Kurusu Kimihito has lived this day before—and he has watched everyone he loves die.
When he wakes on the morning of April seventh, trembling and drenched in sweat, he knows what's coming. Miia's arrival. The red rain. The Glow. The night that, decades from now, will still haunt his every waking moment. He survived it once, carrying nothing but regret for the girls he couldn't save. Then he died.
And then he woke up. Six in the morning. The same date circled in red pen on his calendar. A second
Monster Musume: Rewriting the Fates of Despair - Wings from the Sky: The Resolve Not to Bear It Alone
The sky before dawn was red.
A muddy red, like watered-down blood.
Kurusu Kimihito walked beneath it.
How long had it been since he left Amagasa General Hospital?
His feet were carrying him away from the Kurusu house.
To the edge of the city. North.
To a place where no one was.
(If I leave)
(At least no one will get hurt because of me)
The same words looped in his head.
Miia's sobbing clung to the inside of his ears.
"Don't carry it all alone."
That voice. Those tears. The warmth of that hand.
He shook them off.
He had shaken them off.
He bit his lip. He tasted blood.
The taste of iron.
(This is right)
(This is how it has to be)
He walked.
His shoes struck the asphalt. Only his footsteps echoed.
The city was quiet.
Red Rain Warning Level 2. Citizens were advised to shelter indoors.
Of course. With the sky that color, no one would be walking outside.
The wind blew.
Lukewarm. It carried the smell of red rain.
Iron, and rot, and something sickly sweet.
Nausea rose in his throat.
Still, his feet didn't stop.
He crossed an intersection with no traffic lights.
A shopping street with its shutters down.
The arch reading "Amagasa Ginza-dori."
It was so lively in the daytime, but now it looked like a graveyard.
He passed the café "Hidamari."
That shop's chiffon cake. Miia had loved it.
Cerea had been delighted they had a carrot cake.
Papi had gotten whipped cream all over her wings and caused a huge fuss.
——
He quickened his pace.
Don't remember.
If he remembered, he'd want to go back.
If he went back, he'd put those girls in danger again.
(That, I can't do)
He turned the corner.
A residential neighborhood.
Co-op Amagasa was visible in the distance.
He looked away.
Where he looked, there was a small park.
A swing. A slide. A sandbox.
No one was there.
Naturally. At this hour, under this sky, no child would be playing.
——Then.
The wind changed.
From above.
A strong wind.
The sound of wings.
Flap, flap, flap.
The sound of great wings beating the air.
Kimihito stopped.
He looked up.
The red sky.
Within it, a small shadow descended straight toward him.
"Master!"
A voice.
A bright voice he knew.
The shadow drew closer.
A girl with spread wings landed softly in front of Kimihito.
A light brown short bob.
Round, large amber eyes.
Great bird wings growing from her back.
The harpy girl, Papi.
"Papi found you! Where are you going, Master?"
Papi tilted her head and smiled innocently.
Kimihito was speechless.
(Why is Papi here)
(Why, here of all places)
"Master? What's wrong? Your face is all pale!"
Papi hopped closer.
Kimihito took a step back.
"...Don't come closer."
His voice trembled.
"Papi, you can't come. If you stay near me, it's dangerous."
Papi stopped.
But she kept her head tilted, staring at Kimihito.
"Dangerous? Why?"
"Just—please. Go home."
"No. Papi is going with Master."
"Papi!"
Kimihito raised his voice.
It was so loud it surprised even him.
Papi's wings twitched.
Her amber eyes went wide.
"...Master, are you mad?"
Papi's voice grew a little smaller.
"No. I'm not mad. But please, just leave me alone."
Kimihito looked away from Papi.
He couldn't bear to watch.
"I can't be with you girls anymore."
"Why?"
"Because I'll hurt you."
"Master would never hurt Papi!"
"That's not it. Because of me, monsters come after you."
"Monsters? Those black things?"
"Yeah. I'm drawing them in."
Kimihito clenched his fist.
His nails dug into his palm.
"So if you stay with me, Papi, Miia, Cerea—everyone will die."
Silence.
The wind blew through beneath the red sky.
Papi was quiet.
She was usually such a chatterbox.
