The Sealing
Diego Magallona

Prologue

31 October, 1884, 17th Year of Meiji, Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office Headquarters, Tokyo.

"Colonel Fukazawa," one of the Imperial Guards called. Colonel Saito Fukazawa stood up from his bench in the park outside the headquarters, and walked toward the door to General Yamagata's building. Yamagata was one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Army, and he was the current Chief of the Army General Staff.

The white headquarters was surrounded by grass parks with pathways where Imperial Guards made their rounds. There were many officers in and around the office as usual.

Saito, followed by a young officer, followed the Imperial Guard into the headquarters, where they removed their hats, and sat in another waiting bench. Saito was thirty-four years old. He had black hair and brown eyes, a clean-shaved upper lip and a small beard on his chin. The younger, brown-haired officer reached into his bag and brought out a book to read. Saito was just looking around the large room, thinking.


As far as records were concerned, Colonel Saito and his organization were non-existent, and so was the Shogunate-controlled counterpart that Saito's organization was based upon. Saito was the leader of the Teikoku-Youkai-Kujotai, the 'Imperial Youkai Extermination Corps,' whose objectives are to cleanse Japan of its Youkai, supernatural beings, whether they are ghosts, beasts, demons, or the like. Saito is the commander of this corps, though to call it a corps is lunacy, as the Kujotai were only fifty men, 12 officers and the rest enlisted men, spread throughout all arms of the Imperial Japanese Military, not even enough to be called a company.

Saito was a veteran of the Boshin War and the Satsuma Rebellion. In the Boshin War, he served as a junior officer fighting for the Imperial Forces to overthrow the Shogunate. It was during the Fall of Edo where he discovered the only records of the Tokugawa Shogunate's Youkai Extermination Squads; hundreds, and sometimes thousands of soldiers were deployed to hunt Youkai all over the Japanese islands.

He was only a lieutenant of eighteen years then. Saito thought it was all madness; a power-trip of a shogunate that had ruled for too long and gone insane. Saigo Takamori, the general who led the Imperial forces that captured Edo, the city that was renamed Tokyo soon afterwards, thought otherwise when he was presented with the documents. Takamori established the Kujotai afterwards, with himself as the commander, to finish the work that the Shogunate started. Saito, however, would not be a part of the secret organization until after the Satsuma rebellion.

During this rebellion, Takamori rose up against the Imperial Forces. When Takamori was defeated and committed suicide, General Yamagata offered twenty-seven year old Saito a promotion to Colonel and command of the Kujotai. To be part of the Kujotai, a soldier must voluntarily accept an offer to join, as to be part of the Kujotai is to be erased from existence; from the moment you are accepted, your life will be dedicated to Youkai extermination, until death of all Youkai, or yourself, not something to be taken lightly.

By the time Saito assumed command, however, the Kujotai was a shadow of its former self, and perhaps an embarrassment to the Shogunate organization it was based upon. By the 19th century, Youkai rarely ever threatened the domain of humans. Humans were becoming more and more dangerous, and by Saito's time, even strange sightings were rare.

But Saito had something that would explain all of that. The Youkai were still alive, still numerous, and still dangerous. Saito just didn't know where to look, until now.


The Imperial Guard called Saito again, so he stood up and fixed his uniform. The young officer was still sitting down, reading his book. He looked so absorbed by it, and Saito couldn't just nudge him out of it.

"Lieutenant Morichika," Saito called to him, spurring the young man up to his feet.

"Yes, sir, sorry sir," he replied, putting the book back into the bag.

"General Yamagata has many things to do. We mustn't keep him waiting," Saito told the lieutenant.

The Guardsman led the two up the stairs and through the hallway to the office of General Yamagata. The Imperial Guardsman opened the door to let Colonel Saito and Lieutenant Morichika inside.

General Yamagata was seated on his desk. Saito deduced that by the look of his desk, he had cleared it to make room, knowing Saito would bring various maps and documents like he always did.

"Ahh, Colonel Saito Fukuzawa," the general addressed, "and who is your subordinate?"

"Lieutenant Hayato Morichika, general, sir," the lieutenant replied before bowing.

"Good to meet you, Lieutenant Morichika. Please, sit, the both of you," the general offered. Saito and Hayato both sat down opposite each other, across Yamagata's table.

"I believe you already know why we are here, general," Saito started.

"Of course," replied Yamagata, "You need soldiers for an action against Youkai. It's been a while since your last request, Saito, but since the success of that last raid, I'll gladly supply you with some soldiers."

"Thank you, general," said Saito, "We will need two infantry regiments; three, if you are able, plus some cavalry, and five batteries of artillery as well."

"Two regiments?!" Yamagata coughed, seeming a little angry, "You've never asked for that many before, Saito, and as of late, the Youkai numbers have been diminishing. What threat could possibly convince me to derail two entire regiments and their horse and artillery batteries from their stations? That's over 4000 men, Saito."

"I'm sorry, general. I should have informed you of the threat more. I was hoping to save time by saving you from the details. Lieutenant, bring out the maps please."

"Hmph," Yamagata said, "for a moment I was hoping that this was a sick joke. I could have forgiven you then, but now that I know you're serious, what is the threat?"


"Youkai appearances and attacks have been dwindling over the centuries, especially so these past few decades." Saito paused a moment.

"This is because Youkai were originally substantiated by the superstitious beliefs and fears of ancient humans, something that is rare in the world today. Youkai are very powerful, without a doubt, but as of late, all the new world has taught us has caused superstition to fade away. Without fear to fuel them, they have less incentive to attack. With our technological advancement and new weapons, we have become as much a threat to them as they are to us."

