Alone Facing the Shadow

The village of Kisaragi was nestled in the heart of the mountains, surrounded by a dense forest that made it feel cut off from the rest of the world. It was a quiet place, almost frozen in time, where the inhabitants lived simple lives, far from the turmoil of the big cities. Yet, beneath this peaceful facade, Kisaragi was the scene of mysterious disappearances that had caught Ryo's attention.

Here he was now, alone. The betrayal of his friends, Aria and Kael, still weighed heavily on his shoulders. Their separation had been brutal. Aria, with her fearful and sorrowful gaze, and Kael, so distant, had preferred to abandon him rather than continue to hunt the darkness by his side. The discovery of Ryo's secret—the demon within him—had been too much for them. All they had seen was danger. A monster.

"A demon... They think I'm a demon," Ryo murmured, his heart tight, as he walked through the narrow streets of Kisaragi. The moon bathed the village in a silver glow, accentuating the cold and silent atmosphere that reigned here.

Alone. The word echoed in his mind over and over again. He was now alone to face the darkness.

As he approached the inn where he had decided to stay, Ryo recalled the events that had led him here. He had left Aria and Kael in the capital, determined to prove not only to them but also to himself that he could solve this mystery without their help, without magic. Kisaragi was one of those places where rumors of strange phenomena proliferated. Shadows, they said, lurked at night, and villagers disappeared without a trace.

At the inn, an old woman with drawn features greeted him with a tired look. "You're looking for a bed for the night, stranger?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

Ryo nodded. "Yes. But I'm also looking for information about the disappearances that are happening here."

The old woman froze for a moment, then scrutinized him warily. "You'd better not ask too many questions. Many here believe these disappearances are the work of... creatures of the dark. But some think there's worse than that in the woods."

Ryo remained silent, listening to every word. The Midnight Nexus had taught him one thing: there was always a grain of truth in rumors. "I want to know more," he insisted, his piercing gaze locking onto the old woman's.

She sighed, casting a nervous glance at the door. "Talk to Taro. He's the last one to have seen one of the missing people. He lives at the edge of the village, near the woods."

Leaving the inn, Ryo headed toward Taro's house. The air felt colder here, as if an invisible shadow weighed on Kisaragi. This village was hiding something, and he was determined to uncover it.

His encounter with Taro, a man in his fifties with a face etched by fatigue, was brief but revealing. He spoke of shadows slipping between the trees at night, of unsettling whispers carried by the wind, and of a humanoid silhouette lurking near the woods. "They call it the Shadow of Kisaragi," he said in a trembling voice. "No one has seen it up close and survived."

A chill ran down Ryo's spine. This mysterious shadow echoed what he had heard at the Midnight Nexus. He knew that his investigation here was tied to something much deeper. This shadow, these disappearances... everything seemed to converge at a single point, a point that dangerously attracted him.

Alone, faced with this mystery, Ryo knew he had to move forward. Even without magic. Even without his friends. The demon slumbering within him was not the answer. He had to find a way to prove his worth on his own.

Ryo finally arrived at Taro's modest home, the last man to have seen one of the missing people. The dwelling was simple, with worn shutters and an extinguished chimney. He knocked on the door, and a moment later, a weary-looking man opened it. His face, marked by fatigue and worry, tightened slightly at the sight of Ryo.

"You're the tracker, aren't you?" Taro asked, his voice hoarse. "The innkeeper warned me of your arrival."

Ryo nodded, observing the man closely. "I'm Ryo. A tracker." He paused before adding with calm assurance, "I'm the one who will solve this case."

Taro scrutinized him for a moment, perplexed. His gaze quickly scanned Ryo from head to toe, as if trying to gauge the credibility of this stranger. "A tracker without mana, is that right?" he asked, his voice tinged with evident doubt.

Ryo felt his heart tighten for a moment. The same question, the same skepticism he had faced at the Midnight Nexus haunted him again. But here, in Kisaragi, it wasn't about magic or prestige. It was a matter of life and death.

"That's correct," he replied firmly, refusing to let any hesitation show. "I track without magic, but I'm here to help you. Tell me what you saw."

Taro hesitated, crossing his arms, a hint of suspicion still in his eyes. "I must admit, I don't know what to think," he said, looking away. "They talk about the Shadow of Kisaragi as if it were a legend. Some think it's a malevolent spirit, others speak of a creature hidden in the woods. What I saw... was a silhouette, tall and thin, blending into the darkness. It glided between the trees like a ghost. But I've never seen a ghost take someone."

Ryo remained silent for a moment, pondering this information. "How many people have disappeared so far?"

"Four," Taro replied with a sigh. "Four people in less than a month. Most are farmers who live near the forest. The authorities have done nothing; they don't believe in old legends. But we know there's something here. This village... it's no longer safe."

A shiver ran down Ryo's spine, but he remained impassive. He knew that the Shadow of Kisaragi was not just a simple legend. He had seen similar things at the Midnight Nexus—creatures lurking in the shadows that preyed on the most vulnerable souls. And even without magic, he knew that his skills as a tracker would be enough to reveal the truth.

"I will investigate," Ryo declared, clenching his fists. "I will find out what's hiding behind these disappearances."

Taro shook his head, still unconvinced. "You may be a tracker, but without magic, I doubt you can confront the Shadow. It takes more than human skills to fight what haunts these woods."

Ryo lifted his chin, locking his gaze with Taro's. "It's not magic that saves people. It's actions."

These words seemed to surprise Taro, who remained silent for a few moments. He finally sighed and nodded slightly. "Very well, tracker. If you truly believe you can solve this case, I wish you good luck. But be careful. The Shadow of Kisaragi never lets its victims escape."