Today, Crisis Looms Because of Yokai!
“……A favor?”
The moment she heard those words, Eris scowled and glared at me. Reading her expression with my mastery of physiognomy, it screamed, 'Is this why you gave me that gift?' A subtle sense of betrayal lingered there. It was true, of course, but admitting it outright might crack our solid friendship, so I wrapped my intentions in a bit of packaging.
“Ahaha, that potion I gave you as a gift last time. I went through quite a bit of trouble to make it, you know.”
“……Money's no object—”
“No, no. Don't say that. It's not something you can easily buy with money, and friends don't exchange cash like that anyway.”
“……”
“So, just a tiny favor in return.”
“Hah, a favor.”
She'd started by snorting derisively and glaring at me, but after locking eyes and pondering for a moment, her expression shifted to its usual bratty sharpness.
“Fine. When, where, and what do I have to do?”
What an honest girl, deep down.
Thud—thud—
The streets glowed under a blazing red sunset at dusk. On the way home after school, Eris recalled our earlier conversation and my shady face, her expression turning uneasy.
─Won't you grant me just one favor?
'……He's definitely up to something.'
The gift-giving was suspicious enough, and that guy's unique aura gave her the prickling sense he was scheming something beneath the surface. He looked shady, and he was shady. Eris was already half-convinced this “tiny favor” wouldn't be tiny at all.
But she couldn't guess what it might be. If it was something outrageously evil, he could force it through anyway. And if it was trivial, he wouldn't go to these lengths……
“……Whatever.”
Eris cut off her lingering thoughts. Whatever the favor, she'd grasped a clue to reviving her parents. As long as it didn't kill her and delivered real results, that was enough.
Ichimaru Shiki's shady looks and motives nagged at her, but it was a gift. A precious chance to change her and her family's fate, to return to the past.
'He said it was just a tiny favor, so I should be fine.'
It didn't seem easy, but somehow, she'd manage. A smirk slipped out unbidden, and Eris shook her head.
Golden locks shimmered and swayed in the sunset light with the motion.
“Yeah, it'll work out somehow.”
Eris Betelgeuse gazed at the crimson sunset above and smiled.
After that, sunsets blazed and rose again more than a dozen times.
Fueled by his very life, Kenichi gripped his sword every night and swung it relentlessly. Whether against Cento's spells, Shiki's daggers, or urban monsters.
He focused solely on survival, swinging fiercely, endlessly.
A sword he'd never wielded a month ago now felt more natural than a pencil or pen. Even with midterms looming.
And perhaps that mad sprint bore fruit.
Whoosh—!
A seed of mana formed in his heart. Invisible to the eye, but Kenichi was certain. The thrill surging through his body, the burning in his chest—it proved mana dwelled there. His instincts screamed it.
“Oh, congrats, Kenichi. Finally, you've got what it takes to eat as a frontline fighter.”
Even this damn guy said it.
Staring at Ichimaru Shiki's smug grin, Kenichi grinned back. He couldn't ignite flames on his blade like the guy before him or kick off the air.
No room for envy—the pride from a month's insane grind swelled in his chest.
“Now you've laid the foundation.”
“……Yeah.”
Just as he'd said: the bare minimum to survive as a warrior.
Kitagawa Kenichi covered his blooming goofy smile and chuckled.
'Now I won't get hit as much.'
Shiki was gradually upping the pace, so he'd still take beatings until their skills matched, but against monsters? Not bad.
Slash—!
'……Maybe I won't get hit at all!'
Kenichi thrilled at himself severing a yokai's neck after just a few clashes—worlds apart from before. No urban yokai could stand against him now.
Since facing Ichimaru Shiki's true form, Kenichi's perpetual gloom lifted. Confidence in life returned.
In that fulfilled state, the day of the full moon arrived.
Whoooosh—!
Evening winds howled fiercely. No rain yet, but dark clouds gathered thickly.
No chance to glimpse the full moon or sunset—the sky turned ashen gray. Darkness filled from above.
“Whoa, check out that sky.”
Indeed, a horrific sight.
“Rain's coming soon, huh?”
“Let's head home quick.”
“You sang great today!”
“Hey, Sawako. Home before the rain hits.”
Tachibana Sawako, who'd been staring blankly at the sky, turned at her friends' voices. They beckoned with spotless, pure smiles.
Thank goodness the bad weather meant they all planned to head home early.
Yes, truly fortunate.
Tachibana Sawako bloomed a bright smile and approached them.
“Yeah, coming.”
With sky and sun obscured, the flickering shadows on the road vanished.
Clouds darkened the day early. Hours passed, night deepened, and midnight loomed.
No moonlight pierced the gloom in the city's heart, at the spirit vein all spirits traversed.
Or, Karakura High School's sports field.
“……So why'd you call us here?”
Eris Betelgeuse stood crookedly on the school field, face sour. To fulfill that “tiny favor.”
She side-eyed Cento and Kenichi beside her and snorted.
“What, we each grab a leg and do a three-legged race or something?”
“Oh, I hadn't thought of that, but it does sound fun.”
“……I dressed exactly as you said, so spill it already.”
The star mage Eris Betelgeuse's outfit was indeed different. No robe, wand, or pointed hat like when we'd fought before. Full-on wizard getup.
To normal eyes, she'd look like a crazy high school girl cosplaying a wizard late at night. But under her concealment spell, no issue.
Mana draining in real-time soured her mood as she pressed for answers.
“What, a magic demo?”
“Oh, Eris, sharp as ever today. Pretty much—use your magic in front of these two.”
“……That's really all?”
“Not exactly, but something similar. A little task.”
Wrapping up the vague chat, I turned to Kenichi. He hadn't heard the details either, face baffled at being summoned.
“……Shiki, no training today, no monster bashing—is this really okay?”
“Ah, that's what worried you.”
He'd been uneasy from my lack of orders today. Time to ease that as his mentor.
I smiled kindly at Kenichi and offered final advice as his master.
“Kenichi, I told you last time. You've laid the minimum foundation.”
“……Yeah, you did.”
“Mm, you're usually a student with so much to learn.”
“……”
“But you'll manage. Give it your all, and you can do anything.”
Kenichi's face twisted at that. I thought they were tears of emotion at first, but no—pure unease.
“……What the hell are you planning to make me do?”
Hmm, our trust felt a bit thin. Needed fixing, but later—first, explain the gathering.
“Remember what I told you all before? Humanity's doom approaches soon.”
“……What?”
“Usual examples like asteroid impacts, climate change, nuclear war—sadly, no. Might happen in futures I don't know, but not now.”
In short,
“Today, yokai bring the crisis!”
I clapped with a smiling face, and as if the sky approved, the dark clouds parted. Moonlight seeped through the black sea of clouds, red light spilling to earth.
They stared blankly at the massive crimson full moon overhead.
I smiled kindly and explained.
“Hyakki Yagyo.”
In some worlds, the day a single city met its end.