"Youkai have no more place in our new world, and they have been slipping away."

Yamagata touched his moustache, "To where?" he asked.

"Good question, general. They aren't slipping out of existence; they are slipping away to a hiding place. All of them are massing in one place, and that's what makes it so dangerous."

Hayato spread on the desk a map Honshu, the main island of Japan. The entirety of the Yatsugatake mountain range was encircled in red.

"You may not believe this, general, but I will say it anyway," Saito continued, "That area encircled is not what we think it is. Do you know the legend of Mount Yatsugatake?"

Yamagata nodded and answered, "Yes. Mount Yatsugatake was once taller than Mount Fuji, but Konohana-Sakuyahime, goddess of Mount Fuji, was jealous of Yatsugatake, so she struck it down, creating the range of smaller mountains we call the Yatsugatake Mountains."

"Correct, general," Saito told him, "but that isn't true at all. The Yatsugatake Mountains are not really there. Mount Yatsugatake still stands."

"What do you mean?"

"The Shogunate's Youkai Extermination forces had their own record of the place. Sometime before the Boshin War, while sweeping the area around the mountains for Youkai, they stumbled upon a village called Mayoiga. It was thought at first that the soldiers were having hallucinations of the mountains changing shapes and sizes, but it was then discovered that Mayoiga was directly on a magical field dome. When they delved deeper, they found that the entire Yatsugatake range was an illusion, and when you walked through the veil, you could see the true area:

"Instead of a mountain range, it was a valley; only the mountains on the edges were real. The Shogunate soldiers describe the area having wide grass fields and some hills in the area directly beyond Mayoiga. Beyond that were large forests, and in the middle, dominating the valley was Mount Yatsugatake itself."

"So, the Youkai were hiding there?" said General Yamagata, "Why didn't the Shogunate annihilate them?"


Saito shook his head, "They were assembling a force large enough to deal with all the Youkai inside, but then the Battle of Toba-Fushimi happened, and all armed forces of the Shogunate were set to battling us Imperials instead."

"And it is that easy to enter the valley?"

"Entering the valley is the easy part. Before that, however, we have to find Mayoiga, the only known entrance. I'm certain some people in Nagano or Yamanashi would know it. I intend to go there in advance with some of the Kujotai and find the village, and then move into the valley with all our forces and destroy the Youkai inside."

"How many Youkai are you expecting, Colonel?" Yamagata asked.

"The Shogunate's records say that it is possible that large numbers of Oni, Tengu, and Kappa are living in, around, and on the mountain, and that they are a united civilization. Other than that, more feral Youkai, estimated to be in the thousands, are all around the valley. The organized and more advanced Youkai living on the mountain will be the greatest threat. Youkai are not without technology and magic to fight with, especially the more intelligent forms. I am confident in our ability to systematically destroy the other Youkai around the mountain with relative ease."

"Are there humans in that valley?"

"Most likely, and they will probably help us."

"And you expect me to believe all of this?"

"I know you do, general. You saw the Oni we killed several years ago, and don't forget the blasted Nue that killed two of your guards before we put it down. And who could forget the Funa-yurei that almost sunk my ship? The Satori we executed? You know they're real, general.

After looking over the maps and talking about plans for battle for another few minutes, Yamagata said to the two, "I'm afraid it would be too difficult to keep this operation clandestine, Saito. Two whole regiments moving to that area during peacetime? It's too suspicious. I can't do it."

"General, please. These are most likely the last Youkai in existence. If we could just—"

"No, Saito. If the Youkai are running and hiding from us, then we have already won. Let them rot there for the rest of eternity. This operation is too big a risk to the army and the government. It's impossible to hide or cover up the troop movements and potential casualties. I'll admit, that's quite close to the capital, but it isn't worth the risk."

Saito put his head down for a moment. How could Yamagata decline him now, after believing in him for the past few years?


Just then, a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," Yamagata said. An Imperial Guard Officer walked into the room and saluted the general before walking over to the desk. Hayato rolled the map to cover it from the officer's eyes. After giving the letter, the officer quickly exited the room.

"What is it, general?" Saito asked as he opened and read the letter.

"The gods seem to believe in your mission, Colonel Saito," Yamagata told him as he shook his head.

"General, sir?" Saito asked again.

"There's a massive peasant uprising. There are thousands of them, and they have guns, swords, and other weapons. They're making short work of the police forces in that area. I'll need to send army troops into the area soon."

Now Saito knew what the general meant earlier. He smiled, and asked, "Where is this 'area,' exactly, general?"

"Chichibu, in the Saitama Prefecture."

Saito managed a short laugh. "There's your cover-up, general. Chichibu is very close to the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Naturally, as we destroy the uprising, they'll be pushed to the foot of the mountains, where we can begin our search."

"Alright, then," Yamagata told the two, "I approve of your operation, and giving you full command of two regiments, and additionally, all their horse, and their artillery batteries for it."

"Thank you, general. We will not fail you," Saito told him as he and Hayato stood up.

"Before you go," the general said to them, "I must remind you that before you go searching for that entrance, your priority is to destroy this rebellion. The army puts threats to the sovereignty before hunting down demons."

"Of course, General Yamagata; you know me well enough. I've never failed Japan before, and I don't intend to fail it now."

"This valley, Saito," the general said to him, "does it have a name?"

Saito turned to Hayato, and said, "It has one, but it seems to have slipped from my tongue."

Hayato took out a notebook from his bag, and started flipping pages, until he came across a page somewhere in the middle. He looked at the general and said, "It's here."

"What's it called?"

"Gensokyo."