It was Saturday morning, and the world outside our dormitory still clung to the fragile space between night’s embrace and day’s slow awakening. I’d woken at precisely five o’clock, earlier than usual even for me, and trust me, I’ve made a habit of being the first one up since I started at the academy four years ago. Sliding out of bed with practiced care, I kept my movements as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb the steady, quiet breathing of my roommates.

  Ayaka was curled up like a cat under her thick wool blanket, her face half-buried in a pillow printed with tiny cherry blossoms. Even in sleep, she looked like she was holding onto something precious, probably dreaming about the pastries from that little shop in town she loves so much. Tatsuya, on the other hand, lay flat on his back with his arms folded behind his head, eyes closed and expression perfectly calm. I’d never been quite sure if he truly rested as deeply as he appeared, once, I’d seen him catch a falling glass without even opening his eyes. Some people are just built different, I guess.

  I don’t want to bother them, I thought, pulling my training gear from the closet. The black fabric was worn soft at the knees and elbows, stained with grass and sweat from countless early mornings like this one. I slipped my sword belt around my waist, the leather had been broken in so thoroughly it felt like a second skin, its weight against my hips as familiar as my own heartbeat.

  But more important than keeping the peace in our tiny room was controlling the flow of my shin’en. Especially here, in the dormitory backyard. The space was technically shared with three other groups staying at the facility, and while the academy rules didn’t explicitly forbid morning practice, I knew better than to draw too much attention to myself. Shin’en users like us already stand out enough as it is, no need to make things harder by lighting up the sky like a fireworks show.

  Truth be told, students rarely used this area at all. Most preferred the formal training grounds within the academy walls, where you had proper dummies, protective barriers, and instructors ready to step in if something went sideways. On weekends especially, they’d rather laze about playing video games or head into town to hang out at the arcade than pick up a weapon. They’re just too lazy to push themselves when classes are over, I mused as I stepped out into the cool morning air, the grass still damp with dew beneath my bare feet. I’ve always trained barefoot, something about feeling the earth under my toes helps me ground my energy better.

  The sun was just beginning to peek over the distant treeline that marked the edge of the academy’s property, painting streaks of burnt orange and soft pink across the pale blue sky. Birds were starting to chirp their morning songs, and somewhere in the distance, I could smell rice being cooked for breakfast in the dorm cafeteria. For a moment, I just stood there, letting the peace of the morning sink into my bones.

  For weeks now, though, a strange feeling had been building in the pit of my stomach, like there was something waiting inside me, just beyond my reach. A new technique, I was sure of it. I’d already given it a name: Kyomu Danretsu. It didn’t have any deep, meaningful backstory or ancient symbolism behind it, not really. It was just a combination of sounds that felt right when I said them out loud, that rolled off the tongue and sounded powerful enough to match what I’d been visualizing in my head.

  Every time I’d closed my eyes to imagine using it, I could see my blade transforming before me. The steel would darken from its usual silver to a rich, blood-red hue, with glowing golden cracks spreading across its surface like veins of fire. It was as if I were pouring my very life force into the weapon, but unlike with other shin’en techniques, I never felt the familiar drain of energy afterward. That’s what worried me most, honestly. Power without cost? That’s not how things work in our world.

  Taking my stance at the far end of the backyard, right by the old wooden fence that separated us from the woods, I drew my sword in one fluid motion. The metal sang softly as it cleared its sheath, catching the first rays of sunlight and sending tiny sparkles across the grass. I held it aloft, my arm steady as I focused on channeling just a small fraction of my power. Just enough to test the sensation, I told myself. No more than that.

  But the moment the blade was pointed toward the sky, an unexpected weight settled on my arms, pulling them downward as if the sword itself had suddenly grown ten times heavier. My muscles tensed automatically, and I gritted my teeth to keep from dropping it.

