The lone hunter

His grandfather had insisted to visit Takayama for some “spare time”. He knew there was nothing interesting in that place, but he can’t refuse the invitation. 

He had barely been half an hour in the city and that was enough for him to know that he wants to be far away from the noise because after all the manners does not get away that easy and for him, been away from the people was a natural thing.  

So, almost without a notice, he found himself crossing Nakabashi bridge. The afternoon was almost gone, the sun was a really thin line, even though the people didn’t care about the time and they wanted to find some fun on downtown better than cross than lone bridge surrounded by brownish colors, a clear sign of fall.

He has to spend some hours out to make his grandfather think that he enjoys the city as he wanted. He leaned on the railing and looked down the water under him. It shown his indifferent reflex. Then that image got distorted when a brown leaf fell on the rill. 

The blowing wind got him making some strands of hair loss from his half ponytail. His shoulder tense immediately; with the sunset, something had arrived.

By instinct, he put his hand on his waist. The noises of the city had extinct and you can only listen the creepy whistle of the wind. He tried to localize the place where that wicked energy came from but the wasn’t just one place, it appears to be anywhere.

Stealthily, he walked towards the end of the bridge. Was then when he heard the movement of paws and almost like an apparition, dark stains emerged covering the way that he has in front of him. Its long paws make him move fast, in the meantime the noise coming from it echoing. He took out a parchment out of his belt, a little razor and after he made a small cut on his finger, he covered the parchment with his blood and made the invocation with both hands. The parchment glowed and It opened, let him take his weapon. 

The demons almost got him, so he took up the blades and he rushed towards them making slashes that split them right in half, reducing them to ashes. Its shrieks increased as they felt his companions defeat, though he remained unfazed by their incipient anger.

Generally, the arachnid demons despite their intimidating appearance, with their bulging red eyes and venomous legs, weren't a threat because they weren't overly powerful. However, they were slow to get rid of, especially when they attacked in large groups, as it happened on that occasion.

He opened the path through those nasty creatures, wielding his blades with perfect precision, but they seemed endless. The sky was darkening rapidly, and if he took much longer, their extermination would be more complicated, because it was easy for them to blend into the shadows.

Then he heard the laughter, and the demons began to back away from him.

"So, you're the last Matsui puppy."

As if it had come out of nowhere, a gigantic spider with a torso resembling a human one, stood before him. He had never fought a jorougumo[1] before, but he could recognize it immediately, even though it wasn't trying to shown fake beauty, which was the common, apparently, it thought it could defeat him quickly enough, avoiding wasting its powers of seduction and delusion.

"I don't know why all the expectation about you. You're as insignificant as any other humans."

He frowned, not offended by the comment, but rather because he realized that this encounter wasn't a coincidence; someone had sent that demon to attack him.

"Let's get this over with, so my little ones and I can go have fun with the citizens."

Her grin widened, revealing a massive array of fangs that covered much of its face. Its red eyes seemed to flare, and then it lunged at him, throwing it silken web to immobilize him.

It had underestimated him, of course. The web didn't catch him, and he took advantage of those attacks to sneak up on the jorougumo, cutting a pair of its legs; the cut parts began to pour blackish ichor. The demon hissed at the pain of losing two limbs and thrown more webs.

None of them hit their target; he easily outwitted them and moved around the demon, stabbing at different parts to weaken it.

"You're very annoying," the jorougumo exclaimed angrily.

Following its complaint, a cry echoed throughout the place. As he was about to sink his blades into the demon's back, he stumbled, as the minion spiders had gone straight for his legs. He growled and kicked at them, but there were too many of them, and they were the perfect distraction, as the jorougumo took advantage and finally struck him in the chest with a thick web.

The attack hadn't been serious, but it could be if he still didn't defeat all those demons. He moved as far away as he could, with the spiders following him.

"Don't run away, human."

But he needed to. Once he was out of sight, he sank his blades into the ground and made a new summoning. In front of him, formed from a mist, appeared a fox, its eyes illuminated by a whitish glow.

"Attack the small spiders, I'll take care of the boss," he whispered to his creation.

The fox, completely silent, went to meet the spiders and began to destroy them. He took up the blades again and destroyed the spiders in his path, although now they were too busy with his fox to pay much attention to him. He used the trees for camouflage and, when he reached a safe distance, he attacked the jorougumo again from behind, this time inflicting a much larger wound.

Although it hadn't been a clean cut. As soon as the jorougumo felt the damage, it used one of its gigantic paws to counterattack, managing to scratch his arm. He cursed under his breath, though the cut wasn't deep, the monstrosity's paws were soaked with poison, and he knew he couldn't have escaped without any damage.

He had to hurry and take off the demon. The poison in its body would act slowly, because jorougumo liked to play with their prey, but the more time he wasted, the more difficult it would be.

He moved between its paws, managing to see its grayish underbelly. He attacked right in the center, and the ichor immediately spilled out, splashing his leg and making it itch. He didn't let that stop him; he continued attacking from below, slowly slicing through each of its legs. When the jorougumo could no longer move, he cut its torso in half.

"Who sent you?" he asked defiantly.

"Since it wasn't me, some other yokai[2] will take care of you" it replied, letting out a sly laugh as his body began to fade. "The Matsui bloodline will disappear. Surely your grandfather is already dead by now."

The jorougumo finally turned to ash, leaving the question unanswered.

" Ojiisan[3]," he whispered.

He felt a tightness in his chest; they had attacked his grandfather while he was away.

The spiders run away as soon as their master was defeated. Under other circumstances, he would have followed them to finish them off, but right now there was no time; he needed to get home as quickly as possible.

He called his fox and, after thanking him with a pat on the head, it disappeared. Then he cast another summon, forming a giant eagle, which landed on the ground so he could ride it.

He felt tired. He'd performed several invocations in a short time, plus the itching in his leg and the poison still coursing through him. But he knew that if he didn't transport himself that way, he might arrive too late.

He clung to his eagle, fighting hard not to fall asleep, the poison growing stronger. After what seemed like an eternity, he glimpsed the lights of the village, and they began to descend.

They were a couple of meters from the ground when he felt a cut on his shoulder. He lost a little control from the surprise attack, so he had to jump to avoid a collision that would have hurt his eagle. Because of this, his fall was quite rough, and he ended up rolling before he could really get back on his feet.

The village was still somewhat remote, and everything around him was dark, because he and his grandfather lived in one of the most secluded houses in the town. He tried to sharpen his senses, but he was dulled by the poison, so he couldn't prevent another attack from above, and when he received it, he fell to the floor again.

He felt the sting in his neck, which throbbed almost as strongly as the cut on his shoulder. After that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. His eyes felt heavy, and at some point, he couldn't open them again.

x x x

"Satoru... darling, wake up."

He opened his eyes heavily, seeing his mother's smiling face.

"Your father is waiting for us, hurry up."

" Hai[4], okaasan[5]."

His mother's long hair swayed gracefully as she turned and left the room. Satoru loved seeing her with her hair down, since it wasn't very common. She almost always tied it up in a high bun because it was more practical that way, at least, that's what she said.

He got out of bed, still a little sleepy, but hurried to get dressed and leave the room.

When he arrived in the dining room, his father was already there, sipping his steaming tea. His mother was coming from the kitchen, carrying a couple of plates, which she placed on the table for them to begin eating.

Breakfast passed amid laughter, as Katsuya, Satoru's father, liked to tell stories from his childhood and always found a way to lighten the mood.

"What do you want to do today, Satoru?" Katsuya asked.

Satoru thought about it. Tokyo was a city with so many places to go, whether it was to eat, shop, or just relax. But he knew there weren't many days like this one, when his parents were completely free from their duties and could be with him.

"I want us to stay home."

"Have you heard him, Hinata? He wants a family day."

