Chapter 61: A monster

Part 1

MC's POV

Watching the goddesses depart, at last, I sighed in relief. Not only Amaterasu-sama but even Tsukoyomi-sama showed interest in me. Getting blessed by the two was not my plan, but they even fiddled with the mirror that Tamamo-san left. It makes me feel uncomfortable that I do not know what their blessings are even about.

"We will take our leave as well. Per Amaterasu-sama's suggestion, we will collaborate and do what you have asked of us. We will surely hand you some of our most treasured members for the sake of future collaboration." Suou spoke.

Perhaps because he had dealt with me before, the old man was selected to talk with me. The other clan heads were glaring at me, but I paid it no mind. I also ignored the hopeful expression on Suzaku's face.

Sorry, girl. There is no way the old man would hand you over to me, no even if you begged him. He already hates me to guts.

"Well, I will do my own investigation. I will send you a list of the members I want. Don't worry, I won't be taking that many people." I nodded.

Somehow, it felt fulfilling watching the corner of his eye twitch in annoyance. He must be trying hard to keep his facade.

"If you will excuse us, there is a lot of work to be done after the rampage today." Suou said in a grumpy tone.

Perhaps afraid I will say something else to annoy him, he hastily left with Suzaku in tow.

Please, girl. Stop looking back at me reluctantly, I am getting stared with killing intent by many people whom I assume would like to be your partners.

Somehow, it pisses me off when I thought of that.

"The acknowledgment of the chief god from any mythology is a big deal. It might bring you many problems, but I am sure you will be fine. Regarding your proposal... I will consider it, however, it will have conditions attached if it goes through. I will send some of my subordinates to inform you of anything." Shiki-sama muttered. "Please, do not put that face. I will not send him."

Noticing the scowl that formed on my face as I imagined the oni-kin guy visiting Urakyoto, Shiki-sama wryly smiled. Coming my way, she stated her purpose before leaving.

Besides me, only remained Yasaka-san who looked exhausted.

"...it is finally over." Yasaka-san sighed.

"Now now, it was not that bad. I ripped many benefits." I laughed.

Immediately, I felt a killing gaze. The hall we were using was illuminated with natural light so now that it had gotten dark, our figures looked shady. That is to say, Yasaka-san who had her head lowered, and suddenly turned this way made me see her eyes shine in the dark. She was lovely no matter how she looked, but right now, there was no friendliness in those eyes.

"...Nora-kun. I won't say much. Just be damn sure to make me the fluffies and sweetest goddamn cake in the world for tomorrow's dessert." Yasaka-san kindly (?) smiled.

Gulping, I meekly nodded. In all my life here, I had only heard her curse once. Kaa-san played a prank on her, and to make the story short, it had to do with sweets... let's say that there was a mountain far off in the pocket dimension we lived, well, that mountain is no more.

"Good." Yasaka-san nodded and soon, a magic circle appeared below us.

A torii emerged and just like that, we both crossed it... or not.

The teleportation circle collapsed and Yasaka-san narrowed her eyes with a serious expression.

I got anxious when I saw her take out a communication token but it failed to connect.

"Nora-kun, you stay here, I will-" "If you dare to leave me behind, you can be goddamn sure I will never make a sweet for you again." Yasaka-san wanted to ask me to wait here, but I spoke before she finished her sentence.

Her shocked expression was a sight to behold, but the situation was not good enough for me to enjoy it.

"You must listen to my every command from now on. I will take us to a place nearby, one of the many entrances to Urakyoto. It could be dangerous so you must not run around." Yasaka-san warned me, but we were both certain that I will probably ignore her command.

It was not a matter of not respecting her authority, but more like, we both knew that being reckless courses through my blood.

Shaking her head, Yasaka made a new torii emerge from another magic circle, and we both stepped in.

...

She said it was close by, but it took us a bit of time to reach the entrance from there. As luck would have it, I noticed a pair of familiar orange-haired girls fighting against some suit-wearing men. The two were not alone, accompanied by another pair of tengus, they were evenly matched. One of the men, looked somewhat familiar, wearing that suit was something new, but his paper shikigamis were rather hard to confuse. Lying on the ground, men wearing suits and youkais lay, their fate unknown until I check on them.

Nonetheless, before I could do something, Yasaka made several hand signs and golden flames burst forward from the hand she extended. They aimed at the paper shikigami, burning it to crisp. Thanks to it, the tables were turned soon.

...

During their struggle against the man, something slipped from his persona, it was a small booklet and I happened to pick it up by reflex, but I did not bother the guy, just like Yasaka who ran toward the entrance, I did the same. The large torii gates worked as the entrance to Urakyoto, but while Yasaka did her best to go through, she was not allowed to enter.

Clicking her tongue, Yasaka-san did not hesitate and hit the transparent film that separated Kyoto from Urakyoto. Using a rather violent approach was Kaa-san's way of life, but to see the gentle Yasaka-san doing it was new to me. Despite not being the power type, Yasaka-san was an Ultimate Class being so her fists packed quite the attack power. The sounds it made me reconsider being more obedient in the future. However, she still could not break in.

"This is why you are such a pain in the ass, you expected this kind of situation so you had me learn that." Yasaka-san spoke in an annoyed tone. "I don't have any better catalyst than this."

Biting her thumb until blood came out, Yasaka-san pulled back the sleeve of her arm and began writing something on it using the blood as ink. It made me recall certain books about runes I read at Rossweisse-san's place, however, parts were resembling Youjutsu and some other characters so it was a rather unique combination.

"Using my blood as an offering can help you boost spells. However, you must consider the nature of the spell since it could weaken it if the affinity is not correct. Of course, the same old method of using spiritual energy to strengthen it still applies, but this type of spell is incomplete so the magic circle with the full spell will not manifest. No, perhaps, the person who created it did not want it to manifest that way. That idiotic muscle head was the same as your mother, using punches to blow away their problems."

Kindly explaining to me, Yasaka-san finished writing on her arm. She must've been circulating her ki around the marked arm because the spell she had been working with changed. The blood staining her arm levitated slightly and floated above her arm.

"That idiot of Forest Wraith just left me with a half-finished spell so I can barely use this." Yasaka-san grumpily said. "<Ruin Mantra>"

Shining ominously, her arm just punched through whatever was impeding her way before. I had expected something grand like an explosion or maybe an explosion, but nothing of that sort happened. I kind of felt a chill when the arm hit the obstacle, but while it might've not been much for me, Yasaka-san was left sweating coldly. Her arm seemed to have received some damage, but before I could offer her to take a look. She entered Urakyoto and I went after her.

...

A picture of hell, that was what I saw.

Burning buildings, screams filled with fear and dread, and other things I could not even describe were presented to me as soon as I stepped into Urakyoto.

I felt overwhelmed by what was happening and I was momentarily at loss about what to do. However, Yasaka-san began casting spells to put down the fire.

Her actions made me react and I was about to follow her when it hit me.

The girls!

Fear and anger consumed me at once, an uneasy feeling invaded my heart and it would not leave. We're lucky close to my house so with my ability I peered in that direction, only to be shocked by what I saw. I almost lost the strength in my legs when I saw our precious home destroyed, burned to cinders.

I felt powerless, and many questions filled my head, but I bit my lips hard enough to bleed and got my bearing back. The girls had to have escaped, they had to. Thus I needed to find them. The problem was their location, my ability cannot cover the whole Urakyoto even if I want, and the largest range only covers one direction, while the full view of my surroundings covers a smaller distance.

"The places they could go... where, where...?" I pondered.

The people we got along with better were Shion-san whom Kuroka-chan had been secretly learning sewing from, and Sora-san, the pervert.

...

Frantically running, I moved by jumping from one roof to another. There was this feeling in my guts and my steps changed course from Shion-san's store to Sora-san's.

I almost tripped a few times because I used my ability to look ahead without minding where I stepped.

My heart suddenly speed up enough and I stopped my steps in a hurry, I tried to deny what I just saw ahead of me but I knew it was the truth.

No time to grimace, I had pulled my bow and nocked several arrows that I loaded with huge amounts of ki. Without caring whether they broke or not, I began shooting as my killing intent started to overflow.

The burning landscape, the screams for help, and everything else disappeared, faded into nothingness. My eyes only had one target, my feet only had to take me to one place and my hands only had to react to certain actions, shooting arrows accurately.

My primary target became an older woman whom I used to be the most threatening one, the purple flames made me recall a dangerous character in the Slash Dog Light Novels, but I left the analysis for later.

One, two, three, my hands nocked and released arrows in succession, the numbers were hard to keep counting, however, I almost cursed when I saw the actions of one of my targets.

That bitch used Shirone-chan as a shield so I could only shift my aim. Nonetheless, I engraved her face in my brain, if the situation allowed me to, I would-

"Damn it!" I gritted my teeth.

I noticed late the magic circle, they were teleporting.

My steps were at full speed but that was not enough, I pushed myself even more. I ignored the noises coming from the buildings I stepped in. That became an unnecessary concern. The damp feeling running down my legs was uncomfortable but I was getting closer, the sounds my bones were making were not that bad, they would not crumble before I arrived.

Ten meters already from the paying ground. I extended my hand toward the white cat. Reflected in those eyes were many emotions, but her paws trying to reach for me were the only thing I need to see to understand that she wanted me to get her back from those people.

