Fireflies of the Dark Night

To be honest, at this moment, I was thinking of taking it easy.

If you think about it, it's only natural. From the gorilla princess's perspective, a group of around thirty mid-level demons is hardly a threat. There's no need to treat it as a serious battle—just a casual fight, and she could wipe them all out in an instant. If the gorilla princess wants to earn the Tachibana Merchant Guild's favor, it's better for her to take the spotlight. There's no need for me to step in.

But, but... I was careless at this point. If I had thought about it even a little, it would have been obvious. That sadistic, whimsical gorilla sister of mine would never obediently follow my suggestion. In other words...

"She's just playing around..."

Clutching onto the spirit beast as it gradually descended, I muttered under my breath.

The sight of her casually waving her fan and summoning a storm to blow away the fox spirits was indeed overwhelming. But... that's all it was. If she were serious, she could have easily sliced the monsters to pieces with those wind blades while yawning. Instead, she was literally just blowing them away. Clearly, she was holding back... no, with her strength, even holding back should have resulted in far more destruction. For her, holding back like this was actually more difficult than going all out.

"If she'd just finish them off quickly, it'd be easier for me too... Wait, seriously!?"

I narrowed my eyes and frowned as I took in the scene. In my line of sight was an overturned carriage, a well-dressed couple who were likely injured and unable to move, a humanoid monster, and a girl sitting on the ground in front of it... Hey, idiot! Why isn't Kayo hiding inside the carriage!?

(Did the gorilla princess's half-hearted intervention change the course of events!?)

This is bad. In the original game, at least the daughter survived, but the entire family might be wiped out here. Even if she's not a romanceable character, her death would mean losing someone who provides the protagonist with item-related advice and services. That's not good. Even if the parents survive, failing to save their daughter might lead to resentment (given how much those parents dote on their daughter in the story).

"Tch, Princess...!?"

I turned my gaze toward the gorilla princess. Haha, she's still playing around. Actually, I'm starting to see through her scheme.

"Ah, fine, fine! I'll do it! I'll do it, alright...!?"

Following the gorilla princess's mischievous request, I stood up on the spirit beast. For a moment, the beast growled in displeasure, but I ignored it. This is your master's request, so deal with it.

I focused my spiritual power into every muscle fiber in my legs, strengthening them, and then... in the next moment, I kicked off the spirit beast and launched myself toward the scene.

Aiming for the space between the fox spirit, which had transformed from a humanoid form into a carriage-sized monster, and the girl, I summoned my shikigami just before hitting the ground. Two eagle-shaped shikigami grabbed my shoulders and spread their wings, using the resulting lift and buoyancy to slow my descent...

(Hold on, hold on, hold on...! Ouch!!?)

I reinforced the bones and muscles in my legs just before impact, but... as expected, the moment I hit the ground from that height, a violent shock ran through my legs, into my organs, and throughout my entire body. I shed a few tears inside my mask. Rolling to disperse the impact, I landed in front of the girl and blocked the fox spirit's jaw strike with my spear at the last second.

"Guh...!? Heavy!!?"

The immense pressure forced me to grit my teeth and endure. But in the next moment, the monster's fangs struck, and the spear, which was supposed to be made of iron, bent with a sickening creak.

"Damn it, the handle's bent in one hit... And this was supposed to be a higher-quality weapon than the ones I used back in the day..."

Haha, hilarious. The equipment provided by the squad leader should be better than what I used as a rookie. This is no joke...!?

The fox spirit, having been blocked from biting, retreated slightly before swinging its clawed foreleg to strike. The spear, already weakened, shattered completely under the impact. Ugh... Don't underestimate me, you damn beast!!

Using the momentum from the broken spear, I spun my body and... hurled the blade-end of the spear toward the fox spirit's head.

"GYAAU...!!"

The blade, thrown with the force of a professional baseball pitcher, was swatted away by the fox spirit's four tails. But that was just a diversion. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction and the blind spot created by the tails, I threw the remaining half of the spear—the handle.

