The forest stood still, save for the restless murmur of the wind threading through the trees. The silver light of the moon bled through the dense canopy, casting streaks of pale luminescence upon the forest floor. Shadows wove themselves into the gnarled roots and twisted branches, shifting as if alive.
The forest gave off a dark,evil aura.
A lone figure moved through the woods, his steps whisper-quiet despite the wooden geta on his feet. His robes—black and navy—flowed with each measured step, draping over a body that seemed to be tempered by years of discipline.
At his hip, a long, straight sword rested in a black lacquered sheath. The hilt was wrapped in dark silk, worn smooth from use yet polished with care. Its presence was as much a part of him as the air in his lungs, an extension of his will.
His hair, the color of night, was cut short, framing a face carved by countless battles—a face that remained as calm as the endless sky.
Taro Tsubasa was no ordinary man.
He moved deeper into the forest, his senses honed to the slightest shift in the world around him. The rustling leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, the scurrying of small creatures in the underbrush—these were familiar, expected.
But something was off.
A scent lingered in the air. Not the damp earth, not the pine, not the distant scent of a river carried on the wind. No, this was something else.
The smell of blood.
Unnerving and completely unnatural.
Taro's grip tightened ever so slightly on the hilt of his blade. He slowed his pace, his breath steady, controlled.
Then, he saw her.
A lone woman stood in the center of the dirt path ahead, bathed in the dim glow of the moon. Her kimono, a soft lavender hue, was adorned with delicate floral embroidery—yet something about the patterns struck him as odd. Almost like… cobwebs.
Her hair, dark as ink, cascaded down her back, motionless despite the faint breeze that rustled the trees. Her pale face was calm, her lips neither smiling nor frowning. She did not appear startled by his presence. If anything, she had been waiting for him.
Taro halted, fingers brushing the hilt of his tachi.
"May I help you, sir?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her voice was soft. Polite. Too polite.
He did not answer immediately. His gaze moved over her, taking in every detail—the way her hands remained utterly still at her sides, the way her feet barely pressed into the dirt.
The way the wind did not seem to touch her.
A slow exhale left his lips. "Demons can shift their forms," he said, his voice low.
The woman blinked. A faint crease formed between her brows as she said in an awkward tone. "Pardon?,I don't understand what you are talking about..."
"They take the shape of beautiful figures to lure the unwary," he continued. "But no matter how perfect the disguise, there is always something they cannot fully hide. An aura. A presence."
His fingers tightened around his sword.
"Of course, that is only true for lesser demons."
The woman's lips parted, her expression shifting—hesitation, perhaps confusion. "What are you—"
*SLASH*
Steel met flesh with effortless precision.
The black blade cleaved through the woman's neck, severing her head in a single stroke. For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then, before it could hit the ground, Taro caught it by the hair.
Lifting it, he turned the severed face toward his own. The once serene expression had changed. Her eyes, wide with shock, no longer held human warmth. They gleamed with something primal, something hateful.
"Where are the children?" Taro asked. His voice remained impassive, but the weight of his words hung heavy in the night air.
No response. Only silence.
Then—
"DAAAAMN YOOOUUU!!"
The woman's eyes burned scarlet. Her pupils twisted into monstrous slits, and a terrible, guttural screech erupted from her throat.
The severed head ripped itself free from his grip.
A sickening snap.
From the base of the decapitated neck, a single web shot forth, attaching to the still-standing body. The head reeled back, reconnecting with unnatural ease.
"You..." she snarled, her voice now layered with something inhuman. "I shall kill you!"
Her kimono shredded as her form twisted.
Skin peeled away, revealing writhing muscle beneath. Spiked tendrils burst from her back, glistening with a thick, putrid substance. Extra arms—jagged, clawed—sprouted from her sides, twitching with monstrous strength.
Her lower half split open, warping into the chitinous legs of a spider.
"So you were a Jorōgumo?"
Taro did not flinch at the grotesque sight before him.
The demon lunged.
Tendrils lashed out like spears, aiming for his throat.
Taro moved.
With a single step, he vanished from sight. The air split as his blade carved through the tendrils mid-strike. The beast shrieked, the forest trembling with its agony.
The moment his feet touched the severed tendrils, he launched himself skyward.
Then he saw them.
Fine, nearly invisible threads crisscrossed the air above, catching the moonlight in a delicate lattice. A deathtrap woven for him.
The demon laughed. "What will you do now, warrior?" she sneered. "You are already caught."
"Foolish," Taro murmured.
He drew a breath, deep and steady.
His sword gleamed under the pale light of the moon. A shadow-like aura coiled around the blade, seething with unseen energy.
He made a circular slash that was accompanied by a streak of shadowy smoke like energy.
Taro was still in the air his sword still engulfed in thay shadowy energy that seemed out of place under the shining light of the moon.
Then,he jumped off the ground.
One final strike.
A downward slash.
A wretched scream split the night as the blade cleaved through the demon's body.
"C-CURSE YOU… BASTARD…!!"
Her monstrous form convulsed violently before collapsing in a heap of lifeless flesh.
Taro landed lightly. With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed his sword with a quiet click.
Lifting two fingers, he traced a swift, deliberate gesture in the air. The shadowy aura that had surrounded his sword now lingered on his fingertips, forming eerie symbols.
"I banish thee," he murmured, voice calm yet absolute. "O escapee of Hell's deepest depths… be condemned once more to eternal damnation and never haunt the people of the physical plain."
The demon's corpse shuddered. Then, with a final, choked hiss, it withered, dissolving into pale white ash. The wind carried the remains into the night.
Silence.
Taro turned. Without a backward glance, he walked forward, escorted only by the shadows of the forest and the distant murmur of the wind.
He had to find the kidnapped children.
After a few minutes he did find them.
They were trapped in a cave covered by giant webs.
"Mister...please..I wanna go home!"
"Don't worry I am here to break you out"
Taro made quick work of the strong webs and headed back to the village with the children.
__________________
The village gates loomed ahead, lanterns flickering against the dark. A small crowd had gathered, their faces tight with worry.
The moment they saw him with the children, their expressions shifted—from fear to relief.
"He's returned!" someone gasped.
"The demon… is it truly gone?"
"My children..!!"
Taro stepped forward. He gave a single nod and gestured the children to back to their parents but they were already on it.
A collective exhale rippled through the villagers.
An elder approached, clutching a small pouch. "As promised, this is your reward."
Taro accepted it without a word. The weight of the coins meant nothing to him. But,he still had to live somehow
A small boy,the one that asked for his help back at the cave,peeked out from behind his recently reunited mother. "Mister… are you a samurai?"
Taro glanced at him. "No."
"Then… what are you?"
The wind stirred.
At last, Taro knelt and patted the boy's head. "Samurai protect their lords. I protect you."
The child smiled.
Taro turned away, walking into the night.
The road stretched endlessly before him.