One of the tengu was flying alone through the forest. His other two companions had headed in the opposite direction to intercept the first group of intruders.
That didn't concern him. After all, what could mere humans possibly do?
Ever since reaching Rank B, his confidence had grown to the point of arrogance. He had found nothing in those woods capable of challenging him, nothing he couldn't tear apart, nothing he couldn't crush.
So when he finally spotted his prey moving through the vegetation, he smiled. Three figures advanced between the trees, two men and a woman. An easy target.
He beat his wings and dove. The air whistled around his body. His speed increased with every passing second. He chose the man carrying a katana; he seemed the most dangerous.
So he decided to eliminate him first. His claws extended, capable of breaking rock. They reached for the human's neck. He longed to feel that familiar sensation of flesh separating from bone, but it never came.
Because, at the last instant... the man vanished.
The tengu barely caught a glimpse of a silver flash.
Nothing more.
Then the world began to spin. His body crashed through the roots of several trees.
He rolled through the mud, struck rocks, and finally came to a stop, dazed and confused.
He tried to stand and collapsed. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.
He looked behind him.
Horror froze his blood.
His legs were there, several feet away. Cleanly severed from his body, the wound was so precise that he hadn't even felt the cut.
The man with the katana remained motionless among the trees. He didn't even appear to have moved. With a sharp flick, he shook the blood from his blade.
As though he had just cut down an annoying branch.
The tengu roared in fury and desperately beat his wings.
He could still fly.
He could still escape. He needed to regroup. He needed to find the other two. He would return with reinforcements.
And then... he would tear those humans apart.
But he had barely gained any altitude when he felt something wrap around his neck. It was a red rope that had appeared out of nowhere.
It tightened violently and ripped him from the air. The impact with the ground was brutal. The earth exploded beneath his body, and a crack ran through his spine.
"Damn hunters..." he growled as he spat blood. "I'll make you pay..."
He knew he could no longer escape. Then he would die fighting. At the very least, he would take one of them with him. But before he could get back up... a rain of fire fell upon him. Fireballs slammed directly into his chest, and the resulting explosion engulfed him completely. The heat was unbearable. It consumed his feathers, burned his skin, and charred his wings.
The monster let out a heart-rending scream, and for the first time in a very long while... he felt fear.
Real fear.
The tengu believed he had left that feeling behind when he sacrificed his entire village, when he offered up his own kind in exchange for power, when he chose to follow Shimamoto. But now it was there again, tightening around his throat and reminding him of something he had forgotten.
That even monsters like him had predators.
Even so, he gathered the little strength he had left. He dug his claws into the ground and began forcing himself back to his feet once more.
—I swear I'll kill you all... ack...
The tengu choked halfway through the threat, a strangled sound escaping his throat.
The katana-wielding hunter had moved so fast it seemed as though he had teleported. Now the cold steel blade was thrust deep inside his mouth, grazing the back of his throat. The slightest movement would be enough to pierce his skull from within.
The monster froze completely.
For the first time since obtaining that power, he felt genuine fear.
—Answer me —said the hunter.
His voice was low and controlled, which somehow made it even more terrifying.
—If you don't want to end up sliced into pieces, answer me.
His eyes burned with fury.
—Where is my niece?
The sword advanced a few millimeters.
The tip scraped against the tengu's palate.
—WHERE IS KOTONE?!
* * *
Meanwhile, much higher up the mountain... Miyu and Kotone walked along the trail in complete silence. The only sound was the rhythmic clack-clack of Kotone's geta striking the stone path.
After several minutes of walking, Miyu glanced down at the girl's feet.
—I still don't understand how you can climb a mountain wearing those.
Kotone didn't even turn her head.
—Because they're not ordinary geta.
Her tone made it clear that she found the question offensive.
—They're Tamahagane-grade weapons.
Miyu raised an eyebrow.
—Your shoes?
—My shoes.
Kotone slightly lifted one foot.
—And my hakama too.
—Your clothes are weapons too?
—Exactly.
Miyu let out a small laugh.
—That's pretty extravagant.
—That's pretty efficient —Kotone corrected—. They don't possess any special abilities, but they're extremely durable and can be reinforced with ether. They're far more useful than they look.
