From Chinese translations by Hinako.
Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto (健盤龍命)
PS: do not distribute this without my permission
"What did you say! Kagetora has been...!"
Kadowaki Ayako shouted into the public phoneso loudly that the entire cafe shook from her voice. Chiaki Shuuhei had contacted Ayako and related the incident at the Katou shrine to her.
"How can that be... how are his injuries? They're not life-threatening, are they! ...What? You don't know? Don't shit with me! Why aren't you with Kagetora! What the hell are you doing!"
Following Ayako's indignant reprimand, she was told of Akemi's capture and updated on the situation in Kumamoto. Her expression grew more serious.
"...I understand. Once I'm done here, I'll immediately head over to Kumamoto. Leave Kagetora to me... You just deal with that situation. Yeah... it's fine. We can leave the rest to Yagami."
After a few more sentences, Ayako hung up. Ayako's expression when she returned to her seat was one of desperation. Yagami asked worriedly.
"Is something the matter? Kakizaki-sama."
"I'm heading to Kumamoto immediately. I was told that Kagetora was seriously injured and sent to hospital..."
"Kagetora-sama...! What happened!"
"Kagetora's opponent must have been very powerful if he was so badly defeated. Still, his powers haven't been very stable lately..."
"Did Kagetora-sama battle with an onshou!"
"Apparently, he's seriously injured, unconscious... As I said before, just two of them would be too dangerous!"
Ayako slammed the surface of the table violently. Yagami showed no reaction to the shaken cup and spilled coffee, his face was pale from the severity of the current situation.
"And yet... Kagetora still...."
Ayako and Yagami were currently in Hakata. They had been investigating the disappearances of the followers of the Fire Sect. After inspecting the site of the fires in Tokyo and Beppu, they had come to the third scene in Beppu. That same day, they had visited the headquarters of the Fire Sect located in the Sawaraku residential district.
The headquarters was known as the 'honorable shrine' to its followers. It was a cramped, wooden bungalow. The halls were extremely narrow, included among them were the 'Seat of Power' and the 'Seat of Worship', each a place of worship covering an area of six tatami mats.
One of the disciples, an elderly man, had guided them around. In the Fire Sect, the follower delegated as the shrine priest was known as the 'Sect Guardian'. The elder said that he was responsible for subsidiary duties of the 'Sect Guardian' and thus stayed there. However...
--Passed away?
Ayako and Yagami could not help but ask when they heard this from the elder.
--What was that, what happened?
One week before their followers went missing, the Sect Guardian of the Fire Sect, Ikeda Katsuya, had passed away. Ikeda Katsuya was already 80 years in age and had been suffering from heart disease. He had been alternating between his own residence (ie. the 'honorable shrine') and the hospital for the past year, thus there was nothing questionable about his death. However... just a week after his death, cases of their young followers going missing began to occur one after another. This stirred doubts. Did this have something to do with his death?
Ayako and Yagami had asked the elder about those young followers.
--They were really devout believers.
The elder had smiled as he replied.
--Every year, on the day of the 'Gosaiten', they would surely come over to help out. Our followers hail from various parts of the country, so it is difficult for everyone to get together. However, unlike other youngsters, they show a lot of enthusiasm in their participation every single time. Especially Seitou-kun...
The elder had remarked.
--Seitou?
Ayako remembered him as one of the missing persons.
--You mean Enoki Seitou? The follower from Hakata.
--Yes. When Seitou-kun was in high school, his parents died in a traffic accident. He has gone through much suffering despite his youth. And, perhaps, for this reason, he was very close with the Sect Guardian. The Sect Guardian probably thought of him as his own grandson. He loved him dearly.
--May I inquire about Sect Guardian Ikeda's family?
--The Sect Guardian has no family.
The elder had smiled again in his answer.
--The Sect Guardian had no wife, thus the followers were like family to him. He was a very calm and tender man.
Ayako and Yagami had exchanged glances. Indeed, placed in the 'Seat of Power' was a small tablet with a picture of the deceased and his appearance was not so much like a sect founder as your "neighbor's grandfather" or "a kindly old hermit."
--About those fires and missing cases, I would like to know if you have any idea as to what exactly is happening? They seem like an omen or something...
--No idea...
The elder had bluntly replied, slanting his head.
--It must be because they were summoned by the God of Fire.
--The God of Fire?
It occurred to them that the Fire Sect did regard fire as a religious symbol of worship. However it was unlike the other major religions that worshipped fire. Moreover, open burning was not allowed inside the building, thus they usually lighted a fire known as a 'gojinka' inside the glass casing on the altar. It was frequently used during religious services or festivals.
The God of Fire? Are they referring to the Takeiwatatsu no mikoto?
Ayako had come to this conclusion as the Takeiwatatsu no mikoto was also regarded as the deity of Mt. Aso's crater. The elder did not show any sign of worry at the disappearances; he had even surmised that 'this might happen if the gods had called upon them' to explain the strange phenomenon of 'people flying into the sky'. He did not take the matter seriously.
Ayako had felt as though she had failed to get what she wanted. Kotarou had remarked that it was a covert religion, thus Ayako had expected a shady group akin to some sort of underground organization. But, judging from the elder's manner, it did not seem that way. It felt like an institution expounding a set of beliefs, and in doing so regarded itself as a religion.
Or perhaps she felt this way due to the moderate replies of the elder... Nevertheless, there was nothing openly suspicious about the Fire Sect.
"If that's the case, there shouldn't be any problems if I leave the investigation of the Fire Sect to you." Ayako said to the 'Ken En Leader', Yagami, as she wore her coat hurriedly. "I'm going to Kumamoto now. I should be able to catch the limited express train."
"Yagami would like to go with you!"
"No." Ayako firmly declined. "If any hyoui rei enters Kumamoto, they risk immediate capture."
"But then Kotarou...!" Yagami retorted angrily. "Ah... I beg your pardon. Hasn't Kotarou-dono gone to Kumamoto to see Kagetora-sama! If a Fuuma can do it, there is no reason why it should be impossible for the Uesugi's 'Ken En'...!"
"He..." Ayako strained her lips painfully. "He's special."
"By measure of strength, I am most certainly not inferior to Kotarou-dono! Does Kakizaki-sama intend to let that Fuuma remain by Kagetora-sama's side for the rest of eternity! That sort of person is incapable of protecting Kagetora-sama. Isn't Kagetora-sama currently on the verge of death...! We 'Ken En' are the only ones who can protect Kagetora-sama!"
"We don't have a choice! You know this as well as I do; right now Kotarou is Naoe in Kagetora's eyes!" Ayako snarled back hysterically. "To Kagetora, that guy is Naoe! Even if you can tell at one glance that he is a fraud! Be it his face or voice... even the fact that he's a hyoui rei, Kagetora has disregarded all of that, he firmly believes that Kotarou is Naoe!"
"Then let Kagetora-sama return to his original self!"
"We obviously can't do that, why do you think this has been tolerated for the past two years!"
"..."
Yagami shut his mouth, feeling discontented. Ayako was aware that the newly appointed 'Ken En leader' had an extremely strong dislike for Fuuma Kotarou. They were both ninjas and, as an outsider, Kotarou's ability to stand in the position of trusted aide and recipient of his master's respect and love caused extreme dissatisfaction in Yagami.
It's not like I don't understand your feelings...
Ayako clearly understood Yagami's passionate respect for Kagetora. In fact, it was closer to infatuation than respect. Yagami worshipped Kagetora almost religiously, never having the slightest doubt or criticism of Kagetora's every word. Ayako, too, had exceptional faith in Kagetora, but in comparison with Yagami's obsession, she was two or three times less crazy.
Just a single mention of Kotarou would toss Yagami into a bout of indignant rage and pacifying him was tricky business.
