Chapter 135. Shuten Douji: I'm just drinking the sake that Oji-san brewed!
"..."
Ian knew very well that Ibaraki Douji wasn't the type of demon who spoke without thinking.
Moreover, he also knew that he wasn't really liked by her.
To put it simply—
This was definitely a request she made for her best friend, Shuten Douji.
But—
Even so, this was still too absurd.
"Please perform reproductive acts with Shuten Douji."
Hearing a demon say this was truly a surprise.
"Ibaraki."
Ian looked at the blonde-haired little demon girl in front of him—who was emitting an extreme amount of seriousness—and tried to adjust his tone.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do."
Ibaraki Douji raised her head.
"I seriously request you to do this."
"I hope you can——"
Ibaraki Douji looked at the spot just below Ian's waist.
"You can stab your big stick into Shuten."
"…"
There was no disguise description at all.
Ibaraki Douji looked much more serious than Shuten Douji, and seemed more knowledgeable than her appearance.
Well, she was a demon after all, who knew how long she had lived.
This might be a sign of her maturity, but at the moment it gave Ian a slight headache.
Ibaraki Douji completely understood what she had just said.
That meant she wasn't joking.
But why did she make this request at this time?
Ian's doubts didn't last long.
Because Ibaraki Douji immediately continued to explain:
"You must be wondering why I said that, right?"
"Umu." Ian nodded.
He was really puzzled about this anyway.
"Then I'll tell you."
Ibaraki Douji stared at the onmyouji in front of her, who was much taller than her.
"Every time you and Minamoto no Raikou reproduce, Shuten stands outside the door eavesdropping."
"I really can't stand it anymore."
"That's why I came to beg you to try it once with Shuten."
"If you agree to do this, Shuten will be very happy."
"And I..." Ibaraki Douji hesitated slightly before continuing, "am willing to pay the appropriate price for this!"
"So please, human!"
After saying those words, Ibaraki Douji once again bowed her head with a loud thud, her attitude so serious that it was as if she were pleading for something of utmost importance.
[You realize that if you don't agree with Ibaraki Douji, she might kneel like this all day to beg you.]
[You know she is Shuten Douji's closest friend, so there's no way you can treat this as a joke.]
[But you never had any such intention to begin with.]
[You know you need to find an appropriate solution.]
[You decide to do something about it.]
"I understand, Ibaraki."
"If that's the case—"
"Go call Shuten here."
"Eh?!"
Ibaraki Douji lifted her head.
Her clear golden eyes showed disbelief—she had never expected the other party to agree so decisively.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
Hearing a question almost identical to the one earlier, but with the roles now reversed, Ian's expression turned slightly peculiar.
"Of course, I know."
"Then wait right there!"
"I'm going right now!"
With that, Ibaraki Douji immediately turned and ran off, as if she were afraid Ian would change his mind.
Looking at her retreating figure, it almost seemed like she was the one who wanted this the most.
Watching Ibaraki Douji's silhouette disappear down the corridor, Ian felt a sense of relief in his heart.
After all—
For Shuten Douji to have a friend like this...
That was truly a rare stroke of luck.
[You return to your room.]
[You are waiting for Shuten Douji to arrive.]
Thud thud thud.
Hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Moments later, the sliding door was forcefully pulled open.
Shuten Douji, looking rather flustered, appeared at the entrance.
She waved her arms frantically and kicked about in front of Ian before shouting:
"Oji-san!"
"Don't listen to Ibaraki's nonsense! I never requested anything weird like that!"
"..."
Ian didn't rush to respond to Shuten Douji but instead glanced at the door behind her.
"Shuten, close the door first."
"Eh, um..."
Following Ian's words, Shuten Douji slid the door shut.
The room instantly dimmed slightly, and the atmosphere became noticeably quieter.
"Shuten, come here."
"..."
Though unsure of what Ian intended, Shuten Douji still followed his request and stepped forward to stand before the Grand Onmyoji.
But what she didn't expect was—
As soon as she got close, Ian lifted her up and placed her directly onto the work table he often used.
"Shuten, tell me, why were you eavesdropping outside the door?"
"I wasn't eavesdropping! You..."
Halfway through her sentence, Shuten Douji saw the serious look in Ian's eyes.
A gaze that allowed no lies—one that demanded only the truth.
She hesitated for a moment before mumbling in a small voice:
"Alright... I just listened a little."
"Just a little?"
