Chapter 117: Meeting Again

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Nanzen-ji temple in Higashiyama was originally the detached palace of a certain generation’s “Lord of Kyoto,” even having a “Little Seiryo-den” built within it. It was later given to the Rinzai sect and became the temple it is today.

After about a week of exploring shops with two beautiful girls, Minamoto Kiyomoto finally contacted his official girlfriend. She had arranged to meet him here.

Passing through the main gate, he was greeted by the famous “Sanmon” gate.

The “Sanmon” is a 22-meter-tall, two-story gatehouse. The first floor has three openings: the Gate of Emptiness, the Gate of Formlessness, and the Gate of Non-Action.

As mid-October approached, the maple leaves had already turned red. Minamoto Kiyomoto walked along the path flanked by the crimson foliage.

He passed through the Gate of Formlessness, and beyond the “Sanmon” was the Hatto, the main hall.

Around the Hatto grew maples, cherry trees, pines, and ginkgoes. The reds, yellows, and greens created a vibrant, multicolored tapestry.

Inside the Hatto was a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded at it in acknowledgment and continued walking.

As he nodded, the bronze bells hanging from the eaves chimed on their own.

The ancient, weathered eaves of the temple, the sea of maple trees, and the distant, tranquil sound of the bronze bells created a deep sense of Zen.

Past the Hatto, he came to an open-air corridor. From here, one could overlook the city of Kyoto, a magnificent view.

The only drawback was the wind, which was so strong it made one shiver.

In another two months, when winter arrived, it would probably be cold enough to freeze one’s feet.

Tourists came and went, taking a photo or two at most before fleeing as if escaping.

On the corridor stood two graceful figures, their collars turned up as if to shield themselves from the cold wind.

“In the secluded temple of Rajgir, I visit the pure one in her forest dwelling,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile as he walked over.

Itomi Sayaka turned around.

Her demeanor was as elegant and stylish as ever. Her translucent, oval face was slightly pale.

Itomi Sayaka raised her hand and slapped Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Smack! The sound of the slap seemed feeble in the wind.

“…I deserve that,” Minamoto Kiyomoto accepted it.

Smack! She slapped the other side of his face.

“If you don’t give me a clear reason for that slap, only one of us is leaving this mountain today,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Hanyu Chika, standing beside Itomi Sayaka, immediately looked wary.

“What did you promise me on the Noto Peninsula?” Itomi Sayaka’s face grew even paler with anger. “You said that no matter how much Yuki begged you, you wouldn’t tell her anything!”

“That was my fault. That’s the second slap. Then what was the first slap for?”

“That was the first slap.”

“Then what about the second one?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“There are plenty of reasons,” Itomi Sayaka said irritably. “You almost died in Hokkaido, making me worry; you made me stand here freezing in the cold wind; you’re dating other women…”

“You women are so cunning,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, touching his face. “I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not, but after hearing all that, how can I possibly slap you back?”

Lowering his hand, he said to Itomi Sayaka:
“Why did you come to Kyoto? Didn’t we agree that I would bring Yuki to see you?”

“It’s not just me. All nine group leaders of the Shinto sect are here,” Itomi Sayaka said.

Minamoto Kiyomoto frowned slightly and asked, “Is there—”

Before he could finish, he heard Hanyu Chika sniffle.

Under his and Itomi Sayaka’s gaze, she quietly said, “Sorry,” and turned away to blow her nose.

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced around. This wasn’t like being in the sky. Although the tourists were hurrying, they were a constant stream. He couldn’t use divine power here.

With his current physique, he wouldn’t feel cold even walking in ten-meter-deep snow wearing summer clothes, but it was different for the two delicate women before him.

“Let’s go,” he said. “To the upper floor of the Sanmon.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?” Though she said this, Itomi Sayaka had already started walking. She was also unbearably cold.

