Volume 6 Chapter 13 The March 25th Metropolitan Incident ⑤
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Gyuki¹.
A massive Ayakashi² with the head of a bull and the body of a giant spider. Its legend remains mostly in Western Japan. Even among its kind, its nature is cruel and wild. It appears at the water’s edge, like beaches or deep pools, and is a dangerous being that kills humans for food or just for fun.
Because of that power and nature, an Exorcist³ would never ignore it. Whenever one appeared in this world, they were always hunted down and killed. Because of this, their numbers dropped after the Meiji era, and the last time one showed up was ten years ago.
In August 2013, one appeared on the second island of Kansai International Airport. Kazuramichi Tadayuki—head of the Kazuramichi Family⁴ and a First-Class Exorcist at the time—fought a hard battle alongside the Shiun Family and finally won. But Tadayuki was badly hurt in the fight and fell into a coma. While he was out, he couldn’t stop the tragedy that hit his wife, Shizuka.
Even after he woke up, the wounds and the curse have continued to eat at his body, casting a big shadow over the house. For those of the Kazuramichi line, especially for Tadayuki’s son, Kazuramichi Naoshi, it is an Ayakashi with a very bitter history.
Yet, looking at the young man sitting in the back cabin of the V-22⁵, with his arms crossed and eyes closed like he’s sleeping, you can’t feel any of that. Suzuri, who belongs to a different family and only knows the story from ten years ago as a fact, didn’t know the details. On the other hand, Ako, who knows the story too well, found it hard to even talk to him. Neither could tell where Naoshi’s calm was coming from. Still, the plane flew on, and the situation kept moving.
”Brother-in-law. It sounds like the Gyuki has landed. It’s over on the Kasukabe side,” Suzuri said.
”Its goal?” Naoshi asked.
”Probably the Showa Drainage Pump Station—I think the underground water tank is the target.”
”—Ah, you mean that ‘Underground Temple⁶,’ right?” Suzuri added, finally understanding.
Naoshi nodded as he remembered the place.
”Yeah, yeah. That spot where all those huge pillars are lined up, right?”
Because it’s used to stop floods, the look of the place is often talked about.
”Yes. Also, it looks like Lesser Youkai are getting into the underground through the other shafts, from the second to the fifth, by following the water flow. We don’t think they’re strong enough to break the facility, but…” Ako explained.
”So they’ll just meet up with the big guy at the end of the line, huh,” Naoshi said.
”Yes. Please think of it as a real Hyakki Yago⁷.”
”Great Youkai⁸ and night parades everywhere. It’s like a bargain sale today,” Suzuri said with a serious face.
Naoshi let out a quiet laugh from his throat. It sounded a bit like he was making fun of things, but for him, it was just the usual way of acting.
”Well, guess I’ll have to take ’em all then. Ako-chan, how do we get into the basement?” Naoshi asked.
”The Gyuki will probably break the buildings on the ground and get in through the vertical shafts,” Ako replied.
”How rude. Well, when we get there, I’ll just jump out and go first. You two can follow after you land normally.”
At Naoshi’s words, Suzuri and Ako looked at each other.
”Are you sure you can jump without training?” Suzuri asked.
”There’s a risk of being split up,” Ako added.
”If I can stop it from gettin’ in, that’s best. Even if I’m late, it’s better to hurry. Plus, I want Ako-chan to keep grabbin’ info until the very last second, ya know?”
Both their points made sense, but Naoshi’s words also had logic. Most of all, he didn’t look stiff or worried. Suzuri and the others nodded, thinking they should follow his lead if he was acting like his normal self.
”Understood,” Suzuri said.
”Please be careful,” Ako said.
”Sure thing,” Naoshi replied.
As they talked, the V-22 changed its rotors to slow down. While hearing the final warnings from the soldiers, Naoshi unhooked his seatbelt. The back door opened and a roar of wind blew in. Lights that were far apart compared to the city center filled his eyes.
”Well then, stay safe now,” Naoshi said.
With his hair blowing in the wind, Kazuramichi Naoshi threw himself into the dark without waiting a single second.
* * *
Ow-oooh—!
A roar rang out across the night sea. The sound, which was as loud as the waves, came from a black giant. Its top half stood twenty meters above the water. Behind it, a line of blue fires stretched out for hundreds of meters.
This group showed up suddenly in the Uraga Channel and moved north fast. They were finally about to enter Tokyo Bay. The local Exorcist watching from Cape Futtsu tried to stop his hands from shaking and pointed his phone at the sea. He had already heard that on the Ome side, Great Youkai had broken into the Metropolitan Barrier⁹. It was something that could ruin the trust in the spirit defenses of the whole area.
That had been because of an Oni. He didn’t know how, but maybe hate and tricks could fool human skills. But a monster this big, an Ayakashi this old and strong—did it really have the brains to get past modern magic?
Ow… oh… oh…
The Sea Monk¹⁰ finally reached the line. The Exorcist hoped the Great Barrier would stop the giant. Even if the ghost ships behind it got in, maybe the Great Youkai leading them wouldn’t. Or, if it did break through, it would have to pay a high price.
”No… way—?” the Exorcist whispered.
But what happened next was not what he expected. The Sea Monk crossed the line like it wasn’t even there. It didn’t break or smash it; it was just allowed to pass. Like it was a guest invited to the party.
