"I can't contact Tsubasa, it's been half an hour..." I said, my voice barely cutting through the strange stillness that had settled over the forest. Tatsuya, Souta, and I had been moving without pause for thirty minutes straight—weaving through twisted roots, pushing past thorny undergrowth, and fending off wave after wave of low-rank yomureis that seemed drawn to our presence like moths to a flame.
The forest had never been quiet, not since we’d stepped foot into the cursed grounds of Aokigahara. Birds shrieked in the canopy above, unseen creatures rustled in the bushes, and the wind whispered through the trees like a thousand whispering voices. But now, the longer we stayed, the more the sounds seemed to drain away, leaving only the heavy thud of our footsteps and the harsh rasp of our breathing in the growing silence.
A cold dread coiled in my stomach, thick and heavy as the morning mist that clung to the forest floor. "I don't know why but it felt like something happened bad to the West team," I continued, my eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of movement—friend or foe. "We can't even contact Tsubasa, he might even be in danger right now. But there are yomu executioners that are guarding them. They’re supposed to be the best of the best..."
Souta pressed his back against a gnarled oak, sliding down until he was sitting on the damp earth. His normally calm face was etched with worry, and his hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the grip on his blade. "If something really happened to the backlines then we might not get out of this forest alive..." he said, his voice hollow with realization. "The executioners are our last line of defense against high-rank threats. Without them, we’re vulnerable to anything that comes our way."
"This also means that Shirou isn't watching us anymore," I finished for him, my hand instinctively moving to the amulet at my neck—its cool surface a small comfort against my racing heart. Shirou’s shin’en was a protective barrier that had covered our entire operation area, allowing him to monitor every team’s position and intervene at a moment’s notice. If it was gone, that meant either he’d been forced to deactivate it... or he couldn’t maintain it anymore.
We’d been walking for what felt like hours when we stumbled upon it—a tree unlike any we’d seen since entering the forest. It rose from the ground like an ancient guardian, its massive trunk so wide that even three of us standing shoulder to shoulder couldn’t wrap our arms around it. It stretched approximately 35 meters into the sky, its thick branches spreading out like the fingers of some colossal hand, and its roots had pushed through the earth in great, twisting knots that formed natural benches and platforms—perfect for resting our weary bodies.
I sank down onto one of the roots, feeling the ache in my legs and the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. Around us, the silence was almost complete now, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the leaves above. "We somehow need to tell the others that something weird is going on," I said, running my fingers through my sweat-soaked hair. "If we’re split up and in the dark like this, we’re sitting ducks for whatever’s causing all this. Our comms are dead, and without Shirou’s support, we’re completely cut off."
Tatsuya had been standing perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the top of the great tree as if he could see through its thick canopy to the sky beyond. Now he turned to us, his expression serious. "I can't feel Fuyou-san's shin’en anymore," he said, his voice carrying an edge of concern I’d rarely heard from him. "The only explanation on this is he deactivated it. Which means either the situation is under control... or it’s so far beyond control that he needs every ounce of power he has just to survive. I’ve been trying to sense his energy signature for the past ten minutes, but there’s nothing—just... emptiness."
I followed his gaze upward, and for the first time since we’d entered the forest, I saw a patch of clear sky through the leaves. The bright sun’s rays streamed down, painting our spot in warm golden light that felt almost foreign in this place of shadows and death. A single leaf detached from a high branch, spinning slowly through the air as it fell toward me. I watched its descent, my mind racing with possibilities—signals fires, smoke signals, anything that could cut through whatever interference was blocking our technology. And then—all at once—I gasped, jumping to my feet.
"I found a way to contact others!" I shouted with sudden excitement, my voice echoing through the quiet woods. Both Tatsuya and Souta looked up at me, their faces a mix of confusion and hope. "The tree—it’s tall enough to break through whatever’s blocking our communications gear. If I can get to the top and create a signal with my shin’en, the others should be able to see it from miles away! My crimson energy creates a distinctive explosion—loud enough to hear for kilometers, and the smoke hangs in the air for ages. They’ll know it’s me."
Mina screamed as she brought her blade down in a clean arc, slicing through the neck of a D-rank yomurei that had lunged at her from the shadows. Black ichor sprayed across the forest floor as the creature dissolved into smoke and ash, and she landed lightly on both feet, her chest heaving with exertion. Behind her, Aiko and Reina were leaning against a large boulder, their faces pale with exhaustion and sweat streaming down their foreheads despite the cool forest air.
Aiko’s yomurei detector—normally a steady blue when no threats were nearby—was flickering wildly, its light casting dancing shadows across their faces as it registered multiple low-rank signatures moving through the undergrowth around them. They’d just finished clearing a horde of nearly twenty of the creatures, and even with their combined strength, the fight had taken more out of them than they’d expected.
