[Part 2/4]
If one were to listen closely, there is a diverse chorus of youkai in the distance. Thanks to Takaragen burning the keystone of the boundary from the inside, there was a chance to strangle him from behind.
"...Ugh, damn! Sh*t! ...Fine, I get it. I understand. I surrender. So, hurry up, and help !"
Faced with the impending fate, Takaragen's desire for live seed to kick in. There was a montary struggle, but this sh*tty boss quickly accepted defeat and begged for help.
"Yeah, understood."
I calmly accepted the boss's words. At the sa ti, the kubire-oni, which had entwined around our bodies due to Takaragen's surrender, disappeared like smoke. Still, the curse's binding force seed unchanged, just invisible.
"Now, first..."
I managed to obtain the spoils of our recent battle from the captive Takaragen. It was a Furoshiki, a wrapping cloth used for sealing. As I held it, I could feel the texture of the wrapped fruit through the fabric. Though its spiritual energy was contained, the sheer presence of it overwheld . Even the arm that captured Takaragen seed to react slightly to its presence. ...But I shouldn't unfold this Furoshiki here. We need to retreat quickly.
"...By the way, should I take this coat too?"
I casually grabbed the advanced perception inhibiting coat as if it were just an extra. Internally, I sneered at how it felt like I was robbing soone. In reality, it seed to be quite humiliating for Takaragen, as his face turned red with embarrassnt.
"You d*mn... arrogant bastard... just because you won, you're getting cocky...!! Stop fooling around and hurry up, help !!"
"Yeah, I got it. Here."
While being shouted at and demanded, I reluctantly placed it in front of him.
Earlier, I gently placed the hidden blade from the geta sandals that had been stabbed into his chest.
"...Huh?"
"Great youkai and a horde of miscellaneous youkai, there's no way I can defeat them, right? And I didn't make a contract with a curse. This is the extent of my sincerity in being able to 'help'."
With a hint of sarcasm, I sneered with malice. Takaragen widened his eyes, alternating his gaze between the blade and . Understanding that he had been set up, he widened his eyes.
"Wha, wha-wha-wha!?"
"...Then."
Leaving behind the bewildered boss, I walked away, and in that mont, a flash of light passed by gracefully. The sharp blade passed through the empty air without harming anything. I turned around and mocked.
"Forgetting the effect of the curse, are we? You won't be able to harm anymore, right?"
Normally, there was no way it would miss. The prohibition of harmful acts through curses had dulled his throwing arm.
"You basst*rd!! How dare you mock eee!!??"
"...I suddenly found a way to pass away comfortably."
With a fierce look in his eyes, like a demon, he roared like a beast relentlessly. In response, I uttered just one word in a completely indifferent tone. From then on, I ignored him completely. Curses, no longer reached .
He brought this upon himself... his fate was sealed.
"I'll kill you!! I'll definitely... Ugh! You b*stards... I'll kill you!! Rember that... Get lost!! Don't forget!! I'll definitely... Ugh, I'll completely destroy you!!"
"Princess, let's go. Hisa, it's dangerous to release the spiritual fruit here. Let's move a bit and then treat your wounds."
Ignoring the background noise, I explained to the two of them while carrying Hisa on my back and holding Aoi. Then, while wearing my coat, I entered the breached boundary, trying to diminish my presence from the nurous malicious creatures that might be lurking. Whether we would be attacked or not depended on luck.
"...Tomobe."
"...What is it?"
As we started walking, Aoi, whom I held tightly, called my na.
"You're not bad. Be proud that you protected . And keep protecting in the future."
The arrogant tone, however, I understood its true aning. I understood the unspoken intentions. Rather, it's pathetic to say such considerate things to a child... Truly, it's pitiful.
"...Yes."
I responded honestly, brushing off the voices of resentnt that poured out like a flood from behind. In reality, that sh*tty boss was far from being a good person. He was wicked, cunning, and malicious. He paid the price for his many deeds that befitted them. That's all it was. In that sense, there was no need for anyone to say anything about my actions. In any case, I can't carry three people, nor can I stop the youkai.
Yes, there's no need for to say anything. But...
"When you curse soone, there will be two holes, huh?"
Out of nowhere, those words were spun as if it were a soliloquy. I felt disgusted when I spun them myself. It was as if they were hinting at sothing.
