(Note: His name was originally Masaru. After becoming a demon, he came to be known as Black Fang.)
"Hey, Masaru, let's go check on Little wolf."
Masaru, still just a seven or eight-year-old boy, turned to see Nanako, the girl who had grown up with him since they were little.
Nanako was the same age as Masaru, but a full head taller.
Masaru developed slowly. Other kids their age often teased him for being a stunted runt who would never grow up, ostracizing him and avoiding interaction.
Only Nanako liked to play with Masaru. She was his only friend.
Masaru responded casually, "Sure, let me finish my bath and we'll go."
"Huh? A bath?"
"Ah! Nanako, turn around right now! I'm still bathing!"
Masaru was very shy. He quickly crouched down, hiding half his head under the water, blowing bubbles.
Nanako giggled. "Come on, Masaru. You're a boy—how are you more shy than me?"
Masaru poked his head up, pretending to be calm. "Who said I'm shy? I just... I just..."
"Right, I just thought—if someone found out you saw me bathing, you might not be able to get married in the future. I'm doing this for you!"
Nanako narrowed her eyes, her small face lighting up with a mischievous grin. "Oh? Then if I can't get married, Masaru, you'll have to marry me."
"If it's Masaru, Nanako would be happy to."
"Will you marry me in the future, Masaru?"
Masaru stammered. Looking at Nanako's bright smile, as warm as March sunlight, he wanted to say yes—but his boyish pride made him hesitate. "We'll... we'll see."
Nanako didn't press him. She just tossed him his clothes. "Here, let's go see Little wolf."
Once Masaru was dressed, Nanako took his hand and led him to Lanli Mountain behind the town—the same place Lin Chi would be in now.
Masaru looked up. The sun was shining brightly and birds chirped softly. He reached out to block a ray of sunlight.
"The sun feels so good today, so warm on the skin. I really like it."
Familiar with the terrain, the two small figures of Masaru and Nanako moved easily through Lanli Mountain, soon slipping into a patch of bushes.
Inside the bushes was a small nest, with a newborn wolf pup that hadn't even opened its eyes yet.
"Look, doesn't Little wolf look a bit bigger than yesterday?"
Masaru shook his head. "No way, looks the same to me."
Nanako gave him a disapproving knock on the head. "Dummy. I said it grew, so it did."
Masaru clutched his head. "Ouch! But it didn't! Can't we be reasonable here?"
Nanako raised her small fist again, twirling it in mock threat. "Don't argue with girls, Masaru."
Masaru gave in. "Okay, okay."
Nanako leaned close to Masaru, eyes wide. "Look! Don't you think Little wolf's eyes look like yours?"
Masaru sighed. "Its eyes aren't even open yet—how could they look like mine? I object!"
"I say they look like you, so they do. Objection overruled."
"Fine, Little wolf really looks like me."
"That's more like it. Now I like you even more, Masaru."
...
Half a month later, Nanako's parents took her with them to move in with distant relatives.
Tears streaming down her face, Nanako said to the stunned Masaru, "Masaru, I'm leaving. Don't forget me, and take good care of Little wolf."
"Wait for me. When I grow up, I'll come back and find you. I'll marry you and be your bride. Masaru, you have to wait for me."
Then she climbed into the carriage with her parents.
Masaru stood there, frozen. He watched the carriage slowly disappear into the distance. The facade of strength he'd tried to hold crumbled. His tears surged like a broken dam.
He ran after the carriage, shouting, "Nanako, I'll wait for you to come back! I will marry you when I grow up! I really want to! I truly, really do…"
Only after losing something do we realize how precious it was.
Masaru's voice faded into the wind. Whether Nanako heard him or not, he didn't know.
Her carriage eventually disappeared completely from view. Masaru collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Nanako, I'll take care of Little wolf. You come back soon—and marry me…"
The next day, Masaru went alone with some raw milk to feed Little wolf.
The sky was darkening. He had left a bit late, and dusk was falling fast.
It was an unusually silent walk. Without Nanako by his side, Masaru felt an overwhelming loneliness he had never known before.
"Good thing we still have Little wolf. Until you come back, Nanako, I'll take care of him really well."
But just as he pushed aside the bushes, Masaru found a pair of green, glowing wolf eyes staring at him.
It was a large wolf, the size of a calf. Little wolf was curled up at its belly, nursing.
"Is this... Little wolf's mother?"
Masaru realized who the wolf was—but the wolf didn't know him. After finally finding its lost pup, it wouldn't allow any threat near it.
With a flash of its fangs, it slashed at Masaru's face with both front claws. Each paw left three deep, terrifying gashes on either cheek, revealing pale bone beneath.
Blood sprayed. Masaru collapsed, grievously wounded. The light faded from his eyes.
"Nanako…"
The giant wolf slowly approached, baring its teeth at his neck.
"What a pitiful child."
Under the bright moonlight, a man in a white hat appeared out of nowhere, stepping into Masaru's field of view.
Kibutsuji appeared in a blink, snapping the wolf's neck and tossing its body far away.
He knelt gently beside Masaru and said softly, "Little one, do you want to live?"
Masaru's eyes lit up again. "Yes... I still have someone to wait for... I can't die…"
Kibutsuji lowered his hat brim. "As you wish. But... there is a small price to pay."
A few drops of blood fell into Masaru's mouth. From that day forward, he became a demon…
After becoming a demon, Masaru lost all human consciousness. He forgot Nanako, forgot Little wolf, forgot everyone he had ever loved.
But even as a demon, he remained there, waiting—without knowing why. Deep in his subconscious, something told him not to leave. To wait, and keep waiting…
That senseless wait lasted sixty-seven years.
Until today—when his head was cut off by Kawanishi—Masaru, now known as Black Fang, remembered everything.
And Kawanishi, as a bystander, had witnessed Black Fang's entire life.
Bathed in endless white light, Kawanishi stood silent, not knowing what to say.
A ray of light coalesced into the image of Masaru at seven or eight years old. He walked over, sat beside Kawanishi, hugging his knees.
"Thank you... for helping me remember. The sun was so nice that day. I really miss it."
"We're the same—both playthings of fate. But you're still alive, and while you live, there's still a chance."
"Take my strength, take my blessing, and go find that man."
"His true name is Kibutsuji Muzan—the progenitor of all demons. No demon may speak his name, or they'll be cursed and die. You must remember this."
"The 'small price' he spoke of... was unbearable for me…"
"If you get the chance, ask him for me—does being a demon really make him happy?"
(End of Chapter)