The backyard garden is perfectly maintained:
straight hedges, white gravel, a fountain that barely murmurs.
In the middle of the lawn—
Naoko is sitting in a meditation position.
Legs crossed.
Back straight.
Eyes closed.
He breathes slowly.
Very slowly.
Tadaaki stands in front of him with a stopwatch.
Akihiro, leaning in the shade of a tree, reads a book without hurry.
The wind moves the leaves.
Total silence.
…
A fly lands on Naoko’s nose.
His eyebrow twitches.
He doesn’t move.
He breathes.
The fly walks.
Naoko frowns.
One more second—
SLAP.
He misses.
The fly escapes.
Tadaaki looks at the stopwatch.
— Forty-five seconds.
You’ve been incredible.
Akihiro lets out a soft laugh, almost musical.
— Prodigious spiritual control.
Naoko opens one eye.
— I was focused…
The fly returns.
SLAP.
He hits himself.
— Damn it!
Tadaaki puts the stopwatch away.
— If your radar works like your patience… we’re dead.
Naoko stands up indignantly.
— Hey! I’m improving!
Akihiro turns a page elegantly.
— Improvement implies measurable results.
Naoko points at him.
— You shut up, Mr. Smiles.
Akihiro smiles even more.
— That reaction is interesting information.
Naoko growls.
An almost childish scene.
Almost.
Until the garden door opens.
Soft heels on stone.
Shizuka enters.
Perfect posture.
Steady gaze.
— Akihiro.
The three of them straighten almost by reflex.
— Have you made friends?
Akihiro closes the book calmly.
— Uta’s recruits.
Tadaaki steps forward.
— Tadaaki.
Naoko raises his hand.
— Naoko… but they call me Nao.
Shizuka nods once.
Elegant. Measured.
— Shizuka.
She looks at Akihiro.
— Come. I need to speak with you in private.
Akihiro sighs theatrically.
— I’m about to be given work…
Shizuka looks at him.
Without emotion.
— A lot.
Akihiro swallows… barely noticeable.
Shizuka then observes Naoko and Tadaaki.
She analyzes them in seconds.
— Go to the cafeteria.
There are new recruits.
Naoko and Tadaaki exchange a look.
A moment of curiosity.
The Dragunov mansion is beginning to fill.
The mansion’s kitchen does not look like a mafia kitchen.
It looks like hungry students’ headquarters.
Open pots.
Steam.
Messy plates.
And in the center—
Minato is leaning dangerously toward a freshly served tray.
Ryōna raises a spoon as if it were a legendary sword.
— DON’T YOU DARE!
Minato already has half his body over the table.
— I just want to taste—
— It’s for everyone!
— I am “everyone”!
Ryōna tries to hit his hand with the spoon.
She misses.
Almost falls.
Recovers.
— You are “food devastation”!
Mitsume grabs him by the collar of his shirt with impeccable elegance.
— Minato.
Control your primitive impulse.
Minato lets himself be dragged like a large dog.
— But it smells incredible…
Hayate watches from a corner, scratching his neck.
— We’re in an organization that declared war on half the city…
and this is what kills me first.
He cracks his fingers.
— Perfect. Great. Fantastic.
The door opens.
Tadaaki enters first.
— What’s going on here?
Naoko enters behind him, curious.
He walks straight to Minato.
Looks him up and down.
And smiles.
— Hi, I’m Naoko.
He crosses his arms.
— Wow… you’re a mountain with legs.
Silence.
Minato looks at him.
Mitsume looks at him.
They analyze him.
One second.
Two.
And go back to their fight as if he doesn’t exist.
— Let me go, Mitsume!
— No.
— Just one bite!
— I know you. “One bite” means total disappearance.
Naoko blinks.
— …Are they ignoring me?
Tadaaki, dry:
— Yes.
Naoko is offended.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
— Hey! I’m talking!
He steps forward.
Minato, distracted, stretches toward the tray again.
Ryōna shouts.
— I SWEAR I’LL STAB YOU!
Naoko explodes.
— HEY! RESPECT, MOUNTAIN!
He prepares to push Minato.
Tadaaki grabs him by the collar before he advances.
— No.
— But they’re ignoring me!
— Exactly.
