Volume 1
Chapter 3 Part
2
Purify the
Past, Exorcise the Karma 2
Translator : PolterGlast
[Shrine Parishioner
Lottery] is a ritual of making a contract with the local deity that protects
the land.
The contract itself is
not something that people pay much attention to in their lives, but becoming a
shrine parishioner is the minimum requirement to be recognized as a human being
in society.
Therefore, Akira who
was not recognized as a shrine parishioner is only viewed as an object that is
alive.
――Nervous.
With every breath he
took, he felt as if his lungs were going to burst.
"You don't have
to be so nervous. The deity of Chinowa Shrine is very welcoming to the people,
and I've heard that he hasn't rejected anyone in hundreds of years."
She must have sensed
Akira's nervousness. The woman called Urato said so to him while chuckling.
"...... I,
see"
Forcing his cheek
muscles to move, he managed to fake a smile.
――The pain in his tense
cheeks conveyed the fact that it was difficult to say that he succeeded in
faking a smile.
"...... A~a,
there it is. ――Here you go, the lottery box. Please draw."
A white wooden box in
the shape of a hexagonal column was placed at the reception desk of the shrine
office.
As the name implies,
[Shrine Parishioner Lottery] is a lottery to seek divine guidance.
The ritual, which
originated from the continent's divination method, is a form of
fortune-telling, but the actual results are given by a spirit, the local deity
who governs the shrine.
Therefore, the result
given is always the same even if one were to repeat it, and it is regarded as
absolute.
The results of [Shrine
Parishioner Lottery] can be divided into five major categories. These vary
according to the rank and affinity of the spirit that resides in each person.
The most common lesser
spirits are fixed at the result of [Parishioner].
The middle to
high-ranking spirits that the nobility possesses, especially those that are
suited for combat, are assigned to [Protector], while other spirits are
assigned to [Divine Messenger] if they are male or [Shrine Maiden] if they are
female.
――And for those who have
a particularly powerful spirit in them, especially if they are from one of the
eight families responsible for protecting the nation, they will almost
certainly be designated as [Guardian].
This is where Akira's
problem lies. Naturally, the land deity has no way of judging Akira's result
who has no spirit.
Therefore, the result
is a blank piece of lottery paper.
This result is not
something that can be rejected or changed. After all, the one making the
decision is a higher being who can create a Sanctuary. It is not something that
a mere human being can voice an opinion about.
The white wooden
lottery box placed in front of him made Akira feel nervous without realizing
it.
The white lottery paper
that he had drawn over and over again six years ago was nothing but an
abominable memory for Akira.
After the result,
Ugetsu's family members began to look at him with blatant disdain.
He could see the scene
overlap with his fellow members of the garrison.
――Enough of
that. If I have to go through that again, I might as well just run away.
――Run away?
――That's right.
Run, keep running away, and end up somewhere.
――That would be
a miserable end befitting those without a spirit ......
That devastatingly
sweet thought made his fingertips tremble slightly as he extended them to the
lottery box.
"--What's the
matter? You look pale, are you okay?"
It was a woman's
concerned voice.
――What was her
name again?
In the corner of his
mind, which had become heavy all at once, he thought about such a trivial
thing.
"...... I'm fine.
I came here after a long night duty, and it seems that sleepiness has kicked in
just now."
"I see. ――You can
draw it out at a later date, what do you say?"
"No, it's okay.
――I'll draw it out now."
It was a blatant act
of deception, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed.
He picked up the white
wooden lottery box and shook it lightly a couple of times.
The dry sound of paper
rustling against each other. The box felt much lighter than the one Akira
remembered.
Without paying
attention to it as much as possible, he turned the box upside down and gave it
a big shake.
――Once, twice, three
times.
Once he had shaken the
box that many times, a folded piece of paper fell onto the reception desk with
a light sound.
At that moment, a gust
of wind blew.
A summer breeze blew
in from the torii gate toward the shrine.
―――Sha,-ra,-ra,-ra,-ra
~a~a~a~a………n
Fanned by the gust,
all the wind chimes rang at once.
A thin wave of
soothing sound painted the world.
――Along with the
sensation of something falling, Akira's body sank into the depths of the world.
"...... Eh?"
The sound of wind
chimes stimulates his sense of taste. All five senses were completely confused
by the stimulation, which could not have been possible in reality.
The intense sense of
discomfort made him turn his head to look behind him.
Beyond Akira's line of
sight, he saw the precincts of the shrine, which on the surface had not changed
at all from what it had been earlier.
