Kanoru looked around in confusion. Just moments ago, he had been deep in the underground spiritual forest, prying a demon core from the chest of a middle-ranked leopard demon, but now he stood in an amusement park.
The entire park was drained of color, cast in black and white beneath the eerie glow of a massive purple moon. The surreal light bathed the entire landscape, creating an unsettling and dreamlike atmosphere.
"Is the samurai world... not real? Could it be a dream world?" he muttered, struggling to comprehend the sudden shift.
One moment, he had been surrounded by thick foliage underground, and now he stood on cracked concrete paths strewn with debris from a long-forgotten carnival.
Determined to make sense of his surroundings, Kanoru started walking through the empty park. His boots crunched against shards of broken glass and scattered popcorn kernels.
He peeked into a nearby tent and found it filled with massive toys. Hulking mechanical dolls and patchwork monstrosities stood perfectly still, their hollow eyes staring lifelessly into the void.
The air inside the tent smelled stale, thick with rubber and dust. He turned to leave but suddenly heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him.
Spinning around, he reached for his sword, but there was nothing there. His sharp eyes scanned the ground and spotted faint, fresh footprints that had not been there before.
"You think I'm a fool?" he called out, his voice low and sharp, directed at the unseen presence. The only response was the distant creak of a rusting Ferris wheel swaying in the breeze.
He sighed and narrowed his eyes. "If you're still wondering who I'm talking to... I'm talking to you—" he glanced at the tent, "—toys."
A faint mechanical whir came from the tent. Five towering figures emerged, their eyes glowing a menacing crimson.
The massive toys, stitched together like monstrous transformers, stood as tall as Kanoru. With clunky, creaking movements, they charged at him.
Kanoru leaped back just as their massive arms slammed into the ground. The impact shattered the pavement, sending debris flying.
The mechanical giants tore through the tents, reducing them to shreds. Iron poles bent like twigs under their crushing weight.
Kanoru dodged their heavy swings with fluid agility. He flipped and twisted between their clumsy attacks, making the toys destroy more of their surroundings.
Lamps were shattered, wooden booths splintered, and popcorn stands crumpled under their stomping feet. The once eerie park became a war zone of destruction.
For several minutes, Kanoru continued to evade. He studied their attack patterns, testing their speed and strength.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, teasing yet calm. "Why are you toying with them?"
Kanoru's eyes flicked toward the source. Perched atop a bent lamppost, Lu Yue sat with her legs crossed, her silver hair fluttering in the cold night breeze.
Her blue eyes gleamed faintly under the purple moon. She watched him with a casual smirk, as though amused by his efforts.
Seeing her, Kanoru's expression hardened. His red-blade sword hissed from its sheath.
In five swift, fluid movements, he sliced through the charging toys. Their bodies fell apart in clean halves, clattering onto the concrete.
The mechanical giants twitched briefly before their crimson eyes flickered out. Sparks crackled from their severed limbs as they fell still.
Sliding his sword back into its sheath, Kanoru turned to Lu Yue. "I wanted to see if I was the only one here... or if someone else got dragged into this twisted place."
Lu Yue nodded and leaped gracefully down from the lamppost. Her boots made barely a sound as she landed.
She dusted off her cloak and glanced at him. "Your little commotion attracted me, but it also attracted... other things."
Before Kanoru could ask what she meant, a low, mournful howl echoed through the fog. His eyes narrowed, his grip on his sword tightening.
From both ends of the cracked street, wolves began emerging. Dozens of them slunk out of the shadows.
Their eyes glowed like pale lanterns. With each breath, they exhaled visible puffs of cold mist.
But these were no ordinary wolves. Each one was harnessed to a sled, and atop each sled stood a masked humanoid figure.
The sled riders wore tattered coats and iron helmets. Their faces were hidden behind black masks, their eyes void of humanity.
Without hesitation, they drew their bows and fired. A volley of arrows streaked toward Kanoru.
His eyes flashed coldly. With a sharp swing, he unleashed a slicing gust of wind.
The wind blade roared forward, cutting through the arrows mid-flight. The wolves and their masked riders were cleaved in two.
Instead of blood, wool spilled from the wolves' bodies, revealing they were plush toys. The riders, sliced apart, were nothing more than plastic figurines with hollow interiors.
Kanoru turned sharply and spotted the remaining wolves and riders behind him. Thick vines shot out from the ground, coiling around their limbs and strangling them in place.
He glanced at Lu Yue, who stood with her hand slightly raised, her eyes calm. She clearly knew more than she let on.
"Do you know where we are?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied flatly and started walking. Without hesitation, Kanoru followed.
"Then tell me," he pressed, his voice steady.
Lu Yue hesitated. Before she could answer, a voice called out, "We're in a reflection of the invaders' world."
Kanoru's eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source. "Second Prince," he said evenly.
The Second Prince approached with a calm, confident stride. "Brother Kanoru, we're relatives. No need for formality—just call me Zhiyuan, or Brother Yuan," he said with a faint smile.
Kanoru gave a small nod. "Alright, Zhiyuan." His expression hardened. "What do you mean by invaders and a reflection of their world?"
Zhiyuan fell into step with them. Lu Yue kept walking, her gaze fixed forward, unfazed by his arrival. Kanoru sensed they both knew far more than him.
"Our world—the Spirit World—has been under invasion for the past fifty years," Zhiyuan explained.
"Who are these invaders?" Kanoru asked.
Lu Yue's voice was cold and steady. "They call themselves the Grayrose Circus—a force from the Nightmare World."
Zhiyuan glanced at Kanoru. "The Nightmare World is stronger than ours, but don't worry. Only the Grayrose Circus is attacking us."
Kanoru's eyes narrowed. "If they fail, won't they call for reinforcements?"
Zhiyuan shook his head slightly. "Unlikely. They haven't asked for help in fifty years, even after we destroyed four of their nodes. Only two remain."
"Nodes?" Kanoru questioned.
Zhiyuan's tone grew graver. "We still don't know how they first entered our world, but they buried six nodes across it. The nodes allow them to sustain their invasion. We've destroyed four. Only two remain."
Kanoru nodded, processing the information as they walked toward the towering silhouette of the Ferris wheel.
Zhiyuan's voice remained steady. "According to most of Spirit King's deduction, once all six nodes are destroyed and the remaining forces of the Grayrose Circus are wiped out, they won't be able to invade so easily again."
Kanoru's ears caught the unfamiliar title. Spirit King. He opened his mouth to ask, but a burst of eerie laughter echoed around them.
Six clowns appeared in a ring, encircling them. Their auras pulsed with power—each one in the same realm as them.