would choose a Shrine as a location for a random meetup? For all Ariyama knew, Jack was informed about Enchanted Tools and Shrines too, but was just not as equipped as Matsune.


    A thought sparked in Ariyama¡¯s mind.


    Maybe Jack wanted that sword for himself, maybe because he didn''t have an Enchanted Tool yet. And he took a whole group at such a random time as backup?


    Screw that. Even Jack, if he actually did know about the guards, would recognise that a group ¨C even if it was a big one ¨C of teenagers wouldn''t be able to do jack shit.


    But those eyes.


    That quivering lip.


    He was either scarily inept and unknowing about the risks he was taking, or he truly was innocent.


    Realizing he was spacing out again, Ariyama snapped back to attention. Matsune was looking at him with badly-masked pity.


    Dammit. Was this what he really wanted? Yeah, now people wouldn''t be going after his money, since they were all fucking dead.


    What an idiot had he been?


    He wanted to bash his own head in that moment, maybe as some recompense for the families he''d ruined, but that was nothing new.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun? Am I OK to continue?¡±


    Matsune''s soft and caring voice cut through his self-deprecating thoughts like a knife through butter. Locking gazes with her again, Ariyama nodded hesitantly.


    Matsune reached out and gently took hold of a lock of his hair. On that patch was the strand which was bleached white.


    ¡°I''ve heard of some particularly strong powers that can cause physical changes to people, even if miniscule. This must be from when you first tapped into that light.¡±


    Ariyama nodded in affirmation, but really he wanted to focus on another topic.


    ¡°Tell me. Tell me about that person, or people, who told you to come here.¡±


    Matsune looked a little uncomfortable answering that question, but she must have recognised that she was supposed to answer his queries, and so she straightened up.


    ¡°The people who told me that ¨C along with myself ¨C are from what''s referred to as the Pilgrims¡¯ Society.¡±


    Pilgrims¡¯ Society? There was that word again, the one Idolseus had mentioned. But hadn''t he referred to himself as a Pilgrim, as opposed to it being the name of some secret association?


    Matsune continued on, answering his unspoken questions.


    ¡°That silhouette that you saw in that all-white room is known as a Pilgrim. I know I don''t have all day here, so I won''t get into the specifics, but just know that there are Pilgrims, who are spirits tied to the Tools, and there is the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, which is more named after them than anything else.¡±


    ¡°And this ¡®Pilgrims¡¯ Society¡¯?¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, just like you and I, there are many, many people who also know of this world''s untold truths. Three hundred years ago, they combined into the global organization known as the Pilgrims¡¯ Society. It governs the laws and regulations of all Tributes and magic-users worldwide, with different branches for each country, like the Japanese branch here, or the Germany branch or the English branch.¡±


    Ariyama, his brain hollowed out from a lack of usage for the last three weeks, was having trouble sorting through this cluster of info, but he tried to keep up.


    ¡°Alright, I got you. Just one last main question: you said there''s tons of people outside of us two who know all this too, so does that mean there''s people who also have Enchanted Tools?¡±


    Matsune nodded.


    ¡°The statistics are outdated, but from what I can remember, we have seventy registered Tributes ¨C that''s what we call people with contracts with Pilgrims ¨C as part of the Society here in the Japan branch, and then eighty-eight in the whole country, including unregistered Tributes.¡±


    So that''s eighty-eight people who''ve gone to a Shrine and retrieved an Enchanted Tool?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But as I said, that data''s probably outdated. It''s been a few years, so there may have been some who died, or new ones who popped up. Clearly, you''re one of the latter, and as I was an official member of the Society who happened to be with you when it happened, it fell on my shoulders to explain everything to you and indoctrinate you.¡±


    All of a sudden, Ariyama felt something snap in him. Was it what she said, or how she said it? I didn''t know. All he knew was that he was suddenly angry  and that''s all he focused on.


    His fists clenched the sheets of his futon as his jaw flexed with anger.


    ¡°Indoctrinate, huh? Hey, let me run this by you: what if I never wanted to be a part of this?¡±


    His voice rose.


    ¡°And what if ¨C and I know this may sound inconceivable ¨C I just wanted to deal with the shit that''s happened on my own, without knowing all this extra information. In fact, if this is all some huge secret magical society, why tell me everything instead of keeping me in the darkness, or wiping my memory, or killing me or something¡­¡±


    Matsune reached out and he flinched as she put a hand on his arm. It must have been hard to keep her emotions in control when she was dealing with him, who himself knew was definitely not in control. But he needed to speak his mind either way.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun¡­ The reason I was told to tell you is¡­ since not only were you exposed to such supernatural horrors, but you also contracted with a Pilgrim, it''s in our laws that you need to be a part of our world now.¡±


    Even more rage boiled Ariyama''s veins. He shrugged her hand off him.


    ¡°Oh, is that the case? Wow, great to hear. Hey, here''s a thought for you, Matsune. You know I didn''t want all this, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn''t, Ariyama-kun, but I''m afraid¨C¡±


    ¡°And so why am I forced to go through more? What, do I have to experience things like that night over and over again for the rest of my life? Screw that. Honestly, I''d rather kill myself.¡±


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, please don''t say that to yourself¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, will you? JUST SHUT UP! My friends are dead, and they were your friends too! So why am I the only one who cares, huh? Has this life you''ve been keeping secret from us made you jaded? Do you feel nothing about them being dead, is that it?¡±


    Ariyama breathed heavily, his fists clenched so tightly they hurt, his jaw aching from his perpetually-gritted teeth.


    His vision was blurred from his outburst, the blood slow to reach his head. But as his vision cleared, he saw one thing in particular.


    Matsume, still sitting next to him.


    And she was crying.


    Her breath came out in sobs as her slight shoulders shook and her lip shook. Thick tears ran down her face, her eyes red and alight with anger and grief and a thousand other emotions.


    Ariyama instantly felt bad. This was the first time he had ever seen her properly cry. And he tugged at his heart in a way he didn''t like. Even though he had focused on not being like everyone else and becoming one of the hundred boys who had asked out Matsune Sasya, did she really still have this effect on him?


    He didn''t have a problem admitting she was a beauty to look at, be it when in sports gear and her hair in a ponytail on the track, or poised in full and proper uniform while in class. But did she have some hold over his emotions like she seemingly did with every other guy in the school?


    It was almost scary, but now was the time to be chastising her. Especially not when he had already drawn her to tears.


    Matsune glared at him with those mixed emotions in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ Dammit, I can barely stand it too, OK? Yeah, they were my friends, and that''s why I''m devastated over them not being here anymore. I understand that you don''t want to be a part of this life, Ariyama, and I wish I could walk away too, but I can''t. We can''t. Especially since we both have contracts with Pilgrims, we are stuck where we are. So now you can either do the smart move and get registered with the Society, or basically become a fugitive and go unregistered. I would say it¡¯s up to you, but I promise you, I won''t let you make the wrong decision. You''re part of all this now, whether you like it or not, so I''m going to make sure you join the Society with me¡­ And when we get to that stage, we can talk about¡­ e-everything that''s¡­ happened¡­ oh God.¡±


    She broke down, sobs coming from her throat as she covered her face with her hands, not doing a good job at hiding the tears that ran down her red face.


    His features softening and a cold breeze running through his body to cool his anger, Ariyama''s face fell with regret. He hadn''t been fair to her, it was as simple as that.


    Gently, he shifted closer to her and, tears brimming in his own eyes, wrapped his arms around her shaking form in something that felt like it was a hug.


    Nothing was going to be the same again, he knew.


    But maybe, just maybe, he could adapt and actually do something about it.

 16. Back to Normal I

    ¡°Please come to school today¡±


    When Matsune had left that same morning, those were her parting words to Ariyama.


    Come to school today? What kind of request was that? Surely she didn''t expect him to return to school so soon after witnessing such events¡­


    But in retrospect, it had been three weeks already. And he heard about it being good to try to return to normal after harrowing events like that. Apparently staying away from regular things like school only resulted in further feelings of isolation.


    But obviously, he was long past making that decision. And now, he was starting to feel the effects.


    It was now around half-past six in the morning, and Ariyama had a choice. He could stay coiled up in his warm futon for the next few hours, until he''d eventually get hungry or need the bathroom. Or he could get dressed like he used to and take the trip to Sasura Academy.


    What would he do?


    On the one hand, he didn''t want to deal with school work and the constant hassle of dealing with his classmates.


    But now that Takemichi and Yaranagi were gone, there''d be two empty seats in his classroom. Would they bring in transfer students? Had they already done so? Ariyama felt like that was spitting on their graves, though, by just quickly replacing them with random outsiders.


    Then again, he wasn''t sure if they had done that yet, so he didn''t want to make any preconceptions. He wasn''t even sure if he would end up going back to school in the first place.


    But out of everything Matsune had told him, that was her one final request? Really?


    Maybe she had something more important to say to him, something that couldn''t be done in his room? Or maybe she just hated the slight stench of vomit and musk that was trapped in the air of his bedroom.


    Ariyama grumbled at his indecisiveness and flopped down on his futon, resting his face against the warm pillow. As the air outside was getting chillier, he was appreciating the small things ¨C like a warm bed ¨C more and more.


    Maybe that was good for him. After all, he wasn''t exactly appreciating himself right now.


    But no, enough dilly-dallying, he had to make a decision. Checking the time, it read 7:04.


    Had he really been contemplating for that long? Usually he''d be out of the house by eight at the latest. If he were to go back, he wanted to go back to his regular routine.


    He would wake up, wash himself, get dressed, have breakfast and head out. If he had time, he would go to his training room and practice his swordsmanship. But he hadn''t gone into that room since that day either, so he didn''t feel like going in there today.


    Ariyama felt an ache in his chest as he imagined what the others in the school would say to him.


    ¡°Why are you back here?¡±


    ¡°Hey, aren''t you the guy who got four people killed?¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you took a shower?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think we want you back?¡±


    ¡°Once known for money, always known for money, eh?¡±


    That last one made Ariyama''s stomach twist. Obviously, he couldn''t know about him being the cause for everything that happened, but what would they think of him regardless?


    He was the kid who was so lucky to be rich, and just so happened to be one of the survivors of this terrible ¡®incident¡¯. What were the chances of that?


    Is that what they''d think?


    Maybe they''d change from only liking him because they wanted to benefit from his money, to hating him for the same reason. Rich, and lucky? Unfair.


    Gritting his teeth against the pain in his abdomen, Ariyama smacked his cheeks to motivate himself.


    Damn it all to Hell.


    Why did it matter?


    He didn''t give two damns about what people thought of him, not in this moment anyway.


    Hell, now he was integrated into a world of swords and magic and monsters, so why would he care about what some highschoolers thought of him?


    Anyways, Matsune needed him for something, clearly, so he felt some sort of responsibility to attend school. Even the way Matsune had told him to come back indicated she really only meant for the one day, at the very least.


    He could manage one day of school, right?


    But had people gotten used to him not being there? Just like Yaranagi and Takemichi and Jack and Yasami not being there either?


    As for Matsune, Ariyama wasn''t sure if she had continued to attend school, but if he guessed, the answer was likely yes.


    Ariyana shook his head and tapped his knuckles against his jaw.


    Just shut up and go.


    He forced his body to move, to go through the same routine he always had. Even as his limbs protested and were on the verge of shutting down, just to keep him locked in his room, he pressed on.


    After washing himself and fumbling to put on his uniform, Ariyama turned his attention to his prayer shrine. If Matsune did want to discuss something about what she told him, maybe it was a good idea to bring ¡®that¡¯.


    Apprehension drowning him, his mind flashing back to the time when he had hidden it under the floorboards, Ariyama bent down to move the shrine away from the wall and reach into the floor.


    Feeling the rough handle of the sword, Ariyama hefted its weight ¨C it was more uncomfortable than straight-up heavy ¨C and lifted it out from its hidden spot.


    Now that the yellowish morning light was casting a corridor of light through the big circular window to his left, Ariyama could see the specific details of the weathered sword much more than he did when it was doused in darkness.


    The chips and dents along its length, the blade that was only half its full length, ending with stripped metal, and the tough rust that coated the whole thing.


    It looked ancient and ugly and was uncomfortable to carry, but when he had first unleashed whatever type of power it held within it, he held it like it was a feather''s weight. The light had even morphed it so it looked like it was whole again, and brand new too, without a nick or scratch to be seen.


    But if he had one good thing to say about its broken form, it was that it was a lot easier to fit in his bag.


    Ariyama always prided himself with having a neat and clean uniform everyday. Maybe it did contribute to his notoriety as the rich kid, but that was one thing he wasn''t bothered about.


    Today, however, his shirt was left wrinkled and his tie slightly loose. He had many more important things to worry about now than looking neat.


    Now that he had his sword tucked safely at the bottom of his bag, Ariyama had just one last thing to do before he set off for his first day at school in weeks.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Heading back to the bathroom, he set his bag down by the sink and leaned over it, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He didn''t exactly look completely healthy, with bags under his eyes and his skin a few shades paler than usual, but he looked presentable at least.


    As long as he lasted the day at the very least, it wouldn''t matter. Happy enough with his work, he quickly cleaned up, keeping an eye on the time. By the time he had finished the clean up, went downstairs and had a quickly put-together breakfast, it was just 7:30.


    As he hefted his heavier-than-usual bag, he glanced once more up the stairs.


    Would he go say goodbye to his mom?


    As far as he knew, she was also holed up in her room. Or was she out shopping at this time? His sense of time had been so disjointed that he had no clue. But he did think of one thing he could do for her.


    He quickly grabbed a sticky note and pen, writing a quick note and leaving it stuck to the kitchen counter.


    ¡®I''m at school by the time you''re reading this. Thank you for looking after me¡¯.


    Heating his bag again, Ariyama apprehensively approached the front door. His hand shook, actually shook, as he reached for and opened the doorknob. The familiar wooden creak of the door, the cold breeze of the December morning air wafting in.


    Ariyama squared his shoulders and took a deep breath in, paused, and then let it out.


    That made him feel a little better. Not much, though.


    Looking up at the sky, Ariyama tried the psyche himself up to take that crucial first step out of the door. The clouds were gray and swirling through the atmosphere, small blasts of yellow light breaking through from the gaps in the gray.


    It looked like any other December sky, during any other December day. And for most people around the world, it probably was. Today was probably the day someone got married, as was it the day someone got their first kiss, or confessed to their crush, or went on their first date, or had their first time having¨C


    Ariyama cut his thoughts short so as to not ramble on. He just stared at the sky some more.


    Around the world, people continued to live their lives, but here in Shinkai City, Ariyama was having trouble finding purpose in his.


    Unintentionally or not, he had been the reason for the deaths of four of his fellow students, one of which was his best friend in the whole world.


    Even at the though of Yaranagi ¨C of his buzzed red hair, or of his piercings or his bestial grin ¨C Ariyama''s stomach sank.


    ¡°Damn¡­¡±


    He needed to refrain from even thinking about him, even if it was proving to be nigh-impossible. Gritting his teeth, Ariyama hit the side of his thigh with his fist repeatedly, each strike symbolizing a nail of constraint being hammered into his consciousness, in order to stop thinking about ¡®him¡¯.


    But he knew deep down the only way to move on was to keep going, so Ariyama squeezed the strap of his bag he had over his shoulder, then walked out of his house for the first time in nearly a month, shutting a door behind him and stepping out into the chilly winter air.


    His trip from home to school was long and arduous.


    Ariyama''s breath misted from his mouth as he trudged through the streets. It was just coming up on rush hour, with more and more vehicles jam-packed in the streets, dropping kids to school or driving off to work for the day. Ariyama suddenly had a thought, envisioning his father driving him to school in some luxury car, actually giving him some bit of fatherly love.


    Ariyama physically recoiled at the thought, his boys shivering.


    For one thing, his father''s lack of support for him was still waging a war in his mind, even when he tried to focus on other things.


    Even when the incident happened, and he had the images of four dead or dying bodies in his head, he always brought it back to his father somehow.


    If he hadn''t opened the Shrine Gate, they wouldn''t have died, but if his father had been with him like a proper parent, maybe he wouldn''t have gotten access to that book. And if he hadn''t gotten access to that book, he wouldn''t have been knowledgeable about the Shrine Gate, meaning no one would''ve died.


    Ariyama knew what he was thinking was idiotic, but he couldn''t help it. His father had made him feel so, so bad at many times in his life, Ariyama almost felt obliged to pin the blame on him for everything.


    But no matter how much he detested his father, Ariyama knew some things simply were his own fault and no one else''s.


    Ariyama realized his breath had turned to sharp and wheezing gasps for air as he finally reached halfway up the winding path towards Sasura Academy. There was a student a little ahead of him, tall and blonde, and another a fair bit further back down the hill. Other than that, there weren''t any other students in sight. It was almost eight now, so either all the other students were being extra early today, or they all decided to have a collective sleep in.


    ¡°Fairly quiet today, eh?¡±


    At the foreign voice, Ariyama jumped in surprise, his heart almost stopping from the sudden noise.


    He had been looking to his left, over the railing that overlooked the rest of Sumura. Now his head turned to the right, eyes wide with mouth agape.


    Standing right next to him, still tall and still blonde, was that student who had been walking further ahead of him. How had he suddenly retraced his steps to be standing beside Ariyama in a second or less?


    It was almost scary how quickly people could sneak up on someone else, unnoticed.


    Noticing how startled Ariyama was, the blonde guy smirked with perfect white teeth. His eyes were a weird shade of reddish-purple, which gleamed in the cold haze of the morning.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, buddy. I didn''t realize you were so caught up in your own thoughts.¡±


    Ariyama was still a little exasperated from the previous jumpscare.


    ¡°I¡­ huh¡­¡±


    ¡°You OK, dude? Anyways, I''m Genichirou Shoei. And you are¡­?¡±


    Ariyama blew out a breath and looked up at the blonde boy. Ariyama didn''t recognise him but he wore the black, white and blue uniform of Sasura Academy. Maybe an exchange student? But wasn''t it kinda late in the year for that?


    ¡°Um¡­ I''m Ariyama Saato.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Wait, Ariyama? As in¡­¡±


    Oh great, here it comes.


    ¡°You wouldn''t happen to be the son of Ariyama Gotou, now would you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am...¡±


    Despite his attempts to not be tied to his father anymore, Ariyama didn''t bother denying his heritage. He''d done it before, when he first began to despise his wealth, but it only delayed the inevitable. The inevitable being the person he denied it to soon finding out that, no, he actually was the son of Ariyama Gotou, the richest man in Shinkai.


    The blonde boy, Genichirou, clapped his hands with glee, a look of delight on his face.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be! It''s not everyday to meet the soon-to-be owner of all assets of the city''s richest man, but it is today!¡±


    Genichirou slapped Ariyama on the back as they walked together towards the school.


    ¡°So, hey, I''m a transfer student from Kyoto. Don''t ask why I transferred. Just know that the guys I beat up ¨C in the scenario where I did beat someone up, because I definitely didn''t ¨C deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. I''ll, um, remember that.¡±


    As they continued up the winding road, Genichirou glanced down at Ariyama out of the corner of his eye. Ariyama couldn''t deny he was one good-looking guy.


    ¡°You''re the first friend I''ve made here, and I haven''t even gotten to school yet today! Is it my lucky day or what? But as my first friend, I wanna know some stuff about you. So, Saato, tell me about yourself. Favorite color? Favorite animal? Any girlfriend ¨C or dare I say boyfriend ¨C in your life? That kind of stuff.¡±


    Ariyama stopped dead and glared at Genichirou, who also stopped a few steps ahead of him, looking back with confusion on his face.


    ¡°Don''t¡­ Please, don''t call me Saato. Only my two best fri¨C¡±


    He stopped himself, inhaling deeply.


    ¡°Only my best friend calls me that. I just¡­ only give permission to people I know care about me because of me and not for any other reason. It¡¯s just something I¡¯m specific about.¡±


    Realizing he was rambling again, Ariyama fixed Genichirou with a strong stare, as if saying, ¡°That''s just how it is¡±.


    Luckily, however, Genichirou was in a good mood. He grinned and raised his hands playfully.


    ¡°I see, I see. Terribly sorry, ¡®Ariyama¡¯. Anyways, about that bit of info for me?¡±


    ¡°Hm? OK, right. OK, uh, my favorite color is probably purple. My favorite animal is a hedgehog, and my favorite food is well-done steak with a side of French fries. And no, no girlfriend or boyfriend for me.¡±


    Genichirou rubbed his chin intently as he listened to Ariyama''s answers, the shine in his eyes showing that he seemed properly interested in what Ariyama had to say.


    It was nice to be able to talk about such casual stuff ¨C even with a guy he''d just met ¨C after the incident. For a moment, just a moment, Ariyama felt his spirits rise a bit, the cloak of depression lifting off him. He knew this was only happening at this very moment. The next time he was alone with his own thoughts, the cloak would return to ensnare him once again.


    They were at the front of the school now, and Ariyama saw a lot more people piling into the main courtyard.


    Genichirou stuffed his hands into his pockets. Ariyama noticed that he had no bag or anything with him. Not a good first impression for a new transfer student.


    ¡°Well, here we are. That was a nice chat we had, you and I. Sheesh, this place is crowded. How many students are there? Actually, scratch that, I don''t care.¡±


    Genichirou stopped him and turned to face him, hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°In other news, I''m a third year student, and you absolutely stink of a second year, so I don''t think we''ll see each other again today. In that case, good luck today, rich kid. I wish you peace and prosperity for the rest of your week.¡±


    Ariyama bristled at the words ¡®rich kid¡¯, but stayed nonchalant as Genichirou flashed him a dazzling smile, gave him a wink, and disappeared amongst the incoming wave of students heading to homeroom.


    Ariyama stood there, slowly being swarmed by the crowd of students too, a little dumbfounded.


    Ariyama had never been to Kyoto before, but did people there really act like that?


    Genichirou seemed¡­ weirdly enthusiastic. If it was Ariyama, for example, he''d be kind to anyone he met, sure, but he wouldn''t be gallivanting around and chatting with people he didn''t know on his first day in a new school.


    That didn''t mean Genichirou had anything wrong with him, it just was a bit of a shock to Ariyama.

 17. Back to Normal II

    Replacing his thoughts of Genichirou with his thoughts of school, Ariyama swallowed thickly, his chest aching with nerves as he tried to slip into the wave of students, trying to stay incognito.


    But that lasted a grand total of twenty seconds, when he heard a very familiar ¨C and aggravating ¨C voice, call out his name.


    ¡°Oh my God, Ariyama? Dude, it''s been ages!¡±


    Ariyama gritted his teeth and covered his mouth with his hand in annoyance.


    ¡°You''ve got to me kidd¨C¡±


    Just then, like a flash of lightning, the accurately-named ¡®Idiot Trio¡¯ appeared right in front of Ariyama.


    Kajima was out of breath, as always, a look of greed and fake joy on his face. He was flanked by the other two members of the Idiot Trio squad, Machira and Sudo.


    ¡°Yo, dude, it''s been, what, two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    Ariyama still had his gaze downcast, his voice gruff coming from his clenched teeth.


    ¡°Ah, right, three weeks. Man, that''s even crazier.¡±


    Sudo idly flexed his pecs.


    ¡°So crazy.¡±


    Machira grinned like a fool.


    ¡°Definitely crazy.¡±


    They were the ones who were crazy. Like, what was this? Were they three parts of a hivemind or what? Just thinking of them made Ariyama usually angry. They were really the last people he wanted to see.


    ¡°Don''t think about that. So, Ariyama, I heard what happened, we all did.¡±


    Kajima''s stupid plain face put on a fabricated look of pity.


    ¡°It really sucks what happened back then. To that little guy, Takemichi. Not as much sympathy for Jack and Yasami, though. They were a-holes, aren''t I right? Proper jerks. Oh, and your bro, too. Yaranagi, right?¡±


    Damn it all, why was he mentioning them? Ariyama couldn''t¡­ He couldn''t keep focus.


    The memories came flooding back like a physical attack on his mind.


    Shrine.


    Booby traps.


    The knight.


    Takemichi


    ¡°But we have to move on, yeah?¡±


    Yasami.


    The tentacle.


    The locusts.


    Jack.


    ¡°Isn''t that the healthy thing to do in a situation like this?¡±


    Shit, it wouldn''t stop.


    Matsune.


    The sword.


    Idolseus.


    Yaranagi¡­


    ¡°So, anyway, you remember that console we mentioned some time back? Well, we''re still looking to buy it, so if you''d be a dear and let us borrow some yen¨C¡±


    Don''t let him speak any further.


    Ariyama snapped and lunged at Kajima, dropping his bag at the same time. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in close to his face.


    Up close, Ariyama saw the fear striking through Kajima''s eyes.


    ¡°Listen up, you son of a bitch. I''ve spent God-knows how long trying to satisfy you and your gang here. At the start, I even agreed and lent you some money. But now? You''ve pushed your luck too far.¡±


    Machira, sweating from the intensity of the situation, approached slowly.


    ¡°Dude, chill out. You''re so damn rich, I don''t see why you have to be so selfish as to not give us a penny¨C¡±


    Ariyama grunted as he threw Kajima at him, and they both went down in a heap.


    Despite his rippling muscles, Sudo made a scared sound and stayed where he was, staring in astonishment at his two friends, flailing about on the floor.


    Ariyama bore holes through them with his glare, and stuck out a finger to point at them.


    ¡°I''m sick of being nice, OK? You three have no idea what I''ve witnessed, and never will. So no, I''m not buying you your fucking console. Not now, not ever. Go and try scamming someone else out of their yen, why don''t you? Actually, forget that. If I catch that happening, I''ll beat the hell out of all of you, you understand?¡±


    Luckily, most of the other students had already filed into the corridors, heading to class, leaving the courtyard clear, save for the four of them.


    Kajima wrinkled his nose in disgust as he pushed the still-flailing Machira off him and sat up, glaring daggers at Ariyama.


    ¡°You''ve made a big mistake, dude. Kirameki''s already on the fence about you, but once he hears about this, you''re dead meat. You hear me? Dead meat!¡±


    With his outburst concluded, Kajima stumbled to his feet, face scratched up from getting face-planted onto concrete, and wobbled off. Machira scrambled after him, and so did Sudo, his head hung low in defeat.


    And then they were gone.


    Ariyama struggled to put his breathing back at a steady pace, his fists clenching and unclenching. He''d never gotten as angry at other people at school before. And apart from his beatdown of Jack while trapped in the Shrine, he never got that angry at people, full stop.


    But damn did it feel good.


    But he did wonder what that small voice in the back of his head was. The one that had told him to shut Kajima up. And who was that Kirameki they mentioned? Ariyama thought he recognised that name from somewhere, maybe someone from another class, but he wasn''t sure.


