Chapter 22: Meet the strongest Onmyoji and Necromancer

The curtain of night was about to fall.

In the dimming twilight, a girl who appeared to be around ten years old walked alone in the desolate square. Clutched to her chest was a worn-out book.

She was one of the survivors from the town attacked by undead soldiers.

There was no one else in the square. The debris hastily cleared away, creating a lifeless space. The only things moving besides the girl were the faint lights of a few fireflies.

The girl approached one of the buildings facing the square—the only one with light escaping through the window. 

As she reached for the door, it seemed she caught sight of me, standing at the center of the square.

“Wow…”

The girl was momentarily startled, but as she looked directly at my face, she suddenly broke into a smile.

“Oh… mister!”

The little girl was the one that Ami and I had rescued from under the debris.

Still smiling, she spoke.

“You came back? I’m so happy! Everyone is still uneasy… wondering when they’ll attack again. If they knew you came back, I’m sure everyone would feel relieved.”

I say nothing.

The girl continues talking with a smile.

“Since then, little by little… our lives are starting to return to normal. Today, we got sweet potatoes and vegetables, so I made soup. Is the lady with the red hair coming too? If you want, would you like to join us?”

I still don’t respond.

It’s a strange conversation.

Neither I nor Amiyu have had any meaningful conversation with this girl we rescued.

After pulling her out from the rubble and leaving her seemingly unconscious at the town’s evacuation site, we haven’t interacted. 

In normal circumstances, she shouldn’t even remember our faces.

The girl continues to talk with a smile.

“Thanks to both of you, my dad has also become energetic. Look, Dad!”

The girl looks back at the house.

The door opens, and light spills out… from there, a single figure steps forward.

A middle-aged man in ordinary attire, looking like anyone you might encounter anywhere.

“Ah… Ahh…”

The man was staring at the empty space, not at me.

His half-open mouth uttered vacant words.

“Ah… thank you…”

“Come on, Dad! Speak properly!”

“Th…ank you… for… help…ing my daughter…”

“For helping… thank you…”

Another voice echoed.

From the dark house next door, a middle-aged man appeared.

A man with an ordinary appearance, looking like anyone you might encounter, with exactly the same face.

“Tha…nkful… I am…”

“Saved… better…”

From the western alley, two middle-aged men walked over.

“Thought… you were dead…”

“Alive and well… glad…”

On the roofs of shops and houses, middle-aged men stood up.

“But… faster, even faster…”

“If you had come sooner, sooner…”

“It wouldn’t have been so painful… suffered for nothing…”

“Why, why…”

“So strong like that, why…”

From the shadows of debris, from building windows, from the tips of chimneys.

From every conceivable place, middle-aged men with the same face emerge.

“…Was it not worth it?”

Someone, in the form of a girl, spoke.

Already, the smile had disappeared from that face.

“It’s disappointing. I went to all this trouble, and yet… dealing with the living is indeed difficult.”

Regretfully, the necromancer said.

The tone and content of the speech are not at all fitting for the appearance of a young girl.

Surrounded by the undead soldiers of middle-aged men, I inquire.

“It seems you anticipated my visit.”

“Of course.”

The necromancer, in the form of a young girl, nodded with an incongruous, nonchalant smile.

“I am a necromancer. The bodies I control are not only human. Did you know? Birds have superior vision to humans. The colors might be peculiar, but they might be seeing colors that humans cannot see.”

The necromancer spoke, somewhat proudly.

Normally, a necromancer cannot share vision with the dead bodies. What the sorcerer was describing deviated significantly from standard necromancy.

“But still… you have quite a peculiar dragon under your command. When it dies, I’d like to have it if possible.”

“That’s difficult.”

I respond quietly.

“Without witnessing its demise… tonight, the fate on that side will come to an end.”

“What a spirited living being. However—”

Even when pressured, the necromancer seems to maintain a certain composure.

“—I am willing to engage in a conversation. Is that not right? I remember… Seika, was it? I don’t know your real name, but you were called that at that time.”

Ignoring my silence, the necromancer continues.

“There must be things you want to know. As a fellow pursuer of the path of sorcery. Though, it’s the same on my side. If it’s not an inconvenience, let me start… Why this place?”

In a tone reminiscent of a philosopher, the necromancer inquired.

After a moment’s pause, I spoke.

“It’s the yoke of distance.”

“Oh?”

“Any spell weakens as the distance increases. To control a large number of undead spread over such a wide area, ingenuity is needed… and your ingenuity seems to be it.”

With my gaze, I point to the corpse of a middle-aged man standing behind the necromancer.

