Volume 4
Chapter 11
Part 2
My Great Path
Leads to the End of Delusion 2
Translator : PolterGlast
At that moment, a
soundless impact passed by, rattling the glass windows of shops and train
stations.
Flickering, murky
flashes scattered across one's vision, mingling with the winter gusts.
Several people around
squinted at the thinly clouded sky, then regained their composure and resumed
walking.
Akira and Saki, who
were waiting for their departure in front of Tsuzura Station, also looked up at
the blue sky, blending in with the passing crowd.
"Akira-kun,"
"If there's a
miasma mixing with the midday sun, the cause must be quite serious."
"I wonder where
it's coming from."
Miasma was very
incompatible with the daytime, which was classified as the yang qi. The
momentary disturbance had melted away in the sunlight, and Akira gave up on
trying to locate the source.
He turned his gaze to
Renkyo Mountain, which was only visible as a distant mountain range, searching
for any clues.
"Thinking simply,
it's a collapse of the miasma reservoir.
...It was only
recently that there was a fallen deity, but they seem to be already quite
complacent."
"I understand
your feelings about being strict, but it's unreasonable to expect an immediate
response in an emergency when they're not even a protector."
"That can't be
helped then.
—But what I mean is that person over there."
Following Akira's gaze
over his shoulder, Saki spotted the back of the person standing there.
One of the Ugetsu
retainers who had attacked earlier. —Perhaps because he was too wary of Akira,
his fluttering cloak showed no sign of wavering.
Akira scoffed
emotionlessly at his ridiculousness, which stood out from the disturbingly
agitated surroundings.
"Even other
people can notice something is wrong, but he's the only one who's unperturbed.
He's being too
relaxed."
"We should just
ignore others and do what we can."
"Yeah. Let's
prepare just in case."
"...Akira-kun. If
you were to summon the Kugai Bakufu now, how long would it take to
complete?"
Without even looking
at him, Saki brought up the most concerning point.
—The Kugai Bakufu, forged in the shape of a Genrei's
tortoise shell, is the largest and most powerful divine artifact in the world.
It is an absolute
contradiction that forbids even interference, let alone destruction.
It is the entire
world. It is the strongest and at the same time the greatest, with overwhelming
quality and quantity.
If it were summoned,
victory would be assured, but on the other hand, it had a drawback that could
not be stored in the depths of one's heart.
It takes time to
summon it from the always-existing universe. Saki was also aware of this
drawback, but only Akira knew the details.
"I've already
started summoning it, but it'll take another 30 minutes.
If it's just a
collapse of the miasma reservoir, it's out of line for us to go out
there..."
Akira said this
optimistically, his lips tightening as he felt the tremors under his feet.
"...Looks like we
don't have much time." "Damn it."
—His instincts as an onmyoji screamed a warning.
With a single click of
his tongue, Akira crouched down on the spot and pulled out a portable Tai Chi
diagram from his pocket.
"—Oi, what are
you doing!?"
"Shut your mouth.
If you don't know what's going on, you'd be better off playing around somewhere
else."
"What did you
say!? You pseudo-kegare, do you even know who are you talking to—"
One of the retainers
who had been watching Akira, probably suspecting his actions, ran up with rough
footsteps.
Akira's palm stopped
the man who was desperately trying to find a flaw.
"At this point,
the fact that you're still focusing only on me shows that your abilities as a
protector are lacking. If you have time to be stubborn, at least don't get in
the way."
"How can I trust
you!? You've hidden the whereabouts of the Lord and caused great chaos in
Ugetsu. At the very least, you should be punished in broad daylight..."
Saki thrust the tip of
her naginata into the throat of the retainer who was roaring with bloodlust.
With Saki's sharp gaze
and imposing manner, the man's feet retreated.
"—We don't have
time. If you have a mouth to move, you should also expect to have the talent to
keep quiet.
If you continue to be
stubborn, the Rindou family will be your opponent."
"N-No. I wouldn't
dare oppose the young lady of the Rindou family..."
As if realizing that
Akira and Saki were serious, the retainer turned on his heels, stumbling and
disappearing.
Without even glancing
at his back, Saki looked at Akira.
"Did you find
anything?"
"The source of
the miasma is in the direction of Renkyo Mountain, so it must be the miasma
reservoir we saw yesterday.
—But the concentration of the miasma is abnormally low.
It's not just a collapse, it's only showing a result where the miasma reservoir
couldn't even form."
"What's the
margin of error?"
"Even including
that, the difference is large. ...But since we've previously confirmed the
miasma reservoir, something abnormal is definitely happening."
Putting the Tai Chi
diagram back into his pocket, Akira stood up.
Just as Akira bitterly
drew his conclusion, a definite earth tremor hit Akira and Saki.
"What!?"
"—It's Renkyo Mountain."
Saki's gaze followed
Akira's voice towards Renkyo Mountain.
A vast plume of smoke
rose along the middle of the mountain range, near the ridge.
—After a single beat of breath, a bell rang madly.
Renkyo Mountain was
the home of the Ugetsu family, which ruled Samidare Territory.
