The air in the Shinjuku Forest was thick, heavy with a tension that seemed to pulse through the very ground. The towering trees loomed like dark sentinels, their twisted branches forming grotesque silhouettes against the moonlit sky.
The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy, casting fleeting shadows that danced across the ground like fleeting memories.
Ishigo's breath was shallow, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the damp
moss beneath his boots, the cloying scent of decay lingering in the air. But there was something more, something unnatural. It was as though the forest itself was breathing, watching, waiting.
"Hey, Reika may be separate from us…"Ishigo muttered, his voice rough with suspicion as he glanced sideways at Daigo. "But why haven't you separated from me yet?"His eyes narrowed slightly, searching Daigo's face for any sign of hidden motives.
Daigo flashed a grin, his sharp teeth glinting in the pale light. "Cuz if you die, who else will I call 'bro,' huh?"He casually smacked Ishigo's head, his carefree tone a stark contrast to the unease simmering beneath the surface.
Ishigo scowled, brushing off the playful gesture. "Tch. Don't do that."
Daigo stretched lazily, stepping over a gnarled root. "We can't even find a booby trap," he said, shrugging off the weight of the forest's ominous energy. "This place is boring."
But Ishigo didn't share his lightheartedness. His gaze was fixed on a tree in the distance. Something was off. A chill ran down his spine as he tried to shake the unsettling feeling gnawing at him.
It wasn't just the darkness or the stillness—it was the way everything felt wrong, like the forest itself was alive, conscious. He exhaled sharply, trying to push the thought away.
"What happened?" Daigo asked, noticing Ishigo's stiff posture.
Ishigo's voice trembled, a rare crack in his usually stoic demeanor. "That tree… it wasn't that close before. It… moved."
Daigo chuckled, dismissing his concerns. "C'mon, bro, don't take it seriously. All trees look the same—"
But then, the ground beneath them trembled, and the air turned electric with danger.
The Forest Awakened
SHING!
A barrage of knives sliced through the air with a deadly hiss, whistling past their heads like vultures hungry for flesh. Daigo's reflexes kicked in, his body instinctively diving to the ground, narrowly avoiding the deadly storm. He hit the earth with a grunt, sliding across the mossy soil.
"Ishigo!"His voice cracked in panic, but it was drowned out by the sound of the whistling blades embedding themselves into the trees around them with horrifying precision.
Daigo slowly lifted his head, his grin returning despite the danger. "Damn, that was close."He yanked a couple of knives from the tree beside him, twirling them with a playful flourish. "Guess I'll keep these. Might come in handy."
But Ishigo wasn't laughing. His breath hitched as he stared at the trees, his pulse hammering in his ears.
Something was wrong. The roots—blackened, gnarled, and unnatural—were shifting. Moving. Twisting like serpents hungry for flesh.
The forest was alive.
And it was hunting them.
Daigo followed Ishigo's gaze, his grin vanishing. "What the hell—"
Before either could react, the roots shot forward, tearing through the earth with horrifying speed. Ishigo barely had time to react before Daigo grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward.
"Bro, RUN!" Daigo's voice was urgent, tinged with fear as they bolted deeper into the heart of the chaos.
The trees lunged. Their roots shot forward like monstrous tentacles, splintering the ground beneath them.
The soil cracked and groaned, as though the forest itself had a heartbeat—an ancient, insatiable hunger that could not be quenched.
The Chase
Far above, Reika moved with a lethal grace, her form darting through the canopy like a shadow.
Her eyes, narrowed with focused intensity, scanned the surroundings for any sign of movement. Her feet barely touched the branches as she leaped from one to the next, the forest below a blur of danger and blood.
The roots pursued relentlessly, snapping and whipping through the air with animalistic fury. Reika's heart pounded in her chest, but there was no fear. Only the thrill of the chase. Her blade was an extension of herself, a part of her soul that grew sharper with each passing moment.
"Damn it!"she snarled as she sliced through an incoming root, the steel of her blade slicing through the thick wood with a satisfying crunch.
But something unexpected happened.
A thick, glowing green liquid oozed from the severed root, dripping onto her knife. The liquid sizzled as it made contact with the steel, and Reika flinched, expecting some kind of poison or acid. But instead, there was a pulse—an energy surge—flooding through the blade.
Reika's eyes widened in shock. The blade, now gleaming with an unnatural aura, hummed with power. She watched, stunned, as the knife began to elongate, its edge sharpening to a razor's point.
"So that's the trick…" she murmured to herself, a flicker of realization crossing her face. "The more I cut, the stronger my weapon becomes…"
She pivoted mid-air, landing gracefully on a thick branch, her eyes burning with a newfound intensity. "Now this is getting fun."
The trees roared, their roots charging at her like hungry beasts. But Reika was faster, each movement a deadly dance. She sliced through every root that came her way, the blade growing stronger, sharper with each strike. Her speed was a blur, a flash of silver in the night.
"Come on, then," she taunted, her voice cold and challenging. "Let's see who gets devoured first."
Meanwhile, Daigo and Ishigo were locked in a fight for their lives, cutting through the oncoming roots with brutal efficiency. Daigo, his usual reckless self, laughed like a maniac, slashing his blade through the air, each strike making his knife grow larger, deadlier. "Bro, look at this! This knife is evolving!"
Ishigo, despite the terror gnawing at him, fought beside him with quiet precision. His blade moved in calculated arcs, severing the monstrous limbs that reached for them. Every swing was measured, but the forest never stopped, never slowed.
Ishigo's mind raced. If we keep cutting, we'll get stronger... but will the forest ever stop?
A cold thought settled in his stomach like a stone. What if this place has no end? What if we're already dead—trapped in an eternal battle?
But there was no time to dwell on the question. The forest was relentless, and so were they.
The Aftermath
The battle ended as abruptly as it had begun. The forest, once alive with malevolent energy, fell silent.
Ishigo collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession as he tried to steady himself. His body was drenched in sweat, his muscles aching from the fight. The forest around them was a wreck. Severed roots littered the ground, their dark, poisonous liquid pooling in the soil.
Nearby, Reika knelt, her blade still humming with energy, her chest heaving with exertion. The pulse of power was still there, buzzing beneath her skin. She exhaled slowly, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It was over—for now.
"Ishigo! Daigo!" she called, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.
The two boys appeared from the wreckage, looking as though they had just fought death itself. Daigo's usual grin was gone, replaced by a grim expression as he wiped the blood from his blade. Ishigo's eyes scanned the area, narrowing as he took in the carnage.
His stomach churned as he saw the bodies—some impaled by knives, others crushed beneath the fallen trees. And then there were those who had been devoured—disappeared without a trace.
Daigo, ever the loud one, fell silent, his eyes hardening as he stared at the corpses. His grip on his knife tightened.
And then, standing among the wreckage, was a lone figure—his back turned to them, arms crossed as he observed the carnage with cold amusement.
Souta.
He smirked when he noticed Reika's gaze. "I thought those trees would eat you alive, Reika."
Reika wiped her blade against her sleeve, her expression unreadable. "Too bad for them. I bite harder."
Souta's smirk deepened. "Tell me…" he began, his voice low and teasing. "Can you swim?"
Reika frowned, her gaze narrowing. "What?"
Souta's smile turned wicked. "I hope so,"he said, turning away. "Because you'll need to hold your breath to survive tomorrow."
The forest was behind them now. But the real nightmare… was still ahead.