One day, after some time had passed since Takeru started attending Ouran Academy, he found himself reflecting on his eventful life. Having survived a turbulent existence in another world and now dealing with daily encounters involving gates, Takeru noticed that the students at the academy were remarkably capable. Since they quickly handled most problems, he was able to spend his days quietly without drawing much attention.
In the Ouran Academy library during the twilight hours, Takeru sat at a window-side desk after school, searching for a way to return his soul to Kusunagi Takeru.
He closed the book he had been reading and sighed.
“Phew... no good.”
Neither the internet nor the books offered any concrete answers. The pile of books on his desk—titles like "Proof of the Soul," "Spiritual Magic Theory," and "The Necromancer’s Compendium"—were filled with dubious and questionable theories.
“I guess this person is my only lead…”
He picked up a June issue of a Hunter magazine that he had purchased and glanced at it. The headline read, "Japan's Strongest Hunter, the God of War: Uesugi Kikyō, Who Channels the Spirits of Heroes!"
—She fights by channeling the spirits of dead heroes…
“It’s kind of similar to my current situation, isn’t it?”
—I may not be anything like a hero, though…
Takeru didn’t think of himself as some grand hero, but he was, after all, the savior of another world.
If his soul had indeed entered the body of Kusunagi Takeru, the logic would be the same. And in that case, Uesugi Kikyō would have maintained her original soul within her own body, suggesting a different hypothesis.
“If that’s true, maybe my soul is just possessing his body, and Takeru’s soul is still…”
As Takeru pondered this possibility, he suddenly raised his head.
“Hey.”
“—!?“
Sitting naturally in front of him, smiling brightly, was Byodoin, who had startled Takeru without warning. There had been no murderous intent, and Takeru had let his guard down.
“W-What do you want?”
“Hehehe. You’ve caught my eye for quite some time now.”
Byodoin's words sounded straight out of a BL drama, sending shivers down Takeru’s spine. He suddenly realized that there was no one else around them.
“Tell me… you’re hiding your true strength, aren’t you?”
Byodoin's sudden words came with a smile, but they instantly made Takeru mask his emotions and his expression went blank.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been observing masters since I was a child, and I can always tell who’s stronger or weaker than me. But with you, I couldn’t gauge your strength at all. It felt like there was no bottom to it.”
Takeru sighed, sounding somewhat exasperated.
“Look, I have amnesia. Before that, I was just a normal student, not even a Hunter.”
“For someone who’s supposedly an ordinary student, though, your posture, your swordsmanship, your composure… Every one of those qualities suggests you surpass even the greatest masters I’ve ever known.”
Byodoin’s usual gentle smile faded as he leaned in, gazing at Takeru with eyes full of fascination with his strength.
—I’m really curious about your strength…
Despite the pressure, Takeru remained unfazed.
“…"
“…Just kidding!”
Byodoin suddenly broke back into his usual cheerful grin, waving his words off as a joke.
“If you’re really that strong, I’d love to spar with you sometime.”
“Don’t go around picking fights with ordinary students, Hunter.”
“…Heh, well, let’s leave it at that, then.”
Byodoin made as if to walk away, but then something caught his eye—the magazine Takeru was reading.
“Kusanagi-kun, are you interested in Hunter Uesugi?”
“…Yeah, sort of.”
—In truth, I’m researching a way to return this body to Takeru, but… oh well.
Since he couldn’t tell the truth, Takeru gave a noncommittal response.
“She’s at the pinnacle of Japan’s Hunters, you know. I had a match with her recently, but it wasn’t even close.”
“…What?”
“Hm?”
For a moment, Takeru couldn’t process what Byodoin had said, and voiced his confusion.
“You met her?”
“Many martial artists gather at the Byodoin house. Although I must admit, having someone like Hunter Uesugi visit was a first.”
“Is she still here?”
Takeru’s expression turned serious as he interrupted Byodoin’s slightly boastful explanation. Surprised by Takeru's sudden change in tone and the hint of emotion in his voice, Byodoin responded.
“…No, she’s already gone back.”
“I see…”
—If I had met her, I might have found some answers…
Byodoin noticed Takeru’s obvious disappointment.
“Do you want to meet her?”
“…Yeah.”
“It’s not easy, you know. She usually stays secluded in the sacred mountains, training, and rarely shows herself.”
Takeru responded almost unconsciously, while Byodoin thought it over.
“…But maybe, if I use my family’s connections, I could arrange a meeting.”
“Really!?”
