People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 506 Hana Sanri: What we need to do? It's very simple, turn the area outside Narukami Island into a fallen zone.

"."

"If I remember correctly, I should be 'dead,' but this is..."

Inazuma Castle, Fuchigami Sweet Shop, backyard corridor.

Sitting upright in front of a cup of slightly steaming tea,

Chiyo, slender and still somewhat disoriented after her resurrection, looked bewildered.

Looking at the pink and white robe she was wearing, decorated with cherry blossom patterns, countless fragmented images seemed to flash through her mind.

Influenced by the last period of her life, Chiyo could no longer distinguish between reality and dreams.

Looking down at my hands, and at the mirror that someone had placed on the table:

—The two horns were intact, and the crimson pupils reflected in the mirror were like jewels.
Her face, now restored to its original beautiful appearance, showed no trace of the distorted state that had once almost turned her into a monster.

"."

Being pulled back from the brink of death in such a way is undoubtedly a miracle far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

A gentle breeze rustled through the cherry blossom trees in full bloom in the courtyard, carrying with it a faint, lingering fragrance.
Chiyo pursed her lips, somewhat dazed, and took a few pink and white petals scattered in front of her. Suddenly, she felt that everything she had realized at the last moment was just a nightmare.

"Are you awake? Hmm, a bit faster than expected."

"Tea and desserts have been prepared, all of which were your favorites. Please don't be shy."

The sound of wooden clogs stepping on the floor gradually approached from afar, followed by the aroma of food and desserts.

A figure dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, with fox ears and golden eyes, and a fluffy tail behind her, approached with a smile. This familiar posture made Chiyo pause for a moment.

"Fox Abode Palace? You're here too?"

"Could it all really have been just a nightmare, or is this the underworld where the deceased return?"

"Ah, it was all a dream. Everyone and Inazuma are safe and sound."

"Have something to eat. Aying is waiting for us to bring her some desserts."

The white-haired figure twitched her ears, and the gentle expression on her face, which revealed no ill intentions, made her impossible to dislike, just like a certain white fox in her memory.

"."

They slowly approached and placed the grilled meat and sushi on the tray in their hands onto the table.

Sitting opposite him, looking at the demon girl before him who seemed to have truly blurred the lines between dream and reality.

"I hope all of this is really as I said," Hanashi sighed, her words carrying a hint of heaviness.
"I'm sorry. I'd love to say that, but you should know it's impossible."

"That dark calamity truly descended upon this land. 'True' perished in a foreign land. You swung your longsword at Shadow, and the Heavenly Fox and Earthly Fox fell into slumber. The true Fox Palace is long gone."

But you were clearly there.

Looking at her favorite food and the face that was exactly the same as in her memory, the seemingly weak and powerless demon girl paused slightly and unconsciously began to refute.

"No, I am not."

"Although I considered admitting it, we are just too familiar with each other, and it should be easy for you to see through the deception."

He remained calm and did not mind revealing his identity openly.

Even though her memories do indeed originate from "Fox Temple", Hana Sanri has now found her own meaning of existence outside of that place.

"I remember your likes and dislikes with Aying, I remember our first meeting and our parting, I remember you asking me for help when Daoqi and Changzheng had a conflict, and I also remember you collapsing from exhaustion on the training field."

"Then aren't you one?"

Some of them couldn't understand what their old friend was saying.
Even though she still didn't understand what had happened, she couldn't understand why Fox Palace was unwilling to acknowledge her identity in the face of this long-awaited reunion.

"."

"To be frank, you are indeed the true 'Mikoto Chiyo.' Your resurrection process was extremely complex, but it can still be categorized as 'repair.'"

"But I'm probably someone 'Fox Abode Palace' itself wouldn't like; I'm a counterfeit and filth that inherited 'her' memories."

"As filth, I am not worthy to enjoy this life, which is like that of a true living being. My existence here is entirely due to the grace of 'That One.'"

"That one? The one I saw at the very beginning?"

"Well, as you thought."

