There were several things I disliked. One of them was admitting that I used to read fanfiction. Another was acknowledging my attraction to my cousin, despite trying to act casual about it. However, what I hated the most was when the characters got nerfed.

I wasn’t angry; I was terrified. This was not a story, and the world needed Agon’s power.

I understood there might be a logical explanation for this. Tamae No Mae had probably strengthened the seals on Agon. With her Reader's Omnipotence ability, she could read anything written, and I doubted anyone but me knew of its existence, including the Magician. He might still have his research notes on seals, and Tamae No Mae had sixteen years to find them while she was sealed, studying those things. She was the epitome of "knowledge is power."

Tamae No Mae shouldn't be able to strengthen basic seals like the Magician could, as that was likely his special ability. However, Tamae No Mae was still an ultimate-class demon and had the world's knowledge at her fingertips.

If I survived whatever was waiting for me at the end of this ordeal, I promised myself to delve deeper into the art of sealing. It sounded intriguing. For now, I only knew the essentials and parts I found useful, as my studies were focused on giving Perfect Me another weapon.

"Carpy, change directions. We're heading to the Sake Mountains," I instructed. Sei and Anika looked surprised, while Agon appeared confused.

"Um, Master Kon, which way are the Sake Mountains?" Carpy asked.

I closed my eyes ato recall the world map I had searched for numerous times on the internet. By now, the details were difficult to recall, but from Magic City, the Sake Mountains should be... "North, go north."

Carpy adjusted our flight path accordingly, and then I turned to the others. "Keep an eye out for a large mountain that releases what appears to be water but is actually sake."

"I wonder what would happen if someone lit a matchstick there," Agon mused aloud, before Anika swiftly slapped him on the back of his head, causing his face to collide with Carpy’s rough skin.

"Don't even think about it! I'll kill you if you do something stupid like that!" Anika threatened, her anger evident. Then she turned to me, flashing a sweet smile. "Have you considered how we should deal with the toxic fumes in that place?"

"I know how to handle it for myself, but each of you should consider your own ways of dealing with it," I stated, acknowledging that my approach might not be suitable for everyone. I wasn't even certain if my method would work for myself. Also, I had no idea how Anika or Sei were going to deal with it, but I was sure they could come up with something. They were geniuses after all.

The Sake Mountains seemed appealing for any wanna-be adventurer, but the prolonged presence of Yamata No Orochi had contaminated the area with poison, making it impossible for any human to approach it under normal circumstances.

Even under extraordinary circumstances, I doubted anyone would dare venture into that place. It was infested with Yamata No Orochi's former subordinates who were strangely loyal to him, despite his rampant alcoholism and behavioral issues.

"Wait!" Agon suddenly screamed. "I have no clue how to handle the poison!"

"Don't worry, stupid people can't get poisoned," reassured Anika, prompting a sigh of relief from Agon.

Among us, Agon possessed natural resistance to Yamata No Orochi's poison. If the serpent demon were to be unleashed upon the world again, Agon would be his perfect counter.

Sei, on the other hand, had an inscrutable expression on his face.

Sooner or later, I would have to address the insecurity he felt, before it escalated into something dangerous as it did in the original story when Agon started closing in on him. And that was just Agon catching up, not surpassing him.

Although Sei's ego hadn't fully developed in this world, he was still a proud exorcist with talents that were a once-in-a-thousand-years marvel. Moreover, being a half-demon, he possessed the lineage of the nine-tailed fox, making him even more extraordinary.

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If he knew what I knew, he would understand that there was no reason for him to feel jealous.

Usually, these issues could be resolved through communication, which was my preferred approach. If that failed, a shounen-style punch to the face after a heartfelt speech would usually fix that.

However, in this situation, I had no idea what to say or how to handle it. Being stronger than him put me in a position of power, and any words of encouragement would likely come across as hollow pity, which he would undoubtedly sense.

Furthermore, he might be correct in his belief that he would never become strong enough to confront the nine tails. In the original story, he experienced a significant awakening and understanding during an encounter with his mother, but that was unlikely to occur now due to Tamae No Mae's involvement.

