After a long relaxing bath, Jiro stepped out of the bamboo bath wrapped in a towel, his hair soaked and his eyes a little glassy from the heat. As he walked down the wooden corridor of his home, he felt the cool night air clash against his warm body. The stars began to shine in the clear sky above the village of Kimizuke.
At the table in his home, the aroma of freshly cooked rice and sautéed vegetables filled the room. His mother waited for him with a gentle smile, and Grandpa Kamimizu was already seated, arms crossed, with a serious but calm look.
—Come on, Jiro —said his mother softly—. Let's eat before it gets cold.
—Yeah, I'm coming —Jiro replied, still thoughtful, as he sat down in his place.
During dinner, Jiro barely spoke. He only answered with slight nods. His mother and grandfather exchanged a few words, but his mind was elsewhere. The memories of his father, the blurry image of his face, and the crimson stone that always hung from his neck like an amulet, kept circling in his head.
That crescent-shaped stone… so bright, so mysterious. Sometimes, he felt it burn lightly when he had strange dreams or when unusual things happened.
That night, after dinner, Jiro lay down on his futon. Outside, crickets chirped, and the soft wind swayed the trees in the backyard. He squeezed the amulet tightly, feeling that faint pulse inside the stone.
—Father… someday I will know what that farewell meant. And someday… I will find him.
Suddenly, as he closed his eyes, a strange feeling overwhelmed him. A vision opened in his mind: a dark forest covered in mist, a tall figure wrapped in shadows, and a deep voice whispering his name:
—Jiro…
The boy opened his eyes abruptly. Sweat ran down his forehead, his chest rose and fell rapidly. The crimson stone hung in front of his face… and for the first time in years, it seemed to glow by itself with a faint inner light, as if something inside it had been activated.
—W-what was that…? —Jiro murmured, breathing heavily, while touching the stone with trembling fingers.
Outside, in the sky, a shooting star crossed the firmament. And at that moment, something was awakening far from the village of Kimizuke. Something that had been asleep for centuries…
In the depths of the night, Jiro gazed at the starry sky from the roof of his house, a cold breeze brushing his face. Suddenly, something broke the celestial stillness: a shooting star streaked across the firmament… but it was no ordinary one. Its glow was a bright red, almost unnatural.
—What an unusual shooting star...? —murmured Jiro with shining eyes—. I've never seen one so red.
He watched it hypnotized, and as the star descended, its color grew even more intense, almost like boiling blood in the night sky.
—It looks… too red, really… How strange…
But then, something impossible happened. A subtle sound, like the cracking of glass, echoed in the air. The very sky began to crack, as if the celestial dome were breaking from within, and a scarlet fissure split everything, staining the stars with a dark, restless red.
—What the heck…!? —exclaimed Jiro, stepping back.
Immediately, his red crescent amulet, inherited from his grandfather, began to shine with alarming intensity. The fallen object crossed directly above his house, leaving a trail of fire in the sky and finally struck a nearby hill.
Jiro, eyes fixed on the scene, breathed heavily.
—I didn't know… this could shine... —he said, looking at the amulet in amazement—. What on earth just happened…?
Finding no answers and feeling exhaustion hit his body, Jiro sighed.
—I'd better… go to sleep now…
---
The next day, in the morning
Jiro ran out of his house, determined. He didn't tell anyone. His destiny was clear: the hill. On the way, he ran into Rayjou.
—Rayjou! Hurry up and come! —he shouted without stopping.
—Hey, are we going hunting animals again? —asked Rayjou, following him curiously.
But Jiro didn't answer until they reached the foot of the hill.
—No... We're going to do something much better.
—Are you crazy!? —Rayjou shouted looking up—. That's Minagumo Hill! The haunted hill! Both your grandfather and my father forbade us from going up there!
Jiro lowered his head a bit, remembering the warning.
—You're right… I remember now.
—Then why do you want to climb it!?
Scratching his head, Jiro muttered:
—It's just… there's something interesting.
—Interesting!? What do you mean by interesting!?
Jiro, without answering, climbed the trees with agility and went ahead. Rayjou, resigned, growled:
—Ah… I have no choice when he gets like this!
Both boys ascended the hill, entering the thick, dark forest. The atmosphere was heavy: remains of animal skeletons, snakes silently sliding among branches…
—I-I think we should go back, Jiro… —stammered Rayjou, visibly scared.
Jiro, without losing focus, felt a vibration in his chest. His amulet shone again.
—Wait, that was glowing!? —Rayjou asked, surprised.
—It's close… —Jiro said quietly.
Without more, Jiro started running. Rayjou followed nervously.
—Wait for me, Jirooo!
Both tripped on a protruding root and tumbled down the slope… until they reached a deep crater.
At the bottom, in the dim light, a faint red glow guided them.
—Where are we...? —asked Rayjou.
—I don't know… but let's investigate —Jiro replied determined.
They moved in silence. The light led them to a cavern, and at its end… a shining fissure, a Shinketsu. On the other side, a crimson spear, beautiful and covered with runes, was stuck in the ground.
—That spear… —Jiro whispered.
—So cool! Let's go see it! —Rayjou said excited.
But then, a shadow emerged from the Shinketsu. A black hand appeared, followed by a masked figure. The being floated gracefully, cloaked in darkness with a talisman on its face.
Jiro quickly covered Rayjou's mouth. They hid behind a rock while the masked figure began speaking… to someone not there.
—Yes, my lord. I have finally arrived in this world… —said the entity.
—Who the hell is that…? —whispered Rayjou.
—I don't know, but… it seems to be communicating with someone else… —answered Jiro.
The masked figure continued:
—We have been stealing energies from this world for eons. Only three years remain before it shatters forever… Nothing will remain but dust…
Jiro tensed.
—Three years…? —he thought.
—Now I only have to feed this Shinketsu until it evolves into a Daiketsu… It will take three days…
Rayjou, unable to hold back, let out a gasp of astonishment. The echo resounded. The masked figure stopped.
—Wait, my lord. I think I'm not alone…
It floated toward where they were. Desperate, Jiro imitated a meow:
—Meuw… meuw…
The entity stopped and muttered:
—It was just a filthy cat…
It resumed talking to its invisible master:
—Now I take my leave, lord… if anything else happens, I will inform you.
The spirit turned toward the spear.
—Your wielder gave us many problems… good that we eliminated him. Now… I will take you to my lord…
Jiro sighed in relief.
—It didn't realize we were here…
But suddenly… the entity slowly turned its head, and with a cold, murderous voice said:
—On the other hand… you two busybodies behind that rock…
Its eyes shone with a dark intensity, and an evil force filled the air.
—Come out now… or I will make you come out myself.