Sorry for the delay on this chapter! I was busy trying to figure out some later story stuff for the fanfic. Plus some personal/job-related stuff was getting in the way. But now that I know where I want the story to go, I will continue updating as frequently as I can.
124th Spell: The Tsurube Tree
With Datsu the Zashiki-warashi at the helm, he steered the enchanted Kō-tei ship out of the Aomori Train Station parking lot and into the sky. Haru, Rui, and Gyoku held on to something tightly as the ship ascended through the clouds and over the rolling mountains of Japan's mainland. Many hours went by while the sun made its journey over their heads, causing the kids to get too hot and go below deck as to not get sunburned. In the galley part of the ship, there was a stone tablet that looked identical to the one Meru gave Gyoku before the Zashiki Agreement Ceremony with Datsu.
"A portable shrine!" Rui exclaimed. "It must be dedicated to Kurōto."
"How can you tell?" Haru asked.
"Where else would you find a portable shrine for a Zashiki-warashi that primarily works in a kitchen?" Gyoku said. "Now how do we summon him?"
"The Hangonkō Incense," Rui said.
She looked through the cupboards of the galley and found a bamboo container of incense sticks. They emitted a foul odor that made Haru reek, though he noticed the wooden handles had small Magic Circles written in ink.
"What exactly is Hangonkō Incense?" Haru inquired as Rui proceeded to take out an incense stick and light it with the Firelighting Charm from her Japanese elm wand.
"It was a magical incense that was imported from China centuries ago to allow wizards to summon the ghosts of their deceased loved ones, who would only be present for as long as the incense burned," Rui explained. "But then it was discovered that this incense could also be used to summon any kind of supernatural being whether it was a ghost, yokai, or kami."
Satisfied with Rui's answer, Haru remained quiet as Rui and Gyoku placed the Hangonkō Incense before the stone tablet.
"Kuruzhè Kurōto!" Rui and Gyoku chanted together.
The golden orb in the middle of the stone tablet suddenly glowed, and then the incense stick was put out.
"Is that you, Kurōto?" Rui asked.
"Give us some kind of a sign," Gyoku added.
Now the incense stick was floating in the air as if by an invisible hand.
"Datsu!" Haru called. "Are you still up there?"
"I sure am, Haru-kun!" called Datsu from the deck.
"Okay, now I believe Kurōto is with us," Haru said.
"But if you need further proof, Haru, let's have Kurōto whip us up three oyakodon dishes for lunch because I am starving!" Rui said as her stomach growled in response.
Using the galley's stores of food that were preserved well by a combination of the Cooling Charm Tsumejōchí and the Preservation Spell Hotachí, Kurōto was able to make three plates of delicious oyakodon, which was a rice dish made of cooked chicken and omelet-style eggs.
"So if a portable shrine is set up somewhere, a Zashiki-warashi can be in two places at once?" Haru wondered.
"More or less," replied Rui as she was stuffing her face. "If a portable shrine is put somewhere else from the Zashiki-warashi's usual dwelling, they can choose to go to the other location if they want to."
"Does that mean Datsu can choose to travel back to Wataka Mansion, or stay with Gyoku because Gyoku has a portable shrine on him?"
"Yes," Gyoku answered, patting the Portable Shrine that was tucked into the sash of his school kimono which had turned pink the moment he put it on from its previous black color. "That way, Datsu can help me at his own leisure without having to stick to me all the time."
"So what did you use to summon Kurōto with?" Haru asked.
"The Calling Charm," Rui said. "It's used to summon supernatural beings to you regardless of where they are."
"What makes it different from the spells used to summon spirits at the Shrine of Idesei?"
"Oh, those spells are only able to summon spirits at designated places like shrines," Rui explained. "But the Calling Charm can summon spirits and other supernatural beings from anywhere as long as you're burning Hangonkō Incense."
"But what if the being you intend to summon doesn't want to come? Do they still appear?"
"In that case, another supernatural being will take its place who is willing to show up. Though this can be dangerous as you could risk summoning a supernatural being that could hurt you, or even kill you."
As the sun dipped below the horizon of the western sea, the Kō-tei came within sight of Minami Island where the Japanese Wizarding School Mahoutokoro stood at the top of. The enchanted mist that kept the school out of sight from passing airplanes was thickening up, which made it difficult to see where the school was. But then Haru noticed an unusually tall tree on the south-facing side that stood above the mist.
"Let's head for that tree," Haru suggested. "And then we'll walk to the school from there."
"I wouldn't do it," advised Gyoku.
Haru noticed Gyoku looked nervous, which concerned him. "Why? Is there something wrong with the tree?"
"That tree is a Tsurube otoshi," Rui said. "It's a type of yokai which looks like an ordinary tree from a distance. But up close, it bears fruit that resembles flaming heads which can drop down and crush people to death."
"But what makes this Tsurube tree special is it can launch the flaming heads from its branches at flying targets like catapults," added Gyoku.
No sooner than he spoke, something fiery came flying toward the Kō-tei from the tall tree. As it got closer, Haru could see it was a giant human head engulfed in flames and was cackling loudly.
To be continued…