Extermination order

A Quiet Life in Hagakure Village

The sun hung low over the village, casting golden streaks through the dense forest that surrounded it. Kaito Tenshiro, now fourteen years old, walked home from school, his bag slung over his shoulder. His expression was troubled, brows furrowed as he glanced at the crumpled test paper in his hand—another failed grade.

His friends trailed behind him, laughing and joking as they always did. They didn't treat him any differently for his struggles in school; they knew Kaito was the type to try but never quite get the results he hoped for.

"You're gonna get another lecture from your mom," one of them teased.

Kaito sighed. "I already know."

Reika Tenshiro, his mother, was a loving but strict woman who valued education above all else. She wanted Kaito to do well in school so that he could secure a better future. "Hard work builds character," she would always say. Kaito didn't disagree, but no matter how much effort he put in, his grades never improved.

As they reached the village's main road, they waved each other off. Kaito's home was at the outskirts, nestled between the towering trees that lined the border. He walked alone now, knowing what awaited him the moment he stepped inside.

A Mother's Expectations & A Father's Lessons

"Kaito!"

His mother's voice greeted him before he even entered the house. She stood by the door, arms crossed, her eyes narrowing when she saw the test in his hand.

"How did you do?"

Kaito hesitated before handing her the paper. She unfolded it, and silence filled the air.

"I studied," Kaito said quickly. "I really did, but—"

"You studied?" Reika let out a long sigh. "Kaito, this isn't enough. You need to try harder."

Kaito looked down, guilt gnawing at him.

"Go to your room," she said. "We'll talk about this later."

He turned away but stopped when he saw his father leaning against the doorway leading to the back of the house. Shinzo Tenshiro, once an Exterminator, was a man who had left behind his past to live peacefully with his family. His dark hair was tied back, and a faint scar ran down his jaw—a remnant of a past Kaito knew nothing about.

"You're late," Shinzo said, pushing himself off the doorframe. "Training starts now."

Kaito's face lit up despite the scolding from his mother.

Reika sighed. "You spoil him too much."

Shinzo smirked. "He needs balance. Books won't teach him how to fight for what matters."

Reika shook her head. "That's exactly what I don't want him to do."

But the discussion was already over. Kaito rushed outside with his father, eager to escape the disappointment of school and throw himself into something he was actually good at.

Training & A Lingering Question

The backyard was their training ground. Wooden dummies, stone slabs, and old weapons from Shinzo's past lined the perimeter.

Kaito had been training since he was four, learning how to fight with his hands, control his breathing, and strengthen his body. His father always pushed him hard, yet no matter how much Kaito improved, he was never allowed to use his skills outside of training.

Today was no different.

Shinzo threw a punch at him, and Kaito barely dodged in time. They exchanged blows, Kaito using his speed and reflexes to keep up, but his father's movements were unreadable. Even after years of practice, Shinzo was always a step ahead.

After an hour of sparring, Kaito collapsed onto the ground, panting. "Dad… why do you train me like this… if I can't even use it?"

Shinzo remained silent, staring at the treetops.

"Isn't the point of training to fight?" Kaito continued.

His father exhaled slowly. "One day, you'll understand."

Kaito frowned but didn't push further.

A Village in Fear

That night, as Kaito lay in bed, he couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that had been creeping up on him for months. Something was… watching him. He would feel it on his way to school, sometimes even in his own home. It was like an invisible presence just outside his reach, but whenever he turned to look, nothing was there.

The village had been tense lately. People were disappearing. Others were found dead—bodies disfigured beyond recognition.

"It's the wolves," some of the villagers would say. "Or a bear."

But Kaito's father didn't believe that.

Shinzo had been restless. He left the house at night, patrolling the village without telling anyone what he was looking for.

Kaito overheard his parents speaking in hushed voices.

"No tracks, no scent… it's too precise," Shinzo murmured.

"You think it's one of them?" Reika asked.

"Either an evolved Eldritch Beast… or something worse."

Kaito didn't understand what they meant. So he decided to go to bed.

A Stalker in the Shadows

The following day, on his way back from school, Kaito once again felt that eerie presence pressing down on him. It was stronger this time, almost suffocating.

His hands clenched into fists.

He looked around. The trees stood still. The wind barely stirred the leaves. It was silent.

