Aoishiro web novel

The "power" flowing from Yasumi turned into viscous, black, swirling fog.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: This...this "power" is...!?

Yasumi: Ku...Uku...

Syouko: Yasumi!?

The "power" that took the shape of black miasma surrounded and coiled around Yasumi, which was its core.

Yasumi: I'm fine...it's just like my normal dizziness.

Yasumi: I'm fine...I'm used to this harshness...I can stand it...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Impossible! If this is the same "power"as that "sword", it's not something a human can handle!

Yasumi shook her head.

Yasumi: It's fine if I can't tolerate it. If I can just get the process started, then afterwards...

Matamu greedily sucked up the "power" around it and grew bigger.
And also, this place...

Yasumi: This is the Nekata sanctuary.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Is it sucking the "power" that has been piled through the generations?

And after draining enough "power" from Yasumi, an oni in the shape of a beast began to appear.
It was like in the legend on Urashima. The weather was also the same. With enormous "power", the shape of the Oni King's curse took shape.
The huge oni created by the one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji couldn't compete with this.

It was a beast that held the name Wazawai (beast of calamity) and took solid form.

Syouko: This is...Matamu...

Like in the legend, it resembled an ox. With that sturdy body and horns, it was like a huge bull.
But, in order for it to glare at its prey, its eyes were not on the side of its head, but in the front. Because of this, the head resembled a large, feline predator...
Because it was changing moment by moment and because the shadows and light made shapes like stripes, I thought it looked like a tiger.
At a glance, it would probably freeze the footsteps of any living creature. Maybe Yasumi realized that as its left eye was hollow.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: The body of an ox, the head of a tiger, a beast that is a mixture of the two.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: This is the first time I've seen it, but, is that the Sea god...that the water people control, called Wazawai? I've heard about it from my uncle.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Foolish person. You haven't had any training at all and you think you can control it?

Yasumi: I never thought that.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Idiot. Then, did you think it would at least not turn its fangs against you, its master?

Yasumi: I don't know anything about that.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Then, was it out of sheer stupidity that you summoned it without any plan!

Yasumi: It's not stupid! I carefully thought of a plan!

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Hou...

The onmyouji seemed interested in what sort of plan Yasumi came up with...

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, please take care of my body.

Syouko: Eh...?

Yasumi's body fell towards me. In that limp body, Yasumi's soul wasn't there.

Syouko: Yasumi..., wait, Yasumi...!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I see. So you're going to try to control that think like you just did to me.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Stop it, stop it. If that thing is the same as that "sword", then it's unthinkable for just a soul to touch it. That's just a quicker way to die.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: It'll swallow you up...and you'll go mad.

It was so frightening that just looking at it would cause one to shake.
Even the vessel that protects the soul would not want to get near it and would retreat.
To touch such a thing with just a soul, was...

Yasumi: If you're going to kill sempai and me...if I can at least save sempai...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: You're going to have your soul be sucked up by that thing and become part of it!?

Syouko: Yasumi! Stop!

Yasumi: I won't stop!

And Matamu, which Yasumi had attached herself to...
Waved its huge horns...
And charged towards the huge oni.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Guh...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Am I only able to reach this level, when combined with Oniwaka? Because it swallowed so much "power", is it being stained by you?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Chi...does the enemy have the advantage, then?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Because this limited cermony depends on the distance of the "sword", I didn't think there would be this much power stored here.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I see. If this continues, it'll resemble a little, the "power" of that "sword"...and the "gate" might even open.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Then, I'll have to readjust also.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Oniwaka! I grant you my "power". Become the strongest shikigami!

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: It's fine if you just yank out those twisted horns of a shikigami summoned by a novice and crush them!

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Like Sumiyoshi Myojin, grab those horns and defeat them!

Oniwaka: Oooooo...!

Clash.

Yasumi: Nn...

Power clashed with power.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kuh...

"Power" clashed with "power".

Yasumi was pushed back.

Yasumi: Kuh...Ukuh...

