'Buzzz!'
'Chirppp!'
I looked around at the sound and confirmed it. The insect-like youkai that had been lurking in the shadows of the surroundings revealed themselves one by one.
"These pests...!!"
They were likely hiding out of fear of both the jade block and Namahage. The surviving offspring of Yamanba slowly but steadily surrounded us, closing in on us.
"Stop !!"
I tried to stop the insects swarming around Hikorokurō's corpse nearby, but it was futile. The insects quickly blocked my path, standing in my way. Some of them attacked Hikorokurō's corpse, biting, tearing, and ravaging it. They devoured it without any regard for the dignity of the dead.
"You damn pests...!! Ah, Iruka!?"
Furious at their rampage, I noticed a presence behind me and desperately crawled towards Iruka. The malevolent hands of the insects were getting closer to the unconscious her. The priority between the living and the dead was clear. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to abandon Hikorokurō.
"Don't come near! Stay away...!!"
I crawled on my hands and knees, throwing snow and branches at the insects to stop them from getting closer and protect Iruka. I endured the intense pain in my body, desperately reaching Iruka's side. I struck the advancing insects to keep them at bay. I shouted, yelled, and threatened them. Perhaps it had some effect because the insects momentarily backed off and glared at me.
"You d*mn pests...!! Are you scared? You worthless vermin!!?"
Gasping for breath, I continued to shout with all my might. Without any weapons, it was my only hope. As the insects slowly closed in from blind spots, I glared back at them, protecting Iruka. But my limits were quickly approaching.
"Ah...!?"
Suddenly, something came rushing at me with the speed of a pitching machine's fastball. My vision shook accompanied by a dull pain, and I collapsed.
"Ah... Gah!?"
The last sight I saw before losing consciousness, was a horde of insects eagerly closing in on me...
* * *
What had severed the consciousness of the servant was a flea. It was a leap from a flea youkai, just like during the attack on the county capital. If there was any difference, it was that there were hardly any larger specimens left, and the flea that leaped onto the servant this time was about two sizes smaller.
Of course, that alone wasn't the reason why the servant only lost consciousness instead of having his head blown off. The angle at which the flea attacked was shallow, and most importantly, the servant's body, particularly the cranial (skull) area, was stronger and more resilient than an ordinary person's.
It was the result of the erosion from the fallen Earth Mother Goddess's blood, continuously transforming the flesh beneath the servant's skin. Without that, the servant's head would undoubtedly have caved in. It was nothing but ironic. The servant lost consciousness but didn't die, falling next to the werewolf and being covered by her.
...However, if things remained as they were, it would only prolong the servant's life to a certain extent.
'Buzzz!'
'Chirp! Chirppp!!'
The youkai, disguised as humans that has been resisting for so long finally collapses. And then, the insect youkais slowly gathered around, closing in and trapping them, holding back their companions from both sides. They argued among themselves about who would be the first to eat this prey. Some even resorted to eating each other, ignoring their fellow predators.
In the midst of the chaos, a mantis youkai pushed others aside, intimidating them, and stepped forward. It claimed the right to devour the most delicious parts of the person's brain and heart. Proudly showing off to the jealous onlookers, the mantis took a step towards the servant... only to jerk back in pain from its leg.
'Chirp!?'
The mantis looked down at its feet, wondering what was happening. And then, it spotted it—the white spider.
'(ﾉ･`з･)ﾉ Don't come any closer!!'
The white spider spread its arms wide in what seemed like a threatening posture. For a moment, the mantis and other youkai were stunned... and then the mantis swung its scythe.
'(゜ロ゜ノ)ノHey!? It's dangerous!! (*｀Д´*) Bwah! Don't you dare hit a lady!'
Panicking, the white spider wriggled its body and avoided the scythe. After evading the attack, the white spider raised its arms again, trying to make itself look bigger, and clacked its mandibles in a threatening manner.
It was a feeble ax of a mantis, and the medium youkai teased it with "Teke teke." The surrounding youkai laughed, getting caught up in the mockery. However, the white spider, undeterred, became indignant.
The mantis tried to ignore the spider and continue forward. Hurriedly, the white spider bit its leg.
'(＃ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ What!? You little...!?(. >д<) Eek!?'
The bitten leg was flailed around and slammed into the snowy ground.
'(；∀；) Ouch! That hurts! (≧ヘ≦)! You're so mean!!?'
The white spider rubbed its head and teary-eyed, drew a line on the snowy ground.
'(>д<)ノI won't let you pass this line! I won't! I won't!'
Of course, the mantis crossed the line without hesitation.
'( ´ﾟдﾟ)‥‥(＃ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ Wait, wait!'
The white spider stood dumbfounded. But soon after, it became indignant again and lunged at the mantis, biting it once more.
'(＃｀皿´) I got you now! (. >д<) Eek!'
And this time, it received a kick to the face. Ignoring the spider, the mantis continued forward.
'ヽ(；▽；)ノWhy won't you listen to me!?'
