The villagers ran through the streets in terror, abandoning their homes as the sound of destruction grew louder behind them.
Families clung to one another as they rushed toward the village shrine, believing its sacred grounds would offer them protection from the demons invading their home.
Kazuto stood near the entrance to the shrine, guiding the frightened villagers toward safety. Three shamans accompanied him, directing the crowds through the gates while three Lampmen guarded the gate, watching for approaching demons.
"Keep moving! Don't stop!" Kazuto shouted. "Everyone inside the shrine!"
But before the last group could reach the gates, a terrible roar echoed through the village.
Bogami emerged from the smoke.
The enormous demon opened its massive mouth and lunged at a fleeing man. Its jaws clamped down on him, and Bogami bit deep into his body. Blood came rushing from the demon's mouth as it tore into its victim before throwing the lifeless body aside and continuing forward in search of another.
Two demons followed behind it.
One carried enormous scissor-like blades for hands. The other had no face at all, only a smooth, featureless head.
The Scissor Demon rushed through the crowd, its enormous blades flashing as it attacked a couple who had failed to escape quickly enough. With a brutal swing, it cut both of them in half, sending them crashing to the ground.
Beside it, the Faceless Demon seized a terrified woman by the head and violently tore away her face. Her agonized scream echoed through the streets as the demon threw her aside and turned toward its next victim.
The demons were heading straight for the shrine.
Kazuto stepped forward.
The three Lampmen moved beside him.
"Protect the people," Kazuto ordered.
The Lampmen drew their weapons.
The demons charged.
A violent clash erupted outside the shrine gates. The Lampmen rushed into the horde while Kazuto raised one hand and summoned a powerful warrior from his magical energy.
A General appeared beside him.
The warrior wore ancient armor and carried a long spear.
"Go," Kazuto commanded.
The Spear General charged directly toward the Scissor Demon.
Their weapons collided with a thunderous clang. The demon swung both enormous blades repeatedly, but the General moved with disciplined precision, blocking every strike before countering with his spear.
The Scissor Demon attacked again, crossing its blades around the General's body.
The General twisted away and struck the demon's weapon instead.
The spear smashed into one of the giant scissor blades.
Crack!
The blade shattered.
The demon roared and swung its remaining weapon, but the General drove his spear straight through it, destroying the other blade as well.
Now disarmed, the Scissor Demon staggered backward.
The General finished the battle with a powerful strike. He stepped back, gripped his spear tightly, and hurled it with all his strength. The spear tore through the air and pierced the demon directly through the chest, destroying its heart. The Scissor Demon staggered backward before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Kazuto barely had time to react before Bogami attacked.
The enormous demon opened its mouth and lunged toward a nearby Lampman. Bogami seized him with one massive hand, tore his arm away, and followed with a brutal slash that struck his head. The headless lampman collapsed as Bogami turned toward the others.
Another Lampman charged forward, but the Faceless Demon intercepted him. Its claws slashed across his body again and again, forcing him backward. The demon then raised its hand and delivered one final horizontal slash across his face, cutting from his forehead toward his mouth.
The final Lampman tried to retreat toward Kazuto.
Bogami moved faster.
It grabbed the Lampman and lifted him into the air. Before he could escape, Bogami opened its enormous jaws and bit deeply into his stomach. The demon tore into him savagely before throwing his lifeless body aside.
Kazuto stood alone.
The Spear General returned to his side.
Bogami stared at him.
Then it charged.
The General thrust his spear forward, but Bogami caught the weapon with one massive hand.
The demon snapped the spear in half.
Before the Spear General could react, Bogami lunged forward and clamped its enormous jaws around the General's head. With one savage bite, it crushed and devoured his head, leaving the rest of his armored body to collapse to the ground.
Kazuto's expression tightened.
He raised both hands.
"Then I'll summon stronger ones."
Two new warriors materialized from his magical energy.
One carried a massive bow.
The other wielded a long sword.
The Sword General immediately turned toward Faceless Demon and charged, his blade swinging with tremendous force. At the same time, the Archer General faced the Bogami and released a barrage of arrows, forcing the demon to stagger backward under the relentless attack.
For the first time, the two demons were forced onto the defensive.
But then—
"Master Kazuto!"
A wounded shaman came running toward him.
Kazuto turned.
"What happened?"
The shaman struggled to breathe.
"The shrine has been attacked! A crow demon is leading an army of demons toward the temple. The Lampmen guarding it have already been killed."
Kazuto's eyes widened.
"What about my father?"
"Master Shaman and the other shamans are protecting the shrine with a barrier," the wounded shaman explained. "But it won't hold much longer. Your father sent me to find help, but I was attacked on the way here."
He looked toward the battlefield, then toward the shrine.
Behind its gates, hundreds of villagers were gathered together. Children cried while their parents held them close. The protective barrier surrounding the shrine flickered weakly, each pulse growing dimmer than the last.
"We need help… before the barrier falls."
The wounded shaman suddenly staggered.
"Kazuto…"
His eyes lost focus.
His body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Kazuto caught him, but it was too late.
The shaman had died before him.
Kazuto slowly lowered his body to the ground and stared toward the shrine. He understood what would happen if the barrier collapsed. Hundreds of innocent people would be left defenseless against the demons.
He closed his eyes.
Then he raised both hands.
"I need more warriors."
His magical energy began pouring from his body.
The ground around him trembled.
Figures began emerging from the earth.
Warriors from another age.
Men who had fallen long ago now returned as an army of the dead.
Kazuto's breathing became heavier.
He was using his own life energy to summon them.
"Protect the shrine," he ordered.
The fallen warriors raised their weapons.
"Protect the people."
The army marched toward the shrine.
Meanwhile, the battle between the demons and Kazuto's summoned generals continued.
The Sword General faced the Faceless Demon, keeping himself between the demon and Kazuto. Every time the Faceless Demon lunged with its claws, the Sword General intercepted the attack with his blade. Their weapons clashed repeatedly as the General prevented the demon from getting close enough to strike Kazuto.
On the other side, the Archer General faced Bogami. He kept his distance and fired arrows continuously, forcing the enormous demon to focus on him rather than the villagers. Bogami charged forward several times, but the Archer General constantly moved backward, releasing arrows into the demon and keeping it away from the Kazuto.
But Kazuto was reaching his limit.
His knees trembled and his vision began to blur.
Every warrior he summoned consumed part of his life energy.
He dropped to one knee.
"Please…"
His hands came together.
"God…"
His voice trembled.
"Please send help."
The army of fallen warriors reached the shrine.
The demons attacked them immediately.
The dead warriors answered with steel.
The courtyard erupted into battle.
Then the enemy commander appeared.
A crow-like demon landed on the shrine roof, spreading its enormous wings.
Its eyes scanned the battlefield.
Then it launched itself toward the nearest fallen warrior.
Its beak pierced the warrior's head, and it tore him down.
The crow demon screeched.
The demon horde surged forward.
The fallen army met them head-on.
At the same time, far across the village, Nao, Aoi, Riku, Shin, Reika, and Kenzo were racing toward the shrine.
"We have to get there!" Nao shouted.
They ran through the damaged streets, hearing screams and explosions in the distance.
But suddenly—
Two demons stepped into their path.
Nao stopped.
Aoi tightened her grip.
Riku lowered his stance.
Behind them, Shin, Reika, and Kenzo prepared their weapons.
The demons stared at them.
The group stared back.