Above a vast forest made up of trees that are almost impossible to see today, unless you go to natural areas such as the Amazon or Siberia, the blue sky twists and a black void devours all light.
This void of all light seems to want to spread even further, devouring loose branches, tree leaves, and even small rocks, but finally loses its gravitational pull and spits out a humanoid figure before closing completely.
This figure is a young white man with shoulder-length blond hair, wide-open blue eyes, and both Western and Eastern facial features. The first thing he does is reach his hand toward the sky, then let out a scream that scares away all the birds, and then he just stands there motionless.
*Boom*
A cloud of dust rises into the afternoon sky as the human figure crashes to the ground, and even small cracks spread around the impact site, a sign that it was a big hit.
No ordinary person could have survived that fall, but even before the cloud of dust disappears, a cry spreads from within.
"Am I alive? Yes, I'm alive!"
Crawling out of the crater formed by his fall, Asahiko, who really needs a change of clothes right now, makes his way to a clear spot and flops onto his back on the green grass as he is bathed in the warm sunlight.
The comforting warmth of the sun seems to give him enough energy to lift his upper body, but instead of an expression of pain from the movement, the expression on his face is one of confusion as he notices the forest surrounding him.
"Where am I...?"
Looking at the tall trees that easily exceed 25 meters in height and require at least two people to encircle their trunks, Asahiko's expression of confusion deepens, and in the end, he just lets himself fall back onto the grass-covered ground.
Now, with the blue sky dotted with a few clouds above him again, Asahiko's mind starts working at full speed. The first question that comes to him is, "Where am I?", which leads to, "How did I get here?", which leads him to the rabbit hole that is spirits and magic swords.
"I need help from a mental health professional... Yes, I still see this forest even though I accept my problems... Let's just ignore it."
Reaching the solution that all living beings have come to regarding existential doubts, to simply ignore them, Asahiko gets up from the grass and takes a second look around.
Obviously, there was nothing new; less than ten minutes had passed, but what could be considered "new" was that the cloud of dust in the crater had disappeared and now the sword could be seen stuck there.
"Take the magic sword with a talking scabbard and a dark personality, or walk through a primitive and unknown forest without any protection? To hesitate, boys, to hesitate."
Talking to himself, a classic reaction to a problem that overwhelms you, Asahiko approaches the crater with careful steps and first takes the sheath, safety first, and then quickly places the sword inside.
Throughout the entire operation, there were no magical glows, talking sheaths, or flesh tentacles, causing Asahiko to breathe a sigh of relief and scan the surroundings more calmly with his blue eyes.
"I hear a river in that direction... Wait, did he hear a river? Well, mystery for later!"
Brushing aside that intrusive thought that threatened to upset his fragile mental state, Asahiko dusted off his clothes, torn from the previous impact, and set off toward the river.
Along the way, his expression changed several times as he realized how far the river was, but with a healthy dose of "I didn't care," Asahiko reached the river in a healthy state of mind after only ten minutes.
"It's so beautiful that I'm pretty sure it's possible to drink the water here."
Using instinct rather than reason, Asahiko breaks the calm waters of the river with his hands and takes a few quick sips, moistening his throat.
As he does so, kneeling by the river and drinking water, Asahiko also notices something in the crystal-clear reflection of the water. It wasn't the small fish that were clearly visible, or the perfectly smooth rocks, but rather that his appearance had changed slightly.
"Is that me...? God, I am beautiful."
Striking a few poses and acting like a complete narcissist for a few seconds, Asahiko recovers from what could be considered a mental attack, before taking a real look at his physical changes.
These were not many or truly significant, but rather an improvement on his own, making his golden hair even brighter, his blue eyes deeper, and his facial contours softer.
"Phew... Luckily, I didn't grow any weird tails or hairy ears, although I have to admit, now I really am a ten in appearance."
Laughing at having fallen back into narcissism, Asahiko takes one last look at himself in the river and looks up and down the river. It was time to decide which way to go to try his luck, up or down, right or left... Basically, it was time to flip a coin.
Of course, Asahiko didn't have a coin to toss, so he grabbed his sword and rested its tip on the ground while holding it by the hilt, then closed his eyes and let go to see which way to go.
"And... it will be to the right!"
Lifting the sword and ignoring the fragility of his logic, Asahiko accepts what the heavens have designated and begins walking to the right along the riverbank. This walk continues until sunset, but even then there is no visible change in the surroundings, and as a last resort, Asahiko sets up camp.
Well, more than a camp, it is simply a small campfire surrounded by stones, two fish stuck on branches, and a somewhat comfortable place to sleep under a tree.
"What I would give for a little salt, pepper, or oregano... This tastes like nothing, well, even worse than nothing."
Pulling a piece of fish with his teeth as he is bathed in the light of the campfire, Asahiko complains about the tasteless fish and sinks his teeth into it again with his eyes closed.
