The moon hung in the cloudless sky, casting a pale glow over the sleeping village. Silent figures moved through the village — Oni, monstrous and merciless, drifted between the Kitsune homes. Their grotesque forms prowled without sound, a creeping dread that hung heavy over the peaceful night.
An explosion tore through the silence, blasting debris across the village. Before the shock could even settle, chaos erupted. The Oni attacked the villagers with ferocity, axes and spears slicing through air and flesh alike. Tongues of fire spewed from gaping maws. Villagers screamed in terror as they were crushed or torn apart, their homes reduced to smoldering ruins. The night was painted in flame and blood.
Mujihina Yashin rubbed his eyes as the flickering glow of fire crept through the window, stirring him from sleep. A yawn escaped his lips as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"Hmm? What's going o—"
His voice faltered.
Outside, across the street, the house had collapsed in a heap of blazing timber. Through the window, Mujihina watched in a frozen daze as villagers ran screaming past his home, their bodies alight, their faces twisted in unimaginable agony.
"What's going on? What IS this?!"
Panic surged through Mujihina. He stumbled toward his parents' room, feet barely finding purchase beneath him.
"Mother! Father! The village is—"
He burst into their room, the words dying in his throat. The bed was shredded, the walls slick with blood. Sheets stained crimson sagged across the wreckage.
Terror gripped him.
"No… no, no, no, no, no, NO!"
He collapsed to his knees, sobs catching in his chest —
— and the wall exploded inward.
A massive Oni crashed through, its hulking frame nearly crushing Mujihina beneath crumbling wood and tile. Above the beast, a figure stood balanced on its shoulders — Yasuhiro Yashin, blade buried deep in the Oni's thick neck. Mujihina stared, paralyzed, unable to comprehend what was unfolding.
"Yuriko!" Yasuhiro's voice was desperate, commanding. "Take Mujihina and go!"
Yasuhiro wrenched his blade free, and the Oni toppled with a thunderous crash. As he leapt down, Mujihina's mother rushed into the room, her face pale but determined.
"Come, Mujihina!" Yuriko seized her son's hand, pulling him toward the door. She paused just long enough to grasp Yasuhiro's outstretched hand. Flames licked around her fingers, wrapping Yasuhiro in a brief halo of fire.
"Come back to us," she whispered.
Yasuhiro leaned in, his forehead pressing to hers. His voice softened, but his eyes remained sharp.
"I always do."
Their gaze held for a heartbeat longer.
"Take care of him."
The world seemed to slow as Yuriko pulled Mujihina away. A single tear traced down her cheek, glinting in the firelight. Time froze as it fell, hitting the floor with a faint, final sound.
The moment shattered.
From above, another Oni dropped, its monstrous body aimed straight for them.
"Run!" Yasuhiro roared, shoving Yuriko and Mujihina aside as the beast crashed down, obliterating what remained of their home in a shower of dust and debris.
Yuriko's grip tightened on Mujihina's hand as she sprinted through the smoke-choked streets.
"Father!!" Mujihina's scream tore from his throat, his eyes wide with horror as their home collapsed behind them.
Yuriko didn't slow.
"Your father is strong, Mujihina! He can handle himself."
Through tear-blurred vision, Mujihina looked up at his mother.
"Don't let your eyes wander, Mujihina! Just keep running! You don't want to see this! Do you hear me?! Just look down and keep running!"
Mujihina squeezed her hand tightly, forcing his gaze downward. Around them, limbs and scorched bodies littered the streets. The air reeked of burning flesh. The screams of friends and family echoed in his ears, each step a brutal reminder of what they were leaving behind. Yuriko's tears fell faster, streaking her soot-stained cheeks as she pulled him onward.
Ahead, the flames gave way to a sea of pink.
A garden, breathtaking even under siege — a stretch of Sakura blossoms, delicate petals quivering in the firelit breeze. Beyond the garden, the dark outline of the forest waited.
"There, Mujihina!" Yuriko cried out, her voice breaking. "Inari's Garden!"
