Innocence Becomes the Hunted
(The forest is alive with the sounds of pursuit—snapped branches, disturbed leaves, and the occasional flash of movement in the gloom. Ryo moves like a shadow himself, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack stone.)
Ryo (internal monologue): "That scream came from the northwest ravine." (His grip on his blade whitens his knuckles.) "If they've hurt her—"
(Tenjo keeps pace behind him without a word, but there's tension in his silence. Even for him… this feels different.)
(Cut to: A shallow cave tucked into a rocky outcrop. Inside, Rumi presses herself against the cold stone, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she clutches her bleeding arm.)
Rumi (whispering through tears): "...D-Daddy... where are you?"
(Outside—the slow crunch of boots on gravel grows closer.)
(Ginjiro steps into view—his crimson tengu mask glinting in the dim light, his sickle dripping with venom. His presence alone chills the air—like a predator savoring its prey's fear.)
Ginjiro (voice eerily calm): "Little rabbit… no more running."
(Rumi's breath hitches—her body trembling as she backs deeper into the cave. The darkness swallows her whole… but Ginjiro doesn't rush. He likes this part.)
(From behind him, Rinze emerges—his massive frame casting an even longer shadow. Bloodstained bandages flutter despite the still air, and his dagger gleams hungrily.)
Rinze (cracking his neck lazily): "Just grab her." (No patience for games—he wants this done fast.)
(Rumi dashes silently into the cave's shadows, her small frame pressing against jagged rocks. Her breath is ragged but controlled—years of playing hideandseek with Ryo are paying off now.)
Ginjiro (pausing, tilting his head): "...She's close." (His sickle hums faintly—seeking Seishu in the air like a hound sniffing blood.)
(Rumi's fingers tighten around a loose stone—her mind racing. She won't go down without a fight.)
(Rumi curls into herself—her tiny form shaking as she buries her face in her knees. The darkness presses in around her, suffocating and cold.)
Rumi (whimpering, barely audible): "D-Daddy… R-Ryo… please..." (Tears drip onto the stone beneath her as the hunters' footsteps grow louder.)
(For the first time in her life… she feels truly alone. The cave walls seem to close in—a coffin of rock and shadow.)
"WHITE MOON RISING"
(Within Rumi's fading consciousness, the world dissolves into silver mist. Then—light. A presence emerges, so radiant it banishes all fear.)
Rumi (voice distant, awestruck): "...Who… are you?"
(From the void steps Shiriyuki—the White Moon Engetsuju Beast.)
Form: A towering wolf-like entity with fur like fresh snowfall, eyes glowing like twin full moons. Frost spirals off its body in delicate patterns, crystallizing the air around it.
Elegance: Moves with liquid grace—every step leaves ephemeral frost blossoms that linger before melting away. Its voice is a chime of winter wind when it speaks.
(Shiriyuki lowers its massive head—gently nudging Rumi's trembling form with its muzzle.)
Shiriyuki (voice resonant yet soft): "Little one… you called." (Not a question.)
(Shiriyuki bends down—its breath caressing Rumi's cheek like a gentle snowfall.)
Shiriyuki (voice a whisper like frozen silk): "… I am Shiriyuki. The White Moon." (Its words dance like snowflakes—each syllable falling softly.)
(A sense of calm washes over Rumi, the fear of the dark receding before Shiriyuki's silent but powerful presence.)
Rumi (voicing confusion): "Are you a girl?…"
(Shiriyuki nuzzles Rumi with a tender affection before replying.)
Shiriyuki (voice like a winter breeze, amused fondness in its eyes): "I have no true gender. But you might think of me as… a She."
(Rumi touches the beast's silken fur—wonder and awe welling in her eyes.)
(Rumi asks what made her manifest and if she's the one Akasaki was after.)
(Shiriyuki's moonlit gaze softens—her voice carrying a sorrowful weight.)
Shiriyuki: "You called me, little one. Not with words… but with your terror." (Her muzzle tilts slightly, frost swirling around them both.) "And yes... I am the one they seek. The 10-Ringed Beast."
(Rumi's eyes widen—realization dawning as Shiriyuki confirms her worst fear: Akasaki and her ilk would raze worlds to possess her.)
(In the distance Ginjiro drags his Sickle across the ground creating screeching noises.)
Rumi (Pleading): "Can you protect me until my brother gets here?"
(Shiriyuki dips her head—her fur brushing Rumi's face in an almost maternal gesture.)
Shiriyuki (voice solemn, resolute): "I will shield you. From them… and all harm. Until your father and brother return."
(Rumi buries her face in the beast's soft fur—tears mixing with the frost flecks as she hugs her protector.)
(Outside the cave, Ginjiro stops mid-step, his nostrils flaring as he sniffs the air.)
Ginjiro (voice quiet, wary): "… I have her scent."
(Rinze eyes Ginjiro—picking up the subtle change in his body language.)
Rinze (voice flat, wary but not surprised): "She's cornered in the cave."
(Shiriyuki senses Ginjiro and Rinze's intent—her form shimmers as a chill descends like the breath of winter. A mist of ice crystals begins to swirl around the enclosed area, obscuring Rumi from view.)
Shiriyuki (voice like a whisper, protective fury beneath the calm): "Stay still… and silent, little moon."
(A hush descends as the hunters approach the cave.)
(Outside the cave, Rinze growls under his breath, eyes narrowing as he notices the plunging temperatures.)
Rinze (voice gruff, annoyed): "Damn cold… What's causing this?"
(Ginjiro keeps his head tilted, eyes still focused on the cave entrance.)
Ginjiro (voice cool, analytical): "Something is protecting the girl."
Rinze (Pissed): "Can you sense the source of this phenomenon?"
(Ginjiro's fingers flex around his sickle—his usual confidence momentarily unsettled.)
Ginjiro (voice low, wary): "No. It's... something unnatural." (His tengu mask hides the tension in his jaw.)
(Rinze scoffs but grips his dagger tighter, scanning the cave mouth with narrowed eyes. Neither has seen an Engetsuju before—let alone one as ancient as Shiriyuki.)
(Ginjiro catches sight of Rumi, halfhidden in the ice fog. His expression hardens.)
Ginjiro (voice grim, eyes narrowing): "… There… in the mist." (Rinze follows Ginjiro's gaze, seeing the vague outline of Rumi through the haze.)
(Both hunters know instinctively that something—or someone, is protecting Rumi. But they don't understand just how significant the White Moon Engetsuju is yet.)
(Ginjiro's sickle hums—a dark glow enveloping the blade as he utters his forbidden chant.)
Ginjiro (voice a low, chilling whisper): "Keikai—Kurozaru no Yari." (The Black Monkey's Spear.)
(A sickly purple aura erupts from his weapon, twisting into jagged, venomtipped barbs. The air itself recoils from its corruption.)
(In Rumi's protective mist, Shiriyuki tenses—her moonlit eyes narrowing at the familiar taint of another Engetsuju weapon.)
"THE HUNT BEGINS"
(Ginjiro's sickle pulses with venomous energy as he steps forward—his voice a deathly whisper.)
Ginjiro (eyes gleaming behind his tengu mask): "Run, little rabbit… if you can." (A promise of suffering laced beneath the words.)
(The panel cuts to black—leaving only the echoing drip of poison from his blade as the screen fades to white text:)
⛓️💥🌌🪖End Of Chapter Sixty One