Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 142

 "Haah, haah... I've finally arrived...!?"

 As she uttered those words, she had indeed arrived there. She had desperately pushed through the death-filled deep forest, crossed the boundary, and finally set foot on this safe ground. It was truly a miracle, but in a way, it was also inevitable.

 The mass slaughter of youkai that Onitsuki's princess had initiated, spanning an entire day... The density of youkai, even though it was denser than usual, was much thinner compared to the outside world. Additionally, with the decoys and smoke bombs drawing the nearby creatures away, the obstacles had been reduced. Her exceptional detection abilities, coupled with this, had allowed her to continue avoiding danger. It was an extraordinary feat.

 However, the problem was that it only resolved the problem at hand...

 "Senpai, are you still...!?"

 Gasping for breath due to oxygen deficiency, her cheeks flushed, she quickly surveyed her surroundings to confirm the truth. A safe zone created by coarse ropes stretched in all directions. This area could accommodate at least a hundred people, but it was by no means vast. Even if she were to walk around its periphery, it would take less than half an hour. With her detection abilities, she could roughly sense the presence within that area.

 ...And, at least for now, there was no sign of the person she was waiting for.

 "Senpai couldn't have...!?"

 Considering the nature of their agreement, this was an impossible situation both logically and circumstantially. That meant she had arrived ahead... Consequently, she was forced to make that decision.

 "If it go beyond the planned 2 hours..."

 As agreed upon in their prior meeting, if they couldn't meet up by the agreed-upon time, she would leave the other behind. Fortunately, there was still some time left...

 "But if it goes beyond that..."

 What would she do then? Would she really abandon them? Was that okay? She hesitated at the thought.

 She couldn't help but feel that she couldn't handle this situation on her own, and the act of leaving someone behind puzzled her more than anything.

 Above all, there was something she had to confirm, something that had to be settled while they were both still alive...

 "Oh-ho-ho, you made it all the way here. Truly impressive."

 A voice full of genuine admiration came from behind her.

 "...!"

 Startled, she quickly turned around, already drawing her bow before recognizing the source. In her field of vision was the bald, frog-faced individual. She recalled this figure instantly—the one who had attempted to harm Onitsuki's princess.

 "You are from the Medic Group, aren't you?"

 She said that much before sensing the rapid approach of something. She sensed it, but it was already too late.

 "Why, kaha...!?"

 She was seized quite literally by a pair of massive, powerful arms. She was caught. Unintentionally, she let out a gasp that sounded like her breath was escaping her. She managed to keep her consciousness from momentarily fading due to the sudden pressure. She looked at what was projected before her eyes—the one-armed giant monkey with mushrooms growing on its head. A monkey youkai's decaying corpse.

 "Why is youkai here, of all places? And why you?"

 Confusion and astonishment dominated her thoughts. The answer was returned almost immediately.