Volume 1 Chapter 35 Invasion II： The Abundant Reed Plain In The Mist Of Ten Thousand Miles
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The inside of the dungeon was so quiet it hurt the ears.
The lights on the ceiling flickered occasionally, matching the movement of the wind.
”Well then, let’s check our priorities for the journey. Suzuri-chan, what’s the top priority?”
”Defeating the ayakashi, right?”
”Nah, that’s not it. Itsuki.”
”First, we need to make sure the Great Youkai doesn’t come to the surface.”
”Right, right, Itsuki. If it gets outta hand, we might end up breaking the entrance and trap ourselves inside.”
”Well, it can’t be helped. I guess we should consider this unfortunate situation as a blessing in disguise.”
”Right──.”
Suzuri was speechless at the casual exchange between the strongest man in Kansai and the young man who was on par with him.
Compared to her own reliance on them, there was no optimism in their opinions.
However, considering Umeda and their opponent, it was reasonable to have a worst-case scenario in mind.
”Next is the extermination, our safe return, and then the rescue of the two who seem to have been swallowed──something like that.”
As Yoshitada had said, the priority for the girl swallowed by the giant snake was the lowest.
However, there was no room for disagreement on that.
”No objections. What about you, Suzuri-san?”
”Ah, um──.”
”Suzuri-chan, ya gotta think as a member of the Shiun family, okay? Both Itsuki and I are here ’cause of our family’s position.”
”Ugh.”
She realized she was about to make a decision just going with the flow.
”You’re surprisingly good at being a teacher, Naoshi.”
”Why’re you talkin’ down to me?”
”I’m the one who’s been looking after the younger group for a while now; at home, I’m considered a young teacher.”
Saying this, Itsuki placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Changing his expression, the young man turned his gaze to Suzuri.
”Given our abilities, Naoshi, you should make the decisions on-site. That said, the management here belongs to the Shiun family. Since she’s here on her father’s orders as the head of the Shiun family, I think her opinion should be considered as that of the Shiun family.”
”Understood, Itsuki-san. Then, as the Shiun family, we have no objections to the earlier 2’s plan.”
”That’s settled then.”
”Alright, let’s hurry.”
With only the sound of 3 pairs of footsteps echoing, they made their way forward.
They arrived at the depths of the Umeda underground dungeon, where a mist hung in the unexplored passage like a white wall.
The view ahead was completely obscured.
”Hey, we might get separated.”
”Then let’s link arms. Suzuri-san, you take the right side.”
”Ah, okay.”
Prompted by Itsuki, Suzuri positioned herself on the opposite side, flanking Naoshi on both sides.
”Hey, why’re you naturally sandwichin’ me?”
”I can wield my short sword with my left hand, and Suzuri-san can hold her long sword with her dominant hand. Naoshi, you have strong legs, right?”
”If we kick while linked, it’d look funny──well, since everything else is gettin’ swallowed up, guess it’s fine to prioritize not gettin’ separated.”
”That’s settled then.”
”Okay, Itsuki, don’t get too close. It’s not a joke to stick to ya. And Suzuri-chan, you’re pressin’ too close. Seriously, don’t ya feel any tension?”
”Uh, I just…”
”In times like this, it’s better to stay relaxed, right, Naoshi?”
”Don’t tell me to relax, I’m goin’, I’m goin’!”
Pulling the two along, Naoshi stepped into the mist.
In an instant, he felt a chilling sensation as if he had been thrown into water.
After taking a few more steps, he heard a splash at his feet.
The water soon rose above the soles of his shoes, reaching halfway up his legs.
”The smell of water’s gettin’ stronger; seems like it’s gonna get deeper.”
”The mist is starting to thin out a bit…”
After taking a dozen more steps, the feeling of pressure eased somewhat, and although it still felt like a thin veil was over them, they could see they had entered a wide space.
”…Is this a wetland?”
”It looks similar to the shore of a lake.”
”Those are reeds growing over there; anything goes, huh?”
Each of them (Naoshi, Suzuri, Itsuki) shared their thoughts.
And everyone grasped a part of the truth.
The ground was muddy, and a water area deep enough to reach their ankles stretched far ahead.
The unusually lush reeds in this season indeed made it seem like a wetland or a lakeshore.
Illuminated by a faint heavenly light, they could see a massive shadow in the misty, morning-like world.
”──Is that it?”
Beyond the mist, a thick shadow is as big as a small hill.
”It ain’t movin’.”
”Maybe it’s because it’s bloated?”
”I’m not sure──.”
”It seems possible, but it might be the right time to act.”
Before Suzuri could say anything in response to the beautiful young man’s cold perspective, Naoshi showed his agreement.
”Hmm, but…”
Naoshi made a rectangular frame with his thumb and index finger, capturing the giant shadow within it as he pondered.
”What do you think?”
”That guy seems stronger than the oni woman from last time.”
”Oh, that’s a tough opponent.”
However, Suzuri’s voice showed no sign of fear upon hearing this.
For those listening, there was a mix of reassurance and danger.
At the very least, there was a significant gap that she alone could not overcome.
