Chapter 79 – The Aftermath of the Incident
Click.
The sound of a turning doorknob echoed through the quiet hall, followed by the faint creak of a door opening.
Yukinoshita Yukino stepped inside, still wearing her Sobu High uniform. The moment she entered, three pairs of eyes turned toward her from the sofa.
Her gaze immediately fell on Busujima Saeko, seated gracefully on Akira's left. Then, she shifted her eyes to the right—where Yukinoshita Haruno was lounging comfortably, her ever-present smile already forming.
For a brief moment, Yukino felt like an unnecessary piece in a scene that had already been completed without her.
"Yukino, you're finally home!" Haruno beamed, rising from the sofa. "You almost missed seeing your onee-san today, you know?"
Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around her little sister. It was a warm, playful embrace—like an affectionate dog greeting its owner after a long day—her face nuzzling Yukino's shoulder without a care in the world.
"Ne, nee-san… please don't do this," Yukino protested softly, her voice almost breaking the icy poise she always maintained.
Just that simple gesture, and her usual aura of composure shattered completely.
Akira couldn't help but smile at the sight. As always, Haruno was the one person capable of melting Yukino's frostbitten heart. Even the coldest snow will yield under the warmth of sunlight.
"Yukino," Haruno began, still smiling as she released her sister, "I was this close to dying last night. If not for Akira-chan, you wouldn't be seeing your onee-san again."
"Upper Moon Six…?" Yukino's voice dropped, her eyes narrowing in concern.
"Yes," Haruno confirmed. "The culprit behind the recent disappearances. Five victims in total. Kawasaki Saki… she was the only one we managed to save."
"The only one…? Then the other four…"
"If our assumption's correct," Akira replied quietly, "they've already been eaten."
He spoke the words calmly, but there was a trace of heaviness in his tone.
Last night's battle had revealed one thing: although Daki was the one who abducted the victims, it was likely not only her who consumed them.
Her brother—Gyutaro—the parasite fused within her back, required sustenance as well.
They were a symbiotic pair, two monsters sharing one life. Their appetite, therefore, was twice that of an ordinary demon.
Four days. Four victims. One per day, devoured alternately to sustain their power.
It was all to maintain peak condition—to prepare for the battle that fate had already drawn them toward. After all, demons who starved grew weaker.
"So now," Haruno continued, turning toward Akira with a teasing grin, "all three of us—you, me, and Saeko-san—have mastered Breathing Techniques, right?"
"That's right," Akira replied with a small nod. "And there are still two slots left."
"Hiratsuka-sensei?" Yukino asked, already guessing.
"Correct. Stone Breathing was designed specifically for her."
"Then… the last one?"
"Hikigaya Hachiman."
"...Him?"
Yukino blinked, a rare flicker of disbelief crossing her face.
She honestly couldn't comprehend why her brother was so interested in that dead-eyed, socially allergic classmate of hers.
First, he'd gone out of his way to have Hachiman join the Service Club. Now, he was even giving him one of the most precious gifts of all—a Breathing Technique.
If she didn't know Akira was a perfectly normal man, she would've started to suspect something.
Especially since even the overly close friendship between Hachiman and Totsuka Saika had begun under Akira's subtle influence.
"Don't underestimate him, Yukino," Akira said with a serene confidence. "He's a genius."
And Akira meant it.
Yukino herself had mastered the basics of Water Breathing within a single weekend.
Busujima Saeko, a natural-born swordswoman, grasped Thunder Breathing in just one day.
As for Haruno—after witnessing her own helplessness during last night's battle—she had spent the entire morning training relentlessly. In less than eight hours, she had already reached the basics of Flame Breathing.
Seeing that, Akira was convinced: even though they came from an ordinary world, these so-called "protagonists" possessed extraordinary potential.
Therefore, it was only natural that Hikigaya Hachiman—the main character of the Oregairu world—would, too.
But that wasn't the only reason.
In every story, the protagonist was someone unbreakable.
A person who would fall, fail, and bleed—but always stand back up.
Hachiman was exactly that kind of person.
If given access to supernatural power, who could say what heights he might reach?
More importantly, Hachiman was someone Akira could trust completely—a comrade he could entrust his back to.
He might speak cruelly, but his actions were always kind.
He was the type to hurt himself just to protect others.
And to Akira, that kind of person… was the perfect partner to fight beside him.
"Do as you wish," Yukino finally said, breaking the silence. "It's your inheritance. You have every right to decide who receives it."
Akira smiled faintly. "Thank you, Yukino."
She gave a small nod in return. There was nothing more to say.
The following days passed quietly.
Since the deaths of Daki and Gyutaro, no further demon activity had been detected in the Chiba region. Even when Akira went searching through nearby cities, he found nothing—no traces, no aura, nothing.
He couldn't tell whether this calm was genuine peace… or merely the silence before the storm.
Perhaps Muzan Kibutsuji, the eternal coward, was already plotting his next move from the shadows.
But for now, there was only one thing to do—grow stronger.
Meanwhile, the Yukinoshita family had suddenly become the talk of the city.
The police, who had been investigating the disappearances for four straight days, had achieved no results. Their special task force had hit a dead end.
Yet on the fourth night, the heirs of the Yukinoshita family—Akira and Haruno—had not only uncovered the culprit's hideout but also rescued a missing girl.
Four others remained unaccounted for, but saving even one life was enough to stir public admiration.
The family's PR team immediately seized the opportunity.
The story spread like wildfire across Chiba.
It was further amplified by an official statement from Busujima Munemasa, the legendary swordsman of the Busujima clan, who publicly declared Yukinoshita Akira to be a once-in-a-century prodigy—
a boy whose mastery of the sword surpassed that of grown men who'd trained their entire lives.
In an instant, Akira's name became known throughout Chiba.
Even Haruno, the ever-popular Yukinoshita heiress, found herself momentarily overshadowed by her own fiancé.
The Yukinoshita family didn't waste the momentum.
They launched a narrative—one that painted them as benevolent elites who cared deeply for the people under their employment.
"Even an ordinary maid," they proclaimed, "will never be abandoned by Yukinoshita Group. We protect all who serve us."
For the public, it was an inspiring message.
And across Chiba, the Yukinoshita name shone brighter than ever.
Talented people began flocking to their companies, drawn by the image of compassion and heroism.
But Akira knew better.
To him, it was nothing but another face of capitalism—a game of influence and control.
He could destroy demons with a blade, or save lives with his power.
Yet men like these—corporate kings, bound by greed—could move the world with a single word.
And in some ways… they were far more terrifying than any demon he had ever faced.
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