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Kanzaki fell asleep. A wolf approaches him. The beast tilts its head, looking at him with its deep blue eyes. It comes closer and looks at his back. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpM64jzrWbm
The wolf turns him around and slowly puts his feet on Kanzaki's back. The wolf leans in with his face and closes its eyes. Blue aura surrounds the wolf's feet. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfm8Z5pQB64
Slowly, Kanzaki's bones reconnect, his back didn't hurt anymore. The wolf gets off Kanzaki and looks at him again. "Good luck..." the beast says. The wolf studies Remi and then nods. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOwioldzL4
He lays Kanzaki down and runs away, leaving Kanzaki and Remi there... My head... It really hurts... I have to wake up and escape now... But I'm so tired... Kanzaki opens his eyes... To his surprise, Remi wasn't hurt. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdcjRItli3
Kanzaki groans, forcing his battered body to move. His trembling hands push Remi off him as gently as he can, wincing at every move. Her face is pale, her body unnaturally motionless. He looks at his hands and freezes. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MYTk0YSmO
The skin is gone. Torn. Blood oozed from the raw, exposed flesh, pooling around him in dark, sickening patches. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItYmRjaMPo
He hisses in pain, as he moves his hands behind his back. If they touch the ground, it will cause more pain. But his mind isn't on himself. "Remi..." he whispers. His throat tightens. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxwFNNHwH8
Hesitation clings to him like a vice, but Kanzaki forces himself to reach for his phone. His fingers fumble at the cracked screen, managing to dial Akira's number. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bkKn0Bx0Y
Suddenly, he feels it. A touch. His blood turns to ice as something cold wraps around his leg. His eyes widen as he sees her. There she is. The Yurei. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGiHjCvgng
Her pale, skeletal hand grips his ankle. Her long nails were digging into his skin. Her red eyes glow under the curtain of black strands. They were burning with malice. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG35n8cJh8K
"Stop..." Kanzaki mutters, trying to pull back. But his legs won't move. They feel heavy under her icy grip. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSra7OIZOt
The call connects. "Kanzaki!" Akira's angry voice rings out.. "Why did you do all of this without telling me?! Where are you?" she asks, angry and concerned. His lips tremble as he tries to answer. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pFzHt0mW0
"The... forest... Aki-" Before he can finish, the Yurei moves. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgm8xfSRLnI
Her skeletal fingers snatch the phone from his hands. Kanzaki watches in helplessly as she lifts it to her lips. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRZl6f8uYZ
"Goodbye," she whispers into the receiver. The line goes dead. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMya7hbpAsK
Kanzaki's breath hitches as the Yurei drops the phone. Her hand tightens on his leg, the pressure rising. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAe2ujhueDZ
"Don't you dare get near her," he growls, his voice shaking as he glares at the Yurei. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAKU9SkQjj
Her head tilts to the side as her neck cracked. Her lips twist into a smile, revealing jagged teeth. "Fumiko... Gin is waiting," he says, trying to distract her. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRmZpvPJJM
The smile fades. "Three..." the Yurei whispered. Kanzaki's breath catches. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3t3NFD67Ky
Seizing the moment, he shoves her off with all his strength. Her grip loosens just enough for him to break free. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqKdJkwImY
Without looking back, he stands up and runs away. Deeper into the forest... The trees blur past him. "Remi..." he mumbles through ragged breaths. "I'll come back for you." 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGxjgOACDG
Behind him, the Yurei stands still, her smile returning. She tilts her head towards the broken phone at her feet. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OZfERWaxC
As the crimson glow of the red moon shines on her face, she lets out a low chuckle. "Run, little Kanzaki," she murmurs, her voice dripping with venom. "This is far from over." 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG439q3OIOa
Her laughter echoes through the forest as she turns, fading into the shadows, her bloodlust palpable beneath the red moon's glow. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIWwG4g4Qk
Kanzaki falls to the ground as his legs give out. He pants, squinting his eyes. He hears people laughing... the sound came from every direction. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmhTdgu8TO
What is this feeling of unease? Why is my heart beating so fast...? Am I scared? Why did I go into the forest in the first place? Do I really think I can stop this all by myself? I can't go on anymore, but... I can't give up either. I have to do it. I have to do something. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwL9NuDTUZ
He walks back to where Remi was and reaches out to grab his phone... eight missed calls from Akira and a message. He reads it out loud: "Kanzaki, what kind of dummy goes into the forest...? I'm coming, wait for me." 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX9ZYfDIwY
He feels scared and relieved at the same time. He sits there, unmoving... 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3lfkLnOAC
Kanzaki looks at the moon. "The red moon marks her killing..." Who is the victim today? Mio... 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB4uJaJqXq
Kanzaki wakes up and looks at Remi. "Life wasn't worth much, huh...?" he asks. Remi is just lying there, her face pale, and there are marks on her neck from the tie. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZDNbqZMhN
She doesn't deserve this... the Yurei just wants Kawasaki for Astaroth. It has been a while. He stands up and takes off his jacket as he realized how hot it was. Their weak spot is their face... Or light? 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuOnjCpMt4
He runs away, his footsteps echoing through the forest. He looks at all the villagers who were hung. He stops running when he hears someone step on a branch. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwokaJHPV8d
Kanzaki freezes in place, his breath catching in his throat as a low, menacing growl rumbles behind him. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWLZkxT5yu
Slowly, he turns his head to find a white wolf just a few feet away. The wolf's blue eyes lock onto his. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlp0rppalSV
For a moment, he feels like prey. The wolf's growl abruptly stops. It sits down, its eyes still fixed on Kanzaki, not blinking. Kanzaki feels uneasy. "What... do you want?" he asks, more to himself than the wolf. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWcHvJRTn4
The wolf tilts its head, as if it understands him. The wolf stares at Kanzaki's hand. Kanzaki hesitates but reaches out his hand. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqVbu0I9RD
The wolf sniffs his fingers before locking eyes with him again. Its gaze is intelligent, almost human. Kanzaki forces himself to pat its head, his heart pounding. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFNoPoyvHt
When he steps back, the wolf stands and begins to follow him. "I don't have time for this," Kanzaki mutters, looking over his shoulder. But the wolf doesn't stop. "You're just an animal. You can't understand me," yet deep down, something about it felt wrong. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFO7pewlzE
After several moments, Kanzaki stops, turning around to confront the creature. "What do you want?" The wolf growls low again and sits, staring at something past Kanzaki. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhECVdOkpU
He follows its gaze to a tree. It didn't belong there. The bark seems too smooth, too... different. "What the hell...?" Kanzaki whispers. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJwdtnvuUi
The wolf growls louder now, snapping him out of his thoughts. Kanzaki clenches his fist and, unsure why, slams it against the strange bark. The impact sends a shock through his arm as the tree's color shifts: red, like blood oozing from a wound. 16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgjV1gPzxU
Suddenly, the wolf is gone. Kanzaki spins around, his breath quickening. The woods feel darker, heavier...
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