  Is this because of the technique? I wondered, forcing my arms to remain steady despite the pressure. A faint shimmer began to dance along the blade’s edge, so subtle I almost missed it, then blossomed into a soft red glow that seemed to pulse with warmth. At first, the energy gathering around it was barely noticeable, like a tiny spark in the vast morning sky. But it grew faster than I could have anticipated, swelling into a roiling mass of crimson light that made the air crackle and smell like ozone.

  “Oh shit!”

  I knew instantly that this was way more powerful than I’d intended. My first instinct was to cancel the technique, to pull the shin’en back into my body before it spiraled completely out of control. But the energy had already taken hold, coursing through the blade with a mind of its own, hotter and more wild than anything I’d ever felt before. With no other choice, I twisted my torso and swung upward with all my strength, directing the force away from the dormitory buildings and toward the empty sky above the woods.

  The crimson slash tore through the air like a comet, leaving a brilliant trail of light in its wake that painted everything red for a split second. It shot high into the sky, then exploded in a spectacular burst of red and gold that lit up the entire dormitory area, so bright it might have been mistaken for a signal flare. The sound that followed was deafening, a low, rumbling boom that echoed across the campus and shook the windows of every building in sight. I swear I felt the ground tremble under my feet.

  Within seconds, chaos erupted. Voices shouted from inside the dormitory, doors slammed open, and lights flickered on in rooms that had been dark just moments before.

  “What’s happening outside?!” someone yelled from the room next door.

  “Are we under attack?! DidWhy did the yomurei detector didn't worked?!”

  “Everyone stay calm, don’t panic! Head to the emergency assembly point!” That was probably one of the resident advisors, their voice had that forced-calm tone you only use when you’re trying not to freak out yourself.

  I stood frozen in place, sword still held high as the last embers of the explosion faded away into wisps of golden smoke. Yeah, I’m pretty much in trouble now, I muttered, running a hand through my disheveled hair and wincing when I realized some of it had been singed at the ends.

  It wasn’t long before the back door burst open, and Ayaka came racing out in her pastel blue pajamas, complete with little bunny ears on the hood, her hair sticking up at odd angles and her eyes wide with worry. She’d clearly thrown on her slippers without even looking, because one was pink and the other was blue.

  “Ren!” she yelled, skidding to a stop in front of me and nearly tripping over her own feet. Before I could say anything, before I could even think of an excuse, she reached out and grabbed both my shoulders, shaking me gently but firmly. “What did you do?!”

  “Just, testing out a new skill I invented,” I said awkwardly, shoving my free hand in my pocket and avoiding her gaze. “I was being careful, I swear, I aimed it away from everything!”

  “Testing it out?!” She cut me off, her voice a mix of anger and obvious relief that I wasn’t hurt. “Skills like that belong in the academy’s restricted practice areas, not here where you could have hit someone’s window, or set the woods on fire, or worse!” She sighed heavily and let go of me, running her hands over her face like she was already tired of dealing with my nonsense. “At least no one got hurt. That’s the only thing that matters right now. But you will apologize to every single person in this dorm today. Do you understand me? Every, single, one.”

  “Fine, fine,” I conceded, knowing better than to argue with her when she got that look on her face. She’s like a mother sometimes, I thought with a small smile that I quickly hid when she shot me another glare.

  I spent the next hour making my rounds through the three-story dormitory, bowing deeply at each door I knocked on. “I’m sorry everyone! My bad, was just trying out something new and got a little carried away!” To my surprise, most people were more curious than angry. A third-year named Kenji even asked if I’d show him the technique sometime, while a group of first-years laughed and said the light show had been way cooler than any fireworks they’d seen at the summer festival.

  “Well, I guess you could say everything worked out pretty fine,” I said when I finally made my way back to our room.

  Ayaka collapsed into her desk chair with a groan, resting her forehead on the wooden surface. “Geez, Ren, even I had to bow and apologize to people! The dorm supervisor pulled me aside and asked if you’d lost control of your shin’en again.” She lifted her head just enough to glare at me. “And Tatsuya didn’t even care about any of it!”

