Remembrance

Clang!*

Peng!*

Boom!*

Amidst the symphony of metallic echoes and explosive percussion, a young man with crimson hair slowly allowed his eyes to flutter open. The stinging sensation of pain accompanied each grunted breath, intensifying the disorienting atmosphere.

The shrill wail of a car alarm punctuated the air, harmonizing with the cacophony of bangs and booms that resonated through the dimly lit streets. The boy's surroundings, bathed in the ethereal glow of numerous lights, cast elongated shadows that danced to the rhythm of the ongoing skirmish.

His body tensed as his gaze fixated on two figures locked in a fierce confrontation. They moved with a fluidity that transcended the realm of ordinary physicality, each exchange of blows akin to the dynamic clashes found in the pages of a manga. Magic and skills interwoven, their battle unfolded like a carefully choreographed dance of supernatural prowess.

"W-where am I?" he gasped, the words escaping his lips strained and breathless. His hand instinctively reached to his throbbing head, a futile attempt to alleviate the pain that pulsed within.

Amidst the surreal spectacle, he wrestled with the pressing questions that gripped his mind. The labyrinth of lights and shadows offered no easy answers as he strained to comprehend the extraordinary scene playing out before him.

"What happened?" he continued, his voice a desperate plea for clarity. The discordant soundscape mirrored the chaos within his consciousness, fragments of memory flickering like distant stars in the night sky.

Attempting to piece together the fragments of his fragmented recollection, he questioned his place in the midst of this otherworldly battle. The pain that surged through his body served as a grim reminder, each throb echoing the gravity of his involvement in this seemingly supernatural clash. Were his eyes truly witnessing a spectacle of magic, or was it a fevered dream borne from the depths of an unknown reality? The boy caught between the enigma of his surroundings and the turmoil within, stood as a silent observer in an anime-like tableau of mystique and confrontation.

The sensation of his memories unfolding was akin to an old car starting its engine, each recollection a reluctant cough before the smooth purr of remembrance settled in.

...

Within a room pulsating with an odd energy, a faint voice cut through the air like a whispered secret. The confined space, its walls draped in eerie grey, resonated with an unspoken pressure. A young lad found himself startled, his eyes resisting the urge to shut against an unexplained tension that held him captive.

His silver eyes sparkled with uncertainty, his body tensing like a shake-weight in the hands of an aggressive athlete. The feeling that someone's eyes were fixed on him sent shivers down his spine.

"Interesting..." A mysterious entity's voice resonated, dripping with fervor.

"Interesting?!" he echoed, a glint of fear in his eyes.

"Why do I hear a voice?" His mind spiraled into chaos, the idea of leaving the house gaining momentum with each passing second.

His gaze flickered around the small room, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Stacks of boxes stood as he had arranged them, yet in the dimness, they seemed otherworldly, as though harboring a spectral desire for his very essence.

Minutes stretched into hours, intensifying his desire for sleep. Clutching his pillow tightly, he sought solace beneath his sheets.

"I really need some sleep; school starts tomorrow... Can ghosts be discombobulated?" His eyes finally surrendered to the heaviness, closing abruptly. Out of the blue, a small hand descended from his back to his glutes, launching him out of his bed.

In his attempt to escape, he unintentionally stepped on a shirt, sliding across the floor and thudding his head against the ground.

"Oops..."

A transparent hue materialized, revealing a ghostly figure crouched over the unconscious lad.

"Katashi Shuuta... we finally meet," she said, smiling wryly before vanishing into nothingness.

...

"Waah... what happened?" The lad awoke, bewildered, scanning his room with a stupor expression.

One question dominated his thoughts: How did he end up on the floor?

Memories of a ghostly encounter and a strange caress flooded back. "What was that? Is this house haunted? Maybe buying it wasn't such a good idea after all." The realization of his predicament sank in—a seemingly enticing but suspiciously cheap house, an escape from a hellish aunt.

His aunt, a lazy sloth with an affinity for treats and drinks, had turned him into a personal maid. The memories of posing in lewd outfits for her amusement haunted him.

"It was definitely worth it," he sagely nodded, smirking. 'How does she make money drawing lewd stuff?' he wondered, shaking off unsettling memories.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed away from the past. Time to address the ghostly elephant in the room.

"Alright! Whoever you are, show yourself! I am not scared of you...Okay fine, just a little bit, still, I'll try to help you out the best I can!" Shuuta sounded off his voice waiting for a response.

Silence, not a single sound was heard.

'I expected as much, is the ghost shy?' The lad laughed helplessly; he stood in a flash and stared at the bed contemplative.

