Why can't humans do it too?

"Excuse me," Yakumo Yukari nodded, having perfectly observed the proper etiquette, and then headed inside.

"Aren't you going to come in your real form? It's rather inappropriate to visit someone in a false form."

Just as Yakumo Yukari was about to pass in front of Suer and enter the room, Suer suddenly spoke up, but the blonde banshee simply turned her head and chuckled twice.

"Ah~, although I really want to visit you in my true form, it's a bit difficult to do so before I've finished explaining some things~"

cut.

Suer snorted inwardly.

"You're being a bit too direct. Even the dumbest person wouldn't fall for that, would they?" Xin Ke said, criticizing Su Er's actions. She then separated from him and calmly met Yakumo Yukari's gaze.

"Really? I'm really sorry, I'll improve next time," Suer said insincerely, then closed the door again and sat down.

Sitting around the fireplace, even though she was in a fake form, Yukari Yakumo still felt an indescribable pressure when she was really close to these two guys—they were not much different from when they first met, so was it her mindset that had changed?

“Continue, finish the story you just told, and also about Izumo... Isn’t that why you came here?” Xin Ke said, clapping her hands as she casually picked up the red fruit called Dawn, took a bite, and then stuffed the rest into Sul’s mouth.

It has a refreshing, minty flavor that turns into a fiery one a few seconds later, but the flavor isn't overpowering; it's actually quite delicious.

"The one who initially came to Ashihara no Nakatsukuni in accordance with the command of Amaterasu Omikami—"

“Just call him Tian Sun,” Su Ermu interrupted Yakumo Yukari’s tongue-twisting words, giving the abbreviation directly.

“Alright, then let’s go with the grandson of the heavens,” Yakumo Yukari shrugged, having no objections. “The grandson of the heavens’ wife is Konohana no Sakuya-hime, the daughter of Ōyamatsumi-no-kami. She is the goddess of cherry blossoms and is exceptionally beautiful. After the initial proposal, Ōyamatsumi-no-kami wanted to marry both of her daughters to the grandson of the heavens. However, the elder sister, Ichinaga-hime, is the goddess of rocks but is extremely ugly. So, in the end, the grandson of the heavens sent the elder sister back to Ōyamatsumi-no-kami, keeping only the younger sister.”

“Whether human or god, males always prefer beautiful women… How interesting, isn’t it?” Yakumo Yukari suddenly smiled at Suer as she said this.

"..."

Suer felt offended!

And Xin Ke, why are you looking at me like that?!

“The god Oyama Tsumi, whose daughter was returned, naturally felt insulted. His original intention was to hope that the rule of the Heavenly Grandson would be as unshakable as a rock and as prosperous as cherry blossoms, but he did not expect to be disrespected in this way. Therefore, he issued a curse. From then on, including that Heavenly Grandson, the gods of his lineage, although still powerful, had lifespans as short as cherry blossoms,” Yakumo Yukari continued.

Smacking his lips, Suer didn't know how to comment.

It feels like I'm listening to Greek mythology. To be honest, he's more familiar with Greek mythology than Japanese mythology.

"However, although that curse continues to this day, both the Heavenly Grandson and the first generation of gods born from him and Princess Konohana no Sakuya are still alive..." Unaware of Su'er's thoughts, Yakumo Yukari's voice suddenly became incredibly profound, "Frantically searching for something that can resist the curse and prolong their lives, frantically practicing methods that would be considered cruel even among yokai... Similarly, that is the root of human suffering under the rule of Yamato..."

She didn't directly express the suffering, but Yakumo Yukari's unfinished words seemed to say everything, leaving Su Er speechless.

"And what about Izumo Province?" Unlike Suer, Xinke seemed completely unaffected and continued to ask.

“Naturally, it is different from Yamato, but the differences are limited. Compared to my one-sided account, you two should trust your own eyes more. Your evaluation will naturally be more truthful.” Instead of directly answering Xin Ke’s question, Yakumo Yukari said with a smile, “I am not very talented, but I can recommend myself as your guide for traveling the world. I believe I can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

"In your true form?"

"In my true form."

He answered Suer's sudden question frankly, even immediately after he finished speaking, without the slightest hesitation.

'This banshee is incredibly clever,' Sur couldn't help but marvel to himself.

Whether she gained entry into the house to talk in a gentle manner or appropriately left some questions unanswered, all of this made the information she provided seem more credible.

Yamato and Izumo are kingdoms where gods and humans coexist. Both were founded by gods but are enemies of each other. In addition, there are demons watching from the sidelines. The blonde banshee in front of him is one of them. This chaotic yet interesting world ignites a burning curiosity in Suer's heart. He wants to see for himself the world where gods and humans live together.

