Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Jin’s POV
   Jin had been following behind Ichihara for close to three minutes now. Even so, they have yet to reach their destination. The interior of this shrine is much bigger than it looks.

   “So, what am I supposed to deal with?” he asks.

   “A gateway to a world that’s being inhabited by youkais.”

   “...Right.”

   “You don’t believe me, don’t you?”

   “Hey, I came back from a world that has Western spirits. I won’t be surprised if there are Eastern ones too.”

   “I would love to fill you on the detail. However-”

   “Dealing with the gateway comes first. Got it.”

   “There, it’s inside that room up ahead.”

   “Tell me one thing first. Do everyone inside that room know my true identity?”

   “Well, yes.”

   “Good. I don’t have to put on a disguise, then.”

   Jin walks past Ichihara and reaches out his hand. Seconds later, his hand is already at the paper door. He slides it open and goes inside the room in one swift motion.

   He sees a pillar made of wood in the middle of the room. The pillar is entangled by lots and lots of ropes, and lots of talismans are pasted on it. All around the pillar sits twenty priests of different ages. All of them are putting their hands together as if saying their prayers.

   The most noticeable thing inside the room is a circular portal that’s facing Jin. He sees hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at him beyond the portal. He has trouble identifying the owners of the eyes since there’s no source of light inside the portal. As he watches, a single arm reaches out. The arm is muscular and covered with red skin. Instead of nails, each of the fingers end with a claw.

   “PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT! ONE’S ABOUT TO PASS THROUGH!” an elderly priest barks loudly.

   “I-I can’t hold on!” a young one whines.

   “WELL TRY HARDER. DO YOU WANT TO DIE?”

   Jin calmly walks to the portal.

   “Hey, what the-”

   Instead of answering, Jin reaches out his hand and punches the arm. The impact was so strong the arm was broken. A loud roar of pain is heard from the other side.

   “Back off or I’ll go through the portal and murder all of you.” Jin threatens.

   The arm slides back immediately, and all the eyes that were glaring at Jin mere moments ago disappear all at once.

   “How do you seal off the portal, Ichihara?” Jin asks without looking back.

   “You do something about the pillar.”

   “Understood.”

   Jin passes through the portal and touches the pillar with his left hand while mumbling some words under his breath. Three seocnds later, the entire pillar is frozen, and the portal disappears. He takes his hand away from the pillar.

   “Well, that’s one thing that’s got taken care of-”

   “What’s he doing here?”

   Jin turns around and sees the young priest yelling at Ichihara.

   “Onii-sama, please calm down-”

   “Don’t tell me to calm down! Why have you brought an outsider inside the sacred shrine? And it has to be him, of all people!”

   Jin looks at the young priest, then at Ichihara.

   “This clown here is your big brother?” he asks her. “The two of you look nothing alike, though. How fortunate for you.”

   The young priest gasps angrily and turns his head to glare at Jin.

   “How dare you? You’re addressing the future successor of this shrine!” he shouts.

   Jin blinks.

   “You, the successor?”

   “That’s right. Feast your eyes upon the majestic figures of Ichihara Hajime, the greatest onmyoji ever to live!” he says smugly.

   “Wow. Do they let any weak clowns to be the successor of a shrine these days?”

   Hajime gasps angrily again, but he manages to control his emotion this time.

   “Hmph, I guess your rotten eyes are too useless to recognize pure talent when you see one!”

   “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that story.”

   The elderly priest who was barking orders just now bows at Jin.

   “On behalf of everyone here, I thank you for your timely assistance.” he says.

   “Please think nothing of it. I was here by chance, anyway. I do need lots of explanations, though.”

   “And you shall receive them. Ayumi, take care of our esteemed guest while I give those here some instructions.”

   “Yes, grandfather.”

   “Are you really answering to this mongrel?” Hajime demands.

   His grandfather looks at him coldly until he averts his gaze.

   “I indeed promised to pass down the title of the Head to you. However, that title only belongs to you after I’m dead. For now, I’m the one in charge here. Do you understand me?” the grandfather asks in a soft yet deadly voice.