“I’ll just say you abducted me. Since we’re at a tourist spot, it’s not convenient to fight, so we’ll just keep it to a minimum. It’s also a good way to spread the news that the Shinto sect has come to Kyoto.”

Going up to the second floor of the “Sanmon” required a ticket, 300 yen per person.

“Pay for me, I’m a bit tight on cash lately,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said nonchalantly.

“So tight you don’t even have 300 yen?” Itomi Sayaka didn’t believe him.

“It’s embarrassing to ask your sister for money.”

“Mention my sister again and I’ll kick you off this thing!”

The three of them were on a narrow wooden staircase. If an ordinary person were to fall, they would probably bleed and lose consciousness. Whether they died would be a matter of luck.

“So, should I tell you about her recent situation or not?” Minamoto Kiyomoto put on a troubled expression.

Itomi Sayaka glared at him.

“Remember the ticket,” Minamoto Kiyomoto leaned in slightly and reminded her with a smile.

Once on the second floor, the three of them stood in a corner of the veranda, their backs to the other tourists.

Hearing that her sister had stripped naked in the hotel, Sayaka’s face, which had just regained some color, turned deathly pale again.

“That fool,” she chided in a low voice, a warmth spreading in her heart.

“I had no choice,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “I was worried she would continue to treat her body in such an extreme way to find out about you, so I had to tell her.”

Sayaka looked south of the “Sanmon,” towards Tenju-an, a sub-temple of Nanzen-ji.

After a while, she looked up and met Minamoto Kiyomoto’s gaze.

“You saw my sister completely naked?” she asked.

An image of that fair, slender body, pink like cherry blossom petals, with its neat black patch of hair and two long, straight legs, flashed through Minamoto Kiyomoto’s mind.

“It was raining that day, and it got dark early. I didn’t see clearly,” he said.

Itomi Sayaka took a deep breath.

Minamoto Kiyomoto continued, describing the color of Itomi Yuki’s divine power, her talent, the spells she had learned, and what her divine artifact was.

“…Thank you,” Itomi Sayaka said, her feelings a complicated mix of emotions.

If Itomi Yuki was destined to walk the path of a practitioner, there was no better choice than to follow Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Even she, her older sister, couldn’t provide that level of care—a complete set of spells, a brand-new divine artifact, and an escort to the training academy every month.

More importantly, there was the official status.

Just as Kamibayashi Miko protected Minamoto Kiyomoto, Itomi Yuki was now protected by the renowned Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“I’ve told you before, your sister is my sister,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

Then, he frowned slightly, remembering that Itomi Yuki had recently entered a rebellious phase and stopped calling him “big brother.”

“What’s wrong?” Sayaka noticed the change in his expression.

“It’s nothing,” Minamoto Kiyomoto continued.

After explaining everything, he concluded:
“Do you understand my difficulties and intentions now? Shouldn’t you apologize for the slaps earlier?”

“At this point, there’s no use in blaming anyone.”

“…You certainly have a way with words.”

“Can you take responsibility for my sister?” Itomi Sayaka looked at him directly, a smile on her face.

“Responsibility?”

“You saw my sister’s body, and you’ve held her. You’re not planning to take responsibility?”

“Hold on a second,” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his hand, signaling for her to stop talking.

“The responsibility you’re talking about,” he asked, enunciating each word, “is it for her safety, or…?”

“It would be best if you could be together. That’s the only way I’ll believe you’ll do your utmost to protect her,” Itomi Sayaka said.

“What kind of sister are you? Selling your own sister to someone else?” Minamoto Kiyomoto was somewhat amazed.

But Itomi Sayaka didn’t seem to be joking. She gazed at the clear sky in the distance and said:

“After hearing what you said, I think Yuki might have fallen for you.”

“I can understand your desire to protect her at all costs, and I admire that. But if you make even this kind of decision for her, she probably won’t be happy even if she’s alive.”

