"The rewards from these last two encounters have been pretty good."
Looking at the abilities Yotsuya Miko had granted him, Kaito Sora couldn't help but let out a pleased "tsk."
All the effort he had put into teaching her the Thunder Technique and splurging on her hadn't been in vain.
Yotsuya Miko was truly his treasure.
With one hand in his pocket and the other covering a yawn, Kaito Sora lazily walked toward a dark alley.
Inside, a shivering evil spirit cowered in fear.
Without hesitation, Kaito Sora activated his newly acquired Spirit Manipulation ability. Behind him, several portals that seemed to lead into the void opened up.
Chains shot out from the portals, wrapping around the evil spirit.
The difference in power was too great. The spirit didn't even have time to struggle before it was dragged into the void.
This kind of evil spirit, controlled by negative emotions and lacking rationality, wasn't worth enslaving. Kaito Sora simply consumed it.
Feeling a slight increase in his magical energy, Kaito Sora licked his lips.
"Better than nothing, I guess."
Boom!
A brilliant flash of lightning split the dark sky.
Then, with a loud whoosh, torrential rain began to pour down.
Kaito Sora let the rain soak him as he strolled down the street, watching people scramble for cover. As he walked, he continued to devour any spirits he encountered.
But as he walked, his right eye suddenly grew hot, forcing him to stop.
Immediately, the scene before him changed.
He found himself looking at a small sand playground, the kind often found on street corners for children to play in.
A girl with flaxen hair sat alone on a swing, her back to him. Her hands gently gripped the chains of the swing as she swayed slightly, letting the heavy rain drench her.
In this quiet, heart-wrenching scene, a man with orange hair quietly approached her from behind.
Soon, the vision faded like a receding tide.
Kaito Sora blinked, his right eye still warm, and found himself back on the empty street.
"The future?" he murmured.
"My luck is really good today."
Rain falling around him, Ryuunosuke Uryuu couldn't contain his excitement.
He had just finished his shift at the convenience store and was on his way home, scouting for potential victims, when he spotted her—a girl sitting alone on a swing in the park, drenched in the rain.
She looked like an angel.
Pure, yet lonely.
The thought of her screams, her agony as she teetered on the edge of death, filled him with a thrill that made his entire body tremble.
After observing her for a while, making sure there were no cameras or passersby, Ryuunosuke finally decided to make his move.
But just as he took a step forward...
Squelch.
A few drops of blood flew forward, mixing with the rain and disappearing into the ground.
More blood gushed from the wound in his chest, streaming down his body and pooling beneath him in the pouring rain.
Ryuunosuke looked down in shock.
Protruding from his chest was the bloodied tip of a black blade.
"Is this... what death feels like?"
Kaito Sora pulled the blade out, and Ryuunosuke's body collapsed into the puddle, sending a spray of water into the air.
With a flick of his wrist, the blade vanished into thin air. Kaito Sora stepped over the body and walked toward the girl in the park.
As his footsteps drew closer, the girl—Mahiro Shiina—looked up.
Her eyes met those of a handsome black-haired boy she didn't recognize.
"Why are you sitting here alone in the rain?" he asked.
"Do you need something?" Mahiro responded, her tone guarded.
Rain dripped from her well-maintained, silky flaxen hair, running down her flawless, milky-white skin. It traced the long lashes of her gem-like eyes, her straight nose, and her full, cherry-colored lips before disappearing into her neatly buttoned school uniform.
Kaito Sora smiled, now fully certain of her identity.
"A beautiful girl sitting alone in the rain? Any guy would come over to ask if she's okay."
"I see."
"Thank you for your concern, but I want to be here. Please don't worry about me."
Despite her guarded expression, her voice was gentle, though it carried a firmness that discouraged further questions.
Kaito Sora nodded and turned to leave.
Had he left?
Listening to the fading footsteps, Mahiro's grip on the swing tightened slightly. Her lowered eyes showed a mix of relief and the familiar pang of loneliness.
Just as she was sinking back into her thoughts, the rain above her stopped.
Had the rain ceased?
Mahiro looked up and saw a black umbrella.
Following the hand holding the umbrella, she saw the boy who had just left.
He was standing beside her, shielding her from the rain.
"I bought an umbrella. It's big enough for both of us."
Mahiro's lips parted slightly, a flicker of emotion breaking through her usual melancholy. But she quickly looked down again and whispered, "You don't have to worry about me."
"Come on, get up. You shouldn't stay here."
Mahiro didn't move.
"Thank you, but please don't bother with me."
Kaito Sora reached out and placed a hand on Mahiro's head, forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes, filled with loneliness and wariness, met his bright, cheerful smile.
"Beautiful lady, I don't think you understand."
"Right now,"
"You've been kidnapped by me."