Good. Very good.
The names Susanoo and Amaterasu Ōmikami immediately gave Sū ěr, who didn't have a deep understanding of the island nation from his "pre-previous" life, a massive sense of familiarity. It was just a fleeting sensation, but for a moment, even the land beneath his feet felt a bit more intimate.
So, we're in a very ancient era?
Sū ěr felt a strange urge to laugh. If he continued to live like this for thousands of years into the future, could he and Think eventually enjoy that resource-rich, culturally advanced urban life?
He shook his head, setting aside such a distant and uncertain future for now. He no longer felt like returning to the hut. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked Yukari, "Tsuchigumo?"
"Just barbarians, also known as the Yatsukahagi [Eight-Legged Spirits]," Yukari noted that Sū ěr was still smiling at her and nodding slightly, as if he were particularly interested in the Tsuchigumo. After a brief pause, she continued with a smile, acting as if nothing was amiss: "They are also called the Yamano-Saeki [Mountain Barbarians] or No-no-Saeki [Field Barbarians]. They are called Tsuchigumo because they are short like dwarves, yet have long arms and legs, resembling spiders."
"They excel at digging and living in caves. When people come, they hide in their holes; when people leave, they emerge again. Although they possess little divinity, they are quite cunning and fickle... In these chaotic times, who knows when they might transform into true Yōkai?" Like two old friends meeting again, Yukari seemed to have developed a great interest in the Tsuchigumo, enthusiastically analyzing the future of the species for Sū ěr.
"They can even turn from barbarians into Yōkai?" Sū ěr asked curiously.
"Naturally. As the saying goes: Things defy the seasons to become Yōkai; the heart changes to become a Yōkai; time passes to become a Yōkai... Yōkai are a race that needs no justification," she explained dismissively. Yakumo Yukari seemed to be enjoying the conversation. "Take a Yōkai like yourself. You are fresh and refined, with not a trace of Yōki [Demonic Energy]. If the Age of Gods hadn't already ended, I would have thought you were a natural-born God... ever-changing, formless, and intangible, yet a very real... concept."
With every word, Yukari stepped closer to Sū ěr, until she was finally right in front of him. She could have touched him by just reaching out, and she seemed to have that intention, as if to confirm whether Sū ěr truly existed. But in the next second, the blonde Yōkai suddenly jumped back as if she had been pricked by a needle, retreating a significant distance.
Her eyes widened in surprise. Yukari looked curiously at her right hand, which she had just started to lift. Neither the palm nor the back showed any sign of injury. Yet, she was certain that the alarm bells and sense of crisis that had suddenly rang out in her heart and body were no illusion, even if they had vanished in an instant and felt nearly non-existent upon reflection.
"I'm not a Yōkai. I'm just a common human," Sū ěr replied, acting as if he hadn't seen her strange behavior. He knew exactly why she had reacted that way.
"Heh~ Well, let's set aside the question of whether you're a Yōkai for a moment and just talk about what I just saw," she said, not letting the small incident bother her or caring about Sū ěr persistence. "Without any Yōki appearing, you can split the earth and close it again with a mere thought. Yet, neither the roots of the flowers nor the insects are affected in the slightest. It's as if you're kneading this land in the palm of your hand as you please—even after doing such things, do you still intend to call yourself a 'common' human?"
She emphasized the word "common," her voice dripping with a bit of mockery at Sū ěr clumsy attempt at a cover-up.
The world of Yōkai was one where might makes right. This kind of behavior would indeed draw disdain from most Yōkai, especially when using a weak race like humans as a disguise.
The era where heavenly gods could freely descend and travel between Ashihara no Nakatsukuni and Yomi no Kuni [The Land of the Dead] had ended. Even though their lingering light hadn't completely faded—that beautiful galaxy that shone every night was proof of their power, capable of projecting their will and influence—the fact remained that the past was the past. No matter how many curtains were hung up to hide it, what had collapsed would not be rebuilt. It was for this very reason that even the lands of Izumo and Yamato, established under the names of divine descendants, were barely holding on amidst the rampage of demons.
The world today—belongs to the demons!
"Of course. I'm human," Sū ěr affirmed calmly and firmly, despite hearing the blatant disdain in Yukari voice.
He didn't have the ability to read minds, much less the mind of such a bizarre Yōkai whose movements were so fast his perception couldn't track her. Naturally, Sū ěr couldn't know the surge of ambition currently rising in Yakumo Yukari heart. All he knew for certain was that the blonde woman before him was a Yōkai who intended to do big things.
Uh, well, even if Sū ěr could read Yukari mind, he probably wouldn't understand. After all, based on his own experiences over the last few months, while there were occasionally simple-minded Yōkai with an impressive amount of meat running around, it was all just part of the ecosystem. He couldn't see any sign of "teetering on the edge" or the danger of a "world of demons."
If he had to describe it, he would use four words: Peaceful and tranquil.
There were no big bombs exploding all day, no pillars of light sweeping across the sky. This world was incredibly peaceful. As for everything else, they were just minor squabbles.
It was just a matter of a change in dynasty.
Just stay calm.
He had only enjoyed this peaceful life for a few months. At the very least, until he grew completely bored of it, Sū ěr had no intention of going out for a "stroll."
But listening to Yakumo Yukari tell stories was fine.
"Could you tell me more about the Land of Izumo? And Yamato? What are the humans there like?" Thinking that he would just refuse whatever the blonde Yōkai suggested, Sū ěr decided to just ask questions.
As long as he refused quickly and firmly enough, he wouldn't fall into whatever schemes she might have.
"If you're hoping to find 'humans' like yourself, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Yukari concluded after their brief exchange, having already pegged the Yōkai before her as someone with a few screws loose. She skipped over the intermediate details and gave Sū ěr her summary.