3 The Realm Unfolds

  [Player: Kazuki Arata]

  [Level: 1]

  [Waza: Black Hand, Thread Cutter, Aura Sense]

  [Kegare: 15%]

  [Status: Injured]

  ---

  Pain greeted Kazuki before consciousness fully returned—a dull throb in his leg that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. He tried to move and felt something soft beneath him, not the damp forest floor he expected.

  Where...?

  Rough wooden beams overhead. He was lying on a simple futon in what appeared to be an abandoned hunter's cabin. A small fire crackled in a stone hearth nearby, casting long shadows across the walls. His injured leg had been wrapped in some kind of herbal poultice that smelled of mint.

  "You're awake. Good."

  Kazuki turned his head toward the voice. The cat-girl from the shrine sat cross-legged by the fire, her black dress now exchanged for practical-looking clothing - dark hakama pants and a simple white kosode top. The brass bell still hung at her throat, catching the firelight.

  "Kuro?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

  She raised an eyebrow. "You remember? Most humans pass out from kegare and wake up confused."

  Kazuki pushed himself up on his elbows, wincing as a sharp pain shot up from his leg to his spine. He clenched his teeth. It was a struggle to simply sit upright.

  "Hard to forget a talking cat that turns into a girl." He glanced around the cabin, trying to get his bearings. "What happened? The oni—"

  "They’re strong but stupid. I led it away while you were unconscious," Kuro said simply. "This cabin is warded. Basic but effective enough for now."

  That monster had been about to turn him into paste, but Kuro had just 'led it away'? Kazuki studied the girl's face, trying to reconcile this human form with the black cat he'd met at the Tashirojima shrine. "So you're not actually a cat?"

  A faint smile touched her lips. "I'm a Nekomata. A cat yokai. I can take either form as needed." She tilted her head. "Most humans find this form easier to talk to. Less... disconcerting."

  "Right." Kazuki ran a hand through his hair, finding it matted with sweat and forest debris. "Because the talking cat was the weird part of all this."

  The reality of his situation seeped back until he felt like he couldn't breathe. He was still trapped in this impossible world. The battle with the yokai hadn't been a dream. He looked down at his hands, remembering the shadowy smoke that had flowed from them. He tried to find it in the faint black veins of his forearms... but nothing.

  As if responding to his thoughts, a notification appeared:

  [Kegare: 15%]

  Kazuki stared at the floating text. "What is this? Why can I see these... messages?"

  Kuro moved closer, kneeling beside his futon. "Crossing from the Earth Realm reveals certain truths to those with spiritual awareness. What do you see?"

  "It's like... game text?" Kazuki tried to explain. "Status updates, notifications about something called 'kegare'..."

  "Interesting." Kuro nodded, eyes narrowing. "Your mind interprets the spiritual world in terms you can understand. For some, it comes as songs or poetry. For others, dreams or visions." She studied his face. "For you, it seems to manifest as... game text'"

  "So it's not real?"

  "Oh, it's quite real," Kuro assured him. "The information is accurate. Your mind simply shapes it into a form that makes sense to you."

  Kazuki tried to stand, testing his injured leg. Pain shot through him, nearly sending him back to the floor. He steadied himself against the wall, breathing hard. The leg held his weight, but barely. Each heartbeat sent waves of agony up his thigh.

  Outside the small window, he could see that night had fallen completely. The twin moons hung in an alien sky, casting enough light to illuminate the clearing around the cabin.

  "I need to get back," he said suddenly. "To the shrine. To my world."

  Kuro's expression remained impassive. "The shrine that brought you here exists in both worlds. It's a kind of doorway but... complicated."

  "Meaning what?" Kazuki demanded, frustration rising.

  "Meaning that you were brought here for a reason, Kazuki Arata. The shrine chose you. That didn't happen by chance."

  "I don't care why it happened. I just want to go home." Kazuki looked around for his shoes, spotting them by the door. He took a step forward and nearly collapsed, catching himself on a nearby table.

  "The forest is dangerous at night," Kuro warned. "You’re still recovering. Defenseless. You can barely walk."