However... However! My hands! Could not grab anything!

She vanished in front of my eyes before I could get close enough.

I had failed.

Nonetheless, time does not wait for anyone. Purple flames were about to collide with the ground. My mind had been focused only on reaching for the white cat, and I had ignored the threat of the fire.

Using the 360 grades view, I took a hasty decision.

The fallen ones were being protected by Artoria and her ability. However, Akiko-san was lying in another direction.

Cats do not abandon their people.

Protecting Kuroka-chan should be my priority, but she has Artoria... if I leave Akiko-san alone, she will receive the full brunt of the attack.

Thus I-

...

The special ring I got from Hilda-san was a huge help, however, it only stopped a portion of the attack. I had to take Kasen-san's sword and released all the ki I had stored before as I jumped in the middle of the attack, and while I could feel my body burning, it was a timely action that blew away the fire easily, even destroying the playground partially. However, it was the right choice as Artoria slumped down, unconscious, as soon as the fire was gone.

Doing a preliminary scan on everyone, I saw that Alice-chan was perfectly fine. Artoria-san had several burns, but nothing life-threatening, Akiko-san looked terrible but her life was not in danger. The rest, however, were in danger.

I wished for nothing more than jump and start treating everyone, but I had to keep a calm mindset. It was necessary, and Kaa-san drilled that into me, yet. I don't feel like I would be able to do so.

----------------------------------------

3rd Person POV

Having lost sight of the boy while she dealt with the situation in Urakyoto, Yasaka had some of her people search for him. Now that the aggressors either escaped or were killed, it was safe to roam about. However, there could always be a hidden enemy that would use the chance when they had their guard down to attack so she still send her people to patrol and search for enemies in every corner of the city. Soon, she got a message coming from a pair of tengus about Nora's location. She had seen what happened to his house and prepared herself for whatever state he might be in. While he would not care to great lengths about material things, he took care of things with sentimental value very carefully. Saya's house remained spotless, proof that he would clean it daily when he was present. The house he brought the cat girls to live in was equally important since he wanted to give them a place to belong. However, the fact that it was in that state, left much to the imagination. How were the people living there doing? She heard from her people that they were running in Sora's place direction but... they never arrived.

Not wishing to waste any time, she teleported in the rough direction he was seen.

...

Utter chaos, or so Yasaka would describe the state of ex-playing-ground. The destruction is proof the fights were carried out there. However, one place stood out above the rest. It was not the charred ground or the fallen buildings around the playing ground, but rather a tent that was erected in the middle of everything.

Yasaka tried to head inside, having caught a glimpse of Nora busily moving through the gaps of the tent, but a pair of orange-haired tengus, whom she was familiar with, stopped her. Kaguya and Yuzuru were their names and they had quite the obvious interest in the boy, although she was not sure when did he manage to charm them.

"Apology. Shiki-sama has ordered that no one disturbs him during the treatment time." Yuzuru spoke in a deadpan tone, although there was some sadness mixed in her voice.

The tacit one was the one to speak while the usually cheery one stood there with a crestfallen expression.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Yasaka was not in the mood to tolerate their games. Yuzuru's words about 'treatment' were a huge clue regarding the state of the girls. While her daughter was number one in her heart, and Nora occupied the second place along with Saya, she was fond of the cat girls, if something happened-

"Move." Yasaka muttered.

Maintaining a polite tone, Yasaka did not mean to but she came out as intimidating since she unknowingly released her ki. Yuzuru and Kaguya trembled slightly but they both shook their heads.

Glancing around her, she found several of her people with sad expressions, and some pitying looks were sent toward the tent.

She would usually praise their valor for standing up for someone they care about, but now Yasaka needed to see the person she cared about. Ignoring the duo who probably did their best to stop her. She charged into the tent, and she slightly regretted her actions.

The maids Nora brought in were covered in bandages, and going by bandaged areas, they were severely wounded. Artoria and Akiko were contrasting with the fact that one had small burns but her body was all beat up, while the other one had large areas of her body burned but without physical damage like the other one. Alice was perfectly healthy compared to the rest, although she lay unconscious in a bed like the rest of the girls. Nora was silent, weeping as he steadily applied treatment to Kuroka. He seemed to have taken care of the life-threatening wounds from the girls and he was now focusing on everything else.

She could see how forced he seemed. Not like he was reluctant to heal the cat girl, but rather, he looked like he wanted to just cry from sadness. Very adeptly would his tails use a handkerchief to wipe his tears before they fell. However, Nora did not stop. He carefully mended the damage Kuroka received. The boy was so focused on his task that Yasaka's presence was ignored. Even when she felt angry about what she saw, and the tent shook due to her ki ready to go rampant, he did not stop. Nonetheless, Yasaka thought she could control herself to not hinder his actions, yet, she ignored one thing. She was watching Nora from his eighth o'clock, she was not looking at him from the front. Yet, Nora seemed to need something laying on top of a small table she was certain had seen him buying and storing in his pouch as he turned around and Yasaka saw it. Not any better than Artoria, he was burned in several places. Nevertheless, he ignored the burns and continued to treat others.

"You, idiot..." Yasaka mumbled.

She wanted to stop him and make him heal himself instead of others, however, she knew he would not listen to her.

The state of Kuroka was not very good, but thanks to his senjutsu, he fixed the damage soon. However, what happened next might be a little too cruel even for him who had trying to act calm.

"N-Nora-nya...? C-Come closer-nya... I can't see you...nya." Kuroka weakly muttered.

Stopping everything else he was doing, Nora gently took her hand.

"I am here, Nora is here. It is ok. Don't speak, you need to rest." Nora kindly coaxed the girl.

However-

"S-Shirone-nya... d-did you find her already-y? I helped her escape-nya. I did a good job-nya, didn't I? I want many headpats-nya. As the Onee-chan, I did my best-nya... so do you think she will finally call me Onee-chan now? Maybe she will do if I share my right for headpats-nya." Kuroka smiled weakly. "Where is Shirone-nya? Nora-nya, everything is dark-nya... You are there, right-nya?"

Looking left and right, Yasaka hoped to find the white cat, however, she was nowhere to be found. Nora would not neglect to find her so that could mean one thing. Staring at his face, she saw him making a pained and sorry expression, her heart aches seeing him like that, and she wanted to console him, but Yasaka did not want to interrupt their talk.

"Shirone-chan... she is ok, she is sleeping right now. She said she was tired and the lazy girl just decided to take a nap in Yasaka-san's place. Don't worry about it, just rest." Nora muttered.

"She is getting too lazy-nya... Ok-nya. I will do as Nora-nya says." Kuroka yawned. "I guess I am getting lazy too-nya... I was just sleeping and now I want to nap some more." Kuroka slowly closed her eyes and soon her breathing became even.

Staying silent with his head lowered, Yasaka saw him trembling after he let go of the girl's hand.

She tried to approach him but-

"I will kill them." Nora spoke in a somber tone, full of killing intent.

The tent began shaking, and the rampaging ki and demonic energy of Nora made Yasaka feel worried. He was clearly in an abnormal state, his rage and thirst for blood were too much. She was aware that he had killed before, but even so, if she let him be like this, his ki will go berserk, turning him into a mindless killing machine, reverting him back to the origins of a nekomata, the deadly youkai.

Turning around, she saw his eyes turning blue. Something she had heard about, caused by his demonic energy going rampant. During the fight, earlier that day, the bracelets that would keep his demonic powers in check, were destroyed. However, he was able to keep it in check... until now. His emotions were a mess so he will most likely have issues with his body again.

"Yasaka-san? The enemy escaped. She took Shirone-chan. I have to get her back." Nora spoke in a grim tone.

Confirming her suspicions, Nora walked her way. However, Yasaka could not let him go.

"Stop, Nora-kun. I know how you feel, but it would be best if you remained here for the time being." Yasaka advised.

Nonetheless, the boy made a face at her that she never thought he would make. It was a mix of disbelief and disappointment. A face that made Yasaka's heart hurt.

"...what are you saying? No, how can you say that? Yasaka-san, are you for real?" Nora asked.

In a doubtful tone, Nora stared at Yasaka. He probably would've said some other less polite things if someone else had said anything like this to him in the same conditions. The feelings of love and respect he had for her were what made him stop and have a conversation instead of storming out. Even as she watched him, he was restraining himself, his hands were tightened to the limit and blood dripped from his fists, most likely due to his nails digging in his flesh.

"Listen to me. The enemies' location is not something we can easily charge in. First of all, we need to find them, and even then, we must be careful not to fall into any trap. I can understand your desire to save that girl, I feel the same way. However, you are too riled up, you need to calm down." Yasaka muttered. "The tengus are spread around Urakyoto searching for any enemy. If we manage to find one, we can interrogate him. I will also send a search party and contact our people working outside the city. For now, take it easy. You need to oversee the recovery of the girls, this is something you-"

"Yasaka-san." Nora interrupted. "Do you think Shirone-chan has that time?"

Not daring to answer, Yasaka remained silent.

"She was caught by a ruthless woman who did not give a fuck about invading the territory of one of the most powerful youkais around, and she caused mayhem. Several casualties had been reported and I can only guess that many more will be reported. The damage our people suffered, the foundations of the city that were destroyed. I have a rough idea of what has happened." Nora said. "Shirone-chan has limited time if she is not what they are after. No, the truth is that she is not what they are after, but rather, Tamamo-san's soul that is on the pendant she has."

