Hyakumonogatari

Yes.

I saw your brow twitch. I know what you're thinking. You know I don't joke about things like this, yet you still don't believe me. Basically, you think that...

I shouldn't have forced you to forge a letter in the Old Man's name, and that calling Hoshiguma back here did nothing but cause trouble for everyone... is that it?

......

Twenty years ago... Hoshiguma... and that shield of hers... spilled quite a bit of blood. After all, it was the last thing the Old Man forged... Mio, have you ever been to his home?

Yes, many years ago.

What is his house full of?

Televisions.

That's right, televisions.

The Old Man might be stubborn, but his instincts are still sharp, some of the time.

He knew that if the Kinsekikai continued their unending torrent of bloodshed, we were bound to be destroyed sooner or later. So he set his sights on Originium crystalline components.

He quickly converted his metalworking shop into a workshop for crystalline components, and it was an instant success. After that, the Old Man no longer had time to forge the legendary weapons he loved most.

Just as his crystal business was really taking off, the Old Man suddenly acquired the materials, and techniques, to forge shields from a fallen noble house of the Mitsumoto faction.

They say that he spent nearly half of the Group's liquid assets to acquire them.

That shield, the last shield the old man ever forged, the shield he had spent so many assets to acquire... do you ever think it might have had some special significance to the Kinsekikai?

The transition to a new leader.

Even you knew that... but the Old Man just let the matter sit there. He kept putting it off and putting it off, all the way until the Southern Court was about to hold the first meeting of its Diet.

You young ones grew up with the Diet, but back in my day, no one even knew what it was.

We thought the Diet was going to revamp the bureaucracy as soon as they took office, but it took them a few years to get around to it.

Back then, all we'd heard was that the members of the Diet were to be chosen from among the commoners. The entire Southern Court was in an uproar, and then that poor fool, Koretou, emerged.

The candidate?

Yes. He had a whole heap of political views, but his core aim was to drive us, the Kinsekikai, out of Kajimachi.

He roused a bunch of useless rabble and had them shouting and yelling outside Kajimachi all day and night. It made it impossible for us to do business.

The Old Man, no... not just him, the whole Kinsekikai didn't take Koretou seriously at first, but every day, he recruited more and more troublemakers.

So... you decided to get rid of him.

Yes, and you know the rest of the story, of course. After Koretou died, the Kinsekikai learned what real public fury looks like.

That was also when I learned that to the Four Great Clans, the members of the Diet are nothing but stage props...

But to us... they're people who can decide our fate with a single word.

With all due respect, you could just come out and say it: if Chairman Tessai refuses to yield, you'll need Hannya at the succession ceremony.

I say, sometimes you really do sound just like him.

Of course, Tessai lording it over me is one thing. Hearing it from someone as steadfast and frank as you is another thing entirely.

In truth, once the Kinseki Group splits from the Kinsekikai, I obviously can't stay on as chairman. Is there anyone else, besides you, who can take my place?

......

The day I step into politics and build a power base of my own, you and your Kinsekikai won't be forgotten.

For now, Momoka is still our top priority.

She knows too much, and she's in cahoots with that information broker.

She even leapt out a window just to keep Sanoguchi's broken blade on her. Don't you understand what that means?

Mifune-san——

You were too kind-hearted to kill her, and you were willing to admit that to me. That's good. I can promise you this much: we can reconsider our plan to infect her with Oripathy.

First, however, you must bring her to me.

That broken blade she's carrying.... we must recover its guard, no matter the cost.

Secondly, there's no way she can continue her career as an entertainer. From now on, she'll have to remain firmly under our control.

Are you okay with that?

You are most magnanimous.

No. When you bring her here, she should be the one thanking you.

You must understand, the kami was the one who wanted to play games with you. As a kannushi, I could only stand and watch—I couldn't interfere. Please forgive me, Hoshiguma-san.

Well, you sure were happy to watch, weren't you?

Was I?

I think so.