However, that was all
he could see.
――The visitors
who had been there until a few moments ago were gone?
Yes, the hustle and
bustle of the visitors was gone, and the precincts of the shrine spread out
before Akira's eyes, filled with silence.
What in the world is
going on? He tried to figure it out, but at that moment, as if a haze had
settled over his thoughts, he could not come to a conclusion.
"――What's
wrong?"
"......No, I just
thought that the visitors had... disappeared."
Somehow, he managed to
utter those inconclusive thoughts.
"This place is a Sanctuary.
No one is allowed to set foot in this place."
"Is that
so?"
It was clearly an odd
thing to ask, but before he could ask another question, his focus faded into a
daze.
With the weight of his
body and thoughts becoming increasingly heavy, he managed to turn toward the
reception desk.
――...Who is that?
Urato disappeared,
instead, there stood a beautiful, young woman, distinctly different from Urato.
Unlike Urato, who
wears only a white cloth and red hakama, the woman is clad in chihaya.
The emotionless beauty
was staring at Akira.
"Umm, where is
the other woman go......?"
"I am the only
one here."
"I-I see."
Somehow, he managed to
come up with nothing but that response.
His thought kept
spinning heavily, and the feeling of discomfort that he couldn't get rid of
fueled his frustration.
――Something is
not right. Something strange is happening.
There is no doubt
about it, but if he were to be asked about what exactly, that question would
not rise to the surface of his thoughts.
Subconsciously, such a
question dissolves and disappears.
"Please confirm
your result."
Perhaps impatient with
Akira, who was not moving a muscle, the young woman urged him to take the
lottery paper on the reception table.
"Eh, ah, ......
yes."
The woman's voice
instantly erased any doubts, and Akira quietly opened the lottery ticket.
――The opened lottery
paper revealed to Akira the pure white surface just as it had been burned into
his memory.
All the strength in
his body is drained out.
He had worked so hard
to get to where he is now, and now the results are not rewarding him.
Feeling both pathetic
and frustrated, he naturally broke out into a self-mocking smile.
Six years ago, he had
difficulty accepting the stark reality and redrew it over and over again, but
now that he has come this far, he no longer has the energy to redraw it.
"...... Umm, it's
a blank sheet of paper."
Akira wondered whether
he would be ridiculed or looked at with contempt.
He had enough of those
kinds of experiences when he was in Ugetsu.
Although filled with a
sense of trepidation, he managed to utter a few words.
"A blank sheet of
paper?"
A woman's voice came
from above Akira's head, who was crouching on the ground with his shoulders
hunched over from fear.
"Yes ...... It's
because I――" "Impossible."
――don't have a
spirit.
The young woman's
voice interrupted Akira's attempts to continue his sentence.
"The oracle has
come true. ――Please reconfirm the contents."
"As I said, it's
a blank sheet of paper ......"
Despite his
frustration at the requests for confirmation, he still looked down at the
lottery paper.
The lottery paper in
his hand is a rectangular piece of paper that has been cut into a smaller
piece. It's hard to imagine that he would have overlooked anything on it, and
he already made sure that it was a blank sheet of paper. Even so, he looked
down again and saw .......
――A short sentence
appeared on it.
"...... Eh?
There's a sentence?"
Stunned, his thoughts
simmered in disbelief at the unbelievable sight.
Back in his hometown,
no matter how many times he drew, only a blank sheet of paper came up as a
result.
White is an abominable
color that reminds him of the reality of having no spirit.
The reality blurs in
the storm of emotions of joy, anger, and sorrow that blows through his mind.
――Why now?
――Why not at
that time?
――Why, why, why
.......
"Tell me what
does the oracle say."
A woman's voice,
without intonation, prompted Akira.
With that single
sentence, the storm of questions and emotions was easily swept away from
Akira's thoughts.
"......Yes."
As if guided by the
strangely calm thoughts, he turned his gaze to the lottery paper.
The results of the
[Shrine Parishioner Lottery], as mentioned earlier, there are only five,
including [Parishioner].
And yet, there was a
sentence written in the corner of Akira's line of sight.
"――[Present
yourself, at the land of Shourou (Bell
Tower)]...?"
"...... Bell
Tower?"
The name sounded
familiar, and he raised his eyebrows, but no answer fell into his lap. However,
the answer came from an unexpected source.
"It is located in
the forest that protects the Urakimon
(Southwest) of Karen."
According to the
direction, the Urakimon is located in
the southwest.
