[Part 4/4]
"Because, you know? You're thinking it's all over already."
"Wha...!? You're being so unreasonable. What are you planning?"
"Planning, huh?"
With a meaningful statement, a sense of unease crept in, and Murasaki once again placed her hand on her sword. She remained on guard to be ready to strike at any moment. Shinobu seemed genuinely amused by Murasaki's appearance, twisting her lips in what seemed like mockery.
And then... as Murasaki's amethyst eyes gleamed, she uttered an undeniable truth.
"But let's start from the beginning... why do you think that the owner of those monsters you were dealing with is me?"
"...What?"
Astonishment, bewilderment, and then shock. Murasaki couldn't grasp the meaning or intention behind the words spoken by the captured criminal. Confused... and then, a gut feeling from her sixth sense made her reflexively turn to look at Tamaki.
"Tamaki-san!! It's dangerous...!!"
Before she could even think, a warning cry erupted. And what she witnessed was a decaying Inugami flying towards Tamaki from the princess's furoshiki (wrapping cloth)...
...
...
...
"What!? ...!!?"
On the rooftop, Shirowakamaru, who had been overseeing the surroundings, was shocked by the sudden explosion of noise from inside. She tried to rush into the room, but immediately halted. It was natural. Ezo's warriors, disguised to appear like ordinary people, were flying up from the ground to the rooftop. Moreover, they were armed. Weapons raised. Intent to kill.
"...Are you guys sane?"
Understanding all of those actions, deeds, intentions, Shirowakamaru furrowed her brow and asked. She directed her question at all of their abnormal behavior. Holding a talisman in her hand, she issued a warning.
But there was no verbal response to the posed question...
Once upon a time, in the mountainous region of Shiromoku, a natural fortress intersecting with spiritual energy, two Ezo tribes or clans once resided.
One of them was the white dog tribe, devoted to the snowy mountains. The other was the bat tribe, which revered the nocturnal mountains. Two beast deities and neighboring tribes coexisted. What this would bring was a story all too well understood.
The conflict between the two gods over control of the spiritual veins extended to the tribes that believed in them. The power balance between the two gods was almost equal, and the sizes of the tribes were also comparable. The clash of opposing forces meant a battle of attrition. Both tribes continued the endless struggle, reproducing the cycle of conflict.
But the seemingly endless battle suddenly came to an end because an invading foreign army arrived from the plains to the south of the mountains, a force of a different faith. They greatly outnumbered the Ezo tribes, possessed far superior weaponry, wielded unknown magic, and rendered the Ezo gods powerless against the artifact held by their king.
Seeing this, one of the tribes quickly showed submission. The tribal leader bowed to the foreign king, even discarding their own gods. They went so far as to purge his own people who rebelled against him.
The other tribe, however, fiercely resisted. They launched sporadic attacks in the mountains and resisted the large invading force that came from the south with the help of other Ezo tribes. But they were soundly defeated.
After the war, the white dog clan, which had promptly submitted and even facilitated the foreign army's needs, was greatly rewarded. While they had to give their homeland to the imperial court due to its geographical significance, the land they were given in exchange was far larger and more abundant. They received official positions and the honor of representing the Ezo as part of the imperial court.
The blunt bat clan essentially collapsed. Most of the tribe perished, some were absorbed into the white dog clan. A handful continued to resist in the mountains, but even that eventually dwindled to nothing after half a century.
The beast deities that had fought over control of the mountains with their tribes were recorded as being slain by the exorcists accompanying the imperial army.
All of this occurred nearly a millennium ago. It had faded into the obscurity of the past, a mere page in history books, at least for the imperial court and the white dog clan.
"In a struggle, the trampled may forget, but the trampler never does, do they?"
In the darkness that seemed like ink stains, I whispered softly, almost inaudibly.
I tread the pathless path glimpsed faintly on the snow-clad and rugged mountains. The path was not maintained, yet traces of use by someone or something were there, and they were recent.
"..."
Tension made me exhale a cold breath quietly from beneath my mask. I touched my coat, a curse-tool. In the absence of my usual companion who often prattled, the quiet and heavy silence seemed to require more time than usual.
"..."
Finally, I gathered my resolve. I advanced silently forward.
"A cave, huh?"
