The Evil Spirit froze as Yugo's cry shook the ruined room. Its misshapen head turned toward him, muttering something in its distorted tongue.
But before it could move—
A surge of spiritual energy erupted from deep within Yugo's chest.
The blast tore through the mansion like a storm, shattering walls and blowing debris outward in a violent wave of heat and wind. Half the manor disappeared behind him in a cloud of dust.
Yugo didn't hesitate.
In an instant, his body moved—faster than he'd ever moved before. The air cracked around him as he appeared before the Evil Spirit and delivered a single punch to its torso.
The creature flew backward, crashing through two pillars before skidding across the ground nearly thirty feet away.
It writhed, trying to rise, limbs reforming as its unnatural regeneration kicked in. But Yugo was already upon it. He leapt into the air and brought his heel down with earth-shaking force, driving the spirit's head into the floor.
He landed a breath later, eyes shadowed by fury. The creature's twisted form struggled to rebuild itself, trembling as it attempted to stand.
Yugo raised one hand, fingers forming a familiar pattern.
His voice dropped, low and steady—an incantation spoken with absolute control.
"Oh mighty flame spirits… answer my call and become spheres that burn my enemies."
His eyes glowed.
"IGNIS SALVO."
Circles of light spun into existence around him. One after another, blazing spheres of fire appeared, orbiting like miniature suns before launching forward in a barrage.
The explosions rattled the ruined house, filling the room with heat and blinding light.
*****
Far beyond the cratered village entrance, four hooded figures appeared in a brief shimmer of movement. Their cloaks fluttered as they surveyed the silent surroundings.
The two in the back nodded silently, receiving a signal to spread out and search. The remaining pair turned their attention toward the massive spiritual surge that had just erupted in the distance.
With a leap, they vanished toward its source.
*****
Back at the shattered mansion, smoke curled from the scorched ground.
The Evil Spirit dragged itself upright again, its form unstable. Yugo walked toward it, expression cold as stone.
"Death isn't enough of a punishment for what you did."
The creature lifted its head—but Yugo's foot met it first. A sharp impact drove the spirit down again, its body pressed into the ground under his heel. Yugo kicked it away, sending the weakened creature tumbling through the rubble.
He didn't even bother to pursue.
His breathing was steady. Too steady.
It terrified him.
*****
A minute passed.
Then two shadows appeared at the edge of the wreckage.
The hooded individuals landed silently on the broken tiles outside the ruined hall. One stepped forward, brushing dust off a sign that lay cracked on the ground. The engraved characters glimmered faintly beneath the dirt.
"The Sukishima Family…" he murmured. "So this is where the Fifteenth Captain Commander of Sector Eight—Ryuke Sukishima—lived."
The second nodded. "Then it's likely that surge of spiritual energy came from him… or from the son he mentioned."
They vaulted into the collapsed corridor, making their way toward the center of the destruction.
There they found a sight that stilled their breath.
The bodies—pale, unmoving—lay in silence across the ruined floor. And in the center, sitting on the defeated remains of the Evil Spirit, was a boy with blood dried on his cheeks and a storm in his eyes.
Yugo looked up sharply, venom in his voice.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The two landed gently, lowering their hoods.
The first had a black-and-white textured two-block cut, messy yet stylish, with a long fringe brushing his deep blue eyes. He offered a calm, composed nod.
"I am Akira Kurokawa, Captain Commander of Sector Fifteen."
The second stepped forward. His long, spiky white hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, and his green eyes held the quiet confidence of someone who had faced countless battles.
"And I," he said, "am Homura Kagarizuki—First-Ranked Sentinel."
Yugo exhaled slowly. "…I see. So you're Spiritualists from the Spirit Corps."
Akira's eyes swept across the demolished room. "What exactly happened here?"
Yugo didn't flinch. "Aside from my fight with this spirit… I got here only moments ago."
Homura crossed his arms, gaze narrowing slightly. "I see."
Akira watched the boy in front of him with a tight knot forming in his chest.
This boy… he defeated an AA+ Rank evil spirit—one equivalent to a third-in-command level—without taking a single scratch, he thought, his expression unreadable. And he did it without even using a sword spirit. That uniform… second-year, West Spirit Corps Academy. He's just a student. And with that black-blue messy bun, the loose strands framing his face, those green-blue-grey eyes… he's definitely Ryuke's son.
Homura exhaled sharply, nudging aside a fallen branch with his foot as he surveyed the destruction.
"Well, I can see why the people here were wiped out back when Ryuke was active," he muttered.
Yugo's voice snapped like a whip.
"Are you trying to say my father is weak?"
Homura turned toward him, unimpressed. "Quite the opposite. Your father was the fifth-strongest Captain-Commander. Someone like him would never fall to a weakling like the spirit we found here. But—"
"But what?" Yugo pressed, jaw tight.
Akira answered before Homura could. His voice was heavy, as if every word scraped against something inside him.
