episode_0239

When I first met you.

You don’t know how shocked I was.

You were born of the same origin as me, but

You were a higher and brighter being than I could ever compare to.

Watching you, with your strength that didn’t even allow for comparison, I burned with envy.

You had the power to rule the heavens, but I only had the power to pierce the wind,

I wanted to be you.

But at the end of effort and perseverance, I realized only one thing, a truly devastating fact: I could never be you.

No matter how hard I try, and try again, can I dare to pierce the massive wind that overturns the world?

But I didn’t want to give up.

That’s why I yearned to become stronger and burned with obsession.

And now I can say it.

Now I can face you.

That my power has reached your power.

* * *

“So~? What are you planning to do now?”

A woman with blue hair, seemingly on the border between girl and woman, asks in a languid voice.

The masked figure next to her looked at the scenery below instead of answering.

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!

The tremendous energies collide, shaking the sky and shattering the earth with deafening roars.

The city, once peaceful, was descending into the worst possible state as immense power, hard to believe as that of individuals, erupted continuously.

It was obvious that ordinary people would be helplessly swept away like ants caught in a storm if they set foot even slightly in that battle.

Therefore….

“First, let’s leave that to Older Sister and Xuanwu.”

“Heeeng~? Is that so~?”

Perhaps she thought it was an unexpected decision.

The woman shrugged and looked at the masked figure.

“I’m sure we could win for sure if we joined in over there~?”

“Maybe. But there’s a ‘witch’ there. Even if she’s lost her power, her knowledge and strength are enough of a variable. So, here, we’ll definitely get the power of Suzaku and Baihu. Fighting the hero is then.”

The masked figure says, clenching a fist lightly.

The woman, watching the sight, slightly raised the corner of her mouth as if amused.

“You’re cautious~”

“I wouldn’t have been able to come this far if I hadn’t been cautious.”

“Hmm~ I see what you mean. Xuanwu-sama’s power is the greatest among the Four Symbols. Even that monster-like human can’t win easily.”

“That’s right. Older Sister’s power is also the best among our Seven Demon Lords. So, if we leave the hero to those two, we should be able to buy enough time.”

Having said that far, the masked figure glanced at the woman and said.

“So, Azure Dragon, you should get serious now too.”

“Erai~ I thought I was working hard~?”

“If you had been serious, you wouldn’t have missed Tamamo there.”

“Ehhh…, you’re picky.”

Azure Dragon says, shaking her head. She glanced, turning her gaze somewhere.

“But…. it looks like we have no choice but to participate in that free-for-all to get the power of Baihu and Suzaku?”

“What?….”

Azure Dragon raises her hand and points to one place.

There, two beings were breaking through the massive collision of power caused by the hero, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and Xuanwu without yielding.

“It seems they felt the hero’s power and escaped.”

“What happened to the surveillance?”

“With the castle in that state, would they have the capacity to properly monitor? They must have gone to protect their precious ‘Youma’-sama.”

“….”

Although it couldn’t be heard, the masked figure probably clicked his tongue.

“Then there’s no choice.”

The eyes of the masked figure flashed for a moment as he said those words.

And at that moment,

Kugugugugugung

“Even if they’re ants, if a large number of them gather, it’ll be of some help.”

“That’s…, too much to say.”

The energies of countless youkai begin to seethe.

And the place where countless youkai energies are heading is right in the middle of the fierce battle that is continuing.

* * *

“Cough cough…. Hng….”

Tamamo, who barely escaped from the collapsed rubble of the White Mask Castle, barely stood up and looked around.

“Ah….”

Looking at the White Mask Castle, which had collapsed miserably, tears welled up in Tamamo’s eyes without her even realizing it.

Who wouldn’t be sad when the White Mask Castle, which she had built up over a long period of time, had collapsed so miserably?

Sometime, sometime I thought this would happen.

To be exact, I thought it would be like this from the moment my ‘power’ was taken away by ‘him’.

But seeing that sight as a reality, one side of my heart ached terribly.

“Tamamo-sama!! Are you alright?!”

“Kuro….”

“I’m currently trying to figure out what happened…. First of all, I’m quickly grasping the situation. Tamamo-sama, please take refuge for now.”

“…No, tell all the children. Run away from here as far as possible right away. And help the youkai in the houses below evacuate.”

