Mob Yandere

Chapter 131.3

[Part 3/4]

"Hey, what's that...?"

Seeing the darkness emanating from Tamaki's body like a stain, a shiver-like murmur escaped the lips of a former boy curse caster. She hurriedly moved away after passing by it closely, only to stare at it repeatedly from a distance. She had heard bits of talk about it from her teacher. About Tamaki's mysterious ability that surfaced in Hotoya village... but seeing it was entirely different from hearing about it.

(What the heck...!? What's this feeling!!?)

Shirowakamaru felt intense fear. It felt like a presence of death. If she was hit by that carelessly, it would be over for her. At least for a mere human. Even with some curses, it would be difficult to defend against it. It was abnormal. Shirowakamaru instinctively saw Tamaki and her power as dangerous.

(That's Miss Tamaki's special power, huh...)

On the other hand, Murasaki, who does not have as deep an insight into Curse Art as Shirowakamaru, had a slightly better impression. She still felt instinctive fear, but she couldn't grasp the essence of it completely. Maybe it was because she knew several people with powers stronger than herself. So, her senses were a bit numb. Still, she could feel the tremendousness of Tamaki's power...

'Grrr!! Grrr!!'

The dog was definitely scared by the faint but firm pitch-black miasma that clung to it. It tried to struggle and break free from its restraints. But it was futile. And as the miasma touched its fur, it let out a painful howl.

"...!? Sorry, please forgive me!?"

Tamaki apologized in a hurry. Had she misjudged the power's control? Or did she eat something wrong? Her anxiety spread to the darkness, making it even more unstable. The darkness trembled. It lacked detail. And this heightened the dog's wail even more.

"What should I...!!?"

"It's fine. Just keep going like this."

A sweet whisper reached Tamaki's ears as she weakly muttered. A scent of perfume tickled her nose. And when she glanced to the side, she realized that the woman was now close enough to be almost touching her. Miyataka Shinobu was there.

"If, if you get this close...!?"

"Then you better control it quickly. ...Don't worry, you're on the right track. You can ignore the barking, you know?"

"But...!?"

"Is it eating away at its core? Its hair and nails aren't cute, you know? Of course, with something like this, it'd scream in fear, right? ...Anyway, you can think of it as a toothless kid."

Indeed... despite Shinobu's frank words, Tamaki strangely found herself agreeing. Maybe it was because of everything that had happened that she couldn't help but understand. She hadn't become fond of Shinobu after everything that had transpired, but her advice was worth listening to. She accepted it sincerely... though she wouldn't voice her gratitude.

However, the problem wasn't resolved yet.

'Grrr!! Grrr!!'

The beast's growls kept leaking through its bared fangs. It thrashed around. And the talismans, one by one, were coming off. Some were scorched, but they were more than just that if you looked closely.

"This black stuff... it's not scorch marks. It's rotting...!!?"

Shirowakamaru desperately struggled to maintain the seal of the divine dog. The degradation of the talismans' power source was clear.

"Please stop~!! ...Don't say anything!"

"...!!?"

Trying to complain, Shirowakamaru was hushed by a whisper from the side. Irritated, she understood the Miyataka curse caster's intention. If Tamaki's concentration was broken now, things could get worse. Her unleashed power was dangerous.

"...What if she fail!?"

Rebuking her in a hushed voice, Shirowakamaru's words showed that she was really annoyed. It meant that she couldn't take responsibility.

"...She has made the decision. If need be, I will take control. You focus on the other one... Princess Tamamo might get caught up in this. I'm asking you for that much."

"...Give me a break."

Shirowakamaru was genuinely exasperated by the fact that she had openly taken full responsibility. She should have twisted her words to involve everyone around her in the blame... or maybe it was honesty, or maybe simplicity.

(I guess my big bro and I will get along well, but...)

The former boy's thoughts reached that point, and she clicked her tongue. She had learned a lot for the sake of her one and only beloved person. Losing to someone as straightforward as this woman was out of the question. It was impossible.

(Ridiculous.)

