Chapter 531 – The Hope of Breaking the Curse
When Kaiser saw Murasame's expression turn that serious, he immediately knew—something had happened.
Even Yoshino Tomotake, who was still too ashamed to face anyone, could sense it.
But instead of explaining, Murasame simply said,
"The Tatari-gami my master captured—come with me and you'll see."
With that, she led Kaiser and Yoshino to the shrine.
What they found made both of them freeze.
The Tatari-gami that had been bound within the shimenawa had vanished.
Only Yasuharu Tomotake and Mitsuha Komagawa remained inside the rope's boundary, deep in discussion.
Both looked like they hadn't slept all night—dark circles under their eyes, faces drawn with exhaustion.
Even so, they continued their intense debate until the others rushed over.
"Dad!" Yoshino was the first to speak, her voice uneasy. "What happened? Where's the Tatari-gami?"
Kaiser's gaze swept the area, especially inside the rope's perimeter—but there wasn't the slightest trace of the creature. His brow furrowed.
Yasuharu and Mitsuha exchanged a glance before both turned to them with equally grave faces.
"Kaiser-sama, Yoshino-sama" Mitsuha said, stepping forward. She held out her hand. "Please, look at this."
The two followed her gaze.
Resting in Mitsuha's palm was a small, irregularly shaped shard. It looked like a fragment of something larger—white and translucent, with a faint mist swirling within.
Thump, thump—
Kaiser's heartbeat suddenly quickened.
This feeling—it was exactly the same as when Murasame-maru had once called out to him.
Only this time, the reaction was far weaker—so faint that he might have mistaken it for an illusion.
He pressed a hand to his chest, frowning. "This is…?"
Yoshino, who felt nothing unusual, looked puzzled. "What is it?"
"Kaiser-kun, Yoshino." Yasuharu's voice was solemn. "This fragment came out of the Tatari-gami's body."
"What?" Both of them were stunned. "It came from inside the Tatari-gami?"
Yasuharu and Mitsuha nodded.
"It happened like this…"
Seeing their confusion, Murasame began to explain.
She had spent the night at the shrine, feeding Divine Power into the shimenawa to keep the Tatari-gami restrained while Yasuharu and Mitsuha conducted their research.
At first, the Tatari-gami had been violently active, ramming the barrier over and over, making it impossible for them to approach safely—so they could only observe and record from a distance.
But when dawn broke, the creature suddenly froze, then began to dissolve.
Its form melted into black smoke and vanished completely.
What was left behind was this mysterious shard, discovered at the very spot where the Tatari-gami had disappeared.
"So that means…" Yoshino murmured. "It was something the Tatari-gami swallowed?"
"No." Mitsuha shook her head. "According to every record that's survived, the Tatari-gami isn't a living being at all. Its body is made entirely of Filth—it has no biological traits, and it doesn't consume anything."
"Besides," Yasuharu added, "we saw it clearly. When the Tatari-gami vanished, this shard was originally black. Only after it disappeared completely did the shard turn white."
That alone proved it wasn't an ordinary fragment.
"I suspect this shard is the Tatari-gami's core—the vessel of the Curse itself," Mitsuha said.
"The vessel… of the Curse?" Kaiser and Yoshino both turned to stare at it.
Mitsuha's voice continued steadily.
"The Tomotake Family's curse originated from the resentment of the eldest son. Out of hatred for his kin, he slew the mountain's guardian dog deity and used its soul as a sacrifice to invoke the curse. In other words, the curse's source is the power of hatred itself."
The Komakawa family had once been a line of onmyōji. Though they had shifted to medicine, the ancient knowledge remained. That was why, when the Tomotake Family took up shrine duties, the Komakawas became their advisors and curse specialists.
Generations of study, coupled with records from even older times, had given Mitsuha insight. She had just been explaining this to Yasuharu.
"The texts say that to create a curse fueled by hatred, that hatred must be housed within a medium—an object to serve as the curse's core."
"That medium is the vessel of the curse."
"Now that a fragment of that core has appeared inside the Tatari-gami—and even seems to be its core—it's likely the Tatari-gami itself was born from this fragment."
"Perhaps the original vessel was shattered by some accident or by a backlash of powerful curse energy. The fragments scattered, and when Filth in Hozu accumulated beyond a threshold, those fragments drew on it to give form to the Tatari-gami. Their purpose—to harm the Tomotake Family and anyone connected to them."
Her words plunged the group into heavy silence.
Yoshino clasped her hands tightly over her chest, her face complicated.
"So," Kaiser said at last, eyes narrowing, "the source of all the battles against the Tatari-gami… was this vessel? And the Tomotake Family never noticed?"
"Exactly." Yasuharu sighed. "The Tatari-gami always appeared at night, deep in the mountains where you couldn't see your own hand. The shrine maidens of past generations likely never realized these shards even existed."
He gave a weary smile. "Even in daylight, something this small could easily go unnoticed in rough terrain—let alone in total darkness."
For the Tomotake Family, who'd fought these monsters for centuries, only to discover something so crucial this late—it was cruel irony.
If they'd realized sooner that such a vessel existed… maybe Akiho wouldn't have—
As that bitter thought crossed his mind, Yoshino suddenly spoke up.
"Then if we gather all the fragments and restore the vessel, we can lift the curse, right?"
Her voice trembled with a mixture of hope and fear.
For a girl barely in her second year of high school, the Tomotake curse was far too heavy a burden.
Generations of her family had died young because of it. If she couldn't break the curse, she would meet the same fate—like all the shrine maidens before her, who died a few years after bearing a child.
But if she could end it, the curse would finally be gone—her ancestors, her family's future, and she herself could all be free.
She glanced at Kaiser.
In just two months, the boy she'd met had changed her world completely.
She, who once hesitated even to make friends, had already crossed a line she never imagined—becoming not just a girl, but a woman, in a moment of reckless impulse.
Even so, she couldn't bring herself to regret it.
For the first time, she'd felt what it was like to live—not merely endure.
She wanted friends.
She wanted, like the heroines in Mako's shoujo manga, to experience a sweet, ordinary love.
Once, that had seemed impossible.
But now… maybe it wasn't.
Mitsuha seemed to share that same fragile hope.
"At the very least," she said firmly, "this could be the key to changing everything. If we restore the vessel, we can purify the hatred it contains."
Murasame nodded beside her.
"If we gather all the fragments, hold a proper ritual, and cleanse the Filth within—then we can soothe the dog god's spirit. Once the source of the curse's hatred fades, the curse itself will unravel."
"—!"
Both Yoshino and Yasuharu trembled as they struggled to contain their emotions.
It was clear how much this curse had weighed on their lives.
For Yoshino, her very future depended on it.
For Yasuharu—whose wife had already fallen victim to the curse—the thought of his daughter, and one day his granddaughter, meeting the same fate was unbearable.
If the curse could truly be broken, the salvation would reach far beyond their bloodline.
Kaiser watched quietly, then reached out and placed a comforting hand on Yoshino's shoulder.
She leaned into him without thinking, burying her face in his chest as if afraid to let anyone see her expression.
That simple gesture left everyone else speechless.
Yasuharu froze mid-thought, while Mitsuha blinked in surprise.
Only Murasame smiled softly, like someone seeing something beautiful at last—closing one eye as though basking in the light of it.
Kaiser gently patted Yoshino's back before addressing the others.
"Then our next step is clear. While we continue exorcising Tatari-gami, we'll recover the fragments that were overlooked."
His words broke the moment's tension.
"Actually," Mitsuha said cautiously, "we might not even need to fight them. The fragments are scattered throughout the mountains, and the Tatari-gami only manifest once enough Filth gathers around a fragment. Until then, the pieces don't move."
"In that case, we could find and retrieve them before a Tatari-gami is born."
"But the mountains are huge," Yasuharu said grimly. "Finding shards that small will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Kaiser's expression shifted slightly as he recalled the strange pulse he'd felt earlier.
"Maybe I can find them," he said after a pause. "When I saw the fragment just now, I felt… something. If I follow that feeling, I might be able to locate others."
It was the same as when Murasame-maru had called to him.
If the fragments called to him too, finding them wouldn't be impossible.
