Kurumi needs help? Again...?

Clang!*

The graveyard was filled with the eerie sound of clashing mana, as Shuuta defended himself from a reaper's sharp spike with his skull-like scales. He felt a sharp pinch on his forearm, a reminder that he was in a dire situation.

"Back off!" Shuuta emitted a strange force that pushed the reaper away, but it only drew more of the menacing spirits towards him, leaving him feeling regretful about his action.

Shuuta was trapped in a chaotic showdown with ghouls and dark spirits that had turned an otherwise ordinary graveyard into a nightmarish battleground.

"Damn you, Noara!!" Shuuta yelled at the heavens, clenching his fists in frustration.

"S-Shuuta-Kun… I'm sorry, I can't deal with ghosts…" The small maiden with light blue hair said those words before her soul left her lips, and she collapsed.

"Kurumi!!" Shuuta cried out, holding her lifeless body, or so he thought. In reality, the loli was simply passed out from her phobia, so Shuuta scooped her up and ran.

A horde of ghouls caught sight of them and gave chase.

"Don't worry, Shuuta! I'll distract them with my sexiness!" Hanako declared with a hint of irony.

"Eh?" Shuuta glanced back at his Familiar, holding his hand over his mouth and tearing up for her well-being. "Your sacrifice won't be in vain, Hanako…"

"What?" A dumbfounded Hanako looked at the reapers flying past her, as if she was invisible.

"Useless!!" Shuuta retorted, continuing to run for his life.

Shuuta found a momentary refuge behind a stone, losing the pursuing reapers for a brief respite.

"Stay here and don't move, I'll try to absorb them," Shuuta whispered to the petrified Kurumi, who couldn't manage a response.

'Apparently, I have a passive skill…' Shuuta mused as he stood and ran back towards the approaching ghouls.

"Oi! I'm over here!" Shuuta called out to get their attention.

All of the ghouls noticed Shuuta, their pointy spikes at the ready.

Shuuta jumped and kicked a ghoul, sending it tumbling away. In mid-air, he grabbed a spike from another ghoul and spun, using it to break a stone.

["Devour!"]

Shuuta thrust his open hand, which transformed into a demonic skull, and devoured a petrified ghoul, its teeth embedded in the transparent body.

Another ghoul, irritated by his comrade's fate, recklessly attacked, but Shuuta expertly dodged the spike and disarmed the ghoul with a swift move of his hand.

["Devour!"]

Only a screech remained as another ghoul met its end.

One ghoul remained, but Shuuta felt an odd surge in its Mana.

"What? How did he-" before Shuuta could finish his thought, he was struck by a spike's blunt side, causing him to spit.

Shuuta's legs were swept out from under him by the ghoul, whose skill with a spike was enough to take him down.

"Eeek!" Shuuta saw the spike aimed at his face and quickly jerked his head to the side to evade it. He then kicked the ghoul away.

Shuuta regained his footing with a graceful flip and charged back at the ghoul.

'This reaper has legs?!' Shuuta wondered as he swung at the ghoul with his devour skull.

The two engaged in a martial arts-like duel, parrying each other's blows, reminiscent of a fight scene from an anime.

"What is going on? That's martial arts… Hanako, explain!" Shuuta finally asked, perplexed.

Hanako, now serious, replied, "Ghouls were once human, most demons you encounter were once human too, but don't despair! They are no longer human, so cleanse them!"

Shuuta pondered her explanation in silence. "Why didn't you tell me before? It feels wrong."

"Because you would hesitate to cleanse them. That's my reason," Hanako said, her argument making sense.

"Not bad, kid. Only brown belts and higher could inflict damage on me," the mustached ghost claimed with a bizarre expression.

"Eh?" Shuuta watched the ghost blush intensely.

"Come on and defeat this old man! I've longed for this moment in my life! Gwahahaha!" the ghost encouraged.

Shuuta sighed inwardly, realizing that normal missions were apparently too much to ask for.

Peng!* Shuuta's senses snapped back into focus as he dodged a punch from the ghoul. Swiftly, he caught the creature's fists in his grasp, surprising both himself and the ghostly opponent.

"HAAA!" The ghoul twisted his body and delivered a powerful knee strike to Shuuta's side. Then, he seized Shuuta's wrists and executed a throw, leaving the red-haired Mystic gasping for breath.

"Shuuta!" Hanako's voice pierced the chaotic duel.

"Stay back! This is a duel, and I'll honor his wishes," Shuuta declared, twisting his legs and tripping the ghoul. He aimed his talon-like appendage at the ghoul's head.

