After years had passed, the enduring loyalty of Yamata No Orochi's demon companions perplexed me. How had an alcoholic snake demon like him managed to command such allegiance? According to Agon, Yamata No Orochi wasn't exactly an inspiring or authentic leader in front of his subordinates.

As we prepared for a potential confrontation, I raised my hands and spoke, trying to diffuse the tension. "We're not here to fight. You can verify with Uwabami that we aided her during the war against Shuten Doji."

"She didn't mention you," responded a feminine-sounding purple unicorn.

Perplexed, I inquired, "Then what did she tell you?"

After all, Uwabami should have acknowledged our contribution after the war. We had played a significant role in her success and in preventing Shuten Doji from dominating the world.

The tree demon shrugged, using its roots to mimic the gesture. "She didn't say much. She arrived with Lord Orochi's body and returned to drinking. Although she did complain about the detrimental effects of prolonged sobriety on her body."

I groaned in frustration. "Damn alcoholics."

"Did you expect anything more?" the tree demon responded. "She was renowned as the only demon capable of outdrinking Lord Orochi."

"No! Lord Orochi took it easy on her!" the purple unicorn insisted. "It was her birthday! Lord Orochi never loses."

The alcoholic demons seemed poised to engage in a brawl, a situation I wanted no part in.

Unsurprisingly, Agon, with his peculiar sense of curiosity, approached the tree. "So, um... do you poop?"

My brain cells withered away in response to the absurdity unfolding before me. The other guy seemed ready to respond too.

Before the tree demon could answer, the purple unicorn kicked it. "Don't entertain foolish discussions with the enemy!"

For a fleeting moment, the unicorn's eyes met mine, and I felt a shared understanding between us. We both had to deal with these kinds of individuals.

The brief camaraderie was shattered as the Sake Mountain spouted, drenching us in alcohol\. As the liquor permeated my hair, leaving it smelling like a distillery and feeling sticky, I couldn't help but sigh. "How does something like this even exist?"

A mountain of sake? I had never pondered its origins before. There must have been some extraordinary event in the past that gave rise to such a bizarre phenomenon.

"Master Orochi believed it might be the result of alcohol demons perishing in this vicinity, or perhaps a human with an unusual ability," the purple unicorn said.

I nodded in response. "So, are you going to attack us or not?"

"We are uncertain," admitted the tree demon. "Master Orochi always welcomed those who could withstand his poison to join him for a drink. The poison has weakened over time due to his absence, but his invitation still stands."

Weird demons followed the words of a departed drunk leader. Although I couldn't find any logic in their actions, a part of me admired their loyalty. It seemed as though they had discovered their purpose in life and were content spending eternity as demons, solely devoted to that cause.

Spending an endless life drinking and being stuck in an eternal fender bender wasn't exactly my idea of an ideal existence. However, it was still preferable to them attacking humans.

There didn't appear to be any more ultimate-class demons around, apart from Uwabami, whom I sensed with Carpy’s help. The rest of the demons were of high class.

Orochi never struck me as the kind of demon motivated enough to gather an army. Even if he were to declare war on humanity, he was confident enough to finish the job himself. Yet, despite that, he had a better army on average compared to Shuten Doji. While Shuten Doji might have had the quantity and more ultimate-class demons by his side, he lacked a significant number of strong high-class demons like these.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

How did Orochi manage to gather these demons? Did he possess some technique that could make demons stronger? Carpy mentioned a technique that Uwabami had used on him.

Damn, for Yamata No Orochi to develop something like that. He truly had it all: power, talent, and loyal followers. If he had dedicated himself to becoming stronger, I can only imagine how formidable he would have become.

"So... does anyone want tea?" the tree demon asked awkwardly.

"You have tea?" I inquired.

"Not exactly, but we do have some poison herbs that taste like tea," the unicorn said.

"No, thank you," I replied. While the poison tea would likely be similar in potency to the poison in the air, or even weaker, I didn't want to take any chances.

Suddenly, Uwabami's massive body slithered over and transformed into human form. Yawning, she strolled over to us. "Hey guys, whatcha doing all the way here?"

She yawned again, lazily scratching her disheveled hair in the perfect embodiment of a drunken mess.

"How did you obtain Yamata No Orochi's corpse?" Sei, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "Did the Special Exorcists allow you to take it? Or did you have to fight them? Did you kill any of them?"

His words had a slight edge, yet they lacked the venomous hatred that typically accompanied them as if he understood that she had made her own choices.

"Well, humans couldn't even get close to Master Orochi's corpse," Uwabami chuckled, rotating her neck a full 360 degrees until it cracked, followed by some stretches.

During our conversation, I noticed something peculiar. Sei didn't seem to harbor the same level of animosity toward Uwabami, which was rather intriguing considering his strong disdain for demons. Perhaps he held a different opinion on her? Now that would be interesting.

During the final battle with Shuten Doji, they arrived while hiding inside Uwabami's mouth. Had they become friendly in the time that they had spent together?

I already shipped it!

"Agon can no longer hear Yamata No Orochi in his head," I explained, summarizing the situation. "It happened after we encountered Tamae No Mae."

Uwabami muttered under her breath, expressing her disdain for Tamae No Mae. At least she didn't appear angry with Agon for having Yamata No Orochi sealed inside him.

"Do you have any ideas on how to fix this?" I asked Uwabami after she calmed down.

"Nope, I have no clue," Uwabami shook her head. "But I could help you search!"

She seemed hopeful, almost eager to embark on an adventure.

"That sounds good. Maybe you and the others can search for a solution," I nodded. "I'll be where you found me before, in case you need assistance. I have something to attend to."

I needed to resolve the conflict in the Sun Country, and it seemed like time was running out. I wanted to achieve my goal with minimal bloodshed, but the circumstances weren't favorable. I had to ensure that Wis ascended the throne before it was too late. The ones behind the assassins needed to experience consequences for their actions.

"But I need you!" Anika exclaimed, hurriedly amending, "Um, I mean, we need Carpy for transportation. Having him would save us time."

"Yes, but you're right now uncertain about where you need to go. So having Carpy would be pointless," I reasoned, against Anika’s hidden motives.

However, I truly needed to return. By now, Princess Wis' family might have dispatched more assassins.

Before anyone could object, I leaped up high. Though I couldn't reach great heights like a Warrior, a tendril of water wrapped around my waist and lifted me above the clouds, where Carpy stood.

The bond between Carpy and me was peculiar. Our contract made us closer than most other Masters and tamed demons. There were moments when it felt like we could even read each other's minds; he always understood my intentions, even when I didn't articulate them.

To be honest, I wasn't entirely certain if this was solely due to the contract or something else.

...

After hours of travel, we finally arrived back home, the familiar small town where I could unwind and playfully tease the weeb princess.

"Carpy, are there any demons around?" I asked.

"No," Carpy responded, but there was an unusual tone in his voice as if he were puzzled by something.

I shared his confusion. While I had instructed my subordinates to handle any demons they encountered, with the option to call upon the former members of Organization X for assistance if needed, it seemed unlikely that they could handle every demon within Carpy's sensing range.

Something was amiss. "Carpy, can you sense the whereabouts of my subordinates?" I inquired.

"No, Master Kon," he replied. "I can't even sense the princess or her guard."

My heart sank, and an uncomfortable tightness gripped my chest. There was only one type of person that Carpy couldn't detect—corpses.