Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Page 952

He gently placed Kagura and Aohime, whom he was still holding, on the soft flower bed, and then gently stroked their hair to help them fall into a deeper sleep.

"I didn't expect you to be afraid of breaking the law."

As the soft words brushed past his ears, Kyosuke Kousaka could hear Higanbana's voice, which she had deliberately conveyed to him alone using her demonic power.

It seems that the red spider lily also knows that disturbing people's sleep is a very impolite thing to do, and tries its best to avoid it.

I wonder if this counts as "gentleness"?

Definitely.

From her perspective as someone who enjoys having fun.

Of course, Kyosuke Kousaka was only joking in his mind.

Seeing that the spider lily was willing to help even during the war, his goodwill towards her skyrocketed—wait, shouldn't he be the one gaining goodwill?

"Kagura is still young, she'll have to wait a few more years," Kousaka Kyosuke said to Higanbana in a serious tone.

The red spider lily couldn't help but smile, its charming brows brimming with the vibrant energy of spring, as if it were struggling to suppress its allure after being watered and nourished.

"If that's really the case, then don't rub against it!"

"...You wouldn't understand."

"Don't understand? Try doing that to me next time?"

"...As long as you don't mind."

Kyosuke Kosaka tried hard not to let his strange expression show.

How so? The red spider lily has a very open attitude towards romantic relationships.

Even now, it is in the form of a celestial body.

Kyosuke Kosaka didn't know whether he should keep looking elsewhere.

Since they were now a couple, he didn't pretend to be serious.

It's one thing to put on an act in front of strangers, but it's really pointless to do it in front of acquaintances.

If your partner knows you well and knows all the details about you, then why pretend?

"You can relax again from now on."

After laughing for a while, the other shore flower changed the subject again.

When Kousaka Kyosuke met Higanbana's enigmatic, half-smiling gaze, he felt as if he'd been struck by a mocking spell, muttering to himself, "Is mocking me your only hobby?"

It's really possible.

Forget it, if he didn't have to appease Qingji and Kagura, he would have immediately gone to shut Higanbana up.

"It's not exactly easy. You have to understand, the busiest time is after the war."

"Given your personality, wouldn't you delegate everything to your subordinates?"

"Please, stop speculating about me like that. Let's talk about something light, like what have you been interested in lately?"

"I'm quite interested in you; you could say it's a bit of an obsession of mine~"

"Would you like me to introduce myself in detail?"

"No need for that, I want to explore it myself."

"...Good luck then." Kyosuke Kousaka was completely speechless and could only cheer on Higanbana.

To be honest, he had a strong sense of déjà vu, like he was the one being pursued.

Should I say I'm honored?

"Speaking of which, there have been some strange movements in the Sai River. I have a feeling that the sea monster from more than two hundred years ago might be coming back."

"If that were to happen, it would be too much of a coincidence."

"That's roughly how it is. It seems the world will continue to be just as turbulent as it has been this time."

"Don't look on with that expectant look."

Kyosuke Kosaka was truly speechless, his voice weak and listless.

Now, reminded by the spider lily, he realized that he probably still needed to go find Seimei.

We also need to notify Fujiwara no Michitsuna.

Then, his workload increased.

But it doesn't matter, it's better for them to realize sooner that this is Orochi's conspiracy.

I just feel so tired.

Things are happening one after another, giving no one a break.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

With a still sleepy-eyed Kagura on his back, Kousaka Kyosuke bid farewell to Aohime and Higanbana.

Qingji is still asleep, so just stamp it lightly.

The red spider lily is vibrant; let's go straight for a deeper level...

Tsk tsk——

A series of unknown notes.

Kyosuke Kousaka parted ways with the spider lily.

"Goodbye."

Kyosuke Kosaka bid farewell to the spider lily that was smiling at him.

The red spider lily smiled as before and nodded gently: "See you next time."

Kousaka Kyosuke returned the smile and then left with Kagura on his back.

"..."

As Kyosuke Kosaka and Kagura slowly disappeared from view, Higanbana's smile didn't fade much.

She wondered how lively the future world of the living would be, what role Kyosuke Kousaka would play, and what role she would play.

Upon closer reflection, it's actually quite interesting.

Gently straightening her clothes, Higanbana was about to take a short rest when she suddenly noticed that the strange activity in Sai no Kawara was becoming increasingly intense.

She couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly.

Back then, the spirits entwined with powerful demonic energy strayed into Sai no Kawara and began to drain her and the Sanzu River's power from depths she couldn't reach, causing her great distress.

So they followed the source of the demonic energy and summoned its owner, intending to have him resolve the issue.

The owner of that demonic aura was a powerful demon named Suzuka Gozen. Before leaving, she asked Suzuka Gozen to keep an eye on the movements of Mount Suzuka, hoping to reunite with them as soon as she returned.

I didn't really pay much attention to the red spider lily at first.

However, after Kyosuke Kosaka asked for her help, she gradually became concerned and decided to keep her promise and start collecting information, discovering a lot of interesting information.

"Suzuka Mountain has lost its spiritual power and is also polluted; the future of its spiritual power is unknown... This conspiracy is about to be exposed, but even so, the mastermind behind it probably won't care too much, right?"

The hidden passageway of the red spider lily.

The plan, which began more than two hundred years ago, cannot be easily destroyed.

It's just a pity for those poor sirens who were used as tools...

Just as I was thinking this, a soft bell rang out from the source of Sai no Kagawa.

Ring ring ring~

A figure emerged from the misty sea fog, walking from the source of Sai no Kagawa.

The first thing the red spider lily noticed when it looked up was a pair of distinctive antlers. The golden bells on both sides swayed as its owner walked, making a crisp sound.

"came back."

The red spider lily greeted the newcomer, a majestic beauty with deer antlers on her head and a long fish tail behind her.

The visitor was Suzuka Gozen, who bowed her head apologetically to Higanbana: "I apologize for the trouble I caused you before."

"It's alright, you've come at the perfect time. I'll tell you in detail about the situation at Suzuka Mountain more than two hundred years later."

"—More than two hundred years?!"

"Don't rush, I have something more important to say next."

"Excuse me, may I ask about the current situation at Suzuka Mountain?"

Having already discerned some of the hidden meanings behind the spider lily, Suzuka Gozen was even more anxious about the fate of her clansmen!

The red spider lily didn't keep us in suspense; it got straight to the point:

"After you left, Mount Suzuka was corrupted, and the spiritual energy was transferred elsewhere for some unknown reason. Then, Ōtakemaru, under the influence of his teacher Uminari, attacked Kyoto to seize the spiritual energy. At the end of the great battle, he learned the reason and committed suicide to atone for his sins."

Suzuka Gozen looked on in disbelief, her speech became hesitant, and all her former dignity vanished.

Because she simply couldn't accept the sudden and cruel reality.