"Your father took part in an expedition to a deserted village slated for restoration. They were ambushed by an SS+ rank evil spirit. Every member of the expedition was killed… except him. He defeated it—but drained every drop of his spiritual energy to do so."
Homura nodded grimly. "It happened five days ago. He said he'd return home to recover. That's why he died here… he didn't have any strength left to defend himself."
Yugo's gaze fell to the ground. His fist trembled—whether from grief, rage, or both, neither Akira nor Homura could tell.
"I… see…"
*****
ELSWHERE IN THE VILLAGE
Kyoko dashed through the alleyway, skidding to a stop as she nearly collided with two familiar faces.
"Mikasa!"
"Kyoko! Yuki!"
The three nearly spoke over each other.
"Have you had any luck?" Mikasa asked, catching her breath.
Yuki shook her head. "No… but did you guys feel that surge earlier? Yugo's spiritual energy shot through the entire village."
Kyoko nodded. "Yeah. That wasn't normal. Not even for him."
Before they could regroup, a shadow stepped from behind a collapsed wall.
The girls tensed instantly.
"Who are you!?" they demanded in unison.
The girl raised one hand calmly.
"No need for alarm. I am Masaki—fifth in-command of Sector Eight, Spirit Corps."
Mikasa's eyes widened. "The Spirit Corps is here…"
"Looks like it," Kyoko muttered.
Masaki's expression was sharp but not hostile. "Tell me everything. What happened to the residents here? And what brings you to this village?"
Yuki answered first. "We live here. We were on our way back from the academy when—"
Masaki cut in gently. "Earlier, I felt an abnormally strong spiritual surge. Besides the one responsible, is there anyone else present?"
Kyoko nodded. "Two boys—Tesai and Shinra."
"Can you communicate with them from far away?" Masaki asked.
The three nodded in perfect unison.
"Yes, ma'am."
*****
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VILLAGE
Tesai and Shinra froze as another figure approached, his presence sharp yet composed.
"Who are you?" Shinra asked.
The man placed a hand over his chest respectfully.
"My name is Reiner. Seventh in-command of Sector Eight of the Spirit Corps."
Tesai blinked. "You're… from the Spirit Corps?"
"And an in-command officer?" Shinra added.
Reiner nodded. "Indeed. If you can contact the others you came with, do so."
Tesai exchanged a glance with Shinra. "We can."
"Then do it," Reiner instructed.
*****
THE SIGNAL
A moment later, two sparks of spiritual energy burst upward from opposite halves of the village—thin golden trails rising like twin comets.
Akira, Homura, and Yugo immediately turned their heads.
"That's them," Akira said.
At the same time, Mikasa, Kyoko, Yuki, and Masaki felt the signal.
"There," Yuki said. "Let's move."
On the other side, Tesai, Shinra, and Reiner also started toward the meeting point.
As each group converged, their voices overlapped in explanation:
"If someone found something, they were supposed to send a spark of spiritual energy so we could sense it and regroup," Yugo said.
"Exactly," Tesai added on his side.
"And meet where we originally split up," Yuki finished.
Following the shimmering trails of energy through the ruined paths, all three groups moved swiftly toward the designated meeting spot—where the fates of the living, the dead, and the truth behind Ryuke's final moments were all waiting to collide.
Each group finally reunited at the village center, relief mixing with tension as familiar faces came into view. Akira and Homura wasted no time—both called Masaki and Reiner over.
Akira's voice was firm. "Did you two find anything in the village?"
Reiner shook his head. "Not a single trace of anything… not even blood."
Masaki exhaled slowly. "Same for me, sir."
Homura folded his arms. "That means everyone was gathered in one place when it attacked."
Reiner stiffened. "An evil spirit, sir?"
"Yes." Homura's tone darkened. "But before anything else… both of you need to hear this."
Akira smirked lightly, trying to ease the weight on their shoulders. "And after that, I've got one hell of a story to tell."
"Akira," Homura sighed, "not now."
"Alright, alright."
Masaki stepped forward. "What happened?"
Homura lowered his head slightly. "Your captain, Sukishima… is dead."
Masaki's eyes widened, a single tear sliding from her right eye. Reiner's expression remained stone-solid, but inside, grief burned alongside anger.
Akira softened his voice. "I know it's hard. He was a great man."
Tesai crossed his arms. "Uhm—victims concerned here. We're still standing here, you know."
Akira blinked, then nodded. "Right. It's getting late anyway. We'll go over everything Yugo told us and set up camp in one of the houses."
*****
TWENTY MINUTES LATER - AFTER SUNSET
Yugo finished recounting his battle. The air around the fire grew heavy.
Masaki stared at him. "Wait—WHAT?!"
Yuki nodded. "He defeated a third-in-command level evil spirit."
Tesai's jaw dropped. "No way…"
Reiner looked between them all. "You're saying this boy—who doesn't even have a sword spirit—is stronger than me and Masaki?"
Akira shrugged. "Possibly lieutenant level already."
Homura added, "And he made it look effortless."
