Fireflies of the Dark Night

Foxes, raccoon dogs, and cats—even in my previous life, these animals were legendary for their ability to use transformation techniques and sorcery. Think of tales like the shapeshifting raccoon dog or the bewitching cat.

In this world, it's no different. Foxes that gain wisdom and demonic power by consuming the flesh of humans with spiritual power or demons with demonic energy are specifically called yokai foxes.

In the East, including Fusō Country, foxes that have accumulated power over a thousand years are feared as celestial foxes. This fear stems from a time on the continent when a series of celestial foxes appeared, using cunning and strategy to collapse the largest human dynasty of the era. These foxes, whether male or female, possess higher intelligence than other monsters from a young age, making it easier for them to survive and grow into powerful beings. They are also well-versed in human affairs, making them adept at devising cunning schemes. Because of this, the imperial court actively encourages hunting these foxes to prevent a repeat of the continent's tragedy.

Of course, the more the court encourages their extermination, the more intense the foxes' hatred for the court becomes...

So, it's hardly surprising that a yokai fox now looms over the capital with overwhelming malice and hostility.

The capital, with its thousand-year history, serves as the heart of the "human" species in Fusō Country. Its fertile land and powerful spiritual ley lines have made it a target not only for humans but also for countless demons seeking to invade and use it as a "feeding ground."

In one era, an army of vengeful spirits flooded the land like a river of death. In another, the capital fell under the rule of the Four Evils, notorious demons. There was even a time when a giant serpent devoured the earth, crushing villages and towns as it moved eastward. During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, the emperor rallied the nation's army and citizens to successfully defend the city.

...And then there was the greatest upheaval in the country's history, the Human-Demon War, caused by Kūbō, a demon of unparalleled power and intellect. Kūbō united demons, who are typically driven by instinct and desire and incapable of cooperation, into an organized force. The capital became the stage for repeated large-scale battles, turning the city and its surroundings into a hellscape filled with the corpses of humans and demons alike.

Yet, through all these eras, humans have held onto this land. Today, hundreds of thousands of people live here, making the capital the literal heart of Fusō Country. Paradoxically, if the capital were to fall, the country would collapse with it. And by seizing the powerful spiritual ley lines, demons could ascend to an even higher stage of power—a mythical level, recorded only a handful of times in history, if at all.

"That's why I've gathered such a massive army. To destroy the pretentious city of humans and reach greater heights."

The yokai fox—a figure with nine shimmering silver tails and distinctive beast ears—laughed arrogantly. Behind her stood an army of thousands of monsters, a force she had spent decades wandering the country to gather and train. This army had already eradicated several small towns and even a few weak exorcist families, proving its strength.

"Now, let's begin. Advance, my servants. Devour all who flee, resist, or fight back. Leave no one untouched."

Her confidence wasn't unfounded. Destroying towns and exorcist families is no easy feat. Even if a daimyo or an exorcist family mobilized their full strength, defeating this army wouldn't be simple.

That's why the arrogance of this yokai fox, who hadn't even lived a century as a celestial fox, was somewhat understandable... but it also meant she was about to pay the price for her ignorance.

"What...?"

In the next moment, a vortex of crimson flames erupted behind her, engulfing over a thousand demons—many of them mid-tier demons, with more than ten high-tier demons among them. Most were incinerated instantly, while a few lucky ones, still ablaze, plummeted to the ground.

"Is that... a dragon?"

The yokai fox turned to stare in shock at the being that had nearly halved her army in an instant. At the same time, she realized the overwhelming gap in power between them.

Coiled around a divine dragon was an onmyōji, who took a sip from a gourd before issuing a cruel command to his familiar.

"Go on, give them another one. Do it, Hakuren."

In response, the dragon let out a deafening roar and unleashed a scorching breath. The demons' thick carapaces, flame-resistant fur, and even their demonic barriers were useless. They were instantly reduced to ash. This was no ordinary fire—it was a conceptual attack, transcending conventional defenses.

"Impossible...! How... how could just two attacks wipe out my servants...!?"

The yokai fox, who had escaped the flames using her demonic arts, screamed in disbelief. Her voice trembled with rage at the sheer unfairness of it all—and perhaps with fear, though she would never admit it.

"Don't mess with me...!! Do you know how long it took to gather this army...!?"

"How many humans did you feed to them, huh?"

"Wha...!?"

The voice came from right behind her. The yokai fox twisted her body and slashed with her hand. Even bare-handed, a celestial fox's strike could easily sever a human's head—no, it could obliterate their entire upper body. Indeed, the black-clad "human" standing behind her was blown apart, leaving only his legs intact.

...But the flesh quickly turned into black shadows, which scattered and then reformed into a human figure as if nothing had happened.

