Volume 4
Chapter 5 Part
2
Playfully
Scheming, with No End in Sight 2
Translator : PolterGlast
As the autumn sky,
dyed in light black, looked down on the fallen Souma, Akira's wooden sword
traced an arc from its final strike to its sheath.
A cold, hard silence
descended upon the scene, marking the end of the match.
"The
winner—Yotsurugi Akira."
Fujinomorimiya
Kaoruko's merciless voice echoed through the white sands.
With such a
declaration, Akira bowed his head, leaving only the sound of his robes
rustling.
—No one spoke.
They witnessed the end
of an era that had been approaching the Three Imperial Families, the Four
Sovereigns, and the Eight Families without a word to be said.
"No way..."
A thin voice, twisted
to the point of being strangled, rose from the Three Imperial Families' side.
It was Tenzan's
pitiful cry, unable to grasp the reality as he fell to his knees.
"It's over. Well,
it's a fitting end."
"Wait! Please,
there's still more.
As the head of Ugetsu,
as long as I haven't lost—"
—Hoping for one more push.
Perhaps regaining his
composure upon hearing the muttering, Tenzan turned to face Takamikura again.
The golden divine
pillar looked at the man who had renewed his belated determination with
boredom.
"Denied."
"This is a match
to decide the Eight Families's future! To refuse so unilaterally, would leave a
legacy of injustice in the future!"
Tenzan desperately
clung to the divine pillar who had so casually dismissed his plea.
Souma was undoubtedly
the strongest in Ugetsu, even without considering his ability as a divine
spirit medium. His talent for mastering Kagetsu Koukou at a young age has far
surpassed Tenzan's.
Tenzn had to admit
Akira's talent. —Therefore, if he could force him into another battle while he
was tired from his match with Souma, Tenzan might still have a chance.
However, as Tenzan
made a fool of himself, Kaoruko's rebuke pierced him from the side.
"—That's
precisely why you're not qualified.
What the Eight
Families require are two things. One is the head of the warrior clans. And the
other is the key of the Ten Heavenly Stems in the ancient covenant.
The two are often
confused, but their essence is separate."
"That's..."
"Because you sent
Ugetsu Souma to fight Akira, I thought you understood. ...It seems the decline
of Ugetsu is quite serious.
—The head of Ugetsu that we see is not recognized by
the inner circle of the nobility."
Kaoruko abandoned the
pitiful Tenzan and turned her gaze to Akira.
At the silent urging
of the woman who held the power to judge, Akira simply nodded.
—She extended her hand towards Souma. Countless glints
of lapis lazuli light burst forth and dissolved into Akira.
The transfer took only
a few seconds, and the brilliance ended abruptly.
"What are
you—"
"Sever
through the silence."
Ignoring Tenzan's
voice, Akira reached out to the void.
To mark the end of the
match to decide the Eight Families, he grasped the hilt of the sword that had
been newly enshrined in his heart.
"—Futsu-no-Awai."
It was the first time
he had held it, but the familiar feeling returned to Akira's hand as if he had
been holding it for a long time.
Without a sound, the
obsidian divine spirit gushed forth, and a thin, slender blade of reflection
carved the image of a crescent moon in front of Akira's eyes.
The manifestation was instantaneous.
But seeing the divine artifact, which he had once held himself, in the hands of
a mere pseudo-kegare, Tenzan's face distorted into a hideous grimace.
"The pride of
Ugetsu. You dare to disgrace me to this extent..."
"Calm down a bit,
Ugetsu.
—It's a sign of consideration for the next generation
to pass the mantle on."
With those words,
delivered in a didactic tone, Harutane thrust the dagger, still sheathed, in
Tenzan's direction.
Satisfied with
Tenzan's silence, Harutane sat back down.
The surrounding gazes
were reproachful.
Harutane scratched his
head, acknowledging the fact that he had disrupted the sacred ceremony.
"—Oh my, how rude
of me.
It's not often that I
get a chance to do something like this, so I'd be grateful if everyone could
overlook it."
"No need for such
unnecessary concern.
—This is my answer to you, Tenzan. The Imperial Match
is an Ancient Covenant of the Eight Families. This is proven by the possession
of the divine artifact."
The Ugetsu divine
artifact had been transferred from Tenzan to Souma.
