Volume 3
Chapter 12
Part 1
Intentions
Collide, Schemes Spark and Scatter 1
Translator : PolterGlast
The chilly autumn wind
in the mountains was mixed with miasma, and the autumn-withered mountain pass,
which had just barely passed daylight, turned dark and rotten.
The place, just one
pass away from Mt. Shōrō, had turned into a hellscape by the time Akira and his
group arrived.
―Giiwoaaaa!!
The battle cry of
hungry defiled beasts raged from the depths where the putrid stench reigned.
"They're coming
at us from the foothills!"
"The plain is
packed with guardians, so don't break the formation!"
Amidst the flurry of
screams and shouts, Akira slid down the slope toward the pass leading into the
vortex where the defiled beasts were moving.
As he weaved his way
through the thickets of trees, the leaves scattered in his vision.
"So troublesome,
wha!!"
"Hurry up,
Kuga!"
With Kuga Ryota's
cursing in his ear, Akira controlled his almost raised upper body by relying on
his Aragamioroshi (Physical Strengthening).
Still, he was unable
to see beyond the withering autumn trees that were moving in and out of his
field of vision.
However, the roar of
the defiled beasts swirling in the air conveyed the devastation that lay ahead
to Akira.
"―Shut up, don't
tell me what to do.
I'll give you the
initiative, you hotheaded fool!"
"Leave it to me.
Don't fall behind, Mr. Prodigy!!"
Ryota also noticed the
concentration of the miasma, and with a mutter, he backed away from Akira's
momentum by half a step.
With this gesture in
the background, Akira readied his weapon in Waki-kamae
(Side Stance).
Just drawing one's
sword while going down the slope was precarious in itself.
A moment later,
Akira's posture was fatally disrupted,
―Without minding about it, Akira stomped his foot on
the ground.
With the strength of
Aragamioroshi on his legs, Akira's still-developing physique swam through the
air past the thickets.
With the thickets and
slopes below him, his gaze went further and further ahead.
Spotting the defiled
beasts crowding the mountain pass, Akira pulled out his fire offensive
talisman.
"*Swish*!!"
Three fire tickets
left his fingers and danced in the bright sunlight.
After observing all of
them from a bird's eye view, he rewrote the written formula.
―Convinced that he would succeed based on the reliable
response, he swung out his sword finger and cut the spiritual thread in a
single breath.
Swallowing even the
pale flame of excitation, the firepower that could not be provided by the
talisman alone fell into the vortex of miasma with a thunderous blast.
Immediately afterward,
the swelling flames of the explosion scorched the center of the mountain pass.
His days at the
academy were brief. But the knowledge he gained there was a treasure for Akira.
In particular, the
basic theories of Onmyojutsu, which were kept in the Rokkaku-kan, had given
Akira a tremendous leap forward.
The creation of the
fire offensive talisman and the rewriting of the spell formulas are among the
results that Akira has obtained.
Although it was still
crude and rough, it was the best weapon for Akira, whose divine power was
currently limited.
But that was not the
end.
Vermillion gold shone
on the tip of the turning sword, and before his eyes, a trail of eternal fire
carved the void.
Saki's dancing movements
came back to his memory vividly.
It was the first
spirit technique that Akira had mastered.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden, ―Enga
Before the flaming
slash could take shape, it turned into a gigantic waterfall and licked the
surface of the earth.
The blow, which
deliberately disregarded control and everything else, pierced a hole in the
swirling miasma.
Landing in the center
of it, Akira then cleaved horizontally to engulf his right side.
*Boom*. The raging
flames of the spirit vessel, which showed no signs of abating, were fueled by
Akira's sword dance.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Consecutive Technique, ―Higasane
A tornado of flame,
manifested only for a moment, engulfed the atmosphere, turning the remaining
defiled beasts that had survived the Enga into dust in the void.
It was a spirit
technique unleashed without control. Regardless of its power, the
vermilion-gold glow scattered around it without lasting effect.
But that was exactly
Akira's aim.
"Alright!"
"Leave it to
me~!!"
High in the sky
following behind Akira, Ryota (an earth-element user), dancing soundlessly
while holding up his sword.
It was a spiral thrust
aimed downward, the maximum firepower Ryota could reach.
Tsukinomiya-style
Spirit Technique, Finisher Move―
"―Tsugomoriotoshi."
Fire generates Earth.
The earth element devoured all of the fire element that was about to dissipate,
and the intangible impact that increased in power was sent into the noses of
the defiled beasts that loomed in Akira's wake.
―Gi!? Giwoaa?!!
