Chapter 179-1
[Part 1/4]
The chaos brought by the youkai led to an unprecedented war in Fusō-kuni. For over a decade, battles against the Mōryō (a type of malevolent spirit or demon) ravaged the land, with a third of the territory devastated and nearly half of the population lost. Eventually, the fighting reached the Center region, dangerously close to the capital. At one point, there was even serious consideration of relocating the capital to a safer area.
The people of Fusō had never hidden their hostility towards these non-human monsters, but since the founding of the nation, the court and the citizens had developed a sense of arrogance. They believed that, given time, their race would surpass the monsters and bring peace to the horizon.
The great chaos shattered that arrogance and brought fear. Although the situation was much better compared to the founding period, the sacrifices were so immense that it felt like time had rolled back several hundred years... this was more than enough to throw Fusō-kuni into panic.
For nearly four hundred years, until the highly regarded Gyokuro Emperor (an emperor known for restoring order after the chaos) ascended the throne, Fusō-kuni became obsessively fearful of youkai. This fear grew to a pathological level. Even the most remote villages were ordered to hunt and eliminate any youkai, no matter how minor. Of course, there weren't enough soldiers, samurai, or expert exorcists, so the burden of extermination fell to the local villagers.
Inspections were strict, and if local leaders were found to have ignored the presence of youkai, they were punished. Heavy fines were imposed on the citizens, and their villages were ostracized by neighboring communities. Merchants avoided doing business with them, and even farmers from those villages struggled to arrange marriages.
Because of this, during that time, there was no tolerance when it came to finding and dealing with youkai. People showed no mercy, and any method, no matter how extreme, was acceptable to get rid of them.
"Oh, you've come...!?"
The village head and local officials gasp as they see the scene unfold. Across the snow-covered road, unfamiliar figures steadily approach the remote village.