Chapter 1:
Chapter 1: Fate
Bloodlines
The streets of Osaka were silent beneath the moon. Not a single soul remained outside at this hour.
Except him.
Yutaro sat quietly on the roof, slowly tilting his head upward to gaze upon the silver crescent.
"...Hunter."
"How does someone become a hunter?" he questioned himself softly.
"For someone who plans on becoming a doctor, you seem quite interested in Hunters," a voice remarked.
Yutaro turned to see his father climbing onto the roof, with his younger brother, Hasashi, piggybacked on his shoulders.
"No, I'm not," Yutaro answered defensively.
Hasashi poked his head over their father's shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. "Hah! Liar."
"Huh? What is he doing here?" Yutaro asked, frowning at his father.
"Hey now, don't be like that. He just wanted to come along, that's all," Father replied.
Hasashi scrambled down from his father's back and rushed straight over to Yutaro, squinting up at him. "Why are you out so late, Yuta...?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Yutaro countered bluntly.
"Hey! I asked you a question first. Answer me, and then I'll tell you!" Hasashi snapped, crossing his arms.
"Well, I'm your older brother, so my demands take priority over yours," Yutaro said smoothly.
"Hey there, no need to get so worked up over that, Hasashi," their father intervened, stepping between them.
"No! He always—"
"Wanna hear about what your grandfather said about you two?" Father interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
"YES!" they both shouted instantly.
Before Father could speak, a small, sleepy voice drifted from the darkness behind them. "Hasashi..."
They turned around. Standing at the edge of the roof was their little sister, Teni, rubbing her eyes with a tiny fist.
"Teni?" Hasashi said, blinking in confusion.
She yawned widely. "I've been looking all over for you."
Hasashi rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Huh? Why?"
"I had a bad dream about you. I got scared, so I went to your room... but you weren't there," she mumbled, looking down at her feet.
Hasashi’s expression softened. "Ooh. Well... I—I'm fine. So you can go back to sleep now."
"But I wanna sleep with you," she insisted, taking a step forward.
"I'm sorry, Teni, but Father is about to tell us—"
"I think you should go back inside with her, Hasashi," Father interrupted gently.
"But what about—"
"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you your part some other time," Father said, his expression suddenly shifting into an intense, looming smile.
"Besides, if you don't go back to sleep with her, she'll start crying. And you know what will happen to us if your mother finds out we're out this late, right?"
Hasashi froze, a look of pure dread washing over his face. "Yeah. I forgot."
"Okay. Now run along," Father said, waving a hand.
Hasashi turned and walked over to Teni, shoulders slumped.
"Okay, let's go to bed," he muttered disappointedly. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
"Huh? You can stay up if you really want to," she said, looking up at him.
"Really?" Hasashi’s eyes lit up.
"NO!" she cheerfully replied, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
Silence settled over the roof once more as Hasashi carried Teni away, leaving only Yutaro and his father under the moonlight.
Yutaro glanced back at his father. "So, what is it that Grandfather said about us?"
"...Come over here," Father replied softly.
Yutaro walked over and stood beside him, looking out over the quiet city.
"He told me that... you both have a long future ahead of you. One that will constantly lead you to death's doorstep. But it will be for the sake of saving lives and helping those in need with the powers you possess. However, there will be times when you won't be able to save everyone, despite how powerful you are and how hard you try. Do you know why?"
"Why is that?" Yutaro asked.
"Fate. That's all there is to it," Father said, his voice dropping into a somber register.
"At least, that's what I thought after your grandfather died. I told myself that, no matter how strong you are or who you are, at the end of the day, fate doesn't give a fuck."
The silence in the air became deafening.
"But... fate can still be changed... right?" Yutaro asked.
Father’s expression shifted. A single, cool drop of rain tapped softly against his shoulder, but for a moment, he didn’t answer.
Yutaro's question seemed to drag him backward through time.
Back to that day.
Rain poured down heavily from the grey skies as steel clashed violently against concrete.