"Really, Master!?" Murasame asked quickly. "You can sense where the fragments are?"
Yoshino lifted her head, her eyes shining with hope.
Seeing her look at him like that, Kaiser couldn't bring himself to dampen it with hesitation.
"I think so," he said with a smile. "We'll find out soon enough."
He was already planning to take time off school to search the mountains.
"Then take this," Mitsuha said, handing him the shard. "It might help."
Kaiser nodded and accepted it.
The moment his fingers closed around the translucent fragment, he felt that faint, familiar resonance again.
To others it might be imperceptible—but he could sense it clearly.
"It seems my knack for attuning to all kinds of artifacts works here too."
He tightened his grip on the shard.
"Let's give it a try."
Chapter 532 – The Growing Vessel
That morning, Kaiser and Yoshino Tomotake skipped their usual training. After a quick breakfast, they headed straight into the mountains.
Joining them were Mako Hitachi—who had arrived at the Tomotake estate later and learned everything about the situation—and, of course, Murasame, who naturally followed along. In other words, everyone from their usual exorcism team was present.
"Honestly, I could've done this alone," Kaiser said helplessly, glancing back at the two girls following him up the trail.
He had already called Rentaro Kurama to help him request leave from school. His plan had been simple: go into the mountains with Murasame and search quietly. He hadn't expected Yoshino and Mako to both take leave just to come along.
"Sorry," Yoshino murmured, lowering her head. "But… I just couldn't sit still."
She had every reason to feel that way. This was about the Tomotake Family's curse—her own fate and future. There was no way she could act like nothing was happening while Kaiser went into the mountains alone.
"Well, it's understandable," Mako said, nodding sympathetically. "Even I can't stop worrying about it—let alone Yoshino-sama."
When she had arrived from the Hitachi Family and heard that the centuries-old curse might finally be broken, she had been overwhelmed.
For hundreds of years, both the Tomotake and Hitachi families had been bound by this curse.
Generations of Hitachi family members had served as the Miko-sama's guardians, fighting alongside each shrine maiden against the Tatari-gami. The curse had dragged both families through centuries of danger and sacrifice.
If the curse truly ended, then the Hitachi line could finally live in peace—and Mako herself would no longer have to risk her life fighting the Tatari-gami. That alone made this mission worth following through to the end.
"Still, going up the mountain in a big group might just slow us down," Kaiser pointed out. "Like Yasuharu-san said, the mountain's huge, and the fragments are tiny. Finding them won't be easy."
He could sense something strange from the fragments, but he wasn't certain that feeling alone would be enough to locate them. He didn't want to raise hopes only for everyone to be disappointed.
But Yoshino and Mako clearly didn't care.
"With more people, we can search faster, right?" Yoshino said softly. "Besides, we can't just let you handle everything while we wait at home."
That was one of her main reasons for coming.
Still, Kaiser gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you're up for this? You should probably rest at home."
After all, this beautiful miko-sama had… worn herself out last night.
"N-no, I'm fine!" Yoshino's face went bright red. Her voice dropped as she stammered, "It doesn't hurt anymore… I can move just fine now."
Before Kaiser could respond, Mako panicked. "Hurt? Yoshino-sama? Were you injured? Let me see!"
"N-no, it's nothing, Mako!" Yoshino waved her hands quickly, flustered and embarrassed. "Just a small injury. It's already healing. Really, I'm fine!"
"You can't be careless," Mako insisted seriously. "Even a small wound can get worse if it's not treated properly. Please, at least let me check—"
There's no way I can let you check that! Yoshino nearly shouted. Her entire face turned scarlet.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Mako," Murasame said, grinning from ear to ear. "It's a happy injury. Let her enjoy recovering at her own pace."
"Huh?" Mako blinked, confused. "A happy injury? What kind of injury is that?"
"You really don't need to understand!" Yoshino yelped, mortified. "I'm fine, okay? Just trust me!"
"Well… if you say so." Mako looked unconvinced but nodded anyway.
Meanwhile, Kaiser stared straight ahead, feigning total obliviousness. Best to pretend he hadn't heard a thing—because if he got involved in this conversation, he'd be the one suffering most.
After teasing Yoshino a bit longer, Murasame caught up to Kaiser. "So, Master," she asked curiously, "how exactly do you plan to find these fragments?"
Both Yoshino and Mako turned their attention to him too.
Kaiser didn't answer right away. He stopped walking, standing still among the trees.
"—"
He closed his eyes and held the translucent shard in his hand, focusing.
Since birth, Kaiser had possessed an uncanny gift—an innate ability to draw out the full potential of any tool he touched.
Even as a kid, give him a stick or a branch, and he could swing it like a weapon, terrorizing the neighborhood's chickens and dogs like some tiny tyrant.
That talent had shaped everything. He excelled in kendo, mastered culinary knife skills that left professional chefs speechless, and could craft, carve, or assemble anything with perfect precision.
Woodworking, model kits, puzzles—he completed even the most complex tasks effortlessly.
He could knock a bird out of a tree with a marble, nail targets with a water gun, and guess cards just by feeling their corners. Dice, poker, mahjong—it didn't matter. He never lost.
If he'd cared about gambling, arcade owners would've learned to fear his name.
He suspected that this same gift was what had drawn Murasame-maru to him—that resonance between his spirit and the blade's.
It was the reason he could touch Murasame at all, since she was the sword's spirit.
And when he had first seen a fragment of the vessel at the shrine, that faint pulse—like Murasame-maru's call—had been the same connection at work.
The fragments were calling to him.
Whether it was the vessel itself or the spirit of the sacrificed dog deity within, he didn't know. But it wanted help—it wanted to be whole again.
"I can help you," he whispered in his heart. "If you show me where to find you."
He channeled a thread of Divine Power into the shard.
A faint hum rang out. The fragment in his palm grew warm, pulsing with a soft glow.
Thump, thump—
His heartbeat quickened again. Kaiser opened his eyes sharply.
"That way."
The moment the feeling struck him, he turned and started walking.
"Kaiser!"
"Kaiser-sama!"
"Master!"
Yoshino, Mako, and Murasame called after him before hurrying to catch up.
They didn't have to go far. After a short walk, Kaiser stopped and crouched, digging into the dirt.
Before long, he unearthed another translucent shard—the vessel's fragment.
"We… we actually found one!" Yoshino gasped.
"That's amazing!" Mako cheered.
"As expected of Master!" Murasame beamed.
Kaiser brought the new shard close to the one he already held. The two pieces immediately drew together as if magnetized. A burst of blinding light flared, and when it faded, the fragments had fused into a single, larger piece.
He could feel it instantly.
"The connection's stronger now," he murmured. "The energy inside it's grown, too."
The resonance between him and the vessel intensified. His heartbeat pounded faster.
That could only mean one thing—
"This might actually work."
Kaiser's eyes lit up.
If the reaction strengthened with each fragment added, then his ability to sense them would also increase. The more pieces he gathered, the farther and faster he could find the rest.
His motivation surged.
"Come on," he said, turning toward the next direction. "Let's find the next one."
He could already feel it calling to him.
———
Following that sense, Kaiser spent the entire day tracking down fragments scattered throughout the mountains.
Some were buried in soil, others hidden in grass or wedged between trees. A few even rested at the bottom of clear streams.
Finding them wasn't easy. He had to dig, clear brush, chop branches, and even dive into freezing water to retrieve the shards. It was grueling work—but by nightfall, he had collected several more.
Each addition made the vessel grow larger, closer to whole.
"Looks like we've recovered about a fifth, maybe a bit more," Kaiser estimated as he examined the piece in his hand.
From its shape, he guessed that the complete vessel was once a smooth, palm-sized bead. The shards he'd gathered now formed the beginning of that rounded edge, like a cracked glass sphere with white mist swirling inside.
"At this pace, we should be able to finish in about a week," he told the girls. "If we keep searching even at night, maybe faster."
He was ready to keep going.
"We're coming too!" Yoshino and Mako said at once.
"No way," Kaiser replied instantly. "Just look at you two. You're exhausted."
Indeed, both girls' faces showed clear fatigue. After an entire day of climbing, digging, and walking, their strength was spent.
Even Kaiser felt a little drained—though his stamina was far greater than theirs. With some rest, he could push on through the night if needed.
