kscans

Chapter 176 - The Destination

It took me two hours to get there.

A massive torii gate stood at the entrance, a place that would be swarmed with visitors during the New Year. For now, there were only a few people scattered about, but it was clear that it had its regulars.

This was Hikyō Shrine, a famous temple in this town.

The grounds were about the size of a school field, selling the usual amulets, talismans, and demon-slaying arrows found at any temple. But this place had something unique: an Onmyōdō history museum.

It was said that during the Heian Period, an era teeming with Onmyōji, there was one of particular skill. Of course, there are similar places in Kyoto. The founder of this shrine was said to have taken on many disciples, making it his mission to pass down his knowledge to future generations.

Now, however, all that remained was the knowledge of Onmyōdō; the actual power was all but gone. But I could read the documents and learn from them. Maybe. Perhaps. Whatever! I wouldn't know unless I tried! In life, a spirit of challenge is what matters!

I wandered through the shrine grounds. I saw the main temple building, a shed for tools, a ritual hall, an office, and a shop.

Since I couldn't find the history museum, I decided to ask at the office.

"Excuse me. I heard there’s a history museum here about Onmyōdō?"

A middle-aged man with glasses at the window replied, "Hmm? Oh, yes. If you go inside the ritual hall in front of you, there’s a staircase leading to the basement. That’s the history museum. Admission is free. Please, feel free to look around." He answered with a business smile.

A museum in the basement? How unusual. I thanked him and headed underground.

I entered the ritual hall, and sure enough, a sign above a staircase read ‘The History of Onmyōdō.’ I descended into a dimly lit passage, so deep I couldn't see the bottom. By the time I reached it, I felt like I'd gone down five floors.

Was it meant to be hidden? I wondered as I looked around. The space was about half the size of the shrine grounds, lit only by lamps hanging from the ceiling. It was dim, but not so dark I couldn't see. The documents themselves—picture scrolls, ancient texts, and other old artifacts—were displayed behind glass.

As I examined the exhibits, I found them quite fascinating: the five-pointed star of Onmyōdō, the types of shikigami they were said to have controlled, the different characters used in talismans. This was exactly what I wanted to know.

Just then, a voice came from behind me. "So, what do you think? The history of Onmyōdō?"

I spun around. Standing there was an old man in his seventies with a white beard, dressed in a white kimono.

I hadn't sensed his presence. The stairs were wooden and creaked loudly, yet I hadn’t heard a thing. Had he been here all along? No, I had looked around, and there was no one.

As I stood there confused, the old man chuckled. "Ho ho ho ho. To think someone would come to a place like this. It was a convenient spot for a nap, but I suppose I have to work now." He stroked his beard as he laughed.

So that was it. He was just hiding somewhere, slacking off. It was indeed the perfect place for it.

"If you slack off too much, you’ll get fired, you know," I said. "I’m just here to do some research, so I won’t say anything."

I turned back to my research.

Seeing this, the old man said, "Ho ho ho ho. You won’t find what you’re looking for here… one who possesses power."

Surprised, I turned back to him. Before I could ask how he knew, he said, "This is no place to talk. Let’s go up and have some tea."

He started toward the stairs. I followed him up, still on my guard.

We were guided to the main temple building. A monk we passed on the way asked, "Chief Priest, who is this with you?"

"A guest of mine," the Chief Priest replied with a smile. "Please bring us some tea." The monk immediately hurried off.

"You’re the Chief Priest?" I asked, surprised.

"Ho ho. Could you not tell by my appearance? Or is it my attitude toward my work?" His eyes were appraising me.

"Your attitude toward your work," I said.

"Ho ho. Well, that’s to be expected in this day and age." He started walking again.

We arrived at a room containing only a low table and some cushions. A monk came in, served us tea, bowed, and left.

"Now then, about your question," the Chief Priest began. "I have a similar power myself, so I can generally tell. Though I don’t have nearly as much as you. Mine is faint. All I can do is gauge the power of others." He took a sip of his tea.

"Does that mean the priests before you had experiences like me—like I have?" I asked.

"Hmm. I don’t know if it was the same experience as you say," he replied. "Let’s just say it was different. Long ago, it’s said that the founder of this shrine, an Onmyōji, trained in another world. Following that tradition, the monks here have dedicated themselves to training for generations. When a promising candidate appears, they are made the chief priest, and it becomes their mission to protect the founder’s legacy. But there is another legend. If a worthy user of that legacy should appear, we are to lend them our strength."

He took another sip of tea.

"So, you weren’t in the basement from the start?" I asked.

"No, I really was slacking off," he admitted with a faint smile. "I was dozing in the basement when I felt an incredible power and hid on instinct. I’m a coward, you see."

So he really was slacking off. I had my doubts about a chief priest who slacked off.

