[Part 1/4]
Against the backdrop of the moonlit night sky, a bird soared.
No, it wasn't a bird. It was a meticulously crafted imitation of a bird. A Shikigami, made to resemble a bird. A simple model...
'...'
It pierced through the sky far above, breaking through the sea of clouds. For a moment, the view turned white, but it quickly returned to deep darkness. Having passed through the clouds, its body was damp. Its inorganic pupils were slightly moist, giving viewers the impression that the Shikigami might actually be alive.
...However, it was all just a facade.
'...'
The Shikigami that had reached its target in the sky above stared down at the ground. It focused on one corner of the ground.
A battle was unfolding. Numerous strange roars. Growls. Conflict between humans and monsters...
'...'
The bird didn't intervene in the unfolding situation, merely observing the entire course of events.
'...'
Relentlessly, endlessly...
...for now.
The senses of youkai surpassed those of humans, and even animals. Moreover, many of them possessed various sensory organs beyond the five basic senses, what people might call a sixth sense.
Late at night, the sky was dyed a deep black, as if ink had been poured onto it. The deep forest of the forbidden area was bustling with noise. Inhuman inhabitants were shouting in excitement. The moment the girl stepped in, they were able to detect her presence with all of their incredibly sensitive sensory organs.
It was that intense, rich, and powerful. Lots of really good spiritual energy. From a child, a very young girl. Even a very young one monster. They could smell her from really far away. Like the best snack ever, a yummy smell of a big meal.
Now, these youkais were rushing toward her like they were migrating. It wasn't a metaphor, more like an avalanche. Many tiny youkai turned into a big, wild river. They were all trying to get to her first, pushing and shoving, and the one who got there first would win.
They pushed aside the trees, toppled their own kind, and continued to impatiently race forward... and finally, they glimpsed her.
A group of humans was there. Dozens of them. Normally, creatures like them would naturally attack and devour their prey, but at the moment, it didn't matter. The monsters' gazes were fixed on a single point.
The princess stood on the roof of an ox cart. Her hair was a vivid and charming peach color. Her resplendent and extravagant attire resembled that of a celestial maiden, and the sight of her dancing, with her pure white feet exposed, was a unique and improvisational performance, unlike any traditional dance. If she were to perform this before any dance master, they would probably retire in shame, so beautiful was her footwork.
It was an incredibly graceful dance.
'......!'
Even lowbrow and vulgar creatures, lacking intelligence and culture as they were, seemed to have the most basic sense of beauty. The youkai momentarily stopped and gazed in awe. It wasn't lust. It went beyond that. It was infatuation, intoxication, worship.
...Though it lasted only a moment.
'Roarrrrrrrrr!!!!'
The monsters roared in delight. Youkai didn't know words like "out of one's league." They didn't have a sense of empathy. They took what they wanted by force. They didn't consider their prey's feelings. No matter how divine an existence they encountered, they would drag it down, seize it, plunder it, defile it, dominate it, and make it their sustenance. That was the nature and duty of youkai.
So the monsters rushed towards the lovely dancing maiden. They bared their fangs, brandished their claws, breathed fire, spewed poison, and even used their supernatural abilities to cast invisible curses. Hundreds of malevolences were directed at her all at once. And then... both the monsters and their malevolence turned to dust.
"It's truly a massacre. Not a stain left."
"Absolutely. I never thought the day would come when I'd sympathize with these monsters."
Those were the remarks of one of the members of the Hidden Group, speaking casually. Their words were out of character for the Hidden Group, but given the spectacle before them, no one could criticize them.
It was an overwhelmingly brutal scene. They had entered the depths of the forbidden forest in Onitsuki for over two hours now. From the moment they set foot inside, it had begun, and it continued intermittently, with occasional short breaks. Onitsuki's group, pushing deep into the forbidden territory, encountered hordes of youkai attacking one after another. But they couldn't even get close to the princess with her fan, which she wielded like a dancer, to strike back or even touch her. They simply turned into shreds of flesh.
An excessively one-sided. Utterly absolute. Even the laborers who had initially been frightened every time they were attacked had become relaxed and chatty. The princess's actions could be described as a relentless trampling by unreasonable power. Even the laborers, who could see it at a glance, had a vague but deeper understanding, especially the members of the Hidden Group, who couldn't comprehend it fully. And they couldn't comprehend it because it was beyond their understanding. There were even those who fainted from rejection. It was because she used her overwhelming spiritual power like water, with sheer force.
What made it worse was that even conceptual supernatural abilities were nullified by her overwhelming spiritual energy, which seemed to completely disregard and neutralize them. It had become senseless to even consider smashing something beyond comprehension. It was like saying, "You alone are enough." In reality, she alone would have been enough.
