When a samurai falls in battle and his body cannot be retrieved, his spirit is sent off through fire. Like cremating one of his belongings. Priests and close retainers would have already performed rituals, including reciting nenju (sacred verses) and burning incense (meiko) to aid the deceased's passage into the afterlife.
The last step is assigning a precept name called Kaimyo to the deceased. It is largely believed that when the living call the original name of the deceased, they get disturbed in the afterlife and might be made to wander again on Earth. Thus, this might create just another "Kaidan".
***
(Nine Summers Later)
The wind howled loudly, sending specks of dust onto the earthy cloaks of a troop riding south. All of them were on their horses, armed with swords and eyes never staying in one spot.
They had to be careful.
The surroundings were nothing but pure destruction. Rubble of stones accentuated with aged human bones, spread across the wasteland. Smoke coiled in the distance, straight into the night sky.
At that moment, the man riding at the forefront raised his hand. Everyone pulled their horses to a stop, listening closely even to the slightest bit of sound.
The man, his face carrying heavy scars, looked right beside himself.
"It smells, doesn't it?"
… The knight stared back at him. His blue eye seemed as though it had lost its sparkle, a bun of his long hair shielding half of his face. He had a black-sheathed sword strapped to the side of his belt.
The scar-faced man signalled forward.
"Go and check if it's safe to move on."
The young knight disembarked from his horse. He bowed to the captain, looked back for a second at a lady, then turned towards the entrance of the fortress.
Dry leaves crunched underfoot as he drew closer, before stopping right at a spot. He frowned, staring across the moderate stretch of river.
It was flowing with water. At least, that's what it looked like. But something was missing.
Water wasn't supposed to give off such a burning sensation and a foul smell.
The knight turned around and reported, his eyes steady.
"Kaidan urine."
He could see everyone's hands tightening around their swords right away. The captain nodded slowly.
"Shall we just find another route then?"
The knight proposed softly.
"I can go in if you want me to."
The captain pulled a long, careful stare on him. Before he asked with a bit of concern.
"Will you be fine on your own, though? We don't know how many ghosts lie in that fortress and how powerful they are."
The knight maintained a closer watch on him.
"Do you want me to go in?"
A subtle silence stretched between them. Till the man looked behind him and ordered.
"Go with him, Junshi Aiko. You're the only one capable of handling him." (INFO: Junshi means "Retainer" or "Knight Follower" in traditional Japanese.)
A lady with a curvy figure disembarked from her horse and walked forward. She had rough, silvery hair with eyes that blended perfectly with the twilight sky. Unlike the young knight, she had a red-sheathed sword.
She bowed to the captain, responding.
"Understood, Captain Riku."
The man rubbed his hand across his moustache.
"Wait before the sacred temple if you can. Kill as many Kaidans as possible if you need to hold up. Just don't die…" He pulled a long glance at the young knight "... Especially you, Junshi Ren."
When the lady reached the knight's side, he turned his back on her. And she jumped onto his back, wrapping her hands loosely around his neck.
… Ren then walked straight through the scorching river. The piece of clothing around his legs burned to black ashes. His flesh hissed, and smoke rose from his legs, but his expression never changed.
After reaching the shore, Aiko jumped off his back.
Branches of trees intertwined at ground level across the path before them. As though someone wove them into one another.
Right then, the burns on Ren's legs faded away. Aiko looked there for a brief moment before turning to him with a smile.
"Let's go on… Ren."
He nodded slowly, sheathed his sword, and sprinted straight towards the intertwined branches. Aiko did the same. They flew from one spot to another like they had wings, breaking branches like glass.
In no time, they both landed at the front of a building.
It stood tall and imposing, made of bricks that had faded. Thorny branches coiled around the building. Ren looked here and there before walking towards the entrance.
Aiko's voice streaked out.
"The captain told us not to go in yet."
Ren didn't stop.
"Wait if you can - that's all I heard."
Aiko turned towards him.
"Well, you still can?"
"I don't take orders from either you or the captain. I listen to the Daimyo." He stopped at the entrance and looked back. "Follow me. I thought he said you're the only one who can handle me."
Aiko stared at him, not moving an inch.
Ren quirked a brow.
"Scared of what lies inside? You should remember we have survived tougher days than this."
"Are you now persuading me to follow you?"
Ren turned his back on her, eyes focused on the ancient seal on the degrading iron door.
"Not really. I can't fight for you if we're apart. But…" he tilted his head, still looking at the seal "... this gives me the creeps. Can't actually place a finger on…"
The air patted his back.
Aiko interrupted him.
"What's that?"
Ren glanced over his shoulder. He nodded when he saw her.
"Nothing. Let's go in."
Aiko sighed.
"Alright. Now, I really mean to say if I have to die, I'll probably just do it together with you."
Ren had a slight smile on his face as he pushed the door open. It groaned across the room behind it.
Suddenly, the forest spirit appeared mid-air before Ren. It never changed even after Ren turned fifteen years old.
Still had the same little size, red eyes, and red kimono.
It crossed its hands and chuckled.
"You still haven't removed the bun, I see. Trust me, a slick back would definitely look better…"
Ren didn't respond. But soon, the creature mentioned the real issue.
"Right. Time to find out if there really is something else to this temple. If you guys can't find out why, you might as well vanish without a trace like everyone else…"
"I just think somewhere else is linked to this building. And that's where all the missing knights were drawn into."
Ren's eyes lit up.
'I was thinking the same thing! Maybe…'
The creature chuckled.
"Well, whatever the case is, I guess this is going to be so fun!"
"Sigh…"
Aiko's voice groaned aloud.
"Ren! Step aside."
Ren blinked.
"What? Oh, geez—"
The air split before he could finish.