The hollow spirit screeched as it lunged toward the terrified girl, jaws wide to devour her soul. But before its teeth could close—
SHLICK!
Its arm was severed in a clean instant.
A young man landed lightly in front of the monster, the moonlight reflecting off his calm, unreadable expression.
"It's my job to kill you," he said quietly.
The spirit wailed as the girl collapsed behind him. The man didn't spare the creature a glance—he could already predict its movements. Instead, he sheathed his sword, brought his hands together, and began forming rapid hand signs.
"Oh almighty wind spirits…"
His voice rose with the gathering air around him.
"Become my blades and tri-cut my enemies to execution—TACHIKIRU KYŌFŪ."
He sliced his hand through the air.
Three enormous wind blades erupted from the ground, spiraling upward. They carved through the hollow spirit, shredding it into vanishing wisps before it could scream.
Silence followed.
The man exhaled lightly and turned toward the collapsed citizens.
"Are you all okay?" He knelt to check their pulses. "Hm. They've passed out."
The girl he had saved earlier blinked weakly. "H-Hey… mister… thank you… for saving me…"
He offered a gentle nod. "It's no problem."
A shout echoed from further up the street.
"Lieutenant Yugo! Are you okay?!"
Girl #3 blinked again. "Is that your name, mister?"
"Yes," he said. "I am the lieutenant of Sector 15—Yugo Sukishima."
The girl gave a small smile—then fainted from exhaustion.
The approaching footsteps grew louder.
"Lieutenant!"
Yugo didn't turn around. His voice remained calm but sharp enough to cut glass.
"Fourth in-command Maya Masashi… you're making a racket."
Maya flinched instantly. "I—I'm sorry, Lieutenant!"
Yugo sighed softly. "It's alright. Relax."
Another officer hurried over. "Excuse me, Lieutenant Sukishima. I'm with the medical and support unit. What should we do with the civilians?"
Yugo pointed toward the wounded. "Heal the injured first. Then send all civilians back home safely. Understood?"
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
Maya stepped closer. "Lieutenant Yugo, Headquarters wants us to return immediately."
Yugo nodded, then suddenly turned, eyes narrowing.
Maya stiffened. "Lieutenant? What's wrong?"
"Thought I sensed someone watching us," Yugo muttered. "But it's gone now."
"We should go," Maya insisted.
"You're right. I trust the squad to handle the cleanup themselves."
A confident female voice chimed from behind him.
"Come on now, Yugo. You should know better than to worry that much."
Maya straightened. "Lieutenant Yuki!"
Yugo glanced back. "Hey there, Yuki."
[YUKI SARAGAKI — AGE 18 — LIEUTENANT OF SECTOR 5]
Yuki folded her arms. "We may be medical support unit, but we can still fight. Don't underestimate us."
Yugo said calmly "You're right. How silly of me."
[YUGO SUKISHIMA — AGE 19 — LIEUTENANT OF SECTOR 15]
Maya tugged on his sleeve. "Lieutenant, we really need to go."
Yuki nudged him teasingly. "Your in-command officer is literally begging you. Go on."
Yugo waved. "See you around, Yuki."
He and Maya dashed off.
Yuki watched them leave, her expression soft.
"That boy hasn't changed… Still more mature than everyone else, even as a kid."
*****
TWO DAYS LATER - SPIRIT CORPS HEADQUARTERS - SECTOR 15 CHAMBERS
Maya and Yugo stepped into the Sector 15 chambers.
"We're back," Yugo called.
"We're back, Captain Akira," Maya echoed.
Akira perked up from behind a stack of papers. "Oh? Welcome back!"
Yugo raised an eyebrow. "Were you sleeping?"
Akira stretched. "Yeah. My paperwork tripled… again. Anyway—the report?"
Yugo began calmly, "Hollow spirit activity in Shinto is extremely low. Spiritual energy levels are normal. Just another peaceful town."
"I see." Akira nodded. "Good. There's a meeting at noon."
[AKIRA KUROKAWA — AGE 37 — CAPTAIN COMMANDER OF SECTOR 15]
Yugo frowned. "But Lieutenant Saragaki hasn't returned yet—"
"Oh?" Yuki descended the staircase with a smug smile. "Now who told such lies?"
Yugo glared. "Explain how you passed us."
"One of my squad members has a teleportation-type sword spirit," she said simply.
"…Fair enough. Wanna go check on the others?"
"Sure!"
Akira groaned. "You two should really get a room."
Yugo and Yuki snapped in perfect unison:
"And what is THAT supposed to mean?!"
Akira waved them off. "Whatever. Get moving. Only thirty minutes left until the meeting."
"Let's go," Yuki said.
Maya raised a hand shyly. "U-Uhmm…"
Before she finished, Akira, Yuki, and Yugo dashed away.
