[Part 1/4]
"Haah, haah... I've finally arrived...!?"
As she uttered those words, she had indeed arrived there. She had desperately pushed through the death-filled deep forest, crossed the boundary, and finally set foot on this safe ground. It was truly a miracle, but in a way, it was also inevitable.
The mass slaughter of youkai that Onitsuki's princess had initiated, spanning an entire day... The density of youkai, even though it was denser than usual, was much thinner compared to the outside world. Additionally, with the decoys and smoke bombs drawing the nearby creatures away, the obstacles had been reduced. Her exceptional detection abilities, coupled with this, had allowed her to continue avoiding danger. It was an extraordinary feat.
However, the problem was that it only resolved the problem at hand...
"Senpai, are you still...!?"
Gasping for breath due to oxygen deficiency, her cheeks flushed, she quickly surveyed her surroundings to confirm the truth. A safe zone created by coarse ropes stretched in all directions. This area could accommodate at least a hundred people, but it was by no means vast. Even if she were to walk around its periphery, it would take less than half an hour. With her detection abilities, she could roughly sense the presence within that area.
...And, at least for now, there was no sign of the person she was waiting for.
"Senpai couldn't have...!?"
Considering the nature of their agreement, this was an impossible situation both logically and circumstantially. That meant she had arrived ahead... Consequently, she was forced to make that decision.
"If it go beyond the planned 2 hours..."
As agreed upon in their prior meeting, if they couldn't meet up by the agreed-upon time, she would leave the other behind. Fortunately, there was still some time left...
"But if it goes beyond that..."
What would she do then? Would she really abandon them? Was that okay? She hesitated at the thought.
She couldn't help but feel that she couldn't handle this situation on her own, and the act of leaving someone behind puzzled her more than anything.
Above all, there was something she had to confirm, something that had to be settled while they were both still alive...
"Oh-ho-ho, you made it all the way here. Truly impressive."
A voice full of genuine admiration came from behind her.
"...!"
Startled, she quickly turned around, already drawing her bow before recognizing the source. In her field of vision was the bald, frog-faced individual. She recalled this figure instantly—the one who had attempted to harm Onitsuki's princess.
"You are from the Medic Group, aren't you?"
She said that much before sensing the rapid approach of something. She sensed it, but it was already too late.
"Why, kaha...!?"
She was seized quite literally by a pair of massive, powerful arms. She was caught. Unintentionally, she let out a gasp that sounded like her breath was escaping her. She managed to keep her consciousness from momentarily fading due to the sudden pressure. She looked at what was projected before her eyes—the one-armed giant monkey with mushrooms growing on its head. A monkey youkai's decaying corpse.
"Why is youkai here, of all places? And why you?"
Confusion and astonishment dominated her thoughts. The answer was returned almost immediately.
"The boundary repels those with evil intentions. This parasitic fungus has been significantly improved from its original form. It may be fast, but it diligently shaves away the youkai essence. It can even pass through the boundary."
More accurately, it burned away the youkai essence remaining in the body like fat. Of course, this was an extremely inefficient reduction process, and this creature would only remain active for another day at most.
And that was fine. In the first place, he hadn't placed much hope on this fungus child. While the pink princess had been relentlessly slaughtering youkai, the medic had secretly sown the spores towards the corpse creatures. This was to create instant pawn on the spot. And these creatures had already served their purpose. It was merely reusing pawns scheduled for disposal, due to the situation advancing faster than anticipated.
Certainly, this was an uncontrollable variable that couldn't be easily removed...
"Now then, time is of the essence. Shall we get to what needs to be done quickly? I suggest you take a look at this..."
As instructed by the medic, the monkey's corpse extended the hand that had gripped her, presenting something in front of her.
"Well, well, which one was it... Ah, here it is. Take a look at this."
He searched for several small wooden boxes sewn into the lining of his coat, and he found one of them, pushing it toward her. He opened the wooden box, revealing countless fireflies inside.
