Chapter 10: Ayakashi: Yuki no Hoshoku-sha (Snow Predator)
The Onmyouji ended up being a bunch of useless farts. Five of them, three are fighting the Kappa around us with their magic cards and sorcery... they're saving a load of people by having them cross the bridge, but they're far from being able to cover enough area.
Kashiwagi-san and his partner... hmn... I don't think they're getting up any time soon, or ever.
"I don't know where you took that power from boy... but Kuchisake-onna is the weakest among us!" We were surrounded. Kappa everywhere and two big Youkai demons in front of us.
At least I know they won't be able to do anything to me. But can I protect Anna at the same time from these many numbers?
"Ray-chan-".
"Don't worry Anna, I will save us somehow-"
I smelled it once again, the foul stench... this time it was closer and more complex, it was like a mixture of something that smelled calm and relaxing, together with a fart. Like going to the toilet to put a massive turd only to spray the best of fragrances afterwards.
"Anna? Who is that?~"
Her voice became a bit colder and a bit psychotic, her brightness increased between my arms in a fluorescent sky blue colour with purple tonalities.
"An-chan?"
What's going on with her?!
"Hehehe~ I want more snacks!~"
*WHOOOSHH!!*
She flickered faster... way faster than any of those Youkais could pull out, she jumped on the nearest Kappa and took a bite.
*MUNCH!*
"AAAHHHHH!!!"
Half of Kappa's body disappeared, leaving me out of words as she quickly took another munch... and the poor bastard was gone. It was like her shadow had eaten him.
'What the fuck...? An-chan? Anna?'
"As I thought my senses were not fooling me, she's the Shinchu's daughter!"
Shinchu? If I remember correctly the Shinchu is a very powerful Yokai deity known as the divine insect. Unlike most Youkais it doesn't feed itself on humans, instead... it feeds on other Youkais.
And that's exactly what I'm watching Anna do right now. She's eating those Kappas like they're snacks!
This form of hers looked ethereal but I knew she wasn't fully conscious if anything this must be some sort of berserk state, the cute girl that I know... it is impossible that she would be doing this consciously.
"Hunt her down!"
The Spider-woman Jogorumo, lunged at Anna who was having her treat, with a swift movement of her head, Anna looked at the incoming Youkai and munched once.
*MUNCH!*
"AAAHHHH!!!"
One of the spider's eight legs disappeared but she still had the momentum on her side and tried to pierce Anna with her claws.
"No, you won't!".
I jumped, placing all of the strength I had in my feet. The impact was so hard that it crushed the ground and propelled me towards her.
I must protect her!
A golden flame lit up on my fist but it seemed like they learnt their lesson. She used her spiderwebs to get out of the way, dodging my attack that ended up impacting against the ground when I landed.
*BAAANGG!!*
A small golden explosion shattered the ground, I was far from being able to control these powers.
"Damn brat, he's dangerous! That flame just now had light attributes!".
The gigantic skeleton and her looked more wary now when facing me, it was like they were awaiting something to happen but they weren't very lucky.
"An-chan are you okay?" I shook Anna a few times.
She didn't even answer me... she was still munching but her appearance looked hideous, frightening and... beautiful. She had wasp wings, and her body looked like half-humanoid and half-insect but there was more, there were traces of ice and cold aura coming out of her body.
'She must be some sort of Youkai Hybrid... does that mean Sanae-san and Yuki-san are different types of Youkai?'.
[She seems to be some type of cannibalistic lifeform, she devours her own species].
'Did my powers wake up hers, Horus? I hadn't touched her directly until now... was it my hands?'.
[Your powers helped... but her transformation triggered because she had a taste of Youkai's blood. Perhaps her parents had wished to avoid this outcome as Youkai themselves, although this is just a hypothesis].
I would leave that conversation for later, the most important thing now is to deal with these bastards.
One of the Onmyouji landed next to me, he had his body all torn and ragged... all just from fighting some Kappas? Have shame on yourself!
"Boy, thank you very much for helping us. I won't ask about your true nature for now. The whole Kyoto District is under attack by the Eastern Youkai Faction, not just this shrine".
"..."
"We don't have enough active sorcerers, but reinforcements are coming from the West Youkai Faction... is it okay if we leave this shrine to you? This girl is dangerous but she seems to be listening to you..."
"Can't you see we're just helpless little kid!?"
"..."
He looked at me and then at Anna who was still in the middle of devouring whatever was in her filled-up mouth. I mean, we certainly don't look helpless but you shouldn't not be counting on ten-year-old kids like this.
"A little kid wouldn't be able to one-shot an intermediate Youkai... my name is Orochibara, and we're counting on you"
He flickered away just like that without caring whether I accepted the responsibility or not. I guess there is no choice.
"Orochibara-san... don't die like Kashiwagi-san. An-chan can you hear me?"
"I'm hungry Ray-chan... I'm starving".
"It is okay... just keep eating".
"C-Can I?"
"Yes, eat everything you want".
"Can I eat you?"
"Okay, not everything. Eat those Kappas, they're all yours... I'll take care of the skeleton and the spider".
"Okay... can we take a nap after this?".
"I promise!"
"Come Kid! We will offer you as a sacrifice to Nurarihyon-sama!"
I jumped at the Skeleton first, he's the easier target... I don't know any techniques. All I know is that I have a lot of physical strength so brute force is my only option.
'Hey Horus, how do I use those golden flames?!'
[So long as you instinctively feel the need to destroy something, they will manifest by themselves].
That's a bit ambiguous.
My small fist collided against that of the skeleton.
*BAAANGG!!!*
I shattered the gigantic skeleton fist with my own but a set of webs wrapped around my waist.
"UGH!*
"Die, boy!".
She swung me around until I crashed into the river. I didn't feel any pain, but it was annoying... as a ten-year-old I should be watching the power rangers, not fucking fighting demons.
'Hey Horus, when is my mom coming?!'
[The avatar of fortune? Why would she come?]
'You said she would come when I was in danger! something about a defence mechanism'
[You're not in danger... these Youkais are barely a challenge for you].
'Eh?'
I saw from the surface of the river how the gigantic skeleton's other fist was coming. I punched forth and shattered like it was nothing once again.
'... maybe you're right?'.
[The purpose of the system is for you to become stronger as a God and find Lady Elysir. These sorts of battles against the supernatural world translate to experience and they're necessary, wouldn't you agree?]
'I guess I do...'
Maybe I panicked for no reason, but then again An-chan is also here and even if I'm not in danger, she is.
The two Youkais, the giant skeleton and the spider woman were certainly fiercer than the Kuchisake-onna, but in the end, they had to fall before me.
"W-Wait, brat... who are you?"
I had individually torn apart the legs of the spider woman and left her to her demise, if An-chan wanted to eat her that was good too. The skeleton lay shattered at my feet, they were easy.
I thought everything was finished as Anna was also having a good time eating all of those Kappas, but it looked like she had reached her limit.
*RUMBLE!!*
"I had never seen such a young demigod before, tell me brat, what is your legacy?"
[Be careful Ray, it is another Demigod!]