The dense forest of Tagusama Village loomed ahead. The trees seemed to stretch out their massive, shadowy arms, completely swallowing the sky above. Behind the thickets, the rhythmic chirping of crickets sounded strangely distorted, as if nature itself was out of tune. Suddenly, Kima found herself unable to keep up with the melody of the song they were humming. Her throat tightened, and the air felt heavy with an unnatural moisture. While the others laughed and teased her, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. A faint, sickening scent of decay began to drift through the trees. Ikatu, flicking the thin beam of his flashlight across the underbrush, spoke with an irritated edge, "Why are you guys being so dense? You won't find any stones in these dry leaves. If you want stones, we have to head to the riverbank."
Saiyama looked around and nodded, "Yeah, Ikatu is right. We'll find larger, sturdier stones by the river. But in this dead silence, I can't even hear the sound of flowing water. Let's split up to search. We'll find them faster and get back to the camp."
Kima gasped at the suggestion. Her heart hammered against her ribs with a sudden, nameless dread. Her sixth sense was screaming that this forest was not ordinary. In a trembling voice, she protested, "What are you talking about? My bones are literally rattling with fear, and you want us to split up? No way, count me out. Splitting up in this darkness is just inviting trouble."
But Ikatu, fueled by adolescent bravado, wanted to prove his courage. He let out a dismissive smirk and said, "I don't have a problem with it. You two cowards can head toward that low slope on the left, and I'll go the opposite way. Let's see who finds a stone first."
Stung by the jab at her pride and not wanting to be teased forever, Kima reluctantly agreed. Saiyama and Kima began trekking toward the left, while Ikatu disappeared into the darkness with his flashlight. Kima kept whispering warnings to Saiyama, "We really need those stones, Saiyama. If we don't fix that tent, we'll have to spend the night under the open sky in this bone-chilling cold." Saiyama nodded, stepping cautiously over the dry leaves that crunched loudly, the sound echoing through the stagnant woods.
Meanwhile, Ikatu pushed through the brush in search of the river. As he moved, his foot suddenly slipped. He tumbled down a muddy embankment, sliding toward the bottom. Strangely, despite the fall, he felt no pain—it was as if he had landed on a soft cushion of damp moss. He stood up quickly, brushing off his clothes, and stared at his surroundings in awe. "Where am I? This place feels… enchanted," he whispered.
A moment later, Ikatu's eyes lit up. Ahead, the riverbank shimmered under the pale, watery moonlight. The water itself looked unnervingly dark. Thinking his luck had finally turned, he leaned down to pick up a heavy stone. Just then, a sharp rustle came from the massive branch above. Ikatu looked up, and his blood turned to ice. Peering through the darkness were two glowing green eyes and two piercing red ones, staring fixedly at him.
As he focused, a grotesque sight materialized—one that defied human imagination. It was a massive creature with the lower body of a gargantuan spider, possessing eight spindly legs, yet it had human-like feet. Its face was a distorted, arachnid nightmare from which thick, sticky saliva dripped. Seeing that horrific visage, Ikatu let out a blood-curdling scream that tore through the forest, audible for a mile. It was a cry of pure, unadulterated terror.
Back on the other side, Saiyama and Kima were heading toward the sound of the water. But when they heard Ikatu's heart-wrenching shriek, they froze. The hair on their necks stood up. Kima whispered, "That was definitely Ikatu! What happened? Is he being attacked by a beast?" Despite their fear, they ran toward the source of the scream, driven by loyalty to their friend.
Ikatu was running for his life through the uneven forest floor. But the spider-human Kimon was far faster than any human sprint. The creature leaped from branch to branch, closing the gap effortlessly. Tripping over a gnarled tree root, Ikatu fell again. In an instant, the Kimon's massive shadow fell over him. It drove one of its needle-sharp legs deep into Ikatu's stomach. A muffled groan of agony escaped his lips just as Kima and Saiyama arrived. The bloody scene made them feel as if their feet were rooted to the spot.
Though paralyzed by the sight of the hideous creature, Saiyama made a split-second decision to fight. Seeing the hot blood gushing from Ikatu's stomach, they gathered every ounce of strength to lift a heavy stone, weighing nearly twenty kilograms. They hurled the stone at the Kimon with desperate force. But the creature moved with incredible agility, dodging to the side. The heavy stone missed its mark and landed directly on Ikatu's arm, crushing the bone to a pulp. Ikatu lacked even the strength to scream. Seizing the moment, the Kimon drove another sharp leg directly into the center of Ikatu's head. After a few violent tremors, Ikatu went still, his vacant eyes staring upward in a final testament of agony.
