u/InternFrosty9945

"I never learned your name!"

Mizuki expresses out loud, bewildered. In the girl's face at that.

The girl just steadily distance herself a bit while reassuring

"It's, fine really... I'm just keeping you company by for a while until you recover"

"That's not okay at all. You're my savior after all and I can't even thank you properly, the least I can do right now is learn your name so I can properly thank you when I have the chance later"

The

"Names... my name..."

"What's the matter? Surely you have one?"

Her innocent inquisitive smile further puts the girl on the spot.

"Ah of course, of course I do... My name... that would be-"

Some memories flash in her mind.

"Raiyu... you can just call me Raiyu"

A reluctant smile follows that introduction.

"Raiyu chan then!"

Mizuki shakes her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Raiyu chan!"

Raiyu just allows her arm to be shook passionately by Mizuki. Evidently she's a little amused by Mizuki's antique.

Noticing her own strength, Mizuki stretches her limb and check on her extremities.

"It seems my arms and legs are working again. I guess by this noon I can make it back on my own"

But Raiyu insist.

"Actually- um I think today might not be the best time. There's an unknown ghost that is causing unrest for the other ghosts, I think it'd be best if you stay for another night"

She tells Mizuki as she gets up to start preparing lunch.

"Owh.. really..?"

Evidently a bit disappointed.

"But don't worry, come tomorrow I'll help you get back to the exit of this place and escort you back. So just rest for today"

"Oh no, it's okay! You don't have to go out of your way just for me"

"Don't worry, I want to"

Raiyu persuades with a warm expression.

"Eh... fine I guess... but-"

She puffs her cheeks and emits a grunt of dissatisfaction.

"At least let me help you with this!"

She takes the heavy pot Raiyu is carrying. Insisting on helping her prepare lunch. Raiyu tries to stop her but it's too late, she already takes the weight upon herself. Not realizing how much heavier it is than she anticipated Mizuki immediately get dragged down by the weight of the filled pot.

Raiyu notices it almost squashing Mizuki's feet and immediately pulls it back with her feet, one hand grabbing the handle of the pot, the other grabbing Mizuki's arm to prevent her from falling off her push. Resolving the accident before it even happened.

Mizuki stands motionless, having no heads or tails of what just happened. But one thing for sure that she knows.

"S-sorry! Raiyu chan!"

Raiyu is shocked at first, almost seeing a reflection of herself in Mizuki, but immediately reassures her.

"It's fine Mizuki! No really.."

"I'm just glad that you're okay"

Accompanying that gesture is Raiyu's comforting, honest expression.

"Huwaaaahh!!"

Mizuki starts wailing pool of tears, like rivers flooding the small room.

"Raiyu chan is an angel! Why are you so kind!"

She puts the soft-spoken girl on the spot, unsure how to react to her honest thoughts.

"You're so kind... even though I've only been troubling you so far! *sob* *sob*"

Seeing Mizuki like that sparked something inside her, her face definitely changed.

"Ne Mizuki san, actually I do have something I can get your help with"

She offers, her sincere smile would easily convince anyone to gladly say yes.

Outside in the forest, Mizuki is happily collecting wood and branches. Humming to herself while she's at it.

"Hmm~ hmm~ collecting woods~!"

Happy to finally be able to help Raiyu like a child finally being able to help their parents.

The forest is silent, ever since the moment she exit the house. It was like the end of the world, not a single life outside.

Just as she's busy picking up wood, a voice registers in her head.

"Mizuki kun, is that you?"

Mizuki snaps upward, like a deer picking up a sound of encroaching danger.

"Daisuke kun!"

"Mizuki kun, oh good thing you're okay"

"Wh-where are you Daisuke kun? Why can't I see you?"

She frantically turn her head around, seeking any hint of his presence.

"You're in a protective barrier erected by the Chiikikou. I suspect she's taken a liking to you, I can't reach you directly, even this comm signal is only temporary-"

"What- what do you mean Daisuke kun?"

She tries to confirm the very important update that he's revealing to her, almost too casually at that. The fact that he's getting cut off in the middle of it only adds to her suspense.

"The Chiikikou? Who-"

"Listen- ...kun- the knife.. -through the heart-..."

Daisuke interrupts, he manage to recover signal, but faintly and still not too clear.

She stands silently in disbelief.

"-way to- free us out of this- her heart- you have to- .. kun!"

And still yet, the message couldn't be more clear. The directives. Mizuki's task.

Even through the disconnected communication line, she understand what he's telling her to do. Almost too easily.

Mizuki came back from finishing her task looking a little down. She can't meet Raiyu in the eye.

"Thanks a lot! with this I might not need to refill for a week"

Raiyu thanks her. But Mizuki only responded meekly. Her hands, dirtied from picking up those firewood, trembles ever so slightly.

"What's wrong, Mizuki san?"

