Lily smiled: "Hey, Iris. I'm happy we get to see each other again so soon." Her eyes shifted toward Chifuyu. "And if it isn't Chifuyu Kyotani."
Hairene: "Enough. One more word and your head comes right off."
Lily: "Fiesty~"
The word had barely left her lips. The 3 Hunters slashed together. But Lily simply bounced out of it. Chifuyu relentlessly drove forward, his sword never leaving Lily room to breathe. Every strike flowed into the next, forcing her to keep moving instead of setting her own rhythm. Unfortunately, Lily has no rhythm. Iris slipped in between his attacks. Hairene favored overwhelming power, each swing threatening to end the fight instantly if it connected. Nicholas, though still injured, refused to stay behind, recovering just enough to join the relentless assault and deny Lily any opportunity to escape.
The clearing became a storm of flashing steel.
Yet Lily was never pressured. The tiny knife in her hand should have shattered the moment it touched one of their swords. Yet she managed to slide every one of their attacks off the knife when she didn't dodge. The blade of her knife danced along the flat or spine of their swords, redirecting their momentum with delicate movements before slipping away an instant before the full force arrived. She moved less than her opponents, yet she accomplished more. Even when surrounded, she looked as though she were dancing. Hairene's sword cleaved through a tree. Chifuyu immediately stepped into the opening. Lily pivoted around his shoulder, placing one foot against his back before flipping over Nicholas's thrust. She landed awkwardly on uneven ground, her ankle wobbling just enough to throw her off balance.
Lily: "Oh."
She tipped sideways, then simply cartwheeled out of it before she landed on one foot with her arms spread dramatically.
Lily giggled: "Oops."
They attacked again. Lily's knife continued weaving impossible lines between 4 full sized blades, never once allowing itself to be trapped. She wasn't trying to win. She wasn't even trying to attack.
Lily's grin widened: "Wanna see how I got over a thousand vampires on this island?"
The ground beneath them twisted. Darkness spread outward in jagged circles before splitting open into a grotesque gate filled with writhing shadows. None of them had time to react. The earth vanished and they were swallowed whole.
***
Wind exploded against their faces. Chifuyu's eyes snapped open. They were falling. Where? He didn't know, there was nothing but darkness. The sheer walls of a massive ravine rushed past them at terrifying speed. Without hesitation, all four Hunters drove their swords into the stone beside them. Their blades screeched. Sparks burst into the darkness as their blades carved deep grooves through solid rock. The friction slowed them by a decent amount. Dust and shattered stone blasted upward around them while their swords continued grinding against the cliffside. The fall continued for 12 more seconds. The ground finally rushed into view. All 4 kicked away from the wall simultaneously. They twisted their bodies to absorb the impact before crashing onto the rocky floor in controlled barrel rolls. What followed was silence, broken only by loose stones tumbling from the cliffs above.
The ravine stretched like a scar through the Hanabi Island, its towering walls nearly vertical, jagged rock formations jutted from every surface, while only a narrow ribbon of pale sky was visible far above, making the canyon feel more like a prison. The 4 Hunters exchanged uneasy glances. They had found themselves trapped inside a ravine. They escaped that fall with only cuts, bruises, and aching muscles. Nicholas had it the worst since he was already injured. He winced as he put weight on his injured leg, wiping fresh blood from the corner of his mouth.
Nicholas: "Can't believe… we actually survived that."
Hairene: "If that was anybody who wasn't as skilled as us, they wouldn't have been so lucky."
Chifuyu: "What is this, a ravine?"
Iris: "I think so."
Before anyone could say another words, space distorted overhead. A familiar black gate unfolded several meters above them.
Lily stepped through as casually as if she were walking out onto a balcony. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the floating portal, smiling down at them: "I knew you guys would survive that." She rested her chin in her palm. "It'd be boring if you didn't."
Chifuyu narrowed his eyes: "Who the hell are you?"
Nicholas: "She's with the Slayers, one of Hanako's 11 fangs."
Hairene: "Did you 11?!"
Lily spread her arms dramatically: "That's right! We're launching a full-scale attack on Hanabi Island as we speak!"
Chifuyu: "What?!"
Iris: "Oh no…" Her voice trembled. "My family…"
Chifuyu stepped beside Iris. His expression remained calm despite the weight of Lily's words: "Don't worry, Iris." She slowly looked at him. Chifuyu gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure the others are protecting our family. Right now, we just need to focus on the enemy in front of us."
Iris stared at him for a second before taking a slow breath. The panic in her chest eased. She nodded: "R-Right."
Chifuyu turned toward Nicholas. Only now did he truly notice the countless tears in Nicholas's uniform, the blood soaked through his yukata, and his burnt leg: "Your injuries are bad." He smiled. "You must've put up one hell of a fight."
Nicholas: "Thanks, man. I tried."
Above them, Lily watched the exchange with visible amusement: "Aww." She placed both hands against her cheeks. "What a great camaraderie you guys have going on here."
Hairene pointed her sword upward: "Enough of your games, vampire." Her voice echoed against the stone walls. "What did you bring us here for?"
Lily swung her legs back and forth: "To make things entertaining. Why else?" Her smile slowly faded. She looked directly at Hairene. "Though…I don't really like your attitude." She lazily raised a single finger. "So let's have you go to sleep first."
Hairene's eyelids suddenly felt heavy. She blinked a couple of times. The ravine swayed before her eyes.
Hairene: "…What…"
She took one step. Then another. Her knees buckled. Hairene drove her sword into the ground to keep herself upright.
