“Hikage, come!”

  Hikage leaped forward, slashing the yokai’s back before swiftly returning to my side. As Hikage transformed into a sickle mid-air, I caught Hikage and executed a diagonal slash at the next incoming yokai.

  The Yokai screamed before falling onto its back and dying.

  A shriek filled the air before the creature collapsed, its body convulsing briefly before going still.

  I let out a weary sigh. “They just keep coming, one after another.”

  Once all the incoming yokai were slain, I tossed Hikage upward and reverted back to its weasel form, immediately sinking its fangs into the fresh corpse. Meanwhile, I knelt down, reaching into the dead yokai’s chest to extract its magatama.

  This was the seventh one… yet they just kept appearing, drawn to the two unconscious Onmyouji behind me like moths to a flame.

  I turned my head around, stealing a glance over my shoulder. I confirmed the barrier was still intact and the two of them are still unconscious.

  “Hah… It’s almost dawn… How much longer do I have to watch over these two?” I muttered, rubbing my temples.

  I scratched my head, but my mind is still circling back to what I had witnessed earlier.

  “…What the hell was that thing?”

  My breath hitched, remembering the scene I saw right after arriving.

  A silhouette as vast as mountains, moving for just a second before vanishing into thin air.

  ‘Was that a…Yokai?’

  ‘But from the looks of it, it appears to be protecting those two…’

  I couldn’t make sense of it. The more I tried to connect the dots, the more they scattered.

  Then, a sudden surge of spiritual energy jolted me back to reality. A strong presence was approaching from the opposite direction. I focused on my hearing—someone was calling out, I assume they’re here to look for those two…

  “I guess it’s time to bail… Hikage, let’s go.”

  With one powerful leap, I vanished into the dense forest, taking cover among the trees and leaves. I stayed for a moment, just to make sure they’re alright… If these newcomers had bad intentions, I could always strike first.

  Moments later, a frantic voice echoed through the clearing.

  “They’re here! Hurry, bring the medics!”

  A group clad in white robes rushed in, surrounding the area. Chanting in unison, they summoned a brilliant wave of light that forced me to squint.

  Then, a barrier formed—this one more refined than the previous one, glowing with a sickly yellow-white hue. The sight alone made my stomach churn.

  “So that’s how real Onmyouji works… Those two must’ve been complete rookies.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “Welp, now I can finally go back.”

  As dawn broke, I turned my path toward the hospital.

  A vast emptiness surrounded me.

  Everything is pitch black…

  And I can feel myself floating around aimlessly.

  “W—where am I?”

  The world around me was an endless abyss, deeper than the darkest night. No stars, no horizon—just an infinite void.

  …Did I die?

  A lump formed in my throat. My chest ached, and despite my best efforts, tears spilled over.

  ...I should be… I got cocky, treating everything as if it's a game with me as the main character.

  I failed to understand that it was a Difficult game with no extra Lives in play.

  Tears started to stream endlessly down my face.

  “I… I’m sorry, Senior Sister… I got you killed too.”

  “I’m sorry, Grandma… I promised to send money back to the orphanage, but—”

  Suddenly a deep tremor shook the abyss, sending me tumbling. The very fabric of this void seemed to ripple.

  *GROOOOOOOOOOOOAANG

  A monstrous sound reverberated through the darkness.

  Something massive lurked here. Something… familiar.

  After a while, my vision finally adjusted. And was able to faintly saw my surrounding

  Then—a bone chilling wind came and blew my back.

  I had goosebumps and immediately turned around just to see a pair of glowing turquoise eyes fixated on me.

  A cold chill ran down my spine. My breath hitched as my body felt weak, refused to move.

  The creature stared, as if peering directly into my soul.

  *GROOOOOOOR

  As its mouth opened, another gust of wind howled through the void, carrying an unearthly resonance.

  “Y—you?!” I gasped. Recognition struck me like lightning. “You’re that turtle I made a contract with back in Hokkaido, right? Uhh—what was your name again…? Genbu?”

  The giant let out a deep, guttural rumble. It sounded… displeased.

  “Alright, alright! Sorry, I forgot your name!” I stammered. “And… thanks. I guess you protected me, huh? Even though I’m dead, I still hope that my Senior Sister is—”

  Genbu’s mouth opened wide—so wide it seemed like it could swallow the sky itself. Then, a torrent of water burst forth, crashing into me like a waterfall of pure force.

