I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 186 The Wild Skeleton

"Clang clang clang".

The crisp sound of the shamisen being gently plucked echoed in the gray world.

"Sa!"

The tin staff taps the ground, and the drumbeats lightly strike.

In the Yomi Hirasaka, where the ground is covered only with stones, a group of people are slowly making their way.

Leading the way was a man with a shaved head, carrying a black umbrella: this was the 'umbrella bearer,' originally a down-on-his-luck samurai who guarded the 'Wandering Village' and was also responsible for collecting debts.

Behind the 'umbrella holder' were two girls around ten years old, named 'Bald'.

It's not that they're bald, but rather that they have thick bangs.

Behind the little girl was a courtesan dressed in full regalia, her hair adorned with a dense array of hairpins, her cheeks thickly powdered with white powder, her eyebrows rounded, and her face expressionless.

The courtesan, wearing 20-centimeter-high wooden clogs, takes one step forward and one step back, moving in a 3-for-1-back pattern – this is the famous 'butterfly step'. In a sense, a courtesan who can walk the entire 'street parade' alone in this outfit is definitely not a delicate woman.

And behind the 'flower queen',
They were two girls under twenty years old, named 'Shinzo'.

They need to carefully observe the 'court queen's' every move, because they are 'court queen trainees'.

"Boom, boom."

"Sa!"

On either side of the procession, male attendants held tin staffs and tapped the ground, while others struck drums with their hands, adding a touch of solemnity to the 'court lady parade'. However:

"This road is blocked."

The dark muzzles of guns were aimed at the team.
"Go back to where you came from."

"Knock knock knock knock,"

Faced with the dark muzzle of the gun blocking his way, he was met with increasingly rapid tapping of his tin cane on the ground and the sound of his hands constantly slapping the waist drum.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, until:
boom!
He shot the male constable holding a tin staff in the head.
As the other's head turned to ashes, the old hunter Fujiwara, who had come up from behind, did not speak out of curiosity.

"Don't waste time, get to work."

"Tsk, this is supposed to be a 'court lady parade,' at least—"

Clang,

Releasing his umbrella, the 'umbrella-wielder' suddenly lunged forward, drawing his sword and slashing at him!

"Let me finish speaking."

The old hunter Ishikawa, who had blocked the samurai sword with his hunting rifle held horizontally, glanced at the demonic face so close to his eyes and couldn't help but mutter something.

"Why does it look so human?"

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and spun around, knocking away the other man's katana and smashing the butt of his gun into the 'umbrella-bearer's' cheek, instantly shattering it like pottery!
They are responsible for clearing the area of ​​'evil spirits' from within the underworld, relieving pressure on the real world.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh

The next second, countless sharp ribbons shot out, but the two old hunters nimbly dodged them.

"Be careful, this 'court queen' is quite capable."

"Ha, what's there to be afraid of!"

Ishikawa casually raised his gun.

“We’re now 'officially employed' civil servants in the underworld. If these evil spirits aren’t willing to obey—”

boom!
The bullet, imbued with 'spiritual power', whistled out.

Then let's send them to 'become Buddhas'.

Forced exorcism!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Over Tokyo,

"Ok?"

Yu frowned slightly as he used 'Yin Yang Technique: Binding'—actually 'Diamond Lockdown'—to bind the Oni Warrior and prepare to establish a 'Spirit Contract'.

"What's wrong, Master?"

Yura Kakeru tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly realized something.

"Up close, this skeleton is ugly. I don't want it as a 'shikigami'."

"I don't need your comforting words, Master."

Yu rolled her eyes, interrupting the 'stepping stone' that Yura had prepared for herself.

“I captured this evil spirit, so it will only submit to me—if it were you, it wouldn’t submit.”

Upon hearing Yu's words, the skeletal warrior bound by golden chains twitched his jaw and glanced at Hanakain Yura, seemingly quite disdainful of her.

This is normal. Don't underestimate the opponent just because it's just a 'soul echo'. After absorbing a large amount of life force, it also possesses the strength of a Chunin. The 'Kafka illusion' in its normal state is at this level, so it must have been a powerful general in front of it.

Even if he were to submit to Yu, who could trap him with a mere gesture, his samurai spirit would not allow him to submit to Yura, this little girl from the Hanakain clan.

So what if I 'die' again?
"Then let him go, and I'll fight him?"

Yu shook her head slightly at Yura's suggestion and raised a finger.

“There’s an even simpler way,”

With Yura's strength, defeating this demon general is not impossible, but it would take too long, which would be a waste of time.

"Would you like to try entering his 'soul' and subjugating him?"

The girl nodded without hesitation at Yu's suggestion.

