Ren's eyes opened, followed by a sharp breath.
He grimaced, feeling tiny stones rubbing against his cheek. So, he rose from the ground. Only to be met with a surreal atmosphere.
"K-Kaidans!"
He breathed at a rushed pace as he jumped to his feet, eyes wide with fear. His hands subconsciously went round him to grab the black sword. To at least be able to defend himself.
But he found nothing.
As that one clicked, another followed. He was never at the market entrance himself.
How did he get here?
'The Samurai!'
His eyes ran across the destruction ahead, until they landed on the black kimono of the mysterious man.
He was moving like the wind amidst the stack of creepy-faced Kaidans. They would team up against him, or even centre him, only for his blade to split them into pieces.
A warm, reassuring smile spread across Ren's face. He held his fists close to his chest with excitement.
"Wow. He's so incredible! With him here, I bet those monsters won't be able to hurt anyone else. Some people are just heaven sent!"
He could see the other fighters ahead too. Everyone was so injured they couldn't move properly anymore. Also, they were too absorbed in watching the great samurai to even mind their injuries that much.
Ren guessed there was hope for everyone now.
But… his brows furrowed.
How come Kaidans are suddenly appearing again after being sealed away decades ago? Did that seal break, or was there something else?
Ren exhaled sharply.
He stared around at the blood-stained walls, the dead people, and the dark sky. His heart began to race.
"Is… is the Demon Age really back?! It can't be."
POWW!
He glanced back at the great samurai when he heard the sound. Over there, the last Kaidan standing fell dead.
But the man himself wasn't fully fine either. He was bending close to his knees, panting very hard. As a matter of fact, he sweat profusely.
Suddenly, the man glanced at Ren.
Ren could have sworn he for a second glared at him.
He took a step backwards.
'What…?'
A strong gust of wind blew from behind Ren. He turned and looked there. Seeing nothing, he glanced back at the…
He breathed out loud as a Kaidan appeared out of thin air some metres before him. It had elongated limbs and a body so thin he could see all its bones, with a tongue that stuck out inches outside its maws.
Ren took a couple of steps back, until his back hit against something out of nowhere. He fell upon impact, then looked at what it was…
He cried.
"St-stay back! Stay away from me!"
It was another Kaidan, staring at him for a few seconds. Before suddenly rushing at him, its claws poised downwards.
Ren couldn't move, and his heart was as if it would explode….
WEEVE-SLASH-WEEVE-SLASH!!
A hot paste of blood splattered all over Ren. He exhaled sharply. Looking up, it was the wide back of the samurai that met his eyes. His sword wept with blood. Below him was the earlier Kaidan's corpse. And as a matter of fact, the one behind Ren was dead as well.
Ren stared back at the man with appreciative, teary eyes.
"My gratitude to…"
The samurai glanced at him over his shoulder.
"Has it spoken to you already?"
Ren blinked.
"What are you talking about?"
"The forest spirit inside you."
Ren stumbled to his feet.
"What forest spirit?! I don't…"
The samurai then walked past him. Ren turned to him immediately and pushed for answers.
"Could you please explain to me what you…?"
"It's no need."
Ren gasped.
The man stopped walking. He added.
"If you survive today, then you're meant to either favour or doom the kingdom in the future. Either way, I'm bringing you back with me to the capital. Even if it's just one tiny mist of you left, I must account for slaying one of the most prominent Kaidans from history…"
Ren clenched his fists and took a step forward.
"Why are you addressing me that way? I reckon someone like you knows better!"
"You are a Kaidan. Accept it."
Ren's chest sank. The voices of the kids and adults around this area roamed in his head. They always called him a monster. The devil's child.
He had for long thought they were too ignorant and brainwashed to see the truth. But even now, a samurai says the same thing? Curse it!
Ren clenched his jaws.
"Wait…!"
But the man cut in.
"I also feel sorry for you. But I can't see you as a kid anymore after the Weeping Mother has left you with her rites. She's dead, and you're now to continue from where she left."
Ren gasped.
"In other words, you are the successor of the Weeping Mother. It is only a matter of time before you lose your human form too."
Ren gasped even more. He shook his head, mumbling:
"No, no, no!!!"
His chest hurt. As if a hot pot was pressed against it. The…
ROARRR!!!
Ren stared forward and saw a huge ball of flames roaring in their direction. He glanced at the samurai, hastily expecting him to dispel it.
The samurai grunted.
"Here we go again. I knew someone was behind their sudden appearance. They won't stop appearing!"
With a yell, he closed in on the flameball, with his blade held horizontally before him. The flames collapsed with the blade, sending the whole land trembling.
The impact pushed the samurai back some metres too. And Ren also rolled back from the tremor.
A huge cloud of dust danced in the air.
Before Ren knew it, the samurai was gone.
He coughed from the dust and pinned his arm to his nose. Just as he was about to run out, the air suddenly thickened. Like night had sunk into his lungs.
Then the demon-like creature erupted.
Ren's chest sank.
He thought he was dreaming when he saw it recently!
The creature had a very hairy body, with gleaming red eyes. A small piece of cloth the same colour as its horns ran diagonally across its body.
Ren drew back.
"Wh-what are you?!"
The demon cackled out loud, a silvery light glinting at the end of its fangs. Its voice was so deep it almost left Ren deafened. A sharp stinging pain pinched his ears.
"Aye, what's this? I was expecting a better vessel. That hag has wandered for so long she has lost her common sense. If it were that samurai she cursed…"
Ren swallowed.
"... I would have appreciated it more. You will have to suffer more than anything you can imagine for being such a weak vessel. Can't beat age boundaries, but maybe you should have never been born in the first place."
Ren could neither bring himself to talk nor even move an inch. His heart raced so much he could hear its hammering sound.
"While we're at it then, you should choose. Either accept me, Magatsubaki, to dwell inside you, or die."
"Tch, was that something you wanted to hear? If you have to die, then die the Magatsubaki's way. I'll torture you to the point of nowhere, till you bleed through your words and beg me to take you as a loyal vessel."
Ren trembled profusely.
In a second, the bone fragments appeared out of nowhere again. And formed the texts:
[You have been forced to accept the forest spirit.]
[You have become a Kaidan.]
[A forbidden rite has been invoked.]
["Offer the heart of a child no older than seven summers."]
[You must make this rite.]
Ren's breath cracked between sobs. He could feel the weight of a thousand whispers gnawing at the edge of his mind.
The creature said with impudence:
"Go grab your first bite, monster. Entertain me."
Ren stared at the ground.
Not for anything, but he was trying to retain his sanity amidst all this chaos.
'What have I got myself into this time around?'