Eight years ago.
The sunlight began to shine into my eyes. Ugh, stop bothering someone who's trying to sleep. Oh right, it's time for school. I slowly opened my eyes. Sat on the bed for a moment. Yawned while rubbing my eyes. I got out of bed and walked out of the room.
In the living room, I saw my father sitting asleep on the sofa, holding a bottle of alcohol in his hand. I didn't want to get close because of the overwhelming smell. Even his breath reeked of alcohol.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone running from behind. It was my older brother leaving the house. And not long after, I heard my mother's shout, "Hey! How about your school?"
"Who cares!" my brother replied.
I peeked outside and saw my brother with his friends, who were carrying motorcycles.
"Let's go play PS first. Then later tonight, we'll race and drink," my brother said.
"Let's go!" his friends shouted in unison.
I didn't listen to their conversation for long and went to the kitchen. There, I met my mother preparing breakfast.
"Oh, Sako, you're awake. Go take a bath first. After that, put on your uniform and have breakfast, okay?" Mom said.
"Okay," I replied.
I took a bath. Afterward, I returned to my room, put on my uniform, and went back to the kitchen.
"I'm done, Mom," I said as I entered.
"Here, eat first. So you can be a smart kid," Mom said.
I sat on the chair and looked at the breakfast in front of me. Rice, fried tofu, and eggs. The usual. Well, except that usually, there aren't any eggs.
Just as I was about to eat, I saw my mother hurriedly enter the room and change her clothes.
"Mom, aren't you eating?" I asked.
"No, I'm still full. I'm going to work now. Don't forget what you need to bring later," Mom said.
"Okay."
After that, I watched as my mother left immediately. I felt bad that Mom worked her fingers to the bone just so our family could eat. Don't worry, Mom. When I grow up, I'll earn a lot of money and make you happy.
I went to school. When I arrived, like any other school, many kids were walking through the gate. I just walked normally into the school while holding my bag. Suddenly, a group of four boys approached me.
"Yo, Sako, thanks a lot for the cheat sheet yesterday," one of them said while grabbing my bag.
"Yeah, thanks so much. Hey, can you come with us for a bit?" another boy said, getting closer.
"Uh, but I have to go to class now," I said.
"Come on, just for a second."
Suddenly, the boy dragged me to the back of the school.
"By the way, we have a test today. Can you give us the answers?" he said, pressing my hand against the wall.
"Uh, but cheating isn't allowed..." The other boys started closing in.
"Oh, so you won't share?"
And yeah, they beat me up. Bruised and battered, I could only lie on the ground.
"Next time, don't ever dare to mess with us," the boys said.
I reached for my bag and tried to stand up. Should I report them to a teacher? What's the point? I've tried before. Nothing ever happens. The teachers just ignore me.
As I tried to stand, someone suddenly grabbed my hand and helped me up.
"Huh?" I turned to see who it was. A girl with half-lidded eyes and a streak of white in her hair was biting into a piece of bread while holding a first-aid kit.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Ella," the girl replied.
I watched as she applied alcohol to my wounds and bandaged me up.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked.
"You don't want help?" Ella asked coldly.
"N-no, that's not it," I said, letting her treat me.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Sako," I answered. "Thanks," I added.
"Hmm," Ella murmured softly. She finished treating me and put her supplies back into the kit.
Suddenly, the school bell rang.
"Oh, class is starting. Hurry up. Can you walk?" Ella asked.
"Yeah, I can," I said, standing up. Much better than before. Ella and I quickly headed to class.
***
Time passed, and today's test went smoothly. After school, I was packing my bag when I felt like something was missing. Earlier, in the schoolyard, I had been in such a hurry that I didn't check if anything had fallen out.
I went back to the schoolyard to look. Just as I was about to reach the spot, I saw Ella practicing punches. At first, she was just punching the air. But after a while, she approached a wooden plank leaning nearby. She punched it once, and the plank split in two.
Suddenly, she called out, "Hey, you, the one peeking. Just come here already."
Sako's eyes widened, and her heart raced. She took a deep breath to calm herself and slowly stepped forward.
"Oh, Sako," Ella said, wiping her sweat.
"Are you training in martial arts?" I asked.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Do you compete in tournaments or something?" I asked, walking closer.
"Something like that. My neighborhood is dangerous, so there's no harm in learning self-defense, right?" she said. "By the way, wanna walk home together?" Ella asked.
"Huh? Why so suddenly?" I asked.
"I saw you on the way to school earlier. I was actually behind you," Ella said, packing her things into her bag.
"Wait, really? How I didn't notice you?" I said.
