The news broke before sunrise.
Images of scorched trees, shattered stones, and a faint, eerie glow leaking from the Akiruno woods spread across every screen in Tokyo. No faces were visible, but authorities swarmed the area before the sun had fully risen. Reporters spoke in hushed tones of an "unexplained incident. " Social media exploded with speculation: a terrorist attack, an illegal ritual, a supernatural event.
For the first time since the monsters appeared, the world was watching.
Kazuki, Aoi, and Haruki gathered in the back room of the flower shop, tension thrumming in the air. The events of the previous night played on repeat in their minds — the trial by midnight, the pact they'd forged, the weight of the runes heavy in their pockets.
Haruki paced, unable to sit still. "It's everywhere. Police, journalists, even some government agency — they're calling it an 'anomalous event. ' Someone must've seen the fight. "
Kazuki leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His wounds throbbed, but his mind was sharper than ever. "We knew it couldn't stay hidden forever. "
Aoi sat on the sofa, pale but determined. "If they start asking questions…"
Haruki cut in, "They already are. Some guy in a suit came by the shrine this morning. He asked about 'unusual activity' and left his card with the priest. "
Kazuki's hand tightened. The runa pulsed beneath his skin, responding to his unease. He could feel the darkness watching, waiting. Not just for monsters — but for threats wearing human faces.
A faint knock sounded at the door. All three stiffened.
A woman stepped inside. She was tall, elegant, dressed in a crisp black suit. Her eyes, sharp and unreadable, swept over them with a hint of amusement.
"Good morning. My name is Rei Nakamura. I represent the Office of Special Affairs. " She paused, letting the title settle. "I'd like to speak with you about what happened last night. "
Kazuki met her gaze, searching for any sign of malice. "We're just students. We don't know anything. "
Rei smiled — not kindly, not cruelly. "I know who you are, Kazuki. I know what you are. And I know that you — all of you — have just stepped onto a stage far bigger than you imagine. "
Aoi's hand reached for Kazuki's. Haruki moved slightly in front of them, protective.
Rei leaned in, lowering her voice. "Whatever you think you're fighting, you're not alone. There are others — other powers, other pacts. And not all of them want to protect this world. "
She handed Kazuki a business card, embossed with an unfamiliar sigil.
"If you want answers — or if you want to stay alive — you'll call me. "
She turned to leave, but paused at the door. "One last thing: be careful who you trust. Not all monsters wear fangs. "
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the three friends in stunned silence.
Outside, police sirens wailed. Helicopters thundered overhead.
The world was coming for them.
And the darkness inside Kazuki was stirring, hungrier than ever.
The hours after Rei Nakamura's visit dragged on in a haze of tension and whispered speculation. The flower shop felt more like a bunker than a sanctuary; its windows shut, its doors locked, its inhabitants living between worlds. The only sound was the distant wail of sirens and the hum of helicopters, circling above the city like vultures.
Kazuki turned Rei's card over in his hand again and again, feeling the weight of the decision it represented. The sigil seemed to shimmer when he held it close, as if it pulsed with an energy all its own.
Haruki peered through the blinds, restless. "We can't just sit here. If they're really watching us, hiding is pointless. "
Aoi pressed her palms together, voice trembling with anxiety and resolve. "But if we trust her, we could be walking right into a trap. What if she's just another hunter, or worse — working for something that wants to use us? "
Kazuki's gaze hardened. "She knows about the runa. She knew my name. This isn't just some government spook. "
He felt the darkness stirring beneath his skin, reacting to his agitation. It wanted out — wanted to protect, or maybe to destroy. He clenched his fist, pushing the urge down.
"We can't trust her blindly, " he continued. "But we can't ignore her, either. The world is closing in. Sooner or later, someone will figure out what really happened. "
A tense silence followed. Haruki finally broke it, straightening with a determined look. "If we're a pact, we decide together. No secrets. "
Aoi nodded. "We stay together. No matter what. "
Kazuki looked at them, feeling a surge of gratitude — and guilt. He wanted to protect them from everything, even himself. But he knew that choice had been taken away the moment the runa chose him.
He took a breath, steadying himself. "We'll meet with her. But on our terms. Somewhere public. Somewhere safe. "
Haruki smirked. "You mean, as safe as anywhere is for us now? "
Aoi managed a shaky laugh.
Kazuki set the card on the table, tracing the sigil one last time.
