Volume 4 Chapter 12 Demon World Outer Realm： Mount Ontake Annihilation War III： Barrier Manifestation ‘The Cradle of the Cuckoo’
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
They opened the fence, and the mountain path they stepped into was stained white.
Under the cloudy sky, only the sound of their footsteps on the snow echoed in the still mountain.
At the front, Mibu Itsuki, a wolfman of ancient Japanese descent with thick Ookami blood, stood alert. Following him was Kanbe Yuzura, and at the rear was Kazuramichi Naoshi. Fidgeting between their master was Naoshi’s shiki oni, Kurikoma.
”──We’re in now.”
After a while of climbing, Itsuki quietly spoke, and everyone nodded.
They had entered the territory of a gigantic Tsukumogami’s barrier that covered the mountain.
”Which way?”
”It’s an erosion type. Tsukumogamis seem to generally follow that.”
The techniques of creating barriers that connect reality and other realms for applying unusual laws can be largely divided into 2 types.
These are the sealing type that interferes with entering and exiting a designated area, and the erosion type, which expands its range and influence continuously──most barriers are of the former, and examples of the latter are rare.
Unlike the sealing type, which rejects adversaries or prevents victims from escaping, the erosion type requires other powers to protect its territory.
In the case of Tsukumogamis, their strength lies in their numbers as a swarm.
”What do we do, smash it?”
”You make it sound easy. Can you do it?”
”I’ve done it twice lately, reckon I got the hang of it. If ya help, we should manage.”
”Monster, huh?”
Without turning around, Itsuki brushed off the snowball Naoshi threw at her with the sheath of her sword.
Yuzura fell silent for a moment, as if considering, then shook his head.
”Let’s not. They’ll probably detect us sooner or later, but it’s unnecessary to announce our presence.”
”At worst, we might escape as soon as we break the barrier.”
”A barrier of this level shouldn’t bother omae-sama too much.”
”Yeah──so, Yuzura, ya really think ya can make it to the top? If ya just actin’ tough, best cut it out now.”
”What’s that supposed to mean, Naoshi?”
The tall and handsome man, despite his appearance, did not match Naoshi or Itsuki in physical robustness.
If it were just a simple climb of a snowy mountain, that would be one thing, but knowing that a battle against the Great Youkai awaits, I want to minimize any fatigue.
”Shall I carry it, omae-sama? If it’s a friend of yours, I don’t mind.”
”I do wanna take a look at it.”
”I’ll take your feelings on that. But, I will take it easy.”
”Yeah.”
Saying this, Yuzura took a white origami crane from his pocket and blew his white breath on it.
Before long, the crane grew in size, enough for an adult to straddle, and he sat on his back with his legs together.
With Yuzura on board, the crane gently lifted off the ground to knee height.
”Wow, how skillful!”
”If you’d like to ride, feel free; there’s still room for one more.”
”No, I’m not just a child at first glance…”
Despite saying this, Kurikoma couldn’t defeat her curiosity and settled on Yuzura’s lap.
She let out an amazed “Oh” as the crane floated through the air.
”Yer takin’ this real easy.”
”Well, it doesn’t help to brace myself right now. How about you just rely on my nose and relax, Naoshi?”
Hmph, Naoshi exhaled through his nose, while Itsuki mediated.
”I’m not particularly nervous; are you saying we should enjoy a conversation while climbing?”
”Well, we don’t get to group up like this often. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a bit of talk.”
”Oh. Then I’d like to ask something that’s been on my mind: who won between Naoshi and Yuzura?”
”Ain’t that a weird thing to just throw out there?”
”Can you not start a conversation like it’s an avalanche?”
Asking who is stronger is a question best avoided even among close friends, and even more so among exorcists.
”Why not? Did you fight or not?”
”Well, of course, omae-sama won. Right, omae-sama?”
However, the beautiful man in disguise cheerfully repeated the question.
A small oni took advantage of that.
It was clear both had a strong will to not back down until they heard the answer.
”Y’all battle freaks…”
Naoshi scratched his head and exchanged glances with Yuzura.
The friend shrugged, as if to say there was no helping it.
”Hah… If I have an advantage, then I, Yuzura, will meet Yuzura under perfect conditions.”
”Our strengths are so different, it’s hard to compare.”
If their words were true, then why was the title of strongest crowned to Kazuramichi?
──It was a question Itsuki didn’t need to ask anymore.
”That’s the old conclusion.”
”Yes, it’s an old story.”
However, it was a fact.
The piles of ayakashi and the mountain of losers at their feet had pushed Kazuramichi Naoshi to the top.
This cannot be overturned by mere theory.
”Hmm, I see how it is.”
”You didn’t confirm it, did you? If I were a man, I’d definitely fight until there was clarity among the 3.”
”Never wanted ya to be a woman so bad as I do now.”
”That’s terrible. After messing around with someone’s body that much? There were more chances to think like that, weren’t there?”
”Who said ya could spill yer personal business?—Enough chattin’, let’s pick up the pace.”
Yuzura, who was playing with the human-shaped shiki doll, tightened his expression.
”Has it started?”
”Yes, and it seems a Great Youkai has been caught.”
”Hmm, it means we might need more than 2 to deal with this easily.”
”The surrounding minions should be considerable too; we have to stay sharp.”
Itsuki’s prediction turned out to be more unfavorable than expected.
* * *
”That was more than just ‘considerable’, wasn’t it?”
Near the summit, Naoshi smiled wryly at the situation waiting for them.
Once, it had been a place for ascetic training, Mt. Ontake.
Now, ayakashi swarmed around one of its giant rocks that symbolized its past.
The trees covering the area were felled, firmly planted in the ground to assert territory, with multiple white threads stretched between those pillars.
It was a grotesque, gigantic spider’s web.
Countless small spiders’ red eyes glowed brightly within.
”──This ain’t gonna be easy.”
”Heh heh, it’s going to be a big job; I can feel it!”
On the giant rock, there were 3 Great Youkai emitting powerful youkai energy (youki) ── with one more in the east engaged in battle, that made 4.
For a single group of Tsuchigumo, it was a scale that might not even have an example dating back to the age of legends.
”──Yuzura, when ya get back, deal with Touin. It’s pointless, really.”
Seeing 2 of the Great Youkai covering a woman lying on the rock, Naoshi coldly spat.
”Don’t tell me, I understand how you feel.”
Though quite dirty, the black uniform she wore looked like the Bureau of Onmyō’s rapid response unit uniform.
Her limbs, stretched out as if resigned, lacked any sense of strength, and her very life was uncertain.
”Alright, Nao. Let’s begin.”
”Yeah.”
Receiving her friend’s words, Naoshi gathered spirit energy (reiki).
Thunder roared, and the flashing lightning burned the small spiders along the web.
”Rude child, quite the greeting, isn’t it? Is that the custom of this generation?”
A woman’s voice echoed like a bell in the battlefield.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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