The chase pressed on, transforming from a hunt for a rabbit into a frantic search for Aoi. The thick forest closed in around us, swallowing him from sight. Occasionally, we heard his laughter echoing through the trees—playful, distant. Still chasing our meal, or so we assumed.
"This totally blows!" Fuu groaned, smacking his face in frustration. His voice cut through the dense quiet, but even his irritation felt small under the vast canopy.
"The sun's going down," Takeshi muttered, his gaze lifting toward the sky, now washed in amber and violet hues. Shadows lengthened between the trees, the forest growing darker, heavier, as the sun dipped lower.
"Damn that Aoi—why'd he run so far?" Fuu's steps grew more forceful, each stomp crushing the long grass beneath his feet. Even in his frustration, though, none of us could shake the creeping unease. The silence between us deepened, our unsaid thoughts as thick as the trees. Something felt off, but no one dared to name it.
"Aoi!" Benimaru shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth, his voice breaking the quiet like a crack of lightning. We all halted, ears straining to listen.
The silence stretched, every breath feeling heavier, weighed down by the dense air of the forest. Our eyes darted around, scanning the dark spaces between the trees, searching for any flicker of movement.
Then, finally—"Over here!" Aoi's voice, distant and tinged with laughter, like it was all still a game to him. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Relief washed over me—but only for a moment. That strange stillness lingered, and I couldn't shake the feeling of something watching us from the dark.
"I've got you now," Aoi whispered to himself, crouched high on a tree branch. Below him, the rabbit twitched its nose, oblivious. Its long ears flicked, alert, but it remained in place, pawing at the earth to dig for roots. The perfect target.
Aoi grinned, gripping the hilt of his katana. He readied his body, muscles coiling to spring, the branch creaking softly under his weight. He could already see the clean strike in his mind, the satisfying precision of it.
But before he could move, a blur of shadow lunged from the underbrush. A gnarly set of jaws snapped shut around the rabbit, swallowing its squeal in a sickening crunch. The pristine white fur of the rabbit quickly became soaked in red, the blood spilling from its crushed body in thick, pulsing streams. Limbs twitched, kicking feebly in the creature's maw before falling still, the life drained in seconds.
Aoi froze, his breath catching in his throat. The predator—a boar, but not like any boar he had ever seen—stood over the broken body. Its skin was dark, tough, almost armored, with coarse, bristling fur that clung to it like the tattered remnants of a beast long forgotten. Its eyes—black and empty—didn't flicker with awareness or hunger. It was like staring into the void.
"A Tatarigami..." Aoi muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. He felt the word like a stone in his chest. The stories had called them cursed gods, wandering spirits filled with malice, but those were just tales, weren't they? His fear turned real as he watched the creature's massive jaws, smeared with blood, tear apart the rabbit's flesh with ease.
The air around him seemed to thicken, pressing in, trapping him in a cold grip of terror. His heartbeat hammered in his chest, but he didn't dare move.
From behind, he heard Benimaru's voice ring out again. "Aoi!" The name echoed through the trees, too loud, too exposed. Aoi's heart sank, the panic rising inside him as the boar lifted its head, ears twitching toward the sound. Blood dripped from its gnashing teeth, red streaks smearing the forest floor beneath it. The boar's nostrils flared, and for a moment, it stood perfectly still, listening.
Then, "Over here!" a voice answered, distant but unmistakable. It was his voice. Aoi's stomach twisted. He clenched his jaw, eyes widening in horror. Who—or what—was mimicking him in the depths of the forest?
His grip tightened on his katana, but every muscle in his body felt like stone. The Tatarigami turned slowly, its dead eyes scanning the direction of the sound. Aoi's mind screamed at him to move, but fear pinned him down.
The branch under him groaned with the strain of his weight. Then, in one sharp crack, it snapped. Aoi tumbled from the tree, crashing through the branches, leaves scraping his skin as he plunged toward the forest floor. His body hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs, leaving him gasping for breath.
He lay there, stunned, blinking up at the creature towering above him. The Tatarigami's snout hovered just inches from his face, blood and saliva dripping from its jagged jaws. Its breath reeked of decay.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Aoi couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't move.
Then, the boar let out a low, rumbling growl.
And Aoi knew there was no escape.
__________________________________________________________________________
"Did you hear that?" Renma's voice cut through the still air, his head snapping toward the sound that echoed through the forest.
"Yeah—sounded like a branch breaking," Takeshi confirmed, his gaze narrowing toward the source. The noise came from the opposite side of the forest. Curiosity flickered in all our eyes—what was it?
"Think that could be dinner?" Fuu asked, already stepping forward, his impatience obvious. He barely stopped when Benimaru's hand landed on his shoulder.
"We need to find Aoi first," Benimaru said firmly, but Fuu shook off his grip.
"Have you seen how scarce food is around here?" Fuu snapped, his voice rising as he shoved Benimaru back. "If we miss this chance, we might not find anything else!"
A heavy silence followed his words. As selfish as Fuu sounded, he wasn't entirely wrong.
"How about we split up?" I offered, forcing a smile to ease the tension. "I'll go with Renma, and the rest of you search for Aoi."
Benimaru hesitated, weighing the risks. After a long pause, he gave a quick nod. "Fine. But be careful."
Before I could react, Fuu stormed off toward the sound without waiting for anyone. "H-hey, wait!" I called after him, scrambling to keep up as he disappeared into the trees.