They plunged into the blossoms, the smoke thinning as they neared the forest edge.
At last, Yuriko slowed, her body trembling. She sank to her knees, pressing her palms together. Eyes closed, she drew in a shaking breath, and when she exhaled, all the grief and fear she had locked away poured forth in a ragged sob. She collapsed forward, shoulders heaving as she wept.
Mujihina stumbled to her side.
"Mother!" His voice cracked, the tears finally spilling over as he wrapped his arms around her. "What is this?! Why is this happening?!"
They clung to each other, two fragile lives amid the ruin, their tears mingling on the earth.
Yuriko wiped her face, then gently touched Mujihina's cheeks, brushing away his tears.
"You are brave… and strong… Mujihina. You are the Yashin legacy." She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "Your father and I… we poured all of our love into you, knowing that one day… we wouldn't be here to give it."
A flicker of realization — terror — crossed Mujihina's face.
"Mother…"
Yuriko smiled through her sorrow.
"You will run deep into the forest. You will not stop. Do not look back."
The world fell into silence.
Only the wind stirred, rustling Mujihina's fur as he stared at her, his eyes wide and glistening. His tears slowed, his face shadowed by grief and understanding.
"I have to go help," Yuriko whispered, rising to her feet. "I won't abandon your father."
She knelt before Mujihina, bringing their faces close.
"We've taught you well. I know you'll be just fine, Mujihina Yashin."
She kissed his forehead softly, lingering.
"My little Kyubi."
And then, without another word, she turned and disappeared into the Sakura blossoms.
Mujihina watched until the last trace of her vanished, the tears slipping silently down his cheeks.
Then he turned and fled into the waiting darkness of the forest.
Sunlight seeped faintly through the twisted roots, its glow resting softly on Mujihina's face. His eyelids fluttered, breath catching as consciousness pulled him from the dark. For a moment, there was only quiet—the rustling of wind through the gnarled trees, the distant cry of a bird. But then the memories of the night crashed back into him, and his heart clenched.
Mujihina bolted upright.
"Mother! Father!" he cried, his voice raw with panic.
Scrambling out from beneath the roots, his feet slipped on damp earth as his eyes caught sight of the thick columns of smoke rising beyond the trees. His chest tightened. Without another thought, he ran—branches whipped against his skin as he tore through the forest.
"Please, please, please! Somebody! Somebody made it! Somebody is still alive!" His desperate voice broke against the silence.
Bursting through the treeline, Mujihina entered the once-sacred Inari's Garden. Now it was a blackened wasteland. The village beyond was unrecognizable: charred beams jutted from the ground like broken bones, rooftops collapsed inward, and the air hung thick with the acrid sting of ash. Only the faint moan of the breeze stirred among the ruins.
Mujihina stumbled forward.
"Mother…! Father…! Kaede…! Arui…!" His voice trembled as he picked his way through the devastation. "Mr. Mizuhara… anyone…" His voice cracked, panic tipping into despair. His home—or what was left of it—stood before him in a heap of scorched rubble.
"…Anybody…" he whispered, the last thread of hope unraveling.
His knees buckled. Mujihina crashed to the ground, fingers clawing at the dirt as a guttural scream tore from his throat.
The boy's small figure crouched among the smoldering remains, the world spinning in slow circles around him. The fires hissed and crackled, the village a graveyard of memories.
But then—shadows stirred.
They slipped from the corners, curling like smoke around Mujihina's feet, drawn inward to the black pool of his own shadow. Without sound, they coalesced, rising up, a figure half-formed of mist and night, its face hidden from view.
Mujihina's sobs faltered as the presence loomed over him.
"Arm yourself," the figure commanded—calm, yet edged with something cold and ancient.
Mujihina spun, startled, stumbling back on his hands.
"Y-you! You're with those Oni, aren't you?!"
With a burst of fury, he lunged—but his fist passed through empty air, his body crashing into the ash.
"I am not," the figure murmured.
