The sun stood high at its zenith.
The man who called himself Benkei polished his blade with calm precision, as if he were polishing a fragment of his own soul.
Not far away, two boys barely out of childhood were plotting behind some rocks.
Hastur, nervous, whispered:
"Ban, listen… what you're saying is completely insane. We don't stand a chance of taking him down. Look at us—two skinny six-year-olds against a two-meter-tall monster!"
Ban folded his arms.
"First of all, I'm not six. I'm eight."
"That's not the point!"
Ban sighed.
"Look. This forest… only women can cross it without dying. No man has ever made it out alive. And even if we do cross it, where do we go? Master Doran is the only family we have left."
A heavy silence fell instantly.
Then, as if obvious, they both said at the same time:
"Then it'll be a challenge!"
Hastur jumped to his feet.
"Whoever reaches Péleiria first!"
Ban grinned.
"Will be the other's boot-licker for a whole month!"
They bumped their fists together.
The impact resonated so strongly that the vibration reached Benkei's blade.
Still sitting, Hastur asked:
"How do we stay in contact?"
Suddenly, a translucent dragonfly slowly emerged from his head. It split into two, glowing with ethereal light.
Ban paled.
"I—I know that… that's—!?"
Before he could finish, a voice echoed from one of the dragonflies.
His own voice. Like a recording.
Hastur nodded.
"Perfect. This will be our way to communicate. The challenge begins now."
He turned toward the forest.
"Good luck, my fri—"
He corrected himself with a smile.
"No. Good luck, my brother."
---
Day One
Hastur's Side
The forest swallowed him instantly.
Darkness, humidity, the heavy air… Everything felt like it was watching him.
A small rust-yellow rabbit jumped out of a bush. Unlike a normal animal, it remained perfectly still, staring at Hastur without even blinking.
Then, with an adorable little cry, it made the air tremble.
Hypnotized, Hastur approached.
"You're so cute…"
The rabbit tensed like a spring—
then shot forward at an impossible speed, like a bullet fired from a gun.
Hastur barely dodged.
"WAAAAH!?"
He sprinted away at once.
The trees seemed to spin around him, as if trying to confuse him.
"What is this place!?"
---
Ban's Side
Ban stood directly in front of Benkei.
At his feet: a stone bridge.
"So I just have to cross this bridge, right?"
He dashed forward, determined.
But halfway across, his foot slipped—
as if the stone had suddenly turned into ice.
Benkei raised an eyebrow.
"So his plan is to pass under my feet…?"
Ban thought, triumphant:
"Perfect! That means I—!"
But an invisible force violently flung him into the air.
"WHAAAT!?!?"
He crashed to the ground, unable to understand what happened.
Benkei then picked up one of the dragonflies between his fingers.
"You're both weak. You won't survive no matter which path you take."
He paused, his voice deepening.
"But you can become strong. Too strong, even. Strong enough to rebel against this cruel and merciless world. You must learn to wield Anima."
---
The Echo
Hastur, panting inside the forest:
"Anima…"
Ban, dizzy on the ground, murmured as well:
"…Anima?"
His eyes closed.
He passed out.