  And I was sent hurtling through the void, tumbling endlessly—

  “Waaaaaah!”

  I jolted awake, drenched in sweat. My chest heaved. My mind reeled.

  “W—where am I?”

  The familiar scent of tatami filled my nose. The sliding doors, the futon beneath me—this was the Kanzaki household. My temporary room.

  “I… I didn’t die?”

  My body remained frozen, struggling to process what had just happened. The memories swirled together in a haze. Then, suddenly, clarity struck.

  “Ah! Senior Sister! Is she okay?”

  I threw my blanket off and tried to rise—only to collapse onto the floor.

  “H—huh?” My limbs refused to cooperate. I clenched my fists, willing my legs to move, but the moment I stood, they buckled beneath me. I crashed back onto the futon.

  After several failed attempts, a voice came from outside.

  “It’s best if you don’t move yet…After all, yesterday was the first time you exhausted all your spiritual energy. It is natural for your body to react like that.”

  The sliding door creaked open. A familiar figure stepped inside, carrying a bowl of warm porridge.

  “Senior Sister! You’re alright!”

  She smiled. “Yes… thanks to you.”

  I shook my head. “No… all I did was summon Genbu and chase them off. He disappeared right after. We were saved because of your barrier.”

  “But if it weren’t for you, we would’ve been overrun by them. And the barrier wouldn’t have lasted.”

  Her words were meant to reassure me, but my heart clenched. The truth was undeniable—I was the reason we ended up in danger in the first place.

  I lowered my gaze as guilt gnawed at me.

  “Senior Sister, I—”

  As I raised my face and saw her right in the eye, I froze mid-sentence.

  My eyes widened as I took a closer look at her.

  Her face was bruised. Badly.

  But… that didn’t make sense. The only injury she had sustained was a claw wound on her arm.

  Then where—

  Where did she get all those bruises?

  “S—senior Sister… Uh, that—”

  I hesitated, but still vaguely pointed at the bruise on her arm. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of bitterness flickering behind her forced smile.

  “Ah, this? It's just a small—”

  “It's because of me, isn't it?”

  “What? No! This is—”

  “It’s okay, Senior Sister, you don’t have to deny it. I might be a little slow sometimes, but I’m not stupid. If it were that obvious, I'd recognize it immediately.”

  My voice wavered as my chest tightened. Tears welled up and spilled over, my vision blurring.

  “I-I’m sorry. Nngh... huuu…”

  I buried my face in my hands, trying to hide my trembling shoulders and the ugly sobs escaping my throat. The weight of guilt crushed down on me, suffocating.

  A moment later, I felt the warmth of her arms wrapping around me.

  “It’s okay… it’s not your fault,” she murmured over and over. Her voice was steady, soothing, grounding me in the present. Before I realized it, my breathing had steadied, my tears drying against my sleeves.

  Time passed by as the room turned silent and got awkward right after my outburst had passed.

  Then, with a slightly stiff, almost nervous tone, she broke the tension.

  “Come on, try the porridge I made for you.”

  I wiped my face and gave a small nod. “Mhm...”

  She scooped a spoonful of white soggy porridge and leaned it into my mouth, my eyes snapped open.

  To be honest, I felt embarrassed being spoon fed at my current age. But since my whole body was limp and had no strength, I had no choice but to accept it.

  The moment the porridge entered my mouth, the faint aroma of chicken, ginger, and leek filled my nose, comforting and rich.

  One sip of the warm chicken broth was enough to make the heat spread through me, warm up my body. Each spoonful carries a brilliant blend of flavors, soothing my soul and revitalizing my spirit.

  I exhaled softly, a breath of steam escaping my lips. My cheeks flushed from the warmth.

  “How is it? Delicious, right?”

  Feeling a little shy, I nodded.

  She smiled, her expression was gentle. Embarrassed, I quickly looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

  “You see, in the Onmyouji Organization, respect is determined by rank. While you may be special, you are still considered an entry–level exorcist…”

  I listened quietly as she continued.

  “And it is up to me, a mid–level exorcist, to take care of you until you're strong enough to stand on your own. But tonight's incident…” She sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. “I was too naive. I failed to gauge whether you were ready, and I underestimated the danger level.”

  “No, it’s not your fault, Senior Sister. It was me who insisted on that practical lesson—”

  “But still, it was my negligence that put you in danger.” Her grip on her spoon tightened. “To be honest, I wanted to give you a sense of accomplishment on your first outing. But because of my own shortcomings, you ended up in a life-threatening situation… My mistake could have cost you your life.”

