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Author's Note: This plot seems a bit long this time.. I really want to write my dumpling vinegar. Since it's a hot spring trip, of course some special events must happen (rubs hands) (gestures)
Thanks to all the little angels for your support, mwah ^ 3 ^
Chapter 61
A monster in the shape of a giant bird, its entire body was pitch black, with wide wings spread behind its back, eyes so murky they were almost colorless, a piercing, hoarse cry that erupted whenever it was attacked.
"Such a strong scent of decay." Kisaragi Chiyo frowned, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
Matsuda Jinpei's previous words were not wrong; the monster before her was nothing more than a corpse that had completely lost its self-awareness and was being manipulated by someone.
*
Led by the Snow Spirit, they followed from the villa all the way into the depths of the forest. Finally, in a somewhat open area, the Snow Spirit came to a halt, flapping its wings and beginning to circle aimlessly in place.
Failed?" Hara Kenji raised an eyebrow. He used a tentacle to gently poke Kisaragi Chiyo's back, whispering in her ear, "So, this method won't work either?
No." Kisaragi Chiyo's gaze was cold as she shook her head. "I should say, this is the destination.
As he spoke, he pulled the prepared Paper Shikigami from his pocket. As he activated them with an incantation, indecipherable characters surfaced on the small paper figures, one by one, the Paper Shikigami flew from his fingertips, circling around before finally scattering in all directions.
A sound like shattering glass suddenly rang out overhead, something emerged from its hidden state.
"This is a barrier used to hide one's presence; we just need to find a weak point and break it," Kisaragi Chiyo said while retreating. As her words fell, a sharp attack landed where she had just been standing.
Dust flew everywhere, a deep, crescent-shaped mark was left where the person had been standing before.
“What a disgusting smell.” Hara Kenji frowned in disgust; his revulsion was not directed at the monster, but at the person who had turned the monster into a living corpse.
"Watch out, Kisaragi!" Matsuda Jinpei narrowed his eyes. His movements were agile and swift as his figure darted through the shadows of the forest, simultaneously catching the Snow Spirit, which had nearly been blown away by the intense gust of wind.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!" The Snow Spirit became extremely agitated upon seeing the monster within the shattered barrier; if Matsuda Jinpei hadn't grabbed it firmly, this white fluffball would likely have charged straight at it.
"Ah." Hara Kenji tilted his head back, his dark purple eyes scanning the massive black bird that stood a full two meters tall with dissatisfaction, as pure white translucent tentacles spread behind him amidst the white mist.
"So, I hate those who can fly." The Evil Spirit let out an unhappy sound.
"Of course, Little Jinpei doesn't count." Hara Kenji naturally remembered to exclude his own side first.
"Isn't it just capable of making people fall into a deep sleep?" Matsuda Jinpei dodged the opponent's attack, his dark pupils within his cyan irises narrowing into a slit, while his cat ears stood alert amidst his curly hair, ready at any moment to deal with the black bird's next strike.
For birds, the beak and sharp claws are weapons they are born with.
"Ambush and biting are both innate offensive skills of theirs." Kisaragi Chiyo answered Matsuda Jinpei's question while raising her hand.
Dozens of Paper Shikigami flew from his sleeves, flying in all directions at his master's command. With a sharp cry of "Seal!", a barrier formed like a semi-circular, invisible glass dome, trapping them inside.
Alright," Kisaragi Chiyo paused, stopping her movements for a moment. "Now neither we nor he can escape.
"At least we don't have to worry about this guy running away or flying too high now." Hara Kenji's eyes crinkled into a smile, but in stark contrast to his smiling expression, the tentacles behind him surged, spreading out like a large net in an attempt to entangle the prey within.
"Something's wrong," Matsuda Jinpei said, leaping onto the treetops. He looked down from his high vantage point at the large black bird being dragged by the tentacles, feeling an unsettling throbbing between his eyebrows.
"The scent is getting stronger." Kisaragi Chiyo was protected behind Hara Kenji, her gaze passed over the Evil Spirit's massive body, finally landing on the grass beneath the large black bird.
Black feathers fell onto the grass, light as they were, yet they acted like corrosive sulfuric acid, immediately scorching and eroding a black patch into the ground.