Perhaps that is why he could not see or even feel the brief, small glow emanating from the pod, which then gathers into a small 30cm sphere and transforms into a strange old man.
This ghostly grandfather has long white hair down to his waist, pointed ears, and a pale, tangled beard that reaches his chest. This eccentric combination is adorned with a white yukata, small wooden sandals, and the sheath in his hands.
"Jejeje, if you want, I can. Wait, put that sword down!"
"Sure, if the talking ghost in front of me stops floating."
Holding the sword in his hand and almost stabbing the ghostly old man with it, Asahiko takes a few cautious steps back, or perhaps out of fear, while staring at him.
At least he didn't scream like a madman, although his sweaty hands and strangely petrified face make it clear that yes, Asahiko backed away more out of fear or shock than caution.
"I'm a ghost. I don't float because I want to, but because I have to, basic natural laws."
"I'm not pointing my sword at you because I want to, but because I have to. You're literally a ghost, who knows what you can do to me."
Pointing his left finger at the ghost and raising an eyebrow at the ghost's obvious surprise, as he went from shock to mockery, Asahiko stares at him, waiting for a response.
"You know... Those should be my words. You have the sword, and you're a demon fox."
"What? Hey, wait, don't run with that thing! This sword is dangerous!"
"Then stop chasing me!"
"And you, stop moving!"
Engaged in this kind of useless conversation for a few more minutes, during which they also spent running after each other, Asahiko and the spirit finally stop next to the campfire, which now has two half-charred fish.
This further dampens Asahiko's mood, as he has also been unable to retrieve his sheath, but the spirit seems indifferent to the fish's appearance and his mouth waters just looking at them.
"Never mind, just take them, it's not like I'm hungry."
"Jejeje, ahem, really?"
"Sure, by the way, I'm Asahiko."
Throwing the fish from a safe distance, lest the spirit run off with the sheath again or have some kind of stench, Asahiko finally introduces himself.
"Umhg, Glup, I'm Saya. The guardian spirit of the Clouded Fang sheath and the one who keeps that dragon named Souga under control."
"So Souga, that guy inside the gem, is he a dragon?"
"Yes, ughd, a dragon from hell to be more exact, Glup... Although no one knows how he ended up like that, sealed in a sword and in the hands of Master Inu no Taisho."
Devouring half the fish in a single bite, the Spirit named Saya introduces himself and even talks about the sword, not caring whether or not it should be considered a secret.
"Oh, okay... A dragon from hell, I can accept that."
"Wait, where are you going? We still have to talk about the sword that now belongs to you."
"Yes, yes, yes, tomorrow I'll wake up and you'll still be here, we can talk about whatever you want all day long."
Waving goodbye with his right hand to Saya, who stands there surprised, Asahiko lies down under the tree and closes his eyes, ignoring the tumultuous world outside.
…
After hours of restful sleep, as restful as sleeping under a tree can be, Asahiko opens his blue eyes and stares at the orange sky through the leaves of the tree.
"Good morning."
"You... Are you still here? Don't mind me, just... Good morning, Saya."
Greeting the spirit floating around with Clouded Fang in tow, Asahiko gets up with a stoic face and cleans his torn clothes with a few gentle strokes.
With that done, he heads to the nearby river and washes his face, erasing any traces of sleepiness that might still remain.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you going to listen to me?"
"What 's up, Saya?"
Turning around with an expression of hard acceptance, Asahiko finally accepts Saya's existence consciously and not as a creation of his sleepiness.
Of course, all that psychological stuff doesn't matter much to Saya, so she strokes her now neatly combed beard and leaves Clouded Fang embedded in its sheath on Asahiko's hands.
"I've expended too much energy in the last battle against Souga, just like him, so I have to rest for a while, young Asahiko."
"... Saya."
Remaining silent before the old man's tired face and his body that seems more transparent than normal, Asahiko narrows his eyes as if something were going through his mind.
"We may have only known each other for a short time, but I trust that..."
"You bastard, you want to go to sleep and leave me with all the responsibility!"
"Jejeje, goodbye."
Sliding through Asahiko's fingers as he tries to grab her, Saya returns to the inside of the sheath and stops responding completely, even ignoring Asahiko when he hits the sword against a tree.
Obviously, Asahiko doesn't give up and tries several other things, but nothing works, so in the end he accepts that he has been tricked by a spirit and has no choice but to continue his journey before it gets any later.
"Damn third-rate spirit, you'll see when I get my hands on you. Damn it, now who am I going to waste my time with on the road?"
Whispering the last part, Asahiko picks up Clouded Fang, which had fallen to the ground, and continues walking along the riverbank, all without noticing the brief glint on the sheath.
Aside from these matters, Asahiko continues his journey for hours and hours, until finally, by what could be considered divine luck, he manages to spot a village just where the forest becomes less dense.
This village consists almost entirely of several dozen simple houses made of wood and straw, although there is one in particular that is much more magnificent than the rest.
