Toasteful: Chapter 80, Part 1

　In the cities (街) built by Fusō-kuni throughout the country, stations and checkpoints manned by soldiers are established every few ri (3.93 kilometers or 2.44 miles) along the roads.

　In this world where demons and monsters run rampant, it's natural for people to be forced to live close together in areas with spiritual veins. They secure a safe zone by building boundaries and physical fortifications, and construct small and large settlements around them, connecting them with city (街) roads. The logistics network of each survival zone is a lifeline for the imperial court and Fusō-kuni's economy and defense, and their security and surveillance are strict.

　Therefore, anyone who travels on a wild path away from this city (街) road is inevitably someone who doesn't want to be seen by others for some reason.

　...And now, two horses were galloping deep into the forest, far from the city (街) road.

　One horse was a common chestnut-colored horse, while the other was a black-blue horse like ink, a horse from a foreign continent. On their backs were two cloaked figures. They occasionally looked back, urging their horses on as if fleeing from something, galloping through the forest.

　Suddenly, a noise is heard from above. The riders, who had been watching their surroundings, immediately looked up in the direction of the sound while urging their horses to run.

　Immediately afterwards, their vision spins. The last thing they saw before losing consciousness was the sight of a headless doll riding on a horse...

　...

　"......!?"

　"Did the decoy get caught? It was faster than I thought."

　I was climbing up the steep mountain trail with a load on my back, and clicked my tongue as the connection with the shikigami, with whom I shared my vision, was cut off in the next instant. Iruka, who hopped and bounced on top of the rocks, looked back and grimaced.

　In total, more than twenty decoys were released to avoid being captured by pursuers. Most of them were shikigami or wild animals that were only disguised by smearing blood on them or giving them belongings to hold, but the decoy shikigami that rode the horse used for escape was the real deal among them.

　It was a masterpiece that disguised the appearance with a coat and the decision on how to act was also elaborated very precisely. However, it was defeated without buying enough time. And now half of the decoys have already been destroyed. I mean, isn't it ruthless to come and take our heads off?

　"They should know that the curse only works up to the first stage. Are they trying to kill us?" I sighed looking up at the sky and muttered while glancing at the presence wrapped around my shoulders.

　It was a snake. A formless snake coiling itself around my shoulder and down my left arm. It extended its thin tongue and glanced at me with a gyorori gaze, while tilting its head strangely many times since earlier. Its appearance made me think of that death flag girl's youkai sword. And in a sense, this snake was no better than that youkai sword in terms of quality.

　As a side note, there are several curses that exist to control others, and some families of exorcists possess secret formulas for this purpose. Among them, the Onitsuki family's curses on their servants are relatively ordinary. But they are not something to be taken lightly.

　The curse used to control the servants of the Onitsuki family is called "Danawa Onnen Kaeshi no Doku-jutsu (Curse of Snake Rope, Return of Vengeance)." Its characteristic is a conventional one, which involves transforming the spirit of the killed snake into a catalyst for the curse.

　The curse has three stages of effects. The first stage involves being constricted by the vengeful spirit of a snake that fully materializes throughout the body as a warning. Even if one does not die, it is accompanied by excruciating pain throughout the body. If one resists, their bones and muscles will be further crushed.

　The second stage involves the use of venomous fangs, in which the vengeful spirit bites the victim's neck and injects poison. At first, it is a paralysis poison, followed by a delayed muscle dissolution poison. The latter means literally that all the muscles in the body are gradually dissolved from the inside out. If one is unlucky, the muscles of the heart may dissolve, causing difficulty breathing and death. Only members of the Onitsuki family have the antidote.

　The third stage is triggered to kill the afflicted. The vengeful spirit of the giant snake swallows the victim's head whole. And with the entire body constricted and the muscles paralyzed and dissolved, even a servant would not be able to resist. Thus, the victim is slowly digested alive by stomach acid, with no other recourse.

　When the subject dies, the vengeful spirit fulfils its vengeance and can pass on. However, since it is originally a formless entity, the remains of the victim's body, including partially attached flesh and bones, are left behind in the intestines. The result is a repulsive odor and an unspeakable horror. According to the setting, the bones are left to serve as a threat to the other servants.

　...it is a truly disgusting story that induces a strong sense of revulsion. What is even more tragic is that the curse inflicted by the Onitsuki family is not even a particularly unique or original curse. It's just an indication of how decent the family's sensibilities are. Still, it makes me wonder if the Onitsuki family's servants are actually well-treated.

　"But thanks to this, I can get away," I muttered, glancing at the snake. If this was a unique attribute curse, I would have been caught by now. The only reason I'm still on the run is because of the coat I am wearing.

　It is the coat that Gorilla-sama gave me earlier, which has a curse of recognition obtruction attached to it, and it is preventing the curse from activating. Because of it, the stupid snake is still unable to determine whether I am the target of the curse or not. Of course, this is only the first stage, a warning, and if it progresses to the second or third stage, who knows what will happen... And if the coat is removed, it's all over.

　"If they kill you, they can't interrogate you. Seems like they want to keep you alive and capture you," Iruka deduced the pursuers' intention. Of course, I had some idea of that.

　My actions were deliberate. I'm sure they'd rather restrain me than kill me for interrogation, and Fat... Uemon was a man who could calculate such things, and that's why I was able to attempt such a forceful escape. I believed that he wouldn't kill me easily and prevent any chance of interrogation...

