Thank You,
Knight Teir: "Shees", and "Jonathan Modica"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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After arriving at the Village of Water, exorcists arrived one after another, and Tsubaki and the others began to investigate the monster that appeared this time. Although Tsubaki, who is proud and arrogant, naturally monopolized the rewards of this mission, she also knew that when the information was insufficient, teamwork was more efficient.
According to the information provided by the wealthy merchant of Water Village, half a month ago, the river, which connects the Village of Water to the outside world, began to slowly fill with mist, and ever since the fog appeared, it hadn't dissipated. This was a scene that had never occurred before.
The River is an important waterway for entering and exiting the Village of Water. When the River was filled with mist, the wealthy merchant didn't care at first and allowed the merchant ships to operate as usual, just with added caution. But soon, he realized how naive and careless that decision had been.
As soon as boats entered the mist covering the river, they would disappear without a trace, no news, no survivors. This greatly impacted the merchant's business and caused heavy losses for the Village of Water, a shipping hub. Not only did many people vanish, but large stores of food also disappeared entirely.
After understanding the situation, Tsubaki, who was eager to prove herself, departed for the River to seek out information on the monsters, accompanied by four or five other exorcists. That same night, the River once again filled with thick fog.
Tsubaki was ecstatic; the smile on her face couldn't be restrained. For someone who had made little progress, this was like having a mission reward handed directly to her. Without a second thought, she rushed into the fog without hesitation.
But after entering, Tsubaki began to regret it. The mist felt like the mouth of a great beast, and she was lost within its belly. The exorcists who accompanied her disappeared in an instant, as if they had evaporated into thin air. There was no sound at all.
Before she realized it, dawn had arrived. The sky had only just begun to brighten, yet heavy shadows still lingered over the land, mountains, and rivers. The thick fog, like a white veil, rose from the valley and blanketed everything. The still-lingering night and the dense white mist made the entire valley invisible, as if some giant hand had covered the eyes of passersby.
And within the fog, an ominous presence loomed. In the thick mist, a few orange lights flickered, like will-o'-the-wisps drifting through the fog.
"The monster is coming again!"
"Run, everyone, run!"
"Help! Help!!"
From within the dense fog, the frightened cries of elders, women, and children could be heard.
The orange lights were snuffed out one by one in the heavy mist and finally disappeared completely. As if a cold wind had swept through, blowing out every candle. Even those terrified cries slowly faded, as though an invisible hand had closed around their throats, drowning them in the mist until not a sound remained. Within that fog, a powerful and terrifying entity dwelled.
"Damn it, I can't see anything." Tsubaki, gripping her short halberd tightly, scanned her surroundings with a wary expression. Spell-paper talismans fluttered around her.
She could feel the monster's presence closing in, but her vision was completely blocked by the thick white mist. Tsubaki had no way of determining the monster's exact position. Something seemed to be moving in the fog, but she couldn't see it or catch it.
Suddenly, she felt a chill at the back of her neck; danger was near. Without hesitation, Tsubaki began chanting a spell, murmuring mystifying words. As the spell was completed, a thin protective barrier formed around her body like armor.
At that very moment, a sharp impact struck from behind her, followed by a cracking noise. Her enchantment had shattered!
Immediately, Tsubaki felt a heavy blow land on her back. She staggered and nearly fell. The barrier she had just conjured dissolved completely into the air after lasting only moments.
"Damn it, what is this monster?!" A dull ache radiated from her back, causing her to wince.
Even someone as seasoned as her would need time to recover. Sweat began to bead on her pale forehead, and her body trembled slightly as a hint of fear crept into her heart. Surrounded by thickening mist, unable to see a thing, her heart raced. She bitterly regretted underestimating the enemy.
"Hateful…" Panic flickered in her eyes, mingled with unwillingness.
The world spun around her. She lost all sense of direction, forward, backward, left, and right blurred together. She desperately searched for an exit, but it was hopeless. Her panic deepened, and even her perception of time became distorted. Without realizing it, Tsubaki had been trapped in the mist for an entire hour.
"Have others disappeared into the fog too?"
"Yes, this is the third group this month."
At the edge of the mist, villagers from the Village stood on high cliffs in the river valley, torches in hand, watching nervously. They didn't dare step into the fog. Since it appeared, the chief of the village had summoned many exorcists to hunt the monster in the valley, but not a single one had returned.
"This village is seriously spooky…"
"Spooky your head! We're monks, why are we even talking about drinking?!"
"You dare call me out when you were peeping at the villagers last night…"
"Hush!"
Under an ancient tree, two young monks stood at the edge of the valley, large prayer beads hanging from their necks. They were none other than Miyatsu and Miroku.
The two had been traveling across the land to visit friends. When they overheard rumors of monsters causing trouble here, they rushed over without delay. Always ones to chase excitement, the pair naturally couldn't miss this chance.