Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 128

 Drowning. Drowning. Drowning. A water mass with intent forces its way into Tamaki's open mouth. It goes down her throat, fills up her breathing passage, and heads for her lungs.

 "Ugh...!? Nghh, cough...!!?"

 She's struggling to breathe. Coughing. Moving around frantically. But fighting didn't help. Fear started to take over. Her awareness was fading. Her consciousness was slipping away. Her vision grew dimmer...

 "So annoying...!! 'Mushiage (Steam Up)'!!"

 "Gahh!!?"

 In an instant, in the blink of an eye, blinding flashes filled her vision. At the same time, the intense cold that had surrounded her started to disappear. It was as if the coldness had turned into heat and vanished into thin air. The wetness that had covered her body now lay motionless on the floor. Tamaki, who had fallen to the ground, held onto her throat and coughed.

 "Pardon me...!!"

 "Ngghhh!!?"

 Immediately, Murasaki inserted two fingers into Tamaki's throat. She then twisted and pushed a pill down. A strong bitterness engulfed her entire body, not just her tongue. She felt something stirring within. As Tamaki reflexively tried to vomit, Murasaki closed her mouth.

 "Ngghh!! Ngghh!!?"

 "Please wait, just a little longer. Just a little... now!!"

 Murasaki released her grip on Tamaki's jaw. At the same time, Tamaki threw up a lot of water and stomach contents. This was a kind of cleansing, not for bugs, but for youkai. Depending on the kind, if it's a youkai that's in the body in the early stages, using this method can help get rid of it for sure.

 "Cough, cough, cough!? Bitter... so bitter!!"

 With teary eyes, Tamaki repeatedly spat out saliva. It was truly a terrible taste. Worse than anything she had ever eaten. Her tongue was numb beyond belief.

 "I don't apologize. If I hadn't intervened, that creature would've filled your lungs and suffocated you. You brought this upon yourself."

 Murasaki scolded Tamaki sternly as she observed the unresponsive mess on the floor. Bred Suiko had significantly changed its nature from the original species. The massive size and increased aggression were just a part of it.

 From a foolish and clumsy primitive form that could temporarily liquefy itself, envelop opponents, immobilize them, and cause them to drown in its body, to the now significantly transformed and extremely vicious and malignant that became a challenge beyond comparison. It wasn't something third-rate exorcists could control. CAnd so, out of embarrassment for such incompetence, numerous cases of illegal disposal without even euthanasia had been reported. It was only natural that it was strictly forbidden to breed them as a forbidden technique.

 "While your decapitation was impressive, it's a shame that you were careless."

 "Haah... haah... Cough!?"

 While still coughing up remnants of the medicine, Tamaki struggled to catch her breath. Seeing her in that state, Murasaki retorted. Even as she did so, she thought back to the incident a while ago and felt a slight suspicion in her heart.

 (Still, that swordmanship...)

 That sword strike was indeed magnificent. Incredibly skillful. And yet, it felt out of place. The kind of movement you wouldn't expect. Could it be compared to 'using a sledgehammer to crack a nut'? Murasaki, who had practiced with her younger disciple, recognized that. That strike was obviously different from the abilities of the exorcist known as Hotoya Tamaki...