He who Protects the Transforming Heroines from The Shadows - Chapter 1 - The Man Shrouded in Mystery, Spriggan

Whether one is happy or unhappy depends on their state of mind. Some people find happiness in eating lots of food, while others see being forced to overeat just to grow bigger as nothing but suffering and misfortune.

It’s the same with the extraordinary. Some, bored with their everyday lives, see being caught up in something out of the ordinary as a blessing. Others, however, consider it a curse. No—if anything, the overwhelming majority would call it misfortune. No one wants to be dragged into something troublesome and dangerous. Only a rare few actually seek it out. And I, Kijou Eito, am not one of them. I’m with the majority.

Yet, for some reason, I ended up getting caught up in that so-called ‘extraordinary.’ And it’s all because of that damn goddess…

♦

“………”

May—when the warmth of spring begins to fade, and the first signs of summer’s approach fill the air.

In Class 2-7 of Fuuraku High School, a Tokyo Metropolitan public school, Kijou Eito sat at his desk, reading a book. His long bangs covered nearly half his face, to the point that one might wonder if he could even see through them.

Yet, he clearly could, as evidenced by the way his fingers deftly flipped through the pages. Sitting by the window in the corner of the classroom, his lips pressed into a thin line, he was the very image of what people would call a gloomy introvert—his appearance only reinforcing that perception.

“………”

However, the book he was reading was ‘Bring It On, Paranormal Phenomena’. That peculiar choice of reading material made it somewhat difficult to pin him down as simply anti-social. But, well, at a glance, he was unmistakably gloomy.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, he had very few people he could call friends. In fact, the only person he could confidently say was his friend belonged to another class. To make matters worse, he wasn’t particularly sociable either, so even though a month had passed since the start of the new school year, not a single classmate had spoken to him outside of lessons. Not that Eito minded in the slightest.

A quick glance at the classroom clock showed that it was 8:28. In just two minutes, the front gate would close, and the bell signaling the start of homeroom would ring. And at that moment—

“Uwaaaaaaaaah! Crap, crap! I’m gonna be laaaaate!”
“Don’t worry, Youka! We’ve always made it somehow! So this time—”

Just then— Ding-dong-dang-dong! The chime, used in schools across the country, rang out.

“Alright, time to close up!”

The one who declared this triumphantly was P.E. teacher Ueda Katsuo, age 34, single. He had no real hobbies to speak of, and past the age of 30, his sole amusement in life had become mild torment of the hopeful young students under his care. Nothing extreme, of course, just little things, like slamming the front gate shut right before a barely-on-time student could slip through.

“This is bad, Miya! The chime already rang!”
“No, it’s fine, Youka! The chime is still ringing! As long as it hasn’t stopped, there’s still a chance!”

Shouting back and forth, two girls dashed toward the school gate, running at full speed.

“Fuhaha! Too late! I’m gatekeeping you out!”

‘Cause it’s a ‘Gate’? Eito quipped in his head as he listened to the teacher’s words through the window. Seriously, a 34-year-old man saying acting childish like that? That was just plain creepy.

“Hahaha! Asamiya-san and Tsukishita-san are at it again!”

A female student, also watching the scene from the window, laughed in amusement. From the way she spoke, it was clear this had long since become a routine part of school life.

“Like hell we’ll let you!”
“Let’s show him a miracle!”

Youka yelled in desperation, and Miya followed suit. And just as the gate was about to close, two gusts of wind blew past it.

“Haa… haa…! Somehow, we made it!”
“Huu… Huu…! Safe again today!”

The two girls who had slipped through the gate, Asamiya Youka and Tsukishita Miya, high-fived. Watching them, the P.E. teacher scowled in frustration.

Leaving the disgruntled teacher behind, the two hurried toward their classrooms, where homeroom was surely already starting.

“Every single morning… they never get tired of it.”

Eito muttered to himself, turning away from the window. He could see the P.E. teacher trudging back toward the school building, but that was irrelevant.

Asamiya Youka and Tsukishita Miya—students from a class two doors down. They were famous throughout the school. Ever since their first year, they had been causing a ruckus as a duo.

Asamiya Youka was a bright, short-haired girl, the very definition of “energetic.” She was athletic, a fast runner, and a huge eater.
Tsukishita Miya appears to have a cool and composed exterior, but in reality, she’s a bit of an airhead, a charming gap moe. She has long hair and is a member of the calligraphy club, with rumors suggesting she has exceptionally beautiful handwriting.