The ghoul, however, saw through Shuuta's strike and latched onto his leg, sending them both high into the sky. Shuuta felt like he could see his house, school, and even the infested parts of the city.

"AHHHH! Don't you dare drop me, you-" Shuuta's words were cut short as the ghoul released him, sending him plummeting toward the ground.

"Shuuta! I got you!" Hanako attempted to swoop in and save him but was stopped in her tracks by the ghoul's overwhelming killing intent. "Eeek! I'm sorry, Shuuta. You're on your own."

"You useless Familiar!!" Shuuta grumbled as he got closer to his seemingly impending doom. Kurumi looked up and calculated Shuuta's fall, gathering mana in her hands.

["Snow Magic: Snow Cushion!"]

The cemetery was instantly covered with a thick layer of snow, creating a soft landing for Shuuta's fall.

BOOM!* Shuuta crashed into the snowy ground, and Kurumi squawked, shocked by the impact.

"Are you okay, Shuuta?" Kurumi asked, shaking him slightly as he groaned and his eyes comically rolled.

"I'm fine..." Shuuta muttered, but he was soon grabbed by the ghoul and dragged through the snow.

"Eeeek!!" Kurumi passed out again, her stress taking its toll.

Shuuta decided to fight back, dousing his right leg with reddish dark flames and burning the ghost's hand. He propelled himself into the air with his hands and kicked vigorously, breaking through a stone and some trees.

Hanako was astonished. "How did Shuuta learn [Mana Concentration]?! Did he already unlock it?"

[Mana Concentration] allowed one to focus mana in specific parts of the body and wrap themselves with it.

["Devour!"]

Shuuta launched a punch at the bewildered ghoul, but it countered with a unique technique.

["Snake Twist!"]

The reaper slapped Shuuta's wrist, nailed his hand into the snow, and capitalized on the opportunity. A series of hard blows landed on Shuuta's abdomen and sides, concluding with a flurry of strikes that sent him flying back, creating a screen of snow and dust.

In the distance, a young man with an irritated expression held his aching gut, feeling the frustration of watching his sister in danger. "Damn it, Father... why did you ask Shuuta? I could've protected Kurumi even better than him!"

Hikaru, upon witnessing Shuuta's combat abilities, felt a growing rift between them. Noara's combat style seemed to emanate from Shuuta, and Hikaru, despite his excellent support skills, was merely average at fighting.

"Tch... I can do that too," Hikaru grumbled, but the idea of using Shuuta's power for personal gain didn't sit well with him. He held himself to higher standards, refusing to betray a friend and, more importantly, his sister.

Boom!* As Shuuta singlehandedly defeated the reapers, Hikaru watched in admiration and jealousy, the gap between them widening.

"I'm so weak!! Waaah! I hate this debuff!" Shuuta rubbed his hands through his hair, overcome by stress and frustration.

"Weak…? You just defeated a group of reapers by yourself, well, with the help of the petite, delicate loli," Hanako retorted, glaring ominously and playfully karate-chopping Shuuta.

"Idiot! Didn't you hear the mission? They asked me to help Kurumi level up! I cleansed the reapers myself! It was all for nothing!" Shuuta responded aggressively.

"Why did you cleanse them yourself?" Hanako asked, puzzled.

"Because I was fighting for my life!" Shuuta retorted, frustrated and exhausted.

"Umm… Shuuta-Kun? Who are you yelling at?" Kurumi was lost, unable to comprehend the drama unfolding before her.

"My Familiar… my annoying, useless, narcissistic Familiar," Shuuta muttered.

Kurumi remained quiet, contemplating the situation.

"You must love your Familiar if you fight like that… must be nice," Kurumi sighed.

'Must be nice… MY ASS! She's a pain in my tooth!' Shuuta thought.

"See, see. She understands our love! I like Kurumi now," Hanako chimed in with a gooey expression.

"So, you're going to stop calling her 'tender loli' now?" Shuuta raised an eyebrow.

'T-tender what?' Kurumi frowned, even more perplexed.

With a heavy sigh, Shuuta mumbled, "Well, anyway, we failed the mission. Let's go back to Noara tomorrow; maybe she'll have an easier mission for you, Kurumi."

"Oh…I-I'm sorry," Kurumi stammered.

"Don't be. You saved me from that fall, so it's cool," Shuuta replied.

"B-but I didn't do much," Kurumi protested.

"Is saving my life nothing to you?! It's fine! Next time I'll make sure to protect you at all costs."