Mujihina wheeled around, chest heaving. The figure paced slowly, its movements effortless as it circled him, a predator studying a wounded cub.
"…Shame," the figure said quietly, voice tinged with pity. "This weakness is what earned our clan their fate."
Rage surged through Mujihina.
"You watch your mouth, demon!"
Mujihina leapt and swiped at the figure, simply phasing through it like smoke.
The figure's tone didn't change.
"And here you are—the last of the ancient Kitsune Clan. Unable to even conjure the Kitsune Flames. The weakest among them."
The words landed like blows. Mujihina's anger dissolved into trembling denial.
"N-no, I…"
The figure drifted closer.
"Your mother and father gave their lives for you… Do you think it was worth it?"
Mujihina collapsed fully, arms wrapped around himself, a broken cry spilling from his lips.
"Stop! What do you want from me?! Why are you doing this?!"
The figure halted, looming over him.
"I do not want anything from you," it said softly. "I am simply facing you with the truth."
Mujihina lifted his face, eyes red-rimmed and shining.
"Who… who are you?"
For a heartbeat, the ruined world seemed to fall silent.
The voice that answered was quiet, almost mournful.
"I am Reikoku," the figure said. "And I am here to eradicate our enemies."
With a subtle flick of his hand, a surge of wind swept across the village, extinguishing every last ember. The smoldering landscape fell into stillness.
Reikoku turned, walking toward Mujihina. His presence was effortless, a shadow given form, a promise of untold power.
"It's time for us to leave this rubble," Reikoku murmured, stopping just before him. Slowly, he extended a hand.
"Now… stand."
Mujihina stared at the offered hand, his breath quivering. Gritting his teeth, he reached out—and as their hands met, Reikoku's essence surged into him, shadow pouring into his veins. Mujihina gasped, twisting as something foreign and vast flooded his being.
"Reikoku? What's going on…?" His voice was small, fearful.
No answer came.
For a long moment, Mujihina knelt there, trembling, trying to understand. Slowly, his gaze drifted back to the ruins, the echoes of laughter and life that would never return.
With a hollow breath, he turned, walking into the forest beyond Inari's Garden. His figure faded into the trees, a lone survivor swallowed by mourning.
Night fell over Heiwana Kitsune no Mura like a shroud of dread, broken only by the orange glow of fire consuming thatched roofs. Screams echoed through the narrow streets, where oni rampaged, their hulking forms tearing through villagers as if they were mere paper dolls. Shadows danced on walls as the blood-soaked chaos unfolded, and through the flicker of the burning village, the night swallowed all light and hope.
Inside the Mizuhara home, the walls trembled with distant crashes. Tatsuo Mizuhara slammed open the door, panic written across his face.
"Kaede!!" he roared, his voice cracking.
Miyuki rushed in behind him, eyes wild with fear. They burst into Kaede's room, only to find it empty.
"Where is sh—Hm?!" Tatsuo's words caught in his throat.
The wall exploded inward as the massive body of an oni crashed through, wood and debris showering the room. It hit the floor with a thundering crack, its body split from face to belly by a searing cut. Through the falling splinters, a figure leapt down gracefully, cradling a trembling child.
"Is everyone alright? Sorry if I scared you," the warrior said calmly.
Miyuki's breath caught in her throat. "Kaede!"
The warrior, Aiko Fujimoto of the Kyubi no Yojin, gently set Kaede down. "Kaede here decided she'd negotiate with the oni herself. I arrived just in time. She's terrified. Take her and run—things aren't looking good."
Miyuki swept Kaede into her arms, inspecting her frantically.
"Thank you for saving my daughter! Good luck, Aiko!" Tatsuo shouted.
Without wasting another heartbeat, the Mizuhara family fled into the night, the village behind them crumbling under flame and steel. All around, the night was alive with the clash of battle—the nine members of the Kyubi no Yojin locked in a desperate struggle against the oni, their blades barely slowing the tide.