He lunged his blade toward the demon with lethal precision. The creature effortlessly evaded, leaving him wide open. Instantly, the demon retaliated with a blinding storm of attacks—one, two, three, four, five—the crushing pressure growing heavier with every passing second.
Damn it. It's pressing me to my absolute limits, he thought, teeth gritted as sparks flew from the blades. It won't be long before he wears me out. Tch.
As the ring of clashing steel echoed through the desolate ruins of Shinsekai, two figures watched from afar. Standing beyond the cloud of dust, was the head of the Akira clan and his second-in-command, Benimaru Isane.
Benimaru's eyes widened, deeply disturbed by the battle.
"What is Akira-dono thinking? At this rate, he's going to get killed. If I don't—"
"Benimaru," Akira-dono called out, interrupting him.
"Sir," Benimaru replied, straightening up.
"His Zirei feels uneasy. How is he holding up?"
"He's under a massive amount of pressure. He can't keep up with the demon’s endurance," Benimaru answered, his voice laced with anxiety.
"At this rate, he'll wear out and die before he ever reaches Valhalla, sir."
"What are the odds of him reaching Valhalla?" Akira-dono questioned without breaking his gaze.
"I see three outcomes," Benimaru explained. "One in which he gets bested in this endurance match. Another where he successfully reaches Valhalla, but dies shortly after because his physical body won't be able to restrain the massive amount of Zirei and destructive power Valhalla grants him. And finally, the third—"
Benimaru froze. His expression warped into shock as his God’s Eye foresaw a sudden shift in the timeline.
"...Well? What is the last one?" Akira-dono pressed.
"Sir... Niriko intervenes. She changes his fate by preventing his death, which is guaranteed to happen if he keeps this up for another fifty-five seconds... Wait, I see a fourth one now. One where he reaches Valhalla, but it’s incredibly risky."
“What are the odds?”
“He’ll reach it within the next forty-four seconds," Benimaru shouted over the roaring wind, "but Niriko will get caught in Haraki’s destructive aura! She’ll die, sir, and it’ll be because of our selfish goals! She won’t even get the chance to confess her love to him!”
"That girl from the Hiroko clan..." Akira-dono quietly gazed up at the stormy sky. "...So you really love him that much, huh.
Let Niriko save him."
Benimaru focused his vision, his irises glowing with an ethereal light. "God’s Eye: Divine Outcome, Third fate."
Back in the ruins, the clashes grew increasingly desperate. He gritted his teeth tightly, his stamina completely fading as the demon relentlessly forced him onto the defensive. His willpower wavered, and his vision began to blur into a dark haze.
Well... I guess this is how I die after all, he muttered to himself, drawing what he believed would be his final breath. Suddenly, the demon’s claws tore through the air, burying themselves deep into his chest.
His eyes slowly shut, the world going black.
"Hey."
He heard a faint voice calling out to him.
"Hey."
The voice called out again, louder this time.
"Hey!"
His eyes shot open. The ruined battlefield was gone. He was lying on the ground, his head resting gently on Niriko’s lap as she looked down at him with fierce relief.
And just like that, Benimaru had rewritten his fate.
The memory slowly dissolved as the present-day rain began to pour around them.
For a moment, Father said nothing, while
Yutaro quietly awaited his answer.
"It's raining, we should—" Yutaro started, but his father cut him off.
"It can be changed," Father said, looking directly at Yutaro. "But not always in the specific way you want it to."
A sharp flash of lightning briefly illuminated the rooftops, followed by a low rumble of thunder that shattered the silence between them.
“Let's go inside," Father said, stepping to the edge of the roof.
Yutaro jumped down without hesitation, his feet landing softly against the rain-soaked ground below. Father dropped lightly right beside him.
Waiting for them in the downpour was Niriko, standing beneath the dry halo of a wide umbrella.
"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.
Father froze. "...Well, I was... I just... I went to get a glass of water, that's all," he stammered, offering a painfully forced, guilty smile.
Niriko studied his face for a long, agonizing second, then turned around and began walking toward the house. "Go back to sleep, Yutaro. You have school tomorrow," she called back over her shoulder.
"Yes, Mother," Yutaro replied.
