Volume 1 Chapter 8 A Common Tragedy For Exorcists
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Here, Team B. No abnormalities. We will continue our patrol. Yes, yes, understood…”
After finishing the scheduled report, the girl put her smartphone away and looked up at the night sky, illuminated by the city lights.
The oppressive heat of the sunset was finally fading.
”Hey, sister, could you think a bit more about the location?”
A voice called out from behind her, and as she sighed, she turned to see her younger brother, dressed in matching exorcist gear, munching on an energy bar while standing on the spirit energy suppression circle drawn on the rooftop floor.
She jumped down from the fence and stood in front of him.
He had outgrown her long ago, and while she felt a sense of loneliness, she took comfort in his resemblance to their father.
”I’m not going to fall.”
”That’s not it. If you’re releasing spirit energy in such a noticeable place, who knows who might be watching?”
She was glad he didn’t inherit her nagging habit, but she still felt the need to caution him.
”If that attracts ayakashi, it saves us trouble, right? In a city like this, there are only weak ones around. Don’t be so negative; you’re taking the second-class promotion exam with me.”
She explained the difference in treatment between third-class and second-class exorcists, emphasizing that while the missions were more dangerous, it was a choice they had made.
”That’s exactly why I’m saying it…”
”What do you mean? If you rank up to second-class here, you’ll have a chance to talk to our representative, and this is an important time.”
”Such a trend follower.”
”What’s wrong with that? Our representative is the strongest in Kansai, you know? Plus, they have a great face and voice!.”
”Like they’d pay any attention to someone like you, sister.”
”Your dinner for tomorrow night just got one dish less.”
”That’s terrible! Isn’t it unfair to starve me like this?!”
”There are no rules in sibling fights. Besides, you started the personal attacks first.”
”I admit that was wrong, but… Master always said this time of year is the most dangerous, right? He kept saying not to get too excited.”
”Yeah, yeah, I get it──”
”──Sister.”
”Yeah, I felt it.”
she acknowledged, setting up the folding khakkhara staff she had tucked under her arm.
Her brother was already holding his tokkōshō vajra, scanning the area for the exact position.
The direction was east, and the evil aura’s presence was undeniable, heading straight towards them.
”There’s a strong presence. It can’t be a minor youkai; why is an Intermediate Youkai all the way out here… Any reports?”
”None. It got through the barrier and into the city.”
”I see, so we found it first. You stay in the formation. It probably caught my spirit energy──sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”
”Stop it! You apologizing is just… Let’s buy some time while we escape!”
”You’re such an idiot. What if that causes harm to civilians? What are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”
”That’s, um…”
”If it comes here, that’s convenient. Don’t worry, I can buy time by myself. You just prepare for the worst, okay?”
”But!”
”Then it’s an order. I’m the leader, and you’re the team member──got it?”
”Ugh… got it. But don’t overdo it.”
”How cheeky. Who are you talking to? ──Headquarters, this is Team Otsu 2. We’ve detected the presence of an Intermediate Youkai, number one. They’ve noticed us as well. We urgently request backup.”
She quickly contacted headquarters, reporting the presence of an Intermediate Youkai and requesting backup.
’──Got it, er’ll send them right away. Don’t push yourself too hard.’
She finished her report and took out a paper cut-out of a human shape from her waist pouch.
”Come at me from anywhere…!”
The white human figure scattered across the rooftop in the wind, and she released over 20 shikigami dolls, an impressive feat for a third-class exorcist.
However, 5 of them were quickly taken out.
”Wh──!”
She exclaimed, turning towards the breached barrier. A sharp pain shot through her ankle, and she saw her brother shouting her name through her swaying vision.
”Sister!”
(Don’t be stupid, if you shout, the formation will…)
She thought, but before she could finish her sentence, a strong impact hit her face from the left, and the exorcist girl lost consciousness.
”Found you, girl.”
* * *
”──Ugh, it hurts…!”
The first thing she felt when she woke up was pain.
Stab wounds, cuts, and bruises──reminders of her chosen path as an exorcist.
She had broken bones before, but this pain was unlike anything she had experienced.
Her arms and legs felt like they were shattered, and the stab wound on her palms throbbed with an intense coldness, making her hesitate to move her fingers.
The left side of her face burned with a painful heat.