"Anyway, you should continue with the investigation of the Fire Sect. We still haven't acquired evidence on that situation involving people flying into the air."
"Kakizaki-sama."
"Please do as I say. Considered this Kagetora's... command...?"
The reason for the abrupt end of the sentence was her sudden realization of an extremely important point in what she had said. Ayako pressed her mouth. Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"What is the matter? Kakizaki-sama."
"Descend from the sky... Just now I said flying to the sky... didn't I? Descended from the sky!"
--All of the eyewitnesses mentioned the same, strange incident.
That was what Chiaki had said on the phone. At the Katou shrine, people had descended from the sky like angels, saving Takaya and the others.
People descending from the sky. Very much like winged angels...
It sounded similar to the eyewitness' testimony of the fire scene in Kurume. She was told that the missing follower of the Fire Sect, Saeki Ryouko, had flown to the sky without a word, simply as though she had grown wings.
Descended from the sky...
--They're now at the hospital, accompanying Kagetora...
Ayako gasped. The wingless angels who had saved Takaya, could they be... could they be...
"Could they be the followers of the Fire Sect...!"
"Eh?"
Ayako grabbed her wallet. She stood up kicking the chair away, pushed her way through the crowd in the shop, and ran to the phone once again. Even inserting the phone card proved too much for her patience, Ayako speedily dialed the number to the hospital that Chiaki had given her. Once the line was connected, she immediately said.
"Ah.. Hello! The patient sent to your hospital by the name of Ougi Takaya...! I'm Ougi Takaya's relative. Yes, that's right, that's right! His condition...! Is he safe now!"
Yagami was momentarily terrified by Ayako's excessively frantic movements, but he immediately gathered his wits and ran to Ayako's side, sighed and quietly waited for the response. Ayako gripped the receiver tightly, so much that her hands had turned white. She was waiting for the reply.
If there's some relationship with...
Her heart was pounding from agitation, about to break out of her chest.
If the Fire Sect members have something to do with the Yami Sengoku...!
Ayako could not tell how long she had waited before she finally got the answer.
"He's... dead... ?"
Yagami heard Ayako repeat the answer she received.
She took a deep breath.
Ayako muttered stiffly. "You've got.. to be kidding me...?"
***
The room, covering an area of six tatami mats, was very cold.
Although a round-shaped electrical heater had been placed at one corner of the room, Tetsuya had no wish to switch it on. Did he not, in the slightest bit, find the room freezing?
He sat on the floor with a pale face.
"From that day onwards, everything grew strange."
Tetsuya was seated in front of Chiaki, and started to talk albeit with hesitation.
"Ever since the Hi-taki no Shinji, everything just became a mess."
Five years ago, in early autumn, when Tetsuya was barely twelve...
His younger sister had been chosen as the bonfire maiden.
"Bonfire maiden?"
"Yeah." Tetsuya discussed in a muffled voice. "My home... Yakuinbaru at Aso city. Every year, from August to October, they will honor the patron god - it's known as the Hi-taki no Shinji festival, a custom of the Shimo shrine since ancient times. During the festival every year, they'll select a young girl to be locked inside the bonfire hall for two months to burn the firewood for the gods."
"And that's the bonfire maiden?"
Tetsuya nodded.
"In order to prevent the gods in the Shimo shrine from feeling cold and delay the early frost, fires have to be maintained to keep them warm. That's the significance of the festival."
The young girl chosen was known as the bonfire maiden. She could not be over 15 years of age to be accepted into the bonfire hall. The people responsible for looking after the girl have to be men or middle-aged women. The goshintai transported from the main shrine would be placed under a specially-constructed bamboo canopy in an earthy room, under which the maiden would keep a fire alive. Should an early frost appear within the two months of the ritual, people would say that the fire maintained by the bonfire maiden had grown weak.
"But..., when Hokage tended the fire, the situation was different than usual."
Tetsuya recalled the circumstances of that time.
The year when Tetsuya's sister became the bonfire maiden...
It was said that a string of peculiar events occurred in the bonfire hall, cases where the burning fires took the shape of demons and spoke with Hokage, or that the flames assumed the forms of dragons and flew away to the sky, the rain of golden sand inside the room, the voices of men that were heard the entire night, and so forth. --Apparently, Tetsuya's granduncle, his paternal grandmother, the people in charge of the festival, the Shinto priests and others had witnessed these incidents. A series of queer phenomena had occurred.
--Something disastrous will definitely happen at this year's Yato.
Consistent with the hushed discussions of the adults, on the day of the Yato festival, which served to conclude the ritual, came something that no one could foresee happening in this era.
"Fire... Orochi..."
When Tetsuya finished, Chiaki was wide-eyed. Tetsuya nodded. At the end of the Yato festival, Hokage had stepped into the fire, abruptly burst into flames and turned into a blazing orochi, which then soared into the sky.
"That sounds like some kind of hoax."
Tetsuya wrinkled his forehead, and grumbled. "But it all started from there. Ever since the appearance of the orochi that day, the way our relatives treated Hokage underwent a 180 degree change."
"Change?"
"Yeah. They started calling Hokage, 'Lady Hokage', like they were addressing a princess or some god. They were extremely discreet in their gestures as though they were afraid or something, always calling her 'Lady Hokage' 'Lady Hokage'. Those people who used to think of us as troublesome children also behaved differently, which disgusted me actually."
Not long after, Hokage was taken to the head family, away from her granduncle's home - the Miike branch family. That is, Tetsuya's uncle, Miike Haruya's family.
"...And then your sister went missing a year ago?"
"It must have been the head family." Tetsuya said firmly. "Our family is really odd, sensei! Our relatives would spend the entire day discussing matters in secret! They must be the ones who are hiding Hokage!"
"How can that be? Why would they want to hide her? Why must they hide her?"
"I don't know. But it's probably because..." Tetsuya continued, his fists were clenched. "Because Hokage is related to 'Asara'."
"What?"
"Granny said Hokage is special. She said 'the Miike family has produced an Asara princess', 'Hokage is the Asara princess'."
"You mean to say...! That 'Asara' refers to your sister! Is this letter of threat referring to your sister's incident!"
"I can't think of anything else besides this..." Tetsuya's fists were trembling. "They said that the Miike family is linked to the 'Asara bloodline'..."
"The 'Asara bloodline'..."
"I don't really know what's going on either, ...but that was what Granny said. For the sake of Kihachi-sama, the birth of Asara is a must. That's why we can't break the bloodline. The members of the branch family must devote their lives to waiting upon the head family, should there come a time where one's life must be risked to protect...!"
Incomprehensible words rolled out of Tetsuya's mouth. Chiaki was silent. The situation was heading in an ever more fascinating direction. The key to solving the riddle appeared to be buried in the Miike family at Aso.
"I got it. Miike. So this letter wants you to bring your sister in exchange for Inaba's life. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?"
"How would I know..."
"Well then, even if the reasons are unclear, if Hokage has really been hidden, the people of the head family should know where she is now right?"
Tetsuya was startled, he lifted his head. "Are you going? Sensei."
"We're talking about a person's life here, that's the only thing we can do."
Chiaki took out his car keys from the pocket in his trousers. He looked out fiercely.
"I can't be not saving my precious little students."
"Sensei..."
"Leave it to me, Miike. I definitely teach those good-for-nothing brats a lesson for using kidnap as a threat."
Despite saying that, Chiaki's lips were stiff. From the look of things, the individuals he was up against were no ordinary people. They were a powerful enemy capable of severely injuring Takaya.
Could it be the Ootomo?
If that was the case, would Mikuriya be involved as well? Tachibana Dousetsu, Takahashi Jouun... The Ootomo had so many brilliant military men. Considering that Kaizaki was now their ally, surely Takaya's real identity as Uesugi Kagetora has been made known to them? Or perhaps...
