[Part 2/4]
If one were to listen closely, there is a diverse chorus of youkai in the distance. Thanks to Takaragen burning the keystone of the boundary from the inside, there was a chance to strangle him from behind.
"...Ugh, damn! Sh*t! ...Fine, I get it. I understand. I surrender. So, hurry up, and help me!"
Faced with the impending fate, Takaragen's desire for live seemed to kick in. There was a momentary struggle, but this sh*tty boss quickly accepted defeat and begged for help.
"Yeah, understood."
I calmly accepted the boss's words. At the same time, the kubire-oni, which had entwined around our bodies due to Takaragen's surrender, disappeared like smoke. Still, the curse's binding force seemed unchanged, just invisible.
"Now, first..."
I managed to obtain the spoils of our recent battle from the captive Takaragen. It was a Furoshiki, a wrapping cloth used for sealing. As I held it, I could feel the texture of the wrapped fruit through the fabric. Though its spiritual energy was contained, the sheer presence of it overwhelmed me. Even the arm that captured Takaragen seemed to react slightly to its presence. ...But I shouldn't unfold this Furoshiki here. We need to retreat quickly.
"...By the way, should I take this coat too?"
I casually grabbed the advanced perception inhibiting coat as if it were just an extra. Internally, I sneered at how it felt like I was robbing someone. In reality, it seemed to be quite humiliating for Takaragen, as his face turned red with embarrassment.
"You d*mn... arrogant bastard... just because you won, you're getting cocky...!! Stop fooling around and hurry up, help me!!"
"Yeah, I got it. Here."
While being shouted at and demanded, I reluctantly placed it in front of him.
Earlier, I gently placed the hidden blade from the geta sandals that had been stabbed into his chest.
"...Huh?"
"Great youkai and a horde of miscellaneous youkai, there's no way I can defeat them, right? And I didn't make a contract with a curse. This is the extent of my sincerity in being able to 'help'."
With a hint of sarcasm, I sneered with malice. Takaragen widened his eyes, alternating his gaze between the blade and me. Understanding that he had been set up, he widened his eyes.
"Wha, wha-wha-wha!?"
"...Then."
Leaving behind the bewildered boss, I walked away, and in that moment, a flash of light passed by gracefully. The sharp blade passed through the empty air without harming anything. I turned around and mocked.
"Forgetting the effect of the curse, are we? You won't be able to harm me anymore, right?"
Normally, there was no way it would miss. The prohibition of harmful acts through curses had dulled his throwing arm.
"You basst*rd!! How dare you mock meeee!!??"
"...I suddenly found a way to pass away comfortably."
With a fierce look in his eyes, like a demon, he roared like a beast relentlessly. In response, I uttered just one word in a completely indifferent tone. From then on, I ignored him completely. Curses, no longer reached me.
He brought this upon himself... his fate was sealed.
"I'll kill you!! I'll definitely... Ugh! You b*stards... I'll kill you!! Remember that... Get lost!! Don't forget!! I'll definitely... Ugh, I'll completely destroy you!!"
"Princess, let's go. Hisame, it's dangerous to release the spiritual fruit here. Let's move a bit and then treat your wounds."
Ignoring the background noise, I explained to the two of them while carrying Hisame on my back and holding Aoi. Then, while wearing my coat, I entered the breached boundary, trying to diminish my presence from the numerous malicious creatures that might be lurking. Whether we would be attacked or not depended on luck.
"...Tomobe."
"...What is it?"
As we started walking, Aoi, whom I held tightly, called my name.
"You're not bad. Be proud that you protected me. And keep protecting me in the future."
The arrogant tone, however, I understood its true meaning. I understood the unspoken intentions. Rather, it's pathetic to say such considerate things to a child... Truly, it's pitiful.
"...Yes."
I responded honestly, brushing off the voices of resentment that poured out like a flood from behind. In reality, that sh*tty boss was far from being a good person. He was wicked, cunning, and malicious. He paid the price for his many deeds that befitted them. That's all it was. In that sense, there was no need for anyone to say anything about my actions. In any case, I can't carry three people, nor can I stop the youkai.
Yes, there's no need for me to say anything. But...
"When you curse someone, there will be two holes, huh?"
Out of nowhere, those words were spun as if it were a soliloquy. I felt disgusted when I spun them myself. It was as if they were hinting at something.
