Five travelers slowly climbed a narrow path that wound up the Hida mountains, almost invisible among the forests that covered the hillside.
Three of the party were mounted on horseback. Two of them led the party: a middle-aged, shaven-headed Samurai riding with his two swords at his belt. At his side rode a man in his early 30s wearing an elegant traveling suit and a wide hat to protect him from the sun and rain. Behind them was a two-wheeled cart pulled by an ox, guided by the third member of the group. On the cart, covered with tarpaulins that protected some of the goods from the rain and sun, sat a young girl of about 20 years old, dressed in thick, good quality clothes. Closing the procession was the third rider, about 35 years old, walking behind the cart. He was dressed in more modest clothes than the other civilian rider or the woman, but his clothes showed a degree of status nonetheless.
The girl looked boredly at the endless landscape of trees. After a long moment of silence, she again asked the civilian rider in front of her.
"Are we there yet, brother? Dad said this would be a short trip."
The rider merely gave a loud sigh to express his dissatisfaction with the insistent question.
"Kiyo, I told you: this is not just a day ride..."
"But daddy said..."
The rider stopped his horse abruptly, and turned it around, surprising the whole group, to face the girl.
"Kiyo! This is a business-trip! If Father agreed to let you come with us, it's because you need to start seeing how the family business works. This is not a sightseeing trip. Do you understand?"
The whole group stared at the girl, waiting for her response. She turned away, blushing and pouting. She mumbled back.
"It's okay, I won't ask again, Jisuke-kun..."
The girl's face was so red that in the end all the men burst out laughing.
The Samurai could not conceal a look of contempt at the spoiled girl. He looked at the girl's brother and spoke to him in an authoritative manner.
"Kusakabe-san, my father always said that a woman's place is at her house. I don't think any good will come out of bringing women on a trip like this. Why don't you send her away and send her back to her home in Takayama?"
Jisuke was surprised at the peremptoriness of the suggestion. He was discomposed for a couple of seconds, but in the end, he regained his composure, looked down, and spoke politely to the Samurai.
"Takeda-sama, I thank you for your suggestion, and I thank the Daimyo for sending you to protect our retinue. But I ask that you please consent to my father's request that Kiyo accompany us on this journey."
The Samurai looked at the leader of the group, then at his sister, and the other two employees, weighing Jisuke Kusakabe's words. Somewhat reluctantly, he shrugged his shoulders and replied without much encouragement.
"My lord asked me to accompany you because of the letter that the Daimyo entrusted to you and that you are to deliver to the Itomori Shrine..."
The Samurai turned his horse and stared at the other three travelers for a couple of seconds.
"...but you are taking advantage of this trip to transport goods and go about your business; that is outside of what I was asked for. I am responsible for taking care of you and your life as the bearer of that letter, but I will not be responsible for the contents of that wagon or for the safety of your family. This area is not too dangerous, but if thugs appear on the road, whatever happens to them will be on your head."
Jisuke looked down and ducked his head sharply, but spoke in a firm, confident voice.
"I understand, Takeda-sama. Thank you for your protection."
The Samurai looked satisfied at the merchant's submission, turned his horse, and resumed advancing down the road.
Jisuke kept his head down for a short time, then sat up and looked at his sister, speaking to her in a lower, but deeply reproachful tone.
"Now be patient, Kiyo, enjoy the scenery and don't bother the party again."
"Yes, brother," replied the girl, embarrassed by the course her impatience had taken.
Jisuke looked at the other two men, who had been silent the entire time, observing the scene.
"Masao, Tetsuo, let's go on. If we hurry up, we can reach Itomori this evening", firmly ordered Jisuke to his two subordinates, who immediately nodded and set off.
"I want us to reach Miyamizu Shrine this very day. I would not be happy to have to camp along the way."
The men started walking to catch up with the Samurai's horse, which was already about thirty meters ahead of them and continued to walk quietly along the road, without looking back.
The third rider rode ahead of the chariot and approached Jisuke, speaking to him in a veiled manner.
"Jisuke-sama, I don't agree with that Samurai treating us like that, but we need his protection. Are you sure you want us to continue? If you stop for a few hours, I could take Kiyo-sama on horseback back to his home, and then I could catch up with you."
"No, Masao, we must obey Father's orders. He ordered her to come and so we will."
Jisuke bowed to the rider, but looking slyly back at his sister, who after the incident was going on sorrowfully, staring at her feet.
"Besides, I think she needs to know the life we have to lead. She has always received everything at home like a princess, while we men of the Kusakabe family have to break our backs to do business and bring money for the family. If the journey is hard, it will be a lesson that will serve her for life."
"So, it shall be done then, Jisuke-sama," Masao replied, respectfully, and turned his horse to return to the rear escort position, scanning the path through the trees again, looking for any threats.
Jisuke continued to walk ahead of the cart, at the speed of an ox. Looking ahead he saw that Kaneda-san had stopped on the road, waiting for them, looking impatient. He could not help but feel helpless at being slighted for being a merchant. The Samurai looked down on them, as if they were a burden to society; the peasants and artisans were not far behind, for they always dealt with his family with distrust, as if they were going to swindle them at any moment. No, they were an honorable and hard-working family. They deserved much more respect, Jisuke thought. He hurried his horse to catch up with the Samurai and catch up with him.
The only sound for a long time were the footsteps of horses, the squeaking of wagon wheels, and the chirping of birds among the trees watching the silent procession pass by.
§
By noon the smoke of incense filled the prayer pavilion of the Miyamizu Shrine. Hiroshi and Keitaro Miyamizu had been in a long closed-door ceremony for hours, raising prayers to Shitori-no-Kami, requestion the Shrine's God for protection and health for the birth of the baby and the life of his mother, Kyomi.
Hiroshi, wearing the traditional white suit and black Shinto hat, recited the healing prayer with closed eyes and leaning forward, kneeling in front of the incense altar, holding the wooden Shaku paddle in his hands. Each time he finished, he would bow twice deeply, sit up, while Keitaro, similarly dressed and seated to his left, played the ritual drum. Then Hiroshi would return to Keitaro's side, taking the flute, while Keitaro would stand up and take the stick with the white paper strips and perform the ritual dance to attract the Kami's attention. Then he would sit down and take the sheet with the healing prayer, reading it in litany while now Hiroshi played the drum...
They had been repeating the ceremony over and over, tirelessly. But after finishing the fifth repetition, both men looked at each other, and without further words stopped to rest.
Although he was resting, Hiroshi's mind was still pleading for the life of his wife and the unborn child. The anguish of waiting did not leave him. His thoughts were only interrupted when Keitaro spoke to him after a long moment of silence.
"Brother, I think we've done all we can here. It's time for us to leave. It's already past lunchtime. We should eat something and go see your wife."
