Saki didn't know what Ryuji was thinking, but she was just thrilled that he had agreed. Without thinking, she cheered and hugged him.
"I knew it! Thank you!"
Saki's figure, while not as exaggerated as Hana's, was still quite impressive. Ryuji couldn't help but notice how nice it felt for a moment.
But before he could react further, there were two knocks at the door.
"Dong! Dong!"
The sound interrupted the moment, and perhaps realizing how forward she had just been, Saki quickly pulled away, coughing awkwardly to mask her embarrassment.
"Cough… cough."
The door to the service club opened, and Nakano Miku peeked her head in with a bright smile.
"Excuse me, is Ryuji here?"
Ryuji nodded as he stood, looking over at Miku and the four identical girls who entered with her.
"Quintuplets?"
Yukino and Saki, who were sitting nearby, couldn't help but murmur in surprise. Seeing twins was rare, but quintuplets? That was something else entirely.
"Hello! I'm Nakano Ichika," the eldest introduced herself with a friendly smile. The other sisters followed her lead, each saying their names in turn—Nino, Yotsuba, and Itsuki.
Ichika, meanwhile, subtly surveyed the clubroom, her eyes taking in the girls already inside Yukino and Saki, but also Miko and Hana, who were sitting quietly with their eyes closed as if meditating.
All of them were beautiful. Ichika couldn't help but notice this as she glanced back at her sister, Miku. Her heart sank a little.
"How is Miku going to compete with all of these girls?"
She didn't want to admit it, but compared to the others, her sister didn't seem to stand out as much. No wonder Ryuji wasn't showing much enthusiasm toward her.
At first, Ichika thought maybe Ryuji was just playing hard to get, but now it seemed like he genuinely wasn't that interested.
"So," Ryuji said, breaking the silence, "tell me what's going on."
Nino stepped forward, adjusting her breathing before recounting her story in detail. She had felt like someone was watching her she had initially assumed it was a pervert, but now, after hearing what Miku had said, she suspected it might be something more… supernatural. That was why they had come to him for help.
"That's definitely strange," Yukino and Saki nodded as they listened, then turned their gaze to Ryuji, waiting to see how he would handle the situation.
"Alright, stretch out your hand," Ryuji said calmly, holding his hand out to Nino.
"Huh?"
Nino hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit awkward. It wasn't every day that she let a strange boy hold her hand. But after a glance at Miku, who gave her an encouraging nod, Nino finally stepped forward and placed her hand in Ryuji's.
"…Hmm."
Nothing happened. The entry-triggering sound that Ryuji had grown accustomed to didn't come. He let go of her hand, already disinterested.
"???"
Nino was confused. It had been her first time holding hands with a boy, and it had felt a bit… weird. But the fact that Ryuji let go so quickly, as if uninterested, made her wonder was there something wrong with her?
"Am I ugly?" she thought, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Women's thoughts could be so contradictory. If a guy showed too much interest, they might feel uncomfortable, but if he showed no interest, it left them feeling… unappreciated.
Ichika, who was watching from the side, could see things clearly now. It was just as she suspected Ryuji wasn't interested in them at all. She had worried for nothing.
"So… was it something supernatural?" Miku asked anxiously, her voice tinged with concern.
"No," Ryuji replied flatly.
"No?"
Everyone, including Nino, seemed surprised by the answer.
Ryuji shrugged. "I didn't sense any cursed energy or anything strange. It's probably just a regular pervert watching you."
Sometimes, the mind played tricks on people. They might think something supernatural was happening when, in reality, it was nothing at all. Ryuji didn't see anything unusual in Nino's case.
"Next time after school, split up and follow quietly," Ryuji suggested. "Leave Nino alone as bait, and the rest of you can catch whoever's watching her."
Since Nino felt watched even at school, the stalker had to be someone close by. With the combined effort of the five sisters, catching him would be easy.