Itomi Sayaka turned her face to look at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“You probably know Yuki better than I do now,” she said. “You should know that even if she likes you and you like her, that foolish sister of mine would give you up for someone else. At a critical moment, she’s bound to feel inexplicably insecure. Someone needs to give her a push.”

“Let’s not talk about matters of the heart. But don’t worry, I will protect her.”

Sayaka suddenly smiled, teasing him playfully, “What if you add me to the deal?”

“What?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked instinctively.

“My sister, plus me. The two of us, a pair of sister flowers.”

Hanyu Chika’s jaw dropped, looking at her friend in disbelief.

“You really will stop at nothing,” Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but laugh. “No wonder you resolutely gave up the life of a young lady to join the Shinto sect.”

“Not tempted?” Itomi Sayaka puffed out her chest slightly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but glance. Compared to the younger sister, the older sister was indeed bigger, quite substantial.

“I am devoted to Miss Kamibayashi and Koyako,” he said with a solemn expression, as if swearing on the Bible.

“It’s only been a month and you’ve already added one more to your list of devoted objects. You can just add more later.”

“…Are you joking?” Minamoto Kiyomoto sized her up.

“I am joking,” Itomi Sayaka smiled. “With us sisters, the others…”

She paused, then turned to Hanyu Chika, “Chika, do you want him? This guy is at least decent-looking.”

“Huh?!” Hanyu Chika looked utterly appalled.

“Hey,” Minamoto Kiyomoto called out jokingly. “A reaction like that is going to hurt my feelings.”

“Are all you people with great capacity so open-minded about relationships?” Hanyu Chika frowned.

“It’s not about being open-minded, it’s about being able to sacrifice some things to achieve a goal. How does that saying go? ‘A person who cannot sacrifice anything, can change nothing,'” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

Itomi Sayaka laughed as well.

“No wonder my talent is inferior to yours,” Hanyu Chika thought of her inability to forget the hatred for her brother’s death, and yet, because of Itomi Sayaka, her inability to sacrifice everything for revenge.

The most terrifying thing was that as time passed, even the hatred was fading.

‘If it were Sayaka or Minamoto Kiyomoto, they would either stop at nothing to get revenge, or decisively give up,’ she mused.

“Let’s talk about the Shinto sect,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said to Itomi Sayaka.

“We are—”

“Mm-mm,” Minamoto Kiyomoto made a sound of negation.

He pointed at himself, then at Itomi Sayaka, and said, “We.”

Itomi Sayaka found it a little funny and felt an inexplicable sense of kinship with him.

“Yes, yes, they,” she said as if coaxing a child. “The Shinto sect found a Storm Yokai at sea. They are using nails forged from the Yellow Springs Demonic Dragon to control it, preparing to attack Kyoto.”

A Storm Yokai, in terms a normal person could understand, was a “typhoon.”

But a Storm Yokai was not just strong winds; it would also bring strange creatures from the ocean, turning a piece of land into a yokai paradise.

“What’s the objective?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

Seeing him remain calm and composed upon hearing such big news, Hanyu Chika once again felt the gap between them and despaired of ever getting her revenge.

“The Shinto sect’s goal has always been to secede and establish their own territory. This is an experiment, and also a show of force.”

“A demonstration of their ability to control yokai?”

Itomi Sayaka glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto and smiled, “This was actually inspired by you. You’re the one who made them think of controlling yokai.”

After her jab, she continued:
“The group leaders won’t show themselves. They will secretly control this Storm Yokai from the shadows and only take responsibility for it afterward. At that time, if the Lord of Kyoto doesn’t agree to their terms, they will attack other cities with fewer practitioners.”

“Audacious,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said coldly.

An oppressive aura emanated from him. Itomi Sayaka was merely surprised, but Hanyu Chika felt a heart-pounding fear.

This was partly due to the difference in their capacity, and partly because Minamoto Kiyomoto, having fused with two yokai, naturally exuded a dangerous aura that was suffocating to humans.

It was just that he usually spent his time with Kamibayashi Miko and Himegami Izayoi, always smiling and trying to please them, never being serious.