"I'm serious here! I swear it on my life!" He posed like an anime character as if he was motivating someone.

"I can't get what I want, it's pointless, I'm already dead." The lad was stunned after hearing a delicate voice of a girl.

He flickered his eyes around but found no one; scratching his head, he wore a complex look on his face.

'So she can't get what she wants? What else can I do? No. There must be something I can do to help, even though she's a ghost, something is keeping her here, and she has regrets...Mmmm' Shuuta groaned as he thought many things, only to respond.

"Are you sure? I promise to make your request a reality, pinky promise." The boy had an idea…maybe helping the voice out might cleanse his house. That's if everything goes well.

"I assure you that, you will regret it." Such a delicate voice made this sentence downright menacing.

That left the boy uneasy, what can he regret? Being taken over his body? Losing his man sausage? There cannot be something worse than losing his man sausage!

His eyes glint seriousness and he claims, "I'm very resilient, don't worry about me, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle whatever you need." He pondered a bit, he imagined many bad scenarios, but none were "bad bad" to him. Thus he decided to help anyway.

...I mean, what's the worst that can truly happen?

"If you insist...become my boyfriend!"

Oh.

The girl popped out of nowhere and hugged the stupefied lad; Shuuta couldn't believe that a ghost just asked him with such a demand.

"EHHH?! Are you stuck here because you never had a boyfriend?" The boy attempted to pull away from the cute ghost; his hands passed through her unable to get away from her cold grip.

'Huh?! How can she hug me, but I can't touch her!'

"Yes. I've never had a boyfriend, I had no time for relationships, plus my studies were my priority back then, now that I'm dead, I regret not enjoying my youth, and well...I always wanted to have a relationship with a boy." The girl turned into nothing and popped out of thin air on the lad's bed, comfortably sitting down.

The boy searched for her and gawked, wholly mesmerized, his eyebrows raised in awe.

Her oval face and puffy cheeks, her obsidian black hair that flowed down her shoulders made it seem like she was pure and cute, her sparkly cherry lips displaying her gentleness, the crimson red eyes piercing the lad's body, she was wearing a school uniform, her mounds getting clutched by the school shirt almost jutting out, the guy felt a blow into his heart.

"I'm lost for words...How in the hell were you single? You're too cute!!" The lad exclaimed with utter honesty; steam came out of the ghost, wait...no it's her soul! She flustered up like a red tomato.

The girl's expression suddenly seemed down. She then tucked her legs on her chest and sat like a child. "I-I was isolated, mocked, bullied...nobody would talk to me...I can't seem to remember why. I was always a good girl..."

Whaaat? I don't know if she's lying, her emotions seem genuine to me!

"I...I didn't know. I'm truly sorry for asking." He paused. Did he just step on a mine? Guilt filled his body.

'But why was she isolated and bullied? What monster on Earth would dare touch a string of hair of this maiden! It seems nobody appreciates cuteness anymore.'

"N-no, it's fine..." Her face contoured slowly, making Shuuta's heartache.

Sympathy propels his movement, reaching for a hug; he slips on a shirt on the ground, pushing the cute ghost onto the bed.

Shuuta understood her feelings, he was also isolated as a kid, he did many pranks and did bad stuff to girls, everyone disliked his presence, all he was trying to do was get attention, to show that he existed, and that he was also a human being, not some disposable garbage.

"Huh?! W-w-what are you d-d-doing?!" The girl turned beet red, her eyes connected to the lad's eyes, facing each other.

The sparkle in the boy's eyes was the switch that caused the ghostly maiden to blush intensely.

The dash of the gentle sunrise shining through the windows illuminated the ghost's face. Her glistening eyes reflected the lad's face.

Her lip was getting closer to the boy's, but then!

As a reflex, Shuuta retracted from her and said, "Hold your horses! I don't even know your name, and we're already going for a kiss?! That's no fun! Let's take baby steps and get to know each other." The lad exclaimed, looking flushed out; the girl just stared at the lad for a long second with a poker face.

"I guess you're right..." The girl helplessly laughed while averting her eyes. She was in a complete tizzy.

How awkward!

"My name is Katashi Shuuta. What's your name?" Shuuta's lip curled up.

"I-I'm Ohara Hanako. It's a pleasure, Shuuta-Kun." Her lips, her face, and her spirit smiled warmly at Shuuta. 'I already know you, Shuuta... I'm going to act like I don't.'

"What a beautiful smile," Shuuta muttered under his breath, smiling.

Shuuta felt his view sting a bit, the sun gently tapped his eyes...wait. The sun?!