But Murasame stepped in. "Master, I think you should rest as well. Otherwise, you might wear yourself out and lose focus tomorrow."
She wasn't wrong. The mountain at night was dangerous, and stumbling around in the dark searching for tiny shards would be far less efficient.
"So why rush?" Murasame suggested. "We can just keep looking in the daytime."
Kaiser thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. We'll continue tomorrow."
Chapter 533 – A Nightmare Unfolds
That night, after dinner and a long soak in the bath, everyone went to bed with excitement they couldn't quite suppress.
Even Mako Hitachi had decided to stay at the Tomotake estate for the time being instead of returning home. After all, the curse that had tormented their families for centuries was finally on the verge of being broken—no one could calm their hearts enough to sleep easily.
Kaiser, Yoshino Tomotake, and Mako had all taken a break from school, with Yasuharu Tomotake handling the paperwork and explanations. They were free to focus entirely on gathering the fragments of the vessel.
"We should be back at school by next week at this rate."
Kaiser muttered to himself as he sat in his room, staring at the large, half-formed shard on the desk beside Murasame-maru, resting in its stand.
He reached out and traced his fingers along the shard's surface. Power pulsed faintly beneath it, the white mist inside swirling denser than before.
"The more complete it gets, the stronger it becomes," he murmured. "If it fully restores, it might rival Murasame-maru itself... maybe I'll even gain something from it."
With that hopeful thought, Kaiser lay down, closed his eyes, and drifted quickly into sleep.
He didn't notice the moment the shard on his desk began to change.
A faint hum filled the room as the vessel fragment began to glow, its pale white light bleeding into a dark crimson.
"...Zhn..."
The shard pulsed faintly, and waves of strange energy rippled outward, spreading through the house and then across the entire Tomotake estate.
"Mm..."
In her room, Yoshino let out a small, pained sound in her sleep.
Moments later, she pushed off her blanket, opened her eyes, and stood up in silence.
"...Yoshino-sama?"
Mako stirred beside her. The two shared the same futon, and Mako, still half-asleep, sat up, rubbing her eyes.
But Yoshino didn't respond. Without a word, she turned and walked toward the door, her steps slow and unsteady.
Mako blinked in confusion, still not fully awake.
Yoshino walked straight out of the room.
Within minutes, she was standing before Kaiser's door. Without hesitation, she slid it open and stepped inside.
Kaiser's eyes snapped open instantly, instinctively alert.
"Yoshino?"
He sat up, surprised to see her standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
Was she too excited to sleep?
Or... maybe she'd gotten a taste for something else last night?
Honestly, it wasn't impossible.
A few days ago, he'd never have even considered such a thought—Yoshino Tomotake was the Miko-sama of Hozu, a shrine maiden, disciplined and pure-hearted. The very idea of her sneaking into his room at night would've been absurd.
But after what happened between them, Kaiser had learned that beneath her calm and gentle surface was a surprising depth of desire—a hunger for closeness and warmth that she'd never allowed herself to feel before.
So yes, maybe it was possible.
Or so he thought—until he saw her eyes.
They were empty. Unfocused. Hollow.
Something was wrong.
"Yoshino, what's going on?" He frowned, moving toward her.
But before he could reach her, Yoshino moved first. She brushed past him like he wasn't even there, heading straight for the desk.
Then, she picked up the vessel fragment.
"What the—?"
Kaiser's eyes widened. The shard was no longer white—it glowed a deep, sinister red, its light pulsing like a heartbeat. It radiated a strange, alluring pressure that made the air feel heavy.
"This isn't good…"
He tensed. Before he could stop her, Yoshino turned on her heel and began walking out of the room.
Kaiser's eyes narrowed. He threw on his jacket, grabbed Murasame-maru from the stand, and followed her.
"Kaiser-sama!"
Mako came running down the hall, panic in her eyes.
"Master!" Murasame appeared beside him in a flicker of light, clearly sensing the disturbance.
"Wh-what's happening, Kaiser-sama?!" Mako cried, glancing between Yoshino's vacant stare and the glowing shard in her hand.
"I don't know," Kaiser said grimly, keeping pace with Yoshino. "But she's moving unconsciously—looks like the shard's controlling her."
"It's the vessel," Murasame said sharply, her tone grave. "I felt it too. At first it was faint, but its aura has been growing stronger. It's spreading outward, like a signal."
"A signal?"
"Yes," she said. "The vessel is the core of the Curse. As its bearer, Yoshino's been affected by the aura—it's controlling her."
That was why Murasame had appeared; she had sensed the malignant energy expanding rapidly.
"Should we wake her up?" Mako asked anxiously, gripping her kunai tight.
"Not yet," Kaiser said firmly. "Let's see where it's leading her first. I want to know what the shard's after."
The three followed Yoshino from a short distance, tense and silent.
Before long, she passed through the gates of Mitake Shrine and stepped into the forested mountain path.
"She's heading for the mountain?" Murasame muttered.
"At this hour? That's too dangerous…" Mako's face tightened with worry.
Kaiser said nothing, his expression unreadable as he continued following her into the dark.
The others had no choice but to go with him.
———
The mountain at night was utterly silent. No rustling leaves, no chirping insects—just stillness. The sky was shrouded by thick clouds, swallowing even the faintest glimmer of moonlight.
It was pitch-black—so dark that even Mako, trained for night missions, could barely see. She gripped Kaiser's sleeve just to avoid losing him.
Kaiser's own vision blurred in the gloom until he summoned a flicker of Divine Power, golden light glinting in his eyes. His senses sharpened immediately, enough to see the path ahead.
Yoshino, however, continued to walk without hesitation. Her blank eyes glowed faintly red, her steps sure and steady as though guided by something unseen.
Eventually, she reached the heart of the mountain.
The shard in her hand blazed brighter—its crimson light flaring into the dark.
"The aura's growing stronger!" Murasame said urgently. "It's sending out a stronger signal—like it's calling to something!"
Kaiser felt it too. But his heartbeat didn't react this time. The shard wasn't calling him.
Then what was it calling?
He already knew the answer.
"Get ready," he said quietly. "We're about to have company."
"What?" Mako and Murasame both froze.
A faint rustling echoed from the trees.
The sound was all too familiar.
The underbrush parted.
And from the suffocating dark, something slithered forth—black, oozing, formless things, shaped like the rotting carcasses of beasts. Their hollow eyes locked onto Kaiser, and a suffocating killing intent filled the air.
"Tatari-gami!" Mako shouted.
"I see it now!" Murasame gasped. "The shard—it's calling the other fragments!"
"It wants to become whole again!"
"So it's using Yoshino to bring itself up here—to draw them in!"
The other fragments, drawn by the signal, had absorbed Filth and taken form as new Tatari-gami. Now they were converging on this location.
"Mako—protect Yoshino," Kaiser ordered sharply. "Murasame, with me."
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Mako drew her kunai, stepping protectively in front of Yoshino, while Murasame dissolved into light and merged into Murasame-maru.
Shhk!
Almost instantly, one of the Tatari-gami lunged straight for Yoshino, drawn by the red glow of the shard.
But Kaiser was already moving.
Clang!
The monster's charge slammed into his scabbard. Kaiser deflected the blow, grounding himself firmly.
The creature writhed, black tendrils whipping outward—but before they could strike, a flash of silver cut through the dark.
Slash!
Murasame-maru's edge sliced clean through the monster, splitting it in half.
The Tatari-gami's body quivered silently, then dissolved into smoke.
Kaiser stood still, blade in one hand, scabbard in the other, his golden eyes fixed on the dissipating Filth.
And this time, he saw it clearly—something small and crystalline dropped from within the creature's remains.
He caught it in his hand.
"Got it!"
Mako's eyes lit up with relief. "You did it!"
"Don't relax yet," Kaiser warned, voice low. "It's not over."
He was right.
The rustling around them hadn't stopped. It was getting louder—closer.
The sound of countless feet and claws trampling branches and leaves.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Mako's face went pale.
"This is bad!" Murasame cried in his mind.
Yoshino stood motionless, still holding the shard aloft, the red light pouring from it stronger than ever.
The shard's call hadn't stopped.
