Before long, Hiyori, Fujitora, and four of the Nine Red Scabbards—Kin'emon, Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Ashura Doji—formed a team and swiftly departed Kozuki Castle for Tengu Mountain. The remaining Scabbards stayed behind to direct the defenses and prevent the enemy from pursuing them.
They chose a concealed mountain path, hoping to avoid the enemy's notice. However, before they had gone far, Hiyori noticed something strange about their surroundings—the once-lush vegetation had begun to take on an eerie purple hue, and purple liquid resembling blood flowed down the tree trunks.
"Wano Country is being contaminated too," Fujitora said grimly. "We don't have much time."
Along the way, they were ambushed several times by purple-clad ninjas. Their movements were bizarre, beyond the limits of ordinary humans. More unsettling still, when they were wounded, purple smoke rose from their injuries instead of blood.
"Are these still humans?" Nekomamushi muttered after repelling another wave of attacks.
"Not anymore," Fujitora replied. "They've already been assimilated by the Void. They're merely walking shells."
As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the abnormalities became increasingly obvious. The beasts had grown unnaturally savage, purple light glinting in their eyes; strange auroras occasionally appeared in the sky; even the air had become heavy, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.
"We're being followed," Ashura Doji suddenly said warily. "Not just by those purple-clad ninjas. There's something stronger."
Fujitora nodded. "I can feel it. An ancient and powerful presence. It seems the guardian of Tengu Mountain has awakened."
After several grueling hours of travel, they finally reached the shrine atop Tengu Mountain. Ancient and solemn, it seemed to have merged with the mountain itself. Complex runes were carved into the stone torii gate, emitting a faint glow.
"According to the map, the key should be at the heart of the shrine," Hiyori