Episode 3: The Reason He Cannot Die
Kei Himuro stared helplessly at the ceiling.
Beside him, Soma was slowly drifting toward death.
—And Kei no longer had the strength to stop it.
“Is this… the end?”
The thought crossed his mind.
And then, like a flickering montage, memories of his past surfaced.
Kei, like Soma, had been born into an ordinary family and lived a normal life.
Until one day, that everyday life was suddenly shattered by a Malice Spirit.
“What are you…?!”
“Aah!”
At two in the morning, Kei awoke to his father’s shout and his mother’s scream.
“Dad…? Mom…?”
Rubbing his eyes, the young boy stepped into the living room—
and froze.
What he saw was something no child should ever witness.
“Dad… Mom…?”
His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, unable to move.
Just as he thought his own life was about to end, a heavy impact echoed through the room.
Something—or someone—had struck the Malice Spirit down.
Standing there was a large man holding a massive hammer.
He appeared to be in his seventies, yet his movements showed no sign of age.
“I’d like to say you’re alright… but that would clearly be a lie.”
The old man spoke gently, his expression filled with regret.
“If only I had arrived sooner… I’m sorry.”
He immediately arranged emergency care for Kei’s parents and brought Kei to the headquarters of the Malice Suppression Unit.
“Um… my mom and dad…?”
“They’re in surgery now.”
The light marked “In Surgery” turned off before Kei’s eyes.
“Dad! Mom!”
Kei rushed toward the operating room, his heart pounding.
But the doctor waiting there wore a grim expression.
“I’m… very sorry.”
That was enough. Even at his young age, Kei understood everything.
“No… that can’t be…”
Inside the room lay what once had been his parents.
“Dad…! Mom…!”
The old man clenched his fists tightly.
Strangely, his parents felt very light when Kei touched them.
He thought to himself, They must have lost so much… Poor thing.
Later, at the facility, the old man spoke to Kei.
“…Here. Want this?”
He handed Kei some sweets and a shuriken folded from paper.
“A shuriken…! That’s so cool!”
It was the first smile Kei had shown since losing his parents.
The old man smiled back warmly.
“You’re kind, mister.”
“If I can’t be kind to children, I’m just a useless old man.
Well, except to bratty kids!”
He laughed loudly.
“Um… what’s your name?”
“My name is Tazo Kurose.”
“I’m Kei Himuro.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Tazo held out his fist.
“Huh? What’s this? Rock-paper-scissors?”
“This is called a fist bump! I’ll show you!”
That day, Kei learned what a fist bump was—and what kindness felt like.
Still, the pain of losing his parents didn’t fade so easily.
At night, Kei often cried quietly.
“Kei…”
Tazo watched over him with concern.
Then one day, a girl approached him.
“Why are you crying?”
She was as beautiful as a flower.
Embarrassed, Kei explained what had happened.
She listened, then smiled.
“My parents were taken by Malice Spirits too. So we’re the same.”
She gently took his hand.
Kei’s face turned red.
In his palm was a three-leaf clover.
“This brings good luck.”
“Thank you…”
“I’m Momoka. And you?”
“Kei Himuro.”
“Kei… Since we both lost our parents, let’s support each other.
We’re family now.”
Kei nodded shyly.
From that moment on, he vowed to protect her.
Kei trained within the Malice Suppression Unit.
Surrounded by prodigies, he struggled to stand out.
“You work hard, but honestly… you don’t have talent. This job isn’t for you.”
He heard those words again and again.
Each time, it hurt.
Still, he refused to give up.
For the sake of his family.
Then one day, tragedy struck again.
“Momoka…?”
She was gravely injured when he returned from a mission.
“We did everything we could… I’m sorry. This may be your last chance to speak with her.”
Through tears, Kei called out to her.
“Momoka… isn’t there any way to save you?”
“It’s… okay…”
“Who did this to you…?! I swear I’ll—”
She gently touched his cheek.
“Kei… you’re kind. Too kind.
I wish you’d leave this life and find happiness.”
“I can’t! Not after this!”
“This job… it’s not for people like you.
You deserve a normal life.”
But Kei couldn’t let go.
“Tell me… what did it look like?”
“Purple armor… like a scorpion… used poison… a woman… about your height…”
“I understand. I swear… I will finish this.”
Those were his final words to her.
From then on, Kei hunted Malice Spirits without rest.
Until he avenged his family, he could not stop.
That was his reason to live.
But now, death loomed once more.
“…I can’t end like this…”
Just then, glass shattered.
Two figures burst into the room.
“Alright! Let’s go!”
“Sorry we’re late!”
A woman wielding a blade—and a muscular man holding a metal bat.
“That’s—!”
“Reinforcements…!”
And with their arrival, a ray of hope pierced the battlefield.
New episodes every Saturday (JST).
