Aoishiro web novel

Yasumi: A room shining the color of lapis lazuli...

Syouko: There's no mistaking this is the room.

This was a huge room, unlike the passages we were in up until now.
The entire room was surrounded by phosphorescent stones, much like the Palace of the Dragon King.
There was a waterway of almost 2 meters in width, which, excluding the circumference of the room, divided it into 9 equal parts.
In the middle of the room on an island, was something like a pedastal.
The center of the island had thick platters stacked on top of each other with each disk getting gradually smaller creating something like a step pyramid 2 meters in height.
At its apex was a rectangular megalight made of stone.
If that were a coffin, then this was a burial chamber...
And on top of that stone coffin-like structure was...

Yasumi: Sempai, look at that!

Syouko: Yasumi's body!

Syouko: Quiet...wait!

I called out in a small voice and resisted running out.
Because we were travelling underground, we didn't know what time it was and Nekata-san might already be here.
If he were here, it was already too late, but I kept quiet and searched my surroundings.

Yasumi: Otou-san...isn't here.

Syouko: Then, while he's still not here...

With my physical abilities, it wouldn't be difficult to jump 2 meters.
If I couldn't do so, then it would mean my nerves had degraded.

Syouko: Ok.

I jumped from island to island and headed towards the center.
Within blue-white light, Yasumi's body was lying on top of the pedastal.

Yasumi: It's a strange feeling to watch your own body like this.

Yasumi floated towards the pedastal and peered at her own body.

Yasumi: Heh...I look like that when I'm sleeping?

While I was catching up, Yasumi didn't return to her own body, but was staring at it with great interest.
The difference in height between the levels of the pyramid was large and I climbed up the steps. When I reached the center, I also checked to make sure Yasumi's body was unharmed.

Yasumi: Yah...please don't stare at my body like that...it's embarrassing...

Yasumi stretched out her arms and tried to hide her sleeping face from me. Since she was transparent, it only acted like a thin veil.

Yasumi: Ah...

Realizing the futility of her actions, as if trying to hide in a hole, she quickly quickly entered her body.
Her closed eyelids fluttered...then snapped open, and her eyes met mine.

Yasumi: Ehehe...

Giving an awkward smile, Yasumi moved her body. As if confirming it were real, she hugged her own shoulders.

Yasumi: Finally...I'm able to return to my own body...

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, nothing happened to my body.

Almost becoming a sacrifice, it wasn't suprising that she was happy to find her body unharmed but...
Her behavior made me smile because it was like a puppy chasing its own tail.

Quiet, chuckling voice: Ku...kukukuku...

Yasumi: Sempai, is something the matter?

The low chuckle echoing in the room caused Yasumi to stop moving and look at me.

Syouko: No, that wasn't me...

Looking for the chuckling voice, I searched the four corners of the sanctuary.
In the middle of sanctuary filled with blue light, there was someone who look more suited to be there than us.

Owner of the quiet, chuckling voice: You just came in here without any concern at all. Isn't this Kurou-sama's altar?

White skin...
White hair...
And this person...
Her left eyelid was closed, sealing that eye shut.
Snickering, a fang like a beast's peeked out from her mouth.

Yasumi: Sempai, the waterway...

The room had been filled with a dim lapis lazuli colored phosphorescence, but the waterway began to shine with a stronger light.
Bathed by that light, that person's shadow stretched on the wall behind her. The image I received from that overwhelming shadow was...

Syouko: Oni...

Owner of the quiet, chuckling voice: Am I an oni? Well, I guess so. I stopped being human long ago. So I'm an oni. Then, what are you people?

Owner of the quiet, chuckling voice: You were able to escape the night before yesterday.

Syouko: The night before yesterday...?

The night before yesterday was when I found out Yasumi's secret.
At the time, I didn't know it was Yasumi and went to the ocean to ask for help from Migiwa...

Migiwa: Shikigami, gohou, kenzokushin...they're a type of oni born by a spell and bound to do a task.

There we were attacked by mouryou that someone had summoned.
But that was not the first time I saw mouryou.
Instead, it was the night before that when Yasumi and I were in the middle of the test of courage...
At that time, we didn't meet a mouryou, but a...

Syouko: At that time, it was you...?

Syouko: .....!?

In reaction, I held up Kumouchi.
This was the underground sanctuary where the Nekata offered up a sacrifice to their Sea God.
The person who carried out the rites was a one-eyed, white-haired, onmyouji.

