Happiness, joy, and bliss—the Yokai Ruins were anything but. A thick haze of despair invaded each nook, cranny, and crevice. Every chipped stone, cracked statue, and dilapidated building told a story of pain and suffering. 
   Many of the rooftops seemed to have been torn off by a giant. Apertures penetrated the walls of several buildings, resembling the handiwork of explosives experts. Burn marks streaked across every surface, melted dishware strewn about. Broken and overturned furniture lay on the ground beside tapestries torn to shreds. The weight of the countless lives lost hung in the air. Did their spirits still linger, unable to move on?
   “Let’s get this over with. I don’t want to be here all day,” grumbled Obake.
   “Relax,” said Yumo. “We’ll be out of here in no time.”
   Although tempted to gripe at him, Obake refrained, turning his attention to his surroundings again. The city comprised pagoda-style architecture interwoven with Baroque, evidence of a once-flourishing collection of diverse minds. He remembered the spots he’d rummaged through before, and the places he’d searched for answers but found nothing.
   “There it is.” Yumo ran toward the least-decrepit building in the city—a tall house tucked into a wide cul-de-sac. “Come on, let’s go.”
   On the way, they passed a decorative fountain in the center of the cul-de-sac, a family of frogs presiding over the swampy water at its base. 
   At least somebody likes it here.
   Next to the tall house stood a cathedral of substantial proportions and lavish embellishments. Even the damage scarring its walls couldn’t diminish its grandeur. Yet, like Yumo, Obake found himself more drawn to the house.
   Why does this place always feel so familiar?
   A domed roof with a sharp needle crowned the former home. Long double doors made of platinum barred entry—expensive in appearance, yet helpless against the blazing flames of old. They stood melted and warped together, fused like an abstract painting.
   Yumo glanced from side to side, examining the strange barrier. “Damn it. Why didn’t they put windows down here?”
   “You said that last time. It’s obvious they wanted it to be difficult to break into. This place was probably important.”
   “Well, looks like we’re climbing again.”
   “How do you even know this is the right building? You could’ve dropped it in any of these.”
   “This is the one. I’m positive.”
   Obake followed Yumo to the foot of the house, curiosity prickling at him. 
   I shouldn’t get my hopes up. It’ll probably be like just last time. I need to accept that there’s nothing for me to find in there.
   Yumo studied the exterior, then—without warning—sprang onto a short brick wall. Wobbling for a moment before steadying himself, he hopped up to a ledge-like protrusion in the masonry, then stretched his hand toward the windowsill above, only to find he couldn’t reach it. At last, with an inelegant foot thrust, he managed to hook the sill. Shattered glass jutted from the second-floor window’s frame, yet he slipped between the shards unscathed.
   “You coming?” he asked.
   Obake scoffed, sprang onto the brick wall, and climbed up to the protrusion. Gripping it with his fingers, he braced both feet against the house and launched himself through the window.
   “Show off,” said Yumo with a dry snort.
   Vestiges of a hard-fought battle tainted the room. A hole in the roof and the dark smears of blood stirred a nebulous memory. Obake saw himself floating—no, cradled in someone’s arms. Panicked breathing and a pounding heartbeat filled his ears. He was moving fast, air rushing past his cheeks, and then—blackness.
   What was that?
   “You’re going to kill me,” said Yumo.
   Snapping out of his daydream, Obake noticed Yumo had stopped searching. He was staring through a hole in the wall beside the cathedral, which had its own gaping breach.
   “Wrong place, huh?” asked Obake, annoyed.
   “Yup. You were right. It happened in the cathedral. I remember now.” In embarrassment, he scratched the back of his head. “I had the money until we ran from whatever made that creepy noise.”
   “You think whatever it was is still inside?”
   “I hope not.” He gave the hole a sharp look. “But if it is, we’re prepared.” 
   Upon completing a series of elaborate stretches, Yumo faced the hole as if it were his archenemy, then sprinted at full speed.
   “Don’t die!” screamed Obake. 
