Read Novel Full Vol 19 Chapter 5 Part 1
Vol 19 Chapter 5 Part 1
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 5 – Shadow
Part 1
Yuuya and the others left home for their first shrine visit of the year──.
Back at Yuuya’s house, Meiko, Night, and the others were all relaxing.
Meiko, who was usually swamped with housework, had already finished the necessary chores, such as cleaning, since Lexia and the others weren’t home. Now, she was relaxing under the kotatsu.
She spoke to Sara, who was also relaxing under the kotatsu.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you go for the New Year’s shrine visit, Sara-sama?”
“Huh?”
“Well… I heard you’ve recently taken an interest in the current Earth’s culture, so I wondered…”
When Meiko said this, Sara nodded in understanding.
“Yes, that’s true. I suppose I am curious, but, to be honest, I still have some mental resistance to the very existence of ‘gods.’”
“Ah…”
Hearing this, Meiko recalled Sara’s background.
Sara had had important things taken from her repeatedly by the “gods” that existed on Earth.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“No, don’t worry about it. Not all ‘gods’ are bad, and I understand that the ‘gods’ enshrined in this country’s shrines now are not connected to my past. Once my feelings settle, I definitely want to go.”
“I see!”
Seeing Sara’s positive expression, Meiko smiled with relief.
Meanwhile, Sara and the others staying at Yuuya’s house were leisurely enjoying the New Year festivities.
＊＊＊
“What on earth are these things?!”
Teruyoshi shouted at the three shadows blocking his path.
Going back a little while──.
Right after the new year began, Teruyoshi brought Yuzuki to visit the Kagurazaka family.
He planned to introduce Yuzuki to Mai, hoping her charm would draw her into the Komyouin family and strengthen their bloodline.
Fortunately, Yuzuki and Mai seemed to hit it off and got along well. Teruyoshi was secretly pleased, thinking his plan was progressing smoothly.
However, in reality, Yuzuki’s true gender and Teruyoshi’s past missteps had already been fully exposed to Mai, though Teruyoshi remained completely unaware of this.
Thus, in an exceptionally good mood, Teruyoshi toured the Kagurazaka Shrine, observing the people who had come for their first visit of the year.
“Hmmm… The worshippers’ reactions to the shrine aren’t bad either. If we can incorporate the Kagurazaka family into the Komyouin family, it will further enhance our family’s prestige.”
Teruyoshi indulged in utterly pointless fantasies.
Suddenly, he sensed a terrifying aura emerging from the woods surrounding the shrine.
“This aura… A mutation!?”
The Komyouin family primarily fought demons and monsters, but throughout their long history of secretly ruling Japan, they had also accumulated knowledge about mutations. They possessed “special powers” to counter them.
Therefore, Teruyoshi hurried toward the source of the aura of a mutation he had immediately sensed.
“What the hell… at a time like this…”
If the mutation had appeared in an insignificant location, Teruyoshi would never have moved. He would have left it be, waiting for an organization like the Special Mutation Bureau to handle it.
But this time, the mutation’s appearance was in a bad location.
“If it causes a commotion now, it’ll be a real pain!”
The mutation’s aura had appeared right beside the Kagurazaka family shrine—the very shrine they were about to acquire.
If the mutation were to attack the shrine’s worshippers or damage the shrine itself, the Komyouin family’s reputation would plummet instantly, even if they succeeded in acquiring Kagurazaka Shrine. It would do nothing to bolster the Komyouin family’s authority.
Therefore, Teruyoshi had to stop this mutation at all costs as well.
“Where are the insolent ones who dare to defile this land!?”
“Teruyoshi-dono!”
When Teruyoshi arrived, Sougen, the head of the Kagurazaka family, was already there.
Like the Komyouin family, the Kagurazaka family possessed extensive knowledge of mutations and how to combat them.
Then…
“Is that the mutation this time?”
“Yes, a peculiar appearance.”
Something stood before the two of them.
There were three—no, two—people and one “shadow.”
Teruyoshi grimaced at the bizarre combination of mutations.
“Hmph. Such worthless creatures dare appear on this sacred ground. Shame on you!”
He shouted, concentrating his irregular and purification powers in his right hand, which he thrust forward.
In the next instant, a talisman appeared in midair, blazing with intense light.