"Nora-kun, I know that you find it difficult to accept, but this is not even a matter of strength. It is a matter that can only be solved after we find her, and to do so we have to rely on manpower. The number of youkais I have under me is going to be more useful than you going alone searching around. Besides, after finding her, what will you do? At that point, your strength will be insufficient. You will not only fail to bring her back, but you will also put your life at risk. You could die, you know? Have you stopped even a second to consider that?"

"Yasaka-san." Nora lowered his head momentarily and sighed before lifting it again and staring at Yasaka with a grim face. "It is my fault she was dragged. I was supposed to be holding onto the necklace, not her. Nonetheless, it is a matter I cannot change, regretfully. However, I am not moving simply out of guilt for that matter. Listen, I am responsible for them, I brought them here. I could've left them in Rias-chan's care, and their lives would've been much better. They would not be treated badly, living a luxurious life and being pampered all the time. Yet, they wanted to stick with the likes of me. I... I think it is hard to understand for you, but I am not a good guy. I could even describe myself as a scum. That was the kind of life I had lived for a long time. Turning a new leaf might've given me another chance, but it would not fundamentally what I was. Of course, living with you and Kaa-san was not bad, falling in love with you was not something I even expected. To begin with, I never expected to be able to fall for someone. I didn't consider myself to be fit for such a thing."

His heartful words raised many questions in Yasaka, and she wanted to refute many of the negative things he was saying. Yasaka had never seen the bad side of the boy, so she could hardly believe him. As a matter of fact, she recalled a time when he and Saya were at odds because her friend did not want him to train at all, but after a certain night, they became closer. Yasaka recalled that at that time, she was envious, she felt left out, and it made her a little sad, but she was glad they made up after all. Now, the words he was speaking probably had something to do with a part of him she had not heard about.

"I love you, that is not a lie, and that will not change. As a romantic interest, you are my choice." Nora muttered. "Of course, I love Kaa-san too, as my family. Kuroka-chan and Shirone-chan, are the same. They are precious to me. They are my light. They could not help but become that after what happened back then... I can't just sit and do nothing. Death? Yasaka-san, you would care about such a thing if Kunou-chan was in danger?"

That was a mean question, both Nora and Yasaka knew it, but it was still used and Yasaka fell into silence, without knowing how to refute him. Nonetheless, she had to say something, because he... despite saying he loved her, he did not understand her.

"...why do you have to go?" Yasaka said. "I can understand that you care about them, that you feel responsible for them, that you would go to such a length for them. However, Are they the only ones you care about? What about me? If you go and get hurt, I will be sad, I will feel pain!"

Letting her emotions take over, Yasaka raised her voice. Without caring for the people outside the tent, even those orange-haired ones peeking inside, Yasaka began talking.

"Nora-kun, you dimwit, idiot! Do you wish to die that much? Didn't you want to protect them? Kuroka-chan is right here, if you go and get hurt, she will be sad! Argh, no, that's not it! Damn it, you stupid cat! I feel pain every time you get hurt, I feel sad every time you get yourself wounded. Can't you get that? You said you loved me, you said you would do anything for me! Why the heck can't you just stay put and trust me? Didn't you say you wanted us to trust each other? Leave this to me, I will get her back. If you go and something goes wrong, you will die! Is it so hard for you to understand that the people left behind will suffer for your reckless actions!?"

The dam broke and Yasaka found herself saying things she did not think she would say. However, those were her true feelings. She lo- liked how Nora would go so far for the wellbeings of others, it made her proud, and even if she felt jealous when he would go to such lengths for others, she could not be completely against it.

Stunned from her outburst, Nora widened his eyes. However, Yasaka, who was staring deeply into his eyes, saw it. The light of resolution he had, did not disappear. He only smiled wryly.

"You are really unfair..." Nora mumbled.

"I don't care, I don't care being called like that. Please, don't act like that idiot. Don't leave me alone!" Yasaka pleaded.

"Kaa-san, huh. Certainly, she was foolish. Protecting the likes of me, she will get an earful from me when I find her. However..." Nora shook his head. "I can't do that. I will bring back the white cat, besides, I have some business with the people that put my Kuroka-chan through such suffering."

It pained her, since a while ago, he had been using 'my' when he was referring to the catgirls, however, she-

"Her eyesight was stolen. I heard some bits from the tengus, similar cases happened around Urakyoto. No one has been able to see no matter how much time has passed. My main goal is to get Shirone-chan, however, I also have to look for the culprit and get the way to remove her blindness." Nora's tone was full of hatred when he mentioned the word 'culprit'. "I will get the way to cure her even if I have to..."

Grinding his teeth, Nora's ki began to take a red hue. Observing that, Yasaka knew that she had to stop him.

"You...! I can't let you go!" Yasaka stood in his way.

"Yasaka-san, even if you ask me such a thing, I can't obey you!" Nora spoke.

His tone was not the gentle one he would usually have, his words lacked his usual kindness and his motives were far from the definition of correct. Yasaka's emotions that had been unable to settle down made her do something that she would perhaps regret for a long time.

*slap*

A dry sound that resounded even outside the tent was heard. Standing with a shocked expression and his head turned to one side, Nora slowly raised his hand to his cheek where the burning pain of a hand imprint was marked. Yasaka looked as shocked as him with her hand slightly shaking. She had hit Nora before, but it was only something of the level of knocking his head to stop his nonsense, this was the first time she had done something like this, and it even was from being angry at his stubborn self that wanted to do something unreasonable. Reaching this point, Yasaka could not simply apologize at this point, nothing would change nor her actions will be undone. She will talk about it later when both had cooled their heads.

"Enough, as the ruler of the youkais of the west, I forbid you, Nora Shiki, to leave the proximity of Urakyoto. The way you are now, you will only cause harm to yourself and those around you. Cool your head, think about what you have done, you will be taken to the main building of my palace and be locked inside one of those rooms until I permit you to leave." Yasaka muttered in a loud tone of voice, enough to be heard outside.

Almost like she was running away, the blonde-haired fox left the scene, leaving behind Nora who still had not recovered, taking the opportunity that he was distracted to take his pouch with her.

Following her orders, several tengus surrounded the tent, expecting a fierce resistance from the boy, many trembling in fright as they recalled the ultimate technique of his household. However, the boy did not respond as they took him and remained with his head lowered the whole time.

...

"Shiki-sama, we came to inform you that the ladies have been settled in this building. They are currently resting and they seem to be doing well. There was nothing wrong with them after they were brought here." Kaguya muttered.

Sitting in seiza, the young girl was, along with her twin sister Yuzuru, reporting to Nora. the two were in front of the room that had been locked using senjutsu. The boy could not be seen since the barrier made it so the door had to be closed, so they were speaking through the door.

"Doubt. Kaguya, did you think Shiki-sama would make a mistake when treating them?" Yuzuru spoke in her usual monotonous tone.

"There is no way that would happen, you idiot. I just thought it would make him feel better if he knows how they are doing." Kaguya retorted, however, she lacked her usual energy.

From inside the room, there was no response.

"Unnecessary. We should do what we came to do." Yuzuru said.

"Urgh, as your big sister, I feel like don't respect me enough." Kaguya sighed. "...Shiki-sama, we have narrowed down the possible bases of the enemy to the outskirt of Kyoto. We managed to catch several of those suit-wearing me and after interrogating them through various means, we obtained that information. However, there are several locations given by them so we assume that some of their confessions are a lie or they actually have that many bases. There will be teams sent to those locations after we confirm further details... well, we just wanted to know that we are doing what we can so you can be less worried."

Not hearing a response to that either, the tengus just shook their heads and prepared to leave.

"...you have my gratitude." Nora's voice came in a whisper.

Smiling slightly at that, Kaguya left with a mood somewhat improved. However, Yuzuru stayed for a moment and waited for her sister to walk away some distance.

"Inquiry. Does Shiki-sama have an escape plan?" Yuzuru asked, but no answer came. "Report. We came here without anyone's permission, Yasaka-sama does not know that we told you about this."

Without an answer, Yuzuru hesitated.

"Plead. Please treasure your life, even if you think as you said, there are people who will be sad if you are gone. Kaguya is cheeky and not honest so she will not openly admit it, but we will be sad if you are hurt." Yuzuru spoke with some emotion in her voice. "Repeat. Please treasure your life. Even if you think that sacrificing yourself can keep someone safe, that does not mean that person will be happy."

Shaking her head, Yuzuru could not tell if her words were heard. She had a guess about what would happen after she leaves, but even if she stays, nothing will change. His willpower was no joke, she briefly recalled their first meeting but nonetheless left the place. Hindering was not her desire.

...

"...I guess the hellish training with Shishou was not in vain. I should visit her to thank her soon." Nora muttered.

Walking out of the room he was locked in, the boy maintained a calm expression, almost emotionless.

"...I am really sorry, but I have this bad feeling eating me inside since she was taken. I need to go." Nora said to no one in particular.

Before he left, his steps were stopped and he turned to one side of the hallway, a figure was walking with a lot of difficulty towards him, or rather, the room he originally was in. She had bandages in many places on her body and her blonde hair made her stand out.

