Second period at Kuoh Academy had barely ended, and already Yuuji Hoshino was questioning why he'd bothered getting out of bed. The sun filtered through the classroom windows in warm, hazy beams, the teacher's droning voice mixing with the soft scratching of pencils.
Yuuji stared down at his textbook, though he wasn't reading it—he was doodling in the margins. A spell circle here, a dragon tail there. All pure fiction, born of too much manga and not enough sleep.
"Hey, Yuuji," a classmate whispered, nudging him with a grin. "You see the 'Pervert Trio' get chased out of the courtyard again?"
Yuuji raised an eyebrow. "Again?"
The boy nodded eagerly. "Second time this week. Hyoudou and his idiot crew tried peeking on the girls' gym class."
Right on cue, a commotion broke out in the hallway. Loud, panicked footsteps—male. Angry shouting—female. And then, through the window, they saw them.
Issei Hyoudou. Matsuda. Motohama.
Running for dear life.
A mob of furious girls was hot on their heels, wielding bags, books, and righteous fury. The class roared with laughter as the trio disappeared around a corner.
Yuuji just shook his head and smirked. "Idiots. Persistent, though."
That was the fifth time this month.
Despite everything, Yuuji kind of respected their hustle. Misguided as it was.
Later at lunch.
Yuuji sat beneath the courtyard tree with his bento, picking at his food while casually listening to the rumors drifting between students.
"Did you hear? Rias Gremory's still recruiting for the Occult Research Club…"
"She's insanely beautiful. Like, untouchable."
"I heard she turned down a third-year and a student council officer."
Yuuji had heard plenty about Rias Gremory. The queen of the academy, the girl every guy drooled over, and the one every girl either admired or quietly envied. Rumor said she ran the Occult Research Club with an iron will, yet almost no one actually knew what the club did.
Yuuji didn't care. Pretty girls with secretive clubs and elitist reputations? Not his thing. He preferred simple pleasures: manga, gaming, and afternoon naps.
A few minutes later, another rumor hit his ears.
"Wait, Hyoudou got a girlfriend?"
Yuuji paused mid-bite.
"…What?"
"Dead serious. Some total bombshell. He was spotted on a date with her yesterday."
"Did he… bribe her? Blackmail? Sell his soul?"
Yuuji shook his head and snorted. "Hyoudou… a girlfriend? Okay, sure. And I'm the reincarnation of a wizard."
Still, he couldn't deny the tiniest pang of jealousy. Or was it curiosity? Either way, the perverted goofball somehow scored a date. Good for him, Yuuji supposed.
—
The sun was dipping toward the horizon as the final bell rang. Yuuji packed his bag and waved goodbye to a few friends before heading out. The street ahead stretched with lazy familiarity. He could've gone the usual way home—but something about the long, crowded sidewalks rubbed him the wrong way today.
"Nah," he muttered. "Shortcut."
He ducked into one of Kuoh's narrow alleyways, navigating a patchwork path of quiet backstreets, narrow fences, and cracked pavement. This was his secret route, carved from afternoons of exploration. Quieter. Calmer.
Eventually, he reached the park. The sky was a burnished orange, the first stars flickering high above. A few streetlamps flickered to life. Almost there.
Yuuji slipped his earbuds in and pulled out his phone, flicking through his playlist.
That's when he heard it—laughter. Gentle, feminine, chilling.
He froze. Then Looked up.
Black feathers were falling from the sky.
"A flock of crows?" he muttered. But no. There were no birds. Just feathers. Soft. Endless. Black in color
And then—coughing. Wet. Weak.
It came from near the water fountain.
Yuuji's heart skipped a beat.
He rushed forward—and stopped cold.
"Issei?!"
The boy lay sprawled on the ground, his white shirt dyed crimson, blood pooling beneath him. His skin was pale. His breathing shallow. His eyes flickered open at the sound of his name, then slid shut again.
Panic seized Yuuji's chest.
He dropped to his knees and pressed on the wound. "Damn it, Hyoudou, what the hell did you get into?!"
He fumbled for his phone—but no signal. Of course.
"Somebody! Help!" he shouted into the growing dark.
No one answered.
Issei's breathing grew weaker.
"Come on… Come on, man, stay with me," Yuuji muttered, his voice shaking.
Then—a voice.
Not Issei's. Not human.
"He's slipping, you there boy. You must act. Now."
Yuuji jolted. "What—who said that?!"
"Look down."
A soft green glow pulsed from the back of Issei's right hand. It shimmered faintly, like a heartbeat made of light.
"What are-" Yuuji started, but was cut off.
["I am Ddraig. Introductions aside, now's not the time for questions. My partner is as I stated slipping. You…you have a strange energy that may help him, but you must act quickly."]
Yuuji blinked. "What the hell are you talking about? Issei's dying! What does this have to do with me?!"
["Everything."] The voice grew quiet, then firmer. ["You are unaware of your gift. But it pulses within your heart. Listen to me, boy. If you wish to save my partner—place your hands over his wound. Now."]
Yuuji hesitated. "Why though, I'm just—"
[Do It!!"] the voice boomed, deeper now—like thunder rolling through his soul.
Yuuji flinched—and obeyed.
He pressed his palms over the wound, trembling.
["Close your eyes. Imagine a stream of water—flowing from a great lake. Through cracks, through crevices. Downward. Into a whirlpool. Let it flow."]
Yuuji inhaled. Focused.
A vision formed in his mind: a tranquil lake, rippling under moonlight. Water coursing down through narrow paths… into a spiraling whirlpool in the center. Down, down…
Heat bloomed in his chest.
He gasped.
The heat spread—through his arms, to his fingertips.
His hands glowed.
Gold and white light burst from his palms, illuminating the dark. The magic washed over Issei's wound, sealing it shut with impossible grace. Flesh knitted. Blood faded. Breathing steadied.
Issei's heartbeat thumped strong and sure.
Yuuji collapsed backward onto the grass, gasping.
"What… what the hell just happened?" he whispered.
His hands trembled—smeared in blood, yet glowing faintly still. He pressed a hand to his chest, where the heat had started.
Gone now. Silent.
He looked at Issei—still breathing, unconscious, but alive.
The glow on Issei's hand faded. And the voice was gone.
"…I'm a freaking lunatic," Yuuji muttered.