Scene: Campsite at Dusk
After a long day of trekking through dense forests, quiet valleys, and misty mountain trails, the group finally settles for the night in a small clearing. A soft river trickles nearby, fireflies blink lazily in the grass, and the stars begin to pierce the sky above.
A crackling fire burns at the center as Shintarō and Akari sit close to its warmth.
Sumiyoshi grumbles as he crawls into the tent, his legs stiff and sore.
Sumiyoshi: (groaning)
"When will we finally reach there? My legs are begging for mercy..."
Akari: (smiling softly)
"We're only a few hours away now. You should get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be important."
Sumiyoshi: (muffled from inside the tent)
"If I wake up with my legs still attached, I'll call it a miracle…"
Shintarō chuckles. A moment of silence follows as the two watch the flames dance.
Then, he speaks—gently.
Shintarō:
"I didn't see your mother in the village. Was she never there?"
Akari's expression shifts.
The glow of the fire flickers in her eyes, but her smile fades.
Shintarō: (awkwardly)
"Ah—I didn't mean to bring up something painful. I'm sorry—"
She shakes her head slowly.
Akari: (softly)
"No… it's okay. You deserve to know. It was… my fault, anyway."
🕯️ Flashback: The Last Festival (9 Years Ago)
The village looks younger. Less fortified. Fewer guards. The threat of the Spirit still distant.
A 6-year-old Akari, cheerful and full of energy, tugs insistently at her mother's kimono.
Little Akari: (pleading)
"Please, Mama! Let's go to the festival outside the village! Just for a little while! Today's the last day!"
Her mother, a delicate woman with tired eyes and a kind face, tries to smile. She's folding laundry inside their house.
Mother:
"Honey… another day, maybe? Mommy's a little tired today."
Little Akari: (pouting)
"But you promised! You said we could go together this time! Please, Mama, please!"
Her mother watches her daughter's pleading eyes and sighs with a smile.
She bends down, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Akari's ear.
Mother:
"Alright. But we'll only stay for a short while, okay? You have to stay close to me the whole time."
Little Akari: (beaming)
"Yes!! I will! I promise!!"
🎎 At the Festival
Laughter. Lanterns. Food stalls. Children running around with paper fans and wooden toys.
Akari and her mother walk hand in hand, trying new snacks and admiring handmade trinkets. Akari dances with a pinwheel in one hand and a candy stick in the other.
Little Akari: (excitedly)
"Look! Look! Goldfish scooping! Can we try?!"
Mother: (laughing)
"You'll scare the fish away with all that energy…"
Suddenly… her mother stops walking.
Her smile fades instantly.
Across the market, through the crowd, she sees a man walking with a Spirit.
The man looks human. Unaware. Calm.
But the Spirit walking beside him is anything but.
Its long, distorted limbs, pale skin, and glowing red eyes are unmistakable.
It's not looking at the crowd.
It's looking directly at her.
Mother: (whispering)
"No…"
The Spirit raises its hand ever so slightly and murmurs something unheard. Her body stiffens.
Akari tugs at her sleeve.
Little Akari:
"Mama? What's wrong?"
Her mother forces a smile.
Mother:
"Nothing, sweetheart… We should head home now. Mommy's not feeling too well."
Little Akari:
"But the fireworks haven't even started!"
Mother: (gently)
"We'll watch them next year. Come now. Stay close to me."
🕯️ Back Home – That Night
Her mother collapses later that evening. Her temperature rises rapidly. Sweat pours down her face. Her breathing turns shallow.
Kuroda rushes to her side as the village doctor tries to make sense of her sudden condition.
Mother: (weakly to Kuroda)
"I saw it… I saw one of them. It stared right at me. Its eyes… glowed. I think… I was cursed."
Kuroda's fists clench.
But there's nothing he can do.
Three days pass.
On the fourth morning, she dies.
Akari's screams fill the house.
She hugs her mother's still body, sobbing uncontrollably.
That evening, Taiken, Isao, Rikuya, and Banon return from a training mission, cheerful and laughing—only to be met by silence. Their laughter fades when they see the black cloth hanging from the front gate.
🔙 Back to the Present – Campfire
Akari looks down at her hands.
Akari:
"If I hadn't asked her to go… If I had just stayed quiet that day… she would still be alive."
Shintarō stays quiet, watching the flames.
Akari slowly unsheathes two medium-sized knives from her belt — clean, elegant, deadly.
Akari:
"That's why Dad made me start training. He never said it… but I know. He doesn't want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. Spirits can't curse Divine Weapon owners…"
She exhales.
Akari:
"But… even with all this training… I've never been sent on a mission. Not even once."
Shintarō, touched by her honesty, lowers his gaze.
Then he speaks.
Shintarō:
"I don't remember much from when my parents died. But… I remember one thing. My mother held me and Sumiyoshi close. She told us, 'Take care of each other. Run to the mountains… and don't look back.'"
Akari looks up at him.
Shintarò:
"Did your dad ever talk about that day?"
Akari: (quietly)
"No. Never. I think… it broke something inside him."
A long silence.
Then, Akari smiles faintly.
Akari:
"…We're not so different, are we?"
Shintarō nods.
Shintarō:
"No. We're not."
🌄 Morning – Arrival at the Sacred Grounds
The trio climbs the final stretch of the mountain trail. At the peak, surrounded by clouds and silence, stands a colossal stone gate carved with divine sigils — glowing softly.
Beyond it, a massive ancient temple rests on an open plateau, surrounded by stone pillars and spiraling banners.
Sumiyoshi: (awe-struck)
"Whoa… What is this place…"
Akari: (smiling sadly)
"As a Divine Weapon Owner, I can't see the spirit within this temple. Only those being chosen can. This is where I stop."
She steps back.
Akari:
"Good luck. Come back stronger."
She waves gently.
Akari:
"We'll meet again. I'll be waiting."
Shintarō watches her leave with quiet admiration.
Sumiyoshi mutters under his breath,
Sumiyoshi:
"…No pressure, huh."
And the two brothers step forward into the divine temple…