Collapse, the Ordinary Daily Life of the Valkyries

For monsters, they all want to grab it desperately, this special thing that only comes once every hundred years -

"...Doesn't this look like a Shimenawa or Ebisu statue brought back from a village temple?"

That was a very strong hint that the demon must be a very powerful sorcerer, which gave me the chills.

"There's a fox statue over there, and this is the fur coat that mountain hunters wear to protect themselves from the cold. Sorry, it's dusty everywhere."

That's the dog's rag doll, and this is the coat I bought yesterday, isn't it!

"Since you're interested, please come back when Haosheng is home. He'll be delighted. If we had a son, Haosheng would surely take him on a research trip."

...In Harada Yoshio's eyes, I was the man who stole his daughter. I had no room for explanation and became a thorn in his side...

In short, the situation was not good. I felt a sharp pain in my chest from anxiety and anger, and my pulse in my temples accelerated.

I hinted to Misao's mother to forget I had been there, and then I rushed out of the Harada residence and headed straight for my own house next door.

My house is a temporary residence while I'm in human society. The reason it's next to Misao's house is because my grandfather arranged it so that I can protect her and be close to her.

That's right, Misao is special to us monsters, she is the most precious human.

All the monsters want Misao's body, so I have to keep an eye on her. My teeth are clattering.

In my house, I have seven officials serving me.

The entrance was locked, and I took the key from my suit pocket.

"Is no one here? Taro? Sagami?"

Even if I called out as I entered the entrance, the house was always quiet.

It's so rare that everyone's out. Seriously, I just had to face this kind of emergency. Never mind, I can handle it on my own. Besides, we're in a hurry now, so calling with a thought wave is too much trouble.

I pulled out information about monsters from the library deep inside my home. These were scrolls and books that had accumulated over hundreds of years, with vivid ink marks on the blackened Japanese paper.

I knelt on the tatami in the living room, pulled out a bundle of scrolls, and searched for the items I needed.

"Found it, this is it."

I've been feeling uneasy since last night. If they're acting behind my back, it could only be this youkai. This scroll records our past battles with this creature.

I unfolded the scroll on the table and read the contents carefully again.

"They possess not only martial prowess but also sorcery. Their prowess in invisibility—the art of wiping out their form and aura—and illusion—the art of bewitching and manipulating people's minds—is unmatched by any other youkai, past or present." Is that so? It seems that apart from this fellow, no other youkai can hide from my eyes."

That monster's name is——

"...A ghost. Half-demon, half-monster, calling themselves the Yamase clan."

They are closer to gods than pure monsters, so their demonic powers are very strong. When they were young, Tengu heard their parents tell stories about how powerful demons were in the past.

However, the demon clan should have stopped interacting with humans a long time ago and chose a path of quiet destruction. This is not only what I and the Tengu clan think, but almost all monsters should think so.

Over the past fifty or sixty years, that clan's numbers have dwindled dramatically due to a declining birthrate and an aging population. The remaining ghosts have secluded themselves in their settlements, the Ghost Village, and no longer venture into human society.

And my grandfather also said that there hasn’t been a single ghost seen in the past thirty years.

"Those guys were probably very powerful in the past, but they're said to be on the verge of extinction now. They're probably trying to get Misao as a last-ditch effort."

Needless to say, I had to fight those demons. I wonder how scared Misao would be if I didn't save her.

No matter how strong those guys are, I have now received the energy of Misao through kisses and hugs, and my strength far exceeds that of ordinary monsters.

Moreover, the overall demonic power of their clan has weakened to the point of being on the verge of extinction.

There is no way I can't beat them. No, I have to beat them.

Once I decided to fight the demons and rescue Misao, my anger became stronger than my anxiety. If you dare, just let Misao get hurt even a little bit, I won't let those guys go!

Misao, wait. No, I don't want you to wait. Even a second earlier is better. I want to rush over as soon as possible.

I went to my room to change my clothes.

Black kosode with black hakama, a black mask, a sword at the waist, and black wings spread. This is the battle attire of a Tengu. Once the suppressed power of daily life is released and fills the body, the vision changes color.

The fiery red eyes——the eyes opened.

Tengu's normal vision is already far superior to that of humans. Once transformed into a Hikari-gan, no creature in the world can match it in both visual field and dynamic vision. Not only can it make swift movements, imperceptible to the human eye, appear still, but it can also detect distant locations that require high-powered telescopes to see. Its already exceptional hearing is further enhanced.

This is Tengu.

The Ghost Village is located in a different world isolated from human society.

In contrast, the Tengu's homeland was merely deep in the mountains, within easy reach of human villages. While the ghost village in this otherworldly realm might be considered extremely remote, a certain path could bring it within easy reach of human settlements. That path was a dark, secret passage shrouded in shadows, invisible to the human eye. It felt like traversing a pitch-black cavern.

"Misao!"

When I flapped my wings, a whirlwind blew through the courtyard, and the dead branches of winter rustled.

I soared up into the cold, clear sky.

The nearest secret passageway entrance is located in the vast green space near the central part of the city, near the Guanting Street. That's where we're headed.

◆ ◆ ◆

*** Harada Misao

——Seeing the man getting close to my lips, I mustered up the courage to give him a headbutt.

it hurts……

Dizzy, he pressed his forehead where it had collided with mine and sighed deeply.

"Never mind. You'll probably change your mind soon."

"Who, who would change their mind?!"

"It depends on how long you can keep your mouth shut. Even if you crawl and beg for mercy, I might just pretend I don't know, okay?"

How could this person be so confident... Sigh, perhaps all monsters are like this. There are too many signs to suggest this.

