Creating a new identity for our Dear Romani—no, Romani Archaman—was a trivial task.
Disguise him as a new Einzbern homunculus, pass off his broken body and peculiar eyes as side effects of his creation, and voilà—a fresh identity served on a silver platter.
Of course, those in the know—people like Kayneth or Marisbury—would likely suspect it was a fabrication. Even Lev Lainur Flauros might see through it. But what of it? Now that he had lost his Noble Phantasms and become a mere human, his capabilities vanished; Flauros wouldn't spare him a second thought. In fact, if he did take notice, all the better. While they were busy being distracted by Romani—who had essentially become an immortal through his resurrection—I could focus on securing the others.
Since Kadoc Zemlupus, Ophelia Phamrsolone, and Kirschtaria Wodime were already being handled by Lord El-Melloi and Waver, that left two for me to deal with… namely, those with backstories that redefine the word 'grim' even among the Crypters: Myorenji Aro—otherwise known as Scandinavian Peperoncino—and Daybit Sem Void.
First, Scandinavian Peperoncino.
Once, an ancestor of the Myorenji clan practiced the unique Far Eastern magecraft known as Shugendo. In his corruption, he contracted with an Ootengu—a being comparable to a True Demon or a monster of the mountains. He attained a state akin to a superhuman by awakening 'Tengudo,' a twisted offshoot of Shugendo.
The problem was that this awakening was personal; it was impossible to pass down through a Magic Crest. Consequently, the descendants of that ancestor spent decades of their lives attempting to master even a single branch of Tengudo. To succeed meant becoming a Tengu and ensuring a one-way ticket to hell; to fail meant being discarded in the deep mountains according to the clan's horrific tradition of senicide.
Furthermore, because of their nature—similar to Dead Apostles or True Demons—they were a clan destined for extermination if they ever went public. They hid in the remote wilderness, frequently kidnapping children from the outside world to sustain their bloodline and train successors. In the past, when infant mortality was high and human rights for children were non-existent, they might have slipped under the radar. But the Myorenji clan continued this practice unabashedly even in the modern era... Truly, they were a clan plagued by systemic rot.
And from within that clan, a single genius was born: Scandinavian Peperoncino, or Myorenji Aro.
Because of this, the clan ordered her—the most capable practitioner since the founder—to marry and produce an heir to pass on her genes. But she—or rather, he... no, definitely 'she' in spirit—was genderqueer. Though her body was male, her mind was unequivocally female. She psychologically rejected the idea of continuing the line. Moreover, at the age of ten, she awakened the 'Power of Extinguishing Outflows,' which allowed her to see fate and past lives, leading her to the pessimistic realization that her current life was her soul's final incarnation.
In an attempt to 'awaken' her spirit, that trash-tier clan hatched a mad scheme to kill her younger brother as a provocation. In the end, she became a one-man army, slaughtering over four hundred clan members, erasing the Myorenji name from existence, and adopting the name Scandinavian Peperoncino to hide behind a vibrant, lively persona.
And then… there was Daybit Sem Void.
If Peperoncino's past was merely grim, Daybit's very existence was a hellscape. Due to a flash of light emitted by a mysterious 'Angel Artifact,' his father's existence was erased, and Daybit himself experienced the madness of vanishing and being 'reconstructed.'
As a result of some error in that process, he suffered a unique form of amnesia where he could only retain five minutes of memory from any twenty-four-hour period. He spent his life cold and efficient, categorizing and selecting which five minutes to keep... living a life of 'Day Bits,' just as his name implied.
Furthermore, while I could potentially cleanse a tainted soul like Peperoncino's using the Human Path, approaching Daybit would be difficult. Judging by various clues, the 'Angel Artifact' that caused his amnesia is speculated to be a Type: Venus—an Ultimate One on par with O.R.T.
And yet, I had already prepared a plan for this very outcome.
Strictly speaking, Daybit's symptoms allowed him to recall short-term memories normally during the day, but everything would be 'bleached' and erased once they attempted to transition into long-term memories during sleep. However, Daybit resisted this, seizing five minutes for himself—preserving only the most critical information as his memory of the 'day.'
Now, let's think.
Does a person with very similar circumstances not come to mind?
"Seriously, this ability is as useful as the Rinnegan itself."
