The school trip was fun.
Really.
Although it’s called a ‘school trip’ (修學), meaning a journey to refine one’s studies, no one actually studies on a school trip. I mean, is it even a study environment to begin with?
Hanzo and I shared a room, and the homeroom teacher did her best to group students into pairs of close friends.
Of course, there might be some complaints, but if they’re in the same room, they’ll probably have a blast together.
It’s not the fantastical kind of ‘extraordinary’ as described in light novels, but it’s still a fun variation in the monotony of everyday life.
After the trip, we have an assignment to write something similar, but filling it out shouldn’t be too hard.
“Where should we go tomorrow?”
The first to speak as we gathered in our room was Fukuda.
Just looking at his expression already showed he was filled with thoughts of having fun.
Well, I’m feeling a little restless too, so how wouldn’t those genuinely sensitive high school girls be?
“Actually, I did make some plans…”
With a slightly embarrassed expression, Mako pulled out a notebook.
Fukuda and Yamashita had expressions that clearly said ‘I knew it.’ In fact, even I, who had only known Mako for a few months, wore a knowing look.
Mako had thoroughly written out how to properly enjoy Kyoto in her notebook.
What would the kids in 2024 Daejeon have done? Maybe they wouldn’t plan things out in notebooks like this. With smartphones and tablets, they might not even bother with such plans.
…But unfortunately, in my school days, we didn’t have such things, so I find this quite endearing.
“Wow!”
The more Mako explained, the more Koko’s eyes sparkled.
In my opinion, it seems Koko is just excited about all the food we might eat tomorrow. Mako had even organized restaurants we would potentially visit.
“Of course, it’s Mako-chan.”
“…… If it were Fukuda leading, he would just wander around and get lost.”
“What?”
Yamashita’s comment made Fukuda respond incredulously, but
“Well, I can’t deny that.”
He chuckled and added that.
When I nodded toward Mako, her face turned a bit redder.
What a classic class president.
*
In reality, you could find street food like dango in Tokyo too.
But isn’t it true that anything consumed on a trip somehow tastes different?
No, it definitely tastes different. It’s quite likely the method of preparation or the ingredients are different. It’s hard to say which is better though.
We had already eaten breakfast together at the accommodation. Dinner would also be eaten in.
But we can’t exactly eat lunch multiple times, so we decided on street food to maximize the variety.
“Mmm!”
Koko’s eyes sparkled as she chewed on a piece of wagyu skewered, looking thoroughly satisfied. It seemed she enjoyed this even more than the important sights we had visited in Kyoto yesterday.
Yeah, it’s delicious. I can rarely dream of eating beef in my everyday life. Plus, it’s wagyu. It can’t help but be tasty.
As we wandered through the market, I popped all sorts of things into my mouth. Walking through the old, narrow alleys unique to Kyoto really felt like a proper tourist experience.
The bamboo forest was also lovely. Looking at the thickly planted bamboo on either side, it felt like stepping into a movie set. Well, I don’t watch many Japanese films, so I wouldn’t know much, but it wouldn’t be surprising if movies were filmed here. Probably not just one or two.
If only this wandering time could last not just one day, but several—it made me happy the whole time.
And, on the other hand, as time passed, I became a little anxious. After this time ends, the episode from the original work would begin.
“Koto Ne!”
While walking, I accidentally ran into Yuka and Sasaki. And their group was also there.
They looked a bit less awkward than yesterday, which eased my mind a little.
It did feel like Yuka was a bit overly enthusiastic to see me though.
“Are you enjoying the trip?”
“Yeah.”
“You look like you’re having fun.”
Yuka said it as if she was relieved.
“…… How about you?”
“Me? Of course, I’m having fun.”
She didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as me.
I felt a tiny bit guilty, but what can I do? The situation is completely different now. It’s not like Yuka could just join our class after all.
It’s not impossible, but it would leave a bad impression on her friends in her own class.
“Well then, see you at the accommodation for dinner.”