"Got it!" Ichika nodded seriously, already thinking about how they could plan it out. Even though it wasn't a supernatural issue, the idea of a pervert lurking around her sister made her skin crawl.
"Don't worry, Nino! We'll catch that creep!" Yotsuba chimed in cheerfully.
"Yeah," Nino said, finally able to relax a little now that she knew it wasn't some cursed spirit after her. Still, she clenched her fists in frustration. That pervert's been getting away for too long… Not this time.
Ichika had been about to say they should leave now that the issue was resolved, but before she could, Miku moved closer to Ryuji, her eyes filled with concern.
"Ryuji-kun, you must deal with these monsters every day, right? It must be really hard on you."
Miku's voice was soft, and she gazed up at him with an expression that showed how much she cared. Meanwhile, Yotsuba and Itsuki, the two most carefree of the quintuplets, were busy exploring the clubroom, clearly fascinated by their surroundings.
Ichika stood back, watching Miku's interaction with Ryuji. She wanted to pull her sister aside and say, "Give it up already. He's not interested." But she didn't want to embarrass Miku in front of everyone, so she kept quiet for now.
"Are they resting?"
At this moment Miku looked at Miko and Hana.
Sitting there with their eyes closed. If they were really resting, Miku felt that she should keep her voice down, otherwise it would easily disturb them.
"They're concentrating," Ryuji said, noticing Miku's curious glance toward Miko and Hana, who were still sitting with their eyes closed. "Controlling their cursed energy."
"Controlling cursed energy?" Miku echoed, her curiosity growing.
"Yes," Ryuji nodded. "They're training to become sorcerers."
At this, Ichika's skeptical expression returned. She still didn't fully believe in the supernatural. After all, she hadn't personally seen anything out of the ordinary yet.
"I wonder if I could—" Miku started, but before she could finish her sentence, the door to the clubroom opened again.
"We're here!" Utaha's voice rang out as she and Eriri entered side by side.
Seeing the Nakano sisters, Utaha's eyes widened in surprise before she smirked and looked at Ryuji.
"Well, well. Ryuji's luck with women never seems to run out, does it?"
Though it was meant as a harmless joke, Miku turned red with embarrassment.
"No, no, it's not like that! I'm here because I needed Ryuji-kun's help," Miku stammered, worried that her sudden appearance might annoy him.
"Oh? I see," Utaha replied, glancing at Miku with a knowing smile. "This girl definitely has a crush on him."
Ichika, watching the whole exchange, shook her head again. *Miku, you're not hiding your feelings well at all.*
"Haah," Eriri yawned as she stretched, clearly exhausted. "Is the clubroom this crowded every day? I was hoping to take a nap."
She looked around, clearly annoyed that her quiet lunch break plans were ruined.
"Were you up all night reading… certain comics again?" Utaha teased.
"Of course not!" Eriri shot back, but she didn't have the energy for her usual banter. She rolled her eyes at Utaha and plopped down in a seat next to Ryuji, looking like she was about to pass out.
"Come here," Ryuji said suddenly, waving Eriri over with a serious expression.
"Hmm?"
Eriri blinked, confused by his sudden request, but obediently leaned closer.
Before she could ask what was going on, Ryuji placed his hand on her forehead, his eyes narrowing in concentration. A moment later, he pulled back, and with a swift motion, something that looked like a small fox spirit was pulled out of Eriri's body.
"Ahhh!"
The fox-like spirit squealed, struggling in Ryuji's grasp.
Everyone in the room, especially the Nakano sisters, froze in shock.
"What… is that?" Eriri whispered, her eyes wide. She had no idea such a thing had been lurking inside her.
But what was even more surprising was how quickly she felt different.
"I don't… feel tired anymore?"
Just a moment ago, she had been exhausted, but now, after the spirit was removed, she felt completely refreshed. The sleepiness that had weighed her down vanished in an instant.