Witnessing the
abnormality of the mountain, which had never wavered even for four thousand
years, the town of Tsuzura fell into great chaos.
A crowd pressed
towards Tsuzura Station, seeking escape. Akira and Saki hurried in the opposite
direction.
"Akira-kun!
Didn't you say the miasma was low?"
"Yeah. If the
results are correct, it means that something has devoured the miasma.
—I forgot what Tsuguho-sama said."
—A significant amount of miasma is required for an
apparition to incarnate.
Those were the words
Tsuguho had said to Akira when he knew nothing about it, several months ago.
In fact, they say that
in Kutsunagahara, after an apparition had consumed a miasma reservoir, there
had been peaceful days without even a trace of Kegare.
On a footpath through
the rice fields leading to Renkyo Mountain, beyond the bustling town of
Tsuzura, a red smoke signaled an emergency rose up. Akira's sharp gaze was
fixed on it.
"Did it
collapse?"
"—An apparition
has appeared. And if it's on Renkyo Mountain, the target is very limited."
The conditions for a
being to transform into an apparition have not been uniformly confirmed, but at
least it requires a high-ranking spirit for its base.
Since it is unlikely
that a high-ranking mountain lord would inhabit Renkyo Mountain, which is at
the knee of Ugetsu, it can be ruled out.
There were only two
possibilities left. If it were a divine spirit or a high-ranking spirit
possessed by one of the Eight Families, it would be possible.
—Kegare (the corrupted) is a being born when the spirit
goes mad.
These were words of
comfort that Ugetsu Fusae (grandmother) told Akira.
"It's either
Mikuriya Shishin, whom I killed, or Ugetsu Tenzan, whose body is missing.
—Since I doused Mikuriya Shishin with purifying water,
the only one left is Tenzan, who is mortally wounded."
—Clack, clack-clack, clack, clack, clack, clack,
clack!!
Ahead where Akira and
Saki were looking, a voiceless voice laughed at life itself.
—Only the fleeing mountain birds were strangely
darkening the blue sky.
♢
—A boring life.
If Ugetsu Tenzan were
to evaluate his own life, this one sentence would suffice.
He was aware of his talent
for the sword at an early age, and if he confronted someone, victory was
certain.
He was hailed as a
child prodigy ― but was soon given up on and fell into despair.
His swordsmanship was
sharp, and he continued to make solid progress.
—The problem is the use of spirit power. Ugetsu Tenzan
had mastered Shoden of the Gioin-school just before entering Tenryo Academy.
It was rumored that he
had an occasional failure to use his spirit power.
Although Tenzan's own
symptoms were not so severe, his mastery of spirit techniques was very slow.
Even if the spirit he
possessed was of a high rank, he was a useless cripple who couldn't hone his
spirit power.
Despite his brilliant
swordsmanship, Tenzan had lived his life filled with inferiority complexes.
Even when he ascended
to the position of head of the Ugetsu family after the sudden death of the
previous head, everything was lacking.
—My successor. My successor will surely...
Rather than a
spiritless being who proves my inadequacy, a divine spirit user is more suited
to be Ugetsu's successor.
—Rather than giving it to that hateful pseudo-kegare,
I'll make it mine.
The thing that was
once Tenzan swung his sword at the approaching grove of trees.
The swirling miasma
took the shape of a blade, severing the trees vertically and horizontally as it
rushed past.
—Ka, kaka!!
The demon was
intoxicated with the feeling of spirit power obeying his own will for the first
time.
The remnants of the
nasal cavity clinging to the back of his nasal bone sniffed out a living
presence.
—Delicious meat. It's all mine!!
The tongue wriggling
deep in his cheekbones formed words mixed with his leaking breath.
Obedient to desires
that were not even thoughts, the snow that had accumulated at the feet of the
demon exploded.
Leaving behind a
glowing, rotting footprint, the demon's body gained a momentary acceleration.
Spirit Technique,
Shoden, ―Aragamioroshi.
Lavishly wasting his
spirit power, the black bones of his arm flipped and slashed through the trees
horizontally and vertically.
An overwhelming sense
of omnipotence. Below Tenzan, who was leaping through the air, were the
bewildered Ugetsu retainers (his prey).
—Spirit Technique, Chuden.
—Cold moon, fall.
A glowing red light
that would rot everything fell into the midst of the Ugetsu retainers.
It was as expected,
leaving one person who had collapsed with half his body rotting, the rest
retreated.
Each of them shouted a
warning at the black skeleton standing ahead of their vision.
"An apparition!?
How did it get past Renkyo's guard?"
"Is that Mad
Bones? —But I've never heard of it colored black before-"
In the blink of an
eye. A flash of light ran past the side of one of the retainers, and a slash
passed through his neck.
The remaining breath
in his lungs was cut off, and the sound of a head falling to the ground
resounded.
—Kaka. Meat. All mine, Ugetsu's meat.
As if words were
unnecessary, the skeleton opened its mouth wide without hesitation.
The retainer's head
was carelessly pressed into this gaping emptiness.
Crack, crack. Before
the remaining retainer could do anything, the skull disappeared into the
skeleton's mouth.
