Mystery in Aokigahara

"Hiroshi, Hiroshi slow down!" called Saito Hiroki. "It is okay. If you are worried about getting lost, just keep me in sight but I am not waiting for you." Hiroshi Taishima called back. This was there third visit to Aokigahara forest, and Hiroshi was convinced that he was going to find something.

Since the age of five, Hiroshi had become obsessed with Yokai, ghosts and the supernatural, desperately wanting to hunt them down. It got to the point where he would stay up all night, for several days, at "haunted" tunnels, inn's and buildings and even got kicked out of some. On his first visit to Aokigahara, he left the path and was found by a patrol a day later. Despite his attempted reasoning, he was removed from the forest. That was why Saito, his best friend who had lost interest in these things, was with him.

Hiroshi ran ahead before tripping on a root and landing face first on the ground. As he got up, he heard a strange noise. He looked around and spotted a shadow dart through the trees. "Saito, I think I saw something." he called, walking in the direction of the shadow. Saito managed to catch up to him. "Any idea on what it was?" asked Saito. "Most likely, Shinigami. Possibly a Kyōkotsu, but I do not think there are abandoned wells nearby."

They continued through the trees before coming across a gut wrenching smell. "What the hell died out here making such a stench. Not even a month old body smells this bad." said Saito. "Definitely something big, very big." Hiroshi continued toward the smell and nearly fell into a sinkhole. "Be careful, I think we a near a cave system, the ground is very weak." called Hiroshi. He continued forward and spotted a massive sinkhole ahead. He carefully walked towards it and stopped in shock at what he saw inside. He was silent, trying to comprehend the sight.

"Saito, I think I found the source of the smell. You are not going to believe this." Saito walked up to the sinkhole and stopped, also in shock. Lying at the bottom of the sinkhole was the rotten, decaying remains of Yamata no Orochi. "Please tell me you see that, or have I completely lost my mind." said Hiroshi. "I hope I have lost my mind." replied Saito. They started down at the creature.

"I'm going in." Hiroshi circled the sinkhole, coming up to one of the creatures heads closest to the top. He climbed onto its' skull and made his way down the creatures spine, reaching the bottom of the pit. He walked amongst the creatures remains, when he spotted something glisten in the sunlight. He took a step closer and saw a Katana, sticking out of the beasts rotting gut.

He walked up to the Katana and pulled it out of the rotting creature. Saito, who had climb down after him looked at the weapon. "This thing should be rusted, falling apart, yet it looks brand-new." Hiroshi indicated to the weapons handle. "The menuki are close to the pin that holds the blade together. That indicates it is one of the original forged, over a thousand years old." Hiroshi spotted a sheath on the ground nearby. He picked it up and slide the Katana into it. Perfect fit.

"If that blade is a thousand years old, that means Yamata no Orochi here, was possibly killed a thousand years ago. How is it still in this condition." said Saito. "I knew we would find something good this time." said Hiroshi

The strange shadow watched them leave the sinkhole. "The cursed blade that slayed him has been found. When I find you, it will be used against your own kind."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***