A soft drizzle cascaded from the heavens, swept along by a biting night breeze that wove delicate threads of rain through the air. Beside the street, an LED screen glowed in a shop window, tirelessly streaming the evening news. Raindrops pattered against the gss, scattering vibrant halos of light across the slick pavement, painting the scene in fleeting bursts of color.

  Yuto Arai stood at the corner, cd in a sharp bck jacket, a translucent umbrel poised overhead to fend off the persistent shower. His eyes lingered on his phone, where a string of text messages from his girlfriend flickered across the screen. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

  ‘Life, had never felt so complete.’ he thought

  Seventeen years ago, Yuto arrived in this world— a blend of different anime. Now a second year student at the elite Shuchiin Academy, he lived alone in the sprawling chaos of Tokyo. Blessed with striking features and a quiet confidence that set him apart from his cssmates, he had effortlessly won himself a girlfriend. Their romance was blooming, and Yuto often daydreamed that, with a bit more time, he might even steal a few more bases with her.

  “Sorry, Yuto-kun! The subway stalled, hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long!” A familiar voice broke through the patter of rain, paired with the quick tap of footsteps. A tall, bck haired girl in a school uniform hurried toward him, her lovely face tinged with apology.

  “No worries, Senpai. I only just got here myself,” Yuto replied, angling the umbrel to shield her from the downpour. The rain had wet him earlier, forcing a st-minute dash to a nearby convenience store for the umbrel now in his hand.

  “Heh, always so considerate, Yuto-kun,” Kasumigaoka Utaha teased, her voice a warm melody as she sidled closer. Her curvaceous frame, wrapped in sleek bck stockings, brushed against him, radiating softness and heat. The faint aroma of rose perfume drifted from her, intertwining with the crisp scent of rain.

  Utaha, a third-year at Shuchiin, was a vision of perfection—gorgeous, brilliant, and famed for her stunning figure. To the world, she was an untouchable queen, aloof and poised. But Yuto knew her better behind closed doors, she was daring, pyful, and generous with the kind of ‘perks’ only a boyfriend could savor.

  “Today, Yuto-kun, I’m all yours. Take me wherever you’d like,” she murmured, her tone a sultry whisper as she pressed herself closer, her eyes glinting with mischief.

  Her warmth, her scent, her teasing words, they stoked a fire in Yuto’s chest. For a fleeting moment, he imagined sweeping her off to the love hotel just down the street. But as they strolled onward, the world around them began to shift. The hum of the city faded, swallowed by an eerie stillness. Pedestrians melted away, one by one, until the street stood empty. Shadows deepened, stretching unnaturally across the pavement.

  A gust of wind howled through the alley they had wandered into, raising goosebumps on their skin. Overhead, a dim light flickered, casting jagged silhouettes that danced like specters. Yuto’s gut twisted–something was watching them, something ravenous, lurking just beyond the edge of sight.

  “Yuto-kun, what’s happening?” Utaha’s voice quivered as she scanned their surroundings, her brow creasing. “This pce feels….weird. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Yeah, let’s move,” he agreed, tightening his grip on her hand. He quickened their pace, desperate to flee the suffocating gloom.

  But then, his breath caught. Ahead, blocking their path in the cramped alley, a nightmare—a monstrous spider with a grotesque, feminine face. Four icy eyes gred at him, unblinking, and a voice slithered forth, cold as a grave.

  “You….Can you see me?”

  Yuto’s mind reeled. ‘This can’t be real. This is supposed to be an ordinary anime world—where did this thing come from?’

  The spider spirit’s stare pinned him in pce, an oppressive weight crushing the air from his lungs.

  “You can see me!” it screeched, its voice a jagged bde against the silence. With a lurch, it unfurled a cluster of razor-sharp legs from its bloated torso and lunged.

  Terror bleached Yuto’s face. Reflex kicked in, he yanked Utaha behind him, shielding her fragile frame with his own as he braced for the inevitable. His eyes smmed shut.

  But then, a cascade of text fred across his vision:

  [Detected Host is facing extraordinary threat. Mission system activated.]

  [Novice Mission: Eliminate the Spider Evil Spirit and escape.]

  [Due to the host's current weakness, a talisman is awarded. Draw now?]

  ‘Draw it, now!’ Yuto shouted inwardly, pulse hammering.

  [Crisis detected. Simplifying process. Awarding five-star gift: Volumen Hydrargyrum!]

  In a heartbeat, a shimmering silver liquid erupted before him, swirling and twisting midair. It solidified into a gleaming shield, intercepting the spider’s strike just as its legs descended.

  BOOM!

  The collision roared through the alley, a deafening csh of force against metal. The shield trembled but held. Then, with a piercing hum, it morphed, reshaping into a sleek, silver longsword. Yuto gripped it instinctively, sshing upward in a blinding arc. A torrent of white light trailed the bde, surging like a waterfall, and carved clean through the spider

  “AAAAHHHH!” The spirit shrieked as it burst apart, dissolving into a swirling plume of bck smoke that faded into the night.

  Panting, Yuto stood frozen, the sword heavy in his hand.