These two girls, as it turns out, have been childhood friends since elementary school, or so their classmates say. That’s the only reason Kijou Eito even knows about it. Both of them are extremely kind-hearted, and ever since their first year, they’ve become popular at school due to their personalities.

“Well, not that it matters…”

Muttering to himself out of habit, Eito shifted his focus to the homeroom teacher’s announcements. He wasn’t particularly interested in those two. In fact, he wasn’t really interested in other people at all. If anything, he considered himself a lone wolf.

That sentiment alone should make it obvious; Eito is suffering a terminal case of Chuunibyou. A gloomy, socially awkward kid with delusions of grandeur. That’s three strikes.

Or rather, he wasn’t so much a lone wolf as he was simply a stray who had been left behind by the pack. Not that he would ever realize that, he’d probably die before admitting it.

Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps from the hallway, he glanced over to see Youka and Miya jogging past. Though he claimed to have no interest in them, his eyes were following their every move. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked exactly like curiosity.

But just to be clear, he really wasn’t interested in them. No, really. This wasn’t just an act.

Then why did he seem so preoccupied with them? Well, there was a reason for that.

“Damn it, why do I even have to care about them…?”

The boy sitting in front of him let out a sigh, already tired of hearing the guy behind him muttering to himself again. Not just this boy, either—the entire class had long since labeled Eito as a weird, gloomy loner. This wasn’t just three strikes. The game was over.

Still grumbling under his breath, Eito eventually quieted down once homeroom ended and the first period began, opening his textbook and notebook like any other student.

One way or another, another ordinary day had begun.

♦

“Alright, that’s it for today.”

The female homeroom teacher dismissed the class in a rather disinterested tone.

The students pushed their desks toward the front of the classroom before heading off to their respective after-school activities.

Since Eito wasn’t on cleaning duty today and didn’t belong to any clubs, he planned to leave school as soon as possible. As he stepped out through the front gate, he pulled out his phone to check the time; It was just past four. He casually considered stopping by a bookstore on his way home.

Just then, two girls dashed past him like the wind.

A bad feeling crept up his spine. Turning to look, he saw, unsurprisingly, Youka and Miya sprinting at full speed. For some reason, they both wore serious expressions.

“……….”

Eito had seen this scene before. It had been happening for about a month now. His vague unease solidified into certainty—he could already predict what was coming next.

『Eito, sorry to trouble you, but could you help us out again?』
“…This is the worst.”

A voice echoed directly in his mind. Eito groaned, muttering in annoyance.

『That’s harsh, Eito. Do you really dislike hearing my voice that much?』
“I never want to hear it again.”
『Oh dear, how cold. Anyway, hurry up and follow those girls. The location is nearby, so no teleportation this time.』
“You damn shitty goddess…!”

Cursing under his breath, Eito took off after Youka and Miya.

♦

“Huff… huff… huff…”

Chasing after the two girls, Eito arrived at a certain park. He wasn’t exactly in great shape to begin with, and their speed had nearly left him in the dust. To make matters worse, he had to follow them without being noticed.

“Alright… What’s the situation?”

Catching his breath, he hid behind a large tree and observed the park. Normally, there would be at least one or two children playing at this time of day, but the place was eerily empty. Or rather, if anyone had been here, they must have already fled from… that.

“GRUUUUUUAAAAAAGH!”

A bestial roar tore through the silence.

At the center of the park stood a monstrous figure. Bloodshot eyes, bristling hair. Muscles swollen to an unnatural size, skin blackened and discolored. The creature towered at nearly five meters, a true monster, clearly inhuman.

“It’s just a massive gorilla…”

This wasn’t the first time Eito had seen something like this. He had spent plenty of time watching from the shadows before.

Then, his eyes shifted to the figure standing beside the creature.

A woman.

She wore a Western-style black mourning dress, her beautiful silver hair visible even from a distance. She looked like a grim reaper.

“…So, it’s you people again. Soleil’s little lapdogs.”

Her voice was as beautiful as it was filled with contempt. And she wasn’t addressing the monster. She was speaking to the other two present.

“Yeah. And we’ll stand in your way as many times as it takes until you stop doing this.”
“Indeed. That is our promise to Soleil-sama.”

The two girls declared firmly, unwavering.

They were none other than the famous duo of Fuuraku High—Asamiya Youka and Tsukishita Miya.

