Volume 4
Side Story 7
The Rebellious
Sun, the Taunts of the Heavenly Demons
Translator : PolterGlast
Slosh, slosh, slosh.
The snow swirled at Fuwa Naotoshi's feet as he slid down the valley which was
his destination.
A bright, murky light
surged up and eerily welcomed Naotoshi as he reached the bottom of the valley.
An elderly onmyōji,
who had been watching the boundary where the miasma struggled, turned his feet
towards Naotoshi.
"What's the
situation?"
"...It's not
good. I've confirmed the root of the miasma deep in the dragon vein."
"If the Onibi
(Will-o'-the-Wisp) is erupting, it will be turned quite serious. Let's lower
the front line by two divisions, anticipating a collapse."
"Understood.
—All personnel, listen up. Discontinue the current
purification and lower the barrier to the second level."
Naotoshi bitterly
decided to retreat, bowing his head to the onmyōji, his eyes fixed on the
phosphorescent light rising profusely from the dragon vein.
Had they already anticipated
this? At the same time as the onmyōji's order, all personnel began to withdraw.
Onibi
(Will-o'-the-Wisp), a kind of incarnation, is so weak that even a trainee
soldier can disperse it.
However, even a small
amount of miasma can cause it to multiply in the blink of an eye, making it a
nuisance that cannot be ignored.
If the dragon vein is
eroded by the endlessly multiplying Will-o'-the-Wisp, it will eventually become
a pool of poison that spews out inexhaustible miasma.
A famous example is
the vast miasma pool (Kutsunagahara) that spreads south of Karen in Shumon
Province.
"We'll use the
purification barrier as a wedge and drive it into the dragon vein."
"It's the main
current that supports Samidare Territory. If we dam it up, it will have a long-lasting
impact."
"If there's still
room to recover, it's better than letting it rot and be consumed by the
Will-o'-the-Wisp.
We'll connect it to
the tributary that links to Renkyo's shrine. If we create a detour, we can
scorch the corrupted dragon vein."
"Understood.
—Fuwa-sama. What's the situation in the Ugetsu
mansion?"
Amidst the commotion
on the valley floor due to the successive instructions, the onmyōji beside
Naotoshi lowered his voice.
Perhaps he couldn't
hide his agitation. A few people with sharp ears peered at Naotoshi and the
others.
"Everyone is
suspicious and hesitant.
They are under the
illusion that this valley floor, where the miasma lingers, is safe."
"With all due
respect. Is the culprit... the demon child of Ugetsu?"
The man who had served
Ugetsu as an onmyōji for a long time carefully mentioned the boy with an
obvious motive on his tongue.
It was a well-known
fact that the boy, who had been banished three years ago, had been allowed to
return to Ugetsu.
How much hatred did he
harbor for his unjust banishment? The terrible events that befell the night he
came to the Ugetsu mansion were enough to make one suspect him.
"I personally
escorted Lord Yotsurugi Akira to Tsuzura Station.
It's a blizzard night,
and judging by the distance. It's really a stretch to insist that he came back
and committed a crime."
"But it was a
fact that he has such a strong hatred towards Ugetsu."
The onmyōji followed
Fuwa Naotoshi, who had turned on his heels.
A warm breeze of
miasma entangled his body as he trod on the gravel.
With a putrid stench
attacking his insides, Naotoshi concentrated his spirit power.
Hariin-style Spirit
Technique, Shoden, ―Aragamioroshi.
The accelerated spirit
power scattered afterimages, and immediately Naotoshi felt the discomfort of
the miasma poison leave his body.
What was found in the
mansion was a single sword with bloodstains.
No one actually knew
what had happened in the mansion last night.
"Since we haven't
found Lord Tenzan yet, don't make a fuss based on speculation.”
"Understood."
Protected by the
towering, raging spirit power, Naotoshi glared at the other side of the
nine-character barrier.
The miasma, perhaps
struck by the presence of the high-ranking spirit that dwelled within him,
writhed violently.
Was the turmoil over
the decline of Ugetsu (the first of the Eight Families) of no interest to this
miasma pool?
Naotoshi couldn't help
but smile wryly at this fact.
"...It's probably
the same for Akira-kun."