"Yes, I think you're right."
Hiroshi stood up heavily, and began to tidy up the prayer hall, carrying the drum, flute, and other utensils they had used to where they were stored on the walls of the hall. Keitaro collected the sheets of rice paper with the prayers they had been reciting all morning and returned them to the shrine's library room.
"She's going to be alright, isn't she? -Hiroshi said suddenly, standing motionless in front of the drum he had just left against the wall, his eyes lost in the horizon of his own thoughts."
"She's going to be. We must trust Shitori-no-Kami. He sees farther than the here and now, his threads reach everywhere and nothing happens without him knowing. Hiroshi, we must trust. We must trust."
"I..."
The sound of footsteps outside the door stopped Hiroshi's words, who looked anxiously in that direction. He felt an icy coldness envelop him because of a sudden nervousness.
The silhouette of a woman was drawn in the clear paper of the door, which slid open to reveal one of the shrine's Miko maidens. She entered quickly taking a few steps inside, and knelt in a bow before the priests.
"Hiroshi-sama, the baby was born. It is a boy."
Hiroshi gaped, feeling the cold he had just felt begin to be replaced by the warmth of relief. He began to laugh in happiness, as Keitaro reached over and first punched him on the shoulder, then hugged him, also laughing.
"It's a boy, it's a boy! Now I'm a father of a boy!" finally managed Hiroshi to say with laughter, dumbfounded.
"I told you, Hiroshi, everything is going to be alright, brother."
But suddenly Hiroshi realized that the maiden was still kneeling, with her head down, not daring to look at them, with her face in sorrow. The laughter was suddenly wiped off his face.
Keitaro looked at him quizzically for a second, then turned to the maiden, quizzical.
"Hana-san, did everything go well? How is Kyomi?" asked Hiroshi, unable to hide the fear in his voice.
The young girl looked up for a second, but then looked back down at the ground, not daring to finish the news.
"Hana, how is Kyomi, is she...? Hana, tell me what's wrong!"
"Hiroshi-sama, she is alive, but she is very weak. She lost so much blood having the baby, I thought that she... that she..."
"Is she conscious?"
The girl nodded, weakly.
"Narumi-san said she had barely made it. If it had been a little longer, or if she had lost more blood, she would have... died. But she made it, Kaisho, she made it!"
The girl raised her head. Tears were streaming down her face, showing the fear and anguish she had felt assisting her mistress.
"Narumi-san asked me to let you know and that she needs you to come to see her right away."
Hiroshi felt the joy he had felt overwhelmed by the fear he now felt for Kyomi's health. Keitaro's hand moving his shoulder made him react.
"Come on, Hiroshi, go immediately to see her. I'll finish arranging everything here."
Hiroshi looked at his brother-in-law and with a small nod of his head he said goodbye and left walking as fast as his legs would carry him, but trying to keep his composure as he was dressed in his Shinto ceremonial dress, although inside he wanted to run like a kid to reach as soon as possible the building where his wife and new son were waiting.
«Kyomi, please don't leave me, you have to resist, you have to resist» was the litany that invaded his mind every step.
In less than two minutes he reached the room where Kyomi was, huffing. He flung open the door, and was met head on by a startled maid who was just walking towards the door, carrying several wet and bloody clothes in a basket.
"Kaisho!" shouted the woman at the sudden appearance of the high priest. But she quickly made a small bow, ducking her head and retreating to the side to give him passage.
Hiroshi stood staring at the bloody cloth, until a shout from Kaori brought him out of his reverie.
"Dad!"
He looked in the direction of the scream. He saw Kaori running towards him, arms outstretched to embrace him. She almost collided with him jumping into his arms, laughing.
"Daddy, now I have a baby brother! He's beautiful! Come, come and see him, come and see him!"
From the back of the room Kyomi watched him, lying on cushions against the wall, and covered with a futon, surrounded by Mrs. Narumi and Hanako.
Hanako was holding a small bundle of cloth in her arms, which emitted a loud baby whimper, and a tiny hand peeked through the cloth.
Hiroshi felt some relief to see his wife better than he expected. He approached, leading Kaori by the hand. But as he got closer, he saw that Kyomi was extremely pale, her eyes were very sunken and deep black circles surrounded her eyes. Her lips, always brushed, now had a purplish tint.
"Darling, now you have a son," said Kyomi in a weak voice.
"You just made me the happiest man in the world, my love," said Hiroshi, coming to her side and taking Kyomi's weakly raised hand. He felt it was very cold.
Hiroshi bent down to her and placed a kiss on her forehead, and tidied her hair.
"I thought I wouldn't make it..." said Kyomi, commiserating. "It was harder than with the girls."
"The important thing is that you made it, and you're with us. That's the important thing," said Hiroshi caressing his wife's cheek.
Mrs. Narumi approached Kyomi from the other side, and took her other hand, caressing it.
"My lady, you must rest now. I will go get miso soup for you. You must drink plenty of liquid to regain your strength and energy."
The old woman stood up and went out in the direction of the kitchen, leaving only the Miyamizu family in the room.
"I was very frightened for you, my dear; we were praying for you all morning. I think Musubi heard our prayers."
"Yes, darling, he heard you. He always listens to you."
"Dad, do you want to meet the baby?", said Hanako, coming to Hiroshi's side.
"Yes, of course I do!"
Hiroshi sat up and stretched out his arms to his daughter, who carefully deposited the small bundle of cloth she held in his arms. There lay a pink baby, eyes still half-closed, somewhat sleepy.
"He is beautiful. Hello son, I am your father, you are going to be in my care for a long time, you are going to be a Miyamizu priest like your father, right, my child?"
"And I can teach you to dance, just like mom taught me," said Kaori, clapping her hands with joy.
"Only maidens dance, Kaori. I'll teach him to play the drum and flutes, so you can dance," said Hiroshi with a smile.
"What shall we name him, Hiroshi?" asked Kyomi, with a tired smile.
Hiroshi looked at the child. He was calm, despite the long hours of struggle to be born that he had faced.
"You are a strong baby, strong as a big tree. You fought to be born until you made it. I think we should call you Toshiki."
"And what does it mean, daddy?" asked Kaori with eyes full of curiosity.
Hiroshi settled the baby in his left arm, to free his right hand, and motioned Kaori to come closer.
"Hold out your hand."
The girl obeyed and put her palms up.
"This kanji is 'Toshi'," said Hiroshi as he wrote with his index finger like an imaginary brush on Kaori's palm. "And it means strong. And 'ki' as in tree, and..."
"Yes, yes daddy, I know that one, look."
The girl took Hiroshi's right hand and put her palm up, and then wrote with her finger just as her father had done.
"Like this and... like this, right?"
"I think you did well, Kaori. That's ki, 'tree'."
