Read Novel Full Vol 19 Chapter 3 Part 1
Vol 19 Chapter 3 Part 1
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 3 – Returning Home
Part 1
“Huft…”
I breathed out in front of my family’s house, trying to calm myself down.
…It was an ordinary, unremarkable house in a residential neighborhood.
Although my grandfather’s house was larger, this one felt tidier and had a completely different atmosphere.
I had come back to spend the New Year holidays with my family.
Then, Kuuya-san, who had come with me, spoke up.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yes.”
I answered, but honestly, it was hard to say.
After all, this house only held painful memories for me.
Not only had I returned to the family home, but I was also about to meet my parents, who had disapproved of me. Staying calm was nearly impossible.
But…
“You can sense it, right?”
“…Yes, probably.”
That was right… I’d come back to my family home because, after reuniting with Youta and Sora, Kuuya-san had sensed a demon’s presence.
But…
“Hmmm… As usual, I can’t really feel anything.”
“…It’s understandable. Even I can only sense it faintly from this distance. There must be a rather cunning demon hiding within this house.”
“…Do you really think I can win against such a creature?”
When I blurted that out, Kuuya-san laughed.
“Don’t worry. I’m with you, aren’t I? And besides, Yuuya has defeated many powerful foes before. Have more confidence.”
“Yes…”
“If anything, I’m more concerned about other matters.”
“Huh?”
I was surprised by the unexpected words, and Kuuya-san gave me an even more surprised look.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Nine times out of ten, the demons in this house are possessing Yuuya’s parents. And considering your past, though, even if they are your parents, you have no obligation to help them. Meeting them should be agonizing. Yet, you chose not to abandon them.”
Kuuya-san frowned as he said this.
“…When I first met you, I glimpsed through some of your memories. What they did as parents was unforgivable. That’s precisely why I wouldn’t blame you at all if you abandoned them. Even so, are you really going to help them?”
“…Yes. Considering everything that’s happened, it might seem strange for me to help my parents. But…”
As I said this, I thought of Youta and Sora during the Red Ogre incident.
“…Even so, they’re still family. I can’t abandon them.”
“…I see.”
After hearing my words, Kuuya-san offered that brief acknowledgement, then immediately shifted his tone as if changing his mindset.
“Then there’s nothing more for me to say! Instead, I’ll be Yuuya’s strength!”
“…Thank you.”
Hearing him say that was truly reassuring.
Besides, Youta and Sora were on my side, too.
“Well, then. I’ll be going.”
I pressed the intercom button at the house, and after a moment, Youta came to greet me.
“Nii-san! You came!”
“Ah, yeah. Um, is it okay if I come up?”
“Of course!”
Feeling a little nervous, I stepped into my childhood home for the first time in a long while.
Spread out before me was a scene not much changed from my memories.
As I looked around the house, feeling somewhat nostalgic, Sora came running over.
“Ah, Onii-chan! Welcome back!”
“Yeah, I’m home.”
When I answered, Sora smiled happily.
But her expression darkened immediately.
“But… are you really okay? Probably Mom and Dad…”
“I’m fine. I came here fully prepared.”
I knew I wasn’t welcome.
But for Youta’s and Sora’s sake, I had to face my demons somehow.
After hearing my words, Youta and Sora exchanged glances, then led me inside the house.
“Well then, this way.”
“Both Dad and Mom are in the living room right now.”
Guided by the two of them, I headed toward the living room, where I found them: Dad was reading the newspaper with an emotionless expression, and Mom was cooking with mechanical movements.
Without looking up from the paper, Dad spoke flatly.
“Youta, who was that who just came?”
“──I’m home.”
“!”
The moment I said that, my parents’ hands twitched, and they froze.
“You said ‘I’m home’? Who are you?”
Seeing how different I was, my dad asked.
“It’s Yuuya.”
“Yuuya…?”
When I said my name, Dad wore a puzzled expression.
