第４６６堀：酒呑童子の経緯と処分 (Part1)
**Chapter 466: The Circumstances and Disposal of Shuten-doji**
**Side: Yuki**
Well, it’s common for the unexpected to happen in this world.
It’s rare for things to go exactly according to plan.
I know that better than anyone.
But still…
"This is just too much."
Honestly, I’d rather leave this problem alone and go to sleep.
But I can’t do that.
Because, spread out before my eyes is…
"Why am I bound?! Do you think you’ll get away with doing something like this to me?!"
That’s the Sword God, Nogosh, who had been sliced in two, stuck back together, and resurrected, shouting at me.
Just take down the "Sword God" sign already. "Zombie" suits you better.
"…Hmm. You, what exactly have you done? I demand a proper explanation."
Sitting cross-legged—despite being told to sit in a formal seiza—is not Princess Bitz, but the copy of the copy of Uesugi Kenshin, residing within the sword Himezuru Ichimonji.
It’s already incomprehensible, but the kicker is…
"It’s okay. Big Brother won’t bully you."
"That’s right. Big Brother is kind."
"Yes, you’ll be fine if you leave it to Big Brother."
"Big Brother is super amazing. You’re a good girl, so don’t cry, don’t cry."
Aslin, Firia, Vilia, and Hiiro are all gathered around, comforting…
"Hic… *sob*… Yeah. Shuten is a good girl, so I won’t cry… *hic*…"
Yes, the person—if you can call her that—who was the biggest problem in this operation, Shuten-doji.
No, she looks just like a child. A girl, at that.
I mean, I had theorized that she was a noble chased out by power struggles, but you’d normally assume that’s a man, right?
And "Doji" implies a child, but she’s literally just a kid!
Give me a twist! Someone, explain this to me!
"Um, Yuki-san. The cleanup of the execution grounds is finished."
"I’ve received word from Steve and Kirika, too. They’ve successfully seized control of Bitz’s dungeon."
Taiki-kun and Seraria are giving me reports. Glad to hear things are going according to plan.
"So, Yuki-kun. We stopped her with Uesugi-dono’s cooperation, but what are we going to do about Irwin-dono?"
Ah, right, him too.
The first unexpected variable.
The man who is a disciple of the real Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna. Irwin.
That guy slicing the Dojikiri sword—along with Nogosh—was how this all started.
Damn it, I knew Kamiizumi Nobutsuna was outside the realm of common sense. Who cuts an enemy *through* their sword?!
You’d think he’d just knock it out of their hand!
What? Is the Shinkage-ryu teaching to cut the opponent along with their weapon?
"No, my master never said anything like that… It’s just that I could cut it, so I did…"
"I see."
A perfect example of how you can’t understand a person who operates outside of common sense.
*I did it because I could.*
Yeah, concise.
I don’t understand it at all, though.
"Anyway, the core containing the DP is the real deal, so it’s certain she’s a Dungeon Master. I’ve already seen the blueprints for Bitz’s dungeon."
"I’m glad you’re satisfied."
Well, I’ll leave Irwin alone for now.
He’s been very cooperative and is already under our protection.
In the end, there’s no doubt that Bitz was used from the start for Irwin’s revenge.
It seems our reaction was faster than he expected.
He’s apologized sincerely for that.
He apparently intended to kill her before she could cause any real trouble for Weed or Ranks.
Though, he did march in with monsters.
I have complaints about the details, but I’ll let it slide for now.
"Anyway, let’s put Irwin-san’s story aside for a moment and first…"
I’ll leave the muscle-brained guy alone, and Bitz-slash-Uesugi Terutora is fine for now too.
"Shuten-chan, this is delicious."
"It’s chocolate."
"It’s sweet."
"Shuten, open your mouth."
"Aaaah."
She opens her mouth like a baby bird as Hiiro told her to, and a piece of chocolate is popped in.
She moves her mouth a little…
"…Sweet."
She smiles happily.
"There’s more."
