Morning Routine – A Gentle Storm
The next morning, Yuuji awoke to the steady patter of rain tapping against his window.
Kuoh Town looked softer under the misty drizzle. The cherry blossoms, recently bloomed, shed pink petals that swirled along the gutters.
He sat at his desk a moment longer than usual, staring at the soft gray sky.
> [Shadow Soldiers: 2 Active | New Skill Acquired: "Spatial Resistance" (Lv.1)]
The System messages floated gently, unobtrusive now, like a second heartbeat. He dismissed them with a thought.
Downstairs, the clatter of dishes and Issei's half-asleep complaining drifted up.
Another day. Another mask to wear.
Yuuji stood, brushing a hand lightly against the small charm his mother had given him yesterday.
He could feel a faint warmth radiating from it.
Family kept him human.
And he would protect that warmth with everything he had.
---
Family Breakfast – Small Storms
Breakfast was quieter than usual.
Mrs. Hyoudou bustled around with a small frown. "Yuuji, Issei... Please come straight home today, alright? The weather's strange. And..." she hesitated. "The neighborhood's been...off lately."
Mr. Hyoudou grunted from behind his newspaper. "Some local kids said they saw something weird last night. Black shadows. Strange sounds."
Issei looked up, intrigued. "Like aliens? Or ghosts?"
Mrs. Hyoudou shuddered. "Maybe just a prank. But better safe than sorry."
Yuuji exchanged a glance with his brother. He smiled reassuringly, masking the unease coiling in his gut.
"We'll be careful, Mom."
He meant it.
Because he knew—monsters didn't just hide under beds anymore.
---
School Life – The Calm Before
The corridors of Kuoh Academy were a familiar maze of voices and shuffling shoes.
Yet today, something felt...denser.
Maybe it was the rain pressing against the windows. Maybe it was the lingering spiritual aftershocks of last night's battle.
Or maybe Yuuji's growing sensitivity was making him see the cracks forming beneath the surface.
He shook the feeling off as he made his way to his homeroom.
"Morning, Yuuji!" Yumi Tachibana chirped, waving from her seat by the window.
She was always kind to everyone, but today there was a nervousness about her.
Dark circles under her eyes. A slight tremble in her hands.
Yuuji slid into the seat beside her, careful not to startle her.
"You alright?"
Yumi blinked, then gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "Sorry! I didn't sleep well. Weird dreams."
She hesitated, lowering her voice.
"I...I think someone was calling me. From outside my window."
Yuuji's fingers tightened on his notebook.
"Maybe just stress," he said gently. "Rainy weather can make dreams weird."
But inside, his instincts roared.
No. This was not normal.
Not anymore.
---
Classroom Dynamics – Webs Within Webs
Later that morning, Mrs. Kondo announced the new project groups.
Yuuji found himself paired with Yumi, Motohama, and a quiet boy named Kenji Saito—an awkward loner who kept mostly to himself.
Kenji had deep, tired eyes and a constant jitter to his movements.
When Yuuji glanced at him during class, Kenji quickly looked away...
but not before Yuuji caught the glint of something unnatural lurking behind his gaze.
Something hungry.
> [Warning: Unknown Entity Detected – Observation Recommended.]
The System's notification flashed briefly.
Yuuji kept his face neutral.
Was Kenji the cause of the strange happenings?
Or was he a victim too?
Either way, he needed to be careful. Reckless confrontation would only endanger innocent people.
And for now, he had to act normal.
Just another student at Kuoh Academy.
---
Lunchtime – Threads Entangle
The cafeteria was loud with chatter, but Yuuji barely tasted his food.
Across the room, Rias Gremory sat with Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko—Kuoh's elite gathering like a court of kings and queens.
Rias met Yuuji's gaze for a fleeting moment.
A silent message passed between them.
Stay alert. Watch carefully.
Yumi chatted beside him about the project. She was trying to stay positive, even though her voice trembled.
"...Maybe we can work after school? At the library?"
Kenji nodded absently, his gaze drifting toward the rain-slick windows.
Almost as if he were listening to something no one else could hear.
Yuuji agreed quickly. "Yeah. Let's stick together."
If something was targeting students...
He wasn't about to let Yumi walk into it alone.
---
After School – Library Shadows
The school library smelled of old paper and rain.
It was mostly deserted except for a few students hunched over textbooks, the librarians whispering among the shelves.
Yuuji kept an eye on Kenji as they worked.
At first, things seemed normal.
But then—
Kenji froze, pen hovering above his notebook.
His eyes glazed over. His lips moved silently.
Yuuji leaned in slightly, ears straining.
"...Come...with...us..."
A voice that wasn't Kenji's own, rasping and alien.
Suddenly, Kenji's hands jerked—too fast, too unnatural—and he grabbed Yumi's wrist hard.
She yelped, trying to pull away.
Kenji's pupils dilated, black swirling within them.
> [Alert: Possession Detected – Suppression Recommended.]
Without hesitation, Yuuji acted.
Moving faster than normal human reflexes allowed, he seized Kenji's arm and twisted sharply—forcing the boy to release Yumi.
"Go," he hissed to her.
Yumi stumbled back, clutching her wrist.
Kenji—or whatever was inside him—snarled lowly, baring teeth too sharp, too many.
The librarian glanced over briefly, then returned to stamping books.
Glamour spell, Yuuji realized grimly.
This thing was masking the disturbance from normal humans.
Kenji lunged.
> [Skill Activation: Shadow Bind]
Yuuji's shadow surged up like a living net, entangling Kenji mid-strike.
The boy thrashed wildly, but the shadows held firm.
Yuuji stepped closer, heart pounding.
"You're not Kenji," he said quietly.
The entity within grinned—a horrible sight, stretching Kenji's face unnaturally.
"No...but soon, there will be many more like me."
A chilling promise.
And then—
With a final, violent shudder, the entity tore itself free, leaving Kenji's body limp, unconscious.
A slick smear of black mist slithered toward the library's far wall—toward another portal forming in the air.
No you don't.
Yuuji summoned his crow, commanding it to intercept.
The spectral bird screeched and dove, tearing into the mist with flashing talons.
The portal wavered, then snapped shut with a hiss.
Silence fell.
Only the distant patter of rain remained.
---
Recovery – Pieces and Promises
Yumi knelt beside Kenji, who groaned weakly as he regained consciousness.
He looked at her, then at Yuuji—confused, terrified.
"I... I don't remember," he whispered hoarsely. "Something...calling me...from the sakura trees..."
Yuuji helped him sit up, careful not to frighten him further.
"It's alright," he said gently. "You're safe now."
But inside, he knew the truth:
This was just the beginning.
The cracks between worlds were widening.
And Kuoh Academy was sitting atop a fault line.
---
Evening at Home – Quiet Before Storm
Back home, Yuuji listened to Issei rant about a new "secret weapon" he wanted to build for wooing girls (something involving remote-controlled panties, which Yuuji wisely ignored).
Their parents bustled about, discussing dinner and weather reports.
Normalcy.
Precious. Fragile.
Yuuji slipped upstairs, pulling the charm from his pocket.
He knelt by his window, gazing out at the rain-drenched night.
Somewhere beyond the veil, other worlds were stirring.
And the monsters weren't waiting anymore.
They were coming.
He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of rain and sakura.
He would fight.
For this world.
For his family.
For the bonds that made life worth living.
No matter how deep the darkness grew.
---
End of Chapter 5