the silent pursuit

As they walked through the dense forest, the sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Ryunosuke adjusted the sash around his waist and glanced at Kuroi, who was focused and silent as always.

"Where are we even going?" Ryunosuke asked, breaking the silence.

"Looking for a strong opponent," Kuroi replied curtly, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

Ryunosuke groaned. "Yeah, you said that. But Japan's huge, you know? How do you even plan to find someone like that? Do you have a map or something? Or are we just wandering aimlessly until someone decides to fight us?"

"Shhh," Kuroi interrupted, his voice low and sharp. He halted mid-step, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword. "Do you hear that?"

Ryunosuke stopped, his expression shifting from annoyance to caution. "Yeah… in the bushes. Over there." He gestured with a nod to the rustling foliage nearby.

Suddenly, the sound of something slicing through the air filled their ears. Ryunosuke turned his head just in time to see an arrow speeding toward his face.

"Damn it!" he shouted, his body freezing for a split second.

Before he could react further, Kuroi's blade flashed in a swift arc, slicing the arrow in half mid-flight. The two broken pieces fell harmlessly to the ground.

Ryunosuke staggered back, clutching his chest as he exhaled sharply. "T-thanks, Kuroi. You saved my life."

Kuroi didn't take his eyes off the direction the arrow had come from. His stance was firm, his sword steady. "No problem. Stay alert."

Both men scanned the treetops, and then they saw him. A figure stood on a high branch, cloaked in shadows. He wore an eerie oni mask with sharp, exaggerated features, and his body was draped in dark, tattered clothing that blended seamlessly with the forest.

Kuroi narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, mask man?"

The masked figure didn't respond. Instead, he raised a bow, notching two arrows at once. The tension in the air was palpable as the arrows were released in unison, speeding toward the two men.

"Move!" Kuroi shouted, diving to the side.

Ryunosuke rolled to his left, the arrows narrowly missing him and embedding themselves into the ground where he had just stood. He scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt off his kimono. "This guy's not playing around!"

Kuroi, already back on his feet, locked eyes on the masked figure. "Stay focused. He's fast, but he's not invincible."

The masked man leaped gracefully from one branch to another, his movements silent and precise. He notched another arrow, aiming it directly at Kuroi.

Kuroi sprinted forward, zigzagging to make himself a harder target. The arrow whizzed past him, grazing his shoulder and drawing a thin line of blood. He gritted his teeth but didn't slow down.

Ryunosuke unsheathed his katana, his grip tightening. "I'll flank him. Keep him busy!"

Kuroi nodded, his eyes never leaving the masked man. "Don't get yourself killed."

The masked figure, noticing Ryunosuke's movement, adjusted his aim and fired another arrow. Ryunosuke ducked under it and lunged toward the tree, using its trunk as cover.

Kuroi took the opportunity to close the distance, his sword gleaming as he swung it upward toward the branch where the masked man stood. The figure jumped just in time, flipping mid-air and landing on another branch.

"He's quick," Kuroi muttered under his breath.

Ryunosuke appeared from the other side, throwing a rock with surprising accuracy. It struck the masked man's bow, momentarily disrupting his grip.

"Gotcha!" Ryunosuke shouted, rushing forward.

The masked man dropped to the ground in a crouch, pulling out a short blade from his waist. He moved with fluid precision, blocking Ryunosuke's initial strike and countering with a swift slash.

Ryunosuke barely dodged, stumbling back. "Kuroi! A little help here!"

Kuroi charged in, his sword cutting through the air with deadly intent. The masked man parried, sparks flying as their blades clashed. The sound of metal against metal echoed through the forest.

The masked man spun around, using his agility to create distance. He notched another arrow and aimed it at Kuroi, but Ryunosuke lunged from the side, forcing him to fire prematurely. The arrow missed its mark, embedding itself into a nearby tree.

"Nice teamwork," Ryunosuke said, panting.

"Don't get cocky," Kuroi replied, his tone cold.

The masked man growled low under his breath, his stance shifting as he prepared for another attack. His movements were calculated, but there was a growing tension in his posture, a sign that he was starting to feel cornered.

Kuroi and Ryunosuke stood side by side, their swords raised and ready.

"This ends now," Kuroi said, his voice steady.

The masked man lunged at them, his blade flashing. Kuroi sidestepped, delivering a precise slash that grazed the man's arm. Ryunosuke followed up with a quick strike to the man's leg, forcing him to stumble.

As the masked man fell to one knee, Kuroi pointed his sword at his throat. "Who sent you?"

The man's breathing was heavy, but he remained silent, his mask hiding any emotion.

Ryunosuke stepped forward, his blade still ready. "We can do this the hard way or the harder way. Your choice."

The masked man suddenly dropped a smoke bomb, the area filling with thick, choking smoke.

"Damn it!" Kuroi shouted, coughing as he waved his hand to clear the air.

When the smoke dissipated, the masked man was gone.

Ryunosuke looked around, frustrated. "Great. Now what?"

Kuroi sheathed his sword, his expression hard. "We keep moving. He'll show up again."

Ryunosuke sighed, shaking his head. "You're relentless, you know that?"

Kuroi didn't respond, already walking forward.