“…Still the same do-gooders, I see.”
『Fufu, but isn’t that what makes them so wonderful?』
“Shut up.”

Snapping at the voice in his head, Eito narrowed his eyes, peering through the gaps of his overly long bangs to keep his focus on the scene unfolding in the park.

“Now, disappear from my sight… once and for all.”

The reaper-like woman spat out her words in irritation. As if on cue, the monster lunged at Youka and Miya.

“Youka!”
“Miya!”

They swiftly met each other’s gaze.

Youka raised her right arm, revealing a bracelet adorned with a red gemstone. Miya lifted her left arm, where a bracelet with a blue gemstone gleamed.

They raised them high toward the sky.

““Light, grant us strength!””

As the two shouted in unison, a brilliant light erupted around them. The monster, which had been raising its fist to strike, squinted against the brightness and instinctively shielded its face with its log-like arm.

The next moment, as the light receded, Youka and Miya stood there, clad in outfits entirely different from before.

Youka now wore a costume dominated by warm colors—reds, pinks, and oranges—with gauntlets fitted onto both hands.

Miya, on the other hand, donned a costume of cool colors—blues, light blues, and purples—gripping what appeared to be a staff in her right hand.

“The raging flames reveal justice! I’ll punch the bad guys back to their senses! Lightguide Princess Red Shine!”

Striking a dramatic pose, Youka proudly announced her title, her face set in an exaggerated expression of confidence. Not to be outdone, Miya followed suit, posing in a complementary stance.

“The mystical waters embody compassion! Bad children shall face my magic! Lightguide Princess Blue Shine!”

“Lame as hell…”
Watching their performance, Eito couldn’t help but voice his honest opinion.

It felt like an explosion was about to erupt behind them at any moment. And really, why didn’t enemies ever attack during these transformations? It was an obvious opening. Hey, gorilla, why are you just standing there, groaning with that serious look on your face? And you, the grim-reaper-looking woman, why are you just watching? Are they idiots?

『Honestly, Eito, you just don’t get it. This is what they call a genre convention.』
“Shut up. And stop sending telepathic messages into my head. I’m not used to it.”

It had been about a month since he first started hearing this voice, and he was still nowhere near accustomed to it. In fact, this voice was the reason he had been dragged into this ridiculous situation in the first place. Whoever it was deserved to drown in a shallow river.

『Oh my, you really do despise me, don’t you? I doubt there’s anyone else in this world who would dare speak so rudely to a goddess, Eito.』
“For the last time, stop reading my thoughts without permission.”

Tuning out the voice, Eito refocused on Youka and Miya. Ever since a month ago, he’d been burdened with an extra responsibility on top of his studies, a job that was nothing short of a hassle.

His task was to watch over Asamiya Youka and Tsukishita Miya from the shadows and intervene whenever they were in danger. He had never been fond of troublesome duties like this, but some random goddess had forced it upon him.

““Haaahhhhhh!!””

The battle had begun, and it was clear that the transformed duo had the upper hand.

Moving at impossible speed, Youka hammered her gauntlet-empowered fists, imbued with purifying energy, into the monster’s gut.

“Guh… Aaaaaaahhh!!”

The monster, attempting to counter by bringing both fists down like a hammer, found itself unable to follow through.

“Not happening!”

Miya swung her staff, releasing a spell infused with purification magic. Suddenly, massive ice pillars shot up from the ground, racing toward the creature’s arms. As soon as the ice made contact with its fists, they froze solid, immobilizing both limbs.

“Thanks, Miya!”
“Of course, Youka! Let’s finish this!”

Youka quickly regrouped with Miya, the two exchanging a firm nod.

“…Looks like they’ll be fine this time too.”

Muttering to himself, Eito pulled out a pendulum from his bag—one adorned with a black gemstone. It held some mysterious power, though he had never once used it.

『Yes… That would be ideal…』
“What? Look, they’re about to use their finisher. That gorilla’s done for, and Reizeroll will back off like she always does. It’s the same as every other time.”

This was how it always went. They’d land their finishing move, the monster would be purified, and the woman in mourning attire, Reizeroll, would retreat. Eito had seen it too many times to count.

『…I have a bad feeling about this.』
“You’re overthinking it. You said these two are Lightguide Princesses with the most potential in history, didn’t you? Nothing to worry about.”

To any outsider, Eito probably looked like he was talking to himself. And naturally, they’d assume he was someone best avoided.

