With all the luck they had with Auron and Nerine's encounters with the strange individuals associated with the 'crimson moon', there was very little they did know. The deity had spent months keeping an ear to the ground, staying informed of every crime and death in the lands surrounding Antikythera. For nearly half a year, there was nothing. Then she found the lead she had been waiting for. Reports of gruesome murders happening on the outskirts of Nisshoki had her in the city immediately. First, she went to check up on Cymbel since he lived further away from the busiest areas. After confirming he was safe and sound, she turned to investigate. The murders were bloody, something more like the work of a monster than just a killer. The victims were unrelated but at times entire households were slaughtered. People were on high alert and the horitshi were doing their best to maintain order and peace. As most of the killings were on the fringe she suspected it was the work of something hiding in the infamous Menomori.
She'd heard about the place. Rumors, old wives' tales, ghost stories. It was the perfect place for a killer to hide out and bide their time. If armed soldiers couldn't guarantee leaving safely after entering, that gave them plenty of confidence that they wouldn't be caught. She had told Cymbel she would be heading back home after the visit but didn't let him know she had one last stop before leaving. On a bright day just before noon, she entered the bamboo forest. It was quiet in the massive thicket. Something about silence made her tense when it came to remote wooded areas. Shiloh was sure the fog was going to swallow her up at any moment; if she herself was lost she might not be able to find her way out. She kept walking in a straight line, deeper and deeper. If she was lucky she might end up on the other side after a few days, or at the lake locals said lay at the center. With blade out and face covered the rogue hoped that nightfall wouldn't come. Maybe she should've told somebody she'd be here before coming in.
One thing about bamboo forests is that once you get in far enough, you can't tell left from right. If corn fields were known for being maze-like, then imagine that except with the sky partially blocked out by stalks of old growth. The only way she could tell night from day is if there was still light for her to see. She wandered for hours, afraid that she'd just gone in a giant circle when she stumbled on something worse than the Nisshoki murders. In the dead silence, the first sign was the stench of blood. Her body hesitated. Even her mind was telling her not to go. But there was that small, small part that told her she had to. Pushing through the bamboo she came into a clearing hidden from above with Ataiyan-style buildings. There were several small houses, the color of the wood hinting they were built a long time ago. They were in good condition and the pathways around them showed regular use; however there were several dozen humanoid avian corpses littered around them.
Though the victims weren't the same, she noticed the same mutilation and visceral carnage she had seen at the sites at the edge of the city. There was no mistaking it–this massacre was done by the same type of person responsible for those in Nisshoki. The black feathers and eastern clothing led her to guess these were the Karasuko. Holding a hand over her nose and mouth, she used her aura sight to sense if the killer or any survivors were here. Blood was splattered everywhere and it was hard for her to not breathe it in. There were a few life signatures, faint but possibly not hostile. Sheathing her sword she carefully approached the nearest one in a single-family house which had its doors torn apart. The inside was a disaster site. Things were smashed and the walls were even cut up. The sliding screens were ripped up beyond repair and there were more dead bodies. Thinking she had been mistaken, she prepared to leave when something moved. Crouching down and reaching for her dagger, her heartbeat calmed when she saw it was one of the crow-like beings.
His torso had been torn up something awful and he likely had been bleeding for a long time. The avian creature's glassy eyes looked her way with desperation, a hand struggling to move as a strained groan came from his throat. A broken sword was beside him. The blade was of quality craftsmanship–but that wasn't enough to save its owner.
"You…ma…" He croaked. His remaining arm spasmed as he mustered the last of his strength to draw something on the floor in blood. It was a single character in Ataiyan, and around it was the shape of a crescent moon.
鬼
A red crescent moon.
"He…lp…" The being gasped, before giving up his final breath. He was dead. Walking slowly to the corpse, Shiloh placed her fingers on his eyelids and closed them. They had been here. The monsters from the clan of the crimson moon were here. The beating of wings approached and she laid flat against the inner wall. Peering out the window she saw black-winged beings descend from above. More Karasuko? She was relieved that some were still alive, but now she was worried that they would think she was a suspect. Shiloh watched them land and before they could inspect the houses she came out with her hands above her head, unarmed. They drew their swords, but one of them with an ornate red mask motioned for the others to hold back.
"Who are you?"
"A second-hand witness to a massacre. I know what it looks like, but I didn't kill them. I saw the bodies–they were well-armed. Do you think I could take on several dozen of these warriors without being injured?" She had no other way to say it, if they wanted vengeance for their fallen she would have to run. It was hard to read the face of the leader with his mask, and the same could be said for her. As another gesture of goodwill, she slowly removed hers and let it drop to the floor.
"You–you're a human?" The crow leader had a hint of incredulity in his voice.
"How did you find this place?" Shiloh answered back: "I smelled blood."
The leader ordered his subordinates to stand down. She was told to explain in detail how and when she had arrived, what she saw, and why she was here. In turn, the Karasuko chief said he had been alerted by a messenger that one of the settlements was under attack. They had expected it to be the shadoka that lurked in the forest only to find this bloodbath. "I was able to speak with one of your brethren moments before he died. There's something I need to show you." Motioning for them to follow, she led them into the house. She pointed at the symbol written in blood. "There. What is that symbol inside the moon?" The crow captain responded grimly.
"It means 'demon'." It took a few moments for all of it to sink in. Breaking the silence, she told the captain the crow's last words. "Before he died, he said 'youma'. Does that have anything to do with the symbol on the ground?" The mention of that phrase caused the rest of the company to stiffen. An archer whispered loudly to his captain,
"The Spirit Realm? Could it be an invasion?" "If what you say is true, then the attack must have come from Kujishoku." Everyone was outside again, seated in one of the few places unmarred by bloodshed.
"It is safe to assume that whoever was responsible also did their killings in the human city outside the Forest of Eyes." Shiloh nodded. She had figured as much. "Do you know the name of the person or group?" She asked him.
"No. Though we can inquire information from the clans in the Spirit Realm to find them. Those who spilled the blood of our kin will pay for it a hundred-fold. In appreciation for your truthfulness, we will share what we find with you when you ask." She bowed, touching her head to the ground. "Thank you, sir. I have my own reasons for hunting them down, and I'll stay out of your way."
As thanks for aiding them in finding their brethren's killer, one of the Karasuko led her out of Menomori and left once she had exited. The scale and scope of these fiends' devastation was increasing, and she needed to stop them before it escalated even further. She could only hope the Karasuko would find out more about them than she had.
