Fireflies of the Dark Night

In most cases, demons are swiftly slain by exorcism specialists, but demons are inherently powerful beings. In fact, in ancient times, even exorcists often found themselves defeated by these entities.

In the present era, exorcists can easily slaughter demons without much danger, unless they are dealing with certain great or malevolent demons who employ traps or conceptual attacks. This ability stems from generations of powerful individuals refining their spiritual energy, gaining stronger supernatural abilities, and accumulating vast knowledge on demon extermination through immense sacrifices.

However, rogue sorcerers or low-ranking practitioners, who lack generational refinement and possess only second or third-rate equipment, can at best handle minor demons one-on-one. To reliably defeat a mid-level demon, they would need at least ten people. Even then, their power is extraordinary compared to ordinary humans who know nothing of combat. Similarly, samurai, who also possess limited spiritual energy, focus all of it on enhancing their physical abilities, using iron-like armor and blunt weapons to fight demons. Even the imperial soldiers, who lack spiritual energy entirely, rely on numbers and the concentrated use of gunpowder weapons to barely hold their own against most demons.

In other words, without such measures, it would be suicidal for ordinary humans to face even a small group of demons. After all, even a minor demon is roughly equal in strength to a well-trained and armed soldier.

Thus, it was no surprise that several yakuza lay dead in a tavern in the red-light district of the capital's new quarter, slaughtered without much resistance.

"Hmm, a bit greasy and persistent in flavor... but I suppose this is what you'd expect from the likes of them," mused a seductive five-tailed fox demon, licking the blood from her hand as she sat at the counter. The tavern was filled with fox demons feasting on the human remains scattered around. For her, the meal was secondary. Her true purpose was...

"One, two, three... six survivors. A bit too many," she muttered, counting the trembling humans huddled in a corner. It was hard to believe this was the same demon who had just slaughtered over ten people in mere seconds.

"Alright, you're next," she said, pointing at one of the men.

"Wha—?!" Before he could scream, a fox demon lunged at his throat, tearing it out. The man gurgled blood and collapsed.

The remaining survivors screamed, but no one outside the tavern could hear them. The place was already sealed with demonic barriers and soundproofing spells.

"How noisy. Why don't you quiet down, you apes?" she said, releasing a wave of murderous aura. The humans froze, some fainting on the spot. For ordinary city dwellers who had never faced a demon, this was to be expected.

"Now then, preparations are going well... With this, tomorrow's feast should be splendid," she said, scooping a piece of pink flesh from a container with a spoon and savoring its rich, sweet flavor. With a sinister smile, the demon began to envision her next prey...

---

The sun still shone brightly in the blue sky, but the heat had noticeably mellowed compared to earlier days. The cicadas' cries had lessened, and the breeze carried a hint of autumn's coolness.

As summer neared its end, the heat began to fade. On one such day in late July, what should have been an ordinary day for her took an unexpected turn.

"Alright, I'm off to work. Be good, everyone. And remember, don't let strangers inside, okay?" said Azuma Hibari, the orphanage caretaker.

"Okay!!" the children replied cheerfully. Their response wasn't just empty words. As half-demons, they were well aware of how they were treated outside and the dangers of letting strangers into their home. Their tone, though cheerful, carried a deep seriousness.

Hibari smiled and nodded at their response. Then, she noticed a pale girl standing slightly apart from the group, looking at her with worry and unease. The girl's white skin seemed even paler than usual.

"Shiro, what are you doing over there? Come here. Why don't you see me off with the others?" Hibari said, kneeling to meet the girl at eye level and gently beckoning her.

Though visibly shaken, the girl ran over and clung tightly to Hibari.

"I... I had a scary dream last night," Shiro whispered, trembling. She couldn't remember much of the dream, but she knew it had been horrifying. The lingering fear made her anxious about Hibari leaving for work.

...The problem was, it wasn't just a dream.

"I see, I see. That must have been hard. Well, I'll try to come back as early as I can today, just for you," Hibari said, hugging Shiro and rubbing her head and back to reassure her.

"Really...?"

"Of course. But I can't skip work, so can you bear with it until I get back?"

