[Part 3/4]
"Here we go all at once! You better talk on the way, don't bite your tongue before we get there!!"
With the man in her arms, Kaede became like a gust of wind, boldly plunging into the storm of fire.
Amidst the chaos of battling creatures like the giant snake (orochi), Tengu, the Demon, non-humans, and other supernatural beings, there was a skirmish taking place on the outskirts of the Tengu village, far away from there.
...Ruri Kouka was a typical fox youkai. She was a legitimate youkai fox, walking the righteous path.
Originally, youkai foxes were known for their cunning and mastery of illusion. With their high intelligence and even deeper malice, they deceive, confuse, and harm people. They are creatures of cunning...
Because of these traits, they have been prioritized for suppression and eradication by many countries, including Fusō-kuni. And that was indeed the right decision.
As a species, they are overwhelmingly female and are known for their violently beautiful appearance. But don't be deceived by that. The beauty of youkai is superficial, and in the case of youkai foxes, it's even more malicious in a sense.
Just because someone is beautiful on the outside doesn't mean their heart is beautiful, especially with youkai. Ruri Kouka is the epitome of such youkai foxes.
She doesn't possess a wide array of advanced skills beyond illusion like the revered black fox once worshiped as Yoshinaga-anesama. Nor does she excel in simple violence like her annoying white fox stepsister. But compared to those two, Kouka certainly stands out as a youkai fox.
In the realm of pure illusion, this Yao's golden fox could outsmart both black and white foxes. Additionally, she could anticipate the emotions and thoughts of her opponents by observing their every move and subtle facial expressions. For this youkai fox, who had enchanted and destroyed many men, it was an easy task.
'Come on, Demon-san! Over here! Can you catch me?'
With a laugh, the fox leaped and danced through the forest, disappearing as if into thin air. Shortly after, Matsushige Botan deflected numerous Will-o'-the-Wisps that were launched from the side. However, she failed to notice one of them was actually a dagger disguised as a Will-o'-the-Wisp.
"Ah!"
Botan roughly pulled out the dagger that had stabbed her palm. The reason being it had an explosive tag attached to it. She threw it away into an uninhabited area, where it exploded. If she had been a moment slower in her reaction, her arm would have been blown off.
'Ha!! You're quick to judge, huh!! Is it because you're a dream demon that you're so bold!?'
"Fox!!"
Mockery echoed from all directions. Countless clones danced around, taunting Botan from every side. Botan spat back at them, as if hurling insults. Deep down, she thought, "You're definitely not complimenting that, are you?"
"Annoying...!!"
Then Botan sucked it up. She tore open one of the protective pouches wrapped around her waist. She savored the rich contents with a loud slurp. As the warmth filled her palm, the hole began to heal... making her even more uncomfortable.
"You've gone and depleted my stock! What am I supposed to do now...!?"
Sharpening her senses, Botan leaped. Towards a corner of the forest, where there was nothing.
She punched. The trunk shattered. There was nothing. Nothing to see. Yet, Botan's senses detected a disturbance in the air where there should have been none. A slight disruption, as if something had passed through. Where did she go?
"There it is!"
'Whoops, that's dangerous!'
With a tight flick of her tail, something slashed through the air. The fox quickly ducked, avoiding the blade that swept overhead. The tail, blade-like and long, belonged to a demon. It could stretch and contract, functioning much like a whip.
"It missed...!! But!"
Spotting the fox, which had become a half-beast, half-human creature, crawling on the branch, Botan quickly lunged forward, and kicked. The fox hurriedly dodged. The branch shattered into countless dust and fragments. It was as thick as a sumo wrestler's body.
'What brute strength!'
The fox taunted, and she disappeared. Botan was annoyed.
(She's quite skilled, huh? She's using tools like a beast...!!")
Probably not just with simple brute strength... And in a way, it's shameful... She's the one who was overpowered. But if she can't hit her, it's meaningless.
Ruri Kouka acted like a fox-like youkai, teasing Botan endlessly. Botan couldn't rely on her senses, especially her sight. Ruri Kouka always seemed to be layering multiple illusions, making it impossible to see through them. Without the heightened senses that come from being a youkai, Botan couldn't see through the complex and eerie illusions, and even if she had them, she still couldn't see through them completely.
(Well, if I can focus, there's nothing I can't do...!!)