The Oda? ...Perhaps Katou Kiyomasa?
At this point in time, Chiaki was still unaware of Nezu's true identity. But apart from the aforementioned, the number of onshou who wanted Kagetora eliminated was countless. Furthermore, what exactly about the Miike family was responsible for capturing the attention of the onshou?
"...There's no time. Anyway, the hostage's life is the top priority right now. Miike, please take me to Aso."
Tetsuya nodded with a nervous face. The two of them hastily left the room.
The outside was covered in darkness.
***
One hour had passed since she boarded the limited express train from Hakata station. By the time she reached Kumamoto, it was seven-thirty in the evening. Ayako immediately took a taxi from the railway station to the hospital.
It must've been a lie... Must've been a lie...
Nothing is certain until I see it with my own eyes, Ayako told herself. She honestly could not believe what the nurse had told her over the phone.
--Unfortunately, Ougi Takaya passed away just a moment ago.
There must've been a mistake somewhere...
The nurse's unexpectedly sympathetic voice continued to echo in her mind. The nurse had even told Ayako about his moment of death, but she could only desperately shake her head in reply.
There must've been a mistake somewhere...!
She was hoping that the hospital had indeed made a blunder. She hoped that they had mistaken him for another person. Ayako ran into the half-lit building via the night entrance. A nurse was on duty at the reception desk.
"Sorry, I'm a family member of Ougi Takaya who was admitted during the day...!"
"Ougi..., oh yes. Were you the young lady who called not too long ago?"
It seemed like she was the nurse who had answered Ayako's call.
"We have already done our best. Unfortunately..."
"Where is he! Please take me there! Where is Ougi Takaya now!"
"Are you referring to his remains?"
Ayako could barely keep herself from blurting out, "No!"; she struggled to remain coherent.
"Did you mistake him for another person? Was it really Ougi Takaya? Was it really him?"
"There was no mistake. We referred to the photograph in the student manual that was with him. We are certain of his identity."
"You're lying!" Ayako screamed. "Where is he? Take me to him right now! I won't believe this unless I see it with my own eyes!"
The nurse hesitated. "But his body has already been retrieved by his family..."
"What did you say?" Ayako's face was contorted. "That's impossible. His family is in Matsumoto!"
"But the ones who accompanied him said they were his relatives... All of the formalities were completed about one hour ago..."
"The ones who accompanied him...?"
Was she referring to the couple that Chiaki had mentioned?
"Yes, they were here with him throughout the entire time."
Ayako was stunned. Her face grew even more contorted; she was speechless for a brief moment.
What's going on?
Dangerously close to losing her cool out of fear, Ayako's mind was more confused than before. Nevertheless, she did her best to continue.
"If that's the case, they would've left their contact details. Please tell me their names and add..ress..."
Halfway through her sentence, Ayako heard the automatic door opening behind her, she was immediately on alert and turned around. The one who ran in was a tall, bespectacled man wearing a black overcoat. Ayako knew him. Yes, his unexpected appearance startled Ayako.
"...Kai... zaki..."
That man was indeed Kaizaki Makoto. He was panting, with a desperate look on his face and his hair was unusually disordered. This was their first meeting since the incident at Enoshima. She had also heard from Takaya of Kaizaki's collusion with the Ootomo. Kaizaki stopped once he saw Ayako. Something snapped in Ayako's heart.
"Was it... you people...?" Her lips warped as she demanded in a low voice. "Was it... were you the ones who attacked Kagetora?"
Ayako strode to Kaizaki, who had a blank stare on his face, and gave him a resounding slap. Kaizaki's glasses were knocked to the floor as a result of the strike. But Ayako could not care less about them, she grabbed his collar and lashed out at him indignantly.
"So it was really you, Satomi! Conspiring with the Ootomo and inciting those strange incidents! You were the ones who let them attack Kagetora right!"
"...!"
"You murderer! Where have you taken Kagetora! Give him back to me--! I will never forgive you people! I will kill all of you!"
"No, calm down...!"
"I will definitely send all of you to hell!"
"I said calm down!"
Kaizaki yelled back, grabbing Ayako's shoulders suddenly. In a split second, she was suppressed by his forceful strength.
"Kaizaki...!"
"If you are in such a disoriented state, a spiritual search would be impossible for you, wouldn't it! He did not die, he is merely unconscious, he is definitely still alive!"
Huh...
Ayako looked at him dumbstruck, for a brief moment she did not believe what she was hearing. The earnest expression in Kaizaki's eyes was almost frightening as he spoke with Ayako.
"Call out to him continuously with a wave of thought. If he is still alive, he will definitely answer you. Let your nerves maintain your calm and sense of acuity, capture that weak reply well. This should be something that you can do."
"...I..."
"It was the Ikkoushuu. Shimozura Rairyuu is still alive."
"Rairyuu... You mean that Shimozura Rairyuu!"
"That's right. Apparently, he did not die at Itsukushima and has come to Kumamoto. I am currently locating his whereabouts. Leave this matter to the Ootomo, you should first look for Takaya."
"Ah... Ah..."
"He did not die. He definitely won't die."
Ayako was numb. Instinctively, she called out a certain name.
...Naoe...?
The man once again urged her with an "Understand?"; he took out a business card from his pocket, wrote his telephone number on the reverse side, and pressed it firmly into Ayako's hand.
"If something goes wrong, contact me immediately. I will help you."
Once Kaizaki finished, he turned back, immediately heading outside where a cold wind was blowing. Ayako came back to her senses and yelled loudly.
"Wait, Kaizaki!"
Ayako ran after Kaizaki, who had exited via the night entrance, all the way to the parking lot.
What...
Kaizaki merely stood there. Beneath the lamp post in front of him were three men who looked like they were there to deliberately obstruct his way. Ayako was stunned by this strange atmosphere.
"That is..."
"You are Kaizaki, am I correct? The descendant of the Satomi who sought refuge with the Ootomo."
The young man of medium stature, who appeared to be the leader, spoke to Kaizaki. Ayako did not recognize any of their faces. Kaizaki was on guard. The three of them had what appeared to be a katana in their hands.
"Who are you people?"
"The land our troops were set to be stationed at has been invaded by the obstructive Ootomo it seems. We have come to remedy the situation by spearheading the attack."
Large black eyes, dense eyebrows and a profile of sharply demarcated facial features; he was tall and sturdy, possessing the physical characteristics of the men of Kyushu island. The young man stated in a solid voice without hesitation.
"The repulsive Ootomo, lost in exhilaration from acquiring Saga. I will not surrender Kumamoto to you people. If you do not wish to suffer heavy losses, you should leave this place immediately."
"What?"
These people were kanshousha. Furthermore, they were considerably strong.
The moment Kaizaki realized this, the men had drawn their weapons. Their swords emitted pale rays of light which mingled with their incantations, lending a mysterious quality to its radiance. In the next moment, the deep-blue blades shone brightly, giving birth to a tenacious source of incantation power.
"Let us eliminate the hindrance that you are, Satomi!"
The young men shouted as their fighting spirits surged, lifting their swords upwards.
"Kill him-------------!"
They charged mercilessly with dynamic attacks. Kesagiri - the technique of slashing the sword down diagonally from the shoulder at an extraordinary speed.
"!"
Kaizaki, realizing that he was in imminent peril, parried the assault with a Goshinha. Sharp plasma splattered about as Kaizaki's body was flung backwards. This sort of strength...!
Jigen ryuu!
No, despite the similarity, it was different. This is...
Taisha ryuu!
There was no time to think, the other two charged forward. The speed of their kesagiri was so fast it could hardly be seen. Kaizaki desperately evaded their slashes, shooting out incantations, but the enemy was extremely stubborn. No matter how much he drove them back they still persisted. The force of the opponent was sweeping, their kesagiri struck at lightning speed.