"Miyamizu Toshiki. I think it's a great name, darling, I like it," said Kyomy, weakly. "I feel that name will be very important. And this child will be very important too."
The baby in Hiroshi's arms suddenly began to stir and shake, and burst into tears.
"Shhh, now, calm down," tried Hiroshi to soothe him. "Calm down, Toshiki."
But the baby continued to cry more and more stridently.
"Darling, I think he must be hungry, it's better to breastfeed him."
"Do you have the strength for that?"
"I don't know, but I'm the only one who can."
Kyomi tried to get up to sit more on the cushions, but a rictus of pain furrowed her face, and after two attempts, she couldn't even move more than a few centimeters.
"Wait, don't strain!" complained Hiroshi to his wife, still holding the baby on his arms. "Kaori, come and hold your brother for a second."
The girl stretched out her arms and carefully took the baby from her father's arms.
"That's right, careful, don't drop him."
Then Hiroshi stood up and approached his wife beside her.
"Careful, my dear, I'm going to take you under your arm to lift you up a little. Hanako, come! When I lift her up, arrange the cushions to make her more comfortable."
With some effort Hiroshi lifted his wife, who could not help but give a loud groan of pain as she was lifted. Hanako rearranged the cushions, and her mother was much more seated.
"That's better," finally said Kyomi, a little shaken and her voice a little broken. "Kaori, give me the baby."
The baby was still crying, but as soon as Kyomi put him to her breast, the baby began to eagerly seek her nipple, and began to suck greedily, soothing himself. Kaori and Hanako were transfixed watching the scene, as if mesmerized by the spectacle.
Hiroshi decided it was best to leave her alone for a while, but realized that, if she was also giving milk to the baby, it would dehydrate his wife even more. He stood up.
"Honey, I'll go get Narumi-san to hurry up the soup she promised you. You have to get your strength back and feed the baby as well. Girls, take care of your mother while I go back, and then I won't move from here."
"You can't do that, Hiroshi," said Kyomi, in a sad voice.
"What? Don't you want me to be with you?"
"It's what I want most, but, now that you have a son, I think all the more reason for you to return the shoemaker' son to his family, as you promised..."
"Kyomi, that's not important now, I-"
"My darling!" interrupted Kyomi, putting all the strength she had in her voice. "I know what happened last night with that boy is difficult, but nothing happens by chance. That our daughter met Mayugorô-san is something that was destined to happen, and we now have to fulfill the role that the gods have assigned to us."
"Des-tined?" repeated Hiroshi with fear in his voice. "Did you... dream something?"
"No, I... I did not. But I know that him being a Mayugorô means that there are things coming that are destined to happen, and it is a destiny we the Miyamizu will have to face. I have known it for a long time. Now, we can only trust Musubi."
"Ah, that boy, Mayugorô Goro, what should we do with him?" said Hiroshi with a tired voice.
Hanako heard that conversation about her beloved and made her turn pale. She took a couple of steps forward towards his father. The maelstrom of recent events with her mother had made her forget the subject, but Goro was still locked in the shrine. She felt she had to do something. All the anguish of previous night engulfed her in a couple of heartbeats.
"Dad! Let me see him!" said Hanako on a rush, without being able to control herself anymore.
"Hanako, this is not the time for such requests, stay with your mother."
"Dad, please! I promise I will take care of mom, but I need to see him and know he is well."
"No, Hanako. Understand, you will make a commitment to the son of an honorable family. You can't waste any more of your time or stain your honor with that son of a craftsman."
Hanako felt her chest ache. Having stayed up all night helping her mother had taken its toll. She no longer had the energy to fight with her father. She just fell to her knees, sobbing.
"It's not fair... it's not fair! It's... not... fair..."
Hiroshi only sighed, and looked sadly at his daughter. It hurt him to have to see her suffer like this.
"I'll go get that soup now. Take care of your mother."
As he left the room, he kept hearing Hanako's wailing, repeating "it's not fair" over and over again. Even though he was already far away from the room he stopped hearing it. The phrase "it's not fair" kept haunting his mind. What was fair? What would he have to do with that boy?
§
"Hiroshi-sama! What are you doing here?" asked Mrs. Narumi in surprise when she saw Hiroshi enter the communal kitchen.
"Kyomi is breast feeding the baby, and I think she needs to recover liquids as soon as possible. I came to see how that miso soup is coming along."
"We were just finishing it. It took me a while to get some red meat and tofu. She needs to recover from all the blood she lost."
"Is she going to be fine?"
Mrs. Narumi's face darkened for a second. She took a deep breath, and looked Hiroshi straight in the eye, trying to choose her words carefully.
"What happened last night and this morning was very difficult. I have seen several women who lost their lives giving birth to a baby that came in the wrong position... Kyomi-sama was lucky in that the baby finally came in position, but the process was very hard. She is exhausted, and to top it off after the baby came out, she kept losing a lot of blood, for a long time. We were able to stop the bleeding, but it weakened her even more..."
"But will she recover?" insisted Hiroshi, worried.
"If she can make it through the next two days without further weakening and fever, she will do. But I've seen women in similar situations who didn't... who didn't have the strength to continue and..."
Mrs. Narumi could no longer look Hiroshi in the face.
"It's okay, I understand. Thank you for helping her. We owe it to your help that we have the baby with us."
"It's the least I could do, Hiroshi-sama. My family has been with the Miyamizu for generations. And I'm happy to see a new generation come into the world."
"And now we also have a Miyamizu boy. His name will be Toshiki. Miyamizu Toshiki."
"Oh, what a beautiful name. Toshiki as in 'outstanding person' and 'brilliant'?"
"No, Toshiki as in 'strong' and 'tree'."
"Ah, I see. That child really had strength to be born. I think it's a name that will honor Miyamizu family."
"But now I'm interested in the child having a mother, so what about that soup?"
"Yes, yes, Hiroshi-sama, excuse me."
Mrs. Narumi turned and clapped her hands twice, drawing the attention of two other women who were working in the kitchen.
"Is the meat already cooked?"
"Yes, Narumi-san, I'm putting it in the soup."
"Well, thank you, pass it to me right away."
Mrs. Narumi approached the women and began to prepare a tray to take away.
"Oh, there is another thing, Narumi-san..." said Hiroshi a little uncomfortable for having to interrupt her. "I need you to prepare Mayugorô's son to take him back home. Kyomi asked me to do it today, and I want to please her and finish that problem."
"Oh, about that..."
"What? Did something happen?"
"Well, a while ago I talked to my husband, and he told me that the boy's mother and one of his sisters came to see him..."
"What? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Well... I didn't know because I was with Kyomi-sama, and you gave orders not to be interrupted in the prayer room, so... my husband consulted with his daughter, with Hanako-san, and they let them see him."