“We use specially selected corpses with the same appearance, relaying the magic. The corpses we pulled out from under the rubble here have the exact same face as the corpses we found elsewhere.”

“Hmm. That’s fortunate.”

The necromancer spoke with admiration.

“There aren’t many relay corpses. You’ve found them well. I thought it would be challenging, as either grouping the dead for cremation or the slightest damage to their faces would give away the secret.”

“It’s not luck. Disabling an army without harming the corpses is easy for me. I’ve become accustomed to the situation, and it has given me some leeway. Enough leeway to mourn the dead.”

Indeed, it was not luck.

It was because Amiyu tried to mourn the dead.

It was because she overcame Ren.

By seeing through the enemy’s plan, I managed to arrive here.

“If there was luck on our side… it was that the other side was surprisingly foolish.”

“Hmm…”

“If there were people calling the corpse with that face ‘father,’ it would be natural to suspect something. Looking back now, it was an inexplicable move.”

“Hmm… Well, you have a point. But at that moment, I thought it was the best move.”

The necromancer chuckled.

“What I feared at that time was the examination of the relay corpse. I took precautions not to leave unnecessary traces, but there might have been something overlooked. I wanted to make it look like the corpses were residents. As an impromptu decision, I thought it was a brilliant performance… but it seems to have backfired completely.”

The necromancer continues to speak.

“That was an unfortunate encounter for us. We intended to turn this town into one of our workshops. However, before we could establish a satisfactory position, you all showed up. I was quite flustered. I thought I was hiding under the rubble, only to be discovered by the red-haired girl. If there were any cracks in this large-scale experiment, I suspected it would come from there.”

I exhale softly.

There was some intention or perhaps the possibility of a trap in that inexplicable scene, but it seems it was simply a result of chance.

However, there are still mysteries.

“Let me ask you as well… What is that body of yours over there?”

Frowning, I continue.

“If there were a relay corpse, I assumed it would resemble the sorcerer. However, in reality, it not only looks entirely different but… to pull off something like this, it has an unimaginable appearance.”

“For someone who has come so close to me, it’s quite a dull question. I don’t feel it’s worth answering.”

The necromancer speaks with a hint of disappointment.

“Instead, let me reveal one secret. Take a closer look at those around you.”

I scan the men with identical faces standing around the square.

Upon closer observation, they do not have exactly the same face.

Slightly rounder faces, slimmer faces. Round faces, angular faces. Faces with different shades, some marked with scars.

Differences extend below the neck as well. Though similar in body type, there are slight variations in thickness and height.

Their attire also varies. Most wear ordinary clothing, but among them are blacksmiths and cooks, not to mention clothing typically worn by women and children.

“…Could it be?”

I mutter.

“These… were once residents of this town.”

“Keen observation.”

The necromancer nods contentedly.

“I made use of the living beings you helped without leaving any behind. To create corpses in the desired form, one must intervene while they are still alive. I prepared survivors in this town originally for the purpose of using them as the base for these bodies.”

The necromancer speaks cheerfully.

“The shaping of corpses was originally a very troublesome task, but for this large-scale experiment, I developed a new method using healing magic. I must say, it was quite revolutionary. Even if I make a mistake and cut them up a bit, I can easily undo it, and it significantly shortens the time needed for the flesh to bond. Thanks to this, I was able to prepare so many intermediary corpses in a short period. However, there is a drawback; once they are dead, healing magic cannot be applied, so I have to finish everything while the base is still alive. It’s a challenge, especially for those resistant to curses that suppress body movement—they may cry out during the procedure, and it pains my heart, but once they’re dead, they’re all the same. I’ve decided to rationalize it that way.”

The tone of the necromancer resembled that of a scholar excitedly sharing their own discovery.

Among those who deviate from the norms of human existence, it is not uncommon to find individuals whose minds have deteriorated.

The necromancer in front of me unmistakably seemed to be one of those individuals with such mental deterioration.

“What is your purpose?”

I inquire.

“What do you seek, and why go to such lengths?”

“The pursuit of enlightenment,”

The necromancer in front of me answers as if it were the most natural thing.

“Investigation, that is the purpose itself. What else is there? Transforming the zero of corpses into the valuable one. Necromancy holds a significance beyond infinity. It has the power to change the world on a grand scale.”

The philosophy articulated by the sorcerer in the form of a young girl is undeniably that of someone whose mind has deteriorated.

The necromancer continues with a sense of melancholy.

“However, I, too, don’t just desire a multitude of experimental materials. This extensive experiment was carried out at the behest of supporters.”

“…!”