"Then it will be." He approached Satoru from behind and wrapped both arms around him. Katsuya convinced his wife not to cook; they would order something to be delivered, so they could spend the whole day together. They organized games in the garden, then played board games and ended up watching some movies. Satoru ended up falling asleep on Hinata's lap. The last thing he remembered, in his sleep, was a caress of his hair and a sweet "goodnight" from his mother's lips.

They arrived at the training area. Everything was impeccably organized, as only designated training weapons were used, which were made of wood or blunt metal (if they were more advanced in their training); "real" weapons were used only by hunters who already had missions.

"Satoru-kun!"

Hikaru Yamada ran up and, when he was in front of him, bowed slightly.

"I already told you, you don't have to do that."

"But otousan[6] insists I have to do it, just like he does with Kaichou-sama[7]" Hikaru explained.

"He doesn't really mind either." He glanced over his friend's shoulder, seeing that his grandfather was talking to Ryohei, Hikaru's father.

" Otousan has everything ready for our training."

"Are they going to let us use the metal swords?"

"Not yet." His face showed great disappointment.

"We're already ten years old, and we've been training since we were six," Satoru complained.

"Well, apparently they think we're not ready yet." He shrugged.

Satoru snorted, though there was no point in complaining; he knew perfectly well that neither Ryohei nor his grandfather would change their minds.

They both approached the adults, which seemed to interrupt their conversation. Ryohei cleared his throat and, after smiling at Satoru and briefly stroking his son's hair, asked them to start running, to warm up before using the wooden weapons.

When they finished, Ryohei was already waiting for them in a cleared area, while Kenshin Matsui sat in the distance, just watching.

They mostly trained with wooden swords, because the katana[8] was one of the most commonly used weapons among demon slayers. Although they had been told they would be free to choose their weapon, learning to use a sword was a skill everyone had to acquire before making their choice.

Satoru had already mastered it perfectly, and Hikaru was close to being as good as him, so he didn't understand why they weren't allowed to move on to the next level; both were careful enough not to hurt themselves. Ryohei would correct them on some things, though it wasn't really anything important—sometimes it was the way they applied more force to their blow or a slight change in the angle of their foot.

After a couple of hours of nonstop training, Ryohei called it a day. Once they had put their swords back in their proper place, Satoru said goodbye to the Yamadas and approached his grandfather.

" Ojiisan."

"Well done, Satoru." He stood up. "It's time to go home."

They made their way home walking, since a few blocks were nothing, considering the distances of miles that generally had to be traveled to get from one place to another in Tokyo.

His and his grandfather's houses were right next to each other, which was very convenient, given how much time his parents were away on missions.

The Matsui family was one of the most important within the hunting company, as one of his ancestors had been one of the founders. So, when Kenshin retired, Katsuya became one of the highest-ranking hunters and had a large number of missions, as he possessed unique talents inherited from his lineage. And Hinata, having married him, had almost the same responsibilities as Katsuya.

Upon arrival, they entered Kenshin's house. Satoru always stayed there when his parents were away.

" Ojiisan..." Satoru whispered when they reached the living room. Why aren't we allowed to use more weapons in training? Hikaru and I have advanced enough to be able to do so.

"Yes, you're right."

Satoru looked at him stumped. Had he just agreed with him? And if so, then why...?

"Ryohei and I still see you as little children, perhaps that's why we're delaying the inevitable."

Kenshin sat down and signaled his grandson to do the same, at his side. Satoru obeyed immediately.

"But it's true that you must have more advanced training, especially you, since you have to learn to handle more skills than Hikaru."

"So...?"

"Once your parents return, we'll change your training."

"Thank you, ojiisan!"

Satoru was euphoric at the news, unaware that this promise would be fulfilled in a very different way than he imagined.

He woke up startled when he heard an insistent knock on the front door. Aside from the doorbell, there was no other sound in the house. Could it be that his grandfather hadn't heard anything? Should he get up and go investigate who it was?

Still sleepy, he sat up and fumbled for the button to turn on the lamp next to his bed, but after several unsuccessful attempts, he gave up. He stood up and left the room.

The doorbell had stopped ringing, but he still walked in the dark down the hallway that led to the living room. After a few seconds, he glimpsed the light in the hall; his grandfather had indeed heard the knock.

He heard whispers, so he kept walking, trying to find out who had arrived at such an hour. Could it be his parents? Although it would be unusual, generally, if it got late, they slept at home and didn't let anyone know until the next day that they would return.

"Lower your voice."

"I'm sorry, Kaichou-sama," a voice unfamiliar to Satoru apologized. "And sorry again for the late hour, but we had to let you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Could you come with me? You need to see the bodies."

An awkward silence fell in the hall as Satoru watched his grandfather and the stranger dressed in black. He hadn't interrupted; he knew his grandfather would consider it rude.

"I can't go now."

"But..."

"Satoru is here."

"I could stay with him."

"No."

"But, Kaichou-sama..."

"The news is terrible enough; I'm not leaving him alone."

"If he's still sleeping, you can come and go without him noticing you're gone."

"I said no. And I don't want him to know yet."

"He'll find out anyway," the stranger said, trying to sound polite. It was obvious that, given Kenshin's rank, he was trying to be as formal as possible.

"I need to see the bodies first, know for sure it's them."

"The bodies have a lot of injuries, but... the faces are definitely recognizable."

"Can you blame me for hoping they aren't?"

The stranger shook his head and lowered his gaze.

"I need to see them and then think about the best way to tell Satoru."

" Kaichou-sama, with all due respect, I don't think there's a good way to tell him his parents were murdered."

When Satoru heard those words, he felt as if a dagger had pierced his chest. He instinctively stepped back, shocked by the news, and collided with a nearby table, where a vase wobbled and then fell to the floor.

At the sound of the crash, Kenshin and the stranger turned, noticing, in the gloom, Satoru's silhouette. His face was poorly lit, but the tears in his eyes seemed to shine.

"Satoru-sama," the stranger said, nodding.

Satoru didn't reply, nor did Kenshin say a word.

"Go. I'll come when it's time."

"Understood, Kaichou-sama."

As soon as the stranger left, Kenshin approached his grandson and hugged him, feeling tears soaking his clothes.

"Come, Satoru, we need to talk."

Despite tradition stating that the firstborn should be in charge of the funeral arrangements, Kenshin didn't involve Satoru in the process.

After officially giving him the news and letting him grieve until he couldn't, Kenshin stayed by his grandson's side for the rest of the night, and the next morning, he left until the Yamadas showed up.

Ryohei stayed behind to look after the children, but gave them space, so they decided to stay in Satoru's room.

Hikaru was his only friend. Although he visited the facilities regularly to train, only he and Hikaru were the same age and trained at the same level. Furthermore, being a Matsui, Satoru was, in some ways, a "too important" child to hang out with most of the people in the company. The Yamadas were an exception, having been family friends for decades.

So, while his grandfather took care of everything, Satoru stayed home with his best friend. Under other circumstances, they would have been out in the garden, playing, but at that moment, Hikaru knew Satoru wasn't in the mood, and he just stood by his side, silent, listening to the low noises coming from the television, which, in reality, neither of them was watching. Hikaru had offered his condolences along with his father, though beyond that, he didn't know what else to do. He thought that if Satoru needed to talk about anything, he would tell him.

The preparations for the funeral took a little more than half a day. By the time Kenshin returned home, afternoon was falling. He thanked the Yamadas for their help, and once they left, he went to Satoru's room and helped him get ready.

Satoru was an intelligent, independent boy who always found something to talk about with his grandfather. However, at that moment, he was silent, as if doing everything by chance; Kenshin had to help him straighten his black suit and fix his hair, which was already hanging over his ears.

The funeral was a blur for Satoru.

They had arrived at the funeral home, where the bodies were already laid out; there were many flowers, incense, belongings of his parents, and a photograph of both of them among them. They sat near the coffins, and he vaguely remembered thanking his grandfather when someone came to offer condolences.