Naoko struggles.
— That’s worse than insulting me!
Hayate mutters:
— Technically yes.
Mitsume, without releasing Minato, casts a sideways glance at Naoko.
She smiles politely.
— Nice to meet you.
She goes back to ignoring him.
Naoko freezes.
— Was that condescending?
Tadaaki nods.
— Very.
Minato finally manages to touch the food—
Ryōna slaps his hand.
— OUT!
Hayate sighs.
— Great. We are officially a zoo.
Naoko looks at Tadaaki.
— Are these really our reinforcements?
Tadaaki observes the scene for another second.
— I hope not.
Minato lunges again.
Mitsume stops him.
Ryōna shouts.
The slap echoed like a dry gunshot.
The murmur died.
Silence.
Kuro appeared laughing, with that impossible-to-decipher smile.
— What a daycare we have prepared… — he placed a hand dramatically on his chest —. I hope you behave properly… or I’ll kill you.
He said it smiling.
As if he were joking.
Hayate swallowed. It wasn’t a joke.
Because when Kuro stops smiling… someone stops breathing.
Uta sighed and raised a hand.
— Peeeace, peace… — he yawned exaggeratedly —. We’re going to coexist for a while. Try not to kill each other until I at least finish breakfast. In an hour we have an important meeting. Be ready…
Some didn’t know whether to laugh or tremble.
Uta looked at Naoko.
— Come with me, Nao.
They left.
—
They walked through the mansion’s corridors to a room that had been closed for a long time.
The door creaked open.
The air was still.
Fine dust floated in the light entering from the balcony.
It was a feminine room. Delicate. Silent.
The balcony overlooked the path leading to the main entrance.
Uta stepped outside first.
He sat on the floor, crossing his legs in a zen position.
— Sit.
Naoko imitated him.
The wind gently moved the curtains.
Uta spoke without looking at him.
— Akihiro told me you want to use the Reikon.
Naoko nodded.
Uta did too.
— The key… is to do nothing.
Silence.
— The Reikon is your spirit. It doesn’t activate with force. It isn’t forced. It isn’t shouted. Let it bloom. Your soul is already there. You and it are the same… but you still don’t accept it.
Naoko closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Tried to empty himself.
Tried not to try.
And then…
Something.
A sensation.
Cold.
Sharp.
A killing instinct.
Strong.
Very strong.
Uta felt it instantly.
His face changed.
The smile disappeared.
Sharpened gaze.
— Don’t move.
He stood slowly and looked toward the path.
Two figures were advancing toward the mansion.
They didn’t walk like visitors.
They walked like hunters.
Uta didn’t hesitate.
Not a second.
He took two steps back.
Gained momentum.
And jumped from the balcony.
The air whistled around his body.
He fell straight toward them.
Smiling again.
— Good morning, gentlemen… — his voice descended with him —. Are you coming to the meeting or to die early?
The impact raised a cloud of dust.
The ground cracked under Uta’s feet.
The smoke enveloped everything.
And then…
Two green eyes shone in the haze.
A huge silhouette, blurred in the smoke, with a barely visible smile.
It was him.
Uta Dragunov.
The air grew heavy.
In front of him, firm, without stepping back even once…
Akuma.
Hair moved by the wind, steady gaze, crooked smile. Not arrogance. Conviction.
Behind Akuma, still as if the world didn’t exist…
Yūrei.
He didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe heavily. Didn’t react. As if the monstrous presence in front of them meant nothing.
Uta stepped forward.
The smoke parted.
They looked at each other.
And smiled.
It wasn’t courtesy.
It was recognition.
Akuma spoke first.
— Uta Dragunov… I’ve come to talk to you about your request for alliance.
Silence.
The wind moved the trees.
Uta tilted his head slightly.
— Oh… — he scratched the back of his neck casually —. Are you Kuro’s recruits?
His smile widened.
— You’re just in time.
From the balcony, Naoko watched. He could feel it.
Contained energy.
Two forces not measuring power.
Measuring will.
Uta turned on his heels carelessly.
He gave them his back.
A gesture that for anyone else would be suicidal.
But not for him.
— Come in.
The word was not an invitation.
It was permission.
Akuma held his gaze one second longer.