"...you are leaving as I expected." Artoria dragged her body forward.

"You came to stop me as well?" Nora inquired with a certain hostility in his voice.

Smiling bitterly, Artoria felt his way of action was similar to her past self.

"I will not." Artoria paused. "However, I came to warn you."

Paying attention to her words, Nora walked her way and helped her to sit down.

"You are reckless, I do not need a warning. You should've stayed in bed, I know that it will be dangerous." Nora said.

"Listen, you idiot. You are not only going to face that scary old woman, but rather, a bunch of crazy guys. They all have unusual abilities, so I suggest you do not let your guard down against them. Don't go showing mercy on anyone." Artoria mumbled.

"...those people, were they the ones who put Kuroka-chan and the girls in that state?" Nora casually asked, but the sheer animosity in his tone was difficult to hide.

The boy seemed to be trying to not let his anger control him, but it seemed that when that topic came out, he could not stand it.

"Yes, I believe so. They are all sacred gear users, but they use shady abilities." Artoria replied. "However, there is one among them with the most dangerous sacred gear I have seen. It is the woman who caught Shirone and put that woman, Akiko in that state."

Standing up, the boy did not comment, but Artoria could see that he had some ideas about those people.

"...whatever, do as you please. However, you do know that you stand no chance against the witch, right?" Artoria saw him walk away.

"...Kuroka-chan will get her little sister back." Nora said as his figure walked further away.

As he left, Artoria felt complicated inside. The way he was acting, she knew what was through his mind at the moment.

"...you should've said that you will both be back, you idiot cat." Artoria sighed. "How annoying that the person who resembles me the most is you. Nora, you don't expect to come back alive, do you?"

Frustrated, Artoria hung her head low, sitting on the floor with her arms holding her knees and resting her head on them.

"...don't go dying on them. You were the one that told me that if I died, Alice would be sad so you must know that everyone will be sad if you die." Artoria mumbled. "...I, I... would not have anyone to cook for me anymore so come back in one piece."

Feeling like she would not be able to rest this night, Artoria just sat there. Preparing to buy him some time if Yasaka came looking for him. It was the least she could after failing to protect one of his precious ones.

...

For someone who had to be locked, Nora's presence outside was not expected so he was able to move without getting caught by patrols. Whether his hiding skills were good enough to fool them, or they turned a blind eye due to his circumstances was not certain, however, he soon found himself standing in front of his destroyed home. His face remained expressionless and cold, but the tightened fists were more than enough to express his thoughts.

"...if that girl had not been in her shadow, they could've been in a worse situation. Nonetheless, finding her so close to dying when she was supposed to be helping Shirone-chan to flee... Artoria's warning about that woman must be quite accurate." Nora grimly commented.

Walking among the charred wood, he moved until a certain point.

"...if the teleportation had not been blocked, they could've used Kaa-san's house to hide." Nora mumbled before using the magic circle.

...

"...I never expected to use these." Nora sighed. "Nonetheless, I lack weapons."

Storing carefully several vials with danger tags on a bag, Nora made sure to put as much as he could inside. His location was Saya's room, in front of a shelf she would display certain dangerous concoctions.

Given his responsible nature, and her reluctance to remove them due to sentimentalism on her part, Yasaka never took Saya's belongings, no matter how dangerous they were. Nora had been taking good care of everything in her room and as her son and pupil, he knew how to handle her 'potions'.

"...it might be a bit unorthodox, but I will have to grab whatever I can. Going empty-handed is not a good idea." Nora said.

Going around the house, he collected anything he might be able to use.

"This stupid bow, if only I could use it." Nora lamented.

His steps slowed down when he came back to take one last look at a bow her mother had in her room. A longbow far bigger than he could handle, not only from the length, but the string was almost impossible to pull unless he transformed. Even then, he could feel resistance from the bow, like it did not want him to use it

Shaking his head, he left the house. Standing one last time in front of it, he closed his eyes, whatever was in his mind never left his mouth. He put down the bag momentarily and with both hands in front of his face, he slapped his cheeks.

"No more hesitation. From now on, you have one mission. What you should do, must be clear by now." Nora muttered.

His eyes did not show hesitation, his aura became cold but then it pretty much vanished, his work in hiding it so it was not found. Picking up his bag, he left where he came from.

Part 2

3rd Person POV

Hurried steps were not even close to the speed they were using, no, they were running, giving their all, and despite their improved physical abilities after his borderline torturous stamina training, Tobio and the rest failed to catch up to Nora.

They completely ignored anyone who tried to stop them even as they left Urakyoto. The twins they met before were probably the ones who covered for them given that the situation in Urakyoto would've garnered the attention of the patroling tengus.

By the time they made it to Kyoto, his figure was nowhere in sight.

"...ah, he moved way, ah, too fast." Tobio commented, a little out of breath.

His companions were looking slightly better than him, or slightly worse. Those with better physical abilities from the start seemed to be doing perfectly fine.

"As expected of him. He never showed signs of getting tired even after joining our training." Kouki shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah, ahaaa, stop, being, ahaaa, impressed." Natsume retorted. "We have to catch up to him."

"...aha, haaah, can we, haaah, do it?" Sae asked in an unsure tone.

"Haaah, haaah, I, haaah, don't think, haaah, we will be able to reach him by foot." Shigune wiped her sweat on her forehead.

Standing silently, Lavinia furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered.

There were no cars or people in the vicinity. Whether it was because it was usually like this or the situation in Urakyoto made the youkais make it this way was not certain, however, the point that they would not be able to find a medium of transport soon.

"Lavinia, do you know any spell that could help us track him?" Natsume inquired.

Focused on her thoughts, Lavinia did not answer at once.

"Eh...? Ah, sorry. Tracking? I am sorry, the only spells I know require me to leave a mark. However, I could try to detect any creatures nearby. It won't be as accurate, but it is better than nothing." Lavinia began chanting in a hushed tone.

Concentrating around her, a blue light spread like a wave in a ring shape. Passing them, it expanded and covered a large area. Like the ripples of the water when something touched the surface, it went beyond their line of sight.

"...a few blocks away, there is someone." Lavinia tilted her head. "The signal is not moving..."

Finding it strange, the group momentarily wondered why would Nora stop. Nonetheless, they could not waste any time.

"We will ask him when we see him." Kouki led the group as he began running.

Followed by Natsume, the two hot-headed were the ones going after the boy first.

"Hopefully, it is him." Tobio shook his head.

Nodding at the rest, they all began running in the direction of the running duo.

"...the signal came from the other side though." Lavinia spoke softly, but her voice seemed to reach Sae and Shigune who were the slower ones and had not gone too far.

The pair of petite girls almost tripped but Lavinia ignored that and began running in the right direction.

...

"...this is not him." Kouki clicked his tongue.

"Thank you, Capitan obvious, for your wonderful observation." Natsume ridiculed.

Holding her hands on her hips, she sighed in disappointment.

Tobio was kneeling beside the man who lay unconscious on the crosswalk. Watching with worried expressions, Sae and Shigune were a few steps away. The creatures that could be called avatars of the group were curiously staring at the unconscious man beside the girls.

"...he was knocked out cleanly. No sign of struggle and there are no visible marks." Tobio muttered.

Sharing his findings, Tobio watched the man's rather exotic appearance. A Hawaiian shirt, short brown pants, and a blonde head that was obviously not natural. He would not stand out if you put him in a dark alley and called him a thug, that was the vibe he gave off. He had no belongings, other than a pack of 10.000 yens, a rather thick pack that would make you wonder if he stole it.

"...um."

Groaning slightly, the man opened his eyes, and the first thing he did was to reach for the money and hide it in his pocket, or at least, he tried. The bills were too many to fit in his pocket.

"..who're ya!?"

Speaking in a bossy tone, the man stood up and began pointing fingers at the group.

"We were passing by when we saw you lying there..." Tobio wanted to ask the man some questions, but he could not complete his words.

"Argh! Dammit, that lil' piece of shit! He took my beloved ride!"

Making a fuss, the man angrily spat on the ground.

"Sir, we would..." Tobio wanted to calm down the man, however-

"Huh? What'd ya want?"

Raising his chin, the man got closer to Tobio. Noticing only the young man, and the two petite girls the man felt inclined to act more aggressively.

"Ya wanted to take my stuff!?"

Clicking his tongue, Kouki approached the man from behind and pulled him before slamming him into the nearby wall.

"Guh!"

Feeling the air of his lung draining from that blow, the man fearfully looked at the mean-looking Kouki.

"Listen up, you punk. I don't give a shit about your situation. We are in a hurry, answer my questions, and I will leave you alone, ok?" Kouki loudly cracked his knuckles.

Gulping and fearfully nodding, the man stared back at the youth.

"...sometimes being kind will get you nowhere. Remember that, Ikuse." Kouki commented.

Nodding at that, Tobio sighed. He had heard that Kouki was known as a delinquent, but given the circumstances, they met, and the way they have been acting towards another made Tobio forget about it.

"...we are looking for a child, he should be around about this tall, with black hair and green... No, blue eyes." Natsume proceeded to interrogate the man.

"I-I s-saw him, he was the one who took my ride. My beloved ride, he was the thief."

