Fireflies of the Dark Night

Fireflies in the Dark Night was a famous game from my previous life—that is, 21st-century Japan. It was a popular title known for its stellar voice cast, lavish illustrations, and an extensive story with numerous branching routes.

The world of the game could be described as a Japanese-style dark fantasy. The setting, the nation of Fusō, resembled Japan's Edo period in appearance, but it was a world where supernatural powers like curses and yin-yang techniques existed, and monstrous beings known as yōkai had roamed since ancient times. From ancient times, families with supernatural abilities, tasked by the imperial court, had been responsible for exorcising or pacifying these creatures across the land.

The game's protagonist originally lived a peaceful life as the child of a village headman. With kind parents and close siblings... their fate took a drastic turn one day.

The village was attacked by a yōkai—more specifically, one of the rarest and most dangerous types known as kyōyō (calamity yōkai). The villagers, including the protagonist's family, were slaughtered. Just as the protagonist was about to be killed, they awakened to a powerful supernatural ability and managed to slay the kyōyō.

However, such abilities, which are hereditary and grow stronger through lineage, are almost unheard of in a mere farmer's child. Noticing this power, the protagonist was taken in by the prestigious exorcist family, the Onitsuki Clan, which governed the region. Seeking revenge for their family and to protect others, the protagonist aimed to become an exorcist... and in doing so, uncovered the secrets of their own abilities, their origins, and the dark side of the exorcist families, including the Onitsuki Clan... That's the gist of the story.

Well, well, I was recommended this game by a friend and was blown away by its quality, though I later regretted it due to the story's depressing tone. The illustrations were done by famous artists, so not only were the character designs beautiful, but the backgrounds and battle scenes were incredibly detailed. Just that alone would satisfy any otaku. And the adult scenes... let's just say my son was very well taken care of...

But, but! As you progress through the game, that initial satisfaction quickly vanishes. Why? Because of the numerous grotesque events, the abundance of bad endings, and the high likelihood of the heroines turning into walking landmines.

I mean, seriously, it's no joke!! The yōkai are mostly beings that ordinary humans can't handle, and the named ones are especially brutal. Just from their settings, it's clear that without the protagonists or heroines, you'd have no chance against their instant-kill abilities or their tendency to attack you after you've already maxed out your level!

As a result, bad endings and grotesque scenes involving named characters are commonplace. For example, a female character you were just chatting with might have her head crushed the next moment, or get swallowed alive. And that's the mild stuff. With so many characters possessing supernatural abilities, there are way too many scenes of them being violated by monsters. I mean, Ayaka-chan, who was such a sweet and healing character in the early game, getting chest-bursted mid-story was a real blow to the psyche!!

And the scary part isn't just the enemies. The allies are dangerous too. The exorcist families are tangled in love-hate relationships and power struggles, with assassinations and conspiracies being everyday occurrences.

Because of this, if the protagonist makes a wrong move, depending on their relationships and好感度, the heroines can easily spiral into madness. After all, they're constantly facing irrational monsters while dealing with internal conspiracies. Some have lost fiancés or close friends to yōkai, or have been betrayed to the point of distrusting humans. If the protagonist maxes out their好感度 and then acts carelessly, who knows what these supernatural-powered heroines might do?

(Well, the worst part is that in such a dangerous world, I'm stuck in this position with no real power...)

In broad daylight, I knelt in a dimly lit Japanese-style room, dressed in black robes with a Noh mask hiding my face. The room was unnaturally dark, with no windows or light sources. Around me sat men and women dressed in colorful, clearly expensive traditional attire, forming rows on either side. At the front was the head seat, but its occupant was absent.

"To face a daiyō (great yōkai) with twenty lower-ranked operatives and only one survivor, who didn't even manage to wound it... how pathetic."

A haughty, hoarse voice echoed from one corner of the room. The tone was clearly mocking my dead comrades and me, the sole survivor, but I remained silent. Lashing out here would be meaningless. ...Besides, the sheer density of spiritual energy filling the room sapped any will to resist.

I had just finished reporting the failure of last night's yōkai extermination to the elders of the Onitsuki Clan. Their reactions ranged from mild to outright disdain. To them, this was just what you'd expect from lower-ranked operatives. And as much as it stung, I couldn't deny it.

The Onitsuki Clan, a prestigious exorcist family governing this region, had, according to the official guidebook, an 800-year history in the northern lands of Fusō. With nearly a hundred members, including those not directly involved in exorcism, they not only dealt with yōkai and local rituals but also held vast lands as landlords. Their connections with other exorcist families, shrines, temples, merchants, court nobles, and daimyōs through blood ties and interests made their wealth and influence immense.

