Fireflies of the Dark Night

"Your life has been bought by our household. From now on, you will live and work here."

In a way, it was a nostalgic dream. Something from over ten years ago. And in another sense, it was the worst memory.

What had gone wrong? Was it failing to hide my spiritual power properly? Or perhaps acting smug because I had been reincarnated? No, the very fact that I had been reincarnated into this world must have been the mistake.

I had been reincarnated into the world of a game I knew well... When I realized this, I was excited for the first few days, but I quickly came to understand the reality. This world was too harsh to live in. And it was filled with malice.

When I realized I had no cheat abilities, that excitement turned to despair. In this world, where even those unrelated to the original story could die in an instant, I desperately trained my meager spiritual power, which I assumed was my reincarnation bonus, until I could fully control it. Spiritual power was a force that could oppose demons, but to them, it also smelled like a feast. If I were strong enough to fight, that would be one thing, but having only a moderate amount would just make me a target. So, I desperately trained to suppress and hide my spiritual power.

It was tough. The setting of "Fireflies in the Dark Night" seemed to be inspired by the Tohoku or Hokuriku regions, so the winters were harsh. Moreover, I was born in a poor, cold village. With three younger siblings... children were valuable labor.

By the time I was old enough to understand, I was already holding a hoe with a growling stomach, shoveling snow, weaving straw sandals, and using every spare moment to suppress my spiritual power. My days were filled with nothing but immediate concerns. My few pleasures were taking care of my younger siblings or even other children in the village. I would tell them stories I knew from my previous life as fairy tales or teach them simple reading, writing, and arithmetic. Children are pure, and they praised me without suspicion. It's pathetic now, but basking in that sense of superiority was one of my few joys.

Then, one day, well-dressed visitors came to the village. The village chief, who usually strictly collected taxes and ordered us around, was bowing his head desperately to them. At a glance, I was stunned by the torrent of spiritual power overflowing from their bodies.

I immediately felt nauseous. No, I vomited. Overwhelmed by the intense spiritual power, I collapsed and vomited endlessly, as if drunk. Even when there was nothing left in my stomach but bile, I kept retching. My head throbbed, my vision swayed, and my consciousness faded. The voices around me grew distant, and it was hard to understand what they meant. It was like drowning on land...

I knew the village chief was yelling and had taken out a whip. I thought I was about to be whipped... but then one of the visitors stopped him. When I looked up and saw that figure, that gaze, I knew. My power had been discovered. No, it had been seen through... Looking back now, it must have been some kind of eye technique.

After that, there was some conversation with the village chief and my parents, and I was handed over along with some money. My younger siblings cried and tried to follow, but my parents held them back. That was the last memory I had of my family.

What happened after is hazy. I remember being asked a few questions as they took me away.

I was put on a horse, and we crossed mountains over several days. I remember being stripped of my ragged clothes and given new ones at a post town along the way.

From there, my memory is vague again, but I clearly remember passing through the gate of the Onitsuki family's mansion, which I had seen in the game. Then, I was led down a corridor and brought to a room.

When the sliding door opened, I was stunned for two reasons. One was her beauty, and the other was realizing that I had unknowingly fallen into a trap I couldn't escape from.

"Listen, kid. You're going to take care of that wild girl. Be very polite. You're sharp for your age, so you should be able to handle her. You're both of peasant blood, so you might get along."

With that, the man turned on his heel and left. I stared after him in shock, but I couldn't stay like that forever, so I turned back to look at her.

"What? Got a problem? Who are you? What are you?"

Her words were surprisingly crude for someone living in the Onitsuki family's mansion, a renowned demon-slaying household. She sounded like a country bumpkin. In fact, I had seen many kids like her in the village. No, more than that...

"What? Why are you staring at me like that? Say something!"

The beautiful black-haired girl was sloppily dressed in a heavy kimono, her hair unkempt and uncombed, glaring at me with angry words and an irritated expression. There was clear hostility. I see, so this is...

"Sorry, you're just so cute I couldn't help it."

Since we both looked like children, I casually threw out such a blunt remark. But the girl, who had low tolerance for such things even in the game, was surprised and a little embarrassed by that one line. Behind my childlike smile, I coldly thought, "Too easy."