"...Papi can tell by Master's smell."
Papi spoke quietly.
"Master smells like he's crying."
Kimihito's chest tightened.
"I'm not crying."
"You are. Papi is confident about smells."
Papi took a step closer.
"Master, where were you trying to go all alone?"
"...Anywhere. Somewhere without you girls."
"Papi doesn't want that."
Papi took Kimihito's hand.
A small hand.
A warm hand.
"If Master goes, Papi goes too."
"Let go."
"No."
"Let go, Papi."
"Nooo."
Papi gripped Kimihito's right hand with both of hers.
Her strength was strong.
A harpy's grip was stronger than it looked.
If he tried to shake her off, he could.
But.
He couldn't.
"Papi's mama taught her—when someone's crying, you don't leave them alone."
Papi looked straight up at Kimihito.
"Don't leave a crying person alone. That's Papi's rule."
Her amber eyes wavered.
"So, Master. Take Papi with you!"
Kimihito bit his lip.
The taste of blood.
(No)
(I have to shake this hand off)
(Shake it off and go alone)
His head understood.
But his hand wouldn't move.
Papi's warmth seeped into his chilled body.
"...Papi."
Kimihito's voice was hoarse.
"I can't protect you. Far from it—I might get you killed."
"It's okay! Papi is strong!"
"That's not the problem."
"Then what's the problem?"
Kimihito couldn't answer.
How could he make this girl understand?
Memories of the future.
Red rain.
Monsters.
The girls' deaths.
Should he tell her everything?
But even if he did, could Papi understand?
Bird-brained Papi.
"...Master."
Papi gently pressed the hand she held against her own cheek.
"Papi likes Master's smell. It's warm and it makes her feel safe."
Papi narrowed her eyes.
"Just having Master there makes Papi feel safe. So Master going off alone is even more no."
Something deep in Kimihito's chest creaked.
Something that should have been shut tight.
"Papi..."
——Then.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Kimihito's phone vibrated.
At the same moment, the city's disaster broadcast blared out.
"Emergency alert. Emergency alert. From the Amagasa Guardian Bureau, a notice to all citizens."
A mechanical voice.
"Red Rain Warning Level 5. Red Rain Warning Level 5. Red rain of the worst scale on record may fall across the entire city. Evacuate indoors immediately. I repeat—"
The blood drained from Kimihito's whole body.
Level 5.
The final warning.
Even in his memories of the future, there had been no warning like this.
"Master, what's that sound?"
Papi looked up at the sky uneasily.
Kimihito checked his phone.
The Amagasa Guardian Bureau's official app.
Notifications were pouring in.
"Red Rain Warning Level 5 Issued."
"Mass Alteration outbreak confirmed around the northern purification facility."
"Emergency summons to all Guardians."
"All citizens are to stay indoors without exception."
The purification facility.
Critical infrastructure supporting the city's water supply.
If that was taken out, Amagasa's water would be contaminated by the red rain and rendered useless.
The lives of two hundred eighty thousand people would grind to a halt.
"...Papi."
Kimihito squeezed Papi's hand back.
"Master?"
"Get somewhere safe. Go home, lock the door, and don't go outside no matter what."
"No. What about Master?"
"I'm going."
"Where?"
"Where the enemy is."
Kimihito looked at the northern sky.
The red sky.
Beyond it lay the purification facility.
"If Master goes, Papi goes too!"
Papi spread her wings.
Great wings.
A wingspan of about four meters.
"Papi can fly! She can fly faster than Master!"
"No. It's dangerous."
"It's not dangerous! Papi will protect Master!"
Papi wouldn't listen.
Her usual innocent smile.
But her eyes were dead serious.
"...Fine."
Kimihito gave in.
"But you follow my orders no matter what. Got it?"
"Yup! Papi will listen to Master!"
"All right. Let's go."
Kimihito broke into a run.
Papi soared into the sky.
Flap.
Her wings cut through the red sky.
Kimihito kicked off the ground.
Across the asphalt at full speed.
His lungs burned.
His legs tangled.
But he couldn't stop.
North.
To the Amagasa purification facility.
——.
The facility came into view.
About eight kilometers northeast of the city center.