"Are you guys okay?" Reina asked, pushing off the boulder and running toward her teammates. She’d taken the brunt of the initial assault, using her barrier shin’en to shield the other two while they picked off the creatures one by one. Her arms were trembling now, and she could feel the familiar burn of overusing her powers creeping up her shoulders.
Aiko pushed herself upright, adjusting her stance and tightening the straps on her gear. She and Mina were both gasping for air, their muscles screaming for rest, but neither of them would admit to being anything less than ready to continue. "It's okay, we're fine..." Aiko said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "We’ve faced worse than this before. Though I’ll admit—I’ve never seen so many low-ranks concentrated in one place. It’s like they’re being herded toward us."
"We should keep going, we might be close to them and—" Reina began, but her words were cut off by a sound that made all three of them freeze in place. It came from above—an explosion that rumbled through the trees like distant thunder, shaking leaves loose from the branches and sending birds scattering in panic.
"What was that?!" Mina said, her voice sharp with shock as she spun in a circle, searching for the source of the noise. Her hand never left the hilt of her blade, and her shin’en flared to life around her body, ready for whatever might come next.
The three of them looked up simultaneously, their eyes scanning the canopy until they spotted it—not far away, rising high above the treetops like a beacon in the sky. A column of thick red smoke twisted upward into the clear blue air, visible even from their position nearly two kilometers away.
"Look!" Aiko said, pointing toward the smoke with a trembling finger. Her exhaustion seemed to vanish in an instant, replaced by a surge of hope that made her heart race. "It's coming from that tall tree—you know, the one we marked on our maps as the highest point in this sector!"
Reina squinted into the distance, her sharp eyes picking out details the others might have missed—the way the smoke held its shape, the faint crimson glow that still lingered around its edges even from this far off. But it was Mina who recognized it first, her eyes widening with realization.
"That's...? That's from Ren!" She said, her voice filled with a mix of relief and excitement. She’d trained with me for years, and she knew the distinctive signature of my shin’en better than anyone else in the team. "No one else’s energy creates that exact color or that kind of sustained smoke cloud!"
"You're right!" Aiko followed, a wide grin spreading across her face as the tension drained from her shoulders. "It's no surprise that both of us noticed my shin'en. Are you sure? Then they must be in that direction. After everything we’ve been through—getting separated, dealing with all these yomureis—it’s a miracle we finally have a way to find each other."
Mina straightened up, rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles as her energy flared brighter around her body. Whatever exhaustion she’d felt moments ago was gone now, replaced by fierce determination. "We should follow it," she suggested, already starting to move toward the direction of the smoke. "They might be doing this so they can send their location to us. And if something’s wrong—if the West team really is in trouble—then we need to get there as fast as we can."
"Let's go!" Reina agreed, already moving to take point. The three of them took off running, their exhaustion seemingly blown away by the prospect of reuniting with their teammates. Mina was fastest, her speed-enhancing shin’en pushing her forward so quickly she seemed to glide over the rough terrain. Aiko and Reina weren’t far behind, their years of training kicking in as they navigated the forest with practiced ease. But even as they ran, they stayed cautious—their eyes scanning the shadows, their senses heightened for any sign of the yomureis that still haunted these woods.
On the other side of the forest, Ayaka, Masato, and Haruto were resting under the spreading branches of an old camphor tree. Its thick limbs stretched out over their heads, covered in large, dark green leaves that blocked out most of the sunlight and cast the ground beneath in cool shade. The air was still and quiet here—a rare respite in a place that seemed determined to wear them down at every turn.
Haruto was laying on his back with both hands behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles, his eyes closed and his face relaxed despite the danger that surrounded them. His sword lay on the ground beside him, its polished blade catching the occasional dappled ray of sunlight that managed to break through the canopy. He looked completely at peace, as if he were napping in a park rather than resting after a brutal fight with a C+ rank yomurei.
"Honestly, how can he sleep at a time like this?" Ayaka muttered, though there was no real anger in her voice. She was sitting a few feet away, her legs crossed and her attention focused entirely on her hands. A thin layer of frost covered her fingertips, and she was carefully manipulating it with her shin’en, shaping the ice into intricate patterns that glowed with soft white and blue light.
She’d been working on this technique for months—infusing her blade with her ice energy to increase its cutting power and add freezing effects to her strikes. Until now, she’d only managed to create small patches of ice that melted almost immediately, but today felt different. She could feel the energy flowing more smoothly through her body, responding to her commands with a clarity she’d never experienced before.
Slowly, carefully, she reached for her sword—Kōri no Tsurugi, the blade her grandfather had forged for her before he died—and lifted it from her lap. She held it steady with one hand while she used the other to guide the small ice formation she’d created toward the tip. The ice flowed from her fingers like water, wrapping around the blade and spreading slowly toward the hilt. It didn’t melt as it had before; instead, it clung to the metal, forming a solid coating that only covered the first few inches of the sword’s length.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with pure joy as she held the blade up to examine her work. The ice gleamed in the dappled light, hard and clear as crystal, and she could feel its cold power resonating with her own shin’en. "Masato, look! It’s actually holding—this is the first time I’ve been able to maintain it for more than a few seconds!"
