Volume 1:The Prophecy
Chapter 9:I am not useless
The moment Airi stepped forward, the hallway felt like it held its breath.
Her blade hummed softly with black lightning coiled along its edge.
And then—
SHHHFFF—!!
She vanished.
No sound. No flash. Just movement so fast it shredded the air.
CRACK!
The first mirror demon exploded in a burst of silver mist, its reflection cut clean through before its body even caught up. She spun. Another fell. Then another.
She didn't scream. She didn't grunt. Her breath never wavered.
The storm was silent.
Within sixty seconds, the floor was littered with broken glass, dissolving flesh, and traces of black lightning still burning across cracked tiles.
Itsuki's bat slowly lowered.
"...I'm in love," he whispered.
Rei blinked. "That... wasn't normal."
Yuki nodded slowly. "She moved like smoke with a blade."
Airi turned, flicking the blood and mist off her katana. Her voice was calm.
"We don't have time. There are five floors. The cursed object could be anywhere. We split up."
Rei stepped forward. "Wait—hold on, how did you—"
"Later," she said.
She looked at the hall ahead. "Rei and Yuki: west wing. Me and the idiot: east."
Itsuki pointed at himself. "The idiot?"
"Do you see anyone else drooling at sword tricks?"
He grinned. "Fair. Let's go, partner."
They split up. Two teams, two corridors, five stories of rot and silence.
The hospital groaned faintly as they climbed. Shadows shifted behind doorways. Dust choked the air. Mirrors were everywhere—and none of them felt right.
West Wing – 3rd Floor
Rei opened a door to an old surgical theatre.
Nothing.
He turned—and gasped.
AGHH—!
Pain exploded in his chest.
He stumbled, hand on the wall, heart thundering. Yuki caught him.
"Rei?! What is it?"
His breath hitched. In front of him, the air rippled.
A girl.
Black hair. A uniform that shimmered like smoke. Her face was half-hidden by shadow.
She reached toward him.
"you should not be Here."
Then she vanished.
Rei collapsed to one knee, gasping.
Yuki shouted, "REI!"
He waved her off. "I'm fine... I—it's gone."
Then—
SKREEEE—!
A violent screech tore through the walls like nails on glass.
Twelve mirror demons crawled out of the shadows in front of them. Elongated limbs, skin like cracked obsidian, glowing mirror shards embedded in their faces.
They advanced with jerking, twitching motion, like broken puppets pulled by invisible strings.
Yuki drew her weapon, breath tightening.
"I got them!"
She dashed forward.
The fight began.
She moved quickly, her blade dancing between attacks, but they came fast—claws raking, glass blades forming out of their limbs. Her shoulder got nicked. Then her leg.
One after another, she struck them down—but they weren't normal demons. They twisted mid-air, regenerated glass limbs. She gritted her teeth, blood dripping.
Rei tried to rise.
"Yuki—"
She didn't stop.
One. Two. Three. Seven.
But she was slowing.
East Wing – 3rd Floor
Itsuki cracked open another door. "Nothing. Just creepy tiles."
Airi stood still. Her gaze was locked on the far end of the hallway.
Then she turned sharply.
The air warped.
Another seven demons crawled out from broken mirrors across the walls and ceiling.
They dropped in front of them with distorted howls, flickering like corrupted reflections.
Airi stepped forward, sword in hand.
"Stay back."
She lunged into the fray, her blade slicing through glass and flesh. Black lightning burst across the floor.
Itsuki backed away, nervously gripping his weapon.
"Uhh... yeah... I'll just... support."
He swung once—missed.
Another demon lunged, and Airi split it in two before it reached him.
She was fast, but even she was breathing harder now. Her movements weren't as sharp.
Itsuki's hands trembled.
Then—
Yuki's scream echoed across the hospital.
"Ahhhhhh—!!"
Itsuki's eyes widened.
He ran.
Airi shouted behind him. "Don't go! We haven't cleared this wing yet—!"
But he was already gone.
He reached the corridor—and froze.
Yuki was on the ground.
Bleeding.
Rei barely conscious.
The last of the twelve demons was pulling its arm back for the final blow.
Airi arrived seconds later, eyes wide.
"ITSUKI! WE HAVE TO FINISH THEM—!"
But he wasn't moving.
He just stared.
Terrified.
Useless.
And then...
Flashback
Punches. Laughter.
"Useless loser!"
Feet kicking him down.
"You can't do anything. You can't even speak up."
Alone.
Back then.
And now.
Back then.
And now.
He clenched his teeth.
"...I'M NOT USELESS!"
BOOOOM—!!
The air shattered around him.
A wave of green, blue, and black exploded from his bracelet, twisting upward like a typhoon.
His bat disintegrated—reborn.
A massive two-handed war staff, glowing with runes and black-blue chains, erupted in his grip. His eyes darkened.
His face lost all expression.
He stepped forward.
Airi paused.
His aura was cold. Controlled.
He didn't speak to the demons.
He turned to Airi.
His voice was steady. Low.
"Get them."
Airi narrowed her eyes. "You can't handle this alone."
"just get them and go" he coldly replied
She hesitated—then grabbed Rei and Yuki, pulling them aside, dragging them toward cover.
Yuki, half-conscious, whispered, "Who is... that..."
Airi didn't answer.
But she looked back.
His stance. His aura. His grip.
It was still Itsuki's body. Same uniform. Same bat.
But the person wielding it...
Was someone else.
She whispered, "That's still... Itsuki."
He stood in the center of the hall, 24 demons already fallen, more blood in the air.
The chains around his weapon rattled, glowing like burning wire.
He looked over his shoulder at Airi.
Then said softly:
"Next time, don't pull him back. Let him burn."
Airi"HIM?"
He turned his head fully, expression cold.
"This dance is mine."