Before her is an uncanny imitation of a human crowd. Some of them notices her as she falls on the ground. But most others continue about.
Even still, this sight shakes her up even more than the thousands of ghosts just now. This time she really does lose all strength to stand. No, even any to scream. Completely powerless before the disconcerting phenomenon before her.
'S-someone.. please.. anyone.. I've held out long enough...no more... I can't d-'
Her voice slowly leaks out.
"Hold.. my hand... please.."
So weak, so soft, and yet so sincere.
And perhaps, that alone is what reaches the lady.
Mizuki feels a warm hand touching hers.
'this sensation.. a person..?'
That alone gave her the strength to look up. To that figure, hidden behind a hooded robe.
A sharp eye but gentle gaze, framed with long bangs passing her chiseled chin on each side. Her hair the colors of autumn. Her voice, deep but still laden with care and sympathy, almost a motherly quality.
That pretty view was the last thing Mizuki see before she passes out, her mind exhausted.
Somewhere else, in front of the town at dusk, Daisuke is on a wagon full of armed mercenaries. Several other wagon behind theirs are also filled with several band of mercenaries. A campaign. The town they depart from is barely visible over the horizon of vast green field, now bathed in the yellow shade of sunset. Coming into view in front of them, is a distant hedge of trees. A forest. Though the darkness now make it look like a single bush, the sway of individual trees makes it look alive. Like a giant living shadow in the distance. Ever anticipating and calling for their eventual arrival.
Daisuke fixed his gaze into the distant woods. Preparing for a battle.
"Bariikkurai"
Softly he chants, and appearing in his hand is his unique trench knife blade from the previous night. His new favorite weapon, or perhaps something that remind him of his past.
As the convoy enters the forest, an unmistakable thick black mist starts filling the air. It was not visible outside of the forest but once inside it envelops the entire convoy. Hindering each of them from seeing even a couple meters ahead of them. The group is sent into disarray. Though faceless, they mimic the sounds of crowd in disorder. Daisuke also blends in, removing the facial feature off his Reitai and acting all disorganized.
Suddenly, a violent crashing noise joins the clamor, followed by the sounds metal clashing, and flesh being torn. It stop as abruptly as it started, targeting each group in no specific order. Some stayed on the wagon to get a better view, some gathered on the ground for better footing, some take cover behind trees, but all meet the same fate when their turn comes.
Even through the black mist he can vaguely make out the attack pattern of the, 'thing'.
'so that's the Chiikikou...'
His gaze pierce through the volume, discerning the face of their attacker. A slender figure darting across the forest, delivering instant death on it's way through. The silhouette makes out the shape of a giant praying mantis but the movement suggests something more akin to a monkey.
'So fast- so this is the North West's Chiikikou... if my memory serves me right, they are-'
Before he can finish his thought, several mercenary behind him let's out a cry of pain, quickly he turns and parries the incoming attack. Daisuke locks blade with the Chiikikou. Though it's body is no larger than a human, it's limbs are much longer, like an oversized mantis. An oversized mantis with glowing human eye donning the color of the moon itself. Though the bright moonlight behind it almost blinds him, he can make out the
Some of the other mercenaries are also no joke, able to fend off the monster's attack a couple times before falling.
Seeing them almost overpowering itself, the monster leaps back to safety the same way it often does earlier. Only this time, it didn't jump back in. Instead, followed by it's retreat is a series of SP slash projectiles.
'this is.. Reihado..'
Daisuke analyse. Several mercenaries in front of him is fending off the attack and he enforce their weapon with his SP.
Having successfully fend the attack, the mercenaries proceed to advance further ahead in it's direction. Crying out their battle cry in triumph.
However that too is short lived. Daisuke was the first to notice, he ducked. A wide crescent slash fills the entire arena, separating the lower and upper torso of the remaining mercenaries. The whole forest echoes with a ringing sound, of metal blade slicing the air. The song of death, followed after by immediate silence. Even the wild are holding their breath. In an instant the battleground turns into a massacre.
The monster examines the blood-bathed forest floor. Checking some of the corpses, like it's looking for something, before leaving the area.
Back to the girls, Mizuki lays asleep on a makeshift hay bed, in a poky wooden room. A delicious home cooking aroma wakes her up.
'what's this..? It smells good.'
She sits upward, focusing on the smell. Inadvertently she follows the source of the smell across the room. She's in a small traditional Joushon house with simple layout. Just outside of the living room, which also happens to be the dining room, where she was sleeping, is the kitchen. A small room where the wooden stove already takes half the space.
"It seems you've regained your strength"
A mature female voice greets her. The girl who saved her yesterday.
