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Inyouchuu Etsu Prologue Part 3

[Blah, blah, shut your mouth! …… It’s not like I’m about to keel over from something like this! This is nothing! UWOOOOH!!!]

DOOON!!!

The jaws of the beast that inadvertently attacked Yamato from the front were then sewn up from directly below. A bright red light dwelling in the entirety of the wooden sword, which had no actual blade unlike Mikoto’s Raikou, blew the shikigami away from within. Yamato’s wooden sword was actually a spiritual sword as well. Named Murakumo, it was a family heirloom left to him by his father, and contained unfathomable power deep within itself.

(What’s going on with this mountain? It’s good that Takeru’s spiritual power recovered so quickly, but Yamato is becoming weaker and weaker the further we go. What on earth is this mountain……?)

Yes, Yamato’s complexion was suddenly deteriorating as they climbed further and further up the mountain, all the while he was carrying Takeru on his back. And soon enough his physical condition deteriorated to the point that even standing straight looked like it was giving him an excruciating amount of pain. As if anticipating this, the shikigami attacked once again.

Ikihimeyama –––––– This mountain, which used to be called Onihimeyama, as Takeru once explained to the two of them, was said to be a place where a powerful Oni demon used to live in the ancient past.

And then Tachibana Yamato himself…… A boy born from the union of an exorcist father and Oni demon mother. Somewhere deep inside of him, a demonic part of Yamato called “Yamato” must still be sleeping, even today. But then…… What if the change in Yamato’s physical condition had something to do with that Oni element deep inside of him?

SLASH! SLASH! SWOOOSSSSHHH!!!!!!

Mikoto swung her sword at the incoming shikigami and slashed them to ribbons, with a series of attacks that were so fast that no one was able to actually see her draw her sword. As a result, the enemies from left to right burst in tongues of pale blue flames and disappeared.

[Geez! Thinking about needlessly complicated stuff was not in my job description! Anyways, we cannot stay here! We must push forward! Let’s break away from here! Yamato! Takeru!]

[Right, Nee-san!]

Takeru went behind Mikoto while covering the slow-moving Yamato with her Wind spells. As expected of twin sisters, their judgment of the situation and their ability to work together was perfect, balancing on being able to understand one another without words.

[URYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Mikoto then cut into the enemy’s line while her huge breasts shook and swayed. When a flash of lightning broke the enemy’s formation, Takeru’s wind spell pierced the rest of them immediately, and Yamato’s Murakumo reliably stabbed those of the beasts that failed to be brought down by either of those two attacks.

Even if he had to be carried by others the rest of the way, Yamato did not wanted to be a burden to his comrades and so he was doing his best to at least contribute to the fight. That’s what having comrades was all about. That’s what teamwork was all about. Mikoto threw her lightning slashes at the invisible saboteurs of Ayagami Village, who were also involved in the final exam of Rengendo here.

(Just you wait! We are going to pass this damned exam with flying colors!)

–––––– About half an hour later.

After defeating the last of the shikigami, Mikoto and the others managed to reach the top of the mountain at last.

[Fuaaah! Looks like this is going to be the end of it…… Takeru, is this it? Is this the place?]

[Most probably, yes. There should be a shrine located around here, somewhere.]

But contrary to what they said just now, Mikoto did not put away her Raikou, and Takeru did not lower her ofuda talismans. Right behind them, Yamato was leaning against the tree with his Murakumo still being at the ready, even though his breathing was hard and ragged. His complexion had now passed being pale, into being that of a genuine corpse, and he was so weak that he couldn’t even raise his voice in satisfaction upon the three of them finally reaching their destination. However, Yamato was the first to reject the suggestion to “give up and turn back.”

They would all like to think that the shikigami’s barrage of attacks was the final roadblock standing between them and the end of the exam. But as if to ridicule the trio’s feelings and wishes, the space around them took on an eerie color. And an ominous atmosphere surrounded them as the space around them began to distort.

[Another barrier…… Here it comes, Nee-san!]

[So, even after coming this far, you are not going to make it easy for us, huh!? Well, that’s great! Come on! Do your worst!]

SLIDE! BUBBLE! SWOOM! SPLAT!

Right in front of Mikoto and the company, who were just now drawn right into the barrier separated from normal space, an eerily lewd flower appears. It undulated with mucus-covered tentacles, and it would quickly start to increase its numbers while blocking their path forward, at the same time letting out quite the menacing glow and growls from its mouth-like organs.

[Low-ranking youmas, it’s no big deal! Takeru! Search for the position of the one who erected this barrier!]

[No, we can’t do that, Nee-san! No matter how you look at it, there is just way too many of them here! We won’t stand a chance!]

In order to escape from the inside of the powerful barriers, one must defeat the caster who maintains it. At the same time, they had to survive the youmas attack. Although both Mikoto and Takeru were not nearly as sick and fatigued as Yamato was their spiritual powers were also draining considerably as the time would go on.

[Wait, everyone…… I will serve as the decoy here.]

[W-What the hell are you talking about, Yamato you idiot!? And how is that going to help us, huh!? You can barely stand in your current condition!]