    ¡°That was some display, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    Ariyama hadn''t realized he was staring down at his feet the whole time, and that distinct voice was the thing that broke him from his daze.


    He knew it was Matsune, before he even looked up at her pretty face as she approached him.


    Upon closer inspection, she had a weird expression on her face. On one hand, she had a look of relief from seeing the Idiot Trio get put down, but also looked sad for some reason.


    Ariyama wondered why.


    As she stopped in front of him and crossed her arms, a small smile broke out on her face.


    ¡°I abide by the school rules, and so I don''t condone violence like that, but that was satisfying.¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t help but return her smile.


    ¡°That''s what I was thinking.¡±


    ¡°But it''s much more than you think, Ariyama-kun. It''s bad enough they kept pestering you about getting loans of yen, but they''re also total creeps. Once, they got caught trying to peek at the girls in their changing room during P.E. As I said, total creeps.¡±


    Ariyama nodded happily, another wave of temporary warm washing over him.


    But that warmth froze over as Matsune''s face suddenly switched like a light, her features flipping and a frown appearing out of nowhere.


    ¡°But on the other hand, I hate seeing you like this, Ariyama-kun. I know we barely talked before what happened, but I know you were always so kind and nice to everyone, even to people who were less fortunate than you.¡±


    Ariyama knew what she was saying, but it didn''t stop a vein from stretching across his neck in anger.


    ¡°So, what, you''re saying I''m not like that now? Well, I''m sorry for not being completely fine, less than a month after¡­¡±


    Matsune nodded understandingly, holding up her hands to ease the situation.


    ¡°I know, Ariyama-kun, I know. It may not seem like I''m affected by them being gone, but I am, trust me. It''s just that ¨C and I mean this in the nicest way ¨C they were more your friends than they were mine.¡±


    The way Ariyama was currently feeling, he was inclined to argue, but managed to restrain himself. She wasn''t wrong on that front. Ariyama knew she had her own friend group, even if she called everyone in the school her ¡®friends¡¯ ¨C which was one reason why she was so popular.


    She probably didn''t care much for Jack or Yasami, barely ever talked to Takemichi, and only interacted briefly with Yaranagi.


    Ariyama suddenly felt the energy drain from him like a tap, all of it rushing from his system unbelievably fast. Within a few moments, his knees wobbled and he found it hard to stand straight. Matsune approached with concern and placed a helpful hand on his arm. The touch brought Ariyama back to that night again, when she touched him and tried to calm his nerves. A shiver running through his body, Ariyama was about to flinch and move away from her, but her aura of pure warmth won him over. There was something about her, something kind and protective that emanated from her.


    Was this another of her powers?


    Ariyama knew she could use that bracelet on her wrist to summon a chain of energy with a kunai attached to use like a whip, but was that the extent of it, or did she have other abilities he wasn''t aware of.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He had been staring absentmindedly, and Matsune gave him a small shake.


    ¡°Are you OK? Listen, I''m here if you ever want to¡­ talk about it, alright? I''m the only one who knows what happened, so you can rely on me, OK?¡±


    Ariyama gave her a nod, his mouth set in a hard line.


    ¡°Sure. Anyways, let''s just cut to the chase. Why did you tell me to come back to school today?¡±


    ¡°I just thought you were out of school for so long¡­ I thought it would be helpful if you got back into the swing of things as soon as possible. I did it, and it''s¡­ helped, a lot. Some bit of a distraction, you know, from reality?¡±


    So Ariyama had been right about his previous ideas of what Matsune had been up to. Still, he agreed with her to an extent. On paper, it did make sense to not dwell in his misery, but in practice, he just couldn''t make himself do it. After all, it had taken every ounce of strength he had to get to school that day, and that was after three weeks of isolation.


    Ariyama had to respect Matsune''s strength in returning to normal life after such an experience.


    Ariyama cracked his knuckles as he looked around the empty courtyard, then back to Matsune.


    ¡°So, what''s the truth?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Let''s be real here, Matsune. We both know there''s something you want me for, because that''s the main reason you told me to come in today. I was wondering before as to why you came to see me at such a random time, but now it makes sense. My theory is that you''ve been doing something ¨C I have no clue what ¨C and now is the time you need some help. You gave me some time to recover, but now that I''ve been exposed to this world of magic and monsters, I can help you out somehow.¡±


    Matsune blinked incredulously at him for a moment.


    Uh oh, was he too on the nose?


    But then her look of shock was replaced with a humorous smile.


    ¡°Wow, I''m impressed.¡±


    It was Ariyama''s turn to stare.


    ¡°Wait, was I right?¡±


    ¡°Basically, yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡±


    ¡°You seem so shocked, yet you were so confident in yourself just then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I wasn''t being serious. I just pulled all that out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Well, lucky for you, you were just about spot on.¡±


    ¡°Well, that certainly makes me feel good.¡±


    ¡°As it should, Ariyama-kun. As it should.¡±


    Matsune then sighed, retracting her hand from his arm and motioning for him to follow. Wordlessly, she turned and began to walk off.


    Apprehension swirling in his stomach, Ariyama hesitated but then quickly went to follow.


    They headed through the empty corridors, the distant chatter of the classrooms. Ariyama was worried, continuously glancing up and down the hallways to check for any teacher who could catch them.


    He could only imagine if someone like Ijichi-sensei caught them. Ariyama knew he''d get mad, obviously, but he wondered just how mad he would get. Matsune always had him basically wrapped around her finger, as she was probably the only student he actively liked.


    Maybe she''d get by, but Ariyama? Not a chance.


    He didn''t exactly feel as confident as she did, walking through an empty hallway while class was in session. On the one hand, he was kinda glad he didn''t have to sit at his desk for any classes and actually interact with other people.


    But what if people found them together?


    The thought made Ariyama blush uncomfortably. He was glad Matsune was a few strides ahead of him and didn''t look back to see his red face.


    That was probably the last thing he wanted to happen today.


    He continued to follow Matsune, until they were just about to round a corner, when there was the sudden sound of quickly approaching footsteps.


    Matsune cursed under her breath ¨C Ariyama had never heard her curse before ¨C and moved like a bullet. She grabbed him and twisted, shouldering the door next to them open as quietly as possible, and pulling him in with her, pushing him up against the wall with her body as the door gently shut.


    They stood there, pressed against each other, for a few seconds, listening as the footsteps got closer, then eventually faded away.


    They remained for another few moments, ensuring there wouldn''t be any more visitors. At this time, Ariyama looked down at Matsune. She was keeping him pushed against the wall of the janitor closet, and no matter how much he tried to ignore it, he felt her on him. Her slight curves and noticeable definition in her arms and stomach shifted against his less-than-impressive physique. He was fit enough, thanks to his sword training, but Matsune clearly had some regiment that was far better than his.


    Ariyama, being the age he was, had an image flash in his mind. An image of this exact scene, except Matsune had a noticeable lack of anything to cover her naked body.


    Ariyama gulped, gritting his teeth slightly to keep control of his own body. She was still pressed against him, and if anything unwarranted appeared, it wouldn''t bode well for this new relationship they had.


    But luckily, Matsune was off of him after another moment, giving the cramped closet one look around.


    ¡°Hm. Cozy.¡±


    Then she turned and slowly eased the door open, waving her hand behind her for Ariyama to follow. Righting himself and busying himself with fixing his tie, he took a breath before following her out.


    That was intense.


    After that, there were no more close encounters, and they reached the location Matsune wanted without resistance.


    The location itself happened to be some empty room in the Easternmost part of the school, where there was seemingly no one around. Ariyama wondered if he''d ever even seen this place before. He wasn''t exactly one to go exploring the premises.


    The room itself was fairly chilly and was gray all over, from the tables to the floor to the walls. It looked like it had once been a classroom, but had been cleared out to be renovated into a storage room.


    Shelves and boxes lined the room in rows, and there were tons of electrical components too, from some kill switch and a generator in the back right corner. As another plus, the two rectangular windows that were on the opposite wall to the door were covered with black sheets, leaving the place drenched in darkness, except for the soft glow of the generator and a single light bulb high on the ceiling, which looked to be on its last legs.


    Making sure the door was shut behind them, Matsune let out a sigh of relief, then turned to face Ariyama.


    ¡°Alright, we should be hidden in here, for the time being.¡±


    Ariyama scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Just wondering, but why go through the trouble to have our chat here? Wasn''t there an easier place to talk about this.¡±


    ¡°Easier, absolutely. But not safer. What we need to discuss¡­ It needs to be done in a spot where there''s absolutely no chance of anyone catching us.¡±


    ¡°Why? I mean, everyone will just probably think we''re talking about some TV show or something. It''s not like they''d think we were telling the truth when talking about magic and stuff.¡±


    But to Ariyama''s surprise, Matsune shook her head.


    ¡°That''s where you''re wrong, I''m afraid. This is the integral part of my so-called mission here.¡±


    Ariyama paused for a moment.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying you went to this school, only to act as some undercover agent for that Pilgrims¡¯ Society group?¡±


    Matsune just chuckled.


    ¡°You''re so funny when you jump to conclusions, Ariyama-kun. No, I didn''t. After all, I''ve only had Violetta Eterniella here for two years.¡±


    She pulled up her sleeve to show off her glittering silver bracelet. Ariyama just blinked at it, then up at her.


    ¡°Sorry, Violet Enterna-what?¡±


    ¡°Violetta Eterniella. That''s the name of my Enchanted Tool here. Well, really, that''s its name when it looks like a glowing purple chain and kunai, but most Tributes call it by their name, even when it''s sealed.¡±


    ¡°So the Tools have names?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Even your sword does.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You know what it is?¡±


    ¡°I''m afraid not. You only learn the weapons name from the Pilgrim you''re contracted with. For me, it took me nearly a whole year just to figure out the name of mine.¡±


    Ariyama nodded understandingly. So that meant it would be Idolseus who would tell him the sword''s true name? But how would he talk to him again after making the contract? Was he supposed to tell him the name when they first made the deal?


    Matsune crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.


    ¡°But we''ve been skipping over the main point of this for long enough, so it''s about time I explain. Essentially, I am conducting a sort of investigation in this school.¡±


    This piqued Ariyama''s curiosity, and he leaned forward a little.


    ¡°Huh. And what''re you investigating?¡±


    Matsune took out her phone, tapped a couple times, then showed the screen to Ariyama. He frowned.


    ¡°Uh, what exactly am I looking at?¡±


    ¡°This is a picture I took five weeks ago. It''s what I''m investigating, because I believe this picture is proof of there being an unregistered Tribute either working or studying in this school.¡±


    That came as a shock to Ariyama, but his focus was still on the picture. It was an image of what seemed to be a stone wall, and on its surface seemed to be a dark patch of something, like an ink stain on paper.


    ¡°So what? It looks like some stone that''s been through a bit of weather damage.¡±


    ¡°From an outsider''s viewpoint, it would seem unassuming. But it wasn''t the physical changes in the rock that gave me my theory, but instead the aura I felt around it. It was the aura of energy, mana, of an Enchanted Tool. I knew I never deployed Violetta Eterniella in that vicinity, so, through the process of elimination, I came to the conclusion it was an unregistered Tribute.¡±


    ¡°And why''s it an unregistered one in particular?¡±


    ¡°Simple. In the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, you can check the rate of activity of all registered Tributes, and sure enough, I was the only registered one in this area.¡±


    Ariyama let out a breath he''d been keeping in. That was some intense detective work, and he still didn''t understand what she meant by ¡®mana¡¯, but he figured it was a question for later on.


    ¡°I see. Well, what can I do?


    Matsune took her phone back and tapped at the screen again. When she showed Ariyama the screen, this time it showed a gray-scale top-down map of the school and its premises. There were distinct red Xs marked at sporadic points across the map.


    ¡°As you''d guess, I''ve spent the last five weeks putting my head down and focusing on this investigation, as well as balancing my public life. It hasn''t been easy, but I''ve made some progress. Here are all the spots where I''ve felt the presence of an Enchanted Tool. There were more, but I filtered out all the ones that pertained to my own Enchanted Tool. And this¨C¡±


    She swiped the screen and a huge list of names popped up on a spreadsheet, also with some marked with an X.


    ¡°¨C are the names of all staff members and pupils. I''ve been slowly making my way through the list over the past month and a bit, but I''ve come up short every time.¡±


    Ariyama tapped his chin thoughtfully as he surveyed the list. There had been about ten or so red Xs on the map, and on the spreadsheet, he counted a hundred or so names with Xs. That, unfortunately, meant there were still around three hundred people left to check.


    This was going to be tough work.


    ¡°Ah, gotcha. So, with me, it''ll be double the speed.¡±


    Matsune nodded with an air of excitement. Ariyama found an issue with it, however.


    ¡°That''s cool and all, but what do I have to do exactly? I know I need to do a bit of questioning or whatever, but I''m not very confident in checking for auras or whatever.¡±


    Matsune shook her head.


    ¡°You''ve got it wrong, Ariyama-kun. I didn''t do any interrogations with these people, instead just checking their aura levels. I need to find the person with an aura that matches the frequency of the residual mana I found. A Tribute''s power comes solely from their Tool, so if I can find the wielder, it''ll be a match.¡±


    ¡°And I''ll repeat what I said: I don''t know the first thing about searching for auras and matching them.¡±


    Matsune walked up to him and put a reassuring hand on his arm, like she''d done before.


    ¡°And that''s perfectly fine, Ariyama-kun. It took me some practice to get it down myself, so we can do the same for you. We don''t need to work on this together straight away. I can help you harness that technique, then we can get to work at twice the proficiency.¡±


    Her warm smile washed away the creeping worry building in Ariyama¡¯s chest. She just had that effect on people, he supposed.


    ¡°So, just to confirm ¨C because I haven''t properly asked yet ¨C do you want to help me?¡±


    Ariyama gave her a look that said, ¡°What do you think I''m going to say?¡± Ariyama smiled and was about to agree, but suddenly something caught his voice.


    Of course he wanted to help. Right?


    But then again, did helping her out just mean more chances to experience death and devastation?


    Ariyama wasn''t even sure if those creatures were specific to the Shrines, or if they were the types of demons ¨C like from the manga he read ¨C who manifested from the shadows at night as well.


    If that was the case, he would hesitate.


    Maybe Matsune was doing this in order to distract him from his depression, to give him something to focus on.


    ¡°Matsune¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Am I¡­ If I do this, am I going to be hurt again?¡±


    Ariyama hated how feeble and weak he sounded in that moment but he couldn''t help the shaking in his voice.


    At his vulnerable body language, Matsune''s face softened as she rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. Even though they were the same age, or maybe she was older by a few months, it still felt like Matsune was his mother, soothing him of his troubles. It was a weird feeling, to be coddled by someone your own age.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, I am going to protect you, OK?¡±


    Ariyama saw her eyes were shining with unshed tears.


    ¡°I¡­ couldn''t protect anyone down in the Shrine. I wasn''t strong enough¡­¡±


    Her breath hitched, as she wiped a tear from her cheek.


    ¡°But I will protect you, OK? I promise you.¡±


    She stared deeply into his eyes, and a chill ran down his spine. She looked like she meant it, and since this was Matsune Sasya, she definitely did.


    Ariyama bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself level, then held out a hand.


    ¡°OK then. I trust you¡­ First, you can teach me all about auras, then we can find this unregistered Tribute and bring them to justice or kill them or something¡­¡±


    He gave Matsune a questioning look, just as she took his hand. She returned his gaze with a small smile.


    ¡°We bring them to justice.


    ¡°OK, we''ll bring them to justice.¡±

 18. Training with Matsune

    Ariyama was honestly very nervous to have a girl over at his house for the first time.


    Of course, his childhood friend Kazura Machi, who he hadn''t even seen in nearly a month, often came over. But this was different.


    Ariyama still wasn''t sure how he felt about Matsune, but regardless of that, it felt like he was bringing a celebrity over to his own home.


    He didn''t exactly have a close and meaningful relationship with her.


    It had been raining by the time they''d gotten to his house, so Ariyama started off by taking his and Matsune''s coats and putting them on the rack to dry.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariyama-kun. Wait, where''s your mom?¡±


    ¡°My mom? Oh, she''s out right now, I think in the shopping district. I, we, should be in school right now, and she''s usually out while I''m at school. And as for you, are your parents OK with this? Skipping school, I mean. Or do they even know?¡±


    Matsune gave him a smirk.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry. Both of my parents know all about Tributes and everything else.¡±


    Ariyama stopped, and looked back at her, his heart beating in his ears. He could barely hear the words he was speaking.


    ¡°You''re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Afraid not. As a matter of fact, my father was a Tribute too, years ago. Was even a high-ranking member of the Society, before he quit to take care of us and gave his Enchanted Tool away to the Society.¡±


    Ariyama bristled with unspoken jealousy. Wow, it must''ve been nice to have such a compassionate and caring dad in your life.


    No. This wasn''t about his father, and if he ever wanted to leave from under his shadow, the best thing to do first would be to stop associating him with everything going on in his life. If he could do that, he could purge Ariyama Gotou from his subconscious.


    Matsune looked around the living room that also held the corner kitchen counter.


    ¡°Wow, this place is nice. I know you hate when this is brought up, but that wealth of yours sure comes in handy.


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, I have a question. We found that isolated storage room, a perfect place to train. So how come you insisted on coming here? Don''t tell me you just wanted a girl to come over.¡±


    ¡°I-it''s not that, obviously, but instead¡­¡±


    He walked to the other side of the room, Matsune following behind him in an intrigued state. Ariyama threw open the door to his training room.


    ¡°After all, this is more than enough, right?¡±


    Matsune put her hands together and gasped with delight.


    ¡°Oh wow! Ariyama-kun, this looks great! I never knew you were into this type of training.¡±


    She scanned the lines of practice dummies and the sword rack as she spoke. Ariyama leaned his shoulder against the doorframe.


    ¡°Yeah, I''ve been at it for a few years. I don''t really play much sport, so this is my main source of exercise. It''s a bit geeky, learning how to use swords, but since I have that Enchanted Tool now, my training paid off.¡±


    Matsune nodded, picking up a wooden sword and testing its weight, shifting it between two hands before setting it back down on the rack.


    ¡°Speaking of which, do you have the sword on you? We need to use our Tools in order to track auras, so it''ll be vital to your training.¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously? You can track aura using that dainty bracelet of yours, but I have to carry around the remains of a whole longsword?¡±


    ¡°Not really. As long as it''s close at hand, it''ll work. It can be holstered at your belt or even just packed into your school bag.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I gotcha. In that case, will we start?¡±


    Ariyama held the door for her as she walked into the room fully, then he closed the door and followed her. He set his bag down and produced the rusted and shattered sword of Idolseus. Even looking at it made him a little queasy, but he felt like he was a bit better than usual.


    ¡°Right, so, I''ve got it. What now?¡±


    The three hour, so-called ¡®training¡¯ felt to Ariyama like three years. All Matsune got him to do for the duration of her class was to sit in a position he found comfortable ¨C he decided to stay cross-legged on a pillow he found in the living room, with his head down ¨C and hold his sword out in front of him, with her soothing voice guiding him along the steps.


    Once he did so, she explained that locating mana was like closing your eyes, and imagining red dust in the air all around you. Then, you have to find the sprinkles of blue dust, hidden within the veil of red. The colors were just for example, of course.


    Essentially, finding a needle in a haystack.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Ariyama just sat there, for three hours straight, concentrating on finding that ember among the ashes. The drop of blood in the ocean. The star among the dark sky


    He, as one might expect from a newbie, came up empty after all that time. He had caught glimpses of it, reaching out to grab it, only for it to be snatched away it was within his reach. Nothing more.


    At the very least, it felt somewhat relieving to be able to train with someone who had gone through the same torment he had. Even if Matsune wasn''t as intensely affected ¨C as she said herself ¨C he was happy she was there, if anything, just to keep him company. After all, the only person he''d seen for three whole weeks was his mom. It was nice to have a change for once.


    As he returned the pillow that he had been sitting on the whole time, Ariyama walked back into the training room, and noticed Matsune kneeling over something he couldn''t see.


    Curiosity taking him over, Ariyama silently approached.


    ¡°Hey. What''s that you''re tinkering with?¡±


    Matsune''s eyes flicked up to meet his, and his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Oh, I''m not tinkering with it, Ariyama-kun. I''m more into assembling it.¡±


    She moved to the left to let him peer over her shoulder. In her hands, there was a coil of rope, attached to a rubber knife at the top.


    Ariyama recognised it instantly.


    ¡°Oh, is that like a replica of your Violet Enternutella thing?¡±


    ¡°Violetta Eterniella. And yes, that''s spot on. Of course, I wouldn''t practice with my actual Enchanted Tool in a place as ¨Cand please mind my wording ¨C brittle as this place is. So, as an alternative, I made this makeshift weapon to act as a placeholder.¡±


    Ariyama reached out and felt the roughness of the rope and smooth surface of the rubber knife.


    ¡°Hm. Looks legit. It''s a relief that my Tool is also a sword, meaning my training wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡±


    Matsune huffed a small chuckle as she pulled the rope along with her as she got to her feet, tugging at the knot connecting the knife. She then turned to Ariyama and gazed up at him.


    ¡°You know, if you''re up for it, I wouldn''t mind having a little spar with you? You can test your sword technique while I warm up with my rope kunai.¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t help but smirk, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Oh, I see. I''ll be your warm-up partner, is that it? Was my mana detection really that lackluster?¡±


    Matsune brought her hand to her mouth as she giggled again.


    ¡°Oh, Ariyama-kun, don''t be so silly! You seem to forget you''re still just a beginner when it comes to mana detection, so I don''t expect results so quickly. And as for you being my warm-up partner¡­¡±


    She made a scene of stroking her chin, pretending to be thinking intently, before she gave him a cheeky wink that was quite unusual of her.


    ¡°I guess I can''t deny that.¡±


    Ariyama blew out a breath, the knockback from her wink nearly knocking the wind out of him.


    ¡°Matsune, it''s not good for my health ¨C or anyone''s ¨C if you start acting like that. I think you forget who you are, sometimes.¡±


    Matsune raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°Really? In what way?¡±


    ¡°As in, you''re Matsune Sasya. The top student of the year and possibly the whole school, with great grades, amazing at sports, and kind, gentle and popular ¨C really damn popular ¨C and even friends with all the teachers. Including Ijichi-sensei! That guy probably doesn''t even like his fellow staff members, but somehow has a soft spot for you? Like, you''re seriously a celebrity in the making. Hell, I''d say you already are one.¡±


    Ariyama didn''t realize that he was breathless so suddenly.


    Matsune waited for his spiel to be over before commenting, cupping her hand on her cocked hip.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, are you jealous by any chance? I don''t like to make assumptions, but that was¡­¡±


    Ariyama sighed, his shoulders sagging.


    ¡°Too much, I know. Uh, sorry, Matsune, I don''t know where that came from. I think I''m still messed up a little, but that''s to be expected, right?¡±


    Matsune hesitated, rubbing her arm meekly.


    ¡°Of course it is, Ariyama-kun. And I don''t hold you in any way responsible¡­¡±


    Ariyama titled his head, a concerned frown etching onto his face. Was she OK? What''s with the sudden switch to a more submissive cadence? She was saying she was OK, but her mannerisms were telling another story¡­


    ¡°Matsune, if I said anything that made you upset, I''m really sorry¨C¡±


    But Matsune shook her head and held up her hand.


    ¡°No, no. Ariyama-kun, you did nothing wrong. I''m not unaware of the fact that there are people who tend to not like me because of my popularity.¡±


    Ariyama felt regret twist in his gut. He really had gone overboard with that mini rant of his, hadn''t he?


    ¡°I don''t not like you, Matsune. I think you''re really great¨C¡±


    But Matsune cut him off.


    ¡°I''m aware, and have been for a long time, so I''m not fazed over it. The fact that a majority of people do like me ¨C and the people who don''t are in the minority ¨C fills me with more than enough optimism. I can focus on that, and then all the negativity can disappear¡­¡±


    She froze, blowing out a shaky breath.


    ¡°...for a little while, anyways.¡±


    Ariyama didn''t know what to do. He felt a pressure on his chest, as if his own conscience was holding him down, saying, ¡°Dude, you messed up¡±.


    His fingers twitched, and he ran his tongue across his upper teeth before he spoke up.


    ¡°Matsune, I know you''ve been here for me when I needed it, and you were the one who helped me get out of my destructive spiral. So, if you want, I''m here to talk about your feelings whenever. About that rant, I was just a bit frustrated, I suppose. You seemed so perfect, even with your little flaws ¨C which only made you more down-to-earth from the eyes of the others ¨C and as such, when I found out you were also this magic agent, tracking down magic rogues, I felt jealous. Yes, I did. But I can see clearly now. Obviously, you''re taking risks when you do these jobs, don''t you? When you work for that Pilgrims¡¯ Society? So, it isn''t something I should be complaining about. In fact, I really should be grateful that I didn''t have to do it too, up till now.¡±


    He paused, then awkwardly held out his hand.


    ¡°I''m going to help you, OK? I know I''m still not over everything that happened, but this might help push those thoughts to the side for a bit, even if that''s not healthy.¡±


    Matsune simply smiled at him, her ebony eyes shining ever so slightly, from the hint of unshed tears. He''d definitely don''t something to her. He was glad.


    She nodded passionately and brought her hand to his, slight fingers caught in a cage of his own fingers.


    ¡°Yeah. Let''s do it.¡±


    Ariyama pushed the dark thoughts away for a moment, returning her a small smile, and repeating her words.


    ¡°Let''s do it.¡±

 19. Learning to Fight I

    Another weekend passed, and Ariyama was on his way to actually making some progress with his mana location.


    Once again imagining the sea of red dust covering everything, Ariyama felt the grip on his sword tighten, his arms shaking ever so slightly. Heat burned through his head, and he felt the blood as it rushed through his veins, his laboring breaths tearing dry coughs from his parched throat.


    He felt like he was suffocating, like a dome of heat covering the air around him, pressing down onto him like an invisible elephant stepping on an ant. Ariyama was sure he was on the verge of collapsing in on himself.


    And after three full days of attempts --this last day without the help of Matsune, as she supposedly had an ¡®assignment¡¯ to complete for the Pilgrims¡¯ Society ¨C Ariyama Saato finally saw the blue among the red mist.


    They looked like specks of  cobalt, like distant shining stars in the crimson space. When Ariyama noticed them, he almost lost his concentration and dissipated the imaginary fog around him. But he caught himself and focused on his surroundings. He tried to see how the blue sparks flickering in his mind.


    Ariyama wanted to reach out, to grab and feel these blue dots in the air. They felt ever-more tangible and corporeal. Almost like glowing golf balls. Ariyama imagined how they''d feel, like smooth or squishy or rough or rubbery.


    And as his mind wandered, he lost focus.