““We shall guide your darkness into our light—””

The girls began their incantation to deliver the final blow.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Reizeroll smirked. Then, she placed a hand on the monster. Still bound by the ice, the beast took a deep breath—then let out a deafening roar that sent shivers down Eito’s spine.

“GRUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!”

“Sh1t!” Eito, who had anticipated the gorilla-like monster’s attack, barely managed to cover his ears in time. Even so, the noise was unbearable. It felt like his eardrums might burst.

After several agonizing seconds, the roar finally subsided.

“Damn it… what the hell was that?!”

When Eito turned his eyes back to the battlefield, the situation had completely changed.

“Fufufu… If you keep pulling the same big moves, of course, we’d come up with a countermeasure.” Reizeroll spoke, her lips curling into a sinister smile.

The monster’s deafening roar had shattered the ice binding its arms. It suddenly started drumming its chest like an actual gorilla.

“Anyone who hears this creature’s roar directly will be paralyzed for a while. In other words, this is the end for you two.”

Reizeroll casually removed something from her left ear—earplugs. The enemy boss is wearing earplugs. Eito couldn’t help but find that oddly hilarious, but the reality of the situation was far from funny.

Just as she claimed, Youka and Miya stood frozen in place, completely immobilized.

“Damn it… my body—!”
“I can’t move—!”

They could still speak, but that was all.

The monster stomped toward them, its heavy footfalls echoing ominously. Stopping in front of Youka, it raised both massive arms, interlocking its fingers together.

“Do it.”

At Reizeroll’s command, the monster prepared to bring its combined fists down in a crushing blow.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what would be left of Youka’s body afterward.

“Youkaaaaaaa!!”

Miya screamed, raw emotion in her voice. But Youka could only stare up at the impending strike in stunned silence. A mere sixteen-year-old girl, frozen in place, unable to even cry out as death loomed over her.

『Eito!』
“I know!”

Before the urgent voice even finished, Eito was already moving.

Raising his right hand, he thrust the pendulum forward, steadying it with his left arm.

Then, he uttered a single word; “Transform.”

♦

(…Ah. I’m going to die.)

Unable to move, Youka stared blankly at the monster about to kill her. It was as if she had forgotten how to use her voice.

(…I wanted to live longer.)

When she received this power, the goddess had warned her that situations like this were possible. Whether to become a Lightguide Princess or not had been left to their judgment, with full knowledge of the risks. Without hesitation, she and Miya had chosen to fight for those in need.

Looking back now, how naïve they had been. Even though she had been told, she must have believed, deep down, that death was such a far away concept.

And after fighting several battles as a Lightguide Guardian, a vague sense of overconfidence had settled in, she had come to believe that they would always be fine.

Beside her, Miya was crying out her name, tears in her eyes. She knew that. And yet, it all felt so distant now.

(I wanted to eat more delicious food. I wanted to make more friends. And… I wanted to fall in love, too…)

With that final thought, Asamiya Youka resigned herself to the approaching death.

“—O’ Darkness, become a shield to protect one before me.”

But in the end, Youka did not die.

Just before the monster’s hammer-like fists could strike her, something massive and black—like a shield—appeared and blocked the attack.

“What!?”

Even Reizeroll couldn’t suppress her shock. Just as she was about to rid herself of the detestable Lightguide Guardian, her monster’s full-powered strike had been thwarted.

Youka and Miya were just as clueless about what had happened. They stood frozen, unable to comprehend.

After a brief moment, the shield that had protected Youka vanished into the void. A gust of wind blew past the two of them from behind—rushing forward, slamming a powerful kick into the monster’s stomach.

“Guho—!?”

The monster staggered and collapsed.

“…Hmph.”

The source of the wind was a man.

He wore a long black coat over a deep red tie, navy trousers, and laced-up boots. A wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over his face, partially concealing golden eyes that peeked through his slightly long bangs. His features were strikingly well-defined.

The man, exuding an air of mystery, stood in front of Youka and Miya, blocking the way of the monster and Reizeroll.

For a brief moment, Reizeroll was taken aback by his presence, but she quickly shifted into full alert, demanding an answer from the enigmatic figure.

“…Who are you? A Guardian? No… Guardians do not possess such power… This power, it is more like… Answer me. Who are you?”
“…A name, huh?”

After a short pause, the man responded.

“—Spriggan. That is my name.”