The street was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Not peaceful.
Not safe.
Just—
Empty.
The kind of silence that made your instincts scream.
Far in the distance, faint echoes of movement still lingered.The Night Parade hadn't stopped.
It was still out there.
Still moving.
Still hunting.
But for now—
This street had been spared.
For now.
Maru leaned heavily against the cracked wall of an abandoned building, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
"…That was a disaster."
Her voice was low.
Tired.
Still shaking slightly.
Daichi wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hand trembling just a little.
"You're telling me."
His usual casual tone was gone.
Replaced by something much more real.
A few minutes earlier—
They had tried to fight.
Just one.
One of the smaller yokai wandering near the street.
It didn't look that dangerous.
Not at first.
But the moment it moved—
Everything went wrong.
Its speed was unnatural.
Its body twisted in ways that didn't make sense.
Its attacks didn't follow rhythm.
Didn't follow logic.
Every time they thought they understood it—
It changed.
Adjusted.
Reacted.
They didn't defeat it.
They didn't even come close.
They barely escaped.
Daichi kicked a loose rock across the road.
It skidded loudly across the empty street before hitting a wall.
"Damn it."
Maru slowly slid down onto a broken stair nearby, sitting with her elbows resting on her knees.
"We almost got killed."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Because they weren't exaggerating.
They had felt it.
That moment.
That instant where things could have ended.
Hikari adjusted her glasses, but her hands weren't steady.
"…That was supposed to be one of the weaker ones."
Silence followed.
Not because they didn't have anything to say—
But because they all understood.
At the same time.
If that…
was weak—
Then what exactly was waiting for them out there?
Stronger ones.
Faster ones.
Smarter ones.
Things they couldn't even imagine yet.
Maru let out a slow breath and pressed her fingers against her forehead.
Thinking.
Forcing herself to think.
Then—
She asked it.
The question all of them were avoiding.
"If we can't even beat a weak monster…"
Her voice dropped slightly.
"…how are we supposed to get stronger?"
No one answered.
Because no one had an answer.
Not a real one.
Not one that could guarantee survival.
Instead—
Almost instinctively—
All three of them turned.
Their gazes locking onto the same person.
Rishiro.
He stood a few steps away from them, leaning casually against the wall.
Like nothing had happened.
Like none of this bothered him.
His posture was relaxed.
Too relaxed.
His expression—
Almost bored.
For a moment—
He said nothing.
Just watched them.
Observed.
Then—
Slowly—
A small smile appeared on his face.
But this one was different.
Not the playful, joking smile they were used to.
Not the one that brushed things off.
This one—
Was sharp.
Quiet.
Dangerous.
He straightened slightly.
Then cracked his knuckles.
The sound echoed softly in the empty street.
"Don't worry."
The three of them stared at him.
Something about his tone—
Felt different.
Rishiro looked at them calmly.
Like he had already decided something.
"I'll train you."
Silence.
Complete.
Immediate.
Maru frowned instantly.
Her reaction was almost automatic.
Her instincts kicked in before logic could even process the words.
She slowly narrowed her eyes.
"…I'm not getting a good feeling about this."
Daichi blinked a few times, trying to make sure he heard that correctly.
"Wait."
He pointed slightly at Rishiro.
"You're serious?"
Hikari looked between them, uncertainty clear in her expression.
"…What kind of training?"
That question—
That simple question—
Hung in the air.
And for the first time—
Rishiro's smile widened.
Not a lot.
Just enough.
But something about it—
Felt wrong.
Not evil.
Not cruel.
But…
Unsettling.
Like he knew something they didn't.
Like he had already imagined what was coming next.
And it wasn't going to be easy.
Not even close.
A cold breeze passed through the street.
Somewhere far away—
A distant scream echoed again.
The night wasn't over.
Not even halfway.
And now—
They weren't just trying to survive it.
They were about to face it.
Head-on.
Rishiro pushed himself off the wall slowly.
His eyes glinted faintly in the darkness.
"…Let's start with something simple."
A small pause.
Then—
"We go back out there."
Maru's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're joking."
Rishiro didn't answer.
Daichi let out a nervous laugh.
"…Right?"
Hikari's grip tightened slightly around her bag.
"…We barely survived last time."
Rishiro finally spoke again.
Calm.
Certain.
"That's exactly why."
He glanced toward the dark street ahead.
Where shadows still moved.
Where danger still waited.
"Because right now…"
His voice dropped slightly.
"You're not strong enough."
Silence fell again.
But this time—
It wasn't fear.
It was realization.
This wasn't optional.
This wasn't a discussion.
This—
Was the beginning.
And somewhere deep inside Rishiro's mind—
That faint, glitching presence stirred again.
Watching.
Waiting.
Interested.
End of Chapter 13