    And the whole mental world was exposed around him. He felt weightless for a few moments, as if floating in nothingness. His heart raced as he recalled his first meeting with Idolseus, back when he touched the sword. But before he could have a panic attack while semi-conscious, the world ¨C the real world ¨C fell into place around him and he could suddenly feel the pillow he was sitting on and the rough handle of the sword he was clutching. Clutching so tightly, he realized that blood dripped from his palms, making a small stain of red on the floor.


    His breath rushed back to him like a speeding meteor, and the force nearly knocked him onto his back. He just blew out a long breath and leaned back with his hands on the floor behind him.


    ¡°Wowzers.¡±


    ¡°How is it coming along, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    The voice speaking suddenly made Ariyama jump and he turned to his right with a look of terror on his face.


    Matsune closed the door behind, set down her bag on the floor, then froze as she saw his expression. Her face scrunched up, hand flying to cover her mouth, and she turned away from him. As her shoulders began to shake, Ariyama worried that she was crying for some reason.


    ¡°Um¡­ Matsune, are you OK¡­?¡±


    But instead of any choked sob and quiet hic, Ariyama heard a low chortle. Matsune slowly turned back around, her face red, eyes watering, trying to keep in her laughter as politely as possible.


    Realizing what was at play here, Ariyama sagged and blew out his cheeks.


    ¡°You can laugh at me if you want, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­ N-no, no, it''s OK. Sorry, it''s just¡­ the look of your face was so¡­ funny¨C¡±


    A little giggle escaped and she clamped both of her  hands over her mouth, looking mortified.


    ¡°Matsune, seriously, I''d prefer if you''d laugh instead of trying to hold it in. I know you''re trying to be nice, but still.¡±


    Matsune just blinked at him.


    ¡°Matsune, I don''t want to get cranky.¡±


    Matusne pulled her hands away and swallowed.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Sorry, Ariyama-kun. I was at the headquarters of the Pilgrims Society here in Japan, and one of my teammates was being extremely funny. I suppose I got here in a humorous mood.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ariyama just smiled up at her.


    ¡°I gotcha. Don''t worry about it. I was just messing around. In other news¨C¡± He gripped his sword in his hand and pumped it in the air. ¡°¨C I did the mana thing! I was able to visualize it as the blue dots in the red mist, as you first mentioned.¡±


    Matsune made a proud face and clapped her hands together.


    ¡°Oh, Ariyama-kun, congratulations! I''m so happy with your progress. If you weren''t already sure, those blue dots were the residue mana in the atmosphere. It was mostly leaking off my aura, as well as yours, but to a lesser extent.¡±


    Ariyama crossed his legs and stretched his arms above his head.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for the rundown. But I can''t lie and say I''m not absolutely beat after all that work. Nearly four days non-stop, and it''s about to come crashing down on me. I''m just too tired.¡±


    Matsune nodded in understanding, but as she knelt down to surf through her bag, she adopted an innocent yet playful smile.


    ¡°Hm? So, too tired for a little spar?¡±


    The tone of her voice made Ariyama''s heart skip a beat. Why was she suddenly acting like this with him all of a sudden? If she did this in school, everyone would be falling for her ¨C girls, boys, and everything in between.


    Ariyama told himself he''d never be like everyone else and ruin his self-respect by asking her out, like every guy in a ten kilometer radius. But when she acted like this, a mix of innocence, kindness, and underlying playfulness, it made Ariyama feel things he wasn''t liking.


    ¡°So?¡±


    Her voice snapped him back to reality.


    ¡°Ah, uh, yeah. No, I think I may be able to manage one spar. So, how are we gonna do this?¡±


    He got to his feet and put his real sword away, replacing it with the wooden sword on the rack that most resembled its length and width. Ariyama had only seen it as a full, non-shattered blade when using it in tandem with Idolseus¡¯s searing, white-hot energy cuts.


    As he did so, Matsune brought out her rope-and-rubber-kunai contraption from her bag, wrapping the end of the rope around her forearm, grabbing the rest in her other hand, and giving it a few swings. Even the way she tested the weight and practiced a few different ways of lashing the weapon around made Ariyama''s stomach churn with anxiety. She was nice enough not to beat his ass with that rope, right? Before, he would''ve instantly thought so, but ever since she began randomly acting weirdly, he became less sure.


    Ariyama took one step back, raising his sword up in a two-handed grip. He swallowed thickly and narrowed his gaze, shifting his stance ever so slightly.


    ¡°OK. So, what are the rules?¡±


    Matsune paused from gazing lovingly at her makeshift weapon and looked up at him. She had a frown on her face.


    ¡°Rules?¡±


    The way she said it ¨C as if the concept of rules was the silliest thing in existence ¨C made Ariyama decide to just go along with it.


    ¡°Actually, nevermind. You wanna count us in?¡±


    Matusne nodded once and also adjusted herself into a stance. The rope was wrapped around her right forearm, the rest held in the tight grip of her left hand. Her ebony eyes half-closed with determination, the look of pure focus on her face made Ariyama begin to regret making this decision.


    But before he could stop to think about stopping¡­


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one!¡±


    And with that, Matsune Sasya attacked.


    She was like a bullet, if the bullet was propelled from a rocket launch site and poured with kinetic energy. One moment, she was halfway across the room like she had been before, and the next, she was right in front of Ariyama, crouching low and swinging the rope knife up in a sharp arc.


    It was either she was so fast, Ariyama couldn''t keep up, or she was just fast enough that Ariyama''s untrained eyes lost sight of her. Either way, she was right in front of him now, and he had about .2 seconds to respond with a counter if he intended to keep his teeth intact.


    Luckily, his sword skills seemed at least relative to her skills with that rope, so he was able to just manage to bring up the wooden blade and block the slash of rubber.


    Ariyama hissed at the reverberations that ran up the wood and over his hands as the impact occurred. He took another step back with his right leg and swung the sword, maneuvering like he did when he practiced in this room. Like he''d done for the past five years.


    A slight bend in his knees, his elbows kept close to guard his ribs, his hands gripping the smooth wood of the handle, the blade pointed up and out, set at a diagonal angle.


    When Matsune came at him again with a lash of the rope, Ariyama blocked again and then it was his turn to move in. As he approached, the flash of dull shock on Matsune''s face told him she wasn''t used to dealing with guys with swords.


    It seemed her main gimmick was how quick on her feet she was, how dexterous she was. She moved in to scrape opponents with slaps from her weapon, then rinse and repeat until the damage stacked up and her opponent eventually became overwhelmed.


    Realizing this, Ariyama came up with a plan.  If Matsune relied so heavily on her maneuverability, all he had to do was overwhelm her first. It probably wasn''t plausible to try and out-speed her, but predicting her movements and moving to intercept them before she executed them.


    It could work.


    All Ariyama had to do was focus up and¨C


    He missed a parry, and was rewarded with a lash of rubber across his face ¨C which stung like crazy ¨C and another hit across his belly.


    Feeling like he was about to throw up the food he''d eaten that day, Ariyama backed away before falling to one knee.

 20. Learning to Fight II

    Upon seeing Ariyama''s defeated form, already fallen to the ground, Matsune canceled the next painful move she was about to make, instantly, like pressing exit while in the middle of an attack in a video game.


    She lowered to his level, patting him on the back.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to be so over-the-top. To be honest, I thought your drive to spar with me meant you would be, and don''t take this the wrong way, a little better.¡±


    Ariyama muttered something as he glanced up at her quizzically.


    ¡°Hm? What was that, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    ¡°What if I were to do a surprise attack on you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Surprise attack!¡±


    Ariyama twisted, grabbing his sword and swinging it at Matsune. But somehow, somehow, she brought her forearm up to catch the blow, absorbing most of the impact. Her face changed, her cold focus returning. She rolled back out of the way and lashed out with her rope again.


    OK, Ariyama, just dodge it. Dodge it. Dodge it¨C


    He dodged it.


    Ariyama could''ve cried out of relief as he managed his first actual counterattack towards Matsune. As he evaded her blow, she smiled at him warmly, giving him non-vocal praise.


    No. No, don''t let your heart jump again. Not if you want to stay on the upper hand.


    Ariyama, psyching himself up, bent his knees in a low stance, then sprang forward. He held his sword like he always did, luring Matsune into a false sense of security. She hopefully assumed he would stay at the same pace he had before.


    But in reality, he was switching things up.


    He twisted his sword, inverting the grip and driving the tip at her like a spear.


    But then she did something equally impressive.


    He grabbed the rope and tossed it, rather than lashing it like a whip, and it coiled around the wood blade like a boa constrictor wrapping around its prey.


    The precision of the counter threw Ariyama off, and his grip slipped slightly, allowing Matsune to jerk her hands back towards her, tearing the sword out of Ariyama''s hands and sending it skittering across the floor.


    Ariyama was on his feet in a second, charging towards the still spinning sword. Matsune rushed behind him and moved to lash him. At the last moment, Ariyama let himself fall to his knees, his momentum allowing him to skid forward a few meters along the smooth wooden planks on the floor. And just like that, he was in range of the sword.


    Feeling the smooth wood of the handle again, Ariyama twisted his hips, letting his back hit the floor, slashing up at Matsune.


    She pulled the rope taut, absorbing the attack, then unfurling it and swinging down to strike Ariyama. He rolled out of the way, getting up on one knee and stabbing at Matsune, who was just inches from reaching him.


    His wooden sword hit her across the chest, which knocked her off course and sent her stumbling to the floor.


    Holy crap.


    He did it.


    He landed a hit! He hit her!


    Oh, crap, he hit her¡­


    Ariyama fumbled with his words, setting his sword down and kneeling beside Matsune, who wasn''t moving.


    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry. Matsune, are you OK? I know I''m not supposed to hit girls, but it was in the heat of the moment, and¡­¡±


    Matsune mumbled something, her soft voice muffled from her face planted in the floor.


    Ariyama leaned closer.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Surprise attack¡­¡±


    Matsune moved and turned onto her back, smacking Ariyama painfully across the face with the rubber knife part of her weapon. Heat bloomed in his jaw as he grunted in pain and fell to one side, holding his injury.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Matsune, realizing that was the decisive blow, sighed a breath of relief and leaned back on her palms.


    ¡°Sorry, Ariyama-kun. You tried to sneak me with a surprise attack, and so I returned in kind.¡±


    ¡°No, no, that''s fair¡­ But still, ow.¡±


    ¡°Again, sorry.¡±


    Ariyama grunted as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. His face still stung a bit, but he would get over it.


    ¡°So, that was definitely something. Can you give any feedback for me? As in any tips?¡±


    Matsune paused for a moment, tapping her cheek thoughtfully.


    ¡°Hm, well, overall I thought you did excellently. Even after just three days, you managed to land a scratch on me. I''ve only had my Tool for two years, sure, but I''ve been trained to become a member of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society my whole life.¡±


    Ariyama rubbed the back of his head


    ¡°Ah, I don''t wanna sound modest, but I''ve been practicing sword training for five years now. Compared to your two years of training with your rope¨C or chain ¨C kunai, it''s no wonder I could do it.¡±


    ¡°That is you being too modest, Ariyama-kun. But it''s better to be that than to be overconfident. In the heat of a real battle, confidence is necessary, but so is a sharp mind.¡±


    Matsune got to her feet and held out a hand for Ariyama.


    ¡°But regardless of that, I think we''ve done enough for today. You must be tired after your mana locating training and having this spar.¡±


    ¡°Mh-hm, you''re so right.¡±


    Ariyama took her hand and was on his feet right after. His legs ¨C all his limbs, to be honest ¨C felt like there were iron anvils weighing them down. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Alright, Matsune, I''m definitely done for the day. So, uh, what are you gonna get up to?¡±


    Matsune spoke as she bent down to put her replica Tool in her bag.


    ¡°Well, I''m still working on figuring out our mystery person. I''ve made some more progress in checking off the names of some more  of the students.  If you''re up for it, I''d love for you to come in tomorrow and help me? I can give you a small list of people you''d know, and all you''d have to do would be to watch them for the day, and ensure they''re not doing anything odd.¡±


    Ariyama hesitated as he considered the idea. Would he be prepared? It didn''t seem he''d need to use his mana location power this time, so that was a plus. He wasn''t too confident with it yet anyway.


    So just keep an eye out for a few people? That would be a piece of cake, as long as he kept his distance and didn''t make it obvious. Even better if it was a person he knew, so he could be close to them and it wouldn''t rouse suspicion.


    ¡°Sure, Matsune, I''m down. I might¡­ take a bit to readjust to school, but as long as I focus on your mission ¨C well, our mission now ¨C instead of classes, I should be OK.


    Matsune fixed him with a sweet smile.


    ¡°That''s great to hear, Ariyama-kun. I''ll see you tomorrow, then? Let''s meet up at that storage room when the first bell rings.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±


    Matsune smiled again ¨C she sure loved doing that ¨C then picked up her bag and exited the room. As Ariyama turned to examine the mannequins, he heard the sound of her leaving through the front door. He worried that the noise would wake up his mother, but he just hoped it wouldn''t. Harumi, after all, hadn''t really been around for the past few days. She was either in her room or out at work. She was acting so similarly to how Ariyama had that it worried him, so much that he definitely needed to check up on her.


    Wait. Like Ariyama ¡®had¡¯?


    He was acting like he was long past that phase, when really he''d only been out of it for one about a week? Maybe it was good that he felt like it was in the past, but he didn''t want to lie to himself.


    Which was why he knew what he said to Matsune had been a huge understatement.


    He needed more than just ¡®time to readjust to school¡¯. The thought of seeing his friends again, or at least the ones who were still alive, made him feel sick.


    What would Kazura think, knowing Yaranagi was gone? What did she think of Ariyama right at this moment? She always had a problem with Matsune for other reasons, so she''d probably have no trouble hating her for it.


    But Ariyama wasn''t stupid; he knew she''d feel different about him, whether she hated him or not. They''d been friends for twelve years, and with that came a sense of bias. She''d always pick his side in an argument, or side with him in any scuffle.


    But this was something much more than just some teenage drama or school tussle. Yaranagi, who was also her friend since childhood, died. Would she blame Ariyama?


    And not just her. What about the kind and gentle Odomura or the intelligent and slightly mean Katsuragi? They were there with everyone, along with Kazura. Would they have Ariyama?


    While Kazura Machi would find it easy to blame Matsune, Katsuragi Kento would be the total opposite. Still likely lovestruck with her ¨C like most of the other guys in the year ¨C he''d find some half-assed excuse to put her down as innocent, probably hiding it behind the facade of it being a calculated conclusion.


    Of course, Ariyama joped that would happen. Matsune was innocent, after all, unlike Ariyama.


    It had been him who''d opened the Shrine Gate, so maybe he did deserve whatever punishment he received.


    Maybe he was guilty.


    And if so, would trailing his remaining friends around the school all day, trying to see if they were guilty too ¨Ceven for another reason ¨C be fair?


    No way.


    Running his hands over his face in exasperation, Ariyama took his eyes off the mannequins and powered through the door, past the dining room and up at the stairs that led to the second floor.


    Maybe he shouldn''t take himself up on that offer to go check on his mom.


    Careful to not ruin his chances by making too much noise, Ariyama gently closed the door to his training room before speaking up the stairs, then across the second floor hallway, coming to a stop at the first door on the left: his mother''s room.


    It was really his parents¡¯ room, but he had too much stuff going on in his life right now to be worrying over his father, so he decided to keep him out of his thoughts as much as possible.


    Wait, crap, didn''t that mean he was in his thoughts right now, as he reminded himself why he didn''t want that?


    Ariyama shook his head furiously before focusing on the topic at hand. His fingers curled around the copper doorknob, and he caught his breath for a quick second before gently easing the door open, wincing at the squeaking of the worn latches as they moved.


    The room inside was nearly pitch black, despite it being only around four pm. Thinking his mother may be asleep, Ariyama quickly turned to leave when he heard a voice, soft and muttered.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Saato? Is that you? Is everything OK?¡±


    It was his mother''s voice for sure, and Ariyama was certain he could see the vague outline of a person sitting up from a bed within that perpetual darkness.


    ¡°Yeah, mom, it''s¡­ it''s me. Is everything OK?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yes, everything¡¯s fine, dear.¡±


    Ariyama wasn''t sure what it was, but there was something in Harumi''s voice that made him think everything wasn''t OK. Maybe it was the slight shake he heard in her words, or the uncertainty of the whole situation. He couldn''t even see her face properly, after all.


    He swallowed thickly.


    ¡°Look, Mom, I just wanted to check up on you. I noticed you''ve been a bit¡­ Well, reclusive for the past few days. I know I¡­ was like that too, but I just want to see if you''re OK. So, are you OK?¡±


    Ariyama was cringing inwardly at himself. He was never very good at showing care for people. When he tried to be sentimental, he jumbled his words and couldn''t come up with congruent sentences.


    He saw his mother''s form shift slightly on the bed.


    ¡°Aw, don''t worry, darling. I''m perfectly fine. I''m just tired from work recently, that''s all.


    ¡®Just tired from work¡¯ was her way of saying she was missing Gotou again. And Ariyama didn''t blame him. If the roles were reversed, and Ariyama was a husband who was left alone for over half the year by his wife, who was off scamming more people, putting money in front of her family, he''d also eventually become sick of it.


    The sudden image of his mother curled up on her bed, sobbing with tears staining her cheeks, made rage seize Ariyama, heat blooming through his veins, making his teeth clench and his hands shake.


    He hated his father at that moment. Hated him. He wished he was dead, since it would be the best way to remove such a hassle. He wanted to tear him, limb from limb. For abandoning everything as often as he did. For leaving his mom. For leaving him.


    Another wave of anger strangled Ariyama with its tendrils, but this time it was directed at Harumi. He knew he was being unfair, spiteful, but he couldn''t help getting furious at her.


    Why the hell was she holed up in her room the whole bloody time, when Ariyama had seen four people die in front of him only a month ago? It wasn''t her friends who''d died, it was his.


    Sure, Matsune was greatly helping him recover, by keeping him busy with mana location training or that spar they''d had minutes ago, but that didn''t mean it was just going to go away.


    Dammit. He tried to subdue it, but just knowing Harumi was two paces from made the rage roar louder, as if she was looking at him condescendingly.


    He had never gotten this angry before, until that day. But if it was a result of how his mental state had changed, he didn''t find it odd.


    ¡°Dear? Are you still there? Are you OK?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Stay here then.¡±


    Ariyama turned on his heel and went out the door. He spoke the last bit under his breath, wanting to speak his frustration, but also not hurt his mother''s feelings. He knew himself that he was just having a moment, and that it would eventually pass over, but he couldn''t contain himself in the moment.


    He didn''t want his mom to be upset over both her husband being absent, like usual, as well as having a fight with her son.


    She often vented her annoyance over being left behind by Gotou through verbal attacks towards Ariyama. He hated them but he knew why they happened, so he often managed to forgive her.


    But with his mental state being so fragile currently, he didn''t want to take any chances.


    However, now she was keeping herself away from Ariyama like never before. Maybe she at least took into consideration what happened to him, and as a result, found another way to cope.


    Ariyama wasn''t sure, but what he was sure about was the fact he needed to get out of this cramped, dark room.


    Once outside in the hallway, Ariyama felt as if all the energy was sapped from his limbs, and he collapsed against the wall next to the door, sliding slowly to the floor.


    There, he hugged his legs and kept them close to his chest, resting his forehead on his knees. He felt a wave of emotion pass over him, and he couldn''t stop a sob breaking out of him, low and sorrowful.


    Why was this happening? To him of all people? Why did he have to be one of the unlucky ones? Why couldn''t he have grown up normal, without learning about all this to do with magic weapons and mana and voices in his head? Or better yet, experience all that without losing his best friend in the whole world. Ariyama couldn''t even picture his face fully in the worry it''d trigger him to throw up.


    Dammit. It just wasn''t fair. Wasn''t fair at all.

 21. The First Mission

    It was now Tuesday, and also the day Ariyama finally joined Matsune on her hunt for the unregistered Tribute roaming the hallways of Sasura Academy.


    All is to say, he was nervous.


    No, nervous wasn''t quite the right word. Sickened was more like it. He felt sickened.


    He couldn''t toss away the thoughts of encountering Kazura or Katsuragi or Odomura again. Hell, he didn''t even know anything about the injury Kazura received while in the Shrine.


    It had been a month since then, so he assumed it was healed by now, but that wasn''t what was aching his chest. It was the fact he was so disconnected from her now that he hadn''t even thought about her getting hurt this whole time. Before, he''d be fussing over her, in his own reserved way, but fussing nonetheless. He''d ensure she was OK, even when she promised she was, because that''s what best friends did. And since Yaranagi was gone¡­


    He needed to be there for her more than ever.


    Maybe this would go better than he thought it would. Ariyama doubted it would, but maybe¡­


    Ariyama tapped his jaw with his knuckles, trying to psyche himself up. He had to be out the door in five minutes, and he was stressed out of his mind.


    He looked down at his phone as he finished breakfast, swiping over to his messages with Matsune. She had given him her number so they could relay info quicker, and yet he knew he was living the dream of so many guys in the academy. What they would give up to get the number of Matsune Sasya.


    Checking their messages, Ariyama noticed one new one, sent by Matsune just a minute ago.


    It read: ¡°All prepped for today? Don''t worry, Ariyama-kun, it''ll just be a bit of recon.¡±


    ¡®Just a bit of recon¡¯, eh?


    Thanks for the reassuring words, Matsune. And yet, Ariyama continued to fret. He didn''t expect her to be able to do much to help him over text.


    Looking up from his phone, Ariyama glanced up the stairs to where his mother continued to sleep. She was getting up later and later each day now, and he was starting to worry. It made him wonder if she was doing something late at night that warranted sleeping late into the following mornings.


    But what could that ¡®something¡¯ be? Probably something magical, knowing Ariyama''s luck currently. But no, that wasn''t going to happen. After all, she knew nothing about Enchanted Tools and Pilgrims and Tributes, right?


    Actually, now that he thought about it¡­


    When Ariyama first discovered that history book, which led to him learning about Shrine Gates and things of the sort, his mother had flipped out when she found it in his room.


    That meant two things.


    She didn''t know it was stacked in the shelf of his wardrobe the whole time, and she must''ve known there was something in there that wasn''t for his viewing.


    Ariyama nearly fell out of his seat as he came to the realization.


    That thing she tried ¨C and unknowingly failed ¨C to hide from him was likely the info about the Shrines. And afterwards she spoke his father''s name under her breath¡­


    So did he know about it too?


    Ariyama was now actually falling out of his seat, throwing his phone onto the table as he scrambled to get up and race up to his mother, shake her away and demand answers.


    But just then, the doorbell rang.


    Ariyama froze, cursing in annoyance under his breath. His legs were buzzing to move again, to continue their destructive path up the stairs. However, Ariyama knew it was rude to ignore it when the doorbell rang.


    Wait, what the hell was he talking about, with all this manners crap? He needed to talk to his mom so much more, so whoever was at the door would have to wait.


    He went to move again, until the bell rang once more. And with it came a distant voice, of the person on the opposite side of the door.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun?¡±


    It was Matsune.


    Dammit all.


    Everything rushed back into Ariyama''s head; the job he was going to do with Matsune in school that day, the preparations they''d made, the fact he was supposed to go to school that day at all.


    Checking the time, he realized it was time to go. If  he waited a moment more, the school''s gate would be shut by the time he got there. Shit, he really had no time to waste, huh?


    Clicking his tongue in irritation, Ariyama left the remnants of his breakfast on the table, grabbed his school bag and phone, and went to the door. Before she could ring a third time, Ariyama pulled the door open.


    Matsune stood there, clad in her ironed and pristine school uniform, her skin glowing despite the dullness of the winter morning, her hair noticeably done up with not a hair out of place.


    Perfect, as always.


    She looked up at Ariyama expectantly, her eyebrow raised.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I''m ready.¡±


    Matsune responded with a bright smile.


    ¡°Great to hear! Oh, yeah, you''re probably wondering why I came to walk with you to school.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°The question probably passed my mind, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just wanted to accompany you, is all. Trust me, I can empathize with your situation. I''m only able to go back to school now with full confidence because I tried my hardest to go back to normality as soon as I could after the incident. You knew that already, but I''m just saying that I''m here for you, OK? You''ll find it tricky getting back into the swing of things, I know, but I''m going to be here, whenever you need me.¡±


    Ariyama could deny that her words made him get a little emotional. He hid it well-enough, he reckoned. Instead, he put a hand on Matsune¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He spoke quietly, to make sure she understood that he meant what he was saying.


    ¡°Now, come on, let''s find some criminals.¡±


    The walk to Sasura Academy with Matsune next to him was nice, to say the least.


    It was now that Ariyama properly took in the warm aura that she exuded. She probably had this energy about her at all times, but with the grayscale sky, dark clouds threatening to bring thunder, it became ever more vibrant.


    They didn''t talk too much while they walked, as Matsune said she''d explain the plan once they were safe and secure in that back storage room. She must have been very anxious about anyone overhearing them, so much that she refused to discuss it outside.


    Ariyama would''ve assumed it was the smart decision to explain it as quickly as possible, but Matsune was the professional here, so he was just going to leave it in her hands. Anyways, since she was with this enigmatic organization ¨C this Pilgrims¡¯ Society ¨C it could''ve been some tradition for them.


    Regardless, Ariyama appreciated her being there. It was painful to go back to school, walking towards it while alone with his own thoughts, for the first time after the incident. But now, Ariyama felt a little bit more confident.


    As the two of them ascended the road that spiraled around the large hill, heading up to where the school was situated, Ariyama glanced over the railing that bordered the road to ensure no one drove off the edge.


    The rest of Lower Sumura below them was oddly pretty, streetlights and light from windows in houses and shops lit up beacons within the layer of fog that had coated the whole area. It looked hauntingly beautiful.


    But Ariyama''s mind of peace was shattered when he heard a voice calling out to him, turning around to see Genichirou Shoei saunter up beside him and Matsune.


    ¡°Hey there, Ariyama!¡±


    As fell into step beside Matsune, Genichirou paused and looked down at her.


    ¡°Holy moly. What kind of combo is this? Mr Rich and Ms Popular? With your forces combined, you''d be unstoppable.¡±


    Ariyama forced himself to not roll his eyes, but Matsune, adapting to the situation instantly, fixed the tall blonde with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, I don''t know about that, Genichirou-kun. Plus, he and I are just walking to school together. We just ran into each other on the way here.¡±


    At that, Genichirou pursed his lips. He seemed to not think twice about Matsune knowing his name. Maybe he assumed if everyone knew her, she knew everyone.


