Chapter 56 Keep Dreaming

The collapse of the Divine Sakura is the centerpiece of the first chapter of the game's main storyline.

According to the game's lore, the colossal and sacred cherry tree, with its roots plunging deep into the earth's crust, functioned fundamentally as a massive seal.

This was the relic of the primordial Root Realm, and within the subterranean, hollowed-out expanse of the great ruins, lingers the underworld's defiled specters bound by the sorceries of the Age of Gods.

It was a seal personally crafted by Oohiko no Mikoto, who was dispatched by Emperor崇神 across the lands to suppress rebellions and served as the Great General of the Eastern Lands at the dawn of the Yamato nation's founding.

Later on, to reinforce this seal, the founding patriarch of Mount Haguro, Master Nojo, planted this Heavenly God Sakura with his own hands.

As the Divine Sakura weathered the passage of time, growing slowly and majestically, it gradually gave birth to a guardian deity named Mahora.

However, the Eight Blessings Society had set their sights on the Heavenly God Sakura and this great seal from a long time ago. In the past, they had attempted to orchestrate plots in secret to destroy the Heavenly God Sakura, only to be thwarted by others.

Yet, the seeds that would induce calamity had been sown far in advance...

As Hyakusuke reminisced about the game's plot, he turned to Saizo and asked, "On this trip to Dewa Province, which prominent figures from the main family are traveling with us?"

"The expedition is led by Second Young Lady Kuzuhana, who serves as the chief representative of the main family," Saizo replied briefly.

"In addition, there are twelve demon-slaying swordsmen from the Tachi-do Academy, members of the Ocular Retribution Faction along with their leader Master Matsumushi, Lord Keiji of the Sakuragi clan representing the branch families and his retainers, spellcasters dispatched by the Healing Institute to provide reinforcement, and servants handling the logistics."

He gave a light cough.

"Finally, there are you, me, and that fellow called Haruhi, leading a contingent of shinobi numbering over a hundred. Quite an extravagant lineup, truly."

"After all, we are heading to the premier fortress of Dewa, the Castle of Haze. Even though the current lord hails from a samurai lineage rather than a prestigious house of demon slayers, their bloodline is illustrious, and their family has hereditarily held the position of the Governor of Dewa for generations..."

Hyakusuke pondered for a moment and found it entirely understandable.

"As for the main shrine of the Heavenly God Sakura, it goes without saying that its influence over the imperial court surpasses even our domain in Mutu. If we failed to display utmost sincerity or lacked proper etiquette, it would inevitably invite contempt."

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Hyakusuke lowered his voice and said, "By the way, on this trip to Dewa Province, it seems I haven't seen any forces belonging to the Eldest Young Lady?"

Hyakusuke carefully retraced his thoughts and realized that most of the people Saizo mentioned hailed from various factional alliances. Among them were factions affiliated with Kuzuhana, such as the Sakuragi clan that managed trade and commerce, with Sakuragi Keiji serving as its patriarch; Master Matsumushi of the Ocular Retribution Faction, a profound and skilled spellcaster, a pillar-like figure, and a staunch supporter of the head of the house, Sarasa Kurohimeyama, as well as a high-ranking member of the "Six Branch Families"; the Tachi-do Academy, which leaned relatively neutral and presumably would not casually meddle in the family's factional struggles; and lastly, the Healing Institute, a faction controlled by the previous head of the house—that is, the grandmother of Kohagi and Kuzuhana.

The grandmother, named Mikado Kurohimeyama, was the loli-granny beloved by gamers far and wide. She possessed the supernatural ability of "life absorption," maintaining her youth simply by absorbing botanical energy; or rather, the concept of aging did not apply to her at all.

Moreover, although she wasn't the female protagonist in the game, she still shared an ambiguous romantic entanglement with the protagonist, a textbook case of an older woman chasing a younger man...

"Still, come to think of it, there really are no forces from the First Princess's faction this time?"

Takayuki Sako merely served as the squad leader of the shinobi, and the Sako family did indeed belong to Kohagi's faction.

However, the Sako clan did not directly control the shinobi organization as a whole, and neither Hyakusuke nor Saizo belonged to Sako's faction.

"No, no, no, you're forgetting that person~~"

Saizo suddenly offered a bitter smile.

"The one we bumped into and met yesterday at boss Takayuki's place, the one named Haruhi."

...Oh, it's her?

"Senior, what are you two chatting about~~?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

The next instant, Saizo was nudged aside as the newcomer sidled up close to Hyakusuke like an affectionate cat.

"We meet again, Senior Hyakusuke♪"

The speaker was a sweetly featured young girl. With a slight nasal lilt to her voice, she wrapped her arms tightly around one of Hyakusuke's arms.

"I heard someone mentioning my name, you see."

The girl's voice was brimming with warmth. "I guessed right away it had to be Senior Hyakusuke... Hehe! How wonderful~~ Because I was thinking of Senior Hyakusuke too. Could our hearts be beating as one?"

"No, this one didn't say any such thing."

Hyakusuke hurriedly used his right hand to push away the kunoichi who had pressed her entire body against him. He sighed, catching Saizo's gaze out of the corner of his eye—the latter's eyes were filled with teasing amusement.

