"Tch, what the hell is that noise?"
The bald thug cursed impatiently, sitting on the sofa as his sharp gaze swept across the people in the living room. Suddenly, his instincts kicked in.
Sothing was wrong.
The sound wasn't right.
Sothing had gone terribly wrong.
Years of experience on the streets made him instantly alert. Gripping his gun tightly, he sprang to his feet just in ti to see a violet-haired figure step into the hallway.
gumi Katou, who had been racking her brain for a way out, also noticed the unfamiliar girl at that exact mont.
She froze.
Bathed in sunlight pouring through the stairwell window, the girl's flawless face seed to glow, her violet hair cascading like silk. Even gumi found herself montarily breathless.
When did she get here?
Questions flooded gumi's mind, but she had no ti to dwell on them. Her expression changed drastically when she realized the bald thug had already raised his gun and aid at the mysterious girl.
"Watch out!" gumi instinctively shouted.
The violet-haired girl, calm and composed, flashed a hint of curiosity in her eyes. For a mont, gumi thought she even saw her smile faintly.
What is she smiling at?
Doesn't she realize how dangerous this is?
That man is aiming a gun at her!
"Who are you?"
The bald thug's instincts scread at him this girl was dangerous.
Her stance, the way she gripped her sword… it reminded him of their gang's forr leader. Decades ago, their boss had built the gang from nothing through deadly swordsmanship, expanding it one brutal duel at a ti.
The bald thug never cared for swords. He had long admitted that even an old man like the forr boss could defeat him with a wooden sword.
But so what?
Didn't the old man still die to his bullet?
In this age, only fools would carry swords when guns existed.
"I asked you a question. Where's my brother?"
Even so, the bald thug remained cautious.
"He was alive just now. As for now..."
The violet-haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly, her right hand slowly gripping the sword's hilt. An overwhelming pressure radiated from her, chilling him to the bone as if a beast were standing before him, ready to pounce.
"Stop putting on a show!"
The bald thug snarled, his gaze fixed on her, brimming with killing intent.
Fine! Keep acting tough!
Let's see if you can still act when you're riddled with bullets!
Without warning, he squeezed the trigger.
Click. Click.
But no gunshots rang out only the sharp hiss of a blade slicing through leather.
The bald thug's pupils shrank.
Where... where did she go?!
A gust of wind brushed past his ear, carrying a sweet fragrance.
She was gone.
What... what the hell?!
His mind reeled.
A person can't just vanish into thin air!
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of violet hair drifting through the air.
When?!
His heart dropped. He tried to turn, to lift his arms.
But… his hands wouldn't move.
His vision dropped to his wrists two faint red lines had appeared, blood slowly seeping out.
He stared, horrified.
They weren't just lines. They were clean, precise cuts, made by an impossibly sharp blade.
His hands suddenly fell from his arms.
Splat.
Two severed hands hit the floor and bounced twice before lying still.
Everyone in the room was frozen in shock, unable to process what had just happened.
gumi, especially, was completely stunned.
In her eyes, the violet-haired girl had remained perfectly calm, stepping forward as if she were taking a casual stroll.
The next ti she blinked, the girl was sohow behind the thug, slowly sheathing her sword.
Then those severed hands fell.
Was it her?
gumi's gaze dropped to the katana in the girl's left hand. There was no other explanation.
But this… this was…
gumi's jaw hung open in shock. She didn't know how to describe what she had just witnessed. It felt like reading a typical school romance novel, only for aliens to suddenly invade halfway through.
And if the girl had drawn her blade… why hadn't anyone heard it?
It was as if she had crossed ti and space with that single stroke. gumi never even saw the mont the sword was drawn.
It was as if ti itself had stopped.
After sheathing her blade, the violet-haired girl spun and slamd the scabbard against the thug's neck. Searing pain shot through his arms, and before he could even scream, the impact knocked him unconscious.
"Done."
The violet-haired girl smiled softly, her gentle voice sohow still carrying an untouchable distance. "The rest is up to you. Do whatever you like. I won't interfere."
Without another glance, she turned and walked away, her katana in hand, her movents as free and graceful as a wandering swordswoman from an old tale.
It wasn't until she opened the door and left that gumi finally snapped out of her trance.
She glanced at her fellow survivors, all wearing the sa expression of disbelief.
Gritting her teeth, gumi chased after the girl.
...
The violet-haired girl hadn't gone far. gumi caught up to her near a corner of the building.
Panting lightly, gumi gathered her courage and called out, "Excuse , please wait! I'm gumi Katou, first-year student from Toyosaki Academy."
The violet-haired girl slowly turned her head, her long hair flowing with the motion, her deep, calm eyes locking onto gumi without a word.
Feeling awkward, gumi touched her own face. "Uh, did I say sothing wrong?"
The girl finally offered a faint smile and gently shook her head. "Is there sothing you need, Katou-san?"
"Can I… can I co with you?"
gumi bit her lip. "I wanted to leave on my own, but I just can't find the courage. Being alone… it's too lonely. I'm not afraid of dying, but I don't want to die in so forgotten corner where no one even knows I existed."
The violet-haired girl listened quietly, her clear eyes studying gumi carefully. Then, she made a small hand gesture.
A distant glimr of light flickered, and gumi instinctively shielded her eyes it felt like sothing dangerous had just been withdrawn from her forehead.
She didn't understand what had just happened, but the girl still hadn't spoken.
Gathering her resolve, gumi added, "I just want to travel with you, to have soone to talk to along the way. I won't distract you. Whatever happens in the future, I'll accept it."
The violet-haired girl blinked, montarily caught off guard. Then a subtle smile curled at her lips.
"Co with ."
"Yes!"
gumi nodded eagerly, a bright smile lighting up her face.
As she caught up, she asked, "Senpai, may I know your na?"
"Busujima… Busujima Saeko."
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