Matamu had much more "power", since it had continually devoured sacrifices for a long time.
However, it was all Yasumi could do not to be devoured herself by that "power", so she was losing.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What's wrong, woman? Using Wazawai, something close to pure "power", you can't push back my Oniwaka?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: If this goes on, before you're defeated by my Oniwaka, you'll be devoured by Wazawai.

Syouko: Yasumi...?

If this goes on, Yasumi will...
Was there anything I could do?

Syouko: Ah...

There was something I could do.

Syouko: That's right, blood...

I embraced Yasumi's limp body.
Blood becomes "power".
If Yasumi didn't have enough "power", then it's fine if I supplement her.
I don't know how to use it, so I should give my extra "power" to Yasumi.

Syouko: Hey, Yasumi. Drink some blood from my wound...

The countless wounds I received before had not clotted and blood was still running. But Yasumi didn't drink.

Syouko: Yasumi...

It was because Yasumi's consciousness wasn't here.
But if they were connected...it should reach her.

Syouko: Chu...nn...koku...koku...

I put my mouth against my own wonds and sucked the red "power" into my mouth.
The thick blood mixed with my saliva becoming more transparent and turned into some sort of secret medicine.
I hugged Yasumi's limp body and lifted her jaw.

Syouko: Hey...open your lips a little.

My lips met hers.

Syouko: Fu...fuun...

Her soft lips didn't show any signs of resistance. I open them up and in the gap, I let the liquid flow.

Yasumi: ..., ...., ...., ....

Yasumi's consciousness wasn't there but my blood traveled down her throat inside her.

Syouko: More...I'll give you more...

I separated from Yasumi for a moment to suck up more blood from my wounds.
My lips...were warmer than my wound.

Yasumi: Goku...

Syouko: Nn...nn...

So I repeated that many times until I started to get dizzy from fever...

Yasumi: Syo...Syouko-sempai?

Yasumi realized what I was doing.
In order words, my "power" had...

Syouko: Yasumi, did it reach you...?

Yasumi: Sempai...

It seems it went from Yasumi's body to her spirit.

Syouko: I'll also keep our promise. I'll do as much as I can...

Syouko: You still have some "power" left, right?

Yasumi: Y...yes!

Yasumi: Please! Syouko-sempai, please give me more!

I nodded and put my lips to Yasumi's body.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Nu...suddenly the "power" is...!?

Yasumi: It's because Syouko-sempai is trying to save me...she's giving me "power"...

Yasumi: With this, a little more...just a little more, I can handle making this one a little stronger!

The black mist surrounding Matamu shook.
Compared to that "power", the "power" I gave to Yasumi might've been insignificant.
But Yasumi, who received my "power" was able to increase her limits.

Oniwaka: Oooooooo!

Like before, they were even...

No, Matamu which Yasumi was combined lightly with was slowly pushing Oniwaka back.

Oniwaka: Uohhhhhhh!

The muscles of huge oni that had materialized bulged unbelievably but...

Oniwaka: Uoh!

It would soon be apparent that Matamu was superior.

Even if that onmyouji had an oni with uncommon "power", she shouldn't be able to summon one with more power than that Oniwaka.
But Matamu's limit, if we don't consider Yasumi's limit, was far beyond that.
Stored in the Nekata Sanctuary, its limit was the generations of "power" from sacrifices of which I was one small drop of.
And also...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Oniwaka...Oniwaka is being devoured!?

Yasumi: Shikigami are close to pure "power". It's easier for them to be devoured by Matamu than me...

If the opponent were a human, or if were an oni with a physical body, with that overwhelming power, that huge oni would probably be able to push them back.
But the true "power" of Matamu was a chaos that ruined and devoured everything. For that oni, Matamu who drains "power", was probably the worse monster to face.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Stand back, Oniwaka! It's enough, stand back!

Yasumi: It's too late!

Yasumi: Your shikigami has already been half eaten...

It's not that it didn't want to leave.

Yasumi: It can't leave anymore.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kuh...

