A small path spiraled downward along the right side of the iron gate, cleverly utilizing the art of visual displacement. Had this suddenly appearing Oni not led the way, it would have been difficult to find such a path without resorting to special means.
With twists, turns, and several changes in direction to avoid all the other Oni along the way, this new Oni's cautious behavior made him look more like an uninvited guest than Sū ěr party. Yet the luxurious robe he wore suggested an extraordinary status... could it be stolen?
Sū ěr mind wandered into idle speculation.
"Stolen" was, of course, just a playful guess. Through her constant internal communication with Sū ěr, Think was certain that this Oni's gait and gestures displayed a unique sense of etiquette—one he was constantly reminding himself to maintain. This intangible aura was not something that could be stolen.
Along the way, the group also noted the differences between this Oni and his kin—most notably his height. He towered over the other Oni; those of Sū ěr height were practically runts in his presence.
Naturally, this was not meant to imply Sū ěr was a runt. Don't overthink it.
They finally reached a place the Oni deemed safe. After stooping to enter a low iron door, they found themselves in a large room where even his massive frame could stand tall. There were clear signs of habitation, and the flowers hanging on the walls gave the place a touch of warmth.
The only question was: where did these flowers come from?
Given that even Yuuka—a youkai who was quite active in the outside world searching for strong foes—had never heard of the Oni, this race was clearly being hoarded by the Tenson to hide his strength and deliver a lightning strike. The fact that they lived only underground and couldn't leave made this clear. So where did this Oni get flowers?
"Please, have a seat. Don't be formal," he said politely. But upon seeing that Sū ěr group remained standing, the giant Oni sat down cross-legged on his own and said directly, "My name is Hoderi."
"What? You recognize him?" Noticing Yukari surprised expression immediately, Sū ěr turned to ask.
"Mm. If what he says is true, then he is—"
"The eldest son of Ame-no-Nishi-Kuni-no-Nishi-Amatsu-Hikohiko-no-Ninigi-no-Mikoto." Before Yukari could finish, the black-haired Oni spoke up himself, offering a mocking smile. It wasn't directed at others, but at himself.
In his voice, Sū ěr felt not a shred of pride or honor in being the child of Amaterasu-Omikami's grandson, but only a deep sense of helplessness.
Increasingly like Greek mythology, was Sū ěr first reaction.
"Shouldn't he be a Shinjin?" Still hidden within Sū ěr body, Think asked the question through his mouth.
"Since you've come here, you must be familiar with that curse," the Oni named Hoderi said frankly. "At least my lineage—the Shinjin led by me—has transformed into Oni."
"Then, Lord Hoderi—"
"Just call me Hoderi, there's no need for titles," the black-haired Oni said with a bitter laugh. "In the end, I've fallen completely to the level of a demon. And since I am a demon, why follow those old conventions?"
The suffix -no-Mikoto added to names meant "Honorable" or "Venerable," a title for gods. Ki was an honorific for males, and Mi for females, as seen in the titles of the gods who stabilized Ashihara no Nakatsukuni: Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto.
"Fine then, Hoderi." Yukari, having been interrupted twice, showed no sign of anger. She only asked curiously, "You don't seem surprised by our appearance?"
"To be precise, I'm not surprised by your return." Clearly needing something from them, Hoderi answered every question readily. "I just didn't expect you to take so long to come back."
The information revealed in Hoderi words made Yukari eyes widen in shock. If what this Oni said was true, did that mean that every move of her previous visit to this underground city had been watched by someone she hadn't detected?!
The Gap Youkai found this unacceptable.
"Let's talk about that monster first." Compared to the history between Yukari and Hoderi, Sū ěr and Think were more interested in what that thing they had just seen actually was.
Everything they saw in this world was like opening an unknown book filled with novel and strange things they had never seen before.
"The monster?" The black-haired Oni's smile grew more pained, despite the sharp, jagged teeth he exposed. "He is indeed a monster now... Perhaps you won't believe it, but he was once such a beautiful boy."
"My third brother's child... a boy who should have called me uncle... I fear even my naive brother couldn't believe until the day he died that Father would use his child for such a purpose... haha, hahaha..." The black-haired Oni seemed to go mad, laughing and crying all at once as he slammed his fist into a wooden table, shattering it.
"Third brother? Then isn't that Hikonagisatake-Ugayafukiaezu-no-Mikoto's..." Yukari pupils shrank to pinpricks. Unlike Sū ěr and Think, who knew nothing of this world, or Yuuka, who only cared for combat, Yukari—who aspired to unite all youkai as their overlord—knew the relationships between these gods and Shinjin perfectly well.
"Yes, it is him... Ugayafukiaezu-no-Mikoto," Hoderi nodded slowly with a grief-stricken expression. "Perhaps it was the Law of the World reflected upon him at his birth that made him the most suitable... material in Father's eyes."
"Using blood as the medium, gathering different essences, then using his own body to purify the impurities within, squeezing out the purest droplets to fill the void in Father's body and cheat that curse..." The massive, towering Oni should have been terrifying, but now he curled into a ball before Sū ěr group like a helpless child.
He was indeed crying.
"...It's all the fault of that curse... all the fault of Oyamatsumi... all Father's fault... why... why..."
He muttered incessantly—it was a litany of damnation.