*Thump*.
The impact was too
chaotic to be described as a sound, but it stirred up the whole area, and
defiled boars and deer, which were shredded along with the entire space,
whirled into small pieces.
Even defiled beasts
whose only concern was hunger could understand the difference in power, and the
survivors who had been thwarted showed signs of fleeing.
It was the right
decision. However, the timing was already too late.
Suddenly, a flash of
purple lightning appeared in the cloudless blue sky.
Jinroin-style
Spirit Technique, Chuden, ―Shitsurai
After one second, the
air slowly reverberated,
―A flash of light and a shockwave crushed the swarm of
defiled beasts from above.
"―Any missed
targets?"
"We've wiped out
most of them. Leave the remaining defiled beasts to the garrison under the
pass."
While still in a
relaxed awareness state, he sheathed his sword. After exhaling deeply, Ryota
responded to Akira's concern and alerted him to the surroundings. Perhaps
because he specifically chose an area-of-effect spirit technique, the only
survivors were small fries who had lost their leadership.
"Is this really a
Hyakki Yagyo? It's pretty light compared to the rumors I've heard."
From the other side of
the grove where Akira and the others jumped down, Jin, who was using Shitsurai,
slid down with his head tilted in wonder.
While slapping the
dead leaves on his shoulder, he joined Akira and the others.
"If this is the
case, I think it's much more challenging when we were dealing with the Armored
Centipede and the Nurarihyon.
It is hard to imagine,
but could it be that Utanomiya was wrong?"
"Indeed,
Nakiri-senpai do has a point. In Kutsunagahara, the fox monsters I’ve killed in
the past swarmed around the mountain, causing the entire mountain to rumble.
―But to begin with. Since we haven't encountered any
metamorph or apparition yet, we can't even call it a Hyakki Yagyo."
Ryota, continuing
where Jin left off, turned his attention to Akira, who had delivered the oracle
to him.
However, Akira, who
merely delivering the message, had no further information on the matter.
Feeling the rumbling
of the defiled beasts under his feet, Akira lowered his gaze.
"......Given the
fact that the oracle was even concealed from Fujimorimiya, it's hard to imagine
that it would be a mistake.
If so, that means
these defiled beasts here were just a diversion."
He noticed.
Even though the
remaining defiled beasts had already fled the place, the earth tremors under
his feet showed no sign of abating.
Akira's gaze wandered
around in search of the source and eventually landed on a rumbling ground.
"―That means the
real deal is lurking in hiding!"
While uttering a
warning, Akira leaped backward from the pass as fast as he could.
The two leaped a beat
behind the sudden warning, and a moment later, all of their vision was filled
with dust.
""Wha.""
An earth-colored spear
broke through the dust and approached the gasping Ryota.
The spear clashed
head-on with Ryota's sword, which swung to intercept it, and the scattered
spiritual power caused the spear to shoot up to the sky.
―Hyuwowoo~.
―It was not a spear. It was a Kegare, a tube worm that
looked like a leech or an earthworm, with only its huge mouth exposed.
"I've never seen
one like this before!!"
Ryota's bewildered
voice overlapped with Kegare's sadly resounding fury.
Amidst the wriggling
cilia, just like limbs, kicking up gravel, the earthworm incarnation sucked the
boar, which had failed to escape, into its mouth.
Perhaps lacking the
intelligence to be aware of its own comrades, the Kegare swallowed the boar
into its mouth, not even letting the boar make a scream.
It was just a
despicable scene. In Akira's mind, a passage he had read in a document came
back to him.
―It is said to be a spirit of the earth that has been
buried in the depths of the mountains.
―Once awakened, it is an incarnation of hunger that can
devour an entire mountain.
"―It's Nozuchi.
Watch out, he'll eat
anything without regard to what it is!"
"Don't say that
while I’m being targeted!"
Whether it was because
of preference or just because he was nearby, the huge mouth of the giant worm
approached Ryōta, who shouted his dissatisfaction.
He clicked his tongue
in frustration and swung the sword that he held out in Daijōdan (overhead
stance) along with his spiritual power.
―Thump.
The space bent, and
Nozuchi was thrown back to the ground by the shockwave.
A horizontal slash
flew through the air to slice through its torso.
Tsukinomiya-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden, ―Enreki
Given its enormous
size (approximately 3 meters), it would be more difficult to miss even if the
attack was done on the spur of the moment.
The aim was accurate,
and it struck Nozuchi, who was on the verge of getting up, right on its mouth,
―However, its hidden fangs easily crushed the flying
blades made of spiritual power.