"Ah, that girl is going to kill me!" said Hiroshi closing his eyes and holding the bridge of his nose trying to take a deep breath and control himself.
"And is she still with him?"
"Uh, no, I was told she went back home, but she left the boy's sister with him, taking care of him. Since sometime in the early morning the boy has been running a fever. The wound may not be improving well. A while ago we sent him food and water."
"It can't be, the last thing we need is for that boy to get sick now and die on our hands. All the more reason for us to take him back home today. Please tell Koba-san to get him ready to take him this afternoon. And have him and one of his sons accompany me. I think with them and Keitaro-san we can take care of it; let everyone else at the shrine continue with their usual duties, but also taking care of Kyomi."
"Yes, Hiroshi-sama, it will be done as you order."
§
Past three o'clock in the afternoon, Hiroshi and Keitaro were leading a small group walking down the center of the temple esplanade. Behind them walked Goro Mayugorô, leaning on his sister Sumi to walk. He was closely followed by Mr. Koba and his son Jiro.
The light of two hours before dusk hardly warmed the atmosphere, and the cool wind of the evening affected Goro, who was still feverish, so he walked covering himself with a blanket without being able to avoid shivering at every step, which made his sister look at him with growing concern.
They were almost to the stairs of the temple that descended towards the village of Itomori, when a shout made them stop.
"Goro! Goro!"
The six people turned to see Hanako running after them.
"Hanako, go back to your mother's room at once!" ordered Hiroshi with an angry voice.
But the girl did not listen to reason, she continued to approach trying to reach Goro, but was intercepted by Jiro and Mr. Koba, who held her and stopped her advance. Hanako began to struggle to get away from them, without success.
"No! Let me go! I must see him! Goro!"
Hiroshi turned back and faced his daughter, annoyed, but at the same time hurt by the situation.
"Hanako, don't make this more difficult. I already talked to you and this boy yesterday. And I gave my word that we would take him home today. Now you must go back to your mother."
"No! I must go with him!"
"Obey, Hanako! Now this is in my hands. You must trust me to make the best decision for you and the Miyamizu clan."
"You don't understand, father! He is the one I love!"
The statement fell like a bucket of cold water, leaving everyone present frozen in surprise. For several seconds alone Hanako's uncontrolled gasps were the only thing heard in the place.
Suddenly, behind Hiroshi, Goro approached without anyone noticing, speaking in a voice somewhat broken by weakness.
"Hanako, calm down, I'll fix everything..."
The surprise of his intervention startled Jiro, who let go of Hanako and hit Goro with the back of his hand, throwing him to the floor, while both Sumi and Hanako screamed from fear and surprise.
"Shut up, scum! How dare you!"
"Stop, Jiro, stop it!" ordered Hiroshi, grabbing Jiro by the shoulder, to stop him from hitting him.
Jiro flinched at the order, but stopped and lowered his head somewhat confused.
"Y-yes, as you command, Hiroshi-sama."
Sumi jumped on her brother to protect him, covering him as he started to cry in fear, while Hanako continued to struggle to get to Goro, being barely restrained by Koba-san.
"That's enough, everybody, calm down!" shouted peremptorily Keitaro, standing next to Hiroshi, which silenced the place for a second.
"Jiro-san, Koba-san," continued Keitaro. "Please take Hanako back to her room, we'll wait for you here."
Hanako's cries of protest faded as she was forcibly removed from the place, being replaced by the crying of Sumi, who was trying to pull Goro back, who had been somewhat dazed by the blow.
Keitaro approached the boy and first had to calm the girl down. When he succeeded, he motioned to Hiroshi, and between them they carried Goro to the steps of one of the altars that was a few meters away, where they sat him down, leaning against the pillar of the railing, while they waited for Mr. Koba and Jiro to return.
Goro began to regain consciousness, faintly mumbling disjointed words.
"I... power... Miyamizu...; yes I... have... power..."
Keitaro approached the boy to try to hear what he was saying. After a few seconds, he sat up shaking his head negatively.
"Hiroshi, we must get this boy to his family as soon as possible. I think he's raving."
"It's because of you!" cried Sumi, who was hugging her brother, sobbing. "He is a good boy, and you are upsetting him and almost killed him!"
"None of this would have happened if he hadn't come to the shrine last night like a delinquent... but I won't discuss that with you, girl," Hiroshi replied. "We'll be at your house soon, so he can be taken care of."
They continued to wait for a long time. Goro began to regain more consciousness until he stopped mumbling, somewhat confused to find himself sitting with Sumi hugging him. Then Koba-san appeared, followed by Jiro who came crestfallen and embarrassed.
"Hiroshi-sama, forgive our delay. Your daughter was very out of control, and there was no one at home to watch and control her, so I had to go find someone else, but everything is under control now. Your daughter stayed with your wife, and I left one of the servants to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't go out again."
"I understand, thank you Koba-san, we'd better get going right away. Hey, kid, can you walk now?", said Hiroshi addressing Goro.
Goro raised his head slowly. There was still some confusion in his eyes, a mixture of shock and fever.
"Will I get hit again... if I don't?"
"That shouldn't have happened," interjected Mr. Koba. "I've already spoken to my son, and I reprimanded him for that uncalled-for action. Jiro, apologize to Mayugorô san."
The man took a couple of steps, but was slow to respond. After a few seconds of hesitation, he spoke in a deep voice.
"I... I shouldn't have hit you like that. I beg your pardon."
Goro looked at him with glazed eyes, and only managed to give a snort in response.
"Well, this won't get us anywhere. Come on, let's get going anyway. Koba-san, Jiro-san, help him stand up and walk," ordered Keitaro.
The two men approached, with Sumi looking at them fearfully, but they managed to gently push her away, taking Goro by the shoulders, and putting him between the two of them, to help him walk.
The group followed their way slowly, descended the stairs with difficulty, and took the path towards the town's artisans' area, where the Mayugorô shoe workshop was located, about one kilometer from the entrance to the shrine.
The strange group attracted the attention of the few passers-by in the area, especially when they saw the high priests escorting a boy in a notoriously bad condition. Everyone looked down at the presence of the Miyamizu, but they could not help but notice that they were leaving whispers in their wake.
"I think we should have come dressed less showy, brother," said Keitaro to Hiroshi, in a whisper.
"We'd better finish this however we can. And we're not criminals to have to hide."
"All right, I just hope this doesn't keep getting out of control."
With only a few meters to go, one of the employees of Mayugorô's shop, who was talking to a customer in the street, spotted the group. In the distance they saw how he hurriedly dismissed the customer, and entered the workshop shouting. Hiroshi and Keitaro looked at each other with concern.
