A week had passed since then and they all managed to return home. They settled in over the days at home yet it had been much quieter than usual without Noka around as everyone went to their usual business. Some went to finish their villages work while others did anything to fight off their boredom. Even Enya wasn't in the mood to flirt with women.
Benkei and (Y/n) were supposed to rest due to their injuries. But Benkei was already training his best outside the estate. He had that look on his face that always shows whenever he was serious; like carrying out duties or fighting at full strength against enemies. So no one bothered to stop him knowing he wouldn't do so if they did.
(Y/n) also wanted to do something so she went into the library to read anything.
"Let's see..." she searches through many books until she accidentally drops one.
"Oops..." she picks it back up to find the book had opened to a page of tengus. It seems to be a book about all sorts of spirits and yokais.
"This must be Shizuka's..." she taught as she walks around the room while she starts to read the book.
"Snake women... Kitsune..."
"(Y/n)?" she stopped walking when Hyuga was at the doorway looking at her weirdly.
"How's your arm?" a worried look spread on his face most likely that (Y/n) wasn't resting.
"It's doing better," but she soon notices that his eyes trailed to the book she was reading.
"You miss Noka too don't you..." she states. Hyuga bit his lips to hide his sadness but (Y/n) hugs him without another word.
"....you feel cold..." he looks at her face without letting go of her. "Pale as well... you should really rest,"
"Only if you're with me~" she says which he amusingly obliges.
The following days, Hyuga and (Y/n) look out for each other's health and soon he finally allowed her to work on her own. (Y/n) started rereading the old scrolls left behind about the three sacred treasures while rewriting some of the notes into a new book. As she did, the room got cold that she sneezed a bit.
"Ah! ... I might catch a cold..." she thought as she looks at the box that contains the three sacred treasures.
"I haven't clean them for a while," she thought as she walks over to the box to take them out. The box was beautifully crafted by a talented craftsman that has a special lock to it. Remembering the combination, she easily opens it.
(Y/n) then started cleaning the mirror first since it had a flatter surface to collect dust. Once she was done it showed her reflection clearly. Surprised, she really did look pale like Hyuga mentioned the other day. She was about to put down the mirror but then she notices something in the reflection behind her as well. Someone was standing behind her.
(Y/n) immediately look around in a panic but there was no one there. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looks in the mirror once more and this time, instead of seeing her face, it was a ghostly pale child with long white hair that his bangs covered half their face. Streams of blood stained their pale porcelain skin that came from their hidden eyes beneath their hair.
"WAH!" (Y/n) scream that she almost dropped the mirror.
"W-what... are you..?" she stared at the mirror for a while. The child didn't disappear and allowed her to stare at him closely in the mirror.
"You're... the boy..." she recalled the time he appeared before her and Hyuga when looking for Noka. He had always been watching over her.
A long silence fell upon the room as she once recalled Noka.
"Why aren't you with her?" she spoke. "She's finally home with your uncle,"
The boy didn't speak.
"Can't you talk?"
The boy then showed his hand to her. It was transparent and fading.
"I see... you don't have much time left..." just as she said that. The door slides open.
"I heard you scream! Is something wrong??" Hyuga came in with a panic look.
"Look! It's Noka's brother," she showed him the mirror.
"Um... where?" a confused response was all she got. (Y/n) look in the mirror again but the boy was still there.
"You can't see him?" she look at Hyuga but he shook his head. When she looks at the boy again, the boy was moving his lips.
"He's talking!" she tells Hyuga but nothing came out. Not even the sound of him struggling to speak.
"....Follow?" Hyuga suddenly spoke.
"Eh? How did you know?" she looks at him surprised.
"Your lips were moving," he said. (Y/n) was impressed that he could read lips but then brush off the fact to focus on the situation now.
"Follow where?" she asks him. The boy then nodded his head to the window.
"Out..side?" she guesses to which he nodded in response. Nothing was outside but the forest that surrounds the estate of Yoshitsune's mansion.
"Should we trust him?" (Y/n) looks at Hyuga first.
