Okami: What are we gonna do if the city gets completely wrecked?
Inu: Guess we'll have to move somewhere else...
Kawa: If the Enenra gets too big, we might need to move somewhere far away.
Okami: Oh...where would we even go?
Kawa: I don't know, just...far. Somewhere safe.
A heavy silence settled between them. The four of them exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of uncertainty pressing down. Thoughts swirled about what could've triggered the Enenra's sudden growth. Was it the gods? Some unseen force?
Kawa's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, searching for any signs of life. Nothing. Not even the rustle of wind through leaves. She made a decision.
Kawa: Hey, we might have to camp out here.
Inu: Is there really no other choice?
Kawa: It's getting late. We can't risk moving in the dark. We'll stay here for the night.
Okami: What if something attacks us?
Inu smirked, lifting his hands. Light flickered, and in an instant, gauntlets materialized over his fists.
Inu: That's why I have these.
Okami: Right. I forget you have those.
Inu: Not like I use them much. Ever since... well, since then, they're only for emergencies.
Okami: Right, the day you saw a Monstra for the first time. Whatever happened to that girl who helped you out?
Inu's expression darkened as he gazed up at the sky.
Inu: Never saw her again.
Kitsune: We can wait here and see what happens next.
Kawa: Oka, go grab some sticks. We need a fire, just in case we're stuck here longer than expected.
Okami: Sure thing.
Kitsune: I'll go with you.
The two of them wandered toward the nearby forest. Inu and Kawa remained behind, scanning the area for any potential threats. Kitsune walked a few steps ahead of Okami before spinning around to face him, walking backward.
Kitsune: You okay? You seem...off.
Okami: Oh, I'm fine. Just exhausted from everything happening.
Kitsune: You sure? You know you can talk to me anytime—
Okami: Tree.
Kitsune: What?
Okami: Tree.
Kitsune turned too late and smacked into a low-hanging branch. She flinched back, rubbing her forehead.
Okami: Told you. Tree.
She glared at him, but he just grinned.
Okami: And yeah, I know I can talk to you. Just tired, that's all. Don't worry.
He stopped walking, scanning the area for decent firewood. Spotting some good branches, he flexed his fingers, and his arms stretched like rubber, snaking around trees and weaving between branches, plucking the best pieces.
Kitsune: I wish I had that ability. Stretching like that must feel amazing.
Okami turned back with a smug grin.
Okami: Oh, I bet you'd want the stretchy power.
Kitsune rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder.
Kitsune: Dumbass.
Okami: Haha, you know I'm right.
She punched him again, a little harder this time.
Okami: Alright, alright, I get it!
With an armful of firewood, Okami handed some to Kitsune, and the two made their way back to camp. Inu had already gotten a fire started.
Okami: Man, thank the heavens for your fire power. I don't think any of us could've started one.
Inu: I'm only using it because we have to... You know I don't like fire.
Okami: Right.
The fire crackled, its warmth pushing back the creeping cold. They talked for a while, their voices soft against the night air. One by one, they drifted off to sleep.
—
Okami woke just before dawn, a strange unease settling in his chest. He sat up and gazed at the sky—no clouds. Just an empty, pale blue expanse.
Okami: That's weird...
He glanced at his sleeping friends. His stomach growled, reminding him of their next problem.
Okami: What the hell are we gonna do about food?
As the others stirred, he greeted them with a smirk.
Okami: Good morning, you three. How are we feeling?
Inu: Hungry.
Kitsune: Tired.
Kawa: Hmm... Let's keep moving. The next city should be an hour or two away.
Okami: Sounds good. I can't wait to eat something.
Kitsune: ...Why is the sky so empty?
A sudden tremor shook the ground. They all turned toward the city—where the Enenra had grown even larger, an ominous mass of darkness and shifting smoke.
Okami, Kitsune, and Inu instinctively huddled together. Kawa, standing farther away, tried to move closer, but a shockwave of energy exploded outward.
The force sent them all hurtling skyward, sixty meters into the air.
Okami's instincts kicked in. His arms shot out, stretching wildly as he grabbed onto Kitsune and Inu. He reached for Kawa, but she was already drifting too far away.
They plummeted. The sky above twisted with streaks of green and yellow light. Kawa's eyes locked onto them, filled with worry.
Just before they hit the ground—
Everything changed.
Snow. Cold, thick, and endless. They crashed into it, their falls cushioned by the sheer amount.
Dazed and shivering, the three of them scrambled to their feet, breathless and confused. The city was gone. Kawa was gone. This place... was unfamiliar.
Inu: What the hell just happened?
Okami: I have no idea... but Kawa—
A sound caught their attention—voices, distant but distinct.
Kitsune: Someone's here.
The three of them exchanged glances before trudging forward, their steps careful, breath fogging in the frigid air. The fog was dense, limiting their view, but they pushed ahead.
Slowly, the trees thinned. Snow-covered hills rolled before them. And in the distance, two figures stood against the white horizon.
Okami: Let's go.
They ran toward the voices, desperate for answers, for familiarity—
For anything that would tell them where the hell they had ended up.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8cxdPvBWL
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K7xgxUfxV
