Should have made it clearer that Prologue was in the future, sorry about that.

Club was quiet with nothing for us to do. We may have received Tobe's request recently but that doesn't mean we can do anything to fulfill it right now. So that just left Yuigahama on her phone, Yukinoshita reading a novel and me reading a light novel.

The door to our club gets opened.

"Hey kids, club is cancelled for a while."

Hooray! A reason for me to go back home to vita-chan. Although this is rather sudden.

Yukinoshita's book placed face down onto her lap as she addressed Hiratsuka-sensei, "Sensei, please knock. And for what reason are our activities being halted?"

Hiratsuka-sensei shrugged, "It's out of my hands, because of rising concerns over missing people the school is cancelling all clubs until it gets resolved. Apparently there's also been talks of implementing a curfew. "

"Does that mean the Kyoto trip is going to be cancelled?"

Oh yeah, that is a reasonable concern. Extracurricular activities (clubs) are being cancelled so it's very possible for another extracurricular activity (school trip) to be cancelled.

Hiratsuka-sensei waves it off, "Don't worry about it, it's too late to cancel anyway. The funds have already been spent."

It is a day away. Also are you allowed to tell us that?

A question pops up in my head, "So club is cancelled even after the trip?" There wouldn't be much reason for saying it's cancelled for a while otherwise. Club activities usually amount to sitting in the clubroom waiting for a request and we can't exactly do that when we're over at Kyoto.

"Yep," she pauses and taps her chin, "I'll give you guys an early warning, we're going to be stricter with student supervision this time around for the trip."

It seems these past incidents are getting serious enough to warrant a reaction like this. What could be happening to make Chiba so unsafe recently?

"Aww," Yuigahama pouted, "We're going to be watched by the teachers and they'll be all grouchy with us," she made an imitation of a grouchy face, "And now it's harder to hang out without club time."

"Well, I'm sure you two can still find some time to spend together," I stood up and closed my book, "I'll head out first if that's fine with you guys."

Yukinoshita nodded, "I suppose that is fine."

Yuigahama pointed a finger at me "I meant you too Hiki!"

"Uh huh," eyebrow raised in response.

"Make sure you don't take too long to get back home," Hiratsuka-sensei added.

"Yukinon, let's go home together!" cue Yuigahama hugging Yukinoshita.

I took that as my chance to leave Yukinoshita to the force of nature known as Yurigahama to themselves along with Hiratsuka-sensei who was staying behind in the clubroom.

I grabbed my bag and put away my book. As I left the room I went in search of a vending machine for the drink of the gods, Max Coffee. A nice sweet can of caffeine to go along with having a free day.

As I was nearing one of the school's vending machines I was stopped by another student waving his hand and jogging toward me. It was Tobe and it seems he isn't with his clique like usual. What could he want?

"Hey Hikitani-kun! Have you seen Yamato around?"

Tch. If you need me for something, at least bother to use the correct name. Because as far as I know there's only one other person in the hallway and that's Hikigaya Hachiman! Anyway moving on…, Yamato? Who was that again...? Most likely a part of Hayama's clique. Going through all of the members there is Tobe and the two other forgettable members. Oh yeah, it's that tall guy in their group.

"Can't say I have."

Well it's not like I've seen anyone at all in these halls.

The corners of Tobe's eyes and mouth drooped a little as he heard me, "Man, we were supposed to have met up a while ago. If something had come up he should have just texted me."

"Did he say he was going somewhere? Just check there," I turned back to head to the vending machine, "I doubt I'll be much help with your search, so I'm going to go get a drink now."

"Oh yeah, he did say he was going to get a drink after going to the bathroom!"

"Oi, you seriously just remembered that now?"

Tobe just shrugged, "I'll tag along with you."

He just recently requested the club to help confess to Ebina and now he's forcibly accompanying me to find his friend. How very shameless of you Tobe.

Well whatever, I doubt that I can persuade him to leave me alone. But I can still try, "You do realize that there's more than just one vending machine?"

He waved it off, "I'll just go check those other places later."

I sighed. Might as well let him come with me. It isn't a long distance so I only need to endure his presence for a short time or better yet, Yamato can appear right around the corner and drag this idiot away! Go experience your youth elsewhere and go die!

When we had reached the area where a pair of vending machines would normally be, we instead only saw one of them still standing and the other toppled over on it's side with the glass cracked and the number pad destroyed.

Oi, don't destroy the machines that supply us humans with all manner of snacks and drinks. I hope the person with the idiocy to do this has hurt themselves in the process. Even if the machine had taken their money without giving back a drink or something, that's still no reason to destroy it.

