The morning after the Moonlight Trial, the air in the village felt heavier.
Itsuki sat on the steps of his family's home, staring at the faint silver crescent glowing on the back of his hand. He kept tugging his sleeve over it, hiding it from view. It wasn't that he was ashamed—far from it. The problem was that he couldn't explain it. If the others saw… what would they think?
He didn't have to wait long to find out.
"Oi, Itsuki!" A group of boys approached, led by Kenta, the son of the village headman. His voice carried its usual mocking tone. "We heard you were seen wandering near the old shrine last night. Again."
Itsuki stiffened. "So what?"
Kenta smirked, folding his arms. "That place is cursed. People say if you keep going there, you'll bring misfortune on all of us."
The other boys murmured in agreement. One of them added, "He's always sneaking off… probably talking to ghosts."
Their laughter stung more than any wound. Itsuki clenched his fists under his sleeves, keeping the crescent mark hidden.
Before he could respond, a faint rustle echoed overhead. A shadow passed across the street. Itsuki glanced up.
Crows. Dozens of them. Perched on the roofs, the trees, even the shrine's broken gate in the distance. Their eyes gleamed an unnatural crimson, and their wings twitched restlessly.
The villagers began to notice too. Mothers pulled children indoors, elders whispered old prayers under their breath.
"What in the—why are there so many?" Kenta muttered, unease breaking his arrogance.
The crows moved all at once, wings beating the air. They swirled into a dark formation above the shrine, and from their spiral, a voice emerged—a whisper that wasn't quite human.
> "So the trial is complete… and the Starbearer has awakened."
Itsuki's blood ran cold. His secret was already known.
The villagers gasped, some falling to their knees in terror.
From the mass of crows, a figure began to take shape. A cloak of feathers, a mask of bone, and eyes like burning coals. The voice grew sharper, echoing through the entire village.
> "I am Karasu-no-Oni. Servant of the Eclipse King. And you, boy, carry what belongs to us."
Itsuki stumbled back, his star-blade flickering into his hand instinctively. The villagers stared at him in shock.
Kenta's eyes widened. "What… what is that?!"
No one had ever seen Itsuki like this. The glow of the blade, the crescent mark, the raw determination on his face.
Tsukihime appeared behind him, her form shimmering into existence. Her voice was calm, but her hand trembled slightly as she reached for her pendant.
"Itsuki. This one is not like the shadow you faced before. Karasu-no-Oni hunts Starbearers. He will not stop until your light is extinguished."
The crow-demon extended a talon, pointing directly at Itsuki. The crows shrieked, filling the air with a deafening chorus.
"Child of starlight," the demon hissed, "come with me, or watch your village be torn apart feather by feather."
The villagers turned to Itsuki, fear and confusion twisting their faces. For years, he had been nothing more than a burden, the boy everyone mocked. And now… he was the one the monster demanded.
Itsuki's grip on his blade tightened. His knees shook, but his voice didn't falter.
"I won't go with you. And I won't let you touch this village."
The crow-demon's laugh echoed like breaking glass. "Then you have chosen death."
The crows surged downward like a black wave, and the sky itself seemed to vanish.
Itsuki stepped forward, blade glowing brighter, as Tsukihime's voice rang out behind him:
"Starbearer—prove your resolve once more!"