Which meant only one thing—
Darkness surged through the forest.
And then, they appeared.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of Tatari-gami burst from the trees, their identical eyeless faces and tar-like bodies writhing as they surrounded them. The forest floor quaked under their steps, the air thick with the stench of Filth.
It was a nightmare come to life.
"H-how many are there?!" Mako's hands trembled as she gripped her kunai.
"There's too many!" Murasame's voice rang in Kaiser's head.
Kaiser's expression hardened.
They'd faced one or two at a time before—but never an entire horde. The Tatari-gami surrounded them completely, closing in like wolves circling their prey.
"Swish—swish—swish—swish—!"
Countless tendrils lashed out, slicing through the air like scythes of death, aiming for Kaiser, Mako, and the entranced Yoshino.
"Kaiser-sama!" Mako cried out as Kaiser shoved her aside, knocking her into the grass.
He did the same to Yoshino, pushing her back into the trees.
Then he turned, blade flashing.
And as the storm of black tendrils descended, Kaiser charged straight into them without hesitation.
Chapter 534 – A Once-and-for-All Chance
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Countless tendrils burst from the darkness, slamming into the ground one after another. Each heavy impact sent plumes of dust into the air, rolling outward in a choking wave that swallowed the surrounding mountains and forest.
Rocks splintered, dust filled the air, and the countless black tendrils whipped through the haze, stirring up a storm that shattered the forest's deathly silence.
The swarm of Tatari-gami surged forward together, their writhing tentacles ravaging the land. The mountain path split open beneath their strikes, leaving crater after crater, until the ground was gouged and uneven, like the aftermath of a meteor shower.
Amid that chaos, Kaiser's eyes glowed faintly gold. Unfazed, he charged straight into the onslaught, dodging each whipping tendril with impossible precision.
His movements were like wind—fast, sharp, unpredictable. One moment he rolled to the side, the next he dove forward, then leapt into the air, twisting his body in ways that seemed almost acrobatic. Each motion was a near miss, a heartbeat away from death.
He had already unleashed the Divine Power within him. His reflexes, speed, and perception had all been pushed far beyond human limits—enough for him to move like a performer in a deadly aerial dance.
At one point, he kicked off a nearby tree trunk, propelling himself forward like a bullet, weaving between the storm of tendrils as he shot into the writhing black tide of Tatari-gami.
The next instant—blade light flashed.
"Shhk!"
The cold gleam of steel sliced through the darkness like moonlight, and one Tatari-gami was split clean in half.
"Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!"
Each swing of the blade was precise, merciless—every flash of light cut through another monster, silencing their voiceless screams.
Surrounded by an unending horde, Kaiser was like a beast unleashed among sheep. His expression was calm, his eyes glacial, and with every strike, another Tatari-gami fell. Within moments, more than ten had been cut down, throwing the rest into chaos.
"So... strong..."
From a patch of tall grass, Mako Hitachi pushed herself up, eyes wide in awe.
"Kaiser!"
At the same time, Yoshino Tomotake, who had been thrown into a nearby thicket, groaned awake. The sight before her made her eyes fly open in shock.
"Yoshino-sama!" Mako rushed to her side and helped her up. "Are you hurt?"
"W–Why am I here?" Yoshino's voice trembled, her face dazed. "And why are there so many Tatari-gami here?"
"That's because—!"
Before Mako could explain, the air split with a sharp hiss.
"Ah!" Yoshino cried out as Mako tackled her to the ground.
"Thwack!"
A black tendril lashed past the spot where Yoshino had just been standing, smashing into a tree and spraying splinters everywhere.
"I'll explain later! Yoshino-sama, we have to move!"
Mako grabbed her hand, pulling her along as more tendrils slammed down around them.
"B–But Kaiser is still in there...!"
Yoshino twisted in panic, watching Kaiser fight within the encircling horde.
"It's too dangerous!"
Mako tightened her grip and pushed Yoshino down again just as several shadowy figures dropped from above, crashing into the ground around them. The shapes squirmed, melted, then reformed into Tatari-gami, all lunging straight toward Yoshino.
Their hollow eyes didn't even glance at Mako. She wasn't their target.
"Damn it...!"
Mako leapt to her feet, clutching her Kunai, and stood protectively in front of Yoshino.
"No, Mako—don't!"
Realizing what was about to happen, Yoshino's face went pale.
"Get back!"
At that critical moment, Kaiser reappeared in a flash, his Murasame-maru glowing with fierce spiritual light. The blade became a divine weapon that could cut through anything.
He swung.
Steel fell like rain—slash after slash, each one faster than the last. Every Tatari-gami that leapt through the air was cut clean in half before it could reach Mako.
Kaiser's movements blurred, his killing intent erupting like a storm. In mere seconds, the enemies surrounding Mako were reduced to black mist.
"Kaiser-sama!" Mako gasped, eyes filled with relief and awe.
"Yoshino!" Kaiser shouted, still facing forward. "Give me the talisman fragment!"
The Tatari-gami were after that piece, not them.
"Talisman...?"
Yoshino blinked in confusion, then looked down. Only now did she realize she was clutching a glowing red shard in her hand.
The fragment pulsed with an eerie light, emanating waves of energy that drew every Tatari-gami toward it.
Judging by their behavior, Kaiser suspected that their desire for the talisman had already surpassed even their hatred for the Tomotake bloodline.
If Yoshino kept holding it, she'd never stop being their target.
"Here—take it!"
Still dazed, Yoshino threw the fragment toward him.
Kaiser caught it instantly and dashed sideways, successfully drawing the Tatari-gami's attention away.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Tendrils lashed out again, slicing through the air with shrill cracks.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Thanks to his enhanced reflexes and agility, Kaiser narrowly avoided each strike. The tendrils slammed into the ground behind him, throwing up dust and shockwaves.
"Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!"
The Tatari-gami that managed to get close were instantly cut apart, their bodies dissolving into clouds of black vapor.
But no matter how many he destroyed, there seemed to be no end to them.
No—it wasn't just that it seemed endless. They really weren't decreasing.
Because even after being slain by Murasame-maru, the Tatari-gami were reforming again.
"How... how is that possible?!"
From within the blade, Murasame's voice rang in disbelief.
"They're supposed to be exorcised—purified! Why aren't they disappearing?!"
Murasame-maru was a divine blade made to cut down that which should not exist. Any spirit struck by it should have been purified instantly.
But these Tatari-gami ignored its divine power, reviving moments after being slain.
Then Murasame realized something.
"No... they are being purified. The Filth is being cleansed—but the moment it's gone, that talisman fragment absorbs the residual impurity in the land and recreates new Tatari-gami!"
That was the answer.
As long as the fragment existed as a core, it could continually absorb the Filth from the land and regenerate new bodies, endlessly producing more Tatari-gami.
"The fragment in your hand is sending out a signal, attracting the others! Their will to reunite has awakened—they're drawing in the accumulated Filth from Hoori's land and attacking!"
Which meant that every fragment scattered across the mountain had now turned into Tatari-gami—and they were all gathering here.
"All of them?" Kaiser muttered as he cut down another monster and leapt back to gain distance. His eyes glinted. "That might actually be a good thing."
If he could destroy them all and recover every fragment, the talisman would be whole again.
It was a crisis—and an opportunity.
A once-and-for-all chance.
If, that is, he could survive it.
"No! That's reckless, Master!" Murasame shouted in his mind. "There are too many of them! Even you can't handle this—they'll just keep coming back!"
Her divine power was limited, and so was his. Once his Divine Power ran out, he'd collapse from the strain.
"Unless all of Hoori's Filth is purified, they'll never stop!"
But the Filth in this land was vast, accumulated over generations despite the Tomotake Family's constant purification.
There was no way it could all be absorbed.
"As long as there's Filth, the fragments will keep creating new Tatari-gami until they wear you down!"
"Retreat, Master! We can't win this!"
Kaiser didn't even consider it.
"I don't believe the fragments can absorb Filth without limit. If they could, why hasn't the one I've been holding turned into a Tatari-gami?"
Even as he spoke, he fought—dodging, slashing, cutting down another ten monsters while staying perfectly calm.
"Not just this red-glowing fragment. The one I collected earlier hasn't changed either."
