I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The intersection ahead seemed to split the world into two, as though drawing a boundary that divided the living from the dead.

Uiharu Kazari sifted through the surveillance footage, identifying every suspicious figure in the vicinity. On the road behind her alone, there were more than a dozen people who seemed out of place.

And now, the man with brown hair was walking toward her.

With her peripheral vision, Uiharu scanned the surroundings. Sure enough, the half of the street she was on was eerily devoid of ordinary students.

Biting her lip, she realized how extraordinary this situation was.

She had really gotten herself into serious trouble.

The brown-haired man casually walked toward her, hands in his pockets. Though his movements appeared unhurried, each step was so precise it seemed as if he had measured the distance in advance.

His slightly forward-leaning posture resembled a leopard ready to pounce at any moment.

Uiharu caught this subtle detail, a scene so bizarre it seemed straight out of a manga.

Her breathing nearly stopped. Gripping her handheld device, she hovered over the contacts screen.

Shirai Kuroko... Konori-senpai... Kurumi-senpai...

Whom should she call for help?

Her small, fragile figure trembled, looking heartbreakingly vulnerable.

In the end, Uiharu, her face on the verge of tears, pleaded silently in despair.

"Save me... save me..."

Behind her, a web was closing in.

The brown-haired man faltered for a moment, his expression tinged with confusion as Uiharu suddenly sprinted toward him and brushed past his side.

"Target entering the Scavenger Zone," he murmured regretfully, lightly tapping the black throat mic under his collar with his index finger.

···

At the dormitory of Sakugawa Middle School.

Rikuto Mika sat cautiously on the sofa, chatting with Kurumi about the strange events of that day.

Since it was the weekend, Shinobu Nunotaba was also present, which made Rikuto a little nervous.

However, she had improved her control over her ability significantly since then. At the very least, Kurumi no longer looked like she was talking to a bundle of air while Rikuto held her phone.

Rikuto could now suppress her ability from activating.

Still, she harbored countless questions in her heart. Who had saved her that day? And why had that person drawn a turtle on her face and tally marks on her legs?

Not to mention, they used specialized ink from District 10, leaving her too embarrassed to show herself for days.

Squeezing her legs together tightly, Rikuto's cheeks began to flush again, as though she might vanish on the spot.

But it wasn't just that—she wanted to know... what exactly had been torn away from her world.

Rikuto wanted to find Shokuhou Misaki.

She remembered seeing the Queen of Tokiwadai lean close to Kurumi's ear in Seventh Mist, wearing an almost coy expression as she whispered something with a smile. Her gut instinct told her that Misaki was yet another person Kurumi-senpai had "seduced."

Wait... why would she even use such a weird description? But thinking about it carefully, it didn't seem entirely inaccurate.

Rikuto sneaked another glance at Kurumi.

"Shokuhou Misaki?" Kurumi's voice was soft and lazy, as if she were murmuring in her sleep. She rubbed her temples, looking a bit troubled.

How could someone so recklessly tarnish her reputation, making it seem like she had racked up another debt somewhere?

With an air of weariness, Kurumi folded her arms and leaned her head lazily against one hand. "Actually... I'm not that familiar with her. Would you believe that?"

Rikuto nodded resolutely, then shook her head.

Not familiar? She practically groped you the last time, looking like she was about to glue herself to you.

"Let me ask Mikoto about this next time," Kurumi exhaled softly.

Mii~ miu—

At that moment, Kurumi's phone rang. The sound resembled a kitten's soft kneading, but it was unmistakably a little girl's sweet, coquettish voice.

Rikuto Mika cast a complex glance at Kurumi. So this is the kind of ringtone Kurumi-senpai prefers?

It also explained the little girl icon on her phone screen.

"Oh? Uiharu?" Kurumi looked at the screen with some confusion. If she remembered correctly, Uiharu should still be on duty as a Judgment officer.

"Uiharu..." Rikuto tucked the name into her memory.

Another new name, huh?

Tch, what a sinful woman.

But to their surprise, as soon as Kurumi answered the call, before she could even ask what was wrong, she was greeted by a trembling, tearful voice.