"An illusion...!?"

"Nah, you definitely killed the old man. It's just that his body's a bit weird, so don't worry about it."

The voice of the man who had been riding the dragon now echoed in the yokai fox's ear. At the same time, a shock ran through her head—likely from being struck by the gourd. She was slammed into the ground with enough force to leave a crater.

"Gah...!? D-don't underestimate me, you filthy human...!!"

The impact would have shattered a human's skull, and even the yokai fox suffered a concussion. But in the next moment, her doll-like form rapidly expanded, and a gigantic silver-furred nine-tailed fox emerged into the night. This was her true form.

"I'll kill every last one of you...!!! I won't let a single one of you leave alive...!!!"

The yokai fox raged. She had fought strong humans before, using every underhanded and despicable method to secure victory. She had tortured and devoured her defeated foes without mercy. She had absolute confidence in her intelligence and power. If she attacked these humans with her full strength...!!

"That's our line!!"

A young shrine maiden delivered a spinning kick to the yokai fox's face mid-air. The strike, enhanced by overflowing spiritual power, tore through the fox's flesh, cracked her skull, and shattered several teeth. The demon lost consciousness for a moment, only to be overwhelmed by unbearable pain the next instant.

Gah...!!?

The yokai fox spat out a mouthful of blood as she plummeted to the ground. The exorcists guarding the capital showed no mercy as they closed in from all sides, preparing to deliver the final blow to the falling "her."

Gah...!!? Y-you bastards!! How... how could I die here...!? Like this... so pathetically...!!!

"Tch...!? Damn it, finish her off quickly...!!"

The yokai fox, now covered in deep wounds, resorted to her last resort. The exorcists, realizing she was about to unleash something, moved swiftly to stop her.

The fox's shadow was slashed apart by the exorcists. In the next moment, it was set ablaze by a powerful spell, struck by lightning from a suddenly formed thundercloud, and then pierced by translucent needles created by barriers that appeared from all directions. Each of these attacks would have been enough to kill a high-tier demon in one hit, or at least severely injure a lower-tier celestial fox. But...

"Fools!! That's an illusion...!!"

One of the exorcists, specializing in illusions and hypnosis, shouted upon sensing something amiss. The remains of the demon, which should have been reduced to pieces, vanished like mist in the next instant. It was the yokai fox's masterpiece of illusion, created by pouring all her remaining power into it.

"Tch...!!"

Some exorcists kicked off the air with sheer physical strength, others created footholds with barriers, some used shikigami, while others prepared spells mid-air or aimed with projectile weapons like bows... Each of them employed their own methods to pursue the yokai fox, who had used her demonic arts to create an illusion and escape. They were determined to finish her off for good. However...

"What...!?"

In the next moment, the giant yokai fox began to glow. The intense light overwhelmed the vision of those nearby. A few exorcists launched attacks at the general location of the light, but there was no sense of impact. Then, the massive light split into countless smaller particles... which began to rain down on the capital and its surroundings like a meteor shower.

"Damn it, so that's her plan...!!"

A few exorcists capable of long-range attacks managed to shoot down several of the falling lights. However... more than half of them reached the ground and vanished into the darkness of the night. The exorcists watched with solemn, bitter expressions...

"Inform the emperor and the ministers. That arrogant demon left us a troublesome parting gift just before she died."

A man in black attire, who had appeared unnoticed, issued the order to the exorcists. The demon-slaying specialists acknowledged the command by vanishing into the shadows.

"..."

The man in black sighed as he gazed at the fantastically illuminated full moon in the blue darkness. To think they had made such a blunder against a demon of "that level." Such a failure would have been unthinkable during the era of the great upheaval. The full moon always stirs the blood and makes fools of people. And of course, this is also the time when demons become particularly active, making it all the more troublesome.

"...If only she would come back."

The shadowy figure sighed again, reminiscing about a former comrade who had retired from court service due to injuries and age. In an instant, the black-clad figure vanished like mist, returning to his duties...

---

The Journey to the Capital

In the original game Fireflies in the Dark Night, the journey to the capital—known as jōraku—is an event that occurs if the protagonist raises their stats to a certain level by a specific point in the game.

The setting of this story, Fusō Country, is governed by a central capital where the emperor and the court nobles hold power. The regions are ruled through a dual system: daimyos handle secular affairs, while exorcist families deal with supernatural phenomena like demons.

Jōraku is one of the obligations imposed by the court on daimyos and exorcist families. Once every three years, they are required to send representatives to the capital for six months to serve in the imperial court and protect the city.

