"Kuu… kuu…"The cry of an owl echoed through Miko Village — the only living sound in a night too quiet to be safe.
Four shadows slipped through the darkness like smoke. No footsteps, no breath, only movement.
In seconds, they breached the outer patrols. Steel whispered through air—shhk! shhk! shhk!
Four spinning shuriken found their marks. Six guards crumpled before they could even raise an alarm, their blood gleaming black under the torchlight.
The intruders didn't pause. They approached the altar — a slab of ancient stone carved with runes that pulsed faintly under the moonlight.
Without a word, they pressed their hands against a cracked fragment embedded in the altar's base — a broken piece of the Guardian Monument.
The moment their palms met the surface, the runes flared alive.A pulse of chakra rippled outward, warping the air.
Rumble...
A sealed gate behind the altar trembled and began to open. From beyond it leaked a wave of chakra so foul and cold that even the shadows themselves seemed to flinch.
Behind the gate, a voice spoke — smooth, hollow, and venomous.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting... five long years."
The words carried a pressure that made the altar groan. A torrent of malevolent chakra surged forward, but stopped at the gate's threshold, as though something unseen held it back.
One of the masked intruders spat, annoyed.
"Sprite, don't start blaming us. Last time, the witch Zhige almost killed you to save your miserable essence. We risked everything for that!"
"Heh…" The voice chuckled low, almost teasing. "And yet, if you had come sooner, you might already rule this pitiful world. But no matter. You're here now."
Another intruder stepped forward, tension in his voice.
"We don't care for speeches. Give us the power you promised. This time, we'll crush that witch before she can seal you again!"
"Zhige?" Sprite's laughter turned soft, mocking. "Her light is fading. Her body's nearly gone. And her little successor is still too weak to matter. This time, no one can stop me."
A chill swept through the clearing.
"Then hurry up," one of them demanded. "We didn't come all this way to chat with a ghost!"
"Very well." Sprite's tone dropped, seductive and cold. "Then—receive my blessing."
A roar ripped through the altar. The space behind the gate erupted with dark chakra, slamming against the barrier over and over.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each impact sent cracks crawling through the ancient seal. The air itself twisted, and even the ground beneath their feet began to hum.
Then—
WHOOOM.
A blinding surge of violet light erupted from the broken monument. It clashed with the torrent of evil chakra, hissing and flaring like oil on fire. The energy stormed across the altar before dispersing into a rain of glowing dust.
Sprite's voice snapped in fury.
"Guardian Monument…!"
The seal trembled violently. Deep fractures split the stone, and from the shattered cracks slithered countless black serpents of chakra. They hissed, writhing, then dove into the bodies of the four intruders.
Their screams were muffled, quickly drowned by the laughter echoing from within the gate.
Far away, in the heart of the village—
The old witch, Zhige, jolted upright from meditation. Her eyes glowed faintly.
"No… the seal is breaking!"
She rose, gripping her talisman-staff, and shouted orders."Guards! To the altar—now!"
Meanwhile, Raizen shot awake in his quarters.
…The hell was that?
He grabbed his kunai and threw on his flak vest. Outside, lights flared across the village. Guards shouted, sprinting toward the back mountain.
Raizen followed, every sense on edge.
The air stank of blood before he even reached the altar. And when he did—
"...Damn."
Bodies of shrine guards were strewn across the ground, their throats cut clean, eyes still wide with terror.
The witch stood at the forefront, her face pale but her stance firm, staring toward the now-ruptured altar that glowed an ominous purple-black.
Raizen's hand tightened around his weapon. The night air felt thick, like the whole world was holding its breath.
Guess nap time's over.