Chapter 1: This Is the Beginning

UNKNOWN LOCATION — CONTAINMENT CELL.

The air was cold and suffocating, with walls covered in glowing seals pulsing in steady cycles. Spiritual ropes crossed the ceiling in complex patterns, reinforcing the barrier.

In the center, behind a hexagonal prison of light, a boy was sitting with his body slumped forward.

A bowl of cold rice and a cup of water sat untouched in the corner.

BLITZ…!!!

??? (hoarse voice, eyes opening slowly):
— Where… am I…?

His chest reacted: the floor seals lit up in response to his awakening. His sky-blue eyes reflected the glow of the symbols.

From the top of the stone staircase, a firm voice broke the silence.

??? (female voice, severe gaze, arms crossed):
— Don’t even try, Hayashi Haruka.
— This cell was built to hold even a High-Rank Oni.

Haruka (lifting his face, frowning):
— You… again…

A woman descended with measured calm, her long hair swaying with each step. The red frame of her glasses reflected the golden aura of the seals, sharpening the rigidity of her expression.

??? (serious, voice steady):
— Did you really think I’d let you walk free after seeing Miko collapsed, burned, her body shaking?

Haruka (trying to stand, leaning on the barrier wall):
— I… I didn’t want to hurt anyone…
— I swear.

??? (narrowed eyes):
— You swear?
— Words don’t mean much when you have a yōkai living inside you.

Haruka (looking down, fists trembling):
— I don’t know…

??? (stepping closer to the barrier, voice deep):
— You were possessed.
— And yet you used his powers.
(short pause)
— How?

Haruka (low voice, avoiding eye contact):
— I told you… I don’t know.

A heavy silence filled the cell. Only the seals continued pulsing, reminding the prisoner where he stood.

??? (warning tone, turning to climb the stairs):
— Then learn to control it before he controls you.

She stopped halfway up, without turning her face.

??? (firm voice, leaving no room for debate):
— You only leave this place when Miko says she trusts you again.
— Until then, get used to chains and bars.

Haruka (clenching his fists, voice low but intense):
— I don’t want to hurt Momozono…
— She helped me.
— I owe her.

The woman paused, her tone less cold, but still harsh.

???:
— I know.
(short pause)
— But hell is full of people who "didn’t mean to."

She disappeared up the stairs, leaving Haruka alone. His eyes glowed faintly.

SUZUKAZE HIGH SCHOOL, SHIBUYA — LATE AFTERNOON (AUGUST 29).

The final bell rang with the same tired melancholy as always, ending the eighth period.

Outside, the orange sky was clear. But inside classroom 1-C, the air still carried the collective fatigue of a day full of formulas, graphs, and teachers sounding sleepier than their students.

Haruka (leaning on his desk, scrolling his phone):
— …I can’t believe Hirata sent another screenshot of the "Waifu Ranking".

He wasn’t smiling, but his sky-blue eyes flickered with irony, betraying that he didn’t hate being there. Despite the noise and chaos that followed every dismissal, Haruka seemed comfortable.

Hirata (excited, backpack full of keychains bouncing):
— Haruka, look!
— There’s a leak from the new Mahou Shoujo Eclipse episode.
— Apparently Sayaka-chan is going to-

Haruka (without looking up):
— Die again?

Haruka remained impassive, but not annoyed. This was the closest he got to feeling included, and he liked it.

Hirata (thrilled):
— You should write anime theories, Haruka.
— You got it right again.

Haruka (calmly):
— I get enough suffering for free already.
— Thanks.

Amid that mundane scene, his eyes caught something… out of place. A soft red gleam. He looked toward the hallway. There she was.

Medium-length red hair tied in a messy ponytail, long fringe cascading in waves over the right side of her face, one eye partially covered. Pale skin and dark-green eyes that seemed to challenge anyone who dared meet them. Momozono Miko. Considered one of the prettiest girls at Suzukaze High (according to… certain questionable sources).

For an instant, Haruka felt a strange chill.

Haruka (mumbling to himself):
— Momozono?!

Miko paused at the door for a second. Their eyes met. She smiled briefly, then walked on without a word.

The group kept talking about anime, games, and suspicious memes, but Haruka wasn’t listening anymore.

Haruka (staring into the hallway, chin resting on his hand):
— Must be lack of coffee… or too many otakus per square meter.

Hirata (poking Haruka’s shoulder, smiling):
— Haruka, you alive?
— They called you five times for the waifu battle.
— Are you gonna defend Nami-chan or not?

