The air was thick with smoke as Hiroshiro reached the entrance of his house. He navigated through the familiar rooms that now seemed like a maze of shadows and danger.
His priority was scientific research, notebooks, and any valuable equipment he could carry, sweat mingling with soot on his forehead.
Standing outside, Hoshiyo yelled, "Hey, are you okay in there?"
"I'll be out in a second," Hiroshiro yelled.
As the fire intensified outside, Hiroshiro moved purposefully, searching for any item containing Hoshiyo's DNA. He found a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and some of her clothing. He approached the door, emerging from within the smoke; the floor creaked beneath his hurried steps.
Hiroshiro lept out in a desperate attempt to salvage what remained of his world and collapsed onto the cold sand and dirt; he gasped for breath. His body trembled from the combination of physical exertion and the emotional toll.
Hoshiyo gasped, "Are you alright?"
Hiroshiro gently patted his daughter's head, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm perfectly fine," he assured her.
Pointing towards the spreading fire in the forest, the Tanuki yelled, "Look, the fire is still spreading. You have to do something before it kills everyone."
Hoshiyo's ears perked up as she contemplated her next steps, her gaze shifting toward the mountain in deep thought. "I have an idea," she began, "but I can't leave my father here alone."
"You don't have a choice," the Tanuki argued. "We need to move now."
A distant murmur of angry voices reached Hiroshiro's ears. The villagers, consumed by misguided rage, had formed a mob armed with pitchforks and farming tools.
"What now?" Hoshiyo growled.
Hiroshiro instinctively raised his arms to defend himself, desperately pleading, "Stop! Why are you still attacking me?"
A furious woman held a knife to his throat, her voice laced with anger. "You killed our families and friends with the flames from cremating your daughter. We saw her face, her anger within the fire, burning our homes and loved ones. You will pay for that with your life."
Hiroshiro panicked and cried, "It wasn't me. It was the wind. My house was burned, too."
A male villager shouted, "We've had enough of your lies!"
Pitchforks thrust forward, and anger-fueled accusations filled the air as they closed in on the exhausted man. Hiroshiro weakened and battered, barely managed to escape the first blows. In a desperate bid for survival, he staggered to his feet and limped away from the encroaching mob, his possessions clutched tightly to his chest.
"Daddy," Hoshiyo cried.
"I'm okay, sweetie. I'll meet you at the cliffside. Go save the world," Hiroshiro weakly replied. Running up the mountain through the dense smoke and swirling charcoal, Hiroshiro felt the sting of both physical and emotional wounds. The villagers, driven by panic and vengeance, pursued him relentlessly. Hoshiyo's red eyes sparked determination as she said, "Tanuki, come on. We're going to see Kifune. He'll know what to do."
"Yes, now we're talking," The Tanuki cheered.
Hoshiyo pressed on, her paws carrying her swiftly through the darkened woods. She climbed the stone stairs with tall red lanterns and rushed to the main shrine.
Hoshiyo howled, "Kifune, ancient Kami of the rain; please come out so we can talk. We need your help."
Moments later, a wolf materialized before her from the rivers that glowed through the shrine, its fur glistening with the essence of water.
"Hoshiyo," the wolf Kami spoke, echoing through the shrine. "Why do you seek my aid, child of the stars?"
Hoshiyo explained the dire situation in an emotional plea, describing the encroaching flames that threatened to consume the forest and village alike. She implored Kifune to unleash the soothing rain and quell the destructive fire.
The Kami, Kifune, regarded Hoshiyo with wise eyes, aware of the unintentional rage that had sparked the catastrophe. After a contemplative pause, Kifune spoke, "I will grant your request, but actions have consequences, young one. For the unintended fury that birthed this calamity, you shall be disciplined."
Hoshiyo tilted her ears and asked, "What would happen to me?"
"That is up to the council of Kami to decide your fate," Kifune said.
Hoshiyo, undeterred, accepted the terms. She nodded solemnly, understanding that her desire to protect had inadvertently unleashed devastation upon her cherished land.
With a majestic howl, Kifune summoned the rain. Clouds gathered above, and droplets descended like a cascade of blessings. The rain poured over the village and the raging inferno, extinguishing the flames that threatened to devour the beauty of the forest.
In that quiet moment, the village and forest were saved, and Hoshiyo, now bearing the weight of her atonement, stood firm beneath the celestial tears that quenched the fiery wrath unleashed by her unintended rage. Kifune warned, "Consider this a lesson, child of the stars. The Kami will show you no mercy after all the gifts they've bestowed upon you."
Hoshiyo lowered her head. "I understand."
With a quiet retreat, Kifune returned to his eternal slumber within the shrine, leaving Hoshiyo grappling with the unintended consequences of her selfless attempt to rescue her father. The Tanuki gently pulled on her fur to capture her attention and reassured her, "Whatever happens, I will always be here for you. You did the right by everyone."
"Thank you, Tanuki," Hoshiyo replied. She walked away, her tail tucked between her legs, and her ears drooped. Together, they traversed the path of shame back to the remnants of the village.
"Hey, your father is in the mountain," the Tanuki reminded her.
"Oh, no," Hoshiyo exclaimed, urgency driving her. She sprinted as far as her four paws could carry her, determined to fight through the smoke and ascend the mountain quickly, desperate to watch over her father from afar.
Gasping for breath and fueled by desperation, Hiroshiro reached the sacred place where Hoshiyo's remains had been cremated. The once tranquil surroundings were now tainted with the echoes of the villagers' rage.
"What is he doing?" The Tanuki asked.
"He's building a home underground to escape the villagers. He doesn't want to leave me," Hoshiyo cried. "What do you think they'll do to me?" "One punishment for sure; you'll be trapped here for the rest of eternity." Driven by the need for safety, Hiroshiro frantically began digging beneath the stone slab that had served as the altar for his daughter's cremation. The moist soil clung to his hands as he carved out a cavity large enough to seek refuge from the storm that raged below.
As the entrance to the cavern took shape, Hiroshiro descended into its cool, earthen embrace. Hiroshiro worked diligently to carve out a living space. A narrow bed made from gathered foliage provided some semblance of comfort, and the faint scent of the earth enveloped him in a solace that the outside world denied.
The entrance was concealed with rocks and foliage, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. It was an underground retreat where Hiroshiro could seek solace and heal from the wounds inflicted by the unforgiving world above.