"First, let go." Kisaragi Chiyo placed her hand on Hara Kenji's shoulder. As he moved, strange, distorted red characters flowed from her right eye; one by one, fish-shaped script swam alongside Hara Kenji's tentacles, replacing him to temporarily restrain the bird Evil Spirit.
"The demon aura is getting weaker." Matsuda Jinpei leaped down from the treetops and landed beside Kisaragi Chiyo, his brows furrowed deeply, wearing an expression like someone who had just seen an extremely complex bomb.
"Tsk." Matsuda Jinpei let out an annoyed sound.
As the demonic aura grew fainter, the air became increasingly heavy with the scent of death and decay.
"That body has reached its limit." Kisaragi Chiyo lowered her eyes, looking with an unreadable expression at the trembling form held beneath chains composed of red characters.
The black bird demon raised its head and let out a pained cry. Its cloudy eyes looked toward the sky, but it was merely an empty shell, no longer capable of thought, certainly unable to fulfill its promise to the Snow Spirit for winter.
"There is only a little time left." Kisaragi Chiyo signaled Matsuda Jinpei to release the Snow Spirit.
Before it completely collapses into a puddle of rotting black sludge, go say your goodbyes to it.
Kisaragi Chiyo watched the black bird demon expressionlessly. As the feathers fell away, the flesh began to melt, finally revealing the stark white bones beneath. Even knowing that the creature had long since died, this scene was still too cruel for a Snow Spirit.
"What on earth does the human who caused this tragedy want?" Matsuda Jinpei felt a lump of frustration stuck in his throat. He had originally prepared himself for a fierce battle, but instead, he had unexpectedly witnessed an ending like this.
"Who knows?" Kisaragi Chiyo raised her hand, red, distorted text flowing down her arm and back into her eyes.
The black bird demon had completely lost all ability to move; its body had mostly dissipated, leaving only a small, fragmented corpse lying there.
The Snow Spirit was weeping, like a wailing north wind, echoing endlessly through the silent forest.
But it was only an illusion; the Snow Spirit was no powerful yokai, so even its weeping was weak and faint, as light as snow falling from the sky.
I don't like this kind of ending." Hara Kenji's voice was muffled as he buried his head in Kisaragi Chiyo's shoulder. "The Snow Spirit will eventually disappear too, so no one will remember what that bird demon used to look like.
Even if we know it once existed, we will only remember how it looked when it was rotting.
"Not necessarily." Kisaragi Chiyo reached out to touch Hara Kenji's pale cheek, her human body heat warming that small patch of skin.
Do you know the relationship between a caterpillar and a butterfly?
Even though their appearance and form are completely different, in a sense, caterpillars and butterflies are the same organism.
Snow Spirits are like caterpillars and butterflies.
"Born with the snow, vanishing with the snow." Kisaragi Chiyo's fingertips slowly moved upward, from the bridge of her nose to between her melancholic eyes, as those dark purple pupils stared intently at him without turning even a fraction.
Their bodies will turn into nutrients, stored within the earth, so the snowy fields where Snow Spirits were born become exceptionally fertile in the spring of the second year.
Matsuda Jinpei watched Kisaragi Chiyo's movements, his eyes downcast as he looked at his own hands.
After accumulating through the spring, summer, autumn seasons, as the next winter arrives, the snow seeds stored within the earth will be awakened once again, giving birth to new Snow Spirits.
"And what is worth mentioning is.." Kisaragi Chiyo spread her arms and gently wrapped them around Hara Kenji's shoulders.
A Snow Spirit's memories can be inherited.
Perhaps in the future, a newly born Snow Spirit will inherit the memories of this current Snow Spirit once again.
*
Matsuda Jinpei stood guard at the door without saying a word, while Hara Kenji volunteered to dig a hole for that dead bird demon. He seemed to think that, at the very least, once winter passed, the Snow Spirit would turn into seeds and take root in this land alongside the poison.
Matsuda Jinpei had no interest in such activities. He stood with his arms crossed, his expression indifferent and carrying a trace of imperceptible fatigue, yet his back remained straight, like a silent shadow.
In the past.. no, rather, during his lifetime, he was like this most of the time. Revenge wasn't the only meaning left in his life, but it was undeniable that it did occupy most of his thoughts and time.
A thought, omnipresent, like air, filled Matsuda Jinpei's four years heavily. It finally vanished along with a roar and an explosion, even now, looking back on it still produced a sense of unreality.
