chapter 33
33. Yaksha.
Mt. Yoyogi, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
A mountain south of Meiji Jingu, geographically located between Shibuya and Shinjuku, this famous mountain has been visited by many people for a long time.
It was also a sacred mountain with a shrine of fire, which is said to have been visited by shoguns in the past to pray for peace during the shogunate period.
Roaring—!
Once a yokai appeared near the mountain, it burned to death as soon as it set foot.
A perm energy that burns away all uncleanness was widespread throughout the mountain.
The pinnacle of that energy is the shrine of the “Shrine” At the top of the mountain.
There was a shaman there.
“Hinokaguzuchinokami, who apologized for the request.”
She was a shaman who had not even stepped into the realm of gods for half a year.
However, she was the most blessed of existing shamans, and at the same time, she was more magical than anyone else.
Her fire god loved her.
She was also a righteous and devoted shaman who was willing to offer sacrifices when the city fell into trouble.
“Mother of fire, which has existed since the beginning of time, the purifying touch that burns all unclean beings.”
The fire priestess, Hotaru Ichinose, captured an altar containing eternal fire in her retina.
The flickering light dispelled the darkness from Hotaru’s stiff face.
This morning, when I wondered why the shrine’s archer had summoned me, disaster came at night.
The so-called Night Trip of Hundred Ghosts.
The archer said, If it had not been for the report of a trustworthy person, it would have been a greater trouble.
Feeling the yōkai running amok at the foot of the mountain even now, Hotaru closed her eyes.
She had never learned how to slay monsters herself, so she just did the best she could.
“I revere and revere you for lighting the lamp of destruction and purification for mankind for so many years.”
The fire priestess, Hotaru Ichinose, chanted to the god as she bowed to the altar.
“Please bless this land.”
She raised a perm (破魔) ritual.
***
“Hmm?”
Youngmaek─The location of Karakura High School, about two hours outside of Minato-ku.
To the northeast of Tokyo.
After dealing with all the monsters in Chiyoda, Chuo, and Koto, it was time to enter Taito.
Roaring—!
The ghost that I tried to burn to death was burned to death first.
I tilted my head as I felt the flames of the magical power I was scattering intensify in an instant.
When I stopped for a moment and stepped on the ground, the wave of miraculous energy was spreading widely.
‘Was it worthwhile to leave it alone at the shrine?’
The efficacy must have been great because it was relatively close to Yeongsan, but it was still enough to dangle the legs of the monsters and suppress evil spirits.
I nodded happily and collected the mana I had scattered to kill the evil spirits.
I have enough energy right now, but there was a need to conserve my energy in preparation for an unexpected situation.
“Hotaru should save some for purification later.”
Since then, as she roams around the city, each experience of purifying her demons will advance her.
I’m a caring person, so I’ve decided to leave miscellaneous ghosts behind if possible from now on.
She’ll have less time to play, she’ll be tired, but it’s all for my friend Hotaru!
“Yes, yes!”
I entered Taito City with such a joyful heart.
It’s not comparable to Shibuya or Shinjuku, but it’s also a central place, so there were quite a few people walking around the streets even at late hours.
“That guy doesn’t even know you have three boyfriends, right?”
“Hey, Marge is (really) funny!”
A group of female students with blond hair and gyaru makeup were also walking around, but they seemed to hear something sad.
‘That’s right.’
Should I be sorry that I don’t have eight legs like an octopus?
I swung the dagger in my sleeve as I prayed for peace for the gyaru’s boyfriend who might die of shock if he found out the truth later – I don’t know which of the three would die of shock.
─Queueek!
The torso of a leech youkai with the characteristic of sticking to humans was cut off and wriggling on the floor.
Some people might hate this gyaru girl to death, but that’s their situation.
I saved it and watched it.
Kwajik!
I put a dagger between my wriggling eyebrows and walked around the alleys of the city with brisk steps.
Even if it’s a hundred ghost nights, it’s an unchanging attribute that youkai like dark places, so whenever you enter a back alley, there’s a group of terrible youkai, or men and women doing lewd things.
“Whoa.”
Any other time, I would have watched either way, but I was busy today, so I quickly got rid of it with tears in my eyes and left.
After that, I dealt with all the monsters in the western town, and entered Ueno Park in the middle.
It is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and is worth a lot to be designated as Japan’s first park.
