The hall was spacious, lit by crystal chandeliers and the soft glow of a marble fireplace. The walls were adorned with old paintings, embroidered tapestries, and stained glass in golden hues.
Jiro, seated in one of the cushioned armchairs, maintained a serene expression, but his gaze scanned every corner cautiously.
Across from him, Mayor Cliford—a man with feline ears, a gray tail, and a ceremonial uniform—slightly bowed his head in respect.
—Young Jiro —he said in a deep but grateful voice— I don't have enough words to thank you for what you did. You saved many today. Your arrival was like a beacon in the dark...
Jiro gave a slight nod, uncomfortable. His narrowed eyes revealed a concern he didn't voice.
—I only made things worse… —he thought. He couldn't help but feel it. He had interfered, yes, but what he had awakened... was not normal.
The atmosphere was dense, filled with long silences and exchanged glances. Until, finally, that invisible barrier was broken.
Sasha, sitting beside her father, wore a lavender-toned outfit. Her feline ears were lowered, as if recalling something painful.
—Jiro —she began softly— I think it's time to tell you the truth. It all started with Kogorō…
Jiro raised an eyebrow. The question came naturally.
—Who is Kogorō?
Mayor Cliford sighed, his ears twitching anxiously as he crossed his arms.
—Kogorō… is the spirit of Tyranny. Three years ago, our village lived in peace. We were farmers, shepherds, artisans. Simple people, content with little. But everything changed the night a rift appeared… —he paused, his eyes turning distant— …one of those strange tears that rip the sky and twist the soul.
Jiro thought silently. —So this world is also affected by dimensional rifts…
—Back then —Cliford continued— rifts weren't so common here. With basic magic, we could seal them. We didn't have powers like yours, but we still had methods…
Sasha interjected, her tone firm.
—We could detect them thanks to our magical connection with the earth. But that night… it was different. From that rift came Kogorō. He's not like other spirits. He's not a wandering soul or a corrupted entity. He's something older… more cruel.
Jiro listened attentively. The words they used… resonated within him. A feeling grew stronger.
—Kogorō was merciless. When he got angry, our crops withered in days. Cold winds struck for no reason. Our cows, our dogs, dropped dead without a wound, as if something stole their souls.
—Sasha's voice trembled slightly— And when I fell ill, mom said it was his doing. People began kneeling before him… out of fear.
Cliford nodded, brow furrowed.
—We don't know where he comes from, but he's not from here. And no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't seal him. He's simply… beyond our reach.
Jiro frowned. Something didn't add up.
—And has he killed anyone?
Silence thickened. Cliford lowered his gaze.
—He's injured many, yes. But… no, he hasn't killed anyone. As far as I know, never gone that far.
A faint smile appeared on Jiro's face.
—That's a relief… that's good —he murmured sincerely.
But Cliford replied, his tone stern.
—That doesn't make him any less of a monster, young Jiro. He's made our lives a constant torment. Fear is his strongest weapon.
At that moment, both he and Sasha knelt before him, lowering their heads.
—Please! —they pleaded at once, their tails twitching with anxiety— Jiro… you're a traveler with spiritual abilities. You're the only one who can face him. We beg you, please!
Jiro's heart stirred. Not out of pity, but from the weight of responsibility. He clenched his fists. He had already made up his mind.
—Don't worry —he said firmly— I'll take care of Kogorō, the tyrant. You have my word.
Tears rolled down Cliford's face, while Sasha looked at him with glistening eyes.
—Thank you… —whispered the mayor, his ears twitching with relief.
Later that night, Jiro was in his room. It was spacious and decorated in warm tones, with a large bed covered in white sheets. His spear rested beside the headboard, and the crescent-shaped pendant hung in his hands.
He sat in silence, watching the flame of a lamp. The light flickered, reflecting in his reddish eyes.
—Such strange things are happening to me… —he thought. —Since I became a dimensional traveler… this beginning has been so unexpected.
He lay on his side, still holding the pendant.
—Though also… this is what I always wanted… isn't it?
He turned his head, watching the candle flame flicker in the dimness. His pupils followed the fire's dance, as if seeking answers.
—I hope everything turns out well… in my life, and in others'. That's what I'd like…
He closed his eyes.
Darkness.
In the world of dreams, Jiro —or perhaps someone else— saw himself. He stood in a completely white room. Wooden tables, empty, floated in the void. In front of him, a woman with long dark hair. Her face was hidden beneath crayon scribbles, as if a child had scratched out her identity.
—Keichi… Keichi… —the woman called gently.
Jiro blinked. His heart skipped a beat.
—Keichi?
The woman floated forward.
—Do you like your new life, Keichi? Are you finally… happy there?
He tried to answer, but couldn't. His voice wouldn't come out. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. It was as if he were speaking from another body. As if… he weren't himself.
—Who are you...? Why do you call me that?
The woman didn't hear him. She only looked at the boy named Keichi. A name that wasn't his. Or was it?
Suddenly, the floor cracked. The white turned to darkness. Jiro fell.
—No, wait! Tell me who you are! —he screamed, but his voice faded.
Everything shattered into pieces.
—Jiro!
A real voice. Knocking. Wake up.
Jiro's eyes snapped open. His breathing was rapid. Sitting up in bed, he touched his face, arms, chest.
—What...? Where am I?
Sasha looked at him, worried, her face close to his.
—Are you alright?
—Yeah… I think so… —he said, voice trembling— I'm… in my body.
Sasha frowned, confused.
—OK... do you want breakfast?
Jiro took a moment to respond, still shaken from the dream. But finally, he got up.
