Collapse, the Ordinary Daily Life of the Valkyries

Their eyes sparkled at the jewel-encrusted tiaras and jewelry, they laughed heartily at the crosstalk artists, and they screamed excitedly at the new clothes displayed in the stores.

Shishao, who is overflowing with happiness, is so adorable that it is unbearable.

Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Jingu Forest—after seeing many things that Misao would probably like, I pretended to take a break.

And walked through these places.

She seemed to think it was for a chance to cuddle and kiss where no one would see her. No, it wasn't that I didn't want to do it.

But that's my job - to patrol the grounds.

Tokyo—the center of human society, a city bustling with power, art, and passion—has carefully preserved a few patches of green space. Since the Edo period, the forests have served as a place to seal off demons, a place where the power of nature is concentrated.

The ones gathered there are small monsters that won't harm humans. From the perspective of humans, it's like a place for dining or resting, gathering in the shade of the trees.

Because of this, not only small monsters, but even high-level humanoid monsters can leave their original habitats in the mountains and move into the city. If there are no trees, they can't breathe.

Higher-level monsters cleverly exploit the structure and interests of human society to survive, even manipulating people's hearts and intervening in politics and economics. Humans are completely unaware of this, believing that society is driven by their own will or chance.

The secret communication between youkai and humans... has lasted for thousands of years, and modern humans are more insensitive to youkai than in the past. Since humans chose civilization and abandoned the night, their sensitivity has rapidly decreased.

I am also a monster - Tengu, and the head of the Tengu clan.

One of the duties of a youkai who leaves their homeland to visit human society is to inspect the city's green areas for damage and any changes in the power dynamics among youkai. Although, this is usually a task that my subjects take turns in taking.

However, yesterday, the retainers kept nagging me to "take over the reins once in a while," and they even pressured me to bring Misao along. Since we usually spend our days at home, just gazing at the trees in the garden, they probably meant it as a way for me to take Misao out to the streets to please her. It seemed inappropriate to take Misao to a place where youkai gather, knowing the potential danger, but if I did, they would only double their ridicule.

In the end, we both came together. My worries turned out to be unfounded, and the inspection went very smoothly.

It's too quiet everywhere...

This forest was no different. It was dusk—the time of the demons—but there was no sign of any demons. Those demons usually gathered in groups, licking the dregs of human energy, or gathered in the shade of trees to play.

"Quiet, isn't it?"

"Huh? There are a lot of people here?"

"I mean the youkai are quiet."

“…Yeah, really!”

Misao looked around and nodded in agreement. Misao was born with the ability to see youkai. Humans shouldn't be able to see youkai, but Misao was special.

"I can't see any youkai at all. Maybe they got scared and ran away?"

I recently announced to all the youkai that I would marry Misao. If I marry Misao—and unite with her—the Tengu clan I lead will prosper, and I will become the strongest youkai.

"I hope so."

"Kuang, you worry too much."

That's true. It's impossible for a monster stronger than me to appear and cause the other monsters to hide in fear. A creature that strong couldn't possibly hide its aura...right? It's not that I can't imagine a monster so powerful it could even hide its own aura, but such a monster would have already chosen destruction. There's no need to be afraid.

There shouldn't be any. What am I afraid of? ...Ahh, is it because I'm so happy!?

"Let's go back. It's getting late."

"Yeah, Dad will be worried."

We were walking towards the subway station when—

A dark shadow tumbled towards them from the forest. It was a chubby, dark gray-green monster, as round as a marimo. Trembling with fear, it spotted Misao and descended upon her head, as if drawn to it.

"Ah! What is this fat kid going to do!?"

Misao hid behind me and held on to me tightly.

(I want to eat you! You smell so good. Just scary, I can become stronger like this, I want to eat you!)

After the guy screamed, thick and dirty saliva dripped from his bloody mouth.

"Don't come over here!"

Misao could see this chubby monster, but none of the humans passing by noticed it.

"Hey, you stupid monster, get out of here!"

(Gah, Tengu! There are powerful monsters here too, and there are powerful ones in that forest over there. So scary, so scary!)

The chubby monster flapped its short arms and legs in the air to escape, but was shattered by the powerful energy I released, and disappeared into the dusk sky.

"There are powerful youkai here too, and there are also powerful youkai in that forest over there... That youkai said so, right?"

Misao looked at the place where the guy disappeared with wandering eyes.

"You're being overly suspicious, aren't you? As long as you give me energy, no monster can be stronger than me."

I stole Misao's kiss. Just touching Misao's lips or skin gave the youkai energy. The energy flowing from her lips into my body was like a refreshing spring, moistening my throat, parched from the sweat of walking.

