Chapter 42: The Lake Lord’s Special Training

"No, no, that's not it... I am a man, after all. How could I possibly have feelings for another man?"

"Then why do you keep avoiding Miss Kohagi, who is always asking to see you?" Ayaka posed the question.

"No... that is a completely different matter."

Yomei did not know how to answer. She dared not explain Kohagi’s true intentions to her foster sister.

"I see." Ayaka shook her head with a sigh. "Very well, I suppose I understand the situation... Then, brother, please promise me that you will keep your distance from that Hyakusuke from now on."

"Keep my distance?" Yomei muttered to herself, chewing on the phrase. "I... I understand." She promised her foster sister. "I will keep my distance from Hyakusuke from now on."

***

By dusk, the elderly Matsudaira had returned, bringing with him grim news.

"I could not find the Sword Saint. The hut he left behind has long since fallen into ruin. I encountered a mountain dweller nearby who said that the Ezo elder had left three years ago."

"Then it cannot be helped," Yomei said with a wry smile.

"However, I did break into the hut to investigate." Matsudaira Inomaro handed a letter to his young master. "This must be the letter left by the 'Sword Saint' Mifune Kyounsai. It explicitly states it is to be delivered to a member of the Tsukigara family. I suspect it is meant for you, Young Master."

"Eh? For me?" Yomei took the letter, filled with confusion. She broke the seal, pulled out the parchment, and read it in silence. Upon finishing, the young girl furrowed her brows, a troubled expression appearing on her face.

"Young Master, what does the letter say?" the old man asked.

"It says..." Yomei hesitated, but chose to be frank with Ayaka and Matsudaira. "Lord Kyounsai writes that the two heirloom blades—the 'True World King' and the 'Water-Harbor Calamity-Consort Sword'—which my father, the former head of the house, entrusted to him for repair, have both been restored."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ayaka asked, puzzled.

Yomei offered a faint smile to her foster sister, though it was strained and clouded with unease. "He also says that, per my father's instructions, these two blades were delivered to the abbot of Genko-ji Temple, Shandao, to be kept in his custody."

She continued, "However, the blades are to be passed on to the new head of the Tsukigara family... Lord Kyounsai wrote that the moment I opened this letter, a pre-set shikigami message would be triggered. This message will reach the other two heirs of the Tsukigara family, and they will receive their own letters. The three of us are then to head to Genko-ji Temple. According to clan tradition, a duel will be held there; the victor will claim the blades and become the true head, while the losers must depart from the clan."

"W-what is the meaning of this?" Ayaka asked, struggling to steady her breathing after the initial shock. "Besides, aside from my brother, where are there any other heirs to the Tsukigara clan?"

"There are," Matsudaira Inomaro said in a low voice. "The eldest daughter of the branch family, the Yaya family—she is actually the Young Master's cousin by blood. Her father was the brother of the former head. According to the customs of the Tsukigara clan, Miss Aya is eligible to compete for the headship."

The old man’s voice grew heavy. "Furthermore, there is one more person: your own biological brother, Miss Ayaka. Lord Kukutsu Ikki, the Young Master's foster brother, is the successor recognized by the former head."

The old man paused. "After all, the former head had only one child. He adopted Lord Ikki precisely because he needed an heir in the event that the Young Master died young."

"But, Big Brother... hasn't he already become one of the Twelve Holy Protectors?" Ayaka’s face darkened. "It is impossible for him to return to take over the family. Besides, I don't believe he has any such intention. When Father passed away, and our lands were occupied by demons, he didn't even ask or offer any help."

Deep down, she harbored great resentment toward her biological brother. The Tsukigara family had done everything in their power to care for the two siblings after they lost their parents, yet he had given nothing back... It seemed the entire Tsukigara family was merely a stepping stone for his own rise to power within the Imperial Court.

"Lady Ayaka, you are quite right," Matsudaira sighed. "But could there be a scenario where, even if Lord Ikki does not desire to be the head, the Imperial Court wishes for him to do so?"

Ayaka stared at him, stunned.

Matsudaira Inomaro lowered his voice. "The Court is wary of all the prestigious demon-slaying families across the land. While we, the Tsukigara of Northern Mutsu, have remained loyal, the Kurohime Mountain clan in Southern Mutsu rose to become the most powerful force in the province after wiping out another prestigious clan, the Sazuki."

"And now, I have become the son-in-law of the Kurohime Mountain family," Yomei said, shoulders slumping in resignation.

"If the once-great Tsukigara clan of Northern Mutsu were to fall completely under the influence of Kurohime Mountain, the Court might worry that Kurohime Mountain would become too powerful, surpassing them and becoming the true sovereign of Mutsu," Matsudaira continued. "Thus, Lord Ikki might be instructed by the Court to seize the headship. If he becomes the head, Kurohime Mountain would not be able to legitimately control the Northern Mutsu region."

"Of course," the old man said sternly, "this is a situation we must avoid at all costs."

"T-then what do we do now?" Ayaka asked anxiously.

"Regardless, we must head to Genko-ji Temple first," the old man concluded.

***

Four days later, after a long detour, the group finally approached Genko-ji.

