'Groarrrr!!!!'
Under the scorching sun, amidst the sound of insects and birds, the stifling hot wind filled the air. In a location that resembled a blazing tropical jungle across the Southern Region, a ferocious roar echoed as the bear attacked with relentless fury. Roaring and striking.
'Hissssss!?'
The opposing monster was already battered and bruised, covered in deep scars carved by the bear. Crimson blood oozed painfully from its wounds. Finally recognizing its own disadvantage, it momentarily retreated.
"Don't let it escape! Kill it before it can do anything!!"
The bear, following its master's command, moved swiftly. It surged through the muddy ground and leaped at the opponent. While its massive size might be misconstrued, bears are known to be swift predators even in snowy plains. The marshy terrain made little difference. The onikuma was now launching a full-fledged assault.
'Grrr!? S-Stop...'
Without a chance to beg for mercy, the opponent's head was pulverized by the onikuma, Genbu. It was a perfectly timed blow that could snap even a large tree in one strike. Its head, now completely ground meat with bones, scattered across the ground. The colossal body, now headless, fell heavily to the earth.
"Haa... haa... Whew. Did we manage to stop it?"
Botan panted heavily, her blood boiling, as she glanced at the mangled flesh rolling at her feet. Then, Botan spoke coldly.
Mizuchi... the juvenile form or subspecies of a dragon. According to one theory, a water dragon living in the veins of the land takes a hundred years to become a Mizuchi and then another five hundred years to ascend to the status of a dragon. Of course, in reality, it would likely take even more time...
"Hmph. It sure does waste a lot of time."
The words uttered with disgust were directed at the convulsing corpse. Naturally, there weren't many who worshipped a juvenile dragon.
A Mizuchi is essentially a snake. Snakes are revered as water deities, possessing both sacred and wicked aspects. In the folklore of the Nanban region, it is said that snakes tempt humans to commit sins by eating forbidden fruits.
Evil, cunning, and with the power of a dragon, Mizuchi is an extremely troublesome existence. These creatures, which claim rivers and lakes as their territory, are usually haughty, looking down on humans. They drive people away from their lands or demand sacrifices at any opportunity. They obstruct the development and expansion of the human realm.
And usually, even after ascending to the status of a dragon, such Mizuchi remain evil, becoming malevolent dragons that bring disasters such as floods, tsunamis, storms, or droughts. It is no wonder that the court orders their extermination upon discovering Mizuchi or evil dragons.
The same applied here. As Botan and the others wandered through the scorching forest, tirelessly exterminating beasts, insects, and plants, this monster appeared as if waiting for them. It arrogantly desecrated their sanctuary, demanding tribute in exchange for passage. Seeing the countless maggots swarming around the corpses of laborers nearby, compromise or submission was out of the question. And thus, this foolish snake, overestimating her strength, met its end.
"Truly loathsome..."
Botan muttered with contempt, then felt dizzy and leaned against the nearby trees for support. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, wiping away the bead-like sweat trickling down her forehead. Her already exhausted body, affected by the tropical climate, was further eroded by the active insects within. Instinctively, she fanned her collar, trying to let the air flow beneath her clothing.
"...What are you doing?"
Botan glared up at the false sky and sunlight, appearing thoroughly displeased. She frowned as she noticed the bear staring at her, seemingly desiring something. Understanding its intention, she sighed with exasperation and gave an order.
"Oh, I see. It doesn't matter. After all, there's no telling when I'll be eaten."
The great youkai, who had been waiting obediently with its hand by its mouth like a commanded dog, eagerly dove into the remains of the defeated monster at Botan's instruction. It ripped off scales, peeled off skin, tore meat, and slurped blood. After wiping its mouth and chewing on chunks of meat that included small bones, it displayed a rather half-wild and half-domesticated eating style. Observing this performance with a disgusted expression, Botan scanned her surroundings and found something.
"...Is that it?"
Amidst the dense and overgrown forest, there was a solitary door that seemed out of place amidst the surrounding scenery. It was adorned with decorations that stood out. It was the entrance to the next room. That Mizuchi had been a gatekeeper.
"This makes it the ninth room. There's no end in sight. And who knows what kind of oddity awaits us in the next room..."
However, lingering here indefinitely was not an option. This humid room alone drained her energy. Moreover, those outside might start exterminating the "Mayoiga" at any moment. Lingering was unnecessary.
"Hurry and finish eating. We're going to the next room, okay?"
Prompted by Botan, the onikuma, seemingly inclined to save its favorite items for last, hastily tore into the belly of its prey. It plunged its arm in, gouged out the fresh heart, and pushed it into its mouth. It licked the blood that had splattered onto its hand. Its actions resembled the behavior of a wild bear savoring a beehive.
