Kaito raced toward the southern villages, his armor gleaming in the moonlight. His sword hung at his waist, bow gripped tightly in his right hand, arrows strapped across his back. As he reached, his stride slowed entering an eerie stillness stifling the air.

  His royal soldiers stood idle, plagued with expressions of dismay, disgust, and fear across their features.

  Taking a step forward to approach his men, his foot sank into the ground beneath him, muddied with a thick, dark substance pooling around his feet. Confusion and dread crept into his mind.

  What is this? And why aren't they searching for survivors?

  Frustration mounting, Kaito grabbed one of the royal soldiers by the shoulder. As he opened his mouth to speak, horror silenced his voice, eyes bearing witness to the unimaginable brutality suffocating his men.

  Before him, laid the village in ruin. Villagers' bodies grotesquely dismembered and littered throughout the streets. Blood splattered against every home, painting a gruesome picture of the carnage. Livestock lay slaughtered and half eaten, adding to the overwhelming stench of death.

  "Sir..." Haru, Captain of the Chika Royal Forces, approached, saluting Kaito, his voice calmly stern. "The initial force of one hundred soldiers was split into ten teams to aid the outskirts of the southern village. We've successfully pushed back the Yazumi in most areas, but..." He paused, breaking his salute. "But by the time my team arrived at this particular village, the Yazumi had already left. There were no survivors. All of the villagers here are dead. Even the children. Those beasts spared no one. Not even the cattle."

  Kaito stood frozen, the weight of the tragedy settling heavily on his chest.

  “How should we proceed, Sir?”

  Kaito turned away, unable to further take in the scene. "Burn the village," he commanded. "There's nothing we can do for the dead. Have the remaining men move on to the other villages and destroy those foul Yazumi."

  Shocked by his response, Haru turned to face him, confusion evident in his eyes. "But sir, shouldn't we simply bury the villagers and attempt to restore it? It's possible some villagers were able to escape and plan to return to their home."

  "Haru…” Kaito replied with an icy glare, his voice low and measured. “The events that occurred here tonight will forever change this land. Burying these villagers would do nothing but curse them in the afterlife. Their bodies rotting in bloodied graves, withering away to dust. Burn everything and spare them that final insult."

  Realizing his intentions, Haru took a step back and nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand."

  Haru clenched his fist, engulfing it with his fire ability. "Alright, men! Let's give these people an honorable burial. Burn this village down until there's nothing left."

  "YES, CAPTAIN!" the remaining soldiers yelled in unison, each releasing their fire ability onto the village .

  Kaito motioned to leave, his face grim. "Haru, I can faintly sense a few Yazumi at a distance from here. I'll deal with them alone, so I'll leave this to you."

  Before Haru could formulate a response, Kaito vanished into the night, leaving behind only the crackling echoes of flames consuming the village.

  You'll pay dearly for this act, Yazumi!

  Speeding through the forest, Kaito's razor sharp senses tracked the fleeing Yazumi.

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  Hmm, wolf Yazumi huh… two? No... three of them! And they're moving fast. I need to slow them down.

  Mid-stride, he crouched and launched himself upward, his body rotating through the air before landing on the highest branch. Closing his eyes, he focused on the emitting aura of each Yazumi, pinpointing their locations.

  Such lowly disgusting creatures...yet...what provoked such brutality?

  He drew three arrows with fluid grace, notching them into his bow.

  I'll just ask the source directly.

  His power surged through the arrows, transforming them into liquid while still maintaining its deadly form. Upon releasing the arrows, they tore through the forest, simultaneously striking all three Yazumi.

  Moments after impact, Kaito reached his targets. One lay dead, face down in a pool of blood, an arrow buried in its heart. The other two, barely clinging to life.

  Closing in on the Yazumi lying on its back, an arrow protruded from its throat. The creature opened its mouth, attempting to speak through the blood pooling in its airways.

  Kaito's face hardened at the pathetic sight.

  Useless!

  Without hesitation, Kaito slammed his foot downward, crushing its skull with a sickening crunch. Fury flashed through his eyes, turning his attention to the last Yazumi. He advanced toward the trembling creature pinned against the tree by the arrow lodged deep in its stomach.

  "Answer my questions, beast. If you dare refuse or if I suspect you of lies… I'll slowly tear you apart, limb by limb!"

  The Yazumi cowered, its body trembling. "What do you want to know?"

  Kaito's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and sharp. "Why did your kind attack the southern villages unprovoked?"

  "We... we were given orders to destroy without reason," the Yazumi stammered.

  "By whom?" He pressed, leaning closer.

  The Yazumi's eyes darted nervously. "By he who rules over Darkness, our Dark Lord."

  Dark Lord?

  "And where can I find this Dark Lord?"

  The nervousness of the Yazumi's expression shifted to insolence. Its voice filled with a mix of fear and defiance as it spat in Kaito's face. "I'll never tell you!"

  Kaito's anger flared, wiping the pungent saliva from his cheek. "You foul beast! I'll make you regret that!"

  Grabbing the Yazumi's left paw, he tore his arm from its shoulder and thrashed it across the Yazumi's face repeatedly.

  "ANSWER!!! MY!!! QUESTION!!!!" Kaito roared as the Yazumi wailed out in agony with each blow.

  Its cries of anguish slowly twisted in a bellowishly manic laughter, catching him off guard.

  Has this beast lost its mind?

  The Yazumi's laughter abruptly ceased, brazenly glaring into Kaito's eyes. "There's no point in telling a dead man."

  Sensing imminent danger, his eyes darted over to the Yazumi's right side and spotted the implanted bomb, flickering on the ground.

  SHIT!

  He leapt backwards, unable to gain enough distance as the bomb detonated, quivering the earth and releasing a deafening rumble. Caught in the blast full force, he hurled off the cliff edge and plummeted aimlessly into the abyss below, watching pieces of the Yazumi scatter.

  The forest above him grew smaller, the wind rushing past his ears. Darkness engulfed him and his world fading to black as lost consciousness.

  Airi... Yasushi... I'm sorry…