ch41-ch60 · 056-ch48

Chapter 48

"All we know is this: that thing is not of this star's origin. It came from another world — all we know is that it is something from another world..."

The words of the silver crow — the tengu who'd fought Hiyori and the others in the Shinjuku Demon Frontline — were met with shock by everyone present.

"An invader from another world in Kakuriyo, huh."

What Sai was thinking about was whether the other world the tengu referred to and the other world Sai had been transported to were the same. The monsters appearing in Shinjuku Tower matched the other world Sai had been in far too well.

"Saria, what do you think?"

"I don't know. But it's certain that we need to go to this Kakuriyo and confirm it."

"Yeah. Sōya... no, your true name is Ginreibo, right. Tell us what you know about this something from another world — the circumstances and anything else you can. We'll decide after that."

"At first, it was said that small oni were being devoured. I was in the present world at the time, so I didn't see it myself, but apparently at the time it was thought to be some rare new demon or Majin that had been born."

It seemed the beginning of the incident was around December of last year.

Right before the Shinjuku Demon Frontline began.

"But that thing devoured Rokuya when she returned to Kakuriyo..."

Mio repeated the name she recognized.

"Rokuya — that fox-shaped Majin, right..."

"Yes. That same Rokuya you fought. Honestly, I don't know her well, but even a being called a Majin was devoured one-sidedly. Even if she was weakened from the battle in the present world, she shouldn't have been so easily taken down. Other Majin were also devoured one after another... it devoured every demon in its path indiscriminately, and finally even my senior disciples...!"

"Then the reason demon appearances have decreased lately...!"

"It's because the demons in Kakuriyo themselves were devoured by it..."

"There's no longer any Majin left who can fight it..."

According to what was said, over the past three months, the invader from another world that appeared in Kakuriyo had been devouring demons and Majin one after another.

Sai's face hardened as he listened.

Hexaria also seemed to have thought of something, sending a sharp gaze toward Ginreibo.

"Hey, you called yourself Ginreibo, did you not? What form does this 'something' take now? It doesn't matter if your description is rough. Tell me."

Ginreibo answered Hexaria reverently, as if in fear.

"I-its current form is... aberrant, overall formless. Its appearance is difficult to describe... I suppose it's round overall. It incorporates what it devours into parts of its body. As a result, it's constantly changing... There are parts like Rokuya, parts like my senior disciples, parts like small oni..."

"So it's like a slime?"

"Hiyori. If it were a slime, I'd understand. A slime would digest things. But that thing takes on the appearance of what it devours... and attaches them as decoration... no, that's not right. It's more like marquetry... it attaches what it eats onto its body."

The description was too vague.

It was round in appearance and attached what it devoured to its body.

It sounded like a riddle, but Hexaria pressed further.

Her expression was cold.

"...What about its shadow?"

"I-its shadow...? W-well, when I fought it together with my senior disciples... it may have been my imagination, but at times it seemed to bulge slightly..."

That was impossible. 'Shadow bulging' shouldn't be possible normally.

But the moment they heard that, Sai and Hexaria made disgusted faces, as if they hadn't wanted to hear those words.

"Hey, Saria. The enemy is..."

"Yeah. The Shadow-Eating Demon King."

"Y-you know of it...!"

"Hmph. If it's the Shadow-Eater we know, then it can also cross between worlds — Planeswalk."

Seeing that Sai and Hexaria seemed to know something, Hiyori asked.

"What kind of monster is this Shadow-Eater?"

"Hiyori-san. It literally devours shadows — in other words, it's a 'Demon King' that devours existences. I can see why they don't know what it is. It has a form but doesn't — truly an aberration. It's a monster that devours even the souls of what it consumes and turns them into its own power. It can move through shadows — from shadow to shadow — as naturally as breathing, and can even teleport. A calamity-level Demon King."

"Demon King... wait, a real Demon King?"

When she heard "Demon King," Hiyori imagined the kind that appeared in games.

"Ah, it's not the king of demons, so don't worry. It's just that it's so strong it's called a 'Demon King' — a Demon King-class monster."

"I see. So it's that strong of an enemy..."

"Yeah. It seems to teleport in from yet another different world — not Earth, not the other world I was in. ...Saria and I have fought it before."

Sai's face twisted with a hint of bitterness.

Something must have happened.

"I see."

Hiyori sensed as much but said nothing.

"Let me add one more thing. If it's a Shadow-Eater, it can probably come to this world too."

They shouldn't have asked.

Hayato's face showed that emotion, his earlier anger forgotten.

Hiyori and Mio felt the same. They'd thought it was just Kakuriyo's problem — they hadn't expected it to affect the present world too.

"It's decided. We'll go to that Kakuriyo place."

"It can't be helped. It seems you and I are the only ones who can handle this."

Hexaria, the type to wear arrogance like clothing, sighed and gave her assent.

Sai and Hexaria's trip to Kakuriyo was decided.

Ginreibo reverently bowed his head to Hexaria.

"We are truly sorry to trouble you."

"It's fine."

It was the Japanese exorcists who found this attitude curious.