Sometimes it felt like I was solving one problem only for ten more to arise. The post-war period hadn't been as carefree as I had anticipated. In a way, I found more peace and ease while fighting demons to the death, as that was my sole concern.

Shaking off those thoughts, I dismissed any notion of romanticizing the war. There was death everywhere, and even Bets had fallen in battle. Comparatively, peace and quiet held its own value, although my definition of it had drastically changed between this world and my previous one.

"So, Agon, you mentioned that you can no longer hear Orochi. What did he usually talk about?" I inquired. Yamata No Orochi, a demon with thousands of years of history, must have possessed intriguing knowledge. Perhaps he shared forgotten world history or other revelations.

Agon shrugged. "He mostly bothered me incessantly, demanding that I make his sake," he replied. "When he got drunk, he would ramble about times when he was previously drunk or boast about how his alcohol tolerance was lower as a spirit than in his physical form."

My idealized image of Orochi and his vast historical wisdom instantly shattered. He seemed more like a drunken deadbeat occupying one's mind.

…

It took us over twelve hours to reach our destination, although we couldn't see it yet. However, the unmistakable bitter-sweet alcoholic aroma reached our nostrils, a sign that we were getting closer.

Finally, after an hour, we laid our eyes upon the majestic Sake Mountains. It was a breathtaking sight, with sake constantly bubbling from its peak like a natural spring, shimmering a vibrant rainbow in the sunlight. Occasionally, the flow would cease, and a familiar enormous snake head emerged, swallowing the mountaintop before the sake surged again, and it slurped it up.

As we approached, we also noticed the corpse of Yamata No Orochi behind the Sake Mountain. Surprisingly, it had not decayed in the slightest and appeared as if it were in a peaceful slumber, in better condition than during the war.

"Are you all ready to descend now?" I asked.

Anika nodded and encased herself in white strings, forming a protective cocoon before transforming into a doll resembling a bride, but with no openings for poison to penetrate. I trusted Anika and refrained from asking about oxygen circulation.

On the other hand, Sei formed a mirror in which he submerged himself, then levitated it while the mirror shattered and another took its place. "This way, no poison can reach me," he explained, though his voice sounded slightly muffled as if behind glass. Nonetheless, it seemed to work fine. Agon gazed at them with envy. "Damn, I wish I had something cool like that!"

In response, Anika's elephant-sized doll kicked Agon off Carpy.

Anika then jumped down as well, while Sei's levitating mirror descended. As for me, I had Carpy slowly lower me onto a cushion of water. Just as I was about to touch the nearly transparent purple mist that hung about three meters above the ground, Carpy stopped descending. I cautiously extended my finger to make contact with the soft mist, and an immediate tingling sensation traveled up my arm.

{Perfect Me}

'Order: develop antibodies for this poison.'

Almost instantly, the tingling in my arm vanished. I leaped down and followed the others.

Taking a deep breath, the poisonous mist surrounding us remained uncomfortable, as if someone were blowing smoke in my face. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it.

If this were one of Yamata No Orochi's potent poisons, developing an antibody would have been impossible for me. Unlike Agon or Sei, I didn't possess a monstrous inmate demon side to rely on. I was a pure human.

Despite the toxicity, there was an oddly enchanting aura about the place. The surviving trees exhibited a strange purple hue in their leaves, and the grass, soft and dark purple, emitted a sweet fragrance.

However, barely seconds after my feet touched the ground, the mist surrounding us shifted. The tree, which I had assumed was merely resilient to Orochi's poison, stood upright and extended its roots toward us.

A purple unicorn emerged from the ground, accompanied by a horde of demons. These were not ordinary lackeys; each one was a formidable high-class demon, poised to kill us.

"Well, this is quite the welcoming party," I attempted to lighten the mood, glancing towards Sake Mountain. Uwabami should still be there, indulging in her sake. She could assist us in this... except she was currently slumped against the mountain, completely intoxicated.

You've got to be kidding me!