Part 1
The silence felt endless.
The calm before the storm...
And it wasn't a metaphor. It was real. As if the world itself were holding its breath.
The red oni still stood in place, club slung over his shoulder, unmoving. His breath came slow, heavy.
Thick, hot steam escaped from his mouth, fading into the forest air.
In front of him, Eve stood firm, shielding Kaito with her body. Her kukris were held in a defensive stance, ready to intercept the first twitch of aggression.
To her left, Seri kept her eyes locked on the enemy.
Her fire spirit stood beside her—motionless, but humming with energy, like a flame refusing to ignite before its time.
Kaito held the Lunaris Edge in one hand. The rusted blade still shimmered faintly, as if it too were waiting… for something.
No one moved.
The birds had stopped singing.
The wind no longer rustled the leaves.
Even the forest itself seemed to hold its breath.
The kitsune girl looked up—barely.
Her sad eyes gleamed beneath the curtain of her messy hair. Her hand trembled over the gohei, as if every fiber of her being doubted what she was about to summon.
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
"That look..." he murmured, not raising his voice. "She doesn't want to fight."
Then, he took a single step forward.
Just one.
And that alone shattered the balance.
He pointed his sword directly at the paladin.
"Why are you forcing her to fight against her will? Doesn't the Church have any sense of morality?"
The paladin didn't even blink.
His expression was that of a man who had stopped listening long ago.
All that remained was doctrine... and a hunger for power.
"Beastfolk have no rights. They are tools. Nothing more."
He yanked on the chain.
The kitsune girl stumbled forward, her bare feet barely skimming the ground. She staggered like a broken marionette, soul absent from her eyes.
"She belongs to us," said the paladin with a crooked smile. "Now command that beast to attack, you filthy fox."
The girl whimpered and shook her head, tears silently spilling down her cheeks.
"Obey!"
That shout was followed by a sharp flash.
Electricity surged through the metal collar at her neck.
Her body jerked violently, seized by pain.
Her eyes flew wide open—hollow.
She slowly, painfully raised her arm.
"A… attack them… Oni," she choked out, her voice cracking, her finger pointing at Kaito's group.
The demon obeyed instantly.
He roared and charged forward like a living avalanche. Every step shook the earth beneath them.
"Get ready!" Kaito shouted, raising his sword.
The Oni raised his massive stone club high overhead—
And brought it crashing down.
"Master, behind me!" Eve cried out, leaping in front of him.
She deployed a magical barrier just in time.
The club struck with a deafening crack.
The barrier shattered like glass under pressure, disintegrating into a rain of glowing fragments but it managed to deflect the club, just barely.
The Oni roared again.
Without pause, he twisted his body and swung once more in a brutal second strike.
This time, the weapon struck Eve directly, catching her from the side.
The impact echoed like thunder.
The automaton was flung through the air, vanishing into the trees with overwhelming force—smashing branches, leaves, and everything in her path.
The forest held its breath for one more second.
And then… everything exploded into motion.
"Eveeeeeeeeeee!" Kaito screamed, voice raw with desperation.
"Kaito, don't lose focus!" Seri warned, raising her staff while sending Ignaria forward.
The fire spirit didn't hesitate for a second. She launched herself at the massive red demon, her blows cloaked in roaring flame.
With each hit, the Oni was forced to take a step back, growling with fury as he withstood the fiery assault.
But he didn't fall.
"Why… is he so resistant?"
"He's an A-rank demon. Must be at least level 55," Seri answered, her eyes never leaving the fight.
The Oni batted away the flames with a sweeping claw, then raised his club once more.
Ignaria dodged with a graceful leap and dove back in.
Kaito grit his teeth. His sword trembled slightly in his grip.
"Hahaha..." laughed the paladin from behind, his voice dripping arrogance. "Behold it! The power of a kitsune's summoning… useful, when you know how to force obedience."
His tone was disgustingly proud. As if the girl's suffering was nothing more than a footnote to his victory.
Kaito clenched his katana with both hands, knuckles white, eyes burning with indignation.
"Moonlight!" he shouted, clear and resolute.
Nothing happened.
"No... not now, Lunaris… Moonlight!"
But the blade remained the same.
Rusty. Silent. Dormant.
Across the field, the Oni let out another thunderous roar.
With a brutal swing, his club came down and struck Ignaria, crushing the spirit in a final explosion of flame before she vanished entirely.
"Ignaria… she's reached her limit," Seri whispered, her face tense.
"Crush them, Oni!" the paladin shouted triumphantly.
But nothing happened.
The demon remained motionless.
His body vibrated with latent energy… but he didn't move.
He just stared downward.
"What… what's going on?!" the paladin shouted, turning toward the kitsune.
"I…" she whispered, still not lifting her gaze.
"No excuses, you mangy mutt!" he barked, then threw a punch straight into her face.
The blow was sharp.
She collapsed to the ground—too broken to defend herself.
All she could do was cry.
A deep, shaking sob from a body bound in chains and silence.