He didn't know how long they were there; it was an enclosed space, lit by dim lights and candles that made it impossible to tell how many hours had passed. At some point, he fell asleep on his grandfather's lap, and when he awoke, he found himself in the same horrible nightmare: they were at his parents’ funeral, who had been killed by a demon.

Kenshin never left Satoru's side. They spent the entire night there, and the next day, as they headed to the funeral, he kept him by his side, holding his hand tightly.

Kenshin tried to honor the traditions as much as he could, but the Matsui family had shrunken to just him and Satoru, so he believed that accepting people's compensation and extending the ceremony any longer was unnecessary. He thanked everyone who attended and asked them to leave when the incineration process would begin. The only ones who stayed were the Yamadas.

They waited in silence. When the kotsutsubo[9] was finally handed to them, the Yamadas said their goodbyes and left, leaving the Matsuis to their grief.

There was no training in the following days. Satoru had no desire to train, so the fact that his grandfather hadn't taken him or mentioned anything about it was more than welcome.

Hikaru had continued training; he'd told him so himself, since he visited him daily. He still used the wooden sword, and Satoru imagined he probably mentioned it so that Hikaru wouldn't think he'd advance beyond him while he returned to training.

Although he didn't know when that would be, he had no desire to do anything. What he was grateful for was that he could continue seeing Hikaru, because training was where they always shared time. They had rarely had the opportunity to see each other outside of it, due to the busy job of both their parents. While Hikaru and he spent the afternoons together, his grandfather and Ryohei did the same elsewhere in the house. This, in a way, made Satoru feel more at ease, because he imagined his grandfather would need a friend, just as he clung to Hikaru.

"Do you think they could train us here?" Hikaru asked casually. "Training alone with an otousan isn't the same."

"Maybe." Satoru shrugged. "I'm really not in the mood to train."

" Gomennasai[10], Satoru. I didn't want to..."

"Don't worry," he interrupted, then sighed. "I promise I'll train with you again, just... I don't know when yet."

"Okay, as long as I can keep coming to visit, you can take a break from training."

Satoru smiled briefly, because he was of the same opinion. If Hikaru stopped visiting him, he'd probably feel even worse.

Days turned into weeks, and the Matsuis' routine hadn't changed.

Hikaru thought Satoru seemed a little more cheerful, but he couldn't be sure if it was just to keep him from worrying.

"Hikaru, you can stay the night here today, if you want," Ryohei announced when both boys appeared in the living room.

Hikaru and Satoru looked at each other, somewhat surprised. Hikaru looked at his friend, trying to figure out if he thought it was a good idea; when Satoru nodded slightly, he smiled broadly.

"Yes, I'd like that, otousan."

"I brought some of your things, just in case." He stroked his head briefly. "Come with me."

Hikaru followed his father out of the house, so Satoru sat next to his grandfather, who hadn't said a word.

"Thanks for letting him stay, ojiisan."

"Friends are precious, I hope you always remember that."

Kenshin noted with relief that Hikaru staying that night had greatly cheered his grandson. It wasn't the same as before his parents' passing, but it was a good step forward.

They all ate dinner together, and then Hikaru and Satoru went straight to their rooms. They were allowed to stay up late, so they both took advantage of the opportunity and watched some of their favorite programs until sleep overcame them.

Breakfast the next day was just as harmonious as dinner the night before. Even Kenshin became more involved in the conversation, which, oddly enough, had led to training, and like Hikaru, he believed that, once they switched weapons, they would be among the best demon slayers.

When Ryohei appeared after noon, he stayed with Kenshin while the children spent time in the garden. After sharing another meal, the Yamadas finally said their goodbyes.

"I'll see you later, Satoru-kun." Hikaru nodded, as he always did when his father was present.

"See you later, Hikaru."

Once the Yamadas left, Satoru realized he had greatly enjoyed this interaction, unlike their usual training.

He wished his grandfather would allow Hikaru to stay more often, unaware that that would no longer be the case.

Very early the next day, Kenshin woke Satoru up and asked him to get dressed. He had chosen a simple, lightweight black outfit for him.

Kenshin asked him to eat breakfast as quickly as he could, so Satoru obeyed, yawning, as it had been a long time since he had gotten up this early.

When they had both finished breakfast and everything was put away, Kenshin took his grandson by the shoulder and made him walk with him to the front door. Satoru was surprised to find a couple of suitcases there.

"Why the suitcases, ojiisan?"

"We're leaving Tokyo."

Satoru stood motionless, staring at his grandfather, not understanding what was happening.

"You'll understand eventually, Satoru. For now, we must go."

Kenshin had him take one suitcase, he took the other, and the two left the house.

Both his grandfather and his parents had cars, but they didn't load their suitcases into either of them; another car was waiting for them on the street. When they approached, Ryohei Yamada lowered the vehicle and opened the trunk for them.

Once their luggage was stowed, they all got in the car. Satoru expected to see Hikaru inside, but his friend wasn't there.

Ryohei drove them to the train station. He helped them unload their suitcases, and as they were about to enter the station, he stroked Satoru's head affectionately, as he usually did with Hikaru.

"Have a safe trip, Kaicho-sama." He gave a slight nod.

"Thanks for the help, Ryohei."

They entered the station and went directly to the platform area, where they waited for the boarding announcement.

Silence settled between them. Although Kenshin knew it was normal, it was a change that had taken his grandson completely by surprise.

Satoru fell asleep shortly after the train started moving. Kenshin had to wake him when they reached their destination.

Satoru, unsure of where they were, followed his grandfather through the station, where they bought some food. After a while, Kenshin told him they would take another train, so they returned to the platforms and repeated the process.

After getting off the second train and leaving the station, Satoru thought they had finally arrived at wherever his grandfather was taking him, but he was wrong. They took a taxi, which dropped them off at a bus station, and shortly after, they began another journey.

When the bus arrived at their destination, they left the station, and this time, Kenshin announced to his grandson that, finally, the trip was over.

The station was considerably smaller than the previous ones, and there weren't many people there either. Satoru gripped his suitcase more tightly than necessary as he continued to scan his surroundings.

"We'll be walking for the rest of the way, but I've been told we're not far."

"Okay, ojiisan."

They had been traveling for hours, and the sun was already setting, but there was enough light for them to follow the marked path. Everywhere Satoru turned, he found rice fields and views of the mountains.

"We're almost there," Kenshin announced.

Satoru began to make out houses in the distance, but they didn't get that far. His grandfather had stopped in front of a gassho-zukuri[11], which was still far from what appeared to be the town.

"We're here."

His grandfather opened the door and entered, so he hurriedly followed.

The interior was perfectly tidy, although the house was certainly smaller than the one in Tokyo.

His grandfather stopped in front of a shōji[12] door, opened it, and left his suitcase there.

"That's yours, Satoru." He pointed to the one next to the one he'd opened. "Leave your things. We still have to go get some groceries."

Satoru obeyed, opening the door and leaving his suitcase there, taking a quick look around: there was only a futon and some sliding doors, which he assumed would be the space he'd have to store his things.

When he left his room, his grandfather was already waiting for him at the door.

They followed the marked path, which led them straight to the heart of the town. All the houses looked the same, and the village was beginning to light up thanks to the shops and a few lamps on the streets.

They bought the groceries his grandfather considered enough for the next few days, and on the way back to their new home, they found a local restaurant, so they bought some food and took it with them so they wouldn't have to worry about dinner.

Satoru felt strange in that space. Aside from the fact that it was more austere than his home in Tokyo, he felt like he had become a different person since being told of his parents' death.

After dinner, he wished his grandfather goodnight and went to his room. He checked his suitcase, which wasn't much, but at least his nightclothes were there. He changed, turned off the light, and got into the futon.

He had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone closing the door. He didn't move; he was very tired from the long journey they had made.

He felt a caress on his head.

"I'm so sorry, Satoru."

