Toasteful: Chapter 83, Part 1

　Blood sprayed through the air. A figure crumpled to the ground. The dying monster cackled with glee. I witnessed it all.

　Powerless, I watched the gruesome scene unfold before me.

　"!! You *#&@!!"

　I understood everything, and simultaneously lashed out at the youkai weasel, punching with all my might driven by anger.

　But the youkai, with their partially charred body, easily slipped through my impulsive attack. In fact, my attack was so rash that it made it even easier to avoid.

　Still, I had fulfilled the minimum requirement of separating the youkai from the girls.

　"Tamaki!! Take Iruka and run away... D*mn it, is it impossible!?"

　I'm about to shout at the main character who has just appeared here recklessly, but I take it back immediately.

　"Eh... ah... auhh...?"

　Tamaki was clearly shaken and confused, and my words didn't reach her. She only held her fallen friend and shielded her. She even didn't notice the red streaks on her cheeks or the dark stain spreading across her white robe.

　Even if she had heard me, she wouldn't have been able to follow my words. After all, she saw Iruka's stomach spilling out its contents. It was impossible to stuff them back inside her and it was too dangerous for an amateur to try.

　...And I had no time to go to her either.

　Because while my attention was diverted, I could hear the excitement in the weasel's voice. "Haha, there's an opening!!" and the weasel lunged forward. I quickly blocked their attack, feeling the force of their sickle against my arm. "Tch, you deadbeat!!?" I sneered in response, frustrated by the weasel's persistent attacks.

　Despite their injuries, the weasel moved with a feral speed. This guy was clearly aiming for a mutual kill. "D*mn it! Can you just die quietly!?" I taunted. Seriously, this guy is troublesome...!!

　"Kukuku... No, no, it's too lonely to go on a journey of death alone, isn't it!?" The weasel's words dripped with sarcasm. "They say it's better to have company on a journey and kindness in the world!!"

　In response, I gritted my teeth at its insolence. "What kindness...!"

　We exchange taunts in response to each other's abuse, and our blows clashed, the sound of metal ringing through the forest. The weasel's sickle and my claws intersected, sending sparks flying. I glanced behind the weasel and saw the wounded wolf retreating. Meanwhile, the remaining small fry youkai were closing in on us.

　I know what they want. The exorcists will be here soon anyway. Even if they try to escape, they will only be captured and destroyed if they run away all at once. So, they must have decided to let the "Okuri-okami" escape as bait, while leaving decoys and guards in the village.

　(Dammit, I can't break through...!?)

　My physical strength is near the limit, and Tamaki and Iruka's safety were at risk. I had to think fast. "What should I do? What can I do!? How can I..." My thoughts raced as I tried to come up with a plan.

　"Eh...?"

　A moment later, I sense a disturbing presence. A heavy feeling of oppression hung over me. My breath catches involuntarily. Sweat runs down my forehead. I had felt this sensation several times before. It is a sensation that I often feel when I exterminate youkai. Yes... it's the feeling of being preyed upon as flesh.

　"What...?"

　The youkai weasel in front of me was also the same. Kamaitachi, who had been grinning defiantly at me, inadvertently turned his head to the approaching presence. I did the same, and my gaze was drawn to it as if I was being lured in.

　...Immediately, darkness was approaching us.

　"Huh!?"

　Without thinking, I twisted my body without thinking and clung to a tree to avoid being swallowed by the darkness. The weasel didn't react in time, and because of their injuries, this guy was swept away and swallowed by the darkness.

　"What's this!?" Kamaitachi exclaimed incredulously. "Hahaha, I'm really surprised today!!" Their voice held a mix of shock and amusement. "No way..." Their voice trailed off as this guy realized the dire situation they were in.

　That was Kamaitachi's last word. The darkness stretches and spreads like a thin fabric, and the fresh-burned weasel, engulfed by the darkness. At first, this guy struggled and writhed inside the darkness like a piece of thin cloth being stretched and swallowed. But it quickly settled down. Then, the expanding darkness slowly sank into the ground, as if dissolving in stomach acid...