Shiro hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the other children. Seeing their encouraging smiles, she nodded shyly and accepted Hibari's words.

"Good girl. You guys, Shiro hasn't been here long. Make sure she doesn't feel lonely, okay?" Hibari said, and the children responded enthusiastically once more. Relieved, Hibari finally stood up, checked the integrity of the protective barriers, and headed off to her workplace, a temple school, as the children saw her off.

Meanwhile, the children, now free from their mother figure's watch, began to play noisily. After all, they were just children. Hibari had anticipated this and had added limited soundproofing to the barriers. While outside noises could still be heard, the sounds from inside wouldn't leak out. This was to prevent the children's noise from disturbing the neighbors and to avoid drawing unwanted attention to the orphanage.

The children, aware of this, played freely without worrying about the outside world.

"Shiro-chan, let's play house!"

"No, let's play hide-and-seek!"

The older children ran up to Shiro, eager to include her in their games, partly out of Hibari's request to make the new member feel welcome and partly because they wanted to play themselves. Shiro, a fox demon girl, was pulled in two directions, unsure of what to do.

"Shiro-neechan, read me a story!!"

The one who came to her rescue was Akane, the youngest and most spoiled of the orphans, who wagged her lizard-like tail happily as she held up a book. Though she hadn't intended to help, her actions inadvertently gave Shiro an out.

With Akane's request, no one could object. The youngest, most pampered, and most tearful of the group, Akane was doted on by everyone like a little sister. Her wishes couldn't be ignored. Moreover, Shiro, for reasons even she didn't understand, was the most literate among the orphans. It was clear which activity she would choose.

"Okay, let's go, Akane-chan."

"Yay!"

Seeing the others' resigned expressions and understanding the dynamics of the orphanage from her short time there, Shiro smiled wryly and accepted Akane's request. The two sat on the porch, and Shiro began to read.

The book, likely a secondhand donation from years ago, was a moral education text, its pages slightly discolored due to the lack of mass paper production and immature printing technology.

"Which story should we read today?"

"Hmm... the one about the Jizo statues!"

Akane's choice was the tale of the Hat-Wearing Jizo. It wasn't so much that she liked the story itself, but rather that she enjoyed any story involving food.

The story told of an elderly couple who, too poor to buy rice cakes for the New Year, tried to sell straw hats in town. However, no one was interested in their shabby wares. On their way home, they came across snow-covered Jizo statues and, feeling pity, gave them the unsold hats and a scarf for the one without. That night, the couple heard a noise and found their doorstep piled high with rice, vegetables, fish, gold coins, and cloth—gifts from the grateful Jizo.

"And so, the kind and virtuous couple was able to celebrate a wonderful New Year. The end."

"Hmm."

As Shiro finished the story, Akane stared at the book's illustrations and asked, "Shiro-neechan, there's a Jizo statue not far from here."

"Really?"

Shiro looked slightly puzzled by Akane's sudden remark. She hadn't yet fully familiarized herself with the area around the orphanage.

"Yep. And when winter comes and it snows, I want to make a hat and give it to the Jizo. Do you think he'll give us food like in the story?"

"Uh... I'm not sure..."

Though their time together had been short, Shiro already saw Akane as a little sister. However, even she couldn't bring herself to fully endorse the idea. Deep down, Shiro knew the story was just that—a story. But she kept that thought to herself.

(That's right. Helping others... being kind, being a good child...)

We weren't bothering anyone. We were just living quietly, tilling the fields on the outskirts of the village, just my mother and me! And yet... and yet...!!

(No one came to help, no matter how much I called. No matter how good I was, no matter how much I tried... That's right... That's why I...)

"Shiro-neechan?"

"Huh? Oh, um, sorry, Akane-chan. It's just so hot, I was spacing out..."

The fox girl snapped back to reality at Akane's voice and replied evasively. At the same time, she herself was puzzled by what she had been thinking.

(Was that just now...?)

She couldn't remember, but it felt like it was something fundamental to her very existence.

(Who am I, really? No... what am I?)

She had no memories, couldn't recall where she was born. Yet, she could read, and she often had terrifying dreams. It didn't seem like these were unrelated, isolated factors. And among those fragmented memories, there were clearly unsettling elements.