Then walked.
Yūrei followed silently.
Behind them, the crack in the ground still smoked.
And from inside the mansion, Kuro watched leaning against a column.
Smiling.
— Ah… — he murmured —. The fun has started.
The mansion doors opened slowly.
Akuma entered.
His boots echoed over the polished marble.
He looked up.
High ceilings. Chandeliers. Endless corridors. Impeccable decoration.
He whistled softly.
— Wow… this isn’t a hideout… this is a palace.
Yūrei entered behind him, silent as a shadow.
His eyes scanned every exit, every corner, every blind spot.
He didn’t admire the luxury.
He calculated threats.
Suddenly—
A hand appeared out of nowhere.
Kuro.
He grabbed Yūrei by the shoulders and shook him exaggeratedly.
— Wow, you convinced him! Good job, little ghost!
Yūrei didn’t even change expression.
— He didn’t convince me — Akuma replied without looking back —. I came because I wanted to.
He turned slightly.
— But I’m not in. I’m just here to negotiate.
The room fell silent for a second.
Akuma walked toward Uta without lowering his gaze.
He stopped in front of him.
— Hey, big guy… — he said with a crooked smile —. I don’t take orders from anyone. You and I lead the same, huh?
Some of those present held their breath.
It was a direct statement.
Uta looked at him.
Analyzed him.
Strange face.
Awkward silence.
And then…
He laughed.
— Okay, okay… yeah, yeah…
As if he’d been asked to share dessert.
Akuma frowned.
— Don’t laugh, I’m serious. If this is an alliance, it’s equal. I protect my people. If anyone touches them, I don’t care who you are, I’ll break you. Clear? And don’t look at me like that, you look like a teacher…
He kept talking.
Jumping from topic to topic.
About freedom, territories, absurd rules he doesn’t plan to follow, how law means nothing without honor.
Uta walked while listening.
Nodding at things that made no sense.
As if he enjoyed the noise.
Yūrei snorted.
— He’s a lost cause.
Kuro smiled against the wall.
— Enjoy it… enjoy it… — he whispered amused.
Because the scene was absurd.
Naoko walked down the hallway muttering.
— Half an hour… I’m gone half an hour and something surely exploded already…
As he turned the corner toward the cafeteria, he stopped.
Silence.
Tadaaki.
Mitsume.
Minato.
Hayate.
All in a line.
Serious.
Tense.
Naoko peeked.
And saw it.
Akuma had Ryōna against the wall, holding her wrist.
— Let go of the pot! — he growled between laughs —. I’m hungry! Negotiating makes you hungry!
Ryōna didn’t yield.
— It’s for everyone!
The atmosphere was about to break.
Naoko said nothing.
Didn’t shout.
Didn’t hesitate.
He walked.
Straight.
He passed between Tadaaki and Mitsume as if they were air.
His expression changed.
Serious.
Empty.
Determined.
He stopped in front of Akuma.
Akuma looked at him, puzzled.
— And you what—
BOOM!
Naoko’s punch hit directly into his face.
Dry.
Clean.
The room held its breath.
Akuma didn’t move.
Not a centimeter.
Didn’t step back.
Didn’t lose his smile.
He slowly turned his neck.
Licked the blood from his lip.
Smiled wider.
And answered.
BAM!
His punch hit Naoko’s face.
It sounded like metal against metal.
Naoko didn’t step back either.
No one breathed.
They stared at each other.
Forehead to forehead.
Noses almost touching.
Akuma smiled.
— You’ve got guts, shorty.
Naoko didn’t respond.
He just lowered his center of gravity.
Both loaded their fists.
The energy tightened.
The floor creaked beneath their feet.
They were about to clash.
About to explode.
And then—
Threads.
Thin.
Invisible until they shone in the light.
They wrapped around their arms.
Their torsos.
Stopped the impact inches away.
Shizuka appeared standing on a table.
Fingers extended.
Cold gaze.
— Everyone… to the meeting room. Now.
The threads tightened.
She dragged Naoko and Akuma toward the door like rebellious puppets.
Akuma kept laughing.
— Hey! Let me go, we’re not done yet!
Naoko didn’t take his eyes off him.
Tadaaki:
— He’s a lost case.