Suddenly, the girl stopped.
All traces of arrogance vanished from her face. Her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned serious.
—Get ready!
Miyu reacted instantly.
—What is it?
—There are two of them.
Kotone looked up at the sky.
—Coming from above.
Unlike their previous encounter, when Mochi had needed to save her, this time she was prepared.
She already knew the tengus' attack pattern.
She had been paying close attention to any fluctuations of ether coming from the air and had just detected two.
Miyu gripped the handle of her wagasa, Kotone took hold of her brush, and both assumed combat stances.
A second later, they appeared. Two black shapes descended from the clouds.
The air began to whistle around their bodies.
Kotone stepped forward, but a hand gently moved in front of her path.
—Leave this to me, Kotone —said Miyu.
The girl frowned, but before she could reply, Miyu threw her umbrella.
The movement was elegant.
The wagasa left her hand spinning through the air, but it did not fall, nor did it obey gravity.
Instead, it accelerated, like a spear fired from an invisible ballista. The first tengu reacted in time, beating its wings violently.
A burst of wind altered its trajectory by only a few centimeters.
The umbrella passed by, grazing its shoulder. The second was not so lucky; the wagasa struck directly into its chest.
CRACK.
The sound of breaking bones echoed across the mountain. The blow was not fatal, but it was devastating. The anomaly completely lost control of its flight, spun several times through the air, and then crashed into the mountain path. The rock exploded beneath the impact, sending dust and fragments of stone flying in every direction.
The first tengu landed hurriedly. Now both enemies were on the ground.
Miyu extended a hand, and the umbrella obediently returned. It spun one final time before settling into her palm, then closed with an elegant snap.
Miyu smiled. There was a small spark of pride in her eyes.
—What do you think?
Kotone watched the scene.
—Barely decent.
—I knew you'd say that.
The injured tengu managed to get back to its feet. Dark blood ran down its red face, and fury twisted its demonic features even further.
—Kotone.
Miyu opened the umbrella.
—I'll handle the defense.
The red canopy unfolded in front of her.
—My wagasa is the best shield.
—I don't need a shield.
Kotone stepped forward.
—I can protect myself.
The girl made a quick motion with her brush, and several drops of black ink flew through the air. They didn't seem dangerous; they simply splattered onto the ground in front of them.
The two tengus tensed their muscles. They expected some kind of attack, a spell, an explosion, or something. But nothing happened.
For a second.
And then... the stains began to spread.
The tiny drops of ink expanded until they became enormous dark pools. The black surface bubbled, and something began to emerge. First came claws, then fangs, then entire bodies.
Wolves, bears, tigers, and lions.
Ten beasts made entirely of black ink.
The tengus instinctively stepped back.
Kotone watched them indifferently.
—Finish them.
The beasts obeyed and lunged into the attack.
The tengus responded immediately. Their feather fans unfolded, and blasts of cutting wind swept across the mountain path.
Several creatures were torn apart, but it was useless.
The ink rejoined itself, the wounds vanished, and the beasts continued advancing.
Relentless and tireless.
The battle lasted only a few seconds. The beasts' roars echoed through the mountain.
The tengus' screams mixed with them.
And then... it was over.
Miyu watched the scene in silence. It hadn't looked like a battle.
It had looked like an execution.
It reminded her of a zombie movie—a victim surrounded by an unstoppable horde.
Two C-rank anomalies, torn apart.
Reduced to pieces in a matter of seconds.
When silence returned to the path, even the wind seemed to have stopped.
Then they heard something.
Fast, desperate footsteps.
Both girls looked up.
A small figure was running down from the upper trail.
A young girl.
Her dress was covered in dirt. Her breathing was uneven, and her face was streaked with tears.
Miyu recognized her immediately, clearly remembering the photographs she had seen of her.
—Mari!
The girl stumbled, fell to her knees, and burst into tears.
—Please! —she sobbed—. Help me!
Trembling, she pointed toward the highest part of the mountain.
—The cat onee-san!
Her voice broke.
—She stayed behind so I could escape!
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
—You have to help her!