Haruka (standing up):
— I’ll defend her.
— Tomorrow…

He left the classroom, and Hirata watched him go, scratching his head with a confused grin.

Miko was heading toward the school gate, her uniform slightly messy and accessories giving her a subtle gyaru vibe.

She slipped out through the side exit, taking a narrow path between buildings until she reached the top of a sloped road that led to an old street.

Haruka followed at a distance, using the shadows of streetlights and trees to avoid being noticed.

The sky darkened too quickly. Burn marks scorched the asphalt, with faint embers flickering.

Miko stopped, scanning the area carefully. With a decisive motion, she opened her backpack and pulled out an old notebook covered in cute, worn stickers, its pages yellowed and scribbled in red. Her gaze sharpened.

Haruka narrowed his eyes, trying to understand. He approached her carefully.

Haruka (appearing behind her):
— Hello, Momozono~

Miko (turning, mildly startled):
— Ghaay!
— You were following me again, Hayashi-kun?

Haruka (slowly stepping closer):
— No, I was just curious about who you were spying on this time.
(pause)
— So… who is it?

Miko blinked, trying to keep calm. Her heart sped up.

Miko (quietly, serious expression):
— I’m investigating… some stuff…

Haruka (frowning):
— Investigating…?
— You a detective now?

With a decisive flick, Miko stood up, pulled a seal from her pocket, and pressed it against an old electric pole.

Miko (in a firm whisper, focused):
— Spiritual Revelation.

The wires trembled. The air grew heavy. Haruka saw a red glow spread along the road.

Haruka (swallowing hard, a chill running down his spine):
— What… is that, some magic trick?

Then he heard it. Several voices, dragged, distorted, suffering.

Voices:
— …run… don’t stop… she’ll come back…

Haruka stepped back, almost falling. The voices vanished, but the dread remained.

Miko turned abruptly, crossing her arms and staring at Haruka.

Miko (provocative smile, one eyebrow raised):
— I’m an exorcist.
(short pause)
— Well… an apprentice, at least…

Haruka (trying to look calm):
— Look, Momozono, you shouldn’t walk around alone.
— But seriously, what exactly are you doing here?

Miko (serious):
— Hunting someone…

Haruka (raising a brow):
— Hunting?

Miko (nodding slightly):
— Three students died this week.
— All with internal burns and completely destroyed eyes.

Haruka paled, the impact hitting him hard.

Haruka (softly):
— Okay…
— Creepy…

Miko (examining the marks on the asphalt, focused and tense):
— Records mention a yōkai that walks through flames and hunts victims until they can’t escape anymore.
(long pause)
— They call it… Shiranui.

Haruka:
— Shiranui?!

Miko:
— You’ve heard that name before?

Haruka:
— No, but it feels… familiar, somehow!

Haruka reached into his pockets.

Miko (watching him):
— Hayashi-kun…
(pause)
— That yōkai is famous in the bays of Kyushu.
— It shouldn’t be anywhere near this region.

Above them, the sky darkened even more. A hot wind swept by.

??? (female voice, hoarse, cutting, soft and cruel):
— …it’s been so long… finally… I’ve found you, my sleeping fire…

Haruka froze.
Miko instinctively prepared another seal, stepping in front of him.

Light gathered on the asphalt. A blazing vortex spun, lifting dust and debris. From the fire, a silhouette emerged: tall, feminine, with a white-flame ponytail and eyes that cut through the darkness.

??? (hoarse, sharp):
— You shouldn’t be here, little exorcist-chan!
(short pause, low venomous laugh)
— This is not a place for you two~

Haruka’s heart pounded, heat crawling up his spine. The lights stretched, colors twisted, time slowed.

Haruka (sweating):
— What… is… happening…?

Miko (frightened, defensive stance):
— Hayashi-kun… she’s the Shiranui…
— Stay close to me… she’s dangerous.

Shiranui moved. Flames attacked from every angle. Shards of light, black fire, violent air shifts. Lamp posts melted, the asphalt cracked.

Haruka (trembling):
— Hah… funny trick, Momozono…

Shiranui (arms crossed, cruel smile):
— Hmph.
— Don’t compare me to a "trick", Hayashi-chan.
(long pause)
— I’ll punish you for that.

Miko (shouting):
— WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!!

But it was too late. Haruka’s chest glowed, and a burst of heat engulfed everything.

The explosion ended as quickly as it began, but the heat remained, alive, pulsing.

Haruka fell to his knees, panting, clutching his burning chest.

Haruka (gasping):
— Momozono… it hurts… my body…

Miko (defensive stance, a seal ready in her right hand):
— Hayashi-kun!
— Don’t let her take over your body!

