The first step was always the hardest.
Willow stood on the edge of the forest right next to an empty house that she found, sandals pressed into the cool soil, morning light just beginning to filter across the horizon. It was a warm golden glow, soft and gentle—but to a demon, it was death.
At least, it was supposed to be.
Willow hesitated. Her breath caught in her throat. That dream still clung to her like a shadow, Muzan's face etched into her memory like a burn. His hand reached for her. Her father crumbled to ash. Her own helplessness.
She shivered.
Even though she knew it hadn't been real, the fear still sat deep in her stomach like a stone.
But she had to know.
She slowly extended one hand into the sunlight.
Nothing.
The rays danced across her skin, warm and harmless. No sizzling, no pain. Just the sun. Gentle. Alive.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I really… am immune," she whispered.
She stepped fully into the light, basking in it, lifting her face to the sky. Birds chirped in the distance. Leaves rustled gently in the trees. A breeze kissed her cheeks.
"I'm immune to the sun…"
Which meant Muzan's nightmare had real stakes now. It wasn't just fear anymore, it was inevitable if she wasn't ready.
Willow shivered again, hugging herself.
"That nightmare... it could come true."
But now she had a weapon: time, and the will to act.
Later that day, as she reviewed the system again, another section of the menu lit up with a soft chime. It hadn't been there before. A small tab labeled "Attributes"
Willow tapped it curiously.
A list dropped down.
WILLOW TSUGIKUNI
SPECIES: Half Demon (Variant – Sun-Immune)
TITLE: The Wanderer
AGE: 17
STATS/ATTRIBUTES:
New~ Intelligence – 82 New~ Wisdom – 29 New~ Charisma – 50 (+)
(+)
"Whoa…" she breathed, eyes widening.
Her Intelligence stat was especially high—82. She could feel it, too. Her understanding of systems, patterns, and the world itself was sharper than before. Having lived in the modern world gave her insights no one in Taisho period's Japan could fathom.
With her perk she could read fluently in multiple languages.
She can also grasp strategies quickly, and even understand basic chemistry and anatomy, all things that would prove invaluable in this world.
But then her eyes dropped to Wisdom.
She winced. "Ouch…"
She supposed it made sense. She was only nineteen when she died in her previous life. Young. Not naïve, but far from experienced. Her judgment wasn't always perfect. When it comes to her emotions she can be sensitive. She could also be impulsive.
It was a flaw she'd have to grow out of.
And then there was Charisma: 50. Average.
"Sounds about right," she muttered. "I had only a few close friends in my past life and didn't have a boyfriend. I also wasn't exactly the extroverted type."
She laughed softly to herself. A small sound, but it broke the tension. Just a bit.
Her fingers hovered over the menu as she looked at her stats again. It all felt so surreal. Like a dream within a dream.
But this was real.
"I've got a long road ahead of me," she said, turning her gaze back toward the house.
Inside, her father lay still unmoving, quiet. But alive.
"I'm going to master breathing techniques. I'm going to grow strong enough to protect him. Strong enough to change everything."
And so, under the sunlight no demon could walk in, Willow took her first step into a world that didn't know what to make of her. Not yet.
But soon, it would.
She was The Wanderer.
And she was just getting started.