---
After the bullies ran off, the girl Yuki had helped stared at him, breathing heavily.
"Th-thanks…" she said, brushing dust off ---
Chapter 5: Power Unleashed
Yuki walked home in a daze. The events of the day felt like a blur, and no matter how hard he tried to focus on anything else, the memories of that silver fox and the strange feeling kept bubbling to the surface.
He passed the same convenience store, the same alleyway, and the same crowd of people standing in front of it. Normally, he would've kept walking—he was a guy who stayed out of trouble—but today, something tugged at him. Something he couldn't ignore.
He froze.
Just ahead, a young girl stood alone in front of the store, her back turned. A couple of older teens were talking loudly near her, laughing as if they were enjoying some private joke.
Then, one of them shoved the girl against the wall.
"Hey, what's your problem?" Yuki shouted before he even realized what he was doing. His body was already moving, walking toward them, as if the power inside him had taken control.
The teens turned. One of them smirked. "What do you want, kid?"
Yuki's fists clenched. His heartbeat thudded louder in his ears.
"Leave her alone," he demanded, his voice colder than he intended.
The bully sneered. "What's a little shrimp like you gonna do, huh?"
Before Yuki could react, the bully swung a punch. Instinctively, Yuki ducked—too quickly. His body moved faster than his mind, almost too fast to comprehend.
The world seemed to slow as he darted behind the attacker, landing a solid blow to the bully's side. The force of it sent the guy crashing to the ground, hard. The impact echoed through the alley, but Yuki wasn't done. The rush of adrenaline surged through him, amplifying something deep within.
His hands glowed faintly.
A ripple of energy pulsed from him. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly. The air around him shimmered, vibrating with a raw, unsettling power.
The remaining bullies stepped back, eyes wide.
"What the hell was that?" one of them stammered, his voice tinged with fear.
Yuki's vision blurred, the colors around him warping strangely—his emotions taking over, pushing everything to the edge. His body surged with energy. His golden eyes glowed briefly, wild and untamed.
"Stop," he whispered to himself. "Stop it…"
But the power didn't listen.
The bully with the bat charged, but Yuki moved faster than anyone could track. He was already standing behind the guy, a hand on his shoulder, pushing him away with ease.
"Get out of here," Yuki said, his voice laced with something unfamiliar—dangerous. His aura pulsed around him, making the bullies hesitate, giving them no choice but to scramble off into the night.
The girl, shaking but safe, looked at him, her eyes full of confusion and awe. "What… what just happened?"
Yuki didn't have an answer. He could barely comprehend what had just occurred himself.
What the hell is happening to me?
--- uniform. "But…"
She paused, her gaze locking on him. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even shock.
It was… curiosity.
"You're not normal, are you?"
Yuki blinked. "Huh?"
"You moved like lightning. And your aura—" She stopped herself. "Never mind."
He took a cautious step back. "What did you just say?"
She looked around, then walked up to him, lowering her voice. "You might want to tone it down next time. People with weak spirits won't notice much, but those of us who can see…"
She trailed off, her expression softening. "You're lucky it was me."
Yuki's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, who are you?"
The girl gave a small smile. "Let's just say… I can see things others can't."
She began to turn away but stopped. "My name's Aiko, by the way. You should really learn to control your aura before something worse finds you."
And just like that, she was gone—slipping back into the crowd like she'd never been there.
Yuki stood frozen, pulse racing.
Aura? What does she mean—control it?
His world had just shifted again.
---