Chapter 22: It’s You! The Unicorn!

Miku Nakano has been feeling troubled lately. In Japan, girls her age are obsessed with celebrities and idols, spending their time discussing cosmetics and fashionable clothes. She, however, is different. While she understands these trends well enough to join the conversation, her true passion lies in history books—specifically, the history of ancient military commanders.

Japan possesses a distorted society; even among students, those who do not conform are often ostracized. The reasons for being shunned are myriad. A student’s social standing can plummet if their family goes bankrupt; someone might be bullied for wearing an old-fashioned accessory, or even for the model of their mobile phone.

"But it’s been so long, it should be fine, right?" she muttered to herself. Based on her understanding of that classmate, he did not seem like the type to go around spreading other people's business. She often saw him walking alone at school, yet he commanded the awe of the entire student body—a testament to how ruthless his methods must be.

"Come to think of it, Nino said she wanted to switch classes with me." Nino Nakano, the second sister and the best cook of the five, has standards for a partner that are known to all of them.

"Thinking about it now, Mizunuki-kun actually has the air of a Warring States general..." For no apparent reason, this thought crossed her mind, and her imagination began to wander. For a long period in Japan, wars were fought village against village; back then, a battle involving a few hundred people could be called a national effort. With over a thousand students at Sobu High, Mizunuki Haku, as a first-year student, had single-handedly conquered all the delinquents in the school, earning the title of "Tyrant." If he had lived during the Warring States period, he would surely have been a renowned general.

As she delved deeper into her own narrative, Miku’s expression became increasingly rapt, and then...

"Ouch!"

Her forehead made intimate contact with a tree trunk. A red mark began to bloom on her brow. Miku gently rubbed the spot, looking dejected. How cruel—even the tree was bullying her.

*Clatter.*

A sound that did not belong to the wood came from above. Miku looked up instinctively, and the next second, a long object plummeted straight down.

"Ouch!!"

She sat hunched on the ground, clutching her forehead, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't understand why even a tree would bully her twice. Once she recovered, she picked up the culprit that had struck her face for the second time, blinking in confusion.

A... "Sword?"

She gripped the hilt.

*Shing...*

The snow-white blade reflected Miku’s face, clearly showing the red mark on her forehead. There was no doubt this was a real sword, and a masterpiece of exquisite quality at that. As she examined it closely, her eyes fell upon the inscription, and she read it aloud instinctively.

"Spider Mountain, Night Stalker... A replica of the Spider Cutter?" she tilted her head, guessing.

In Japan, anime and pop culture are rampant, and all sorts of legendary swords and weapons are highly sought after. Those with the means often commission replicas of their favorites. Naturally, she assumed this Spider Cutter was just a replica. As for the possibility of it being the real thing... impossible, absolutely impossible. She would bet her life—or rather, her sister Itsuki’s meat buns—that such a thing was impossible.

Should she turn it in to the police? Gazing at the snow-white blade reflecting her own face, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"How about... I take it home?"

Wrapping the Spider Cutter in cloth, she reached the entrance of her apartment building and suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Oh no, oh no, why did I bring this home?" She looked at the 'bundle' in her arms, her expression pained.

Although her love for Warring States history was no secret among her sisters, and her room was filled with games of that genre, those were considered relatively normal hobbies. Bringing home a sword—and such a fine katana at that—would surely leave her sisters stunned. They might even suspect she was being bullied.

She clutched the cloth-wrapped sword, looked up at the floor where she lived, gritted her teeth, and stomped her foot. She would sneak it in. She was betting that everyone wasn't in the living room!

***

In the Nakano living room, a tribunal was in session. The Chief Justice was Nino Nakano; the jury consisted of the other three sisters; the defendant was Miku Nakano. Miku knelt on the floor, her eyes darting around. The discovered Spider Cutter lay before her knees, the cloth unwrapped to reveal its true form.

"Start talking. What is the meaning of this?" Nino, wearing a bathrobe, sat with her arms crossed, her legs tucked beneath her. Her skin glowed white, and her pink toes curled slightly as she stared at the blade, lost in thought.

"If someone is bullying you, you must tell us. Don't do anything rash," Itsuki said with concern.

"You really mustn't do anything foolish," added Ichika.

"I’m firmly on Miku’s side," declared Yotsuba.

It was no wonder they were overthinking it; their sister bringing a sword home from school was genuinely terrifying. It was so shocking that Yotsuba had even dropped the meat bun she was about to eat.

Facing the concerned and caring gazes of her sisters, Miku felt guilty. "It’s not that serious..."

She explained the process of finding the Spider Cutter in detail, repeatedly insisting that she was not being bullied and certainly hadn't intended to do anything rash.

"A sword falling from a tree? That’s so magical!" Yotsuba exclaimed in surprise.

"Someone must have left it there. Since it was an accident, take it to the police station tomorrow. Don't just bring everything you find home," Nino said, finally relieved that her sister wasn't in trouble, though she couldn't help but scold her reckless sibling.

Usually, Miku would have retorted, but today, having lost her head and brought such a thing home, she lacked the confidence. She could only nod repeatedly, murmuring in agreement.

***

Meanwhile, Haku Mizunuki stood elsewhere. A sphere radiating an ominous aura hovered in the air. As Haku withdrew his hand, it rose slowly, drifting over the skyscrapers before transforming into dozens of invisible black mists that scattered in all directions.

"Carry the presence of monsters to every corner of the land."

What was hurtling in all directions was a "monster gift package" carefully prepared by Haku. Its function was to absorb people's fear of demons and transform it into various entities; if a person's hatred reached a certain threshold, they too could merge with the black mist and transform into a monster.

After all, in Japanese mythology, many demons were born this way—like Kiyohime, Aonyoubou, and Hannya. The specific type of monster created depended on the resentment and fear absorbed. The power cap for these entities was Tier 2—enough to cause massive chaos in the civilian population if the authorities didn't pay attention. However, if the state machine took it seriously, dealing with this level of the supernatural would not be a problem. It all depended on the efficacy of Japan's response.

"Now, what kind of ability should I design for myself?" Haku pondered. Theoretically, as long as he had enough belief/willpower, he could create a new world without issue, but that wasn't how things worked. A person always needed a signature ability to distinguish themselves from others. As for the strength of this ability... there was plenty! The willpower was more than enough!

He hadn't had the conditions before, but now that there was something to look forward to, he deserved to treat himself. He was no saint; the fact that he had fought from the first year to the third year as a freshman and earned the title of "Tyrant" at Sobu High showed he was not a man of ascetic desires. On the surface, he was the "Tyrant" who dominated the world, but in reality, he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes of the spiritual resurgence.

If he continued to live as a bitter ascetic, all his efforts would have been in vain!

Just then, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. That unique hairstyle caught his attention.

It’s you, the Unicorn!

*Ahem*, Ran Mouri!