Why can't humans do it too?

“Our village has nothing, monster, leave,” the old shrine maiden said.

“You misunderstand. We just want to inquire about this well and this tree. Is there any record of them in your village?” Understanding her wariness, Suer asked in a friendly manner, “If you are willing to answer our questions, we will leave you plenty of food as a reward when we leave.”

“That well…we call it the Bone-Eating Well,” the old shrine maiden seemed visibly relieved. She glanced at the well with some apprehension, then couldn’t help but look at the dog demon arguing with Yukari Yakumo. “It’s called that because so many demons have died down there, it’s all covered in bones. It’s a well that can devour demons.”

Since these monsters in front of her were willing to show a friendly attitude, she naturally couldn't adopt an uncooperative attitude and force those who could have had a friendly conversation to the opposite side.

The elderly witch waved her hand behind her, signaling the others to return to the village first. After a rustling sound, the bushes fell silent.

"Does it have any special abilities?" Suer steered the conversation to the main point.

"Special ability?" The old shrine maiden looked somewhat puzzled. "Does the ability to attract monsters count? Recently, it seems that more and more monsters are fighting each other here, which has forced everyone in the village to be careful."

At this point, the old priestess's expression turned somber, and she sighed, saying, "If only my sister were still here, she would know the reason for this."

Judging from her age, it sounded like her sister was already dead. Suer naturally had no interest in touching on other people's painful memories. According to her, this ancient well had at least never demonstrated the power to travel through time in front of these humans.

To the humans living here, the monsters just fight each other for no reason, and then their corpses fall into the well to rot. Little do they know that some of these creatures are lucky enough to travel to another era.

They're probably just lucky guys.

Those who traveled through time at this point in the year have mostly been destroyed by the barrier set up by Xin Ke. As for those who traveled through time in the past few hundred years... they were probably destroyed by human Onmyoji, Nurarihyon, or other yokai, or they were directly integrated into society.

"Didn't you leave behind any legends about this tree?" Suer asked after thinking for a moment.

"...I don't know...isn't this the Sacred Tree?" The old shrine maiden asked, bewildered. "It's been here since I was a child."

In an era where information and knowledge cannot be easily recorded, it is still too difficult for ordinary people to know about the past. Although the old woman in front of them is a shrine maiden, there is not much difference between a shrine maiden who protects a small village and an ordinary person.

In the end, the old witch returned to the village she was protecting. Suer assured her that no monsters would come to the village to harass them for a while. The arrogant dog demon who had been pinned to the tree by an arrow was not taken down. Suer believed that everything that was sealed had a reason for being sealed. In any case, the white-haired dog did not intend to explain, so let him stay pinned there.

Xin Ke, whose research interest had exploded, became very busy. Her experimental instruments, facilities, and ubiquitous spells spread throughout both worlds. Not only Su Er, but even Jibril was ordered around to assist her with some important tasks, and Jibril actually agreed.

It was as if Yukari Yakumo's request that day had not been heard, and Sue's attitude was also very clear, but Yukari Yakumo still did not give up. She remained highly active in the research site every day, and once she was almost killed by the spell set up by Shinko.

Even someone like Su Er, who could be said to have entered a retirement mindset, unconsciously became nervous, simply because the mirage-like portal to the back mountain of the Higurashi Shrine in modern society had expanded further, to the point that it was almost covering most of the back mountain.

It was the magical array set up by the monk Saigyouji that caused this to happen after his death, due to some kind of mysterious metaphysical reaction between the earth's veins or the world.

Why does the portal that allows one to travel through time only appear in the dark corner of this formation, instead of next to the cherry blossom tree in the Saigyouji ancestral home?

Anything related to the rules of the world is not a simple matter. It is quite normal to not achieve any results even after decades, hundreds, or even thousands of years. However, the current situation requires a solution to be developed as soon as possible to stop the two worlds from gradually overlapping. This heavy responsibility has fallen on Xin Ke's shoulders.

Yes, Xinke has been quite irritable lately.

Chapter 57 Araragi Koyomi Makes a Decision

When are researchers most irritable?

That's naturally when research is not progressing smoothly, but someone keeps urging you to produce results.

"So, this is your excuse for slacking off and not doing any work?"

"No, how can you call it slacking off? I'm just dealing with things that need to be dealt with... Let's not talk about that anymore. Do you still have the same thoughts as before?"

"Should I regain my human body, or live with a human mindset as a vampire?"