Ryota was blindsided
by the unexpected outcome, even if it was an elementary spirit technique.
"Is this what you
mean by 'anything'!?"
"Don't stop,
Kuga. It seems to be obsessed with you!"
The multi-strand of
cilia wriggled, and the huge frame of the metamorph focused on Ryota, kicking
up the ground and making the earth rumble.
Drool or mucus? Threads
trailed from the wide-opened mouth, and the fangs lined up inside its mouth
were exposed to the open air.
"Don't expose
that filthy thing to the world, you monster!"
"Kuga! Bring him
to me!"
As Ryota spat out
curses, Akira's voice was heard thrown at his back.
There was no time to
think.
A wave of spiritual
power generated by Ryota knocked Nozuchi's head sideways.
Perhaps its
intelligence is as apparent as its appearance, as it easily shifted its target
to Akira.
Fixing his eyes on the
depths of Nozuchi's throat, where he could not even see the bottom, Akira held
his spirit weapon at the ready for a thrust.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Shoden, ―Hibaridzuki
Leaving a roaring
sound behind, a flaming spear was slammed into the depths of Nozuchi's
defenseless throat.
However, since it
consisted of spiritual power, the outcome should be the same.
The blow was
swallowed, and Ryota's cheeks contorted as he wondered if the outcome would be
the same.
However, there was no
sign of impatience in Akira's expression.
He let out a short
exhale and took a deep step forward overflowing with flames.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Consecutive Technique―
"Sazanami
Tanzaku."
A spear of spiritual
power extended horizontally, drawing Nozuchi's mouth into the same shape.
The power surpassed
Nozuchi's hunger, and went even further.
―After all, it was merely a metamorph. It wasn't even a
divine pillar, and the limits of its body did exist at some point.
Although Nozuchi is a
voracious animal, there is a limit to the amount of food it can eat at a time.
Was Akira's
calculation actually correct?
Nozuchi's mouth,
having exceeded its limit, was eventually severed into two.
Perhaps not as heavy
as it looked, the halves of Nozuchi's long body danced in the air under the
pressure of the explosion from the inside.
Without missing a
beat, Akira fired a fire offensive talisman, plunging the creature's body into
the pit of hellfire.
"Well done."
"―Tch."
The miasma began to
disperse quickly, indicating that the area had been swept away.
Jin and Ryota
approached Akira, who was breathing roughly as he sheathed his sword while
still on guard.
"......I think
we've managed to eliminate most of the swarms that have crossed the mountain
pass."
"Now that a
metamorph like Nozuchi appeared, I guess this concluded their first wave.
―But it's just past noon. Do they think this will be
enough to carry the next momentum?"
In terms of yin and yang,
miasma goes well with yin qi.
Obviously, during the
daytime, when yang qi, which is the opposite of yin qi, is at its peak, the
activity of the metamorphs should have been severely restricted.
If the other party
were to start a Hyakki Yagyo at such a time, they would be in danger of ending
up with a diminishing momentum.
"Regarding that,
it was due to some sort of maneuvering from the higher-ups.
Though, they didn't
tell me the details."
"......I don't
want to doubt you, but I'm pretty sure that Junior has always been with us this
whole time.
When did you hear this
information?"
"A little while
ago, when we were visiting the mansion, I received the information from the
woman who guided us to a place where we would be staying."
Jin's eyes were filled
with doubt when he heard Akira's explanation.
Akira deliberately
ignored this doubt, which was difficult to answer, and turned his gaze away
from the miasma swirling in the depths of the pass.
Even if they headed
onward, they would only be leaving the central city and would be left with
nothing but hassle.
If so, there was only
one option left for Akira and the others to take.
"Let's join up
with Captain Asogi and the others for the time being.
Now that the Hyakki
Yagyo has begun, scouting missions will only increase the danger and will be
meaningless."
"Indeed......"
In response to Akira's
sound reasoning, Jin's expression was mixed with contemplation.
The reason why he
could not make an immediate decision was probably because he was considering the
impact that abandoning the scouting mission would have on the opinion of the
Central Capital garrison.
However, even though
it would be difficult to tell Jin and the others, Akira had his own reasoning.
The scouting mission
for Akira and his team was decided upon by Sannomiya's forceful initiative.
Furthermore, if what
Takamikura said was true, the scouting mission itself was merely an excuse to
summon Akira.
At the very least,
Takamikura had declared that she would not interfere with matters related to
Kanna-no-Mikura.
Perhaps this affair
was really only meant to serve as a meeting.
―If so, her aim has already been fulfilled.