"..."

The white-haired girl feared this deep inside. To her, this orphanage was a precious place. Even though she hadn't been there long, it was a place where she could feel safe and at peace. She didn't want to endanger this place or the people in it because of herself.

"...Hey, Shiro-neechan. You know what? I really love mochi."

After watching Shiro for a moment, Akane suddenly spoke up.

"Mochi...?"

"Yeah! It's so delicious in ozoni! And with anko, or kinako, or... oh! Even with soy sauce and sugar, it's really good!"

The little girl's eyes sparkled as she talked about the deliciousness of mochi, drooling slightly at the corners of her mouth. In this world where white rice was still a luxury, mochi rice was even more so, and mochi itself was a concentrated form of rice's flavor. For common folk, if white rice was considered a treat, then the value of mochi was self-evident.

"R-really...?"

Shiro, slightly taken aback by Akane's enthusiasm, urged her to continue.

"Yeah. But, you know, last New Year's, we all ate mochi together, but Mom didn't have any."

As she said this, Akane's expression turned sad.

"Mom always shares her food with us. She's bigger and has to work, so she needs to eat more, but she still gives her share to us."

After saying this, Akane glared at the book again. Then, with a determined look, she declared, "So, for next New Year's, I'm going to make an umbrella for Jizo-sama!"

"That way, we'll get lots of mochi! And you'll eat with us next New Year's too, neechan!"

The fox girl gasped at Akane's innocent words, realizing that the little girl, who was like a sister to her, was genuinely concerned for her. Touched by the fact that Akane wanted to keep living with her, Shiro felt a warmth deep in her chest.

"Yeah... that's right. It'd be great if we could all be together."

So Shiro replied. And she affirmed it. Because she truly wished for it too.

At that moment, the girl who had lost almost everything was, without a doubt, in a state of happiness. At the same time, in her childlike heart, she resolved to protect this small but warm and precious happiness.

...However, that happiness would not last long. It couldn't last. The moment of fate, the time of despair, the instant of tragedy was already closing in.

It was just past noon. If Azuma had been at the orphanage, she would have noticed something was wrong. The area around the orphanage had been emptied of people by some kind of demonic spell.

A high-pitched, animal-like scream echoed, and the children shuddered, almost simultaneously turning toward the direction of the sound.

"Huh...? Wh-what was that?"

One of the children playing kemari muttered nervously. At the same time, there was a violent knocking at the orphanage's door.

"Eek...!?"

"Wh-who is it?"

The children were terrified by the intense knocking. However, one of the older children quickly approached the door and cautiously peeked through the gap to see what was happening.

"Please! Someone open the door! Help us!! Is there no one there...!?"

Several men were desperately pounding on the door, their faces twisted with despair and fear. Behind them, the eerie howls of demons echoed.

"Huh...?"

In the next moment, one of the men was snatched up by a monstrous fox, far larger than a tiger, and slammed against the door and the ground. His limbs snapped as he hit the door, and his flesh tore as he was crushed against the ground.

"Kyaaah!!?"

A girl who witnessed this quickly backed away from the gap and screamed. Seeing this, several children called out to her in concern, asking what had happened. The older boys, whether out of curiosity or a sense of duty, nervously took her place and peeked through the gap.

"Ah... ugh..."

They were speechless. Their young minds couldn't immediately comprehend the tragedy unfolding before their eyes. Men were desperately pounding on the door, while behind them, a pack of monstrous foxes feasted on what used to be human beings, now reduced to a mix of red and white. The indescribable stench of blood and flesh wafted over to the children, even from a distance.

"Ugh...!?"

One of the more sensitive boys immediately felt nauseous and backed away from the door, tears in his eyes. The other boys, and indeed all the children, turned pale as they grasped the horror of the situation. One of the boys quickly shouted to his friends, who still hadn't fully understood, that there were many monsters outside.

It was likely meant as a well-intentioned warning, but in this case, it only made things worse.

"Th-there are lots of demons outside...!!"

"Eek!? Demons...!? Why!?"

"W-we're going to be eaten, aren't we!?"

Panic spread among the children like wildfire, and in an instant, they were on the verge of hysteria. Realizing the danger, one of the older children, trying to calm the chaos, suddenly remembered something and shouted.

