[Cover by kyorisu on Tiktok]
[Chapter Art by universe_deity on Instagram]
[Chapter Art by _Felky_ / _.Felky._ (Instagram / Tiktok)]

Watashi wa WEEB KIRIN ROMANCE M / F also the first time I actually write fight scenes and don't just summarize them wow featuring vague dream sequences and a googled-tier understanding of japan, also SECOND PERSON EWWW

You, Anonzo Sato, are kneeling in silence, hunched behind a fallen log at the forest's edge. Your horse is tethered to a tree a few yards back, and your fingers absentmindedly drum on the bark as you observe the smoke ascending from the campfires in the clearing. These fires, nestled against the hills, cast long shadows with their orange glow, heralding the onset of evening.

You behold a task from your Daimyo, and are to scour the forested hills of Kumamoto for remnants of the repelled Mongolian invasion. Many invaders, unable to flee to their ships, ventured inland and resorted to banditry in the local vicinities. They have been pillaging the area, becoming a perilous blight, marooned on Japanese soil. Your mission is to pinpoint the precise location of their lair and return with a detailed report to assemble an appropriate war party.

As you silently survey the encampment from a close distance, taking note of their numbers and patrols -- approximately a dozen -- you take notice an oddity. Amid the Mongolians' late-night revelry, nestled deep within their mid-construction wooden stake walls, Gers, and temporary tents, stands a Torii gate. Such a structure would typically have been destroyed by them, yet here it remains intact, with the air between its pillars appearing to undulate and twist, hinting at something otherworldly taking place.

Several bandits emerge from this portal, dragging an iron cage behind them; an odd creature trapped inside tentatively surveys its surroundings. The Mongols are celebrating a raid, shouting and sharing drinks; but as they place the cage next to one of their larger campfires, your attention can't help but be drawn to it, rather than the revelry.

It's a strange thing, that looks more like a small horse, mixed with... scales adorning its back. A single horn rests on its head, nestled within a near-crimson mane that cascades around its neck. A... Kirin, perhaps, if your loose knowledge of local mythology serves you correctly. Where could they have found such a creature? And what profane act has been forced upon the Torii gate?

This was a grave development. The Mongols were tampering with the local spirits, capturing them for unknown purpose. A muttered curse slips from your lips in a muttered breath. To alert his lord immediately was the most important course of action, as there was impure malevolence at work. As you prepare to leave, rising from behind the log, something from the corner of your eye catches your attention; the trapped creature had spotted you.

You halt, casting a wary glance around the encampment. The Mongols are preoccupied, some reveling in celebration, others heading back towards the Torii gate. Now affirmed that you'd remain unnoticed if you lingered, you fix your gaze on the scaled creature again. It returns the stare. This entity, the Kirin, appears devoid of emotion, seemingly indifferent to it's plight. Its expression is half-lidded, conveying a disinterest in its current holdings.

But then, it raises its hoof, pawing against the bars. The Kirin, a creature known for its benevolent, even holy judgment, gazes at you. It seems to plead with you through its eyes, though its face hardly matches the effort. Large, watchful pools of orange that seem to stare into you, if not directly through you.

You must report back; your Daimyo had ordered it. To charge into the camp alone would be... foolish. Suicidal. A choice based entirely off emotion, that would end poorly.

Your lip curls as your hand touches the hilt of your sheathed blade, swiftly returning to your mount.