"Tonight, " he said. "We do this tonight. "
Outside, the city's chaos felt both closer and farther than ever — a tide pressing at their door, demanding a decision. And in the deep, quiet corners of his soul, Kazuki felt the runa watching, waiting, ready to bare its unseen teeth at the first sign of betrayal.
They met Rei Nakamura beneath the neon haze of a busy train station, where thousands of lives moved past in a rush of footsteps and city noise. It was a place carefully chosen — public, impossible for a trap, but still charged with unspoken tension.
Rei stood near a row of vending machines, her black suit immaculate, her expression unreadable. She glanced at Kazuki, Aoi, and Haruki as they approached, reading the dynamic between them in a single sweep.
"Thank you for coming, " she said, her voice as smooth as polished steel. "Let's walk. "
They moved together through the crowd, weaving between commuters. Rei spoke without looking at them, her words veiled in formality.
"You have power, Kazuki. Power that's being hunted — by things you don't yet understand. The Office of Special Affairs is not the only organization that knows about the runa, or about what happened in Akiruno last night. "
Aoi tensed. "What do you want from us? "
Rei's lips twitched — a half-smile, not quite friendly. "Protection, to start with. And information. We're not the enemy. We're one line of defense between this city and whatever else is coming. "
Haruki kept his hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed. "And if we say no? "
"Then I wish you luck. " Rei stopped near the exit. "But others won't. Some of them would rather cut out a threat than try to understand it. "
Kazuki's runa burned, reacting to the web of lies and half-truths. He saw flashes of other faces in the crowd — agents, watchers, strangers who lingered too long.
He swallowed. "Why us? "
Rei met his eyes. "Because the world is shifting. Pacts like yours are rare, and getting rarer. Some people think you're the answer. Others think you're the next disaster. Both sides are watching. "
Aoi stepped forward, chin high. "We're not weapons. We make our own choices. "
Rei nodded. "Good. Then make the right ones. Stay alert. And remember — monsters wear many masks. "
She handed Kazuki a folder, thick with files and photographs. "You'll want to see what's really out there. "
With that, Rei disappeared into the crowd, her warning echoing in their ears.
Haruki exhaled, tension draining from his shoulders. "That… could've gone worse. "
Kazuki stared at the folder, his mind swirling with new dangers. He glanced at Aoi and Haruki, feeling the burden of leadership settle onto his shoulders.
"We have to trust each other, " he said quietly. "No matter what's in here. "
Aoi squeezed his hand. Haruki nodded, finally smiling.
They stepped back into the city, the world larger — and more dangerous — than ever.
The apartment above the flower shop was shrouded in quiet as Kazuki, Aoi, and Haruki sat around the battered table, the folder from Rei Nakamura lying open between them. Papers spilled out across the surface — surveillance photos, newspaper clippings, reports written in dense, official jargon. Some of the images were disturbing: faces warped by monstrous transformations, burned-out city blocks, a map peppered with red X's marking "incident zones. "
Aoi picked up a photograph, her hand trembling. It showed a group of students — their faces eerily familiar, their eyes shadowed by something inhuman. "These are… like us? " she whispered.
Haruki leaned closer, reading the report over her shoulder. "Other pacts. Teams formed around the world — some protected, others hunted. Most didn't last long. "
Kazuki's jaw tightened. "Because they fought the monsters? "
Haruki shook his head. "Because they started fighting each other. "
Silence fell.
Kazuki felt the runa pulse within him — not with pain, but a restless hunger. He looked at the map, seeing lines drawn across borders, names of cities blacked out, reports of "containment failures. " Something cold slithered down his spine.
Aoi's voice was soft. "Is this our future? "
Kazuki stared at the folder, anger flaring. "No. We're different. "
Haruki snorted. "How do you know? One bad decision, one slip — we could end up just like them. "
A sharp edge crept into his words. Kazuki caught it, the runa inside him responding to the tension. It wanted to push back — to silence doubt, to impose his will. He flexed his fingers, trying to steady himself.
"We're not like them, " he said quietly, but the words rang hollow.
Aoi reached across the table, touching his hand. "We decide who we are. Every day. No folder, no prophecy changes that. "
Kazuki met her eyes, searching for belief — and found it.
Haruki stood abruptly, frustration written across his face. "You two keep saying that, but what if you're wrong? What if we already crossed a line? "
He stormed to the window, throwing it open to the noise of the city below.
Kazuki's darkness surged, a flash of resentment, a desire to make Haruki understand — to force calm, if not peace.
He caught himself, horrified by the urge.
Not like this. Never like this.
Aoi squeezed his hand tighter, grounding him.
