"Grievances? Why would you think that?"
"If you're not dissatisfied, why would you want to go to another world?"
"Because of... the inevitable end of the youkai."
Meow meow meow???
What the hell? Lancer wondered if he had crossed worlds again. Why would she say such a thing?
Perhaps this topic resonated within her, or perhaps because she had kept this secret for too long with no one to share it with. Even though she was "forced," being able to vent the frustration she had bottled up for a millennium was enough to make her unable to restrain herself.
"Through the 'Gaps,' I sometimes see fleeting images. Among them is the 'future.' In those fragmented futures, I see no sign of youkai. Everywhere is occupied by humans. They use terrifying weapons to attack each other, and finally destroy themselves..."
What she said wasn't surprising, as humans did possess such power in the future.
While "destroying the world" isn't accurate, "destroying the world they live in" was a good description. But Lancer found it strange: so what? This world was different from Lancer original world; youkai and gods existed. Lancer didn't know if a nuke could kill a god, but he knew a nuke couldn't shatter space, and youkai and gods wouldn't be completely wiped out. So...
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Because that is the meaning of my birth!"
For once, the smile vanished from Yukari face. She was dead serious. Lancer reaction was:
Meow meow meow?
The good news was that she didn't leave Lancer waiting and continued.
"I am a 'Gap Youkai,' the most unique existence among all youkai. Even now, I haven't found any of my kind. It's as if I was born from nothingness. I didn't know why I appeared, or why I encountered so many 'fragments of the future.' But in the great war 400 years ago, youkai fought each other until only one out of ten remained. Then I realized my mission, or the meaning of my existence—to ensure the survival of the youkai!"
At this moment, she radiated a strong sense of mission and honor.
Lancer had been confused many times, but this time he finally understood!
There are three classic philosophical questions: "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?", and "Where am I going?". This Yukari Yakumo—who called herself a "Gap Youkai" but Lancer saw as a "Boundary Youkai"—had undoubtedly fallen into this line of thinking.
She didn't know why she was born, the meaning of her existence, or what she should do with her power.
If she were an ordinary youkai, she'd just want to get stronger, enjoy herself, and repeat. Most creatures are like that. The only difference is that "getting stronger" includes power, status, money, etc.
But because she could see the "future," she developed a sense of honor. She wanted to use her ability to save the future of the youkai.
In fact, what she was doing was no different from what Lancer was doing.
Lancer had wanted to change "history" because he knew what the "future" was like. That was why he spared no effort to change it.
No one actually asked or forced him to change history. Even his slacking system only wanted him to get stronger. But because of the people he met, he wanted those he cared about to have a bright future of their own.
But that was as far as his understanding went. Even if they were the same type of person, Lancer wouldn't sacrifice himself for her.
He didn't mind burning or sacrificing himself for the things he wanted to protect, but that didn't mean he would sacrifice himself for a stranger, no matter how noble their wish.
This was why Lancer always emphasized "I am not a hero." In his view, he was a selfish person. No matter how beautiful the impact of his actions, his starting point was always himself.
If he had to destroy the world to save the people he cared about, he wouldn't hesitate. Thus, he was just a Spearman who followed his heart, not a hero.
Lancer understood Yukari thoughts, but he didn't voice any opinion. Yukari herself felt a bit disappointed after speaking. Even with a strong heart that ignores everything, it didn't mean she didn't want recognition from others.
Then Lancer spoke.
"I think I understand your idea. You intend to find a way to other worlds as insurance. If there is no other choice, you will take the youkai and leave this world, right?"
"Correct."
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Even if you capture me, I cannot take anyone other than myself with me when I leave."
Lancer words made Yukari feel disappointed. Lancer was now her "Controller"; there was no need to lie. Did he really have no way?
A sense of loss washed over her, but she quickly returned to normal.
In this millennium, she had tried countless methods and failed countless times. Yet she never gave up.
If she failed, she would start over. There is always a way to succeed in this world!
She believed in it and worked toward it.
Undoubtedly, the Yukari Yakumo of this time was still the "Youkai Sage," not the "Youkai Slacker" of the future who puts gaps in donation boxes, steals mushrooms from children, and peeps at people.
The Tengu didn't cause trouble for Lancer regarding the destruction of the library. Even if ordinary Tengu didn't know what happened, "Tenma" knew exactly who had gone to see Lancer. The only thing she was curious about was why that elusive youkai would strike at that man. It wasn't normal, as she wasn't the type who liked to fight.
Even more curiously, the man had left the library unscathed. That was not normal. Had that woman failed?
Tenma was curious but didn't dig deeper. Having lived for thousands of years, she was long past the age of doing whatever she wanted. Existence is logic; she cared about results, not the process.
For her, retrieving the "Wind God's Fan" without starting a war with the Kappa was enough.
However, just because she didn't care didn't mean her subordinates didn't. For example, a Tengu was tasked with monitoring Lancer, and Lancer did something strange—he booked most of a tavern, seemingly preparing for a banquet.
'A strange man.'
Tapping the "Wind God's Fan" against her knee, she tilted her head, unable to figure out the man's thought process.