  “Like I said, its not—”

  “It is!” she interrupted, her voice unusually firm. “If you had died yesterday… the Onmyouji would have lost one of the Divine Beast Contractors. I wouldn’t have been able to escape execution.”

  “E—Execution?! Isn't that going overboard?”

  “Of course not,” she replied gravely. “You are one of the Guardians of Humanity. Calling you the future pillar of the Onmyouji might not be entirely wrong. In fact, my punishment was considered light—because my father is one of the council elders.”

  I swallowed, a heavy feeling settling in my stomach.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “But… the faction sees the Kanzaki Clan as too sloppy in training you. They are even considering moving you to another clan.”

  My body tensed. “What? No! I don’t want to move! I like training here!”

  “Really? Despite my shortcomings?”

  “Yes! You're an amazing teacher! And… I don’t think I’d have this much fun learning from anyone else!”

  Her expression softened, relief washing over her features. “Really? I’m glad, then…”

  I hesitated before asking, “S–So, what will happen to me?”

  She sighed, her fingers tracing the rim of her bowl. “I… don’t know. The final decision is in the hands of the Council Elders. They might reassign you to another clan, or they might let you stay.”

  A knot of uncertainty twisted in my chest.

  Trying to push aside my worries, I cleared my throat. “O–Oh yeah, I have something to ask.” I finished eating the rest of the porridge and began telling her about my dream.

  “A pitch–black space with Genbu?” She frowned, holding her chin as she was deep in thought. “Hmm… this is just a guess, but it might be your Shikigami Space.”

  “What’s a Shikigami Space?”

  “First off, you know what a Shikigami is, right?”

  “Yes. It’s a spirit that answers our call during summoning. Then we make a contract, and it takes whatever form we need to fulfill our wishes.”

  “Precisely! Once a contract is established, the Shikigami lends you its soul, and it is stored inside your body. Every time you want to summon it, your spiritual energy resonates with the soul inside yourself, making the summoning possible.”

  “Then, is Shikigami Space is like… the place where all your Shikigami soul are stored?”

  She nodded. “You can communicate with them and check their condition there.”

  I frowned. “Oh, so it’s like a housing system in a game! But then… why is mine just a vast emptiness with only Genbu inside?”

  “Like I said before, it seems your contracted beast doesn’t like you forming contracts with other Shikigami… Your Shikigami Space is filled with only Genbu.”

  “What?! Does that mean I can’t make another contract?!”

  “I—I suppose so… hehe, I’m sorry. It’s the first time that this has happened, so I’m not really sure...”

  “What about other Divine Beast contractors? They can’t make contracts too?”

  Hikari shook her head, “Out of five contractors, three people don't fight with Shikigami. But the last one… Suzaku contractors, she was okay with contracting other Shikigami besides Suzaku.”

  “N—No way! So does that mean it’s because of the pettiness of this Turtle within me?!”

  Hikari giggled. “Don’t be mad. Genbu is one of the Divine Beasts. Didn’t you see how powerful it was?”

  “Well, I suppose so… but the fact that I can’t contract any other Shikigami irritates me. It felt like my equipment slot was blocked for some reason…”

  Hikari shows a confused expression as she scratches her cheek.

  I huffed. “Uhh… that earthquake yesterday was my fault, right?... I don’t think it’s practical if I cause a tremor every time I summon it.”

  “That’s because it was your first time summoning it. With training, you can control Genbu’s size.”

  “Ohhh, so that’s what you meant by adjusting its form to fit our needs.”

  She nodded, “By controlling your summoned Shikigami, you can adjust its strength or size to fit what you need.”

  She scooped another porridge and fed me before continuing her explanation.

  “For example… I can summon Mochiko and wish that my summoned Shikigami has a form that emphasizes on its speed. The summoned Mochiko will turn into an extremely slim Rabbit, but I am so used to the fat Mochiko that I found it adorable.”

  I held my chin in thought. ‘I used up all my spiritual energy just to summon Genbu for less than twenty seconds. I have to master this power…’

  She asked me a question that made me snap awake from my thoughts.

  "Back then, I was out cold, so I don’t know what happened. Can you tell me? About what happened back then and—when you summoned your Shikigami, what did you wish for?"

  Her sudden question caught me off guard.

