Volume 3
Chapter 13
Part 1
Reverse the
Spiritual Path, Follow it to the Sanctuary 1
Translator : PolterGlast
The outer edge of the
Five Elemental Barrier shook violently and without a sound, it vanished just
like an illusion.
A moment later, the
miasma that had been damming up turned into a reddish-black torrent that
avalanched into the interior.
―The wailing of the earth spirits, who have no way of
resisting the miasma, erupted.
The silent permeation,
contrary to the tainted radiance, gradually withered the trees lining the interior
of the barrier.
"Looks like
Yamamoto-dono has succeeded.
―I consoled myself that it was inevitable, but it
seemed premature for me to jump to conclusions."
Miasma overflowed from
the mountains overlooking the spiritual path, and Nurarihyon took a step out of
the swirling darkness.
His mutterings were
filled with a deep, self-effacement.
The autumn sky,
shrouded in the glow of miasma, was still high in the sky.
The heavens were still
in their Yang-Qi dominance, and the miasma that filled the earth was being
slowed down by the flames of purification.
The Five Elemental
Barrier is a barrier formed by the five mountains that rise at equal intervals
around the Central Capital.
Kayanowa, Himorogi,
Kugatachi, Shōrō (Bell Tower), and Mitsuzu Torii. A defensive barrier that
connects the originally independent mountains by using ten spiritual paths.
Divine energy will be
amplified by traveling through the spiritual paths of Aioi (symbiosis) and will
be controlled when traveling through the spiritual paths of Soukoku
(synergism).
By completing the
process, Central Capital has robust protection that is impervious to any
malicious intent from the outside.
The barrier of the
Cornerstone Mountains still maintained
its solidity as Nurarihyon bitterly looked up at it.
This meant that most
of the recoil that should have rebounded back to the Five Elemental Barrier was
kept to a minimum.
―Based on his estimation, his plan to break down the
cornerstone of the Five Elemental Barrier was at most 50% completed.
"Judging from the
way it collapsed, there were three divine pillars that descended to the Five
Elemental Barrier. Apart from Takamikura (earth element), the one who has
strengthened the barrier is probably Shuka-hime (fire element)."
Kanoe Shrine, which
does not embrace the fire element, is the only cornerstone that has fire as its
weakness.
Since the Soukoku
spiritual path is responsible for the control of the barrier, if this one point
were to collapse, the Five Elemental Barrier itself would be crushed by the
divine energy amplified without limit by the Aioi spiritual path.
The problem was that
Kanoe Shrine was located inside the Five Elemental Barrier, but with the
addition of Yamamoto Gorozaemon to their forces, they saw a solution to this
problem.
―However, this scheme will only be truly effective if
all the five elements of the five divine pillars are fully assembled.
Currently, there are
only three divine pillars assembled. The only one who received a direct hit was
the one who had gone ahead of the others, Shuka.
Since they were the
ones who raised the warning about Hyakki Yagyo, it was no surprise that the
fire element took the lead.
However, the fact that
Kanoe Shrine fell before Jinroin arrived, which should have been there by now,
was a major deviation from Nurarihyon's prediction.
Tsukishiro, the Divine
Pillar of the hakudō Province, was particularly fond of swift and hasty
maneuvers.
This time, in
particular, the timing of the Hyakki Yagyo is almost certain. Since this was
the case, Nurarihyon expected that they would not hesitate to take the
initiative.
However, the Miko of
Jinroiin had not moved since they entered the mountain.
Thanks to this,
Nurarihyon's scheme went only about halfway.
Nurarihyon's target
was one of the spiritual paths. The Kanoe Shrine, the deity that supported the
Soukoku spiritual path.
In order to overthrow
this Soukoku cornerstone, he prepared a divine artifact of Bharatush called the
Pārijāta.
"―It was worth
it, to disguise Pārijāta's power as a mere water flow manipulation."
