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"You… you're Kasumigaoka-senpai from third year?"
Despite the chaos swirling in her mind, Eriri quickly recognized the girl standing before her. Kasumigaoka Utaha—the untouchable beauty of the senior class, a figure as distant as she was striking.
"Yeah, it's me. No time to waste, let's move!" Utaha grabbed Eriri's hand and tugged her toward the window.
Behind them, Aki Tomoya unleashed an enraged roar, his warped figure lunging at the two girls with unnatural speed.
Utaha flicked her fingers, releasing a Gandr spell, a curse rune from Northern European magecraft, taught to her by Yuto via the Clock Tower Mystic Code. It was a straightforward technique, designed to sap an enemy's vitality. With enough mana, it could even inflict physical harm. Her affinities were water and wind, and she often paired the spell with azure rune-enhanced Black Keys. Each one she hurled from her slender hands ripped into Aki's monstrous form, leaving jagged gashes in its wake.
"What… what is that?" Eriri's blue eyes widened, staring at her senpai as if she'd stepped out of another world. The sight of Utaha conjuring spinning black blades was beyond anything she could process.
"Follow me," Utaha snapped, her focus too sharp to entertain questions.
As they dashed toward the stairs, Aki's mouth gaped open, spewing out several grotesque, slime-drenched figures. Their limbs were a chaotic mess—hands sprouting where feet should be, feet jutting from torsos. They looked like discarded drafts of humanity, twisted and nightmarish, yet they scrambled along the walls with terrifying speed, closing in on Eriri and Utaha.
"Wind conversion!" Utaha gritted her teeth, tossing a handful of gem shards from her pocket. Infused with mana, they morphed into razor-sharp wind blades midair, slashing the malformed creatures into chunks of flesh.
"Utaha, over here!"
Utaha was still a novice at magecraft, and the frantic combat drained her mana fast. Spotting Kirisu Mafuyu waving from a nearby classroom, she seized Eriri's arm and bolted inside.
"Phew…"
They stumbled into the room, collapsing against the wall. Mafuyu had set up a basic bounded field—a temporary barrier to hold back the madness outside.
"You two okay?" Marin and Megumi hurried over, helping them to their feet.
The attack had erupted out of nowhere. In just twenty minutes, Aki's rampage had claimed nearly a dozen lives across the school.
Eriri glanced around, her breath steadying as she took in the crowded classroom. Familiar faces filled the space: teachers like Kirisu Mafuyu and Yukari, classmates like Yukinoshita Yukino, Misaki Mei, Kato Megumi, Kitagawa Marin, Shinomiya Kaguya, Fujiwara Chika, and Utaha, who'd just pulled her out of danger. It was a strange gathering of striking girls, all packed into one small room.
"Don't panic, everyone. I'm here… just hold on a bit longer," Nero declared, perched atop Pan-san's head. "My Master will be here soon."
"What's that little thing?" Eriri muttered, still reeling from the day's absurdity. The blonde girl standing on the black cat was cute but completely unfamiliar.
"I'm not a 'thing'! I am Nero Claudius, the one and only Empress of Rome, the infamous tyrant! UMU!" Nero puffed out her chest, her voice brimming with pride.
Just as the group started to catch their breath, the bounded field shattered with a deafening crack. Aki's massive fist smashed through the door, his voice a warped chorus of screams: "Become one with me!"
Nero's expression tightened.
"Imperatrix Romae, hear my decree!
Aestus Domus Aurea, arise in thy resplendent glory!
Let your golden flames scorch the heavens,
And unleash the power of an empire on all who defy me!
By the radiance of Rome and the will of Nero,
I command thee—manifest your might!"
Nero's Aestus Domus Aurea materialized, a fragment of her inner world overwriting reality. It weakened foes and let her enforce her own rules. As a Capsule Servant, her power was limited, but she managed to conjure a miniature version within the classroom.
"Aestus Domus Aurea, bind the enemy!
It bloomed around them, golden and elegant, with red petals drifting down. Aki was pinned in place by unseen chains, struggling against the restraint.
"Misaki, help me!" Mei shouted, summoning her sister's spirit from the shadows. Black-and-white runes crept across her face as she channeled her cursed energy, readying a strike against the bound Aki.
But his eyes flared red, cursed energy surging. Twisted, anguished faces erupted from his back, bursting into blood bombs that rained down on the room.