"We should be able to reach Hunger-Wail Mountain, where the temple is located, today, right?" Hyakusuke sat in the ox cart behind, observing the scenery along the road.

Since leaving Lake Snow-Yaksha, the demonic aura in the surrounding areas had intensified. Such wild, uninhabited places were extremely dangerous for ordinary people in this world. Genko-ji was a temple built deep in the mountains, established by a monk of great power who had sealed away a great demon and built the temple to suppress it.

The sun was already dipping low. At this time of year, the sky darkened in an instant. As the sun vanished, the world was draped in the curtain of night, and the cold, ethereal moonlight cast a pall that made it feel as though the entire world had shifted into a different, alien substance. It was a night thick with demonic miasma.

The group grew vigilant. At night, demons became increasingly active, and traveling was a recipe for being targeted—especially since everyone in the group possessed spiritual power, making them prime targets.

"We cannot wander any further," Matsudaira suggested. "We can head up the mountain tomorrow morning. If we continue, we are likely to encounter demons stalking us. I recall there is a small shrine ahead, built by mountain folk to honor the Sae-no-Kami and Doso-jin. We can rest there for the night."

Shrines were typically sacred sites, and these were "road-guarding deities." According to the old man's plan, they arrived at the tiny shrine. After a simple offering, they placed protective talismans around the perimeter and strung red thread with bells to weave a defensive barrier.

Exhausted from the day's travel, most of the group fell asleep, leaving only a few to stand guard. Hyakusuke took the second watch, and he seized the opportunity to find a secluded spot to sit. He checked his surroundings, confirmed he was alone, and sighed in relief, pressing his right hand against his left sleeve.

"Come out," he whispered.

...Cheep.

A faint chirping sound emerged from his sleeve. A small, slender beast poked its head out. It was a strange creature with a wrinkled elephant-like trunk and fur that shifted between yellow and black. It cautiously scouted the environment, its tiny trunk sniffing the air, its eyes filled with curiosity about the world.

"...So, I am now someone who possesses a shikigami." He looked at the young dream-eating tapir hiding in his sleeve and smiled.

After several days, the stone egg had finally hatched. The creature that emerged was smaller than a mouse—a dream-eating tapir. These demons were said to be related to a spiritual beast from ancient China known as the "Boqi," which could consume dreams and ward off misfortune. Some claimed the tapir was a descendant of the Boqi, while others insisted the Boqi was a bird and not of the same lineage.

"Now, I am going to take a nap, Little Tapir." He had named it "Little Tapir" and conveyed his command. "I want you to help me enter the 'Dust-Delusion Dreamland.' If possible, help me connect to the Phantom Yamatai Kingdom. Can you do that?"

The tapir nodded, instantly transforming into a wisp of smoke that Hyakusuke inhaled through his nose.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him. His muscles relaxed, his brain grew heavy, and he felt a profound exhaustion. He closed his eyes, and darkness swallowed his consciousness.

***

"Hmph, seems to be going smoothly."

A woman's voice echoed in his ears, though it sounded distant, as if his consciousness were drifting away. Suddenly, Hyakusuke caught the scent of a woman's perfume and snapped awake, only to find himself lying in a familiar tea room.

"W-what is going on?" As he scrambled to sit up, he realized he had been resting his head on a woman's lap. "No... this isn't right... This isn't the Phantom Yamatai Kingdom... Lady Lake-Mistress, why are you here?"

He couldn't help but stare at the tall woman beside him. She was dressed like a courtesan, wearing a vibrant kimono with an open collar that revealed her fair, proud bosom.

"Kuku-ku..." The Lake-Mistress, Snow-Yaksha Princess, laughed with her bright red lips. "Young man, isn't it a bit too early for you to want to enter the Phantom Yamatai Kingdom? That place isn't somewhere an outsider can just enter at will. Even if you have formed a contract with a dream-eating tapir, you cannot connect to that dream. At most, you can only connect to the mirage-scape I have created here."

Her lips curved into a smile that reminded him of a cunning fox. "Forgive me, young man, but why don't you stay here and keep an old woman like me company?"

"B-but!" Hyakusuke had not expected this. He wore a look of utter despair—his preparations had been in vain! Had he known, he wouldn't have chosen the tapir egg in the treasure vault; he would have chosen a more practical item.

"Don't look so miserable. Is it really such an unpleasant chore to accompany a deity like me?" The peerless beauty, dressed as a gorgeous courtesan, held a long-stemmed pipe and flicked the ash away. "I know your intentions. You want to enter Yamatai to find a way to improve your feeble strength... In that case, why not let me train you? Help you raise your power? This is training from a deity herself; it’s much more convenient than fumbling around and suffering through bitter cultivation on your own."

"Train me?"

"Consider it the worry of an old woman. Besides, the 'look of misfortune' on your face is truly terrible. I can't just leave that be." The Lake-Mistress, Snow-Yaksha Princess, lightly covered her lips with her sleeve. "Don't worry, don't worry. Once you undergo my 'special training,' even a monkey could easily become a formidable demon slayer. Oh-ho-ho-ho..."