Fragment 3. Strange Occurrence

Done with the self-introduction, I was told to sit in the empty seat. My desk was at the very back—sadly, not by the window, but the second one from it. If I had gotten that legendary seat on my first day of transfer, maybe I could’ve become the protagonist of some story. Just kidding.

Once everything was settled, Morioka-sensei left the classroom, replaced by Yamada-sensei who came in to start the next lesson. Even though my uniform isn't ready yet, I had my textbooks already. All thanks to the principal’s prior preparations. Maybe I should thank him again later.

As expected from a prestigious school, the level of lessons here is very different from my hometown. Even so, I can still keep up, although I still have to catch up to fill the gap on material between my old school and here.

By the time the clock struck four, school was finally over. After homeroom, the day officially ended.
Just as I thought I could finally relax, my desk was invaded.

“Hey, hey, Mibayashi-san! Where are you from?”

“Why did you suddenly transfer here?”

“You’ve got such a nice figure! Do you play any sports?”

I was bombarded with one question after another from my classmates. I'm glad they're excited about my arrival, but at the same time I'm overwhelmed trying to entertain them.

For about an hour, I answered their questions one by one. Gradually, the crowd thinned out—some went to their clubs, some to cram school, and others were called home by their parents to run errands.

When only five of us were left in the classroom, they invited me to hang out somewhere else.
One suggested a family restaurant, another proposed karaoke.

But seeing how the sun was already dipping toward the horizon, I politely turned them down.
After all, the distance between my home and school wasn’t exactly short. The trip home would take a while, and if I didn’t hurry, it would be dark before I knew it. I didn’t want to make my parents worry by coming home late on my very first day.

After parting ways with my new friends at the school gate, I walked toward the station.
I couldn’t stop smiling the entire way. I'm glad they're all good kids. I was worried since I heard that city folks like to bully countryside bumpkin like me. I was also worried that I would spend my high school years without a single friend. But it seems that my worries were in vain.

Just as my mood hit its peak, the world suddenly do the opposite. The sky darkened in an instant. The wind stopped and the temperature dropped dramatically. Everything fell silent—no people, no sounds, no movement.

I froze. Just moments ago, the sun had been shining warmly. But now… Something's just not right.

“Wait, isn’t it...."

This darkness wasn’t from sunset. The sky isn’t black—it's purple! I knew immediately what this was, because I’d experienced it once before.

“Kekkai,” I muttered.

A barrier. Had I walked into one by accident?

“But why now? It wasn’t here this morning. Grandpa said barriers are used to ward off evil spirits, but this one feels... different.”

Realizing how dangerous the situation might be, I immediately hid myself. I crouched behind the bushes, trying to conceal my presence.

“If my instincts are right, it should be that way.”

Keeping my head low, I crept toward what I felt was the center of the barrier. But the closer I got, the stronger my goosebumps became. My instincts screamed danger. I knew I should’ve turned back—but curiosity burned hotter than fear. I wanted to know what caused all of this.

Then I heard it, faint sounds of battle carried by the dead air. That confirmed it. Something was definitely wrong. 

Through the leaves, I saw it.

A thick black mist swirled in the middle of an open space. It was pitch-dark, yet flashes of red lightning flickered from within. From that mass of shadow, two grotesque arms stretched out—each at least two meters long, with razor-sharp claws at the ends.

Standing before the creature was a woman. Her face was calm—expressionless, as if she felt no fear at all.

She wore a black-and-white suit with a long tailcoat fluttering behind her in a wind that didn’t exist. In one hand, she held an open book. Its pages flipped on their own, fluttering wildly like a flock of living paper.

The pages shot forward, attaching themselves to the monster’s body. But the creature thrashed violently, tearing the papers apart like fragile scraps.

“Tch! Tsune, Purgatory!”

Perched on the woman’s shoulder was a small white fox wearing a shimenawa, with two crossed swords on its back.

Upon its master’s command, the fox spun midair, lifted its head, and howled like a wolf.

A pillar of fire erupted from beneath the shadow monster, rising high into the sky. The creature writhed in agony, even without a mouth to scream. When the flames finally died down, it collapsed to the ground—still alive, but completely drained of strength.

“Now!”

The woman opened her book again. The papers swirled and flew toward the monster, covering its entire body. Once it was completely wrapped, the sheets began to glow—bright, blinding light radiating from within.

The glow intensified, turning the dark sky as bright as day.

Thinking it was about to explode, I reflexively covered my eyes and head with both hands.  As I braced myself for the explosion, the light faded. There was no vibration or loud sound resembling explosion.

When I finally dared to open my eyes, everything was gone. The monster, the woman, the fox—vanished without a trace.

Only drifting black dust and torn scraps of paper remained, proof that something had indeed happened here moments ago. But even those soon faded away, dissolving with the barrier itself.

As the kekkai disappeared, the world returned to normal. The sky regained its color, and life resumed as if nothing had happened. The park where that battle took place was now filled with laughing children and parents watching over them—acting like nothing bizarre had just occurred.

Still in shock, I sat frozen in place. Everything had happened so fast that my brain couldn’t keep up.

I walked home in a daze. Strangely enough, I didn’t even get on the wrong train despite how spaced out I was.

When I finally reached home, my mom greeted me with, “Welcome back!” and I replied, “I’m home.”

During my bath, dinner, and even while brushing my teeth, my mind kept replaying what I had seen.

It wasn’t until I finally flopped into bed and pulled the blanket over myself that my brain seemed to reboot.

“What the hell was that??!!!”

“Haru, don’t shout!”

And just like that, I ended up getting scolded for yelling in the middle of the night.