Sul put his arm around Araragi Koyomi's shoulder tightly, listening to the cracking sounds of his bones as he tightened his grip, and gave him a friendly smile.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Let go!!"

Araragi Koyomi begged for mercy at the speed of light. Although his vampire body would allow him to heal his injuries at the speed of light, the pain caused by the injuries would not be reduced in the slightest.

"...According to Rikuo, the world will only become more and more turbulent, right?" Araragi Koyomi sighed deeply. "In this situation, if humans who have reverted to being completely devoid of supernatural powers encounter any evil yokai, they will be completely helpless."

"So your conclusion is to keep things as they are?" Sue raised an eyebrow. "To protect your loved ones, to protect your family?"

“…Hmm,” he nodded in acknowledgment. Strangely enough, Araragi Koyomi thought he would feel heavy-hearted and tormented when he said such words, but he found himself surprisingly calm.

It was as if he had already accepted this situation deep down.

"So you're also prepared to eat humans? Like Kiss-Shot, using humans who have committed unforgivable sins as food to sustain your life?" Although it sounded like a serious question, Sue actually had no aversion to this choice.

Why waste your extra sympathy on those who no longer consider themselves human? Keeping them around will only drive up the price of rice; the resources spent on them should be used for those who truly need them.

Only by removing the bad and cutting away the rotten flesh can the body regain its health—Sul always understood this principle.

Therefore, he had nothing to preach to Araragi Koyomi.

As for the idea that once someone eats another person, they will eat another person for life, and that the standards will gradually decline... that's just overthinking it. All we need to do is draw a line and only eat people who have been sentenced to death by law.

After all, human society no longer wants them, so what's wrong with making use of them?

He shared this idea with Araragi Koyomi, and was met with the boy's astonished gaze.

“You’re right,” the new vampire nodded, then chuckled somewhat sheepishly. “But actually, it’s not necessary to eat people. Rikuo said that if I need to drink blood, I can just drink his monster blood. After all, monsters aren’t human, and they won’t easily die from blood loss. There’s no need to make things so complicated for myself.”

"Huh? That little rascal?" Su Er didn't expect Araragi Koyomi to give such an answer. He glanced at Araragi Koyomi with a strange expression and looked at him, uh, behind him, with particular attention. "You drank the monsters' sanqi wine with him? Speaking of which, you two seem to be on very good terms now."

"No, no, no, that's not true," Araragi Koyomi firmly denied drinking the nuptial wine with a man, but he didn't deny that he had a good relationship with Nura Rikuo. "...Okay, actually, I do have some relationship with Rikuo when I don't turn back into a human."

Suer began to squint.

“I…I envy the way yokai interact, and Rikuo really is a lot like me. I’ve seen what he looks like during the day. Even though his way of speaking and personality seem like a completely different person, I know he’s still himself,” Araragi Koyomi recalled. “Compared to yokai, he is definitely more like a human.”

"And it was Rikuo who advised me to keep my strength to protect the important people. I think he's right. When facing danger, it's best to have the strength to protect yourself. There's no need to ruin yourself for some sentimental reasons," Araragi Koyomi said calmly. "And I also want to help him. He wants to become the new Lord of Demons and Monsters."

They've been completely won over.

Suer pondered silently, but it didn't seem strange, since even he had to admit that those two slippery characters did indeed possess a unique personal charm.

“Now that you’ve made your decision, just stick to it,” Sue patted Araragi Koyomi on the back. “Do what you believe is right… By the way, did you win easily that day?”

Speaking of this, Sull is a little embarrassed. It was Sull who recommended Araragi Koyomi to the Nura Clan for training, but he was forcibly dragged there by Kagome Higurashi because of the Time Gate, and he basically forgot about it. He didn't even find out that Araragi Koyomi had won until later.

“Aside from being caught off guard at the beginning, I got better and better as the fight went on,” Araragi Koyomi said with a smug yet shy smile. “Thanks to your recommendation, Mr. Sue, and the training from the Nura Clan, I successfully retrieved Kiss-Shot’s limbs. And those vampire hunters and Mr. Oshino were surprisingly trustworthy.”

They dare to break their promise and see what happens?

"That's good... Don't do anything outrageous, just live well." Without pointing this out, Su'er's gaze fell on the shadow behind Araragi Koyomi. If his senses were not wrong, then Kiss-Shot should be hiding there right now, but it seemed that she had no intention of coming out to meet him.

