Kazuya yawned, his face scrunching up, the muscles around his eyes tightening. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, as they wandered deeper into the forest, encircled by the gnarly trees. The tree trunks creaked like a door in the sharp wind.

Kazuya drew a breath. Why was he doing this again? He was indifferent about the legend in the first place. It was nonsensical. Supernatural beings such as ghosts, monsters, zombies and demons did not exist. But to his surprise, his classmates had appeared almost convinced that this legend was true, presumably because it was Yasuhiro who informed them about it. To top it all off, Akira had suggested the test of courage, which was nothing more than a waste of time. The only advantage Kazuya could see was that the legend could at least be proven false. Not that he cared, though.

“Hey, look! I think I've found something,” Akira said as the beam of the flashlight in his hand was slightly directed to the left.

The fallen, dead leaves crackled under their feet with every step they took. Kazuya’s shoes were almost drowned in them, a screeching sound resounding, as he dragged his legs.

“Where, what?!” Kazuya gave Rini a sidelong glance when she tensed beside him.

Her hands were folded together under her chin, her arms bent upright across her chest. She looked to the left and right multiple times in rapid, stiff movements. Kazuya’s eyebrows drew together in annoyance. He hadn't expected Rini to be such a baby, and now they were on the same team. Great, just great.

In front of him, Akira halted dead in his tracks. Kazuya jerked backward with a sudden force when he nearly banged his nose against the back of Akira’s head.

Kazuya opened his mouth to protest. But then he looked past him. In front of them, a tree stood, like a crooked cylinder in the dark. Akira shone the flashlight on its wide body. Its bark was wrinkled and cracked in some places, but seamless patterns were slightly noticeable, like a new layer of skin.

“There’s something carved on it,” Akira said, his eyes shining with resolve as if he was trying to solve a murder.

Kazuya had to squeeze his eyes just to see. It was extremely dark, after all, but he could barely make out the three numbers engraved on it with thick, skew lines.

Six hundred and sixty-six.

“That’s the number of the devil,” Aina said beside Akira, her face stiffening.

Ridiculous, Kazuya thought. Just ridiculous.

Rini let out a muffled yelp, stepping sideways, instinctively grabbing the arm of the person closest to her – Kazuya. “T-t-then the d-demon is c-close?”

Her reaction was even more ridiculous.

Kazuya groaned and yanked his arm to his chest, releasing it from her tight grip. “This is probably just a stupid prank. Stop clinging to me like a baby!”

Rini’s face flushed crimson. She bowed her head in embarrassment and averted her eyes. Though, it was Akira’s reaction which left Kazuya astounded.

“You don’t know that for sure, Kazuya,” he said as if he knew it was a prank but was trying to persuade Kazuya. “This is a sign. The demon must be lurking around here, somewhere.”

Akira had scarcely finished his sentence when Kazuya noticed a movement in the corner of his eye. A rattling sound arose from a bush, creeping into his ears. Its woody stems danced to and fro in the dark. Everyone swung their heads, their bodies freezing with terror. Akira directed the flashlight towards it, the light slightly moving back and forth simultaneously with his trembling hand. Several seconds passed. Nothing transpired. Could it actually be…?

A cat leaped out of the bushes. Sprinting down the forest, it evaporated in the dead of night. Not an instant after, a hysterical shriek escaped Rini’s lips, loud enough to shatter crystal. Her scream pierced through Kazuya like shards of glass, almost rupturing his left eardrum.

“What was that for?!” he yelled, giving her the death glare. “It was just a feral cat. You don’t need to scream so loud!”

“Well, it was scary!” Rini said. “It could’ve been the demon.”

Kazuya knitted his brows together. “The demon is nonexistent!”

“You don't know that,” Rini argued.

“Yes, I do!”

“Nuh-uh!”

The two of them didn't have the opportunity to reach an agreement. A piercing cry, not too far away and more deafening than Rini’s, echoed throughout the forest. It was the kind of scream that made one’s blood run cold. Like a cry for help.

The four of them stood completely still for a while.

“You think something happened?” Akira was the first to speak.

Kazuya stared at him, then moved his eyes on his other teammates, waiting for them to respond. But Akira's question was met with a piercing silence. Even the wind ceased rattling the leaves on the trees.

“We should scope it out,” Aina finally said. “Perhaps some of our classmates are in trouble.”

Kazuya could hardly make out their facial expressions in the night. But one thing was for sure: none of them hesitated. They rushed down the forest, relying on their ears to guide them to the spot the squeal had come from. If the person in question, was anything like Rini, there should be nothing to worry about. If not…

This is such a drag, Kazuya thought, as he rushed as fast as his legs could carry him.