It took place at a
time when Bharatush was burning with ambition to expand its power. One of the
strategic moves he made was to persuade a leading figure in the royal lineage
of the time to invade Takamagahara using the Nirvana religion.
The leading figure,
who was not a descendant of a demi-god and a demi-human, could not possibly
have known the details of the sacred artifact.
Therefore, Nurarihyon,
who blended in with those who plotted the invasion, subtly falsified the
authority of the sacred artifact.
The leading figure in
Baratush, ―and even those in Takamagahara, who have no choice but to rely on
that falsified knowledge as a basis, would assume that the authority of the
Pārijāta was a water flow manipulation.
But its true authority
is different.
The initial point (a)
and the ending point (b). Its true authority is to construct a spiritual path
that cannot be interfered with by connecting two divine artifacts that are
paired together.
In fact, while there
is no mistaking it as an ostensible authority, its specifications do not reveal
its strong aspect as a weapon.
If deemed less
dangerous as a weapon, the idea of illegally handing over a sacred artifact and
using it to fish out Nurarihyon would be an option for Kihoin to consider.
Moreover, fortunately,
Sita also had the aspect of a fire god.
In other words, if one
is a fire spirit user with good affinity, there is a high possibility that the
Divine Pillar of Salvation (Sita) will respond to his/her request.
For Kihoin, who had
little information, the option of handing Pārijāta to a fire spirit user,
including Saki as a candidate, became one that could not be ignored at this
point.
Since the initial
stake (a) that was pulled out at Gennaji Temple was the divine artifact that
was officially handed over, it had no choice but to be enshrined at the main
residence of Kihoin. Therefore, the end stake (b) should be handed over to the
party that Kihoin particularly trusted.
All that remained was
to seize the end stake (b), and then connect it to Shuka's divine realm.
Without the intervention of any miasma, it would be possible to make Kanoe
Shrine fall with Shuka's divine energy.
Although only the
leader, Shuka, would have suffered from the collapse of the barrier head-on, it
was still a reverse flow of the divine energy that originated from herself.
In conclusion, the
most Nurarihyon could hope for was to stall for time.
"―Hihi. I don't
have time to worry about it.
Now that the Soukoku
spiritual path has ceased to function, it is only a matter of passing through
the Aioi spiritual path in order to reach Takamikura's divine realm. ―Wait for
me, Takamikura. It's about time my hands reached for your neck!!"
Nurarihyon's eyes
widened in triumph.
Ahead of his eyes was
Mt. Mitsuzu Torii, one of the Cornerstone Mountains on which the Divine Pillar
of the metal element (Tsukishiro) resided.
―The hordes of Kegare surrounding Nurarihyo roared,
raging with lust and desire.
―――――
"Cough."
"......Kagura, Are you alright?"
"Yes, Shiro-sama.
Cough-cough."
Shaking off the
remnants of the divine energy, Shiro looked around at the interior of the main
hallway.
All that was visible
was what used to be a homa-altar, shimenawa, and ritual altar scattered around.
The scene was so
devastating that it could be mistaken for the passing of a typhoon, signifying
that the divine energy of the fire element had reversed into Tsukishiro's main
part.
"I have to clean
it up."
"Take a rest,
Kagura. You've been exposed to Aka's divine energy head-on, and you'll be out
of shape before you know it."
While replying to
Kagura's concern, Tsukishiro inwardly felt a sense of relief.
Among the Four
Sovereigns and the Three Imperial Families who were supposed to enter the
Cornerstone Mountains , Kagura was the youngest.
She is just 10 years
old, just before her body and mind reached maturity, and it was a good thing
that she had taken a wait-and-see attitude in order to reduce her burden as
much as possible.
Thanks to this, she
was spared a direct hit from Shuka's divine energy.
Fire Overcomes Metal.
If hit by a direct attack from the fire element, not only Kagura but also
Tsukishiro would not have been able to get away unscathed.
But then, she switched
her thoughts.
