Silence.
The kind of silence that only came after a storm.
The kind that followed destruction.
Moonlight slowly spilled across the ruined street once more, illuminating cracked asphalt, broken streetlights, and shattered windows. The oppressive pressure that had suffocated the neighborhood moments ago had completely disappeared.
The Calamity-Class was gone.
Not a single trace remained.
No lingering darkness.
No residual spiritual energy.
Nothing.
It was as if the monster had never existed.
A gentle night breeze passed through the street.
And for several long seconds—
Nobody moved.
Stud slowly opened one eye.
Then the other.
The tiny poltergeist blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then looked around.
The giant monster was gone.
The darkness that had consumed the neighborhood had vanished.
Only the moon remained.
His gaze slowly traveled toward the figure standing in the middle of the street.
Alumna.
The man stood beneath the pale moonlight with his back turned toward everyone. The black aura had disappeared, and the crimson blade had long since faded away, leaving only the black sword handle resting in his hand.
The scene looked strangely ordinary.
Too ordinary.
As if this man had merely finished sweeping the floor.
Stud's mouth slowly fell open.
No words came out.
For perhaps the first time in his existence—
Stud was speechless.
He had seen powerful Geists.
He had witnessed wars between Poltergeist territories.
He had watched monsters capable of destroying buildings.
He had seen countless things during his long life.
But that...
That wasn't power.
That wasn't strength.
That was absurd.
He floated there in complete disbelief.
"...What..."
No response.
Stud slowly looked toward the empty sky.
Then toward the destroyed street.
Then back toward Alumna.
"...What are you?"
Yuma heard him.
He looked toward the tiny poltergeist.
For once, Stud wasn't joking.
There was no teasing.
No sarcasm.
No dramatic flair.
Only genuine confusion.
And fear.
Because he had just witnessed a human erase a Calamity-Class Poltergeist with a single slash.
The same type of creature capable of destroying cities.
Gone.
In one attack.
Alumna calmly returned the sword handle to his waist.
Click.
The sound echoed softly.
Then he turned around.
His expression looked exactly the same as always.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Almost bored.
"...We're going home."
Stud blinked.
"...That's it?"
Alumna raised an eyebrow.
"What else is there to do?"
Stud looked at him as though he had just witnessed insanity.
"You just erased a city-ending monster!"
"It was becoming annoying."
"...ANNOYING?!"
Yuma could only stare.
Even after everything that had happened—
His teacher remained impossible to understand.
Alumna looked toward Serena.
She was still clinging to Yuma.
Her face hidden against his chest.
Her breathing had finally begun to calm.
The trembling was almost gone.
Almost.
"...She's exhausted," Alumna said quietly.
Yuma nodded.
"I know."
Alumna's gaze softened ever so slightly.
"...Good work."
This time, the words were directed at Yuma.
The boy blinked.
Then nodded.
"...Thank you, Sensei."
The man turned around and began walking toward his car.
"Come."
The others followed.
The drive home was quiet.
Unusually quiet.
The city outside the windows continued as normal.
People crossed intersections.
Restaurants remained open.
Traffic lights changed.
The world kept moving.
As if a disaster had not nearly occurred.
As if a monster capable of destroying entire cities had not appeared only an hour ago.
Inside the car, however—
Silence reigned.
Stud sat in the passenger seat.
His arms were folded.
He hadn't made a single joke.
Not one.
Every now and then, he would glance at Alumna.
Then quickly look away.
Then look again.
The process repeated itself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Finally—
"...Are you secretly a monster?"
Alumna kept his eyes on the road.
"No."
"...Ancient deity?"
"No."
"...Some legendary hero?"
"No."
"...A war machine created by humans?"
"No."
Stud frowned.
"...You're definitely one of those."
Alumna ignored him.
Stud stared at him for another minute.
Then crossed his arms.
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't see anything tonight."
"Good."
Yuma nearly laughed.
Nearly.
The exhaustion kept him from doing so.
Beside him, Serena sat quietly.
Too quietly.
Her gaze remained fixed on the window.
The passing lights reflected softly in her eyes.
She hadn't spoken since leaving the battlefield.
Not a single word.
Yuma occasionally glanced at her.
But he didn't know what to say.
He wasn't good at comforting people.
He never had been.
So he simply sat beside her.
Present.
Close.
The same thing she had done for him countless times.
Eventually—
The car pulled into the driveway.
The house stood peacefully beneath the moonlight.
Every light was off.
The building looked completely dark.
Yuma frowned.
"...That's weird."
Even Serena blinked.
"...Mom and Dad should be home."
Alumna parked the car.
"We're here."
Everyone stepped outside.
The night air felt much calmer now.
Serena slowly approached the front door.
She seemed tired.
Drained.
Almost numb.
She opened the door.
Darkness greeted her.
"...Mom?"
No answer.
"...Dad?"
Silence.
She frowned.
Then reached for the light switch.
Click.
The living room exploded with light.