The skeleton, stained
with bloody wind and miasma, was completely covered in new muscle.
Witnessing this sight,
the retainer involuntarily muttered an unbelievable conviction.
"...I-Is that
you, My Lord..."
—I am not your Lord.
Ignoring that foolish
question, the demon's jawbone gnawed off the retainer's neck.
Grabbing the collapsing
retainer's body, he pressed it into his wide-open mouth.
No longer leaving even
a vulgar sound, the demon's body recovered each time it swallowed the
retainers.
Eventually, as if
checking his restored arm, the demon looked around with the face of the former
Tenzan.
—Good.
His raspy voice didn't
seem to recover, but his clear voice still carried through the blue sky.
Each time the demon
honed his glowing spirit power, he felt the response of the spirit up close.
—More. Hone the spirit power even more.
Driven by a sense of
omnipotence, the demon honed his spirit power (miasma).
Hard, difficult, and
infinitely dense. —Soon, the glowing murky light began to emit a dark, turbid
radiance.
—Wonderful. This is it. The shining divine spirit that
was granted to me, and only me.
With a single stroke,
Tenzan's face, which was distorted by a sneer of greed, suddenly twisted in
hatred.
The spirit power
(miasma) sensed a faraway presence that would become a threat to him.
No, ever since he was
a being called Tenzan, it had always mocked him from the shadows.
—But that's a thing of the past.
I have also obtained
the divine spirit (Shison) that he boasted about so proudly.
...No, it's still not
enough. I'm not yet complete.
What used to be Ugetsu
Tenzan looked around at the empty sky.
Unfortunately, there
was no sign of that presence around Renkyo Mountain.
—My only son (the most exquisite food). If I eat his
divine spirit and make it part of myself, I will surely be complete. ...But
before that,
He smirked and turned
his body. A cloth of miasma was draped over his naked skin.
—Shall I go for a nibble? Even a pseudo-kegare without
a spirit would be a good snack.
Beyond the unseen
gaze, the demon bent his knees.
Leaving behind the
sound of an explosion where the remaining snow melted slightly, Tenzan danced
high into the sky.
He caught sight of the
figures of a boy and a girl standing at the foot of Renkyo Mountain, which
loomed below. With a hungry expression, the demon opened his mouth wide.
—Kaka, ka, ka, ka, ka, ka, ka!! Purification,
extermination!
As though the echo of
the demon's murderous intent had reached him, Akira's gaze met his.
"Tenzan!!"
—Don't howl so irreverently, you pseudo-kegare! Tenzan
is no more. I am, I am the one.
The demon brandished
his sword, and a thick spirit power (miasma) formed a glowing blade.
Spirit Technique,
Chuden, ―Yumiharidzuki.
—Ugetsu!!
Akira's spirit weapon
met the avalanche of miasma blades.
Clash. The deep,
obsidian glow resisted the torrent of miasma, but was overwhelmed by its
momentum and crushed.
Nevertheless, Akira
did not stop his forward momentum.
He turned his feet,
breathing shallowly, and moved closer to Tenzan.
A moment later, the
breath that was tinged with spiritual light and the miasma scattered sparks
along with their slashes.
Gradually, the miasma
corroded Akira's sword, and an abnormal sound echoed from the blade due to the
limit.
With the shadow of
victory clearly within reach, saliva dripped from the demon's mouth.
—What's wrong? Where has your usual sneer gone!?
"Sneer? What are
you talking about? It's you who has been sneering at me."
—Don't lie. It's the height of arrogance to hide the
fact that you are the Kanna-no-Mikura and revel in it behind the scenes.
They locked blades at
the hilt, engaging in a contest of strength.
Akira poured all of
his obsidian spirit power into his spirit weapon.
He planted his feet
and carved a crisscross trajectory with his sword.
Gioin-style Spirit
Technique, Chuden―
"Madoirōgetsu!!?"
—Too weak!
Faster than Akira, who
stepped forward sharply, the demon's sword flashed in a reverse slash.
The slash, wrapped in
miasma, was heavy, and Akira's spirit weapon shattered from the middle of the blade.
Akira's throat was
left wide open. Confident of a sure hit, Tenzan thrust forward.
The fragments that
were once white blades scattered sunlight and reflected each other's gazes.
The demon's face
twisted in pleasure, and Akira refused to give up. Their gazes pierced each
other, and Akira's palm danced into the void.
—He grabbed the sword that had been sheathed in the
depths of his heart.
"Sink into the
setting sun―,"
Akira's declaration,
grabbed a momentary victory in the intense battle. A vermillion-gold glow
seeped into Akira's breath.
"—Rakuyou
Zakuro..."
If he was going to be
defeated anyway, he might as well use his spirit weapon as a decoy.
A dark, blazing sword,
imbued with vermillion-gold spirit power, traversed the void.
—That's...!
—Slash.
The divine power of
Shuka, which symbolized purification and annihilation, dug into the right arm
of Tenzan, who was confident of victory.
Without even allowing
the gushing miasma to resist, the scorching blade of darkness cut through the
flesh, leaving behind the sound of tearing flesh.
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