In other words, the
only one qualified to participate in the Imperial Match was Souma, who
possessed the divine artifact.
From Takamikura's
perspective, Tenzan was merely a relative of the Ugetsu, one of the Eight
Families.
Finally understanding
that all his options had been exhausted, Tenzan slumped his shoulders in
dejection.
After casting a glance
at Ugetsu Tenzan, who had been used and discarded, Akira turned his gaze back
to the divine pillar.
Perhaps it was the
only salvation for this man who had maintained Ugetsu, to end up not knowing
that he had been used and discarded.
—No one was looking at Tenzan anymore.
"Does anyone have
any more complaints? —Very well. Then Akira, let me ask you again.
What do you seek after
Yotsurugi is acknowledged as the new member of the Eight Families?"
Once again, the golden
divine pillar asked the same question, and Akira shook his head slightly.
The match with Souma,
and its outcome, were simply predetermined facts for Akira.
It was nothing more
than an event that had passed without incident, and he had no lingering
emotions about it.
—Nevertheless, Akira decided to use the judgment he had
been given for one remaining regret.
"My demands
remain the same, but I suppose I can show a little mercy."
"Hou?"
"—On one
condition."
Noticing the emotion
hidden beneath Akira's casual tone, Takamikura showed interest.
Tenzan seemed to feel
the same. He quickly turned his thoughts and glared at Akira with a gloomy
gaze.
There could never be
complete goodwill in the transactions of the nobility.
Tenzan, who had
interacted with society in one way or another, was more aware of this fact than
Akira.
Clearly asked for an
unspoken exchange condition, Akira shrugged.
"Clean up the
entire Ugetsu mansion in Tsudzura.
—If you can guarantee that, I will allow you to stay in
Tsudzura until next spring."
"...Understood.
I, I thank you for
your kindness, Yotsurugi-dono."
"Formalities are
fine. All I want is proof that you've carried out your task."
It was as if they had
been given a sufficient preparation period before being driven out of their
territory, even as the arrival of winter was becoming increasingly apparent.
Despite the seemingly
sweet conditions being repeated, Tenzan could only feel humiliation.
With his face
contorted in anger, he lowered his head dully.
A contract made before
the divine pillars is treated as equal to an oath of a divine pillar.
Having witnessed only
its conclusion, Takamikura finally ordered Ugetsu to retreat.
Carrying the
unconscious Souma, Tenzan disappeared powerlessly.
—In the end, everyone present simply looked bored, and
the decline of Ugetsu was decided upon abruptly.
♢
"So it's over.
To show mercy to
Ugetsu, this generation's Mikura is quite lenient."
"It's a common
practice in negotiations to only offer easy agreements.
Besides..."
Glancing at the
carefree Seiran, Hariin Homare finished her sentence vaguely.
The difficulty of the
agreement is a measure of trust toward the other party.
Easy conditions also
indicate a low level of trust toward Ugetsu.
Seiran looked at
Homare, who was inwardly troubled, with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?
Now that the turmoil of the Gioin has subsided, you seem quite troubled."
"...I don't think
Ugetsu will settle down with this.
I can't understand why
Akira, who obviously noticed that, would let Ugetsu go."
Akira showed no signs
of hesitation in making his demands, let alone the match.
That means Akira must
have anticipated what means Tenzan would resort to.
If that's the case,
then the mercy is not straightforward. There must be a hidden motive.
—The problem is that Homare, who has little
relationship with either of them, cannot read that motive.
"Even if there's
something behind it, it's none of our business.
As long as Kuro's
anger subsided, we would have a chance to recover our position in the
East."
"If it were that
simple, it would be a lot easier.
The worst part is that
Akira-kun is the Celestial Throne."
"Amazing. It's a
feat that even the previous Mikuras couldn't achieve.
...Wait? What do you
mean by worst?"
Seiran, who had been
nodding in admiration, tilted her head at the murmur that she couldn't ignore.
Homare's gaze darted
around, as if trying to escape the accusing tone.
In a situation where
they couldn't lie to each other, Seiran was certain that there was something
the girl, who was family member, was hiding.
Grasping Homare's
sleeve, she lowered his voice.
"Homare, what
have you done? What's so bad about the current generation being the Celestial
Throne?"
