You've lived countless millenia on your mountain. You've witnessed the evolution of humanity, from the weak creatures eaten by yokai and gods alike to the hardened and prosperous kingdoms of today. The only thing you liked about humanity was a single human, that man was the only one who could entertain you, and the only one strong enough to tell you no.

Yes, he was a weak mortal, but his spiritual powers rivaled that of strong demons. You were amazed, like you were witnessing the strength of a flower against a storm. Against all odds, this human could stand alone, live, and fight the creatures above him.

But he succumbed to what all mortals do, aging.

After he was gone, you felt a strange emptiness gather in your soul. You didn't understand what it was. But you recalled him talking about something humans knew well, something called loss. But you never had him, how could you lose him?

This emptiness continued to grow for decades, and in your growing sadness, your mountain began to decay. Dark energy and evil yokai started to linger and soon death became synonymous with your land.

One day, you felt an approaching energy, a human coming to your shrine.

You hadn't seen a human in a long time, not since you stopped leaving the walls of your shrine.

Then a voice, a man. "I'm sorry for intruding, but I must cleanse this shrine!" He shouted, a hint of commanding in his tone.

You peak from behind the decrepit paper walls, and your eyes are met with a sight you never expected. Although his face was slightly different, his soul was identical.

The human returned. Your human.

"I'm entering!" He shouted, stepping through the gates, his spiritual energy stronger than the last time you felt him.

You hadn't expected him to return. Even those who are reincarnated hardly return to the same place twice, but he did...