"That's settled then. Since you've chosen to live as a vampire, remember not to forget your true self, and think things through when you encounter problems... I'll be going now," Sue said, standing up.

"Ah, I will, thank you very much for your help," Araragi Koyomi bowed sincerely, and was helped up by Sue.

Without saying anything more, in Araragi Koyomi's eyes, the man, who was so young that he didn't look like an old monster at all, waved goodbye and then disappeared into thin air.

"Finally gone..." Kiss-Shot's figure slowly rose from Araragi Koyomi's shadow. This vampire had clearly regained her complete body, but strangely, she still maintained the appearance of a young girl.

It's hard not to wonder if it's Araragi Koyomi's unique taste.

"Shall we do it, you or me?" Kiss-Shot asked with an evil laugh as she poked Araragi Koyomi's leg with a finger.

"...I'll do it, since I don't have any pocket money left to buy donuts this month."

As the two were talking, a tentacle-like shadow was lurking in the distance in a deserted alley, its claws outstretched and two crimson spots peeking out.

Araragi Koyomi moved closer.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Severe

There are more and more monsters in the city.

After the spring break, schools across the country started the new semester. When the students gathered together, they were surprised to find that in just one holiday, urban legends had exploded in number, and everyone could tell a completely different story.

Everything from the visuals to the details is incredibly clear, as if they were right there on the scene.

In the dead of night, you might hear someone knocking on the handrail of a stairwell, but when you go out to look, you'll find no one there; in the countryside at dusk, a tall, thin shadow might peek out from the fields, only to disappear again when you look closely; at midnight, picking up a landline and pressing four zeros will connect you to hell...

There were too many to count. Araragi Koyomi even felt that this could no longer be called a simple urban legend, but rather a horror and supernatural story.

He no longer doubts the authenticity of these stories, but tries his best to remind any classmate who is willing to listen to him not to let their curiosity get the better of them and to avoid doing anything that looks strange, and to try not to go out after dark, etc.

Although most of his classmates who heard him took his words as a joke, or regarded him as a fanatic who believed urban legends to be true, this made his already gloomy image at school even more peculiar.

But Araragi Koyomi knew that what he said was true... Oh right, Hanekawa Tsubasa must believe it too.

What made him give up the idea of ​​returning to being a pure human was the monsters or strange creatures he could encounter even while strolling around at dusk. Some of these monsters were reborn in a new era because of human desires, fantasies, or fears, while many more were things that had disappeared and become extinct but had reappeared in this world.

He wanted to protect his family, his sisters—to hold the knife in his hand when danger came.

The black smoke shimmered ominously in the twilight sun. The strange manifestation of the core that Araragi Koyomi had grasped in the outside world was nothing more than its menacing black tentacles. Even the struggles of these tentacles gradually weakened, and they could only limply pat Araragi Koyomi's wrist.

The scars on his arm were disappearing at a visible speed. Araragi Koyomi silently watched as the monster he held in his hand grew weaker and weaker, until it crumbled into dust with a gentle squeeze, like a clump of dry firewood, and disappeared completely into the air as it fell.

The vampire's unique ability to absorb energy makes clearing out these minor monsters or goblins incredibly easy.

The government seems to have also discovered these things, or perhaps the national level has known about the existence of these anomalies for a long time, but because they have always acted calmly, they have not taken much action. In any case, in this era that is gradually showing signs of turmoil, they have also introduced corresponding defensive measures.

While this was an exceptionally swift response given Araragi Koyomi's understanding of the Japanese government, it was better to rely on them...

'...Hopefully Mr. Sue can resolve these matters as soon as possible...'

Clap his empty hands, Araragi Koyomi looked up at the sky, where faint black demonic energy seemed to linger, and pondered silently.

Tonight, Araragi Koyomi will join the hunt.

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

With Araragi Koyomi, the Nura Clan, and all sorts of oddballs like Onmyoji and supernatural experts around, it shouldn't be too difficult for human society to maintain stability on the surface for now. In addition, the Japanese government, which is aware of the situation, has also released its magic weapon called 'expert explanation' at just the right time. Overall, urban legends remain urban legends.

As for Suer, he found himself in an extremely troublesome situation.

To put it bluntly, Saigyouji Yu's story is about human sacrifice. Human sacrifice has never ceased in any country or dynasty. Moreover, this is not a fake human sacrifice, a deception to swindle money or status, but a human sacrifice that can truly benefit the people of this region.