The sun had barely risen when the gates of the warrior citadel creaked open. Team Hinazuki stood at its edge—quiet, alert, and prepared.
Their destination: Hanamura, a serene village nestled in the folds of a valley veiled in white mist.
Their mission: retrieve Hime Kuraragi, the girl whose Flow could amplify others tenfold.
Their challenge: unknown.
Oborozuka adjusted the talismans tucked into his sleeve, his silver mirrors dangling at his belt like polished weapons. Yatsurugi stretched his arms, ravens already circling above. Hinazuki simply looked ahead, silent and thoughtful as always.
The wind was gentle. The road ahead, not so much.
Scene 1: The Mistwood Pass
By noon, they reached a narrow mountain pass blanketed in ghostly mist.
Hinazuki halted.
"This fog… isn't natural," he muttered.
Suddenly, the trees groaned.
A black-armored Oni burst forth from the woods, its body covered in jagged horns, a mouth full of jagged teeth, and its eyes glowing red with cursed Flow. Its presence alone made the mist choke and swirl with malice.
"A mid-tier Oni this far out?" Yatsurugi clicked his tongue. "This thing's way above our rank."
The Oni roared, launching forward.
Yatsurugi leapt, black ravens descending like spears. "Raven Talismans—Devouring Storm!"
The Oni swatted the birds away with ease, knocking Yatsurugi into a tree.
Oborozuka flanked, placing down a mirror. "Mirror Style—Splinter Echo!" He fired beams of energy that split into dozens, only for the Oni to dash through them, undeterred.
It towered over Hinazuki.
"...Bind Talisman—Mist Chains!"
Misty bindings launched from the ground, wrapping around the Oni's limbs.
"Hold!" Hinazuki shouted.
The Oni struggled—and broke free.
Hinazuki coughed blood. "Not enough."
Scene 2: Hime Kuraragi
A soft voice rang from the side of the road. "That won't work. He's far above your Flow output."
A girl stepped from the mist. Black hair cascading to her waist. Serene. Calm. And with the most composed eyes they had ever seen.
She knelt, placing her hands together.
"Please. Allow me."
Golden sigils bloomed under her feet.
"Amplification Flow Art: Kizuna no Hikari (The Light of Bonds)."
A wave of warm light surged through the air—touching each member of the team.
Hinazuki gasped. "My Flow… it's moving faster, deeper!"
Oborozuka's mirrors shimmered like portals to another dimension. "It's as if I'm… connected to something bigger."
Yatsurugi snapped his fingers. His ravens cawed louder, their feathers crackling with crimson lightning.
The Oni charged.
But this time—they were ready.
Scene 3: Counterattack
"Raven Talismans: Crimson Descent!" Yatsurugi roared, a dozen spectral birds dive-bombing the Oni with explosions.
"Mirror Style: Divine Prism!" Oborozuka fired a light ray through a matrix of rotating mirrors, splitting the beam into hundreds of searing lines that tore through the Oni's armor.
"Mist Bind: Full Domain Bind!" Hinazuki clasped both hands and slammed a talisman into the ground. Chains of dense fog erupted from every direction, restraining the Oni like a prisoner of war.
"Now!" they yelled together.
Yatsurugi's final raven pecked into the Oni's exposed core.
A single note rang as the creature wailed—then disintegrated into smoke.
Scene 4: The Girl Who Shines
The mist cleared. The forest grew silent again.
Hime stood with her hands clasped in prayer.
"That should give you about twenty minutes of amplified Flow before your energy stabilizes again," she said softly.
Oborozuka stared in awe. "Who… are you?"
She turned to them, the golden glow fading from her fingers.
"My name is Hime Kuraragi," she said, bowing gently. "And I believe you were sent to retrieve me."
Hinazuki blinked, then gave a relieved nod.
"Yes… and thank you. You just saved our lives."
She smiled, softly.
"I don't fight. But I shine through those who do."
Scene 5: Return Through Twilight
The path back was quiet.
Not peaceful—just quiet.
The three disciples walked ahead, bruised and worn but alive. Behind them walked Hime Kuraragi, her black hair flowing gently with the wind, her gaze soft and distant.
Oborozuka glanced over his shoulder. "…You really don't feel afraid?"
Hime smiled gently. "Fear is for those uncertain of their purpose."
Yatsurugi huffed. "That's pretty deep for someone who nearly turned us into super soldiers."
She tilted her head. "And yet… you survived."
Hinazuki remained quiet the entire time. He couldn't stop thinking about what he'd felt.
The amplification wasn't just a power boost—it was clarity.
It was as if—for the first time—his Flow had a voice.
He glanced back at her. "You didn't just amplify our energy, did you?"
Hime raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I did?"
He paused. "You let our Flow speak for itself. You… listened to it. And made it louder."
She smiled again—but this time, her eyes shimmered with something more… tragic.
"You're not wrong."
Scene 6: Citadel Gates
By the time the citadel's stone gates came into view, the moon had begun its climb. The sky was a quiet navy, and fireflies danced along the pathway.
The guards at the gate recognized them immediately and opened the way.
Kazui was already waiting at the entrance.
He blinked at the sight of Hime, completely unscathed, walking behind a bloodied but triumphant Team Hinazuki.
Kazui raised an eyebrow. "Back already?"
Yatsurugi slumped to the floor. "We nearly died."
Oborozuka added dryly, "And then we nearly died again."
Hime bowed politely. "I'm Hime Kuraragi. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kazui narrowed his eyes as he examined her spiritual presence.
Her Flow is… incredibly pure… it's like standing beside a celestial spring.
Suno appeared from behind the corridor.
"You brought her back without incident?" he asked, eyeing Hinazuki.
Hinazuki shook his head. "No. We fought a mid-tier Oni on the way. It nearly killed us."
Suno frowned. "A mid-tier Oni that far out? That's unusual…"
Oborozuka added, "It came from the fog. As if it was waiting."
Suno and Kazui exchanged a glance.
Kazui sighed. "That's not a coincidence."
Scene 7: A Quiet Room
That night, Hime was given a private room overlooking the moonlit courtyard.
She didn't unpack. She didn't sleep.
She knelt in front of the window, hands gently placed on her lap.
And spoke aloud to no one.
> "It's begun, hasn't it?
The Veilborn have started moving.
And I'm no longer hidden."
She closed her eyes.
A tear escaped.
> "Forgive me… I don't know if I can do this again."
The candle beside her flickered, then dimmed.
And far away… in the shadows of the mountain pass…
A pair of crimson eyes blinked open.