Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 132

 It was a night of the full moon. The pale and large moon faintly illuminated the snow-covered mountains of the northern region, enveloped by the forest.

 "Haah, haah..."

 Several figures moved through the densely snow-covered forest. Among them, one figure clearly lagged behind, struggling to keep up with their colleagues, while exhaling rough breaths.

 Judging from the attire and mask, it might not be immediately apparent. It was a boy who appeared to be in his mid-teens, possibly not even an adult yet. He stopped in the shade of trees as if taking a break, hunching over and panting, a pathetic sight.

 ...Well, that's me in a nutshell.

 "Are you okay? If you're tired, should you rest?"

 After staying in that spot for a moment, a colleague who seemed to sympathize with the situation approached me. Coming closer, they made a suggestion in a whisper-like voice. I recognized the voice; it was Yahiro.

 (These servants all wear similar masks, so it's troublesome to have to ask every time just to know who's who...)

 Internally, I let out a somewhat wry chuckle. I hold my breath. Then I lift my head.

 "Haah, haah... heh, I'm fine with this much. Just keep going ahead without worrying about me."

 I smiled defiantly, despite tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. ...Of course, they wouldn't see my expression because of the mask.

 "...You're putting on a brave front, huh? Well, hurry up and catch up. Don't lag behind."

 "Got it... Hey, didn't those words just sound a bit strange?"

 There's no answer to my question. Shrugging my shoulders, I resume running desperately to catch up with everyone.

 ...Yes, we were dashing through the forest like black shadows with minimal conversation. We were sprinting energetically, yet there was hardly any sound, not even the noise of footsteps, due to the unique method of walking and breathing we synchronized. Except for me.

 "Darn... is it useless!"

 I curse under my breath, my face reddening. Unfortunately, I haven't completely mastered the breathing technique yet, which was the main reason I got out of breath earlier. It's truly humiliating. I've practiced it so many times, haven't I?

 "...!"

 My colleague leading the way noticed and signaled with a hand motion. Simultaneously, we all stopped running and took cover behind various objects. And then we peered out from the shadows of the trees to catch a glimpse of the enormous silhouette.

 "..."

 Hidden behind a large tree, I slowly peered at 'it.' At the same time, I held my breath.

 The pitch-black colossal shape was being illuminated by the moonlight, revealing its form distinctly.

 It must be at least 2 meters (6,5ft) long... I wonder if it's more than six meters (19,6ft)? It was a deer. A monstrous deer with massive, showy antlers like avant-garde art, which had grown out of proportion on the snow-covered mountain of the north. I remember vaguely, but it was half the size of this even for a normal stag. Not to mention, from this perspective, its head had more than two pairs of eyes. Furthermore, its jaws, meant for chewing grass, were split into four. It was clearly not a natural creature.

 That's right, it's a youkai... a being of the supernatural outside human understanding. Beasts draped in youkai energy, they were abnormal, monstrous creatures.