His eyes were heavy, so he couldn't even ask his grandfather what he was apologizing for.

Over the next few days, Satoru wandered around his new home and its surroundings.

The house had two levels. Downstairs were their dorms, a kotatsu[13], where they usually ate after Kenshin took care of preparing the food in the irori[14], and the bathroom with an ofuro[15] in the back. The upper part was empty, but Kenshin had told Satoru it would be a space they would use for training.

Outside the house, they had ample space for growing crops, if they so desired. Satoru believed their home was, quite possibly, the furthest from the village. There were no other houses around; all he saw when he stepped outside was grass and, beyond, trees that gave way to large mountains.

Kenshin and Satoru had taken long walks locating a couple of nearby streams and venturing into the mountains until the climb became too steep to continue.

After a week, they had gotten to know the area around their house well and had walked around the village a couple of times, also familiarizing themselves with what was there, though without having conversations with many people.

On Saturday, around noon, Satoru was digging furrows in the ground trying to plant some seeds when he heard voices. He wiped his hands on his pants and approached the entrance of the house. When he realized who they were, a smile spread across his lips.

" Ojiisan!" he shouted into the house. "We have visitors!"

He didn't wait for a reply from his grandfather; he ran up to them and nodded to the Yamadas, a gesture they answer in the same way.

"Satoru," Ryohei smiled at him. "It's nice to see you."

Kenshin appeared shortly after and invited them into the house.

Once inside, Kenshin saw out of the corner of his eye that Satoru was talking animatedly with Hikaru and was glad to have some time with him, after all the changes that had occurred in his life in recent weeks.

"We brought the things you were missing," Ryohei commented after taking a sip of tea.

"I appreciate you making the trip to make us that favor."

"There's nothing to be thankful for. Besides, Hikaru wanted to see Satoru."

Hikaru nodded, pouring one of the dango[16] Kenshin had offered them into his mouth.

"Shall we go get the things right now?" Hikaru asked excitedly. "I brought something for Satoru."

"Okay." Ryohei stood up. When he noticed Kenshin was about to do the same, he shook his head. "It's fine, Kaichou-sama, the kids and I can handle it."

Kenshin nodded and watched them leave the house.

The car wasn't far; it was only a few meters downhill. After two trips to the car, they had finished carrying their things. Mostly clothes, family photos, and books, there was only one box, which Ryohei handed to Kenshin with extreme care.

"Let's go to the village so you can get to know a little bit, and we can buy some food. I wouldn't want to welcome you with my simple dishes."

"That wouldn't be a problem, Kaichou-sama," Ryohei clarified. "But I'm sure the children would enjoy the walk."

Shirakawa-go was a small town, so they covered the entire village in a couple of hours and, after eating at a local restaurant, bought some takeout and returned to the Matsuis' house.

Once home, the children had locked themselves in Satoru's room, as Hikaru had brought him the latest volumes of his favorite manga[17].

"Do you think you'll visit Tokyo later?"

"I don't know." Satoru shrugged. "I don't know why we moved in the first place."

" Otousan doesn't mention you to the other members of the clan and told me not to say anything about you or where you are." He passed another manga to Satoru. "Though, actually, until today, I didn't know where you were."

"I'm glad you came." He sighed.

"I hope that, if you can't go, we'll come."

"Yes, I hope so too."

The Yamadas left the next day, after they all eaten together.

" Ojiisan..."

Kenshin looked at his grandson; he knew it was time to tell him what was going on.

"Why did we moving? Why don't you want anyone to know where we are?"

"Because we won't be part of the company anymore."

"But... you're one of the bosses." Satoru was stunned. "Won't I be a hunter, like you and my parents? You said we'd go back to training."

"And we will."

"I don't understand." He frowned. "If I'm not going to be a hunter anymore, I don't see the point in training."

“Just because we're no longer part of the company doesn't exempt you from danger. Even though you're not officially a Hunter, you have the gift. You can see demons, so if you ever meet one, what will you do if you're not trained?”

“Well, I…”

“You're a Matsui, so you have a natural talent for fighting demons and you have a power that other Hunters don't have; it's been passed down to you through our lineage.”

“So… we won't be returning to Tokyo?”

“No.”

“Will I never see Hikaru again?”

“Of course, you will, just not as often as before.”

Kenshin noticed his grandson's distressed expression, so he gently stroked his head and let out a long sigh.

“I'm sorry, Satoru, but it's for the best.”

Satoru nodded; what else could he do? He was just a boy, and besides, his grandfather was all he had and had always taken good care of him, so he had no reason to second-guess his decisions.

"I'll do my best, ojiisan."

"I know you will."

Satoru didn't know how, but the day after the Yamadas left, Kenshin had the upstairs full of weapons and told him that, from that moment on, they would train daily.

They did the warm-up and all physical conditioning training outside the house, as there was plenty of space for Satoru to move around easily. When that part was over, they went inside and proceeded with the weapons.

The first few days, they used the wooden sword, as was common before their move, because Kenshin wanted Satoru to get used to training again. They had left it for many weeks, and although his grandson was good, he didn't want to take risks.

Satoru, on the other hand, was surprised at how good his grandfather was. He had left the company years ago, but apparently, that hadn't made him forget anything about his time as a demon slayer.

"Okay, Satoru, it's time to change the sword."

He thought of Hikaru when his grandfather handed him the metal sword; he hoped he was already at another level of his training too.

"Once you've mastered that sword, we'll move on to other weapons," Kenshin instructed. "In theory, it's all the same, but as you've noticed, the weight is different and could cause setbacks, so be careful."

" Hai, ojiisan."

Satoru's entire body was sore after the first week, both from returning to training and from changing weapons, because it involved more weight to move around.

But despite the pain and fatigue, there was something else the training gave him: a distraction. As long as he focused on doing things right, his mind wouldn't wander off into the loss of his parents; It was a burden that remained with him, but he had to learn to cope with it, and training was the perfect excuse to do so.

He mastered the blunt sword in a month. A month of hard work, improving both his endurance and strength, as well as his dexterity.

"Satoru," his grandfather called him one day before beginning his training. "It's time for you to choose your weapon."

Satoru didn't have to look at the weapons; his gaze was fixed on his grandfather.

"I want the katana. I want to be as good as you."

"No."

"But... ojiisan..."

"You've already mastered the sword, and I know you're capable of mastering an even better weapon."

He hadn't considered any other option; the katana was always on his mind, so, as he felt his grandfather's gaze on him, he shook his head.

"Then it can be anything."

"You'll master them all, of course," Kenshin clarified. "But you must have one that feels completely yours; that often makes the difference between victory and defeat."

Satoru glanced at the weapons again, though he couldn't decide on one.

"It's fine if you don't want to choose right now. We'll train with all of them, and you'll find affinity with one."

"Okay."

"In the meantime, we'll continue training those skills."

Satoru knew he wouldn't see Hikaru often, but he never thought it would take two years for the Yamadas to return to Shirakawa-go.

One Friday, when he returned from a trip to the nearest stream and completing a series of exercises, he found the Yamadas at their house, drinking tea with his grandfather.

"Satoru-kun!"

Hikaru immediately stood up, approached him, and bowed slightly, which managed to bring a smile to Satoru's face.

"I told you to stop doing that."

"Come with us, Satoru," his grandfather called.

Kenshin told them about life there and about Satoru's training, though neither he nor Ryohei mentioned a word about the company.

"You seem to have improved a lot, Satoru," Ryohei commented, then put an arm around his son's shoulder, who was sitting next to him. "I hope I'm training Hikaru just as well, or you'll leave him behind."

" Otousan!"

Ryohei laughed, patted his son's sword lightly, and took another sip of tea.

"Why don't you show me how you're doing?" Satoru asked, looking at his friend. "We used to train together; we could do it again, at least for today."

"Can we, otousan?"

"If Kaichou-sama is ok with it, I have no objection."