  I glanced over at our third roommate, who was sitting at the small table in the corner, quietly eating a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables. He didn’t even look up when we came in, though I did notice he’d folded a paper crane and placed it next to his bowl.

  “Now now, Ayaka,” I said, pouring myself a cup of green tea from the thermos she always kept warm. “Everything worked out well, right? Everyone’s already forgiven me, so there’s no need to stay mad.”

  “Alright, alright,” she grumbled, but I could see her expression softening as she stood up to start cleaning up the breakfast dishes. “But next time, next time, you do this kind of thing at the academy. Got it? I mean it, Ren. One of these days you’re going to blow a hole in the roof or something.”

  I nodded, then turned to Tatsuya, who was quietly finishing his meal. “Thank you,” I said in a calm, steady voice.

  “Eh?” Ayaka looked up from stacking plates, confusion written across her face. “Thank him for what? He didn’t even move when the explosion happened!”

  I smiled at her, taking a sip of my tea. “You always worry about me, even when I’m being reckless. I’m really grateful for that.”

  A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she quickly turned away to focus on washing the dishes in the small sink. “W-well, you’re part of our team, aren’t you? Team Kurogane, it’s what teammates do…” She splashed water a little too hard, and a few drops landed on Tatsuya’s shirt. Her eyes went wide with apology. “Oh! Sorry, Tatsuya, I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s okay,” he said calmly, dabbing at the spot with a napkin before returning to his food. His voice was quiet, as always, but there was a warmth to it that most people never noticed. “I’ll wash it later.”

  We talked for a while longer after that, Ayaka telling us about the history paper she was working on, me complaining about how difficult the advanced shin’en control class was getting. And for the first time in ages, Tatsuya joined in on our conversation. I’d always thought of him as quiet and serious, but he had a sharp, dry sense of humor that caught me off guard more than once, especially when he made a joke about the dorm supervisor’s terrible haircut that had both Ayaka and me laughing so hard we nearly fell out of our chairs.

  Hearing all three of us laughing together made my chest feel warm, like this small, cramped room was truly a home. It’s funny how that works, when I first came to the academy, I thought I’d never be able to trust anyone again, let alone consider them family. But Ayaka and Tatsuya, they’d changed that.

  “Well then, I should get going,” I said eventually, pushing myself to my feet and stretching until my joints popped. I grabbed the small bundle of higanbana I’d bought yesterday from the flower shop in town, their deep red petals looked almost black in the morning light.

  “Be careful out there, okay?” Ayaka called out as she arranged dry plates in the cupboard. “And don’t take too long, we have that strategy meeting with the other teams tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I will,” I promised, giving her and Tatsuya a wave before opening the door and stepping out into the now-bright morning sun. The door clicked shut behind me, and I took a deep breath, letting the familiar weight of my sword at my hip ground me as I started walking toward the bus stop.

  Deep within the heart of Aokigahara Forest, known to locals as the Sea of Trees, a chill hung in the air that had nothing to do with the season. When the rest of Japan was sweltering under summer’s heat, the woods remained cool and dim, the tall cedar trees blocking out most of the sunlight. Three figures moved carefully through the undergrowth, their boots crunching on fallen needles and broken branches.

  "Is there really a yomurei here?" Tsukiya muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He was the youngest of the three yomu executioners, still new enough to the job that his hands shook whenever he held his weapon. "We've been walking for an hour, and the detector hasn't done anything but glow that boring blue."

  "Don't lower your guard," Hakuda snapped, not turning around as he led the way along a narrow path that seemed to vanish and reappear at random. He was the team leader, tall, broad-shouldered, and with scars crisscrossing his arms that told stories of battles most people would never believe. "They might attack anytime. Yomurei don't play by our rules."

  "You've been saying that for an hour," Tsukiya complained, stumbling over a root that seemed to have grown out of nowhere. "Maybe the detector is broken. Let's just go back, report that there's nothing here and call it a day."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Hakuda finally stopped walking, turning to look at his teammate with eyes that had seen too much darkness. Before he could respond, the third member of their team spoke up.