   “Yes, grandfather.” Hajime says meekly without looking at the elderly man.

   “Good.”

   When he looks at Jin again, his expression has become kindly again.

   “I’m sorry that you had to see that.”

   “No worries.”

   Jin follows Ayumi to exit the room without even acknowledging Hajime who’s staring daggers at him. While in the corridor, the two of them walk in silence for a while.

   “Do you want something to drink, Minase-kun?” Ayumi eventually asks.

   “I’ll have a glass of iced green tea. I also want some senbei, preferably with seaweed on them.” he requests.

   She lets out a tiny giggle.

   “You really don’t hold back, do you?”

   “Hey, you’re the one who asked.”

   “Well, I can get you the iced tea, and I think I still have some seaweed senbei stashed somewhere.”

   “Thanks.”

   Ayumi brings Jin to a place that looks like a guest room. As Jin sits down on one of the cushions available, Ayumi excused herself and leaves the room to get him what he wants. Some time later, she comes back with the promised iced green tea and crackers with seaweed stuck to them.

   “Here you go. Enjoy.” she tells him as she sits on top of another cushion opposite him.

   “Aren’t you getting anything for yourself?”

   “Of course not. I’m still on duty.”

   Jin pushes the bowl that’s full of senbei towards her.

   “Ah, who cares? Have some.”

   “But-”

   “But nothing. Have some. Guest’s order.”

   She giggles.

   “I’m going to blame you if I got into trouble.”

   “Go ahead. It’s true anyway.”

   Ayumi picks up a senbei with her hand and bites into it. She made a loud crunching noise.

   “So, when did all of you know about my true identity?” he asks.

   “Soon after you made yourself known.”

   “That was pretty fast.”

   “We onmyojis are very good at gathering information, after all.”

   “Are you guys relying on things like shikigami?”

   “That’s right.”

   “So not everything I see on animes and mangas are lies.”

   “Well, the inspiration has to come from somewhere.”

   In other words, the reason Jin couldn’t use his Eye of Truth to detect the portal was because the talismans were working their magic. Looks like the onmyojis are pretty capable.

   “Is there a particular reason that all of you are keeping my identity a secret?” he asks next.

   “You didn’t want it to be exposed, right?”

   “That’s it?”

   “That’s it. It’s a different story if you were doing bad things, but all you did was protecting the people in your own way. As such grandfather was happy to leave you alone.”

   “And you tried to become close to me for observation purpose?”

   “Please believe in me when I say that this and that are two different things. I’ve always wanted to become your friend since you always looked alone.”

   “All right, I believe in you.”

   “Thank you.”

   “So, how much do all of you know?”

   “What you’re really asking is, how much do we know about Esty-san.”

   “...So you know about her true identity too.”

   “We do. She’s a demon after all. We were trained to recognize her, well, kind, on sight. ”

   “And you’re fine with letting her run free?”

   “We are. It’s not like she’s doing anything diabolical. As long as she’s staying low, we’re content on letting her do as she pleases.”

   She pauses.

   “At least, my grandfather is fine with it. Hajime nii-sama, on the other hand, is vexed that a demon is mingling with the humans.”

   “I’m not worried at all if it’s him we’re talking about. He was literally the weakest in that room. Von Mantus can finish him off with just her pinkie. Speaking of which, why on earth is he, of all people, chosen to be the successor of your grandfather?”

   “...I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to disclose the rules of our clan to an outsider.”

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   He shrugs. “No worries.”

   It was then when Ayumi’s grandfather comes inside the room. She almost choked on the senbei she was chewing.

   “Grandfather, I, um…” she stutters with her mouth full.

   Her grandfather sits down next to her. He then takes a piece of senbei and bites into it.

   “There. Now we’re both guilty of snacking when we’re on duty.” he tells her.

   Ayumi was stunned at first, and then she giggles.

   “Are you sure that it’s alright for a Head to be breaking his own rules?”

   He winks. “Some rules are meant to be broken.”

   Ah, what a heart-warming scene. Ayumi’s grandfather reminds Jin of his own grandfather who’s living at the countryside. Both he and Jin’s grandmother were the only ones in his family that aren’t ashamed of Jin or made fun of him for being incompetent.