—Yeah. Let's go, Sasha…
The day was just beginning.
As Jiro ate slowly, the world seemed to fall silent around him. Sasha was speaking—her sweet, light voice danced through the air like a faint melody—but he barely heard her. His eyes were fixed on his reflection in the tea cup, distorted by the steam... a silhouette that didn't feel like his own.
Something was wrong. Something unsettling.
That dream... those visions... that body that wasn't his but somehow was... What did it all mean? Why did that faceless figure look at him with such intensity? It was a woman... he knew it, he felt it. And yet, he couldn't see her. Her face was a veil of nothingness. An abyss of questions.
Jiro felt distant. Desolate. As if his soul had detached from his body, suspended in a tide of thoughts he didn't know how to stop. His breathing was calm, but inside, he was screaming.
Sasha's voice faded into the echoes of his mind.
—Meow...
Sasha meowed, hopping lightly onto the table, her tone sharper than before.
The sound jolted him like lightning. Jiro flinched.
—Huh? What is it, Sasha?
She crossed her arms, frowning with a mix of annoyance and concern.
—I've been calling you for a while and you kept ignoring me... Hey, what's wrong, Jiro? Seriously... just tell me already...
Jiro looked down, a shaky sigh slipping from his lips.
—It's nothing... really...
Sasha raised an eyebrow, skeptical. She stared at him for a few more seconds before saying:
—I know what it is. You're worried about Kogorō...
Jiro shook his head, his eyes dull, still lost in the shadows of his confusion.
—It's not that... I just... feel lost. That's all.
Sasha looked at him in silence, then sighed in resignation.
—If you say so... alright...
But the moment of calm was suddenly shattered by a shout that rang out like thunder in the distance:
—Sister!!!
It was Leno. He ran at full speed, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him, his face contorted and his eyes wide.
—What's wrong, Leno?
Both of them asked at the same time.
The cat-boy skidded to a stop, panting, and raised his voice in desperation:
—It's Kogorō! And his spirit gang... they're already here in town! And they know about Jiro!
Jiro's soul tensed.
---
Outside the village, chaos reigned.
Collapsed buildings. Shops reduced to ashes. People running in panic. A hellish uproar had taken over the streets.
—Stop destroying everything! You're causing unnecessary havoc!!
A villager shouted, trembling, standing before the figure watching him from above.
It was Kogorō.
He floated above the ground, cloaked in dark, loosely tied robes like a training gown. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but his eyes... those yellow eyes burned with pure hatred.
Spirit of darkness. A being ignited by rage. By abandonment.
Kogorō descended slowly toward the young man who had dared to speak. He came so close, the spirit's breath seemed to scorch the boy's face.
—If you don't want to lose that mouth of yours... don't ever talk to me like that again...
The boy gulped, nodding in fear, frozen.
The other spirits danced through the crowds, their incorporeal forms phasing through bodies. Some cried. Others trembled. All of them felt the freezing chill left in their wake.
And there he was. Mayor Cliford. Standing... or at least trying to.
—What do you want now, Kogorō?
He shouted, pointing at him, trying to seem brave. But his voice shook. His legs barely held him up.
Kogorō slowly turned his head.
—You know very well what I want, stupid mayor... Tell me... where's that traveler kid?
—You mean young Jiro?
Cliford answered with a nervous grimace.
—Well... he's on his way. He's coming for you... to teach you a lesson.
Silence.
The world seemed to stop.
Kogorō's eyes locked in place. Motionless.
Then, he burst into laughter. A wicked, absurd, demonic laugh. His four spirits joined him, laughing mockingly.
—Are you serious? Him? Teach me a lesson?
Kogorō laughed.
—Now that's funny!
The mayor, humiliated, lowered his gaze. His cat ears drooped. His tail curled in.
But then... something changed.
His voice hardened.
His gaze darkened.
—You think that's funny, Kogorō? Is this all a joke to you? Do you enjoy tearing this village apart?
Cliford took a step forward.
—You're just a lowly spirit... a rotten soul seeking attention like a wounded child.
Feeling lonely and empty, Kogorō? Think that surrounding yourself with failed spirits will fill that hole in your chest?
If you even have a heart?
The place fell into silence.
The spirits looked stunned.
Kogorō's face twitched with fury.
—How... dare you...?
Suddenly, purple flames erupted from his back, like wings of a spectral butterfly. His energy burst out like a raging river.
—You want me to kill you, mayor? Is that what you want!?
He screamed, his voice shaking with rage.
The spirits backed away.
—Oh no! Kogorō's mad now!
Cliford smirked.
—Oops... struck a nerve, huh? Sorry, didn't realize you were that... sensitive.
Kogorō didn't hesitate. He raised his arm, and a shadowy scythe formed violently. In a second, he lunged straight for the mayor's throat.
—Mayor!
The villagers screamed.
But just as the blade of death was about to strike...
A crimson spear deflected it with a crash.
—Whew! Made it just in time, Mayor
Said Jiro firmly, his hair swept by the wind, eyes glowing red and his spear shining like a burning ruby.
Kogorō backed away, furious. He stared.
—Let's see... red horns... crimson eyes... a red spear and traveler's clothes...
He sneered.
—So you're the kid who kicked my friends' asses...
Jiro stepped forward, steady.
—And you must be Kogorō...
The spirit showed a twisted grin.
—I wanted to see you, insolent boy. My friends told me a lot about you...
—And mine told me a lot about you too
Jiro answered, voice low and sharp.
The air trembled.
—Let's fight already...
Jiro said, fury boiling in his chest.
—So impatient...
Kogorō chuckled.
—Then your wish... is my command!