Father let out a quiet breath of relief, but after a few steps into the yard, Niriko stopped. Without turning back, she added, "Oh, and you're sleeping alone tonight, dear."
Yutaro smirked, walking past his defeated parents. "Sucks to be you, Father."
"...Guess I'm sleeping alone," Father muttered to the rain.
Yutaro entered the house and slid the door shut, shaking the water from his hair. When he turned around, his eyes instantly locked onto his older sister, Beniko.
"I have an exam tomorrow, and I need your help with tutoring," she stated, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
He pushed right past her.
"So do I, Mrs. Princess," Yutaro replied coldly, keeping his pace.
"Apex: Prey to None."
Beniko's voice echoed with a strange, heavy resonance as she activated her ability.
The air grew thick, and the walls of the hallway suddenly distorted, bleeding into a surreal, enclosed space. Yutaro stopped dead in his tracks, a wave of unfamiliar pressure washing over him. He whirled around, his eyes wide. "What is this?"
Beniko smiled triumphantly. "It's an ability I awakened yesterday. It creates a pocket dimension where I hold absolute control over everything and everyone inside, no matter who they are or how strong they might be. In other words... prey to none."
Yutaro stared at her, assessing the boundaries of the strange space before sighing. "...Is that so? Then again, it makes sense that you'd awaken an ability like that. After all, you've always been completely obsessed with control and ownership."
"...Aww, Yuta. You know me so well," she cooed, placing a hand on her cheek.
"It just shows how much you observe your older sister. You must really look up to me—"
"Everyone knows that about you," he bluntly interrupted.
Beniko's smile twitched, but she shrugged it off.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're going to help me study for my exam tonight, whether you like it or not."
Yutaro looked at the absolute control she held over the space and realized he wasn't getting out of it easily. "...Fine. But under one condition."
"What is it?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Yutaro sat down cross-legged on the floor of the dimension. "Tell me about gifts and demon spirit contracts."
"...Such a small request. I can at least grant you that," she replied.
With a flick of her finger, a pristine chair materialized out of thin air, and she sat down elegantly.
"...Now, listen closely, Yutaro. From what I know, only a rare few people are born with 'gifts' that possess great power. It’s highly unlikely for a child to be born gifted unless someone in their direct bloodline also held a power."
"Uh... could you be a little more specific?" he asked, rubbing his temples.
Beniko let out a dramatic sigh. "So much for having an IQ over three hundred. Fine. Think of it like this: Imagine someone was born with a gift one thousand years ago. That person had children with another person who was also born gifted. Their offspring would inherit aspects of both parental gifts, blending them together. As the generations pass, each descendant of that bloodline inherits a fraction of the original powers, forcing them to train relentlessly if they wish to unlock their gift's full potential of their given ability—and some rare geniuses might even surpass it. And that exact same rule applies to those who are gifted through a demon-spirit-contract."
"Oh yeah, that's where we come in," Yutaro noted, leaning forward.
"Correct," Beniko nodded. "Most people form a contract with a demon in exchange for its powers, and the harsh terms of that contract seal their fate. The vast majority end up becoming 'demon spawn,' forced to serve the demon whenever they are called upon. But a rare exception occurs when a demon chooses to exist solely as a spirit, fusing entirely with a human host. In that scenario, the host gains immense power without becoming a slave to the demon's whim. However, when that host dies, the demon’s spirit leaves the body to search for a new vessel—prioritizing those of the exact same bloodline, someone they deem truly worthy, or, if absolutely necessary, the first available person they can find." Beniko locked his eyes with him, waiting to see if he truly understood.
"...Ooh, now I get it." He slowly rubbed his chin. "What about our bloodline and the spirit of Haraki? What's the story behind—"
"You'll learn the story behind our bloodline's gift eventually, as you grow," she informed him, cutting him off.
"I thought you would have known such common knowledge by now, since you've been blessed with Mother's Chisei. Then again, you knew absolutely nothing about gifts and demon spirit contracts to begin with." She stood up elegantly from the pristine chair.
"Yeah... well, my goal was to become a doctor, after all," he said, resting his chin on his fists.