"Watch out!" Misaki yelled, but the projectiles were too fast, streaking toward her like deadly darts.
'Am I… going to die here?' she thought, frozen in place.
In that instant, Megumi activated the Command Seal on her wrist.
A familiar figure ripped through space, scooping Misaki into his arms and shielding her from the blast.
"Aki Tomoya?" Yuto murmured, his Red Dragon Constitution absorbing the explosion effortlessly. He studied the grotesque creature, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Yuto!" Aki's body twisted unnaturally, his voice a venomous screech. "Die! Become one with me!"
Yuto's thoughts raced. 'He's been tampered with, probably by someone who can manipulate souls.'
"Pathetic. Hatred's swallowed you whole. There's no saving you now," Yuto said with a quiet sigh. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a volley of Black Keys, each etched with tri-colored runes.
The weapons shot forward like arrows, pinning Aki to the floor in a burst of white light.
"I am the destroyer, I am the creator. Return to dust. Mercy ends here….I gaze upon this soul with pity! (Kyrie Eleison)"
A radiant glow engulfed Aki. His face contorted in agony, his body thrashing wildly before dissolving into black smoke. Left behind were five Saint Quartz and an odd item—Void Dust.
[Void Dust: The scattered remnants of a hollow shadow, used to craft divine weapons.]
"Is it over?" Misaki asked.
"Yes, it's over." Yuto replied.
.......
Yuto called the Supernatural Affairs Division to handle the aftermath before leading the shaken group back to his home, where he revealed the hidden world of the supernatural.
"So our world's not safe anymore?" Yukino's voice was tight, her fists clenched.
"With demons and curses everywhere, you're defenseless without power, just like today," Yuto replied.
Kaguya shivered, relieved that Hayasaka Ai had been waiting outside the school. If anything had happened to her, the guilt would've crushed her. She glanced at Yuto, her red eyes softening as a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
'He saved me again,' she thought, her gaze lingering on him.
Utaha caught the look and huffed, shooting Yuto a sharp glance. Her meaning was unmistakable: You're drawing too much attention.
"Yuto-kun, can you check which path fits me?" Marin piped up, waving her hand eagerly. As a cosplayer, she adapted fast to the bizarre new reality.
"Sure, Marin. You're first," Yuto said, sparking blushes across the room.
He'd explained that testing their affinities required kisses and physical touch—a prospect that flustered most of them, especially since many had never even kissed anyone. Yukino and Kaguya were less rattled; they already had feelings for Yuto, and Kaguya had shared a kiss with him before. But Eriri and Yukino were mortified. Eriri, despite her bold artwork, was all talk and no experience, while Yukari, a teacher, wrestled with the idea of getting close to a student.
"Kirisu-sensei, have you and Yuto-kun already…?" Yukari stammered, her face red.
"Just think of it as a mosquito bite," Mafuyu said with a straight face, earning giggles from the group and a scowl from Yuto.
While the others laughed, he mimed a spanking gesture at Mafuyu, making her blush and regret her jab.
Yuto began the "examinations" with Eriri, Yukino, Yukari, and Marin. The room filled with shy gasps and soft murmurs as he worked.
......…
The next day, after careful testing, Yuto confirmed their affinities.
Yukino and Kaguya had magic circuits, marking them as natural mages. Yukari and Eriri possessed cursed energy, suited for sorcery. Marin stood out as a spiritual master.
"Yukino and Kaguya, you can train with Utaha and Mafuyu. Use the Clock Tower Mystic Code if you need guidance," Yuto instructed. "Yuakri and Eriri, I'll arrange for Ieiri Shoko to teach you."
"What about me, Yuto-kun?" Marin asked, bouncing slightly.
"Spiritual arts are complex. I'll find you a teacher," Yuto promised, already considering his government contacts.
...…..
The following morning, Yuto joined Yukino to visit her family's new company in Tokyo. With her now aware of the supernatural, there was no need for secrets.
The building, bought at a steep discount thanks to Yuto's influence, had been swiftly renovated and was ready for use.
Haruno, Yukino's sister, waited at the entrance in a sleek gray suit. Unlike Yukino's slim frame, Haruno's curves filled out her outfit perfectly. She greeted them with a warm smile, her eyes lingering on Yuto.
Yuto stepped forward, pulling her into a hug. His hand, however, slipped lower, giving her butt a playful squeeze.
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