"Well, this area looks suspicious. Shall I test it?... 'Tsuchiokoshi (Earth Raise).'"
With a sweet voice, the lady muttered. She quickly shakes a burdock with a light gesture and boasts. Immediately, a thunderous sound resounded. Quite literally, the ground was violently overturned. Packed soil, rocks—everything was excavated. Floating. Blown away.
From within the dust, countless "roots" attacked. They launched a counterattack, approaching Onitsuki Sumire.
...However, half of those roots were shattered into tiny pieces before they could reach their target.
"'Chigirikizetsu (Shredstorm)'...!!"
The blade wielded by the purple-haired girl before Sumire tore apart the roots one after another with its sheer force of wind, even without directly slicing through them. Of course, even her processing ability was nearing saturation against the overwhelming quantity of tree roots. Despite avoiding the deadly sword techniques of Akō Murasaki, numerous roots continued to extend from all angles.
And now, the black-haired household member is the one who blocked their path.
"'Fushokudo Ka (Corrosive Touch)'"
Unleashing the arm usually sealed by layer upon layer of bandages soaked in special chemicals, the servant leader's assistant revealed her corroded slender arm.
Gracefully evading the onslaught of the approaching roots, she seized them from the side, instantly eroding, dissolving, and decaying them.
It was an inherent ability. A combined water and earth spiritual technique in a constant active state. Anything her arm touched would decay and rot, even inorganic matter. This was Miyamizu Shizu's genetically mutated ability. While she had never tested it against calamity youkai, it could easily obliterate even great youkai within moments, making it truly a one-strike-kill technique.
'...?!'
Mayoiga twisted and severed the decaying roots that were deteriorating. This action was reminiscent of a lizard shedding its tail. Realizing that it was ineffective, Mayoiga promptly revealed its true form.
The soil erupted and spewed forth, overflowing from underground. They were its familiars, creatures it kept within itself. It released a random assortment of miscellaneous youkai from various rooms. No, it was an army. A massive army of insect youkai!
"...!?"
While maintaining their combat stance, Shizu and Murasaki involuntarily felt a shiver run down their spines, their expressions contorting. Perhaps what unsettled them was the fact that the deployed force consisted mainly of insect youkai. Inferior insect youkai were commonplace. They had plenty of experience dealing with hordes of giant insects.
However, the fundamental sense of disgust couldn't be erased. Particularly for Shizu, whose ability required physical contact, it was especially remarkable. Mayoiga must have considered that when deploying its familiars.
"'Issenkuha (Celestial Slash)'"
However, in the face of the atmospheric pressure shockwave that was immediately released, they were instantly crushed and disintegrated by the shockwave of released pressure.
"Are you both alright?"
""...!""
Smiling, Sumire asked for confirmation, leaving Shizu and Murasaki dumbfounded. Without any warning or preparation, the sword technique was unleashed, obliterating even the three-digit numbers of youkai, regardless of their size or strength. It was expected. Moreover, the pit that 'Mayoiga' had dug collapsed, cutting off any escape route. With a single strike of the burdock, the roots of their retreat were eradicated.
(As expected of Aunt...)
Even though she had only heard fragments about Sumire's intelligence and abilities within the Akō clan, Murasaki knew that her aunt was on par with her father, grandfather, and brothers. Not only in terms of overall abilities, but also in the simple aspect of "destruction," her aunt was said to be the best in the clan, according to her father. She was instructed to use burdock as a weapon to minimize unnecessary damage, or so she was told by her grandfather.
...But in fact, Murasaki didn't know. She didn't know the reason Sumire was given a burdock instead of a sword, beyond the fact that it was due to her temperament's ferocity and cruelty.
"…Both of you, what is your response?"
"Y-yes!!"
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Madam."
In response to Sumire's question, Shizu and Murasaki snapped back to reality and answered. Seeing their response, Sumire nodded with a smile.
"Oh no, your assistance has been greatly appreciated. I couldn't have managed it alone."
The task of clearing the roots of 'Mayoiga' lurking deep underground... Sumire dug them up and Murasaki and Shizuka took care of them, and the work was about 70% complete.
"We wouldn't want any interference during the actual event. Besides, there's no guarantee that the survivors won't be attacked."
"Survivors? Do you believe such a thing is possible?"
Shizu reacted to Sumire's statement, while Murasaki held her breath. Murasaki knew that someone she knew had been swallowed by that monster. If the time limit remained as it was, and if he couldn't escape within the next half-day, he...
"Well, I can't predict what will happen. But based on past cases, it's true that the possibility isn't completely nonexistent, you know?"
