The next day, the death of another creature was uttered in hushed tones, all of them, including the spirits, not daring to talk loudly about the new victim.
It was a gloomy morning.
The snow-laden forest is now back to its serene silence. The birds that made a cacophony of cries a few moments ago can't be seen nor heard anymore, and the pine trees that stood long before their ancestors had remained still and unmoving as if they were guarding the forest with its majestic stance. The forest looks like it was grieving. The air was heavy and there is something to it that deters any living creatures from entering.
When the cadre heard the news, Kaito was the first to get there. He was at first hesitant to enter but still decided to go in. If outside, the aura was dark and heavy, inside is a totally different picture. The forest was as vibrant as before — magical and tantalizing. Sunlight filtered through the emerald green leaves, it hues a beautiful contrast from the muddy colored barks. Flowers, both poisonous and not, scattered beautifully at the verdant snowy ground. And at the heart of the forest, a maiden lay unmoving. Her hair was long and curly. Its color is the same as the grass she's laying. Her lips, small and thin, were the color of a pomegranate.
She was an innocent beauty beneath the forest, but that maiden had already ceased from breathing — died a gruesome death.
The third victim.
Kaito scanned the surrounding. There were blood everywhere that has already dried up. Even the flowers that are white were dyed crimson. Then his gaze shifted to the stone-like creatures hiding behind the thick trees, the Koro. They have a round head that looks like a polished stone, eyes— big and dark — were like a two pair of voids in their face. The creatures were very small and were wearing a yukata that reached the ground.
When they saw Kaito looking darkly at them, the Koro tried to walk away in a panic state. They all stumbled with each other, the collision of stones echoed across the forest , their fall muffled by the snow.
Although, these creatures might have witnessed what transpired in the forest they will not talk nor help them with the investigation. For them, the death of a forest creature, murdered or not, is just nature taking its course. They do not meddle in otherworldly concerns, and will just live their lives unbothered by the outsiders.
"Just don't go near here for a while." Was all he said.
Black crows came at his beck. They swirled around him, their feathers brushing against his clothes. Kaito's pair of golden orbs glowed, and the crows cawed simultaneously, awaiting their master's command.
"Go." The birds scattered, their wings like a blade cutting through the air.
They scoured the ancient forest, eyes glowing mysteriously as it scanned the area for anything that might be a hint. Kaito then studied the place, his eyes — calm and focused — tried to picture what had happened.
A blow on the head?
The face is somewhat peaceful — fear inevident, like she was just asleep when she was killed, but still, the blood on the back of her head made him assume that it was hit by a blunt weapon. Unconscious, or she might have died after the blow, letting her killer rummaged his stomach painlessly.
But who could have done it? that's the biggest mystery.
This is already the third victim yet until now there was no evidence found, even a single footprint is not visible. Without a lead, the cadre is now on dead end.
"Commander." There was a scrunched on the snow.
Chestnut hair, brown intensed-eyes that are the color of soil after a long rain. The youngest and last member of the cadre came forward. Gohan stood tall, his shoulder squared. When the commander did not look at him he just waited with a stern look.
Gohan is an image of a well disciplined warrior, strong and buff, strict and earnest. He strictly follows the commander's order and would sincerely do it with unwavering determination.
So he waited, and watched as the crows came back. They perch on the tree branches, atop a pile of snow, beside the Koro, and the biggest on their master's shoulder. The biggest crow, that seemed to be the leader, was cawing endlessly, and the commander listened attentively — deciphering the cryptic language.
He watched as he nodded and Gohan was stupefied when their eyes met. His golden orbs were dangerously cold that he almost took a step back, his instinct telling him to run away.
"Gohan, go to the east forest. There is another victim there." Kaito commanded.
What the crows saw, their leader had told him in details. At the east, another victim was murdered.
But what made him mad? He had already seen countless of corpses, and had witnessed different deaths. He'd been to battlefields and killed numerous enemies along the way. He was also a warrior — honed in darkness — a weapon himself, but the fourth victim is nothing but a child, barely seven and had no means to fight back against a mysterious serial killer.
Gohan was about to leave but was stopped by Kaito.
"The victim, you may not want what you'll see, is a little girl." He said. "She's a tanuki."
Gohan's body went cold. He is a tanuki himself so hearing the same race as him being murdered made his heart heavy. He balled his fist in silent anger as he tried to calm himself down. He knows why his commander had told him that.
He was given a choice.
He wants him to make a decision to either come or let someone else investigate the place.
"I'll go, commander."
He was no coward. A tanuki is not the only creature that was killed. A lot of them have been. It's just that hearing about the fourth victim has just ignited a fire within his heart, it was big and spreading fast, so once he finds out who is doing all the killing then he'll make sure to kill them with his bare fist.
Justice.
It was a calling etched into his bones.