"What the heck was that thing?" Ichika muttered, her skeptical nature starting to crack. Even Yotsuba and Itsuki were staring at the scene, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Big sister…" Yotsuba whispered, turning to Ichika. "What… what was that?"
Ichika, still in shock herself, shook her head. "I… I have no idea."
For the first time, Ichika found herself at a complete loss for words. She, who always had an answer for everything, was staring at something she couldn't explain. Her sisters looked to her for reassurance, but all she could do was shake her head in disbelief.
"Let me go! Let me go!" the fox spirit screeched, still writhing in Ryuji's grip.
Ryuji ignored the spirit's protests.
Eriri rubbed her forehead where Ryuji had touched her, still processing what had just happened. "I had no idea something like that was inside me," she mumbled, her voice quieter than usual.
"Well, now it's not," Ryuji said casually, as if pulling spirits out of people was the most normal thing in the world.
The Nakano sisters, meanwhile, were frozen in place, their earlier skepticism now completely shattered. Yotsuba, always the most energetic, finally broke the silence.
"That was… a real ghost?" she whispered, looking up at Ichika with wide eyes.
Ichika slowly nodded, still unsure of how to process everything.
"It seems this fox spirit was devouring your energy, Eriri, which is why you've been so tired lately," Ryuji said, his tone calm but clear. When he approached her earlier, he had immediately sensed something was off a trace of cursed energy lingering around Eriri, a clear sign that something unusual was inhabiting her body.
With Ryuji's current strength, handling something like this was a simple task.
"Let me go! Let me go!" The fox spirit continued to struggle in his grip, clearly uncooperative.
"Soul Devouring," Ryuji muttered, not even bothering to use chains this time. He casually tossed the spirit into a crack in the air, the space warping as the fox disappeared. As small as this cursed spirit was, it was still energy he could absorb.
"But I haven't really been anywhere these past few days!" Eriri said, her confusion evident. She couldn't understand how this had happened. "Wait, the only time I went out was for lunch with Utaha over the weekend!" Her eyes darted toward Utaha, full of suspicion.
"…" Utaha, catching Eriri's accusing look, rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"If that were the case, why haven't I been targeted too?" she said with a teasing smirk, brushing off Eriri's suspicion.
Eriri pouted, still perplexed. "That's true. Why am I the only one who got affected?"
"If it didn't happen outside, it must've happened at your house," Ryuji suggested calmly, as though the answer was obvious.
"My house?" Eriri's confusion deepened. She couldn't imagine anything strange happening in her own home.
"Don't worry about it," Ryuji said casually. "After school, I'll go home with you and check things out."
Eriri's anxiety immediately disappeared, replaced by a wave of excitement. The idea of Ryuji coming over to her house brought back memories of their last date that had been abruptly interrupted. Maybe this time, they could continue where they left off.
"Ahem," Utaha cleared her throat, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "By the way, Eriri, didn't you mention you had a rare anime collection at home? Since Ryuji's going, I might as well tag along and check it out."
"Haha! Don't think I'm that stupid!" Eriri shot back, instantly defensive. She knew exactly what Utaha was trying to do. "There's no way I'm letting you ruin this!"
"Tsk," Utaha clicked her tongue, her playful smile unwavering. She didn't seem too bothered by Eriri's refusal; after all, her main goal had just been to tease her. Stirring up some drama between Eriri and Ryuji was good for her own amusement.
"Humph!" Eriri crossed her arms, determined not to let Utaha sabotage her plans. She made a mental note to sneak out quietly with Ryuji after school and make sure no one else followed.
At that moment, Ichika, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, finally spoke up. Having witnessed enough strange events for one day, she had no choice but to accept that the world was far more complicated than she had originally thought.
"Ryuji, is it possible for us to learn how to use cursed energy too?"
Ichika's question had been on Miku's mind earlier as well, but the conversation had been interrupted by Utaha and Eriri's arrival. As the eldest sister, Ichika felt it was her responsibility to ask on behalf of all the sisters.
