Mob Yandere
Chapter 205: Surely, Just Like A Certain Mask, No Matter How Many Times You Repeat It, You Won't Die, Will You

From the peaks of Mount Tatara, one could catch a distant view of the grand capital of Fusou. Amidst the mountain's greenery stood the former Yakushiji estate—a forgotten ruin until recently. It had since been bought, renovated, and expanded into a lavish mansion by none other than the only daughter of the Tachibana Trading Company president. The extravagant scale of the place, along with its rapid construction, had already become the talk of the town.

The rumors were wild and plenty.

Some claimed the estate was a den of indulgence—used to entertain high-ranking guests with extravagant feasts and unspeakable pleasures. Others whispered that it was a house of sin where the company heir frolicked with the women she'd collected. There were even more outrageous tales: boys from tea houses, theater beauties, nights of chaotic revelry filled with shadowy guests. Supposedly, while the poor struggled outside, this mansion was a playground of wealth and decadence—full of laughter, exotic drinks, and debauchery unfit to speak aloud.

The truth behind these stories stemmed from a mix of envy, awe, and fascination. The wealth involved in acquiring the estate, the sudden rise of Tachibana Trading Company in recent years, the daughter's beauty and cunning, and the unbelievable rumors surrounding her exploits—these were enough to fuel endless speculation. To the common folk, she was a distant, untouchable flower whose scandals were fun to gossip about. Those who actually knew her, however, often frowned at the vulgarity of such tales. And a rare few... simply laughed, knowing how shallow the rumors truly were.

That mansion... was something far beyond such petty imaginations.

"Haa..."

Kakitsugi Inaba exhaled softly as she stood before the massive front gate of the infamous estate known as Tōrai Manor. Despite the swirling rumors, her eyes were fixed on something far greater than scandal.

What she saw was a marvel of concealment.

From her trained perspective as an exorcist, the spiritual energy—or reiki—flowing around the estate was warped, its presence masked by layers of meticulous ritual. The concealment was so perfect that no average onmyōji or spiritualist would notice a thing without prolonged observation. Even standing at the gate, the truth remained hidden unless one truly knew where to look.

But what shocked her even more... was the ritual taking place within. It wasn't just one forbidden technique—it was two. No... perhaps a fusion of both?

"A dual forbidden ritual... combined? That's insane. And it's improvised?"

The spell currently active was one known to manipulate fate itself—a technique so dangerous it had been officially classified as forbidden, its records destroyed from public archives. And yet, this ritual had not only survived... it had evolved. Two forbidden arts merged into something entirely new, something still functioning smoothly.

But the most terrifying part... was the one who created it.

Princess Onitsuki.

Her reputation as a prodigy was already whispered among the spiritual elite, but it seemed even that didn't do her justice. She had arrived with a mysterious, white-clad companion, calm and brimming with confidence. Her performance during the ritual? Supposedly made on the spot. The entire process was executed with such casual grace, it felt unreal.

Even the sacred Mayoiga specimen she used—a treasured tool any proper exorcist family would guard with their lives—was crushed without hesitation. To her, it was expendable. That single moment showed Inaba the vast difference in their worlds.

And despite the chaos of the ritual's origin, it functioned without a single flaw. Not one error. Not a single trace of spiritual recoil.

"...A monster."

The princess's presence had been overwhelming. Even now, the memory made Inaba's heart tremble. Had it not been for the boy who assisted with the ritual's maintenance—a shikigami user of unknown rank—she might've fainted from sheer pressure. She had clung to his hand out of fear. It was warm... soft... and unexpectedly gentle. Thinking back, she couldn't help but smile, even if his returning smile looked a bit forced.

Ahem. No time for distractions.

As an exorcist, composure must be maintained at all times. Especially in the face of the unknown, where demons and spirits lie beyond human comprehension.

'Hey, hey, you there! Little monkey girl! Fetch me another bottle from the cellar, would ya? I'm almost out!'

'And bring something sweet with it, yeah? Like snacks!'

"...Eh?"

Inaba blinked. Was this... a party?

She turned toward the gate station. It was occupied. By monsters. Not just any—youkai of catastrophic class. Worse yet, they were treating the place like a tavern.