That one-eyed, white-haired person faced me, who was pointing a sword at her. She seemed amused and said a mysterious thing.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I'm happy you remember me. Because your body is different, I thought something would have happened but...

I remember her, but was there something different about my body...?

A little before now...before Yasumi returned to her body, it was true my body was different but...
Was she asking about that time...?

No...she wasn't looking at Yasumi.
She didn't notice my be bewilderment and looked at Kumouchi. She seemed really pleased...
As if she couldn't contain it, her fang peeked out.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Ah...that's right. That was the stance.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: There's more openings in the stance than before but, is that an invitation? Or is it because of the vessel?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I've also had a hard time because of that stance.

The one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji fingered the robe at her chest as she said.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kenki (sword oni). Before you have to change vessels, I will deal with you.

What was she talking about...?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: But why at this place...?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Fuun, you idiot. Are you planning on doing something in preparation for Kurou-sama's meal?

The person who was going to conduct the ritual sacrifice...
Was it not this person?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kenki, where's the "sword" (tsurugi) you stole?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: That cursed "sword" can't be used by a normal person or a normal oni.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Well, if it's me...I could possibly use it a little...

She chuckled from deep within her throat and narrowed her one, red eye.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: So that's how it is. If you quietly hand over the "sword", I can be a somewhat mediator for the future of your previous vessel.

Syouko: .....

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: But what a terrible thing you're doing. So the Nekata have been the priests of this island for generations.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: You idiots. Offering a sacrifice at this sanctuary, you yourselves will be cursed by something. You don't even know where the "power" will flow to.

She kicked the floor and jumped closer.

She sliced the air with her long sword.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Now...hand over the "sword".

Syouko: I don't mind giving it to you, but after losing my weapon, what guarantee do I have that you won't attack us?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Fraud would make a soldier use questionable means.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Anyways, even if I didn't use such shady tactics, with your ability level, numbers wouldn't matter.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Unless I was taken by surprise, I wouldn't lose to you.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I could also just cut you down and then take it from your dead body too.

Syouko: .....

Syouko: That "sword" you're talking about, is this it?

As a act of defiance I threw the tsubaki bokutou as hard as I could at the one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Fuun...

She caught it in one hand without any difficulty.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: ...What's this? This is just a plain, wooden sword?

Syouko: It's said that it is a miraculous and virtuous bokutou. If it's not this "sword", then I don't have any idea what you're talking about.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: ...You can have it back.

Syouko: What...!?

Yasumi: Sempai, watch out!!

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kukukukuku

What rude behavior.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: So, what should I do now...?

The one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji tapped her longsword on her shoulder as she contemplated.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Should I get rid of the "sword" in order to stop this idiotic ritual?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: And it's impossible to destroy the sanctuary...well, not impossible, but I'd prefer not to. If I did that, who knows how many years I'd sleep.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Then what if one of the items for the ritual is missing...I see, if there's no sacrifice, then the ritual is like a painting of a dragon with no eyes.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Oi, the woman over there.

After finishing her thinking, the one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji turned her red eye towards Yasumi.

Yasumi: Eh!? Are you talking to me!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Yes, you. I'm talking to the long-haired woman that was lying on the altar until a while ago.

Yasumi: Is there something you wanted from me...?

It seems the one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji didn't have anything outrageous to say. She laughingly narrowed her eye...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I don't have any grudge against you, but, please die.

Yasumi: Eh...?

She told Yasumi to die.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What? If you leave it to me, I won't do it in a bad way. I guarantee it'll be better than being fed to Kurou-sama. I cleave your head painlessly.

Yasumi: Eh...Eh...Eh.....!?

Syouko: Why would you do that to Yasumi!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: If I let Nekata go through with his foolish ceremony, it'll be bad for me.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: If you want to protect her, that's fine. At that time, I'll cut you down too.

She nimbly jumped forward and drew near.
I stood in front of Yasumi and prepared to stop the longsword the one-eyed, white haired waved around.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: If you don't want to die, move.

It was called a miraculous and virtuous bokutou. It was not severed, but stopped the blade halfway through.

Syouko: Who would move aside!

Saying she would kill Yasumi, I couldn't just say yes, sure and move aside.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Then, I'll start with you.

The blade flew towards me.
From the top...
From down below...
From the right and left...
It flew in all directions.
I couldn't do anything but block the attacks.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What's wrong? What's wrong? Were you just all talk?

Syouko: She's fast!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: As you can see, because I'm small, I'm powerless.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Being bullied by him, in this pale body that never grows up, made me feel inferior.

Syouko: Though you're waving that longsword with one hand...