Her question piqued the interest of the others in the room, especially Miku, whose eyes lit up with hope. Even Utaha and the other girls who already knew Ryuji's answer looked over, curious to hear his response again.
Ryuji sighed. "Don't even think about it. You don't have the talent."
His blunt answer made all five Nakano sisters freeze in place, their expressions falling.
"No chance at all?" Ichika asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"For some people, there might be a way," Ryuji clarified, "but for you five? There's none."
Hearing this, Utaha and Yukino perked up, their curiosity piqued. Ryuji had never been this decisive when talking to them. What made the Nakano sisters different?
"Why is it impossible for us?" Ichika pressed, her voice filled with disappointment.
"It's because you're quintuplets," Ryuji explained, as if that fact alone should have been enough to answer all their questions.
"Quintuplets?" The others exchanged confused glances.
"Let me put it simply," Ryuji said, seeing their puzzled faces. "For ordinary people, having twins, triplets, or quintuplets is rare and maybe even celebrated. But for sorcerers, even having twins is a sign of divided talent."
"Divided talent?" Ichika repeated, her face pale.
"Exactly," Ryuji continued. "Sorcerers are born with a certain amount of potential, but if you're born a twin, that potential is split between you. With quintuplets, it's divided five ways. It's like taking one talent and cutting it into five pieces."
The room fell silent. The weight of his words hung in the air as the quintuplets processed what he was saying.
The example of the twin sisters, Maki and Mai, from the cursed sorcerer family came to Ryuji's mind. Their power had been split between them, and neither of them had reached their full potential until one of them died, allowing the surviving twin to inherit all the talent. Ryuji briefly mentioned that even the ancient cursed king, Ryomen Sukuna, had been a twin who devoured his own brother in the womb, which gave him his monstrous power.
"If you were somehow given the chance to become sorcerers, your abilities would never amount to much," Ryuji concluded. "At best, you'd be slightly stronger than the average person."
Miku, who had been silently listening, lowered her head, disappointment washing over her. She had hoped for a different answer, but now she realized just how far out of reach this world of sorcery was for her and her sisters.
Ryuji noticed her crestfallen expression. Though his explanation had been harsh, he didn't want to completely crush her spirit. He placed a gentle hand on Miku's head, ruffling her hair lightly.
"Don't be discouraged," Ryuji said softly. "There might be other opportunities down the line. Besides, as long as I'm around, I'll make sure you and your sisters stay safe, no matter how many cursed spirits appear in the future."
Miku, feeling a little reassured by his words, looked up and gave a small nod. Her disappointment faded, replaced by a flicker of hope.
"Hmm," she murmured, managing a weak smile.
---
That afternoon, the test results were finally posted, and as expected, Ryuji's name sat at the very top of the rankings. His score left everyone who knew him stunned, while those who didn't were left wondering who this top student was.
Yumiko, who had been standing in front of the rankings with a blank expression, couldn't believe her eyes. She had performed incredibly well herself, ranking Fourth, but seeing Ryuji at the top left her completely dumbfounded.
"I…" Yumiko started, her voice trailing off.
She had thought that by winning the bet, she could get Ryuji to agree to a date with her. But now, with her own loss staring her in the face, she didn't know what to say.
"So… what do you want me to do?" Yumiko finally asked, resigning herself to whatever Ryuji's request might be.
Ryuji grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "Hmm, I'll have to think about that," he said, pretending to ponder his decision.
Yumiko looked uneasy, nervously awaiting his answer. After a moment of silence, Ryuji finally spoke again.
"Well, I'm not feeling particularly creative right now. Why don't you tell me what you wanted me to do if you had won? Maybe that'll give me some inspiration."
Yumiko hesitated for a second before blurting out, "I wanted you to agree to go on a date with me!"
