The group consisted of both young people and middle-aged individuals. Their attire was strange, somewhat resembling ancient clothing rather than modern garments.
This was a small mountain village deep in the remote mountains of Hokkaido. Even so, with developed transportation, they shouldn't be completely unaware of the outside world, right?
As for the reason why, that remains unknown.
The old woman named 'Haruko' gave a faint smile. She wore Miko robes, and her hands, head, and other exposed parts were almost transparent to the point of being nearly invisible.
"I met that person when I was young during my travels, when he encountered a youkai. I saved him. I have the favor of saving his life. This time, he will definitely help me."
"But what does that have to do with us? No matter how strong he is, he can't break our curse."
"It's fine. The influence of his family is very great. Finding one girl will be very easy for him."
"Then we'll be troubling you, Haruko-sama."
The old woman named Haruko nodded and waved her hand, "You may all leave now. Let me be alone for a while."
A long time passed. In the dark, empty shrine, a sigh finally sounded.
…
Shinomiya Main House.
Kaguya sat seriously on a cushion, facing a display screen. Below the screen was a connected PS4 game console. She held a game controller in her hands.
Yusei was under the kotatsu next to Kaguya, also holding a controller.
"Kaguya, left, left!"
"Ah? Which button is left? Bang!"
A large [GAME OVER] appeared on the display screen, indicating their game characters had died.
Yusei shook his head helplessly, 'Kaguya really wasn't good at this kind of thing.'
SAO involved real control, but she couldn't handle this kind of game.
Kaguya also knew it was her fault that led to their party wipe, and she felt a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine, let's try again~" Yusei said, preparing to start over. However, the room door slid open just then, and Koken walked in.
Seeing Yusei and Kaguya playing games, Koken didn't stop them or anything, he just cleared his throat lightly.
"Come here for a moment. I have a request from an old friend."
Koken's gaze swept over Yusei and Kaguya, finally settling on Yusei.
"Yusei, I want you to go. Because this isn't an easy task."
Yusei already knew that Koken had mentioned an old friend seeking help, but he didn't know the specifics. It was said he intended to delegate it.
Today was when Koken would explain the details of the request, which is why Yusei had come to the Shinomiya main house despite the heavy snow.
"Can you tell me what it's about?" Yusei asked.
Koken nodded. Seeing that besides Kaguya and Hayasaka, there was no one else, he began to speak.
"Actually, this involves some secrets. I think you're both old enough now, so it's time you learned about these things..."
"Speaking of which, let me first talk about my past experiences."
"It was right after the war ended. Our Shinomiya Family had remained secluded during the war because our family's power could very well have been used as a force for external war by the Imperial Family at that time."
"Swordsmanship? It is the strongest power inherited by the Shinomiya Family. It's not the flashy stuff you see outside, but true swordsmanship."
As he spoke, Koken looked at Yusei and Kaguya with a smile.
"Your talents far surpass mine. You must have realized it during your last fight. That 'energy' hidden on your bodies, attached to you... but that's not just energy, it's your Sword Intent, a miraculous power."
"Those with powerful Sword Intent can sever mountains, split seas... Of course, that's a bit too exaggerated, just an analogy. No one has truly seen it done. But just like the combined sword skill you and Kaguya demonstrated, which could slice through clouds kilometers away, it proves that the way of the sword is boundless."
Hearing this, Kaguya couldn't help but glance at Yusei, who was listening intently to Koken's words, feeling secretly pleased inside.
Koken continued, "This world is quiet, yet also not quiet. Some hidden things lie deep beneath the surface and haven't emerged."
"When I was training in Hokkaido back then, I encountered such a life-threatening incident..."
A look of nostalgia... and lingering fear appeared on Koken's face.
"I was still very weak back then, even weaker than I am now. I wanted to prove myself to my father, so I ran off into the mountains alone, intending to hunt ferocious beasts."
"My father had never told me about those things, so I believed the ways to prove one's strength in this world, besides defeating my father, were to hunt powerful animals like tigers and giant bears."
"In the deep mountains of Hokkaido, there were brown bears. So, I went alone, braving the wind and snow. However... what I didn't know was that this journey would nearly cost me my life."
Koken paused, not keeping them in suspense, and continued, "The first few days were normal. I successfully hunted many animals, but I still hadn't found any bears, which made me anxious. So I went deeper into the mountains."
"One day, two days... I still didn't encounter any. So I planned to give up. Because the weather was getting colder and colder, and even my body, trained in martial arts since childhood, was finding it hard to bear."
"But, just as I was preparing to leave, something strange happened. The night before I planned to depart, I suddenly heard a grating, chilling roar from the mountain forest."
At this point, Koken smiled wryly and shook his head, "Back then, I didn't pay it any mind. I was young and reckless, fearless. I set up my tent and slept through the night, not realizing the severity of the situation, and didn't leave immediately."
"And it was that one night that things went wrong."
"When I woke up the next day, I found the wind and snow had stopped. That was good news. But the bad news was that the white snowfield was everywhere, splattered with red bloodstains and animal remains."
"And then I encountered the scene I would never forget for the rest of my life. It was a giant spider with a human face. It's hard to imagine how terrified I was at that moment."
"Moreover, from all directions, different youkai were arriving. They carried either human corpses or animal ones in their hands."
"At that moment, I understood. The strange cries last night were the signal for the youkai to begin their feast."