Yamiyo no Hotaru

Volume 3 Epilogue

For me, it was just one of many irrational, life-threatening, unwanted memories.

This little girl in my arms was trembling. Simply trembling. Because there was nothing else she could do.

The girl who should have been able to run fast without leaving sound behind, whose arms could have beaten to death any monster even with her bare hands, was now completely helpless. Her body was powerless, and her overflowing spiritual power, however, was completely useless.

The reason for this was that she had been paralyzed by a neurotoxin and her flow of spiritual power had been blocked by a youkai poison secreted by a youkai that imitated a carnivorous plant, and thus she was no more than a child with no power at all. Now she is a small being who has no choice but to be frightened of even the lowest class of young youkai. Not even one of the simplified sorcery could be performed by her. To put it bluntly, she was nothing more than a useless handicap.

"Please, no! I don't want this... I'm scared"

The half-naked girl sobbed, huddled behind her cloak. She repeated the plea over and over, her voice trembling with fear.

Tears streamed down her face as she felt a sense of betrayal from the world around her. The damage she had suffered was too much for her 10-year-old mind to bear, who had never known failure before. Such a shock and intensity of the experience were overwhelming for her.

...and the most unfortunate thing was that this was still far better than her original fate, which was... not yet solved.

"Haha, this is really impossible. This situation."

I spat out in a tone of disgust as I hid myself in a crack between two big rocks in the deep, deep midnight, in the forest where monsters were wandering around with high spirits. In fact, I was getting fed up.

"I never thought it would be this hard..."

I boasted with a wry smile on my face. I didn't want to die, so I prepared as much as I could for this forced sh*t event... However, I can't help but laugh at the fact that all the items I prepared were wiped out on the first day. No, I didn't underestimate it...

'Grrrrrr......'

"...!? It's close..."

The roar of the creature echoing out of nowhere makes my expression grim. It probably hasn't spotted me yet, but I don't think I can stay longer. I wanted to recover my strength as much as possible...

"......"

Suddenly, I look down. A peach-colored girl hidden in a cloak is looking up at me with frightened, clinging teary eyes. There was a sense of despair, fear, and anxiety.

(...she's a smart girl. She understands her situation)

Her young but smart head seemed to understand that there was no way to search and rescue, that she was helpless and that the only person to whom she could depend on was the cheeky servant in front of her, and that more than anything else, she herself was just an obstacle to the servant getting out of this forest.

"...don't make that face. I'll figure something out."

I say to her, wearing a half-cracked mask. I didn't have time to joke around but I couldn't let her scream here. So, I'll at least play the clown for her mental stability.

...though, as a servant, I don't want her to see me too expressive since it might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

"Well, that's what I'm trying to say—Don't peep at me, you monster!"