Shinji Matou at Your Service

Rumors refer to widely spread or unsubstantiated statements usually referring to defamatory statements spread behind someone's back. Due to the social nature and inherent flaws of humanity, wherever people gather, there will be rumors. When certain strange rumors ferment, urban legends are born.

This small town in Tokyo is no exception.

"Did you hear? Someone went missing again yesterday."

"Yeah, I heard. It's some female ghost causing trouble. My grandma said there's a ghost with red hair around here. It's been years."

"Geez, people still believe in those old legends?"

"I didn't believe it either, but a few days ago, my dad saw it—hair as red as blood, glowing in the night."

"Whoa, really?"

"Yeah, really. My dad has no reason to lie about this."

"Maybe your dad saw it wrong?"

"I don't think so. He pinched himself hard at the time, and the mark is still there."

"Your dad is pretty harsh on himself."

"I think so too. So, should we go look for this red-hair ghost?"

"Why would you want to do that? Are you crazy?"

"But you said you didn't believe it."

"I believe it now."

This was a conversation between two female students after school one day. Neither the speaker nor the listener took it too seriously, but when it fell into the ears of someone with an interest, it took on a different meaning.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Did you just mention a red-hair ghost? Can you tell me more about it?"

A male student interrupted their conversation.

Maybe because it wasn't something particularly important, or maybe because the male student looked gentle and honest, the girl who claimed her family had seen the ghost didn't hide anything.

"Three nights ago, around 10 PM, it was on the small path to the left of the second intersection up ahead."

"Intersection, small path..."

The boy looked in the direction the girl pointed, deep in thought.

"Thank you."

"Um... I know a bit about the ghost legend too. If you're interested, we could go to that café and sit down to talk about it..."

Another girl suggested, but before she could finish, a new voice interrupted.

"No need."

Another girl walked over, wearing the same school uniform as the boy. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, and her dignified and beautiful face was intense with a serious expression.

"Akiha..."

The boy glanced at the new girl, clearly indicating they knew each other.

"We have plans afterward, right, Shiki?"

Akiha gently took Shiki's arm, her serious expression turning into a gentle smile, but the pressure she exerted only increased.

Shiki looked slightly awkward, just about to say something, but suddenly felt a pain in his waist, which forced him to nod with a forced smile.

"Oh, I see, you already had plans."

The girl who suggested the café looked disappointed, pulling her companion away, and their conversation could still be heard as they left.

"Why did you think of asking that boy out? He looks so ordinary, nothing special."

"That's because you can't see it. He's very handsome, just hidden behind those big old-fashioned glasses. I can't believe someone else has the same good taste as me and is so beautiful too."

"Shameless! You're way uglier than her."

"Oh, saying I'm ugly, are you? I'll tear your mouth apart!!"

"Calm down, calm down. You may be uglier than her, but your chest is bigger."

"That's what I like to hear. I'll let you off this time."

...

"Heh, hehe, hehehe..."

A cold laugh and Akiha's black hair trembled and swayed. It wasn't being blown by the wind but rather forced to move by the pressure surrounding her.

"Calm down, calm down, Akiha. You don't want the legend of the red-hair ghost to resurface in the daylight, do you?"

Shiki quickly tried to soothe her.

Hearing this, Akiha finally calmed down. The tips of her hair, which had started to turn red, returned to their original jet black. She awkwardly coughed.

"Sorry, I lost my composure."

"As expected, Akiha is quite sensitive about her figure."

Shiki's gaze lingered on Akiha's chest for just a moment, but even that brief instant didn't escape her notice.

"Brother dear, are you perhaps thinking something very rude?"

"No, absolutely not."

Shiki quickly shook his head. Joking aside, he wouldn't admit it even if his life depended on it.

After more than a year together, Shiki had already figured out Akiha's personality. Outwardly, she was dignified and elegant, but inside, she was still the little girl from childhood. She relied on him, threw occasional small tantrums, and when upset, she would resort to force—especially when other girls got close to him.

For this reason, she had transferred from a prestigious girls' school in a neighboring city to the high school he attended. The day she transferred was quite the sensation; the boys went wild. However, Akiha completely ignored them. Apart from polite interactions, the only person she talked to at school was Shiki. He sadly realized that his high school life was drifting further from the peaceful existence he sought.

Sometimes, he envied Mikiya, and he had sighed about it more than once. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Mikiya's burdens were no lighter than his own. Though Mikiya appeared calm, his life was far from serene.

After another sigh, Shiki skillfully changed the subject, a trick he'd learned from dealing with Akiha.

"Akiha, why did you want me to ask about the ghost? Don't tell me you..."

"It wasn't me."

Akiha knew what her brother was going to ask and directly denied it.

"But you've been going out every night lately..."

"How do you know I've been going out? Was it Kohaku..."

"It has nothing to do with them. I saw you leave the front door myself."

"That's because I needed to investigate something... Wait, if you saw me that late, then you must also... Bro-ther-de-ar, could you please explain yourself?"

Her hair fluttered, and the pressure returned. Her brother sneaking out at night was a big deal. What if he was mingling with some dubious woman...

"Ahahaha, you caught me."

Shiki awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"I also have something I want to investigate. Lately, I've felt something strange about this city, like a bad premonition. It's like being submerged in a tank, breathing is difficult, especially at night. I asked Touko-sensei, and she said this city is distorting."

"So, you noticed too, Brother. Indeed, something is invading this city. As the head of the Tohno family and the local overseer, I must uncover the truth and prevent any abnormalities from affecting ordinary citizens. So, Brother—"

"—you want to say you'll handle it? I'm sorry, but that's not acceptable. I am also a member of the Tohno family, and as the eldest son, your duties are my duties."

"I'm the head of the family, so my word is final. Brother, your health isn't good; you should stay home and rest."

"Your abilities aren't stable either, are they? Besides, I'm the brother; it's my duty to protect my sister."

Akiha stubbornly refused to agree, and Shiki argued with reason. Neither would back down.