”Ugh…”
Even in her vulnerable state, someone was shaking her body.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she saw her younger brother lying face down, his eyes dim and his body half-dead, strangely stuck to the ceiling.
She wondered about his position, but the overwhelming pain and the weight pressing down on her prevented any movement.
”Hey, sister…”
Her brother’s voice, filled with desperation, reached out to her.
She knew she had to act, for she had promised her father and family that she would protect him. As the big sister, it was her duty──
”Hey, look over here!”
”Eek…”
Her reality seemed to shift as she tried to escape the situation.
A murky voice and a stench filled her senses, and she understood that she couldn’t ignore what was happening.
The weight on her body, the upside-down view, and the piercing pain in her lower abdomen──all signs of the truth she didn’t want to face.
”Look over here…”
”No… no…”
She couldn’t accept it.
It felt like a cruel mistake, an impossible reality.
”Was it your brother? Should I kill that guy over there?”
”Ah… uaaah…”
But the cruel reality doesn’t care about a girl’s wishes.
She accepted the words that fell with the stinky breath.
She couldn’t let her brother be the only one lost, not when she could still fight.
Steeling herself, she forced her gaze forward, and a strong gust of wind blew, causing her to close her eyes instinctively.
The weight on her body lifted,
”──Huh?”
And when she cautiously opened her eyes, she saw the full moon’s radiant sky.
A fox-faced man, Kazuramichi Naoshi, was looking down at her with a playful smile.
”Naoshi, is that you…?”
”Yeah, it’s me.”
Naoshi’s smile brought a sense of warmth and doubt to her heart.
Was this a dream? she wondered.
But as the warmth spread, so did the urge to cry.
”Ahh, ahh… ahh…”
Her throat trembled, and emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
”Hey, ya look kinda worn out. How ’bout takin’ a lil’ rest?”
A large hand touched her forehead, and a soothing male voice calmed her.
Her eyelids grew heavy.
──Wait.
──Just a little longer, just a bit more, please let me remember this moment later on, I want to engrave it in my heart──
As she looked up at Naoshi, who was gently gazing at her, she lost consciousness in less than 2 seconds.
* * *
”Well, guess I couldn’t quite make it in time.”
Naoshi scratched his head while draping his own coat over the half-n*ked girl, stained with blood and bodily fluids.
The girl’s eyes, which had fallen into sleep from his words, reflected a vague light.
From the boundary between sanity and madness, “something” was about to be born.
Her life was definitely saved, but would she be able to fight again?
He checked on the other young man who was collapsed.
He was more seriously injured and already unconscious; it was a dangerous situation, but there was still time. However──
”I told ‘em not to pair up guys ‘n girls, didn’t I?”
Men kill, women are tormented.
That is the basic behavior of ayakashi that curses humans.
There’s no need to question the reasons.
Since ancient times, exorcists have driven away ayakashi, and ayakashi have invaded human territory. The grudges have piled up on both sides without needing to discuss who started it first.
So, what happens when men and women are together?
Do they violate while killing, or kill while violating?
Either way, it’s bound to end badly.
No, if he considers that both of them were saved this time because they were almost tortured to death, then maybe it had some meaning.
It’s not a situation to celebrate, but losing in the first place is already unacceptable──
”Ugh, brat…”
An unpleasant, murky voice interrupted his thoughts.
A youma classified as ayakashi, resembling a mix of a frog and a lizard, stood there with its distorted, bipedal humanoid form still intact.
”Looks like it’s still kickin’. Guess I’ve got a long way to go, huh?”
He thought he had kicked it to death, but since it was too close to the sister, he must have held back too much.
”Yer in the way…!”
”Sorry for makin’ ya suffer for nothin’. I’ll make it quick for ya now.”
”D-Ddei!”
Naoshi heard a whoosh as the air sliced through, and its long, drooping tongue shot out, piercing the spot where he head had just been.
It was a strike that could match the speed of a bullet, taking down the siblings.
But this time, the opponent was at a disadvantage.
”Yer way too slow; ya got openings all over.”
It was a true instant kill.
He circled behind and struck with a knife-hand, and by the time he announced it, he had already severed its head.
The frog-like ayakashi’s face showed an unexpectedly rich expression of surprise as it rolled away, and without hesitation, he stomped on it in one swift motion.
