When I was little? I think I remember something like that.
Momoka
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.
Momoka
Come to think of it, I even helped them do a few of those long weather forecasts.
Momoka
Later on when Kinseki Channel expanded, he only did breaking news, and as time went on, eventually disappeared off camera.
Hoshiguma
So, what he wants now is—
Sharp-eyed Passerby
Yo, that bike over there!
Restless Passerby
The Ao-Oni?!
Restless Passerby
She's really with Momoka!
Restless Passerby
So, should we stop them?
Sharp-eyed Passerby
You got a death wish?! Call the news!
Sharp-eyed Passerby
Just look her sobbing, I bet the Ao-Oni kidnapped her... maybe she's doing some mind control stuff too!
Restless Passerby
You call the news station, I'll get the cops.
Sharp-eyed Passerby
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?
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.
Momoka
Oh no, what if they think we're being rude...?
Shrine Maiden Voice
Kannushi-sama! A woman's fighting her way in again! She's on a bike this time!
Shrine Priest's Voice
Again?!
Shrine Maiden Voice
I don't know why, but no one's stopping her—them, I mean, and they're right in center courtyard!
Unruffled Voice
'Them'?
Unruffled Voice
Check and see if it's a Vulpo, won't you?
Shrine Maiden Voice
Er...
Shrine Priest's Voice
A Vulpo? No, it's an Ægir and an Oni.
Shrine Maiden Voice
They brought back terrible memories of last time, and I didn't look at them clearly in my panic, sorry...
Unruffled Voice
It's not your fault that concern wrecked your nerves.
Unruffled Voice
Whoever our guests may be, I'll simply entertain them. The rest of you, calm down and focus on your own work.
Momoka
I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do this! I was just so nervous I forgot to use the brake—
Unruffled Priest
I was wondering who it was. Are you not Momoka-san?
Momoka
K-Kannushi-sama...
Hoshiguma
Uh, you know each other?
Unruffled Priest
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.
Momoka
No, not really... I just got so busy that I no longer had the time to visit.
Unruffled Priest
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.
Momoka
*Cries*...
Unruffled Priest
May I know how to call Momoka's friend here?
Hoshiguma
I'm Hoshiguma. Looking for someone.
Unruffled Priest
Whom, may I ask? The shrine is quite bereft of clergy.
Hoshiguma
No, I'm not looking for a priest. I came here to find a 'kami-sama' for somebody.
Hoshiguma
Specifically, I'm looking for a unicycle with an invisible rider. I guess people in Mitsukue call it 'Wanyuudou'. Is it really a kami?
Unruffled Priest
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.
Hoshiguma
He just wants to meet the kami. Didn't seem to care much about the forming ties or getting blessed type of thing.
Unruffled Priest
......
Unruffled Priest
Moriuchi-kun is truly a stubborn one... No, I should praise him for his tenacity.
Hoshiguma
You know him?
Unruffled Priest
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.
Momoka
So this means you can help him find the kami, right?
Hoshiguma
Nah, Moriuchi asking us to do it for him means the priest failed.
Unruffled Priest
It is as you say. We priests cannot do anything if the kami themselves are unwilling to appear.
Unruffled Priest
Well, the two of you haven't technically disrespected the shrine, other than driving your scooter onto our grounds.
Momoka
Wh-What should we do? Do I have to apologize to the kami-sama? How do I do that?
Unruffled Priest
Let me think... To appease the kami's anger, please go over to the omamori stall there and buy a full set.
Momoka
What?
Unruffled Priest
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.
Momoka
Eh?!
Unruffled Priest
—Finally...
Unruffled Priest
I'm just joking. The kami would never punish someone over a scooter.
Momoka
Wha—?!
Unruffled Priest
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.
Momoka
Phew! I was worried I wouldn't have enough mon for all that!
Hoshiguma
Seems like the kannushi isn't going to get in our way, so things are going pretty well for us.