Then, with a mocking tone, Mom opened her mouth.
“Yuuya? That good-for-nothing? Are you really him? You look incredibly different.”
“True, my appearance has changed, but I really am Yuuya.”
Seeing me state the facts without flinching, they finally seemed to recognize that I was the real Yuuya, and they grimaced.
Then, they turned their contemptuous gazes back toward me.
“If that’s the case, why are you here?”
“What in the world are you doing here?!”
Facing the two with their open hostility, Youta and Sora immediately stepped forward.
“H-hear us out! We invited Nii-san!”
“That’s right! We thought we’d all spend New Year’s together for the first time in a while…”
“──Don’t you dare joke around!”
“”Huh!?””
“…”
Dad shouted angrily, interrupting Sora and Youta.
“Spend New Year’s together? With this good-for-nothing?”
“I’ve had enough! Honestly, I’m sick and tired of spending time in this house with this family, whether it’s New Year’s or not!”
“What!? That’s my line!”
“Huh!?”
Suddenly, the two started a fierce argument right in front of us.
As I stood there, stunned, Youta and Sora rushed in to stop them.
“Dad, Mom, stop it!”
“Why are you arguing like that?”
“Shut up! Don’t interfere!”
“Kyaaah!”
“Sora!”
I frantically caught Sora when she was violently shoved away.
“This…”
It’s definitely the work of a demon.”
“Huh!? W-who!?”
Seeing the abnormal state of Dad and Mom, Kuuya-san muttered quietly. Surprisingly, Sora seemed to notice Kuuya-san’s presence.
Then, Kuuya-san wore a surprised expression.
“Huh? You can see me? If it’s as I saw in Yuuya’s memories, you shouldn’t be able to see me. Was there some kind of trigger?”
“Kuuya-san, more importantly, what should we do about these two?”
When I asked, Kuuya-san answered.
“Right, right… First, let’s drag out the demonic entity that’s possessed them—the ‘Demon Chains’!”
As he spoke, two chains formed from demonic energy materialized and shot straight toward my parents.
And those chains pierced right through their bodies!
“What!? Kuuya-san? Is that okay?”
“Don’t worry. This chain is designed to interfere only with the demonic entity without harming the physical body.”
I was startled by Kuuya-san’s actions. Youta and Sora also saw Kuuya-san and the chain, and their eyes widened in shock.
“What!? What in the world is this…?”
“So Youta can see it, too…”
“Nii-san, what’s happening?!”
Youta and Sora were completely panicking.
“Uh, well, this is…”
“No time for explanations! We’re dragging the demon out!”
As he spoke, Kuuya-san narrowed his eyes and stared hatefully at the two black shadows glaring at us.
“You bastards… Interfering with us again!”
“They… They spoke!”
“Hmmm… You didn’t have that level of power before. Have you grown stronger since gaining intelligence?”
I was startled by the idea of a demon speaking because it was something I’d never imagined before.
Well, Meiko was a demon too, but she was a special case.
Then, Kuuya-san continued speaking.
“So, why did you two possess this family?”
“Why, you ask?”
The evil spirit responded with a hideous laugh.
“To take revenge on you and your descendants, of course!”
“What?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected words, Kuuya-san frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said! You Onmyōji scum have tormented us endlessly! That’s why we’ve been waiting for this moment, so we could finally get our revenge!”
“That’s right! Times changed, though. The Tenjou family lost most of their power. Their former glory vanished completely. Even though they still harbored demonic power, they had become ordinary people who couldn’t control it. That’s why we finally decided to destroy the Tenjou family! But…”
The demon paused, glaring at me with utter contempt.
“And right then, that little brat was born. A throwback to your ancestors… No, a kid harboring even more demonic power than you!”
“Naturally, we tried to kill the brat, but unfortunately, our power was still frustratingly weak back then. We couldn’t finish him off ourselves.”
“So, we used these two instead.”
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