The Kimon turned toward them, its voice deep and demonic. "You've got spirit, kid, trying to challenge me! I haven't tasted human flesh in a long time." With those words, it spat a web of sticky, toxic needles toward Saiyama and Kima. In a frantic attempt to survive, Saiyama dove into the river, unaware of the danger ahead. Unable to swim, she began thrashing in the current. Kima stood in a horrific daze—one friend dead before her eyes, the other drowning.
The Kimon turned its predatory gaze toward the water. With unnatural speed, it plunged in, grabbing Saiyama by the hair and dragging her back to the stony shore. Saiyama lay there, shivering from the ice-cold water. The Kimon leaned over her with a cruel grin and whispered, "Don't worry, darling. I'll neutralize the toxin and save you right now." With that, it pressed a horrific, venomous kiss onto Saiyama's lips.
Within seconds, Saiyama's fair skin turned a deep, bruised blue. The blue poison surged through her veins like liquid fire. Her eyes and mouth took on the same ghastly hue as white foam and blood began to leak from her lips. At that exact moment, Kima seized a stone and leaped from a low branch directly onto the Kimon's head. All of Kima's pent-up rage and the weight of the stone combined to crush the Kimon's head like a small insect. Its skull shattered, and it died instantly without even a chance to cry out.
Saiyama was still gasping for air, suffering through unbearable agony. Trembling violently, she whispered to Kima, "Kima… you took revenge for us… you kept the bond of our friendship. Ikatu is gone, and now… so am I. Don't forget us." There were tears in Saiyama's eyes, but a strange, victorious smile lingered on her lips.
In a faint, strained voice, she spoke her final wish, "Erase these cruel creatures from this world… that is my only request." Breaking down in tears, Kima grabbed Saiyama's blue-tinted hand. "I promise, Saiyama, I will finish them. Even if you're gone, our friendship will never end." Saiyama took her final breath, her lifeless body coming to rest on the sand.
The next morning, the forest echoed with the sound of police sirens. The two bodies were taken for autopsies. Kima told the police everything, but they didn't fully believe her. In the modern age, the officers refused to accept the existence of an invisible monster. The forensic report found Kima's DNA on both Ikatu and Saiyama (due to the stone and holding Saiyama's hand). The police viewed Kima as the primary suspect. However, because of her extreme youth, she wasn't arrested. Her family had to pay a massive fine of ten million yen to settle the legal complications. In the Japanese newspapers, the tragic incident was mysteriously suppressed by some influential hand. But the memory of that dark day remained a deep, festering wound in Kima's heart. She blamed herself endlessly for letting her friends go alone that night.
Present Day (The Classroom):
The sound of Sima's voice pulled Kima back to reality. She hadn't realized her tears had fallen, soaking her shirt collar. The memories of that blood-stained forest still haunted her like a never-ending nightmare. Sima gave Kima a firm shove, making her jump. Kima's eyes were still clouded with the lingering terror of the past.
Sima stared at her, eyes wide with concern. "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying all by yourself, Kima? Do you feel sick?"
Kima quickly wiped her eyes, forcing a pale, fake smile. "No, nothing! When did I cry? Just got some dust in my eyes, I guess."
Sima looked at her with disbelief; she had known Kima since they were children. She said seriously, "Don't lie to me. Are you thinking about the Tagusama incident from sixth grade?"
Kima lowered her head and replied in a very thin voice, "Yeah."
A faint, comforting smile touched Sima's lips, though she could feel the internal bleeding Kima was suffering. That one night had upended everything in Kima's life. Sima took Kima's hand, gripping it tightly. "Listen, don't torture yourself like this every day. It hurts me to see you like this. What happened was a long time ago; it wasn't your fault. It was fate. How long will you burn yourself in this fire of guilt? We have to look forward now."
Kima exhaled a long sigh and replied, "Even so, Sima, the memory still makes my chest tighten. I feel like maybe I just didn't throw that stone right. But at least I have you. That's my greatest strength to keep going." Overwhelmed with emotion, Sima pulled Kima into a tight embrace. Both of them knew this peace might not last long. As the break began, the other students laughed and chatted as they headed downstairs.
Once everyone had left, Sima and Kima began walking down the corridor toward the cafeteria. Kima hurried ahead to grab something, leaving Sima alone in the middle of the hallway. Suddenly, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence. Right then, a pair of powerful hands grabbed Sima's arm from behind and yanked her back! Startled and terrified, Sima spun around and saw...