Masato, who had been standing a few meters away with his back to them, keeping watch over the surrounding area, turned at the sound of her voice. He was the team’s scout, and his shin’en—which allowed him to sense even the faintest traces of energy or movement—made him perfectly suited for the job. He’d been scanning the area constantly since they’d stopped to rest, his eyes and ears sharp for any sign of trouble.
"Looks good, Ayaka-chan," he said with a warm smile, though his eyes were still scanning the treeline. "Though I’d suggest not getting too attached to it—once you use it in combat, the heat of battle will probably melt it pretty quickly. But still, it’s progress. Your grandfather would be proud."
He’d been keeping watch for nearly twenty minutes now, and so far he’d detected nothing out of the ordinary—just the usual small creatures that inhabited the forest, and the faint signatures of low-rank yomureis moving through the distance. Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, he lowered his guard slightly, moving back to join the other two and taking a seat on a flat rock beside Haruto.
The three of them had earned this rest. They’d encountered the C+ rank yomurei nearly an hour ago, and the fight had been brutal. The creature—twice as tall as a man and covered in thick, stone-like scales—had nearly overwhelmed them with its raw strength and ability to manipulate earth. It had taken all of Masato’s skill to track its movements, all of Haruto’s fire shin’en to break through its defenses, and all of Ayaka’s power to deliver the final blow—an ice spear that had pierced the creature’s heart and shattered it into thousands of pieces.
The attack had cost her dearly, though. She’d used more shin’en than she’d intended, and even now she could feel the weakness in her limbs and the dull ache behind her eyes that meant she’d pushed herself too far. "I’m just glad it worked," she said, carefully setting her sword down beside her. "I used so much energy... I don’t think I could do something like that again right now. Not without resting for a while."
Just then, a sound echoed through the forest—an explosion that was loud enough to shake the leaves from the branches above them and send a jolt of adrenaline through all three of them. Haruto’s eyes snapped open, and he was on his feet with his sword in hand before the sound had even faded away.
"What was that?!" Ayaka gasped, scrambling to her feet and reaching for her own blade. The ice coating on the tip had already begun to melt, water droplets trickling down the metal as her concentration broke.
Masato, who had let his guard down for only a few seconds, immediately dropped into a defensive stance, his hands glowing with the soft golden light of his shin’en as he scanned the area. His senses were on full alert now, reaching out through the forest to detect any sign of danger—but to his surprise, he found nothing. No yomureis, no hostile energy signatures, nothing that could have caused an explosion like that.
"Up there!" Ayaka said suddenly, pointing toward the sky. The three of them looked up and saw it—a column of crimson smoke rising high above the treetops, visible even from their position. It was coming from the direction of the tall tree they’d marked on their maps, and even from this distance, they could tell that it was no ordinary fire.
Haruto didn’t hesitate. He activated his shin’en, flames bursting to life around his feet and hands, and took off running toward the smoke without a word.
"Haruto-kun?!" Ayaka called after him, but he didn’t stop or even look back.
"Follow him," Masato said, already moving to catch up. "That smoke—there’s only one person I know who can create energy like that. If Ren’s sending a signal, then something’s either very wrong... or he’s found a way to bring us all together."
Haruto ran through the forest like a man possessed, flames trailing behind him as he used his shin’en to boost his speed. He moved so quickly that he seemed to be flying rather than running, his feet barely touching the ground as he leaped over fallen logs and dodged around trees. The heat from his flames burned away the morning mist and dried the damp leaves beneath his feet, leaving a trail of scorched earth in his wake.
Five minutes earlier, back at the great tree, I’d been explaining my plan to Tatsuya and Souta. "So what were you thinking?" Tatsuya had asked, already moving toward the trunk. His lightning shin’en crackled around his fingertips, casting blue-white sparks that danced across the forest floor like tiny stars.
"I'm going to climb this and make a signal to inform others where we are," I explained quickly, rolling my shoulders to work out the stiffness. "But I'm going to need some help—even with my shin’en enhancing my speed and strength, getting to the top of something this size will take more than just climbing skills. The branches get thinner the higher up you go, and I’ll need someone to boost me up and keep me steady once I’m there."
Without hesitation, Tatsuya and Souta nodded in agreement. "Leave it to me," Tatsuya said, and then he was moving—faster than the eye could follow, leaving trails of lightning particles in his wake. He leaped high into the air, planting his feet firmly against the tree trunk as if it were level ground. Blue electricity arced from his soles to the bark, creating a powerful grip that would keep him steady no matter how he positioned himself. He ran up the trunk sideways, his movements fluid and confident, until he reached the first thick branch nearly ten meters up.
Souta stepped forward, his hands already glowing with the soft green light of his shin’en. "Ready when you are, Ren," he said, his voice steady despite the strain we’d all been under. I moved close to him, and h
e wrapped one arm around my waist, his grip firm but gentle. "On three—one... two... THREE!"
