[The Oni’s Perspective]

  The road was long and arduous. But when I arrived, I recognized the place at first glance. It was the same forest that met me when I first reached this accursed island. The Kina Forest. It was ugly, detestable, and saturated with that "holy" energy that suffocates my breath.

  As for the nearby village, the buildings destroyed by the dragon Ryu's attack had been repaired; life had returned to it as if nothing had happened. I went to that spot... the center of the village. The place where I was separated from my wife, Clara. I knelt on the ground and touched the dirt with my stone hand.

  I swear to you that I will see you soon. Do not fear... I am coming for you, love of my life. I swear to you.

  I stood up and headed toward the dense forest. As soon as I entered, I asked 404: Do you feel any barrier? 404 replied with his mechanical voice: < Sensors detect no energy anomalies. There is no palpable barrier. >

  So, as the Shogun said... it is impossible to breach by force, or even to see. Then... how will we get the Kina foxes out from inside the barrier? 404 replied: < The last time we were here, there were some foxes outside the barrier. Best plan: Search for these foxes and extract information from them. > I replied: Fine. Let the hunt begin.

  And so the first week passed. I began combing the forest inch by inch. But I found nothing but old fox corpses—it seems the Samurai had conducted a purge—and ordinary monsters. As for the barrier... no trace of it. I sat on a moss-covered stone, thinking and looking at 404 standing silently before me.

  I asked with boredom: It seems the Samurai killed all the foxes who were outside the barrier. Do you have any other idea? 404 replied: < Data is insufficient. Variables are many. >

  I thought angrily: How will I find a solution to this problem? Why did the Shogun say it was a mission for the Oni alone? And why, knowing I couldn't breach the barrier, did he send me here? I feel a piece is missing from this puzzle. I squeezed my brain. If only I could just burn this damn forest! But this forest is enchanted. No matter how much you burn the trees, they sprout again in less than a second. A terrifying regeneration magic.

  Wait... I looked at 404 and said: Do you think Hyukojin would be able to get us in? Or at least get the foxes out? 404 looked at me. He was silent for a moment before responding: < If Hyukojin comes here, there is a high probability the foxes will come out because they sense him. In the best case, they might consider him a god and feel obligated to welcome him. Given his great age, the probability is high. > < But... we face two problems. First: how will we convince him to come here, or force him? > < And second: if he wants to kill you, he will kill you in a matter of seconds. The power gap between you is too vast. >

  I replied: What if you could control my body? Would you be able to solve these two problems? He replied: < Yes. I can use Entity Transfer magic. But transferring an entity of Hyukojin's level without his knowledge would take exactly 377 days of continuous work. However... since I learned with you how to use the Echo of Creation, I can reduce this time to four months. > < As for the power level problem... I can contend with him. > < But this assumes I can control your body while I am still sealed. The probability of Morito breaking the seal is less than 1%. >

  I sighed and looked at the sky, which had turned into night from the depth of my lost thoughts. I feel no barrier. I cannot burn the forest. I cannot complete the mission. I cannot find emotions. I am not cutting... and my wife is far from me to comfort me. I looked to my side; my friend Hong Min had disappeared. I miss him. If that fool were here, he would have found a magical solution. But this time... Dio is alone, without his friend. He must find the solution this time. I must squeeze my mind more.

  Another week passed in this forest. But this time it wasn't combat or training, but a discussion of potential plans and ideas between me and 404 on how to breach this barrier. But... no solution.

  It was night. The moon peeked shyly from between the clouds. While we were racking our brains, suddenly... I felt something. A small, weak energy, approaching a kilometer away. Immediately, I gripped my sword Shakujo and moved there with the speed of the wind.

  When I arrived... I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a small Kina fox! Is fate with me? Why is it that whenever I am stuck... fate helps me? I went directly to him. When he saw me, he flinched and began screaming in terror: Oni! Oni!

  But I didn't care. I grabbed his neck with my stone hand, lifted him off the ground, gave a wide smile, and said: Is the son of Kina's sword, Kenjin, alive? Answer me quickly, little fox, before I kill you and drink your blood.

  He began crying and kicking the air, saying: Mother! Mother! I screamed in his face: I swear I will torture both you and your mother if you don't tell me! Then he said in a choked voice: Do you mean Maru? Yes! He is alive!

  I can't believe this! If there is a God... He loves me! If there is someone in the sky watching everything, I am certainly His favorite! He sent me the solution to the problem I spent over a week trying to solve, in a single second!

  I thank whoever you are! And to thank you, I will send you this gift you sent me! I was about to snap the little fox's neck to finish the mission. But suddenly... someone appeared. Someone I knew well. A scent I had been searching for in every corner of this world. My beloved. My adored one. My star.

  At the river of stars, By as many stars as it holds... I have waited for this night. The night of my reunion with you.

  I let the child fall to the ground. I cared for nothing but my woman. I went and hugged her tightly, squeezing her as if I wanted to pull her into my ribs. My star! Finally! You have returned to me!

