Volume 1 Chapter 20 Kansai Disturbance Night ‘Results’ – I’ll Make Sure You Don’t Die
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
──Nah, nah, that ain’t it, mate! I’m fixin’ to smash all the enemies in my way! That ain’t no survival strategy; that’s just me goin’ down the path of domination.
Sure, it might look cool, but saying “Leave this to me” is definitely a death flag. Especially with this situation, it feels like an episode where all the strong characters get taken out before the main story even starts. After losing the strongest exorcist, Kansai got wrecked by the invading ayakashi… like, seriously.
I thought a story about a genius exorcist (not me) descending into the despairing darkness of Kansai was about to begin. Even if I wanted to get through this safely, the duty of an exorcist is ingrained in me to the bone, damn it!
And it’s not just about losing; if I raise my status too high, it makes things harder to handle, and I feel like death is creeping closer, doesn’t it? Protecting ordinary people, fulfilling my duty as an exorcist, and surviving on top of that──it’s not easy at all, seriously…
Where my reliable mates at? Here? I really hope Suzuri-chan grows up quick, for real! I wonder if Yuzura’s doin’ alright too. Well, no one kicked the bucket, and I weren’t in that much danger, was I? But that’s just lookin’ back. Honestly, I reckon this battle leaned way too much towards physical brawlin’ to be called an ability battle, ya know?
I wish I could whip up a technique that lets me safely attack from a distance with a big bang, like! I felt like I got a sense of changin’ spirit energy (reiki) into lightning during this scrap, but I just need to keep improvin’, innit?
The fact that no story about suddenly awakenin’ power popped up during all the ruckus tonight shows that the original protagonist ain’t even around in Kansai right now. Or maybe there just ain’t a strong character, and stoppin’ the crisis beforehand wasn’t such a bright idea.
It’s supposed to be a rule that you get discovered during times like this… I guess I’ll look into it later. Also, ain’t it a bit scary that the shortcut called the spirit path I used with permission is 99.99% safe? One in ten thousand folks gets snatched away by a god, and that’s way too high, innit? Can’t they at least be as safe as a plane crash? Seriously, I’m way too ready to use it without thinkin’ twice.
Also, is it really alright to flirt with women as easy as breathin’? Even now, I’ve not just got Suzuri-chan, but also 2 mistresses! And what’s goin’ on with that local married exorcist under the district commander? What’s the deal with sexual ethics? Is bein’ handsome a free pass or what?
I know that considerin’ the death rate of exorcists, I need to keep my wits about me. Besides fightin’ ayakashi, I’ve got to juggle all the relationships and women in my life, and I don’t even know where to be careful anymore. There are way too many death flags; is there really that much to stress about?
At least I should make good use of this oni (demon) from now on──an oni with a big woman and a fox-faced man just makes him seem even more like a proper villain, don’t it?
”I’m done for.”
”──Did you say something, Naoshi-dono?”
”Ah, nah, nothin’ at all.”
”I see.”
With those words, a cool palm gently presses against my forehead.
The feelin’ on my head was different from the soft touch at the back of my skull; it was a comfy touch.
I couldn’t resist the temptation of Sasara-san, the married exorcist, offerin’ me a lap pillow.
After all, Sasara-san’s got big breasts…
Well, it’s just for a little while, till the car shows up.
I’ll be careful not to let Suzuri-chan know, or she’ll worry and probably get mad at me for keepin’ it a secret.
”Naoshi-dono, please don’t move your head around so much.”
”Oh, my bad.”
But when I listen closely, her voice is so sultry.
And her style is on point; she’s definitely a beauty, as expected.
I don’t wanna look at her, ’cause I know I won’t be able to turn back, but for someone who claims to be married, she’s quite disrespectful to all parties involved with her sensuality.
”Does your wound hurt? You have a troubled expression on your face. Perhaps you should take a nap…”
”Ah, nah, it ain’t that bad. It’s not even a real injury.”
I’m feelin’ tired, and the kindness is strangely comfortin’.
Suzuri-chan, help me; I might end up likin’ this person too.
”Naoshi-dono, you’ve accomplished something remarkable. I think your family won’t say anything if you relax a little.”
”I ain’t know about that. Usually, I’m the one keepin’ them in check.”
I don’t wanna be pampered endlessly, so I decided to cut it short and closed my eyes.
But then I thought, this is a well-deserved reward for survivin’ and puttin’ my life on the line, ain’t it?
It’s a small reward for all the risks I’ve taken.
It’s honestly tiring. But still, I don’t think I can change the way Kazuramichi Naoshi lives, no way.
I can’t help but love the pride that comes with riskin’ my life, y’know?
It’s a boyish trait, I suppose.
So, in order for me to survive—
”I need to become stronger.”
”──!”
Sasara-san seemed to catch my resolve, as she took a small breath, bless her.
Her gentle fingers, full of compassion, moved from my forehead to my hair, slowly strokin’ my head.
The pleasant feelin’ of her fingers made my body relax, and my consciousness drifted off to sleep, ya know?
Well, I can rest a bit longer…
──By the way, am I thinkin’ in a fake Kansai dialect? That’s kinda scary.
