Everything is Anime!

Japan, Kouh Town.

A rainy night, like an ink-splashed oil painting.

Across the pitch-black sky, fine strands of rain scatter like an artist's brushstrokes, adorning the silent city and making it all the more captivating.

Lights reflect off the windowpanes, creating halos of faint brilliance.

Late on a rainy night, there are always few pedestrians on the streets—

—especially in areas closer to the outskirts.

Only the raindrops tapping gently against the ground send out waves of rustling sounds.

Amid this rain-soaked darkness, a man well over one meter eighty in height walks along. One hand holds a black umbrella; the other rests in his pocket.

His dark eyes gleam with intensity; anyone meeting his gaze would be cowed by its sharpness.

He wears a loose-fitting trench coat, and beneath it, a hooded sweatshirt. Even though the clothing is baggy, one can tell he has a tall, slender frame.

His broad, upright shoulders are speckled with droplets, and above them is a lean, handsome face. His eyes are fixed straight ahead, as though forging onward like a battleship.

The hurried passersby only make the young man stand out all the more—like a crane in a flock of chickens.

Hikaru strolls through the drizzle.

He had been out all weekend and only started walking home on foot after dusk.

Although it began to rain along the way, he'd checked the weather forecast and brought an umbrella, keeping himself from getting soaked.

Even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered much to him.

As he continues on, Hikaru suddenly hears a faint cry for help from a nearby alley.

When he passes by, the cries become louder and more urgent.

Looking carefully, he sees, in the depths of the alley, a beautiful woman.

She's wearing a business suit with a short skirt, and on her legs are black tights. But because of the rain—and the tears in the fabric—she looks pitifully disheveled, in a strangely alluring way.

"What's wrong?"

Hikaru asks. From the corner of his eye, he glances at the girl and understands at once.

"I... I heard a cat meowing here earlier, so I came to check. But it was so skittish it startled me. I ended up falling, and I twisted my ankle."

She looks at him pitifully, cradling her right leg, faint traces of blood showing through.

"L-Little brother, could you help me get home? My house is right next door—just through this alley."

The alley is about fifty meters long, lit only by a solitary, dim streetlamp at its center. Its hazy glow flickers, as if it might snuff out at any moment.

"All right."

Hikaru nods.

He stretches out a hand and lifts her, and she naturally leans against him.

A faint scent of perfume drifts to his nose, and Hikaru can feel something soft pressing against his arm.

"Little brother... once we reach my place, big sis will give you a reward, okay?

What do you want… big sis will give it?

We're almost there... Just ahead..."

"We're here."

He shows no reaction to her suggestive words. Then, halfway along, he suddenly speaks up.

At that moment, the streetlamp flickers a few times and goes out; the surroundings plunge into darkness so thick you can barely see your hand before your face.

"What do you mean, 'we're here'? Big sis's house is a bit farther..."

Just as she finishes, the man she's leaning on abruptly lets go, causing her to fall into a puddle.

"You..."

In the darkness, anger and puzzlement flash through her eyes.

But before she can say more, Hikaru speaks:

"Stop pretending. There's only the two of us here... Well, actually just me, plus you—filthy ghoul."

Upon hearing that, the woman instantly drops her act. Her pale face takes on a cold, hard expression.

"When did you figure out what I am?"

"Right from the start. The stench of blood on you is so strong that neither rain nor cosmetics can hide it."

"You noticed from the beginning?"

She freezes, then parts her cracked lips to reveal sharp teeth.

"In that case, I have nothing more to hide. But before you become my meal, tell me—if you've known all along, why walk straight into the trap?"

She licks her lips, her eyes fixed greedily on the young man in front of her, already calculating the best way to enjoy her feast.

"...First, I can't just ignore the cry of a woman in distress. Second, maybe the one who's falling into a trap isn't the prey, but the hunter."

She pauses at that.

"Are you an exorcist? A jujutsu sorcerer? Or one of those human 'Doves'?"

She's beginning to suspect the young man isn't normal. Yet she also knows she didn't choose blindly; whether an exorcist, sorcerer, or one of those so-called Doves, they all have a certain distinctive aura—or use weapons made from the flesh of ghouls. She senses none of that from Hikaru, which should mean he's just an ordinary human being.