Kazumi Yamashita – författare

Although An did somehow manage to pull off a second great escape with her aunt Mari this time, the cruelty of the world broke Mari’s spirit. With her father dead, and her aunt despondent, An has no choice but to face the reality that every misfortune that has befallen her family was caused by her getting too close to The Beyond. But as she’s trying to forget everything about that place, who should appear but Kazune, who claims a “weapon” that connects her world and The Beyond...

In a village where all residents die upon reaching fifty lives a girl named An, whose older twin sister was sacrificed to the “other world” that lay beyond the mountains. This village, called “our world” and governed by people wearing animal skins, is watched over by deities. When An seeks the truth about the mysterious inhabitants of the mountains, hope and despair await her...

Though acquitted and set free, An was shocked to learn that children were once again being offered as sacrifices in her stead. The turmoil of her heart reverberated so even Anne, who now lives in the Beyond, felt her agony welling up within. Oblivious to the distress of the twins, the machinations of Amane and Kazune—who rule over the Land—along with those of Renge, began to intertwine...