The path to Kaigenshiro wasn't a smooth one.
Ren and his group followed closely behind Souta's squad as they moved through a rocky hill trail that overlooked the sprawling city in the distance.
Inside the front truck, Souta leaned forward, glancing at the map screen. The driver, a fellow C-rank exorcist named Ill, sat beside him, chewing on gum and gripping the wheel with one hand and his shotgun on his lap.
Souta frowned.
"Why aren't we going through the southern route? It's faster."
Ill narrowed his eyes, voice dry.
"Because there's been a change. Beasts maybe worse are said to be nesting around the south side. Remember what happened back there? I'm not letting that happen again."
Souta sighed, glancing out the window, silent.
Aika slid beside him, casually brushing her hair.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Without looking at her, Souta muttered,
"I'm perfectly fine. Thanks for asking."
Aika smiled slyly, leaning a little closer to flaunt herself.
But Souta didn't even blink.
"That's not gonna work on me," he said flatly, then pointed to the back. "But it's working on them."
Aika turned around.
A group of male exorcists stared at her, red-faced, breathing heavily like wild dogs, drool nearly falling from their mouths with unsettling grins.
Aika's face twisted in disgust. She pulled her coat tighter and turned away.
The men all sighed in unison. "Aww…"
Ayame, sitting nearby, watched them and thought,
What do they even see in her? Seriously…
Suddenly, Sir Valen's voice boomed over the intercom.
"Everyone, I expect proper behavior. Don't make me repeat myself."
Back in Ren's truck, things were… less creepy.
Ren was passed out near the edge, arms dangling as the vehicle rumbled forward.
Itsuki broke the silence.
"I'm done with the spell circles. All I need now is a warrior's book to link enchantments… but where am I supposed to get one?"
Junpai laughed.
"Guess we're gonna have to visit a nearby city. Could be fun."
Haruno grinned.
"I'm in! Also, I'm starving. Hey Arisa, want something? My treat!"
From the front seat, Arisa glanced back.
"Sure. We're almost out of supplies anyway."
Airi nudged Ren, trying to wake him.
"Ren, you hungry?"
He didn't budge.
Airi smiled.
"Well, I'm sure he will be when he wakes up."
Their driver, a calm older man named Fanji, chimed in.
"There's a small trade town just off the next turn. If you're headed for supplies, that's your stop."
Arisa quickly radioed Valen.
"Sir, we're diverting to the nearby town for supplies and food."
Valen's calm voice responded.
"Understood. Be careful. We'll move ahead."
Fanji turned the wheel sharply, but the road was rough.
The truck shook violently.
Ren, half-asleep, slid off the edge
His eyes shot open just as he tumbled out of the truck.
"RENNNNN!" everyone shouted.
Haruno burst out laughing.
Mid-roll, Ren drew his blade, stabbed it into the hill's side, and stopped himself. Dirt and rock flew as he held on.
As the truck screeched to a halt, Itsuki cast a quick glyph.
Chains of light wrapped around Ren and yanked him back up.
Dusting himself off, Ren scowled.
"What the hell was that?!"
Haruno doubled over in laughter.
"Bro, because you got dumped, you really tried to die, huh?!"
BAM!
Ren slammed his fist into Haruno's face, launching him into the truck wall.
Haruno wiped his mouth, a bloody grin forming.
"So that's how it is, huh?"
Without warning, Ren lunged again, fists flying.
Junpai had to grab him mid-attack.
"That's enough, both of you!"
But Haruno was already glowing with electric energy, sword crackling.
"I'm gonna fry this little punk!"
Before he could move, SMACK!
Arisa slapped him across the face.
"That's enough. You hear me?"
Haruno froze, breathing heavy.
Then backed down without a word.
Ren shoved off Junpai's grip, stormed toward the front of the truck.
"Fanji, let's go."
"…Y-Yeah," Fanji muttered nervously, starting the engine again.
The truck rolled off as tension settled in the air.
The truck rumbled down a dirt path, tires rolling over gravel as the mountain wind picked up. Ren sat quietly near the back, arms crossed, head low. He was still replaying Haruno's words in his head not because they hurt, but because something inside him snapped. He didn't understand why.
Airi, sitting close by, occasionally glanced at him, wanting to say something but decided to give him space.
Meanwhile, Arisa stood in the front with her arms folded, watching the path ahead. She hadn't said a word since stopping Haruno's outburst.
The nearby city finally appeared a worn-down trade town known as Kurakashi. Once a bustling hub of merchants and craftsmen, now only a shadow of its past. The streets were quiet, filled with whispers rather than chatter. Most buildings were made of weathered wood and dark stone, and odd symbols had been etched into some of the doorways.
Fanji, the driver, narrowed his eyes. "Something feels off…"
They parked near the town square. Ren's group stepped off the truck cautiously.
"I don't like this place," Junpai said with a serious tone. "It's too quiet."
Haruno, now calm, had a bandage over his cheek. "Hmph. Maybe the town died of boredom."
Airi noticed a group of children watching them from an alley, their eyes hollow, their mouths unmoving. "Guys… look."
Suddenly, a bell rang not from a temple, but from the center of town. An elderly woman wearing ceremonial robes approached slowly, dragging a cane with bones hanging from it. Her voice echoed low and raspy.
"Outsiders… the spirits do not rest here. If you seek food or shelter, pay with silence."
Souta, who had just arrived with half of Valen's group, stepped forward. "We're just here for supplies. Nothing else."
The old woman turned to Souta, eyeing the pendant around his neck. "You carry a cursed mark, boy. Tread lightly."
Souta flinched slightly but nodded.
The team split up to gather food and info. Itsuki and junpai visited the local scribe hall in search of enchantments. Souta and Ayame tried to bargain with a suspicious merchant, while Arisa, Ren, and Haruno explored the temple ruins on the hill fanji waited behind on the truck
Inside the temple, the air was heavier. Ren looked at a broken statue that seemed to resemble… himself?
"Hey Arisa," he said softly, "do you… feel like we've been here before?"
She turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Ren took a few steps toward the statue. "This place feels familiar. Not in memory in my bones."
Before she could respond, Haruno yelled, "Yo! You two better see this!"
They rushed to him. At the back of the temple was an ancient mural a massive one depicting a black-eyed warrior wielding a burning sword… fighting against a demon that looked eerily like the shadow Ren saw in his vision.
Arisa gasped. "This can't be a coincidence."
Ren clenched his fists. His body trembled not with fear, but anticipation. Something was calling him.
Then a sudden quake hit.
The mural cracked, and from a hidden chamber below, a voice echoed faintly like a whisper carried by the dead wind:
"Come forth… Vessel of Discord…"
Everyone froze.
Ren looked at the chamber below, his body slowly glowing with a faint trace of energy.
The feeling inside him… wasn't fear.