On a cold night, under a beautiful moon, the temple of Kuebiko was calm, as usual. In front of it, a single guard, sleeping. The Temple was a magnificent place, full of golden decorations and a variety of plants. The temple was, mostly, a checkpoint for pilgrimages. It represented a lesser deity of knoweldge and agriculture.
Strange sounds, resembling footsteps, could be heard. the guard raised his head, and looked in front of him. There was a single person, walking towards the temple. The guard stood up on his feet, and uttered a warning.
"The temple is closed ! Go back where you're from !"
The person didn't stop, and continued to walk with the same pace. At this point, the guard held a spear and pointed it towards the stranger.
"Stop ! I'm warning you !"
Again, the person didn't even slow down. But shortly after, they found themselves in front of the guard, blocking their way. Before, the guard couldn't see the face of the stranger, but now, he understood better. The stranger was wearing a white mask with a symbol in the middle. The symbol looked like a pentagon, cut by two lines in the middle. But the rest was… completely blank. Not even any holes for the eyes. To add to the mysterious design, the stranger was covered with long, white sheets all over the body.
"Who are you ? Remove your mask !"
The stranger didn't respond. The guard was growing suspicious of them. He moved his spear dangerously closer, but the mysterious person didn't even flinch.
"Are you… blind ?" the guard asked.
Much to his surprise, this time, the stranger replied, by nodding slightly. As if realizing his rudeness, the guard reformulated with different words.
"I'm sorry, but you aren't allowed here. You have to go back to your home."
The stranger shook their head.
"What do you mean, no ?"
The strange reached out in a bag, hidden among the different sheets, and pulled out a letter. The guard immediately snatched the letter from their hand, and opened it. As he opened the letter, a cloud of dust emerged, like trapped in the paper. In reflex, the guard coughed. Then, he coughed some more. And again… until he couldn't stop coughing. The letter was empty. Completely blank. But as the paper became spotted with blood, the guard understood that what he inhaled wasn't dust.
The guard fell down, slumping against the wall. He was doing his best to not die here, but in vain. Oh, the things he wanted to ask the stranger, who still wasn't looking at him the whole time, as if they enjoyed it. But eventually, moments before the guard's death, the stranged faced him and said.
"I am the Soldier of the Lost Gods. What you are experiencing right now is merely your punishment for interfering with my mission. May your soul rest for eternity."
In any other circumstances, the guard would have laughed at such a monologue. But as he laid there, at the mercy of this immaculate killer, he could do nothing but to pray for mercy. Until at least, he fell into eternal slumber.
Following the death of their last obstacle, the stranger entered the temple. They walked straight ahead, until they reached the statue of Kuebiko. From behind their back, the stranger reached for a hidden sword. It was concealed in the middle of the different sheets. They brandished the sword at the statue, and raised it above their head. With a swift, vertical strike, the deity was destroyed and shattered.
The last act of the stranger that night was removing their mask. Softly, they placed it on the shattered statue, as a signature for their act of desecration. Tightening the sheets to fight through the cold night, the stranger departed, and disappeared in the distance.
In the morning, many followers gathered around the sacred place. In the center of the crowd, a woman held the dead body in her arms and cried. She was the guard's wife. The other people could do nothing but pity her loss. Eventually, someone brought attention to the mask left at the scene. As she saw it, the woman did not recognize the symbol. But she swore to herself, and all the people gathered, that she wasn't going to rest until the killer was found.
Yukie, who was known for some time as the 'tragic widow', never let go of her self-made promise. The killer had to pay for their crimes. She initially investigated around the crime scene, but clues were running short. She then decided to venture around the country for clues. That was a week after the incident.
Her first stop was a nearby village, even smaller than the one she lived in. The difference, however, was the presence of a large inn where many travellers stayed. The inn was very well kept, and did not fail to its reputation. After entering, Yukie went to the counter and asked the lady behind it.
"Excuse me, have you seen this symbol ?"
Yukie brought up her most important clue : a drawing of the symbol that was on the mask, left at the scene.
"I am sorry, but I do not know. Do you want me to ask the director of the inn ?"
"Yes, please."
The lady at the counter came back with an older lady, Ms.Sakamoto. When she arrived, Yukie didn't hesitate, and presented her the symbol.
"This symbol… !" Ms.Sakamoto said, trying to hide her distress.
