ONRYO REFERS TO A GHOST (YūREI) BELIEVED CAPABLE OF CAUSING HARM IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING, HARMING OR KILLING ENEMIES, OR EVEN CAUSING NATURAL DISASTERS TO EXACT VENGEANCE TO REDRESS THE WRONGS IT RECEIVED WHILE ALIVE THEN TAKES THEIR SPIRITS FROM THEIR DYING BODIES.

YEAR: JAPAN, 1789

WE ENTER SHIN, A YOUNG MAN WHO JOINED THE ARMY TWO YEARS PRIOR,HE LIVES WITH HIS SISTER, SAYAKA, IN A HUT AROUND THEIR VILLAGE.

SAYAKA: THANK YOU MY BROTHER!

JUST THEN, A BAND OF SAMURAIS SHOW UP AROUND SHIN'S TENT

SAMURAI#1: EVENING, MY LADY, I'M OKAISAMI, AND THESE ARE MY MEN AND I WONDER IF YOU COULD INVITE US IN...

SAYAKA: SORRY, WE DON'T ALLOW STRANGERS INTO OUR HUT!

OKAISAMI: HOW RUDE! MEN, LET'S SHOW THIS PRETTY LADY HOW A REAL LADY ACTS!

SHIN: STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU BASTARDS!

JUST THEN, SAMURAI#2 STABS SHIN, AND LEAVES HIM BLEEDING AS THEY RIP HIS SISTER TO PIECES...

SHIN: NNNNOOOOOO!

THE SAMURAIS SURROUND SHIN AS HE LAYS BLEEDING...HE SAYS SOMETHING...

SHIN: SOMEHOW, SOMEDAY, I SHALL MAKE YOU ALL PAY!

OKAISAMI: IF YOU DO, IT'LL BE IN THE HEREAFTER, FRIEND...

JUST THEN, THE SAMURAIS BURIES THE DYING SHIN WITH A MASK, A KABUKI MASK. EVERYTHING GOES BLACK.

YEAR: 2016

MION AND HER GANG ARE HAVING FUN BY STEALING, HAVING SEX, AND KILLING.

MIKI: THIS IS FUN, MION!

MION: ISN'T IT? LET'S GO TORTURE OUR TEACHER!

WHILE MION AND HER GANG GO INSIDE THE SCHOOL, A CROW LANDS ON THE PLAYGROUND OF THE SCHOOL, THEN SUDDENLY, A HAND BURSTS FROM THE GROUND, IT'S SHIN RESURRECTED! EVERYTHING IS NEW TO SHIN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VILLAGE? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS PEOPLE? THEN HE REMEMBERS...HE'S DEAD.

SHIN: WHY CAN'T I BREATHE?!

SHIN REMEMBERS THAT THE KABUKI MASK IS ON HIS FACE. HE RIPS IT OFF WITH A PAINFUL JERK. ALL THE TEENS LAUGH AND RAN OUTSIDE AND THEY SEE SHIN, WITH A SHOCKED EXPRESSION ON THEIR FACES.

GIRL#1: ARE YOU A CLOWN?

SHIN LOOKS AT THE WINDOW AND SEES THAT HE IS WEARING THE MARKINGS OF A JAPANESE CROW WARRIOR. HIS FACE IS PAINTED A GHOST WHITE AND IS TATTOOED.

THE CROW ENTERS THE SCHOOL, SHIN FOLLOWS. HE SEES MION AND THE GANG TORTURE THE TEACHER. HE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ANY OF THESE GIRLS.

MION: YOU STINKING PILE OF DUNG! IT'LL BE IN THE HEREAFTER!

SHIN REMEMBERS NOW, THAT THE GIRLS ARE THE SAMURAIS THAT MURDERED HIS SISTER.

SHIN: GUESS WHAT, EVIL ONES...

MION: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, CLOWN?!

SHIN: I HAVE RETURNED FROM HELL!

SHIN STARTS ATTACKING THE SCHOOL GIRLS. HE DELIVERS PUNCHES AND KICKS. HE PICKS UP MION.

SHIN:REMEMBER ME, OKAISAMI?! I'VE WAITED AT HELL'S GATE FOR YOU!

SHIN: YOU HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND THIS MASK OF DEATH!

MION TAKES ONE LONG LOOK AT THE DERANGED MAN AND SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHO HE IS. SHE IS TERRIFIED.

MION: NO-NO WAY! WE PUT YOU UNDER, MAN!

SHIN: SO YOU DO REMEMBER?!

MION: MIKI! HELP ME!

SHIN: HELL AWAITS YOU!

MIKI HITS SHIN OVER THE HEAD WITH A BASEBALL BAT. IT BREAKS HIS JAW. HE THEN HOOKS HIS JAW BACK TOGETHER AND HEALS INSTANTLY.

MIKI: LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, MION!

THEY LEAVE THE SCHOOL. THE TEACHER IS TERRIFIED OF SHIN. SHE THINKS HE IS GOING TO HURT HER.

SHIN: I'M NOT GONNA HURT YOU... I JUST WANNA KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING...

TEACHER: YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW! THEY'LL KILL YOU!

SHIN: I'M NOT WORRIED, I'M ALREADY DEAD.

THE CROW FLIES ON HIS SHOULDER.

SHIN: WHERE ARE THEY GOING, MY FRIEND?

MION AND HER GANG, ALL BRUISED UP FROM THE BEATING THEY TOOK, HID OUT AT THE DUMP.

NORKO: WHO WAS THAT GUY, MION?!

MIKI: N-NO... IT'S NOT...