With a powerful heave, he tossed me upward toward Tatsuya’s position. I activated my own shin’en as I rose, crimson energy coating my body and boosting my momentum even further. I shot through the air like a bullet, and just as I began to lose altitude, Tatsuya reached out and grabbed my arm. He spun once, building centrifugal force, and then threw me higher still—so high that the wind rushed past my face with enough force to sting my eyes and threaten to tear my clothes.
The speed was incredible—I felt like I was flying straight into the sun, and the heat of my own shin’en combined with the sun’s rays made me feel like my face would burn. But I pushed through the discomfort, focusing all my energy on maintaining control. I twisted my body in midair, adjusting my trajectory until I landed lightly on the thickest branch at the very top of the tree, my feet sinking slightly into the wood as my shin’en cushioned my landing.
The view from up here took my breath away. Below me, the forest stretched out like a vast green sea, broken only by the occasional clearing or winding stream. In the distance, I could see the faint outlines of other teams’ positions—where Mina, Aiko, and Reina were fighting, where Ayaka, Masato, and Haruto had made their stand against the C+ rank yomurei. But even from this height, I could sense that something was wrong—the normally bright auras of the executioners assigned to the West team were nowhere to be seen.
"Please work..." I prayed with all my heart, closing my eyes and raising both hands to the sky. I took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the forest flowing into me—every living thing around me contributing a tiny spark to my power. Slow but surely, crimson and white particles began to gather in my palms, swirling faster and faster until they formed a glowing sphere that pulsed with light and heat.
I could feel the power building inside me, growing stronger with every second. It was intense—almost too much to handle—but I held on, channeling it carefully, making sure not to let it spiral out of control. When I finally opened my eyes, the sphere in my hands was the size of a basketball, casting a warm red glow across my face and the branches around me.
With a final burst of effort, I pushed my hands forward and released the energy. It shot into the sky like a comet, leaving a trail of crimson light in its wake before exploding in a brilliant flash that lit up the entire forest below. The sound was deafening—like thunder cracking right overhead—and when the light faded, a thick column of red smoke rose slowly into the air, twisting and turning as it climbed higher and higher.
From the ground, it would look like nothing more than a strange fire. But anyone who knew our abilities would recognize it immediately—my shin’en left a distinctive signature in the smoke, a faint crimson shimmer that would be visible even from kilometers away.
Going up had been hard work, but going down was a piece of cake. I took a deep breath, stepped off the branch, and let myself fall. As I plummeted toward the ground, I activated my shin’en again, creating a cloud-like cushion of crimson energy beneath my feet that slowed my descent until I was floating gently down to earth.
I landed safely on the soft grass beside the tree, where Tatsuya and Souta were already waiting for me. Tatsuya had jumped down from his position on the branch just moments after I’d launched my signal, landing with characteristic grace. Souta had stayed on the ground, keeping watch for any yomureis that might have been drawn by the sound of the explosion.
"That should do it," I said, brushing dirt and leaves from my clothes. "I hope they saw it, or just heard that, and noticed it right away. If we can get everyone together, we’ll stand a much better chance of figuring out what’s happening with the West team and Tsubasa."
"Ren...!"
I heard someone calling my name, and my head snapped up. The voice was familiar—deep and strong, with a hint of the playful warmth that I’d come to associate with one person. I looked to my left and saw Haruto flying down from the branches of a nearby tree, flames burning beneath his feet like miniature jet engines. He moved so fast that he really did look like he was flying, his body cutting through the air with incredible speed.
"Haruto!" I yelled back, a wide grin spreading across my face as I took a step toward him. I’d been worried about all of them—wondering if they’d made it through the hordes of yomureis we’d encountered, if they’d been able to stay safe without Shirou’s protection. Seeing him alive and well was a huge relief.
Haruto was smiling too—his usual carefree expression back on his face despite the seriousness of our situation. He landed lightly on the ground, his feet skidding forward through the grass and dirt as he slowed himself down. The sound of his boots scraping against the earth was loud in the quiet forest, and he finally came to a stop by planting his sword firmly in the ground and using it as a brake.
I ran the last few steps to meet him, stopping just short of crashing into his chest. "You were able to notice my signal?" I asked, my voice filled with excitement.
"Of course," he said, reaching out to ruffle my hair playfully. "You should be surprised if I didn't know that was you. That energy signature is as distinctive as your terrible taste in snacks. Plus, when I heard the explosion, I knew it couldn’t be anything good—or anything other than you showing off."
I swatted his hand away with a laugh, but I was still smiling. "I’ll have you know this was a carefully planned tactical maneuver, not showing off," I protested, though we both knew that wasn’t entirely true. I’d always loved making my shin’en as dramatic as possible—it was just part of who I was.
