CH 3

Chapter 3: The Samurai Notices the Changes

“…What a mysterious forest.”

As Kurosu continued down the pathless path, he began to feel a slight sense of discomfort.

He had been running through the fields and mountains since he was a child, and had walked through countless forests and mountains during his travels… but there were too many unfamiliar things in this forest.

Dazzlingly colorful flowers, huge spiders the size of human heads, and flocks of birds with abnormally long tail feathers…

It’s common for vegetation to change dramatically as soon as one crosses the border from a mountainous region to a coastal one, but this was the first time he had encountered a forest filled with creatures he had never seen or heard of before.

He didn’t know when he had wandered into this place, but had he unknowingly crossed the border?

As he pondered while dodging the bizarre insects that attacked silently, a large object suddenly fell from the trees above, landing right in front of him.

“….!?”

For a moment, he thought a broken tree branch had fallen, but upon closer inspection, it was a huge snake coiled around itself.

Its size was far from ordinary, with a girth as thick as a person’s thigh and a length that could span five adult men. It was ridiculous to think about how many times larger it was than the snakes he usually saw.

Ignoring the dumbfounded Kurosu, the giant snake slowly uncoiled itself and directed its emotionless eyes towards him.

“….”

Kurosu decided that he should deal with the situation politely for now.

“I am Kurosu Motochika, a passing samurai. I presume you are the lord of this forest, am I correct?”

Snakes are said to be the embodiment of the Benzaiten, a deity that brings wisdom and good fortune.

He had heard that in some regions, they were revered as sacred beasts and worshipped with awe.

Considering its docile appearance, it didn’t seem like a monstrous transformation, and if it was a well-known local deity, they might be able to communicate.

As he patiently awaited a response, the giant snake slowly raised its head and suddenly, as if propelled, bared its fangs towards Kurosu’s face.

“What… Just an ordinary snake, then?”

Contrary to his expectation of a sacred being, its actions showed no signs of intelligence.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, Kurosu quickly drew his short sword with a reverse grip and without hesitation, cut off the head of the giant snake.

The snake, now missing its head, writhed about resentfully, but Kurosu paid no attention to it and instead stared at his own right hand.

What…?

It felt as if he had swung the sword unusually fast just now…

Kurosu felt that the speed of his sword swing earlier had increased even though he wasn’t particularly in a hurry.

Should he say that his body moved against his consciousness?

He had been swinging a sword for many years, but this sensation was a first for him.

Was it just his imagination?

Kurosu tilted his head and crouched down beside the relaxed, massive body, taking a short sword from his pocket and slowly starting to cut the meat.

He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he didn’t know when he would be able to leave this forest.

There was nothing better than securing food in advance.

Moreover, snakes were considered high-quality food to be found in the forest.

With such a large size, it would surely provide a decent meal.

As he diligently collected the meat and wiped the blood that had splattered on his face with his sleeve, he suddenly realized something.

“…Why do I have an ear?”

Yes, his right ear, which should have been cut off during a challenge against the strongest school in a certain town, had completely returned to normal.

Touching it, there was no pain, and it felt as if the loss itself had been a dream, completely natural.

And now that he thought about it, it seemed as though there was a subtle sense of discomfort throughout his body.

He had to thoroughly check this…

As a samurai, it was essential to always have a perfect understanding of one’s own physical condition.

Even if one realized a problem during a sword fight, the enemy would not show any mercy.

On the contrary, as a martial artist, it was appropriate to actively attack if the opponent’s weakness was noticed.

A samurai who faced battle in an unfavorable condition would naturally be accused of negligence.

Indeed, he had seen many times how samurai who called for a halt during a match were ridiculed by the spectators.

It would be better to die than to expose oneself to such disgrace.

He quickly searched for a place to rest and found a small stream where he decided to take a short break.

He placed his sword within reach, took off his backpack, and pulled out a hand towel.

He took off his kimono, wet the hand towel, and while cleansing himself, he checked every part of his body.

“Should I be happy about this?”

As expected, the change wasn’t limited to his right ear.

