Mob Yandere

[Part 4/4]

It was like pouring water on a burning rock.

Like fighting an army with only a few men.

Like piling stones on the banks of the River of the Dead (Sai no Kawara: the river where souls are said to gather in the afterlife).

Pointless. Hopeless.

And still, the balance kept tipping the wrong way.

But they didn't care.

As long as they could buy time, that was enough.

The Juuyaku Ichishen moved without hesitation, doubt, or despair.

'''Hissss!!!'''

The 'babies' screamed.

Then suddenly, some of the Ichishen's presences vanished.

Gone.

Explosions shook the air again.

Black smoke rose.

Through the smoke, the cursed babies howled.

They tore through the Juuyaku Ichishen.

They ripped and bit and killed them without mercy.

"Well, well, this is troublesome..."

The Juuyaku Ichishen, seeing that even a self-sacrificing explosion wouldn't inflict much damage, is deeply troubled and grumbles like a bitter worm.

They lament their own immaturity and are reminded of the senseless cruelty of the otherworldly beings.

And it is surely the same feeling that 'she' and her comrades were taught in the face of imminent death...

"Guf!!"

Just a small mistake.

A blade-tail (刃尾 Jabi: a sharp, bladed tail used by certain youkai) pierced straight through his stomach.

In the next moment, his whole body was lifted up, hanging from the tail like a broken doll.

His own weight made the wound tear open even more.

But there was no point worrying about that anymore.

Before Ichishen's eyes appears a horrifying baby.

It still looked a little human... but not really.

The twisted thing grinned, full of mockery, and leaned close to stare at Juuyaku Ichishen's face.

Its long tail pulled him in like it was proud of winning.

Any normal person would probably go crazy with fear or faint from the sight.

But Ichishen was not normal.

"...Die. You monster."

Just as the monster opened its jaws wide to bite, that Juuyaku Ichishen, without a shred of hesitation, without a flicker of emotion, as if it were only natural, shattered its own body along with the flames.

It seemed that just a little more time was needed for the resistance of the Juuyaku Ichishen to completely cease...

* * *

"...Broken?"

Matsuhige's granddaughter perceives that the offspring of the polluted earth mother has invaded the central core of the Juuyaku fortress.

It was a little earlier than she had anticipated.

It is not that the Juuyaku's defense system is inferior.

"Should I prioritize staying enclosed?"

It's likely that most of the rituals are positioned along the outer edges of the fortress, around the entrances and exits.

Perhaps they've gathered all the rituals within the domain.

This was a calculated decision to keep those earthworms, with their absurd reproductive abilities, from venturing outside.

Considering what the current head of the house intends to do, it was a cold-blooded choice.

And, for that man, it was a desperate...

'Botan, could you also collect those reagents and specimens? They're pretty interesting.'

Came the voice of Botan's grandfather through the Shiki.

The words pulled Botan out of her deep thoughts and back to reality.

She cast a slightly awkward glance at the hummingbird observing the specimens.

Then she sighed.

What he was saying wasn't wrong.

They didn't have time.

They'd finally gotten permission.

They should collect what they could quickly and transcribe what they could.

It would be a shame to waste this opportunity.

"But, I find it hard to understand. After all this research... it must have taken time and money. To abandon it all and make it public like this. What is that head of the house thinking?"

That was Botan's statement, made while gazing upon the newly reorganized secret archives of Juuyaku's underground fortress.

The vast collection of documents, specimens, and research results, undeniably the product of a single family's decades of breaking the law and tolerating sacrifices, was impressive.

The pharmaceutical-related materials were especially noteworthy.

"Pharmaceuticals are not tied to individual aptitude or family lineage. It's all about collected knowledge and good tools. Because it's easy to repeat the same results, it's super useful for us too. But... that's why I don't get it. Why would they allow something like this? It doesn't make sense."

If both sides were trading forbidden knowledge (Kinki no Chi: secret and dangerous knowledge), that would make sense.

One person—or even one family—can only research so much.

So working together with others, just a little, is logical.

But...

What Grandpa had asked for wasn't polite teamwork.

It was something else entirely.

'You're too soft, Botan. You're still mistaken.'

"Mistaken, you say?"

As Botan tucked the scroll containing the test results of the medicine into her bag, she frowned and pondered her grandfather's words.

What, exactly, was she misunderstanding?

Without cost, without profit, not even a trade.