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I looked around, expecting to see Ayaka and Masato right behind him, but the forest was empty except for us and the three of them. "Are you alone?" I asked, my smile fading slightly.
"In my back, Tatsuya was looking behind us," I heard Souta say quietly. I turned just in time to see ice cracking underfoot, followed by two familiar silhouettes emerging from the darker part of the forest where the trees grew thick and close together.
"Oh, they're following me," Haruto said casually, as if he hadn’t just run off without telling them where he was going.
Ayaka glided into view first, moving across the ground with barely a sound. She was using her ice shin’en to create a thin, smooth surface beneath her feet, allowing her to move faster and more quietly than she could have on the rough forest floor. Small patches of ice trailed behind her, already starting to melt into water in the warm sunlight.
"I'm guessing that she did that to be faster in reaching Haruto and going to us," I said to Tatsuya under my breath. "But knowing her, she also used it as a trail so she knows what direction we are at. As expected of her—always thinking three steps ahead."
"Ayaka!" I called out, waving to get her attention. She looked up, and a small smile crossed her face as she saw us.
"Kiryu-kun too..." Souta added, nodding toward Masato, who was jogging up behind Ayaka. Despite the fact that she was gliding on ice and Haruto had been practically flying with his flames, Masato had kept up with both of them without breaking a sweat. His shin’en might not enhance his speed or strength in the same way as ours, but his physical conditioning was second to none.
"Haruto-kun just started running away without telling us anything," Ayaka said as she came to a stop beside us. She sounded like she was complaining, but her eyes were bright with relief and happiness at seeing us safe. "One minute he was asleep on the ground, the next he was gone like a shot. I had to use my ice just to keep up with him."
"Oh handsome boy, you looked fine," Masato said, waving enthusiastically at Souta and giving him a heartwarming smile that made even Tatsuya roll his eyes. Masato had been teasing Souta about being "the prettiest member of the team" since we’d all met, and no amount of ignoring or eye-rolling seemed to deter him.
Souta didn’t say anything—instead, he just turned around and pointedly looked the other way, his ears turning slightly pink. It was the same reaction he always had, and we all knew it was just his way of dealing with Masato’s over-the-top personality.
"Hey don't ignore me!" Masato protested, reaching out to grab Souta’s shoulder. "I’m just saying—you look good for someone who’s been fighting yomureis for hours. Most people would look like they’d been dragged through a bush backwards by now."
"Come on, over here!"
We all turned at the sound of another familiar voice—this one belonging to a woman, loud and clear even from a distance. Through the trees, we could see three more figures moving toward us—Reina leading the way, with Aiko right beside her and Mina bringing up the rear. It was Aiko who’d called out, her face lighting up when she saw that we were all safe and together.
"Hey! Hoshizaki-san!" Masato yelled at them, waving both arms over his head to get their attention. "Over here! We’re all together now!"
"Oh, that voice..." Haruto said, shaking his head with a smile. "...I'm guessing that's Aiko with Mina. He continued, his eyes already scanning the approaching group to make sure they weren’t hurt.
"Haruto! And Ren!" Aiko rushed toward us as soon as she was close enough, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug before doing the same to Haruto. "We were so worried—we couldn’t contact anyone, and then we saw your smoke signal and we knew we had to find you right away."
"I already knew that was Ren," Mina said proudly, walking up beside us with Reina. She’d pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, and there were smudges of dirt on her cheeks, but she looked strong and alert. "I’d know that shin’en anywhere—no one else can make red smoke that looks quite like that."
"I know this is too sudden but we don't have time to chat after our reunion," Ayaka said, stepping forward and looking around at all of us. Her expression was serious now, all traces of playfulness gone. "We need to keep moving forward. The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we are to attract unwanted attention—and if something really has happened to the West team, we don’t have a moment to waste."
"Yeah, here we go again," Haruto said with a mock groan, though he was already adjusting his grip on his sword and getting ready to move. "But I suppose she's right. You know, sometimes I think she was born to be a drill sergeant rather than a yomu hunter." He winked at Ayaka as he said it, and even she couldn’t help but crack a small smile.
Without a second thought, we fell into formation and started walking deeper into the forest. Ayaka took point, with Masato close beside her using his shin’en to scout ahead for any signs of danger or the West team’s trail. Haruto and Mina took the flanks, while Souta, Reina, Aiko, and I brought up the rear. Our destination was the center of the forest—where Itsuki had told us to meet if we became separated, and where we hoped to find answers about what had happened to Tsubasa, Shirou, and the rest of the team.
Meanwhile, far to the west, the situation had gone from bad to worse.
"Nobody said anything about this!" a yomu executioner shouted, his voice raw with panic as he backed away from the dark entrance to the cave. Blood was streaming down his arm from a deep cut, and his uniform was torn and stained with dirt and black ichor. Around him, the other members of the West team were in even worse shape—half of them were already dead, their bodies scattered across the cave entrance like broken dolls. The ones who were still alive were injured and exhausted, their weapons hanging limp in their hands as they struggled to stay on their feet.