The primary reason exorcists wielded such power was their ability to harness reiryoku (spiritual energy). Comparable to mana in Western terms, it served as fuel for curses and yin-yang techniques, enhancing the body to superhuman levels. Most importantly, it neutralized the toxic yōki (demonic energy) emitted by yōkai.

The fact that only exorcist families could wield reiryoku was the cornerstone of their dominance in this country.

Incidentally, the exorcists themselves tied their abilities to ancient myths and legends, boasting of their divine ancestry and noble lineage... but of course, that was all fabricated nonsense.

While the origins of reiryoku aren't important here, the setting explains that reiryoku and supernatural abilities are hereditary, growing stronger through lineage and mixing of bloodlines. Exorcist families intermarried and occasionally incorporated commoners with reiryoku or special abilities into their ranks—or eliminated them. That was the real reason exorcist families could monopolize the power to oppose yōkai.

...That said, yōkai are inherently unreasonable beings. Even exorcists face high casualty rates when dealing with the highest-level yōkai—kyōyō. Moreover, occasionally, family members are born without reiryoku or special abilities, while others are diverted to politics or business. And then there's the trouble of a family idiot impregnating a village girl, resulting in a child inheriting their powers.

Lower-ranked operatives like me are one solution to these problems. We're tools created to address manpower shortages, handle illegitimate children, and make use of commoners with reiryoku or special abilities. Some exorcist family came up with the idea, and it quickly spread throughout the country.

Trained from childhood to swear loyalty to the family (brainwashed, really), cursed to prevent rebellion or escape, and drilled with minimal reiryoku, special abilities, and secret techniques, we're expendable tools designed to handle shōyō (lesser yōkai) alone and chūyō (mid-level yōkai) in groups. That's what we lower-ranked operatives are.

(Expendable, huh...)

I pushed aside the game's setting that I had been recalling and brought my focus back to the scorn and ridicule unfolding before me.

Expendable... Of course, even the lowest among us possess spiritual energy. If we put our minds to it, we could easily overwhelm an equal number of ordinary soldiers armed with weapons. That much was certain.

But... it was also an undeniable fact that facing the exorcists, who could hold their own against the unreasonable monsters, would result in nothing short of a massacre. Such was the vast gap in power between us and the outsiders before me. And the elders of the Onitsuki Clan understood this gap all too well. That's why they mocked the sacrifices made this time. They ridiculed the reckless battle and its inevitable outcome...

"Is this really the time for mockery? Do the elders not understand the gravity of this situation?"

"Are you the one saying this?"

A strong, resolute voice cut through the room filled with scorn. Standing beside me, the eldest daughter of the main family, with her stoic and serious demeanor, wore a grave expression as she continued.

"Even if they are expendable, the lower-ranked operatives are not so easily replaced. The elders must understand that losing four squads is the worst damage we've suffered in a decade. And to think it was caused by a mere daiyō... the loss to our clan is immense."

The eldest daughter of the Onitsuki main family, known among players as "Big Sis"... Onitsuki Hina, calmly yet sharply pointed out the facts.

That's right. Even if we're expendable, lower-ranked operatives aren't something that can be mass-produced. Those with a certain level of talent must be trained to at least stand a chance against monsters. While the cost of training isn't the issue, the time it takes certainly is.

Lower-ranked operatives are typically expended in large numbers when dealing with kyōyō—whether as experimental subjects to study the enemy's abilities, as decoys or distractions during combat, or for rear support... To waste such valuable sacrificial pawns, who increase the survival rate of the clan's frontline exorcists, on a mere daiyō... Depending on how you look at it, this was no laughing matter.

"Moreover, according to this survivor, the failure of this mission can only be attributed to the inadequate preliminary investigation by the intelligence team. Mistaking a daiyō for a chūyō... Uemon-sama, if I may be so bold, what exactly are your subordinates doing?"

"After leaving him to die, no less."

Big Sis glared at one of the elders with a reproachful gaze. Though the dim lighting made it hard to see clearly, the man—balding and fat, resembling a pig—flinched at the sudden accusation.

"Ngh... Hina, are you really blaming me? Me, Uemon, the clan's most loyal servant and your uncle?"

"Precisely because it's you, Uemon-sama. Facts are facts, and to prevent such a situation from recurring, we cannot let this slide."

"Putting yourself on a pedestal, are you?"

The fat figure tried to placate her, but Big Sis cut him off. Truly, she's one of the few sane characters in this depressing game filled with twisted women. Her upright demeanor, which tolerates no injustice, inequality, or unreasonableness, gave players a sense of security. As long as you made her the main heroine, you could avoid being imprisoned or reverse-raped...

...Though, if you raised her affection level too much, she'd become troublesome in her own way.

(Well, she probably wouldn't go that far with a lowly mob like me... Then again, there's the gorilla example...)