  "At least let's take a break first," Nairo said, adjusting the strap of his backpack. He was the quiet one, smaller than the other two, but with a sharp mind that had saved their lives more than once. "We're crossing a small river up ahead. We can fill our canteens and rest for a few minutes before we decide what to do next."

  Hakuda sighed, then nodded in agreement. "Fine, but keep your weapons close. And Tsukiya, keep an eye on the detector."

  They made their way to the river, its clear water flowing over smooth stones and making a gentle gurgling sound that should have been calming. But in these woods, even pleasant sounds felt wrong, like they were hiding something sinister just out of sight. They sat on the larger stones along the bank, unscrewing the caps of their canteens and filling them with cold water.

  Tsukiya took a long drink, then let out a contented sigh. "Ahhh, water really is tasty."

  Nairo looked up from his own canteen, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Water doesn't have a taste."

  "Shut up now Nairo!" Tsukiya said, playfully splashing a little water at him. "For me, water is the best thing to drink, especially when you've been walking around in these stuffy woods all morning."

  Nairo just shook his head and went back to filling his canteen. Hakuda was scanning the treeline, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade, when Nairo suddenly pointed at the device hanging from Hakuda's belt.

  "Hey, look at the yomurei detector," he said, his voice suddenly serious.

  "What's wrong?" Hakuda asked, looking down at the small box. The blue light that had been steady since they entered the forest had vanished, replaced by a deep, dark red glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.

  "Is this normal? No one told us about this!" Tsukiya began panicking, scrambling to his feet and fumbling with the sword at his waist. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely get it out of its sheath.

  "Don't lose yourself! Stay together!" Hakuda yelled, drawing his own weapon and moving to stand between his teammates and the trees. But it was already too late.

  Black tentacles slowly emerged from the ground, slithering silently under the thick carpet of pine needles and grass. One shot forward without warning, wrapping around Hakuda's face and pulling him backward so fast he didn't even have time to cry out. He was dragged down the gentle slope leading away from the river, disappearing into the undergrowth in seconds.

  "We're done for!" Tsukiya screamed, dropping his sword and turning to run.

  "Calm down Tsukiya! First we need to—" Nairo was cut off as more tentacles descended from above, dropping from the branches of the tall cedars and wrapping around his arms and legs. He was lifted into the air, kicking and struggling as he was pulled up into the canopy and vanished from sight.

  Tsukiya ran as fast as his legs would carry him, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he shouted over and over, not even looking back to see if the tentacles were following him.

  He tripped over a low-hanging tree branch and fell hard to the ground, scraping his knees and palms raw on the rough earth. When he finally worked up the courage to look back, the tentacles were gone, and the forest was silent again.

  "It's gone?" he whispered, pushing himself up and looking around nervously. He thought he was safe, but when he looked down the slope ahead of him, a single black tentacle was waiting for him, coiled like a snake on the path.

  "Damn it!" He launched towards it with his sword. But the moment he was near it, he felt like he was in hell. He stopped moving, his muscles and bones were frozen.

  All he saw was many black tentacles, he heard laughs, yelling for help, greeting their son, screaming, blaming, and more voices of the people. "Stop, it..."

  The tentacles launched at him and the birds in the forest flew because of the chaos.

  It was only a walking distance to the cemetery. The moment I stood in front of the cemetery, I always remember that day we had the conversation from four years ago. I always visit here every July 1st, kaito's birthday, and offer some higanbana. I stepped inside the cemetery. As always, it feels like the shin’en absorbed my body. Kaito had said this but the cemetery is for yomu executioners and people that got killed by yomurei are different from the cemetery that got a normal death.

  I walked towards kaito's grave, I saw it there.

  Kaito Ranzaki

  Katusi Ranzaki

  Mina Ranzaki

  Yui Ranzaki

  His family names were there beside him. And behind, there was Airi and daigo. I placed down the flowers and kneel.

