Invasion

In the heart of the sprawling crater of the Hole, an imposing village known as Tonika stood firm. Its inhabitants, both men and women, donned uniforms and brandished swords with pointy blades.

It was a militarized stronghold, but behind its disciplined facade, the guards were nothing more than a local militia trained by their village leader. The rest of the villagers had long grown accustomed to the peace that enveloped them. They may not have been ninjas, but they prided themselves on being the most powerful village in the Hole.

On this particular day, the lax guards patrolled the borders of the village, their routine uninterrupted. Some stood watch at the entrance, prepared to welcome visitors from neighboring villages scattered across the fringes of the Hole.

But perplexity etched itself onto their faces as they witnessed a vague, misty fog spill forth, gradually engulfing their line of sight before drifting towards the village.

"Fog? Why is there fog here?" One guard exchanged glances with his comrade, then nodded towards him before turning on his heels, determined to make a report.

The other guard watched his patrol buddy disappear into the fog with a calm expression, but his body abruptly tensed when muffled cries echoed from within the ethereal haze.

"Tatsuma?" The guard called out, his sword already gripped firmly in his hand. "Oi! Stop fooling around. This isn't funny!"

There was no response. A bead of sweat trickled down the guard's face, but he had already made a resolute decision.

Swiftly turning in the opposite direction, the guard bolted away. To the untrained eye, it may have appeared as if he were fleeing. After all, he was but a regular human, albeit a skilled fighter.

In reality, all the trained militia knew better.

Going against ninjas, who had an arsenal of peculiar methods, left him at a disadvantage. Alone, he couldn't hope to confront them, not with his limited skills. So, his best course of action was to flee, find an escape route, and report back.

Only by rallying the masses, along with the village chief and guard commanders, would they stand a chance at fighting back!

Naturally, the scream to alert his fellow villagers was not missing, "EN-"

Unfortunately, this tactic was only effective against a small band of invading ninjas. What loomed over them now was far worse.

Just as the guard distanced himself from his post, his scream barely escaping his mouth, the ground beneath him shifted suddenly. Sharp limbs erupted from the earth, causing him to stumble and crash onto the ground. Groaning in pain, he struggled to rise, only to find himself face-to-face with an abomination possessing eight menacing eyes.

A chilling sensation crawled up his spine as he prepared to scream, but before he could, a sticky substance swiftly adhered to his mouth, muffling his cries. The guard frantically scooted backward, his hands futilely attempting to tear away the web that sealed his mouth shut, but it clung to him relentlessly.

Wide-eyed with terror, the guard could do nothing but gaze into the eyes of impending doom. The full horror of the grotesque giant spider unfolded before him, and he watched helplessly as his fate was ensnared within its nefarious web, sealing away his existence as the venomous fangs of the spider sunk into him, injecting an unknown venom and putting him to sleep.

A chilling wind whispered through the village, carrying the ominous scent of decay. The fog grew thicker, obscuring the outlines of buildings and twisting the familiar paths into a labyrinth of uncertainty. It was as though the village itself had become a nightmare.

As fog settled into the village, a creeping unease filled the air. The villagers huddled in their homes, their faces etched with concern. Unbeknownst to them, a lurking horror awaited amidst the dense mist.

Giant spiders, their legs as thick as tree trunks and fangs dripping with venom, hid in the murky shadows, patiently waiting to strike as they spun their webs.

Meanwhile, among the villagers on patrol was the seasoned leader of the guards, who now stood at the forefront of the defense. His deep-set eyes scanned the fog with intensity, his grip tightening around his sword. "Remember the counter-ninja training and be on your guard," he warned his fellow guards.

As the fog swallowed the village, screams pierced the silence. The spiders emerged from their hiding places, their eight legs skittering across the ground. The militia of Tonika sprang into action, their swords slashing through the air with precision.

The captain's voice rang out, cutting through the fog that obscured their sights. "Stand firm! Protect the village!"

In a different location, within the humble confines of his cottage, the Tonika village chief, a dignified elderly man with weathered features and a magnificent beard that nearly consumed his entire face, stood tall and prepared himself for the impending chaos. With a calm demeanor, he donned his simple plate armor and fastened the black headband, a symbol of his indomitable authority.

Picking up his sword, he whispered to his worried grandson, Leo, who stood nearby. "Leo, take care of Miina."

Observing his grandfather's departure, Leo scooped up little Miina, who was still trying to comprehend the world around her, and took refuge beneath the bed. Peering out from the darkness, his eyes sought solace in the perceived safety of his childish hiding spot.

But as is customary in all horror stories, the lurking monster had already locked its gaze upon the vulnerable children.

Stepping out of his house with purposeful strides, the old man's hand remained firmly clasped around the hilt of his sword. His sharp eyes pierced through the veil of fog, intently scanning his surroundings. Guided by memory, he counted his steps meticulously, determined to navigate the familiar terrain without losing his way.

Suddenly, the old man's eyes narrowed, and in one fluid motion, his sword plunged into the ground, accompanied by a soft screech as the ambushing creature in the ground met its demise.

Furrowing his brows at the unexpected enemy, the old man swiftly pivoted, deftly evading a web shot towards him. With an agile rush, he closed in on the giant spider that had entered his senses. His sword cleaved through the air, slicing the spider into two halves with a single precise strike!

