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What was that broadcast about?

I-I don't know!

Did Kinbee use to be a TV host or something?

Kinbee?

Mifune.

When I was little? I think I remember something like that.

I heard Mifune used to helm every program on the Kinseki Channel in its early days. News, variety shows, and sometimes he'd make a guest appearance on the weather channel too.

Come to think of it, I even helped them do a few of those long weather forecasts.

Later on when Kinseki Channel expanded, he only did breaking news, and as time went on, eventually disappeared off camera.

So, what he wants now is—

Yo, that bike over there!

The Ao-Oni?!

She's really with Momoka!

So, should we stop them?

You got a death wish?! Call the news!

Just look her sobbing, I bet the Ao-Oni kidnapped her... maybe she's doing some mind control stuff too!

You call the news station, I'll get the cops.

Didn't the cops issue a bunch of notices saying we shouldn't treat them like the Spiritual Affairs people and not to bother them for kaidan stuff?

Oh yeah.

Gah, we should speed up.

Momoka is going as fast as she can, but Hoshiguma still feels her vision only repeats some sort of gigantic loop.

Neon lights, pedestrians, skyscrapers, road crossings. Neon lights, pedestrians, skyscrapers, road crossings—

After some time, the loop finally breaks, and old neighborhoods like Kajimachi begin to show up in her view as the number of buildings grows sparse.

They eventually give way to large patches of wilderness bearing traces of construction work and outright abandoned plates.

The sky gradually brightens.

Hoshiguma-san, the place is right up ahead.

Alright—wait, you should slow down—we're gonna hit the gate at this rate!

Huh?!

Momoka hits the brake hard, but it is too late—

The scooter zooms into the shrine, only stopping right in the middle of the garden. Thanks to Momoka's excellent balance, the two are spared from being thrown off the vehicle.

Oh no, what if they think we're being rude...?

Kannushi-sama! A woman's fighting her way in again! She's on a bike this time!

Again?!

I don't know why, but no one's stopping her—them, I mean, and they're right in center courtyard!

'Them'?

Check and see if it's a Vulpo, won't you?

Er...

A Vulpo? No, it's an Ægir and an Oni.

They brought back terrible memories of last time, and I didn't look at them clearly in my panic, sorry...

It's not your fault that concern wrecked your nerves.

Whoever our guests may be, I'll simply entertain them. The rest of you, calm down and focus on your own work.

I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do this! I was just so nervous I forgot to use the brake—

I was wondering who it was. Are you not Momoka-san?

K-Kannushi-sama...

Uh, you know each other?

Momoka-san used to be a regular visitor here. She last came five years ago, and I thought perhaps her wishes came true and that she was now living a happy life.

No, not really... I just got so busy that I no longer had the time to visit.

No need to be sad. This is the Kizuna Jinja after all. You found success in your career, so I'm sure you formed lots of ties and connections with others.

*Cries*...

May I know how to call Momoka's friend here?

I'm Hoshiguma. Looking for someone.

Whom, may I ask? The shrine is quite bereft of clergy.

No, I'm not looking for a priest. I came here to find a 'kami-sama' for somebody.

Specifically, I'm looking for a unicycle with an invisible rider. I guess people in Mitsukue call it 'Wanyuudou'. Is it really a kami?

If they were looking to establish some sort of connection or looking for a blessing, I'm afraid they should come here themselves. Prayers made on someone else's behalf will not work.

He just wants to meet the kami. Didn't seem to care much about the forming ties or getting blessed type of thing.

Moriuchi-kun is truly a stubborn one... No, I should praise him for his tenacity.

You know him?

He's the one who insisted on meeting a specific kami with no want of blessing. We've become quite well-acquainted over the years.

So this means you can help him find the kami, right?

Nah, Moriuchi asking us to do it for him means the priest failed.

It is as you say. We priests cannot do anything if the kami themselves are unwilling to appear.

Well, the two of you haven't technically disrespected the shrine, other than driving your scooter onto our grounds.

Wh-What should we do? Do I have to apologize to the kami-sama? How do I do that?

Let me think... To appease the kami's anger, please go over to the omamori stall there and buy a full set.

What?

Then go to the hundred-mon omikuji and draw fortunes until you get one each of 'sue-kichi', 'chu-kichi', 'dai-kichi'. It's alright if you draw any of the others—unless you get 'dai-kyou'—then you'll have to start over.

Eh?!

—Finally...

I'm just joking. The kami would never punish someone over a scooter.

Wha—?!

I pray the two of you will obtain what you truly desire here. Now, plenty of divine work awaits me, so I shall take my leave.

