I live longer than the incomparable

As a human being, Lei's full name was actually Ayaki Lei.But the name was gradually forgotten after it became [ghost]—because there was nothing to remind him of this fact anymore.

Onimai Tsuji-sama, who turned him into an oni, kept tiring him affectionately and gave him favor and indulgence far more than any other oni.

When he completely ended his life as [Ayaki Lei], the air was filled with the smell of blood, and he sat on the wooden verandah with blood on his hands, raising his face and looking up at the bright full moon in the sky.

His heart seemed to be hollowed out suddenly, he couldn't feel anything, and there was nothing left.

But at such a time, someone appeared in front of him and said to him, "Tired, it's time to go home."

That was the beginning of [Tired]'s life.

Lord Onimai Tsuji took him to the mansion in the mountains, which was on the inaccessible Natian Spider Mountain. Although the mansion was big and empty, it didn't feel bad to be tired at all.

Because that is his [home], the home of him, Mr. Onimai Tsuji, and Mr. Yabai Bikuni.

Although he didn't get any explicit approval, nor did he get any instructions on changing the name, but he already regarded them as family members in his heart, even though he never called them father and mother.

Assuming the role of "mother", Lord Yaobai Khuni is a very gentle person. When she is tired, she can often be seen sitting there in the verandah, as if she is watching something, or just sitting there to breathe.

But when Lei took the initiative to come to her side and snuggled up to her, she would not refuse.

Compared with the pale and cold tiredness caused by becoming a ghost, the warmth of her body is particularly obvious even in this mansion where only [ghosts] exist, and because she is the only existence that is not a ghost, so In the mansion, there are servant ghosts who specially prepare food for her.

Tired had seen her look when she was eating, with her head slightly lowered and her eyelids half-drooped, which was completely different from theirs.

Even if I have never seen my expression while eating, I can probably think of it when I am tired—it will not be a pretty gesture.

But he is a ghost, and all ghosts are like this. Even Mr. Onimai Tsuji, he often smells of blood on his body.

Lady Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni is completely different from their existence, she does not have that kind of smell on her body, that... seems to be a rancid smell that seeps out from the skin and between her fingers.

After becoming a ghost, the memory of being a human became less and less with the passage of time, and then it was so blurred that I couldn't remember it.

So tired can only grasp everything that he has now, no matter whether it is true or not.

He would often sit next to Lady Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni, leaning on her shoulders and lying on her back, just like the relationship between family members in Tired's imagination.

Maybe...the same?

At that time, Lei only thought that she had that kind of personality, so he treated his "children" like that, but then Lei saw her again—not in Natian Spider Mountain, but in Tokyo, a city where humans gather.

At that time, Lei suddenly realized that Master Babaichuni would also show such a smile, and call his child's name in such a loving voice.

And all of that was something that the tiredness of the past had never felt on her.

Lord Onimai Tsuji and Lord Yabaichuni did not stay in Natian Spider Mountain for too long. When they left, they were tired and left in the mountain. He lost his family and lost the things that could fill his heart with great difficulty. .

Tired felt very lonely, he hoped to have someone by his side, so with the acquiescence of Kiwu Tsuji, he had a new "family".

Because those weak ghosts were afraid of the ghost hunters, they came to Lei's side to seek protection, and as the last Lei, he did share his power with them.

The premise is to become his family, to become... an existence similar to him.

Because for a long time after Mr. Onimai Tsuji and the others left, he was tired of thinking about the reason, and later he thought that maybe it was his appearance.

Because they don't look alike enough, they don't look like family either.

So Lei tore off the faces of other ghosts, keeping them in a color similar to his own, and allowing more and more [family members] to stay by his side.

But he still felt it wasn't enough.

Tired himself doesn't know why, it is clear that he already has a lot of "family members" around him, not only his father and mother, but also a lot of younger brothers and sisters.

The house that was originally empty due to the departure of Lord Onimai Tsuji and Lord Yaobikuni was filled, but the tired heart could not be filled no matter what.

He was still looking for his family and expanding the size of his [family], until... Mr. Onimai Tsuji came to Natian Spider Mountain again.

Tired sat alone on the porch, his head was empty, and his eyes were staring at the moon.

Lord Onimai Tsuji's clothes curved gracefully at night, he stretched out his hand and said, "I'm tired, it's time to go home."

It seemed to be the reappearance of the past, but Tired still put his hand on it. He couldn't refuse such a hope, even if the other party might take it back at any time.

But this time... they truly became family.

At least that's how I feel tired.

