Onoda and Naruko wiped their eyes, sniffling. Kinjou cleared his throat.

"Now that you know our tragic history," he fixed his gaze on the first-years, "have you learned anything from our experiences?"

"Never take your stomach for granted!" wailed Naruko, eyes larger than saucers.

"Having friends by your side is comforting, even when they cannot help!" chirped Onoda.

"This training camp was designed specifically to torture first-years," said Sugimoto. Yasutomo snorted.

"Well, you're not wrong."

"Um, may I ask something?" Onoda raised his hand. Yuusuke hummed encouragingly. Onoda rubbed his nose, smiling. "What did you learn from that training camp?"


"I learned.. that I had to get stronger," Kinjou fixed his glasses. Yasutomo rolled his eyes.

"I learned that energy gels are dangerous," he propped his chin on Yuusuke's shoulder. Yuusuke laughed.

"I learned that Yasutomo was good, deep down, and training wheels are the worst, sho."

Yasutomo grinned. Tadokoro sighed.

"I learned that sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy, so I won't give up so easily ever again."

Flustered by their sympathetic looks, he proceeded to add,

"A-And! Because Arakita got sick, we also learned he was the Youkai."

"The Youkai..?" echoed the first-years. Yasutomo shot Tadokoro a glare.


"We're almost there, Tadokorocchi…"

Tadokoro hummed, half-dead Yasutomo crushing his shoulders.

"I guess I should let someone know—"

"The Youkai's back!"

Yuusuke and Tadokoro froze as a group of bewildered students poured out of the dorm.

"Youkai, what happened to you?!" they cried.

"My mortal form is dying.." slurred Yasutomo. The group gasped in horror.

In the blink of an eye, they pried Yasutomo off Tadokoro's shoulders and hauled him inside the building, shouting,

"Make way!" "The Youkai's sick!" "Get Seiko-chan! We need medicine, stat!"

Outside, Yuusuke and Tadokoro exchanged stunned glances.

Much like the first-years did right now, actually.


"Are you kidding me?!" shrieked Naruko. "I thought the Youkai was a myth!"

"So when our classmates said the Youkai could smell your soul, they literally meant Arakita-san's keen sense of smell..?" Sugimoto slapped his hands on his cheeks. "I cannot believe I've never made that connection! This is a disgrace!"

"Stop talking about the Youkai already!" snapped Yasutomo, shooting murderous glances at Tadokoro. "So I accidentally started a cult, big deal!"

"A cult?!" stammered Onoda. Yasutomo rubbed his temple with a tortured sigh.

"Look, I'll explain some other time. Now go to bed, you brats! It's late!"

"Aww, Arakita-saaan..!"