At this point, Akira
was convinced that even if they decided to retreat, there would be no pursuit
from Sannomiya.
"―Senior. I vote
in favor of Akira's opinion.
I think we should
protect each of the cornerstones.
If we put the
Sannomiya's decree over our heads and endanger our main family, we may be
ridiculed for generations to come."
"I understand.
Let's retreat to the
main camp where Master is stationed, and offer our opinion to return to the
Cornerstone Mountains .
―I'm sure Master is worried about Kagura-sama's (his
only daughter) situation at the Cornerstone Mountains , and he will nod his
head in agreement to retreat."
Ryota's approval,
perhaps an unexpected favorable turn for Akira, gave Jin a push.
Seeing that the three
of them were in agreement, Akira turned around and headed towards the foot of
the mountain pass.
The roar of the
miasma, which seemed to shudder in frustration, echoed from the depths of the
pass as if it were chasing him.
"Akira."
"Ou.
Thanks for
earlier."
Ryota's murmur was
thrown at Akira's back as he took a step forward, chasing behind Jiun, who had
left to lead the way.
Ryota shook his head
lightly at Akira's gratitude, and his voice became more hushed.
"Don't worry
about it. After all, this might be the reason why Tsuguho-sama assigned me
here.
......But more
importantly, how many more times are we going to do this in a row?"
Akira's reply to
Ryota's concern was delayed for a moment.
The first time both
Akira and Ryota experienced the Hyakki Yagyo was two months ago when they took
on the Kutsunagahara apparition.
Although the situation
was different from that time, the scale of the battle this time was smaller
than that of the previous one, and Akira and Ryota could not be optimistic
about the outcome.
Despite the fact that
they were able to suppress the swarm this time, they were likely to be forced
to fight a consecutive battle since they could not even find Nurarihyon, the
mastermind.
―Because of this peril, Akira, who could not hope to
recover his divine energy, would first and foremost need to head for Mt
Kugatachi, which is connected to the divine realm of Shumon Province.
In the absence of
Saki, Ryota's support in understanding his situation was very reassuring.
"I didn't use any
divine energy, so I don't feel as worn out as I did in the previous battle. As
long as things continue as they are, I don't think I'll run out of steam, even
if I were to do continuous battles.
......If what
Tsuguho-sama said is true, then if I were to use my divine energy, it would
diminish to the point that I would be aware of it, and if I were to unleash
divine realm attributes, it would be limited to a single shot."
"I see. It seems
to be exactly as my father said."
"?"
Ryota's muttering, as
if he were spitting out something. Akira's suspicion was triggered by the
unsettling tone contained in it. Ryota, perhaps realizing the meaning of his
gaze, responded with a bitter shrug.
"The Kuga family
can't remain indifferent to Kanna-no-Mikura's arrival, either.
Now that they've lost
the chance to win over Saki, they're probably desperate to win your
favor."
"......I
see."
Akira's mind flashed
back to the person (Kuga Houri) he had met last month, and his strong
personality left a strong impression on him.
He was preparing
himself to take some forceful measures in case his true intentions were
exposed, but......
"Well, they don't
have the leisure to mess around thanks to Hyakki Yagyo. For now, we should be
grateful and take advantage of it.
All we have to do is
to focus on reaching Mt. Kugatachi as soon as possible."
"That's
true."
Ryota's words of
consolation were still filled with concern for Akira.
Understanding this
fact, Akira and the others left the mountain pass where the miasma was
beginning to creep in.
♢
There were signs of
Hyakki Yagyo in the southwest (Urakimon).
Kihoin Tsuguho
received the news around the time Akira and the others encountered Nozuchi at
the mountain pass.
"Calm down, we've
only received a preliminary report."
"Send out scouts
to investigate the surrounding area.
The team in charge
should head for the locations we decided on yesterday!"
The commotion around
Tsuguho, including the two aides, increased greatly.
As orders flew out to
send out scouts around Kugatachi Mountain, Tsuguho rested her fingers on her
chin in contemplation.
"Hime-sama,
Fujimorimiya has sent us a message.
―to connect the divine realms in preparation for the
oracle of the Hyakki Yagyo."
"With
Nurarihyon's purpose still unknown, any attempts to connect the divine realms
could be counterproductive.
Can't we buy some
time?"
"Given that
Fujimorimiya has given us orders, I think it would be difficult to stall for
time.
I have heard that
Utanomiya-sama and Jinroin-sama have already begun preparations.
If we hesitate now, we
don't know what they will say to us later."
"......I suppose
so."