"Why the sudden change of mind?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.
He stood up from the floor and looked at her for a brief moment, "...No reason," he answered simply, forcing a smile.
"Hmm... well then. I've done my part; now it's time for you to do yours," she said, deactivating her ability as the space around them distorted, folding back into the regular hallway.
"Okay, let's—"
"Yutaro." Niriko's voice called his name. She stood right behind Beniko, staring at him with an intense gaze.
"Y—yes, Mother," he stuttered in fright.
"Mother, what a surprise," Beniko said, turning her gaze back toward Niriko.
"Why haven't you gone to bed yet?" Niriko questioned Yutaro.
"...Well, you see, the thing is... Beniko demanded I help her study for her exam tomorrow," Yutaro explained, his voice wavering slightly. "So I told her that, in exchange, she had to tell me everything she knew about gifts and demon spirit contracts, so—"
"Enough," Niriko interrupted, her voice dropping an octave as she cut him off. "By 'demand'... what exactly do you mean by that?" she questioned, her maternal gaze intensifying with immediate suspicion.
Yutaro scratched the back of his head, forcing a tense, frightened smile. Tch, dammit, Yuta! he panicked internally. Beniko is going to straight-up murder me on our way to school tomorrow if I tell Mother... but I'm in deep trouble either way if I don't. "Well, she—"
"SHE USED HER ABILITY ON HIM! THE ONE THAT LETS HER CREATE A POCKET DIMENSION WHERE SHE HAS FULL CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING AND ANYONE!" Hasashi yelled, suddenly appearing out of nowhere behind Niriko in the hallway.
Last-minute save, Yutaro thought, breathing a massive, silent sigh of relief. You really are my brother, Hasashi. But I truly feel bad for what's about to happen to you now.
Niriko slowly turned her head, her sharp gaze locking onto her daughter. "Is that so, Beniko?"
Hasashi... count your days, you little peasant, Beniko thought, her veins practically popping as she forced a sweet, entirely strained smile.
The heavy, suffocating silence that immediately followed in the hallway suggested that Hasashi's days were numbered.
Except him.
Yutaro sat quietly on the roof, slowly tilting his head upward to gaze upon the silver crescent.
"...Hunter."
"How does someone become a hunter?" he questioned himself softly.
"For someone who plans on becoming a doctor, you seem quite interested in Hunters," a voice remarked.
Yutaro turned to see his father climbing onto the roof, with his younger brother, Hasashi, piggybacked on his shoulders.
"No, I'm not," Yutaro answered defensively.
Hasashi poked his head over their father's shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. "Hah! Liar."
"Huh? What is he doing here?" Yutaro asked, frowning at his father.
"Hey now, don't be like that. He just wanted to come along, that's all," Father replied.
Hasashi scrambled down from his father's back and rushed straight over to Yutaro, squinting up at him. "Why are you out so late, Yuta...?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Yutaro countered bluntly.
"Hey! I asked you a question first. Answer me, and then I'll tell you!" Hasashi snapped, crossing his arms.
"Well, I'm your older brother, so my demands take priority over yours," Yutaro said smoothly.
"Hey there, no need to get so worked up over that, Hasashi," their father intervened, stepping between them.
"No! He always—"
"Wanna hear about what your grandfather said about you two?" Father interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
"YES!" they both shouted instantly.
Before Father could speak, a small, sleepy voice drifted from the darkness behind them. "Hasashi..."
They turned around. Standing at the edge of the roof was their little sister, Teni, rubbing her eyes with a tiny fist.
"Teni?" Hasashi said, blinking in confusion.
She yawned widely. "I've been looking all over for you."
Hasashi rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Huh? Why?"
"I had a bad dream about you. I got scared, so I went to your room... but you weren't there," she mumbled, looking down at her feet.
Hasashi’s expression softened. "Ooh. Well... I—I'm fine. So you can go back to sleep now."
"But I wanna sleep with you," she insisted, taking a step forward.
"I'm sorry, Teni, but Father is about to tell us—"
"I think you should go back inside with her, Hasashi," Father interrupted gently.
