The altar reeked of death.The guards' bodies were still warm when the witch finally arrived, her face hidden beneath the flickering torchlight. She didn't say a word — just tightened her jaw and ordered more sentries to reinforce the site.
Raizen watched her in silence. Even through her calm mask, he could feel it — that quiet resolve only people near death ever carried.Whatever she'd decided… it wasn't good news.
Later that night, the village had gone tense and sleepless. Raizen approached the shrine again, the wind dragging the smell of iron through the air.He'd had enough of half-truths.
The witch received him in a dimly lit chamber, the faint scent of herbs clinging to the air. Her expression was cold but not unkind."I don't know what brings you here at this hour," she said quietly. "What do you seek, Amamiya-dono?"
Raizen exhaled slowly. "Straight answers."He didn't bother hiding the edge in his tone. "I want to understand what's really going on — the altar, the monsters, the so-called sprites. Everything."
The witch regarded him for a long moment, then gave a faint, weary smile."…So you've seen enough to start asking the right questions."
She folded her hands. "It's no secret anymore. You've earned the truth — though it may not bring you comfort."
"It is said," she began, "that the power of the shrine maidens comes from the boundary between the human and the divine. But when power grows too great, it consumes its wielder."
Her eyes flickered like the candlelight."To prevent that, one of my ancestors separated her soul from her body, sealing the excess energy away. That sealed energy—over centuries—fed on the malice of humankind. Eventually, it awakened."
She looked up, voice barely above a whisper."That is what you call a Sprite — the shadow born from our own hearts."
Raizen frowned. "So basically, a chakra tumor that gained sentience."
The witch's lips twitched, not quite a smile. "If you wish to be crude… yes."
She went on, voice slow and heavy."I learned the sealing arts from my mother before she passed away. When she died, I inherited her duty and became the next shrine maiden. Normally, my life would end the same way — sealing the Sprite, then passing the role to my daughter."
Her gaze lowered. "But five years ago… that chain was broken."
Raizen felt his stomach tighten. He'd heard rumors, but hearing it from her mouth felt heavier.
"Four men came from beyond the Land of Ghosts," she said. "They begged for the Sprite's power. I refused them. But greed doesn't accept refusal."
Her tone turned sharp — almost bitter."The night I went into labor, those four used forbidden jutsu to shatter the Guardian Monument. The Sprite's seal weakened… and nearly broke."
She paused, hands trembling slightly."I was too weak to stop them. I gave birth, then used what remained of my chakra to suppress the Sprite's awakening. The cost…" she gave a humorless smile, "…was my body."
Raizen didn't answer. There wasn't anything to say.
"The Sprite knows my condition," she continued. "It's been testing the seal for years. To hold it back, I've had to keep drawing on the last of my power. It's a losing battle."
She looked him straight in the eyes now — no fear, no hesitation."My life is almost over. But now that the final fragment of the Guardian Monument has returned — thanks to you — I can attempt to seal it again."
Her tone was calm, but to Raizen's ears it sounded like she was already reciting her own death sentence.
So that was it.The witch wasn't fighting to live — she was fighting to die properly.
Raizen ran a hand through his hair, staring at the altar beyond the paper walls. "And here I thought the Warring States were insane. Turns out even remote villages come with apocalypses."
He let out a dry laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes."Let me guess — those guards who died tonight weren't random victims either."
The witch nodded gravely. "Five years ago, those same four men gained a portion of the Sprite's power. I defeated them once, but I couldn't kill them — my chakra was drained sealing the Sprite."
Her fingers curled into a fist. "Now that the fragments have been restored, the Sprite fears I'll seal it again. So it's given them more power… and sent them back to finish what they started."
Raizen's smirk faded."So four possessed freaks are on their way to kill you. Great. Nothing like an impending demon apocalypse to spice up the week."
He crossed his arms, eyes glinting. "Guess I'm not sleeping tonight."