Volume 4
Prologue
Only the
Darkness Knows Where the Thoughts Go
Translator : PolterGlast
―He had an older brother.
Ugetsu Souma
discovered this fact purely by chance. It was a derogatory term, [pseudo-kegare],
that he overheard from the retainers who tried to keep it a secret.
It seemed to be a
well-known fact, even among the children of the retainers. Out of curiosity,
Souma searched for information and eventually found the truth.
—They said he was inept with a brush and dull with a
sword, a complete failure.
—They said he was so incompetent that he couldn't be
let out of the mansion.
They said he was a
mere fool, protected by his grandmother, so shameful that he couldn't show his
face in public.
He wondered how much
his mother would slump her shoulders every time these slanders reached her
ears.
She would lower her
gaze in shame and tremble. Souma began to harbor a sticky feeling of resentment
towards this unseen culprit, his brother.
That was the origin of
Ugetsu Souma.
He hated his brother
and devoted himself even more to his studies of both literature and martial
arts. With the blessing of the divine spirit that resided within him, his
talent amply rewarded his efforts.
He has been highly
regarded not only in Kokuten Province but also in Takamagahara.
Around the time that
the [[Jewel of the North] became the talk of the town, Tenzan began to move to
make Souma his heir.
The only person who
stubbornly refused to allow such a move was his grandmother, Ugetsuki Fusae,
who protected his brother even to her deathbed.
His grandmother,
Ugetsu Fusae Ametsuki, was well-known for her doting affection.
Her protection of the
[pseudo-kegare] was Ugetsu Fusae's only fatal flaw.
Even though the
retainers openly whispered their mockery, she simply brushed it off.
—Once, Souma had asked Fusae why she refused to
acknowledge him as the heir.
—It was shameful of her not to yield her position as
the lady of the house to Souma's mother, Ugetsu Sanae.
She was not at all
bothered by such things, and the gaze she directed at Souma was stern.
"What you say is
true. However, as the lady of the house, I cannot accept that claim."
"Why? He's an
incompetent good-for-nothing who's inferior in both literature and martial
arts. It's bad enough that we're keeping him alive, but to disregard father's
kindness is unforgivable."
Sōma's legitimate
claim was eloquently stated. After listening to it all, the old woman sitting
in her private room shook her head nonetheless.
Dissatisfaction
appeared on the face of the boy who sat resolutely, having received a rejection
he had never received from Tenzan.
Even when she saw this
expression, Ugetsu Fusae's gaze did not waver.
"I certainly am
aware of the retainers' voices.
—Even knowing that I cannot acknowledge you as the
heir."
"Is it simply
because he was born first? I don't think there's any prospect of protecting
that fool."
Hearing Souma's
frustration, the old woman smiled thinly.
—A rejection from Fusae, something he had always
disliked, even after her death.
"I agree that
ability should be prioritized over being the eldest son.
That's why I've
decided that you are not suitable to be the heir of the Ugetsu family."
"...I would like
to hear a clear reason why you would choose to support a mere pseudo-kegare who
has even been abandoned by the spirits."
His fist trembled with
humiliation at being compared to a beast that would eventually degrade into a
defiled beast. Overlooking the downcast boy, Fusae opened her mouth after a few
moments of contemplation.
"There are three
reasons. Akira, more than being a Ugetsu, is the fiancé of Giōin Shizumi.
Although the Ugetsu family is responsible for his growth, his custody belongs
to the Giōin family."
"You seem to have
misunderstood. What the Giōin family wants is a marriage to the heir of the
Ugetsu family.
That is clear from our
mutual contract."
"That's exactly
why... The Gioin family had granted their support to Akira as Ugetsu's heir at
the time of his birth.
—Since the Gioin family has accepted Akira personally,
you are not included in that category."
The fact is that the
engagement with the Giōin family was established when Akira was born.
—Since he had not yet been born, Souma was excluded
from the contract.
Ugetsu Fusae, who had
been the lady of the house for a long time, was indeed a talented woman.