When they reached the entrance of the workshop, they found a group of three men coming out of it: the employee who had seen them, Goro's older brother and his father. The latter looked at the group of newcomers for a second, before bowing to the high priests. The clerk and the son followed him.
"My name is Mayugorô Yamazaki. It is an honor to have the presence of such important people as yourselves in my workshop, high priests of Miyamizu Shrine."
"I am Miyamizu Hiroshi, high priest of the shrine. And this is my brother and priest, Miyamizu Keitaro. I am sorry to have to visit you in this condition and for this reason, but as my men told you last night, I bring your son before you. And we need to talk about this embarrassing matter and settle it."
Yamazaki sat up and stared at his son, who was still in the arms of Mr. Koba and Jiro, but looking at the ground, not daring to look at his father. He spoke to him in a beaten form, showing a virulence that surprised the newcomers.
"Goro, is this the way to come to your house, bringing dishonor and shame to the family? Stand up like a man, and look me in the face!"
Mr. Koba looked at each other and Jiro, and with a small nod of the head they gave each other to understand that they should let the boy go. Goro suddenly felt the full weight of his body on his legs again and staggered a couple of steps before facing his father.
"Father... I... I didn't want this to happen."
"Don't you know that Miyamizu shrine is a place that has authority over all of Itomori? How dare you go to that place last night like that?"
"Do you know why he went there, Yamazaki-san?" asked Keitaro.
"My wife went without my permission today to see this boy, albeit with some news. And you, Sumi, we'll have a talk later!"
The girl, who had been standing behind the group of newcomers trying to remain unnoticed, received the interpellation with an exhalation of fear. Looking up, she saw her mother further behind her father, out of sight. Without thinking, she ran around both groups until she reached her mother and hugged her, bursting into tears.
Yamazaki, watched his daughter make the maneuver, until he saw that his wife had been behind without him noticing. He let out a disgruntled snap.
"These women are sometimes a trouble. They think they can make decisions without their husband's permission. But I'll fix that later..."
Keitaro and Hiroshi only managed to give each other a disguised look of concern.
"...but my lords, I know that you are the highest authorities in this village. We are simple artisans, who came to Itomori a few years ago looking for an honest living. I know you want to talk to me, but I would like to ask you first to let me speak privately with Goro. I want to know from his own lips whatever he has to tell me, before I talk to you."
"All right, I think that's fair. We'll wait here for your return," indicated Keitaro, with a nod.
"Oh, but it wouldn't be polite to leave you waiting in the street. Forgive your excellencies for the smallness of our house, but please wait inside. Kansaki-san, take the guests to my house" ordered Yamazaki, giving the order to the shop employee.
"Yes, Mayugorô-san," replied the employee, gesturing to the priests. "This way, gentlemen."
"Koba-san, Jiro-san, wait for us here, please," said Keitaro to his men.
"As you command, Keitaro-sama."
The high priests followed the employee, entering the store through a narrow entrance between all kinds of sandals that were exposed to the sight to attract the attention of the customers.
"And you, help me take your brother in the back, to the baths," said Yamazaki to his eldest son.
Between the two of them they took Goro by the arms, and walked around the entrance of the store, in the direction of the bathhouse.
§
"This place is much smaller than I expected," said Keitaro, who was sitting next to Hiroshi on a pair of cushions in the main room of the Mayugorô house.
The room had no more than ten tatamis of space, and was surrounded by some old furniture, and a central table.
"The life of artisans must be difficult," replied Hiroshi thoughtfully.
A door beside them slid open, and a woman appeared. They recognized her as the wife of Yamazaki Mayugorô, whom they had spotted behind him a few minutes before.
The woman knelt in front of them and bowed to greet them.
"Welcome to our home. My name is Mayugorô Sayuri. I apologize for my husband's delay, and I will serve you tea while you wait for him."
The woman stood up, left the room for a second, and returned immediately bringing a tray with a tray of hot water, and some earthenware tea cups.
The woman diligently served the tea, under the watchful eyes of the Miyamizu.
"Sayuri-san, you were today at our shrine this morning, weren't you?" asked Hiroshi.
"Yes, I went to see my son, and the old man who accompanies them was very kind to me and my daughter, and made it possible for us to see him."
"Did Koba-san let her in?" Keitaro asked curiously, looking at Hiroshi. "I didn't know it."
"Koba-san asked Hanako. She authorized them," said Hiroshi taking a sip of his tea.
"Oh..., I didn't know about that."
"It was when we were doing the ceremony in the morning; Koba-san complied not to disturb us," commented Hiroshi with a shrug.
"I see..."
Hiroshi put down the teacup in front of him, cleared his throat, and looked directly at the woman. He wanted to test the waters with the boy's family, and save time.
"Sayuri-san, I'm sorry we couldn't attend to you personally this morning, but there was a ceremony that only Keitaro-san and I could perform, urgently. But then you spoke to your son. Did he tell you why he went to the shrine last night?"
Goro's mother averted her eyes, feeling embarrassed.
"Yes. He told me. I couldn't believe it."
"Then you know he went to see my daughter."
"Yes, but... but he swore to me that he hasn't done anything to your daughter! I know he is young and reckless. But he's not a criminal or a liar. I ask you to believe him, please!"
Sayuri was so nervous she was shivering. She knew that the men in front of her were the most powerful and influential in all of Itomori, and one negative word from them to the Daimyo could mean the complete destruction of her family.
"And what do you think of this, Sayuri-san?" insisted Hiroshi.
The woman looked at them shyly. She felt fearful that her words might doom her family. But she loved her son and wanted his happiness. For several seconds the internal debate tightened in her chest, until she could not bear it and simply let go.
"I want my son to be able to have a full life. That he can be happy, free from having to go hungry, free from having to wander from town to town looking for a place to settle his head, as it cost us so much. And may he be able to raise a happy family, with a woman he loves and she loves and honors him in the same way. But... I know that you are a powerful family in Itomori. You control the land and represent the Daimyo here. I know that in your eyes we Mayugorô are not worthy, we are mere artisans. And that... saddens me. It saddens me for my son."
An awkward silence followed that statement. Sayuri looked down, somewhat embarrassed, feeling she had overstepped her bounds in front of them.
"I think... I understand your words well, Sayuri-san," interjected Hiroshi, speaking thoughtfully.
"My own daughter has acted defiantly towards me for some time now. I thought it was simple rebellion, but only yesterday I found out that the reason was... her feelings... for your son. I have plans for her, but now those plans are in opposition to my daughter's feelings. I could give up, but things are not that simple. Whoever takes Hanako in marriage will not be a simple husband raising a simple family, no matter how much they love each other. That man will have responsibilities to the people of Itomori, to the Daimyo, to the Bakufu and the main thing is a lifelong commitment to the God of our shrine, to serve Him as a Miyamizu priest. All that goes much further than just forming a simple family..."
