"I knew it! You can see me! You can see me clearly!"
The Bucket Monster let out a distorted, manic laugh. It pivoted its massive, multi-legged body, shifting its focus entirely onto Miko. With a wet, grinding sound, it lunged.
In the face of such overwhelming spiritual pressure, Miko found herself paralyzed. Her feet felt like they were rooted in the concrete.
Suddenly, two figures shimmered into existence beside her. They were small, child-like attendants wearing traditional shrine robes and fox masks—the servants of the Mountain God she had petitioned before. They had appeared to fulfill the contract, raising their hands to ward off the monster.
But Miko felt a jolt of panic. If they helped her now, it would be the first of her "Three Debts." She had no idea what the price would be, but her instincts screamed that she shouldn't let them touch her life again.
"Is this it...?" she whispered, closing her eyes as the monster's shadow engulfed her.
But before the attendants could act, a flash of violet light, sharper and faster than any spirit, tore through the darkness directly in front of Miko.
SHING—CRACK!
Infused with an absolute killing intent, Haruki's blade—Onikiri—sliced through the center of the Bucket Monster. The strike was so powerful it didn't just cut the spirit; it vaporized the very concept of its existence.
A massive surge of Ghostly Qi erupted from the remains, swirling into a vortex that rushed toward Haruki's right arm. The violet veins on his skin throbbed, growing more jagged and pronounced as he absorbed the essence.
"Who are you...?"
The two fox-masked attendants stopped, their heads tilting in unison. They looked confused and wary. They hadn't expected a human to "steal" their client.
Haruki looked toward them, his eyes narrowing. Even with Hana still clinging to his back, he projected a cold, untouchable authority. "I see. So you're the 'Gods' from the shrine. You don't have the stench of the dead, but you aren't exactly alive either. You exist in the gap."
The attendants didn't answer. A wave of irritation and caution rolled off them. They viewed Haruki as a threat—a variable that didn't belong in their calculations. But since the target was already destroyed, they had no reason to stay. They vanished into the shadows, leaving a lingering chill behind.
"Actually... you didn't have to go that far," a voice muttered.
Haruki looked down. Hana was still in his arms, her face bright red. She looked up at him with starry eyes, her breathing ragged. "It was just a spider, Haruki-san... you didn't have to use your sword... though, honestly, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen..."
"Uh... sure," Haruki replied.
He realized she had completely misinterpreted the spiritual battle as a very dramatic reaction to a bug. He looked toward Miko for assistance, only to find her glaring at him with an intensity that could melt steel. She looked significantly more upset than she had when the monster was attacking.
With the atmosphere in the group becoming increasingly "complicated," and the sun fully set, the trip to the abandoned tunnel came to an abrupt end.
The four of them boarded the return bus. Except for Haruki, everyone looked mentally and physically drained.
"Aww... I really wanted to get that perfect shot," Hana sighed, leaning her head against the window. Within minutes, her fear was forgotten, replaced by her usual oblivious optimism. She was already planning her next "paranormal hunt."
Miko and Yuria, however, remained grim.
Miko was dwelling on the contract. The appearance of the attendants confirmed that the "Three Debts" were very real. Haruki had saved her from using the first one tonight, but she lived in fear of the day he wouldn't be there. What would the God take from her when the tally was reached? Her soul? Her future?
Beside her, Yuria was undergoing an internal crisis. She was now convinced Miko was a high-level exorcist who could command spirits with a wave of her hand. The "trial" Haruki had set for her—to surpass Miko—now felt like a cruel joke. How was she supposed to compete with a goddess?
Haruki, sensing the heavy mood, decided not to intervene. He had his own problems. A glowing blue window was hovering in his peripheral vision, the numbers ticking down to zero.
Haruki reached his apartment and barely had time to close the door before the final second hit.
The silver light of the System engulfed him, and the world dissolved into a blur of data and starlight.
[World: The Asterisk War]
In the 20th century, a disaster known as the "Invertia" hit the Earth. An unprecedented meteor shower lasted for three days and nights, leveling cities and reshaping the global landscape.
From the craters of the meteors, a new element was discovered: Mana. This element accelerated human technology but also triggered biological mutations. A new race of humans was born—the Genestella (Star Pulse Generation).