”Itsuki, how about you?”
In response to the question, Itsuki wrinkled his nicely shaped nose.
”Yeah, it’s definitely born from that white snake with some curse. There are 2 spots with a strong spirit energy smell──probably, both of them are swallowed up.”
”One’s Yoshitada’s pal, and the other’s gotta be some second-class outsider. If they got eaten, welp, tough break.”
”More like they were used well, I think.”
”Oh really, what makes ya say that?”
”Just a hunch. If Shiun and Kazuramichi are trying to turn all of Osaka into enemies, I don’t think they’d make such a basic mistake.”
”Fair enough. And you, Suzuri-chan?”
”Um, I have a lot of questions, but I think we should cut first and then talk.”
”Naoshi…”
After Suzuri’s words, Itsuki gave Naoshi a look that was hard to describe.
His face twisted with a bitter expression.
”Oi, wait just a sec, this ain’t on me! Suzuri-chan’s a bit of an airhead, y’know.”
”Hey, Nao-nii! Do you really think that about me!?”
”Well, that’s what makes ya cute, ain’t it?”
”Don’t think you can get away with that…”
”Okay, okay, thanks for the meal. Can you two save the flirting for later?──But yeah, it seems like we can still save one person.”
”Right, that’s what I wanted to say too.”
Nodding in agreement, Suzuri ignored Naoshi’s gaze as he said, “Really?”
”Also, it seems like it could be the core of the curse. There’s a reason to save them.”
”Even so, with a beast that size? This ain’t no fairy tale where we waltz into its belly, Itsuki. How exactly do we save ’em?”
”We have to cut them open, right? Luckily, we have 2 people with swords here.”
”So, that’s how it’s gonna be──Itsuki, you grab the head. I’ll tighten the body, and Suzuri-chan, you cut it clean.”
”Me?”
”Who else? Where’d all that gutsiness from before go, huh?”
”Well, but can I really cut without hurting the person inside…? It might be better for Itsuki-san to do the opposite.”
”I think that’s a bit difficult.”
”More like downright impossible, we’re talkin’ ’bout a Great Youkai here! No way you’re doin’ this alone.”
”Ugh, that’s true, but…”
”Hey, don’t sweat it. I’ll handle the cuttin’.”
”On what basis…!”
”If somethin’ goes wrong and we nick the inside, we’ll adjust.”
”That’s definitely not okay!”
”Nah, nah, if it happens, it happens, right? Remember, priorities come first.”
”That’s terrible, Naoshi──well, but really, it’s okay, Suzuri-san.”
”Itsuki-san too…!”
”No, Naoshi’s assessment is correct, and I won’t ask you to do something you can’t do. I trust you with this.”
Naoshi stuck out his tongue at the young man who said this with a smile.
”Huh? Quit actin’ like ya know me, you’re givin’ me the creeps.”
”Hey, I’m trying to support you, and that’s not fair, is it?”
”Didn’t ask for it──listen, Suzuri-chan, fightin’ ayakashi means makin’ hard calls, and usually, we got a time limit.”
”Hmm…”
”If we dawdle, everything falls apart. We ain’t gods, so sometimes we gotta make decisions quick. You plannin’ to chicken out then?”
The obvious provocation was something that came from knowing Suzuri’s personality.
The response was as expected.
”Don’t underestimate me, Nao-nii. I’ll show you.”
”Good, good. Then whip up that giant snake dish for me, Kansai-style belly opening.”
Itsuki’s whisper of “Well done” only reached Naoshi’s ears.
* * *
The sound of splashing water comes together, forming a single noise.
There’s a slight feeling of sinking feet; while it’s better than an actual swamp, it’s still an environment that cannot be underestimated for those skilled in close combat.
Except for one person, Mibu Itsuki.
Butterfly Walk (胡蝶歩)──a young man literally freed from the weight of the stars binding him to the ground──leaves the water’s surface and seems to run through the air as if climbing invisible stairs.
This special ability was the reason Naoshi entrusted the snake’s head to Itsuki.
”Well then, I’ll go ahead.”
”Okay.”
”Please take care of it.”
As Naoshi watches Itsuki accelerate lightly and move ahead, he claps his hands.
”Now, for dealin’ with these sudden deep spots…”
”Yeah.”
”When one foot starts sinkin’, put the other out before it goes under. Keep repeatin’ that, and you’ll manage.”
”That’s not fine at all! This isn’t a comic, you know?!”
”Oi, can’t ya run on water yet? This is the real deal.”
”Uh…”
Naoshi’s serious expression left Suzuri speechless.
Well, it’s true that exorcists often disregard the laws of physics, just like Itsuki is doing right now.
”It takes practice, so just keep runnin’.”
”I heard that once you get used to it, you can stand on the water by just stepping in place?”
”Yup.”
”I never thought there would be such a big difference in common sense between first and second levels…!”
”Yeah, well, ayakashi don’t play fair, so neither do we. Oh, it’s movin’.”
As they noticed the 3 rushing over, a large snake with a pearl-like sheen raised its head.
