“The past has committed quite a lot of karma, indeed. Each and every deed is so petty and ominous that it’s shocking. It’s a sinister act aimed at poking and breaking a person’s spirit. Even if I say it’s okay, the grudges held in the heart won’t easily fade away. No, I will personally administer punishment for this.”
Jinseong unwrapped Narumi’s crumpled body. Then he briefly glanced at her face, twisted in the throes of a nightmare, before flinging her into a corner of the air.
In response, Seitani, who had been tormenting her, followed along like a puppy chasing a ball, moving towards that corner, hovering near Narumi’s mouth as if to tease her, stretching her hand to grasp both sides of Narumi’s lips.
She began to pull Narumi’s mouth wide open, and it looked as if she was trying to tear the lips apart to crawl inside.
Seitani pressed her head into the gaping mouth and attempted to enter, causing Narumi to emit groans of pain continuously.
“Stop. Let’s hold off on entering for a moment.”
Jinseong dissuaded Depuis’s action of shoving her ballooned head into Narumi’s mouth. He then brought his right hand to Narumi’s mouth, and with a small puff, blew a breath.
A chilling aura from the Taeguk within Jinseong’s body flowed from his mouth, drifting as cold breath towards where Narumi lay.
This cold breath swirled around her restlessly.
The cold lowered Narumi’s body temperature soaked with cold sweat instantly, making her shiver, not from fear but from the chill. Furthermore, as the cold wrapped around her like a cocoon, her skin turned as cold as ice, gradually paling.
Jinseong observed her intently before waving his left hand.
In doing so, a warm breeze, contrasting with the cold escaping from her lips, darted towards Narumi, wrapping around her with a warmth reminiscent of a spring day. But it merely brushed against her for a moment of comfort before rising towards the ceiling, congregating above as if it were a cloud, waiting for Jinseong’s command.
“In light, there is darkness, and in darkness, there is light. They move, entangling their heads and tails, drawing shapes while their forms are bent; that is the Taeguk.”
Jinseong waved his hand several times, connecting the warmth gathered at the ceiling with the cold encompassing Narumi’s body. The collected warmth began to move up and down, alternating between delivering that warmth and the bone-chilling cold that threatened to freeze her body.
“Now you may enter.”
Once it was complete, Jinseong permitted Seitani to enter Narumi’s body, who had been waiting with her head half-buried, joyfully shaking her shoulders and pushing her entire form inside Narumi.
In that instant, Narumi’s cheeks, throat, and stomach puffed up as if she had swallowed something huge, then quickly collapsed, twitching as if in a seizure before collapsing back down, plunging into another nightmare.
However, the difference from earlier’s nightmares was that this time, what would confront her would possess effects beyond imagination.
“It’s done. With the alternating flow of Yang and Yin around her, her body temperature will get smashed, and her flesh will descend into chaos. It will likely be even stronger than the nightmares Seitani previously inflicted.”
Jinseong spoke as he pulled a defibrillator from one wall of the main hall and tossed it beside Narumi. Then he placed a writhing Slime next to it.
“Have you ever heard the story of someone whose heart stopped and died due to a nightmare?”
“Yes? I have.”
“A peculiar flow of energy causes a disturbed body, and a nightmare that strongly seizes the mind. If all this aligns nicely, it could very well induce cardiac arrest in someone not strong in body or spirit.”
Jinseong stated this to Rise, who looked shocked, widening her eyes as she glanced at Narumi.
Jinseong noticed her expression for a brief moment before reassuring her.
“Don’t worry. No matter how much divine power is lost, how simple-minded someone is, or how much they might feel a sense of worth through undermining others, cardiac arrest due to a nightmare isn’t something that occurs easily. And even if it were to happen, that thing wriggling and waiting will immediately operate the defibrillator to revive the heart, so you needn’t be concerned.”
Rise seemed somewhat relieved by his words.
“No matter how evil the act, if the punishment is excessive, it too is evil karma. While the severity of sins can’t be easily judged, taking a life must be approached with caution. My shamaness, filled with much vexation, you might despise it, but I do not believe its crimes merit death, thus out of respect for your happiness, I shall not harm its life. However, it clearly holds guilt, so I will inflict hardship on it to purge the poison stemming from past evil deeds and fulfill your duty as its successor.”
Jinseong stated this before taking off his suit jacket and handing it to Rise. He then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to an appropriate length.
“There’s no need to worry about it. So let’s hang up this clothing and have something to drink.”
Rise perked up at his suggestion and smiled brightly.
“Yes.”