...Against a human, this might have worked, but against a high-level demon, even a near-great demon, a mere spear handle wouldn't cause any real damage. I knew that. My goal wasn't to kill but to temporarily incapacitate. In other words...

"...!!?"

The spear handle struck the fox spirit's throat, not piercing its thick fur and fat but causing it to cough and stagger. It took a few steps back, coughing and tearing up. It wouldn't affect its life, but it must have hurt.

"Now's your chance! Help the guild master and his family...!!"

I ordered the few exorcists and laborers who had noticed the battle and rushed over to rescue the guild master and his family. Normally, I wouldn't have any authority to give orders, and they might have resisted... but in this emergency, facing a near-great demon, they obediently followed my instructions and rushed to aid their superiors. Yeah, I get it—no one wants to fight that monster.

"Alright, with that... GUH!?"

The next moment, I sensed killing intent and instinctively drew a dagger from my waist, holding it defensively on my left side. A fraction of a second later, I was slammed into the cargo of a nearby carriage.

"HIGU... AGH...!? UGH!!?"

The intense impact and pain forced me to vomit blood and stomach acid simultaneously. Collapsing to the ground, the shock and pain left me concussed, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"GRRRRRR!! How dare you, a mere weakling, mock me like this! I'll tear you to pieces...!!"

My ribs were probably broken. Gritting my teeth against the pain in my chest, I coughed and struggled to get up. In my blurred vision, I saw the four-legged monster glaring at me, its four tails bristling with rage. Oh, it's seriously pissed now.

"Ugh...! Damn it, I prepared for this, and this is what I get...!"

Just before the tail strike, I had drawn the dagger the gorilla princess gave me and equipped an iron gauntlet under my sleeve. Of course, my uniform was also of higher quality than what I wore as a rookie. I had even reinforced the bones and muscles in my arm with spiritual energy... The dagger was fine, but the gauntlet under my sleeve was shattered, and my left arm, along with the left side of my body, was wracked with intense pain.

(Still, it's better than having half my body blown away...!?)

Compared to the time I was thrown into the den of that great demon dog, this was still an improvement. At least this fox spirit's true strength lies in intelligence, stealth, illusions, and demonic arts rather than pure combat ability. Plus, it's only a fraction of its true power due to being a clone. Otherwise, even with all my defenses, that last strike would have turned half my body into mincemeat.

And then...

"Now, go...!!"

In the next instant, the two eagle shikigami I had summoned to slow my descent obeyed my command, diving vertically from above with their claws aimed at the fox spirit.

The shikigami targeted the fox spirit's head, specifically its eyes. Any other part of its body would be protected by its demonic energy, fur, and fat. With the weak shikigami I could summon, aiming for its eyes was the only viable option to deal any damage.

"Hmph, how cunning...!!"

With a single swipe of its tail, the fox spirit tore apart the two shikigami that had swooped down from above. The eagles, now reduced to mangled pieces of flesh, reverted to mere scraps of paper in the next moment.

And then... silently, without making a sound, I charged forward. The shikigami's destruction had been part of the plan from the start. My goal was to exploit the brief opening created when the fox spirit attacked them.

"Fool! Die...!!"

The four tails swung down toward me. I narrowly dodged them, a stroke of luck. The fox spirit had used its tails to swat away the shikigami, and like any creature with a skeletal structure, its movements were limited. By forcing it to use its tails to deal with the shikigami, I had significantly narrowed down its next possible attacks. That's why, by focusing all my attention on the predicted trajectory, I could barely avoid it... though it was really close. Seriously, even when I dodge, my body still gets grazed—how ridiculous is that!?

"Honestly, I didn't want to resort to this...!!"

As I weaved through the storm of destruction created by the tails, I swung the gorilla-forged dagger in a glancing strike. The fox spirit's flexible white tail, which would likely have shrugged off ordinary iron spears or swords, was sliced through like tofu by the dagger's thin blade.