   Yumo hurdled through the hole and dropped a few feet into the cathedral’s breach. A quiet eeriness settled over Obake as he stood there alone. Despite the horrors, he still found himself drawn to the house.
   “Are you alive up there?” said Yumo, proud of himself.
   “Relax. I’m on my way.”  
   Obake charged as if he meant to tackle the hole into oblivion. Instead, he vaulted through it, the thrill of danger pulsing in his bones as he plummeted.
   “Please tell me you got the right place this time,” he said as he landed inside the cathedral.
   “I did. Don’t worry,” replied Yumo, glancing around.
   Despite the hole, darkness drenched the chamber, swallowing the entire back half. The front half, however, was different. At the center of the wall stood a stained-glass window marked with a strange, jewel-like emblem. Dust choked the light, but a few stubborn rays pushed through. Two hallways—one on either side of the window—disappeared into the shadows.
   “Whoa,” said Yumo, admiring the stained-glass window. “It was so dark last time we came here, I didn’t even notice that.”
   “Tell me about it.” Obake shook his head. “I’m seeing all sorts of new things.”
   “So, who do you think Supreme Sensei was talking about?”
   “I have an idea.”
   “Same here. I didn’t want you getting all pissed off at me for saying it, though.”
   “It’s okay. My grandparents have been hiding things for too long. They need to come clean already. I’m fed up with being in the dark.”
   “Like I said earlier, all that ginyai stuff is likely make-believe.”
   “I’ve been thinking that for a while now. I mean… where’s the evidence? No armor, no weapons, no remains, no nothing.”
   Yumo stopped listening, his concern, a distant object. “Finally!”
   He skipped across the chamber toward a small pouch on the floor. A jangle of coins echoed as he picked it up.
   “I’m shocked. Didn’t think it would still be here. I was ready to laugh at you.”
   “Told you, dummy,” said Yumo, opening the pouch.
   “You’re one to talk. You could barely even find the right place.”
   “Yeah, yeah. All that matters is I’m rich and you’re not.”
   “Rich, huh? Let’s see then.” Skeptical, Obake peered into the pouch. An assortment of decorated coins gleamed back at him. “Okay, you’ve got a bunch of carnelians—typical.” He pushed aside the pea-sized red ones. “Not bad, there are even some sapphires in here.” Jealousy flared as he shifted the grape-sized blue ones. “Emeralds! How did you get emeralds?” Five green coins the size of sliced beets sat at the bottom of the pile.
   “Told you I was—”
   A nightmarish growl burst from the back half of the chamber, shredding the quiet to ribbons. Obake’s heart clawed at his ribs. Without hesitation, Yumo bolted down the hallway to the left of the stained-glass window, his pouch tumbling to the floor behind him. Obake retrieved it, caught up, and seized his wrist. Yumo screeched, nearly leaping out of his own skin.
   “What is this? Déjà vu? Here!” Obake slammed the money into Yumo’s chest. “We didn’t come all this way just for you to lose it again.’
   “I know. I’m sorry.”
   “Where’s the dagger?”
   “Fuck that. Let’s just get out of here!”
   “In case it catches us,” said Obake, holding out his hand.
   “Here, take it.”
   While Yumo handed off the dagger, the sharp rhythm of heavy running echoed through the hallway. 
   “Run!” screamed Obake with boundless terror.
   Something fast—something powerful—something ferocious—barreled straight toward them. A massive grizzly burst from the darkness, but it was no ordinary beast. It stank of decay, its hide torn open to reveal glimpses of bone and ruined organs. Yellow-stained fangs, long as knives, jutted from its rotten gums, and claws even larger curved from its enormous paws. Roaring in relentless fury, the undead bear continued its charge.
   As its bloodcurdling growls closed in, the friends ran for their lives. The bear moved too fast to outrun for long, despite its undead state.
   Yumo sprinted ahead. “Use your Shadow Cloud and teleport us out of here!”