"But what about—"
"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you your part some other time," Father said, his expression suddenly shifting into an intense, looming smile.
"Besides, if you don't go back to sleep with her, she'll start crying. And you know what will happen to us if your mother finds out we're out this late, right?"
Hasashi froze, a look of pure dread washing over his face. "Yeah. I forgot."
"Okay. Now run along," Father said, waving a hand.
Hasashi turned and walked over to Teni, shoulders slumped.
"Okay, let's go to bed," he muttered disappointedly. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
"Huh? You can stay up if you really want to," she said, looking up at him.
"Really?" Hasashi’s eyes lit up.
"NO!" she cheerfully replied, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
Silence settled over the roof once more as Hasashi carried Teni away, leaving only Yutaro and his father under the moonlight.
Yutaro glanced back at his father. "So, what is it that Grandfather said about us?"
"...Come over here," Father replied softly.
Yutaro walked over and stood beside him, looking out over the quiet city.
"He told me that... you both have a long future ahead of you. One that will constantly lead you to death's doorstep. But it will be for the sake of saving lives and helping those in need with the powers you possess. However, there will be times when you won't be able to save everyone, despite how powerful you are and how hard you try. Do you know why?"
"Why is that?" Yutaro asked.
"Fate. That's all there is to it," Father said, his voice dropping into a somber register.
"At least, that's what I thought after your grandfather died. I told myself that, no matter how strong you are or who you are, at the end of the day, fate doesn't give a fuck."
The silence in the air became deafening.
"But... fate can still be changed... right?" Yutaro asked.
Father’s expression shifted. A single, cool drop of rain tapped softly against his shoulder, but for a moment, he didn’t answer.
Yutaro's question seemed to drag him backward through time.
Back to that day.
Rain poured down heavily from the grey skies as steel clashed violently against concrete.
He lunged his blade toward the demon with lethal precision. The creature effortlessly evaded, leaving him wide open. Instantly, the demon retaliated with a blinding storm of attacks—one, two, three, four, five—the crushing pressure growing heavier with every passing second.
Damn it. It's pressing me to my absolute limits, he thought, teeth gritted as sparks flew from the blades. It won't be long before he wears me out. Tch.
As the ring of clashing steel echoed through the desolate ruins of Shinsekai, two figures watched from afar. Standing beyond the cloud of dust, was the head of the Akira clan and his second-in-command, Benimaru Isane.
Benimaru's eyes widened, deeply disturbed by the battle.
"What is Akira-dono thinking? At this rate, he's going to get killed. If I don't—"
"Benimaru," Akira-dono called out, interrupting him.
"Sir," Benimaru replied, straightening up.
"His Zirei feels uneasy. How is he holding up?"
"He's under a massive amount of pressure. He can't keep up with the demon’s endurance," Benimaru answered, his voice laced with anxiety.
"At this rate, he'll wear out and die before he ever reaches Valhalla, sir."
"What are the odds of him reaching Valhalla?" Akira-dono questioned without breaking his gaze.
"I see three outcomes," Benimaru explained. "One in which he gets bested in this endurance match. Another where he successfully reaches Valhalla, but dies shortly after because his physical body won't be able to restrain the massive amount of Zirei and destructive power Valhalla grants him. And finally, the third—"
Benimaru froze. His expression warped into shock as his God’s Eye foresaw a sudden shift in the timeline.
"...Well? What is the last one?" Akira-dono pressed.
"Sir... Niriko intervenes. She changes his fate by preventing his death, which is guaranteed to happen if he keeps this up for another fifty-five seconds... Wait, I see a fourth one now. One where he reaches Valhalla, but it’s incredibly risky."
“What are the odds?”
“He’ll reach it within the next forty-four seconds," Benimaru shouted over the roaring wind, "but Niriko will get caught in Haraki’s destructive aura! She’ll die, sir, and it’ll be because of our selfish goals! She won’t even get the chance to confess her love to him!”
"That girl from the Hiroko clan..." Akira-dono quietly gazed up at the stormy sky. "...So you really love him that much, huh.