Offering my sincere respect to Godword Mayday's 'Forgotten Recording,' I began driving my motorcycle toward the mountain where the practitioners of Tengudo were presumed to be hiding.
Daybit was someone Marisbury himself would eventually 'kill,' so he would end up in Chaldea even if I didn't approach him first.
...So, my primary target was Scandinavian Peperoncino, formerly known as Myorenji Aro.
* *
The mountain inhabited by the Myorenji clan was colloquially known as Mount Tengu.
It was named so because of a legend stating that the Ootengu, once called the Demon King, lived there before being slain by an exorcist... The reality differed slightly from the legend, but the mountain was indeed home to a clan that worshipped the Tengu and sought to become them.
On the surface, they were merely an isolationist clan with no contact with the outside world—practically unknown. In reality, they were a horrific group trapped in a cycle: since their secret arts could not be inherited upon awakening, they kidnapped children from the world to force them into becoming successors, desperately trying to awaken them as Tengu.
To maintain their cover as an ordinary clan, they posed as major landowners, much like the Tohsaka family, and would turn away hikers and travelers from the mountain using various excuses.
Then, one day, a visitor arrived at the mountain.
A woman of striking beauty and youthful appearance, seemingly well-prepared with camping gear and trekking equipment, began walking toward the mountain. Before long, she passed through the Bounded Field the Tengu practitioners had erected using their Siddhis.
Naturally, she caught the attention of the Myorenji clan, who were busy continuing their shameful legacy in the name of Tengudo.
She was talented enough in Mystery to bypass their barriers, and her beauty was exceptional.
If their direct heir, Myorenji Aro, were to mate with such a talented and beautiful woman... what kind of peerless 'talent' would be born?
It was undeniable that they were bewitched by her looks. Before long, figures wearing Tengu-like masks and possessing grotesque wings began to close in on her...
BOOM!!!!
"Wh-What was that?!"
"The barrier is shattered! We have an intruder!!!"
And so, the Myorenji clan—which had maintained its lineage for six hundred years, from the early 15th century to the 21st—began its collapse.
* *
The Tengu practitioners were numerous, fast, and powerful.
Using the 'Heavenly Eye' to peer into the future, they pinpointed my location and dispatched other practitioners. Their 'Heavenly Ear' precisely sensed what I was doing and what I intended to do.
Those presumably using the 'Body of Swiftness' transformed their bodies like beasts and lunged at me, while those with 'Telepathy' tried to infiltrate my mind by any means necessary.
None of their actions mattered.
The pinnacle of the Six Superhuman Powers of Tengudo is, in the end, the 'Power of Extinguishing Outflows'—the ability to step off the wheel of reincarnation. The only one born with that was the clan's once-in-a-century genius, Myorenji Aro.
"The Six Siddhis are supernatural powers, it's true. But with the exception of Extinguishing Outflows, the rest are mere parlor tricks."
In that sense, those beings struggling to become monsters just to escape the cycle of rebirth... were nothing more than prey for the Rinnegan, the eye that governs the Six Paths of Reincarnation itself.
"My arm!! My arm is—!"
"Wh-Why isn't the Body of Swiftness working?! You monster!!!"
Those who used the Body of Swiftness to transform into elephants, tigers, or Tengu were torn apart by even larger moles or gorillas summoned via the Animal Path. Those who tried to peer into my mind with the Heavenly Eye or Telepathy died instantly, their heads exploding from the backlash.
"...The Rinnegan naturally repels even Mind-Transmission techniques; trying to manipulate me with Siddhis would obviously cause a catastrophic rebound."
I felt no pity.
Those who had already turned into Tengu were human garbage who had committed at least one murder. To waste emotion on killing such trash... would make surviving in this cruel world impossible.
"You bastard… how dare you destroy our six hundred years of history…!"
"It's easy to tell... you're the boss, aren't you?"
A man with an elongated nose and two pairs of wings at his waist—a being that barely looked human, emitting a pressure akin to a Dead Apostle—floated in the sky.
"Pay for your arrogance, you gifted brat!!!"
An attack similar to a Magic Bullet erupted from his mouth. At the same time, broken rocks and tiles from the surroundings were hoisted into the air, hurtling toward me.
