"Um... little Inoue..."
Fumonshichi hacked through a bush with the firewood axe he'd obtained from the last village before turning to Takina Inoue behind him with a troubled expression:
"Are you absolutely certain this is the right path?"
"Affirmative."
Takina, following behind Fumonshichi, responded earnestly:
"According to the SDS's special maps, Director Luo Shu and Chisato have already gathered at a village five kilometres ahead."
"We just need to cross these mountains to reach our destination."
Hearing this, Fumonshichi's face showed clear hesitation.
Noticing his expression, Yukari Oikawa, walking behind Takina, covered her mouth and laughed:
"Little Takina, this uncouth man seems to have alternative thoughts about the route."
Fumonshichi immediately grimaced at her words:
"Hey now, Yuki-onna of the Nura Clan, no need to stir trouble like that."
"Given that we happened to meet in this abyss, aren't we practically comrades by fate? Could you not sabotage me?"
"My apologies, but no." Yukari narrowed her eyes, her smile carrying subtle danger. "After all, this humble one had friends who died at the hands of your Bujin-shū."
Scratching his head, Fumonshichi sighed helplessly:
"Still holding onto ancient grudges? Yokai really are a resentful species."
After speaking, Fumonshichi turned around to continue clearing the path while earnestly asking:
"So, little Miss Takina, you're certain this is the shortest route?"
"Ground obstacles are indeed time-consuming, so I recommend moving through the trees."
Takina Inoue, clutching the silver metal case, maintained her stern expression as she replied seriously:
"Given my physical capabilities, I can easily traverse between tree trunks. Additionally, one of the tools I'm carrying provides short-distance flight capability."
"From this perspective, leaping between trees or gliding short distances is the fastest way to reach our destination and regroup with Director Luo Shu and the others."
"Eh? Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
Fumonshichi, still holding his woodcutting knife, looked completely dumbfounded:
"I traded my Rolex watch with a villager from the back village for this damn machete!"
Takina Inoue hadn't replied yet when Yukari Oikawa, beside her, spoke disdainfully:
"Weren't we separated from little Takina when you swapped for that cleaver?"
After entering the abyss, Yukari Oikawa and Fumonshichi had landed less than a kilometre apart, making them the first to regroup.
For safety and the sake of having a meat shield, Yukari Oikawa had chosen to travel with Fumonshichi.
Later, the pair encountered Takina Inoue hurrying through a village, from whom they learned that the SDS still maintained communication capabilities - hence their current trio formation.
So in Yukari Oikawa's view, Fumonshichi's decision to trade for a woodcutter's cleaver from villagers to traverse mountain paths was entirely self-inflicted misery.
Currently, though inwardly pleased, Fumonshichi wore a pained expression:
"That watch counts as public expenditure, right? Little Inoue, could you vouch for me when we get back?"
Takina immediately became alert, looking at Fumonshichi in surprise:
"You're planning to defraud funds?"
"..."
Fumonshichi fell silent momentarily before sighing, "Are all SDS members this sensitive about financial verification? I'd barely started!"
Takina didn't elaborate, simply stating calmly:
"Earlier, when leaping through the mountain forest, I encountered some yokai attacks. Considering this, we must remain vigilant about our woodland surroundings while advancing."
"Leave surveillance to me."
Yukari Oikawa covered her mouth with her sleeve:
"Yuki-onna are quite sensitive to body temperatures. Unless they're disembodied spirits, I can detect any presence immediately."
Here, she shot Fumonshichi a glance: "Though for the Bujin-shū brute here, I'd suggest not trusting my warnings."
Fumonshichi couldn't help retorting:
"Does the Nura Clan conduct ambushes so blatantly?"
"For Yuki-onna, yes." Yukari Oikawa admitted shamelessly.
Scratching his head, Fumonshichi proposed:
"Well, in these remote mountain paths, going straight means tree-hopping - though those insane yokai are troublesome."
"How about moving in a triangular formation? Little Inoue leads upfront while the snow woman and I guard the flanks, protecting our vanguard..."
Takina responded: "No objections. My only request is swift progress."
Yukari Oikawa glanced at Takina: "Then this humble one has no objections either."
"Good, let's prepare..." Fumonshichi began, then suddenly detected movement, turning right: "Seems we've got yokai visitors..."
Having sensed the Demon Power, Yukari Oikawa narrowed her eyes:
"This purity... seems like a half-yokai?"
Fumonshichi trusted her judgement - after all, the Nura Clan's second leader was half-yokai.
"Half-yokai!" Fumonshichi's gaze turned playful: "Only powerful yokai breed with humans, no?"
Naturally, weaker yokai lived hand-to-mouth, devouring humans on sight. Mid-tier yokai usually couldn't maintain human forms, their appearances too grotesque for human tastes.
Only those powerful yokai who could fully assume human forms—handsome men and beautiful women—were capable of seducing humans with normal sensibilities.
Thus, the consensus that half-yokai had Great Yokai as fathers became widespread.
"A half-yokai?" Takina Inoue now understood the meaning of her two companions. "Capturing one could be considered to obtain intel about this abyss."
Beside her, Tsurara Oikawa also voiced her opinion:
"An Abyss this large... It's my first time encountering one, too. Being cautious isn't a bad thing."
Fumonshichi adjusted his woodcutter's blade, preparing to use the blunt side later:
"Seems we've reached a consensus."
As the words fell, two afterimages flashed—Takina Inoue and Tsurara Oikawa had vanished from their spots.
Fumonshichi, remaining behind, wasn't idle either. He began erasing traces of their earlier path, ensuring complete concealment.
The temporarily assembled trio, united by a common goal, stealthily infiltrated the forest like spiders, each weaving their own web.
...
Meanwhile, on a small forest path...
A clueless half-yokai boy clad in bright red fire-rat robes, with dog ears atop his head, noisily approached the trap.