In addition to these precarious dwellings, there is also a 50cm-high fence surrounding the entire village, a tall early warning tower in the center of the village, and a bridge connecting the interior with the exterior.
"Village, civilization, humanity!"
Ignoring the fact that it basically looks nothing like a village he would see today, Asahiko puts on what he considers to be a big smile and walks confidently into the village.
He is greatly surprised when no one comes out to greet or stop him, when he sees no one walking around, and even more so when he notices the deathly silence throughout the place... Basically, the whole place is dead.
But Asahiko doesn't give up in the face of this minor setback. Instead, with the confidence that comes from his desperation to see civilization and the sword in his hand, he begins knocking on random doors.
"Aghh, do you think I don't know you're in there? I can feel you!"
Uttering words reminiscent of the tale of a certain wolf and three little pigs, Asahiko lifts Clouded Fang and strikes it repeatedly until it begins to glow.
"Saya, come out already and tell me what's wrong with these idiotic villagers."
"How should I know? I've been living inside the sheath for centuries, young Asahiko."
"Well, you're from here, wherever we are right now."
Putting two and two together in his mind: strange place + strange ghost = both strange, Asahiko seeks an answer from the old man Saya.
"I don't know, it could be several things... An attack by bandits, man-eating yōkai, wild beasts around here, a disease... There are too many possibilities."
"Tsk, how helpful you are, Saya."
Clicking his tongue and ignoring the ghost who says something about him being impertinent, Asahiko continues walking along the dirt roads and finally begins to notice some oddities.
At first, there are claw marks on the walls, traces of destruction on the ground, and the occasional hole in the walls of certain houses. This only serves as a warning for Asahiko to take a closer look, culminating in him noticing the huge hole in the village's protective fence.
"Umm... I think I have an idea of what happened here, young Asa."
"A ghost!"
Breaking the silence with a scream that echoes throughout the village, a little girl with black hair tied in a worn pink bow and a tattered orange yukata points at Saya before trying to run away.
Trying was no joke, because when the girl turns around, fear still on her face, a large shadow surrounds her and a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders.
"I, sniff, I, I, I didn't see anything!"
And I didn't say you did... Umm, this makes me think you did see something."
"I, I... Wahh, don't eat me! I don't have any meat, look, I'm just skin and bones, and, and... Wahh!"
Breaking down in tears, unable to contain herself any longer, the girl's face reddens from hyperventilating and she begins to tremble in Asahiko's hands.
This made Asahiko open his eyes in surprise, as he did not expect such an extreme reaction to his jokes, so in an attempt to remedy the situation, he lets go of the girl and takes a few steps back.
"I'm sorry, okay. I'm really sorry for scaring you... Oh, right, I'm Asahiko, and may I ask your name?
"A, A, Akemi."
"What a pretty name you have there, Akemi. But what are you doing here? I'm sure this isn't a good place for children."
Turning his head and pointing his finger at the huge hole in the fence protecting the village, which was obviously made by something dangerous, Asahiko asks the question any responsible adult would ask.
But surprisingly, that perfectly normal question makes Akemi defensive. She looks around suspiciously and then begins to speak in a low voice.
"I was looking for something to eat outside the village... It's not that I don't want to follow the village chief's words, but the elders don't even give me their leftovers anymore since that monster attacked the village and left us trapped here."
"Leftovers... Akemi, are you..."
"Um, I've been an orphan since that monster devoured my parents. Back then, we lived on the outskirts of the village as hunters, so we were the first to be attacked by that beast."
Clenching her fists with more anger than fear, Akemi's eyes turn red again and small tears form at the corners, though she doesn't let any fall to the ground.
That overwhelming feeling, that cold resilience and fierce desire to hold her head high seemed to resonate with Asahiko, prompting him to respond by giving Akemi a big hug.
"There, there... It's okay to cry, not because you're afraid of that monster, but because of the death of your parents, Akemi."
"But, sniff, Dad always says you shouldn't show fear to beasts, sniff, otherwise they're more likely to attack you again, and I don't want that to happen to the elders."
"What a good girl, thinking of others, so we have to do something for you too. Why don't you tell me what that monster looks like? Maybe I can help you."
Speaking softly as he thinks an older brother would, Asahiko gently wipes Akemi's tears with his finger and then points to his sword, a sign of his strength to defeat the monster.
"Big, it was a monster bigger than a horse, it had tangled brown hair and walked on all fours... Plus it let out really loud growls."
"A bear? Are there even any of those in Japan...? Anyway, I think I can take care of it."
Erasing any doubt from his face that might convey weakness to the girl with bright eyes in front of him, Asahiko ignores whatever Saya is trying to say and raises his head proudly, looking like a knight from a fantasy novel.
"Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you, big brother Asahiko! I know, I have to take you to see the village chief. He'll be more than happy to meet you."
Taking Asahiko's hand firmly, Akemi drags him into the village without resistance on his part and heads for the largest house in the village, while the light on the horizon grows dimmer and dimmer.