"Yeah, we should," he answers. (Y/n) may have met him once but Hyuga knew he would call for them if Noka was in danger.
"Let's go then," she nodded in agreement.
They went into the forest soon after, Hyuga being fully equipment and (Y/n) carrying the mirror to be guided by Noka's brother. The only weapon with her is a small sword that was hidden by her clothes and hanging by her side. For at least a couple of hours, they wandered in the woods endlessly but Hyuga was almost losing his patience.
"Hey, where are you taking us? Is this related to Noka?" he asks with temper in his tone.
(Y/n) look into the mirror and she nodded at Hyuga "It is' he says,"
He looks around in case anything was following him and then notices something shining on one of the barks of a tree. A kanji? As he thought about it, another one appeared on another tree for another mile. Was this Kai's doing? He recalled his name during the times Noka talked about him.
Just as the sun was about to set, they were soon standing at the edge of a cliff to which (Y/n) quickly backed away a bit.
"Is something down there?" she asks Kai to which he nodded. She peered closely over while making sure to keep her balance.
Hyuga kept a skeptical look on his face, fretting over that (Y/n) could fall at any moment if he wasn't careful. Until he notices one of Kai's symbol appeared on the ground behind (Y/n) and immediately sense danger.
"(Y/n)!!" he quickly runs to grab her and pull her away from safety yet he was already too late. The ground below them crumbled instantly that Hyuga barely had time to hold onto a solid edge and fell into the forest below them.
It was already dark at the estate where the rest of the ninjas were and the two have still not returned. The first to report this were the maids when (Y/n) wasn't in the kitchen with them and approach Yoshitsune.
"She's not here?" his eyes became wide when he heard this. The maids nodded at his response as Yoshitsune looks at Shizuka.
"Search for clues in their room. I'll warn the others myself," he says and Shizuka quickly ran out of the room.
She searched their room where only Hyuga's equipment was missing and that was it. But Shizuka still felt something nearby. Something supernatural near the room that stored the Three Sacred Treasures. When she arrived there, her whole body was freezing for a second yet she could still see her own breath when she tried to warm her hands.
"Was a spirit here?" she furrows her eyebrows as she looks around for anything. Her first clue would be a spirit was here. A powerful one at that, maybe even dangerous. But since the temperature of her body return to normal quickly. Maybe it wasn't as powerful as she thought it was.
She looks inside the box after opening the combination and saw one of the treasures was missing as well. Even more dread whelmed her with the thought of (Y/n) getting kidnapped along with the treasure. But why was only one of the treasure stolen?
Shizuka was about to close the box until she notices one of the treasures moving. The Magatama was shaking violently as it was glowing that she had to hold it down for it to stay still.
"Shizuka!" Yoshitsune came in looking at her with the shaking Magatama.
Shizuka quickly explains everything she found and what she felt coming here.
"A spirit?" he thought and looks at the Magatama. The jewel kept trying to fly out of Shizuka's hands towards the direction of the window leading outside.
"Could it be looking for the Yata no Kagami?"
Meanwhile, all the other ninjas were calling out for Hyuga and (Y/n). They search every inch of the forest near the estate before making their way deeper inside. Enya was searching his best until he comes across something on the lower ground. On one of the tree barks, there was a symbol that was glowing like magic in the dark. He looks around and quickly managed to find another one of the symbols on another tree bark.
"Enya!" he then heard Shizuka's voice call out to him and was soon met up with her and Yoshitsune.
Enya calls the others to come over to the spot as Shizuka explains everything she found. She also showed them the Magatama that was moving less than before while Enya showed them the symbols that were left behind like a trail.
"What about the Kusanagi?" Benkei asks.
"We took it along just in case since we couldn't leave it alone," Yoshitsune says as he showed the sheath of an extra sword he was carrying.
"Since the Magatama is not shaking anymore. Maybe the mirror is nearby?" Mizuki assumes.
"Let's follow the symbols," Enya agrees. They continued up the path of the mountain until they reach a cliffside of the fallen edge.