    ¡°Ah, I gotcha. Damn, so no boyfriend-and-girlfriend duo? Shame. You did say you didn''t have a girl anyways, didn''t ya, Ariyama?¡±


    He glanced over Matsune at Ariyama, with a smirk on his face. Usually, Ariyama hated guys like him. Cocky, who''d just say whatever came to their mind. Genichirou, however, had something that made Ariyama feel different towards him. Similar to Matsune''s warm invisible embrace, he let off a sort of laid back energy, as if you were talking to a close friend, even if you''d only met him the day before.


    Because of that, as Genichirou grinned at him, Ariyama couldn''t help but grin back, although subdued slightly.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I did say that¡­¡±


    Even still, it was awkward discussing this stuff when Matsune was right between them.


    Soon enough, they reached the gate of the school and, just like when he and Ariyama had first met, Genichirou said his goodbyes with a witty remark, before disappearing among the throngs of students.


    When he was out of view, Ariyama let out a breath and sagged his shoulders.


    ¡°I just can''t deal with people like him. He''s nice, I guess, but he''s too much energy for me. Especially right now, anyone with too much energy just gets on my nerves a little.¡±


    Matsune nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Of course, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    ¡°So, uh, do you know that guy? You knew his name without him mentioning it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was a good catch on your part. Yes, I know him. Actually, he''s a student who transferred the week after the incident. Since, as you know, I went back to school as soon as I could, I''ve seen him around for the past few weeks. He seems nice, if a bit boisterous. I''ve never been to Kyoto, so maybe that''s what the people are like there.¡±


    Ariyama also hadn''t ever been to Kyoto. In fact, he barely left Shinkai. His father was the one with all the money for the family to go on holidays, but whenever it was holiday season, Gotou was always away abroad.


    Ariyama shook his head, wincing as he tried to replace those thoughts with more positive ones. It was difficult, but Ariyama was trying his hardest to stay away from falling into a depression again. He hated how he felt back then, empty, like a bottle with his contents poured out in front of him, but just out of reach.


    ¡°Earth to Ariyama Saato? Is anyone home?¡±


    That soothing voice snapped Ariyama back to attention, and he turned to look at the still-smiling Matsune. How was she able to be so positive and energized at all times?


    ¡°Are you OK? You did say you were ready, but if you''re actually not then¨C¡±


    Ariyama drew in a long breath and held up a hand to stop her.


    ¡°No. No, I''m¡­ ready. At least I think I am. I''ve got the basics down, right? For mana detection?¡±


    ¡°You have. However, as I said before, today you''ll just be keeping an eye out on some of your classmates. I made sure to send you after people not in your class. That way, you won''t have to attend any classes, and if you just happen to talk to them outside of those times, they won''t be wondering why you''re not in any classes.¡±


    Matsune shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°Let''s head to that storage room first.¡±


    Wordlessly, he walked off.  Curious about her weird attitude all of a sudden Ariyama jogged to keep up. They weaved their way through the throngs of students, Matstune getting stopped three different times to get asked out by some random guys Ariyama barely knew. Thinking about it, he really hadn''t spent this much time with Matsune while they were in school and also in public.


    ¡°Sorry about this.¡±


    Matsune sounded like she properly felt bad, with all those people having come up to her to confess in front of Ariyama.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. I''m not different from anyone else here in that regard.¡±


    Ariyama wasn''t sure if he was seeing things right, but he swore he saw Matsune hesitate a bit, her cheeks turning a shade of red.


    ¡°As in¡­ you''d also like to confess?¡±


    At her assumption, it was Ariyama''s turn to blush. As they turned down the corridor to the storage room, he clarified.


    ¡°Oh, no, not that. I meant that, like everyone else, I also know you get asked out a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Weird. Why did she almost sound disappointed?


    The thought escaped Ariyama''s brain as they finally reached the room, scrambling in and shutting the door closed before anyone caught them. Now that would''ve been a scandal and a half.


    Turning to face Matsune, who leaned against the wall with her eyes locked on her phone screen, Ariyama crossed his arms.


    ¡°So, who are my targets?¡±


    Matsune smiled slightly at his use of the word ¡®target¡¯. But then her frown from earlier came back.


    ¡°Well, I''m sorry about this in advance, Ariyama-kun. I have three people for you to investigate. You can do it over whatever length of time you need, but¨C¡±


    She held out her phone, where she had highlighted three names on that spreadsheet she''d shown him before.


    What was her deal? What could''ve possibly warranted such uneasiness in her?


    Oh.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t stop the blood draining from his already-pale face, as he read those three names in his head.


    2A: Kazura, Machi


    2A: Katsuragi, Kento


    2A: Odomura, Airi

 22. Confronting Her

    ¡°Listen, Ariyama-kun, I''m only assigning these three to you because you know them better, so you''ll know if their behavior is odd. If this changes anything¡­¡±


    It did. Dammit, it did.


    Ariyama wasn''t prepared to confront those three. He hadn''t even thought about Katsuragi or Odomura properly in weeks. And Kazura¡­


    His chest tightened and his hands curled into fists. He realized his breath was struggling to come out, panic building in his stomach. Was he having a panic attack right now? Crap, is that what was happening?


    No. Stop it. Stop. You have to move on. If you don''t, you will never recover at all.


    ¡°A-Ariyama-kun?¡¯


    Matsune was looking at him with a mask of worry.


    Ariyama scrunched his face up. Was that the voice in head talking to him just now? Regardless, what it was saying was true. If Ariyama remained tied down by what others thought of him, he''d never develop past that. Past anything, to be honest.


    His chest was hurting, not just from having to face his friends again, but now also from everything else. It was as if all it took was a spark to ignite the pain inside him.


    Gritting his teeth, Ariyama forced himself to look Matsune in the eyes.


    ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Because I''m not blond, and I can see¨C¡±


    ¡°If I said I can do it, I can do it, you understand?¡±


    Ariyama didn''t mean to spit his words so nastily, but then again, he wasn''t in the best of moods right now.


    Matsune squared her shoulders, also seemingly reeling from Ariyama having to do this job. It was also irritating, seeing just how caring she was, how sweet and how sympathetic.


    Why did Ariyama feel this way? Was it just feeling insecure about his own abilities? If he was in her position, he probably wouldn''t do as good a job as she was.


    ¡°OK, Ariyama-kun. I don''t know if you believe me but I trust you, OK? I trust in your ability to do this.¡±


    She nodded at him enthusiastically, trying to put some motivation in him. At that point in time, it sure wasn''t working. But it wasn''t her fault.


    Ariyama nodded in response, unsure of how else to respond. He tried to find the right words to use.


    ¡°So¡­ Do I start right away.¡±


    Getting back to business, Matsune put her phone away, pushing away from the wall and going to the door.


    ¡°Yes, please. I have my own list of students to investigate, so we''ll both be busy for the rest of today. As I said, take all the time you need, just please meet back with me here once school finishes, so we can accumulate whatever knowledge we''ve found. Good luck, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    She gave him a smile that seemed a bit forced, before turning her back to him and exiting the room. A moment later, Ariyama left too.


    So that was that.


    Ariyama watched as Matsune disappeared down one end of the hallway, her retreating footsteps rebounding across the hallway.


    That was definitely that.


    The beating of his heart pounding against his chest, Ariyama turned to face the opposite end of the hallway. The school was fairly big, and he never was in this area of the academy, but as far as he could remember, the way he was facing led to the basketball courts and the racetrack.


    Checking the time, Ariyama noticed classes were still in session. So, now it was time for the tough part: deciding who to tail first.


    First who was out of the question was Kazura, definitely. She was his best friend, and there was no way he was ready to confront her. Not yet. If there was anyone who''d blame him for letting Yaranagi die, it would be her. They were the original trio, after all. All three of them had been friends since they were five years old.


    Just thinking about how long he''d known Yaranagi made the fact he wasn''t there anymore hurt so much more.


    Dammit, was he ever gonna get over it?


    Think about this realistically, it had only been a month since it happened. Ariyama was trying to stop the hurt, but maybe that was his problem.


    There was no way people could get over something that traumatic in four weeks, right? Right?


    Ariyama chewed his lip as he pondered his next course of action


    For now, he just wanted to focus on his first mission and nothing else. Nothing that would distract him.


    So, Kazura was out of the question for now, so who, then?


    Katsuragi? Ariyama knew him the least, so maybe.


    Odomura? It depended. Ariyama didn¡¯t doubt that Odomura Airi would be the most comforting person to talk to after all this. He thought back to the time she had accompanied him while he began his walk back home after school, and those words of wisdom she had spouted.


    ¡°If it won''t physically harm them in any way, why bother thinking about them and what they think? Just focus on yourself, because if you don''t care for yourself, who will? It''s your life, not anyone else''s.¡±


    Those words had hit hard back then, but now they felt different. Because what Ariyama did had caused physical harm. Worse. It had led to the deaths of four innocent ¨C somewhat innocent, in Jack and Yasami''s cases ¨C students.


    Could he really just ¡®focus on himself¡¯ after what he did? Even with Odomura''s inspiring words, he couldn''t shake the guilt from his conscience.


    ¡°Well, maybe¡­¡±


    Ariyama murmured to himself as he tapped the side of his leg in thought.


    If there was anyone who Ariyama could manage to deal with, it was probably her. She''d understand. She''d be sympathetic and kind to him. Kazura was an anomaly, and Katsuragi would probably be cold and calculating.


    So Odomura would be the best choice.


    OK, so that was the way to go, then.


    Thinking about what class she would''ve been at that time, Ariyama began his trek towards the corridor where he''d have the most likely chance to run into her.


    His footsteps echoing through the hallways, the emptiness of those hallways; it all made Ariyama anxious beyond belief. He couldn''t help the shaking in his shoulders.


    He watched out for anyone walking back from the bathroom or any of the staff, but luckily made his way to the hallway outside Odomura''s classroom. Leaning his back against the wall, he rolled his neck in circles, worry climbing up his throat.


    He must have waited there for nearly twenty minutes, until the bell finally rang, and moments later, the door opened and the students filed out. Among them was Odomura Airi, her pink hair tied back in a braid as usual, her glasses perched perfectly on her cute nose.


    The experience of seeing her so off in the distance, feeling like he was a stranger to her, made Ariyama''s stomach twist. Still, he tried to remain focused.


    If he did this, all of this, then he''d be helping Matsune greatly. If he helped her, even in a small way, that''d at least make him feel a bit better about himself.


    It would stave away the bad thoughts, at least for a moment. Keeping himself hidden by half-hiding behind the door leading to one of the printer rooms, Ariyama surveyed Odomura. She seemed¡­ sad.


    She was walking alone, which simultaneously filled Ariyama''s heart with sorrow and relief. Sorrow due to the fact he hated seeing her upset, when she was so kind to him in the past. But also relief because this meant there was no one around her, so spying on her would be a lot smoother experience.


    And so, Ariyama went on to spend the next few hours trailing Odomura.


    Over the course of the day, Ariyama watched Odomura heading to classes, eating lunch, and talking with her friends ¨C which she had quite a few of ¨C including her closest ones, Kazura and Katsuragi.


    Seeing Kazura just out of reach ached Ariyama to no end. Dammit, he hated feeling this miserable, but what was he to do? He had to follow them around for the day to track them and ensure there were no oddities in their behavior. For Kazura ¨C whenever Ariyama got around to her ¨C it would be easy, but perhaps Matsune put a bit too much faith in him in the cases of Katsuragi and Odomura. Sure, they were his good friends, but it wasn''t like he saw them outside of school often or anything.


    Anyways, Ariyama knew she was just being thorough, but he still couldn''t believe Matsune was suspecting one of those three to be her mysterious unregistered Tribute.


    It was mean to say, but Ariyama could''ve seem a scenario where the calculative Katsuragi ended up being their suspect ¨C which would end quite funnily, Ariyama imagined, with Katsuragi getting beat up by the girl he had a major crush on ¨C but he wouldn''t wrap his head around Kazura or Odomura being the criminal. Was criminal even the right word?


    While Matsune was always so kind and extraverted towards everyone, Odomura was always so gentle and nurturing to everyone, as if she was a more introverted version of Matsune.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She was too nice to be the convict.


    And as for Kazura, her goofy yet fiery attitude made her definitely not as nice, but she was still one of the most popular girls in the year. Her looks and her tomboyish attitude was the way to go for guys who weren''t interested in Matsune''s more traditional ¡®feminine¡¯ approach.


    And of course, the main reason was that she was his childhood friend and one of the people he trusted the most.


    Shaking his head, Ariyama focused back on the current scene.


    It was their second lunch break, and Odomura was in the cafeteria, sitting at a table with a tray of food, next to Katsuragi and Kazura.


    It was good that the three seemed to still be close. As Ariyama thought back to the times when the four of them had been closer than ever ¨C meeting and chatting with each other every day at school ¨C he half-noticed Odomura standing up with a now empty tray, heading to the garbage.


    But man, those days were the best. Ariyama was only now not taking them for granted, and actually appreciating them as the fond memories they were. He couldn''t help but smile a little as he reminisced. He realized that was the first time he could remember actually smiling genuinely for the past few weeks. It felt nice, to be able to banish those depressing thoughts, even just for a moment.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun?¡±


    The voice that he heard was quiet, soft and filled with unwithheld disbelief.


    His face was already pale before he turned around, already drained of blood before he turned around and saw Odomura Airi staring at him, her eyes wide behind her glasses, tray still in her hands and ready to be tossed into the garbage bin he was standing right next to.


    Well, crap.


    With her hands shaking slightly, Odomura placed the tray on the tabletop beside the bin and took a step forward.


    ¡°W-when did you get back?¡±


    Her voice was soft, trying to not break, but Ariyama saw the shine of tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.


    He raised his hands slowly to make some distance between them.


    ¡°OK, listen to me, Airi. I need you to be quiet, OK¨C?¡±


    ¡°OH MY GOSH, I''VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!¡±


    Odomura leapt forward, her face contorting with emotion, her arms wrapping around Ariyama''s neck.


    Ariyama was momentarily stunned, and could only let out a breathless grunt as Odomura''s weight crashed into him.


    Instinctively, his hands wrapped around her waist to stop her from squirming too much. As she wailed into his shoulder, Ariyama was already turning his head to glance at the table she was just sitting at. Her crying was luckily not too loud, so it didn''t attract the attention of the whole room. But on the other hand, it did make Katsuragi and Kazura stir from their place sitting at that table.


    They both looked slightly startled, glancing at each other first, then losing over to the garbage bin.


    Cursing under his breath, Ariyama stumbled back behind the nearby pillar, pulling Odomura with him. He pushed her against the pillar by her chest, then peeked behind it.


    Kazura was looking at Katsuragi again, shrugging, then they both returned to their food.


    Oh, thank God.


    ¡°U-um, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    Frowning at the flustered voice, Ariyama looked back to Odomura, who was still pushed against the pillar by him.


    Oh, she was probably wanting him to let go, which was fair enough¨C


    Oh.


    He was pressing her against the wall, with the little added detail that his hands were pressed firmly against her breasts.


    Odomura was blushing profusely, looking like a tomato, and Ariyama stuttered his words out. He hopped back, removing his hands and impulsively wiped them against his shirt.


    As if that''d do anything


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ sorry, Airi.¡±


    Odomura shook her head quickly, still as red as a cherry. She seemed to get her breathing back to normal, fixing her posture and looking back up at Ariyama. Her eyes were still puffy from her recently-shed tears, but her quivering lip had been replaced with a smile of relief.


    ¡°But Ariyama, when did you get back? I¡­ We were all so worried about you, when we were told what happened in the accident¡±


    Oh, that''s right. That night and the supernatural events had been covered up by saying it was an unnatural sinkhole that had killed the four students of Sasura Academy. Ariyama was curious as to who had done the coverup.


    He thought, personally, that it was Matsune, who probably contacted those in power at the Pilgrims¡¯ Society to help. It probably hadn''t boded well for her reputation, to have been involved in an attack with monsters she was probably trained to fight, and end with the deaths of four people.


    But Ariyama wasn''t an idiot; he knew there was probably some rule against letting information about Tributes or anything magic-related get out. The whole system of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society seemed to have been around for ages, so that was probably why they were able to stay discreet this whole time.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun?¡±


    Ariyama snapped back to attention, looking down at Odomura again.


    ¡°Oh, um, what were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I was asking where you''ve been! We were all so worried, but I''m so glad you''re OK.¡±


    She took his hand in hers and smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m¡­ glad to be back¡­¡±


    Dammit, was that the right thing to say? Did Odomura think Ariyama was back for good now?


    He cleared his throat, and tried to remove his hand from hers as nonchalantly as possible.


    He still had to survey her for the rest of the day, even if he didn''t think she was the culprit. It was what Matsune told him to do after all.


    ¡°Listen, Odomura, I know I was away for a while, and I''m sure you want to tell the others I''m back, yeah?¡±


    Odomura tilted her head, blinking in confusion.


    ¡°I¡­ suppose I was going to do that, yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, could you hold off on doing that?¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Ariyama shifted uncomfortably, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his blazer.


    ¡°I''m just¡­ not ready to confront them yet, you know? I want to talk to them myself, without them knowing I''m just strolling around the school, acting like I don''t know them. I want to let them know I''m OK, but just in my own time, when I''m ready. Is¡­ that OK?¡±


    Odomura nodded as she listened to his explanation. Once he was done with it, she just smiled again.


    ¡°Of course. I can tell you really want to do it yourself. You''ve never been very good at accepting help from others, have you? But that''s OK. I believe in you.¡±


    Her face fell a slight bit.


    ¡°But, Ariyama-kun, if you ever need to talk to someone, you know I''m here, OK? I know we''ve only really had a personal conversation like this when we were walking home together that one day, but I hope you know you can rely on me.¡±


    Ariyama''s heart twisted slightly. Wow, those were some kind words.


    He didn''t really know what to do with his hands anymore, so he took one out of his pocket and placed it on Odomura''s shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you, Airi.¡±


    She nodded, then another smile broke out.


    ¡°And I see you''ve remembered to call me Airi.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it''s still weird to call you that when you''re still calling me Ariyama, but that''s just how it is.¡±


    ¡°And there''s no need for it to be any different. So, I think that''s everything. Good luck, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    He stepped into him and wrapped him in a weak but meaningful hug.


    Ariyama breathed in the scent of her strawberry shampoo, which paired well with the hue of her pink hair.


    As he pulled away, he gave her a wry smile. It didn''t feel good lying to her. Especially since she was just so nice to him.


    But it was either that or compromise the whole mission, and Ariyama didn''t want Matsune getting into trouble with the Pilgrims¡¯ Society because of him, so it was obvious what his choice was.


    ¡°Good luck as well.¡±


    Ariyama spoke softly, trying to hide the quake in his voice. Odo fortunately just nodded at him one last time before heading back to the table where Kazura and Katsuragi sat.


    Once the pink-haired girl was out of earshot, Ariyama let out an audible sigh, leaning back against the pillar.


    That didn''t go as planned.


    But due to Odomura''s sincerity, he dodged a bullet and got off Scot free, even when he really shouldn''t have.


    Now, it was time to continue.


    He knew it was going to be difficult, especially now that Odomura knew of his existence. He¡¯d just have to be extra cautious for the rest of the day.


    And that''s just what he did.


    For the rest of the school day, Ariyama continued on with the same practices, only with an additional helping of caution. He watched Odomura ¨C as intently as he could ¨C when she walked to class, or went to the bathroom, or headed to the cafeteria for their second lunch break.


    Really, he was just admiring her from a distance, as opposed to properly surveying her for any behavioral errors. He genuinely didn''t think it was her, and he didn''t intend for Matsune to change his mind.


    Hell, he''d even managed to pull off a feeble mana detection while on the fly.


    Instead, if he''d been cross-legged and concentrating harder, he would hopefully be able to interact with vibrant and visible blue sparks, among the mist of red like it''s spraying blood.


    But when he activated it manually while on the go, the thick mist left more like a red-ish vapor surrounding him, with dim blue lights all around. It wasn''t nearly as saturated, but there was definitely progress to be seen there.


    And sure enough, using this lesser version of his mana detection on objects Odomura had touched, or spaces she had gone to, came up with nothing.


    So that was it.


    Odomura Airi wasn''t the unregistered Tribute.


    Of course, Ariyama didn''t actually ever think it was her, but he still felt oddly relieved when he confirmed his beliefs. It was almost as if there had been a small space in the back of his mind where he did think of the possibility of it being her.


    No, no, that couldn''t be true.


    Wincing in annoyance at his own thoughts, Ariyama decided to just wait till the end of the day, when he''d rendezvous with Matsune and discuss their findings.


    At first, Ariyama thought he''d be a much bigger help in Matsune''s investigation. But as it turned out, he only confirmed the innocence of one student. One student, out of hundreds.


    Then again, he supposed that Matsune didn''t expect him to make great progress so quickly. It was his first day, after all.


    And it was Odomura, Masturagi and Kazura, for crying out loud.


    Ariyama wasn''t sure who Matsune had close connections with in the school, if any, but they both knew that those three were people he cared about.


    Kazura was his friend for so many years, and while he hadn''t known Katsuragi or Odomura until he graduated to Sasura highschool, he cares about them too.


    Odomura was so nurturing and sweet, and even the sound of her voice made his heart flutter with adoration. And he found Katsuragi''s no-nonsense yet easily-flustered personality endearing.


    All in all, he reckoned that investigating just one of those three equaled the determination required for twenty random students who you may have seen in the hallway once, at most.


    Was that true, though? Or was that just Ariyama trying to justify his feelings. Maybe he really was being too naive in all this.


    After all, since his friends had died, he felt off about himself, even at random moments in the day, when he was alone with his thoughts.


    As the day ended, Ariyama watched from behind one of the white pillars of the academy ¨C in the least-creepy way he could manage ¨C as Odomura left the building for the day. He bit his lip with regret  as he watched Odomura leave through the shimmering iron gates alone.


    But hadn''t she said before that he often had club practice right after school, which was why they had only walked home together ¨C at least halfway there ¨C only once?


    So, either club practice was canceled again, which was unlikely, or something was up.


    Ariyama suddenly raced with panic.


    Shit, did she somehow find out about what was going on? Maybe she already knew beforehand?


    It wasn''t a requirement to have an Enchanted Tool to be well-versed in the world of the Pilgrims, was it?


    Crap. Was it possible for a regular human to know about the secret world? Sure, maybe Odomura wasn''t the unregistered Tribute herself, but maybe she was in league with them? Maybe working as their confidant? Their inside woman?


    Wait, wait. Stop. Where was all this coming from?


    Ariyama was already chastising the internal part of him who believed Odomura could''ve been the culprit, and now he was letting those thoughts actively take over his brain?


    He wanted to smack himself, more than anything.


    But before he could inflict any self-harm upon his person, he felt a slight hand touching his shoulder.


    The contact nearly made him jump out of his skin, but instead he turned around as Matsune Sasya smiled up at him.


    ¡°I hope you''ve done your part in all this. So, shall we debrief, Ariyama-kun?¡±

 23. The First Clue

    Once they fled back to the renovated storage room, Ariyama explained everything to her. He left out the part where he accidently fondled Odomura''s chest, however. This was time for a serious debrief of his first mission technically for the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, not some humorous recap.


    Once he was finished, Matsune was left standing there, tapping her chin thoughtfully, her other arm cupping her elbow.


    ¡°I see. And your mana detection picked up nothing?¡±


    ¡°Zero trace.¡±


    Matsune nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Well, that settles it. Odomura-chan is off the list.¡±


    Ariyama noted a hint of relief in her voice, as if Matsune was proportionally more relieved over Odomura being disregarded than Ariyama assumed she would.


    In many ways, Odomura and Matsune were similar. Both were pretty  ¨C though Odomura signified ¡®cute¡¯ while Matsune was more ¡®beautiful¡¯ ¨C as well as both being geniuses in academics, at the very least. They were both so kind as well, caring for everyone they came across.


    But Ariyama knew there were differences, as there were amongst all people in the world. Odomura seemed more motherly and soothing, putting up with antics from the likes of Kazura and Yaranagi constantly.


    Matsune, on the other hand, was far less of a pushover. She was nice and nurturing to everyone she crossed paths with, but Ariyama could tell she was confident enough in herself to know when people deserved her kindness. Take Kajima and his gang, for example.


    As Matsune finished tapping away at her phone, she looked back up at Ariyama with a gaze which had his heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Great work today, Ariyama-kun. I know it''s hard mentally to be forced to investigate and possibly even suspect one of your friends of being a criminal. But all unregistered Tributes have to be brought to justice, even if they''re just living their lives peacefully. The risk of a sudden outburst and mass loss of life is enough to intimidate the Society enough that they banned all unregistered Tributes living on their own. You''re either with the Society, or a criminal.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds like a harsh rule.¡±


    ¡°It very much is. Also, the Pilgrims¡¯ Society has a saying: ¡°Rules are limits to one''s progression, not targets to ascend beyond. However, once a rule is ascended, it is simply that another rule will perch itself on a higher branch¡±. Essentially, it''s a message to the rouges out there ¨C namely the unregistered Tributes, innocent or otherwise ¨C that their lives are breaking the rules. ¡°Stick by those rules and comply, or an even greater penance with await at a more heightened rule.¡±¡±


    Ariyama couldn''t help a sudden smile spreading across his face.


    ¡°That''s their ¡®saying¡¯, huh? Was that really a saying or was it a whole essay?¡±


    Matsune flashed a smile in return, focusing her attention on her phone again.


    ¡°Yes, it''s quite the mouthful. But when you''ve been around for hundreds of years, like the Society has, the amount of info needed to be stuffed into a singular phrase expands more and more.¡±


    She tucked her phone away in the pocket of her blue blazer, crossing her hands behind her back.


    ¡°Well, I know you must be dying to go home. Right, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    ¡°It''s crossed my mind more than once by this point.¡±


    Matsune began shifting her weight left and right onto each foot.


    ¡°As I thought. I''ll let you go, just after this last bit of vital info, I promise.¡±


    Vital info? If she had just said that at the beginning, Ariyama would''ve ignored his homesickness and stuck by her without needing to be questioned.


    ¡°Vital? If that''s the case, of course I''ll stay.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariyama-kun. Now, about that information. In simple terms, one of the people I was examining today was this person right here¨C¡±


    She took out her phone again and showed Ariyama the image of a man, seemingly a third-year with teal hair and yellow eyes¡­


    ¡°Hey, why does he look like¨C¡±


    ¡°This is Katsuragi Jouji. He''s in class 3D, president of the book club, and also the older brother of Katsuragi-kun.¡±


    Katsuragi had an older brother? Ariyama had never known, and that just proved that he really didn''t know much about that guy at all.


    Since Odomura was cleared from his list of targets ¨C and Kazura was for sure the last one he''d get to ¨C that meant Katsuragi Kento would be Ariyama''s next examinee, didn''t it?


    Looking at Jouji''s picture, Ariyama frowned at it, then frowned at Matsune.