There was no doubt
that this was a scheme hatched by Nurarihyon, but it was still unclear what the
other party was up to.
Tsukishiro clicked her
tongue and flipped her delicate hand.
A handful of
divination sticks were in her palm.
"Since our
opponent's scheme is based on spiritualism, the best way is to use divination.
...... It can't be helped then."
"Shiro-sama. About
the divination..."
"Now that the
Five Elemental Barrier has been disrupted, the accuracy might be diminished,
but it is still better than nothing."
"Without wasting
any time, the Divine Pillar of the metal element scattered her divination
sticks on the floor.
Roughly. The bamboo
sticks, various sizes, bounced across the floor."
Tsukishiro's brow
furrowed as she stared at the scattered sticks.
"―Yang-Qi lives
and the Yin-Qi dies.
Seeing nothing,
hearing nothing, and speaking nothing as it should be.
Metal element, is it
me? If I meddle with the essence of Aioi, the Yang-Qi will not survive.
Once the Yin-Qi is
dead, it is the spiritual path of Soukoku that must be meddled with."
Grasping the bits of
information that returned from the divination sticks, Tsukishiro picked up only
the facts that had been confirmed.
She was prepared for
this, but it was still difficult to interpret.
"It was probably
the Kanoe Shrine inside the Five Elemental Barrier that fell.
I don't know how they
did it, but they must have blasted it with Aka's divine energy."
"Shall we send
reinforcements?"
"Leave it to the
Imperial Guards. It will become a laughing matter when you are treated poorly
because of your daily negligence.
Well, more importantly,
now that the barrier is gone. If I were my enemy then..."
"Emergency――!!"
Just as Tsukishiro
opened her mouth to express her concern, the nervous cry of a messenger cut
through the silence of the main hall.
In front of the main
hall, which suddenly grew increasingly noisy, the messenger fell to his knees.
"A swarm of
Kegare attacked the foot of Mt. Mitsuzu Torii.
Kagura-sama, we
request your immediate permission to intercept them!"
".......Figured
so.
If Nurarihyon's target
is Takamikura-sama, his only option is to follow either the spiritual paths of
Aioi or Soukoku in order to reach the Central Capital's sanctuary from
Kayanowa.
Now that the spiritual
path of Soukoku has fallen, he should be heading to the Cornerstone Mountains by following the spiritual path of Aioi."
The messenger was not
even able to hide his impatience. The atmosphere around the main shrine that
had been fortified was unusually tense.
While metal element
excels at long-range attacks, they are far behind other elements in terms of
close-quarter combats and defenses.
Although the barrier
around the Cornerstone Mountains is
still in place, it makes sense to target metal element, which is the most
vulnerable in terms of protection, for entry into the spiritual path.
While Tsukishiro was
bitterly reading the other party's strategy, Kagura raised her voice to calm
the clamorous atmosphere.
"In accordance
with prior arrangements, I hereby authorize the interception.
......What about the
Imperial Guards?"
"There are only a
few low-ranking guardians.
A squad of
high-ranking guardian gathered ahead of time, but umm..."
The end of the
messenger's words were muddled. His memory of an elderly guardian, who was
repeatedly petitioned to meet with Kagura while breathing heavily, came to
mind.
A~a. Unexpectedly, an
exhalation of approval escaped from Kagura's mouth.
Whether Kagura
considers this a reduction in fighting force or just a small fraction of
incompetence to be discarded is up to her.
Giving up on the force
that she could not rely on after all, she looked at the situational response
book that she had secretly kept in her pocket.
"Let's see.
Wartime, yellow one, right? Light torches to repel the beasts, and lead them
back to the flat land at the foot of the mountain. Draw them into the
intersection of the barrier and reduce their numbers by bombing them from a
distance."
Although she was
relying on the response book, apparently, her unwavering instructions had the
effect of bringing the messenger's unsteady nerves to the ground.
The response was
immediate, and the messenger retreated from the front of the main hall.
"―Haa!"
