[Part 1/4]
Why? That was the first question that ca to my mind in this life-threatening situation. I couldn't believe what was happening in front of .
"Brother...! Don't...! Stay away!!"
My little sister, the white fox, scread. Several unstable fireballs were hurled at the face of the bear-like monster. The flas, infused with youkai energy, were different from normal fire. The small fireballs hit the bear and exploded, letting out a beastly scream.
"!?"
I dragged my body away, seizing the chance to escape the danger. I quickly put so distance between us. Then I shouted.
"Shirona, why...!?"
"Because! Because you...!! Mother...!! Huh!?"
Her voice was a mix of crying and blaming for leaving ho and facing the monster. Right after that, a roar echoed. Despite her fear, my sister desperately created fireballs around her.
"Um, um... Ugh!!?"
It was completely instinctive; she probably didn't even know how she was doing it. The movents of the fireballs she created were very unstable, but they barely managed to hit. The monster let out a small cry before getting burned.
It was far from enough to take it down; it was more like a provocation.
'Grrr!! Ooooh!!'
"Eek!!?"
Shirona froze under the glare of the 8 eyes. The fireballs she was trying to create vanished into thin air. She was completely terrified. It was a clear opening. The monster took a step forward, ready to charge.
"I won't let you!!?"
'Grrr!!?'
The sa was true for the bear. I took off my blood-stained clothes and threw them over the bear's face. Then I jumped up. I jumped up and stabbed the tip of my spear into the bear's forehead. I pushed it in deep, deep. A higher beast's scream echoed. I imdiately ran away. I was fleeing. Full-speed run...!!
"Big brother, amazing!!"
"Idiot! Don't be so carefree...! Just hurry, we need to escape!! Mom, run away quickly...!!"
I cut off my little sister's pure praise and shouted urgently at my mother, who was coming this way.
"Damn it, you monster...!!"
When I looked at the bear with its growling voice, it was desperately trying to tear off the clothes with its 4 giant arms, including the hidden arms growing from its back. The clothes pinned to its forehead by the spear tip were getting torn apart by the bear's countless claws and fangs. Because of that, it couldn't remove them, and its vision was still blocked...
But still, it was just a matter of ti.
"...! Let's go quickly, it won't hold long!"
"GROOOOAAARRR!!!!?"
My shout was a bad move. Reacting to my voice, the bear charged even though it couldn't see. Its roaring growl shook the ground. The killing intent, the malice, the hostility made freeze. My sister even more so. We couldn't escape...!?
"!? You two...!!"
My mother, who had rushed over in a panic, hugged and my sister without hesitation. She turned her back to the monster and instinctively held us tight. It was a desperate struggle, a mother's determination. Even if it was aningless, it was a brave act to protect her children.
That's right. It was a aningless act.
"Mother!? Ugh...!?"
I was shocked by my mother's actions. There was no ti to think about what to do. The bear was coming. It was coming with its huge body.
(This is bad. I'm going to get crushed...!?)
The worst answer cos to light. I see the end of myself and my family, faced with powerlessness and despair. I regret it. It's too late. And...
Bang! A dry sound echoed across the snowy field.
'Grrroarr!!?'
It was a shot aid at its head. Blood splattered, staining the white snow a dark red. The bear stood frozen in shock. It slowly turned toward the sound.
The second gunshot rang out rcilessly. The bear youkai reared back. One eye was destroyed. Skull and flesh flew apart.
"W-What...!?"
"Shh, be quiet! ...Mother!"
Shirona, terrified by the sound of the gun for the first ti, covered her ears. I ordered Shirona to be silent and looked at my mother. She looked back at . We nodded at the sa ti. It seed we shared the sa opinion.
That's right. We had the sa answer. If we were going to deceive... it had to be now!!
"Shirona, crouch down small, okay? Hide behind your big brother!"
Saying that, my mother started to run, trying to hide Shirona in my shadow. We were fleeing toward the house. We had to make it. Shirona's presence had to be concealed. If people gathered, if the bear died, attention could easily turn our way. The hunters were focused on the bear and probably didn't care about us at all. It was now or never.
"..."
Just before entering the house, I turned back. I saw the hunter fire a finishing shot at the fallen bear.
It was a ruthless shot, filled with contempt for the monster...
"..."
"...Big brother?"
I turned my gaze. Shirona, who had already retreated into the house, called out to . Her fox ears and tail made her seem like a different being, almost overlapping with the bear we had just fought.
I envisioned the gun aid at my sister.
"Are you hurt?"
"No! I'm okay!!"
"Shirona, hurry up and go inside... okay?"
Breaking the silence, my little sister cheerfully replied. With her biggest smile, it seed like she wanted to make smile too. Our mother took her deeper into the house, preparing for any guests that might co at any ti. It looked like my sister didn't have any serious injuries either.
"..."
From the bottom of my heart, I thought it was good.
Then, a gunshot rang out from behind us...
* * *
The village, where the bear youkai incident was resolved, was in a festive mood. And the benefits of this ca to our family as well.
"This is the Miko family's share. Save it."
The village leader ca to visit and handed us a pouch. Inside was a total of 7 hundred and 46 mon (1 ryo = 4000mon). It was enough money for a week's worth of work in the fields.
In this era, bears were valuable. And the remains of youkai could also be worth sothing, depending on the situation. It seed that the fact it hadn't fully transford into youkai yet worked in our favor. The bear's liver, fur, fat, and at... parts that had changed into youkai and parts that remained as a bear were sold for a fair price thanks to the hunters and the village connections.
Thirty percent of the profits went to the village leaders as tax, 40 percent went to the hunters as their inco. About ten percent was for the families of the villagers who were killed, and the rest was divided among the villagers who helped with the hunt...
"I think it seems a bit much, though..."
"Don't worry about it. Just the liver alone was worth 15 ryo. I thought it would drop in value since it was slightly youkai, but it seems there are so nobles who are interested. Apparently, it sold for a higher price than expected."
The hunter, who was with the village leader, answered calmly to my embarrassed mother.
15 ryo, with 4 parts going to the hunter, ans a profit of 6 ryo just for the guts. If you think one ryo can last a month, the reward for the Miko family is probably just pocket change to him. By the way, the usual market price is about 9 ryo.
"But..."
"I heard from Isuke. You were the one holding off that monster, right? You even had a spear stuck in its face. Good job. Glad you didn't die, huh?"
My superior said this with a hint of sarcasm, looking at behind my mother. I could only give a wry smile in response. There was no tension at all. They probably wouldn't care much even if I had died. They must think I'm just a lucky starving brat. Life is treated so lightly, huh.
"That was... really lucky. Really, really..."
With words that felt almost sarcastic, my mother pulled close and spoke as if she truly agreed. It was a strained expression. After that commotion, once things cald down, my mother checked my body over and over, asking tearfully if I was okay and hugging tightly. It felt just like a real mother would...
"..."
"..."
Even my superior and the hunter seed hesitant to make any more sarcastic comnts about my mother's attitude. After all, treating a fox-possessed person unfairly is way too dangerous. After exchanging glances, they wrapped up the conversation.
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