“It’s a harsh reality. No matter how much money you have for research, it’s never enough. Besides well-preserved corpses, there are many necessary tools. Precious items are expensive, and the things we need in abundance also come at a high cost. For someone like me, who cannot live among the living, the presence of supporters is indispensable. I must strive to meet their requests as much as possible.”

“So, there were collaborators after all. Who are they?”

I sharply inquire.

“Who is that person?”

“Oops, I can’t answer that.”

The necromancer smirks.

“It’s been a while since I’ve conversed with the living. Seems like I let slip more than I intended. Forgive me for that.”

“…I see.”

While saying this, I make humanoid shapes float around me.

“Well then, that person is no longer needed.”

“Is our conversation over?”

The necromancer in the form of a young girl blinked as if taken aback.

“Don’t you want to know more about my research findings? Just the other day, I finally succeeded in the impregnation and birth experiment of female necromantic rats. The offspring is, of course, alive. Theoretically, this could be applicable to humans as well. Though it may not be cheerful news for the emotions of the living… but wouldn’t a man who lost his spouse be pleased?”

“I have no interest.”

The humanoid shapes around me flicker with a blue glow due to the leaking magic.

“There’s nothing to learn from you.”

“…Too bad. Well then, let’s make this the last question.”

The necromancer stares straight at me and declares.

“What are you?”

“…”

“In my pursuit of necromancy, I’ve gathered knowledge of all kinds of magic and things related to it. I now have the confidence to rival any researcher. Yet, even with my expertise, your power is incomprehensible. Strange swords and dragons summoned by mysterious summoning arts. Runes with principles that defy understanding. From start to finish, there’s nothing in my knowledge that encompasses what you possess.”

“…”

“Boy… How did you come to master all these?”

In the eyes of the necromancer, there was a light as if trying to fathom the abyss.

Without changing my expression, I speak.

“I have no intention of answering. Even if I did, you wouldn’t understand.”

“I see… Well then, I no longer have any business with you.”

The graceful hand of the young girl opens the book she was holding.

With an incredible surge of power, particles of light burst from the pages.

They flow behind the necromancer and gradually take on a tangible form.

“Finally, let me show you my masterpiece.”

It manifested as a bizarre dragon.

A body resembling a typical dragon with wings. However, seven different heads sprouted from it.

The original dragon’s head. One resembling a delicate hydra. Another head, like that of a worm without eyes. One resembling a wyvern, almost triangular in shape. Another head covered in fish scales like a sea serpent. These were the usual heads. The remaining two were a spectral head with a translucent background and a single red giant eye mounted at the end of a long neck.

It was an unimaginable form.

Even a hydra, known for having multiple heads, would not have such a variety. Perhaps due to the weight of the heads, the entire creature was leaning forward. Even the scales on its body had different colors and shapes in various places.

“How about it?”

The necromancer says somewhat boastfully.

“With the base materials alone, it’s a creation worth building a castle for. The culmination of my research. I would have loved to hear your impressions, but… I suppose you can’t speak anymore.”

The necromancer chuckles in amusement.

The patchwork dragon’s spectral form and the giant eye’s cursed gaze continue to unleash intense curses upon me.

The red giant eye obstructs movement with its malevolent stare, while the curse from the spectral neck’s head starts imprinting wedge-shaped seals all over my body.

That spectral neck is likely from a sub dragon known as a Cursed Dragon, and the red giant eye appears to have been extracted from a Cyclops, judging by its size and malevolent nature.

“Unfortunately, I’ll give up on turning you into a necromantic soldier. You don’t seem like an easy opponent.”

The remaining five heads are sharply drawn back.

A powerful surge begins to swirl.

The necromancer casually declares,

“Well then, meet your end without a trace.”

The patchwork dragon exhaled a breath.

Fire erupted from the dragon’s mouth, poison gas from the hydra’s mouth, lava from the worm’s mouth, wind blades from the wyvern’s mouth, and water streams from the sea serpent’s mouth, wreaking havoc in the square.

Due to the tremendous recoil, the massive upper body of the patchwork dragon momentarily floated.

The corpses of middle-aged men ignited, carved, consumed, and washed away by the aftermath alone.

If it were a direct hit, as the necromancer declared, an ordinary human would have vanished without a trace.

But…

“…My thoughts, huh?”

The immense output of the breath attacks vanished without reaching me.

Within the barrier surrounded by humanoid figures, I address the necromancer.

“The seemingly unbalanced heads appeared to offset the recoil from the breath attacks surprisingly functionally. However…”

Neither my mouth nor body is affected. The curses, too, disappeared before the barrier was erected.