"Wait, what is this?!"

'Come on! The alcohol!'

'Snacks, snacks!'

"Y-Yes!!"

The commands were barked at her without mercy. Dutifully, the daughter of the Kakitsugi family ran off to fulfill them.

(Why... Why are these monsters here...?)

She didn't know their identities, but one thing was clear: they weren't the kind you could reason with. Even a full exorcist squad would stand no chance. Reporting this situation? Hopeless. If she tried to escape, she'd be torn to pieces. And worst of all, neither the daughter of Tachibana nor Princess Onitsuki made any move to stop this. They simply observed.

(Shirowakamaru-sama... Please... save me...)

With trembling lips and silent desperation, Inaba prayed to the name she held dear.

'Hehehe... Now then, what shall I bet on next?'

Behind her, a sly, lingering voice slithered through the air.

A snake. Its gaze was fixed on Inaba, yet its question was directed at the black fox seated across a cluttered desk.

The inside of the station no longer resembled a guard post. It was chaos. Snacks, sake, dice, hanafuda cards, cursed game boards, scattered trinkets... all cursed tools disguised as toys. The floor was littered with empty bottles and scraps of food. The alcohol stench alone could drop a lightweight.

Despite the filth, the two beings seated across from each other—the snake and the fox—looked oddly refined, beautiful even.

The fox daintily sprinkled salt over dried meat and took a sip of sake, her painted lips curving slightly.

'Hmph. Half the game is stuck. Should I bet on a complete stop next?'

Her prediction echoed softly, a continuation of a long game—now on its eighty-first round.

'Oh? A high evaluation, I see.'

'After this many rounds, anything ordinary would've ended already. How about you?'

'No remnants. Full stop. I'd like to say it's over, but...'

The fox's words trailed off as the snake let out a low sigh. It slithered its tongue into the bottle, licking up what remained.

'...No, I think it's a solid guess. That little girl has potential.'

A young witch's image flickered through the snake's mind. A vision of the foreign shaman from the Nanban lands—ominous, yet strangely nostalgic.

'Indeed, that exorcist child was clearly afraid of the Onitsuki princess,' the snake murmured. 'But from our view, the opposite is far more surprising... They've gone and performed a very old ritual.'

It was a half-forgotten ceremony, ancient enough to predate even the era of the Four Disasters. A ritual meant to give birth to a false god.

'So that's why they bought the abandoned Yakushiji estate,' the fox said thoughtfully. 'A hybrid divine ceremony, blended with rites from their homeland. With the addition of the pink princess, that makes it a four-fold ritual. They must've tested compatibility carefully, but even so... it's impressive.'

Mixing so many different spiritual forces was dangerous. To take a step into that tangled realm required more than just courage. They had done it anyway.

'They shouldn't be seen as mere humans anymore.'

The snake tilted her head slightly.

'That boy's got quite the silver tongue,' she said. 'If the main event goes smoothly, maybe he'll charm his way to the finish.'

Even so, the ritual had grown unusually complex. As the full moon of Shinkoku (celestial timing) drew closer, time moved with a heavy rhythm. The transformation was likely near... but whether it would truly occur this time or not, even the snake couldn't tell. Its fingers brushed along its cheek as it quietly pondered the outcome.

'Hmm... should I just observe for now? Or move things to the next stage, just barely above the minimum?' she whispered.

The time had come to make a choice. To place a bet. The fox nodded and formed the contract. Side by side, the two pillars turned toward the table.

'So, what about the Demon Lord?' the fox asked, almost casually. 'Or... do we skip her this time?'

'Hngh—!?'

A low groan echoed as a figure shifted behind them. Slumped in the corner was a demon—blue-skinned, massive, and currently passed out next to an enormous jug of sake.

Not one bottle. Not even two. A three-sho jug of Fuso's famous demon-killer sake, emptied in one go.

And yes—completely naked.

The demon (oni) had lost everything through previous bets. Money, clothes, undergarments, even her cursed tools. She now sat with nothing but her pride, and even that was questionable. This was the current state of the demon. With nothing left to lose, what was there to fear?