Taisha ryuu was a type of kenjutsu utilized by the samurai of Kyushu island during the end of the Warring States era. Death in one blow - a sword technique which concentrated one's entire body strength into the execution of the kesagiri.
"Kill him-----!"
Kaizaki defended himself with a Goshinha in desperation, however the blades were so concentrated with their spiritual power that they promptly shattered it.
"!"
Repelled backwards, Kaizaki tumbled to the asphalt road. These three people were very strong. But there was another factor affecting the tide of this battle. Kaizaki looked a little strange.
"Ch...!"
Was there a discord in the synchronization? He could not smoothly employ his powers. With a great deal of difficulty, Kaizaki again attacked the oncoming enemies with a Nen Nami. But the enemy took advantage of a weakness in his stance when he stood up and struck. Kaizaki shouted as he evaded the hit.
"Who are you people!"
The young man, brandishing his sword with astonishing speed, replied Kaizaki.
"I am Iehisa, the son of Shimazu Toyohisa! Let us see if you can parry the sword of the Satsuma samurai!"
Shimazu Iehisa!
The name was familiar; Kaizaki and Ayako both trembled. He had repelled famous generals of Kyushu island in the past, forcing Ryuuzouji and Ootomo close to the brink of destruction - the Satsuma hero who had engulfed the entire region of Kyushu island with the raging waves of his influence - one of the four Shimazu brothers.
Shimazu has come to Kumamoto...!
"Nnghh!"
With his Goshinha shattered by just one strike from Iehisa, Kaizaki was knocked out. Ayako could not help but call out.
"Kaizaki!"
"This is the final blow!"
Iehisa swung his sword. At that crucial moment, Ayako released a Nen Nami. Iehisa's sword was repelled backwards and he retreated upon sustaining this abrupt hit.
"Who is there!"
"I won't let you commit this outrage!"
An accomplice!
Startled, Iehisa signaled his subordinates to fall back. Ayako ran to Kaizaki. He was unconscious as a result of Iehisa's attack.
"Wait, Iehisa!"
Shimazu had escaped. Ayako held Kaizaki up.
"Hang in there, Kaizaki! Kaizaki!"
No response. The hospital staff had heard the commotion and came running over. Ayako bit her lips, glaring at the darkness on the other side.
Those guys...!
***
"I'm home... Ah, heavy."
Opening the door, Koganezawa Kyouko placed the shopping bag on the floor. She had conveniently stopped by the supermarket on her way back from school. It was quite the exercise. The bag was filled with vegetables, meat and other items, making it incredibly heavy.
"Welcome home, Kyouko. You're back so late today."
Wearing an apron, her mother stuck her head out of the kitchen, Kyouko nodded in agreement.
"I went to buy the ingredients for tomorrow's bento."
"Oh dear."
Seeing the supermarket bag bursting with groceries, her mother's eyes widened.
"That's great. So you intend to make a bento by yourself, how strange. Are you preparing lunch for the entire football team?"
"Of course not. It's for Chiaki-sensei. There will be a practice match tomorrow, so I'm going to prepare a bento-full of affection for Chiaki-sensei--"
Her mother nodded. She then recalled something, and asked.
"Oh right, just now Akemi's mother called. Kyouko, were you with Akemi?"
"Akemi? No, I wasn't. She said she had to go to the dentist today and left early."
"But I was told she hasn't returned home yet."
"Well, she could've gone shopping perhaps?"
Her mother muttered, "Perhaps...", placing her hand on her cheek. Kyouko handed the shopping bag to her mother.
"Put this in ice for me. Ah... my shoulder's hurting again. Is dinner ready yet? Then I'll first take a bath."
After that, she went upstairs.
Kyouko believed that bathing was the most important routine in a day. This was not merely because she was far more vain about her appearance than anyone else, but more so to treat her chronic shoulder ache. Kyouko soaked herself in the warm water, massaging her shoulders.
"It doesn't seem effective..."
Although she has always had this chronic ache, the pain had grown especially severe in the past few months. No matter how much her mother massaged her shoulders, the pain did not subside. At times, it was so painful that she could not even lift her arms. She had been told that immersing in a bath helped to facilitate blood circulation, hence her obsession with bathing. However, it did not cure the ache. Some people had teased her for being like an elderly woman dealing with the problems that came with age, but Kyouko retorted by saying that the teenagers of this era have several times more hardship to endure than the older generations. Nevertheless, her condition did not seem to improve.
"Maybe I should just quit being manager..."
Of course, Kyouko did not realize that her severe shoulder aches was a result of the many mixed spirits attached to her body.
But...
She recalled what happened.
Chiaki-sensei's familiar with the student in 2B, what's going on here?
Tetsuya's words stuck firmly in her brain. Were they relatives? Now that she thought about it, she had also heard strange rumors from her classmates. Apparently, someone had personally witnessed Chiaki-sensei entering a hotel near Kumamoto castle by the back entrance. The schoolgirls stalking him had also seen Chiaki retrieving his keys from the reception. Everyone was in an uproar over whether Chiaki was meeting with his lover but Kyouko did not believe a word of it.
Akemi also said something about it.
About Ougi Takaya. Something about him staying at a hotel.
It can't possibly be the same hotel, right?
A whole series of questions popped up in her head, Kyouko's furrowed eyebrows grew increasingly wrinkled. This incident happened on the same day the teacher assumed his duty, which was a little bizarre on second thought. In fact, the dispute with the executive committee at noon today had involved Ougi Takaya. And apparently that Nezu Kouichi had also been implicated in the matter.
...How weird...
Are they related to each other? Kyouko pouted.
Right, tomorrow I'll ask Chiaki-sensei for answers, until I'm satisfied!
Kyouko thought, clenching her fists in the water. Right at that moment.
"...Huh...?"
A strange sound came from the area around her stomach. Was she too excited? Kyouko thought that her stomach was grumbling from hunger, the image of dinner appeared in her mind.
Grunt grunt...
There was the strange sound again. It was not just a sound; it seemed as though something was crying out.
Eh... eh...
Something was not right. Then, something moved in that same spot. It was a splitting sound; somewhere within her body, there was a deep, fracturing sound. A lump of some sort began to move around in her abdominal area.
"Wa...!"
The wriggling grew more distinct, it felt as though there was a live fish flipping about in her stomach. It grew more intense. Eventually, the area beneath her chest began to tremble with fluctuating protrusions.
"No... what...!"
Her skin began to bulge. Some kind of living thing was wriggling about beneath her skin. That thing began to rock left and right as it climbed up to her neck region.
"Yahhh-----!"
Kyouko could not help but stand up in the bathtub.
"No....! What is this!" She was screaming. "No-----!!!"
"What's the matter! Kyouko!"
The door to the bathroom flung open and her mother rushed in. Kyouko was lying on the bathroom floor.
"Kyouko...!"
The moment she drew near, a black shadow emerged. Her mother lifted her head in shock, several human faces appeared.
"Wah...!"
They were the spirits attached to Kyouko's body, about four or five of them in total. With blanched expressions filled with grudge, the spiritual bodies approached.
"K..Kyouko? Kyouko!"
Her mother was scared and at a loss. She held Kyouko up, wanting to shake her awake. Kyouko's body jolted all of a sudden, then she began to shiver continuously. Finally, with her own strength she stood up again.
"K...Kyouko?"
Kyouko casually brushed her mother's hand away. With her two hands, she pressed against the ceramic floor and stood up by herself. Kyouko lifted her face.
"...!"
Her mother only stared at her. Between the wet, disheveled strands of hair, her eyes had not the slightest trace of anger. Snake-like eyes. Then her red lips curled slightly into a smile.
Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.
Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto (健盤龍命)
PS: do not distribute this without my permission
"What did you say! Kagetora has been...!"
Kadowaki Ayako shouted into the public phoneso loudly that the entire cafe shook from her voice. Chiaki Shuuhei had contacted Ayako and related the incident at the Katou shrine to her.
"How can that be... how are his injuries? They're not life-threatening, are they! ...What? You don't know? Don't shit with me! Why aren't you with Kagetora! What the hell are you doing!"
Following Ayako's indignant reprimand, she was told of Akemi's capture and updated on the situation in Kumamoto. Her expression grew more serious.
"...I understand. Once I'm done here, I'll immediately head over to Kumamoto. Leave Kagetora to me... You just deal with that situation. Yeah... it's fine. We can leave the rest to Yagami."
After a few more sentences, Ayako hung up. Ayako's expression when she returned to her seat was one of desperation. Yagami asked worriedly.
"Is something the matter? Kakizaki-sama."
"I'm heading to Kumamoto immediately. I was told that Kagetora was seriously injured and sent to hospital..."
"Kagetora-sama...! What happened!"
"Kagetora's opponent must have been very powerful if he was so badly defeated. Still, his powers haven't been very stable lately..."
"Did Kagetora-sama battle with an onshou!"
"Apparently, he's seriously injured, unconscious... As I said before, just two of them would be too dangerous!"
Ayako slammed the surface of the table violently. Yagami showed no reaction to the shaken cup and spilled coffee, his face was pale from the severity of the current situation.
"And yet... Kagetora still...."
Ayako and Yagami were currently in Hakata. They had been investigating the disappearances of the followers of the Fire Sect. After inspecting the site of the fires in Tokyo and Beppu, they had come to the third scene in Beppu. That same day, they had visited the headquarters of the Fire Sect located in the Sawaraku residential district.
The headquarters was known as the 'honorable shrine' to its followers. It was a cramped, wooden bungalow. The halls were extremely narrow, included among them were the 'Seat of Power' and the 'Seat of Worship', each a place of worship covering an area of six tatami mats.
One of the disciples, an elderly man, had guided them around. In the Fire Sect, the follower delegated as the shrine priest was known as the 'Sect Guardian'. The elder said that he was responsible for subsidiary duties of the 'Sect Guardian' and thus stayed there. However...
--Passed away?
Ayako and Yagami could not help but ask when they heard this from the elder.
--What was that, what happened?
One week before their followers went missing, the Sect Guardian of the Fire Sect, Ikeda Katsuya, had passed away. Ikeda Katsuya was already 80 years in age and had been suffering from heart disease. He had been alternating between his own residence (ie. the 'honorable shrine') and the hospital for the past year, thus there was nothing questionable about his death. However... just a week after his death, cases of their young followers going missing began to occur one after another. This stirred doubts. Did this have something to do with his death?
Ayako and Yagami had asked the elder about those young followers.
--They were really devout believers.
The elder had smiled as he replied.
--Every year, on the day of the 'Gosaiten', they would surely come over to help out. Our followers hail from various parts of the country, so it is difficult for everyone to get together. However, unlike other youngsters, they show a lot of enthusiasm in their participation every single time. Especially Seitou-kun...
The elder had remarked.
--Seitou?
Ayako remembered him as one of the missing persons.
--You mean Enoki Seitou? The follower from Hakata.
--Yes. When Seitou-kun was in high school, his parents died in a traffic accident. He has gone through much suffering despite his youth. And, perhaps, for this reason, he was very close with the Sect Guardian. The Sect Guardian probably thought of him as his own grandson. He loved him dearly.
--May I inquire about Sect Guardian Ikeda's family?
--The Sect Guardian has no family.
The elder had smiled again in his answer.
--The Sect Guardian had no wife, thus the followers were like family to him. He was a very calm and tender man.
Ayako and Yagami had exchanged glances. Indeed, placed in the 'Seat of Power' was a small tablet with a picture of the deceased and his appearance was not so much like a sect founder as your "neighbor's grandfather" or "a kindly old hermit."
--About those fires and missing cases, I would like to know if you have any idea as to what exactly is happening? They seem like an omen or something...
--No idea...
The elder had bluntly replied, slanting his head.
--It must be because they were summoned by the God of Fire.
--The God of Fire?
It occurred to them that the Fire Sect did regard fire as a religious symbol of worship. However it was unlike the other major religions that worshipped fire. Moreover, open burning was not allowed inside the building, thus they usually lighted a fire known as a 'gojinka' inside the glass casing on the altar. It was frequently used during religious services or festivals.
The God of Fire? Are they referring to the Takeiwatatsu no mikoto?
Ayako had come to this conclusion as the Takeiwatatsu no mikoto was also regarded as the deity of Mt. Aso's crater. The elder did not show any sign of worry at the disappearances; he had even surmised that 'this might happen if the gods had called upon them' to explain the strange phenomenon of 'people flying into the sky'. He did not take the matter seriously.
Ayako had felt as though she had failed to get what she wanted. Kotarou had remarked that it was a covert religion, thus Ayako had expected a shady group akin to some sort of underground organization. But, judging from the elder's manner, it did not seem that way. It felt like an institution expounding a set of beliefs, and in doing so regarded itself as a religion.
Or perhaps she felt this way due to the moderate replies of the elder... Nevertheless, there was nothing openly suspicious about the Fire Sect.
"If that's the case, there shouldn't be any problems if I leave the investigation of the Fire Sect to you." Ayako said to the 'Ken En Leader', Yagami, as she wore her coat hurriedly. "I'm going to Kumamoto now. I should be able to catch the limited express train."
"Yagami would like to go with you!"
"No." Ayako firmly declined. "If any hyoui rei enters Kumamoto, they risk immediate capture."
"But then Kotarou...!" Yagami retorted angrily. "Ah... I beg your pardon. Hasn't Kotarou-dono gone to Kumamoto to see Kagetora-sama! If a Fuuma can do it, there is no reason why it should be impossible for the Uesugi's 'Ken En'...!"
"He..." Ayako strained her lips painfully. "He's special."
"By measure of strength, I am most certainly not inferior to Kotarou-dono! Does Kakizaki-sama intend to let that Fuuma remain by Kagetora-sama's side for the rest of eternity! That sort of person is incapable of protecting Kagetora-sama. Isn't Kagetora-sama currently on the verge of death...! We 'Ken En' are the only ones who can protect Kagetora-sama!"
"We don't have a choice! You know this as well as I do; right now Kotarou is Naoe in Kagetora's eyes!" Ayako snarled back hysterically. "To Kagetora, that guy is Naoe! Even if you can tell at one glance that he is a fraud! Be it his face or voice... even the fact that he's a hyoui rei, Kagetora has disregarded all of that, he firmly believes that Kotarou is Naoe!"
"Then let Kagetora-sama return to his original self!"
"We obviously can't do that, why do you think this has been tolerated for the past two years!"
"..."
Yagami shut his mouth, feeling discontented. Ayako was aware that the newly appointed 'Ken En leader' had an extremely strong dislike for Fuuma Kotarou. They were both ninjas and, as an outsider, Kotarou's ability to stand in the position of trusted aide and recipient of his master's respect and love caused extreme dissatisfaction in Yagami.
It's not like I don't understand your feelings...
Ayako clearly understood Yagami's passionate respect for Kagetora. In fact, it was closer to infatuation than respect. Yagami worshipped Kagetora almost religiously, never having the slightest doubt or criticism of Kagetora's every word. Ayako, too, had exceptional faith in Kagetora, but in comparison with Yagami's obsession, she was two or three times less crazy.
Just a single mention of Kotarou would toss Yagami into a bout of indignant rage and pacifying him was tricky business.