Things were moving too
smoothly, and Tsuguho was skeptical and reluctant to act.
But the advice of his
aide was also justified.
Despite having some
doubts, Tsuguho stood up and raised her voice to give orders.
"All hands, I
will now bring the divine precincts descend.
Be prepared that the
main hall will be filled with the authority of the divine pillar, and that
those who intrude without pardon will be instantly scorched."
Tsuguho exhaled deeply
and quietly.
After confirming that
there are no longer any signs of people around her, Tsuguho's consciousness is
drawn even deeper into the Cornerstone Mountains .
Of the Four
Sovereigns, Tsuguho had been stationed at the Cornerstone Mountains from the very earliest stage.
The preparations
themselves had already been completed.
The windhole on Mt.
Kugatachi overlapped with the faraway sacred precincts of Shumon Province,
"What's this? Has
that thing started a Hyakki Yagyo in such broad daylight?"
―Without a moment's pause, an enormous mass of divine
energy appeared in front of Tsuguho.
Shuka, clad in a
gorgeous single robe, glanced around and smiled.
"That seems to be
the case.
Currently, signs are
appearing in the southwestern direction."
"He was cornered
and desperate, huh?
......If it's just of
this level, there should be no trouble.
―What about Akira?"
"He was sent to
the southwest to scout at Sannomiya's request.
Since the timing is so
perfect, it's possible that Akira-san being a Kanna-no-Mikura has been
exposed."
In the nobility, there
are basically no opportunities for interactions between members of the opposite
sex.
In order to avoid
raising suspicions among other provinces, they refrained from interacting with
Akira more than they did in Karen, but it backfired.
Following Jinroin,
even Sannomiya is interfering now. Even Tsuguho would prefer to refrain from
further intervening.
Shuka shrugged her
shoulders in a nonchalant manner as she watched the girl in front of her
gnashing her teeth.
"It's unclear
since when, but it has definitely been exposed.
But there's no need to
be on guard against Haha-sama (Shuka's mother). They have declared their
non-interference with the empty thrones that will eventually appear."
"What does that
mean?"
"It means exactly
what it says. The empty throne is a vessel to accomplish the giving birth process,
so it is only right that Haha-sama, who has already obtained it, should
withdraw from it.
Although she may be
interested in Akira, the empty throne, there is no need to worry about Mother
interfering as she has already declared."
Similarly, she also
wished to have a meeting with the previous Kanna-no-Mikura, but she never asked
for anything more.
Fufu~. Chuckling deep
in her throat, Shuka looked out over the temple's railing to get a better view
of the city.
The cityscape, which
seemed to be left behind by time, had not changed much from Shuka's memory.
The Central Capital,
where the urban structure is laid out with the intention of protecting the
surface of one of the world's largest sacred precincts, does not leave much
room for human intervention.
The central city's
purification barrier protects the sacred realm, and the Five Elemental Barrier
protects the outer shell of the city.
The sight of the
divine pillars descending onto the distant mountain was clearly visible.
"Looks like Shiro
and Haha-sama are descending already.
―That makes three pillars, which will increase the
burden on Tsuguho and the others, but at least it will give us some measure of
stability in reinforcing the barrier."
"Shizumi-sama and
Homare-sama are scheduled to arrive in the evening. In time for midnight, when
Nurarihyon's offensive is expected to intensify."
"In that case,
once Akira returned to this Mistress, at least the protection of Mt. Kugatachi
would be secured.
―What worries me is that Nurarihyon seems to be playing
a supporting role in this matter as well."
The worry in Shuka's
tone was something Tsuguho could not understand.
Once the Five
Elemental Barriers were strengthened, Kegare's actions would be restricted.
It is not at all clear
what the intention of the enemy side was to accelerate this reinforcement.
The unseen opponent's
scheme made her hesitate to respond, but since the Divine Pillar had already
descended, she could not stop the reinforcement of the barrier now.
Well, whatever.
Snorting, Shuka returned to the center of the main hall.
The vermillion gold
divine energy filled the space, and the manifestation of the fire element, the
ultimate in yang Qi, giggled magnificently.
"First, I (fire
element) shall fill the Central Capital with purification.
I shall cleanse the
Central Capital of any trace of the miasma."
Upon receiving the
declaration of the Divine Pillar to whom she dedicated herself, Tsuguho also
concentrated her consciousness in front of Shuka.
The surging waves of
the divine energy flooded into the city, connecting the cornerstone mountains
with the windhole as their base,
―Eventually, the divine energy of the fire element
began to spread its will of purification throughout the Central Capital.
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