Shingo’s heart was pounding fast as he dashed through the dark corridor toward the auditorium.

The Norifumi School auditorium was empty except for Nena Watari, a fellow student with a sinister smile on her chubby face, standing in the middle of a magic portal and assorted monsters swarming around her.

Shingo’s instincts kicked in, warning him of imminent danger. Nena had always been suspicious, but he had never imagined she would turn against Shiori, her close friend, and classmate.

“Well, well, the brother joins the party! Too bad, my target is only the sister,” Nena said, her voice dripping with malice. “But don’t worry, I’ve expected you to show up too, I have a surprise for you!”

Shingo’s heart sank. What surprise could Nena have in store for him and Shiori?

“What do you mean by that, Nena?” Shingo asked, trying to mask his fear. “More importantly, what do you want with Shiori?”

Nena chuckled. “I accepted a deal from a client. He promised unlimited funding for my monster breeding project, so I’m very willing to do his order. I must capture my fellow student, Shiori Amiga, and bring her to him, that’s all. But, she’s a tough and feisty one. If ten monsters can’t break her, maybe a hundred will.”

Shiori was livid. “How dare you, Nena! I helped you with your project, but you turned the monsters we bred against me! Look, they’re attacking other students too! Don’t you care about other people’s lives?”

Nena sneered. “No! They don’t care shit about me. None, zip, nada! Why should I care for them? Only you help me with my project, but you’re my primary target now!”

Shingo gritted his teeth. He could see the darkness in Nena’s eyes. Her mind was corrupted by her obsessions, and she was beyond redemption. He had to stop her before she could harm his sister any further.

“Let’s stop here first, sis! Your friend’s mind is corrupted to the core by her obsessions,” Shingo said, his voice calm but firm.

“Yes, bro! Let’s do this!” Shiori agreed, her eyes flashing with determination.

Nena summoned a big monster, a red tiger-bunny. “I don’t care anymore! My pet, Akatsuki will rip you to pieces and I’ll deliver them to my client! Half price is better than none!”

Shingo snarled, “I’ll knock that horrible thought out of your head, Nena!”

Shingo and Shiori faced off against the ferocious Akatsuki the tiger-bunny, each wielding a wooden sword. The air crackled with energy as they squared off, ready for battle.

The tiger-bunny charged forward, claws extended, but Shiori was ready for it. She sidestepped the beast with lightning-fast reflexes and swung her wooden sword at its flank. The tiger-bunny snarled in anger and turned to face Shiori once more.

Shingo saw his chance and leaped into the fray, striking the beast’s other side with his wooden sword. The tiger-bunny growled and lashed out with its claws, but Shiori and Shingo were too quick for it.

They danced around the beast, swords flashing in the sunlight, each strike hitting home with a resounding thwack. Shingo felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he battled the beast, his heart pounding in his chest.

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But the tiger-bunny was not so easily defeated. It roared and lunged at Shiori, catching her off guard. Shingo sprang into action, blocking the beast’s attack with his wooden sword and giving Shiori the chance to recover.

“Thanks, Shingo!” Shiori cried, her eyes bright with determination. “Let’s finish this!”

Together, they charged at the tiger-bunny, swords raised high. The beast snarled and swiped at them with its claws, but Shingo and Shiori were relentless. They struck the beast over and over, their wooden swords slamming into its body with loud thuds.

Finally, with one last mighty blow, the tiger-bunny collapsed to the ground, defeated. Shingo and Shiori stood over it, their chests heaving with exertion, and exchanged a victorious smile.

“We make a great team,” Shiori said, grinning.

“Oh, no, time to get away from here,” Nena murmured.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Saying so, Shingo acted swiftly and hit Nena’s back of the neck, knocking her down unconscious.

“We just have to tie her real tight and let the authorities deal with her,” Shingo said, breathing heavily from the exertion.

“But, what was that?” Shiori asked, her eyes wide with confusion. “Nena can summon a big monster, a tiger-bunny named Akatsuki? I don’t understand!”

“I don’t understand either. Tell you what, let’s go clear our heads and ask Father at home later. I’ll tell Mariko about this too, I’m sure she’ll understand,” Shingo said, his mind racing with questions.

Shiori grinned mischievously. “Wow, you’re so lucky to have a girlfriend who understands you deep down into your strengths and weirdness!”

Shingo chuckled. “Hey, don’t get into trouble too often, li’l sis! Too many canceled dates and she’ll dump me for sure!”

To that, Shiori just rubbed her long, ponytailed black hair and said, “He-eh! A-okay, big bro!”

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Shingo and Mariko sat across each other at Uncle Kotetsu’s diner, sipping matcha tea and munching on a slice of creamy cheesecake.

The shop was buzzing with people, the aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries lingering in the air. They were having a pleasant conversation about their busy lives, and how difficult it was to find some quality time together.

“Well, thanks for the matcha, the cheesecake, and a company… of three. I really must go back home now to my duties in the temple,” Mariko said.

Shingo frowned. “Maybe if we go out more at weekends, or if Shiori gets a boyfriend, we’ll have more moments for just the two of us.”

Mariko chuckled. “I won’t count on that. Your sis will call on you now and then, and interruptions will happen and happen again.”

Shingo shrugged. “You know me, Mari. Like it or not, this is who I am. We must tolerate and embrace every moment while it lasts. Like I tolerate you doing temple duties on weekends, so will you with Shiori.”

“But I do agree with you about one thing. If Shiori has a boyfriend, she won’t contact you much,” Mariko added.

“That’s a good idea! Let’s see, maybe one of her classmates is eligible for the job,” Shingo said with a mischievous grin.

Suddenly, Shiori came with a wide smile on her face, her mouth full of cheesecake.

“More cheesecake, Uncle Tetsu! Shingo’s paying!” Shiori announced, grabbing a seat next to her brother.

Uncle Kotetsu chuckled. “Well, of course! Here, have some more.”

Shiori stuffed her mouth with another mouthful of cheesecake, ignoring Shingo’s protests.

“H-hey, wait! I don’t have enough money for that!” Shingo complained, but Shiori didn’t care.

“It’s on the house,” said Old Man Kotetsu.

Mariko giggled, amused by the sibling’s playful argument. The three of them chatted merrily, oblivious to the world around them, like there was no tomorrow.

But suddenly, Mariko’s expression changed, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“I have a bad feeling about Shingo and Shiori. But, must I tell them and ruin the whole fun?” Mariko thought to herself, unsure whether to voice her concerns or not. “I’m afraid after today, I won’t be seeing any of them for a long time.”

The clock on the wall chimed, signaling the end of their pleasant afternoon, and the trio reluctantly got up to leave. As they walked out, Shingo and Shiori were still bickering, and Mariko couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.