"Anyway, you should continue with the investigation of the Fire Sect. We still haven't acquired evidence on that situation involving people flying into the air."
"Kakizaki-sama."
"Please do as I say. Considered this Kagetora's... command...?"
The reason for the abrupt end of the sentence was her sudden realization of an extremely important point in what she had said. Ayako pressed her mouth. Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"What is the matter? Kakizaki-sama."
"Descend from the sky... Just now I said flying to the sky... didn't I? Descended from the sky!"
--All of the eyewitnesses mentioned the same, strange incident.
That was what Chiaki had said on the phone. At the Katou shrine, people had descended from the sky like angels, saving Takaya and the others.
People descending from the sky. Very much like winged angels...
It sounded similar to the eyewitness' testimony of the fire scene in Kurume. She was told that the missing follower of the Fire Sect, Saeki Ryouko, had flown to the sky without a word, simply as though she had grown wings.
Descended from the sky...
--They're now at the hospital, accompanying Kagetora...
Ayako gasped. The wingless angels who had saved Takaya, could they be... could they be...
"Could they be the followers of the Fire Sect...!"
"Eh?"
Ayako grabbed her wallet. She stood up kicking the chair away, pushed her way through the crowd in the shop, and ran to the phone once again. Even inserting the phone card proved too much for her patience, Ayako speedily dialed the number to the hospital that Chiaki had given her. Once the line was connected, she immediately said.
"Ah.. Hello! The patient sent to your hospital by the name of Ougi Takaya...! I'm Ougi Takaya's relative. Yes, that's right, that's right! His condition...! Is he safe now!"
Yagami was momentarily terrified by Ayako's excessively frantic movements, but he immediately gathered his wits and ran to Ayako's side, sighed and quietly waited for the response. Ayako gripped the receiver tightly, so much that her hands had turned white. She was waiting for the reply.
If there's some relationship with...
Her heart was pounding from agitation, about to break out of her chest.
If the Fire Sect members have something to do with the Yami Sengoku...!
Ayako could not tell how long she had waited before she finally got the answer.
"He's... dead... ?"
Yagami heard Ayako repeat the answer she received.
She took a deep breath.
Ayako muttered stiffly. "You've got.. to be kidding me...?"
***
The room, covering an area of six tatami mats, was very cold.
Although a round-shaped electrical heater had been placed at one corner of the room, Tetsuya had no wish to switch it on. Did he not, in the slightest bit, find the room freezing?
He sat on the floor with a pale face.
"From that day onwards, everything grew strange."
Tetsuya was seated in front of Chiaki, and started to talk albeit with hesitation.
"Ever since the Hi-taki no Shinji, everything just became a mess."
Five years ago, in early autumn, when Tetsuya was barely twelve...
His younger sister had been chosen as the bonfire maiden.
"Bonfire maiden?"
"Yeah." Tetsuya discussed in a muffled voice. "My home... Yakuinbaru at Aso city. Every year, from August to October, they will honor the patron god - it's known as the Hi-taki no Shinji festival, a custom of the Shimo shrine since ancient times. During the festival every year, they'll select a young girl to be locked inside the bonfire hall for two months to burn the firewood for the gods."
"And that's the bonfire maiden?"
Tetsuya nodded.
"In order to prevent the gods in the Shimo shrine from feeling cold and delay the early frost, fires have to be maintained to keep them warm. That's the significance of the festival."
The young girl chosen was known as the bonfire maiden. She could not be over 15 years of age to be accepted into the bonfire hall. The people responsible for looking after the girl have to be men or middle-aged women. The goshintai transported from the main shrine would be placed under a specially-constructed bamboo canopy in an earthy room, under which the maiden would keep a fire alive. Should an early frost appear within the two months of the ritual, people would say that the fire maintained by the bonfire maiden had grown weak.
"But..., when Hokage tended the fire, the situation was different than usual."
Tetsuya recalled the circumstances of that time.
The year when Tetsuya's sister became the bonfire maiden...
It was said that a string of peculiar events occurred in the bonfire hall, cases where the burning fires took the shape of demons and spoke with Hokage, or that the flames assumed the forms of dragons and flew away to the sky, the rain of golden sand inside the room, the voices of men that were heard the entire night, and so forth. --Apparently, Tetsuya's granduncle, his paternal grandmother, the people in charge of the festival, the Shinto priests and others had witnessed these incidents. A series of queer phenomena had occurred.
--Something disastrous will definitely happen at this year's Yato.
Consistent with the hushed discussions of the adults, on the day of the Yato festival, which served to conclude the ritual, came something that no one could foresee happening in this era.
"Fire... Orochi..."
When Tetsuya finished, Chiaki was wide-eyed. Tetsuya nodded. At the end of the Yato festival, Hokage had stepped into the fire, abruptly burst into flames and turned into a blazing orochi, which then soared into the sky.
"That sounds like some kind of hoax."
Tetsuya wrinkled his forehead, and grumbled. "But it all started from there. Ever since the appearance of the orochi that day, the way our relatives treated Hokage underwent a 180 degree change."
"Change?"
"Yeah. They started calling Hokage, 'Lady Hokage', like they were addressing a princess or some god. They were extremely discreet in their gestures as though they were afraid or something, always calling her 'Lady Hokage' 'Lady Hokage'. Those people who used to think of us as troublesome children also behaved differently, which disgusted me actually."
Not long after, Hokage was taken to the head family, away from her granduncle's home - the Miike branch family. That is, Tetsuya's uncle, Miike Haruya's family.
"...And then your sister went missing a year ago?"
"It must have been the head family." Tetsuya said firmly. "Our family is really odd, sensei! Our relatives would spend the entire day discussing matters in secret! They must be the ones who are hiding Hokage!"
"How can that be? Why would they want to hide her? Why must they hide her?"
"I don't know. But it's probably because..." Tetsuya continued, his fists were clenched. "Because Hokage is related to 'Asara'."
"What?"
"Granny said Hokage is special. She said 'the Miike family has produced an Asara princess', 'Hokage is the Asara princess'."
"You mean to say...! That 'Asara' refers to your sister! Is this letter of threat referring to your sister's incident!"
"I can't think of anything else besides this..." Tetsuya's fists were trembling. "They said that the Miike family is linked to the 'Asara bloodline'..."
"The 'Asara bloodline'..."
"I don't really know what's going on either, ...but that was what Granny said. For the sake of Kihachi-sama, the birth of Asara is a must. That's why we can't break the bloodline. The members of the branch family must devote their lives to waiting upon the head family, should there come a time where one's life must be risked to protect...!"
Incomprehensible words rolled out of Tetsuya's mouth. Chiaki was silent. The situation was heading in an ever more fascinating direction. The key to solving the riddle appeared to be buried in the Miike family at Aso.
"I got it. Miike. So this letter wants you to bring your sister in exchange for Inaba's life. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?"
"How would I know..."
"Well then, even if the reasons are unclear, if Hokage has really been hidden, the people of the head family should know where she is now right?"
Tetsuya was startled, he lifted his head. "Are you going? Sensei."
"We're talking about a person's life here, that's the only thing we can do."
Chiaki took out his car keys from the pocket in his trousers. He looked out fiercely.
"I can't be not saving my precious little students."
"Sensei..."
"Leave it to me, Miike. I definitely teach those good-for-nothing brats a lesson for using kidnap as a threat."
Despite saying that, Chiaki's lips were stiff. From the look of things, the individuals he was up against were no ordinary people. They were a powerful enemy capable of severely injuring Takaya.
Could it be the Ootomo?
If that was the case, would Mikuriya be involved as well? Tachibana Dousetsu, Takahashi Jouun... The Ootomo had so many brilliant military men. Considering that Kaizaki was now their ally, surely Takaya's real identity as Uesugi Kagetora has been made known to them? Or perhaps...
