Morning arrived quietly.
The city looked like a completely different place after the Night Parade.
Cars were abandoned in the streets.
Shops stood open and empty.
The wind carried dust through the silent roads.
Maru rested a metal bat on her shoulder.
"…Alright."
She looked at the others.
"So this is it."
Daichi gripped the fire axe he found earlier.
"If we want to survive…"
"…we have to start fighting back."
Hikari nervously held a small knife.
"…Preferably without dying."
Rishiro walked slightly ahead of them.
The chainsaw rested lazily on his shoulder.
"Relax."
"We're starting small."
They turned into a narrow street filled with broken signs and scattered trash.
Something moved in the shadows.
A small creature crawled out from behind a car.
Its limbs were thin and twisted.
Its stomach looked swollen.
Its mouth stretched into a disturbing grin.
A gaki spirit.
Then another appeared.
And another.
Maru tightened her grip on the bat.
"…Those things look disgusting."
Rishiro glanced at them calmly.
"Good news."
"They're weak."
The gaki suddenly rushed forward.
Maru swung her bat.
CRACK.
The creature rolled across the ground.
Daichi stepped forward and slammed the axe downward.
The second one collapsed instantly.
The third one lunged toward Hikari.
She panicked and stepped back—
But Daichi grabbed the creature and threw it against the wall.
The gaki dissolved into black fragments.
For a moment—
Silence filled the street.
Maru blinked.
"…Did we just win?"
Daichi exhaled slowly.
"…I think we did."
Then something strange happened.
A faint light appeared in front of them.
A translucent message floated in the air.
Enemy Defeated
Level Increased
Belief Energy Obtained
Maru frowned.
"…Belief energy?"
Daichi scratched his head.
"What kind of system gives something called belief?"
Hikari looked toward Rishiro.
"…Do you know what it means?"
Rishiro stared at the floating message for a moment.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Belief is powerful."
The others waited.
He continued walking slowly down the street.
"For thousands of years, humans believed in monsters."
"Gods."
"Spirits."
"All kinds of strange things."
He gestured lazily toward the empty city.
"That belief didn't disappear."
Maru frowned.
"…So where did it go?"
Rishiro looked back at them.
"Nowhere."
"It just… became real."
Hikari blinked.
"You mean belief can create reality?"
Rishiro shrugged.
"If enough people believe something strongly enough…"
"…the world eventually listens."
Daichi stared at him.
"So basically…"
"…belief is power?"
Rishiro grinned.
"Welcome to mythology."
The group fell silent.
After a moment Hikari spoke again.
"…How do you know all this?"
Rishiro stopped walking.
For a moment he didn't say anything.
Then he simply turned away.
"…Lucky guess."
He didn't explain further.
Later that evening—
They returned to the abandoned house.
Maru pushed the door open.
"I'm starving."
But the moment they stepped inside—
A strange smell filled the air.
Food.
Daichi blinked.
"…Wait."
"Do you guys smell that?"
They followed the smell toward the kitchen.
And froze.
Standing beside the stove—
Nando babā.
The small yokai stirred a pot angrily.
"Tch…"
"You noisy humans are back."
Maru stared.
"…You're cooking?"
The yokai immediately snapped.
"I'm not cooking for you!"
"This is my house!"
"If I want to cook in my house, I'll cook!"
She slammed the lid onto the pot.
Daichi whispered quietly.
"…Do we live with a yokai now?"
Maru suddenly blinked.
"…Wait."
She looked at Rishiro.
"Yokai can talk?"
Nando babā turned immediately.
"Of course I can talk, you brat!"
Maru jumped.
Daichi sighed.
"…Okay."
"That's terrifying."
Hikari adjusted her glasses.
"…Actually that makes sense."
She looked toward Rishiro.
"Some yokai must be intelligent enough to communicate."
Rishiro leaned against the doorway quietly.
"Some can talk."
"The ones intelligent enough to."
Maru crossed her arms.
"So they're basically like people?"
Rishiro thought for a moment.
"…Some of them."
Maru glanced at the small yokai.
"Then what about her?"
Nando babā paused for a moment.
The room became quiet.
Rishiro looked at her briefly.
Then he looked away.
"…About her."
He paused.
"Nothing."
He didn't explain further.
The small yokai continued stirring the pot.
But this time she didn't complain.
Rishiro walked toward the table.
"Anyway."
"Let's eat."
The group slowly sat down.
Outside, the ruined city remained silent.
But inside the abandoned house—
For the first time since the Night Parade began—
Things felt strangely peaceful.
End of Chapter 15