Actually, there's a punctured can of sweet tea on the ground leaking it's contents out. So they got a drink but still decided to trash both the tea and the machine. Jeez, it seems that they just used it as an outlet for their anger. That person needs anger management classes.

Luckily the machine next to it was still working and had the beverage beloved and blessed by the gods. I didn't hesitate in buying myself a MAX Coffee despite the destroyed property and Tobe, who was looking around for his clique member, being right next to me.

"I'm leaving now, I got my drink. Have fun trying to find Yamato."

"Hey wait, what do you think could have happened here?"

I shrugged, "It could be a number of things, ranging from a temper tantrum to a fight where they knocked things around."

Actually now that I think about it, the puncture from the drink on the ground might be from someone blocking with their drink or getting it hit out of their hands.

"Do you think Yamato was involved?"

I took a moment and gave it some thought, "I'm not sure but I'm leaning towards him probably not being involved."

There are other vending machines he could have gone to, in fact he might have seen the broken one and left to another one so he wouldn't get implicated. For all I know this incident may have happened earlier in the day and doesn't affect Yamato at all.

"Really?"

"Well, you're the one who knows him personally. You tell me if he's the type to be in these situations," I paused a moment as a new thought popped up in my head, "If he was involved you should check with the nurse, he may have gone there."

"Got it, thanks for the advice Hikitani-kun," he smiled back at me, "I'll go look now."

Yeah yeah, now get going.

If I happen to see him, I should probably let Tobe know.

Ah yes, one relaxing evening with vita-chan.

"Onii-chan, can you buy some stuff from the store? We're out of some ingredients."

Nevermind, it seems that I've been tasked with a job by my dear imouto Komachi. Goodbye Monster Hunter, I shall be back later for another hunt.

"Sure," she handed me a list, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, can you buy me some more snacks?" she smiled at me while closing her eyes.

Oh? Do you actually just want snacks and are just using lacking ingredients as an excuse? I would guess she could just make something else for dinner with our current ingredients if she really wanted to.

Nonetheless this older brother of yours shall comply with such whims. I bet that earned me a ton of points!

"I should go out now before it starts getting too dark."

Komachi gave me the affirmative and so I left the house.

The orange light of the sunset colored my face as I walked on my way to the store.

Now that I'm outside and with nothing occupying my mind I reflected on earlier today about when Hiratsuka-sensei mentioned those missing people. Really, it seems there's been increasingly serious incidents these past few months in Japan in general. Not just Chiba.

I wonder how exactly it's going to affect the school trip to Kyoto. How far does 'stricter supervision' extend? More staff? A curfew during the trip? Who knows.

As I walk into the store and pick up some ingredients I overhear some housewives, "Is your son going to be fine while he's studying in Tokyo?"

"Well I would hope so, although I tried to check on him today but he didn't answer my call. Why do you ask?"

"Have you not heard about police finding human bones and puddles of blood in allys?"

"Well yes but considering the rumors of giant animals or cannibals causing those deaths I'm inclined to believe that they're exaggerated."

While that conversation went on in the background I gathered my groceries to pay for them. My mind is drifting towards what I had heard. Exaggerated rumors or not I should be more careful when I'm outside, for all I know those deaths may be connected to the missing people in Chiba. They both had started at around the same time after all. Although it is a bit of a stretch, dead bodies do not equal missing people after all.

I paid and left the store, sunlight was dimming and darkness started to shroud the area. Better hurry home before it gets too dark.

Right when I passed a public park I heard a crack of broken glass. The direction the noise had come from was somewhat deeper into the park. I couldn't help but pause and try to see where specifically it originated from.

I scanned the area to see some seesaws, slides, slides, and a trash can. There's also a concrete floor in the area I'm standing in and a dirt floor for where the playground set is. Nothing that had stuck out in particular. No one in the area either.

Well clearly I wasn't looking closely enough because once again the sound of glass shattering rang out louder than before. I still didn't have a visual of whatever is causing those noises until a flash of moving brown appeared in my vision followed by another crack of glass.

Holy shit.

A furry hand is coming out of what seems like a tear in the air. I hadn't seen it earlier because of the growing darkness in the area and the fact that I wouldn't normally be looking for things like this in the first place.

When I had heard those sounds I had expected some kid playing around with glass or something not whatever impossible scenario this is!

The crack expanded and some sort of creature appeared from inside it. It was covered in fur, wore armor, carried a club and is bipedal as evident by it walking out of the newly created portal.

