The moon barely illuminates the village as the yokai launch their attack. Under the cloak of night, the Kitsune, with a malicious grin, unleashes his power. Shadows come to life, transforming into indistinguishable figures that confuse the samurai. The flames of the torches flicker uneasily as the Kitsune’s illusions spread across the battlefield, causing warriors to fight invisible enemies or mistake their own comrades for foes.

The Jorogumo, creatures half-woman, half-spider, move silently through the shadows, weaving invisible webs that trap unsuspecting samurai. Anyone caught in their traps is immobilized, awaiting their grim fate. Tengu, ever-present, attack from the skies, their black wings moving with supernatural agility.

Chaos reigns in the village.

Kaede, with her sword in hand, fights with all her courage, but it’s difficult to distinguish reality from illusion. For a moment, she stops when she sees Takeshi, her mentor, in trouble, facing multiple enemies at once. She rushes toward him, but just as she’s about to intervene, she realizes it’s not real—it's a trap created by the Kitsune. She quickly pulls back, her heart racing as she realizes how close she came to falling into the illusion.

Takeshi, for his part, doesn’t fare much better. Despite his experience and strategic mind, the Kitsune’s illusions manage to confuse him. During a confrontation, he suffers a deep wound to his side after falling into a Jorogumo’s trap, and blood flows quickly, weakening him. As he struggles to stay on his feet, doubts fill his mind. He had never faced an enemy so cunning and cruel. The cries of his comrades echoed around him, but he couldn’t tell if they were real or part of the illusions.

—“We… can’t win this,”—Takeshi murmurs, falling to his knees as the world around him seems to crumble.

From a strategic distance, Carlos senses the shift in the battlefield. More than anyone, he understands what it means to fight in the shadows, and he recognizes the danger the illusions pose. While the samurai struggle to maintain control, Carlos acts.

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—“The Kitsune is playing with their minds,”—Carlos thinks—"but the shadows are my domain, not his."

Moving silently, Carlos slips between the shadows, countering the Kitsune’s illusions. With a swift motion, he uses one of his hidden blades to cut the Jorogumo’s invisible traps, freeing several trapped samurai. His presence is almost imperceptible, but his actions are lethal and precise.

When he sees Takeshi wounded, Carlos knows there’s no time to waste. Running towards him, Carlos lifts Takeshi up and whispers:

—“You can’t give up now. They depend on you.”

Takeshi, weakened by the blood loss, tries to speak, but Carlos interrupts.

—“Listen, your mind is under attack, not just your body. The Kitsune’s illusions are powerful, but so is your spirit. If you fall here, the yokai win. Fight, Takeshi. Fight not just for the village, but for yourself.”

Spurred by Carlos’s words, Takeshi finds strength within himself. Despite his injury, he stands, leaning on his sword. Meanwhile, Carlos uses his knowledge of stealth and shadow combat to eliminate more Jorogumo and Tengu, creating small openings in the enemy horde.

With the samurai slowly regaining their confidence, Shun, the quiet archer, joins the battle with lethal precision. From an elevated position, he fires arrows imbued with spiritual energy at the Tengu soaring in the sky, taking them down one by one. Kaede, inspired by the renewed resistance, channels all her energy into a frontal attack, guided by the principles of Bushido, facing the yokai head-on.

The battle is fierce, but thanks to Carlos’s intervention, the village holds its ground. The Kitsune, enraged as his illusions begin to fail, retreats into the shadows, but not before leaving a warning:

—“I’ll return… and when I do, there will be nowhere for you to hide.”

The victory is temporary, but the protagonists, along with the samurai, know they’ve gained more than just a battle. They’ve learned that the strength of body and spirit must be complemented by cunning and the ability to face shadows, both external and internal.

As Takeshi is taken away to receive treatment for his wound, Carlos remains in the shadows, silently observing. He knows the Kitsune isn’t finished and that the battles to come will be even more challenging.

But for now, they have survived the nocturnal ambush.