Chapter 20: Yayoi Hozuki

Although Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory each serve as a "Lord" (territory manager) in the Underworld's hierarchy, they must also shoulder certain responsibilities—for instance, protecting residents under supernatural threats or fulfilling other types of requests. By completing such requests, they not only help the people who ask, but also earn credit toward their record as Lords. At the same time, interactions between devils and humans can help maintain ties between the two races.

However, as far as Hikaru knew, both Rias and Sona, being high-ranked devils, mostly handled battle-related requests. Other types of wishes usually fell under specialized departments in the Underworld.

"Let's see what's going on."

He channeled a bit of magic into the emblem. A holographic projection of a young girl appeared before his eyes.

"It's an emergency—please help."

She glanced around nervously, as though evading something, and then the projection ended. Silence returned to the room. Hikaru mulled over the girl's face, which seemed strangely familiar. Regardless, he decided to accept the request.

"Est," he called out.

At once, the girl materialized in a flicker of silver light.

"Time to get to work," Hikaru said.

With that, the obsidian badge from the House of Sitri glowed with a pale blue radiance. A magic circle bearing the Sitri crest spread beneath Hikaru's feet. He felt a sense of weightlessness and detachment as space distorted, linking his location to another. His figure gradually faded out.

…

Late Night.

The moon hung in a starry sky, but its soft glow barely penetrated the thick forest. Only a few stray beams cast threadlike patterns on the ground below.

Yayoi Hozuki found herself alone in a silent wilderness. Cold wind hissed like a specter, and a creeping chill pervaded the air, sending shivers down her spine.

"My magic is completely drained…"

She looked at the now-dim flyer in her hand. It bore the Sitri crest, which she had used to attempt contacting a devil. She'd only managed to say one sentence before it lost all power. She couldn't help wondering if the flyers handed out in the streets were just a scam. Yet, moments earlier, she really had sensed an unusual surge of energy.

"When it rains, it pours…"

Muttering to herself, she carefully glanced behind her—only to lock eyes with a rotting "Ghost Infant."

A "Ghost Infant," also known as a "Yōkai Baby" or "Infant Spirit," is essentially the soul of a deceased infant. Whether from abortion, miscarriage, or premature death, these children's spirits become vengeful if they die before or shortly after birth. Though any single one of them is fairly weak, they're massive in number. Even within a single city, there could easily be tens of thousands over many years.

Here, countless infant spirits had gathered because of the "Kishimojin."

"Kishimojin," in mythology, is one of Buddhism's Twenty Devas—a guardian who once was a demon that devoured babies. However, after Buddha Shakyamuni guided her to understand the pain of losing her own child, she repented and became a protector of children. Yet, as the local temple fell into disuse and lost its devotees, Kishimojin could no longer purify or guide every infant spirit to salvation. Over time, the buildup of so many child-ghosts led her to be corrupted, becoming an evil god.

Yayoi Hozuki had come here seeking Kishimojin's powers to lift a curse from her older sister, Eiko Hozuki. But she had underestimated both Kishimojin and the sheer number of infant spirits. Unprepared, she now found herself in a desperate struggle, fleeing for her life. Additionally, her "Substitution Doll" had been destroyed. If she were to be attacked again, she'd have no way out.

In her panic, she'd recalled the flyer she got earlier that day—her last hope was to summon a devil to fix this mess. Using devils against evil spirits sounded like a decent plan. Unfortunately, the magic circle on the flyer only lasted a few seconds. She barely had time to say one sentence before it died out. She didn't even get to share her location. With that, she lost her final fallback.

Now, she could only fight, retreat, and think of something else. Her plan was to reach the temple's main hall; if she couldn't haul away Kishimojin's entire statue, she'd at least try to break off an arm or finger. That would still be something.

Having knocked away the Ghost Infant confronting her with her "Physics Holy Sword," Yayoi Hozuki swiftly moved on. She shook off a few more infant spirits along the way and managed to slip into the main hall. But she felt no relief. Those ghost babies had already caught wind of her whereabouts, and it wouldn't be long before they closed in. Once they trapped her, it was over. While Kishimojin, even corrupted, might still refrain from harming children, those infant spirits felt no such compassion. Though childlike and innocent, they could also be the cruelest of beings, caring only to "play" with their victim until she joined their ranks.

Outside, the rustling grew louder and louder. Peering out, Yayoi Hozuki realized the doorway was swarming with writhing black infant spirits. Even an experienced adult would feel goosebumps at the sight.

Yet at that moment, a pale blue magic circle appeared before Yayoi Hozuki. A figure emerged from it—none other than Hikaru.

~~~

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