CH 106.2

"Ah! Guh...!!"

Dropping the fruit from her hand, Botan squatted down with tears in her eyes. The Onikuma rushed over in a panic. It seemed she had been too greedy. She should have taken a smaller bite. She should have chewed it until it became liquid. Parasites wriggled inside her organs, reacting violently to the foreign substance. And in response, Botan convulsed and writhed on the spot.

"Ugh! Eugh...!!"

She vomited, spewing out a mixture of stomach acid and fragments of the fruit she had eaten moments ago. She vomited repeatedly, over and over again.

"Ah, ugh!? Eh, haa... haa... fuh, fuh..."

After the bout of rejection subsided somehow, Botan trembled in place for a moment. She felt cold despite the heat.

"Haa... haa... hahaha, I really... I've been such a fool!"

Glancing at the vomit on the ground and the half-eaten fruit sinking into it, the granddaughter of the Matsushige family muttered with a pale expression. It was self-deprecating, self-derisive. She despised herself, overwhelmed with regret.

She thought it was truly foolish. It had happened many times before. Eating hastily, wanting it to taste so good. What was the point? She was living a short life with no future.

"...Let's go. I don't need that anymore. If you want to eat, eat it yourself."

'Grrrr'

Botan, who managed to stand up with great effort, passed by the shikigami while speaking dismissively. The onikuma, holding a cluster of the fruit, whimpered with a mournful air. Its attitude further displeased Botan.

"Oh, that's right... Genbu, I command you. If I cannot escape from here alive, devour my corpse and continue to rampage until you die."

'Grrrrr!!?'

As if remembering suddenly, Botan ordered the shikigami with that instruction. The shikigami let out a shocked cry, but it was not surprising to Botan.

Exorcists' flesh was the finest meal for youkai. It was an absolute duty not to allow their own bodies to become nourishment for monsters. Looking once again at the repulsive remains of the laborer decaying in a corner of the dense forest, her determination only grew stronger.

That's why Botan commanded it. She commanded the shikigami in front of her to dispose of her own flesh, and afterward, to indiscriminately slaughter the minions that infested this detestable space... Botan's decision was an exorcist-like choice through and through.

It was the choice that should be made by the Matsushige family, who served exorcism.

"...You cannot pass through this door. Go back."

'Grrrr... Grr...'

Glancing at the door, Botan muttered those words and threw a sealing charm. The charm struck the forehead of the oni bear, which seemed to be pleading for something, and sealed it. The colossal body disappeared like an illusion. The charm returned to Botan's hand. Before she knew it, silence enveloped the surroundings. No sounds of animals or insects could be heard.

An indescribable sense of loneliness overwhelmed her...

"..."

In silent contemplation, the young girl returned the charm to her pocket and disappeared into the depths beyond the door...

* * *

'Mayoiga' in "Firefly of the Dark Night" was a popular youkai among overseas fans who were more inclined towards the creepy pasta culture, perhaps due to its unique setting.

Starting with the afterthought of a room that looked like shit in the manga adaptation, 'Mayoiga' was extensively used by overseas fans in fan-made games and fan videos as a stage for traps, minions, and items, primarily because of the request from the original creators to "solidify the setting and make it gloomy."

'Tatari-bito no Ma (Space of the Vengeful Spirits)' was one such room, known for its high difficulty level.

"You b*stards!!"

'((( ；ﾟДﾟ))) Papa, here they are!!?'

In the darkness of the night, I ran through the paddy fields. Black masses crawled towards me from behind, trampling the rice plants on the left and right.

I was being pursued by the wretched ones, the remnants of people cursed by them.

'Groooarrr!!'

"Get lost!"

I threw a throwing blade at the particularly large entity blocking my path. It pierced through one eye, and the monster screamed and writhed in agony. I sprinted past it at full speed. I must not let them get close or capture me.

'Gedou (外道)' was a youkai that resembled possessed beings or vengeful spirits. What made them troublesome was not just the possession, but also their attempts to spread it.

According to the legends, this youkai would receive meals from the family it possessed and even accompany them when a daughter of the family got married, infesting the groom's family like a parasite. It was a ridiculous story, but supposedly, when the family that was being parasitized could no longer feed them, they would curse that family.

According to the setting created by overseas brother fans, this room was originally a village in the outside world. The village thrived thanks to a spiritual vein... During the era of a slave dynasty, the king ruling the land was afraid of being possessed by the 'Gedou' and decided not to kill them but instead banished the clan to a land with spiritual veins.

The clan continued their inbred existence in a small self-sustaining village, preventing the curse from spreading outside. And over time, the entire village was engulfed by the 'Mayoiga'. Naturally, the people of the village, deprived of the benefits of the spiritual vein, could no longer sustain themselves. The villagers were cursed and transformed into monstrous forms.