Hoshiguma
Let's take it easy. Why not go over to the omikuji section for a break, while I look around the place?
Momoka
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'...
Momoka
Hoshiguma-san, Hoshiguma-san!
Hoshiguma
What's up?
Momoka
It's bad!
Hoshiguma
You got a 'dai-kyou'?
Momoka
No, a 'sue-kichi'—no, I didn't mean that! I mean, I heard something!
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?
Momoka
So, in the end... It was 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?
Momoka
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?
Kichisei
Momoka, do you want me to lure the priest away? Or—
Momoka
No, it's alright. The person we're looking for—no, the 'kami' we're looking for is right here.
Nosy Kami
Relax, I'm already right before your eyes. No more running for me.
Nosy Kami
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.
You couldn't even catch a girl scared out of her wits at the mere mention of a kaidan?
Yakuza Members
......
Mifune
Silent, are you? We're all family here, we can laugh all this off, yes?
Bold Yakuza
That's not it, Oyabun!
Bold Yakuza
She was with that Ao-Oni, and we weren't strong enough...
Mifune
Weren't strong enough?
Mifune takes a fierce step forward, face nearly coming into contact with the bold yakuza.
Mifune
Colluding with Tessai to obstruct Kajimachi's development, disobeying my orders, and fleeing without permission. Even, getting mixed up with that individual...
Mifune
Do you think you could get off just saying you weren't strong enough?
Bold Yakuza
Oyabun, I... I...
Mifune
Do you know what happened to Takehiko?
Bold Yakuza
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...
Mifune
And who truly killed him? Was it me?
Bold Yakuza
Of course it was that old bastard Tessai, he—
Mifune
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.
Bold Yakuza
Are those k-koban coins?
Mifune
I found these in a drawer. Pick them up. They're yours now.
Bold Yakuza
Arigatou, Oyabun! But what for...?
Mifune
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?
Prudent Ninja
Oyabun.
Mifune
Speak.
Prudent Ninja
Our people went northward from Nita Street and located Momoka and Hoshiguma... inside the shrine.
Mifune
Do you hear that? The ninja I personally cultivated are more capable than you lot. Learn from them, all of you.
Yakuza Members
......
Mifune
The shrine, eh?
Prudent Ninja
Yes.
Mifune
A shrine. Sacred ground, unsullied land. No one will be happy if trouble occurs there.
Prudent Ninja
You mean...?
Mifune
Take this useless bunch and surround the place. But be discreet—just make sure there is no way out.
Mifune
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.
Prudent Ninja
Then the clergy inside...
Mifune
The clergy? We can't touch them yet.
Prudent Ninja
Understood.
Mifune
Go. I have guests to see.
Tetsuya
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.
Tetsuya
The guys who just left...
Mifune
Same slackers as always. You're the hardest worker I've got.
Mifune
Enough about them. How was your visit home?
Tetsuya
The Old Man... is the same as he ever was.
Mifune
Don't feel bad.
Mifune
I remember where you were only this tall, standing in-between your parents as they linked hands with you...
Mifune
*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...
Tetsuya
Mifune-san, there's no need to compliment my father. Being chairman for too long has robbed him of all human emotion.
Mifune
That can't be. The bond between parent and child is stronger than any other tie.
Mifune
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.
Mifune
But this Northern Court spy incident may prove to be an opportunity.
Tetsuya
You mean...?
Mifune
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.
Mifune
And it just so happens I have the latest intelligence in my hands.
Tetsuya
Tell me, please! No matter where the spy is, I'll root him out!
Mifune
This spy... is in Kajimachi, and is highly likely to be related to the so-called Haunted House.
Tetsuya
No way... Hoshiguma-san?
Mifune
She—no, she has nothing to do with this, only returned here by chance.
Tetsuya
But I can't get in there, if she stops me...
Mifune
Simply go in when she's away. Kajimachi is a big town after all, and finding any additional clues will be good. Go!
Tetsuya
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.
