Volume 6 Chapter 11 The March 25th Metropolitan Incident ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Heave… ho!”
The echoing resonance of a whistling arrow meant to dispel evil merged with the night noise of the waves before vanishing. Data on Shion’s smart glasses, and the sudden loss of youki¹, confirmed the target had been hit.
First-Class Exorcist Sannomiya Shion stood on the Oiso coast in Kanagawa Prefecture, facing Sagami Bay. Wearing miko-style exorcist clothes—a white kosode with tasuki-gake cords over red hakama—she was a woman with sharp, scary eyes, holding a dull-black Japanese bow. Ranked third in Kanto, this strong woman had been meant to defend Isehara; she came from the mountains to the shore mostly to deal with the many oni²-fires floating on the sea.
”Just how many are there…” Shion muttered with a tired voice.
She knew the plan: fight the group of ayakashi³ in the sea, using the shore as a line to kill them before they land. The logic made sense, but the number was the problem. Just looking at it, the oni-fires were over a hundred; counting those in the dark, the total number of ayakashi might reach a thousand. Also—
”Ah!”
Just as the oni-fires in her view seemed to go out, they appeared again hundreds of meters to the east in a second.
’Command to First-Class Exorcist Sannomiya. Please move and continue your attack.’
”Got it. Hata-chan, come here!” Shion called out.
In answer, a white horse waiting nearby trotted up, its hooves hitting the ground. This was Hatagumo, a sacred shinme horse for her family’s shrine. His job was more than ritual; he was a special horse raised to be a ride for exorcists.
”Hup!”
Shion jumped into the seat and signaled with her legs, making Hatagumo start a fast run. Taking a new arrow from her bag while riding, she shot it at the sea. The sharp, long whistle of the arrow rang out on the night coast. As if it hated the sound, the oni-fires moved east again.
”Man…” Shion sighed.
She made Hatagumo keep his speed. Shion had been sent from Isehara because she knew the Hiratsuka area, was good at sea shooting, and had this high speed.
”Hey, is there a chance this is a trap to pull out our main team? desu-ka,” Shion asked.
’The chance is there. So, we will let you decide what to do once you enter Hiratsuka.’
”Ugh, talk about a mess… So I have to chase them alone, I get it!” Shion said, her shots hitting the ayakashi one by one.
’If we see them move to land, we will send help right away.’
”You better! I’m not Touma-kun or Cecil-chan, so I don’t want to play a ‘one-man army’ against a Night Parade—!”
Suddenly, Shion’s eyes got thin as she looked at the sea. Under the moon, in the dark sea that looked like melted black, she felt a bad feeling—one different from the ayakashi.
”Yo—!”
She shot. The arrow hit a target the size of a ball perfectly. A second later, a loud boom happened as fire filled the air.
”…!” Shion gasped.
”Why did it blow up?! Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Shion cried as Hatagumo jumped up.
”Easy, easy, good boy…” Shion calmed her horse while trying to breathe. In the dark, she saw the broken parts fall into the sea.
”Um, command? Since when do ayakashi blow up? desu-ka,” Shion asked.
’We are checking the video. There is a high chance they are suicide drones. Be very careful.’
”What?!”
(Suicide… as in, they blow up?! From where? How many?) Before she could understand, Shion held another arrow. At the last bit, she moved her aim from the oni-fires to the east. A low, shaking sound of a motor was coming close. She saw the shape between the sea and sky.
”Gyah!”
With a scream, she shot and hit the flying thing. Again, a loud sound meant a fire flower grew on the sea.
’They are drones. The Coast Guard just said there are weird boats off the Miura Peninsula. They are fighting them now.’
”I knew it! It must be spies hidden somewhere! Are they working with the monsters to hit me? This is bad, isn’t it?! desu-ka,” Shion yelled.
’Yes. That is likely. Also, the sea monsters are now a forming Hyakki Yago⁴. We are checking the landing spot and making a team to fight.’
”Then, what about me—? desu-ka,” Shion asked.
’Sorry, but please keep killing the Night Parade while watching for more air attacks.’
”Eeeeh… Isn’t this for Touma-kun? This is a Touma-kun job, right?! Use him already!”
’We are checking all areas now.’
”Now is the time! That kid could just poof away those spies and the Night Parade all at once… Ah, sorry Hata-chan, was I loud?”
Stopping at Hatagumo’s angry sound, Shion focused on shooting. She hit a drone and more oni-fires, changed her arrow bag, and went to the bridge.
’—Shion-san, this is Touma. Do you have a moment?’ A cool voice came from her radio.
”Yo, Third Gen! Yeah, yeah, what? When do you take over?! Don’t tell me you’re right here? I’d be so happy I’d cry!”
