The sunlight hit my face.
For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.
Then I saw the clock.
My soul left my body.
"..."
"..."
"...I'M LATE!"
I shot up from the couch so fast that I nearly crashed into the table.
My entire body screamed in pain.
Every muscle hurt from training.
"...Ow."
Then I remembered the time.
"...I'M REALLY LATE!"
I ran upstairs.
A minute later I came back down wearing my school uniform, carrying my bag and trying to fix my hair at the same time.
Meanwhile—
Ken was sitting calmly at the dining table drinking tea.
Like he hadn't ruined my life.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?!"
Ken looked up.
"You looked tired."
"I HAVE SCHOOL!"
"You looked extremely tired."
"THAT DOESN'T HELP!"
"It helped your sleep."
I pointed at him.
"You are impossible."
"Thank you."
"THAT WASN'T A COMPLIMENT!"
Ken calmly finished his tea.
I checked the clock again.
My face went pale.
"I'm dead."
"Probably."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"...You're enjoying this."
"A little."
I grabbed my bag and ran toward the door.
Then Ken stood up.
"Come here."
I froze.
"No."
"Come here."
"Every time you say that something weird happens."
"That sounds like a trust issue."
"It is."
Ken sighed.
"Ryu."
"...What?"
"Come here."
Reluctantly, I walked closer.
The moment I did—
he grabbed the back of my collar.
"...Ken?"
"Hold your bag."
"...Why?"
"Trust me."
That sentence worried me.
The next second—
the world exploded into motion.
Wind roared past my ears.
Buildings blurred into streaks.
Roads vanished beneath us.
Everything became colors and movement.
I couldn't even tell where we were going.
"...AAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Stop screaming."
"YOU STOP WHATEVER THIS IS!"
"This is transportation."
"THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST PHYSICS!"
The city became a blur.
Then suddenly—
everything stopped.
Silence.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
We were standing on the school rooftop.
"..."
"..."
"...What."
Ken released my collar.
"You are welcome."
"THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE!"
I stared at him.
Then at the city.
Then back at him.
"...How?"
"I moved."
"THAT EXPLAINS NOTHING!"
"It explains enough."
I was about to complain again when I noticed something.
Ken wasn't leaving.
"...Wait."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you coming?"
"Coming where?"
"...School."
Ken looked at me.
Then tilted his head slightly.
"I am."
"...Then why are you standing here like some mysterious final boss?"
"Because it annoys you."
"...I knew it."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Let's go."
I sighed.
"One day you're going to explain things properly."
"No."
"...Worth a try."
Together, we headed downstairs.
---
By the time we entered the classroom, the lesson had already started.
The teacher looked at us.
We looked at the teacher.
An awkward silence followed.
"...Late again, Ryu."
"...Good morning, sir."
The teacher sighed.
Then his gaze shifted toward Ken.
"Ken."
"Good morning."
"...At least one of you behaves normally."
"HEY!"
The entire class laughed.
Even Ken looked slightly amused.
Traitor.
We took our seats.
Immediately, my body reminded me of last night's training.
Pain.
Pain everywhere.
Meanwhile—
Ken looked perfectly fine.
Not tired.
Not sore.
Not even sleepy.
"...You're not human."
"No."
"...Right."
I forgot who I was talking to.
---
Halfway through class—
I nearly fell asleep.
Again.
My head slowly lowered toward the desk.
The teacher's voice became distant.
The classroom became warmer.
My eyes started closing.
Then—
THWACK!
A piece of chalk hit my forehead.
"Ow!"
The class burst into laughter.
The teacher adjusted his glasses.
"Awake?"
"...Unfortunately."
"Good."
I rubbed my forehead.
Life was unfair.
A few minutes later, the teacher wrote a difficult question on the board.
Silence filled the classroom.
Nobody answered.
The teacher looked around.
Then—
"Ken."
Of course.
Ken stood up calmly.
He glanced at the board.
Then answered immediately.
The teacher nodded.
"Correct."
Ken sat down.
Just like that.
"...Show-off," I muttered.
"You are simply underperforming."
"...I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"...Fair."
---
Lunch finally arrived.
The classroom became noisy.
Students talked.
Laughed.
Complained about homework.
Normal things.
For a while—
everything felt ordinary again.
Then I saw it.
A figure standing at the end of the hallway.
My smile disappeared.
The figure looked human.
Almost.
Its body appeared transparent.
Distorted.
Like a reflection underwater.
Nobody reacted.
Students walked straight through it.
The spirit slowly turned toward me.
Its face twisted into something resembling a smile.
A chill ran down my spine.
Then someone walked between us.
And the spirit vanished.
Gone.
Just like that.
My appetite disappeared immediately.
So this was my life now.
School.
Homework.
Spirits.
Wonderful.
---
The final bell rang.
Students quickly began leaving.
I packed my bag slowly.
Soon, the classroom became quiet.
I walked toward the window.
Outside, the city glowed beneath the afternoon sun.
Everything looked peaceful.
Normal.
Then—
I froze.
Standing on a distant rooftop was a familiar figure.
Long black hair.
Ancient kimono.
Blindfold.
And a sword hanging at his side.
The warrior spirit.
My heartbeat immediately accelerated.
Even from this distance—
I knew he was looking at me.
Watching.
Waiting.
The wind moved softly across the city.
Neither of us moved.
Then slowly—
the swordsman raised his....
Six fingers.
My eyes widened.
Six days.
A reminder.
The challenge was getting closer.
Far closer than I wanted.
The spirit remained there for one more second.
Then—
he vanished.
The rooftop became empty.
As though he had never existed.
Silence.
I stood frozen by the window.
Then a calm voice spoke beside me.
"Six days."
I nearly jumped.
"KEN!"
He stood beside me holding his school bag.
Completely calm.
"Stop doing that!"
"You were distracted."
"Of course I was distracted!"
My eyes moved back toward the empty rooftop.
The warrior spirit was gone.
But the feeling remained.
For the first time—
the coming fight felt real.
And somehow—
I knew the next six days would change everything.