Far beyond the neon arteries of Neo-Tokyo and the industrial glare of Nakamura City, there existed a place that maps had quietly forgotten.
Inugami Hollow.
Even the air behaved differently there.
Fog never fully lifted. It crawled through the forests like a living thing, slipping between cedar trunks and abandoned farm paths. Old wooden homes leaned under the weight of decades, and the power lines hummed with weak electricity that flickered during the slightest wind.
Time did not move forward in Inugami Hollow.
It simply lingered.
Travelers who passed through often said the village felt like stepping into a dream that had been half-remembered for too long.
And sometimes dreams hid nightmares.
Detective Kyohei Aomine had seen worse places.
Tokyo's underbelly had carved sharp instincts into him. Organized crime, corruption, corporate espionage—none of it surprised him anymore.
But this village…
This place felt wrong.
As he stepped off the rusted rural bus, the fog swallowed the road behind him.
He adjusted the camera strap hanging from his shoulder.
Today he wasn't a detective.
He was a nature vlogger.
He lifted the camera and spoke cheerfully into the lens.
"Konnichiwa, minna!" he said with an exaggerated grin.
(Hello everyone!)
"Today we're exploring a remote mountain ecosystem known for rare moss species and migratory birds."
He paused recording and sighed quietly.
"Yeah… right."
His real reason for being there was far less peaceful.
A bureaucrat named Kazuo Tanabe had disappeared after investigating irregular farm subsidies flowing into the village.
Millions of yen. Transferred quietly.
All tied to one name. Shiro Enma.
Kyohei's first stop was a small tea shop near the village square.
Incense drifted lazily across the room while an elderly couple prepared tea behind the counter.
The old woman smiled warmly.
"Okyakusama?"
(A visitor?)
Kyohei nodded politely.
"Just passing through. Filming nature content."
The old man chuckled.
"Haha… nature, eh?"
Soon the conversation drifted to local gossip.
When Kyohei casually mentioned Shiro Enma, the couple exchanged a glance.
Then the old woman laughed nervously.
"Ah… Shiro-sama…"
She stirred the tea slowly.
"He's… how do we say…"
The old man finished the sentence.
"Tokubetsu na hito."
(A very unusual man.)
Kyohei leaned closer.
The old man whispered conspiratorially.
"He lives in the big manor up the ridge. Thinks life is a theater stage."
"Cosplays every day. Different characters."
"Ninja… samurai… sometimes even a king."
The old woman added quietly:
"But don't anger him."
Kyohei raised an eyebrow.
"Naze?"
(Why?)
The old woman's smile faded.
"Because when he's angry…"
She lowered her voice.
"Inu ga kuru."
(The dogs will come.)
The Enma Estate rose above the village like a misplaced castle.
Greenhouses stretched across the hillside.
Metal kennels lined the outer fences.
The mansion itself looked European—tall windows, stone walls, red roofing.
Kyohei approached cautiously.
Before he could knock—
The door burst open.
A man wearing a bright ninja costume jumped forward dramatically.
"HA!"
He pointed a foam katana at Kyohei.
"Who dares approach the fortress of Lord Enma?!"
Kyohei blinked.
The man suddenly laughed.
"Relax! Relax!"
He removed the ninja mask with theatrical flair.
"Watashi wa Shiro Enma."
(I am Shiro Enma.)
Shiro bowed dramatically.
"Welcome to my stage."
Inside the manor, the atmosphere grew stranger.
Farm workers dressed like medieval guards.
Servants wore costumes resembling samurai armor.
Every hallway looked like part of a bizarre stage production.
Shiro walked beside Kyohei enthusiastically.
"Life is theater, Aomine-san!"
Kyohei froze.
"I never told you my name."
Shiro winked.
"Actors must know their audience."
Then he laughed loudly.
"Haha! Just a guess!"
In the garden courtyard, two figures sat quietly.
Shiro introduced them proudly.
"My family!"