"I don't know. I stopped to buy bread for breakfast, so I fell behind. Then when I found you again, you were already beaten up," Ella explained.
"Oh, I see. Sure, we can walk home together," I said.
"Okay," Ella said, putting on her jacket.
Ella and I walked home together. But the whole way, we were silent. Not a single word was exchanged. After a while, we reached an intersection. I tried to break the ice.
"I'm turning right. Is your house this way too?" I asked.
"Yeah," Ella replied shortly, taking a lollipop from her pocket, unwrapping it, and popping it into her mouth.
Hearing her one-word answer, I thought, Geez, could you be any less talkative?
Ella and I turned right. The road was quiet and a bit eerie. I was used to walking here, but it still scared me. Without realizing it, I was walking so close to Ella that I didn't dare move away. I glanced at her face, she looked completely relaxed, casually sucking on her lollipop.
As we walked, a group of six grown men suddenly surrounded us.
"Hey, hey, look who's here," one of them said.
"Hmm, we could kidnap them and demand ransom from their parents. Mwehehehe," another said.
Of course, I was terrified and clung even closer to Ella. But Ella just stood there, her hands in her jacket pockets, calmly staring at them while sucking on her lollipop.
"Come here. As long as you behave, nothing bad will happen," one of them said, stepping closer.
"Stay back!" I snapped.
"Aw, don't be scared," the man said. But as he got closer, he seemed confused by Ella's relaxed demeanor.
"Huh? Why's she so calm?" he muttered. But he didn't dwell on it. "Be like your friend here. Stay calm and obedient."
"No!" I snapped again.
After my sharp retort, the man's face turned red. "Tch, you little brat!" He aggressively reached for my neck. But just before he could grab me, his hand stopped. When I looked again, Ella had caught his wrist.
"H-hey! What are you doing? Let go!" the man barked. "What the-? How's a kid this strong?!" he muttered under his breath.
"Don't mess with my friend, baldy," Ella said.
"What did you say?!" The man immediately threw a punch at Ella's face.
But Ella swiftly caught his fist and gripped it.
"What?!" The man was shocked.
Ella forced his arms apart and, with her foot, kicked him in the chin. The man was sent flying from the impact.
Seeing their friend get kicked like that, the other men rushed Ella at once. But Ella didn't flinch. Her relaxed expression didn't change.
One of them got close enough to throw a punch.
Ella just glanced at him and shot the lollipop stick from her mouth straight into his face. The stick hit him hard enough to make him stagger in pain.
While he was still reeling, Ella jumped and kicked him in the head.
Soon, two more men attacked her from the front and back. Just as they were about to grab her, Ella quickly dashed forward, dropped to the ground, and slid between the legs of the man in front.
"What?!"
After slipping past, Ella immediately stood up and kicked the man in the head. But she didn't stop there before he could fall, she used his shoulder as a foothold and forcefully stomped down, sending him crashing to the ground while she flipped backward. She landed behind the other man and stomped on the back of his neck. Both men collapsed.
Ella landed smoothly, but another man charged at her—this one much bigger than the others. He ran and tried to kick her in the head. But Ella ducked just in time, then retaliated with a kick to his crotch. The man crumpled, clutching his injured "asset".
Finally, the last man pulled out a knife and lunged at Ella. He tried to stab her in the head, but she swiftly dodged, kicked his hand, and sent the knife flying. Without pause, she swept his legs out from under him. As he fell, Ella caught the knife midair.
She crouched beside him and pressed the blade to his throat.
"Leave," Ella said coldly, her eyes sharp.
The man scrambled to his feet and ran. The others followed, fleeing in panic.
I could only stand there, stunned. I also noticed a strange red aura flickering in one of Ella's eyes before it disappeared.
"Hey, Sako. There's another intersection ahead. You turn left, right?" Ella asked, tossing the knife into a nearby trash can.
"Y-yeah," I said.
"I'm turning right. See you tomorrow," Ella said.
"Okay..."
We walked together a bit longer before parting ways. But the whole time, I couldn't stop thinking about what Ella had just done.
As I walked, I thought to myself, What if I could be like Ella?
***
A few minutes later, I arrived home. I went to my room, grabbed clean clothes, and headed to the bathroom. I took off my uniform, showered, and changed. After leaving the bathroom, I grabbed a broom and started sweeping. It had become a habit, sweeping right after coming home from school.
While sweeping, I suddenly heard shouting.
"BWAAAHHH DAMN gulp WOMAN! Haha, you hit my head, haha gulp." My drunk father's voice, followed by the sound of a bottle breaking.
Great, now I had to clean up broken glass too. Right after I finished sweeping, Mom came home. I immediately ran to the door.
"Mom!!" I hugged her tightly.
