Approach with Caution
Degul, degul. The yokai's head rolled across the ground. The narrow-eyed man who had lopped it off so effortlessly spoke calmly.
"Well now, shall we head home? You probably don't realize it, but dawn is already breaking outside."
Beyond the crumbling barrier, the faint light of dawn filtered through the haze. Ichimaru Shiki flashed a bright smile and added, "You all did splendidly. Truly, excellent work."
At those words, Kitagawa Kenichi finally released his grip on the sword clinging to his blood-crusted hand. Moments later, the yokai corpses piled high across the school grounds and fields began crumbling into black ash, scattering in the wind. It was the sign that the long battle had ended.
"Gasp!"
Kenichi jolted awake with a sharp intake of breath, eyes snapping open. He'd dreamed of getting his ass handed to him by that damn Shiki, who mocked him with, "Is that all you've got?"
What filled his vision was the familiar ceiling of the Shihei estate guest room—the one he always saw when he passed out during training.
"...The usual ceiling."
It wasn't just a temporary borrow anymore; the room had been officially assigned to him. Kenichi hauled himself up from the futon, still groggy, squinting at the tatami room with bleary eyes. Lately, he'd been crashing here more often than at his own place, making it feel even more like home.
'Stay here as much as possible—yokai might come after you if you're alone,' or something like that.
Even after causing that huge ruckus last time, his hero bloodline duties apparently weren't over. Killing yokai nonstop, one after another, and they just kept coming. What a truly vile bunch.
"...At least it's the weekend."
He still had no idea how they'd pulled it off. The yokai extermination had kicked off at midnight, and he'd barely staggered back to the Shihei estate half-dead. He'd collapsed the moment he hit his room, and when he woke up, a full day had passed—it was already Sunday evening, not even morning.
Tomorrow meant back to school.
'Talk about cognitive dissonance.'
His last memory of school was battling thousands of yokai to the death, yet tomorrow he had to go back for classes. It just didn't feel real. Trying to slip back into everyday life now, his mind refused to settle. It felt like he should grab his sword and charge into battle any second.
"...Ugh."
Kenichi sprang up, only to plop right back down on the futon, lost in thought.
"...What to do about this."
He'd trained daily without fail for so long that skipping left him restless and antsy. Even now, mostly recovered, the itch was there. But training alone didn't appeal, and calling Sawamura Cento was out—she was still recovering. She'd pushed herself too hard yesterday.
Eris Betelgeuse had been at the estate until morning but bounced back to her own place with, "I'm all better now—home's comfier!"
"What a sneaky little punk."
Lounging in bed scrolling his phone wasn't an option either—the barrier blocked signals pretty well, though messenger apps worked okay. But his usual chat buddy, Ichinose Hotaru, wasn't doing great.
She must've crashed right after that— no reply since the text he'd sent last night.
"Maybe she caught a cold."
It was that time of year, mid-April already. Yeah, time flies...
"Hm?"
As he nodded off slowly, Kenichi felt like he'd forgotten something, but shrugged it off after a moment's thought.
"Can't be helped, then."
Muttering to himself, he dragged his body upright and headed outside. Eating meals in bed was getting old. Right now, he craved some movement...!
Ichimaru Shiki. He hated hanging with that shady creep if he could avoid it, but options were slim. He might regret it later, but... 'Also wanna ask about that final move.'
That single strike cleaving the mighty oni in one go. He'd been on full alert, eyes wide open, yet it defied understanding.
He knew Shiki's sword messed with time when drawn. And holding his own sword should've kept him safe, or so he'd thought.
—Oh dear, looks like bad matchup for me.
Shiki himself had admitted his power got nullified.
"Hmmm, all just my imagination, huh."
Kenichi shook his head. Better to ask directly than stew over it. Yeah, charge in headfirst.
"...What the— he's not here."
He'd barged into Shiki's demon lair—er, room—with high spirits, but the guy was MIA. Tilting his head, Kenichi grabbed a passing cute maid in the hall.