"Save me... save me..."

Accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, the plea sent a chill through the air.

Kurumi's expression turned cold in an instant, and a murderous glint flickered in her crimson eyes.

Instinctively, she assumed it was yet another fool trying to challenge her by threatening someone close to her in order to claim the No. 1 spot.

"Some people never learn, do they?"

Kurumi's shoulders shook as she let out a near-maniacal laugh, her voice resonating with an edge of fury.

It was the first time Rikuto Mika had seen Kurumi-senpai like this.

···

Uiharu Kazari ran, her expression riddled with fear and anxiety.

Stuffing her handheld console into her bag, she allowed herself a brief moment of relief.

Even though her life might be in danger, she didn't want to bother Shirai Kuroko, who was about to head to Russia, nor did she want to involve Konori-senpai, who would likely be overwhelmed.

Konori-senpai was an LV3 with x-ray vision, a skill that wouldn't offer much protection in a situation like this, where she could barely fend for herself.

In the end, her only choice was Kurumi-senpai, far away in the Eighteenth District.

Yet, there was a strange sense of trust in her heart—a belief that Kurumi-senpai would undoubtedly come to her rescue.

The "hunters" behind her didn't seem to be pursuing too aggressively. Uiharu darted into a narrow alleyway, leaning against a wall as she gasped for breath.

She was not an athletic girl and had always served in an administrative role for Judgment.

Taking out her handheld console, she began pulling up surveillance footage.

The foreign-looking figures seemed to fan out like a net, yet they didn't cross the street. It was as if something terrifying lay beyond the road.

Uiharu bit her lower lip, tightly pursing it. During her frantic escape, she realized that this area was far too quiet.

Like the noble enclave of the School Garden, Academy City had places where lower-class students were left to fend for themselves.

The nearby apartments gave off a sense of dilapidation, even tinged with yellowing walls. The only school in the area was an unremarkable, nameless middle school.

Originally, Uiharu had planned to loop around and head toward Sakugawa Middle School, where teachers and guards could at least provide some defense until Kurumi-senpai arrived.

But now... it seemed she wouldn't make it.

Her expression turned bitter.

In the surveillance feed, Uiharu spotted a figure she had only ever seen on television—someone who looked like they belonged in a special forces unit.

Her heart sank.

With trembling hands, she whispered under her breath:

"Save me, Kurumi-senpai... save me."

...

...

"My life has never adhered to my own will," Aleister sighed.

"But... as long as everything is arranged like an inverted tree, it will eventually converge onto a single path."

"See? Everything will revolve around the pivot point—that's the obstacle left behind by those who entangled themselves in their own cocoons."

···

Tiptoeing cautiously, Uiharu Kazari navigated through the narrow alleyways.

What she had seen through the surveillance feed filled her with dread.

Figures clad in heavy black armored suits, their heads fully covered by helmets and visors with thick night-vision goggles, carried deadly weapons as they searched for something.

Was that an MP7?

Uiharu wasn't sure, but the sight of those firearms made her feel utterly hopeless.

She understood clearly—they were after her.

But why? What had she done to warrant such a terrifying group being deployed to hunt her down?

The girl's eyes gradually filled with despair.

Uiharu struggled to steady her breathing, using her ability to conceal her body heat as best as she could.

She knew these specialized operatives were equipped with a variety of threatening devices. All she could do was delay them.

Keeping her head low, she crept forward cautiously.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling fear surged through her.

Looking up, she saw someone standing at the alley's exit. A figure wearing night-vision goggles with a red light strip, the barrel of a gun aimed directly at her.

Uiharu's heart felt as though it was being squeezed tightly.

···

People passing by carried umbrellas, even though only a few thin clouds streaked across the sky.

Kamijou Touma knew that Academy City's weather predictions were never wrong, so rain was inevitable soon.

Carefully cradling the discounted eggs he had just bought, the spiky-haired boy swore that this time, he absolutely wouldn't let such vital "strategic supplies" suffer any damage.

On his way back to the dorm, elated from his trip to the bargain store, Kamijou hadn't noticed anything unusual at first.