The onmyouji which had up till now been concentrating on controlling her shikigami moved.
Taking out Hoemaru, she headed towards where Matamu and Oniwaka were fighting.
But it was already too late.

Yasumi: It's over.

The body of the oni disappared and only Matamu, who had grown bigger, remained.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Did it disappear...? Or was it devoured...?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Come on! Show yourself! Oniwaka...!

She waved the longsword called Hoemaru. She tried to summon Oniwaka again, but there was only the sound of the blade cutting the air.
And nothing appeared.

Yasumi: With this, I think we have a little bit of an advantage...

Yasumi: Do you still want to continue?

As if giving up, the onmyouji took in a deep breath.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I can't say I will stop.
The onmyouji who lost her oni waved her remaining longsword at us as she said that.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I am Kohaku, the original person who brought the "sword" to the Palace of the Dragon King.

The onmyouji who called herself Kohaku didn't stop her dangerous behavior and headed towards us with longsword in hand.

Kohaku: Right now, you guys are as dangerous as the "sword".

Yasumi: So you will still fight no matter what?

Kohaku: You talk a lot.

Though losing her huge oni put her at a disadvantage, she couldn't retreat.
The lapis lazuli light reflected in the blade.
At that time...
The light in waterway brightened.
Far away, something opened.
Even I knew what had opened.

Kohaku: What...!?

Yasumi: Iyaaaaaa!!

Syouko: Yasumi!?

Yasumi: It can't...something's coming...something's entering...!!

Syouko: Wh...Yasumi, what's wrong!?

Kohaku: It seems that there are other foolish people besides yourselves outside.

Kohaku: Up until then, the "gate" was only open a crack, but now it's open halfway.

"Gate"...?

Kohaku: The proof is in the glow of the waterway which connects to the outside.

This lapis lazuli colored light was...
Ah, was that the "gate"...?

Kohaku: Since your attached to that, you understand. It's a frightening thing, isn't it?

With her red, right eye she looked at Matamu...she looked at Yasumi who was attached to it and said.

Kohaku: On the other side of the "gate" is what could be called that guy's leader. There is sealed an oni that just looking at it would make you go mad.

Kohaku: Geez, I messed up. I thought that coming to the true sanctuary was a sure thing, but the "sword" went over there.

Kohaku: Kuku...

Kohaku: Kukukukuku...

Kohaku: Kuhahaha! So at the end, I've lost Oniwaka!? This is a hilarious matter!!

Kohaku: .....

The onmyouji laughed loudly. After using up all her laughter, she suddenly stopped.

Kohaku: ...I have to go.

She showed her back to us.

Her sword skills overwhelmed me, and she could control such a huge oni. Looking at her back, she really was small.

Kohaku: I'm going to close the "gate" which opened.

But like the sword in her hand, she was just as tough.

Kohaku: During that time, what you guys do, or where you guys go, has nothing to do with me. Do what you like.

Kohaku: But...

Kohaku: Woman, get rid of that thing and don't summon it again. If you summon it and I find out about it, whatever the time or place, your life will be in danger.

Syouko: You're letting us go...?

Kohaku: There's a bigger matter at hand. Then...

The one-eyed onmyouji headed towards the exit, but stopped her movement.

Yasumi: I can't...

Syouko: Yasumi...?

Yasumi: I can't...it's too late...sempai, it's already too late for me...

Kohaku: What did you say?

Yasumi: That light just now...and even now...it's stuck and melded with me...I can't leave.

Yasumi: So it's...impossible for me...to get rid of this thing...

Kohaku: You've been swallowed by the chaos.

Yasumi: Etto...probably...it's seems like lots of things...are disappearing from inside me...

Yasumi: Maybe they're not disappearing...? But becoming something else...?

Kohaku: Woman...No, Yasumi, was it?

Yasumi: Yes.

Kohaku: I can't quickly conquer that, or do anything meaningful.

Yasumi: Yes.

Kohaku: Do you still remember anyone special?

