Chapter 12 - The Black-Haired Girl Part One

No one knows when that existence first came to be.

It began before the great war, when it was discovered that beneath a cave long revered as the "Divine Shrine" by local inhabitants, there lay a vast underground hollow. The former Imperial Army attempted to repurpose it as a storage site, which led to the discovery of the "presence" within.

Upon investigation by onmyōji, commissioned by the devout leaders of the time, it was surmised to be a local guardian deity—a land god.

Believing that the Eastern Capital would soon become the heart of the nation, those leaders constructed a shrine in the underground hollow to venerate it. As the capital prospered, the land god grew in power and eventually began to exhibit the divine qualities of a true "kami."

It began with animal carcasses that started moving.

Shocked, the leaders began joint research with political and business interests, and eventually discovered that even "humans" could be revived.

Their joy knew no bounds—this power, they believed, would offer supremacy in both medicine and warfare. But those revived were not normal. Their hearts beat. They breathed. But they did not speak. They did not eat.

Even the scholars and onmyōji could only conclude: they were simply alive. As the war ended and the country began to flourish, these revived individuals began to move independently under simple commands. Gradually, they "evolved."

That god—the one those in power call "That One"—still sleeps.

But should it truly awaken, and its resurrection powers become freely usable, eternal life would no longer be just a dream.

The aged elites of politics and industry dream of the god's awakening, praying it will one day grant them immortality.

And the god, sensing a certain "presence," began to quietly stir from slumber.

***

"It’s coming... It’s coming..."

"Priestess..."

The priestess trembled with fear from the morning. The women who cared for her could only hold her gently.

The priestess, spiritually linked to "That One," cried in terror of the looming presence. Usually, Murasame would come to soothe her. But this time, returning from the secret outer path, he headed straight to the underground altar, ignoring her fear.

What had happened? What was about to happen?

One caretaker, holding the priestess, prayed to "That One" to protect her.

***

"So, are we sure an enemy's coming, Bob?"

"That’s what the client says."

The chamber midway along the passage to the underground altar, once a waiting area, had been stripped of its tables and chairs. Instead, sandbags and makeshift barricades transformed it into a room resembling a military training ground.

No one knew what the enemy would be. They had been told it would likely be an individual, not a group. But the level of preparation felt excessive for just one person.

"This is overkill. Even elite foreign operatives wouldn’t require this."

"Lee, don’t let your guard down. The client isn't a novice, right? Kenny?"

They had assault rifles as primary weapons, with SMGs and pistols for close quarters. Knives were also issued. No explosives, given the enclosed space. The plaster walls meant ricochets weren’t a concern.

There was only one passage leading inward—perfect for an ambush. The only risk was if the enemy used explosives. But their barricades and blast-proof suits should be enough to turn the tide quickly.

They even had automated turret systems—an excessive setup. Confident in their gear and training, these professional mercenaries were ever so slightly relaxed.

Kenny, a veteran of the group, silently gripped his rifle amid his comrades’ banter.

"What's wrong, Kenny? Don’t tell me you’re the one who's nervous?"

The youngest, Will—who looked up to the veteran Kenny—teased with a grin. But Kenny remained silent, his face grim, even in response to Will’s joking tone. Seeing that expression, their leader Bob quietly spoke up.

"Is something bothering you, Kenny?"

"...No. I just remembered something from the past."

"If you can talk about it, go ahead. That kind of look is distracting Will."

"No, I..."

Seeing Will clearly distracted, Kenny let out a small sigh.

"...You're right."

Everyone here knew Kenny had once been in the US military and that his unit was wiped out, but he never talked about it further, and the others never pried unless he brought it up himself.

"I have a bad feeling... No, I sense something. Just like 'that time' thirty years ago..."

He had never told anyone before. But maybe, all this time, he'd been waiting for someone to listen.

Prefacing it as an unpleasant story, Kenny began to speak slowly and quietly.

"It was thirty years ago... I had just finished training. I was still a rookie."

In Arizona, surrounded by remote rocky mountains, nearly a thousand troops were secretly gathered under the guise of a live-fire exercise. It wasn’t unusual for experimental weapons and covert projects back then. But this time, the assignment was to guard a top-secret facility where an undisclosed experiment was underway.

They weren’t told what the experiment involved. Some idiots joked it was about alien dissections, but even young Kenny knew from the high security that it had to be serious. Excited for his first mission, Kenny overexerted himself and broke his leg during a drill. He ended up in the medical tent with other injured soldiers, all grumbling about retraining once they healed.

Then came a dark night—clouds veiled the half-moon, and no coyotes howled in the distance. A sense of foreboding was palpable.

The sudden blaring of alarms shattered the night. Gunfire and explosions echoed from afar. What was attacking them? Kenny and the others in the medical tent looked at each other, frozen by a growing sense of dread. Surely with a thousand armed soldiers, tanks, and helicopters, any enemy could be subdued.

But the gunfire never ceased. It only came closer. Screams joined the chaos. The veteran soldiers told the three rookies to stay inside—and left, never to return.