When the light faded, the figure of an armored warrior stood there.
“Oh, to see Teruyoshi-dono’s shikigami* with my own eyes…”
[T/N: Summoned spirit familiars in Japanese folklore, especially in Onmyōdō.]
Yes, Teruyoshi had infused the talisman with “purifying power” to summon a shikigami.
Facing Sougen, who seemed somewhat moved, Teruyoshi wore a smug expression.
“It’s only a mid-tier shikigami, but this should be more than enough for them. Go!”
“────!”
Upon receiving Teruyoshi’s command, the shikigami charged at the shadow with terrifying force.
It raised the sword in its hand and swung it down with all its might.
But…
“What!?”
The shadow had somehow acquired a sword and parried the shikigami’s attack effortlessly.
Even worse, the shadow deflected the sword, throwing the shikigami off balance. Seizing that split-second opening, the shadow severed the shikigami’s head.
The headless shikigami collapsed to its knees, then disintegrated into scraps of paper and vanished.
“Impossible!”
“A mid-tier shikigami in one strike…”
Teruyoshi and Sougen stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous.
Then, the beast-like shadow closed the distance to them in an instant.
“Guh! Five-Elements Wall!”
Sougen frantically chanted the purification spell, instantly deploying a pentagonal shield between them and the beastly shadow.
But the beastly shadow showed no concern whatsoever. Instead, it accelerated and, using that momentum, kicked the shield directly.
The shadow’s kick was tremendously powerful. A loud impact echoed between the shadow and the shield. Soon, cracks spread across the shield, and it shattered completely.
“No! The Five-Elements Wall shattered so easily!”
“Six-Armed Monk!”
Then, Teruyoshi drew another talisman and summoned a new shikigami.
This shikigami was a massive monk with six arms. He immediately grabbed Sougen by the scruff of his neck, scooped up Teruyoshi, and leapt backward with great force.
This allowed them both to narrowly escape the attack of the beast-shaped shadow.
However, the attack’s aftermath was intense. The wind pressure alone caused the surrounding trees to creak.
“Huh!? Teruyoshi-dono!”
“Huh!?”
Amidst this, Sougen, having noticed something, shouted. Teruyoshi followed his gaze to where he was looking.
There, the last remaining shadow stood surrounded by countless enormous fireballs floating in the air.
The next instant, the shadow fired those fireballs mercilessly at Teruyoshi and Sougen.
“Damn it! Six-Armed Monk!”
“──”
As Teruyoshi called out to the shikigami, it lowered the two from its arms. It clasped its hands together and began chanting a Buddhist sutra.
Then, multiple water orbs materialized around the Six-Armed Monk and moved directly toward the incoming fireballs.
The fireballs and water spheres collided head-on, filling the area with intense steam and vapor.
Teruyoshi watched this with a bitter expression.
“It’s as powerful as a high-ranking shikigami!”
“Teruyoshi-dono! I’ll cast a barrier to keep people away first!”
“I’m counting on you!”
No sooner had Sougen spoken than he began chanting the spell.
This was because Sougen’s family had always been guardians in the hidden world, protecting people from threats like demons and monsters. Even now, they operated strictly behind the scenes, never stepping into the public eye.
However, if they continued to fight like this, the sounds of the battle could alert ordinary people at any moment.
That was why Sougen was rushing to cast the barrier to hide them.
But…
“Guh!”
The shadow attacks were relentless. Weaving through the fireballs, the two were struck by fierce shadow sword strikes and sharp shadow kicks.
Though they tried to counter with the Six-Armed Monk technique, they were outnumbered. Teruyoshi summoned multiple Shikigami warriors again, barely managing to cover Sougen’s retreat.
Then…
“──Four Directions Evasion Array!”
Finally, Sougen’s spell was complete. Four orbs of light rose around him and scattered in all directions, soon forming a massive barrier.
“The barrier is complete!”
“Thank you! Then, immediately over here!”
“Teruyoshi-dono, it’s dangerous!”
“!?”
Just as Teruyoshi was about to call out to Sougen to return to the front lines… it happened.
The armored warriors were summoned faster than they could be destroyed, finally creating an opening.
The beast’s shadow precisely targeted that opening and launched a kick.
Faced with the attack, Teruyoshi panicked.
