Mob Yandere

[Part 1/6]

I let out a deep sigh.

With a determined resolve, I sat down cross-legged.

I quickly removed my clothing, exposing my upper body.

The cold air hit my skin, making me shiver more from the chill than the cold itself, and goosebumps appeared all over me.

"...!!"

Gathering my courage, I looked downward.

The results of the training I had done every day to survive...

While not like a bodybuilder, my abs and chest were well-toned──rewards of painful effort and blood, sweat, and tears.

Because the lack of fat made the muscles too obvious, something I couldn't ignore.

"..."

I drew the blade from its cherry blossom-decorated sheath.

The shining silver blade reflected light at different angles, making it even more dazzling.

It was the dagger (tantō) I received from the Pink Princess.

This blade could even cut through divine beings.

...But it was probably just a twisted joke from that insane lady.

"Dammit!!"

I turned the blade toward myself.

I pressed it against my scarred body, which was marked by countless wounds, big and small.

I held my breath, swallowed hard.

The stance for seppuku...!!.

"Dammit!! Dammit!! You damn bastard!!"

I spat out simple curses as if I were running out of words.

It didn't matter though.

Adding more bad words to my vocabulary would mean nothing.

It would be a waste of time and thought.

Cursing had no real purpose.

It was just a ritual to convince myself, to take the final step.

"Ugh...!!"

I pressed the tip of the blade against my chest.

A stream of red blood flowed out, and I forced a twisted smile.

"Isn't it the experienced people who do stuff like making cross-shaped cuts or throwing guts around? Haha, right. Am I on some weird drug or something?"

It was scary.

It hurt so much.

I was really scared.

I didn't want to go through this.

Come on, snap out of it! This isn't the first time, right? I've been hurt worse before, right? Almost dying is nothing new.

A cut like this? It's not a big deal.

A few more scars won't change anything! So just do it── no, don't! Don't be an idiot, me! Don't do something stupid!! Damn it!!!

"It hurts, okay!? It hurts!!"

I screamed and swung the blade down with everything I had.

At the same time, blood-filled breath escaped my mouth.

The taste of iron spread in my mouth, and my mind started to slip... but!

"I... can't stop now!"

I focused on the nightmare in front of me, holding onto my fading thoughts. I kept pushing myself to the edge, tearing myself apart with clarity, until the very end.

I was destroying myself to save myself, killing myself to survive.

This wasn't madness. It wasn't hopelessness.

It was the desperate act of someone fighting to live.

Everything... everything was for me... and for everyone else, too!!

"I... I can't... I can't end up like Mom...!!"

Fighting through the hellish pain, I began to remember how everything had led to this point...

* * *

Just as I finished my mission with the orphanage, Fusō-kuni deployed troops to the Northern region.

It was such a sudden move, and it created an atmosphere that was anything but normal.

The general public, as well as most exorcists' families, had no idea what was really going on.

Even though a gag order was put in place, it was impossible to keep it completely secret due to the number of people involved.

However, a little analysis was enough to predict what was happening.

Among the experts called in to fight youkai were two from the Taima Nana-shi (Seven Demon-Sealing Warriors).

They were all warriors specializing in battle with weapons.

The fire-wielding soldiers and the stone-shooting archers were also sent as part of the army.

The warriors selected were fierce fighters from the East and South.

Exorcists weren't typically mobilized for human wars.

This wasn't a battle against tribes or rebels.

It was a monster hunt.

The deployment of elite soldiers under the Ministry of the Army, specializing in gunpowder weapons, showed how seriously the Imperial Court took this matter.

They had decided that the local military couldn't handle the situation.

However, there were no large cannons sent, which indicated that the target wasn't giant monsters.

Rather, it pointed to smaller, more numerous creatures.

Some witnesses had reported seeing large groups of bird-faced youkai with plenty of carts.

It hinted at the use of chemical weapons.

At the same time, a large number of heavily armored and ruthless warriors were deployed, and the exorcists chosen for the mission were skilled in curses but excluded those with wide-range attack abilities.

Looking back at the recent events in the Northern region, the key experts would inevitably come to the same conclusion.

The remaining or revived Kappa youkai in the Northern region were likely behind these incidents.

Azuma Hibari's mission seemed to be connected to this.

The thought of "story break" briefly crossed my mind.

No.

I wasn't completely sure, but I could tell it was a distraction.

It was part of a plan from the Youkai Salvation Organization.

They had plenty of time to adjust their strategy.

They were the type of people who always took advantage of any situation.

I could feel their presence in this monster hunting operation.

Among those protecting the capital, many of the best warriors──those who were great in close combat and fighting in cities──had already left.

The ones left behind were either weaker fighters or people with powerful skills that didn't fit the needs of an urban environment.

If they knew the capital was about to be attacked, they would've realized how big of a problem this was.

They kept the strongest fighters nearby, likely to protect themselves.

It might've been a safety measure for the city, but it was a short-sighted choice.

The real strength needed for battles across the city couldn't be used properly.

The best fighters were being held back from reaching their full potential.

They probably thought they'd be fighting the monsters attacking the capital.

They hadn't planned for the chaos that would come when the monsters started pouring out from inside.

It was all part of the trap set by the crazy Minister of the Left, and they were just waiting for the next disaster to hit.

"...This is just between us..."

Becoming a Household Member Coordinator, I could see things from a much broader perspective.

Servants and household members had clear distinctions in their roles.

I was now able to communicate with other exorcist families stationed in the capital, and it opened my eyes to a lot of things.

The Imperial Court was in turmoil.