And—
"Surprise!!"
Confetti flew everywhere.
Party poppers erupted.
Colorful decorations covered the room.
Balloons hung from the ceiling.
A large banner stretched across the wall.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SERENA!
Serena froze.
Her eyes widened.
At the center of the room stood Reige.
Erika.
Aunt Melda.
Several neighbors.
Even a cake sat on the dining table.
Everyone was smiling.
Completely frozen, Serena simply stared.
"...What?"
Reige laughed loudly.
The man spread his arms dramatically.
"What? Did you think I'd miss my daughter's special day?"
Serena blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"...Dad..."
Reige smiled.
A warm smile.
One she hadn't seen in a while.
"No matter how old you get, you'll always be my daughter."
Erika stepped beside him.
"And birthdays are meant to be celebrated."
Something inside Serena broke.
Not in a painful way.
The opposite.
Her eyes suddenly became blurry.
She didn't even realize it at first.
Then—
A tear rolled down her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away.
Another one followed.
Then another.
"...S-Seriously..."
Her voice trembled.
"...You guys..."
Reige's expression softened.
The next second—
Serena ran forward.
She threw her arms around both her parents.
The three embraced tightly.
And finally—
The tears came.
Not quiet ones.
Not hidden ones.
She cried.
Years of fear.
Years of bad memories.
Years of associating her birthday with nightmares.
Everything spilled out.
Reige gently patted her head.
Erika hugged her daughter tightly.
Neither of them said anything.
They simply held her.
After several moments, Erika smiled softly.
"...Although."
Serena looked up.
Erika's smile widened.
"We can't take all the credit."
"...Huh?"
Erika looked toward the doorway.
Toward a certain boy.
"...Most of this happened because of someone else."
Serena slowly turned around.
Yuma immediately looked away.
Very dramatically.
Almost suspiciously.
The ceiling suddenly became extremely interesting.
"..."
"..."
"...Yuma?"
The boy nearly jumped.
"...Y-Yes?"
Reige laughed.
"Kid planned the whole thing."
Yuma immediately panicked.
"D-Don't phrase it like that!"
Alumna calmly entered the room.
"He's correct."
Yuma looked horrified.
"Sensei?!"
Alumna removed his coat.
"The birthday part was his idea."
Everyone looked at Yuma.
The boy looked ready to disappear.
Alumna continued.
"Our original plan was to take you to a restaurant or shopping mall."
He glanced toward the decorations.
"So they could prepare the house."
Silence.
Everyone looked at Yuma.
Yuma looked everywhere except at Serena.
"...I-It wasn't a big deal."
"I mean… birthdays are important and stuff… and everyone wanted to celebrate…"
"So I just… suggested it."
"And maybe made a list."
"And maybe helped buy decorations."
"And maybe helped bake the cake."
Silence. Serena didn't say a single word.
"...I said maybe."
Reige burst out laughing.
Erika covered her mouth.
Even Aunt Melda smiled.
Yuma wanted to disappear.
Then—
He noticed something.
Serena was looking at him.
Not teasing.
Not smirking.
Not annoyed.
She simply looked at him.
Quietly.
Then—
She sighed.
A small sigh.
The kind that carried years of emotions.
Slowly—
She opened her arms.
Yuma blinked.
"...Huh?"
Serena looked away.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
"Just this once."
"...What?"
She looked even more embarrassed.
"Come here."
Silence.
Yuma's brain stopped functioning.
"...W-What?"
Serena's face turned red.
"I said come here!"
The room became quiet.
Reige's grin widened.
Erika looked ready to cry.
Stud stared.
Aunt Melda smiled knowingly.
Yuma pointed at himself.
"...Me?"
Serena looked ready to throw something.
"YES, YOU!"
The boy slowly walked forward.
Like someone approaching an unknown trap.
He stopped in front of her.
"...Now what?"
Without another word—
Serena stepped forward.
And hugged him.
The room froze.
Yuma's brain ceased functioning entirely.
Because this wasn't one of Serena's usual playful gestures.
There was no teasing.
No embarrassment.
No joke.
She hugged him genuinely.
Softly.
Warmly.
She buried her face against his chest.
And quietly said—
"...Thank you."
Yuma froze.
Her voice was small.
But clear.
"Thank you... for remembering."
Silence filled the room.
Serena tightened her hold slightly.
"For making today different."
Her voice trembled.
"For giving me a birthday that wasn't scary."
Yuma's eyes widened.
And suddenly—
He understood.
All of it.
Why she hated birthdays.
Why she looked sad this morning.
Why she had been so quiet.
And why this moment mattered.
Slowly—
Very carefully—
He raised his arms.
And hugged her back.
"...You're welcome."
For the first time in years—
Serena smiled on her birthday.
A real smile.
Not forced.
Not fake.
Genuine.
And in that warm living room, surrounded by family, friends, and one extremely confused tiny poltergeist—
The nightmare that had haunted her birthdays for years finally began to fade away.