That was unavoidable since I needed to survive, but thanks to that, things have become a bit complicated even before the original story's start. I can only hope some kind of corrective force will come into play... Damn it, why did I have to be the one accompanying her back then...!!

As I pondered this, the argument between Big Sis and Fat Uemon (the nickname players gave to Uemon, head of the intelligence team) grew increasingly tense, though it remained quiet and slow.

"Are you saying there's a problem with my leadership, you ungrateful brat!? Your father would be weeping in his grave!"

"Enough with the emotional manipulation...!!"

I kept my head bowed but listened intently to their argument. Hmm, just like in the game when the protagonist was framed, these two really do love to bicker. Well, given Big Sis's backstory, she probably dislikes the clan as a whole. Especially her uncle, who leads the intelligence team—he's practically her nemesis.

"Would you two stop already? You're both making a spectacle of yourselves."

"And you're no better."

The voice that stopped their argument was like the sound of a bell. Big Sis looked displeased, while the other elders turned their gazes toward the speaker—some in fear, some in disdain, and some in admiration. I also discreetly glanced in that direction, careful not to be noticed.

The first thing that caught my eye was an extravagant silk robe dyed in bellflower purple. The vibrant floral patterns, intricately embroidered with gold thread, showcased the artisan's skill.

Seated to the immediate left of the head seat, leaning on an armrest with a lacquered pipe in hand, was a stunning beauty. Her outfit obscured her figure, yet her voluptuous form was unmistakable. Her long, raven-black hair was let down, adorned with a tortoiseshell hairpin. With her decadent aura and appearance of a woman in her early twenties, she exuded an alluring charm...

(If I didn't know better, I'd think...)

Recalling her backstory, I stifled a laugh internally. She's way too obsessed with looking young, that twisted old hag...!!

"It's quite the disgrace for the esteemed members of the Onitsuki Clan to raise their voices like this. Even with the barrier up, who knows which family might be watching us with their sight? Please, try to remember that you are members of the Onitsuki Clan. Understood?"

"Kukuku..."

The woman—Onitsuki Kochō, the former wife of the previous clan head—spoke to the two in a tone one might use to scold a child. Or rather, more accurately, to her son and granddaughter.

...Can you believe it? This woman, who's not only a mother of four but also a grandmother, is acting like this?

In a world where overflowing spiritual energy can rejuvenate the body and extend life, or where supernatural abilities and curses can even make one immortal, it's not impossible for this twisted old hag to maintain her youthful appearance. But seriously, trying to seduce the protagonist, who's fifty years her junior, without considering her age is just... Well, to be fair, there are heroines in this world who are centuries old, but still...

"Lower-ranked operative, thank you for your report. You may leave now."

Puff. After taking a drag from her pipe, the old hag dismissed me. Not that I needed to be told—I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Fat Uemon's glare was terrifying, and the giant eyeball that had been peeking at me from the corner of the room since earlier was unnerving. Not to mention, the room was filled with the clan's elders, and the density of spiritual energy was overwhelming... Ugh, I feel like I'm going to pass out.

"Ah, I'll also—"

"Hina, I still have questions for you about the task I assigned you last night. Stay here."

"Serves you right."

As I bowed deeply and silently prepared to exit the room, Big Sis tried to leave with me but was stopped by the old hag's sharp words.

"...Understood."

After a brief pause, the ever-dutiful Big Sis accepted the request. For a moment, the room felt colder, but I decided not to dwell on it.

"Kukuku..."

"..."

I slid the shoji open, bowed once more, and left the room. As I slowly closed the shoji behind me, I thought I caught the old hag's eye, but surely that was just my imagination. There's no reason for someone like her to take notice of a mob like me.

...And the moment the shoji closed completely, the faint scent of incense wafted through the air, making me tense. To calm myself, I took a deep breath. I already knew what was coming next. This was just a moment to steel my resolve.

With determination, I turned around sharply. And there she was, right in my line of sight.

"Ah, Banba. Welcome back. Did you have a tough time on your mission?"

Standing before me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, was a short girl with a radiant smile. She looked to be in her mid-teens, maybe a little younger. Dressed in a peach-colored kimono, her hands clasped behind her back, her carefree smile gave off the impression of an innocent, pure child. At least, on the surface.

...I knew for a fact that there had been no one standing there when I opened the shoji earlier. And there should have been no place to hide in the vicinity. At least, not within the range of my senses.

"..."

Recalling her paranoia, obsessiveness, and volatile temper from the original story, I carefully chose the safest words I could think of and spoke them.

"Your mastery of the stealth techniques you've been practicing is truly impressive, my lady. I am in awe."

I knelt respectfully and delivered the words to the source of my stress.

Onitsuki Aoi—likely the number one cause of first-time players' bad endings involving imprisonment—stood before me, her adorable, insane smile plastered across her face...

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