Chapter 4 — Yaksha

The girl trembled weakly beneath the moonlight.

Blood continued dripping from the glowing strings wrapped tightly around her body.

Her lips moved slightly, trying desperately to say something—

But no words came out.

Yuka silently stared at her.

Even without hearing her voice…

He understood.

Without hesitation, he stepped closer and slowly pulled out his sword.

Slash—

The glowing strings binding her body were cut apart instantly.

The girl collapsed forward, but Yuka caught her before she hit the ground.

For a brief moment, he looked at the horrifying wounds covering her body.

Then—

His eyes changed.

The white around his irises remained visible, but the rest of his eyes turned crimson red.

A glowing aura spread across his hands.

Yuka placed his hand carefully in front of her.

Warm red light surrounded the girl’s body.

Her wounds slowly began healing.

The blood disappeared.

Even her destroyed eyes regenerated completely.

The girl stared at him silently in disbelief.

After healing her injuries, Yuka used another ability to create simple clothing around her body using a dark slime-like substance.

Then he quietly handed her a bottle of water.

She hesitated at first.

But eventually accepted it.

Yuka observed her carefully.

She isn’t alive…

But she isn’t dead either.

“…What happened to you?” Yuka finally asked.

“How did you end up like this?”

The girl remained silent.

She only stared at him nervously before looking away.

Yuka noticed immediately.

She was afraid.

After everything that happened…

Trusting someone was impossible.

Yuka slowly stood up and turned away.

“You don’t have to explain anything,” he said calmly.

“I can read the atmosphere well enough.”

He pointed toward the claw marks scattered across the trees nearby.

“There are traces everywhere.”

Deep scars stretched across the forest.

The trees themselves looked corrupted.

“And one thing is certain…”

Yuka narrowed his eyes.

“Whatever caused this isn’t human.”

Yuka's eyes narrowed slightly.

"And neither you are"

He began walking away.

“If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine.”

“I’m not staying here wasting my time.”

The girl suddenly stood up.

“…How do you know I’m not human?”

Yuka stopped.

“I never said anything about that.”

She stared directly at him now.

“And if you’re assuming because of the blood loss, any normal human would look the same after losing that much blood.”

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

“And you…”

“You’re not normal either.”

“A human shouldn’t possess powers like yours,” she said cautiously.

“But you still have a soul…”

Her eyes locked into this.

“So who exactly are you?”

For a moment—

Silence filled the forest.

Then Yuka answered coldly.

“Knowing about me is unnecessary.”

He looked toward the claw marks again.

“As for how I know you’re not human…”

He pointed toward several insects lying dead near the trees.

“The energy within these scars isn’t from this world.”

“The moment living creatures touch it…”

“They die instantly.”

The girl’s expression changed slightly.

“So you already know about this power…”

Yuka gave no reply.

Instead, he quietly began following the direction where the claw marks continued deeper into the forest.

“Hey—wait!”

The girl quickly followed behind him.

As they walked through the forest, she finally began speaking.

“…My friend and I were together before this happened.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“We’re not alive… but calling ourselves dead doesn’t feel right either.”

“We don’t remember what happened to us.”

“The only thing I know… is that we’ve always been together.”

Yuka listened silently.

Then her expression darkened.

“While we were resting… something appeared.”

“I don’t know what it was.”

“But it was completely black… and surrounded by a dark red aura.”

“It attacked my friend first.”

“She lost control afterward…”

The girl lowered her head.

“She attacked me with powers I’d never seen before.”

“That’s how I ended up trapped there.”

She hesitated for a moment.

“…My name is Yumi.”

Yuka suddenly paused.

The description matched perfectly.

A black entity… red aura…

His expression became darker.

So this is what he meant…

“This one is different.”

Then another realization struck him.

The green light from earlier…

That was her attack.

Yuka slowly narrowed his eyes.

So it really came from there…

After several more minutes, the forest finally opened into a massive grassy field beneath the full moon.

A single cherry blossom tree stood alone in the distance.

And beneath it—

Someone was standing there.

A girl with brown hair.

Dark crimson eyes.

A violent red aura surrounded her body.

Yumi froze instantly.

“…Eve?”

Yuka immediately drew both his sword and handgun.

His entire posture changed instantly.

Ready to fight.

Meanwhile, Yumi slowly stepped forward.

Her voice shook weakly.

“Eve…”

“What happened to you…?”

“What have you become…?”

She carefully reached her hand toward her friend.

Suddenly—

Eve lunged at her violently.

Claws tore through the air—

CLANG!

Yuka intercepted the attack instantly with his sword.

The impact pushed the ground apart beneath them.

Yuka immediately grabbed Yumi and pulled her backward.

“Are you insane?!” he shouted.

“That thing isn't your friend anymore," Yuka said coldly

"It's a Yaksha"

Yumi stared at him in confusion.

“…Yaksha?”

“That’s Eve!”

Yuka kept his eyes fixed on the girl ahead.

“No.”

“She’s being controlled.”

His grip tightened around his sword.

“A Yaksha is a corrupted soul consumed by power.”

“The moment you told me you weren’t human…”

“I already suspected it.”

“You’re the perfect vessel for one of them.”

As they spoke—

Eve suddenly released a horrifying scream.

Her red aura exploded violently around her body, becoming brighter and darker at the same time.

The pressure alone shook the field.

Yuka stepped forward slightly.

“Stay back.”

“That isn’t your friend anymore.”

The moment he finished speaking—

BOOM!

The ground shattered beneath Yuka's feet as he vanished forward

His blade collided against Eve’s claws instantly.

Eve blocked his blade with her claws and threw him backward with monstrous force.

Yuka flew across the field before slamming his sword into the ground to stop himself.

Sparks exploded across the grass.

Meanwhile—

Yumi collapsed to her knees.

Her mind was breaking apart.

She remembered laughing with Eve.

Playing together.

Their promise to always stay together.

Tears filled her eyes as she watched them fight.

The battle sounds around her slowly faded.

Everything became distant.

Slow.

Then suddenly—

Tears streamed down Yumi’s face as she screamed desperately:

“Mr. Mask…!”

“Please… save Eve!”

At that exact moment—

Yuka froze.

A memory flashed through his mind.

A younger version of himself.

Crying.

A dead girl lying beside him.

His breathing stopped for a moment.

He looked toward Eve.

Then Yumi.

Then finally—

At his weapons.

Slowly…

His crimson eyes began glowing brighter.

Red aura flowed from his hands into both his sword and gun.

The weapons themselves started shining beneath the moonlight.

Yuka slowly raised his handgun toward Eve.

And took his stance.

Bang.

Yumi froze.

"...Eve?"