"Haha, how foolish..."
I chuckled softly, as if to play it off.
Unfortunately, it seed that I wouldn't be able to have a good dream for a while...
* * *
"...If it's around here, we should still be able to manage. Even if the monsters co, we'll notice them right away."
After walking for a while, as if escaping from the curse, I found a small hill with a good view near the riverside, where I finally set the two of them down. I put a coat on Aoi and approached Hisa.
"Hisa, please bear with it."
"..."
Without saying a word, Hisa nodded in response to my prior notice. And then, I lifted up Hisa's clothing around the abdon, exposing those painful wounds that were marked with the passage of ti.
If it's just the appearance, mine were worse. I had more wounds. However, appearances alone couldn't be compared. The wound in Hisa's abdon, where a spear was deeply and repeatedly plunged, was, in a way, much more fatal than my countless wounds. Blood had been forcefully stopped by pressing cloth against it. The cloth went beyond being just red and turned a dark red. The pain was being sowhat controlled with additional pills. Nevertheless...
"It seems that the state of weakness is severe."
I could tell just by looking. Imdiate and fundantal treatnt was needed right away.
Well, the reason I can explain this at length is because I am in a situation where I can do so.
"Princess."
"Yep. The password is 'beauty and brains.'"
The curse-tool, a Furoshiki, will easily untie the knot if you speak the password. But I heard that if you try to force it open without following the correct procedure, the end of the knot extends and cos to strangle the opponent, which is quite terrifying.
"...Are you sure about this, Princess?"
I asked Aoi again. It was a repeated confirmation. After all, what I'm about to use is the miraculous spiritual fruit requested by the imperial court. It's a top-secret order from the country entrusted to a fake request. It could potentially be a big problem.
However, there's no other choice but to use this to save Hisa with what I have on hand. That's also a fact.
"...I'll accept the stain on my na. Fortunately, there's a way to cover it up."
Reluctantly, but with a serious expression as if she rembered sothing, Aoi accepted my request in the end, accompanied by a sigh.
"Thank you very much. ...So, I just need to feed it a fragnt, right?"
"Yes, but it must be small, very small. Be careful not to ingest too much spiritual energy, or she might burst. Pay attention."
"...Understood."
I nodded, my expression contorting at Aoi's warning. It was no joking matter to try and help soone only to have them explode.
"...Well, we don't have much ti to fool around. Hisa, this will help you. It's tough, but try to eat it without vomiting."
I offered words of encouragent and then held the tip of the spear I had retrieved, treating it like a tantō dagger, and spread out the furoshiki wrapping cloth. I unfolded the wrapped fabric, one piece at a ti. I did this eight tis in total. With each unfolding, the presence before my eyes grew stronger, leaving breathless. Even the tension in the air was palpable. I steadied my trembling hand and continued to unfold.
"Alright, this is the last one..."
I reached for the final volu. I suppressed the feeling of fear and began to unfold it...and finally, I witnessed it. The miraculous spiritual fruit.
"...Huh?"
That was my first reaction. Dumbfounded, shocked, unable to grasp the situation."
"Ugh!!"
And in an instant, I imdiately pierced the peach with the tip of the spear. No way, it didn't pierce. The tip broke with a tallic sound, as if it had been repelled by a thick tal plate.
"Shit!? Are you kidding !? Don't ss around!!?"
I couldn't accept the truth and repeatedly thrust the tip. Thrust, thrust, and thrust.
"Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Stop kidding around!? Hey!!?"
I swung, swung, and Swung. But it chipped and shattered the weapon. I tried to peel off the spell with my bare hands, but my fingernails tore imdiately and blood gushed out. Without care, I take on the seal. Still, it didn't even flinch.
"Kai (Open)! Kai (Open)! What's with this 'Kai (Open)'...!?"
"Tomobe!? No, stop!!"
Seeing the sorry state of my fingers, Aoi yelled words of restraint, almost like a scream. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I couldn't afford to stop.
"Why!? Why on earth!? Why like this!? This is no joke!"
I panicked and yelled. I slamd the fruit onto the ground. A loud thud echoed as it collided with the hard surface. The boundary attached to the peach, tracing its surface as if mocking , remained resilient, protecting its contents perfectly. It was infuriating.
"Really, truly... I can't believe it! Aoi, what in the world is this?"
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