"Look, I've become even stronger. Those monsters are afraid of me and are very quiet."

I put my arm around Misao's shoulders and told her not to worry. A youkai as powerful as me... couldn't possibly exist. I couldn't sense such a creature, so I was just worrying too much.

Don't be afraid of the destruction of your finally achieved happiness just because you're incredibly happy now. Don't be afraid of the phantom of a monster that doesn't exist!

........................................

Miscellaneous: Random Thoughts

"Sakura"—at first glance, the place name is baffling. Soon, I realized it didn't need any pronunciation changes; it could simply be pronounced "SAKURA." The vibrant cherry blossoms before my eyes reminded me of the silly joke "Sakura no Sakura." (Note: Sakura no Sakura is pronounced SAKURA NO SAKURA.)

Sakura Castle Park—as its name suggests, this park was once a castle. This vast park is home to somei-yoshino cherry blossoms.

Coming from afar, I wondered if they were blooming earlier than in previous years. But I was completely captivated by the pink world unfolding before my eyes. I turned off the engine of my beloved Yamaha Solu motocross bike and lifted the windshield of my helmet. A gentle, pleasant breeze caressed my cheeks, and petals drifted gently.

Despite the beautiful cherry blossoms, no one was setting up a mat under the trees for a party. Although bicycles were prohibited on the lawn, no one punished me for riding my motorcycle.

I haven't seen a living human being since a little over a week ago.

At the end of last month, during my spring break trip, I woke up in my hotel in Cape Tatsuhi, Aomori Prefecture, to find the world completely silent. The faint sound of traffic that I'd been hearing the day before had completely vanished. I'd assumed the heavy snow had muffled the other sounds, but outside the window, the sky was clear and only a few remaining snowflakes could be seen.

I walked to the lobby to check out and discovered something unusual: two uniformed hotel staff members slumped over the counter, and five guests lay dead on the sofas and carpets in the lobby.

I'm not a doctor, but it wasn't just their lack of movement that immediately convinced me they were dead. It was the grass growing on all of their bodies. From the back of their necks and throats grew pale green stalks, about three centimeters in diameter and twenty centimeters long, topped with large, purple tulip-like buds. The buds drooped, resembling question marks. The word "cordyceps" immediately came to mind.

Still convinced I was dreaming, I laughed and screamed wildly, pinched my face until it bled, and drank the entire bottle of water in one gulp, pouring it over my head. I tried everything to wake myself up—but by evening, nothing had changed. I hesitated, but still left the hotel. Outside, I saw several more bodies lying in the freezing wind. So, that evening, after crying myself to exhaustion, I finally accepted reality. At least everyone nearby was dead.

I suddenly felt hungry and thirsty, so I bought some food from a nearby store where three bodies lay covered in weeds. It was my first meal after a day in the hotel, and I wolfed it down. I only "bought" because I paid for it myself, putting the money into the cash register. I never paid again.

There was still electricity that night. The air conditioner would run, and the water would flow. If that were the case, I could still be convinced that this unusual situation was limited to the area around Longfei Cape. However, I deliberately ruled out the radio, which only had noise, the TV, which had no picture at all, and the internet, which didn't respond no matter how many times I tried to call it. I called every number saved in my phone, but they all went to voicemail or were out of service.

The next morning, I woke up to find the power and water out. I threw on all my clothes and, in the chilly, half-sunny sky, scanned the area for signs of activity. Seagulls fluttered over the turbulent Tsugaru Strait, and I could see a cat crossing the street in the distance. It turned out that, aside from humans, everything else was alive.

From this moment on, the goal of life became "living." Since I wasn't going to die, I had no choice but to live. Surprisingly, I hadn't considered whether I would become the bed of that unknown grass.

There's no point staying here any longer, so let's get out of here. To do that, I need a way to get around, so I walked along National Highway 339, searching for a car. A light four-wheel drive Suzuki Jimny sat parked in the courtyard of a house with its own entrance. A middle-aged man, seemingly the owner, lay slumped nearby, his face turned away. Grass grew on his chin, and his flower buds remained tightly closed.

It was a small car with enough fuel efficiency for off-roading, a rare find. I bowed 90 degrees to the owner, thanked him, and accepted the car. Using the key I'd found next to the body, I started the engine.

I began driving along the national highway toward Aomori, and as soon as I found a store, I began looting. I smashed the glass at the entrance to enter, using my emergency flashlight in the dim light, and stole whatever I deemed necessary. I took blankets and a change of clothes, perishable food in foil or cans, a few medicines, a portable stove and gas, and basic utensils—all of which I packed into backpacks and plastic boxes and piled in the back seat and trunk of the Ginim. I piled the overhead bin with as many bottles of water and gasoline as I could find, securing them securely with tape.

