WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 73: Kyoto Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (7)

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Various matsuri were being held throughout Kyoto.

It literally translates to "festival" in Korean, and perhaps because the city was packed with tourists, matsuri aimed at tourists were held frequently as well.

Still, in a spiritual sense, matsuri are deeply tied to yokai and sorcery.

Matsuri comes from the verb matsuru, which means to worship gods, hold ancestral rites, and seal divine spirits.

Many Japanese matsuri are said to have the purpose of driving away evil spirits or preventing disasters.

"We'll carry the mikoshi around the barrier to charge it with spiritual power, then match the spiritual veins' frequencies with drums and flutes. We'll spread spiritual waves with fireworks to establish a massive barrier, then draw yang energy from the spectators' cheers and excitement."

"Perfect timing for the grand finale of the autumn festival."

At the end, they would use the gathered spiritual power to drive Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi into place as the Killing Stone sealing the Kyoto White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Since this resealing plan uses the Three Sacred Treasures, success should secure our safety for the next thousand years."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Ninja Satomaru answered.

"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons led by the seven-tailed fox will advance on the day of the resealing. We'll take up a defensive position and hold them off until the ritual is completed safely."

He added one more important point.

"Because a matsuri draws crowds, firearms cannot be used... Not that they would work against great yokai anyway... As for Eight-Foot Sister's equipment..."

"It stands out too much, and there's a high risk of stray bullets, right? That's how it is, sis."

【Poo······.】

Eight-Foot Sister drooped sadly.

Against great yokai that had lived for centuries, Benkei's Iron Staff would be much better anyway.

"All right, everyone. The plan will proceed as it stands. Nothing has changed. As always, we only need to do our best to prevent disaster and keep innocent people from becoming victims."

At Tsuchimikado Chief Priest's closing words, everyone nodded with resolute expressions.

The resurrection of the Kyoto White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox, which had reigned over Japan as a disaster for a thousand years, was close at hand.

They had resealed it time after time, always suffering countless casualties. Even so, thinking about the people who might die this time still made me depressed.

"And Yohan-kun."

Tsuchimikado Chief Priest, who had somehow started calling me Yohan-kun, led me and the pastors aside.

The chief priest's office at the Heian headquarters.

Japan's highest-ranking chief priest stood with his hands clasped behind his back in an office decorated with antique objects and continued speaking.

"Pastor Park's proposal has been approved by the Japanese Onmyoji Association. If this sealing is completed successfully, they say they will grant you 'three cities.'"

"Those old fogies approved it pretty easily, didn't they?"

"There was a condition."

The chief priest continued.

"You must earn merits that anyone would find convincing."

"That's subjective and vague."

"It is. Still, I will push for it. I've seen what Yohan-kun accomplished while preparing for this matsuri."

Oh, that? They said I'd get paid separately for it, so I worked hard.

"And this is the payment that will be given to Yohan-kun."

The chief priest opened the safe in his office.

It was a fairly large safe, and a golden gleam flashed from within.

"There are 1,188 internationally standardized one-kilogram gold bars."

How much was a one-kilogram gold bar again...?

* * *

On the first day of Tsuchimikado Chief Priest's crash course.

That was about two weeks in, when the first mantra infusion caused a stir.

"Kunai! Give me a kunai!"

Tsuchimikado Chief Priest picked up a kunai I had consecrated.

"Pastor Park, this is...!"

"I saw it too. This is... practically a pseudo holy sword, isn't it?"

"A pseudo holy sword?"

"Right. The materials are cheap, so I wouldn't call it powerful, but even an ordinary person could go toe-to-toe with an evil spirit while holding this."

"Pastor, you shouldn't be saying 'go toe-to-toe'..."

Pastor Go scolded him for not maintaining some dignity, but even he marveled at the holy kunai I had consecrated.

"Huh... It has acquired the attribute of an evil-warding sword. This... is now a holy sword specialized in cutting only wicked beings."

"What does that mean?"

"It can't harm ordinary people. Instead, it's specialized solely in cutting wicked beings."

As he said that, Pastor Go jabbed my shoulder. Hard.

"Ow!" I shouted reflexively, but surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all.

A kunai blade should have drawn blood if it stabbed me, but there was nothing.

It had become a sword that could no longer harm people.

That was strange.

"Yohan-kun. How much did it take to make this sword?"

"Spiritual power?"

I didn't have an exact measurement, but making it into a permanent sacred relic had consumed quite a bit of spiritual power.

It felt about the same as, or perhaps a little more than, using spatial movement outside a sanctuary...

"About ten percent?"

"Ten percent... Considering that your spiritual power recovers, does that mean you can make more than a hundred before the matsuri? The kunai is small, so there may be fewer larger weapons..."

The chief priest was muttering and tapping away at a calculator when it happened.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Satomaru-san? What is it?"

"M-My weapon..."

Satomaru pulled out a chain sickle.

It had already been engraved with sorcerous characters, but the energy coming off it now felt completely different.

"M-Mine too..."

"My equipment is the same."

The ninjas and onmyoji began pulling out their weapons one by one, and every single one had become a sacred relic.

"...Area-wide mantra infusion?"

"Wow..."

The chief priest and Pastor Park hurriedly looked around for equipment that had been turned into sacred relics.

"It has been confirmed that sixty-five pieces of equipment within a one-hundred-meter range have become sacred relics..."

"That's a crazy area-wide buff. And the effect is even semi-permanent."

"What do you mean, semi-permanent?"

"It needs a continuous energy charge. For example... a sanctuary."