How could she say she was powerless when she was waving that sword with such speed?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: To do this much is natural. After all, aren't I an oni?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Well, this is getting off topic, but...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: It's nothing more than refining my skills and speed.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Even with my poor skills...

She took out an ofuda (charm) and threw them in the air.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: ...I can slice it 8 times.

With 8 cuts, 16 pieces of paper fluttered in the air.
Past those pieces of paper, the onmyouji wasn't visible.
Was it a deception...!?
Where was she attacking from...!?

Syouko: .....!?

I instantly felt the heavy impact from my shoulder to my arm as Kumouchi blocked the attack.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Hou...you did well to block that.

Syouko: Right before you swung your longsword, I felt I heard a sound.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Oh, is that it? So this sword is howling. Hoemaru, why are you helping out the enemy?

The longsword...howls?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Woman, this is a good time. It is shameful to tell you this but you can clearly see the proof of my powerlessness.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Though I hold such a sharp sword, I can't cut through your wooden weapon.

It's true that Kumouchi was quickly full of scars but it neither bent nor shattered and acted as both my weapon and shield.
The onmyouji drew back the sword that was stopped by Kumouchi and jumped back.
She then pulled out another of the ofuda she had used for her deception and held it between her fingers...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: It's unreliable to depend on skills and speed alone. I'll use the magic I learned from my adoptive father.

Syouko: A clone!?

I thought it looked like the onmyouji was like a double exposure as she attacked from both the left and right.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai! One's a shikigami!

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Chi...that woman over there can "see" it?

Syouko: Which one!?

Yasumi: The left!

Syouko: Kuh...!

If the shikigami were stronger than the actual person, then she would have used it from the start, so it was probably some sort of deception again. Because it was summoned so hastily it might not be as strong as a mouryou even, so I swung the bokutou at it.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Chi!

The shikigami which resembled the onmyouji disappeared after being hit by Kumouchi.
But by just drawing my attention and my sword, the shikigami had done its job.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kie...!

Syouko: Ah...

After that attack from a huge, overhead stance, Kumouchi seemed to have finally reached its limit...and broke in two.

Syouko: Kumouchi...!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: So that wooden thing also had a name.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kumouchi...Kumouchi was it...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kuku, but something that "hits" cannot win against something that "cuts", right?

Syouko: You're making a joke...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Now, it's time for you to die. That woman over there will follow soon.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Are there any last words...not to me...but to the woman over there?

Syouko: I'm sorry...

Syouko: Yasumi, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Ah, that's hard. That's a hard promise to keep...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: The woman over there, you're called Yasumi? Don't hate the woman over here. She did pretty well...un?

Yasumi, who should've been behind me...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Kukuku, she seems to act like a typical female. That woman has fainted.

She was lying down on the hard floor which shined with blue-white light.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: It seems the previous conversation, mine and yours didn't reach this woman.

Syouko: Ah...

That might be for the better.

Syouko: At least she won't see me cut down.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Well, she might be seeing that in a dream right now.

Syouko: And she won't be afraid or feel pain when you cut her down.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Well, she might be feeling that in a dream right now.

Syouko: Geez...at a time like this, you don't have to object to everything I say.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Apologies. Using tactics on the battlefield to deceive both friend and enemy is my strong point, but I'm not fond of deception besides that.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: So, are you prepared?

After she said that, I closed my eyes.

Syouko: .....

The blade that would cleave my head had not yet fallen.

Syouko: ...Are you still waiting for something?

Scared, I opened my eyes.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Nu...my body...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I can't move my body!?

Syouko: Eh!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Instead of being bound by my "power", I'm the one that's bound. What did you do!?

Syouko: I...I didn't do anything...

I didn't do anything.
The person who didn't give up and did something was...

Syouko: Yasumi!?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Ah, I see. That body there is already empty. You left that body and...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Possessed me!?

Yasumi: ...Sempai...I won't let you cut down Syouko-sempai!

Yasumi: Because sempai kept our promise!

Syouko: Yasumi, I...

Yasumi: You said it yourself. "If it's within my power". So even if you lost, sempai kept our promise.

Yasumi: So I'll keep the promise too. If it's within my ability, I'll protect sempai...

Yasumi: Please escape! Please run!

Syouko: .....

I couldn't do that.
How could I run and leave Yasumi to fight alone?
Then, do I fight?
Kumouchi was broken, but if I had some other weapon, while Yasumi was constricting her movement...
Or should I tie her up instead?
Wait. Think. Think carefully.
Haven't we reached the end?
And at the end, aren't we boxed in?

