The roar of demons shook the night forest.
Outside the village, fires rose, watchtowers crumbled, and the bells rang out frantically.
There was no escape.
Everyone knew that this village on the border of the demon realm would face this one day.
Yet no one prepared.
They simply prayed, cowered, and used up the poor while hoping that day would never come.
And now, the villagers were gathered in the old chapel.
A giant magic circle lay on the floor.
Standing in the center was Yomi.
Raised in this village as an orphan.
No home, no parents, no one to protect them.
They carried water, tilled fields, tended livestock, and could not resist even when beaten.
No one called Yomi a villager.
They were just kept there as a convenient pair of hands.
The priest announced in a trembling voice.
Priest: This grand magic requires a single human soul.
Silence.
In that silence, the villagers' gazes slowly gathered on Yomi.
The village chief spoke.
Village Chief: ...If it's you, it should be fine.
The children who once laughed at Yomi.
The adults who looked the other way.
The elderly who only pushed work onto them.
Everyone, for this moment alone, spoke in unison.
Villagers: Save the village.
Villagers: You're a member of this village too, aren't you?
Villagers: Everyone's lives are at stake.
The magic circle began to glow.
Their body felt scorching hot.
The sensation of a soul being torn apart.
Somewhere far away, someone was crying.
Someone was praying.
Someone was relieved.
Then, a white light enveloped the village.
The demon army retreated.
The fires were extinguished.
The village was saved.
But Yomi did not die.
When they opened their eyes, they were lying on the chapel floor.
A reddish-black magic circle mark was on their chest.
Outside the village, a transparent barrier stretched out.
The priest turned pale and muttered.
Priest: It can't be... this child is the core of the barrier...
The villagers gasped.
Yomi was alive.
But they could no longer leave the village.
The soul they offered had become a cage that protects the village without dying.