Mob Yandere

[Part 1/3]

It reads.

Absorbing everything from the cradle that once nurtured it, dissecting, analyzing—stripping away the unnecessary. Only what ensures survival is chosen.

It beats.

A pulsing rhythm spreads through a network of delicate, branching vessels. Soft, uncertain contours take shape, every cell reflecting the stolen essence of its host.

It writhes.

Twisting, contorting—expanding. With every writhing motion, it claims space. It grows. It awakens.

Deep within an abyss of warm, dark red, it curls upon itself, trembling.

A shapeless mass, shuddering, groaning—hungry.

Like a parasite, it evolves.

The moment of its birth cry draws near...

* * *

"Up ahead, about three hundred steps... Quite a large gathering, isn't it?"

Iruka came to a sudden stop, a sneer curling her lips. The others followed suit, instinctively spreading out to her flanks.

They—the Onitsuki delegation—had abandoned their mission at the Takemika estate. No formalities. No farewells. Just a cold retreat. The local Takemika members had desperately tried to block their departure, pleading for explanations, but were effortlessly brushed aside.

Resistance had been futile.

The few brave servants who attempted to interfere were swiftly silenced. A roar. A single strike. Iruka had knocked them out and bound them before they even realized what had happened. A brutal, decisive response. They had never anticipated such ruthless efficiency—an ambush that had, in the end, been entirely one-sided.

The Takemika family had been left stunned, broken by the sheer audacity of it. Not a single exorcist had been sent to intervene, and so the delegation had pressed forward, reaching the border between Takemika and Juuyaku lands unchallenged.

But this was as far as they would go unopposed.

"Sniff, sniff... Three exorcists. About ten servants, plus a swarm of shiki youkai. They mean business, don't they?"

Iruka lifted her nose, inhaling deeply. Her sharp senses picked up far more than what the eye could see. The wind carried traces of hidden presences—twice as many as were visible.

"Iruka..."

"What do we do? Should we just charge in?"

She asked, flashing a predatory grin at Tamaki.

The other girl hesitated, her brows furrowing. A direct attack would be effective—but only if they were willing to deal with the consequences.

"That might be a bit extreme..."

"Yeah, probably."

Tamaki's measured response was exactly what Iruka had expected.

The memory curse still gnawed at them. Almost everyone in their group had fallen under its effect. Was it the food? The timing fit. The Juuyaku family specialized in medicinal practices—herbs, remedies, poisons. Nothing in their meal had seemed harmful individually, but together? Inside the stomach? That was another matter entirely. ṝＡƝọ𝔟Ęṣ

Iruka had noticed it at the time. Had smelled the hidden ingredients. But even she hadn't considered that a respected exorcist family would dare tamper with a delegation sanctioned by the imperial court.

That was reckless.

And yet, an even greater mystery remained: why had the blind, frail girl remained unaffected?

Tamaki had wrestled with that question, but even as the pieces fell into place, the very act of realizing the truth seemed to slip from their grasp—fading, dissolving, like ice melting into nothingness. A textbook example of memory manipulation.

Even knowing this, Tamaki had chosen to press forward.

And now, here they stood. Rushed. Uncertain. Forced into a confrontation full of lingering doubts.

Tamaki clenched her fists.

"Iruka, I..."

"I get it. Dragging you into this was selfish. Just having you here is enough."

Even now, Tamaki struggled to trust in their choices. Some of the Onitsuki servants wavered, cautioning against reckless action. But in the end, they stood by her. Not out of duty. Out of friendship.

Tamaki was willing to take responsibility. And that alone meant Iruka had nothing more to say.

The ones at fault—the ones who needed to answer for this—were elsewhere.

"I see you are from the Onitsuki family!"

A sharp voice rang out.

Figures emerged from the Juuyaku border—exorcists, as expected. One of them stepped forward, posture stiff with authority.

"We have already received word from the Takemika family. What business do you have, acting with such disregard for propriety? It is not too late—turn back immediately!"

A warning. A thinly veiled threat.

Iruka scoffed.

"Oh? Is that so?"

She glanced sideways. @@novelbin@@

"Tamaki-dono, your move."

A brief silence. Then—

"I'll go. I'll negotiate and have them stand aside."

"I'm coming with you, right? As your bodyguard. That okay?"

Tamaki hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

"Yes."

She turned to the rest of the delegation.

"Stay here."

Then, she and Iruka advanced.

They stopped just short of the border, close enough to catch the subtle shifts in the enemy's expressions. Close enough to be heard.

Tamaki inhaled sharply. Then, with deliberate care, she spoke:

"Greetings. I apologize for the intrusion. We are the Onitsuki delegation. Due to urgent matters, we seek your cooperation."

A calm, rehearsed delivery. But beneath her composed tone, tension roiled.

The Juuyaku exorcist eyed her carefully. Then, with an equally formal air, he replied:

"Hotoya Tamaki-dono, is it? We regret to inform you that we cannot comply with your request. We ask for your understanding."

Expected.

Tamaki took a step forward, pushing harder.

"Why not? We're in a hurry."

"A clear question deserves a clear answer."

The man's voice hardened.

"Beyond this point is Juuyaku land. Not Takemika. Not Onitsuki. Trespassing without permission is an offense—an offense recognized by the imperial court. To violate it would be as if you were knocking on the emperor's very desk. Do you understand what you are asking?"