"it is good!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu's finger touched the girl's forehead, simultaneously connecting her mind with the 'Oni Warrior'.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"General, is Kyoto really as big as the legends say?"

"Hahaha, of course!"

Before she knew it, she was standing in a military camp.

In the center of the military camp, a bonfire blazed. A general, clad in heavy armor and wearing an exaggeratedly swirling helmet called "Blowback," sat on a low table, describing the "beautiful future" to the foot soldiers around him.

"Three years ago, I went to Kyoto with my master's family."

"It was truly a magnificent city, with endless rows of houses and straight, wide streets, capable of housing a full 50 people."

Beside the general was a five-meter-long spear.

Judging from his armor and weapons, it's easy to tell that he is the 'Ghost General'.

"My God, how big is this?"

"If our master successfully 'enters Luoyang,' then we..."

"Of course everyone will receive a reward, and we can also become 'locals'!"

The young foot soldiers were all excited. For the great men of their lords, going to Kyoto and becoming the "ruler of the land" was their lifelong dream; but for these foot soldiers, obtaining a fertile piece of land was enough to satisfy them.

but:

The fully armed general lowered his eyes.
He started fighting alongside his master at the age of 12, and deeply understood the dangers of the battlefield and the hardships they had endured along the way.

Nobody knows how many of these fellow villagers' descendants will survive to return home.

All he could do was:
"Cheer up!"

"Let those bastards see our might!"

"Cough cough, water, water~~"

The scene shifts to a rainy military camp, where coughs and groans can be heard everywhere.

Defeated,

The army was defeated and lost contact with its master.

Since ancient times, the ultimate goal of any martial family has been to "go to Kyoto", but how easy is it to walk this path?
Countless people fell on the road, and this army was just one of them: if nothing unexpected happened, this would be their burial ground.

"Get out! Get out!"

"Don't stop! Don't stop without my order!"

Several foot soldiers were kicked out of the central army camp, and they walked away dejectedly, muttering to themselves.

"Many people have fallen ill."

"If they don't rest, they'll die."

"The general doesn't care about our lives at all. Why don't we find an opportunity?"

Of course, it wasn't a rebellion, but rather sneaking home!
Anyway, the island nation is only so big, so even if you walk, you can still get back to where you used to live.

The dream of 'going to Luoyang' has been shattered, and now it's all about survival. However, scattering in all directions doesn't guarantee safety. They are already wanted by the victors, and everyone they encounter on their way home is willing to trade their heads for a bag of coarse grains: the so-called 'fallen samurai hunters' are equally deadly!

Snap, snap, snap,

The whip lashed fiercely at the young man who was tied to the tree.
The general, who looked like a demon, turned his head and his cold gaze swept over all the foot soldiers.

"idiot!"

"Do you think you can sneak away and return to your hometown?"

"The enemy pursuers, the villagers who traded your heads for food, and even..."

Angrily throwing down the whip, the general beckoned to the other foot soldiers kneeling on the ground.

"You, take him with you!"

"If he dies, you will all die! This is your punishment!"

The escape continues.

After repelling the pursuers once again,
"General, we're almost out of food."

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the man in the tent stood up, the firelight flickering on his face before finally settling into a resolute expression. "You, gather a few men and come with me."

When it was time to eat, the foot soldiers were surprised to find...

Besides whole grains, there was even a steaming hot meat soup with a piece of meat floating on top!

"asshole,"

"What kind of time is this? You still dare to go out and catch rabbits?"

From within the central command tent came the general's furious roar. Several foot soldiers fled from the tent, offering obsequious explanations:
"General, you see, everyone is happy to be able to drink rabbit soup."

"Everyone is tired, let's take a day off."

"roll!"

Since it's 'get lost,' that means you've agreed.

The remaining foot soldiers smiled for the first time in a long time. Being able to rest for a day, plus the meat soup, was the greatest satisfaction for them at the moment.

It tastes so good!
But these rabbit bones are really big!
"Kill!"

"Leave no one alive—"

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Kill without mercy!"

Under the cover of night, shouts of battle suddenly rang out across the land; in the moonlight, the enemy troops, who had already approached, suddenly launched an attack, and arrows rained down, covering the entire camp.

???

The foot soldiers who rushed out of the tents looked bewildered, many of them still seemingly asleep.

until:

"Why are you still standing there?!"

"Gather together, gather together, don't wander off!"

The familiar roar brought the foot soldiers back to their senses, and they instinctively moved closer to the voice: no matter how cruel or inhuman the general was, he was their backbone in times of crisis.

"Set the tents on fire to stop the pursuers."

He ordered several trusted men to set fire to the tents to form a 'defense line,' and the general shouted angrily:

"I told you before that stopping meant certain death. You bunch of useless trash, now you know to run, right? If you want to live, run!"