"Pardon?"
The onmyōji questioned
Naotoshi's murmur with suspicion.
Simply replying that
it was nothing, Naotoshi turned back to the miasma pool.
Akira and Saki had
walked from the foot of Renkyo Mountain to Tsuzura Station.
—For Akira, who knew the area well, the opposite was
also true. As the onmyōji beside him had suspected, it would not have been
impossible for Akira to return to the Ugetsu mansion in the middle of the
night.
The incident probably
occurred immediately after Shishin's assassination attempt was foiled. If asked
whether Akira still had the energy to do so, Naotoshi only had doubts.
"If we assume
that Yotsurugi-dono is not the culprit, then the owner of the spirit weapon is
suspicious.
Who could have been so
stupid as to pull a bow against the Ugetsu family?"
"It was
Soebashi-dono, a vassal of the ninth rank. He is under arrest, but his
personality is...
—Wait. Mikiriya Shishin's assassination plan and the
disappearance of Ugetsu Tenzan. If these are all connected..."
The timid Soebashi was
at most the kind of person who would whisper complaints behind people's backs.
It was difficult for
Naotoshi to believe that such a self-preserving person would get involved in a
crime.
Logically speaking,
there's no reason for a mere vassal to betray the Ugetsu family, especially if
they're in conflict with the Yotsurugi family.
That's why Naotoshi
also believed that these two incidents were separate issues.
However, what if the
goal was to eliminate both Akira and Tenzan?
The values of the old
family that Shishin boasted about so proudly. Naotoshi's intuition connected
the two opposites at a distance.
"I'll hurry back
to the Ugetsu mansion."
"Have you noticed
something?"
"Yes. If my guess
is correct, the other party will start moving soon."
"—Fuwa-sama. The
wedge is ready."
One of the onmyōji
called out to Naotoshi's back, who had concluded his thought.
Naotoshi pointed his
sword finger at the stake with a barrier talisman attached and slashed it in
one breath.
—The talisman formed in the shape of the Big Dipper
scattered spiritual threads.
A flame without heat
burned the white wooden stake and Naotoshi's palm blue-white.
♢
—I'll do you a favor.
For some reason, she
remembered the strange, swaying golden whisper she had forgotten a long time
ago.
"Ha. Haa,
ha..."
Her consciousness returned
to reality at the sensation of sweat.
Taking several rough
breaths after waking up, Ugetsu Sanae raised her upper body from the floor.
She straightened her
disheveled white robe and took two sips of clear water from the iron kettle
beside her.
Taking a breath as the
cold sensation soaked into her insides, Sanae, who had finished changing her
clothes, stepped out into the outer corridor.
As the Lady of the
Ugetsu family, her main job was primarily centered around the kitchen.
She was in charge of instructing
meals and overseeing the family members. Because she didn't go out of the
house, everything within the household was her responsibility.
From the outer
corridor to the main house. She hurried with a leisurely pace, and family
members passed her by with a constant sense of urgency.
Ignoring the unsightly
behavior that she would usually rebuke, Sanae passed the kitchen.
She squinted her eyes
at the half-collapsed grand hall and walked towards the central hall where
there was a commotion.
She spotted her only
son among the gathered vassals and dropped her toes onto the tatami mats where
she usually didn't step.
"What's all the
commotion?"
"—Mother! Do you
know where Father is?"
Without waiting for an
answer, Sanae frowned at Souma's pointless question.
Even though Ugetsu's
mansion was wide and complicated, it was still limited.
If Tenzan were to go
anywhere, it would be limited to the study or bedroom and beyond.
—Judging from the panic of the retainers who knew this,
it could be surmised that they hadn't found Tenzan's body.
An unexpected
development caused a sharp gleam to appear in Sanae's eyes.
"That's a
dangerous thing to say. ...Tell me the details of what happened."
"Just a moment
ago, one of the servants found this in front of Father's study."
A long, thin object
wrapped in hemp cloth was presented to Sanae.
Carefully opening the
outer cloth, a white blade with dried bloodstains jumped into view.
Judging from the
bloodstains, the wound was small but quite deep. It was obvious that the wound
was likely to be fatal, whether it was instantaneous or not.
