On the road, Ayame is pursued by a mysterious group of hunters, sent by a secret order that knows about her curse. These hunters have one mission: to permanently end Ayame's cycle of rebirth by severing her connection to the prophecy. Ayame barely escapes their first attack, but in the chaos, she encounters Reiko, a rogue swordswoman with ties to her past. Reiko claims she has met Ayame before, in another life. She knows about Ayame's curse and offers to help, but her motives remain unclear.

Chapter 4: Bound by Blood

With Reiko as her unlikely guide, Ayame travels to an ancient temple where an oracle reveals that her curse is tied to a forbidden ritual performed centuries ago. This ritual was meant to preserve balance between life and death, but something went terribly wrong, leaving Ayame as its unintended vessel. Her past lives were part of a cycle meant to prepare her for the final moment when she would fulfill—or destroy—the prophecy. But the oracle warns Ayame: her next death will be different. She will not return unchanged.