Having said that, the general, wielding a long spear, took the lead and broke through the encirclement:

"Come at me!"

The enemy clearly anticipated their breakout attempt, so they prepared an ambush on the other side.

"kill--"

In close combat, words become meaningless.

The two streams of people collided, and all that could be heard were frenzied roars as everyone roared and thrust their weapons at each other!

There were no techniques, no moves, only a desperate struggle to survive; the terrifying sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, the feeble screams of life ending in death, the murmurs of someone collapsing in a pool of blood.
Suddenly, a general covered in arrows, broken swords, and spear tips broke through the enemy's ambush!
"They broke through?"

"General, we did it!"

"roll!!!"

His usual roar startled the foot soldiers who had followed the general out of the fray.

"You idiots, I've had enough of you!"

"Get out of here, get far away from here—"

He swung the long spear, which was covered in blood and bits of flesh.

As his foot soldiers instinctively ran into the distance, the general turned around to face the enraged ambush troops who were regrouping.

"Hey, come on."

I am neither a good general nor a smart man.

The only thing he could do was to keep as many of his soldiers alive as possible, nothing more.

"shoot!"

Next second,
A hail of arrows came flying straight at us.
?

"I"

A hoarse voice came from the skull's mouth.

The skeleton general, his body riddled with arrows and broken swords, lowered his head.

"who is it?"

Where is this?

"Feel sorry,"

A crisp sound rang out from the side, causing the Skeleton General to turn his head.

She was a 'strange' little girl; at least, judging from his remaining 'aesthetic sense,' she could only be described as strange.

The upper body was covered by a white, form-fitting 'skirt', and the lower body appeared to be a pleated skirt: but it was too short, barely reaching the knees; she wore long stockings and strange shoes.

Her hair was short, even shorter than that of a nun: in her time, women did not cut their hair, except for nuns who cut it to shoulder length. But this did not affect the little girl's appearance and temperament; it was just that she looked downcast, as if mixed with pity.

"It was my own willfulness that made you my 'shikigami'."

After witnessing the other person's 'memories', Yura Hanakain put away her playful thoughts and bowed deeply to apologize.

"Onmyoji?"

The Skeleton General shook his head and gradually 'woke up'.

"I remember you. You're the disciple of that young Onmyoji? You want me to submit."

"sorry,"

With her hands clasped together, Yuluo remained silent.

Previously, she was just a child at heart, wanting to capture the other party as a 'shikigami', just like playing 'Pokémon'.

But what Yura had just witnessed made her realize that she was facing a brave and competent general.

I shouldn't have been treated so frivolously by her—

"No need to apologize,"

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have ‘woke up’.”

The effects of the mind link are mutual: when Yura saw the other's memories, this 'echoing soul' was also affected by Yura's soul, regained its rationality, and was no longer an evil spirit that only knew how to kill.

although,

He only remembered his last experience leading troops.

“I can become your 'shikigami',”

?

Yulu was astonished.

The skeleton general spoke slowly.

"But I hope you can help my 'subordinate' attain Buddhahood,"

The concept of 'becoming a Buddha' is a traditional concept in island nations. It refers to the dead relinquishing everything and attaining peace.

"Yes, I promise you."

Facing Yura, who nodded emphatically, the Skeleton General stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

"He served the Lord through three generations, remaining faithful to the end."

"Please bestow a name upon us, Master."

Except for the last battle, he forgot... no, it should be said that he was merely an evil spirit formed from the last lingering resentment of a certain general: he was not the real general, after all, that general had been dead for hundreds or thousands of years.

"Since you are a general of the Wu family, then take the name of the Big Dipper's 'Wuqu'."

Facing the kneeling Skeleton General, Yura extended her right hand.

"Please give me more advice."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

brush,

Time in the spiritual world is but a fleeting moment in reality.

As Yu's golden chains unraveled, the Skeleton General's figure vanished one after another, just like the other evil spirits collapsed.

"Failed?"

Class representative Nao spoke up instinctively.
"No, it worked."

Just as Yu denied it, a light shone behind Yura.

Clad in heavy armor riddled with arrows and broken swords, and beneath his helmet a skull-faced demon general wielding a five-meter-long spear, he appeared behind Yura: he looked like some kind of 'Stand user' or 'possessing spirit'.

"Wuqu, let us let those soldiers rest in peace!"

With a push of her feet, Huakaiyuan Youluo leaped up from the giant black bird.

"Yes, Master."

Behind her, her newly tamed summoned beast—no, her shikigami—responded loudly, brandishing its spear.

"You idiots, wake up right now!"

The spear swept towards a group of evil foot soldiers.

"Then get on your way obediently!"

Go and become a Buddha.

(End of this chapter)