His voice rose with authority, hammering the weight of the imperial decree upon them.

Kirisame, from the Hidden Group, standing behind, sucked in a breath. The political consequences were clear—pushing forward now was dangerous. A true misstep.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.

Then, Tamaki spoke.

"I understand."

Her voice was unwavering.

"And with that in mind, I make my request again. Move aside."

A beat.

The Juuyaku exorcists stiffened.

"You must be joking! What right do you have—"

"The right granted to me as an exorcist!"

Tamaki's aura flared, her voice cutting through their protests like a blade.

"The Onitsuki family holds authority bestowed by the imperial court. I declare that our household's Coordinator remains in your land. If you refuse to let us through, then hand them over immediately!"

The demand hit like a hammer.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then—

"You must be joking. On what basis do you make such a claim? If such a thing were true, why didn't you notice until now? Are you accusing our family baselessly!?"

The exorcists from Juuyaku seemed genuinely perplexed.

Seeing their obvious shock, Tamaki briefly doubted whether they were mistaken.

Noticing Tamaki's hesitation, Iruka, standing nearby, whispered.

"Calm down. It's not like they're telling everything to people who might get caught."

"Y-You're right, Iruka..."

Only those who need to know should know.

Revealing confidential information that could serve as evidence—if the Juuyaku family was truly guilty—served no purpose.

If anything, withholding it could prevent deception.

Tamaki steeled herself and countered.

"That's exactly what I want to confirm. To do that, I need to step into your territory. The remains of the missing persons showed no reaction within the Takemika family's domain. But within your Barrier Curse? I need to verify that."

As a guardian of the territory, Tamaki often encased exorcists' bases in Barrier Curses.

A full-scale barrier strong enough to block youkai across the entire jurisdiction was difficult, sure.

But interfering with simple search curses? That was another matter entirely.

A creation of man, indeed.

There should be a connection.

Yet in the Takemika territory, there were no traces of curses at all.

Which meant that, at least there, no one had laid claim to the remnants.

But what about the Juuyaku family?

That was a bold assertion.

If someone wanted to sever a connection, there were countless ways to do it.

Conversely, with the right tools, even high-quality curse disruptions could be bypassed.

Tamaki and her team lacked such tools, but Onitsuki Uemon and others?

With their wealth, they could afford the best detection curses money could buy.

"Unfortunately, I cannot allow such things."

"I thought as much."

Curses weren't just tools to be used casually.

A single step through enemy territory could leave a trace—an unseen tie, a lingering presence.

The Juuyaku family wouldn't risk that.

Regardless of the truth, they had every reason to refuse.

"Without the head's approval or mediation from the Onmyouji Bureau, this is impossible. I must ask you to withdraw."

"I refuse. The disappearance of my vassals is not a trivial matter. We don't have the luxury of waiting, do we?"

Both sides had their reasons.

Both arguments were valid.

But retreating wasn't an option.

Tamaki wasn't looking for a fight either.

Instead, she proposed an alternative.

"My lord, please seek permission from Ichishen-dono. If that proves difficult, let's talk directly. Would that not work?"

She remembered the Juuyaku family head.

He had always maintained a friendly stance.

She wanted to believe he wasn't behind these disappearances or the memory manipulations.

More than that, she needed to see him—convince him—to remove any doubt.

"...Wait a moment."

The Juuyaku exorcists whispered among themselves, exchanging hurried words with the Hidden Group operatives lurking behind them.

Their expressions, at first composed, slowly twisted into something bitter.

"...Hey, seriously?"

"...What's wrong?"

Iruka's wolf ears twitched.

Eavesdropping, no doubt.

Her expression mirrored theirs—strained.

Tamaki's stomach turned.

"We can't get in touch with the shikigami. No word from above."

"That means..."

A sudden communication blackout—now, of all times?

It wasn't a coincidence.

A bad feeling crawled up Tamaki's spine.

This decision wasn't something they could make on-site.

They needed orders.

But if they couldn't get them...!

"...What should we do, Iruka?"

"'Tough' negotiations, huh...? Looks like they've already made their choice."

From the bushes, servants emerged.

The ritual crowd stirred.

Half of the Hidden Group stepped into view, forming a line—a wall of defense around their land.

The exorcists who had been speaking moments ago straightened and declared,

"We need time to get the head's permission. Please wait."

"When can we expect an answer?"

Silence.

That silence spoke volumes.

Juuyaku's forces readied themselves.

Iruka stepped in front of Tamaki, weapon drawn.

Behind them, Tamaki's own team surged forward, forming a protective line.

She hesitated.

Should she stop them?

The situation was seconds from erupting.

"Huh...?"

Tamaki froze.

Confusion, doubt, and unease flashed across her face.

Iruka, about to call out to her, stiffened.

Even the Onitsuki operatives halted, their gazes locking onto something.

Some exchanged glances.

Something was wrong.

"What's going on...?"

The Juuyaku family's exorcists were just as baffled by the Onitsuki members' reactions.

For a brief moment, suspicion flickered—was this some kind of trap? But no... something about it felt off. Off in a way they couldn't quite put into words.

Their gazes all converged on the same point.

A beat of hesitation.

Yet, curiosity and unease gnawed at them, pushing them forward. Drawn by the direction of Tamaki and the others' stares, the Juuyaku exorcists turned, and then—