"KYAA...!!?"

The great demon yanked its tail back in pain. The wound itself was shallow, but pain is pain, especially when it's unexpected. The fox spirit, thinking of me as nothing more than a weakling, hadn't considered the possibility that I might possess a weapon capable of piercing its defenses. Thus, it flinched from the unexpected pain.

At the same time, this also prevented its next tail attack. I could barely predict and dodge the first and second strikes, but by the third or fourth, I wouldn't have time to think, let alone dodge or defend. I would have died for sure.

(Just like in the original story, the fact that it's sensitive to pain saved me...!!)

A wicked grin spread beneath my mask as I successfully closed the distance to the fox spirit. Ideally, I'd aim for its heart now, but... the dagger's blade wouldn't reach that far, and I'd probably die to a counterattack before landing the finishing blow. So...

"I'll have to settle for a hit-and-run for now...!!"

I slashed shallowly across the fox spirit's right leg as I passed by, then quickly retreated. A faint cry of pain echoed from behind me.

That much went well. However, this momentary lapse in focus nearly cost me my life.

"Tch...!?"

In an instant, pale blue fireballs—foxfire—appeared around the fox spirit. Oh crap...!?

"Whoa...!? Ugh...!!?"

The homing fireballs arced through the air, their geometric and unpredictable trajectories making them difficult to avoid. This is... not going to be easy to dodge...!!

"My spiritual energy's running low, but... go!!"

I pulled out a talisman from my pocket, transforming it into several crow-shaped shikigami, and sent them charging into the foxfire. The shikigami collided with the fireballs, bursting into flames and writhing as they fell to the ground.

The kamikaze attack reduced the number of fireballs, but there were still nearly ten left. And then... in the next moment, they all rushed toward me at once.

"GUH...!? Hot...!!"

Instinctively, I tore off my black robe. The robe, which was supposedly flame-resistant, burst into flames as if that claim were a lie. Clearly, this wasn't ordinary fire. Shedding the robe before the flames reached my body was the right call.

"Haah... Haah... It's getting harder to keep up the act, huh?"

Gasping for breath, I stood ready with the dagger in my right hand, my upper body now clad only in the white undergarment I wore beneath my robe. Meanwhile, the fox spirit licked the shallow cut on its right leg before glaring at me with pure hatred.

"Tch, still alive? You're a persistent little monkey for someone so weak!! Know your place, you worthless insect...!!"

The fox spirit's ominous demonic aura flared as it shouted. Even for a great demon, this level of aura was exceptional. It was so overwhelming that even I, who had been exposed to the gorilla's spiritual energy and the blue demon's aura, grimaced and felt nauseous. At the same time, the monster began chanting some kind of spell. Oh, this is bad.

"Ah, I'm done with this! I'll just burn all you insolent fools to ash...!!"

As the fox spirit declared this, a visible spell formation appeared in the air. Countless foxfire orbs materialized, their color shifting from pale blue to red, then to white...

"Oh my, that won't do. You'll reduce the number of witnesses."

"GYA...!?"

In the next instant, a fist-sized rock, likely imbued with nothing more than kinetic energy—in other words, just kicked—slammed into the fox spirit's face at supersonic speed. The demon reeled back, its spell disrupted, and the floating formation and fireballs vanished like an illusion.

The sudden turn of events left everyone present speechless. Only I knew who was responsible, and I turned my gaze toward the source of the voice.

There stood the gorilla princess, fanning herself with a smile that radiated pure delight. Under normal circumstances, her beauty, combined with the moonlight illuminating her kimono-clad figure, would have made for a fantastical scene.

Of course, one had to ignore the bloodied, mangled remains of the monsters scattered at her feet...

---

Kisetsu Aoi swung her fan, sending the fox spirits flying and toying with them, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"It's not like I planned it, but it's always amusing how you show up at the most dramatic moments."