Pointing out the
biggest problem that was troubling Tenzan, Souma revealed his irritation.
It should be the duty
of everyone in the Ugetsu family to ease the heartache of the head of the
Ugetsu family.
Nevertheless, in
Souma's eyes, he saw her as a senile old woman who neglected Tenzan and cared
only about her grandson.
However, Fusae's
following words denied Souma's suspicions.
"But this is just
a problem that can be solved if we can get the approval of the Giōin family.
It shouldn't be too
difficult, given the second reason."
"...What is the
second reason?"
"It's simply a
difference in ability. You may belittle him, but from what I've seen, he's well
ahead of you."
"With all due
respect, it's too insulting to compare me to him. My grades—"
"I know. You've
never dropped below first place since you entered the advanced elementary
school. Not only your ability, but also the efforts you have put in are
undoubtedly superior than the previous generations of Ugetsu."
"Then!"
Encouraged by the words
that acknowledged his efforts, the boy rose to his feet.
But Fusae's gaze, as
cold as that of a public official, did not waver.
"And the same
goes for Akira." "—!"
Akira's achievements,
conveyed by the unwavering voice, turned Souma's fist white.
Enduring the
humiliation to the point of bleeding, Souma lowered his gaze to the tatami mat.
"He did drop out
this term, but he had never lost his top position before.
—The reason he dropped out was that he gave up his
nomination for the national swordsmanship tournament to someone else."
"He was probably
swayed by cowardice though."
"No. He was
simply not allowed to participate by the head of the Ugetsu family.
I'm sure of it. I was
there myself."
Souma's arguments were
all shattered by Fusae's resounding rejections.
The young boy's
immature mind was clouded by rage, and his grandmother's words were met with
indifference.
"The third reason
is not about Akira, but about you.
You are—"
In the depths of his
fading memory, it must have been a heartfelt warning that his grandmother had
given him, one that he would never hear again.
♢
Kicking up the gravel
roughly, the boy turned on his heel.
He ran through the
midst of the assembled Ugetsu retainers as the crimson sky faded away.
"Souma-sama,
where are you heading?"
"The guardians of
Kabeju Province seem to be in disarray. I believe that now is the time to show
them that Ugetsu is here."
Without answering the
surprised boys, Souma turned his attention northward.
In the battlefield of
Hariin, which spread out before his eyes, the number of ogres was rapidly
decreasing.
From afar, he could
see a woman figure in a guardian's haori and dancing along with her spirit
power.
The back of that
figure overlapped with his memory of Hōjō Izana, whom he had met at Tenryō
Academy along with Hariin Homare.
Flash. He recalled the
previous statement that allowed the Ugetsu family's assistance to the Kabeju
Province battlefield.
At that time, he had
only felt grateful, but when he learned this situation, he couldn't help but
suspect that this outcome had been planned.
"Souma, I don't
know what you're upset about, but give instructions to the retainers. At this
rate, the Hōjō family will take everything."
"...Forget it,
there's probably nothing left anyway. Didn't you see what happened a moment
ago?"
A familiar voice
stopped Souma's hurried steps.
Walked alongside him
was Sakō Yasuharu, the direct grandson of Sakō Jinbee, the head steward of the
Ugetsu family, and the person Souma trusted most.
Unable to simply
dismiss him, Souma glanced at the battlefield behind him.
"That was an
enormous spiritual power. I've never heard that the Hariin family had such a
hidden card."
"I guess so. If
we had heard about it, no family would have avoided the displeasure of the
Ugetsu."
"What do you
mean?"
"Taking advantage
of our kindness, the Hariin family has spread rumors about the shame of the
Ugetsu family. The culprit who planned the recent cold treatment of the Ugetsu
family is him.
—All units, listen up. As planned, we will enter the
Hariin battlefield. Even if only remnants remain, it's better to take them than
nothing."
Ignoring Yasuharu, who
was taken aback, Souma turned to his retainers.
The retainers who
responded with nods showed no fear, despite their tension.
Satisfied with that
fact, Souma turned his back on the battlefield.
