Azuma stood at the very top of a giant tree, his eyes fixed on the sky. The three moons hung above like cold lanterns, providing a small sense of relief against the pitch-black darkness that swallowed the rest of the Cursed Land. The soothing light didn't just give him comfort in this unknown territory; it gave him the direction he needed. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he spotted the outline of a mountain he knew well. It was close—maybe a day or two away at most—but the sight didn't exactly soothe his mind.

  He gave a heavy sigh and climbed down the trunk. Below the canopy, the darkness was absolute, save for the tiny slivers of moonlight that managed to pierce through the thick leaves. The Danis brothers were sitting there, their bodies finally recovered but their postures still stiff with tension.

  “The good news is, you were right,” Azuma said, his voice low. “The destination is only a two-day trip from here in that direction.”

  He paused, watching the two of them tensed up like coiled springs. “The bad news is that we can’t move at night. We don’t know what kind of horrors are hiding in these woods. I’ve heard enough stories to know you don’t step foot in the Cursed Forest after light let alone in the darkness.”

  He gripped his hand into a tight fist, his knuckles popping in the quiet. He looked toward the thick bushes where the war hog had vanished earlier. “But we can’t stay here either. If that thing brings reinforcements, then even I won't be able to handle them all.”

  As Azuma stood there thinking, the younger brother, Don, looked up with a flicker of courage in his eyes. “My lord... may... may I know your name?”

  Azuma blinked, realising he hadn't actually introduced himself yet. He gave a small, weary smile. “My name is Azuma Valerian.”

  The two brothers froze. They looked at each other in total shock. Ron straightened his posture immediately, his voice trembling. “My lord... Are you Azuma? The Azuma... who... who saved us?”

  Azuma’s brow furrowed. He shook his head. “I didn’t save anyone. I merely entered a deal with Shizu and Goar. I’m just keeping my end of the promise.”

  “So you are Azuma...” Ron whispered, gulping his saliva. Without another word, he dropped to the forest floor, kowtowing deeply. Don followed suit, their heads hitting the dirt in a show of profound respect. “Thanks for saving us...”

  “I didn’t—” Azuma started to refute them, but seeing the raw emotion in the way they showed him respect, he decided not to ignore it. He let out a sigh. “Okay, get up. Tell me exactly what happened.”

  Ron raised his head, his eyes softening as he recounted the nightmare. They had taken a detour because Shizu had sensed danger on the main path. After days of an arduous journey, they had set up camp in this spot. It had been a peaceful night until the world turned red. When Ron woke up, the camp was already dyed in blood. The war hogs had cut down most of the clan before they could even stand. In their desperation, Shizu and a few others had sacrificed their lives to summon Azuma.

  “Summon me...” Azuma murmured, his voice trailing off. “That’s... not possible. How is it possible? No... it’s not possible...”

  He repeated the words to himself, his mind racing. “Do you know the summoning ritual?”

  Ron shook his head, a grimace of pain crossing his face. “Only the elders know about it, my lord. If you need answers, you should speak to our elder... or Goar. Yes... he might know more than us.”

  Azuma squinted his eyes. “Where is Goar?”

  “He... he didn't come with us, my lord,” Ron said.

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  Azuma could see the way the demi-human shifted his weight. He was hiding something, but Azuma decided not to press him for now.

  “Alright, let’s start preparing,” Azuma commanded. He pointed to the thick, heavy vines draped over the giant tree. “Cut those. We need ropes. Collect as many as you can.”

  Thirty minutes passed as they worked. Azuma watched the Danis brothers out of the corner of his eye, surprised by how agile they were, though he kept his face neutral. When they reassembled at the treetop, the forest looked like a delirium of tangled branches. Azuma couldn't get a clear sense of direction from down here.

  Is this a trait of the Cursed Land too? he wondered.

  He touched his chest, his hand meeting the firm surface of his armor. He quickly removed his outer tunic, leaving only his inner cloth and the large breastplate. He held the metal plate out, angling it so it caught the moonlight and reflected a bright beam onto the surrounding trees.

