[Requests Accepted] [raiL-soft] 花散峪山人考 [VJ010219]

■Story ―――It is the past. Yet not so far away, in the history of this country――― Between two great wars. An era when electric lights illuminated the streets, and buildings of iron and cement began to stand out. On the other hand, many untouched primordial forests still remained in the mountains, hiding legends and folklore in their deep shadows. There is someone trampling through the thickly piled fallen leaves and the dense mountain air. Yes, it is a warrior, recklessly dashing between the trees. A demon, burning with the flames of revenge. The young man, whose beloved was brutally murdered, has his filthy eyes searching for the figure of his nemesis deep within the mountains. Nemesis, nemesis, a hated enemy. What is the foe that the young man is pursuing and seeking to destroy? It lurks in the deep mountains, leaping and playing tricks—Is it human? A mountain monster? It is the mountain people. Strange and otherworldly beings, different from the townsfolk. ―――This is a story of revenge――― A tale of a young man who, having lost his most beloved, runs through the mountains in pursuit, drawing in not only his nemesis but all those involved, leading to their destruction. ■Characters 【Protagonist】 ● Fuyaya Inaba The protagonist of the main story. Having faced misfortune by losing his family in childhood, he was later blessed with adoptive parents and a fiancée, leading a relatively happy life. ―――However, his life changes completely when his fiancée is murdered by someone. The irreplaceable days lost. This transforms the young man into a demon of vengeance. His heart, hardened with suspicion, his eyes filthy with obsession, and his mind half-crazed. The flames of his revenge will never extinguish. Until the day he drags everyone involved, whether they are his enemies or not, into the abyss of ruin. "You are destined to disappear from this world eventually――― But can I wait for that! Die! Perish! Be extinguished!" 【The Girl Called Yamainu】 ● Ichi (CV: Mahiru Nozuki) A girl from a mountain village who is scorned and looked down upon as "Yamainu." She bears some kind of past injury, having lost one eye. Living alone in a mountain hut away from the village, she rarely comes down to the settlement. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, she ends up meddling with Inaba's belongings, gets caught, and is brutally taken advantage of. Fortuitously or unfortunately, due to her heightened sense of smell compared to ordinary people, she becomes a substitute hunting dog, and also a convenient outlet for Inaba's base desires and violent urges, dragged around as a slave. The rope around her neck will not be untied until the end of the story. "Please don't call me a nuisance...?" 【Mountain Princess】 ● Rindou (CV: Tsubasa Takatsuki) A strange woman who appears before Inaba, who is running through the mountains seeking revenge. Her skeletal structure and appearance suggest she is not human and is likely another mountain person. However, due to the long passage of time, she possesses mysterious supernatural powers and immortality, and is regarded as a mountain princess or goddess by the mountain people. Not only her appearance but also her sensibilities and personality are otherworldly, and she often behaves in a way that toys with Inaba. It is unclear what connection she has to Inaba's nemesis, but like the mountain people, she strongly feels his hatred. However, it seems she also enjoys the explosive emotions directed at her by the young man. "Your persistence is like a baby suckling at a breast... Do you want to suck? Shall I let you...?" ● Kyoka Segawa (CV: Ryou Kasumi) A woman whom Inaba encounters on his path of revenge. With her flaxen hair and light tawny eyes, she is a mixed child born of a European father and a Japanese mother. Dressed in Western clothes, which were still rare for women of that era, she seems to be studying the newly emerging field of folklore, leading a significantly unconventional life for a woman of that time. She is an intelligent and moderate woman, but due to her background, it is presumed that she has faced many obstacles in her life. "This research requires fieldwork. That's why I travel to various places for investigation." ● Suzuko Shandong (CV: Ringo Aoba) A girl who is the only daughter of a wealthy family in the mountain village that Inaba visits. She is overly protected by her father and family, yet for some reason, she lives confined in a corner of the grand family estate's storehouse, with thin chains attached to her wrists and ankles. However, the inside of the storehouse is luxuriously furnished, and perhaps because of this comfort, she shows little interest in the outside world. She is a pure and innocent girl, untouched by the sorrows of the outside world, like a precious gem hidden away――― "I don't need to go outside, you know." ● Mountain People (CV: Junko Kusayanagi) Strange beings lurking in the deep mountains and valleys. They are said to be the origin of the people living in this country, or perhaps beings different from humans, but their true identity remains uncertain. In recent years, it seems that very few males are being born, and their numbers are steadily declining. Due to inbreeding, they have begun to resemble each other, which can also be said to be a characteristic of a dying race. "The mountains are our territory. The village is your territory." ● The Rickshaw Puller A rickshaw puller who goes by the name of Akino. He does not stay in one town but appears wherever Inaba goes, pulling his rickshaw. Whether this is by coincidence or if he has some ulterior motive, he only masks it with a faint smile. "Heh heh heh, what a coincidence, sir. Was it in that shabby village in the countryside where we first met?" ● Keibun Tsubaki A young gentleman working for the Ministry of Interior in the Imperial Capital. He is also one of Inaba's few friends. He is a mild-mannered person of common sense, and it is curious that someone like him maintains a friendship with Inaba. He is one of the few people who can offer Inaba advice or counsel. He is married. "It can't be helped if you're disliked. You, of all people, have a rather unfortunate appearance." ● Hatsumi Chikusa (CV: Mahiru Nozuki) The only daughter of the Chikusa viscount family, Inaba's adoptive parents, and his fiancée. A bright and intelligent girl since childhood, she treated Inaba, who was taken in after losing his family, with no distinction. As she grew up beautifully and healthily, she developed feelings for Inaba, leading to their engagement. However, one night she was brutally murdered in the streets, and her death becomes the catalyst for this revenge story. She is the one Inaba continues to love, his most beloved and only woman. For some reason, the girl "Yamainu," Ichi, bears a striking resemblance to Hatsumi. "Father knows, deep down, about your engagement, you know―――"