It's head perked up in my direction, "How lucky, fresh meat right in front of me. Don't have to waste precious time searching."

It lunged in my direction and in my frozen state I was unable to avoid it. It had leaped a greater distance than I thought possible which added to my shock.

It grabbed my jacket and slammed me down into the ground, dazing me. In the process I had dropped my groceries as well. It then started dragging me towards the portal, "Don't worry, your delicious flesh won't go to waste. Your precious life force will fuel my own," it turned it's face away from me to look forward.

The words took a moment to register in my head during my dazed state before I started to thrash around in an attempt to escape. Sweat started to form from both my efforts and my fear.

"Come on, stop struggling. It's not like you humans really amount to much in life anyway. What have you done with your dwindling life span anyway? You'll die eventually so it doesn't really matter," it licked it's lips,"If I was able, I would make a farm full of tasty morsels like you!"

I don't amount to much? Humans in general too? What is this creature to decide something like that? It doesn't know anything about me. Nor does it understand the human race. Look at all the achievements that have been made over the years, ranging from the creation of automobiles to space travel. Even with the problems I have with current society doesn't mean that us humans don't amount to much.

For this son of a bitch to say something like this feels like it's trivializing my whole life. My time with my sister and recently clubmates is something that can't just be waved away.

I've saved Yuigahama's dog and fractured my leg. I've made myself the scapegoat for social situations and became even more of a social pariah than before. And there were also those traumatic elementary and middle school memories! Those are the experiences and actions I've done and weathered the consequences for, whether good or bad, something that made me who I am. So it matters to me!

Yes all humans die eventually, however to dismiss us because of that is short sighted and is of peak arrogance. What makes you monsters any different? If it's made of flesh and blood then it can die, and this furry monster looks very much to be made of that.

And do you think I would just let myself be dragged away to be eaten? As if that would be what my whole life would amount to!? I'll let myself decide how I want to die and it certainly won't be from being eaten!

I slipped out of my jacket while it wasn't looking and in the process stopped myself from getting moved even further out of my control.

I won't let my purpose in life and death be dictated by some hundred yen store werewolf knockoff!

It turned around, "Wha-?" only to be interrupted by my fist.

That had hurt my knuckles more than I would have thought. Although this may not be the moment to think about these kinds of trivial things considering the fricken stick that's heading towards my head!

I just barely got out of the way, the wind pressure tickling my skin. The monster's thin appearance betrays its strength as it breaks through concrete with that one strike.

The monster growled as it missed, it's small beady eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

Well punches are probably out, I don't think I can take it out with just that if my hand hurts already from just one punch. That just leaves me using kicks and my environment since I didn't want to break my hand into pieces.

There's also a few issues with this situation: I've never been in a proper fight before, much less with some sort of creature that has no problem with killing me. And despite my earlier rage fueled thoughts, I am still very much scared for my life right now.

In fact I can feel the trembles of my legs and hear the pounding of my heart. Hopefully I won't give myself a heart attack now.

I took a deep breath. And tried to compose myself. Let's try not to hyperventilate now since hyperventilating means fainting and fainting means death.

I need to get some distance. I jumped backwards only to be immediately followed by the monster.

Dammit this was a mistake, why didn't I remember it's physical prowess from earlier!? Distance doesn't matter much when it can close it much faster than I could increase it. It would be another matter if it was stunned or something but it isn't.

It's club was raised and in an attempt to defend myself I put up both my arms to try to mitigate the damage. The weapons slammed into my arms and I was launched further backwards and landed harshly onto the ground.

"I changed my mind. I'll kill and eat you here and now!"

My arms feel like they're on fire! The monster's words barely register in my mind as I attempt to move the two limbs only to give myself another sharp pang of pain. Well I half expected it to be even worse based on the broken concrete, maybe the fact that I jumped backwards at the same time as I was hit helped to decrease some of the damage.

Forget that for now! I need to get up and move!

I scramble back up and dodge yet another swing at me.

I took a few steps back and noticed the trash can right by me. Right when it ran towards me I kicked the trash can down and the monster tripped over it and landed right on it's snout. I raised my leg and stomped on it's hairy head once for good measure—take that you overgrown canine—before getting some distance to try to think of some sort of plan.

Well, there is that swing over there. Let's make it up as I go, can't allow myself to think too long now can I?

I ran towards the swing and noticed that the mutt of a monster had already gotten back up and jumped after me. Well I do have some semblance of an idea so let's execute it.