* * *
As dawn approached and the birds began to sing in the sky, there was a young man in traditional Japanese clothing facing a writing desk with a ten-inch tablet in a dimly lit room.
His originally white face glowed with a pale blue light from the tablet.
The video call app on the screen had connected.
’────Sorry, I’m late, Yukinojo.’
And a young man with a youthful face and an energetic aura appeared on the camera, which showed a similar traditional Japanese room.
His name was Kurushima Tesshin.
Seated in front of the writing desk, the young man, Touma Yukinojo, the third generation, was one of the strongest exorcists of his time, alongside Tesshin.
”I appreciate you making time for me, especially with how busy you are. So, have you heard the story?”
’Yes, four prefectures, one city, and three districts. And there are two Great Youkai, multiple Intermediate Youkai, and a hundred oni night parade in the central city. Just hearing about it gives me a headache.’
”Tesshin, what if this had happened in Kyushu?”
’Well, I guess I would have done something about it, but if the ayakashi were serious, a mistake in assigning forces could lead to a disaster somewhere. That’s the scale of it.’
”Yeah, I think so too. Thanks to Nao-san taking on the toughest part, the rest of us still have some leeway.”
’That’s just like him──it’s a job that someone in your position couldn’t handle, right, Yuki?’
”In exchange, I’m relying on those around me, but I hope this will improve the evaluation of Kansai a bit.”
’That place is just too complicated… By the way, the reason for all this is pretty serious, right? Isn’t the person involved really angry?’
”Yeah, apparently before we got the details, he had already broken the horn of that oni tribe girl and turned it into a weapon…”
Not a youkai, but an oni tribe.
In other words, it’s not the oni that harm people out of resentment or hatred, but the people who have lived on that side as ayakashi since ancient times.
Of course, if they disturb the world, the exorcists will deal with them just like they would with youkai.
’I don’t know why it turned out this way, but I definitely got the message that Naoshi-san is really furious… yikes.’
”I was shocked when I heard the oni was for ‘finding a partner’. Those who risked their lives on the scene must be feeling it hard.”
Exorcists are those who fight ayakashi, but they are also the closest beings to that side.
Naturally, the interaction between the two is mixed with love and hatred, and many exorcists have blood from non-human beings in their families.
In fact, it’s rare for them not to have any at all.
Even Abe no Seimei is said to have had a mother who was a fox, a messenger of the Inari deity──and Tesshin’s wife, whom he married last year, was also a daughter of the oni tribe.
’Putting aside the motives, the methods are just too troublesome. They knew it would cause chaos here and came out all at once, right?’
”Seems that way. But we can’t ignore the reaction from the oni tribe. What does Sato-san say about this?”
This conversation aimed not only to share information but also to seek opinions unique to the oni tribe.
’Ah, that’s simple. No matter what happens after losing, it’s “being weak is the problem.” She (the oni) also said, “If she hadn’t come out, she wouldn’t have been attacked.” Well, that’s probably her honest opinion, right?’
”──I see, hearing that makes me a bit relieved. It’s hard to imagine her seeking revenge.”
’No way, that’s just impossible. She (the oni) came out all excited like it was a matchmaking event, caused a big fuss here, and then got beaten up, and now she’s playing the victim.’
Tesshin, who said their skin was too thick to not get angry, made Yukinojo chuckle.
”You say that, but you’re actually way more short-tempered than Nao-san.”
’Huh? I’m not that angry.’
”It already sounds like you’re half angry…”
’No, I’m not angry at all. But more importantly, what about the future? Since my issue with Sato seems related, are you saying I should go apologize to Naoshi-san?’
”Well, that’s definitely not right. But if you show your face, that person will probably be happy no matter the reason… What I’m worried about is the 8-tailed fox that appeared in Rokko.”
’They say all the sorcerers are involved, and someone got cursed… No, I heard a first-class sorcerer received a curse, right?’
”Well, it seems that’s not a big deal. Originally, Kanbe is one of the top families in Japan when it comes to techniques. There shouldn’t be any worries about miscalculations.”
’Then what are you worried about, Yukinojo?’
”The response to the fox is close to the center, and they had already prepared measures after observing movements in other prefectures, so it was quick──.”
’From what you’ve said, it doesn’t sound unnatural at all.’
”But why is a fox, which is much more cunning than an oni, involved? It’s fine to join the conversation, and to finish off the series of chaos with another Great Youkai──this is the worst timing for us to respond.”
’Then, isn’t it a strategic move?’
”Yeah, but if they’re looking for their own benefit, it would have been better to act sooner. Why did they show their face in a situation where they wouldn’t gain anything? What is the fox really trying to achieve with this plan?”
’So you think the fox was foolish, being kind enough to help the oni──right?’
”If that’s the case, it would be easy; it would just be unnecessary worry.”
’The top of Kanto has a lot of stress, huh?’
”Don’t joke about it──though at this point, there’s not much we can do.”
’Hey, what do you mean by that?’
”Just be careful. If the beginning of Tetsu and the others is the cause, then they might imitate the situation in Kyushu in Kansai. That’s the kind of opponent we’re dealing with; we don’t know where the next target will be.”
’I see, got it. Especially with the fox involved. If anything strange happens, I’ll let you know right away, and I’ll ask Sato too.’
”Yeah, I’m counting on you.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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