Haruki turned back, breathing hard. "Sorry. I just… I don't want to lose what we have. I don't want to become the thing we're fighting. "
Kazuki exhaled slowly. "Neither do I. "
The three sat in uneasy silence, the faultlines between them drawn but not yet broken.
Outside, sirens wailed, a distant reminder that their greatest threats might not all come from the dark.
The city's heartbeat thudded through the walls of the flower shop, restless and uneasy. News of the "Akiruno anomaly" had brought outsiders to the district — agents in black suits, hunters, and, more troubling still, others with power burning behind their eyes.
Kazuki felt the change the moment he stepped outside. The air tingled with tension, the runa humming in warning. He walked with Aoi and Haruki at his side, their pact stones tucked close. Every shadow seemed to watch, every whisper a threat.
Near the river, under the glare of neon, a group waited. Five figures — teenagers, barely older than Kazuki, but marked by something colder than experience. Their leader stepped forward, a boy with silver hair and a scar slicing across his cheek. The runa burned on his forearm, dark and jagged.
"So you're the Akiruno pact, " he sneered. "Cute. You're drawing a lot of attention. Some of us prefer to keep things quiet. "
Haruki tensed, fists clenched. "We're not looking for trouble. "
"Too late, " the silver-haired boy replied. His team spread out, blocking escape.
Aoi moved closer to Kazuki, her voice low. "What do they want? "
Kazuki's darkness surged, hungry, as if recognizing its own kind. He kept it in check, barely. "To test us. Or to break us. "
The leader's eyes narrowed. "You're not like us — not yet. But you will be. Sooner or later, you'll have to choose. Surrender to the night, or get swallowed by it. "
Kazuki stepped forward, the pact stone glowing in his palm. "We decide who we are. "
The confrontation exploded — shadows and light crashing across the riverbank. The rival pact wielded their powers with savage grace: one bent the air, another summoned razor-sharp shadows, a girl twisted illusions into the night.
Kazuki fought back, not for dominance, but for control — of himself, his power, his team. Aoi's stone glimmered, her courage anchoring him. Haruki moved like a blur, protecting their flanks.
Blow after blow, the world shrank to survival. The runa inside Kazuki tempted him to unleash all its wrath, to end the fight in darkness — but Aoi's voice cut through the chaos.
"Kazuki, don't lose yourself! "
He heard her. He listened. Instead of surrendering, he let his team's will flow through him, channeling the pact's strength into a shield rather than a weapon.
The rival pact faltered, taken aback by their unity.
The silver-haired leader spat blood, eyes blazing. "You think you're different? That's what they all said. "
He turned, signaling retreat. The other pact melted into the shadows, leaving the trio bruised, breathless, but unbeaten.
Aoi reached for Kazuki's hand, grounding him.
Haruki stared at the empty street, haunted. "How many more like them are out there? "
Kazuki didn't answer.
He only knew this was just the beginning.
After the fight, the city felt emptier — as if the shadows themselves retreated, licking their wounds. Kazuki, Aoi, and Haruki returned to the flower shop in silence, each carrying new bruises and heavier thoughts.
They gathered in the small upstairs room, the only light a thin line from the street below. No one spoke at first. The adrenaline faded, replaced by exhaustion and something harder to name.
Haruki broke the silence, rubbing his jaw. "They were just kids. Like us. Only… colder. Like they'd given up on being anything but monsters. "
Aoi hugged her knees to her chest, voice small but steady. "We almost lost ourselves out there. I saw it in your eyes, Kazuki. You wanted to finish it — no matter the cost. "
Kazuki didn't deny it. He stared at his hands, knuckles raw and bleeding. "The runa wants more. Every time I use it, it gets harder to hold back. I could have ended them. I wanted to. "
Haruki looked away. "So what's stopping you? What stops us from becoming just another threat the world has to fear? "
A long silence. Then Aoi spoke, her words shaking but clear. "We do. We stop ourselves. We decide who we are — not the runa, not the darkness, not fear. "
Kazuki nodded slowly. "That's what makes us different. Not just our power, but how we choose to use it — and when we choose not to. "
Haruki sighed. "If we keep drawing lines, sooner or later someone's going to force us to cross them. "
"Then we draw them again, " Kazuki said. "And again. As many times as it takes. "
Aoi smiled, faint but real. "That's what makes us a pact. "
They sat in the hush, the city's noise drifting in from below — police sirens, distant shouting, the world unaware of the battle fought in its shadows.