Unconditionally, the publication of research results, their provision... it's a preposterous demand, and it goes without saying how foolish it is to accept it.

Or is there something we're overlooking?

'Oh dear, times have changed... or are we just too outdated?'

"...?"

With a sigh at her granddaughter's reaction, the hummingbird acts in a way that is understandable, slightly self-deprecating, and he even smiled a little, like he was making fun of himself.

Botan, his granddaughter, gave him a strange look.

It accurately showed that the two were the closest in values within the Matsuhige clan, yet had a decisive difference at the deepest root.

At least the old man understood that.

And maybe, that's why he thought his granddaughter was still foolish.

She didn't see it yet.

Nonetheless, it's not something akin to a quarrel.

At least not for now.

If it were to lead to a rift in their relationship, perhaps the reason would be... well.

he old man sighed quietly so she wouldn't notice, from the other side of the Shiki, trying not to be noticed as he pondered what he should do when the time comes.

'...Time to leave. This place will be swallowed up soon.'

"...Understood. This is as far as it goes."

Borrowing a few more reagents in the end, Botan decides to retreat.

Leaving the room, she runs down the corridor.

She felt something behind her.

Countless writhing presences.

She tossed a bundle of fire talismans.

They exploded in flames and noise, holding back the wave of death for just a little while.

But the Grass Dolls weren't interested in her.

They rushed past from deeper inside.

"..."

She glanced back over her shoulder.

As if her hair were being pulled.

Hesitant about leaving something important behind.

But....

"Please don't leave me to starve like this."

Immediately after, the half-succubus girl spread her wings and flapped them powerfully, dashing through the corridor.

Discarding words that masked her true feelings....

* * *

She chased after her back.

Desperately carrying a heavy burden.

Desperately calling out.

So as not to be left behind.

Turning around, the two of them looked troubled, and the second sister patted her head.

Scratching and patting her hair roughly with a rustling sound.

Annoyed, she brushed it away with her hand and complained.

A child complaining about being treated like a child.

The elder sister, extravagant in her elegance, speaks of reason with an indifferent calm.

Her logic is so tidy that not even a grumble can be heard.

Silently, they submit.

Grudgingly, they hang their heads.

Trying to be clever, they stammer and stutter, dodging the clear conclusion, a sob escapes.

With endless gentleness, filled with compassion and affectionate faith, she embraces.

Whispering by the ear, they nod in understanding, not missing a single word, etching it into memory.

As the one left behind, they vow to fulfill their duty.

The warmth begins to fade.

On the brink of tears again from the loneliness, they desperately hold back, then pout as the younger sister praises them.

With a smile, they turn on their heel and head towards their duties with their subordinates.

They watch that back until it's out of sight.

Holding back tears, they pray for safety.

It was about 2 months after the parting that the remnants, pitifully small and frail, were somehow gathered and collected....

"..."

She awoke from her memories.

Slowly, her eyelids lifted, and her gaze swept over her surroundings.

It's the same unchanging scene as always, nothing remarkable.

Countless tubes pierced her body, feeding and draining her.

The machines around her clicked and hummed quietly, working without pause.

Shikigami shaped like vine dolls crawled along the floor and walls, managing the delicate system that kept her alive.

Every movement around her was careful.

Precise.

As if even the slightest mistake might shatter something beyond repair.

But judging from the vibrations in the air and the distant rumbling overhead...

It seemed things above had already spiraled out of control.

So, the time had finally come.

"So, it's you..."

And with a voice cracked and worn from wear, as if whispering with desperate effort, he appeared before the youth, gazing upon his face.

Welcoming the guest with a hint of yearning.

"Who... exactly are you?"

The young person acknowledges the other's presence, their confused tone evident through their expression.

Almost like talking to oneself, they relax their lips.

"You ask a different matter. You should have had quite the encounter with 'us' already."

"Could it be... you're?"

The youth seemed to have realized the other's identity.

It seems he had aged quite a bit in appearance.

Well, as long as his 'purpose' is considered, it's operationally without issue.

"Greetings for the first time. I am Juuyaku Ichishen, head of the Juuyaku family... the first of them. For the brief moment, please be aware of me."

Juuyaku Ichishen, piped from head to toe and strapped to a chair, originated from a warm reception of guests.

Fan Art:

- White Day (Valentine's) Onitsuki Sisters: Link

- Hand-drawn Aoi Hime: Link