Hairene: "…Stay…awake…"
The sword slipped from her fingers. Her body collapsed onto the rocky floor. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
Chifuyu and Iris: "Hairene!"
Nicholas stared in disbelief.
Lily looked toward Iris: "I won't use my curse on you or the other guy. I'd love to see you two try getting out of this ravine. Put on a good show for me, okay?"
Then she pointed at Chifuyu. His body immediately stiffened. Chifuyu blinked and his vision blurred.
Chifuyu gritted his teeth: "Damn it."
An overwhelming exhaustion crashed into him like an ocean wave. His sword slipped from his hand. Chifuyu dropped to one knee and Iris rushed to grab his shoulder.
Iris: "Chifuyu!"
He fought to keep his eyes open. His vision darkened.
Chifuyu reached toward Iris: "You guys got this."
But his arm stopped halfway.
Nicholas: "Crap!" He looked between Lily and the unconscious Hunters. "What's she doing?!"
Iris gently shook his shoulders: "Chifuyu! Chifuyu! Wake up!"
Lily stood from the edge of her gate: "Bye-bye~"
She gave them a playful wave, then took a single step backward. The dark gate folded into itself.
She vanished.
The ravine fell silent once more. Only Iris and Nicholas remained awake. Nicholas checked Hairene's pulse. She was alive.
Nicholas: "Why the hell would she just force them to be unconscious?"
Iris took deep breaths, resolving herself: "I don't know, but we have to get out of here."
***
Only seconds earlier, Chifuyu had been standing on a sudden battlefield.
Now…
Warm morning sunlight spilled through a bedroom window. Birds chirped peacefully outside. The smell of breakfast drifted through the house.
Chifuyu slowly opened his eyes. He blinked several times: "…Huh?"
He was lying beneath familiar blankets.
His bedroom.
He sat upright.
Everything looked exactly as he remembered. The television resting across the room. The stack of video games beside it. The wooden desk cluttered with notebooks. Confused, he climbed out of bed and stretched. Something immediately felt different.
He looked down.
His hands were smaller.
His body was lighter.
Slowly, he walked toward the television.
Its dark screen reflected a blurry image back at him.
An 11 year-old boy.
Chifuyu stared for several silent moments: "…Hm." He rubbed the back of his neck and yawned. "That's weird. Feels like I just had a long dream."
He scratched his butt with absolutely zero dignity, then turned around. Instead of getting dressed for school, he flopped face-first back onto his bed.
Chifuyu: "Five more minutes…"
He pulled the blanket over his head until only a messy tuft of black hair stuck out.
Then—
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Chifuyu took the cover off his face: "…Huh?"
The footsteps came closer.
BANG!
His bedroom door burst open. A small blur launched across the room like a missile. The tiny figure body-slammed him straight into the mattress.
Chifuyu: "AHHHH! A GOBLIN!!"
The girl sitting triumphantly on top of him puffed out her cheeks. She was the same age as Chifuyu, with a short black bob haircut framing bright sky-blue eyes that sparkled with mischief.
She immediately pinched both of his cheeks: "Who're you calling a goblin?!"
Chifuyu: "Ahaha!" He tried pushing her away. "Don't tickle me!"
She ignored him and dug her fingers into his sides.
Chifuyu burst into another fit of laughter: "Hahahahaha! S-Stop! What're you even doing here, Yukinoya?"
Yukinoya folded her arms proudly while still sitting on top of him: "To get your slacking butt out of bed, obviously! I know you just up and tried going right back to sleep."
Chifuyu: "…How'd you know that?!" He glanced around the room suspiciously. "Is there a camera in here?"
Yukinoya made an exaggerated face of disgust: "Eww. Of course not." She pointed accusingly at him. "If anyone's putting a camera in someone's room…it'd be you, Dakota, or Diego."
Chifuyu snorted: "Teh." He looked away. "Don't mention that loser, Diego. He just up and left without saying anything."
Yukinoya: "Aw…Sorry. I didn't mean to touch a soft spot. Did I hurt your feelings?"
Chifuyu slowly looked back at her. Then a devilish grin spread across his face: "Yeah?" He wiggled his fingers. "As in this soft spot?!"
Before Yukinoya could react, his hands shot straight toward her sides: "W-Wait—AHAHAHA!" She immediately curled into a ball. "S-Stop! Hahaha!"
Their laughter echoed throughout the house.
For just a little while, there were no vampires, no Hunters, no bloodshed.
Chifuyu, Yukinoya, and Dakota had been inseparable ever since they were little. The three grew up side by side, turning ordinary days into adventures, sharing scraped knees, secret hideouts, and dreams far bigger than themselves. Now, in the second semester of their final year of elementary school, very little had changed. Chifuyu and Yukinoya still bickered over the smallest things, challenged each other at every opportunity, and somehow always ended up laughing before the day was over. Their friendship rested on something deeper than constant jokes. Yukinoya admired Chifuyu's natural talent and the determination that drove him to improve no matter how difficult something became. Chifuyu, in turn, valued her honesty, resilience, and unwavering willingness to stand beside the people she cared about and stick up for people. They encouraged one another without even realizing it, offering quiet reassurance whenever one stumbled. Through years of shared memories and mutual trust, they had become a source of comfort, motivation, and stability in each other's lives.
But there were truths Yukinoya carried alone.
Feelings too heavy.
Fears too painful.
Words she could never quite bring herself to say to Chifuyu.
As for Chifuyu, he had no idea.
To him, the days ahead promised laughter, adventures with his closest friends, and what would become the happiest summer of his young life.
A summer so bright that it would fall from the sky like a beautiful yet devastating meteor.