   Shutting his eyes, Obake gripped the dagger in both hands and forced himself to focus. The grizzly was almost on top of him now. Clouds of shadow began to emanate from his body, surging out in quick, stuttering bursts before fading away.
   “Watch out!” screamed Yumo as he reached a dead end.
   Obake opened his eyes, but not soon enough. He slammed into Yumo at full force, and together they crashed through the fragile wall. As they plunged twenty feet to the first floor, debris assaulted them from above. To their surprise, the grotesque bear didn’t follow. It only glared, its soulless eyes fixed on them.
   For a moment, the grizzly stayed in their sights until the new surroundings stole their attention. Sunlight had a much easier time infiltrating this chamber. Despite its many bruises, the ceiling loomed in glorious fashion. Pipe organs mounted along a balcony caught the light wherever the dust thinned. 
   The jewel-emblem window was visible here as well. Across from it was another stained-glass piece. It depicted four ethereal figures, and like the first piece, it shimmered under indirect light drifting in from the nearby unadorned windows. Two of the figures were women, two were men, each with upturned hands presenting the same jewel. Below the window stood a rostrum with four pedestals arranged before it. One had long since collapsed into stone crumbs. Another was heavily cracked and chipped. The remaining two were in decent condition.
   Yumo gazed around in awe. “Wow. This place must’ve been beautiful back in the day.” He put a finger to his brow, keeping a slight gash from bleeding.
   “You all right?” asked Obake.
   “I’m good. Nothing I can’t handle.”
   Through snapped pews and leaning support beams, they reached an exit. It wouldn’t budge. They pounded and kicked, but the door held fast.
   “Now what?” asked a perturbed Yumo.
   “There’s got to be another exit around here somewhere.”
   “The bear’s gone.” Yumo pointed to the spot they’d crashed through. “It’s gone!”
   Jitters paraded along Obake’s arms and fingertips as he awaited the creature’s imminent re-emergence, unsure whether to run or fight, hide or freeze. 
   Yumo located another exit and ran to it, but rubble barricaded the doors. Hoping to make a dent, he started tossing the rubble aside. No matter how much he scraped, the pile didn’t diminish. 
   “What are you doing?” he pleaded, locking eyes with Obake. “Help me out.” 
   “That’s not going to work.”
   “Why can’t you teleport us out of here?”
   “I don’t know. It’s not working. I’ve never done it under this kind of pressure before.”
   “We’re dead. It’s going to eat us alive!”
   “I don’t know about you, but I’m not going out like that.”
   “We can’t fight that thing.”
   “Then why did you bring this dagger, Mr. We’ll Take Care of It?”
   “That was before I knew we’d be up against a dead bear.”
   “That’s our way out,” said Obake, spotting a third exit hidden behind a fallen support beam. 
   Determined, Yumo went to kick it open, but the undead grizzly blasted in first. Ripping off its hinges, the door cartwheeled away. Like a pig at slaughter, Yumo squealed as the bear slammed him to the floor, pinning him beneath its weight. It snapped at his horrified face, but thanks to his adrenaline-fueled muscles, the beast couldn’t reach him. 
   Shifting quickly, the grizzly angled to bite into his throat instead. Obake leapt onto its upper back, the fur coarse as wire beneath his hands. He tore the dagger from its scabbard and drove it into the bear’s skull, sending it into a fit of wailing and thrashing. Clinging to fur that threatened to shed, he stabbed the creature several times in the snout. 
   The grizzly reared onto its hind legs, lifting Obake nearly eight feet into the air. It rocked violently from side to side, and the patch of fur he clung to tore loose. He slid down the beast’s back before catching hold of a new tuft of fur.
   Yumo hurled pieces of debris at the undead terror. With each successful hit, it wailed louder. He then fished out a sharp piece of wood and gutted it. Putrid innards spilled onto the ground. Yet as if nothing had happened, the grizzly continued standing tall.
   “Die already!” shouted Yumo, who was now angry more than anything.
   Obake scaled the wiry fur, mounted the bear’s shoulders, and stabbed once more. This time he struck the temple. The bear moaned, then dropped like a falling tree.
