The shrine no longer felt like a place.
It didn't feel like a building.
It didn't feel like a location.
It felt like—
Something alive.
Something aware.
Something—
Watching.
The walls didn't just stand.
They leaned.
The shadows didn't just exist.
They moved.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like they were waiting for something.
Maru
"…Tch."
Her grip tightened around the katana.
The blade felt different in her hands now.
Sharper.
Faster.
More real.
The corridor stretched unnaturally ahead of her.
Longer than it should have been.
The walls seemed slightly warped.
Breathing.
The shadows shifted.
"…Maru…"
A voice echoed.
Soft.
Close.
Too close.
She froze.
"…Who—"
"…Maru…"
Right behind her.
Her body reacted instantly—
She turned—
Nothing.
Empty.
"…Don't mess with me…"
Her voice dropped.
Low.
Dangerous.
The shadow behind her twisted.
Bent.
Distorted.
Then—
Something crawled out.
A figure.
Wrong.
Its body bent at unnatural angles.
Its face stretched.
Its mouth opened wide—
Too wide.
"…Maaaaruu…"
Her eyes sharpened instantly.
Focus locked.
"…Found you."
It lunged.
CLANG
Steel met something unnatural.
The impact pushed her back slightly.
Her feet slid across the ground.
"…Annoying."
She adjusted her stance.
Step.
Turn.
Strike.
Clean.
Fast.
Precise.
The blade cut through it.
The yokai split apart instantly.
Its form collapsing into fragments.
Silence.
Maru exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
But her grip didn't loosen.
Not even slightly.
Because she knew—
That wasn't the real threat.
Meanwhile — Hikari & Daichi
"…Left!"
Hikari's voice cut sharply through the chaos.
Daichi moved instantly.
No hesitation.
The hammer swung—
BOOM
The ground cracked beneath the impact.
The yokai barely had time to react before it was crushed.
"…Too slow," Hikari said, her breathing uneven.
Her eyes moved constantly.
Analyzing.
Tracking.
"…You're the one shouting late," Daichi shot back.
But his voice—
Was tighter than usual.
Another one rushed in.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Daichi raised the hammer.
Blocked—
Then brought it down.
CRACK
The impact echoed through the hall.
"…Got it."
"…Focus."
Their coordination wasn't perfect.
Not clean.
Not smooth.
But—
It worked.
Barely.
Finally—
Silence.
Both of them stood still.
Breathing heavy.
Tired.
"…Let's regroup," Hikari said.
And this time—
Daichi didn't argue.
Main Hall
They met again.
Maru.
Daichi.
Hikari.
All in one place.
But not the same as before.
Their breathing was heavier.
Their movements slower.
"…You okay?" Daichi asked.
"…Yeah."
Maru glanced at them.
"…You guys look worse."
"…We are."
A small moment of normalcy.
Fragile.
Then—
The air shifted.
Cold.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Like something had entered—
Or something had been waiting.
Ahead of them—
A figure stood.
Still.
Unmoving.
A woman.
Her face—
Distorted.
Twisted.
Unnatural.
Smiling.
Oiwa.
"…You came…"
Her voice echoed.
Not from her mouth.
From everywhere.
From the walls.
From the floor.
From inside their heads.
The space warped.
The floor felt uneven.
The walls stretched.
Reality—
Began to break.
The fight started.
But it didn't feel like a fight.
It felt like confusion.
Illusions.
Missed timing.
Wrong angles.
Daichi swung—
Missed completely.
"…What—?!"
There was something there—
But not where it should be.
Maru blocked—
But nothing hit her blade.
Still—
She slid back.
Like something invisible had struck her.
"…This is messed up…"
Hikari's voice cut through—
"…Don't trust what you see—!"
But—
Too late.
Their movements slowed.
Their reactions delayed.
Their senses—
Unreliable.
They were losing.
Not because they were weak—
But because they couldn't understand what they were fighting.
Then—
CRACK
The ceiling split open.
A sharp, violent sound tore through the shrine.
Light burst through the darkness.
Blinding.
Sudden.
Then—
THUD
A figure dropped down.
Dust exploded outward.
The impact shook the entire hall.
Everything—
Stopped.
The illusions.
The movement.
The pressure.
All of it—
Paused.
A figure stood there.
Still.
Silent.
Dark cloak.
A white mask.
Red patterns flowing faintly across its surface like whispers carved into bone.
A katana rested in its hand.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Even the air—
Felt cut.
Oiwa stopped.
Her distorted form tilted slightly.
Watching.
Studying.
Recognizing.
The figure slowly lifted the blade.
Deliberate.
Controlled.
Then—
Tilted their head.
Just slightly.
And stepped forward—
End of Chapter 28