Such curses were not even worth addressing.

“…Still, fatally, your taste is quite distasteful.”

“…I am surprised.”

Within the column of light, the necromancer wears a strained smile.

Beside her, seemingly summoned unnoticed, two priestly undead soldiers stand. Presumably, to prevent the aftermath of the breath attacks, they collaborated to create a dispelling barrier.

“I’ve seen that barrier before… but did it really block even the recent breath attacks? I didn’t think there was a barrier in the realm of runes I’m familiar with that could do that.”

“Who knows? Maybe your knowledge is just limited.”

As I say this, I draw forth more humanoid figures from the aether.

With a smile on my lips, I announce

“Even troublesome moving corpses become quiet with just this.”

Simultaneously with my words, I dispersed the humanoid figures.

In an instant, they scattered in all directions, positioning themselves to surround the city.

I formed a simple seal.

Curses were imbued in each humanoid figure, and a massive barrier enveloped the entire city.

Dealing with undead soldiers was simple when I didn’t care about the state of the corpses.

All I needed to do was dispel the curses and return them to corpses, a skill well within my expertise in Onmyodo.

As expected, the moment the barrier was completed, the remaining middle-aged man, the priestly undead soldiers, and the patchwork dragon all collapsed as if their strings had been cut.

But…

“Huh…!?”

“Hehe.”

The undead soldiers, who should have been dispelled by the barrier, did not fall.

While their postures momentarily crumbled, they quickly stood up as if nothing had happened.

I couldn’t comprehend the situation.

“What’s happening…?”

“I mentioned seeing it once, didn’t I? Naturally, I’ve considered countermeasures as well.”

With a daring smile, the necromancer speaks.

“The barrier extends in a three-dimensional range centered around the curse symbols. Therein lies the loophole. The curse symbols cannot penetrate underground. Therefore, the effects won’t reach underground.”

“…”

“Hence, by embedding magical runes underground and maintaining the spell, it’s possible to circumvent it. It was a gamble whether the supply of magical power from the ground would be nullified… but it seems I’ve won.”

Facing the enemy sorcerer who managed to overcome the Onmyodo barrier, I respond in silence.

Her observation was accurate.

Depending on how the barrier is constructed… the ones I often use don’t extend their effects underground.

However, I never expected a sorcerer who had seen the barrier only once remotely to break it in such a manner. Her thinking and the technique to realize it clearly surpass ordinary bounds.

She is no ordinary individual.

A necromancer who has mastered the art to a degree I have never witnessed even in my past life.

“However…”

The necromancer turns to the priestly undead soldiers and says

“It seems the magic used by the undead soldiers is indeed neutralized. At this rate, the breath attacks may not work either. However, it’s not a problem.”

Suddenly, the cobblestones in the square explode with a loud noise.

From beneath the ground, a massive shadow rises.

“O… Oh…”

A massive humanoid corpse, close to twenty-four feet tall (approximately six meters), emerges. It appears to be the body of a giant.

One after another, undead soldiers rise from the ground.

The corpse of a red-skinned ogre with demonic features. The body of a bear-like humanoid with black fur. Even the corpse of a large demon wielding a battle axe.

“I anticipated such a situation and embedded summoning runes underground. Here are my special undead soldiers of the demon race. They easily deflect half-hearted swords and magic with their bodies alone and can tear humans apart barehanded. How will you fight against these, which the barrier cannot affect?”

The necromancer gives the command for an assault.

“If possible, die beautifully.”

The undead soldiers of the demon race kick the ground.

I already have a single humanoid figure floating.

With a small sigh, I mutter

“Oh well.”

I form a seal with one hand.

“After all, this was my plan from the beginning.”

《Summoning—Starving Oni》

From the distortion in space, a multitude of youkai pour forth.

“Hmm?”

The necromancer expresses surprise, and the undead soldiers halt.

The youkai with an eerie appearance, compared to the demonic stature, is small.

It has a form somewhat resembling a human, but its height is no more than that of a child. Additionally, it is extremely emaciated, with a protruding belly reminiscent of a starving orphan.

Its eyes seek something to satisfy its hunger, shining darkly.

The starving oni land on the ground and immediately dash forward.

Then, the oni closest to the giant undead soldier bites its ankle.

Without any chance for the giant to resist, that portion vanishes with a blue flame.

“Ogh…”

Losing balance, the giant undead soldier collapses.

Other starving oni gather around the fallen giant, biting into it. From where they bite, the giant’s body disappears with a blue flame. In the blink of an eye, its size is reduced by about half.