"Damn it! We somehow need to tell someone outside about this!" Ryouma said, his face twisted with rage and desperation. He was one of the senior executioners—one of the strongest fighters we had—and even he looked like he’d been through hell. His armor was dented and scorched, his sword was chipped and cracked, and there was a deep gash across his chest that was bleeding heavily despite his attempts to bandage it.
They were somewhere underground, in a network of caves that no one had marked on our maps. The walls were slick with moisture and stained with blood, and the air was thick with the smell of death and decay. Bodies—both human and yomurei—were piled everywhere, and in the deepest part of the cave, a pair of glowing red eyes watched them from the darkness. Thick, writhing tentacles emerged from the shadows around those eyes, moving with a speed and grace that seemed impossible for something so large.
"What should we do Tsukinowa-san?!" another executioner asked, his voice trembling as he stared at the red eyes in the darkness. He was young—probably no older than twenty—and this was his first real mission as a full executioner. His hands were shaking so badly that he could barely hold his weapon steady.
Before Ryouma could answer, the young man was suddenly stabbed from behind by one of the tentacles. It shot out of the darkness so fast that no one saw it coming, its sharp tip piercing through the man’s armor as if it were made of paper. He let out a single, choked scream before the tentacle pulled back, dragging his body into the shadows and throwing it onto a pile of corpses.
"I...I didn't agree on this...!" another executioner cried out, turning and running toward the cave’s exit as fast as his legs would carry him. He’d clearly reached his breaking point, and none of the others had the strength or energy to stop him. But as soon as he reached the narrow tunnel that led to the surface, more tentacles burst from the walls and ceiling, wrapping around him in a tight spiral.
We could hear the sound of bones cracking even from where Ryouma stood, followed by the sickening squelch of flesh being crushed. Blood spilled all over the stone floor, seeping into the cracks and pooling in dark puddles. The tentacles then released what was left of his body, letting it fall to the ground in a twisted heap.
"Damn it!" Ryouma roared, drawing his sword and charging forward despite the fact that he was already badly injured. Flames burst to life along the blade—his shin’en flaring to life with his rage—and he dashed toward the creature with the red eyes. It tried to stop him by sending more tentacles lashing out at him, but he swung his sword with incredible speed and precision, cutting through each one before it could touch him.
The creature responded by creating a barrier made of dozens of its tentacles, weaving them together into a thick wall that blocked Ryouma’s path. But he didn’t slow down—he just roared again, channeling more energy into his sword until the flames burned bright enough to light up the entire cave. He threw himself at the barrier, cutting through it with a single powerful strike that sent pieces of tentacle flying in all directions.
But as he pushed through the gap he’d created, more tentacles emerged from the ground at his feet—these ones covered in sharp, barbed spikes. They shot upward, piercing through his legs, his stomach, and finally his heart. Ryouma let out a gasp of pain, blood flowing from his mouth as he looked down at the spikes protruding from his chest.
"Is this the end for me?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the creature’s tentacles moving around him. "I wish I could tell Itsuki what this is all about, and that someone is a traitor...among...us." His words trailed off as he started to lose consciousness, his vision blurring and his body growing heavy.
The tentacles pulled back slowly, releasing him from their grip, and his body slammed to the ground with a dull thud. His eyes were still open—staring up at the cave ceiling with a look of unfinished business—and his hand was still wrapped around the hilt of his sword. The flames on the blade flickered for a moment, then died out completely, leaving the cave in near darkness once again.
Back with our group, we’d been walking for nearly an hour when Masato suddenly held up his hand to stop us. "Wait!" he said, moving to stand in front of us and blocking our path with both arms. His expression was serious—more serious than I’d ever seen it—and his shin’en was glowing brightly around his hands as he focused on something ahead of us.
"Why did we stop?" Mina asked, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword. She’d been on high alert ever since we’d reunited, and she was ready for a fight at a moment’s notice.
"Over here!" Masato said, turning and running forward without waiting for an explanation. Ayaka looked at me, her eyes questioning, and I just nodded—telling her to follow him. She nodded back, and we all fell into step behind Masato, moving quickly but quietly through the forest.
We jumped over fallen trees, crossed a fast-moving river by leaping from rock to rock, and cut our way through thick patches of tall grass that would have slowed us down if we’d tried to push through them normally. Masato moved with purpose, clearly following something only he could sense, and we trusted him completely—his shin’en had never led us wrong before.
After about ten minutes of running, he finally stopped, holding up his hand again to signal us to be quiet. "It's here..." he said, his voice low and serious.
We caught up to him and looked where he was pointing. In front of us, set into the side of a small hill covered in moss and vines, was the entrance to a cave. It wasn’t huge—maybe three meters high and two meters wide—but it was dark and foreboding, and the air coming from inside was cold and damp, carrying with it the faint smell of blood and decay.
