Vol 7 Chapter 18 (1/2)
Chapter 18: Pure Land at the Lake's Bottom
A heavy guard of Fuua Mirror to Hakone Shrine Ujiteru and his vassals cli at the private wharf reserved for the estate’s exclusive use
“Is this the only boat?” Naoe asked “I would like to bring the body and give it a burial at sea”
“Were you not intending to return it to his family?”
“I’ve changedthe body would attract too s like this The police beco involved would interfere with our plans, which would not be in our best interest”
“You are heartless”
“Merely anticipating all possibilities,” Naoe responded expressionlessly, with cold-blooded indifference “Burials at sea ht be stylish, but put plainly, this is noinconspicuous A small motor boat would be best, I think Even if I were spotted, I alone would bear the guilt It would never come back to you, Ujiteru-sama”
“H in”
Earlier thatthere had been hints of blue in the sky, the air achingly clear, but with the fog rolling in the day had turned dark again
“Convenient”
At that“In that case, you will join up with us later,” Ujiteru responded as he received confirmation that the cruiser was ready
“ Yes”
Naoe went inside to retrieve the body as Ujiteru and coa Mirror across the lake
Naoe ca for the motor boat prepared for him at the wharf As he climbed in, one of Ujiteru’s aides approached
“Ujiteru-sa spirit, not kanshousha—said Naoe sht be a better description than ‘accompany’
“I see I leave myself to your care”
A thick fog now covered Lake Ashi+, obscuring its center from any observers on the shores The Houjou vassal, are of its waters, handled the boat with precision Near the center, he inquired, “Where do you plan to toss it in?”
“It doesn’t reallyWhich direction is Hakone Shrine from here?”
“Where our bow is pointed At night you can soe there You can use that as a landuide you in and make landfall atMotohakone”
“I see Thank you very much”
“” The ht behind hiht, an instant before Naoe seized his teht hand A sound like fireworks exploded in his mind before the world went dark
Naoe crouched beside the collapsed figure and touched his hand to the man’s forehead
“On amiritateizei kara un on amiritateizei kara un”
As he chanted the ht His fingers sank into thespirit out of its vessel without nized the spirit as that of an onryou, but one with only a sen of power
Still, even a s on hoas used
“On beishi+ramandaya sowaka on beishi+ramandaya sowaka Namu Tobatsu Bishamonten Punish and bind this evil spirit Bestow the dee upon me”
Light glowed fro shape as a coiled whip made of spiritual power Naoe shook it out adroitly and wrapped it around the spirit he held captive
“Bind”
The whip instantly wound around the spirit, eliciting a terrible, violent howl of anguish frohter out of his pocket and lit the scourge on fire Both it and the spirit went up in flames, and when the blaze cleared, a blue stone dropped onto the floor
Naoe picked it up and put it in his pocket
(The Tsutsuga Mirror has left the barrier at last)
Naoe laid Takaya down on the sheet beside hiaze on the shore ahead I must hurry
The tree-binding ritual was beginning
Preparations at Hakone Shrine were complete
A barrier kept out all outsiders, and the shrine staff were hypnotized and asleep
A ceremonial site had been constructed in front of Hakone Shrine’s sacred ‘Yatate Cedar,’ the Tsutsuga Mirror placed therein
Ujiteru stared grinificent cedar 1,200 years old He would be binding his brother to this tree
The legend of the ‘Yatate Cedar’ began at the start of the Heian Period Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, appointed the coate the Emishi+people of northern japan, prayed to the avatar of Hakone for fortune in hen he passed the shrine during his journey His offering was a bow and arrow After hieneral of the Abe Clan, then brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Yoshi+tsune in the Ka a ‘first arrow’ as an invocation for fate’s favor in battle Each of their prayers were answered, and so people came to believe that the tree was sacred, and bestowed luck on the battlefield to its supplicants
It then became the main shaft of Hakone’s ‘United Body’
(It is a tree befitting Saburou)
But he realized that the thought brought him no joy
Once Saburou Kagetora’s tree-binding was complete, the Hakone Shrine forest, like that of Nikkou, would be set ablaze The ‘Yatate Cedar’, too, would burn with holy fire Its sacred poould be fused with the power of the earth to becoht, and Saburou’s soul would become a part of it
(And his psyche will be annihilated)
He would be reduced to a mere weapon
It should have been simatic
All of it done for the sake of the clan
But the ache in his chest refused to abate His little brother was going to be used again, another heartbreaking fate forced upon him
Saburou is going to become a God of war
(To my brother it is simple and clear-cut It can never be so for me)
But neither could he disobey their father’s commands
If it was the coreat Ujiyasu
(If this isFather’s command)
“Tono!” said an aide approaching him on the shrine path
“What is it? Is Kotarou not yet returned?”