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Woman, you have quite an interesting technique.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: But, this body is mine. I can't do such a useful thing as leaving my body and possessing something, but I have the territorial advantage here.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: So, let's compare the strength of our souls...!!

Yasumi: Ah...ah... One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Ku...Kukuku...

Yasumi: Ah...I can't anymore...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What's wrong, woman? No, girl.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: My soul, which has lived for longer than your grandmother and great-grandmother...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Is not that easy to handle.

Yasumi: Uuu...nn...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: This is the end. It's about time you leave.

And Yasumi was chased from the onmyouji's body.
I picked up Yasumi's body...
And ran towards the exit.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: I see. So you've thought about it.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: If you're not a match for me, then that move is a last resort but...

If we were able to stop her for a while...
If I had decided to run a bit sooner...

Yasumi: Sempai...?

With the onmyouji's voice behind me, I let Yasumi, who woke up, down.
Yasumi was slower than most people, but it'd still be faster for her to run herself than to have me run while carrying her.

Syouko: Yasumi, we're escaping!

Yasumi: Y...yes!

It was only a little bit, but were able to gain a bit of distance from her.
In order to not put Yasumi's effort to waste, we...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Geez, do you think you can escape from me?

The location of the onmyouji's voice didn't move.
We were almost to the exit.
If we could reach the complicated passageways which had many branches, we should be able to escape.
The exit was just...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Unfortunately, that passage is already blocked.

Syouko and Yasumi: Eh...

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: Come out, Oniwaka.

The shadows in the passageway increased in density.

Yasumi: Sempai, something's coming out.

Not there, but coming out.
Like how Yasumi in spirit form suddenly appeared in a different place...
That was...

Oniwaka: Uohhhhh.....

Syouko: Oni!?

Yasumi: Sempai, that's a shikigami!

Syouko: Shikigami!? The one I saw the day before yesterday was not even as high as my waist...

Yasumi: It's true that the strength of a shikigami depends on the "power" of the summoner. If you make a shikigami stronger than that then you won't be able to restrain it and it will suck away all your "power".

Yasumi: Of course, if you're just making one for show, you can make a large one, but...

Her words stopped there. I also knew. Without saying anything, I knew that thing was different.

Syouko: To create such a monster...

The one-eyed, white-haired onmyouji laughed.
Instead of a wolf guarding the front gate, she was an oni guarding the front gate.

One-eyed, white-haired onmyouji: What will you do? Dont' you think being cut down by me would be a better way to do instead of being crushed by Oniwaka?

Which way should we head?
I couldn't decide and stopped moving. Yasumi grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.

Yasumi: Sempai, let's go this way!

She didn't head towards where the onmyouji was waiting but towards the huge oni waiting at the entrance.
The oni didn't seem to be big, but dull-witted, so it'd be impossible to slip through its legs like in the movies.
What was Yasumi thinking to be heading towards that thing...

Syouko: What'll we do?

Yasumi: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Oni should face oni and shikigami should face shikigami...
But it was impossible for me, and also for Yasumi...

Syouko: Yasumi, didn't it fail last time?

Last night, Yasumi wanted to show me.

Syouko: You couldn't even make a handkerchief crane fly...

Syouko: And you say you want to be that thing's opponent...

Syouko: It's not possible.

Yasumi: Yes.

Yasumi: Without using a trick, it'd be impossible.

Yasumi: But...

As if slowing down her impatient heart, Yasumi put her hand on her chest.

Yasumi: I just realized that I had a seed of a trick growing inside of me.

Syouko: Seed...?

I had a bad feeling.

Yasumi: The Kumouchi which I was dependent on was made from the Tokosaki no Tsubaki. And that Tokosaki no Tsubaki was...

Yasumi: Grown by Yasuhime-sama to seal Matamu and was given part of her own "power".

The virtue of Kumouchi was it didn't contain just Yasuhime-sama's "power" but also part of Matamu's "power" which was sealed within it. And that...

Yasumi: When I was dependent on Kumouchi, it was sealed within, but a little bit attached to me.

Syouko: What!? This isn't the time for a joke!?

Yasumi: It's no joke. In truth, we're in a big pinch. But a pinch can turn into a chance!

For an instant, she gave a powerless smile, but then she tightened her expression and looked straight into my eyes.

Syouko: ...You're going to do it?

Yasumi: I will do it. It seems there's still something within my ability to do.

Her eyes were filled with resolve. Yasumi didn't run away and closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Yasumi: Su...