2 A Journey's Beginning

~~ Author Note ~~

https://discord.gg/6PBf4ccNCT

This chapter starts the actual story.

Characters and stories may change, as stated in the auxiliary chapter. Also, this story will use various excuses for different females from the series I like to show up. However, I will try to explain things and have them make sense. I want the story to be good.

I hope you enjoy my book.

~~ End Author Note ~~

***

Daylight was slowly dwindling, and the sun hung lowly upon the horizon. Around this time, farmers would be packing up for the day to return home and have dinner. Children would be called back from playing or helping their parents as it was dangerous once night fell. For three little girls, the situation was quite different.

Inside a nearby forest, three girls whose age was no more than ten or eleven could be seen strutting through a forest. The three of them were wearing dirty cloaks which covered their thin and raggedy clothes. The hoods were down, exposing their unkempt faces. They were trekking towards a cave on the outskirts of the village.

The village didn't welcome the three of them, nor any nearby town for that matter. Instead, the girls would usually resort to staying in caves and hope not to encounter any wild animals or, even worse, demons. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side today.

"Looks like I'll be eating a feast tonight," a voice proclaimed with a hiss.

The three of them turned towards the voice's owner. A slight distance away from them was a snake yokai. The monster's head resembled a human woman framed with greasy black hair, but the face was warped and stretched. The woman's mouth opened wide, showing fangs dripping with a dark purple substance. The hollowed-out black eyes glanced between the children.

Two of the three children trembled while the third faced the snake with a grim expression. The blonde girl stepped forward to cover for the other two children. "You two run right now!" She knew it might be hopeless and that they would all probably die, but she still wished that by some faint chance, the others might escape.

"Big sister..." The purple-haired girl whined, not wanting to leave behind her older sister. Next to her, a girl with white hair seemed to hesitate as well. Both of them didn't want to leave without their older sister, despite being terrified.

The monster slithered forward, unperturbed by their interaction. "Don't worry, children, you'll all be together in my stomach," the snake said with a hiss while its tongue flicked forward.

The woman's jaw unhinged, allowing its mouth to open wide enough to swallow the blonde child in front of it. The blonde's eyes opened wide in surprise, though the snake assumed it was due to fear. It was so focused on its meal that it failed to notice an even more enormous beast appear from behind.

One moment it was about to enjoy its dinner; the next, it was slammed into the ground by a large paw with a resounding thud. The snake hissed in agitation. It attempted to turn towards its attacker but was met with a pair of fangs sinking through its skull.

Fluids sprayed from its head, coating the ground with its viscous black blood. A small amount of its blood splattered on the blonde girl at the front. The children could only watch wide-eyed as a gigantic winged wolf tore the snake apart with its large canines. They were rooted to the spot in fear as the previously terrifying demon was killed. Even the gutsier blonde girl was in a daze as the wolf proceeded to devour the yokai savagely.

The new beast lifted its head, showing its mouth soaked with black blood. The snake was no more than half a body, and a large pool of blood splayed on the grass. The entrails of the yokai were on full display. The scene of an enormous snow-white winged wolf standing over a bloodied snake corpse left the girls in a trance. The three girls were only startled out of their reverie once the wolf spoke.

"What are you children doing out here?" The wolf let its violet eyes rest on the blonde, who he assumed to be the trio's leader.

None of the girls could respond. They were confused about why the beast spoke as if it were worried about them. The gory scene in front of them didn't help them trust the wolf. Both sides were unmoving and just stared at each other until the wolf heard a voice in its head.

A seductive voice echoed in his head. [Dear, I believe your form, though impressive, is quite terrifying to them.]

The wolf tilted his head to the side. "Ah... I didn't think about how I look right now. Pardon me."

The girls were confused about what the wolf meant. They could only watch in wonder as a swirl of beautiful pink flowers manifested out of thin air and engulfed the wolf's entire form. The flowers parted and settled on the ground exposing a stunning white-haired man.

Both sides silently inspected one another briefly. The man was about one hundred ninety centimeters tall with a lean and toned figure. He had a waist-length mane as white as snow with interwoven strands of light pink littered throughout his hair. Messy bangs framed a handsome face with deep violet eyes.

A stark contrast compared to his hair, his clothes were all black. He was wearing loose, billowy pants and a pair of geta. He had a form-fitting muscle shirt underneath an open happi, with the happi being the only piece of white clothing. The back was adorned with a wolf figure composed of cherry blossoms. His presence was enough to enthrall most women, but not just due to his appearance alone. His aura had a mysterious allure that was enough to attract those unprepared.

On the other side were the three girls. The first girl had long blonde hair with curls strewn throughout her locks. Her piercing ruby red eyes seemed as though they could see through a person's soul. Despite the dirt on her face, she had an elegant and composed aura.

The second girl had her purple hair braided and bound up using an old torn ribbon. She left two free clusters of hair to fall just past her shoulders and frame her face. Her eyes were a calming honey brown color. She seemed to be the most open as her emotions played on her face.

The final girl had short, messy white hair that was thicker towards the top of her head. She had her right eye and forehead covered by dirty bandages. Her unveiled eye was a serene ocean blue framed by similar white eyelashes. She wore a straight face hiding what she thought except for what flickered through her eye.

All three of them were wearing dirty brown cloaks with lowered hoods. The fronts of the mantles were opened, exposing their thin, ragged burlap clothes. The girls were also barefoot, leaving their feet scratched and lightly bruised.

The man's face softened after looking them over. He may not like to admit it, but he had a soft spot for kids. He stepped towards the three of them and spoke, "It's not safe around here for you, kiddos. Follow me." He continued past the frozen girls. He walked in the direction of the nearby cave.

The girls watched him walk away and not look back. They were hesitant to trust and follow what they thought to be a demon. Seemingly making up her mind, the blonde girl rushed after him, gesturing for the two others to come along as well.

As they were following, the purple-haired girl whispered, "Why do you want to go with him? It could be a trap."

The white-haired girl nodded along, supporting the idea that it was unwise. The blonde, however, responded with a snort. "If he was going to kill us, he'd already have done so."

"She's right, you know." The man chimed in from the front, looking behind with a smile. "If you kiddos couldn't handle that little snake, then you have no hope escaping from me."

They were not too surprised that the man heard them as he was a supposed demon. A demon's senses are far above ordinary people. The two girls frowned while the blonde chuckled at the two of them. They proceeded to follow along in silence after the short interaction. It wasn't a long walk as they had already been about ten minutes out from the cave. Of course, it could have been less, but the three of them had a shorter stride than the man.

Although the time spent walking was short, the sky had already darkened considerably. The cave the four arrived in front of was almost pitch-black inside. To the girls' dismay, three pairs of glowing red eyes were staring at them from the blackened interior. A low growling sent shivers down their spine. They looked towards the man wondering if it was a setup, and he just wished to mess with his prey first.