"Who asked you to?! I don't know where you came from, but there's no way you can win against Kuang."

The man looked at me coldly.

"Master Xianguo, since you don't know, I will tell you. Our name is the Yamase clan, and people used to call us 'ghosts'."

"…………ghost?"

He doesn't have horns, his skin isn't red or blue, he doesn't wear tiger-striped shorts, and he doesn't look scary. Don't all ghosts look menacing?

Although this man had a blank expression, he was very beautiful. He had long hair covering his back, fair skin, delicate eyebrows and long eyelashes, a straight nose, sexy lips and a chin line, and gray eyes.

The way she lazily wore a gorgeous kimono over her casual kimono with the chest open was so beautiful that it was creepy.

No, Kuang is also very beautiful.

Not inferior to this person... No, Kuang is much more beautiful than this person.

Miscellaneous: Random Thoughts

Everyone couldn't help but wonder if that place could really be called a forest because it was just a piece of land with sparse coniferous trees.

The woods were neither deep nor wide.

Although each tree seems to be leaning against each other and growing together, it does not have the oppressive feeling that a dense forest brings. It is not too dense, nor too sparse. It is just a small cluster of coniferous forests, but it creates a very unique atmosphere.

Everything in the outside world is far away.

No one has drawn a boundary for this coniferous forest, nor built a wall to separate it. Only layers of evergreens block out the indifferent noises from outside. Even the wind, weaving through the branches and leaves, blows gently at all times of day and night, as if afraid to disturb something within this forest, quietly and stealthily swirling through it.

But it was by no means entirely silent.

There's no sense of loneliness or isolation here. Nor is there any sign of stagnation or extinction. Instead, layers of trees gently embrace the mundane, allowing a profoundly natural sense of stability to permeate the landscape.

This is what is called tranquility.

That silence wasn't forced to stimulate the eardrums; it was simply a result; it existed for its own sake. What filled this space wasn't a void of nothingness, but a tranquility created by the interweaving of countless tiny noises.

This could perhaps be considered a miracle. For it wasn't the result of anyone's meticulous planning. Rather, it was a marvelous effect of chance and necessity, unconnected to any human will. As if even the passage of time could be forgotten, this was a natural tranquility that was inaccessible to outsiders. No matter how much we longed for it, it was a state that humans could never create.

For those believers of Yu Cheng, this might remind them of some kind of holy place.

And in a way, that was a correct impression.

In such a place

Behind the layers of trees.

There is a small spring.

The water flowing from that small spring is always refreshing. The water seeps out to the side, moistening the surrounding land and nourishing the trees, flowers, and plants. The greenery surrounding the spring far surpasses any other scenery. This small spring seems to be the pure heart of this small forest.

Beside the spring

Even the royal territory

There was a tombstone scattered on the ground.

The awe-inspiring tombstone stands as if blending into the surrounding scenery.

The articles engraved on the tombstone together with the inscription declare the noble status of the person buried there.

Was he a noble? A member of the royal family? Sunlight streaming through the leaves shone on the stone. The pure black, flawless black and the smooth, reflective surface betrayed the meticulous craftsmanship of this tombstone. However, despite its exquisite design, the tombstone was surprisingly small and plain in style.

Along with the sound of horse hooves appeared two knights heading towards the spring.

The two knights stopped in front of the tombstone.

,This is?

A hint of surprise lingered in the knight's voice as he dismounted from his black horse. He wore a long, sleeveless cape with a unique pattern, obscuring his figure completely. Furthermore, the obscuring hat he wore made it impossible to determine his gender.

But judging from the voice, it should be a young girl.

Judging by the staff she carried hanging from her saddle, Ying Yan was a master of magic. Its surface was engraved with delicate geometric patterns, and its curved tip was adorned with several metal rings, making it look like something a magician would wield.

Although people were no longer bound by ignorant superstitions and blindly feared those who used magic, mages still kept their dangers hidden. This was especially true for young women.

That was her own hope.

The huge figure of another knight leaped from his brown horse and spoke in a flat, low voice.

There was absolutely no emotion in his words.

The young and energetic voice comes from this young man.

The voice actually belonged to a young man in his early twenties. His muscles were firm and his features were handsome. But he wasn't just a tough man. His every move, especially his eyes, revealed a depth of refinement and intelligence far beyond the average person.

just

That's because she never likes exaggerated things and noisy places.

The young man's voice, tinged with calm and sophistication, was the kind that could inadvertently penetrate the listener's heart. Someone lacking in life experience or superficial in their thinking could never achieve that. Though young, he seemed to have endured the hardships of a lifetime. And his voice was evidence of his life's experience.

Especially all the bitterness and sadness.

I feel more and more that she is really not a woman suitable to be the princess of King Abiajin

Suddenly, a hint of emotion appeared in the young man's voice.

He suppressed it. Perhaps it was his strong willpower that masked the emotions that shouldn't be revealed. But even with such strength, some fragments of emotion couldn't withstand the control of his will, making his voice seem a little shaky.

It doesn't seem difficult to judge what the person buried under this tombstone means to him.

His Majesty.

The magician standing beside called out softly.

This is not a castle.

Mage: No, the girl's voice is so clear and transparent.

She said this without any clear emotion, simply telling the truth. Perhaps it was because she knew that deliberately indirect sympathy and pity would hurt the other person.

but

If you want me to close my eyes and ears, I will not disobey you.

No, no need.

The young man's voice returned to its previous calmness.

From the deep emotion he instantly revealed, it was not difficult to guess how strong his self-control was. His face was expressionless, as if wearing a mask.

I'm fine.