"Do you recognize it ?" asked Yukie.
"Where have you seen it ?"
"Someone killed my husband a week ago, and let a mask with this symbol on the scene."
Ms.Sakamoto was at a loss for words. Judging by how she looked, Yukie thought that she announced the end of the world.
"No good can come if you chase them."
"Them ? But who are they ?"
Ms.Sakamoto sighed. "This symbol… is the mark of the Lost Gods. They are gods that, as the legend says, tried to take control of the world, but were casted out."
"So… this is a cult, trying to bring glory to the Lost Gods ?"
"No, this is different. There is only one person wearing the symbol. They are called the 'Soldier of the Lost Gods'."
Will all this information, Yukie was overwhelmed. The Lost Gods ? A 'soldier' ? This made no sense. Why would a single person try to bring back gods who disappeared from the mythology ? And why did it require the desecration of temples ?
"I have one question." said Yukie. "How do you know all this ?"
"Because a person wearing that symbol came in, a few days after you said the murder occured."
"Did you meet them ?"
"Not directly. Another one of my employees was in charge at that time. But that person was wearing white cloth, and a mask."
While she was talking, Ms.Sakamoto pulled out the register and fetched the pages for that time. Eventually, she managed to get the right entry. "This is the name they signed in with." she said, before showing Yukie the page.
Kaminoshi. 'The Death of God.'
Yukie left the inn with more questions than answers. A one-person cult led for the glory of ancient, forgotten deities ? That was unheard of. She spent some time for the rest of the day, interrogating several inhabitants of the village. But none of them could recognize the symbol.
The last person Yukie interrogated was a merchant, named Kouta. Kouta was a bit large, but very welcoming and friendly. When Yukie showed her the symbol, he definitely had a reaction. Immediately, she was eager to hear about what he had to say.
"I remember seeing this symbol once, about a month ago. Ever heard of the desecration of the Okuninushi temple ?"
Yukie shook her head.
"Ah, well, that was in a big city. I was actually there when it happened. They even got me as a suspect for some time !"
"And you saw this symbol there ?"
"Yes. Near the scene of the crime, there was a mask with this symbol on it. Hard to forget."
"A mask ? I also saw this symbol on a mask !"
Yukie was deep in her thoughts for a moment, until she found an intriguing question to ask.
"You keep talking about a 'crime'… was this act considered a crime ?"
"Not the desecration. The murder. A monk was strangled was some sort of bead chain nearby. Supposedly, he tried keeping the masked person out of the temple."
Another murder ? This case was starting to be more and more complex. With all these developments, Yukie knew she wasn't going to stop, not now. She didn't know what business she was taking part in. But no matter what, she had to avenge her husband, by any means necessary.
The night was beginning to fall, and it was time for her to rest. Because she couldn't continue her journey right now, she decided to spend the night at the inn. Compared to other places she had been to, she noticed that the inn was kinda quiet. Even the people who were staying there. It was like the events perpuated by this 'soldier of the Lost Gods' in the area made the population worried.
One last time before going to sleep, Yukie met Kouta, who ended up spending the night at the same place.
"Are you going to the big city now ?" he asked.
"Yes. I need to know more about the murder you talked to me about."
"I knew it. You are really invested in this case, aren't you ?"
His enthusiasm left Yukie quite confused. For a moment, she noticed that the anger of her husband's death was getting weaker. Instead a thrill to unveil the mystery took control of her.
"I am also going to the big city tomorrow. Do you want me to get you there ?" Kouta offered.
Yukie accepted politely, saying that she would pay her part. "I know you will !" said Kouta before chuckling, and going to his room.
Trying to find sleep, Yukie couldn't keep her mind off the mysterious killer. A devotion towards ancient deities, desacration as their main activity. But also, two murders as collateral damage. There was no doubt that whoever this person was, they were really… singular. But at the same time, somehow fascinating, too.
As the day rose, it was time for Yukie to leave for the continuation of her journey. On her way out, she crossed paths with Ms.Sakamoto once again. She was preparing letters, and other kinds of arrangements with a woman. That woman seemed to be in charge of the counter at that time. When their eyes met, Ms.Sakamoto slightly bowed towards Yukie, acknowledging her and wishing her a good day.
Outside, Yukie met Kouta, preparing for the trip. She helped out, and shortly after, they were ready to go.
This is a three-part story. Read Part 2 here.
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