So, what about now?
Matsuda Jinpei thought somewhat dully, so what now? He was already dead, had even turned into a yokai; the next step was to help Hara Kenji regain his memories, but what would happen after that?
Should he do something? Or should he continue to stay by Kisaragi Chiyo's side..
Matsuda Jinpei pursed his lips tightly and let out a sigh, returning to his silence as he stood guard at the door according to Kisaragi Chiyo's instructions.
Just a moment ago, following the agreement between Furuya Rei and Kisaragi Chiyo, the criminal controlling the bird demon's corpse was bypassed by Furuya Rei and brought to Kisaragi Chiyo's side.
"You look quite pathetic." Matsuda Jinpei let out a sneer, eyeing Furuya Rei, whose hair was a bit disheveled and who was breathing heavily. Beside him was the criminal, bound up like a ball with a rag stuffed in his mouth.
A man who looked quite ordinary, wearing a tour guide badge.
A tour guide?" Matsuda Jinpei curled his lip into a cold smirk. "That is indeed a very convenient identity.
This man, who was a tour guide, did indeed possess a bit of spiritual power, but only slightly more than the third-rate Exorcist who wrote that report about the snowy night. As for that monster's corpse, according to the man's account, a mysterious person whose appearance was unclear had handed it over to him.
"In any case, let Kisaragi ask quickly." Furuya Rei was extremely busy right now; he had exerted a great deal of effort to divert the combined attention of Conan and Morofushi Takaaki, he wouldn't have been able to do so if Kisaragi Chiyo hadn't sent the message regarding the missing person's information at that critical moment.
Furuya Rei really didn't know what method to use to divert their attention.
Fortunately, he succeeded.
Don't worry." Kisaragi Chiyo casually looked down at the man on the ground and said in a calm tone, "I just want to ask him a few questions.
Of course, it's just him and me.
*
Kisaragi Chiyo had no interest in the criminal's past, his hatred, or his indifferent, dark psychology. He was already impatient to listen to the other man's incessant begging and cursing.. it was simply far too noisy.
Therefore, Kisaragi Chiyo chose to use the most direct form of insolence to shut the other person up.
With just a simple Silence, the world would return to peace.
"I have no interest or affection for you." Kisaragi Chiyo half-knelt, looking down at the suspect who was tied up like a cocoon, her misty gray eyes scanning him without emotion.
It was a gaze so calm it was terrifying and chilling; after a sudden shudder, the prisoner finally came to his senses.
"From now on, I ask and you answer." Kisaragi Chiyo was unwilling to waste too much time on the other party, so he went straight to the question he cared about most.
How much do you know about that man?
"I don't know much about him.." The criminal's voice trembled slightly, as if he were fearing something.
I just happened to meet him by chance. At that time, he was a tourist visiting the villa on vacation. I don't know why he chose me.. I can't remember clearly, but he said he would give me even greater power, allowing me to become like those powerful Exorcists and possess formidable Shikigami.
So he gave you a monster's corpse.
"No, I didn't know it was a corpse at first.." the criminal suddenly began to scream, as if trying to use his voice to mask his cowardly nature.
That guy did it all, using yokai for experiments and stuff.. Anyway, they're just yokai, they're just yokai.
"But the matter of manipulating spirits to cause Kamikakushi among tourists—that must have been your doing, right?" Kisaragi Chiyo let out a cold laugh, dissatisfied with the information the other party had provided.
Since you even know about him using monsters for experiments, there must be more, right? It's impossible that these are the only things.
“If you insist on keeping secrets for him.” Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly flashed a smile, uttering a threat in a light, airy tone: “You wouldn't want to experience the special methods of an Exorcist.”
Looking at Kisaragi Chiyo's smile, the criminal shuddered violently. He suddenly realized that the danger posed by the young man before him was no less than that of that man.
The culprit's eyes darted around, his lips trembling as he struggled to find the words, before he finally uttered a piece of information.
While the other party wasn't paying attention, I caught a glimpse of the notebook he carries with him.
A few names were written on one of the pages.
"They should be someone very important to him," the culprit added cautiously, observing Kisaragi Chiyo's expression.
Oh?" The smile on Kisaragi Chiyo's face grew even more brilliant. "What is the name?