"Calm down! Mom said it before! This house is protected by a barrier, so we'll be fine!"

The children's anxiety eased slightly at these words. Though they were still scared, they knew well, even as children, the strength of Azuma, who was like a mother to them.

"Th-that's right!"

"Mom's strong, so we'll be okay!"

Half reassuring themselves, the children encouraged each other, forcing smiles despite their fear. It was a way to comfort one another. However, the fragile calm was shattered in the next moment by the words of the fox girl, the newest member of their group.

"Hey... if this place is safe, then what about the people outside...?"

The children's expressions stiffened. As if on cue, a scream echoed.

"Please! Help us!! Help! I don't want to die... I don't want to die!!"

A man, sobbing and pounding on the door, was suddenly dragged away as a monstrous fox bit his leg. He desperately clawed at the ground, but it was futile. His nails tore off, leaving red streaks on the ground. Once he was far enough from the door, the pack of hungry foxes descended on him. His screams echoed as his bloodied arm flailed before going limp, swallowed by the beasts.

"Kyaaah...!?"

A girl who had been peeking through the gap let out a small scream, covering her ears and trembling. Tears streamed down her face, and her mind was likely in complete disarray.

"Please!! Open the door!! Hurry up!!"

"Someone's in there, right!? I know it!? ...Please, open the door!! Don't abandon us!!"

Tears streaming down their faces, the two remaining men cried out. Their bodies were wounded in several places, their clothes stained red. With expressions of utter despair, they pleaded with those on the other side of the door—the children.

"Hey, hey...!?"

One of the girls, her face pale, looked at the boys. The children exchanged glances, their faces on the verge of tears. It was a conflict, a struggle between fear and morality. The tragedy unfolding before their eyes, and the fact that their decision could determine its outcome, weighed heavily on them.

"Let's let them in! If we don't, they'll...!"

"But we can't let strangers in! Mom will be mad!"

"But it's so sad!"

"But...!"

The older children argued fiercely, but no conclusion was reached. Meanwhile, the precious little time they had was slipping away.

"Damn it! Open the door already! Aghhh...!? It hurts! It hurts...!?"

At the sound of the man's scream, Shiro, who had approached the door, instinctively peeked through the gap and then gasped, pulling away. The man, bleeding profusely from his side, wore a face twisted in despair. It was no wonder she reacted that way.

"Shiro-chan, let's open the door! If we don't hurry, they'll die!"

One of the older girls, tears in her eyes, shouted at Shiro. Perhaps it was due to Azuma's upbringing. The girl was highly sensitive, as if the horrifying events outside were happening to her personally.

"Huh? Oh... y-yes!"

For a moment, Shiro hesitated, unsure if she should follow the girl's lead. But... there was no time to waste. There was no room for leisurely debate. Shiro, along with the other children who had decided to help, quickly unlatched the door and opened it, beckoning the men inside.

"Hey, wait...!?"

The children who had opposed letting strangers in could do nothing now. They hurriedly let the survivors into the orphanage and tried to close the door behind them.

This was thanks to Azuma's moral teachings. While the children were indeed scared of outsiders and some had suffered at their hands, they had also been taught never to abandon those in pain or distress.

...In itself, this wasn't wrong. In fact, it was the right kind of education. Given the presence of the barrier, the children's decision wasn't entirely mistaken. However, in this particular situation, it was a failure.

The men, on the verge of being bitten by the monstrous foxes chasing them, were "invited" inside just in time. The foxes, however, slammed into an invisible barrier the moment they tried to follow, letting out cries of pain as they retreated. The barrier seemed to be functioning as intended.

"A-are you okay...?"

"You're safe now that you're inside."

"It's okay, you can cry if you want."

The children rushed to the two men, who were now inside and gasping for breath, trying to comfort them.

One of the men, still crying, caught his breath and looked at the children, slightly surprised. He opened his mouth to say something, but in the next moment, the body of the other man beside him... "ruptured."

"Huh? Gyaah..."

The man who had been about to speak noticed the abnormality and turned toward the sound. In that instant, a massive shadow engulfed his body from the head down, biting him in half at the abdomen.