Seeing Chiyo's somewhat incredulous expression, Hana-san nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

"—That's the craftsman who makes the clay shell for ominous fakes, the connoisseur who spends a lot of money to keep the defective products, and that's why I'm standing here right now."

"If you still don't understand, simply put, he is the greatest benefactor who enabled your 'resurrection' and allowed us to meet again."

As the person who knows Chiyo best, I've come to help her understand the current situation.

Although Hana-san was genuinely happy for the other's return, she was unwilling to claim the identity of Kosai-miya.

Today, beyond her initial thought that "I am filthy and unworthy to use this name," she has new reasons.

Those are Hana Sanri's own memories and emotions, a life trajectory belonging only to her current identity.

"."

"Resurrection. So it really wasn't a dream. And what about the ending I heard about Dao Qi?"

His expression froze.
He finally remembered the words he had heard when he first opened his eyes.
The ending she heard about herself and the eldest son of the Yu Yu family that day resonated with her deepest nightmare.
Still somewhat confused, Chiyo snapped out of her "dream" state and slowly became aware of her current situation.

"Yes, after you attacked Aying due to the influence of your nightmare, the Yuyu surname has been heavily criticized by the world because of this 'betrayal'."
Unable to endure the situation any longer, Mikoto Michiki, who had succeeded as head of the family, left and chose to hone his swordsmanship at the tengu's dwelling place.

"Many years later, when a swordsman known as 'Yono Iwazou', capable of slaying a flying tengu with a secret sword technique, returned to the world, no one could imagine that this was the same useless eldest son of the Mikoto family."

"As for Nagamasa, whom you adopted, he has always insisted on serving in the shogunate, trying to restore the reputation of the Mikoto family."
In Inazuma Castle today, the Mikoto family's continued status as a prestigious clan is inseparable from Nagamasa's lifelong efforts.

He selected some historical events that could barely be considered good news to tell Chiyo.
Although there were still some regrets, Hana Sanri felt that, given the era, this ending was the best that the two could achieve.

"Then, having resurrected me in such an incredible way, I wonder what I should do to repay you."

As if to verify something, I took a bite of the food on the plate with my chopsticks and found that the taste was exactly the same as I remembered.

No matter how hard she looked, Chiyo couldn't see anything wrong with the "Fox Temple" in front of her, and she was a little confused about why the two of them had gathered here.

"It's not complicated, please rest assured."

"The Oni clan's traditions should have methods for repaying those who saved their lives. As a warrior who inherited the blood of the 'War Demon,' you should simply follow your established practices."

They were not deceived by Chiyo's seemingly delicate and frail demeanor, which suggested she was from a noble family.

Hana Sanri knew very well that this guy's fighting instincts were extraordinary; he was the kind of dangerous individual who would never think before taking action and would go around looking for someone to fight.

"According to the tradition of the War Demon, if I am deeply indebted to someone and have no way to repay their kindness, I should serve them as my lord and fight for them."

"But if someone could do something as incredible as resurrecting me, even if I were willing to serve them as their master, they probably wouldn't need me."

He was undoubtedly a long-dead person, and with just a little thought, he could realize that the debt of gratitude for his resurrection was extremely difficult to repay by ordinary means.

In addition, considering that even the mechanism that housed Dao Qi's soul was repaired with the other party's help,

Chiyo felt that even if she told Makoto and Ayane, neither of them would stop her from repaying the favor.

But no matter what I think, the difference in strength is absolute.
Recalling the aura she felt when she first recovered, she felt that her own strength was probably useless.
"No, that's exactly what I'm going to explain to you."

“There is one thing that we both have to do, and you are very important in it.”

"What does it mean to be important?"

Chiyo blinked, somewhat confused.

"It's very simple."

"He merely fought as a shadowy henchman against the Shogunate army, clearing the Heno region of Inazuma and turning the area outside Narukami Island into the 'Abyss of Fallen Kingdoms.'"

"."

".?"

The ghost paused slightly, and then froze completely.

Chiyo, who had often been described as "having a smart face but unfortunately not good at thinking," froze on the spot.
I don't know if it was because of what the "Fox Abode Palace" in front of me said, or because of the piece of fried tofu that was perfectly hidden in the snack in my mouth.

