Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 4

It was just after noon... or eight-and-a-half o'clock in this world or time period.

I was in a forest shrouded in a deep white fog. A forest covered with a deep fog, so deep that it is doubtful if a human can even see an inch of it...

It was just after noon... or eight-and-a-half o'clock in this world or time period.

I was in a forest shrouded in a deep white fog. A forest covered with a deep fog, so deep that it is doubtful if a human can even see an inch of it...

(Even though it was a forest, there was not a single sound of animals or insects. And to top it off, there was this thick youkai atmosphere... Aha, bingo)

I, or more precisely, the group consisting of five servants with me in the lead and one exorcist, was slowly making our way through the forest in such a dangerous atmosphere (the servants were on foot and the exorcist was on horseback, by the way).

We had come to a mountainous area on the border of the territory, about five or six mountains away from the main house of the Kizuki family. Of course, we were not here for a picnic, but for work. Recently, it has been reported that hunters and lumberjacks who went hunting in the forest have gone missing one after another, and we received a petition from a nearby village to investigate and exterminate them.

But when we sent two members of the Hidden Group, they did not come back without sending even a single Shikigami. If this is the case, we cannot deny the possibility that the opponent is at least of the 'Great Youkai' class, or, worse, of 'Calamity Youkai', although we do not like to think so. Therefore, we were sent in as a combination of the main retinue and a squad of servants as support and decoys. And, here we are...

"The magnet is crazy as expected. The markers... too."

First, I look at the compass in my hand and found that the needle is spinning in circles. Next, I find a piece of cloth tied to a tree trunk on the foggy road. I guess the two members are going around the same path.

For the note, when dealing with monsters, trust in the five senses is not so important. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch... although we have to concentrate on all of them with all our strength, at the same time, we have to be alert to the possibility that we might be fooled by monsters before we know it.

Therefore, we, servants, rely on tools... but it was not uncommon to have these tools be distorted like this directional magnet. I mean, it's still a cute little thing. At this rate, it is unlikely that the other party is 'Calamity Youkai'. If they are, they may alter the laws of physics within their control. But how can we counter such a conceptual attack?

"...have we already fallen into the Youkai's trap?"

As I was checking for markers, a cute and polite voice echoed from behind me. I look at the owner of the voice through the mask.

She is a silver-haired girl with an anxious, nervous look on her face... Dressed in a kimono that is easy to move around in (in other words, with the armpits exposed), like an exorcist (shrine maiden). She is holding a bow and arrow in her hand. By the way, the bow is made of a sacred tree and its string is made of a dragon's beard. Though they say it is for ease of movement, isn't the costume a bit erotic? I can see a little of her side boob. This is not good for moral education...

...Anyway, the girl who came running up to me on horseback, named Kizuki Ayaka, was 17 years old at the start of the game, but is now 14 years old and is a healthy and quiet girl.

Her character is timid and self-conscious, but regardless of her status, she is a kind and big sisterly person, and in fact, she is adored as a big sister not only by her family members but also by the children of the family. In the game, she is one year older than the main character of the original story, so she is treated as a good-natured big sister, but in reality, she is a small and awkward character who has won popularity among her fans as a healing character. However... she is also a victim of the infamous "Harabote Chestbuster".