By: sisipisi1238 (story concept)
Chapter 1 — The Night of Falling Petals
The mountain wind carried the scent of rain and something else — something faintly sweet, like burnt blossoms.
The Renhara Shrine stood at the mountain's peak, wrapped in the silver glow of the moon. Its torii gate was old but sturdy, the wood marked by centuries of prayers. Beneath it knelt a girl in white robes, her hands pressed together before a single candle.
Her name was Aiko Renhara.
She was only fourteen then, though her eyes already held the quiet sadness of someone much older. Her silver hair shimmered in the candlelight as she whispered a prayer to the spirits that slept beneath the earth.
"Please… watch over them. Watch over this world."
Her voice trembled. The candle flickered once — then went out.
Silence.
Then came the first scream.
Aiko's head snapped up. The air turned heavy, the clouds swirling unnaturally. A violet flame began to rise from the forest below, devouring the night itself.
"Veilfire…" she whispered, her heart pounding.
The elders had spoken of it — a cursed flame that burned the soul instead of the flesh. And now it was here, climbing the mountain toward the shrine.
Aiko ran inside, searching for her mentor.
"Grandmother! The Veilfire—!"
The old woman turned from the altar, her eyes calm despite the chaos. She pressed something into Aiko's trembling hands — a sheathed sword wrapped in white cloth.
"Take it," she said. "Run, Aiko. The blade will guide you."
"But—"
"Go!"
The mountain erupted in light.
Aiko remembered only fragments after that — fire that didn't burn, voices that cried without mouths, and the weight of the sword in her arms as she fell into darkness.
When she awoke, the shrine was gone. The forest was ash. And the sword beside her was glowing faintly, whispering her name.
"Aiko… awaken."
Chapter 2 — The Last Channeler
Three years later.
The girl who once trembled at the sight of flame now stood alone at the edge of the ruined village of Nakatani, her sword unsheathed.
A pale mist swirled around her feet, carrying faint whispers of the dead. She could hear them — every voice, every regret.
That was her curse as a Spirit Channeler.
She closed her eyes and spoke softly.
"Rest now. Your pain will reach the moon."
Her blade glowed, drawing the wandering souls into light. When it was done, silence returned. Only the sound of the wind remained.
Aiko sheathed her sword and exhaled slowly. The weapon — Tsukiyomi no Kagari — pulsed faintly, as if alive.
"You're quiet tonight," she murmured.
A voice echoed inside her mind — soft, low, ancient.
"You grow stronger. The whispers fade."
"You make it sound like that's a good thing," she said with a faint smile. "But if they all fade… I'll be alone again."
"You are never alone, Aiko."
The voice went silent.
She sighed, looking up at the sky. Two moons hung side by side — one pale silver, the other deep blue. The alignment wasn't supposed to happen for another decade.
And yet, here they were.
"If the moons align again…" she whispered, "…does that mean it's happening all over?"
Chapter 3 — The Whispering City
By the time she reached the Capital of Shion, it was already dying.
Streets once filled with laughter were now lined with hollow-eyed citizens. The Veil Plague had returned — a curse that left its victims standing still like statues, breathing but empty.
Aiko moved silently through the fog. Her presence drew no attention; people looked through her, not at her.
She followed the energy trail to the temple at the city's heart. There, beneath the cracked statue of the Moon God, stood a knight's armor — empty, but moving.
The corrupted spirit within it turned its helm toward her, voice echoing with two tones — one human, one spectral.
"Renhara blood… the Moon's vessel returns."
Aiko gripped her sword.
"If you know my name, you know why I'm here."
"Then you know why you'll fail."
It lunged. Steel met steel, sparks raining across the temple floor. The battle was fast — too fast for human eyes — every clash echoing like thunder.
As she parried a strike, Aiko felt her pulse sync with the rhythm of the blade. A whisper filled her mind:
"Call me."
Her lips moved before she could think.
「咲け,月読の影花!」
"Bloom — Tsukiyomi no Kagehana!"
The sword shattered — then reformed in her hand as black metal streaked with flowing light. The petals that surrounded her shimmered like fragments of the moon.
The corrupted knight froze. Its eyes widened behind the helm.
"That form… impossible."
"This is the moon's true face," Aiko said softly. "Rest."
She swung once. The world fell silent.
When she opened her eyes again, the armor was gone — replaced by a faint wisp of light that rose into the air and vanished.
Chapter 4 — Echoes of the Past
In the ruins of the temple, Aiko found a mural — cracked but still legible. It showed a woman who looked almost like her, standing beside a man made of light. Beneath them was a single inscription:
"When the moon blooms twice, one shall return, and the gate shall open."
A chill ran down her spine.
