The villagers enthusiasm was unnerving.
"Why are they so welcoming?"
"Yeah, this feels off…"
Even the viewers watching the stream was puzzled. Something about this was far too strange.
Before long, the villagers led Natalie into the largest thatched hut in the village, inviting her to sit on a bamboo mat. Their hospitality was overwhelming, so much so that even Wolf, who was usually unshaken, felt uneasy.
"What exactly are you people…?" Wolf finally asked.
At his words, the villagers fell silent. They exchanged wary glances before an old man finally stepped forward.
"That's right… Master," he said solemnly.
Wolf's brows furrowed. After a pause, he admitted, "Yes. I am."
The old man straightened his back, his voice trembling but firm. "Then we beg something of you, Your Excellency."
"What is it?" Wolf asked.
The old man knelt heavily, his forehead touching the ground. "We ask you… to retrieve our heads."
The words were chilling. Before Natalie could even react, the old man's body shimmered, and then his head simply vanished. His flesh grew faint, turning translucent like smoke. The villagers behind him followed suit. One by one, they collapsed to their knees. One by one, their heads disappeared.
The chat exploded instantly.
"WTF?!"
"They're not alive!!"
"Holy shit, they're headless ghosts!!"
Natalie's heart leapt to her throat. She jumped to her feet in shock and immediately drew her blade.
What the hell was happening?! In an instant, the friendly villagers had turned into eerie, headless phantoms.
But instead of attacking, the old man raised a trembling hand. "Do not fear, Your Excellency. We were once the villagers of this land. After death, we became mere wandering spirits. We mean no harm."
His voice was steady despite the absence of a head.
Natalie didn't lower her guard, but her grip on the sword loosened slightly.
The realization hit her. All of them… they've all turned into ghosts.
"Then who killed you?" Wolf asked grimly.
"The Inner Palace," the old man spat. "Ashina is too weak to protect its villages now. Not long ago, soldiers from the Inner Palace descended upon us. They slaughtered every last villager and looted all our grain."
Wolf's jaw tightened. "The Inner Palace…"
The audience raged:
"Goddamn bastards!""In times of chaos, the people are always the first to suffer.""No wonder the monk told us not to pry—this is brutal."
Natalie felt her chest tighten. Her fear of these headless villagers eased, replaced by a deep sympathy. Scary as they looked, they were simply pitiful ghosts.
"But your heads," Wolf pressed, "did the Inner Palace take them as well?"
The old man shook his ethereal form. "No. Our heads were cut off by Ashina's soldiers."
Wolf's eyes narrowed. "…Why?"
"They used our heads as offerings… to a ghost called Headless."
The viewers froze.
"Headless?!"
"Oh, shit…"
The old man's hollow voice explained, "In ancient times, countless warriors were executed by beheading. Their souls gathered together, forming vengeful spirits. These beings crave heads above all else. By offering human heads, Ashina awakens them, to use as weapons against the Inner Palace."
Wolf's eyes darkened. "So that's what they've become…"
The old man let out a weary sigh. "Come with me, Your Excellency."
He led them out of the village and into the forest behind it. After a while, they reached a hidden cave entrance, its mouth bound with ropes strung with talismans. Two Ashina soldiers stood watch, silent and unmoving.
"The Headless is sealed within that cave," the old man said, pointing with his trembling hand. "Whenever the Inner Palace attacks, Ashina soldiers release it to fight. Only if you slay the Headless can we reclaim our severed heads."
The ghost's voice trembled, but not with fear—with resignation. "We villagers are weak. Even in death, we harbor no thoughts of revenge. All we wish is to be freed from this torment, to ascend to the heavens. But without our heads… we cannot pass on. So please, I beg you, return them to us."
The villagers knelt once more, their translucent forms bowing low before Natalie.
"…I didn't expect it to be this cruel." Natalie clenched her fists as the group of headless phantoms prostrated before her.
The chat was no less shaken.
"Damn… Ashina's just as cruel as the Inner Palace."
"Kanichiro's so called 'patriotism' is just insanity."
"Everyone in this era suffers… the people are nothing but grass in the storm."
The tragedy was undeniable. The villagers had been massacred by the Inner Palace, stripped of their grain, and in death, their very heads stolen to fuel monstrous rituals.
Now, a choice appeared before Natalie: [Accept the Request] [Reject the Request]
She snorted coldly. "This isn't even a choice. Of course, I'll take it, [Accept]!"
"Yeah, screw them!"
"Those poor villagers deserve peace in the afterlife!"
"Damn, this is making me panic for real!"
After hearing the tragic fate of the villagers, both Natalie and the audience were burning with righteous fury.
When she chose the quest option, Wolf spoke as well. "Yes. I'll help you. I'll kill the Headless."
"Thank you, sir!!!"
The villagers translucent bodies stirred in gratitude. They rose from their knees, bowing deeply. Then the old man spoke again, voice heavy with warning:
"Your Excellency… that creature is no ordinary ghost. The Headless is vicious beyond measure. If you intend to face it, you must prepare. Without two things, you will never stand a chance."
Wolf's eyes narrowed. "Which two things?"
"One is Stone of Spiritual Life, a blessing that coats your blade and makes it capable of striking the Headless. The other is Palace Lotus Flower, which suppresses terror and prevents one from dying of fear. Both can be found at Senpou Temple at Ashina Peak."
"Dying… of fright?" Natalie muttered, brows furrowed.
The old man bowed once more. "Then I leave it to you, Your Excellency…" His voice faded as he and the other villagers dissolved into mist, vanishing from sight.
"Palace Lotus Flower, Stone of Spiritual Life…" Natalie repeated under her breath. "Looks like we'll need to visit the Temple before we can properly fight this Headless." She paused. "Still… let's at least check it out now."
After all, it was only a game. And the villagers suffering was too pitiful. She wanted to fulfill their wishes as quickly as possible.
With that thought, Natalie advanced toward the cave.
The two Ashina soldiers standing guard were nothing special. She crept forward, swiftly assassinated one, then triggered her Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu to cut down the other. The corpses dropped before they even realized what had happened.
"Damn… who would've thought I'd be playing exorcist in this game?" Natalie sighed, wiping her blade. Ghosts had always been her weakness, her terrified screams in Silent Hill PT were infamous.
But Sekiro was still an action game. There couldn't be that many terrifying ghost enemies, right? And this time, she had her trusty blade. Unlike in horror games, here she wasn't defenseless.
And besides, the villagers fate was too cruel. No matter how scared she was, she couldn't just turn back.
Natalie steadied her breathing and stepped into the cave.
The world grew darker with each step. The damp air clung to her skin, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed from the stone walls.
"Tsk… why does this place feel straight out of a horror game?"
"Yo, this atmosphere is scarier than Silent Hill!"
"Don't panic! Remember, it's still a martial arts action game!"
The chat spammed nervously, and Natalie swallowed hard. Her blade was already drawn. With her [Eagle Eye] skill, the darkness didn't blind her completely, faint outlines of the cave took shape before her.
Then she froze.
Something loomed ahead. A structure, pyramid shaped, rising almost a meter high. At first glance, it looked like a pile of stones.
But the closer she looked… the truth was far more horrifying.
It wasn't stone at all.
It was a mound of human heads.
1353 Words.