  Kazuki paused, considering his options. His body screamed for rest, muscles burning. He could barely stand, let alone fight more monsters like the ones he'd faced earlier. But the thought of staying here, of accepting this reality even for a moment longer than necessary, made his skin crawl.

  "How far are we from where I arrived?" he asked.

  Kuro hesitated, then sighed. "Not far. Perhaps twenty minutes through the forest." She stood gracefully. "If you insist on going, I will guide you. But I strongly advise waiting until morning. Your body needs time to heal."

  "I'm going now," Kazuki said firmly, shoving his feet into his shoes.

  Kuro nodded, resignation in her golden eyes. "Your funeral Kazuki-kun."

  As they stepped outside, the air hit Kazuki like a physical presence, heavy with moisture and strange scents. The trees surrounding the cabin were similar to those he knew from Japan, yet subtly wrong; branches twisted at impossible angles, bark patterns that seemed to shift when viewed from the corner of his eye.

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  Kazuki activated his Aura Sense instinctively to scan for danger. The world blurred momentarily before resolving into layers of energy and light. The forest blazed with patterns—some benign, swirling blue-green, others darker, tinged with red or purple. The cabin behind them glowed with soft white light, emanating from symbols carved into its foundation stones.

  [Aura Sense - Active]

  "The wards," Kuro explained, noticing his attention. "Old magic. Simple but effective protection against lesser yokai."

  They walked in silence, Kazuki focusing on keeping his Aura Sense active while managing the pain in his leg. Every few minutes, he'd spot movement in the trees—small yokai scurrying away at their approach, their energy signatures flickering like candle flames.

  "Like blood in water," Kazuki muttered darkly.

  Kuro nodded.

  As they walked, Kazuki tried to make sense of everything that had happened. "How is this possible?"

  "Everyone has spiritual power," Kuro explained. "Most humans never awaken it. But some, like you, have greater potential. Crossing the Threshold forces your awakening."

  "And these... skills? They just appeared."

  "They respond to need and instinct. When you needed to fight, it became that black smoke around your hands. The more you push yourself the more you will be able to do."

  Kazuki processed this. "So I could have other abilities?"

  "Yes, but…"

  Kuro froze, holding up a hand for silence. Her gold eyes narrowed, scanning the darkness. Kazuki immediately intensified his Aura Sense, pressing past the dull headache it caused.

  There. A faint pulse of energy in the trees to their right. Definitely watching them. As he focused harder, he detected something unusual. The presence seemed to be... measuring him somehow, its aura extending tendrils that brushed against his own energy field before retreating, as if testing his strength.

  "We're being followed," Kuro whispered. "Keep moving. Don't look back."

  They quickened their pace, Kazuki gritting his teeth against the pain in his leg. The presence followed, keeping its distance but never falling behind. Its energy pattern flickered with what seemed like... anticipation?

  "Is it dangerous?" Kazuki asked softly.

  "Everything is dangerous," Kuro replied. "But it's not attacking. Yet. It seems to be... waiting."

  "Waiting for what?"

  Kuro didn’t answer.

  After what felt like an eternity, the trees began to thin. They emerged into a clearing bathed in moonlight, and there, at its center, stood a structure identical to the Cat Shrine on Tashirojima.

  "The shrine," Kazuki breathed, relief washing over him. "It's here."

  Kuro hung back as Kazuki limped toward the small wooden structure. Up close, it looked exactly like the one he'd visited; the same weathered wood, same small offering box, same bell to ring. Even the small cat statues flanking the entrance were identical.

  But something felt wrong.

  As Kazuki approached, his Aura Sense revealed that the shrine was... empty. No energy flowed through it. No light glowed from its core. It was just wood and stone, a lifeless replica.

  "It's not working," he said, panic rising. "Why isn't it… alive?"

  Kuro approached slowly. "It’s not that simple..."

  "No," Kazuki insisted, desperation making his voice crack. "That can't be right. There has to be a way."

  He touched the shrine, running his fingers over its wooden frame, searching for some hidden mechanism or trigger. Nothing happened. No flash of light, no kaleidoscope effect like before. Just cold, unresponsive wood.

  "Try offering something," Kuro suggested, smiling. "Passages sometimes require payment."

