Mushoku No Sonzai 無色の存在 (Colorless Existence)

Unexplained Fear

"I-I still need you!"

"You can call me when you need me."

"I'll be dead by the time I call!"

I let out a sigh.

"Fine. We can figure out something later."

He gives me a smile.

"So we both win?"

"Sort of."

The lights in the hallway begin to flicker, meanwhile a cold chill surrounds us.

"We should go tell Alice who's going then."

"We decided already?"

As we open the door, we approach Alice.

"Alright. I'll go."

She smiles at Ren, giving him the ticket.

"Y-You..."

The lights continually flicker, the air becoming colder.
This didn't seem normal...

"Hm....The lights keep acting weird. It feels scary. Maybe I should go home now."

Ren reaches out his hand.

"Then, we'll walk you home."

He suddenly stops. The hand he had just offered became a hand pushing Alice under a desk.
The earth suddenly began to shake heavily. The lights continued to flicker, the desks sliding around like butter.
An earthquake...?
About two minutes pass, and we stand up from under the desks.
Looking around in fear, Alice walks towards me.

"A-An earthquake...?"

"Yes. It seems like it...But, it's probably over now."

She walks towards the door.

"I should head home now. Please be careful, you two."

"Yeah. You too."

She exits to the hallways.
A sigh of relief exits my chest.
Suddenly, Ren grabs my arm.

"Wh-What?"

His wings immediately appear, feathers glowing brilliantly.

"Susumu. I don't think that was just an earthquake."

"What do you mean...?"

He scans our surroundings.

"No. Maybe there isn't anything."

Suddenly, I feel a cold chill rubbing against my body again. This sensation....

"Susumu....do you sense it too...?"

"Yes. I feel Reiki somewhere..."

Ren's eyes widen, his face full of fear.

"It's somewhere outside....And it's a strong one."

"Is it a demon?"

"I don't know....But, we can't simply ignore it either. Let's go."

We rush outside the school, the sky clear as day. I wonder if Alice is safe...

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Nearby Park

As we arrive at the park, the air became cold again. The source of the Reiki was nearby...

"Susumu, it's here..."

We glance at our surroundings. The trees rustle, the children laughing and playing.

"I don't see anything..."