He drew out another piece from his pouch and tossed it toward the one glowing in his other hand. They fused immediately.
The combined fragment remained inert, its surface calm.
"I was right. As long as the fragment stays near someone with Divine Power—or within Murasame-maru—the Filth can't touch it."
That meant there was only one path forward.
"Exorcise the Tatari-gami and recover the fragments at the same time. That's the only way out!"
With that, Kaiser kicked off the ground again, no longer retreating.
"Shhk!"
The Tatari-gami at the front barely had time to react before he was sliced clean through. The purifying light of the divine blade erased its body, revealing the fragment hidden within.
Kaiser caught it, merging it with the others.
Sure enough, the new fragment didn't absorb any Filth.
"Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!"
He charged again, unstoppable—cutting down monsters, reclaiming fragments, one after another. The talisman in his hand grew brighter, more complete, while the number of enemies finally began to thin.
"Now all that's left... is to hold out."
Just as that thought crossed his mind—something changed.
The Tatari-gami suddenly stopped moving.
"...?"
Then came the sound—wet, nauseating.
"Gululu..."
Their bodies collapsed, melting into sludge. Black mud spread across the ground, merging and swelling into a single massive pool.
The mud churned, bubbled, twisted—and began to take shape.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Murasame's voice trembled inside his head.
"What... is that?!"
Yoshino and Mako, who had caught up behind him, froze in horror.
Even Kaiser's expression darkened.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
A deafening howl tore through the forest—deep, monstrous, and full of malice.
The mountains trembled.
Chapter 535 – The Inugami
"ROOOOAR!!!"
The sound ripped through the air like a hurricane, shaking the forest to its core.
The roar came from a massive black beast. Its body was powerfully built, with thick limbs and fangs like knives. Black miasma poured off it in waves, giving it a menacing, almost demonic presence. A long tail lashed behind it, and its hollow eyes glowed with murderous intent. Just one look from those eyes was enough to paralyze anyone—it felt like being caught in a serpent's stare, body frozen in place.
It looked like both a wolf and a dog, yet neither term did it justice. No wolf or hound could ever grow this large. It was more like a lion or tiger wearing the shape of a wolf, radiating a terrifying sense of dominance.
Kaiser stared grimly at the black beast roaring amid the swirling dust. Not far away, Yoshino Tomotake and Mako Hitachi stood frozen in shock, eyes wide.
"W-What... is that thing?!" Yoshino gasped.
"Did... the Tatari-gami merge together?" Mako murmured in disbelief.
The countless Tatari-gami from before had melted into black sludge, fusing together until they formed this monstrous creature.
"C-Can it be... the Inugami? The beast god the Tomotake Family's eldest son once sacrificed as an offering? Has the Inugami's spirit—now filled with hatred—awakened inside the talisman?"
Murasame's voice echoed in Kaiser's mind, trembling with panic.
"That's the Inugami?" Kaiser's grip on Murasame-maru tightened. The blade in his hands was trembling—not out of fear, but because of a strange resonance between them.
Murasame-maru was a divine blade gifted by the gods of Hoori. The Inugami had once been a beast god of the same mountain. Perhaps the two deities had once crossed paths—or even shared a connection long forgotten.
Now that the Inugami's spirit had appeared, Murasame's divine essence stirred violently, as though recognizing an ancient kinship turned hostile.
But the real Inugami was long dead. What stood before them now was merely its wrathful spirit, trapped within the talisman fragment and twisted by centuries of hatred.
"GRRAAAH!!!"
The Inugami's wail tore through the forest, thick with fury. Its glowing eyes locked onto Kaiser—or rather, onto the Murasame-maru and the talisman fragments in his hands.
A chill shot through him. Danger.
He moved on instinct.
"Boom!!!"
A massive shadow crashed down where he had just been standing, pulverizing the earth and throwing up a storm of dust.
The Inugami was already there, faster than lightning. When its claws missed, it snapped its tail like a whip.
"Thud!"
The blow caught Kaiser across the chest and sent him flying. He crashed hard into a tree, splintering the trunk.
"Kaiser!"
"Kaiser-sama!"
Yoshino and Mako screamed together.
"Master! Are you all right?!" Murasame's voice was shrill with alarm.
Kaiser slid down the broken trunk, dropping to one knee as he coughed, clutching his ribs. His chest burned with pain—without his Divine Power's protection, he would've been coughing up blood.
"So fast..." he muttered.
The Inugami's glowing eyes gleamed through the haze. Its strength was on an entirely different level from the Tatari-gami. No comparison.
If a Tatari-gami's power barely surpassed that of a wild boar, then the Inugami was a beast that eclipsed tigers and wolves—a creature that had already stepped beyond the natural order.
Part of it was the darkness—the Inugami's black form blended into the shadows, making its movements nearly invisible. But even accounting for that, its speed was absurd.
"If I don't take this seriously, I really might die."
The thought barely formed before the Inugami roared again and lunged.
"Boom!"
Its massive forelimbs slammed down, smashing through trees as if they were twigs. Splinters flew through the air.
Kaiser dodged and spun back, narrowly avoiding another whip-crack of its tail.
"Boom!"
The tail struck the ground like a thunderbolt, throwing dirt and debris skyward.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Each strike landed with explosive force, shattering trees, tearing up earth, and leaving the battlefield in ruins.
Kaiser darted through the storm of destruction, weaving between attacks with hairbreadth precision, though the effort left him breathless and ragged.
"Mako! Go help Kaiser!" Yoshino cried, her voice shaking.
"Got it, Yoshino-sama!"
Yoshino was frantic, watching Kaiser narrowly escape blow after blow. She couldn't fight—she'd been pulled here while still asleep, wearing nothing but loose pajamas. Her sacred Hoko-suzu bell was back at home.
Mako, at least, had her Kunai on her, and her snug sleepwear didn't restrict her movement. As a ninja, she was always ready to fight—she'd even managed to pull a Kunai from nowhere when Kaiser accidentally walked in on her bath, after all.
This time, she was their only hope.
"Haah!"
Mako sprinted forward in a low stance, arms back—classic ninja form—as she rushed toward the Inugami.
"GRRRAH!"
The beast sensed her immediately. Its reflexes were far sharper than the Tatari-gami's. It turned, eyes blazing, and let out a roar so fierce that Mako froze for half a second.
But she gritted her teeth and kept going.
The Inugami's tail whipped out toward her like a black blur.
The sound cracked through the air—faster than thought.
"Thud!"
Mako's body was flung away, just like Kaiser before her—except what hit the ground wasn't her. It was a log.
A Substitution Technique.
"Got you!"
Mako's real body appeared right in front of the Inugami, Kunai flashing. She drove it straight into the beast's glowing eye.
"GRRRAH!!"
The Inugami roared, not in pain—but in rage. Its fury surged. With a violent toss of its head, it sent Mako flying backward.
"Clang!"
Just as it reared to attack again, a cold flash of steel streaked through the darkness.
Kaiser was already there, his entire body wrapped in divine light, eyes sharp and unyielding. He brought down his blade with everything he had.
"Shhk!"
The Inugami's tail—its deadly whip—was severed cleanly, dissolving into black smoke.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
Unlike the emotionless Tatari-gami, the Inugami could feel pain—and rage. It howled furiously and swung its massive forelimb down at Kaiser.
The strike could've split boulders. Kaiser dodged by the thinnest margin, the wind pressure alone stinging his face and sending his hair flying.
His expression hardened.
"Whum!"
A surge of Divine Power erupted from his body, stronger and brighter than before, as though something inside him had broken past its limit.
"Clang!"
Murasame-maru shone like moonlight, its edge gleaming with holy radiance. The blade cut through the air, through the darkness, through time itself—faster than thought.
"Shhk!"
The divine blade pierced the Inugami's abdomen, slicing upward from belly to back.
The beast froze.
For a long moment, time itself seemed to stop.
Kaiser stood before it, sword still raised, posture steady and unshaken.
The Inugami didn't move. It remained still for several seconds—then its massive body began to blur, scattering into black dust that drifted away on the wind.
"Clatter."
A large crystalline shard fell from where it had stood, landing with a dull thud on the ground.
Chapter 536 – The Final Fragment
The pitch-black forest had fallen completely silent.