To him, this was nothing more than an average Intermediate Youkai. However──
”These kids’re the siblings folks’ve been sayin’ are up for promotion, right?”
Not just Naoshi, but the Kazuramichi family’s exorcists are among the best in Kansai.
It’s only natural; he had commanded it to be so.
Yet, even with two promising third-clade exorcists, they couldn’t do anything against a mere Intermediate Youkai.
That was the reality now.
”My nice shoes are gettin’ all dirty, and I’ve got a headache… Mei-chan’ll probably forgive me, but I gotta make it up to her next time.”
The future of the siblings, the interrupted date, and his favorite shoes stained with ayakashi’s bodily fluids.
He considered all these problems equally.
What happened was undoubtedly a tragedy, but it wasn’t particularly unusual.
The typical outcome for an exorcist who loses to an ayakashi is that, rather than being dead, both of them are lucky to be alive. That is a pure fact.
As the Acting Head of the Family, even if he feels pity for the siblings, he cannot indulge in such luxuries. At least, that’s what Naoshi thinks.
On the other hand, it was easy to justify being the first to rush out to search for the third-class exorcist who lost contact after reporting the discovery of an Intermediate Youkai.
After all, the fastest and safest way to check things out is with the strongest and quickest, Naoshi.
”Hey, Acting Head!”
”Sorry for botherin’ ya while you’re restin’!”
”It’s fine, the lives of my family are more important. More importantly, hurry up and carry him; the boy is seriously injured.”
”””Yes!”””
Leaving the family members who arrived late to handle things, Naoshi took out his smartphone.
”──Oh, Yuzura. Is now a good time to chat?”
’It’s fine, but I know you’re just calling for a favor, right? Go ahead and say it.’
”Thanks for being quick. So, is there a memory-processing specialist available right now?”
On the other end of the line, a sigh was audible.
’Well, Naoshi, I can’t say it’s impossible, but can you please go through the proper channels? If you talk to me directly, it’s not going to be fun for my uncle, and I’ll be the one getting glared at.’
”I’ll make sure to go through the proper channels later; this is just a preliminary check, ya know.”
’You’re unbelievable. If you want to use your connections, you should keep in touch more regularly.’
”What are we supposed to talk about, two grown men? Should I just send a pic of my lunch or somethin’?”
’I don’t want it, it’s just going to be the same old stuff, right? There’s that story about Shiun’s eldest daughter… Is that what this is about? Please, not something so important for the family──’
”Ah, no, no! It’s just that my third-class people totally messed up, ya know?”
’Oh, how kind of you. Were they someone you cared about?’
”Na, I don’t really know them. Just got an older sis and a little bro.”
’──Ah, I see what you mean.’
”What’re ya noddin’ along for by yourself, huh?”
’Not really? Anyway, I get the gist of it. If Uncle is hesitant, I can help out. Is that okay?’
”Yeah, thanks a lot! Let’s go grab somethin’ to eat sometime.”
’If it’s on your treat, then I’m fine with it, based on my tastes.’
”If I leave the place to ya, your taste is good, but the portion… well…”
’You said you owe me, right? Stop complaining.’
”Alright, alright, see ya later! I’ll hit ya up again──.”
After finishing the call with his friend, he called another contact.
This was as far as his work as the Acting Head of the Family went.
”──Ah, Mei-chan, are ya free now? Sorry for rushin’ the talk, but I really gotta show up myself. By the way, about the family biz—can I come back over now? Is that not okay──…?”
But even though he tried to switch gears, thoughts about the future lingered in his mind.
(Depending on Suzuri-chan, I gotta think ’bout what comes next.)
The eldest daughter of the Shiun family, whom he was tasked with looking after and training. Of course, she had abilities far beyond those of the previous siblings.
But at the same time, as a second-class, she had a duty to face stronger ayakashi.
And the stronger the ayakashi became, the more malicious and twisted they would be.
If she were to lose, it wouldn’t just end with being toyed with or violated.
He didn’t want to put that girl who looked up to him through something like that, and at the same time, he had to learn for his family’s sake from the chance to train her──there were many things to think about.
”Seriously, it ain’t gonna be easy.”
But that was it, that was the path Kazuramichi Naoshi had chosen.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.