   “We did it!” exclaimed Yumo.
   “Hopefully it stays dead this time.”
   “If you hadn’t… if you didn’t…” Yumo put an arm around Obake’s shoulder. “You’ll make a great bounty hunter someday. No doubt about it.”
   A warmth came over the young ninja. “I’ll always have your back. Just don’t ditch me next time, okay?”
   “Sorry, I was freaking out.”
   “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad we’re not dead.”
   “I got your back, too, you know.”
   “Well, if I didn’t know before, I sure do now. You messed that thing up.”
   “Not going to lie, I almost puked.”
   They escaped the cathedral through the busted door and soon arrived back in the cul-de-sac.
   Yumo took one last glance at the cathedral. “That’s definitely Kantasian.” 
   “Right?” Obake nodded. “Has to be.”
   “I thought that religion started in Zaidaku… but Yokai City was around before that city was even built.”
   “I don’t know much about it, to be honest.”
   “Well, they still worship the Guardians, so you know they’re out of their minds. Have you ever been to a sermon?”
   “Nope. Seems so boring.”
   “You’re lucky. My dad makes me go sometimes. I hate it.”
   “Sucks to be you.”
   “I think it’s all a bunch of nonsense. But don’t tell my dad I said that.”
   “Your secret’s safe with me.”
   The grizzly’s terrible image replayed at the front of Obake’s mind. “Wait… does this mean my grandparents were telling the truth after all?”
   “What? Oh no, I’m pretty sure that was a revenant.”
   “Isn’t that like a ghost or something?”
   “Not really. Let me educate your ass for a second.”
   Obake chortled.
   “There are some Kantasians out there that like to dabble in the dark arts.”
   Intrigue lifted Obake’s eyebrows to their peak.
   “There aren’t very many of them because once they get caught, they’re exiled. I wonder how long that thing’s been lurking around and why nobody ever saw it before.”
   “Maybe they didn’t live to tell the tale.”
   By the time they made it through the Tree Corridor, night had swallowed the day.
   “I better see you riding that Stinger tomorrow,” said Obake.
   “You will. Just you wait.”
   “Oh, and watch out for bears.”
   Yumo laughed then clutched his elbow.
   “You going to be okay?”
   “I’ll be fine. It didn’t get me that bad thanks to you.”
   Obake smiled. “It’s kind of late. Want to crash at my place? My grandparents won’t care.”
   “Thanks, but my dad is probably pissed enough as it is. I was supposed to be home hours ago.”
   “You sure? We’ve been needing somebody with your skills to take a look at our fuel tank. It’s been acting up again. That’ll buy you some of my nana’s famous breakfast for sure.”
   “Not going to lie, I’m tempted, but I’ll have to pass. Maybe I can swing by tomorrow and take a look for you. It’s probably an easy fix.”
   “You’re the man. By the way, let’s keep this little adventure to ourselves. You know what’ll happen if anyone finds out we’ve been in the ruins.”
   “I was about to say the same thing.”
   The elaborate handshake that started their adventure ended it as well. Yumo took the trail that led down the mountain and disappeared into the starry night. While Obake approached his not-so-distant home, he saw the lights inside flickering incessantly. 
   Upon arrival, he went around back and opened a metal box filled with teal stones. Using a single-handed shovel, he funneled the stones into a fuel tank. After a few cranks of the attached handle and a few kicks to the tank, an engine purred and the lights in the cottage stabilized. Jovial chatter and merrymaking burst from inside. Three voices were present instead of the usual two. He went around front to find Kinichi stumbling outside with a bottle of liquor in hand.
   “Obake! Splendid to see you. We missed you at dinner.”
   “Sorry. I was hanging out with Yumo.”
   “Mischief making per usual, I assume.”
   “Uh… something like that.”
   “Well, you have a wonderful night. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”
   Kinichi floundered toward the Tree Corridor.
   “Are you going to be okay by yourself, Sensei?”
   He paused to release a rumbling burp. “I certainly hope so.”