Every face was embedded with similar deep-black gems. Upon closer inspection, however, they were merely plastic-like spheres that looked as if they had been struck from the same mold—wooden, devoid of a spark of life. There were no whites in those eyes; the entire eyeball was a singular, pitch-black pupil.
Thousands upon thousands of those hair-raising pupils, mingled among the elongated limbs, poured a distinct malice into their surroundings. The bloated giant face continued its shrill tittering, laughing at the humans who had just fled in disarray, treating their terror and unsightly state as a delightful appetizer.
Even calling it a demon felt inaccurate; only the simple word "monster" seemed to fit. Yet this monster was clothed—draped over its squirming flesh was a cloak woven of feathers, like a man wearing fine garments. It was a supreme irony.
Finally having laughed its fill, a sound of cracking bones and tearing flesh erupted from the deepest parts of the monster's bloated body. As the fragile skin was torn open, the faces ripped from its surface plummeted into the abyss below, disappearing into the lightless depths just like their hollow eyes.
What broke through the monster's body was a pair of grotesque giant hands. But could they truly be called hands? It was as if the Creator, in a moment of whim, had mixed several things together: scales, skin, and fur. At the tip of every finger was a black hole lined with fine, sharp teeth like a trumpet-shaped mouth—much like a leech. From the fingers to the palms, the limbs rhythmically expanded and contracted in irregular rings.
Just as it had drained the jars from the humans, those leech-like fingers effortlessly plucked the freshly obtained blood-vessels. It squeezed them until they shattered. The partially clotted blood burst forth, but in the midst of the yellowish-white mist exhaled by the monster, it regained its vitality, turning a vivid, brilliant red once more.
The flesh-monster contracted its body, as if there were a black hole within it that allowed for infinite compression. However, the creaking of splintering bone and the wet squelch of flesh proved that it was simply crushing itself. It wailed in agony, cursing nonexistent enemies in the void, yet in that very pain, it shrieked with laughter, enjoying the sensation of being thoroughly pulverized.
A waterfall of brownish blood erupted from the monster's body, covering the bright red blood that had splattered from the jars. Yet these physical fluids did not plummet into the depths; they flowed backward, intertwining, intersecting, merging, and separating.
The irrepressible scent of blood hit Sū ěr group like a tidal wave. The brown waterfall receded faster than it had surged, sweeping everything up and flowing back into the gaps of the meat-monster's body—squirming, squeezing, pressing... crunch, crunch...
The feather-woven cloak concealed that mass of meat that seemed to treat itself as an arch-enemy to be ravaged. It pulsed up and down until, after several breaths, it suddenly stilled—and a drop fell.
A droplet of blood about half the size of a palm, crystalline and shimmering with the brilliance of a ruby. It was a thing of incomparable beauty. It was impossible to imagine it being born from such an ugly and twisted monster, yet it existed. It fell like a shooting star, but this time, there was no backward flow.
It dropped into the abyss below, the pitch-black Naraku [Underworld] that hid some unknown horror.
This was a monster that even youkai found difficult to stomach. Both Yukari and Yuuka looked pale; they weren't quite at the point of vomiting, but the revulsion was profound. Existing in the same space as this creature felt sickening.
Yuuka gaze fell upon Sū ěr face, her eyes posing the same question that likely occupied all their minds.
"...Coming and going without closing the door isn't a good habit..." After a moment of silence, Sū ěr muttered softly. However, the moment he opened his mouth, the nauseating stench of blood seemed to rush in. He felt a surge of bile but suppressed it.
In their terror, the humans had completely forgotten to secure the heavy gates to such a vital place. No matter. Sū ěr, in his kindness, would help them... and while he was at it, he would close the door on this disgusting monster's life.
With light steps, Sū ěr walked to the heavy iron gate. His palm was already pressed against the handle; through the narrow gap, he could hear the bustle of the Oni city outside. He tried to pull the gate shut, but found that for some reason, his strength couldn't move it even a fraction of an inch.
While Sū ěr was inwardly puzzled, he suddenly found the source of the anomaly. Five fingers with long, sharp nails were pressed against the doorframe above his head. A face with a spiraling horn on its forehead had quietly appeared in the shadows outside the gate, staring down at him.
"...Please endure a little longer... the time is not yet right..."
So spoke the stranger's face.
The scene turned chaotic instantly as everyone assumed a combat stance. To be honest, if Sū ěr hadn't been wedged in the gap of the door, Yuuka might have already thrown a punch.
"Shh, please be quiet. While I'm not afraid of being killed, being discovered is always a bit of a hassle." As if he didn't see the group's bristling hostility, the Oni outside the gate spoke with calm composure, even going so far as to raise a finger to his lips and blow softly.
Though those sharp nails weren't exactly "cute."
He finally emerged from the shadows outside the gate. Even a refined robe could not hide his towering, massive physique. Sū ěr estimated that this Oni of unknown purpose was nearly twice his height; since arriving in this world, it was the first time he'd experienced the sensation of having to crane his neck to look at someone.
"Who are you?" Setting aside his inner turmoil, Sū ěr asked coldly.
"...This is not the place to talk. Please trust me a little more and come with me." Clearly wary of something, the massive Oni looked upward, his gaze lingering on the feathered monster in the air with a trace of melancholy. He let out a sigh.
Without waiting for Sū ěr to give a definitive answer, he let go of the gate and turned to lead the way.
The group exchanged glances. After one last look at the monster of flesh and blood, Sū ěr and the others followed.