The Onizuki family also periodically sends representatives and their retinue to the capital. In the mid-game, this jōraku event is scheduled to occur. Depending on the protagonist's stats, relationships, and favorability, it determines who accompanies the journey, who stays behind, and how the story branches significantly. For example, if the sisters get along well and one goes to the capital while the other stays, you can max out favorability with the one left behind and enjoy some intense drama... (blank stare)

(So, this jōraku event is exactly two and a half years before the start of the original game...)

Given that jōraku occurs once every three years and the protagonist is taken in by the Onizuki family six months before the event, the remaining time until the game's start is clear.

...That said, even if my actions were necessary for survival, they've already caused slight deviations from the original game's initial settings and circumstances. It's unclear if the game will start as expected, and even if it does, the main challenge will be avoiding the numerous bad endings or using them to escape. Even if I manage to break free from the curses of obedience and surveillance, there's a risk the entire country could descend into chaos. Seriously, the difficulty of this game is downright brutal.

"Tomobe, are you even listening?"

"Huh? Y-yes, what is it...?"

Snapped out of my thoughts by the sudden voice, I turned my gaze toward the speaker through the Noh mask.

From my kneeling position in the corner of the room, my view encompassed a spacious tatami-mat room... At the head of the room sat a young girl in seiza, with a koto placed right before her. The pink-haired girl, who had been plucking the strings, removed her hands and placed them on her knees, a sadistic smile spreading across her face.

"My, how extravagant of you to be lost in thought while someone is playing for you? You've become quite arrogant since becoming squad leader, haven't you?"

"N-no, not at all. I was merely pondering some concerns regarding the capital."

The girl chuckled, her voice like the chirping of a bird, laced with venom. I responded with an apology, masking my true thoughts behind a facade of humility.

Three ox-drawn carriages (already transformed into mayoiga—lost houses), three additional wagons for carrying luggage, four exorcists including their representative, and ten servants to attend to them. Along with them are five members of the covert operations unit, twelve subordinates, six pharmacists and other specialists, and over thirty temporary laborers... In terms of numbers alone, this procession rivals that of a lower-ranking daimyo. Given the high number of individuals with spiritual power and special abilities, this group is a veritable feast for demons. Even though the roads are maintained, mountain paths are still dangerous, with demons often attacking merchants and travelers. Not to mention the possibility of bandits.

"My, my, for a mere squad leader of subordinates, you certainly worry a lot, don't you? You really have become arrogant. After all, how could a lowly subordinate like you possibly do anything better than me or my uncle?"

She hid her mouth behind the sleeve of her kimono, letting out a refined yet clearly sadistic laugh.

In reality, my abilities are still those of a subordinate. The young girl before me is, of course, far superior, and even if I were to face her portly uncle, who is the representative this time, I wouldn't stand a chance. How could someone like me possibly handle matters that even they struggle with? Besides, unless a celestial fox or something equally dangerous appears, any demons that attack us on the road will be swiftly dealt with by the exorcists accompanying us. Thanks to that, as the squad leader of the subordinates, my job is essentially to act as the gorilla princess's bodyguard, conversation partner, and audience for her koto performances.

Of course, that's only until we reach the capital. Visiting the capital at this time is practically a roundabout way of committing suicide...

(Well, if I don't figure something out, I'll just end up dead anyway.)

Based on the original game, spin-off manga, and novels, the timing of this jōraku is extremely bad. To be precise, the gorilla princess and her uncle are strong enough to handle most threats, but if things go wrong, I could easily end up dead as collateral damage. What's worse, even knowing how dangerous the capital is, after reading that exclusive novel, I can't help but feel that if I don't do something once we enter the capital, it'll leave a terrible aftertaste.

(The real question is whether I'll have any free time, and if I do, what I should do with it...)

Knowing about the brain pudding incident at the item shop run by Kayo-chan's parents and the cannibalistic party at the orphanage in the new district, I can't just ignore these events without feeling a strong sense of guilt. Moreover, ignoring them would cause problems for the story. These are all situations that would be better off not happening.

Even without that, the sheer awfulness of that fox woman in the main game rivals that of the Onizuki family. Aoko is bad too, but at least within the scope of the main story, she doesn't attract as much hate... However, the fox woman's depravity has been a target of hate since the game's release. She's a thoroughly rotten villainess. There were a few, very minor redeeming qualities in her character, but they weren't enough to make up for how despicable she was. If there's a chance to kill her (even if it's a slim one), it might be better to take it.

Of course, in reality, it's not a bridge you can cross so lightly...

"My, you're still thinking about something else, aren't you?"

"Princess, that's..."

"Don't bother making excuses. No matter how much you try to hide it, it's useless. Even through that Noh mask, I can guess the shallow depths of your thoughts just from your gestures. You seem quite distracted. How disappointing. You should be more excited about going to the capital. Or rather... are you feeling gloomy?"