"Did they fell off??" Hyosuke exclaims worriedly.
Shizuka walked closer to the edge with a feeling in her heart.
"What do you see Shizuka?" Kazemasa asks.
"There's something among the trees..." she took out a talisman she created not long before and wrapped it around her wrist.
"There's a portal!" she exclaims.
"How can you tell?" Noritsune looked at her in amazement.
"Remember the symbols we saw on the way? The last few made a path but down at the forest there," she pointed at certain areas where it forms what looks like a circle. "This is a portal,"
"But where does it lead to?" Enya asks.
"I don't know... I never saw a ritual like this... And portals like this are in books only...." she looks over the cliff.
"The edge looks like it had been recently collapsed. There's only one way for now..." everyone looked at each other upon Kazemasa's words.
Benkei had brought a rope with them (in the first place to set up traps or tie up criminals) and let it down carefully. Long enough that it reaches past the top of the trees and a bit more to land on the ground. They made sure to go in one by one starting from Enya to the other villages and Yoshitsune last.
As soon as he landed on the ground, all their backs were turned against him to shield him. He looked around to find that the area was mostly pitch black and barely illuminated even with the group having lit torches. Confirming that they were in another world if they were able to find a forest this dark. Even the entrance showed no light to where they had once come from. Yoshitsune quickly took notice as to why they were shielding him as he saw something staring at them in the darkness.
Upon a proper look, it seemed to only be an umbrella.
"What?" they all stare at it peculiarly except for Shizuka. She took out her talisman in a threatening way as she approaches it.
"Show yourself!" she demanded as the umbrella spun around slowly. When it faced her, it had one large eye at the front and smiled at her by sticking its tongue out.
It then tried to attack her.
"Shizuka-" Yoshitsune moved his retainers away but the Yokai was immediately burned to crips by her talismans.
"What was that?" Hyosuke asks still creeped out.
"Karakasa kozo. A tsukugomi type of yokai," she says.
"Why did it attack you?" Noritsune asks.
"It actually wanted to get away after attacking me. These spirits can't fight back at all," she explains and inspects the ashes.
"So why was it staring at us?" Kazemasa asks.
"These spirits can also be used as Shikigamis since they are weak. Not for attacking but for spying," she confirms. "Someone is watching us and knows we are here,"
"Then be prepared, we came here for our friends and we won't leave without them," Yoshitsune says confidently.
They continued deep into the forest of the other world with little light. Shizuka took the lead along with Enya and Sohma to eliminate any Shikigamis watching them. There were many that tried to attack them but they were easily fended off due to them being only the weaker kind. As they scouted ahead a bit more until they see something visible in the distance.
"A castle!" Sohma pointed out. They quicken their pace towards in and hid among the trees to make sure nothing was looking out for them.
"..doesn't this castle look familiar?" Mizuki states after noticing the features of the building in the dark.
"This... is this the castle Lady Rui use to hold (Y/n)'s engagement?" Goyo points out.
He was right. The courtyard, the hallways, and the entrance. They were the exact same as the last time they had been here.
"But less grand and more..." Noritsune trails off trying to find the right words.
"Creepy?" Sohma finished.
They all gathered around and discuss their plan. They know the area well since they explored the area during the day they had arrived. They split up into two groups of five. Kazemasa, Sohma, Mizuki, Hyosuke and Enya on one team to search in the left wing while Yoshitsune, Shizuka, Noritsune, Benkei and Goyo search in the right wing. Shizuka created more blessed talismans on the spot in case anything happens to the other group as they search.
They then entered the buildings through the corridors.
For a while, they didn't find much but many empty bedrooms for guest. It felt like they were walking in circles but when they wanted to meet with Yoshitsune's group, they ended up in the same hallway. They couldn't even find the corridor where they had entered.
"Seems like we're trapped here..." Mizuki sighs.
"How is it even possible? We retraced our steps. The building is not THAT big," Hyosuke said.
"Remember, this is another world where spirits live. I don't believe in magic or things like that but this place could possibly cause an illusion to trick us. Don't underestimate it," he says.
