Volume 2 Chapter 15 Battle Of Shizugatake 3️⃣： The Hundred Oni Night March
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
On a winter night, they thought they heard bells ringing somewhere.
Then the exorcists began to sense the youkai energy floating around them.
The sounds of flutes and drums grew clear in their ears.
Weak ayakashi, not even strong enough to be called Lesser Youkai, began to appear one after another, melting out of the darkness of the night.
They came over the mountains and across the valleys, moving between the real world and the spirit world.
──The march of the ayakashi, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
In winter, when there are fewer people in the fields, this group grows bigger and stronger than in other seasons.
”Woah, look at all a dem! Dis is quite a big gatherin’.”
At the top of Mount Shitakage in Shiga Prefecture, the acting head of the Kazuramichi family, Naoshi, and 5 exorcists, including the eldest daughter of the Shiun family, Suzuri, were waiting for the ayakashi.
Around them, bonfires were set up at intervals, creating an atmosphere like an ancient battlefield.
When an older man standing next to Naoshi slammed his khakkhara staff into the ground, it made a clear sound.
”Boss, I don’t sense any oni coming. These might just be the scouts.”
”Got it, just stay alert.”
”Yes.”
”What should we do, Nao-nii? I plan to follow your lead.”
For exorcists, the main family members are both their lords to protect and their strongest fighters in battle.
So, the strategies for dealing with groups or strong enemies vary greatly between families.
For example, the Kanbe family in Hyogo surrounds their main family’s sorcerers with a combat team called the Eji squad and takes them down in one go.
The Shiun family, Suzuri’s family, prefers the classic strategy of having their main family’s sorcerers lead the charge while others follow behind.
As for the Kazuramichi family──
”A’ course, I’ll go first, and ya guys will follow.”
The strongest sorcerers from the main family charge in first, while the others support the front line when they need to catch their breath, which is a very rare strategy.
”It makes sense dat ‘da strong are da best’ is our family motto.”
It may seem rough, but the Kazuramichi way has the advantage of minimizing the sacrifices of inexperienced sorcerers.
In the Kanbe and Shiun strategies, it’s hard to avoid losses, especially when facing powerful ayakashi, but with the Kazuramichi method, as long as the main family’s sorcerers are stronger than the enemy, the sacrifices are fewer.
”Understood.”
”Don’t worry, dealing with weak ones is just a warm-up.”
Then Naoshi heard a sizzling sound as the air started to burn.
”──────.”
Even the elite members of the Kazuramichi family, who have served for a long time, and Suzuri, who just fought alongside the Great Youkai in Umeda, gasped.
The pressure from Naoshi’s spirit energy was like a storm.
Boom, the wind blew.
”────It’s like a single touch of armor.”
As he declared, Naoshi charged straight into the group of ayakashi, scattering more than ten of them like leaves in the wind.
Around Naoshi, countless glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
The night march must have recognized anything that got in their way as an enemy.
As the tension rose among the onlookers, Naoshi calmly spread his arms and declared,
”Step aside, dis is my path.”
* * *
”────Kukuku, dis is too easy, way too easy! Da Night Parade a One Hundred Demons is nothin’ special!”
A man’s laughter echoed through the night.
The voice belonged to Kazuramichi Naoshi, who was laughing atop a mountain of corpses he had created.
He seemed to have no fatigue as he kicked away the endless stream of ayakashi appearing one after another.
”…Nao-nii is really pumped up today.”
Back in January of this year, the memory of Tesshin, the head of the Kurushima family in Kyushu, single-handedly scattering the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, including a daughter of the oni tribe, was still fresh in everyone’s mind.
If Naoshi is seen as someone who can match up to him, then the current situation might just be a natural result, and maybe there’s no need to worry too much about it.
Watching over them, Suzuri was unsure if she was really worried about the person she liked.
Suzuri felt proud that she had improved a lot since their last duel, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that her skills were still far behind Naoshi’s.
Just then, a sorcerer from the Kazuramichi family approached.
”Suzuri-sama, you look a bit different today. You’re usually so calm, and honestly, that’s not a great sign…”
”I see, got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”
”Yes, thank you. We’ll step out for a bit, so please talk with the acting head while we’re gone.”
”Understood──Nao-nii, let’s switch! We need to warm up too! Take a little break in the meantime!”
Even though Suzuri was the youngest here, she carried herself confidently.
Because of her skills and her family background as part of the Kansai 8 families, plus her unwavering feelings for Naoshi for over ten years, many people from the Kazuramichi family looked at her favorably.
”Alrigh’, got it. I’ll leave it ta ya.”
””Understood.””
”Count on me.”
The way he treated her was already like she was going to be the future head’s wife, so it wasn’t surprising that the 3 older guys willingly followed her lead instead of staying with Naoshi.
”Heey, why isn’t Suzuri-chan goin’?”
”The Kazuramichi family is elite; it’s safer without outsiders mixing in.”
”Got it. By da way, where’s da oni? Is it still not here?”
