The tension was clear between Takami and the stranger.
"This is it… the same presence I feel when I fight in the open… the same one when I crossed paths with that Avatar," Takami thought, his eyes narrowing beneath the flickering streetlight. He wasn't trembling. Not this time. His body had learned to hold steady, but his mind was a whirlwind of alarms.
"Who are you?" Takami's voice cut through the cold air. "Why have you been following me? It was you, wasn't it…"
The woman's smirk deepened. Beneath the hood, her mouth curled with a twisted sense of humor.
"You know," she said softly, voice like silk dipped in venom, "I've been trying so hard to suppress my presence. But you… You feel it every time, no matter how well I hide."
She took a slow step forward, streetlight casting long shadows across her face. "I didn't think you'd remember that little alley incident. Seems like you're more perceptive than I gave you credit for."
Takami's fists clenched slightly.
"But don't let it go to your head," she continued. "I just came for a little… glimpse. A peek at what you're becoming." Her tone darkened as the air around her thickened. "Either you prove yourself to me… or you die."
The heaviness in her words dropped like a hard punch into Takami's gut. He froze, speechless.
The woman lifted her chin. The hood still masked most of her face, but now her eyes glowed beneath, two piercing gray irises swirling with dark energy.
"I am Nyx," she declared. "The Supreme Goddess of Darkness."
Then her voice dropped, barely a breath above silence. "Make sure to remember that, Takami. I hope you survive long enough to see me again."
And just like that, her body disappeared into black mist, scattering like burnt paper in the wind.
Takami was still standing there, staring at the space she once occupied. His breathing was even, but his thoughts were in chaos. The weight of her words stayed behind, pressing down on his shoulders.
A voice pulled him back to reality.
"Are you okay, boy?" an old man had stopped on his walk, looking at him with worry. "You look lost."
Takami blinked and offered a weak smile. "I—I'm fine. Thank you." He bowed slightly and quickly walked away.
The man watched him leave, shaking his head. "These young ones… burdened with too much."
By the time Takami returned home, it was almost midnight. The streetlights had dulled, and the cool wind rustled the trees gently. As he walked into the house, he noticed something was wrong.
Akane was walking to the living room, rubbing her temples. She looked paler than usual, her skin dull. Mina emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel.
"Welcome back, honey," Akane smiled faintly, though it was obvious she was pushing through discomfort.
"Welcome," Mina added, but her eyes stayed on Akane.
Takami didn't even register their greetings. His gaze locked on Akane's trembling hand and then on the gaunt shadows under her eyes. Something clicked in him.
"What's wrong?" Takami asked, walking straight to her. "I haven't been noticing, but now I realized you've really lost weight. Have you been feeling this way long?"
Akane tried to wave it off with a chuckle. "It's just a headache, really. And maybe some tiredness."
Mina moved quickly to her side and gently guided her to sit. "You need to rest, Mom. You look exhausted."
"Oh dear, I'm fine," Akane insisted, patting Mina's hand.
"No, you're not," Mina said softly, firmly. "I'll get you some water."
Takami frowned. His mom had always been stubborn, but this was different. "Sit, Mom. I'll go get some medicine." He turned and walked toward the door.
As he opened it, Mina returned with a glass of water.
"Here," she said.
Akane collected and stood up, "I think I should have a…"
Just as Takami was about to step out…
CRASH!
Mina's scream tore through the air. "TAKAMIIIII!"
He rushed back inside and saw Akane collapsed on the floor, glass shattered near her feet. Mina was kneeling by her side, tears already welling up.
"Mom! MOM!" Takami dropped beside her, lifting her gently so her head rested on his lap. "Mom, wake up! Please! Mom!" Panic replaced reason as he stared at her unconscious face. His voice trembled, his eyes filled with horror.
Mina wiped her face. "I-I'm sorry, I… I didn't…"
Takami took a shaky breath, brushing Akane's hair back. "It's not your fault."
He turned to Mina, patting her head. "I'll be back in the morning, okay? Just… watch over Tomoe and Yosuke."
Mina nodded, trying to hold back her sobs.
Takami carried his mother out, and by some miracle, a taxi appeared at the end of the road.
"Emergency?" the driver asked as he pulled over.
"Yes!" Takami shouted, voice cracking.
The driver didn't ask anything more. He jumped out, helped Takami place Akane in the backseat, and jumped back into the driver's seat.
Inside the house, Mina tried to clean the glass. But her mind wasn't in it.
"Ever since I came here, things have gone bad. What if I'm the curse? What if…what if she never wakes up? No. Stupid, stupid, stupid." she whispered.
She dropped the cloth and sank onto the couch, her eyes fixed on the door, wishing she'd see Takami walk back in with good news.
The taxi sped through the quiet city streets. Takami held his mother's hand, whispering reassurances she couldn't hear.
When they reached the hospital, medics rushed to the vehicle. She was taken in immediately. Takami stood there in the hallway, heart hammering, breath shallow.
He checked his pockets…no wallet.
He cursed quietly.
Then the driver walked over, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "No charge."
Takami blinked. "W-What?"
"I lost my mother," the driver said, voice soft, eyes a bit glassy. "Didn't get her to the hospital in time. Maybe helping you… it's my way of making up for that. Fate, maybe."
Takami bowed deeply, choking back tears. "Thank you… so much."
"Who is she to you?" the man asked.
"My…my mom," Takami replied.
"Ahh, it really is fate…Then stay with her. She'll need you when she wakes up." The driver gave him a small smile and a thumbs up. With that, he walked off.