Maya stood frozen. "…And they left me. Alone. All alone…"
Yugo reappeared instantly, patting her head. "Sorry, Maya. We forgot you."
"It's okay…" she murmured.
*****
THE MEETING HALL
They arrived at the grand chamber, where five girls waited. One stepped forward.
"Welcome. In-command officers, follow me to the waiting room. The two lieutenants and Captain Akira may enter."
"Okay," Maya said, following her.
Inside, the long pentagon-shaped table already held two captain commanders and their lieutenants.
Akira nudged Yugo and Yuki. "Let's take our seats. Yuki, since your captain isn't here yet, stand beside Yugo."
"Yes, Father—! I mean, Captain Kurokawa."
Across the table, a young, sharp-eyed woman smirked.
"Trying to steal Miss Makima's lieutenant, Akira?"
[SUZUNE KUROKAWA — AGE 23 — CAPTAIN COMMANDER OF SECTOR 4]
Akira groaned. "Suzune, is that how you greet your uncle?"
A gruff old voice added, "Well, Akira, if you were my uncle, I'd be disappointed at you."
[SHINJI ZAEMON — AGE 76 — CAPTAIN COMMANDER OF SECTOR 7]
Akira pointed at him. "You're too old for me to be your uncle, old man Shinji."
One by one, the remaining captains, lieutenants, and finally—the Seven Sentinels—entered.
Homura stepped forward.
"Are we all present?"
[HOMURA KAGARIZUKI — AGE 35 — FIRST SENTINEL]
Suzune shook her head. "We still have one empty captain seat. It's been unfilled for three years."
Homura's eyes sharpened. "We will address that today. Now—let the meeting begin."
The conference hall of the Spirit Corps headquarters was silent as Homura stepped forward.
"First order of business," Homura announced, voice steady. "I would like to introduce the new Captain Commander of Sector Eight. Come in."
The doors slid open, and a young woman entered—calm, composed, and carrying an aura that made everyone straighten.
"The new Captain Commander, Masaki," Homura declared.
Dozens of sharp, calculating eyes focused on her.
Saturo Chrono leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "For your sake, Sentinel Homura, I hope she's the right choice."
Light Shugo, the Fourth Sentinel, stepped forward. "Her evaluation was done by three Sentinels, five Captain Commanders, and ten Lieutenants. There were no objections."
Dragan Mayashi — the Sixth Sentinel — added, "The fact that not one person objected should speak enough about her skill." His glance made several captains look away immediately.
Homura nodded. "Masaki, you may sit."
"Yes sir… and thank you for the opportunity," she replied politely.
Makima gave her an easy smile. "No need to be that formal. We're all equals here."
Homura continued, "Next, Shuba proposed a joint-sector training camp."
Akira nodded. "Honestly? Sounds useful."
Yuko Shindo, the Fifth Sentinel, folded her arms. "If there are objections, state them now."
A unified answer echoed across the room:
"No objections, sir."
"Good," Homura said. "Tomorrow you'll each receive a manual explaining the structure. Veronica?"
"So we're dismissed?"
"Yes. You may go."
Chairs scraped, cloaks swayed, and the room emptied—except for Homura's chosen four.
"Akira. Yugo. Yuki. Masaki. Stay."
Yuki blinked. "Uh… okay…?"
Homura turned to Teja. "Are you ready to give the report?"
Teja nodded. "Yes sir."
Yugo frowned slightly. "What's going on, Homura-sensei?"
"You're about to find out," Homura said. "Teja, begin."
The silence tightened as Teja inhaled.
"There has been an overwhelming number of spiritualist souls disappearing."
Masaki leaned forward. "Souls… disappearing?"
"To create a Hollow Spirit," Teja explained, "a spirit must pass on with intense emotions—regret, anger, envy. Their soul breaks apart during the transformation."
Akira waved a hand. "We know that part. What's your point?"
"The souls we found showed signs of complete destruction before corruption. And after they went berserk… their remains vanished in the same way hollow spirits dissipate."
Yugo's eyes narrowed. "Meaning someone is experimenting on spiritualists. Turning them into something else."
"That is correct."
Yuki's expression darkened. "Do we have suspects?"
Homura nodded. "Yes. Those often absent from their chambers."
Akira exhaled sharply. "So it is them."
Masaki looked between them. "Who?"
Teja hesitated only a moment.
"Second Sentinel Yosuke Kaito. Seventh Sentinel Kanami Shinda. Fifth Sentinel Yuko Shindo."
Yuki laughed nervously. "Ha…haha… So the suspects are Sentinels?"
Masaki folded her arms, unimpressed. "Well… that'll be easy."
Homura ignored the sarcasm. "The most suspicious is Yosuke."
Yugo crossed his arms. "So we keep an eye out."
