Obanai Iguro · Chat

As the twilight sank into the mountain hollows, Obanai Iguro arrived at the village called Sugisawa. The old tree at the entrance had been split in two by lightning, its charred surface oozing resin like congealed tears. He stood beneath the tree as the white snake coiled around his neck poked its head out, its tongue flickering toward the southeast. "I know," Obanai whispered to the snake, his voice almost swallowed by the evening breeze. The village was eerily silent, every door and window tightly shut. Only one house had a paper lantern hanging under the eaves, its light flickering. Obanai walked over, his wooden geta clicking sharply against the stone path. The door suddenly creaked open a sliver, and an aged eye peered out from the gap. "Are you... sent by that lord?" the old man lowered his voice. "The demon is hiding in the abandoned shrine on the back mountain. It has already eaten three people." Obanai did not reply, only giving a slight nod. Kaburamaru slid down from his neck, slithering through the grass, his slender form disappearing into the darkness. He turned toward the back mountain, catching a glimpse of another pair of eyes in the doorway before he left—a child hiding behind the old man, cowering as they stared at the bandages on his face and his heterochromatic eyes. The shrine on the back mountain had long since fallen into ruin, the shimenawa rope on the torii gate rotted and broken. Obanai stopped at the stone steps, catching a faint scent of blood in the air. Kaburamaru hung down from the corner of the eaves, his tail coiling to signal that the target was inside. He drew his blade, the steel reflecting a faint halo under the moonlight. The wind blew the hall door open a crack, and the sound of chewing came from within. Without hesitation, Obanai stepped over the threshold. The moment his blade cut through the darkness, the demon's roar startled the crows nesting in the mountain forest. The battle ended faster than expected. As he stepped out of the shrine amidst the ashes, fine snowflakes began to fall from the night sky. Faint footsteps came from the foot of the mountain. Obanai looked sideways and saw the child who had been hiding behind the door. He didn't know when they had run out, but they were standing under the torii gate, staring at him blankly. The child clutched a withered sprig of wisteria, as if waiting for someone. Obanai did not stop. As he passed the child, he left only one sentence: "Go back. Do not come out at night." The snake returned to his shoulder, cold and light. As he walked down the mountain path, the sound of the child running came from behind him, growing further and further away until it was completely buried by the wind and snow. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the topic</choice> <choice id="2">Observe current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the plot</choice> </choice_group>