Mirai's little brother, with his innocent charm, was waiting in front of their house. He was worried about his sister and grandmother while hugging a kitten that was shivering from the cold rain.
Amid the sound of raindrops slowly subsiding, he stood in front of the unique garden of their Bukeyashiki residence. However, the cold air was still strongly present, though he did not seem affected by it.
But the truth was…
He was cold too, but he endured it. He wanted to be strong. He thought to himself, "I can be cold or hungry, but my family must never notice. Consider this training. If I can't do it, how weak must I be?"
Wearing his kimono, he sat on the veranda, gently stroking the kitten's fur. He was still waiting…
As the rain continued to fall, he began to sing…
Humming a tune in his pure, innocent voice…
With the sunlight starting to peek through, signaling the rain's end…
Once the rain stopped, the sunlight gradually emerged. The cold wind from the rain was no longer felt; instead, warmth from the sun spread through the air.
But something unusual happened. The light itself seemed to encircle him as if he were part of it. Butterflies fluttered around him, as did the birds.
It wasn't long before he saw what he had been waiting for…
Through the gates of their home, he saw them returning. He let out a relieved sigh… Behind his sister, she was carrying someone on her back.
"Sis? Why are you running?" wondered Hayato
"Welcome home… Uh, who is that? And why are you in such a hurry sis?"
"WHERE'S GRANDMA?"
"Hayato, calm down. GRANDMA WILL BE FINE."
Mirai tried to reassure her younger brother, then turned toward the hill, eyes full of hope, praying that everything would be alright.
A little while later, Mirai and Hayato waited on the veranda for their grandmother. Hayato sat cross-legged facing the gate, while Mirai paced back and forth, muttering outside the gate.
Then suddenly, their grandmother appeared behind Mirai, returning home in perfect condition without a single wound.
"Mirai, where are they?"
Mirai was startled and immediately hugged her grandmother, with Hayato running toward them as well.
"I've treated their wounds, but more importantly, what was that earlier, Grandma? And are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," she said, pinching Mirai's cheek.
"Grandma is strong, hahaha!"
"That's right, look at your little brother. He knows his grandma is strong. Come here, Hayato, my dear grandson."
At the same time, inside the house, the mysterious stranger lay unconscious. But something felt off.
"They are injured. We should treat them first. I'll explain later."
"They?" Mirai's younger brother responded.
They walked inside, heading to the room where the stranger was resting. But Mirai sensed something unusual. Her grandmother was very serious now—the last time she was this serious was when Mirai's mother died.
"Grandma?! Why did we stop?"
"What is this?" her grandmother said in shock.
"Sis… what's wrong with Grandma?"
Behind the shoji door, an overwhelming pressure and killing intent could be felt. Slowly, the grandmother slid the door open. Inside, the unconscious stranger was lying still, but the intense aura was coming from the white fox beside them. She turned toward the fox.
"Grandma… that white fox seems strange. Could it be…?" Mirai asked as she turned to her grandmother.
"Yes, maybe it's protecting that person," she replied while removing her sandals. But before long, the fox wobbled. Its ears twitched uneasily, its breath grew ragged, and finally, its body collapsed with a faint sound. Its golden eyes slowly closed, leaving an eerie silence in the room. It was still injured.
"Hayato, don't—!"
Hayato ran into the room, rushing toward the white fox, and gently embraced it.
"Oh dear… good thing the fox passed out, hahaha."
"Grandma! That was close just now!"
"It's alright. When it comes to animals, your little brother is an expert."
"But Grandma, what was that thing in the mountains? A yokai? And why did you call out 'Chimera'? That means something is wrong, right? And these two… the stranger and that unusual fox?"
"Mirai, it's time. After you treat them, meet me at the shrine next to the house. I will explain everything."
"The history of our family."
"The inheritance of our family."
"The destiny of our family."
That night, the full moon shone brightly.
Mirai sat, gazing at the moon, while her little brother, struggling against sleep, rested on her lap.
With the cold night breeze drifting by, she wondered, What is my destiny?
Mirai walked back inside, carrying her half-asleep brother in her arms. Luckily, Mirai's physical strength was far greater than that of an average grown man.
Meanwhile, her little brother, still half-dreaming, mumbled, "Why are some foxes white? Could it be a god? And why does it seem so wary of that person? Is he bad?"
"Little brother… in this area, most foxes are red. And that man in the suit… he does look dangerous… I'm afraid something will happen…"
"Yes… you're not wrong. But like you said, something feels off. But don't worry, that man seems like a good person. And the fox, too—it looks kind, especially when it's asleep. It's really cute."
Mirai sighed. "Hah… if you say so, alright then."
That night passed quickly.
The dark sky soon faded into the warm light of dawn. The sound of birds chirping filled the air, as if calling for Hayato.
With the cold morning air, Hayato dashed out of his room, laughing as he greeted the birds.
At the same time, Mirai watched him from afar as she prepared breakfast. She smiled at his antics but, at the same time, felt a pang of anger.
She was happy that her brother could still laugh because, at the very least, the birds had become his friends.
But she was angry—angry at the villagers for how cruelly they had treated her little brother. Just because he was different from them.
Her anger slowly faded when she saw their grandmother approaching Hayato.
"Ohhh, my adorable grandson… later, let's make some sweets together."
"Grandma… I want to play with the fox…"
"Let's go together with Grandma then. They should be awake by now."
"How do you know, Grandma?" he asked, ruffling her hair.
"Let's just say Grandma has a sixth sense."
Moments later, Mirai joined them, laughing together.
They walked toward the room where the stranger and the white fox were. The three of them brought breakfast with the intention of eating together.
As they entered the room, they saw that the stranger was still unconscious. But the white fox… had awakened. It sat upright, as if it had been waiting for them.
"Oh, how cute… it even has a collar."
Hayato reached out his small hand, his eyes locked onto the shivering white fox. As if speaking without words, the fox did not retreat… instead, its golden eyes softened.
But suddenly, the fox snapped to attention—it became alert, wary, trying to keep its distance. But it was pointless.
"Hehe, look, Sis, Grandma—it has a collar too." Hayato grinned widely.
Mirai and their grandmother merely shook their heads.
And strangely, the white fox… began to calm down. Even it seemed to be wondering why.
Because Hayato… was always close to animals.
That morning felt so peaceful…
[Elsewhere, in the same region]
Inside a tunnel, a family was driving through, unaware of the lurking danger. As they passed through, the tunnel lights shattered, and a dark presence began consuming the space behind them.
The family, who seemed completely innocent, had yet to notice anything strange. But from another perspective, something terrifying was happening behind them. Dark hands emerged from the shadows, blocking every exit in the tunnel they had passed.
As they reached the midpoint of the tunnel, the car's engine suddenly weakened, as if something unseen was holding it back.
The father gripped the steering wheel tightly. The mother turned back, her expression uneasy.
"What was that?" she whispered.
Their child clutched the seat, sensing a sudden chill creeping into the car.
The car's engine felt heavier, struggling, as if something invisible was pressing down on it. The tunnel lights flickered one by one, casting long shadows across the walls. Then, a sound—soft and eerie—like a whisper, yet no one was speaking.
Then, all at once, the tunnel was plunged into complete darkness. The car's engine died for no apparent reason. Nothing could be seen—only a chilling sound remained.
A slow, steady drip.
Then…
A scream tore through the tunnel.
Not long after, from the entrance they had just passed, a woman clad in a black and red kimono stepped forward, her presence looming in the dim light. Behind her, a group of men who looked like yakuza followed in eerie silence.
As one, they stepped out from the tunnel's darkness, their silent march leading them toward the village.