Sayuri looked up and stared at Hiroshi wide-eyed in amazement, not understanding what the high priest was getting at.
Hiroshi was speechless. He looked at Keitaro, trying to seek inspiration, but he understood that he was asking for help, so he picked up his brother-in-law's train of thought.
"What my brother means is that he understands how strongly your son and my niece feel. But we cannot as a family and as a clan simply consent to such a relationship, if someone like your son is not ready to transform into a Miyamizu, and one day be a leader of the shrine, and of all Itomori; is your son ready to take on such a role?"
Hiroshi was surprised at how direct Keitaro could be, so he looked at Sayuri waiting for the answer to the question he had not been able to articulate.
Sayuri was dumbfounded. What those men were asking her was not a condemnation for her son, but an opportunity that could make the difference between happiness or unhappiness for the rest of his life. She swallowed, trying to hide her surprise.
"He... Goro is a brave boy, and a very honorable one. Last night we were disturbed to learn that he had been... captured as a criminal. He is not like that, and I could not understand it. Today, when I talked to him, I could understand the reason. And I know he's tenacious, he's capable of great things. And unlike my older children, I have been able to teach him and his sister Sumi things that their older siblings have not. Goro can read and write."
"Does he know...? Did you teach him?" asked Hiroshi in amazement. He hadn't expected such a level of education in a family of artisans.
"When I was a child, I lived and grew up in Edo. My father's family had good connections with... with... with some powerful families in Edo. And my father was able to pay tutors to teach me and my brothers to read and write, and many things...; and I was able to pass that knowledge on to my younger children."
"Was your family close to the imperial court?"
Sayuri realized she had spoken too much; she didn't want them to reveal her connections to the Tanuma family, which had been in disgrace for more than twenty years.
"I... my family served in the court, yes... but... but that ended. After the Edo fire I met my husband, and since then I no longer have contact with my family in Edo. Now my husband Yamazaki, my children and my family in Itomori are all I have in life."
"I see..."
Sayuri felt that she had escaped tremendous danger. But the important thing now was her son, Goro. She decided to pick up the thread.
"But being able to read and write has not only been a blessing for Goro. It has also brought him problems with the family. It has awakened other interests, a broader view of the world; but my husband resents that Goro is not only interested in learning the family business, but that he is also interested in other things. It is partly my fault. I instructed him and taught him to see things beyond, just as I once learned as a girl in Edo..."
Sayuri looked at the men, and felt a lump form in her throat.
"...But, but now I am part of a simple family of artisans. I know Goro would be capable of great things, but there are doors he cannot open alone, from his position. And you have mistreated him, and brought him hurt and humiliated. Even if you... wanted to... give him a chance, I don't know if he will want to accept it, except for... because he loves your daughter."
Sayuri bowed to the priests with a deep bow.
"My lords, my son is someone honest and honorable. He is also someone very polite, above what you will find in all of Itomori. Please forgive his transgression and his youthful mistakes. And I am sure that what he feels for his daughter is genuine and pure. I ask you to please take it into consideration..."
The conversation was interrupted when a side door slid open. Yamazaki Mayugorô was back. He looked somewhat agitated and annoyed, but he bowed politely and quickly sat down next to his wife.
"My sincerest apologies for the delay, my lords."
"You don't have to worry. Your wife has been very kind and has taken good care of us", replied Keitaro. "And during the wait we have been able to better understand what is going on with your son."
"I'm glad to hear that. Well, I spoke to my son, and now I know from his own lips why he has been so rude to your lordships. But I have already taken action, and I can assure you that such an attitude and disobedience of my son will not be repeated..."
Yamazaki made a deep bow before the priests, resting his hands on the floor, and bringing his forehead to almost touch the ground.
"...I have already taught my son, and I promise you that he will never come close to your family again."
Hiroshi and Keitaro's eyes widened in surprise, not only at Yamazaki's words, but they both saw that the man's right hand was clumsily bandaged, hastily, covering the knuckles, with fresh blood peeking through the threads of the cloth.
"Mayugorô-san... what did you say to your son? And... what did you do to him?" asked Hiroshi in a worried voice.
"What a father should do with a rebellious son, who has just transgressed the rules of the local authorities. Your men made it clear to me last night: you captured him as a delinquent. He told me he had gone to see your daughter, but he knows that is a serious offense. I've treated him as a criminal that should be punished. You have my word that he will leave your daughter alone from now on."
Sayuri gasped in surprise when she realized that her husband had just hit the already battered Goro.
"Honey, what did you do to Goro!"
"What I should have done long ago with that foolish boy, woman. Instead of devoting himself to being a good craftsman, he's been filling his head with clouds. It's time he settled down and stopped wasting his time. The workshop will be his only concern until he learns his lesson."
"Yamazaki..." —gasped his wife, bewildered. But Sayuri couldn't speak anymore; tears began to run down her cheeks. She wanted to run to see her son, but she couldn't leave the place without offending her important guests, or worse, angering her husband.
Hiroshi and Keitaro stirred uncomfortably. The Goro Mayugorô's situation seemed to be entering a dark cul-de-sac. Hiroshi was beginning to glimpse that perhaps his daughter's happiness and future could go hand in hand with that boy, but the turn of events could be closing such a door forever.
"Mayugorô-san, I think there is something you have not taken into account. Goro-kun told you that he has feelings for my daughter Hanako, right?"
"Oh, yes, he did. And I'm very sorry for such foolishness on my son's part, my lord."
"Well, maybe that's not foolish, Mayugorô-san, because..."
A loud sound interrupted Hiroshi. A howl of wind was felt even inside the closed room. The doors shook for a few seconds, startling the four in the room, and the roof of the house emitted a strange creaking sound.
"An earthquake?" asked Keitaro in alarm.
"No, it doesn't seem so... was that the wind?" asked Hiroshi, looking at the owner of the house.
"Yes, it's wind, but just now the sky was mirrored, and it was clear," answered Yamazaki in surprise. "It's rare to have a wind like that without a storm."
"Well, then..."
A second gust of wind even stronger than the previous one made the roof creak even louder than the first. Everyone began to look up at the roof and around with concern.
"Maybe we should go back to the shrine, Hiroshi," said Keitaro with some concern.
"Narumi-san and her sons can take care of closing everything, if necessary, but now we need to finish what we came here to do."
Hiroshi straightened his back in a posture that gave him a strong aura of authority, and stared at Yamazaki Mayugorô sternly.
"Mayugorô-san. I am not the one to intervene in your relationship as a father with your son. But I have to make something clear: your son and my daughter established a relationship behind our backs, and as a father I have to look after the good and happiness of my daughter. And that means I have to talk seriously about your son's future."
Yamazaki shrugged off the priest's demeanor, but was completely taken aback by his words.