    ¡°He''s a third year? So you really are going after everybody in the school, huh? Even the staff, I assume?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and I''ve even cleared a good few of them too. It gets frustrating the more and more people get crossed off without anything to go off of. I just want to find this criminal already.¡±


    ¡°Ditto, and I''ve only been working with you on this case for one day. But anyways, what was that about this ¡®vital info¡¯?¡±


    ¡®Oh, yes, you''re right. We''ve been thrown off course. So, I mentioned Masturagi-senpai as he actually revealed to me that he''d been doing some digging as well. Don''t worry, I confirmed that he wasn''t part of of Society or an unregistered Tribute.``


    ¡°OK, and what about that info you got from him? What''s it on?¡±


    Matsune paused for a moment.


    ¡°If we get lucky, it¡¯ll lead to us finding our mysterious person. He said that he''d been noticing weird things about some figure wandering the school after hours. As mentioned, Katsuragi-senpai is president of the book club, which can run fairly late into the evening after school. He told me, one night, he saw someone tall in a hoodie snooping around the premises. When going to investigate, he came upon a ¡®mark¡¯ on one of the walls. Does this look familiar?¡±


    Matsune surfed through the images on her phone again, her screen, showing a stone wall with a dark stain tuning through it, as if it had begun weeping darkness that crawled across its surface.


    Ariyama recognised it almost instantly.


    ¡°Huh, oddly like those patches where there''s residual mana, courtesy of our mysterious person.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If all this is genuine, then the person Katsuragi-senpai caught has to be the unregistered Tribute. However, there''s more. Katsuragi-senpai also mentioned that he had seen this hooded figure multiple times, and out of pure curiosity and a stroke of luck, he managed to lay down a somewhat-reliable schedule for him.¡±


    Was she serious? If so, Katsuragi''s brother was turning out to be a proper help in all this. Ariyama doubted they''d have gotten much farther without this information.


    ¡°What kind of schedule?¡±


    ¡°Katsuragi-senpai figured out that the hooded guy appears every other day for a week, then every three days for a week, before resetting.¡±


    ¡°Can you explain that in simpler terms? Only one of us got full marks in their literature exam, and it wasn''t me.¡±


    ¡°Basically, if he were to start on a Monday, he''d then go Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, then Wednesday again and then Saturday, before going back to Monday.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha. Wait, but isn''t today¨C?¡±


    Matsune''s lips curled at the corners in a mischievous smirk.


    ¡°Today is Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Isn''t that perfect? Like, from what you said, he goes every Wednesday, doesn''t he?¡±


    ¡°Indeed he does. So, Ariyama-kun, would you be interested in accompanying me tonight¨C¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! I mean, um, yes. Of course.¡±


    He wanted to do anything other than have to confront his old friends. If they caught the unregistered Tribute tonight, that would mean he didn''t have to survey anyone else.


    But then again¡­


    He wanted to talk to them again eventually, didn''t he?


    Sure, the conversation with Odomura was a little awkward, but in hindsight, he was glad to have reconnected with her. It had been over a month since he''d seen her, after all. He couldn''t lie and say he wasn''t starting to miss her. Her and Katsuragi. And Kazura was another issue entirely.


    But for now, he just needed something to preoccupy his mind.


    Matsune tapped his arm gratefully.


    ¡°Awesome. So, we can head home for now. Let''s meet up here again at around nine? That''s usually when Masturagi-senpai saw this hooded man lurking around. Oh, and bring your sword.¡±


    The mention of his Enchanted Tool made Ariyama snap to attention.


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    Matsune gave him a grave look, as if she was wary about something.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, we may be intercepting an actual unregistered Tribute. As I''ve mentioned, they can be extremely volatile and dangerous. More dangerous them even those monsters from the Shrine, I''m afraid. This could be a whole new experience for you, so you need to be prepared if push comes to shove and you have to fight back.¡±


    Ariyama''s heart raced. This was it. Probably. This was the scenario he was dreading. A time when his life was in danger, just like it had been on that night.


    But this time, at least he had the sword with him. His sword training for the past five years gave him an above-average competence with the weapon, so as long as he kept that knowledge in mind, he should be OK.


    And even still, he had Matsune to rely on, as always.


    Swallowing thickly, his voice quiet but dripping with newfound determination, Ariyama answered.


    ¡°OK then. Let''s go catch ourselves a criminal.

 24. Initial Contact

    Later that night, Ariyama left his house around eight, just so he¡¯d have more than enough time to prepare himself before he headed out with Matsune to locate this unregistered Tribute. He was relieved that he wasn¡¯t going to have to spend an egregious amount of time filing through each of the students and faculty to fight the culprit.


    Thanks to Katsuragi Jouji ¨C  who was proving to be an unknowing but vital asset ¨C Ariyama would hopefully help Matsune in having this operation completed before the week was even halfway done. It almost made him worry, thinking about how easy it all seemed. But that was how some things just were, right?


    Not everything that seemed difficult ended up being so. Regardless, Ariyama couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of uneasiness as he exited his household and began the trek into the darkness-drenched streets of the city. Armed with a flashlight courtesy of his phone, as well as his halved rusted sword stuffed into his backpack. Its weight was uncomfortable, and only increased his anxiousness.


    As for him actually managing to leave his house at this hour ¨C without an idea of when he¡¯d be returning ¨C it was easy, as his mother remained in her room. Ariyama couldn¡¯t bring himself to confront her, not like he¡¯d tried that one time. Even thinking about it, he felt sick to his stomach.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been blaming her, but dammit, it was hard not to.


    By the time he reached the closed gate of the school, the wind was blowing more mercilessly than before. Due to the higher altitude of the school compared to his home, Ariyama assumed.


    Keeping his coat pulled close to him, bowing his head to keep his hood from blowing down again, Ariyama peered around the area. It was odd, seeing how empty the school had become.


    Matsune had said that Katsuragi-senpai and his book club usually ran late, right? Well, Ariyama didn¡¯t recall Matsune mentioning anything about being told about a time when the hooded man was seen. He swore that Katsuragi-senpai only told her about the fact there was a hooded man sneaking around the school grounds at all, as well as his supposed schedule.


    Nothing about time. Or even where they could look for him


    So, that led Ariyama to believe that they¡¯d be forced to wait around for possibly hours, searching every corner of the grounds in search for this man, who may or may not even appear. Sure, Matsune had been given a schedule, but that didn¡¯t exactly mean that man would stick by the schedule to a T.


    And if Katsuragi¡¯s book club lasted until well after school closed, did that really mean that it had lasted this late? Until nearly nine in the evening?


    Looking at the school itself, Ariyama scanned the windows through which were the classrooms most likely used by a book club, including the window of the library. Sure enough, not one light was on.


    So that meant Katsuragi¡¯s club would have lasted until maybe four or five, when that hooded man was seen. So, were Ariyama and Matsune way too late in that case?


    No, no.


    Ariyama wasn¡¯t the expert here ¨C that title lied with Matsune. As such, he wouldn¡¯t make any assumptions. She knew what she was doing, wasn¡¯t she? She seemed like the person who rarely ever made mistakes. If that applied to her schoolwork, maybe it also did for her jobs given by the Pilgrims¡¯ Society.


    ¡°Ah, Ariyama-kun! Come over here!¡±


    At the distant voice, Ariyama turned around, scanning the treeline running perpendicular to the school wall. Then, he saw a figure. A silhouette of a slim but athletic woman, wrapped up in a nice leather jacket, the hood pulled up.


    ¡°I see you, Matsune! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    His teeth beginning to chatter against the abhorrent chilly wind, Ariyama jogged over to the treeline, breaking through a wall of bushes. On the other side, it was submerged in gloominess, the dying sun and rising moon barely shooting light through the fissures in the leaves covering them above.


    Maybe it was the closeness of everything in the woods, or perhaps the homely feel of sticks cracking beneath his feet or the far-off sound of crickets, but Ariyama suddenly felt a lot warmer.


    He turned to face the girl standing beside him.


    She wore a sleek, black leather jacket ¨C as he had noticed before ¨C along with a pair of very figure-hugging jeans. Her raven hair was tied back in a high ponytail, which she usually only wore when she was participating in a sport. Her bright blue eyes were like orbs that burned away the darkness around them.


    Matsune Sasya was, as always, really pretty-looking.


    ¡°So, all set for tonight, Ariyama-kun? I¡¯m afraid we might be laying low for a few hours, if not longer.¡±


    Ariyama nodded in response, patting the bag slung across his back.


    ¡°I brought my Tool, as you asked.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I hope we can complete this without resorting to violence, but if worse comes to worse, we need to be ready. I too have come prepared.¡±


    She lifted her sleeve, showcasing her glittering silver bracelet. While her eyes seemed to just naturally beam, there was a distinct magical property to her bracelet. Even without it sending out a glowing purple chain with a kunai attached, it still kept its otherworldly feel.


    In fact, Ariyama still wasn¡¯t exactly sure where the Enchanted Tools even came from. He knew they were like manifestations of items wielded by the Pilgrims, but in what plain of existence did those voices in people¡¯s heads get the chance to even deploy such items? His mind piqued with curiosity, Ariyama waited until he began following Matsune to their vantage point before he asked.


    ¡°So, Matsune, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering something about all this stuff to do with Enchanted Tools and Pilgrims. Where did they even originate? My guy, called Idolseus, is like a separate consciousness in my head. And you said you haven¡¯t properly been able to call on the one in your head, so what¡¯s the deal?¡±


    Matsune sighed, as if she was about to go on a long-winded speech.


    ¡°I suppose this mission is indoctrinating you properly into this new world. Well, as properly as possible before you officially become part of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, which has its own rules and processes that I won¡¯t get into now.¡±


    They turned a corner, stumbled up a short hill of roots and mud, before arriving at the spot they were going to camp out at. It was the apex of a short mound of dirt and grass, bordered on all sides by trees, except for one spot where a tree had been felled. Through that gap in the barrier, you could see the school and the area around it with surprising clarity. There, Matsune sat cross-legged ¨C Ariyama following her example ¨C as she began to explain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this as brief as possible, since we¡¯re here to apprehend the unregistered Tribute, not to chat. But simply, the Pilgrims are similar to us humans ¨C in terms of their bodily functions and shapes, that is. They come from a place referred to as the Reverse World. It¡¯s like Earth, if it was stuck in a fantasy novel. In that world, special artifacts, monstrous creatures, and magic are commonplace. The Pilgrims are a group of a few thousand who are denizens of that world. Their origins were that they were a legion of people who undertook what we call the ¡®Great Pilgrimage¡¯. Not a lot is known about this journey, but all we do know is that many Pilgrims died, while the ones who lived through it were blessed with immense power by some foreign god. However, somehow, powerful artifacts attributed to each of them began manifesting in our world, around a one-and-a-half thousand years ago. Ever since, they¡¯ve been appearing in Shrines guarded by magical creatures, who also seem to be residents of the Reverse World. The Pilgrims¡¯ Society was set up in order to stop the knowledge of these manifestations from spreading to the wider world, collecting the untouched Enchanted Tools for safe keeping, as well as battling anyone who would use the Tools for malicious reasons.¡±


    Ariyama took a moment to sort through the information given to him.


    Was that really what Matsune thought of as ¡®concise¡¯ or ¡®brief¡¯?


    Then again, thinking about what he was actually told, Ariyama realized he really wasn¡¯t told much at all. He


    could tell Matsune, under the right conditions, could likely spew on about their backstory for hours.


    Along with that explanation came a feeling of overwhelming disbelief deep in Ariyama¡¯s chest. He was what one would refer to as ¡®lukewarm¡¯, when it came to his beliefs. But he still believed.


    But after all this, the idea of that ¨C a genuine alternative version of the earth with super-abled beings with powerful items that could apparently range from a clunky, half-cut sword to a pristine bracelet ¨C actually existing just made him question his own existence.


    How important were humans, then?


    As a concept, they seemed inadequate and inferior to these Pilgrims in every which way.


    ¡°Was that too much to take in at a time like this? I apologize, Ariyama.¡±


    Snapped out of his own thoughts, Ariyama looked to Matsune, who had a sheepish look on her face.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s just that the history of the Pilgrims and their Reverse World fascinates me, even though I was born into their world with parents who told me all this before I even attended preschool.¡±


    Ariyama smiled at her, pulling his coat close again to combat the cold.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I actually find it¡­ kinda charming that you¡¯ve got a little hobby like that.¡±


    At the word ¡®charming¡¯, Matsune froze up and turned her face away from him. Confused, Ariyama murmured under his breath.


    ¡°Huh? Wuh?¡±


    Then louder, he spoke.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Matsune? Did I say something that hurt you?¡±


    Ariyama honestly wasn¡¯t sure when he came to girls, whether they liked him or didn¡¯t. He was probably as dense as you could get in a guy.


    ¡°O-oh, it¡¯s fine, Ariyama-kun. Just surveying the area for our rogue is all.¡±


    ¡°Ah. OK, if you¡¯re sure.¡±


    But unbeknownst to Matsune, she had turned her head ever so slightly, to the point where Ariyama had a solid look at the blush that burned brightly across her cheeks.


    Weird. Why was she doing that?


    But before Ariyama could voice his question, Matsune¡¯s face shifted instantly into one of concentration. He whispered quickly as she lay flat on her stomach, using her hands to raise her head just enough to peek down at the school


    ¡°Ariyama-kun, get down!¡±


    Hurriedly following her order, Ariyama also peered down at the school, his heart racing, his eyes darting from point to point in an attempt to locate something, anything.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Matsune? Did you see¨C¡±


    Matsune didn¡¯t answer, and instead pointed wordlessly at a spot just beside the school wall. Zeroing in on that same spot, squinting his eyes against the darkness, it took Ariyama a few seconds to clock it.


    There he was. There was the hooded man, dressed in all dark colors and his hands in his pockets, ducking unhurriedly under a branch and disappearing from view.


    This was all happening very fast. Ariyama was prepared to be waiting at this vantage point for possibly hours, as had Matsune. But there was their target, in nearly perfect view.


    Without a word of warning, Matsune got to her feet, dusting off the dirt clinging to her clothes as she burst through the border of trees and leaned back, skidding down the mound. Once she hit the foot of the hill, her whole body shot up and she started into a sprint which took her further into the woods.


    Ariyama was flabbergasted for a bit, before he righted himself, and blasted after Matsune, blood pumping in his veins as he prepared for his initial contact with the culprit.


    By the time Ariyama caught up, his legs were burning from the exertion. He had followed Matsune until they had glided through the trees, nearly tripping multiple times on roots and uneven ground, before eventually coming out into a wide empty clearing, the ground now a dirty concrete yard. On the opposite side, a small wall rose up, which was blocking the hooded man from continuing.


    As Ariyama put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath, he took a moment to recognise this place. He¡¯d never gone there personally, but despite that, he knew what this yard used to be


    Sasura Academy was nearly two hundred years old, so quite old in school terms. In the old times, it was split into two buildings. The main building persisted to modern day, being renovated time after time, and receiving extension after extension.


    The secondary building, however, was left to ruin. And as the years of being exposed to the elements left it weathered down to nothing, all that remained was this abandoned tarmac ground, which acted as a courtyard back in the day. Ariyama never knew he¡¯d ever be so grateful for a dilapidated school structure.


    ¡°You! I am Matsune Sasya, an agent of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society¡¯s Japan branch. In accordance with the official Book of Magical Regulations, I hereby put you under arrest for suspicion of being an unregistered Tribute ¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted his sleeve and let her silver bracelet gleam, acting as a threat. The hooded man, however, didn''t seem to take it as one. Instead, he shook his lowered head, chuckling softly.


    ¡°Nah. I have work to do, girl.¡±


    That voice¡­ Did Ariyama recognise it, or was it just his imagin¨C


    The hooded man pulled something from his pocket with one hand, his other hand shooting up. Then, something glinted in the moonlight, followed by an ear-splitting whistling sound. At first, Ariyama thought it was the man whistling, but then the glinting object was shooting for him, and he realized the whistling was that object flying through the air.


    And it was aimed directly at his face.


    His life hadn¡¯t been this endangered since the incident, and so Ariyama froze. At the last moment, however, he forced his whole body down. Just as the object pierced the space his head once was, Ariyama threw his body onto the hard concrete.


    He winced as dull pain raced up his arms from his elbows, then looked up as he heard Matsune call his name in alarm. As she saw that he was unharmed, Matsune turned to the hooded man as he raised his hands and fired more glinting objects at her. Diving to her knees, then shooting right back up again, Matsune raced towards him. Her bracelet exploded with purple, a chained kunai unfurling and wrapping around her forearm. Grabbing the loose bit with her spare hand, she skidded to a halt and dipped into a low stance, whipping the chain around before sending it careening for the man.


    Ariyama thought the strike would hit, but instead the man executed a cartwheel and let the kunai strike the ground under him, kicking up sparks.


    Ariyama heard Matsune cursing to herself as she advanced slowly, lashing and whipping at the man. Most of them were dodged or avoided entirely, but one hit landed. As the glowing purple chain struck the man in the shoulder, his whole body shifted back unevenly, giving Matsune the opening she needed to close the distance between them. Her chain was long, after all, but not at its strongest when she was as far away as she was. That was one thing Ariyama caught onto while battling for his life in that Shrine.


    Matsune reached the man in just three strides, each covering at least two meters each time.


    Ariyama didn''t have time to marvel at her speed, as she engaged the hooded man again.


    He flung his hand out, sending another sharp object piercing at her, but Matsune ducked under it and countered with her chain.


    It wrapped around the man''s hand in a tight hold, and using her built-up momentum, Matsune ran circles around the man, pulling him along with her with every rotation, the chain growing tighter and tighter on his hand.


    Growling in irritation, the man stamped his foot down onto the concrete to root himself in place, then twisted his hips and yanked the chain back the other way. This caught Matsune off-guard and she cried out as the opposite movement made her feet fly from under her.


    As she fell, she caught herself by planting her palms onto the ground and pushing herself up to her feet. As she did so, the man summoned another sharp object and launched it at her. This time, however, Matsune had no way to deflect it. Her chain was still wrapped around her opponent''s arm, leaving her defenseless.


    Ariyama yelled in alarm when the object hit Matsune, cutting across her side and drawing blood. Then, as the object clattered to the ground, the moonlight peeked over the trees, revealing what all of those ¡®sharp objects¡¯ had been all along.


    Knives.


    Knives?


    Was this guy seriously conjuring knives out of nowhere? If that was his power, it dawned on Ariyama just how varied they could be.


    But Matsune¡­


    She grunted and fell onto her ass, clutching at her bloodied wound. In tandem, the man summoned another knife ¨C into his hand, this time ¨C and chopped relentlessly as the purple chain ensnaring his hand. Finally, the chain snapped, and the whole glowing purple structure dissipated into vapor. Instantly, Matsune raised her hand to use her bracelet again, but another knife shot out and stabbed right into her palm.


    Ariyama winced at the sound of cutting flesh, and this time, Matsune screamed in pain as her body curled in on itself. Chuckling lowly, the hooded man approached her.


    It was then that Ariyama realized he had been looking up from the ground, dirt collecting on his clothes.


    What type of idiot was he being? Was he really going to let Matsune meet her end here, fighting against a guy who could literally shoot knives at people?


    Not on his watch.


    Gritting his teeth with renewed determination, Ariyama got onto his knees, struggling to pull the backpack off of him. Once he did so, he ripped it open, grabbed the clunky severed sword and raced forward. He kept the sword diagonal and low by his hip, as the weight would make him go off-balance if he raised it again higher. He gripped the handle in his two hands, even though it was long enough for three.


    Now, the man was just a meter or two away from the shivering Matsune, rolling his shoulders and raising his hand once again.


    No, no, no¡­


    He was going to shoot out more knives in the next few moments, and those knives would spear through Matsune¡¯s body and kill her for sure.


    A terrible vision of that exact scene happening played out in Ariyama¡¯s head, but that only drove him to go faster.


    He was almost there.


    Just five strides left.


    Four.


    Three.


    The man summoned more knives that hovered around him, aimed right at Matsune.


    Shit.


    Two strides.


    One


    And¨C


    Just as those knives were about to obliterate Matsune, Ariyama got in between her and the man first.


    He yelled as he felt the burning rush of power flow through his whole body. For a moment, he felt like he did back at the Shrine, white-hot heat pouring off of him.


    His yell turned into a scream as he raised his Enchanted Tool and pivoted on his heel, bringing the sword round in a deadly arc. If Matsune couldn''t stop this guy, Ariyama didn''t have a chance in hell. But if he could just defect these knives, he might give Matsune the chance to recover.


    For just a moment, the sword turned into a blade of white-hot heat, a deafening boom sounding off as it impacted with the flying knives, shattering some and making the others fly off.


    The impact illuminated the whole area with white light. The flashbang made the hooded man flinch back and cover his eyes. This light, however, didn''t faze Ariyama in the slightest.


    The white died and the area was submerged in darkness again. As the man stumbled away, cursing while rubbing his eyes, Ariyama felt a tap on his leg.


    ¡°Down¡­¡±


    That weak voice was Matsune, and Ariyama somehow knew instantly what to do. He dropped to his knees, leaning over onto his hands as Matsune planted her hand on his balcony and flipped over him.


    Landing before the man, Matsune bent low, her chain trapping his arms by his sides as it encircled him. Moving him, Matsune seamlessly switched to hand-to-hand combat.


    Ariyama watched in amazement as Matsune fired palmshots, jabs and uppercuts. By this point, the man had recovered and was shaking out of the chain that ensnared him. As his knives slashed the chain, he stepped into Matsune and the two began trading blows.


    Ariyama groaned as he got up, racing forward again. He was too drained to use his sword''s power now, but that still left him with a regular to use.


    The man ducked under one of Matsune''s swings and planted his fist in her belly. Reeling back, Matsune gasped as she was lifted slightly off her feet from the blow.


    As her feet hit the ground again, Ariyama reached her side, dipping low and slashing at the man with his sword. Panicking, the man splayed out his hand. His skin ripped open as the shattered blade caught his hand. Shouting in anguish, the man tried to retreat, only to get rewarded with a haymaker from Matsune catching him in the jaw.


    He stepped back a few feet, where Ariyama moved in and kicked his knee. As his leg buckled, Matsune moved in too, with a jump, and kneed him in his chest.


    Ariyama and Matsune went back and forth, striking at the man in turns, edging him further and further back. Just as the man was about to be up against the wall ¨C where he''d be completely vulnerable ¨C he snarled like an animal, finally moving against his assailants.


    ¡°You bastards!¡±


    He splayed his hands, one of them still bleeding profusely, and summoned a wall of blades that fired at the two.


    Ariyama froze, his heart pounding and his breath hitching. At the last moment, Matsune tackled him to the ground. Reflexively, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed his eyes shut. As he heard the knives whistle overhead and strike the ground somewhere off to their left, he let out a sigh of relief.


    He was alive


    They both were.


    Cracking open his eyes, Ariyama gazed up at Matsune as she lay over him. As their gazes met, Matsune swallowed awkwardly and averted her eyes, red rising in her cheeks.


    ¡°Are¡­ you OK, Ariyama-kun?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, I''m OK. Just a bit winded maybe.¡±


    Matsune nodded and smiled softly, then sat up and looked around. Her face twitched with an annoyance Ariyama had rarely ever seen.


    Curious, he followed her moments, and sure enough, the concrete clearing was empty and the hooded man was nowhere to be seen.

 25. Going Solo

    There was a knock on his door, and Ariyama sat up from his table. He had just finished eating breakfast, and had done nearly two hours of sword training and mana detection training before that. At first, he''d worried about involving himself with the secret world, but he was finding that doing so had made him feel more motivated to training, harder and harder each day.


    By this point, he was getting more proficient with handling the rusted mess that was his Enchanted Tool, as well as his mana detection skills. Though, it wasn''t like mana detection could help him in a fight, like the one he and Matsune had with the mysterious hooded man the week before.


    But all things considered, he didn''t think he performed too badly. Going hit for hit with Matsune against that hooded jerk felt good, for sure.


    Ariyama was never really violent, but after that night¡­


    Be it attacking Kajima and his gang for talking about his family''s wealth ¨C which was the last thing he wanted to think about right now¨C or even back when he''d beaten up Jack after saving Kazura from that arrow trap in the Shrine. Thinking back, Ariyama did feel bad. He didn''t like Jack one bit ¨C hated him, even ¨C but he never wanted him to die, especially in such a gruesome way that he did. thr same with Yasami.


    Ariyama knew they were assholes, but they were all young, after all, and had so much time to change. Takemichi and Yaranagi, on the other hand? Ariyama still wasn''t sure why he''d survived and they hadn''t. It haunted him, made him feel sick, made him feel like heading into another Shrine and never coming back out.


    Another knock at his door broke Ariyama from his reverie, and he straightened up before heading to the door down the hallway. Twisting the handle, he opened the door as Matsune stood outside.


    The cold winter air blew into the hallway, goosebumps shooting up Ariyama''s arms and back of his neck.


    He hadn''t seen Matsune since that night. She had said that she needed to report their significant progress in the mission directly to the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, to some guy she called Mr Clarke. Since then, Ariyama hadn''t gone to school. He didn''t feel the need to, since he wasn''t going to get anywhere without Matsune by his side. Although, it did make him feel for Odomura. After all, she was delighted that he''d come back after the incident, but now it had been eight days since he''d seen her.


    It felt as if he was leading her on, getting her hopes up by appearing out of nowhere, then disappearing again for ages.


    But no, he hadn''t intended on her even seeing him in the first place. It was his carelessness that had exposed him to her. But now that Matsune was finally back, all her injuries healed fully, perhaps it was time to restart their efforts.


    But Matsune''s face told another story.


    With a red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and covering the lower half of her face against the cold gale, Matsune''s eyes were dark with anxiousness.


    ¡°Matsune? Is everything¡­ OK?¡±


    Matsune gestured, and Ariyama took a step to the side to let her dart into the warm interior of his house. Shutting the door behind him, Ariyama looked over at Matsune as she turned to face him and took a seat at the table.


    ¡°Ariyama-kun¡­ I''m afraid there''s been a problem.¡±


    Concern building in his chest, Ariyama cautiously approached the table, sitting down opposite Matsune.


    ¡°What kind of problem? It''s not going to affect the mission, right?¡±


    ¡°I''m afraid that''s exactly that it''s going to do.¡±


    Ariyama raised an eyebrow. If that was the case, this ¡®problem¡¯ must''ve been something seriously important.


    ¡°Well, what is it?¡±


    Matsune pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing with exasperation. After a moment, she locked eyes with Ariyama.


    ¡°Listen, Ariyama-kun. When I went to the Society''s headquarters to brief them on our progress, as well as getting healed of my wounds, the higher-ups told me something very important. They assigned me to a separate case, joined with the rest of the people in my Division.¡±


    ¡°And what''s this case on?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to get you to join the Society, no matter what. But while you''re basically a regular person, details like that are confidential.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Well, can I ask how long it''ll take you?¡±


    Matsune shifted in her seat.