"No, nothing that
would be embarrassing if it were revealed."
"Since you say
so, it must be something like an offhand promise you made.
—To whom, and what did you promise?"
I won't be mad, so
just say it.
Seeing the blue vein
on Seiran's forehead as she urged her silently, Homare slumped her shoulders.
—She's definitely going to be scolded, even if she
didn't say it.
"...Even if they
are Kanna-no-Mikura, they are still ordinary people living in reality."
"But is the same
also true for the Celestial Throne?"
"The premise
changes between a Mikura who can only accommodate one divine pillar and a
Celestial Throne who can accommodate multiple divine pillars.
Initially, I thought
that after defeating Ugetsu, Gioin would claim ownership over him."
Seeing Shuka and
Genrei right after they visited the Santen-ryo, she was certain that her
prediction would come true.
"There is no
basis for that, is there?"
"...Ao-sama.
Reflecting on yourself 400 years ago, is there anything you want to say?"
"Well, that was
inevitable! I was just ending some fools who tried to steal my spouse from me
to their own territory."
"But even so,
firing the divine artifact's divine property across dragon veins, and losing
guardians on a territorial scale before your head could cool down, is not
helpful.
—Anyway, I made the Jinrouin side agree to let the
Hariin take on the role of mediator between the North and the South."
The purpose of using
Hojo Izana as a messenger, using Yuge Kojou as bait, was to ensure
non-interference in the mediation rights.
The other side seemed
to have already realized that Akira was a Kanna-no-Mikura. In exchange for
bringing Kagura and Akira closer together, an agreement of non-interference was
made.
"You're taking on
quite a lot of trouble, huh?"
"Since the
outcome is clear, the negotiation is relatively straightforward.
—Both families were in a hurry to secure time with
Akira-kun."
Even if it's the
Kanna-no-Mikura, it's not easy to change the divine pillar they house.
Because, just as
Genrei is trying to monopolize Akira now, it's possible for the divine pillar
to resist Akira's will.
Homare had assumed
that it would take several years to go back and forth between Shuka and Genrei.
A quick resolution to
a negotiation that was bound to be troublesome would be a huge favor to both
families.
Even if the
negotiations were not concluded, it wouldn't be a problem for Homare.
Whether it's a
negotiation or a gamble, there are surprisingly many similarities in the
structure.
This is especially
true when capital (interest) is highly concentrated at its core.
In fact, the longer it
took to end, the more profit she would make, making it a very lucrative deal
for Homare.
For Kabeju Province,
which was busy establishing a navy, securing investments that flowed in one
direction and human resources greater than protectors is a coveted objective.
But everything was
thrown out the window because Akira was the Celestial Throne.
The fact that the
Gioin and the Kihoin didn't protest Akira's decision very much suggests that
their fates have already been decided internally.
In that case, there
was no point for the Hariin, let alone the Jinrouin, to extend their fingers.
—Or rather, since the promise to help the Jinrouin is
still in effect, Homare is left with nothing but trouble.
"...Even if it's
a verbal promise, I can't cut my losses, can I?"
"Of course not!
You've always been good at studying, but you waste your time using your wits.
Why don't you use your
body before thinking for once!"
"Thanks for the
advice. When you acted without thinking, Ao-sama, it caused a lot of damage,
though."
"You can't get
results without taking action! Besides..."
The divine pillar and
the prodigy bickered in a corner.
Watching them from the
side, Hariin Midori, the head of the Hariin clan, placed her hand on her
forehead and sighed.
Although they seemed
to be at odds, they had an unexpectedly trusting relationship.
Both Homare's actions
and Seiran's judgments were ultimately out of concern for each other.
The current head of
the Hariin clan couldn't help but wonder if they could just compromise a little
more.
♢
"Well, that
settles the matter of Ugetsu.
—Next, let's move on to how to deal with Ravana."
Everyone bowed their
heads at Takamikura's declaration as they returned to the main hall after the
match.
However, Tsukinomiya
Ama tilted her head.
"Ravana? Isn't
she supposed to be purified already?"
"That's half
right, but the truth is a bit more complicated.
The daughter of Rindo,
Saki was it? —Come forward."
"Y-Yes."
Suddenly called upon,
Saki advanced on her knees toward Takamikura.