"Fine! I heard everything, is that good enough?!"
Shuten Douji blushed and shouted:
"I admit it! I seriously listened from beginning to end!"
"If you want to say I have a problem, then... just say it!"
"I don't care anyway!"
After saying those words, Shuten Douji crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her face away, clearly displaying an attitude of do whatever you want, I don't care!
At least, that's how it looked on the surface.
But in reality, her heart was in complete turmoil.
What if Ian actually got angry?
After all, back in Onigashima, he hadn't been very pleased when this topic was brought up.
But this time…
Not only was Ian not angry, but he even asked Shuten Douji in return:
"Shuten, you're actually not interested in that matter, are you?"
"..."
Shuten Douji lowered her head.
Her fingertips restlessly traced patterns on the surface of the table.
Right now, Ian was right in front of her. She had to consider whether this was the one and only chance in her life to say it.
The room remained silent for a long time.
Only when heat began to rise from Shuten Douji's body did the atmosphere finally shift, as it should have.
"Oji-san."
"What I care about isn't the matter of producing offspring…"
Shuten Douji lifted her head, her violet eyes glistening slightly—like those of a young girl experiencing love for the first time.
"What I care about is you."
"..."
Ian let out a quiet sigh.
From the moment he tasted the mouth-chewed sake Shuten Douji had given him, he had already understood everything to some extent.
Even if Ibaraki Douji hadn't mentioned it, he had planned to find Shuten Douji later to talk things through.
It's just—
Looking at the girl in front of him, desperately trying to suppress her emotions, Ian suddenly realized…
Rejecting her was much harder than he had imagined.
How does one turn down a little demon girl who has just fallen in love?
Ian had no answer to that question—he felt that hunting down and eliminating the resentment of vengeful spirits, was much easier.
After a long moment of contemplation, he finally spoke:
"Shuten, you truly are beautiful, and certainly adorable…"
"But because I'm an oni, oji-san doesn't like me, right?"
Ian hadn't even finished speaking when Shuten Douji cut him off, finishing the sentence herself.
She forced a smile and continued with a self-deprecating tone:
"I already knew that much~"
"How could oji-san possibly like an demon? Especially one that isn't even the least bit charming."
"I should have—"
Before she could finish, Shuten Douji suddenly felt a powerful pressure on her lips.
By the time she came to her senses, she realized that Ian had firmly held her head in place, one hand resting against her chest, and was kissing her deeply.
Shuten Douji's cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
Finally, the heat within her body reached the point where her magical energy began to spill out on its own.
She didn't resist at all, simply letting the Grand Onmyoji ravage her lips.
It was only after a long time that they finally broke apart.
Ian gazed at Shuten Douji, whose face was now red to the very tips of her ears.
"Shuten, don't ever talk about yourself like that again."
"As an demon, you've already been remarkable."
"It's just—"
"I can't do what you're asking… You know as well as I do that this isn't the right choice."
"I'm truly sorry."
"..."
Shuten Douji touched her lips, feeling the lingering warmth.
She turned her face away and muttered softly:
"Oji-san is so disgusting…"
"Kissing me and then saying something like that, did you think I'd just obediently accept it?"
Ian was momentarily stunned, then let out a calm smile.
"Think however you want."
"Either way, I apologize."
"..."
Shuten Douji hopped down from the table.
She cleared her throat, looked up at the much taller Onmyoji before her, and spoke:
"Oji-san, do you not know what to do when you feel guilty?"
"...I don't."
"Then let me teach you!"
Shuten Douji placed both hands on her hips, her cheeks still tinged with red.
"When someone feels guilty and wants to make amends, the best way is to grant the other person a wish."
"A wish?"
"Umu." Shuten Douji nodded.
"If you can't even fulfill the other person's wish, how can you say you're sincerely apologizing?!"
"But—"
Ian furrowed his brows slightly.
"Shuten, you also know there are wishes I cannot grant, don't you?"
"Of course, I know that."
Shuten Douji leaned forward slightly.
"Do I look like the kind of oni who would force others?"
"..."
"Oji-san, what's with that silence?!"
"Alright, you're indeed not the kind of oni who forces others." Ian looked directly at the little oni girl before him. "So, what is your wish?"
"I am an oni who loves fine sake."
As she spoke, Shuten Douji walked to the side and picked up a sake jar placed in the corner of the room.
This was something she had painstakingly crafted after discovering that Ian didn't dislike her chewed sake.
