Volume 6 Chapter 17 The Users and the Used
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
March 26, Year 6 of the Reiwa¹ era.
It was unavoidable that certain individuals would have knowledge of the events that happened the previous night. One such group was gathered in the Shinjuku district of Kabukicho². Among the usual line of women in the park-sparser than usual, likely due to the chaos-two girls stood blended into the crowd.
”So, what’s the play here?”
The girl who spoke had the look of a dark-gyaru, appearing a bit detached as she looked down at her nails. She spoke to the girl beside her-a jirai-kei³ type who seemed to disappear into the scenery, her eyes fixed on her smartphone.
”Nothing,” the jirai-kei girl replied. “I’m not doing a thing.”
Both wore black masks, hiding their mouths and keeping their eyes away from each other. They had been careful enough to use a technique-formula⁴, a silent barrier to ensure no one nearby could hear them speak.
”Doing nothing? You can’t be serious. All that grunt work for nothing? All down the drain, Taiseibou.”
”Did you honestly think a sloppy setup like that was going to work? You’re too optimistic, Kouenbou,” Taiseibou said, her voice cold and dismissive.
Kouenbou, the kuro-gyaru⁵, let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky. “Great. Then why the hell did you make me help? We’re just taking the hit for this. Things are definitely going to get tighter from here on, aren’t they?”
”Actually, it’s the opposite. The ones who are really going to have a hard time now are the old farts. It was the elders who brought us the deal, and the elders who failed to stop it even though they knew exactly what was coming.”
Taiseibou’s eyes narrowed as her fingers moved across her phone with a rhythmic tap-tap-tap. Even behind the mask, the sadistic curve of her smile was clear.
”Ooh, you’ve got that nasty look in your eyes. Well, if you say so, I’m fine with it.”
Kouenbou stretched her arms toward the sky, fingers joined. The movement showed off her ample chest, causing several passing men to turn back with unnatural interest. A sharp click of a tongue-a tch of annoyance-came from the side opposite of Taiseibou.
”You’re convinced way too easily. Did you actually process anything I said?”
”Not really? But if Taiseibou’s got a plan, I’m sure it’ll work out.”
”Haa… It’s because an old-timer like you is so lazy that I’m the one stuck doing all the heavy lifting.”
”There you go again! You know you love being the one everyone relies on.”
”Ugh, annoying. And stop calling me that. It’s not cute.”
”Then what should I call you?”
”I’ve told you a thousand times: call me Mayu.”
”Was that it? Hilarious. In that case, I think I’ll go by Beni.”
In contrast to Mayu’s grumpy tone, Beni laughed with real cheer. She showed an open palm at a man who tried to come close, her eyes widening in a silent, scary glare that sent him away.
”-Anyway, we’re burning this spot. Call the others together, Beni. As of today, we’re done being anyone’s convenient tools.”
”Roger that! Leave it to Taiseibou-“
”I said call me Mayu!”
Thwack.
Mayu slapped Beni’s thigh in a fit of irritation, causing a playful yelp. After that day, that group simply vanished from the Shinjuku nights. In a city that never sleeps, such a small disappearance went unnoticed. By the time the situation settled and the Bureau of Onmyo⁶ reached out to investigate, the group known as the Ama-tengu⁷ had long since vanished.
* * *
Far away, in the ancient capital of Western Japan, another group sat much closer to the heart of the matter. Or rather, to say they were ‘closer’ was a mistake-they were the ones holding the leash.
The Kyoto Onmyo Alliance⁸-those traditionalists who claimed the true lineage of the Onmyoji and exorcists-viewed the current Bureau of Onmyo, and the very city of Tokyo itself, with total hate. To them, the idea of Tokyo acting as the prosperous, safe heart of the nation was a crime. It was this brand of old-fashioned obsession that had driven them to a reckless act: exposing their own country and people to the whims of foreign powers and the Ayakashi⁹.
Of course, their time was also running out. Whether their successors would be any ‘kinder’ was another story entirely.
”Seijuurou, looks like the curtain has closed.”
A man entered a private room where another sat drinking alone. This newcomer-the same youth who had introduced himself in Tokyo as T-san, born in a temple-took a seat across from the man he called Seijuurou.
”Status report,” Seijuurou commanded. He had the sharp, predatory features of a hawk. He was a man approaching his thirties, showing the raw life of youth tempered by the growing confidence of a man entering his prime.
”Quite the cold welcome. I play the errand boy for you and I don’t even get a ‘thank you’?”
”You did well, Touenji Teie.”
To the sound of those sparse words, a sake cup was slid forward. Touenji Teie-the Azure Dragon¹⁰ of the Kyoto Four Sacred Guardians¹¹-showed a wry smile.
”Drink.”
”Not exactly the thanks I had in mind…” Teie took a sip of the clear liquid, letting the rich smell bloom in his mouth and nose.
”-The head of the Tsuchimikado Family¹² main house fought with the rebels and died in battle. Over at the Bureau, one of the Kamo family’s men turned up dead under mysterious circumstances, and another took his own life.”
Tsuchimikado Seijuurou didn’t even blink. He took a slow sip from his own cup, his eyes fixed on the quiet, large cityscape of Kyoto outside the window.
”The East is in total ruin. I doubt we’ll get away without damage over here.”
”I don’t care,” Seijuurou said flatly. “It’s a perfect opportunity to cut out the rot that’s been building up for years.”