  I looked at her. She looked... happy. She is surely happy to meet me. Her face was cheerful in my eyes. Then suddenly... from nowhere. Another person appeared. With a stark white sword, shimmering under the moonlight like a shard of ice. He struck my arm with his sword. I recoiled from my embrace of Clara because of the sudden pain.

  I looked at who it was. It was a cursed Kina fox... wearing white Samurai clothes. He quickly scooped up the child, Yuta. Always these foxes keep me from my wife! Always they are the cause of all problems! Then that damn fox looked at Clara and said in a worried voice: Are you okay?

  I screamed in his face, rage blinding me: Don't talk to her that way! She is my wife!

  The fox looked at me coldly, then looked at Clara and said: Don't tell me... you are him? He gave Clara the injured child and said: Take Yuta back to the forest.

  But Clara remained standing, looking at me, then at him. She tried to say something, but her voice didn't come out. The fox gave her a reassuring smile, patted her hand, and said: Go on. Don't mind me. I'll take care of this.

  I looked at Clara and screamed in despair: Clara! Don't go! Do you want to leave me again?!

  She looked at me. A look I didn't understand. It was a look... of betrayal? Then... she turned and fled. She ran toward the forest, carrying the child.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Why are you doing this???? Didn't you just show you were happy at my appearance? Traitor!! Traitor! You betrayed me and left me again! You cursed whore! Because I left you for a while, you found a new man? A fox?! Do you think a fox's cock will please you like mine? Whore!!!!!!!

  I screamed with all the strength of my lungs as she disappeared into the darkness. Then I looked at the fox, Maru. I will kill you. And I pounced on him.

  The fight began. From the start, I performed a secret move: Lightning Sword. My sword became charged with electricity, firing blue sparks with every strike. I attacked him. I was fighting brilliantly. My movements were perfect, fast, lethal. I used Lightning Sword. Every strike I aimed was enough to end an army. I am Dio the Oni; my techniques are flawless. But... this damn fox! Why won't he die?

  I struck right, I struck left. My sword cut the air with extreme precision. I attacked with all my might, tearing the earth beneath him, but he always survived at the last moment. How? Is he fast? No, he doesn't seem fast... his movement is ordinary, but he is... lucky! He is cheating! Whenever my sword nears his neck, he slides away as if his body isn't there. He must be reading my thoughts... damn you!

  404 was screaming in my mind: < Analysis: Your focus during combat is only 20%! Solution: Retreat and calm down. > < Analysis: Severe injuries to the arm and chest! Win rate 10%! Solution: Immediate escape! >

  But I didn't care. I kept striking and striking. And I was hit with every strike he landed. My wounds bled gray blood. Why does he dodge this way? Why is he so fast? WHY!!!!!! Is it because I am weak that that whore left me?

  Then suddenly... a stab. I didn't see it. The blade of his white sword pierced my chest, very close to my heart. I felt the coldness of death. A critical injury. My body began to heal itself slowly, but the bleeding was heavy.

  Immediate escape! We must find emotions! The mission! Don't forget the mission! He was about to kill me with a final blow. I bit my lip from the pain until it bled. I put all my strength, and all the energy I possessed, into my feet. Compressed fire, gale winds, and a spark of lightning. And I shot off like a rocket. A single leap from the intensity of my speed put me in the sky above the forest.

  < Analysis: Severe foot injury due to energy pressure. >

  I finally stopped after slamming into a stone wall kilometers away. I fell to the ground. I was, at that moment... Sad? No. In pain? No. I wasn't anything... but angry. A volcano of rage was boiling inside me.

  In that moment, I swore one thing. With my scream that echoed through the mountains: I swear by my name! Dio! The first and not the last Magic Swordsman! I will take revenge on everyone who insulted me today! On the fox! And on the whore!

  And then I fell silent. I didn't faint from the pain or the injuries as usual. No. I stayed with my eyes open, looking at the stars, waiting for my healing in silence... and with a new hatred growing in my heart.

  [The Kijo’s Perspective]

  Since that day at the river... nothing real had changed in the treatment. The foxes are still kind, and life is still monotonous. Or rather... one thing has changed. My relationship with Maru.

  He was, for some reason, helping me intensely. Does he think I am useless? Whenever he sees me carrying something, even a light fruit basket, he takes it from my hand and says with a calm smile: Leave it to me.

  The foxes began to tease me, whispering and winking: Maru wants to mate with you, Kage! I was deeply embarrassed by this topic. Me? And Maru? I don't think he loves me that way. He just feels regret because he shouted at me that rainy night. He is trying to atone for his sin. That’s all.

  As for little Yuta... I’ve started talking to him a lot about the outside. And he was intensely, intensely interested in places outside. His eyes gleamed whenever I described something new to him. I told him about Chang'an, my city, and how ugly, crowded, and full of smoke and poverty it is. But he didn't care about its ugliness, and said with dreamy eyes: It’s beautiful! A city full of people! Is he a fool? If he saw it with his own eyes, he would see it as hell.

