"Could you wait a moment?"
I followed behind Yoriko as if being led by the hand by my mother, but I could no longer bear it and stopped walking.
Then she slowly turned to me and gave me a faint smile.
"Yes, if that is what you wish."
Everything is abnormal and bizarre, and I can't even comprehend what's happening, but Yoriko stays by my side, just as she did when she was in the form of a horse named Taishakutsukige.
However, it would have been fine if it had been a horse.
Things are different now.
For me, someone who barely knew my mother, it was hard not to feel a little bewildered when a woman in human form treated me not as a girlfriend or wife, but as a mother or sister.
Moreover, it's unclear where she's headed next.
She said she would take me to a being called the "Water God," but since I don't know what that is, it's understandable that I would hesitate.
"What's a water god...?"
I asked Yoriko.
That question contains a great deal of self-indulgence.
It's not about actively trying to elicit answers oneself, but rather a way of asking questions that relies on the unconditional goodwill of a protective figure, like a mother.
"It has existed since ancient times, and it knows everything, from the origins of the world to everything else."
"I'm going to..."
"Yes, I'll show you around."
Yoriko pushed the hair that was covering her ears and nodded.
"But I'm essentially a complete outsider, aren't I...? What if I were to incur the wrath of this water god...?"
"That's... no problem..."
Behind me, the Princess of the Feathered Willow said:
"She's... always bored..."
"boredom...?"
"If I allow it... there's no problem..."
I remained silent and decided to sort out the situation so far based on the words of the silvery-blue humanoid figure.
(Taishakutsukige... no, Yoriko brought me here knowing that my body—my libido—had become abnormal.)
It's now undeniable that from the very beginning, their intention was to introduce me to this water god.
My instincts tell me that the Hagoromo Willow is incredibly powerful—or perhaps it's an existence that no human could possibly defeat.
However, even that existence isn't the real deal.
If we follow Yoriko's words, then he's probably some kind of gatekeeper guarding a relay point.
The reason I visited this place must be because I needed the approval of the Hagoromo Willow tree in order to meet the water god.
(And... Yoriko can make contact with the Hagoromo Willow and the water god that has existed since ancient times.)
If anything, what exactly is this fox-horse, Taishakutsukimo or Yoriko?
Naturally, that question comes to mind.
"Nagamasa, in any case, you will need the assistance of the Water God."
Yoriko said this in perfect Japanese.
It's very polite, almost like an android's way of speaking.
"If things continue like this, the situation will become increasingly chaotic, and you will cease to be yourself. Therefore, we will need to enlist the help of the Water God to slow the situation down."
The explanation continued, including things like "the turbidity is increasing..." and so on, which I couldn't quite understand.
But even without making them understand, it was enough to make them abandon the option of "withdrawing from the situation."
If someone told me that I would no longer be myself, I would have no choice but to move forward.
"Okay... I'll go to that water god."
"That's a good choice."
Yoriko nodded, a smile spreading across her extremely artificially perfected face—
"Now, please take off all your clothes. We'll be going for a while from here ."ぬめり...
—And so he said, with a smile.
◆
Stripped naked, I crawled through the hole in the willow tree, and what awaited me was—blue, luscious flesh covered in sticky mucus.
It's incredibly springy and very warm. In fact, it might even feel hot.
And it completely envelops my entire body, gently massaging me as it pulls me deeper and deeper inside.顫動Sendou
(Whoa... what is this...?!?)
Strangely enough, they can breathe even while covered in mucus.
However, since her entire body is restrained by the alluring flesh, she can barely move.
But while all this was happening, my body was pressed against the soft, squishy ceiling, and soon I was squeezed into the small gap.
It was a small, room-like space.
Yoriko, who had arrived before me, pulled me up as I was sticking my upper body through a narrow opening that could hardly be described as the entrance to the room.
Her voluptuous body, glistening and wet, was reflected in my view.
And then there were the two bulges that were impossible to ignore—the pink nipples and areolas at their peaks—and I instinctively averted my eyes.
Noticing my actions, Yoriko gently hugged me and stroked my head.
With a gesture that seemed to say, "Well, he's a boy, so there's nothing we can do about it," it was a gesture reminiscent of a mother's.
"Hey... Taishakutsukimo... no, Yoriko...?"
"yes"
She responded to my question with perfect Japanese pronunciation.
"Well... I know this might not be a good question to ask, but... which should I call you...?"
"Are you asking whether I should be addressed as Taishakutsukimo or Yoriko?"