Takami sat down on the cold metal bench, hands over his face.
Darkness. Powers. Avatars. Goddesses of death. Endless pressure. And now this.
He wasn't just fighting for strength anymore. He was fighting for the people who needed him. For the ones holding him together even when the world felt like it was breaking him apart.
He closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the wall, and took a deep breath.
Whatever's coming, he'd survive it.
He had to.
He hunched over again, hands clasped over his face, elbows resting on his knees.
⟨Emt. Recovered - 4/8⟩
The system notification glowed in front of him like an uninvited guest. His hands dropped slightly, eyes narrowing at the floating text. If it were a person, he'd deck it without hesitation.
Footsteps echoed.
Takami shot to his feet as the doctor emerged from the room. "Is she okay?" he asked too quickly, voice nearly cracking under the pressure of all the what-ifs stacking in his head.
The doctor hesitated. A flicker of a memory ran through his mind…
Flashback:
Just moments earlier, he had turned to leave the room when a weak voice called out.
"Doctor…"
He paused and turned back. Akane looked pale, her voice thin, but her eyes…they still held strength.
"Please," she said, struggling to sit up. "Don't tell my son what's really wrong."
The doctor's brows furrowed. "But ma'am, he deserves to kno—"
"I know," she interrupted, tears trembling at the edges of her eyes, "but not now. He's already carrying too much."
The doctor looked at her for a long moment before finally nodding. "Alright."
Back to present:
"It's just fatigue," he told Takami, keeping his tone even. "A bit of overwork. She'll be fine; just needs proper rest."
Takami exhaled deeply, like he'd been holding his breath since they entered the hospital. "Can I see her?"
"Of course," the doctor stepped aside.
Takami walked in, slowly closing the door behind him. The soft beeping of a monitor and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the room. Akane turned her head toward him and smiled weakly, the kind of smile that tried to hide pain but couldn't quite pull it off.
He pulled a chair up beside her bed.
She reached out and pinched his cheek. "You didn't cry, did you?"
He smirked lightly, brushing her hand away. "You scared the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry." Her voice was gentle, but her exhaustion seeped through.
Suddenly, the faint vibration of a phone buzzed from his pocket. He pulled it out and saw ten missed calls from Mina. He hadn't even noticed it vibrating. He tapped redial.
"Takami! Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay!" Mina's voice burst through the speaker in panic.
"Calm down. She's fine," he reassured her.
A long sigh of relief came from the other end. "Can…can I talk to her?"
He handed the phone to Akane. "For you. Mina."
"Hello, sweetie. I'm fine, I promise," Akane said with that same tired warmth.
A few minutes later, the call ended.
"You should go home and check on the kids," she said, her voice motherly again.
"I'll go back in the morning," Takami insisted, resting his forehead on the side of her bed. "Just rest. I keep telling you to stop stressing yourself."
"I'm trying," she whispered.
"Don't try. Do it."
She chuckled lightly, placing a hand gently on his head.
Morning, [5:00 AM]
Takami stepped out of the hospital, eyes a little saggy with lack of sleep, but still moving with purpose. He made his way back home, reaching the door and ringing the bell.
Inside, Mina lay curled up on the floor, fast asleep near the entrance. The sound of the bell startled her awake. She rushed over to open the door, blinking away sleep and anxiety. Her eyes darted past him.
"She'll be back in the afternoon," Takami answered the question before it was even asked. "You should get some real sleep."
Mina only nodded, the worry still lingering on her face, before heading back to her room.
Takami changed out of his clothes, took a quick shower, and stared at Velis. After a moment of silence, he waved it away, dismissing it into nothingness.
His hair was still damp as he walked into the kitchen, rubbing his face to fight off the remnants of sleep. The clock showed [6:54 AM]. He sighed and started prepping breakfast for Yosuke and Tomoe.
By [7:20 AM], the younger kids sat at the dining table, blinking in surprise. Takami was never around this early. Usually, he was out training or still asleep.
"Where's Mom?" Yosuke asked, looking up from his toast.
Takami paused while tying up his hair. "She left early. Had something to take care of. She'll be back before you guys return from school."
The answer seemed to satisfy them, at least enough to finish their meal.
An hour later, Takami returned from dropping them off. As he stepped back inside, a familiar chime rang in his ears.
⟨New Mission Available!⟩
He sighed, sitting down heavily on the couch before opening the interface.
⟨Conquer the Cave...
°Location: Caves of the Root
°Reward: Pillage skill
| Grant Enhancement
| 3,000,000 yen
°Possible Threats: Shadow-type spirits, Magic spirits
°Mission Class: C - B
°Survival Rate: 53%⟩
⟨NEW! - Defeat All Spirits...
°Location: [Name Not Available]
°Reward: Synchronous Adaptability
| Grant Reserve Expansion
| 3,000,000 yen
°Possible Threats: Wraiths
°Mission Class: B
°Survival Rate: 40-50%
NOTE: Auto-selected. Cannot be exited or delayed. Stay alert for the next 6–8 hours.⟩
He swiped the screen away and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
His mother just collapsed from overwork. His siblings still relied on him. Mina was on edge. And now the system wants to throw him into the jaws of death again?
He almost slammed the table in front of him. The mission interface vanished, but the ache it left was heavy.
"Just…give me a break."
But the system didn't care. The world didn't care. And Nyx's threat from the night before still echoed in his mind:
"Prove yourself to me… or die."
Takami closed his eyes.
If he was going to survive this mission and whatever the hell Nyx had planned, he needed to prepare. But first… he needed to hold his family together.
Everything else could wait.