“Aye We have searched for him, but”
“Nevermind We will proceed without Kotarou Is the escort in place? Are the Fuuned positions?”
“Everything is complete My lord, Naoe-dono has returned”
“What? Naoe?” He turned to see the just-arrived Naoe standing nearby “Is the water burial complete?”
“Yes,” Naoe nodded expressionlessly
Ujiteru felt that deep fury welling up within him once more How dare he treat a master he had followed for four hundred years thus? How dare he be so composed? The nerve of this man!
“He wanted to protect ”
When he closed his eyes, he could see Takaya’s slight smile, the pain hidden behind it
“Wings Gigantic bird’s wings ”
(Is this the e (Was this cold-hearted bastard the reason you were destroyed?)
Naoe returned Ujiteru’s gaze as Ujiteru advanced on hirace to avert his eyes? It inflamed Ujiteru’s hatred
“My lord!” The aide exclaimed as Ujiteru suddenly struck Naoe across the cheek Naoe closed his eyes, face still turned Ujiteru calmed his shortened breaths
“Begin the cerea” He walked aithout another look at Naoe
“”
Naoe lifted his head, staring at Ujiteru’s back as he walked away
Watched over by the vassals, Houjou priests began the shi+nto ritual in front of of the ‘Yatate Cedar,’ the Tsutsuga Mirror with Kagetora’s sealed soul enshrined before it
Naoe appeared beside Ujiteru as he stood observing His co that of a hereditary vassal of the Houjou
The shi+nto ritual prayer ended, and a gigantic kettle-like object was carried out from the opposite side It took three people just to lift the lid, allohat appeared to be crimson smoke to overflow from it A hairy animal crawled out
It was a tsutsuga: the saa, in fact, which had attacked Naoe on Iroha Hill It was as long as a person was tall, easily two or three ti Nikkou and Hakone This was the tsutsuga cub brought forth by the Fuuo and sealed by Tenkai within the very sa in front of the ‘Yatate Cedar’
(So this is the original?)
The difference in power between this tsutsuga and the cubs produced en-a were said to take a century to reachremained within its mother in the centuries since its birth, appeared not yet weaned though its body was full-grown
The tsutsuga gave a lol followed by a whining bark, as if it were calling to itsnearby It appeared upset by its abrupt release
A ry child This tsutsuga, however, had been shaped by huht to hunt souls instead of catch fish Like the cormorant which spits its catch into its a used the traits inherited fro them
Naoe casually slipped a hand into his pocket
(I have to stop this before he is sed by the tsutsuga)
The beast suddenly grew restive as if so wildly
“What just happened?!” Ujiteru and his aide leapt to their feet The anguished tsutsuga began violently swiping and lunging at the people standing closest, driving off the vassals who quickly ran up to it
“Control it, calm it down!”
So, abnoraat the source
“Wah!”
Ujiteru and co Naoe alone in its path
Naoe threw the blue sphere in his hand at the tsutsuga and clasped his hands together in a ritual gesture He cried, “Release binding!”
Light flashed froe hatred as a terrifying onryou appeared
“Whwhat is that?!”
The vassals ran about in a panic The onryou screa around it as it writhed within the strangling bindings of the whip of chastisement
Taking advantage of the chaos, Naoe sprinted for the altar and grabbed the fea Mirror
“You! damn you, Naoe!” Naoe’s «nenpa» went off like a bo himself from the shockwave, Ujiteru yelled, “Naoe, you bastard!”