  Kazuki dug through his pockets, finding his wallet. He pulled out a thousand yen note and placed it in the offering box. Still nothing.

  "Maybe blood?" he suggested frantically. "In stories, portals sometimes need blood."

  "Kazuki..." Kuro's voice held pity that made his chest tighten with rage.

  He ignored her, taking out his pocket knife and making a small cut on his palm. The pain was sharp but distant, overwhelmed by his need to get home. He pressed his bleeding hand against the shrine's central post.

  [Kegare: 17%]

  Kuro's eyes narrowed.

  The shrine remained dark and silent.

  Rage and despair erupted within him. Kazuki slammed his fists against the wooden structure once, twice, causing the bell hanging from the gate to ring with the impact. It was an angry echo of the ritual that had started all this at the original shrine. The hollow sound echoed through the clearing.

  "OPEN!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "DAMN YOU, OPEN!"

  He pounded the shrine until his knuckles were raw and bloody, each impact sending shocks of pain up his arms. When his strength finally gave out, he slumped to his knees, pressing his forehead against the cold wood. Hot tears streamed down his face.

  "Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Please, I just want to go home."

  [Kegare: 20%]

  Kazuki finally closed his eyes, defeated. Then, so quickly only a cat could see it, the Shrine flickered like moonlight through a cloud. But by the time Kazuki opened his eyes, it was gone. The shrine stood impassive, unmoved and unmoving.

  "Why me?" he whispered, not really expecting an answer. "Why does this always happen to me?"

  Kuro knelt beside him. "The shrine chooses those with potential. Those who can make a difference here."

  "I don't want to make a difference," Kazuki said bitterly. "I just want to go home."

  "Home to what?" Kuro asked suddenly, sharp as a cat's claws. "Your empty apartment? Your shelf-stocking job? The mother who left?"

  [Kegare: 22%]

  Kazuki's head snapped up. "How do you know about that?"

  Kuro's golden eyes reflected the moonlight. "The shrine doesn't choose randomly, Kazuki. It chooses those who might find something here they couldn't find in their world."

  "Like what?" he challenged.

  "Purpose. Belonging. Strength." She stood, offering her hand. "Perhaps you can find another way back. But for now, you're here. And sulking by a dead shrine won't change that."

  Kazuki wanted to argue against Kuro and this impossible situation. But the exhaustion of the day the battles, the injuries, the emotional trauma, had drained him completely. He took her hand and let her pull him to his feet.

  "So what now?" he asked, defeat evident in his voice.

  "Now we go back to the cabin," Kuro said. "Rest. Recover.. Tomorrow, we'll head to the village I mentioned. Someone there might know more about the shrine and how to reactivate it."

  Kazuki nodded numbly, taking one last look at the lifeless shrine.

  As they walked back through the forest, Kazuki, lost in his thoughts, didn't notice Kuro falling slightly behind at the edge of the clearing. He didn't see her pause, looking back at the shrine with an expression of mixed guilt and determination.

  And he certainly didn't see her make a subtle gesture, fingers tracing a complex pattern in the air. Didn't see the faint pulse of dark energy that flowed from her to the shrine, rippling the air like heat waves as it traveled. Didn't notice how the ancient symbols briefly flared around the structure's base, pulsing with an ominous violet light, before she dipped her hand through the shrine and back into the Earth Realm as easily as someone pushing their hand into a forest pond.

  Then she withdrew her hand back to the Yokai Realm and looked at it as it flickered for a moment with violet incandescence. "I'm sorry, Kazuki," Kuro whispered, too quietly for him to hear. "But you can't go home. I won't let you."

  The brass bell at her throat gleamed in the moonlight as she hurried to catch up with him, her expression once again neutral and calm.

  Behind them, in the shadows between trees, a pair of gleaming eyes watched their departure. The presence that had followed them made no move to attack, its aura pulsing with something akin to satisfaction. It had sensed the raw potential in the human. The creature retreated deeper into the forest, patient.

  A sound like a panting dog, then a growl and a laugh.

  ---

  [New Achievement: Blood Sacrifice]

  [Next Chapter: Guidance & Secrets I]

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  How does Kuro know so much about Kazuki?

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