I already know the situation.

A hero who came to kill the ‘Youma’.

‘He’ who is trying to become stronger by using the ‘Youma’s’ power.

I was the only one who knew for sure that everything was overlapping and twisted, resulting in the current situation.

Throbbing

“Keup!….”

“Tamamo-sama! Are you alright?!”

“I’m alrigh…, t.”

Duguen duguen duguen

‘I’m not going to say it…. Stop!….’

My heart starts pounding.

The Geas on my heart is activating. The Geas on my heart will explode my heart the moment I try to tell, tell, or even indirectly talk about my identity to someone else.

But doesn’t this situation, doesn’t even this thought, allow it?….

Kugugugugung!!…

I can feel the collision of tremendous energy even from far away.

My body trembles involuntarily even though the energy isn’t directly directed at me.

Kuro, feeling the collision of that energy as well, said with a cold sweat.

“Tamamo-sama. I think it would be better to retreat now.”

“Hmm….”

Would I have been able to suppress the collision of that energy if I had been in a state where I could fully use my power?

I thought about it for a moment, but it was impossible.

It was such an absurdly great power, and at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel fear at what kind of hellish scene was unfolding in the inland regions outside of Tayo Country, where such monsters were roaming around.

“Yes…. I guess so. I’ll have to retreat and protect the other children. Follow me, Kuro.”

“….”

“…Kuro?”

An unsettling silence.

With a sense of foreboding, Tamamo looked at Kuro, and Kuro’s eyes were losing their vitality, and his focus was not properly aligned, staring somewhere.

At that sight, the most ominous imagination flashed through Tamamo’s mind.

“Ku, Kuro?….”

“….”

“Get…, get a grip, Kuro! If you don’t get your act together now!!!….”

Despite Tamamo’s desperate cry, Kuro, staring blankly somewhere, drew out his youkai power.

And Kuro’s gaze turned towards the bottom of the White Mask Castle, where a fierce battle was taking place.

“N, no way!!….”

Despite the desperate cry, Kuro, who had drawn out his youkai power and entered battle preparation, disappeared into the storm of the battlefield as it was.

“Ah ah….”

‘He’ summoned his subordinates with the power of the Youma.

The power of the Youma strengthens the power of his subordinates and the number of subordinates, as well as the target that becomes a subordinate.

In other words, it can be seen as a mutually beneficial relationship.

But as a price for that, the Youma can exercise ‘coercion’ over his subordinates.

Of course, I have never exercised such coercion until now.

Well, just once.

A long time ago, when I suppressed the two great youkai who ruled this Tayo Country and forcibly made them my subordinates.

Except for when I exercised coercion over them at that time, there is none.

“My…, subordinates…. My family…….”

I’m choked up.

My vision blurs with my powerlessness.

Why did it have to turn out like this.

I just, I just wanted to be comfortable.

I wanted to be safe.

That’s why I built up power and gathered forces to create a force where I could be safe.

In the process, I came to be called ‘Youma’, and gradually built up strength to finally succeed in suppressing one of the two great youkai.

Since the great youkai were in a state of mutual balance, it was not difficult to suppress the other great youkai once one had devoured the power of one side.

That’s why I suppressed the other great youkai as well, and eventually brought peace to this land.

Of course, that wasn’t the intention.

What I wanted at first was my own peace.

But as I felt many people following me and looking up to me, I became interested in them without even realizing it, and I felt like they were family.

Those people are now heading to a battlefield where they can only die.

Just a dog’s death, heading to a place with no more meaning than that.

“….”

Two thoughts collide in my heart.

‘Let’s run away as it is. There’s nothing I can do anyway. Let’s just run away as it is. I’ve only lost the power of the Youma, it’s not like my own power has completely disappeared, right? I’m sure I can live well outside too.’

‘Abandon the subordinates who have followed me for a long time until now? I can’t abandon them so ruthlessly!!….’

‘Are the subordinates the problem? I’m about to die right now! Everything ends if I die!’

‘The reason why I can be here now is thanks to them, and you’re going to abandon them? That’s nonsense!’

‘But what can we do if we go? What can we do when we’ve lost our power!’

“….”

Countless hearts and thoughts overlap.

And….

Tamamo stood up from her seat as if she had made up her mind. Then, she turned her body and started running away with the battlefield behind her.