[No, Tachibana-kun has a point. If the other side is forced to take action, the barrier will certainly fluctuate. It’s perfect for exploring the position of the caster behind it.]

[Takeru!]

Mikoto was clearly puzzled by Takeru’s unexpected words. However, the light of determination that dwelled in Yamato’s eyes left both of the twins unable to say anything more in that matter, or to downright reject the idea. If they were to give up here, there would be no next time. Then they had no choice but to find a way out of this situation, even if it means throwing themselves head-first into danger. However, Mikoto and Takeru simply nodded their heads here, having unshaken trust in their dear comrade.

[Tachibanai-kun, just focus on standing your ground and counter their attacks. That should be more than enough here.]

[Yeah! I’m leaving the rest to you! Takeru! Mikoto!]

[…… Right. But don’t you dare to give up on us now so easily, Yamato!]

They had no other choice but to do it –––––– But it was then, when the exorcist twin sisters pumped themselves up full of determination, that something happened.

DIIIIII–––––––––––––––IIIIIING!!!

A clear sound like that of a ringing of the glass bell could be heard across the entire mountain summit.

The air inside of the uncomfortable barrier that clung to the skin was now completely different in quality. It was dull and painfully cold air alongside a menacing aura. Takeru’s expression tightened as the power suddenly rose, which was clearly different from that of the barrier’s own spiritual power.

SWOOOSH! SWOOOSH! SWOOOSH!

The invisible force was swirling and whirling all around them.

Despite this, the group of youmas that got ready to attack the trio was shredded into countless pieces of flesh in just an instant. The spooky plant tentacles had no time to even let out a death scream, and had turned into ugly garbage.

[…… Such power, no way……!!]

[What the hell is this……!?]]

[What’s going on? What is this, Takeru!?]

[Nfufufufufufufu!!! Ahahahahahahahahaha!!! What’s that face that you’re making? It looks so miserable and as if you just got your shirikodama pulled out of your ass! Kukukukuku!]

SWOOSH!

Mikoto and the others frowned their brows at the strong gale that blew away the remains of all the youmas that appeared here.

There was a lone figure standing in the middle of that tremendous vortex.

Her soft curves were that of a mature woman, and her long hair that reached all the way down to her waist swayed in that wind. Bluish hair like that of a deep lake and clothes of the same color tightly wrapped around her voluptuous limbs, generously exposing her splendid proportions for all to see.

The smooth bridge of her nose, her long eyelashes, her thick lips that would attract any male towards them without fail, and her considerable, no, human-like beauty made even Mikoto, a woman just like her, feel like her breath was stolen away in an instant. However, more than that, there was a nervousness running through Mikoto’s face and it was pushing all the fascination she was feeling to the side. For she also noticed the color of the woman’s eyes, and the things that were protruding from her forehead.

[Oni demon……]

Bloody crimson eyes, pointed earlobes, and two “horns” sticking out of her forehead. It eloquently told them that the woman in front of them was not a human being, and they felt an overwhelming power that was incomparable to that of any shikigami and tentacle youma radiate from her.

Of course, an “Oni” is an existence that stands apart from any ordinary youmas. Any exorcist knows that. The strongest, most deadly, and absolute youmas that boast inexhaustible amounts of power. That’s what is called an ‘Oni’.” Even an apprentice like Mikoto knew that perfectly well: that even if a huge number of seasoned exorcists were to face off against a lone Oni, it would only end up in a one-sided massacre.

[Yes, that’s right, I am an Oni –––––– Just like the one that stands right there.]

The Oni woman’s finger, which she rose up in the air, pointed towards the boy who was leaning against the tree.

At that moment it felt as though the air itself got frozen.

And as if to crush their fleeting wish for that to be some kind of mistake, the beautiful Oni demon’s lips twisted into a thin shape resembling that of a smile.

[My name is Azami. I’m Azami, the Oni Princess of this Ikihimeyama.]

[GEH!?]

The mere mention of her name filled the air with malice, and Mikoto and Takeru frowned their brows as the tension in the air rose. However, it was ridiculous to even think about the possibility that the spiritual power of the two girls who were mere exorcist apprentices would work against a real Oni demon.

Mikoto and Takeru’s spines froze at the sound of the empty, sparse voice that sounded like it was coming from the depths of the earth. Is that what an Oni demon is all about? Is this what the Absolute Power looks like? Even though the Oni Princess should not have shown any kind of hostility towards them, the twin sisters were overwhelmed by the enormity of her existence and could not move even an inch.

It was at that moment when,

[Y-You…… My dream, you’re the one who keeps on appearing inside of my dreams……!]

Finally, the sound of something falling to the ground relieved the tension that bound everyone’s bodies.

[Y-Yamato!!! Hey, Yamato……!!!]

But the boy, who now looked just like a puppet with its strings all broken, didn’t seem to respond to any of Mikoto’s calls.

[Kukukukuku…… Ahahahahahahaha~……!!!]

The laughter of the Oni Princess echoed in Mikoto’s ears, as she could only stand there dumbfounded and watch

Tachibana Yamato fell unconscious to the ground, either due to him reaching the limit of his physical strength or for some other reason.