Furrowing their eyebrows, the group was inclined to believe otherwise, but given that the man looked at Kouki fearfully, they doubted the man was making that up.

"...he simply knocked you out without saying anything? What about his next stop?" Natsume inquired.

"H-He threw me this pack of money- N-No, he simply took my ride and left! You are with him, right? You gotta pay me for my ride-e, and phycological damage too, he was scary! Hiiiiih."

The man blabbered until Kouki grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him.

"Shut the f*ck up!" Kouki warned.

Despite his harsh words and actions, no one tried to stop him. They heard the slip of tongue from the man so they put the pieces together. Nora had not been that ruthless, he took the ride but left some money as an apology, and knowing him, he would at a later date repay the man threefold for his actions. Just looking at the number of bills and their value, you should be able to tell how generous he was. If you knew the right people, getting a proper vehicle should not be an issue. The babbling man was probably aware of it, but he still was greedy for more.

"What to do next? This piece of shit knows nothing." Kouki asked.

Shaking her head, Natsume did not have the answer, and neither did Tobio or the rest-

"I might have an idea..." Lavinia commented.

Turning to her, the group waited for her next words.

"...Amount my missions, there was the investigation of certain locations outside of Kyoto. People mysteriously disappeared, and some of our people going to scout never made it back. It is suspected that stray witches are behind it, but I am not too certain about it. I have checked some of the locations and the places were deserted." Lavinia paused. "The attackers happened to be witches, so looking into the places I know is worth the try. However..."

Hesitating, Lavinia put on a difficult expression.

"What is it? We are wasting time here. He is marching alone in enemy territory so he could use our help." Kouki spoke in an annoyed tone.

Sighing, Lavinia lowered her head and her witch had covered her face briefly. They could not see her face, but the rest of the group could tell that she did not have an easy-going expression like she usually had.

"...are you guys still planning to go? I... I think I know what he is setting out to do, and perhaps it will cause you to look at him differently. If you guys started to see him like anything else than a friend..." Lavinia raised her head and her gaze did not show any friendliness. "I will not forgive you."

Gulping slightly, Kouki smiled fearlessly at the aura of pressure that Lavinia exuded.

"I always thought that you looked like a fragile young woman, but I guess you are more dangerous than you let on." Kouki dropped the man who had fainted due to fear. "Don't look down on me. Lavinia Reni, I can be many things, but I am not the type to abandon a friend."

"There are many things I have to scold him for when I see him, so there is no way I will back down on this one." Natsume smiled.

"...I would like to be of help." Tobio said.

"I am thankful for what he did, so I would never show anything else but gratitude." Sae muttered.

"...he is the only one who cooks for me until I am not hungry outside my family. I... Well... I need to repay him." Shigune shyly uttered.

Smiling wryly at their words, Lavinia did not explain any further. They would still stubbornly follow even if she did, regardless of truly understanding the meaning of her words.

She could only pray that these kind people would still think the same when Nora was found.

...

Hours went by, and despite Lavinia teleporting them close to the locations she knew, the locations were empty. Abandoned factories, motels, and small villages, they encountered locations far from civilization and with ample space. They were capable to narrow down the scope thanks to Lavinia's spells, however, their search bore no fruits. That was until they found themselves at the foot of a mountain path leading to a village that did not appear on any map. The path lacked proper roads for cars to use and you could only go on foot. There were several kilometers between the village and the city. Nonetheless, the few people they found on their way warned them to not set a foot in there since the village was cursed and they hardly made contact with their residents. That said, such words did not stop the group. There was something different in the air, and they could all feel it.

Their search bore fruits somehow since they managed to find a clue that most likely represented an opportunity to find him.

"...this is the so-called 'ride' that the bastard was bragging about?" Kouki's lips twitched.

"...I know what you want to say, but according to him. It was a marvelous ride that could not be matched by regular vehicles. It was red and had a flame-like design on the sides." Natsume sighed. "...he also said that no bike could match it, but..."

Feeling a little powerless, Natsume did not have the energy to retort.

"...it is at least ecologic." Tobio smiled wryly.

"Is that a bike?" Sae tilted her head.

"...I think that it falls into that category. That is a scooter, the type powered by electricity. It works only with that." Shigune offered a tip.

Earning a few raised eyebrows, the girl shrunk her neck as she blushed.

"...I think bikes are cool so I looked into them..." Shigune tried to defend herself.

It was a needless act since no one planned to say anything about it.

"...it seems that we have found the correct location." Lavinia mumbled. "It would be easier if I took you all there at once, but there are restrictions placed here. It hardly qualifies as a grand scale spell, but trying to teleport any closer will trigger an alarm."

Sighing, Lavinia seriously looked at the path.

"If you still want to go, I won't stop you. However, prepare yourselves for what is to come." Lavinia warned before taking her leave.

Basically leading the way, she strode towards the path.

Understanding that she was giving them the choice to back away if they desired, the rest of the group still choose to walk forward.

They only came to look for Nora so they will not go back without him.

Their ideals and conviction were noble, but the group would soon see something that will make them hesitate.

...

"...what is that?" Natsume muttered.

Her question was already answered just by looking in front of her, but she could not help but voice it out. Not only her, but the rest of the group were also looking at the same thing. They all had different expressions, but a certain horror and dread were present.

The body of a suit-wearing man, he was laying against a tree, no, rather than lying, he was tied up with the roots of the tree. His face was frozen in a particular expression, dread, and tears and snot covered his face. There was a small hole in his throat. Blood was covering the scene completely.

"...he must be part of the group that attacked Urakyoto. I believe they were allies with the group of witches I have been looking for." Lavinia commented. "The process was slow, he must've been killed in a way where his life slowly escaped him."

Looking rather pale, Tobio looked around a little uncertain.

"Is the culprit around?" Tobio inquired.

"I did cast a spell as soon as I saw the dead body, but no responses came up. However, I would not let my guard down. That kind of spell can be bypassed if someone has enough skills." Lavinia's gaze lingered on the body. "I believe this is only the beginning. Are you still certain that you want to go forward?"

"We can't abandon him." Tobio answered. "He could be in danger..."

Looking at the dead body, Tobio resisted the urge to look away. He tried to see anything that might help them identify what kind of person did this. However, the roots were the only thing on the body.

Sae and Shigune looked pale, but they still did not turn back or looked away.

"Roots...?" Tobio tilted his head quizzically.

Widening their eyes, Natsume and Kouki seemed to catch onto something and looked at Lavinia, who just nodded but said nothing.

...

"This is the 5th time. Each death is getting more brutal." Kouki muttered.

Walking for a while, the group came across several 'crime scenes'. The faces of those killed all looked scared, their bodies were in a much worse state compared to the first one. They could not be certain if it was because they struggled, but the bodies were badly damaged, with slashing wounds, and piercing wounds and some appeared to have died by suicide judging by the scratching wounds on their necks, wounds that could be nothing but self-inflicted. They could not tell how that even happened, but there was clear evidence that even amateurs like them could piece together.

"...this is the second time they are using tools of some kind." Natsume said.

By this point, Kouki and Natsume were the ones who would share their thoughts regarding the scenes freely. Perhaps it was to offer to the rest of the group their perspective or to maintain a conversation going and not let their minds wander on their own musings. The ones who found it harder to face this situation did not speak so it was mostly the duo who kept a certain level of communication going.

"Hmm, I think that the culprit tried to get some information from this one." Lavinia spoke.

Looking around, she strained her eyes for a moment after looking at the ground, walking to that position, she kneeled and picked something on the ground. At first glance, it looked like a strip of paper, but judging from the symbols written on top of it, it was some kind of talisman.

"...so this is why, I see." Lavinia mumbled in realization after inspecting the strip of paper.

"Reni-san, did you find something?" Tobio inquired.

Noticing that she moved a bit farther from the group, the young man was about to get closer until Lavinia tore the paper.

"Help!!!"

A desperate cry was heard as soon as she did that. No one could recognize the voice, but the emotions in the voice were clearly conveyed. It made the group alert and even their avatars got restless. They had been behaving rather tame and did not dare to show their playful side since they found the first body.

"It is coming from our north side." Kouki muttered. "I will go take a look."

Finished saying that, he began running in the direction of the voice with waiting for anyone's reaction.

"Urgh, for god's sake! That muscle-head!" Natsume was the second to dash in the direction of the cry.

Hesitating, Tobio was momentarily torn between following the two or staying to guard Sae and Shigune.

"We should not stray from each other." Lavinia advised. "I will take care of their safety so we should all go."

A little conflicted, the petite duo followed along with Tobio who was clearly concerned for Sae, and Lavinia who looked slightly sad.

"...I wonder, do I have the right to stop him?" Lavinia mumbled in a low tone of voice as she walked forward.

...

The sound of two people rushing was the thing they heard after arriving at an open location devoid of trees, they could actually see the trunk of some tree that was chopped off and what it was a small camp, but there was no one in sight until they heard the laborious breath of one person who rushed towards them.

The man looked scared and his head looked back as he ran forward, his body had several slashing wounds, staining his suit. His rushed gait only caused him to trip and fall to the ground, his fall went badly, falling face first, but he seemed oblivious to the pain and discomfort that would cause him. He hastily tried to stand up, and it was then he noticed the group, reacting scared for a second, he noticed that the people who appeared did not seem like a threat.