Wholeheartedly serving the kami is bound to lift one's mood. I imagine you felt it too just now, Hoshiguma-san—and you, Momoka-san.

I'm more interested in why It broke into my house in middle of the night.

What do you mean? You talk like I'm some kind of dangerous fiend. Wouldn't you think it was strange if someone was cleaning out junk from a cursed house, and then went to sleep in said haunted house?

Just because it's a haunted house? There are so many killings in Mitsukue, and Kajimachi is hardly a peaceful place. So why did you have to go snooping around my home in particular?

Because of the kaidan stories.

Are you or are you not involved with those kaidan stories? Tell me.

'Simply appearing at the same time that a few strange events occur' and 'being the one who spawned the haunted house and the kaidan stories' are two very different things, alright?

If I could spawn kaidan stories all by myself, what would I be doing riding a unicycle all over the place?

So basically, you were just tagging along for fun, but people mistook you for the kaidan from the legend?

Not bad. You're pretty sharp.

I'm telling you, being a kami is a job that depends entirely on the whims of fate.

This Kizuna Jinja is about bringing people together. Most of you spend your whole lives dealing with other people, and there's probably nothing more important than the bonds you form, don't you think?

When times are stable, people pray for their existing bonds to last. When times are turbulent, they pray for these bonds to carry them through—or for new ones to form.

But over the past decade or so, fewer and fewer people have come here. These days, on our best days, we only get a dozen or so visitors.

Is this true, Kannushi-sama?

It's exaggerating a bit, but we indeed have been getting far fewer visitors the past few years.

Some kami are lazy. The fewer visitors they get, the happier they are. I'm not like that. If it's always this slow, I'm going to die of boredom, you know?

Speaking of lazy.

What?

There's a lazy one right at your feet.

Hey, show yourself, you're the shrine's star, no?

......

Here's the reason our shrine is known for forging bonds. Whenever he feels someone has been having good luck in love or relationships, it'll show itself.

But if it thinks you haven't had much luck with relationships lately, or that you're about to have a run of terrible luck, it'll flat-out refuse to show itself.

I've said all of that, and yet it still doesn't want to appear before you. It sounds like you're in for some bad luck.

......

Your actions will determine your future. You don't have to take Its words at face value, Hoshiguma-san.

Why are you speaking against your own kami?

Basically, when people get bored, they tend to pursue random aims. Kami are no different.

Right after you disappeared, the kaidan tales started to spread through Mitsukue. There's nothing wrong with chasing a few kaidan to pass the time, is there?

Why the silent treatment? Do you fear your imminent misfortune?

Not really. I just didn't expect that a kami would chase after something so fleeting and unreal.

Why you little!

Regardless, you are not the kami Moriuchi is looking for.

Of course not.

But, might I trouble you to come travel with us? Talk is cheap. If you could just chat with him the way you're chatting with me and Momoka for a bit...

Kannushi-sama, help! This Oni wants to steal away your beloved kami!

These past few years, Moriuchi has given me many gifts, including a never-ending supply of oden.

Hmph.

Forget it. I'm a softy, after all. I'll go with you.

Hoshiguma, have you finished your chat with the priest?

We're almost finished. Where is Kichisei?

She left already. She had to go back and mind the store.

Is this girl coming with us?

Yes, Momoka is coming too. She knows all the kaidan stories. That should be enough to convince you to tag along, yeah?

I already told you I was going. I didn't need more convincing, so why does it matter that she's coming with?

Little girl, I've seen so many of your TV shows. Have you been afflicted with some kind of curse?

H-How should I know?!

I'm actually afraid of kaidan. I just want a quiet life, without all the weird stuff.

You're not the least bit curious about them?

I just want to advance my entertainment career.

The kaidan stuff helped me broaden my audience, but I don't really feel... that's the best way to do it.

Entertainers should rely on their own talent to bring people joy. That's how it should be done.

There aren't too many people who still think like you do. Interesting.

By the way, I wanted to ask you something! Last night, some really scary stuff happened in my house!