Yuka said her goodbye first. I waved my hand too.
“……Sasaki, have a good time.”
“Ah, yeah.”
When I waved to Sasaki, who was seriously contemplating whether to interject in our conversation, Sasaki smiled at me.
I felt a bit of regret, but for now, we decided to part ways.
After dinner, there would be a bit of time to meet.
That should be fine.
…And anyway, it’s likely that Yuka and Sasaki would get involved in this, anyway.
*
Maybe because it’s a school that spends lavish amounts of money on trips, the accommodation was quite decent, and thus, the meals were good.
After filling up, I sought the consent of the three and left the room with Koko.
After grabbing a drink from the vending machine and handing it to Koko, we were walking side by side when—
“Koto Ne.”
—someone called out to me.
It’s rare for someone to call my name after leaving school. And since the only people that could use my name in Kyoto were those in my room, there were only two people who could call me right now.
One of them was currently holding a drink can to her mouth. So naturally, that left one person.
“Yuka.”
I turned to see Yuka, surprised.
“What are you doing out here?”
I shrugged.
“Just. No special reason.”
“…… Really?”
Yuka didn’t seem particularly worried. When we met this afternoon, I had been quite friendly with Mako’s trio, after all. There was no reason for me to pick a fight with them, nor for them to suddenly start bullying me.
On the other hand, Yuka had a reason to come out.
She was likely feeling awkward around the kids in the room. Although she was in the same group as Sasaki, she wouldn’t be sharing a room with her.
Certainly, she wouldn’t be very close with the other girls in her room.
I handed Yuka a can I had grabbed earlier.
“Uh, what about you?”
“I’m fine.”
“…….”
Despite my words, Yuka silently accepted the can.
With a slight frown, she looked at me, as if trying to read my real thoughts, but eventually gave up and opened the drink can.
The three of us sat on a bench in front of the ryokan.
It was bustling with people. Our entire grade was lodging there, but there were also many other guests in other accommodations.
It’s Kyoto after all. If you asked for the most famous tourist destination in this country, surely this city would come up.
I could see quite a few foreigners too. I wondered how many were Korean. Would they be surprised if I suddenly spoke to them in Korean?
Yuka sitting next to me might also be surprised.
“Want to take a picture together?”
“Eh? Oh, okay.”
I reached out my hand to Yuka.
To Yuka, who was only blinking at me, I said,
“Your phone.”
She asked as she placed her phone in my hand.
“What about yours?”
“I left it behind.”
That was all I answered.
In reality, I didn’t even bring it with me.
Centering myself, I took a picture with Yuka and Koko next to me. It didn’t have the best quality since we were in a dim place, but it was decent enough to be satisfying.
After returning Yuka’s phone, I sat there for a moment in a daze.
“Hey, Koto Ne, is something wrong—”
Seeing my demeanor, Yuka seemed to think something was off, but her words were quickly interrupted.
“…….”
A chill breezed past my back.
“Did you feel that, Koto Ne?”
I nodded and stood up.
“It’s a Yōkai.”
“Yeah.”
We scanned the surroundings.
Nothing was immediately visible.
However—
“……I’ll be back in a minute.”
Yuka said that.
Since last summer, Yuka has always carried a knife with her.
It seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it, but strangely enough, the people around didn’t pay much attention.
No one found it strange in the original story either.
Maybe it’s the effect of ‘Mumei.’
I waited with Koko for Yuka to return.
I had already stashed a cutter in my pocket.
“Koto Ne?”
Koko called my name, seeming a bit concerned about my calm demeanor.
“I’m fine.”
I replied.
At the very least, it wouldn’t play out as it did in the original work.
*
Back in those days, light novels that were called ‘Shin-activated’ had a characteristic.
It was that it was rife with bloodshed. Just reading the descriptions could rival a slasher movie.
And generally, if a person bleeds like that, they die. The main character and those around them may get wounded, but they don’t typically die. However, it’s a different story if they were characters specifically created to die.