Akira frowned. "But there's more, isn't there?"
"Yes," Homura confirmed. "The Captain Commander of Sector One—Sunny Giovanni."
Silence fell.
Then—
A scream tore through the headquarters.
Yugo shot to his feet. "What was that!?"
Yuki was already running. "Let's go!"
They dashed out, Teja remaining behind to collect documents.
At the center courtyard, a shaken lieutenant—Shibai—collapsed to her knees.
Maya grabbed her shoulders. "Lieutenant Shibai, what's wrong—?"
Then Maya looked up… and froze.
"Sentinel Light… what happened…?"
Akira, Yugo, Masaki, and Homura arrived, stopping in unison.
Yugo's voice tightened. "Is that…?"
Yuki swallowed. "No way…"
Homura stepped forward, his expression for once unguarded.
"…Sentinel Light. Someone murdered him."
High above, on the tower's highest ledge, Light's lifeless body hung still—silent, suspended by weapons that marked a single, chilling message:
The traitor had already made their first move.
*****
SECTOR 5 - MEDICAL CENTER
The quiet hum of machines filled the sterile hallway as Yugo, Akira, Masaki, and Yuki waited anxiously. Their expressions were tense, their minds replaying the terrifying scene from the headquarters tower.
The door slid open.
Shuba stepped in, face unusually grim.
Homura rose immediately. "Captain Shuba—how is Light?"
Shuba exhaled heavily. "His injuries are… severe. He's holding on for now, but he may not last long."
His voice softened. "While he's still conscious, he asked to speak with you."
No one wasted a second. They followed Shuba down the corridor to a quiet room at the end.
Inside, Sentinel Light lay on a raised bed, breathing faintly. His skin was pale, his spirit energy flickering like a candle struggling against wind. Even so, he forced a small smile when they gathered around him.
"Homura…" Light whispered, voice weak but steady. "I'm glad you… found time for me."
Homura stepped closer, his expression softer than usual. "Of course I did. There's always time for my subordinates—especially when they're hurt."
Yugo clenched his fists. "Sentinel Light… what happened? Who did this to you?"
Light exhaled slowly. "I'll tell you… everything. From the beginning."
*****
LIGHT'S FLASHBACK
The memory rewound to just after the meeting. The captains and Sentinels parted ways, speaking among themselves.
Light called out, "Hey, Dragan. You were one of Masaki's evaluators, right?"
Dragan nodded. "Yeah. She was incredible. You should've seen the way she handled herself."
Light chuckled lightly. "I'll take your word for it. Anyway—guess I'll see you later."
"Sure. See you around," Dragan replied, heading down the opposite corridor.
Light made his way through a quiet alley on the grounds—until suddenly, a shimmering veil of energy dropped around him, sealing off the exit.
Light halted. "A barrier? What is this…?"
A figure cloaked in black approached from deeper inside the alley. Silent. Confident.
Light narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? Are you responsible for this?"
The cloaked attacker smirked beneath their mask. In a single motion, a sharp blast of compressed wind shot toward Light like a spear. The impact shook the air—dust exploding outward.
But when it cleared, Light stood behind a pair of glowing wings shielding him.
The masked attacker tilted their head. "So that's your Sword Spirit… interesting."
Light lifted his blade. "Sword Spirit manifestation—Sora."
A soft voice resonated behind him as a figure formed, luminous and serene.
"You haven't called me out in a while, Light."
Light sighed. "Is this really the time, Sora? Ready for Rokukai?"
Sora gently touched his shoulder. "It has been… a long time."
Light prepared his stance—but then staggered. He glanced down and saw that there was a hole in his stomach.
"Sora… what hap—"
As Sora was healing him, a fierce burst of wind slammed into the spirit, sending Sora to the wall and disrupting the manifestation. A second strike sent Light to the wall and then got got pierced by a sword through his chest.
The masked figure stepped forward. Light's eyes widened as sunlight hit the attacker's face, revealing the truth beneath the hood.
"You… no. It's you… but why…?" Light gasped.
"Why, Yuko?"
Yuko Shindo—the Fifth Sentinel—looked down at him with chilling calm.
"You'll die here," she said softly, "in the place you vowed to protect."
A whirlwind of spirit energy surged.
Light's memory blurred.
His scream echoed…
*****
BACK TO THE MEDICAL ROOM
Light's head sank back against the pillow, exhausted.
The room was silent.
Yugo's eyes widened. "So it was Yuko… one of the Sentinels…"
Akira clenched his jaw. "This is worse than we thought."
Homura's expression darkened, shadows falling across his face.
Masaki looked at Light with quiet determination. "…Thank you. For telling us."
Light closed his eyes.
The truth had finally surfaced.
And now the Spirit Corps' greatest threat…
was coming from inside their own ranks.