One hour later…
Location: The meeting room was in absolute silence.
A long table.
Everyone seated.
Akuma arms crossed.
Naoko serious, focused.
Yūrei motionless like a statue.
Kuro leaning back balancing his chair.
Shizuka, Tadaaki and Mitsume attentive.
Minato eating.
The tension was not hostile.
It was expectation.
Uta stood at the back of the room.
Back turned.
Looking out the window.
For a few seconds he said nothing.
— I’ve decided… that I’m going to test you.
He turned slowly.
He wasn’t smiling.
But he didn’t look angry either.
It was that in-between expression that meant something serious.
Akuma tilted his head.
— A test? Us?
Uta nodded.
— If we’re going to coexist… if we’re going to form an alliance… I need to know something.
Pause.
— Not how hard you hit.
He looked at Naoko.
— Not how much you endure.
He looked at Akuma.
— I want to know… what you protect.
The air changed.
Kuro stopped balancing.
Yūrei slightly raised his gaze.
Uta walked to the head of the table.
Placed his hands on it.
— The mission is very simple.
His voice dropped half a tone.
— We’ll call it…
Total silence.
— Mission: Save the Hospital.
Some blinked.
Akuma frowned.
— Save it from what?
Uta smiled faintly.
That dangerous smile.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Uta scratched his cheek as if he were half asleep.
—Go ahead, Akihiro.
The door opened.
Akihiro walked in.
Tired. Dragging a portable whiteboard behind him.
He set it down, took a deep breath, and began writing.
As he spoke, his eyes never stayed still.
He watched breathing patterns.
Postures.
Reactions.
—For the plan to turn us into an NGO to work —he said softly— we need a real medical foundation.
He wrote in large letters:
CENTRAL HOSPITAL
He turned around.
—The hospital is officially abandoned… but not empty.
He marked three points on the board.
-
Rumor of a mage living inside.
-
Runs on hydraulic energy.
—The river no longer reaches the dam system. Without power… there’s no hospital.
Minato lifted his head, interested.
—The sewers.
Akihiro quickly sketched a diagram.
—The people who tried to sneak in through there… died. According to rumors… because of a “monster.”
Silence.
—So we have three sub-missions in one.
He set the marker down.
Looked at Uta.
—Per your request… you’ll be forming the teams.
Uta yawned dramatically.
—Yeah, like a school field trip.
He stood up slowly.
Looked at everyone.
Smiled.
But his eyes were calculating.
—Team One.
Dramatic pause.
—Akihiro, Akuma, and Naoko.
Akuma let out a nasal laugh.
Naoko didn’t take his eyes off Akuma.
Akihiro barely blinked.
Minimal annoyance.
Detectable.
Uta saw it.
—You’ll handle the hospital mage.
Akuma leaned his elbows on the table.
—Perfect. I like breaking faces.
Akihiro smiled gently.
—I’d prefer we confirm whether he’s hostile before breaking his jaw.
Akuma looked at him.
—Do you always talk that softly, or are you scared of getting yelled at?
Naoko stood up.
—If he’s strong, I’ll face him.
Akuma glanced sideways at him.
—You don’t decide that.
Naoko stepped closer.
—Neither do you.
The air tightened.
Akihiro sighed internally.
“Testosterone competition. High level.”
Uta raised a hand.
—Hey, hey… save your energy. This isn’t a tournament for biggest ego.
He smiled.
Uta continued.
—Sewers… Mitsume and Yūrei.
Mitsume slowly turned her head toward Yūrei.
Yūrei looked back.
Awkward silence.
—Don’t talk too much —Mitsume said.
—Talking isn’t necessary —Yūrei replied.
Mitsume tilted her head.
—Depends.
Yūrei studied her for another second.
They didn’t trust each other.
They didn’t know each other.
But they both knew one thing:
The other wasn’t weak.
—And finally… the dam.
Uta pointed.
—Minato and Tadaaki.
Minato slammed the table lightly.
—Yes! That’s my thing—breaking stuff!
He was excited.
Tadaaki looked at him.
Then at Naoko.
Clear thought:
“He’s worse than Naoko.”
He sighed.
—I guess someone has to make sure you don’t die.
Minato laughed.