What the hell?

What’s going on?!

Staring at the unbelievable scene before me, my brain felt too slow to keep up. I froze on the spot…

Dumbfounded, I watched the monster that had been so terrifyingly difficult to handle just moments ago.

I didn’t know what it was, but its spine-chilling form would’ve killed any ordinary civilian from sheer terror.

Luckily, I was well-trained. Even facing this incomprehensible monster, I’d barely kept my composure—letting the civilians escape while I stayed behind alone.

But I never expected my bullets to be useless against this walking skeleton. I nearly died to it…

Yet fate didn’t seem ready to claim me.

So it sent an angel to save me?

At least, that’s what I thought—the silver-haired loli in a cosplay-like outfit who’d suddenly appeared and sent the monster flying must be heaven-sent.

Though I still couldn’t grasp the situation.

“Who are you? Run! That monster isn’t easy to handle!”

Knowing its horror firsthand, I urgently warned the silver-haired girl. She barely reached my chest—I couldn’t believe she stood a chance.

I hoped she’d understand the danger and flee!

I’d buy her time to escape!

“What are you talking about? I came to save you—er, save you! I can handle this monster. You… just run!”

She refused my warning, glancing back with a reassuring smile. But she’d almost slipped and called me “bro”—

*Bro?*

I had no sister. I’d always wanted a cute little sister, but that bastard father vanished after leaving me only a younger brother.

Even his face was fading from my memory…

Not that my brother was bad. He was obedient, unlike others who were always acting up.

Maybe she called me “bro” because I looked older?

After all, “bro” wasn’t just for siblings—it could be a polite term for strangers too.

“You want *me* to run?”

I didn’t understand her at all.

She’d kicked the monster away effortlessly, yet I couldn’t abandon her.

Leaving a loli behind felt like committing a crime—I couldn’t accept it!

“Kyuubi, I’m leaving him to you.”

Seeing my stubbornness, the silver-haired girl stopped insisting I leave. Instead, she called out to thin air.

*Kyuubi? Who was she talking to?*

Watching her speak to empty space deepened my confusion.

If I wrote for UC News, I’d headline this: “SHOCKING! Teen Girl Talks to Air—Moral Collapse or…”

But I wasn’t a clickbait writer. What mattered was who she was really addressing.

…

Seeing my brother here filled me with conflicted emotions.

I’d successfully kicked the Bonesoul away, pinning it temporarily.

But this advantage wouldn’t last. I couldn’t let him get dragged into the Fallen World’s nightmare.

I wanted him gone so I could unleash Fimilaharde without restraint.

This T-junction alley had given me the opening to slam the monster into the wall. The space was wide enough to see both my brother and the Bonesoul clearly. When I realized he couldn’t dodge the next attack…

My body moved before I could think.

Only then did I notice—

I stood before my brother now. His mouth hung open, utterly bewildered by what he’d witnessed.

He stared at me, frozen in shock.

“What are you talking about? I came to save you—er, save you! I can handle this monster. Bro… you… just run!”

I stumbled over the word “bro,” forcing myself to correct it. My voice cracked as I spoke to my stunned brother.

“I won’t run!”

He snapped out of his daze and refused instantly. My heart sank.

If he stayed, I’d have to reveal my powers in front of him.

“Kyuubi, can you make my brother forget what just happened?”

Kyuubi had warned me: if anyone truly *understood* the Fallen World, a path would open.

Bonesouls lurking beyond reality would flood through, slaughtering everyone.

“We can ignore it. Seeing a Bonesoul doesn’t mean understanding the Fallen World. I only act if he grasps the truth.”

“Act?”

“Yes. We can’t erase memories. If someone truly understands, we eliminate them.”

“No! Don’t kill my brother!”

A cold sweat slid down my spine. I shook my head frantically.

“I won’t kill needlessly. He seems incapable of ‘understanding.’ He poses no threat.”

Kyuubi’s words eased my panic slightly. To it, my brother was harmless…

For now.

“Can you watch over him then?”

My brother stood rooted like a statue. Probably because no one expects a loli to beat monsters.

“Of course. Leave it to me.”

Kyuubi leaped onto my brother’s shoulder. He didn’t react—as if he couldn’t see or hear Kyuubi at all. He just stared at me, confused about who I’d been talking to.

“You—”

He opened his mouth to ask something…

Then froze. His eyes fluttered shut as if overcome by exhaustion. With a soft *thud*, he collapsed to the ground.

*Kyuubi must have handled it.*

Kyuubi had said: never let him *understand*.

If he did…

It’d be his death sentence.

*I have to keep him safe. I have to keep him from understanding the Fallen World.*

*‘Brother… forgive me. This is the only way to keep you safe…’*

Watching him sleep peacefully, I knew this was best.

I pulled a card from thin air—but this wasn’t Fimilaharde. It bore the image of brass knuckles.

*Probably because this narrow alley isn’t suited for Fimilaharde. And flashy attacks in the real world would draw attention…*

No matter. I slid the card into my belt’s slot, glancing at my brother’s steady breathing.

“Thank you, Kyuubi…”

“Don’t mention it. My duty. Focus on the Bonesoul. I’ll blur his memories—I can’t erase them, but I can make them hazy.”

Kyuubi waved a paw dismissively.

“I’m counting on you with my brother!”

Relief washed over me. With Kyuubi guarding him, I had no more worries.

“Card insertion detected…”

“Identifying card type…”

“Identification complete.”

“Reading card data… Data acquired. Weapon profile loaded.”

“Loading ‘Titanium Blessing—Ethereal Blade: Earth Shatterer’!”

“Loading complete. Materialization sequence initiated…”

*Ethereal Blade? Earth Shatterer?*

I only learned the name when the belt announced it.

Hearing “Earth Shatterer,” my mind flashed to a certain Ultraman…

But this wasn’t that.

Still, I had to admit—the brass knuckles looked suspiciously like the ones worn by Sorao from *Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters*. A sliding cover on the back probably hid skill cards.

I flexed my gloved hands. The knuckles felt weightless, moving with perfect ease.

My outfit had changed too. The gothic skirt was now an elegant silver-and-gold qipao embroidered with red spider lilies. The hem stopped just above my knees, with a high slit on the left for unrestricted movement.