    ¡°From what I can surmise, at least two weeks.¡±


    Ariyama nearly knocked his chair over and got to his feet. His face hung slack with disbelief.


    ¡°Two¡­ Two weeks? But if we wait that long, chances are¡­¡±


    ¡°...that hooded man will finish whatever he''s doing and move on. Yes, I''m aware.¡±


    Ariyama tried to calm the nerves that shook his body.


    ¡°So, what''s the plan, then? Do you have to go on this mission?¡±


    ¡°The one you and I are on currently is essentially a solo mission, one low-profile enough to be handled by one person. If my new mission requires my entire division, I''m afraid that takes precedence.¡±


    The pounding in Ariyama¡¯s heart didn''t cease, even as he tried to find a more comfortable position on his seat.


    ¡°OK then. So, while you''re gone, what am I gonna do?¡±


    At his query, Matsune didn''t mask her sigh, cupping her chin in her palm, looking at him with a mix of apprehension and worry.


    ¡°I''ve given this a lot of thought, and I''ve finally come to a decision. Ariyama-kun, in only two weeks, I think you''ve proven yourself to be an excellent learner and great at adapting to new things.¡±


    She was right, in a  way. It had only been about a month and a half since the Shrine incident, but Ariyama often wasn''t even thinking about what''d happened. At least, not as frequently as most people probably would. Did that mean there was something wrong with him, then?


    ¡°I¡­ appreciate that, Matsune.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome. So, because of that, I''ve decided to leave this case ¨C for the time-being, at least ¨C in your hands.¡±


    The revelation shocked Ariyama, and he fumbled with his words for a good few seconds before finally forming a coherent sentence.


    ¡°Are you serious? But with you gone, how am I supposed to go on? You''re the one who came up with all the plans so far, anyway. Need I remind you that I may be a fast learner, but still a newbie at all this. Plus, that hooded man? I''ll probably have to fight him again, right? Sure, my sword skills are probably better than most, but I haven''t got a chance in hell at capturing that guy. After all, both you and I working in tandem couldn''t stop him.¡±


    His little tirade over, Ariyama got his breath back as he watched Matsune smile softly at him, like she always did whole comforting him.


    ¡°I have faith, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    ¡°Wuh? What do you mean by ¡®faith¡¯?¡±


    Matsune''s smile only grew, as she got to her feet.


    ¡°I''m saying I have faith that you''ll persevere.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Thank you, I guess. But no offense, but I don''t think wishful thinking will help me in doing this solo.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you misunderstand, Ariyama-kun. I don''t mean that I''m hoping you''ll succeed. I know you will. I just know.¡±


    As she walked past him, she patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.


    ¡°I have your number, so I''ll send you all the data I''ve collected. I know it''ll be overwhelming at first, having to pick up where I left off, but because of everything you''ve seen and survived through, I''m sure you''ll be just fine. Good luck.¡±


    And with that, without even a proper goodbye, Matsune left through the front door.


    Ariyama couldn''t believe he was thinking this, but Matsune Sasya could turn out to be one odd girl when she wanted.


    Ariyama decided to spend the rest of the day sorting through all the info Matsune had received. It was a lot, as she had warned, but he came up with a relatively decent plan by the same evening.


    The following morning, Ariyama stood outside the gates to his school, letting himself be swarmed by the crowds of students. As he and Matsune had done, he made his way swiftly towards the backroom, shutting the door behind him.


    There, he replayed his plan in his head as he shifted through all the notes he''d collected. He had a plan, a full and proper plan.


    First things first, he needed a clear head. And the one way to do that was to finally confront those two.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Katsuragi Kento and Kazura Machi.


    He just needed them to know he was there, to know he was OK, before he could lock in to completing the mission left for him to bear the weight of.


    It was unfair to them, as well, to not let them know he was safe. So Ariyama would fix all that and talk to them once again, for the first time in over a month.


    As he blended in with the crowd, Ariyama weaved his way through corridor after corridor, surprised at how easy it was to be lost in a sea of people wearing the exact same blue-white-and-black uniforms.


    He was practically invisible.


    Or so he thought.


    He felt a bump on his shoulder, and turned around, only to come face to face with Katsuragi.


    Not Katsuragi Kento, he realized, but his older brother, Jouji. Up close, he really did look like his younger sibling, with a few major differences.


    For one, this Katsuragi didn''t wear glasses, and his teal hair was longer and tied back in a high man bun. Light stubble also coated his jaw, while Katsuragi Kento always remained clean shaven.


    ¡°Oh, yo, you''re Kento''s friend, yeah?¡±


    Even the way he talked was like an opposite to his brother.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that''s me. Ariyama Saato.¡±


    ¡°You kidding? I''ve heard of you. Everyone has, son of Ariyama Gotou.¡±


    Dammit. That bastard''s name was literally the last thing Ariyama needed to hear right now.


    ¡°Uh huh, you''re right. I suppose everyone does know me. Hey, I was also in on Matsune Sasya''s plan when you gave her that info on that hooded guy.¡±


    At that, Katsuragi-senpai''s eyes widened.


    ¡°Seriously? I see you''ve involved yourself in some strange things, kid. But hey, as long as Kento isn''t dragged into it, I''m chill.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, about your brother, actually. I haven''t talked to him in nearly two months, so I was wondering where he was so I could reconnect with him again finally.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that sounds harmless. Sure, I can tell you where Kento''s ran off to. Last time I checked, he was heading to attend some cybercrime presentation at the hall with the stage. So go on now, go check up on him. The presentation should be over around now, actually.


    Ariyama nodded as he walked into the torrent of students around him.


    ¡°Thanks for the help, dude.¡±


    Sure enough, Jouji wasn''t lying as Ariyama saw Katsuragi Kento exiting the hall alone, face stuck in some small book with a boring cover.


    Just as Ariyama took a step forward to meet up with Katsuragi, he caught a glimpse of dark skin and blonde hair, as he turned back.


    Wait, was that.. .


    No way that was Kazura Machi.


    Panic scratched at his throat, forming a huge lump. No, this wasn''t what was supposed to happen. If Kazura saw him, then his plan would be thrown off¨C


    ¡°Ariyama?¡±


    The voice from Ariyama''s right made him jump a little. He looked back and saw Katsuragi Kento gazing at him, just an arm''s breadth away.


    God, what was going on? One moment, Ariyama was swearing he saw Kazura in the crowd of students, and now the moment he took his eyes off Katsuragi, the guy ended up right next to him.


    What really surprised Ariyama, however, was what Katsuragi said to him. He knew he wasn''t exactly one to throw his arms around someone and bawl his eyes out in happiness, but Ariyama expected him to at least show that he was worried.


    Instead, Katsuragi just nodded at him, and spoke with a small smile, which was almost inconceivable.


    ¡°Good to see you''re OK, Ariyama.¡±


    And after that, Katsuragi Kento turned his back and was enveloped in the crowd of students.


    Huh?


    Wait, was that really it? Not even a pat on the back or a kiss on the cheek¨C


    OK, wait, no, that last one wouldn''t happen even if Hell froze over. The idea of Katsuragi showing that kind of affection to anyone seemed so foreign it was scary.


    Everything that had just happened was really weird, but at least it made plenty of time for Ariyama to focus on the primary objective for the day: Confronting Kazura Machi.


    As he looked back down the hallway, he squared his shoulders. He was sure. He was sure it was Kazura that he''d seen amongst the crowd. She did always stand out like that.


    The problem was, Kazura didn''t have any siblings Ariyama could rely on to tell him her location. It was only pure chance he had run into Masturagi Jouji, after all.


    So, now it was up to solely him to finish this. He was worried about what Kazura would say, but no matter what happened, having that sorted out would allow him to focus on the plot with the hooded man. Hell, he''d probably be able to go on another search around the school grounds later the same day.


    With that, he headed to find Kazura.


    The journey took him nearly a whole hour. He was cursing under his breath at how big he was realizing the school truly was, when he suddenly saw her again.


    Dark skin, blonde hair in a bob cut with one side pulled back with a pink hair clip. She was talking with some girls Ariyama didn''t recognise. Then, as she looked to her side, her blue eyes met his ebony ones.


    Ariyama''s throat closed and he felt dread weight down on his chest.


    As Kazura caught his gaze, her face shifted continuously. She went from confused, then disbelieved, then aghast, then a hint of relief, before the anger set in.


    Ariyama could almost feel the aura of fury wafting over to him with Kazura as the source. She spoke a few quick words to the other girls, then came trudging over to Ariyama, shoulders shaking and teeth gritted. She was pretty small, even for a girl her age, so she was only eye-level with Ariyama''s chest. Still, she was intimidating beyond belief when she wanted to be. Ariyama''s face burned with embarrassment as Kazura stopped in front of him and glared up at him. Before he knew what was happening, she sent a slap flying for his cheek. Flinching as the memories of that fight against the hooded man came flooding back, Ariyama reached out reflexively and caught Kazura''s wrist just before her palm hit him.


    This one made her angrier and she struggled to remove her hand from his grip. Clearly, his training was making him stronger.


    ¡°Hey, listen, Machi. If you wanna slap me, at least do it over there.¡±


    He nodded to an empty space behind a row of lockers, and begrudgingly, Kazura brought her hand to her side and stomped over to the clear space.


    The moment Ariyama caught up with her, Kazura turned back to him and slapped him sharply. Ariyama winced with the pain flaring in his cheek and took a defensive step back.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°That''s only half of what I wanna do to you, jerk!.¡±


    Ariyama looked down with worry twisting in his gut. He blinked, feeling hurt wash through him as he scanned Kazura''s red face.


    ¡°Listen, Machi, I''m sorry I didn''t talk to you in so long¨C¡±


    Machi held up her hand, shaking her head angrily.


    ¡°No, I don''t wanna hear it, Saato. Ever since¡­ Ever since I heard about what happened to everyone¡­ What happened to Yasuke-kun¡­¡±


    Her voice broke and she clasped her hand over mouth, fighting back angry tears.


    ¡°You jerk. You JERK! I know you were suffering, but I was so¡­ Dammit, I was so damn worried about you. Hell, I was even worried about Matsune, and I usually hate that popular bitch. But¡­ why didn''t you talk to me?¡±


    Ariyama''s heart cracked as he watched Machi shiver with fury and sadness. He''d never seen her be so serious and genuinely sad. Usually, when she was upset, it was played off as a joke.


    ¡°Machi, I¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just shut up, Saato-kun. I didn''t even know if¡­¡±


    Kazura shifted her weight onto each foot, left and right.


    ¡°I didn''t even know if you were alive. I tried going to your house every day for the first two weeks ¨C so did Kento-kun and Odomura-chan ¨C but when your mom let us in, you wouldn''t even respond to us when we knocked on your door or called your name¡­¡±


    With shaking hands, Ariyama took hold of Kazura''s small shoulders.


    ¡°Listen to me, Machi. I''m¡­ so sorry I didn''t talk to you sooner. Honestly, I spent almost a whole month just locked in my room doing nothing. I felt so, so guilty. Like, I was thinking, ¡®Why did I survive? Why not any of the others? Why only Matsune and I?¡¯ What was the reason that fate decided to take away my best friend from me, but leave me alive to suffer?¡±


    Really, Ariyama only wondered why he alone survived. It was obvious that Matsune survived through her skills with her Enchanted Tool. And while technically, the same applied to him, why was it that he was the one who even reached the sword first?


    Ariyama couldn''t stop the tears brimming in his eyes and then leak down his cheeks, as he recalled those horrible events. His voice shook even more than his hands.


    ¡°I¡­ didn''t think I deserved to survive. To be honest, I still don''t. If I could, I would swap my life for Yasuke''s, or even Takemichi''s. The guilt I feel for their deaths makes me feel almost responsible too.¡±


    Once again, another lie. He knew he was responsible, since he was the one who discovered the Shrine Gate, and was the only one who knew what to do to open 8t. If he hadn''t done so, the group would''ve likely headed home and no one would''ve died.


    He did it because he wanted his ¡®big moment¡¯, so people would like him for reasons other than his wealth, but ended up getting four people killed.


    Kazura looked up at him with tears in her own eyes now. Sniffling, she reached up and held his arms with her hands.


    ¡°No¡­ Saato-kun, listen, please. I''m¡­ God, I was so damn worried about you. I knew you''d feel this way, even though I wished you wouldn''t. Saato-kun, you can''t blame yourself for what happened. I know I probably can''t help you, not now, but this is how I feel. And I¡­ even I feel a bit guilty too.¡±


    Ariyama stared down at her with wide eyes.


    ¡°What? How could you feel guilty? You weren''t even there when it happen¨C¡±


    ¡°That''s just it! I wasn''t there! I can''t lie and say I''m not grateful I didn''t have to witness that horror that you saw, but I wish I had at least been there. Maybe¡­ I could have helped in some way. And if not, at least I could''ve tried.¡±


    As Kazura began crying again, Ariyama looked at her with pity, a hole swelling in his stomach. She couldn''t have done anything, but the fact she had said she would''ve tried made him a mix of happy and horrified.


    He moved into her and pressed her slight body into his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around her shoulders. Shuddering with even more tears, Kazura wrapped her own arms around him, planting her face into his chest. Sobbing, she muttered into the fabric of his school shirt.


    ¡°Saato-kun¡­ I was so worried about you. I''m so glad you''re OK. Please, don''t ever scare me like that again, got it?¡±


    She was still trying to act tough, even with a red face and tears staining her cheeks? Just one of the ways Kazura Machi was so endearing.


    Once Kazura had quietened down a bit, Ariyama pulled back just enough to hold her at arm''s length and look meaningfully into her pale blue eyes, which were red from her dried tears.


    Ariyama managed a small smile, and tapped her cheek playfully with his knuckles.


    ¡°Hey, it''s OK, alright? Plus, it helps that you look cute when you cry.¡±


    Kazura averted her eyes, the redness of her face from her anger changing to the red of a small blush.


    ¡°Quit it with the flattery, dude. Just shut up and let me be happy you''re OK.¡±


    That made Ariyama chuckle softly, and he let her go. As she rubbed her eyes again, she looked up at him defiantly.


    ¡°Just to let you know, I''m not apologizing for the slap. That felt damn good. In the moment, at least.¡±


    ¡°And what about at this moment?¡±


    Kazura adjusted her untucked shirt, shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Eh, I dunno. Every guy needs a smack once in a while.¡±


    Ariyama raised a brow at Kazura''s cheerful smile.


    ¡°Machi, that''s kind of a bad mentality to have.¡±


    ¡°Oh well. You''re still a jerk, so for today, I''m gonna ignore you outright.¡±


    Ariyama sighed and shook his head good-naturedly.


    ¡°OK, sure. Whatever you want, I guess.¡±


    Kazura paused for a moment.


    ¡°You know¡­ I did hear some talks that you actually were seen around the school yesterday. What were you doing?¡±


    Ariyama nearly dropped dead right there.


    Was she serious? Crap, there probably were others who just happened to notice him while he was surveying Odomura.


    ¡°I was¡­ doing a thing.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty. And do you wanna make up to me about the ghosting?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Kazura''s grin was like the shine of the sun.


    ¡°Awesome. Then, I''m tagging along with you while you do that ¡®thing¡¯.¡±

 26. The Final Investigation

    Kazura Machi was Ariyama''s closest friend, and so he loved her, in a platonic kind of way. As such, he liked her.


    Still, she was being really annoying when she forced herself into Ariyama''s mission, and wouldn''t take no for an answer. The only way to deter her would be to reveal the truth, but that would definitely either land Ariyama in magic jail, or get him magically executed.


    All in all, he was irritated.


    And the irritation only grew when Genichirou Shoei of all people appeared out of nowhere and ended up joining him too.


    As Ariyama gave in and tried to explain ¨C in the most simple way, leaving no room to ask questions that may lead to the unveiling of the truth ¨C the basics of his plan to Kazura, he got a tap on his shoulder.


    The two were currently discussing it in the one place Matsune had deemed safe: the backroom. And since Ariyama wasn''t too confident in his own decision-making skills, he decided to go by her example.


    However, it seemed luck wasn''t on his side, as the door to the backroom was opened and Genichirou Shoei sauntered in, his face twisting in meager shock as he realized Ariyama and Kazura also occupied the room.


    ¡°Oh, shit, my bad guys. Ijichi-sensei told me to go find a spare whiteboard marker, and I just happened to find this place. I''ll just leave and let you two get back to making babies.¡±


    Ariyama stumbled over his words as Kazura stared wide-eyed at Genichirou.


    ¡°Oh, um, nah. We''re now doing that. Actually, we''re discussing a thing we''re doing together later this evening.¡±


    ¡°Oh sick, is it gender-neutral?¡±


    ¡°What? I mean¡­ Kazura''s a girl and I''m a guy, so I guess so?¡±


    ¡°Awesome. Can I swing by and join you guys? It''s just that I''ve been dead bored the last few days in the evenings. No one''s been inviting me out for parties or anything, and I''m really upset about it.¡±


    At another person asking to join, Ariyama winced with annoyance.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry dude, but there''s only really need for two¨C¡±


    ¡°Sure you can!¡±


    Ariyama looked at Kazura, who was smiling at Genichirou sweetly.


    ¡°Hey, I''ll send you the info later after school, ¡®kay? We can all meet up this evening.¡±


    Genichirou winked at her.


    ¡°You''re the best, Kazura. Alright, I''ll catch you later, Ariyama!¡±


    With a pep in his step, Genichirou sauntered back out of the room, closing the door behind him.


    Aghast, Ariyama glared at Kazura.


    ¡°Machi, what the heck was that all about¨C¡±


    At the sultry smile on her face, along with the pink blush dusting her cheeks, Kazura made Ariyama stop mid-sentence.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Woah. Ariyama, Genichirou-kun is just so hot, isn''t he?¡±


    Ariyama fought the will to facepalm on the spot.


    And thus, Genichirou was begrudgingly added to Ariyama''s plan. He was starting to regret letting Kazura intrude on his work. If she hadn''t been there, Genichirou wouldn''t have been added either.


    The gist of Ariyama''s plan was that he planned on actually entering the school itself that night, to check on a few things. Namely, any place that the hooded man had been. Matsune had said something before about linking the patches of foreign mana she found to the same frequency as whoever, leading to the reveal of the culprit.


    However, she hadn''t mentioned anything about connecting the aura of the hooded man to any of the excess mana. Probably because she was too busy trying not to die.


    So, Ariyama reckoned that, since he was able to use mana detection at a much more stable level now, he could hopefully find more intricate and faint levels of aura around the school. Since it was impossible to do that while there were tons of people during school hours, or even soon after school closed, due to the risk of being caught by people staying back for clubs or cleaners or others.


    As a result, the only adequate time was after dark when the only risk was sounding the alarms.


    But it just so happened that Genichirou had noticed that there was a backdoor near the backroom Matsune always used, which luckily had no alarms connected to it, meaning that if it just so happened to be burst down randomly during the night, the only sound would be the hinges snapping under the pressure.


    Ariyama also didn''t believe it, just because of how unbelievably convenient it was, but when Genichirou showed it was genuine during the day, all his worries washed away


    With that, his plan was ready.


    The three of them met up outside the school gate, staying close by the woods. The wind was howling in their ears and sending chills through Ariyama''s body, as it had a week prior during the encounter with the hooded man.


    ¡°So, what exactly are we here for again? You said you''d explain once we got here, and now we''ve got here.¡±


    That was Genichirou, as he sidled up beside Ariyama as he crouched near a bush, gazing intently at the school. He had wanted himself to look like he was deep in though, concocting the perfect idea. But in reality, he was just psyching himself up for his first solo mission. Well, it was supposed to be a solo mission, before Kazura and Genichirou rudely invaded. Now, Ariyama had to ensure the two of them weren''t put into harm''s way, which wouldn''t happen as long as the hooded man didn''t show up that night.


    As such, on one hand, Ariyama both did and didn''t want the unregistered Tribute to show up. He did, so he could prove his worth to Matsune and not let her down, but he also didn''t, as that''d mean Genichirou and Kazura would be in grave danger.


    Ariyama had brought his sword, of course, but judging from the first fight with the hooded man, he doubted he could do much more than hold him off for a little bit.


    So, in other words, those two being there really screwed over the plan. And what was worse was the fact Ariyama had to come up with a totally invalid reason to come there at last. It wasn''t like he could tell them he was breaking into the school to scan the area for traces of aura with his mana detection skill that he''d been learning for the past two weeks straight.


    So, the supposed ¡®plan¡¯ that he''d came up with was as follows:


    ¡°So, basically, Yasuke and I were planning this thing for a while. Basically, it''s a kind of prank on Ijichi-sensei. At night, we break into his classroom and draw some lewd artwork on his board. Then in the morning, we''d act completely innocent to our classmates until Ijichi arrived and then blew the whole room down with fury. I know it''s not mature in the slightest, but I wanted to do it. In remembrance of Yasuke¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Dammit, he really did hate using his friend''s death and supposed ¡®unfinished plan¡¯ as a scapegoat to complete his own mission. It tore relentlessly through his guts when he first came up with it, but what else was he to do? He couldn''t think of anything else that would genuinely make sense.


    ¡°Wow, I knew Yasuke-kun was a rebel, but I never thought he''d have thought up something this diabolical!¡±


    Kazura skipped over to the two of them happily. It was good to see she wasn''t dwelling on Yasuke as much as Ariyama was. No, that wasn''t fair. She most definitely was, but was probably hiding it deep down as well.


    Ariyama faked a smile, moving his gaze from Genichirou to the approaching Kazura.


    ¡°Yeah, it was gonna be his biggest hit yet. I really wasn''t planning on helping, but now I want to honor him by doing it. Now, enough of the why. Time to get to the how. Genichirou, you showed us that door which had no alarms triggered to it. Is it still possible to do the same thing we did earlier today?¡±


    Genichirou flashed him a dazzling smile of white teeth. The smile wasn''t even directed at her, but Kazura looked about ready to pounce on the tall blonde.


    ¡°Yup, chief, all systems are ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Alright you two, ready to head in. One last thing: I do want to be the one to do the deed, so if you''d just stick close to me and not wander off, that''d be great. After all, I don''t wanna get caught, so the second I''m done, I''m boring it out of there.¡±


    That one was actually true in both ways. In the case that Ariyama finished the main detection and came up empty, he was sprinting it out as fast as possible. This place was seriously giving him weird vibes.


    So, as the time passed ten o''clock, the three slowly made their way around the back of the school, heading towards the back door.


    The cold was nipping at Ariyama each step he took, and his stomach wasn''t fairing much better. He wasn''t sure if the breeze had made him catch a cold, or if it was nerves because of doing all this without Matsune.


    It was probably the latter. Along with the added responsibility of having to take care of Kazura and Genichirou, it just made his job even harder.


    Finally, they rounded to the back of the school and climbed over the metal fence, dropping down into the back courtyard and quietly sprinting over to the door. It was a simple fire exit, but Ariyama has to remind himself that he was shown that he wouldn''t trip any alarms. Unless someone installed an alarm system between the time Ariyama had left school, and now.


    Swallowing thickly, his breath coming out in long, shallow huffs, Ariyama reached out with quaking fingers and slowly pushed the bar handle. With a soft click, the door unlocked, and Ariyama pushed it open with a rush of adrenaline, prepared to hear the blaring alarm, preparing to turn and sprint off as soon as he could.


    But no alarm came.


    Ariyama breathed a sigh of relief. He really was being unnecessarily anxious. He just needed to not second-guess himself as much.


    ¡°Come then, let''s head in. You know what to do, right, Ariyama?¡±


    Genichirou slapped him on the back and swaggered inside, quickly followed by Kazura.


    Seriously, they needed to get a room.


    The halls inside the school were coated in cold mist, illuminated by a bluish-gray moonlight. It looked almost enchanted, like a fairy village in a fantasy story.


    Ariyama shivered against the cold pressing against his jacket. He really should''ve brought more insulated clothing. As he looked around, Genichirou and Kazura came up behind him.


    ¡°What, don''t tell me you''ve forgotten where Ijichi''s room is, Ariyama.¡±


    Ariyama resisted the urge to glare.


    ¡°I haven''t. I''m just¡­ looking. Eh, whatever, come on.¡±


    The three walked through the hallways, their breath misting in the winter night air, their footsteps echoing through the walls. Finally, they reached the door leading into Ijichi Morimoto''s classroom.


    Genichirou was first to speak again.


    ¡°So, you said you wanted to be the one to do it, right?¡±


    He pushed the door open, then signed and put his hand back down by his side. Ariyama noticed this.


    ¡°Is your hand OK?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, it''s fine. I just cut it a while back. The thing was sharp so it left a nasty cut on my palm.¡±


    Huh.


    ¡°I see. Well, actually, I¡­ need the bathroom. You too just day right here and don''t wander off, OK?¡±


    Without letting either of them interject, Ariyama sped off.


    He didn¡¯t stop till he was back on the first floor again. Slightly out of breath, he leaned against a wall to catch his breath, before standing straight and properly having a look around.


    He''d wanted to stay close to those two at all times, but because of that lie he''d told, it would be impossible to use mana detection while around them. But it didn''t matter, really. As long as it only took him a couple minutes, he could be back in no time.


    And so, he did just that. He stood straight, closing his eyes and focusing on accessing his mana detection. He felt the cold pressing against his skin through his clothing, and tried to push the feeling away. He let the heat from his body expand out, as if tearing a hole in a balloon and letting the helium escape. As the heat counteracted the cold, Ariyama focused even more. He imagined the bluish mist around him shifting and transforming into a deep red. Among the sea of red, there were points of flickering blue. Ariyama counted only two of those blue sparks. He wasn''t sure how it worked, but he was able to see that those two sparks were located on steps of the stairs leading up to the second floor.


    Dammit. So, there was residual mana inside the building. Ariyama doubted Matsune ever used her Enchanted Tool --which he was pretty sure was the only way mana could be released into the atmosphere ¨C indoors. So that meant it had to have been the hooded man. Since his Enchanted Tool seemed to be a knife that could duplicate itself seemingly infinitely, it probably wasn''t something too hard to conceal in public.


    He let his concentration slip and as his mana detection wore off, Ariyama cursed to himself and raced up the steps.


    Kazura and Genichirou better be OK.


    Please.


    Ariyama hurried towards Ijichi''s classroom. If those two did what he had said, they should''ve been close by.


    Ariyama almost cried of relief as he suddenly heard two voices in the distance ¨C it had to be Kazura and Genichirou. Slowly he came to a stop, just about to round the corner when he saw the scene in front of him and quickly edged back behind the corner. Ariyama''s heart pounded, his face flush with embarrassment, as he slowly peeked back into the hallway.