'Ugh... wait a sec—blegh.'

'That's disgusting.'

'If you were gonna hurl, maybe don't drink the whole thing first?'

The demon-killer sake wasn't named lightly. Treated like a cursed relic, the spirit water it contained was toxic even to a demon species. Drinking three bottles in one go had obvious consequences.

With exaggerated retching noises, the demon unleashed a torrent that resembled a waterfall more than anything. The snake and fox recoiled, pinching their noses as the air filled with the sharp stink of alcohol.

'Puke and feel better, slide and feel better, right?' the demon muttered, as if quoting an old song.

She burped, coughed up phlegm, and let the last of his beauty drain away. Strands of drool trailed down into her ample chest as she playfully shoved the neck of the empty bottle into her cleavage.

The snake sighed. The fox simply ignored it.

'So,' the snake said, 'what's next?'

'Well, obviously,' the fox replied.

'Another full-clear bet? You really don't give up, do you?'

The three demon pillars always placed their wagers around the rituals unfolding at the Yakushiji estate. Like the fox's earlier example: "Completion, half, full, next round"—that meant an odd number of survivors, with more than half living, and the ritual restarting until the final night of the full moon.

A bet on full victory meant everything being completed, everyone surviving, and reaching the final phase—then ending the ritual once and for all. They'd been repeating this pattern since the first round.

'By the way, what are you planning to bet now?' the fox asked. 'You're out of options, aren't you?'

'What about your horns?' the snake offered. 'You've got two. One on each side.'

Though politely phrased, the fox's suggestion held a clear edge. The snake's was outright blunt.

With nothing else to wager, the demon had previously shaved off her own hair. Demon hair had its uses—ritual tools, talismans—but watching her shave it off right in front of them had been... unpleasant.

'Ngh... cooheehyuh... dooohgaaah?'

The demon mumbled something incomprehensible, then opened her mouth wide. She stuck in a finger, found her molars—and with a loud snap, ripped one out. Crimson blood splattered across the table as a clean, white fang landed with a thud.

A demon's teeth. Every part of a demon could become a material of value. A freshly pulled tooth was no exception.

'Hmm... you've got two or three more, don't you?' the fox asked with a faint smile. 'Would you mind producing a couple more?'

'Here.'

Without hesitation, the demon yanked out two more. The sharp cracks echoed as he tossed them onto the table like dice. The fox, a bit disturbed this time, hid her mouth behind a folding fan.

'You'd really go that far?' she asked. 'You're something else.'

'I want a claw next,' the snake said. 'The scent of sake on these teeth is... intoxicating.'

'Got it ♪'

The three turned their attention to the table.

Upon it sat a board that resembled a sugoroku game. A handcrafted curse-tool, made to react to improvised rituals. On its surface, pieces shaped like shogi pawns moved by themselves. In the center, shifting text read "words," fading in and out. Drawn faces and doodles flickered and danced across the surface with surprising charm.

'At this rate,' the fox said, 'it'll just be another round again. We're just short of a hundred... no real chances left.'

'If you're betting next,' the snake said to the demon, 'you'll need to prepare your claws.'

'Do your best, yeah?' the fox added lightly.

The demon sighed—and began peeling off his own claw.

The snake and fox exchanged wary glances. Why was he still doing this? Even after losing everything, after betrayal and chaos and failure... she still insisted on betting. Still wanted to continue.

In the end, that's just what demons did.

Smashing tables. Causing scenes. Crashing rituals like a storm.

'Hehehe. What's wrong? You're making the face of a bird that swallowed a marble.'

The demon glanced at her companions around the gambling table, her grin widening as laughter echoed in her chest. Her confidence radiated with every breath.

After all, she believed she understood more than anyone else here.

'If you give up, the game ends, you know? Just wait until the final round. My eyes don't lie!'

With a flick of her fingers, she tossed a few peeled nails like coins across the table. The wicked gleam in her eyes burned as she stared down her rivals, voice sharp with conviction.

* * *

Notes:

• Tōrai Manor - A mansion located at the entrance of the Yashiki estate. It is suspected of being sung by municipal rumors and is the site of admiration and questioning by Kakitsugi Inaba.

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