I repelled the blast with Shinra Tensei, only for his legs to stretch out like snakes, attempting to claw at my face. I ducked quickly to evade, but he immediately dived, reaching out with his talons to snatch my shoulder.
It was a fight worthy of the name 'Tengudo.' The claim that they worshipped an Ootengu on par with a True Demon wasn't entirely a lie; he displayed considerable power. Yes, considerable power for what he was.
"Chibaku Tensei."
"Gwaaaaaaargh!!!"
"In the end, you're just a being barely comparable to a Dead Apostle. Not even a true one, but a commoner who was merely granted power. After facing Nrvnqsr Chaos, Zelretch… and even the Crimson Moon, you lot don't even qualify as a distraction!"
Massive debris began to coalesce around him. The Chibaku Tensei, which was originally intended to be a seal, began to mercilessly crush and crumple his body instead.
"Our dream… Why has our Tengu God forsaken us—?"
"Hey, don't be a drama queen. It's not over yet."
"What…"
"In the first place, I'm not the one who's going to kill you."
I turned my head to meet the gaze of a boy with dead eyes who was staring back at me.
In one hand he held a kitchen knife, and in the other, the head of a Phantasmal beast.
"I ordered the beasts of the Animal Path not to kill you, but your skills are certainly impressive."
"…Are you the one who killed them?"
"Yes, I won't deny it. Trashy humans... no, not even humans. They were beings who discarded their humanity."
Just then, a voice began to bark like a crazed dog from the rubble.
"What are you doing, Aro! Now is the time to prove your worth! Kill that woman! She is the greatest enemy our Myorenji clan has faced in six hundred years!"
"Now, you heard him. I'm going to give you a chance. There's a piece of trash right there. Your grandfather... right? Something like that."
"…He's my uncle. My father was bitten to death by that dog earlier."
"Is that so? You all look so much like Tengu I couldn't tell. Anyway, I'll give you a choice. That uncle of yours... right? If you want, you can stab him to death yourself. But if you don't, I'll do it for you."
"…May I... truly do it?"
"Yes."
Myorenji Aro—Scandinavian Peperoncino—loathed herself and always yearned to be free.
Yet she was bound by the clan, allowing her guilt to fester for years. And finally, upon hearing that they intended to corrupt even her soul and drag her into the darkness, she would snap and exterminate the entire lineage.
…To put it another way, this situation was like being perched on a cliff edge.
Has it not been said? In the end, it's all like gravity. All it takes is a little push.
"So, how do you feel?"
"…It's strange. This is the first time I've stabbed a person, but I don't think I feel any guilt."
"Of course. Anyone who feels guilt while killing 'that' thing... would either be a true saint or someone who's completely broken. You're neither a saint nor anything special; you're just an ordinary human, aren't you? There's no need to feel guilt over killing a piece of trash."
"You… who are you exactly?"
"Me? Honestly, I have so many titles it's a bit worrying… but if I had to pick one to name myself by, this would be the best."
Gently stroking the head of the youth who was still just a child, I introduced myself.
"I am Karma Kirigaya. I'm one of the executive directors of the Security Organization for the Preservation of Human Order: Finis Chaldea."
"Finis… Chaldea?"
"If you have nowhere else to go, you're more than welcome… I can always find room for a kind young soul who knows who 'they' are."
Turning around to leave, I let out a sharp 'Ah!' and handed her a business card.
"And… here, take this."
"...What is it?"
"My friend's card. Honestly, my goal in coming to this mountain was to crush the practitioners of Tengudo. But I couldn't have innocent victims or kids like you—who were holding out against them—getting caught in the crossfire. If there were people like that, I was meant to take them into protection. Shall we go together?"
"No, I can go on my own."
"Mhm, mhm. Self-reliance is a wonderful thing. However… you'll need at least some money, won't you, Aro-kun? You've never even been outside."
At that, she shook her head firmly and spoke.
"Please don't call me Aro. I want to bury that name completely along with this mountain and my fallen clan."
"…Very well, I shall respect your wishes. In that case, what name would you prefer?"
She kept her mouth tightly shut until we reached the foot of the mountain to grab a quick bite to eat. It wasn't until I ordered a standard set meal that she looked over the menu and finally spoke.
"Peperoncino. I think Peperoncino sounds nice."
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