The morning light barely filtered through the curtains when the sound of swift, precise spear movements filled the room.
Jiro Kamimizu, already awake before dawn, was practicing with his spear, the Higetsu no Yari, executing a series of simultaneous maneuvers with great precision and strength.
Sweat ran down his face, but his eyes remained focused, serious. Each spin of his spear was like a controlled dance between discipline and instinct.
—Yaaaah! —he exclaimed firmly as he finished a spinning sequence, planting the spear's tip into the ground with a slight gasp.
He looked at the weapon, smiled with satisfaction, and said to himself:
—Well… that's enough for now.
At that moment, someone knocked politely on the door.
—Who is it? —asked Jiro, wiping off his sweat with a towel.
An elegant and calm voice answered from the other side, with utmost gentleness:
—Good morning, Mr. Jiro Kamimizu. I am the head butler of this house… May I come in, please?
Jiro raised an eyebrow, surprised, and replied politely:
—Ah… sure, come in.
When he opened the door, he found a tall man with an impeccable presence. He wore a black formal suit with white gloves and held a perfectly folded towel in one hand.
In the other, he balanced a silver tray that seemed to shine in the sunlight: crispy cookies, bread with strawberry jam, a cup of aromatic tea, coffee with cream and sugar, and a generous slice of raspberry cake.
—Hello? What's all this? —asked Jiro, pointing at the tray.
—This breakfast is for you, sir. As our honorable guest, I have the privilege of delivering it personally —said the butler with a slight bow.
—Ah… that's nice, but seriously, it wasn't necessary. You didn't have to go through all that —Jiro responded, a bit nervous from all the formality.
—It is no trouble at all, young Jiro. In fact, being a friend of Miss Sasha, it is our duty to treat you as part of the family.
Jiro smiled, resigned to such elegance.
—I guess I don't have a choice...
After tasting the luxurious meal with some embarrassment, Jiro set the tray aside, completely satisfied.
—Hey, Mr. Butler… could you tell me where the bathroom is?
—Oh… right, the bathroom.
The butler clapped softly and, at once, five maids appeared pulling a rolling table full of towels, soaps, and scented oils.
—They will guide you. Please, allow us to assist you —said the butler with complete naturalness.
Jiro, with a large sweat drop on his temple, muttered:
—That was a bit much… I just asked for the bathroom...
Minutes later, the young Oni was in one of the largest baths he had ever seen. It was a place of white marble with decorative pillars, corridors full of shelves with towels, exotic flower shampoos, magical soaps, and even a device that heated the water with magical energy.
It was nothing like his rustic bamboo bath back home.
—What the hell is this place...? —he asked, completely astonished.
He took full advantage of the bath. Upon exiting, his body gleamed like new, with soft skin and his red horns polished like gemstones.
He felt relieved, renewed, even stronger.
**
Out in the farm field, Sasha was feeding some animals when she saw him approaching.
—Good morning, how are you, Jiro? Did you sleep well?
—Yes —he replied with a calm smile—. Thanks to your hospitality, I slept excellently.
At that moment, Leno, the little cat-boy, ran toward them.
—Sister! —he exclaimed, then looked at Jiro with a mischievous frown—. You again, cow boy?
Jiro frowned and growled:
—I'm not a cow, brat! I'm an Oni!
—But your horns say otherwise… though I don't know what an Oni is —the boy replied, laughing.
—You're making me angry!
—That's enough, both of you! —Sasha interrupted, her gaze firm—. Leno, why were you running? What happened?
—It's those beings again, sister… Dad is with them, and they don't look happy. I think you should go over there.
Sasha frowned, visibly annoyed.
—Them again...? They're never satisfied with just coming here to stir up trouble.
Jiro watched silently.
—Who are they talking about...? —he wondered.
—Dad sent me to get you. He says the situation is getting bad with those four. They're scaring the townspeople. Please, come now...
Sasha sighed in exasperation and nodded.
—Alright. I'm coming.
Then she looked at Jiro with a serious expression.
—I'll be back, Jiro. I have to handle a few things...
—Mmm… I'll come too —Jiro said calmly.
—I don't think you should —Sasha replied immediately.
—And why not?
—Believe me, you don't want to.
—But if he wants to come, let him! —Leno cut in enthusiastically—. It's fine, sister.
Sasha exhaled, resigned.
—Alright… but you're just going to watch, understood? No funny business. You don't know those four...
Jiro raised an eyebrow.
—Very well, I promise. I'll just watch...
But deep inside… something told him he wouldn't be just a simple spectator.
The morning, though bright and warm, was tinged with tension on the outskirts of the village.
A worried crowd had gathered at the edge of the field, where the sight of sun-kissed golden hills contrasted with the weight in the air.
At the front, four spirits floated disdainfully in the air. Their bodies were small, ethereal, but their presence carried an aura of authority and threat. In front of them stood the village mayor—a man with feline ears, a sun-worn face, and farmer's clothes—gripping his staff tightly, eyes full of anger.
—I've already told you to leave —shouted the mayor, his voice cracking between rage and desperation—. These crops are our only hope to survive the winter. If we give them to you, we could get sick… even die…
One of the spirits, the one leading the group, had a dark energy dancing around him. With a sadistic smile and an empty gaze, he replied:
—And do you think Kogorō cares? —his voice was sharp, like a dagger—. Your duty is to serve, to tend the crops, and give them to us when we demand. It's foolish to think you can't offer at least 40%. This season was generous to your filthy village...
Another spirit joined in, his voice dripping with contempt:
—Exactly. Do you really want the wrath of Kogorō upon you, you pathetic living beings?
The mayor, standing firm, raised his arm to point at the village:
—That makes no sense! That's exactly why we can't give that much! Look at these people's faces! Tired, sweating every day just to give something to their children! We can't live under threats!
