I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

As soon as Kiichi Hougen mentioned a story about the Oni clan, both Sara and Gorou's eyes lit up with anticipation.

After all, they were familiar with none other than Arataki Itto, an Oni himself.

And since it was a story told by Kiichi Hougen… there was a good chance it might involve real figures from history—or even acquaintances of their master.

Though none of Kiichi Hougen's disciples knew much about her connections, they were all aware that their master, a great yokai over a thousand years old, must have crossed paths with many significant beings.

The one she mentioned most often was Ushiwakamaru, also known as Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Sara, Gorou, and even Itto had heard countless tales about this legendary figure from Kiichi Hougen.

Occasionally, other names would come up in her stories. For instance, Sara once heard her mention someone called "Saigyouji Yuyuko."

Sara and Gorou eagerly awaited the story to begin, but Kiichi Hougen suddenly found herself in a bind.

When it came to the Oni clan, the first figures that came to her mind were Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji, legendary oni who, like her, were part of yokai lore.

But then, she realized… their stories might not be suitable to share.

Both Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji were depicted in legends as unforgivable evil spirits—villains akin to the Western dragons that knights were destined to slay.

However, from what Kiichi Hougen understood, the Oni in Teyvat were nothing like those malevolent figures.

In Inazuma, people often viewed Oni as dangerous and malicious beings. Customs like scattering beans to ward off evil spirits were rooted in this belief. But this was a misunderstanding. Even Arataki Itto had been working tirelessly to change public perception of his kind.

As his master, Kiichi Hougen couldn't very well tell a story that reinforced the image of Oni as irredeemable villains.

She didn't want to create any tension between her disciples and Itto.

But then, what other stories about the Oni clan could she tell?

It wasn't as though she had no options—there were plenty of reinterpretations and reimaginings of Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji that cast them as heroic or misunderstood figures. But, for some reason, none of those came to mind at the moment.

What about the Four Heavenly Kings of the Oni in Gensokyo?

The problem was that Kiichi Hougen's knowledge of them was limited to their names and abilities. She had no grasp of their actual stories.

Compared to them, she was much more familiar with figures like Yukari Yakumo and Yuuka Kazami—thanks to two fanfiction novels she had read, both featuring the two characters' brothers as protagonists.

Seeing Gorou and Sara's eager gazes, Kiichi Hougen sighed. She knew that whatever story she told, her disciples were likely to take it as fact—something that had truly happened in the past.

I need to think this through carefully…

"Wait a minute…"

A sudden thought struck her.

If her disciples were going to treat the story as reality anyway, why not just tell them something real?

"Before we begin, I'd like to ask you both a question—purely out of curiosity," Kiichi Hougen said, pulling out a folding fan from seemingly nowhere. She opened it with a flourish and began fanning herself, feeling it added a certain storytelling ambiance.

"What's your impression of Oni? Do you think of them as others do—as evil, frightening creatures?"

Her question made Sara and Gorou exchange glances.

"Well… if you'd asked me that before, I might have been like everyone else—afraid of Oni," Gorou admitted, frowning as he carefully chose his words. "I grew up hearing all kinds of stories about Oni, and most of them weren't exactly flattering."

"But after meeting Senior Brother Itto, I don't feel that way anymore. If all Oni are like him, then there's definitely been some kind of misunderstanding. Oni aren't what the stories say they are."

Kiichi Hougen nodded at Gorou's answer before turning her attention to Sara.

"As for me… I don't really know what others think," Sara began, lowering her head. "I've never left this forest, and I haven't interacted much with people. My only impression of Oni comes from Itto."

She hesitated before continuing. "If all Oni are like him… honestly, I can't imagine that. One Itto is already enough of a headache. If there were more of him… I don't even want to think about the chaos. The entire nation would be like an overturned bowl of oatmeal."

"…"

Sara fell silent, and neither Kiichi Hougen nor Gorou spoke to fill the gap.

Sure enough, after a brief sigh, Sara resumed.

"But… I have to admit, Itto is a good person."

"There's a phrase—'a child's pure heart,' I think it suits him perfectly."

"I also agree that Itto is deserving of being Master's disciple. It's not just about his talent; it's about his character."

"Even though he causes me no end of trouble, even though he's a fool and childish… he's a good-natured fool. He's kind at heart, and he holds fast to his convictions. He wants to improve how people see the Oni, and not for himself… or at least, not primarily for himself. It's mostly for Granny Oni, the one who raised him."

Sara and Itto's dynamic was that of classic frenemies. They would often clash over trivial matters, even coming to blows at times. But precisely because of this, Sara understood him better than most.

Her words left Gorou stunned.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?" Sara snapped.

"Uh…" Gorou scratched his cheek awkwardly after Sara shot him a glare. "I just thought… you didn't like Itto at all."

"I never said I didn't dislike him," Sara huffed, crossing her arms. "But since he's someone Master recognized as her disciple, he can't be completely useless."

So it's mainly out of respect for Master? Gorou thought.

Did Sara accept Itto because Kiichi Hougen had approved of him?

No, it wasn't just that.

Knowing Sara's personality, she had likely assessed Itto herself to figure out what had earned him their master's approval.

In any case, their responses left Kiichi Hougen quite satisfied.

"You're not blindly trusting or following; you think for yourselves and seek the truth. Excellent! You're worthy of being my disciples! Gahaha!"

"Well then, I can tell you this story with peace of mind. And after hearing it, you might understand why the Oni clan has such a poor reputation."

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