The same occurs in various parts of the square.

The ogre-like undead soldier loses its lower body and falls. The bear-like humanoid is left standing with only its legs as the upper body vanishes. Even when the demon undead soldier has one arm erased and swings its battle axe, the starving oni bites into the blade, causing it to disappear along with a blue flame. In moments, only the demon’s head remains.

“What in the world is happening…”

Staring in dismay at the unfolding scene, the necromancer mutters.

“Gurugurugooo…”

The patched-up dragon lets out a scream and thrashes around.

Its neck and tail swing, causing the surrounding buildings to collapse.

Upon closer inspection, the starving oni is clinging to various parts of its massive body.

Unyielding against the formidable scales… not only that, but the starving oni bites into the neck of the supposed cursed dragon made of spiritual substance, causing it to vanish along with a blue flame.

Its body is shrinking at a visible speed.

“Unbelievable…”

Looking up at the patched-up dragon, now on the verge of being lost, the necromancer mutters in astonishment.

“What is that strange goblin…? Is it using a volume greater than its stomach can hold to disappear…? Some kind of teleportation magic? No, however, there are no traces of such.”

“That’s a pitiful youkai.”

I say as if talking to myself.

“Always hungry but never able to consume anything. The moment it enters the mouth, everything burns and disappears like that. It’s said to be the form of punishment for those who were greedy in their lifetime.”

Of course, it’s just a superstition, and the youkai called “starving oni” has such a nature.

The phenomenon of making what it bites disappear is also caused by the supernatural power of the starving oni itself.

“Huh?”

As if she heard a ridiculous joke, the necromancer wore a strained smile.

“Haha… What’s that? Nonsense. Absurd. Such things don’t happen… When people die, that’s it. Only a lifeless corpse and a lingering soul like a remnant fragrance remain. That’s how it’s supposed to be… It’s supposed to be, but…”

The necromancer holds her head in her hands.

“…I don’t understand. Neither its ecology nor its principles. What kind of monster it is, why such phenomena are happening… I can’t even imagine. What a thing, what a…”

The necromancer’s face lights up with joy as a girl’s expression.

“What… marvelous! It seems there are still immeasurable things in the world! The path continues… the path I must master is still so unclear… Aggh!”

Groaning, the necromancer collapses.

Two starving oni were clinging to her legs.

Blue flames rise from their grotesque mouths with sagging skin.

“Ah… haha. It’s a good kind of pain.”

The necromancer turns to the starving oni biting her, notices her shortening legs, and wears an expression that’s a mix of laughter and tears.

“It’s strange… The sensation where I was bitten disappears in an instant. As if, as if it’s vanishing from this world… Ah, it hurts, it hurts… Haha. Good, this is good… Surely…”

A cold light shines in her eyes.

“Next, I can bring back to life.”

“Do you think there’s a next for that?”

I spoke while using my curse to stop the starving oni devouring the necromancer’s body.

Unnoticed, everything around had disappeared.

The undead soldiers of the demon race, the patched-up dragon, and even the debris and houses—all gone.

Everything was completely erased by the youkai that continued to hunger.

The starving oni gathered around.

With darkly gleaming eyes, they stared at the only remaining source of food: the necromancer’s body.

“Of course, there is.”

The necromancer, with most of her lower body erased, crawling on the ground, answers with a smile.

“Did you ever doubt that the answer to your first question might still be unknown?”

I say with a small click of my tongue.

“So, indeed… that body is a corpse.”

There was a possibility.

If the girl’s body was the original, there would be no reason to transform the relay corpse into such an appearance.

However, I couldn’t be sure.

A corpse resurrected by necromancy never behaves exactly like a living person.

The body of this girl behaved just like a living person.

Necromancy capable of such precise manipulation was far beyond my understanding.

“Haha. Revealing oneself to the enemy is something a third-rate necromancer would do. Did I appear to be of such mediocre skill?”

Surrounded by a horde of starving oni, the necromancer speaks with an expression of utmost composure.

“It was a blunder.”

“What…?”

“Thanks to your monster devouring everything, you’ve completely lost any clues to me. We probably won’t meet again.”

“I don’t really care.”

Looking down at the necromancer, I give a command to the hungry youkai horde.

“—Devour it all.”

The starving oni swarm the necromancer all at once.

The remaining upper half of the girl’s body disappears from this world in an instant, accompanied by intense flames.

Opening the door to return the youkai to their original state, I mutter.

“Anyway, you probably didn’t leave any clues. And—”

Looking back at the lost city of the living, I distort my expression slightly.

“—I can’t let that girl dig any more graves.”

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