Chapter 12: The Guest of the Western Heaven Shrine
Tōshō-gū—undeniably splendid and luxurious. But in truth, its original construction was undertaken by artisans from China.
In China, the most famous ruler who unified the land is Qin Shi Huang. In Japan, that honor goes to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
This elder, a contemporary of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was known as the "Turtle." He had served under both of those powerful lords, but not only was he good at enduring, he also excelled in military affairs.
So after his two previous bosses passed away, he quickly became unmatched in Japan. Through military force, he conquered the various warlords' territories and unified all of Japan. After his death, he was honored as the guardian deity of the Edo shogunate—Tōshō Daigongen.
To commemorate his achievements, his descendants paid handsomely to invite Chinese craftsmen to build him a shrine—a spiritual temple—called Tōshō-gū. Over time, through the efforts of successive generations, it became the grand, lavish structure we see today.
In fact, there are many Tōshō-gū shrines across Japan, but the one located in Nikkō is the main site. All the buildings here have been designated as national treasures or important cultural properties of Japan—truly extraordinary in status.
According to the records of the Historical Compilation Committee, Tokugawa not only invited craftsmen from China at the time, but also Chinese occultists. Combining the essence of Chinese and ancient Japanese spellcraft, they were able to suppress the Gate of Demons, establishing the divine status of Tōshō Daigongen.
As Hikigaya strolled through the grounds, if not for gradually noticing the Edo-period Japanese architectural styles, he would've thought he had entered a Chinese temple.
Tōshō-gū is filled with carvings—reportedly more than five thousand. Many Edo-period carving techniques can be seen here, with the most famous being the "Sleeping Cat" and the "Three Monkeys."
But to be fair, at least the "Three Monkeys" were carved by those Chinese craftsmen. Their meanings are "see no evil," "hear no evil," and "speak no evil," corresponding to the Confucian teaching: "Do not look at what is not proper, do not listen to what is not proper, do not speak of what is not proper, do not act on what is not proper."
There's also a bell tower, drum tower, and prayer hall for devotees to pray sincerely.
Of course, Hikigaya didn't bother praying.
Although this shrine to Tōshō Daigongen likely wouldn't be occupied by ordinary youkai, just in case… it would be super awkward if the building collapsed.
Accompanied by Ena, Hikigaya also made a special stop at Yōmei-mon—claimed to be the most iconic structure in Tōshō-gū.
Built with timber shipped from China, it's considered the peak of Edo-period architecture in Japan, a symbol of national power and peace. The name "Yōmei" comes from Tokugawa Ieyasu's admiration for the great Ming-era sage Wang Yangming.
The main structure, including the carvings and paintings, have been maintained since the Tokugawa era. The pillars, lintels, and eaves are all adorned with finely carved mythical beasts, birds, flowers, and figures—crafted by master Chinese artisans using motifs from Chinese lore. After all, those craftsmen likely didn't know a thing about Japanese mythology.
In this field, the most skilled are the ones who get to act like kings. And you can see that attitude clearly from this building—those Chinese artisans had a great time doing what they loved while getting paid handsomely.
Though Hikigaya didn't pray, he did visit the sacred sake distribution area. It's said drinking this sake ensures a healthy body and long life—but after drinking it, Hikigaya still felt that sports drinks tasted better.
Maybe he'd come back to drink more with Photon Beam next time. Not today—Ena was here after all.
After a bit more sightseeing, the two returned to the Sacred Stable—the place where the "Three Monkeys" carvings are located.
This is the entrance to the Western Heaven Shrine, but ordinary tourists and staff cannot find it. It's sealed by spellcraft—only certain people can enter.
Ena slipped out of Hikigaya's arms, took out a charm, and led him into the vast forest behind the Sacred Stable.
This is the passage connecting the Futarasan Shrine and the Tōshō-gū complex. It's inconspicuous, which prevents accidental intrusions by the public. After all, this is the Gate of Demons—even sealed, a leak of its aura could be harmful.
Hikigaya followed behind Ena, admiring the sway of her short skirt—it was truly a pleasant sight. So much so that he soon realized the surroundings had become maze-like.
No matter which direction he looked, it felt like they were deep in the mountains, with no sound from the outside world.
Clearly, they were inside some kind of formation.
After walking a bit more, a shrine appeared ahead. It looked ancient and unadorned.
And there, Hikigaya saw a familiar figure.
"Mariya?" He was surprised, but not shocked. After all, her sister was likely a key component in the unsealing process. His surprise was just that she had arrived ahead of him.
"Hachiman-kun." The shrine maiden gave a nervous bow.
"Yuri, why so formal?" Ena ran over and hugged her tightly.
Hikigaya sucked in a breath. Such flexibility! Such bounce!
…That was exciting.
But he didn't get to watch for long—the girls separated quickly, revealing a figure walking out of the shrine.
Oh hey, it was the scatterbrain from the Kuhoutsuka family!
Apparently this guy had been taken over. Looks like it was true.
Hikigaya instantly noticed something was off.
"His Majesty the King has arrived. Apologies for not greeting you sooner." Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko, wearing a Shinto priest's robe, greeted him with a bright smile.
But his eyes gave it away—the speaker wasn't him.
This kind of possession magic was clearly beyond normal human capability.
Hikigaya could sense it only thanks to his sensitivity to magic as a god-slayer. Priestesses like Ena and Mariya Yuri probably picked up on it for similar reasons.
Ena glanced at Hikigaya. He understood her look.
"Should we beat him up now?"
Of course not!
With just a glance, they synced up perfectly. Hikigaya nodded to Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko and said:
"Just lead the way."
"Yes, this way please."
The young man bowed respectfully and walked into the shrine. Hikigaya followed him first, with Ena and Yuri behind.
"Mikihiko-kun, is Hikari okay?" Yuri asked softly.
"She's fine. The Divine Lord is quite pleased with her."
From the front, Hikigaya heard Yuri sigh in relief.
"Are we meeting with the Divine Lord now?" Ena asked, eyes gleaming. (Hikigaya interpreted that as: she was very eager to punch this possessed guy and see how tough he really was.)
"Yes, the Divine Lord has been lonely for a long time. Now that Miss Hikari is here as his exorcist, he's opened the shrine again. He's also very eager to meet the King."
"But isn't meeting with a god who resists obedience dangerous?" Ena asked again.
"The Divine Lord is in a gentle state now. Besides, with the King here, there's no danger—is there?"
Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko turned back and smiled—though it had a hint of malice.
"You trying to say I'm more dangerous?" Hikigaya smiled too, but his smile was much more intimidating.
This time, Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko didn't answer. He avoided his gaze instead.
But behind them all, a small lizard had silently entered.
Maybe due to its tiny size, combined with height and lighting, Hikigaya hadn't noticed it at all.
But in its eyes shone the intelligence of a higher life form. It quietly moved with the group.
At first, its gaze was full of pride—like a king entering its own domain.
But when it spotted a familiar back ahead… it froze briefly.
Its expression instantly turned complex—as if angry, but also… happy?
Hmm… if not for the size difference, that look seemed like it wanted to eat someone!
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