"Coward!" Kaito roared, his fury igniting. Without thinking, he charged at the paladin.
"Finish him!"
The Oni turned sharply.
He raised his club with both hands… And brought it down with devastating force.
But not on Kaito.
On the paladin.
The impact was fatal.
A roar, the crack of bones—
The wretched man's body disappeared beneath the crushing weight of the weapon.
Silence.
The remaining soldier, still holding the chain, stepped back in horror.
"Hey, you! Control that thing!"
But the girl didn't respond.
She was still there, on the ground, trembling, her face drenched in tears.
Refusing to look.
Refusing to scream.
As if the world no longer deserved her voice.
The Oni turned again.
This time, without hesitation, it swung a lateral blow that struck the soldier squarely, sending him flying through the trees—vanishing without a trace.
"What's happening…?" Kaito said, running toward her.
Seri followed right beside him, her spirit no longer summoned.
"He's lost control," she answered through gritted teeth. "His summoner has collapsed. And if she doesn't guide him… he acts on his own will."
The Oni roared and turned to her this time.
He faced the kitsune head-on, as if he recognized her… but held no respect.
He slowly raised his club, aiming downward.
Ready to crush.
She looked up just in time to see it.
She didn't scream.
She didn't plead.
She just… accepted it.
And in that instant, her life flashed before her eyes.
Chime…
Chime… chime.
The sound of a small bell echoed through the quiet Shinto shrine, high atop a mountain.
It was a hot summer day, with cicadas occasionally breaking the silence with their buzzing.
A brown-haired kitsune lay stretched out on the wooden steps of the shrine, staring absently at the sky.
"So boring…"
Another kitsune, this one with pink hair and a refined demeanor, approached with graceful steps.
"It's unbecoming of a shrine maiden to be lazing around," she said with a warm smile.
The younger one looked up and grinned mischievously.
"Sorry, Lady Kaori. It's just that I've finished all the cleaning, completed my duties for the day, and… there's nothing left to do."
"Ayame, I think your energy is too much to be contained in this shrine," Kaori replied, smiling broadly.
Ayame suddenly sat up and bowed so deeply her forehead touched the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Kaori! Please don't expel me from the shrine! I can cut the grass or rearrange the rocks right now!"
"Haha… you're such a sweetheart," Kaori chuckled softly. "That's not it. I don't intend to send you away."
"Then…?" Ayame asked, still confused.
"I'd like you to go on a pilgrimage."
"A pilgrimage?"
"There's nothing more we can teach you about combat. You're the most talented one here. I'd even dare say… stronger than me."
"Don't say that, Lady Kaori! I still have many years to reach your wisdom… and to earn pink hair like yours."
Kaori covered her mouth with a folding fan, letting out a graceful giggle.
"Jojojo… you're too sweet. I'm flattered… but we both know that's not true."
She then handed Ayame two scrolls.
"What's this?"
"One is your official departure permit from Yurei. With it, they'll take you by boat to the kingdom of Mythara—a vast forest inhabited by elemental elves, magical beings, and demi-humans of all kinds."
"That sounds amazing!" Ayame replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"The other is your priestess certificate. If you run into trouble, show that scroll and you'll have safe passage through most territories. But it won't save you if you go looking for trouble, got it?"
"Yes! I promise I won't let you down!" Ayame exclaimed, wagging her tail with joy.
Her eyes shone brightly—like someone about to leap into a grand adventure for the very first time.
An adventure… that ended before it even began.
Her ship was intercepted by pirates.
She was captured, chained, and sold into slavery in the Kingdom of Estelaris.
There, in the church's underground chambers, she was treated like something impure. The acolytes cursed her for being a half-human.
She ate scraps. Slept on cold stone floors. Her health weakened by the day.
They used her for missions no cleric would accept. Missions that stained the soul.
All she had left were her memories.
The sound of the bell.
The blue sky from the temple.
Lady Kaori's laughter.
And the guilt.
The unbearable feeling of having let her down.
But none of it mattered anymore. Her life was about to end...
"Forgive me…" she whispered through tears.
The club came down.
But it didn't land.
CLANG.
A metallic sound. The stone club had struck steel.
"Moonlight!" a firm voice cried out.
Kaito was there, sword raised, bracing against the impact with all his strength. His face showed pain… but also resolve.
Lunaris Edge trembled in his hand, as if it still doubted itself.
"Don't give up!" he shouted to the kitsune, never taking his eyes off the enemy.
He gave her a warm smile. Not the smile of a hero—but of a human being.
And for the first time in a long time… Ayame felt that maybe humans weren't so bad.
That maybe, just maybe… life was worth living.
The club pressed down again. Kaito faltered.
The leaves of the trees began to shake, vibrating with energy.
"Eve Eve Beam!" a voice shouted from afar.
A beam of light shot across the forest like a bolt from the heavens, striking the red demon squarely and sending him flying several meters back.
The wind howled.
Ayame was still there, trembling… but alive.
And something deep inside her began to stir once more.
A spark of hope.