"It's fine with me."

Both boys immediately stood up, and Satoru showed Hikaru the way upstairs. By the time Kenshin and Ryohei arrived, each had already chosen a weapon.

Satoru had a double-bladed naginata[18] (though, as a precaution, the blades were covered), while Hikaru had chosen a nunchaku[19].

"Be careful," was all Kenshin said.

Both Satoru and Hikaru began to move, striking at each other's weapons, with no intention of harming each other. However, since it wasn't a real fight, what Ryohei and Kenshin were really watching were their movements, the force used in the blows, the speed with which they reached the other or slipped away.

Ryohei and Kenshin let them continue until both children needed a break.

"Well done, boys," said Ryohei.

After they had put away their weapons, they decided to take a walk around the village. They let the children go ahead, and Ryohei noticed Satoru pointing here and there, while whispering something to Hikaru.

"I see Satoru has adjusted well."

"The best he could," Kenshin replied. "I'm aware that it's not even close to what he would have wanted."

"You're just looking out for him, Kaichou-sama."

"You can stop calling me that, Ryohei. I'm no one in the company anymore."

"You performed impeccably while you were a hunter and made sure everything was right in the company. Even though you're no longer part of it, you still deserve the title."

"It's a title that continues to tie us to a past that's no longer part of our lives. Please don't do that anymore. And you can also tell Hikaru to stop doing it to Satoru. He never appreciated the gesture anyway."

They stopped when they reached the Matsuis' favorite restaurant. They ate peacefully, laughing, and as evening drew to a close, they returned to the house.

"Did you hear my grandfather and your father talking while we were in the village?" Satoru asked, once they were tucked into the futons.

"What talk?" Hikaru definitely hadn't been paying attention.

"Doesn't matter."

"So... you really won't be a hunter? I always thought we'd go on missions together."

"Me too, but my grandfather told me that's not going to happen."

" Otousan never talks about it, and apparently no one in Tokyo knows about you two."

"I think that's what my grandfather wanted."

"Who knows, maybe you'll change your mind later."

"Maybe."

Although Satoru knew, deep down, that he wouldn't.

A couple of months after the Yamadas' visit, Kenshin took Satoru to the weapons room and handed him something carefully wrapped in soft cloth.

"There are a couple of things to consider from now on," Kenshin announced. "First, I want you to try to master this weapon." He indicated what he had handed him. Satoru removed the cloth and found a shiny weapon.

"It looks a bit like a kusarigama[20], if it had two sickles.”

"Perhaps it was the basis for its creation, but it certainly isn't one.”

What Satoru held in his hands were two thick, antique-gold blades with black handles connected by a chain.

“It's a weapon that's been passed down through generations in the Matsui family,” Kenshin explained. “Though no one has ever truly mastered it.”

“Do you want me to use it?”

“I have hope that you'll be different.” He looked at his grandson proudly. “You've already mastered all the other weapons, and I know the naginata is your favorite, but I'd like you to try this one.”

“Okay, ojiisan.”

“And the other thing is...” He sighed. “There's a reason the Matsuis were such a mainstay of the company. We can do summons.”

Satoru looked at his grandfather with a puzzled expression.

“Summons?”

“Let me show you, it's easier.”

He took out a roll of parchment, opened it, and placed it on the floor. It was full of kanjis[21], though Satoru couldn't read anything because his gaze fell on the cut his grandfather had just made on his finger. The blood fell onto the paper, but it didn't stain it; instead, it absorbed it. Then Kenshin made a few movements with his hands, and the parchment shone.

“This is how I brought all the weapons from Tokyo.” He put his hand in the parchment, and when he took it out again, he had a pair of kunai[22] in it.

“Can I do it too?” He touched the parchment, but his hand stayed on the paper; it didn't pass through it like his grandfather had.

“With proper study and dedication, yes.” He handed him the kunai; they were real, not an illusion. “It only works for the person doing the summoning.”

“Is this... magic?”

“We simply call it energy manipulation.” He shrugged. “Everything you summon comes directly from your energy, so the more you do it, the more tired you'll feel.”

“What else can we do?”

“There are many kinds of summoning.” He closed the scroll. “I have a book you'll have to read.”

“Did you and Otousan use summoning when you were hunters?”

“Sometimes, but despite what you might be thinking, it wasn't our primary weapon. Summoning, if not done correctly, can simply not work, leaving you vulnerable if you're in the middle of a fight.”

“So, from now on, we're going to train with blades and summoning?”

“With blades, while you read the book I'm going to give you. You need to familiarize yourself with summoning and then choose which ones you want to try.” He moved the scroll. “This is a basic one, so you can carry weapons undetected, but you should choose at least one other summon to master.”

Satoru nodded, still staring at the scroll, amazed.

“You'll do well. After all, we have plenty of time to practice.”

The Yamadas visited them once a year, though never on the same date.

They always stayed for a weekend, during which Satoru and Hikaru had “friendly” sparring matches to test each other's skill level. Afterward, they would stroll around the village and return home.

Three years passed before Satoru told Hikaru about the power of summoning. He told him until he could master it; he wanted to be able to teach him what it was all about.

On that occasion, on the second day of the Yamadas' visit, they had a small picnic by one of the streams. While Kenshin and Ryohei tried to catch some fish, Satoru told Hikaru about the Matsuis' gift.

“Sugoi[23]!” Hikaru exclaimed, having finished listening to his friend. “I guess that's why your family was always important in the company.”

“It seems so.”

“Can I see?”

“Sure.”

Satoru began to move his hands. He closed his eyes to concentrate better, and it wasn't until he heard a gasp of surprise from Hikaru that he knew it was done.

A small fox stood before them. It might have passed for an ordinary fox, but its eyes were illuminated by a whitish glow.

“Can I touch it?”

“Yes, it won't attack you unless I tell it to.”

Hikaru approached and pet its head; the fox docilely let himself be touched.

“Well, well, someone has a pet shikigami[24].”

Kenshin and Ryohei had approached them, carrying a few fish that had been their prey.

“How many can you summon, Satoru?” Ryohei asked.

“For now, just the fox,” Satoru replied, a little disappointed.

“I know it doesn't seem like much, but believe me, not just anyone can summon a shikigami and make it obey.”

“Have you ever seen one, otousan?” Hikaru looked at his father, still petting the fox.

“This is a first, although I knew they existed.”

“Satoru has been very disciplined. For now, he only has the fox, but he's already working on mastering a new shikigami. I have no doubt he'll achieve it soon.” Kenshin winked at his grandson.

Ryohei had stopped calling Kenshin Kaichou-sama, and Hikaru had stopped bowing to Satoru. After so many years, it was just a reunion of old friends.

“So... how many shikigami will you be able to summon?”

“I don’t know, actually,” Satoru answered, arranging the latest mangas Hikaru had brought him. His room already had a bookshelf full of them, a pleasure they both still shared. “It depends a lot on my energy, because they’re directly linked to it.” He sat down next to his friend when he finished arranging. “The fox, in fact, could be bigger, but I'm still struggling to infuse it with more energy, because I have to keep giving it to it constantly so it doesn't vanish from one moment to the next.

“Isn't there a way for you to generate more?”

“It's not that simple. My grandfather taught me how to increase it, but we don't have infinite energy either,” he explained. “It's like any physical exercise; you push your body a little more each time to build more endurance. The same goes for my energy; I try to maintain it more each time I use it, although it's a slow process.”

“Still, it's amazing,” Hikaru assured him, already settling into the futon. “You'll be an extraordinary hunter.”

“Only I won't be a hunter.”

“Just because you're not part of the troupe doesn't mean you won't be. Let's just say you'll be free to decide what to do with your time.”

Perhaps Hikaru was right. Was that one of the reasons his grandfather had decided they should leave Tokyo?

“Anyway, I'll keep trying. I can't summon, but I'm not going to let you beat me so easily in hand-to-hand combat.”