Just like the victims eaten by the aoni, the dead are guaranteed.
In [Tokyo Slayers], Yuka senses the appearance of a Yōkai.
Yet, she couldn’t perfectly fend it off. Just as Yuka’s house is in Tokyo, many likewise were in Kyoto, but they failed to ward off the Yōkai’s attack.
The reason was simple. There were just too many Yōkai. Moreover, it was a tourist spot bustling with people.
But today—
“Koko.”
“Yeah!”
—today, it was a bit different.
Bam!
“Grah…!”
Was it an Oni?
Although it looked similar to the getup the uncle next door wore, on closer inspection, it seemed subtly different from a Namahage.
The Oni looked much more simplistic. A burly male body, with red skin. And horns sprouting from its head.
It waved a striking club in its hand, but that was about the only danger. If I had been alone, I’d have undoubtedly been reduced to meat for that iron club.
But now, Yuka is here, and Koko is too.
I’m here too.
“Who the hell are you…?”
While I already had a sense of Yuka’s presence, it seemed my existence wielding a bloodied sword was unknown to them.
The exorcists in the area looked at me with expressions of horror.
“……”
Without bothering to answer, I tightly gripped Koko’s arm.
That’s right.
The reason I couldn’t protect people from such simple threats from Yōkai was simply due to the sheer number.
If Yōkai spring up from all around, naturally, it takes time to move from one point to another.
And if their movements are random, it complicates matters even further.
If there are many Yōkai, ravaging people, and even the number of people to protect exceeds the Yōkai, it inevitably becomes a fierce battle; no matter how historical Kyoto is and how many exorcist families there are, it gets overwhelming.
I wouldn’t know how it was in the past. If it were a class society, perhaps only those of high status would be protected, while the lower tier would be sacrificed.
But now, we can’t allow that. The number of people has significantly increased, and the modern government has to manage its image as well.
In the original work, that’s why the exorcists became more dispersed, and the damage increased. Even students became victims.
“Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行) maybe…!”
I heard someone shout that.
No.
That’s absolutely not true. The episode involving Hyakki Yagyō comes much later.
What I’m seeing here is just one Oni.
And fortunately, it was hiding in a ‘nest’ so people ordinarily didn’t see it.
“Let’s go.”
“Koto Ne…?”
Koko looked at me worriedly when I spoke.
My body was already covered in blood. I’m certain just washing it once won’t get rid of the scent.
Though I didn’t have too much blood—no, I was actively using my left arm, so I must’ve spilled quite a bit. Nevertheless, for sure, I had soaked up far more of the Yōkai’s blood.
My hand trembled slightly.
“Let’s go, Koko.”
The small voice squawking on my shoulder was pitiful.
“What a foolish act.”
I could even hear a voice whispering in my ear.
“There’s no reason to go so far for beings who mean nothing to you.”
Even though it sounded like concern for me, it was actually a voice laced with amusement.
Nirlas was enjoying my sacrifice.
“……”
Ignoring that voice, I moved with Koko.
“…… Koto Ne…!”
The place we arrived at was where Yuka was fighting.
The nature of Yōkai varies from one to another. Some build nests, using them for protection while conducting all their actions from there. Like the Hacha and Raiju.
Or others prepare their nests to be accessible to anyone and actively hunt prey. The Yōkai I had seen was like an Aoni.
Some Yōkai come out of their nests altogether.
The Oni was the type that made its nest publicly accessible. Of course, because the legends are still prevalent, they often venture out.
In the plot, Yōkai can only be taken down by Yuka’s ‘Mumei,’ but that doesn’t mean Yōkai can’t be eliminated. If you can draw them out of their nests, just like the arrows used by my grandfather, you increase your chances at hitting the Yōkai.
