Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 76

"......"

　At the summit of Yonaki Mountain, Onitsuki Keiharu, the head of the Rikyushu group and an accomplished exorcist, sat quietly on a folding screen. He wears a mask like his servants, but unlike them, it is faceless, providing no opening for him to see through. However, because of his blindness, it does not hinder him, for his other four senses - hearing, smell, touch, and taste - are exceptional, extending far beyond the limits of human capabilities.

　His ears can detect the slightest sounds of a beast from miles away, while his sense of smell can detect countless scents at once. His touch is so sensitive that he can sense the density of the air and identify hidden objects, while his taste can even discern the flavor of distant beings in the air.

　With his senses extending two ri in radius, equivalent to about 8 kilometers or 4.97 miles, he can detect any threats instantly within three towns (about 300 meters or 984.252 feet), unless they are skilled at concealment. This remarkable ability has saved the lives of many of his allies by allowing him to foil the vile traps set by monsters using disguises, ambushes, and other malicious tactics. Now, once again, he employs his extraordinary senses to pinpoint a threat beyond the horizon.

　"The number is 300, 400... will it increase further?"

　Keiharu muttered to himself. Despite their attempts to remain stealthy, the monsters lacked intelligence and reason, making it easy for Keiharu to accurately determine their location and threat level. So, Keiharu's detection ability can uncover their location and threat level with extreme accuracy. And according to his senses, there are nearly a thousand youkai, including medium youkai and... several great youkai among dozens of others.

　"Are they the ones who were requested by the Kunimori (Court)? It's fitting timing, but..."

　Damage reports have been coming in to Eastern Strike Force on a daily basis, and based on the changes in date and location of the damage, it was expected to reach this area around today or tomorrow. However, this is a much larger group than anticipated.

　It is easy to intercept them from here, probably 90% of them can be taken out. The problem is that the remaining 10% could escape. If attacked from afar, they may flee like spiders. It's one thing if it's a foreign land, but it's not appropriate for the Imperial Court to do such a thing in its territory. If they do it, they must take out every last one of them. This is the pride of a person who makes their living as an exorcist.

　Therefore, Keiharu does not dare to leave them alone. He releases the shikigami as messengers and waits for the monsters to approach the village's boundary. And then the time comes.

　"......!!!"

　As a group of monsters came near the village's boundary, the lead ones touched an invisible boundary and burned up, screaming in pain. This scared the rest of the monsters, and they backed away.

　At the same time, another group of monsters had their feet turn reddish-black. By the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late. The curse that Keiharu had set up in advance was activated. They were caught in the mud and began to sink and melt away. Their inaudible screams disappear as well...