Chapter 11 Get Well Soon Sho-kun

Outside Tokyo Barrier— Old District, Parking Lot B4

A fluorescent sign buzzed, its letters half-dead, flickering “PARKING—” before dying again in silence. Puddles rippled with each passing train rumble from above.

The world beyond the Barrier wasn’t dead. Far from it. People still lived here — shopkeepers, scavengers, families who couldn’t afford the safety tax for Tokyo Barrier residency. The alleys were full of voices, small markets, stray cats, and smoke from makeshift grills. Life continued, just a little rougher, a little darker.

Beneath ruin — a crumbling underground parking lot, half-flooded and dripping with rust water — four shadows gathered.

A faint red glow lit the damp concrete as dark mana pulsed from the floor, coiling like mist.

“So… he’s gone. The fool is gone. He always was impatient. He thought the crack in barrier was an invitation for glory."

The speaker sat on the hood of a crushed sedan, legs crossed, a shape made of smoke and faint golden eyes.

“Glory? That fool really thought he could breach the barrier alone. It was an invitation for annihilation. He believed the strength of pro wizards were exaggerations. He thought he could claim Tokyo for himself before the plan commenced. His arrogance was his undoing.”

From the far end of the garage, another shape stirred. 

“He always was impulsive. He still thought he was the same monster he used to be in the age of old. Guess time made him stupid.”

The third one — smaller, feminine in silhouette — leaned against a concrete pillar. 

“Stupid, yes… but useful. Let his end be a lesson. We do not move until the signal is given. Not until he commands it."

"Still, to be extinguished by humans... a disgrace to our kind," said the fourth, the largest of them, "At least he didn't compromise the plan. Our purpose remains unchanged. The barrier will fall. And when it does, his failure will be a forgotten whisper in the slaughter to come."

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Three Days Later 

The first thing Shota was aware of was the sterile, clean scent of antiseptic. The second was a dull, full-body ache. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the soft, clinical light of a hospital room.

He turned his head on the stiff pillow.

Mirai was curled up in a chair pulled close to his bedside, fast asleep. Her head was tilted back against the wall, her usually vibrant drills of hair slightly mussed and falling softly around her face. In the quiet stillness of sleep, the manic energy that always around her was gone. The wide, ecstatic smiles and hungry eyes were absent, replaced by a serene, peaceful expression.

Clutched loosely in her hands, even in sleep, was a brightly colored, hand-made "Get Well Soon Sho-kun!" card, covered in glitter and lopsided hearts. The morning light from the window caught the curve of her cheek and the earnest, childish glitter on the card, and for the first time, Shota truly saw how pretty she was.

His gaze drifted from her peaceful face to his own hand, resting on the white sheets. The memory of the pink flame, the heat of the rose, the creature's scream—it all rushed back, but it felt distant, like a nightmare already fading. 

He didn't move, not wanting to wake her. He just watched her sleep, this girl who had fought a monster to a standstill for him. 

"Mirai-chan. She’s… alive. Thank God. She’s really okay. Her face, her beautiful face—even when she sleeps, she looks like she’s smiling at someone in a dream. I wonder if she ever dreams of me. She’s the only reason I’m still here. I don’t deserve someone like her, but… I’ve already lost enough. She’s my only friend. My only light left. If I’d lost her too… If she’d disappeared like the others… Like the Witch Queen… No. I can’t think about that. She doesn’t belong in this broken place. Someone like her should be shining out there, not trapped here beside me. But she’s safe now. That’s all that matters."

The image replayed again and again in his head — the light, the heat, the sound of the explosion. Pink fire bursting from his hand, slicing through that creature like paper.

"What was that thing? That… creature. The way it moved—like human smoke wearing a face. It wasn’t just trying to kill us. It was looking at us—like it was searching for something. When it stared at me, it felt like my chest was going to cave in. Like it could see straight through my skin. 

And that power… That pink flame. I can still feel it, faintly—in my hand. It wasn’t mine. I know that much. My magic power is weak. Always has been. I haven't used magic in ten years. So how—how did I do that? That wasn’t a normal spell. Even pro wizards couldn’t have pulled that off. Was it a dream...? No... I can still feel it. 

It doesn't matter how I got that power. If that power can protect Mirai, if it can keep anyone from dying again, then I’ll use it. Even if it burns me alive. I'll learn it. I’ll train until I can control it. I’ll protect her next time — no matter what it takes."

Mirai shifted in her sleep, the card she’d been holding slipped from her hand. It fluttered to the floor, landing beside the bed with a faint tap. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

The sound stirred her. Her eyes fluttered open, blurry with sleep, and immediately found his.

For a single moment, she was just a sleepy girl. Then, her entire expression transformed. Her eyes slanted into twin crescents of pure, unadulterated delight, and a smile so wide it seemed to stretch the limits of her face.

"Ahhh~! Good morning, Sho-kuuuuun~!" 

 She leaned forward, invading his space without a hint of hesitation, her hands coming up to gently touch his face on the pillow.

 "I missed you sooo much! You've been sleeping for three whole days... you had your Mirai-chan so, so worried~!"

She playfully pouted.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, okay? My heart can't take it."

 She leaned even closer, her nose almost touching his.

"You know... I was thinking while you were sleeping. If I became a doctor or a nurse... then I could always be the one to take care of you when you get hurt."

Her smile widened, showing a little too much teeth.

"Would that make you happy, Sho-kun? If I was the only one who ever got to touch you? To give you your medicine... check your temperature... help you clean your body... You'd be my most special patient."

"That sounds like a lot of schoolwork, Mirai-chan. You'd have to study for years. It's probably easier to just be a pro wizard like your dad. Besides, if you were a doctor, you'd be too busy to train with me. 

I decided to take this whole pro wizard thing seriously. You're my best friend, and I need to get strong enough so I could protect you. We have to get stronger, enough that some shadow monster can't harm anyone again."

He looked up at Mirai, managing a smile.

“Hey… sorry I made you worry.”

The sound of his voice caught her off guard. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t sound broken. And for the first time, Mirai didn’t know if she liked that. It was soft—warmer than she’d heard in years. Her heart skipped. For a second, she just stared, like she wasn’t sure if she was hearing him right.

Then the corners of her mouth twitched.

“Ehh~? Don’t tell me the gloomy Sho-kun got replaced while I wasn’t looking!”

She laughed—a high, musical sound—but it faltered halfway. He really did look different. More alive—bright.

Her voice lowered, the playful lilt thinning out.

“...Hmm. Sho-kun… you feel different than usual. You used to feel… quieter. Sad. But now… Now there’s something glowing in you.”

Her fingers brushed the sheet near his hand, not quite touching.

“Don’t go changing too much, okay? I kinda like you the way you were.”

"Mirai-chan, I'm just happy you're safe. If I had lost, you... I don't know what I would do."

Flustered by both his response and the overwhelming feelings swirling inside her, Mirai’s cheeks burned pink. She needed a moment to compose herself, to hide the storm of emotions his words had unleashed.

“Anyway! You owe me lunch for making me sit here three days straight~! I'm going to get us something!”