Collapse, the Ordinary Daily Life of the Valkyries

"Am I still dreaming..."

I—Harada Misao, sixteen years old, first year of high school. Uh, I remember I was on my way to school, waiting for my usual bus, standing at the bus stop, reading text messages on my phone...

"Oh, right, the cell phone."

The cell phone charm popped out of my jacket pocket. But I couldn't move my hands, so I tried to break free.

Where could this be...? Did I faint at the bus stop due to anemia or something, and be carried into a nearby house?

No, that way your hands won’t be tied with ropes.

If I fainted, I should be allowed to lie down in the bed, right? Why did they throw me on the tatami? What on earth was going on?

...Kidnapping... "Ahh——" I screamed, shaking all over.

I must have been captured by a monster that wanted to eat me!

I was born into this destiny.

This "immortal fruit," born once every century, is the ultimate prey for monsters. When I turn sixteen, eating my flesh grants immortality, and marrying me brings prosperity to the clan.

The human who wants to get it first no matter what, this is me, the Immortal Fruit.

So, ever since my sixteenth birthday, I have been coveted by monsters. If it weren't for Kuang, who swore to marry me, protecting me, I would have become a monster's food long ago.

The feel of the amulet necklace Kuang gave me is literally on my chest.

I didn't expect the amulet to be ineffective...

This necklace is Kuang's Wind-Repelling Feather. Kuang has black wings. Kuang is also not human, but a youkai—a tengu.

If I didn't want to die, I would become the bride of the monster Kuang... At first I was very resistant, even though Kuang was my childhood playmate and my first love ten years ago.

When my first crush, the neighbor's brother, moved far away, he promised to come pick me up one day. I kept waiting for him... I felt betrayed, thinking he only wanted me for the prosperity of his family...

Kuang kept his promise.

Kuang came to pick me up on my birthday last fall in order to marry me. He has always liked me.

I heard that Kuang originally didn't think he could get me, but he overcame all difficulties and fulfilled the promise wholeheartedly.

However, I was fickle, did stupid things, and even said harsh things to Kuang. Despite this, Kuang remained devoted to me. In the end, I fell in love with Kuang.

I am no longer confused, I will marry the one who loves me and is my idol.

"—You're awake, Master Xianguo."

I don't know when a figure appeared on the other side of the paper window, and there was a man's sweet and low voice, a little hoarse.

I was on guard.

This person is a monster - anyone who calls me a fairy fruit is a monster and wants to eat me.

I'm sorry, Kuang, I was too careless and got captured by other monsters...

Kuang would definitely be mad. He wouldn't say, "I'm worried about you"... but he'd be worried that I'd get mad.

Save me, or I will be punished in various ways, so come and save me, Kuang!

"Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you, really."

The paper window quietly opened, and a man in a kimono walked in. He had long hair, was as beautiful as... a woman, and was about twenty years old.

Backlight... I felt that the man had a blank expression on his face, and although his voice was kind, it felt cold.

"Even if you want to escape, it's futile. This place is far away from the world where humans live."

“…………!”

Where is this place? What kind of monster are you? What do you mean by "don't worry"? These words tried to escape my lips at once, but they got stuck in my throat, and no sound came out.

The man closed the paper window with his hands behind his back and sat down face to face with me.

"Would you like to hear me play a piece? The reason I asked you here... is partly for this reason. I often find myself frustrated because I have so few friends who understand me."

The man pulled the piano next to him closer and began to play it elegantly.

It was the first time I heard a live piano performance.

I originally thought it was a very old instrument or music that was difficult to understand, but I didn't expect it to be so melancholy and sad, and the melody was unexpectedly passionate... like the soundtrack of a foreign romance movie.

I found myself unable to move my hands. My wrists seemed to be tied behind my back, crossed and bound. It felt like the hemp rope biting into my wrists...

"Where is this place?"

An unfamiliar room. A dimly lit Japanese-style room, about eight tatami mats wide. One wall was covered in paper windows, tightly sealed, making it airtight. The rest was white, with a niche containing a landscape scroll and a single, pure white paper sliding door on the innermost wall.

I sat on the brand new tatami.

The cell phone charm popped out of my jacket pocket. But I couldn't move my hands, so I tried to break free.

Where could this be...? Did I faint at the bus stop due to anemia or something, and be carried into a nearby house?

No, that way your hands won’t be tied with ropes.

If I fainted, I should be allowed to lie down in the bed, right? Why did they throw me on the tatami? What on earth was going on?

...Kidnapping... "Ahh——" I screamed, shaking all over.

I must have been captured by a monster that wanted to eat me!

I was born into this destiny.

This "immortal fruit," born once every century, is the ultimate prey for monsters. When I turn sixteen, eating my flesh grants immortality, and marrying me brings prosperity to the clan.

I am the human who wants to be the first to obtain the Immortal Fruit no matter what.

So, ever since my sixteenth birthday, I have been coveted by monsters. If it weren't for Kuang, who swore to marry me, protecting me, I would have become a monster's food long ago.

