The forest was still.
Only the distant crackle of dying fire and the buzz of insects remained. Kratos moved ahead, silent and wary. His Leviathan Axe was gripped tightly in one hand, frost lightly crusting the bark of trees they passed. Atreus walked beside him, bow drawn, an arrow nocked and ready.
"They're coming," Atreus whispered.
Kratos didn't respond. He had already felt the footsteps—the subtle shift in the wind, the sound of a blade sliding from a sheath.
Two figures stepped into view from the dense tree line. Silent. Eyes alert.
Giyu Tomioka's hand rested on the hilt of his blade. His sharp gaze swept over the armored man and the younger boy beside him.
Shinobu, ever the calculating one, offered a faint smile. "Strange. You don't look like demons… But you're certainly not from around here, are you?"
Kratos didn't flinch. "We do not know this land."
Giyu narrowed his eyes. "Then how did you get here?"
Atreus stepped forward a little. "We don't know. There was… a tear. A rift in the air. We walked through it. Next thing we knew—this forest, and… those creatures."
He nodded back toward the ruined village.
Giyu's stance remained guarded. "You killed them?"
"Yes," Kratos said flatly.
Shinobu tilted her head, voice still sweet, but sharp beneath. "And why?"
"They were slaughtering the innocent," Kratos replied coldly. "That is enough."
Giyu slowly unsheathed a few inches of his blade. "There are many who claim to fight for justice while hiding darker intentions."
Kratos's eyes locked onto Giyu's. Ice in his stare. "Try me."
Atreus immediately stepped between them. "Wait! We're not enemies! We don't want a fight!"
Shinobu chuckled softly. "How refreshing. A boy with reason."
"Father doesn't trust easily," Atreus added quickly. "But we really did save that village."
Shinobu's smile faded slightly. "We saw your work. And it was… effective."
Giyu sheathed his blade.
"…You're not demons. And you're not from Muzan's forces."
Kratos gave a small nod.
Shinobu took a few slow steps forward. "Your armor. Your weapons. They don't resemble anything from this world."
Atreus glanced at Kratos, then back at the Hashiras. "We're not from here. We came from another realm. One where the dead do not stay buried. Where gods fall and rise again."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Shinobu blinked. "Fascinating."
Giyu spoke, voice low. "If that is true… then you are like the other one."
Kratos's eyes narrowed. "Other one?"
Giyu met his gaze. "A warrior. Armored like no other. Silent. Violent. We call him… the Slayer."
A long pause.
Kratos said nothing. Atreus looked up at his father. "Sounds like someone we should meet."
"…Perhaps," Kratos muttered.
Shinobu gently gestured. "If you mean no harm, come with us. Our master would want to meet you. And we'd prefer not to leave you wandering the forest, misunderstood."
Kratos didn't lower his axe. Not yet.
But after a long moment, he gave a curt nod. "Lead."
Atreus let out a breath. "Guess we're doing this."
The four began walking, silent but alert, the weight of mutual respect holding back the threat of violence—for now.