　"But, didn't the shikigami's head get blown off?" I asked.

　"But you trust it, right? Maybe you thought it would dodge if it was real?" Iruka replied.

　"That's a scary kind of trust..." I muttered.

　It was a jump that felt like something out of an action movie, like in Pirates of the Caribbean or something. Even I was skeptical if it was really me who pulled it off.

　"I don't care it... but anyway, we're running out of time. It's already past noon. We need to hurry," urged Iruka, ignoring my confusion. His tone was slightly agitated.

　Walking from the city to the village would take a full day, and that's using the city road. It would be a different story if we had to walk along unpaved mountain roads without using horses to avoid being spotted by our pursuers. Even if we hurry, if we're not careful, we might slip and fall on the treacherous mountain trails.

　And mountain paths are more dangerous than they look, even if the slopes look gentle, once you fall, you fall endlessly. And there are trees and rocks everywhere, so it's easy to break one's neck or skull and die if you're not careful. All you good kids out there, make sure to climb mountains on well-maintained paths with complete preparation.

　"...well, I guess there's no other choice. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I'll use my trump card." Iruka said, looking at me after briefly contemplating the remaining time and the expanding search efforts.

　"A trump card?" I asked.

　"If it's just me, I could manage, but with you, it would be tough to continue on foot like this," Iruka replied.

　As a half-youkai beast, Iruka had naturally higher physical abilities than me. Indeed, I would only slow him down.

　"Besides, considering what's ahead, you need to conserve your strength. So, I'll carry you on my back and run to the village," Iruka reluctantly suggested.

　I could tell he wasn't happy about it. On the other hand, I couldn't help but raise a skeptical expression.

　"Hey, just because you're a half-youkai doesn't mean you should push yourself too hard. I don't want you to slip and fall and die together, okay?" I warned.

　It's true that Iruka had much higher physical abilities than me. But there's a limit to what he can do. Even for Iruka, carrying me on his back and traversing unpaved roads for hours could be too dangerous.

　"Don't mock me, okay? I've been thinking about this too... But then, don't stare at me too much," Iruka retorted, and then looked around before revealing his upper body. He then threw his clothes away in a mess.

　"Hey? What are you... doing?" I tried to question his mysterious behaviour, but no more words came out of my mouth.

　From underneath his clothes emerged a tanned body, unlike the typical fair-skinned people from the northern region. It was plump and rounded, but also showed signs of well-built muscles, indicating a robust and healthy physique. Its surface was dotted with scars and bruises. They were likely from training in his hometown or from torture after being captured. But that's not the point. That wasn't the issue at all.

　"Uh?" I blurted out without thinking. The shock of seeing what had been revealed in that instant was far greater than any guilt I may have felt for my previous actions.

　At the same time, I asked myself why I had not noticed the truth in front of me. And I guessed it was because of the clothing and the manner of "his" speaking that had obscured "his" identity. When I first encountered "him", "he" was likely wearing armor and in the village "he" wore tattered clothing, which made "his" body shape less clear. Needless to say, I'm escaping from reality when I make such an analysis.

　"Hey, can you keep my clothes for me?" Iruka said, removing her lower clothes without much concern for my gaze and throwing them at me. The resulting vibration of her twins shook me uncontrollably, though I won't say what.... and it was quite big.

　"Oh, uh... sure," I answer vaguely as I collect the clothes from both the one on the ground and the one thrown at me. I did it silently, not really knowing what else to do. To be frank, I had completely given up on trying to think about anything.

　"This is really tough on my body...well, I can't complain since it's my own doing," the Ezo woman said as she stripped down to nothing but a scrap of cloth.

　As she cracked her shoulders, her quirky black hair and twin peaks quivered. The only relief from the discomfort was the faint possibility that the black hair covering her head might obscure the mysterious territory that lies between her chest... But because of it, it was hard to know where to look, so I averted my gaze.

　As I thought so, the next moment I noticed a shadow. The sun had been blocked by something.

　"Huh? ...oh, crap!" I exclaimed, snapping back to reality. As I looked up at it, my eyes widened in shock. It was no wonder. There were sharp fangs lined up just inches away from my face.

　In front of me was a wolf. A big wolf that looked like it could swallow me whole. It looked down at me like a youkai, then squatted down and sat there.

　'Here, hurry up and get on,' the muffled voice said, struggling to pronounce human language. However, I recognized the voice.

　"Iruka?" I asked.

　'What are you staring at? You want me to change in front of you?' the wolf said, looking at me incredulously. She seemed to have a sullen expression.

　"Oh, no, of course not," I sigh inwardly as I reply. Although it was fortunate that the wolf didn't have any ill intentions, it was reckless and imprudent of me to avert my gaze from the naked half-youkai. Though I'm cooperating with her tentatively now, but she is still half-Youkai, and an Ezo criminal...

　'I don't have a saddle or reins. So, grab onto my fur around my neck tightly. Don't get thrown off,' Iruka advised.

　I followed Iruka's instructions and leaned forward onto the crouching wolf's back, wrapping my arms around her neck and clutching onto her fur. But then, it was unexpectedly warm. It was warmer than I expected, despite being a beast youkai.

　'Alright then, let's go,' Iruka said.

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