On a full moon night, the moon cast its full light over a forest shrouded in darkness.
The surroundings were enveloped in blackness—every corner and every particle of the forest.
Only the faint light of the moon offered some illumination to the forest paths.
Situated right between two countries in the northern part of the world lay a vast and perilous jungle—the 'Freedom Forest'.
Whatever its name might suggest, the forest was not to be trifled with.
It was so terrifying that no one dared to set foot in it even during the day, let alone at night.
And yet, a lone figure runs through this very forest in the middle of the night.
A katana was tied to his waist, and a thin sheet was wrapped around his body, shrouding even his face from view. The sheet was so thin that it offered no protection from the biting cold. But he knew this—something was better than nothing.
A locket hung from his neck, and both his hands were bandaged.
He just kept running through the forest. He couldn't say how long he had been running, but he could say that he had grown weary.
All he wanted was for this forest to end, and for him to reach his destination.
He was not completely exhausted yet. He possessed far more stamina and strength than an ordinary person, the result of his old master's training.
As he ran, his eyes fell upon a tree for a fleeting moment.
"A scratch, so deep!!"
He shouldn't have been surprised, for he had just seen proof of what his Master had told him.
It was the claw mark of a ferocious animal, perhaps. But judging by the depth of the scratch, it didn't seem to be the work of any normal creature.
The tree was by no means thin. Each tree in this forest was as thick as a man weighing three hundred kilograms and as tall as a 20-story building.
One wouldn't find buildings this tall even in the city.
He began to wonder what kind of monster could have done this.
Suddenly, a wolf leaped at him from the bushes.
He thought to himself, (Not even going to give me time to think, are you?) In an instant, he dodged backward. As he drew his katana, he severed the wolf's head from its body.
For a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped. The wolf's blood stained the grass red. Holding the katana out, he cleared it of all blood with a single flick, then sheathed it once more.
***
…A short while ago…
He was walking with his Master through a tunnel. The lantern in his Master's hand illuminated the entire passage.
Bowing his head, he said, "I am sorry…"
Turning to him, the Master asked, "Why?…"
His Master's eyes were closed. He could not see with either eye; in simple terms, he was a visually impaired old man.
"Master, they have followed me nearly all the way here. You might have to suffer because of me."
Hearing his words, the Master laughed.
"Ha-ha-ha... You can be quite the joker. Stop worrying about me. Start thinking about yourself now. Get as far away from the 'Kai Temple' as possible. I will handle them... You can at least have some faith in me as your master."
They were walking through the tunnel. With his head still bowed in a tone of penance, he said, "...I can."
But questions about this tunnel still swirled in his mind. He had never imagined that a secret passage like this existed beneath the very spot where his Master sat.
It is connected directly to the Freedom Forest.
Out of curiosity, he asked his Master, "Master, I never imagined! That there would be a tunnel like this under your seating place!"
Walking on, the Master said, "Yes, I was surprised myself… I was stunned when I first learned about this tunnel."
"What? You mean the tunnel was here even before you arrived?"
He nodded.
"Yes, this tunnel was built during the Garia War. It was so that if the temple's defenses were breached, the important people could escape through it. But it never needed to be used. Today, however, it is being used… You know, to be honest, whoever built this tunnel must have been an utter fool."
Playfully, he asked, "Why?"
He chuckled, "Hmm-hmm, that fool probably didn't know about the horrors of the Freedom Forest. He would have saved the temple's important people from the enemy, sure, but they would have then become food for the forest."
"What does that mean? I have to cross that forest?" There was no trace of fear on his face as he said this. The reason was simple…
"Yes," the Master said.
"It won't be that difficult. I remember the first day you threw me in front of a full-grown tiger. What can the other animals of the forest do before a beast like that?"
"Ha-ha-ha… So you still remember that day,"—a faint smile appeared on the Master's face as he spoke, as if he were reliving those past memories anew.
"How could I ever forget! It's a miracle I'm even alive! My heart still trembles with fear when I think of that day! How could you, Master?"—As he spoke, the same fear that he never wanted to recall crept back onto his face.
Talking, they reached the very end of the cave.
And for the first time, he saw that terrifying, darkness-shrouded forest.
At first glance, he understood that this was no ordinary jungle.
Perhaps this forest held a thousand mysteries and questions within itself.
Looking at the forest, the Master grew serious.
"We are here… It is time for you to go."
He gestured forward and said, "Go straight this way, and you will reach Jahurā-town. You might be able to hide there for a few more days… But I would say, hide, but also be ready to confront."
He bowed before his Master to pay his respects and bid him farewell.
Just as he was about to dash into the forest, the Master stopped him.
"Wait… I have not been able to give you anything. Now that you are leaving, I should give you something."
Saying this, the Master extended the sword from his waist toward him. "Here, from this day on, this 'grass' is yours."
"But…!"
