Collapse, the Ordinary Daily Life of the Valkyries

Didn't you skip class too? Same crime!

I was just basking in the sun in the courtyard, but I was guilty of the same crime as the guy hiding under the curtains. I can't accept it.

Ah! I've had enough. Why should a punished student like me have to help prepare for the welcome ceremony?!

Chunyuan threw the hammer aside

But hasn’t the choice been made in the life guidance? It’s up to you whether to run away or do something troublesome. Then don’t say that you are a punished student anymore.

By the way, Okazaki, how about we set a trap?

trap?

Ah, it can be said that it is used to scare the freshmen. To give them a heads up, to let them know that this school is not a good place, and there are students like us who are punished.

No. Never mind, I don't know, maybe that's a good thing to say.

Well, let's get the job done. Okay, good job, good job, good job!

He is really responsible in corporal punishment of students.

***

It was completely dark on the way home

After saying goodbye to Kimura

Nagisa, too. It would be better to find a playmate in class as soon as possible.

She turned back and encouraged me.

And very loud

Well, I nodded gently

Kimura and her, we should all become good friends from now on. Because we are all in the same class.

I was thinking about this as I walked home alone.

Miscellaneous: Asking for leave

"Who is Harada? Did the teacher get the wrong class?"

"That seat is empty."

I approached the seat where Shisha was sitting, where the host was not present.

"Teacher, there's no room!"

"Everyone is here."

"It's freezing cold, but we still come to math class early in the morning!"

The whole classroom was filled with chuckles.

"Norisui, you have to cheer up and stop falling asleep."

"Did you do too much with women last night?"

Hearing the male classmate's teasing, the female classmate, who uttered a coquettish "Hateful," looked at my left ring finger. I hid the ring as if nothing had happened.

Normally, I'd be fine showing off, but I'm not in the mood right now. I have a bad feeling, and a cold sweat breaks out on my back.

Something was wrong with the student. His eyes and expressions remained the same, but the atmosphere was different, a chilling chill.

The class roll call list did have Misao's name on it.

"How rare! Torisui-sensei actually wavered."

"But the teacher is always as handsome as ever. Should I say he's cute right now?"

"Hmm, hmm, so teachers also have this kind of opportunity to chat and chat."

The girls were giggling and whispering to each other, which made me feel uncomfortable. I started to get anxious.

Student No. 37 leaned over to look at the attendance book in my hand as I stood next to the empty seat.

"Look, number 36 is me after all," the boy said, pointing directly below Misao's name. He looked at me with concern, not teasing.

He couldn't see Misao's name.

I concentrated, searching for Misao's presence. Perhaps I was careless. If I'd been more careful—there was nothing... anywhere.

Shishao is not here.

There was no trace of her anywhere near here, within the range where she could move within an hour by her own two feet and by ordinary public transportation.

...Well, I got tricked!

The restless and overly quiet monsters I felt yesterday... As expected, someone from the monster world appeared here, carefully avoiding my eyes and ears.

A great youkai that would make the other youkai hold their breath and hide in fear—that would undoubtedly be my enemy. Currently, all youkai clans are hostile to each other. When they encounter an opponent unwilling to compete, at most they will sign a truce, but relations are not friendly.

The struggle for power has lasted for thousands of years, and now is the time to fight for Shishaxu - the immortal fruit.

I suppressed the urge to smack my jaw, and as soon as I got back to the podium, I glared at the students, straining my eyes a little.

Then he quietly left the classroom.

From behind—inside the classroom came the voices of students.

"Why is the bird water so slow?"

"I heard the teacher in the office say he seems to have a cold and a fever?"

"Really? Great, study on your own!"

"Hey! If I had known, I wouldn't have come to the first class in such cold weather."

This is a hint.

Someone hinted to the students that Shisao didn't exist, so I also hinted, in order to leave the school and look for Shisao.

I went to the Mathematics Staff Room and the Academic Affairs Office and gave hints to several teachers.

"My first-grade math teacher, Masaki Torisui, called and said he seems to have a cold and a fever and wants to see a doctor, so he's taking the day off."

All the humans I glared at would believe the fictitious "fact," and it would turn out that I was not present at today's faculty and staff meeting and the first class of Class 1-E.

The only ones who can do this are non-human aliens, aliens who take advantage of humans to survive as needed.

We call that a "demon".

Otherwise, it would be impossible for me, a 20-year-old who had never received education in a human school, to become a high school teacher.

I came to the back of the school building, made sure no one was around to see me, and then spread my wings.

To blend into human society, I usually hide these black wings within me. When I flap them, I catch the wind, and a surge of joy fills my body. These wings are proof of my status as a youkai—a tengu—and my glory.

As I soared high into the sky, my uneasiness intensified as I looked down at the crowded streets of Tokyo below. It felt like a burning sensation in my stomach.