   “I hate to be the one who ruins the warm atmosphere, but I believe you owe me an explanation on what just happened.” Jin prompts Ayumi’s grandfather.

   “Before that, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ichihara Iemitsu. I am the 72nd Head of the Ichihara onmyoji family.”

   “And I’m Minase Jin. Although you might have already known that.”

   “I’m sorry, grandfather. I was so desperate to ask for his help I’ve told him that we’ve been observing him.” Ayumi apologizes to her grandfather.

   “No matter. The situation was pretty dire, after all. As for you, Minase-dono, I apologize if my granddaughter’s action has inconvenienced you in some way.”

   “Not at all. On the contrary, she helped me out a lot when we’re preparing for our exam.”

   “I’m glad to hear it. Now then…”

   He clears his throat. His expression has become businesslike in an instant.

   “We’re on the verge of being invaded by youkais.”

   “How long have they been around, exactly?”

   “For thousands of years. We the Ichihara family and other onmyoji families have been protecting Japan from falling into their clutches for just as long.”

   “That long? And yet this is the first time I’ve seen a real youkai.”

   “That’s because our art has allowed us to cover up the fact that youkais exist.”

   “The talismans.” Jin remembers.

   Iemitsu-san nods in confirmation.

   “And the shikigamis as well. However, their power has been weakening lately. It may or may not have to do with the arrival of the otherworldly creatures.”

   “The thing is, they have something called mana over at Ifezan, which is the world they came from. Some of the humans and even creatures there are able to use magic thanks to the mana. Some are born with mana stored inside their body, while others exploit the mana that got mixed with the air. When some of the creatures got teleported here, the mana from Ifezan probably got teleported here as well.” Jin explains.

   “I see. There’s not much we can do if that mana thing has become part of the air we breathe in.”

   “I’m afraid not. I guess the only way to stop their invasion is to defeat their leaders. If they have any, that is.”

   “Oh, they do all right. Have you heard of the Three Great Youkai?”

   “Are you talking about Shuten Douji, Tamamo No Mae and Tengu?”

   Iemitsu-san nods approvingly.

   “You know your folklore well.”

   “The tales are interesting, at least. Unlike the history of the world we’re forced to learn. On a more serious note, that was an oni’s arm I broke, wasn’t it? In other word’s, that assault was ordered by Shuten Doji.” Jin predicts.

   “Indeed.” Iemitsu-san confirms. “Out of the three Youkais, he’s the one who’s the most persistent. In fact, he had been trying to get his army to our world since my grandfather’s time.”

   “...That’s some incredible persistence.”

   “And the bad news is, he’s getting closer and closer on breaking through the portal. It was a really close call just now. Next time, his army might break through for real.”

   “Speaking of the portal, why is there a gateway here? Why are you making it easier for them?”

   “That’s because it’s easier to direct them to designated places rather than trying to predict where they’re going to appear. That way, less monitoring is required. There would be less elements of surprise from their side as well.”

   “I see, that makes sense.”

   “Now then. We cannot take on the youkais on our own. Will you join forces with us?”

   Iemitsu-san lowers his head at Jin. Ayumi does the same.

   “Please lift up your head. I have the full intention of doing so right at the beginning.”

   They lift up their head as told.

   “For that, I thank you.”

   “So, what’s our plan on defeating them?”

   Iemitsu-san looks surprised at Jin’s question.

   “I was rather expecting you to unseal the portal and challenge Shuten Douji right away.”

   “I’m not a hot-blooded idiot like some people might perceive me, sir. I prefer to think things through before actually doing it. That’s one of my secrets in staying alive for so long.”

   “You’re cautious. That’s very admirable of you.”

   Iemitsu-san lets out a sigh.

   “If only Hajime would become more like you.” he mumbles.

   “I don’t want to butt in on a family matter, but are you sure that you want him to be your successor?”

   “I cannot help it. The rules of our family states that all Head must be succeeded by the eldest male of the family.”

   “Even if the eldest male is weak?”