Kurumi flinched at Shuuta's comment, nodding bashfully. "Hai…"

After that, they returned to the infirmary the next day. Noara burst into uncontrollable laughter and slapped Shuuta on the back. "It must've been tough! I didn't know Kurumi had a phobia of ghosts!"

Shuuta was exasperated, unable to escape her teasing.

"Don't worry, Shuuta! I have plenty more missions for you and Kurumi."

Hearing that, Shuuta sighed inwardly, knowing that it would be a long, grueling day.

Ever since the Menos rift opened in the sky, emergency missions had surged: cleansing, eliminating, aiding, saving, and even destroying the demon nests that infested the city's districts. It was truly hell on earth.

Fortunately, the demons were far from Shuuta's school, making it safer to be there than at home. The government had declared schools as the safest points for Mystics, and it was an absolute order for children to attend.

"So the government is aware of it. Schools are now Mystic operation bases," Shuuta noted.

Noara nodded, her arms crossed. "Yes, students are aware of us now, and it's not pretty. They don't trust us at all, especially you. Did you feel the stares and animosity? I know they're human, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. Watch your back."

"Against humans? I mean, not too long ago, I thought I was human. It feels weird to be seen as something other than human," Shuuta mused, glancing down.

"I'm not human anymore, am I?"

Kurumi gently tugged her chest, noticing Shuuta's change in expression. "Shuuta-kun... don't worry! Even if you don't have any friends... I'll always be your friend!"

"Oh?" Noara covered her mouth, cackling coquettishly.

"..." Shuuta couldn't help but feel he'd been friend-zoned.

"Uhhh... Thanks, Kurumi. Anyways, are you ready? We're going to tackle all the missions Noara assigns."

"Mhm!" Kurumi nodded, her hands trembling with anticipation.

Boom!* A sudden loud noise interrupted their conversation.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Hikaru's voice rang out, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

"What's wrong, Hikaru? Why are you screaming?" Shuuta asked.

"I'll join you on the missions! It's my turn to shine," Hikaru declared.

"Shine? Dude, I'm supposed to help Kurumi level up..." Shuuta responded.

"I know. I'm joining too. Having an extra hand won't hurt. Plus, she's my sister! I must stay by her side at all times!" Hikaru replied harmonically.

"Onii-chan… you're creeping me out," Kurumi berated him with piercing eyes.

"Eek! Lovely!" Hikaru responded with his usual oddity.

'Good grief… Kazuma and Hikaru would get along. Masochists!' Shuuta thought.

Shuuta sighed inwardly and gave in to Hikaru's request. "Do as you please. You'll just follow us like you did yesterday. I could sense your presence."

"Y-you did? But I suppressed my mana," Hikaru claimed.

Shuuta raised an eyebrow at Hikaru's assertion, and Noara scoffed. "Suppressed? Do you even know how to do it yet? It isn't as easy as you think, Hikaru."

"Err…"

"Look, not every Mystic is a 'Mystic.' Most mystics can fully utilize and master their abilities after years of practice. Suppressing their mana is especially challenging."

Noara moved behind Hikaru in a flash. "It takes a lot of practice."

Noara then wrapped her arms around Hikaru's neck. "You would've been dead in a fight, Hikaru. This is why you must do missions, fight strong enemies when the time is right. But don't fight if you know you'll die," she advised.

"Next mission should be easy for you boys, at least. Kurumi must level up at least once," Noara added.

"Once?" Shuuta and Hikaru asked in unison.

"Yeah, if you can't do that, the school is doomed to fall," Noara warned.

"Why? Is it that bad?" Shuuta inquired with some confusion.

Noara groaned in anger and raised one eye. "Should I remind you that we are the weakest school in the district? We need more Mystics, and Yuri will definitely come in handy."

"Oi, don't involve Yuri in this," Shuuta said while crossing his arms.

"She can't go back to her previous life; she already has mana, and I'm sure she will be targeted."

"Targeted? Who would target Yuri?" Shuuta asked, puzzled.

"Tch. Someone is on the move, and I'm surprised you don't even remember what you went through," Noara explained.

Shuuta looked at her seriously, something clicked in his head. "Oh! That hellish place!"

"Idiot," Kurumi muttered.

"Did he really forget?" Noara facepalmed.

"I can't believe you, Shuuta," Hikaru chided.

"What you're trying to say is... I was targeted?"

"Yup! They acknowledged your existence as a dangerous Mystic."

"They? Who are they?"

"Shut it, brat! I'll explain the situation thoroughly," Noara promised as everyone stared, awaiting her response.