The flowers on the trees hadn’t fallen by now, but it was a park with a quiet night view.
I felt a fairly strong wave of energy here.
Take a little more step, kwaang-! There was a roar of something falling.
I saw a specter that could be called a giant crushing the museum in the park.
It wouldn’t matter if it was just a building, but that building was the “Tokyo National Museum” With 87 national treasures.
One side of the building had already collapsed.
“Wait a minute, you! Do you know what you’re destroying?!”
What a national treasure!
I was stunned for a moment and said it out of the blue, but now that I think about it.
‘It’s not my country anyway, is it?’
If the possession doesn’t work out in the future, it will eventually become my country, but at least not now, so maybe it doesn’t matter anyway.
I firmly established my identity and spoke to the giant with a grin on my face.
“It will be restored anyway, so destroy it however you like.”
If you look at our country, it would be painful to observe the moment of destruction itself, but I didn’t care because I was Japanese with only the lower half of my body.
However, I wonder if the yokai couldn’t understand my meaningful attitude.
The giant who hit the extension museum with his hand frowned at his assertiveness.
─Human, you are strange.
It was a special entity, a vengeful ghost.
I finally came across it after touring the five blocks.
It was rare because there were only five or six of the tens of thousands of ghosts in the Hundred Ghost Nights, but I found it later than expected.
‘Usually, I’m drawn to a spiritual vein and come out at least one around Karakura High School or Minato Ward.’
It was hard to see young today.
Still, I’m glad I found it now.
Vengeful spirits are difficult to deal with with ordinary exorcists, so it was better for me to bear all the burden.
─Human, have you gone mad?
The giant tilted his head and asked, as if he thought I had lost my mind while laughing all the time.
“Haa, if you ask me like this, I have no choice but to respond kindly even to the youkai that I plan to eradicate soon.”
I answered with a happy heart, and with a smile on my face, I drew out my sword and personally gave the correct answer.
“I am perfectly normal.”
As if moved by my confident answer, the giant hesitated for a moment before striking down the museum building.
—No, humans are crazy after all!
Oops, it looks like a youkai dumber than Kenichi.
‘…… Rather.’
When the monster hit the museum just now, I thought I could hear a ‘hehehehe’ sound.
When I turned the sharpened mana with a sensor, I saw that there was a person inside the museum.
That’s not a civilian, but an exorcist.
He was a low-ranking shaman to the extent that his presence was completely lost by the giant’s magical power.
I wonder if the exorcist who led them is dead, or if the power analysis was wrong in the first place, only two were visible right now.
Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to see everything clearly just by searching using magic, but the giant in front of me was a fairly powerful being, so my prying eyes were blurry.
─Humans, have you gone mad from fear?!
As much as his intelligence fell, the total amount of power he possessed with his body must have risen dramatically.
“Hmm, then it can’t be helped.”
If you block your view, you can remove it right in front of you.
Quang! Hitting the ground, I jumped through the air and reached the giant’s head.
─Huh?
I kicked the wide-eyed giant between the two eyes with all my might.
Quaaagh!
The giant’s head was thrown back bizarrely.
***
“hehehehe!”
A terrifyingly large human head can be seen above the open roof of the museum.
Every time the giant struck his hand, Shuichiro, the sorcerer, had to scream shrilly.
“Keeek!”
…… Helpless.
I bet you didn’t become a shaman for this.
There was definitely such a sense of depression, but more than that, the crisis of life was so imminent.
Shuichiro dived to the floor to avoid falling building debris whenever the giant’s hand hit the museum.
“Queueek!”
“Damn it! Is there support yet!”
A senior with more room than Shuichiro contacted the head family, but support seemed far away.
…… I wish I could die like this
‘I hate dying.’
It was a moment when tears naturally flowed like a waterfall at the heartbreaking reality.
Quaaagh!
Suddenly, the giant’s head bent like a bow.
Looking still, it seemed that someone was floating in the air.
At the time Shuichiro opened his mouth at the unexpected situation, the senior shaman next to him also opened his mouth.
“…… That person!”
Because he was a senior who usually pretended to be polite, Shuichiro was puzzled and asked.
“Do you know anyone?”
Then the senior shaman belatedly put on a fearful expression.
I’ll be at ease even when I die. The pupils of the person who thought so shook vigorously.
The senior swallowed a gulp and finally answered.
“…… White Yacha!”
It was a human monster that killed so-called monsters.