"As expected, she's of the Ako clan's bloodline."
"Those people from that house are something else too. Truly terrifying, terrifying..."
The Ako family, an ancient and prestigious exorcist clan from the Western Region, proclaimed loyalty and righteousness, but in the neighborhood, they were known more for their unreasonableness and absurdity. The princess before them, in that sense, undoubtedly had the blood of the Ako clan. Of course, if she were an enemy, it would be a different story, but as an ally... she was a mixed blessing.
"Thanks to her, the laborers feel like they're watching a spectacle."
One half of the Hidden Group spat out a hint of sarcasm. The attitudes of the laborers surrounding the ox cart... They were unguarded, chatting away, and even eating and drinking secretly. They didn't seem to realize that they were in a dangerous place. At that rate, it was questionable whether they could even protect their lord in case of an emergency, let alone evacuate them.
"They're having a good time, aren't they? It's almost enviable."
"Thinking of requesting a transfer to the laborers? You'd be guaranteed no combat, even until retirement."
"Are you kidding? Like that's possible."
A transfer from the danger- and skill-intensive Hidden Group to laborers focused on taking care of the surroundings was a situation that would never happen. Well, it wasn't impossible, but if it were to happen, it would likely be for a suspicious reason, like pretending to be Hidden Group members while serving as bodyguards. Even if such an offer were made, no one would be the least bit happy about it.
"Haa, it's easy to fall, though."
The other half of the Hidden Group muttered as if suddenly remembering. In their mind's eye were the new Hidden Group member who served the Head of Servants and the servant who had left the group earlier, splashed with minced worm meat juice this morning. Both had fallen dramatically, to say the least. They were, in a way, cautionary tales. It was something they didn't want to become.
"It's quite a hardship to belittle others... You chat too much. Be more alert."
"Ye-yes..."
The warning delivered in a sharp tone made the younger members of the Hidden Group flinch involuntarily as they responded. The older member of the Hidden Group snorted and gave a subtle nod. It was time to get back to work. The younger Hidden Group members hastily left the scene.
"Senior, you seem quite irritated."
"Perhaps a bit on edge. I mean, it's crazy to head to the forbidden territory in the middle of the night."
Even though the younger members had just been scolded, they continued to whisper such things to each other. The older member of the Hidden Group sighed and shifted their gaze toward the ox cart.
"Ah, I'm rather thirsty now. Someone, fetch me some tea. Something cold, like 'Kingfisher Gingham (金更紗/kin-sarasa?).'"
After slaughtering over a thousand creatures, the princess scattered her shikigami around in all directions to create a boundary. Gracefully, she descended from the ox cart and requested tea.
"Now, now, halt the formation. Let's take a short break."
She ordered without consulting anyone, appearing genuinely tired. She quickly summoned a shikigami to serve as a cushion using her fan, sat down on it, rested her chin on her hand as if it were only natural, and ignored the cries of distress from Uribo, the shikigami bearing her weight. Her shikigami was undoubtedly suffering greatly.
"Y-yes, Princess! Right away!!"
"Here, a sweet for you. Please enjoy."
Taking a break in the heart of the forbidden territory was reckless, but none of the laborers who were essentially her lackeys dared to object to the princess's arrogant command. They merely complied with submissive smiles, delivering the ice-col green tea to the 'Mayoiga'-transformed ox cart and offering sweets as if it were an act in a teahouse.
"Very well."
It seemed she had sweated from the combined heat of the summer night and dancing. The princess fanned herself impatiently as she received the tea and quenched her thirst. She picked up a sweet and casually popped it into her mouth with a bored expression. Then, she vigorously slapped the laborer who had offered the sweets with her fan.
"Whoaa!!? Pr, Princess!?"
"You lack consideration, don't you? After all, I'm drinking cold tea. Show some thoughtfulness with the sweets you offer."
The princess scolded the laborer for their choice of sweets. It was a sweet baked confection, a high-class item. However, it made her thirsty. If they had been considerate, they would have prepared sweets with more moisture to complement the cold tea. This was her way of punishing the laborers who couldn't do that.
"M-my apologize... Ugh!!?"
And the embarrassed laborer was still being stepped on by the young princess. She looked down on her subordinates with arrogance.
"Anyone can apologize, you know, foolish one? Well, I hope you learned from your mistake this time?"
Aoi had no intention of causing casualties among her subordinates on this mission, for the sake of her family's reputation, her father's honor, and her own pride. Otherwise, she might have disciplined these foolish and oblivious underlings more severely. This was a warning, an exercise, from the benevolent princess.
At least, that's how she saw it.
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