Out of nowhere, my TV started controlling itself; it showed clips of me singing, cut together with those blaring emergency alerts.

Then at the end, I have no idea why, but it played a really... scary video.

Tsk tsk tsk! What was the video about? Some cryptid? A bloody murder scene?

None of those things. It was... a video of Mio-san. And soon after the video ended, she actually did show up at my place...

Wasn't that just your TV on the fritz? That's not the kind of kaidan I'm looking for.

It's not?

You've been studying these kaidan. Don't you think they're actually just humans messing around?

You really don't get it, do you? If the ghost stories were all just human mischief, would I even be investigating them in the first place?

Each of these kaidan defy any conceivable explanation.

When people can't figure out the cause of something, guys like Moriuchi just go and pin the blame on us kami.

And if even a kami can't figure out what's going on, well, that just means there's someone or something stronger, more mysterious, and way more thrilling than me pulling the strings behind the scenes.

But you're the one riding the unicycle.

Ahem... That doesn't matter. Don't try to change the subject!

So you mean you're also chasing kami? You're chasing the 'kami above the kami'?

Exactly!

Kichisei?

You swapped terminal numbers with Kichisei?

Yes. The agency doesn't usually let me interact with my fans. And she's such a big one.

Hello? Kichisei?

What?

What?!

That's not true! I didn't mean it—that's not what I meant!

Right! I never once said I was running!

Yes. Uhuh.

You can't talk now...? You think you're being followed?!

Okay. Well then I'll...

Oh? The shrine too?

Right. I'll tell everyone right away. Be careful!

Someone spread word that you're running away?

Kichisei said it was spreading all over the forums. It didn't seem like some random rumor, more like something Kinseki Channel deliberately leaked…

What's up with Kichisei then?

A Kinsekikai guy was tailing her. She also said the area around the shrine might not be safe, she saw people sneaking around when she stepped out through the shrine gate.

The next time you see Kichisei, please thank her for me.

You really don't need to be too worried. Whether or not the yakuza are running around Mitsukue, even if they dare invade the shrine, they're just causing themselves trouble.

If you need to take shelter within the shrine grounds, you can head inside. I'll handle everything else. If you'd rather leave, I'll show you the way out. Take the side path.

I think we'd better leave. The longer we stay here, the more men they can deploy around here to get us.

Momoka, you're gonna have to ride the scooter.

Okay! I've been riding all night. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it!

Then we'll be going, Kannushi-sama.

If I go with you, are those yakuza going to chase me too?

We'll try our hardest not to attract any attention—

Then I'll be the one providing cover?

By 'cover,' you mean—

You're going to help us draw away the yakuza, right?

That's pretty much the idea. Playing those slow-witted yakuza fools every now and then, well, it's not as thrilling as chasing kaidan, but it does pass the time.

I'll make a break through the front gate first to distract the dumb yakuza goons. You all slip out the back and we'll rendezvous at that moron's yatai.

It seems like that kami really cares about you.

Haha...

But now's not the time for sentimentality. You two come over here. I'll show you the way.

This path is pretty well-hidden...

Yes, but that's not to say that no one will find it. Get out of here as quickly as you can.

Thank you for your help and generosity.

Don't mention it—

There's something moving over this way! Come on! Bring your camera over here! I think there's someone here!

This area is still part of the shrine grounds. Are you sure it's okay for us to barge in here?

What matters more: Mifune-san's orders, or some dumb shrine rules? Get over here!

You don't need to start throwing hands like a street thug! You just need a mic and a camera, and you're set. Can you think of an easier gig?! Get over here!

......

Kannushi-sama, wh—what do we do now?!

You two, please wait here for a moment.

You're going to go fight them?

Just the usual routine, clearing away a bit of lingering evil

Woah! That's some wind! Why is all the equipment flying all over the place?!

Kannushi-sama...? Are you actually an Arts master?

Just a few little tricks, is all. Nothing spectacular.

Now's your chance. Get going!