"Resurrection, you're just a zombie."
Yakumo Yukari opened another gap in the void, stretched her hand in, picked up the folding fan from the ground, then opened another gap in front of her, extended her hand, and covered her exquisite face with the folding fan.
This scene looked extremely bizarre. Although the woman in front was mysterious and beautiful, combined with this scene, it was extremely terrifying.
It was understandable if it scared someone to death.
"..."
The young girl silently watched this scene, a little scared. Originally, the gaps filled with eyes were already very creepy.
Now, this hand twisted into such a strange shape.
Trembling.
Wanting to cry.
"Don't be afraid, I don't plan to do anything to you for now." Yakumo Yukari let out a satisfied hum, looking at the somewhat scared young girl, "Undoubtedly, you are not human now. Although I'm not sure what kind of monster you are, anyway, you absolutely cannot be human, you see."
The purple-haired young girl standing in front of her was certainly human not long ago, but after resurrecting, she could no longer be called human.
If proof was needed, the faint demonic power emanating from the young girl was enough to prove her non-human identity.
After all, humans cannot obtain demonic power.
Unless they are half-demons, it is impossible to gain demonic power.
"..."
The young girl forced herself to calm her fear, focused her attention on herself, and then immediately understood her difference.
Before, her physical strength was so weak that she couldn't even twist open a bottle cap.
"So that's it, I really… am not human anymore."
Now, the young girl felt that she might be able to punch a cow to death, which was simply… overwhelmingly strong.
Perhaps, even against the monster in front of her, she had a chance of winning.
Courage, returned.
"Your reaction is a bit flat." Yakumo Yukari closed her folding fan, leaning her body slightly forward towards the young girl, "At this moment, you should either be happy about your power or afraid of not being human. Even if you were happy or sad, it would be understandable."
Her eyes showed a hint of curiosity.
"You don't seem to care about the fact that you are not human."
Humans of this era are fearful of monsters, and they desire and worship the power of monsters. Many humans hope to become monsters to gain long life.
Of course, there are also those who are fixated on their human identity.
If they become monsters… they would feel pain.
However, although the young girl was surprised, she did not show much emotional fluctuation about losing her 'human' identity.
This, in turn, seemed a bit unusual.
"Humans… are simply a classification of species." The young girl gently brushed aside a strand of purple hair by her ear with her delicate hand, her voice surprisingly calm as she replied, "If you haven't built up enough bonds in human society, then even if you lose your human identity, there's nothing worth missing."
"..."
Yakumo Yukari looked at the young girl with a strange expression, confirming that what the girl said was true, and then hesitated slightly before speaking.
"That sounds so pitiful. You wouldn't… have no friends, would you?"
The air suddenly solidified.
The young girl was stunned in place by the question, her normally calm and unruffled face suddenly turning crimson.
"Hmph… I still have friends!"
She puffed out her chest as if to confirm her credibility.
However, she was well aware that she had no friends; in her previous life, she spent most of her time in the hospital, and even when she occasionally went to school, she couldn't participate in many social activities due to her physical condition preventing strenuous exercise.
In short, the young girl… had no friends.
"...I apologize for touching on a sore spot." Yakumo Yukari showed a somewhat guilty expression, covering her pretty face with her folding fan. "It seems the topic of 'no friends' has hit a nerve."
"..."
The young girl glared fiercely at the Youkai woman, then unhappily turned her head away. This woman definitely poked at her pain on purpose, didn't she?
Yakumo Yukari didn't mind the young girl's fierce expression, narrowing her eyes curiously as she observed her. This young girl's aura was very strange; she didn't seem like a commoner from this world, nor did she seem like an aristocrat from this world.
She didn't even resemble a Youkai…
It was as if she was a child raised and nurtured in a completely different survival system from current society.
To be honest, she was a little curious about this young girl…
"..."
The young girl sulked by herself for a while, realizing that there was no point in continuing to be at a stalemate, so she turned to Yakumo Yukari and asked.
"As an apology, can you tell me where the nearest human settlement is?"
"Human settlement?" Yakumo Yukari chuckled softly, her eyes playfully observing the young girl. "This area is a Youkai gathering place; there's no human settlement here at all."
"Then just tell me… in which direction humans are, that should be fine."
The young girl asked again.
"You are a Youkai now, you know." Yakumo Yukari looked at the somewhat naive young girl and kindly reminded her, "Even if you go to a human settlement, you will only be… eliminated by an Onmyoji or a shrine maiden."
This was not an exaggeration; the young girl's beauty could be called a disaster, and even if she hadn't become a Youkai and gone to the human world, she would still attract some people's covetous gazes.
If she became a Youkai… it would be even more dangerous.
"Compared to Youkai, I think humans are safer."
The young girl glanced at the dense eyes in the gap. Even if she wasn't human now, she couldn't temporarily accept being with Youkai.
Not to mention, humans who seem even weaker.
It seems that stronger, more ferocious Youkai are more dangerous.
So, whether she goes to a human settlement or not.
She had to consider staying away from Youkai first.
"Haven't you changed your perspective from when you were human?" Yakumo Yukari chuckled charmingly, raising her folding fan and pointing into the distance. "Then go west; there's a Maple Village there."
"Thank you."
The young girl sincerely thanked her, then prepared to walk west. She had no enmity with this young girl to begin with.
Now that she had received help, a thank you was only natural.
"...Cough, no need." Yakumo Yukari looked at the young girl's earnest gratitude, seeming a little guilty as she slightly averted her gaze. "Speaking of which, I don't seem to know your name yet."
"..." The young girl was silent for a moment, then spoke a name. "Baal, my name is Baal."
This was not the young girl's original name, but came from a fragment of memory within the demon god residue; it was the name of a very gentle demon god.
Her current appearance was just like that demon god named Baal.
"That's not how we usually name things here." Yakumo Yukari nodded lightly, speaking as if in sudden realization, "No wonder you just ate the Youkai fruit."
"Youkai fruit?"
The young girl sounded confused, remembering the fruit she had eaten not long ago, which had directly killed her.
"It's the red fruit you ate." Yakumo Yukari explained with a smile, "It's a fruit that grows by absorbing nutrients from the dead. Even low-level Youkai would die if they ate it. It's a delicious yet dangerous fruit."
"...It was pretty tasty indeed." The young girl's expression was a little unnatural; she subtly turned her head and whispered, "I'll be taking my leave. It's getting late."
"...Then, until next time."
Yakumo Yukari nodded slightly, not stopping the young girl from leaving, and watched as she gradually disappeared into the dark forest.
Then she retreated back into the gap.