Summary
Once upon a time, at the foot of a quiet, peaceful village nestled in the mountains, there stood a haniwa (a clay figurine). Long ago, it was believed that this haniwa protected the village from evildoers. That year, a drought struck, and the crops could barely be harvested. Many villagers died of hunger, but the others desperately helped each other.
One day, the evildoers finally invaded the village, seeking to steal the crops. Not only men, but also women, children, and even babies were killed indiscriminately. The villagers had no means to defend themselves except to perish.
One girl, left alone after her family was killed, somehow made her way to the haniwa. "Oh God, please help us. Protect our village from the evildoers," she prayed from the depths of her heart, her eyes brimming with tears.
A single tear dropped onto the haniwa. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and the ground began to shake. The haniwa grew larger and eventually transformed into a giant demon. Crossing its arms before its face, its visage turned crimson with anger.
The giant demon slowly walked towards the village with a loud rumble. The evildoers fought against the giant demon with swords and arrows, but their resistance was futile. They were simply trampled, picked up, and thrown away. They fled in all directions, and no intruders remained in the village.
Turning its back to the mountains, the giant demon slowly returned to its original place. Once again crossing its arms before its face, it gradually shrank down and returned to its original form as a haniwa. Peace returned to the village, and the haniwa quietly overlooked the village.