"Oh, you're home," Mom said, patting my head.
"I cleaned the house too," I said.
"Huh? Why do you have so many bandages? What happened?" Mom crouched in front of me.
"I just fell, that's all," I lied.
"Oh dear, be more careful next time. Go to your room now, okay? I'll start cooking dinner." Mom went to her room, changed clothes, and headed to the kitchen.
I went to my room to study. I focused on my textbook, but then Dad started shouting again.
"Get me more alcohol!"
Every ten minutes, he'd shout at least once. It was hard to concentrate, but what could I do?
Two hours passed, and Mom called me.
"Sweetie, dinner's ready!"
"Okay, Mom!" I hurried to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, two bowls of soup were set on the table. I sat down and took one. The first spoonful was delicious.
"The food's great, Mom!" I said.
Mom smiled. "Eat a lot, okay? So you can be smart."
Not long after, Dad came into the kitchen and sat next to me.
"What's this?" he asked.
He took the other bowl of soup, but the moment he took a bite, he spat it out.
"What is this?! Tastes like dishwater! You damn woman, how dare you serve me this!" Dad stood up and stormed toward Mom.
"Dad, stop!" I jumped up and grabbed his arm.
But Dad yanked his arm free and moved closer to Mom. With his other hand, he slapped her.
"Mom!!"
I tried to hold him back, but suddenly, Dad turned and punched me in the face. I collapsed to the floor, injured where he'd hit me.
"Sako!!" Mom rushed to me.
"Useless family! A useless wife and a useless child! Can't even cook, and the kid just wastes money!" Dad stormed out of the kitchen.
"Sako, hold on. Let me treat you." Mom panicked and carried me to her room.
Half-conscious, I looked at Mom's worried face. Even though one of her cheeks was swollen from the slap. Remembering what Dad did to us, I made a new resolution.
I want to be able to fight.
***
The next day, in the schoolyard.
"Huh? Why do you suddenly want to learn martial arts?" Ella asked.
I stayed silent for a moment before answering, "A lot happened to me. And I've made up my mind. I want to be able to fight."
"Hmm... fine. But are you ready? I won't hold back," she said.
"I'm more than ready," I said firmly, my eyes sharp.
Days passed. Training wasn't easy. She often left me bruised, though she always treated my wounds afterward. But my skills improved over time.
One afternoon, Ella and I sparred again. I threw punch after punch, but Ella blocked them all. After deflecting my attacks, she countered with a strike aimed at my solar plexus. I thought I'd lose again, but suddenly, I reflexively dodged by twisting my body—successfully. Not only that, I immediately countered with a punch to Ella's face. Her eyes widened at my speed. For a split second, I saw that red aura again, crackling with electricity around my fist.
My punch landed. Ella didn't fall immediately, but she staggered, dazed.
"Ella, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" I rushed to her.
But as I got close, Ella suddenly kicked me in the face. I collapsed to the ground.
"You let your guard down," Ella said.
Still on the ground, I sat up and said, "Hey, I was worried about you!"
Ella replied coldly, "Your enemy won't return the concern."
I fell silent.
But then Ella added, "But I'll admit it. You've improved way faster than I expected. You even landed a hit on me. Not many people can do that."
Hearing her praise, I smiled shyly. "Hehe, thanks."
She held out her hand. I took it and stood up.
"By the way, you won first place in the martial arts tournament, right? Congrats," I said.
"Thanks," Ella said flatly, taking a sip from her water bottle.
"Your tone's so flat. Aren't you happy?" I asked.
"Meh," Ella shrugged.
Wow, what a weird girl, I thought.
"But speaking of which, one opponent I still remember was my finals match. The whole time, his expression looked like he really wanted to win," Ella said.
"Really? What's his name?" I asked, walking closer.
"Uh, what was it? Hmm... Jacky? Yeah, I think so. But whatever, no point thinking about it," she said.
We fell silent for a moment, but then I remembered I had to meet a teacher.
"Oh, right! I have an appointment with a teacher. I gotta go. See you!" I grabbed my bag in a hurry.
"Oh, okay," Ella said.
"Thanks for today!" I rushed off.
***
I headed to the faculty room, but suddenly, the boys who had beaten me before approached me again.
"Hey, hey, isn't this the girl who wouldn't share her notes?" one of them sneered.
"Man, she's been slacking lately. What should we do with her?" another asked.
"Beat her up again?"
"Wait," one of them stepped closer.
He glared at me. "Here's the deal. If you promise to share your notes again, we won't beat you up. How about it?"
I smirked slightly. "Disgusting. No, I won't be your slave."
The boy's face turned red.
"What did you just say?!" He grabbed my collar.