But now, it seemed—
The Grand Onmyoji before her had never once touched it.
Shuten Douji let out a bitter laugh before continuing:
"My wish naturally has to do with sake as well."
"Oji-san, sit down first."
Though unsure of what Shuten Douji intended, Ian still followed her words and sat down.
The Demon King of Ooeyama stepped forward toward the Grand Onmyoji.
With a hint of regret, she said:
"Oji-san truly isn't suited to bear offspring with me, huh."
"But—"
The small oni girl with violet hair removed the red cloth covering the sake jar, allowing a pure fragrance to spread throughout the room.
"That doesn't mean I can't touch Oji-san, right?"
"Nor does it mean I can't drink the sake brewed by Oji-san, right?"
(note: dejavu???)
The crystal-clear sake poured from the jar, soaking the Onmyoji's garments.
Drip, drip.
The droplets of sake fell onto the tatami mat in the room.
Shuten Douji set the jar down, looking at Ian's drenched clothes.
"I won't let even a single drop go to waste."
"And since this is sake brewed by Oji-san… I don't even know what's inside."
"Umu, let's just go with that!"
"I'm just drinking the sake that Oji-san brewed!"
"..."
Ian looked at Shuten Douji before him for a long time before finally speaking:
"Umu, just drinking sake."
The Onmyoji's sacred artifact began to move, penetrating into the artificially created dark and damp cavern.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting even a single drop of sake.
A soft pink tongue withdrew the love-drenched sake of Ooeyama, incidentally brushing over the engraved patterns on the artifact's surface.
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
The taste of chewed sake seemed to change slightly.
Bitter, thick, even a bit sticky.
A sign that the quality of the sake had deteriorated.
But—
Shuten Douji found that it tasted even better.
She picked up an exquisite sake cup she had prepared, licked the remaining droplets, and said:
"Oji-san~"
"You're actually quite skilled at brewing sake~ Have you ever studied it with someone before?"
"Or am I the first?" (Note: Artoria: heh.)
[You have fulfilled Shuten Douji's wish.]
[You have seriously explained to her the current situation of Heian-kyo.]
[Though she was reluctant to part with you, she still accepted your decision.]
[Before the large-scale pursuit began, you successfully escorted her and Ibaraki Douji out of Heian-kyo.]
On the mountain road.
"Shuten~"
"What's the matter, Ibaraki?"
"Are we really just leaving like this?"
Ibaraki Douji turned her head, looking back at Heian-kyo gradually fading into the distance.
"Didn't you like that place a lot?"
"This matter—"
Shuten Douji's violet eyes blinked, then she revealed a bright smile.
"It's not like we won't go back, we're just going out to have some fun for a while~"
"I see…" Ibaraki Douji nodded as if contemplating something.
"By the way, last time, did you really do that reproduction thing with that Onmyoji?"
"I'm really curious!"
"This matter~"
Shuten Douji lightly licked her lips, as if reminiscing about some kind of taste.
"I didn't do that."
"But I took something far more important~ This time, I've won against that milk cow!"
"Really! As expected of Shuten from Ooeyama!"
"Hehe, of course."
["Treasure of the Demon" has been enhanced to "Treasure of the Demon +": Shuten Douji cherishes that magical experience immensely and considers you as part of her exquisite sake.]
[You have confirmed the safety of Shuten Douji and Ibaraki Douji as they leave.]
[You return to Heian-kyo.]
[The large-scale pursuit ordered by the Tenno is gradually being deployed.]
The atmosphere in Heian-kyo had clearly changed.
Ian looked at the soldiers patrolling the streets, feeling somewhat conflicted.
He knew exactly who they were hunting—the "courtesan" who was supposed to enter the palace to serve the Tenno.
(Note: I mistranslated this last time.)
But this situation seemed a bit excessive.
She was just a single girl—was such a massive search really necessary?
It was likely that things weren't as simple as they appeared.
However—
The reason behind her capture had nothing to do with him.
What was worth pondering was how to capture her.
After all, if he succeeded, he would gain significant merit for the Genji clan.
And Minamoto no Raikou's concerns would be greatly alleviated.
Fate's twists always came unexpectedly.
Just as Ian was thinking about this, he saw a woman wearing a straw hat, keeping her head down as she hurried past him.
He glanced at her retreating figure—
And suddenly noticed something odd.
That was—
A fox tail?!