The Oda? ...Perhaps Katou Kiyomasa?
At this point in time, Chiaki was still unaware of Nezu's true identity. But apart from the aforementioned, the number of onshou who wanted Kagetora eliminated was countless. Furthermore, what exactly about the Miike family was responsible for capturing the attention of the onshou?
"...There's no time. Anyway, the hostage's life is the top priority right now. Miike, please take me to Aso."
Tetsuya nodded with a nervous face. The two of them hastily left the room.
The outside was covered in darkness.
***
One hour had passed since she boarded the limited express train from Hakata station. By the time she reached Kumamoto, it was seven-thirty in the evening. Ayako immediately took a taxi from the railway station to the hospital.
It must've been a lie... Must've been a lie...
Nothing is certain until I see it with my own eyes, Ayako told herself. She honestly could not believe what the nurse had told her over the phone.
--Unfortunately, Ougi Takaya passed away just a moment ago.
There must've been a mistake somewhere...
The nurse's unexpectedly sympathetic voice continued to echo in her mind. The nurse had even told Ayako about his moment of death, but she could only desperately shake her head in reply.
There must've been a mistake somewhere...!
She was hoping that the hospital had indeed made a blunder. She hoped that they had mistaken him for another person. Ayako ran into the half-lit building via the night entrance. A nurse was on duty at the reception desk.
"Sorry, I'm a family member of Ougi Takaya who was admitted during the day...!"
"Ougi..., oh yes. Were you the young lady who called not too long ago?"
It seemed like she was the nurse who had answered Ayako's call.
"We have already done our best. Unfortunately..."
"Where is he! Please take me there! Where is Ougi Takaya now!"
"Are you referring to his remains?"
Ayako could barely keep herself from blurting out, "No!"; she struggled to remain coherent.
"Did you mistake him for another person? Was it really Ougi Takaya? Was it really him?"
"There was no mistake. We referred to the photograph in the student manual that was with him. We are certain of his identity."
"You're lying!" Ayako screamed. "Where is he? Take me to him right now! I won't believe this unless I see it with my own eyes!"
The nurse hesitated. "But his body has already been retrieved by his family..."
"What did you say?" Ayako's face was contorted. "That's impossible. His family is in Matsumoto!"
"But the ones who accompanied him said they were his relatives... All of the formalities were completed about one hour ago..."
"The ones who accompanied him...?"
Was she referring to the couple that Chiaki had mentioned?
"Yes, they were here with him throughout the entire time."
Ayako was stunned. Her face grew even more contorted; she was speechless for a brief moment.
What's going on?
Dangerously close to losing her cool out of fear, Ayako's mind was more confused than before. Nevertheless, she did her best to continue.
"If that's the case, they would've left their contact details. Please tell me their names and add..ress..."
Halfway through her sentence, Ayako heard the automatic door opening behind her, she was immediately on alert and turned around. The one who ran in was a tall, bespectacled man wearing a black overcoat. Ayako knew him. Yes, his unexpected appearance startled Ayako.
"...Kai... zaki..."
That man was indeed Kaizaki Makoto. He was panting, with a desperate look on his face and his hair was unusually disordered. This was their first meeting since the incident at Enoshima. She had also heard from Takaya of Kaizaki's collusion with the Ootomo. Kaizaki stopped once he saw Ayako. Something snapped in Ayako's heart.
"Was it... you people...?" Her lips warped as she demanded in a low voice. "Was it... were you the ones who attacked Kagetora?"
Ayako strode to Kaizaki, who had a blank stare on his face, and gave him a resounding slap. Kaizaki's glasses were knocked to the floor as a result of the strike. But Ayako could not care less about them, she grabbed his collar and lashed out at him indignantly.
"So it was really you, Satomi! Conspiring with the Ootomo and inciting those strange incidents! You were the ones who let them attack Kagetora right!"
"...!"
"You murderer! Where have you taken Kagetora! Give him back to me--! I will never forgive you people! I will kill all of you!"
"No, calm down...!"
"I will definitely send all of you to hell!"
"I said calm down!"
Kaizaki yelled back, grabbing Ayako's shoulders suddenly. In a split second, she was suppressed by his forceful strength.
"Kaizaki...!"
"If you are in such a disoriented state, a spiritual search would be impossible for you, wouldn't it! He did not die, he is merely unconscious, he is definitely still alive!"
Huh...
Ayako looked at him dumbstruck, for a brief moment she did not believe what she was hearing. The earnest expression in Kaizaki's eyes was almost frightening as he spoke with Ayako.
"Call out to him continuously with a wave of thought. If he is still alive, he will definitely answer you. Let your nerves maintain your calm and sense of acuity, capture that weak reply well. This should be something that you can do."
"...I..."
"It was the Ikkoushuu. Shimozura Rairyuu is still alive."
"Rairyuu... You mean that Shimozura Rairyuu!"
"That's right. Apparently, he did not die at Itsukushima and has come to Kumamoto. I am currently locating his whereabouts. Leave this matter to the Ootomo, you should first look for Takaya."
"Ah... Ah..."
"He did not die. He definitely won't die."
Ayako was numb. Instinctively, she called out a certain name.
...Naoe...?
The man once again urged her with an "Understand?"; he took out a business card from his pocket, wrote his telephone number on the reverse side, and pressed it firmly into Ayako's hand.
"If something goes wrong, contact me immediately. I will help you."
Once Kaizaki finished, he turned back, immediately heading outside where a cold wind was blowing. Ayako came back to her senses and yelled loudly.
"Wait, Kaizaki!"
Ayako ran after Kaizaki, who had exited via the night entrance, all the way to the parking lot.
What...
Kaizaki merely stood there. Beneath the lamp post in front of him were three men who looked like they were there to deliberately obstruct his way. Ayako was stunned by this strange atmosphere.
"That is..."
"You are Kaizaki, am I correct? The descendant of the Satomi who sought refuge with the Ootomo."
The young man of medium stature, who appeared to be the leader, spoke to Kaizaki. Ayako did not recognize any of their faces. Kaizaki was on guard. The three of them had what appeared to be a katana in their hands.
"Who are you people?"
"The land our troops were set to be stationed at has been invaded by the obstructive Ootomo it seems. We have come to remedy the situation by spearheading the attack."
Large black eyes, dense eyebrows and a profile of sharply demarcated facial features; he was tall and sturdy, possessing the physical characteristics of the men of Kyushu island. The young man stated in a solid voice without hesitation.
"The repulsive Ootomo, lost in exhilaration from acquiring Saga. I will not surrender Kumamoto to you people. If you do not wish to suffer heavy losses, you should leave this place immediately."
"What?"
These people were kanshousha. Furthermore, they were considerably strong.
The moment Kaizaki realized this, the men had drawn their weapons. Their swords emitted pale rays of light which mingled with their incantations, lending a mysterious quality to its radiance. In the next moment, the deep-blue blades shone brightly, giving birth to a tenacious source of incantation power.
"Let us eliminate the hindrance that you are, Satomi!"
The young men shouted as their fighting spirits surged, lifting their swords upwards.
"Kill him-------------!"
They charged mercilessly with dynamic attacks. Kesagiri - the technique of slashing the sword down diagonally from the shoulder at an extraordinary speed.
"!"
Kaizaki, realizing that he was in imminent peril, parried the assault with a Goshinha. Sharp plasma splattered about as Kaizaki's body was flung backwards. This sort of strength...!
Jigen ryuu!
No, despite the similarity, it was different. This is...
Taisha ryuu!
There was no time to think, the other two charged forward. The speed of their kesagiri was so fast it could hardly be seen. Kaizaki desperately evaded their slashes, shooting out incantations, but the enemy was extremely stubborn. No matter how much he drove them back they still persisted. The force of the opponent was sweeping, their kesagiri struck at lightning speed.