  “I'm here again kaito, Happy 21st Birthday. Last week was your death anniversary right? Four years ago, you died before your birthday. I still remember that airi wanted to buy you a gift and daigo can't even read the mood.” I laughed and remembered things that happened four years ago. Although it was only for one day, it already felt like they were my friends and part of my family.

  “I hope you're happy on the other side. I don't even know when I'll go there, you'll never know what will happen.”

  While I was talking, there was a footsteps sound that was going towards me. I didn't feel anything because I thought they were just going to visit a grave. But I was wrong, that man, talked to me.

  “What a pathetic man he is...” I heard someone talk behind me. I looked back, my jaw dropped. I didn't expect what would happen. It was the guy, the one who had a mask who yuuto, Aya, and Kouki was afraid off. He was still wearing a mask, but his right eyes weren't glowing red.

  “It has been a week, Ren Kazenagi. What a common name in Japan.” He said. “Why, are you, here, and how did you know my name?!” I said as I was shaking. “I just wanted to visit the grave of a good friend of mine.” He said. His voice was deep, I don't know if it is because of the mask or that's his normal voice. I immediately stand up and higher my guard.

  “I didn't come here to fight, like I said.”

  Why did he come here? I didn't even feel him, not like what happened last week. His presence, his aura, he can make it disappear!

  “Kaito Ranzaki, huh?” He said, his aura may be gone but standing alone in front of me gives my body chills. “An old friend, you say? Are you referring to kaito?” I asked with my voice shaking.

  “You're right, he was indeed my friend.” The air blew his coat, both of his hands inside the pocket. He has some white hair in his hair which was never shown when he first showed up.

  “Kaito, was weak. He experienced many traumas, he always hesitated, he never learned from his mistakes, he never accept reality, he tricked many people, he is a bad guy. Yet he still kept showing his real smile along with his fake friends and loved ones...” He said. Is he referring to airi and daigo?

  “...that's what I dislike about him. That's what made him killed. He was weak. I'm sure he regrets everything, he knew he can't go back that's why he kept moving forward even if there's a dead end.” He continued.

  “What do you know about kaito?!” I shouted “I don't want to hear my friends being called like that...” I looked at him in the eyes. He stared at me. “Let me ask you the same thing...” He said. His voice became darker. “...What do you know about kaito?”

  I was speechless, I only knew him for a day but he felt like he was already my friend. Then I remember what kaito said to me. “Don't grow up like me. I spent years pretending I was fine. I buried everything under training, missions, and anger. It works for a while, but someday, it'll catch up to you.” That line alone predicted that he was hiding something.

  “Kaito, he's hiding something isn't he? Is it his past?” I said.

  The man looked up from the sky and sighed. “He pretty much hides everything even to himself. He always lied to everyone including him.”

  The way he said it, he feels like in so much pain. It just shows how good friend kaito is to him. But at the same time, he hates him. “You're probably pitying me right now. But too bad, this world will soon end. It will be left to dust, the moon, the sun, the solar system, even the whole universe.”

  “When you said that I will bring hope in this world, what do you mean by that?” I asked. “Oh that? The world is slowly changing the moment yomurei came to earth. Humans have shin'en, the government has more powers, those normal people who do not have any shin'en are pictured as weak. That's why...” He reached out his hand to me. The wind blew harder as the coat was blowing because of the wind. His voice became higher and shouted “...Ren Kazenagi, you're the only one that can save this world! Come and join us! We will save the world from this yomurei, from this corrupted government, and from these fake protectors of the humanity! You don't need to hesitate! We...” He lowered his voice and looked at me in the eye. “...we will be the one to be the true protectors of humanity." He was determined, he's serious about this, but I refused. "I refuse." I said confidently. "Whatever you people are doing is wrong. It will not bring peace in this world. It will just create more chaos." I continued. The moment he invited me to join him made my fear fly away.