"Master."
Murasame emerged from the air beside Kaiser, her form no longer merged with the blade.
Kaiser immediately bent down and picked up the fragment lying on the ground.
It was far larger than the shard he already held—several times its size.
After countless Tatari-gami had fused into the Inugami, the fragments embedded in their bodies had merged together, forming this single, massive piece.
"Kaiser-sama."
Mako Hitachi approached, eyes gleaming with excitement as she looked at the fragment in his hand.
"You—are you all okay?!"
Yoshino Tomotake finally managed to run over, her beautiful face still pale with worry. Even now, her voice trembled with lingering fear.
"Everyone all right?"
Kaiser checked that the relic was no longer absorbing filth or regenerating before turning to the others.
It was a miracle—no one was hurt. But even so, none of them looked well.
Yoshino's face was still white as a sheet, her expression dazed and shaken.
Mako seemed steadier, but there was still a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Murasame, though… she was barely floating upright, her exhaustion plain to see.
She had been residing in the Murasame-maru from the start, fighting alongside Kaiser through countless battles against Tatari-gami. Even after that, she'd helped him destroy the Inugami's lingering spirit. The amount of Divine Power she had burned through was immeasurable—her strength now was almost completely spent.
As for Kaiser, he was probably in the worst shape of all.
Not only had he used up nearly all his Divine Power, but unlike Murasame, his body was mortal. Channeling that much energy had taken a brutal toll—every muscle in his body screamed in pain, and his head throbbed sharply, his vision swimming.
Divine Power directly affected the soul. That was why Murasame had always warned him to be careful, not to push too far or risk destabilizing his spirit.
Now, Kaiser could feel that warning come true. His spirit—at the very least, his mind—was shaken to its core. If he so much as closed his eyes, he knew he'd collapse immediately.
He was only standing by sheer willpower. If the others weren't in such bad shape, they would have noticed right away.
"As long as everyone's okay, that's all that matters."
Kaiser forced a faint smile, trying to ease the tension. "Looks like we made it through in one piece. We not only survived but managed to recover the relic, too."
He lifted both hands, showing them the shard, successfully drawing everyone's attention away from himself.
"That's a big one," Mako said, her tone brightening.
"It's way bigger than the fragments we gathered earlier today," Yoshino added, some color finally returning to her cheeks.
"This must be the last of them, right?" Murasame asked, momentarily forgetting her exhaustion as she floated closer for a better look.
"We'll find out soon enough."
Kaiser pressed the two shards together.
A clear, resonant clang rang out—
And then a dazzling light burst from his hands, forcing everyone to shut their eyes.
When they opened them again, what they saw was no longer two shards, but a single, crystalline orb—about the size of Kaiser's palm. Wisps of white mist swirled inside it, giving it a serene, almost ethereal beauty.
This was the relic's true form.
But—
"""Wait, it's still missing a piece?!"""
Yoshino, Mako, and Murasame all shouted at once.
They were right. One corner of the orb was clearly incomplete, a jagged gap showing that it still lacked one final fragment.
"It's still not whole?" Kaiser frowned, then endured the pounding in his head and focused his mind, sending his consciousness into the relic.
A soft hum resonated—just like before, the relic began emitting a wave of energy, spreading outward through the forest.
Kaiser followed the signal, searching for the missing piece.
Compared to before, the almost-complete relic was far stronger now. Its range of perception had expanded drastically—within seconds, the pulse had covered the entire mountain, allowing Kaiser to sense every inch of it.
But no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't feel the last fragment anywhere on the mountain.
"So it's not up here?" he murmured.
It wasn't impossible.
The original relic had shattered into countless pieces scattered across the mountainside. Over time, as filth built up in Hoori, those fragments could have turned into Tatari-gami and moved during the night. But in the daytime, unless something unusual happened, they stayed where they were.
The mountain was deserted at night—but not during the day.
Technically, the mountain belonged to the Tomotake Family, but they hadn't forbidden people from entering. Kaiser himself had often come here as a child, playing with the Kurama siblings and Roka Maníwa, sometimes even venturing deep into the forest alone to fight wild boars.
So, it was entirely possible that someone had found one of the fragments by accident—or that it had simply ended up somewhere else.
"This could be troublesome."
Kaiser's frown deepened. Still, he didn't give up.
He poured more energy into the relic, expanding its sensing range even further—until the entire Hoori Town was enveloped in its glow.
And then—he felt it.
In one small corner of Hoori, there was another fragment.
"Found it!"
Kaiser's eyes snapped open. "Follow me!"
Without another word, he started down the mountain, the three girls hurrying after him.
The final fragment awaited them below.
——
It was already late—well past midnight.
The clouds had cleared, and the bright full moon shone high in the sky, casting a serene light over the quiet streets of Hoori.
"This way," Kaiser said, leading Murasame, Yoshino, and Mako through the empty town toward the location the relic had shown him.
Before long, they arrived in front of a building—and froze.
Especially Kaiser. His face showed far deeper surprise than the others'.
"…Isn't this Shinato-sou?" Mako murmured.
"It is," Yoshino confirmed softly.
"The Kurama Family's Shinato-sou," Murasame added, blinking.
All three girls turned toward Kaiser.
Shinato-sou—the inn founded by Genjuro Kurama. For Kaiser, the Kurama Family's grandson, it was a place he knew all too well.
"The last fragment… is here?" Kaiser muttered, still stunned.
After a moment, he exhaled and gave a small, relieved smile. "Actually, that makes things easier."
If it had been someone else's home, barging in this late would've been awkward. But since it was Shinato-sou, there'd be no problem.
He stepped inside, spoke briefly with the inn's manager, and quickly obtained permission to look around.
Then, with the three girls in tow, Kaiser followed the relic's guidance deeper into the inn—until they stopped outside one of the employee rooms.
And the person who stepped out made them all blink in surprise.
"Ugh…"
Lena staggered out of the room, looking pale and a little unsteady.
"Kaiser? What are you guys doing here?" she asked, forcing a tired smile.
"Lena?" Yoshino's eyes widened. "This is your room?"
"It is," Lena replied weakly. "The manager said I could use it while I'm in Hoori."
Then, noticing Murasame floating nearby, she tilted her head. "And who's this little one? She's adorable."
Everyone froze.
"…Are you talking to me?" Murasame pointed to herself, looking incredulous.
"Of course," Lena said, still smiling faintly. "You're the only one here I don't know. What's your name?"
"I—I'm Murasame," she replied uncertainly. "Wait… you can see me?"
"That's a weird question," Lena said, confused. "Why wouldn't I? What, are you a ghost or something?"
"I am most certainly not a ghost!" Murasame snapped, her expression flipping instantly.
Well… you're not wrong to ask that, Kaiser thought wryly.
But the truth was now clear.
The final fragment was with Lena.
Otherwise, she never would have been able to see Murasame. The shard's lingering energy must have attuned her to things normal people couldn't perceive.
With that certainty, Kaiser spoke quietly.
"Lena… we need to talk."
Chapter 537 – All Things End Here
At Lena's invitation, everyone entered her room and sat down on the tatami floor.
Shinato-sou was a purely traditional Japanese-style inn. Every room—guest or staff alike—was floored with tatami mats. Lena had mentioned before that she'd always been curious about this kind of room, and after moving in, she seemed very pleased with it. When Kaiser and the others stepped inside, they noticed a futon tossed messily in the corner—it looked like she'd only just crawled out of bed.
"Ugh…"
Even after greeting them, Lena still didn't look well. Her face was pale, and she occasionally pressed a hand to her temple, grimacing.
"What's wrong?" Yoshino Tomotake asked with concern.
"Are you feeling sick?" Mako Hitachi followed up.
"Yeah…" Lena nodded weakly. "I'm not sure why, but I've had this splitting headache and this ringing in my ears for a while now. It's really unpleasant."
Hearing that, Murasame glanced at Kaiser meaningfully.
"Could it be the relic affecting her?" she said.
Both Yoshino and Mako turned toward Kaiser at that.
"Most likely." Kaiser studied Lena for a moment, then said, "There's a trace of the relic's aura on her. That's what lets her see you, Murasame—and just like Yoshino and the Tatari-gami, she's been exposed to the relic's signal waves. That's probably what's causing her symptoms."