  "—Eh? I'm not sure… I think I wished for a big, super strong Shikigami to appear and scare those monkeys away. And then, in an instant, that thing appeared from the sky like a meteor and caused that massive earthquake."

  "Or so I’ve heard. All the senior Onmyouji who came to save us kept saying an unnatural earthquake happened. They thought it was caused by a Yokai... What happened next?"

  "Then, Genbu roared and scared them away. And after that—" I immediately stopped, as I glanced at her with hesitation in my face, my eyes flickering before asking her a question.

  "Senior sister… Is there such a thing as a kind Yokai?"

  Her eyebrows furrowed. "A kind… Yokai? Why are you asking that?"

  "Yes. Back then… Amid my foggy vision inside your Crimson Barrier, another Yokai appeared and tried to break through the barrier. But—"

  “Another Yokai came and stopped it?”

  I nodded, “Yes! He doesn't look like a Yokai, in fact… he looked just like a human male. But the way he overpowered that Yokai and sent it flying with just a kick… there’s no way he was an ordinary human, right?"

  “He? So, it's a male?”

  I rubbed my temple, trying to replay yesterday's event in my mind, "Although I’m not sure what he looked like. As my vision was blurry, and the Crimson Barrier’s glow made everything hard to see. But his voice… it was definitely a man’s."

  Hikari went silent. A few moments passed before she shook her head, her expression hardening.

  "Forget about it. Like I said before, Yokai are masters of deception. They can make you believe they’re harmless, trick you into feeling sympathy, and lower your guard without you realizing it."

  She continued, "And then, when you least expect it, they strike. Didn’t you almost get tricked by that Enko yesterday? Whatever that Yokai was, it probably has an extremely high proficiency in illusions or shapeshifting techniques."

  I swallowed hard. So far, she’d never been wrong. I had to start being more cautious around strangers…

  "Thank you for your advice, Senior Sister." I gave a slight bow, but even that small movement made my body protest with exhaustion.

  "It’s fine. I’m your senior, after all. It’s my job to guide you into becoming a proper Exorcist." She picked up the empty bowl of porridge and stood up.

  “For now, just rest and recover your spiritual energy. We’ll start the training again once you’ve recovered. As for the matter of your new mentor… the council elder will most likely be done with their discussion in a day or two.”

  She slid the door shut behind her, leaving me in silence. I pulled the blanket over myself.

  In a span of a few minutes, I was fast asleep.

  Ryohei stood in the hospital hallway, waiting anxiously for Ruri’s full examination to be completed. The doctor had already declared her fully recovered, but to be certain, they conducted one final check-up. He shifted his gaze on his feet, glancing at the closed door, as his feet kept tapping impatiently.

  Then the door opened as the doctor finally emerged from the scan room, Ryohei straightened up and immediately approached him.

  “How is Ruri, doctor?” he asked, his voice laced with both hope and concern.

  Despite witnessing Elder Korpokkur treating her injured leg first hand, he can never be too cautious. Who knows? They’re might be side effects on getting a treatment from a yokai after all.

  The doctor gave a reassuring nod. “Her check-up results are in—she has made a full recovery.”

  Ryohei exhaled in relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Really? That’s great news. Thank you, doctor.”

  The doctor hesitated for a moment before sighing. He felt like he was undeserved for the thanks, as he did little to nothing to cure her.

  “I’ll write a final prescription for her, but I need to advise against any extreme physical activity for a while.”

  Ryohei nodded. “Understood. I’ll make sure she takes it easy.”

  Once the discharge process was completed, Ruri clung to Ryohei’s sleeve as they walked out of the hospital together. Her small hand tugged at his arm, her eyes bright with excitement.

  “Big Brother, did you kick that fish’s butt?” she asked, tilting her head mischievously.

  Ryohei froze for a second, then quickly shushed her. “Shhh! That’s a secret, alright? Don’t tell Mom.” He bent down slightly, lowering his voice. “Big Brother almost drove it away. For now, stay away from the river, okay?

  Ruri’s head nodded in quick agreement. “Okay! I won’t play near it!”

  Satisfied with her promise, Ryohei grinned before scooping her up and placing her on his shoulders. Ruri squealed in delight, her laughter ringing through the air as she clung to his head.

  Their walk home was filled with warmth and laughter. For the first time in a while, the weight on Ryohei’s heart felt lighter.