Genestella possessed physical capabilities far beyond normal humans. Some, the Strega and Dante, could even manipulate Mana directly to perform "miracles."
As nations crumbled under the weight of the disaster, a new power rose: the Integrated Enterprise Foundations. These six megacorporations now ruled the world. To maintain balance and showcase their power, they founded six elite academies on a floating city called Asterisk.
Every three years, the academies competed in the Festa—a world-class combat tournament broadcast to billions.
[Mission World Reached]
[Identity Binding Complete]
[Current Status: Seidokan Academy, 1st Year Student]
[Lux (Weapon): N/A]
[School Rank: N/A]
[Main Mission: Participate in the Phoenix Festa (doubles tournament) and achieve final victory.]
[Hint: You must find a compatible and powerful partner. Success in the Phoenix Festa depends heavily on the synergy between the Promoter and the Initiator—or in this case, the pair of Genestella.]
"Seems straightforward enough," Haruki muttered, looking down at his new attire.
He was wearing the sleek, white-and-red uniform of Seidokan Academy. His student ID was in his pocket. Everything was perfectly prepared by the System.
Except for his location.
He wasn't in a hallway or a classroom. He was in a small, luxuriously appointed room filled with the scent of flowers and expensive perfume. And standing directly in front of him, frozen in the middle of changing, was a girl with long, vibrant pink hair.
Her uniform was unbuttoned, revealing a set of delicate white lace lingerie. She was leaning over, her skirt half-zipped, giving Haruki an unobstructed view of her porcelain skin and the soft curves of her frame.
"???"
Haruki stood frozen, his eyes widening. He looked at the girl, then at the pink decor, then back at the girl.
System... you've got to be kidding me.
The irony wasn't lost on him. Months ago, he had mocked his rival, Ikki Kurogane, for stumbling into a similar situation. Now, the universe was paying him back in full.
He raised his hands in a neutral gesture, his voice calm despite the absurdity. "Listen... I know how this looks. I can assure you I have no ill intent. My only request is that you don't call security."
The girl remained frozen for a long, agonizing heartbeat. She was stunning—with turquoise eyes that looked like clear morning dew and skin as white as fresh snow.
As she processed the fact that a strange boy was standing in her private quarters while she was half-dressed, her face transitioned from a shocked pale to a volcanic, glowing red. Her hands flew to cover her chest, her eyes filling with a mix of humiliation and lethal fury.
"You... you... you...!"
Normally, this was the part where the screaming began. But this girl wasn't normal. She was a member of the elite Genestella. She took a deep, shaky breath, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, flicking light—the sign of a high-level Strega.
"Turn around," she commanded, her voice trembling with rage. "Now!"
"Understood," Haruki replied, turning his back instantly.
He wasn't a pervert, and he had seen enough to last a lifetime. Besides, with his Eyes of Absolute Perception, he had already memorized every detail of her biological rhythm and physical structure. He didn't need to look anymore to know exactly who she was.
She was Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld. A Princess, and one of the top fighters at Seidokan.
Behind him, he heard the frantic rustling of silk and the click of buttons. The air in the room began to grow hot—literally. Waves of thermal energy began to radiate from the girl, the temperature spiking until the air shimmered with a heat haze.
"I'm dressed," she hissed. "Now... give me one good reason why I shouldn't incinerate you where you stand."
Haruki turned back. She was fully clothed now, but her hand was extended, a swirl of brilliant crimson flames dancing around her fingertips.
"The truth is I don't know how I got here," Haruki said, his voice level. "One moment I was in my apartment, the next I was here. I'm a new transfer student, Haruki Aizawa."
"A transfer student? Appearing in a high-security girls' dorm by accident?" Julis sneered, the fire in her hand growing larger. "Do you think I'm a fool? You're either a spy from Allekant or a pervert with a teleportation ability. Either way... you're going to pay!"
She lunged forward, the room exploding into a storm of fire.
Haruki didn't draw his blade yet. He stepped into the heat, his Sense of Fluctuation guiding him through the flames. To a normal person, this was a death trap. To the Sword Ghost, it was just another day at the office.
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