Recently, Asagami Fujino met a strange person.
And it happened at a deeply awkward—almost humiliating—moment.
That day, she was walking home like usual. Because of her body, and because of her relationships with other people, her heart had already been worn down to exhaustion—so much so that, at times, she'd even wanted to end her own life.
And because she was alone, she was unlucky.
On the way home, she ran into bad people.
Just as she was about to be assaulted by a group of thugs, in that alley—an alley where no one else should've been—
someone "happened" to pass by.
A… strange—
boy.
In her eyes, the black-haired boy wore ordinary modern casual clothes. If you saw him on the street, you'd probably assume he was just a high school student from somewhere nearby.
But even though his outfit was common, the boy himself wasn't.
He had a handsome face, yes—
but his eyes held something that didn't match his age at all.
Composure.
Or rather…
coldness.
He looked only a little older than her, yet he carried the unsettling feeling of someone who'd already been through far too much.
Even street thugs should've been able to sense that—his aura screamed "trouble."
But when cowards gather into a group, they always develop a kind of stupid courage.
So the thugs didn't back down.
They rushed him.
And then something shocking happened.
Faced with their encirclement, the boy didn't waste words.
He didn't struggle.
He didn't get mobbed.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out something that should never have existed in a place like that—
a revolver.
And then, as if it meant nothing at all, he squeezed the trigger at the thugs.
The scene looked like something out of a yakuza movie.
Against a handgun, those swaggering punks had no ability to resist.
In under half a minute, every one of them was down on the ground—life and death unclear.
And even after finishing them—
the black-haired boy's expression didn't change.
As if he'd done nothing more than kick away some trash.
That unreal scene burned itself into Fujino's eyes.
Was he here to save me?
That was what she thought, in that moment.
Just earlier, she'd been praying for a miracle—praying that someone, anyone, would appear in time to save her.
But she wasn't a child anymore.
She knew miracles weren't real.
And, deep down, she truly believed someone like her didn't even have the right to be saved.
But since she was saved, she had to thank him.
Yet when she tried—
she realized the boy hadn't once truly looked at her.
He silently kicked the unconscious thugs aside like garbage, turned around, and walked away without a word.
Leaving Fujino standing there alone, dazed—unable to say anything.
As if beating up thugs didn't require a reason.
As if he didn't need her gratitude.
As if he didn't want repayment.
That threw Fujino into confusion.
She imagined possibilities:
Maybe he was the classic cold-faced, warm-hearted good person—awkwardly telling a girl not to walk home alone.
Or maybe he wasn't good at all—maybe he saved her only because he wanted her for himself.
But even that… would've been better, somehow.
At least better than those disgusting thugs.
But she never imagined this ending.
Being ignored.
Not even worth a glance.
"W-wait… wait a second! Please wait!"
She didn't know what psychology drove her—only that, once she was safe, she still called out and chased after him.
"…Hm?"
Ritsuka turned his head slightly and looked at her once—quietly.
He didn't chase her away.
But his eyes clearly said:
Say what you need to say. Quickly.
"Um… please… take me with you!"
Fujino's thoughts were a mess. She didn't know what she should say.
And in the end, she shouted the thing she most wanted.
"…Hah?"
Ritsuka froze in place for a beat.
He didn't speak, but in his eyes Fujino saw confusion—genuine incomprehension.
Clearly, even he was stunned by what she'd just said.
He stared at her with suspicion, thinking:
Was she so scared she started hallucinating?
"Um… I…"
Fujino couldn't explain it.
She didn't even understand why she'd said it.
Because just moments ago, she'd screamed for help over and over with no response.
Years of repressed pain had surged up all at once.
In that suffocating despair, she'd been ready to accept her fate—ready to twist, to fall, to end her life—
and then, at the very edge of the abyss…
this strange person had yanked her back.
In all her years, she'd never experienced anything like today.
So no matter what, she wanted to talk to him.
Even once.
"I want… with you…"
"I don't care what you want," Ritsuka cut in flatly. "I have no obligation to 'teach' a girl who's willing to fall into the gutter. I only saved you because they were blocking my way. Now go home."
His tone was cold, even condescending—like an older person scolding a child.
And it sounded like he'd recognized something about her.
When she heard the words—
"Willing to fall… you…"
Fujino's eyes widened.
Was that a casual insult?
Or did he…
"Y-you know, don't you?! You have to know!"
"Even if I do, so what?"
"It has nothing to do with me. But I'll still give you one piece of advice: don't treat strangers as your savior. You're not the only one living in hell. I have other things to do. I don't have time for your problems. So stop bothering me."