Seeing me nod in agreement, she continued to stroke my head for a while.
Perhaps she hadn't thought about it that far before.
Even so, it's a pleasant feeling.
I find myself rubbing my cheek against her beautiful, slimy chest, or pressing my face against it, as if I've regressed to infancy.
Yoriko's breasts are modest, even more so than those of Princess Ichihime, and even more so than those of Princess Osamu.
But her breasts teach us that motherhood is not determined by size.
--I want to be spoiled.
It offers such a sense of peace that you want to forget everything and just play there.
"The name 'Yoriko' is an authentication code given to me because that's what humans called me. The name 'Taishakutsukige' was also given to me because that's what humans called me. Therefore, I don't mind being called either."
"..."
"However, for convenience, she now refers to herself as 'Yoriko.' Now, what are your thoughts, Nagamasa-san?"音On
Her response, in the end, was that she would leave the decision up to me.
And if that's the case—if I don't have any particular attachment to her—then my intentions were already clear from the start.
"In that case, I'll continue to call you 'Taishakutsukimo' as before."
"got it"
Yoriko said that, then lifted my cheeks with both hands and peered into my face.
"For Nagamasa, that's probably the more familiar option."
"Oh... and also..."
I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked into her light green eyes, saying:
"To me, Taishakutsukige is Taishakutsukige. No matter what form or shape you take, whether you're a horse or a human, you're still Taishakutsukige. I trust you from the bottom of my heart... You've always been by my side."
"I am very pleased to hear those words."
Yoriko wears a beautiful and lovely smile, but in a completely different way from Ichihime's.
A long, golden strand of hair sticking out from her silver hair danced with the subtle movements of her face.
"Or, I'm happy that I can embrace Nagamasa-san like this. I wouldn't be able to do this in my true form as a concubine."
"...I see."
"yes"
Yoriko gently kissed my cheek and slowly stood up.
As for me—embarrassingly enough—her unexpected kiss left me stunned, my heart practically leaping in the air.
Seeing me like that, Yoriko laughed.
"Mr. Nagamasa said he wanted to have a concubine. But isn't that going a bit too far?"初心naive
"...noisy"
I stood up with clumsy movements and let out a big sigh through my nose, unconsciously expressing my dissatisfaction.
But Yoriko gripped my hand tightly and began walking, leading the way.
The small room was very meaty, warm, and springy.
The floor and walls are all blue, making it clear that this is the inside of Hagoromo Yanagi's body.
"Nagamasa-san, you must get down from here."
Saying that, Yoriko used both hands to widen the small hole in the floor.
"This is the reverse of the previous route. Don't worry. Just like before, this passage will gently and firmly push Nagamasa's body forward."
"...Understood"
"It is recommended to descend headfirst, just as the princess did earlier."
I nodded to Yoriko and dove in headfirst, as if diving into water.
Carefully, pressing my head against the slimy wall.
Then, the slimy passage suddenly contracted and began to move, trying to push my body out.
I instinctively closed my eyes, tucked my chin against my chest, and tried to react to the movement.
As this happens, the body slowly moves in a spiral pattern, gradually moving towards the exit.
(This is... pretty tough...!)
When I got about halfway down, I felt like the force pushing my body forward became even stronger.
As I moved forward, my whole body being massaged by the warm, slippery walls of flesh, my face suddenly popped out of the opening.
I didn't realize it because I had kept my eyes closed the whole time.
The head sticks out, and the shoulders stick out.
Then, in an instant, my naked body was slid out by the contraction of the narrow passage.
It appears the waste was released to a different location than before.
It didn't have the crunchy, frosty feel of stepping on frost; rather, it had a hardness reminiscent of concrete.
(This is bad... I'm so exhausted... this is...)
My body is extremely fatigued, and I don't think I'll be able to stand up anytime soon.
And even opening my eyes feels like too much effort.
The floor is cold, but the mucus covering my entire body is almost hot.
—With this, I probably won't catch a cold even if I lie around for a while.
With that calculation in mind, I had curled up and hunched over...
Next, Yoriko came down from a hole in the willow tree and shook me violently.
"Nagamasa, this is the underground of Lake Yogo. Staying here is not recommended. Let's get up."
"..."
"Nagamasa-san"
"I understand... I understand..."
With Yoriko's help, he stood up and opened his eyes.
It was a huge, semi-circular passageway.
It's like a more futuristic and refined version of the underwater tunnels that existed in my original world.
Tiles-like objects are embedded throughout the walls, emitting light and brightly illuminating the entire tunnel.