The feel of the amulet necklace Kuang gave me is literally on my chest.

I didn't expect the amulet to be ineffective...

This necklace is Kuang's Wind-Repelling Feather. Kuang has black wings. Kuang is also not human, but a youkai—a tengu.

If I didn't want to die, I would become the bride of the monster Kuang... At first I was very resistant, even though Kuang was my childhood playmate and my first love ten years ago.

When my first crush, the neighbor's brother, moved far away, he promised to come pick me up one day. I kept waiting for him... I felt betrayed, thinking he only wanted me for the prosperity of his family...

Kuang kept his promise.

Kuang came to pick me up on my birthday last fall in order to marry me. He has always liked me.

I heard that Kuang originally didn't think he could get me, but he overcame all difficulties and fulfilled the promise wholeheartedly.

However, I was fickle, did stupid things, and even said harsh things to Kuang. Despite this, Kuang remained devoted to me. In the end, I fell in love with Kuang.

I am no longer confused, I want to marry Kuang who loves me.

"—You're awake, Master Xianguo."

I don't know when a figure appeared on the other side of the paper window, and there was a man's sweet and low voice, a little hoarse.

I was on guard.

This person is a monster - anyone who calls me a fairy fruit is a monster and wants to eat me.

I'm sorry, Kuang, I was too careless and got captured by other monsters...

Kuang would definitely be mad. He wouldn't say, "I'm worried about you"... but he'd be worried that I'd get mad.

Save me, or I will be punished in various ways, so come and save me, Kuang!

"Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you, really."

The paper window quietly opened, and a man in a kimono walked in. He had long hair, was as beautiful as... a woman, and was about twenty years old.

Backlight... I felt that the man had a blank expression on his face, and although his voice was kind, it felt cold.

"Even if you want to escape, it's futile. This place is far away from the world where humans live."

“…………!”

Where is this place? What kind of monster are you? What do you mean by "don't worry"? These words tried to escape my lips at once, but they got stuck in my throat, and no sound came out.

The man closed the paper window with his hands behind his back and sat down face to face with me.

"Would you like to hear me play a piece? The reason I asked you here... is partly for this purpose. I often feel frustrated because I have so few friends who understand me."

Miscellaneous: Random Thoughts

Mika Kurama

A suitable candidate with a "blue knife pattern" in her eyes. Gentle and kind, but perhaps due to shyness or social anxiety, she's usually a bit timid. She loves cats.

Nagisa Aiza

The current head of the Xiangzuo branch family. Despite his parents' urging to mature, he's a late bloomer and still hasn't had a girlfriend. He hates half-baked things, yet he's the most half-baked person, a fact that frustrates him immensely.

Nami Izawa

Nagisa's childhood sweetheart. Lively and caring, she's highly trusted by her classmates. They even promised to marry when they were young.

Sahiro Aiza

Nagisa's younger sister. She's polite and respectful to her brother, but can be quite sarcastic. She has a severe brother complex, leading her to make dangerous remarks.

Volume 1: The Strongest Bloodline Prologue

Before my eyes, there was something surrounded by flames.

A huge fireball, so huge that the word "giant" is not even suitable to describe it, it is like a mountain.

The ball of fire squirmed as if it was restrained by something, looking unable to move.

However, the fireball merely twisted, and the flames spread around and burned, burning a large hole in the ground.

If it is not restrained and allowed to run wild, I don’t know how much damage it will cause. It’s terrifying just to think about it.

"That was a close call... Luckily, 'One Son, One Son' was completed successfully. If I had made a mistake, I don't know what would have happened."

The old man beside me whispered this. However, he looked much younger than I remembered.

He was wearing a stand-up collar uniform and had the build of a high school student, but his appearance was definitely like my dad's.

"Even I'm involved. Damn it! Let's get rid of this quickly!"

My mother was standing next to my father. She was as young as he was.

He was also wearing an old-fashioned sailor suit.

Both of them stared at the fire in front of them.

"Alright, let's begin the demon seal!"

Dad murmured with a firm will.

That's right.

The ball of fire in front of me is... a ghost.

That was the first demon that our ancestors sealed with all their energy and strength.

Its origin is unknown.

There is no record of this in the ancient documents handed down in the family.

All we know is that this ghost appeared in the northeast, then headed towards Kyoto, destroying everything it went to.

After a long battle, the ancestor who lost his wife finally sealed the ghosts and gods.

In order to prevent ghosts and gods from reappearing in the world, the children of the ancestor continued the bloodline, passed on the memory, and taught the skills to seal ghosts and gods.

It must never be forgotten.

It must never be lost.

It must never be cut off.

Until all ghosts and gods are destroyed, my blood will never be extinguished.

Afterwards, countless years passed until now——

"Our branch family's mission is to keep the demons within our jurisdiction away until the main family can use their power. It's a simple task. Is that okay, Nagi?"

Dad asked me this.