Looking at the map I'd picked up at the gas station, I decided on my destination. First, I'd head to Aomori, the largest nearby city. I slowly drove along the national highway that ran along Mutsu Bay, avoiding abandoned cars and bodies in several small towns. I endured the cold with the windows down, occasionally honking the horn. I prayed someone would notice and come out, but to no avail. I searched for any passing ship or plane within sight of the sea, but to no avail.

I noticed a large, moving creature and slammed on the brakes. It was a golden retriever, prowling around on a leash. It approached me and squatted respectfully in front of the door.

I stared into the black eyes staring back at me, and I couldn't help but wonder whether to take it with me. Even if we couldn't speak the language, at least it would relieve my loneliness. A dog's nose is sharp, and it might come in handy in a pinch. However, there was no guarantee we'd be able to travel further, and food might be scarce. Then I might not be able to abandon my beloved dog, to whom I had such a deep affection. So I gave up the idea of ​​taking it with me.

As compensation, I walked to the nearby convenience store, and the little one followed. I pried open the automatic door, ignoring the uniformed corpse, pulled the bag of dog food from the shelf, and unsealed it. The little one basked in the long-lost food on the floor. I backed to the car and started it. The little one didn't follow.

The closer I got to Aomori City, the more tired I felt. There wasn't a single living person. As the city unfolded before my eyes, more and more people collapsed on the streets, and even the car couldn't move smoothly. Despite this, I still squeezed into the city, and then I saw,

Just as I passed the corner of the building, a boulevard appeared. It flowed like a purple river. As I came to my senses, a chill ran down my spine. A vast mass of humans filled the road, and the grass growing from their corpses blossomed in unison. Flowers blossomed in the same direction, oriented toward the sun I couldn't see. A line of eerie yet beautiful purple blossoms stretched out into the distance. I quickly fled.

There was a large electronics store down the road, and I felt like at least keeping some records, so I went inside and started looking for a camera. Small digital cameras couldn't be recharged, so I found one that ran on AA batteries. Then I pulled dozens of SD cards out of their packaging and stuffed them into my bag, along with a large number of AA batteries. The first thing I captured was the Jimny, parked in a deserted parking lot under a cloudy sky, its headlights on.

It was approaching dusk as I headed east through Aomori City. Driving through the night wasn't an option, so I looked for a place to stay. Sleeping in a car with my legs cramped was painful, but I didn't want to sleep next to a corpse in bloom. Finally, I pulled into a gas station along National Highway 4. Since there were no bodies in the locked public facility, I made it my home. I lit the kerosene stove and spread all my clothes on a bench, wearing my down jacket and a blanket.

The next morning, my first priority was to refuel. The power was out, so the pump wasn't working. I found a nearby pickup truck, opened the tank, and used a manual kerosene pump to transfer the gasoline into a drum, which I then filled in the Jimny. I wasn't sure how long this method would last, but I had no choice but to borrow gas from other pickup trucks along the way to keep going.

By midday, even my phone wasn't working. No matter where I went, there were no service areas. Almost immediately, I gave up searching for anyone alive and simply walked along National Highway 4, which connected closely to Ueno. My goal was tentatively south, somewhere warmer, somewhere I wouldn't shiver even if I slept on the streets. I only took photos for the first few hours, and before I knew it, I'd forgotten my camera in my backpack.

Purple flowers bloomed everywhere. Though I tried my best to avoid the bodies below, I couldn't avoid the corpses strewn across the mountain. The bodies were shrunken, like burnt charcoal, their skin pale. They hadn't rotted, mummified, or turned into wax. Simply put, they'd been drained of their nutrients. Looking at the flowers again, I saw something juicy inside, the size of a mandarin orange, vibrantly colored. The wind rustled the flowers, and the tender substance swayed with them. It looked like a seed, but I didn't dwell on what the flower was, or what secrets it held.

That day, I slept at a station along the highway, devoid of bodies. I ate as much food as I could find from convenience stores. Perhaps I'll have to worry about food in a few days or weeks. No, if I eat preserved food or cook, I won't have to worry about food for months. The future is full of uncertainties, but I told myself to prepare for the worst. Even if it means fishing alone in this warm land, I'll keep living alone.

