Far from the shadows of the Yami district, nestled between cold mountains and mist-covered trees, a small village clung to peace like a fragile ember. Among its people lived a family once whole: a mother, a father, two young boys, and a daughter. But peace had a price—and for Yuuchi, the eldest, that price was duty.
The father had long been lost to the war with shadow demons. Now, Yuuchi carried the weight alone.
"Brother, don't go!" cried the youngest, clutching at his tattered sleeve. "You still have to teach me how to chop wood—and the traps—you promised!"
Yuuchi knelt down and ruffled the boy's messy hair. "Sorry, little guy," he said with a soft smile. "But I gotta go. You all need food. Safety. Someone has to do it."
His younger sister grabbed his arm. "But we'll miss you…"
He pulled both of them into a hug, warmth radiating through his worn armor. "I'll be back by dawn. That's a promise."
At the door stood their mother, watching him with tired but trusting eyes. Her face was lined by years of hardship, but her spirit hadn't broken.
"I packed everything," she said. "Food. Medicine. Blades. You should be ready. But Yuuchi…" her voice cracked, "Don't you dare forget. Back by dawn. Or I'll worry."
He nodded, saluted her with a wink, and stepped into the dark woods where the creatures lurked.
Yuuchi had made a name for himself in the outer villages—a shadow demon slayer, fast and ruthless. The villagers whispered tales of how he carved through their cursed forms with speed and fury, how he returned each time with less fear and more scars.
That night was no different. His blades danced in the darkness. One by one, the demons fell. Screeches silenced. Blood and shadow scattered. Yuuchi had fought with the fury of a man who had something to protect.
By the time the horizon tinged with light, he was already on the road home.
But dawn did not welcome him back with warmth. Instead, it greeted him with silence. And blood.
Yuuchi dropped his pack the moment he saw the house—broken, smoke curling from the roof like the last breath of something dying. He burst through the door.
"No… No… NO!"
His siblings lay still. Lifeless. Cold. His hands trembled. He searched wildly—until he saw her.
His mother.
But twisted.
Her skin was pale as ash, and shadow veins snaked across her face. Her eyes—no longer hers—gleamed with an inhuman glow. A Grade 2 shadow demon.
"M-Mother…?"
The corrupted form of his mother growled, her jagged claws twitching.
"It's me," he whispered, stepping forward, hand shaking. "I'm your son… it's Yuuchi…"
She roared.
Her claws slashed.
Yuuchi blocked on instinct—his blade trembling as it met her shadow-forged talons. Tears streamed down his face.
"I'm sorry," he choked out—before he was forced to strike her down.
He knelt beside her fading form. She didn't speak. Couldn't. But for a moment, the light returned to her eyes. A flicker of recognition. A mother's sorrow.
Then it was gone.
Yuuchi screamed into the sunrise.
That same morning, he set out once more.
But this time, it was no longer about survival. He needed answers.
How did she turn?
How did this reach our home?
Why… was my family infected?
His path now led toward the Yami district, where the source of all shadows lay hidden.
He walked alone.
But not without purpose.