—He's right, mayor —shouted a farmer from the crowd—. We don't owe you anything else!
—You've already taken enough! —added a woman, her face hardened with indignation.
A young man stepped forward, fists clenched:
—You don't even need to eat! You're spirits! You use us like toys!
The crowd began to protest louder, voices united in anger and exhaustion. But the spirit leader, still smiling, slowly raised his hand.
—Oh... I don't think you understand the situation —he whispered.
He snapped his fingers.
In the blink of an eye, an invisible and devastating force lifted the wagons and horses into the sky. The air tore with a grotesque crack as the animals' bodies were smashed brutally to the ground. The crunch of bones echoed through the valley, and the wagons exploded into splinters.
Blood stained the earth. The village fell silent.
—Now… —said the spirit with eerie calm— if those crops don't arrive, the next to fly won't be just some useless horses.
The second spirit mocked cruelly:
—Yes! Hurry up unless you want to end up like those poor beasts!
The faces in the crowd turned to terror. Many began to back away. Some cried, others lowered their heads.
The mayor, trembling, heartbroken, clenched his teeth and said:
—...All right. Understood. But please, don't hurt anyone else…
Just as he was about to give the order to bring the harvest, three figures appeared in the crowd, running with determination. It was Sasha, followed by Jiro and little Leno.
—Wait, Dad! —shouted Sasha, arriving with a frown and clenched fist—. Let us handle this...
The tension remained in the air, frozen like a storm about to explode.
The atmosphere grew tense. The lifeless bodies of the horses lay among the shattered remains of the carriages. The village, once filled with brave voices, now fell silent in fear. And in the midst of that tension, a figure came running toward the scene.
—Wait a moment, Dad! —shouted Sasha, rushing in with Jiro and Leno.
One of the spirits raised his voice mockingly:
—Ahhh, the real mayor has finally arrived! —he sneered, looking at Sasha with a malicious grin— Someone with more guts than this old farmer.
Sasha stopped, staring at the disaster around her. When she saw the dead horses, her expression shattered.
—What… what happened here? —she asked, horrified, covering her mouth with one hand.
—Here? —the lead spirit replied coldly— We simply spoke to your people in the only language they understand.
Sasha's eyes filled with rage. Her voice trembled as she looked at the blood, the shattered wood, and the frightened faces of her people.
—You've gone too far… this is unforgivable. Killing those poor animals was unnecessary!
The spirit crossed his arms, unfazed:
—When it comes to results, there are always... justified methods. And that —he said, pointing at the wreckage— is one of them.
Leno clenched his fists, and Sasha stepped back, trembling. But something within her ignited. Her rage overcame her fear.
—Enough! We won't give you anything! I'm sick of you! —she yelled, tears falling from her eyes— You've abused us for three years! Turned us into slaves to your whims!
—And what are you going to do, little kitty? —said the fourth spirit, mocking.
—You can't even touch us! We're intangible! —another added, laughing— What will you do? Exorcise us!?
—What a strange change, Sasha… —murmured the leader, stepping closer with his twisted smile— Could it be that these living beings… are growing rebellious?
Suddenly, the spirit raised his hand.
—We tried the easy way… but if you won't cooperate…
His voice deepened. His dark aura intensified.
—…then we'll do it the hard way.
But just before he could attack, a crimson lightning bolt roared through the air. It struck the spirit in the abdomen with brutal force, sending him flying into a distant tree. His form began to fade slowly.
The third spirit fell silent. His laughter froze. Everyone turned toward the source of the attack.
—What was that? —a woman in the crowd whispered— I saw a… red bolt!
Sasha quickly turned to her right.
—Jiro!? —she exclaimed, surprised.
Jiro stood there, his fist still extended, covered in a translucent energy that vibrated like spiritual fire. His spear rested on his back.
—Who is that!? —asked Sasha's father, confused.
—Ah, that guy with the cow horns… —Leno replied casually— He's Sasha's boyfriend.
—BOYFRIEEEEND!? —shouted the father, furious.
—Don't listen to him, Dad! He's just a friend! —Sasha yelled, hitting Leno on the head.
—Where did that boy come from? —her father insisted.
—He was at the harvest festival yesterday… he's a traveler —said Sasha, still surprised.
The second spirit stared in horror at the aura on Jiro's fist.
—That energy! That's spiritual energy!
The third spirit lunged at Jiro in fury, but he dodged with stunning speed and landed a second direct blow to the face, releasing another burst of spiritual energy. The spirit fell to the ground and began to fade as well.
The fourth spirit stepped back, terrified.
—How can a mere mortal use spiritual energy!? That technique is forgotten!
Jiro looked at him with a stone-cold expression.
—Leave. And don't make me exorcise you completely.
The fourth spirit grabbed his unconscious allies and fled into the air, screaming as he disappeared into the forest:
—I'LL BE BACK, IDIOTS! THIS ISN'T OVER!
Silence filled the area. Everyone stared at Jiro in awe.
Shortly after, Jiro met with the mayor and Sasha. The air still reeked of fear, but also of hope.
—You need to tell me what's going on here —Jiro said firmly, looking at the old mayor.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, a mist-covered temple housed a dark presence. The four spirits, trembling, knelt before a hooded figure floating a few feet above the ground.
A calm, arrogant, and chilling voice spoke from the shadows:
—So… you came back empty-handed?
The lead spirit lowered his head.
—A boy… with horns, a red spear, crimson eyes… and spiritual energy defeated us, Kogorō…
The figure smiled.
—A traveler, you say?
—Exactly, Kogorō. He's not from here.
The figure, still in the shadows, slowly raised his face. His eyes were as dark as the abyss.
—Well, well… then I suppose I'll pay that boy a visit.