The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving only the silvered glow of the moon to light the path through the mist-veiled forest. The air felt charged—quiet, but never still. Willow eyes scanning the shadows between the trees. Beside her walked Giyu Tomioka, his face as unreadable as ever, and just a few paces ahead strode Sabito, whose steady movements betrayed a hunter's sharp instincts.
A mission. A joint one at that—rare for her these days. Willow didn't mind the company, but the presence of Sabito gnawed at the edges of her thoughts like a loose thread in silk.
He's not supposed to be alive…
She hadn't said it out loud, wouldn't dare, but it was a thought she couldn't release. Sabito—the boy who'd died on Mount Fujikasane during Final Selection in the original story—was very much alive, here and now, walking just ahead of her, breathing and laughing quietly under his breath whenever Giyu made a clipped retort. She tried not to stare.
Giyu's voice broke the silence. "We're getting close."
"How can you tell?" Willow asked, not missing the way both of them tensed slightly.
Sabito turned to glance at her over his shoulder. "The air changes when demons have fed recently. It's heavier. Rancid."
Willow's hand hovered near the hilt of her katana. "Do either of you know how many we're dealing with?"
"Reports say three or four. Could be more," Giyu answered. "They've taken up residence in an abandoned village near the northern cliffside. Locals have vanished."
"Lovely," she muttered.
Sabito slowed until he was walking beside her. "You've got good instincts. You remind me of someone."
Willow arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. Me," he said with a grin.
Giyu gave an audible sigh ahead.
Willow smirked faintly, but the moment passed quickly as she decided to steer the conversation. Her voice dropped into a more thoughtful tone. "You two—how long have you known each other?"
Giyu blinked but answered. "Since we were children. Sabito and I both lost our families to demons. Urokodaki-san took us in."
"He raised us like his own," Sabito added. "Strict, but kind. He taught us everything we know."
Willow nodded slowly. "And you both passed Final Selection together?"
Giyu's gaze darkened. "Yes."
Sabito tilted his head. "I almost didn't."
Willow glanced at him, heart skipping.
"I fought a demon stronger than I was ready for," he said, gaze distant now. "Huge, covered in Multiple hands. It had already killed several other candidates and knocked out Gyiu. I should've died… but someone saved me."
Willow's breath caught in her throat. "Someone?"
Sabito nodded. "A girl. She moved faster than I could track. Her blade glowed faintly… magenta and gold. She cut its arm off in one slice. I asked her who she was, but all she told me was to live, then there was a flash of light—and she was gone."
Willow's mind reeled. " No… no way. That… that was me. But that wasn't supposed to happen. Unless… Unless I—"
She shut down the thought before it could spiral. Her expression remained carefully neutral. "Strange."
Sabito shrugged. "I like to think she was a ghost. Or a guardian spirit."
Giyu's voice came low. "Either way, she saved your life."
"Yeah," Sabito said with a grin. "And gave me a second chance."
Willow's heart thundered in her chest as the group reached the village's edge. The once-thriving place was in ruins—shattered windows, collapsed roofs, and bloodied paths greeted them.
"We split up," Giyu instructed. "Clear the homes one by one. Signal if you encounter something you can't handle."
Willow nodded, then turned down a path to the left while the others moved right.
She crept into the first ruined home, sword drawn. Her breathing slowed, body alert.
Suddenly, she froze. The scent of blood. Fresh.
A shriek tore through the silence as something lunged from the shadows—a hunched demon with long, blade-like arms. It moved erratically, swiping at her with deadly precision.
Willow's blade flashed. "Dragon Breathing—Second Form: Razor Wind!"
A whirlwind of slashes burst from her sword, carving through the demon with a flurry too fast for it to counter. It stumbled back, screeching as its limbs fell away, body already crumbling.
She exhaled. "One down."
The ground trembled.
From the next building, an enormous figure burst forth—eight feet tall with a jagged maw and arms covered in molten cracks. Its roar shook the trees. Behind it followed two smaller, hunched demons with twitching jaws.
A trio.
"Guess I found the nest," she muttered.
The hulking demon lunged.
Willow didn't hesitate. "Dragon Breathing—Sixth Form: Mighty Roar!"
She vanished from sight, dashing forward with such speed the air screamed behind her. Her blade struck the demon's torso, the sound of a thunderous dragon's roar reverberating through the forest, knocking the two smaller demons off balance.
The larger demon stumbled, groaning as the blow left a searing gash in its flesh.
Willow pivoted midair. "Eighth Form: Sharp Claws!"
She unleashed a barrage of diagonal cuts, striking from unpredictable angles. The demon howled, unable to keep up with her erratic tempo. It swung a massive claw—but she ducked, slid beneath its arm, and slashed upward into its chest.
The smaller demons recovered, rushing her flank.
Willow gritted her teeth. "Seventh Form: Piercing Glare."
Her eyes burned with steely resolve as her aura surged—projecting strength so palpable it washed over the demons like a tidal wave. They froze, paralyzed by instinctive terror. She didn't waste the moment.
"Ninth Form: Flowering Snapdragon!"
She spun low, blade carving in a spiraling motion, then surged upward with a twist. The final strike snapped down with explosive force, cleaving the demon in two.
The last demon tried to flee.
Willow's gaze hardened. "Eleventh Form: Last Shadow."
She vanished in a blur—reappearing directly above the demon. Her sword descended in a vertical arc, splitting the demon cleanly through the middle.
Ash floated through the air like snowflakes.
Willow stood, chest rising and falling with each breath. She wiped her blade clean and turned—just as Sabito and Giyu approached, their own mission complete.
"You alright?" Sabito asked.
Willow nodded. "Three here. All gone."
Giyu looked at the fading corpses. "You handled it well."
Willow offered a faint smile. "Thanks."
As they started back toward the forest, Sabito spoke again. "You remind me more and more of her—the girl who saved me."
Willow looked away. "I'm sure she'd be glad to hear that."
But inside, her thoughts churned like a storm.
"How… How did that moment happen? That wasn't in the original timeline. Was it a ripple? A glitch? Or something… else?"
She didn't have the answers.
But she intended to find them.