Misao is always a prey to monsters... I should be doing my best to protect her. It's no use not only living next door to her, but also working as a high school teacher so I can protect her during the day.

"Damn it! Why didn't I notice?!"

Misao...you should be calling me desperately now.

Where is it? Who tricked me?

I clenched my left hand, which was wearing the ring, into a fist, gritted my teeth, and flapped my wings with all my might to soar.

I silenced the flapping of my wings and landed in the residential area where my home was. Then, folding my wings so no one could see me, I pressed the doorbell to the Harada residence.

Fortunately, the voice of Misao's mother, "Who is this?", came from the intercom.

"I'm Kuang, sorry to bother you."

"Oh, you're from next door... Please wait a moment. I'll go open the door now."

To Misao's mother, I was "Childhood Playmate Kozo" who lived next door to the Harada family.

When Misao was in kindergarten, I was her best playmate and older brother. Ten years ago, due to family reasons, I left home and moved out. Four months ago, I returned for work and reunited with Misao. Our childhood sweetheart love blossomed into her daughter's boyfriend. This is how Misao's mother understands me.

The entrance door opened and Misao's mother poked her head out. As soon as she confirmed it was me, she untied the door chain and opened it for me.

"Xiao Kuang, what's wrong?"

"Is Misao home?"

I know she's not here, but I wonder if her mother knows about this. Her father should be at work.

"Shi...? Sorry, who are you referring to?"

"Misao, she's your daughter."

I saw that Shisha's mother had an expression of indescribable sadness on her face.

"...We're just the two of us at home, you know? I really want to have children."

really……!

Misao's mother was also given a hint.

"I'm sorry for being so rude."

I pushed her aside and went inside. If she was abducted at home, there might be clues about the culprit... no, the demon.

"Wait a minute, Xiao Kuang!"

I ignored Misao's mother and went upstairs to open the door to Misao's room. It was unlocked.

The bed, desk, and wardrobe—as far as I could see, there wasn't a single mess. I didn't see any uniforms or school bags. I didn't even see any student shoes in the entrance.

So, he was kidnapped on the way to school?

"What's wrong with you? That's a storage room. It only has Haosheng's books and his collection of research tools."

Misao's father was a folklore researcher. Minko refers to traditional tools used in the past, as well as festive decorations like the New Year's Gate Pine tree. It seems his father studied why people believe in monsters and the otherworldly worlds they inhabit.

Could it be that this is why a special child like Misao was born?

For monsters, they all want to grab it desperately, this special thing that only comes once every hundred years -

"...Doesn't this look like a Shimenawa or Ebisu statue brought back from a village temple?"

That was a very strong hint that the demon must be a very powerful sorcerer, which gave me the chills.

"There's a fox statue over there, and this is the fur coat that mountain hunters wear to protect themselves from the cold. Sorry, it's dusty everywhere."

That's the dog's rag doll, and this is the coat I bought yesterday, isn't it!

"Since you're interested, please come back when Haosheng is home. He'll be delighted. If we had a son, Haosheng would surely take him on a research trip."

...In Harada Yoshio's eyes, I was the man who stole his daughter. I had no room for explanation and became a thorn in his side...

In short, the situation was not good. I felt a sharp pain in my chest from anxiety and anger, and my pulse in my temples accelerated.

I hinted to Misao's mother to forget I had been there, and then I rushed out of the Harada residence and headed straight for my own house next door.

My house is a temporary residence while I'm in human society. The reason it's next to Misao's house is because my grandfather arranged it so that I can protect her and be close to her.

That's right, Misao is special to us monsters, she is the most precious human.

All the monsters want Misao's body, so I have to keep an eye on her. My teeth are clattering.

In my house, I have seven officials serving me.

The entrance was locked, and I took the key from my suit pocket.

"Is no one here? Taro? Sagami?"

Even if I called out as I entered the entrance, the house was always quiet.

It's so rare that everyone's out. Seriously, I just had to face this kind of emergency. Never mind, I can handle it on my own. Besides, we're in a hurry now, so calling with a thought wave is too much trouble.

I pulled out information about monsters from the library deep inside my home. These were scrolls and books that had accumulated over hundreds of years, with vivid ink marks on the blackened Japanese paper.

I knelt on the tatami in the living room, pulled out a bundle of scrolls, and searched for the items I needed.

"Found it, this is it."

I've been feeling uneasy since last night. If they're acting behind my back, it could only be this youkai. This scroll records our past battles with this creature.

I unfolded the scroll on the table and read the contents carefully again.

"They possess not only martial prowess but also sorcery. Their prowess in invisibility—the art of wiping out their form and aura—and illusion—the art of bewitching and manipulating people's minds—is unmatched by any other youkai, past or present." Is that so? It seems that apart from this fellow, no other youkai can hide from my eyes."