"Um... like the adult said earlier, I guess I'm supposed to take care of you. Nice to meet you? My name is..."

At that moment, I must have been arrogantly overconfident. The frustrations of my hard life had built up, and without thinking of the consequences, I tried to get close to her, hoping to reap some sweet rewards.

It was a huge mistake. I had no real power, yet I let my greed get the better of me. It was an outrageous, irreversible error...

---

"Oh? You're awake? Should I say good morning? Oh...?"

Waking from an unpleasant dream, I reflexively thrust my spear at the demon peering into my face. Of course, it narrowly dodged.

"That's harsh. There's no reason to get stabbed with a spear right after waking up, is there?"

"You being a demon is reason enough. Besides, my memory's hazy, but you used some kind of sleeping drug, didn't you?"

I asked while trying to recall the blurry memories.

"Oh? You remember? Well, you don't have to thank me. You wouldn't eat, so I figured you at least needed some sleep to keep your strength up."

I couldn't help but frown at the demon's self-serving words. Sleeping defenselessly in front of you is far worse for my mental health... Wait, I'm okay, right? You didn't take a bite out of me, did you?

I instinctively checked my fingers, nose, and ears to make sure I hadn't been "snacked on." The demon shrugged as if to say, "Here we go again."

"You're as cautious as ever. Don't you trust me at all?"

"Who in their right mind would trust a demon?"

I spat out the words in annoyance and looked up at the sky through the cave entrance. No fog...

---

[Illustration Display]

---

"Ah, that guy? I kicked him once yesterday to adjust the difficulty. He's probably still crouching in pain."

"So that sound during the battle yesterday was you."

During the fight, there had been a loud noise, and then the fog suddenly weakened. So, it was this guy who had interfered.

(Wait, if that thing survived a kick from him, it must be something serious. A great demon, then. And if it's the master of the fog, the candidates are limited...)

"Yeah, at least it wasn't in human form. And it moved slowly. Too slow, actually—it had its minions carry it around."

"..."

"Hey, don't look so suspicious. Even a lying demon doesn't lie all the time."

I looked away from the laughing demon and narrowed down the possibilities. Fortunately, the capricious princess had made me read several books on demons, so I quickly came up with a candidate.

"That 'Transformed Clam' is the most likely candidate."

A demon with a physical form, capable of using fog illusions, not in human form, and slow-moving—that fit the description perfectly.

The Shin—a giant clam that is also the origin of the term "mirage"—is a legendary creature from ancient folklore in my previous life. In the game "Fireflies in the Dark Night," it appears as one of the many demons. In the original game, a fully grown Shin torments the protagonist by showing them hallucinations of their deceased family.

Whether this is the same individual or not is unclear... but either way, I'm lucky. Its direct combat ability isn't particularly high. Judging by the fog from yesterday, it probably hasn't grown to its full potential yet. Moreover, if it's already taken a kick from the demon in front of me, it must be significantly weakened.

(Given Onitsuki Ayaka's personality, even if I'm just a servant, she wouldn't leave me behind unless she was certain I was dead. So, there's still a way to handle this.)

During yesterday's battle, her movements were sloppy due to nervousness. I've accompanied her on a few missions before, but older demon slayers were always with her then... Even in the game, she was indecisive, so it's no surprise she'd struggle on her first solo mission. Even so, this extermination shouldn't be too difficult.

"First, I need to regroup... Huh!?"

The next moment, I sensed an evil presence and hid behind a rock. Almost simultaneously, the demon, who had also sensed it, dispersed into a cloud of black demonic energy with a delighted expression.

I held my breath, sweat beading on my forehead, as I silently and slowly observed the situation.

(I see... Well, it is a clam. Still, the timing couldn't be worse... or better...)

I inwardly chuckled bitterly. Come to think of it, ever since I was reincarnated, I've never had a stroke of good luck.

A demon army was marching through the cave. At the center of the procession was something particularly striking—a giant clam, about the size of an oxcart, with a cracked shell oozing blue fluid. It was exhaling white mist as if breathing, carried by countless demons as it slowly made its way toward the cave lake...

This is bad... That was my first thought.

