Chapter 51: The Celestial Cherry Blossom Festival

“It shouldn’t be my imagination; it feels like the spiritual energy I lost earlier is recovering quite quickly…”

As Hyakusuke ran, he pondered silently. Originally, his spiritual energy had been completely drained in the battle against the beetle demon, the “Horned Scarab.” Yet, after only a brief rest, not only had his depleted spiritual energy regained, but his once-fallen physical strength was rapidly restoring as well.

“If there’s no mistake, it must be the effect of the mermaid meat,” Hyakusuke thought, recalling the legendary benefits attributed to it.

True mermaid meat was said to rival the elixirs of immortality, providing immense life force energy; even wounds could heal swiftly, granting one the status of ageless and undying. The mermaid meat offered to Hyakusuke by Princess Yukiyasha wasn’t quite so miraculous but still seemed potent enough to generate vast reserves of life energy. It was likely why his spiritual energy restored swiftly and his stamina was bolstered after consuming it.

He pressed on at full speed, dashing wildly through the forest as he pursued the figure of Ikki Kukutsu. His speed was like an arrow released from a bow.

“Hyakusuke-sama… please put me down!” Ayaka, cradled in Hyakusuke’s arms, struggled softly but could not break free.

“Miss Ayaka, please don’t move and grit your teeth,” he urged her gently.

Leaping onto a tree, he slipped into the shadows. Amid Ayaka’s sharp cries, he bounded from tree to tree with agility. Then, Hyakusuke soared lightly through the air, skimming over a small hill and landing as gently as a feather.

His landing spot intercepted Ikki Kukutsu and the night agents he commanded.

“…You?” Kukutsu raised his brow, his expression a mix of surprise and displeasure.

“Apologies, Lord Ikki,” Hyakusuke said as he gently set Ayaka down and nudged her forward.

“Miss Ayaka seems to have something important to discuss with you. I merely brought her here—”

“That’s not true, you clearly—” Ayaka began, but was abruptly silenced as she noticed her brother’s gaze fixed upon her.

She parted her lips to speak but shrank under his piercing stare.

“What do you want to say to me, Ayaka…” Kukutsu’s voice was cold and cutting.

“I…” Ayaka bit her lip hard, trying to steady her breath.

“Brother… I—”

“If it’s nothing, then don’t speak,” Kukutsu averted his gaze.

“I have no interest in listening to your nonsense.”

At that moment, her body trembled violently before stiffening.

“Is that so?” she whispered, lowering her head. Suddenly, as if steeling herself, she took a deep breath and clasped her hands tightly over her chest.

“Even if you say that, Brother, I still want to ask—”

She finally voiced her question.

“Are you doing well?”

“…”

Kukutsu’s face remained stern, but after a moment, he turned away.

“I’m fine.”

He feigned composure, though his expression was stiff.

“Th-That’s good.”

Ayaka shrank her shoulders anxiously.

“And… how is Sister-in-law doing? The kids must be around four years old now, right?”

She inquired cautiously. “I never had the chance to see them; the last time I met, your children were still infants.”

With some apprehension, Ayaka continued softly, “I’ve heard Sister-in-law’s health has never been good. After giving birth, she caught a cold. I hope she’s alright now.”

“She’s fine,” Kukutsu said, his voice strained as if forced.

“And Ume and Tsubaki are well too. Don’t worry.”

Ume and Tsubaki were Kukutsu’s two daughters, whom Ayaka had only seen once when they were newborns.

Finally, the man forced a stiff smile and spoke slowly.

“Ayaka.”

“Yes.”

Ayaka nodded nervously.

After a pause, Kukutsu spoke quietly.

“Yomei is in your care now.”

He said no more, his face blank once again, and led his subordinates away.

‘That man is really awkward,’ Hyakusuke thought with a mixture of sympathy and helplessness.

He had worked hard to create an opportunity for this sibling reunion, yet Kukutsu’s words to his sister were so few.

Meanwhile, Ayaka silently watched her brother’s retreating figure until the group vanished.

At last, she lowered her gaze, turned, and bowed deeply and solemnly.

“Hyakusuke-sama, thank you.”

“No, I haven’t done anything worth mentioning,” Hyakusuke shook his head.

“Besides, Miss Ayaka was somewhat coerced by me to come here.”

“No.”

Ayaka interrupted him.

“That no longer matters… I truly wanted to speak with my brother, and I must thank you.”