"Going all the way to Jerusalem just to recharge equipment... Hm!"

Tsuchimikado Chief Priest realized something and exchanged looks with Pastor Park.

It seemed they had understood each other without speaking.

"Yohan-kun. Could I ask you to handle this sacred relic work for the next two weeks? We need to infuse as many mantras as possible."

"It's not difficult."

Just as I was about to agree, Pastor Park cut in.

"Hey now, Tsuchimikado Chief Priest. What are you trying to gloss over?"

"Pastor Park... You really are a worldly pastor."

"Pastors are worldly by nature."

That day, we signed a contract.

It stated that I would be paid in gold bars for every piece of equipment I turned into a sacred relic.

"Why gold bars?"

"The yen is undervalued these days."

"Ah... Then use dollars."

"Isn't gold more reliable than that?"

He had a point.

We agreed on a unit price of the same weight in gold.

That was how I ended up being paid nearly 1.2 tons of gold.

* * *

"H-Hwah... Hwah... This is all gold, my lord!"

I had received gold bars equal in weight to the more than one ton of sacred relic equipment.

Most of them stayed in the safe, and I only took out a few. Kohaku's eyes sparkled as she fondled them.

"A-As expected of you, my lord! This humble Kohaku recognized your wisdom and greatness long ago!"

She never stopped flattering me.

I had forced her into a familiar contract and gained control over her life and death, so it was understandable.

Still, it felt a little excessive.

Did that mean I disliked it...?

"My lord is rich! Rich! Even the wealthiest man of the Warring States period could not compare to you!"

"Hahaha! That's right, that's right!"

"Let us build a castle! Build one grand castle, and you could rule as a daimyo without anyone daring to object!"

"Not a castle, but something similar!"

"How splendid, my lord! You truly are incredible!"

She laid the flattery on so thick that I couldn't say I hated hearing it.

Ah... Was this why tyrants kept sycophants close?

"With this much gold..."

Kohaku muttered something, but I guessed she liked looking at gold. Should I give her a few gold bars?

"The matsuri starts tonight."

Promotions and campaigns were being carried out aggressively to maximize the matsuri's effect.

Even though evening was approaching, the place was packed with people.

"Is this really okay?"

"What do you mean, my lord?"

"This place will become a battlefield soon. There are so many people here. I was wondering if it would be all right."

If the yokai lost their minds and started eating people, protecting everyone would become even more troublesome.

"They will not do that, my lord."

"Why not?"

"Yokai hide their identities just as much as humans do. Just as humans conceal sorcery and mysteries, yokai do the same."

"I get why humans would, but why would yokai? Looking at what they do, they seem like the type to run wild."

"Because... they have no chance of winning in a direct confrontation with humans, my lord."

That was unexpected.

Was that why yokai didn't openly reveal themselves?

"Even in the Warring States period, when humans only had spears and swords, yokai were hunted down when humans came in groups. Even the great mother, the Kyoto White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed by humans a thousand years ago."

And a thousand years later, in the modern age.

Humans had become too numerous and too strong.

"Surviving by operating in the shadows of human society, like now, became the most beneficial choice, my lord."

In short, humanity had grown too massive in scale.

Well, humans were now at a scale where they could fight among themselves and talk about destroying the world.

"Not every yokai is hostile toward humans, either."

"Which side are you on, Kohaku?"

"M-Me? I am friendly toward humans, of course. The songs, movies, and food humans make! I like them all, my lord!"

She certainly seemed that way. She was a yokai, her Korean was a little odd, but she spoke it well enough and even knew all about the Korean Wave.

So there were yokai like her too.

Just as ghosts had evil spirits among them, yokai probably had their own types.

"You said you had older sisters, Kohaku."

"Pardon? Ah, yes..."

Kohaku's expression stiffened at the mention of her sisters.

That was understandable. The seven-tailed fox and Six-Tailed Fox, Kohaku's sisters, were said to be leading this Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

"I don't think you'll be okay with fighting your sisters."

"T-That is not the case, my lord. This lowly one is your servant, am I not? You may use me as you see fit."

"I made you my familiar to prevent information leaks, but I'm not going to force relatives to fight each other."

"Well..."

It would probably be better to evacuate Kohaku somewhere tonight.

I wouldn't order her to fight, but it would be difficult if she encountered them anyway.

"Let's call it a day and come back tomorrow..."

"My lord?"

"They're coming."

A flash of light gleamed in the darkness, followed shortly by a roar.

KRAKOOOM!

"What was that? Lightning?"

"Is it going to rain?"

The tourists murmured among themselves. Lightning had struck from a clear sky, but the darkness kept most of them from noticing.

I felt it, though.

The thick stench mixed into the gathering storm clouds and the rancid smell of animal fur.

And the lightning energy in those storm clouds was aimed at us.

"Let's return to the shrine."

I had planned to inspect several barriers, but it seemed things had already begun.

The stenches were approaching quickly.

At least we spotted them in advance. If we hadn't, this could have been bad...

Swaaaaa!

Black smoke rushed ahead of us.

That fast? It was genuinely as quick as lightning.

Grrrrr!

I could feel eyes inside the mass of black smoke.

It was as large as a car, with four long blue-gray legs... a yokai that looked like a weasel.

"Kamaitachi?"

I remembered the yokai we had subdued recently, but Kohaku corrected me.

"I-It is a Raiju, my lord! A lightning yokai that even appears in the Classic of Mountains and Seas!!"

At the same time, countless stenches began converging on Heian Shrine.

Footnotes:

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