The route was then marked with arrows, indicating the direction of travel.
The floor, ceiling, and side walls are clearly made of concrete or something similar.
Hanging from the ceiling were signs displaying various pieces of information in alphabetical characters.
"...Wait, wait a minute..."
"What's the matter, Nagamasa-san?"
"What's wrong? That's not the question...!! What the hell is this...!!"
I instinctively pointed at the hanging sign and yelled.
But they had no other choice.
The markings depicted there indicate distance, specifically "Km".
It was clearly something that should never have existed in Sengoku-era Japan.
—And then, it cruelly confronted me with something I had secretly feared.
Time travel is not a phenomenon that occurs only in the past.
This is a phenomenon that could occur in the future as well.
"Could it be... this isn't the past, but the future...?"
You're kidding...
My throat is dry and I feel dizzy.
My body swayed precariously, and I was on the verge of falling, but Yoriko's slender yet strong body supported me.
"I understand how Nagamasa feels."
Yoriko held me tightly, trying to encourage me to regain my strength, just as she always had when my resolve began to waver.
"I heard from you, Nagamasa, that you came from a different world. Or perhaps, that's the extent of my knowledge. However, the fact that this is an 'other world' for Nagamasa remains unshaken. I recommend that you recognize it that way."
I certainly understand what she's saying. Or rather, she's absolutely right.
But if that's the case, then a problem that will deeply shake my heart will come to light.
"So... history is repeating itself...?"
"I cannot answer that question. I have only lived for about 90 years, so I can only know about this era."
"But, Taishakutsukimo... you've known about this place for a while, haven't you?"
"yes"
"So, you looked at this place and felt nothing...? This place is so drastically different from the outside world...!!"
To calm me down as I screamed, Yoriko tightened her grip on my arms.
"I didn't think it was strange."
"why!?"
"This place is the ruins of an ancient civilization that perished from Japan long ago...a place where memories of the past lie dormant—that's what the Water God taught me."
"a..."
A feeling of exhaustion, as if all the strength had drained from my body.
Somehow, I felt like a lot of things were starting to make sense.
For example, manifesting phenomena that are clearly advanced technology and are described as "magic" in this world.匣box ...
That must be a true out-of-place artifact.
"Please be strong."
Yoriko hugged me tightly, leaning close to me, and said in a quiet but forceful voice:
"You cannot falter here. You have your people to support, and your wife to support. Above all, you are going to be a father, aren't you? Are you going to throw it all away here and ruin everything you've accomplished so far?"
Along with Yoriko's voice, the images of Ichihime and Haruhime came to mind.
It really is just that simple.
However, that tiny, insignificant thing—in the gloomy, uncertain world that surrounded me—was the most important thing of all.
No matter how cruel the reality may be, as long as you have someone you love—you must do everything in your power to protect them.
No matter what the facts are, or what the world is like, it won't change my feelings or my existence, because I love them.
Rather than dwelling on such facts, what's truly important is to pinpoint the cause of the abnormalities affecting one's own body.
"...What a foolish thing to do."
"In that case, let's move on."
Yoriko said that and took my hand.
As I started walking, following her, my mind was completely clear.
All I could think about was how to achieve a peaceful life with Ichihime and the others, and strangely enough, I couldn't think about anything else at all.
Perhaps, overwhelmed by the sheer volume and shock of information, my brain simply stopped processing the information.
I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
However, I am certain that Taishakutsukimo, who is trying to guide me, will always be by our side.
Perhaps that's how I'm barely managing to maintain my peace of mind.
As long as I can believe in that, as long as I can keep believing, I can still keep going.
I don't know how long I walked.
Just when your legs start to feel like lead, you finally reach the end of the tunnel.
It was a huge, circular door. It looked sturdy, clearly made of steel.
As Yoriko reached out her hand to the tunnel wall, the door quietly opened with a click.
Beyond that lies a lake.
Earlier, she said that the point where the substance was discharged from the tunnel of the Hagoromo Willow was beneath Lake Yogo.
I don't know where this is, but it's definitely an underground lake.
In the center of the underground lake was an island, on which stood a massive, clearly artificial structure.
The tunnel and the island are connected by a narrow path, making it appear possible to cross.
However, there are things that have such an overwhelming impact that they could quickly recede into the background and vanish.
"What the... is that...!"
A gigantic dragon, its entire body completely covered in silvery-white scales.
The creature had its face jutting out of the lake onto the island, its eyes closed, and was breathing softly in its sleep.