Yasumi: Okaa-san...Nami-chan...Aoi-sensei...Ayashiro-sempai...Momo-chan...and Syouko-sempai...

Yasumi: About Syouko-sempai...the memories of Syouko-sempai...I can still clearly remember...

Kohaku: Do you wish to protect that?

Yasumi: I...if I lose everything...if I can save sempai...then that's fine...

Yasumi: But...

Yasumi: No...I don't want that...I don't want to lose that! I don't want to forget! I don't want to not know about anything!

Yasumi was crying.
She was crying because she didn't want to become part of Matamu and forget everything.

Syouko: Yasumi...!

I too...
I didn't want to lose Yasumi either.
As I hugged the soft body in my arms, I wondered if it were still attached to her soul.

Kohaku: Then Yasumi, let me cut you.

Kohaku: With my skills, as long as I have Hoemaru, I can remove you from that thing.

Her red eye looked at her longsword as she said that.

Syouko: Then, what about Yasumi!?

Kohaku: Don't expect too much. The only thing I can do is cut her away from that thing.

Kohaku: If she's already been almost devoured, then even if her body remains, it's impossible for her to return to the way she was.

Syouko: Then, if I give her my blood...

To be able to push back a huge oni of such "power", to be able to control Matamu until the "gate" was opened.
If I gave her my blood, it might be possible.

Kohaku: If her soul hasn't been devoured yet, it's possible, but...

Kohaku: Give up.

Syouko: What!?

Kohaku: Yasumi, I don't have much time. You don't have any either.

Yasumi: Yes...I'm gradually...losing myself...

Kohaku: Until the "gate" is closed.

Kohaku: Then...I'm going to begin.

Kohaku: Namu hachiman daibosatsu...

Kohaku: I pray with the stroke of this sword to cut all evil spirits!

Syouko: Yasumi...!!

I closed my eyes and prayed.
I didn't hear any loud sounds, just the sound of a sword being sheathed.
Was everything...over?

Yasumi: Sempai...Syouko-sempai...

Hearing Yasumi's voice, I timidly opened my eyes.

Syouko: Yasumi, did it go well...?

Yasumi: Yes, I was able to separate from it safely...

Yasumi: So, I didn't become a part of Matamu...

Yasumi: I can disappear while talking to sempai like this.

Syouko: Disappear? You can't...that's can't be!

Yasumi: I can't help it. There's no other way for me.

Yasumi: Sempai...

Syouko: Wh...what is it?

Yasumi: After this, please return home safely. And then please continue to practice kendo and become like Member Narumi, who you admire.

Syouko: That...I can't do that...after such a thing happened, how can I return to a normal life...

It was impossible.

Yasumi: I see. I'm happy that you kept our promise to the end though...

Yasumi: Then, there's no helping it.

Yasumi's spirit, which was disappearing grasped the disappearing body of Matamu.

Yasumi: Even if I'm like this, I can do this much.

Yasumi: Kohaku-san, could you close your eyes for a bit?

Kohaku: My eyes are already half-closed.

Syouko: Yasumi, what are you...!?

Yasumi: In order to let sempai return to a normal life, I'm going to help out a bit and make it disappear.

Yasumi: Because, I'm the manager who supports the players who fight with all their strength.

Syouko: Yasu...

Yasumi: Sempai...sayonara...

The chaos that was in Yasumi's shape wrapped around me like a cocoon.
I was forced to be reborn.

Syouko: Ah...

The chaos invaded my memories. My memories which were in order. The important ones, the chronological ones, the indices of my memories were melting and crumbling...

Yasumi: If it's ok with you, could you at least take sempai outside...

Kohaku: You want to make me do that much?

Kohaku: I said it before. The waterways are connected to the outside. If she's lucky, she'll float until she's outside.

Yasumi: That's impossible. Because sempai has bad luck.

Kohaku: How would I know such a thing? I'm going to go out by the passageways. You can follow me.

Yasumi: ...Ok.

Yasumi: So, sempai, how about we get going...

I sank into the cold water.
I was washed away by the soft darkness that surrounded me.