"Hexaria-san is certainly an incredible person, but Ginreibo-san, why are you so — how should I put this — are you not acquaintances?"

At that, Ginreibo's eyes went wide in disbelief.

"Kuri Mio... are you serious...?"

"Huh?"

"I don't know who this person is either! But this level of divinity..."

Just as Ginreibo was about to say something, Hexaria's cold words cut him off.

"Silence. Who said you could speak?"

"Y-yes! My most... my most sincere apologies...!"

Ginreibo, a tengu called a Majin — a high-ranking existence among demons — cowering in fear before Hexaria. It looked utterly bizarre.

To Mio, the woman Hexaria was — someone a little scary, but also incredibly strong, cool, beautiful, capable of developing many things, and moreover, even if it was a fake marriage, the wife of her teacher Sai.

She knew Hexaria was amazing, but seeing a tengu prostrating itself before her still made her think, "Why?"

In that brief pause in the conversation...

Suddenly, Hiyori raised her hand.

"Sensei, I want to go to Kakuriyo too!"

Responding to that, Mio also hurriedly spoke up.

"S-Sensei, me too!"

Sai's two cute disciples started saying such things.

"Well..."

Just as Sai was about to answer, Hayato panicked.

"N-no! You know how dangerous Kakuriyo is, don't you!?"

Hayato pleaded with Hiyori and the others, his voice almost a scream.

The Kakuriyo that exorcists knew was truly a world teeming with monsters and spirits.

Her father Hayato knew better than anyone how strong they were.

But even they might not last more than a few days there.

And this time, they'd be fighting an aberrant monster that had devoured even the Majin who'd given them so much trouble last year. They'd only be a burden.

That was what motivated his words.

Hearing her father's worried words, Hiyori hugged him and spoke.

"Thank you, Dad. For getting so angry for me earlier... But if there's a possibility it could come to this world... the present world... we have to defeat it before it arrives..."

"Hiyori... chan..."

The father, on the verge of tears, was admonished by his daughter Hiyori.

"Ahem. First of all, whether Sensei or Hexaria-san will even take us..."

Mio cleared her throat and looked toward Sai and Hexaria.

It was true that Sai hadn't answered whether he'd take them yet.

"Saria, we'll need their help against the Shadow-Eater. Can I count on you?"

"They're your disciples, aren't they. Moreover, with their talent, we can increase our options. There's no reason not to bring them."

It seemed Hiyori and Mio would be allowed to come.

"Yes!"

"Thank you so much, Sensei! Hexaria-san!"

As the two of them celebrated, Sai looked toward Hayato.

"Their strength will be necessary for this battle. Please..."

"But..."

"Enough! Don't make me say it twice!"

Hayato tried to insist further, but Hexaria cut him off with "Enough."

But perhaps she was being considerate of a father worried about his daughter and her partner, because Hexaria continued.

"Rest assured. We'll only be gone for a few days."

"...There, there, Dad. We'll do our best."

Saying that, Hiyori hugged her father, who was shedding tears of regret, once more.

And so, Sai, Hexaria, Hiyori, and Mio decided in quick succession to head to Kakuriyo.

"So we've decided to go, but when?"

At Sai's words, Hexaria pulled out something like a pocket watch.

"Hmm. Tonight is not suitable. Tomorrow I have my lecture, and there are preparations to make. The day after tomorrow, then."

Hearing Hexaria's words, Sai confirmed with Ginreibo.

"Yeah, that works. Ginreibo, how about you?"

Ginreibo bowed reverently.

"Understood. What shall we do about names?"

"Names... do you mean our real names?"

"I see. It hasn't been conveyed much in the present world. Kuri Mio. In Kakuriyo, those from the present world must change their form to accomplish anything significant. Unless one is a spirit, that is — in which case it's different — but otherwise, one must bind their name."

Across all ages and cultures, hiding one's true name or changing one's name has been considered an important magical practice.

If an enemy learned your true name, they could steal your power.

The stronger one's magical power, the more bound they were by their name.

At the same time, it was said that by changing your name, you could create a different aspect and gain new power.

Ginreibo had called himself "Sōya" — along with Kinya and Rokuya, all sharing the "ya" suffix — in order to group the travelers together and distribute the burden of transferring to the present world.

It was said that teleportation magic consumed enormous magical power, but simply binding a name could greatly ease that consumption.

But there was a High Elf here who cared nothing for such things.

"Hmph. Such things are unnecessary."

"B-but..."

"Did I not just say it? For spirits, it's another matter, is it not?"

Hexaria grinned.

Ginreibo was flustered.

"Th-that is true, but..."

"Perfect timing. Hiyori, Mio. You have those clothes I gave you before, don't you."

Before, Hiyori and Mio had received from Hexaria 'clothes woven from thread spun by spirits dwelling in the spirit tree.'

They were imbued with various enchantments — indispensable equipment in battle.

Hiyori and the others realized that was what she was talking about.

"The clothes... ah!"

"If you wear those, you will be treated on the same level as spirits. Make sure you wear them when you go there. Don't mess this up."

Hexaria laughed as if she had anticipated all of this.

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Thank you for reading.