His wife Miyuki bowed politely.
"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
(Nice to meet you.)
She seemed gentle. Too gentle.
As if she had trained herself not to question anything around her.
Their daughter Kana sat on the stone floor drawing with chalk.
Dogs. Dozens of them.
Some looked friendly.
Others had sharp teeth.
Kana looked up at Kyohei.
"Inu… suki?"
(Do you like dogs?)
Kyohei forced a smile.
"Un… sukida."
(Yes… I do.)
Kana giggled softly.
"They protect Papa."
Later that night, Kyohei walked back toward the village.
Fog thickened around the fields.
Then— A growl.
Low. Controlled.
Another growl answered from the darkness.
Kyohei froze.
"Inu…"
(Dogs…)
Suddenly—
A scream echoed across the fields.
"AAAAAA—!"
Kyohei sprinted toward the sound.
A man lay on the ground surrounded by four massive black dogs.
They moved with terrifying precision.
Two targeted the arms.
One locked onto the throat.
The fourth waited behind them.
Like soldiers.
Kyohei grabbed a flare from his pack.
He ignited it.
Red light exploded through the fog.
"Yamero!!"
(Stop!!)
The dogs hesitated.
Then retreated silently into the mist.
The injured man gasped weakly.
Kyohei knelt beside him.
"Hold on!"
The man grabbed his coat.
"Aomine…"
Kyohei froze.
"You know me?"
The man coughed blood.
"Detective… Yamada…"
Kyohei's eyes widened.
Yamada had been missing for weeks.
"Shiro…" Yamada whispered.
"He's no clown…"
His voice trembled.
"Drug labs… under the greenhouses."
"Tanabe found them during the audit."
Kyohei clenched his fists.
Yamada continued.
"The dogs… bio-conditioned."
"No guards… no weapons."
"No fingerprints."
He coughed again.
"No law can arrest a dog."
The next day Kyohei searched the abandoned coastal lighthouse nearby.
Inside he found damaged coast guard equipment.
One drone still contained partial footage from a rescue mission months earlier.
He played the video.
Wind screamed across the speakers.
Waves crashed violently.
Then the camera stabilized.
Standing on the rocks was Shiro Enma.
Arms spread wide.
Around him, dozens of soaked dogs crawled from the ocean.
Like soldiers returning from battle.
Then Shiro spoke.
"Anata… watashi wo tomeru no ka?"
(You want to stop me?)
He smiled.
"Let me stop you first."
One dog slowly turned toward the drone camera.
Its eyes reflected the stormlight.
Then— Static.
Kyohei stepped outside the lighthouse.
The fog was thicker than ever.
He sent the drone footage through an encrypted police channel.
But something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Then the barking began.
Far away at first.
Then closer.
Measured.
Controlled.
Like commands being issued from somewhere unseen.
Kyohei whispered under his breath.
"Chikushou…"
(Damn it…)
From the ridge above the village, a faint silhouette watched the lighthouse.
Shiro Enma stood calmly with his hands behind his back.
Around him sat a pack of perfectly silent dogs.
He whispered softly.
"Yoi ka?"
(Are you ready?)
The dogs stood.
Eyes glowing in the fog.
Shiro smiled.
"The next act begins."
Somewhere Else… Miles away, in a hidden safehouse illuminated by dim monitors, Kaito Shiranami watched the encrypted footage arrive.
Yuna stood beside him.
On the screen, Shiro Enma's face flickered through the static.
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
He whispered quietly.
"Yuna…"
She looked up.
"Inugami Hollow…"
He paused.
"Something is very wrong there."
Yuna slowly began drawing in her sketchbook.
A man surrounded by dogs.
And another figure standing behind him in the fog.
Kaito.
She pushed the drawing toward him.
Two words were written underneath.
"Ikou."
(Let's go.)
Kaito looked back at the screen.
The hunt had already begun.
And soon… The Nameless would walk into Inugami Hollow.