Chapter 16: 16: Gashadokuro

Gashadokuro, one of the largest Yokais in size, I observe the emergence of that creature alongside several frogs wielding spears.

How the hell did he manage to summon that thing?! I turn back to the horde of Yokais, seeing that both they and Seth have stopped fighting. The golems seize the opportunity and grab some fox Yokais, throwing them at the Yokais in the air. Flames explode upon contact with the wind spirits, killing both Yokais struck.

Despite the defeat of those beings, the frogs were already prepared to fight, and more importantly, Gashadokuro was there to annihilate us.

No matter how strong an individual is, size and numbers are always relevant factors—even for exorcists, if only Assan were here! I quickly run toward Seth, who was already regrouping with the golems into a defensive stance.

I pick up my dagger from the ground and tuck the whip into my waist, then I position myself behind the golems who start fighting the frogs.

The spears of those creatures pierce the bodies of the golems, passing through and causing severe damage. In response, the golems deal powerful strikes back.

Seth grabs one of the frogs by the arm and throws it at Gashadokuro with all his strength. The frog explodes upon impact.

In this situation, Gashadokuro simply stares at us and laughs. With a single crushing blow from his left fist, one of the golems is completely annihilated, turning to dust in one hit.

Watching this scene we all retreat, trying to get away from the river, but the creature is too large, and the banks aren't wide enough, so we can't escape its reach.

I grip the hilt of my dagger as several verses pass through my mind—Matthew 4:35, James 4:7, Matthew 10:1—but nothing would be useful against that being.

If I had already been promoted, I could use Samson's prayer without the subsequent fatigue. Damn! Gashadokuro raises his arm again to strike. Seth and I leap away, but one of the golems is hit. Only four remain.

Seth, who was still getting up, ends up being surrounded by five frogs, which strike his body with their lances. I move my hand to my whip as I approach to help him.

The frogs' lances break upon contact with Seth's body, and he gets up, grabbing one of the frogs by the head with his right hand and smashing it into the ground, causing the head to explode.

The other frogs try to retreat, and with a flick of my hand, I draw the whip and swing it through the air, hitting the faces of three of them with a horizontal strike, splitting them in half and causing blood to spray and cover Seth. The last frog flees back to the rest of the group.

Seeing this, Gashadokuro grabs the fleeing frog and carries it to his mouth, devouring it. The creature’s blood flows and falls into the water—an ominous warning to the other frogs not to do the same.

Now motivated by fear of being devoured, the frogs all charge together against us.

Suddenly, lightning tears through the air, fired by Seth from his axe as he recites Psalm 114:6, “Cast your lightning and disperse them; send your arrows and scatter them.”

The lightning strikes the frogs, exploding some of them and carving a path through the rest, but it doesn’t stop them.

The frogs reach us and attack the golems and Seth at the front. Once again, their lances are driven into the golems, destroying more of them.

But this time, I was already prepared to help.

With my dagger in hand, I move it, flames rapidly expanding from its tip as I run, passing through the golems and stopping beside the frog horde.

I will perform wonders in heaven and on earth; blood and fire, and columns of smoke. From the tip of the dagger, a pillar of fire forms and strikes all the frogs attacking Seth and the remaining golems, reducing their bodies and weapons to ashes with the flames.

The flames gradually dissipate as Seth looks at me. And I? I am paralyzed.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The smell of burning fire and flesh in front of me invades my nostrils and transports me back to that night of fire and pain.

I feel my fingers and toes burning, air escaping from my lungs as I fall to the ground, my legs weak, the dagger falling beside me.

No, no, no, not now. I clutch my chest with my right hand, trying to hold the air in my lungs. My heart pounds rapidly, as if I had been injected with caffeine.

I lift my head, trying to look at Seth, but all I see are flames.

I am back in that endless corridor of fire and ashes. Looking down, I see my hands being engulfed in flames, that fire consuming me entirely.

I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I have no air in my lungs to scream; I fall to the ground, hands on my neck, choking.

What the hell?! My skin burns rapidly, turning to dust, the flames seeking to reduce me to ashes.

This isn't normal... an attack... Gashadokuro?! Summoning all the strength I have left, I call out a name.

“Nith-Haiah,” a golden light surrounds me and expands throughout the environment. My vision returns to the battlefield, with Gashadokuro's attack being nullified.