The gorilla princess made a somewhat puzzled expression. Well, it's rare for someone to feel gloomy about life in the capital, even if they're excited about it. During the era of the Human-Demon War, it might have been different, but in this era, there's no safer place than the capital.

"You seem quite down. Is looking after me really such a bother?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"Then why do you look so serious?"

"That's..."

I'm not particularly clever. I make plans and preparations in advance, but I'm not quick-witted enough to come up with the best course of action on the spot when things deviate from my expectations. So, I remained silent for a few seconds.

"..."

"Ah, so it's something you can't talk about, is it?"

The gorilla princess accurately deduced the meaning behind my brief silence. Well, gorillas are the wise ones of the forest, so it can't be helped.

"No, I would never keep secrets from you, Princess..."

"Enough with the excuses and flattery. I've seen enough of that over the years."

She let out a bored sigh and flicked her fingers. The armrest placed at the edge of the room floated into the air and landed perfectly in position next to her. Leaning her elbow on the armrest, she began fanning herself with a folding fan...

"I know you lack refinement, but I'm aware you're not a fool. If you don't want to speak, there must be a reason, right?"

"With all due respect, Princess, there are matters I must carefully consider for the sake of the Onitsuki family and Your Highness. However, I cannot make any definitive statements here, so I humbly ask for your understanding."

I bowed my head respectfully and pleaded. I couldn't lie here. If I did, the gorilla would be displeased, and the exorcist's sharp instincts couldn't be underestimated. Even the slightest hint of discomfort might reveal my deception or evasion. Especially when dealing with the gorilla...

That's why I wouldn't lie. Letting that vixen have her way and grow stronger would bring no benefit to the Onitsuki family or the gorilla. Especially for you, Gorilla-sama. You wouldn't want the protagonist you're so fond of to be taken away, would you?

"...I see."

The gorilla princess muttered a reply, her voice tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction, before continuing.

"So? What do you expect from me by making such a baseless and unconvincing request?"

"Regarding my duties, I will strive to fulfill them to the best of my ability. In addition, I would like to request a bit of freedom during my leisure time."

Even the Onitsuki family understood that working from dawn to dusk for six months straight was impossible, so some breaks and vacations were allowed. The problem was that even that time wasn't entirely free, and the limited freedom I had would raise suspicion and alertness if a mere servant like me were to move around too much. What I sought from her was her tacit approval and support.

"A servant like you dares to make such a bold request? Do you think I would agree to that?"

Princess Aoi whispered in a teasing tone. However, though she was called a gorilla, she was clever. She must have understood that there was no lie in my words. And even if a mere servant like me were to plot something, she could easily deal with it at any time. Above all, I knew that the gorilla, who was too talented and often bored, wouldn't be able to resist the intrigue of this unknown proposal.

...And so, the gamble was likely won by a narrow margin.

"Once it's over, bring me something interesting. Understood?"

Her words sounded familiar. In the game, when the protagonist sought her cooperation, she had used the same line as a condition for agreeing.

"As you wish."

I bowed deeply once again, filled with gratitude. Though her acceptance came with a reluctant and troublesome condition, her agreement to my request would save many lives, prevent several bad endings for the original protagonist, and, most importantly, increase my own chances of survival.

"Princess, we have arrived. We will now begin preparations for the entrance."

Just as I expressed my thanks, a servant lifted the curtain of the ox-drawn carriage and reported. I signaled through my mask, and the gorilla shrugged before waving her fan in approval.

After a bow, I stepped out of the carriage. And there it was, in full view.

It was a majestic city gate. A large wooden gate built at the front of the capital, separating the lush green fields that would turn golden in autumn. A long line of ox carts, horse carriages, and laborers stretched toward the gate, supervised by the capital's guards. The Rajōmon—a fortified gate reinforced with multiple layers of protective spells.

The crowd parted like the sea. The Onitsuki family's carriage and entourage naturally made their way toward the gate. It was unthinkable for a prestigious exorcist family to line up at the gate alongside merchants and migrant farmers. I, too, followed the procession, standing by the carriage as a guard.

"...Well, now that I'm here, there's no choice but to go through with it."

I steeled myself and resolved to move forward. It was dangerous, but... as long as the potential rewards were worth it, I had no choice.

I organized the timeline in my mind and identified the top priority.

I knew exactly what needed to be done first in this capital. It was to prevent the revival and strengthening of that detestable vixen. In other words... to stop the massacre at the orphanage on the outskirts of the new district, where the former head of the Onmyōryō, Azuma Hibari, would be taken hostage and devoured without resistance.

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