The most intuitive manifestation is that he was taken into a human city, and his address to Lord Onimai Tsuji and Lord Eight Hundred Bikuni has also become Lord Father and Lord Mother.

Tired suddenly felt that at this time he was truly recognized by them and treated as a real [child].

Even in their home, there is already another child.

And it was a...human child.

Tired often wonders where this child came from, and why Lord Onimai Tsuji left him behind, but he can get answers to such questions without asking—because he saw Lord Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni Look at his eyes.

Lei suddenly understood that it was not that she would not take the initiative to hug her child, nor would she not be able to get close to her child, but because... Lei was not her child.

He had never experienced the kindness in her that she treated Inosuke.

What Lei thought was gentle, now seems to be ironic, even though his [brother] did not reject him, but actively wanted to accept him.

He suddenly didn't know what to do, every day in this "home" made him plunge into hesitation and fear, until one night, Inosuke took the initiative to run into his room.

The human child held a storybook in his hand and said in a soft voice that he would tell him a bedtime story. Without any explanation, he lifted off the tired quilt and crawled to his side to say that his brother was so cold.

It's not just Ryo, since he became a "ghost", everything about him has changed.

But when Inosuke hugged him and lay beside him, Lei suddenly had a thought—maybe, this is the real family.

There is no involvement of any interests, nor any threats or coercion, just a pure desire to love each other from the bottom of my heart.

This is what Lei always longed for, the bond between relatives.

Realizing this, the tiredness also merged into this so-called "family" as the days passed. He thought that this kind of family was much more stable and reliable than the "family" he made before, but he didn't. What comes to mind is...

Human life is too fragile.

When Lei heard the news of Inosuke's death, he sat blankly in the room for a long time.

He thought of the child he saw hiding upstairs and watching him secretly when he was just brought back to Tokyo, he remembered the child who opened his door at night and ran in and squeezed into his bed, and he also thought of that, on a cloudy day At that time, a child flying a kite with him on the grass in the park.

Everything becomes a memory like this.

Tired suddenly had the urge to cry, but he didn't cry, he just sat quietly in the room without any thoughts in his head.

He actually thought that he would be sent back to Natian Spider Mountain, but he didn't.Tired was left in the mansion in Kyoto, and in this mansion there were Lord Yabaichuni and Master Onimai Tsuji.

Tired occasionally thinks, what kind of thoughts will Mr. Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni have when he hears such news?

But his thinking didn't work, and he couldn't comfort Mr. Eight Hundred Bikuni.

Tired can only keep silent, everything seems to have returned to a long time ago, he stood on the verandah and looked at the back of Master Eight Hundred Bhikuni from a distance, and her body always exuded loneliness and sadness.

——*——

Even with that kind of life, Tired wanted to continue, he didn't want to be sent back to that Tian Spider Mountain, and he didn't want to lose anything.

But Yabai Bikuni-sama betrayed her, and when no one expected her, she left the mansion in Kyoto.

Tired to see Lord Onimai Tsuji.

"Tired," he heard Lord Onimai Tsuji's voice above his head, the voice said to him: "Eight Hundred Bikuni betrayed."

Onimai Tsuji Mumi spoke to him alone, but he didn't intend to let him go to the maternity house together.

Because the tired position is not a subordinate, but...

"Wait here for us." Guiwu Tsuji touched his head with a rare touch, and said to him, "I will bring her back myself."

What is this?Tired and start thinking.

Maybe it's an exhortation, or maybe it's comfort?

He wasn't sure, he only knew that Lord Onimai Tsuji told him so, and he just needed to follow what [Master Father] said, and just stay here and wait for them.

My father will bring my mother back, and then the family can continue to live together again.

but……

Tired did not wait for anyone back.

He walked alone in the house, through the long corridor, and reached the courtyard.

He was sitting on the verandah, and he seemed to hear a voice saying to him again in a trance: "I'm tired, it's time to go home."

There was no one in the courtyard, and there was silence all around.

Tired just sat on the veranda like this, he lowered his head slightly, and put his palms on his side - in the past, my mother often sat here like this, right?

But at that time, what the mother was thinking in her heart, but tired never really understood.

And at this moment, he heard the voice of his father in his mind, and his father said:

"Give me all your strength."

Accompanied by that sound, Lei seemed to be able to feel that something was being taken away from his body—the cells endowed by Lord Onimai Tsuji.

But at this moment, Tired suddenly thought—maybe it would be better this way.

Because... At the last moment, Tired also used his own strength to protect his father well.