　It was not only the weasel, but also the rest of the remaining youkai monsters that had been approaching. Some tried to escape, but it was pointless. The thin, spreading darkness engulfed the youkai like dragging them into the mud, swallowing them up. One after another, the frenzied screams of the youkai resounded. It was useless. It was pointless. They couldn't escape from the darkness and were captured, swallowed up...

　"What the heck is going on...!?" The hummingbird, who had landed on a nearby branch, murmured in a shaken and confused state as they glimpsed the disaster spreading on the ground, covered in jet-black mud. On the other hand, I was relatively calm compared to Botan. After all, I knew about it. I had seen that power, that ability, specifically in the manga version.

　(But seriously, why now of all times...!?)

　I chuckled wryly as I looked at the source of that power, the origin, the center of that expanding darkness. A shrine maiden in her ceremonial attire, her head drooping as if she was crushed, with Iruka, who was on the verge of death, sitting on her knees. Jet-black darkness was spreading from under her feet like overflowing water. At a glance, I remembered that scene.

　...It was one of the bad endings from 'Firefly of the Dark Night (Yamiyo no Hotaru)'. In Darth Tamaki (Vad*r) route, if you kill all the hostile characters, including Onitsuki Hina, you can see the ending. The main character, who sacrificed literally everything and obtained forbidden magic, but learned that he could not get his family back, fell into despair. And then, what no one expected overflowed.

　It was commonly known as the 'Curtain of Dark Night' end. The unknown darkness that overflowed from the main character, who tried to swallow everything, including enemies and allies, humans and beasts, and youkai, without distinction, and return them to darkness, was very similar to what was in front of me...

* * *

　To begin with, it's difficult to understand the main character's abilities in the original work, and the underlying setting hasn't been fully revealed, so there are many mysteries.

　However, considering that the bad ending, "'Curtain of Dark Night," is where the darkness of this mystery overflows and causes problems, it's possible to make some guesses about the conditions required for it.

　While it's not quite like brute force, as with curses and other types of spiritual or youkai arts, the way in which soul-based abilities are used is influenced by one's emotions, personality, values, and so on. Sometimes it can even cause the person's unique ability to "transform."

　It's not hard to imagine that the main character in "'Curtain of Dark Night " ending was under a lot of stress. After all, if you follow other routes, you'll see that the main character has a naturally kind and gentle personality. But in a world where exorcists fight for their lives, it's not in the main character's nature to choose the safe option.

　Moreover, the Darth Tamaki route involves using and betraying others ruthlessly in pursuit of a goal, even bringing down those who have helped or have no connection to the situation. Even though he seems to be completely detached from the situation in the story, his inner feelings were all jumbled up inside. In fact, from the middle of the story onwards, he has to take a forbidden item, 'medicine to cheer up', regularly to the extent that his status is drop drastically.

　Then, at the final battle, when the main character repeatedly tormented, belittled, and killed Onitsuki Hina, who was both his mentor as an exorcist and had protected him due to his own unique ability, it's likely that his mental state had reached its limit. And the purpose of 'getting his family back', which somehow supports such a last-minute mentality was also the result of the alteration of Tamaki's supernatural ability... These prevailing theory on online forums is that cause of the transformation of Tamaki's unique ability.

　(The problem is, it's changing in this situation now...!!?)

　As I climbed up the tree, I looked at the devastating scene within my sight and gnashed my teeth in frustration. The situation on the ground was as close to being the worst as possible.

　It was black. Yes, it was a pure black. It was a pitch-black darkness that was darker than black. It was like vantablack. It was so black that I couldn't tell the distance. An indescribable "black" that couldn't be called a liquid or gas, mist or mud, slowly spread, painting the ground.

　And this black was eating life. The youkai were the first to become its victims. And now, even the plants... as far as I could see, the surrounding trees were slowly rotting from the roots, withering away. They lost their moisture one by one, and collapsed and sank into the darkness of the earth...