"Woah, is this a cave?" Haruto asked, moving forward to get a closer look. He stopped just short of the entrance, not daring to go any further. Even with his fire shin’en ready to ignite at a moment’s notice, he looked uneasy—Haruto had never been fond of tight spaces or dark places, and this cave looked like it had been carved out by something far more dangerous than natural forces.
"Aokigahara Forest is packed with scary things..." Aiko said quietly, moving to stand beside him. She was peering into the darkness, her brow furrowed with concern. "I’ve heard stories about hidden caves and tunnels beneath the forest floor, but none of them were marked on our maps. How did you even find this place, Masato?"
Masato ran his hand along the rough stone of the cave entrance, his shin’en glowing brighter as he made contact. "My shin’en can sense traces of energy—even faint ones that have been left behind for hours," he explained. "I’ve been picking up strange signatures ever since we started moving toward the center of the forest—powerful ones, nothing like the low-rank yomureis we’ve been fighting. They lead straight here."
"But...? What's in there?" I asked, trying to look inside but seeing nothing but absolute darkness. The air felt heavy and still, and I could feel a strange pressure building in my chest—the same feeling I got when we were near a high-rank yomurei.
"Kagutsuchi-san, can you use your fire to make a light source for us so we can enter?" Masato asked Haruto, his eyes never leaving the cave entrance. He knew about Haruto’s fear of dark places, but we had no other way to see inside—and with whatever was waiting for us in there, we couldn’t afford to go in blind.
Haruto hesitated for a moment, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. He’d never really signed up for this kind of mission—he’d joined the team because he wanted to protect people, not because he was looking for danger in dark caves. But then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and nodded. "Well, I can try... no, I will do it." He sounded determined now, having pushed past his fear for the sake of the team.
"Inside this, a strong enemy is waiting for us," Masato continued, his voice grim. "The West team might have already gotten inside, but I don't know about Kasei-san. But the reason why I knew it was here is because I sensed something because of my shin’en—traces of their energy mixed with something else... something ancient and evil."
I’d always known Masato’s shin’en was dependable—it suited his personality and combat style perfectly, making him an excellent scout and investigator. Despite his cheerful, sometimes goofy exterior, there was a sharp mind and a strong sense of duty underneath, and he’d proven time and again that he could be counted on when it mattered most.
"Kiryu-kun is actually being helpful right now..." Reina said, sounding genuinely surprised. She’d known Masato almost as long as I had, and she was used to seeing him more focused on teasing Souta or cracking jokes than on being serious about the mission.
"I'm always being helpful you know?" Masato said with a grin, though his eyes were still serious. "You just don't see it because I’m so good at making it look easy. Now come on—let’s get this over with before whatever’s in there decides to come out and find us."
Haruto lifted up his right hand in front of his chest, closing his fingers into a fist before extending his index finger. Flames burst to life at his fingertip—bright and warm, casting a golden glow that pushed back the darkness around us. Even though it was broad daylight outside, his fire lit up the area so brightly that it felt like we were standing under a spotlight.
"Lead the way," Ayaka said, moving to stand beside Haruto. She’d already activated her shin’en, and thin layers of ice were forming on her boots and gloves—ready to protect her or create barriers at a moment’s notice.
We entered the cave in single file, with Haruto leading the way and his flame lighting our path. The air inside was even colder than we’d expected, and the sound of our footsteps echoed off the stone walls like thunder. Every small noise—every drip of water from the ceiling, every scrape of stone against stone—sounded amplified, making us all jumpy and on edge.
"How long is this cave?" Reina whispered from somewhere behind me. Her voice sounded small and tight, and I knew she was feeling the same sense of claustrophobia that was starting to creep up on me.
"Ayaka, are you still putting your ice as a trail so we don't get lost?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look at her. Earlier, when Haruto had run off without warning, she’d used her ice to create a trail so we could find our way back if we needed to. Now, as we ventured deeper into unknown territory, that trail might be the only thing that got us out alive.
"Yeah... don't worry about it," she replied, her voice steady despite the darkness surrounding us. "I’m leaving small patches of ice every few meters—some are melted already, but others are still solid. I’ve even set up a few small traps along the way, just in case something follows us in. We’ll be able to find our way back out, no matter what happens."
We walked for what felt like hours, though it was probably only twenty minutes. The tunnel was narrow and winding, with low ceilings that forced us to duck our heads in places and sharp turns that made it impossible to see what was ahead. Haruto’s flame was our only source of light, and it cast dancing shadows on the walls that made it look like the stone was moving and shifting around us.
Then, without warning, the tunnel opened up into a larger chamber, and we found ourselves facing two separate passages leading deeper into the cave. Both were dark and foreboding, and neither looked any more inviting than the other.
"Which way do we go?" I said, looking from one passage to the other. The thought of splitting up made my stomach turn—we’d only just reunited, and after what we’d been through, being separated again felt like the worst possible option.