"The gate…" she whispered.
Her sword pulsed in her hand. The voice inside spoke again.
"That man… was me."
"You…?"
"I was Tsukiyomi, guardian of the moon. You are my last vessel."
Aiko's breath caught.
"Then… the darkness spreading now—"
"It is my shadow. What I left behind when I fell."
Her hand trembled.
"You mean… the thing that destroyed my home was you?"
Silence. Then—
"It was me… but not me. It was the half I sealed away. And it is waking again."
Chapter 5 — The Shadow's Bloom
As the moons climbed higher, the line between worlds began to thin. Spirits appeared more often — lost, angry, confused.
And somewhere, deep within the Spirit Realm, a figure stood among the stars — a reflection of Aiko with darker eyes and a smile too soft to be kind.
"Soon," it whispered. "We'll be whole again."
Aiko woke from the dream gasping. Her sword hummed with unease.
"It calls to you."
"Then I'll find it first."
"If you do, you may not come back."
She smiled faintly.
"Then I'll make sure it's a good goodbye."
She tightened the ribbon around her hair, sheathed her blade, and stepped into the fog of dawn — unaware that the fate of both worlds had already begun to turn.
Chapter 6: The Gate Between Moons
The fog over Nakatani Forest was thick enough to blur even the moonlight.
Aiko moved carefully along the stone path, one hand on the hilt of Kagehana. The whispers of lost spirits followed her — soft, sorrowful murmurs that brushed against her mind like wind over glass.
"Turn back… the gate wakes…"
"The moon bleeds again…"
She ignored them. The forest had always spoken in riddles.
What mattered was the trail — faint traces of corrupted energy that led deeper into the mountains.
The closer she walked, the colder the air became.
And then she heard it — steel against steel.
A Stranger in the Mist
Aiko ducked behind a fallen tree, peering through the fog.
In the clearing ahead, two figures fought — one cloaked in black, the other a hulking specter made of armor and smoke.
The human moved like lightning, his blade cutting through the spirit's claws with perfect precision. But even his speed couldn't match the creature's resilience — each slice only made it angrier.
"He's human," the voice of Tsukiyomi whispered inside her.
"But his soul burns like ours."
The man dodged another strike, but the spirit's claw caught his shoulder. Blood sprayed into the mist.
Without thinking, Aiko leapt forward.
"Move!"
Her blade gleamed, and the name slipped from her lips like instinct:
「咲け,月読の影花!」
"Bloom — Tsukiyomi no Kagehana!"
The petals burst into the air, swirling like a storm of light. The spirit howled as Aiko's blade pierced through its chest.
The fog shimmered, then broke apart — and silence fell.
The Hunter and the Channeler
The man she'd saved leaned against a tree, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
He had messy black hair, sharp amber eyes, and a smirk that somehow survived the pain.
"Didn't think shrine girls still existed," he said.
"Didn't think idiots still fought spirits barehanded," Aiko replied.
He chuckled — a dry, amused sound.
"You're not wrong. Name's Rin Akatsuki. Spirit hunter. Or what's left of one."
Aiko hesitated before replying.
"Aiko Renhara."
His smile faded slightly at the name.
"Renhara? The Channelers?"
"The last one," she said quietly.
Something flickered in his eyes — recognition, maybe pity. Then he stood, wincing.
"You shouldn't be here. The energy's too dense. Something big's coming through."
"I know," Aiko said. "That's why I'm here."
"You're chasing the Gate, aren't you?"
She froze.
"How do you know about that?"
"Because I've seen it."
The Mark of Veilfire
Rin pulled his shirt collar aside, revealing a faint scar on his shoulder — shaped like a crescent moon, glowing faintly blue.
"Three years ago, I survived the Veil Plague," he said. "Barely. The mark stayed."
Aiko stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
"That mark… it's the same energy as the Veilfire. You're tainted."
"Yeah," he said flatly. "Guess that makes us both cursed."
Aiko turned away, trying to hide her unease.
The sword at her side pulsed — Tsukiyomi's voice low and wary.
"His soul isn't whole. Be careful."
But despite the warning, she felt something else — a faint echo.
Their energies resonated, however faintly.
"You saw the Gate?" she asked.
"In the north. Past the Sea of Glass. It opens when the twin moons align. And guess what?"
He looked up at the sky, where the silver and blue moons hung closer than ever.
"That's happening in three nights."
A Pact in Moonlight
They sat by the fire that night, silence broken only by the crackle of flames.
Aiko cleaned her blade while Rin tightened the bandage on his arm.
"You're too calm," he said finally. "You're going after something that can erase entire worlds."
"If I don't, it will happen again," she replied softly. "My village burned because of it. I won't let that happen to anyone else."
