[Part 1/4]
The chaos brought by the youkai led to an unprecedented war in Fusō-kuni. For over a decade, battles against the Mōryō (a type of malevolent spirit or demon) ravaged the land, with a third of the territory devastated and nearly half of the population lost. Eventually, the fighting reached the Center region, dangerously close to the capital. At one point, there was even serious consideration of relocating the capital to a safer area.
The people of Fusō had never hidden their hostility towards these non-human monsters, but since the founding of the nation, the court and the citizens had developed a sense of arrogance. They believed that, given ti, their race would surpass the monsters and bring peace to the horizon.
The great chaos shattered that arrogance and brought fear. Although the situation was much better compared to the founding period, the sacrifices were so imnse that it felt like ti had rolled back several hundred years... this was more than enough to throw Fusō-kuni into panic.
For nearly four hundred years, until the highly regarded Gyokuro Emperor (an emperor known for restoring order after the chaos) ascended the throne, Fusō-kuni beca obsessively fearful of youkai. This fear grew to a pathological level. Even the most remote villages were ordered to hunt and eliminate any youkai, no matter how minor. Of course, there weren't enough soldiers, samurai, or expert exorcists, so the burden of extermination fell to the local villagers.
Inspections were strict, and if local leaders were found to have ignored the presence of youkai, they were punished. Heavy fines were imposed on the citizens, and their villages were ostracized by neighboring communities. rchants avoided doing business with them, and even farrs from those villages struggled to arrange marriages.
Because of this, during that ti, there was no tolerance when it ca to finding and dealing with youkai. People showed no rcy, and any thod, no matter how extre, was acceptable to get rid of them.
"Oh, you've co...!?"
The village head and local officials gasp as they see the scene unfold. Across the snow-covered road, unfamiliar figures steadily approach the remote village.
Forr soldiers, rogue warriors, fierce priestesses, ascetic monks, exorcists who have been disowned, and wandering outsiders from Ezo. These beastly figures, hungry for the blood of monsters, gather in the village, seeking their fortune in the northern lands. One after another, they arrive, carrying an air of danger and lawlessness...!!
"Oh...!"
The village head and the others instinctively hold their breath at the dangerously intense presence that they could never match. They are overwheld by the visitors, who are soaked in violence to an almost pure degree.
"...I've heard the story. Is it a request?"
One of the visitors asks the village head. Coming back to his senses from his shock, the village head nods repeatedly.
"It's a report from soone who has been a hunter in the village for generations!! We want you to defeat the monsters and the family hiding them! The paynt will be generous! We've gathered it all from the villagers!! Recently, there was a bear youkai..."
"Wait, wait. Don't ramble on. ...What I need to know isn't there."
The man, disowned from a certain exorcist family due to his violent nature, interrupts the village head's words, spitting as he shouts. That's right. What's important isn't that.
"Tell their numbers, characteristics, behavior, how smart they are, and where they're being tracked right now... Spill it all, fast! Once the blizzard hits, it'll be hard to catch them, you know?"
The village head and the officials turn pale, recalling the severe punishnts for letting the monsters escape. Therefore, they desperately explain.
"I see, I see. Got it."
After listening to everything, they imdiately turn on their heels. They head toward the mountains.
"Eh!? Are we really leaving already!?"
"What about the plan!? Aren't we taking a break!?"
"Of course not, that's not happening."
The village head and the officials looked confused, but he gave them a dismissive reply. There was no ti for rest. They headed straight for the mountain, filled with fierce determination──like a group of miners who had just discovered a gold vein.
But this wasn’t just a gold rush──it was a deadly hunt for youkai. Even those who disguised themselves as won and children, begging for their lives, were considered fair ga by the so-called "rational" hunters. For them, the only goal was to strike first and kill their target faster than anyone else...!!
"Cannibalism and dragging each other down are off-limits. Stealing is fine before the kill, but if we take it down together, we split the spoils evenly... Well, let's just stick to how we always do it, right?"
The most well-known unofficial exorcist in the area stated the plan, and everyone in the sa line of work silently agreed. They were just a gathering of individual contractors, not an organization. So, they didn't really cooperate. But fighting among themselves was worthless. That's why they followed the old customs.