But he wasn't an idiot. Halfway home, he realized something was off. The student apartment area seemed far too quiet.

He hadn't seen a single person.

Thinking back to the blocked-off road at the far end, where several black vans had been parked, Kamijou scratched his head.

"Did I, by sheer bad luck, stumble into some kind of experimental testing ground again?" he groaned, lamenting his seemingly perpetual misfortune.

This wasn't the first—or second—time.

Whether it was chasing after money swept away by the wind or taking shortcuts to snatch discounted groceries, he had accidentally wandered into experimental zones before.

It always ended with him encountering strange and dangerous situations.

Like being chased by a bizarre woman in a skin-tight black suit that looked like it was painted on, or being attacked by out-of-control androids.

If misfortune was involved, Kamijou seemed doomed to be at the center of it.

"This isn't right... this is Kamijou-san's home! Could it be that Kamijou-san's misfortune is about to extend to his own residence?" Kamijou Touma clutched his head and started taking shortcuts back home.

"Kamijou-san... Kamijou-san's entire fortune absolutely cannot be compromised!"

After crossing a certain threshold, the sky suddenly darkened.

Kamijou thought back to the passersby he had seen earlier, all carrying umbrellas, and, mindful of his clothes, quickened his pace.

He instinctively glanced at the sky, only to find a sight he had never seen before.

Black... and red...

Large swathes of these hues painted the heavens, casting a shadow that stained the earth in the same eerie colors.

Kamijou froze, staring overhead, then looked at his right hand.

His hand remained untouched by the somber, twilight-like palette.

Instinctively, he waved his hand, watching as the black and red hues seemed to tear apart momentarily, only to be quickly swallowed again by the same oppressive colors.

"No way..." Kamijou hesitated. "Is this... all the work of some ability user?"

Thud. Thud.

Heavy footsteps and the clink of metal echoed from the alley ahead.

Kamijou stopped in his tracks. Though his curiosity burned, years of misfortune had taught him that curiosity could be fatal.

And then...

A "soldier" in heavy armor emerged from the alley. His steps were sluggish, as if trudging through mud.

In his hand, he carried a petite girl like a sack of heavy goods.

Her limbs dangled lifelessly, her feet dragging along the ground. Her head hung low, swaying with the soldier's movements, her face obscured by her hair. She looked to be in immense pain but showed no sign of resistance—she seemed unconscious.

Or worse...

Glancing at the soldier's gun, a horrifying thought surfaced in Kamijou's mind.

Blood dripped from the girl's right fingertips, each drop vivid against the shadowed world, standing out even more starkly in the dim light.

"You bastard..." Kamijou cursed loudly.

The soldier, startled by the shout, turned his gaze toward Kamijou.

He raised his weapon, aiming the dark barrel at Kamijou. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, his movements were agonizingly slow and cumbersome.

With a nimble roll, Kamijou charged toward him.

Click. Click. Click.

The weapon fired soundlessly. Modified rubber bullets shot out, striking the ground behind Kamijou with dull thuds.

Rolling, Kamijou heard the unmistakable sound of eggs breaking beneath him. A sticky sensation spread from his abdomen down to his thighs.

Despair flickered in the boy's black eyes.

Kamijou-san... Kamijou-san might never get to eat his discounted eggs in this lifetime.

Channeling all his misfortune and rage into his right fist, Kamijou sprang up and punched the soldier.

To Kamijou's surprise, the soldier was surprisingly easy to deal with.

His fist landed squarely on the soldier's helmet. With a crack, the plastic shattered, and the soldier collapsed to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Kamijou suddenly remembered something.

This guy... he had been shooting... toward something behind him.

Slowly, Kamijou turned around. What he saw was a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

A girl dressed in a theatrical, extravagantly revealing black-and-red Gothic dress strode leisurely through the world bathed in shadow and blood.

That color...

It resembled the final, fleeting light at the edge of a black hole.

Closest to darkness, yet utterly distinct from it.

It was like fire, like blood.

"The black-haired, dark-humored noblewoman?!" Kamijou blurted out, successfully drawing her attention.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven