When Sima returned to her room that night, her head was still throbbing from the bizarre and terrifying events that had just unfolded earlier that same night. She freshened up, hoping to soothe the restlessness gnawing at her soul, before neatly tidying her messy bed. As she lay down to sleep, her thoughts drifted toward Nura. She had known Nura a long time ago, but it had been years since Nura had left their city. Sima had a lingering feeling that Nura was back, perhaps living in a different part of the city and studying at the mysterious 'Genkasu Academy.' Lost in these fragments of the past, she eventually began to drift into a hazy slumber.
However, before sleep could fully claim her, a profound sadness washed over Sima. Her mind kept returning to the girl from the previous night. What hurt the most was the crushing guilt of her own cowardice—that instead of saving her, she had fled in terror. Even though the girl was already dead when she first saw her, Sima couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility. How could those monstrous creatures—those Kimons—be so utterly cruel to humans? A volatile mix of intense rage toward the Kimons and deep sorrow for the girl swirled within her until, finally, exhaustion pulled her into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Sima woke to a magnificent, sun-drenched day. The torrential rain from the night before had washed away the dust, leaving the sky crystal clear and vibrant. Across that brilliant blue expanse, a stunning seven-colored rainbow had arched its way. Sima was awestruck by the sight. She immediately grabbed her phone—a high-end model with an exceptional camera—and snapped a photo. The shot looked professional, capturing the raw beauty of the morning. She sent it to Kima right away.
A moment later, Kima sent a 'Like' followed by a 'pensive' emoji.
Sima messaged back, "What's up, Kima? Why the emoji?"
Kima replied, "It looks like an edited photo. Can the sky really be that beautiful?"
Sima felt a spark of annoyance. Sending a red-faced emoji, she typed, "This isn't an edit! I'm showing you the actual sky this morning. Look at how clear it is!"
Kima sent a surprised emoji and replied, "Oh wow! You're right, the sky is breathtaking today. By the way, are you ready for school yet?"
Sima's heart skipped a beat at that last sentence. She had completely forgotten she had school! In her panic, the phone nearly slipped from her hand, but she caught it just in time. Messaging a quick "Bye-bye" to Kima, she dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a piece of breakfast to chew on while rushing into her uniform, and practically flew out the door on her bicycle. As she did every day, Sima's mother watched her daughter's chaotic departure with a look of bewildered amusement.
By the time Sima reached the school gates, she was breathless. She hurried into the classroom, noticing that the teacher had already arrived. Standing at the door, she asked politely, "Sir, may I come in?"
The teacher granted her permission, and Sima quickly took her seat to the left of Kima.
Kima whispered, "You're late! You're lucky the teacher let you in, or you'd be in big trouble today."
Sima whispered back, "It's your fault! If I hadn't spent so much time messaging you, I would have been here much earlier."
Just then, the sound of someone running echoed through the corridor. A young man appeared at the door, stopping to catch his breath. He had striking auburn hair and a fair complexion that glistened with a light sweat from his run. He looked exceptionally handsome. He looked at the teacher and asked, "Sir, may I come in?"
Sima's eyes widened as she stared at the young man—it was Toko.
The teacher looked at him and said, "Come in. But why the long absence, Toko?"
Toko replied politely, "Sir, I sent a letter yesterday explaining the reasons for my absence."
The teacher nodded, "Oh, right. I remember now. Go ahead and take your seat."
Toko sat down in the row directly in front of Sima and Kima. Sensing an opportunity, Kima leaned over and teased Sima in a playful tone, "Sima, look! Your crush is here. Aren't you going to welcome him?"
Sima tried to look indifferent. "Is he a special guest or something? Why should I have to welcome him?"
Kima chuckled, "Not like that! But as a 'close friend,' wouldn't it be nice?"
Sima replied, "Fine, I will, but let's wait for roll call to finish. Besides, Toko came over to my house yesterday, so I don't need to give him another welcome here."
The teacher proceeded with the roll call while everyone answered attentively. Once it ended, Toko's friends swarmed him, eager to talk. Meanwhile, as Kima and Sima chatted, the horrific memory of the previous night suddenly resurfaced in Sima's mind.
She leaned in and whispered to Kima, "Kima, do you know what happened last night? It'll make your skin crawl."
Kima teased her, "Something hair-raising? Did you watch a horror movie or something?"
Sima turned dead serious. "Don't joke. This is scarier than any horror movie."
Kima's expression shifted to curiosity. "Alright, tell me. What is this 'horror story' of yours?"
Sima began her tale. "Last night, I went out in the rain to give my father an umbrella. On the way back, I remembered I was out of ink, so I asked him for some yen to buy a pen. As I was heading home from the shop, I heard a strange sound coming from the alley behind Aunt Motolama's house. I went to investigate, and what I saw..."
*****
In a vast, palatial room of immense opulence, a massive clock stood in the center. It was a masterpiece of design, crafted entirely from pure gold. The walls were adorned with expensive, intricate masonry.
Inside this room, a figure sat upon a bizarre chair—triangular, with three legs and a towering backrest. Near the armrests, small spheres levitated in the air, defying gravity. The figure in the chair was shrouded in shadow, their form indistinguishable. Strangely, there were no doors to be seen in this grand hall.
Suddenly, a girl with tri-colored hair appeared. Though she had a boyish appearance, she was clearly female. She lacked normal hands; instead, amorphous shapes in the air solidified into the form of hands as they moved. Her skin tone was indistinguishable from a human's. She knelt before the figure in the chair, bowing her head in a gesture of absolute loyalty. "Master," she said, "I have carried out your orders to the letter. I have found someone who will be of great use to us."
The entity in the chair—a Kimon named Giotano—remained obscured, save for his eyes, which glowed with a piercing intensity. His eyes were entirely white. He was not blind; rather, those stark white orbs allowed him to see everything with terrifying clarity.
Giotano spoke in a deep, chilling voice. "Gamaki, I do not wish to wait any longer. Show her to me. Only then will I decide if she is worthy of our purpose."
Gamaki summoned a massive screen. It was razor-thin yet enormous in scale. Giotano stood up, sliding his hands into his pockets as he gazed at the display. The screen showed a girl with hair the color of light orange—or perhaps the hue of sun-drenched earth. She was sitting in a classroom, talking to her friend. That girl was none other than Sima.
Nura's intuition had been correct. Because Sima had seen a Kimon, Gamaki had been able to track her through that creature's eyes. Gamaki had initially considered eliminating her, but Giotano's plan was far more sinister. Looking at Sima, Giotano realized their long wait was nearing its end. They wouldn't just kill her; they would forge her into a powerful Kimon. The thought filled Giotano with a dark delight. He began analyzing Sima's physical structure and latent "Kaman Power." To his satisfaction, she was a vessel of an exceptionally high grade. Giotano mused that if she were transformed correctly, she could become a direct X-Grade Kimon. A twisted, demonic smile spread across his face, a sight so ghastly it would make one's soul tremble.
Back in the classroom, Sima finished recounting the night's events to Kima. Kima found it hard to believe. Knowing Sima's memory was sometimes unreliable, she assumed Sima had simply had a vivid nightmare triggered by the storm. But another thought began to plague Kima. She wondered, "If Sima was just dreaming... then was what I saw back in the sixth grade also a dream?"
Kima's mind raced back to a day from her childhood. She was in the sixth grade, and the school had organized a trip to Tagusama, a remote village far from the city. They were camping near the edge of a dense forest. There were four teachers and thirty students in total.
That night at the campsite had been wonderful. The teachers had brought plenty of chicken, and everyone was busy preparing a barbecue with bell peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Kima was with her two best friends, Ikatu and Saiyama. The students had been divided into groups, and Sima, Kima, Ikatu, and Saiyama were assigned the task of washing the chicken and vegetables. Following the teachers' instructions, they peeled and washed the ingredients in buckets before handing them over to be grilled.
After the barbecue, everyone sat together for a joyous dinner under the stars. Once finished, the teachers ordered everyone to their tents. However, Kima's group was notoriously mischievous. Suddenly, Ikatu took out a flashlight and shone it under his face to scare Kima. She jumped in terror, and Saiyama, equally startled, stumbled back. In their frantic scrambling, the tent's supports gave way, and the entire structure collapsed on top of them.
The teachers scolded Ikatu severely for the mishap, but he hardly seemed to care. To put the tent back up, they needed to drive the stakes deep into the ground. Kima suggested, "We need a heavy stone to hammer these in properly."
But the campsite was too clean; there wasn't a rock in sight. To find one, they would have to venture into the dark, thick woods bordering the camp. Despite his bravado, Ikatu was secretly terrified of the dark forest. Saiyama and Kima teased him, insisting, "Since it's your fault the tent fell, you have to lead the way."
Reluctantly, Ikatu stepped into the woods to search for a stone, his flashlight trembling slightly. Behind him, Kima, Saiyama, and Sima followed in a line, holding onto one another. To ward off the silence and the growing dread of the forest, they began to hum a song together. The woods grew thicker and more oppressive, and then...