"Really?"
"Look, there’s plenty right here."
She’s being spoiled by Aslin and the others, but that red-haired child is Shuten-doji.
"To begin with, how did she end up like that?"
Taiki-kun looks at Shuten-doji, puzzled.
"No, she was probably like that at the base. You know, the original stories mention a luxurious mansion on Mt. Oe, or kidnapping princesses from the capital of Kyoto—there were many strange descriptions for a simple man-eating ogre, right?"
"I see. So it’s a made-up story born from the end of a power struggle."
"I see. Come to think of it, it was a strange story."
"No, Terutora, don’t just join the conversation."
The God of War chimes in nonchalantly.
"I told you not to call people by their *imina* (personal name). Only parents or a lord should do that. If you must call me, use my title or the family name, Uesugi. In my time, I could have had you executed for that."
"Shut up. Nobody uses *imina* anymore. You’re just making the situation more complicated. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Besides, 'Kanto Kanrei' means nothing here. There are tons of people with the surname Uesugi these days. It’s easier to call you by your name."
"Hmm. Indeed, it is a meaningless custom now, and my status is of no use. But, such formalities are…"
"Be quiet. I can peel that Himezuru Ichimonji off you, melt it down, and turn it back into raw material, you know."
"…Fine, I’ll stop. I finally managed to get a vessel, so don’t do that."
"Then stay quiet for a while."
In the end, this Uesugi Terutora just wanted a justifiable reason to manifest.
Even if she took over Bitz’s body, if she were just seen as a madwoman or possessed by a ghost, she’d just be exorcised.
This is just like the anecdotes of Uesugi Kenshin, seeking a convenient justification for his own actions.
"You may call me by my name, but the problem is that Shuten-doji over there. I understand from our talk that she was originally a red-haired girl. But how do you explain that giant ogre? Or rather, what did you do to make that ogre vanish and that girl appear?"
"Ah, I want to hear that too. What did you do?"
"Come to think of it, I’d like to know that as well."
"Ah, starting from there, huh? Actually, I have a question too, Terutora. In the time you were alive, did you ever see an ogre or a yokai like that in person?"
"Hm? No, I haven’t. There were plenty of rumors, but I never saw one. This is the first time."
"I thought so."
" " "You thought so?" " "
"It means that the reason there are no yokai or monsters of this type in Japan—or the world—right now is because there’s some kind of global restriction in place."
"A restriction that prevents yokai or monsters from appearing? Like a barrier?"
"Well, as a hypothesis, it’s not impossible. But is it really?"
"Hmm. Indeed, there were some shady things like the protective barriers of monks."
"Terutora, you were a monk too. How many times did you take the tonsure?"
"That was just a formality. In that era, even monks ate meat, drank sake, and enjoyed women as they pleased. Well, I won’t say all of them."
"I bet. Anyway, that’s fine. So, I just tried out some barriers. I had piles of literature on it—Five Elements theory, the Heart Sutra, the Four Symbols formation—I set up everything I could think of. When I activated them, the ogre vanished and that girl appeared. One of them must have been the right one. The fact that the ogre appeared at all is proof that such dubious arts exist. That girl must have had a talent for that kind of thing, too. So, we should see it as her being exorcised, right?"
I don’t know which one actually exorcised the ogre.
Because I really did activate a bunch of them at once.
"That’s so haphazard…"
"Is it possible there was a synergistic effect? No, wait… so that’s why these exorcism-type barriers are interfering with each other all over the world, making it harder for monsters to appear? Damn it, I regret that I can’t go to Earth!"
"…Hey. What is that old warrior talking about?"
"Leave him be. It’s like a disease."
The "researcher’s disease," that is.
"I see. Well, it’s best not to meddle with that kind of thing. So, the circumstances of that girl are fine. The question is what to do with her. Should we cut her down? *Guh!?*"
The moment he said something dangerous, Bitz’s head jerked.
No, a box of chocolates had hit her square in the face.