She said it quickly, as if expecting him to laugh or brush it off, but Ryuji's grin only widened.
"In that case, my condition is… you'll go on a date with me, Yumiko."
"???"
Yumiko blinked, her mind reeling. Had she heard him right?
"Really?" she asked, her voice rising with excitement, still not quite believing it.
Ryuji gave her a nod of confirmation.
"Great!" she exclaimed, her happiness bubbling over as she threw her arms around him in an impulsive hug. She was so overjoyed that she didn't notice the curious glances from their classmates. But even if she had, she wouldn't have cared. All that mattered was that she had gotten what she wanted.
Yui, standing nearby, smiled, genuinely happy for her friend but with a slight twinge of loneliness in her own heart. Meanwhile, Hina simply watched quietly, observing the dynamics between the group but staying out of it.
As Yumiko celebrated her victory, Ryuji discreetly sent a message to Yukino.
"How are you feeling about the test results?" his message read.
On the other end, Yukino, who had been silently fuming over her second-place ranking, sighed when she saw Ryuji's message. She was the top student before, always confident in her abilities. But now, she couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of how to respond at first.
"What do you want me to do?" Yukino finally replied, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. However, there was a faint undercurrent of tension in her words, as if she was preparing herself for the worst.
Ryuji smirked as he read her response, already knowing exactly what he wanted. He had been thinking about this since they made the bet, and now was the perfect time to act on it.
"Are you free tomorrow night?" Ryuji texted back.
Yukino stared at her phone, her heart skipping a beat. "Tomorrow night?" The implications of that question were immediately clear to her, and she quickly began overthinking the possibilities. Was he going to make her do something strange? No… she couldn't possibly agree to anything too out of line. But then again, she had lost the bet fair and square.
After several moments of hesitation, Yukino finally typed out her response, her fingers trembling slightly as she hit send.
"…Yes."
She sat there for a second, feeling a wave of anticipation mixed with unease. "What did I just agree to?"
Ryuji's next message came in, and her eyes widened as she read it.
"Great. Just wait for me at home after you've washed up and cleaned yourself thoroughly."
"...!!!"
Yukino's face flushed instantly, and she felt her pulse quicken. "Washed up and clean?" Her thoughts raced, a mixture of embarrassment and irritation flooding through her. H-he's joking, right? But a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips despite herself.
"Perv…," she muttered under her breath, quickly locking her phone. Despite the teasing, a tiny part of her was curious about what would happen tomorrow.
After school in the afternoon.
Although he had agreed to go on a date with Yumiko, Ryuji wasn't in a rush because of Eriri's project that afternoon. Instead, they decided to go out next weekend.
Soon, the end of the school day arrived.
"Ryuji-kun!"
Ryuji had just stepped out of the classroom when he saw Eriri sneaking up to him. She glanced around nervously, clearly worried someone might show up and interrupt.
"What are you doing?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before he could say anything more, Eriri grabbed his hand.
"Come on! Let's go before that woman finds us!"
"…"
Ryuji couldn't help but sigh. Clearly, Eriri was still worried. After all, it was a rare opportunity for her to bring him home without anyone interfering.
If Utaha showed up and spoiled her plans, she'd probably want to strangle him! What could Ryuji do? He could only smile and follow her lead.
"Should I call my mom first?" Eriri asked once they were outside.
Ryuji shook his head. "No need. Let's just go."
"Alright," she agreed, though a bit uncertain.
The school wasn't close to Eriri's house, but that wasn't a problem they could just take a taxi. In less than ten minutes, they arrived at her family's villa.
"Please, come in!" Eriri said, still a little nervous about bringing Ryuji into her home for the first time. She seemed worried that something might go wrong and leave a bad impression on him.
Ryuji didn't mind. As he followed her inside, he looked around. "Just as I thought," he muttered to himself. He could sense a faint spiritual power lingering in the air, confirming that the root of the problem was in her home.