"That's not all, is it? It would be better if you told me anything else as well," Suer asked when she came to her senses and saw that Xin Ke had almost finished half of the fruit basket and was spitting out the seeds.

"Ah~, indeed there is one more small request... I hope you two can forgive a certain ungrateful fellow... I will teach her a lesson later," Yakumo Yukari's expression suddenly became somewhat awkward and strange, and her eyes began to drift towards the window leading to the back of the bamboo house.

The snow that had covered the field was now strangely throbbing in one spot. The next moment, as if a tart had been broken open, the snow clump was pushed aside.

A muddy hand was half-bent on the snow, seemingly struggling to climb up from the ground.

Chapter Seventeen: Resurrection

A black stain appeared in the white field of vision. The clean white snow was melting, and the soil, which should have been frozen as hard as iron in winter, seemed to be thawing. Suer even saw wisps of steam rising into the air, and the source of the heat was the exposed arm, or more accurately, the one buried underneath... the demon?

Connecting Yakumo Yukari's sudden appearance with the strange occurrences in the fields, Suer easily understood what had happened—that green-haired youkai was still alive.

Is her name Kazami Yuuka?

Suer suddenly found it somewhat amusing, but he had to admit that Yakumo Yukari's appearance today was indeed perfectly timed. After all, if it weren't for this golden-haired youkai's appearance arousing his and Xin Ke's curiosity, then the green-haired youkai would probably have been pinned back down by Suer the moment it crawled out of the ground, and this time it would definitely have been chopped into tiny pieces, ten pounds of lean meat without a trace of fat, and ten pounds of cartilage without a trace of meat, ensuring there was no possibility of resurrection.

"What kind of monster is she?" Suer suddenly asked, while watching the figure struggling to crawl out of the ground and eating the fruit that Yakumo Yukari had brought.

"Flower Fairy" is not meant to cover up Yuuka Kazami's background at all; rather, it means that Yukari Yakumo will answer any questions Sull might have now.

"I see," Su Er nodded, and said with a sigh, "If I had known it was a flower fairy, I shouldn't have thrown it into the ground... It seems that in the future, I should make sure I know what kind of fairy it is before I take action."

"With your strength, you naturally don't need to care about such a small matter. It's just a minor demon that you can easily suppress," Yakumo Yukari offered a perfectly timed compliment.

To be honest, the blonde banshee's current humble and respectful attitude made it difficult for Suer to connect her with the domineering and ambitious monster he had met at their first meeting.

How to do?

I'm about to take action again.

After discreetly surveying the surroundings, Suer once again regretfully confirmed that he could not find this monster with amazing stealth abilities.

Kazami Yuuka climbed out quickly, and it didn't take her long to escape the dark underground space. At first, she seemed very weak, panting heavily. However, after just a few breaths of fresh air, she calmed down, and the aura she unconsciously exuded also became stronger. The word "weak" seemed to only linger on her for a few seconds.

During the months underground, the dark bloodstains that Yuuka Kazami had worn before, stained with blood that couldn't be washed away, had been corroded into tattered remains by the flesh and blood and the lingering demonic energy of the dead. This also revealed a great deal about her curvaceous figure; surprisingly, she was the type who looked slimmer in clothes, at least even slimmer than Suer had imagined—

"what!!!"

Screaming and covering his eyes, Suer began rolling around on the ground.

It doesn't hurt, but it has to look like it hurts.

"Stop pretending, I didn't use any force at all," Xin Ke said irritably, snorting through her nostrils as she looked at the man who was sitting up with a sheepish smile.

"a ha ha ha."

From inside the bamboo house, one can see out through the windows, and from outside, one can naturally see inside the bamboo house. Kazami Yuuka has already stood up from the ground, and she is staring intently at everything inside the bamboo house, or more precisely, at the male demon and his spirit.

Her burning gaze seemed to radiate heat, and Yuuka Kazami walked step by step toward the window.

The earlier eye-poking was just casual play between Xin Ke and Su Er. In reality, Kazami Yuuka was completely unrelated to the words "beautiful" or "pretty" at this moment. Her whole body was covered in wet and sticky mud, with melted snow water mixed with soil covering her entire body. The most horrifying thing was the wound on her right waist and abdomen.

That spot was directly hit by Shinko's attack a few months ago. If Kazami Yuuka hadn't instinctively sensed something was wrong and chosen to dodge, even at the risk of harming herself, half of her body would probably have been fused with her internal organs. However, even though she made an emergency evasion, the skin and clothing on her chest and abdomen had already become one with her.

Flesh buds with the texture of clothing emerged from the black mud, swaying slightly towards the air, like living things with their own lives, making Kazami Yuuka look even more terrifying.