Mizuki hurriedly stand up
"Ahh that- thanks for your help yesterday. I was-"
Before she finish her announcement, her body fails her yet again. Still affected by her mental fatigue.
"Hey are you okay? Don't push yourself. Just sit down first"
After a while Ayu returns to the living room, serving a simple porridge meal but very inviting to Mizuki with how intensely she's eyeing it.
"Um it's not much but-"
"Mmm so delicious~!!"
Mizuki's comment interrupts her. Seeing the girl enjoying the simple meal so heartedly, she can't help but carved a smile.
She cleans the bowl in no time at all, evident of the meal quality or just her own voracious appetite.
############$#############
"This is so good! Thank you, uhh-"
"Where exactly are you from? How did you get here?"
"Ah I-"
Mizuki remembers the real reason she got into this whole situation in the first place.
'what should I answer? Should I just tell her? What if she's another bounty hunter like Daisuke? Wouldn't they be our competitor then?'
"I'm actually looking for... something..."
That last part comes out barely audible.
The girl raises her eyebrow.
"Did you get lost in the woods after searching for something?"
"Ah ah yes! yes! I threw a boomerang too far in the forest and then got lost while looking for it ahaha.."
She knocks her head.
"Boomerang?"
The girl tilts her head.
'w-what should I do?! Was that too farfetched? Is she not buying it?'
"Anyway, people often get lost in the woods in search of something. You should be more careful in the future"
Mizuki then asks the girl
"What about you? Are you lost too?"
Her eyes sparkle for some reason, like she's expecting the girl to say yes.
"I'm, actually looking for someone.."
She takes another bite, hiding the answers in between every spoonful.
"And maybe... I just miss my hometown.. it's been too long since I was last here, thought I'd visit in a while.."
A warm smile accompanies that answer. A reassuring smile.
"Ooh are you visiting a family here?"
The girl paused a bit, subtly giggling.
"Well, I can do that too..."
The girls spend the afternoon talking over the meal. Mizuki looks like she's back to her usual self. As if forgetting how she was just shaking and struggling to even lift her own hand just yesterday.
"Eh you know the Majin Kyotai too?"
"Ah yes, I kind of work with them every now and then..."
The girl answers
"So this Daisuke san.. he is your friend huh?"
"Hehe yeah, we're classmates. We kinda hangout together after school and stuff.."
She yawns again.
"It seems you haven't recovered enough just yet."
"Eh no, I actually-"
"It's okay... it's pretty amazing you're even this lively today in the first place. Most people need at least a few more days to wake up and another week to get back to normal-"
Though evidently, Mizuki really is at her limit, the girl's voice fade out into blurred noise in the background. Between digesting the hearty meal and her body still shaken from yesterday, it's obvious she will not last much longer. Though Mizuki herself might forgot about her exhaustion, her body certainly did not. Trying her best to fight it but her eyelids draw heavier and heavier until she no longer sees anything. A soft hum comes out.
The girl is tidying up the table after everything.
'It appears she doesn't trust me enough to talk about him. Are they working together? Or is he-'
Her eyes narrow. Thinking of the implication. She turns towards Mizuki on the table, already knocked out for the day.
"I'm sorry Mizuki san, you'll be safer here for the time being."
In the girl's hand is what appears to be a traditional medicine, several black capsule.
Mizuki is just sleeping soundly without a care in the world.
After properly placing Mizuki on the bed, Raiu prepares her getup. Putting on the mask, the scythe and the robe. Transforming herself into something inhumanely.
'She takes out a map, several locations are already crossed out while a few others are circled. She traces her finger, following the crossed out locations like following a footprint, a pattern.
'there's not much else to look for... Maybe I should consider revisiting the previous spo-'
An acute migraine interrupts her train of thoughts. She drags her palm on her forehead in reflex. Pulling her eyes away from the map briefly.
"Ugghh... This is taking a toll on me.. I need to find him quick and end all this chaos.."
She runs her finger across the map again
'Now then, I should continue my search for the intruder'
That gentle caring eye replaced with cold unforgiving stare. Reflecting off the moonlight.
'if there's anywhere I have to recheck, it has to be that place..'
Her finger plants itself on a particular spot that's already crossed out. A forest area surrounded by hills and mountains on almost every side. The only access being a vast plain, which already houses a small town due to its strategic location.
Still in the realm, in that exact spot from the map, a campaign of mercenaries are traversing the vast plain. Daisuke is on another wagon amongst them.Overlooking the same bloody sunset as the last one, their convoy make way to the same forest.
"And the cycle continues huh.."
He grins.