"Lady Haruhi, just now I was merely chatting with brother Saizo. You must have misheard."

"Eh?"

The kunoichi known as Haruhi was pushed back a step.

Hyakusuke sighed inwardly. She was ostensibly his colleague, appearing to be barely sixteen or seventeen years old, with her long hair tied into twin tails on either side, a petite nose, and clear, ink-black eyes.

"Senior Hyakusuke is so cold. Or is this a game of playing hard to get~~?"

Undeterred, she covered her cheeks with both hands instead. "Even so, I love this trait as well. I don't hate it at all."

*'I would much prefer it if you did hate it.'*

Hyakusuke knew very well that he was hardly popular with women, so the reason behind this young girl's sudden and fervent affection made him somewhat uneasy.

According to Takayuki Sako, the shinobi squad leader who had summoned him and Saizo to introduce the background of this girl named Haruhi, she was a kunoichi in charge of external intelligence gathering.

She had never shown her face within the main family before because she had been tasked with investigating Dewa Province, and had now been summoned to assist on this journey.

"Since you are colleagues, please get along well with each other."

Takayuki Sako had also instructed the two of them to take good care of this kunoichi.

*'She's likely a kunoichi under the Eldest Young Lady's command. Be careful; she might well be a vanguard plant sent to probe for secrets within our faction,'* Saizo communicated through a glance.

*'Don't let a few seductions cause you to spill your guts, or you'll lose your head.'*

Hyakusuke was no fool. He had originally been a peripheral figure in the Second Young Lady's camp, only climbing to the rank of Chunin recently due to meritorious service.

He was keenly aware of the fierce internal struggles within the viper's nest of the Kurohimeyama household. In the original story, even the protagonist suffered heavy losses there. Considering his own standing, he had to exercise extreme caution on such matters, proceeding with meticulous care and step-by-step vigilance.

"——H-HYAKUSUKE-DONO!!!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed from afar.

Finding the voice somewhat familiar, Hyakusuke quickly turned his head and spotted a young girl dressed in a crimson crepe ceremonial kimono, waving in this direction from a distance.

Ah, right, he had almost forgotten about the protagonist.

Full of vibrant energy, the young girl started waving the moment she stepped off the ox-cart, then briskly walked toward them.

"B-Brother... Eldest Sister, please keep your voice down. In broad daylight, what kind of decorum is this?"

Ayaka, dressed in a maple-red kosode, trotted up in pursuit.

"Ah... this..."

She stopped in her tracks, her expression stiffening slightly.

This one was still the same as ever, puffing out her chest in front of her step-sister.

"Greetings, Lady Akira... Fancy meeting you two again."

Hyakusuke was still willing to maintain a good relationship with the protagonist.

"Yeah, fancy meeting again."

Yet, as she closed the distance, 夜明's face flushed slightly. She had a belly full of words she wanted to say, but the moment she came face-to-face with Hyakusuke, her lips parted without a single word escaping.

"Who might this esteemed personage be?"

The kunoichi Haruhi drew close at some unknown moment. Wrapping her warm arm around Hyakusuke's left wrist, she pressed her heated body against him.

"Senior, won't you introduce us to Brother Saizo and me?"

While clinging tightly to Hyakusuke's arm, she cast a gaze laced with provocation and hostility toward 夜明.

"Uu..."

Instantly sensing a beast-like hostility, 夜明 shrank back like a startled small animal.

"This is Lady Akira of the Tsukigara clan."

Hyakusuke hastily pulled his arm from her embrace.

"Haruhi, you must not show discourtesy before her."

"Mm-hm."

The kunoichi Haruhi deliberately replied with a nasal hum.

Well, Hyakusuke suspected she hadn't listened at all.

No, from his own standpoint, he had no way of ordering her around anyway.

If this Haruhi's master was indeed the First Princess, even he could do little to manage her.

"Lady Akira, I do truly apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me."

Haruhi offered a perfunctory apology.

"I have matters to attend to, so please pardon this humble maiden for taking her leave from you all~~"

Tossing her cascading locks of hair, she turned around and playfully stuck out her cute red tongue at Hyakusuke behind the others' backs.

*'Senior Hyakusuke, I'll come looking for you later~~'*

The whisper-soft murmur reached his ears. After secretly dropping those words, she departed with cheerful steps.

Hyakusuke could only stare dumbfounded at her retreating figure.

*'That woman really is a kunoichi—what on earth is her background?'*

...

——T-This, cheap huckster, gloomy bitch, stinking whore!

Through the ox-cart window and via a wiretapping shikigami, Kuzuhana Kurohimeyama watched the entire scene unfold, failing entirely to maintain her sneer. Flames of fury seemed to burn within her pupils as she glared daggers at the retreating back of the kunoichi.

"I see..."

Kuzuhana's mouth twitched slightly.

So that was your real intention behind refusing to act as chief representative in person and claiming you wanted to stay behind to guard the main family, you bitch?

You want to use this opportunity to close the distance between them? Do you really think this woman will let you have such a chance?

Kuzuhana narrowed her eyes and curled her lips. Her youthful face bore an expression brimming with malice and blatant mockery.

——Keep dreaming!