The finger bone that had been broken and twisted since his childhood due to a bout with his eldest brother, the molar that was shattered by a spear-wielding monk’s thrust, and the toe that should have rotted away after walking through the snow for days were all back.

The large wound on his waist, caused by a careless attack from behind after he thought he had killed his opponent, had disappeared without a trace.

The pain that he had felt every time he moved his side since being shot by a gun was now gone.

Old scars from sword wounds and the like remained on his body, but all the areas that had been hindering his movement were completely healed. As he moved his body slightly, it felt as if he had regained the youth he had when he first started his journey.

While drawing water into a makeshift bamboo tube he had made from green bamboo, he pondered his current situation.

Could he be bewitched by a fox or a tanuki?

There are countless ghost stories about walking on a mountain pass and finding a beautiful woman standing there. Being drawn to her beauty, one follows her absentmindedly, only for the woman to disappear and leave them alone deep in the forest.

Or perhaps, he had died without realizing it and had crossed over to the underworld.

No, that couldn’t be the case. Although he hadn’t had a proper meal recently, he shouldn’t have been starving to death. He had once fought for three days and nights without sleep during a battle and was chased by bounty hunters for a week afterward. He knew the feeling of being on the verge of death from hunger all too well.

It was unlikely that he, as a samurai, would overlook any discomfort in his body or internal organs, and it was difficult to believe that he had died from an illness.

Could it be that he had been attacked unexpectedly without realizing it?

No, he hadn’t trained in a way that would leave him unable to react to sudden attacks. He could confidently say that he hadn’t let his guard down for a moment, even during his private moments or while sleeping. After all, he hadn’t traveled alone for ten years for nothing. Unless he was hit by a volley of gunfire from a distance, it was almost impossible for him to die from an unexpected attack.

In that case…

“Thinking about things I can’t find an answer to is just a waste of time.”

Kurosuzu muttered a single phrase and stopped his endless pondering.

If he couldn’t figure it out, he would simply continue to move forward, facing whatever was ahead of him. That was the basic principle of a samurai.

No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t believe that he could find the answer on his own. Having his body return to its original condition shouldn’t be a bad thing.

With a renewed determination, Kurosu focused on the path ahead, prepared to face whatever challenges might come his way, and continued his journey through the mysterious forest.

If a shape-shifting youkai were to suddenly appear, it would also be an interesting encounter. Even if this place turns out to be the underworld, having the opportunity to cross spears with the jailers of hell would be something to be grateful for.

Regaining his composure, Kurosu decided to check his belongings next. Since he couldn’t tell whether this forest belonged to this world or the other world, it was necessary to be extra cautious.

His once dark blue kimono, leggings, and gauntlets had turned pitch black after years of use. Rust was visible on his vambraces and shin guards. There were small swords, short swords, iron rods, sleeve chains, and several needles. A few meals’ worth of brown rice was stored in a military rations bag, a small purse contained a few silver and copper coins, a tinder pouch with flint and tinder fungus, a container of choji oil for sword maintenance, several kumihimo cords for tying hair, a tasuki, a hand towel, a rope, a bamboo tube, and finally, the snake meat he had obtained earlier.

He checked everything carefully, but there seemed to be no changes to his belongings. He had hoped that his worn armor might have been transformed into something brand new, considering the changes to his body…

Although he should have traveled quite a distance since entering this forest, he couldn’t find any signs of human presence, let alone a highway or animal trail. He was familiar with the forest, so water and food wouldn’t be a problem, but the lack of a hat or a sleeping mat for sleeping outdoors would be a bit of a pain.

“If you always live with scarcity, you’ll never be without,” Kurosu recalled his father’s words. His father used to say with a hearty laugh, in his loud and clear voice, “If you constantly place yourself in harsh environments, you’ll be able to remain calm and composed when suddenly thrown into a crisis!”

“Selective speech, selective actions.” Indeed, his father was always right.

Kurosu decided to follow his father’s wisdom and prepare himself for any challenges that might come his way, whether in this mysterious forest or in the realm of the supernatural. With a determined spirit, he continued his journey, ready to face whatever fate had in store for him.