In a narrow safehouse overlooking Tokyo’s glittering night skyline, Saki Harada paced back and forth, phone pressed tightly to her ear.
”Sensei, this is the third time this week you’ve sent me out alone!
I’m not your errand girl!” she snapped, voice sharp with irritation.
On the other end of the line, Kairo’s goofy laugh burst through the speaker.
“Hahaha!
Why are you always so serious, Saki-chan?
Life’s more fun when you loosen up a little!”
Saki heard the distinct sound of a camera shutter.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her eye twitched.
“Are you… taking pictures of me right now?!”
Kairo’s laugh only grew louder as he switched to another phone, clearly enjoying himself.
“Smile!
This one’s going straight to the group chat.
The students need to see their senior’s cute angry face—”
”What is my mission today?!” Saki shouted, cheeks burning.
Kairo finally stopped laughing.
His tone shifted, still light but edged with seriousness.
“There’s a demon sighting in Kabukicho, Shinjuku.
Strong one.
It might be dangerous, so stay sharp and—”
Click.
Saki hung up on him mid-sentence.
”Tch.
Idiot sensei,” she muttered, slipping the phone into her coat pocket.
“Always playing around at the worst times…”
She stepped out into the humid Tokyo night, the neon lights of Kabukicho painting the streets in garish pinks and blues.
The district was still alive with salarymen, tourists, and late-night partiers, but something felt off.
Then—a blood-curdling scream tore from a dark alley just ahead.
Saki’s eyes widened.
Without hesitation, she raised her right hand.
A brilliant white light erupted from her palm, condensing into a long, jagged blade that shimmered with spiritual energy.
”Slaughtering Assault,” she whispered.
The blade sang as she dashed forward, coat flaring behind her.
She rounded the corner into the alley at full speed—then skidded to a horrified stop.
A man was crouched over a woman’s body, teeth sunk deep into her torn throat.
Blood pooled on the dirty pavement.
The woman’s eyes were still open, tears streaming down her cheeks as she whispered weakly, “Help… please…”
The creature slowly lifted its head.
It was a young man—no older than twenty—covered in blood.
His eyes glowed with an unnatural crimson hue.
As he rose to his full height, an overwhelming, suffocating aura pressed down on Saki like an invisible mountain.
Ancient.
Ravenous.
Evil.
Gashin.
A wide, bloody grin split his face.
“Fresh meat,” he spoke, voice layered with a deep, otherworldly echo that didn’t belong to the boy’s body.
“The little exorcist girl wants to play?”
Saki’s eyes widened in pure terror.
Her grip on Slaughtering Assault tightened until her knuckles turned white.
“This aura… it’s impossible.
No low-level demon feels like this.
What the hell are you?!”
Gashin tilted his head, still grinning.
He took one slow step forward, blood dripping from his chin onto the pavement.
His tongue slid out, slowly licking his lips as if savoring the taste of fear in the air.
”Run, little girl,” he purred, voice dripping with dark amusement.
“Or I’ll devour you too.”
Saki’s heart hammered against her ribs.
For the first time in years, real fear gripped her.