"Eriri, is that you?" a soft voice called from upstairs.
"Sorry, Mom's still feeling a bit tired. Take a seat; I'll make dinner after she wakes up," Eriri said, looking a little concerned now.
Normally, she wouldn't think twice about her mother being tired, but considering recent events, she couldn't help but worry.
"Ryuji-kun…" Eriri looked at him, seeking reassurance. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her mother, but she felt helpless and could only ask him for help.
Seeing her worried expression, Ryuji smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
"Yeah," she nodded, feeling a sense of security. As long as Ryuji was there, she knew everything would be okay.
They made their way upstairs to her mother's room. Ryuji didn't bother knocking and just walked right in.
"Eriri?" her mother, Sayuri, looked up, expecting her daughter. But when she saw Ryuji, she froze for a moment. "Ryuji-kun?"
Sayuri was already aware of Ryuji's abilities after a previous incident. Although she was tired, she tried to sit up. "Sorry, I'm not at my best right now."
"It's alright, you'll feel better soon," Ryuji reassured her.
"...What do you mean?" Sayuri asked, still not fully aware of what was happening. She just knew she had been feeling unusually exhausted lately, but she hadn't connected it to anything out of the ordinary.
That was until Ryuji reached out and pulled a small fox-like spirit from her body. Sayuri gasped in shock.
Ryuji didn't waste any time and threw the spirit into a dimensional rift, where it quickly disappeared. With the fox spirit gone, Sayuri immediately felt better, though there were still faint signs of fatigue.
"What just happened?" Sayuri asked, now fully awake.
"Mom, we were being haunted by something!" Eriri explained seriously.
Sayuri's expression changed as she suddenly remembered how strange her daughter had been acting lately. "Eriri, are you alright?" she asked in alarm, trying to get up from the bed, only to realize she was still in her pajamas—pajamas that were a bit too revealing.
Noticing Ryuji's gaze, Sayuri blushed, embarrassed despite having a daughter. "Sorry!" she muttered.
"It's fine, I'll step outside," Ryuji said, turning to leave the room.
"Mom!" Eriri called once Ryuji was gone. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her mother, who could only respond with a bemused look.
"At a time like this, you're not helping your poor mother out but giving me that look?" Sayuri sighed. "What kind of daughter are you?" she muttered, but Eriri didn't answer.
"Well, whatever. Just go help me tidy up," Sayuri said, clearing her throat as she tried to shake off her embarrassment.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Sayuri poured Ryuji a cup of tea, avoiding eye contact. "Here, have some tea," she said, trying to act normal despite the awkwardness.
Eriri quickly got back to the issue at hand. "Ryuji-kun, I think whatever affected Mom is the same thing targeting me."
Hearing this, Sayuri also remembered the fox-like spirit Ryuji had pulled from her body. She had known Ryuji had special abilities, but experiencing it firsthand was unsettling.
"It's likely a type of curse, something that feeds on a person's vitality," Ryuji explained calmly. "There are plenty of things like that out there."
"That's…" Sayuri began to grasp why she had been feeling so weak.
"Could it be that Eriri and I went somewhere dangerous and got cursed?" she wondered aloud, though she couldn't remember going anywhere unusual. They spent most of their time at home.
"No," Ryuji shook his head. "The source of the problem is right here in your house."
"In the house?" Sayuri looked around nervously. She hadn't noticed anything strange, but now that Ryuji had pointed it out, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Ryuji wasn't worried. As he drank his tea, he continued to observe the surroundings. The aura in the house was unmistakably strange, further confirming his suspicions.
"Have there been any odd occurrences here lately?" Ryuji asked.
"Odd…?" Sayuri thought back, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, wait, a few days ago, Spencer came back and left something here."
"Spencer?" Eriri repeated, surprised. "Dad?"
Sayuri nodded. "Yes. He left some kind of clay doll. I didn't think much of it at the time."