The next day, a light snow fell. There was a police station near Ninohe Station, and even though I knew it was a futile effort, I went to check it out anyway. While no one was alive, I did find two things. First, I discovered that a body, drained of nutrients, begins to disintegrate into a white powder around the edges, like crumbling chalk. I'd thought I'd be witnessing a flood of decaying bodies, but that worry faded. The mandarin oranges had grown to the size of grapefruits and were about to fall.

Miscellaneous: Random Thoughts

The beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning. My story begins with the end.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon and the flowers and trees were beginning to bud.

"Hibiki, you want to go out?"

Just as I was about to quietly leave the hotel room with my bag, someone suddenly called me.

"Huh? You're up?"

I stood at the narrow doorway, half of my body leaning out into the aisle while removing my shoes, and turned around to force a smile.

In the hotel room, I could see Uncle Sanchun lying on his back, using his travel luggage as a pillow. He raised his head lazily, sat cross-legged facing me, and yawned loudly.

"I'll come with you too. Give me a few minutes to freshen up and get ready."

"Uncle, have a good rest. You've been working late lately for today's trip, right? Thank you, uncle."

"Hey, as long as I can make my lovely niece happy, staying up late is nothing... Hey, don't make me show off my uncle-niece affection right after waking up! And how can I let you, Hibiki, wander around in a strange place by yourself?"

"Don't worry, I'm just hanging around the hotel. But I want to go see the candlelight procession with my uncle tonight."

I waved to Uncle Miharu, who was still hesitating about whether to join me, and quickly left the hotel room and headed downstairs to the lobby. The hotel's exterior resembled a Meiji-era Western-style house, and the interior was also quite nostalgic.

Gusts of cool breeze blew in from the open windows next to the corridor of the guest rooms, making people so comfortable that they couldn't help but smile.

The town of Shinkai, which we visited during spring break, is located on the border of a prefecture in southwestern Honshu. Despite its small size, the town boasts stunning natural beauty, making it a hidden gem for insiders. It's about a two-and-a-half-hour Shinkansen ride from the city center.

The hotel owner is Uncle Miharu's high school classmate. It seems that he has been inviting Uncle Miharu to visit for a long time, so this time we decided to come to this town for this trip.

"I really came at the right time."

I walked along the terrace in front of the hotel's main entrance, whispering softly.

The hotel is located on a slope surrounded by dense trees, with a small river behind it. It's said that you can find rare wildflowers as the seasons change. Across from the terrace, a cobblestone path about four meters wide leads down, with a gentle curve in the middle.

I paused here, resting my hands on the decorated wooden railing, and looked down at the old street. The buildings arranged radially in a row, their roofs mostly brightly colored, looked quite lovely.

The area with the most buildings is the town center, and that area is probably the downtown area. A little further away, there are large facilities such as supermarkets and factories.

A lush forest surrounded this dreamlike town, resembling a bonsai landscape, stretching out ever further. Cherry blossoms seemed to be beginning to bloom, their deep green dotted with pale red. It might be a good idea to head in that direction.

I slung my bag over my shoulder again and headed down the trail. The scenery was truly beautiful.

"Let's take a picture later."

This is probably the fifteenth time I have traveled with Uncle Sanchun, and I have added several photo albums.

"My first trip was to a park two stations away, I think."

Whenever I think of those memories, a warm feeling wells up in my heart. I would travel during the long holidays in spring, summer, and winter, and even during Golden Week if time permits.

I always felt like I was too reliant on Uncle Sanchun's kindness, because every trip he took was arranged for me, who was struggling to breathe every day. Aside from the bare minimum, my parents hadn't spoken to each other in years. Every day at the dinner table, there was awkward silence and forced smiles.

I can't even remember the last time my parents looked each other in the eye.

They seemed to be planning to wait until I graduated from high school and could earn my own living before divorcing. There were still three years left, and they didn't know I had noticed and was patiently waiting for the years to pass.

It's not like I've had any sad experiences like being abused or being ignored. I know they sincerely want to fulfill their responsibilities as parents, but I would rather they just coldly abandon me.

"Then I won't have to hope that they might reconcile one day in the future..."

If you want your parents' happiness, you should tell them as soon as possible: "You don't have to endure it for me!"

——When I return from this trip, I will definitely tell you.

My gaze dropped to my feet, and unconsciously, my pace slowed. Every time I went on a trip, I always made up my mind, but never managed to articulate it. Perhaps I was afraid of seeing my parents' faces when the time came.

If they had expressions of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders... just imagining it would make my heart sink to the bottom of icy water.

I stopped and shook my head vigorously. I had to tell them this time! It wasn't like I'd never see them again.

When I looked up, I saw a strange procession crossing the crooked intersection at the end of the slope.

"Strange... the parade has already started? Doesn't it start in the evening?"