The snake, about the size of a large van just from its square head, chased after Itsuki, who was running through the air with his round, red eyes that seemed to be about the size of a person’s embrace.
Its body was probably several meters around, and just its width was over 2 meters by estimation.
Up close, it looked almost like a moving wall.
I can’t even imagine how long it is in total.
”Here we go──!”
Without hesitation, Naoshi stepped in, and his fist made a dull, low sound as it struck.
The spirit energy he unleashed traveled like waves along the snake’s body.
The exorcists felt a lump of spirit energy nearby, just enough for one person.
”Got it. First, we need a marker.”
The white scales glimmered ominously.
Its speed and the unchanging structure of its body made it easy to lose track of its position.
”Suzuri-chan, think you can cut clean and mark it?”
”──Yeah, I’ll give it a try.”
Suzuri’s response was immediate.
”Ha, that’s what I like about ya. Quick with the ‘yes,’ huh?”
Perhaps it was a sign of her determination, or maybe just her youth.
”Alright, when I pin it, you go for it. I’ll count us down.”
”Understood.”
”Three, two, one!”
Boom!
Naoshi’s feet exploded with force, blowing away the mist around him and clearing his view.
As the water flew up like rain, a large dent appeared in the body of the giant snake.
”Raa──!”
As the snake recognized Naoshi and turned its head, Itsuki’s blade flashed.
A hard sound echoed, and a deep red line was carved into the white snake.
(Do I need this?)
That thought briefly crossed his mind, but in the moment he decided, all hesitation vanished.
”Shh──!”
Right now, it’s a stationary target.
Even with his eyes closed, he could hit it. Whether he could cut through depended on him──
(──I did it!)
The moment he was sure, the snake’s body split open, revealing a membrane whiter than its scales and thin pink flesh, quickly covered by the red blood that gushed out.
”Oi, Suzuri-chan, move it! What’re ya standing there for?”
”Ah, sorry!”
Pulled strongly by Naoshi, they distanced themselves from the writhing giant snake.
The once quiet waters were now tainted with the rusty smell of iron and red color.
The giant snake twisted and turned.
The wounds they had made were soon hidden by the snake’s body as it coiled back.
”Here we go──!”
Naoshi kicked up the snake’s body as if flicking off a snagged toe.
”Alright, let’s give it one more. Three, two, one!”
The pride of the Whirlwind and Thunderbolt was evident.
Without being bothered by the poor footing, this time they struck the giant snake with their elbows thrust forward.
It literally penetrated several centimeters through the scales and muscles, and seemed to be deeply embedded.
”Shi!”
With a cry of determination, they flashed vertically again.
The impact was even deeper than before, and they felt as if they had cut through it.
The giant snake’s agony was also more intense than before.
”Naoshi, Suzuri-san! It’s trying to wrap around us! Get out once!”
Itsuki, who was watching the movement from above, issued a warning.
”Yeah! But, hey…”
”Which way should we escape?”
The two of them were already surrounded by the swirling snake’s body, and they didn’t even know if it was double or triple.
Even if they overcame it, what would be waiting for them ahead?
If that was the case, there was only one way out.
”Suzuri-chan, how much do ya weigh?”
”What are you asking for now, you idiot!”
Suzuri’s face turned red instantly at Naoshi’s question.
”I need to know! I’m gonna throw you, so get ready to jump. C’mon, how many kilos?”
”Umm, 48…”
”No way, stop lyin’. Be honest or this won’t work.”
”Damn it, actually it’s 57 kilograms…”
”I knew it, over 60!!!”
”Why do you have to say it so loudly, you idiot! Non-delivery! Scum! Enemy of women!”
”Relax, it’s within my calculation. C’mon, hurry up.”
”I want to punch you…”
Naoshi, who was in a crouching position, held his hands together like a volleyball receive.
Suzuri ran towards him, her eyebrows raised.
She leaped towards him with such force that she was about to smash her knee into his face.
”I’ll make you pay for this later, remember that, Nao-nii…!”
”Go easy on me, would ya!”
”──!”
The moment Suzuri’s feet touched Naoshi’s hands, her body seemed to be launched into the air.
A trampoline from a children’s playground that she played on in her childhood came to mind.
The feeling of continuing to rise, defying gravity, as if time had been stretched.
It was so comfortable that it made her forget the battle for a moment.
”What about Nao-nii──!?
Suzuri rotated vertically, prepared for her landing, and looked down at the ground.
A giant water column was rising up within the swirling snake.
Naoshi, who had created it with his trembling legs, had his back against the approaching wall of flesh, and he bounced back the giant snake, which was probably tens of times heavier, and then jumped onto its long back and began to run.
”Is he a monster?!”
The description that the world’s maidens would never use for their beloved was, however, a very reasonable opinion in this case.
The depths of Kazuramichi Naoshi were invisible to Suzuri. She had never seen them.
Still──
”Has Nao-nii gotten stronger again?”
The back that Suzuri had been chasing after would never wait for her, even if it turned around and called out to her.
Its feet would never stop.
The man Suzuri fell in love with was just like that.
Her teeth ground together.
Even Suzuri herself didn’t know what emotion that was.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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