Mob Yandere

[Part 2/4]

At the same time, blood splattered in front of my eyes from thin air. A small, short scream was heard.

"Huh?"

'(´・ω・`) What...?'

There was a sound as if something collapsed and fell. The ground was stained with bright red liquid. I didn't scream, but the smell almost made me feel like vomiting. No, wait. More importantly, this is...

"It seems to be the identity of those causing the disturbance in the fog. It looks like they are also wearing the same effect as this Magatama."

Then, right next to me, a brilliantly emerald Magatama was tossed down. The "Magatama," a curse tool that sneaks into a person's blind spots.

"It's not invisibility or camouflage but rather recognition interference, I suppose? But why...?"

With various curse tools like the "Youkai-Sealing Rope" and boundaries created by shikigami and spiritual arts, and despite the numerous exorcists' participation in this squad, it's hard to believe they managed to breach the enemy's defenses. Could it be related to the fog...?

It must have been because the tense thread inside me snapped. Fatigue rushed into my body, along with muscle pain, drowsiness, and probably anemia as well. Although I didn't lose consciousness in the torrent of these combined sensations, I involuntarily knelt down. My body refused to run and jump in one go.

"You really love flirting with death. ...Don't worry. It seems like the situation is already under control without you going there."

"What...?"

The moment Botan asked me back, a thunderous roar resounded, and lightning illuminated the surroundings. It dispelled the fog. It came from the direction of the camp.

"Thunder... 'Kouyo,' huh?"

'(/´△`＼) The thundering sound is scary...'

I immediately arrived at that judgment, thanks to the visual effects. One of the top-level Hondou shiki, "Kouyo," the golden dragon unleashes a half-map attack on multiple targets. Seeing the thunderstorm from a distance felt just like witnessing it in a game.

It was a merciless storm of lightning strikes that could even one-shot a mid-boss. "Ukyaaahhh!!?"... I felt like I heard some youngest sister's scream coinciding with a lightning strike, but I'll ignore it. If it's that joke-like scream, it probably only resulted in an afro hairstyle at worst. Death cries during real emergencies are brutal.

"There's no sense of hostility around this area. You can slowly return to the camp... Hmm, it seems someone has come to welcome you."

"Welcome? ...Oh, it's you."

'(＾ω＾) Mau?'

With Botan's somewhat careless remark, I directed my gaze towards the bushes. For a moment, I thought of a few people who could be the welcoming party, but it's not. Rather, the one who came to welcome me was not a person but a horse.

With a nonchalant neigh, a dark-blue horse approached. Its attitude was completely laid-back. It seemed to have a "Hey, it's been a while" kind of demeanor. No, I'm on the verge of dying here, okay? Wait, did you just forget about my existence until a moment ago?

"Haa, haa... But, as a means of transportation, it's just right, huh? As for Botan-sama..."

"I'll take my leave around here."

"Huh... whoa!?"

'(>ω

Page: 4

With a sigh, I accept the reality in a positive manner. Just as I'm about to turn and call out to Botan after accepting it, she cuts in with a succinct farewell line. I squint my eyes as a gust of wind blows right after. Her figure that I caught a glimpse of couldn't be clearly seen. And after the wind ceased, there was no one there anymore.

"..."

Stunned by the twists and turns of the situation, I sit silently on the spot for a while. The dark-blue horse next to me seems bored and starts nibbling on my hair, so I gently tap its nose to stop it. Then I let out a deep sigh.

"I should go back to everyone..."

'(＾ω＾) I wanna go home and talking about this field trip too!'

"Who's talking about a field trip?"

I retort to the foolish spider's comment, then lean on the massive body of the horse that approaches my side.

"...But before that..."

Just a little, just a little break. Thanks to Botan's words of assurance about the safety of the surroundings, I had been at ease. Now, I let myself succumb to the encroaching fatigue and slowly close my heavy eyelids on the spot. My consciousness sinks into the silence of darkness...

...

...

"...Oh my, I've found you. Servant Yun-shoku? No, the one whom our daughters love more than anything else?"

Just before my consciousness completely fades, I felt like I heard a sickly sweet female voice trembling in my ears...

"...Is this the place? Why don't you come out, Grandfather?"

The granddaughter of Matsushige's exorcists, who had landed in a corner of the deep forest, calls out in a cold tone. Her voice echoes, trembling in the forest...

'Well, well, this is surprising. I was at a loss as to how I should help, and here you are.'

"What nonsense!"

The shikigami of the hummingbird that had disappeared at some point during the escape drama lands, lands on Botan's shoulder and announces. Botan feels displeased with its attitude, but she knows that crushing this simple shikigami would be pointless, so she refrains from doing so.

'Grrrrr'

At the same time, the Hondou shiki of the Onikuma appears from within the forest with a leisurely pace. Does the servant realize that the ofuda in Tamaki's hands had disappeared right at the end of the escape drama?

"You really survived, huh? I honestly thought you would be used up..."

At the time of lending it, this shikigami was already considerably injured. It was given as a disposable piece due to the difficulty of the path ahead. Botan was genuinely surprised by its survival and return. Immediately after, the bear youkai demon wraps something in a furoshiki (wrapping cloth), which raises Botan's suspicion.

"That is..."

'It was because it was clear it would be annihilated. So, I secured something before that. Hey!'

'Grrrrr.'

Growling, the bear drops the 'something' it was carrying on the ground. The half-dead creature emits a small groan.

'How about that? With your current state, you look much better than me, don't you?'

The impolite remark of the shikigami, Botan's grandfather, furrows her brow. Who does he think is responsible for this situation? Even if she were to spit it out, her grandfather wouldn't be the least bit concerned. He would probably boast, saying something like, "I just prepared a better choice. It was you who made the decision." Botan couldn't argue with that logic.

"..."

Regaining her composure, Botan directs her attention to the 'something' next to her. It was also to divert her anger. However, there was something more important about it...

'How about that?'

"...I remember seeing this a long time ago."

Casting a brief glance at the monster lurking in the blind spot, Botan mutters.

It was a memory from when she was still a naive and foolish young girl. It was an experiment she saw at the hands of the man she admired as her mentor.

"Beto-beto-san, I really gave it a ridiculous name..."

'Beto-beto-san,' 'Hashigo hijiri to san (A ladder, a saint, and silkworms? 爬戸蜚屠蚕).' It means silkworms that crawl around doorways and eat other silkworms. As can be seen, it's a phonetic equivalent. The reason for adding the last character was that the base body was a silkworm, and it turned white. That was the only reason for adding this character. It was just pure silliness.

"Of course, it seems to be in a completely different state from back then."

What was captured before her eyes was no longer the 'Beto-beto-san' she knew.

The short and plump body, which seemed to be based on silkworms, remained unchanged. However, its size was entirely different. The body that should fit in the palm was now clearly larger than a big boar. Its fangs, which should only be capable of eating insects, were lined up like those of a fierce carnivorous beast, gleaming brightly. The friendly nature inherited from the base form could hardly be expected from this growling.

"You're putting quite a strain on it. This kind of selective breeding is outrageous."

The further it deviates from the original species in terms of body structure, the heavier the burden the species will bear. No matter how fast the generations change and how easy it is to improve insects, pushing it to this extent... Botan couldn't help but sense a hidden malice behind the rationale.

"...Or is it a dig at me?"

Botan clicks her tongue at the shikigami's malicious intentions and implications. Am I overthinking? If only she could think that way, what a stroke of luck it would be!

"Ugh... So, what does Grandfather desire? Isn't the purpose more than just showing it to me and asking for an opinion?"

'Hmm, true. It's not just that. One thing is about the manufacturing method of these creatures. I'll tell you about it later, alright?'

After calmly stating this, the hummingbird seals the invisible modified youkai in the talisman held in its beak. Then, it continues the conversation.

'Now then... You seem to have made a decision about this appearance, haven't you?'

"I can't change the fact that I'm between a rock and a hard place."

'Hmph. You should have said something like that man.'

"Huh?"

After scrutinizing Botan's body without reservation, the hummingbird gives his evaluation of her words. Botan twists her head, puzzled and showing an incredulous expression. The hummingbird continues without explaining the true meaning to Botan.

'The insects that had spread throughout your body were extremely fragile. The moment they were exposed to the outside air, they died, and when they infiltrated others, they were killed by the rejection response. They were such fragile beings, easily affected by the changes of environment."

It was an explanation that seemed rather obvious. And yet, their breeding capability was abnormal, permeating every nook and cranny of the body, infiltrating the muscles' gaps, penetrating the organs, and even rampaging inside the veins. They didn't bring any benefits to the host, just a swarm of foolish insects that didn't even think about the consequences.

'As a result, although we couldn't perform clinical trials, I came up with a plan. That is to change the contents of your body.'

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