Aoi reached for both their hands, linking them together. "Let's promise, right here, right now. No matter how dark it gets, we'll remind each other who we are. "
Haruki squeezed her hand, meeting Kazuki's gaze. "Deal. "
Kazuki felt something shift inside him. The runa pulsed — not with hunger, but with quiet, steady warmth. For the first time, he didn't feel alone in the fight against himself.
Together, they were more than their fear.
They were a family — chosen, battered, and unbroken.
It began with screams.
Kazuki was restocking vases in the shop when the sirens shattered the early afternoon calm. A moment later, Haruki burst through the back door, breathless and pale.
"There's a report on the radio—downtown, a monster attack. And… it's not just a monster. There's another pact there. They're not helping. "
Aoi was already on her feet, grabbing her stone and jacket. "Let's go. "
They sprinted through crowded streets, weaving between panicked civilians. The scene downtown was chaos — shattered glass, cars overturned, people running from a hulking beast made of flesh and shifting shadows. But what chilled Kazuki most were the three figures standing at a distance, watching the carnage with cold interest. Another pact.
"Stay back! " Kazuki shouted to the crowd, his runa flaring as he moved between the creature and the fleeing people.
Aoi stood at his side, her power shimmering, eyes fierce with determination. Haruki moved to flank them, scanning for threats.
The other pact made no move to help. Their leader — a girl with crimson hair and eyes like polished ice — smirked, folding her arms. "Let's see what the heroes do. "
Kazuki gritted his teeth. He wanted to confront her, but the monster charged, scattering civilians.
He acted on instinct — shadow and light swirling, forming a shield. The beast crashed against it, snarling, but Kazuki held his ground.
Aoi darted into the chaos, reaching a mother and her child trapped beneath a wrecked sign. "Take my hand! " she called. The runa's energy wrapped around her, gentle but strong, as she lifted the debris.
Haruki engaged the beast from the side, drawing its attention, shouting, "Kazuki, now! "
Kazuki focused, letting the pact's bond flow between them. Together, they created an opening. Aoi pulled the last civilians to safety. Kazuki unleashed a burst of darkness, slicing through the monster's core — not to kill, but to drive it away from the people.
The beast reeled, then turned on the other pact, roaring in fury.
Their leader shrugged, stepped forward, and — with a cold, effortless gesture — unleashed a torrent of fire that obliterated the creature.
The air filled with silence and smoke.
The crowd stared at Kazuki and his friends with awe and fear.
The crimson-haired girl smirked, stepping close. "You play at being heroes. But sometimes, monsters are the only thing people understand. "
Kazuki met her gaze, defiant. "We protect. No matter what it costs. "
She held his stare for a long moment, then smiled — not kindly. "We'll see how long that lasts. "
With a flick of her hand, she and her pact vanished into the crowd.
Kazuki turned to his friends. "Did we do enough? "
Aoi squeezed his arm. "We did what was right. That has to matter. "
Haruki looked out at the shaken people — and the approaching police. "But will it be enough when the world is afraid of us, too? "
Kazuki didn't have an answer.
He only knew that today, they'd kept their promise — and drawn their line in the sand for everyone to see.
The aftermath was a blur of flashing lights and camera flashes. Police cordoned off the area, medics tended the wounded, and news crews shoved microphones at anyone who would talk. Kazuki, Aoi, and Haruki stood at the edge of the chaos, watching as the world tried to make sense of what it had seen.
Aoi's hand trembled as she wiped blood from her cheek. "They're not looking at us like heroes, " she murmured. "They're scared. "
Haruki kept his head down, voice grim. "The city's going to want answers. And someone to blame. "
Kazuki glanced over his shoulder. The crimson-haired pact was gone, melted into the crowd. But their words lingered: Sometimes, monsters are the only thing people understand.
A police officer approached. "We'll need statements. All of you. "
Kazuki nodded, stepping forward to shield Aoi and Haruki. "We'll cooperate. "
Their statements were short, careful — just enough truth to avoid suspicion, not enough to reveal everything. As the questioning ended, Rei Nakamura appeared, flanked by agents in dark suits.
She pulled Kazuki aside, her tone low and urgent. "You did well. But the world saw more than you think. There's talk in the Diet — special sessions, new laws. People are afraid. The line between monster and protector is thinner than ever. "
Kazuki bristled. "We saved lives. "
Rei nodded. "And the wrong person will spin that any way they want. Public opinion is a weapon — and someone will turn it on you if you're not careful. "
Aoi and Haruki joined them, tense and watchful.
