Mob Yandere

[Part 4/7]

"Anyway, we're going..."

I declared with some hesitation that we would resume our march, trying to deceive the tense atmosphere. The young girls reluctantly followed suit.

How far have we come? Along the corridor, shelves on both sides are filled with numerous small Buddha statues... starving Buddha statues. The grotesque forms suffering from agony and hunger are tasteless, and combined with the dusty and musty air, make the advancing person uncomfortable. In reality, the young girls were also expressing a mix of anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Still, we move, move, and move. ...Unlike before, there were no youkai here. It was strange that my footsteps felt oddly gritty, but that was all. Nothing else. Just a continuing corridor... Finally, we arrived in that large room.

"This is..."

I couldn't help but look up at what was reflected in my sight.

The interior decoration was like a solemn Buddhist temple, and in the center, there sat a colossal Buddha statue resembling an elephant. An old statue with exposed copper, covered in rust... Looking around, there were twelve corridors in the large room, including the passage we had appeared from. It seemed that no matter which zodiac sign we chose, it would eventually lead us here.

"What does this mean?"

After a moment of silence, one of the girls uttered in confusion.

"Where's the exit?"

"Should we go down another corridor?"

The girls whispered to each other. They seemed unsure of what to do. They were perplexed about how to interpret this room. I was different. I understood what to do next.

"...Wait a moment."

I warned in front of the statue, then bowed to it with my hands clasped. And then... I climbed up.

"Eh...!?"

"Aren't you in trouble if you do that!?"

The girls seemed genuinely flustered and tried to admonish my actions, attempting to stop me. They were devout and troubled. Surely, their reaction was within the schemer's expectations. I had already expressed my gratitude beforehand, so it's all good, all safe.

"I'll make it through this way!"

While making a superficial apology, I mercilessly climbed the statue. I climbed all the way. Standing atop the Buddha. I glanced around. Then, looked at the ceiling.

"...Surprisingly high, isn't it?"

I reached desperately for the ceiling with one hand, stretching my back in a somewhat reckless posture, supporting myself with my legs and the other hand. I touched and pushed against it, and that's when I found something.

"This is it!"

I discovered a loose piece of the unstable ceiling wood. With a strong push, it came off and flew away, allowing light to pour in. Bingo! I jumped and pulled myself up. Only my upper body emerged on the other side of the light.

"Alright, no problem. Definitely outside."

Glancing around with my body leaning forward, I confirmed that there were no traps beyond the exit. It might be something a malicious exorcist with a bad personality would do, but in the submission stage, it wasn't that malicious. It's sensible. Let's go back for now.

"One by one, we'll ascend. Don't let your guard down even when you go up. Be cautious of your surroundings."

The scene outside seen from above was a mountain forest. At first glance, I didn't think we had warped somewhere far from vegetation. Probably somewhere on Mt. Tatara. ...Still, just in case, I'll stay vigilant.

"Alright, starting with you. Come up."

Descending from the Buddha statue, I called out to a girl in her mid-teens among the brats. Was it Mio? After looking around at her companions in response to the call, she timidly approached.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

Saying that, I grabbed her waist and lifted her up, carrying her with one arm. Looking up,

"...it's like a spider's thread."

"Eh?"

"I'm talking about here. Don't mind it."

The kids beside me tilted their heads in confusion. I mean, we were in a dark room, sitting on the statues, and I casually remarked upon seeing a ray of light outside. The confusion on their faces indicated a certain level of concern. No, could it be a deception?

"Let's go."

Once again, I climbed the seated statue. Upon reaching the top, I placed her on the arm. I raised the arm and lifted her towards the ceiling, letting her extend outside. Even when stretching her arm to its limit, the girl crawled and climbed, managing to escape somehow.

"Now, next. Let's do it quickly."

Ignoring the embarrassed second person at the foot of the seated statue, the serious-looking third person, and the energetic fourth person who is the youngest, I pull up the group that had preceded on the seated statue. And the fifth person...

"Come on, the last one. Come."

"Me too...?"

"Who else is there?"

I say to the eldest instigator of the awkward conspiracy. I beckon and urge her to come quickly.

"Is it okay?"

"Collecting everyone is my job... Hurry up."

"...Yeah."

Then the little girl heads this way with a clumsy walk. I reach out my hand... leap and swing my fist!!

"Get down!"

"Kyaa!!?"

Forcing Kudzu to bow her head, I punch the shadow that jumps out from the darkness.

'Gii, Gi, Ki...!'

"W-What is this...!?"

The small figure that was blown away growls. Yellow eyes shine ominously in the black. I brace myself with Kudzu on my back.

"You were said 'Gaki', right? The real deal has shown up...!!"

It was literally a 'Gaki' in every sense. A youkai imitating a goblin, not quite like a pure goblin. A kind of evil spirit imitating a goblin. A living corpse made from the remains of executed criminals.

'Shaaa!!'

"Disappear!!"

I kick Gaki that jumps at me, sending it flying. Thanks to the kick strengthened by spiritual power, it goes flying in a comically delightful way and disappears into the darkness.

...But in the darkness, the sound of flesh tearing and the sound of bones breaking leaks out. Echoes of screams filled the air. The stench began to drift from all directions, slowly spreading from the darkness, and countless shadows writhed in the dark.

...Wait a minute. Seriously, this can't be happening!!

"Ah, so that tacky statue is for something like this!?"

I remembered the Gaki statues lined up in the corridor of this large room.

In the darkness, hundreds of Gaki emerged. From all directions, probably from all twelve passages, they surrounded us in a 360-degree manner. Breaking through the outer layer of clumps, they came forth from within the adorned Gaki statue!

"Hii...!?"

"Kudzu, hold on!!"

Embracing Kuzu, I climbed the statue. The simultaneous screams of Gakis resounded from behind.

"Huh!? They're fast!!?"

Among the various grotesque monsters, some agile like monkeys quickly bounced and reached us in no time. They approached with fangs and claws raised. I blew some away with a backhand, cut down others with a dagger (tantō). They kept climbing, climbing, but...

"Can’t make it in time!!?"

It was too fast. Too swift. By the time I realized, they were already clinging to my legs. Knocking down those coming from the side.

"Hii!!?"

"Don't breathe stinky breath!!"

A Gaki grabbed Kudzu's arm, opening its jaw with decayed teeth in disarray and a foul smell. I thrust my fist into its mouth, shattering its teeth gruesomely. It writhed in agony, then I hit and toppled it.