Watching from a distance as he faced off against the fox spirit, Aoi giggled with delight. He might have thought she'd prioritize saving the merchant guild's family to earn their favor, but... not a chance. To her, earning the guild's gratitude was merely a bonus. There was something far more important to her, and it was unfolding right before her eyes.

"My, my, how sinful. I'm almost jealous. To ensnare even such a little girl—what a wicked man."

Aoi narrowed her eyes as she watched the girl being helped to safety by the hired exorcists and laborers. The girl, who had been in mortal danger just moments ago, was now staring intently at the scene of destruction, her eyes filled with a familiar fervor. Aoi recognized that look—she had seen it before, in herself.

...Yes, it was the moment one found a glimmer of light in despair, the moment one grasped hope, the moment one discovered their hero.

"Fufufu, I look forward to seeing how she grows."

Kisetsu Aoi whispered softly, her voice a mix of mockery and affection, as she addressed her "hero." No one else could hear her.

That's right, grow like this. Gain fame. Become a hero. Only then will you truly become worthy of standing by my side. Now, everyone, behold! Watch as this lowly servant, using wit and ingenuity, narrowly escapes death and fights desperately to claim victory!... Her inner monologue radiated sheer delight.

(Still, the way he dodges is so precarious... Well, I suppose it's nostalgic in a way.)

As she watched the servant darting around, dodging the fox's tails, she hid her smile behind her fan. ...Yes, now that I think about it, it was much the same back then. Attacked countless times in a single day, brought to the brink of despair and death, doing everything possible to survive, even enduring embarrassing moments—all while struggling through the forest, barely escaping the pursuing monsters. Truly nostalgic.

...Well, at that time, I let my guard down at the very last moment and ended up surrounded by a horde of demons. If she hadn't regained control of her body right after, that would have been the end of me.

"...You always leave things half-finished, so I have to keep an eye on you, don't I?"

With words that could have been directed at either a lover or a child, Kizuki Ao concluded her remark. Then, her expression hardened as the situation shifted. The reckless fox was preparing to unleash a large-scale spell. Its power was...

"Well, I suppose it's decent enough?"

The spell might not have been strong enough to harm her, but it was more than sufficient to blow away most of the merchants and guards present. Even he wouldn't be able to handle that spell. Well, he might survive, but in terms of ensuring the survival of witnesses or gaining favor with the merchant guild, it would be hopeless.

In other words...

"I guess there's no choice. Let's call it a day here."

...It's a bit unsatisfying, but for now, this will have to do. Greed will only lead to losing everything. Regardless of what others might think, she believed herself to be a modest person.

Spotting a conveniently sized pebble at her feet, she kicked it up. Adjusting her spiritual energy, she sent it flying with just enough force to avoid killing the fox. The stone arced through the air and struck the fox's head, blowing out one of its eyes. The fox let out a shriek.

"Oh dear, that's no good. You're reducing the number of witnesses."

Were you planning to gather and incinerate the witnesses of his battle of wits, effort, and courage? ...She didn't voice it aloud, but the thought crossed her mind. Honestly, for a lowly creature, you're causing quite a nuisance.

"Ugh... Guuuuuuuu...!!"

With one eye destroyed and bleeding, the fox glared at Ao with a fierce expression. The murderous intent in its gaze, however, didn't faze her in the slightest. Of course not—she had seen far worse glares before. No, even more terrifying ones filled with malice and hatred... So why would she be afraid of such a pitiful look?

"Fufufu, don't look at me with those teary eyes. It makes me want to spoil you."

"Die, you wench!!"

The next instant, a roar erupted. Well, calling it a roar might be an understatement. It was a sonic tempest. The shockwave of the roar shot straight toward Kizuki's second daughter, and the broken carriage in its path was literally torn to pieces. If an ordinary person underestimated it as mere sound, they would be reduced to shreds by the sheer force.

"...Well, so what?"

"Wha...!?"