As the presence of the
others disappeared, Kagura exhaled tiredly so as not to be noticed.
"Are you
tired?"
"Yes... ah, no.
Umm ......sorry."
The young girl waved
her hands in an attempt to mend her appearance.
"Rather than
putting on airs and tiring yourself out, it's better to honestly admit it.
Besides, we
anticipated this situation to a great extent. We have already taken measures to
deal with it, so there's no need to get worked up about it."
"I heard that
father is currently at Mt. Shōrō.
―Will he make it in time?"
The strongest
protection that Jinrooin prides itself on is meaningless if it leaves Mt.
Mitsuzu-Torii.
Kagura's concern is
understandable. ―But Tsukishiro shook her head with a smile on the corner of
her mouth.
"Your father's
(Yuge Kojou) true ability is to single-handedly turn an entire area into a
wasteland.
―Just watch. They won't be able to survive, not to
mention a bunch of poison-induced creatures, let alone apparitions
(high-ranking defiled beasts)."
There was just one
problem: overly powerful attacks are, on the other hand, impossible to control
in terms of range.
Therefore, Yuge Kojou
always imposes restrictions on the exercise of his power, and in principle, he
acts alone or in small numbers.
Moving on the
battlefield as a loose force, exterminating the enemy from the inside. That was
his original way of fighting.
―Also.
Although she did not
say it out loud, Tsukishiro had entrusted another plan to Yuge, who was
probably on his way back.
Kanna-no-Mikura. She
wanted to confirm its authenticity and power in her own domain.
If possible, it would
be a delight to establish an inseparable friendship with him.
Thinking of the boy
she has never met, the Divine Pillar of Metal Element only revealed a thin
smile.
♢
"So? Which one
are you after all?"
"Eh?"
As Akira rushed with
impatience, the conversation of a few days ago came back to his mind.
―Unable to comprehend the words after the not-so-short
silence, Akira's expression turned into one of dismay.
After his brief
encounter with Ugetsu Souma, Akira was brought to the back of the academy with
no time to relax and was confronted by Kuga Ryota with his arms folded.
"Don't play dumb.
......I'm asking you which one are you, Ugetsu or Dogyou?"
The unexpected and
abrupt question made Akira's eyes widen.
"Oi, don't
daydream, Akira!"
His thoughts, which
had been busy fiddling around in his memory, were forcibly pulled back to
reality by Ryota's scolding.
It has already been
one hour since he exercised Aragamioroshi. The swarm of defiled beasts, which
used to be small in number, gradually grew in number as shadows emerged in his
field of vision.
"―Sorry."
Returning a short
determination, fire rose from Akira's hand.
An immense amount of
spiritual power was cleaved horizontally, and a trail of vermillion gold
bisected the pouncing deers into upper and lower parts.
―Without leaving behind even a final wail, the deers
were reduced to a lump of flesh and turned to charcoal with flames rising from
their cross-sections.
The remaining deers,
which had failed to be killed, blocked Akira's path with their antlers held
out.
The action of the
defiled deer, which was no different from ordinary ones, was immediately
followed by a strong wind and a shockwave that turned the deer's body into
dust.
"Nakiri-senpai, I
hope things are going well.
If this delays our
arrival at Mt. Kugatachi, we'll have to prepare for a word or two."
"Rest assured.
Master said that if we
can secure the safety of Mitsuzu-Torii, they can provide us with the shortest
route. ―That's what he said though."
Shaking off the stench
of deer blood, Nakiri Jin and Kuga Ryota activated their recovery talismans.
Unlike the two, Akira,
who has more spirit power than them, moved to watch the surroundings while
waiting for the blue-white flame to provide recovery.
"It could be yes,
it could be no.
You do realize that I
don't really trust them, don't you? Do you even know what the method is?"
"I've never heard
of it either, but we don't have any other choice.
―Besides, we're a small team, it's best to avoid
splitting up."