MION: I'M AFRAID IT IS...

MIKI: WE KILLED HIM ONCE, RIGHT? WE COULD KILL HIM AGAIN!

MION: UMMMM... DID YOU NOT SEE HIM REPAIR HIS JAW LIKE IT WAS NOTHING?!

MIKI: THE SON OF A BITCH MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF WEAKNESS!

MION: I DON'T THINK THAT KABUKI MAN HAS ANY WEAKNESS.

NORKO: WE KILLED HIS SISTER NOW HE'S GONNA KILL OUR ASSES NEXT!

MION: YOU GUYS SAY HERE, ME AND MIKI ARE GOING TO CHECK THINGS OUT.

JUST THEN, THE CROW APPEARS.

NORKO: HEY, IT'S A CROW! COME HERE BIRDY-BIRDY!

YUKI: LEAVE THAT DAMN BIRD ALONE, WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF DISEASE IT'S GOT...

OUT OF NOWHERE, SHIN APPEARS BEHIND THEM BOTH!

NORKO: JEEZUZ!

SHIN: IN THE DEAD TIME, I WAS ONLY A SCREAM!

YUKI SHOOTS SHIN IN THE HEAD, BUT IT HEALS INSTANTLY.

SHIN: ONE CROW SORROW, TWO CROWS JOY,THREE CROWS A GIRL FOUR CROWS A BOY FIVE CROWS FOR SILVER SIX CROWS FOR GOLD SEVEN CROWS A SECRET NEVER TO BE TOLD.

SHIN: MY TURN, WICKED ONE!

SHIN SHOOTS YUKI IN THE MOUTH. BLOOD SPLATTERS EVERYWHERE.

NORKO: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I BEG OF YOU!

SHIN: YOUR BEGGING, GOOD, I WANT YOU TO BE AFRAID!

SHIN SNAPS HER NECK, ALMOST RIPPING HER HEAD OFF.

SHIN: FOR OKAISAMI, THERE WILL BE NO MERCY!

MION AND MIKI COMES BY TO SEE THAT BOTH YUKI AND NORKO ARE DEAD. IT IS A COMPLETE BLOODBATH.

MIKI: JESUS CHRIST! HE WAS HERE!

MION: LOOKS LIKE HE LEFT A SIGN.

THEY LOOK TO SEE A BLOOD-SOAKED CROW SYMBOL ON THE WALL.

SHIN SEES A DIRTBIKE. HE LIKES IT.

SHIN: TOOK MANY BLACKSMITHS TO BUILT THAT, I IMAGINE.

SHIN GET ON THE DIRTBIKE.

SHIN: RIDE, BIRD OF JUSTICE! SPEED THE WHEELS OF VENGEANCE!

MION AND MIKI STOP BY THE SHRINE OF ONI, A DEMON KNOWN AS THE DEVIL.

MION: ああ、闇の支配者は、この死の精神から私たちを守ります!

MIKI: ああ、闇の支配者は、この死の精神から私たちを守ります!

SHIN BURSTS IN THE SHRINE.

SHIN: OKAISAMI! TIME TO SAY YOUR INORI! I'M GOING TO SEND YOU TO HELL WHERE YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE ALL THOSE CENTURIES AGO!

MION: SHOOT HIM!

MIKI: HEY MIME-BOY!

MIKI SHOOTS SHIN IN THE CHEST, STARTING TO HEAL UNTIL...

THE CROW FLIES IN AND ATTACKS MION, BUT MION SMACKS IT TO THE GROUND AND BREAKS IT'S RIGHT WING.

SHIN: AARRGH!

SHIN STARTS BLEEDING. MION FINALLY KNOWS WHAT HIS WEAKNESS IS...IT'S THE CROW.

MION: SO IF YOU HURT THE CROW, YOU HURT THE KABUKI MAN! HOW ORIGINAL! HAHA! HURTS, DON'T IT?! GOOD! YOU CAUSED US A LOT OF PAIN, NOW IT'S YOUR TURN, BRAT!

SHIN: NO...NOOOO!

SHIN GRABS MIKI AND BREAKS HER SPINE WITH A SQUEEZE, KILLING HER...ONLY MION IS LEFT.

SHIN: MION...YOU GAVE ME A CROWN OF THORNS, FOR THE EMPEROR...

MION: I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!

SHIN: BUT YOU MUST! IT'S YOUR MEMORIES!

MION: WELL, I'M NOT SORRY FOR KILLING YOUR DUMBASS SISTER!

SHIN: YOUR GANG BACK THERE...THAT WAS FOR ME...

MION: NO...

SHIN: BUT THIS...THIS IS FOR HER!

SHIN THROWS MION ONTO THE BLADE OF THE STATUE OF ONI, SHE SLOWLY DIES.

SHIN: WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE...YOU JUST CHOOSE TO MAKE THE WRONG ONE...

IT WAS OVER, SHIN FINALLY GOT HIS REVENGE, OKAISAMI AND HER GANG ARE DEAD, SOON THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHT. SHIN WALKS BACK TO THE PLAYGROUND...SHIN FEELS WEAK...

SHIN: IT'S OVER,SAYAKA, I'M COMING HOME...

SHIN SMILES AS HE SLOWLY PASSES OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE...

SHIN: IT'S FOREVER NOW, SAYAKA...

SHIN AND SAYAKA ARE NOW AT PEACE NOW, THEY CAN FINALLY REST.

THE END

THE CROW WAS CREATED BY: JAMES O'BARR

INSPIRED BY DEAD TIME BY: JAMES O'BARR

STORY BY: TRISTIN SCOTT