Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 145

 As the commotion settles in the evening, a young youkai crawls through the mud of the deep forest, where the law of the jungle prevails.

 The small lizard-like youkai, which is at the bottom of the food chain in the forest, is in a good mood today. It's natural, given that all the higher-ranked youkai that prey on it have been slaughtered by outsiders, and their flesh has become the food of the low-ranking youkai, including the lizard.

 The earth where the lizard is located is scorched. It's the work of intruders. The bodies of the great youkai that were burned to a crisp emit a strong odor, attracting many visitors who are already crowding around it. It's literally a bustling place.

 Because of this, the lizard is threatened and intimidated by the numerous visitors who growl, bare their teeth, and roar. Even among the low-ranking youkai, the lizard is exceptionally small.

 Regretfully looking back, but understanding the insurmountable power gap, the lizard gives up and looks for other prey. Not doing anything reckless is the key to the lizard's survival in this harsh forest, but until today.

 ...The lizard found it. A top-quality piece of meat.

 The lizard runs towards it. It arrives next to it and licks it with its tongue to evaluate its quality. It's excellent. Much better than the body it saw earlier. Moreover, no one has crowded around it yet. The lizard was the first to arrive.

 Now, the lizard youkai rejoices and gets excited. It's genuinely pleased that it can monopolize this feast. The lizard instinctively understands that if it eats all of this, it can raise its rank by one or two levels.

 ...However, all of suddent, a shadow envelops the lizard. That was the last thing it saw.

 Then, in that place, there is only a squishing sound as the meat is crushed, accompanied by chewing sounds. After a few moments, dormancy and silence prevail. However, that shadow awakens soon.

 It moves slightly, as it was abandoned after satisfying its nutritional needs. It moves restlessly, as if searching for something. It moves restlessly, twisting, convulsing, and reviewing everything that happened in the last time, and understanding everything. Everything that led to this point. Understanding what it needs to do. Who it needs to take revenge on.

 '...'

 A brief silence descended again. And then the shadow transforms itself. It grows, stretches, creates, and rises.

 It lifts itself with its own hands.

 '......'

 It looks around with its new vision, finds its destination, and begins to crawl towards it. To achieve its goal.

 Where it's headed is...

* * *

 "Take this whip of love from your senpai!"

 "Huh!?"

 As the backdrop of dusk loomed, she struck her senpai boss unreasonably with a tackle to the buttocks, and simultaneously, a distressed young girl's coughing screams rang out. Ignoring even that, I forcefully pushed her in. We both plunged into the riverbank, creating a grand spray of water.

 "This, thi...!?"

 "Hey, hey, hey!! I won't show any mercy!"

 And so, a brawl ensues. It's a brutal, physical, wrestling-like fight, where we grapple to suppress each other's movements.

 Or, to be precise, my opponent is a rule-breaking, villainous female wrestler.

 "Kuh...!?"

 "Hey, a weapon is a foul play...!?"