Sumire's words were within the realm of common sense. It wasn't just the 'Mayoiga' on Mount Hōraku; the majority of those who managed to escape from 'Mayoiga' only survived for a day after returning home. Beyond that, the chances of survival dropped significantly.
"That's true, but..."
"In any case, let's focus on fulfilling our duties to the best of our abilities. Isn't that right?"
"Yes..."
Unable to argue against Sumire's words, Shizu reluctantly bowed. It wasn't that she agreed, but she realized that it would be pointless to rebel considering her own role in this.
"Well then...shall we move to the next location?"
Prompted by Sumire, Shizu and Murasaki started moving towards the next area where the roots needed to be severed. Sumire followed closely behind them, but her steps momentarily halted.
"..."
With a cold gaze, the Madam of the Onitsuki scanned the forest. Sensing the presence that had been hiding with advanced stealth, it recoiled in fear. Sumire was the only one who noticed the existence. The supernatural presence that had been watching their every move.
But her lips curled into a slow smile, distorting her sweet beauty. She didn't mind leaving that presence alone. No matter the sacrifices, she was willing to pay any price. It was all for that person. For their plans. For their ideals. In that pursuit, she felt no remorse or conscience.
"So..."
Her gaze shifted towards the mansion. Towards the looming 'Mayoiga'.
"If you too can meet our expectations, I would be most delighted..."
Turning on her heel, Sumire whispered those words, but her words do not echo...
* * *
The 'Bakemono no Ma (Room of Spirit)' was filled with majestic nature. It resembled the primeval era, with enormous trees standing in a row. In fact, considering the abilities of the youkai that formed this space, time might flow much faster inside this room compared to the outside world.
If you want a quick image, you can imagine the scenery of Yakushima National Park, which served as a reference for a certain Studio Ghibli film. The presence of ancient trees that had experienced thousands of years was overwhelming.
'...'
'...'
'...'
Spirit creatures with the appearance of childlike doodles, sprouting fresh bamboo shoots from their heads, peered at us as we walked through the forest. They observed us intently but didn't do anything else.
These youkai spirits, often described as "pests that take the form of brats," were small, shortsighted, thoughtless fools who acted on impulse. At the same time, they were incredibly pure and straightforward. If we declared ourselves as supporters of bamboo shoots or mushrooms, they would unquestioningly believe us. Perhaps if we said we were embarking on a journey to save the world, they would cheer us on with '(o≧▽゜)o I will support you too, Papa' or something. That's what I imagine, at least.
...Well, because of their unbridled purity, they often play pranks that are not the least bit funny, so they aren't exactly reliable. Especially in cultivated fields, they can be lethal, so the farmers' basic principle is to search and destroy. As the saying goes, if you crush one tree spirit, you'll be happy for one, and if you crush a hundred, you'll be happy for a hundred. The wise one who realized this said so.
"D*mn, they keep multiplying..."
"Hey, are you sure we're okay? Aren't they leading us astray towards the monsters or something?"
Concerned about the tree spirits that were observing us, the laborers anxiously questioned me. Even if they were born in a rural area, it's unlikely they had ever seen more than ten tree spirits at once.
"I understand that it's unpleasant, but bear with it. These guys don't have that kind of power. But don't provoke them. Just play along until we leave this room."
"Play along, you say... What the hell are they?"
One of the laborers looked up at a large tree in astonishment. Mysterious creatures with a neither monkey-like nor tanuki-like appearance had a smug expression as they looked down at us. They resembled teddy bears that could be filled with chocolates. They gave off an atmosphere that made you feel like they would say, "I want the power of humans" or something. It must have been because the person who designed this room was a Studio Ghibli fan.
"...Ah, well, they're just exposing themselves and not making any moves. It's better not to let your guard down, but don't touch them either. Just leave them be."
"Damn, they give me the creeps... Hey, Oni-mask! Are we really fine with going further ahead?!"
Ignoring my warning, the bandit, Gonzo, waved his hand to shoo away the surrounding tree spirits and shouted. His angry voice, relatively safe in the rear, drew unpleasant glares from the others, but it was questionable how much self-awareness he had. It would be pointless to question him in this situation, so I didn't reprimand him.
"I've been through many rooms so far. I think I understand the general rules to some extent. Well, I'll take the lead. Just follow behind me."
Or do you want to take the lead? If I asked him that, the bandit would click his tongue and fall silent. Good, he's obedient. Humans should be aware of their position based on their capabilities, right? '(´・ω・`)? Calculation of Damage?' Why does it turn out that way?
(Well, I don't have enough confidence to make such remarks myself...)