Not that the battlefield scene is any better—I am now seated, leaning against the wall, probably carried here by Seth. The last of the golems have been destroyed, their fragments strewn across the ground. Seth is holding one of Gashadokuro’s fists.

And the skeletal creature? A cloud of purple mist is emanating from its body—spirits from the realm of Yama, Naraka, having escaped their eternal punishment through that being.

The spirits head toward the yokai corpses, invading and possessing them, thus restoring the hundred-strong yokai horde that had just been destroyed.

Seth... I try to get up, supporting myself on the wall, but I fall to the ground again—my legs have no strength.

Residual effects of the attack! I look around for some weapon nearby and find Seth's black axe. I drag myself over and grab it.

Holding the axe, I try to think of a verse that might help me, eventually recalling Psalm 97:4.

“His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.” I swing the axe toward Gashadokuro’s arm. A golden lightning bolt is released from the weapon, striking the arm that was hitting Seth, but it has no effect.

Shit, no... energy. The axe slips from my hands as I collapse to the ground while I observe Seth, Gashadokuro, and the horde.

The skeletal creature grabs my brother by the side with its left hand, lifting him into the air and squeezing him. The armor around him finally reaches its limit.

Arrogance truly leads to downfall... I fall to the ground, watching helplessly again as I cannot help my brother.

That was so many years ago. We’ve already killed so many things, but we’re going to die like this. I lift my head; the armor around Seth breaks, and I hear his screams, the creature smiling with its teeth.

The horde of possessed yokais approaches my position, a hundred yokais ready to annihilate my body and devour me. I simply stare at them, exhausted.

Then, pillars of light emerge from the midst of the cloud of creatures, bright explosions dissipate them into the air, and, as fast as a flash, an impact strikes Gashadokuro’s arm that is holding Seth. The creature screams in pain and releases my brother.

A trail of light then cuts through the air, grabbing Seth as he falls, landing five meters from the creature.

The light disappears and reveals a woman with blue hair, dressed in the same robes as I, holding a white lance—it's Sachiel.

More pillars of light arise hitting the horde, which is completely destroyed, revealing several priests working for Sachiel. They hold a cross in one hand and white, blunt-ended swords in the other.

Gashadokuro turns toward Sachiel and raises his fist to strike her, but the fist is halted mid-air and begins to break apart as a gray figure with wings appears in front of him.

Assan! The gargoyle looks at me for half a second and then turns back to Gashadokuro. The creature’s arm is regenerating from the river below.

The waters... I try to get up, but Sachiel appears in front of me, staring.

“We’ll take care of that; we weren’t counting on him showing up either, so don’t worry,” the woman then turns and begins to walk toward the fight between Assan and Gashadokuro.

The gargoyle in its flight evades all of Gashadokuro’s attack attempts and responds with punches that completely destroy the targeted part, but the creature still restores itself while screaming.

A second cloud of spirits begins to emerge from its body, but the united voice of the priests is heard: “Iehuiah!”

Pillars of light fall upon Gashadokuro’s body, causing damage and dissipating the purple mist.

Meanwhile, Sachiel reaches the riverbank and jumps into it. After a few moments, a white light emanates from the river, and Gashadokuro begins to scream in pain.

It has been transformed into holy water! A pillar of light then emerges from within the lake, passing through Gashadokuro, destroying the left side of its body and leaving its chest open, revealing a purple orb flying through the air.

Then, Assan speedily reaches the orb and destroys it with a squeeze of his hand. A small cloud of purple smoke rises from the orb, then dissipates, and the remains of the creature also vanish, with the moon’s light shifting from red to white.

Sachiel jumps out of the water and lands beside Assan, who turns around and walks to me and Seth, both lying on the ground, staring at us.

I lower my head without saying anything. We ended up needing help due to negligence and almost died—a failure.

“Is the boy alive?” I lift my head to look at Assan, surprised by the question.

“...Yes, he is.”

“Then you did a good job,” with those words, Assan goes to pick up my dagger and whip.

I look at Seth lying on the ground next to me, unconscious. Carefully, I touch his hair with my left hand and then stroke his head.

“Sleep well, brother. You did a great job,” and forgive me for being a bad sister.