  And I told him about the capital of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the black castle suspended in the sky, and he was amazed. And I told him stories I know here and there, about fictional places I read about, but never saw with my own eyes.

  Well... that’s everything about my life here. But... wait. What about the mission? I’ve been here a long time. I think it’s time to leave. Yes. I’ve discovered almost everything about the Kina and their barrier. It is time for a reunion with Dream. It is time. Today... tonight... I will escape.

  Yes. I will escape tonight. I discovered that everyone can leave the barrier, and that this place inside the barrier is a confined space that never appears outside. If you reach the end of this place, just by walking forward, you will exit. But you won't be able to enter again except through the leader or Maru.

  After the day’s work ended, it was time for food, dancing, and singing as usual. This time... there were many roses for some reason. Today we were gathering red and white roses all day. Then suddenly... everyone began placing roses on me. I was covered in roses. In my hair, on my clothes, around me. I became like a moving rose tree. I looked at them in surprise and asked: Why are you putting roses on me? They smiled and laughed. Then Yuta said, placing a rose behind my ear: You foolish old woman who only knows about the outside... every year on this day, we choose the Fox Flower... and the choice has fallen on you!

  How embarrassing! my face turned red. But... I must thank them. Thank you. Then they began smiling and pulled me to dance. We danced amidst the roses and their fragrant scent. O-ma... I think I’ll stay here a while longer...

  After the dance, I sat next to Maru. He was looking at the roses in my hand, then looked at Yuta who was playing far away. Maru said in a quiet voice: Yuta loves roses very much... do you know why? I said: Because they’re beautiful? Maru gave a half-smile: Because they are the only thing that tells him there is an outside spring. Yuta dreams of leaving here, Kage. He fell silent for a moment, then continued smoothly, as if memories were flowing from him: Today... is the day his older brother left. Yuta thinks he went out to live an adventure, but we don't know the truth. Yuta wants to follow him. He looked at the sky and said with deep sorrow: If only I were stronger... if only I were stronger, they wouldn't have to dream of escaping. I would have made this place a paradise enough for them, or I would have protected them outside.

  Then I said with warm coldness: And does the outside matter? This place is more beautiful than any outside world my eyes have seen. Maru gave a sad smile and said: Perhaps you are right... yes.

  I went to sleep; I was tired. But... while in my bed, I thought of Yuta. Why not do something useless for once? I always act logically, always calculating my steps. But tonight... I decided with a sudden and unjustified decision: I will visit Yuta. Just to talk to him before sleep. I went to his house, knocked on the door. His mother opened. Oh, Kage? Why have you come? I came to see Yuta. She looked surprised: Yuta told me he was going to see you?

  I froze. When? An hour ago... I remembered Maru’s talk about his brother. He is trying to escape! I screamed: Tell Maru to follow me! And I ran.

  I ran at my maximum speed. That idiot! It’s my fault! I filled his head with outside myths! The forest is full of monsters that Inma personally could not kill—Yuta, please come back safe! I crossed the barrier boundaries and the place around me changed immediately. The cold was biting, and the darkness was pitch black.

  Then... I saw the scene that will freeze in my memory forever. And I thought: If there is a God in this world... He would hate me.

  I saw an Oni. A monster from the old horror stories grandmothers tell. He was massive, long horns piercing the night, and skin the color of clotted blood. His eyes... they weren't human eyes. They were cold, soulless gray pits, radiating madness. He was snarling with a sound like bones breaking, holding Yuta in his giant hand.

  When the Oni saw me, he didn't attack to devour me immediately. He rushed toward me with terrifying speed... and hugged me. He squeezed me between his arms, hard as rock. He was snarling incomprehensible words, savage sounds.

  In that moment, my blood froze. I saw nothing but a monster wanting to kidnap me to hell. I was trembling with terror... Please... let me go... I’m afraid!

  Then... the darkness split. The Samurai appeared. He radiated a warm white light, his sword pure as silver. He struck the Oni with a single blow that forced him away from me. He freed me from the monster's bond. The Samurai stood before me, protective, noble. He looked at me and gave a reassuring smile despite the danger: Are you okay?

  In my eyes, he was the hero. He was the light. He gave me the injured, crying little fox and told me: Go.

  I looked at the Oni. He was snarling, striking the ground with his feet, snarling with a voice that shook the forest. I saw him attack the Samurai with brutality; his claws and sword cut through everything, attacking like a frenzied animal. But the Samurai... he was dancing. He was calmly evading the stupid monster's strikes, and the forest around us seemed to be helping him; branches tripped the monster, and the wind repelled him. The Oni was strong, but he was just a frenzied beast before the nobility of the sword.

  I pulled the little fox to my chest. And I turned my back to the darkness. I ran behind the Samurai's light, fleeing from hell toward paradise.