The next day, on the south side of Musou-jin Hazama, in Hisaki Village.

As if unaware of the earth-shattering changes about to take place, a uniquely dressed resistance fighter was slowly approaching the small village from the southwest.

At the very front of the line was a girl with short blonde hair and a highly recognizable white unidentified floating object.

As if concerned for his own leader, Gu Zhong, standing beside the leader and rarely accompanying the team, took the initiative to speak:

“Your Highness, we can handle the rescue work here. You don’t need to get involved personally.”

"Although the residents here were not very friendly to us on the previous visits, it was enough that I came along this time."

"Well, that might sound like bragging, but even though I'm weak in a fight, I'm quite good at persuasion."

They were fully aware of what they would see on this trip, but in order not to reveal their ignorance to the princess, they had to pretend not to know.

He subtly gave a wink to the less-than-stellar Abyss Apostles beside him, then composed himself, behaving like an ordinary strategist.

"Well, it's because those residents have too many misunderstandings about the resistance. Even when I came last time, I couldn't persuade them, and I was driven away with them."

Before Ying could reply, a puffed-up white fur ball next to him immediately chimed in.

I had accepted the commission from Haiqi Island, thinking it would just be about rescuing some villagers and wouldn't be too complicated.
But when she arrived in person, full of confidence and eager to demonstrate her abilities as "deputy leader," the scene that greeted her was completely different from what she had imagined.
"Paimon, the situation you encountered is normal, and their reaction is understandable."

“I have learned about the cause and effect from the depths of my heart. This phenomenon has been going on for some time, and it is very difficult to change the stereotype.”

"Ever since the Tenryo magistrate infiltrated this place and promised to provide aid, the residents here have become convinced that the rescue ships taken away by the Shogunate army were sunk by the rebels in order to kill them, the villagers who sought help from the Shogunate army."

"Although we sent some medicine and supplies before, I'm not sure how effective they are at treating the demonic possession they're suffering from."

He had dealt with the resistance forces quite a few times.
Whether from a moral or strategic perspective, I don't think Xin Hai would do something as harmful and pointless as sinking a rescue ship; I just think it was most likely an accident.

But once such a self-evident rumor becomes widely accepted, it becomes too difficult to defend oneself, and she felt that Paimon's failure last time was to be expected.

"The residents here seem to think we just want to lure them away and then kill them elsewhere, so their attitude is very bad."

"The village chief, Washizu, seemed to understand that we weren't the ones who did it, but he appeared to be planning to lead the villagers to pray to the gods first."

"But no matter how you look at it, praying to God is simply impossible to get any results!"

"This isn't some Sumeru where if a child runs away and shouts at the forest, an invisible spirit will immediately come and bring them back. Who are they worshipping here?"

He puffed out his cheeks, completely unable to understand the villagers' attitude.

I've only ever heard of this scenario, described by scholars as a desperate situation where someone falls asleep and wakes up to find the god of grass appearing at their doorstep.

While it's understandable to ask a god to strike a monster dead with lightning, the general on Inazuma's side doesn't seem like someone who can cure diseases at all.
"They're probably desperate too. They believe we might be completely wiped out."
But if praying to the gods really doesn't work, they might be willing to take a gamble with us.”

"."

As he was speaking, he suddenly stopped.

They had clearly gotten close to Hikimura, whom Paimon said was extremely unwelcoming to outsiders.

But there was no one in sight, not even the chirping of birds or insects, creating an eerie silence.
He immediately became alert and waved to signal the entire team to enter the highest alert state.

"."

A moment later, as the resistance fighters, keeping their marching movements as low as possible, approached Hishiki Village along the faint, chilling path,
Looking ahead at the village, now completely transformed into a world of ice and snow, and at the two dark figures surrounded by numerous Abyss Apostles, who were carrying away the people trapped in the ice...
Ying's pupils contracted as she suddenly realized that she had been treating the Shogunate army as a hypothetical enemy for too long, and had actually overlooked the "Abyss," a mortal foe that was always with her.

(End of this chapter)