"Are you deaf? I won't bow to thugs like you," I said without hesitation.
"I'll give you one last chance. Take it back," he growled, his brow furrowed.
"No."
Without another word, he threw a punch at my face. But unlike before, things were different now.
I caught his fist and punched him back. With one hit, he collapsed.
His friends froze in shock, but then they all rushed me at once. They threw punches simultaneously. Quickly, I grabbed one of them and used him as a shield.
Their punches hit their own friend's head, and when I let go, he slumped to the ground. Two others kept attacking. One tried to punch again, but I kicked his chin, sending him sprawling.
The last one tried to sweep my legs, but I jumped over it and kicked his head. They all fell.
I stood firmly over them while they looked up in fear. Coldly, I said, "Leave."
Instantly, they all scrambled away.
But what I didn't realize was that Ella had been watching. After they fled, she turned and walked away.
***
After beating them up, I went to the faculty room. Once everything was settled, I headed home.
As soon as I stepped inside, I heard Dad's shout, "Get me alcohol!"
Same as always. I went to my room, but then I heard glass shattering. I rushed toward the sound and saw Mom and Dad standing over broken glass.
"Useless woman! Can't even pour a drink properly. Do you know how hard I work to get this?!" Dad yelled, slapping Mom.
I also saw my older brother smirking as he watched.
"Sorry, sorry," Mom kept repeating as Dad hit her.
"Sorry won't bring back my drink!" Dad roared.
But before he could hit her again, I grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Huh? This is between me and her. Stay out of it," Dad snapped.
"No, this involves me too," I said firmly.
"You disrespectful brat!"
"Looks like this little girl needs to be taught a lesson," my brother sneered.
He stepped forward and kicked at my head, but I blocked it with my forearm.
"Huh?!"
In one swift motion, I grabbed his leg and flung him into Dad. Both of them crashed to the floor.
"Hey! Don't you have any respect?! I'm your FATHER!!" Dad screamed.
As he yelled, I saw strange, grotesque creatures surrounding him. Though honestly, Dad looked just like them. Anger surged through me, and a blazing red aura crackled with lightning around my fist.
The boys at school, Dad, my brother, all of them were trash. Mom, Ella, they were the ones who helped me become who I am now.
"You're not my father." I dashed forward at superhuman speed and punched him in the face.
***
Now, I'm at the police station. I'm in an interrogation room with just one officer across from me. He asked me a few questions. After finishing, he just sat there silently, writing in a notebook. It took a while, but then he spoke.
"Someone wants to see you."
"Who?" I asked.
The officer didn't answer. He stood up and left the room.
As soon as he left, another person entered. A man in a long brown coat and long black pants.
"You're Yurisako Ayame, right?" the man asked, sitting casually in front of me. He leaned back, one arm draped over the chair, his feet on the table.
"Who are you?" I asked flatly.
"Man, you're tense. Relax, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Kuroto Kiriyato," he said.
"Where's my mom?" I asked.
"She's safe at home. And you know what? I saw what you did to your dad earlier," he said.
"Oh."
"Man, you're really not interested, huh?" Kuroto lowered his feet, leaned forward, and folded his arms on the table. "Anyway, I'm here to give you two choices for your future. And now, I want you to pick one." His tone was relaxed but serious.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Option one, you go to prison, face charges for murder, and never see your mom again," Kuroto held up one finger.
He raised a second finger and said, "Option two, you join the Juntoshi Mage Organization and work for us. You'll also earn enough money to support your mom."
I stayed silent.
Kuroto continued, "And now, I want you to make your choice."
***
Remembering all of this, I muttered to myself while staring at the flames in front of me, "Hehe, it's all because of those stupid men. If they hadn't caused trouble, maybe I'd have lived longer."
Feeling death approaching, I closed my eyes.
But suddenly, I heard Aruta shout, "Hey, Sako! What are you daydreaming about? Are you some novel character having a flashback? If you're gonna die, at least don't drag me into it!"
Aruta grabbed my waist and tried pulling me out of the flames.
"H-hey! If you're gonna die, at least don't grope me!" I looked at the inferno. We were near the edge of Junoi's blast.
Seizing the chance, my body suddenly moved on its own. Lightning crackled around my legs. I grabbed Aruta tightly and pulled us both out of the blast zone. We made it. That junoi's attack missed us by inches.
We collapsed side by side.
"Seriously, even near death, you're still a pervert," I said.
"That's not it! I don't wanna die young!" Aruta said.
He quickly stood up, held out his hand, and said, "Come on. At least if you die, don't drag me into it, okay?"
"Hehe, you idiot." I took his hand and stood beside him.