“It's never been easy going against you.” Satoru laughed. “You're very good, Hikaru, don't doubt it for a moment.”

“If a Matsui says so, I'm flattered.”

The Yamadas' visits were over in the blink of an eye, at least, that's how Satoru felt. He was always a little melancholic when they had to leave, knowing he wouldn't see them for months.

His grandfather had never forbidden him to make friends with the villagers, though he was very insistent that he always be on alert. Because even though no one in the company seemed to know where they were, they couldn't risk it, so the easiest solution Satoru found was to not interact with anyone, beyond the small, necessary interactions when he visited the village. The fewer people in his life, the less he'd have to worry about something going wrong.

“Are you ready?”

“Hai, ojiisan.”

Satoru didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but suddenly, his grandfather had told him it was done.

“I've already removed the ward. It extended several meters beyond our house, so we wouldn't have to worry about unwanted visitors.”

«Demons» Satoru thought. Being a child, with no complete training and no knowledge of summoning, it would have been difficult for his grandfather to keep them away all the time.

But he wasn't a child anymore; he was sixteen years old and much more prepared than when they'd moved to Shirakawa-go.

“Demons don't seem to have a predilection for attacking, although, somehow, a hunter's aura seems to exert a certain attraction, so it's better to have this type of ward,” Kenshin explained. “Unlike the others you've learned, wards are cast and remain active until the person chooses to remove them. Now you'll do it.”

“How will I know if it's done correctly?” He always hesitated when he was about to perform a summoning for the first time.

“Well, if a demon attacks us at night, we'll know.”

“Ojiisan!”

Kenshin burst out laughing.

“You'll know when it's finished. It's like any summoning; you know when it's successful, even if other people don't.”

Satoru concentrated and performed the summoning. His grandfather was right; he could feel a pull of energy leaving him, remaining within the protection poured over the house and its surroundings.

“With that done, let's go train.”

Kenshin made Satoru train as hard as he could. In the mornings, he always imposed exercises to increase his stamina and strength, both physical and energy wise, while in the afternoons, they would lock themselves upstairs to improve their weapon skills.

From time to time, Satoru would pick up other weapons, but mostly he trained with the blades his grandfather had given him, which he had almost completely mastered. He could wield them with such dexterity that they were almost an extension of his arms. Furthermore, they had an unparalleled sharpness, so much so that, on one occasion, he accidentally gave his grandfather a small cut by merely brushing against him.

They rarely visited the village, mainly to buy groceries and when they felt like eating out. However, over the years, they had taken trips to nearby places, becoming a little less reticent about being recognized. After all, Kenshin had aged and Satoru was already a teenager. It wouldn't be so easy to recognize them, if someone were actually looking for them.

Sometimes they visited the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine, which was generally uncrowded, and Satoru believed it was his grandfather's favorite. Whenever they went, he seemed calm, almost as if nothing about his past worried him (which he was sure wasn't true). On other occasions, they would visit Kanazawa or Takayama, which were larger cities than Shirakawa-go and not far away, so they could go and return the same day.

To other people, it might have seemed like an ordinary, boring life, but to Satoru, it had become something precious to protect. His life in Tokyo was already a distant memory; he didn't miss the hustle and bustle of the city or the comforts of his old home. While living in Tokyo, he hadn't had as much time to spend with his parents as would have been normal for a child, so Kenshin had become his everything; protecting his quiet way of life with his grandfather was now the most important thing.

“Satoru-kun!”

Hikaru had quickly approached him and patted his friend on the back in greeting. He had grown taller in the last year and was taller than Satoru by a few inches.

Ryohei trailed behind his son, though he greeted Satoru less enthusiastically.

“Ojiisan is inside, already waiting for you.”

“Thank you for always welcoming us.”

“On the contrary, thank you for never stop to visit us, Yamada-san.”

For a few years, Satoru and Hikaru would have tea with Kenshin and Ryohei, then have a short fight, and finally, each pair of friends would focus on their own business.

That afternoon, Satoru and Hikaru went to the stream where they had first seen their fox.

“I'm going to show you another one of my shikigami. It took me a while, but I think you'll like it.”

Satoru cast the summoning, and before Hikaru appeared a gigantic eagle, flapping its wings before settling near them.

“It's huge!”

“Come on, ride with me.”

“Can we really ride it?” Hikaru was entranced by the majestic brown-feathered creature.

“Of course, that's why I made it so big.”

They both climbed carefully aboard, holding tightly to the eagle, which took flight as soon as Satoru commanded.

Hikaru laughed nonstop the entire time they flew over the stream, managing to infect Satoru. The cool mid-autumn air ruffled their hair, and for a brief moment, it felt like they could do this forever, without worrying about anything else.

After a few minutes, the eagle descended and adjusted its position so they could disembark.

“I know it wasn't a very long ride, but staying there for that long still tires me out a lot.”

“Don't joke! They were the best few minutes of my life!”

Satoru laughed. Hikaru, except for his visits to Shirakawa-go, had never left Tokyo, so since he didn't travel much, he completely understood why that short flight had excited him.

“What about the little fox?”

Satoru made the eagle disappear, then summoned the fox.

“Hello, friend. You've grown.”

Satoru managed his energy much better, so yes, he had made the fox bigger. Besides his grandfather, his shikigamis were his only friends while Hikaru was away, so he was attached to them. Even though they were his creations and obeyed him, Satoru somehow felt as if they reciprocated his affection.

They stayed by the stream until the sun began to set. When they arrived home, Kenshin and Ryohei were already waiting for them to go to the village and have dinner at the restaurant the Matsuis frequented.

They returned home until the village's businesses began to close. The air had become colder, and the lights that guided their way gave the village a dreamy aura.

“Satoru-kun... why don't you have any friends?”

“I have you and Grandpa,” he replied without looking at Hikaru. He was arranging the futon, as they were about to go to sleep.

“I mean, people from here. You could, I don't know, try to find people your own age, maybe go out with a girl from the village.”

“My grandpa has always told me to be careful, so it's easier to watch each other's backs if no one really knows us.”

“I don't think your grandpa meant not socializing with anyone at all.”

“What's all this about?”

“When winter ends, we'll both be eighteen, which means...”

“That you'll start going on missions.”

“Yes. I know we don't come to Shiwakawa-go often, but once I start going on missions, I have no idea what my schedule will be like. You know, they just keep coming out of nowhere, depending on the demons that appear.” Hikaru sighed. “I hope that doesn't affect our visits, but if we can't come...”

“They'll be able to visit us sometime, so we'll wait for them to return.” He looked at his friend. “I just want you to promise me something, Hikaru. Promise me you'll be careful on missions.”

“You know I'm not a bad hunter; I've trained hard.”

“You're more than good, but so were my parents, and yet...” Satoru looked down and balled both hands into fists.

Hikaru walked over and took him by the shoulder, a silent gesture of support.

“I promise you, Satoru,” he said solemnly. “I have no intention of letting a demon defeat me.” He smiled briefly. “Besides, I trained with you, and we've grown up together, under the teachings of otousan and your grandfather. We'll both be fine.”

“We'll be fine,” Satoru repeated, hoping with all his might that his friend was right.

It was their first time searching for a demon.

Very sporadically, they had encountered a few on their journeys, as they walked through the trees that led to the gigantic mountains. But they had always been small demons, they did not represent a real threat.

Satoru always took it upon himself to eliminate them, as it was the only real-life practice his grandfather could give him.

But that night, they had plunged into thicker trees, which practically blocked out the moonlight.

Kenshin had cast a summoning that allowed him to carry a flame of white light with him, which illuminated the path they were traveling. At his side, Satoru walked side by side with his fox, alert for any sign of attack.

The demon they were looking for had left dead animals along the stream path, and the tracks were getting closer and closer to the village, so they couldn't ignore it. From the way it killed, Kenshin guessed it had a pair of deadly fangs, so it was one of the things he'd warned his grandson about.