    On the left wall was the door to Ijichi-sensei''s classroom, and on the right wall was a line of lockers. Kazura was pressed back against those lockers, looking really submissive with a huge blush in her face, as she looked up at Genichirou towering over her. The tall blonde was resting an elbow over Kazura''s head against the lockers. He was grinning down at her with a bright smile, eyes narrowed with desire. Both of them were red in the face, and breathing heavily.


    Ariyama wasn¡¯t as dumb as to not realize he had narrowly missed seeing a full-on makeout session between those two.


    ¡°...how you really feel about me, huh?¡±


    That was Genichirou, chuckling slowly as he caressed Kazura''s tan cheek.


    Kazura was flustered and couldn''t find the words to say. There was a pang of something in Ariyama¡¯s chest, something he didn''t quite understand. Was it that he was jealous? No, no way. Was he thinking ¨C even wishing ¨C that he could''ve been the one pressing Kazura against the wall?


    ¡°Listen, Kazura-chan¨C¡±


    ¡°M-Machi. Just call me Machi.¡±


    ¡°Really now? Machi, I''ll ask you again. So this is how you really feel about me, huh?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. I''ve always thought you were so¡­ so damn hot, and now¡­¡±


    She trailed off, and then both looked at each other deviously. Before either of them could start ripping the clothes off one another, Ariyama reckoned it was best he invaded this moment before anything crazy happened.


    Trying to act natural, he walked back to them, pretending to just catch them in the act. As her eyes met his, Kazura flushed a deeper red and pushed Genichirou off, stepping into the middle of the hallway, peeking at Ariyama guiltily.


    ¡°Sorry, Saato-kun, I¡­¡±


    Genichirou stepped up next to her and gave Ariyama a cocky wink. He had a sudden urge to punch the guy, but withheld it and strode back towards them.


    ¡°Look, what you two do is not down to me. Just remember, there are cameras around these parts. Anyways, are you too ready?¡±


    Kazura nodded quickly, then glanced at Genichirou beside her, who looked down at the girl who was only eye-level with his chest. He smirked.


    ¡°I know you wanna rip the clothes off me, don''t ya? I''m afraid not.¡±


    He chuckled to himself.


    ¡°I''ve got things to do, girl.¡±


    Ariyama''s heart raced with panic, his limbs suddenly feeling heavy. His stomach churned and he felt like vomiting on the spot. Warmth and ice drenched his insides, twisting and turning his veins to lava and ice water simultaneously.


    That voice.


    Ariyama moved instantly and pushed Kazura away, ripping off his backpack and pulling his sword out, leaping at Genichirou, who still looked confused.


    Ariyama knew he recognised that voice from the one sentence he heard from the hooded man.


    And that wound he''d given him on his palm, using his sword¡­


    It was Genichirou.


    Genichirou was the culprit, and the unregistered Tribute.

 27. The Culprit

    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    As Ariyama launched himself at Genichirou, the blonde''s face shifted from confusion, to realization, then to pure glee.


    ¡°Took you long enough, moron! I''ve wanted to gut your ass, ever since that night.¡±


    He pulled a knife from his pocket and pointed it. The blade seemed to shimmer, then two copies split off from it, hovering above Genichirou''s shoulders before shooting at Ariyama.


    He gritted his teeth and moved to intercept. He dodged one knife and swung his sword to deflect the second.


    ¡°Oh, not bad! But without that Matsune bitch with you, you''re a dead man!¡±


    ¡°Shut it!¡±


    Ariyama was already close enough to slash Genichirou across the chest. One thing he noticed was that the blonde''s reaction time was nothing to be proud of. A line of Ted opened across his chest, followed by Ariyama''s knee crunching into his side. Genichirou barked in pain and rage, taking a few steps back before jumping away all together.


    While in mid air, Genichirou summoned a half dozen knives and sent the glittering objects speeding at Ariyama, who was just now regaining his stance.


    Crap.


    Ariyama bared his teeth as he swung his whole body, bringing his sword around and up, catching three of the knives along his blade and sending them flying away. As he moved, he narrowly avoided another two, but with the last one, he wasn''t so lucky.


    Pain


    Pain is what he felt as the last knife dug into his left thigh. At first, it felt weird, for his skin to be penetrated like that. As the knife embedded itself into his flesh, it stayed like that for a few moments before the proper pain set in.


    But Ariyama couldn''t focus on that, because Genichirou was already raising his knife and creating another torrent of knives. Shit. What was he going to do? Ariyama surveyed the scene and came to the obvious conclusion that the knife Genichirou held in his left hand must''ve been the main one, the Enchanted Tool itself, while everything else was just copies.


    So, he needed to rip that knife out of his hands somehow¨C


    ¡°Focus on the fight, you brat!¡±


    Genichirou screamed as he fired off the knives, but this time, only half of what he''d summoned, leaving the others still hovering over him. So he could control how many he fired too?


    Just great¡­


    Ariyama gasped as the pain flared red-hot down his left, and had to clumsily let himself collapse onto his knees to avoid the knives. The five or so sharp projectiles whizzed over his head, but Ariyama was stumbling to his feet before they even hit anything behind him.


    He couldn''t slow down. He just couldn''t. Or else he''d be pierced every which way by those knives. As he ran to block the remaining objects, the pain flooding his leg began to spread upwards to his hip, as if it was an infection. Were those knives poisoned? He wouldn''t be surprised, to be honest.


    His arms burned with strain as he swung his clunky sword, left and right, blocking and smacking the oncoming knives. He was doing a lot better already than he had back during their first encounter, but that was solely thanks to his training.


    Matsune had called him a ¡®quick-learner¡¯, after all.


    ¡°Come on now, ¡®Saato-kun¡¯! Wanna show off for your little girlfriend, huh?¡±


    Ariyama glared at Genichirou, noticing the cowering Kazura still on the floor in his peripheral vision. Her face was a mask of shock, her jaw hanging.


    He deflected the last knife, his hands shaking and going numb, just as Genichirou moved into him at break-neck speed and kicked him across the hallway. Ariyama skidded, then jammed his sword into the floor to stop his momentum. The force almost tore his arm out of its socket, but it succeeded in slowing him to a halt.


    Ariyama spat blood and when he looked up, he saw the nasty snarl on Genichirou''s face, contrasting the cocky, easy grin he had on not even a minute before.


    Why?


    Ariyama had been too busy engaged in the fight to ask the simple question: why?


    Why was it Genichirou?


    Ariyama didn''t particularly like the guy, since he was always so confident that it got on his nerves. But still, why was it him? Why couldn''t it have been some random student Ariyama had never interacted with?


    But then the thoughts came rushing to Ariyama''s mind. It all lined up too perfectly to be coincidental.


    Even though he''d supposedly been a transfer student for weeks before, Ariyama had only first seen Genichirou after coming back on his first day after the incident. Was that planned? Was Genichirou only getting close to him so he could kill him, like he was trying to do now?


    But what was Genichirou''s plan at all? Matsune ¨C and by extension, Ariyama ¨C were only trailing him due to him being an unregistered Tribute. So, did being unregistered automatically mean he was up to something malicious, or was it that maybe he was just trying to live his life, free of the control of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society?


    Up until the point they found out the hooded man was seen snooping around the school after hours, Ariyama would''ve considered that. But by that point, he knew for sure that the man was up to something.


    So what was Genichirou''s plan?


    He didn''t have time to think, as he struggled to his feet and jumped back into the fray.


    His breath was coming out in ragged bursts, his limbs were on fire, and he was moments away from hurling his guts up, but still Ariyama pressed on. He didn¡¯t know what Genichirou was even doing at this school, not really. He didn¡¯t know his plans in the slightest, just as he barely knew his own plans. He was unconfident, inadequate, incompetent.


    But kept fighting.


    Because Genichirou wasn¡¯t going to lay a hand on Kazura.


    And he needed some payback for the damage he inflicted on Matsune too.


    Genichirou spat on the floor as another three knives were deflected. Once each one got knocked away, they skittered across the ground before eventually dissipating into smoke. Did that indicate there was a limit to how many knives he could have deployed at once?


    If so, Ariyama could use that to his advantage.


    ¡°Dammit, don¡¯t you ever quit?¡±


    Genichirou threw his hand up, but Ariyama was ready this time, and tensed his whole body. He wasn¡¯t too sure about the properties of the mana that circulated around his body, but he imagined it was like he was a massive, weirdly-shaped pipe, and his mana was water flooding his insides. He focused the water into his legs, and willed the dam to burst. He wasn¡¯t sure if it actually did anything, but he felt as if power bloomed through his legs, giving him a monetary boost.


    Genichirou still had his knife raised, about to split it into copies.


    Ariyama had to reach him first, he had to. He had to get there. He had to get there. He had to get the¨C


    He got there.


    Genichirou audibly gasped as Ariyama reached him just as his knife began to shimmer. Bringing his sword up, Ariyama knocked the knife ¨C the proper Enchanted Tool ¨C from the blonde¡¯s hands, and couldn¡¯t stop the grin spreading across his face.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. I wanna show off.¡±


    Ariyama dipped his left shoulder as he reeled his right fist back and hit Genichirou in the face like a freight train. Even the impact and weight behind that punch made Ariyama¡¯s own bones shudder. He felt Genichirou¡¯s nose burst beneath his knuckles, but he knew that wasn¡¯t enough. He was riding on a high now, and wouldn¡¯t quit until Genichirou was out of the picture. Ariyama wouldn¡¯t kill him, but he could do plenty worse.


    His dark thoughts scared him, but he executed his idea regardless.


    His fist still pressed into Genichirou¡¯s nose, Ariyama stuck out his thumb and twisted his hand, jamming his thumb into Genichirou¡¯s right eye. Genichioru screamed as his eyeball popped, and Ariyama screamed as he felt it happen. He felt even more sick, disgusted as he felt the wet surface of the eye, then the gushing flow of it bursting.


    Ariyama pulled back and let Genichirou stagger back, hands at his face, screaming bloody murder.


    ¡°YOU¡­ ARGH, YOU SON OF A¨C¡±


    Genichirou didn¡¯t even finish his sentence, and dipped low and launched himself at Ariyama.


    What? Huh?


    Ariyama was staring at the blood covering his knuckles and thumb, trying not to vomit over the memories of the feeling of the eye exploding, when a knife was slid into his side.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Genichirou stumbled away, falling to his knees, shaking but not screaming anymore. No, it was Ariyama¡¯s turn now.


    ¡°AAAGGHH!¡±


    What? How the hell had Genichirou made another knife, if the Enchanted Tool was out of his grasp?


    His question was answered when he fell back onto his ass, looking to his side and seeing a knife clutched in Genichirou¡¯s hand. It had a royal blue handle, while all the others had black, including the one Ariyama had knocked away, and the one sticking out of him.


    It was a dummy. It wasn¡¯t the proper knife.


    Shit.


    Ariyama¡¯s vision darkened in the corners as the fact he¡¯d just been stabbed set it. Shaking with pain and slowly-dying anger, he looked down at the knife in his side, watching in slow-motion as red seeped out of the wound and stained his dark hoodie.


    God. Oh, God, no,


    Not now. Please. If he died now, Kazura would be at Genichirou¡¯s mercy. Maybe before, he would¡¯ve let her leave, but since she¡¯d witness the fight, she was now disposable.


    Shit, shit, SHIT!


    Ariyama gasped as the pain faded for just a moment, and in that moment, he looked up.


    Just as Genichirou, swaying on his two feet, spoke something Ariyama couldn¡¯t hear and fired a knife.


    Kazura was sitting against the lockers.


    And that knife, dug into her arm.


    This wasn¡¯t like the slash she received from the Shrine¡¯s arrow trap.


    The knife pierced her and she shrieked as blood pumped out.


    Ariyama roared as he watched Genichirou struggling towards Kazura, clearly intent on finishing the job.


    No, no, no, no, no, no.


    Somebody, please!


    Give me control.


    What? Idolseus?


    Just for a moment. Unless you want the girl to die?


    ¡°I¡­ No, I don¡¯t want her to die¡­¡±


    Then give me control. For a split second so I can save her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust y¨C¡±


    Then you leave Kazura Machi to die. Your choice, boy.


    ¡°But¡­ Shit, fine, OK. Take control.¡±


    Ariyama felt the Pilgrim¡¯s smile echo through his consciousness, and then he was enveloped in black.


    When the boy rose, he wasn¡¯t Ariyama. It was his body, but there was another mind in control. His hair flowed with glowing light. His eyes were like exploding suns.


    The burning heat of the light alerted Genichirou, and he half-turned as he fired another knife at Kazura Machi¡¯s skull.


    But the boy moved faster. He brandished his sword of crackling heat, burning bright white, and swung it sharply. There was an ear-splitting sound that shattered the atmosphere and gouged a line in the floor, also cleaving the flying knife in two.


    Genichirou cursed under his breath in disbelief, taking a step back, raising his proper Enchanted Tool, ready to summon another dozen knives to¨C


    The line burned in the floor exploded, and the whole section of titles shattered like glass. Genichirou yelled as he fell through the gap in the floor and disappeared in a cloud of plaster and dust, falling straight down to the first floor.


    But by that time, the boy was back in his body, standing up straight and wondering why the knife and wound in his side were gone.


    The pain. It was gone.


    Completely gone.


    Ariyama wiped away some blood still sticking to his hoodie, but sure enough, the only hole in him was the one through the fabric ¨C the wound was thoroughly healed, without leaving even a scar.


    Was that¡­ Idolseus¡¯s power? Ariyama surveyed the damage, seeing the dust still rising from the big gap in the floor now. But when he saw the barely-conscious Kazura laying just beyond the rubble, his attention switched to her. He sprinted along the perimeter of the hole, reaching her beside the lockers and falling to his knees, instinctively checking her wound. Luckily, the knife hadn¡¯t hit her in the heart or brain, but blood was still leaking profusely from the gash in her shoulder. The knife itself must have someone fallen out, or she had ripped it out on instinct herself, or even the heat from Ideolseus¡¯s attack ¨C which Ariyama only vaguely remembered ¨C had burned it to ash.


    And what even were his powers exactly? Had he actually swapped consciousnesses with Ariyama and taken control of his body, even if it was only for a few seconds. Regardless, Ariyama felt a chill in his skull afterwards.


    But no. Kazura was the main priority right now.


    Ariyama had already failed to save one of his best friends, and he was not going to watch the other die in front of him.


    No, goddammit. He wouldn¡¯t let it happen, not now. Never again.


    His mind racing, he forced himself to calm down. If he didn¡¯t steady himself, Kazura would bleed out before his very eyes.


    ¡°S-Saato~¡±


    Kazura mumbled as she reached up to grasp at space. Ariyama took hold of her hand and pressed it to her chest.


    ¡°Shush, just save your strength. Don¡¯t talk, OK?¡±


    His mind free of obstacles now, a clear idea came to Ariyama. He quickly placed his sword on the ground, then peeled his sweat-drenched hoodie off. Grabbing his sword again, he drew the shattered blade across the hoodie and sliced off the sleeve. Taking hold of Kazura¡¯s frail arm, he lifted it and quickly applied the torn-off sleeve, wrapping it around the wound in her bicep, tying it to staunch the bleeding. She still needed the hospital, but at least now, she wasn¡¯t going to bleed out any moment.


    Ariyama wiped sweat from his forehead, sitting back and breathing out a long sigh of relief.


    She was safe. For now.


    ¡°ARIYAMA!¡±


    The distant scream made Ariyama jump, and he was on his feet instantly. The swift movement made him momentarily light-headed, and by the time he shook the blurriness off, he looked up and saw Genichirou limping towards him, stopping on the opposite side of the hole in the floor. Through the blue mist that still wafted through the whole school and gave it an atmospheric feeling, Ariyama saw Genichirou with his one untouched eye, glaring, with a deep scarlet-pink iris, at him.


    If he wasn¡¯t planning on killing him before, he for sure was now.


    In that moment of stillness, where nothing was moving except for the shifting mist, Ariyama took the opportunity to voice his previous question.


    ¡°Why¡­ What do you even get from this? I thought¡­ I thought we were friends! Why are you doing this? Why are you sneaking around the school at night? What¨C¡±


    He cursed as he avoided a knife that shot for him. He looked back at Genichirou with a look that expressed his hurt.


    Genichirou, on the other hand, had his teeth clenched and looked about ready to explode.


    ¡°You shut your FUCKING mouth! I¡¯m going to kill the hell out of you, and right now, I¡¯m gonna enjoy the shit out of it. So, quit trying to figure out ¡®why¡¯, and focus on not dying, you sack of¨C¡±


    Genichirou¡¯s eye widened as he dodged out of the way of a cut of blazing heat that came from Ariyama¡¯s blade. The one strike, which drew from the power of the Pilgrim within him, drained Ariyama more than he¡¯d like to admit, but he stood defiant.


    ¡°You should heed your own words, Genichirou. Come on, then¡­¡±


    The blonde smirked, and that smirk turned to a cackling laugh. Then, he took a step back, and leapt over the five-meter-wide hole in one jump.


    Ariyama shifted back, Genichirou slamming down on the spot he was just standing on. The blonde¡¯s ruined face gazed up at him, before he darted forwards, knives hovering up above him.


    Dammit, was he ever going to quit? Probably not.


    Ariyama knew he wasn¡¯t going to cease his efforts till he buried him.


    And if Ariyama wanted to protect Kazura, like he had been planning on doing the whole time, it might come to the situation where he had to do the same to Genichirou.


    As the two clashed, both extremely lacking in finesse and skill with their attacks due to their injuries, Ariyama pondered the question. Would he be willing to take a life to save Kazura?


    No, was he ready now to take a life?


    When he had first survived the Shrine, he didn¡¯t think he deserved to live instead of the others. But now, if he was going to fulfill his promise and protect the friends he had left, no matter what, then he¡¯d have to be ready to do it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything other than this fight right now!¡±


    Genichirou yelled, having must have seen Ariyama¡¯s face and recognized his internal conflict. But then again, he was right. One wrong move on Ariyama¡¯s part and he¡¯d be a pincushion of knives before he could even draw a breath. When he had attacked Genichirou with Matsune at his side, they were able to work together and overwhelm it with some semblance of easiness. Now, however, Ariyama was sweating, bloodied, tired, sick and many more things. He had half the mind to just quit. To just lower his sword and let one of Genichirou¡¯s knives pierce his throat.


    That¡¯d end his suffering without worry, and only a little more pain.


    It would be¡­ so¡­ easy¡­


    No.


    It couldn¡¯t go out like that; like a wuss. If he died, that meant Kazura died. Then, once she returned, Matsune would have no way of knowing the culprit was actually Genichirou. So, everything settled on Ariyama keeping himself alive and holding out for as long as he could.


    Because Matsune wasn¡¯t coming


    No one was coming to help.


    So he needed to step up and do the protecting on his own for once. He wouldn¡¯t let this bastard touch his friends ever again. Ariyama thought back to the scene of Kazura bleeding badly from her wound, weakly calling out his name. He thought further back an image of Kazura as a child, looking so much more innocent and even more cheeky.


    If he died, that girl would be dead.


    And Matsune would probably never get over another two deaths on her conscience.


    Ariyama blew out a breath as he knocked away a glinting knife and stared at Genichirou with deadly glare. He let the anger that had been building up in him since that night out in a wave of crashing emotions, feeling his veins flow with lava, an annoying itch in the back of his brain growing into an invisible hand that grasped his whole skull and poured every ounce of anger into his thoughts. He needed to use everything he had to protect them. All of them.


    It was a miracle that Genichirou seemed inexperienced enough that Ariyama, who only started his training two weeks prior, could keep up.


    Now, for Ariyama to actually beat him, he¡¯d need nothing short of a blessing.


    Genichirou held two knives in his hands and stabbed at Ariyama, who brought up his sword and blocked the strike. As their blades struggled against each other for a moment, Ariyama spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you down. You¡¯re about to pay for what you did to Machi!¡±


    At that, Genichirou giggled maniacally. The blood was still running down his face from his ruined eye, and it seemed to be starting to affect his brain.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute, Saato-kun. Hey, you''re gonna take me down, yeah? I¡¯m gonna pay for what I did to that bitch? Well, can you protect her, even now?¡±


    Genichirou ducked his head and dove past Ariyama, throwing a knife at him. Ariyama gripped the sword in his bleeding hands and smashed the knife away, then screamed as he realized what Genichirou was doing.


    He had to get there before.


    No, it would be too much to block.


    But if he didnt, Kazura¡­


    Genichirou snarled ferally as he pointed his Enchanted Tool and launched a dozen knives right at Kazura, who was still semi-conscious, sitting against the dented lockers. Ariyama yelled in protest and moved past Genichirou, using his previous technique of overflowing the water in his legs to burst out, but even still, he knew he couldn¡¯t reach Kazura, turn to face the onslaught, and knock all twelve blades away.


    No. No, please.


    After everything he said¡­


    He still wasn¡¯t going to let it happen.


    HE WASN¡¯T GOING TO LET IT HAPPEN!!


    Even if it killed him¡­


    Ariyama raced across the cracked floor, his feet burning with tears in his shoes. He got there. He got in front of Kazura. He saw up-close that she was actually rousing from her unconsciousness. He would¡¯ve preferred she didn¡¯t see this. But that didn¡¯t matter.


    He turned.


    The wave of knives came from him.


    Kazura must have fully awoken, as he heard her cry out his name in alarm.


    That was OK.


    Everything would be OK.


    You fool! You¡¯ll die! Let me take control again, even just for a second. I can save you and the girl, and heal your wounds again¨C


    ¡°No.¡±


    What¡­?


    ¡°This is my fight. So piss off, cause I¡¯m gonna kill this bastard myself.¡±


    Ariyama swung his sword ¨C on his own, with just the remaining strength he had in him ¨Cand hit maybe two or three knives, redirecting them to stab into the floor or the wall, while the remainder of them pierced his body relentlessly.

 28. Predator and his Prey

    What the hell was he thinking?


    Genichirou Shoei stared in confusion at the scene laid out before him.


    What the actual hell was he thinking?


    It was so idiotic Genichirou let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.


    He had killed Ariyama Saato. That was for sure. The part that confused him was Ariyama¡¯s last, desperate plan. He had managed to reach the girl ¨C Genichirou had already forgotten her name ¨C and turn to face the storm of blades heading his way. However, he didn¡¯t do that weird thing where he burst into an aura of blazing white heat and cast away Genichirou¡¯s knives instantly. No, instead, he swung his rusted sword lazily and deflected only four of the knives, letting the other eight spear through him.


    That blonde bitch was awake now, screaming Ariyama¡¯s name like an annoying parrot. Genichirou was itching to kill her after this. Maybe he¡¯d do something else to her first before killing her, all depending on how he felt. But right now, he was feeling annoyingly confused.


    He stared at Ariyama, whose head was down, his chin resting on his upper chest, but he was still standing on his feet like a statue. The knives from Genichirou¡¯s Enchanted Tool stuck out of his whole body. All eight of them. There were two in his left leg ¨C one through the thigh and one through the shin ¨C then one through his right knee, two stabbing into his left arm, one through is right, one piercing his stomach and the last one having cut open a gouge across his collarbone before falling to the ground.


    Genichirou¡¯s knife Enchanted Tool was called Thornblade Vorpal¨¦, and it worked as such: Using the main knife that was the Tool itself, Genichirou could split it on the molecular level, into a maximum of thirteen copies at one time. Each knife hovered around him and could be fully manipulated by him. Each was also imbued with an ancient affliction from the Reverse World that caused pain to grow and spread across the whole body over time, the source being the main wound inflicted.


    All in all, Ariyama was dead meat. With seven full magically-empowered knives piercing through him, and eight wounds from which the pain would only swell and increase over time, even if he was still conscious, one flicker of movement and he would feel the pain of being burned in the center of a volcano, times ten.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Hehehe¡­ HAHAHAHA!¡±


    It was HILARIOUS! Genichirou couldn¡¯t help but burst out in sing-song laughter at the bastard¡¯s stupidity. Genichirou hated losing, but he had to admit that Ariyama was a formidable foe, and even an intelligent one. But now it was obvious he was truly just an incompetent fool.


    What an absolute idiot¨C


    He moved.


    Genichirou¡¯s blood froze in his face, the color washing out of his face and he noticed it and stared, slack-jawed.


    What?


    No, he was definitely seeing things, because it was absolutely impossible that it could be for real¨C


    He moved again. His lip twitched, and he raised his head ever so slightly.


    Genichirou instinctively backed up. He was seeing things. He had to have been¡­


    But then Ariyama gritted his teeth and fully looked up. His gaze was hidden in the shadow cast by his fringe, but Genichirou knew in his soul that Ariyama was looking directly at him.


    The boy let out a low groan.


    Then reached up with the hand not still gripping his sword, and tore the knife out of his belly.


    Genichirou couldn¡¯t breathe. Dammit, why was he so scared now? Impossible. It was because this was an impossible feat. How was Ariyama ¨C someone who Genichirou was told only discovered his Enchanted Tool about a month and a half ago ¨C able to withstand the excruciating pain from Genichirou¡¯s Thornblade Vorpal¨¦?


    When Genichirou was younger, and curious, he had cut himself on the arm with his knife, just to test the lengths of the pain spread. Within minutes, it had felt like his whole arm had been submerged in a lake of boiling water. Just imagining what kind of devilish pain the boy was going through almost made Ariyama throw up on the spot.


    What kind of monster was this Ariyama Saato?


    Genichirou was smart. He was a genius. So, how had he been so blind as to Ariyama¡¯s true capabilities this whole time?


    Genichirou¡¯s whole body shuddered as Ariyama reached for the knives impaling his arms, and ripped them free, one by one. He was gritting his teeth, sweating profusely, tears streaming down his face. He was definitely not immune to the pain. He was feeling it. Every movement he made was sending waves of redhot pain coursing through him.


    His whole body was drenched in red. The girl laying just behind him was crying too, but out of pure terror. Her hands were clasped over her mouth in horror. Genichirou had lost recollection of her name, but he knew she was headstrong. And yet, she seemed prepared to faint, like an old woman.


    Ariyama had just the knives through his legs left, and he bent down slightly to grasp them and pull them free. And just like that, he was left without a single one sticking through him.


    What kind of¡­


    What kind of idiot was he?


    Genichirou knew that the brat knew that once you remove a knife from a stab wound, the blood loss would increase dramatically. Sure, it gave him more maneuverability, but he was simultaneously signing his own death warrant.


    Genichirou felt more relaxed now, all of a sudden. He was grinning again. He would watch in glee as Ariyama took one, maybe two, steps before he collapsed. He was pouring blood from all those wounds already, so perhaps he wouldn''t even make it one step.


    But for some reason, apart from the blood dripping off his clothes, Genichirou couldn¡¯t see any flowing blood on Ariyama.