---

Kuroi's sharp eyes scanned the treetops, his instincts screaming that the attacker hadn't fled on foot. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the nearest tree, leaping up and grabbing a low branch with both hands.

Ryunosuke, still on the ground, crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find the bastard that just attacked us," Kuroi replied, his voice strained as he pulled himself up onto the branch.

Ryunosuke raised an eyebrow. "You think he went into the trees instead of running on the ground? That doesn't make sense."

Kuroi crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he studied the area. "I didn't hear any bushes rustling or footsteps on the ground. But I did hear the leaves above us moving—subtle, but there."

Ryunosuke scratched the back of his head, glancing up. "Alright, I'll give you a boost then. You better not fall and break your neck, though."

Kuroi smirked slightly, dropping back down. "I don't plan on it."

Ryunosuke bent down, clasping his hands together to form a makeshift step. "Alright, up you go."

Kuroi climbed onto Ryunosuke's hands, and with a strong push from his companion, he leapt up, grabbing another branch and pulling himself higher into the tree.

"See anything yet?" Ryunosuke called out, shading his eyes from the sun.

Kuroi crouched on the branch, his gaze sweeping the treetops. Then he noticed something—a faint smear of red on the bark of a branch a few trees away. "There's blood. It's leading west."

"Blood?" Ryunosuke echoed, his tone shifting to urgency. "Alright, I'll keep watch down here. Don't lose him!"

Kuroi nodded, his focus sharpening. He stood carefully on the branch, testing its strength before leaping to the next tree. The branch wobbled under his weight but held firm. He moved swiftly, his body low to maintain balance, hopping from tree to tree with a precision born of years of practice.

The blood trail continued, faint but consistent, smearing across bark and leaves. The wind rustled the branches, making the task more challenging, but Kuroi's sharp eyes stayed locked on the trail.

Each leap carried him closer to his prey, his heart pounding in rhythm with the creaking of the branches beneath his feet. The adrenaline coursing through his veins sharpened his senses, every sound and movement amplified.

Finally, as he landed silently on a thick branch, he saw him. The man in the oni mask was below, crouched on the ground near a small clearing. His bow was slung across his back, and he was tending to a wound on his arm, using a strip of cloth to stop the bleeding.

Kuroi's eyes narrowed, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He steadied his breathing, crouching low on the branch as he prepared to make his move.

---

Kuroi dropped from the tree, landing with a grunt as his knees bent to absorb the impact. "Okay… that hurts a little," he muttered under his breath, straightening up and drawing his sword in one fluid motion. His eyes locked on the masked figure.

He pointed the blade toward the attacker, his tone cold and commanding. "Alright, motherfucker. Take off your mask. Slowly."

The masked figure froze, one hand hovering near their bow. For a moment, it seemed like they might make a run for it.

"HEY!" Kuroi barked, his voice sharp like the edge of his blade. "I said slowly. Don't even think about running."

The figure hesitated, their shoulders stiff with tension, but then their hand moved cautiously toward the mask. They pulled it off with deliberate slowness, revealing a face beneath.

Kuroi blinked, his sword lowering slightly as he took in the sight before him. "W-what? A girl?"

The attacker's face was young, probably no older than Kuroi himself. Her sharp, almond-shaped eyes glared at him with defiance, framed by loose strands of jet-black hair that had slipped free from her ponytail. A small cut on her cheek trickled blood, but she didn't flinch.

"Yeah, a girl," she spat, her voice laced with venom. "What's the matter? Never seen one before?"

Kuroi's grip tightened on his sword, his expression hardening again. "That's not what I meant. Why the hell are you attacking us?"

The girl smirked, her lips curling upward despite the situation. "Why? Because you two idiots are wandering into places you don't belong. This forest isn't safe for fools like you."

Ryunosuke jogged into the clearing, panting slightly as he caught up. "Kuroi, what's going on? Did you—" His eyes widened when he saw the girl. "Wait, she's the one who attacked us?"

"Yeah," Kuroi said, still staring at her. "And apparently, she thinks she's some kind of guardian of the forest or something."

The girl's smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "You don't understand. You shouldn't be here. Leave now, or you'll regret it."

Kuroi tilted his head, his sword still pointed at her. "Regret it? You shot at us, and now you're threatening us again? You've got some nerve."

Ryunosuke stepped forward, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, let's calm down for a second. We're not here to cause trouble—"

"Trouble finds you," the girl interrupted, her tone sharp. "You don't even know what you've stumbled into."

Kuroi scoffed, taking a step closer. "Then why don't you enlighten us, huh? Or are you just trying to scare us off?"

The girl's jaw tightened, her gaze flicking between Kuroi and Ryunosuke. "You're not worth explaining it to. Leave now, and maybe you'll live long enough to figure it out yourself."

Kuroi's sword wavered slightly as he studied her face. She wasn't lying—there was something genuine in her warning. But he wasn't about to back down. "Sorry, but I don't run from fights. You started this, so you're going to finish it."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You're stubborn. That'll get you killed one day."

Ryunosuke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. Just great. Can't we go one day without someone trying to kill us?"

Kuroi ignored him, his focus locked on the girl. "What's your name?"

She hesitated, her expression softening just a fraction. "Akane."

"Well, Akane," Kuroi said, lowering his sword but keeping it ready, "you've got a lot of explaining to do."