"Well then, that's settled. Don't fall behind the locals, okay? Stay safe!"
With that shout, everyone scattered. They used their spiritual powers to enhance their bodies or used techniques and curse-tools to spread out. And then they began the chase. From here on, everyone was a potential business rival. They had to outsmart each other and bring back the target's head.
In just a few monts, all traces of people in the snowy field had vanished...
...
......
.........
...The fox laughed mockingly in the void.
* * *
"Big brother... it hurts."
Six days later, in the afternoon, as we pushed through the snowy mountains, my mother and I stopped at the sound of my sister's crying voice.
"Mom."
"Yeah."
We exchanged glances, and I gently sat Shirona down on the mat. Then, I removed the snow boots she was wearing and inspected her tabi (traditional Japanese socks). Seeing the discolored spots on her heels and the base of her big toe, I clicked my tongue in frustration.
"I'm going to take them off, alright?"
"Uh? Yeah...? H-Hngh!?"
She nodded without fully understanding my request. As I removed the tabi, a strange, sticky sound ca along with it, and a small cry escaped her lips. I winced at the sight.
"Blisters, huh..."
Her feet were swollen, with blisters filled with fluid and streaked with blood. Her small, pale feet──so delicate──now had the skin peeling off around her heels and the base of her big toes, revealing raw flesh underneath. It was painful to look at.
"Hic, brother..."
"I'm going to disinfect it. It'll sting, but... can you handle it?"
My sister nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, as she braced herself. I took the canteen from our mother and poured the water over her feet, cleaning the wounds. Though her cries grew louder, she steeled herself, and kept tending to her.
"This ointnt... this should do. Mother, can you help with the bandages?"
"Yes, I’ve got it. Shirona, be brave, okay?"
Together, my mother and I comforted Shirona, who was crying softly, as we treated her wounds. I spread an alcohol-based ointnt over the blisters to prevent infection, then carefully applied a cotton cloth and wrapped her feet in bandages. It was the best care we could give her at the mont. Being half-youkai, she should have stronger resistance than an ordinary person. I just hoped her feet wouldn't get worse...
"Can you walk? ...I see, of course not."
I asked her just in case, but she shook her head vigorously. Understandably so. She would need to rest for a few days at least. But the pursuers were closing in on us even now...
"Mother. Can you carry a little of the load?"
"...You're not thinking of carrying Shirona, are you?"
"There's no helping it. For now, let's go, okay?"
Fortunately, our food and water supplies were getting lighter. I shifted so of the load to the front and had Mother carry part of it, freeing up my back. I offered my back.
"Co on, Shirona. I'll carry you, so co on?"
"U-uh... big brother, isn't it heavy?"
"Are you at an age to worry about weight? Hurry up. Don't underestimate your big brother."
"...Okay!"
I urged my hesitant little sister. After a mont of doubt, Shirona looked at Mother, and when Mother nodded slightly, she decided to jump on my back.
"Whoa? ...Alright. Wrap your arms around my neck, okay? It's fine if I touch your legs, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Ugh!?"
As I wrapped my hands around her legs to secure her and prevent her from falling, her arms tightened around my neck. Wait, can you loosen up a bit!? I'm going to choke!?
"Cough, cough... Ah, okay. Mother, are you good?"
"Aren't you the one who should be okay?"
"...I'll do my best."
Once Shirona loosened her grip and I could breathe again, I asked Mother while coughing and catching my breath. Mother, who was carrying so of our stuff, looked worried and checked on . I tried to brush it off.
"...Your legs are shaking, though?"
"...I'm fine."
...I would never say that Shirona was surprisingly heavy. She's a girl, and it would be an to ruin her dignity.
"W-well then... let's get going!"
I shouted, half trying to cover it up. And so, our family's mountain climbing resud. It was much slower than before. We moved like snails. On and on, until the sun set.
"..."
As I carried my little sister deeper into the mountains, I braced myself for what was to co...
* * *
As the sun sets, darkness spreads like ink across the sky. In this pitch-black world, only the calls of wild birds and the sounds of insects can be heard in the cold mountain landscape. Amidst this, a lone figure moves.
I venture deeper into the mountains...
"..."
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