’Something is under the water near Enoshima. Can you hit it?’
”How far do you think that is?! Am I a missile? Just shoot it from Yokosuka!” Shion snapped.
’Shooting over the town or street is hard. We have used many fake barriers today already.’
”I was just talking! Fine, I’ll try when I’m closer, so send the data…”
’That helps. Stay safe.’
”He just gives a hard job and leaves…!”
Shion’s teeth made a sound as she pulled her bow to the limit.
”I hate this! This year, I am finding a normal husband—handsome, tall, smart, rich, and tireless! I’ll have a kid every year and stay away from fights for ten years—!”
With the cry of a woman in her late twenties, the arrow flew, making another firework.
* * *
”…Well, she’s a fun one, isn’t she? You sure she’s okay? na,” Naoshi asked.
”She cries a lot, but she does her job well,” Yukinojo said calmly.
Hearing that, Suzuri felt respect. “Ah, so Sir Yukinojo really is a First-Class Exorcist too,” she thought. She knew why he stayed. West, in Ome, Lady Cecil and the others were in a hard fight against a Great Youkai’s oni. Also, many monsters were hitting the shrine. In Narita, small groups of ayakashi had the young members running; a bike sound at the airport made everyone look.
”Ako-chan, how are the people moving? desu-ka,” Suzuri asked.
”Alerts stay in north and south. They think a full invasion won’t happen, but—”
”Even so, it’s a big load now, isn’t it? desu-ne,” Yukinojo said.
”Also, social media won’t stop. Info is leaking out everywhere.”
”Well, at this size, it had to happen na,” Naoshi said.
To most people with no reiryoku⁵, ayakashi did not exist. If they saw one, they would think it was a dream or a mistake. Knowing such dangers are near daily life is bad for living. Like wild animals or car crashes—risks that can hit anyone—most people live without thinking about them. It is easier to live that way. Ayakashi are blocked by the brain like that, and cities use barriers to help that denial. But even that had a limit. If some say they saw it, others will say they did too—that is how people are. When Suzuri checked her phone, “Kanto is Going Down” was trending. Reports of flying things and voices from the dark were coming—a video even showed Shion and Hatagumo on the road.
”…The north is… very quiet, isn’t it?”
Most reports were in Chiba and Kanagawa. Info from Ome was stopped, but the Saitama area had nothing.
”Just small signs by the Arakawa area, like a new moon,” Ako said to Suzuri.
(I see why Sir Yukinojo cannot move.) Suzuri nodded. Then, Ako made a small sound.
”What’s up? ya,” Naoshi asked.
”About Kasumigaura—”
There were signs of a Great Youkai there. Since the report that Tamane Kurosu-sama was at Nishiura—where the feeling was thickest—there was no news. Everyone looked at Ako as she spoke.
”Um… it’s… already over,” Ako said, her doll-face looking confused.
—
Summary:
Sannomiya Shion fights a massive wave of monsters and drones on the coast, complaining about her workload. The command center watches the chaos spread to social media while monitoring several battlefronts. The chapter ends with the sudden and quiet resolution of the threat at Kasumigaura.
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Character Insight:
Shion’s outburst reveals her deep exhaustion with the dangerous exorcist lifestyle, contrasting her lethal skills with a desire for a peaceful family life. The command room characters highlight the struggle of maintaining public order as supernatural events leak onto the internet.
—
Behind the Scene:
The arrival of drones suggests a mix of human politics and spiritual warfare. Tamane Kurosu’s ‘instant’ victory at the lake serves to show the extreme gap in power among top-tier exorcists.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Shion – A first-class exorcist. She wears a shrine maiden-style outfit consisting of a white kosode with tasuki-gake cords and scarlet hakama pants. She has a sharp, intimidating gaze and unglossed black hair. She carries a traditional Japanese bow and is an expert marksman.
• Cecil – Dushan Cecil. She is a rare Christian relic user in Japan and a strong fighter, second only to Yukinojo in the Kanto region. An exorcist with French roots and affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Her relationship with the British witch is adversarial, as their backgrounds and beliefs clash.
• Muo – Non-human (Kyonshi). A reanimated corpse with refined kung fu skills. His appearance is not detailed, but he is a formidable opponent. He engages Naoshi in a intense martial arts battle.
• Tamane – The strongest and only First-Class exorcist in Shikoku. Known for her ability to handle multiple opponents simultaneously. A 21-year-old First-Class Exorcist and university student. Stands at 147cm with bronze-tanned skin and long black twintails. Wears sports brand tracksuits and carries a Boston bag. Loves beautiful people and weighs ‘three carrots.’
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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