Let Niriko save him."
Benimaru focused his vision, his irises glowing with an ethereal light. "God’s Eye: Divine Outcome, Third fate."
Back in the ruins, the clashes grew increasingly desperate. He gritted his teeth tightly, his stamina completely fading as the demon relentlessly forced him onto the defensive. His willpower wavered, and his vision began to blur into a dark haze.
Well... I guess this is how I die after all, he muttered to himself, drawing what he believed would be his final breath. Suddenly, the demon’s claws tore through the air, burying themselves deep into his chest.
His eyes slowly shut, the world going black.
"Hey."
He heard a faint voice calling out to him.
"Hey."
The voice called out again, louder this time.
"Hey!"
His eyes shot open. The ruined battlefield was gone. He was lying on the ground, his head resting gently on Niriko’s lap as she looked down at him with fierce relief.
And just like that, Benimaru had rewritten his fate.
The memory slowly dissolved as the present-day rain began to pour around them.
For a moment, Father said nothing, while
Yutaro quietly awaited his answer.
"It's raining, we should—" Yutaro started, but his father cut him off.
"It can be changed," Father said, looking directly at Yutaro. "But not always in the specific way you want it to."
A sharp flash of lightning briefly illuminated the rooftops, followed by a low rumble of thunder that shattered the silence between them.
“Let's go inside," Father said, stepping to the edge of the roof.
Yutaro jumped down without hesitation, his feet landing softly against the rain-soaked ground below. Father dropped lightly right beside him.
Waiting for them in the downpour was Niriko, standing beneath the dry halo of a wide umbrella.
"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.
Father froze. "...Well, I was... I just... I went to get a glass of water, that's all," he stammered, offering a painfully forced, guilty smile.
Niriko studied his face for a long, agonizing second, then turned around and began walking toward the house. "Go back to sleep, Yutaro. You have school tomorrow," she called back over her shoulder.
"Yes, Mother," Yutaro replied.
Father let out a quiet breath of relief, but after a few steps into the yard, Niriko stopped. Without turning back, she added, "Oh, and you're sleeping alone tonight, dear."
Yutaro smirked, walking past his defeated parents. "Sucks to be you, Father."
"...Guess I'm sleeping alone," Father muttered to the rain.
Yutaro entered the house and slid the door shut, shaking the water from his hair. When he turned around, his eyes instantly locked onto his older sister, Beniko.
"I have an exam tomorrow, and I need your help with tutoring," she stated, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
He pushed right past her.
"So do I, Mrs. Princess," Yutaro replied coldly, keeping his pace.
"Apex: Prey to None."
Beniko's voice echoed with a strange, heavy resonance as she activated her ability.
The air grew thick, and the walls of the hallway suddenly distorted, bleeding into a surreal, enclosed space. Yutaro stopped dead in his tracks, a wave of unfamiliar pressure washing over him. He whirled around, his eyes wide. "What is this?"
Beniko smiled triumphantly. "It's an ability I awakened yesterday. It creates a pocket dimension where I hold absolute control over everything and everyone inside, no matter who they are or how strong they might be. In other words... prey to none."
Yutaro stared at her, assessing the boundaries of the strange space before sighing. "...Is that so? Then again, it makes sense that you'd awaken an ability like that. After all, you've always been completely obsessed with control and ownership."
"...Aww, Yuta. You know me so well," she cooed, placing a hand on her cheek.
"It just shows how much you observe your older sister. You must really look up to me—"
"Everyone knows that about you," he bluntly interrupted.
Beniko's smile twitched, but she shrugged it off.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're going to help me study for my exam tonight, whether you like it or not."
Yutaro looked at the absolute control she held over the space and realized he wasn't getting out of it easily. "...Fine. But under one condition."
"What is it?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Yutaro sat down cross-legged on the floor of the dimension. "Tell me about gifts and demon spirit contracts."
"...Such a small request. I can at least grant you that," she replied.
With a flick of her finger, a pristine chair materialized out of thin air, and she sat down elegantly.