Although, in reality, bears don't particularly have a preference for honey. It's more accurate to say that they target bee larvae. ...It was a trivial piece of knowledge that a man Botan once revered as her master had proclaimed during a lecture.
"...That brings back unpleasant memories. Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up..."
Botan clicked her tongue at the unpleasant memories and, in an even more irritable tone than before, urged the bear to hurry, directing her question towards its actions.
'Grrrrrr!!'
The onikuma, which had been devouring the corpse one moment and had suddenly charged into a corner of the forest, rummaged through the trees. When it returned, its eyes gleamed, and it snorted as if boasting. It held something in its arms.
Botan momentarily entertained the idea of giving it a kick for its nonchalant demeanor, but as a rationalist, she quickly dismissed the thought of wasting energy. Instead, she carefully observed what the shikigami was presenting.
She stared intently at the bundle of yellow fruits.
"..."
Botan fell silent for a moment after glimpsing it. Then, she looked up at the hondo shiki's face. The bear let out a dog-like breath, sounding amused. Suppressing the urge to punch its face, she first confirmed.
"...For me?"
'Grrrr♪'
"You want me to eat it?"
'Grrrr♪'
"This?"
'Grrrr♪'
The bear responded to all of Botan's questions with an annoyingly cheerful growl. Suspiciously narrowing her eyes, Botan hesitated for a moment... then her stomach growled loudly in the dense jungle.
'Grrrrrrrr♪'
"..."
My stomach is still growling! Botan exclaimed. She closed her eyelids and furrowed her brows, twitching her mouth just like she crushed about twenty bitter bugs. She fought back the urge to punch her own stomach in frustration. With great reluctance, she tried to calm her agitated mind.
It was terrible and utterly unwilling, but her body was already weakened by the infestation of insects. She could only tolerate easily digestible foods in small portions. The heat was unbearable as well. Being dressed in heavy attire, suited for the Northern Region in the early February (Kisaragi), was not helping. The layered garments were suffocating, and she was drenched in sweat. Her physical strength was completely depleted.
Unfortunately, Botan had no provisions, not even emergency rations, as she had planned to part ways with that servant. It had already been nearly half a day in terms of perceived time, and at this rate, she might collapse before escaping the labyrinth. She knew that. She knew, but...
"...!?"
The growling of her stomach echoed once again, right at the moment when Botan was clinging to her pride. It reverberated strangely loud amidst the clamor of the dense forest. At the same time, whether due to a slackening of tension or not, an intense feeling of hunger attacked her.
"...Sigh. I guess there's no avoiding it when faced with hunger outweighing pride."
With conflicting thoughts and great reluctance, Botan reluctantly accepted the shikigami's suggestion. The shikigami let out a roar, seemingly pleased. Should she kick it after all?
"You're annoying... And by the way, what did you find that made you tell me to eat it? Wait, what is this...?"
Botan observed what the shikigami was presenting as if it were a cursed tool with renewed scrutiny. It was a cluster of green or yellow fruits. She recognized it.
"If I recall correctly... Is this 'Banana'?"
She remembered the name because she had placed a surveillance shikigami near a certain servant. Was it some time ago? The daughter of the Tachibana Trading Company, whom she often ran into, had once treated that servant with this. It was a delicacy commonly consumed in the Southern Region.
"...It's difficult to describe, but it has a somewhat obscene shape."
She didn't know why, but she had that feeling. Come to think of it, for some inexplicable reason, the Nanban person from that trading company had repeatedly compared the fruit in her hand to the servant's lower half in a suspicious manner and muttered something under her breath.
"The way to eat it... was it to peel the skin?"
Botan hesitantly twisted one cluster from the bunch and started tearing the skin apart. Beneath the thick peel, she discovered pale white flesh with a tinge of yellow. It had a unique, fragrant scent that seemed slightly overpowering and sweet, tickling her nostrils.
...But why did it suddenly seem even more obscene after peeling the skin?
"I had some pointless thoughts, didn't I?"
'Grrrr?'
"I'm talking about myself."
The bear tilted its head at Botan's inadvertent words, and she coldly brushed it off. With her small mouth, she cautiously took a bite. And she chewed.
"...It's mild, subtly sweet, and tender."
Botan thought the taste lacked assertion. However, it seemed highly nutritious and easy to digest. The poison, too, was probably not an issue. She chewed thoroughly and swallowed it down. She sighed softly and unconsciously revealed a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.
"..."
She gazed at the remaining fruit she had bitten into for a moment, then swallowed her saliva. She had been hungry. She had been ingesting poorly tasting pills in fragmented pieces to deceive herself. Her organs were always in poor condition, and she had barely eaten anything other than thin gruel. Even then, it took her an unknown amount of time to finish a bowl of gruel.
For her, the soft and gentle fruit before her was too alluring. Without thinking, she leaned in, seeking a second bite... only to emit a scream as an unbearable pain surged through her stomach.