Rei handed Kazuki a thin file. "Inside are names. Journalists, politicians, other pacts — people who want to help, and those who want you gone. Learn the difference, fast. "
Haruki frowned. "Are we being hunted? "
Rei met his gaze. "You're being watched. Every move. Every mistake. "
Aoi drew Kazuki aside, her eyes wide with fear and resolve. "We can't just fight monsters anymore. We have to fight for our place in this world. "
Kazuki nodded, feeling the weight settle on his shoulders. "Then we fight. Not just for ourselves — for everyone who's afraid. "
As the crowd dispersed, their faces faded into the night — but the echoes of fear, awe, and suspicion remained.
Far above, in a dark office, a politician watched footage of the battle, his expression cold. He turned to an aide. "Prepare the draft. We can't wait for another disaster. It's time to remind these 'heroes' who makes the rules. "
The city was restless. By morning, rumors about the "heroes" of Akiruno had spread like wildfire. Headlines blared: "Monsters Among Us? " and "Who Will Protect Us From the Protectors? " Talk shows debated the footage, replaying Kazuki's shield of darkness and Aoi's impossible strength. Faces were blurred, but there was no hiding the fear in the crowd — or the hunger in the politicians' eyes.
Inside the flower shop, tension coiled tight. Kazuki watched news coverage on a cracked phone, his face a mask of exhaustion. Haruki paced the floor, biting at a thumbnail, while Aoi sat at the table, clutching her pact stone so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Haruki broke the silence first. "They're going to try to turn us against each other. You heard that official — 'We need to register all supernatural abilities. For public safety. '"
Kazuki looked up, anger sparking. "It's not about safety. It's about control. "
Aoi's voice was barely a whisper. "They're scared of us. Even the people we saved. "
A message arrived on Kazuki's phone — anonymous, untraceable:
"Leave the city. Split up. You'll only bring more danger if you stay together. "
He showed the message to the others. Haruki cursed under his breath. "They're trying to break us. Make us run. Alone, we're easier to hunt. "
Aoi's eyes brimmed with tears, but her jaw was set. "We promised. No matter how dark it gets, we remind each other who we are. "
But doubt crept in, sharp as a blade. The news kept repeating: three young people at the center of chaos. Neighbors whispered. People crossed the street to avoid them. Even the flower shop's oldest customers stopped coming.
Kazuki felt the runa's hunger — not just for battle, but for belonging. For safety. For home.
He looked at Aoi and Haruki. "We can run. We can fight. Or… we can try to show them we're more than their fears. "
Haruki shook his head, hopeless. "How? They don't want heroes. They want scapegoats. "
Aoi wiped her eyes. "Then we become something they can't ignore. Not monsters. Not martyrs. Just… real. "
Another message flashed on the screen:
"You have one day to leave. After that, you're fair game. "
The city was closing in.
Kazuki knew their pact was strong. But every pact, no matter how deep, had breaking points.
And someone out there was determined to find theirs.
Night had fallen again, but the city no longer felt like the place they'd once known. Even the shadows seemed thinner, stretched taut with watching eyes. On the rooftop of Kazuki's apartment — above the flower shop, above the whispered rumors and cameras — three figures stood under the stars.
Kazuki leaned against the railing, staring out at the distant skyline. "They'll come soon, " he said. "Probably with drones, maybe soldiers. Not to talk. To take. "
Aoi stepped beside him. "We can't win if we're scattered. "
Haruki's voice came from behind. "But staying means war. "
Silence settled between them.
Kazuki finally turned. "Then maybe it's time we stop pretending we're just kids with powers. We're something else now. Something this world hasn't seen in a thousand years. "
He looked to Aoi. "You saw me for who I was. When I thought you'd run… you stayed. "
She smiled faintly. "Because I wasn't looking at the monster. I was looking at you. "
Kazuki nodded, heart pounding. "I'm done hiding. Let them come. "
Haruki took a step forward. "Then we make a stand? "
Kazuki extended his hand. "Not as soldiers. As what we've always been — just people trying to protect something good. "
One by one, they laid their hands together.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from beyond the skyline. A burst of orange lit the horizon — not a sunset. An explosion.
Aoi gasped. "That was near the south sector. "
A new alert buzzed on Haruki's device:
"Level Four Anomaly Detected – Entity Class: Nightmare. Civilians in danger. "
Kazuki didn't hesitate. "Then that's where we go. "
The group turned, no longer fugitives, no longer high schoolers.
In that moment, they weren't hunted.
They were hunters.
And the world — ready or not — was about to learn their names.