As if unaware of the foreign object on her body, or rather, unaware but completely indifferent, Kazami Yuuka's curled fingers landed on the edge of that piece of flesh, her sharp nails already embedded in her own flesh, so casually that it was as if she were not treating her own body at all. With force, she tore it off!

It sounded like tearing cloth, but it was flesh and blood that were being torn apart. As red blood splattered, Kazami Yuuka casually tossed the torn flesh, covered in granulation tissue, onto the snow. The white snow was dotted with red spots like plum blossoms, and a line of black footprints turned red as well.

The pain, which would have made an ordinary person faint, did not affect Kazami Yuuka's progress in the slightest. In the few steps she took, the edge of her chest and abdomen, which had lost a large chunk of flesh, was rapidly writhing, and the flesh was healing itself.

By the time she reached the window, Kazami Yuuka's abdomen had fully recovered. Her fair skin contrasted sharply with the mud-covered area around her, and her entire body radiated an astonishing heat. As waves of steam rose, the mud on the green-haired flower fairy's body dried and peeled off with each movement.

Her recovery ability far exceeded that of ordinary yokai. If her opponent hadn't been Sull, Kazami Yuuka could have made most yokai despair with just this level of recovery.

"What? Want to do it again?" Kazami Yuuka's intensely passionate gaze didn't frighten Suer at all; he calmly continued eating his fruit. "By the way, could you open my window first? You seem to be very hot."

Yashiki-dōji was already protesting, waving her two pale green arms behind Sūr.

The body heat felt like it could boil water, and Suer could already hear the sizzling sound of Kazami Yuuka's hand pressing against the window frame as she roasted the bamboo.

“Of course… not now,” Kazami Yuuka took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them again after a few breaths, but the eagerness from before was gone.

But if you look closely, you'll find that they haven't disappeared; they're hidden beneath the pupils.

Chapter Eighteen: The Nine-Tailed Fox

“You are very strong, stronger than any yokai or god I have ever seen. At least with my current strength, I am no match for you.” Obediently releasing her grip, Kazami Yuuka did not show much emotion after being defeated, but her words were unwavering: “When I am strong enough, I will challenge you again.”

"Even knowing you're no match, you still want to challenge them without hesitation?" Suer suddenly asked.

“That’s just how it is,” Kazami Yuuka replied, her voice unwavering, though she found it somewhat strange that the male demon was suddenly bringing this up.

"Enjoying the battle? Not the outcome of victory, but constantly improving oneself and becoming stronger in the battle?"

“…Of course it is?” Kazami Yuuka asked, increasingly surprised.

She agreed with those words too much; could it be that he did too?

"...You really do resemble one of my friends. It feels like just yesterday that I remember her expressing those feelings." Unaware of Kazami Yuuka's thoughts, Sull's expression became subtle. How could he still encounter such a war-crazed mind even in a different world, when he was in a peaceful world that even Riku was moved to tears?

Is this what they mean by not appreciating one's blessings?

"Well, in short, you might only have one chance to challenge her," Su'er thought, suddenly losing interest as she recalled the pink-haired winged creature. "After all, I already know your race is a flower fairy, so I shouldn't make that kind of basic mistake again... Honestly, throwing you down here seems to have backfired..."

“Ah, I know,” Kazami Yuuka nodded to indicate that she knew, then grinned and said, “Like I said before, you have a good eye for choosing fertilizer.”

"Tsk, you should go and take care of yourself first," Su'er said sarcastically, feeling inexplicably annoyed by the compliment. "The smell is already getting a bit unbearable, isn't it?"

The fields in Suer are mostly filled with the corpses of monsters. The smell of the corpses after being decomposed and fermented by various microorganisms is almost suffocating. There is even some corpse fluid stuck to Kazami Yuuka's tattered clothes.

"I have no objection, but could I borrow a piece of clothing?" As a flower fairy, Kazami Yuuka didn't react much to the natural scent on her body. She simply asked Suer naturally, "Otherwise, if it's just a matter of simply taking off your clothes, the spirit beside you might not be able to accept it... although I don't really care."

“You’re right, I would mind,” Xin Ke agreed with a smile, her eyes fixed on Su Er.

“I don’t have any women’s clothes here,” Su’er replied at lightning speed, turning her gaze to Yukari Yakumo, who had been silently watching the show from the sidelines.

In the blink of an eye, Yukari Yakumo, who had been happily eating melon seeds on the side, was now being watched closely by three pairs of eyes.

"Huh? Eh? Uh... okay... alright? I do have some extra clothes here..." Yukari Yakumo's fake smile froze. "Then I'll give them to you."