How much time had passed? After traversing the treacherous path, I finally found it. Observing the entrance of the cave and checking for any guards, I took a step towards it. Then... I tackled the 'Akaname' that had leapt from the rocky surface behind me!
'Squelch...'
"Silence."
The creature fell silent with a thud. I severed its twisted neck and tossed it aside. I surveyed the surroundings, but there were no sounds... Had I deceived them?
"No..."
Something burst forth from the depths of the cave. It has colossal size and its countless crimson eyes gleaming. I sidestepped a hook that came at me and avoided it with a twist. The giant shadow headed rapidly toward Shiromoku's city and collided with the boundary, falling upon impact.
The boundary, a trap I had set up beforehand, had received the curse-tools distributed all around as its foundation. To undo it, there was only one method...!!
"Now then, come one!!"
The fallen shadow seemed to have figured it out. It mowed down trees, gouged the ground, and leaped towards me. It revealed its form from the darkness.
With its oddly shaped four wings. The massively swollen belly. The horrendously short legs exuding a putrid stench. And... the hideous dual visage!
''Aaaaaaaa!''
It spread its wings to their limit, tearing apart the large mandibles that seemed to merge two into one. Then, the creature with the two faces let out a mighty roar. A cautionary cry emanated from its eyes and nostrils, right before its snout.
"is it a bat...? Well, it's a bat, in a way."
If an innocent bystander were to witness this scene, they might tremble and even faint. However, from my current perspective, feelings of bewilderment and exasperation were far more significant. I involuntarily shrugged my shoulders.
Perhaps using some youma grimoire or a magic book of sorts, they managed to combine the remnants of the land and divine essence to achieve a revival ceremony... Well, it was not exactly like that.
Reviving a deity that hadn't been passed down through succession or safeguarded through other means was an tremendous effort. A significant number of offerings had to be carefully made. If they went to such lengths, it would surely draw the notice of the imperial court. It wasn't realistic unless it became a large-scale project for the entire nation.
The 'False God Ritual'... Just recently, that chaotic being who was used as a sacrifice in the previous labyrinth had come in response to the summoning. Its name literally meant changeable, and due to its inherently mischievous nature, it appeared at a heavily discounted price, a deal written in red ink.
But now, fashioned in the desired form, possessing the desired power, and having the desired attributes... But somewhere, it subtly distorted those attributes, almost as if ridiculing them, and transformed into a monster with a fake divine name, brought into the mortal world.
'Hyōga Sumiya no Hisono Mikoto', an imitation of the original. Well, in this case, it might be even worse.
...I mean, come on, this is just recycling, right? It's completely a slapdash job, isn't it? They're obviously rushing through the writing, right? The chaotic god, they were probably dividing their attention while munching on potato chips, weren't they? This is practically destroying its dignity as an original.
''Aaaaaaa!''
The dual performance of roars echoed, leaving me unsure if it was affirming or negating my inner commentary. The foul odor was sprinkled over me along with saliva. It was clear that I wasn't exactly being welcomed. Well, that's fine.
"Well, from my perspective, I'd prefer to finish this as quickly as possible."
I probably should be safe, but still... I was worried about the others, especially my sister. That woman who assigned me this utterly ridiculous mission assured me that she'd do her utmost to ensure her safety... but how far can I trust her?
(I managed to secure a contract through the Curse Art... but dealing with that insane couple, I can't feel a shred of reassurance)
If it were the lady, then she should weigh her husband's life more than my sister. If it's the husband, then it's meaningless unless I put the life of his beloved daughter on the line. It's far too much to demand that from Hina. In my current state, I couldn't make such a shameless demand.
"Now I can only pray."
I steeled myself and drew my weapon, a dagger.
Pulling the violet crest-blackened Dagger (tantō) from its sheath, I faced the creature.
''Aaaaa!!? Agghh, aagaaa!''
"...This is the real deal. Please don't have any hidden surprises."
I muttered to the lady who had given me this dagger (tantō), placed it in my hand. The item provided for the dirty work, however, was uncertain if I could truly trust it. Still... I didn't want to use anything from Gorilla-sama for what I was about to do.
''Aaaahhh!!''
"Die, d*mn it!"
An instant later, having evaded the invisible attack of ultrasound, I rushed toward the two-headed monster before me...
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Title: Miyataka Shinobu
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