Taisha ryuu was a type of kenjutsu utilized by the samurai of Kyushu island during the end of the Warring States era. Death in one blow - a sword technique which concentrated one's entire body strength into the execution of the kesagiri.
"Kill him-----!"
Kaizaki defended himself with a Goshinha in desperation, however the blades were so concentrated with their spiritual power that they promptly shattered it.
"!"
Repelled backwards, Kaizaki tumbled to the asphalt road. These three people were very strong. But there was another factor affecting the tide of this battle. Kaizaki looked a little strange.
"Ch...!"
Was there a discord in the synchronization? He could not smoothly employ his powers. With a great deal of difficulty, Kaizaki again attacked the oncoming enemies with a Nen Nami. But the enemy took advantage of a weakness in his stance when he stood up and struck. Kaizaki shouted as he evaded the hit.
"Who are you people!"
The young man, brandishing his sword with astonishing speed, replied Kaizaki.
"I am Iehisa, the son of Shimazu Toyohisa! Let us see if you can parry the sword of the Satsuma samurai!"
Shimazu Iehisa!
The name was familiar; Kaizaki and Ayako both trembled. He had repelled famous generals of Kyushu island in the past, forcing Ryuuzouji and Ootomo close to the brink of destruction - the Satsuma hero who had engulfed the entire region of Kyushu island with the raging waves of his influence - one of the four Shimazu brothers.
Shimazu has come to Kumamoto...!
"Nnghh!"
With his Goshinha shattered by just one strike from Iehisa, Kaizaki was knocked out. Ayako could not help but call out.
"Kaizaki!"
"This is the final blow!"
Iehisa swung his sword. At that crucial moment, Ayako released a Nen Nami. Iehisa's sword was repelled backwards and he retreated upon sustaining this abrupt hit.
"Who is there!"
"I won't let you commit this outrage!"
An accomplice!
Startled, Iehisa signaled his subordinates to fall back. Ayako ran to Kaizaki. He was unconscious as a result of Iehisa's attack.
"Wait, Iehisa!"
Shimazu had escaped. Ayako held Kaizaki up.
"Hang in there, Kaizaki! Kaizaki!"
No response. The hospital staff had heard the commotion and came running over. Ayako bit her lips, glaring at the darkness on the other side.
Those guys...!
***
"I'm home... Ah, heavy."
Opening the door, Koganezawa Kyouko placed the shopping bag on the floor. She had conveniently stopped by the supermarket on her way back from school. It was quite the exercise. The bag was filled with vegetables, meat and other items, making it incredibly heavy.
"Welcome home, Kyouko. You're back so late today."
Wearing an apron, her mother stuck her head out of the kitchen, Kyouko nodded in agreement.
"I went to buy the ingredients for tomorrow's bento."
"Oh dear."
Seeing the supermarket bag bursting with groceries, her mother's eyes widened.
"That's great. So you intend to make a bento by yourself, how strange. Are you preparing lunch for the entire football team?"
"Of course not. It's for Chiaki-sensei. There will be a practice match tomorrow, so I'm going to prepare a bento-full of affection for Chiaki-sensei--"
Her mother nodded. She then recalled something, and asked.
"Oh right, just now Akemi's mother called. Kyouko, were you with Akemi?"
"Akemi? No, I wasn't. She said she had to go to the dentist today and left early."
"But I was told she hasn't returned home yet."
"Well, she could've gone shopping perhaps?"
Her mother muttered, "Perhaps...", placing her hand on her cheek. Kyouko handed the shopping bag to her mother.
"Put this in ice for me. Ah... my shoulder's hurting again. Is dinner ready yet? Then I'll first take a bath."
After that, she went upstairs.
Kyouko believed that bathing was the most important routine in a day. This was not merely because she was far more vain about her appearance than anyone else, but more so to treat her chronic shoulder ache. Kyouko soaked herself in the warm water, massaging her shoulders.
"It doesn't seem effective..."
Although she has always had this chronic ache, the pain had grown especially severe in the past few months. No matter how much her mother massaged her shoulders, the pain did not subside. At times, it was so painful that she could not even lift her arms. She had been told that immersing in a bath helped to facilitate blood circulation, hence her obsession with bathing. However, it did not cure the ache. Some people had teased her for being like an elderly woman dealing with the problems that came with age, but Kyouko retorted by saying that the teenagers of this era have several times more hardship to endure than the older generations. Nevertheless, her condition did not seem to improve.
"Maybe I should just quit being manager..."
Of course, Kyouko did not realize that her severe shoulder aches was a result of the many mixed spirits attached to her body.
But...
She recalled what happened.
Chiaki-sensei's familiar with the student in 2B, what's going on here?
Tetsuya's words stuck firmly in her brain. Were they relatives? Now that she thought about it, she had also heard strange rumors from her classmates. Apparently, someone had personally witnessed Chiaki-sensei entering a hotel near Kumamoto castle by the back entrance. The schoolgirls stalking him had also seen Chiaki retrieving his keys from the reception. Everyone was in an uproar over whether Chiaki was meeting with his lover but Kyouko did not believe a word of it.
Akemi also said something about it.
About Ougi Takaya. Something about him staying at a hotel.
It can't possibly be the same hotel, right?
A whole series of questions popped up in her head, Kyouko's furrowed eyebrows grew increasingly wrinkled. This incident happened on the same day the teacher assumed his duty, which was a little bizarre on second thought. In fact, the dispute with the executive committee at noon today had involved Ougi Takaya. And apparently that Nezu Kouichi had also been implicated in the matter.
...How weird...
Are they related to each other? Kyouko pouted.
Right, tomorrow I'll ask Chiaki-sensei for answers, until I'm satisfied!
Kyouko thought, clenching her fists in the water. Right at that moment.
"...Huh...?"
A strange sound came from the area around her stomach. Was she too excited? Kyouko thought that her stomach was grumbling from hunger, the image of dinner appeared in her mind.
Grunt grunt...
There was the strange sound again. It was not just a sound; it seemed as though something was crying out.
Eh... eh...
Something was not right. Then, something moved in that same spot. It was a splitting sound; somewhere within her body, there was a deep, fracturing sound. A lump of some sort began to move around in her abdominal area.
"Wa...!"
The wriggling grew more distinct, it felt as though there was a live fish flipping about in her stomach. It grew more intense. Eventually, the area beneath her chest began to tremble with fluctuating protrusions.
"No... what...!"
Her skin began to bulge. Some kind of living thing was wriggling about beneath her skin. That thing began to rock left and right as it climbed up to her neck region.
"Yahhh-----!"
Kyouko could not help but stand up in the bathtub.
"No....! What is this!" She was screaming. "No-----!!!"
"What's the matter! Kyouko!"
The door to the bathroom flung open and her mother rushed in. Kyouko was lying on the bathroom floor.
"Kyouko...!"
The moment she drew near, a black shadow emerged. Her mother lifted her head in shock, several human faces appeared.
"Wah...!"
They were the spirits attached to Kyouko's body, about four or five of them in total. With blanched expressions filled with grudge, the spiritual bodies approached.
"K..Kyouko? Kyouko!"
Her mother was scared and at a loss. She held Kyouko up, wanting to shake her awake. Kyouko's body jolted all of a sudden, then she began to shiver continuously. Finally, with her own strength she stood up again.
"K...Kyouko?"
Kyouko casually brushed her mother's hand away. With her two hands, she pressed against the ceramic floor and stood up by herself. Kyouko lifted her face.
"...!"
Her mother only stared at her. Between the wet, disheveled strands of hair, her eyes had not the slightest trace of anger. Snake-like eyes. Then her red lips curled slightly into a smile.
Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.