Kaito…

A voice? No. A whisper inside his mind.

He spun around. Nothing.

He started running, heart pounding. He didn't stop until he reached his house, breathless and shaken.

Inside, his father noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kaito muttered.

Shinzo studied him for a long moment but didn't push.

That night, Kaito lay awake. The presence was still there, lingering just outside his home, watching… waiting.

Mean while, A Meeting at Shinketsu Academy.

Far from Kaito's village, within the grand halls of Shinketsu Academy, the air was heavy with tension. The academy, one of the seven great institutions dedicated to the art of extermination, stood tall upon a mountain peak, overlooking vast forests below. The moonlight poured into the dimly lit chamber where Rengoku Itsuya, the Grandmaster of Shinketsu, sat behind a wooden desk adorned with ancient extermination scrolls and reports.

Before him stood Seijuro Arata, a seasoned Elite Exterminator known for his exceptional instincts in tracking and eliminating Eldritch threats. His crimson overcoat bore the scars of countless battles, and his sharp, calculating eyes reflected the weight of the news he carried.

"Grandmaster," Seijuro said, his voice measured but grave. "We've been receiving disturbing reports from Hagakure Village—a secluded settlement near the eastern forests. People are vanishing without a trace, and those who are found… well, there isn't much left of them."

Rengoku's sharp eyes met his. "And you believe this is the work of an Eldritch Beast?"

"I did, at first," Seijuro admitted. "But the evidence doesn't add up. There are no tracks, no signs of struggle, and no spiritual residue. It's as if the bodies are being taken apart by something beyond our comprehension."

Rengoku sighed, leaning back in his chair. "This isn't the first report."

Seijuro frowned. "You mean—?"

"This has been happening in multiple locations." Rengoku's voice darkened. "Villages, towns, and even hidden exterminator outposts. Every exterminator we've sent has either died or returned in an unresponsive state. The ones still breathing remain in comas—trapped in a nightmarish state we can't wake them from."

Seijuro stiffened. This was worse than he imagined. "Then Hagakure Village…?"

Rengoku nodded. "What's happening there is even more alarming. Unlike the other locations, this isn't random slaughter. It's planned. It's calculated." His fingers drummed against the table. "Something… or someone… is orchestrating this."

Seijuro's hands curled into fists. "Then let me go. If this is worse than the others, then we need to act fast."

Rengoku's expression remained unreadable, but then he shook his head. "No."

Seijuro's brows furrowed. "With all due respect, Grandmaster—"

"You will remain here and guard the students." Rengoku stood, his long black coat shifting as he turned toward the towering windows of his office. "If something is targeting exterminators, we can't afford to leave the next generation unprotected."

Seijuro clenched his jaw. "Then who will investigate?"

Rengoku's gaze hardened. "I will."

Silence filled the room.

Seijuro, though experienced, knew better than to argue. Rengoku Itsuya wasn't just a Grandmaster in title—he was the Rengoku Itsuya, one of the most formidable Master Exterminators alive. If something was out there, hiding in the darkness, then perhaps only he could face it and survive.

"Understood," Seijuro said finally. "But be careful."

Rengoku smirked. "You worry too much."

Seijuro didn't return the smile.

As the Grandmaster turned to leave, the moonlight illuminated his face, casting deep shadows over his sharp features. He wasn't just investigating Hagakure Village.

He had heard that an old friend lives there.

The Village on the Brink of Destruction

Days passed, and the disappearances worsened. The villagers were terrified, locking their doors at night, whispering prayers to whatever gods they believed in.

One evening, a group of hunters set out to track whatever beast was responsible. They didn't return.

Their bodies were found the next morning—mutilated beyond recognition.

The village elders held a meeting. "We must leave," they said. "This place is cursed."

But Shinzo stood among them, his presence alone commanding silence. "Running won't save you. Something is here, and it won't stop until it's had its fill."

The villagers looked to him for guidance, not knowing that the man they sought help from was once one of the strongest Exterminators in the world.

That night, Kaito overheard his parents again.

"We need to leave," Reika said.

"No," Shinzo replied. "If we run, it will follow."

Reika's voice trembled. "What if we stay and die?"

Shinzo's gaze darkened. "Then we fight."