§
Goro Mayugorô lay sprawled on the floor of the baths in his house. The cold floor made his body contract unconsciously from the fever that had begun to embrace his body. But he felt almost nothing; neither did he feel the salty taste of blood that gushed from his nose and dripped from his mouth. None of that permeated his consciousness, dazed from the blows he had received.
His mind was confused, wandering between memories and unconnected images. The fear he had felt, and the pain was now blurring into a strange sense of absence.
Suddenly he felt his body light again, as if floating, and his mind suddenly cleared, only to see darkness. And in that darkness, two familiar eyes watched him haughtily.
When his sight cleared, Goro found himself back in that strange world of the dragon god. The guttural voice coming between snorts struck his consciousness again.
"FU-FU-FU, WHAT A WRETCHED CREATURE... YOU ARE. FU-FU-FU. I CAN READ YOU, AND I SEE THAT... NOT EVEN YOUR OWN BLOOD... RESPECTS YOU."
"I... I was..."
Mental clarity allowed him to remember the last thing that had happened.
His brother had taken him to the bath's building, and had sat him in a corner applying wet cloths to treat his fever, until his father had arrived and sent his brother back to the workshop. His father had asked what had happened to him, and when he had told him the truth as truthfully as he could, his father had insulted him by calling him a worthless braggart. He wanted to stand up and protest, telling his father how much he loved Hanako, but his father's first blow took him by surprise. The following blows, with his father telling him to forget her because he would never be with her again were shattering his heart, his pride and his self-esteem. He vaguely felt his body at some point hit the ground, and suddenly he was in front of the dragon.
Tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"YOU... ARE... DESPISED BY EVERYONE. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THAT... WOMAN, UNLESS... YOU SHOW THAT YOU ARE... WORTHY OF HER."
"How? How could I...? -How could I...?"
"I HAVE... POWER. JOIN ME! I WILL GIVE YOU THE POWER... TO DESTROY THOSE WHO... OPPOSE YOU."
In tears, he could only see those red eyes.
"And will I be able to win... and be with Hanako?"
"JOIN ME... AND ALL THOSE... WHO HAVE DESPISED YOU... WILL DISAPPEAR... AND THAT WOMAN... WILL BE YOURS... NO ONE WILL BE ABLE... TO OPPOSE YOU... NO MIYAMIZU WILL EVER AGAIN... OPPOSE YOU."
"Yes, I want that. Tell me, what should I do? How can I have that power?"
"YOU MUST ACCEPT ME... AS YOUR GOD... AND GIVE ME... YOUR BODY AND MIND... TO RECEIVE... MY POWER."
"I will. Give me that power, the power to be with her!"
Goro closed his eyes, and his thoughts were only on joining the dragon god, the only one who trusted him, the only one who supported him.
"AHHH, YOU ARE... VENGEANCE... YOUR NAME WILL BE... REMEMBERED... AME-NO-KAGASEO WILL BE... EXALTED... AND AVENGED... THROUGH YOU... MY POWER... WILL FLOW... THROUGH YOU..."
Goro felt the darkness fill with a warmth and then a heat he had never felt before. His consciousness began to sway, and he felt that suddenly his mind was no longer his mind. In his mind it was no longer just him, there was someone else. There was something else. And a hoarse laugh, which he had trouble recognizing as his own voice, was the last thing he heard before his consciousness went numb, eclipsed by that presence that flooded his mind.
§
Sumi Mayugorô had slipped away to a corner of the house after her mother had gone to attend to the priests who had brought her brother. She had been crying silently in fear of her father's threat.
When she felt his father's footsteps outside the room, she cowered in fear, like a mouse trying to disappear from the sight of a hungry cat. But her father walked past her in the direction of the baths. She remembered that his brother was there. She had been taking care of him all day, and it pained her to see Goro delirious and feverish, weak.
Sumi had grown up admiring her older brother. She liked it when he took care of her. Now she felt she had to return his hand, and that he also saw her in the same way.
When after a short while she felt her father pass back in the direction of the main room of the house, she decided it was time to come out of hiding and go see Goro.
She peeked outside through the far door of the main hall with extreme caution. No one was in sight. The evening light meant that the shadows were already lengthening, but the hallway of the house was backlit, allowing him to move even more stealthily.
She walked silently as fast as she could, and in a few seconds, she reached the bathhouse. She opened the door a centimeter, carefully. She didn't want to be surprised by someone else inside who could catch her and take her to her father.
What she saw chilled her heart.
Goro was lying in the middle of the bathhouse floor, his face against the gound, blood pouring from his face forming a pool on the floor.
The shock was so strong that she forgot all caution. Sumi gave a cry of surprise and anguish, and threw herself into the bathing room, turning her brother face up and trying to revive him.
The boy was completely unresponsive. He was breathing, but unconscious, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Goro, Goro! Answer me Goro! What happened to you! Brother!"
Desperate, Sumi looked around and saw some wet cloth rags lying near Goro. She ran to pick them up, and rinsed them in a bucket of cold water she found nearby. Then she took them to Goro, and began to wipe his face, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Goro! Please come back, it's me, it's Sumi, please wake up!"
Sumi felt that suddenly her care was taking effect. Goro began to stir slightly, and his eyes began to move in all directions under closed eyelids. Her mouth was trying to babble something.
The girl was silent, and put her ear close to Goro's face, trying to hear what he was saying, but the boy's voice was barely audible; Sumi thought she caught traces of some unintelligible words, except for two that she could understand: "give me power".
Sumi guessed that her brother was delirious. «It must be the fever», she thought, so she took the second cloth and began applying it to her forehead in an attempt to bring down the fever.
Suddenly, Goro's body began to convulse as she had never seen it do before. Sumi grabbed Goro's head, trying to keep him from thrashing against the ground, but his arms and legs jerked uncontrollably, until the convulsions stopped as suddenly as they had started.
"Goro, are you alright? Can you hear me?" asked Sumi timidly, not knowing what to do now that everything had so suddenly returned to calm.
Then Goro slowly opened his eyes, first without seeming to be focusing on anything, until he began to blink, slowly, as if regaining awareness of where he was.
"Goro! I'm here, brother, it's me, Sumi! How do you feel?"
But Goro just looked at her strangely for a couple of seconds, and without warning he sat down on the floor as if he had been lifted by an invisible rope.
"Hey, brother, wait, don't get up like that, you'll feel bad!"
Goro slowly turned his head, looking at her, and spoke to Sumi in a voice she could not recognize. Guttural, low and with deadly contempt.
"Get away from me... filthy creature."
The unexpected and cruel words surprised Sumi who fell backwards in surprise and fear.
"G-Goro, what's wrong with you, why are you treating me like this?"