After a long walk, they finally found the entrance to a cave, made naturally over time, where the climb up the mountain began to steepen.

“Its lair, most likely,” Kenshin announced, dimming the light he carried. “Pay attention, Satoru.”

“Hai, ojiisan.”

The air was freezing. Even though the snow had stopped falling a couple of weeks ago, winter wasn't over yet. The wind blew, surrounding them with a creepy whistling sound.

Then they heard a hissing sound, as something was crawling at great speed, directly towards them.

“Satoru.”

His grandfather didn't have to say anything else; he pulled out the blades strapped to his back, and the metal gleamed in contrast to the light Kenshin was producing.

“He's up!” Satoru shouted, alerting his grandfather and moving quickly to avoid the blow of a massive tail.

Having missed the blow, the demon finally dropped from the tree, coiling in front of them. Its slit eyes opened wide, baring its fangs, which dripped with viscous liquid.

“Hebi[25],” Kenshin whispered.

The name seemed to incite it, so the snake went for him.

It was as large and thick as one of the trees surrounding them; a direct attack would certainly be critical. However, it also made it an easy target. As the snake went after Kenshin, Satoru climbed a tree and then jumped onto the demon's back, almost falling because the scaly skin was slippery.

He dug his blades in for support and to slow the demon's pursuit, but in doing so, the snake pinpointed the intruder's exact location. Little by little, the scales on the sides began to move and lengthen, forming the shape of twisted, clawed arms. This completely caught Satoru off guard, and he had to retract his blades and start running on its back to avoid them.

“To the head, Satoru!”

He kept running, slashing at the arms that were trying to hold him. His fox suddenly appeared, lashing out at the snake's grasp to help its master escape.

Satoru heard the impact of the kunais on the snake; his grandfather was attacking it from below.

The snake's head was crowned with a pair of twisted horns, as black as the devil himself. He was a few meters away from reaching them when one of the snake's arms caught his leg, slamming its sharp claws into it, causing him to stumble.

His fox then appeared, slashing at the arm with a bite.

“Arigatou[26],” he whispered.

He stood up. His leg throbbed, and he could feel the blood running to his ankle, but that didn't stop him. With his blades, he climbed to the top of the head, and when he got there, he brought both blades down on the creature's snout, managing to close it and pierce it completely.

That stopped the chase, as the snake had fallen with such force that the impact had kicked up dirt.

Despite the dirt flying everywhere, Satoru jumped off the snake, not without feeling a tug on his injured leg.

The demon hissed and began to move again.

“Oh, no, you're not leaving,” Satoru said. “Ojiisan, get away from the snake!”

He received no reply, but he knew his grandfather would listen.

With his grip on the chain that connected the blades, he began to spin them with force and speed, and when he knew they were ready, he unleashed them in the direction of the snake's head. They moved so fast that they generated a golden flash in the darkness, and when they reached the demon's head, like a boomerang, he slashed it apart.

The snake then stopped moving; it was finally dead.

Kenshin's light brightened, allowing them to see the monstrous creature beginning to turn to ash.

The fox found its way to Satoru, who was leading Kenshin towards him.

“Good work, Satoru.”

The whitish light showed her grandson, with strands of hair around his face, loose from the ponytail he'd tied. His pants were also torn on one leg, where the claw wound was clearly visible, and blood was still oozing out.

“It's not a serious wound, you'll be fine. Let's go home.”

x x x

He opened his eyes, startled, breathing heavily, as if he'd been holding his breath all this time.

He was lying on the path that led to his house. He stood up, feeling lashings of pain throughout his body, but especially in the cut on his shoulder, which had soaked his clothes with blood.

He began to walk towards the house, almost dragging his leg with the ichor wound. His vision wasn't as clear either because of the poison he'd received, but after so many years of living there, he knew the way by heart.

He had no idea who had attacked him or what they had done to him, but they had managed to force him into an involuntary stupor, immersing him in all those memories. He didn't know exactly how he had managed to break free from that state, but since his grandfather was the last thing he saw, he knew he still had to go find him, go help him, and suddenly, everything in those visions had begun to blur.

Standing in front of the house, he saw that the lights inside were on. That didn't tranquilize him, though, because the front door was slightly open, and he knew his grandfather would never leave it like that.

When he crossed the threshold, he saw Kenshin lying right next to the butsudan[27], which was where the kotsutsubo containing his parents' remains was kept. He ran to his grandfather, ignoring the pain that stabbed at him like stinging pain.

“Ojiisan.”

Satoru knelt beside him, helping him up. What he found when he turned it over was a huge stain on the floor, as his grandfather had a wound in his abdomen. He looked around, trying to locate the attacker, but there was no one, just them and Kenshin's katana a few feet away, its blade with red stains.

“Ojiisan, what happened?”

“Satoru...” he called; his voice filled with agony. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize, we'll find who did this to you.” He tried to lift him, but his grandfather wasn't helping, wasn't trying to move. “We must get help.”

“It's too late. The wound I inflicted myself is fatal.”

Had he heard correctly? Had he said he'd hurt himself?

“You're very weak, you don't know what you're talking about.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, breathing heavily. “I wasn't strong enough to fight him off.”

“Please, try to get up. We need to heal you,” he begged, though his voice was beginning to sound filled with desperation. “I haven't mastered any healing invocations yet; I can't heal you myself.”

“I wish... I could have... given you a... better life.” It was getting harder and harder to breathe. “Forgive me.”

Before he could answer, he realized his grandfather had stopped breathing.

“No, please.”

He took his grandfather's body, still warm, and hugged it, as if that would bring him back to life. Tears filled his eyes and began to fall onto Kenshin's pale face.

“Satoru? Satoru!”

Someone was calling him. How long had it been? Was he dreaming? Surely he was; it couldn't be possible that his grandfather was dead.

“Satoru, please react.”

His head felt heavy; he couldn't lift it to look at the person calling him. He knew he was still hugging his grandfather, although, in reality, he couldn't feel his arms.

“Otousan! Hurry!”

Who was it? He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, and suddenly, everything went black.

Distantly, like an echo, he heard voices, though he couldn't understand what they were saying. His body felt very heavy, like a block of concrete, and it seemed as if his head can explode at any moment.

The voices came and went, as did the aches and pains in his body. He seemed to be in some kind of limbo, unable to react.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was finally able to open his eyes.

“Otousan! He's awake!”

His vision was blurry; it took him a couple of minutes to focus. He was lying on the futon, and sitting next to him was Hikaru Yamada.

“Hikaru?”

“Finally, you’re awake. You made me so worried.”

Memories of the attack came flooding back to him, and his instinct was to get up, but all he could do on his first attempt was sit down, which caused a flash of pain to shoot through his shoulder.

“Calm down, you're hurt.”

“Ojiisan.” He freed himself from Hikaru's hands, which were trying to lay him down again. “Where is he?”

Despite his wounds and pain, he managed to get up and left the room, bumping into Ryohei.

“Satoru.”

“Ojiisan,” he mumbled again and hurried into the next room.

On the futon was a body, completely covered with a white sheet. Satoru approached, sat down beside him, and uncovered it, finding his grandfather's face, as pale as paper, but completely clean, with no trace of the blood that had soaked it.

“No, no, no...”

“Satoru...”

“It can't be true!” he cried, clenching his hands in fists, tears welling up again. “Why didn't they take him somewhere else? Someone could have saved him.”

“When we arrived, Kenshin was already dead,” Ryohei tactfully informed him. “And you were in very bad shape. If we had waited any longer, the poison and blood loss would have killed you as well.”

“Satoru, come here.” Hikaru took his uninjured shoulder. “You need to rest. Even though we gave you an antidote, it will take time to get rid of all the poison, and besides, your body suffered serious wounds that could open up if you don't rest.”