"Keep the same
team formations as before. Make our banners stand out, and commence the
extermination of the giant ogre.
Yasuharu, come with
me, we're going to eliminate that culprit."
Cutting off the
confusion and objections from those around him, Souma quickened his pace
towards the foot of the mountain.
Carefully treading the
rough, graveled road, his gaze turned to the north.
The torii gate where “that
thing” disappeared to was the spiritual path of Aioi that connected the vital
points of the five elements of the Five Elemental Barrier.
Since it went to the
northwest of Himorogi (the wood element), then the destination must be Mt.
Kayanowa (the water element).
As the situation
became clear, Souma's thoughts began to connect the dots.
If his imagination was
correct, the Ugetsu family was about to be torn apart by that thing's jealousy
and resentment.
"Please calm down
a bit. We can't enter the Hariin battlefield without you leading the front
line."
"Yasuharu, you
already knew that we wouldn't get much credit anyway. The retainers' role is to
fulfill the formalities and stall Kabeju Province."
Without stopping,
Souma responded to Yasuharu, who caught up with him from behind.
His friend's
expression was one of incomprehension or bewilderment.
Apparently, his friend
had figured it out as well. However, it was unclear to Souma how he figured it
out.
—He didn't want to admit it, but seeing his friend's expression,
it became evident that the figure they saw earlier was probably his sibling.
That thing's figure,
which resembled that of his father Tenzan, evoked such disgust that he felt
like vomiting.
"That
pseudo-kegare is our living disgrace. You understand the situation, right? If
we don't purify him here, he will haunt the Ugetsu family for
generations."
"—Are you sure?
From what I heard from Grandfather, we couldn't even trace him in the
surrounding territories."
Yasuharu's question
was understandable. Tenzan waited patiently for the death of Ugetsu's lady of
the house out of compassion, so that Akira would not cling to any regrets.
After all, he was the
eldest son. Tenzan had taken great care to ensure that he could die a miserable
death outside the territory so as not to inconvenience anyone, and this had
been praised by the retainers as a compassionate decision by the head of the
Ugetsu family.
Although it was a
miscalculation that he survived for three years, things were still generally
going as planned.
"There's no
mistake—and what's more, someone without spirit was using spirit power. It's
probably some kind of evil, heretical method that he used to ingratiate himself
with the Giōin family."
"That's... not
good."
"It's worse than
that. Think about it, Shizumi-sama didn't even listen to Father. If you think
that guy has been whispering in her ear behind the scenes all this time, it
makes sense."
Yasuharu's cheeks
twitched at Souma's assertion.
The fact that the
relationship between Akira and Shizumi was stronger than Tenzan had anticipated
was a new problem for the Ugetsu family.
The cold treatment of
the Ugetsu family, which began with Akira's banishment, all of this could be
traced back to the original cause, a pseudo-kegare.
"But what kind of
method did he use to possess spirit power? It's no longer a simple situation
where we just have to prove that he doesn't have a spirit."
"...I heard from
my master, Fuwa Naotoshi, that the previous Ugetsu's lady of the house was
invited to the Ugetsu family as a master of talismans. I believe that the
original form of talisman technique, especially dolls (hitogata), was a human
being used as a talisman."
The mantras that make
up a talisman are based on those modeled after humans.
This is because, in order
to maintain spirit power, a living vessel is originally required.
Although it was
supposed to have become obsolete due to the high cost of the technique, what is
needed here is the function of maintaining spirit power.
For Akira, the most
important aspect is storing spirit power.
—But using a human being as a talisman is undoubtedly a
foolish act that goes against human morality.
It is a shameful act
that cannot be excused even if the other party is a pseudo-kegare.
Perhaps his thoughts
had finally caught up with him, a sharp expression appeared on Yasuharu's face.
"On the contrary.
If it becomes public, it won't just be a scandal for the Ugetsu family."
"—That's why I'm
so desperate.
Even if we can get
Shizumi-sama to understand later, if it gets entangled in a public hearing, in
worst case scenario, the entire Kokuten Province will be held hostage."