"I am a blind man. This sword is of no use to me. But it will be of use to you in crossing this forest. Let me tell you one thing, for some unknown reason, every creature in this forest is ten times or more powerful than an ordinary animal. If you encounter them, protect yourself. Stay alive."
***
…The Present…
A strange stench began to emanate from the dead wolf's body.
The pungent smell was so unbearable it was difficult to endure.
As he looked more closely, he saw countless red eyes emerging from all around the forest.
But among those eyes, one pair was far redder and brighter than all the others.
All the eyes were fixed on him, as if trying to intimidate him with their power and numbers.
He laughed in despair, "My situation is about to get worse, heh-heh."
Suddenly, another wolf leaped at him from behind with immense speed.
This wolf was even faster than the last.
Its velocity made him stumble slightly, but he quickly regained his footing. Evading its attack, he instantly swung his sword and sliced it in half.
"So, the first one I killed was an old wolf. And this one is young? I'm alone against the whole pack!"
He didn't even have a chance to breathe. Taking advantage of the young wolf's attack, another wolf lunged and sank its teeth into his arm.
"Aaargh…"—his concentration broke. In that very instant, another wolf tackled him to the ground and climbed onto his chest.
It pressed its paws on his chest and began to howl, "Awooo-awooo-awooo…"
His katana had been knocked a short distance away when he fell.
One wolf had his arm clamped in its jaws, while another was on top of him, pinning his chest down with its paws.
A faint sound of cracking bones came from within him. Blood and foam frothed from his mouth.
(What is that sound?)
(And this pain in my chest… It's unbearable!)
The wolf pressing down on his chest now bit at his locket, and a girl's voice echoed in his ears:
"I thought I had a lot of time. So I kept saying 'I'll tell you later,' and it was never said. But… Now that time is running out, I want to say… I love you…"
Suddenly, a fierce, terrifying rage ignited within him. He clenched his free left hand into a fist and threw the wolf on top of him off in a single jolt.
Then, he shoved his left hand deep into the mouth of the wolf that was biting his right arm. With immense force, he pulled its jaws in opposite directions, ripping its entire head and body in two.
The gruesome scene scattered blood, bone, and chunks of flesh everywhere.
His whole body felt unnaturally light, as if it were made of rubber. His left eye's normal black iris turned red, and the white sclera turned black. A strange aura began to emanate from that left eye. His right eye, however, remained completely normal.
His katana still lay on the ground.
He reached into the pouch at his waist and pulled out a vial. The vial was as thick and long as a finger, and a red liquid sloshed inside.
He was about to place the vial between his teeth and bite down when his gaze fell upon his hand.
The wolf's tooth was still embedded in his flesh. He muttered to himself, "Using 'Red Reverse' with the tooth still in me could cause problems."
He dug two fingers into the wound on his hand and pulled the tooth out.
Just then, another wolf made the foolish mistake of attacking him from behind. In an instant, before the wolf could even strike, he jammed the tooth into its eye. The wolf's tooth, along with its eye, was driven deep into its body.
"I understand you're all very hungry… but you won't be eating my flesh."—Saying this, he shattered the vial with his teeth.
The red liquid spread from his mouth, down his throat, and throughout his entire body.
The aura from his left eye grew even more intense.
It felt as if the very ground and soil were trembling. Despite seeing this, the wolves did not stop their assault.
They kept coming, one after another.
He picked up his katana and began to cut down wolf after wolf. The entire area was flooded with blood. It wouldn't be wrong to call this place a river of blood now.
The Master's voice echoed in his memory:
"Here, take this pouch with you before you go. There are five Red Reverses inside. Use them carefully. I hope you know the consequences?"
With the arrival of a massive shadow, the remaining wolves began to retreat.
It was much like how other warriors respectfully step back when their most powerful warrior or king arrives.
"The Alpha!!"
Seeing the Alpha, everyone had moved back. This was respect for their king, respect for their pack leader.
And yet, after fighting them for so long, they showed him no respect at all. To them, he was just a piece of meat they couldn't manage to eat.
Seeing the Alpha, he declared with pride, "Alpha, whether you're here or not, it makes no difference! I will survive. You won't get a taste of my flesh either!"
He said the words, but then…
His eyes fell on his katana, and he saw it.
"What's this?! A crack in Grass!?"
He said with annoyance, "That's it. Let's stop this game of life and death. Come on, Alpha, let's tear each other apart."
With that, he placed his katana on the ground.
Then, he readied himself for a direct assault.
The Alpha also took its stance and began to howl fiercely. Its pack joined in the roar.
For a moment, they locked eyes. Both their eyes held the same fury and the same intense desire to rip the other to shreds.
Time and everything else stood still. An intense silence rang in his ears. Breaking that silence, they both leaped at each other.
The Alpha roared:
"Awooooo!!!"
And he screamed:
"I want it back…"
LUCID, to be continue...