Takeru looked at Byodoin in surprise. Seeing Takeru’s reaction, Byodoin knew this was his opportunity.
“If you show me your true strength, I’ll introduce you to Japan’s strongest Hunter—Uesugi Kikyō!”
Byodoin struck an overly dramatic pose as he made his offer to Takeru.
Within the grounds of Ouran Academy, several black gates are maintained in a controlled state after breaking. These gates are bound by special magic, sealing the bosses inside and preventing the monsters from escaping. They serve as training grounds for the students.
Inside one of Ouran Academy’s training gates, in a place resembling a Greek temple, the boss, a massive bull-like monster called the Great Bull, is bound by chains and glaring menacingly.
Facing each other in this space were Byodoin, armed with his spear, and Takeru, holding a sword.
“Here, we can fight without worrying about prying eyes!”
“That bull is staring at us pretty angrily though!”
The Great Bull, chained by magical restraints, struggled fiercely but couldn’t break free.
Takeru casually swung his sword to get a feel for it, then asked Byodoin.
“…You better keep your promise.”
“Of course! Now, let’s get started!”
Without any warning, Byodoin launched an attack. Takeru narrowly avoided a strike that would have hit his shoulder and countered with a quick slash, causing Byodoin to step back. Almost immediately, Byodoin thrust his spear forward.
—He’s maintaining a distance where my sword can’t reach…
Takeru calmly dodged the series of spear thrusts, calculating the distance with precision, while analyzing Byodoin’s movements.
“See? You’re strong after all!”
“…”
“Then let me turn up the intensity!”
Byodoin’s playful demeanor vanished as he unleashed a flurry of attacks like a violent storm. But—
—None of them are hitting!?
Takeru effortlessly dodged every single blow, without even raising his sword, all while maintaining an utterly calm expression. Byodoin was taken aback, locking eyes with Takeru’s composed gaze, realizing that every move he made was being read and anticipated. He felt a mix of fear and exhilaration.
The more Byodoin attacked, the more Takeru avoided his strikes with ease, prompting Byodoin to increase his tempo even further.
“Haha! My spear isn’t landing at all! This is—”
Flashes of his previous battle with Uesugi Kikyō, Japan’s strongest Hunter, ran through Byodoin’s mind. He couldn’t help but compare Takeru’s calm dominance to that overwhelming presence.
“I’m going to attack now.”
“Huh?”
Takeru’s words left Byodoin momentarily dumbfounded.
“Better dodge.”
“—!?”
The moment Takeru stepped forward, narrowly avoiding Byodoin’s spear, a chilling killing intent surged through the air. Byodoin’s instincts screamed at him to flee, and he leapt back with all his might.
The delayed strike Takeru delivered was more specialized for killing than any attack Byodoin had ever witnessed, while also possessing a certain artistic grace. It was a blow that made every cell in his body tingle with excitement. Standing tall in its aftermath, Takeru asked calmly:
“Are you satisfied?”
Byodoin, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, found himself mesmerized by the strike and momentarily paralyzed.
“…Amazing.”
Takeru had hoped this would be enough to end things. However, Byodoin’s eyes gleamed with even more excitement, far from being defeated.
“As I thought, you stand far above me! Incredible, Kusanagi-kun! Show me more! Show me more of your strength!”
—Is this guy a battle maniac…?
Takeru, who had initially thought Byodoin was a decent guy, felt a bit disappointed and sighed. He decided it was time to finish the fight with one final blow, realizing there was no need to prolong it any further. Meanwhile, Byodoin, unaware of Takeru’s thoughts, continued to speak excitedly.
“I need to become as strong as people like you—”
A flashback of past events filled Byodoin’s mind: an image of himself, injured and on his knees, with Sakura standing tall, wounded but still defending him and the others.
At that moment—
‘Bluuaaaahhhh—!’
“—!?”
Both Takeru and Byodoin turned to the source of the roar. The Great Bull, which had been restrained by chains, began to transform from the inside out. Its bulky, rounded body was swiftly morphing into dense, muscular form. What was once purely animalistic was changing into something more humanoid, combining human features with its original bull-like form. And then—
“What is that…?”
“No way…”
Byodoin’s face filled with fear as he stared at the transformed creature.
“The Great Bull has turned into a Minotaur!?”
‘Bluuaaaahhhh—!’
The chains that had originally bound the C-rank Great Bull were now useless against the A-rank Minotaur. It tore through its restraints and, now free, the Minotaur lunged at the two humans, ready to kill.