If these things were
to be recorded in official documents that they had sheltered a user of evil
magic, it would not only damage the reputation of the Ugetsu family, but also
that of the Giōin family. Especially now, when they should be given eternal
honor, they would bear a stigma that could not be extinguished.
For Souma, this was
something that he had to avoid by any means necessary.
With a stiff expression,
Souma nodded to Yasuharu behind him and refined the spirit power raging in his
tanden.
♢
As the crimson sky was
nearing its end and deepening its depth, Souma's feet had somehow reached the
mountain towering directly in a straight line with Mt. Kayanowa.
Relying on the immense
spiritual power that supported his divine spirit, he ran through the mountains
at maximum speed.
Following the grove of
trees that flowed beyond his field of vision, Souma cast a glance behind him
He was harboring a high-ranking
spirit, so he had crossed several mountains at full speed.
Souma had plenty of
leeway, but Sako Yasuharu, who was lagging behind, couldn't do the same.
"Yasuharu, how
much spirit power do you have left?"
"I can squeeze
out a little more. —Don't worry about me, Souma."
"I need you to
examine his body and testify.
—Don't be late."
Souma left these words
of comfort in response to the rough breathing.
In a single breath,
Souma accelerated. His body weaved through the trees and danced high in the sky.
He couldn't allow that
creature, who was nothing more than a kegare, to wiggle any further.
Suppressing his
agitated spirit, he looked beyond his field of vision.
What was happening?
The rumbling from Mt. Kayanawa echoed especially loudly and then silence
returned.
Urged on by his
anxious emotions, Souma stepped into the mountains leading to Mt. Kayanawa.
—Souma.
A silent whisper, full
of charm.
His divine spirit, who
rarely spoke, opened her mouth with clear distress.
"What's
wrong?"
It was unusual of her.
But without answering
Souma's question, the woman who emerged behind him remained silent.
The divine spirit's
intention to stop him was conveyed directly to Souma.
However, Souma
suppressed even her true intentions, and as if to shake her off, he sped off
into the mountains at dusk.
The crimson light
filtering in through the trees fell into the night sky
—At that moment, the sky regained its clear blue color.
"!"
He stopped dead in his
tracks. Souma, too, was lost for words upon witnessing the clear blue sky that
followed.
A gentle breeze blew,
and after a moment, the blue sky gradually returned to its original twilight.
Looking around, the
surroundings only returned to a deep darkness.
Guided by the
imperceptible fluctuations in the atmosphere, Souma resumed his steps.
In the distance,
beyond the darkness of the mountain path, he could hear the sound of people
descending the mountain.
A boy and a girl. Both
seemed exhausted and were walking, supporting each other.
A faint murmur of
conversation. Souma's emotions snapped at the sight of the two of them being so
friendly with each other.
—He snipped the koiguchi of the spirit weapon.
Controlling the
overflowing lapis lazuli glow, he drew his sword without hesitation in an iai
strike.
Gioin-style Spirit
Technique, Shoden, ―Engetsu.
Leaving behind a
trailing spirit power, a flying slash accompanied by a blast tore through the
night air.
""Wha,""
Caught off guard, the
girl's initial movement was fatally delayed.
The spiritual power
that she kneaded up was also poorly prepared,
"Saki—!!"
The boy, wisely
protecting the girl with his back, leaped in front of Engetsu.
A flashing talisman
was activated, and black water turned into a freezing shockwave.
A violent collision
and a roar resounded. The ground shook and obscured his vision, but Souma
stepped over the dust cloud without hesitation.
He leaped out in front
of the boy. A figure with a somewhat similar face, either the same height as
Souma or slightly shorter.
Without regard to
whether the opponent was empty-handed or not, he unleashed a flurry of slashes
in a fit of rage.
"Are you
satisfied with trampling on our father's kindness!?,
—You pseudo-kegare!"
"Ugetsu,
Sou-maaaaa!"
The brothers, who
recognized each other for the first time in three years, were filled with
hatred, unable to accept each other.
They shouted each
other's name, fueled by the exploding spirit light.
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