”Man, you’re cold. Is it really okay to talk like that when the head of the main house just died?”
The legitimate heir of the Kyoto Tsuchimikado family didn’t show any emotion. “For an exorcist, death is a common thing. It’s hardly news. The mistake was relying on servants who think they have the right to choose their masters. And as for my foolish sister’s little entourage… they were never going to be worth anything anyway.”
”Whoa, easy there. She is technically the next Suzaku¹³, you know.”
”That hasn’t been decided yet.”
Teie raised an eyebrow. The plan had been for the current Suzaku-Seijuurou’s father-to retire and take the fall for the failed plot. Naturally, the roles would then pass to his children.
”If your father is going into hiding, it’s a done deal, isn’t it? Or are you planning to do double duty and take the Suzaku title for yourself too?”
”The seat of Suzaku will stay empty for a time. I will handle the duties as a proxy if needed.”
”I doubt the elders are going to be happy about that.”
”What can those fossils actually do? Even the Four Sacred Guardians are nothing but empty titles at this point.”
”Ouch. You’re saying that right to my face? The Azure Dragon?”
”Precisely because it’s you. What have you actually done in the last few years, Teie? Aside from acting as a high-priced babysitter for my sister on her little trips?”
”You sure know how to hurt a guy,” Teie said, holding his chest in fake pain. He then leaned forward and filled Seijuurou’s empty cup. “But you know what they say… ‘A tiger dies and leaves its hide’…”
”Then the man should just die, shouldn’t he?” Seijuurou replied. “I’ll be sure to leave his name on a stone, at the very least.”
Teie let out a pleasant, empty laugh. Behind the slit of his narrow eyes, his true thoughts stayed a secret.
”Anything else?”
”Well, word is the Kadenokoji family got leaned on by the East. The old man supposedly died of a heart attack from the stress…”
”I already heard from Kadenokoji Munehito. He said the same. I imagine the pressure was too much for his weak heart.”
”I know you guys don’t get along, but Seijuurou, you really should work on your respect for your superiors.”
Kadenokoji Munehito-the current Genbu¹⁴ and head of a Kamo branch family-was a decade older than them, but Seijuurou didn’t care.
”You’re one to talk. Should I use your attitude toward me as my template?”
”Alright, alright. I’m shutting up.” Teie raised his hands in surrender. He joined Seijuurou in staring out at the Kyoto night. “So… we’re proceeding as planned?”
”Yes.”
Seijuurou’s voice was thick with a new strength. His predatory eyes were fixed on something far beyond the sky.
”I will stand at the top of the Alliance. And eventually…”
(Everything, then.)
Teie finished the thought in his mind and smiled. The night that shouldn’t have happened had passed, and the events that were supposed to happen had been stopped. Yet, some things are simply destined. Whether in the East or the West, the fates of the exorcists were shifting, merging into a massive tide that would soon swallow everything.
—
Summary:
Following a chaotic night in Tokyo, two girls from a group called the Ama-tengu decide to vanish from Shinjuku after being used by their elders. Meanwhile in Kyoto, Tsuchimikado Seijuurou and Touenji Teie discuss the fallout, revealing the deaths of several high-ranking clan members. Seijuurou cold-bloodedly plans to use the resulting power vacuum to seize control of the Kyoto Onmyo Alliance. The chapter establishes a shift in the status quo for exorcists across Japan.
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Character Insight:
Seijuurou is revealed as a ruthless pragmatist who views family and tradition as mere tools for his ascension, showing no grief for his father’s death. In contrast, the Shinjuku girls (Mayu and Beni) represent the ‘used’ bottom tier of the mystical world, choosing to exit the game entirely as the power structure above them collapses.
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Behind the Scene:
This interlude bridges the gap between major story arcs, showing the long-term consequences of the ‘fake’ Kansai-accented protagonist’s interference in the world’s power balance.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Taiseibou – A girl with a ‘landmine-kei’ fashion sense who blends into the Shinjuku crowd. She wears a black mask and possesses a sadistic smile.
• Kouenbou – A girl with a dark-gyaru (kuro-gyaru) style. She has a rich/ample chest and wears a black mask. She is an ‘old-timer’ in her group.
• Mayu – A girl with a ‘landmine-kei’ fashion sense who blends into the Shinjuku crowd. She wears a black mask and possesses a sadistic smile.
• Beni – A girl with a dark-gyaru (kuro-gyaru) style. She has a rich/ample chest and wears a black mask. She is an ‘old-timer’ in her group.
• Seijuurou – The legitimate son of the Kyoto Tsuchimikado family. He has predatory, hawk-like features and is approaching his thirties. He radiates vitality and cold confidence.
• T-san – Tall, slim build, slender face, narrow eyes, and black hair with neatly trimmed bangs. Dressed in a dark brown kimono with tabi and Yuki footwear. Resembles Naoshi but with darker hair. A mysterious figure from Kyoto, likely associated with the Onmyō Clan. Introduced as ‘T born in a temple.’ Skilled in martial arts and spirit energy manipulation.
• Teie – The ‘Azure Dragon’ of the Kyoto Four Sacred Guardians. He has narrow, slit-like eyes and a playful yet mysterious demeanor.
• Kamo family – one of the oldest and most revered clans in Japanese history, deeply tied to Shinto rituals and the protection of Kyoto. Alongside the Tsuchimikado family, they played a significant role in the spiritual and exorcistic traditions of the capital, especially during the Meiji era when many such families relocated to Tokyo.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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