Since Chinowa Shrine,
where Akira is currently standing, is at the northern end of Karen, this means
that he should be heading toward almost the opposite side.
"...... Should I
go there now?"
"The ritual has
already begun, therefore ■■-sama, there is no other choice for you."
"? ……・…………・・…… Yes."
He was told something
strange again, but before he could formulate a question, the words faded away
again.
However, it seems that
there is one question that never disappears, and this one came out of his mouth
effortlessly.
"Umm, I've never
been to the Bell Tower before."
"That way."
When he turned around,
there was only a torii gate that he had recently stepped under.
"?"
In response to Akira's
question, the woman tells him in a plain, tone of voice with no intonation.
"The spiritual
path is open. If you follow the path without hesitation, you will eventually
reach the place you seek."
The woman's voice
seeps into his mind, replacing his fading doubts.
Akira's thoughts were
vaguely guided in that direction.
"...... I understand."
"A word of
advice."
The woman called out
to Akira as he turned on his heel to go toward the torii gate.
Her tone of voice was
as emotionless as ever, but Akira stopped in his tracks as he felt her concern
for him.
"Outside of this Sanctuary,
things operate on a different principle than they do in the real world.
Remember that it is not man, nor God, but only the lees of your own heart that
determines how far and near the distance is.
――Go straight ahead.
......It is all right to stop for a moment. It is all right to kneel down. But
don't give up. Don't step sideways from your path. Don't turn your feet
backward."
The advice, delivered
in a straightforward manner, seemed to forbid any action other than going
straight ahead.
"No matter what happens,
if you don't stop, you will surely reach your destination."
Although Akira did not
understand half of what she was trying to say, he was nonetheless glad for the
advice she had given him.
He bowed his head to
express his gratitude for the advice.
Then, without looking
back, he stepped toward the torii gate.
――― Sha, ~aaa, ~a~a~aaan.
As he passed through
the precincts of the shrine, dominated by the empty silence, a gust of wind
passed from the main shrine to the torii gate.
With his back pushed by
the sound of wind chimes ringing in unison, Akira made his way through the
torii gate without stopping.
――The woman who was left
behind muttered something softly with her eyes downcast.
"I wish you good
luck. Since you are about to undergo [Misogiharae]*1, you must now
measure and expose the depths of your own heart."
"What you are
about to undertake is not an ordeal, but a pilgrimage to your own past."
――Your only ally and
enemy is surely you yourself....
*1 Misogi (禊) is a Japanese Shinto practice of ritual purification
by washing the entire body. Misogi is related to another Shinto purification
ritual, harae. Thus, both are collectively referred to as misogiharae (禊祓).
――――――――――――――――
The moment he passed
through the torii gate, the air, or rather the world itself, became heavy as if
tinged with a viscous substance.
It felt foreign, as if
his lungs could not take in oxygen, even though he could breathe.
"...... Kah, ha・・..."
He breathed in the
muddy, heavy air and exhaled in desperation.
The exhaled air turned
into a fist-sized bubble and floated away.
He almost let his gaze
get caught by the bubble, but the woman's advice came back to his mind, and he
hurriedly fixed his gaze ahead.
The world in front of
his eyes had completely changed from what it was just before he went through
the Torii gate.
Obviously, the streets
were different. The entrances to alleyways that had been visible here and there
before were nowhere to be seen, and instead, rows of stores with eaves lined up
along the street stood without any gaps between them.
The stone-paved street
leading from the entrance of the shrine should have led to the main street
within a few meters, but the end of the stone pavement, illuminated by the sun,
couldn't be seen and gone straight into a haze.
Although the
surrounding stores appear to be open, there are no shopkeepers within sight.
――There is no one. No
one is here.
The world, illuminated
by the colorful early summer sunlight, was so empty of people that it felt
chilly.
――Go straight ahead.
The woman's words came
back to mind.
There is no time for
doubts anymore.
Perhaps due to the
fatigue of the all-nighter, his body was heavy and his consciousness was foggy.
Akira's mind was only
somehow sustained by the fortuitous fact that what he received was not a blank
piece of lottery paper.
While pushing away the
weight of the sticky world that clung to his body, he took a step forward.
―――・・・！……・・Ha~……・・Ha‼
At that moment, he
heard a laugh.
It was not a human voice.
A laugh that rippled across the world itself.
It was not a pleasant
one. It was the same kind of scorn and mockery that Akira remembers so well.
The scar on his soul,
which he had been desperately trying to cover up with his bluff, suddenly
shrieked.