The saying goes, "Demons are best dealt with by demons," but no offense to the more conventional thinkers—demon slayers are the best at handling demons. My honest wish was for Onitsuki Ayaka to take care of the main course and clean up the rest. Yesterday's battle was tough, but that was solely due to the fog obscuring vision and senses. Even as a child, if her vision were clear, she could have easily wiped out that horde of monsters from a distance.

The Onitsuki family, a renowned demon-slaying lineage that has bred powerful individuals like racehorses for centuries, is terrifying. Even the head of the Hidden Operations Unit, who looks so fat you'd doubt he could fight, can move at speeds so fast you'd mistake it for teleportation if he got serious. In fact, many first-time players underestimated that fatso and got their protagonist's neck snapped in one counterattack. Normally, he's just a blob of fat, but when he goes all out, he turns into a muscular dumpling. Like, seriously, what the hell!?

(Meanwhile, no matter how you look at it, I'm just a servant... The gap between bloodlines and talent in this world is just too overwhelming.)

The policies of the imperial court and demon-slaying families are partly to blame, but in this world—more accurately, in Fusō Country—the disparity between ordinary humans and those with spiritual power or special abilities is insurmountable. Of course, there are reasons for that, and in a way, it's still better than the war-torn southern barbarian lands.

Regardless, the demonic procession currently parading in front of me is way out of my league.

(There are about a hundred of them, right? The best-case scenario is they pass by without noticing me...)

Against an army of demons with senses far superior to humans—or even beasts—how long can I fool them at this distance, with no preparation?

(This is bad, bad, bad...!!!)

They'll definitely notice. Or can I trick them? But... if I ambush them? No, that's impossible. Run? Can I escape? This cave is a straight path. Time? Help? This is bad, bad, bad...!!

"Ugh...!?"

My pulse spiked from the tension, and that was my mistake. A sharp pain shot through my left shoulder. I touched it with my hand—my palm was wet with blood. Haha, crap. The wound reopened.

"Guh!? Groooar!!!"

"Screech! Screech!!"

The demons suddenly started making noise. I knew why. There was no time.

"Tch...!!"

I activated my shikigami. Smearing the blood from my shoulder onto the talisman, the shikigami transformed into a small crow—more accurately, a shikigami crow with its face hidden by a talisman. Several of them materialized and flew toward the cave lake.

Almost simultaneously, most of the demons roared and charged in the direction the crows had flown. Beast-like demons scrambled up the rock walls, bird-like ones took to the air, and insect-like ones crawled across the ground. Those that didn't fit into these categories—indescribable, grotesque forms—also rushed after the shikigami using their own methods of movement. Meanwhile, the giant clam had its minions carry it deeper into the cave to safety.

(This is my only chance...!!)

The next moment, I channeled what little spiritual power I had into my leg joints and muscles and leaped. If this were my previous life, I probably could've won an Olympic long jump.

"Though I'd be disqualified for doping...!!"

"Huh...!?"

Landing in front of the giant clam amidst a cloud of dust, I reinforced the tip of my spear and swung it with maximum centrifugal force, targeting the insect-like minions carrying the clam.

"Guh...!?"

I severed the front leg joints of several small demons, aiming for the gaps in their exoskeletons. Using the momentum from the swing, I spun my body and decapitated or split open the heads and chests of the second row of demons.

I didn't need to kill them. No, I didn't have the luxury. Insect-types would thrash around even after losing their heads, and larger ones had tough exoskeletons. So, I aimed to disable them by cutting off their legs or heads, robbing them of their ability to think. And what happens then...!!

"Ugh!! Ugh!!?"

Several headless insect demons thrashed and flailed uncontrollably. Without the ability to think, they couldn't comprehend their master's commands. Those who lost their front legs couldn't move forward or backward. Meanwhile, the demons behind them were kicked aside or crushed under the weight of their collapsing master. The insect demons, their heads and chests crushed, twitched with only the back halves of their bodies spasming...

"Die...!!"

After disabling its legs, I thrust my spear toward the main target and charged. I didn't want to give it a chance to counterattack. The plan was to kill it quickly—or at least wound it—and then flee in the opposite direction of the approaching demons at full speed.

But...

"Ouch...!!?"