Shiranui (low laugh):
— He isn’t being forced.
(pause, slow steps)
— I’m just reclaiming what’s already mine.

She didn’t touch the ground, but left burning footprints where she should have.

Haruka (screaming):
— GET OUT OF MY BODY!!

Shiranui (cruel, savoring every word):
— Your Ki is delicious, Hayashi-chan.
(pause)
— Be a good boy and feed me more.

Flaming circles spun around Haruka.

Miko (slamming seals onto the ground):
— Delay Seal: Speed Break, activate!
(pause)
— I won’t let you possess him, you old fire witch!

The seals burst into a wave of invisible force. Shiranui slowed.

Shiranui (thinking):
— "Why… are my powers weaker?"
(looking at Haruka)
— "Wait… he’s… absorbing my Ki?"

Miko (focused, unhesitating):
— I’ll exorcise this old flame hag.

Shiranui (stopping, tilting her head):
— How mean of you…
— Insulting me just because you’re still a virgin.

A direct attack, a blast of fire shot toward Miko.

Miko (raising a seal):
— Spiritual Wind: Disperse!

The seal burst into hundreds of spiritual leaves, extinguishing the flames. They vanished.

Haruka (on his knees, sweating cold):
— My body is burning…
— It hurts…

Miko (kneeling beside him, pressing a seal to his forehead):
— Then we’ll fight it…

Haruka’s eyes closed.

Shiranui (backing away, fading into her own smoke):
— Hmph.
— See you soon, Hayashi-chan.
— I’ll come back another time…
(long pause)
— You should last two… maybe three days before you run out of Ki… I’ll wait for you to give in…

The scorch marks faded. The old road returned to its dark silence.

Haruka (lying on his back, staring at the sky):
— Was that… real, or did I finally lose my mind?

Miko (beside him, panting but relieved):
— It was real.
(pause, looking at the sky)
— But your mind… maybe not that wrong.

She glanced at him.

Miko (soft but firm):
— I managed to protect you, but you need to learn how to protect yourself too.

Cold wind swept through the empty road.

Miko (smirking, brushing her fallen hair back):
— Do you believe me now?

Silence hung in the air, heavy and cold. Haruka lay still, trying to process everything. He looked at Miko, who was storing her seals with an impatient sigh.

Miko (looking away, mildly bored):
— Don’t look at me like that.
— It wasn’t a big deal.

She sat down and flipped her hair back, trying to maintain a casual posture.

Haruka (hand on his head, confused, cynical smile):
— Exorcist, huh?
— You… really are impressive, Momozono…

Miko (narrowing her eyes, voice firm):
— No.
— It’s a lot more real than you think.

Haruka couldn’t take his eyes off her hands.

Haruka (trying to pull himself together, standing with difficulty):
— And what about this?
— What… happened to me?
— And how did you do that?

Miko (shrugging without ceremony):
— Purification exorcism.
— The seal breaks the link between the entity and the target’s energy.
— Honestly, I didn’t think it would work…

Haruka frowned, frustration twisting inside him. But something in Miko’s firmness made it clear it wasn’t optional.

Haruka (dry tone, stepping away):
— I’m not interested in this… supernatural stuff.

Miko (hand in pocket):
— You don’t have a choice, Hayashi-kun.
— You’re already involved.
(firm eyes, but with a touch of understanding)
— And if you keep ignoring it, it’s only a matter of time before… well, you get possessed again.

Haruka (turning with a defiant look):
— I just want to live my peaceful life, okay?

Miko (approaching, eyes soft):
— I get that.
— But the problem is: you’re not the one in control.
— Not right now.

Haruka wanted to deny it, but things were fitting together too neatly. He hesitated, remembering recent chills and moments of dread.

Haruka (deep breath, steadying himself):
— And what do you expect me to do?
— I’m not an exorcist.

Miko (looking aside):
— I can help you.
— And my aunt is a medium. She’ll assist too.

The weight of her words settled on him. He knew he couldn’t ignore it anymore. But fear pulsed inside him.

Miko (small knowing smile):
— Come on…
— I’ll take you to my family’s temple.
(steps forward, then turns back with a teasing grin)
— By the way, I’m calling you Rinri-kun now.
— It suits you better.

Haruka (still dazed, rubbing his face):
— Rinri-kun?!
— What does that even mean?

Miko (not looking back, waving her hand):
— Doesn’t matter.
— Come on, Rinri-kun~

And so, Miko and Haruka disappeared down the old road, minds spinning and a new burden settling over their shoulders.