”R-Report! Report!”
The Exorcist snapped out of it and yelled.
”The Great Youkai has entered Tokyo Bay! The barrier—the Great Barrier—did not react! The Great Youkai and the Hyakki Yago got into Tokyo Bay without a scratch!”
His voice was almost a scream. The industrial zones, Haneda Airport—there were too many important spots in the bay to count. Tokyo Bay was the throat of Japan. Even the ‘Black Ships’ from history hadn’t been allowed this deep.
’We see it here too. Keep watching and see if anything else follows.’
”G-Got it, mission understood…!”
The word ‘followers’ made the Exorcist feel even colder. If more was coming, what would happen?
One thing the young Exorcist didn’t think of was that in history, something big happened on a foreign ship that crossed this same line. The signing on the battleship Missouri—Japan’s surrender in the old war.
* * *
”They really did a number on this place,” Naoshi said.
Moving away from the wind of the V-22, Naoshi looked at the broken buildings and sighed. Walking through the rubble left by the Ayakashi, he soon felt the damp air. Looking down through a hole, he saw water at the bottom of a big pit. This was the First Shaft, the last path for water to go into the discharge system. Above it was a square opening with a round pillar in the middle.
”Heave-ho,” Naoshi said.
Slipping into the shaft through the broken hole, Naoshi caught a catwalk, ran along the wall, and jumped into the deep. He landed and jumped away fast, looking around. Only the loud sound of the fans echoed in the big empty space.
The discharge tank, known as the ‘Underground Temple.’ In this huge space—177 meters long and 78 meters wide—rows of giant pillars stood, making long shadows from the light above. It really did look like a temple.
”Hoh,” Naoshi hummed.
It was a modern building made by humans, but it had a feeling that made you feel small. Truly, it was like a spirit site. Besides moving water, the size of the place worked like magic, cleaning the water before it moved on. In the past, wild rivers were like dragons—they hurt people, but they were also needed for life. So, control over the water was always a test for a ruler. Long ago, people even used human sacrifices to try and stop floods. We still don’t have perfect control, but we’ve moved forward bit by bit.
Now, a bad thing had gotten into this great work of ours. The sound of feet splashing in water rang out. Naoshi narrowed his eyes, looking hard as he felt a Youkai Energy more gross and strong than ever. The thing was hiding in the shadows of the big pillars, waiting for its prey. If that was it, he only had one choice.
At almost the same time, a white path was made on Tokyo Bay. The third-generation Touma Yukinojo had also jumped from a V-22 and was now walking on a path of ice. Far behind him were the lights of the Aqua-Line and the Umihotaru area. The goal of the Sea Monk and its ghost parade was the destruction of this bridge—another thing humans built. The sea moved as the Ayakashi got close, and the ice Yukinojo stood on shook and broke with a sound like a scream.
”…”
Yukinojo’s cold breath was blown away by the sea wind.
Ow-oooh—!
The roar of the Ayakashi tore through the wind. In the blue light of the Oni fires, the giant’s shape came out of the dark. It was the biggest threat ever—a foe so strong that even Yukinojo, the top Exorcist in Japan, had never fought one like it.
Standing there, Yukinojo looked around at the horizon. He saw lights—so many lights that meant the lives of people. The lights of the town or street, the ships, the cars, and the planes—all the things he had to protect. It was a heavy weight—but he wasn’t alone. Even if they were in different places, he had friends who shared the load. In the deep earth and on the sea, the young men called the strongest spoke the same words.
”—Boundary, bind.”
—
Summary:
Naoshi enters the ‘Underground Temple’ to fight a Gyuki, a bull-spider monster with a dark link to his family’s past. At the same time, Yukinojo, the strongest exorcist in Kanto, faces a giant Sea Monk and ghost ships in Tokyo Bay. Even though the Metropolitan Barrier failed, both young men prepare for a massive battle to save the city. The two ‘strongest’ warriors are now positioned to defend the land and the sea.
—
Character Insight:
Naoshi’s ‘Fake Kansai’ act masks a focused intent to settle the score for his father, showing he is more than just a mocker. Yukinojo represents the burden of being the ‘strongest,’ finding his resolve by looking at the lights of human life he must protect. Both characters share a silent connection, performing the same duty in different battlefields to hold the line against overwhelming odds.
—
Behind the Scene:
The ‘Underground Temple’ is a real flood-control facility in Japan that is famous for its pillar-filled architecture. The story links the Sea Monk’s invasion to the historical surrender of Japan on the USS Missouri, highlighting the symbolic loss of sovereignty caused by the barrier’s breach.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Mei – A young woman with loosely waved hair tied up. She is a student from Kyoto visiting Tokyo for vacation. She has a slender build, often wearing tight pants. She feels pressure regarding her future and her strict brother.
• Touma Yukinojo – The head of the Touma family, a prominent exorcist clan from Kanto. At just 21 years old, he is regarded as the strongest exorcist in Japan, known for his exceptional swordsmanship and mastery over fire. He is also referred to by the title ‘Ice Blade’, which scatters spirits, and is noted for possessing the ‘Divine Eye’, a unique ability that further enhances his prowess. Yukinojo is described as a handsome young man with the blood of a snow woman.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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