Shaking off the truly ridiculous thoughts, she faced forward. She told herself that she should concentrate solely on the current situation.

...But before Shirowakamaru's eyes, the situation seemed to be worsening.

'Gruuuuuuuuuuuh!!!!'

One of the shimenawa ropes was forcefully torn apart. The remaining ropes quickly filled the gap. It was still no good. It wasn't just the monster. It was also siphoning her focus from the curse-tool that was supposed to bind it. And after all, a curse-tool was just a curse-tool. Considering the order of things, the answer was clear even when thinking about which would meet its end first: the fallen, incomplete deity or the godly entity.

"I have no more options here, huh!?"

She then turned her gaze to the woman from Miyataka. It was a sign to use the alternative talismans. The woman noticed and glanced sideways. She smiled. And that was it.

"Tch...!!?"

She immediately gave up on hoping for the woman from Miyataka to help. How annoying...!!

(Worst case, I'll use this dimwitted girl's youkai sword as a diversion...!!)

She shifted her gaze to Shinobu for a moment and made up her mind. Well, there was no other option. It would be great if her teacher arrived first, but she couldn't expect that. She had promised to take responsibility. Be ready to lose the family heirloom to the whims of that supranatural power of flowery-brained?... that was already a given for the former boy.

"Don't worry. It seems like... control might work out well."

"Huh... Whoa!!?"

As if she had seen through her inner cursing, the female curse caster chuckled. Shocked by her unexpected call, Shirowakamaru's gaze turned back, but soon after, she had to avert it once again.

Warm light enveloped the freezing room...

* * *

"Huff... huff... As expected of a monster! To survive that...!"

The young man from Ezo muttered to himself with a mix of sarcasm. While coughing up blood, he insulted his opponent's otherworldly abilities.

But wasn't it to be expected? It was an appropriate weapon, after all. A sword crafted by a renowned master from Fusō-kuni, infused with even curses.

"To counter and tear my wrist while pulling out the thrusting sword...!"

What he was witnessing was hard to believe. Even though the creature had turned into something monstrous, it used to be a person. Even when he had to fight those transformed into beasts who were once his friends, he had been shaken. And what was this thing? The sword he thrust had definitely gone through. It came out the back of its neck. And yet, it calmly pulled out the sword like it was nothing.

"Ugh...!? Guh...!!?"

Clutching his bleeding left wrist, he desperately tried to stop the blood. He used some medicine to numb the pain. He was losing a lot of blood, and he felt dizzy, but he fought to stay conscious.

"And as for him, what happened..."

He suddenly worried about his comrades back in the city of Shiromoku. Well, not just them, but also her safety... considering everything. He already knew the outcome, though.

"How pathetic. Am I feeling relieved?"

Recognizing his own emotions, he couldn't help but chuckle. It was a situation that should have driven him to anger or despair. Even though he was supposed to seek revenge for his people, it seemed like he had formed some strange connection with the bloodline of the the enemy.

He belonged to the lower echelons of the Saeki White Dog Clan... or rather, he had become a commoner subservient to the prestigious White Dog Clan, representing several Ezo Tribes or clans that had been defeated. His name was Tomono Kumogumo, or so it seemed.

Such phrasing was used because of a cursed tale that said he was the descendant of a Tribe or clan leader who had lost to the ruling White Dog Clan for generations. Frankly, Tomono Kumogumo had mostly treated such tales as half-truths, hardly paying them any mind. After all, how much of the tale's tail remained after a millennium was anyone's guess, and today's meal was more important than revenge. In that sense, he was a realist.

Luck, or rather misfortune, got him noticed for his skills, and he ended up being chosen by the clan chief, Kunimori, to guard the chief's daughter. That decision got him caught up in some secret plots happening in the background.

When they first approached him, he thought it was some kind of joke. Maybe even a test of his loyalty. After a few times of being asked, he told his superior about it. But the next day, his superior died in an accident. That's when he understood. The conspiracy was deep-rooted, and he survived only because he was in a convenient position. And now, he was in too deep to turn back. And what seemed like a foolish plan at first was starting to look like a well-thought-out scheme...