Despite his advanced age, this village chief stood as the mightiest combatant within the Tonika village. The local militia had been trained under his tutelage, and his skill certainly did not lose out to them at all.

Unfortunately, his adversaries were not limited to simple spiders.

Step. Step. Step. The old man remained vigilant, his sword held ready as his wise eyes swept the area in anticipation of approaching footsteps.

Soon, the figures of his enemies appeared before him. There were three of them.

On one side stood an unfamiliar mature woman with glasses and brown hair, her demeanor seemingly harmless, yet he sensed an underlying danger.

Another figure was an elderly woman of his age, but her crimson gaze was unsettling.

And finally, there stood an elderly man with a gray beard, donning a red hooded robe. The Tonika village chief recognized this man and his heart sank. "Disonasu, why?"

Disonasu stared back at the village chief, a mischievous glimmer dancing in his eyes, as he replied in an emotionless tone, "Defeat us, and I'll tell you."

Hearing these words, the Tonika village chief let out a weary sigh. Firmly raising his hands clutching his sword to shoulder-level, the blade pointed horizontally outwards toward his adversaries, the experienced old swordsman invited them with a firm resolve, "Koi."

In the other corners of the village, the battle raged on, a swirling tempest of chaos. The guards fought valiantly, their blades gleaming amidst the swirling fog. They struck at the spiders, severing limbs and bodies, but their efforts seemed futile as for every spider they vanquished, two more emerged to take its place. To compound the danger, other grotesque insects joined the fray, each possessing unique and endless varieties of abilities.

The guards fought on with unyielding determination, their spirits aflame, yet their strength waned under the relentless assault. As the insect army multiplied, even the courageous villagers emerged from their shelters to lend a hand, but their combined efforts proved inadequate in the face of the overwhelming onslaught.

This was a war of attrition, with no end in sight. It was as if the enemy's sole objective was to drown them in sheer numbers. Adding to their despair, the enemy seemed to mock them, steadily ensnaring them one by one with intricate webs.

"No- Shiseru! Damn it! Why are there so many?!"

As the combatants watched their comrades being dragged away into the fog, a sense of despiar overwhelmed them. Most of the militia had already vanished into the unknown, and their only beacon of hope, the village chief, had yet to make an appearance. The remaining fighters trembled with desperation, their will to resist slowly fading.

But when they witnessed their own families being torn from their homes, consumed by a furious rage, they recklessly charged forward, intent on saving their loved ones. Tragically, they met the same fate as their fallen comrades, ensnared by the insidious webs.

Amidst the chaos, the captain of the guard gasped for breath, standing amidst a mound of defeated spiders.

Suddenly, his eyes dilated with resignation as he gazed upon the scene unfolding before him. A giant spider lugged its preys before him before its limbs poised threateningly near them, its eight eyes bearing an unsettling intelligence. What truly chilled the captain was the fact that the victims were his unconscious wife and children.

The captain's sword slipped from his grasp, his voice a plea laced with desperation, "Please... don't hurt them."

In the other battleground, the Tonika village chief knelt upon one knee, his sword serving as a support as he fought for each labored breath. His once white facial hair now bore the marks of his injuries, tainted by blood.

But he pushed aside his pain, for there was no time to dwell on his wounds.

With a resolute expression etched upon his face, he focused his gaze upon the three adversaries before him. Their bodies remained seemingly untouched by any visible injuries, despite his repeated attempts to slay them.

Yet he knew the truth: he had already killed them multiple times, only to witness his foes freshly emerge from the enveloping fog.

Drawing from his knowledge and experience, the village chief recognized the enemy's tactic - draining his strength through clones. It was a shameless assault, yet even the clones proved formidable adversaries for him with their uncanny methods of tiny strange insects and illusions.

He knew his aged bones could withstand this onslaught for only so long. And lurking within the village were countless more enemies. Perhaps the villagers had already...

However, through their exchange during battle, the village chief had come to comprehend the true orchestrators behind this ruthless attack. "Disonasu, it seems misfortune has already befallen him?" he muttered, seeking confirmation from his foe.

His opponent offered no response, but the silence served as an affirmation.

"What do you want? I will give it to you, as long as you let the villagers go," the Tonika village chief conceded, bowing his head in a gesture of submission.

After a pregnant pause, the culprits finally spoke. "We want... a village."

Raising his head, the village chief's brow furrowed with confusion. Yet, his wise mind swiftly grasped the implications of their demand.

Gripping his sword tightly with both hands, he raised it above his head, an act of surrender. "As long as you do not harm them, this old life... shall be in your hands."

Silence enveloped the scene, but the old man could sense the creatures scuttling around him. His dim eyes scanned his surroundings and beheld the approach of giant spiders. Instinct urged him to fight back, but the words from the mature woman, adorned with glasses and insect-like features, compelled him to hold his ground.

"Do not worry, we will spare your lives," she assured him with an unsettling calm.

Hearing this, the old man relinquished his final chance to fight for survival. He felt their fangs sink into his frail body, injecting a potent venom that paralyzed him and brought a heavy drowsiness. As his vision began to fade, his consciousness slipping away, he faintly caught the echo of her chilling words, "Oh... But perhaps death would have been a kinder fate."