”It’s closer than before, but we still don’t sense it coming.”
”Tekkin its time, huh? Da night crew will finish up soon.”
”Maybe that’s what it wants. It might be waiting for Nao-nii to wear himself out.”
”Well, I could eas’y take out a hundred or 2 of dem little guys, but I guess dat’s jus’ how it is.”
”Speaking of Nao-nii, about that oni…”
”I’ll handle it. I doesn’t need any help.”
”Oh, really? Then I’ll just wait for a chance.”
Despite the somewhat tense reply, Suzuri answered calmly, surprising not just the older guys but even Naoshi.
”Heey, Suzuri-chan, were ya listenin’ ta me?”
”Yeah, I heard you, but I’m saying I can’t just sit back.”
Looking up at her first love after ten years, Suzuri spoke firmly.
She looked straight into the man’s narrow eyes and continued.
”This time is different. As long as I’m here, even if I’m a burden, I’ll risk my life for victory──otherwise, I won’t earn the trust of those around me even if I get married.”
”Wow, I didn’t expect dat…”
Naoshi’s expression seemed to say that she probably already had enough trust built up.
But he knew the situation was different from before, and he couldn’t ignore her determination.
”A’lright. I’ll leave da decision ta ya, but if ya end up dead, I’ll be bringin flowers every month on ya memorial day.”
”That’s a bit morbid…!”
Even though Suzuri raised an eyebrow at his teasing words, she felt a sense of relief inside.
That was just how he was.
More than anything, she was happy that talking to her made him act that way.
After a few light conversations to ease the tension, a clear sound rang out.
”Oh.”
That quickly turned into a series of sounds, becoming a loud noise that changed into a warning.
”Acting head. They’re coming.”
”Got it. Switchin’ now; da main event is here!”
”Yes!”
The 3 young sorcerers replied in unison, following orders as they distanced themselves from the group of Lesser Youkai.
Naoshi stepped forward confidently and glanced at Suzuri.
”Heey, Suzuri-chan. Jus’ so ya know, it’s fine ta jump in, but don’t die fo nothin’, okay?”
”Don’t worry, I haven’t even been proposed to yet.”
”With dat attitude, I feel better.”
Naoshi chuckled softly.
Just then, a massive black wall appeared in front of the exorcists.
No, it looked like that because it was packed with countless Lesser Youkai.
Beyond them, shining golden eyes met Naoshi’s gaze.
A scream shook the world.
”──────!”
Like little fish clinging to their parent, the small ones were scared by the killing intent from the Great Youkai and scattered away.
”Aww, poor tings, dey’re so scared.”
While burning them away with lightning created from his full spirit energy, Naoshi said this with fake pity.
”Naoshiiii…!”
”No matter how many times I say it, ya just don’t get it──add ‘san’ to my name, Yoshitada-kun.”
Humans and oni stared each other down.
* * *
”Wow, ya’ve really become quite da handsome guy since I last saw ya.”
If you didn’t know better, it would be hard to connect Kazuramichi Yoshitada with the oni in front of him.
The guy who looked like Naoshi was now towering over his cousin, his body much bigger and stronger.
He wore a sleeveless outfit and held a metal stick that was as tall as Naoshi.
His messy white hair and a single horn of the same color peeked from his forehead, his eyes shone with a mysterious gold, and his copper-colored skin had black stripes that looked like lightning, just like the oni from the legends.
”Explain, Naoshi! Why? Why did Mifuyu…? If you did this, what was the point?!”
He suddenly threw out a confusing question, spitting out words in anger.
”Huh?”
(It matched wit Ako-chan’s readin)
It was clear that his mother had told him something, and there was definitely some misunderstanding.
But instead of feeling sorry, Naoshi felt anger rising inside him.
(Do I really need ta clear up dis misunderstanding?)
Getting involved with the Great Youkai in Umeda was a reckless move.
Plus, even after being told to stay put, he was taken out by his mother, who wasn’t even an exorcist, and now he was attacking out of misplaced anger.
It was so foolish, so childish, so dumb.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Above all, turning into an oni was the most shameful betrayal for an exorcist──especially against someone like him.
To be blamed for not being able to protect one woman was a huge insult; why should he have to put up with that?
No, this was worth a thousand deaths.
”I don’t really get what ya tryin’ ta say. Can ya say it again?”
Naoshi snapped.
This might have been the second biggest anger he felt in his 23 years of life.
”You…!”
”Hah, ya leave a precious woman behind and now act like a victim? Ya got some nerve!”
”──Naoshiiiiii!”
The oni charged in, swinging the weapon in his hand.
Just before his arm moved down, Naoshi used his foot to pin the oni’s elbow, stopping his movement.
”!?”
”Looks like ya’ve gotten a bit stronger, but wit dat slowness, it’s wasted strength.”
The oni’s arm shook.
Still, their strength was equal, and neither could move.
”Gaahhhhhh──!!”
Frustrated, the oni roared.
Thunder rumbled, and the night sky turned red.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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