The Yōkai aren’t beings that exist to ‘us,’ so weapons made of ‘Iron’ are ineffective against them. But as long as they’re here, the laws can’t be applied. Therefore, weapons can indeed get ‘embedded’ into them. Of course, what deals the actual damage isn’t the weapon embedded but the Koto Ne itself… I suppose.
It’s not a particularly intuitive explanation, but in the first place, Yōkai are non-intuitive beings by our logic.
The Oni is aggressive and assertive. Since it left its nest open, merely moving Koko allowed me to join Yuka immediately.
“How is this possible?”
Sounds came from the Oni.
That’s strange.
The Aoni I first encountered could also speak human language, yet ironically, the more dangerous ones were all just beastly.
“……”
Well, just because it’s a speaking Yōkai doesn’t mean I’m obliged to answer.
They don’t tell us their reasons when they kill people, do they?
I lunged with all my strength.
Koko did the same. She transformed her hair to fend off the Oni’s iron club, allowing me to strike with my sword.
Near my left arm, a weapon of similar material sprouted, just like the one in my hand.
As time passed—growing along with the amount of my blood loss—the sword grew. Yet, I wouldn’t have to worry about its weight. I’m breaking it bit by bit as I wield it.
Thud.
Red blood splattered onto the ground. The blood of the Oni and my own.
“…… Haah.”
“…… Koto Ne.”
Seeing me in action, Yuka, who had been frozen for a moment, cautiously called my name.
I turned around.
Yuka was also drenched in blood. The ‘Mumei,’ which often shone brightly, now had droplets of blood on it.
Even though I had already killed it like this, it still persisted.
Is this also the doing of Kosuzu? In light novels, this incident was told as some kind of omen. And indeed, later on, a real Hyakki Yagyō emerges.
“Are you all right?”
Silently, I nodded. Seeing my face, Yuka’s expression contorted.
“…… Even if I told you to rest, you wouldn’t do it, would you?”
“…… No.”
“……”
At my response, Yuka fell into a momentary silence before nodding.
“Then let’s end this quickly and have a rest.”
I nodded and took Koko’s hand.
“Koto Ne….”
“…… Koko, if we don’t do this, the kids will be in danger.”
Only after hearing my words did Koko’s face harden.
Yuka also grabbed Koko’s arm, and we moved together.
*
“Hah, hah….”
Breath ragged, my mouth tasted like I was chewing on iron.
But at the very least, this means—
“I see.”
I heard a voice in my ear.
“It seems that most of the ones you wanted dead are gone.”
I still can’t tell what the result truly is.
Kyoto is vast. No matter how effective my spread-out essence was, some Oni had surely been allowed to run rampant.
“What you desired has been fulfilled, so I must take my leave now.”
There was something weighing on my mind.
Was it because I hadn’t handled it perfectly?
“Koto Ne. It’s all right. Rest.”
Yuka grasped my arm.
Following Yuka, I leaned back against a nearby wall.
It was only then that I heard the screams of people.
It was the sound of shock at the sight of the suddenly appearing blood-splattered girls.
Someone would surely report it to the police. I’d be ferried off to the hospital soon.
…… I really don’t want that.
The school trip still has a day left.
Yuka had her phone in hand. With a serious expression, while listening to the conversation, a smile broke across her face.
And then, she sat down in front of me and said,
“Koto Ne, you did it.”
As if she didn’t care whether others listened.
“It’s okay. No one died. They say there aren’t even any injuries. It’s a complete victory.”
“…… Ha.”
At those words, I felt a bit light-headed.
…Was it really that perfect?
Could it be that what I did had a more significant effect than I thought?
I heard sirens in the distance.
“So just take a good rest. Put your whole heart into resting, okay?”
Yuka spoke in a voice laced with a hint of tears.
“Tomorrow, let’s stroll around together.”
“Koto Ne….”
Koko’s voice was completely choked with sobs.
…….
Could it be that way?
Will that, be possible?
Well, okay. That’s fine.
As long as no one died, that’s all that matters.
Yeah, when I wake up tomorrow morning—
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