Under the relic's influence, Yoshino had once become a puppet under its control. The Tatari-gami themselves had been born from its shards, drawn to those same waves. Lena's disrupted aura suggested that she too had been affected by those signals.
"Aura? Relic? Signal waves?" Lena blinked. "What are those? Some kind of new Japanese words?"
Kaiser didn't answer her confusion. Instead, he took out the relic from his pouch.
"Lena," he asked gently, "do you happen to have something like this? A small, clear stone fragment?"
He held it up for her to see.
"This is…" Lena stared at it for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered something. She reached into the pouch she wore around her neck—the kind used to hold charms.
"Guh…"
That tiny motion made Yoshino, Mako, and Murasame all let out awkward little noises as they averted their eyes.
Lena didn't notice. She opened the pouch and poured out a translucent fragment into her palm.
"Is it this one?" she asked.
The moment she revealed it, everyone brightened in unison.
"That's it!"
"The relic fragment…"
"The final piece—of course it was here."
Yoshino, Mako, and Murasame all spoke at once, unable to hide their excitement.
"How did you get this, Lena?" Kaiser asked, relief in his voice.
"My grandfather gave it to me," Lena explained honestly. "He said he got it from an old man named Takahashi. I told you before, right? My ancestors once lived here in Hoori. He brought this back from here, and it's been passed down in my family ever since."
"I've always carried it with me as a charm. I didn't know it was something this important."
From her story, the fragment must have been taken from Hoori generations ago, passed down as a family heirloom, and now—after so many years—it had returned to its origin with Lena. It felt like fate itself.
"Yoshino." Kaiser glanced at her, silently asking if they should tell Lena the truth about the curse.
After a moment's hesitation, Yoshino nodded. She had decided—it was time to be honest.
There was no helping it. This was Lena's family heirloom, something entrusted to her by her grandfather. It held meaning for her. If they wanted to take it, she deserved to know why.
So Yoshino began explaining everything: her family's curse, the relic's history, and why it mattered so much.
"…You're not joking, right?" Lena asked blankly when the story ended, disbelief written all over her face.
"We're not," Murasame said immediately—and to prove it, she floated up into the air right in front of Lena.
Lena's eyes went wide. She covered her mouth, gasping. "W–wait, Murasame-chan, you really are a ghost?!"
"I am not a ghost!" Murasame shouted, instantly offended.
"I know it's hard to believe," Mako said softly, "but it's all true. You've heard the legends about Hoori, right? How the gods granted the Divine Blade to this land—but no one could draw it from the rock?"
She smiled faintly. "That was true… until Kaiser-sama pulled it free."
"The Divine Blade…" Lena murmured. "You mean…"
"This one," Kaiser said, laying the Murasame-maru in front of her. "It has a spirit within. If you don't believe us, I can have it greet you."
Even Murasame herself had never met the true spirit within the Divine Blade—but if Kaiser asked, it would surely respond.
"And this," he continued, placing the incomplete relic beside it, "is what your fragment belongs to. Once they're reunited, the relic will become whole again. If you're willing, we can try it right now."
Faced with two tangible miracles before her, Lena fell silent for a long moment. Then she smiled faintly.
"…No need," she said at last. "It sounds unbelievable, but if it's you guys, I'll believe it."
Lena trusted her friends. They had no reason to lie—especially not over something as trivial as her charm.
Still…
"To lift this curse, you really need this, right?" she asked quietly, fingers closing around the fragment. Her eyes showed hesitation.
It wasn't valuable, but it was precious—her grandfather's keepsake, passed through generations. Letting go of it wasn't easy.
"I'm sorry," Yoshino said sincerely, bowing her head. "We know it's rude to ask, but this means everything to us. I promise we'll find a way to repay you somehow."
"Please, Lena-san." Mako bowed too, her voice gentle.
Kaiser and Murasame said nothing, but their steady gaze said all that needed saying.
"…Please, raise your heads," Lena said after a long silence. A small, bittersweet smile curved her lips. "You're right. It's important to me—but I can't ignore what's at stake."
Her tone softened. "If this can help my friends, and help this land… maybe that's why I was meant to bring it back here."
"So no need to talk about repayment, okay?"
Her gentle words filled the room with warmth.
"Thank you so much, Lena-san." Yoshino and Mako's voices trembled with gratitude.
"No need to thank me." Lena's usual bright smile returned—though it quickly faltered as another pang of pain crossed her face.
"Let's not waste time," Kaiser said quickly. "Once the relic is whole, it'll stop emitting those waves. The headaches and ringing will disappear."
He took the relic in one hand and carefully accepted the fragment from Lena with the other.
A sharp chime rang out—
Zheng!
Blinding light filled the room again, even brighter and longer-lasting than before.
Though Kaiser had his eyes closed, he could feel it—the relic growing warm in his hands, radiating emotions that weren't his own: joy, relief, peace.
When the glow finally faded and everyone blinked their eyes open, the last fragment was gone, seamlessly absorbed.
The crystal sphere shimmered softly, the swirling mist inside calm and complete. The jagged gap was gone.
The relic was whole again.
"We did it!" Yoshino, Mako, and Murasame cheered with joy.
"It really merged…" Lena whispered, eyes wide with awe.
Kaiser turned the orb in his hands, studying it curiously before looking back at Lena. "How do you feel? Any better?"
Lena blinked—then smiled in surprise. "Huh? The headache and ringing… they're gone!"
Her complexion had already improved, her cheerful energy fully returned.
"Finally…" Yoshino murmured, eyes glistening as she gazed at the relic. Her emotions were too tangled to name.
"So the curse can be broken now, right?" Mako asked brightly.
"Not yet," Murasame said, shaking her head. "The relic is whole, but the spirit of the Inugami within it still hasn't found peace. It must be enshrined at the shrine, with daily prayers and offerings. Only when the spirit rests will the curse's resentment fade."
"It'll take time—but it's possible now."
Her words filled everyone's hearts with hope. For the first time, the curse's end felt real.
They could see the finish line.
"Let's go," Kaiser said firmly. "We'll bring it to Head Priest Yasuharu."
If anyone could perform the proper rites, it was him.
Yoshino smiled faintly. "He'll be so relieved."
After all, the curse that had haunted the Tomotake Family for centuries—the same one that had taken Yasuharu's wife—would finally be undone by his own hands.
"Heading back already?" Lena asked softly, reading the mood. "Then I'll see you off. Good luck."
Everyone thanked her profusely, to which Lena only responded with a bright, carefree grin.
Before long, the group left Shinato-sou and made their way toward Mitake Shrine.
——
Mitake Shrine, inner sanctum.
Under the solemn prayers of Yasuharu Tomotake and the watchful eyes of the others, the relic was placed with reverence atop a small pedestal before the great sacred rock. It shimmered with a gentle, divine glow.
"With this, the ritual offering is complete," said Yasuharu, dressed in his Head Priest robes, a look of deep relief softening his face. "From now on, I'll continue the daily prayers. With Yoshino's sacred dance as an offering, I'm sure the Inugami's spirit will soon find peace and the curse will fade."
His expression mirrored Yoshino's earlier when she'd first seen the restored relic—joy, sorrow, relief, and bittersweet emotion all at once.
"Once the Inugami rests," Murasame's voice echoed softly, "no more Tatari-gami will appear in Hoori. The curse will be gone completely—and the relic's power will transform into a protective force, blessing this land."
"At that point, no more filth will accumulate here ever again."
Hearing that, everyone fell silent, a shared realization washing over them.
The feud between the Tomotake brothers centuries ago—the origin of the curse—had finally, truly come to an end.
The Tomotake Family's long struggle, the Hitachi Family's generations of guardianship… all of it had reached its conclusion.
Everything would end here.
No one would ever again suffer from that ancient conflict.
One by one, they turned toward the glowing relic resting upon the shrine's altar, unable to speak for a long, long time.
Kaiser, too, stared at it quietly, lost in thought—
And said nothing.
Chapter 538 – Never Apart Again
The night wind faded, and the air slowly began to warm. Even the full moon hanging high in the sky was dipping lower, signaling the approach of dawn.