"Who's
missing?"
"...Except for
the Lord, we have confirmed everyone else."
One of the vassals,
whose expression was as lifeless as a Noh mask, interjected from beside Souma.
—What was his name? ...Oh, was it Kanou?
Vaguely remembering
the name of the small man who clung to the tenth rank and the lower ranks,
Sanae replied with a casual, "I see."
She dismissed the
trivial matter and turned her gaze to the vassals.
"It's more
important to find the culprit than to argue here.
—Mobilize the patrolmen. Have the garrison troops
search the entire area."
"Wait, Mother.
Just because Father is missing, it's too hasty to judge someone guilty without
knowing the situation."
Sanae let out a thin
sigh at Souma's protest.
It had to be now.
...If she allowed that thing to leave Tsuzura, Souma's future would be gone.
"The culprit is
obvious.
That pseudo-kegare. He
must have planned this as soon as we allowed him to return to the
mansion."
"It's suspicious,
but I don't think Yotsurugi-dono is involved.
...If he wanted to do
something like that, he would have done it at the banquet."
Had he predicted
Sanae's hasty decision? With a single sigh, Souma denied it.
Of those present, only
Souma knew the truth about Kanna-no-Mikura.
Sanae glared at Souma,
who was struggling with how to convey it.
"You're being too
patient. ...If we let that fellow escape from Tsuzura, it will be a disgrace to
the Ugetsu family forever."
"Y-yes, that's
right, my Lady!
—To lay hands on one's own family, even a pseudo-kegare
has fallen as low as he can. Before he escapes from Tsuzura, this Kanou will
personally capture him and bring him before you."
"I understand.
...But Kanou. Remember, our priority is to investigate the situation.
If you find
Yotsurugi-dono, just ask him to come."
"Yes, sir."
Feeling that the
conversation wasn't going anywhere, Souma reluctantly gave his permission, and
Kanou turned on his heel.
As the elderly man's
presence faded, Souma turned his gaze back to the spirit weapon.
"—It doesn't seem
to have a family crest, but whose spirit weapon is this?"
Souma's murmur caused
the vassals' gazes to wander.—And then, hesitantly, someone spoke up.
"...I recognize
the hilt. I think it was the Class B owned by Soebashi-dono."
"Where is
he?"
"He is currently
searching the mountains of Renkyo."
"It's probably
unrelated, but we need to ask him about the situation anyway. Can you send
someone to search in Soebashi's place?"
"—I'm worried
about it, but finding the culprit should be our priority.
Souma, why are you
wasting manpower on finding Tenzan-sama's body?"
Sanae looked at Souma
with dissatisfaction, even as he gave precise instructions.
Despite Sanae's
protest, Souma's gaze did not waver.
"Father always
kept a regeneration talisman with him.
Even if it looks like
a fatal wound, there is hope for recovery if he is not dead immediately."
"With the depth
of his wound, it's unlikely."
"Even so, there
is a high possibility that he is still alive, depending on the regeneration
talisman. If we're lucky, we can...
—No, Mother. I'll prepare a barrier talisman and a
regeneration talisman from the talisman storage, just in case."
Above all, Souma
swallowed his anxiety and shook his head.
The miasma pool that
was encroaching on the wind hole of Renkyo Mountain, and the crisis of the
Ugetsu family, which had surfaced since parting ways with Akira.
The situation was
becoming increasingly chaotic with insufficient personnel.
Leaving Sanae standing
there, seemingly with something to say, Souma also turned on his heel to join
the search.
Driven by the worry he
had swallowed earlier, the boy's pace eventually quickened into a jog.
—The possibility that Tenzan's corpse would attract
miasma and turn into a further disaster. Amidst the imminent miasma pool,
Souma's concern was precisely on that point.
♢
The crimson, eternal
wind mercilessly eroded his body.
—Hateful.
His consciousness had
become hazy, even the sense of pain was distant, and the only thing that
remained was that one thought.
Before long, Tenzan
had devolved into a creature that repeatedly thought blood-curdling thoughts.
His skin was melting,
and his muscles felt uncomfortable as they dissolved. Then, the sound of his
bones burning resounded.