"Haha, how foolish..."
I chuckled softly, as if to play it off.
Unfortunately, it seemed that I wouldn't be able to have a good dream for a while...
"...If it's around here, we should still be able to manage. Even if the monsters come, we'll notice them right away."
After walking for a while, as if escaping from the curse, I found a small hill with a good view near the riverside, where I finally set the two of them down. I put a coat on Aoi and approached Hisame.
"Hisame, please bear with it."
"..."
Without saying a word, Hisame nodded in response to my prior notice. And then, I lifted up Hisame's clothing around the abdomen, exposing those painful wounds that were marked with the passage of time.
If it's just the appearance, mine were worse. I had more wounds. However, appearances alone couldn't be compared. The wound in Hisame's abdomen, where a spear was deeply and repeatedly plunged, was, in a way, much more fatal than my countless wounds. Blood had been forcefully stopped by pressing cloth against it. The cloth went beyond being just red and turned a dark red. The pain was being somewhat controlled with additional pills. Nevertheless...
"It seems that the state of weakness is severe."
I could tell just by looking. Immediate and fundamental treatment was needed right away.
Well, the reason I can explain this at length is because I am in a situation where I can do so.
"Princess."
"Yep. The password is 'beauty and brains.'"
The curse-tool, a Furoshiki, will easily untie the knot if you speak the password. But I heard that if you try to force it open without following the correct procedure, the end of the knot extends and comes to strangle the opponent, which is quite terrifying.
"...Are you sure about this, Princess?"
I asked Aoi again. It was a repeated confirmation. After all, what I'm about to use is the miraculous spiritual fruit requested by the imperial court. It's a top-secret order from the country entrusted to a fake request. It could potentially be a big problem.
However, there's no other choice but to use this to save Hisame with what I have on hand. That's also a fact.
"...I'll accept the stain on my name. Fortunately, there's a way to cover it up."
Reluctantly, but with a serious expression as if she remembered something, Aoi accepted my request in the end, accompanied by a sigh.
"Thank you very much. ...So, I just need to feed it a fragment, right?"
"Yes, but it must be small, very small. Be careful not to ingest too much spiritual energy, or she might burst. Pay attention."
"...Understood."
I nodded, my expression contorting at Aoi's warning. It was no joking matter to try and help someone only to have them explode.
"...Well, we don't have much time to fool around. Hisame, this will help you. It's tough, but try to eat it without vomiting."
I offered words of encouragement and then held the tip of the spear I had retrieved, treating it like a tantō dagger, and spread out the furoshiki wrapping cloth. I unfolded the wrapped fabric, one piece at a time. I did this eight times in total. With each unfolding, the presence before my eyes grew stronger, leaving me breathless. Even the tension in the air was palpable. I steadied my trembling hand and continued to unfold.
"Alright, this is the last one..."
I reached for the final volume. I suppressed the feeling of fear and began to unfold it...and finally, I witnessed it. The miraculous spiritual fruit.
"...Huh?"
That was my first reaction. Dumbfounded, shocked, unable to grasp the situation."
"Ugh!!"
And in an instant, I immediately pierced the peach with the tip of the spear. No way, it didn't pierce. The tip broke with a metallic sound, as if it had been repelled by a thick metal plate.
"Shit!? Are you kidding me!? Don't mess around!!?"
I couldn't accept the truth and repeatedly thrust the tip. Thrust, thrust, and thrust.
"Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Stop kidding around!? Hey!!?"
I swung, swung, and Swung. But it chipped and shattered the weapon. I tried to peel off the spell with my bare hands, but my fingernails tore immediately and blood gushed out. Without care, I take on the seal. Still, it didn't even flinch.
"Kai (Open)! Kai (Open)! What's with this 'Kai (Open)'...!?"
"Tomobe!? No, stop!!"
Seeing the sorry state of my fingers, Aoi yelled words of restraint, almost like a scream. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I couldn't afford to stop.
"Why!? Why on earth!? Why like this!? This is no joke!"
I panicked and yelled. I slammed the fruit onto the ground. A loud thud echoed as it collided with the hard surface. The boundary attached to the peach, tracing its surface as if mocking me, remained resilient, protecting its contents perfectly. It was infuriating.
"Really, truly... I can't believe it! Aoi, what in the world is this?"
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