Goro stood up with some difficulty, and stared for a second at his own hands. Then he brought them to his face and head, feeling it. A slight rictus of pain furrowed his face as he touched both his newly received wounds, and the blow to the back of the head he had received the night before.
"What weak and... pathetic beings," said Goro in that same strange guttural voice.
"Brother, you're scaring me... please stop playing... it's no fun," begged Sumi in a trembling voice, still sitting on the floor, looking up at her brother.
But Goro ignored her completely.
"Some power... will help me correct... this weak body."
Goro's hands returned to his face, and he remained in a strange static posture for several seconds. A reddish light began to emerge between the skin of his palms and face, which made Sumi scream in fear, when she saw that the wounds, bruises and swelling on her brother's face were absorbed and disappeared from his face in a matter of a few seconds, leaving no trace.
"Goro, what did you do, Goro?"
Goro looked at the girl with a completely healthy face, standing upright in a defiant posture. The sudden attitude he showed was as if he was not sick or hurt at all.
"Now I will be able to be accountable... with this village... and with the wretched... Miyamizu," said Goro.
Sumi could not understand what was going on. The hatred in her brother's strange voice sent chills down her spine.
"Wh-who are you? Goro? Please... don't play games..."
Sumi stood up slowly, but cowering, not knowing whether to approach her brother or run away.
Goro looked at her haughtily. A laugh with an animalistic tone came out of his mouth, and then he looked at Sumi amused at the girl's frightened face.
"Your Goro... is no longer... here..."
"Who are you! What do you want from my brother? Where is my brother?"
Goro glared at her for a couple of seconds, with no intention of answering her. Then he looked at the door. He began to walk towards the exit, first with somewhat awkward movements, but after a few steps he began to walk smoothly.
Sumi was paralyzed, not knowing what to do. An idea assaulted her violently: whatever was inside Goro's body was about to leave, and if it did, she might never see or recover her brother again! Terror invaded her, and despair overcame fear. Without thinking she walked towards her brother and hugged him, pressing herself against his back as tightly as she could, closing her eyes as she tried to stop him.
"Goro, it's me, it's Sumi, come back to me! Don't let that take you away, come back to me, brother, come back!"
Goro raised his arms, quizzically, watching the small hands hugging him by his stomach. He tried to move forward a couple of steps more, without success. Then one of Goro's hands grabbed Sumi's wrist, and squeezed it making the girl scream from the sudden pain. Her hands let go, and Goro pulled the girl's arm, dragging her and then lifting her into the air in front of him.
Sumi screamed and kicked trying to shake off the strong grip of Goro's hand lifting her up, her feet barely touching the floor.
"Let me go, you animal! Help me! Agggh! Let me go!"
But Goro did not let her go. He pulled the dangling girl closer to him until their face were a few centimeters apart.
Sumi felt dread. She looked into her brother's eyes, and saw that his dark eyes were no longer dark. They glowed with a reddish light. They were the eyes of a demon. Fear made her feel as if she would faint.
"Cowardly creature...you dare call...your god… an animal?"
Sumi's eyes began to fill with tears. In panic, she could barely whisper "help me, help me," unable to stop staring into the red eyes of the demon that was no longer her brother.
The monster took a breath of air, and spoke in the most fury-laden voice Sumi had ever heard, and would never hear again.
"I AM AME-NO-KAGASEO, ETERNAL GOD OF THE HEAVENS AND DESTRUCTION. I AM THE VENGEANCE OF ITOMORI!"
Goro's arm swung, and flung Sumi to the side as if she were a rag doll. The girl's body slammed into the wall, and her head hit the wall so heavily that she fell to the ground, unconscious at the spot.
Ame-no-Kagaseo walked out of the bathing room without looking back. He walked a dozen steps outside, and looked up at the sun that was already about to set against the hills surrounding Itomori.
"This cursed place... must return... to its ashes."
The god looked around, searching. A vision beyond human gazed in all directions, until his attention was drawn to a building a kilometer and half away, diagonally up the hill: the Miyamizu Shrine.
"You can no longer... hide... from my fury, Miyamizu insects!"
Ame-no-Kagaseo looked towards the lake, which was a few dozen meters away from the bathhouse. He walked towards it, until he entered knee-deep in water, and turned in the direction of the shrine, arms outstretched.
"The power of the heavens... may it bring destruction upon you!"
The atmosphere began to stir, and a sudden wind began to move first at the water's edge, building to a powerful jet of wind that blew from the lake in a straight line in the direction of Miyamizu's shrine. Clouds of dust were kicked up by the sudden gusts of wind, coupled with thousands of dry autumn leaves that began to blow wildly through the air.
When the speed and strength of the wind reached a powerful level, Ame-no-Kagaseo walked back towards the Mayugorô bathhouse. He gleefully observed what he was looking for. Piles of dry wood were stacked against the wall, near where an iron and brick stove for heating water stood.
Ame-no-Kagaseo approached the wood and studied it for a few seconds. Then he put his hands in front of his face, observing the fingertips.
"For hundreds of years... they have held me trapped... but I have gathered strength... for this moment. For my fury... to be complete. For vengeance... to consume the Miyamizu."
He brought his hands to the wood, touching it with his fingertips. He closed his eyes, and red sparks began to emerge from his fingertips, like little red, glowing caterpillars. As they touched the wood, they began to grow until they looked like insects crawling through the wood, leaving a trail of fire in every direction they moved.
More and more of those fire bugs were coming out of their fingers, advancing and setting everything on fire in their path, until they reached the edges of the wall and jumped like crickets, being blown by the wind, until they reached the nearby trees that began to burn while the fire bugs kept growing and crawling to the upper branches, to reach the wind and jump to the next tree.
In less than a minute, the wall facing the lake of the Mayugorô bathhouse was completely on fire, along with the trees and all the combustible material near it, fanned by the wind that was carrying more and more fire beings in the direction of the Miyamizu shrine.
Ame-no-Kagaseo went back a dozen meters towards the lake, and turned around to observe his work. With red eyes shining with joy, he observed how the flames were already beginning to advance through the roof of the bathhouse, and jumping from tree to tree.
A guttural guffaw came from his throat.
"Ha-ha-ha. Despicable humans, you thought your power... would trap me... forever... Only my power... is forever... And when you are gone... I will be... free again."
Shouts in the distance began to be heard up the hill. A wooden bell began to clang insistently, alerting and echoing the cries of "Fire!".
But Ame-no-Kagaseo could hardly hear anymore. He had used up the last of the energy he had accumulated for centuries to produce the fire of vengeance that was growing and climbing up the mountain, riding on the wind, in the direction of the Miyamizu shrine.
"My... vengeance... will... fall upon... you."
And with no more energy left, Ame-no-Kagaseo could no longer control Goro's body and mind, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious.