The Mystery of Fangshi Edo

"What happened after that?" Fang Shi Yangming said while putting sugar into the coffee cup in front of him. "It was after the man named Xia Youjie left from the Salvation Ranch,"

"He submitted his resignation to the conjurer organization and left without saying anything."

Gojo Satoru leaned on the back of the chair in the coffee shop, took the orange juice handed by the faceless waiter, frowned, took a sip, and murmured: "It's all a dream, can't it be better?" ?”

"The dream of the soil spider can only restore the reality as much as possible, and can't create it as it pleases. If Mitsuji is here, maybe he can give something better." Fang Shi Yangming thought for a while, "For example, Shancai Coke."

The silver-haired conjurer stuck out his tongue in disgust.

At this time, the two were in a certain coffee shop far from the ruins of the Salvation Ranch.

"I want to change to a place that is more suitable for conversation." "Okay, let's go drink coffee and eat pudding." After such a conversation, the two became the embodiment of action, and they came to the urban area.

Perhaps because of incomplete strength, the soil spider did not completely restore the whole picture of the city, and some details were blurred, but it was generally consistent with the memory.

Mixing the coffee and sugar evenly, Fang Shi Yangming picked it up and took a sip, then asked: "Why didn't you stop him? I thought you were at least good friends."

"Yeah," Wujo Wudao said, "that's why I can't stop his decision."

……

[2007, October. 】

"Jay..."

"Hey, Jay! Are you listening?"

Xia Youjie came back to his senses, and in front of him was Gojo Satoru who was glaring at him. Those light blue eyes looked at him from under the sunglasses, as if waiting for an answer.

"...Sorry, what did you just say?"

"Of course it's about resignation. You suddenly said that you don't want to be a conjurer and then left. What happened?"

Oh, too.

He remembered that he had submitted his resignation letter to the conjurer organization of the high school yesterday, and then turned around and left without waiting for a reply.

It's not surprising that Gojo Satoru would come to ask him about it now.

"Sorry, everyone should be very busy after the loss of a super warlock, but I can't go back for the time being." Xia Youjie shrugged and smiled, with two convenience bags in his hand, "If you have nothing to do, go first." gone."

"what?"

Gojo Satoru just thought it was absurd, he frowned, unceremoniously blocked the way of his best friend, just wouldn't let him leave.

"What happened to the last mission you took on?"

"It's nothing, it's just a simple first-level curse spirit."

"answer me."

"...Then, call when you are free."

"Hey!"

Gojo Satoru really wanted to step up and grab his best friend by the collar, float up into the air, and shake his head downward to see if there was any water in it.

But he suddenly saw Xia Youjie's eyes.

It was like an endless black pool, not even a ray of light from the bright sun overhead.

"Sensei," he said, "we're all doing what we think is right, aren't we?"

"..."

Everything was very calm, there were no disputes, no sudden misunderstandings or emergencies.

It's just that since then, they have hardly seen each other again.

……

What happened?

Xia Youjie was reading with a book in his hand, but he was thinking about the words of Kensaku Mimuhara at the Salvation Ranch a few days ago.

"Everything I do is to save the world."

"In the absurd and useless struggle, my comrades in arms died one after another in the battle with the cursed master. If this continues, the world will never be redeemed, and it will always be in a cycle of suffering."

"The end is coming, when everything we loved will cease to exist."

"Don't you ever want to bring this world to the most peaceful and beautiful direction!?"

At that time, Xia Youjie naturally reprimanded the other party's point of view coldly, thinking that transforming those children into messy things is not an act of saving the world at all.

There is no doubt that the rancher is completely crazy. He experiments on the children and creates some uncontrollable abilities, which will only lead to greater tragedies in the end.

To others, it's just a combination of stupidity and stubbornness, but...

"If you want to achieve a beautiful world, you must first correct the wrong parts. Don't you think so?"

Xia Youjie suddenly opened his eyes wide. In a blank space, he looked at Kensaku Mimuhara with a compassionate expression in front of him, and was speechless for a while.

"You see, as long as we understand each other, we can actually communicate." The rancher showed a kind smile, "This is the 'salvation that resonates with the soul'. Although it is not perfect, it is still a good way. This is a child's choice of relief in good faith."

"...I will never approve of your approach."

"Really? You can slaughter all non-warlocks, including children, but you can't accept that a few children choose to save the world?"

"Where is this relief? There is a limit to being shameless!"

However, Mimakihara Kensaku just smiled, and then waved the crutch that had hidden many spells.

"Young man with ideals, you will one day recognize me, and then become me, to give salvation to this world."

A ray of light was torn apart in the space, and immediately after, Xia Youjie found himself back in reality.

……

The battle at the Salvation Ranch that day can hardly be described in words.

Before the rancher used the ability similar to space transfer, he successfully manipulated the magic spirit to take Nanako and Mimiko, and then was sent to the mountain.

The two children were probably terrified. After they came out, they didn't even have the strength to escape. They just hugged each other blankly and wept without saying a word.

At such a young age, it seems that he no longer believes that a good thing will happen in this world.

Xia Youjie stood in front of them for a while, and finally just said: "I can teach you how to use strength."

"……strength?"

"Well, then you can protect yourselves, and each other."

Only then did those two pairs of numb eyes light up again.

……

After that, Xia Youjie adopted two children.

He checked a lot of information about Salvation Ranch and Mimakihara Kensaku.The ranch seemed to be hidden by some special force, and he couldn't find it no matter what method he used, so he first set his sights on the rancher.

That man was originally a curser, but after his comrades died one by one, he became crazy. Finally, one day, his family was killed by the brother of the curser who he had killed according to the mission.

He completely became a lunatic, and began to experiment on babies who are easy to brainwash, wishful thinking to create a 'savior'.

But there is no doubt that Mimakihara Kensaku believed that he was doing good deeds from the beginning to the end.

And with his own strength alone, it seems so small that he can't do anything.

Because we firmly believe that the world is coming to an end, we must cultivate a savior to save the world; we firmly believe that the end of the road is only a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, so we must find a root solution.The result is to fall into hell before others, and become a hopeless demon in the eyes of others, increasing the suffering in the world in vain...

simply……

Just like myself.

wrong.

How could I be like this person, I am clearly...

Xia Youjie stared blankly at the blank wall in front of him.

What am I... what do I want to do?

I want a world where there are no magic spirits, a world where juniors, friends, and people like Sister Riko can live in peace.

To do this, kill all the magic-free people (monkeys).

Or is it just repeating the current day of exorcising the cursed spirit and then welcoming the corpse of an acquaintance?

Ten years, decades, I will die, and Wu will die...

Always, always, always...

Until the entropy of the universe increases to infinity, it ushers in extinction.

Until in the infinity of nothingness there is no contradiction.

There will never be peace.

"..."

Burying his face deeply in his hands, Xia Youjie took a deep breath like a drowning person.

You have to kill that man first.

As long as you get rid of the Salvation Ranch, you can prove that you will not go down that old path.Then, you can start to create a world where there will be no magic spirits.

"Are you all right? Master Xia You!"

The adopted daughter's worried voice came from beside him, Xia Youjie raised his head and saw Mimiko and Nanako who looked flustered.

"Ah...I'm fine."

He smiled softly.

"It's just a clear goal."

……

[201x in x month]

I still got nothing that day, but when I was walking home, a voice came from behind.

"Hey," it sounded like a woman, "are you investigating Salvation Ranch? Conjurer."

"I stopped being a conjurer a long time ago."

Xia Youjie turned his head while answering, and saw a strange woman.She was tall, with curly red hair tied into exaggerated braids, sharp eyes, exuding an indescribable iron-blooded aura.

To be honest, women who give people such a feeling are not uncommon among conjurers.

So he just continued to ask, "What do you want from me?"

"My name is Misamine Mitsuji." The visitor replied with folded arms, "I'm the one who came out of the Salvation Ranch."

Xia Youjie didn't answer, waiting for her next words.

"I can tell you about ranchers and how to find salvation ranches."

"why?"

"If anyone can get rid of that place, I will help." Mei Zuofeng seemed to poke his lips a little unhappily, "I must say that the rancher can use all the abilities that have been successfully created. Although it is a counterfeit version, it is enough." Tricky—so he probably knew I was doing it, and now he's expecting me to send you there instead."

"It doesn't matter." Xia Youjie replied calmly, "Please tell me the news."

"...You are being polite to me, I thought you would attack directly."

"Because you are a magician."

Misamine Mitsuji was taken aback for a moment, then handed him a document.