With a metallic clang, as if two pieces of metal had collided, my thrust was blocked. ...Oh, right. Of course it can close its shell. It's a clam, after all.

I failed. Realizing this, I suppressed the pain in my hand and tried to escape quickly, but fate had other plans.

"Huh!? No way...!?"

The next moment, as I pulled back my spear to flee, the clam opened its shell and lashed out at me with several tentacles. They looked like they could pierce through thin sheets of iron, but I managed to dodge them at the last second. Then, the clam... jumped.

"Wait, what!?"

I twisted my body to avoid the clam's pounce as it opened its shell and lunged at me. At the same time, the great demon crashed headfirst into a rock behind me.

...I later learned that clams can have tentacles, and some species are surprisingly good at jumping. And if it's a demon, well, that makes sense.

"Hah... hah... That bastard was trying to crush me...!?"

I glanced back to see the giant clam turning toward me with its tentacles and jumping ability. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a row of pitch-black eyes lining the edge of its shell. Their cold, inorganic gaze was filled with unmistakable anger.

"Eek...!?"

By the time I realized it was using an eye technique, it was too late. My legs froze. More accurately, since I averted my gaze mid-way, the hypnosis from the eye technique only partially worked, leaving my legs immobilized. The tentacles lunged at me.

"Ugh... ow!? ...Tch!!"

Unable to move, I deflected the tentacle attacks with my spear, but that didn't last more than ten seconds. The next moment, my spear was ripped from my hands and tossed aside. Then, one of the tentacles pierced my right leg.

"AAAAHHHH!!? Damn it!!"

The excruciating pain in my right leg actually helped break the hypnosis. Still crouched on one knee, I pulled out a dagger from my pocket in a fit of rage. It was the same one I hadn't used in the fight with that mutt earlier. In the next instant, I swung the dagger and cleanly severed the tentacle that had stabbed my leg.

"Ah... ugh...!?"

The severed tentacle thrashed around, widening the wound in my leg. Enduring the pain, I used the dagger to fend off the clam's retaliatory strikes, even as it writhed in agony from losing its tentacles. Haha, it's almost laughable that this dagger can cut through it like tofu when my spear couldn't even scratch it.

"...!?!?"

The clam writhed in pain, clearly suffering from losing so many tentacles. It closed its shell and leaped at me again.

"Tch... Don't underestimate me...!!"

I twisted my body to avoid its charge. The impact shattered rocks and tore up the ground, sending dust flying. But that was my chance.

"Don't look down on humans, you damn clam...!!"

Just before the clam could open its shell, I jumped onto it. Then, I drove the dagger into the crack in its shell—the one likely caused by the demon's light kick earlier.

"...!!!???"

Bright red blood gushed out, surprisingly vivid for a mollusk. It must have been excruciating. The demon thrashed wildly, its tentacles flailing. One of them slammed into my face. I let out a small cry of pain. ...My mask shattered. If it hadn't been there, I'd be dead.

"Just... die already...!!!"

I twisted the dagger deeper into the wound, burying it up to the hilt. Blood sprayed all over me, but I didn't care anymore.

This went on for about thirty seconds... The clam let out an indescribable wail, thrashing desperately, but its movements gradually slowed... until it finally fell silent.

"..."

Even so, I didn't let my guard down. Just to be sure, I twisted the dagger inside the demon's body. There was no movement.

"...Did I do it?"

I let out a sigh, my right arm still buried up to the shoulder in the demon's flesh. It seemed like I'd made it out ali—

"Not really, huh?"

I looked around and sighed. Surrounding me was the horde of demons that had been chasing my shikigami. All of them were staring at me with sharp, predatory eyes. Upon closer inspection, some of them were even holding the mangled remains of my crows in their mouths. Ah, crap. This is checkmate.

As the demons lunged at me all at once, I hurriedly pulled out the dagger and braced myself. And then...

"Hmm... Well, I suppose that's just barely passing. Congratulations on passing."

A haughty whisper echoed from nowhere in particular. At the same time... the demons in front of me were massacred by a rain of light arrows.

"Ah..."

It was an overwhelming display of brute force. Resistance was impossible, defiance unthinkable, and escape out of the question. The diverse horde of demons was shredded to pieces in seconds under the barrage of hundreds of arrows.