  When they arrived, their mother was stunned to see Ruri fully healed. What was meant to be a simple breakfast turned into a feast in celebration of her recovery.

  After the hearty meal, Ryohei found his mother and Ruri fast asleep, exhausted from overeating. Leaving them to rest, he quietly made his way to his room, his expression growing serious.

  He spread out a map on his desk, tracing the markings where a Kappa had been sighted over the last few days. Surrounding it were books, notes, and his own recordings on its possible weaknesses and methods to lure it out.

  Kappa weren’t exactly a rare Yokai. In fact, plenty of them lived along Nagano’s rivers, varying in size and temperament.

  But the one he was looking for was different—a Kappa with a slash wound over its left eye. A wound inflicted by Hikage when Kamaitachi came to his aid.

  Ryohei scratched his head in frustration. Something about this didn’t add up.

  From everything he’d read and learned, normally… That Kappa should have recovered from the Kamaitachi’s attack, considering the natural healing properties of Yokai.

  But that one didn’t recover…

  His gaze shifted to his own arm, focusing on the bite mark left by the creature.

  ‘Was that Kappa running out of spiritual energy?…But why?‘

  This was just an assumption, but if the Kappa was truly running out of Spiritual Energy and growing desperate for prey, then this was the perfect moment to strike. A starving yokai was a weak yokai.

  Ryohei stepped out of the house, seeking Elder Korpokkur to pry more information from him.

  “Elder Korpokkur, do you have a moment?”

  He was taken aback by the sight before him. The old Korpokkur was lounging atop a lotus leaf, cucumber slices over his eyes, indulging in what looked like a spa treatment.

  “Oh, hey there. What’s up? Is it time to go back?” Said Elder Korpokkur as he took one cucumber slice covering his eyes and glanced at Ryohei.

  “No, we’re leaving tomorrow… I had something else to ask.”

  Truthfully, Ryohei could have escorted them home already since his little sister's treatment was complete. But he had deliberately delayed their return.

  ‘I was about to fight that Kappa. And having a pair of doctors on hand in case things turned from bad to worse… I felt sorry for tricking these guys—but once tonights battle is over, I’ll definitely take them back home’

  “Do you know anything about Kappa? Their weaknesses? Their abilities?”

  “Kappa? Not really. Why?”

  Ryohei hesitated. “I need information. The more the better…”

  Elder Korpokkur raised an eyebrow. “Look, just because we both live around water doesn’t mean I know every water—based yokai.”

  “I understand. Just tell me what you know.”

  The old yokai locked eyes with him—and immediately his expression shifted.

  “…Are you planning to hunt the Kappa that attacked your sister?”

  Ryohei remained silent, his gaze unwavering with sheer determination.

  Elder Korpokkur sighed and gave in.

  "Haish… sure, but I only know a little. They love cucumbers, rarely attack humans, and—well, they have a nasty habit of taking something called a Shirikodama from their victims ass—"

  “W—wait! Too fast! What did you say just now?!”

  “Like I said, they took Shirikodama from their victims asses and—”

  “No! not that! Before it!”

  “Uh… they rarely attack humans?”

  “Is that true?!”

  “Well, yeah… They’re awfully similar to Korpokkur, only do what we like. They have a fondness for Cucumbers. Their diet was mostly from cucumbers or fish.”

  Ryohei's mind raced. "At what point did they have no other option but to attack humans?"

  Elder Korpokkur didn’t answer, he waved the cucumber slices on top of his eyes before throwing it inside his mouth, then followed up with a crunchy sound.

  “I don’t know… hunger I guess?”

  “Haa? Hunger? But that’s—”

  Ryohei's eyes were shot open as he rushed towards his note and frantically flipped the page of his note.

  “Cucumbers, hunger, rarely attack humans…”

  The corner of his mouth slowly rose into a grin, “One last question, if a yokai were to starve for a long time… does that affect its spiritual energy?”

  “Of course! Yokai eat a lot. If their bellies aren’t filled, it will affect their energy.”

  “I see…” Ryohei stood up and thanked Elder Korpokkur.

  Before he was about to go back to his room, he paused and turned around.

  “One more thing… Can I ask you for a small favor, elder?”

  Inside his room, he wrote all the new discoveries he found on his note.

  “Kappa rarely attack humans, and their diet consists of cucumbers and fish… Right now—summer has just ended and now the Autumn season has just arrived. But cucumbers are plants that can only grow in Spring and Autumn. Which makes them lose their primary source of food.”

