Deep within the jungle, where the light of the village could barely reach, two Lampmen patrolled the outskirts in silence. Their lanterns swayed gently in their hands, casting warm, flickering glows against the dense foliage. Normally, this light brought comfort—it symbolized protection, vigilance, and order.
But tonight, it felt fragile.
The air was wrong.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
It pressed against their skin like something alive, something watching.
A thick mist curled along the forest floor, pale and unnatural. It did not drift like ordinary fog—it clung. It coiled. It lingered as if it had intent.
One of the Lampmen hesitated, his grip tightening on the lantern's handle.
"Do you feel that?" he muttered.
The other said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.
Drawn by a mixture of unease and curiosity, the first Lampman stepped forward. His boots crunched softly against damp leaves as he approached the mist. Slowly, almost instinctively, he reached out.
His gloved hand brushed the fog.
For a single second, nothing happened.
Then—
A scream tore through the jungle.
His body convulsed violently. The lantern slipped from his hand, shattering against the ground as his flesh twisted grotesquely. Bones snapped with sickening cracks, bending at impossible angles beneath his skin. His limbs jerked unnaturally, as though something inside him was tearing him apart.
The mist wrapped around him.
Feeding.
His face contorted into a mask of agony as his body deformed, reshaping into something unrecognizable. His screams echoed endlessly through the jungle before abruptly cutting off.
Silence fell.
The second Lampman stood frozen, horror locking his body in place. His breath came in shallow gasps as he stared at what remained of his comrade.
Then instinct took over.
He turned and ran.
Branches lashed against his face as he sprinted toward the village, panic driving every step. The lantern in his hand flickered wildly, its light shaking with his movement.
Behind him, the mist stirred.
It followed.
No—
It reached.
From the darkness, something shot forward—a thick, rope-like tendril, dark and glistening. It coiled around his neck with brutal force, cutting off his breath instantly.
He choked, clawing at it desperately.
The rope tightened.
Then, with terrifying strength, it yanked him upward.
His body lifted off the ground, legs kicking wildly as he struggled. The lantern slipped from his grasp, falling into the mist below.
A violent pull—
His back slammed into a tree with bone-crushing force. The impact echoed through the jungle, branches snapping under the strain. The rope constricted tighter, digging into his flesh.
His movements slowed.
Then stopped.
His body hung there, swaying slightly in the suffocating fog.
And once again…
The jungle fell silent.
Morning came, but the unease remained.
Back in the village, the warm glow of lanterns still hung across the streets, remnants of preparation for the upcoming festival. Villagers moved about, unaware of the darkness that had begun to creep closer.
Inside the headquarters, however, the atmosphere was tense.
Yasuo stood before Reiji, his usual composure shaken.
"Two Lampmen have failed to respond to recall," he reported. "No signal. No trace."
Reiji's expression hardened instantly.
"Prepare a team," he said without hesitation. "We're going into the jungle. Now."
Moments later, a small unit assembled—four elite Lampmen, each armed and ready. Alongside them stood two hunters: Masato, gripping his massive battle axe, and Sho, whose sharp eyes constantly scanned his surroundings.
Daigo, the elite Lampman leading reconnaissance, stepped forward.
"There's more," he said grimly. "Before these two, four others went missing. I sent a team to investigate… they never came back."
A heavy silence followed.
Reiji nodded. "We move together. Stay alert."
The deeper they went into the jungle, the thicker the mist became.
It curled around their legs, creeping higher with every step.
The air grew colder.
Quieter.
Even the sounds of wildlife had vanished.
Sho leapt into the treetops, moving swiftly from branch to branch, scouting ahead. From above, the jungle looked wrong—distorted, as if the mist itself warped the space within it.
Below, Masato tightened his grip on his axe.
"I don't like this," he muttered.
"Stay focused," Reiji replied.
Suddenly, Daigo stopped.
His voice trembled.
"…There."
Ahead, bodies hung from broken branches.
The missing Lampmen.
Their limbs were twisted unnaturally, their faces frozen in expressions of pure terror. Blood dripped slowly from their corpses, hissing faintly as it touched the mist below.
Sho grimaced from above. "Something's here."
Reiji stepped forward. "Spread out. Secure the perimeter."
The four Lampmen remained behind with Daigo, forming a defensive line.
Reiji, Masato, and Sho pressed deeper.
The mist thickened instantly.
Visibility dropped.
The air became suffocating.
Then—
It moved.
The mist split apart violently as something surged forward.
Black.
Writhing.
Alive.
Hair.
It lashed out like a storm of blades, striking Masato before he could react. The strands wrapped around him instantly, binding his arms and legs.
"Masato!" Sho shouted.
Masato roared, swinging his axe wildly. He cut through the strands again and again—but each time, they regrew, faster, thicker.
The hair forced its way into his mouth.
His scream choked off.
It tightened around his body, slicing into his flesh like thousands of razor wires. Blood burst from his wounds, splattering across the ground.
He struggled.
Fought.
But it was useless.
The hair constricted violently.
And then—
His body went still.
Sho froze in horror.
Reiji clenched his fists.
Before they could react, another presence emerged.
A massive figure stepped forward from the mist.
Bogami.
The ground trembled beneath its weight.
Reiji charged without hesitation, his blade clashing against the demon's massive limbs. Sparks flew as steel met unnatural flesh.
But Bogami was too strong.
It struck back with overwhelming force, sending Reiji skidding across the ground.
From above, Sho dove down.
He landed a powerful kick to the demon's face, forcing it back.
"I've got you!" Sho shouted.
He attacked again—
But Bogami's mouth opened.
Wider.
Wider than possible.
In an instant—
Sho was dragged inside.
Only his lower half remained visible as the demon's teeth clamped down, tearing through his upper body with a sickening crunch.
Blood and bone splattered the mist as Sho screamed from within.
Sho was gone.
Swallowed whole.
His scream echoed from within as the demon's jaw snapped shut.
Reiji roared in fury, charging forward.
But the mist surged again.
Thicker.
Darker.
Kasugami arrived and summoned a thick, choking mist, forming a protective barrier around the Bogami.
Reiji's attacks struck only the dense mist; when he punched through it, searing heat burned his fist instantly.
Kasugami pressed the attack, forcing the mist tighter around Reiji.
Each breath became a struggle; his lungs screamed for air, choking him as the mist coiled like a living thing.
The mist wrapped around Reiji, tightening with every breath he took. His lungs burned. His vision blurred.
He swung his blade desperately, but it struck nothing.
The mist consumed him.
Slowly.
Silently.
Until he stopped moving.
The jungle fell silent again with the thick fog hiding the bodies of the fallen.