Phew! I was worried I wouldn't have enough mon for all that!

Seems like the kannushi isn't going to get in our way, so things are going pretty well for us.

Let's take it easy. Why not go over to the omikuji section for a break, while I look around the place?

Um... that works.

Hoshiguma slowly goes around the vacant shrine grounds.

She knows so little about shrines and Shinto she cannot even tell if it's a 'honden', 'haiden', or 'heiden' standing before her.

The only things resembling Moriuchi's keychain are the two statues behind the stone lanterns that were obviously based on Perro Beast Stewards.

But the breeze here is cool, and she cannot help but to recall her youth when she visited a monastery with her father.

Her father and Tessai's figures appear and disappear between the pine and cypress trees, and the abbot pats her head and she hears the tale of the first Oni.

That Oni's name seems to be... 'Qui'lon'...

Hoshiguma-san, Hoshiguma-san!

What's up?

It's bad!

You got a 'dai-kyou'?

No, a 'sue-kichi'—no, I didn't mean that! I mean, I heard something!

The Wanyuudou?

I don't know! Maybe, but what if... it's a ghost...?

A ghost showing up this early in the morning might be some sort of super scary evil spirits, like onryo!

We should trust the kannushi a little. You think he'd let evil spirits in here?

True, but—

There's that sound again!

Calm down.

Ugh, it's not like I could do that on command, even if I wanted to...

I didn't expect It'd actually show up here. There's tracks on the ground...

The unicycle seems to realize Its tracks are giving It away, and turns toward the stone pavement.

Wh-What do we do?

Isn't this better for us? Now It's locked onto the stone pavement.

But... how is a kami unable to hide Its own tire tracks...?

What... do you mean... unable!

I-It spoke?!

Behind the Beast Steward statue! Momoka, you're closer to It, over there!

I don't see It? Where did It go?

No, It circled around to your back—

My... back?

Eek! A g-g-g-ghost's after me?!

Misfortune befalls anyone who sees the Wanyuudou, but It's actually chasing me—is my life over?!

Instantly, the girl and unicycle seem to change positions, the latter now hot on Momoka's heels, as if she was being chased by It from the very start.

Momoka, hold still!

S-STILL?!

She does not grasp what is happening, but still subconsciously stops her steps.

Hoshiguma snatches the chance to hurl Hannya out, and the giant triangular shield blocks the unicycle's path, forcing It to brake.

Now keep holding position, Momoka! I'll catch It. Don't, and I mean it, don't panic if It runs toward you!

O-O-Okay!

Hoshiguma closes in on the unicycle, blocking It from any easy escape routes.

It stops in Its tracks as the handlebars twist left and right—perhaps It does not know where to go, although it is no difficult decision.

On one side is a tall Oni, while on the other stands an Ægir It has just chased all over the place...

The pedals spin frantically, and the unicycle speeds straight for Momoka.

Momoka, grab It!

The unicycle dashes toward her, and Momoka's instinct screams at her to turn and run. But she keeps it a thought and does not move her legs.

<i>Yabai.</i> There's no other way, it's over, it's all over—such thoughts flood her mind as she stands there like a fowlbeast in headlights.

The unicycle approaches.

According to the kaidan tales, she is doomed—wait, that's not right. Wasn't she already down on her luck before running into the Wanyuudou?

Or maybe, if she hadn't run into Hoshiguma at the oden yatai, she would long since—

Momoka gulps, looks at Hoshiguma, then at the unicycle only a few steps away from her—

Instead of retreating, she jumps forward.

Kannushi-sama, someone's disgraced the shrine by... jumping... into the pond...

Momoka? Hoshiguma too?

I don't know what's going on, but Ill help you two out! Forgive me, Kannushi-sama!

Hoshiguma? Kichisei?

And...

One side of the pond lies a small unicycle leaning against a rock, pedals still moving on their own.

The thing on the unicycle appears before her, with a cycling helmet fitted perfectly on Its head. It's bright round eyes stare somewhat helplessly at all the water dripping to the floor.

Beside her, Hoshiguma's expression softens after making sure she's alright.

She nods in greeting to the person behind her, who Momoka guesses is Kichisei, then turns to look into the distance...

No matter what happened, it seems like she's finally accomplished something?

So, in the end... It <i>was</i> a ghost after all?

Have you ever seen a ghost that could be struck by water, girl?

Besides, it was just a round of hide-and-seek. Why were you going at it so seriously?

S-Seriously?

You looked like your life was on the line when you went into the pond with me.