"Then you'll die like the others."
"Maybe," she said. "But at least I'll die standing."
Rin stared at her for a long moment before sighing.
"You're reckless. But… I've seen that Gate too many times in my dreams to pretend it's not my problem."
He extended a hand.
"If you're going there, you won't make it alone. I'll help. Call it a debt."
Aiko glanced at the hand, then at the moonlight glinting off his eyes.
Finally, she took it.
"Fine. But don't slow me down."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
The Road to the Sea of Glass
The fire burned low. Above them, the twin moons drew closer — their light reflecting in Aiko's blade like two eyes watching from the heavens.
Somewhere beyond the horizon, the Gate Between Moons stirred — and a whisper crossed the world like a breath:
"Come home, my other half…"
Aiko opened her eyes. For just a moment, she saw her reflection in the sword — smiling, but not as herself.
And in that quiet night, the true story of Moonlit Requiem began to unfold.
Chapter 7: The City of Glass
The journey north took them through ruined shrines and sunken roads, each one marked by the faint hum of spirits too weak to move on.For three days, Aiko and Rin walked in near silence, following the cold glow that pulsed from her sword.
By the fourth night, the mountains broke apart to reveal a vast, shimmering plain — a lake frozen into mirror-like ice that reflected the sky perfectly.
"The Sea of Glass," Rin murmured. "We're here."
Aiko stepped forward. The surface didn't crack — instead, her footsteps rippled across it like water disturbed by wind.
Far in the distance stood a city of crystal towers, suspended between reflection and reality. Every building shimmered in impossible colors, bending light like glass catching the moon.
And at the city's heart… a gate of obsidian and silver hovered above the frozen surface.
🌫 The City Beneath Reflections
As they entered the city, the world grew unnervingly quiet.No voices. No wind. Only the echo of their steps — doubled, as though another pair of feet followed them just out of sight.
Rin frowned.
"We're not alone."
Aiko reached for her sword, but Tsukiyomi's voice stopped her.
"Wait. Look at the glass."
In every mirrored wall, Aiko's reflection didn't move with her. It stood still — eyes open, faintly glowing red.
Then it smiled.
The sound that followed wasn't a voice but a shatter. Her reflection stepped out of the mirror like water breaking.Same face. Same eyes. But darker — her hair a deep silver, her aura sharp and cold.
"Who are you?" Aiko demanded.
"You already know," the reflection whispered. "I am what you sealed away when the Gate took your home."
"That's not possible—"
"It's inevitable."
The false Aiko drew a blade identical to Kagehana — only inverted, its edge black as night.
"I am Tsukihana, the shadow of your soul. And when the moons align… only one of us will remain."
The Moonlit Duel
They clashed beneath the open sky.Every strike sent ripples through the frozen surface, scattering reflections like shards of stars.Aiko's petals of light met Tsukihana's petals of darkness, each collision birthing a wave of power that warped the air.
Rin tried to intervene — only to be thrown back by a pulse of spiritual force.
"Aiko!" he shouted. "You'll both die if you keep this up!"
"Then I'll die as myself!" Aiko screamed.
The words echoed across the sea, and her sword flared — moonlight bursting outward as she called its name one last time.
「咲け,月読の影花!」"Bloom — Tsukiyomi no Kagehana!"
The light tore through the reflection, fracturing Tsukihana into a thousand petals.The city cracked. The mirrors shattered.
For a moment, the night sky reflected endlessly — two moons, two Aikos — until one faded into the light.
The Gate Opens
When Aiko awoke, the city was gone.Only Rin remained, kneeling beside her. His voice was faint.
"You did it. The Gate… it's closing."
But Tsukiyomi's voice trembled within her mind.
"No… it's not closing. It's awakening."
The horizon split — a vertical seam of light reaching from earth to sky. From within, a massive eye of silver and blue opened, gazing upon them.
"Aiko," Rin said, backing away, "what is that—"
"The true Gate Between Moons," she whispered. "And it remembers me."
The light surged, swallowing everything.
Epilogue – The Moon's Shadow
Days later, the Sea of Glass was silent again. No city. No light.Only one figure remained — Rin, walking through the frost, carrying a single broken sword.
Half of the blade was pure black. The other half glimmered faintly with silver.
He looked up at the sky, where the twin moons now overlapped perfectly.
"She's still out there," he murmured. "Half in shadow… half in light."
From the distance, a soft whisper answered him — Aiko's voice, fading but calm:
"I'll return… when the moons part again."
The wind stirred the frozen air, and tiny silver petals drifted across the ice, glowing softly before vanishing into the night.
End of Volume I: The Shadow's Bloom
"The Gate opens not to another world… but to the other side of your own soul."