As they tore through the burning streets, two hulking figures dropped from the rooftops, landing in their path with bone-shaking force. One carried a longsword, its blade chipped and blackened; the other hefted a brutal battleaxe, fresh blood dripping from its edge.
Tatsuo threw out his arm protectively. "What is it you want with us, yokai? Let us flee!"
The oni swordsman sneered. "Flee? None of you are going anywhere. Hahahahahah!"
The axe-wielding oni grinned wide, sharp teeth gleaming. "Tell you what—I'll give you each one second. Starting with you, woman."
Miyuki's face blanched. She turned toward Tatsuo in horror.
Desperation gripped Tatsuo. He dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the dirt.
"Please… Please! Powerful oni! I beg of you, spare my family! Take my service, take my life—anything but my family!"
The swordsman oni laughed, a cold and jagged sound. "It looks like they've taken your kindness for granted."
The axe-wielding oni snorted impatiently. "One second each, or all at once. Final offer."
Tatsuo's eyes widened with grim realization. He met Miyuki's gaze.
"Run!!" he shouted.
Miyuki hesitated, then turned and sprinted toward the darkened treeline, Kaede's small hand clenched in hers. Tears fell in slow motion, striking the ash-covered ground as the world blurred around them.
The axe-wielding oni pulled back his arm, the massive blade swinging up in a cruel arc.
With a desperate cry, Tatsuo launched himself at the oni, striking a blow that threw it off balance.
"Kaede, run!" he roared. "Follow your mother! GO!"
Kaede froze for a heartbeat, eyes wide and vacant, before Tatsuo's voice ripped her from her daze. She bolted after Miyuki.
The oni swordsman unsheathed its massive blade, sweeping it toward Tatsuo in a deadly arc. Tatsuo ducked low, but the axe-wielding oni caught him in a crushing grip, yanking him upward into the swing. The blade carved through Tatsuo's torso, severing him cleanly in two. The oni tossed his broken body aside like a broken doll.
Miyuki's scream ripped through the night as she watched. The axe-wielding oni drew back once more, this time aiming at the small, running figure of Kaede.
"Kaede! Get down!" Miyuki cried, feet pounding against the dirt as she raced toward her daughter.
Time slowed. The axe spun through the air—a monstrous blur of steel. Kaede stumbled, her tiny frame hitting the ground as Miyuki surged forward.
The night fell silent. The camera of fate snapped to black.
A brutal, wet slice cut through the quiet.
When Kaede's eyes opened again, the world was wrong.
Her mother's body lay before her, torn nearly in two, blood steaming on the cold earth. For a moment, Kaede only stared, the world fading to a ringing void.
And then, from deep within her chest, came a scream that shattered the stars.
The two oni approached, slow and deliberate, until they loomed over the trembling child.
The oni swordsman crouched, grinning. "That just leaves you, brat."
A new sound tore through the night: a voice, deep as the grave, cruel as winter, laughing.
"Ahahahahahaha!"
The two oni turned nervously, bowing low.
"Our lord! Shuten Dōji!"
Out of the smoke strode a towering figure, clad in ancient yokai armor, the horns of his helmet scraping the night. His every step oozed arrogance and malice.
He halted before Kaede, crouching to meet her empty gaze.
"So," he murmured, his voice a poison-laced purr. "This is the little one who dared approach us."
Kaede stared, hollow and ruined.
The hulking oni raised a hand. A dark sigil flared to life, twisting unnaturally in the air. He pressed it against her small forehead.
For a moment, Kaede saw nothing but his eyes, felt nothing but his will tearing through hers.
"This one comes with me," Shuten Dōji murmured with a smirk.
As the oni remained bowed, he rose to his feet, extending his left hand. The sigil's aura flared, solidifying into a dark chain that locked around Kaede's throat. With a jerk, he pulled her to his side.
Without a word, Kaede walked, stumbling, broken, her tiny form dwarfed by his shadow.
The blazing flames consumed Heiwana Kitsune no Mura behind them.
And the night swallowed the rest.