Shuuta's gaze shifted towards his drawer, where his alarm was, suddenly turning his face speechless, "It's 7:15! I'm going to be late for school!" Shuuta ran at his closet, pulled out his school uniform, and took his clothes off; Hanako instantly turned away, blushing.

He had no time so he neglected his breakfast.

"I need to leave! See ya around Hanako-chan."

The sky was blue and fresh, the sun already came out, and birds who were relaxed at a light post were chirping harmonically.

Boom!*

Shuuta exited his house hastily, almost breaking his door in the process.

Disregarding the noise he made, he rushed onwards to his school.

...

"Shuuta..." A faint voice, almost drowned in the chaos, reached the red-haired boy.

"Shuuta!" The second call was louder, snapping him back to reality. As he blinked away disorientation, the face of Hanako came into focus, her worried eyes staring into his. He blinked faster, memories flooding back like a torrent.

"Shuuta, are you okay?" Hanako knelt beside him, her concern deepening as she noticed blood trickling from his head.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine." Shuuta stood up, shaking off the remnants of dizziness.

"How did we end up here?" Shuuta questioned, struggling to recall the events that led them to this bewildering situation.

"You don't remember? Did you hit your head that hard? Baka!"

"H-huh?" Shuuta was taken aback, the sudden shift in Hanako's demeanor catching him off guard. A mix of confusion and amusement played on his face as he witnessed the unexpected tsundere side of Hanako, prompting a chuckle to escape his lips.

"We were supposed to get pudding! You promised to buy us some!" Hanako's voice cut through the air, laced with anger and frustration.

"I-I'm sorry... I really can't remember..."

"You..." Hanako's face contorted, her glare piercing through Shuuta.

Shuuta gulped, a tidal wave of unease flooding his thoughts. 'D-did I do something to anger her?'

"Ah! Forget it, we have to leave right now! It was impressive that you fought that Mystic! But it seems that you can't even remember that?" Hanako grabbed Shuuta's hand, pulling him away with urgency.

BOOM!*

A sudden impact shook the ground as a blonde lad landed next to Shuuta, creating a massive dust cloud.

Hanako gasped, and Shuuta instinctively used his body as a shield to protect her.

"Y-you... give me a hand, will ya?" The blonde lad, covered in bruises and dust, pleaded.

"M-me?"

"Y-yeah, you... you were doing great against him."

As the dust gradually settled, Shuuta's eyes locked onto the blonde's, triggering memories of the intense battle.

The Mystic's attacks, the adrenaline-fueled dodges, the clashes of magical forces – it all rushed back to him. Shuuta's face hardened as the recollection settled in.

...

Shuuta and Hanako walked back home, carrying plastic bags filled with pudding. Shuuta couldn't help but contemplate the danger of Hanako's cuteness, as she skillfully used it to coax him into buying more pudding than planned, resulting in his defeat.

However, their peaceful stroll was abruptly interrupted when Shuuta felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, a blur struck his stomach, causing him to spit and groan. A rough leather glove gripped his face as a mysterious figure smirked and uttered, "For our lord, it must be done."

An electrifying wind enveloped Shuuta, disconnecting him from his body and mind. Hanako, shocked, couldn't extend her trembling hands to help him. "T-they've already found him...? How can that be?"

"Shuuta!" Her sharp voice snapped him back to his senses. He managed to grab the man's wrist, who reciprocated the gesture. The stranger's arm throbbed with intense pain as he tried to break free, eventually retreating with a huff.

"D-Devour? Intriguing magic. I thought you were at least human, kid. Nonetheless, I shall slay you, for it is my lord's will."

"W-what the hell are you talking about? Magic? Are you delusional?" Shuuta's eyes widened with both weakness and anger.

The man burst into maniacal laughter. "An ignorant fool with powerful Magic!" He peered through his fingers, revealing a glimpse into Shuuta's soul, resembling a raging ocean of dark fiery flames and bearing the name "Abaddon."

The stranger, realizing he had caught the attention of a demon lord, proclaimed, "Y-You damn heretic! You must be banished from this world!"

From his belt, the man retrieved a runic dagger adorned with hieroglyphics. Crafted from silver, it gleamed ominously.

"Shuuta, stand up! He's a dangerous guy!" Hanako urged, helping Shuuta to his feet.

"He's using Magic, Binding Magic, of the dark variety. Only a light user or physical attacks can fend him off."

"M-Magic? Seriously?"

"Stop talking! We need to leave!"

