Sū ěr chose not to fill the void of the subterranean world with displaced earth and rock. Instead, he maintained its unique new topography, erecting four colossal stone pillars to brace the two remaining layers and allowing the surface sunlight to pour through the jagged gaps at the edges.
Should he ever wish to travel here in the future, it might serve as a singular landmark. As for where the Oni living here and the humans of this world would go next, Sū ěr had no intention of worrying.
Ascending the massive stone pillars back to the surface, Sū ěr set foot on solid ground only to see groups of Yamato people who had already fled the city. They were prostrating themselves entirely on the earth toward him; more people continued to pour out from the distant city gates, but the moment they stepped out and saw Sū ěr group, they hurriedly dropped to their knees.
Their foreheads were already stained crimson from repeated impact with the ground. Sū ěr felt no joy in being worshipped; he remained silent.
"I recall~" Yukari Yakumo popped half her head out of a gap, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "When we first met, you referred to yourself as a 'human,' did you not? Do you still claim that title even now?"
"...I am, naturally, a human," Sū ěr replied after a moment of silence, meeting her gaze.
"Ah~ then in performing such a magnificent feat... surely you were moved by a sense of righteous fury for all that the humans of Yamato have suffered?" Yukari retreated further into her gap until only her eyes and the top of her head were visible, her nose hidden from view.
She was being a coward to the extreme, yet the blonde youkai knew she had to voice these doubts, these almost provocative questions.
"...I did it merely for my own peace of mind," Sū ěr replied calmly.
"Meaning, you truly did find the things you saw along the way unpleasant. May I ask why?" Yukari voice sounded muffled coming from within the gap, but she seemed excited. "Is it because they, too, are called humans?"
The atmosphere turned exceptionally tense. Even the humans prostrating nearest to them stopped their rhythmic kowtowing, paralyzed by instinctive terror.
Staring at the sliver of golden hair remaining in Yukari gap, Sū ěr felt his hands itch. However, his reason told him that if he struck now, it would look as though he had truly lost the argument.
Moreover, this slippery youkai was likely ready to bolt; with her power to subvert concepts, he wasn't even certain he could kill her.
Looking at the gap where even the hair had disappeared, Sū ěr rolled his eyes in annoyance and simply walked away, never casting a single glance toward the ground.
Sū ěr had never imagined his journey to Yamato would end this way—no grand climax, no heart-wrenching impact... well, the monster had been shocking, but only for its hideousness.
He wondered how the residents of Takamagahara would handle that creature. What expressions would be on their faces?
The final disappearance of that "meteor" was undeniably strange.
Their faces would certainly not be pleasant. The power of Amaterasu that couldn't be scrubbed from the monster's body proved its origins; for the gods, that was likely an unbearable fall from grace.
Amused by the mental image of the gods' sour faces, Sū ěr slowly slid into the water—a small hot spring located to the right of the bamboo cottage.
This was something he had built after returning from Yamato to vent his frustration and find something to do. He had traced the ley lines and channeled the spring here, lining the bottom and edges with fine stones. To avoid being peered at from the heavens, he had built a small bamboo shed to protect the source.
Though the roof had a skylight that could be opened to enjoy the stars while soaking, Sū ěr felt that until those annoying beings disappeared from the sky, he lacked the inclination.
"What? Still troubled by what that youkai said?" Amidst the shimmering steam rising from the surface, Think leaned against the edge of the pool just like Sū ěr, her arms spread out along the wall in a state of total relaxation.
"Yeah, more or less. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't conflicted." Sū ěr sighed, sinking deeper into the water. "Can you behave for a second?"
Compared to his slightly troubled mood, Think was completely unaffected. Ever since she manifested, she had been incessantly pinching the skin on Sū ěr leg with her toes underwater... it actually hurt quite a bit.
She was as mischievous as an eighteen-year-old girl.
"I~ re~ fuse~" Think sang out. She nonchalantly flexed her straight, slender left leg, her toes sliding up Sū ěr thigh. As she moved, her knee occasionally broke the surface, still maintaining that translucent quality, though the sensation of her touch was not diminished in the least.
Splap!
Like a preying mantis, Sū ěr suddenly grabbed Think restless leg, but unfortunately, it did little to improve his situation.
"I don't know why you're having such a big reaction. Isn't the matter obvious?" Think shifted to a side-lying position, her toes idly tickling Sū ěr. "Whether it's your appearance, your physical composition, or the smallest details—aren't you completely different from them?"
"Not to mention the origin of the species. One slowly evolved from animals over vast stretches of time, while the other was explicitly birthed by gods... there isn't a single point of similarity."
"You are a completely different race from them. Even if you both bear the title of 'human,' a difference is a difference; it doesn't change just because the pronunciation is the same." Think flicked Sū ěr ear and continued, "Stop being silly, dummy. In this world, only you and I are unique. So, just pour that overflowing, misplaced love of yours into me. That's enough."
"...Why is this conversation taking a weird turn?" Sū ěr pulled Think into his arms, feeling her smooth skin. "How did we get to the level of 'love'? I wasn't that conflicted."