The sun on the horizon had mostly sunk behind the mountains. The blood-red afterglow spilled over the worn bluestone slabs and old stone lanterns. Birds returned to their nests, and beasts to their dens. At this moment, where day and night converged, a silent, deathly stillness enveloped the path to the Inari shrine.
Saburo was walking down the shrine path. He glanced up at the sky while quickening his pace. The sun had completely set, leaving only a residual crimson glow on the horizon. It was already late, and the sky would soon darken rapidly. This was not good news for Saburo, who had nothing to start a fire with.
"Huff... What's going on... Am I not there yet?"
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he panted for breath. Saburo felt a slight ache in his legs; it seemed he had been walking this stretch of road for far too long.
The path on Inari Mountain was long, but going downhill should take no more than half an hour to get from the shrine to the foot of the mountain. And for Saburo, who had carried supplies for the shrine and walked this path countless times, it should have been even faster.
At Saburo's pace, he should have arrived long ago.
But this time, something seemed different. The familiar path beneath his feet felt as if it had been stretched by some force, making it impossible for him to reach the end, no matter how he walked.
"Huff... huff... Something's not right, not right at all..." Saburo stopped, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Saburo began to carefully observe his surroundings, trying to determine his exact location on the path.
Just then, an ethereal and deep voice, its direction impossible to pinpoint, reached his ears.
"Saburo..."
Startled, Saburo immediately straightened up and frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. A sense of unease washed over him, for he had heard this voice before, just a short while ago, on his way up the mountain.
At that time, the voice had also startled him, but he had assumed it was a worshipper he had accidentally passed by who happened to know him. So, after failing to find anyone, he had ignored it and continued climbing the stone steps to the shrine.
But the important thing now was that Saburo had just learned from the shrine maiden that there had been no worshippers today.
"Saburo..." The soft sound came again from an unknown direction, calling his name precisely. The voice seemed to possess a magical quality; each time it echoed in his ears, his mind wavered, making it difficult to concentrate.
Panic spread from the bottom of Saburo's heart to his face. Faced with this sudden situation, the young boy completely lost his composure. He stood frozen, looking around in every direction, utterly at a loss.
"Saburo..." The call came once more. Saburo, whose nerves were already stretched to their limit, could no longer remain calm. He shouted into the surroundings.
"Who! Who's there!"
The moment the words left his mouth in response to the nameless voice, Saburo immediately felt the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees. The light dimmed slightly, and an inexplicable chill rose in his heart.
"Hehe, I'm over here... Saburo..." After Saburo's response, the once-ethereal voice suddenly gained substance, its previously indiscernible location now clear. Following the direction of the sound, Saburo turned his head and finally saw its owner.
It was a woman peeking out from behind a large tree.
The woman had well-defined features, a fair complexion, a slender neck, and flowing long hair. She was very beautiful. Most of her body was hidden behind a large tree, with only her head showing. She gazed at Saburo from a distance, a strange smile on her face.
The moment his eyes met the woman's, Saburo froze on the spot. His mouth hung half-open as he stared, motionless, at her fair face. A single glance seemed to have captivated him completely.
"Come here... I have something to show you..."
The woman spoke again, her words clearer than before. Still frozen in place, deeply drawn in by her face, Saburo began to walk slowly forward, step by step, toward her. His mind was in utter turmoil, completely unable to think.
"That's right... good... just like that... Come... keep coming..." The enticing words continued. Watching Saburo approach step by step, the strange smile on the woman's face grew wider.
With vacant eyes, Saburo walked forward, step by step. He could not know what awaited him.
Just then, Saburo's pace faltered. A hand reached out from behind him and grabbed his arm, halting his advance and keeping him in place.
"Ah!"
The moment he was grabbed, Saburo snapped back to his senses. The vacant look in his eyes cleared instantly. He instinctively turned his head to look behind him and saw a sight he would never forget.
A white-haired girl, dressed as a noble shrine maiden in a mirror crown, white top, and crimson hakama, stood behind him. Her exquisite, beautiful face was stern, and her crimson eyes were fixed intently on him.
"What are you doing here?"
Looking at the boy who had just awoken from his daze, Miketsu asked, her voice laced with seriousness.
"I... I don't know... Right! I was going down the mountain, and... and then I got lost!" Hearing Miketsu's question, Saburo patted his still-dazed head and stammered a reply. Although he didn't recognize this shrine maiden, some instinct made him feel an inexplicable trust in her.
"Going down the mountain? Then follow me. I'll take you down." Upon hearing Saburo's answer, Miketsu grabbed his hand and, without hesitation, started down the steps.
Pulled along by Miketsu, Saburo was momentarily at a loss. This shrine maiden, who had appeared out of nowhere, seemed extremely urgent, as if unwilling to linger here for even a second longer.
"Th-thank you..." Saburo stammered, taken aback. As Miketsu pulled him down the steps, he took two steps before glancing back at the fair-faced woman still by the tree. She was watching them with a puzzled expression.
"Um, that person over there is..." the confused Saburo began to ask, but before he could finish, Miketsu cut him off.
"Is there something over there?"
"Isn't there a... eh!" Before Saburo could finish, Miketsu placed a hand on his shoulder, interrupting him again. Then, looking at him with a grave face, she spoke slowly, word by word.
"There is nothing over there..."
"Now... let's go!"
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