Botan clicked her tongue while glancing sideways at Ruri Kouka. It wasn't impossible to see through the illusions if she concentrated. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't just focus on what was in front of her. Botan had something she needed to protect.
Feeling slightly irritated, Botan released protective charms while watching the battle from the window of the tree-top palace, where the Middle Counselor (Chuunagon) observed the fight with a carefree attitude, almost as if they were sightseeing.
'Gotcha!!'
"Huh!?"
Then, the golden fox with keen observation skills didn't miss the moment when the opponent's attention wandered. From the side and slightly below, a Tantō, a hidden blade, was thrust out seemingly from nowhere. It was clearly coated with something unpleasant from the way it slid.
It pierced into the slender side of hers. But it was an illusion. In counter, Botan tore through the fox. And then vanished. Multiple foxes appeared. They all attacked simultaneously. Botan knew that except for the leftmost one, the others were just shadows.
It was a battle of illusions. They showed each other false images, trying to enchant and deceive, aiming to trick and trap. To an onlooker, the constant stream of illusions would have been overwhelming.
(It seems like I'm being pushed back a bit...!! Her base skills are superior, huh!)
Of course. The dream demon was indeed skilled in illusions. However, Matsushige Botan hadn't become a dream demon until just a year ago. It wasn't unreasonable that she couldn't match up to the innate youkai fox. Rather, being able to hold her ground was a miracle. It was thanks to her experience as an exorcist, her grandfather's teachings, and the quality of the dream demon factors she had assimilated.
...On the other hand, for a fox, being challenged by a youngster is like a blow to their pride. It's a big deal to be hurt like that.
'Is that all you've got? Don't underestimate me!'
The fox escalated the illusion game, taking it up not just one but two levels. She bombarded Botan with layer upon layer of illusions, trying to outwit her senses. There were countless clones, voices coming from all directions. The sense of smell became meaningless amidst a hundred different scents, and the false sensations of heat and cold wore down her mind.
Gradually, the balance begins to crumble, becoming increasingly obvious. Botan is pushed into a defensive position.
...But this is her plan. She created an illusion to deceive, to lure her into complacency and overconfidence. And then, she unleashed her trump card.
"I didn't want to use this too much, but!!"
Botan ripped open two protective bags tied around her waist and bit into them. The youkai energy surged explosively. Her body strengthened, senses heightened... A feeling of invincibility washed over her!
"Haha...!"
'What!?'
With mocking laughter that seemed unfamiliar to herself, Botan launched a counteroffensive.
It was a kind of illusion magic comparable to youkai foxes, combined with immense physical strength that far surpassed them. Through sheer physical might, Botan shattered illusions and broke through magic. There was no romanticism in this magical showdown, and that was just fine. Humans like Matsuhige, and exorcists in general, didn't seek such frivolous things in their work. The idea of facing youkai foxes head-on with only curses was just a tale for the streets.
'You bastard...!?'
Botan's super senses made the illusions useless. Her enhanced abilities shattered traps and schemes. With this transformation, the youkai fox, who relied on pure illusion, lost her edge. The tide of battle swiftly turned against her.
"And now, the finishing blow...!!"
With a flourish, Botan tore apart the pouch hanging loosely from her waist. She thrust her dignity as a maiden into the gutter and pressed on relentlessly.
'It looks like it doesn't taste good... What!?'
The fox quickly sent out many illusion clones to confuse Botan. But her main body couldn't escape. Looking closely, an arm grew from her heart. Her super senses saw through the illusion and led her straight to the real body. Botan stopped it.
'Was that...?'
"It was just in time. If I were to use all my strength, the effect would wear off quickly with the amount of a small bag. It's not efficient."
The fox was astonished. Botan murmured calmly. It seemed Botan had divided the contents of the protective pouch too finely, and both physical abilities and enhanced senses were returning to normal. Of course, it still had an exceptional effect.
Botan knew of more efficient bodily fluids, but had no intention of extracting or using them. Seriously, spare them.
"...Now then. I managed to extract your heart skillfully. Thankfully, your head didn't get crushed."
For a moment, Botan felt disheartened, but then regained focus. There was a purpose within this fox's head. Botan wanted to keep the neck intact to extract more information later.
So, she is making a sharp hand blade. She's about to cut off the fox's head. Then...
'You stupid, perverted monkey!!?'
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