Despite the pain in its face and teary eyes, the desperate white spider continued to threaten. It continued its meaningless intimidation. But still, the mantis and the surrounding youkai paid no attention to the white spider, advancing further each time and forcing the white spider to retreat. Eventually, it climbed onto the fallen servant's head and glanced around at the surrounding youkai, continuing its futile resistance.
'(；ω；｀*) I'm so powerless! Even Papa and sister are going to... no, I'll protect them!!'
With a sense of impending doom, the white spider, still trying its best to resist, threatened bravely in order to protect its 'father' and 'sister.'
...Unfortunately, the white spider was too powerless.
The mantis prepares to bite the human-skinned servant's head while ignoring the spider. However, the spider doesn't run away. It is determined to protect its family until the end and fights hard to defend them. Unfortunately, its efforts are in vain. The mantis moves its jaws closer, almost biting, but then its neck twists off.
Both the mantis and the white spider are shocked by what unfolds. The difference is that while the mantis dies instantly, the spider witnesses what happens next.
The youkai surrounding them are swiftly met with the same fate, their necks twisted and severed. In the blink of an eye, the monsters are reduced to lifeless corpses. The hidden shikigami that were lurking nearby suffer the same fate, torn apart and reduced to mere scraps of paper.
'(ﾟДﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ)ﾞ? What, what just happened? Was it all an illusion?'
Surrounded by the sudden turn of events, the white spider looks around in astonishment. It denies. Unfortunately, her assumptions are completely off the mark, not even close to the truth. There's no convenient explanation for what just transpired.
Immediately afterward, a man comes down from above, riding a shiki that looks like a big horned owl. He is holding a Khakkhara in his hand. This man is the leader of the servant group, Onitsuki Shisui.
"Well, this has been quite a spectacle."
Taking note of the Yamanba's skin and the discarded giant arm of the Namahage, Onitsuki Shisui sighs briefly. He then looks down, gazing at the fallen servant, covered in blood and unconscious.
"Well, well, how do we clean up this mess? It seems my efforts in the house were all in vain. You really know how to trouble me."
Calmly, detachedly, and ruthlessly, Shisui muses aloud. He taunts while kneeling.
'ヽ(；▽；)ノ What did he do? Why does Papa always find himself in these kinds of situations?'
"You... Are you a divine child? This is rather peculiar."
To the white spider, who pleads tearfully with Onitsuki while perched atop the servant's head, Onitsuki Shisui is instead dumbfounded and overwhelmed by its very presence. He had never even considered such an existence, nor had he anticipated the circumstances surrounding it.
"Please rest assured, divine spirit of the white spider. I have no intention whatsoever of harming your relative."
'(；∀；) Really?'
"Of course, that goes without saying. ...Especially when it comes to him."
With a composed demeanor and proper etiquette, Onitsuki responds, although internally he is perplexed by the mysterious symbols like faces that flooded his brain. He calmly acknowledges the spider's plea and gazes upon the fallen servant.
They have become partners in a pact, an accomplice in this twisted situation.
"For now, I should collect that skin and arm, as well as deal with the troublesome princess. It's not easy to let go of such a big catch."
Unfolding around twenty doll-like shikigami, Onitsuki begins cleaning up the area. He carefully disposes of the corpses of the defeated youkai, retrieves the Yamanba's skin and the Namahage's arm. The jade fragments are treated the same way. He also gathers the weapons and equipment belonging to the servant...
"Oh?"
But the puppet, buried halfway in the snow and left unattended, has disappeared. Only its face and attire remain discarded on the spot. There are no footprints, and no sound was noticed. A stealthy retreat, perhaps.
"A splendid performance. No tangible evidence can be found."
Upon closer examination, no evidence of the puppet shikigami's existence can be discovered. They must have prepared backup power sources within the puppets in anticipation of such a situation.
"Thorough preparation. They are quite cautious."
To prove their existence, the only options would be to interrogate the fallen servant at his feet or extract memories from the half-youkai. However, it wouldn't be a simple memory reading. It would require a powerful technique that could render them incapacitated.
And the Second Princess would not allow that.
"Whatever it is. Let's overlook it, for now. Just... for now."
He lifts the fallen servant, blood flowing from his head, while the half-youkai beneath is carried by the shikigami. They board the horned owl he used earlier and take flight.
"Let's return... to Ako's guest room, Miss Hotoya, and the white fox's attendant. They were quite worried."
'(*´∇｀)ﾉ I can go back too!!'
"Understood. Please come here."
Onitsuki Shisui opens his palm, gesturing for the white spider to climb aboard. She elegantly settles herself on his hand and then wriggles into the embrace of the young man's pocket.
And once again, Onitsuki steals a glance at the face of the black-haired youth in his chest, gently stroking his head.
"...Truly, a sinful child."
He softly murmurs, his expression slightly softening, but quickly goes back to his usual self. The leader of the servant group, with mystical eyes, puts a Noh mask on the servant's face in front of him and continues on his way...