   “Even if the eldest male is weak.”

   Wow, he didn’t even try to hide the fact that his grandson is weak.

   “If you acknowledge the fact that your grandson is weak, can’t you just twist the rule and appoint someone else that’s more capable? You did say that some rules are meant to be broken.” Jin reminds him.

   “Sadly, this is not one of them. I cannot break the rules set by the founder of Ichihara family himself over my personal belief.”

   Jin shrugs and decides to let it slide. As he said, he has no intention of butting in on family matters. Besides, Japanese are famous for being stubborn. He of all people would know this.

   “Back to our matter at hand, then. Exactly how many onmyojis are there?”

   “I would say 6,000 to 7,000 at most.”

   “And the youkais?”

   “They’re estimated to have a total number of at least 500,000.”

   “What about good youkais? Surely there must be some. You know, like Kasasu Tengu.”

   “They do exist. Unfortunately, they intend to stay neutral.”

   “Are they any other organizations or groups which members are trained to fight youkais and spirits?”

   “None. There are a lot which claim they do, but all of them are actually bogus.”

   “Great. I do have at least two other acquaintances that might help us, but other than that-”

   Jin pauses. There’s one more group, although this one is very unlikely to join. Iemistsu-san notices Jin’s slight change of expression.

   “Have you thought of someone who might be able to help us?”

   “Yes, but you’re probably not going to like them. Besides, I doubt that they want to help.”

   “We’ll worry about one thing at a time. Who exactly are you planning to invite?”

   “Shuten Douji and his army of onis.”

   For some reason, the expressions of both the grandfather and granddaughter darkens them moment Jin mentions the idea.

   “Do you have any personal grudge against them?”

   “...You can say that. Our personal feelings aside, it’s next to impossible that they’re willing to fight alongside us. As I said, they’re the most bloodthirsty among the three groups. Shuten Douji himself is especially eager to taste blood.”

   “Well, it’s up to you ultimately. I can try to end this war as quickly as possible by taking on the three of them directly, but I need to be sure that the rest of you are kept safe, especially the defenceless civilians.”

   “Ayumi.” Iemitsu-san says quietly.

   “Yes, grandfather?” Ayumi asks in an equally quite voice.

   “I’m going to try and form an alliance with them. Please understand.”

   “Of course, grandfather. I’m sure that she won’t want us to fixate on avenging her.”

   “I pray that you’re right. Then again, she was never onto hold grudges.”

   Jin has no idea on who they’re talking about, but he’s not going to ask since it might rub salt on their wounds.

   “How about I go talk to Shuten Douji?” he offers instead.

   “I appreciate your offer, but this is something I must do myself as the Head.”

   “I hate to be rude, but I don’t think that’s good idea. Your personal grudge, whatever it is, might get in the way of negotiation.”

   “...I believe you’re right. I humbly request you to take on the role of negotiator.”

   “Gladly. I do think I need to bring a gift, though. Since it’s Shuten Douji we’re talking about, I guess it has to be alcohol. Can you ask someone to buy some from the nearest liquor store?”

   “There’s no need for that, actually. I can just give him one of my precious collection.”

   Upon hearing that, Ayumi looks at Iemitsu-san and furrows her eyebrows.

   “And here I thought grandmother and I took away each and every one of those “collections” of yours.”

   Iemitsu-san realized that he made a blunder.

   “Well, you just sit tight over here with Ayumi, Minase-dono. I’ll be grabbing my booze and say my farewell to it.” he says in a hurry while getting up.

   “Um, sure.”

   Ayumi sighs after he left.

   “That grandfather. It’s bad for someone his age to be drinking heavily, and yet he does it at every chance he gets.”

   “And he’s a priest to boot.”

   “Exactly! He’s really setting up a bad example for everyone else! And he-”

   Ayumi quickly stops herself before she goes on ranting mode.

   “...If you insist on negotiating with Shuten Douji, promise me to be very careful, Minase-kun.”

   “Don’t worry. I’m always careful.”

   And so, the two of them sit opposite each other awkwardly while waiting for Iemitsu-san to return with his booze.

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