I dived right over the swing and landed on the ground. While the monster landed on the swing's seat and the momentum from it's jump pushed the swing forward causing it to go right over my head. The force from it's jump was so strong that the swing went right over the top bar and the monster headed back in my direction from the swing.

I got back up right and readied myself. I raised my leg and kicked straight forward when the furry bastard reached me on the swing. The brief moment where I saw confusion on its face before it got sent straight off the swing was oh so very satisfying.

The momentum of the swing along with my foot meeting with its face should have added together to make it hurt even more.

Although I didn't think the whole thing through considering the seat of the swing was still heading for me. The swing hit me right in my face, specifically my nose.

"Dammit," I hissed, annoyed at myself about the now bloody nose I had that could have been avoided if I wasn't basking in satisfaction earlier. Actually, it might be broken for all I know. Not like I have the experience to be able to tell.

The monster rose from the ground with seemingly no problems from my attack. Son of a bitch, it seems that I'm not doing much to it at all.

I need something to put it down permanently like the dog it is. A weapon of some kind.

I look around trying to find something that could help equalize the situation. Unfortunately I don't see anything that would help, not even a tree branch. Although I doubt a tree branch would withstand more than a single hit.

That only really leaves one option, the monster's own club. However there are multiple problems with that: I don't know how to disarm, my arms are injured, and it's strength far exceeds mine.

Well, I'm just going to have to try! I don't see any other way to do meaningful damage to it. Unless I missed something really obvious, which for the sake of my health and sanity, I hope not.

It runs at me and I lunge right towards it causing the monster to widen its eyes before my vision is enveloped in fur.

Should not have gone face first, that hurt despite it's furry appearance. Shoulder would have been less painful. But that doesn't matter right now, what matters is taking its weapons and beating its skull in until it cracks wide open!

I reach for the arm to control the weapon and make it difficult for the club to be used on me.

Too bad that this was a creature with superhuman strength because a single punch to my side sent me to the ground.

The pain from my skin scraping against the concrete helped distract me from the ACHING AGONY OF MY SIDE!

While writhing on the floor, holding my side, I distantly noticed that the sun had set. When? I have no idea.

All I see now is the dark shadowy figure of the monster looming over me now, with the club in hand.

"Hee Ho!"

An eruption of ice covered the monster, freezing it momentarily before the ice broke apart. It's face now set in a snarl as it turned…

Only for a blur of white and blue to collide against the monster, sending it away from my position a few meters away, "Never fear for Jack Frost is here, a hero fighting for love and justice! Ho!" some sort of miniature snowman with a blue hat landed on the ground next to me, "I will not let you bully the weak! Hee Ho!"

What the hell sort of cute mascot is this?

The injured monster rose from it's position with a snarl and pounced at Jack Frost, the club glowing a bright white, "I will Bash your head in!"

"Ho shit!" the snowman ducked under the swing and raised its hands to the fury monster's stomach, "Bufu!"

Another burst of ice froze the monster in place, before it once again broke leaving the monster to collapse onto the floor.

Was it dead? Well it's not moving… and there seems to be a red mist emitting from the body. I don't think I saw that earlier when it was trying to kill me, then again I was a little busy trying not to become a tasty Hikigaya Hachiman snack. Ironic, in my quest for snacks I almost became a snack. Oh, I don't think I've ever been referred to as food before. Usually I'm called things such as a frog or germ or something.

Well, guess I have a new trauma to draw on for my inner monologues later.

Wait. Is the corpse evaporating into that red mist?

"Hee Hoo…" the snowman breathed out, "That was close."

I'll put that previous thought on hold, there's still something really important to address. Like…,

"...What are you?"

Jack Frost's face seemingly brightened as it saw me. It paused and hummed to itself in a thinking position until it nodded to itself.

The snowman spun in a circle once and struck a pose by thrusting one arm up, "I'm the defender of the innocent, prevailer of evil! The one named Jack Frost! Hee Ho!"

"…"

In response to my silence it tilted it's head as it stared at my face. Returning back to a neutral posture it seemed to have a lightbulb moment as one of its fists tapped it's other open hand.

"Hee Ho, if you're wondering what we are," Jack Frost pointed at the dissipating corpse, "We're Demons, ho."

"...huh."

A/N

I only have a general idea of where this story is going up until when the prologue would be. Making up a lot of this as I go. Letting the themes I have for this story help guide me to what I'm going to write probably.

Had no idea when I was going to set the beginning of the story so I rewatched all of season 1 and season 2 episode 1.