His voice turned harsher.
But hidden in those harsh words was a fact he never denied—
He knew her.
He knew Asagami Fujino.
And he knew the truth of her "twisted" nature.
That made Fujino freeze.
Savior.
Yes.
No matter how she looked at it, he was her savior.
Her life should've flowed toward a different ending—
and now that "ending" had been forcibly changed.
Maybe that was why she couldn't help chasing him.
Because after tasting rescue even once…
she didn't know how to keep living in this miserable world.
"No matter what, please take me with you!"
"I'm begging you—change my fate!"
"…Change fate?"
The boy stopped.
For a moment Fujino thought he'd relented—
but then he glanced toward the mouth of the street.
In the distance, faint police sirens—beep-beep—were already approaching, drawn by the gunshots.
To avoid trouble, he turned sharply and left in another direction without looking back.
And Fujino followed like a stubborn little tail.
As she walked, she repeated the same words again and again.
Which made Ritsuka realize—
he'd picked up a real nuisance.
"Leaving 'fate' in the hands of someone you met for less than a few minutes… you'd be better off thinking about how to crawl out of hell yourself. Magic and miracles are never free. I helped you because they blocked my path. That's all."
He led her through several turns—left and right—moving like he was searching for something.
Eventually, Fujino followed him into a dead-end alley where an old wooden house stood—so neglected it looked abandoned.
It seemed this was where he wanted to go.
"So stop bothering me."
Ritsuka stepped forward, coldly, sensing what he was looking for was here.
"Please wait!!"
Fujino suddenly wrapped both arms around his waist and pressed her forehead against his back, refusing to let him leave.
"No. I have to talk to you. I have to follow you. If I do, maybe I can…"
No logic—maybe only instinct.
But the moment she met him, the moment he saved her, she felt a premonition.
That this strange boy might truly be able to…
"Don't force strangers to carry your life!" Ritsuka snapped, frowning. "I'm starting to regret saving you. Don't repay kindness with harm, okay, little girl?"
He showed no gentleness.
He reached back, grabbed her arm, and used a force most people couldn't endure—trying to pry her off with pain.
But even as he increased strength—
even as her arm should have swollen, should've hurt—
Fujino's expression didn't change.
She kept clinging to him, refusing to let go.
Ritsuka's face stiffened.
He remembered something about her.
"Damn it… congenital analgesia."
No pain.
Then the two of them just stared each other down.
"What do you want?" Ritsuka said through a twitching mouth. "Do you really think I'm some kind of saint? Don't forget what happened to those thugs."
"Keep bothering me…"
"I'll blow your head off."
To scare this stubborn, unresponsive girl, he pulled out the gun and pressed the black muzzle directly against her forehead.
Fujino swallowed hard.
And then, as if she'd already thrown everything away—
"Do it, then! My life's already been ruined! You saved me just now anyway! If you want to do something—then do it!"
Ritsuka's eyes widened, and he finally exploded:
"As a girl, can you stop being so reckless?!"
"You think I want to be like this?! You're the one who won't listen when people speak seriously!"
"How are those even related?! You're unbelievable!"
"Ha—what an interesting scene," an old voice laughed lightly. "To think even I would get to witness something like this… what a curious experience."
Right as they were bickering in the alley like children—
At the end of the alley, the rotten wooden door of that old house slowly opened from inside.
A heavy, elderly voice drifted out.
"…"
"…"
Ritsuka and Fujino shut up at the same time and turned their heads.
In front of the shabby wooden hut stood a slightly plump old woman, watching them with amusement.
Then she raised her head and greeted them.
"If you came to find this old woman, then don't stand outside arguing."
"Come in, the last Master of humanity…"
"…and you as well, the lucky little one."
Ritsuka's eyes narrowed.
He looked at the girl who still refused to leave his side, then sighed in resignation.
"…Fine. Come in with me."
"Since you're not ordinary either."
"Seeing what's inside might help you too."
He had found his target—no time to keep arguing with this "tail."
Better to bring her in than let her keep disrupting him outside.
"O… okay."
Still confused, Fujino followed.
Together, they followed the Mother of Kanbuki City into that mysterious little house.
(An illustration followed.)
Author's note (kept, translated):
"Cold mouth, upright heart, Gudao."
"No matter when or where, Ritsuka will be gentle and just."
"That's his shine."
"He only does what's right."
"With your own power—stir the whole world up properly, Ritsuka!"
Join here to read ahead.
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