Night settled quietly over Tokyo.
Inside the Ikaragi house, the living room lights cast a warm glow across the floor while the television hummed softly in the background.
Serena lay stretched across the couch, lazily flipping through channels.
"Why are there twenty different cooking shows at night?" she muttered.
On the screen, a cheerful chef lifted a perfectly golden omelet.
Serena narrowed her eyes.
"That's propaganda."
Across the room, Yuma sat at the dining table surrounded by papers and notes.
Alumna's training manual lay open in front of him.
He was rereading a section titled:
Geist Interaction and Behavioral Patterns
Serena glanced over the couch.
"You're still reading that?"
Yuma didn't look up.
"Yes."
"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes."
"I'm thinking."
Serena rolled onto her back dramatically.
"Thinking looks boring."
Yuma sighed.
"If I don't understand this, I won't improve."
Serena smirked.
"You survived a train full of monsters already."
"That was because Alumna was there."
"Details."
Before the argument could continue—
The lights flickered.
Both of them froze.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire house fell quiet.
Serena slowly sat up.
"…Did you see that?"
Yuma closed the book carefully.
"Yes."
The air suddenly felt colder.
A faint scratching sound echoed through the walls.
Scrrrt…
Tap.
Scrrrt…
Serena stood up.
"That's not normal house noise."
Yuma moved toward the hallway.
"Kitchen."
Serena followed.
"Obviously."
Yuma pushed the kitchen door open slowly.
Cold air rushed inside.
The window was open.
Something floated above the counter.
Serena squinted.
"…That's the monster?"
The creature hovering there was small.
But not tiny.
It was roughly the size of an entire human hand.
Its body looked like swirling mist wrapped around a faint skeletal shape. Two glowing eyes blinked curiously at them.
Serena crossed her arms.
"That's adorable."
Yuma frowned.
"…It's a poltergeist."
The creature floated closer.
Then it raised one misty arm.
"Hello."
Both of them froze.
Yuma blinked.
"…Did it just talk?"
The creature puffed out its misty chest proudly.
"Yes."
Serena crouched down slightly.
"You can talk?"
"Of course."
Yuma frowned harder.
"That shouldn't be possible."
The creature bowed politely in midair.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
It pointed to its chest.
"My name is Stud."
Serena's hand moved instantly.
SHINK.
The flash of steel was almost invisible.
Her dagger sliced through the air in a perfect arc.
The blade cut directly through the floating poltergeist.
For a brief moment—
Stud split cleanly in half.
Yuma blinked.
"…That was fast."
Serena flicked the blade casually.
"Problem solved."
But then—
The two halves of Stud dissolved into mist.
The mist swirled together again.
And the creature reformed completely.
Stud floated there like nothing had happened.
"Rude."
Serena froze.
"…You're kidding."
Stud brushed imaginary dust off his misty shoulders.
"That happens a lot."
Yuma stared.
"You regenerated."
"Yes."
Serena raised her dagger again.
Stud quickly lifted his hands.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"
Serena paused.
Stud looked nervous.
"I didn't come here to fight!"
Serena pointed the dagger at his face.
"Then why are you here?"
Stud hesitated.
Before he could answer—
The kitchen window exploded inward.
CRASH.
Glass scattered across the floor.
A massive shadow forced its way through the broken frame.
Yuma grabbed Serena and pulled her backward.
"Move!"
A huge poltergeist crawled into the kitchen.
Its body was monstrous.
Twisted limbs dragged across the floor while black mist poured from its body like smoke. Its glowing eyes burned with violent energy.
Serena's expression hardened instantly.
"…Okay that one's ugly."
The giant creature screeched.
The sound shook the cabinets.
Stud floated nervously behind them.
"…That's the problem."
Yuma glanced at him.
"You know this thing?"
Stud nodded quickly.
"Yes."
Serena narrowed her eyes.
"…Don't tell me it's your brother."
Stud shook his head violently.
"No no no no."
He pointed at the giant creature.
"That's my boss."
Silence filled the kitchen.
Serena blinked.
"…Your boss?"
Stud looked embarrassed.
"I work for him."
The giant poltergeist roared again and slammed its claw into the floor.
The wooden tiles cracked instantly.
Serena stepped forward.
"Great. Your boss broke our window."
Stud flinched.
"He does that."
Yuma clenched his fists.
"Why is he here?"
Stud lowered his voice.
"…Because he forces me to help him."
Serena paused.
"What?"
Stud pointed to the giant creature.
"He controls weaker spirits."
The boss poltergeist let out another violent screech.
Stud floated nervously between them.
"I don't want to hurt anyone."
Serena stared at him.
"You're a monster."
Stud looked offended.
"I prefer the term ethereal employee."
The giant creature lunged forward.
Yuma reacted instantly.
He stepped to the side and drove his fist into the creature's arm.
The impact pushed the monster backward slightly.
But it barely slowed down.
Serena dashed forward and slashed its leg.
Her dagger passed through the misty flesh.
The creature howled.
But it didn't fall.
Stud watched nervously.
"You see the problem."
Yuma shouted,
"Explain later!"
The boss creature slammed its claw into the counter.
Wood splintered everywhere.
Serena jumped back.
"…Okay he's annoying."
Stud floated closer to Yuma.
"I need your help."
Yuma glanced at him while dodging another attack.
"With what?!"
Stud pointed at the boss creature.
"He bound me to him."
Serena shouted,
"So quit!"
"I CAN'T!"
The boss roared again.
Stud continued quickly.
"He controls weaker spirits through a core!"
Yuma blinked.
"A core?"
Stud nodded.
"If you destroy it, he loses control over me!"
Serena smirked.
"Now that sounds fun."
The boss creature lunged again.
This time Yuma focused.
Control.
Awareness.
Just like Alumna taught him.
He watched the creature carefully.
Its chest pulsed faintly.
A dark glowing core hidden inside the swirling mist.
Yuma pointed.
"There!"
Serena grinned.
"Got it."
She launched forward like lightning.
Her dagger flashed again.
The blade struck deep into the creature's chest.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
CRACK.
A dark crystal shattered inside the monster.
The boss creature froze.
Its body began dissolving into mist.
The giant form collapsed slowly until nothing remained.
Silence returned to the kitchen.
Stud floated there.
For the first time—
His body glowed brighter.
He looked down at his hands in shock.
"…I'm free."
Serena wiped her dagger.
"You're welcome."
Stud looked at them with genuine relief.
"…Thank you."
Yuma exhaled slowly.
The broken kitchen, shattered window, and scattered glass surrounded them.
Serena looked around.
"…Melda is going to kill us."
Right on cue—
The front door opened.
Aunt Melda stepped inside.
She paused when she saw the destroyed kitchen.
Then she noticed the floating poltergeist.
Stud waved politely.
"Hello."
Melda blinked once.
"…I see."
Serena pointed immediately.
"It was his boss."
Stud nodded.
"Yes."
Melda sighed softly.
"…We will discuss this after cleaning."
Yuma groaned quietly.
Tonight had become even stranger than before.
And floating in the center of the kitchen—
Stud, the talking poltergeist, scratched his head nervously.
"…So… do I live here now?"