...No, to be precise, his spine wasn't completely severed, so as the upper half of his body was swallowed, the lower half dangled in midair before finally snapping off with a sickening crunch. The lower half spun through the air, scattering blood and entrails across the orphanage's garden before crashing into the ground.

"N-noooooo!!!"

A half-human, half-cat girl who had witnessed the scene up close screamed. The other children followed suit, their cries filling the air. Amidst the wailing, "she" appeared, a wide grin plastered across her face.

Indeed, it was true that illusions and lies couldn't penetrate the barrier. It was a well-crafted defense, but ultimately, it had its weaknesses. Everything has a structural flaw, and in this case, the fact that the inhabitants were children provided an exploitable gap.

Of course, underestimating the situation would almost certainly lead to failure. The monstrous fox, having suffered painful defeats in the capital and failed to attack a merchant caravan, was now weaker than its original fate had intended. Cold and ruthless, it had meticulously planned its scheme.

...In the end, as long as it didn't transform or lie, the orphanage's defensive spells wouldn't activate. So, the fox didn't use transformation magic or lie to the children. Instead, it simply draped itself in a freshly skinned "human hide." Its cries for help weren't lies either—had things gone as planned, the decoy humans accompanying it would indeed have been "eaten."

Demons are evil, cunning, and cruel. They exploit loopholes. The fox had captured humans who wouldn't be missed, skinned one alive, and taken its place. It then released the others near the orphanage, herding them toward the building and deliberately making them beg for help. It bypassed the barrier's defenses against transformation and lies, showing the kind-hearted children the gruesome sight of strangers being devoured, all to lure them into inviting the fox inside.

Discarding the human skin, the massive man-eating fox revealed its true form. A cruel smile twisted its mouth, blood from the man it had just eaten dripping in crimson streaks. It licked its lips with a long tongue, casting a cold, superior gaze over the half-human children—soft, delicious prey.

"Ah... ah..."

Paralyzed by the overwhelming demonic energy radiating from the fox, the children were frozen in place. Some grimaced, others stared in shock, while a few trembled or fell to the ground, unable to flee.

...Though, even without the demonic aura, they likely would have been too terrified to move.

The enormous fox took a leisurely step forward. Its eyes narrowed as it focused on the group of girls closest to it—the ones who had opened the door.

Among them, Shiro instinctively sensed the mockery in its gaze. At the same time, she realized something: the monstrous creature was clearly laughing at her.

Then, the fox opened its massive maw wide, revealing rows of jagged, saw-like teeth. A mix of saliva and blood dripped from its mouth as it prepared to lunge at one of the girls near Shiro, just as it had done to the man earlier.

"Run...!"

It was almost a reflex. Shiro shoved the girl, who was about to be swallowed whole, out of the way. But the next moment, when Shiro turned her gaze back to the monster, all she saw was the inside of its gaping mouth.

In that instant, a memory flashed through her mind. She understood, with despair, what was happening—and what was about to happen. She even realized who was responsible for all of this.

"No way..."

Overwhelmed by grief, regret, and self-loathing, she muttered those words almost reflexively. Ah, if only she had died "back then." If only she hadn't stayed in this place for so long. If only she had left, wandered off alone, and died in obscurity...!!

But it was too late. Far too late. The sharp fangs would pierce, tear, and rend her frail body in mere moments. Shiro braced herself for the pain, resigned to her fate. But in the next instant... a spear suddenly thrust itself between her and the fox's teeth.

"Huh...?"

Tears in her eyes, Shiro looked around, confused. Her gaze followed the spear's shaft to its wielder—a figure cloaked in a long coat.

"Ugh...!? Heavy... damn it...!!"

The figure pulled the spear free. The blade and shaft, badly damaged from blocking the fox's fangs, were now barely usable. The figure sighed, gripping the ruined weapon.

"...Ah, yeah. Well, of course. It's the second time, so I shouldn't be surprised, right? Haha... damn it!"

...Though the cloak's anti-recognition effect should have made it impossible to see the figure's face, Shiro could vividly imagine the bitter, twisted expression they wore from the tone of their voice, laced with exhaustion and despair.

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