“(This is bad! I can’t dodge this!)”
“──Genbu!”
Suddenly, a giant turtle appeared between Teruyoshi and the beast’s shadow.
The turtle took the kick with its shell, holding the shadow off for just an instant.
However, the shadow’s strike was fierce. The turtle’s shell shattered instantly, and it vanished like a scrap of paper.
“What was that?”
“Father! Are you all right!?”
Yuzuki, Teruyoshi’s child, shouted this as she rushed over.
The barrier was meant solely to keep ordinary people away, but it had no effect on Yuzuki, who could wield purification power and supernatural forces.
When Yuzuki reached Teruyoshi, he opened his mouth with a grim expression.
“What are you doing? Summon your shikigami immediately and join the fight!”
“Y-yes!”
Surprised by Teruyoshi’s demanding attitude and lack of gratitude for being saved, Sougen nonetheless activated new purification magic and rejoined the battle against the shadows.
“Demon Sealing Pillars!”
“…!”
Countless pale blue pillars appeared in the air and rained down upon the shadows.
However, the shadows deftly dodged the pillars and charged toward Teruyoshi once again.
Watching this, Sougen felt slightly uneasy.
(What is this? Ever since earlier, these shadows seemed to be targeting Teruyoshi-dono only.)
Just as he was about to lose himself in thought, a fireball flew toward him. He leapt to avoid it.
(Just my imagination, then…)
As Sougen countered the shadows’ attacks with his purification spell, Yuzuki summoned a new shikigami.
“Suzaku!”
Then, a single enormous, blazing-red bird appeared, spreading its wings.
Suzaku charged straight at the beast-shaped shadow, wings spread wide.
However, the beast-shaped shadow deftly dodged the attack. As they passed each other, the shadow delivered a sharp kick to Suzaku’s abdomen.
“──!”
Suzaku was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
Any other shikigami would have been annihilated by that single blow.
But Suzaku immediately rose from the dust cloud as if nothing had happened.
“It’s useless. My Suzaku cannot be defeated as long as my purification power remains!”
“…”
“Kuhahahaha! Good job, Yuzuki! Keep wiping them out!”
Teruyoshi shouted as if proclaiming his own greatness.
Then, the shadow wielding the sword charged at Teruyoshi with terrifying force.
Teruyoshi instinctively sent his armored warriors forward, but they were easily destroyed.
“Wh—!? Yu-Yuzuki! Do something!”
“Huh!? Guh!”
“…!”
“GAAAH!”
Yuzuki frantically pushed Suzaku in front of her father. The beast shadow naturally seized the opening and drove a powerful kick into Yuzuki’s abdomen.
The force was enough to blow Yuzuki away, even though her body was reinforced by purification power. She was blown back, shattering the surrounding trees.
“Yuzuki! You… worthless piece of trash!”
“…”
“Haaah!?”
As Yuzuki was blown away, a shadow sword slipped into Teruyoshi’s chest as he was screaming unreasonably.
Then, the shadow slammed the sword it held into Teruyoshi’s abdomen with all its might.
“Guhhhhhhhh!?”
However, Teruyoshi had instinctively formed a makeshift shield around his abdomen by weaving purification and irregular power, somehow saving his life.
Nevertheless, the damage was immense. He could no longer maintain the summoning spell, causing the Six-Armed Monk summoned to that spot to vanish.
“Wh-what…?”
“…”
“Gwaaaaaah!”
The next instant, the fireballs that the Six-Armed Monk had blocked until then surged toward Teruyoshi and the others.
Sougen immediately constructed a defensive barrier, but it was powerless against the fireballs unleashed by the shadow. It was destroyed in an instant.
“Kuh… Suzaku…!”
However, when Yuzuki sent Suzaku to rescue the mortally wounded Teruyoshi, she managed to get him to safety just before a fireball struck.
As expected, perhaps the earlier blow had been more effective than anticipated. After rescuing Teruyoshi, Yuzuki could no longer sustain the purification power, and Suzaku disappeared.
“This is bad!”
She immediately tried to summon Suzaku again, but she couldn’t properly activate the purification power due to her battered state and found herself helpless.
It seemed all was lost. Just as she thought that—
“Huh… What is this!?”
──In that desperate, life-or-death moment, Yuuya appeared.
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