It was over in mere moments. Nearly a hundred demons were wiped out in just a few seconds.

For a while, silence dominated the area. And then, that silence was broken by the one who had created it.

"Mr. Tomobe, are you alright!?"

A voice called out from behind me. A young girl, holding a bow and arrow glowing with spiritual energy, came running toward me in a panic.

"...Haha, as expected, demon slayers are the ones to handle demons."

Recalling the slaughter that had just unfolded and the innocent-looking face of the young girl, I muttered to myself with a hint of self-mockery...

---

As it turned out, Onitsuki Ayaka and the others had been searching for me after I got separated. They had sensed a sinister demonic energy and entered the cave, only to find me being attacked.

(The timing was too perfect... Did that demon set this up?)

The demonic energy was likely detected on purpose by that stalker demon. Maybe it didn't want to lose its toy. Or perhaps it was just setting the stage to observe the young demon slayer's abilities. Its true intentions were unclear.

"Even if I wanted to know its intentions, it's not like I can just call it out and expect it to show up... Still, this hurts."

While my shikigami were busy cleaning up the demon corpses in the cave, I leaned against a tree and tended to my wounds. The wound on my right leg, in particular, was excruciating. It was a miracle my artery hadn't been severed. If it had, I'd have bled out.

"Ugh...!!"

I bit down on something to endure the pain while using a drug (apparently something the pharmacists extracted from poppies, suppressing its addictive properties through a secret method) to numb it. Then, I stitched up the wound myself. Damn, this hurts...

Tears welled up in my eyes as I finished the sutures, cut the thread, disinfected the wound with alcohol, and wrapped it in bandages.

"U-um, are you okay, Mr. Tomobe...?"

The demon slayer, who had been watching my impromptu surgery with deep concern, asked. For a kid this age, it might be a bit too much... or maybe not. Fighting demons is far more intense. Well, I guess it's a different kind of stress...

"No problem. I made sure it won't get infected. More importantly, is the rescue team almost here?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. The shikigami have returned, so they should be here soon."

The demon slayer hurriedly answered my question. That's good. With my injured leg, I'd have been left behind otherwise.

Onitsuki Ayaka's thoughtfulness is genuinely reassuring. Even in the game, she'd call for help if a servant like me couldn't walk.

"By the way, it's kind of strange."

"What is?"

"Your mask is missing. The servants always wear masks, so it's hard to tell what they look like. But you're quite memorable, Mr. Tomobe... You're younger than I imagined!"

Ayaka-chan smiled warmly, her expression kind and innocent. Yeah, you're a good kid. I can't exactly tell you that the real reason servants are forced to wear masks is to make it harder for us to form bonds with the people we serve, can I?

"Lady Ayaka, they've arrived."

"Understood. It looks like they're here!"

One of the surviving servants who had accompanied us this time reported, and Ayaka-chan looked relieved as she turned her gaze toward the approaching group. From the other side of the forest, a carriage accompanied by several attendants came into view. It seemed they were on their way back from work.

(Now then, whose carriage is that...? Ah, that might be a bit troublesome.)

I recognized the carriage's appearance and made a bitter face. This was going to complicate things later, especially with that gorilla of a person.

"We're grateful for your assistance, Princess."

Ayaka and the remaining servants bowed their heads in gratitude as the carriage came to a stop in front of us.

"I heard there's an injured person. Very well, we're on our way back from work anyway. The mansion isn't far, so we'll take the injured with us."

The voice, both strong and refined, was one I'd heard not long ago. The figure who stepped out of the carriage with a flourish came to stand in front of me, looking down at me as I lay against the tree.

"It's been a while since last time. Looks like you'll be coming with us this time, huh?"

"...It's embarrassing, but it seems so."

I answered in a servant-like, matter-of-fact tone to the dignified black-haired girl. She narrowed her eyes slightly, quietly assessing my condition—or more accurately, the extent of my injuries.

Onitsuki Hina, the eldest daughter of the Onitsuki main family... The same person I had turned down just the other day. Without my mask to hide my expression, I could only avert my gaze and remain silent, unable to hide the awkwardness of the situation...

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