"...Now, listen closely, Yutaro. From what I know, only a rare few people are born with 'gifts' that possess great power. It’s highly unlikely for a child to be born gifted unless someone in their direct bloodline also held a power."
"Uh... could you be a little more specific?" he asked, rubbing his temples.
Beniko let out a dramatic sigh. "So much for having an IQ over three hundred. Fine. Think of it like this: Imagine someone was born with a gift one thousand years ago. That person had children with another person who was also born gifted. Their offspring would inherit aspects of both parental gifts, blending them together. As the generations pass, each descendant of that bloodline inherits a fraction of the original powers, forcing them to train relentlessly if they wish to unlock their gift's full potential of their given ability—and some rare geniuses might even surpass it. And that exact same rule applies to those who are gifted through a demon-spirit-contract."
"Oh yeah, that's where we come in," Yutaro noted, leaning forward.
"Correct," Beniko nodded. "Most people form a contract with a demon in exchange for its powers, and the harsh terms of that contract seal their fate. The vast majority end up becoming 'demon spawn,' forced to serve the demon whenever they are called upon. But a rare exception occurs when a demon chooses to exist solely as a spirit, fusing entirely with a human host. In that scenario, the host gains immense power without becoming a slave to the demon's whim. However, when that host dies, the demon’s spirit leaves the body to search for a new vessel—prioritizing those of the exact same bloodline, someone they deem truly worthy, or, if absolutely necessary, the first available person they can find." Beniko locked his eyes with him, waiting to see if he truly understood.
"...Ooh, now I get it." He slowly rubbed his chin. "What about our bloodline and the spirit of Haraki? What's the story behind—"
"You'll learn the story behind our bloodline's gift eventually, as you grow," she informed him, cutting him off.
"I thought you would have known such common knowledge by now, since you've been blessed with Mother's Chisei. Then again, you knew absolutely nothing about gifts and demon spirit contracts to begin with." She stood up elegantly from the pristine chair.
"Yeah... well, my goal was to become a doctor, after all," he said, resting his chin on his fists.
"Why the sudden change of mind?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.
He stood up from the floor and looked at her for a brief moment, "...No reason," he answered simply, forcing a smile.
"Hmm... well then. I've done my part; now it's time for you to do yours," she said, deactivating her ability as the space around them distorted, folding back into the regular hallway.
"Okay, let's—"
"Yutaro." Niriko's voice called his name. She stood right behind Beniko, staring at him with an intense gaze.
"Y—yes, Mother," he stuttered in fright.
"Mother, what a surprise," Beniko said, turning her gaze back toward Niriko.
"Why haven't you gone to bed yet?" Niriko questioned Yutaro.
"...Well, you see, the thing is... Beniko demanded I help her study for her exam tomorrow," Yutaro explained, his voice wavering slightly. "So I told her that, in exchange, she had to tell me everything she knew about gifts and demon spirit contracts, so—"
"Enough," Niriko interrupted, her voice dropping an octave as she cut him off. "By 'demand'... what exactly do you mean by that?" she questioned, her maternal gaze intensifying with immediate suspicion.
Yutaro scratched the back of his head, forcing a tense, frightened smile. Tch, dammit, Yuta! he panicked internally. Beniko is going to straight-up murder me on our way to school tomorrow if I tell Mother... but I'm in deep trouble either way if I don't. "Well, she—"
"SHE USED HER ABILITY ON HIM! THE ONE THAT LETS HER CREATE A POCKET DIMENSION WHERE SHE HAS FULL CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING AND ANYONE!" Hasashi yelled, suddenly appearing out of nowhere behind Niriko in the hallway.
Last-minute save, Yutaro thought, breathing a massive, silent sigh of relief. You really are my brother, Hasashi. But I truly feel bad for what's about to happen to you now.
Niriko slowly turned her head, her sharp gaze locking onto her daughter. "Is that so, Beniko?"
Hasashi... count your days, you little peasant, Beniko thought, her veins practically popping as she forced a sweet, entirely strained smile.
The heavy, suffocating silence that immediately followed in the hallway suggested that Hasashi's days were numbered.
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