Masanori wove around the juniper and spruce trees, following the faint sound of the spirit’s mocking laughter. Through the other side of the thicket, he encountered another ruined building, and he rushed into the carcass of the stone structure. Overgrown plants clung to the walls, and the ground had mostly turned into a tangle of roots.
Over the corner of an ancient wall, the spirit’s teal, glowing form peeked out. His mischievous eyes glinted with amusement, and his antlers shook with a low, subdued chuckle. His white, gleaming eyes were a replica of all the kawama Masanori had slain.
Not all the kawama he defeated returned to their rightful place in the spirit world at the edge of his blade. Since he accidentally released them into the Downworld, many knew they didn’t belong here. S