"We can't be separated again," Ayaka agreed, her eyes scanning both passages carefully. "We don't know how strong the enemy is in this cave. And we still can't contact Irukawa-san—if we split up and something goes wrong, there won’t be anyone to help us."
Masato stepped forward, closing his eyes and extending his hands toward both passages. His shin’en flared brighter, and I could see golden light spreading from his fingertips into the air around him. He was using his ability to its fullest, searching for any traces of energy or movement that might tell us which way to go.
After a few moments, he opened his eyes and pointed to the passage on the right. "Right side..." he said, his voice quiet but confident. "...we should go there, footprints are leading towards that direction. I'm thinking that it belongs to the west team—I can sense traces of their shin’en signatures mixed with blood and... something else. Whatever attacked them went this way too."
"Let's go..." Haruto said, already moving toward the right-hand passage. He was still leading the way, his flame held high to light our path, and despite his fear of dark places, he looked ready for whatever we might find.
We followed him into the passage, which was even narrower than the one we’d just come through. Our footsteps echoed loudly off the walls, and the sound seemed to carry on forever, making it impossible to tell how far we’d gone or how close we were to whatever was waiting for us. The air was getting thicker now, and the smell of blood was stronger—so strong that I could taste iron on my tongue.
Then Masato stopped suddenly, holding up his hand to signal us to be quiet. "Blood..." he said, his voice tight with discomfort as he pointed to the ground.
Sure enough, there were dark stains on the stone floor—fresh enough that they were still slightly wet. They led deeper into the passage, getting darker and more concentrated as we moved forward. Mina, who had been walking just behind me, let out a soft gasp, and I turned to see her face had gone pale. This was her first real mission, and she’d never seen anything like this before.
"Let's continue," I said firmly, even though my own stomach was churning. "After we came this far, we can't go back. We need to find out what happened to the West team, and we need to stop whatever’s doing this before it can hurt anyone else."
They all nodded in agreement, though I could see the fear in their eyes. None of us were really prepared for what we might find ahead, but we’d come too far to turn back now. We were a team—bound together by duty, friendship, and the knowledge that if we didn’t stand up to the darkness in this forest, no one else would.
Ayaka’s ice made almost no sound as she moved now—she’d adjusted her shin’en so that the surface beneath her feet was perfectly smooth, allowing her to glide silently through the passage. It was a stark contrast to the loud echoes of our footsteps, and it made me realize just how serious she was taking this—she was moving like a predator, quiet and deadly, ready for whatever might be waiting.
Finally, the passage opened up again, and Haruto stepped out into what looked like a large underground chamber. One by one, we followed him, and as we did, Haruto raised his hand high above his head. The small flame at his fingertip detached itself and flew up toward the ceiling, stopping in the center of the room before growing larger and brighter, casting light on every corner of the space.
What we saw made even the strongest among us freeze in horror.
Mina was the first to react—she turned away and barfed onto the stone floor, her body shaking with revulsion and fear. Aiko rushed to support her, holding her hair back and whispering words of comfort even though her own face was pale and her hands were trembling.
"What...the hell..." Reina said, her voice barely more than a whisper as she stared at what lay before us.
The chamber was filled with bodies—dozens of them, piled in heaps against the walls and scattered across the floor. Some were clearly members of the West team, their uniforms still recognizable despite being torn and stained with blood. Others were yomu executioners—their distinctive armor marking them as some of the strongest fighters in our organization. Body parts were scattered everywhere, and the walls and ceiling were splattered with blood and black ichor.
And in the middle of it all, lying face up on the cold stone floor, was a familiar face.
"Is this...?" Reina continued, her voice catching in her throat as she took a step forward, then stopped. She knew who it was—we all did. Ryouma Tsukinowa, one of our most respected executioners, his eyes still open in a final look of shock and determination. His sword lay beside him, its flame long since extinguished, and there were deep puncture wounds in his chest where something had impaled him from below.
The sight was more horrifying than anything I’d ever imagined—true horror that couldn’t be easily described. This was my first time seeing anything like it, and I could feel my stomach rumbling with nausea, my hands shaking as I struggled to keep my composure. We’d faced danger before, fought powerful yomureis and survived impossible odds, but this was different. This was carnage on a scale we’d never seen, and it made me realize just how powerful whatever had done this really was.
But even as fear and revulsion washed over me, I felt something else stirring inside me—a warm, familiar energy that I’d only felt a few times before. It was like a small flame burning in my chest, pushing back the cold and the fear, filling me with strength and determination. I didn’t know what it was or where it came from, but I had a feeling that whatever the thing was inside me was not letting me die in a place like this.
We had come too far, lost too many friends, to let whatever had done this go unpunished.
A low growl echoed through the chamber, coming from the far end where a dark tunnel led deeper into the mountain. We all tensed, our hands moving to our weapons, our shin’en flaring to life as we prepared for what would surely be the fight of our lives.
Whatever had destroyed the West team was still here—and it was waiting for us.
