Reincarnated as a Child
'Ojou, now that Michiru inherited your job, now's your chance to go to heaven.'
This was what was said to Ai by Wanyuudou when her three assistants talked to her the day after Sagae Michiru, now Enma Michiru succeeded her.
'420 years...that's how long you hung on. But you don't have to do this anymore.' said Hone Onna. 'We talked about this last night.'
'Your parents are released from captivity in Hell...that was what you wanted long ago, right? Weren't they released 16 years ago?' Ichimokuren piped up.
'...what brought this on?' Ai asked her assistants who have been with her for centuries.
'We have seen many sins. Many grudges. 400 years you ferried many souls to hell...be they sinner and client alike.' said Wanyuudou. 'But its OK now right?'
'We can tell Michiru won't screw up like Yuzuki did, but we don't know how long she'll do well before you're forced back in.' said Ichimokuren. 'Go...while you still have the chance. Be free, ojou.'
Such were their hopeful urgings. Even though their hearts broke alongside hers as they've seen too much themselves.
'Then what will you guys do?'
'Being youkai, we'll be around till end of time...I'm a spirit of a wheel. Ren's a katana and Hone Onna's empowered by women's grudges...unless someone kills us, we can't move on ourselves.' said Wanyuudou. 'Even if we die, there's no heaven for me and Ren. Hone Onna can pass on as long as souls that formed her lets go before she herself passes on.'
'I can't anyway as long as Geisha and Maiko exist.' said Hone Onna dryly. 'Thank goodness Oiran and Tayu are gone from Hanamachi and no longer exist, but as long as my profession and relations to it exists, I can't pass on.' she said, shaking her head. 'The culture must die out before I'm free. Until then I'm chained down here. So I'll hang around these guys until then. Should such a future come, I'll become an Onryo like ojou and then I can let go and pass on myself.' she said. 'That's why Ojou, hurry before you're trapped again. Now's your chance.'
Ai thought about it.
Since Michiru agreed to succeed her, her powers as Hell Girl moved to Michiru, losing a large chunk of her powers. Her red eyes have become brown again.
Go to heaven...and be truly free. And see her parents again.
'...to rest huh? We've all worked too hard.' she said as she let go, her form slowly dissolving. 'We should go take a break...' and she was gone.
'There she goes...finally free.' said Ichimokuren as Ai's spirit vanished for good. They were happy Ai is finally free.
'She's earned it.' said Hone Onna. 'She can be reborn and live a normal life. She repressed herself for so long as emotions are forbidden in being a Hell Girl. Its a cruel shackle. Young girls should be free like other girls.'
xxx
It wasn't heaven.
She reincarnated into a new life, actually. So the heaven people actually talk of, is a new life elsewhere.
Hell certainly exists. To torment you until you repent for your sins, before you're let go when you repented.
Her new life, is a medieval world in another world. Because humans can't have naturally-blue or green hair!
She was reincarnated as a dying girl named Myne. A girl tormented with her own power.
And as a peasant, peasants are understandably UNEDUCATED thus they won't have a clue about magic to begin with.
And because Myne had no way of knowing how to handle it, she was slowly being killed by her own power and die Myne did, enabling Ai to replace her.
And Ai who knows how to use magic, saved the poor girl from her torment by using that very power to heal the girl's body, and using people's knowledge about outside the city, released her excess mana there to grow a lot of wild edibles in a large amount of land, leaving only enough power for herself to go back home, becoming entirely spent for real, no energy left.
Satisfied with nighttime's activity, she went back to sleep, unaware of the ruckus she made.
xxx
In the Temple, they sensed massive mana output outside the city.
News reached the Noble's Quarters and the Aub, Sylvester Ehrenfest mobilized the Knight Order to investigate that massive outburst outside the city by South Gate...
What they found was tall, green grass about two feet tall, and trees and shrubs went ripe with fruit and mushrooms sprouted.
That's a good thing and all, but there's Trombe! They have to destroy it quickly!
Phew...
So now they're looking for ANYONE with such power using their magic tools, but Myne never came up their radar...because she was totally spent.
xxx
Next morning...
"...I have a lot to think about." Ai, or rather, Myne thought, her expression melancholy.
Its been so long since she was able to express her feelings.
She has what remains of Myne's memories it'll be weird if a once happy girl became suddenly melancholic and somber.
It'll take some time getting used to...
The original Myne was self-centered and an unhappy child who was tormented every day by her illness and jealous of her sister's healthy body thus gets to have fun while she's stuck in bed all her life and used to throw tantrums. Because of her poor health, she didn't participate in neighborhood social events, and the local children rarely saw her. She'll have to slowly adjust.
Her father was a quiet man who has weak legs, so he makes everyone waraji to wear and craftsman work because he can't farm. Her mother does womanly activities with other women so everyone has clothes to wear and was her teacher...until she had to be hidden in the mountains to avoid being sacrificed.
Now, her new parents are cheerfully-expressive doting, loving parents to their daughters, while struggling with their youngest's torment over her illness that won't go away, but tried making things normal to avoid having a sad home life.
Tuuli is practical, caring, and responsible young girl. Growing up, others in their neighborhood trust her to look after younger children when they make trips into the nearby forest for supplies. She is a year older than Myne.
Out of six pregnancies, only these girls survived and lived as kids.
They can never replace her parents, but she'll try caring for them too because they genuinely loved their daughters.
But still...
...how can they live in such a filthy place?!
It's so bad that it stinks.
She looked around.
An originally-white ceiling, but stained black with soot. Some number of thick, black beams hold it up, across which a spider has build an enormous web.
Just from the architectural style of the ceiling, this isn't a Japanese-style building, it's Western. Furthermore, it's not a modern, steel-framed construction, but something much older.
The bed she's on is hard, made of wood. It has some kind of cushion made of a prickly material. Through the dirty cloth that covers it has a weird smell. On top of that, the bedding is so dirty. Even her new body is so dirty. Don't these people know how to take a bath or do the laundry?!
They have a sick child at home yet don't clean?
Oh yeah, they don't have time to.
Work hours are demanding. And they are so poor they need to work extra hours, and even Tuuli, Myne's older sister forages outside for free food and firewood.
Her father works as Captain of the South Gate. His salary is 100000 rions. Her mother who has a fabric-dyeing job earns 60000. And given the price of market goods, yes, they're POOR. If a fruit alone is 30 lion...with a salary of 160000 rions, it will not last long.
Soon, mother came.
Originally, she spoke in a foreign language, until memories of Myne helped her translate.
'Myne, are you all right? You didn't wake up for the longest time! I was starting to get worried.' said Effa, her mother worriedly before gently stroking her head.
'I'm alright...I think.' Myne told her new mother. 'Where is dad and Tuuli?'
'Tuuli is helping me cook dinner and dad will be a bit late...something happened outside South Gate.' said Effa. 'They're cleaning up something he's not allowed to tell family by his superiors. Tuuli and other kids can't forage either today.'
'Oh...'
'Can you try eating today?'
Because she's fully-healed, she can!
'I think I can...'
'Try eating more alright? Your illness made you hurt every swallow of food so you're smaller than normal five year olds...'
Well, malnourishment causes stunted growth after all...
Little did the reincarnate know that she'll have to adjust to being poor. Again.
It goes without saying she did not miss poverty. At all.