"Please! I beg you! Help me! A Monster-"

His words were cut short and his figure that was trying to stand up fell down like a puppet whose strings were cut. Before he fell down, the group heard the sound of something cutting through the air but their focus was on the man so they did not see what it was, at least, until his head touched the ground. At that point, they noticed what caused the man to fall. Causing his dead, there was a small one-handed ax stuck on his skull.

"What!?" Natsume tried to find the attacker but there was hardly any light.

They had accustomed themselves to the darkness and Lavinia had used a spell to lit their surroundings, but the farther from their position still remained dark.

Kouki got into a stance and his sacred gear, Byakusa, shapeshifted into a Lance. Sparks flew, and the delinquent got ready to meet whoever would attack them.

Tobio stood in front of Sae who had Shigune at her side, and he made his avatar, Jin, create a blade and be ready for the attacker.

Lavinia remained silent and she let her gaze wander in a certain direction, perhaps aware of where the attacker came from.

Nonetheless, the next person who appeared had the same suit as the man before and he had trouble walking, limping slightly as his leg was bent in a strange position. One of his arms was bent backward as well, and he slowly got closer to the group. One of his eyes was closed, blood spilling from a large slashing wound.

"Ahhh, h-help... Ahhha, he... he is just going to kill us..."

Having trouble breathing, the man stopped to lean on a tree for support. Only after he noticed the group, did he try to walk their way, his action being impeded by losing equilibrium and falling down.

Finding that hard to stomach, Tobio was about to walk to the man before he was stopped by Kouki.

"...I am well aware that you want to lend him a hand. However, think carefully before doing so." Kouki stressed. "Remember the description we got about the attackers of Urakyoto?"

Before Tobio could recall anything, Natsume replied in his stead.

"They were a mix of witches and men wearing suits like him." Natsume pointed out.

"But leaving him like that is..." Tobio muttered.

Wanting to rebuke the young man, Kouki was about to speak, but he was interrupted.

"Please, I don't care if you hand me over to the youkais. I... As long as you take me out of here, I would do anything..."

In a desperate tone, the man tried to crawl forward.

Nonetheless, the group did not get to reply to them.

"Not allowed."

A familiar voice, using an unfamiliar tone that caused them to get goosebumps, was heard. Soon, a small figure slowly walked from the darkness of the forest.

His usual black hair looked disheveled, his now blue eyes looked devoid of emotions, his favorite garments consisted of a white haori and a green hakama were now tainted red, and the smell he gave off was bloody.

"Enemy, thus, you must die. I did give you a choice, but you did not take it." Nora spoke in a dispassionate and emotionless tone.

His mere presence cause the crawling man to shake in fright and he dragged his body forward the best he could, but the boy, ignoring the looks the group were giving him, simply moved his arm backward, in a throwing motion, but he lacked anything in his hands to throw away.

"<Aport>" Nora muttered.

His word did not seem out of place, there was nothing grand about it, and while the choice was a bit strange, the group did not understand what he planned to do until he had already executed his actions. In an instant, a familiar-looking ax appeared in his hand, and by the time they realized what he was going to do, he had already thrown the ax away. A swift and deadly move that lodged the ax into the crawling man's skull. The guy did not even scream, he just fell down like the earlier man.

Gasps of surprise escaped from the mouth of some of the group while others just grimly stared at the boy simply walking toward the man and pulling the ax.

Without saying anything else, Nora simply left. Leaving the group baffled and unsure of what to do.

"Dammit!" Kouki cursed when Nora was out of their view.

"...Is that really Shiki-kun?" Natsume asked.

"...it is that, or that person went to great lengths to assume his form." Tobio sighed.

Raising his hand, he noticed it to be shaking slightly. Looking around, he saw that he was not the only one, however, he was not certain if he was scared by the murder that happened in front of his eyes or simply the appearance that Nora had, or simply the fact that Nora performed such an action without many reactions.

"That is him." Lavinia said. "I will go after him, what will you do?"

With complicated moods, the group other than Lavinia hesitated to reply. However, when Lavinia turned around to go after Nora, they slowly began to make their way after her.

...

Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, they did not manage to catch up to him soon.

Nonetheless, they all agreed that they were going in the right direction.

After all, dead bodies kept appearing as they advanced. Yet, their steps were heavy and they found it hard to stomach what they saw.

There were many clean deaths, however, there were more gruesome ones. The thick scent of blood lingering in the air made their avatars perturbed, or perhaps it was them who were perturbed and their avatars acted on their behalf. Either way, they kept going. However, they found no words to say to Nora even if they caught up to him.

What could they say? This was beyond what they expected.

To the troubles group, Lavinia offered a few words.

"...I know how kind all of you are. To be honest, I would've preferred if you stayed away from such a side of the world. I am certain that Nora-kun had been trying to keep you away from this kind of topic. I happened to see him arguing a bit with Barakiel about how the Grigory would treat you and how you should be used as tools to complete missions, but you should rather be granted a life free from this ruthless side. He wanted you to live a regular life as Highschool students." Lavinia muttered. "However, in my experience, it is naive. Now that you awakened, your fates are bound to get mixed up with troubles. You see? That boy is kind, way too much. Even after seeing a darker side of the world, he would still laugh and even try to protect others. He is really like that other troublesome boy, but I guess Va-kun is not very honest whilst Nora-kun is straightforward."

Smiling slightly, Lavinia faced the group.

"However, the kind boy you know, the very same person who would not bate an eye to help others, he got deprived of someone important to him." Lavinia mumbled. "It is true that he is doing things that are not morally and legally wrong. However, those people are reaping what they sow. Those who do evil will be tormented by it at some point. You can't take the guilt of killing others from him, he is committing a crime. That much cannot be denied. Yet, this only means that he is desperate to go to such a length. He had no other choice."

"But... we could just..." Tobio felt the need to speak up, but could not find the right words.

"Ikuse. Don't." Kouki signaled the young man. "I can't say I don't get what you want to say, but... we are not him. We are not going through the same thing. We cannot push our values onto him."

Shutting his mouth, Tobio understood the point.

"...everyone has a dark side they do not show others. We are now seeing his." Lavinia said. "I can't forgive these people for what they did. Pushing him to that point, he will suffer from this in the future."

Natsume noticed the complex look that Lavinia had when she said this but before she could ask, the magical girl turned around and left.

"We should continue." Lavinia muttered.

Part 3

3rd Person POV

Against their expectations, they could reach Nora until half an hour later. They had arrived at some kind of camp set up in the woods, it belonged to the suit-wearing people and they could easily deduce it because of the fallen bodies around them. Only one person remained alive, and Nora was standing in front of him. The man was held by the roots of a tree and his kneeling position made it easy for Nora to look down on him.

They could not hear what they were saying until Lavinia ripped a strip of paper stuck on one of the trees. That, along with a weird aroma in the air, made the group wonder how skilled Nora actually was since the dead bodies hardly showed signs of struggle.

"...where is the old witch?" Nora's emotionless voice could be heard.

In his hands, he seemed to be holding something but due to their distance from one another, the group could not see it

"S-Stop... please..."

A weak voice pleaded.

The closer they got, the more they could see the state of the person, and it made their blood turn cold. Punctured on his skim, were needles of all sizes, along with nails. The holes they made continued to bleed, yet, Nora seemed to ignore it.

"Where is the old witch?" Nora repeated mechanically.

Raising his hand, Nora stabbed something onto the man.

"Argh..."

He cried from pain, and the man weakly dropped his head, now unconscious.

"...not yet. You have not lost enough blood to die." Nora muttered.

Using his other hand, Nora began pulling the nails and needles one by one methodically and with practiced movements. Putting the objects he pulled in one hand, Nora brought his empty hand to the man's face and a white glow covered it. With each passing second, the stabbing wounds from the man recovered, and soon his ghastly complexion got better.

"...please, stop, just let me die, don't do this again..."

Opening his eyes, the man shed tears. From his words, this process had been repeated before so this had caused him to suffer.

"Where is the old witch?" Nora ignored his plea.

"...who cares, even if I tell you, I will just get killed... once again, and you will bring me back..."

Speaking with a defeated tone, the man had given all hope.

The group dared not to intervene. They did not know the reason, but they could feel that nothing good will come up from interrupting Nora. They were not sure, but perhaps they found him a little scary or they simply did not want to be the ones receiving his glare on this occasion.

"...I will free you. I won't put a hand on you either. I can give you my word for that." Nora paused for a moment. "Where is the old witch?"

"...even if you do, the poison will kill me..."

Still reluctant to accept, the man shook his head.

"... I will give you an antidote as well. That is my last offer." Nora muttered indifferently.

Swallowing slightly at that, the man's eyes regained some clarity. His face changed many times, hesitation still plaguing him, however, his desire to live was what won.

"...up there, there is a village."

"That much I know. I already know that she is not there either. That is why I am walking aimlessly like this, hunting you down." Nora said.

For a moment, the man's face warped in hatred for Nora but when his eyes looked at the hand holding the needles and nails, terror overwrote what he felt.

"Walk for two hours on foot, and you will reach an abandoned building. It was probably some Hunter's house, but he is now long dead. The witch of the purple flame is staying there for now."

Staring deeply at the man, Nora took more than a few seconds before actually releasing the man from his bindings.