"Please, show me," Ryuji requested.
Sayuri retrieved the doll from the storage room and handed it to him. The small clay fox didn't look like much to the untrained eye, but Ryuji could see the dark energy emanating from it.
"This is it," he confirmed.
"Where did this come from?" Ryuji asked.
"Spencer brought it over a few days ago," Sayuri replied.
"Dad?" Eriri was shocked. Why hadn't she known about this?
"If I hadn't told Eriri that it was from her father, I would've thrown it away. It's just been collecting dust," Sayuri said.
"This thing doesn't offer any kind of protection," Ryuji said with a smirk.
"Then… what is it?" Sayuri and Eriri both stared at him, confused.
"The curse that was affecting you is tied to this," Ryuji explained. "This doll is the source."
"What? That can't be," Sayuri stammered, unable to believe it. "I mean, Spencer might be… difficult, but he would never hurt Eriri!"
Ryuji remained calm. "There's an easy way to find out."
Understanding what he meant, Sayuri handed the doll to him. Ryuji examined it briefly before applying pressure. The clay doll cracked, and with a sharp sound, it shattered completely.
As the doll broke, a dark fox-like spirit emerged and immediately tried to flee.
"Soul Devouring," Ryuji whispered, and chains shot out, wrapping around the spirit and dragging it into the same dimensional rift where he had banished the first fox spirit.
"Well, that's taken care of," Ryuji said, satisfied.
Sayuri and Eriri were speechless. They couldn't deny what they had just seen.
"That bastard!" Sayuri muttered angrily. It was one thing for Spencer to plot against her, but to involve Eriri? She couldn't forgive that.
"Why would Dad do this?" Eriri whispered, her voice filled with sadness. She didn't want to believe that her own father would harm her.
"Don't worry!"
Seeing Eriri so tense, Ryuji gently placed his hand on her head to comfort her.
"It's okay. You'll understand everything when the person responsible arrives."
No matter what Spencer had been planning, the clay doll had already been destroyed by him. Spencer would surely sense that something had gone wrong. Ryuji was certain he was on his way here now.
"Almost there... just a little more, and Mary, you'll be back!"
In a quiet, private villa, Spencer stared eagerly at the lifeless girl lying in front of him. The girl was indeed Spencer's first love, Mary. Although she wasn't breathing, her face didn't look pale she seemed as though she were merely sleeping.
The more lifelike she appeared, the more crazed Spencer's eyes became. He looked like a man willing to sacrifice everything to bring his lover back.
But at that moment, something began to change.
Mary's previously youthful appearance started to deteriorate rapidly. Her skin paled and aged before his eyes.
"No! Wait! What's happening?!"
In mere seconds, Mary's complexion worsened, and her body began to wither.
"No! No! No!" Spencer screamed, trying desperately to stop it, but there was nothing he could do.
"Something's wrong, something must've happened!" he muttered, panic setting in. He quickly realized that something must have gone wrong with the clay doll he left with Sayuri. Without a second thought, he dashed out of the house.
"Wait for me, Mary. I'll save you!" Spencer's eyes, now full of madness and desperation, flickered with a dangerous light.
---
Back at the Sawamura residence, Sayuri looked at Eriri, her face full of resolve. "Eriri, I've had enough. I'm going to divorce him!"
In the past, Sayuri had hesitated because of Eriri, but now her resolve was firm.
Eriri looked conflicted, but how could she stop her mother now? She, too, wanted to know why her father had turned against them.
"They're here," Ryuji suddenly said, setting his teacup down.
The next second, Bang! The front door slammed open as Spencer stormed in, his face a twisted mask of anger.
"You!" Sayuri started, but Spencer ignored her completely. His crazed eyes locked onto the broken clay doll at Ryuji's feet.
"You bastard! What have you done?!" Spencer shouted, charging toward Ryuji, his hatred palpable.
His sudden aggression frightened both Sayuri and Eriri. But Ryuji, calm as ever, sighed.