After that, "Tatari-bito no Ma" offered the captured individuals a choice between two options. If they agreed to marry their daughter (the monster) to them, the 'Mayoiga' would send them back to the outside world, acting as a bomb spreading curses. If they refused the marriage, the residents of this room would be constantly starving.

"You d*mned overseas author, this room really is a fucking assh*le...!!?"

As I slashed through the approaching monsters with my weapon, I shouted. I suddenly remembered that the overseas fan author of this room was known for writing ridiculously unreasonable articles in other media's creepy pasta. While the author might have intended it as a joke, being in a position to experience such a malicious room would naturally make anyone want to curse them.

Moreover...

"Tch, so they resurrect exactly as the setting says!"

The 'Gedou' that had their bodies literally severed were regenerating the damaged parts as meat oozed out from the cut surface. Despite convulsing in pain, they were not far from a complete recovery.

...Ironically, the other severed meat chunk was also regenerating. You guys are a bunch of—'( ´ﾟдﾟ) Planaria!'—Can you stop interjecting me?

"This is what happens when you multiply without a plan and end up starving!! Damn it, I have no choice...!!"

Though their numbers were limited... now was the time to use them.

"Eat this!!"

As I continued to sprint, I took out something from my pocket and tossed its contents, a handful of something, grandly in the direction of the monsters... or rather, towards the day after tomorrow.

'...?!'

'......!!!!'

'(ﾟﾛﾟ)!!'

Immediately, the 'Gedou' (and the shitty spiders) let out indescribable voices and reacted simultaneously. The grotesque monsters turned their attention towards the scattered rice grains and the 'Migawari-shari' (substitute for ashes). They seemed to have completely forgotten my presence. '(゜ρ゜) Papa, it's food'—Yeah, fine, deal with it later!

The 'Migawari-shari,' nicknamed "Bug Repellent Pollock" by some fans, had an expected effect based on the change in behavior of the aforementioned 'Gedou.' This high-quality rice, infused with spiritual energy, was an irresistible temptation for meat-eating youkai in general.

Unless they were a wise species or a calamity youkai, it was incredibly effective. They became so engrossed in eating it that they disregarded the presence of a human clad in spiritual energy, even if they were being attacked. In the game, it was a mid-level curse tool, mainly used as a consumable item during escape. But as a servant, it was a precious asset. I had acquired it from the Tachibana Trading Company last month.

"Originally, I would have used this for traps...!! What a waste!"

The original purpose of the purchase was to use it as bait to safely attract youkai. Countless traps and ambushes would be set up, and the youkai would be mercilessly beaten down without allowing them to retaliate... That was the intended operation plan, which was often used as a decoy to protect myself. In this world, the last elixir of life is usually death. There was no need to hold back.

"So, this should be about three uses, right!?"

I clicked my tongue as the pouch became considerably lighter. However, when I looked behind me, I saw beasts covered in black, shaggy fur, larger than cows, greedily plucking and gnawing at each grain of rice. Eventually, they resorted to fighting amongst themselves to snatch the food away. Pathetic. If only they could continue killing each other forever.

And so, I continued running tirelessly, making use of this precious time. Although this room had multiple exits due to its high danger level, few of them guaranteed safety. If I wanted a reliable way out, I should have headed towards the sake brewery, the salt warehouse, or the donation box of a shrine.

"Huff... Huff... I can see it! Is that...!!"

'(ﾟ∀ﾟ) It's here!!'

Finally, amidst the darkness where even the ground was hard to see, I spotted it in the distance—an imposing torii gate standing atop a small hill. Beyond it, I could see a small and desolate shrine. In terms of distance, it was approximately three chou (327,3 m/357,9 yd) away...!!

"J-Just a bit more...!!"

Growls from countless beasts resounded from behind. It seemed they had devoured all the rice I scattered. But I didn't care. Calculating their speed and the distance to the shrine, I was confident that I could escape if I kept going. Or so I thought...

"...Huh?"

As I continued climbing the stairs that led to the shrine, I inadvertently stopped in my tracks and stood there dumbfounded. For a brief moment, I forgot about the pursuers chasing me from behind. I was stunned, utterly astonished.

...When I thought about it, I should have expected it. Of course, the one I encountered there was not unnatural given the location and their strength. But still...?!

"...!"

'(ﾟДﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ)ﾞ? Papa?'

Ignoring the puzzled spiders, I turned back almost reflexively. I even considered bypassing the hill from the side. I couldn't afford to worry about the unstable footing. There was no time to lose.

'...!!'