Huge tank clusters.
Pipes.
Smokestacks.
Black mist shrouded the area around them.
No—not mist.
Glow.
Alteration.
Dozens of them.
Countless red eyes glowed in the dark.
"...There's so many."
Kimihito stopped.
He caught his breath.
"Master, what's that?"
Papi landed beside Kimihito.
Her voice was trembling.
"Monsters. Papi, beyond this point it's really dangerous. Please. Stay back."
"No. Papi will fight too."
"Papi!"
"Papi won't leave Master alone!"
——Then.
"Darling!"
A voice.
A voice he knew.
He turned around.
Beneath the red sky.
A girl came running from across the road.
Vivid red long hair.
Golden eyes with vertical slits.
Below the waist, a beautiful serpent's body.
The lamia girl, Miia.
"Miia...!"
Kimihito's eyes went wide.
A white bandage was wrapped around Miia's head.
She was still in her hospital gown.
Her steps were unsteady.
Still, Miia kept running.
"Darling! I found you! Thank goodness, I made it in time!"
Miia finally stopped in front of Kimihito.
She was gasping for breath.
Her serpent lower body lay limply on the ground.
"Miia, why... you were supposed to be unconscious..."
"I woke up. When I heard Darling was gone, I couldn't just lie there."
Miia smiled.
But her face was deathly pale.
"You idiot! Coming here in that condition!"
"But Darling was going off all alone. I told you, didn't I? Your worries are my worries."
"Miia..."
"Don't carry it all alone."
Miia's golden eyes looked straight at Kimihito.
"I'll fight too. Right beside you, Darling."
——Then.
Clop, clop, clop.
The sound of hooves.
Hard, regular hoofbeats.
Kimihito looked toward the sound.
Across the road.
White and blue vestments.
Long blonde hair.
Deep blue eyes.
Below the waist, the body of a white horse.
The centaur knight, Centorea Shianus.
Cerea.
"Cerea...!"
Thick bandages were wrapped around Cerea's abdomen.
Red blood was seeping through them.
In her right hand, a sword.
A Resonance Blade.
"My Lord."
Cerea spoke quietly.
"To leave your knight behind and head to the battlefield alone—what were you thinking?"
"Cerea, you too, with that wound..."
"This much is a scratch to a knight."
Cerea's face was pale too.
Sweat beaded on her forehead.
"No knight would turn her back when her Lord is in danger."
"Papi's here too! We'll all fight together!"
Papi soared into the sky.
"All three of you, no! Fall back! This is my problem!"
Kimihito shouted.
"They showed up because of me! I'll settle this alone!"
"That's wrong, Darling."
Miia shook her head.
"It's not your fault. They're everyone's enemy. So we fight together."
"My Lord. We are your retainers. If our Lord fights, we fight. That is a knight's oath."
"Master! Papi decided she's going to protect Master!"
Three voices.
Three gazes.
All fixed straight on Kimihito.
Something deep in Kimihito's chest burst.
He heard it.
The sound of a wall crumbling.
The wall around his heart, shut tight.
(I...)
(I was never alone)
Kimihito's lips trembled.
"...Everyone."
His voice shook.
"Thank you. But it really is dangerous. Please. I don't want you to die."
"Darling, we don't want you to die either."
Miia took Kimihito's hand.
A cold hand.
But there was certainly warmth in it.
"Let's go home together. All of us, to the Kurusu house."
Kimihito closed his eyes.
——Then.
GYAAAAAAAH!!
A monster's roar.
The air shook.
The swarm of Alteration began to move.
Black mist surged toward them like an avalanche.
Red eyes.
Countless red eyes.
"Here they come!"
Kimihito shouted.
"Miia, Cerea, Papi! Spread out! Never bunch up in one spot!"
"Got it!"
"Understood!"
"Okay!"
The three moved.
Miia undulated her serpent body to the left.
Cerea galloped right.
Papi beat her wings into the sky.
Kimihito stood at the front.
(I'll use the Foresee Blade)
(See a few seconds ahead, read the enemy's movements)
Kimihito focused.
His vision warped.
The future poured in, in fragments.
An Alteration tentacle from the right.
Another from the left.
A third from
Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.