"It seems I need to remind you how a weakling should behave," Ryuji said coldly, as Spencer lunged at him.
Just as Spencer reached him, Ryuji's eyes gleamed. "Shadow Bind!"
In an instant, dark shadows surged from beneath Spencer, wrapping around his legs and arms, locking him in place. Spencer, unable to move, fell forward onto the floor with a thud.
"No!" Spencer screamed, struggling against the shadows as he desperately tried to crawl toward the broken clay doll, as if hoping to somehow piece it back together.
"This can't be happening!" he muttered frantically.
"Give it up," Ryuji said, rising from his seat and walking over. "The spirit inside the doll is gone. It's just an ordinary piece of clay now."
Spencer's hands froze, trembling as the reality of the situation finally hit him.
"So, why don't you tell us what you were trying to do with this thing?" Ryuji asked calmly, looking down at him.
"It's all because of you!" Spencer screamed, his voice hoarse. "If it weren't for you, I could've saved Mary! You ruined everything! You murderer!"
Ryuji raised an eyebrow, unphased by the accusation. But Sayuri, standing off to the side, looked stunned.
"Mary is dead?" Sayuri whispered. She had known that Mary was Spencer's first love, and that he had stayed abroad to be with her. But she hadn't known that Mary had passed away.
"She's not dead! I can save her!" Spencer cried out, his voice trembling. "The fox spirit promised me! It said if I absorbed the vitality of my family, it could help me resurrect Mary. That was the only way! Mary wouldn't die!"
"Fox spirit?" Ryuji frowned, clearly piecing together the story.
Sayuri's face darkened. She had already guessed what had happened. Her fists clenched tightly. "So, to bring back your dead lover, you were willing to hurt me and Eriri? I could understand if you wanted to harm me, but why Eriri? Isn't she your daughter?"
Eriri, standing nearby, felt her heart sink as the pieces began to fall into place. Her father had been willing to sacrifice her and her mother... for someone else.
"Daughter? I don't care about that! As long as I can bring back Mary, nothing else matters!" Spencer shouted, his voice wild with desperation.
Ryuji shook his head, disgusted. "Do you even hear yourself? You're pathetic."
But Spencer wasn't listening anymore. His eyes glazed over, and suddenly, a twisted smile formed on his lips.
"If I can't have my family, neither can you, Sayuri!" With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Spencer broke free from the shadow binding his legs, using his hands to launch himself toward Sayuri, holding a small, sharp clay shard.
"Mom!" Eriri cried out, panicking.
But Ryuji remained calm. "Shadow Manipulation: Lock!"
The shadows under Spencer reactivated, this time completely binding his limbs. Before Spencer could even process what was happening, Ryuji walked over and slapped him hard across the face.
Smack!
Spencer's head snapped to the side, the force knocking him unconscious. He collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Ryuji turned to Sayuri and Eriri. "He's not worth worrying about anymore."
Without wasting any time, Ryuji dragged Spencer's unconscious body outside, tossed him near the gate, and called an ambulance. He returned to the living room, dusting off his hands.
Sayuri and Eriri stood there, both still processing what had just happened. Sayuri looked up at Ryuji, her expression a mix of gratitude and exhaustion.
"Thank you, Ryuji," she whispered. "If it weren't for you…"
Ryuji waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I just did what I had to."
But Eriri, overwhelmed with emotion, suddenly rushed into Ryuji's arms, crying softly. "Ryuji… thank you…"
Ryuji gently held her, comforting her in silence as her tears soaked into his shirt.
Sayuri, watching the scene, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief and perhaps, just a hint of jealousy.
For the first time in a long time, she felt like she could finally put Spencer behind her.
The aftermath was handled quickly. Spencer was taken away, and divorce proceedings were set in motion. Sayuri was resolved, and Eriri stood by her, ready to move forward with their lives.