The room was quiet except for the rustle of paper. Rika sat on the tatami floor of her aunt's house, the black book heavy in her lap. The page with Takeo Saeki's name glowed faintly, as though daring her to open it.
Her hands trembled, but she pressed her palm to the cover. The book responded, pulsing with a warmth that sank into her skin. The page turned on its own, revealing the freshly written story.
She read carefully.
Takeo Saeki – consumed by jealousy, bound in hatred. Murderer of wife and child, father of the curse. His malice infects the bloodline he left behind, his shadow whispering still.
Rika's brow furrowed. She leaned closer, her heart quickening as more words revealed themselves in faint ink, hidden beneath the surface of the page. She whispered them aloud.
The shadow he served… was never bound. It walks between worlds, feeding on despair. It claimed two lives in the Aoyama line before it vanished again.
Her breath caught. "Two lives in the Aoyama line…"
Her parents.
The page darkened, the ink shifting into an image—a twisted silhouette with no clear form, only eyes glowing like embers. Its presence seeped from the parchment, chilling the air.
Rika's chest tightened. This was the same entity her grandmother had written about. The one that slipped away before capture. The one tied to the oni. And the one responsible for the night her parents never came home.
Her fingers dug into the page. "So you're the reason."
The book trembled in response, as if acknowledging her fury.
Her aunt appeared in the doorway, her eyes worried. "Rika… you saw something, didn't you?"
Rika nodded, her voice low but steady. "I saw the thing that took them. The thing Grandmother couldn't capture. It's still out there."
Her aunt's face fell. "Then it means your true journey is only beginning."
---
That night, Rika walked through the quiet streets alone, the weight of the revelation pressing against her chest. She thought of her parents' smiles, the warmth of their voices. She thought of how suddenly it had all vanished, replaced by silence and grief.
Now she knew the truth. Their disappearance wasn't random. It wasn't fate. It was the entity.
Her resolve hardened like steel. "I'll find you," she whispered into the night. "And I'll end you."
---
The next evening, in a temple half-lit by lanterns, Keizo and Tamao finished their preparations. Scrolls and talismans were spread before them. They had traced Rika's grandmother's legacy, pieced together the truth of the book, and found what they feared: Rika wasn't just any wielder. She was the chosen one.
Keizo strapped his blade to his side, his expression grim. "She's walking straight into death. That thing—whatever it is—it's beyond her. Beyond all of us."
Tamao shook her head softly. "And yet, she's the only one who can face it. You've read the records, Keizo. It has to be her."
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
---
They found her at dawn. Rika stood by the riverside, staring at the reflection of the book in the water. She didn't turn when she heard footsteps behind her.
"I knew you'd come," she said quietly.
Keizo crossed his arms. "We're not here for pleasantries. We know the truth about that book. About your grandmother."
Rika finally turned. Her eyes were tired, but sharp. "You've been digging into my past."
"Your destiny," Keizo corrected. "You're the chosen one—the only person who can wield that book without losing control. But you know what that means, don't you?"
Rika didn't flinch. "It means the fight isn't over. It means the thing that killed my parents is still out there."
Keizo's gaze darkened. "And it means you'll die if you face it alone."
Tamao stepped forward, her tone gentler. "That's why we're here. We're done being your rivals. If you're really going to face that entity… then you need us."
Rika's chest tightened. For months, Keizo had doubted her, challenged her, even threatened her. Yet now he stood here, offering his strength.
"Why the change of heart?" she asked softly.
Keizo's jaw clenched. "Because last time, we almost died. And you didn't let us. Hate me if you want, but I won't stand by and watch you throw yourself into this fight alone."
Tamao gave a faint smile. "He's saying he wants to help, in his own way."
For the first time in weeks, Rika let herself breathe. She looked between them—the hunter with fire in his eyes, the psychic with compassion in hers. Maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to carry the book's burden entirely by herself.
She extended her hand slowly. "Then from now on… we fight together."
Keizo eyed her hand for a long moment, then gripped it firmly. "Together. Until the end."
Tamao placed her hand atop theirs, her voice steady. "Until the end."
The book pulsed faintly on Rika's back, as though approving.
---
Later that night, as the three of them walked beneath the moonlight, Rika felt something shift. For the first time, she wasn't moving forward alone. The shadows were still out there, and the entity still waited in silence.
But now, she had allies.
Keizo glanced at her, his tone serious. "Don't mistake this for trust. I still think that book is dangerous. But if you're the chosen one, then fine—I'll make sure you live long enough to fulfill it."
Rika smirked faintly. "That's all I need."
Tamao smiled gently at the exchange, though her eyes held quiet worry. She knew the chosen one's path never ended in peace. But if there was even a chance to change that fate, she would stand by Rika until the last page was written.
The three of them walked on, their shadows stretching long behind them.
And far away, unseen, something stirred in the darkness. The entity that had slipped from Shizuka Aoyama's grasp once before. The entity that had taken Rika's parents.
Its ember eyes opened. And it smiled.