  The Danis brothers watched him with questioning gazes.

  “It’s not safe to travel on the ground or to stay in one place,” Azuma explained, pointing his chin toward the rope in Ron’s hand. “So we’re going to move through the canopy using these. Where we can’t swing, we’ll use the massive tree roots up there to walk.” He used the reflection of the breastplate to point out the path. “We’ll be relatively safe up there.”

  Then his face turned grim. “However... there might be monsters or even a daemon resting in these giant trees. If we stumble into their territory while they're napping, things... might get hectic. That’s why I’m scouting.”

  Ron’s eyes widened with admiration. “My lord...”

  “Call me Azuma,” he corrected.

  A silence followed. Ron and Don started fidgeting, looking at their feet, unable to bring themselves to say it. Azuma sighed. “Call me whatever you wish.”

  “Ah... my... lord...” Ron said hesitantly, clutching the tree trunk where he was squatting. “I think we might be able to help you identify the monsters in the trees.”

  Azuma lowered the breastplate, his eyes wide with surprise. “Wait. You can do that?”

  “Yes, my lord,” Ron said, pointing a finger to his nose. “We have a very good sense of smell. And hearing.”

  Azuma felt a sudden wave of embarrassment hit him. Of course they can; they are of the same clan as Shizu, Azuma thought. He realised then that if he wanted to move further and reach home, he would have an easier time if he started to rely on others' ability instead of his own. Suddenly his father’s words echoed in his mind: “Don’t think you are the only person carrying the entire weight.”

  Azuma put his breastplate back on and gave a weary smile. “You could have said it sooner. That’s good news.”

  His smile faded as he turned to look at the forest with determined eyes. “Now tell me which tree is safe...”

  Ron and Don both tilted their faces into the air, their noses twitching as they sniffed the damp night air. Simultaneously, they pointed toward a specific tree.

  Azuma grinned. “Good. Ron, grab your brother. We’re leaving.”

  He took the vine and pulled his sword from his belt. There are only two more torus disks available, he thought with a grimace, but he pushed the worry away. He tied the vine to the hilt of the sword and began to swirl it at an incredible speed. The air began to whistle, pushing back the leaves and almost knocking Ron and Don off their feet.

  Swishshshshh!

  Azuma tossed the sword. It flew at the exact angle of his swirl, the vine trailing behind it until it tied itself securely around a thick branch of the second tree (Tree 2).

  “Now,” Azuma said. He pointed his hand toward three trees that were standing a little further out in the darkness. “Tell me... which of those three are safer?”

  Ron and Don sniffed the air again, their focus absolute. “All of them, my lord.”

  “That’s good,” Azuma muttered. He gripped the vine steadily. “After I start the swing, you jump and grab the rear end of the vine; it will give a boosted push... do it in your most comfortable pace.”

  Ron nodded. Azuma stepped back, launched himself into the air, and started the swing. Ron timed his jump perfectly, catching the vine just below Azuma. The added weight and momentum increased their velocity. They swung past the lever tree (Tree 2) and landed firmly on the target (Tree 3).

  The moment they landed, they tied the vine to Tree 3, linking the path. Azuma nodded. He reached out and picked up Don, the little golden-furred Danis brother, and hoisted him securely onto his back. With the extra weight, he walked back across the taut vine to Tree 2, untied the anchor, and re-angled. He aimed for Tree 4 after Don’s approval, using Tree 3 as the new lever. With a powerful swing, he landed on Tree 4. He looked back and gave Ron a sharp nod.

  Ron understood the signal instantly. He untied the vine from the lever at Tree 3, took a deep sniff of the forest air to reconfirm the scent of safety, and launched himself into a wide swing that carried him to Tree 5. He tied the vine securely, nodding back to Azuma as the rhythmic cycle repeated. They moved like ghosts through the canopy—tying, swinging, and untying—until they arrived at a massive, solid wall of darkness.

  That’s the end of this chapter.

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