“I will not allow you to use hio to hell!”
“Kill him! Tear him limb from limb!”
Naoe shi+elded hiainst the mass of «nenpa» launched simultaneously by several Houjou vassals before counterattacking Explosions rocked the area around them His «wall» buckled beneath the ferocity of the concentrated assault aile arrow-like shot of will pierced the wall and struck him
(Whatever happens, I must not lose this mirror!) Naoe cradled it to his chest as several keen arrows of will grazed hih the Houjou vassals, but it did not shake their fierce barrage Naoe dropped to one knee (I will not give it up!)
Naoe gritted his teeth as his clothes were ripped apart, his blood sent splattering to the ground He clutched hard at the Tsutsuga Mirror even while pain stabbed into his skin, raising his eyes to glare defiantly with all his body and soul
(I will not give him up to anyone!)
Roaring, he gathered all his strength, concentrating all the «power» he possessed into a single point in his body There was no longer a human heart within him—no emotion or reason, for he transfory
“What!”
There was an ominous ruround around the ind born of Naoe’s will scythed through both trees and ht
“Protect yourselves! Attack!” Ujiteru’s shout ed up by the brutal storm
“Aaaaaah—!” Wrung out of the depths of his soul, the howl tore out of his body and pierced Heaven itself The storm wavered and Heaven cracked apart Everyone froze in place, terrified by a presentiment of doom
Naoe’s body becaht
Swelling—
The ground shook as if struck by antic pillar of fire He had released every ounce of power he possessed in a single instant
The energy blast engulfed everyone and everything
Even after the shock waves faded, none of Ujiteru’s men were capable of a counterattack All that remained was a scene out of hell itself
(Kagetorasama)
Having used up every iota of power, Naoe dragged hia Mirror still cradled in his bleeding arms
(Kagetorasama!)
He had no energy left to speak the name out loud Will alone animated his mind and body as he crawled down the stone stairs
Only one of the cruony, Ujiteru desperately dragged his bloodied and broken body toward the lake-shore after Naoe
“I won’t let you get away, Naoe”
Naoe turned at the shrine gates at the sound of Ujiteru’s voice
’“I won’t let you get away, Naoeeeeeee!” Ujiteru cried, a terrifying expression on his face
“!”
Ujiteru collapsed to his knees But he raised hiritted, “Give the mirrorback to me”
Naoe glared at Ujiteru
“Give Saburou back to me—!”
Naoe clutched the ed hi arms
“—Stay back”
“”
“I will never give him up”
“Give himback”
“Get away from me!”
In desperation, Naoe foresture “ (Bai)!”
“!”
Ujiteru’s paralyzed body shi+vered—but his force of as not to be underestiht and continued to crawl forward
Naoe had reached the end of his power He could no longer perform a proper «choubuku» But he strained for the last drops of energy, his hands clasped together in the ritual symbol by sheer will
“Noumakusamandabodanan”
“Give him back,” Ujiteru pleaded desperately, his voice hoarse Dying “GiveSaburou back”
“”
“Please”
Naoe stared at Ujiteru, eyes wide
Ujiteru’s eyes were filled with tears He was no longer a general, and his pleas had nothing to do ar or tactics He was just an older brother now
“Give backmy brother”
“”
Naoe turned his face away His chanting faded Hands still clasped tightly in Bishamonten’s mudra, he closed his eyes
“!”
A «nenpa» exploded at Ujiteru’s feet He slaround, where he lay un
“”
Panting and gasping, Naoe stared at Ujiteru for a second before turning and staggering toward the motor boat anchored at the lake-shore once ed spasms of pain from his shoulder wound, and he stuht was to protect the mirror
(Almostthere)
He dragged himself into the boat and raised Takaya’s body fro with pain
(Kagetora-sama)
He clutched tightly to both Takaya and the Tsutsuga Mirror even as his vision blurred His reat distance away Hethe engine and pointing the little boat toward the fog-covered lake