As the Warden holds the scroll, the gate wood darkens again, softening at the edges. Thick, ash-scented ink seeps from the grain, the same foul stain found on the forged papers.
The Gate Warden
By Hachiman... what manner of blight is this?
The temperature drops hard. Reina recoils, ears flattening, her gaze snapping toward the road as if something unseen has stepped close.
Reina
Arimari, it is here. That presence from the riverbank... it is near.
The scroll slips from the Warden’s hand. At the timber barrier, a low creak answers, and the warped wood bows inward like a living thing under strain.
Tukeyo
Payment is overdue. The seal opens the way, and the Kurogane still owe me.
Cold breath hangs in the air. The Warden stumbles back, and the checkpoint guards tighten their grips as the unseen pressure settles over the gate.
✓ Quest Accepted
Drive back Tukeyo at the checkpoint