Masaki sighed dramatically. "There goes my self-esteem…"
Homura cleared his throat. "Now, about your futures."
Shinra blinked. "Our… future?"
Kyoko elbowed him. "Yes, idiot."
Homura smiled. "Akira here is thinking of adopting all of you."
The group froze.
Yugo's eyes widened. "Wait… really?"
Homura nodded. "Is that acceptable to all of you?"
One by one, after thinking carefully, they answered:
"I have no objections." —Yugo
"I don't mind." —Yuki
"Same." —Kyoko
"Me too." —Tesai
"I know he'll be a great father." —Mikasa
"Guess I'm in." —Shinra
Akira clapped once. "Perfect. First order of business tomorrow: we bury the bodies and leave for the Spirit Corps Academy by high noon."
Masaki frowned. "We're not going to Spirit Corps Headquarters?"
Homura shook his head. "You and Reiner will return to submit the report."
Reiner narrowed his eyes. "And what will you two be doing at the academy?"
Akira smirked. "Having these kids take the early graduation exam."
Reiner nearly choked. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! Do you WANT them dead?!"
Masaki nodded rapidly. "Reiner's right! Last year—355 students took the exam. Two hundred thirty-five died. The rest were injured and traumatized!"
Reiner pointed at the group. "Maybe Yugo can survive, but the others?!"
Akira raised his hands. "It takes three days to travel. Excluding tomorrow, that leaves ten days."
Homura continued, "If we train them aggressively during travel, we can reach the academy in seven or eight days. They'll be ready."
Masaki sighed heavily. "Fine. But if anything happens to them, you're both responsible."
Akira bowed slightly. "Understood."
Homura looked at the six teens. "If you don't want to take the exam, that's okay. No one is forcing you."
But the six stepped forward together, their voices united:
"We're going to take the test. And we will NOT fail."
*****
THE NEXT MORNING - AT THE BURIED GRAVES
They all stood in silence, mourning the village.
Akira placed incense down. "They can rest better now."
Yugo nodded. "Yeah… you're right."
Masaki straightened her cloak. "Alright, you two. Time to go."
At the entrance, Mikasa tapped her foot impatiently. "There you are! We've been waiting for hours!"
Yugo rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. It's not even noon."
Shinra grinned. "Earlier is better."
Akira faced Reiner and Masaki. "This is where we part ways for now."
Yugo added, "If you don't visit us, we'll see you in thirteen days."
Masaki stepped closer to Yugo with gentle eyes. "Your father was a good man. He would be proud of how you've grown."
Yugo raised an eyebrow. "Is this supposed to be touching, woman?"
Masaki twitched. "I'm trying to be nice here, you—huh?!"
Reiner calmly pulled her back. "We'll go now. And… happy birthday, Yugo and Yuki."
Masaki perked up suddenly. "Oh! I almost forgot! Here—my gifts!"
Everyone sweat-dropped internally.
She sure recovered fast…
Yugo blinked. "It's the 25th already?"
Yuki smiled. "Looks like it."
Reiner and Masaki dashed away.
Mikasa gazed at the village. "I'm really going to miss this place."
Kyoko nodded. "You're not the only one."
Tesai sighed. "We made good memories here."
Yugo looked at the graves. "It's time to move forward. The place doesn't matter… the people we love do. Even if they're gone, they'll live in our hearts."
Tesai nodded. "You're right."
Yugo turned and smiled—his first since joining the academy. "Besides… I'll also miss this village."
Yuki gasped. "Is that a smile?!"
Kyoko laughed. "It is!"
Yugo flustered. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Tesai teased, "It was a smile!"
Yugo snapped. "Drop it already!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Akira waved his sword spirit. "Alright, you six—let's move out."
Yugo nodded. "Gladly."
Their laughter carried into the distance as they departed.
*****
THREE YEARS LATER
27 MAY 1603 -EDO PERIOD
Night had fallen over a bustling town. A group of drunken young men and women staggered along the street, laughing loudly.
"Oh man," Boy #1 hiccuped, "what a fun night…"
Boy #2 grinned. "Ladies… wanna come to our place?"
Girl #1 giggled. "Aren't you three naughty~"
Girl #2 playfully shoved him.
Then—Boy #3 froze.
A monstrous arm erupted from the shadows, and his soul was devoured instantly.
Girl #3 screamed. "A MONSTER! RUN!"
The evil spirit grabbed her, lifting her into the air as the others fell scrambling.
Boy #1 & 2 and Girl #1 & 2 shrieked. "AHHH!!"
Just as the spirit raised its free arm to kill them—
SLASH.
Its arm was sliced into dozens of pieces in a single invisible cut.
A man descended, landing softly as if stepping on water.
His voice was calm… almost gentle.
"Attacking defenseless citizens? How cruel."
He drew his blade, eyes glowing.
"Listen—nothing personal. It's your job as a hollow spirit[evil spirit] to eat souls… and it's my job as a spiritualist lieutenant to kill you."