　'I don't understand the situation.' the Hummingbird said, her voice tinged with confusion. 'How about we temporarily retreat? In your case–'

　But I couldn't let her finish. I knew what she was going to suggest, and it wasn't an option. After all, I can't just walk away.

　I couldn't abandon something so ominous while my family was nearby...

　"...Judging from how the youkai are dying, it doesn't seem like touching it leads to immediate death," I explained to Botan, my voice tinged with skepticism and look at the place from a distance. At the source of the darkness. At rhe shrine maiden who rested Iruka's head on her lap.

　'That's quite reckless. You might be put under some kind of curse. Even if you don't die immediately, it will be difficult to escape that darkness once you touch it, won't it?' Botan replied, her concern evident in her tone.

　"Isn't it convenient? On the contrary, it might work in your favor. We might be able to dispose of both me and the spider at the same time," I countered, my voice laced with determination."

　My rampage as a youkai is scary, but... I've been quite reckless myself and my expiration date as a human is approaching. If it doesn't work, it might be best to dispose of myself. Haha, I'm getting pretty optimistic myself.

　'I hope you can dispose of it. ...After all, I'm worried about whether there will be any strange chemical reactions," Botan said, her voice trailing off as she contemplated the potential risks and finally sighs, as if in disbelieve. Then she looks at Tamaki and the others. She squinted her eyes and observed them.

　'...Well, you'd do it even if I stopped you, wouldn't you? It can't be helped. I can't do anything for you in this situation. So, I'll just observe the experiment, okay?' Botan resigned herself, her voice tinged with resignation.

　"I appreciate it."

　Botan seemed to understand exactly what was going on and did not waste time and effort on nonsense. She chose to utilize the situation in a practical and utilitarian way. I am grateful for that.

　"...this tree has reached its limit, I suppose. I don't think we have time for a chat."

　'...let's pray for good luck, just in case.'

　As I muttered and gestured towards the tree I was climbing on, which was creaking and collapsing, the hummingbird said her piece and retreated. Glancing at her, I stared at Tamaki and the others. Then I frown.

　...well, even though I said that, it's probably not a good idea to touch them, even if I don't die immediately. But there's no other way.

　"I'm going to do it..!" I declared with determination, putting strength into my legs and tensing my muscles to make them bulge. I didn't want to walk on the pitch-black ground, so I was determined to leap over to where Tamaki and the others were.

　(For now, let's bring the protagonist, who seems to be tripping in the dark, back to her consciousness...!!!)

　That's all I can do for the conclusion of the discussion. To be honest, I thought it was a bit weaker than the original story to fall into darkness just because one person is dying, but I'll leave that aside. I don't have time to waste.

　"Now, let's go... huh!?" Just as I was about to jump, a burp (. ・ω・.) echoed in my ear, and at the same time, a sharp pain shot through my body. However, I couldn't kill the momentum already, and I had already finished jumping without knowing what was going on. Halfway through, I ended up jumping in a half-baked posture and landing on the ground.

　Well, you know what that means. In other words...

　"Guuaaaa!!"

　Suddenly I was in so much pain that I couldn't even passively move my arms and I was plunging into the black. At the same time, I writhed like a beast in the black.

　The 'black' was as cold as ice... no, as cold as dry ice. It was cold, yet hot like boiling water. It was sticky like mud, yet intangible like mist. It felt neither solid nor liquid nor gaseous. The only thing I could understand was that it hurt when I touched it, and it drained my vitality and positive emotions.

　The pain was excruciating, and the feeling of exhaustion and lethargy almost overwhelmed me... but in a way, it was trivial compared to my anger.

　"You b*stard... How dare you do this at such an important time!!?"

　I'm flailing around in the blackness, cursing at the spider while my whole body transforming. The gloomy sensation was almost overpowering, but luckily my anger was enough to compensate. I wasn't happy though!

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