She pressed a hand to her chest, looking embarrassed as she lowered her eyes.

“I… always thought Brother had long since abandoned me. But now, I realize that’s not the case…”

With a shy downward glance, she murmured faintly.

“Perhaps Brother… has his own hardships.”

Sensitive by nature, she sensed something beneath the surface—but said no more.

“It’s getting late, we should hurry back,” she said casually, clasping her hands behind her back as she headed toward their return route.

“But… Hyakusuke-sama, I’m grateful for today, yet that matter—you can count on me to never agree.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Hyakusuke was utterly baffled.

Ayaka offered no explanation; instead, she hummed softly and walked briskly ahead.

…

“What a boring meeting.”

Kurohimeyama Kakka seethed with frustration as she recalled the routine gathering that had wasted her time.

Thanks to that meeting, she remained clueless about the details of the duel that had taken place at Genpō Temple.

Damn it!

The Kurohimeyama clan’s conference was held in a completely sealed venue, surrounded by multiple layers of barriers to prevent eavesdropping spells or insider leaks. Shikigami were forbidden, and the meeting was presided over by their stern grandmother.

Any attempts at sneaky moves would be immediately detected by her keen senses.

“…At least I don’t have to see that old hag’s ugly face,” Kakka sneered.

The “old hag” was her own mother, the matriarch of the Kurohimeyama family. Due to her status, she was required to periodically travel to Kyoto for official duties, much like the Edo shogunate’s sankin-kōtai system—a “Guardian in Kyoto” arrangement.

It was a scheme designed by the nobles of Kyoto to control the prominent exorcist families across the land.

Clan heads from all regions had to visit Kyoto regularly to carry out orders, which included repairing the city’s barriers, maintaining the ley lines, and holding various rituals. Of course, it was also an opportunity to strengthen ties with the imperial family and court nobles.

Confined within the meeting hall, Kakka was anxious and eager to break through the barriers and rush out, but she bore it perfectly.

She regulated her breathing, calmed herself, and endured until the meeting ended.

Later, after leaving the venue, Kakka used a “recording” spell through her shikigami to gather fragmented intelligence about what had transpired.

“Ikki Kukutsu… the Guardian of Kyoto?” Kakka frowned beautifully.

—That man was the head of the Shadow Cage Mechanism. Directly confronting him would risk provoking the court.

Fortunately, it seemed he had employed some stratagem to resolve matters smoothly.

No wonder he was the man she had chosen. It appeared he had used cunning to help Yomei Tsukigara defeat Ikki Kukutsu, securing her position as clan head.

‘But what’s with that little girl… being carried in a princess embrace… I’ve never even tried that…’

Damn it.

If she had no grudges, that would be a lie.

Kakka had observed closely and learned many details along the way—enough to make her teeth itch with rage at times.

Still, Yomei Tsukigara and that little girl were useful for now, so she would not trouble them.

As she pondered this, cold raindrops began falling from the sky.

Only then did Kakka realize it had started raining. She raised her palm upward.

“So it really is raining.”

Looking up, she saw a woman holding an umbrella.

“…It’s you.”

It was her sister, Kohagi, standing alone in the rain beneath a traditional paper umbrella.

In that instant, Kakka’s lips curled into a crooked, corrosive smile as if facing an enemy.

“Oh my dear sister… have you come to see me?”

She feigned warmth, but every nerve was taut, ready for danger.

After all, Kurohimeyama Kohagi gripped a long, sheathed blade in her right hand—a new sword Kakka had never seen before.

Every time this gloomy woman drew a new blade, Kakka felt an unsettling chill at her neck. She now instinctively touched her neck with her left hand.

There was no denying it: two years ago, Kakka had been slashed—no, twice—by this cold-hearted woman.

And the feeling of nearly losing one’s head was truly unsettling.

‘Could she be here to kill me again…?’

No. Kohagi likely had yet to find a way to break Kakka’s “immortality.” No matter how powerful her new sword, without a perfect method to destroy Kakka or circumvent the plague curse she spread, she would not strike hastily.

—So what was Kohagi’s intention in coming here?

“You’re right, Kakka,” Kohagi responded without hesitation.

“I have something to discuss with you.”

—Don’t keep me in suspense. What is it that you want to say?

“The Tenshin Sakura Festival in Dewa Province is about to begin. I want to talk to you about it.”

At those words, Kakka blinked in confusion.

Her sole thought was: “Is that gloomy woman scheming something terrible again?”