Nakoruru seemed to sense something. She looked around with a puzzled expression and murmured, "Strange... I feel like the sorrow around us has lessened, just a little."
Cloud smiled but offered no explanation.
And Cloud himself was looking forward to what lay ahead.
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada—a boss who specialized in magic and soul manipulation.
His abilities would undoubtedly be a delicious "main course."
This buffet was finally serving the premium dishes. He could hardly wait to taste them.
...
After arranging a "summoning allies" rendezvous with Haohmaru and Ukyo in Shimabara, Cloud and Nakoruru chose to temporarily split up.
As Cloud put it: "Divide and conquer, grind experience separately, regroup at the boss door—maximum efficiency."
Haohmaru was heading off to find his long-lost "best bro" Genjuro Kibagami, claiming he needed to recruit that "murder hobo" to boost the team's "berserker DPS."
Ukyo had some personal grudges to settle and wanted to investigate whether Amakusa's forces had any higher-grade "ingredients"—specifically, the so-called "Demon Generals."
Cloud, meanwhile, had made a suggestion Nakoruru couldn't refuse: first, they'd visit her homeland—Kamui Kotan, the Divine Village.
"Your hometown is also one of the checkpoints on my business trip itinerary. More importantly..." Cloud looked at Nakoruru, his expression softening. "You've been away from home for so long. It's time to let them know you're safe. And I'm sure you want to see your sister—Rimururu, right?"
At the mention of "Rimururu," Nakoruru's eyes instantly filled with longing and tenderness.
During her time in the KOF world, the person she'd worried about most was her sister, who had been left alone to guard the Divine Village.
"Mm!" Nakoruru nodded emphatically, her face blooming into a happy smile.
And so the two headed north, toward the snowbound mountains deep within Hokkaido.
The further north they traveled, the colder it became, and the scenery gradually transformed from pastoral landscapes into majestic northern snowscapes.
Vast coniferous forests blanketed in pristine white snow stretched before them, sunlight scattering across the surface like diamond dust. The air was crisp and cold; every breath carried the taste of ice and snow, as if capable of purifying one's very soul.
Cloud found the sub-zero temperatures entirely manageable. The Blood of Kusanagi in his veins automatically regulated his body temperature, allowing him to stroll in thin martial arts attire as if enjoying a spring breeze—essentially a walking "human thermostat."
Finally, after cresting one more snow-covered mountain, a secluded village appeared before them.
This was Kamui Kotan—the sacred land where the Ainu people had dwelled for generations.
The village nestled in a basin surrounded by mountains. A crystal-clear river wound through its center, unfrozen even in this bitter cold, wisps of white mist rising from its surface.
The houses were built from massive logs, their roofs steeply pitched and laden with thick snow, icicles hanging from the eaves like strands of crystal wind chimes.
Smoke curled lazily from every chimney, mingling with the surrounding snow and mist to create an almost fairy-tale landscape. At the village entrance stood enormous wooden totems carved with eagles, bears, salmon, and other animal spirits revered by the Ainu—primitive and mysteriously beautiful.
"Beautiful..." Cloud murmured in genuine admiration.
This beauty was different from the bustle of modern cities or the gentle elegance of southern waterlands. It was a majestic, serene beauty—perfectly harmonized with nature itself.
"Welcome to my home—Kamui Kotan." A peaceful, homecoming smile spread across Nakoruru's face.
Her return immediately drew the villagers' attention.
The honest, straightforward Ainu people emerged from their homes, warmly greeting their "guardian priestess" with bows and well-wishes. Nakoruru returned each greeting with a smile, the atmosphere warm and heartfelt.
However, when the villagers' gazes fell upon Cloud standing beside her, that warmth shifted into curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of barely concealed wariness.
It couldn't be helped—Cloud's presence and aesthetic clashed with everything here.
Though he'd changed clothes, the aura of a seasoned combatant forged through countless life-and-death battles couldn't be entirely hidden. He was like a Siberian wolf that had wandered into a pack of huskies—similar in appearance, but the eyes gave everything away.
"Sister!"
A voice clear as a silver bell, brimming with enormous joy, rang out from deep within the village.
Before the words had finished echoing, a petite blue figure bounded out of the largest wooden house like an excited fawn, racing straight toward Nakoruru.
She was a young girl who appeared even younger than Nakoruru.
Her hair was the same ice-blue as Ukyo's, but softer, held back by a red headband and falling down her back.
Her skin was like the finest mutton-fat jade—under the reflected light of the snow, so pale it seemed almost translucent. Her eyes, bluer and purer than the sky itself, now glistened with excited tears.
She wore a miko outfit similar to Nakoruru's in style but predominantly blue in color. In her hand, she clutched a delicate ice-crystal mirror—her divine artifact, "Shikuru."
She looked like a sprite straight out of an ice-and-snow fairy tale: innocent, adorable, carrying a purity untouched by the mundane world.
This was Nakoruru's younger sister, the future Ice Priestess—Rimururu.
"Rimu!" Nakoruru opened her arms and caught her sister as she threw herself forward.
"Sister! You're finally back! I missed you so much!" Rimururu buried her face in her sister's embrace, her voice thick with tears, full of grievance and longing.
"I missed you too, Rimu." Nakoruru stroked her sister's long hair, her eyes filled with love.
The scene of the sisters' reunion was touching and heartwarming, even drawing an adoring smile from Cloud standing nearby.
However, this tender moment didn't last long.
...
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