"As per our agreement an antidote." Nora pulled a small vial from his sleeves and dropped it in front of the man.

Done with that, the boy walked away. Nearby, laid a bag full of several objects, from the way the group was, they could make out the handle of an ax and other miscellaneous things.

Desperate, the man picked up the vial, opened and immediately drank its content.

Sighing in relief, he stood up with some effort, however, before he could take one step forward, he lost his balance, falling to the ground.

"...what!? Urgh!"

Holding his throat in pain, the man rolled on the ground. Veins showed on his skin and it turned bright red.

"...You! YOU LIED TO ME!!! URGH!"

Tilting his head at that, Nora then shook his head.

"I did not. Listen, I never went back on my words, That is an antidote. However... You took the wrong doses." Nora shrugged.

"Curse you! CURSE YOU! MONSTER! YOU ARE A MONSTER! THIS IS WHY HUMANS HUNT YOUR KIND! *cough*"

Cursing until he could not speak anymore, the man lifelessly dropped the hand holding his own throat.

"Monster huh? I guess that for you guys I am. No, I would look the same to the youkais if they saw me." Nora's expressionless face changed into a bitter one.

The group noticed that he was going to leave so they wanted to stop him, nonetheless, they suddenly felt weak and fell to their knees.

"...what?" Kouki gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, but he could not.

The rest tried to do the same but they could not do so either.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Nora finally seemed to notice the group.

"You guys huh." Nora shook his head.

Back to his emotionless look, he walked their way after storing his needles and nails in his bag.

"...you guys should stay away from all this." Nora muttered.

Starting from the ones who were closest, Nora pulled a similar vial from before and brought it before Natsume who instinctively shrunk back from fear.

Her actions, while not being something she could control, made the young girl regret them. Because, for the first time they saw him, his expressionless mask broke into something they found hard to see. This time, replaced with a slightly shocked and hurt expression, however, he just bites his lips harshly and regained his earlier look.

Without saying a word, he opened the vial and put one drop of the vial on each of the group's mouths even if he was a little forceful. Nonetheless, no one could find the words to scold him because every time he would come to face one of them he would close his eyes to avoid looking at the way they stared at him.

"...things will get even more hectic soon. Leave this place, don't get involved in this. Especially you, Ikuse-san and Reni-san." Nora said before turning around.

"Wait!" Lavinia called out. "You don't have to do this alone, I can-"

Stopping for a moment, Nora simply turned his head and looked at Lavinia.

"You already know where Augusta is. So you will probably head there, however, I advise you from doing so. I am well aware of your thirst for revenge, and how you think she was responsible for your mentor's disappearance. However, I told you that she is alive. There is no need to go looking for that woman anymore, if you do, she will do what I told you before. If that happens, you will lose your ability to fight. The best outcome for you if she catches you would be if you receive a painless death." Nora said. "Unless you accept what I said, going will only make you an easy prey."

Lowering her head, Lavinia felt troubled over how to respond.

"No, I want to help you..." Lavinia weakly said.

However, those words were met with a sigh.

"...can you say you do not have even the slightest intention to face Augusta because of your mentor's situation?" Nora inquired.

The silence gave Nora the answer he expected.

"Take them home, I am afraid that it will be the best you can do right now." Nora mumbled before walking away.

When his figure was long gone, Tobio and the rest slowly tried to stand up but they could not muster the strength.

"...shit." Kouki cursed. "All the talk and I could not even follow him?"

"...I was unable to tell him anything." Tobio bitterly said.

"I... hurt him, I did not mean to, but I acted like I was scared of him. That look he had..." Natsume tightened her fists. "I am such an idiot."

Normally, Kouki would not waste a chance to biker with Natsume, but now he just kept his mouth shut, some sympathy could be seen as he looked at Natsume. The young delinquent was certain that she was feeling guilty and it would not be proper to say anything when he could do nothing either.

"...Do you think he is right?" Sae spoke in an uncertain tone.

"About what?" Shigune asked.

"...He told us to go back. Do you think that being here will be bad for him? Are we getting in his way?" Sae explained.

A gloomy mood descended on the group and they could not outright deny what was said.

"That child... He is not completely wrong. I am ashamed of it, but he is right. I wanted to come here to help him, but the news about Augusta pushed me as well." Lavinia spoke in a rare somber tone. "Calling myself his older sister... I guess he has all the right to not accept it."

Feeling depressed, the magical girl was speaking in a rare free-from-her-airheadedness mode, raising her head, she looked at the sky.

"However, I still want to help him. It is not a lie to say I want to be there now that he needs me." Lavinia spoke in a determined tone. "Augusta is not someone he can face alone."

"Is that woman that strong?" Kouki asked.

"She is a woman of advanced age, however, do not let that make you underestimate her. She wields one of the twelve. A sacred gear capable of killing a god." Lavinia explained.

"...and he is going to face her? Does he know how dangerous she is?" Natsume asked in an alarmed tone.

"He knows..." Lavinia said. "He is well aware of his chances, he even told me about her balance breaker form in detail so there is no way he is a stranger to what will happen to him."

"Then why?" Tobio could not understand.

"I doubt he thinks he will survive. He must be counting on Yasaka's aid. If it is the ruler of the youkais of the west, she would surely be able to put on a fight." Lavinia answered.

"She is not with him! What is he thinking going there alone!?" Kouki angrily hit the ground.

Trying to stand up, he failed to do so after putting in his best effort.

"We were poisoned as soon as we arrived, I did not even notice..." Lavinia wryly smiled. "The antidote should be cleaning the poison soon, in the meantime, rest as much as you can. Augusta is not only working with those suit-wearing men you saw but also with people that the Grigory gathered. I am not sure if they will stick to this place or not, but they are a dangerous bunch."

There were many things they could not understand or accept, but the group still had the will to move forward.

Nonetheless, Natsume, the young girl who felt guilty about her actions had a bad feeling every time she thought about Nora. The way Lavinia spoke, and the way was acting took her mind to places she would rather no to think about. She hoped that it was all in her imagination.

Perched on her shoulder, her avatar rubbed its head on her, perhaps trying to cheer her up or console her. Yet, the feeling did not go away.

----------------------------------------------

MC's POV

Going through the village was too dangerous so I am currently taking a detour around it, nonetheless, even though I am using the talismans I made as a practice back after learning and combining knowledge from Shishou and Suzaku, I still find myself in front of many Utsusemi Agency people. The fact that I can prevent the sound from leaking in the surrounding area provides good assistance in dealing with them. The ability of the ring I got as a gift from Eira-san and Hilda-san is the best. Turning invisible combined with silencing my steps has proved to be very effective when I kill them. If I manage to survive this one, I will plant a kiss on their cheeks as thank you. Although I am hesitating a little regarding Eira-san, I feel like there is something dangerous that could awaken if I get too affectionate with her... Well, it is a gratitude kiss so nothing should happen. Probably... Yes. That said, first I would need to survive. Thus, that could end up never happening.

While heading straight to Augusta would not be a bad idea, I will not be able to live through her attacks if she gets serious. Longinus are scary, there is no telling when they will power up their users once the emotional state of the guy in question fluctuates. Thank you for leaving the spot for irregularities to happen, Biblical God, geez. Thanks to his system lacking him, Sacred Gears no longer has the same growth limitations. If the bitch goes Shounen Manga on me, nothing will remain.

Thus, I will kill as many of these guys as possible since Shirone-chan will have to run while I buy her some time. The rest will depend on whether or not Yasaka-san can find us through the token I brought with me. I left some hints in my 'jail', but I can't tell if she will take a look soon or not.

Spotting a group of those agents planting several talismans on the ground, I could tell they were preparing some sort of barrier. They must be wary of someone coming after them, and despite not leaving witnesses alive, they should've caught onto something. I am making sure of changing the way I kill them so once they inspect the bodies, they assume that a larger group is doing this instead of me alone.

Canceling my ability, I ignored the stinging pain in my eyes and wiped the blood they were leaking. After overusing my ability, I managed to find one of those agents loitering around Kyoto. I was not sure why he was there, but through some interrogation, I obtained some possible locations that matched what the twins told me. From there, getting a vehicle and using my ability to the limit end up taking me here. However, I was beginning to see blurry and the pain was like having several needles stabbed into my eyes. Yet, this what nothing.

Indeed, this sort of pain is nothing. I have suffered way worse in that facility. Besides, the pain of those girls was even worse. Shirone-chan must be scared, waiting to be rescued, so I cannot complain about my situation.

Recalling the contents of my bag, I briefly activated my ability before using my handy spell.

"<Aport>" I muttered.

Ignoring the pain, and whipping more of the blood, I inwardly laughed at the label 'Suuuuper Dangerous' that Kaa-san put on it. It might sound funny, but this thing can turn someone's lungs into jelly if you make someone smell it long enough.

This one would be bad even for me so I throw it from my position. The sound of glass breaking travels my way instantly and the wails of pain and terror reach me a second later. I have many deadly concoctions prepared for Augusta, however, I doubt she would fall for any trap I set up. This one is the last I will waste on these people, trying to maintain my peak physical condition is a pain, but I can't allow myself to face her while weakened.

Now then, which direction should I take next?

Hmmm?