Now that the two of them weren’t around, and hearing that someone wanted to split Kansai, it was an extremely grave provocation to Minamoto Kiyomoto, who ‘already considered Izayoi his person,’ and he would absolutely not allow it.

“To what extent can this spell control the yokai?” he asked.

“So far, it’s very crude,” Itomi Sayaka replied. “If the Storm Yokai deviates from its course, they make it feel pain. That’s all. They just make it move in the direction they want it to go.”

“Where is it now?”

“It will probably arrive in about three days.”

“Your sister is coming to Kyoto in two days,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, looking at her.

“That’s why I want you to think of a way to announce the typhoon’s arrival, so the school trip can be postponed or moved to another location,” Itomi Sayaka said.

“Only the nine of you group leaders know about this operation?”

“Mhm. But it’s possible that cult members with very good relationships with the leaders, like Chika, might have gotten the news.”

“Then we won’t say anything. You want to protect your sister, and I have to protect you. Our meeting today might be discovered. I can’t let you lose your place of refuge in the Shinto sect.”

Itomi Sayaka looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto for a while, then smiled happily and said:
“I don’t know if you want me to continue being an undercover agent or if you’re genuinely worried about me, but what you said makes me very happy.”

“Of course I’m worried about you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“Thank you, but—”

“Your sister is in Kyoto. I guarantee her safety,” Minamoto Kiyomoto knew what she was going to say. “If the group leaders don’t act, will a mindless yokai specifically harm one girl?”

“You’re not planning to have the citizens evacuate in advance? Isn’t that the purpose of having me infiltrate the Shinto sect?” Itomi Sayaka asked, confused.

“It is for that,” Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled. “That’s why I can’t let you be exposed. Otherwise, who will tell me about the Shinto sect’s bigger conspiracies in the future?”

“So it really is to keep me as an undercover agent,” Itomi Sayaka sighed, like a girlfriend abandoned by Minamoto Kiyomoto. “Forget it, forget it. I always knew you were a cold-hearted guy.”

She added:
“Then what do you plan to do? This Storm Yokai is extremely stealthy. By the time the Onmyoryo detects it and has the citizens evacuate, it will be too late.”

“Then let’s have a real typhoon,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said nonchalantly. “Miss Kamibayashi knows a rain-praying spell, so blowing some wind shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll gather some dark clouds, and finally have Izayoi issue a notice saying a typhoon is coming, so work and classes will be suspended, and no one should go outside.”

“That’s one way to do it,” Itomi Sayaka nodded.

Because of the rampant yokai and constant disasters, every household in Japan was a small shelter.

There were larger shelters, but those were for dealing with ‘prefecture-level’ yokai.

If the Shinto sect could control a ‘prefecture-level’ yokai, they wouldn’t be hiding. They could directly attack and occupy Kyushu, claiming it as their own kingdom.

A ‘town-level’ Storm Yokai, especially in Kyoto where experts gathered, would be quickly eliminated.

For ordinary people, it would just be a day of strong winds, at most breaking a couple of windows.

Perhaps noticing his casual attitude, Itomi Sayaka reminded him:
“This time, they’ve stuffed the Storm Yokai with far more deep-sea creatures than a normal one. For practitioners, it’s nothing, of course. But for ordinary people, every single one is lethal.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded, preparing to notify Himegami Izayoi to dispatch more practitioners.

This was probably also why the Shinto sect chose Kyoto, with its large number of practitioners, as the battlefield. It could serve as a deterrent and a show of determination without causing too many civilian casualties.

But no matter what, this was a crazy act, and casualties were inevitable.

This made it even more crucial that Itomi Sayayaka not be exposed, at least not over such a “small matter.”

The Shinto sect’s actions exceeded Minamoto Kiyomoto’s imagination. To prevent these people from committing even more inhumane acts in the future, Itomi Sayaka had to continue her infiltration.