"So? That’s not all you have to say, is it? If you’re talking about this legacy…"

Before I could finish, he cut me off. "So impatient. That’s the youth of today for you. Well, have some tea first."

I downed the tea in one go. It was bitter. Matcha?

"Truly restless," the Chief Priest sighed. "Well then, let’s go. I wanted to hear your story, but it seems you’re not willing to share." He looked disappointed.

There was no way I could talk about another world. Some people were aware of it, but only as a rumor. It was doubtful they truly believed it. Not unless I took them there myself.

The Chief Priest stood up, and I followed him.

After a three-minute walk, we arrived at a warehouse in the courtyard.

It was secured with a padlock, which the Chief Priest opened with a key from his pocket. The inside was dark and windowless, completely pitch black and dusty. The Chief Priest entered first, and I heard some rustling.

A moment later, a light came on from the ceiling. It was an old-fashioned lamp, giving the impression that the place had been preserved exactly as it was. The warehouse was filled with various wooden boxes, looking more like a storage for junk than a place for something important. But given the Chief Priest’s attitude toward his work, I wasn’t surprised. This was likely for a similar reason.

As I was thinking, the Chief Priest said, "Sorry to ask, but could you move this box for me? It’s too heavy for my old bones."

He pointed to a wooden crate large enough for a person to easily fit inside.

I nodded and slid the box to the right. It was heavy, but to my trained body, it was nothing. I moved it without any trouble.

"Ho ho. You’re certainly well-trained, to move it so easily," the Chief Priest commented. "Now then, let’s go."

He removed a section of the floorboards, revealing, as I expected, a ladder leading down. I followed him into the darkness below.

It was dark here too, but the Chief Priest, who had somehow acquired a lamp, illuminated the space. Before me was a wide box, like a coffin.

"Don’t tell me the founder’s body is in there," I asked fearfully.

"And what if it is?" he replied with a wide grin. The lamplight made his smile look terrifying.

As a shiver ran down my spine, he chuckled. "Ho ho ho ho. A joke. I would not do something so sacrilegious. There is a sword in here. The very sword used by our founder."

He opened the box. Inside lay a sword in a magnificent scabbard. But its shape was slightly different from the uchigatana I was used to seeing; it was closer to a tachi.

The Chief Priest took out the sword and drew it from its scabbard. The hamon, or temper line, was a beautiful, delicate wave, and the blade shone brightly, without a single blemish. The hilt was slightly frayed, but it didn’t look deteriorated. This was a sword from the Heian period? It could have passed for a modern creation.

"Ho ho ho ho. You seem captivated," the Chief Priest said. "I was the same at first. It was so beautiful, I wondered why it wasn't shown to the world. My predecessor told me this was a masterpiece that must never be revealed. The founder is said to have created it using techniques from another world, a stone never seen before, and his own Onmyōdō power. Doesn’t that sound like a convincing explanation?"

His explanation helped me pull my focus from its beauty. I regained my composure and used ‘Analysis’ on it. The materials were Adamantite and Light Stone. Light Stone? I’d never heard of it.

"You mentioned Onmyōdō," I said. "Where does its power lie?"

In response, the Chief Priest removed the hilt. Where the maker’s signature should have been, there was instead Brahmi script, which I couldn't read.

"These are characters for warding off demons in Onmyōdō," he explained. "One theory says that it would glow with a faint purple light and fell monsters with a single stroke. I don’t have such power… but you might."

He reattached the hilt and offered the sword to me. I took it silently and channeled my magic into it. He had brought me this far; I wanted to show my gratitude.

A hot sensation ran through the hilt, and at the same time, the sword began to glow with a faint purple light.

"Oh! The light from the legends! To think I would see it in my lifetime… How grateful I am," the Chief Priest said, tears streaming down his face as he put his hands together in prayer.

I stopped channeling my magic, and the light faded. I tried to return the sword to him, but he stopped me.

"Take it with you. It is the founder’s legacy. It is most fitting for you."

He had a look of complete understanding on his face. Normally, it would be polite to accept, but I said, "No. This is a symbol of the temple. It’s not something I should take. All I want is the source of the Onmyōdō power, the characters. Please, teach them to me. And one more thing, if I walk around with this, I’ll be arrested for violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law." I finished with a wry smile.

The Chief Priest looked stunned for a moment. "Ho ho ho ho. That’s right. It is rather difficult to carry around in this day and age. Very well. I will provide you with the books written in the Brahmi script."

He took the sword, sheathed it, and placed it back in the wooden box.

"If possible, I’d like to borrow them," I requested. The Chief Priest nodded.

We emerged from the underground room and went to get the books. And so, I was able to obtain a piece of that power. But at that time, I had no idea that a battle far greater than I could imagine awaited me.