Hanako grabbed Shuuta's hand, pulling him through the empty street, perfect for causing chaos. The man released a palpable killing intent, gesturing with his arms.

["Binding Magic: Soul connection!"]

A dark beam connected his dagger to his hand.

"Perish!" The silver dagger hurtled towards Shuuta at breakneck speed, but Hanako, with divine luck, managed to pull him out of its path.

However...

"Hanako!" Shuuta screamed as the dagger pierced through her. She turned to Shuuta, flashing a thumbs-up with a dazzling smile.

Shuuta's heart pounded like an overinflated balloon. "Really… Don't scare me like that!"

The dagger abruptly changed course, speeding back towards the boy.

"Follow me, Hanako!"

And with that, Hanako floated alongside Shuuta.

The hooded man wore a faint smile as he vanished in a flash, reappearing right in front of Shuuta, blocking his path. He signaled the dagger, and it accelerated. The man rushed toward Shuuta.

"S-shit!" The dagger whizzed past as Shuuta sidestepped, and the stranger swung another dagger toward his throat, but Hanako pulled Shuuta out of harm's way.

"Tch. Something is definitely moving him," the man noted, though he couldn't discern the specifics.

Shuuta's legs grew heavy, his stomach churned, and his heartbeat raced as he grappled with the possibility of life or death. Was he truly fighting for his life? Was he about to die?

His anxiety surged with each question that plagued his mind. However, he managed to calm his mind and body through deep breaths. Had he encountered such life-or-death situations before? Was he foolishly overconfident?

The answer lay in his love for meditation. He knew when and how to calm his mind and body. Taking slow, deep breaths with his eyes closed, he began to feel something inside him, a bubbling energy. Was this his mana? Could he harness it?

Mana surged through him as the stranger released his own. Shuuta's demeanor shifted, his face now serious and ominous.

"S-Shuuta?" Hanako's skin tingled as the air around the red-haired boy swirled, shaking nearby cars and benches, even kicking up dust. She stood in awe with her mouth agape.

"Physical attacks work on him, right?" Shuuta asked, his voice now carrying newfound confidence.

Hanako timidly nodded.

Boom! Shuuta reached the man in an instant, leaving Hanako bewildered at his speed.

"Did he just...?" Hanako struggled to comprehend.

"Ghht! What?!" The hooded man couldn't perceive Shuuta's movements; all he saw was a blur rapidly closing in.

Shuuta didn't stop there; he grabbed the man's shirt from behind, slamming him to the ground with a resounding thud.

The man couldn't react in time, but his intuition prompted him to dodge.

Boom! Shuuta's foot nearly crushed the man's head, leaving a small crater. The man retreated and raised his dagger, imbued with magic.

"Die, pest!" he jeered.

Binding magic possessed the incredible ability to immobilize any opponent with a single attack, making it the ideal choice for close combat situations.

Yet, despite the man's awareness of his own formidable power and limitations, he found himself baffled by the lightning-fast blur that struck his nose.

"That brat just called me delusional not too long ago! Did I convince myself that he couldn't use magic?" With gritted teeth, the man clenched his dagger, moving with even sharper and more precise motions.

Shuuta sensed the mana coiling around the dagger, recognizing the significance of the impending strike.

The man closed the distance to Shuuta in a flurry of slicing attacks. Shuuta danced gracefully, effortlessly evading the deadly blade with nimble movements.

"How is Shuuta able to fight like that? Has he already unlocked his powers? No, it can't be... He's probably using his mana to enhance his body and senses," Hanako observed, her eyes fixed on the captivating display.

She could discern a faint aura of mana enveloping Shuuta. "Yup! He's using his mana, not magic."

Hanako suddenly lost sight of both combatants.

Boom! Shuuta reappeared behind the man, delivering a powerful blow before vanishing once more.

"W-what?!" Hanako was left bewildered, her eyes widened comically.

Boom! Shuuta crashed into a car, groaning in pain.

Suddenly, a dagger hurtled towards his face, but Shuuta narrowly dodged it by mere centimeters.

"Damn you…" Shuuta peered at the dagger, gripping it tightly before charging at the man.

The hooded man grinned devilishly, mere inches from plunging the dagger into Shuuta's neck.

"Neru!" The man signaled with a single hand.

"What?!" Shuuta's movements unexpectedly halted; he was ensnared by the man's magic.

'He was waiting for me to use the dagger... He knew that attacking him without a weapon was stupid, so he threw the weapon at me... Bastard.'

"Shuuta!!" Hanako watched in horror as Shuuta was slugged really hard, sent flying through the street, crashing with cars and breaking light poles.