After defeating the
Nozuchi, Akira and his team returned to Mount Shōrō and received the news that
five cornerstone mountains had been attacked by Hyakki Yagyo.
The Hyakki Yagyo used
miasma to induce the defiled beasts from the surrounding mountains and fields.
Essentially, the true nature of Hyakki Yagyo is the stampede of defiled beasts
lured by the flow of miasma.
It is common knowledge
that even a huge number of Kegare are finite, since they cannot be produced
indefinitely.
In reality, however,
five Hyakki Yagyo of considerable scale have been created.
This contradiction
brought Akira and the others' minds back to the mountain hunt a few days ago.
With the aim of
reducing the number of mouths to feed, the soldiers were to be disposed of by
the defiled beasts.
At least, how much
despair and hatred do these people feel when they are used as bait?
If this act has been
going on for many years, it suggests that the environment outside the Five
Elemental Barrier is fertile for the unchecked proliferation of the defiled
beasts.
The reason for this is
the bad practices of the Central Capital, but there is no point in inquiring
about it now.
The issue would be
discussed at a later date, and Akira and his team set out to solve this
problem.
At this time, Akira
had already defeated the apparition that had attacked Mt. Shōrō.
As long as they
maintained their defensive stance, it would be easy to protect that area, in
conclusion, Akira and his team had two choices of actions to take.
In other words, they
could either head northwest to Mt. Mitsuzu-Torii, to where Kojou belonged, or
southeast to Mt. Kugatachi, to where Akira belonged.
Since both were
separated by the same distance from Mt. Shōrō, the choice was up to Kojou and
Genji.
After a brief
hesitation, which seemed to drag on, the scales finally tilted.
The decision was made
when Genji accepted Kojou's offer to provide the shortest way from Mt.
Mitsuzu-Torii to Mt. Kugatachi.
The miasma grew
thicker as they raced toward the mountain.
The desolate wind
blowing toward Akira and the others was mixed with withered leaves.
―The battlefield they were heading for was already just
around the corner.
"―I will go
first."
There is no reason to
disagree. The two nodded in affirmation to Akira's decision, and gave way to
him.
Although brief, the
roles of the three had pretty much been decided.
Fire produces Earth,
and Earth produces Metal. In the Five Elements cycle, the three are in a
symbiotic relationship.
As such, it is inevitable
that Akira's role is fixed as the initiative.
―But,
Without exchanging
glances, Akira exercised Hayabusa-gake.
The brilliance of the
vermillion gold etched a trail of lingering flame at Akira'ss feet, and he took
the shape of a flying bird speeding across the ground.
A thin string of
spiritual power trailed behind him, and Akira started to run, leaving the two
behind.
It's true that there
is no time. Akira understands this as well.
Takamikura had said.
―She used Nurarihyon's scheme to accelerate the attack.
There was no doubt
that Takamikura's plan had more than half succeeded.
However, since
Nurarihyon had yet to be defeated, the plan was probably still hanging in the
air, without having been completed.
At this point, Nurarihyon
has only one option.
He must force the plan
to be executed before it reaches a decisive failure.
In other words, at
this point in time, Nurarihyon's scheme must continue to accelerate.
―There is no time to waste.
With a sense of
urgency, Akira looked at the swarm of defiled beasts that were approaching his
field of vision.
He sheathed his
A-grade spirit weapon he had been temporarily provided while maintaining his
running speed.
Instead, he reached
his right palm into the void and tightened his grip on the hilt, which floated
in his mind.
―It is the essence of samadhi fire.
-A flame, both lonely
and gorgeous.
"Be
dazzling,"
Boom. He regulated the
mass of heat that arose in his tanden, and shook off the sparks of fire that
rose up.
In his palm, there was
only a single hilt with no blade in sight.
"―Jakuen,
Gayou!!"
In an instant, a sword
was drawn and released. Leaving a trail of vermillion gold, the swing unleashed
an unlimited amount of heat beyond one's field of vision.
