At the Yukinoshita family estate, late at night...
Normally, Yukino lived alone in a rented apartnt away from her family ho. Returning here was rare and hardly sothing she looked forward to.
But tonight, she had received an unexpected ssage from her mother, asking her to co back imdiately. Her first instinct was to refuse, she'd rather use the ti to continue training alone. Frankly, despite being related by blood, Yukino felt little affection for her mother. It was precisely this strained relationship that had driven her to live independently.
However, her mother had claid that it was a matter of life and death for the family. With no other choice, Yukino returned ho.
As she entered, the first person she ran into was her older sister, Haruno, who had just arrived as well.
"Yukino!" Haruno called out, waving. She looked tired likely from handling the company's affairs recently but her exhaustion faded the mont she saw her sister.
"Hm," Yukino responded quietly. Among her family mbers, her sister was the only one she felt any real attachnt to.
In the past, Yukino had complicated feelings towards Haruno: part admiration, part jealousy. She had always wanted to surpass her sister. Now, as a sorcerer, she had finally gained abilities that set her apart. But strangely, that sense of accomplishnt she once craved wasn't there anymore.
Maybe we're just on different paths now, Yukino thought, shaking her head to dispel these thoughts.
"What's on your mind?" Haruno asked, noticing the change in her sister's deanor. She had always been sharp, and it seed to her that Yukino was acting… different.
"Nothing," Yukino replied, brushing it off. Her gaze shifted to the Yukinoshita family mansion. "Did… soone in the family pass away?"
The mansion had been decorated in a way that suggested mourning, sothing Yukino hadn't expected.
"I don't know either," Haruno replied with a frown. "I've been buried in work at the company lately, practically living there." She sighed, her expression montarily softening as she thought of Ryuji. "I haven't even had ti to see Ryuji…"
Yukino glanced at her sister with sympathy. "You should take a break, sister," she said quietly. "If you ever need help with anything, you can co to ."
Haruno's eyes widened slightly. Yukino offering to help? In the past, such words would never have co from her sister. Yukino had always been stubbornly independent.
"It's not an illusion," Haruno mused, smiling. "You really do seem different, Yukino."
"People grow up," Yukino replied, her voice steady and mature. Haruno had initially intended to tease her, but seeing the composed look on Yukino's face, she held back.
"Growing up suits you, but I miss the Yukino who'd get flustered whenever I teased her," Haruno sighed. "What happened to the little sister who'd panic at my jokes?"
Yukino allowed herself a small smile. "Maybe it's my turn to tease you now, sister."
"Tsk! Go ahead and try, then!" Haruno challenged, grinning. No matter how much Yukino had changed, she was still her beloved little sister.
The two walked side by side into the ancestral house, exchanging playful words. Soon, they found their mother, Fumino Yukinoshita, kneeling in the hall, dressed in mourning attire.
"What's going on?" Haruno asked, her voice serious as she and Yukino shared a wary look.
Fumino t their eyes, her expression stoic. "As you can see, your father has passed away."
Both sisters froze, montarily speechless. Of all the things they'd expected, this was not one of them. Their father had always been a quiet, almost invisible presence in the household. He was a man who had married into the Yukinoshita family and, due to Fumino's dominant personality, often seed more like a shadow than a head of the family. Yet, despite their lack of a close bond with him, the news of his death was still shocking.
"What… happened?" Yukino asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Fumino didn't respond imdiately. Instead, she gestured to a maid, who soon returned carrying a laptop. She placed it in front of the sisters, who exchanged a puzzled glance before focusing on the screen.
A surveillance video began to play. In the video, they could see their father alone in one of the rooms, drinking. Then, out of the shadows, several twisted, hunched figures erged—cursed spirits, their grotesque forms barely humanoid.
Their father looked terrified, but being an ordinary man, he had no ans of escape or defense. Within seconds, the cursed spirits closed in on him, and the screen went dark.
"Those were cursed spirits…" Yukino whispered, horror spreading across her face.
"I think you can understand now why I called you both back," Fumino said, closing the laptop. "The existence of cursed spirits and sorcerers is becoming widely known. So families have already started hiring sorcerers for protection."
Haruno frowned, piecing together her mother's intentions. "You want us to…?"
"Yukino. Haruno," Fumino continued, her voice cold and direct. "This is about the survival of our family. Haruno, I believe you know what you need to do."
Haruno clenched her fists. She understood what her mother was implying, that she should use her relationship with Ryuji to secure his protection for the family.
In the past, Haruno had always obeyed her mother's orders, but this ti she hesitated. Her feelings for Ryuji were genuine, and she didn't want her relationship with him to beco tainted by her family's expectations.
"I'm with Ryuji because I chose to be, not because of the family," Haruno said firmly.
Fumino's expression darkened. "Do you understand what you're saying, Haruno?"
"Yes, I do." Haruno's voice was unwavering as she looked her mother in the eyes, defiant for the first ti. She wasn't willing to sacrifice her feelings for the sake of family obligations.
Yukino, watching her sister stand up to their mother, felt a swell of admiration. She's amazing, she thought, allowing a small smile to form.
But Fumino's attention soon shifted to her younger daughter. "Yukino, you've grown up, but now it's ti for you to repay the Yukinoshita family. Tis have changed, and we need strength more than ever."
In the past, Fumino had been content to let Yukino live independently, with plans to bring her back into the family fold once she graduated college. But the rise of cursed spirits had shaken her sense of security, and now, she wasn't willing to wait.
Haruno imdiately intervened. "Mother, Yukino is still young, and she needs to focus on school. If anyone has to take on this responsibility, it should be ."
But before Haruno could continue, Yukino gently placed a hand on her sister's arm, stopping her.
"Yukino?" Haruno looked at her, concerned.
"Thank you, sister," Yukino said softly. "But neither of us needs to make a sacrifice."
Haruno's eyes widened. She'd noticed that Yukino seed different tonight, but she hadn't realized just how much she had changed.
anwhile, Fumino frowned, sensing a hint of rebellion. "Yukino, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Yes, I do." Yukino's expression was calm but resolute. "Neither I nor Haruno need to give up anything for this family."
"What do you an?" Fumino demanded, anger simring beneath her cool exterior.
"If it cos to that," Yukino said confidently, "we don't have to stay with the Yukinoshita family."
The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. Haruno's surprise turned into a proud smile, her little sister was standing up for herself in a way she never had before.
Before Fumino could respond, her expression shifted to one of horror. Her gaze was fixed on the shadows around the room, where twisted, hunched figures had begun to materialize.
Yukino and Haruno turned, their eyes widening as they recognized the cursed spirits from the surveillance video, the sa spirits that had killed their father.
"Haruno!" Fumino's voice was filled with panic as she turned to her eldest daughter. "Call Ryuji! Now!"
Haruno's heart sank. She hadn't anticipated sothing like this. "I… I left my phone at the office. I rushed over so quickly, I didn't bring it with !"
The cursed spirits continued to close in, their distorted forms casting long shadows across the floor.
Yukino clenched her fists, feeling the weight of her newfound power surge within her. It's ti to put my training to the test.
With a calm but determined look, she stepped forward, positioning herself between her family and the advancing cursed spirits.
"Yukino, no!" Haruno reached out, but Yukino shook her head.
"It's okay, sister," Yukino said firmly, her eyes sharp and unwavering. "I'm not the sa person I used to be."
***
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