What kind of enemy could make trained soldiers scream?

It was like the heat of summer had suddenly flipped into the chill of winter. Overwhelmed by the malevolent presence, the young soldiers trembled in their beds until morning.

When dawn came, they stepped outside, supporting each other... and were met with a nightmare.

Bodies. Piled everywhere. Not just soldiers, but cooks, medics, mechanics—no one survived. Every single one had been decapitated. Not postmortem, but executed with precision. Each severed head bore a face twisted in terror. Kenny and the others screamed, vomited, and collapsed. Days later, they were rescued by their own reinforcements and a man who called himself Squall.

"Only three of us survived. One committed suicide. Another’s still locked in a padded cell. I was... allowed to leave the military. But that image never left me. I can only feel alive in places like this now... That’s why I’m here."

"..."

The other nine mercenaries exchanged glances, speechless. It was too vivid to be a lie. What kind of creature could slaughter a thousand fully armed soldiers using only blades?

Unable to endure the silence, Bob finally spoke.

"Did you ever find out what it was?"

"..."

Kenny never did. But the man who rescued him—Squall—had spoken a name. A legend. A real berserker. If such a thing existed, it had to have taken tens of millions of lives.

"It was—"

Beep.

Everyone jumped slightly as an electronic alert sounded.

"There’s movement."

Jim checked the surveillance. No visual on the attacker—but everyone in the mansion had been killed.

"..."

They had seemed like mindless zombies, but even the women and children—clearly noncombatants—had been mercilessly decapitated. Someone swallowed hard, recalling Kenny’s story.

"Hah! If it’s a monster, I’ll kill it!"

Lee, the female soldier, raised her gun defiantly, dispelling the gloom. She had a temper but was dependable in crises like this.

"She’s right. Nothing’s changed. Everyone—take your positions!"

Bob’s order rallied the group. They trained their guns on the main entrance. Kenny patted the nervous Will on the shoulder.

"Sorry for the grim story."

"N-No, I’m glad you told it. Leave this to me!"

"...Yeah."

They all took positions. The entrance looked wooden but was actually solid steel—bombproof.

"Contact: 100 meters... 50... 30... They’re coming!"

Jim’s voice grew louder as he watched the monitor.

BZZZZZ.

"!"

A monstrous killing intent slammed into them. Their hearts froze.

Gggggggggggg!

The steel door was torn apart like soft wood under a chainsaw. Something monstrous stood beyond the darkness.

Rat-a-tat!

"FIRE!"

Bullets sprayed. But the shadow blurred from wall to ceiling, and—

Lee and John, in the front, were decapitated instantly. Their heads spun through the air, their faces twisted in fear.

"Shit! Will! ...Will!"

"...uh... ah..."

Will stood frozen, pale and shocked. Kenny forced him down and aimed his rifle at the shadow. His hands trembled.

This... thing... what is it?

Mercenaries screamed and fired wildly in despair. Kenny remembered an old fairytale:

—The hard scraping sound—
—The dry, tinkling melody—

"AAAAAARRGGHHH!!!"

Even calm Bob snapped, firing madly—only to be shredded to pieces mid-scream. His flying gun riddled Jim behind him.

—Offer the camellia flower to that one—
—Take everything reflected in those silver eyes—

"NOOOOOOO!"

The mercenaries were slaughtered, one by one. Bullets hit, but the shadow did not stop. Equipment and barriers were reduced to scraps.

This is it... the monster that destroyed a thousand soldiers and ruined my life.

Kenny screamed, cried, fired blindly. He didn’t notice his tears or that he was out of bullets.

Silver eyes. Blood-soaked. The girl descended before him—

"—!"

And with a song-like buzz, her saw-like blade carved through Kenny’s neck.

Beside him, only Will remained—curled under a tarp, trembling, blood raining onto the sheet like a light drizzle.

He couldn’t think. He didn’t understand. Moments ago, they were alive. Laughing, planning drinks after the mission.

Now... he knew he was alone.

Step...

Footsteps. Getting closer. She knows he’s there.

—Bad children, run far away—
—Good children, hide under the covers until morning—

Clink.

Something dropped—a bullet ejected from a healing wound. Will flinched. The killer paused.

He held his breath—or tried to. He couldn’t breathe. Through a gap in the sheet, he saw black socks. Barely a meter away.

His sanity teetered. A second? A fraction? She moved on—leaving him alive—as she stepped through the next door.

—Tonight, she comes for you—
—Princess Tsubakiri—

***

"...Hana-chan."

I run through the long corridor, slicing through every door and obstacle with my saw.

I can feel her. She’s close.

Her smiling face appears in my heart. It overlaps with someone else's.

She called my name. 'Tsubaki'—'Camellia'—

"Hana-chan."

You said you loved me. You cried and said you were sorry.

Hana-chan... Nanohana... Sister...

I slice through the final door and scream the name of the girl lying in that execution-like chamber.

"Yua-neesamaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"