Kami no gyakuten:The yamato hero-Chapter 16: River of the Forgotten

Sho, Daigo, and Kyoko moved forward cautiously, the eerie silence of the cave pressing down on them. The deeper they went, the colder the air became, wrapping around them like unseen hands whispering forgotten stories.

Then, they saw it.

A vast, dark river stretched before them, its waters flowing endlessly into the unknown depths of the cave. The bridge that once connected the two sides was nothing more than broken fragments, swallowed by the current.

Kyoko's breath hitched as she stepped forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is the River of the Forgotten..."

Sho turned to her, sensing the hesitation in her voice. "What does that mean?"

Kyoko swallowed hard. "If you stay in this water too long... you'll forget everything. Who you are. Your past. The people you love. Everything will be erased from your mind."

Sho stiffened. A river that could strip away memories? He could barely comprehend the horror of such a thing.

"Then we won't stay in for long," he said firmly.

Without wasting time, they stepped into the water. The icy cold hit them immediately, sinking into their bones like tiny needles. The current was strong, but not impossible to fight against.

At first, everything seemed fine.

Then the river came alive.

A powerful surge of water suddenly crashed against them, as if the river itself had sensed their presence and was determined to consume them. The current pulled at their bodies, threatening to drag them under.

Kyoko gasped as she was nearly yanked beneath the surface. Sho gritted his teeth, fighting against the rushing water. They had to make it across.

Then he saw it—Kyoko was struggling, her arms flailing as her body tilted sideways. Her eyes flickered in confusion, her expression shifting from fear to... emptiness.

Sho's heart pounded. "Kyoko! Don't let it take you!"

But before he could reach her, Daigo moved.

With a fierce determination in his eyes, he shoved both Sho and Kyoko toward the surface with all his strength.

Sho gasped as he was thrown through the water, his body crashing onto the riverbank. Kyoko landed beside him, coughing violently, her hands clutching at the wet ground.

For a moment, Sho was too disoriented to realize what had just happened.

Then it hit him.

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"Daigo...?"

He turned back just in time to see Daigo being swallowed by the water. His body was sinking, his face still calm—but his eyes met Sho's for a fleeting moment. A silent message passed between them.

Take care of Kyoko. Keep moving forward.

Then Daigo was gone.

"DAIGO!" Kyoko screamed, scrambling to the edge of the river, her fingers clawing at the rocks.

Sho's entire body shook. His fists clenched, his heart hammering against his ribs. "DAIGO, HOLD ON!"

But there was nothing to hold on to.

The river had him now.

Sho gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He wanted to dive back in, to tear through the water and pull Daigo out, but Kyoko's words echoed in his head—if you stay in too long, you'll forget everything.

What if Daigo was already forgetting?

What if, by the time they reached him... he didn't even remember them?

Kyoko's hands trembled as she gripped Sho's sleeve. Her voice was barely audible. "Sho... what do we do?"

Sho exhaled sharply, trying to keep his emotions from swallowing him whole.

Then he looked at the river, his eyes burning with determination.

"We're getting him back. No matter what it takes."

The only question was—how?