—His eyeballs dripped from its socket with a squelching
sound.
—Hateful. Hateful.
As the head of the
first of the Eight Families and as the parent who had raised the [Treasure of
the North], the greatest in history, Ugetsu Tenzan was supposed to be
remembered from generation to generation.
Until just one
mistake, uttering nonsense such as Kanna-no-Mikura, trampled his honor as a
Ugetsu into the dirt.
The burning embers of
his soul, scorched by hatred, revived the pleasant sensation of clinging to the
waves of miasma.
—Ah, hateful.
So pleasant. The
burning bone in his throat rumbled with pleasure even after his death.
Clatter, clatter,
clatter. The meaningless despair drove Tenzan into a senseless rage.
—Ka
The wailing laughter
of the spirit weapon he clutched at the moment of his death.
With that as his last,
Tenzan's consciousness dissolved into a dense miasma.
---
Naotoshi swung his arm
down, and the stake, which was essential for the barrier, was driven into the
ground.
—A moment later, a rumbling sound shook the valley
floor.
"What's going
on!?"
"Fuwa-sama, the
miasma pool is collapsing!"
The onmyōji's warning
was thrown at Naotoshi's murmur as he jumped back.
A rock, making a
heavy, rattling sound, rolled into the depths of the miasma pool.
—Kakaka.
In an instant,
countless murky flashes ran directly above the flickering, crimson glow.
The rocks shattered
into dust, following the flashes, leaving ripples on the surface of the miasma,
and a wrinkled, laughing sound echoed from within.
Amidst the hollow, hard
laughter of rattling bones, the amount of miasma in Naotoshi's field of vision
decreased in an instant.
Something was eating
the miasma.
Noticing this
dangerous sign, Naotoshi pulled out all the barrier talismans he had prepared
for purification.
"...It's not
collapsing, it's even worse."
"The
nine-character barrier can't hold any longer."
"I know. —All
personnel, listen up. Evacuate with all your might."
Hearing those words,
the onmyōji, who realized what had happened, turned on their heels in unison.
Naotoshi, who had
silently taken the rear, released a barrier talisman into the air as if to
protect his back.
Following Naotoshi's
fingers forming complex seals, the earth-element barrier talisman was
activated, leaving behind a flame of excitation.
A total of six sheets.
The constructed earth-element barrier thrust itself into the still-rippling
surface of the miasma.
—Immediately after. Something extending from the depths
of the miasma collided with the barrier, scattering sparks of rivalry.
"Even an
earth-element barrier can only buy us little time, huh."
Despite the obvious
outcome, Naotoshi muttered bitterly.
Antagonism. No, amid
the resounding roar, a thin, fragile thing extending from the depths of the
miasma gradually pushed back the earth-element barrier.
"Is
that...bone?"
Naotoshi muttered in
surprise, seeing the thin, black thing extending from the miasma.
Reflecting in the
crimson, turbid light, starting from the fingers, the carpal bones, the radius,
and the ulna. Up to the middle of the humerus.
Even the muscles had
melted away, so how much physical strength could the bones have?
With a single swing of
the bent ulna, it easily obliterated Naotoshi's barrier.
—Ka, kaka.
Amidst the swirling
miasma, the bone with a clear intention reached out and grabbed the edge of the
mud.
With a groan, a skull
emerged from the mud, and the jawbone laughed hollowly.
—Aa. Hateful.
The sound of bones
rattling wove a distinct human voice.
A voice he didn't
recognize, but with a familiar intonation, Naotoshi couldn't help but mutter in
terror.
"Don't tell
me..."
—Hatefuuuuul~!!!
—That is the dead who struggle to live. The Lord of Mud
and Bones who rebels against the sun.
Kaka. The black
burning bones laughed.
Having swallowed all
of his obsessions and delusions, and forgotten even his selfish loyalty to the
edge of nothingness.
Kaka. The heavenly
demon sneered menacingly.
Its condescending gaze
turned into anger.
"Tenzan, it's
you!?"
—Ka, kaka, kaka, kaka, kaka, kaka, ha, hahaaaa!!!
Under the sun obscured
by the miasma, the burning black skeleton left behind a sound of mockery as it
rattled its bones.
-----
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