―――――
"......Ugetsu,
Dogyou? What are you talking about?"
Suppressing his inner
turmoil, Akira calmly opened his mouth.
His tone of voice was
not shaky at all. His tone was flawless, but Ryota snidely scoffed at Akira's
attempts to fool him.
"Ha. You're not
fooling anyone.
......Ugetsu, huh?
That son of a b*tch sure hid a hell of a bomb inside."
"How?"
It was such a leap to
a conclusion. But Akira could not hide his agitation at Ryota's firm statement
as he guessed the correct answer.
Glancing at Akira with
amusement, Ryota re-folded his arms and revealed the answer.
"Do you think I'm
a fool or a blockhead? It was two months ago.
Do you remember what
you said to me when we first met?"
"Huh?"
Ryota's words made him
rush back to his memory.
The first time they
met. That would mean in the garrison's office.
"My father
speculated that you were Rindo's illegitimate child, but I think he was way off
the mark.
Because I remember the
time I asked you where you're from."
―Where I am from?
―Kokuten Province.
"Ah."
Ryota's words brought
Akira back to the conversation he had had with Saki.
The words that he had
almost forgotten came back to his memory, and he couldn't help smiling
bitterly.
Ryota also could not
hold back his smile at the expression on Akira's face, shaking his shoulders.
"I know Saki's
habit very well. I'm quite sure that you and Saki were meeting each other for
the first time at that time.
If so, that would
eliminate the possibility of you being related to the Rindo family. And since
the Kuga family is out of the question, there's no remaining possibility.
―If you don't lie at that time, then you must be from
Kokuten Province."
"I'm impressed.
―What makes you so sure about me related to
Ugetsu?"
"...... First,
you tried to kill that bastard Souma the other day.
Second, the arrogant
First Rank couldn't even care less about Dogyou (Seventh Rank).
And third, all his
retainers are just spectators from a safe distance."
That was why Ryota
thought that the most likely reason was Ugetsu's own family members who had
murderous intentions toward Ugetsu.
Akira nodded his head
in response to the explanation given without hesitation.
"I would
appreciate it if you would please keep this matter confidential."
"......I know, I
know.
It seems that
Tsuguho-sama is also moving with that intention, so I'll go along with that.
―But you should keep this in mind,"
As Akira waited for
him to continue his words, Ryota pointed a finger at his chest.
Sincere. But a
resolution of a frivolous pride.
Ryota made his
declaration in a straightforward manner.
"I met Saki
first."
"? Huh?..."
"Listen, you must
keep this in mind.
―I don't care whether you're Kanna-no-Mikura or
whatever, if you make her cry, I'm gonna beat the hell out of you myself."
―――――
The authority of
judgment and obliteration, which was given to the phoenix as a concept, turned
into scorching heat and licked the earth.
The waves of
purification exorcised everything that existed on the ground and purged them of
miasma.
A swirling heat wave,
which did not even pardon dying wails, swept through the place, and a moment
later, it was scattered.
The boy who created
this scene, alone, looked up to the sky, letting out a sigh mixed with
vermillion and gold.
Under the high, clear
autumn sky, nearly half of the Hyakki Yagyo were melted and reduced to soot by
a single blow.
―――――
TIPS: Pārijāta
The world's most
numerous divine artifact consists of 28 thorns in 14 pairs.
Because it is designed
to be operated simultaneously by a large number of people, the hurdles to its
exercise are considerably lower than those of any other divine artifact.
Its authority to
control the flow of water was a forgery concocted by Nurarihyon as part of his
scheme.
Its true authority is
to construct a spiritual path that cannot be interfered with, connecting the
starting point (a) and the ending point (b).
Through the starting
point stake (a) at Gennan-ji Temple, Shuka's divine energy flowed into the
ending point stake (b) held by Yamanomoto Gorozaemon.
Depending on how it is
used, it even makes it possible to exercise the divine energy of other divine
pillars without risk and without limitation.
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