Arataki Itto was getting excited. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but he "sensed" the presence of a kindred spirit.
When it came to his own kind, Arataki Itto was wide awake.
In the story, Yohei Kato returned, having found his brother, who was "bathing" under a nearby waterfall.
[Kato Shingo, muttering to himself, shouting loudly: "Can't you feel it… the spirit of a true man!"]
["Founding a school… hah! Superficial… A real man's ambitions… how could they be… so laughable!"]
Readers noted: What a strong sense of déjà vu! This has to be an oni, right? It fits my stereotype of oni perfectly.
And judging by this behavior, it's got to be a red oni. Blue oni, at least, seem a bit "calmer." Red oni are clearly more hot-blooded.
[Kato Shingo's tone suddenly weakened: "…I… I can't hold on… I'm going to die…"]
["Yohei… Yohei! Save me… Save me!"]
Now readers got it—it really was "oni possession"! So Inazuma's oni have this kind of ability?
Arataki Itto shared the same curiosity. Do oni have this ability? Why don't I have it? Am I not pure-blooded?
He even questioned his own lineage before doubting the incantation from the rumor.
Yohei Kato's brother was in agony, his breathing growing faint, calling out to Yohei for help.
Strangely, Yohei Kato didn't immediately promise to save his brother. Instead, his eyes darted away, and he kept saying he didn't know anything.
Yae Miko pressed him relentlessly, breaking down his psychological defenses.
She mentioned Shingo's weakness, his resentment, and the bond between the brothers, yet Yohei still hesitated.
Seeing this, Yae Miko changed her approach, saying:
["Fine, if you won't tell the truth, that's okay."]
["But after Shingo dies, you're next."]
["Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, it'll follow you closely. After all… you're the ones who summoned it."]
This was Yae Miko's scare tactic, but Yohei took it as truth.
Hearing that he'd be next, Yohei finally broke down.
He could disregard family ties and his brother's life, but he feared for his own.
Once his own life was at stake, Yohei was finally willing to tell the truth.
It turned out that he and his brother had used the incantation to make a wish to become master swordsmen. The wish came true, and his brother became incredibly skilled, but his personality changed drastically.
The reason Yohei delayed seeking help was that he didn't want his brother to return to normal.
If his brother recovered, he'd be back to an ordinary person with no swordsmanship talent. How could they found a school then?
Without founding a school and taking disciples, how could they pay off their debts?
To clear their debts, Yohei chose to drag this out, planning to use his brother to make money first.
But the problem was that Shingo's condition kept worsening, as if under a curse. If this got out, no one would want to train under him.
With no other choice, Yohei had to find someone to heal his brother.
He sought Yae Miko because of her expertise, hoping she could restore his brother while preserving his swordsmanship talent, so they could still found a school and make money!
That's why he deliberately hid the truth, hoping to deceive Yae Miko.
Yae Miko had seen through this from the start, which is why she didn't take the matter seriously.
But since she was already here, she decided to deal with it.
However, Yae Miko wasn't about to be the "fooled" sucker, so she made sure Yohei spilled the truth before acting.
I'm not helping you because you tricked me. I'm helping out of the greatness of my kindness, which matches my wisdom and beauty, hehe. Believe that?
Miko came not out of kindness but because this involved youkai. Otherwise, she might not have bothered.
After all, even if she let it play out, it wouldn't be life-threatening. It would resolve itself in a few days, leaving the person weakened at most—a fitting punishment for greed.
If it were something truly serious, Yae Miko would have stepped in proactively.
That's Yae Miko's style. The Mondstadt Knights will help you find your cat; Yae Miko will tease you like a cat, but after the teasing, the cat's in your arms.
In the story, Yae Miko had no intention of handling it herself. She sprinkled a bag of salt, forcing the entity the Kato brothers summoned out of Shingo's body, then handed the rest to the Traveler.
[Yohei Kato: "Eek, aaaaah—there's a ghost! A ghost!"]
The entity expelled from Shingo's body was translucent, undeniably ghost-like.
In life, he was an oni; in death, he became a ghost. Truly, in life and death, he was their ghost.
A bona fide dead ghost.
Arataki Itto was dumbfounded. An oni brother as a ghost? Don't do this to me!
Itto couldn't stand those flickering, translucent ghosts, yet he loved his oni kin. This was a real dilemma.
Thankfully, the Traveler wasn't afraid of ghosts. She went in with a flurry of elbow strikes—"Black Flash," the perfect counter for this thing.
Can Lumine do it? Lumine can!
[Arakawa Kouji: "Hehe, hahaha… Not bad, really not bad! That was fun!"]
["It's been a long time… since I've had such a thrill!"]
What he meant was: That was exhilarating, Lumine. I'll probably never forget you in this lifetime.
Anyway, Arakawa Kouji had his fun and then vanished without a trace, clean and swift.
This confirmed for readers that he was a red oni. Not only was his name "Ara-something," but his personality screamed red oni—or at least raised in a red oni den.
After Arakawa Kouji disappeared, Kato Shingo woke up, as if he'd had a dream where he defeated Domon's disciple.
That achievement left him deeply moved even long after waking.
But the dream took a sharp turn into a nightmare. Just as things were looking up, he lost control of his body.
[Yae Miko, scaring him: "If we hadn't stepped in, your life would've been over soon. The ghost would've latched onto your brother next, and he'd have died from weakness too."]
["Trying to gain power that doesn't belong to you through crooked means—what consequences follow, do I need to say more?"]
The brothers were startled and repeatedly swore they understood and would never do it again.
After the brothers left, Paimon curiously asked Yae Miko why she hadn't been willing to help with such a serious matter earlier.
Yae Miko smiled and told Paimon it wasn't actually that serious—she was just scaring them.
If they weren't frightened, people like them wouldn't learn their lesson.
The Kato brothers, reading the book, were left speechless, exchanging awkward glances.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Shenhe: About Oni
"Is it a ghost? Do you need me to help with an exorcism?"