“I'm not going to leave him. I can't.”

The Yamadas didn't insist any further; they left him alone with his grandfather's body. It wasn't until hours later that, overcome with exhaustion, Satoru fell asleep again, and they took advantage of the moment to return him to his room.

The next time Satoru woke up, he was alone in the room. After staring at the ceiling for countless minutes, he decided to get up.

Upon leaving, he ran into the Yamadas, who were sitting around the kotatsu. They both stood up when they saw him.

“Come, eat something.”

They had brought him soup, but Satoru refused to eat it; he had no appetite. In fact, he felt nothing; it was as if his mind refused to accept the reality he was in.

“I know this isn't the best time, but we need to talk about Kenshin.”

Satoru looked at Ryohei. He and Hikaru were dressed in black, paying respects to their grandfather.

“The paperwork might be complicated, especially given the way he died... but, if you want, I can help you...”

“No,” he interrupted. “We won't tell anyone. He wanted to disappear from the world, and that's what he's going to get.”

“But...”

“We'll cremate his body, and he'll rest next to my parents. I know that's what he would have wanted.”

“Even so, to cremate the body...”

“I can do it. I'll do it.”

They knew arguing with Satoru wouldn't get them anywhere, so they gave up with it.

Almost two days had passed since the Yamadas had found the Matsuis in that tragic situation. Time was distorted for Satoru because of all the time he'd been sleeping, a result of all the medicine they'd had to administer. So, when he said he could do the procedure, Ryohei told him he couldn't wait too long.

But Satoru wasn't going to wait. If he'd lost his grandfather anyway, there was no point in keeping his body in the house; at least he should let him rest properly.

They waited until late at night and set off toward the woods. Satoru knew the surroundings like the back of his hand, so he knew how to direct them to a remote spot where no one could see them.

The three of them had carried the body, and behind them, Satoru's fox closes up the group. They arranged him in a suitable space, and after a few seconds of silence, as everyone said their goodbyes, Satoru cast a summoning, which caused sparks to fly, and in the blink of an eye, had covered Kenshin's body.

Satoru didn't know how much time had passed before the fire had been extinguished. The Yamadas were still at his side and lit up the area so Satoru could collect his grandfather's remains; as he did so, the howl of his fox echoed through the trees.

They returned in silence. Once inside the house, the Yamadas understood that Satoru wanted to be alone, so they didn't try to stop him from locking himself in his room.

Satoru barely ate anything until the next day, when he joined Ryohei and Hikaru around the kotatsu.

“How did you know something bad was happening?” Satoru asked directly.

“Kenshin and I always kept in touch,” Ryohei replied. “In the last few weeks, he told me that strange things had been happening in the nearby towns. He thought it was a demon, but he hadn't found any trace.”

Hikaru looked at his father and his friend without saying a word, although he seemed quite uneasy about the information being shared.

“So, in the end, your conclusion was that it was a demon in human form.”

“'Demons that look like humans are the most dangerous and difficult to hunt,'” Satoru whispered, quoting his grandfather.

“He wasn't sure how he managed to kill his victims or what he gained from doing so, because the ones he could find had no trace of damage from a demon; they were all... suicides.”

“'The wound I inflicted myself is fatal, '” his grandfather's words echoed in his head.

“I tried to find out information about it, but we don't have many records of demons of that category, so I wasn't much help.” He shook his head. “Surely, somehow, the demon noticed and set a trap for them.”

Ryohei suddenly stood up, went to the room that had been Kenshin's, and returned a couple of minutes later, holding a few notebooks.

“I found these journals. Apparently, he was recording everything he found about it.” He handed them to Satoru. Honestly, there aren't many things that can lead us to the demon, but I know you'll want to know what he was doing.

“Thank you, Yamada-san.”

He gripped the journals tightly and retreated to his room.

For the next couple of days, all Satoru did was read the journals.

“Satoru-kun? May I come in?”

“Come in.”

Hikaru entered his room and sat next to his friend, who was still staring at the last pages of one of the journals.

“Have you found anything important?” Hikaru asked. Although he already knew the answer, his father had been clear about it.

“Not really. If only I had more information about demons, if I could access the data the company has...”

“My father already searched and didn't find anything that would be useful to your grandfather,” he interrupted. “Besides... they're not going to help you.”

Satoru looked at his friend, a little surprised by the comment.

“When your grandfather decided to leave the company, they didn't take it very well,” he explained. “From that moment on... the Matsuis were considered traitors.”

“Traitors?”

“That's why otousan asked me not to say anything when I was a child and why we rarely visited them. If they found out we knew where they were, it would have been very bad for all of us.” He sighed. “I didn't understand it then, but now that I'm a hunter, I've heard whispers about it, and it all fits together.”

“Fine, if you don't want to help me, I don't care.” He slammed the diary shut. “I'll have to make do with what my grandfather left behind.”

“What does that really mean?”

“Apparently, what the demon is doing is just part of something bigger,” Satoru replied. “And I believed that, to stop it, I'd need the help of someone with some kind of gift.”

“Like you?”

“I don't think so. If so, we would have been enough. He mentions a girl with extrasensory abilities.”

“Is that going to help find a demon?”

“My grandfather thought so.”

“Well, okay. And where is that girl? Is there any way we can find her? Does she live in a nearby city?”

“No, not at all.”

“What do you mean? Does she live in some remote village, like you?”

“No, it's even worse. She lives in another country.”

“Another country!?”

“Yes. In Mexico.”

“What? You've got to be kidding me.”

“That's the information in the newspapers.”

“There must be some other way. You can't just leave for Mexico.”

Satoru hesitated momentarily, but eventually shook his head.

“I have to go.”

“And what the hell are you planning to do there? How are you even going to find her?”

“I don't know, but I'll manage somehow.”

“Satoru...”

“I have to find her, and then I'll avenge his death.”

[1] A type of yokai that has the ability to transform into a beautiful woman, commonly known as the "tangling wife" and "spider whore.".

[2] They are a type of creature from the Japanese folklore. Some have parts of human, animal or both. They can be specters, spiritus or demons.

[3] Grandfather.

[4] Yes.

[5]Mom.

[6] Dad.

[7] Used as a suffix to refer to a leader of a company.

[8] Single-edged curved saber with a pointed tip.

[9] Urn.

[10] Sorry.

[11] A typical architectural style of rural Japan during the feudal era. It means "hands clasped in prayer" because its roofs are steeply pitched to endure the heavy winter snowfall.

[12] Traditional door in Japanese architecture. It consists of translucent Japanese paper with a wooden frame.

[13] A low wooden table frame covered with a futon or heavy blanket, supporting the tabletop. Beneath it is a brazier, heater, or stove, which is sometimes part of the table structure itself.

[14] It's a type of traditional Japanese submerged fireplace. It consists of a square hole in the ground with a hook for pots.

[15] Japanese bathroom of hot water.

[16] It is a traditional dumpling in Japanese cuisine made with mochiko (rice flour), and therefore derived from mochi (glutinous rice cake).

[17] It is the Japanese word for comics in general.

[18] Weapon consisting of a stick or rod, at the end of which a metal blade or pointed knife is attached.

[19] Weapon made up of two short sticks, generally between thirty and sixty centimeters, joined at their ends by a rope or chain.

[20] Weapon consisting of a sickle attached to a chain with a length between one and three meters and that had an iron or stone weight at its end.

[21] Sinograms used in writing of the Japanese language.

[22] Small spearhead-shaped objects that are thrown at enemies like knives.

[23] Term to describe something as “phenomenal” or “extraordinary.”

[24] Term used for spirits summoned by an onmyoji, or Japanese sorcerer. They are used to protect and serve their master.

[25] Serpent.

[26] Thank you.

[27] A small Buddhist altar set up in a wooden cabinet. These private shrines are used to honor the dead. Photos of deceased relatives are usually placed beneath the butsudan.