Takamikura looked down
at the girl, who sat upright in a somewhat shrinking manner, with a gentle
gaze.
"There's no need
to be nervous. I'm just here to praise you for your great contribution to
capturing Ravana."
"Eh? I-I don't
think I've accomplished anything in particular."
Saki pondered, unable
to think of anything specific.
The only thing she
could accomplish during the Hyakki Yagyo was to purify Yamamoto Gorozaemon, but
she was prepared to be reprimanded for having allowed the Kanoe Shrine to fall.
The golden-haired
girl, who didn't seem much older, smiled wryly at Saki's bewildered expression.
"You really don't
seem to realize it. You made a contract with Sita, the divine pillar of
Bharatush.
—How were you planning to return Ravana to Lanka?"
"H-How?"
"There weren't
many countermeasures left against Ravana's invasion.
The contract with Sita
was one of them."
"...That's true,
but I can't fulfill that contract anymore.
I've definitely
witnessed Ravana's purification."
Saki could only
respond with bewilderment to Takamikura's words.
As the divine pillar
in front of her pointed out, Saki had made a contract with Sita to return
Ravana to Lanka.
But she had also
confirmed that Akira had purified Ravana in front of her eyes.
She had no intention
of blaming Akira.
—She believed that at that moment, in that situation,
it was the best course of action.
Ezuka-hime, dressed in
a sari, hugged Saki's shoulder as if to comfort her.
The surrounding people
exclaimed in surprise as a spirit clearly manifested.
A divine spirit. And a
very high-ranking one at that.
Among her peers, the
only one who possesses a divine spirit is Ugetsu Souma.
—This was the moment when that common understanding was
shattered.
"It's true that
Ravana died at Akira's hands.
—But have you forgotten? Ravana's divine artifact would
have caused you suffering more than anything else."
"The divine
artifact, huh? But that's—"
She hadn't forgotten.
The ability to imitate others and even reproduce the dead to a limited extent.
But the faces of the
Nine Dharma Treasures were supposed to have been completely shattered when
Ravana released his divine attributes.
"Oh, has it
already begun?"
Before Saki, who was
left with nothing but bewilderment, Utanomiya Aya, who had advanced from
behind, placed something down.
"—I'm late,
Takamikura-sama. I had a hard time finding it."
—A wooden mask wrapped in multiple layers of sealing
talismans.
"The Nine Dharma
Treasures!?"
"—The last,
hidden one, the Lankavatra Sutra, which expounds on the true nature of humans
(Ahankara).
Take this as a
souvenir and seek an audience with Sita. Then, the contract will be
fulfilled."
"Th-thank you...
but, where did you find this?"
"Sanezaki
Yukitsuna was its foundation. The Sanezaki family, one of the Eight Families,
perished a long time ago."
"—What?"
Surprised, everyone's
gaze gathered on a corner of Hakudo Province's side.
Sanezaki Yukitsuna was
undoubtedly there. —So, what about Sanezaki Masamichi, who they said had
succeeded him?
The middle-aged man,
who had been sitting behind them with a faint impression, swelled up like a
bubble the moment their gaze gathered.
Like a bad illusion,
the swollen figure collapsed with a faint sound.
Nothing remained.
Only the slightly sunken
cushion was left cold, as if there had never been anyone there in the first
place.
"When he was in
his teens, Sanezaki Yukitsuna was very weak, despite being a direct descendant.
—He must have been taken advantage of by Ravana and
accepted the Lankavatara Sutra in exchange for his health."
Utanomiya Aya's
speculation followed in an indifferent manner.
No matter what kind of
Nine Dharma Sutra it was, recovery was impossible because it was outside the
scope of its authority.
Therefore, it should
be assumed that after Sanezaki Yukitsuna died, the imitated Lankavatara Sutra
took over.
However, since it was
a divine artifact, it would also be impossible for it to mingle with human
lineage.
If the divine
artifact's power was used to make it appear to be a successor and deceive
people like an illusion, the situation could be explained.
The divine artifact's
power, which could even deceive the divine pillars, was only revealed when it
was sealed.
While even the divine
pillars were dumbfounded, Takamikura let out a sigh of relief, unbeknownst to
anyone, that all was over.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
MaxKne
Swagaraga
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
[Silver]
blue shooting
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Gtsfan321
Pristia
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