    Wait. There was maybe a chance. So, that was it all along? The bastard had¨C


    Ariyama moved like a ravenous beast, raising his sword and diving at Genichirou.


    Damn, he was actually kinda fast for a kid¨C


    ¡°AAAHHH!!¡±


    Ariyama appeared beside Genichirou and brought his rusted sword up in a sharp arc, severing his hand from his wrist. Genichirou clutched at his stump as it poured steaming blood. He screamed. He screamed, and screamed and screamed some more. He walked backwards, trying to make distance between him and the demon that was Ariyama Saato.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But Ariyama didn¡¯t follow.


    Genichirou stopped, raising a crazed brow in confusion. Just then, Ariyama wiped his fringe out of his face and gave Genichirou a manic grin.


    ¡°Run.¡±


    Genichirou¡¯s legs were moving him towards the hole in the ground before the panic even crushed his heart. Why? Why, why, why, why?


    What was making him so damn scared?


    What was in Ariyama?


    No, it wasn¡¯t something that was in him.


    That demon was Ariyama himself.


    Genichirou knew what that little bastard had witnessed. He wasn¡¯t sympathetic, but he did recognise the brutality of what he¡¯d gone through. Had that been what made him snap like this? What made him have all his anger built up within him to be used to be able to snap in the first place?


    Genichirou had tears of fear rolling down his face as his mind caught up with his limbs, and he leapt into the hole in the ground. For a moment, he was weightless, before hitting the first floor below, twisting his ankle.


    The sharp pain in his foot didn¡¯t come close to the searing pain he felt in his quickly-numbing stump that used to be his left hand.


    That brat had told him to run, and goddamn him, he did just that.


    Genichirou limped through the corridors, clutching his healed stump where his left hand used to be. He was one of the rare few Tributes with an innate Allay Technique, allowing him to manipulate his mana into having a healing property. Nothing insane enough to regrow a limb ¨C that was something that was considered impossible ¨C but just enough so he wouldn¡¯t bleed out.


    But even though he was healed now, he was still terrified.


    He was terrified of the kid demon, the spawn of the devil, Ariyama Saato.


    What the shit had Viktor thought when sending him out to a school that not only had that Matsune bitch, but also this monster?


    Ah, screw it. Genichirou was sure he¡¯d explain everything once Genichirou got back. Hell, maybe Viktor was waiting to help him, or one of the others were.


    If that was the case, Genichirou just had to find Viktor. Or Ishiguro. Or even I¨C


    He turned a corner and his heart nearly stopped as Ariyama, head bowed again and his whole form drenched in blood, stepped into the same corridor and met his gaze. The kid¡¯s ebony eyes were wild but also devoid of emotion. He looked equally crazed, and emotionless. He must have gone insane resisting the pain of Thornblade Vorpal¨¦.


    Genichirou growled in defiance.


    ¡°So, what? Now that you¡¯re suddenly able to show off with all these surprising little tricks, means you''re able to stop me? Hell no. I¡¯m Genichirou goddamned Shoei, and I refuse to be bullied by an insignificant, little bug¨C¡±


    Ariyama spoke. It was soft and quiet, but Genichirou still heard every word.


    ¡°Hey, Idolseus, change of plans. I need a little boost, just to bury this guy for good.¡±


    His disrespectful words sent spears of fiery anger through Genichirou¡¯s mind. He bent his knees and sprinted down the hallway, using his leftover mana to bound three meters with each stride.


    This was it.


    He was going to kill this brat before he even could raise that damned sword an inch higher.


    Then he¡¯d be in Viktor¡¯s favor, and then he could finally¨C


    Ariyama erupted in a haze of white hot heat, igniting the ground he stood on. For a moment, his eyes were like exploding suns, his black hair flowing bright white. That presence wasn¡¯t Ariyama. No, it was¡­


    Genichirou¡¯s thoughts were cut off as the white-haired figure swung a blade of glowing heat and sent a stream of light carving through the hallway, enveloping Genichirou entirely.


    Oh.


    So, was this what dying felt like?


    Genichirou smiled sadly as the white heat scorched his skin and tore his clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis.¡±


    Ariyama considered it a death by his own hands, even if he had to ask Idolseus to power it once more. The pain he had felt when taking the knives out ¨C the pain that was so egregious he would have preferred being skinned alive and dumped in salt ¨C was now long gone. He was quite desensitized, so he wasn¡¯t sure if that was thanks to Idolseus or something else. It didn¡¯t matter, though.


    ¡°I need a boost,¡± is what he had said.


    Idolseus had replied with, If so, you must know your sword¡¯s true name. It¡¯s been long enough. For you to tap into the sword¡¯s power without my interference, you must know it.


    ¡°OK, and that name is¡­?¡±


    Jallarbor Godrend


    Ariyama didn¡¯t know what it meant, but when he said it, he was no longer the controller of his body. Heat sprang off him like he was a nuclear reactor. Then he swung the sword, Jallarbor Godrend, at the quickly-approaching Genichirou Shoei, which instantly swept the blonde bastard away. The white hot blaze shot out in an ear-piercing blast, like it had back in the Shrine. It blew through the corridor and erupted the walls and caused that whole corner of the school to be blown away.


    Ariyama felt a wave of crazed ecstasy as the sword was swung. He felt amazing in that moment, even if he shouldn¡¯t have.


    But then, as the control went back to him, he just stood there as debris and dust blasted at him. He felt weightless, even as his feet touched the ground. He was so senseless that he could¡¯ve easily stayed in that same spot for the rest of his life. It was so, so cozy¡­


    Something snapped him out of his reverie, and he took in a deep breath, as if bringing life back into his lungs. His shoulders slumped and he spent a good five minutes just getting his breathing and awareness back. Once he was sure he wasn¡¯t gonna trip over his own feet, he strode through the rubble-littered floor, heading back to Kazura.


    Crap, what was he gonna tell Matsune?


    There was a huge hole in the back right corner of the school, courtesy of him. Genichirou was the culprit, but was now an ashen stain on the ground, and finally, Kazura was now exposed to the secret world, just like he had been two months prior.


    Ariyama wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was jailed for all the destruction and chaos he¡¯d caused.


    And, crap, didn¡¯t Matsune say at the very start that they were gonna take the culprit alive? Just another thing Ariyama had messed up on. But he was sure they preferred a dead unregistered Tribute to an unregistered Tribute continuing to be let loose.


    As Ariyama began sprinting up the stairs, another thought crossed his mind.


    Genichirou was dead. He had killed him. Ariyama had killed another human being. Not some mythical Shrine guardian monster, but an actual person with feelings and emotions.


    It was probably the rushing adrenaline and his spinning mind that refused him time to properly realize what he¡¯d done. But if he had to, he¡¯d do it again. Probably.


    It was either Genichirou died, or Kazura died. And Ariyama would choose Kazura a thousand times over.


    Finally, he reached the corridor outside Ijichi¡¯s classroom. There was a big hole still covering almost the whole middle of the corridor. On the opposite side, Kazura continued to lay down. She must have fallen into unconsciousness again. Ariyama didn¡¯t blame her. He was sure to follow close behind. He passed over the thin strip of floor still left by the wall, then grabbed Kazura and lifted her into his arms and carried her away.


    By the time he reached the main gate, his arms were burning. Kazura was light, but Ariyama¡¯s fatigue was making him weaker by the second.


    He used Jallarbor Godrend to cut open the lock to the gate, and slipped past it with Kazura still in his arms. They were outside now. They were safe.


    He rested Kazura down against the wall, and then sat next to her. His mind was still racing with questions and emotions, but he knew what he needed to do first. With hands that shook from the adrenaline that was slowly wearing off now, Ariyama pulled his cracked phone from his pocket. Luckily, it still functioned. He called Matsune¡¯s number, and quickly explained everything to her.


    She was quiet for most of his spiel, and ended the call by telling him to stay put, and that she was too occupied to go out herself. So, she was sending another agent of the Pilgrims¡¯ Society to collect Ariyama and Kazura both.


    Oh, thank God.


    Ariyama cried ¨C he actually cried ¨C once the phone call ended. He had never had such a taxing night of his life. That night in the Shrine was a different story entirely, so he didn¡¯t want to count that at all. So, apart from that, this night was possibly the worst of his life.


    Looking to his right, he gazed tiredly at Kazura, then rested his hand on hers.


    It was all over, and his best friend was safe. He was content.


    As his vision blurred and he began to lose consciousness, Ariyama turned his head and peer between the bars of the school gate. He noticed a figure in a black cloak and hood, a silver wreath-looking symbol on the clasp that connected the hood and cape.


    Oh, so was that the Pilgrims¡¯ Society guy Matsune had sent? He sure go there early¨C


    Ariyama hadn¡¯t one more thought, as his consciousness finally slipped from him, and he fell into a deep, well-deserved sleep.

 29. Not Dead so Soon

    Genichirou Shoei survived.


    Using his innate ability of the Allay Technique, he survived the massive blast of cutting heat that would¡¯ve killed him otherwise


    The pain that flooded his body; it was so horrible that it was impossible to describe even one one-millionth of the feeling that flushed through him. He tried to scream, but by that point, his throat was scorched till all he let out was ash. Everything around him blazed bright white, with a heat so intense that it tore through his clothes and seared his skin into charcoal.


    He would''ve been dead ¨C he probably should''ve been dead ¨C had it not been for his innate Allay Technique.


    Thanks to that, he was able to survive. He focused every last molecule left in his brain to pour his mana with the healing property. His mana flexed and went into a  spasm around him, shifting and transforming into a new element. As the white enveloped him, in that same moment, light green aura poured off his like steam, acting as barrier to the burning-hot slash, as well as passively healing his wounds.


    It felt like he was doused with ice-cold water while in the middle of a burning desert. He almost cried out in elation as he felt his body fight back against the white-blue blaze and begin to repair itself.


    Genichirou had lost consciousness at setpoint, and when he awoke again, the first thing that came to his mind was the fact his Allay Technique had healed his most lethal wounds, but hadn''t removed the pain.


    Every slight movement he took opened the floodgates and released new crashing waves of red hot pain shooting through every inch of his body.


    He snarled in anguish, his teeth either missing or charred, his throat still burnt to the point his voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    His body shook as he slowly ¨C very slowly¨C got to his feet. His clothes, of course, were still ruined, but he was glad that he kept his modesty as his pants hand remained to cover the important parts. He bit his cracked lip as he reached up and tore the smoking remains of his shirt off of his mashed skin. It was all red, either from regrow skin or still-leaking blood.


    He was still missing his right eye and his left hand, but he was alive, even if every movement made his bones grind against each other and threaten to break.


    That attack.


    What the hell was that?


    Ariyama had released a slash strong enough to completely demolish a corner of the whole school, sending Genichirou¡¯s half-dead boys flying out and landing in the debris-covered courtyard.


    As smoke rose up from the pieces of the school that laid around him, Genichirou winced and looked around.


    What was he going to do now?


    There was a high likelihood that Ariyama had escaped by now, and probably brought that blonde girl with him. So, Genichirou had failed spectacularly.


    He screamed his rage and smashed his fist against the nearest chuck of wall, hollering like a wild animal as the brick split his knuckles.


    Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!


    Everything was going so well, too! Up until those two¨C


    ¡°Shoei?¡±


    That voice. That voice that sounded like a soft rasp of a burned throat ¨C not unlike Genichirou now ¨C came from somewhere behind him. His legs suddenly shook, and he looked around at a large piece of debris, on top of which two people stood.


    The tall man on the left was smoking a cigarette, as usual. His long raven hair was tied into a loose ponytail, his shadowy face unshaven and eyes tired. His whole attire was black, including his flapping trench coat that reached his ankles.


    Ishiguro Kagemitsu


    The smaller of the two wore a flashy, bright red overcoat with a popped collar. His whole body was wrapped in tight bandages, leaving only room for his left eye and mouth.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Viktor Akahoshi.


    The bandaged man spoke again.


    ¡°Shoei. Correct me if I''m wrong, but I believe I left you with quite a simple task, no?¡±


    His dry mouth was lighthearted, but that didn''t mean anything good when it came to Akahoshi.


    ¡°V-Victor. Listen to me¡­ That new kid, the one who only learned of the secret world less than two months ago? He''s a¡­ He''s a demon! Such power, such raw determination. I hit him with Thornblade Vorpal¨¦, but even the pain infection from being stabbed with the knives seemed to not deter him. He felt it, for sure. He felt every moment of that indescribable pain, but he still did THIS to me!¡±


    He held up his stump, and twisted his face into a snarl of rage and pain and desperation.


    But Akahoshi just put a bandaged hand to his burned lips.


    ¡°Shh, shh, shh. Shoei, listen to me. You seem to not be understanding the situation.¡±


    What? Not understanding the situation? Akahoshi wasn''t wasn''t there, so how the hell did he know anything at all?


    ¡°Viktor¡­ What¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen. You are continuously going on and on about how this Ariyama boy is some sort of demon. You''re saying he did all this to you? I''d wager you''d even be dead if it wasn''t for that handy Allay Technique of yours.¡±


    He was right. A hundred percent right.


    ¡°So, I''m just curious as to how a boy, who''s only had his Enchanted Tool for just over a Month at this point, could defeat you, when you''ve had yours for¡­¡±


    ¡°S-seven months.¡±


    ¡°Seven whole months.¡±


    Akahoshi had the tone of a disappointed parent, and it was driving Genichirou insane. He knew he wasn''t in the right state of mind right now, but he was itching to tear into Akahoshi, even if he knew the small man could wipe him away with one attack.


    ¡°I¡­ Viktor, you have to understan¨C¡±


    Akahoshi raised his finger to his lips again.


    ¡°Quiet. Do you know what I think? I think that it''s not a matter of Ariyama being too strong, but instead, it''s a matter of you simply being too weak.¡±


    That word.


    ¡®Weak¡¯.


    It was wrong. No, it was so wrong.


    Genichirou wasn''t weak. He was amazing! At everything! He was the greatest human being to ever exist.


    He glared at the two men standing atop the rubble.


    ¡°So, what? Are you gonna kill me now?¡±


    Akahoshi chuckled softly, a rasping sound that was carried by the wind.


    ¡°Kill you? Oh, of course not. I would never kill a friend. In fact, how about to toddle away now? Find some place to lay low for a while, and I''ll call you when you''re all healed up, OK?¡±


    Hm. So he was giving Genichirou another chance after all?


    ¡°O-OK.¡±


    Genichirou stared up at Akahoshi, just to ensure he was being genuine. One thing about those bandages covering nearly all his face was that his expression was always ambiguous. But he¡¯d never betray Genichirou, right?


    Of course not. He¡¯d said it himself. Genichirou was too important, after all. So, he nodded and turned his back, facing the treeline outside the chain-link fence around the courtyard. He needed to find somewhere to recover, and then the next time he¡¯d see Ariyama, that black-haired bastard was dead.


    He took one step forward, then a huge black gauntlet punched a hole through his stomach from behind.


    His nervous systems fried and his whole body spasmed as he looked down at the fist through his stomach. Blood poured from the wound, but the pitch-black gauntlet remained stainless.


    Huh?


    Wuh? What? What?


    What was this?


    Genichirou¡¯s lips quivered as he looked over his left shoulder, seeing Ishiguro in a low stance behind him. So, it was him who¡¯d punched a hole through him from behind? Well, actually, Ishiguro¡¯s Enchanted Tool did turn into some sort of gauntlet of dark energy, Genichriou had been told. So, that was that, when?


    As his feeling began to leave his body, Genichirou looked further behind him, at Akahoshi as he hopped off the debris and strode towards him, hands in his pockets, his red overcoat ruffling in the soft breeze.


    ¡°Viktor, why¡­¡±


    When Genichirou tried to speak, blood poured from his mouth.


    ¡°Guh! You¡­ said you wouldn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Akahoshi stopped right at Genichirou¡¯s side, and shook his head slowly, with a soft chortle.


    ¡°Once again, you¡¯re all wrong, Shoei. Yes, I did say I wouldn¡¯t kill you. And I didn¡¯t.¡±


    He nodded to Ishiguro.


    ¡°However, I made no such claim when it came to Kagemitsu here.¡±


    Ah. That little bastard¡­


    Genichirou didn¡¯t have the strength to even respond, so he just nodded in reluctant acceptance. He looked down at the gauntlet through him again, and suddenly thought of a great many things.


    The fact he¡¯d never get revenge on Ariyama.


    The fact he¡¯d disappointed Akahoshi enough that he¡¯d gotten himself killed.


    The fact he¡¯d never see his little sister again.


    As his life faded away steadily, Genichirou suddenly regretted many of the choices he¡¯d made during his short life. If he had another chance, he would¡¯ve never joined Akahoshi or helped him in any way or even joined the secret world in the first place.


    Well, that¡¯s unfortunate¡­


    At Akahoshi¡¯s nod, Ishiguro pulled his gauntlet free from Genichirou, who was dead before he hit the ground.

 30. The Pilgrims Society

    When Ariyama awoke, he wasn¡¯t in his bed or in the hospital, like he¡¯d assumed he would be.


    No, instead, he was in a foreign room, which had white walls, pillars in each corner. He was stripped down to just his underwear, under the thick covers of a four-poster bed. His whole body ached as he sat up instinctively and looked around. A row of cabinets were to the left, and a desk with a window above it on the right. On the far wall, there was a walk-in closet on the right, and on the left, there was a small hallway before a door, made of dark wood with a golden knob


    Where the hell was he?


    Fog clouded his vision, claws of agony scratching across his brain like a bear feasting on its prey.


    Dammit. Wasn¡¯t he able to withstand over half a dozen knives slicing through him before? And now he couldn¡¯t handle a morning headache? What a joke.


    Ariyama raked his fringe out of his face, blowing out a breath of exhaustion. What was he doing last? The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was that person in the black cloak.


    Well, if that was the Pilgrims¡¯ Society, then this must be somewhere owned by them, right?


    On cue, the door on the left opened and Matsune Sasya walked in, with a tray in her hands. Ariyama¡¯s eyes widened at her attire, which consisted of a gray cloak that swept down to her knees, a hood was pulled off her head and a golden clasp with an eight-pronged star engraved on its surface.


    Once their eyes met, Matsune¡¯s face lit up in delight. She quickly set the tray ¨C which held a multitude of breakfast foods, as well as a glass of orange juice ¨C on the bedside cabinet that Ariyama just now realized was there. Then, she pulled over the chair that was tucked under the desk to the right, and sat beside Ariyama¡¯s bed. An awkward silence descended on the room. He¡¯d only been awake for less than a minute, so Ariyama hadn¡¯t a clue what to say.


    So, it was Matsune who finally broke the ice.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Uh, good. I suppose.¡±


    Ariyama looked around again in a daze, trying to memorize his surroundings with his hazy mind. He rested his gaze back on Matsune.


    ¡°Hey, where am I? The last thing I remember is the school and¡­¡±


    Matsune held up a hand to silence him. He swore he saw a twitch of irritation on her face, but it was gone the moment his mind registered it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when the time is right, Ariyama-kun. Just know that we¡¯re in the Pilgrims¡¯ Society¡¯s headquarters, known as the Cloud Keep. It¡¯s far away from civilization, so the Society can conduct their practices in peace.¡±


    Huh. So, this is the Society¡¯s base of operations? Ariyama couldn¡¯t deny that his room was very lovely, and if he wasn¡¯t even a registered member yet but still got something this pristine, that proved that the Society must¡¯ve been one rich place.


    Ariyama looked at the tray of food on the cabinet, and with a nod of approval from Matsune, quickly dug in. He felt like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. Usually, he could never eat so much for just his breakfast, but just this time, he was feeling ravenous, like an unfed beast.


    Once he¡¯d eaten his fill, and downed it all with some orange juice, Ariyama laid back on the comfy bed, nestling his head on his plump pillow. This place really was like a five-star hotel, like the sort of places his father probably visited on the regular¡­


    Ariyama¡¯s stomach churned uneasily, and he scrunched his face up, banishing those thoughts to the darkest corner of his mind. He had too much to be thinking about instead of worrying about him.


    ¡°Matsune¡­ About what happened¡­¡±


    Matsune pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing softly. Ariyama could tell she was pissed; not that he blamed her. After all, he had caused a huge conundrum by losing control and making a huge mess of the school. The Pilgrims¡¯ Society, he¡¯d heard, had the main goal of preserving the secrecy of all information about things like the Enchanted Tools and whatnot, so him using his Jallarbor Godred to eviscerate Genichirou, along with a portion of the school, definitely went against the rules.


    Was he going to be punished? Imprisoned? Killed?


    Ariyama¡¯s heartbeat quickened as all those terrible possibilities sifted through his mind.


    ¡°You made a big mistake, Ariyama-kun.¡±


    Ariyama looked at Matsune, who was watching him with a sad face


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I kinda assumed that.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°As you should know, the Society¡¯s main objective is the preservation of life by stopping rogue unregistered Tributes, but also they keep the truth about the secret world under lock and key. That¡¯s why usually they only go after unregistered Tributes at night, when most places are emptier, like we did with Genichirou.¡±


    At that, Ariyama perked up. He shifted in his bed and sat up, an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°You know about Genichirou? How¡¯d you find out he was the culprit? When I found out, I panicked ¨C I have to admit ¨C and then fought the guy. I nearly died but I stopped him. As you probably saw if you went to the school, my sword blew a big hole in the place.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there myself, but I was given a report on the events. As for how I found out about Genichirou; when the Tribute I sent out to collect you got there, they secured you and Kazura-chan, then investigated the area. They found Genichirou¡¯s body, burnt to a crisp.¡±


    Yup. That was definitely a result of Ariyama¡¯s sword. Honestly, he assumed he¡¯d vaporized the guy or something, but he seemed to have been sturdier than he¡¯d assumed. Then, his mind wandered to something else, something that made his eyes go wide.


    ¡°Machi. Is she¡­¡±


    Matsune nodded with clear relief.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. As a result of her being exposed to the secret world, due to your actions, she is being brought in as a member of the Society. Well, either that or her mind gets wiped.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Her mind gets wiped? I¡¯m not letting that happen. Over my dead body!¡±


    Matsune¡¯s face flickered with sternness.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your decision to make. While, yes, it is your fault that she¡¯s in this predicament now, we¡¯re giving her a choice. A choice only she can decide herself.¡±


    ¡°Damn. You know, you really are beating me over the head with the fact it¡¯s my fault, huh? But is it? Genichirou was the culprit and he was standing right there with us!¡±


    ¡°I promised myself to always be honest with you, Ariyama. After all you¡¯ve been through, you deserve at least that. And anyways, did you actually have to fight him with Kazura around?¡±


    ¡°Sorry? He was probably going to hurt her, or worse. I had to protect her¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening to my question, Ariyama-kun. He didn¡¯t do anything to you two when you three were all alone, right? But once you pieced together that he was the unregistered Tribute ¨C which I have to admire ¨C you instantly attacked him, no? From my perspective, Ariyama-kun, it seems that you panicked ¨C as you said you did ¨C and engaged in a battle, where you could¡¯ve waited until the ample time. The best option was to call me with the info, and I¡¯d have sent out someone to assist you, but no. No, you lost your logical thinking and engaged him without considering the lasting side-effects. One, Kazura-chan would be exposed to it. And two, it was in the middle of your school, where any damage done would raise a lot of suspicion.¡±


    With Ariyama wholly beaten down, he hung his head in defeat. In retrospect, he really had been an idiot, huh?


    Because of his spur-of-the-moment actions, now Kazura was going to have to make a tough choice: get her memories of all this wiped, or be involved in the Pilgrims¡¯ Society from now on.


    Not only that, but also he¡¯d messed up the mission Matsune had left in his hands. If only he¡¯d been less of an idiot and actually thought it through, then he wouldn¡¯t have caused such damage. On an unrelated note, the destruction at the school probably meant it was going to be closed for the rest of the year. But school wasn''t a priority in his mind right now.


    ¡°So, um, what¡¯s going to happen to me? Am I gonna be incarcerated or something?¡±


    Matsune leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. While she wore that old-school gray cloak, she seemed like a totally different person. But this was the real her, right? This is how she really acted. Everything at school was a fabrication. She was raised to be part of the secret world, and now she was showing him the fruits of that type of childhood. She was still as kind and caring as ever, but there was an air of confidence and seriousness that was kept under lock while at school.


    Matsune seemed to think about Ariyama¡¯s question, then fixed him with a meaningful look


    ¡°Under regular circumstances, yes. But fortunately, I¡¯ve¡­ been able to pull some strings in order for the director to not immediately throw you into a jail cell. Instead, however, he requested a one-on-one meeting with you.¡±


    ¡°With me? What would the director want with me?¡±


    ¡°Knowledge, simply. Kazura-chan is still recovering, so for the time being, you''re the only one who was there that night, and as a result, the only one capable of giving a reliable story. Oh, yes, and one other thing: don¡¯t lie to the director, OK? I¡¯m not sure how he does it, but he can tell when someone lies.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Is that the power of his Enchanted Tool or something?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the type of ability a Tool would give, but perhaps that is the case. Look, for now, I need you to get dressed and to go see him, OK? Technically, up until now, you¡¯ve been unregistered yourself, which was my blunder. I should¡¯ve gotten you integrated into the Society as soon as possible. But I¡¯ve already signed all the necessary documentation.¡±


    Ariyama¡¯s jaw hung in surprise. He stuttered with his words as his brain tried to catch up to his tongue.


    ¡°W-wait, so you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m an official, registered Tribute now?¡±


    ¡°You are. I¡¯m sorry if I did it without your consent, but I did say I would make sure you become one before. And right now, you¡¯re in too much trouble to have a say in the matter, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Ariyama¡¯s chest thumped with anxiousness as the weight of his actions pressed down on him. He just hoped this director guy was going to be even half as nice as Matsune was.


    ¡°And Ariyama-kun? One last thing.¡±


    He glanced at her and nearly flinched back at the look on her face. Her features were contorted into sadness, her lip quivering and her fists bunched in the fabric of her cloak.


    ¡°We both know you¡¯ve made some critical errors, which you will need to answer for in the future. But for now, I just wanted to say¡­ I¡¯m just really glad you¡¯re alive¡­¡±


    She wiped something from her eye, and then leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his shoulder. The sudden contact made parts of his body go haywire, feeling Matsune¡¯s calm warm breath on the bare skin of his shoulder. But Ariyama steeled himself and plastered a soft smile onto his face, as he also wrapped his arms around Matsune, patting her back supportively. She didn¡¯t know anything about the pain he¡¯d gone through, about the bone-cracking anguish he felt when stabbed by Genichirou¡¯s knives.


    But Ariyama smiled anyway, because he was starting to believe that Matsune was someone who liked him, not for his wealth, but for who he was. And he was just happy he had someone who cared for him.