Before my body could properly process what I meant to do, I pulled a needle from my bag and threw it in a certain direction. The attack ends up killing a bird a distance away from me.

Reaction on instinct, I had felt a pair of eyes on me so I just attacked.

--------------------------------------

3rd Person POV

An older figure could be seen staring at a particular location in the wooden room she was in. A small cat maintained a curled-up form while a green barrier covered her entirely. The older figure had her eyebrows furrowed but some amusement could be found in her expression despite her failure in cracking that barrier.

"Have you been able to obtain the youkai?"

A special means of communication, a talisman that was handed over by the leader of the Utsesumi, caused a voice to be heard in the room. A wooden floor and wooden walls, inside some kind of building rather worn out by the elements and lack of care, the older woman glanced at the talisman before lazily answering.

"I am afraid it is not that simple. Not only the will of that youkai is using that barrier from making contact with it, but the artifact in question is heavily guarding the furball. I reckon that I will have to use my full strength to be able to do something, however, there is a risk of destroying the soul of the youkai in the process." The older woman, Augusta, commented. "However, instead of worrying about me, you should be worried about yourself. I heard you got almost killed."

Smiling slightly, the older woman maintained her gaze on the barrier, making the small cat shudder.

"...it is lucky that I came out alive from that battle."

The voice spoke gloomily.

"Was she that scary?" Augusta inquired.

"Perhaps for one favored by God, she would not be an issue, but I am a regular human in the flesh. By the time we escaped, she had already crushed my left arm and leg. However, I did manage to fatally wound her. That youkai should've been a scary foe if there was not a curse eating her from the inside."

The voice spoke bitterly.

"Keke, beside Yasaka and that woman, two other troublesome youkais were resting in Urakyoto. Had we not moved to intercept them, they would've caused our plans to fail. We did cut it short, with Yasaka getting just in time. Fighting her is mostly fighting a losing battle unless you can defeat her in one move." Augusta said.

"...you must be talking about her connection to the ley lines. Many have tried to harness that power, but they have all failed. You not only need to have a gift in using Ki, but the ritual specifically handed down by the Shinto God allows her lineage to withstand such power. Nonetheless, you could say it is a stroke of good luck that only one youkai can wield that much power."

Certain relief could be felt from the voice coming from the talisman.

"I think I have heard how people would explode from just the accumulation of energy in their bodies. It is a topic that is being researched in Emerald City, but until now there has not been any clue. Since one ex-faithful believer of the Shinto Gods has told me that only they know the way, it has to be true. I am certain that this kind of information will be a good bargaining chip against that annoying brat. I am not sure why they would entrust her with the library when she has her own domain." Augusta clicked her tongue. "On another topic, are you feeling like going for a walk? There is a pest going around killing your precious subordinates."

Unable to hide the glee in her voice, Augusta's smile looked evil, but the man on the other side of the talisman was unaware of it, or he simply did not care.

"What do you mean?"

A brief question, but the urgency in the tone was enough to make Augusta satisfied.

"Oh, yes. How silly of me, how forgetful am I getting? It has been quite difficult to get a sight of him since he just kills every single of my familiars, but since a while ago, a small youkai has been going around wiping out groups of your people. That said, he also merciless killed dozen of the witches I had patrolling too." Augusta did not sound any sadder as she mentioned that.

The older woman was met with silence from the talisman, and she cracked a smile from that.

"Well, don't get angry. I have a couple of good news for you. There is an interesting boy among a group of people following after that youkai. There is an uncanny resemblance with some of your hated enemies, the Himejima. Not to mention, he has a sacred gear..." Augusta commented.

"...tell me more."

Some interest was heard in the voice, along with hard-to-conceal anger.

"Actually, our dear collaborator from Grigori is interested in the boy in question and the group so you should make your move soon. He already sent his students to intercept them..." Augusta said. "Maybe I could go and greet that young lady chasing after me, she did take the bother to come all the way here after all..."

Part 4

3rd Person POV

"Do you think we will catch up to Shiki-kun and Lavinia anytime soon?" Natsume asked.

All of sudden a fog started to cover the forest as the group was advancing. Their vision got reduced considerably and they lost sight of Lavinia who was leading them until now.

"...she is not the one we should be worried about." Kouki replied. "That guy once told us how she wipe the floor with all of us together if she wanted, so I believe we should focus on finding Stray-sensei and our own safety first."

Looking back, Kouki caught sight of Tobio frowning as he looked at his avatar Jin. The small puppy did not act as carefree as it usually did, but rather, looked alert. The same could be said with Byakusa and Gryphon, Poh... the delinquent could not make up any expression on that one.

"...I agree with that, although I think it should be better if we could all regroup before facing anything major. It is hard to explain, but I am getting this urge to just leave..." Tobio spoke.

Silently agreeing with those words, Kouki could not deny that he was feeling the same. His instincts developed through continuous fights with delinquents and thugs were not the type to fail him. So far, they have saved him on numerous occasions.

"There is something that way..." Sae commented as she played with the beads on a bracelet she carried, perhaps out of nervousness.

"Grrr."

A small growl came out from the always calm-looking (?) Poh.

Gulping slightly, Natsume gave sheepless smile.

"He would not happen to be hungry, would he?" Natsume inquired.

The petite girl holding the small creature shook her head and timidly raised her voice.

"...he is warning me to not go that way." Shigune muttered.

"Haha, is that so?" Natsume smiled wryly.

"Ikuse, I trust that you know what to do?" Kouki spoke aloud.

Nodding heavily, Tobio answered back.

"...I will do my best." Tobio said.

"Heh, that is good enough. You cannot ask a man for more if he is doing his best." Kouki cracked a fearless smile. "Birdy, Ikuse, and I will take the front. You stay back and keep an eye on everything."

"Don't call me like that! You muscle-head! I know what I should do. You two will stick with me, ok?" Natsume eyed Sae and Shigune who just nodded.

In that manner, the group took their positions and approached the place Saw had mentioned before, where the fog was less dense and they could make up some shapes.

What greeted them was a slightly crazed voice.

"Hiiii~ How are youuuu~? You might call me the way my 'friends' call me, Silent Stalker!"

------------------------------------------------------

MC's POV

"Who are you?" I raised an eyebrow.

The person in front of me was a stranger to me, and every fiber of my body told me to run away from him.

"My name is Satanael, and I would like to offer you a deal." The stranger, called Satanael, spoke.

Standing there, a few steps from me, his towering figure caused me to frown. His aura was that of a fallen angel, I could tell that much.

"Not interested." I replied at once.

"Hmm, is that so? Perhaps I arrived before the time was right." Satanael muttered in a troubled tone. "You will change your mind by the end of the day, and to show you some goodwill, let me tell you that your friends are about to face my students in a matter of seconds. You can easily evade the bewitchment of the fog and maintain the correct direction, but they cannot. You should go and help them, otherwise, they could get wiped out."

"Not my problem, they are big enough to take care of themselves." I said although worry filled my head.

Grinning slightly, the man pointed in a certain direction.

"Is that so? How about I tell you that the Absolute Demise girl is not with them anymore?"

Widening my eyes, I let some emotion show on my face.

Those fools were still roaming around here and they even got separated from that girl.

"You are free to ignore them, although... they just happen to be in the same direction of the building where Augusta is keeping what you seek."

Staying silent, I felt guilty but I had to ignore them. If Tobio got serious and archived balance breaker, I doubt anyone other than a Longinus User could stop him. Yes, reminding that, the guilt did not bother me-

"Oh, did I forget to tell you...? Among my students, the ones responsible for Urakyoto's assault are there."

In a nonchalant voice, the man said. His words caused my breathing to quicken and rage filled my mind. Bits of memories about how Urakyoto ended, and above all, how my girls ended up clouded my mind, and before I knew it, I had activated my ability, easily locating Tobio and the rest. Ignoring the blood dripping from my eyes, I ran after them.

The man was soon left behind, and my targets had chanced.

...

I don't think I ran so fast before in my life, the trees I passed were left behind in a flash and my advance was swift enough that would've made the normal me question if this was truly me, but all my thoughts process had halted, I was mindlessly running forward with sheer instinct.

Before I knew it, I held the two hand axes I brought with me. Something Kaa-san once gifted me so I could practice while chopping firewood, it was now covered in blood, becoming a murdering tool after I took down a dozen of enemies in a gory spectacle.

Desperately, a voice inside of me told me to calm down, to focus on what I had to, however, the rage I had now was not easy to extinguish.

I never wanted to archive grand things in this world, I just wanted a humble life with my loved ones. However, I was naive. Even if I tried to not get myself involved, even if I avoided it... there are those who do not give a f*ck. They will trample what you hold precious for their selfish reasons.

Nonetheless, it did not matter what I said, at this point, whatever I tried to articulate would be simply an excuse. I did not come here to make things right or do justice, once I stained my hands with blood, I became a monster no different from them. Yet... I was ok with that.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Nyarlathotep00

Things might seem exaggerated, considering Nora's usual style, but you guys gotta see it this way. When someone reaches his bottom line... what isn't he capable off? Nora is no hero, he does not hold a belief of chivalry or anything of the sort.

So his actions are more of him letting go of his limits.

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Chapter 61: A monster

CREATORS' THOUGHTS Nyarlathotep00

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CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Nyarlathotep00