"Ha, ~a, guu, ~u,
u……"
Without realizing it,
unbidden tears streamed down his cheeks.
On his own, he
encouraged his legs, which were about to fall to their knees, and swallowed his
tears to keep moving forward.
A straight stone
pavement that goes on forever. Akira took his second step, telling himself that
the Bell Tower was just ahead.
――――――――――――――――
How far will this path
continue?
He wondered so in a
corner of his foggy mind.
While dragging his
heavy body, he took one step after another.
――How long had
it been since I began walking on this path? My sense of time had become numb.
As before, there was
no sign of human presence along the path.
The intense summer
heat was mercilessly scorching Akira, and yet the scenery was so lifeless that
it even made him feel a chill.
――And then,
――――Ha, haha~‼ …Ha・ha・ha！ Hi~i, hi~i, kuku,
ku…….
Since he started
walking, the intermittent, incessant, jarring sneers have stirred up Akira's
emotional scars.
――You filthy
imitation .......
――How can you
stay alive without shame? .......
――You are just a
piece of trash who can barely live thanks to the benevolence of the head of the
family......
These were the
numerous words that were repeatedly said to his face by the vassals of Ugetsu.
For as long as he can
remember, Akira has been living under a lot of ridicule.
Akira is a child who
has been deemed unwanted from the time he was born.
He rarely appeared in
public and was only allowed to study and wield a wooden sword in a corner of
Ugetsu's mansion.
On the rare occasion
that he was summoned to the dojo, he was beaten to the ground in a private
practice session called "training".
If Fuwa Naotoshi had
not stepped forward to teach Akira, he would have been nothing more than an
incapable creature with the appearance of a human being.
Before he knew it,
Akira was staggering along the cobblestone pavement in the form of a
10-year-old child who had just suffered the sorrows of banishment.
Tears streamed down
his cheeks, making him wonder where this much water had come from.
―――Hi, hi, hi~i, kuku~,
kuku kuku…….
...... Speaking of which, what was mother's face
look like?
Suddenly, a seemingly
out-of-place question passed through his mind.
Although he had
unconsciously avoided remembering anything related to Ugetsu because of all the
abominable things he experienced, Akira and Ugetsu's family had never had that
much contact with each other in the first place.
Ugetsu Tenzan's wife.
In other words, Akira's mother, Ugetsu Sanae, gave up raising Akira when she
found out that he was spiritless.
When she gave birth to
Souma the following year, she completely treated him as her first son, even to
the extent of kicking Akira out of the room to which she had given birth to him
and not even looking at him.
Fortunately, Akira was
found quickly and his grandmother, Fusae, took measures to isolate him, so no
further damage was done, but the incident left a mark on Ugetsu mansion, even
if it did not become public knowledge.
Akira was not only a
member of Ugetsu, but also a child of Gioin, with whom he was engaged to be
married.
In other words, he was
a child in the custody of Gioin, the main family.
Raising one's hand
against the main family, even a baby, would be considered an act of treason, no
matter how one might put it.
As the first among the
eight families and a loyal servant of Gioin, Ugetsuki was forced to make a
difficult decision, although understanding the feelings of the family.
――In the end, the
accident was regarded as a result of Akira's mother's emotional distress after
giving birth, and it was not publicized. Although his grandmother's anger was
considerable, she was forced to come to an irresolute conclusion, taking into
consideration the fact that the incident had not become public knowledge.
Ugetsu's mansion is
spacious, but there is still a limit to what it can hold. Nevertheless, she
thoroughly isolated Sanae and Akira by having Akira's living space cut down to
the barest minimum.
Perhaps because of
this, Akira and Sanae saw each other only once a year.
It was only when her
grandmother was dying that Akira learned that Sanae, whom he caught a glimpse
of only briefly, was his biological mother.
――Therefore, Akira
coulds not even clearly remember much of Sanae's face.
Whether this was a
good thing or a bad thing, Akira was probably one of the lucky ones, as she did
not even know her mother.
Little by little, the
existence of her mother faded from Akira's memory.
――Staggering and smeared
with ridicule, he does not stop walking.
The paralyzing and abominable
memories peeled and washed away into tears.
With each passing
moment, Akira's age became younger and younger.
Just as the coiled
stagnation in his memory was slightly exhausted, Akira's vision was suddenly
filled with light.
――――――――――――――――
TIPS: About Sanctuary.
In a simple way, it is
the realm where the Divine Pillar resides.
Shrines are the
outer-most part, or entrance, of the Sanctuary, built for the purpose of
communication between the Divine Pillar and human beings.
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