With a light flick of her fan, the deadly air vibrations dissipated into nothingness. It was simple, really. The roar was just a sonic shockwave amplified hundreds, if not thousands, of times by demonic energy. All she had to do was scatter her own spiritual energy with a wave of her fan to neutralize it. The destructive roar lost its power and became nothing more than an annoying howl.

"...No, that logic is flawed."

As Ao gently explained the trick to the dumbfounded fox, she heard him mutter softly.

(What's flawed about it? Sure, the efficiency of using spiritual energy isn't great, but theoretically, it should work...)

The method, which was horribly inefficient in terms of spiritual energy consumption, was something only Kizuki Ao, with her nearly boundless reserves of spiritual energy, could pull off. It was a brute-force approach, so his reaction was understandable... but from Ao's perspective, she genuinely couldn't understand why he was so shocked.

...Well, in a way, she did understand, but she couldn't afford to let him be stunned by something like this. After all, he needed to rise above her eventually... Yes, if he was to become her "husband," he'd have to handle at least this much. Even if not, he'd need to be capable of similar feats.

"Gu... You damn...!!"

The fox let out a roar filled with anguish. At the same time, several other foxes emerged silently from the battlefield and lunged at Ao from behind.

"How annoying, you beasts."

With a wave of her fan, the foxes were sliced apart and dismembered. Their foxfire was extinguished by the gust, and their tails couldn't reach her. One fox managed to slip through the wind blades, only to be engulfed in a fiery storm unleashed from the girl's slender fingers, writhing as it was roasted alive. It was a one-sided massacre.

However...

"Groooar...!!"

"...!?"

Taking advantage of the distraction caused by its companions, one fox lunged at her from a blind spot. It was a blunder born of her lack of combat experience. The girl was slightly startled... but what threat could a lowly demon like this pose? She could kill it barehanded if she wanted to. So, while inwardly slightly shaken, she calmly prepared to finish it off...

"My lady...!!"

A dagger thrown from behind pierced the fox's head just as it was about to reach her, killing it instantly.

"...That was unnecessary. Did you think I'd be injured by such a weakling?"

After a brief silence, she spoke to the servant who had intervened, her tone defiant and arrogant. The masked servant knelt and replied.

"I am well aware of your capabilities, my lady. I apologize for overstepping. ...However, one must never let their guard down against demons."

He answered in a calm, businesslike tone.

"Right. ...It got away."

Hiding her mouth behind her fan, Ao pointed out that the earlier attack by the lesser foxes had been a diversion. The four-tailed demon had already vanished, its large body nowhere to be seen. For a high-ranking demon, it was surprisingly adept at fleeing and hiding, as foxes tend to be.

"Shall I pursue it?"

"I taught you stealth techniques, but you're not skilled enough for this. Even the stealth corps would struggle. Let it go."

By now, the darkness of night was beginning to give way to the light of dawn. The sky turned a bluish-purple, and the first rays of sunlight peeked over the mountains, illuminating the battlefield-strewn road.

It seemed the other lesser foxes had also fled, as the sounds of combat had ceased.

"...Let's go. The guild leader should have finished tending to his injuries by now. I have a few things to say about the handling of the cargo, and I need to have a word with him."

With a mischievous smile, Ao turned on her heel, instructing her spirit beast, which had been waiting in the air, to continue patrolling the area.

"Yes, I will accompany you."

After retrieving his thrown dagger, the servant respectfully followed behind the exorcist's second daughter.

"...Hey, Banbu."

"Yes, what is it?"

Pausing for a moment, the girl called out to him using his false name. For a brief moment, she felt an indescribable frustration, inferiority, and sadness at the fact that she didn't know his real name and might never learn it. But she didn't let any of it show.

"...Never mind, it's nothing."

After a brief silence, she resumed walking as if nothing had happened, and the servant followed. Yes, for now, this was fine. This distance, this relationship—it was enough. There were still years ahead to close the gap. Opportunities to learn his real name, to call him by it... So...

"I'll thank you properly... someday."

Behind her fan, her lips curled into a gentle, soft smile, unlike any she had shown before.

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