Same goes for Moriuchi too. A kami I may be, but what makes him so sure a random god he finds on the streets is bound to be his maneki-neko?

Momoka, do you want me to lure the priest away? Or—

No, it's alright. The person we're looking for—no, the 'kami' we're looking for is right here.

Relax, I'm already right before your eyes. No more running for me.

I'll watch over you, and no one on the shrine grounds will cause you any trouble. Soak in the pond for as long as you like.

Momoka carefully places a hand on the kami, and this time It no longer dodges her. Although It fidgets to her touch, but It seems to at least hold no objections to mortal contact.

The cool breeze drags slowly across the pond, as if all that running and chasing that happened before dawn was merely a strange and messy, but not terrifying dream.

Empty handed, are you?

You couldn't even catch a girl scared out of her wits at the mere mention of a kaidan?

Silent, are you? We're all family here, we can laugh all this off, yes?

That's not it, Oyabun!

She was with that Ao-Oni, and we weren't strong enough...

Weren't strong enough?

Mifune takes a fierce step forward, face nearly coming into contact with the bold yakuza.

Colluding with Tessai to obstruct Kajimachi's development, disobeying my orders, and fleeing without permission. Even, getting mixed up with that individual...

Do you think you could get off just saying you weren't strong enough?

Oyabun, I... I...

Do you know what happened to Takehiko?

Y-Yes. You were forced to kill him with your own hands, and afterwards organized a grand funeral for him, even weeping as you held a memorial at his grave...

And who truly killed him? Was it me?

Of course it was that old bastard Tessai, he—

It was you! All of you! One by one, you proved your incompetence, allowing Tessai to get off scot-free, and that's how Takehiko died!

Mifune's hand slowly reaches inside his sleeve, as if to take something out.

The gangsters dare not move until their Oyabun pulls his fist back out into the open, slowly opening it...

Several heavy gold coins fall to the ground.

Are those k-koban coins?

I found these in a drawer. Pick them up. They're yours now.

Arigatou, Oyabun! But what for...?

The next time you would tell me you're not strong enough, just cut off your own arm and use these to buy you a state-of-the-art prosthetic. Am I clear?

Oyabun.

Speak.

Our people went northward from Nita Street and located Momoka and Hoshiguma... inside the shrine.

Do you hear that? The ninja I personally cultivated are more capable than you lot. Learn from them, all of you.

The shrine, eh?

Yes.

A shrine. Sacred ground, unsullied land. No one will be happy if trouble occurs there.

You mean...?

Take this useless bunch and surround the place. But be discreet—just make sure there is no way out.

If they intend to hole up in there, send a few men in to force them outside. Don't let anyone they've had contact with off either. If you can't make a move near the shrine, do it elsewhere.

Then the clergy inside...

The clergy? We can't touch them yet.

Understood.

Go. I have guests to see.

Mifune-san...

The frost on Mifune's face does not disappear at once, but it slowly melts when he sees Tetsuya, as if somewhat comforted by a hope for a new life after much toil and tumult.

The guys who just left...

Same slackers as always. You're the hardest worker I've got.

Enough about them. How was your visit home?

The Old Man... is the same as he ever was.

Don't feel bad.

I remember where you were only this tall, standing in-between your parents as they linked hands with you...

*Sighs* Who would have ever thought that your father would have no choice but to let go of that which was dearest to him, all for the Kinsekikai's sake...

Mifune-san, there's no need to compliment my father. Being chairman for too long has robbed him of all human emotion.

That can't be. The bond between parent and child is stronger than any other tie.

I used to treat your father as my own, in my younger days. Unfortunately the Old Man scorned me, and that's how our hostilities began.

But this Northern Court spy incident may prove to be an opportunity.

You mean...?

Your mother was wrongly accused because of her ambiguous relationship with an individual in the Northern Court. If you catch the spy, your father's attitude will surely improve.

And it just so happens I have the latest intelligence in my hands.

Tell me, please! No matter where the spy is, I'll root him out!

This spy... is in Kajimachi, and is highly likely to be related to the so-called Haunted House.

No way... Hoshiguma-san?

She—no, she has nothing to do with this, only returned here by chance.

But I can't get in there, if she stops me...

Simply go in when she's away. Kajimachi is a big town after all, and finding any additional clues will be good. Go!

A-At once!

Mifune's expression changes again when he sees a woman enter the room after Tetsuya leaves.

Tired, weary, impatient, and a sort of confidence mixed within. A sort of certainty that everything is under control and he merely has to wait for an opportunity to strike.