After seeing Monk secretly take a sip of wine, Miroku, who always argues with him, deliberately put on a serious face, ready to scold him. But unexpectedly, Miyatsu didn't flinch. Ignoring the presence of many villagers from Water Village, he was about to loudly reveal that Miyatsu had once tried to spy on female villagers bathing. In panic, Miroku quickly reached out and clamped a hand over his mouth.
One enjoyed drinking, the other had wandering eyes, an unlikely pair of monks, behaving more like rowdy drunks than spiritual men. Yet despite their foolish quarrels, both wielded impressive power.
Miyatsu broke free from the hand covering his mouth and opened his lips to expose his secrets, only to freeze mid-sentence.
"Did you hear that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.
A strange roar echoed in the distance. Everyone around turned toward the source. From the mist emerged a massive steel beast rumbling toward them.
"A monster?!"
"No... there's no demonic aura…"
Before panic could spread, the machine began to dismantle itself. Sebastian, Kikyō, and others stepped out. The steel beast was the Battle Fortress.
"There's a priestness... and others?" Everyone's gaze landed on Sebastian and Kikyō.
Even from afar, he could tell that Sebastian was no ordinary man. He looked like he came from a battlefield, yet carried none of the malice one might expect. The powerful aura radiating from Sebastian's team made it clear: these were not simple travelers. After a moment of thought, he chose to observe quietly.
"They've gone in," Miroku said as Sebastian and Kikyo disappeared into the mist.
"Must be demon hunters... but so reckless." Miyatsu shook his head.
He and Miroku had been stationed here for days without action. They'd been cautious, having found no trace of any monster despite their efforts. Glancing at Miroku, Miyatsu asked: "Should we follow?"
"Wait. Something's not right." Just then, the mist turned from white to a deep, blood-red hue like vaporized blood hanging in the air.
Miroku's face hardened with rare seriousness as he stared toward the river valley like a man peering into a beast's jaws. Charging in blindly would be suicide, yet he couldn't shake the feeling: Sebastian and his companions weren't ordinary.
"More lives to be lost... What a waste," Muttered one of two armored warriors standing at the mist's edge. Their blades shimmered coldly, their eyes mournful. They watched Sebastian and Kikyo vanish into the fog, shaking their heads.
"I... can't hold on..." Whispered Tsubaki.
She trembled. The black rosary that once hung around her neck now lay in her hand, a last line of defense. Shikigami serpents coiled protectively around her, but her energy was nearly gone. Suddenly...
Boom!
The ground quaked violently. Already weakened, Tsubaki nearly collapsed but caught herself, swaying.
"What... was that?!"
The river valley, once concealed by dense mist, now became visible. The fog itself began to retreat, shrinking rapidly toward a single point as the temperature dropped sharply, making Tsubaki shiver. In the sky, the mist condensed, moving like frightened prey fleeing the cold. Tsubaki stared in the direction the fog was moving, and her eyes widened in shock.
"What's happening...?"
At last, the shape of the valley was fully revealed. The ground was littered with corpses, the people who had gone missing. But their bodies were withered like dried husks. Blackened, collapsed skin clung to brittle bones. Their life force had been completely drained; they were nothing more than mummies.
"It's not that a monster was hiding in the fog..." Tsubaki suddenly understood. "The fog is the monster!"
No wonder no trace of it could ever be found. Now, the question haunted her: why was the Mist Demon retreating? Had someone powerful arrived? Driven by instinct and curiosity, Tsubaki dashed toward the source of the retreating fog, toward Sebastian's group.