  Ryohei browsed the internet, searching for information about a specific type of fish. In order to confirm his suspicion.

  “They move to their secondary food source, which is… fish. But in Autumn, fishes migrate during this season. And it was well known that Ayu (Sweetfish) was also one of them.”

  “Not to mention Ayu (sweetfish) has some very specific regulations around its fishing permit, the only time where it is permitted to fish was during its fishing season. It’s in late spring to early autumn. Since the only moment where it was permitted to fish Ayu was during Late spring up to early autumn, many fishermen have already been mass catching that fish.”

  “And when a group of Kappas that was also running out of its secondary food source, they became rabid and had no choice but to compete with each other to hunt the remaining fishes.Those who succeed will have its belly full, whereas those who failed will remain hungry and had no choice but to hunt humans to fill their belly.”

  Ryohei clenched his fist. It all made sense now. The unhealed slash on the Kappa’s body, its reckless attack, and desperation of its crazed hunger.

  His expression turned sour, as if understanding its pain.

  “I feel sorry for you… despite you attacking us—it wasn’t acting out of malice. It was acting out of pure survival.” Ryohei took a deep breath, calming himself down. “Still, that doesn’t justify your action to try to eat my little sister.”

  After piecing everything together, Ryohei came up with a solid plan for his approach.

  ‘If that Kappa attacked a human because it was starving, it’s safe to assume that the cucumbers in the wild and grown in farms have all been eaten… But some farmers grow cucumbers in greenhouses year-round, if I can secure some, I can use it as bait.’

  Ryohei packed all his note, map and purse into his bag, “Hikage, let's go.”

  Hikage wakes up from her small nap and then hops onto Ryohei’s shoulder.

  Ryohei glanced at his Mom and little sister, dozing off on the couch. He can’t help but smile. “I’m off... Ruri, mom…”

  With a clear resolve, he heads to the town.

  “Uncle! I’m buying your cucumbers!” Ryohei called out.

  The old man at the stall raised an eyebrow. “Sure thing! How many?”

  Ryohei began tossing cucumbers into a bag, one after another, until he had an entire plastic bag filled with them.

  “Wow, that’s a lot... Are you making pickles?” the vendor asked, curiously.

  Ryohei smiled, “Yeah… something like that.”

  After securing the bait, he slipped into a quiet alleyway and transformed into his Half–Kamaitachi form.

  “Hikage, can you sense your sister?”

  Hikage and Raisen are twins Kamaitachi, they shared a bond that allowed them to sense each other’s location.

  Hikage’s ear twitched as it glanced around frantically, before going into a full sprint towards the south.

  Ryohei's eyes narrowed. “Just as I thought… South.”

  He followed her, sprinting toward the long stretch of the Chikuma River winding through southern Nagano.

  Hours passed, but Hikage didn’t stop. Then suddenly, she came to an abrupt halt.

  “What is it? Why did you stop?” Ryohei asked.

  Hikage glanced around and let out a long, high–pitched squeak.

  “Kuuuuuuuuuu~”

  A moment of silence followed. Then, from afar, an answering cry echoed back.

  “Kwooooooo~

  Hikage dove forward, straight toward her sister. As soon as they met, they playfully tumbled together spinning in the air like Yin and Yang..

  “Raisen! Nice work tracking it down... where is it?”

  Raisen lifted a claw and pointed toward the river. Despite the water not being that deep, the daylight should have made it possible to see through. But no matter how many times Ryohei scanned the surface, he found nothing.

  “Are you saying it suddenly disappeared around here?” he asked.

  Raisen nodded.

  “Hmmm… well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For now, we’ll wait by the riverside and observe.”

  Ryohei descended slowly along with Hikage and Raisen, resting on top of a tree branch and waiting until the night arrived.

  As the sun slowly sets and night begins to arise, the surrounding area is getting darker.

  But despite it turning into night, there is still no sign of it.

  Only when the night reached midnight that they’re a change in the river. The water became stirred as a circling whirlpool appeared in the middle of the river.

  Ryohei, who had fallen asleep, felt a slight nudge on his face, and immediately made him snap awake.

  “!”

  “Raisen? Why did you—”

  His eyes widened, laying himself low and focused on the weird change in the river.

  The whirlpool started to grow bigger and bigger, then a big burst of water blasted out with that Kappa emerging from the center of the river..