Volume 2 Chapter 21 Battle Of Shizugatake Result： Family
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In a dark room lit by a dim nightlight, a woman sat cross-legged next to a futon, staring intently at an open wooden box.
’This situation has turned out to be unfortunate for both sides, but please understand this is the duty of an exorcist──’
Inside the box sent from the Kazuramichi family in Osaka, there were an oni horn from the Great Youkai that had caused a stir recently, and for some reason, a long strand of black hair that seemed to belong to a woman.
It felt creepy, so she quickly got rid of the hair, leaving only the white horn in the box.
From what Mizuho knew, the horn looked a bit like a rhino’s, and it strangely caught her attention.
──Why?
Why did it come to this? Kazuramichi Mizuho wondered to herself.
Of course, there was no answer.
Looking for clues, she slowly glanced at the envelope placed next to the box.
Inside, already opened, was a divorce paper with only the section for her to fill out, along with an old wedding ring.
”…This is troubling.”
She muttered softly.
Her beloved husband, their daughter who looked just like her, and their dear son.
Mizuho, who had lived a bright and happy life, couldn’t understand how all of that could suddenly be gone.
She hasn’t done anything wrong, so why is this happening?
”What should I do, Yoshiya-san? I’m in trouble.”
She called out to her husband.
She loved her family.
She didn’t think she was a perfect wife and mother, but she always tried to think about her family and their happiness.
”Yoshitada-san has left, and Ako is taking Yoshitada-san’s favorite daughter away… It’s good that they’re doing well, but they’re both adults now, so I wish they wouldn’t do dangerous things and worry me. They’re still my kids.”
While saying these contradictory things, she traced her finger over her husband’s name written in familiar handwriting.
”Hey, Yoshiya-san, I’m in trouble.”
She was really, really in trouble.
──So why, why aren’t you saying anything?
Are you okay, Mizuho? Why aren’t you smiling like usual?
You, who have always shared both joy and sorrow with me, my kind, dear…
Why are you leaving me alone?
Of course, there must be some unavoidable reason, but you could at least say a word or 2──
”This is strange.”
Mizuho tilted her head, looking confused as she shifted her gaze from the envelope to the box, and then back again.
She kept doing this until morning when her family came to check on her.
* * *
After a long-awaited reunion with his mother, Kazuramichi Naoshi was sitting on the porch, watching the moon slowly rise through the glass.
It was a cold night, so quiet it felt like time had frozen.
The floorboards creaked softly beneath him.
”──Ako-chan, what’s wrong?”
Without looking at the person approaching, Naoshi spoke up.
”I felt my cousin’s presence while I was researching in my room.”
”What? Dat’s scary.”
”The moon is beautiful, isn’t it, cousin?”
”I don’t wanna die yet.”
”I’m okay with dying, though…”
”Let’s not finish dis alone, so what were you researchin’?”
Wearing pajamas and a cardigan, Ako stood slightly behind him, matching her gaze with her cousin’s reflection in the glass.
”──It seems a letter came from Kyoto right after the Kansai disturbance. It celebrated the victory, and I didn’t find anything suspicious.”
”Aight, dat’s nice of dem.”
Naoshi smirked sarcastically.
It was no surprise that there hadn’t been a report from his uncle.
After such a big commotion, if the badgers had said, “Good job,” Naoshi would have had no choice but to be furious.
”Who sent it?”
”From one of the Four Sacred Guardians, the daughter of the Tsuchimikado family in Kyoto, Tsuchimikado Akiko.”
”Oh?”
”Do you know her?”
”Nah, I ain’t.”
”I see.”
”Is there somethin’ ya wanna know about?”
”Yeah, I kind of felt a warmth or closeness towards my cousin in writing.”
”You just said there was nothin’ suspicious, right?”
”It’s not really suspicious. If we know each other, it’s not weird. It’s just my impression.”
”Oh, Tsuchimikado in Kyoto, huh…”
The past ten years that he didn’t look back on just slipped away.
Maybe among the many things he forgot, there was someone.
”I’ll let ya know if I remember anyting.”
He glanced at Ako reflected in the glass, and she nodded softly in the dark night.
”And about it, Cousin Naoshi, I have something to tell you.”
”Yeah, what’s up? Ya’re bein’ all formal.”
”I’ve decided to become your stepsister. Papa has already talked to the head of the family and got his approval.”
”…Dat’s sudden. How did dat happen?”
”Papa wants to make sure there’s no ‘child of Yoshiya’ left in Kazuramichi. That’s his wish.”
”That guy is so serious about everyting… It ain’t like it’s a big deal. If Ako-chan gets married, it’s da same ting.”
”If step-brother says I should get married, I’ll go anywhere, but──if you’ll allow it, I don’t want to go anywhere. Please keep me by your side forever.”
”You really love it, huh? Ako-chan could marry anyone and be welcomed anywhere.”
”──Is that not okay?”
Ako’s voice was a bit shaky.
The hallway was so cold it felt like it was creeping into my bones, but that wasn’t the only reason.
He let out a small laugh through his nose.
He turned to his cousin who was waiting for his words.
”Yaa, ya already talked to da head of da family, right? I ain’t got time fer dis. Ya do what ya wanna do.”
”Yes, I’ll do that──by the way, did you know? A step-sister stays a step-sister no matter who her step-brother marries.”
”Ain’t dat da same fer cousins?”
Suddenly, Ako seemed energized, and I couldn’t help but smile.
”A step-sister is family, but a cousin is just a relative, so there’s a difference. Plus, don’t you think it’s more exciting and a bit wrong to be with a step-sister than a cousin?”
”I kinda get dat. Maybe I’ve been influenced too much…”
Ako’s voice was lively, but it felt like she was putting on a show.
Naoshi sighed dramatically and looked into his cousin’s reddish-brown eyes.
”Ako-chan.”
”Yes?”
”Thanks fer everythin’.”
”──No, I’m just happy to help my step-brother.”
”It really helps, truly.”
”Thank you.”
A faint smile appeared on Ako’s usually serious face.
”Well, no matter how tough Ako-chan is, a girl shouldn’t be standin’ in a cold hallway forever. I’ma go ta bed, so ya should head home too.”
”Okay.”
Naoshi waved his hand, and he started walking to his room, but he turned around when he felt her still following him.
”Ako-chan?”
”The promise from my step-brother to keep me warm is still good, right? It’s such a cold night.”
”You’re so clever──sure, come here.”
”Yes!”
──Well, even a villain has their reasons, right?
It’s unfair to bring up such a sad past…
And when it becomes personal, it hits differently.
Isn’t it amazing how someone can overcome their past and still act cool while being sharp-tongued?
And more than anything, he made fun of the names taken from their parents, but why can’t they remember the meaning behind them?
He gets that someone who chose a dangerous life from childhood and solidified that choice at 13 wouldn’t be too affected by the peaceful memories of a past life.
Still, Kazuramichi Naoshi (me) is a bit too set in his ways.
Getting all fired up about the temporary villain in Kyoto is a bit of a headache.
──At this point, he needs to stick to the “take care of your life” policy.
What their parents wanted to protect should definitely include their son──after all, there’s no greater unfilial act than a child dying before their parents.
He can’t let his hardworking son end up like this.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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