  "I see, so that's your answer." He looked back and started walking. "Wait! Where are you going?" I didn't stop him, I only watched. "Don't tell anyone what I said, nothing happened here. It's all an illusion." He said and he only kept walking. His upper body suddenly started to turn ashes until it reached his feet. I only suspected that he got away. I knew better that his purpose coming here is not only to visit kaito but something deeper than inviting me to join him.

  I walked down the streets while looking down and thinking our conversation. Join them? What the hell was he thinking? Everything they do will just cause chaos and will not bring peace in this world. Wait, did he knew about my powers so he personally came to me and asked me to join him? I still have a lot of questions.

  While I was walking, I heard a man voice called my name. "Hey! Ren! Over here" I looked up and saw haruto waving at me.

  "What are you doing alone?" He asked me while eating fries. We entered a junk food restaurant and ordered some fried and just a cola. I dipped my fries in a ketchup and started talking. "Nothing, I just visited a friend of mine in the cemetery." I said while eating. "Oh sorry." He said.

  "Don't worry, I've been visiting there for four years especially July 1st." After I said that, I drank some cola.

  "Why July 1st though?" Haruto asked. I put down the cola. "Because it his birthday, last week was his death anniversary. He was killed by a yomurei before his birthday."

  "I see, pretty sad for him. That feeling that you lost something important before your birthday. It happened to me before, that time my mom was there and she helped me bring it back." He said, the way he said it was jokingly.

  "Hey did you hear? Yomu executioners kept disappearing after they got a mission in aokigahara forest."

  "Eh seriously? That's so scary. Aokigahara forest really is full of mystery."

  "Really really."

  A bunch of girls in a group had a conversation. We overhead it because they were talking while walking and bringing the food to their table.

  "Aokigahara forest huh? I wouldn't want to go there even if it is a mission. I'd rather fight a jūma than go to that forest." Haruto said. We finished eating the fries and his glass that has cola is already empty.

  "Right? But I have to admit, these rumors are getting crazy. I really think it's not funny to spread rumors about this kind of stuff." I said.

  "Yeah, yomu executioners should be respected. We're the ones who kept the world being safe from yomureis." Haruto said.

  "Then I'll see you at the academy." He said. We went outside the restaurant after we ate. "Say hi to Aiko and mina for me." I said as he began to start walking. "Yeah!" We both wave at each other before we part ways.

  "Saiten-sama, we have been receiving reports about yomu executioners who kept disappearing after they went on a mission in aokigahara forest. Should we take action or investigate more?"

  Hayato Hoshino. One of Akihiro's personal bodyguard. He was the one who delivered my first uniform from the academy four years ago.

  "We will do both. I already have some of the identities of the Missing yomu executioners. And based on the reports that I have just heard earlier, it's not just some rumors. It's true that these executioners went missing." Akihiro said. He was sitting in his chair as always and hayato was standing in front of him.

  "I recommend that we should build a hunting team to investigate. I'm positive that whoever is behind this is just some yomurei." Hayato said.

  "You're right hayato, we can't just put shinrei-rank in this hunting team. Especially if we don't want the aokigahara forest to be in ruins. We'll also send some of the strongest teams in the academy. The missing executioners are just in their low-ranks. But I suggest that we do not underestimate this enemy and also not overestimate it." Akihiro said.

  "Thank you very much. I understand. Then we should inform the academy about this. I'm positively sure that we'll have team kurogane in this hunting group." Hayato said. "We'll still continue investigating about the incident that happened and team Gesshoku got involved in it. We're still exchanging information with the Kamakura Corps."

  They talked more about their plan and what they will do inside the tenka corps main building.

  After some time, hayato left the room as he was going to do the task Akihiro assigned him. He was alone in his office thinking. "It's been four years, including some students in the academy in this hunt is too risky. We still don't know how strong the enemy is, but I have faith in you, Ren Kazenagi. This is a test for your powers."

  The air outside the building was strong

  Somewhere deep in the aokigahara forest, low growl of a monster and red eyes woke up. It was ready for a battle, with a strong aura, a powerful presence.