Raiyu concerned. Noticing the girl acting strange.

"Did anything happen?"

"Mnn~! Nothing, nothing happened!"

She replies almost nervously.

"I see..."

Raiyu's eye narrows a bit.

"Hey Mizuki san, you must be tired. Please rest on the bed first while I prepare-"

"No! L-let me help you prepare dinner!"

"I appreciate the intention. But you've done enough. Besides..."

She turn the other way.

"It's better you clean your hand first.."

Pointing to Mizuki's hand coated in dirt and wood dust.

"I've prepared the bathwater and towel in the other room, you can help me after you cleaned yourself"

Mizuki blushes

"Ah right! Y-yes of course. Wait for me okay, I'll come back quickly!"

And she rushes into the room.

But just as she enters the space, she immediately notice her energy leaving her body all at once. Or rather, her body just refuses to move. Promptly she plops on the bed. Unconscious. Asleep.

"I'm sorry.. Mizuki san..."

Raiyu just watches, knowing well what happened. As she takes a step forward another rush of headache attacks her. She grunts while bringing her hand her temple.

'I can't believe it... He's affecting even my modified Kyokan... Just what exactly is he...'

She comments while rubbing her head, like soothing a headache.

"If this thing is let loose on the town...-"

In the room, Mizuki's still sleeping. Seemingly she won't wake up anytime soon. Sleeping soundly, dreaming.

{ A crying girl in plain traditional clothing.

"Mama.. they hurt me again..."

She cries in her mother's hug. The mother caresses her autumn hair, revealing a bruise. Then holds her tight.

"Oh sweetie, come here. For now, maybe you should stop going outside alone, next time Mama will go out with you to play okay?"

The mother and daughter share in each other's warmth in that small wooden house.

Later that night,

"It's gotten worse, Dear. Earlier today, she came home bleeding... I don't even know what to say to her anymore. Can't you talk with the elder or something?"

The wife relish her complaint to the husband.

He sighs.

"I'll see what I can do."

He tries to convince her. Not even keeping count how many times he says that. But seeing his wife still less than assured, he pulls her in and tries to comfort her.

"I'm sure if we give them more time, the villagers will accept us eventually"

The next day, at the village elder's house, in the guest room of a relatively bigger traditional wooden house the father's talking it over as promised. Seated across him is the village chief.

"Please Chief, I'll repay you somehow, but please tell the others to stop ostracizing us."

The old man turns down, then look him in the eye, with pity.

"I don't know what to say to you anymore, it's not like I can control everyone's action in this village. You know how they feel against outsiders, especially, from that country.. and still you-"

He sighs and turns his back.

"You brought this upon yourself when you brought that woman into this village"

"That's just-"

He clench his teeth in disbelief. Aware of the social climate in his own village.

"At least-"

The father bring his hand together for one last plea.

"At least, leave my daughter out of this. She doesn't know anything. She's innocent!"

"Raise your head, a former warrior of the Shogun shouldn't lower his head like that."

"Please, this is my only request!"

The father persists.

The village chief leaves, sighing yet again.

"And to think you used to make us so proud... Look at you now..."

After the talk, as the father is on his way back from the chief's house, he overhear some villagers talking.

"Argh not again.."

The farmer express his dissatisfaction.

"What's wrong dear?"

His wife asks.

"Bad crop again..."

"Oh no, what should we do, winter is near..."

"It's been happening a lot more lately.. I feel. Ever since that woman entered our village.."

The farmer speculates.

Hearing that, the father walking pass by, starts running. Clenching his teeth. Aware of the stigma around his own family.}

Meanwhile in the real world, still within the bizarre dimension, clashes of metal can be heard echoing throughout the forest of massacre.

Two figure who's the source of the noise now locking blade in the middle

Raiyu is confronting Daisuke, finally.

"Is it you, the cause for all this disturbances. Are you the one they've been talking about?

She spins her kama and to break off the blade lock and reposition her attack but he still managed to parry her attack.

"Are you the rumored, Seiya no Akushin?"

Narrowing her eyes, demanding an answer from him.

"Who can say, I go by many name these days"

His grin, not a shred of guilt, much less fear, instead that of pure confidence.

Before he can use that opportunity to land a clean strike on her, she kicks the weapon to launch herself back midair. Putting some distance between them.

This breaks Daisuke's defense a bit but give him breathing room to fix his stance.

But suddenly Raiyu charges forward before he can regain his footing, catching him off guard.

'this is bad!'

Daisuke thought.

As he hurriedly try to parry her, they lock eyes for a moment and flinched. A flicker of opening but it costs him the entire fight.

The next thing Daisuke sees is not the bloody forest floor covered in corpses, nor the twin scythe demon bathed in moonlight, but instead, a desert. He finds himself blasted by the strong midday sunlight in the middle of a desert.

"This is... I see..."

And faintly beyond the horizon, a city.