"The specific methods are all written here, as well as some personal suggestions and maps drawn from memory," she said, "My ability is only for people to dream, but it doesn't work for ranchers, so I won't pass it. "

Xia Youjie nodded, thanked him and prepared to leave.

"Ah, there is."

"Ok?"

He turned his head and saw Misamine Mitsuji frowning, with inexplicable complexity in his eyes.

"Do you really think that conjurers are good at something?"

"Humans are better than monkeys, of course." He smiled without malice, "What's the problem?"

"... Whatever you think." Mei Tsuji sighed softly, "It's nothing, but the look in your eyes now looks exactly like the rancher in my memory."

……

Within days of that, he found Salvation Ranch.

The door was open, and unlike last time, there was no child inside.

He went deep underground and found Kensaku Mimakihara sitting on a rocking chair.

"Welcome." The rancher still smiled kindly, and his brows and eyes looked a little older than many years ago. "Don't worry, I've already let the sheep go away."

"Where did you send them?"

"Even a savior must have a life, so I sent them to the crowd, and the rest is up to them."

Saying this, he stood up, still holding the crooked shepherd's crutch in his hand.

"I firmly believe that there is always someone who can lead the world to salvation."

……

As a result of that battle, Xia Youjie won.

Although it was a miserable victory, and the high-level spell spirits were exhausted, they could already implement their own plans, leave the past behind, and create a world with only warlocks.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and then sat on the ruins behind him. Not far in front of him was the corpse of a rancher whose half was bitten off by a special magic spirit... It is not accurate to say that the corpse is not completely dead, but the root The crutches that store all kinds of salvation have been destroyed, and he has no ability to come back.

Although his injuries were serious, they were not fatal.

Let's take a break and go on the road again, there is no need to report to the Warlock Association.

He slowly closed his eyes under the pale light that was disappearing from one mountain to another.

After waking up... yeah, let's start from that village back then.

……

"Ugh..."

"Wooah...!! Grandpa..."

There was the cry of a child.

Xia Youjie struggled to open his eyes and looked forward.

There was a young girl who seemed to be only four or five years old, lying on the ground, pushing Mimakihara Kensaku's half-remained, dying body, crying.

Facing the culprit who transformed himself from a baby without magic power into a disaster, he wept heartbrokenly.

Mimakihara Kensaku seemed to show a somewhat surprised expression, and then smiled. If he still had the strength, he might raise his hand to touch the girl's curly hair.The eyes he looked at the child were full of kindness, without any trace of gloom.

——The road to hell is always made with good intentions.

【"The look in your eyes now looks exactly like the rancher in my memory."】

Xia Youjie froze in place, perhaps because of excessive blood loss, he felt chills all over his body.

I have to do something.

The baby has to stop crying.

So he stretched out his arm staggeringly, trying to manipulate the spell spirit, bestowing on the girl who was supposed to be a non-warlock, a deadly attack that couldn't feel the pain at all.

Get out of this world (hell), this is not where you should be.

That disaster, sooner or later, will turn into an uncontrollable beast, destroying everything in you...

However, I can't do it.

"why……"

Seeing that the other party is a young child, so you can't do it?At the end of the day, this is the only level of determination I have?

He clenched his fist and hit the ground next to him, and the blood seeped into the ground along the shattered rubble.

Obviously this is the me who has lived in a daze since I was born, without accomplishing anything...the only one...

——The only chance for redemption.

But what am I making atonement for?

To that child?to this world?Xiangwu?To the rancher?To my own heart?

No, no...something other than that.

But I can't do it.

Xia Youjie put his hands on his face like a collapse, covering all the brilliance, and then he heard the crying child come to his side.

"Grandpa said... the 'wolf' should be given redemption, not just punished by heaven!"

She was sobbing and talking.

"So, come out! Black Goat!!"

……

There was a thick black fog all around.

The soul left the body and entered the belly of the sheep-faced calamity that suddenly appeared.

……

The child was still crying.

Xia Youjie listened to the cry dimly, and in a trance, tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

"Great……"

Obviously, I still haven’t done anything, not even my determination to change the world with bloody means, and I haven’t even left a letter to Mimiko and Nanako... And Wu, I haven’t told him until now what to think.

Nothing is resolved, and the cycle of pain in the world will go on and on, not changed by my absence or presence, but still... great.

Because deep down, something stopped abruptly before falling completely.

And people in this world will continue to live from now on.

Pretty much, that's all.