She realized that Jinseong’s words and actions were his way of caring for her.
Anger at her past, punishing on her behalf, and perhaps relocating, fearing she might feel even a hint of guilt seeing Narumi’s distressed state.
She joyfully embraced the suit jacket and guided Jinseong to the reception area for guests, hanging the jacket on a hanger, smoothing it out, then boiling water with a pot and retrieving precious tea leaves from the cupboard.
Jinseong observed Rise’s actions attentively before speaking.
“The tea is ready. What about coffee?”
“Coffee, you mean?”
Rise opened a drawer and took out two capsule coffees.
She inserted the capsules into a small machine in the corner, extracting two cups before bringing over a few gelatin-like treats into a bowl for Jinseong.
After taking a moment to breathe in the aroma of the coffee she brought, he sipped it and bit into the Lokum she had supplied.
“It seems to be a good Lokum. Did you order it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“It couldn’t have been cheap?”
“Recently, Omamori has been selling well, and donations have been pouring in from various places, so I’ve had some leeway.”
“Hmm.”
Jinseong chuckled softly at her words.
“Donations, huh.”
It was clear that the ‘donations’ she mentioned likely came from those deeply involved with water ghosts and spirit contact, completely oblivious to the true nature of the ‘blessing’ Jinseong had provided.
“Right, nothing particularly special happened with that bait, right?”
As he thought of politicians and the wealthy, naturally, Ryosuke Uchikawa floated to mind, destined to play the role of bait.
“Yes. There hasn’t been anything particularly special. Just like before, he’s been ostracized by the other council members, and all the connections he made lay in tatters, failing to establish any secure ties. Moreover, he’s on the brink of being excluded from the family as well.”
“Even in your family?”
“That foolish betrayer, despite being a politician, has the family background to back it up but, no matter how prestigious, if he is shunned by all, what does that mean? Connections like aristocracies and clans are starting to avoid him, and he’s distancing himself from conglomerates like the Keiretsu….”
Rise chuckled brightly in reply to Jinseong’s inquiry.
“It seems the Uchikawa family is overflowing with love for their kin, even at the expense of severing the financial ties and connections.”
Historically, those with wealth often prioritized their clans over their bloodlines or families.
And it’s no different in Japan either.
In fact, it was almost a given that Japan had more profound influences from clans than other countries.
Since ancient times, in Japan, it was common to change surnames or adopt surnames to advance; changing surnames for status was routine, and it was taken for granted to switch clans and benefit from their prestige.
And thus, when the clan becomes the focus, it was only natural for its members to live for the clan and invest their lives into it.
Instead of raising each one with love, they would groom them for the benefit of the clan and arrange marriages for gain rather than love, and if anyone posed a threat to the clan’s interests, they would cut them off without hesitation.
For the greater good rather than the individual.
For all rather than one.
For the community of the clan.
“Being elected merely by the glow of the clan without the qualities of a politician, should he lose that backing, he’d tumble down in an instant.”
Jinseong irreflectively murmured about Ryosuke’s bleak future while sipping his coffee.
“If that happens, he’ll undoubtedly have to pay the price for the worst choice I could select. He’ll meet his end entangled with Yatadoarangkryu.”
As Jinseong finished his coffee, Rise finally picked up her cup, taking small sips from it. However, it seemed the bitterness of the espresso didn’t suit her palate, as she took only a bit before nibbling alternatively on the Lokum.
“By the way, is there anything noteworthy regarding Yatadoarangkryu?”
After taking a sip of espresso, she placed the Lokum down when asked by Jinseong, then responded with the bitter taste still lingering in her mouth.
“Nothing too special. Oh, there’s the annual event coming up soon for Yatadoarangkryu.”
“Annual event?”
“Yes.”
Rise answered Jinseong’s question.
“Yatadoarangkryu is a branch of Shiheng Style, so we have exchanges with them every year.”
“Exchanges? How do those exchanges happen?”
“Well, it’s a duel between masters of the two styles, and the promising youths also receive teachings… so I’ve heard.”
Jinseong pondered her words momentarily, sensing something strange.
“Masters from both styles?”
“Well, I’m not a warrior, so I’m not quite certain how impressive they are.”
“Is that so…?”
Jinseong questioned her.
“By any chance, is there someone with a different appearance from ordinary people among them?”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
“There is?”
“Yes, one person.”
Rise searched through her memories to answer Jinseong’s question.
“They say he’s a super master of Shiheng Style. He has dragon scales on his body and stands over 2 meters 50 cm tall. They call him Kazuo, the True Dragon Slayer.”