These were genetically modified firefly youkai... Their unnaturally glowing appearance, which resembled youkai, was immediately apparent to her.
"Mind manipulation...! Are you planning to brainwash me!?"
She directed a stern gaze at the medic, almost glaring, and that was all she could do.
Kotodama-jutsu (word technique) through auditory perception, or illusions that could deceive sensory organs and thoughts instantaneously or over the short or long term through visual, olfactory, or other sensory channels, hypnosis... these were the techniques commonly referred to as brainwashing. However, they were by no means invincible or all-powerful, just outdated techniques that could be countered with proper preparation.
...Yes, if there had been prior precautions taken.
Unfortunately, the human body's fundamental structure remained unchanged through generations. No matter how excessive their spiritual power might be, it ultimately boiled down to just that. Every human saw things with their eyes, and they couldn't just close their ears at will. The principles of brain function were the same. Unless there had been extensive physical modifications, the prerequisites for brainwashing remained exactly the same, whether in the past or present.
Therefore, at this very moment, with no countermeasures in place, there was no way to resist. There was truly no way to resist brainwashing except for something extreme like biting off one's tongue or crushing a poison tooth at the back of one's mouth.
And if she were to be brainwashed in her current situation, the purpose was clear...!!
"Oh, please, let's not get the wrong idea. I have no such ill intentions or hostilities towards you... Please, don't look at me with those eyes."
The medic denied with what seemed like genuine surprise, countering her expectations and impatience.
"You! After such an outrageous act, now...!?"
"Exactly. You are not my target. And at least for this mission, I believe we can work well together."
"What are you saying...!?"
She raised her voice in response to the unexpectedly friendly reply. But in the midst of this exchange, the fireflies flew out of the wooden box. They took flight and drifted around her. By the time she recognized it, it was already too late.
"Ugh...!?"
The light danced in delight. It danced eerily, like youkai. Whether due to some effect or not, even though she understood that she should close her eyes, her eyelids wouldn't budge. Her pupils were wide open, and her focus was drawn to the light. She had no choice but to focus on it.
This was bad. This was bad. This was bad. Close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close your eyes. Don't listen. Don't listen. Don't listen. This is, this is, this is... this is... Ah, I see. This is, in other words... Ah, what is this...?
"......"
"Well, well. Shall we proceed with the alternative plan, then? Please, make it work well for us."
That was the last thing 'she' heard before her consciousness faded...
People are constantly faced with decisions. From trivial, insignificant choices to crucial decisions that can alter the course of their lives, the range is vast.
And sometimes, these choices become so urgent that there's no room for hesitation or postponement. It's a critical situation where there's no time to weigh one's options, as it is right now.
"...Are you prepared, Princess?"
I asked as I carefully adjusted my breath and addressed the child in my arms.
It was a gamble. A once-in-a-lifetime gamble, quite literally, to break free from the seemingly endless stalemate. It was a high-stakes bet where our lives were the wager, and the reward was also our lives—strangely twisted in a sense.
"I understand. There's no other way, is there? I've heard it all already. Just do your best."
The young child responded confidently to the question, asserting that she had understood everything a long time ago.
Inside the intricate safety zone of the talismans, they had been engaged in a continuous dialogue and explanation, long and short as the time might have seemed. An agreement had already been reached. There was no discrepancy in their understanding. Regardless of the outcome... they had promised not to hold any grudges against each other.
...After all, it was merely a child's verbal promise, not a formal contract curse.
"That's a good mindset. ...So, shall we proceed?"
Glancing at the talisman affixed to the rocky surface, and confirming that it had already reached its expiration date, I slowly stood up, my legs trembling. The wound on my back, recently treated to stop the bleeding, throbbed painfully. It was agonizing. I gritted my teeth, enduring it as best as I could, while cradling the princess.
With her weak, loli Gorilla-sama's strength, she weakly returned the embrace. She could only move a little; indeed, Gorilla-sama was still Gorilla-sama. A child poisoned like her wouldn't even be capable of that.
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