The restless night had finally passed, leaving only calm and silence in its wake.
After completing the offering and prayers, everyone began leaving the shrine one after another. They'd already agreed—once they'd all had some sleep, they would hold a grand celebration, inviting everyone involved to rejoice together.
But that would wait until after some well-earned rest.
For now, after an entire night of tension and exhaustion, all they wanted was to collapse into bed. Even Murasame, who usually didn't need sleep, had dismissed her manifestation and gone to rest—she'd spent too much of her strength tonight and was clearly worn out.
Kaiser, too, was completely spent.
His stamina and energy had mostly recovered, but the strain of unleashing his Divine Power still lingered. His body throbbed with pain, and his head felt heavy, every step a reminder of how much he'd pushed himself. The fact that he was still standing was almost a miracle.
Yet he didn't go straight home. Instead, he lingered behind, walking slowly out of the shrine.
By the time he stepped outside, the others were already gone. Only one figure remained, waiting quietly under the faint moonlight.
"Kaiser…"
Yoshino Tomotake looked toward him and called softly.
She was dressed once more in her miko robes and chihaya, having changed out of her sleepwear before the ritual. The serene air about her made her look as divine and dignified as ever.
"Why aren't you resting?" Kaiser asked with a small smile as he approached.
"You're one to talk," Yoshino replied, smiling faintly in return. "I thought maybe you were like me—still trying to process all this."
She was right. It didn't feel real.
"Can the curse really be lifted?" she murmured, glancing back at the shrine. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "It all feels so sudden."
It was hard not to feel that way.
Just yesterday, the two of them had been sleeping soundly under the same blanket, waiting for Yasuharu Tomotake and Mitsuha Komagawa to analyze the captured Tatari-gami.
Yet in just a single day, they'd not only discovered the source of the curse but gathered every piece of the relic and performed the ritual to lift it.
Granted, that day had been anything but easy—they'd searched the mountains for fragments and fought countless Tatari-gami, even facing the vengeful spirit of the Inugami. Still, Kaiser had done most of the fighting while Yoshino and the others supported him.
For Yoshino, it had been chaos from start to finish. She'd fallen asleep expecting a normal night and woken up on a mountain surrounded by Tatari-gami. Even now, thinking back on it made her uneasy.
And now, somehow, the curse was nearly gone.
To her, it all felt like a dream.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Kaiser said with a gentle laugh. "The curse that haunted the Tomotake Family for centuries is about to be broken. Isn't that something to celebrate?"
"I… haven't even had time to feel happy yet." Yoshino gave a small, bittersweet smile. "It all happened so fast that it almost makes our ancestors' centuries of struggle feel like some kind of cruel joke."
Kaiser watched her quietly, then stepped closer and took her hand.
"Ah…"
She tensed, her cheeks turning pink at the sudden touch.
"Sometimes," Kaiser said softly, "things move fast when fate finally decides it's time. Like Lena said… maybe this was all meant to happen."
He looked straight into her eyes.
"I was meant to draw Murasame-maru."
"She was meant to bring back the final fragment."
"And you were meant to meet me."
"If any one of those things hadn't happened, we wouldn't be standing here now. Maybe it was destiny that your family's curse would end tonight."
"Maybe your ancestors have been watching over you all along, guiding everything to this moment."
He smiled faintly. "If you think of it that way… maybe it won't feel so sudden anymore."
Yoshino stared at him in silence for a long while. Then, finally, she smiled.
"Maybe you're right."
It still felt unreal—but if she looked at it through Kaiser's eyes, maybe it wasn't so hard to accept.
"I didn't think you were the kind of person to say things like that," Yoshino said, amusement flickering in her gaze.
Kaiser chuckled. "When gods, curses, and spirits are all real, who's to say fate isn't? The moment I drew Murasame-maru, the world I thought I knew stopped making sense. Reality gave way to mystery."
"And to be honest," he continued, "I still don't fully understand that side of the world. So rather than deny what I don't know, I'd rather believe anything might be possible."
That was Kaiser's philosophy now.
He'd only scratched the surface of this world's mysteries, but he was already fascinated by what lay beyond.
"If there are gods here in Hoori," he mused, "maybe there are others elsewhere. Maybe even back where I came from."
"I kind of want to find out."
As he spoke, Yoshino's smile slowly faded. Her fingers tightened around his hand.
"What's wrong?" Kaiser asked, sensing the shift in her mood.
She hesitated for a while before finally speaking.
"Then… do you want to go back?"
Back—meaning his home, his old life.
Kaiser immediately understood what she was feeling.
"The curse is broken," Yoshino said softly. "There won't be any more Tatari-gami, and the filth will fade away completely. There's no reason for you to stay here anymore… right?"
She wasn't wrong.
Kaiser had been drawn into all this because he pulled out Murasame-maru and became connected to Hoori's hidden world. People had hoped he could help the Tomotake Family, that he could purify the Tatari-gami.
But now, his job was done. Hoori was safe.
He could go home.
That realization was exactly what made Yoshino's voice tremble.
Kaiser smiled. "Do you want me to go back?"
Yoshino froze.
"You have no family here," she said quietly. "This isn't like the city. Life here isn't easy, and it's not your home…"
Her words sounded logical—but her tone was anything but. She couldn't bring herself to say she wanted him to leave.
"Just answer honestly," Kaiser said. "If you tell me to go, I'll go."
Her grip on his hand tightened again.
"I—I don't want you to go!"
By the time she realized what she'd said, it was too late. Her face went scarlet, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"If you left now… I'd be lonely."
That was Yoshino for you. Demure and proper on the surface, yet unexpectedly bold when it mattered.
Kaiser couldn't help himself—he wrapped his arms around her.
"You're right," he said, smiling down at the miko in his embrace. "I could never just walk away after taking a girl's heart. I'm not that heartless."
Yoshino blinked up at him, flustered but clearly thrilled. "Then… you're not going back?"
Her voice carried a fragile hope.
"Not unless I can drag you back with me," Kaiser teased. "Besides, I'm not exactly eager to return to a school full of bookworms."
Yoshino laughed softly despite herself. "Then you'd better convince my father first. He doesn't know about us yet."
"Are you sure about that?" Kaiser asked with a grin. "I think he already suspects something."
He wasn't wrong. They hadn't gone out of their way to hide anything—calling each other by name, walking side by side, even that time he'd put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
With Murasame as their not-so-secret witness, it was hard to imagine anyone hadn't noticed.
Yasuharu and Mako had probably already put two and two together—they were just waiting for confirmation.
Now that everything else had settled, it was only a matter of time before they were both cornered and questioned.
And once their relationship was made official, the old engagement would have to be fulfilled.
Hoori would no doubt burst into celebration again—this time for the miko's engagement.
The thought made Kaiser sigh inwardly. Yoshino, on the other hand, chuckled.
"You'd better take responsibility, Kaiser-san," she said playfully, echoing her old tone from when they first met.
Kaiser raised an eyebrow and tightened his hold. "Then I'll be expecting payment in advance, Yoshino-san."
Before she could react, he swept her off her feet in a princess carry.
Yoshino gasped softly, arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. Her face was crimson, but her eyes shimmered with both embarrassment and a quiet, burning anticipation.
Yes—this miko definitely had a streak of desire beneath that pure exterior.
And Kaiser had no intention of disappointing her.
"Let's go," he said, grinning as he carried her toward home.
Yoshino's laughter soon joined his, soft and melodic, filling the early morning air.
As the first light of dawn spilled across Hoori, their silhouettes stretched long across the shrine grounds;
Two shadows intertwined, inseparable.
Never apart again.
===========================(End of Story)===================================
Nia's Note:
So, the story has finally come to an end! I know some of you might not be completely satisfied with it, and honestly, even the author wasn't. In the end, readers suggested wrapping it up since the earlier story worlds weren't getting much attention anymore.
Personally, I really loved this story. I've enjoyed all of Ruqing Rusu's previous works, and while this one might not reach the same heights, it still holds a special place in my heart. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Oh, and by the way, Ruqing Rusu has already started a new series called Devil Don't Fall in Love, which I'm currently translating under the title DxD: Zenith Tempest, so feel free to check that out as well!
Thank you