Mob Yandere

[Part 3/4]

Murasaki scolds Shirowakamaru, who is teary-eyed while stroking the arm grabbed by an unfamiliar man. Towards the end, she points it out in a soft voice. Blushing, she holds the collar of her thin attire she's wearing.

"Well, it was dark, right!? I- I mean... You couldn't see anything, right!!?"

Tamaki, following behind, asks for confirmation while pulling her risky hem. The oversized yukata, however, appeared quite suspicious when it moved vigorously. But Hotoya Tamaki's devised infiltration plan was essentially impersonating an employee. To put it more accurately, it involved taking out about three men who worked at the bathhouse using ambush tactics. After knocking them out, they would borrow their clothes and sneak in. Since this bathhouse was open almost all night, they couldn't aim for closing time. There was also the need to protect the princess's safety as soon as possible. Choices were limited.

"But this...!! It's-it's shameless!!"

Murasaki spits out with a trembling voice. Their current situation was a last resort due to being unable to use the loincloth. The humid bathhouse environment had made their yukata quite thin. It was so thin that they feared it might become see-through, and it was only in the dimly lit room that they could bear their shame.

"Quickly do what needs to be done and let's get out of here...!! This area should be good enough. Hurry up and do it!! We're enduring it over here, you know!!"

"Ugh, I know. You're so noisy..."

Deep within the bath area, in the corners, Murasaki, having arrived at a seemingly unpopular place, hastily commands. Shirowakamaru, commanded, continues stroking his arm... could he be a Mysophobia? Tamaki wondered, observing him begrudgingly cursing. Guided by the light of a small candle holder in their hands, they draw a protective circle with lime they had concealed in their pockets. Tamaki and Murasaki keep watch of their surroundings in the meantime.

Shirowakamaru casts divination. He chants lengthy curse verses. Tamaki sneakily observes his demeanor.

(...He's a boy, right?)

The sight of a boy with soaked fabric clinging to his slender body was somewhat fantastical, given that it seemed to emerge from the darkness. Exuding an air of illusion and overflowing sensuality, he had seemingly sweated in the steam, making even the act of pushing his hair back appear enchanting. Frankly, it was hard to believe he was a boy.

*Gulp...*

Unintentionally swallowing his saliva, and perhaps in response, Tamaki hurriedly averted her gaze, not wanting her emotions to be deciphered by the gaze that had suddenly turned toward her. Yet, in doing so, she flinched at the sudden sound emanating from below.

"What's wrong...!!?"

"Uh, well... this, I guess?"

Instinctively squatting and investigating the source of the noise, Tamaki directed her suspicious gaze toward Murasaki. Soon, she identified the source in the darkness. It was an empty bath bucket. Acknowledging it, the daughter of Akō family let out a sigh of relief.

"...Honestly, don't startle me like that."

"S- Sorry..."

Accepting Tamaki's apology, Murasaki turned her back. She checked the progress of the curse.

"...Alright. Got it. All that's left is to record the results on the map."

Just as Shirowakamaru finished the curse and stored the tools, the former boy lightly rubbed out the floor circle. Murasaki nodded, turning to face Tamaki. She was about to say something when...

In the darkness, a silver light gleamed.

"Ugh!!? Dangerous...!!?"

"Huh...!?"

It was a premonition, and it was chilling. Tamaki, instinctively shouting, had thrown a bath bucket next to Murasaki in an attempt to throw it at her. To be more precise, she had aimed it just beside Murasaki.

'Sha...!!?'

The bucket collided with something. Simultaneously, accompanied by a low, sharp scream, something was blown away. Something grazed Murasaki's cheek. A dull warmth ran down her cheek...

"What, what is...?"

Fearfully and hesitantly, Murasaki touched the unknown. Looking down at her touched hand, she saw that her palm was stained with crimson blood. It was fresh blood flowing from a cut on her cheek.

"Ah!!?"

"Shirowakamaru-kun...!!"

"I know...!!"

With a small scream, Murasaki turns around. Responding to Tamaki's call, Shirowakamaru immediately releases a talisman from under her sleeve. She receives the freed sword from the talisman and readies herself against something that appear from the dim darkness.

Contrasting with their body, pale like Dōzaemon's, withered and corroded, this something has a swollen belly, sunken eye sockets, and a coarse tongue wound like a coiled blade.

It was a artificial youkai created only through artificial means – "Akaname". A technique that was once forbidden by the court. An altered undead being produced and controlled through this technique. A group of undead. Also classified as a type of "shokushiki (ghoul)" in the west... a monster!!

"No way!? Why is such a monster here? I couldn't sense any youkai aura at all!!?"

Murasaki exclaims while pulling out her own youkai blade, which was also released from a talisman. In the darkness, it's understandable that their vision is limited. It's understandable that there were hardly any sounds. However, not sensing any youkai aura... and not just one or two of them.

From the right, from the left, from the front, from behind, from above, crawling on all fours, or even headfirst, with tongues as sharp as knives that not only scrape off dirt but even cut through flesh, they creep forward, emitting strange cries that can't be described as either snake or beast.

"Because they are controlled through a forbidden technique, they're more like shikigami than youkai...! D*mn, they're coming!!?"

Shirowakamaru shouts. Simultaneously, the former boy takes a damp talisman from his pocket and releases it. The 'Akaname' that jumped at them were skewered by giant porcupines that had appeared shortly afterward. However, what's approaching isn't necessarily only from the front.

"Ugh...!!?"

Rushing from behind, Tamaki, whose body was enhanced, brings down an 'Akaname' with a single slash below its face. Next, she cuts off a new tongue that was approaching from the side and slices its throat in a swallow's tail cut. Murasaki takes down two during that time. However, the undead transformed from humans kept increasing even in the meantime.

In the darkness, the clamor grows louder.

"What are these numbers!!? How can there be so many in the city, and why...!!?"

"Wha-what's happening to the guests...!?"

Murasaki and Tamaki continue swinging their blades, spitting out questions. Swinging their blades, the questions don't stop. It's unthinkable.

"Hey, what on earth is..."

"Whoa!!? What is this!!?"

At least Tamaki's doubts were quickly dispelled. The confusion of the guests resounds from all directions in the darkness, turning into screams, and shortly after, shrieks mix in. The sounds of flesh being scraped, bones being severed, are accompanied by wet noises.

"Everyone, run!! Damn it!!?"

Desperately shouting at the fleeing guests, Tamaki faces the bizarre figures before her and continues to cut them down. Cutting them down while grinding her teeth. Innocent people being attacked, and... the existence of 'Akaname' are increased.

(From women to children...!!)

Since the bodies are used as raw materials, among the created 'Akaname', some clearly retain traces of what they used to be. Even in death, they're reminded Tamaki of the sacrilegious deeds committed on previous Mount Horaku. The existence of her benefactor who was used even after death...

"You...!!"

A sense of helplessness and anger surges within Tamaki as she mows down the corpses before her. Consciously harboring a dark emotion, Tamaki's thoughts extend beyond.

(Is this forbidden technique, could it be the doing of the kidnappers from that Miyataka? If that's the case, what happened to Suzune...!!?)

Tamaki trembles, envisioning the worst-case scenario. Although the perpetrators of the kidnapping can't be denied, she had thought that such outrageous acts wouldn't be committed against people serving the court. However, does this situation warrant a change in perception...!?

"You scoundrels!!"

When the number of cut down monsters exceeds ten, Murasaki, frustrated by the growing number of 'Akaname', releases a portion of her youkai blade's power.

"Strangle them, 'Kubisage'!!"

A declaration followed by a swing. Simultaneously, her slender blade transforms. Stretching like a whip, splitting apart, entwining. Countless blade-like strands tighten around the necks of over a dozen 'Akaname'.

'■■■■!!'

'■■■■!!?'

As if hanged, they clutch their constricted necks, the 'Akaname' let out inexpressible roars. And... the moment Murasaki tightens her blade, they suddenly fall silent. The heads of the strangled monsters roll as soon as their necks are severed.

"'Chirase (Scatter).' 'Hazure (Explode).'"

The talisman-controlled porcupines under Shirowakamaru's command faithfully executed his orders. They scattered their back spines, skewering the surrounding 'Akaname'. Immediately after, like balloons swelling up, they dove into the group and exploded. The blast scattered the 'Akaname', limbs flying, slamming them against the walls.

It's a tactic similar to what was used in Hieda County... However, in reality, the needles this time are coated with poison, and they're filled with not just gravel but also metal shards, enhancing their killing power. The latter might be more effective, but it's dubious how effective it is against these moving corpses.

'■■!!'

'■■■■!!?'

A newcomer leaps over the partition between the men's and women's baths and charges at them. Tamaki's blade catches the tongue wrapped around it and captures it.

"Ugh!!? What the...!"

Immediately, Tamaki enhances her physical strength with her spiritual power, then swings her sword with all her might. She swings the captured 'Akaname' through its tongue, hitting the surrounding 'Akaname' and sending them flying. The long tongue tears with an unpleasant sound. Fortunately, there's no blood spurting since the bodies are already dead.

'Roarrrr!!!!'

"What!?"

"Roaring... is this a new kind...!?"

Animalistic cries, screams or shouts. Even from the darkness, they can see that several guests have gone mad and rushed out of the individual bath compartments, some with bath water still clinging to them. Following them, the grotesque monster, a mishmash of fish and beast, emerges.

"A tiger!?"

"A Suiko, perhaps. But that appearance...!!"

Murasaki and Shirowakamaru display bitter expressions and roll their eyes in response to Tamaki's shock.

It's spelled 'Suiko' (水虎). However, as a monster that actually dwells in the wild, a true Suiko should resemble a kappa more than the creature before their eyes. What they're seeing is...!!

"One of the forbidden techniques, huh. Ugh... an imitation...!!"

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