"Uh, Dokomo, right? Know where that mangy mutt— I mean, Shiki—is?"
"Ichimaru Shiki-sama is in a meeting with the family head, in the head's quarters."
The maid, Shihei Dokomo, replied politely but with a distinctly sour expression. Bad day or something? As Kenichi tilted his head again, she added,
"...Also, Shiki-sama's treatment is underway, so please approach with caution."
"Oh, thanks."
"You're welcome."
Kenichi scratched the back of his head watching her scurry off. Was Shiki in rough shape too? Made sense—word was Karakura High's spirit vein wasn't the only mess; things outside had been worse, unbelievably.
'Can't picture a frail Shiki.'
Anyway, he'd check it out. If it seemed bad, play it off as a sick visit. With that in mind, he headed to the family head's quarters, a place he'd peeked into once before.
No one stopped him—his friendship with Shiki was already known.
'But what'd she mean by "approach with caution"?'
Maybe some ritual healing? Anything beyond sword-swinging was out of his wheelhouse, so caution was smart. He approached ready to draw his demon sword if needed.
Honestly, he wasn't too worried. The Shihei estate felt like a safe zone outside the training grounds.
Yeah, how dangerous could it be?
But upon reaching the door, Kenichi realized exactly what needed cautioning.
"—Aaahhh! Shiki! That's sensitive! Be gentle!"
"Oh my, since we're already at it, we must do it properly, no? Huhuhu, how about here? Feels rather good, doesn't it?"
"Die! I really wanna die♥"
"Haha, people don't die as easily as you think! Now, what about here!"
"Amaaazing!"
Kenichi froze like stone at the unexpected moans echoing from the head's quarters.
An hour later, the "treatment" apparently done, Ichimaru Shiki emerged wiping sweat from his brow. Looking oddly refreshed, he spotted Kenichi standing blankly in the hall and grinned wide.
"Oh? Kenichi? Here to see the family head? Awkward—she got tired and just dozed off a bit ago."
That snapped Kenichi out of his daze. He bellowed,
"...Y-You! What the hell were you doing in there? Something lewd for sure! You can't just—! The student council'll drag you off for public indecency or whatever!"
Kenichi jabbed a finger at Shiki, face twisted—equal parts disgust and envy.
Shiki just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Eh? We were merely giving each other massages for health purposes. Hard at work, even."
"That's a blatant lie!!"
"Good heavens! How could you accuse me of lying, Kenichi?"
"Don't try to play it cool with that smug tone!"
"Haha, truly, nothing happened."
Shiki scratched his cheek with a troubled look.
"So, what brings you here in the dead of night?"
"...Uh."
Caught off-guard by the direct question, Kenichi faltered. Sure, he was curious about what went down behind that door, but...
After a brief hesitation, he stated his original intent.
"Shiki."
The boy fixed his mentor with burning, competitive eyes.
"Teach me the sword."
The narrow-eyed man, Ichimaru Shiki, gaped in uncharacteristic surprise.
"Hoo."
Tilting his head for a moment, he sized up the boy who'd come seeking him out.
"Kenichi, have you finally turned into a pervert?"
"You're the pervert, you freak!"
"Hahaha."
Kenichi bristled again, while Shiki shrugged with his usual sly grin.
"Well, I get it—embarrassing topic, so you'd hide it."
"Hide what?!"
"Heh, channeling Eris tonight, are we? Fine, perfect timing anyway. Time to advance your training. I'll teach you."
Shiki declared with a wicked grin.
"The essence of the sword."
After that, Kenichi trained through the dawn and headed to school come morning. Returning to mundane routine felt oddly hollow, but...
'Eh, it's a normal school I've gone to for a decade.'
He figured he'd adjust quick. Pedaling leisurely to school, the yokai-free grounds felt refreshingly normal. He reached the classroom, homeroom teacher walked in, and morning announcements began as usual...
"Alright, as you all know, midterms start tomorrow! Go home, manage your condition, and prep thoroughly right up to the final exam!"
"......Ah."
That's what he'd forgotten.