"So what do we do?" Hyosuke asks Enya who was silent the whole time. He raises his hand at Hyosuke to shush him before he could speak.
"Sohma! Up your left!" he shouts at him since Sohma was near the wall. Immediately, with his prosthetic arm, he jabs his left elbow near a wall and it fell. This time it was a spider, a large one and many eyes even on its body.
"Ew..." Mizuki mutters in disgust.
"Another spy..." Enya then bent down and place the talisman on the spider. The talisman then got set on fire and burned into a crisp along with the spider.
"Sense anything else?" Sohma asks. Kazemasa closed his eye to sense anything but shook his head.
"Nothing,"
They continued to make their way around until they actually notice a door much different than the others by being lit by candles. Taking caution when they went in, they open the door to find a room lit with a thousand candles on each side of the room. The fires that light up the room dyed it crimson red that gave off a haunting vibe. At the end of the room was a table of animal fur piled up lazily and a kitsune mask hanging from the wall above it.
"Yooo this is creepy as hell!" Hyosuke raises his voice, frighten.
"Agreed," Sohma said.
"What do you think this is?" Enya asks looking at the fur.
"My guess the furs are offerings to whatever that mask belongs to," he looks at the fox mask hangs eerily. The more they stared the more they realize it was like it was staring back at them. And laughing even.
"Should we take it?" Hyosuke asks.
"Really?" Mizuki looked at him angrily.
"Maybe we should," Kazemasa approach it closer.
"What? Why?"
"Magic or something is holding us back, right? What if we take this with us," he says and takes the mask from the wall. Almost all the flames in the room went out except for a few that still gave off the crimson red light.
They heard shifting off movements and look up to find something falling from the ceiling like snow.
"Ash?" Enya caught a few in his palm and sniff it but it was different.
"Look out!" Hyosuke warns Kazemasa and he immediately jumps away. A large thud sounded the room as a woman with brown hair looks at them.
They all stared at the abomination that was a beautiful woman with brown tied up hair and a spider body that was up to her torso. She looked at them all with a threatening look.
"Get out! Get out!" she screams as her legs carried her to move around quickly.
"Scatter!" Kazemasa ordered as they ran in different directions and around her to confuse her on who she picks.
Mizuki was swinging his sickle around trying to find the right moment. The woman managed to shoot a web at Hyosuke's feet and stop him in his tracks. She took the moment where he was trap to charge at him but Mizuki got behind her and choke her there the best he can. He was trying to make her unconscious. But the woman was grabbing hard onto the chains tightly to prevent her from choking and in time broke it in half. She then grabbed onto Mizuki while he was off guard and pin him down with her bare hands. She was ridiculously strong as Mizuki struggle to break free while using his legs to prevent her fangs from sinking into his neck. Then the woman felt a burning sensation behind her back.
She turned around to find Enya sending fireballs into her direction as she jumps away. But as she did, her back suddenly ran into Hyosuke's sword as Hyosuke forces the entire thing through her body. The spider woman tried to break the sword to break free but Hyosuke had already used his ninjutsu to electrocute the woman with his sword.
While the spider woman was screaming in pain, Enya and Mizuki use their ninjitsu together to create boiling water and stream it into her face and body. Of course, Hyosuke got away in time before all that happened. The woman was screaming in pain and once the two stop, she was still moving despite her human-like skin was red and scald. Half of her body was still working and was about to get up. There was a sudden gust of wind that envelopes her and she felt sharp sensations all over her body. Before she realizes it, Sohma and Kazemasa were standing right before her as her legs were sliced off.
"Sorry..." Sohma says as Kazemasa then made the move to slice her head. After that, the woman stopped moving entirely.
Mizuki also put his hands together in prayer as the rest of them watch.
"So... was she guarding this?" Hyosuke says looking at the fox masks in Kazemasa's hand.
"I think we're on the right track if that was guarding this," Kazemasa says and puts away the mask in his clothing.
"Let's hurry and find Yoshitsune then," Enya adds.